the boscombe valley mystery-第4节

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had　done　it　and　was　screening　him　or　her；　but　I　am　convinced　now

that　he　is　as　puzzled　as　everyone　else。　He　is　not　a　very

quick…witted　youth；　though　comely　to　look　at　and；　I　should　think；

sound　at　heart。〃

　　〃I　cannot　admire　his　taste；〃　I　remarked；　〃if　it　is　indeed　a　fact

that　he　was　averse　to　a　marriage　with　so　charming　a　young　lady　as　this

Miss　Turner。〃

　　〃Ah；　thereby　hangs　a　rather　painful　tale。　This　fellow　is　madly；

insanely；　in　love　with　her；　but　some　two　years　ago；　when　he　was　only　a

lad；　and　before　he　really　knew　her；　for　she　had　been　away　five　years

at　a　boarding…school；　what　does　the　idiot　do　but　get　into　the　clutches

of　a　barmaid　in　Bristol　and　marry　her　at　a　registry　office？　No　one

knows　a　word　of　the　matter；　but　you　can　imagine　how　maddening　it

must　be　to　him　to　be　upbraided　for　not　doing　what　he　would　give　his

very　eyes　to　do；　but　what　he　knows　to　be　absolutely　impossible。　It　was

sheer　frenzy　of　this　sort　which　made　him　throw　his　hands　up　into　the

air　when　his　father；　at　their　last　interview；　was　goading　him　on　to

propose　to　Miss　Turner。　On　the　other　hand；　he　had　no　means　of

supporting　himself；　and　his　father；　who　was　by　all　accounts　a　very

hard　man；　would　have　thrown　him　over　utterly　had　he　known　the　truth。

It　was　with　his　barmaid　wife　that　he　had　spent　the　last　three　days

in　Bristol；　and　his　father　did　not　know　where　he　was。　Mark　that　point。

It　is　of　importance。　Good　has　come　out　of　evil；　however；　for　the

barmaid；　finding　from　the　papers　that　he　is　in　serious　trouble　and

likely　to　be　hanged；　has　thrown　him　over　utterly　and　has　written　to

him　to　say　that　she　has　a　husband　already　in　the　Bermuda　Dockyard；

so　that　there　is　really　no　tie　between　them。　I　think　that　of　news

has　consoled　young　McCarthy　for　all　that　he　has　suffered。〃

　　〃But　if　he　is　innocent；　who　has　done　it？〃

　　〃Ah！　who？　I　would　call　your　attention　very　particularly　to　two

points。　One　is　that　the　murdered　man　had　an　appointment　with　someone

at　the　pool；　and　that　the　someone　could　not　have　been　his　son；　for　his

son　was　away；　and　he　did　not　know　when　he　would　return。　The　second

is　that　the　murdered　man　was　heard　to　cry　'Cooee！'　before　he　knew　that

his　son　had　returned。　Those　are　the　crucial　points　upon　which　the　case

depends。　And　now　let　us　talk　about　George　Meredith；　if　you　please；　and

we　shall　leave　all　minor　matters　until　to…morrow。〃

　　There　was　no　rain；　as　Holmes　had　foretold；　and　the　morning　broke

bright　and　cloudless。　At　nine　o'clock　Lestrade　called　for　us　with

the　carriage；　and　we　set　off　for　Hatherley　Farm　and　the　Boscombe　Pool。

　　〃There　is　serious　news　this　morning；〃　Lestrade　observed。　〃It　is　said

that　Mr。　Turner；　of　the　Hall；　is　so　ill　that　his　life　is　despaired

of。〃

　　〃An　elderly　man；　I　presume？〃　said　Holmes。

　　〃About　sixty；　but　his　constitution　has　been　shattered　by　his　life

abroad；　and　he　has　been　in　failing　health　for　some　time。　This　business

has　had　a　very　bad　effect　upon　him。　He　was　an　old　friend　of

McCarthy's；　and；　I　may　add；　a　great　benefactor　to　him；　for　I　have

learned　that　he　gave　him　Hatherley　Farm　rent　free。〃

　　〃Indeed！　That　is　interesting；〃　said　Holmes。

　　〃Oh；　yes！　In　a　hundred　other　ways　he　has　helped　him。　Everybody　about

here　speaks　of　his　kindness　to　him。〃

　　〃Really！　Does　it　not　strike　you　as　a　little　singular　that　this

McCarthy；　who　appears　to　have　had　little　of　his　own；　and　to　have

been　under　such　obligations　to　Turner；　should　still　talk　of　marrying

his　son　to　Turner's　daughter；　who　is；　presumably；　heiress　to　the

estate；　and　that　in　such　a　very　cocksure　manner；　as　if　it　were

merely　a　case　of　a　proposal　and　all　else　would　follow？　It　is　the

more　strange；　since　we　know　that　Turner　himself　was　averse　to　the

idea。　The　daughter　told　us　as　much。　Do　you　not　deduce　something　from

that？〃

　　〃We　have　got　to　the　deductions　and　the　inferences；〃　said　Lestrade；

winking　at　me。　〃I　find　it　hard　enough　to　tackle　facts；　Holmes；　without

flying　away　after　theories　and　fancies。〃

　　〃You　are　right；〃　said　Holmes　demurely；　〃you　do　find　it　very　hard

to　tackle　the　facts。〃

　　〃Anyhow；　I　have　grasped　one　fact　which　you　seem　to　find　it　difficult

to　get　hold　of；〃　replied　Lestrade　with　some　warmth。

　　〃And　that　is…〃

　　〃That　McCarthy　senior　met　his　death　from　McCarthy　junior　and　that

all　theories　to　the　contrary　are　the　merest　moonshine。〃

　　〃Well；　moonshine　is　a　brighter　thing　than　fog；〃　said　Holmes；

laughing。　〃But　I　am　very　much　mistaken　if　this　is　not　Hatherley　Farm

upon　the　left。〃

　　〃Yes；　that　is　it。〃　It　was　a　widespread；　comfortable…looking

building；　two…storied；　slate…roofed；　with　great　yellow　blotches　of

lichen　upon　the　gray　walls。　The　drawn　blinds　and　the　smokeless

chimneys；　however；　gave　it　a　stricken　look；　as　though　the　weight　of

this　horror　still　lay　heavy　upon　it。　We　called　at　the　door；　when　the

maid；　at　Holmes's　request；　showed　us　the　boots　which　her　master　wore

at　the　time　of　his　death；　and　also　a　pair　of　the　son's；　though　not　the

pair　which　he　had　then　had。　Having　measured　these　very　carefully

from　seven　or　eight　different　points；　Holmes　desired　to　be　led　to

the　court…yard；　from　which　we　all　followed　the　winding　track　which　led

to　Boscombe　Pool。

　　Sherlock　Holmes　was　transformed　when　he　was　hot　upon　such　a　scent　as

this。　Men　who　had　only　known　the　quiet　thinker　and　logician　of　Baker

Street　would　have　failed　to　recognize　him。　His　face　flushed　and

darkened。　His　brows　were　drawn　into　two　hard　black　lines；　while　his

eyes　shone　out　from　beneath　them　with　a　steely　glitter。　His　face　was

bent　downward；　his　shoulders　bowed；　his　lips　compressed；　and　the　veins

stood　out　like　whipcord　in　his　long；　sinewy　neck。　His　nostrils

seemed　to　dilate　with　a　purely　animal　lust　for　the　chase；　and　his　mind

was　so　absolutely　concentrated　upon　the　matter　before　him　that　a

question　or　remark　fell　unheeded　upon　his　ears；　or；　at　the　most；

only　provoked　a　quick；　impatient　snarl　in　reply。　Swiftly　and

silently　he　made　his　way　along　the　track　which　ran　through　the

meadows；　and　so　by　way　of　the　woods　to　the　Boscombe　Pool。　It　was　damp；

marshy　ground；　as　is　all　that　district；　and　there　were　marks　of　many

feet；　both　upon　the　path　and　amid　the　short　grass　which　bounded　it

on　either　side。　Sometimes　Holmes　would　hurry　on；　sometimes　stop

dead；　and　once　he　made　quite　a　little　detour　into　the　meadow。　Lestrade

and　I　walked　behind　him；　the　detective　indifferent　and　contemptuous；

while　I　watched　my　friend　with　the　interest　which　sprang　from　the

conviction　that　every　one　of　his　actions　was　directed　towards　a

definite　end。

　　The　Boscombe　Pool；　which　is　a　little　reed…girt　sheet　of　water　some

fifty　yards　across；　is　situated　at　the　boundary　between　the

Hatherley　Farm　and　the　private　park　of　the　wealthy　Mr。　Turner。　Above

the　woods　which　lined　it　upon　the　farther　side　we　could　see　the　red；

jutting　pinnacles　which　marked　the　site　of　the　rich　landowner's

dwelling。　On　the　Hatherley　side　of　the　pool　the　woods　grew　very　thick；

and　there　was　a　narrow　belt　of　sodden　grass　twenty　paces　across

between　the　edge　of　the　trees　and　the　reeds　which　lined　the　lake。

Lestrade　showed　us　the　exact　spot　at　which　the　body　had　been　found；

and；　indeed；　so　moist　was　the　ground；　that　I　could　plainly　see　the

traces　which　had　been　left　by　the　fall　of　the　stricken　man。　To　Holmes；

as　I　could　see　by　his　eager　face　and　peering　eyes；　very　many　other

things　were　to　be　read　upon　the　trampled　grass。　He　ran　round；　like　a

dog　who　is　picking　up　a　scent；　and　then　turned　upon　my　companion。

　　〃What　did　you　go　into　the　pool　for？〃　he　asked。

　　〃I　fished　about　with　a　rake。　I　thought　there　might　be　some　weapon　or

other　trace。　But　how　on　earth…〃

　　〃Oh；　tut；　tut！　I　have　no　time！　That　left　foot　of　yours　with　its

inward　twist　is　all　over　the　place。　A　mole　could　trace　it；　and　there

it　vanishes　among　the　reeds。　Oh；　how　simple　it　would　all　have　been　had

I　been　here　before　they　came　like　a　herd　of　buffalo　and　wallowed　all

over　it。　Here　is　where　the　party　with　the　lodge…keeper　came；　and

they　have　covered　all　tracks　for　six　or　eight　feet　round　the　body。　But

here　are　three　separate　tracks　of　the　same　feet。〃　He　drew　out　a　lens

and　lay　down　upon　his　waterproof　to　have　a　better　view；　talking　all

the　time　to　himself　rather　than　to　us。　〃These　are　young　McCarthy's

feet。　Twice　he　was　walking；　and　once　he　ran　swiftly；　so　that　the　soles

are　deeply　marked　and　the　heels　hardly　visible。　That　bears　out　his

story。　He　ran　when　he　saw　his　father　on　the　ground。　Then　here　are

the　father's　feet　as　he　paced　up　and　down。　What　is　this；　then？　It　is

the　butt…end　of　the　gun　as　the　son　stood　listening。　And　this？　Ha；

ha！　What　have　we　here？　Tiptoes！　tiptoes！　Square；　too；　quite　unusual

boots！　They　come；　they　go；　they　come　again　of　course　that　was　for

the　cloak。　Now　where　did　they　come　from？〃　He　ran　up　and　down；

sometimes　losing；　sometimes　finding　the　track　until　we　were　well

within　the　edge　of　the　wood　and　under　the　shadow　of　a　great　beech；　the

largest　tree　in　the　neighbourhood。　Holmes　traced　his　way　to　the

farther　side　of　this　and　lay　down　once　more　upon　his　face　with　a

little　cry　of　satisfaction。　For　a　long　time　he　re