adventure05-第5节

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it　hard　to　realize　that　he　may　have　finally　lost　a

woman's　love；　however　badly　he　may　have　treated　her。　

He　would　try　by　a　few　attentions　to　make　his　peace

with　the　girl　Howells；　and　then　would　engage　her　as

his　accomplice。　　Together　they　would　come　at　night　to

the　cellar；　and　their　united　force　would　suffice　to

raise　the　stone。　　So　far　I　could　follow　their　actions

as　if　I　had　actually　seen　them。



〃But　for　two　of　them；　and　one　a　woman；　it　must　have

been　heavy　work　the　raising　of　that　stone。　　A　burly

Sussex　policeman　and　I　had　found　it　no　light　job。　

What　would　they　do　to　assist　them？　　Probably　what　I

should　have　done　myself。　　I　rose　and　examined

carefully　the　different　billets　of　wood　which　were

scattered　round　the　floor。　　Almost　at　once　I　came　upon

what　I　expected。　　One　piece；　about　three　feet　in

length；　had　a　very　marked　indentation　at　one　end；

while　several　were　flattened　at　the　sides　as　if　they

had　been　compressed　by　some　considerable　weight。　

Evidently；　as　they　had　dragged　the　stone　up　they　had

thrust　the　chunks　of　wood　into　the　chink；　until　at

last；　when　the　opening　was　large　enough　to　crawl

through；　they　would　hold　it　open　by　a　billet　placed

lengthwise；　which　might　very　well　become　indented　at

the　lower　end；　since　the　whole　weight　of　the　stone

would　press　it　down　on　to　the　edge　of　this　other　slab。　

So　far　I　was　still　on　safe　ground。



〃And　now　how　was　I　to　proceed　to　reconstruct　this

midnight　drama？　　Clearly；　only　one　could　fit　into　the

hole；　and　that　one　was　Brunton。　　The　girl　must　have

waited　above。　　Brunton　then　unlocked　the　box；　handed

up　the　contents　presumablysince　they　were　not　to　be

foundand　thenand　then　what　happened？



〃What　smouldering　fire　of　vengeance　had　suddenly

sprung　into　flame　in　this　passionate　Celtic　woman's

soul　when　she　saw　the　man　who　had　wronged　herwronged

her；　perhaps；　far　more　than　we　suspectedin　her

power？　　Was　it　a　chance　that　the　wood　had　slipped；　and

that　the　stone　had　shut　Brunton　into　what　had　become

his　sepulchre？　　Had　she　only　been　guilty　of　silence　as

to　his　fate？　　Or　had　some　sudden　blow　from　her　hand

dashed　the　support　away　and　sent　the　slab　crashing

down　into　its　place？　　Be　that　as　it　might；　I　seemed　to

see　that　woman's　figure　still　clutching　at　her

treasure　trove　and　flying　wildly　up　the　winding　stair；

with　her　ears　ringing　perhaps　with　the　muffled　screams

from　behind　her　and　with　the　drumming　of　frenzied

hands　against　the　slab　of　stone　which　was　choking　her

faithless　lover's　life　out。



〃Here　was　the　secret　of　her　blanched　face；　her　shaken

nerves；　her　peals　of　hysterical　laughter　on　the　next

morning。　　But　what　had　been　in　the　box？　　What　had　she

done　with　that？　　Of　course；　it　must　have　been　the　old

metal　and　pebbles　which　my　client　had　dragged　from　the

mere。　　She　had　thrown　them　in　there　at　the　first

opportunity　to　remove　the　last　trace　of　her　crime。



〃For　twenty　minutes　I　had　sat　motionless；　thinking　the

matter　out。　　Musgrave　still　stood　with　a　very　pale

face；　swinging　his　lantern　and　peering　down　into　the

hole。



〃'These　are　coins　of　Charles　the　First；'　said　he；

holding　out　the　few　which　had　been　in　the　box；　'you

see　we　were　right　in　fixing　our　date　for　the　Ritual。'



〃'We　may　find　something　else　of　Charles　the　First；'　I

cried；　as　the　probable　meaning　of　the　first　two

question　of　the　Ritual　broke　suddenly　upon　me。　　'Let

me　see　the　contents　of　the　bag　which　you　fished　from

the　mere。'





〃We　ascended　to　his　study；　and　he　laid　the　debris

before　me。　　I　could　understand　his　regarding　it　as　of

small　importance　when　I　looked　at　it；　for　the　metal

was　almost　black　and　the　stones　lustreless　and　dull。　

I　rubbed　one　of　them　on　my　sleeve；　however；　and　it

glowed　afterwards　like　a　spark　in　the　dark　hollow　of

my　hand。　　The　metal　work　was　in　the　form　of　a　double

ring；　but　it　had　been　bent　and　twisted　out　of　its

original　shape。



〃'You　must　bear　in　mind；'　said　I；　'that　the　royal

party　made　head　in　England　even　after　the　death　of　the

king；　and　that　when　they　at　last　fled　they　probably

left　many　of　their　most　precious　possession　buried

behind　them；　with　the　intention　of　returning　for　them

in　more　peaceful　times。'



〃'My　ancestor；　Sir　Ralph　Musgrave；　as　a　prominent

Cavalier　and　the　right…hand　man　of　Charles　the　Second

in　his　wanderings；'　said　my　friend。



〃'Ah；　indeed！'　I　answered。　　'Well　now；　I　think　that

really　should　give　us　the　last　link　that　we　wanted。　　I

must　congratulate　you　on　coming　into　the　possession；

though　in　rather　a　tragic　manner　of　a　relic　which　is

of　great　intrinsic　value；　but　of　even　greater

importance　as　an　historical　curiosity。'



〃'What　is　it；　then？'　he　gasped　in　astonishment。



〃'It　is　nothing　less　than　the　ancient　crown　of　the

kings　of　England。'



〃'The　crown！'



〃'Precisely。　　Consider　what　the　Ritual　says：　　How　does

it　run？　　〃Whose　was　it？〃　　〃His　who　is　gone。〃　　That　was

after　the　execution　of　Charles。　　Then；　〃Who　shall　have

it？〃　　〃He　who　will　come。〃　　That　was　Charles　the

Second；　whose　advent　was　already　foreseen。　　There　can；

I　think；　be　no　doubt　that　this　battered　and　shapeless

diadem　once　encircled　the　brows　of　the　royal　Stuarts。'



〃'And　how　came　it　in　the　pond？'



〃'Ah；　that　is　a　question　that　will　take　some　time　to

answer。'　　And　with　that　I　sketched　out　to　him　the

whole　long　chain　of　surmise　and　of　proof　which　I　had

constructed。　　The　twilight　had　closed　in　and　the　moon

was　shining　brightly　in　the　sky　before　my　narrative

was　finished。



〃'And　how　was　it　then　that　Charles　did　not　get　his

crown　when　he　returned？'　asked　Musgrave；　pushing　back

the　relic　into　its　linen　bag。



〃'Ah；　there　you　lay　your　finger　upon　the　one　point

which　we　shall　probably　never　be　able　to　clear　up。　　It

is　likely　that　the　Musgrave　who　held　the　secret　died

in　the　interval；　and　by　some　oversight　left　this　guide

to　his　descendant　without　explaining　the　meaning　of

it。　　From　that　day　to　this　it　has　been　handed　down

from　father　to　son；　until　at　last　it　came　within　reach

of　a　man　who　tore　its　secret　out　of　it　and　lost　his

life　in　the　venture。'





〃And　that's　the　story　of　the　Musgrave　Ritual；　Watson。　

They　have　the　crown　down　at　Hurlstonethough　they　had

some　legal　bother　and　a　considerable　sum　to　pay　before

they　were　allowed　to　retain　it。　　I　am　sure　that　if　you

mentioned　my　name　they　would　be　happy　to　show　it　to

you。　　Of　the　woman　nothing　was　ever　heard；　and　the

probability　is　that　she　got　away　out　of　England　and

carried　herself　and　the　memory　of　her　crime　to　some

land　beyond　the　seas。〃