the adventure of the retired colourman-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SHERLOCK　HOLMES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　RETIRED　COLOURMAN

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle



　　Sherlock　Holmes　was　in　a　melancholy　and　philosophic　mood　that

morning。　His　alert　practical　nature　was　subject　to　such　reactions。

　　〃Did　you　see　him？〃　he　asked。

　　〃You　mean　the　old　fellow　who　has　just　gone　out？〃

　　〃Precisely。〃

　　〃Yes；　I　met　him　at　the　door。〃

　　〃What　did　you　think　of　him？〃

　　〃A　pathetic；　futile；　broken　creature。〃

　　〃Exactly；　Watson。　Pathetic　and　futile。　But　is　not　all　life

pathetic　and　futile？　Is　not　his　story　a　microcosm　of　the　whole？　We

reach。　We　grasp。　And　what　is　left　in　our　hands　at　the　end？　A　shadow。

Or　worse　than　a　shadow…　misery。〃

　　〃Is　he　one　of　your　clients？〃

　　〃Well；　I　suppose　I　may　call　him　so。　He　has　been　sent　on　by　the　Yard。

Just　as　medical　men　occasionally　send　their　incurables　to　a　quack。

They　argue　that　they　can　do　nothing　more；　and　that　whatever　happens

the　patient　can　be　no　worse　than　he　is。〃

　　〃What　is　the　matter？〃

　　Holmes　took　a　rather　soiled　card　from　the　table。　〃Josiah　Amberley。

He　says　he　was　junior　partner　of　Brickfall　and　Amberley；　who　are

manufacturers　of　artistic　materials。　You　will　see　their　names　upon

paint…boxes。　He　made　his　little　pile；　retired　from　business　at　the　age

of　sixty…one；　bought　a　house　at　Lewisham；　and　settled　down　to　rest

after　a　life　of　ceaseless　grind。　One　would　think　his　future　was

tolerably　assured。〃

　　〃Yes；　indeed。〃

　　Holmes　glanced　over　some　notes　which　he　had　scribbled　upon　the

back　of　an　envelope。

　　〃Retired　in　1896；　Watson。　Early　in　1897　he　married　a　woman　twenty

years　younger　than　himself…　a　good…looking　woman；　too；　if　the

photograph　does　not　flatter。　A　competence；　a　wife；　leisure…　it

seemed　a　straight　road　which　lay　before　him。　And　yet　within　two

years　he　is；　as　you　have　seen；　as　broken　and　miserable　a　creature　as

crawls　beneath　the　sun。〃

　　〃But　what　has　happened？〃

　　〃The　old　story；　Watson。　A　treacherous　friend　and　a　fickle　wife。　It

would　appear　that　Amberley　has　one　hobby　in　life；　and　it　is　chess。　Not

far　from　him　at　Lewisham　there　lives　a　young　doctor　who　is　also　a

chess…player。　I　have　noted　his　name　as　Dr。　Ray　Ernest。　Ernest　was

frequently　in　the　house；　and　an　intimacy　between　him　and　Mrs。　Amberley

was　a　natural　sequence；　for　you　must　admit　that　our　unfortunate　client

has　few　outward　graces；　whatever　his　inner　virtues　may　be。　The

couple　went　off　together　last　week…　destination　untraced。　What　is

more；　the　faithless　spouse　carried　off　the　old　man's　deed…box　as　her

personal　luggage　with　a　good　part　of　his　life's　savings　within。　Can　we

find　the　lady？　Can　we　save　the　money？　A　commonplace　problem　so　far

as　it　has　developed；　and　yet　a　vital　one　for　Josiah　Amberley。〃

　　〃What　will　you　do　about　it？〃

　　〃Well；　the　immediate　question；　my　dear　Watson；　happens　to　be；　what

will　you　do？…　if　you　will　be　good　enough　to　understudy　me。　You　know

that　I　am　preoccupied　with　this　case　of　the　two　Coptic　Patriarchs；

which　should　come　to　a　head　to…day。　I　really　have　not　time　to　go　out

to　Lewisham；　and　yet　evidence　taken　on　the　spot　has　a　special　value。

The　old　fellow　was　quite　insistent　that　I　should　go；　but　I　explained

my　difficulty。　He　is　prepared　to　meet　a　representative。〃

　　〃By　all　means；〃　I　answered。　〃I　confess　I　don't　see　that　I　can　be

of　much　service；　but　I　am　willing　to　do　my　best。〃　And　so　it　was　that

on　a　summer　afternoon　I　set　forth　to　Lewisham；　little　dreaming　that

within　a　week　the　affair　in　which　I　was　engaging　would　be　the　eager

debate　of　all　England。

　　It　was　late　that　evening　before　I　returned　to　Baker　Street　and

gave　an　account　of　my　mission。　Holmes　lay　with　his　gaunt　figure

stretched　in　his　deep　chair；　his　pipe　curling　forth　slow　wreaths　of

acrid　tobacco；　while　his　eyelids　drooped　over　his　eyes　so　lazily

that　he　might　almost　have　been　asleep　were　it　not　that　at　any　halt

or　questionable　passage　of　my　narrative　they　half　lifted；　and　two　gray

eyes；　as　bright　and　keen　as　rapiers；　transfixed　me　with　their

searching　glance。

　　〃The　Haven　is　the　name　of　Mr。　Josiah　Amberley's　house；〃　I　explained。

〃I　think　it　would　interest　you；　Holmes。　It　is　like　some　penurious

patrician　who　has　sunk　into　the　company　of　his　inferiors。　You　know

that　particular　quarter；　the　monotonous　brick　streets；　the　weary

suburban　highways。　Right　in　the　middle　of　them；　a　little　island　of

ancient　culture　and　comfort；　lies　this　old　home；　surrounded　by　a

high　sun…baked　wall　mottled　with　lichens　and　topped　with　moss；　the

sort　of　wall…〃

　　〃Cut　out　the　poetry；　Watson；〃　said　Holmes　severely。　〃I　note　that

it　was　a　high　brick　wall。〃

　　〃Exactly。　I　should　not　have　known　which　was　The　Haven　had　I　not

asked　a　lounger　who　was　smoking　in　the　street。　I　have　a　reason　for

mentioning　him。　He　was　a　tall；　dark；　heavily　moustached；　rather

military…looking　man。　He　nodded　in　answer　to　my　inquiry　and　gave　me

a　curiously　questioning　glance；　which　came　back　to　my　memory　a

little　later。

　　〃I　had　hardly　entered　the　gateway　before　I　saw　Mr。　Amberley　coming

down　the　drive。　I　only　had　a　glimpse　of　him　this　morning；　and　he

certainly　gave　me　the　impression　of　a　strange　creature；　but　when　I　saw

him　in　full　light　his　appearance　was　even　more　abnormal。〃

　　〃I　have；　of　course；　studied　it；　and　yet　I　should　be　interested　to

have　your　impression；〃　said　Holmes。

　　〃He　seemed　to　me　like　a　man　who　was　literally　bowed　down　by　care。

His　back　was　curved　as　though　he　carried　a　heavy　burden。　Yet　he　was

not　the　weakling　that　I　had　at　first　imagined；　for　his　shoulders　and

chest　have　the　framework　of　a　giant；　though　his　figure　tapers　away

into　a　pair　of　spindled　legs。〃

　　〃Left　shoe　wrinkled；　right　one　smooth。〃

　　〃I　did　not　observe　that。〃

　　〃No；　you　wouldn't。　I　spotted　his　artificial　limb。　But　proceed。〃

　　〃I　was　struck　by　the　snaky　locks　of　grizzled　hair　which　curled

from　under　his　old　straw　hat；　and　his　face　with　its　fierce；　eager

expression　and　the　deeply　lined　features。〃

　　〃Very　good；　Watson。　What　did　he　say？〃

　　〃He　began　pouring　out　the　story　of　his　grievances。　We　walked　down

the　drive　together；　and　of　course　I　took　a　good　look　round。　I　have

never　seen　a　worse…kept　place。　The　garden　was　all　running　to　seed；

giving　me　an　impression　of　wild　neglect　in　which　the　plants　had　been

allowed　to　find　the　way　of　Nature　rather　than　of　art。　How　any　decent

woman　could　have　tolerated　such　a　state　of　things；　I　don't　know。　The

house；　too；　was　slatternly　to　the　last　degree；　but　the　poor　man　seemed

himself　to　be　aware　of　it　and　to　be　trying　to　remedy　it；　for　a　great

pot　of　green　paint　stood　in　the　centre　of　the　hall；　and　he　was

carrying　a　thick　brush　in　his　left　hand。　He　had　been　working　on　the

woodwork。

　　〃He　took　me　into　his　dingy　sanctum；　and　we　had　a　long　chat。　Of

course；　he　was　disappointed　that　you　had　not　come　yourself。　'I

hardly　expected；'　he　said；　'that　so　humble　all　individual　as　myself；

especially　after　my　heavy　financial　loss；　could　obtain　the　complete

attention　of　so　famous　a　man　as　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes。'

　　〃I　assured　him　that　the　financial　question　did　not　arise。　'No；　of

course；　it　is　art　for　art's　sake　with　him；'　said　he；　'but　even　on

the　artistic　side　of　crime　he　might　have　found　something　here　to

study。　And　human　nature；　Dr。　Watson…　the　black　ingratitude　of　it

all！　When　did　I　ever　refuse　one　of　her　requests？　Was　ever　a　woman　so

pampered？　And　that　young　man…　he　might　have　been　my　own　son。　He　had

the　run　of　my　house。　And　yet　see　how　they　have　treated　me！　Oh；　Dr。

Watson；　it　is　a　dreadful；　dreadful　world！'

　　〃That　was　the　burden　of　his　song　for　an　hour　or　more。　He　had；　it

seems；　no　suspicion　of　an　intrigue。　They　lived　alone　save　for　a

woman　who　comes　in　by　the　day　and　leaves　every　evening　at　six。　On　that

particular　evening　old　Amberley；　wishing　to　give　his　wife　a　treat；　had

taken　two　upper　circle　seats　at　the　Haymarket　Theatre。　At　the　last

moment　she　had　complained　of　a　headache　and　had　refused　to　go。　He

had　gone　alone。　There　seemed　to　be　no　doubt　about　the　fact；　for　he

produced　the　unused　ticket　which　he　had　taken　for　his　wife。〃

　　〃That　is　remarkable…　most　remarkable；〃　said　Holmes；　whose　interest

in　the　case　seemed　to　be　rising。　〃Pray　continue；　Watson。　I　find　your

narrative　most　arresting。　Did　you　personally　examine　this　ticket？

You　did　not；　perchance；　take　the　number？〃

　　〃It　so　happens　that　I　did；〃　I　answered　with　some　pride。　〃It

chanced　to　be　my　old　school　number；　thirty…one；　and　so　is　stuck　in

my　head。〃

　　〃Excellent；　Watson！　His　seat；　then；　was　either　thirty　or

thirty…two。〃

　　〃Quite　so；〃　I　answered　with　some　mystification。　〃And　on　B　row。〃

　　〃That　is　most　satisfactory。　What　else　did　he　tell　you？〃

　　〃He　showed　me　his　strong…room；　as　he　called　it。　It　really　is　a

strong…room…　like　a　bank…　with　iron　door　and　shutter…　burglar…proof；

as　he　claimed。　Whoever；　the　woman　seems　to　have　had　a　duplicate　key；

and　between　them　they　had　carried　off　some　seven　thousand　pounds　worth

of　cash　and　securities。〃

　　〃Securities！　How　could　they　dispose　of　those？〃

　　〃He　said　that　he　had　given　the　police　a　list　and　that　he　hoped