the pursuit of the house-boat-第3节

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etective　work　is　done。　My　friends　Le　Coq；　Hawkshaw；　and　Old　Sleuth　will　bear　me　out　in　this；　I　think；　however　much　in　other　respects　our　methods　may　have　differed。　　They　left　no　stone　unturned　in　the　pursuit　of　a　criminal；　no　detail；　however　trifling；　uncared　for。　　No　more　should　we　in　the　present　instance　overlook　the　minutest　bit　of　evidence；　however　irrelevant　and　absurd　at　first　blush　it　may　appear　to　be。　　The　truth　of　what　I　say　was　very　effectually　proven　in　the　strange　case　of　the　Brokedale　tiara；　in　which　I　figured　somewhat　conspicuously；　but　which　have　never　made　public；　because　it　involves　a　secret　affecting　the　integrity　of　one　of　the　noblest　families　in　the　British　Empire。　　I　really　believe　that　mystery　was　solved　easily　and　at　once　because　I　happened　to　remember　that　the　number　of　my　watch　was　86507B。　　How　trivial　and　yet　how　important　it　was；　to　what　then　transpired；　you　will　realize　when　I　tell　you　the　incident。〃

The　stranger's　manner　was　so　impressive　that　there　was　a　unanimous　and　simultaneous　movement　upon　the　part　of　all　present　to　get　up　closer；　so　as　the　more　readily　to　hear　what　he　said；　as　a　result　of　which　poor　old　Boswell　was　pushed　overboard；　and　fell；　with　a　loud　splash　into　the　Styx。　　Fortunately；　however；　one　of　Charon's　pleasure…boats　was　close　at　hand；　and　in　a　short　while　the　dripping；　sputtering　spirit　was　drawn　into　it；　wrung　out；　and　sent　home　to　dry。　The　excitement　attending　this　diversion　having　subsided；　Solomon　asked：

〃What　was　the　incident　of　the　lost　tiara？〃

〃I　am　about　to　tell　you；〃　returned　the　stranger；　〃and　it　must　be　understood　that　you　are　told　in　the　strictest　confidence；　for；　as　I　say；　the　incident　involves　a　state　secret　of　great　magnitude。　　In　lifein　the　mortal　lifegentlemen；　I　was　a　detective　by　profession；　and；　if　I　do　say　it；　who　perhaps　should　not；　I　was　one　of　the　most　interesting　for　purely　literary　purposes　that　has　ever　been　known。　　I　did　not　find　it　necessary　to　go　about　saying　'Ha！　ha！'　as　M。　Le　Coq　was　accustomed　to　do　to　advertise　his　cleverness；　neither　did　I　disguise　myself　as　a　drum…major　and　hide　under　a　kitchen…table　for　the　purpose　of　solving　a　mystery　involving　the　abduction　of　a　parlor　stove；　after　the　manner　of　the　talented　Hawkshaw。　　By　mental　concentration　alone；　without　fireworks　or　orchestral　accompaniment　of　any　sort　whatsoever；　did　I　go　about　my　business；　and　for　that　very　reason　many　of　my　fellow…sleuths　were　forced　to　go　out　of　real　detective　work　into　that　line　of　the　business　with　which　the　stage　has　familiarized　the　most　of　usa　line　in　which　nothing　but　stupidity；　luck；　and　a　yellow　wig　is　required　of　him　who　pursues　it。〃

〃This　man　is　an　impostor；〃　whispered　Le　Coq　to　Hawkshaw。

〃I've　known　that　all　along　by　the　mole　on　his　left　wrist；〃　returned　Hawkshaw；　contemptuously。

〃I　suspected　it　the　minute　I　saw　he　was　not　disguised；〃　returned　Le　Coq；　knowingly。　　〃I　have　observed　that　the　greatest　villains　latterly　have　discarded　disguises；　as　being　too　easily　penetrated；　and　therefore　of　no　avail；　and　merely　a　useless　expense。〃

〃Silence！〃　cried　Confucius；　impatiently。　　〃How　can　the　gentleman　proceed；　with　all　this　conversation　going　on　in　the　rear？〃

Hawkshaw　and　Le　Coq　immediately　subsided；　and　the　stranger　went　on。

〃It　was　in　this　way　that　I　treated　the　strange　case　of　the　lost　tiara；〃　resumed　the　stranger。　　〃Mental　concentration　upon　seemingly　insignificant　details　alone　enabled　me　to　bring　about　the　desired　results　in　that　instance。　　A　brief　outline　of　the　case　is　as　follows：　It　was　late　one　evening　in　the　early　spring　of　1894。　　The　London　season　was　at　its　height。　　Dances；　fetes　of　all　kinds；　opera；　and　the　theatres　were　in　full　blast；　when　all　of　a　sudden　society　was　paralyzed　by　a　most　audacious　robbery。　　A　diamond　tiara　valued　at　50；000　pounds　sterling　had　been　stolen　from　the　Duchess　of　Brokedale；　and　under　circumstances　which　threw　society　itself　and　every　individual　in　it　under　suspicioneven　his　Royal　Highness　the　Prince　himself；　for　he　had　danced　frequently　with　the　Duchess；　and　was　known　to　be　a　great　admirer　of　her　tiara。　　It　was　at　half…past　eleven　o'clock　at　night　that　the　news　of　the　robbery　first　came　to　my　ears。　I　had　been　spending　the　evening　alone　in　my　library　making　notes　for　a　second　volume　of　my　memoirs；　and；　feeling　somewhat　depressed；　I　was　on　the　point　of　going　out　for　my　usual　midnight　walk　on　Hampstead　Heath；　when　one　of　my　servants；　hastily　entering；　informed　me　of　the　robbery。　　I　changed　my　mind　in　respect　to　my　midnight　walk　immediately　upon　receipt　of　the　news；　for　I　knew　that　before　one　o'clock　some　one　would　call　upon　me　at　my　lodgings　with　reference　to　this　robbery。　　It　could　not　be　otherwise。　　Any　mystery　of　such　magnitude　could　no　more　be　taken　to　another　bureau　than　elephants　could　fly〃

〃They　used　to；〃　said　Adam。　　〃I　once　had　a　whole　aviary　full　of　winged　elephants。　　They　flew　from　flower　to　flower；　and　thrusting　their　probabilities　deep　into〃

〃Their　what？〃　queried　Johnson；　with　a　frown。

〃Probabilitiesisn't　that　the　word？　　Their　trunks；〃　said　Adam。

〃Probosces；　I　imagine　you　mean；〃　suggested　Johnson。

〃Yesthat　was　it。　　Their　probosces；〃　said　Adam。　　〃They　were　great　honey…gatherers；　those　elephantsfar　better　than　the　bees；　because　they　could　make　so　much　more　of　it　in　a　given　time。〃

Munchausen　shook　his　head　sadly。　　〃I'm　afraid　I'm　outclassed　by　these　antediluvians；〃　he　said。

〃Gentlemen！　gentlemen！〃　cried　Sir　Walter。　　〃These　interruptions　are　inexcusable！〃

〃That's　what　I　think；〃　said　the　stranger；　with　some　asperity。　　〃I'm　having　about　as　hard　a　time　getting　this　story　out　as　I　would　if　it　were　a　serial。　　Of　course；　if　you　gentlemen　do　not　wish　to　hear　it；　I　can　stop；　but　it　must　be　understood　that　when　I　do　stop　I　stop　finally；　once　and　for　all；　because　the　tale　has　not　a　sufficiency　of　dramatic　climaxes　to　warrant　its　prolongation　over　the　usual　magazine　period　of　twelve　months。〃

〃Go　on！　go　on！〃　cried　some。

〃Shut　up！〃　cried　othersaddressing　the　interrupting　members；　of　course。

〃As　I　was　saying；〃　resumed　the　stranger；　〃I　felt　confident　that　within　an　hour；　in　some　way　or　other；　that　case　would　be　placed　in　my　hands。　　It　would　be　mine　either　positively　or　negativelythat　is　to　say；　either　the　person　robbed　would　employ　me　to　ferret　out　the　mystery　and　recover　the　diamonds；　or　the　robber　himself；　actuated　by　motives　of　self…preservation；　would　endeavor　to　direct　my　energies　into　other　channels　until　he　should　have　the　time　to　dispose　of　his　ill…gotten　booty。　　A　mental　discussion　of　the　probabilities　inclined　me　to　believe　that　the　latter　would　be　the　case。　　I　reasoned　in　this　fashion：　　The　person　robbed　is　of　exalted　rank。　　She　cannot　move　rapidly　because　she　is　so。　　Great　bodies　move　slowly。　　It　is　probable　that　it　will　be　a　week　before；　according　to　the　etiquette　by　which　she　is　hedged　about；　she　can　communicate　with　me。　　In　the　first　place；　she　must　inform　one　of　her　attendants　that　she　has　been　robbed。　　He　must　communicate　the　news　to　the　functionary　in　charge　of　her　residence；　who　will　communicate　with　the　Home　Secretary；　and　from　him　will　issue　the　orders　to　the　police；　who；　baffled　at　every　step；　will　finally　address　themselves　to　me。　　'I'll　give　that　side　two　weeks；'　I　said。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　robber：　　will　he　allow　himself　to　be　lulled　into　a　false　sense　of　security　by　counting　on　this　delay；　or　will　he　not；　noting　my　habit　of　occasionally　entering　upon　detective　enterprises　of　this　nature　of　my　own　volition；　come　to　me　at　once　and　set　me　to　work　ferreting　out　some　crime　that　has　never　been　committed？　　My　feeling　was　that　this　would　happen；　and　I　pulled　out　my　watch　to　see　if　it　were　not　nearly　time　for　him　to　arrive。　The　robbery　had　taken　place　at　a　state　ball　at　the　Buckingham　Palace。　'H'm！'　I　mused。　　'He　has　had　an　hour　and　forty　minutes　to　get　here。　It　is　now　twelve…twenty。　　He　should　be　here　by　twelve…forty…five。　　I　will　wait。'　　And　hastily　swallowing　a　cocaine　tablet　to　nerve　myself　up　for　the　meeting；　I　sat　down　and　began　to　read　my　Schopenhauer。　Hardly　had　I　perused　a　page　when　there　came　a　tap　upon　my　door。　　I　rose　with　a　smile；　for　I　thought　I　knew　what　was　to　happen；　opened　the　door；　and　there　stood；　much　to　my　surprise；　the　husband　of　the　lady　whose　tiara　was　missing。　　It　was　the　Duke　of　Brokedale　himself。　It　is　true　he　was　disguised。　　His　beard　was　powdered　until　it　looked　like　snow；　and　he　wore　a　wig　and　a　pair　of　green　goggles；　but　I　recognized　him　at　once　by　his　lack　of　manners；　which　is　an　unmistakable　sign　of　nobility。　　As　I　opened　the　door；　he　began：

〃'You　are　Mr。'

〃'I　am；'　I　replied。　　'Come　in。　　You　have　come　to　see　me　about　your　stolen　watch。　　It　is　a　gold　hunting…case　watch　with　a　Swiss　movement；　loses　five　minutes　a　day；　stem…winder；　and　the　back　cover；　which　does　not　bear　any　inscription；　has　upon　it　the　indentations　made　by　the　molars　of　your　son　Willie　when　that　interesting　youth　was　cutting　his　teeth　upon　it。'〃

〃Wonderful！〃　cried　Johnson。

〃May　I　ask　how　you　knew　all　that？〃　asked　Solomon；　deeply　impressed。　〃Such　penetration　strikes　me　as　marvellous。〃

〃I　didn't　know　it；〃　replied　the　stranger；　with　a　smile。　　〃What　I　said　was　intended　to　be　jocular；　and　to　put　Brokedale　at　his　ease。　　The　Americans　present；　with　their　usual