第10章

“What！where？“shoutedMr。Windibank，turningwhitetohislips，andglancingabouthimlikearatinatrap。 “Oh，itwon’tdo——reallyitwon’t，“saidHolmes，suavely。“Thereisnopossiblegettingoutofit，Mr。Windibank。Itisquitetootransparent，anditwasaverybadcomplimentwhenyousaidthatitwasimpossibleformetosolvesosimpleaquestion。That’sright！ Sitdown，andletustalkitover。“ Ourvisitorcollapsedintoachair，withaghastlyface，andaglitterofmoistureonhisbrow。“It——it’snotactionable，“hestammered。 “Iamverymuchafraidthatitisnot；butbetweenourselves，Windibank，itwasascruel，andselfish，andheartlessatrickinapettywayasevercamebeforeme。Now，letmejustrunoverthecourseofevents，andyouwillcontradictmeifIgowrong。“ Themansathuddledupinhischair，withhisheadsunkuponhisbreast，likeonewhoisutterlycrushed。Holmesstuckhisfeetuponthecornerofthemantelpiece，and，leaningbackwithhishandsinhispockets，begantalking，rathertohimself，asitseemed，thantous。 “Themanmarriedawomanverymucholderthanhimselfforhermoney，“saidhe，“andheenjoyedtheuseofthemoneyofthedaughteraslongasshelivedwiththem。Itwasaconsiderablesum，forpeopleintheirposition，andthelossofitwouldhavemadeaseriousdifference。Itwasworthanefforttopreserveit。 Thedaughterwasofagood，amiabledisposition，butaffectionateandwarmheartedinherways，sothatitwasevidentthatwithherfairpersonaladvantages，andherlittleincome，shewouldnotbeallowedtoremainsinglelong。Nowhermarriagewouldmean，ofcourse，thelossofahundredayear，sowhatdoesherstepfatherdotopreventit？Hetakestheobviouscourseofkeepingherathome，andforbiddinghertoseekthecompanyofpeopleofherownage。Butsoonhefoundthatthatwouldnotanswerforever。Shebecamerestive，insisteduponherrights，andfinallyannouncedherpositiveintentionofgoingtoacertainball。Whatdoeshercleverstepfatherdothen？Heconceivesanideamorecreditabletohisheadthantohisheart。Withtheconnivanceandassistanceofhiswife，hedisguisedhimself，coveredthosekeeneyeswithtintedglasses，maskedthefacewithamustacheandapairofbushywhiskers，sunkthatclearvoiceintoaninsinuatingwhisper，anddoublysecureonaccountofthegirl’sshortsight，heappearsasMr。HosmerAngel，andkeepsoffotherloversbymakinglovehimself。“ “Itwasonlyajokeatfirst，“groanedourvisitor。“Weneverthoughtthatshewouldhavebeensocarriedaway。“ “Verylikelynot。Howeverthatmaybe，theyoungladywasverydecidedlycarriedaway，andhavingquitemadeuphermindthatherstepfatherwasinFrance，thesuspicionoftreacheryneverforaninstantenteredhermind。Shewasflatteredbythegentleman’sattentions，andtheeffectwasincreasedbytheloudlyexpressedadmirationofhermother。ThenMr。Angelbegantocall，foritwasobviousthatthemattershouldbepushedasfarasifwouldgo，ifarealeffectweretobeproduced。Thereweremeetings，andanengagement，whichwouldfinallysecurethegirl’saffectionsfromturningtowardanyoneelse。Butthedeceptioncouldnotbekeptupforever。ThesepretendedjourneystoFrancewererathercumbrous。 Thethingtodowasclearlytobringthebusinesstoanendinsuchadramaticmannerthatitwouldleaveapermanentimpressionupontheyounglady’smind，andpreventherfromlookinguponanyothersuitorforsometimetocome。HencethosevowsoffidelityexacteduponaTestament，andhencealsotheallusionstoapossibilityofsomethinghappeningontheverymorningofthewedding。JamesWindibankwishedMissSutherlandtobesoboundtoHosmerAngel，andsouncertainastohisfate，thatfortenyearstocome，atanyrate，shewouldnotlistentoanotherman。Asfarasthechurchdoorhebroughther，andthen，ashecouldgonofarther，heconvenientlyvanishedawaybytheoldtrickofsteppinginatonedoorofafour-wheelerandoutattheother。Ithinkthatthatwasthechainofevents，Mr。Windibank！“ OurvisitorhadrecoveredsomethingofhisassurancewhileHolmeshadbeentalking，andherosefromhischairnowwithacoldsneeruponhispaleface。 “Itmaybeso，oritmaynot，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe；“butifyouaresoverysharpyououghttobesharpenoughtoknowthatitisyouwhoarebreakingthelawnow，andnotme。Ihavedonenothingactionablefromthefirst，butaslongasyoukeepthatdoorlockedyoulayyourselfopentoanactionforassaultandillegalconstraint。“ “Thelawcannot，asyousay，touchyou，“saidHolmes，unlockingandthrowingopenthedoor，“yetthereneverwasamanwhodeservedpunishmentmore。Iftheyoungladyhasabrotherorafriend，heoughttolayawhipacrossyourshoulders。ByJove！“hecontinued，flushingupatthesightofthebittersneerupontheman’sface，“itisnotpartofmydutiestomyclient，buthere’sahuntingcrophandy，andIthinkIshalljusttreatmyselfto——“Hetooktwoswiftstepstothewhip，butbeforehecouldgraspittherewasawildclatterofstepsuponthestairs，theheavyhalldoorbanged，andfromthewindowwecouldseeMr。JamesWindibankrunningatthetopofhisspeeddowntheroad。 “There’sacold-bloodedscoundrel！“saidHolmes，laughingashethrewhimselfdownintohischaironcemore。“Thatfellowwillrisefromcrimetocrimeuntilhedoessomethingverybadandendsonagallows。Thecasehas，insomerespects，beennotentirelydevoidofinterest。“ “Icannotnowentirelyseeallthestepsofyourreasoning，“I remarked。 “Well，ofcourseitwasobviousfromthefirstthatthisMr。HosmerAngelmusthavesomestrongobjectforhiscuriousconduct，anditwasequallyclearthattheonlymanwhoreallyprofitedbytheincident，asfaraswecouldsee，wasthestepfather。Thenthefactthatthetwomenwerenevertogether，butthattheonealwaysappearedwhentheotherwasaway，wassuggestive。Sowerethetintedspectaclesandthecuriousvoice，whichbothhintedatadisguise，asdidthebushywhiskers。Mysuspicionswereallconfirmedbyhispeculiaractionintypewritinghissignature，which，ofcourse，inferredthathishandwritingwassofamiliartoherthatshewouldrecognizeeventhesmallestsampleofit。Youseealltheseisolatedfacts，togetherwithmanyminorones，allpointedinthesamedirection。“ “Andhowdidyouverifythem？“ “Havingoncespottedmyman，itwaseasytogetcorroboration。I knewthefirmforwhichthismanworked。Havingtakentheprinteddescription，Ieliminatedeverythingfromitwhichcouldbetheresultofadisguise，——thewhiskers，theglasses，thevoice，——andI sentittothefirmwitharequestthattheywouldinformmewhetheritansweredtothedescriptionofanyoftheirtravelers。 Ihadalreadynoticedthepeculiaritiesofthetypewriter，andI wrotetothemanhimselfathisbusinessaddress，askinghimifhewouldcomehere。AsIexpected，hisreplywastypewritten，andrevealedthesametrivialbutcharacteristicdefects。ThesamepostbroughtmealetterfromWesthouse&Marbank，ofFenchurchStreet，tosaythatthedescriptiontalliedineveryrespectwiththatoftheiremployee，JamesWindibank。Voilatout！“ “AndMissSutherland？“ “IfItellhershewillnotbelieveme。YoumayremembertheoldPersiansaying，’Thereisdangerforhimwhotakeththetigercub，anddangeralsoforwhososnatchethadelusionfromawoman。’ ThereisasmuchsenseinHafizasinHorace，andasmuchknowledgeoftheworld。“ AScandalinBohemiaI ToSherlockHolmessheisalwaysTHEwoman。Ihaveseldomheardhimmentionherunderanyothername。Inhiseyessheeclipsesandpredominatesthewholeofhersex。ItwasnotthathefeltanyemotionakintoloveforIreneAdler。Allemotions，andthatoneparticularly，wereabhorrenttohiscold，precisebutadmirablybalancedmind。Hewas，Itakeit，themostperfectreasoningandobservingmachinethattheworldhasseen；butasalover，hewouldhaveplacedhimselfinafalseposition。Heneverspokeofthesofterpassions，savewithagibeandasneer。Theywereadmirablethingsfortheobserver——excellentfordrawingtheveilfrommen’smotivesandactions。Butforthetrainedreasonertoadmitsuchintrusionsintohisowndelicateandfinelyadjustedtemperamentwastointroduceadistractingfactorwhichmightthrowadoubtuponallhismentalresults。Gritinasensitiveinstrument，oracrackinoneofhisownhigh-powerlenses，wouldnotbemoredisturbingthatastrongemotioninanaturesuchashis。Andyettherewasbutonewomantohim，andthatwomanwasthelateIreneAdler，ofdubiousandquestionablememory。 IhadseenlittleofHolmeslately。Mymarriagehaddriftedusawayfromeachother。Myowncompletehappiness，andthehome- centeredinterestswhichriseuparoundthemanwhofirstfindshimselfmasterofhisownestablishment，weresufficienttoabsorballmyattention；whileHolmes，wholoathedeveryformofsocietywithhiswholeBohemiansoul，remainedinourlodgingsinBakerStreet，buriedamonghisoldbooks，andalternatingfromweektoweekbetweencocaineandambition，thedrowsinessofthedrugandthefierceenergyofhisownkeennature。Hewasstill，asever，deeplyattractedbythestudyofcrime，andoccupiedhisimmensefacultiesandextraordinarypowersofobservationinfollowingoutthoseclews，andclearingupthosemysteries，whichhadbeenabandonedashopelessbytheofficialpolice。FromtimetotimeI heardsomevagueaccountofhisdoings；ofhissummonstoOdessainthecaseoftheTrepoffmurder，ofhisclearingupofthesingulartragedyoftheAtkinsonbrothersatTrincomalee，andfinallyofthemissionwhichhehadaccomplishedsodelicatelyandsuccessfullyforthereigningfamilyofHolland。Beyondthesesignsofhisactivity，however，whichImerelysharedwithallthereadersofthedailypress，Iknewlittleofmyformerfriendandcompanion。 Onenight——itwasonthe20thofMarch，1888——Iwasreturningfromajourneytoapatient(forIhadnowreturnedtocivilpractice)，whenmywayledmethroughBakerStreet。AsIpassedthewell- remembereddoor，whichmustalwaysbeassociatedinmymindwithmywooing，andwiththedarkincidentsoftheStudyinScarlet，IwasseizedwithakeendesiretoseeHolmesagain，andtoknowhowhewasemployinghisextraordinarypowers。Hisroomswerebrilliantlylighted，andevenasIlookedup，Isawhistall，sparefigurepasstwiceinadarksilhouetteagainsttheblind。Hewaspacingtheroomswiftly，eagerly，withhisheadsunkuponhischest，andhishandsclaspedbehindhim。Tome，whoknewhiseverymoodandhabit，hisattitudeandmannertoldtheirownstory。Hewasatworkagain。Hehadrisenoutofhisdrug-createddreams，andwashotuponthescentofsomenewproblem。Irangthebell，andwasshownuptothechamberwhichhadformerlybeeninpartmyown。