the musgrave ritual-第3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！


our　feelings　when　we　saw　that　the　trail　of　the　poor　demented　girl　came

to　an　end　at　the　edge　of　it。

　　〃'Of　course；　we　had　the　drags　at　once　and　set　to　work　to　recover　the

remains；　but　no　trace　of　the　body　could　we　find。　On　the　other　hand；　we

brought　to　the　surface　an　object　of　a　most　unexpected　kind。　It　was　a

linen　bag　which　contained　within　it　a　mass　of　old　rusted　and

discoloured　metal　and　several　dull…coloured　pieces　of　pebble　or　glass。

This　strange　find　was　all　that　we　could　get　from　the　mere；　and；

although　we　made　every　possible　search　and　inquiry　yesterday；　we

know　nothing　of　the　fate　either　of　Rachel　Howells　or　of　Richard

Brunton。　The　county　police　are　at　their　wit's　end；　and　I　have　come

up　to　you　as　a　last　resource。'

　　〃You　can　imagine；　Watson；　with　what　eagerness　I　listened　to　this

extraordinary　sequence　of　events；　and　endeavoured　to　piece　them

together；　and　to　devise　some　common　thread　upon　which　they　might　all

hang。　The　butler　was　gone。　The　maid　was　gone。　The　maid　had　loved　the

butler；　but　had　afterwards　had　cause　to　hate　him。　She　was　of　Welsh

blood；　fiery　and　passionate。　She　had　been　terribly　excited　immediately

after　his　disappearance。　She　had　flung　into　the　lake　a　bag

containing　some　curious　contents。　These　were　all　factors　which　had

to　be　taken　into　consideration；　and　yet　none　of　them　got　quite　to

the　heart　of　the　matter。　What　was　the　starting…point　of　this　chain

of　events？　There　lay　the　end　of　this　tangled　line。

　　〃'I　must　see　that　paper；　Musgrave；'　said　I；　'which　this　butler　of

yours　thought　it　worth　his　while　to　consult；　even　at　the　risk　of　the

loss　of　his　place。'

　　〃'It　is　rather　an　absurd　business；　this　ritual　of　ours；'　he

answered。　'But　it　has　at　least　the　saving　grace　of　antiquity　to　excuse

it。　I　have　a　copy　of　the　questions　and　answers　here　if　you　care　to　run

your　eye　over　them。'

　　〃He　handed　me　the　very　paper　which　I　have　here；　Watson；　and　this

is　the　strange　catechism　to　which　each　Musgrave　had　to　submit　when

he　came　to　man's　estate。　I　will　read　you　the　questions　and　answers

as　they　stand。

　　〃'Whose　was　it？'

　　〃'His　who　is　gone。'

　　〃'Who　shall　have

　　〃'He　who　will　come。'

　　〃'Where　was　the　sun？'

　　〃'Over　the　oak。'

　　〃'Where　was　the　shadow？'

　　〃'Under　the　elm。'

　　〃'How　was　it　stepped？'

　　〃'North　by　ten　and　by　ten；　east　by　five　and　by　five；　south　by　two

and　by　two；　west　by　one　and　by　one；　and　so　under。'

　　〃'What　shall　we　give　for　it？'

　　〃'All　that　is　ours。'

　　〃'Why　should　we　give　it？'

　　〃'For　the　sake　of　the　trust。'

　　〃'The　original　has　no　date；　but　is　in　the　spelling　of　the　middle

of　the　seventeenth　century；'　remarked　Musgrave。　'I　am　afraid；　however；

that　it　can　be　of　little　help　to　you　in　solving　this　mystery。'

　　〃'At　least；'　said　I；　'it　gives　us　another　mystery；　and　one　which

is　even　more　interesting　than　the　first。　It　may　be　that　the　solution

of　the　one　may　prove　to　be　the　solution　of　the　other。　You　will

excuse　me；　Musgrave；　if　I　say　that　your　butler　appears　to　me　to　have

been　a　very　clever　man；　and　to　have　had　a　clearer　insight　than　ten

generations　of　his　masters。'

　　〃'I　hardly　follow　you；'　said　Musgrave。　'The　paper　seems　to　me　to

be　of　no　practical　importance。'

　　〃'But　to　me　it　seems　immensely　practical；　and　I　fancy　that　Brunton

took　the　same　view。　He　had　probably　seen　it　before　that　night　on　which

you　caught　him。'

　　〃'It　is　very　possible。　We　took　no　pains　to　hide　it。'

　　〃'He　simply　wished；　I　should　imagine；　to　refresh　his　memory　upon

that　last　occasion。　He　had；　as　I　understand；　some　sort　of　map　or　chart

which　he　was　comparing　with　the　manuscript；　and　which　he　thrust　into

his　pocket　when　you　appeared。'

　　〃'That　is　true。　But　what　could　he　have　to　do　with　this　old　family

custom　of　ours；　and　what　does　this　rigimarole　mean？'

　　〃'I　don't　think　that　we　should　have　much　difficulty　in　determining

that；'　said　I；　'with　your　permission　we　will　take　the　first　train　down

to　Sussex　and　go　a　little　more　deeply　into　the　matter　upon　the　spot。'

　　〃The　same　afternoon　saw　us　both　at　Hurlstone。　Possibly　you　have　seen

pictures　and　read　descriptions　of　the　famous　old　building；　so　I　will

confine　my　account　of　it　to　saying　that　it　is　built　in　the　shape　of　an

L；　the　long　arm　being　the　more　modern　portion；　and　the　shorter　the

ancient　nucleus　from　which　the　other　has　developed。　Over　the　low；

heavy…lintelled　door；　in　the　centre　of　this　old　part；　is　chiselled　the

date；　1607；　but　experts　are　agreed　that　the　beams　and　stonework　are

really　much　older　than　this。　The　enormously　thick　walls　and　tiny

windows　of　this　part　had　in　the　last　century　driven　the　family　into

building　the　new　wing；　and　the　old　one　was　used　now　as　a　storehouse

and　a　cellar；　when　it　was　used　at　all。　A　splendid　park　with　fine　old

timber　surrounds　the　house；　and　the　lake；　to　which　my　client　had

referred；　lay　close　to　the　avenue；　about　two　hundred　yards　from　the

building。

　　〃I　was　already　firmly　convinced；　Watson；　that　there　were　not　three

separate　mysteries　here；　but　one　only；　and　that　if　I　could　read　the

Musgrave　Ritual　aright　I　should　hold　in　my　hand　the　clue　which　would

lead　me　to　the　truth　concerning　both　the　butler　Brunton　and　the　maid

Howells。　To　that　then　I　turned　all　my　energies。　Why　should　this

servant　be　so　anxious　to　master　this　old　formula？　Evidently　because　he

saw　something　in　it　which　had　escaped　all　those　generations　of　country

squires；　and　from　which　he　expected　some　personal　advantage。　What

was　it　then；　and　how　had　it　affected　his　fate？

　　〃It　was　perfectly　obvious　to　me；　on　reading　the　Ritual；　that　the

measurements　must　refer　to　some　spot　to　which　the　rest　of　the　document

alluded；　and　that　if　we　could　find　that　spot　we　should　be　in　a　fair

way　towards　finding　what　the　secret　was　which　the　old　Musgraves　had

thought　it　necessary　to　embalm　in　so　curious　a　fashion。　There　were　two

guides　given　us　to　start　with；　an　oak　and　an　elm。　As　to　the　oak

there　could　be　no　question　at　all。　Right　in　front　of　the　house；　upon

the　lefthand　side　of　the　drive；　there　stood　a　patriarch　among　oaks；

one　of　the　most　magnificent　trees　that　I　have　ever　seen。

　　〃'That　was　there　when　your　Ritual　was　drawn　up；'　said　I　as　we

drove　past　it。

　　〃'It　was　there　at　the　Norman　Conquest　in　all　probability；'　he

answered。　'It　has　a　girth　of　twenty…three　feet。'

　　〃Here　was　one　of　my　fixed　points　secured。

　　〃'Have　you　any　old　elms？'　I　asked。

　　〃'There　used　to　be　a　very　old　one　over　yonder；　but　it　was　struck

by　lightning　ten　years　ago；　and　we　cut　down　the　stump。'

　〃'You　can　see　where　it　used　to　be？'

　　〃‘Oh　yes。'

　　〃‘There　are　no　other　elms？'

　　〃'No　old　ones；　but　plenty　of　beeches。'

　　〃'I　should　like　to　see　where　it　grew。'

　　〃We　had　driven　up　in　a　dog…cart；　and　my　client　led　me　away　at

once；　without　our　entering　the　house；　to　the　scar　on　the　lawn　where

the　elm　had　stood。　It　was　nearly　midway　between　the　oak　and　the　house。

My　investigation　seemed　to　be　progressing。

　　〃'I　suppose　it　is　impossible　to　find　out　how　high　the　elm　was？'　I

asked。

　　〃'I　can　give　you　it　at　once。　It　was　sixty…four　feet。'

　　〃'How　do　you　come　to　know　it？'　I　asked　in　surprise。

　　〃'When　my　old　tutor　used　to　give　me　an　exercise　in　trigonometry；

it　always　took　the　shape　of　measuring　heights。　When　I　was　a　lad　I

worked　out　every　tree　and　building　in　the　estate。'

　　〃This　was　an　unexpected　piece　of　luck。　My　data　were　coming　more

quickly　than　I　could　have　reasonably　hoped。

　　〃'Tell　me；'　I　asked；　'did　your　butler　ever　ask　you　such　a　question？'

　　〃Reginald　Musgrave　looked　at　me　in　astonishment。　'Now　that　you

call　it　to　my　mind；'　he　answered；　'Brunton　did　ask　me　about　the　height

of　the　tree　some　months　ago　in　connection　with　some　little　argument

with　the　groom。'

　　〃This　was　excellent　news；　Watson；　for　it　showed　me　that　I　was　on　the

right　road。　I　looked　up　at　the　sun。　It　was　low　in　the　heavens；　and　I

calculated　that　in　less　than　an　hour　it　would　lie　just　above　the

topmost　branches　of　the　old　oak。　One　condition　mentioned　in　the　Ritual

would　then　be　fulfilled。　And　the　shadow　of　the　elm　must　mean　the

farther　end　of　the　shadow；　otherwise　the　trunk　would　have　been

chosen　as　the　guide。　I　had；　then；　to　find　where　the　far　end　of　the

shadow　would　fall　when　the　sun　was　just　clear　of　the　oak。〃

　　〃That　must　have　been　difficult；　Holmes；　when　the　elm　was　no　longer

there。〃

　　〃Well；　at　least　I　knew　that　if　Brunton　could　do　it；　I　could　also。

Besides；　there　was　no　real　difficulty。　I　went　with　Musgrave　to　his

study　and　whittled　myself　this　peg；　to　which　I　tied　this　long　string

with　a　knot　at　each　yard。　Then　I　took　two　lengths　of　a　fishing…rod；

which　came　to　just　six　feet；　and　I　went　back　with　my　client　to　where

the　elm　had　been。　The　sun　was　just　grazing　the　top　of　the　oak。　I

fastened　the　rod　on　end；　marked　out　the　direction　of　the　shadow；　and

measured　it。　It　was　nine　feet　in　length。

　　〃Of　course　the　calculation　now　was　a　simple　one。　If　a　rod　of　six

feet　threw　a　shadow　of　nine；　a　tree　of　sixty…four　feet　would　throw　one

of　ninety…six；　and　the　line　of　the　one　would　of　course　be　the　line

of　the　other。　I　measured　out　the　distance；　which　brought　me　almost

to　the　wall　of　the　house；　and　I　thrust　a　peg　into　the　spot。　You　can

imagine　my　exultation；　Watson；　when　within　two　inches　of　my　peg　I

saw　a　conical　depression　in　the　ground。　I　knew　that　it　was　the　mark

made　by　Brunton　in　his　measurements；　and　that　I　was　still　upon　his

trail。

　　〃From　this　starting…point　I　proceeded　to　step；　having　first　taken

the　cardinal　points　by　my　pocket…compass。　Ten　steps　with　each　foot

took　me　along　parallel　with　the　wall　of　the　house；　and　again　I

marked　my　spot　with　a　peg。　Then　I　carefully　paced　off　five　to　the　east

and　two　to　the　south。　It　brought　me　to　the　very　threshold　of　the　old

door。　Two　steps　to　the　west　meant　now　that　I　was　to　go　two　paces

down　the　stone…flagged　passage；　and　this　was　the　place　indicated　by

the　Ritual。

　　〃Never　have　I　felt　such　a　cold　chill　of　disappointment；　Watson。

For　a　moment　it　seemed　to　me　that　there　must　be　some　radical　mistake

in　my　calculations。　The　setting　sun　shone　full　upon　the　passage　floor；

and　I　could　see　that　the　old；　foot…wor