the boscombe valley mystery-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SHERLOCK　HOLMES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　BOSCOMBE　VALLEY　MYSTERY

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle



　　We　were　seated　at　breakfast　one　morning；　my　wife　and　I；　when　the

maid　brought　in　a　telegram。　It　was　from　Sherlock　Holmes　and　ran　in

this　way：



　　Have　you　a　couple　of　days　to　spare？　Have　just　been　wired　for　from

the　west　of　England　in　connection　with　Boscombe　Valley　tragedy。

Shall　be　glad　if　you　will　come　with　me。　Air　and　scenery　perfect。　Leave

Paddington　by　the　11：15。



　　〃What　do　you　say；　dear？〃　said　my　wife；　looking　across　at　me。　〃Will

you　go？〃

　　〃I　really　don't　know　what　to　say。　I　have　a　fairly　long　list　at

present。〃

　　〃Oh；　Anstruther　would　do　your　work　for　you。　You　have　been　looking

a　little　pale　lately。　I　think　that　the　change　would　do　you　good；　and

you　are　always　so　interested　in　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes's　cases。〃

　　〃I　should　be　ungrateful　if　I　were　not；　seeing　what　I　gained

through　one　of　them；〃　I　answered。　〃But　if　I　am　to　go；　I　must　pack　at

once；　for　I　have　only　half　an　hour。〃

　　My　experience　of　camp　life　in　Afghanistan　had　at　least　had　the

effect　of　making　me　a　prompt　and　ready　traveller。　My　wants　were　few

and　simple；　so　that　in　less　than　the　time　stated　I　was　in　a　cab　with

my　valise；　rattling　away　to　Paddington　Station。　Sherlock　Holmes　was

pacing　up　and　down　the　platform；　his　tall；　gaunt　figure　made　even

gaunter　and　taller　by　his　long　gray　travelling…cloak　and　close　fitting

cloth　cap。

　　〃It　is　really　very　good　of　you　to　come；　Watson；〃　said　he。　〃It

makes　a　considerable　difference　to　me；　having　someone　with　me　on

whom　I　can　thoroughly　rely。　Local　aid　is　always　either　worthless　or

else　biassed。　If　you　will　keep　the　two　corner　seats　I　shall　get　the

tickets。〃

　　We　had　the　carriage　to　ourselves　save　for　an　immense　litter　of

papers　which　Holmes　had　brought　with　him。　Among　these　he　rummaged

and　read；　with　intervals　of　note…taking　and　of　meditation；　until　we

were　past　Reading。　Then　he　suddenly　rolled　them　all　into　a　gigantic

ball　and　tossed　them　up　onto　the　rack。

　　〃Have　you　heard　anything　of　the　case？〃　he　asked。

　　〃Not　a　word。　I　have　not　seen　a　paper　for　some　days。〃

　　〃The　London　press　has　not　had　very　full　accounts。　I　have　just　been

looking　through　all　the　recent　papers　in　order　to　master　the

particulars。　It　seems；　from　what　I　gather；　to　be　one　of　those　simple

cases　which　are　so　extremely　difficult。〃

　　〃That　sounds　a　little　paradoxical。〃

　　〃But　it　is　profoundly　true。　Singularity　is　almost　invariably　a　clue。

The　more　featureless　and　commonplace　a　crime　is；　the　more　difficult　it

is　to　bring　it　home。　In　this　case；　however；　they　have　established　a

very　serious　case　against　the　son　of　the　murdered　man。〃

　　〃It　is　a　murder；　then？〃

　　〃Well；　it　is　conjectured　to　be　so。　I　shall　take　nothing　for

granted　until　I　have　the　opportunity　of　looking　personally　into　it。

I　will　explain　the　state　of　things　to　you；　as　far　as　I　have　been

able　to　understand　it；　in　a　very　few　words。

　　〃Boscombe　Valley　is　a　country　district　not　very　far　from　Ross；　in

Herefordshire。　The　largest　landed　proprietor　in　that　part　is　a　Mr。

John　Turner；　who　made　his　money　in　Australia　and　returned　some　years

ago　to　the　old　country。　One　of　the　farms　which　he　held；　that　of

Hatherley；　was　let　to　Mr。　Charles　McCarthy；　who　was　also　an

ex…Australian。　The　men　had　known　each　other　in　the　colonies；　so　that

it　was　not　unnatural　that　when　they　came　to　settle　down　they　should　do

so　as　near　each　other　as　possible。　Turner　was　apparently　the　richer

man；　so　McCarthy　became　his　tenant　but　still　remained；　it　seems；

upon　terms　of　perfect　equality；　as　they　were　frequently　together。

McCarthy　had　one　son；　a　lad　of　eighteen；　and　Turner　had　an　only

daughter　of　the　same　age；　but　neither　of　them　had　wives　living。　They

appear　to　have　avoided　the　society　of　the　neighbouring　English

families　and　to　have　led　retired　lives；　though　both　the　McCarthys　were

fond　of　sport　and　were　frequently　seen　at　the　race…meetings　of　the

neighbourhood。　McCarthy　kept　two　servants…a　man　and　a　girl。　Turner　had

a　considerable　household；　some　half…dozen　at　the　least。　That　is　as

much　as　I　have　been　able　to　gather　about　the　families。　Now　for　the

facts。

　　〃On　June　3rd；　that　is；　on　Monday　last　McCarthy　left　his　house　at

Hatherley　about　three　in　the　afternoon　and　walked　down　to　the　Boscombe

Pool；　which　is　a　small　lake　formed　by　the　spreading　out　of　the

stream　which　runs　down　the　Boscombe　Valley。　He　had　been　out　with　his

serving…man　in　the　morning　at　Ross；　and　he　had　told　the　man　that　he

must　hurry；　as　he　had　an　appointment　of　importance　to　keep　at　three。

From　that　appointment　he　never　came　back　alive。

　　〃From　Hatherley　Farmhouse　to　the　Boscombe　Pool　is　a　quarter　of　a

mile；　and　two　people　saw　him　as　he　passed　over　this　ground。　One　was　an

old　woman；　whose　name　is　not　mentioned；　and　the　other　was　William

Crowder；　a　game…keeper　in　the　employ　of　Mr。　Turner。　Both　these

witnesses　depose　that　Mr。　McCarthy　was　walking　alone。　The

game…keeper　adds　that　within　a　few　minutes　of　his　seeing　Mr。

McCarthy　pass　he　had　seen　his　son；　Mr。　James　McCarthy；　going　the

same　way　with　a　gun　under　his　arm。　To　the　best　of　his　belief；　the

father　was　actually　in　sight　at　the　time；　and　the　son　was　following

him。　He　thought　no　more　of　the　matter　until　he　heard　in　the　evening　of

the　tragedy　that　had　occurred。

　　〃The　two　McCarthys　were　seen　after　the　time　when　William　Crowder；

the　game…keeper；　lost　sight　of　them。　The　Boscombe　Pool　is　thickly

wooded　round；　with　just　a　fringe　of　grass　and　of　reeds　round　the　edge。

A　girl　of　fourteen；　Patience　Moran；　who　is　the　daughter　of　the

lodge…keeper　of　the　Boscombe　Valley　estate；　was　in　one　of　the　woods

picking　flowers。　She　states　that　while　she　was　there　she　saw；　at　the

border　of　the　wood　and　close　by　the　lake；　Mr。　McCarthy　and　his　son；

and　that　they　appeared　to　be　having　a　violent　quarrel。　She　heard　Mr。

McCarthy　the　elder　using　very　strong　language　to　his　son；　and　she

saw　the　latter　raise　up　his　hand　as　if　to　strike　his　father。　She　was

so　frightened　by　their　violence　that　she　ran　away　and　told　her

mother　when　she　reached　home　that　she　had　left　the　two　McCarthys

quarrelling　near　Boscombe　Pool；　and　that　she　was　afraid　that　they　were

going　to　fight。　She　had　hardly　said　the　words　when　young　Mr。

McCarthy　came　running　up　to　the　lodge　to　say　that　he　had　found　his

father　dead　in　the　wood；　and　to　ask　for　the　help　of　the

lodge…keeper。　He　was　much　excited；　without　either　his　gun　or　his

hat；　and　his　right　hand　and　sleeve　were　observed　to　be　stained　with

fresh　blood。　On　following　him　they　found　the　dead　body　stretched　out

upon　the　grass　beside　the　pool。　The　head　had　been　beaten　in　by

repeated　blows　of　some　heavy　and　blunt　weapon。　The　injuries　were

such　as　might　very　well　have　been　inflicted　by　the　butt…end　of　his

son's　gun；　which　was　found　lying　on　the　grass　within　a　few　paces　of

the　body。　Under　these　circumstances　the　young　man　was　instantly

arrested；　and　a　verdict　of　'wilful　murder'　having　been　returned　at　the

inquest　on　Tuesday；　he　was　on　Wednesday　brought　before　the　magistrates

at　Ross；　who　have　referred　the　case　to　the　next　Assizes。　Those　are　the

main　facts　of　the　case　as　they　came　out　before　the　coroner　and　the

police…court。〃

　　〃I　could　hardly　imagine　a　more　damning　case；〃　I　remarked。　〃If　ever

circumstantial　evidence　pointed　to　a　criminal　it　does　so　here。〃

　　〃Circumstantial　evidence　is　a　very　tricky　thing；〃　answered　Holmes

thoughtfully。　〃It　may　seem　to　point　very　straight　to　one　thing；　but　if

you　shift　your　own　point　of　view　a　little；　you　may　find　it　pointing　in

an　equally　uncompromising　manner　to　something　entirely　different。　It

must　be　confessed；　however；　that　the　case　looks　exceedingly　grave

against　the　young　man；　and　it　is　very　possible　that　he　is　indeed　the

culprit。　There　are　several　people　in　the　neighbourhood；　however；　and

among　them　Miss　Turner；　the　daughter　of　the　neighbouring　land…owner；

who　believe　in　his　innocence；　and　who　have　retained　Lestrade；　whom　you

may　recollect　in　connection　with　'A　Study　in　Scarlet'；　to　work　out　the

case　in　his　interest。　Lestrade；　being　rather　puzzled；　has　referred　the

case　to　me；　and　hence　it　is　that　two　middleaged　gentlemen　are　flying

westward　at　fifty　miles　an　hour　instead　of　quietly　digesting　their

breakfasts　at　home。〃

　　〃I　am　afraid；〃　said　I；　〃that　the　facts　are　so　obvious　that　you

will　find　little　credit　to　be　gained　out　of　this　case。〃

　　〃There　is　nothing　more　deceptive　than　an　obvious　fact；〃　he　answered；

laughing。　〃Besides；　we　may　chance　to　hit　upon　some　other　obvious　facts

which　may　have　been　by　no　means　obvious　to　Mr。　Lestrade。　You　know　me

too　well　to　think　that　I　am　boasting　when　I　say　that　I　shall　either

confirm　or　destroy　his　theory　by　means　which　he　is　quite　incapable

of　employing；　or　even　of　understanding。　To　take　the　first　example　to

hand；　I　very　clearly　perceive　that　in　your　bedroom　the　window　is

upon　the　right…hand　side；　and　yet　I　question　whether　Mr。　Lestrade

would　have　noted　even　so　self…evident　a　thing　as　that。〃

　　〃How　on　earth…〃

　　〃My　dear　fellow