adventure10-第2章

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without　fear　of　being　overlooked。　　When　you　have

finished；　relock　both　the　original　and　the　draft　in

the　desk；　and　hand　them　over　to　me　personally

to…morrow　morning。'



〃I　took　the　papers　and〃



〃Excuse　me　an　instant；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃Were　you　alone

during　this　conversation？〃



〃Absolutely。〃



〃In　a　large　room？〃



〃Thirty　feet　each　way。〃



〃In　the　centre？〃



〃Yes；　about　it。〃



〃And　speaking　low？〃



〃My　uncle's　voice　is　always　remarkably　low。　　I　hardly

spoke　at　all。〃



〃Thank　you；〃　said　Holmes；　shutting　his　eyes；　〃pray　go

on。〃



〃I　did　exactly　what　he　indicated；　and　waited　until　the

other　clerks　had　departed。　　One　of　them　in　my　room；

Charles　Gorot；　had　some　arrears　of　work　to　make　up；　so

I　left　him　there　and　went　out　to　dine。　　When　I

returned　he　was　gone。　　I　was　anxious　to　hurry　my　work；

for　I　knew　that　Josephthe　Mr。　Harrison　whom　you　saw

just　nowwas　in　town；　and　that　he　would　travel　down

to　Woking　by　the　eleven…o'clock　train；　and　I　wanted　if

possible　to　catch　it。



〃When　I　came　to　examine　the　treaty　I　saw　at　once　that

it　was　of　such　importance　that　my　uncle　had　been

guilty　of　no　exaggeration　in　what　he　had　said。　

Without　going　into　details；　I　may　say　that　it　defined

the　position　of　Great　Britain　towards　the　Triple

Alliance；　and　fore…shadowed　the　policy　which　this

country　would　pursue　in　the　event　of　the　French　fleet

gaining　a　complete　ascendancy　over　that　of　Italy　in

the　Mediterranean。　　The　questions　treated　in　it　were

purely　naval。　　At　the　end　were　the　signatures　of　the

high　dignitaries　who　had　signed　it。　　I　glanced　my　eyes

over　it；　and　then　settled　down　to　my　task　of　copying。



〃It　was　a　long　document；　written　in　the　French

language；　and　containing　twenty…six　separate　articles。　

I　copied　as　quickly　as　I　could；　but　at　nine　o'clock　I

had　only　done　nine　articles；　and　it　seemed　hopeless

for　me　to　attempt　to　catch　my　train。　　I　was　feeling

drowsy　and　stupid；　partly　from　my　dinner　and　also　from

the　effects　of　a　long　day's　work。　　A　cup　of　coffee

would　clear　my　brain。　　A　commissionnaire　remains　all

night　in　a　little　lodge　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs；　and

is　in　the　habit　of　making　coffee　at　his　spirit…lamp

for　any　of　the　officials　who　may　be　working　over　time。　

I　rang　the　bell；　therefore；　to　summon　him。



〃To　my　surprise；　it　was　a　woman　who　answered　the

summons；　a　large；　coarse…faced；　elderly　woman；　in　an

apron。　　She　explained　that　she　was　the

commissionnaire's　wife；　who　did　the　charing；　and　I

gave　her　the　order　for　the　coffee。



〃I　wrote　two　more　articles　and　then；　feeling　more

drowsy　than　ever；　I　rose　and　walked　up　and　down　the

room　to　stretch　my　legs。　　My　coffee　had　not　yet　come；

and　I　wondered　what　was　the　cause　of　the　delay　could

be。　　Opening　the　door；　I　started　down　the　corridor　to

find　out。　　There　was　a　straight　passage；　dimly

lighted；　which　led　from　the　room　in　which　I　had　been

working；　and　was　the　only　exit　from　it。　　It　ended　in　a

curving　staircase；　with　the　commissionnaire's　lodge　in

the　passage　at　the　bottom。　　Half　way　down　this

staircase　is　a　small　landing；　with　another　passage

running　into　it　at　right　angles。　　This　second　one

leads　by　means　of　a　second　small　stair　to　a　side　door；

used　by　servants；　and　also　as　a　short　cut　by　clerks

when　coming　from　Charles　Street。　　Here　is　a　rough

chart　of　the　place。〃



〃Thank　you。　　I　think　that　I　quite　follow　you；〃　said

Sherlock　Holmes。



〃It　is　of　the　utmost　importance　that　you　should　notice

this　point。　　I　went　down　the　stairs　and　into　the　hall；

where　I　found　the　commissionnaire　fast　asleep　in　his

box；　with　the　kettle　boiling　furiously　upon　the

spirit…lamp。　　I　took　off　the　kettle　and　blew　out　the

lamp；　for　the　water　was　spurting　over　the　floor。　　Then

I　put　out　my　hand　and　was　about　to　shake　the　man；　who

was　still　sleeping　soundly；　when　a　bell　over　his　head

rang　loudly；　and　he　woke　with　a　start。



〃'Mr。　Phelps；　sir！'　said　he；　looking　at　me　in

bewilderment。



〃'I　came　down　to　see　if　my　coffee　was　ready。'



〃'I　was　boiling　the　kettle　when　I　fell　asleep；　sir。'　

He　looked　at　me　and　then　up　at　the　still　quivering

bell　with　an　ever…growing　astonishment　upon　his　face。



〃'If　you　was　here；　sir；　then　who　rang　the　bell？'　he

asked。



〃'The　bell！'　I　cried。　　'What　bell　is　it？'



〃'It's　the　bell　of　the　room　you　were　working　in。'



〃A　cold　hand　seemed　to　close　round　my　heart。　　Some

one；　then；　was　in　that　room　where　my　precious　treaty

lay　upon　the　table。　　I　ran　frantically　up　the　stair

and　along　the　passage。　　There　was　no　one　in　the

corridors；　Mr。　Holmes。　　There　was　no　one　in　the　room。　

All　was　exactly　as　I　left　it；　save　only　that　the

papers　which　had　been　committed　to　my　care　had　been

taken　from　the　desk　on　which　they　lay。　　The　copy　was

there；　and　the　original　was　gone。〃



Holmes　sat　up　in　his　chair　and　rubbed　his　hands。　　I

could　see　that　the　problem　was　entirely　to　his　heart。　

〃Pray；　what　did　you　do　then？〃　he　murmured。



〃I　recognized　in　an　instant　that　the　thief　must　have

come　up　the　stairs　from　the　side　door。　　Of　course　I

must　have　met　him　if　he　had　come　the　other　way。〃



〃You　were　satisfied　that　he　could　not　have　been

concealed　in　the　room　all　the　time；　or　in　the　corridor

which　you　have　just　described　as　dimly　lighted？〃



〃It　is　absolutely　impossible。　　A　rat　could　not　conceal

himself　either　in　the　room　or　the　corridor。　　There　is

no　cover　at　all。〃



〃Thank　you。　　Pray　proceed。〃



〃The　commissionnaire；　seeing　by　my　pale　face　that

something　was　to　be　feared；　had　followed　me　upstairs。　

Now　we　both　rushed　along　the　corridor　and　down　the

steep　steps　which　led　to　Charles　Street。　　The　door　at

the　bottom　was　closed；　but　unlocked。　　We　flung　it　open

and　rushed　out。　　I　can　distinctly　remember　that　as　we

did　so　there　came　three　chines　from　a　neighboring

clock。　　It　was　quarter　to　ten。〃



〃That　is　of　enormous　importance；〃　said　Holmes；　making

a　note　upon　his　shirt…cuff。



〃The　night　was　very　dark；　and　a　thin；　warm　rain　was

falling。　　There　was　no　one　in　Charles　Street；　but　a

great　traffic　was　going　on；　as　usual；　in　Whitehall；　at

the　extremity。　　We　rushed　along　the　pavement；

bare…headed　as　we　were；　and　at　the　far　corner　we　found

a　policeman　standing。



〃'A　robbery　has　been　committed；'　I　gasped。　　'A

document　of　immense　value　has　been　stolen　from　the

Foreign　Office。　　Has　any　one　passed　this　way？'



〃'I　have　been　standing　here　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；

sir；'　said　he；　'only　one　person　has　passed　during　that

timea　woman；　tall　and　elderly；　with　a　Paisley

shawl。'



〃'Ah；　that　is　only　my　wife；'　cried　the

commissionnaire；　'has　no　one　else　passed？'



〃'No　one。'



〃'Then　it　must　be　the　other　way　that　the　thief　took；'

cried　the　fellow；　tugging　at　my　sleeve。



〃'But　I　was　not　satisfied；　and　the　attempts　which　he

made　to　draw　me　away　increased　my　suspicions。



〃'Which　way　did　the　woman　go？'　I　cried。



〃'I　don't　know；　sir。　　I　noticed　her　pass；　but　I　had　no

special　reason　for　watching　her。　　She　seemed　to　be　in

a　hurry。'



〃'How　long　ago　was　it？'



〃'Oh；　not　very　many　minutes。'



〃'Within　the　last　vie？'



〃'Well；　it　could　not　be　more　than　five。'



〃'You're　only　wasting　your　time；　sir；　and　every　minute

now　is　of　importance；'　cried　the　commissionnaire；

'take　my　word　for　it　that　my　old　woman　has　nothing　to

do　with　it；　and　come　down　to　the　other　end　of　the

street。　　Well；　if　you　won't；　I　will。'　　And　with　that

he　rushed　off　in　the　other　direction。



〃But　I　was　after　him　in　an　instant　and　caught　him　by

the　sleeve。



〃'Where　do　you　live？'　said　I。



〃'16　Ivy　Lane；　Brixton；'　he　answered。　　'But　don't　let

yourself　be　drawn　away　upon　a　false　scent；　Mr。　Phelps。　

Come　to　the　other　end　of　the　street　and　let　us　see　if

we　can　hear　of　anything。'



〃Nothing　was　to　be　lost　by　following　his　advice。　　With

the　policeman　we　both　hurried　down；　but　only　to　find

the　street　full　of　traffic；　many　people　coming　and

going；　but　all　only　too　eager　to　get　to　a　place　of

safety　upon　so　wet　a　night。　　There　was　no　lounger　who

could　tell　us　who　had　passed。



〃Then　we　returned　to　the　office；　and　searched　the

stairs　and　the　passage　without　result。　　The　corridor

which　led　to　the　room　was　laid　down　with　a　kind　of

creamy　linoleum　which　shows　an　impression　very　easily。　

We　examined　it　very　carefully；　but　found　no　outline　of

any　footmark。〃



〃Had　it　been　raining　all　evening？〃



〃Since　about　seven。〃



〃How　is　it；　then；　that　the　woman　who　came　into　the

room　about　nine　left　no　traces　with　her　muddy　boots？〃



〃I　am　glad　you　raised　the　point。　　It　occurred　to　me　at

the　time。　　The　charwomen　are　in　the　habit　of　taking

off　their　boots　at　the　commissionnaire's　office；　and

putting　on　list　slippers。〃



〃That　is　very　clear。　　There　were　no　marks；　then；

though　the　night　was　a　wet　one？　　The　chain　of　events

is　certainly　one　of　extraordinary　interest。　　What　did

you　do　next？



〃We　examined　the　room　also。　　There　is　no　possibility

of　a　secret　door；　and　the　windows　are　quite　thirty

feet　from　the　ground。　　Both　of　them　were　fastened　on

the　inside。　　The　carpet　prevents　any　possibility　of　a

trap…door；　and　the　ceiling　is　of　the　ordinary

whitewashed　kind。　　I　will　pledge　my　life　that　whoever

stole　my　papers　could　only　have　come　through　the

door。〃



〃How　about　the　fireplace？〃



〃They　use　none。　　There　is　a　stove。　　The　bell…rope

hangs　from　the　wire　just　to　the　right　of　my　desk。　

Whoever　rang　it　must　have　come　right　up　to　the　desk　to

do　it。　But　why　should　any　criminal　wish　to　ring　the

bell？　　It　is　a　most　insoluble　mystery。〃



〃〃Certainly　the　incident　was　unusual。　　What　were　your

next　steps？　　You　examined　the　room；　I　presume；　to　see

if　the　intruder　had　left　any　tracesany　cigar…end　or

dropped　glove　or　hairpin　or　other　trifle？〃



〃There　was　nothing　of　the　sort。〃



〃No　smell？〃



〃Well；　　we　never　thought　of　that。〃



〃Ah；　a　scent　of　tobacco　would　have　been　worth　a　great

deal　to　us　in　such　an　investigation。〃



〃I　never　smoke　myself；　so　I　think　I　should　have

observed　it　if　there　had　been　any　smell　of　tobacco。　

There　was　absolutely　no　clue　of　any　kind。　　The　only

tangible　fact　was　that　the　commissionnaire's　wife…Mrs。

Tangey　was　the　namehad　hurried　our　of　the　place。　　He

could　give　no　explanation　save　that　it　was　about　the

time　when　the　woman　always　went　　home。　　The　policeman

and　I　agreed　that　our　best　plan　would　be　to　seize　the

woman　before　she　could　get　rid　of　the　papers；

presuming　that　she　had　them。



〃The　alarm　had　reached　Scotland　Yard　by　this　time；　and

Mr。　Forbes；　the　detective；　came　round　at　once　and　took

up　the　case　with　a　great　deal　of　energy。　　We　hire　a

hansom；　and　in　half　an　hour　we　were　at　the　address

which　had　been　given　to　us。　　A　young　woman　opened　the

door；　who　proved　to　be　Mrs。　Tangey's　eldest　daughter。　

Her　mother　had　not　come　bac