布鲁斯-帕廷顿计划-the bruce-partington plans-第3章

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While　in　London　on　this　treasonable　mission　he　met　his　end。〃

〃How？〃

〃We　will　suppose　that　he　was　travelling　back　to　Woolwich　when　he
was　killed　and　thrown　out　of　the　partment。〃

〃Aldgate；　where　the　body　was　found；　is　considerably　past　the
station　London　Bridge；　which　would　be　his　route　to　Woolwich。〃

〃Many　circumstances　could　be　imagined　under　which　he　would　pass
London　Bridge。　　There　was　someone　in　the　carriage；　for　example；
with　whom　he　was　having　an　absorbing　interview。　　This　interview
led　to　a　violent　scene　in　which　he　lost　his　life。　　Possibly　he
tried　to　leave　the　carriage；　fell　out　on　the　line；　and　so　met　his
end。　　The　other　closed　the　door。　　There　was　a　thick　fog；　and
nothing　could　be　seen。〃

〃No　better　explanation　can　be　given　with　our　present　knowledge；
and　yet　consider；　Sherlock；　how　much　you　leave　untouched。　　We
will　suppose；　for　argument's　sake；　that　young　Cadogan　West　HAD
determined　to　convey　these　papers　to　London。　　He　would　naturally
have　made　an　appointment　with　the　foreign　agent　and　kept　his
evening　clear。　　Instead　of　that　he　took　two　tickets　for　the
theatre；　escorted　his　fiancee　halfway　there；　and　then　suddenly
disappeared。〃

〃A　blind；〃　said　Lestrade；　who　had　sat　listening　with　some
impatience　to　the　conversation。

〃A　very　singular　one。　　That　is　objection　No。　1。　　Objection　No。　2：
We　will　suppose　that　he　reaches　London　and　sees　the　foreign
agent。　　He　must　bring　back　the　papers　before　morning　or　the　loss
will　be　discovered。　　He　took　away　ten。　　Only　seven　were　in　his
pocket。　　What　had　bee　of　the　other　three？　　He　certainly　would
not　leave　them　of　his　own　free　will。　　Then；　again；　where　is　the
price　of　his　treason？　　Once　would　have　expected　to　find　a　large
sum　of　money　in　his　pocket。〃

〃It　seems　to　me　perfectly　clear；〃　said　Lestrade。　　〃I　have　no
doubt　at　all　as　to　what　occurred。　　He　took　the　papers　to　sell
them。　　He　saw　the　agent。　They　could　not　agree　as　to　price。　　He
started　home　again；　but　the　agent　went　with　him。　　In　the　train
the　agent　murdered　him；　took　the　more　essential　papers；　and　threw
his　body　from　the　carriage。　　That　would　account　for　everything；
would　it　not？〃

〃Why　had　he　no　ticket？〃

〃The　ticket　would　have　shown　which　station　was　nearest　the
agent's　house。　　Therefore　he　took　it　from　the　murdered　man's
pocket。〃

〃Good；　Lestrade；　very　good；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃Your　theory　holds
together。　　But　if　this　is　true；　then　the　case　is　at　an　end。　　On
the　one　hand；　the　traitor　is　dead。　　On　the　other；　the　plans　of
the　Bruce…Partington　submarine　are　presumably　already　on　the
Continent。　　What　is　there　for　us　to　do？〃

〃To　act；　Sherlock……to　act！〃　cried　Mycroft；　springing　to　his　feet。
〃All　my　instincts　are　against　this　explanation。　　Use　your　powers！
Go　to　the　scene　of　the　crime！　　See　the　people　concerned！　　Leave
no　stone　unturned！　　In　all　your　career　you　have　never　had　so
great　a　chance　of　serving　your　country。〃

〃Well；　well！〃　said　Holmes；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　　〃e；
Watson！　　And　you；　Lestrade；　could　you　favour　us　with　your　pany
for　an　hour　or　two？　　We　will　begin　our　investigation　by　a　visit
to　Aldgate　Station。　　Good…bye；　Mycroft。　　I　shall　let　you　have　a
report　before　evening；　but　I　warn　you　in　advance　that　you　have
little　to　expect。〃

An　hour　later　Holmes；　Lestrade　and　I　stood　upon　the　Underground
railroad　at　the　point　where　it　emerges　from　the　tunnel
immediately　before　Aldgate　Station。　　A　courteous　red…faced　old
gentleman　represented　the　railway　pany。

〃This　is　where　the　young　man's　body　lay；〃　said　he；　indicating　a
spot　about　three　feet　from　the　metals。　　〃It　could　not　have　fallen
from　above；　for　these；　as　you　see；　are　all　blank　walls。
Therefore；　it　could　only　have　e　from　a　train；　and　that　train；
so　far　as　we　can　trace　it；　must　have　passed　about　midnight　on
Monday。〃

〃Have　the　carriages　been　examined　for　any　sign　of　violence？〃

〃There　are　no　such　signs；　and　no　ticket　has　been　found。〃

〃No　record　of　a　door　being　found　open？〃

〃None。〃

〃We　have　had　some　fresh　evidence　this　morning；〃　said　Lestrade。
〃A　passenger　who　passed　Aldgate　in　an　ordinary　Metropolitan　train
about　11：40　on　Monday　night　declares　that　he　heard　a　heavy　thud；
as　of　a　body　striking　the　line；　just　before　the　train　reached　the
station。　　There　was　dense　fog；　however；　and　nothing　could　be
seen。　　He　made　no　report　of　it　at　the　time。　　Why；　whatever　is　the
matter　with　Mr。　Holmes？〃

My　friend　was　standing　with　an　expression　of　strained　intensity
upon　his　face；　staring　at　the　railway　metals　where　they　curved
out　of　the　tunnel。　　Aldgate　is　a　junction；　and　there　was　a
work　of　points。　　On　these　his　eager；　questioning　eyes　were
fixed；　and　I　saw　on　his　keen；　alert　face　that　tightening　of　the
lips；　that　quiver　of　the　nostrils；　and　concentration　of　the
heavy；　tufted　brows　which　I　knew　so　well。

〃Points；〃　he　muttered；　〃the　points。〃

〃What　of　it？　　What　do　you　mean？〃

〃I　suppose　there　are　no　great　number　of　points　on　a　system　such
as　this？〃

〃No；　they　are　very　few。〃

〃And　a　curve；　too。　　Points；　and　a　curve。　　By　Jove！　if　it　were
only　so。〃

〃What　is　it；　Mr。　Holmes？　　Have　you　a　clue？〃

〃An　idea……an　indication；　no　more。　　But　the　case　certainly　grows
in　interest。　　Unique；　perfectly　unique；　and　yet　why　not？　　I　do
not　see　any　indications　of　bleeding　on　the　line。〃

〃There　were　hardly　any。〃

〃But　I　understand　that　there　was　a　considerable　wound。〃

〃The　bone　was　crushed；　but　there　was　no　great　external　injury。〃

〃And　yet　one　would　have　expected　some　bleeding。　　Would　it　be
possible　for　me　to　inspect　the　train　which　contained　the
passenger　who　heard　the　thud　of　a　fall　in　the　fog？〃

〃I　fear　not；　Mr。　Holmes。　　The　train　has　been　broken　up　before
now；　and　the　carriages　redistributed。〃

〃I　can　assure　you；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　Lestrade；　〃that　every
carriage　has　been　carefully　examined。　　I　saw　to　it　myself。〃

It　was　one　of　my　friend's　most　obvious　weaknesses　that　he　was
impatient　with　less　alert　intelligences　than　his　own。

〃Very　likely；〃　said　he；　turning　away。　　〃As　it　happens；　it　was　not
the　carriages　which　I　desired　to　examine。　　Watson；　we　have　done
all　we　can　here。　　We　need　not　trouble　you　any　further；　Mr。
Lestrade。　　I　think　our　investigations　must　now　carry　us　to
Woolwich。〃

At　London　Bridge；　Holmes　wrote　a　telegram　to　his　brother；　which
he　handed　to　me　before　dispatching　it。　　It　ran　thus：

See　some　light　in　the　darkness；　but　it　may　possibly　flicker　out。
Meanwhile；　please　send　by　messenger；　to　await　return　at　Baker
Street；　a　plete　list　of　all　foreign　spies　or　international
agents　known　to　be　in　England；　with　full　address。

Sherlock。

〃That　should　be　helpful；　Watson；〃　he　remarked　as　we　took　our
seats　in　the　Woolwich　train。　　〃We　certainly　owe　Brother　Mycroft　a
debt　for　having　introduced　us　to　what　promises　to　be　a　really
very　remarkable　case。〃

His　eager　face　still　wore　that　expression　of　intense　and　high…
strung　energy；　which　showed　me　that　some　novel　and　suggestive
circumstance　had　opened　up　a　stimulating　line　of　thought。　　See
the　foxhound　with　hanging　ears　and　drooping　tail　as　it　lolls
about　the　kennels；　and　pare　it　with　the　same　hound　as；　with
gleaming　eyes　and　straining　muscles；　it　runs　upon　a　breast…high
scent……such　was　the　change　in　Holmes　since　the　morning。　　He　was　a
different　man　from　the　limp　and　lounging　figure　in　the　mouse…
coloured　dressing…gown　who　had　prowled　so　restlessly　only　a　few
hours　before　round　the　fog…girt　room。

〃There　is　material　here。　　There　is　scope；〃　said　he。　　〃I　am　dull
indeed　not　to　have　understood　its　possibilities。〃

〃Even　now　they　are　dark　to　me。〃

〃The　end　is　dark　to　me　also；　but　I　have　hold　of　one　idea　which
may　lead　us　far。　　The　man　met　his　death　elsewhere；　and　his　body
was　on　the　ROOF　of　a　carriage。〃

〃On　the　roof！〃

〃Remarkable；　is　it　not？　　But　consider　the　facts。　　Is　it　a
coincidence　that　it　is　found　at　the　very　point　where　the　train
pitches　and　sways　as　it　es　round　on　the　points？　　Is　not　that
the　place　where　an　object　upon　the　roof　might　be　expected　to　fall
off？　　The　points　would　affect　no　object　inside　the　train。　　Either
the　body　fell　from　the　roof；　or　a　very　curious　coincidence　has
occurred。　　But　now　consider　the　question　of　the　blood。　　Of
course；　there　was　no　bleedin