the adventure of the veiled lodger-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SHERLOCK　HOLMES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　VEILED　LODGER

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle



　　When　one　considers　that　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes　was　in　active　practice

for　twenty…three　years；　and　that　during　seventeen　of　these　I　was

allowed　to　cooperate　with　him　and　to　keep　notes　of　his　doings；　it　will

be　clear　that　I　have　a　mass　of　material　at　my　command。　The　problem　has

always　been　not　to　find　but　to　choose。　There　is　the　long　row　of

year…books　which　fill　a　shelf；　and　there　are　the　dispatch…cases　filled

with　documents；　a　perfect　quarry　for　the　student　not　only　of　crime　but

of　the　social　and　official　scandals　of　the　late　Victorian　era。

Concerning　these　latter；　I　may　say　that　the　writers　of　agonized

letters；　who　beg　that　the　honour　of　their　families　or　the　reputation

of　famous　forebears　may　not　be　touched；　have　nothing　to　fear。　The

discretion　and　high　sense　of　professional　honour　which　have　always

distinguished　my　friend　are　still　at　work　in　the　choice　of　these

memoirs；　and　no　confidence　will　be　abused。　I　deprecate；　however；　in

the　strongest　way　the　attempts　which　have　been　mode　lately　to　get　at

and　to　destroy　these　papers。　The　source　of　these　outrages　is　known；

and　if　they　are　repeated　I　have　Mr。　Holmes's　authority　for　saying　that

the　whole　story　concerning　the　politician；　the　lighthouse；　and　the

trained　cormorant　will　be　given　to　the　public。　There　is　at　least　one

reader　who　will　understand。

　　It　is　not　reasonable　to　suppose　that　every　one　of　these　cases　gave

Holmes　the　opportunity　of　showing　those　curious　gifts　of　instinct

and　observation　which　I　have　endeavoured　to　set　fourth　in　these

memoirs。　Sometimes　he　had　with　much　effort　to　pick　the　fruit；

sometimes　it　fell　easily　into　his　lap。　But　the　most　terrible　human

tragedies　were　often　involved　in　those　cases　which　brought　him　the

fewest　personal　opportunities；　and　it　is　one　of　these　which　I　now

desire　to　record。　In　telling　it；　I　have　made　a　slight　change　of　name

and　place；　but　otherwise　the　facts　are　as　stated。

　　One　forenoon…　it　was　late　in　1896…　I　received　a　hurried　note　from

Holmes　asking　for　my　attendance。　When　I　arrived　I　found　him　seated

in　a　smoke…laden　atmosphere；　with　all　elderly；　motherly　woman　of　the

buxom　landlady　type　in　the　corresponding　chair　in　front　of　him。

　　〃This　is　Mrs。　Merrilow；　of　South　Brixton；〃　said　my　friend　with　a

wave　of　the　hand。　〃Mrs。　Merrilow　does　not　object　to　tobacco；　Watson；

if　you　wish　to　indulge　your　filthy　habits。　Mrs。　Merrilow　has　an

interesting　story　to　tell　which　may　well　lead　to　further

developments　in　which　your　presence　may　be　useful。〃

　　〃Anything　I　can　do…〃

　　〃You　will　understand；　Mrs。　Merrilow；　that　if　I　come　to　Mrs。　Ronder　I

should　prefer　to　have　a　witness。　You　will　make　her　understand　that

before　we　arrive。〃

　　〃Lord　bless　you；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　our　visitor；　〃she　is　that　anxious

to　see　you　that　you　might　bring　the　whole　parish　at　your　heals！〃

　　〃Then　we　shall　come　early　in　the　afternoon。　Let　us　see　that　we

have　our　facts　correct　before　we　start。　If　we　go　over　them　it　will

help　Dr。　Watson　to　understand　the　situation。　You　say　that　Mrs。

Ronder　has　been　your　lodger　for　seven　years　and　that　you　have　only

once　seen　her　face。〃

　　〃And　I　wish　to　God　I　had　not！〃　said　Mrs。　Merrilow。

　　〃It　was；　I　understand；　terribly　mutilated。〃

　　〃Well；　Mr。　Holmes；　you　would　hardly　say　it　was　a　face　at　all。　That's

how　it　looked。　Our　milkman　got　a　glimpse　of　her　once　peeping　out　of

the　upper　window；　and　he　dropped　his　tin　and　the　milk　all　over　the

front　garden。　that　is　the　kind　of　face　it　is。　When　I　saw　her…　I

happened　on　her　unawares…　she　covered　up　quick；　and　then　she　said；

'Now；　Mrs。　Merrilow；　you　know　at　last　why　it　is　that　I　never　raise

my　veil。'〃

　　〃Do　you　know　anything　about　her　history？〃

　　〃Nothing　at　all。〃

　　〃Did　she　give　references　when　she　came？〃

　　〃No；　sir；　but　she　gave　hard　cash；　and　plenty　of　it。　A　quarter's　rent

right　down　on　the　table　in　advance　and　no　arguing　about　terms。　In

these　times　a　poor　woman　like　me　can't　afford　to　turn　down　a　chance

like　that。〃

　　〃Did　she　give　any　reason　for　choosing　your　house？〃

　　〃Mine　stands　well　back　from　the　road　and　is　more　private　than

most。　Then；　again；　I　only　take　the　one；　and　I　have　no　family　of　my

own。　I　reckon　she　had　tried　others　and　found　that　mine　suited　her

best。　It's　privacy　she　is　after；　and　she　is　ready　to　pay　for　it。〃

　　〃You　say　that　she　never　showed　her　face　from　first　to　last　save　on

the　one　accidental　occasion。　Well；　it　is　a　very　remarkable　story；　most

remarkable；　and　I　don't　wonder　that　you　want　it　examined。〃

　　〃I　don't；　Mr。　Holmes。　I　am　quite　satisfied　so　long　as　I　get　my　rent。

You　could　not　have　a　quieter　lodger；　or　one　who　gives　less　trouble。〃

　　〃Then　what　has　brought　matters　to　a　head？〃

　　〃Her　health；　Mr。　Holmes。　She　seems　to　be　wasting　away。　And　there's

something　terrible　on　her　mind。　'Murder！'　she　cries。　'Murder！'　And

once　I　heard　her：　'You　cruel　beast！　You　monster！'　she　cried。　It　was　in

the　night；　and　it　fair　rang　through　the　house　and　sent　the　shivers

through　me。　So　I　went　to　her　in　the　morning。　'Mrs。　Ronder；'　I　says；

'if　you　have　anything　that　is　troubling　your　soul；　there's　the

clergy；'　I　says；　'and　there's　the　police。　Between　them　you　should

get　some　help。'　'For　God's　sake；　not　the　police！'　says　she；　'and　the

clergy　can't　change　what　is　past。　And　yet；'　she　says；　'it　would　ease

my　mind　if　someone　knew　the　truth　before　I　died。'　'Well；'　says　I；

'if　you　won't　have　the　regulars；　there　is　this　detective　man　what　we

read　about'…　beggin'　your　pardon；　Mr。　Holmes。　And　she；　she　fair　jumped

at　it。　'That's　the　man；'　says　she。　'I　wonder　I　never　thought　of　it

before。　Bring　him　here；　Mrs。　Merrilow；　and　if　he　won't　come；　tell

him　I　am　the　wife　of　Ronder's　wild　beast　show。　Say　that；　and　give

him　the　name　Abbas　Parva。　Here　it　is　as　she　wrote　it；　Abbas　Parva。

'That　will　bring　him　if　he's　the　man　I　think　he　is。'〃

　　〃And　it　will；　too；〃　remarked　Holmes。　〃Very　good；　Mrs。　Merrilow。　I

should　like　to　have　a　little　chat　with　Dr。　Watson。　That　will　carry

us　till　lunch…time。　About　three　o'clock　you　may　expect　to　see　us　at

your　house　in　Brixton。〃

　　Our　visitor　had　no　sooner　waddled　out　of　the　room…　no　other　verb　can

describe　Mrs。　Merrilow's　method　of　progression…　than　Sherlock　Holmes

threw　himself　with　fierce　energy　upon　the　pile　of　commonplace　books　in

the　corner。　For　a　few　minutes　there　was　a　constant　swish　of　the

leaves；　and　then　with　a　grunt　of　satisfaction　he　came　upon　what　he

sought。　So　excited　was　he　that　he　did　not　rise；　but　sat　upon　the　floor

like　some　strange　Buddha；　with　crossed　legs；　the　huge　books　all

round　him；　and　one　open　upon　his　knees。

　　〃The　case　worried　me　at　the　time；　Watson。　Here　are　my　marginal　notes

to　prove　it。　I　confess　that　I　could　make　nothing　of　it。　And　yet　I

was　convinced　that　the　coroner　was　wrong。　Have　you　no　recollection

of　the　Abbas　Parva　tragedy？〃

　　〃None；　Holmes。〃

　　〃And　yet　you　were　with　me　then。　But　certainly　my　own　impression

was　very　superficial。　For　there　was　nothing　to　go　by；　and　none　of

the　parties　had　engaged　my　services。　Perhaps　you　would　care　to　read

the　papers？〃

　　〃Could　you　not　give　me　the　points？〃

　　〃That　is　very　easily　done。　It　will　probably　come　back　to　your　memory

as　I　talk。　Ronder；　of　course；　was　a　household　word。　He　was　the　rival

of　Wombwell；　and　of　Sanger；　one　of　the　greatest　showmen　of　his　day。

There　is　evidence；　however；　that　he　took　to　drink；　and　that　both　he

and　his　show　were　on　the　down　grade　at　the　time　of　the　great

tragedy。　The　caravan　had　halted　for　the　night　at　Abbas　Parva；　which　is

a　small　village　in　Berkshire；　when　this　horror　occurred。　They　were

on　their　way　to　Wimbledon；　travelling　by　road；　and　they　were　simply

camping　and　not　exhibiting；　as　the　place　is　so　small　a　one　that　it

would　not　have　paid　them　to　open。

　　〃They　had　among　their　exhibits　a　very　fine　North　African　lion。

Sahara　King　was　its　name；　and　it　was　the　habit；　both　of　Ronder　and　his

wife；　to　give　exhibitions　inside　its　cage。　Here；　you　see；　is　a

photograph　of　the　performance　by　which　you　will　perceive　that　Ronder

was　a　huge　porcine　person　and　that　his　wife　was　a　very　magnificent

woman。　It　was　deposed　at　the　inquest　that　there　had　been　some　signs

that　the　lion　was　dangerous；　but；　as　usual；　familiarity　begat

contempt；　and　no　notice　was　taken　of　the　fact。

　　〃It　was　usual　for　either　Ronder　or　his　wife　to　feed　the　lion　at

night。　Sometimes　one　went；　sometimes　both；　but　they　never　allowed

anyone　else　to　do　it；　for　they　believed　that　so　long　as　they　were

the　food…carriers　he　would　regard　them　as　benefactors　and　would

never　molest　them。　On　this　particular　night；　seven　years　ago；　they

both　went；　and　a　very　terrible　happening　followed；　the　details　of

which　have　never　been　made　clear。

　　〃It　seems　that　the　whole　camp　was　roused　near　midnight　by　the

roars　of　the　animal　and　the　screams　of　the　woman。　The　different　grooms

and　employees　rushed　from　their　tents；　carrying　lanterns；　and　by　their

light　an　awful　sight　was　revealed。　Ronder　lay；　with　the　back　of　his

head　crush