the adventure of the dancing men-第2节

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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　threatening　my　little　woman；

I　would　spend　my　last　copper　to　shield　her。〃

　　He　was　a　fine　creature；　this　man　of　the　old　English　soil…simple；

straight；　and　gentle；　with　his　great；　earnest　blue　eyes　and　broad；

comely　face。　His　love　for　his　wife　and　his　trust　in　her　shone　in　his

features。　Holmes　had　listened　to　his　story　with　the　utmost

attention；　and　now　he　sat　for　some　time　in　silent　thought。

　　〃Don't　you　think；　Mr。　Cubitt；〃　said　he；　at　last；　〃that　your　best

plan　would　be　to　make　a　direct　appeal　to　your　wife；　and　to　ask　her

to　share　her　secret　with　you？〃

　　Hilton　Cubitt　shook　his　massive　head。

　　〃A　promise　is　a　promise；　Mr。　Holmes。　If　Elsie　wished　to　tell　me

she　would。　If　not；　it　is　not　for　me　to　force　her　confidence。　But　I

am　justified　in　taking　my　own　line…　and　I　will。〃

　　〃Then　I　will　help　you　with　all　my　heart。　In　the　first　place；　have

you　heard　of　any　strangers　being　seen　in　your　neighbourhood？〃

　　〃No。〃

　　〃I　presume　that　it　is　a　very　quiet　place。　Any　fresh　face　would　cause

comment？〃

　　〃In　the　immediate　neighbourhood；　yes。　But　we　have　several　small

watering　places　not　very　far　away。　And　the　farmers　take　in　lodgers。〃

　　〃These　hieroglyphics　have　evidently　a　meaning。　If　it　is　a　purely

arbitrary　one；　it　may　be　impossible　for　us　to　solve　it。　If；　on　the

other　hand；　it　is　systematic；　I　have　no　doubt　that　we　shall　get　to　the

bottom　of　it。　But　this　particular　sample　is　so　short　that　I　can　do

nothing；　and　the　facts　which　you　have　brought　me　are　so　indefinite

that　we　have　no　basis　for　an　investigation。　I　would　suggest　that　you

return　to　Norfolk；　that　you　keep　a　keen　lookout；　and　that　you　take

an　exact　copy　of　any　fresh　dancing　men　which　may　appear。　It　is　a

thousand　pities　that　we　have　not　a　reproduction　of　those　which　were

done　in　chalk　upon　the　window…sill。　Make　a　discreet　inquiry　also　as　to

any　strangers　in　the　neighbourhood。　When　you　have　collected　some　fresh

evidence；　come　to　me　again。　That　is　the　best　advice　which　I　can　give

you；　Mr。　Hilton　Cubitt。　If　there　are　any　pressing　fresh

developments；　I　shall　be　always　ready　to　run　down　and　see　you　in

your　Norfolk　home。〃

　　The　interview　left　Sherlock　Holmes　very　thoughtful；　and　several

times　in　the　next　few　days　I　saw　him　take　his　slip　of　paper　from　his

notebook　and　look　long　and　earnestly　at　the　curious　figures

inscribed　upon　it。　He　made　no　allusion　to　the　affair；　however；　until

one　afternoon　a　fortnight　or　so　later。　I　was　going　out　when　he

called　me　back。

　　〃You　had　better　stay　here；　Watson。〃

　　〃Why？〃

　　〃Because　I　had　a　wire　from　Hilton　Cubitt　this　morning。　You

remember　Hilton　Cubitt；　of　the　dancing　men？　He　was　to　reach

Liverpool　Street　at　one…twenty。　He　may　be　here　at　any　moment。　I　gather

from　his　wire　that　there　have　been　some　new　incidents　of　importance。〃

　　We　had　not　long　to　wait；　for　our　Norfolk　squire　came　straight　from

the　station　as　fast　as　a　hansom　could　bring　him。　He　was　looking

worried　and　depressed；　with　tired　eyes　and　a　lined　forehead。

　　〃It's　getting　on　my　nerves；　this　business；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　he；

as　he　sank；　like　a　wearied　man；　into　an　armchair。　〃It's　bad　enough

to　feel　that　you　are　surrounded　by　unseen；　unknown　folk；　who　have　some

kind　of　design　upon　you；　but　when；　in　addition　to　that；　you　know

that　it　is　just　killing　your　wife　by　inches；　then　it　becomes　as　much

as　flesh　and　blood　can　endure。　She's　wearing　away　under　it…　just

wearing　away　before　my　eyes。〃

　　〃Has　she　said　anything　yet？〃

　　〃No；　Mr。　Holmes；　she　has　not。　And　yet　there　have　been　times　when　the

poor　girl　has　wanted　to　speak；　and　yet　could　not　quite　bring　herself

to　take　the　plunge。　I　have　tried　to　help　her；　but　I　daresay　I　did　it

clumsily；　and　scared　her　from　it。　She　has　spoken　about　my　old

family；　and　our　reputation　in　the　county；　and　our　pride　in　our

unsullied　honour；　and　I　always　felt　it　was　leading　to　the　point；　but

somehow　it　turned　off　before　we　got　there。〃

　　〃But　you　have　found　out　something　for　yourself？〃

　　〃A　good　deal；　Mr。　Holmes。　I　have　several　fresh　dancing…men

pictures　for　you　to　examine；　and；　what　is　more　important；　I　have

seen　the　fellow。〃

　　〃What；　the　man　who　draws　them？〃

　　〃Yes；　I　saw　him　at　his　work。　But　I　will　tell　you　everything　in

order。　When　I　got　back　after　my　visit　to　you；　the　very　first　thing　I

saw　next　morning　was　a　fresh　crop　of　dancing　men。　They　had　been

drawn　in　chalk　upon　the　black　wooden　door　of　the　tool…house；　which

stands　beside　the　lawn　in　full　view　of　the　front　windows。　I　took　an

exact　copy；　and　here　it　is。〃　He　unfolded　a　paper　and　laid　it　upon

the　table。　Here　is　a　copy　of　the　hieroglyphics：



　　（See　illustration。）



　　〃Excellent！〃　said　Holmes。　〃Excellent！　Pray　continue。〃

　　〃When　I　had　taken　the　copy；　I　rubbed　out　the　marks；　but；　two

mornings　later；　a　fresh　inscription　had　appeared。　I　have　a　copy　of

it　here〃：



　　（See　illustration。）



　　Holmes　rubbed　his　hands　and　chuckled　with　delight。

　　〃Our　material　is　rapidly　accumulating；〃　said　he。

　　〃Three　days　later　a　message　was　left　scrawled　upon　paper；　and　placed

under　a　pebble　upon　the　sundial。　Here　it　is。　The　characters　are；　as

you　see；　exactly　the　same　as　the　last　one。　After　that　I　determined

to　lie　in　wait；　so　I　got　out　my　revolver　and　I　sat　up　in　my　study；

which　overlooks　the　lawn　and　garden。　About　two　in　the　morning　I　was

seated　by　the　window；　all　being　dark　save　for　the　moonlight　outside；

when　I　heard　steps　behind　me；　and　there　was　my　wife　in　her

dressinggown。　She　implored　me　to　come　to　bed。　I　told　her　frankly

that　I　wished　to　see　who　it　was　who　played　such　absurd　tricks　upon　us。

She　answered　that　it　was　some　senseless　practical　joke；　and　that　I

should　not　take　any　notice　of　it。

　　〃‘If　it　really　annoys　you；　Hilton；　we　might　go　and　travel；　you　and

I；　and　so　avoid　this　nuisance。'

　　〃‘What；　be　driven　out　of　our　own　house　by　a　practical　joker？'　said

I。　‘Why；　we　should　have　the　whole　county　laughing　at　us。'

　　〃‘Well；　come　to　bed；'　said　she；　‘and　we　can　discuss　it　in　the

morning。'

　　〃Suddenly；　as　she　spoke；　I　saw　her　white　face　grow　whiter　yet　in　the

moonlight；　and　her　hand　tightened　upon　my　shoulder。　Something　was

moving　in　the　shadow　of　the　tool…house。　I　saw　a　dark；　creeping

figure　which　crawled　round　the　corner　and　squatted　in　front　of　the

door。　Seizing　my　pistol；　I　was　rushing　out；　when　my　wife　threw　her

arms　round　me　and　held　me　with　convulsive　strength。　I　tried　to　throw

her　off；　but　she　clung　to　me　most　desperately。　At　last　I　got　clear；

but　by　the　time　I　had　opened　the　door　and　reached　the　house　the

creature　was　gone。　He　had　left　a　trace　of　his　presence；　however；　for

there　on　the　door　was　the　very　same　arrangement　of　dancing　men　which

had　already　twice　appeared；　and　which　I　have　copied　on　that　paper。

There　was　no　other　sign　of　the　fellow　anywhere；　though　I　ran　all

over　the　grounds。　And　yet　the　amazing　thing　is　that　he　must　have

been　there　all　the　time；　for　when　I　examined　the　door　again　in　the

morning；　he　had　scrawled　some　more　of　his　pictures　under　the　line

which　I　had　already　seen。〃

　　〃Have　you　that　fresh　drawing？〃

　　〃Yes；　it　is　very　short；　but　I　made　a　copy　of　it；　and　here　it　is。〃

　　Again　he　produced　a　paper。　The　new　dance　was　in　this　form：



　　（See　illustration。）



　　〃Tell　me；〃　said　Holmes…　and　I　could　see　by　his　eyes　that　he　was　much

excited…　〃was　this　a　mere　addition　to　the　first　or　did　it　appear　to　be

entirely　separate？〃

　　〃It　was　on　a　different　panel　of　the　door。〃

　　〃Excellent！　This　is　far　the　most　important　of　all　for　our　purpose。

It　fills　me　with　hopes。　Now；　Mr。　Hilton　Cubitt；　please　continue　your

most　interesting　statement。〃

　　〃I　have　nothing　more　to　say；　Mr。　Holmes；　except　that　I　was　angry

with　my　wife　that　night　for　having　held　me　back　when　I　might　have

caught　the　skulking　rascal。　She　said　that　she　feared　that　I　might　come

to　harm。　For　an　instant　it　had　crossed　my　mind　that　perhaps　what　she

really　feared　was　that　he　might　come　to　harm；　for　I　could　not　doubt

that　she　knew　who　this　man　was；　and　what　he　meant　by　these　strange

signals。　But　there　is　a　tone　in　my　wife's　voice；　Mr。　Holmes；　and　a

look　in　her　eyes　which　forbid　doubt；　and　I　am　sure　that　it　was

indeed　my　own　safety　that　was　in　her　mind。　There's　the　whole　case；　and

now　I　want　your　advice　as　to　what　I　ought　to　do。　My　own　inclination　is

to　put　half　a　dozen　of　my　farm　lads　in　the　shrubbery；　and　when　this

fellow　comes　again　to　give　him　such　a　hiding　that　he　will　leave　us

in　peace　for　the　future。〃

　　〃I　fear　it　is　too　deep　a　case　for　such　simple　remedies；〃　said

Holmes。　〃How　long　can　you　stay　in　London？〃

　　〃I　must　go　back　to…day。　I　would　not　leave　my　wife　alone　all　night

for　anything。　She　is　very　nervous；　and　begged　me　to　come　back。〃

　　〃I　daresay　you　are　right。　But　if　you　could　have　stopped；　I　might

possibly　have　been　able　to　return　with　you　in　a　day　or　two。

Meanwhile　you　will　leave　me　these　papers；　and　I　think　that　it　is

very　likely　that　I　shall　be　able　to　pay　you　a　visit　shortly　and　to

throw　some　light　upon　your　case。〃

　　Sherlock　Holmes　preserved　his　calm　profe