the adventure of the dancing men-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SHERLOCK　HOLMES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　DANCING　MEN

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle

　　THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　DANCING　MEN



　　Holmes　had　been　seated　for　some　hours　in　silence　with　his　long；　thin

back　curved　over　a　chemical　vessel　in　which　he　was　brewing　a

particularly　malodorous　product。　His　head　was　sunk　upon　his　breast；

and　he　looked　from　my　point　of　view　like　a　strange；　lank　bird；　with

dull　gray　plumage　and　a　black　top…knot。

　　〃So；　Watson；〃　said　he；　suddenly；　〃you　do　not　propose　to　invest　in

South　African　securities？〃

　　I　gave　a　start　of　astonishment。　Accustomed　as　I　was　to　Holmes's

curious　faculties；　this　sudden　intrusion　into　my　most　intimate

thoughts　was　utterly　inexplicable。

　　〃How　on　earth　do　you　know　that？〃　I　asked。

　　He　wheeled　round　upon　his　stool；　with　a　steaming　test…tube　in　his

hand；　and　a　gleam　of　amusement　in　his　deep…set　eyes。

　　〃Now；　Watson；　confess　yourself　utterly　taken　aback；〃　said　he。

　　〃I　am。〃

　　〃I　ought　to　make　you　sign　a　paper　to　that　effect。〃

　　〃Why？〃

　　〃Because　in　five　minutes　you　will　say　that　it　is　all　so　absurdly

simple。〃

　　〃I　am　sure　that　I　shall　say　nothing　of　the　kind。〃

　　〃You　see；　my　dear　Watson〃…　he　propped　his　test…tube　in　the　rack；　and

began　to　lecture　with　the　air　of　a　professor　addressing　his　class…　〃it

is　not　really　difficult　to　construct　a　series　of　inferences；　each

dependent　upon　its　predecessor　and　each　simple　in　itself。　If；　after

doing　so；　one　simply　knocks　out　all　the　central　inferences　and

presents　one's　audience　with　the　starting…point　and　the　conclusion；

one　may　produce　a　startling；　though　possibly　a　meretricious；　effect。

Now；　it　was　not　really　difficult；　by　an　inspection　of　the　groove

between　your　left　forefinger　and　thumb；　to　feel　sure　that　you　did

not　propose　to　invest　your　small　capital　in　the　gold　fields。〃

　　〃I　see　no　connection。〃

　　〃Very　likely　not；　but　I　can　quickly　show　you　a　close　connection。

Here　are　the　missing　links　of　the　very　simple　chain：　1。　You　had

chalk　between　your　left　finger　and　thumb　when　you　returned　from　the

club　last　night。　2。　You　put　chalk　there　when　you　play　billiards；　to

steady　the　cue。　3。　You　never　play　billiards　except　with　Thurston。

4。　You　told　me；　four　weeks　ago；　that　Thurston　had　an　option　on　some

South　African　property　which　would　expire　in　a　month；　and　which　he

desired　you　to　share　with　him。　5。　Your　check　book　is　locked　in　my

drawer；　and　you　have　not　asked　for　the　key。　6。　You　do　not　propose　to

invest　your　money　in　this　manner。〃

　　〃How　absurdly　simple！〃　I　cried。

　　〃Quite　so！〃　said　he；　a　little　nettled。　〃Every　problem　becomes　very

childish　when　once　it　is　explained　to　you。　Here　is　an　unexplained　one。

See　what　you　can　make　of　that；　friend　Watson。〃　He　tossed　a　sheet　of

paper　upon　the　table；　and　turned　once　more　to　his　chemical　analysis。

　　I　looked　with　amazement　at　the　absurd　hieroglyphics　upon　the　paper。

　　〃Why；　Holmes；　it　is　a　child's　drawing；〃　I　cried。

　　〃Oh；　that's　your　idea！〃

　　〃What　else　should　it　be？〃

　　〃That　is　what　Mr。　Hilton　Cubitt；　of　Riding　Thorpe　Manor；　Norfolk；　is

very　anxious　to　know。　This　little　conundrum　came　by　the　first　post；

and　he　was　to　follow　by　the　next　train。　There's　a　ring　at　the　bell；

Watson。　I　should　not　be　very　much　surprised　if　this　were　he。〃

　　A　heavy　step　was　heard　upon　the　stairs；　and　an　instant　later　there

entered　a　tall；　ruddy；　clean…shaven　gentleman；　whose　clear　eyes　and

florid　cheeks　told　of　a　life　led　far　from　the　fogs　of　Baker　Street。　He

seemed　to　bring　a　whiff　of　his　strong；　fresh；　bracing；　east…coast

air　with　him　as　he　entered。　Having　shaken　hands　with　each　of　us；　he

was　about　to　sit　down；　when　his　eye　rested　upon　the　paper　with　the

curious　markings；　which　I　had　just　examined　and　left　upon　the　table。

　　〃Well；　Mr。　Holmes；　what　do　you　make　of　these？〃　he　cried。　〃They

told　me　that　you　were　fond　of　queer　mysteries；　and　I　don't　think　you

can　find　a　queerer　one　than　that。　I　sent　the　paper　on　ahead；　so　that

you　might　have　time　to　study　it　before　I　came。〃

　　〃It　is　certainly　rather　a　curious　production；〃　said　Holmes。　〃At

first　sight　it　would　appear　to　be　some　childish　prank。　It　consists

of　a　number　of　absurd　little　figures　dancing　across　the　paper　upon

which　they　are　drawn。　Why　should　you　attribute　any　importance　to　so

grotesque　an　object？〃

　　〃I　never　should；　Mr。　Holmes。　But　my　wife　does。　It　is　frightening　her

to　death。　She　says　nothing；　but　I　can　see　terror　in　her　eyes。　That's

why　I　want　to　sift　the　matter　to　the　bottom。〃

　　Holmes　held　up　the　paper　so　that　the　sunlight　shone　full　upon　it。　It

was　a　page　torn　from　a　notebook。　The　markings　were　done　in　pencil；　and

ran　in　this　way：



　　（See　illustration。）



Holmes　examined　it　for　some　time；　and　then；　folding　it　carefully　up；

he　placed　it　in　his　pocketbook。

　　〃This　promises　to　be　a　most　interesting　and　unusual　case；〃　said

he。　〃You　gave　me　a　few　particulars　in　your　letter；　Mr。　Hilton

Cubitt；　but　I　should　be　very　much　obliged　if　you　would　kindly　go

over　it　all　again　for　the　benefit　of　my　friend；　Dr。　Watson。〃

　　〃I'm　not　much　of　a　story…teller；〃　said　our　visitor；　nervously

clasping　and　unclasping　his　great；　strong　hands。　〃You'll　just　ask　me

anything　that　I　don't　make　clear。　I'll　begin　at　the　time　of　my

marriage　last　year；　but　I　want　to　say　first　of　all　that；　though　I'm

not　a　rich　man；　my　people　have　been　at　Riding　Thorpe　for　a　matter　of

five　centuries；　and　there　is　no　better　known　family　in　the　County　of

Norfolk。　Last　year　I　came　up　to　London　for　the　Jubilee；　and　I

stopped　at　a　boardinghouse　in　Russell　Square；　because　Parker；　the

vicar　of　our　parish；　was　staying　in　it。　There　was　an　American　young

lady　there…　Patrick　was　the　name…　Elsie　Patrick。　In　some　way　we　became

friends；　until　before　my　month　was　up　I　was　as　much　in　love　as　man

could　be。　We　were　quietly　married　at　a　registry　office；　and　we

returned　to　Norfolk　a　wedded　couple。　You'll　think　it　very　mad；　Mr。

Holmes；　that　a　man　of　a　good　old　family　should　marry　a　wife　in　this

fashion；　knawing　nothing　of　her　past　or　of　her　people；　but　if　you

saw　her　and　knew　her；　it　would　help　you　to　understand。

　　〃She　was　very　straight　about　it；　was　Elsie。　I　can't　say　that　she　did

not　give　me　every　chance　of　getting　out　of　it　if　I　wished　to　do　so。　‘I

have　had　some　very　disagreeable　associations　in　my　life；'　said　she；　‘I

wish　to　forget　all　about　them。　I　would　rather　never　allude　to　the

past；　for　it　is　very　painful　to　me。　If　you　take　me；　Hilton；　you　will

take　a　woman　who　has　nothing　that　she　need　be　personally　ashamed　of；

but　you　will　have　to　be　content　with　my　word　for　it；　and　to　allow　me

to　be　silent　as　to　all　that　passed　up　to　the　time　when　I　became　yours。

If　these　conditions　are　too　hard；　then　go　back　to　Norfolk；　and　leave

me　to　the　lonely　life　in　which　you　found　me。'　It　was　only　the　day

before　our　wedding　that　she　said　those　very　words　to　me。　I　told　her

that　I　was　content　to　take　her　on　her　own　terms；　and　I　have　been　as

good　as　my　word。

　　〃Well　we　have　been　married　now　for　a　year；　and　very　happy　we　have

been。　But　about　a　month　ago；　at　the　end　of　June；　I　saw　for　the　first

time　signs　of　trouble。　One　day　my　wife　received　a　letter　from　America。

I　saw　the　American　stamp。　She　turned　deadly　white；　read　the　letter；

and　threw　it　into　the　fire。　She　made　no　allusion　to　it　afterwards；　and

I　made　none；　for　a　promise　is　a　promise；　but　she　has　never　known　an

easy　hour　from　that　moment。　There　is　always　a　look　of　fear　upon　her

face…　a　look　as　if　she　were　waiting　and　expecting。　She　would　do　better

to　trust　me。　She　would　find　that　I　was　her　best　friend。　But　until

she　speaks；　I　can　say　nothing。　Mind　you；　she　is　a　truthful　woman；

Mr。　Holmes；　and　whatever　trouble　there　may　have　been　in　her　past

life　it　has　been　no　fault　of　hers。　I　am　only　a　simple　Norfolk

squire；　but　there　is　not　a　man　in　England　who　ranks　his　family

honour　more　highly　than　I　do。　She　knows　it　well；　and　she　knew　it

well　before　she　married　me。　She　would　never　bring　any　stain　upon　it…

of　that　I　am　sure。

　　〃Well；　now　I　come　to　the　queer　part　of　my　story。　About　a　week　ago…

it　was　the　Tuesday　of　last　week…　I　found　on　one　of　the　window…sills

a　number　of　absurd　little　dancing　figures　like　these　upon　the　paper。

They　were　scrawled　with　chalk。　I　thought　that　it　was　the　stable…boy

who　had　drawn　them；　but　the　lad　swore　he　knew　nothing　about　it。

Anyhow；　they　had　come　there　during　the　night。　I　had　them　washed　out；

and　I　only　mentioned　the　matter　to　my　wife　afterwards。　To　my　surprise；

she　took　it　very　seriously；　and　begged　me　if　any　more　came　to　let

her　see　them。　None　did　come　for　a　week；　and　then　yesterday　morning　I

found　this　paper　lying　on　the　sundial　in　the　garden。　I　showed　it　to

Elsie；　and　down　she　dropped　in　a　dead　faint。　Since　then　she　has　looked

like　a　woman　in　a　dream；　half　dazed；　and　with　terror　always　lurking　in

her　eyes。　It　was　then　that　I　wrote　and　sent　the　paper　to　you；　Mr。

Holmes。　It　was　not　a　thing　that　I　could　take　to　the　police；　for　they

would　have　laughed　at　me；　but　you　will　tell　me　what　to　do。　I　am　not

a　rich　man；　but　if　there　is　any　danger　th