the adventure of the noble bachelor-第4节

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and　your　inferences。　You　have　made　two　blunders　in　as　many　minutes。

This　dress　does　implicate　Miss　Flora　Millar。〃

　　〃And　how？〃

　　〃In　the　dress　is　a　pocket。　In　the　pocket　is　a　card…case。　In　the

card…case　is　a　note。　And　here　is　the　very　note。〃　He　slapped　it　down

upon　the　table　in　front　of　him。　〃Listen　to　this：



　　　　　　〃You　will　see　me　when　all　is　ready。　Come　at　once。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'F。H。M。'



Now　my　theory　all　along　has　been　that　Lady　St。　Simon　was　decoyed

away　by　Flora　Millar；　and　that　she；　with　confederates；　no　doubt；　was

responsible　for　her　disappearance。　Here；　signed　with　her　initials；

is　the　very　note　which　was　no　doubt　quietly　slipped　into　her　hand　at

the　door　and　which　lured　her　within　their　reach。〃

　　〃Very　good；　Lestrade；〃　said　Holmes；　laughing。　〃You　really　are　very

fine　indeed。　Let　me　see　it。〃　He　took　up　the　paper　in　a　listless　way；

but　his　attention　instantly　became　riveted；　and　he　gave　a　little　cry

of　satisfaction。　〃This　is　indeed　important；〃　said　he。

　　〃Ha！　you　find　it　so？〃

　　〃Extremely　so。　I　congratulate　you　warmly。〃

　　Lestrade　rose　in　his　triumph　and　bent　his　head　to　look。　〃Why；〃　he

shrieked；　〃you're　looking　at　the　wrong　side！〃

　　〃On　the　contrary；　this　is　the　right　side。〃

　　〃The　right　side？　You're　mad！　Here　is　the　note　written　in　pencil　over

here。〃

　　〃And　over　here　is　what　appears　to　be　the　fragment　of　a　hotel　bill；

which　interests　me　deeply。〃

　　〃There's　nothing　in　it。　I　looked　at　it　before；〃　said　Lestrade。



　　〃Oct。　4th；　rooms　8s。；　breakfast　2s。　6d。；　cocktail　1s。；　lunch　2S。

6d。；　glass　sherry；　8d。〃



〃I　see　nothing　in　that。〃

　　〃Very　likely　not。　It　is　most　important；　all　the　same。　As　to　the

note；　it　is　important　also；　or　at　least　the　initials　are；　so　I

congratulate　you　again。〃

　　〃I've　wasted　time　enough；〃　said　Lestrade；　rising。　〃I　believe　in　hard

work　and　not　in　sitting　by　the　fire　spinning　fine　theories。

Good…day；　Mr。　Holmes；　and　we　shall　see　which　gets　to　the　bottom　of　the

matter　first。〃　He　gathered　up　the　garments；　thrust　them　into　the

bag；　and　made　for　the　door。

　　〃Just　one　hint　to　you；　Lastrade；〃　drawled　Holmes　before　his　rival

vanished；　〃I　will　tell　you　the　true　solution　of　the　matter。　Lady　St。

Simon　is　a　myth。　There　is　not；　and　there　never　has　been；　any　such

person。〃

　　Lestrade　looked　sadly　at　my　companion。　Then　he　turned　to　me；

tapped　his　forehead　three　times；　shook　his　head　solemnly；　and

hurried　away。

　　He　had　hardly　shut　the　door　behind　him　when　Holmes　rose　to　put　on

his　overcoat。　〃There　is　something　in　what　the　fellow　says　about

outdoor　work；〃　he　remarked；　〃so　I　think；　Watson；　that　I　must　leave　you

to　your　papers　for　a　little。〃

　　It　was　after　five　o'clock　when　Sherlock　Holmes　left　me；　but　I　had　no

time　to　be　lonely；　for　within　an　hour　there　arrived　a　confectioners

man　with　a　very　large　flat　box。　This　he　unpacked　with　the　help　of　a

youth　whom　he　had　brought　with　him；　and　presently；　to　my　very　great

astonishment；　a　quite　epicurean　little　cold　supper　began　to　be　laid

out　upon　our　humble　lodging…house　mahogany。　There　were　a　couple　of

brace　of　cold　woodcock；　a　pheasant；　a　pate　de　foie　gras　pie　with　a

group　of　ancient　and　cobwebby　bottles。　Having　laid　out　all　these

luxuries；　my　two　visitors　vanished　away；　like　the　genii　of　the　Arabian

Nights；　with　no　explanation　save　that　the　things　had　been　paid　for　and

were　ordered　to　this　address。

　　Just　before　nine　o'clock　Sherlock　Holmes　stepped　briskly　into　the

room。　His　features　were　gravely　set　but　there　was　a　light　in　his　eye

which　made　me　think　that　he　had　not　been　disappointed　in　his

conclusions。

　　〃They　have　laid　the　supper；　then；〃　he　said；　rubbing　his　hands。

　　〃You　seem　to　expect　company。　They　have　laid　for　five。〃

　　〃Yes；　I　fancy　we　may　have　some　company　dropping　in；〃　said　he。　〃I

am　surprised　that　Lord　St。　Simon　has　not　already　arrived。　Ha！　I

fancy　that　I　hear　his　step　now　upon　the　stairs。'

　　It　was　indeed　our　visitor　of　the　afternoon　who　came　bustling　in；

dangling　his　glasses　more　vigorously　than　ever；　and　with　a　very

perturbed　expression　upon　his　aristocratic　features。

　　〃My　messenger　reached　you；　then？〃　asked　Holmes。

　　〃Yes；　and　I　confess　that　the　contents　startled　me　beyond　measure。

Have　you　good　authority　for　what　you　say？〃

　　〃The　best　possible。〃

　　Lord　St。　Simon　sank　into　a　chair　and　passed　his　hand　over　his

forehead　authority

　　〃What　will　the　Duke　say；〃　he　murmured；　〃when　he　hears　that　one　of

the　family　has　been　subjected　to　such　humiliation？〃

　　〃It　is　the　purest　accident。　I　cannot　allow　that　there　is　any

humiliation。〃

　　〃Ah；　you　look　on　these　things　from　another　standpoint。〃

　　〃I　fail　to　see　that　anyone　is　to　blame。　I　can　hardly　see　how　the

lady　could　have　acted　otherwise；　though　her　abrupt　method　of　doing

it　was　undoubtedly　to　be　regretted。　Having　no　mother；　she　had　no　one

to　advise　her　at　such　a　crisis。〃

　　〃It　was　a　slight；　sir；　a　public　slight；〃　said　Lord　St。　Simon；

tapping　his　fingers　upon　the　table。

　　〃You　must　make　allowance　for　this　poor　girl；　placed　in　so

unprecedented。　a　position。〃

　　〃I　will　make　no　allowance。　I　am　very　angry　indeed；　and　I　have　been

shamefully　used。〃

　　〃I　think　that　I　heard　a　ring；〃　said　Holmes。　〃Yes；　there　are　steps　on

the　landing。　If　I　cannot　persuade　you　to　take　a　lenient　view　of　the

matter；　Lord　St。　Simon；　I　have　brought　an　advocate　here　who　may　be

more　successful。〃　He　opened　the　door　and　ushered　in　a　lady　and

gentleman。　〃Lord　St。　Simon；〃　said　he；　〃allow　me　to　introduce　you　to

Mr。　and　Mrs。　Francis　Hay　Moulton。　The　lady；　I　think；　you　have

already　met。〃

　　At　the　sight　of　these　newcomers　our　client　had　sprung　from　his

seat　and　stood　very　erect；　with　his　eyes　cast　down　and　his　hand　thrust

into　the　breast　of　his　frock…coat；　a　picture　of　offended　dignity。

The　lady　had　taken　a　quick　step　forward；　but　had　held　out　her　hand

to　him；　but　he　still　refused　to　raise　his　eyes。　It　was　as　well　for　his

resolution；　perhaps；　for　her　pleading　face　was　one　which　it　was　hard

to　resist。

　　〃You're　angry；　Robert；〃　said　she。　〃Well；　I　guess　you　have　every

cause　to　be。〃

　　〃Pray　make　no　apology　to　me；〃　said　Lord　St。　Simon　bitterly。

　　〃Oh；　yes；　I　know　that　I　have　treated　you　real　bad　and　that　I

should　have　spoken　to　you　before　I　went；　but　I　was　kind　of　rattled；

and　from　the　time　when　I　saw　Frank　here　again　I　just　didn't　know

what　I　was　doing　or　saying。　I　only　wonder　I　didn't　fall　down　and　do

a　faint　right　there　before　the　altar。〃

　　〃Perhaps；　Mrs。　Moulton；　you　would　like　my　friend　and　me　to　leave　the

room　while　you　explain　this　matter？〃

　　〃If　I　may　give　an　opinion；〃　remarked　the　strange　gentleman；　〃we've

had　just　a　little　too　much　secrecy　over　this　business　already。　For

my　part；　I　should　like　all　Europe　and　America　to　hear　the　rights　of

it。〃　He　was　a　small；　wiry；　sunburnt　man；　clean…shaven；　with　a　sharp

face　and　alert　manner。

　　〃Then　I'll　tell　our　story　right　away；〃　said　the　lady。　〃Frank　here

and　I　met　in　'84；　in　McQuire's　camp；　near　the　Rockies；　where　pa　was

working　a　claim。　We　were　engaged　to　each　other；　Frank　and　I；　but

then　one　day　father　struck　a　rich　pocket　and　made　a　pile；　while　poor

Frank　here　had　a　claim　that　petered　out　and　came　to　nothing。　The

richer　pa　grew　the　poorer　was　Frank；　so　at　last　pa　wouldn't　hear　of

our　engagement　lasting　any　longer；　and　he　took　me　away　to　'Frisco。

Frank　wouldn't　throw　up　his　hand；　though；　so　he　followed　me　there；　and

he　saw　me　without　pa　knowing　anything　about　it。　It　would　only　have

made　him　mad　to　know；　so　we　just　fixed　it　all　up　for　ourselves。

Frank　said　that　he　would　go　and　make　his　pile；　too；　and　never　come

back　to　claim　me　until　he　had　as　much　as　pa。　So　then　I　promised　to

wait　for　him　to　the　end　of　time　and　pledged　myself　not　to　marry　anyone

else　while　he　lived。　'Why　shouldn't　we　be　married　right　away；　then；'

said　he；　'and　then　I　will　feel　sure　of　you；　and　I　won't　claim　to　be

your　husband　until　I　come　back？'　Well；　we　talked　it　over；　and　he　had

fixed　it　all　up　so　nicely；　with　a　clergyman　all　ready　in　waiting；　that

we　just　did　it　right　there；　and　then　Frank　went　off　to　seek　his

fortune；　and　I　went　back　to　pa。

　　〃The　next　I　heard　of　Frank　was　that　he　was　in　Montana；　and　then　he

went　prospecting　in　Arizona；　and　then　I　heard　of　him　from　New

Mexico。　After　that　came　a　long　newspaper　story　about　how　a　miners'

camp　had　been　attacked　by　Apache　Indians；　and　there　was　my　Frank's

name　among　the　killed。　I　fainted　dead　away；　and　I　was　very　sick　for

months　after。　Pa　thought　I　had　a　decline　and　took　me　to　half　the

doctors　in　'Frisco。　Not　a　word　of　news　came　for　a　year　and　more；　so

that　I　never　doubted　that　Frank　was　really　dead。　Then　Lord　St。　Simon

came　to　'Frisco；　and　we　came　to　London；　and　a　marriage　was　arranged；

and　pa　was　very　pleased；　but　I　felt　all　the　time　that　no　man　on　this

earth　would　ever　take　the　place　in　my　heart　that　had　been　given　to

my　poor　Frank。

　　〃Still；　if　I　had　married　Lord　St。　Simon；　of　course　I'd　have　done

my　duty　by　him。　We　can't　command　our　love；　but　we　can　our　actions。　I

went　to　the　altar　with　him　with　the　intention　to　make　him　just　as　good

a　wife　as　it　was　in　me　to