the adventure of the retired colourman-第3部分

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　　The　old　colourman　had　the　strength　of　a　lion　in　that　great　trunk

of　his；　but　he　was　helpless　in　the　hands　of　the　two　experienced

man…handlers。　Wriggling　and　twisting　he　was　dragged　to　the　waiting

cab；　and　I　was　left　to　my　solitary　vigil　in　the　ill…omened　house。　In

less　time　than　he　had　named；　however；　Holmes　was　back；　in　company　with

a　smart　young　police　inspector。

　　〃I've　left　Barker　to　look　after　the　formalities；〃　said　Holmes。

〃You　had　not　met　Barker；　Watson。　He　is　my　hated　rival　upon　the

Surrey　shore。　When　you　said　a　tall　dark　man　it　was　not　difficult　for

me　to　complete　the　picture。　He　has　several　good　cases　to　his　credit；

has　he　not；　Inspector？〃

　　〃He　has　certainly　interfered　several　times；〃　the　inspector

answered　with　reserve。

　　〃His　methods　are　irregular；　no　doubt；　like　my　own。　The　irregulars

are　useful　sometimes；　you　know。　You；　for　example；　with　your　compulsory

warning　about　whatever　he　said　being　used　against　him；　could　never

have　bluffed　this　rascal　into　what　is　virtually　a　confession。〃

　　〃Perhaps　not。　But　we　get　there　all　the　same；　Mr。　Holmes。　Don't

imagine　that　we　had　not　formed　our　own　views　of　this　case；　and　that　we

would　not　have　laid　our　hands　on　our　man。　You　will　excuse　us　for

feeling　sore　when　you　jump　in　with　methods　which　we　cannot　use；　and　so

rob　us　of　the　credit。〃

　　〃There　shall　be　no　such　robbery；　MacKinnon。　I　assure　you　that　I

efface　myself　from　now　onward；　and　as　to　Barker；　he　has　done　nothing

save　what　I　told　him。〃

　　The　inspector　seemed　considerably　relieved。

　　〃That　is　very　handsome　of　you；　Mr。　Holmes。　Praise　or　blame　can

matter　little　to　you；　but　it　is　very　different　to　us　when　the

newspapers　begin　to　ask　questions。〃

　　〃Quite　so。　But　they　are　pretty　sure　to　ask　questions　anyhow；　so　it

would　be　as　well　to　have　answers。　What　will　you　say；　for　example；　when

the　intelligent　and　enterprising　reporter　asks　you　what　the　exact

points　were　which　aroused　your　suspicion；　and　finally　gave　you　a

certain　conviction　as　to　the　real　facts？〃

　　The　inspector　looked　puzzled。

　　〃We　don't　seem　to　have　got　any　real　facts　yet；　Mr。　Holmes。　You　say

that　the　prisoner；　in　the　presence　of　three　witnesses；　practically

confessed　by　trying　to　commit　suicide；　that　he　had　murdered　his　wife

and　her　lover。　What　other　facts　have　you？〃

　　〃Have　you　arranged　for　a　search？〃

　　〃There　are　three　constables　on　their　way。〃

　　〃Then　you　will　soon　get　the　clearest　fact　of　all。　The　bodies

cannot　be　far　away。

　　Try　the　cellars　and　the　garden。　It　should　not　take　long　to　dig　up

the　likely　places。　This　house　is　older　than　the　water…pipes。　There

must　be　a　disused　well　somewhere。　Try　your　luck　there。〃

　　〃But　how　did　you　know　of　it；　and　how　was　it　done？〃

　　〃I'll　show　you　first　how　it　was　done；　and　then　I　will　give　the

explanation　which　is　due　to　you；　and　even　more　to　my　long…suffering

friend　here；　who　has　been　invaluable　throughout。　But；　first；　I　would

give　you　an　insight　into　this　man's　mentality。　It　is　a　very　unusual

one…　so　much　so　that　I　think　his　destination　is　more　likely　to　be

Broadmoor　than　the　scaffold。　He　has；　to　a　high　degree；　the　sort　of

mind　which　one　associates　with　the　mediaeval　Italian　nature　rather

than　with　the　modern　Briton。　He　was　a　miserable　miser　who　made　his

wife　so　wretched　by　his　niggardly　ways　that　she　was　a　ready　prey　for

any　adventurer。　Such　a　one　came　upon　the　scene　in　the　person　of　this

chess…playing　doctor。　Amberley　excelled　at　chess…　one　mark；　Watson；　of

a　scheming　mind。　Like　all　misers；　he　was　a　jealous　man；　and　his

jealousy　became　a　frantic　mania。　Rightly　or　wrongly；　he　suspected　an

intrigue。　He　determined　to　have　his　revenge；　and　he　planned　it　with

diabolical　cleverness。　Come　here！〃

　　Holmes　led　us　along　the　passage　with　as　much　certainty　as　if　he

had　lived　in　the　house　and　halted　at　the　open　door　of　the　strong…room。

　　〃Pooh！　What　an　awful　smell　of　paint！〃　cried　the　inspector。

　　〃That　was　our　first　clue；〃　said　Holmes。　〃You　can　thank　Dr。

Watson's　observation　for　that；　though　he　failed　to　draw　the　inference。

It　set　my　foot　upon　the　trail。　Why　should　this　man　at　such　a　time　be

filling　his　house　with　strong　odours？　Obviously；　to　cover　some　other

smell　which　he　wished　to　conceal…　some　guilty　smell　which　would

suggest　suspicions。　then　came　the　idea　of　a　room　such　as　you　see

here　with　iron　door　and　shutter…　a　hermetically　sealed　room。　Put　those

two　facts　together；　and　whither　do　they　lead？　I　could　only　determine

that　by　examining　the　house　myself。　I　was　already　certain　that　the

case　was　serious；　for　I　had　examined　the　box…office　chart　at　the

Haymarket　Theatre…　another　of　Dr。　Watson's　bull's…eyes…　and

ascertained　that　neither　B　thirty　nor　thirty…two　of　the　upper　circle

had　been　occupied　that　night。　Therefore；　Amberley　had　not　been　to

the　theatre；　and　his　alibi　fell　to　the　ground。　He　made　a　bad　slip　when

he　allowed　my　astute　friend　to　notice　the　number　of　the　seat　taken　for

his　wife。　The　question　now　arose　how　I　might　be　able　to　examine　the

house。　I　sent　an　agent　to　the　most　impossible　village　I　could　think

of；　and　summoned　my　man　to　it　at　such　an　hour　that　he　could　not

possibly　get　back。　To　prevent　any　miscarriage；　Dr。　Watson

accompanied　him。　The　good　vicar's　name　I　took；　of　course；　out　of　my

Crockford。　Do　I　make　it　all　clear　to　you？〃

　　〃It　is　masterly；〃　said　the　inspector　in　an　awed　voice。

　　〃There　being　no　fear　of　interruption　I　proceeded　to　burgle　the

house。　Burglary　has　always　been　an　alternative　profession　had　I

cared　to　adopt　it；　and　I　have　little　doubt　that　I　should　have　come

to　the　front。　Observe　what　I　found。　You　see　the　gas…pipe　along　the

skirting　here。　Very　good。　It　rises　in　the　angle　of　the　wall；　and　there

is　a　tap　here　in　the　corner。　The　pipe　runs　out　into　the　strong…room；

as　you　can　see；　and　ends　in　that　plaster　rose　in　the　centre　of　the

ceiling；　where　it　is　concealed　by　the　ornamentation。　That　end　is

wide　open。　At　any　moment　by　turning　the　outside　tap　the　room　could

be　flooded　with　gas。　With　door　and　shutter　closed　and　the　tap　full

on　I　would　not　give　two　minutes　of　conscious　sensation　to　anyone

shut　up　in　that　little　chamber。　By　what　devilish　device　he　decoyed

them　there　I　do　not　know；　but　once　inside　the　door　they　were　at　his

mercy。〃

　　The　inspector　examined　the　pipe　with　interest。　〃One　of　our

officers　mentioned　the　smell　of　gas；〃　said　he；　〃but　of　course　the

window　and　door　were　open　then；　and　the　paint…　or　some　of　it…　was

already　about。　He　had　begun　the　work　of　painting　the　day　before；

according　to　his　story。　But　what　next；　Mr。　Holmes？〃

　　〃Well；　then　came　an　incident　which　was　rather　unexpected　to

myself。　I　was　slipping　through　the　pantry　window；　in　the　early　dawn

when　I　felt　a　hand　inside　my　collar；　and　a　voice　said：　'Now；　you

rascal；　what　are　you　doing　in　there？'　When　I　could　twist　my　head　round

I　looked　into　the　tinted　spectacles　of　my　friend　and　rival；　Mr。

Barker。　it　was　a　curious　foregathering　and　set　us　both　smiling。　It

seems　that　he　had　been　engaged　by　Dr。　Ray　Ernest's　family　to　make　some

investigations　and　had　come　to　the　same　conclusion　as　to　foul　play。　He

had　watched　the　house　for　some　days　and　had　spotted　Dr。　Watson　as

one　of　the　obviously　suspicious　characters　who　had　called　there。　He

could　hardly　arrest　Watson；　but　when　he　saw　a　man　actually　climbing

out　of　the　pantry　window　there　came　a　limit　to　his　restraint。　Of

course；　I　told　him　how　matters　stood　and　we　continued　the　case

together。〃

　　〃Why　him？　Why；　not　us？〃

　　〃Because　it　was　in　my　mind　to　put　that　little　test　which　answered　so

admirably。　I　fear　you　would　not　have　gone　so　far。〃

　　The　inspector　smiled。

　　〃Well；　maybe　not。　I　understand　that　I　have　your　word；　Mr。　Holmes；

that　you　step　right　out　of　the　case　now　and　that　you　turn　all　your

results　over　to　us。〃

　　〃Certainly；　that　is　always　my　custom。〃

　　〃Well；　in　the　name　of　the　force　I　thank　you。　It　seems　a　clear

case；　as　you　put　it；　and　there　can't　be　much　difficulty　over　the

bodies。〃

　　〃I'll　show　you　a　grim　little　bit　of　evidence；〃　said　Holmes；　〃and　I

am　sure　Amberley　himself　never　observed　it。　You'll　get　results；

Inspector；　by　always　putting　yourself　in　the　other　fellow's　place；　and

thinking　what　you　would　do　yourself。　It　takes　some　imagination；　but　it

pays。　Now；　we　will　suppose　that　you　were　shut　up　in　this　little

room；　had　not　two　minutes　to　live；　but　wanted　to　get　even　with　the

fiend　who　was　probably　mocking　at　you　from　the　other　side　of　the　door。

What　would　you　do？〃

　　〃Write　a　message。〃

　　〃Exactly。　You　would　like　to　tell　people　how　you　died。　No　use　writing

on　paper。　That　would　be　seen。　If　you　wrote　on　the　wall　someone　might

rest　upon　it。　Now；　look　here！　Just　above　the　skirting　is　scribbled

with　a　purple　indelible　pencil：　'We　we…'　That's　all。〃

　　〃What　do　you　make　of　that？〃

　　〃Well；　it's　only　a　foot　above　the　ground。　The　poor　devil　was　on

the　floor　dying　when　he　wrote　it。　He　lost　his　senses　before　he　could

finish。〃

　　〃He　was　writing；　'We　were　murdered。'〃

　　〃That's　how　I　read　it。　If　you　find　an　indelible　pencil　on　the　body…〃

　　〃We'll　look　out　for　it；　you　may　be　sure。　But　those　securities？

Clearly　there　was　no　robbery　at　all。　And　yet　he　did　possess　those

bonds。　We　verified　that。〃

　　〃You　may　be　sure　he　has　them　hidden　in　a　safe　place。　When　the

whole　elopement　had　passed　into　history；　he　would　suddenly　discover

them　and　announce　that　the　guilty　couple　had　relented　and　sent　back

the　plunder　or　had　dropped　it　on　the　way。〃

　　〃You　certainly　seem　to　have　met　every　difficulty；〃　said　the

inspector。　〃Of　course；　he　was　bound　to　call　us　in；　but　why　he　should

have　gone　to　you　I　can't　understand。〃

　　〃Pure　swank！〃　Holmes　answered。　〃He　felt　so　clever　and　so　sure　of

himself　that　he　imagined　no　one　could　touch　him。　He　could　say　to　any

suspicious　neighbour；　'Look　at　the　steps　I　have　taken。　I　have

consulted　not　only　the　police　but　even　Sherlock　Holmes。'〃

　　The　inspector　laughed。

　　〃We　must　forgive　you　your　'even；'　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　he；　〃It's　as

workmanlike　a　job　as　I　can　remember。〃

　　A　couple　of　days　later　my　friend　tossed　across　to　me　a　copy　of　the

bi…weekly　North　Surrey　Observer。　Under　a　series　of　f