the adventure of the solitary cyclist-第5节

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wouldn't　have　stayed　in　my　employment　long　if　she　had　thought　that　I

was　following　her　about　the　country　roads。〃

　　〃Why　didn't　you　tell　her　of　her　danger？〃

　　〃Because　then；　again；　she　would　have　left　me；　and　I　couldn't　bear　to

face　that。　Even　if　she　couldn't　love　me；　it　was　a　great　deal　to　me

just　to　see　her　dainty　form　about　the　house；　and　to　hear　the　sound

of　her　voice。〃

　　〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃you　call　that　love；　Mr。　Carruthers；　but　I　should

call　it　selfishness。〃

　　〃Maybe　the　two　things　go　together。　Anyhow；　I　couldn't　let　her　go。

Besides；　with　this　crowd　about；　it　was　well　that　she　should　have

someone　near　to　look　after　her。　Then；　when　the　cable　came；　I　knew　they

were　bound　to　make　a　move。〃

　　〃What　cable？〃

　　Carruthers　took　a　telegram　from　his　pocket　〃That's　it；〃　said　he。

　　It　was　short　and　concise：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　OLD　MAN　IS　DEAD。



　　〃Hum！〃　said　Holmes。　〃I　think　I　see　how　things　worked；　and　I　can

understand　how　this　message　would；　as　you　say；　bring　them　to　a　head。

But　while　you　wait；　you　might　tell　me　what　you　can。

　　The　old　reprobate　with　the　surplice　burst　into　a　volley　of　bad

language。

　　〃By　heaven！〃　said　he；　〃if　you　squeal　on　us；　Bob　Carruthers；　I'll

serve　you　as　you　served　Jack　Woodley。　You　can　bleat　about　the　girl

to　your　heart's　content；　for　that's　your　own　affair；　but　if　you

round　on　your　pals　to　this　plain…clothes　copper；　it　will　be　the

worst　day's　work　that　ever　you　did。〃

　　〃Your　reverence　need　not　be　excited；〃　said　Holmes；　lighting　a

cigarette。　〃The　case　is　clear　enough　against　you；　and　all　I　ask　is　a

few　details　for　my　private　curiosity。　However；　if　there's　any

difficulty　in　your　telling　me；　I'll　do　the　talking；　and　then　you

will　see　how　far　you　have　a　chance　of　holding　back　your　secrets。　In

the　first　place；　three　of　you　came　from　South　Africa　on　this　game…　you

Williamson；　you　Carruthers；　and　Woodley。〃

　　〃Lie　number　one；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃I　never　saw　either　of　them

until　two　months　ago；　and　I　have　never　been　in　Africa　in　my　life；　so

you　can　put　that　in　your　pipe　and　smoke　it；　Mr。　Busybody　Holmes！〃

　　〃What　he　says　is　true；〃　said　Carruthers。

　　〃Well；　well；　two　of　you　came　over。　His　reverence　is　our　own　homemade

article。　You　had　known　Ralph　Smith　in　South　Africa。　You　had　reason

to　believe　he　would　not　live　long。　You　found　out　that　his　niece

would　inherit　his　fortune。　How's　that…　eh？〃

　　Carruthers　nodded　and　Williamson　swore。

　　〃She　was　next　of　kin；　no　doubt；　and　you　were　aware　that　the　old

fellow　would　make　no　will。〃

　　〃Couldn't　read　or　write；〃　said　Carruthers。

　　〃So　you　came　over；　the　two　of　you；　and　hunted　up　the　girl。　The

idea　was　that　one　of　you　was　to　marry　her；　and　the　other　have　a

share　of　the　plunder。　For　some　reason；　Woodley　was　chosen　as　the

husband。　Why　was　that？〃

　　〃We　played　cards　for　her　on　the　voyage。　He　won。〃

　　〃I　see。　You　got　the　young　lady　into　your　service；　and　there

Woodley　was　to　do　the　courting。　She　recognized　the　drunken　brute

that　he　was；　and　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　him。　Meanwhile；　your

arrangement　was　rather　upset　by　the　fact　that　you　had　yourself

fallen　in　love　with　the　lady。　You　could　no　longer　bear　the　idea　of

this　ruffian　owning　her？〃

　　〃No；　by　George；　I　couldn't！〃

　　〃There　was　a　quarrel　between　you。　He　left　you　in　a　rage；　and　began

to　make　his　own　plans　independently　of　you。〃

　　〃It　strikes　me；　Williamson；　there　isn't　very　much　that　we　can　tell

this　gentleman；〃　cried　Carruthers；　with　a　bitter　laugh。　〃Yes；　we

quarreled；　and　he　knocked　me　down。　I　am　level　with　him　on　that；

anyhow。　Then　I　lost　sight　of　him。　That　was　when　he　picked　up　with　this

outcast　padre　here。　I　found　that　they　had　set　up　housekeeping　together

at　this　place　on　the　line　that　she　had　to　pass　for　the　station。　I　kept

my　eye　on　her　after　that；　for　I　knew　there　was　some　devilry　in　the

wind。　I　saw　them　from　time　to　time；　for　I　was　anxious　to　know　what

they　were　after。　Two　days　ago　Woodley　came　up　to　my　house　with　this

cable；　which　showed　that　Ralph　Smith　was　dead。　He　asked　me　if　I

would　stand　by　the　bargain。　I　said　I　would　not。　He　asked　me　if　I　would

marry　the　girl　myself　and　give　him　a　share。　I　said　I　would　willingly

do　so；　but　that　she　would　not　have　me。　He　said；　‘Let　us　get　her

married　first　and　after　a　week　or　two　she　may　see　things　a　bit

different。'　I　said　I　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　violence。　So　he

went　off　cursing；　like　the　foul…mouthed　blackguard　that　he　was；　and

swearing　that　he　would　have　her　yet。　She　was　leaving　me　this　week…end；

and　I　had　got　a　trap　to　take　her　to　the　station；　but　I　was　so　uneasy

in　my　mind　that　I　followed　her　on　my　bicycle。　She　had　got　a　start；

however；　and　before　I　could　catch　her；　the　mischief　was　done。　The

first　thing　I　knew　about　it　was　when　I　saw　you　two　gentlemen　driving

back　in　her　dog…cart〃

　　Holmes　rose　and　tossed　the　end　of　his　cigarette　into　the　grate。　〃I

have　been　very　obtuse；　Watson；〃　said　he。　〃When　in　your　report　you　said

that　you　had　seen　the　cyclist　as　you　thought　arrange　his　necktie　in

the　shrubbery；　that　alone　should　have　told　me　all。　However；　we　may

congratulate　ourselves　upon　a　curious　and；　in　some　respects；　a

unique　case。　I　perceive　three　of　the　county　constabulary　in　the　drive；

and　I　am　glad　to　see　that　the　little　ostler　is　able　to　keep　pace

with　them；　so　it　is　likely　that　neither　he　nor　the　interesting

bridegroom　will　be　permanently　damaged　by　their　morning's

adventures。　I　think；　Watson；　that　in　your　medical　capacity；　you

might　wait　upon　Miss　Smith　and　tell　her　that　if　she　is　sufficiently

recovered；　we　shall　be　happy　to　escort　her　to　her　mother's　home。　If

she　is　not　quite　convalescent　you　will　find　that　a　hint　that　we　were

about　to　telegraph　to　a　young　electrician　in　the　Midlands　would

probably　complete　the　cure。　As　to　you；　Mr。　Carruthers；　I　think　that

you　have　done　what　you　could　to　make　amends　for　your　share　in　an

evil　plot。　There　is　my　card；　sir；　and　if　my　evidence　can　be　of　help　in

your　trial；　it　shall　be　at　your　disposal。〃



　　In　the　whirl　of　our　incessant　activity；　it　has　often　been

difficult　for　me；　as　the　reader　has　probably　observed；　to　round　off　my

narratives；　and　to　give　those　final　details　which　the　curious　might

expect。　Each　case　has　been　the　prelude　to　another；　and　the　crisis　once

over；　the　actors　have　passed　for　ever　out　of　our　busy　lives。　I　find；

however；　a　short　note　at　the　end　of　my　manuscript　dealing　with　this

case；　in　which　I　have　put　it　upon　record　that　Miss　Violet　Smith　did

indeed　inherit　a　large　fortune；　and　that　she　is　now　the　wife　of

Cyril　Morton；　the　senior　partner　of　Morton　&　Kennedy；　the　famous

Westminster　electricians。　Williamson　and　Woodley　were　both　tried　for

abduction　and　assault；　the　former　getting　seven　years　the　latter

ten。　Of　the　fate　of　Carruthers；　I　have　no　record；　but　I　am　sure　that

his　assault　was　not　viewed　very　gravely　by　the　court；　since　Woodley

had　the　reputation　of　being　a　most　dangerous　ruffian；　and　I　think　that

a　few；　months　were　sufficient　to　satisfy　the　demands　of　justice。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…

。