the adventure of the dancing men-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


side　of　her　face　was　red　with　blood。　She　breathed　heavily；　but　was

incapable　of　saying　anything。　The　passage；　as　well　as　the　room；　was

full　of　smoke　and　the　smell　of　powder。　The　window　was　certainly　shut

and　fastened　upon　the　inside。　Both　women　were　positive　upon　the　point。

They　had　at　once　sent　for　the　doctor　and　for　the　constable。　Then；　with

the　aid　of　the　groom　and　the　stable…boy；　they　had　conveyed　their

injured　mistress　to　her　room。　Both　she　and　her　husband　had　occupied

the　bed。　She　was　clad　in　her　dress…　he　in　his　dressing…gown；　over

his　night…clothes。　Nothing　had　been　moved　in　the　study。　So　far　as　they

knew；　there　had　never　been　any　quarrel　between　husband　and　wife。

They　had　always　looked　upon　them　as　a　very　united　couple。

　　These　were　the　main　points　of　the　servants'　evidence。　In　answer　to

Inspector　Martin；　they　were　clear　that　every　door　was　fastened　upon

the　inside；　and　that　no　one　could　have　escaped　from　the　house。　In

answer　to　Holmes；　they　both　remembered　that　they　were　conscious　of　the

smell　of　powder　from　the　moment　that　they　ran　out　of　their　rooms

upon　the　top　floor。　〃I　commend　that　fact　very　carefully　to　your

attention；〃　said　Holmes　to　his　professional　colleague。　〃And　now　I

think　that　we　are　in　a　position　to　undertake　a　thorough　examination　of

the　room。〃

　　The　study　proved　to　be　a　small　chamber；　lined　on　three　sides　with

books；　and　with　a　writing…table　facing　an　ordinary　window；　which

looked　out　upon　the　garden。　Our　first　attention　was　given　to　the

body　of　the　unfortunate　squire；　whose　huge　frame　lay　stretched

across　the　room。　His　disordered　dress　showed　that　he　had　been

hastily　aroused　from　sleep。　The　bullet　had　been　fired　at　him　from

the　front；　and　had　remained　in　his　body；　after　penetrating　the

heart。　His　death　had　certainly　been　instantaneous　and　painless。

There　was　no　powder…marking　either　upon　his　dressing…gown　or　on　his

hands。　According　to　the　country　surgeon；　the　lady　had　stains　upon

her　face；　but　none　upon　her　hand。

　　〃The　absence　of　the　latter　means　nothing；　though　its　presence　may

mean　everything；〃　said　Holmes。　〃Unless　the　powder　from　a　badly　fitting

cartridge　happens　to　spurt　backward；　one　may　fire　many　shots　without

leaving　a　sign。　I　would　suggest　that　Mr。　Cubitt's　body　may　now　be

removed。　I　suppose；　Doctor；　you　have　not　recovered　the　bullet　which

wounded　the　lady？〃

　　〃A　serious　operation　will　be　necessary　before　that　can　be　done。

But　there　are　still　four　cartridges　in　the　revolver。　Two　have　been

fired　and　two　wounds　inflicted；　so　that　each　bullet　can　be　accounted

for。〃

　　〃So　it　would　seem；〃　said　Holmes。　〃Perhaps　you　can　account　also　for

the　bullet　which　has　so　obviously　struck　the　edge　of　the　window？〃

　　He　had　turned　suddenly；　and　his　long；　thin　finger　was　pointing　to

a　hole　which　had　been　drilled　right　through　the　lower　window…sash；

about　an　inch　above　the　bottom。

　　〃By　George！〃　cried　the　inspector。　〃How　ever　did　you　see　that？〃

　　〃Because　I　looked　for　it。〃

　　〃Wonderful！〃　said　the　country　doctor。　〃You　are　certainly　right；　sir。

Then　a　third　shot　has　been　fired；　and　therefore　a　third　person　must

have　been　present。　But　who　could　that　have　been；　and　how　could　he　have

got　away？〃

　　〃That　is　the　problem　which　we　are　now　about　to　solve；〃　said　Sherlock

Holmes。　〃You　remember；　Inspector　Martin；　when　the　servants　said　that

on　leaving　their　room　they　were　at　once　conscious　of　a　smell　of

powder；　I　remarked　that　the　point　was　an　extremely　important　one？〃

　　〃Yes；　sir；　but　I　confess　I　did　not　quite　follow　you。〃

　　〃It　suggested　that　at　the　time　of　the　firing；　the　window　as　well

as　the　door　of　the　room　had　been　open。　Otherwise　the　fumes　of　powder

could　not　have　been　blown　so　rapidly　through　the　house。　A　draught　in

the　room　was　necessary　for　that。　Both　door　and　window　were　only　open

for　a　very　short　time；　however。〃

　　〃How　do　you　prove　that？〃

　　〃Because　the　candle　was　not　guttered。〃

　　〃Capital！〃　cried　the　inspector。　〃Capital！

　　〃Feeling　sure　that　the　window　had　been　open　at　the　time　of　the

tragedy；　I　conceived　that　there　might　have　been　a　third　person　in

the　affair；　who　stood　outside　this　opening　and　fired　through　it。　Any

shot　directed　at　this　person　might　hit　the　sash。　I　looked；　and

there；　sure　enough；　was　the　bullet　mark！〃

　　〃But　how　came　the　window　to　be　shut　and　fastened？〃

　　〃The　woman's　first　instinct　would　be　to　shut　and　fasten　the

window。　But；　halloa！　What　is　this？〃

　　It　was　a　lady's　hand…bag　which　stood　upon　the　study　table…　a　trim

little　handbag　of　crocodile…skin　and　silver。　Holmes　opened　it　and

turned　the　contents　out。　There　were　twenty　fifty…pound　notes　of　the

Bank　of　England；　held　together　by　an　india…rubber　band…　nothing　else。

　　〃This　must　be　preserved；　for　it　will　figure　in　the　trial〃　said

Holmes；　as　he　handed　the　bag　with　its　contents　to　the　inspector。　〃It

is　now　necessary　that　we　should　try　to　throw　some　light　upon　this

third　bullet；　which　has　clearly；　from　the　splintering　of　the　wood；

been　fired　from　inside　the　room。　I　should　like　to　see　Mrs。　King；　the

cook；　again。　You　said；　Mrs。　King；　that　you　were　awakened　by　a　loud

explosion。　When　you　said　that；　did　you　mean　that　it　seemed　to　you　to

be　louder　than　the　second　one？〃

　　〃Well；　sir；　it　wakened　me　from　my　sleep；　so　it　is　hard　to　judge。　But

it　did　seem　very　loud。〃

　　〃You　don't　think　that　it　might　have　been　two　shots　fired　almost　at

the　same　instant？〃

　　〃I　am　sure　I　couldn't　say；　sir。〃

　　〃I　believe　that　it　was　undoubtedly　so。　I　rather　think；　Inspector

Martin；　that　we　have　now　exhausted　all　that　this　room　can　teach　us。　If

you　will　kindly　step　round　with　me；　we　shall　see　what　fresh　evidence

the　garden　has　to　offer。〃

　　A　flower…bed　extended　up　to　the　study　window；　and　we　all　broke

into　an　exclamation　as　we　approached　it。　The　flowers　were　trampled

down；　and　the　soft　soil　was　imprinted　all　over　with　footmarks。

Large；　masculine　feet　they　were；　with　peculiarly　long；　sharp　toes。

Holmes　hunted　about　among　the　grass　and　leaves　like　a　retriever

after　a　wounded　bird。　Then；　with　a　cry　of　satisfaction；　he　bent

forward　and　picked　up　a　little　brazen　cylinder。

　　〃I　thought　so；〃　said　he；　〃the　revolver　had　an　ejector；　and　here　is

the　third　cartridge。　I　really　think；　Inspector　Martin；　that　our　case

is　almost　complete。〃

　　The　country　inspector's　face　had　shown　his　intense　amazement　at

the　rapid　and　masterful　progress　of　Holmes's　investigation。　At　first

he　had　shown　some　disposition　to　assert　his　own　position；　but　now　he

was　overcome　with　admiration；　and　ready　to　follow　without　question

wherever　Holmes　led。

　　〃Whom　do　you　suspect？〃　he　asked。

　　〃I'll　go　into　that　later。　There　are　several　points　in　this　problem

which　I　have　not　been　able　to　explain　to　you　yet。　Now　that　I　have

got　so　far；　I　had　best　proceed　on　my　own　lines；　and　then　clear　the

whole　matter　up　once　and　for　all。〃

　　〃Just　as　you　wish；　Mr。　Holmes；　so　long　as　we　get　our　man。〃

　　〃I　have　no　desire　to　make　mysteries；　but　it　is　impossible　at　the

moment　of　action　to　enter　into　long　and　complex　explanations。　I　have

the　threads　of　this　affair　all　in　my　hand。　Even　if　this　lady　should

never　recover　consciousness；　we　can　still　reconstruct　the　events　of

last　night　and　insure　that　justice　be　done。　First　of　all；　I　wish　to

know　whether　there　is　any　inn　in　this　neighbourhood　known　as

‘Elrige's'？〃

　　The　servants　were　cross…questioned；　but　none　of　them　had　heard　of

such　a　place。　The　stable…boy　threw　a　light　upon　the　matter　by

remembering　that　a　farmer　of　that　name　lived　some　miles　off；　in　the

direction　of　East　Ruston。

　　〃Is　it　a　lonely　farm？〃

　　〃Very　lonely；　sir。〃

　　〃Perhaps　they　have　not　heard　yet　of　all　that　happened　here　during

the　night？〃

　　〃Maybe　not；　sir。〃

　　Holmes　thought　for　a　little；　and　then　a　curious　smile　played　over

his　face。

　　〃Saddle　a　horse；　my　lad；〃　said　he。　〃I　shall　wish　you　to　take　a

note　to　Elrige's　Farm。〃

　　He　took　from　his　pocket　the　various　slips　of　the　dancing　men。　With

these　in　front　of　him；　he　worked　for　some　time　at　the　study…table。

Finally　he　handed　a　note　to　the　boy；　with　directions　to　put　it　into

the　hands　of　the　person　to　whom　it　was　addressed；　and　especially　to

answer　no　questions　of　any　sort　which　might　be　put　to　him。　I　saw　the

outside　of　the　note；　addressed　in　straggling；　irregular　characters；

very　unlike　Holmes's　usual　precise　hand。　It　was　consigned　to　Mr。　Abe

Slaney；　Elriges　Farm；　East　Ruston；　Norfolk。

　　〃I　think；　Inspector；〃　Holmes　remarked；　〃that　you　would　do　well　to

telegraph　for　an　escort；　as；　if　my　calculations　prove　to　be　correct；

you　may　have　a　particularly　dangerous　prisoner　to　convey　to　the　county

jail。　The　boy　who　takes　this　note　could　no　doubt　forward　your

telegram。　If　there　is　an　afternoon　train　to　town；　Watson；　I　think　we

should　do　well　to　take　it；　as　I　have　a　chemical　analysis　of　some

interest　to　finish；　and　this　investigation　draws　rapidly　to　a　close。〃

　　When　the　youth　had　been　dispatched　with　the　note；　Sherlock　Holmes

gave　his　instructions　to　the　servants。　If　any　visitor　were　to　call

asking　for　Mrs。　Hilton　Cubitt；　no　information　should　be　given　as　to

her　condition；　but　he　was　to　be　shown　at　once　in