adventure11-第1章

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Adventure　XI





The　Final　Problem





It　is　with　a　heavy　heart　that　I　take　up　my　pen　to

write　these　the　last　words　in　which　I　shall　ever

record　the　singular　gifts　by　which　my　friend　Mr。

Sherlock　Holmes　was　distinguished。　　In　an　incoherent

and；　as　I　deeply　feel；　an　entirely　inadequate　fashion；

I　have　endeavored　to　give　some　account　of　my　strange

experiences　in　his　company　from　the　chance　which　first

brought　us　together　at　the　period　of　the　〃Study　in

Scarlet；〃　up　to　the　time　of　his　interference　in　the

matter　of　the　〃Naval　Treaty〃and　interference　which

had　the　unquestionable　effect　of　preventing　a　serious

international　complication。　　It　was　my　intention　to

have　stopped　there；　and　to　have　said　nothing　of　that

event　which　has　created　a　void　in　my　life　which　the

lapse　of　two　years　has　done　little　to　fill。　　My　hand

has　been　forced；　however；　by　the　recent　letters　in

which　Colonel　James　Moriarty　defends　the　memory　of　his

brother；　and　I　have　no　choice　but　to　lay　the　facts

before　the　public　exactly　as　they　occurred。　　I　alone

know　the　absolute　truth　of　the　matter；　and　I　am

satisfied　that　the　time　has　come　when　on　good　purpose

is　to　be　served　by　its　suppression。　　As　far　as　I　know；

there　have　been　only　three　accounts　in　the　public

press：　　that　in　the　Journal　de　Geneve　on　May　6th；

1891；　the　Reuter's　despatch　in　the　English　papers　on

May　7th；　and　finally　the　recent　letter　to　which　I　have

alluded。　　Of　these　the　first　and　second　were　extremely

condensed；　while　the　last　is；　as　I　shall　now　sow；　an

absolute　perversion　of　the　facts。　　It　lies　with　me　to

tell　for　the　first　time　what　really　took　place　between

Professor　Moriarty　and　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes。



It　may　be　remembered　that　after　my　marriage；　and　my

subsequent　start　in　private　practice；　the　very

intimate　relations　which　had　existed　between　Holmes

and　myself　became　to　some　extent　modified。　　He　still

came　to　me　from　time　to　time　when　he　desired　a

companion　in　his　investigation；　but　these　occasions

grew　more　and　more　seldom；　until　I　find　that　in　the

year　1890　there　were　only　three　cases　of　which　I

retain　any　record。　　During　the　winter　of　that　year　and

the　early　spring　of　1891；　I　saw　in　the　papers　that　he

had　been　engaged　by　the　French　government　upon　a

matter　of　supreme　importance；　and　I　received　two　notes

from　Holmes；　dated　from　Narbonne　and　from　Nimes；　from

which　I　gathered　that　his　stay　in　France　was　likely　to

be　a　long　one。　　It　was　with　some　surprise；　therefore；

that　I　saw　him　walk　into　my　consulting…room　upon　the

evening　of　April　24th。　　It　struck　me　that　he　was

looking　even　paler　and　thinner　than　usual。



〃Yes；　I　have　been　using　myself　up　rather　too　freely；〃

he　remarked；　in　answer　to　my　look　rather　than　to　my

words；　〃I　have　been　a　little　pressed　of　late。　　Have

you　any　objection　to　my　closing　your　shutters？〃



The　only　light　in　the　room　came　from　the　lamp　upon　the

table　at　which　I　had　been　reading。　　Holmes　edged　his

way　round　the　wall　and　flinging　the　shutters　together；

he　bolted　them　securely。



〃You　are　afraid　of　something？〃　I　asked。



〃Well；　I　am。〃



〃Of　what？〃



〃Of　air…guns。〃



〃My　dear　Holmes；　what　do　you　mean？〃



〃I　think　that　you　know　me　well　enough；　Watson；　to

understand　that　I　am　by　no　means　a　nervous　man。　　At

the　same　time；　it　is　stupidity　rather　than　courage　to

refuse　to　recognize　danger　when　it　is　close　upon　you。　

Might　I　trouble　you　for　a　match？〃　　He　drew　in　the

smoke　of　his　cigarette　as　if　the　soothing　influence

was　grateful　to　him。



〃I　must　apologize　for　calling　so　late；〃　said　he；　〃and

I　must　further　beg　you　to　be　so　unconventional　as　to

allow　me　to　leave　your　house　presently　by　scrambling

over　your　back　garden　wall。〃



〃But　what　does　it　all　mean？〃　I　asked。



He　held　out　his　hand；　and　I　saw　in　the　light　of　the

lamp　that　two　of　his　knuckles　were　burst　and　bleeding。



〃It　is　not　an　airy　nothing；　you　see；〃　said　he；

smiling。　　〃On　the　contrary；　it　is　solid　enough　for　a

man　to　break　his　hand　over。　　Is　Mrs。　Watson　in？〃



〃She　is　away　upon　a　visit。〃



〃Indeed！　　You　are　alone？〃



〃Quite。〃



〃Then　it　makes　it　the　easier　for　me　to　propose　that

you　should　come　away　with　me　for　a　week　to　the

Continent。〃



〃Where？〃



〃Oh；　anywhere。　　It's　all　the　same　to　me。〃



There　was　something　very　strange　in　all　this。　　It　was

not　Holmes's　nature　to　take　an　aimless　holiday；　and

something　about　his　pale；　worn　face　told　me　that　his

nerves　were　at　their　highest　tension。　　He　saw　the

question　in　my　eyes；　and；　putting　his　finger…tips

together　and　his　elbows　upon　his　knees；　he　explained

the　situation。



〃You　have　probably　never　heard　of　Professor　Moriarty？〃

said　he。



〃Never。〃



〃Aye；　there's　the　genius　and　the　wonder　of　the　thing！〃

he　cried。　　〃The　man　pervades　London；　and　no　one　has

heard　of　him。　　That's　what　puts　him　on　a　pinnacle　in

the　records　of　crime。　　I　tell　you；　Watson；　in　all

seriousness；　that　if　I　could　beat　that　man；　if　I　could

free　society　of　him；　I　should　feel　that　my　own　career

had　reached　its　summit；　and　I　should　be　prepared　to

turn　to　some　more　placid　line　in　life。　　Between

ourselves；　the　recent　cases　in　which　I　have　been　of

assistance　to　the　royal　family　of　Scandinavia；　and　to

the　French　republic；　have　left　me　in　such　a　position

that　I　could　continue　to　live　in　the　quiet　fashion

which　is　most　congenial　to　me；　and　to　concentrate　my

attention　upon　my　chemical　researches。　　But　I　could

not　rest；　Watson；　I　could　not　sit　quiet　in　my　chair；

if　I　thought　that　such　a　man　as　Professor　Moriarty

were　walking　the　streets　of　London　unchallenged。〃



〃What　has　he　done；　then？〃



〃His　career　has　been　an　extraordinary　one。　　He　is　a

man　of　good　birth　and　excellent　education；　endowed　by

nature　with　a　phenomenal　mathematical　faculty。　　At　the

age　of　twenty…one　he　wrote　a　treatise　upon　the

Binomial　Theorem；　which　has　had　a　European　vogue。　　On

the　strength　of　it　he　won　the　Mathematical　Chair　at

one　of　our　smaller　universities；　and　had；　to　all

appearance；　a　most　brilliant　career　before　him。　　But

the　man　had　hereditary　tendencies　of　the　most

diabolical　kind。　　A　criminal　strain　ran　in　his　blood；

which；　instead　of　being　modified；　was　increased　and

rendered　infinitely　more　dangerous　by　his

extraordinary　mental　powers。　　Dark　rumors　gathered

round　him　in　the　university　town；　and　eventually　he

was　compelled　to　resign　his　chair　and　to　come　down　to

London；　where　he　set　up　as　an　army　coach。　　So　much　is

known　to　the　world；　but　what　I　am　telling　you　now　is

what　I　have　myself　discovered。



〃As　you　are　aware；　Watson；　there　is　no　one　who　knows

the　higher　criminal　world　of　London　so　well　as　I　do。　

For　years　past　I　have　continually　been　conscious　of

some　power　behind　the　malefactor；　some　deep　organizing

power　which　forever　stands　in　the　way　of　the　law；　and

throws　it　shield　over　the　wrong…doer。　　Again　and　again

in　cases　of　the　most　varying　sortsforgery　cases；

robberies；　murdersI　have　felt　the　presence　of　this

force；　and　I　have　deduced　its　action　in　many　of　those

undiscovered　crimes　in　which　I　have　not　been

personally　consulted。　　For　years　I　have　endeavored　to

break　through　the　veil　which　shrouded　it；　and　at　last

the　time　came　when　I　seized　my　thread　and　followed　it；

until　it　led　me；　after　a　thousand　cunning　windings；　to

ex…Professor　Moriarty　of　mathematical　celebrity。



He　is　the　Napoleon　of　crime；　Watson。　　He　is　the

organizer　of　half　that　is　evil　and　of　nearly　all　that

is　undetected　in　this　great　city。　　He　is　a　genius；　a

philosopher；　an　abstract　thinker。　　He　has　a　brain　of

the　first　order。　　He　sits　motionless；　like　a　spider　in

the　center　of　its　web；　but　that　web　has　a　thousand

radiations；　and　he　knows　well　every　quiver　of　each　of

them。　　He　does　little　himself。　　He　only　plans。　　But

his　agents　are　numerous　and　splendidly　organized。　　Is

there　a　crime　to　be　done；　a　paper　to　be　abstracted；　we

will　say；　a　house　to　be　rifled；　a　man　to　be

removedthe　word　is　passed　to　the　Professor；　the

matter　is　organized　and　carried　out。　　The　agent　may　be

caught。　　In　that　case　money　is　found　for　his　bail　or

his　defence。　　But　the　central　power　which　uses　the

agent　is　never　caughtnever　so　much　as　suspected。　

This　was　the　organization　which　I　deduced；　Watson；　and

which　I　devoted　my　whole　energy　to　exposing　and

breaking　up。



〃But　the　Professor　was　fenced　round　with　safeguards　so

cunningly　devised　that；　do　what　I　would；　it　seemed

impossible　to　get　evidence　which　would　convict　in　a

court　of　law。　　You　know　my　powers；　my　dear　Watson；　and

yet　at　the　end　of　three　months　I　was　forced　to　confess

that　I　had　at　last　met　an　antagonist　who　was　my

intellectual　equal。　　My　horror　at　his　crimes　was　lost

in　my　admiration　at　his　skill。　　But　at　last　he　made　a

triponly　a　little；　little　tripbut　it　was　more　than

he　could　afford　when　I　was　so　close　upon　him。　　I　had

my　chance；　and；　starting　from　that　point；　I　have　woven

my　net　round　him　until　now　it　is　all　ready　to　close。　

In　three　daysthat　is　to　say；　on　Monday　nextmatters

will　be　ripe；　and　the　Professor；　with　all　the

principal　members　of　his　gang；　will　be　in　the　hands　of

the　police。　　Then　will　come　the　greatest　criminal

trial　of　the　century；　the　clearing　up　of　over　forty

mysteries；　and　the　rope　for　all　of　them；　but　if　we

move　at　all　prematurely；　you　understand；　they　may　slip

out　of　our　hands　even　at　the　last　moment。



〃Now；　if　I　could　have　done　this　without　the　knowledge

of　Professor　Moriarty；　all　would　have　been　well。　　But

he　was　too　wily　for　that。　　He　saw　every　step　which　I

took　to　draw　my　toils　round　him。　　Again　and　again　he

strove　to　break　away；　but　I　as　often　headed　him　off。　

I　tell　you；　my　friend；　that　if　a　detailed　account　of

that　silent　contest　could　be　written；　it　would　take

its　place　as　the　most　brilliant　bit　of

thrust…and…parry　work　in　the　history　of　detection。　

Never　have　I　risen　to　such　a　height；　and　never　have　I

been　so　hard　pressed　by　an　opponent。　　He　cut　deep；　and

yet　I　just　undercut　him。　　This　morning　the　last　steps

were　taken；　and　three　days　only　were　wanted　to

complete　the　business。　　I　was　sitting　in　my　room

thinking　the　matter　over；　when　the　door　opened　and

Professor　Moriarty　stood　before　me。



〃My　nerves　are　fairly　proof；　Watson；　but　I　must

confess　to　a　start　when　I　saw　the　very　man　who　had

been　so　much　in　my　thoughts　standing　there　on　my

thresh…hold。　　His　appearance　was　quite　familiar　to　me。　

He　is　extremely　tall　and　thin；　his　forehead　domes　out

in　a　white　curve；　and　his　two　eyes　are　deeply　sunken

in　this　head。　　He　is　clean…shaven；　pale；　and

ascetic…looking；　retaining　something　of　the　professor

in　his　features。　　His　shoulders　are　rounded　from　much

study；　and　his　face　protrudes　forward；　and　is　forever

slowly　oscillating　from　side　to　side　in　a　curiously

reptilian　fashion。　　He　peered　at　me　with　great

curiosity　in　his　pucker