登陆注册
5411700000082

第82章 The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez(6)

"Tell me, Professor Coram," he said, at last, "what is in that cupboard in the bureau?""Nothing that would help a thief.Family papers, letters from my poor wife, diplomas of Universities which have done me honour.

Here is the key.You can look for yourself."Holmes picked up the key and looked at it for an instant;then he handed it back.

"No; I hardly think that it would help me," said he."I should prefer to go quietly down to your garden and turn the whole matter over in my head.There is something to be said for the theory of suicide which you have put forward.We must apologize for having intruded upon you, Professor Coram, and I promise that we won't disturb you until after lunch.At two o'clock we will come again and report to you anything which may have happened in the interval."Holmes was curiously distrait, and we walked up and down the garden path for some time in silence.

"Have you a clue?" I asked, at last.

"It depends upon those cigarettes that I smoked," said he.

"It is possible that I am utterly mistaken.The cigarettes will show me.""My dear Holmes," I exclaimed, "how on earth ----""Well, well, you may see for yourself.If not, there's no harm done.Of course, we always have the optician clue to fall back upon, but I take a short cut when I can get it.Ah, here is the good Mrs.Marker! Let us enjoy five minutes of instructive conversation with her."I may have remarked before that Holmes had, when he liked, a peculiarly ingratiating way with women, and that he very readily established terms of confidence with them.In half the time which he had named he had captured the housekeeper's goodwill, and was chatting with her as if he had known her for years.

"Yes, Mr.Holmes, it is as you say, sir.He does smoke something terrible.All day and sometimes all night, sir.

I've seen that room of a morning -- well, sir, you'd have thought it was a London fog.Poor young Mr.Smith, he was a smoker also, but not as bad as the Professor.His health -- well, I don't know that it's better nor worse for the smoking.""Ah!" said Holmes, "but it kills the appetite.""Well, I don't know about that, sir."

"I suppose the Professor eats hardly anything?""Well, he is variable.I'll say that for him.""I'll wager he took no breakfast this morning, and won't face his lunch after all the cigarettes I saw him consume.""Well, you're out there, sir, as it happens, for he ate a remarkable big breakfast this morning.I don't know when I've known him make a better one, and he's ordered a good dish of cutlets for his lunch.

I'm surprised myself, for since I came into that room yesterday and saw young Mr.Smith lying there on the floor I couldn't bear to look at food.Well, it takes all sorts to make a world, and the Professor hasn't let it take his appetite away."We loitered the morning away in the garden.Stanley Hopkins had gone down to the village to look into some rumours of a strange woman who had been seen by some children on the Chatham Road the previous morning.As to my friend, all his usual energy seemed to have deserted him.I had never known him handle a case in such a half-hearted fashion.Even the news brought back by Hopkins that he had found the children and that they had undoubtedly seen a woman exactly corresponding with Holmes's description, and wearing either spectacles or eye-glasses, failed to rouse any sign of keen interest.He was more attentive when Susan, who waited upon us at lunch, volunteered the information that she believed Mr.Smith had been out for a walk yesterday morning, and that he had only returned half an hour before the tragedy occurred.I could not myself see the bearing of this incident, but I clearly perceived that Holmes was weaving it into the general scheme which he had formed in his brain.

Suddenly he sprang from his chair and glanced at his watch.

"Two o'clock, gentlemen," said he."We must go up and have it out with our friend the Professor."The old man had just finished his lunch, and certainly his empty dish bore evidence to the good appetite with which his housekeeper had credited him.He was, indeed, a weird figure as he turned his white mane and his glowing eyes towards us.

The eternal cigarette smouldered in his mouth.He had been dressed and was seated in an arm-chair by the fire.

"Well, Mr.Holmes, have you solved this mystery yet?" He shoved the large tin of cigarettes which stood on a table beside him towards my companion.Holmes stretched out his hand at the same moment, and between them they tipped the box over the edge.

For a minute or two we were all on our knees retrieving stray cigarettes from impossible places.When we rose again I observed that Holmes's eyes were shining and his cheeks tinged with colour.

Only at a crisis have I seen those battle-signals flying.

"Yes," said he, "I have solved it."

Stanley Hopkins and I stared in amazement.Something like a sneer quivered over the gaunt features of the old Professor.

"Indeed! In the garden?"

"No, here."

"Here! When?"

"This instant."

"You are surely joking, Mr.Sherlock Holmes.You compel me to tell you that this is too serious a matter to be treated in such a fashion.""I have forged and tested every link of my chain, Professor Coram, and I am sure that it is sound.What your motives are or what exact part you play in this strange business I am not yet able to say.In a few minutes I shall probably hear it from your own lips.

Meanwhile I will reconstruct what is past for your benefit, so that you may know the information which I still require.

"A lady yesterday entered your study.She came with the intention of possessing herself of certain documents which were in your bureau.She had a key of her own.I have had an opportunity of examining yours, and I do not find that slight discolouration which the scratch made upon the varnish would have produced.

You were not an accessory, therefore, and she came, so far as I can read the evidence, without your knowledge to rob you."The Professor blew a cloud from his lips."This is most interesting and instructive," said he."Have you no more to add?

同类推荐
  • 玄坛刊误论

    玄坛刊误论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 陶记略

    陶记略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 续传灯录目录

    续传灯录目录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 杂病广要

    杂病广要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 尉缭子

    尉缭子

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 朝花夕拾合集

    朝花夕拾合集

    各种古风和现代文短篇原创合集,可盐可甜,剧情完整,互不干涉。
  • 都市之无敌吞噬系统

    都市之无敌吞噬系统

    黑夜将至,天地异象,世界上成千上万的人,突然随即获得了系统能力。林木重生随即获得‘吞噬系统’,可依靠吞噬能力,吞噬别人的系统和能力,归自己所用。“我拥有‘最强装逼打脸系统’,你小子敢和我装逼?我们‘炸天帮’的百万天骄何在!”【叮!恭喜宿主获得‘最强装逼打脸系统’!】“哈哈,我有‘不死之身系统’,你是打不死我的!”【叮!恭喜宿主获得‘不死之身系统’!】“小子别得意,我有‘无敌系统’,就是无敌到没有朋友的那种,你是打不过我的。”【叮!恭喜宿主获得‘无敌系统’。】其他拥有系统能力的人:“快跑,我们要举报,这家伙开挂了,我们打不过他啊!”……林木:“哎,你不是那逼王陈玄吗?别走啊!让我吞一口!”陈玄回头骂道:“你麻痹,我是凭自己本身装的逼,我又没有系统,你找我干吗?”
  • 风华落 之 代嫁皇后

    风华落 之 代嫁皇后

    秋意正浓。夕阳西下,晚霞染红了原野上的枯草,也染红了远处由远渐近的队伍的身影。前来的队伍,在最前方的骑在黑色战马上的将军,白色戎装竟被晚霞染成红色,甚是飒爽。将军的后面是四个先锋将士,个个军黑色戎装,步伐铿锵有力。紧随四骑之后,成千的士兵成四列纵队,个个全副武装,步伐一致,甚是威严。随后是一辆八骑马车,华丽异常的红色冠盖,显出只有皇家才有的气势,想必也只有马车里安坐的人,才称得上这样的气……
  • 相亲鉴证实录

    相亲鉴证实录

    单身女青年张淼,背负着家庭的压力,被迫走上了相亲之路,面对渣男和奇葩无数,她大开眼界!为了那句“不将就”她抵抗着渣男,和贱婊男周旋,妈宝男、铁公鸡、已婚男各种杂草遍布地表,历经铅华,张淼勇往直前,为了真爱!那么什么是爱情?那年,那月,那天,爱情分明来过,他是开始,亦是过程,他,是爱情么?相亲的各种不顺,又周旋于所谓爱情当中,现代单身女青年的情感之路,何去何从……
  • 帝逆洪荒

    帝逆洪荒

    【群号536062606】人族至宝崆峒印逆天回到未来,带来周天附身殷商人皇纣王之身!帝辛怒吼:人族要自强,人族要自立,人族要自主!但随即帝辛发现了洪荒并不是那么简单,洪荒在亘古居然被打碎了,有蛮荒,莽荒,大荒三荒并存,四荒合并成就洪荒大世界!兽皇神逆,魔祖罗睺,阴阳老祖,乾坤老祖,扬眉大仙,洪荒大能纷纷出世!真龙老祖,凤凰老母,瑞麒麟三族老祖出世,镇压三族!东皇太一,妖皇帝俊设计假死,瞒过众圣,如今万妖齐聚!且看帝辛如何在万族夹击之中求生存,成就一代人族大帝,庇佑人族!
  • 医毒双绝:穿越最强幻妃

    医毒双绝:穿越最强幻妃

    一树花结出万千因果。家族最强少女璃紫月穿越异世,却成为被家族遗弃,惨死野外的废物。返回家族,有仇必报。堂姐陷害?毁了你的容,再给你一个残忍的夫君;未婚夫是主谋?断送你江山,然后打发你去要饭;说她是废物?真相解开,闪瞎一群人的狗眼!史上最强幻灵少女,纵横霏月王朝!
  • 中国古代宦官传

    中国古代宦官传

    宦官是中国古代专供皇帝、君主及其家族役使的官员。先秦和西汉时期并非全是阉人。自东汉开始,则全为被阉割后失去性能力而成为不男不女的中性人。又称寺人、阉(奄)人、阉官、宦者、中官、内官、内臣、内侍、内监等。中国封建社会里皇宫中专用宦官侍奉皇帝及其家族的制度。它是中国封建专制制度的特有产物。历史上多次发生宦官专权、干预朝政,对中国封建社会政治有重要影响。《中国古代宦官传》本书讲述了“秦朝宦官赵高、东汉宦官张让、唐代宦官李辅国”等等一些宦官的故事。
  • 超强升级系统

    超强升级系统

    神弃大陆,以武为尊,强者摘星拿月,弱者开碑裂石。步凡,天灵根被挖,从天才沦落为废才。一次生死绝境之中,偶得至宝诸神黄昏世界。他发现,在这个世界内升级之后,现实世界中的武道修为,也会随之提升。在这个世界得到的武技,也能带到现实的世界。从此,废才重回天才,一路高歌猛进,战天骄,闯四荒,报血仇,留下一个个神话!
  • 说无垢称经疏(本)

    说无垢称经疏(本)

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 绿野仙踪:补丁姑娘

    绿野仙踪:补丁姑娘

    作品以虚构的奥芝国为背景,讲述美国肯萨斯州小姑娘多萝茜被龙卷风卷到了一个叫孟奇金的地方,好女巫指点她到翡翠城去找奥芝国大术士帮忙送她回家。路上,她先后遇到了稻草人——他需要一副脑子;铁皮樵夫——他需要一颗心;小胆狮——他需要胆量。他们结伴而行,克服了一个又一个困难,终于来到了翡翠城。但是等待他们的又是想不到的麻烦……