the adventure of the priory school-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


forward　and　touched　the　Duke　upon　the　shoulder。

　　〃I　accuse　you；〃　said　he。　〃And　now；　your　Grace；　I'll　trouble　you

for　that　check。〃

　　Never　shall　I　forget　the　Duke's　appearance　as　he　sprang　up　and

clawed　with　his　hands；　like　one　who　is　sinking　into　an　abyss。　Then；

with　an　extraordinary　effort　of　aristocratic　self…command；　he　sat　down

and　sank　his　face　in　his　hands。　It　some　minutes　before　he　spoke。

　　〃How　much　do　you　know？〃　he　asked　at　last；　without　raising　his　head。

　　〃I　saw　you　together　last　night。〃

　　〃Does　anyone　else　beside　your　friend　know？〃

　　〃I　have　spoken　to　no　one。〃

　　The　Duke　took　a　pen　in　his　quivering　fingers　and　opened　his

check…book。

　　〃I　shall　be　as　good　as　my　word；　Mr。　Holmes。　I　am　about　to　write　your

check；　however　unwelcome　the　information　which　you　have　gained　may

be　to　me。　When　the　offer　was　first　made；　I　little　thought　the　turn

which　events　might　take。　But　you　and　your　friend　are　men　of

discretion；　Mr。　Holmes？〃

　　〃I　hardly　understand　your　Grace。〃

　　〃I　must　put　it　plainly；　Mr。　Holmes。　If　only　you　two　know　of　this

incident；　there　is　no　reason　why　it　should　go　any　farther。　I　think

twelve　thousand　pounds　is　the　sum　that　I　owe　you；　is　it　not？〃

　　But　Holmes　smiled　and　shook　his　head。

　　〃I　fear；　your　Grace；　that　matters　can　hardly　be　arranged　so

easily。　There　is　the　death　of　this　schoolmaster　to　be　accounted　for。〃

　　〃But　James　knew　nothing　of　that。　You　cannot　hold　him　responsible　for

that。　It　was　the　work　of　this　brutal　ruffian　whom　he　had　the

misfortune　to　employ。〃

　　〃I　must　take　the　view；　your　Grace；　that　when　a　man　embarks　upon　a

crime；　he　is　morally　guilty　of　any　other　crime　which　may　spring　from

it。〃

　　〃Morally；　Mr。　Holmes。　No　doubt　you　are　right。　But　surely　not　in

the　eyes　of　the　law。　A　man　cannot　be　condemned　for　a　murder　at　which

he　was　not　present；　and　which　he　loathes　and　abhors　as　much　as　you　do。

The　instant　that　he　heard　of　it　he　made　a　complete　confession　to　me；

so　filled　was　he　with　horror　and　remorse。　He　lost　not　an　hour　in

breaking　entirely　with　the　murderer。　Oh；　Mr。　Holmes；　you　must　save

him…　you　must　save　him！　I　tell　you　that　you　must　save　him！〃　The　Duke

had　dropped　the　last　attempt　at　self…command；　and　was　pacing　the

room　with　a　convulsed　face　and　with　his　clenched　hands　raving　in　the

air。　At　last　he　mastered　himself　and　sat　down　once　more　at　his　desk。

〃I　appreciate　your　conduct　in　coming　here　before　you　spoke　to　anyone

else；〃　said　he。　〃At　least；　we　may　take　counsel　how　far　we　can　minimize

this　hideous　scandal。〃

　　〃Exactly；〃　said　Holmes。　〃I　think；　your　Grace；　that　this　can　only

be　done　by　absolute　frankness　between　us。　I　am　disposed　to　help　your

Grace　to　the　best　of　my　ability；　but；　in　order　to　do　so；　I　must

understand　to　the　last　detail　how　the　matter　stands。　I　realize　that

your　words　applied　to　Mr。　James　Wilder；　and　that　he　is　not　the

murderer。〃

　　〃No；　the　murderer　has　escaped。〃

　　Sherlock　Holmes　smiled　demurely。

　　〃Your　Grace　can　hardly　have　heard　of　any　small　reputation　which　I

possess；　or　you　would　not　imagine　that　it　is　so　easy　to　escape　me。　Mr。

Reuben　Hayes　was　arrested　at　Chesterfield；　on　my　information；　at

eleven　o'clock　last　night。　I　had　a　telegram　from　the　head　of　the　local

police　before　I　left　the　school　this　morning。〃

　　The　Duke　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　stared　with　amazement　at　my

friend。

　　〃You　seem　to　have　powers　that　are　hardly　human；〃　said　he。　〃So　Reuben

Hayes　is　taken？　I　am　right　glad　to　hear　it；　if　it　will　not　react

upon　the　fate　of　James。〃

　　〃Your　secretary？〃

　　〃No；　sir；　my　son。〃

　　It　was　Holmes's　turn　to　look　astonished。

　　〃I　confess　that　this　is　entirely　new　to　me；　your　Grace。　I　must　beg

you　to　be　more　explicit。〃

　　〃I　will　conceal　nothing　from　you。　I　agree　with　you　that　complete

frankness；　however　painful　it　may　be　to　me；　is　the　best　policy　in　this

desperate　situation　to　which　James's　folly　and　jealousy　have　reduced

us。　When　I　was　a　very　young　man；　Mr。　Holmes；　I　loved　with　such　a

love　as　comes　only　once　in　a　lifetime。　I　offered　the　lady　marriage；

but　she　refused　it　on　the　grounds　that　such　a　match　might　mar　my

career。　Had　she　lived；　I　would　certainly　never　have　married　anyone

else。　She　died；　and　left　this　one　child；　whom　for　her　sake　I　have

cherished　and　cared　for。　I　could　not　acknowledge　the　paternity　to

the　world；　but　I　gave　him　the　best　of　educations；　and　since　he　came　to

manhood　I　have　kept　him　near　my　person。　He　surprised　my　secret；　and

has　presumed　ever　since　upon　the　claim　which　he　has　upon　me；　and

upon　his　power　of　provoking　a　scandal　which　would　be　abhorrent　to

me。　His　presence　had　something　to　do　with　the　unhappy　issue　of　my

marriage。　Above　all；　he　hated　my　young　legitimate　heir　from　the

first　with　a　persistent　hatred。　You　may　well　ask　me　why；　under　these

circumstances；　I　still　kept　James　under　my　roof。　I　answer　that　it

was　because　I　could　see　his　mother's　face　in　his；　and　that　for　her

dear　sake　there　was　no　end　to　my　long…suffering。　All　her　pretty　ways

too…　there　was　not　one　of　them　which　he　could　not　suggest　and　bring

back　to　my　memory。　I　could　not　send　him　away。　But　I　feared　so　much

lest　he　should　do　Arthur…　that　is；　Lord　Saltire…　a　mischief；　that　I

dispatched　him　for　safety　to　Dr。　Huxtable's　school。

　　〃James　came　into　contact　with　this　fellow　Hayes；　because　the　man　was

a　tenant　of　mine；　and　James　acted　as　agent。　The　fellow　was　a　rascal

from　the　beginning；　but；　in　some　extraordinary　way；　James　became

intimate　with　him。　He　had　always　a　taste　for　low　company。　When　James

determined　to　kidnap　Lord　Saltire；　it　was　of　this　man's　service　that

he　availed　himself。　You　remember　that　I　wrote　to　Arthur　upon　that　last

day。　Well；　James　opened　the　letter　and　inserted　a　note　asking　Arthur

to　meet　him　in　a　little　wood　called　the　Ragged　Shaw；　which　is　near

to　the　school。　He　used　the　Duchess's　name；　and　in　that　way　got　the　boy

to　come。　That　evening　James　bicycled　over…　I　am　telling　you　what　he

has　himself　confessed　to　me…　and　he　told　Arthur；　whom　he　met　in　the

wood；　that　his　mother　longed　to　see　him；　that　she　was　awaiting　him

on　the　moor；　and　that　if　he　would　come　back　into　the　wood　at

midnight　he　would　find　a　man　with　a　horse；　who　would　take　him　to

her。　Poor　Arthur　fell　into　the　trap。　He　came　to　the　appointment；　and

found　this　fellow　Hayes　with　a　led　pony。　Arthur　mounted；　and　they

set　off　together。　It　appears…　though　this　James　only　heard

yesterday…　that　they　were　pursued；　that　Hayes　struck　the　pursuer

with　his　stick；　and　that　the　man　died　of　his　injuries。　Hayes　brought

Arthur　to　his　public…house；　the　Fighting　Cock；　where　he　was　confined

in　an　upper　room；　under　the　care　of　Mrs。　Hayes；　who　is　a　kindly　woman；

but　entirely　under　the　control　of　her　brutal　husband。

　　〃Well；　Mr。　Holmes；　that　was　the　state　of　affairs　when　I　first　saw

you　two　days　ago。　I　had　no　more　idea　of　the　truth　than　you。　You　will

ask　me　what　was　James's　motive　in　doing　such　a　deed。　I　answer　that

there　was　a　great　deal　which　was　unreasoning　and　fanatical　in　the

hatred　which　he　bore　my　heir。　In　his　view　he　should　himself　have

been　heir　of　all　my　estates；　and　he　deeply　resented　those　social

laws　which　made　it　impossible。　At　the　same　time；　he　had　a　definite

motive　also。　He　was　eager　that　I　should　break　the　entail；　and　he　was

of　opinion　that　it　lay　in　my　power　to　do　so。　He　intended　to　make　a

bargain　with　me…　to　restore　Arthur　if　I　would　break　the　entail；　and　so

make　it　possible　for　the　estate　to　be　left　to　him　by　will。　He　knew

well　that　I　should　never　willingly　invoke　the　aid　of　the　police

against　him。　I　say　that　he　would　have　proposed　such　a　bargain　to　me；

but　he　did　not　actually　do　so；　for　events　moved　too　quickly　for；

him；　and　he　had　not　time　to　put　his　plans　into　practice。

　　〃What　brought　all　his　wicked　scheme　to　wreck　was　your　discovery　of

this　man　Heidegger's　dead　body。　James　was　seized　with　horror　at　the

news。　It　came　to　us　yesterday；　as　we　sat　together　in　this　study。　Dr。

Huxtable　had　sent　a　telegram。　James　was　so　overwhelmed　with　grief

and　agitation　that　my　suspicions；　which　had　never　been　entirely　absent

rose　instantly　to　a　certainty；　and　I　taxed　him　with　the　deed。　He

made　a　complete　voluntary　confession。　Then　he　implored　me　to　keep

his　secret　for　three　days　longer；　so　as　to　give　his　wretched

accomplice　a　chance　of　saving　his　guilty　life。　I　yielded…　as　I　have

always　yielded…　to　his　prayers；　and　instantly　James　hurried　off　to　the

Fighting　Cock　to　warn　Hayes　and　give　him　the　means　of　flight。　I

could　not　go　there　by　daylight　without　provoking　comment；　but　as

soon　as　night　fell　I　hurried　off　to　see　my　dear　Arthur。　I　found　him

safe　and　well；　but　horrified　beyond　expression　by　the　dreadful　deed　he

had　witnessed。　In　deference　to　my　promise；　and　much　against　my　will；　I

consented　to　leave　him　there　for　three　days；　under　the　charge　of

Mrs。　Hayes；　since　it　was　evident　that　it　was　impossible　to　inform

the　police　where　he　was　without　telling　them　also　who　was　the

murderer；　and　I　could　not　see　how　that　murderer　could　be　punished

without　ruin　to　my　unfortunate　James。　You　asked　for　frankness；　Mr。

Holmes；　and　I　have　taken　you　at　your　word；　for　I　have　now　told　you

everything　without　an　attempt　at　circumlocution　or　concealment。　Do　you

in　turn　be　as　frank　with　me。〃

　　〃I　will；〃　said　Holmes。　〃In　the　first　place；　your　Grace；　I　am　bound

to　tell　you　that　you　have　placed　yourself　in　a　most　serious　position

in　the　eyes　of　the　law。　You　have　condoned　a　felony；　and　you　have　aided

the　escape　of　a　murderer；　for　I　cannot　doubt　that　any　money　which

was　taken　by　James　Wilder　to　aid　his　accomplice　in　his　flight　came

from　your　Grace's　purse。〃

　　The　Duke　bowed　his　assent。

　　〃This　is；　indeed；　a　most　serious　matter。　Even　more　culpable　in　my

opinion；　your　Grace；　is　your　attitude　towards　your　younger　son。　You

leave　him　in　this　den　for　three　days。〃

　　〃Under　solemn　promises…〃

　　〃What　are　promises　to　such　people　as　these？　You　have　no　guarantee

that　he　will　not　be　spirited　away　again。　To　humour　your　guilty　elder

son；　you　have　exposed　your　innocent　younger　son　to　imminent　and

unnecessary　danger。　It　was　a　most　unjustifiable　action。〃

　　The　proud　l