the adventure of the red circle(红圈历险记)-第2节
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〃No； no； the end is matted。 I suppose there could not be two people
in your rooms； Mrs。 Warren？〃
〃No； sir。 He eats so little that I often wonder it can keep life in one。〃
〃Well； I think we must wait for a little more material。 After all； you
have nothing to complain of。 You have received your rent； and he is not
a troublesome lodger； though he is certainly an unusual one。 He pays
you well； and if he chooses to lie concealed it is no direct business of
yours。 We have no excuse for an intrusion upon his privacy until we
have some reason to think that there is a guilty reason for it。 I've taken
up the matter； and I won't lose sight of it。 Report to me if anything fresh
occurs； and rely upon my assistance if it should be needed。
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〃There are certainly some points of interest in this case； Watson；〃 he
remarked when the landlady had left us。 〃It may； of course； be trivial
individual eccentricity； or it may be very much deeper than appears on the
surface。 The first thing that strike one is the obvious possibility that the
person now in the rooms may be entirely different from the one who
engaged them。〃
〃Why should you think so？〃
〃Well； apart form this cigarette…end； was it not suggestive that the only
time the lodger went out was immediately after his taking the rooms？ He
came backor someone came backwhen all witnesses were out of the
way。 We have no proof that the person who came back was the person
who went out。 Then； again； the man who took the rooms spoke English
well。 This other； however； prints 'match' when it should have been
'matches。' I can imagine that the word was taken out of a dictionary；
which would give the noun but not the plural。 The laconic style may be
to conceal the absence of knowledge of English。 Yes； Watson； there are
good reasons to suspect that there has been a substitution of lodgers。〃
〃But for what possible end？〃
Ah！ there lies our problem。 There is one rather obvious line of
investigation。〃 He took down the great book in which； day by day； he
filed the agony columns of the various London journals。 〃Dear me！〃 said
he； turning over the pages； 〃what a chorus of groans； cries； and bleatings！
What a rag…bag of singular happenings！ But surely the most valuable
hunting…ground that ever was given to a student of the unusual！ This
person is alone and cannot be approached by letter without a breach of that
absolute secrecy which is desired。 How is any news or any message to
reach him from without？ Obviously by advertisement through a
newspaper。 There seems no other way； and fortunately we need concern
ourselves with the one paper only。 Here are the Daily Gazette extracts of
the last fortnight。 'Lady with a black boa at Prince's Skating Club'that
we may pass。 'Surely Jimmy will not break his mother's heart'that
appears to be irrelevant。 'If the lady who fainted on Brixton bus'she
does not interest me。 'Every day my heart longs' Bleat； Watson
unmitigated bleat！ Ah； this is a little more possible。 Listen to this： 'Be
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patient。 Will find some sure means of communications。 Meanwhile；
this column。 G。' That is two days after Mrs。 Warren's lodger arrived。
It sounds plausible； does it not？ The mysterious one could understand
English； even if he could not print it。 Let us see if we can pick up the
trace again。 Yes； here we arethree days later。 'Am making successful
arrangements。 Patience and prudence。 The clouds will pass。 G。'
Nothing for a week after that。 Then comes something much more
definite： 'The path is clearing。 If I find chance signal message
remember code agreedOne A； two B； and so on。 You will hear soon。 G。'
That was in yesterday's paper； and there is nothing in to…day's。 It's all very
appropriate to Mrs。 Warren's lodger。 If we wait a little； Watson； I don't
doubt that the affair will grow more intelligible。〃
So it proved； for in the morning I found my friend standing on the
hearthrug with his back to the fire and a smile of complete satisfaction
upon his face。
〃How's this； Watson？〃 he cried； picking up the paper from the table。
〃'High red house with white stone facings。 Third floor。 Second window
left。 After dusk。 G。' That is definite enough。 I think after breakfast we
must make a little reconnaissance of Mrs。 Warren's neighbourhood。 Ah；
Mrs。 Warren！ what news do you bring us this morning？〃
Our client had suddenly burst into the room with an explosive energy
which told of some new and momentous development。
〃It's a police matter； Mr。 Holmes！〃 she cried。 〃I'll have no more of it！
He shall pack out of there with his baggage。 I would have gone straight
up and told him so； only I thought it was but fair to you to take your
opinion first。 But I'm at the end of my patience； and when it comes to
knocking my old man about〃
〃Knocking Mr。 Warren about？〃
〃Using him roughly； anyway。〃
〃But who used him roughly？〃
〃Ah！ that's what we want to know！ It was this morning； sir。 Mr。
Warren is a timekeeper at Morton and Waylight's； in Tottenham Court
Road。 He has to be out of the house before seven。 Well； this morning he
had not gone ten paces down the road when two men came up behind him；
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threw a coat over his head； and bundled him into a cab that was beside
the curb。 They drove him an hour； and then opened the door and shot
him out。 He lay in the roadway so shaken in his wits that he never saw
what became of the cab。 When he picked himself up he found he was on
Hampstead Heath； so he took a bus home； and there he lies now on his
sofa； while I came straight round to tell you what had happened。〃
〃Most interesting；〃 said Holmes。 〃Did he observe the appearance of
these mendid he hear them talk？〃
〃No； he is clean dazed。 He just knows that he was lifted up as if by
magic and dropped as if by magic。 Two a least were in it； and maybe
three。〃
〃And you connect this attack with your lodger？〃
〃Well； we've lived there fifteen years and no such happenings ever
came before。 I've had enough of him。 Money's not everything。 I'll have
him out of my house before the day is done。〃
〃Wait a bit； Mrs。 Warren。 Do nothing rash。 I begin to think that this
affair may be very much more important than appeared at first sight。 It is
clear now that some danger is threatening your lodger。 It is equally clear
that his enemies； lying in wait for him near your door； mistook your
husband for him in the foggy morning light。 On discovering their
mistake they released him。 What they would have done had it not been a
mistake； we can only conjecture。〃
〃Well； what am I to do； Mr。 Holmes？〃
〃I have a great fancy to see this lodger of yours； Mrs。 Warren。〃
〃I don't see how that is to be managed； unless you break in the door。
I always hear him unlock it as I go down the stair after I leave the tray。〃
〃He has to take the tray in。 Surely we could conceal ourselves and
see him do it。〃
The landlady thought for a moment。
〃Well； sir； there's the box…room opposite。 I could arrange a looking…
glass； maybe； and if you were behind the door〃
〃Excellent！〃 said Holmes。 〃When does he lunch？〃
〃About one； sir。〃
〃Then Dr。 Watson and I will come round in time。 For
