adventure09-第4节

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fairly　well。　　Inferencethat　she　had　been　in　England

some　little　time；　but　he　had　not　been　in　Greece。〃



〃Well；　then；　we　will　presume　that　she　had　come　on　a

visit　to　England；　and　that　this　Harold　had　persuaded

her　to　fly　with　him。〃



〃That　is　more　probable。〃



〃Then　the　brotherfor　that；　I　fancy；　must　be　the

relationshipcomes　over　from　Greece　to　interfere。　　He

imprudently　puts　himself　into　the　power　of　the　young

man　and　his　older　associate。　　They　seize　him　and　use

violence　towards　him　in　order　to　make　him　sign　some

papers　to　make　over　the　girl's　fortuneof　which　he

may　be　trusteeto　them。　　This　he　refuses　to　do。　　In

order　to　negotiate　with　him　they　have　to　get　an

interpreter　；　and　they　pitch　upon　this　Mr。　Melas；

having　used　some　other　one　before。　　The　girl　is　not

told　of　the　arrival　of　her　brother；　and　finds　it　out

by　the　merest　accident。〃



〃Excellent；　Watson！〃　cried　Holmes。　　〃I　really　fancy

that　you　are　not　far　from　the　truth。　　You　see　that　we

hold　all　the　cards；　and　we　have　only　to　fear　some

sudden　act　of　violence　on　their　part。　　If　they　give　us

time　we　must　have　them。〃



〃But　how　can　we　find　where　this　house　lies？〃



〃Well；　if　our　conjecture　is　correct　and　the　girl's

name　is　or　was　Sophy　Kratides；　we　should　have　no

difficulty　in　tracing　her。　　That　must　be　our　main

hope；　for　the　brother　is；　of　course；　a　complete

stranger。　　It　is　clear　that　some　time　has　elapsed

since　this　Harold　established　these　relations　with　the

girlsome　weeks；　at　any　ratesince　the　brother　in

Greece　has　had　time　to　hear　of　it　and　come　across。　　If

they　have　been　living　in　the　same　place　during　this

time；　it　is　probable　that　we　shall　have　some　answer　to

Mycroft's　advertisement。〃



We　had　reached　our　house　in　Baker　Street　while　we　had

been　talking。　　Holmes　ascended　the　stair　first；　and　as

he　opened　the　door　of　our　room　he　gave　a　start　of

surprise。　　Looking　over　his　shoulder；　I　was　equally

astonished。　　His　brother　Mycroft　was　sitting　smoking

in　the　arm…chair。



〃Come　in；　Sherlock！　　Come　in；　sir；〃　said　he　blandly；

smiling　at　our　surprised　faces。　　〃You　don't　expect

such　energy　from　me；　do　you；　Sherlock？　　But　somehow

this　case　attracts　me。〃



〃How　did　you　get　here？〃



〃I　passed　you　in　a　hansom。〃



〃There　has　been　some　new　development？〃



〃I　had　an　answer　to　my　advertisement。〃



〃Ah！〃



〃Yes；　it　came　within　a　few　minutes　of　your　leaving。〃



〃And　to　what　effect？〃



Mycroft　Holmes　took　out　a　sheet　of　paper。



〃Here　it　is；〃　said　he；　〃written　with　a　J　pen　on　royal

cream　paper　by　a　middle…aged　man　with　a　weak

constitution。　　'Sir；'　he　says；　'in　answer　to　your

advertisement　of　to…day's　date；　I　beg　to　inform　you

that　know　the　young　lady　in　question　very　well。　　If

you　should　care　to　call　upon　me　I　could　give　you　some

particulars　as　to　her　painful　history。　　She　is　living

at　present　at　The　Myrtles；　Beckenham。　　Yours

faithfully；　J。　Davenport。'



〃He　writes　from　Lower　Brixton；〃　said　Mycroft　Holmes。　

〃Do　you　not　think　that　we　might　drive　to　him　now；

Sherlock；　and　learn　these　particulars？〃



〃My　dear　Mycroft；　the　brother's　life　is　more　valuable

than　the　sister's　story。　　I　think　we　should　call　at

Scotland　Yard　for　Inspector　Gregson；　and　go　straight

out　to　Beckenham。　　We　know　that　a　man　is　being　done　to

death；　and　every　hour　may　be　vital。〃



〃Better　pick　up　Mr。　Melas　on　our　way；〃　I　suggested。　

〃We　may　need　an　interpreter。〃



〃Excellent；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes。　　〃Send　the　boy　for

a　four…wheeler；　and　we　shall　be　off　at　once。〃　　He

opened　the　table…drawer　as　he　spoke；　and　I　noticed

that　he　slipped　his　revolver　into　his　pocket。　　〃Yes；〃

said　he；　in　answer　to　my　glance；　〃I　should　say　from

what　we　have　heard；　that　we　are　dealing　with　a

particularly　dangerous　gang。〃



It　was　almost　dark　before　we　found　ourselves　in　Pall

Mall；　at　the　rooms　of　Mr。　Melas。　　A　gentleman　had　just

called　for　him；　and　he　was　gone。



〃Can　you　tell　me　where？〃　asked　Mycroft　Holmes。



〃I　don't　know；　sir；〃　answered　the　woman　who　had　opened

the　door；　〃I　only　know　that　he　drove　away　with　the

gentleman　in　a　carriage。〃



〃Did　the　gentleman　give　a　name？〃



〃No；　sir。〃



〃He　wasn't　a　tall；　handsome；　dark　young　man？〃



〃Oh；　nor；　sir。　　He　was　a　little　gentleman；　with

glasses；　thin　in　the　face；　but　very　pleasant　in　his

ways；　for　he　was　laughing　al　the　time　that　he　was

talking。〃



〃Come　along！〃　cried　Sherlock　Holmes；　abruptly。　　〃This

grows　serious；〃　he　observed；　as　we　drove　to　Scotland

Yard。　　〃These　men　have　got　hold　of　Melas　again。　　He　is

a　man　of　no　physical　courage；　as　they　are　well　aware

from　their　experience　the　other　night。　　This　villain

was　able　to　terrorize　him　the　instant　that　he　got　into

his　presence。　　No　doubt　they　want　his　professional

services；　but；　having　used　him；　they　may　be　inclined

to　punish　him　for　what　they　will　regard　as　his

treachery。〃



Our　hope　was　that；　by　taking　train；　we　might　get　to

Beckenham　as　soon　or　sooner　than　the　carriage。　　On

reaching　Scotland　Yard；　however；　it　was　more　than　an

hour　before　we　could　get　Inspector　Gregson　and　comply

with　the　legal　formalities　which　would　enable　us　to

enter　the　house。　　It　was　a　quarter　to　ten　before　we

reached　London　Bridge；　and　half　past　before　the　four

of　us　alighted　on　the　Beckenham　platform。　　A　drive　of

half　a　mile　brought　us　to　The　Myrtlesa　large；　dark

house　standing　back　from　the　road　in　its　own　grounds。　

Here　we　dismissed　our　cab；　and　made　our　way　up　the

drive　together。



〃The　windows　are　all　dark；〃　remarked　the　inspector。　

〃The　house　seems　deserted。〃



〃Our　birds　are　flown　and　the　nest　empty；〃　said　Holmes。



〃Why　do　you　say　so？〃



〃A　carriage　heavily　loaded　with　luggage　has　passed　out

during　the　last　hour。〃



The　inspector　laughed。　　〃I　saw　the　wheel…tracks　in　the

light　of　the　gate…lamp；　but　where　does　the　luggage

come　in？〃



〃You　may　have　observed　the　same　wheel…tracks　going　the

other　way。　　But　the　outward…bound　ones　were　very　much

deeperso　much　so　that　we　can　say　for　a　certainty

that　there　was　a　very　considerable　weight　on　the

carriage。〃



〃You　get　a　trifle　beyond　me　there；〃　said　the

inspector；　shrugging　his　shoulder。　　〃It　will　not　be　an

easy　door　to　force；　but　we　will　try　if　we　cannot　make

some　one　hear　us。〃



He　hammered　loudly　at　the　knocker　and　pulled　at　the

bell；　but　without　any　success。　　Holmes　had　slipped

away；　but　he　came　back　in　a　few　minutes。



〃I　have　a　window　open；〃　said　he。



〃It　is　a　mercy　that　you　are　on　the　side　of　the　force；

and　not　against　it；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　remarked　the

inspector；　as　he　noted　the　clever　way　in　which　my

friend　had　forced　back　the　catch。　　〃Well；　I　think　that

under　the　circumstances　we　may　enter　without　an

invitation。〃



One　after　the　other　we　made　our　way　into　a　large

apartment；　which　was　evidently　that　in　which　Mr。　Melas

had　found　himself。　　The　inspector　had　lit　his　lantern；

and　by　its　light　we　could　see　the　two　doors；　the

curtain；　the　lamp；　and　the　suit　of　Japanese　mail　as　he

had　described　them。　　On　the　table　lay　two　glasses；　and

empty　brandy…bottle；　and　the　remains　of　a　meal。



〃What　is　that？〃　asked　Holmes；　suddenly。



We　all　stood　still　and　listened。　　A　low　moaning　sound

was　coming　from　somewhere　over　our　heads。　　Holmes

rushed　to　the　door　and　out　into　the　hall。　　The　dismal

noise　came　from　upstairs。　　He　dashed　up；　the　inspector

and　I　at　his　heels；　while　his　brother　Mycroft　followed

as　quickly　as　his　great　bulk　would　permit。



Three　doors　faced　up　upon　the　second　floor；　and　it　was

from　the　central　of　these　that　the　sinister　sounds

were　issuing；　sinking　sometimes　into　a　dull　mumble　and

rising　again　into　a　shrill　whine。　　It　was　locked；　but

the　key　had　been　left　on　the　outside。　　Holmes　flung

open　the　door　and　rushed　in；　but　he　was　out　again　in

an　instant；　with　his　hand　to　his　throat。〃



〃It's　charcoal；〃　he　cried。　　〃Give　it　time。　　It　will

clear。〃



Peering　in；　we　could　see　that　the　only　light　in　the

room　came　from　a　dull　blue　flame　which　flickered　from

a　small　brass　tripod　in　the　centre。　　It　threw　a　livid；

unnatural　circle　upon　the　floor；　while　in　the　shadows

beyond　we　saw　the　vague　loom　of　two　figures　which

crouched　against　the　wall。　　From　the　open　door　there

reeked　a　horrible　poisonous　exhalation　which　set　us

gasping　and　coughing。　　Holmes　rushed　to　the　top　of　the

stairs　to　draw　in　the　fresh　air；　and　then；　dashing

into　the　room；　he　threw　up　the　window　and　hurled　the

brazen　tripod　out　into　the　garden。



〃We　can　enter　in　a　minute；〃　he　gasped；　darting　out

again。　　〃Where　is　a　candle？　　I　doubt　if　we　could

strike　a　match　in　that　atmosphere。　　Hold　the　light　at

the　door　and　we　shall　get　them　out；　Mycroft；　now！〃



With　a　rush　we　got　to　the　poisoned　men　and　dragged

them　out　into　the　well…lit　hall。　　Both　of　them　were

blue…lipped　and　insensible；　with　swollen；　congested

faces　and　protruding　eyes。　　Indeed；　so　distort