the adventure of the norwood builder-第4节

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you　see。　That　is　about　the　only　bit　of　consolation　I　have　had

to…day。　Lestrade　was　not　there；　but　his　head　constable　did　the

honours。　They　had　just　found　a　great　treasure　trove。　They　had　spent

the　morning　raking　among　the　ashes　of　the　burned　wood…pile；　and

besides　the　charred　organic　remains　they　had　secured　several

discoloured　metal　discs。　I　examined　them　with　care；　and　there　was　no

doubt　that　they　were　trouser　buttons。　I　even　distinguished　that　one　of

them　was　marked　with　the　name　of　‘Hyams；'　who　was　Oldacres　tailor。　I

then　worked　the　lawn　very　carefully　for　signs　and　traces；　but　this

drought　has　made　everything　as　hard　as　iron。　Nothing　was　to　be　seen

save　that　some　body　or　bundle　had　been　dragged　through　a　low　privet

hedge　which　is　in　a　line　with　the　wood…pile。　All　that；　of　course；　fits

in　with　the　official　theory。　I　crawled　about　the　lawn　with　an　August

sun　on　my　back；　but　I　got　up　at　the　end　of　an　hour　no　wiser　than

before。

　　〃Well；　after　this　fiasco　I　went　into　the　bedroom　and　examined　that

also。　The　blood…stains　were　very　slight；　mere　smears　and

discolourations；　but　undoubtedly　fresh。　The　stick　had　been　removed；

but　there　also　the　marks　were　slight。　There　is　no　doubt　about　the

stick　belonging　to　our　client。　He　admits　it。　Footmarks　of　both　men

could　be　made　out　on　the　carpet；　but　none　of　any　third　person；　which

again　is　a　trick　for　the　other　side。　They　were　piling　up　their　score

all　the　time　and　we　were　at　a　standstill。

　　〃Only　one　little　gleam　of　hope　did　I　get…　and　yet　it　amounted　to

nothing。　I　examined　the　contents　of　the　safe；　most　of　which　had　been

taken　out　and　left　on　the　table。　The　papers　had　been　made　up　into

sealed　envelopes；　one　or　two　of　which　had　been　opened　by　the　police。

They　were　not；　so　far　as　I　could　judge；　of　any　great　value；　nor　did

the　bank…book　show　that　Mr。　Oldacre　was　in　such　very　affluent

circumstances。　But　it　seemed　to　me　that　all　the　papers　were　not　there。

There　were　allusions　to　some　deeds…　possibly　the　more　valuable…

which　I　could　not　find。　This；　of　course；　if　we　could　definitely

prove　it；　would　turn　Lestrade's　argument　against　himself；　for　who

would　steal　a　thing　if　he　knew　that　he　would　shortly　inherit　it？

　　〃Finally；　having　drawn　every　other　cover　and　picked　up　no　scent；　I

tried　my　luck　with　the　housekeeper。　Mrs。　Lesington　is　her　name…　a

little；　dark；　silent　person；　with　suspicious　and　sidelong　eyes。　She

could　tell　us　something　if　she　would…　I　am　convinced　of　it。　But　she

was　as　close　as　wax。　Yes；　she　had　let　Mr。　McFarlane　in　at　halfpast

nine。　She　wished　her　hand　had　withered　before　she　had　done　so。　She　had

gone　to　bed　at　half…past　ten。　Her　room　was　at　the　other　end　of　the

house；　and　she　could　hear　nothing　of　what　had　passed。　Mr。　McFarlane

had　left　his　hat；　and　to　the　best　of　her　had　been　awakened　by　the

alarm　of　fire。　Her　poor；　dear　master　had　certainly　been　murdered。

Had　he　any　enemies？　Well；　every　man　had　enemies；　but　Mr。　Oldacre

kept　himself　very　much　to　himself；　and　only　met　people　in　the　way　of

business。　She　had　seen　the　buttons；　and　was　sure　that　they　had

belonged　to　the　clothes　which　he　had　worn　last　night。　The　wood…pile

was　very　dry；　for　it　had　not　rained　for　a　month。　It　burned　like

tinder；　and　by　the　time　she　reached　the　spot；　nothing　could　be　seen

but　flames。　She　and　all　the　firemen　smelled　the　burned　flesh　from

inside　it。　She　knew　nothing　of　the　papers；　nor　of　Mr。　Oldacre's

private　affairs。

　　〃So；　my　dear　Watson；　there's　my　report　of　a　failure。　And　yet…　and

yet…〃　he　clenched　his　thin　hands　in　a　paroxysm　of　conviction…　〃I

know　it's　all　wrong。　I　feel　it　in　my　bones。　There　is　something　that

has　not　come　out；　and　that　housekeeper　knows　it。　There　was　a　sort　of

sulky　defiance　in　her　eyes；　which　only　goes　with　guilty　knowledge。

However；　there's　no　good　talking　any　more　about　it；　Watson；　but　unless

some　lucky　chance　comes　our　way　I　fear　that　the　Norwood

Disappearance　Case　will　not　figure　in　that　chronicle　of　our

successes　which　I　foresee　that　a　patient　public　will　sooner　or　later

have　to　endure。〃

　　〃Surely；〃　said　I；　〃the　man's　appearance　would　go　far　with　any　jury？〃

　　〃That　is　a　dangerous　argument　my　dear　Watson。　You　remember　that

terrible　murderer；　Bert　Stevens；　who　wanted　us　to　get　him　off　in

'87？　Was　there　ever　a　more　mild…mannered；　Sunday…school　young　man？〃

　　〃It　is　true。〃

　　〃Unless　we　succeed　in　establishing　an　alternative　theory；　this　man

is　lost。　You　can　hardly　find　a　flaw　in　the　case　which　can　now　be

presented　against　him；　and　all　further　investigation　has　served　to

strengthen　it。　By　the　way；　there　is　one　curious　little　point　about

those　papers　which　may　serve　us　as　the　starting…point　for　an

inquiry。　On　looking　over　the　bank…book　I　found　that　the　low　state　of

the　balance　was　principally　due　to　large　checks　which　have　been　made

out　during　the　last　year　to　Mr。　Cornelius。　I　confess　that　I　should

be　interested　to　know　who　this　Mr。　Cornelius　may　be　with　whom　a

retired　builder　has　had　such　very　large　transactions。　Is　it　possible

that　he　has　had　a　hand　in　the　affair？　Cornelius　might　be　a　broker；　but

we　have　found　no　scrip　to　correspond　with　these　large　payments。

Failing　any　other　indication；　my　researches　must　now　take　the

direction　of　an　inquiry　at　the　bank　for　the　gentleman　who　has　cashed

these　checks。　But　I　fear；　my　dear　fellow；　that　our　case　will　end

ingloriously　by　Lestrade　hanging　our　client；　which　will　certainly　be　a

triumph　for　Scotland　Yard。〃

　　I　do　not　know　how　far　Sherlock　Holmes　took　any　sleep　that　night；　but

when　I　came　down　to　breakfast　I　found　him　pale　and　harassed；　his

bright　eyes　the　brighter　for　the　dark　shadows　round　them。　The　carpet

round　his　chair　was　littered　with　cigarette…ends　and　with　the　early

editions　of　the　morning　papers。　An　open　telegram　lay　upon　the　table。

　　〃What　do　you　think　of　this；　Watson？〃　he　asked；　tossing　it　across。

　　It　was　from　Norwood；　and　ran　as　follows：





　　Important　fresh　evidence　to　hand。　McFarlane's　guilt　definitely

established。　Advise　you　to　abandon　case。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　LESTRADE。



　　〃This　sounds　serious；〃　said　I。

　　〃It　is　Lestrade's　little　cock…a…doodle　of　victory；〃　Holmes　answered；

with　a　bitter　smile。　〃And　yet　it　may　be　premature　to　abandon　the　case。

After　all；　important　fresh　evidence　is　a　two…edged　thing；　and　may

possibly　cut　in　a　very　different　direction　to　that　which　Lestrade

imagines。　Take　your　breakfast；　Watson；　and　we　will　go　out　together　and

see　what　we　can　do。　I　feel　as　if　I　shall　need　your　company　and　your

moral　support　today。〃

　　My　friend　had　no　breakfast　himself；　for　it　was　one　of　his

peculiarities　that　in　his　more　intense　moments　he　would　permit　himself

no　food；　and　I　have　known　him　presume　upon　his　iron　strength　until

he　has　fainted　from　pure　inanition。　〃At　present　I　cannot　spare

energy　and　nerve　force　for　digestion；〃　he　would　say　in　answer　to　my

medical　remonstrances。　I　was　not　surprised；　therefore；　when　this

morning　he　left　his　untouched　meal　behind　him；　and　started　with　me　for

Norwood。　A　crowd　of　morbid　sightseers　were　still　gathered　round　Deep

Dene　House；　which　was　just　such　a　suburban　villa　as　I　had　pictured。

Within　the　gates　Lestrade　met　us；　his　face　flushed　with　victory；　his

manner　grossly　triumphant。

　　〃Well；　Mr。　Holmes；　have　you　proved　us　to　be　wrong　yet？　Have　you

found　your　tramp？〃　he　cried。

　　〃I　have　formed　no　conclusion　whatever；〃　my　companion　answered。

　　〃But　we　formed　ours　yesterday；　and　now　it　proves　to　be　correct；　so

you　must　acknowledge　that　we　have　been　a　little　in　front　of　you　this

time；　Mr。　Holmes。〃

　　〃You　certainly　have　the　air　of　something　unusual　having　occurred；〃

said　Holmes。

　　Lestrade　laughed　loudly。

　　〃You　don't　like　being　beaten　any　more　than　the　rest　of　us　do；〃

said　he。　〃A　man　can't　expect　always　to　have　it　his　own　way；　can　he；

Dr。　Watson？　Step　this　way；　if　you　please；　gentlemen；　and　I　think　I　can

convince　you　once　for　all　that　it　was　John　McFarlane　who　did　this

crime。〃

　　He　led　us　through　the　passage　and　out　into　a　dark　hall　beyond。

　　〃This　is　where　young　McFarlane　must　have　come　out　to　get　his　hat

after　the　crime　was　done；〃　said　he。　〃Now　look　at　this。〃　With

dramatic　suddenness　he　struck　a　match；　and　by　its　light　exposed　a

stain　of　blood　upon　the　whitewashed　wall。　As　he　held　the　match　nearer；

I　saw　that　it　was　more　than　a　stain。　It　was　the　well…marked　print　of　a

thumb。

　　〃Look　at　that　with　your　magnifying　glass；　Mr。　Holmes。〃

　　〃Yes；　I　am　doing　so。〃

　　〃You　are　aware　that　no　two　thumb…marks　are　alike？〃

　　〃I　have　heard　something　of　the　kind。〃

　　〃Well；　then；　will　you　please　compare　that　print　with　this　wax

impression　of　young　McFarlane's　right　thumb；　taken　by　my　orders　this

morning？〃

　　As　he　held　the　waxen　print　close　to　the　blood…stain；　it　did　not　take

a　magnifying　glass　to　see　that　the　two　were　undoubtedly　from　the

same　thumb。　It　was　evident　to　me　that　our　unfortunate　client　was　lost。

　　〃That　is　final；〃　said　Lestrade。

　　〃Yes；　that　is　final；〃　I　involuntarily　echoed。

　　〃It　is　final；〃　said　Holmes。

　　Something　in　his　tone　caught　my　ear；　and　I　turned　to　look　at　him。　An

extraordinary　chang