adventure09-第3节

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than　any　signs　of　physical　weakness　was　that　his　face

was　grotesquely　criss…crossed　with　sticking…plaster；

and　that　one　large　pad　of　it　was　fastened　over　his

mouth。



〃'Have　you　the　slate；　Harold？'　cried　the　older　man；　as

this　strange　being　fell　rather　than　sat　down　into　a

chair。　　'Are　his　hands　loose？　　Now；　then；　give　him　the

pencil。　　You　are　to　ask　the　questions；　Mr。　Melas；　and

he　will　write　the　answers。　　Ask　him　first　of　all

whether　he　is　prepared　to　sign　the　papers？'



〃The　man's　eyes　flashed　fire。



〃'Never！'　he　wrote　in　Greek　upon　the　slate。



〃'On　no　condition？'　I　asked；　at　the　bidding　of　our

tyrant。



〃'Only　if　I　see　her　married　in　my　presence　by　a　Greek

priest　whom　I　know。'



〃The　man　giggled　in　his　venomous　way。



〃'You　know　what　awaits　you；　then？'



〃'I　care　nothing　for　myself。'



〃These　are　samples　of　the　questions　and　answers　which

made　up　our　strange　half…spoken；　half…written

conversation。　　Again　and　again　I　had　to　ask　him

whether　he　would　give　in　and　sign　the　documents。　

Again　and　again　I　had　the　same　indignant　reply。　　But

soon　a　happy　thought　came　to　me。　　I　took　to　adding　on

little　sentences　of　my　own　to　each　question；　innocent

ones　at　first；　to　test　whether　either　of　our

companions　knew　anything　of　the　matter；　and　then；　as　I

found　that　they　showed　no　signs　I　played　a　more

dangerous　game。　　Our　conversation　ran　something　like

this：



〃'You　can　do　no　good　by　this　obstinacy。　　Who　are　you？'



〃'I　care　not。　　I　am　a　stranger　in　London。'



〃'Your　fate　will　be　upon　your　own　head。　　How　long　have

you　been　here？'



〃'Let　it　be　so。　　Three　weeks。'



〃'The　property　can　never　be　yours。　　What　ails　you？'



〃'It　shall　not　go　to　villains。　　They　are　starving　me。'



〃'You　shall　go　free　if　you　sign。　　What　house　is　this？'



〃'I　will　never　sign。　　I　do　not　know。'



〃'You　are　not　doing　her　any　service。　　What　is　your

name？'



〃'Let　me　hear　her　say　so。　　Kratides。'



〃'You　shall　see　her　if　you　sign。　　Where　are　you　from？'



〃'Then　I　shall　never　see　her。　　Athens。'



〃Another　five　minutes；　Mr。　Holmes；　and　I　should　have

wormed　out　the　whole　story　under　their　very　noses。　　My

very　next　question　might　have　cleared　the　matter　up；

but　at　that　instant　the　door　opened　and　a　woman

stepped　into　the　room。　　I　could　not　see　her　clearly

enough　to　know　more　than　that　she　was　tall　and

graceful；　with　black　hair；　and　clad　in　some　sort　of

loose　white　gown。



〃'Harold；'　said　she；　speaking　English　with　a　broken

accent。　　'I　could　not　stay　away　longer。　　It　is　so

lonely　up　there　with　onlyOh；　my　God；　it　is　Paul！'



〃These　last　words　were　in　Greek；　and　at　the　same

instant　the　man　with　a　convulsive　effort　tore　the

plaster　from　his　lips；　and　screaming　out　'Sophy！　

Sophy！'　rushed　into　the　woman's　arms。　　Their　embrace

was　but　for　an　instant；　however；　for　the　younger　man

seized　the　woman　and　pushed　her　out　of　the　room；　while

the　elder　easily　overpowered　his　emaciated　victim；　and

dragged　him　away　through　the　other　door。　　For　a　moment

I　was　left　alone　in　the　room；　and　I　sprang　to　my　feet

with　some　vague　idea　that　I　might　in　some　way　get　a

clue　to　what　this　house　was　in　which　I　found　myself。　

Fortunately；　however；　I　took　no　steps；　for　looking　up

I　saw　that　the　older　man　was　standing　in　the　door…way

with　his　eyes　fixed　upon　me。



〃'That　will　do；　Mr。　Melas；'　said　he。　　'You　perceive

that　we　have　taken　you　into　our　confidence　over　some

very　private　business。　　We　should　not　have　troubled

you；　only　that　our　friend　who　speaks　Greek　and　who

began　these　negotiations　has　been　forced　to　return　to

the　East。　　It　was　quite　necessary　for　us　to　find　some

one　to　take　his　place；　and　we　were　fortunate　in

hearing　of　your　powers。'



〃I　bowed。



〃'There　are　five　sovereigns　here；'　said　he；　walking　up

to　me；　'which　will；　I　hope；　be　a　sufficient　fee。　　But

remember；'　he　added；　tapping　me　lightly　on　the　chest

and　giggling；　'if　you　speak　to　a　human　soul　about

thisone　human　soul；　mindwell；　may　God　have　mercy

upon　your　soul！〃



〃I　cannot　tell　you　the　loathing　and　horror　with　which

this　insignificant…looking　man　inspired　me。　　I　could

see　him　better　now　as　the　lamp…light　shone　upon　him。　

His　features　were　peaky　and　sallow；　and　his　little

pointed　beard　was　thready　and　ill…nourished。　　He

pushed　his　face　forward　as　he　spoke　and　his　lips　and

eyelids　were　continually　twitching　like　a　man　with　St。

Vitus's　dance。　　I　could　not　help　thinking　that　his

strange；　catchy　little　laugh　was　also　a　symptom　of

some　nervous　malady。　　The　terror　of　his　face　lay　in

his　eyes；　however；　steel　gray；　and　glistening　coldly

with　a　malignant；　inexorable　cruelty　in　their　depths。



〃'We　shall　know　if　you　speak　of　this；'　said　he。　　'We

have　our　own　means　of　information。　　Now　you　will　find

the　carriage　waiting；　and　my　friend　will　see　you　on

your　way。'



〃I　was　hurried　through　the　hall　and　into　the　vehicle；

again　obtaining　that　momentary　glimpse　of　trees　and　a

garden。　　Mr。　Latimer　followed　closely　at　my　heels；　and

took　his　place　opposite　to　me　without　a　word。　　In

silence　we　again　drove　for　an　interminable　distance

with　the　windows　raised；　until　at　last；　just　after

midnight；　the　carriage　pulled　up。



〃'You　will　get　down　here；　Mr。　Melas；'　said　my

companion。　　'I　am　sorry　to　leave　you　so　far　from　your

house；　but　there　is　no　alternative。　　Any　attempt　upon

your　part　to　follow　the　carriage　can　only　end　in

injury　to　yourself。'



〃He　opened　the　door　as　he　spoke；　and　I　had　hardly　time

to　spring　out　when　the　coachman　lashed　the　horse　and

the　carriage　rattled　away。　　I　looked　around　me　in

astonishment。　　I　was　on　some　sort　of　a　heathy　common

mottled　over　with　dark　clumps　of　furze…bushes。　　Far

away　stretched　a　line　of　houses；　with　a　light　here　and

there　in　the　upper　windows。　　On　the　other　side　I　saw

the　red　signal…lamps　of　a　railway。



〃The　carriage　which　had　brought　me　was　already　out　of

sight。　　I　stood　gazing　round　and　wondering　where　on

earth　I　might　be；　when　I　saw　some　one　coming　towards

me　in　the　darkness。　　As　he　came　up　to　me　I　made　out

that　he　was　a　railway　porter。



〃'Can　you　tell　me　what　place　this　is？'　I　asked。



〃'Wandsworth　Common；'　said　he。



〃'Can　I　get　a　train　into　town？'



〃'If　you　walk　on　a　mile　or　so　to　Clapham　Junction；'

said　he；　'you'll　just　be　in　time　for　the　last　to

Victoria。'



〃So　that　was　the　end　of　my　adventure；　Mr。　Holmes。　　I

do　not　know　where　I　was；　nor　whom　I　spoke　with；　nor

anything　save　what　I　have　told　you。　　But　I　know　that

there　is　foul　play　going　on；　and　I　want　to　help　that

unhappy　man　if　I　can。　　I　told　the　whole　story　to　Mr。

Mycroft　Holmes　next　morning；　and　subsequently　to　the

police。〃



We　all　sat　in　silence　for　some　little　time　after

listening　to　this　extraordinary　narrative。　　Then

Sherlock　looked　across　at　his　brother。



〃Any　steps？〃　he　asked。



Mycroft　picked　up　the　Daily　News；　which　was　lying　on

the　side…table。



〃'Anybody　supplying　any　information　to　the　whereabouts

of　a　Greek　gentleman　named　Paul　Kratides；　from　Athens；

who　is　unable　to　speak　English；　will　be　rewarded。　　A

similar　reward　paid　to　any　one　giving　information

about　a　Greek　lady　whose　first　name　is　Sophy。　　X

2473。'　　That　was　in　all　the　dailies。　　No　answer。〃



〃How　about　the　Greek　Legation？〃



〃I　have　inquired。　　They　know　nothing。〃



〃A　wire　to　the　head　of　the　Athens　police；　then？〃



〃Sherlock　has　all　the　energy　of　the　family；〃　said

Mycroft；　turning　to　me。　　〃Well；　you　take　the　case　up

by　all　means；　and　let　me　know　if　you　do　any　good。〃



〃Certainly；〃　answered　my　friend；　rising　from　his

chair。　　〃I'll　let　you　know；　and　Mr。　Melas　also。　　In

the　meantime；　Mr。　Melas；　I　should　certainly　be　on　my

guard；　if　I　were　you；　for　of　course　they　must　know

through　these　advertisements　that　you　have　betrayed

them。〃



As　we　walked　home　together；　Holmes　stopped　at　a

telegraph　office　and　sent　off　several　wires。



〃You　see；　Watson；〃　he　remarked；　〃our　evening　has　been

by　no　means　wasted。　　Some　of　my　most　interesting　cases

have　come　to　me　in　this　way　through　Mycroft。　　The

problem　which　we　have　just　listened　to；　although　it

can　admit　of　but　one　explanation；　has　still　some

distinguishing　features。〃



〃You　have　hopes　of　solving　it？〃



〃Well；　knowing　as　much　as　we　do；　it　will　be　singular

indeed　if　we　fail　to　discover　the　rest。　　You　must

yourself　have　formed　some　theory　which　will　explain

the　facts　to　which　we　have　listened。〃



〃In　a　vague　way；　yes。〃



〃What　was　your　idea；　then？〃



〃IT　seemed　to　me　to　be　obvious　that　this　Greek　girl

had　been　carried　off　by　the　young　Englishman　named

Harold　Latimer。〃



〃Carried　off　from　where？〃



〃Athens；　perhaps。〃



Sherlock　Holmes　shook　his　head。　　〃This　young　man　could

not　talk　a　word　of　Greek。　　The　lady　could　talk　English

fairly　well。　　Inferencethat　she　had　been　in　England

some　little　time；　but　he　had　no