巴斯克维尔猎犬-第7节

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As　I　walked，Dr　Mortimer　drove　past　me．He　stopped　and　said　he　would　take　me　back　to　the　Hall．

‘I　expect　you　know　almost　everybody　living　near　here，’I　said．‘Do　you　know　a　woman　whose　names　begin　with　the　let－　ters　L．L．？’

Dr　Mortimer　thought　for　a　minute，and　then　he　said：‘Yes，Mrs　Laura　Lyons．She　lives　in　Newtown．’

‘Who　is　she？’I　asked．

‘She's　Mr　Frankland's　daughter．’

‘What，old　Frankland　who　has　the　large　telescope？’

‘Yes，’said　Dr　Mortimer．‘Laura　married　a　painter　called　Lyons　who　came　to　paint　pictures　of　the　moor．But　he　was　cruel　to　her，and　after　a　while　he　left　her．Her　father　will　not　speak　to　her，because　she　married　against　his　wishes．So　her　husband　and　her　father　have　made　her　life　very　unhappy．’

‘How　does　she　live？’I　asked．

‘Several　people　who　knew　her　sad　story　have　helped　her．Stapleton　and　Sir　Charles　gave　her　some　money．I　gave　a　little　myself．She　used　the　money　to　start　a　typewriting　business．’

Dr　Mortimer　wanted　to　know　why　I　was　asking　about　Mrs　Lyons．However，I　preferred　to　keep　the　reason　secret，and　we　talked　about　other　things　for　the　rest　of　the　journey．

Only　one　other　thing　of　interest　happened　that　day．In　the　evening　after　dinner　I　had　a　few　words　with　Barrymore　alone．I　asked　him　whether　Selden　had　left　the　country．

‘I　don't　know，sir，’Barrymore　replied．‘I　hope　he　has　gone．But　I've　not　heard　anything　of　him　since　I　last　left　food　and　some　clothes　for　him，and　that　was　three　days　ago．’

‘Did　you　see　him　then？’

‘No，sir，but　the　food　and　clothes　were　gone　when　I　next　went　that　way，’Barrymore　told　me．

‘Then　Selden　was　certainly　there？’I　asked．

‘I　think　so，sir，unless　the　other　man　took　everything．’

I　sat　very　still　and　looked　hard　at　Barrymore．‘You　know　there　is　another　man，then？Have　you　seen　him？’

‘No，sir，but　Selden　told　me　about　him　a　week　or　more　ago．He　is　hiding　from　someone，too，but　he　is　not　an　escaped　prisoner．I　don't　like　it，sir．Something　evil　is　going　to　happen，I'm　sure．Sir　Henry　would　be　much　safer　in　London．’

‘Did　Selden　tell　you　anything　more　about　the　other　man？’I　asked．

‘He　looked　like　a　gentleman．He　was　living　in　one　of　the　old　stone　huts　on　the　moor．A　boy　works　for　him　and　brings　him　all　the　food　and　things　he　needs．That's　all　Selden　told　me．’

I　thanked　him，and　he　left　me．I　went　to　the　window　and　looked　out　at　the　rain　and　the　clouds。It　was　a　wild　night．I　knew　the　huts　Barrymore　had　spoken　about．There　were　many　of　them　on　the　moor．They　had　been　built　many　hundreds　of　years　ago　by　the　people　who　lived　on　the　moor．They　would　not　keep　a　man　warm　and　dry　in　bad　weather．Selden　could　not　choose　to　live　anywhere　else，but　why　did　the　other　man　live　in　such　conditions？　

I　sat　and　thought　what　I　should　do　next．I　decided　I　must　try　to　find　the　man　who　had　been　watching　us．Was　he　the　en…　emy　who　had　been　following　us　since　the　very　beginning　in　London？　If　he　was，and　I　could　catch　him，perhaps　our　diffi…　culties　would　be　at　an　end．

I　also　decided　to　hunt　the　man　on　my　own．Sir　Henry　was　still　shaken　by　the　terrible　cry　we　had　heard　on　the　moor．I　did　not　want　to　add　to　his　troubles　or　to　lead　him　into　more　danger．

　　



　
11　　Laura　Lyons　

　　

Ιtold　Sir　Henry　about　Laura　Lyons，and　that　I　wanted　to　speak　to　her　as　soon　as　possible．Then　I　went　to　her　house　in　Newtown．

A　maid　took　me　into　the　sitting　room，where　a　very　pretty　lady　with　dark　hair　was　working　at　a　typewriter．I　told　her　who　I　was，and　that　I　had　met　her　father．

‘I　have　no　contact　with　my　father，’she　said．‘　He　gave　me　no　help　when　I　was　in　trouble．Sir　Charles　Baskerville　and　some　other　kind　people　helped　me　when　I　was　poor　and　hungry．’

‘It　is　about　Sir　Charles　that　I　have　come　to　see　you，’I　said．‘I　want　to　know　if　you　ever　wrote　to　him　and　asked　him　to　meet　you．’

She　looked　very，angry，and　her　face　went　white．

‘What　a　question！’she　said．‘What　right　have　you　to　ask　me　about　my　private　life？But　the　answer　is　“no”．’

‘Surely　you　are　not　remembering　clearly，’I　said．‘I　think　you　wrote　to　him　on　the　day　that　he　died．And　your　letter　said：　“Please，please，burn　this　letter，and　be　at　the　gate　by　ten　o'clock．”’

For　a　moment　I　thought　she　was　going　to　faint．Then　she　said　in　a　low　oice：‘I　asked　Sir　Charles　to　tell　nobdy．’

‘You　must　not　think　that　Sir　Charles　spoke　to　anyone　about　you，’I　said．‘　He　put　the　letter　on　the　fire，but　not　all　of　it　was　burnt．Now，did　you　write　that　letter　to　him？’

‘Yes，’she　said．‘Why　should　I　be　ashamed　of　writing　to　him？I　wanted　him　to　help　me．I　learned　that　he　was　going　to　London　early　on　the　following　day，so　I　asked　him　to　meet　me　before　he　went．I　could　not　go　to　the　Hall　earlier　that　day．’

‘But　why　did　you　ask　him　to　meet　you　in　the　garden　instead　of　in　the　house？’I　asked．

‘Do　you　think　it　would　be　sensible　for　a　woman　to　go　at　that　time　of　night　into　the　house　of　an　unmarried　man？’she　asked．

‘Well，what　happened　when　you　got　there？’I　asked．

‘I　didn't　go，’she　replied．

‘Mrs　Lyons！’

‘I　tell　you　I　did　not　go．Something　happened　that　stopped　me　from　going．I　can't　tell　you　what　it　was．’

‘Mrs　Lyons，’　I　said．‘　If　you　did　not　see　Sir　Charles，you　must　tell　me　why．If　you　do　not，it　will　look　very　bad　for　you　if　I　have　to　go　to　the　police　with　this　new　piece　of　information　about　the　letter．’

Mrs　Lyons　thought　for　a　moment，and　then　she　said：‘　I　see　that　I　must　tell　you．Perhaps　you　know　that　I　married　a　man　who　was　very　cruel　to　me．I　hate　him　and　I　wanted　to　get　a　di…vorce．But　a　divorce　is　expensive，and　I　had　no　money．I　thought　that　if　Sir　Charles　heard　my　sad　story，he　would　help　me　to　get　a　divorce．’

‘Then　why　didn't　you　go　to　see　Sir　Charles？’I　asked　her．

‘Because　I　got　help　from　someone　else，’she　said．

‘Why　didn't　you　write　to　Sir　Charles　and　tell　him？’

‘　I　was　going　to，but　I　saw　in　the　newspaper　the　next　morn…　ing　that　he　had　died．’

I　asked　Mrs　Lyons　a　number　of　other　questions，but　she　did　not　change　her　story，whatever　I　asked　her．I　was　sure　that　she　was　telling　the　truth．I　could　check　two　important　parts　of　the　story．If　they　were　right，there　could　be　no　doubt　that　she　was　telling　the　truth．I　could　check　that　she　had　begun　to　get　her　divorce　at　about　the　time　of　Sir　Charles'　death．I　could　also　check　that　she　had　not　been　to　Baskerville　Hall　on　the　night　of　Sir　Charles'　death．

But　I　was　not　sure　that　she　had　told　me　the　whole　truth．Why　had　she　nearly　fainted　when　I　had　told　her　about　the　let…　ter？　That　was　not　completely　explained　by　the　story　she　had　told　me．

I　had　discovered　all　I　could　for　the　moment．I　left　her，and　went　to　search　for　more　information　in　a　different　place．

　　



　
12　　The　Man　on　the　Moor　

　　

I　drove　out　of　Newtown　and　went　to　begin　my　search　for　the　mysterious　man　on　the　moor．There　were　hundreds　of　the　old　stone　huts　on　the　moor．Barrymore　did　not　know　in　which　of　them　the　mysterious　man　was　living。I　had　seen　the　man　on　the　night　when　Sir　Henry　and　I　had　chased　Selden，so　I　decided　to　start　my　search　near　that　place．

The　path　I　took　ran　past　Mr　Frankland's　house，and　I　saw　him　standing　at　his　gate　He　called　to　me，and　invited　me　to　go　in　and　have　a　drink　with　him．He　had　been　arguing　with　the　police，and　was　angry　with　them．He　began　to　tell　me　about　it．

‘But　they　will　be　sorry，’he　said．‘I　could　tell　them　where　to　look　for　the　escaped　prisoner，but　I　am　not　going　to　help　them．You　see，I　have　been　searching　the　moors　with　my　telescope，and　although　I　have　not　actually　seen　the　prisoner，I　have　seen　the　person　who　is　taking　him　food．’

I　thought　of　Barrymore　and　Mrs　Barrymore's　worried　faces．But　Mr　Frankland's　next　words　showed　me　that　I　did　not　need　to　worry．

‘You　will　be　surprised　to　hear　that　a　young　boy　takes　food　to　the　prisoner．The　boy　goes　by　at　about　the　same　time　each　day，and　he　is　always　carrying　a　bag．Who　else　can　he　be　going　to　see—except　the　prisoner？Come　and　look　through　my　tele…　scope，and　you　will　see　that　I　am　right．It　is　about　this　time　each　day　that　the　boy　goes　by．’

We　went　up　onto　the　roof，and　we　did　not　have　to　wait　long．There　was　someone　moving　on　a　hill　in　front　of　the　house．I　looked　through　the　telescope　and　saw　a　small　boy　with　a　bag　over　his　shoulder。He　looked　around　to　make　sure　that　noboay　was　following　him，and　then　he　disappeared　over　the　hill．

‘Remember　that　I　don't　want　the　police　to　know　my　secret，Dr　Watson，’Frankland　reminded　me．‘I'm　too　angry　with　them　at　the　moment　to　help　them．’

I　agreed　not　to　tell　the　police，and　said　goodbye。I　walked　along　the　road　while　Frankland　was　watching　me，but　as　soon　as　I　was　round　the　corner，I　went　towards　the　hill　where　we　had　seen　the　boy．

The　sun　was　already　going　down　when　I　reached　the　top　of　the　hill。I　could　not　see　the　boy，and　there　was　nothing　else　in　that　lonely　place　Beneath　me　on　the　other　side　of　the　hill　was　a　circle　of　old　stone　huts．In　the　middle　of　the　circle　was　one　hut　that　had　a　better　roof　than　the　others，so　it　would　keep　out　the　wind　and　the　rain．This　must　be　the　plac