the adventure of wisteria lodge-第3部分

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should　have　been　in　a　conspiracy　against　him　and　should　have

attacked　him　on　the　one　night　when　he　had　a　guest。　They　had　him

alone　at　their　mercy　every　other　night　in　the　week。〃

　　〃Then　why　did　they　fly？〃

　　〃Quite　so。　Why　did　they　fly？　There　is　a　big　fact。　Another　big　fact

is　the　remarkable　experience　of　our　client；　Scott　Eccles。　Now；　my　dear

Watson；　is　it　beyond　the　limits　of　human　ingenuity　to　furnish　an

explanation　which　would　cover　both　these　big　facts？　If　it　were　one

which　would　also　admit　of　the　mysterious　note　with　its　very　curious

phraseology；　why；　then　it　would　be　worth　accepting　as　a　temporary

hypothesis。　If　the　fresh　facts　which　come　to　our　knowledge　all　fit

themselves　into　the　scheme；　then　our　hypothesis　may　gradually　become　a

solution。〃

　　〃But　what　is　our　hypothesis？〃

　　Holmes　leaned　back　in　his　chair　with　half…closed　eyes。

　　〃You　must　admit　my　dear　Watson；　that　the　idea　of　a　joke　is

impossible。　There　were　grave　events　afoot。　as　the　sequel　showed；　and

the　coaxing　of　Scott　Eccles　to　Wisteria　Lodge　had　some　connection　with

them。〃

　　〃But　what　possible　connection？〃

　　〃Let　us　take　it　link　by　link。　There　is；　on　the　face　of　it；　something

unnatural　about　this　strange　and　sudden　friendship　between　the　young

Spaniard　and　Scott　Eccles。　It　was　the　former　who　forced　the　pace。　He

called　upon　Eccles　at　the　other　end　of　London　on　the　very　day　after　he

first　met　him；　and　he　kept　in　close　touch　with　him　until　he　got　him

down　to　Esher。　Now；　what　did　he　want　with　Eccles？　What　could　Eccles

supply？　I　see　no　charm　in　the　man。　He　is　not　particularly　intelligent…

not　a　man　likely　to　be　congenial　to　a　quick…witted　Latin。　Why；　then；

was　he　picked　out　from　all　the　other　people　whom　Garcia　met　as

particularly　suited　to　his　purpose？　Has　he　any　one　outstanding

quality？　I　say　that　he　has。　He　is　the　very　type　of　conventional

British　respectability；　and　the　very　man　as　a　witness　to　impress

another　Briton。　You　saw　yourself　how　neither　of　the　inspectors　dreamed

of　questioning　his　statement；　extraordinary　as　it　was。〃

　　〃But　what　was　he　to　witness？〃

　　〃Nothing；　as　things　turned　out；　but　everything　had　they　gone　another

way。　That　is　how　I　read　the　matter。〃

　　〃I　see；　he　might　have　proved　an　alibi。〃

　　〃Exactly；　my　dear　Watson；　he　might　have　proved　an　alibi。　We　will

suppose；　for　arguments　sake；　that　the　household　of　Wisteria　Lodge

are　confederates　in　some　design。　The　attempt；　whatever　it　may　be；　is

to　come　off；　we　will　say；　before　one　o'clock。　By　some　juggling　of

the　clocks　it　is　quite　possible　that　they　may　have　got　Scott　Eccles　to

bed　earlier　than　he　thought　but　in　any　case　it　is　likely　that　when

Garcia　went　out　of　his　way　to　tell　him　that　it　was　one　it　was　really

not　more　than　twelve。　If　Garcia　could　do　whatever　he　had　to　do　and

be　back　by　the　hour　mentioned　he　had　evidently　a　powerful　reply　to　any

accusation。　Here　was　this　irreproachable　Englishman　ready　to　swear

in　any　court　of　law　that　the　accused　was　in　his　house　all　the　time。　It

was　an　insurance　against　the　worst。〃

　　〃Yes；　yes；　I　see　that。　But　how　about　the　disappearance　of　the

others？〃

　　〃I　have　not　all　my　facts　yet　but　I　do　not　think　there　are　any

insuperable　difficulties。　Still；　it　is　an　error　to　argue　in　front　of

your　data。　You　find　yourself　insensibly　twisting　them　round　to　fit

your　theories。〃

　　〃And　the　message？〃

　　〃How　did　it　run？　'Our　own　colours；　green　and　white。'　Sounds　like

racing。　'Green　open；　white　shut。'　that　is　clearly　a　signal。　'Main

stair；　first　corridor；　seventh　right；　green　baize。'　This　is　an

assignation。　We　may　find　a　jealous　husband　at　the　bottom　of　it　all。　It

was　clearly　a　dangerous　quest。　She　would　not　have　said　'Godspeed'

had　it　not　been　so。　'D'…　that　should　be　a　guide。〃

　　〃The　man　was　a　Spaniard。　I　suggest　that　'D'　stands　for　Dolores；　a

common　female　name　in　Spain。〃

　　〃Good；　Watson；　very　good…　but　quite　inadmissible。　A　Spaniard　would

write　to　a　Spaniard　in　Spanish。　The　writer　of　this　note　is　certainly

English。　Well；　we　can　only　possess　our　souls　in　patience　until　this

excellent　inspector　comes　back　for　us。　Meanwhile　we　can　thank　our

lucky　fate　which　has　rescued　us　for　a　few　short　hours　from　the

insufferable　fatigues　of　idleness。〃



　　An　answer　had　arrived　to　Holmes's　telegram　before　our　Surrey　officer

had　returned。　Holmes　read　it　and　was　about　to　place　it　in　his　notebook

when　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　my　expectant　face。　He　tossed　it　across

with　a　laugh。

　　〃We　are　moving　in　exalted　circles；〃　said　he。

　　The　telegram　was　a　list　of　names　and　addresses：



　　Lord　Harringby；　The　Dingle；　Sir　George　Ffolliott；　Oxshott　Towers；

Mr。　Hynes　Hynes；　J。　P。；　Purdey　Place；　Mr。　James　Baker　Williams；　Forton

Old　Hall；　Mr。　Henderson；　High　Gable；　Rev。　Joshua　Stone；　Nether

Walsling。



　　〃This　is　a　very　obvious　way　of　limiting　our　field　of　operations；〃

said　Holmes。　〃No　doubt　Baynes；　with　his　methodical　mind；　has　already

adopted　some　similar　plan。〃

　　〃I　don't　quite　understand。〃

　　〃Well；　my　dear　fellow；　we　have　already　arrived　at　the　conclusion

that　the　message　received　by　Garcia　at　dinner　was　an　appointment　or　an

assignation。　Now；　if　the　obvious　reading　of　it　is　correct　and　in　order

to　keep　this　tryst　one　has　to　ascend　a　main　stair　and　seek　the　seventh

door　in　a　corridor；　it　is　perfectly　clear　that　the　house　is　a　very

large　one。　It　is　equally　certain　that　this　house　cannot　be　more　than　a

mile　or　two　from　Oxshott；　since　Garcia　was　walking　in　that　direction

and　hoped；　according　to　my　reading　of　the　facts；　to　be　back　in

Wisteria　Lodge　in　time　to　avail　himself　of　an　alibi；　which　would

only　be　valid　up　to　one　o'clock。　As　the　number　of　large　houses　close

to　Oxshott　must　be　limited；　I　adopted　the　obvious　method　of　sending　to

the　agents　mentioned　by　Scott　Eccles　and　obtaining　a　list　of　them。

Here　they　are　in　this　telegram；　and　the　other　end　of　our　tangled　skein

must　lie　among　them。〃



　　It　was　nearly　six　o'clock　before　we　found　ourselves　in　the　pretty

Surrey　village　of　Esher；　with　Inspector　Baynes　as　our　companion。

　　Holmes　and　I　had　taken　things　for　the　night；　and　found　comfortable

quarters　at　the　Bull。　Finally　we　set　out　in　the　company　of　the

detective　on　our　visit　to　Wisteria　Lodge。　It　was　a　cold；　dark　March

evening；　with　a　sharp　wind　and　a　fine　rain　beating　upon　our　faces；　a

fit　setting　for　the　wild　common　over　which　our　road　passed　and　the

tragic　goal　to　which　it　led　us。

　　2。　The　Tiger　of　San　Pedro



　　A　cold　and　melancholy　walk　of　a　couple　of　miles　brought　us　to　a　high

wooden　gate；　which　opened　into　a　gloomy　avenue　of　chestnuts。　The

curved　and　shadowed　drive　led　us　to　a　low；　dark　house；　pitch…black

against　a　slate…coloured　sky。　From　the　front　window　upon　the　left　of

the　door　there　peeped　a　glimmer　of　a　feeble　light。

　　〃There's　a　constable　in　possession；〃　said　Baynes。　〃I'll　knock　at　the

window。〃　He　stepped　across　the　grass　plot　and　tapped　with　his　hand

on　the　pane。　Through　the　fogged　glass　I　dimly　saw　a　man　spring　up　from

a　chair　beside　the　fire；　and　heard　a　sharp　cry　from　within　the　room。

An　instant　later　a　white…faced；　hard…breathing　policeman　had　opened

the　door；　the　candle　wavering　in　his　trembling　hand。

　　〃What's　the　matter；　Walters？〃　asked　Baynes　sharply。

　　The　man　mopped　his　forehead　with　his　handkerchief　and　gave　a　long

sigh　of　relief。

　　〃I　am　glad　you　have　come；　sir。　It　has　been　a　long　evening；　and　I

don't　think　my　nerve　is　as　good　as　it　was。〃

　　〃Your　nerve；　Walters？　I　should　not　have　thought　you　had　a　nerve　in

your　body。〃

　　〃Well；　sir；　it's　this　lonely；　silent　house　and　the　queer　thing　in

the　kitchen。　Then　when　you　tapped　at　the　window　I　thought　it　had

come　again。〃

　　〃That　what　had　come　again？〃

　　〃The　devil；　sir；　for　all　I　know。　It　was　at　the　window。〃

　　〃What　was　at　the　window；　and　when？〃

　　〃It　was　just　about　two　hours　ago。　The　light　was　just　fading。　I　was

sitting　reading　in　the　chair。　I　don't　know　what　made　me　look　up；　but

there　was　a　face　looking　in　at　me　through　the　lower　pane。　Lord；　sir；

what　a　face　it　was！　I'll　see　it　in　my　dreams。〃

　　〃Tut；　tut；　Walters。　This　is　not　talk　for　a　police…constable。〃

　　〃I　know；　sir；　I　know；　but　it　shook　me；　sir；　and　there's　no　use　to

deny　it。　It　wasn't　black；　sir；　nor　was　it　white；　nor　any　colour　that　I

know；　but　a　kind　of　queer　shade　like　clay　with　a　splash　of　milk　in　it。

Then　there　was　the　size　of　it…　it　was　twice　yours；　sir。　And　the　look

of　it…　the　great　staring　goggle　eyes；　and　the　line　of　white　teeth　like

a　hungry　beast。　I　tell　you；　sir；　I　couldn't　move　a　finger；　nor　get

my　breath；　till　it　whisked　away　and　was　gone。　Out　I　ran　and　through

the　shrubbery；　but　thank　God　there　was　no　one　there。〃

　　〃If　I　didn't　know　you　were　a　good　man；　Walters；　I　should　put　a　black

mark　against　you　for　this。　If　it　were　the　devil　himself　a　constable　on

duty　should　never　thank　God　that　he　could　not　lay　his　hands　upon

him。　I　suppose　the　whole　thing　is　not　a　vision　and　a　touch　of　nerves？〃

　　〃That；　at　least；　is　very　easily　settled；〃　said　Holmes；　lighting

his　little　pocket　lantern。　〃Yes；〃　he　reported；　after　a　short

examination　of　the　grass　bed；　〃a　number　twelve　shoe；　I　should　say。

If　he　was　all　on　the　same　scale　as　his　foot　he　must　certainly　have

been　a　giant。〃

　　〃What　became　of　him？〃

　　〃He　seems　to　have　broken　through　the　shrubbery　and　made　for　the

road。〃

　　〃Well〃　said　the　inspector　with　a　grave　and　thoughtful　face；　〃whoever

he　may　have　been；　and　whatever　he　may　have　wanted；　he's　gone　for　the

present　and　we　have　more　immediate　things　to　attend　to。　Now；　Mr。

Holmes；　with　your　permission；　I　will　show　you　round　the　house。〃

　　The　various　bedrooms　and　sitting…rooms　had　yielded　nothing　to　a

careful　search。　Apparently　the　tenants　had　brought　little　or　nothing

with　them；　and　all　the　furniture　down　to　the　smallest　detail　had

been　taken　over　with　the　house。　A　good　deal　of　clothing　with　the　stamp

of　Marx　and　Co。；　High　Holborn；　had　been　left　behind。　Telegraphic

inquiries　had　been　already　made　which　showed　that　Marx　knew　nothing　of

his　customer　save　that　he　was　a　good　payer。　Odds　and　ends；　some　pipes；

a　few　novels；　two　of　them　in　Spanish；　an　old…fashioned　pinfire

revolver；　and