adventure08-第3部分

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had　been　closed；　but　not　shut。　　My　page　who　admits

patients　is　a　new　boy　and　by　no　means　quick。　　He　waits

downstairs；　and　runs　up　to　show　patients　out　when　I

ring　the　consulting…room　bell。　　He　had　heard　nothing；

and　the　affair　remained　a　complete　mystery。　　Mr。

Blessington　cam　in　from　his　walk　shortly　afterwards；

but　I　did　not　say　anything　to　him　upon　the　subject；

for；　to　tell　the　truth；　I　have　got　in　the　way　of　late

of　holding　as　little　communication　with　him　as

possible。



〃Well；　I　never　thought　that　I　should　see　anything　more

of　the　Russian　and　his　son；　so　you　can　imagine　my

amazement　when；　at　the　very　same　hour　this　evening；

they　both　came　marching　into　my　consulting…room；　just

as　they　had　done　before。



〃'I　feel　that　I　owe　you　a　great　many　apologies　for　my

abrupt　departure　yesterday；　doctor；'　said　my　patient。



〃'I　confess　that　I　was　very　much　surprised　at　it；'

said　I。



〃'Well；　the　fact　is；'　he　remarked；　'that　when　I

recover　from　these　attacks　my　mind　is　always　very

clouded　as　to　all　that　has　gone　before。　　I　woke　up　in

a　strange　room；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　and　made　my　way

out　into　the　street　in　a　sort　of　dazed　way　when　you

were　absent。'



〃'And　I；'　said　the　son；　'seeing　my　father　pass　the

door　of　the　waiting…room；　naturally　thought　that　the

consultation　had　come　to　an　end。　　It　was　not　until　we

had　reached　home　that　I　began　to　realize　the　true

state　of　affairs。'



〃'Well；'　said　I；　laughing；　'there　is　no　harm　done

except　that　you　puzzled　me　terribly；　so　if　you；　sir；

would　kindly　step　into　the　waiting…room　I　shall　be

happy　to　continue　our　consultation　which　was　brought

to　so　abrupt　an　ending。'



〃'For　half　an　hour　or　so　I　discussed　that　old

gentleman's　symptoms　with　him；　and　then；　having

prescribed　for　him；　I　saw　him　go　off　upon　the　arm　of

his　son。



〃I　have　told　you　that　Mr。　Blessington　generally　chose

this　hour　of　the　day　for　his　exercise。　　He　came　in

shortly　afterwards　and　passed　upstairs。　　An　instant

later　I　heard　him　running　down；　and　he　burst　into　my

consulting…room　like　a　man　who　is　mad　with　panic。



〃'Who　has　been　in　my　room？'　he　cried。



〃'No　one；'　said　I。



〃'It's　a　lie！　He　yelled。　　'Come　up　and　look！'



〃I　passed　over　the　grossness　of　his　language；　as　he

seemed　half　out　of　his　mind　with　fear。　　When　I　went

upstairs　with　him　he　pointed　to　several　footprints

upon　the　light　carpet。



〃'D'you　mean　to　say　those　are　mine？'　he　cried。



〃They　were　certainly　very　much　larger　than　any　which

he　could　have　made；　and　were　evidently　quite　fresh。　

It　rained　hard　this　afternoon；　as　you　know；　and　my

patients　were　the　only　people　who　called。　　It　must

have　been　the　case；　then；　that　the　man　in　the

waiting…room　had；　for　some　unknown　reason；　while　I　was

busy　with　the　other；　ascended　to　the　room　of　my

resident　patient。　　Nothing　has　been　touched　or　taken；

but　there　were　the　footprints　to　prove　that　the

intrusion　was　an　undoubted　fact。



〃Mr。　Blessington　seemed　more　excited　over　the　matter

than　I　should　have　thought　possible；　though　of　course

it　was　enough　to　disturb　anybody's　peace　of　mind。　　He

actually　sat　crying　in　an　arm…chair；　and　I　could

hardly　get　him　to　speak　coherently。　　It　was　his

suggestion　that　I　should　come　round　to　you；　and　of

course　I　at　once　saw　the　propriety　of　it；　for

certainly　the　incident　is　a　very　singular　one；　though

he　appears　to　completely　overtake　its　importance。　　If

you　would　only　come　back　with　me　in　my　brougham；　you

would　at　least　be　able　to　soothe　him；　though　I　can

hardly　hope　that　you　will　be　able　to　explain　this

remarkable　occurrence。〃



Sherlock　Holmes　had　listened　to　this　long　narrative

with　an　intentness　which　showed　me　that　his　interest

was　keenly　aroused。　　His　face　was　as　impassive　as

ever；　but　his　lids　had　drooped　more　heavily　over　his

eyes；　and　his　smoke　had　curled　up　more　thickly　from

his　pipe　to　emphasize　each　curious　episode　in　the

doctor's　tale。　　As　our　visitor　concluded；　Holmes

sprang　up　without　a　word；　handed　me　my　hat；　picked　his

own　from　the　table；　and　followed　Dr。　Trevelyan　to　the

door。　　Within　a　quarter　of　an　hour　we　had　been　dripped

at　the　door　of　the　physician's　residence　in　Brook

Street；　one　of　those　sombre；　flat…faced　houses　which

one　associates　with　a　West…End　practice。　　A　small　page

admitted　us；　and　we　began　at　once　to　ascend　the　broad；

well…carpeted　stair。



But　a　singular　interruption　brought　us　to　a

standstill。　　The　light　at　the　top　was　suddenly　whisked

out；　and　from　the　darkness　came　a　reedy；　quivering

voice。



〃I　have　a　pistol；〃　it　cried。　　〃I　give　you　my　word　that

I'll　fire　if　you　come　any　nearer。〃



〃This　really　grows　outrageous；　Mr。　Blessington；〃　cried

Dr。　Trevelyan。



〃Oh；　then　it　is　you；　doctor；〃　said　the　voice；　with　a

great　heave　of　relief。　　〃But　those　other　gentlemen；

are　they　what　they　pretend　to　be？〃



We　were　conscious　of　a　long　scrutiny　out　of　the

darkness。



〃Yes；　yes；　it's　all　right；〃　said　the　voice　at　last。　

〃You　can　come　up；　and　I　am　sorry　if　my　precautions

have　annoyed　you。〃



He　relit　the　stair　gas　as　he　spoke；　and　we　saw　before

us　a　singular…looking　man；　whose　appearance；　as　well

as　his　voice；　testified　to　his　jangled　nerves。　　He　was

very　fat；　but　had　apparently　at　some　time　been　much

fatter；　so　that　the　skin　hung　about　his　face　in　loose

pouches；　like　the　cheeks　of　a　blood…hound。　　He　was　of

a　sickly　color；　and　his　thin；　sandy　hair　seemed　to

bristle　up　with　the　intensity　of　his　emotion。　　In　his

hand　he　held　a　pistol；　but　he　thrust　it　into　his

pocket　as　we　advanced。



〃Good…evening；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　he。　　〃I　am　sure　I　am

very　much　obliged　to　you　for　coming　round。　　No　one

ever　needed　your　advice　more　than　I　do。　　I　suppose

that　Dr。　Trevelyan　has　told　you　of　this　most

unwarrantable　intrusion　into　my　rooms。〃



〃Quite　so；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃Who　are　these　tow　men　Mr。

Blessington；　and　why　do　they　wish　to　molest　you？〃



〃Well；　well；〃　said　the　resident　patient；　in　a　nervous

fashion；　〃of　course　it　is　hard　to　say　that。　　You　can

hardly　expect　me　to　answer　that；　Mr。　Holmes。〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　you　don't　know？〃



〃Come　in　here；　if　you　please。　　Just　have　the　kindness

to　step　in　here。〃



He　led　the　way　into　his　bedroom；　which　was　large　and

comfortably　furnished。



〃You　see　that；〃　said　he；　pointing　to　a　big　black　box

at　the　end　of　his　bed。　　〃I　have　never　been　a　very　rich

man；　Mr。　Holmesnever　made　but　one　investment　in　my

life；　as　Dr。　Trevelyan　would　tell　you。　　But　I　don't

believe　in　bankers。　　I　would　never　trust　a　banker；　Mr。

Holmes。　　Between　ourselves；　what　little　I　have　is　in

that　box；　so　you　can　understand　what　it　means　to　me

when　unknown　people　force　themselves　into　my　rooms。〃



Holmes　looked　at　Blessington　in　his　questioning　way

and　shook　his　head。



〃I　cannot　possibly　advise　you　if　you　try　to　deceive

me；〃　said　he。



〃But　I　have　told　you　everything。〃



Holmes　turned　on　his　heel　with　a　gesture　of　disgust。　

〃Good…night；　Dr。　Trevelyan；〃　said　he。



〃And　no　advice　for　me？〃　cried　Blessington；　in　a

breaking　voice。



〃My　advice　to　your；　sir；　is　to　speak　the　truth。〃



A　minute　later　we　were　in　the　street　and　walking　for

home。　　We　had　crossed　Oxford　Street　and　were　half　way

down　Harley　Street　before　I　could　get　a　word　from　my

companion。



〃Sorry　to　bring　you　out　on　such　a　fool's　errand；

Watson；〃　he　said　at　last。　　〃It　is　an　interesting　case；

too；　at　the　bottom　of　it。〃



〃I　can　make　little　of　it；〃　I　confessed。



〃Well；　it　is　quite　evident　that　there　are　two

menmore；　perhaps；　but　at　least　twowho　are

determined　for　some　reason　to　get　at　this　fellow

Blessington。　　I　have　no　doubt　in　my　mind　that　both　on

the　first　and　on　the　second　occasion　that　young　man

penetrated　to　Blessington's　room；　while　his

confederate；　by　an　ingenious　device；　kept　the　doctor

from　interfering。〃



〃And　the　catalepsy？〃



〃A　fraudulent　imitation；　Watson；　though　I　should

hardly　dare　to　hint　as　much　to　our　specialist。　　It　is

a　very　easy　complaint　to　imitate。　　I　have　done　it

myself。〃



〃And　then？〃



〃By　the　purest　chance　Blessington　was　out　on　each

occasion。　　Their　reason　for　choosing　so　unusual　an

hour　for　a　consultation　was　obviously　to　insure　that

there　should　be　no　other　patient　in　the　waiting…room。　

It　just　happened；　however；　that　this　hour　coincided

with　Blessington's　constitutional；　which　seems　to　show

that　they　were　not　very　well　acquainted　with　his　daily

routine。　　Of　course；　if　they　had　been　merely　after

plunder　they　would　at　least　have　made　some　attempt　to

search　for　it。　　Besides；　I　can　read　in　a　man's　eye

when　it　is　his　own　skin　that　he　is　frightened　for。　　It

is　inconceivable　that　this　fellow　could　have　made　two

such　vindictive　enemies　as　these　appear　to　be　without

knowing　of　it。　　I　hold　it；　therefore；　to　be　certain

that　he　does　know　who　these　men　are；　and　that　for

reasons　of　his　own　he　suppresses　it。　　It　is　just

possible　that　to…morrow　may　find　him　in　a　more

communicative　mood。〃



〃Is　there　not　one　alternative；〃　I　suggested；

〃grotesquely　improbably；　no　doubt；　but　still　just

conceivable？　　Might　the　whole　story　of　the　cataleptic

Russian　and　his　son　be　a　concoction　of　Dr。

Trevelyan's；　who　has；　for　his　own　purposes；　been　in

Blessington's　rooms？〃



I　saw　in　the　gaslight　that　Holmes　wore　an　amused　smile

at　this　brilliant　departure　of　mine。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　he；　〃it　was　one　of　the　first

solutions　which　occurred　to　me；　but　I　was　soon　able　to

corroborate　the　doctor's　tale。　　This　young　man　has

left　prints　upon　the　stair…carpet　which　made　it　quite

superfluous　for　me　to　ask　to　see　those　which　he　had

made　in　the　room。　　When　I　tell　you　that　his　shoes　were

square…toed　instead　of　being　pointed　like

Blessington's；　and　were　quite　an　inch　and　a　third

longer　than　the　doctor's；　you　will　acknowledge　that

there　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　his　individuality