adventure08-第4节
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me；〃 said he。
〃But I have told you everything。〃
Holmes turned on his heel with a gesture of disgust。
〃Good…night； Dr。 Trevelyan；〃 said he。
〃And no advice for me？〃 cried Blessington； in a
breaking voice。
〃My advice to your； sir； is to speak the truth。〃
A minute later we were in the street and walking for
home。 We had crossed Oxford Street and were half way
down Harley Street before I could get a word from my
companion。
〃Sorry to bring you out on such a fool's errand；
Watson；〃 he said at last。 〃It is an interesting case；
too； at the bottom of it。〃
〃I can make little of it；〃 I confessed。
〃Well； it is quite evident that there are two
menmore； perhaps； but at least twowho are
determined for some reason to get at this fellow
Blessington。 I have no doubt in my mind that both on
the first and on the second occasion that young man
penetrated to Blessington's room； while his
confederate； by an ingenious device； kept the doctor
from interfering。〃
〃And the catalepsy？〃
〃A fraudulent imitation； Watson； though I should
hardly dare to hint as much to our specialist。 It is
a very easy complaint to imitate。 I have done it
myself。〃
〃And then？〃
〃By the purest chance Blessington was out on each
occasion。 Their reason for choosing so unusual an
hour for a consultation was obviously to insure that
there should be no other patient in the waiting…room。
It just happened； however； that this hour coincided
with Blessington's constitutional； which seems to show
that they were not very well acquainted with his daily
routine。 Of course； if they had been merely after
plunder they would at least have made some attempt to
search for it。 Besides； I can read in a man's eye
when it is his own skin that he is frightened for。 It
is inconceivable that this fellow could have made two
such vindictive enemies as these appear to be without
knowing of it。 I hold it； therefore； to be certain
that he does know who these men are； and that for
reasons of his own he suppresses it。 It is just
possible that to…morrow may find him in a more
communicative mood。〃
〃Is there not one alternative；〃 I suggested；
〃grotesquely improbably； no doubt； but still just
conceivable？ Might the whole story of the cataleptic
Russian and his son be a concoction of Dr。
Trevelyan's； who has； for his own purposes； been in
Blessington's rooms？〃
I saw in the gaslight that Holmes wore an amused smile
at this brilliant departure of mine。
〃My dear fellow；〃 said he； 〃it was one of the first
solutions which occurred to me； but I was soon able to
corroborate the doctor's tale。 This young man has
left prints upon the stair…carpet which made it quite
superfluous for me to ask to see those which he had
made in the room。 When I tell you that his shoes were
square…toed instead of being pointed like
Blessington's； and were quite an inch and a third
longer than the doctor's； you will acknowledge that
there can be no doubt as to his individuality。 But we
may sleep on it now； for I shall be surprised if we do
not hear something further from Brook Street in the
morning。〃
Sherlock Holmes's prophecy was soon fulfilled； and in
a dramatic fashion。 At half…past seven next morning；
in the first glimmer of daylight； I found him standing
by my bedside in his dressing…gown。
〃There's a brougham waiting for us； Watson；〃 said he。
〃What's the matter； then？〃
〃The Brook Street business。〃
〃Any fresh news？〃
〃Tragic； but ambiguous；〃 said he； pulling up the
blind。 〃Look at thisa sheet from a note…book； with
'For God's sake come at onceP。 T。；' scrawled upon it
in pencil。 Our friend； the doctor； was hard put to it
when he wrote this。 Come along； my dear fellow； for
it's an urgent call。〃
In a quarter of an hour or so we were back at the
physician's house。 He came running out to meet us
with a face of horror。
〃Oh； such a business！〃 he cried； with his hands to his
temples。
〃What then？〃
〃Blessington has committed suicide！〃
Holmes whistled。
〃Yes； he hanged himself during the night。〃
We had entered； and the doctor had preceded us into
what was evidently his waiting…room。
〃I really hardly know what I am doing；〃 he cried。
〃The police are already upstairs。 It has shaken me
most dreadfully。〃
〃When did you find it out？〃
〃He has a cup of tea taken in to him early every
morning。 When the maid entered； about seven； there
the unfortunate fellow was hanging in the middle of
the room。 He had tied his cord to the hook on which
the heavy lamp used to hang； and he had jumped off
from the top of the very box that he showed us
yesterday。〃
Holmes stood for a moment in deep thought。
〃With your permission；〃 said he at last； 〃I should
like to go upstairs and look into the matter。〃
We both ascended； followed by the doctor。
It was a dreadful sight which met us as we entered the
bedroom door。 I have spoken of the impression of
flabbiness which this man Blessington conveyed。 As he
dangled from the hook it was exaggerated and
intensified until he was scarce human in his
appearance。 The neck was drawn out like a plucked
chicken's； making the rest of him seem the more obese
and unnatural by the contrast。 He was clad only in
his long night…dress； and his swollen ankles and
ungainly feet protruded starkly from beneath it。
Beside him stood a smart…looking police…inspector； who
was taking notes in a pocket…book。
〃Ah； Mr。 Holmes；〃 said he； heartily； as my friend
entered； 〃I am delighted to see you。〃
〃Good…morning； Lanner；〃 answered Holmes； 〃you won't
think me an intruder； I am sure。 Have you heard of
the events which led up to this affair？〃
〃Yes； I heard something of them。〃
〃Have you formed any opinion？〃
〃As far as I can see； the man has been driven out of
his senses by fright。 The bed has been well slept in；
you see。 There's his impression deep enough。 It's
about five in the morning； you know； that suicides are
most common。 That would be about his time for hanging
himself。 It seems to have been a very deliberate
affair。〃
〃I should say that he has been dead about three hours；
judging by the rigidity of the muscles；〃 said I。
〃Noticed anything peculiar about the room？〃 asked
Holmes。
〃Found a screw…driver and some screws on the wash…hand
stand。 Seems to have smoked heavily during the night；
too。 Here are four cigar…ends that I picked out of
the fireplace。〃
〃Hum！〃 said Holmes； 〃have you got his cigar…holder？〃
〃No； I have seen none。〃
〃His cigar…case； then？〃
〃Yes； it was in his coat…pocket。〃
Holmes opened it and smelled the single cigar which it
contained。
〃Oh； this is an Havana； and these others are cigars of
the peculiar sort which are imported by the Dutch from
their East Indian colonies。 They are usually wrapped
in straw； you know； and are thinner for their length
than any other brand。〃 He picked up the four ends and
examined them with his pocket…lens。
〃Two of these have been smoked from a holder and two
without；〃 said he。 〃Two have been cut by a not very
sharp knife； and two have had the ends bitten off by a
set of excellent teeth。 This is no suicide； Mr。
Lanner。 It is a very deeply planned and cold…blooded
murder。〃
〃Impossible！〃 cried the inspector。
〃And why？〃
〃Why should any one murder a man in so clumsy a
fashion as by hanging him？〃
〃That is what we have to find out。〃
〃How could they get in？〃
〃Through the front door。〃
〃It was barred in the morning。〃
〃Then it was barred after them。〃
〃How do you know？〃
〃I saw their traces。 Excuse me a moment； and I may be
able to give you some further information about it。〃
He went over to the door； and turning the lock he
examined it in his methodical way。 Then he took out
the key； which was on the inside； and inspected that
also。 The bed； the carpet； the chairs the
mantelpiece； the dead body； and the rope were each in
turn examined； until at last he professed himself
satisfied； and with my aid and that of the inspector
cut down the wretched object and laid it reverently
under a sheet。
〃How about this rope？〃 he asked。
〃It is cut off this；〃 said Dr。 Trevelyan； drawing a
large coil from under the bed。 〃He was morbidly
nervous of fire； and always kept this beside him； so
that he might escape by the window in case the stairs
were burning。〃
〃That must have saved them trouble；〃 said Holmes；
thoughtfully。 〃Yes； the actual facts are very plain；
and I shall be surprised if by the afternoon I cannot
give you the reasons for them as well。 I will take
this photograph of Blessington； which I see upon the
mantelpiece； as it may help me in my inquiries。〃
〃But you have told us nothing！〃 cried
