the adventure of the copper beeches-第4节

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　　〃I　shall　try　not　to　miss　anything　of　importance。　The　one

unpleasant　thing　about　the　house；　which　struck　me　at　once；　was　the

appearance　and　conduct　of　the　servants。　There　are　only　two；　a　man

and　his　wife。　Toller；　for　that　is　his　name；　is　a　rough；　uncouth　man；

with　grizzled　hair　and　whiskers；　and　a　perpetual　smell　of　drink。　Twice

since　I　have　been　with　them　he　has　been　quite　drunk；　and　yet　Mr。

Rucastle　seemed　to　take　no　notice　of　it。　His　wife　is　a　very　tall　and

strong　woman　with　a　sour　face；　as　silent　as　Mrs。　Rucastle　and　much

less　amiable。　They　are　a　most　unpleasant　couple；　but　fortunately　I

spend　most　of　my　time　in　the　nursery　and　my　own　room；　which　are　next

to　each　other　in　one　corner　of　the　building。

　　〃For　two　days　after　my　arrival　at　the　Copper　Beeches　my　life　was

very　quiet；　on　the　third；　Mrs。　Rucastle　came　down　just　after　breakfast

and　whispered　something　to　her　husband。

　　〃'Oh；　yes；'　said　he；　turning　to　me；　'we　are　very　much　obliged　to

you；　Miss　Hunter；　for　falling　in　with　our　whims　so　far　as　to　cut

your　hair。　I　assure　you　that　it　has　not　detracted　in　the　tiniest

iota　from　your　appearance。　We　shall　now　see　how　the　electric…blue

dress　will　become　you。　You　will　find　it　laid　out　upon　the　bed　in

your　room；　and　if　you　would　be　so　good　as　to　put　it　on　we　should

both　be　extremely　obliged。'

　　〃The　dress　which　I　found　waiting　for　me　was　of　a　peculiar　shade　of

blue。　It　was　of　excellent　material；　a　sort　of　beige　but　it　bore

unmistakable　signs　of　having　been　worn　before。　It　could　not　have

been　a　better　fit　if　I　had　been　measured　for　it。　Both　Mr。　and　Mrs。

Rucastle　expressed　a　delight　at　the　look　of　it；　which　seemed　quite

exaggerated　in　its　vehemence。　They　were　waiting　for　me　in　the

drawing…room；　which　is　a　very　large　room；　stretching　along　the

entire　front　of　the　house；　with　three　long　windows　reaching　down　to

the　floor。　A　chair　had　been　placed　close　to　the　central　window；　with

its　back　turned　towards　it。　In　this　I　was　asked　to　sit；　and　then　Mr。

Rucastle；　walking　up　and　down　on　the　other　side　of　the　room；　began

to　tell　me　a　series　of　the　funniest　stories　that　I　have　ever

listened　to。　You　cannot　imagine　how　comical　he　was；　and　I　laughed

until　I　was　quite　weary。　Mrs。　Rucastle；　however；　who　has　evidently

no　sense　of　humour；　never　so　much　as　smiled；　but　sat　with　her　hands　in

her　lap；　and　a　sad；　anxious　look　upon　her　face。　After　an　hour　or　so；

Mr。　Rucastle　suddenly　remarked　that　it　was　time　to　commence　the　duties

of　the　day；　and　that　I　might　change　my　dress　and　go　to　little　Edward

in　the　nursery。

　　〃Two　days　later　this　same　performance　was　gone　through　under　exactly

similar　circumstances。　Again　I　changed　my　dress；　again　I　sat　in　the

window；　and　again　I　laughed　very　heartily　at　the　funny　stories　of

which　my　employer　had　an　immense　repertoire；　and　which　he　told

inimitably。　Then　he　handed　me　a　yellow…backed　novel；　and　moving　my

chair　a　little　sideways；　that　my　own　shadow　might　not　fall　upon　the

page；　he　begged　me　to　read　aloud　to　him。　I　read　for　about　ten　minutes；

beginning　in　the　heart　of　a　chapter；　and　then　suddenly；　in　the

middle　of　a　sentence；　he　ordered　me　to　cease　and　to　change　my　dress。

　　〃You　can　easily　imagine；　Mr。　Holmes；　how　curious　I　became　as　to　what

the　meaning　of　this　extraordinary　performance　could　possibly　be。

They　were　always　very　careful；　I　observed；　to　turn　my　face　away　from

the　window；　so　that　I　became　consumed　with　the　desire　to　see　what

was　going　on　behind　my　back。　At　first　it　seemed　to　be　impossible；

but　I　soon　devised　a　means。　My　hand…mirror　had　been　broken；　so　a　happy

thought　seized　me；　and　I　concealed　a　piece　of　the　glass　in　my

handkerchief。　On　the　next　occasion；　in　the　midst　of　my　laughter；　I　put

my　handkerchief　up　to　my　eyes；　and　was　able　with　a　little　management

to　see　all　that　there　was　behind　me。　I　confess　that　I　was

disappointed。　There　was　nothing。　At　least　that　was　my　first

impression。　At　the　second　glance；　however；　I　perceived　that　there

was　a　man　standing　in　the　Southampton　Road；　a　small　bearded　man　in　a

gray　suit；　who　seemed　to　be　looking　in　my　direction。　The　road　is　an

important　highway；　and　there　are　usually　people　there。　This　man；

however；　was　leaning　against　the　railings　which　bordered　our　field　and

was　looking　earnestly　up。　I　lowered　my　handkerchief　and　glanced　at

Mrs。　Rucastle　to　find　her　eyes　fixed　upon　me　with　a　most　searching

gaze。　She　said　nothing；　but　I　am　convinced　that　she　had　divined　that　I

had　a　mirror　in　my　hand　and　had　seen　what　was　behind　me。　She　rose　at

once。

　　〃'Jephro；'　said　she；　'there　is　an　impertinent　fellow　upon　the　road

there　who　stares　up　at　Miss　Hunter。'

　　〃'No　friend　of　yours；　Miss　Hunter？'　he　asked。

　　〃'No；　I　know　no　one　in　these　parts。'

　　〃'Dear　me！　How　very　impertinent！　Kindly　turn　round　and　motion　to　him

to　go　away。'

　　〃'Surely　it　would　be　better　to　take　no　notice。'

　　〃'No；　no；　we　should　have　him　loitering　here　always。　Kindly　turn

round　and　wave　him　away　like　that。'

　　〃I　did　as　I　was　told；　and　at　the　same　instant　Mrs。　Rucastle　drew

down　the　blind。　That　was　a　week　ago；　and　from　that　time　I　have　not　sat

again　in　the　window；　nor　have　I　worn　the　blue　dress；　nor　seen　the

man　in　the　road。〃

　　〃Pray　continue；〃　said　Holmes。　〃Your　narrative　promises　to　be　a

most　interesting　one。〃

　　〃You　will　find　it　rather　disconnected；　I　fear；　and　there　may　prove

to　be　little　relation　between　the　different　incidents　of　which　I

speak。　On　the　very　first　day　that　I　was　at　the　Copper　Beeches；　Mr。

Rucastle　took　me　to　a　small　outhouse　which　stands　near　the　kitchen

door。　As　we　approached　it　I　heard　the　sharp　rattling　of　a　chain；　and

the　sound　as　of　a　large　animal　moving　about。

　　〃Look　in　here！〃　said　Mr。　Rucastle；　showing　me　a　slit　between　two

planks。　〃Is　he　not　a　beauty？〃

　　〃I　looked　through　and　was　conscious　of　two　glowing　eyes；　and　of　a

vague　figure　huddled　up　in　the　darkness。

　　〃Don't　be　frightened；〃　said　my　employer；　laughing　at　the　start　which

I　had　given。　〃It's　only　Carlo；　my　mastiff。　I　call　him　mine；　but　really

old　Toller；　my　groom；　is　the　only　man　who　can　do　anything　with　him。　We

feed　him　once　a　day；　and　not　too　much　then；　so　that　he　is　always　as

keen　as　mustard。　Toller　lets　him　loose　every　night；　and　God　help　the

trespasser　whom　he　lays　his　fangs　upon。　For　goodness'　sake　don't　you

ever　on　any　pretext　set　your　foot　over　the　threshold　at　night；　for

it's　as　much　as　your　life　is　worth。〃

　　〃The　warning　was　no　idle　one；　for　two　nights　later　I　happened　to

look　out　of　my　bedroom　window　about　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。　It　was

a　beautiful　moonlight　night；　and　the　lawn　in　front　of　the　house　was

silvered　over　and　almost　as　bright　as　day。　I　was　standing；　rapt　in　the

peaceful　beauty　of　the　scene；　when　I　was　aware　that　something　was

moving　under　the　shadow　of　the　copper　beeches。　As　it　emerged　into

the　moonshine　I　saw　what　it　was。　It　was　a　giant　dog；　as　large　as　a

calf；　tawny　tinted；　with　hanging　jowl；　black　muzzle；　and　huge

projecting　bones。　It　walked　slowly　across　the　lawn　and　vanished　into

the　shadow　upon　the　other　side。　That　dreadful　sentinel　sent　a　chill　to

my　heart　which　I　do　not　think　that　any　burglar　could　have　done。

　　〃And　now　I　have　a　very　strange　experience　to　tell　you。　I　had；　as　you

know；　cut　off　my　hair　in　London；　and　I　had　placed　it　in　a　great　coil

at　the　bottom　of　my　trunk。　One　evening；　after　the　child　was　in　bed；

I　began　to　amuse　myself　by　examining　the　furniture　of　my　room　and　by

rearranging　my　own　little　things。　There　was　an　old　chest　of　drawers　in

the　room；　the　two　upper　ones　empty　and　open；　the　lower　one　locked。　I

had　filled　the　first　two　with　my　linen；　and　as　I　had　still　much　to

pack　away　I　was　naturally　annoyed　at　not　having　the　use　of　the　third

drawer。　It　struck　me　that　it　might　have　been　fastened　by　a　mere

oversight；　so　I　took　out　my　bunch　of　keys　and　tried　to　open　it。　The

very　first　key　fitted　to　perfection；　and　I　drew　the　drawer　open。　There

was　only　one　thing　in　it；　but　I　am　sure　that　you　would　never　guess

what　it　was。　It　was　my　coil　of　hair。

　　〃I　took　it　up　and　examined　it。　It　was　of　the　same　peculiar　tint；　and

the　same　thickness。　But　then　the　impossibility　of　the　thing　obtruded

itself　upon　me。　How　could　my　hair　have　been　locked　in　the　drawer？　With

trembling　hands　I　undid　my　trunk；　turned　out　the　contents；　and　drew

from　the　bottom　my　own　hair。　I　laid　the　two　tresses　together；　and　I

assure　you　that　they　were　identical。　Was　it　not　extraordinary？

Puzzle　as　I　would；　I　could　make　nothing　at　all　of　what　it　meant。　I

returned　the　strange　hair　to　the　drawer；　and　I　said　nothing　of　the

matter　to　the　Rucastles　as　I　felt　that　I　had　put　myself　in　the　wrong

by　opening　a　drawer　which　they　had　locked。

　　〃I　am　naturally　observant；　as　you　may　have　remarked；　Mr。　Holmes；　and

I　soon　had　a　pretty　good　plan　of　the　whole　house　in　my　head。　There　was

one　wing；　however；　which　appeared　not　to　be　inhabited　at　all。　A　door

which　faced　that　which　led　into　the　quarters　of　the　Tollers　opened

into　this　suite；　but　it　was　invariably　locked。　One　day；　however；　as

I　ascended　the　stair；　I　met　Mr。　Rucastle　coming　out　through　this　door；

his　keys　in　his　han