the adventure of the cardboard box-第3节

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Holmes；　taking　a　seat　beside　her。　〃I　think　that　it　is　more　than

probable…〃　he　paused；　and　I　was　surprised；　on　glancing　round　to　see

that　he　was　staring　with　singular　intentness　at　the　lady's　profile。

Surprise　and　satisfaction　were　both　for　an　instant　to　be　read　upon　his

eager　face；　though　when　she　glanced　round　to　find　out　the　cause　of　his

silence　he　had　become　as　demure　as　ever。　I　stared　hard　myself　at　her

flat；　grizzled　hair；　her　trim　cap；　her　little　gilt　earrings；　her

placid　features；　but　I　could　see　nothing　which　could　account　for　my

companion's　evident　excitement。

　　〃There　were　one　or　two　questions…〃

　　〃Oh；　I　am　weary　of　questions！〃　cried　Miss　Cushing　impatiently。

　　〃You　have　two　sisters；　I　believe。〃

　　〃How　could　you　know　that？〃

　　〃I　observed　the　very　instant　that　I　entered　the　room　that　you　have　a

portrait　group　of　three　ladies　upon　the　mantelpiece；　one　of　whom　is

undoubtedly　yourself；　while　the　others　are　so　exceedingly　like　you

that　there　could　be　no　doubt　of　the　relationship。〃

　　〃Yes；　you　are　quite　right。　Those　are　my　sisters；　Sarah　and　Mary。〃

　　〃And　here　at　my　elbow　is　another　portrait　taken　at　Liverpool；　of

your　younger　sister；　in　the　company　of　a　man　who　appears　to　be　a

steward　by　his　uniform。　I　observe　that　she　was　unmarried　at　the　time。〃

　　〃You　are　very　quick　at　observing。〃

　　〃That　is　my　trade。〃

　　〃Well；　you　are　quite　right。　But　she　was　married　to　Mr。　Browner　a　few

days　afterwards。　He　was　on　the　South　American　line　when　that　was

taken；　but　he　was　so　fond　of　her　that　he　couldn't　abide　to　leave　her

for　so　long；　and　he　got　into　the　Liverpool　and　London　boats。〃

　　〃Ah；　the　Conqueror；　perhaps？〃

　　〃No；　the　May　Day；　when　last　I　heard。　Jim　came　down　here　to　see　me

once。　That　was　before　he　broke　the　pledge；　but　afterwards　he　would

always　take　drink　when　he　was　ashore；　and　a　little　drink　would　send

him　stark；　staring　mad。　Ah！　it　was　a　bad　day　that　ever　he　took　a　glass

in　his　hand　again。　First　he　dropped　me；　then　he　quarrelled　with　Sarah；

and　now　that　Mary　has　stopped　writing　we　don't　know　how　things　are

going　with　them。〃

　　It　was　evident　that　Miss　Cushing　had　come　upon　a　subject　on　which

she　felt　very　deeply。　Like　most　people　who　lead　a　lonely　life；　she　was

shy　at　first；　but　ended　by　becoming　extremely　communicative。　She

told　us　many　details　about　her　brother…in…law　the　steward；　and　then

wandering　off　on　the　subject　of　her　former　lodgers；　the　medical

students；　she　gave　us　a　long　account　of　their　delinquencies；　with

their　names　and　those　of　their　hospitals。　Holmes　listened

attentively　to　everything；　throwing　in　a　question　from　time　to　time。

　　〃About　your　second　sister；　Sarah；〃　said　he。　〃I　wonder；　since　you　are

both　maiden　ladies；　that　you　do　not　keep　house　together。〃

　　〃Ah！　you　don't　know　Sarah's　temper　or　you　would　wonder　no　more。　I

tried　it　when　I　came　to　Croydon；　and　we　kept　on　until　about　two　months

ago；　when　we　had　to　part。　I　don't　want　to　say　a　word　against　my　own

sister；　but　she　was　always　meddlesome　and　hard　to　please；　was　Sarah。〃

　　〃You　say　that　she　quarrelled　with　your　Liverpool　relations。〃

　　〃Yes；　and　they　were　the　best　of　friends　at　one　time。　Why；　she　went

up　there　to　live　in　order　to　be　near　them。　And　now　she　has　no　word

hard　enough　for　Jim　Browner。　The　last　six　months　that　she　was　here　she

would　speak　of　nothing　but　his　drinking　and　his　ways。　He　had　caught

her　meddling；　I　suspect；　and　given　her　a　bit　of　his　mind；　and　that　was

the　start　of　it。〃

　　〃Thank　you；　Miss　Cushing；〃　said　Holmes；　rising　and　bowing。　〃Your

sister　Sarah　lives；　I　think　you　said；　at　New　Street；　Wallington？

Good…bye；　and　I　am　very　sorry　that　you　have　been　troubled　over　a

case　with　which；　as　you　say；　you　have　nothing　whatever　to　do。〃

　　There　was　a　cab　passing　as　we　came　out；　and　Holmes　hailed　it。

　　〃How　far　to　Wallington？〃　he　asked。

　　〃Only　about　a　mile；　sir。〃

　　〃Very　good。　jump　in；　Watson。　We　must　strike　while　the　iron　is　hot。

Simple　as　the　case　is；　there　have　been　one　or　two　very　instructive

details　in　connection　with　it。　Just　pull　up　at　a　telegraph　office　as

you　pass；　cabby。〃

　　Holmes　sent　off　a　short　wire　and　for　the　rest　of　the　drive　lay

back　in　the　cab；　with　his　hat　tilted　over　his　nose　to　keep　the　sun

from　his　face。　Our　driver　pulled　up　at　a　house　which　was　not　unlike

the　one　which　we　had　just　quitted。　My　companion　ordered　him　to　wait；

and　had　his　hand　upon　the　knocker；　when　the　door　opened　and　a　grave

young　gentleman　in　black；　with　a　very　shiny　hat；　appeared　on　the　step。

　　〃Is　Miss　Cushing　at　home？〃　asked　Holmes。

　　〃Miss　Sarah　Cushing　is　extremely　ill；〃　said　he。　〃She　has　been

suffering　since　yesterday　from　brain　symptoms　of　great　severity。　As

her　medical　adviser；　I　cannot　possibly　take　the　responsibility　of

allowing　anyone　to　see　her。　I　should　recommend　you　to　call　again　in

ten　days。〃　He　drew　on　his　gloves；　closed　the　door；　and　marched　off

down　the　street。

　　〃Well；　if　we　can't　we　can't；〃　said　Holmes；　cheerfully。

　　〃Perhaps　she　could　not　or　would　not　have　told　you　much。〃

　　〃I　did　not　wish　her　to　tell　me　anything。　I　only　wanted　to　look　at

her。　However；　I　think　that　I　have　got　all　that　I　want。　Drive　us　to

some　decent　hotel；　cabby；　where　we　may　have　some　lunch；　and　afterwards

we　shall　drop　down　upon　friend　Lestrade　at　the　police…station。〃

　　We　had　a　pleasant　little　meal　together；　during　which　Holmes　would

talk　about　nothing　but　violins；　narrating　with　great　exultation　how　he

had　purchased　his　own　Stradivarius；　which　was　worth　at　least　five

hundred　guineas；　at　a　Jew　broker's　in　Tottenham　Court　Road　for

fifty…five　shillings。　This　led　him　to　Paganini；　and　we　sat　for　an　hour

over　a　bottle　of　claret　while　he　told　me　anecdote　after　anecdote　of

that　extraordinary　man。　The　afternoon　was　far　advanced　and　the　hot

glare　had　softened　into　a　mellow　glow　before　we　found　ourselves　at　the

police…station。　Lestrade　was　waiting　for　us　at　the　door。

　　〃A　telegram　for　you；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　he。

　　〃Ha！　It　is　the　answer！〃　He　tore　it　open；　glanced　his　eyes　over　it；

and　crumpled　it　into　his　pocket。　〃That's　all　right〃　said　he。

　　〃Have　you　found　out　anything？〃

　　〃I　have　found　out　everything！〃

　　〃What！〃　Lestrade　stared　at　him　in　amazement。　〃You　are　joking。〃

　　〃I　was　never　more　serious　in　my　life。　A　shocking　crime　has　been

committed；　and　I　think　I　have　now　laid　bare　every　detail　of　it。〃

　　〃And　the　criminal？〃

　　Holmes　scribbled　a　few　words　upon　the　back　of　one　of　his　visiting

cards　and　threw　it　over　to　Lestrade。

　　〃That　is　the　name；〃　he　said。　〃You　cannot　effect　an　arrest　until

to…morrow　night　at　the　earliest。　I　should　prefer　that　you　do　not

mention　my　name　at　all　in　connection　with　the　case；　as　I　choose　to

be　only　associated　with　those　crimes　which　present　some　difficulty

in　their　solution。　Come　on；　Watson。〃　We　strode　off　together　to　the

station；　leaving　Lestrade　still　staring　with　a　delighted　face　at　the

card　which　Holmes　had　thrown　him。



　　〃The　case；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes　as　we　chatted　over　our　cigars

that　night　in　our　rooms　at　Baker　Street；　〃is　one　where；　as　in　the

investigations　which　you　have　chronicled　under　the　names　of　'A　Study

in　Scarlet'　and　of　'The　Sign　of　Four；'　we　have　been　compelled　to

reason　backward　from　effects　to　causes。　I　have　written　to　Lestrade

asking　him　to　supply　us　with　the　details　which　are　now　wanting；　and

which　he　will　only　get　after　he　has　secured　his　man。　That　he　may　be

safely　trusted　to　do；　for　although　he　is　absolutely　devoid　of

reason；　he　is　as　tenacious　as　a　bulldog　when　he　once　understands

what　he　has　to　do；　and；　indeed；　it　is　just　this　tenacity　which　has

brought　him　to　the　top　at　Scotland　Yard。〃

　　〃Your　case　is　not　complete；　then？〃　I　asked。

　　〃It　is　fairly　complete　in　essentials。　We　know　who　the　author　of

the　revolting　business　is；　although　one　of　the　victims　still　escapes

us。　Of　course；　you　have　formed　your　own　conclusions。〃

　　〃I　presume　that　this　Jim　Browner；　the　steward　of　a　Liverpool　boat；

is　the　man　whom　you　suspect？〃

　　〃Oh！　it　is　more　than　a　suspicion。〃

　　〃And　yet　I　cannot　see　anything　save　very　vague　indications。〃

　　〃On　the　contrary；　to　my　mind　nothing　could　be　more　clear。　Let　me　run

over　the　principal　steps。　We　approached　the　case；　you　remember；　with

an　absolutely　blank　mind；　which　is　always　an　advantage。　We　had

formed　no　theories。　We　were　simply　there　to　observe　and　to　draw

inferences　from　our　observations。　What　did　we　see　first？　A　very　placid

and　respectable　lady；　who　seemed　quite　innocent　of　any　secret；　and　a

portrait　which　showed　me　that　she　had　two　younger　sisters。　It

instantly　flashed　across　my　mind　that　the　box　might　have　been　meant

for　one　of　these。　I　set　the　idea　aside　as　one　which　could　be　disproved

or　confirmed　at　our　leisure。　Then　we　went　to　the　garden；　as　you

remember；　and　we　saw　the　very　singular　contents　of　the　little　yellow

box。

　　〃The　string　was　of　the　quality　which　is　used　by　sailmakers　aboard

ship；　and　at　once　a　whiff　of　the　sea　was　perceptible　in　our

investigation。　When　I　observed　that　the　knot　was　one　which　is

popular　with　sailors；　that　the　parcel　had　been　posted　at　a　port；　and

that　the　male　ear　was　pierced　for　an　earring　which　i