the adventure of the missing three-quarter-第5节

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everything　is　favourable。　Eat　a　good　breakfast；　Watson；　for　I

propose　to　get　upon　Dr。　Armstrong's　trail　to…day；　and　once　on　it　I

will　not　stop　for　rest　or　food　until　I　run　him　to　his　burrow。〃

　　〃In　that　case；〃　said　I；　〃we　had　best　carry　our　breakfast　with　us；

for　he　is　making　an　early　start。　His　carriage　is　at　the　door。〃

　　〃Never　mind。　Let　him　go。　He　will　be　clever　if　he　can　drive　where　I

cannot　follow　him。　When　you　have　finished；　come　downstairs　with　me；

and　I　will　introduce　you　to　a　detective　who　is　a　very　eminent

specialist　in　the　work　that　lies　before　us。〃

　　When　we　descended　I　followed　Holmes　into　the　stable　yard；　where　he

opened　the　door　of　a　loose…box　and　led　out　a　squat；　lop…eared；

white…and…tan　dog；　something　between　a　beagle　and　a　foxhound。

　　〃Let　me　introduce　you　to　Pompey；〃　said　he。　〃Pompey　is　the　pride　of

the　local　draghounds…　no　very　great　flier；　as　his　build　will　show；　but

a　staunch　hound　on　a　scent。　Well；　Pompey；　you　may　not　be　fast；　but　I

expect　you　will　be　too　fast　for　a　couple　of　middle…aged　London

gentlemen；　so　I　will　take　the　liberty　of　fastening　this　leather

leash　to　your　collar。　Now；　boy；　come　along；　and　show　what　you　can　do。〃

He　led　him　across　to　the　doctor's　door。　The　dog　sniffed　round　for　an

instant；　and　then　with　a　shrill　whine　of　excitement　started　off　down

the　street；　tugging　at　his　leash　in　his　efforts　to　go　faster。　In

half　an　hour；　we　were　clear　of　the　town　and　hastening　down　a　country

road。

　　〃What　have　you　done；　Holmes？〃　I　asked。

　　〃A　threadbare　and　venerable　device；　but　useful　upon　occasion。　I

walked　into　the　doctor's　yard　this　morning；　and　shot　my　syringe　full

of　aniseed　over　the　hind　wheel。　A　draghound　will　follow　aniseed　from

here　to　John　o'　Groat's；　and　our　friend；　Armstrong；　would　have　to

drive　through　the　Cam　before　he　would　shake　Pompey　off　his　trail。

Oh；　the　cunning　rascal！　This　is　how　he　gave　me　the　slip　the　other

night。〃

　　The　dog　had　suddenly　turned　out　of　the　main　road　into　a

grass…grown　lane。　Half　a　mile　farther　this　opened　into　another　broad

road；　and　the　trail　turned　hard　to　the　right　in　the　direction　of　the

town；　which　we　had　just　quitted。　The　road　took　a　sweep　to　the　south　of

the　town；　and　continued　in　the　opposite　direction　to　that　in　which

we　started。

　　〃This　detour　has　been　entirely　for　our　benefit；　then？〃　said

Holmes。　〃No　wonder　that　my　inquiries　among　those　villagers　led　to

nothing。　The　doctor　has　certainly　played　the　game　for　all　it　is　worth；

and　one　would　like　to　know　the　reason　for　such　elaborate　deception。

This　should　be　the　village　of　Trumpington　to　the　right　of　us。　And；

by　Jove！　here　is　the　brougham　coming　round　the　corner。　Quick；

Watson…　quick；　or　we　are　done！〃

　　He　sprang　through　a　gate　into　a　field；　dragging　the　reluctant　Pompey

after　him。　We　had　hardly　got　under　the　shelter　of　the　hedge　when　the

carriage　rattled　past。　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　Dr。　Armstrong　within；　his

shoulders　bowed；　his　head　sunk　on　his　hands；　the　very　image　of

distress。　I　could　tell　by　my　companion's　graver　face　that　he　also

had　seen。

　　〃I　fear　there　is　some　dark　ending　to　our　quest；〃　said　he。　〃It　cannot

be　long　before　we　know　it。　Come；　Pompey！　Ah；　it　is　the　cottage　in

the　field！〃

　　There　could　be　no　doubt　that　we　had　reached　the　end　of　our

journey。　Pompey　ran　about　and　whined　eagerly　outside　the　gate；　where

the　marks　of　the　brougham's　wheels　were　still　to　be　seen。　A　footpath

led　across　to　the　lonely　cottage。　Holmes　tied　the　dog　to　the　hedge；

and　we　hastened　onward。　My　friend　knocked　at　the　little　rustic　door；

and　knocked　again　without　response。　And　yet　the　cottage　was　not

deserted；　for　a　low　sound　came　to　our　ears…　a　kind　of　drone　of

misery　and　despair　which　was　indescribably　melancholy。　Holmes　paused

irresolute；　and　then　he　glanced　back　at　the　road　which　he　had　just

traversed。　A　brougham　was　coming　down　it；　and　there　could　be　no

mistaking　those　gray　horses。

　　〃By　Jove；　the　doctor　is　coming　back！〃　cried　Holmes。　〃That　settles

it。　We　are　bound　to　see　what　it　means　before　he　comes。〃

　　He　opened　the　door；　and　we　stepped　into　the　hall。　The　droning

sound　swelled　louder　upon　our　ears　until　it　became　one　long；　deep　wail

of　distress。　It　came　from　upstairs。　Holmes　darted　up；　and　I　followed

him。　He　pushed　open　a　half…closed　door；　and　we　both　stood　appalled

at　the　sight　before　us。

　　A　woman；　young　and　beautiful；　was　lying　dead　upon　the　bed。　Her

calm　pale　face；　with　dim；　wide…opened　blue　eyes；　looked　upward　from

amid　a　great　tangle　of　golden　hair。　At　the　foot　of　the　bed；　half

sitting；　half　kneeling；　his　face　buried　in　the　clothes；　was　a　young

man；　whose　frame　was　racked　by　his　sobs。　So　absorbed　was　he　by　his

bitter　grief；　that　he　never　looked　up　until　Holmes's　hand　was　on　his

shoulder。

　　〃Are　you　Mr。　Godfrey　Staunton？〃

　　〃Yes；　yes；　I　am…　but　you　are　too　late。　She　is　dead。〃

　　The　man　was　so　dazed　that　he　could　not　be　made　to　understand　that　we

were　anything　but　doctors　who　had　been　sent　to　his　assistance。

Holmes　was　endeavouring　to　utter　a　few　words　of　consolation　and　to

explain　the　alarm　which　had　been　caused　to　his　friends　by　his　sudden

disappearance　when　there　was　a　step　upon　the　stairs；　and　there　was　the

heavy；　stern；　questioning　face　of　Dr。　Armstrong　at　the　door。

　　〃So；　gentlemen；〃　said　he；　〃you　have　attained　your　end　and　have

certainly　chosen　a　particularly　delicate　moment　for　your　intrusion。

I　would　not　brawl　in　the　presence　of　death；　but　I　can　assure　you

that　if　I　were　a　younger　man　your　monstrous　conduct　would　not　pass

with　impunity。〃

　　〃Excuse　me；　Dr。　Armstrong；　I　think　we　are　a　little　at

cross…purposes；〃　said　my　friend；　with　dignity。　〃If　you　could　step

downstairs　with　us；　we　may　each　be　able　to　give　some　light　to　the

other　upon　this　miserable　affair。〃

　　A　minute　later；　the　grim　doctor　and　ourselves　were　in　the

sitting…room　below。

　　〃Well；　sir？〃　said　he。

　　〃I　wish　you　to　understand；　in　the　first　place；　that　I　am　not

employed　by　Lord　Mount…James；　and　that　my　sympathies　in　this　matter

are　entirely　against　that　nobleman。　When　a　man　is　lost　it　is　my　duty

to　ascertain　his　fate；　but　having　done　so　the　matter　ends　so　far　as

I　am　concerned；　and　so　long　as　there　is　nothing　criminal　I　am　much

more　anxious　to　hush　up　private　scandals　than　to　give　them

publicity。　If；　as　I　imagine；　there　is　no　breach　of　the　law　in　this

matter；　you　can　absolutely　depend　upon　my　discretion　and　my

cooperation　in　keeping　the　facts　out　of　the　papers。〃

　　Dr。　Armstrong　took　a　quick　step　forward　and　wrung　Holmes　by　the

hand。

　　〃You　are　a　good　fellow；〃　said　he。　〃I　had　misjudged　you。　I　thank

heaven　that　my　compunction　at　leaving　poor　Staunton　all　alone　in

this　plight　caused　me　to　turn　my　carriage　back　and　so　to　make　your

acquaintance。　Knowing　as　much　as　you　do；　the　situation　is　very

easily　explained。　A　year　ago　Godfrey　Staunton　lodged　in　London　for　a

time　and　became　passionately　attached　to　his　landlady's　daughter；　whom

he　married。　She　was　as　good　as　she　was　beautiful　and　as　intelligent　as

she　was　good。　No　man　need　be　ashamed　of　such　a　wife。　But　Godfrey　was

the　heir　to　this　crabbed　old　nobleman；　and　it　was　quite　certain　that

the　news　of　his　marriage　would　have　been　the　end　of　his　inheritance。　I

knew　the　lad　well；　and　I　loved　him　for　his　many　excellent　qualities。　I

did　all　I　could　to　help　him　to　keep　things　straight。　We　did　our　very

best　to　keep　the　thing　from　everyone；　for；　when　once　such　a　whisper

gets　about；　it　is　not　long　before　everyone　has　heard　it。　Thanks　to

this　lonely　cottage　and　his　own　discretion；　Godfrey　has　up　to　now

succeeded。　Their　secret　was　known　to　no　one　save　to　me　and　to　one

excellent　servant；　who　has　at　present　gone　for　assistance　to

Trumpington。　But　at　last　there　came　a　terrible　blow　in　the　shape　of

dangerous　illness　to　his　wife。　It　was　consumption　of　the　most　virulent

kind。　The　poor　boy　was　half　crazed　with　grief；　and　yet　he　had　to　go　to

London　to　play　this　match；　for　he　could　not　get　out　of　it　without

explanations　which　would　expose　his　secret。　I　tried　to　cheer　him　up　by

wire；　and　he　sent　me　one　in　reply；　imploring　me　to　do　all　I　could。

This　was　the　telegram　which　you　appear　in　some　inexplicable　way　to

have　seen。　I　did　not　tell　him　how　urgent　the　danger　was；　for　I　knew

that　he　could　do　no　good　here；　but　I　sent　the　truth　to　the　girl's

father；　and　he　very　injudiciously　communicated　it　to　Godfrey。　The

result　was　that　he　came　straight　away　in　a　state　bordering　on

frenzy；　and　has　remained　in　the　same　state；　kneeling　at　the　end　of　her

bed；　until　this　morning　death　put　an　end　to　her　sufferings。　That　is

all；　Mr。　Holmes；　and　I　am　sure　that　I　can　rely　upon　your　discretion

and　that　of　your　friend。〃

　　Holmes　grasped　the　doctor's　hand。

　　〃Come；　Watson；〃　said　he；　and　we　passed　from　that　house　of　grief　into

the　pale　sunlight　of　the　winter　day。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…

。