the enchanted typewriter-第14部分

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of　the　Jigamaree　gem。



But；　as　my　friend　Terence　Mulvaney　says；　that　is　another

story。　It　is　of　the　mystery　immediately　following　this

concerning　which　I　have　set　out　to　write。



I　was　sitting　one　day　in　my　office　on　Apollyon　Square　opposite

the　Alexandrian　library；　smoking　an　absinthe　cigarette；　which

I　had　rolled　myself　from　my　special　mixture　consisting　of　two

parts　tobacco；　one　part　hasheesh；　one　part　of　opium　dampened

with　a　liqueur　glass　of　absinthe；　when　an　excited　knock　sounded

upon　my　door。



〃Come　in；〃　I　cried；　adopting　the　usual　formula。



The　door　opened　and　a　beautiful　woman　stood　before　me　clad　in

most　regal　garments；　robust　of　figure；　yet　extremely　pale。　It

seemed　to　me　that　I　had　seen　her　somewhere　before；　yet　for　a

time　I　could　not　place　her。



〃Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes？〃　said　she；　in　deliciously　musical　tones；

which；　singular　to　relate；　she　emitted　in　a　fashion　suggestive

of　a　recitative　passage　in　an　opera。



〃The　same；〃　said　I；　bowing　with　my　accustomed　courtesy。



〃The　ferret？〃　she　sang；　in　staccato　tones　which　were　ravishing

to　my　musical　soul。



I　laughed。　〃That　term　has　been　applied　to　me；　madame；〃　said

I；　chanting　my　answer　as　best　I　could。　〃For　myself；　however；

I　prefer　to　assume　the　more　modest　title　of　detective。　I　can

work　with　or　without　clues；　and　have　never　yet　been　baffled。

I　know　who　wrote　the　Junius　letters；　and　upon　occasions　have

been　known　to　see　through　a　stone　wall　with　my　naked　eye。　What

can　I　do　for　you？〃



〃Tell　me　who　I　am！〃　she　cried；　tragically；　taking　the　centre

of　the　room　and　gesticulating　wildly。



〃Wellreally；　madame；〃　I　replied。　〃You　didn't　send　up　any

card〃



〃Ah！〃　she　sneered。　〃This　is　what　your　vaunted　prowess　amounts

to；　eh？　Ha！　Do　you　suppose　if　I　had　a　card　with　my　name　on　it

I'd　have　come　to　you　to　inquire　who　I　am？　I　can　read　a　card

as　well　as　you　can；　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes。〃



〃Then；　as　I　understand　it；　madame；〃　I　put　in；　〃you　have　suddenly

forgotten　your　identity　and　wish　me　to〃



〃Nothing　of　the　sort。　I　have　forgotten　nothing。　I　never　knew

for　certain　who　I　am。　I　have　an　impression；　but　it　is　based

only　on　hearsay　evidence；〃　she　interrupted。



For　a　moment　I　was　fairly　puzzled。　Still　I　did　not　wish　to

let　her　know　this；　and　so　going　behind　my　screen　and　taking　a

capsule　full　of　cocaine　to　steady　my　nerves；　I　gained　a　moment

to　think。　　Returning；　I　said：



〃This　really　is　child's　play　for　me；　madame。　It　won't　take

more　than　a　week　to　find　out　who　you　are；　and　possibly；　if

you　have　any　clews　at　all　to　your　identity；　I　may　be　able　to

solve　this　mystery　in　a　day。〃



〃I　have　only　three；〃　she　answered；　and　taking　a　piece　of

swan's…down；　a　lock　of　golden　hair；　and　a　pair　of　silver…tinsel

tights　from　her　portmanteau　she　handed　them　over　to　me。



My　first　impulse　was　to　ask　the　lady　if　she　remembered　the　name

of　the　asylum　from　which　she　had　escaped；　but　I　fortunately

refrained　from　doing　so；　and　she　shortly　left　me；　promising

to　return　at　the　end　of　the　week。



For　three　days　I　puzzled　over　the　clews。　Swan's…down；　yellow

hair；　and　a　pair　of　silver…tinsel　tights；　while　very　interesting

no　doubt　at　times；　do　not　form　a　very　solid　basis　for　a　theory

establishing　the　identity　of　so　regal　a　person　as　my　visitor。

My　first　impression　was　that　she　was　a　vaudeville　artist；　and

that　the　exhibits　she　had　left　me　were　a　part　of　her　make…up。

This　I　was　forced　to　abandon　shortly；　because　no　woman　with　the

voice　of　my　visitor　would　sing　in　vaudeville。　The　more　ambitious

stage　was　her　legitimate　field；　if　not　grand　opera　itself。



At　this　point　she　returned　to　my　office；　and　I　of　course

reported　progress。　That　is　one　of　the　most　valuable　things

I　learned　while　on　earthwhen　you　have　done　nothing；　report

progress。



〃I　haven't　quite　succeeded　as　yet；〃　said　I；　〃but　I　am　getting　at

it　slowly。　I　do　not；　however；　think　it　wise　to　acquaint　you　with

my　present　notions　until　they　are　verified　beyond　peradventure。

It　might　help　me　somewhat　if　you　were　to　tell　me　who　it　is　you

think　you　are。　I　could　work　either　forward　or　backward　on　that

hypothesis；　as　seemed　best；　and　so　arrive　at　a　hypothetical

truth　anyhow。〃



〃That's　just　what　I　don't　want　to　do；〃　said　she。　〃That

information　might　bias　your　final　judgment。　If；　however；　acting

on　the　clews　which　you　have；　you　confirm　my　impression　that　I

am　such　and　such　a　person；　as　well　as　the　views　which　other

people　have；　then　will　my　status　be　well　defined　and　I　can

institute　my　suit　against　my　husband　for　a　judicial　separation；

with　back　alimony；　with　some　assurance　of　a　successful　issue。〃



I　was　more　puzzled　than　ever。



〃Well；〃　said　I；　slowly；　〃I　of　course　can　see　how　a　bit　of

swan's…down　and　a　lock　of　yellow　hair　backed　up　by　a　pair　of

silver…tinsel　tights　might　constitute　reasonable　evidence　in

a　suit　for　separation；　but　wouldn't　itahbe　more　to　your

purpose　if　I　should　use　these　data　as　establishing　the　identity

ofersomebody　else？〃



〃How　very　dense　you　are；〃　she　replied；　impatiently。　〃That's

precisely　what　I　want　you　to　do。〃



〃But　you　told　me　it　was　your　identity　you　wished　proven；〃

I　put　in；　irritably。



〃Precisely；〃　said　she。



〃Then　these　bits　of　evidence　areyours？〃　I　asked；

hesitatingly。　One　does　not　like　to　accuse　a　lady　of　an　undue

liking　for　tinsel。



〃They　are　all　I　have　left　of　my　husband；〃　she　answered　with

a　sob。



〃Hum！〃　said　I；　my　perplexity　increasing。　〃Was　theahthe

gentleman　blown　up　by　dynamite？〃



〃Excuse　me；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　she　retorted；　rising　and　running

the　scales。　〃I　think；　after　all；　I　have　come　to　the　wrong

shop。　Have　you　Hawkshaw's　address　handy？　You　are　too　obtuse

for　a　detective。〃



My　reputation　was　at　stake；　so　I　said；　significantly：



〃Good！　Good！　I　was　merely　trying　one　of　my　disguises　on　you；

madame；　and　you　were　completely　taken　in。　Of　course　no　one　would

ever　know　me　for　Sherlock　Holmes　if　I　manifested　such　dullness。〃



〃Ah！〃　she　said；　her　face　lighting　up。　〃You　were　merely　deceiving

me　by　appearing　to　be　obtuse？〃



〃Of　course；〃　said　I。　〃I　see　the　whole　thing　in　a　nutshell。　You

married　an　adventurer；　he　told　you　who　he　was；　but　you've　never

been　able　to　prove　it；　and　suddenly　you　are　deserted　by　him；

and　on　going　over　his　wardrobe　you　find　he　has　left　nothing　but

these　articles：　and　now　you　wish　to　sue　him　for　a　separation

on　the　ground　of　desertion；　and　secure　alimony　if　possible。〃



It　was　a　magnificent　guess。



〃That　is　it　precisely；〃　said　the　lady。　〃Except　as　to　the　extent

of　his　'leavings。'　In　addition　to　the　things　you　have　he　gave

my　small　brother　a　brass　bugle　and　a　tin　sword。〃



〃We　may　need　to　see　them　later；〃　said　I。　〃At　present　I　will

do　all　I　can　for　you　on　the　evidence　in　hand。　I　have　got　my

eye　on　a　gentleman　who　wears　silver…tinsel　tights　now；　but　I

am　afraid　he　is　not　the　man　we　are　after；　because　his　hair　is

black；　and；　as　far　as　I　have　been　able　to　learn　from　his　valet；

he　is　utterly　unacquainted　with　swan's…down。〃



We　separated　again　and　I　went　to　the　club　to　think。　Never　in

my　life　before　had　I　had　so　baffling　a　case。　As　I　sat　in　the

cafe　sipping　a　cocaine　cobbler；　who　should　walk　in　but　Hamlet；

strangely　enough　picking　particles　of　swan's…down　from　his

black　doublet；　which　was　literally　covered　with　it。



〃Hello；　Sherlock！〃　he　said；　drawing　up　a　chair　and　sitting

down　beside　me。　〃What　you　up　to？〃



〃Trying　to　make　out　where　you　have　been；〃　I　replied。　〃I

judge　from　the　swan's…down　on　your　doublet　that　you　have　been

escorting　Ophelia　to　the　opera　in　the　regulation　cloak。〃



〃You're　mistaken　for　once；〃　he　laughed。　〃I've　been　driving

with　Lohengrin。　He's　got　a　pair　of　swans　that　can　do　a　mile

in　2。10　but　it　makes　them　moult　like　the　devil。〃



〃Pair　of　what？〃　I　cried。



〃Swans；〃　said　Hamlet。　〃He's　an　eccentric　sort　of　a　duffer；

that　Lohengrin。　Afraid　of　horses；　I　fancy。〃



〃And　so　drives　swans　instead？〃　said　I；　incredulously。



〃The　same；〃　replied　Hamlet。　〃Do　I　look　as　if　he　drove　squab？〃



〃He　must　be　queer；〃　said　I。　〃I'd　like　to　meet　him。　He'd　make

quite　an　addition　to　my　collection　of　freaks。〃



〃Very　well；〃　observed　Hamlet。　〃He'll　be　here　to…morrow　to　take

luncheon　with　me；　and　if　you'll　come；　too；　you'll　be　most

welcome。　He's　collecting　freaks；　too；　and　I　haven't　a　doubt

would　be　pleased　to　know　you。〃



We　parted　and　I　sauntered　homeward；　cogitating　over　my　strange

client；　and　now　and　then　laughing　over　the　idiosyncrasies　of

Hamlet's　friend　the　swan…driver。　It　never　occurred　to　me　at

the　moment　however　to　connect　the　two；　in　spite　of　the　link

of　swan's…down。　I　regarded　it　merely　as　a　coincidence。　The

next　day；　however；　on　going　to　the　club　and　meeting　Hamlet's

strange　guest；　I　was　struck　by　the　further　coincidence　that

his　hair　was　of　precisely　the　same　shade　of　yellow　as　that　in

my　possession。　　It　was　of　a　hue　that　I　had　never　seen　before

except　at　performances　of　grand　opera；　or　on　the　heads　of　fool

detectives　in　musical　burlesques。　Here；　however；　was　the　real

thing　growing　luxuriantly　from　the　man's　head。



〃Ho…ho！〃　thought　I　to　myself。　〃Here　is　a　fortunate　encounter；

there　may　be　something　in　it；〃　and　then　I　tried　to　lead　him　on。



〃I　understand；　Mr。　Lohengrin；〃　I　said；　〃that　you　have　a　fine

span　of　swans。〃



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　and　I　was　astonished　to　note　that　he；　like　my

client；　spoke　in　musical　numbers。　〃Very。　They're　much　finer

than　horses；　in　my　opinion。　More　peaceful；　quite　as　rapid；

and　amphibious。　If　I　go　out　for　a　drive　and　come　to　a　lake

they　trot　quite　as　well　across　its　surface　as　on　the　highways。〃



〃How　interesting！〃　said　I。　〃And　so　gentle；　the　swan。　Your　wife；

I　presume〃



Hamlet　kicked　my　shins　under　the　table。



〃I　think　it　will　rain　to…morrow；〃　he　said；　giving　me　a　glance

which　if　it　said　anything　said　shut　up。



〃I　think　so；　too；〃　said　Lohengrin；　a　lowering　look　on