the adventure of the red circle-第4节

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grotesquely　horrible　in　its　contortion　and　his　head　encircled　by　a

ghastly　crimson　halo　of　blood；　lying　in　a　broad　wet　circle　upon　the

white　woodwork。　His　knees　were　drawn　up；　his　hands　thrown　out　in

agony；　and　from　the　centre　of　his　broad；　brown；　upturned　throat

there　projected　the　white　haft　of　a　knife　driven　blade…deep　into　his

body。　Giant　as　he　was；　the　man　must　have　gone　down　like　a　pole…axed　ox

before　that　terrific　blow。　Beside　his　right　hand　a　most　formidable

horn…handled；　two…edged　dagger　lay　upon　the　floor；　and　near　it　a　black

kid　glove。

　　〃By　George！　it's　Black　Gorgiano　himself！〃　cried　the　American

detective。　〃Someone　has　got　ahead　of　us　this　time。〃

　　Here　is　the　candle　in　the　window；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　Gregson。　〃Why；

whatever　are　you　doing？〃

　　　Holmes　had　stepped　across；　had　lit　the　candle；　and　was　passing　it

backward　and　forward　across　the　window…panes。　Then　he　peered　into

the　darkness；　blew　the　candle　out；　and　threw　it　on　the　floor。

　　〃I　rather　think　that　will　be　helpful；〃　said　he。　He　came　over　and

stood　in　deep　thought　while　the　two　professionals　were　examining　the

body。　〃You　say　that　three　people　came　out　from　the　flat　while　you　were

waiting　downstairs；〃　said　he　at　last。　〃Did　you　observe　them　closely？〃

　　〃Yes；　I　did。〃

　　〃Was　there　a　fellow　about　thirty；　black…bearded；　dark；　of　middle

size？〃

　　〃Yes；　he　was　the　last　to　pass　me。〃

　　〃That　is　your　man；　I　fancy。　I　can　give　you　his　description；　and　we

have　a　very　excellent　outline　of　his　footmark。　That　should　be　enough

for　you。〃

　　〃Not　much；　Mr。　Holmes；　among　the　millions　of　London。〃

　　〃Perhaps　not。　That　is　why　I　thought　it　best　to　summon　this　lady　to

your　aid。〃

　　We　all　turned　round　at　the　words。　There；　framed　in　the　doorway；

was　a　tall　and　beautiful　woman…　the　mysterious　lodger　of　Bloomsbury。

Slowly　she　advanced；　her　face　pale　and　drawn　with　a　frightful

apprehension；　her　eyes　fixed　and　staring；　her　terrified　gaze　riveted

upon　the　dark　figure　on　the　floor。

　　〃You　have　killed　him！〃　she　muttered。　〃Oh；　Dio　mio；　you　have　killed

him！〃　Then　I　heard　a　sudden　sharp　intake　of　her　breath；　and　she　sprang

into　the　air　with　a　cry　of　joy。　Round　and　round　the　room　she　danced；

her　hands　clapping；　her　dark　eyes　gleaming　with　delighted　wonder；

and　a　thousand　pretty　Italian　exclamations　pouring　from　her　lips。　It

was　terrible　and　amazing　to　see　such　a　woman　so　convulsed　with　joy

at　such　a　sight。　Suddenly　she　stopped　and　gazed　at　us　all　with　a

questioning　stare。

　　〃But　you！　You　are　police；　are　you　not？　You　have　killed　Giuseppe

Gorgiano。　Is　it　not　so？〃

　　〃We　are　police；　madam。〃

　　She　looked　round　into　the　shadows　of　the　room。

　　〃But　where；　then；　is　Gennaro？〃　she　asked。　〃He　is　my　husband；　Gennaro

Lucca。　am　Emilia　Lucca；　and　we　are　both　from　New　York。　Where　is

Gennaro？　He　called　me　this　moment　from　this　window；　and　I　ran　with　all

my　speed。〃

　　〃It　was　I　who　called；〃　said　Holmes。

　　〃You！　How　could　you　call？〃

　　〃Your　cipher　was　not　difficult；　madam。　Your　presence　here　was

desirable。　I　knew　that　I　had　only　to　flash　〃Vieni〃　and　you　would

surely　come。〃

　　The　beautiful　Italian　looked　with　awe　at　my　companion。

　　〃I　do　not　understand　how　you　know　these　things；〃　she　said。　〃Giuseppe

Gorgiano…　how　did　he〃　She　paused；　and　then　suddenly　her　face　lit

up　with　pride　and　delight。　〃Now　I　see　it！　My　Gennaro！　My　splendid；

beautiful　Gennaro；　who　has　guarded　me　safe　from　all　harm；　he　did　it；

with　his　own　strong　hand　he　killed　the　monster！　Oh；　Gennaro；　how

wonderful　you　are！　What　woman　could　ever　be　worthy　of　such　a　man？〃

　　〃Well；　Mrs。　Lucca；〃　said　the　prosaic　Gregson；　laying　his　hand　upon

the　lady's　sleeve　with　as　little　sentiment　as　if　she　were　a　Notting

Hill　hooligan；　〃I　am　not　very　clear　yet　who　you　are　or　what　you　are；

but　you've　said　enough　to　make　it　very　clear　that　we　shall　want　you　at

the　Yard。〃

　　〃One　moment；　Gregson；〃　said　Holmes。　〃I　rather　fancy　that　this　lady

may　be　as　anxious　to　give　us　information　as　we　can　be　to　get　it。　You

understand；　madam；　that　your　husband　will　be　arrested　and　tried　for

the　death　of　the　man　who　lies　before　us？　What　you　say　may　be　used　in

evidence。　But　if　you　think　that　he　has　acted　from　motives　which　are

not　criminal；　and　which　he　would　wish　to　have　known；　then　you　cannot

serve　him　better　than　by　telling　us　the　whole　story。〃

　　〃Now　that　Gorgiano　is　dead　we　fear　nothing；〃　said　the　lady。　〃He

was　a　devil　and　a　monster；　and　there　can　be　no　judge　in　the　world

who　would　punish　my　husband　for　having　killed　him。〃

　　〃In　that　case；〃　said　Holmes；　〃my　suggestion　is　that　we　lock　this

door；　leave　things　as　we　found　them；　go　with　this　lady　to　her　room；

and　form　our　opinion　after　we　have　heard　what　it　is　that　she　has　to

say　to　us。〃

　　Half　an　hour　later　we　were　seated；　all　four；　in　the　small

sitting…room　of　Signora　Lucca；　listening　to　her　remarkable　narrative

of　those　sinister　events；　the　ending　of　which　we　had　chanced　to

witness。　She　spoke　in　rapid　and　fluent　but　very　unconventional

English；　which；　for　the　sake　of　clearness；　I　will　make　grammatical。

　　〃I　was　born　in　Posilippo；　near　Naples；〃　said　she；　〃and　was　the

daughter　of　Augusto　Barelli；　who　was　the　chief　lawyer　and　once　the

deputy　of　that　part。　Gennaro　was　in　my　father's　employment；　and　I　came

to　love　him；　as　any　woman　must。　He　had　neither　money　nor　position…

nothing　but　his　beauty　and　strength　and　energy…　so　my　father　forbade

the　match。　We　fled　together；　were　married　at　Bari；　and　sold　my

jewels　to　gain　the　money　which　would　take　us　to　America。　This　was　four

years　ago；　and　we　have　been　in　New　York　ever　since。

　　〃Fortune　was　very　good　to　us　at　first。　Gennaro　was　able　to　do　a

service　to　an　Italian　gentleman…　he　saved　him　from　some　ruffians　in

the　place　called　the　Bowery；　and　so　made　a　powerful　friend。　His　name

was　Tito　Castalotte；　and　he　was　the　senior　partner　of　the　great　firm

of　Castalotte　and　Zamba；　who　are　the　chief　fruit　importers　of　New

York。　Signor　Zamba　is　an　invalid；　and　our　new　friend　Castalotte　has

all　power　within　the　firm；　which　employs　more　than　three　hundred

men。　He　took　my　husband　into　his　employment；　made　him　head　of　a

department；　and　showed　his　good…will　towards　him　in　every　way。

Signor　Castalotte　was　a　bachelor；　and　I　believe　that　he　felt　as　if

Gennaro　was　his　son；　and　both　my　husband　and　I　loved　him　as　if　he　were

our　father。　We　had　taken　and　furnished　a　little　house　in　Brooklyn；　and

our　whole　future　seemed　assured　when　that　black　cloud　appeared　which

was　soon　to　overspread　our　sky。

　　〃One　night；　when　Gennaro　returned　from　his　work；　he　brought　a

fellow…countryman　back　with　him。　His　name　was　Gorgiano；　and　he　had

come　also　from　Posilippo。　He　was　a　huge　man；　as　you　can　testify；　for

you　have　looked　upon　his　corpse。　Not　only　was　his　body　that　of　a　giant

but　everything　about　him　was　grotesque；　gigantic；　and　terrifying。

His　voice　was　like　thunder　in　our　little　house。　There　was　scarce

room　for　the　whirl　of　his　great　arms　as　he　talked。　His　thoughts；　his

emotions；　his　passions；　all　were　exaggerated　and　monstrous。　He　talked；

or　rather　roared；　with　such　energy　that　others　could　but　sit　and

listen；　cowed　with　the　mighty　stream　of　words。　His　eyes　blazed　at

you　and　held　you　at　his　mercy。　He　was　a　terrible　and　wonderful　man。

I　thank　God　that　he　is　dead！

　　〃He　came　again　and　again。　Yet　I　was　aware　that　Gennaro　was　no　more

happy　than　I　was　in　his　presence。　My　poor　husband　would　sit　pale　and

listless；　listening　to　the　endless　raving　upon　politics　and　upon

social　questions　which　made　up　our　visitor's　conversation。　Gennaro

said　nothing；　but　I；　who　knew　him　so　well；　could　read　in　his　face　some

emotion　which　I　had　never　seen　there　before。　At　first　I　thought　that

it　was　dislike。　And　then；　gradually；　I　understood　that　it　was　more

than　dislike。　It　was　fear…　a　deep；　secret；　shrinking　fear。　That　night…

the　night　that　I　read　his　terror…　I　put　my　arms　round　him　and　I

implored　him　by　his　love　for　me　and　by　all　that　he　held　dear　to　hold

nothing　from　me；　and　to　tell　me　why　this　huge　man　overshadowed　him　so。

　　〃He　told　me；　and　my　own　heart　grew　cold　as　ice　as　I　listened。　My

poor　Gennaro；　in　his　wild　and　fiery　days；　when　all　the　world　seemed

against　him　and　his　mind　was　driven　half　mad　by　the　injustices　of

life；　had　joined　a　Neapolitan　society；　the　Red　Circle；　which　was

allied　to　the　old　Carbonari。　The　oaths　and　secrets　of　this　brotherhood

were　frightful；　but　once　within　its　rule　no　escape　was　possible。

When　we　had　fled　to　America　Gennaro　thought　that　he　had　cast　it　all

off　forever。　What　was　his　horror　one　evening　to　meet　in　the　streets

the　very　man　who　had　initiated　him　in　Naples；　the　giant　Gorgiano；　a

man　who　had　earned　the　name　of　'Death'　in　the　south　of　Italy；　for　he

was　red　to　the　elbow　in　murder！　He　had　come　to　New　York　to　avoid　the

Italian　police；　and　he　had　already　planted　a　branch　of　this　dreadful

society　in　his　new　home。　All　this　Gennaro　told　me　and　showed　me　a

summons　which　he　had　received　that　very　day；　a　Red　Circle　drawn　upon