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波思克姆比溪谷秘案 The Boscombe Valleymstery（第3页）

“Isee，”saidIasIglahen，“thatthehisgremarkswasrathersevereuponyoungMcCarthy。Hecallsattention，aothediscyabouthisfatherhavingsigohimbefhim，alsotohisrefusaltogivedetailsofhisversationwithhisfather，andhissingularatofhisfather’sdyingwords。Theyareall，asheremarks，verymusttheson。”

Holmeslaughedsoftlytohimselfachedhimselfoutupontheedseat。“Bothyouandtheerhavebeenatsomepains，”saidhe，“tosiheverystrosintheyoungman’sfavour。Doyivehimcreditftoomuationandtoolittle?Toolittle，ifheotiacauseofquarrelwhichwouldgivehimthesympathyofthejury;toomuch，ifheevolvedfromhisowninneressanythingsooutréasadyioarat，aofthevanishingo，sir，Ishallapproachthisthepoiwhatthisyoungmansaysistrue，andweshallseewhitherthathypothesiswillleadus。AndnowhereismypocketPetrarotanotherwordshallIsayofthistilweareoioSwindon，aweshallbethereies。”

Itwasnearlyfouro’weatlast，afterpassingthroughthebeautifulStroudValley，ahebroadgleamingSevern，fouheprettylittletry-townofRoss。Alea-likeman，furtiveandsly-looking，waswaitingforusupoform。Ihelightbrowndustdleather-leggingswhichheworeiohisrustidings，IhadnodiffiregLestrade，ofSdYard。WithhimwedrovetotheHerefordArmswherearoomhadalreadybeenengagedforus。

“Ihaveorderedacarriage，”saidLestradeaswesatoveracupoftea。“Ikiature，andthatyouwouldnotbehappyuntilyouhadbeenohecrime。”

“Itwasverynientaryofyou，”Holmesaisentirelyaquestionofbarometricpressure。”

&radelookedstartled。“Idonotquitefollo>

“Howistheglass?Twenty-nine，Isee。Nowind，andnotathesky。Ihaveacasefulofcigarettesherewhieedsmoking，andthesofaisverymuchsuperiortotheusualination。IdonotthinkthatitisprobablethatIshallusethecarriageto-night。”

&radelaughedily。“Youhave，nodoubt，alreadyformedyourtheneers，”hesaid。“Thecaseisasplainasapikestaff，andthemoesintoittheplaiill，ofe’trefusealady，andsuchaverypositiveooo。Shehasheardofyou，andwouldhaveyouropinion，thoughIrepeatedlytoldherthattherewasnothingwhichyoucoulddowhiotalreadydone。Why，blessmysoul!hereishercarriageatthedoor。”

HehadhardlyspokehererushedintotheroomolovelyyouIhaveeverseeninmylife。Hervioleteyesshining，herlipsparted，apinkflushupohoughtofhernaturalreservelostinherextand。

“Oh，Mr。Sherloes!”shecried，glanoherofus，andfinally，withawoman’squituition，fasteninguponmysogladthatyouhavee。Ihavedrivendowntotellyouso。IknowthatJamesdidn’tdoit。Iknowit，andIwantyoutostartuponyit，too。yourselfdoubtuponthatpoint。Wehavekhersile，andIknowhisfaultsasnooheistooteohurtafly。Suchachargeisabsurdtoanyonewhoreallyknowshim。”

“Ihopewemayclearhim，MissTurner，”saidSherloes。“YoumayrelyuponmydoingallthatI。”

“Butyouhavereadtheevidence。Youhaveformedsome?Doyounotseesomeloophole，someflaw?Doyouhinkthatheisi?”

“Ithinkthatitisveryprobable。”

“There，hrowingbackherheadandlookilyatLestrade。“Yivesmehopes。”

&radeshruggedhisshoulders。“Iamafraidthatmycolleaguehasbeenalittlequiinghiss，”hesaid。

“Butheisright。Oh!Iknowthatheisright。James。Andabouthisquarrelwithhisfather，IamsurethatthereasonwhyhewouldittotheerwasbecauseIwasedinit。”

“Inwhatway?”askedHolmes。

“Itisohideanything。Jamesandhisfatherhadmasaboutme。Mr。McCarthywasveryanxiousthatthereshouldbeamarriagebetweenus。JamesandIhavealwayslovedeachotherasbrotheraofcourseheisyoungandhasseeleoflifeyet，and——and——well，henaturallydidnotwishtodoanythi。Sotherewerequarrels，andthis，Iamsure，wasohem。”

“Andyourfather?”askedHolmes。“Washeinfavourofsu?”

“No，hewasaversetoitalso。Mr。McCarthywasinfavourofit。”Aquickblushpassedoverherfreshyoungfaesshotoneofhiskeeioniher。

“Thankyouforthisinformation，”saidhe。“MayIseeyourfatherifIorrow?”

“Iamafraidthedo’tallowit。”

&or?”

“Yes，haveyounotheard?Poorfatherhasrongforyearsback，butthishasbrokenhimdowely。Hehastakentohisbed，andDr。Willowssaysthatheisawredthathisnervoussystemisshattered。Mr。McCarthywastheonlymanalivewhohadknowndadintheolddaysinVictoria。”

“Ha!InVictoria!Thatisimportant。”

&hemines。”

“Quiteso;atthegold-mines，where，asIuand，Mr。Turnermadehismoney。”

&ainly。”

“Thankyou，MissTurner。Youhavebeenofmaterialassistaome。”

“Youwilltellmeifyouhaveao-morrow。NodoubtyouwillgototheprisontoseeJames。Oh，ifyoudo，Mr。Holmes，dotellhimthatIknowhimtobei。”

“Iwill，MissTurner。”

“Imustgohomenow，fordadisveryill，andhemissesmesoifIleavehim。Goodbye，andGodhelpyouiny。”Shehurriedfromtheroomasimpulsivelyasshehadentered，ahewheelserattleoffdow。

“Iamashamedofyou，Holmes，”saidLestradewithdignityafterafewminutes’silence。“Whyshouldyouraiseuphopeswhichyouareboundtodisappoint?IameIcallitcruel。”

“IthinkthatIseemywaytJamesMcCarthy，”saidHolmes。“Haveyouaoseehiminprison?”

&onlyforyouandme。”