adventure05-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




〃'〃Gone！　　Gone　where？〃



〃'〃He　is　gone。　　No　one　has　seen　him。　He　is　not　in　his

room。　　Oh；　yes；　he　is　gone；　he　is　gone！〃　　She　fell

back　against　the　wall　with　shriek　after　shriek　of

laughter；　while　I；　horrified　at　this　sudden　hysterical

attack；　rushed　to　the　bell　to　summon　help。　　The　girl

was　taken　to　her　room；　still　screaming　and　sobbing；

while　I　made　inquiries　about　Brunton。　　There　was　no

doubt　about　it　that　he　had　disappeared。　　His　bed　had

not　been　slept　in；　he　had　been　seen　by　no　one　since　he

had　retired　to　his　room　the　night　before；　and　yet　it

was　difficult　to　see　how　he　could　have　left　the　house；

as　both　windows　and　doors　were　found　to　be　fastened　in

the　morning。　　His　clothes；　his　watch；　and　even　his

money　were　in　his　room；　but　the　black　suit　which　he

usually　wore　was　missing。　　His　slippers；　too；　were

gone；　but　his　boots　were　left　behind。　　Where　then

could　butler　Brunton　have　gone　in　the　night；　and　what

could　have　become　of　him　now？



〃'Of　course　we　searched　the　house　from　cellar　to

garret；　but　there　was　no　trace　of　him。　　It　is；　as　I

have　said；　a　labyrinth　of　an　old　house；　especially　the

original　wing；　which　is　now　practically　uninhabited；

but　we　ransacked　every　room　and　cellar　without

discovering　the　least　sign　of　the　missing　man。　　It　was

incredible　to　me　that　he　could　have　gone　away　leaving

all　his　property　behind　him；　and　yet　where　could　he

be？　　I　called　in　the　local　police；　but　without

success。　　Rain　had　fallen　on　the　night　before　and　we

examined　the　lawn　and　the　paths　all　round　the　house；

but　in　vain。　　Matters　were　in　this　state；　when　a　new

development　quite　drew　our　attention　away　from　the

original　mystery。



〃'For　two　days　Rachel　Howells　had　been　so　ill；

sometimes　delirious；　sometimes　hysterical；　that　a

nurse　had　been　employed　to　sit　up　with　her　at　night。　

On　the　third　night　after　Brunton's　disappearance；　the

nurse；　finding　her　patient　sleeping　nicely；　had

dropped　into　a　nap　in　the　arm…chair；　when　shoe　woke　in

the　early　morning　to　find　the　bed　empty；　the　window

open；　and　no　signs　of　the　invalid。　　I　was　instantly

aroused；　and；　with　the　two　footmen；　started　off　at

once　in　search　of　the　missing　girl。　　It　was　not

difficult　to　tell　the　direction　which　she　had　taken；

for；　starting　from　under　her　window；　we　could　follow

her　footmarks　easily　across　the　lawn　to　the　edge　of

the　mere；　where　they　vanished　close　to　the　gravel　path

which　leads　out　of　the　grounds。　　The　lake　there　is

eight　feet　deep；　and　you　can　imagine　our　feelings　when

we　saw　that　the　trail　of　the　poor　demented　girl　came

to　an　end　at　the　edge　of　it。



〃'Of　course；　we　had　the　drags　at　once；　and　set　to　work

to　recover　the　remains；　but　no　trace　of　the　body　could

we　find。　　On　the　other　hand；　we　brought　to　the　surface

an　object　of　a　most　unexpected　kind。　　It　was　a　linen

bag　which　contained　within　it　a　mass　of　old　rusted　and

discolored　metal　and　several　dull…colored　pieces　of

pebble　or　glass。　　This　strange　find　was　all　that　we

could　get　from　the　mere；　and；　although　we　made　every

possible　search　and　inquiry　yesterday；　we　know　nothing

of　the　fate　either　of　Rachel　Howells　or　of　Richard

Brunton。　　The　county　police　are　at　their　wits'　end；

and　I　have　come　up　to　you　as　a　last　resource。'



〃You　can　imagine；　Watson；　with　what　eagerness　I

listened　to　this　extraordinary　sequence　of　events；　and

endeavored　to　piece　them　together；　and　to　devise　some

common　thread　upon　which　they　might　all　hang。　　The

butler　was　gone。　　The　maid　was　gone。　　The　maid　had

loved　the　butler；　but　had　afterwards　had　cause　to　hate

him。　　She　was　of　Welsh　blood；　fiery　and　passionate。　

She　had　been　terribly　excited　immediately　after　his

disappearance。　　She　had　flung　into　the　lake　a　bag

containing　some　curious　contents。　　These　were　all

factors　which　had　to　be　taken　into　consideration；　and

yet　none　of　them　got　quite　to　the　heart　of　the　matter。　

What　was　the　starting…point　of　this　chain　of　events？　

There　lay　the　end　of　this　tangled　line。



〃'I　must　see　that　paper；　Musgrave；'　said　I；　'which

this　butler　of　your　thought　it　worth　his　while　to

consult；　even　at　the　risk　of　the　loss　of　his　place。'



〃'It　is　rather　an　absurd　business；　this　ritual　of

ours；'　he　answered。　　'But　it　has　at　least　the　saving

grace　of　antiquity　to　excuse　it。　　I　have　a　copy　of　the

questions　and　answers　here　if　you　care　to　run　your　eye

over　them。'



〃He　handed　me　the　very　paper　which　I　have　here；

Watson；　and　this　is　the　strange　catechism　to　which

each　Musgrave　had　to　submit　when　he　came　to　man's

estate。　　I　will　read　you　the　questions　and　answers　as

they　stand。



〃'Whose　was　it？'



〃'His　who　is　gone。'



〃'Who　shall　have　it？'



〃'He　who　will　come。'



〃'Where　was　the　sun？'



〃'Over　the　oak。'



〃'Where　was　the　shadow？'



〃'Under　the　elm。'



〃How　was　it　stepped？'



〃'North　by　ten　and　by　ten；　east　by　five　and　by　five；

south　by　two　and　by　two；　west　by　one　and　by　one；　and

so　under。'



〃'What　shall　we　give　for　it？'



〃'All　that　is　ours。'



〃'Why　should　we　give　it？'



〃'For　the　sake　of　the　trust。'



〃'The　original　has　no　date；　but　is　in　the　spelling　of

the　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century；'　remarked

Musgrave。　　'I　am　afraid；　however；　that　it　can　be　of

little　help　to　you　in　solving　this　mystery。'



〃'At　least；'　said　I；　'it　gives　us　another　mystery；　and

one　which　is　even　more　interesting　than　the　first。　　It

may　be　that　the　solution　of　the　one　may　prove　to　be

the　solution　of　the　other。　　You　will　excuse　me；

Musgrave；　if　I　say　that　your　butler　appears　to　me　to

have　been　a　very　clever　man；　and　to　have　had　a　clearer

insight　that　ten　generations　of　his　masters。'



〃'I　hardly　follow　you；'　said　Musgrave。　　'The　paper

seems　to　me　to　be　of　no　practical　importance。'



〃'But　to　me　it　seems　immensely　practical；　and　I　fancy

that　Brunton　took　the　same　view。　　He　had　probably　seen

it　before　that　night　on　which　you　caught　him。'



〃'It　is　very　possible。　　We　took　no　pains　to　hide　it。'



〃'He　simply　wished；　I　should　imagine；　to　refresh　his

memory　upon　that　last　occasion。　　He　had；　as　I

understand；　some　sort　of　map　or　chart　which　he　was

comparing　with　the　manuscript；　and　which　he　thrust

into　his　pocket　when　you　appeared。'



〃'That　is　true。　　But　what　could　he　have　to　do　with

this　old　family　custom　of　ours；　and　what　does　this

rigmarole　mean？'



〃'I　don't　think　that　we　should　have　much　difficulty　in

determining　that；'　said　I；　'with　your　permission　we

will　take　the　first　train　down　to　Sussex；　and　go　a

little　more　deeply　into　the　matter　upon　the　spot。'





〃The　same　afternoon　saw　us　both　at　Hurlstone。　

Possibly　you　have　seen　pictures　and　read　descriptions

of　the　famous　old　building；　so　I　will　confine　my

account　of　it　to　saying　that　it　is　built　in　the　shape

of　an　L；　the　long　arm　being　the　more　modern　portion；

and　the　shorter　the　ancient　nucleus；　from　which　the

other　had　developed。　　Over　the　low；　heavily…lintelled

door；　in　the　centre　of　this　old　part；　is　chiseled　the

date；　1607；　but　experts　are　agreed　that　the　beams　and

stone…work　are　really　much　older　than　this。　　The

enormously　thick　walls　and　tiny　windows　of　this　part

had　in　the　last　century　driven　the　family　into

building　the　new　wing；　and　the　old　one　was　used　now　as

a　store…house　and　a　cellar；　when　it　was　used　at　all。　

A　splendid　park　with　fine　old　timber　surrounds　the

house；　and　the　lake；　to　which　my　client　had　referred；

lay　close　to　the　avenue；　about　tow　hundred　yards　from

the　building。



〃I　was　already　firmly　convinced；　Watson；　that　there

were　not　three　separate　mysteries　here；　but　one　only；

and　that　if　I　could　read　the　Musgrave　Ritual　aright　I

should　hold　in　my　hand　the　clue　which　would　lead　me　to

the　truth　concerning　both　the　butler　Brunton　and　the

maid　Howells。　　To　that　then　I　turned　all　my　energies。　

Why　should　this　servant　be　so　anxious　to　master　this

old　formula？　　Evidently　because　he　saw　something　in　it

which　had　escaped　all　those　generations　of　country

squires；　and　from　which　he　expected　some　personal

advantage。　　What　was　it　then；　and　how　had　it　affected

his　fate？



〃It　was　perfectly　obvious　to　me；　on　reading　the

ritual；　that　the　measurements　must　refer　to　some　spot

to　which　the　rest　of　the　document　alluded；　and　that　if

we　could　find　that　spot；　we　should　be　in　a　fair　way

towards　finding　what　the　secret　was　which　the　old

Musgraves　had　thought　it　necessary　to　embalm　in　so

curious　a　fashion。　　There　were　two　guides　given　us　to

start　with；　an　oak　and　an　elm。　　As　to　the　oak　there

could　be　no　question　at　all。　　Right　in　front　of　the

house；　upon　the　left…hand　side　of　the　drive；　there

stood　a　patriarch　among　oaks；　one　of　the　most

magnificent　trees　that　I　have　ever　seen。



〃'That　was　there　when　you　ritual　was　drawn　up；'　said

I；　as　we　drove　past　it。



〃'It　was　there　at　the　Norman　Conquest　in　all

probability；'　he　answered。　　'It　has　a　girth　of

tw