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the adventure of the noble bachelor-第5部分

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of satisfaction。 〃This is indeed important;〃 said he。

  〃Ha! you find it so?〃

  〃Extremely so。 I congratulate you warmly。〃

  Lestrade rose in his triumph and bent his head to look。 〃Why;〃 he

shrieked; 〃you're looking at the wrong side!〃

  〃On the contrary; this is the right side。〃

  〃The right side? You're mad! Here is the note written in pencil over

here。〃

  〃And over here is what appears to be the fragment of a hotel bill;

which interests me deeply。〃

  〃There's nothing in it。 I looked at it before;〃 said Lestrade。



  〃Oct。 4th; rooms 8s。; breakfast 2s。 6d。; cocktail 1s。; lunch 2S。

6d。; glass sherry; 8d。〃



〃I see nothing in that。〃

  〃Very likely not。 It is most important; all the same。 As to the

note; it is important also; or at least the initials are; so I

congratulate you again。〃

  〃I've wasted time enough;〃 said Lestrade; rising。 〃I believe in hard

work and not in sitting by the fire spinning fine theories。

Good…day; Mr。 Holmes; and we shall see which gets to the bottom of the

matter first。〃 He gathered up the garments; thrust them into the

bag; and made for the door。

  〃Just one hint to you; Lastrade;〃 drawled Holmes before his rival

vanished; 〃I will tell you the true solution of the matter。 Lady St。

Simon is a myth。 There is not; and there never has been; any such

person。〃

  Lestrade looked sadly at my companion。 Then he turned to me;

tapped his forehead three times; shook his head solemnly; and

hurried away。

  He had hardly shut the door behind him when Holmes rose to put on

his overcoat。 〃There is something in what the fellow says about

outdoor work;〃 he remarked; 〃so I think; Watson; that I must leave you

to your papers for a little。〃

  It was after five o'clock when Sherlock Holmes left me; but I had no

time to be lonely; for within an hour there arrived a confectioners

man with a very large flat box。 This he unpacked with the help of a

youth whom he had brought with him; and presently; to my very great

astonishment; a quite epicurean little cold supper began to be laid

out upon our humble lodging…house mahogany。 There were a couple of

brace of cold woodcock; a pheasant; a pate de foie gras pie with a

group of ancient and cobwebby bottles。 Having laid out all these

luxuries; my two visitors vanished away; like the genii of the Arabian

Nights; with no explanation save that the things had been paid for and

were ordered to this address。

  Just before nine o'clock Sherlock Holmes stepped briskly into the

room。 His features were gravely set but there was a light in his eye

which made me think that he had not been disappointed in his

conclusions。

  〃They have laid the supper; then;〃 he said; rubbing his hands。

  〃You seem to expect company。 They have laid for five。〃

  〃Yes; I fancy we may have some company dropping in;〃 said he。 〃I

am surprised that Lord St。 Simon has not already arrived。 Ha! I

fancy that I hear his step now upon the stairs。'

  It was indeed our visitor of the afternoon who came bustling in;

dangling his glasses more vigorously than ever; and with a very

perturbed expression upon his aristocratic features。

  〃My messenger reached you; then?〃 asked Holmes。

  〃Yes; and I confess that the contents startled me beyond measure。

Have you good authority for what you say?〃

  〃The best possible。〃

  Lord St。 Simon sank into a chair and passed his hand over his

forehead authority

  〃What will the Duke say;〃 he murmured; 〃when he hears that one of

the family has been subjected to such humiliation?〃

  〃It is the purest accident。 I cannot allow that there is any

humiliation。〃

  〃Ah; you look on these things from another standpoint。〃

  〃I fail to see that anyone is to blame。 I can hardly see how the

lady could have acted otherwise; though her abrupt method of doing

it was undoubtedly to be regretted。 Having no mother; she had no one

to advise her at such a crisis。〃

  〃It was a slight; sir; a public slight;〃 said Lord St。 Simon;

tapping his fingers upon the table。

  〃You must make allowance for this poor girl; placed in so

unprecedented。 a position。〃

  〃I will make no allowance。 I am very angry indeed; and I have been

shamefully used。〃

  〃I think that I heard a ring;〃 said Holmes。 〃Yes; there are steps on

the landing。 If I cannot persuade you to take a lenient view of the

matter; Lord St。 Simon; I have brought an advocate here who may be

more successful。〃 He opened the door and ushered in a lady and

gentleman。 〃Lord St。 Simon;〃 said he; 〃allow me to introduce you to

Mr。 and Mrs。 Francis Hay Moulton。 The lady; I think; you have

already met。〃

  At the sight of these newcomers our client had sprung from his

seat and stood very erect; with his eyes cast down and his hand thrust

into the breast of his frock…coat; a picture of offended dignity。

The lady had taken a quick step forward; but had held out her hand

to him; but he still refused to raise his eyes。 It was as well for his

resolution; perhaps; for her pleading face was one which it was hard

to resist。

  〃You're angry; Robert;〃 said she。 〃Well; I guess you have every

cause to be。〃

  〃Pray make no apology to me;〃 said Lord St。 Simon bitterly。

  〃Oh; yes; I know that I have treated you real bad and that I

should have spoken to you before I went; but I was kind of rattled;

and from the time when I saw Frank here again I just didn't know

what I was doing or saying。 I only wonder I didn't fall down and do

a faint right there before the altar。〃

  〃Perhaps; Mrs。 Moulton; you would like my friend and me to leave the

room while you explain this matter?〃

  〃If I may give an opinion;〃 remarked the strange gentleman; 〃we've

had just a little too much secrecy over this business already。 For

my part; I should like all Europe and America to hear the rights of

it。〃 He was a small; wiry; sunburnt man; clean…shaven; with a sharp

face and alert manner。

  〃Then I'll tell our story right away;〃 said the lady。 〃Frank here

and I met in '84; in McQuire's camp; near the Rockies; where pa was

working a claim。 We were engaged to each other; Frank and I; but

then one day father struck a rich pocket and made a pile; while poor

Frank here had a claim that petered out and came to nothing。 The

richer pa grew the poorer was Frank; so at last pa wouldn't hear of

our engagement lasting any longer; and he took me away to 'Frisco。

Frank wouldn't throw up his hand; though; so he followed me there; and

he saw me without pa knowing anything about it。 It would only have

made him mad to know; so we just fixed it all up for ourselves。

Frank said that he would go and make his pile; too; and never come

back to claim me until he had as much as pa。 So then I promised to

wait for him to the end of time and pledged myself not to marry anyone

else while he lived。 'Why shouldn't we be married right away; then;'

said he; 'and then I will feel sure of you; and I won't claim to be

your husband until I come back?' Well; we talked it over; and he had

fixed it all up so nicely; with a clergyman all ready in waiting; that

we just did it right there; and then Frank went off to seek his

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