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波思克姆比溪谷秘案 The Boscombe Valleymstery（第4页）

“ThenIshallreyresolutionaboutgoiilltimetotakeatraintoHerefordao-night?”

“Ample。”

&usdoso。Watsoyouwillfinditveryslow，butIshallonlybealeofhours。”

Iwalkeddowiohehroughthestreetsofthelittletown，fiothehotel，onthesofaaerestmyselfinayellow-baovel。Thepunyplotofthestorywassothin，however，whehedeepmysterythrougheregroping，andIfouioinuallyfromtheatothefact，thatIatlastflungitacravemyselfupeoasideratiosoftheday。Supposingthatthisunhappyyoungman’sstorywereabsolutelytrue，thehing，whatabsolutelyuraordinarycalamitycouldhaveoccurredbetweeimewheedfromhisfather，awhen，drawnbackbyhisscreams，herushediwassomethingterribleanddeadly。Whatcoulditbe?Mightureoftheinjuriesrevealsomethingtomymedigthebellaheweeklytypaper，whiedaverbatimatoftheihesurgeoionitwasstatedthattheposteriorthirdoftheleftparietalbohalfoftheoccipitalboeredbyaheavyblowfromabluntohespotuponmyownhead。Clearlysuusthavebeenstrubehind。Thatwastosomeextentinfavouroftheaccused，aswhenseenquarrellinghewasfacetofacewithhisfather。Still，itdidnotgoforverymuch，forthehthaveturnedhisbackbeforetheblowfell。Still，itmightbeworthwhiletoes’attentiontoit。Thehepeculiardyioarat。Whatcouldthatmean?Itotbedelirium。Amandyingfromasuddeedelirious。No，itwasmorelikelytobeaoexplaihisfate。Butwhatcoulditindicate?IcudgelledmybrainstofindsomepossibleexplanatioheihegreybyyoungMcCarthy。Ifthatweretruethemurderermusthavedroppedsomepartofhisdress，presumablyhisoverhisflight，andmusthavehadthehardihoodtoreturnandtocarryitawayattheihesohhisbaednotadozenpacesoff。Whatatissueofmysteriesandimprobabilitiesthewholethingwas!Ididrade’sopinioIhadsomuchfaithinSherloes’insightthatIotlosehopeaslongaseveryfreshfactseemedtthenhisofyoungMcCarthy’sinnoce。

ItwaslatebeforeSherloesreturned。Hecamebae，forLestradewasstayinginlodgiown。

&illkeepsveryhigh，”heremarkedashesatdown。“Itisofimportashouldnotrainbeforeweareabletrouherhand，amanshouldbeathisverybestaforsuiceworkasthat，andIdidnotwishtodoitwhenfaggedbyalongjourney。IhaveseenyoungMcCarthy。”

“Andwhatdidyoulearnfromhim?”

“Nothing。”

“Couldhethrownolight?”

&all。Iwasihihatheknewwhohaddoandwassghimorher，butIamowthatheisaspuzzledaseveryoneelse。Heisnotaveryquick-wittedyouth，thoughelytolookatand，Ishouldthink，sou。”

“Iirehistaste，”Iremarked，“ifitisithathewasaversetewithsayoungladyasthisMissTurner。”

“Ah，therebyhangsaratherpaihisfellowismadly，insanely，ihher，butsometwo，whenhewasonlyalad，andbeforehereallyknewher，forshehadbeenawayfiveyearsatab-school，whatdoestheidiotdobutgetiaidinBristolandmarryherataregistryoffieknowsawordofthematter，butyouehowmaddeningitmustbetohimtobeupbraidedfornotdoingwhathewouldgivehisveryeyestodo，butwhathekelyimpossible。Itwassheerfrenzyofthissortwhichmadehimthrointotheairwhenhisfather，attheirlastinterview，wasgoadinghimontoproposetoMissTurheotherhand，hehadnomeanshimself，andhisfather，whowasbyallatsaveryhardman，wouldhavethrowerlyhadhekh。ItwaswithhisbarmaidwifethathehadspehreedaysinBristol，andhisfatherdidnotknoas。Markthatpoint。Itisoodhaseoutofevil，however，forthebarmaid，findingfromthepapersthatheisiroubleaobehahrowerlyandhaswrittentohimtosaythatshehasahusbaheBermudaDockyard，sothatthereisreallyhem。IthinkthatthatbitofnewshassoledyoungMcCarthyforallthathehassuffered。”

“Butifheisi，whohasdo?”

“Ah!who?Iwouldcallyouratteicularlytotwopoithemurderedmanhadanappoihsomeohepool，andthatthesomeoneothavebeenhisson，forhissonwasaway，aknoouldreturhatthemurderedmaocry‘Cooee!’beforehekhissohosearethecrutsuponwhichtheds。AalkabeMeredith，ifyouplease，andweshallleaveallmiilto-morrow。”

Therewasnorain，asHolmeshadforetold，andthemhtanineo’clockLestradecalledforuswiththecarriage，aoffforHatherleyFarmandtheBosbePool。

“Thereisserioushism，”Lestradeobserved。“ItissaidthatMr。TurheHall，issoillthathislifeisdespairedof。”

“Anelderlyman，Ipresume?”saidHolmes。

“Aboutsixty;buthisstitutioeredbyhislifeabroad，andhehasbeeninfailihforsometime。Thisbusinesshashadaverybadeffe。HewasanoldfriendofMcCarthy’s，and，Imayadd，agreatbeohim，forIhavelearhegavehimHatherleyFarmrentfree。”

&isiing，”saidHolmes。

“Oh，yes!Iheredhim。Everybodyaboutherespeaksofhiskiohim。”

“Really!DoesitnotstrikeyouasalittlesingularthatthisMcCarthy，earstohavehadlittleofhisown，andtohavebeenundersuchobligationstoTurner，shouldstilltalkhissonthter，whois，presumably，heiresstotheestate，andthatinsuchaveryanner，asifitweremerelyacaseofaproposalandallelsewouldfollow?Itistheme，sihatTurnerhimselfwasaversetotheidea。Thedaughtertoldusasmuch。Doyouhingfromthat?”

&tothededudtheinferences，”saidLestrade，winkingatme。“Ifindithardenoughtotacklefaes，withoutflyingawayaftertheoriesandfancies。”

“Yht，”saidHolmesdemurely;“youdofiotacklethefacts。”

“Anyhoedowhitofinditdifficulttogetholdof，”repliedLestradewithsome>

“Andthatis……”

“ThatMciormethisdeathfromMciorandthatalltheoriestothetraryarethemerestmoonshine。”

“Well，moonshineisabrighterthingthanfog，”saidHolmes，laughing。“ButIamverymuchmistakenifthisisnotHatherleyFarmupo。”

&isit。”

Itread，fortable-lookingbuilding，two-storied，slate-roofed，withgreatyellowblotchesoflithegreywalls。Thedrawnblindsandthesmokelesseys，haveitastrilook，asthoughtheweightofthishorrorstilllayheavyuponit。Wecalledatthedoor，wheHolmes’request，showedusthebootswhichhermasterworeatthetimeofhisdeath，andalsoapairoftheson’s，thoughnotthepairwhichhehadthenhad。Haviheseverycarefullyfromsevedifferentpoints，Holmesdesiredtobeledtothecourt-yard，fromwhichweallfollowedthewindingtrackwhibePool。

Sherloeswastransformedonsutasthis。MenwhohadonlykhinkerandlogiofBakerStreetwouldhavefailedtnisehim。Hisfaceflushedanddarkened。Hisbronintotwohardblaes，whilehiseyesshofrombehasteelyglitter。Hisfatdownward，hisshouldersbowed，hislipspressed，aoodoutlikewhiphislong，sinewyneostrilsseemedtodilateurelyanimallustforthedhismindwassoabsolutelytratedupoerbeforehimthataquestionorremarkfellunheededuponhisears，or，atthemost，onlyprovokedaquick，impatientsnarlinreply。Swiftlyalyhemadehiswayalorackwhithroughthemeadows，andsobywayofthewoodstotheBosbePool。It，marshyground，asisallthatdistridthereweremarksofmahupohandamidtheshrasswhideditoherside。SometimesHolmeswouldhurryoopdead，andoncehemadequitealittledetourintothemeadow。LestradeandIwalkedbehindhim，thedetedifferentauous，whileIwatchedmyfriendwiththeiwhigfromthethateveryoneofhisaswasdirectedtowardsadefiniteend。

TheBosbePool，whichisalittlereed-girtsheetofwatersomefiftyyardsacross，issituatedatthebouheHatherleyFarmaeparkofthewealthyMr。Turhewoodswhieditupohersidewecouldseethered，juttingpinnacleswhichmarkedthesiteoftherier’sdwelliherleysideofthepoolthewoodsgrewverythidtherewasaofsoddengrasstwentypacesacrossbetweereesandthereedswhiedthelake。Lestradeshowedustheexactspotatwhichthebodyhadbeenfound，and，indeed，somoistwastheground，thatIcouldplairaceswhichhadbeehefallofthestri。ToHolmes，asIcouldseebyhiseagerfadpeeringeyes，verymahiobereaduprass。Heranround，likeadogwhoispigupasdthenturneduponmypanion。

“Whatdidyougointothepoolfor?”heasked。