the greek interpreter-第4部分

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　　〃I　bowed。

　　〃'There　are　five　sovereigns　here；'　said　he；　walking　up　to　me；　'which

will；　I　hope；　be　a　sufficient　fee。　But　remember；'　he　added；　tapping　me

lightly　on　the　chest　and　giggling；　'if　you　speak　to　a　human　soul　about

this…one　human　soul；　mind…well；　may　God　have　mercy　upon　your　soul！'

　　〃I　cannot　tell　you　the　loathing　and　horror　with　which　this

insignificant…looking　man　inspired　me。　I　could　see　him　better　now　as

the　lamp…light　shone　upon　him。　His　features　were　peaky　and　sallow；　and

his　little　pointed　beard　was　thready　and　ill…nourished。　He　pushed

his　face　forward　as　he　spoke　and　his　lips　and　eyelids　were　continually

twitching　like　a　man　with　St。　Vitus's　dance。　I　could　not　help　thinking

that　his　strange；　catchy　little　laugh　was　also　a　symptom　of　some

nervous　malady。　The　terror　of　his　face　lay　in　his　eyes；　however；　steel

gray；　and　glistening　coldly　with　a　malignant　inexorable　cruelty　in

their　depths。

　　〃'We　shall　know　if　you　speak　of　this；'　said　he。　'We　have　our　own

means　of　information。　Now　you　will　find　the　carriage　waiting；　and　my

friend　will　see　you　on　your　way。'

　　〃I　was　hurried　through　the　hall　and　into　the　vehicle；　again

obtaining　that　momentary　glimpse　of　trees　and　a　garden。　Mr。　Latimer

followed　closely　at　my　heels　and　took　his　place　opposite　to　me　without

a　word。　In　silence　we　again　drove　for　an　interminable　distance　with

the　windows　raised；　until　at　last；　just　after　midnight；　the　carriage

pulled　up。

　　〃'You　will　get　down　here；　Mr。　Melas；'　said　my　companion。　'I　am　sorry

to　leave　you　so　far　from　your　house；　but　there　is　no　alternative。

Any　attempt　upon　your　part　to　follow　the　carriage　can　only　end　in

injury　to　yourself。'

　　〃He　opened　the　door　as　he　spoke；　and　I　had　hardly　time　to　spring　out

when　the　coachman　lashed　the　horse　and　the　carriage　rattled　away。　I

looked　around　me　in　astonishment。　I　was　on　some　sort　of　a　heathy

common　mottled　over　with　dark　clumps　of　furze…bushes。　Far　away

stretched　a　line　of　houses；　with　a　light　here　and　there　in　the　upper

windows。　On　the　other　side　I　saw　the　red　signal…lamps　of　a　railway。

　　〃The　carriage　which　had　brought　me　was　already　out　of　sight。　I　stood

gazing　round　and　wondering　where　on　earth　I　might　be；　when　I　saw

someone　coming　towards　me　in　the　darkness。　As　he　came　up　to　me　I

made　out　that　he　was　a　railway　porter。

　　〃'Can　you　tell　me　what　place　this　is？'　I　asked。

　　〃'Wandsworth　Common；'　said　he。

　　〃'Can　I　get　a　train　into　town？'

　　〃'If　you　walk　on　a　mile　or　so　to　Clapham　Junction；'　said　he；　'you'll

just　be　in　time　for　the　last　to　Victoria。'

　　〃So　that　was　the　end　of　my　adventure；　Mr。　Holmes。　I　do　not　know

where　I　was；　nor　whom　I　spoke　with；　nor　anything　save　what　I　have　told

you。　But　I　know　that　there　is　foul　play　going　on；　and　I　want　to　help

that　unhappy　man　if　I　can。　I　told　the　whole　story　to　Mr。　Mycroft

Holmes　next　morning；　and　subsequently　to　the　police。〃

　　We　all　sat　in　silence　for　some　little　time　after　listening　to　this

extraordinary　narrative。　Then　Sherlock　looked　across　at　his　brother。

　　〃Any　steps？〃　he　asked。

　　Mycroft　picked　up　the　Daily　News；　which　was　lying　on　the　side…table。



　　〃Anybody　supplying　any　information　as　to　the　whereabouts　of　a

Greek　gentleman　named　Paul　Kratides；　from　Athens；　who　is　unable　to

speak　English；　will　be　rewarded。　A　similar　reward　paid　to　anyone

giving　information　about　a　Greek　lady　whose　first　name　is　Sophy。　X

2473'



　　〃That　was　in　all　the　dailies。　No　answer。〃

　　〃How　about　the　Greek　legation？〃

　　〃I　have　inquired。　They　know　nothing。〃

　　〃A　wire　to　the　head　of　the　Athens　police；　then？〃

　〃Sherlock　has　all　the　energy　of　the　family；〃　said　Mycroft；　turning　to

me。　〃Well；　you　take　the　case　up　by　all　means　and　let　me　know　if　you　do

any　good。〃

　　〃Certainly；〃　answered　my　friend；　rising　from　his　chair。　〃I'll　let

you　know；　and　Mr。　Melas　also。　In　the　meantime；　Mr。　Melas；　I　should

certainly　be　on　my　guard　if　I　were　you；　for　of　course　they　must　know

through　these　advertisements　that　you　have　betrayed　them。〃

　　As　we　walked　home　together；　Holmes　stopped　at　a　telegraph　office　and

sent　of　several　wires。

　　〃You　see；　Watson；〃　he　remarked；　〃our　evening　has　been　by　no　means

wasted。　Some　of　my　most　interesting　cases　have　come　to　me　in　this

way　through　Mycroft。　The　problem　which　we　have　just　listened　to；

although　it　can　admit　of　but　one　explanation；　has　still　some

distinguishing　features。〃

　　〃You　have　hopes　of　solving　it？〃

　　〃Well；　knowing　as　much　as　we　do；　it　will　be　singular　indeed　if　we

fail　to　discover　the　rest。　You　must　yourself　have　formed　some　theory

which　will　explain　the　facts　to　which　we　have　listened。〃

　　〃In　a　vague　way；　yes。〃

　　〃What　was　your　idea；　then？〃

　　〃It　seemed　to　me　to　be　obvious　that　this　Greek　girl　had　been　carried

off　by　the　young　Englishman　named　Harold　Latimer。〃

　　〃Carried　off　from　where？〃

　　〃Athens；　perhaps。〃

　　Sherlock　Holmes　shook　his　head。　〃This　young　man　could　not　talk　a

word　of　Greek。　The　lady　could　talk　English　fairly　well。　Inference…that

she　had　been　in　England　some　little　time；　but　he　had　not　been　in

Greece。〃

　　〃Well；　then；　we　will　presume　that　she　had　once　come　on　a　visit　to

England；　and　that　this　Harold　had　persuaded　her　to　fly　with　him。〃

　　〃That　is　more　probable。〃

　　〃Then　the　brother…for　that；　I　fancy；　must　be　the

relationship…comes　over　from　Greece　to　interfere。　He　imprudently

puts　himself　into　the　power　of　the　young　man　and　his　older

associate。　They　seize　him　and　use　violence　towards　him　in　order　to

make　him　sign　some　papers　to　make　over　the　girl's　fortune…of　which

he　may　be　trustee…to　them。　This　he　refuses　to　do。　In　order　to

negotiate　with　him　they　have　to　get　an　interpreter；　and　they　pitch

upon　this　Mr。　Melas；　having　used　some　other　one　before。　The　girl　is

not　told　of　the　arrival　of　her　brother　and　finds　it　out　by　the

merest　accident。

　　〃Excellent；　Watson！〃　cried　Holmes。　〃I　really　fancy　that　you　are

not　far　from　the　truth。　You　see　that　we　hold　all　the　cards；　and　we

have　only　to　fear　some　sudden　act　of　violence　on　their　part。　If　they

give　us　time　we　must　have　them。〃

　　〃But　how　can　we　find　where　this　house　lies？〃

　　〃Well；　if　our　conjecture　is　correct　and　the　girl's　name　is　or　was

Sophy　Kratides；　we　should　have　no　difficulty　in　tracing　her。　That　must

be　our　main　hope；　for　the　brother　is；　of　course；　a　complete

stranger。　It　is　clear　that　some　time　has　elapsed　since　this　Harold

established　these　relations　with　the　girl…some　weeks；　at　any

rate…since　the　brother　in　Greece　has　had　time　to　hear　of　it　and　come

across。　If　they　have　been　living　in　the　same　place　during　this　time；

it　is　probable　that　we　shall　have　some　answer　to　Mycroft's

advertisement。〃

　　We　had　reached　our　house　in　Baker　Street　while　we　had　been

talking。　Holmes　ascended　the　stair　first；　and　as　he　opened　the　door　of

our　room　he　gave　a　start　of　surprise。　Looking　over　his　shoulder；　I　was

equally　astonished。　His　brother　Mycroft　was　sitting　smoking　in　the

armchair。

　　〃Come　in；　Sherlock！　Come　in；　sir；〃　said　he　blandly；　smiling　at　our

surprised　faces。　〃You　don't　expect　such　energy　from　me；　do　you；

Sherlock？　But　somehow　this　can　attract