zài wǒ men jiāo wǎng hěn mìqiè de nà xiē nián yuè lǐ， tí gōng wǒ péng yǒu xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī jiě jué de suǒ yòu wèn tí zhōng， zhǐ yòu liǎng jiàn 'àn zǐ shì tōng guò wǒ jiè shào 'ér yǐn qí tā zhù yì de： yī jiàn shì hā sè lì xiān shēng dà mǔ zhǐ 'àn， lìng yī jiàn shì wò bó dùn shàng xiào fā fēng 'àn。 zài zhè liǎng jiàn 'àn zǐ zhōng， duì yī wèi jī mǐn 'ér yòu yòu dú dào jiàn jiě de dú zhě lái shuō， hòu yī jiàn kě néng gèng zhí dé tàn tǎo。 dàn shì， qián yī jiàn， yī kāi tóu jiù shí fēn qí tè， shì qíng de xì jié yòu fēi cháng fù yòu xì jù xìng， yīn cǐ tā yě xǔ gèng zhí dé jì shù， suī rán tā hěn shǎo yòng dé shàng wǒ péng yǒu qǔ dé zhuó yuè chéng jiù suǒ yùn yòng de nà xiē jìn xíng tuī lǐ de yǎn yì fǎ。 wǒ xiāng xìn， zhè gè gù shì zài bào zhǐ shàng yǐ jīng dēngzǎi guò bù zhǐ yī cì liǎo。 dàn shì， jiù xiàng suǒ yòu qí tā zhū rú cǐ lèi de xù shù nà yàng， zhǐ yòng bàn lán piān fú lǒngtǒng dì dēng chū lái， jiēguǒ yuǎn wèi yǐn pú rén men de zhù yì。 yīn cǐ， hái bù rú ràng shì shí màn màn dì zài nǐ yǎn qián zhǎn kāi， bìng qiě ràng 'àn qíng zhī mí suí zhe měi yī xiàng yòu zhù yú jìn yī bù shǐ rén liǎo jiě quán bù shì shí de xīn fā xiàn 'ér zhú jiàn dé dào jiě jué， zhè yàng gèng jiā yǐn rén rù shèng。 dāng shí de qíng jǐng， gěi wǒ de yìn xiàng hěn shēn， jìn guǎn shí guāng liú shì， liǎng nián guò qù liǎo， wǒ sì hū hái jì yì yóu xīn。
　　 wǒ xiàn zài yào 'ě yào jiǎng jiǎng de gù shì fā shēng zài wǒ jié hūn hòu bù jiǔ de yī bā nián de xià tiān。 wǒ nà shí yǐ chóngxīn kāi yè xíng yī， bìng qiě zhōng yú bǎ fú 'ěr mó sī yī gè rén shěqì zài bèi kè jiē de yù suǒ lǐ， suī rán wǒ hái bù shí dì tàn wàng tā， shèn zhì 'ǒu 'ěr hái quàn shuō tā qù diào tā nà háo fàng bù jī de xí xìng lái wǒ jiā zuò kè。 wǒ de yè wù zhēng zhēng rì shàng， còu qiǎo wǒ de zhù chù lí pà dīng dùn chē zhàn bù yuǎn， yòu jǐ wèi tiě lù yuán gōng jiù dào wǒ zhè lǐ lái kàn bìng。 yóu yú wǒ zhì hǎo liǎo tā men dāng zhōng yī wèi suǒ huàn de tòng kǔ chán mián de bìng， tā jiù bù yàn qí fán dì dào chù dà sì xuān chuán wǒ de yī shù， jìn liàng jiāng tā néng gòu duì zhī shī jiā yǐng xiǎng de měi yī gè bìng réndōu sòng dào wǒ zhè lǐ lái zhěn zhì。
　　 yī tiān zǎo chén， jiāng jìn qī diǎn zhōng de shí hòu， wǒ bèi nǚ yōng rén de qiāo mén shēng chǎo xǐng。 tā duì wǒ shuō， cóng pà dīng dùn lái liǎo liǎng gè rén， zhèng zài zhěn shì lǐ děng hòu。 wǒ jí máng chuān shàng yī fú， cōng cōng xià lóu。 yīn wéi jīng yàn gào sù wǒ， tiě lù shàng lái de rén， bìng qíng dà dū shì xiāng dāng yán zhòng de。 wǒ xià lóu hòu， wǒ de lǎo huǒ bàn héng héng nà gè tiě lù cóng zhěn shì lǐ zǒu liǎo chū lái， bìng suí shǒu bǎ mén jǐn jǐn dì guān shàng。
　　 “ wǒ bǎ tā dài dào zhè 'ér lái liǎo， " tā bǎ dà mǔ zhǐ jǔ dào jiān tóu cháo hòu zhǐ zhǐ， qiāoqiāo dì shuō：“ tā xiàn zài wèn tí bù dà liǎo。 ”
　　“ zhè shì zěn me huí shì？ " wǒ wèn dào， yīn wéi tā de jǔ zhǐ shǐ wǒ gǎn dào sì hū tā bǎ yī gè guài wù guān zài wǒ de fáng jiān lǐ liǎo。
　　“ shì yī gè xīn bìng rén， " tā qiāoqiāo dì shuō，“ wǒ rèn wéi wǒ zuì hǎo hái shì qīn zì bǎ tā sòng lái， zhè yàng tā jiù liù bù diào liǎo。 wǒ xiàn zài jiù dé zǒu， dà fū， wǒ hé nǐ yī yàng， hái dé zhí bān qù， tā xiàn zài zài lǐ biān 'ān rán wú yàng liǎo。 " shuō wán， zhè wèi zhōng shí de jiè shào rén， shèn zhì bù ràng wǒ yòu xiàng tā dào xiè de jī huì， jiù yī xià zǐ zǒu diào liǎo。
　　 wǒ zǒu jìn zhěn shì， fā xiàn yòu yī wèi xiān shēng zuò zài zhuō bàng。 tā chuānzhuó pǔ sù， yī shēn huā ní yī fú， yī dǐng ruǎn mào fàng zài wǒ de jǐ běn shū shàng miàn。 tā de yī zhǐ shǒu guǒ zhe yī kuài shǒu pà， shǒu pà shàng bān bān diǎn diǎn jìn shì xuè jì。 tā hěn nián qīng， kàn shàng qù zuì duō bù chāo guò 'èr shí wǔ suì， róng mào yīng jùn， dàn miàn sè jí qí cāng bái。 gěi wǒ de yìn xiàng shì， tā zhèng zài yòng tā quán bù de yì zhì lái jí lì kòng zhì yóu yú mǒu zhǒng jù liè de zhèn dòng 'ér chǎn shēng de tòng kǔ。
　　“ wǒ hěn bào qiàn zhè me zǎo jiù bǎ nín chǎo xǐng liǎo， dà fū，” tā shuō，“ wǒ zài yè lǐ yù dào liǎo yī jiàn jí qí yán zhòng de shì gù。 jīn tiān zǎo chén wǒ chéng huǒ chē lái dào zhè lǐ， zài pà dīng dùn chē zhàn dǎ tīng shénme dì fāng kě yǐ zhǎo dào yī shēng shí， yī wèi hǎo xīn rén fēi cháng rè xīn dì bǎ wǒ hù sòng dào zhè lǐ lái liǎo。 wǒ gěi liǎo nǚ yōng rén yī zhāng míng piàn， wǒ kàn dào tā jiāng tā fàng dào bàng biān de zhuō zǐ shàng liǎo。”
　　 wǒ ná qǐ míng piàn qiáo liǎo yī xià， jiàn shàng miàn yìn zhe： wéi kè tuō · hā sè lì xiān shēng， shuǐ lì gōng chéng shī， wéi duō lì yà jiē １ ６ hào jiá（ sì lóu）。 zhè jiù shì zhè wèi kè rén de xìng míng、 shēn fèn hé dì zhǐ。“ hěn bào qiàn， ràng nín jiǔ děng liǎo， " wǒ biān shuō biān zuò zài wǒ de kào yǐ shàng，“ wǒ kàn dé chū nín gāng gāng zuò liǎo yī zhěng yè de chē， yè jiān chéng chē běn lái shì yī jiàn dān diào fá wèi de shì qíng。”
　　“ ō， wǒ zhè yī xiāo kě bù néng shuō shì dān diào fá wèi，” tā shuō zhe bù jìn fàng shēng dà xiào qǐ lái， xiào shēng yòu gāo yòu jiān。 tā shēn zǐ wǎng hòu kào zài yǐ zǐ shàng， pěng fù dà xiào bù rěn。 zhè xiào shēng yǐn qǐ wǒ yī xué běn néng jí dà de fǎn gǎn。
　　“ bié xiào liǎo！ " wǒ hǎn dào，“ zhèn dìng zhèn dìng bā！ " wǒ cóng bō lí shuǐ píng lǐ dǎo liǎo yī bēi shuǐ gěi tā。
　　 rán 'ér， zhè gēn běn bù qǐ zuò yòng， tā zhèng zài xiē sī dǐ lǐ dà fā zuò。 zhè shì yī zhǒng xìng gé jiān qiáng de rén zài dù guò yīcháng jù dà wēinàn zhī hòu suǒ chǎn shēng de xiē sī dǐ lǐ。 piàn kè jiān， tā yòu qīng xǐng guò lái， jīng pí lì jié， miàn sè cāng bái。
　　“ wǒ zhēn shì chū jìn liǎo yáng xiāng， " tā qì chuǎn xū xū dì shuō。
　　“ méi yòu de huà， bǎ zhè hē xià qù bā。 " wǒ wǎng shuǐ lǐ càn liǎo xiē bái lán dì， tā nà háo wú xuè sè de shuāng jiá kāi shǐ yòu xiē hóng rùn liǎo。
　　“ hǎo duō liǎo！” tā shuō， " nà me， dà fū fèi xīn gěi wǒ qiáo qiáo wǒ de dà mǔ zhǐ bā， yīngdāng shuō， qiáo qiáo wǒ de dà mǔ zhǐ yuán lái suǒ zài de bù wèi。”
　　 tā jiě kāi shǒu pà， jiāng shǒu shēn liǎo chū lái。 zhè chǎng miàn jiù shì tiě shí xīn cháng de rén yě huì mù bù rěn dǔ de！ zhǐ jiàn sì gēn tū chū de shǒu zhǐ hé yī piàn xiān hóng kě pà de hǎi mián zhuàng duàn miàn， zhè lǐ běn lái gāi shì dà mǔ zhǐ de bù wèi。 dà mǔ zhǐ yǐ gēn duǒ diào huò yìng zhuài xià lái liǎo。
　　“ tiān nǎ！ " wǒ hǎn zhe，“ duō me kě pà de chuāngshāng， yī dìng liú liǎo bù shǎo xuè。”
　　“ shì de， liú liǎo bù shǎo xuè。 shòu shāng hòu wǒ hūn mí guò qù， wǒ xiāng xìn wǒ yī dìng yòu hěn cháng yī duàn shí jiān shī qù liǎo zhī jué。 děng wǒ sū xǐng guò lái shí， wǒ fā xiàn tā hái zài liúxiě， yú shì wǒ bǎ shǒu pà de yī duān jǐn jǐn dì chán zài shǒu wàn shàng， bìng yòng yī gēn xiǎo shù zhī bǎ tā bēng jǐn。”
　　“ bāozā dé hǎo jí liǎo！ nín běn yìng gāi dāng yī míng wài kē yī shēng cái duì！”
　　“ nín qiáo， zhè shì yī xiàng shuǐ lì xué wèn tí， shǔ yú wǒ zì jǐ de zhuān yè zhī shí fàn wéi zhī nèi de。”
　　“ zhè shì yòng yī jiàn fēi cháng chén zhòng、 fēng lì de qì jù kǎn de。 " wǒ biān jiǎn chá shāng kǒu biān shuō dào。
　　“ xiàng shì yòng tú fū de qiē ròu dāo kǎn de。” tā shuō。
　　“ wǒ xiǎng， zhè shì yì wài shì gù， duì má？”
　　“ jué bù shì。”
　　“ shénme？ shì yòu rén xù yì xiōng cán dì kǎn de má？”
　　“ ǹg， què shí jí qí xiōng cán。”
　　“ zhēn xià rén。”
　　 wǒ yòng hǎi mián xǐ dí liǎo shāng kǒu， kāi shì gān jìng， jiāng tā fū guǒ hǎo， zuì hòu yòng tuō zhī mián hé xiāo dú bēng dài jiāng tā bāozā qǐ lái。 tā tǎng zài nà lǐ， bìng méi yòu yīn wéi téng tòng 'ér dòng yī dòng， jìn guǎn tā bù shí dì yǎo jǐn yá guān。
　　 bāozā hǎo hòu， wǒ wèn dào，“ xiàn zài nín jué dé zěn yàng？”
　　“ hǎo jí liǎo， nín de bái lán dì hé bēng dài， shǐ wǒ jué dé zì jǐ biàn chéng lìng wài yī gè rén liǎo， yuán xiān wǒ fēi cháng xū ruò。 dàn shì wǒ hái yòu xǔ duō shì qíng yào bàn。”
　　“ wǒ kàn nín zuì hǎo hái shì bié tán zhè jiàn shì。 hěn míng xiǎn， zhè duì nín de shén jīng shì yī zhǒng zhé mó。”
　　“ ō， bù huì， xiàn zài bù huì liǎo。 wǒ hái děibǎ zhè zhuāng shì bào gào； dàn shì， bù mán nín shuō， rú guǒ wǒ bù shì yòu zhè gè shāng kǒu wéi zhèng de huà， tā men huì xiāng xìn wǒ de huà cái guài ní， yīn wéi zhè shì yī jiàn jí bù xún cháng de shì， ér wǒ yòu méi yòu shénme zhèng jù zú yǐ zhèng míng wǒ de huà shì zhēn shí de。 kuàng qiě， jí shǐ tā men xiāng xìn wǒ， wǒ suǒ néng tí gōng de xiàn suǒ yě shì fēi cháng mó hú de， tā men shì fǒu huì wèiwǒ zhù chí zhèng yì hái shì gè wèn tí。”
　　“ hēi！ " wǒ hǎn dào，“ rú guǒ nín zhēn xiǎng jiě jué shénme wèn tí， wǒ dǎo yào xiàng nín dà lì tuī jiàn wǒ de péng yǒu fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。 zài nǐ qù zhǎo zhī qián， bù fáng xiān qù zhǎo tā。”
　　“ ō， wǒ tīng shuō guò zhè gè rén， " wǒ de kè rén huí dá shuō，“ jiǎ rú tā shòu lǐ zhè gè 'àn zǐ， wǒ jiāng fēi cháng gāo xīng， jìn guǎn tóng shí yě yào bào gào。 nín néng wéi wǒ jiè shào yī xià má？”
　　“ qǐ zhǐ wéi nín jiè shào， wǒ hái yào qīn zì péi nín qù zǒu yī tàng。”
　　“ nà jiù tài gǎn xiè nín liǎo！”
　　“ wǒ men gù yī liàng mǎ chē yī kuài 'ér zǒu， wǒ men hái lái dé jí gǎn shàng tóng tā yī qǐ chī diǎn zǎo cān。 nín jué dé zhè yàng zuò shēn tǐ xíng má？”
　　“ xíng， bù jiǎng jiǎng wǒ de zāo yù， wǒ xīn lǐ jiù jué dé bù shū tǎn。”
　　“ nà me， ràng wǒ de yōng rén qù gù yī liàng mǎ chē。 wǒ qù qù mǎ shàng jiù lái。 " wǒ cōng cōng páo dào lóu shàng， jiǎn dān dì duì qī zǐ jiě shì liǎo jǐ jù。 wǔ fēn zhōng hòu， wǒ hé zhè wèi xīn xiāng shí， yǐ zuò shàng yī liàng shuāng lún xiǎo mǎ chē zhíbèn bèi kè jiē。
　　 zhèng xiàng wǒ suǒ yù liào de nà yàng， xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī chuānzhuó chén yī zhèng zài tā de qǐ jū shì lǐ yī biān duó bù， yī biān dú zhe《 tài wù shì bào》 shàng kānzǎi de xún rén、 lí hūn děng qǐ shì de zhuān lán， zuǐ shàng diāo zhe zǎo cān qián chōu de yān dǒu。 zhè gè yān dǒu zhuāng dedōu shì qián yī tiān chōu shèng xià lái de yān sī hé yān cǎo kuài。 zhè xiē dōng xī bèi xiǎo xīn dì hōng gān liǎo zhī hòu jiù duī jī zài bì lú jià de jiǎo luò shàng。 tā hé 'ǎi kě qīn dì jiē dài liǎo wǒ men， fēn fù ná lái xián ròu piàn hé jī dàn gēn wǒ men yī qǐ bǎo cān liǎo yī dùn。 cān hòu， tā bǎ wǒ men de xīn xiāng shí 'ān dùn zài shā fā shàng， zài tā de nǎo hòu gē liǎo yī gè zhěn tóu， bìng zài tā shǒu biān fàng liǎo yī bēi càn shuǐ bái lán dì。
　　“ bù nán kàn chū nín de zāo yù hěn bù xún cháng， hā sè lì xiān shēng。” tā shuō，“ qǐng nín jiù zài zhè lǐ suí biàn tǎng tǎng， bù yào jū shù。 jiù nín suǒ néng jiāng jīng guò gào sù wǒ men， lěi liǎo jiù shāo shì xiū xī， hē kǒu jiǔ tí tí shén。”
　　“ xiè xiè， " wǒ de bìng rén shuō，“ dàn shì zì cóng yī shēng gěi wǒ bāozā yǐ hòu， wǒ jiù gǎn dào pàn ruò liǎng rén， ér wǒ rèn wéi nín zhè dùn zǎo cān shǐ dé zhěng gè zhì liáo guò chéng zhēn yú wán mǎn。 wǒ jìn kě néng shǎo zhàn yòng nín de bǎo guì shí jiān， yīn cǐ， wǒ jiù mǎ shàng kāi shǐ xù shù wǒ nà qí guài de jīng lì bā！”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī zuò zài tā de dà fú shǒu yǐ lǐ， liǎn shàng dài zhe yī fù pí juàn kùn fá de yàng zǐ， yǎn shì liǎo tā nà mǐn ruì hé rèqiè de xīn qíng。 wǒ zuò zài tā de duì miàn， wǒ men jìng jìng dì qīng tīng zhe wǒ men de kè rén xì shuō tā nà zhuāng xī qí de gù shì。
　　“ nín 'èr wèi yào zhī dào，” tā shuō，“ wǒ shì gè gū 'ér， yòu shì gè dān shēn hàn， gū dān yī gè rén zhù zài lún dūn。 jiù zhí yè lái shuō， wǒ shì shuǐ lì gōng chéng shī， zài gé lín wēi zhì de yī jiā zhù míng de wén nà hé mǎ xī sēn gōng sī de qī nián xué tú shēng yá zhōng， wǒ huò dé liǎo zhèyīháng xiāng dāng fēng fù de jīng yàn。 liǎng nián qián， wǒ xué tú qī mǎn。 zài kě lián de bà bà qù shì hòu， wǒ yòu jì chéng liǎo yī bǐ xiāng dāng kě guān de qián。 yú shì wǒ jiù jué xīn zì jǐ kāi yè， bìng zài wéi duō lì yà dà jiē zū dào liǎo jǐ jiān bàn gōng shì。
　　“ wǒ xiǎng， měi gè rén dū huì fā xiàn， dì yī cì dú zì kāi yè shì yī jiàn kū zào wú wèi de shì。 zhè duì wǒ lái shuō， yóu pì rú cǐ。 liǎng nián zhī jiān， wǒ zhǐ shòu lǐ guò sān cì zī xún hé yī jiàn xiǎo huó 'ér， ér zhè jiù shì wǒ de zhí yè dài gěi wǒ de quán bù gōng zuò。 wǒ de zǒng shōu rù gòng jì 'èr shí qī yīng bàng shí xiān lìng。 měi tiān cóng shàng wǔ jiǔ diǎn dào xià wǔ sì diǎn， wǒdōu zài wǒ de dǒu shì lǐ qī dài zhe， zhí dào zuì hòu xīn huī yì lěng wéi zhǐ。 wǒ zhōng yú yì shí dào， jiāng yǒng yuǎn bù huì yòu rèn hé yī gè zhù gù shàng mén liǎo。
　　“ rán 'ér， zuó tiān zhèng dāng wǒ xiǎng lí kāi bàn gōng shì de shí hòu， wǒ de bàn shì yuán jìn lái tōng bào， yòu wèi xiān shēng wéi yè wù shàng de shì qíng xī wàng jiàn wǒ， tóng shí dì gěi wǒ yī zhāng míng piàn， shàng miàn yìn zhe lāi sāng dé · sī tǎ kè shàng xiào de míng zì， jǐn gēn zhe tā jìn wū de jiù shì shàng xiào běn rén。 tā zhōng shàng děng shēn cái， zhǐ shì jí qí shòuxuē， wǒ cóng lái méi yòu jiàn dào guò zhè me shòuxuē de rén。 tā de zhěng gè miàn bù shòuxuē dé zhǐ shèng xià bí zǐ hé xià bā， liǎng jiá de pí fū jǐn bēng zài tū qǐ de quán gǔ shàng。 rán 'ér tā zhè zhǒng qiáo cuì múyàng kàn lái shì tiān shēng de， ér bù shì yóu yú jí bìng suǒ zhì， yīn wéi tā mù guāng jiǒng jiǒng， bù fá qīng kuài， jǔ zhǐ zì rú。 tā de yī zhe jiǎn pǔ zhěng qí。 tā de nián líng， jù wǒ pàn duàn， dà yuē jiāng jìn sì shí suì。
　　“ ' shì hā sè lì xiān shēng má？ ' tā shuō， yòu diǎn dé guó kǒu yīn， ‘ hā sè lì xiān shēng， yòu rén xiàng wǒ tuī jiàn shuō， nín bù dàn jīng tōng yè wù， ér qiě wéi rén xiǎo xīn jǐn shèn， néng gòu bǎo shǒu mì mì。 '
　　“ wǒ jū liǎo yī gōng， jiù xiàng rèn hé yī gè qīng nián nà yàng， tīng dào zhè lèi gōng wéi de huà jiù gǎn dào piāo piāo rán。 ' wǒ kě yǐ mào mèi dì wèn yī xià， shì shuí bǎ wǒ shuō dé zhè me hǎo ní？ '
　　“ ' ò， yě xǔ mù qián wǒ hái shì bù gào sù nín wéi hǎo。 wǒ cóng tóng yī xiāo xī lái yuán hái tīng shuō nín jì shì yī gè gū 'ér， yòu shì yī gè dān shēn hàn， bìng qiě shì dú shēn yī rén zhù zài lún dūn。 '
　　“ ' yī diǎn yě bù cuò， ' wǒ huí dá shuō，‘ dàn shì qǐng nín yuán liàng， wǒ kàn bù chū zhè xiē hé wǒ yè wù néng lì yòu shénme guān xì， jù wǒ suǒ zhī， nín shì wèile yī jiàn yè wù shàng de shì qíng lái tóng wǒ qià tán de。 '
　　“ ' díquè rú cǐ。 dàn shì nín huì fā xiàn wǒ méi yòu bàn jù fèi huà。 wǒ men yòu yī jiàn gōng zuò xiǎng wěi tuō nín， dàn shì zuì zhòng yào de shì jué duì bǎo mì， jué duì bǎo mì， nǐ dǒng má？ dāng rán， wǒ men kě yǐ xī wàng yī wèi dú jū de rén bǐ yī wèi hé jiā shǔ shēng huó zài yī qǐ de rén gèng néng zuò dào jué duì bǎo mì。 '
　　“ ' nín kě yǐ jué duì xiāng xìn， ' wǒ shuō，‘ rú guǒ wǒ xiàng nín bǎo zhèng yán shǒu mì mì， nà wǒ jiù yī dìng huì zuò dào de。 '
　　“ wǒ shuō huà de shí hòu， tā de yǎn jīng yī zhí jǐn jǐn dì dīng zhe wǒ， wǒ jīhū cóng wèi jiàn guò rú cǐ cāi jì duō yí de yǎn guāng。
　　“ mò liǎo， tā shuō：‘ nà me， nín zuò chū bǎo zhèng lā？ '
　　“ ' shì de， wǒ bǎo zhèng zuò dào。 '
　　“ ' zài shì qián shì hòu yǐ jí zhěng gè shì qíng jìn xíng de guò chéng zhōng， wán quán chè dǐ bǎo chí jiān mò， jué duì bù tí zhè jiàn shì， kǒu tóu shàng hé shū miàn shàng dōubù tí， néng zuò dào má？ '
　　“ ' wǒ yǐ jīng xiàng nín bǎo zhèng guò liǎo。 '
　　“ ' nà hǎo jí liǎo。 ' měng rán jiān tā tiào liǎo qǐ lái， shǎn diàn bān dì páo guò fáng jiān， pēng dì tuī kāi liǎo mén， wài miàn guò dào shàng kōng wú yī rén。
　　“ ' hái bù cuò！ ' tā zǒu liǎo huí lái。‘ wǒ zhī dào bàn shì yuán men yòu shí duì tā men dōng jiā de shì qíng shì hěn hàoqí de。 xiàn zài， wǒ men kě yǐ 'ān quán dì tán huà liǎo。 ' tā bǎ yǐ zǐ lā dào jǐn tiē wǒ shēn biān de dì fāng， yòu yī cì yǐ chōng mǎn huái yí hé tàn suǒ de yǎn guāng dǎliang zhe wǒ。
　　“ kàn dào zhè shòu gǔ lín xún de rén de gǔ guài xíng wéi， wǒ de xīn lǐ fàn qǐ liǎo yī zhǒng fǎn gǎn hé jìn hū kǒng bù de gǎn jué， shèn zhì shī qù zhù gù de dān xīn yě yì zhì bù zhù wǒ liú lù chū lái de bù nài fán qíng xù。
　　“ ' qǐng nín shuō shuō nín de shì bā， xiān shēng， ' wǒ shuō，‘ wǒ de shí jiān shì hěn bǎo guì de。 ' yuàn shàng dì ráo shù wǒ shuō de hòu yī jù huà， dàn zhè jù huà shì tuō kǒu 'ér chū de。
　　“ ' gōng zuò yī gè wǎn shàng wǔ shí gè jī ní nǐ gǎn dào hé shì má？ ' tā wèn。
　　“ ' kě zhēn bù shǎo。 '
　　“ ' wǒ shuō shì yī gè wǎn shàng de gōng zuò， shí jì shàng kě néng zhǐ xū yào yī gè xiǎo shí， wǒ zhǐ bù guò shì xiǎng qǐng 'áo nín yòu guān yī tái shuǐ lì chòngyā jī chǐ lún tuō kāi de shì。 zhǐ yào nín zhǐ chū máo bìng zài shénme dì fāng， wǒ men zì jǐ hěn kuài jiù huì bǎ tā xiū hǎo de。 duì yú zhè yàng yī zhuāng wěi tuō， nín jué dé zěn me yàng？ '
　　“ ' gōng zuò kàn lái hěn qīng sōng， bào chóu què jí wéi yōu hòu。 '
　　“ ' yī diǎn bù cuò， wǒ men xiǎng qǐng nín jīn tiān wǎn shàng chéng zuò mò bān chē lái。 '
　　“ ' dào nǎ 'ér qù？ '
　　“ ' qù bó kè jùn de 'ài jīn。 nà shì jiē jìn niú jīn jùn de yī gè xiǎo dì fāng， ① ② lí léi dīng bù dào qī yīng lǐ。 pà dīng dùn yòu yī bān chē kě yǐ zài shí yī diǎn shí wǔ fēn zuǒ yòu sòng nín dào nà 'ér。 '
　　“ ' hěn hǎo。 '
　　“ ' wǒ huì zuò yī liàng mǎ chē lái jiē nín。 '
　　“ ' nà me， hái dé zuò mǎ chē gǎn yī duàn lù chéng liǎo？ '
　　“ ' shì de， wǒ men nà xiǎo dì fāng wán quán shì zài xiāng xià， lí 'ài jīn chē zhàn zú zú yòu qī yīng lǐ。 '
　　“ ' zhè me shuō wǔ yè qián wǒ men shì gǎn bù dào nà 'ér liǎo。 wǒ gū jì gǎn bù shàng huí chéng de huǒ chē， nà me wǒ jiù bù dé bù zài nà 'ér guò yè liǎo。 '
　　“ ' duì， wǒ men huì gěi nín 'ān pái guò yè de dì fāng de。 '
　　“ ' nà hěn bù fāng biàn， wǒ bù néng zài gèng fāng biàn de shí hòu qù má？ '
　　“ ' wǒ men rèn wéi， nín zuì hǎo wǎn shàng lái。 zhèng shì wèile bǔ cháng nín de bù biàn zhī chù， wǒ men cái duì nín zhè gè mò mò wú wén de nián qīng rén， chū nà me dà de jià qián。 zhè gè jià qián yòng lái qǐng jiào nín zhèyīháng zhōng zuì gāo míng de rén shì yě shì zú gòu liǎo。 dāng rán， rú guǒ nín xiǎng tuī diào zhè bǐ yè wù， xiàn zài hái lái dé jí。 '
　　“ wǒ xiǎng dào liǎo wǔ shí gè jī ní， yǐ jí zhè bǐ qián duì wǒ jiāng shì duō me yòu yòng。 ' wǒ bù shì zhè gè yì sī， ' wǒ shuō，‘ wǒ jiāng shí fēn yú kuài dì mǎn zú nín de yuàn wàng。 wǒ dǎo shì xiǎng gèng qīng chǔ dì liǎo jiě yī xià， nín yào wǒ zuò de shì shénme gōng zuò。 '
　　“ ' shì 'ā， wǒ men yào nín yī dìng bǎo zhèng yán shǒu mì mì， zhè huì hěn zì rán dì yǐn qǐ
　　①② jūn wéi yīng gé lán zhōng nán bù yī jùn。 héng héng yì zhě zhù nín de hàoqí xīn， wǒ men bìng bù dǎ suàn wěi tuō nín bàn yī jiàn shì qíng 'ér yòu bù ràng nín zhī dào tā de dǐ xì。 wǒ xiǎng， jué duì bù huì yòu rén tōu tīng bā？ '
　　“ ' jué duì bù huì。 '
　　“ ' nà me， shì qíng shì zhè yàng de， nín kě néng zhī dào， piào bái tǔ shì yī zhǒng fēi cháng guì zhòng de kuàng chǎn， zài yīng guó， zhǐ yòu yī liǎng chù fā xiàn yòu zhè zhǒng kuàng cáng？ '
　　“ ' wǒ tīng shuō guò。 '
　　“ ' bù jiǔ yǐ qián， wǒ zài jù lí léi dīng bù dào shí yīng lǐ de dì fāng mǎi liǎo yī xiǎo kuài dì héng héng fēi cháng xiǎo de yī kuài dì， wǒ fēi cháng xìng yùn dì fā xiàn， qí zhōng yī kuài dì lǐ yòu piào bái tǔ kuàng chuáng。 rán 'ér， jīng guò tàn chá zhī hòu， wǒ fā xiàn zhè gè kuàng chuáng shì bǐ jiào xiǎo de。 dàn tā què lián jiē liǎo zuǒ yòu liǎng gè dà dé duō de kuàng chuáng héng héng kě shì， zhè liǎng chù quán zài wǒ de lín jū de dì lǐ。 zhè xiē shàn liáng de rén men， duì yú zài tā men de tǔ dì lǐ yùn cáng zhe hé jīn kuàng tóng yàng guì zhòng de kuàng cáng què yī diǎn 'ér yě bù zhī dào。 zì rán， zài tā men fā xiàn tā men tǔ dì de zhēn zhèng jià zhí zhī qián bǎ tā men de dì mǎi xià lái shì hěn shàng suàn de。 dàn shì， bù xìng wǒ quē fá gòu mǎi tǔ dì de zī jīn。 wèicǐ， wǒ zhǎo liǎo jǐ gè péng yǒu mì mì shāng liàng。 tā men tí yì wǒ men yīnggāi qiāoqiāo dì、 mì mì dì kāi cǎi wǒ men zì jǐ nà xiǎo kuài kuàng chuáng， yòng zhè zhǒng fāng fǎ lái chóu jí gòu mǎi lín jū tǔ dì de zī jīn。 dào mù qián wéi zhǐ， wǒ men yǐ jīng zhè me gān liǎo yī duàn shí jiān liǎo。 wèile biàn yú cāo zuò， wǒ men 'ān zhuāng liǎo yī tái shuǐ yā jī。 zhèng xiàng wǒ xiān qián yǐ jīng shuō guò de nà yàng， zhè tái jī qì chū liǎo máo bìng， wǒ men xī wàng néng dé dào nǐ de zhǐ diǎn。 wǒ men xiǎo xīn yì yì dì bǎo shǒu zhe mì mì， kě shì， yī dàn yòu rén zhī dào wǒ men céng qǐng guò shuǐ lì gōng chéng shī dào wǒ men de xiǎo fáng zǐ lái， hěn kuài jiù huì yǐn pú rén men de hàoqí。 nà shí， rú guǒ xiè lù chū qù， nà me huò dé zhè xiē tǔ dì hé shí xíng wǒ men de jìhuà de jī huì jiù quán wán liǎo。 zhè jiù shì wǒ yào nín bǎo zhèng bù duì rèn hé rén tòu lù nín jīn tiān wǎn shàng yào dào 'ài jīn qù de yuán gù。 wǒ xī wàng wǒ yǐ jīng bǎ yī qiēdōu jiǎng qīng chǔ liǎo。 '
　　“ ' wǒ tīng dé hěn míng bái， ' wǒ shuō，‘ wéi yī bù tài míng bái de yī diǎn shì， shuǐ yā jī duì nǐ wā piào bái tǔ yòu shénme yòng chù？ jù wǒ suǒ zhī， piào bái tǔ shì xiàng cóng kuàng kēng lǐ tāo shā lì nà yàng wā chū lái de。 '
　　“ ' ā， ' tā bù zài yì dì shuō，‘ wǒ men yòu wǒ men zì jǐ de fāng fǎ， wǒ men bǎ tǔ niǎn yā chéng zhuān pī， yǐ biàn zài bān yùn de shí hòu bù zhì yú xiè lù tā men shì shénme dōng xī。 dàn nà zhǐ bù guò shì yī xiē xì jié。 xiàn zài wǒ yǐ jīng xiàng nín tòu lù liǎo quán bù mì mì， hā sè lì xiān shēng， bìng qiě xiàng nín biǎo shì liǎo wǒ shì duō me xìn rèn nín。 ' tā biān shuō biān zhàn liǎo qǐ lái。 ' nà me， shí yī diǎn shí wǔ fēn zài 'ài jīn jiàn。 '
　　“ ' wǒ yī dìng dào nà lǐ qù。 '
　　“ ' jué duì bù néng duì rèn hé rén shuō。 ' zuì hòu， tā yòu jiǔ jiǔ dì yǐ huái yí de yǎn guāng níng shì zhe wǒ。 rán hòu， yòng tā nà shī lěng de shǒu hé wǒ wò liǎo yī xià， jiù jí jí máng máng zǒu chū liǎo fáng jiān。
　　“ hòu lái， zhèng rú nín men liǎng wèi kě yǐ xiǎng xiàng chū lái de， dāng wǒ lěng jìng xià lái， quán pán kǎo lǜ zhè jiàn shì shí， wǒ duì wǒ suǒ jiē shòu de zhè jiàn tū rú qí lái dì wěi tuō gěi wǒ de yè wù gǎn dào shí fēn jīng yà。 dāng rán， yī fāng miàn wǒ hěn gāo xīng， yīn wéi jiǎ rú gěi wǒ de rèn wù dìng gè jià gé， tā chū de chóu jīn zhì shǎo shì shí bèi yú wǒ suǒ yào qiú de， bìng qiě hěn kě néng zhè cì rèn wù huì dǎo zhì qí tā yī xiē rèn wù。 lìng yī fāng miàn， wǒ de zhù gù de nà fù zūn róng hé jǔ zhǐ gěi liǎo wǒ yī gè hěn bù yú kuài de yìn xiàng， wǒ jué dé tā guān yú piào bái tǔ de jiě shì bù zú yǐ shuō míng wǒ shēn yè qián wǎng de bì yào xìng， yě bù zú yǐ shuō míng tā wèishénme nà me dān xīn， wéi kǒng wǒ huì duì bié rén tán dào wǒ zhè jiàn chāishi。 bù guǎn zěn me yàng， wǒ bǎ yī qièkǒng jù zhì zhū nǎo hòu， bǎo cān liǎo yī dùn wǎn fàn， qū chē qián wǎng pà dīng dùn， jiē zhe jiù shàng liǎo lù， yán gé zūn shǒu zhù gù yào wǒ shǒu kǒu rú píng de jìn lìng。
　　“ zài léi dīng， wǒ bù jǐn bì xū huàn chē， ér qiě bì xū gēnghuàn chē zhàn。 dàn shì， wǒ gāng hǎo gǎn shàng liǎo kāi wǎng 'ài jīn de zuì hòu yī bān huǒ chē， shí yī diǎn zhōng yǐ hòu， jiù dào dá liǎo nà dēng guāng 'àn dàn de xiǎo zhàn。 wǒ shì zài nà lǐ xià chē de wéi yī de chéng kè， chú liǎo yī gè tí zhe dēng lóng xiǎn dé fā kùn de bān yùn gōng rén zhī wài， zhàn tái shàng qù wú yī rén。 rán 'ér dāng wǒ zǒu chū jiǎn piào kǒu shí， wǒ fā xiàn wǒ zǎo shàng jié jiāo de nà wèi xiāng shí zhèng zài lìng yī biān méi yòu dēng guāng de 'àn chù děng dài zhe wǒ。 tā yī yán bù fā jiù zuàn zhù liǎo wǒ de gēbo， cuī wǒ gǎn jǐn dēng shàng yī liàng yī zhí chǎng kāi zhe chē mén de mǎ chē。 tā lā shàng liǎng biān de chuāng zǐ， qiāo liǎo qiāo mǎ chē de mù bǎn， mǎ jiù fēi kuài dì bēn páo liǎo qǐ lái。”
　　“ zhǐ yòu yī pǐ mǎ má？ " fú 'ěr mó sī tū rán chā huà wèn dào。
　　“ duì， zhǐ yòu yī pǐ。”
　　“ nín zhù yì dào tā de yán sè liǎo má？”
　　“ shì de， dāng wǒ kuà jìn chē xiāng shí， jiè zhe biān dēng wǒ qiáo liǎo yī xià。 shì pǐ lì sè de mǎ。”
　　“ kàn shàng qù hěn niān hái shì shēng qì bó bó de？”
　　“ yō， shēng qì bó bó， máo sè fēi cháng guāng rùn。”
　　“ xiè xiè， duì bù qǐ， dǎ duàn liǎo nín de huà， nín de xù shù hěn yòu qù， qǐng nín jiē zhe wǎng xià jiǎng。”
　　“ jiù zhè yàng， wǒ men shàng liǎo lù， mǎ chē xíng shǐ liǎo zhì shǎo yòu yī gè xiǎo shí。 lāi sāng dé · sī tǎ kè shàng xiào shuō guò zhǐ yòu qī yīng lǐ yuǎn， dàn shì wǒ zǒng jué dé， cóng wǒ men xíng jìn de sù dù hé suǒ huā de shí jiān lái kàn， kěn dìng jiāng jìn yòu shí 'èr yīng lǐ de lù chéng。 zhěng gè xíng chéng zhōng， tā yī zhí mò mò dì zuò zài wǒ de bàng biān， yòu jǐ cì wǒ cháo tā nà gè fāng xiàng piǎo guò qù， jué chá dào tā yī zhí zài jǐn zhāng dì dīng zhe wǒ。 nà gè dì fāng de xiāng jiān dào lù kàn lái bù tài hǎo， yīn wéi chē zǐ diān bǒ dé hěn lì hài， nòng dé wǒ men dōng dǎo xī wāi。 wǒ jìn lì xiàng chuāng wài kàn qù， xiǎng kàn kàn wǒ men shì dào liǎo shénme dì fāng。 dàn shì chuāng zǐ shì máo bō lí de， chú liǎo 'ǒu 'ěr jīng guò yòu dēng de dì fāng shí kàn dào yī piàn mó mó hú hú de liàng guāng yǐ wài， wǒ shénme yě kàn bù qīng。 wǒ bù shí dì zhǎo jǐ jù huà lái dǎ pò lǚ tú de chén mèn， dàn shì shàng xiào zhǐ shì yòng zhǐ yán piàn yǔ lái huí dá wǒ。 zhè yàng， huà yě jiù tán bù xià qù liǎo。 zuì hòu， mǎ chē yóu zài qí qū bù píng de lù shàng diān bǒ xiàng qián biàn chéng zài lì shí lù shàng píng wěn xíng shǐ， jiē zhe jiù tíng liǎo xià lái。 lāi sāng dé shàng xiào tiào xià mǎ chē， wǒ gēn suí zài hòu miàn， tā tū rán yī bǎ jiāng wǒ lā jìn liǎo jiù zài wǒ men miàn qián chǎng kāi zhe de dà mén。 wǒ men fǎng fó shì yī kuà chū mǎ chē biàn jìn rù liǎo dà tīng， yǐ zhì wǒ lián cū lüè dì píng shì yī xià fáng zǐ zhèng miàn de jī huì dōuméi yòu。 wǒ yī kuà jìn mén jiàn， mén jiù zài wǒ de shēn hòu pēng de yī shēng chóngchóng dì guān shàng liǎo。 wǒ yǐn yǐn yuē yuē dì tīng dào liǎo mǎ chē lí kāi shí zī zī gā gā de chē lún shēng。
　　“ fáng zǐ lǐ qī hēi yī tuán， shàng xiào mō suǒ zhe xún zhǎo huǒ chái， bìng dī shēng dì gū nóng zhe。 zhè shí zǒu láng de lìng yī duān yòu yī shàn mén hū rán dǎ kāi。 yī dào cháng cháng de jīn sè liàng guāng shè xiàng wǒ men zhè gè fāng xiàng。 dēng guāng yuè lái yuè liàng， jiē zhe chū xiàn liǎo yī gè nǚ rén， shǒu lǐ zhǎng zhe yī zhǎn dēng， gāo gāo jǔ zài tóu dǐng shàng， tā cháo qián tàn shēn zhù shì zhe wǒ men。 wǒ kàn dé fēn míng， tā cháng dé hěn piào liàng， dēng guāng zhào zài tā nà hēi sè de fú zhuāng shàng， cóng fǎn shè chū lái de guāng zé wǒ kàn chū nà shì hěn huá lì de yī liào。 tā shuō liǎo jǐ jù wài guó huà， tīng kǒu qì hǎo xiàng shì zài wèn huà。 dāng wǒ de huǒ bàn cū bào dì sān yán liǎng yǔ dì huí dá shí， tā shì nà yàng de chī jīng， shǒu lǐ de dēng chā yī diǎn diào liǎo xià lái。 sī tǎ kè shàng xiào zǒu dào tā shēn biān， duì zhe tā de 'ěr duǒ qiǎo shēng dì shuō liǎo xiē shénme， rán hòu bǎ tā tuī huí tā cóng nà lǐ chū lái de fáng jiān lǐ。 suí hòu tā shǒu lǐ tí zhe dēng yòu cháo zhe wǒ zǒu guò lái。
　　“ ' yě xǔ dé qǐng nín zài zhè fáng jiān lǐ shāo děng jǐ fēn zhōng， ' tā shuō zhe， tuī kāi liǎo lìng yī gè fáng mén。 zhè shì yī jiān píng jìng、 chén shè jiǎn dān de xiǎo fáng jiān。 fáng jiān zhōng jiān yòu yī zhāng yuán zhuō， shàng miàn sǎnluàn dì duī zhe jǐ běn dé wén shū。 sī tǎ kè shàng xiào bǎ dēng fàng zài mén bàng biān yī jià xiǎo fēng qín de dǐng shàng。 ' wǒ bù huì ràng nín jiǔ děng de。 ' shuō zhe， tā jiù yǐnmò dào hēi 'àn zhōng qù liǎo。
　　“ wǒ qiáo zhe zhuō zǐ shàng de shū， jìn guǎn wǒ bù dǒng dé wén， wǒ hái shì kàn chū qí zhōng yòu liǎng běn shì kē xué lùn wén， qí tā shì shī jí。 wǒ suí hòu zǒu dào chuāng kǒu， xī wàng néng kàn yī kàn xiāng jiān de jǐng sè， dàn shì yī shàn guān bì dé hěn yán de lì mù bǎi yè chuāng zhē zhù liǎo chuāng zǐ。 fáng jiān lǐ jì jìng de chū qí， yī zuò jiù zhōng zài zǒu láng lǐ bù zhī shénme dì fāng dī dā dī dā dì xiǎng zhe。 chú cǐ zhī wài， yī qiēdōu shì sǐ yī bān de chén jì。 yī zhèn mó mó hú hú de bù 'ān de gǎn jué jiàn jiàn zhī pèi liǎo wǒ。 zhè xiē dé guó rén shì xiē shénme rén？ tā men bǔ jū zài zhè qióng xiāng pì rǎng gān xiē shénme gòu dāng？ zhè gè dì fāng yòu shì zài nǎ 'ér？ wǒ zhǐ zhī dào zhè lǐ jù lí 'ài jīn shí yīng lǐ zuǒ yòu， dàn shì lián dōng xī nán běi， dū fēn bù qīng chǔ。
　　“ jiù zhè gè dì fāng de wèi zhì lái shuō， léi dīng kě néng hái yòu qí tā yī xiē dà zhèn zǐ de wèi zhì dōushì zài zhè gè bàn jìng fàn wéi zhī nèi， suǒ yǐ zhè gè dì fāng kě néng bìng bù nà me piān pì。 rán 'ér， zhè lǐ shì nà me jì jìng， kě yǐ shí fēn kěn dìng wǒ men shì zài xiāng jiān。 wǒ zài fáng jiān lǐ duó lái duó qù， dī shēng dì hēng zhe xiǎo diào lái zhuàng dǎn， bìng gǎn jué dào wǒ wán quán shì wèile zhèng nà wǔ shí jī ní de chóu jīn lái de。
　　“ tū rán， zài zhè jí dù jì jìng zhī zhōng， shì xiān méi yòu tīng dào yī diǎn xiǎng shēng， wǒ fáng jiān de mén màn màn dì dǎ kāi liǎo。 nà gè nǚ rén zhàn zài mén féng lǐ， shēn hòu shì hēi 'àn de dà tīng， wǒ nà zhǎn dēng shàng hūn huáng de dēng guāng zhào zài tā nà rèqiè 'ér měi lì de miàn páng shàng。 wǒ yī yǎn jiù kàn chū tā huáng kǒng bù 'ān de shén sè， zhè gè qíng jǐng shǐ wǒ gǎn dào dǎn zhàn xīn hán。 tā duō duō suo suo dì jǔ qǐ yī zhǐ shǒu zhǐ jǐng gào wǒ bù yào zuò shēng， fēi kuài dì duì wǒ shuō liǎo shēng bù tài xiàng yàng de yīng guó huà。 tā de yǎn jīng jiù xiàng yī pǐ shòu jīng de mǎ jū nà yàng， cōng cōng dì huí gù shēn hòu de yīn 'àn chù。
　　“ ' wǒ yào shì nín wǒ jiù páo diào liǎo， ' tā shuō。 kàn lái tā shì zài lì tú shǐ zì jǐ jiǎng dé píng jìng yī xiē，‘ wǒ yào shì nín wǒ jiù páo diào liǎo， wǒ bù huì liú zài zhè 'ér。 liú xià lái duì nín méi yòu hǎo chù。 '
　　“ ' dàn shì， fū rén， ' wǒ shuō，‘ wǒ hái méi yòu zuò wèicǐ 'ér lái de gōng zuò ní。 wǒ zài kàn guò jī qì zhī hòu， cái néng lí kāi zhè lǐ。 '
　　“ ' bù zhí dé yī děng， ' tā jiē zhe shuō，‘ nín kě yǐ cóng zhè shàn mén zǒu chū qù， méi yòu rén huì zǔ lán nín。 ' tā jiàn wǒ wēi xiào zhe bǎi bǎi tóu， tū rán bǎi tuō liǎo jú cù de zhuàng tài， xiàng qián zǒu liǎo yī bù， liǎng shǒu jǐn wò zài yī qǐ。‘ kàn zài shàng tiān de miàn shàng！ ' tā dī shēng shuō，‘ chèn xiàn zài hái lái dé jí， kuài diǎn táo páo！”
　　“ dàn shì wǒ zhè gè rén tiān shēng yòu diǎn gù zhí， zài cóng shì mǒu xiàng gōng zuò 'ér yù dào zǔ 'ài shí， jiù huì gèng jiā jiān chí bù xiè。 wǒ xiǎng dào wǒ nà wǔ shí jī ní de chóu jīn， nà yī tàng pí bèi de lǚ xíng， hái yòu kàn lái bǎi zài wǒ miàn qián de jiāng shì yī gè hěn bù yú kuài de yè wǎn。 shì fǒu zhè yī qiēdōu háo wú dài jià dì ràng tā men fù zhū dōng liú ní？ wèishénme wǒ bù wán chéng wěi tuō gěi wǒ de rèn wù， yě bù lǐng qǔ wǒ yìng dé de bào chóu jiù tōu tōu táo zǒu ní？ jiù wǒ suǒ kàn dào de， tā kě néng shì gè piān zhí kuáng de nǚ rén。 yīn cǐ， jìn guǎn tā de shén tài gěi wǒ de zhèn dòng dà dà chāo guò liǎo wǒ suǒ yuàn yì chéng rèn de chéng dù， wǒ què tài dù jiān dìng， yǐ jiù yáo yáo tóu， biǎo míng wǒ yào liú zài nà lǐ de yì tú。 tā zhèng yào chóngxīn tí chū tā de kěn qiú， zhè shí zhǐ tīng jiàn lóu shàng yòu hěn xiǎng de guān mén shēng， jiē zhe jiù tīng dào lóu tī shàng de yī xiē jiǎo bù shēng。 tā qīng tīng liǎo piàn kè， jǔ qǐ shuāng shǒu zuò liǎo yī gè jué wàng de zī shì， biàn hé tā lái shí yī yàng， qiǎo wú shēng xī dì jù rán xiāo shī liǎo。
　　“ jìn lái de shì lāi sāng dé · sī tǎ kè shàng xiào hé yī gè shēn cái 'ǎi pàng、 shuāng xià bā de xí hén shàng cháng zhe lì shǔ hú xū de rén。 shàng xiào xiàng wǒ jiè shào tā shì fú gé sēn xiān shēng。
　　“ ' zhè wèi shì wǒ de mì shū jiān jīng lǐ， ' shàng xiào shuō，‘ shùn biàn shuō yī xià， wǒ jì dé wǒ gāng cái shì ràng zhè shàn mén guān zhe de。 wǒ dān xīn chuān táng fēng chuī zhe nín。 '
　　“ ' qià qià xiāng fǎn， ' wǒ shuō，‘ shì wǒ zì jǐ bǎ mén dǎ kāi de， yīn wéi wǒ gǎn dào zhè gè fáng jiān yòu diǎn mèn rén。 '
　　“ tā hú yí dì kàn liǎo wǒ yī yǎn。‘ nà me， wǒ men zuì hǎo hái shì zhuóshǒu jìn xíng wǒ men de shì bā， ' tā shuō，‘ fú gé sēn xiān shēng hé wǒ zhǔn bèi lǐng nín dào shàng miàn qù kàn kàn jī qì。 '
　　“ ' wǒ xiǎng， wǒ zuì hǎo hái shì dài shàng mào zǐ bā。 '
　　“ ' ō， méi yòu bì yào， jiù zài zhè suǒ fáng zǐ lǐ miàn。 '
　　“ ' shénme？ nǐ men zài fáng zǐ lǐ wā piào bái tǔ？ '
　　“ ' bù， bù。 zhè zhǐ shì wǒ men yā zhuān pī de dì fāng。 bù guò zhè wú guān jǐn yào。 wǒ men xī wàng nín zuò de zhǐ shì jiǎn chá yī xià jī qì， bìng ràng wǒ men zhī dào shì shénme máo bìng。 '
　　“ wǒ men yī qǐ shàng liǎo lóu， shàng xiào tí zhe dēng zǒu zài qián miàn， pàng jīng lǐ hé wǒ gēn zài tā hòu miàn。 zhè shì yī zuò mí gōng shìde gǔ lǎo fáng zǐ， yòu xǔ xǔ duō duō zǒu láng、 guò dào、 xiá zhǎi de pán xuán shì lóu tī、 dī 'ǎi de xiǎo mén， suǒ yòu de mén jiàn， yóu yú jǐ dài rén de jiàn tà yǐ 'āo xiàn liǎo xià qù。 zài dǐ céng de dì bǎn shàng méi yòu dì tǎn， yě méi yòu 'ān fàng guò jiā jù de hén jì， qiáng shàng de huī ní yǐ jīng bō luò， lǜ sè 'āng zàng de wū zì shàng hái zài mào chū shī qì。 wǒ jìn liàng bǎi chū yī fù bù zài yì de zī tài， dàn shì wǒ bìng méi yòu wàng jì nà wèi fū rén de jǐng gào， jìn guǎn wǒ méi yòu bǎ tā dāng yī huí shì， wǒ hái shì liú shén zhù yì zhe wǒ de liǎng wèi huǒ bàn。 fú gé sēn kàn yàng zǐ shì gè guāi pì chén mò de rén， kě shì cóng tā suǒ shuō de hěn shǎo jǐ jù huà lǐ hái shì kě yǐ pàn duàn chū tā zhì shǎo shì yī wèi tóng bāo。
　　“ zuì hòu lāi sāng dé · sī tǎ kè shàng xiào zài yī shàn 'ǎi mén qián zhàn zhù， dǎ kāi liǎo suǒ。 mén nèi shì yī gè xiǎo xiǎo de fāng xíng fáng jiān， wǒ men sān gè rén bù néng tóng shí jìn qù。 fú gé sēn liú zài wài miàn， shàng xiào lǐng wǒ zǒu liǎo jìn qù。
　　“ ' wǒ men， ' tā shuō，‘ xiàn zài shí jì shàng shì zài shuǐ yā jī lǐ miàn， rú guǒ yòu shuí bǎ tā kāi dòng de huà， duì wǒ men lái shuō nà jiāng shì yī zhuāng fēi cháng bù yú kuài de shì。 zhè gè xiǎo fáng jiān de tiān huā bǎn， shí jì shàng shì xià jiàng huósāi de zhōng duān， tā xià luò dào zhè gè jīn shǔ dì bǎn shàng shí dài yòu hǎo jǐ dūn de yā lì。 zài wài miàn yòu xiē xiǎo de héng xiàng de shuǐ zhù， lǐ miàn de shuǐ shòu yā lì hòu jiù huì 'àn zhào nín suǒ shú xī de fāng shì chuán dǎo hé zēng jiā suǒ shòu de yā lì。 jī qì hěn róng yì yùn zhuǎn， zhǐ shì zài yùn zhuǎn shí yòu diǎn bù líng huó， làng fèi diào yī xiǎo bù fēn yā lì。 qǐng fèi xīn chá kàn yī xià， bìng gào sù wǒ men zěn yàng cái néng bǎ tā xiū hǎo。 '
　　“ wǒ cóng tā shǒu lǐ ná guò dēng， fēi cháng chè dǐ dì jiǎn chá nà jī qì。 zhè què shí shì yī tái páng dà de jī qì， néng gòu chǎn shēng jù dà de yā lì。 rán 'ér， dāng wǒ zǒu dào wài miàn， yā xià cāo zòng gān shí， jiù tīng dào yòu sōu sōu shēng， wǒ mǎ shàng míng bái zhè shì jī qì lǐ yòu xì wēi de liè xì， liè xì shǐ dé shuǐ néng jīng yóu yī gè cè huósāi huí liú。 jīng guò jiǎn chá biǎo míng chuán dòng gān tóu shàng de yī gè xiàng pí diàn juàn yǐ jīng zhòu suō liǎo， yīn 'ér bù néng sài zhù zài qí zhōng lái huí yí dòng de gān tào。 zhè hěn míng xiǎn shì làng fèi yā lì de yuán yīn， wǒ xiàng wǒ de huǒ bàn zhǐ chū liǎo zhè yī diǎn。 tā fēi cháng zǎi xì dì tīng zhe wǒ de huà， bìng wèn liǎo jǐ gè guān yú yīnggāi zěn me xiū lǐ hǎo zhè tái jī qì de shí jì wèn tí。 duì tā men jiāo dài qīng chǔ yǐ hòu， wǒ huí dào jī qì de zhù shì nèi。 wèile mǎn zú wǒ de hàoqí xīn， wǒ zǎi xì dì dǎliang zhe zhè gè xiǎo fáng jiān。 zhǐ yào kàn yī yǎn jiù huì míng bái， guān yú piào bái tǔ de gù shì， wán quán shì hú chě。 yīn wéi rú guǒ rèn wéi zhè gè gōng xiào rú cǐ zhī dà de jī qì jìng rán shì wéi zhè me bù qiàdàng de mùdì 'ér shè jì de， nà cái zhēn shì huāng táng kě xiào ní。 fáng jiān de qiáng bì shì mù tóu zuò de， dàn shì dì bǎn què shì yóu yī gè dà tiě cáo gòu chéng de。 dāng wǒ kāi shǐ chá kàn tā shí， wǒ kàn dào shàng miàn jī liǎo mǎn mǎn yī céng jīn shǔ jī xiè。 wǒ wān xià yāo qù， zhèng yòng shǒu zhǐ qù wā， xiǎng kàn kàn dào dǐ shì shénme dōng xī， zhè shí zhǐ tīng dào yī shēng dé yǔ de dī chén de jīng jiào， tóng shí kàn dào shàng xiào nà zhāng sǐ huī sè de liǎn zhèng cháo xià wàng zhe wǒ。
　　“ ' nǐ zài nà 'ér gànshénme？ ' tā wèn dào。
　　“ yóu yú shàng liǎo tā nà jīng xīn biān zào de gù shì de dāng， wǒ gǎn dào hěn shēng qì。‘ wǒ zhèng zài xīn shǎng nín de piào bái tǔ， ' wǒ shuō，‘ wǒ xiǎng rú guǒ wǒ zhī dào liǎo shǐ yòng zhè tái jī qì de zhēn zhèng mùdì， wǒ bù shì gèng néng xiàng nín tí gōng yī xiē yòu guān tā de jiàn yì má？ '
　　“ kě shì huà yī chū kǒu， wǒ lì jí jiù wéi zì jǐ lǔ mǎng de yǔ yán 'ér gǎn dào hòu huǐ。 tā de liǎn sè biàn dé hěn nán kàn， huī sè de yǎn jīng lǐ shè chū liǎo de guāng máng。
　　“ ' hěn hǎo， ' tā shuō，‘ nǐ huì zhī dào zhè jī qì de yī qiē！ ' tā xiàng hòu tuì liǎo yī bù， pēng dì yī shēng guān shàng liǎo xiǎo mén， jiāng chā zài suǒ kǒng lǐ de yàoshì zhuàndòng liǎo yī xià。 wǒ xiàng mén chōng qù， shǐ jìn dì lā zhe bǎ shǒu， dàn shì zhè mén guān dé yán yán shí shí， jìn guǎn wǒ lián tī dài tuī， tā què wén sī bù dòng。
　　“ ' wèi！ ' wǒ dà jiào qǐ lái。 ' wèi， shàng xiào！ fàng wǒ chū qù！ '
　　“ zhè shí， zài jì jìng zhī zhōng， wǒ tū rán tīng dào liǎo yī zhǒng shēng yīn， zhè shēng yīn yī xià zǐ shǐ wǒ jí dé xīn dōuyào tiào chū lái liǎo。 nà shì gàng gān de kēng qiāng shēng hé shuǐ guǎn lòu shuǐ de sōu sōu shēng。 tā kāi dòng liǎo jī qì。 dēng hái zài dì bǎn shàng， shì wǒ jiǎn chá tiě cáo shí fàng zài nà lǐ de。 jiè zhe dēng guāng wǒ kàn dào hēi yǒu yǒu de fáng dǐng zhèng huǎn màn dì、 yáo yáo huàng huàng dì xiàng wǒ yā xià lái。 méi yòu rén bǐ wǒ gèng qīng chǔ liǎo， tā de yā lì zú gòu zài yī fēn zhōng nèi bǎ wǒ niǎn chéng làn ròu jiàng。 wǒ jiān shēng hū hǎn， yòng shēn tǐ zhuàng mén， yòng zhǐ kōu mén suǒ。 wǒ kǔ kǔ 'āi qiú shàng xiào fàng wǒ chū qù， dàn shì wú qíng de gàng gān kēng qiāng shēng yān méi liǎo wǒ de hū hǎn。 fáng dǐng lí wǒ de tóu zhǐ yòu yī liǎng yīng chǐ liǎo， wǒ jǔ qǐ shǒu jiù néng mō zhe nà jiān yìng cū cāo de biǎo miàn。 zhè shí hòu wǒ xīn lǐ tū rán lüè guò yī gè niàn tóu， xiǎng dào yī gè rén sǐ wáng shí de tòng kǔ hěn dà chéng dù shàng shì qǔ jué yú lín sǐ shí de zī shì。 rú guǒ wǒ shì pā zhe de， zhòng liàng jiù huì luò zài jǐ chuí gǔ shàng。 yī xiǎng dào nà yā duàn gǔ tóu shí kě pà de pī pā shēng， wǒ bù jìn hún shēn dǎ qǐ chàn lái。 yě xǔ lìng yī gè zī shì huì hǎo yī xiē； rán 'ér shì fǒu wǒ yòu dǎn liàng yǎng miàn tǎng zài nà lǐ yǎn bā bā dì wàng zhe nà yī tuán yào mìng de hēi yǐng yáo yáo huàng huàng dì xiàng wǒ yā xià lái ní？ wǒ yǐ jīng zhàn bù zhí liǎo， tū rán wǒ de yǎn guāng luò zài yī jiàn dōng xī shàng， xīn lǐ bèng fā chū liǎo xī wàng de huǒ huā。
　　“ wǒ céng jīng shuō guò， suī rán fáng dǐng hé dì bǎn shì tiě de， qiáng bì què shì mù tóu de。 zài wǒ xiàng sì zhōu tóu yǐ zuì hòu de yī píng shí， wǒ kàn dào liǎng kuài qiáng bǎn zhī jiān tòu guò lái yī xiàn wēi ruò de huáng sè liàng guāng。 suí zhe yī xiǎo kuài qiàn bǎn bèi wǎng hòu tuī qù， liàng guāng yě biàn dé yuè lái yuè liàng， yī chà nà jiān wǒ jiǎn zhí bù gǎn xiāng xìn zhè 'ér què shí shì yī shàn sǐ lǐ táo shēng zhī mén。 wǒ lì kè jiù cóng nà lǐ chōng liǎo chū qù， shī hún luò píng dì tǎng zài qiáng de lìng yī biān。 qiàn bǎn zài wǒ shēn hòu yòu hé shàng liǎo， dàn shì nà zhǎn dēng de suì liè shēng yǐ jí qí kè hòu liǎng kuài tiě bǎn de zhuàng jī shēng biǎo míng wǒ shì zěn yàng qiān jūn yī fā dì tuō liǎo xiǎn。
　　“ wǒ shì bèi rén fā kuáng sì dì lā chě zhe wǒ de shǒu wàn cái sū xǐng guò lái de。 wǒ fā xiàn wǒ tǎng zài yī tiáo xiá zhǎi zǒu láng de shí tóu dì miàn shàng， yī gè nǚ rén yòu shǒu ná zhe yī gēn là zhú fǔ shēn yòng tā de zuǒ shǒu shǐ jìn dì lā zhe wǒ。 tā bù shì bié rén， jiù shì nà wèi hǎo xīn de péng yǒu！ dāng chū wǒ shì duō me yú chǔn dì jù bù jiē shòu tā de jǐng gào！
　　“ ' kuài！ kuài！ ' tā shàng qǐ bù jiē xià píng dì hǎn zhe，‘ tā men mǎ shàng yào dào zhè lǐ lái liǎo， tā men huì fā xiàn nín bù zài nà lǐ。 āi yā， kě bù yào làng fèi zhè bǎo guì de shí jiān lā， kuài！ '
　　“ zhè cì， wǒ zhì shǎo méi yòu wú shì tā de quàn gào。 wǒ pán shān dì zhàn liǎo qǐ lái， gēn zhe tā yán zhe zǒu láng páo qù， jǐn jiē zhe páo xià yī tiáo pán xuán shì lóu tī。 lóu tī xià miàn shì lìng yī tiáo kuān kuò de guò dào。 jiù zài wǒ men gāng páo dào guò dào shí， wǒ men tīng dào bēn páo de jiǎo bù shēng hé liǎng gè rén de jiào rǎng shēng。 yī gè rén zài wǒ men gāng cái dài de nà yī céng， lìng yī gè zài tā de xià yī céng， liǎng gè rén hù xiāng hū yìng zhe。 wǒ de xiàng dǎo tíng liǎo xià lái， hǎo xiàng yī gè zǒu tóu wú lù de rén nà yàng cháo sì zhōu kàn kàn。 jǐn jiē zhe tā tuī kāi yī shàn tōng xiàng yī jiān wò shì de fáng mén， jiǎo jié yuè guāng cóng chuāng hù zhào jìn liǎo wò shì。
　　“ ' zhè shì nín wéi yī de jī huì liǎo， ' tā shuō，‘ hěn gāo， dàn nín yě xǔ néng tiào xià qù。 '
　　“ jiù zài tā shuō huà de shí hòu， guò dào de jìn tóu chù shǎn xiàn zhe dēng guāng。 wǒ kàn dào lāi sāng dé · sī tǎ kè shàng xiào jí bù bēn lái de shòuxuē de shēn yǐng， tā yī zhǐ shǒu tí zhe tí dēng， lìng yī zhǐ shǒu ná zhe yī bǎ xiàng tú fū de qiē ròu dāo nà yàng de xiōng qì。 wǒ pàn mìng páo guò wò shì， měng dì tuī kāi chuāng hù xiàng wài wàng qù。 yuè guāng xià de huā yuán kàn shàng qù shì duō me tián jìng， duō me fāng xiāng， duō me shēng qì 'àng rán， tā jiù zài xià miàn zuì duō bù guò sān shí yīng chǐ de dì fāng。 wǒ pá dào chuāng tái shàng， dàn shì zài wǒ zhī dào wǒ de jiù mìng 'ēn rén hé zhuī gǎn wǒ de 'è gùn zhī jiān huì fā shēng shí me shì qíng zhī qián， wǒ chóu chú zhe， méi yòu jiù tiào xià qù。 yīn wéi rú guǒ tā fù， wǒ jué xīn bù guǎn mào shénme wēi xiǎn dōuyào huí qù yuán zhù tā。 zhè gè niàn tóu gāng zài wǒ de nǎo hǎi lǐ shǎn xiàn， zhǐ jiàn tā yǐ dào liǎo mén kǒu， xiǎng tuī kāi tā chuǎng guò lái， dàn shì tā shēn kāi liǎng bì bào zhù liǎo tā， shǐ jìn bǎ tā wǎng hòu tuī。
　　“ ' fú lǐ cí！ fú lǐ cí！ ' tā yòng yīng guó huà hǎn zhe， ' jì zhù nǐ shàng cì shì①
　　① dé guó rén de hǔn míng， dài yòu biǎn yì。 héng héng yì zhě zhù hòu dāyìng wǒ de nuò yán。 nǐ shuō guò zhè zhǒng shì qíng zài yě bù huì fā shēng liǎo。 tā bù huì shuō chū qù de！ āi yā， tā bù huì shuō chū qù de！ '
　　“ ' nǐ fēng lā， yī lì sī！ ' tā páo xiào zhe， jié lì cóng tā de shuāng bì zhōng zhèng tuō chū lái。 ' nǐ huì huǐ liǎo wǒ men de。 tā kàn dào de tài duō liǎo， wǒ shuō， ràng wǒ guò qù！ ' tā bǎ tā shuāi dǎo zài yī biān， bēn dào chuāng kǒu， yòng tā nà chén zhòng de xiōng qì xiàng wǒ kǎn lái。 zhè shí wǒ shēn zǐ yǐ jīng lí kāi chuāng kǒu， dāng tā kǎn xià lái shí， wǒ de liǎng shǒu hái zhuā zhe chuāng tái。 wǒ gǎn jué dào yī zhèn yǐn tòng， sōng kāi liǎo shǒu， wǒ diào dào xià miàn de huā yuán lǐ。
　　“ wǒ zhǐ shì zhèn dòng liǎo yī xià， bìng méi yòu shuāi shāng， wǒ jí máng zhàn liǎo qǐ lái， pàn zhe mìng chōng dào 'ǎi shù cóng zhōng， wǒ míng bái wǒ hái yuǎn wèi tuō lí wēi xiǎn。 kě shì， zhèng dāng wǒ xiàng qián páo zhe， wǒ tū rán gǎn dào yī zhèn yào mìng de yùn huàn hé 'ěxīn。 wǒ chǒu liǎo yī yǎn nà zhǐ téng dé zhèn zhèn chōu chù de shǒu， zhè shí wǒ cái dì yī cì fā xiàn wǒ de dà mǔ zhǐ bèi kǎn diào liǎo， xuè zhèng cóng shāng kǒu bù duàn dì yǒng chū lái。 wǒ jié jìn quán lì yòng shǒu pà bǎ shāng kǒu guǒ liǎo qǐ lái， zhè shí tū rán yī zhèn 'ěr míng， jiē zhe wǒ jiù hūn jué guò qù， dǎo zài qiáng wēi de huā cóng zhī zhōng。
　　“ wǒ bù zhī dào wǒ hūn mí liǎo yòu duō jiǔ。 shí jiān yī dìng hěn cháng， yīn wéi dāng wǒ sū xǐng guò lái shí， zhèng shì xīng chén yuè luò， xù rì dōng shēng。 wǒ de yī fú quán bèi lù shuǐ jìn shī liǎo， xiù zǐ bèi shāng kǒu de xuè jìn tòu liǎo。 shāng kǒu jù liè de téng tòng lì kè shǐ wǒ huí yì qǐ yè lǐ de wēi xiǎn zāo yù， yī xiǎng dào wǒ kě néng hái méi yòu bǎi tuō zhuī gǎn wǒ de rén， wǒ dùn shí jiù tiào liǎo lái。 dàn shì shǐ wǒ dà chī yī jīng de shì， dāng wǒ cháo zhōu wéi zhāng wàng de shí hòu， jì kàn bù dào fáng zǐ， yě kàn bù dào huā yuán。 yuán lái wǒ yī zhí tǎng zài jǐn 'āi zhe gōng lù de shù lí de yī gè jiǎo luò lǐ， qián miàn bù yuǎn shì yī zuò cháng cháng de jiàn zhù wù。 dāng wǒ zǒu jìn kàn shí， yuán lái jiù shì wǒ zuó tiān wǎn shàng xià chē de nà gè chē zhàn。 yào bù shì yòu wǒ shǒu shàng zhè gè xià rén de shāng kǒu， zài zhè yī duàn kě pà de shí jiān lǐ suǒ fā shēng de yī qiē， hěn kě néng zhǐ bù guò shì yīcháng 'è mèng。
　　“ wǒ hūn hūn chén chén dì zǒu jìn chē zhàn， dǎ tīng zǎo bān huǒ chē de shí jiān， zhī dào yī xiǎo shí nèi jiāng yòu yī bān kāi wǎng léi dīng de huǒ chē。 wǒ fā xiàn zhí bān de hái shì wǒ lái shí jiù zài nà 'ér de nà wèi bān yùn gōng。 wǒ xún wèn tā shì fǒu tīng shuō guò lāi sāng dé · sī tǎ kè shàng xiào zhè gè rén， kàn lái tā duì zhè gè míng zì hěn mò shēng； wǒ wèn tā shì fǒu zhù yì dào zuó tiān wǎn shàng děng hòu wǒ de yī liàng mǎ chē， tā shuō méi yòu； wèn tā fù jìn shì fǒu yòu jú， tā shuō sān yīng lǐ wài yòu yī gè。
　　“ xiàng wǒ zhè yàng， shāng pí jiāo jiā， zhè duàn jù lí duì wǒ lái shuō shí zài shì tài yuǎn liǎo。 wǒ jué dìng huí dào chéng lǐ yǐ hòu zài qù bào jǐng。 huí dào chéng lǐ shí cái liù diǎn shāo guò yī diǎn， suǒ yǐ wǒ xiān qù bāozā shāng kǒu。 nán wéi zhè wèi yī shēng péi sòng wǒ lái dào zhè lǐ， wǒ bǎ zhè gè 'àn zǐ tuō fù gěi nín， wǒ jiāng wán quán 'àn zhào nín de yì jiàn bàn。”
　　 tīng wán zhè duàn bù xún cháng de xù shù zhī hòu， wǒ men liǎng gè rén chén mò dì zuò liǎo hǎo yī huì 'ér。 rán hòu， xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī cóng jià zǐ shàng qǔ xià yī běn tiē jiǎn bào de bèn zhòng de dà běn zǐ。
　　“ zhè lǐ yòu yī zé huì shǐ nǐ men gǎn xīng qù de guǎng gào，” tā shuō，“ dà yuē yī nián yǐ qián suǒ yòu de bào zhǐ dū kān dēng guò。 nín tīng wǒ niàn niàn： ' xún rén。 jié lǐ mài yà · hǎi lín xiān shēng， xiàn nián 'èr shí liù suì， zhí yè shuǐ lì gōng chéng shī， yú běn yuè jiǔ rì wǎn shí shí lí yù suǒ hòu xià luò bù míng。 shēn chuān …… ' děng děng， děng děng。 hā！ wǒ xiǎng， zhè biǎo shì shàng yī cì shàng xiào xū yào duì tā de jī qì jìn xíng dà jiǎn xiū。”
　　“ tiān nǎ！ " wǒ de bìng rén jiào dào。 " nà me zhè jiě shì liǎo nà fū rén suǒ shuō de huà。”
　　“ háo wú yí wèn。 hěn qīng chǔ， shàng xiào shì yī gè lěng kù de wáng mìng zhī tú， tā jué bù huì ràng rèn hé dōng xī fáng 'ài tā de xiǎo hángdāng， jiù xiàng nà xiē chè tóu chè wěi de hǎi dào yī yàng， tā men jué bù huì zài bèi tā men fú huò de chuán shàng liú xià yī gè huó rén。 hǎo lā， xiàn zài měi yī fēn zhōng dū shí fēn bǎo guì， suǒ yǐ， rú guǒ nín hái néng zhī chí dé zhù， wǒ men dé mǎ shàng gǎn dào sū gé lán chǎng bào 'àn qù， zhè shì wǒ men qù 'ài jīn de dì yī bù cuò shī。”
　　 dà yuē guò liǎo sān gè xiǎo shí， wǒ men yī qǐ shàng liǎo huǒ chē， cóng léi dīng chū fā qián wǎng bó kè jùn de xiǎo cūn zǐ。 yīháng shù rén yòu xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī、 nà gè shuǐ lì gōng chéng shī、 sū gé lán chǎng de bù léi cí tè lǐ tè xún guān， hái yòu yī wèi biàn yī zhēn tàn hé wǒ。 bù léi cí tè lǐ tè zài zuò wèi shàng pū kāi yī zhāng běn jùn de jūn yòng dì tú， máng zhe yòng yuán guī yǐ 'ài jīn wéi zhōng xīn huà liǎo yī gè yuán juàn。
　　“ jiù zài zhè 'ér，” tā shuō，“ zhè gè yuán juàn shì yǐ zhè gè chē zhàn wéi zhōng xīn、 shí yīng lǐ wéi bàn jìng huà de。 wǒ men yào zhǎo de nà gè dì fāng dà yuē shì zài kào jìn zhè biān xiàn de mǒu gè dì fāng。 xiān shēng， wǒ jì dé nín shuō de shì shí yīng lǐ。”
　　“ mǎ chē zú zú páo liǎo yī xiǎo shí。”
　　“ nín yǐ wéi tā men shì zài nín hūn mí zhī zhōng bǎ nín cóng nà me lǎo yuǎn sòng huí lái de má？”
　　“ xiǎng bì tā men shì zhè yàng zuò de。 wǒ mó mó hú hú dì yòu diǎn jì dé sì hū shì bèi tái qǐ lái yùn dào shénme dì fāng qù guò。”
　　“ wǒ bù néng lǐ jiě de shì， " wǒ shuō，“ wèishénme tā men zài fā xiàn nín hūn mí zài huā yuán lǐ shí huì ráo liǎo nín？ kě néng nà gè huài dàn yóu yú nà gè nǚ rén qiú qíng xīn ruǎn liǎo？”
　　“ wǒ rèn wéi nà bù dà kě néng。 wǒ yī shēng zhōng cóng lái méi yòu jiàn dào guò bǐ nà gèng lěng kù de miàn kǒng。”
　　“ ò， wǒ men bù jiǔ jiù huì bǎ zhè yī qiē gǎo qīng chǔ de。 " bù léi cí tè lǐ tè shuō。“ qiáo， wǒ yǐ jīng huá hǎo zhè gè yuán juàn， wǒ wéi yī xī wàng zhī dào de shì zài nǎ yī diǎn shàng wǒ men néng zhǎo dào wǒ men yào zhǎo de nà gè jiā huǒ。”
　　“ wǒ xiǎng wǒ néng zhǐ chū lái。 " fú 'ěr mó sī píng jìng dì shuō。
　　“ zhēn de má？ xiàn zài！ " xún guān jiào liǎo qǐ lái，“ nín yǐ jīng zuò chū liǎo pàn duàn！ nà me hǎo， ràng wǒ men kàn kàn shuí hé nín de kàn fǎ yī zhì。 wǒ shuō shì zài nán miàn， yīn wéi nà yī dài xiāng jiān gèng wéi huāng liáng。”
　　“ wǒ shuō zài dōng miàn， " wǒ de bìng rén shuō。
　　“ wǒ shuō zài xī miàn， " nà biàn yī zhēn tàn shuō dào，“ nà yī dài yòu hǎo jǐ gè fēi cháng píng jìng de xiǎo cūn zǐ。”
　　“ wǒ shuō zài běi miàn， " wǒ shuō，“ yīn wéi nà yī dài méi yòu shān， ér wǒ men de péng yǒu shuō tā zhù yì dào mǎ chē méi yòu shàng guò pō。”
　　“ ké！ " xún guān xiào zhe hǎn dào，“ yì jiàn fēn qí hái bù xiǎo。 wǒ men dōu liǎo yī gè juàn zǐ， nín zhè jué dìng xìng de yī piào tóu gěi shuí ní？”
　　“ nǐ men quán cuò liǎo。”
　　“ dàn shì wǒ men bù kě néng quán cuò yā！”
　　“ ò， shì de， nǐ men quán cuò liǎo。 nǐ men tīng tīng wǒ de guān diǎn， " tā jiāng shǒu zhǐ fàng zài yuán juàn de zhōng xīn，“ zhè jiù shì wǒ men huì zhǎo dào tā men de dì fāng。”
　　“ dàn shì， nà shí 'èr yīng lǐ de lù chéng ní？ " hā sè lì qì chuǎn xū xū dì shuō。
　　“ qù liù yīng lǐ， huí lái liù yīng lǐ。 méi yòu bǐ zhè zài jiǎn dān de liǎo。 nín zì jǐ shuō guò dāng nín shàng mǎ chē de shí hòu， nà qí mǎ jīng shén bǎo mǎn， máo sè guāng zé。 rú guǒ tā yǐ jīng bēn chí liǎo shí 'èr yīng lǐ nà me nán zǒu de lù， zěn me huì shì nà gè yàng zǐ ní？”
　　“ què shí， hěn kě néng shì zhè me yī gè guǐ jì， " bù léi cí tè lǐ tè ruò yòu suǒ sī píng lùn shuō， " dāng rán， zhì yú zhè gè fěi bāng shì shénme xìng zhì de yě jiù háo wú yí wèn liǎo。”
　　“ nà dāng rán shì háo wú yí wèn de luó。 " fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ tā men shì dà guī mó wěi zào huò bì de zuì fàn， tā men shǐ yòng nà tái jī qì zhù zào hé jīn lái dài tì bái yín。”
　　“ wǒ men fā xiàn yòu yī huǒ jī líng de huài jiā huǒ zài gān zhe zhè gè hángdāng yòu yī duàn shí jiān liǎo。 " xún guān shuō，“ tā men yī zhí zài dà pī dà pī dì zhù zào bàn kè láng yìng bì。 wǒ men shèn zhì yī zhí zhuī zōng tā men dào léi dīng， dàn zài yuǎn jiù méi yòu xiàn suǒ liǎo， yīn wéi tā men shǐ yòng liǎo mǒu zhǒng yǎn bì tā men zōng jì de fāng fǎ。 zhè shuō míng tā men shì jīng yú cǐ dào de guàn fàn。 dàn shì xiàn zài， duō kuī zhè gè jiǎo xìng de jī huì， tā men shì páo bù diào de liǎo。”
　　 dàn shì zhè wèi xún guān cuò liǎo， zhè xiē zuì fàn mìng zhōng zhù dìng bù huì luò rù fǎ wǎng。 dāng wǒ men suǒ chéng de huǒ chē shǐ jìn 'ài jīn chē zhàn shí， zhǐ jiàn yī gǔ jù dà de nóng yān， cóng lín jìn de yī gè xiǎo shù cóng hòu miàn gǔn gǔn 'ér shàng， yòu rú yī pǐ shuò dà wú bǐ de tuó niǎo máo xuán guà zài měi lì de tián yuán shàng kōng。
　　“ shì fáng zǐ shī huǒ liǎo má？ " dāng huǒ chē pēn zhe qì kāi chū chē zhàn shí， bù léi cí tè lǐ tè wèn dào。
　　“ shì de， xiān shēng， " chē zhàn zhàn cháng huí dá shuō。
　　“ shénme shí hòu qǐ huǒ de？”
　　“ wǒ tīng shuō shì yè lǐ qǐ huǒ de， xiān shēng。 dàn shì huǒ yuè shāo yuè wàng， xiàn zài yǐ chéng liǎo yī piàn huǒ hǎi liǎo。”
　　“ shì shuí de fáng zǐ？”
　　“ bǐ chè yī shēng de。”
　　“ gào sù wǒ， " gōng chéng shī chā liǎo yī jù，“ bǐ chè yī shēng shì gè dé guó rén， fēi cháng shòuxuē， yòu gè yòu cháng yòu jiān de bí zǐ， duì bù duì？”
　　 zhàn cháng fàng shēng dà xiào qǐ lái，“ bù duì， xiān shēng， bǐ chè yī shēng shì gè yīng guó rén， zài wǒ men zhè gè jiào qū lǐ hái méi yī gè rén bǐ tā chuān dé gèng jiǎng jiū。 jù wǒ liǎo jiě， dǎo shì yòu wèi xiān shēng hé tā zhù zài yī qǐ， nà wèi xiān shēng shì wài guó rén， shì yī gè bìng rén， dàn shì kàn qǐ lái nín qǐng tā bǎo cān yī dùn shàng hǎo de niú pái， tā yě bù huì jué dé yóu nì de。”
　　 zhàn cháng de huà hái méi shuō wán， wǒ men yǐ jí jí máng máng cháo zhe shī huǒ de fāng xiàng bēn qù。 zhè tiáo lù yī zhí tōng dào yī zuò dī 'ǎi de xiǎo shān dǐng shàng。 zài wǒ men miàn qián chū xiàn liǎo yī zuò gāo dà de bái huī fěn shuà de jiàn zhù wù。 měi yī shàn chuāng， měi yī dào féng dū hái zài xiàng wài pēn zháohuǒ shé， qián miàn de huā yuán lǐ sān liàng jiù huǒ chē zhèng tú láo dì jìn lì xiǎng bǎ huǒ shì yā xià qù。
　　“ jiù shì zhè lǐ！ " hā sè lì xiǎn dé tè bié jī dòng dì hǎn zhe，“ qiáo zhè shā shí lù！ nà biān jiù shì wǒ tǎng guò de qiáng wēi huā cóng。 nà dì 'èr shàn chuāng jiù shì wǒ tiào chū lái de dì fāng！”
　　“ nà me， " fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ qǐ mǎ nín yǐ jīng bào liǎo chóu liǎo。 háo wú yí wèn， shì nín de yóu dēng bèi nà tái jī qì yā suì de shí hòu shāo zhe liǎo mù bǎn qiáng。 wú yí tā men zài zhuī gǎn nín de shí hòu tài jī dòng liǎo， yǐ zhì dāng shí méi yòu fā jué。 nín xiàn zài zhēng dà yǎn jīng kàn kàn， rén qún lǐ yòu méi yòu nín zuó tiān wǎn shàng de nà jǐ wèi péng yǒu？ bù guò， wǒ kǒng pà tā men mù qián yǐ jīng zǒu chū zú zú yòu yī bǎi yīng lǐ liǎo。”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī de dān xīn guǒ rán chéng wéi shì shí。 cóng nà yī tiān qì zhí dào xiàn zài， wú lùn shì nà wèi piào liàng de nǚ rén， nà gè yīn xiǎn de dé guó rén， hái shì nà guāi pì de yīng guó rén， zài yě méi yòu rén zhī dào tā men de zōng jì。 dāng tiān qīng chén， yòu yī wèi nóng mín yù dào guò yī liàng mǎ chē， zài zhe jǐ gè rén hé jǐ zhǐ chén zhòng de dà xiāng zǐ， cháo zhe léi dīng de fāng xiàng fēi kuài dì shǐ qù。 dàn shì zhè xiē wáng mìng zhī tú táo dào nà lǐ yǐ hòu jiù xiāo shēng nì jì liǎo， shèn zhì zú zhì duō móu de fú 'ěr mó sī， yě wú cóng fā xiàn nǎ pà zhǐ shì yī diǎn diǎn yòu guān tā men qù xiàng de xiàn suǒ。
　　 yuán men fā xiàn fáng zǐ lǐ miàn de bù zhì hěn qí guài， gǎn dào hěn shāng nǎo jīn。 gèng shǐ tā men bù 'ān de shì zài sān lóu de yī gè chuāng tái shàng fā xiàn liǎo yī jié gāng bèi kǎn xià lái de dà mǔ zhǐ。 dà yuē zài rì luò xī shān de shí hòu， tā men cái zǒng suàn méi yòu bái fèi jìn， zhōng yú kòng zhì liǎo zhè chǎng dà huǒ。 dàn shì fáng dǐng yǐ jīng shāo tā liǎo， zhěng gè xiàn chǎng yǐ biàn chéng liǎo yī piàn fèi xū， yǐ zhì chú liǎo yī xiē wān qū de qì gāng hé tiě guǎn zǐ wài， wǒ men de bù xìng de péng yǒu wéi zhī fù chū rú cǐ jù dà dài jià de nà tái jī qì， jìng méi yòu liú xià rèn hé qí tā de yí jì。 wǒ men fā xiàn liǎo zhù cáng zài yī jiān fù shǔ de wài wū lǐ de dà liàng niè dìng hé xī dìng， dàn què méi yòu zhǎo dào yìng bì。 zhè qíng kuàng yě xǔ kě yǐ shuō míng wèishénme yòu shàng miàn tí dào de nà xiē chén zhòng de dà xiāng zǐ。
　　 yào bù shì nà kuài sōng ruǎn de ní tǔ gěi wǒ men liú xià liǎo qīng chǔ de zú jì， wǒ men zhè wèi shuǐ lì gōng chéng shī shì rú hé cóng huā yuán lǐ bèi sòng dào tā huī fù zhī jué de nà gè dì fāng， kě néng huì yǒng yuǎn shì gè mí。 xiǎn 'ér yì jiàn tā shì bèi liǎng gè rén tái guò qù de。 yī gè rén de jiǎo yì cháng xiǎo， lìng yī gè rén de jiǎo què dà dé chū qí。 zǒng de lái shuō， hěn kě néng nà gè chén mò guǎ yán de yīng guó rén bù xiàng tā de tóng huǒ nà me dǎn dà wàng wéi， huò zhě shuō bù xiàng tā de tóng huǒ nà me xiōng cán。 shì tā bāng zhù nà gè nǚ rén bǎ shī qù zhī jué de rén tái lí xiǎn dì de。
　　 dāng wǒ men zài cì zuò shàng huǒ chē fǎn huí lún dūn de shí hòu， wǒ men de zhè wèi gōng chéng shī jù sàng dì shuō，“ āi， zhè duì wǒ shuō lái zhēn shì jiàn zāo gāo de shì qíng。 wǒ shī qù liǎo wǒ de dà mǔ zhǐ， shī qù liǎo wǔ shí jī ní de chóu jīn， ér wǒ dé dào de shì shénme ní？”
　　“ jīng yàn！ " fú 'ěr mó sī xiào zhe shuō，“ nín yào míng bái， jiànjiē dì shuō zhè kě néng shì yòu jià zhí de； zhǐ yào zhè shì yī xuān yáng chū qù， zài nín jīn hòu de shēng huó zhōng， nín de shì wù suǒ jiù huì huò dé hěn hǎo de shēng yù。”

　　Of all the problems which have been submitted to my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, for solution during the years of our intimacy, there were only two which I was the means of introducing to his notice--that of Mr. Hatherley's thumb, and that of Colonel Warburton's madness. Of these the latter may have afforded a finer field for an acute and original observer, but the other was so strange in its inception and so dramatic in its details that it may be the more worthy of being placed upon record, even if it gave my friend fewer openings for those deductive methods of reasoning by which he achieved such remarkable results. The story has, I believe, been told more than once in the newspapers, but, like all such narratives, its effect is much less striking when set forth en bloc in a single half-column of print than when the facts slowly evolve before your own eyes, and the mystery clears gradually away as each new discovery furnishes a step which leads on to the complete truth. At the time the circumstances made a deep impression upon me, and the lapse of two years has hardly served to weaken the effect.
　　 It was in the summer of '89, not long after my marriage, that the events occurred which I am now about to summarise. I had returned to civil practice and had finally abandoned Holmes in his Baker Street rooms, although I continually visited him and occasionally even persuaded him to forgo his Bohemian habits so far as to come and visit us. My practice had steadily increased, and as I happened to live at no very great distance from Paddington Station, I got a few patients from among the officials. One of these, whom I had cured of a painful and lingering disease, was never weary of advertising my virtues and of endeavouring to send me on every sufferer over whom he might have any influence.
　　 One morning, at a little before seven o'clock, I was awakened by the maid tapping at the door to announce that two men had come from Paddington and were waiting in the consulting-room. I dressed hurriedly, for I knew by experience that railway cases were seldom trivial, and hastened downstairs. As I descended, my old ally, the guard, came out of the room and closed the door tightly behind him.
　　 "I've got him here," he whispered, jerking his thumb over his shoulder; "he's all right."
　　 "What is it, then?" I asked, for his manner suggested that it was some strange creature which he had caged up in my room.
　　 "It's a new patient," he whispered. "I thought I'd bring him round myself; then he couldn't slip away. There he is, all safe and sound. I must go now, Doctor; I have my dooties, just the same as you." And off he went, this trusty tout, without even giving me time to thank him.
　　 I entered my consulting-room and found a gentleman seated by the table. He was quietly dressed in a suit of heather tweed with a soft cloth cap which he had laid down upon my books. Round one of his hands he had a handkerchief wrapped, which was mottled all over with bloodstains. He was young, not more than five-and-twenty, I should say, with a strong, masculine face; but he was exceedingly pale and gave me the impression of a man who was suffering from some strong agitation, which it took all his strength of mind to control.
　　 "I am sorry to knock you up so early, Doctor," said he, "but I have had a very serious accident during the night. I came in by train this morning, and on inquiring at Paddington as to where I might find a doctor, a worthy fellow very kindly escorted me here. I gave the maid a card, but I see that she has left it upon the side-table."
　　 I took it up and glanced at it. "Mr. Victor Hatherley, hydraulic engineer, 16A, Victoria Street (3rd floor)." That was the name, style, and abode of my morning visitor. "I regret that I have kept you waiting," said I, sitting down in my library-chair. "You are fresh from a night journey, I understand, which is in itself a monotonous occupation."
　　 "Oh, my night could not be called monotonous," said he, and laughed. He laughed very heartily, with a high, ringing note, leaning back in his chair and shaking his sides. All my medical instincts rose up against that laugh.
　　 "Stop it!" I cried; "pull yourself together!" and I poured out some water from a caraffe.
　　 It was useless, however. He was off in one of those hysterical outbursts which come upon a strong nature when some great crisis is over and gone. Presently he came to himself once more, very weary and pale-looking.
　　 "I have been making a fool of myself," he gasped.
　　 "Not at all. Drink this." I dashed some brandy into the water, and the colour began to come back to his bloodless cheeks.
　　 "That's better!" said he. "And now, Doctor, perhaps you would kindly attend to my thumb, or rather to the place where my thumb used to be."
　　 He unwound the handkerchief and held out his hand. It gave even my hardened nerves a shudder to look at it. There were four protruding fingers and a horrid red, spongy surface where the thumb should have been. It had been hacked or torn right out from the roots.
　　 "Good heavens!" I cried, "this is a terrible injury. It must have bled considerably."
　　 "Yes, it did. I fainted when it was done, and I think that I must have been senseless for a long time. When I came to I found that it was still bleeding, so I tied one end of my handkerchief very tightly round the wrist and braced it up with a twig."
　　 "Excellent! You should have been a surgeon."
　　 "It is a question of hydraulics, you see, and came within my own province."
　　 "This has been done," said I, examining the wound, "by a very heavy and sharp instrument."
　　 "A thing like a cleaver," said he.
　　 "An accident, I presume?"
　　 "By no means."
　　 "What! a murderous attack?"
　　 "Very murderous indeed."
　　 "You horrify me."
　　 I sponged the wound, cleaned it, dressed it, and finally covered it over with cotton wadding and carbolised bandages. He lay back without wincing, though he bit his lip from time to time.
　　 "How is that?" I asked when I had finished.
　　 "Capital! Between your brandy and your bandage, I feel a new man. I was very weak, but I have had a good deal to go through."
　　 "Perhaps you had better not speak of the matter. It is evidently trying to your nerves."
　　 "Oh, no, not now. I shall have to tell my tale to the police; but, between ourselves, if it were not for the convincing evidence of this wound of mine, I should be surprised if they believed my statement, for it is a very extraordinary one, and I have not much in the way of proof with which to back it up; and, even if they believe me, the clues which I can give them are so vague that it is a question whether justice will be done."
　　 "Ha!" cried I, "if it is anything in the nature of a problem which you desire to see solved, I should strongly recommend you to come to my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, before you go to the official police."
　　 "Oh, I have heard of that fellow," answered my visitor, "and I should be very glad if he would take the matter up, though of course I must use the official police as well. Would you give me an introduction to him?"
　　 "I'll do better. I'll take you round to him myself."
　　 "I should be immensely obliged to you."
　　 "We'll call a cab and go together. We shall just be in time to have a little breakfast with him. Do you feel equal to it?"
　　 "Yes; I shall not feel easy until I have told my story."
　　 "Then my servant will call a cab, and I shall be with you in an instant." I rushed upstairs, explained the matter shortly to my wife, and in five minutes was inside a hansom, driving with my new acquaintance to Baker Street.
　　 Sherlock Holmes was, as I expected, lounging about his sitting-room in his dressing-gown, reading the agony column of The Times and smoking his before-breakfast pipe, which was composed of all the plugs and dottles left from his smokes of the day before, all carefully dried and collected on the corner of the mantelpiece. He received us in his quietly genial fashion, ordered fresh rashers and eggs, and joined us in a hearty meal. When it was concluded he settled our new acquaintance upon the sofa, placed a pillow beneath his head, and laid a glass of brandy and water within his reach.
　　 "It is easy to see that your experience has been no common one, Mr. Hatherley," said he. "Pray, lie down there and make yourself absolutely at home. Tell us what you can, but stop when you are tired and keep up your strength with a little stimulant."
　　 "Thank you," said my patient. "but I have felt another man since the doctor bandaged me, and I think that your breakfast has completed the cure. I shall take up as little of your valuable time as possible, so I shall start at once upon my peculiar experiences."
　　 Holmes sat in his big armchair with the weary, heavy-lidded expression which veiled his keen and eager nature, while I sat opposite to him, and we listened in silence to the strange story which our visitor detailed to us.
　　 "You must know," said he, "that I am an orphan and a bachelor, residing alone in lodgings in London. By profession I am a hydraulic engineer, and I have had considerable experience of my work during the seven years that I was apprenticed to Venner & Matheson, the well-known firm, of Greenwich. Two years ago, having served my time, and having also come into a fair sum of money through my poor father's death, I determined to start in business for myself and took professional chambers in Victoria Street.
　　 "I suppose that everyone finds his first independent start in business a dreary experience. To me it has been exceptionally so. During two years I have had three consultations and one small job, and that is absolutely all that my profession has brought me. My gross takings amount to 27 pounds 10s. Every day, from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon, I waited in my little den, until at last my heart began to sink, and I came to believe that I should never have any practice at all.
　　 "Yesterday, however, just as I was thinking of leaving the office, my clerk entered to say there was a gentleman waiting who wished to see me upon business. He brought up a card, too, with the name of 'Colonel Lysander Stark' engraved upon it. Close at his heels came the colonel himself, a man rather over the middle size, but of an exceeding thinness. I do not think that I have ever seen so thin a man. His whole face sharpened away into nose and chin, and the skin of his cheeks was drawn quite tense over his outstanding bones. Yet this emaciation seemed to be his natural habit, and due to no disease, for his eye was bright, his step brisk, and his bearing assured. He was plainly but neatly dressed, and his age, I should judge, would be nearer forty than thirty.
　　 "'Mr. Hatherley?' said he, with something of a German accent. 'You have been recommended to me, Mr. Hatherley, as being a man who is not only proficient in his profession but is also discreet and capable of preserving a secret.'
　　 "I bowed, feeling as flattered as any young man would at such an address. 'May I ask who it was who gave me so good a character?'
　　 "'Well, perhaps it is better that I should not tell you that just at this moment. I have it from the same source that you are both an orphan and a bachelor and are residing alone in London.'
　　 "'That is quite correct,' I answered; 'but you will excuse me if I say that I cannot see how all this bears upon my professional qualifications. I understand that it was on a professional matter that you wished to speak to me?'
　　 "'Undoubtedly so. But you will find that all I say is really to the point. I have a professional commission for you, but absolute secrecy is quite essential--absolute secrecy, you understand, and of course we may expect that more from a man who is alone than from one who lives in the bosom of his family.'
　　 "'If I promise to keep a secret,' said I, 'you may absolutely depend upon my doing so.'
　　 "He looked very hard at me as I spoke, and it seemed to me that I had never seen so suspicious and questioning an eye.
　　 "'Do you promise, then?' said he at last.
　　 "'Yes, I promise.'
　　 "'Absolute and complete silence before, during, and after? No reference to the matter at all, either in word or writing?'
　　 "'I have already given you my word.'
　　 "'Very good.' He suddenly sprang up, and darting like lightning across the room he flung open the door. The passage outside was empty.
　　 "'That's all right,' said he, coming back. 'I know that clerks are sometimes curious as to their master's affairs. Now we can talk in safety.' He drew up his chair very close to mine and began to stare at me again with the same questioning and thoughtful look.
　　 "A feeling of repulsion, and of something akin to fear had begun to rise within me at the strange antics of this fleshless man. Even my dread of losing a client could not restrain me from showing my impatience.
　　 "'I beg that you will state your business, sir,' said I; 'my time is of value.' Heaven forgive me for that last sentence, but the words came to my lips.
　　 "'How would fifty guineas for a night's work suit you?' he asked.
　　 "'Most admirably.'
　　 "'I say a night's work, but an hour's would be nearer the mark. I simply want your opinion about a hydraulic stamping machine which has got out of gear. If you show us what is wrong we shall soon set it right ourselves. What do you think of such a commission as that?'
　　 "'The work appears to be light and the pay munificent.'
　　 "'Precisely so. We shall want you to come to-night by the last train.'
　　 "'Where to?'
　　 "'To Eyford, in Berkshire. It is a little place near the borders of Oxfordshire, and within seven miles of Reading. There is a train from Paddington which would bring you there at about 11:15.'
　　 "'Very good.'
　　 "'I shall come down in a carriage to meet you.'
　　 "'There is a drive, then?'
　　 "'Yes, our little place is quite out in the country. It is a good seven miles from Eyford Station.'
　　 "'Then we can hardly get there before midnight. I suppose there would be no chance of a train back. I should be compelled to stop the night.'
　　 "'Yes, we could easily give you a shake-down.'
　　 "'That is very awkward. Could I not come at some more convenient hour?'
　　 "'We have judged it best that you should come late. It is to recompense you for any inconvenience that we are paying to you, a young and unknown man, a fee which would buy an opinion from the very heads of your profession. Still, of course, if you would like to draw out of the business, there is plenty of time to do so.'
　　 "I thought of the fifty guineas, and of how very useful they would be to me. 'Not at all,' said I, 'I shall be very happy to accommodate myself to your wishes. I should like, however, to understand a little more clearly what it is that you wish me to do.'
　　 "'Quite so. It is very natural that the pledge of secrecy which we have exacted from you should have aroused your curiosity. I have no wish to commit you to anything without your having it all laid before you. I suppose that we are absolutely safe from eavesdroppers?'
　　 "'Entirely.'
　　 "'Then the matter stands thus. You are probably aware that fuller's-earth is a valuable product, and that it is only found in one or two places in England?'
　　 "'I have heard so.'
　　 "'Some little time ago I bought a small place--a very small place--within ten miles of Reading. I was fortunate enough to discover that there was a deposit of fuller's-earth in one of my fields. On examining it, however, I found that this deposit was a comparatively small one, and that it formed a link between two very much larger ones upon the right and left--both of them, however, in the grounds of my neighbours. These good people were absolutely ignorant that their land contained that which was quite as valuable as a gold-mine. Naturally, it was to my interest to buy their land before they discovered its true value, but unfortunately I had no capital by which I could do this. I took a few of my friends into the secret, however, and they suggested that we should quietly and secretly work our own little deposit and that in this way we should earn the money which would enable us to buy the neighbouring fields. This we have now been doing for some time, and in order to help us in our operations we erected a hydraulic press. This press, as I have already explained, has got out of order, and we wish your advice upon the subject. We guard our secret very jealously, however, and if it once became known that we had hydraulic engineers coming to our little house, it would soon rouse inquiry, and then, if the facts came out, it would be good-bye to any chance of getting these fields and carrying out our plans. That is why I have made you promise me that you will not tell a human being that you are going to Eyford to-night. I hope that I make it all plain?'
　　 "'I quite follow you,' said I. 'The only point which I could not quite understand was what use you could make of a hydraulic press in excavating fuller's-earth, which, as I understand, is dug out like gravel from a pit.'
　　 "'Ah!' said he carelessly, 'we have our own process. We compress the earth into bricks, so as to remove them without revealing what they are. But that is a mere detail. I have taken you fully into my confidence now, Mr. Hatherley, and I have shown you how I trust you.' He rose as he spoke. 'I shall expect you, then, at Eyford at 11:15.'
　　 "'I shall certainly be there.'
　　 "'And not a word to a soul.' He looked at me with a last long, questioning gaze, and then, pressing my hand in a cold, dank grasp, he hurried from the room.
　　 "Well, when I came to think it all over in cool blood I was very much astonished, as you may both think, at this sudden commission which had been intrusted to me. On the one hand, of course, I was glad, for the fee was at least tenfold what I should have asked had I set a price upon my own services, and it was possible that this order might lead to other ones. On the other hand, the face and manner of my patron had made an unpleasant impression upon me, and I could not think that his explanation of the fuller's-earth was sufficient to explain the necessity for my coming at midnight, and his extreme anxiety lest I should tell anyone of my errand. However, I threw all fears to the winds, ate a hearty supper, drove to Paddington, and started off, having obeyed to the letter the injunction as to holding my tongue.
　　 "At Reading I had to change not only my carriage but my station. However, I was in time for the last train to Eyford, and I reached the little dim-lit station after eleven o'clock. I was the only passenger who got out there, and there was no one upon the platform save a single sleepy porter with a lantern. As I passed out through the wicket gate, however, I found my acquaintance of the morning waiting in the shadow upon the other side. Without a word he grasped my arm and hurried me into a carriage, the door of which was standing open. He drew up the windows on either side, tapped on the wood-work, and away we went as fast as the horse could go."
　　 "One horse?" interjected Holmes.
　　 "Yes, only one."
　　 "Did you observe the colour?"
　　 "Yes, I saw it by the side-lights when I was stepping into the carriage. It was a chestnut."
　　 "Tired-looking or fresh?"
　　 "Oh, fresh and glossy."
　　 "Thank you. I am sorry to have interrupted you. Pray continue your most interesting statement."
　　 "Away we went then, and we drove for at least an hour. Colonel Lysander Stark had said that it was only seven miles, but I should think, from the rate that we seemed to go, and from the time that we took, that it must have been nearer twelve. He sat at my side in silence all the time, and I was aware, more than once when I glanced in his direction, that he was looking at me with great intensity. The country roads seem to be not very good in that part of the world, for we lurched and jolted terribly. I tried to look out of the windows to see something of where we were, but they were made of frosted glass, and I could make out nothing save the occasional bright blur of a passing light. Now and then I hazarded some remark to break the monotony of the journey, but the colonel answered only in monosyllables, and the conversation soon flagged. At last, however, the bumping of the road was exchanged for the crisp smoothness of a gravel-drive, and the carriage came to a stand. Colonel Lysander Stark sprang out, and, as I followed after him, pulled me swiftly into a porch which gaped in front of us. We stepped, as it were, right out of the carriage and into the hall, so that I failed to catch the most fleeting glance of the front of the house. The instant that I had crossed the threshold the door slammed heavily behind us, and I heard faintly the rattle of the wheels as the carriage drove away.
　　 "It was pitch dark inside the house, and the colonel fumbled about looking for matches and muttering under his breath. Suddenly a door opened at the other end of the passage, and a long, golden bar of light shot out in our direction. It grew broader, and a woman appeared with a lamp in her hand, which she held above her head, pushing her face forward and peering at us. I could see that she was pretty, and from the gloss with which the light shone upon her dark dress I knew that it was a rich material. She spoke a few words in a foreign tongue in a tone as though asking a question, and when my companion answered in a gruff monosyllable she gave such a start that the lamp nearly fell from her hand. Colonel Stark went up to her, whispered something in her ear, and then, pushing her back into the room from whence she had come, he walked towards me again with the lamp in his hand.
　　 "'Perhaps you will have the kindness to wait in this room for a few minutes,' said he, throwing open another door. It was a quiet, little, plainly furnished room, with a round table in the centre, on which several German books were scattered. Colonel Stark laid down the lamp on the top of a harmonium beside the door. 'I shall not keep you waiting an instant,' said he, and vanished into the darkness.
　　 "I glanced at the books upon the table, and in spite of my ignorance of German I could see that two of them were treatises on science, the others being volumes of poetry. Then I walked across to the window, hoping that I might catch some glimpse of the country-side, but an oak shutter, heavily barred, was folded across it. It was a wonderfully silent house. There was an old clock ticking loudly somewhere in the passage, but otherwise everything was deadly still. A vague feeling of uneasiness began to steal over me. Who were these German people, and what were they doing living in this strange, out-of-the-way place? And where was the place? I was ten miles or so from Eyford, that was all I knew, but whether north, south, east, or west I had no idea. For that matter, Reading, and possibly other large towns, were within that radius, so the place might not be so secluded, after all. Yet it was quite certain, from the absolute stillness, that we were in the country. I paced up and down the room, humming a tune under my breath to keep up my spirits and feeling that I was thoroughly earning my fifty-guinea fee.
　　 "Suddenly, without any preliminary sound in the midst of the utter stillness, the door of my room swung slowly open. The woman was standing in the aperture, the darkness of the hall behind her, the yellow light from my lamp beating upon her eager and beautiful face. I could see at a glance that she was sick with fear, and the sight sent a chill to my own heart. She held up one shaking finger to warn me to be silent, and she shot a few whispered words of broken English at me, her eyes glancing back, like those of a frightened horse, into the gloom behind her.
　　 "'I would go,' said she, trying hard, as it seemed to me, to speak calmly; 'I would go. I should not stay here. There is no good for you to do.'
　　 "'But, madam,' said I, 'I have not yet done what I came for. I cannot possibly leave until I have seen the machine.'
　　 "'It is not worth your while to wait,' she went on. 'You can pass through the door; no one hinders.' And then, seeing that I smiled and shook my head, she suddenly threw aside her constraint and made a step forward, with her hands wrung together. 'For the love of Heaven!' she whispered, 'get away from here before it is too late!'
　　 "But I am somewhat headstrong by nature, and the more ready to engage in an affair when there is some obstacle in the way. I thought of my fifty-guinea fee, of my wearisome journey, and of the unpleasant night which seemed to be before me. Was it all to go for nothing? Why should I slink away without having carried out my commission, and without the payment which was my due? This woman might, for all I knew, be a monomaniac. With a stout bearing, therefore, though her manner had shaken me more than I cared to confess, I still shook my head and declared my intention of remaining where I was. She was about to renew her entreaties when a door slammed overhead, and the sound of several footsteps was heard upon the stairs. She listened for an instant, threw up her hands with a despairing gesture, and vanished as suddenly and as noiselessly as she had come.
　　 "The newcomers were Colonel Lysander Stark and a short thick man with a chinchilla beard growing out of the creases of his double chin, who was introduced to me as Mr. Ferguson.
　　 "'This is my secretary and manager,' said the colonel. 'By the way, I was under the impression that I left this door shut just now. I fear that you have felt the draught.'
　　 "'On the contrary,' said I, 'I opened the door myself because I felt the room to be a little close.'
　　 "He shot one of his suspicious looks at me. 'Perhaps we had better proceed to business, then,' said he. 'Mr. Ferguson and I will take you up to see the machine.'
　　 "'I had better put my hat on, I suppose.'
　　 "'Oh, no, it is in the house.'
　　 "'What, you dig fuller's-earth in the house?'
　　 "'No, no. This is only where we compress it. But never mind that. All we wish you to do is to examine the machine and to let us know what is wrong with it.'
　　 "We went upstairs together, the colonel first with the lamp, the fat manager and I behind him. It was a labyrinth of an old house, with corridors, passages, narrow winding staircases, and little low doors, the thresholds of which were hollowed out by the generations who had crossed them. There were no carpets and no signs of any furniture above the ground floor, while the plaster was peeling off the walls, and the damp was breaking through in green, unhealthy blotches. I tried to put on as unconcerned an air as possible, but I had not forgotten the warnings of the lady, even though I disregarded them, and I kept a keen eye upon my two companions. Ferguson appeared to be a morose and silent man, but I could see from the little that he said that he was at least a fellow-countryman.
　　 "Colonel Lysander Stark stopped at last before a low door, which he unlocked. Within was a small, square room, in which the three of us could hardly get at one time. Ferguson remained outside, and the colonel ushered me in.
　　 "'We are now,' said he, 'actually within the hydraulic press, and it would be a particularly unpleasant thing for us if anyone were to turn it on. The ceiling of this small chamber is really the end of the descending piston, and it comes down with the force of many tons upon this metal floor. There are small lateral columns of water outside which receive the force, and which transmit and multiply it in the manner which is familiar to you. The machine goes readily enough, but there is some stiffness in the working of it, and it has lost a little of its force. Perhaps you will have the goodness to look it over and to show us how we can set it right.'
　　 "I took the lamp from him, and I examined the machine very thoroughly. It was indeed a gigantic one, and capable of exercising enormous pressure. When I passed outside, however, and pressed down the levers which controlled it, I knew at once by the whishing sound that there was a slight leakage, which allowed a regurgitation of water through one of the side cylinders. An examination showed that one of the india-rubber bands which was round the head of a driving-rod had shrunk so as not quite to fill the socket along which it worked. This was clearly the cause of the loss of power, and I pointed it out to my companions, who followed my remarks very carefully and asked several practical questions as to how they should proceed to set it right. When I had made it clear to them, I returned to the main chamber of the machine and took a good look at it to satisfy my own curiosity. It was obvious at a glance that the story of the fuller's-earth was the merest fabrication, for it would be absurd to suppose that so powerful an engine could be designed for so inadequate a purpose. The walls were of wood, but the floor consisted of a large iron trough, and when I came to examine it I could see a crust of metallic deposit all over it. I had stooped and was scraping at this to see exactly what it was when I heard a muttered exclamation in German and saw the cadaverous face of the colonel looking down at me.
　　 "'What are you doing there?' he asked.
　　 "I felt angry at having been tricked by so elaborate a story as that which he had told me. 'I was admiring your fuller's-earth,' said I; 'I think that I should be better able to advise you as to your machine if I knew what the exact purpose was for which it was used.'
　　 "The instant that I uttered the words I regretted the rashness of my speech. His face set hard, and a baleful light sprang up in his grey eyes.
　　 "'Very well,' said he, 'you shall know all about the machine.' He took a step backward, slammed the little door, and turned the key in the lock. I rushed towards it and pulled at the handle, but it was quite secure, and did not give in the least to my kicks and shoves. 'Hullo!' I yelled. 'Hullo! Colonel! Let me out!'
　　 "And then suddenly in the silence I heard a sound which sent my heart into my mouth. It was the clank of the levers and the swish of the leaking cylinder. He had set the engine at work. The lamp still stood upon the floor where I had placed it when examining the trough. By its light I saw that the black ceiling was coming down upon me, slowly, jerkily, but, as none knew better than myself, with a force which must within a minute grind me to a shapeless pulp. I threw myself, screaming, against the door, and dragged with my nails at the lock. I implored the colonel to let me out, but the remorseless clanking of the levers drowned my cries. The ceiling was only a foot or two above my head, and with my hand upraised I could feel its hard, rough surface. Then it flashed through my mind that the pain of my death would depend very much upon the position in which I met it. If I lay on my face the weight would come upon my spine, and I shuddered to think of that dreadful snap. Easier the other way, perhaps; and yet, had I the nerve to lie and look up at that deadly black shadow wavering down upon me? Already I was unable to stand erect, when my eye caught something which brought a gush of hope back to my heart.
　　 "I have said that though the floor and ceiling were of iron, the walls were of wood. As I gave a last hurried glance around, I saw a thin line of yellow light between two of the boards, which broadened and broadened as a small panel was pushed backward. For an instant I could hardly believe that here was indeed a door which led away from death. The next instant I threw myself through, and lay half-fainting upon the other side. The panel had closed again behind me, but the crash of the lamp, and a few moments afterwards the clang of the two slabs of metal, told me how narrow had been my escape.
　　 "I was recalled to myself by a frantic plucking at my wrist, and I found myself lying upon the stone floor of a narrow corridor, while a woman bent over me and tugged at me with her left hand, while she held a candle in her right. It was the same good friend whose warning I had so foolishly rejected.
　　 "'Come! come!' she cried breathlessly. 'They will be here in a moment. They will see that you are not there. Oh, do not waste the so-precious time, but come!'
　　 "This time, at least, I did not scorn her advice. I staggered to my feet and ran with her along the corridor and down a winding stair. The latter led to another broad passage, and just as we reached it we heard the sound of running feet and the shouting of two voices, one answering the other from the floor on which we were and from the one beneath. My guide stopped and looked about her like one who is at her wit's end. Then she threw open a door which led into a bedroom, through the window of which the moon was shining brightly.
　　 "'It is your only chance,' said she. 'It is high, but it may be that you can jump it.'
　　 "As she spoke a light sprang into view at the further end of the passage, and I saw the lean figure of Colonel Lysander Stark rushing forward with a lantern in one hand and a weapon like a butcher's cleaver in the other. I rushed across the bedroom, flung open the window, and looked out. How quiet and sweet and wholesome the garden looked in the moonlight, and it could not be more than thirty feet down. I clambered out upon the sill, but I hesitated to jump until I should have heard what passed between my saviour and the ruffian who pursued me. If she were ill-used, then at any risks I was determined to go back to her assistance. The thought had hardly flashed through my mind before he was at the door, pushing his way past her; but she threw her arms round him and tried to hold him back.
　　 "'Fritz! Fritz!' she cried in English, 'remember your promise after the last time. You said it should not be again. He will be silent! Oh, he will be silent!'
　　 "'You are mad, Elise!' he shouted, struggling to break away from her. 'You will be the ruin of us. He has seen too much. Let me pass, I say!' He dashed her to one side, and, rushing to the window, cut at me with his heavy weapon. I had let myself go, and was hanging by the hands to the sill, when his blow fell. I was conscious of a dull pain, my grip loosened, and I fell into the garden below.
　　 "I was shaken but not hurt by the fall; so I picked myself up and rushed off among the bushes as hard as I could run, for I understood that I was far from being out of danger yet. Suddenly, however, as I ran, a deadly dizziness and sickness came over me. I glanced down at my hand, which was throbbing painfully, and then, for the first time, saw that my thumb had been cut off and that the blood was pouring from my wound. I endeavoured to tie my handkerchief round it, but there came a sudden buzzing in my ears, and next moment I fell in a dead faint among the rose-bushes.
　　 "How long I remained unconscious I cannot tell. It must have been a very long time, for the moon had sunk, and a bright morning was breaking when I came to myself. My clothes were all sodden with dew, and my coat-sleeve was drenched with blood from my wounded thumb. The smarting of it recalled in an instant all the particulars of my night's adventure, and I sprang to my feet with the feeling that I might hardly yet be safe from my pursuers. But to my astonishment, when I came to look round me, neither house nor garden were to be seen. I had been lying in an angle of the hedge close by the highroad, and just a little lower down was a long building, which proved, upon my approaching it, to be the very station at which I had arrived upon the previous night. Were it not for the ugly wound upon my hand, all that had passed during those dreadful hours might have been an evil dream.
　　 "Half dazed, I went into the station and asked about the morning train. There would be one to Reading in less than an hour. The same porter was on duty, I found, as had been there when I arrived. I inquired of him whether he had ever heard of Colonel Lysander Stark. The name was strange to him. Had he observed a carriage the night before waiting for me? No, he had not. Was there a police-station anywhere near? There was one about three miles off.
　　 "It was too far for me to go, weak and ill as I was. I determined to wait until I got back to town before telling my story to the police. It was a little past six when I arrived, so I went first to have my wound dressed, and then the doctor was kind enough to bring me along here. I put the case into your hands and shall do exactly what you advise."
　　 We both sat in silence for some little time after listening to this extraordinary narrative. Then Sherlock Holmes pulled down from the shelf one of the ponderous commonplace books in which he placed his cuttings.
　　 "Here is an advertisement which will interest you," said he. "It appeared in all the papers about a year ago. Listen to this: 'Lost, on the 9th inst., Mr. Jeremiah Hayling, aged twenty-six, a hydraulic engineer. Left his lodgings at ten o'clock at night, and has not been heard of since. Was dressed in,' etc., etc. Ha! That represents the last time that the colonel needed to have his machine overhauled, I fancy."
　　 "Good heavens!" cried my patient. "Then that explains what the girl said."
　　 "Undoubtedly. It is quite clear that the colonel was a cool and desperate man, who was absolutely determined that nothing should stand in the way of his little game, like those out-and-out pirates who will leave no survivor from a captured ship. Well, every moment now is precious, so if you feel equal to it we shall go down to Scotland Yard at once as a preliminary to starting for Eyford."
　　 Some three hours or so afterwards we were all in the train together, bound from Reading to the little Berkshire village. There were Sherlock Holmes, the hydraulic engineer, Inspector Bradstreet, of Scotland Yard, a plain-clothes man, and myself. Bradstreet had spread an ordnance map of the county out upon the seat and was busy with his compasses drawing a circle with Eyford for its centre.
　　 "There you are," said he. "That circle is drawn at a radius of ten miles from the village. The place we want must be somewhere near that line. You said ten miles, I think, sir."
　　 "It was an hour's good drive."
　　 "And you think that they brought you back all that way when you were unconscious?"
　　 "They must have done so. I have a confused memory, too, of having been lifted and conveyed somewhere."
　　 "What I cannot understand," said I, "is why they should have spared you when they found you lying fainting in the garden. Perhaps the villain was softened by the woman's entreaties."
　　 "I hardly think that likely. I never saw a more inexorable face in my life."
　　 "Oh, we shall soon clear up all that," said Bradstreet. "Well, I have drawn my circle, and I only wish I knew at what point upon it the folk that we are in search of are to be found."
　　 "I think I could lay my finger on it," said Holmes quietly.
　　 "Really, now!" cried the inspector, "you have formed your opinion! Come, now, we shall see who agrees with you. I say it is south, for the country is more deserted there."
　　 "And I say east," said my patient.
　　 "I am for west," remarked the plain-clothes man. "There are several quiet little villages up there."
　　 "And I am for north," said I, "because there are no hills there, and our friend says that he did not notice the carriage go up any."
　　 "Come," cried the inspector, laughing; "it's a very pretty diversity of opinion. We have boxed the compass among us. Who do you give your casting vote to?"
　　 "You are all wrong."
　　 "But we can't all be."
　　 "Oh, yes, you can. This is my point." He placed his finger in the centre of the circle. "This is where we shall find them."
　　 "But the twelve-mile drive?" gasped Hatherley.
　　 "Six out and six back. Nothing simpler. You say yourself that the horse was fresh and glossy when you got in. How could it be that if it had gone twelve miles over heavy roads?"
　　 "Indeed, it is a likely ruse enough," observed Bradstreet thoughtfully. "Of course there can be no doubt as to the nature of this gang."
　　 "None at all," said Holmes. "They are coiners on a large scale, and have used the machine to form the amalgam which has taken the place of silver."
　　 "We have known for some time that a clever gang was at work," said the inspector. "They have been turning out half-crowns by the thousand. We even traced them as far as Reading, but could get no farther, for they had covered their traces in a way that showed that they were very old hands. But now, thanks to this lucky chance, I think that we have got them right enough."
　　 But the inspector was mistaken, for those criminals were not destined to fall into the hands of justice. As we rolled into Eyford Station we saw a gigantic column of smoke which streamed up from behind a small clump of trees in the neighbourhood and hung like an immense ostrich feather over the landscape.
　　 "A house on fire?" asked Bradstreet as the train steamed off again on its way.
　　 "Yes, sir!" said the station-master.
　　 "When did it break out?"
　　 "I hear that it was during the night, sir, but it has got worse, and the whole place is in a blaze."
　　 "Whose house is it?"
　　 "Dr. Becher's."
　　 "Tell me," broke in the engineer, "is Dr. Becher a German, very thin, with a long, sharp nose?"
　　 The station-master laughed heartily. "No, sir, Dr. Becher is an Englishman, and there isn't a man in the parish who has a better-lined waistcoat. But he has a gentleman staying with him, a patient, as I understand, who is a foreigner, and he looks as if a little good Berkshire beef would do him no harm."
　　 The station-master had not finished his speech before we were all hastening in the direction of the fire. The road topped a low hill, and there was a great widespread whitewashed building in front of us, spouting fire at every chink and window, while in the garden in front three fire-engines were vainly striving to keep the flames under.
　　 "That's it!" cried Hatherley, in intense excitement. "There is the gravel-drive, and there are the rose-bushes where I lay. That second window is the one that I jumped from."
　　 "Well, at least," said Holmes, "you have had your revenge upon them. There can be no question that it was your oil-lamp which, when it was crushed in the press, set fire to the wooden walls, though no doubt they were too excited in the chase after you to observe it at the time. Now keep your eyes open in this crowd for your friends of last night, though I very much fear that they are a good hundred miles off by now."
　　 And Holmes' fears came to be realised, for from that day to this no word has ever been heard either of the beautiful woman, the sinister German, or the morose Englishman. Early that morning a peasant had met a cart containing several people and some very bulky boxes driving rapidly in the direction of Reading, but there all traces of the fugitives disappeared, and even Holmes' ingenuity failed ever to discover the least clue as to their whereabouts.
　　 The firemen had been much perturbed at the strange arrangements which they had found within, and still more so by discovering a newly severed human thumb upon a window-sill of the second floor. About sunset, however, their efforts were at last successful, and they subdued the flames, but not before the roof had fallen in, and the whole place been reduced to such absolute ruin that, save some twisted cylinders and iron piping, not a trace remained of the machinery which had cost our unfortunate acquaintance so dearly. Large masses of nickel and of tin were discovered stored in an out-house, but no coins were to be found, which may have explained the presence of those bulky boxes which have been already referred to.
　　 How our hydraulic engineer had been conveyed from the garden to the spot where he recovered his senses might have remained forever a mystery were it not for the soft mould, which told us a very plain tale. He had evidently been carried down by two persons, one of whom had remarkably small feet and the other unusually large ones. On the whole, it was most probable that the silent Englishman, being less bold or less murderous than his companion, had assisted the woman to bear the unconscious man out of the way of danger.
　　 "Well," said our engineer ruefully as we took our seats to return once more to London, "it has been a pretty business for me! I have lost my thumb and I have lost a fifty-guinea fee, and what have I gained?"
　　 "Experience," said Holmes, laughing. "Indirectly it may be of value, you know; you have only to put it into words to gain the reputation of being excellent company for the remainder of your existence."