ài sà · huì tè ní shì shèng qiáo zhì dà xué shén xué yuàn yǐ gù yuàn cháng yī lāi yà sī · huì tè ní de xiōng dì， tā chén nì yú yā piàn yān， yǐn pǐ hěn dà。 jù wǒ suǒ zhī， tā rǎn shàng zhè yī 'è xí shì yóu yú zài dà xué dú shū shí chǎn shēng de yī zhǒng yú chǔn de guài niàn tóu zào chéng de。 dāng shí tā yīn wéi dú liǎo dé · kūn xī duì mèng huàn hé de miáo huì， jiù jiāng yān ① cǎo zài yā piàn dǐng lǐ jìn pào guò hòu lái xī， yǐ qī huò dé mèng huàn hé de xiào guǒ。 tā xiàng xǔ duō rén yī yàng， hòu lái cái fā jué zhè yàng zuò shàng yǐn róng yì jiè chú nán， suǒ yǐ tā duō nián lái biàn xī dú chéng pǐ bù néng zì bá， tā de qīn zhǔhè péng yǒu men duì tā jì shēn wéi yàn 'è， tóng shí yòu bù wú lián xī zhī gǎn。 tā de nà fù shén tài wǒ zhì jīn hái jì yì yóu xīn： miàn sè qīng huáng qiáo cuì， yǎn pí dā lā， liǎng tóng wú shén， shēn tǐ suō chéng yī tuán quán qū zài yī bǎ yǐ zǐ lǐ， huó xiàn chū yī fù luò pò wáng sūn de dǎo méi xiāng。
　　 yī bā nián liù yuè de yī gè yè wǎn， yòu rén zài mén wài qìn líng， nà zhèng shì yī bān rén kāi shǐ dǎ hē qiàn、 tái yǎn wàng zhōng de shí kè。 wǒ dāng jí cóng yǐ zǐ lǐ zuò qǐ shēn lái， wǒ de qī zǐ bǎ tā de zhēn xiàn huó fàng zài xī gài shàng， liǎn shàng lù chū yī fù bù lè yì de yàng zǐ。
　　 “ yòu bìng rén， ” tā shuō，“ nǐ yòu dé chū zhěn liǎo。”
　　 wǒ tàn liǎo kǒu qì， yīn wéi wǒ máng liǎo yī zhěng tiān， pí bèi bù kān， gāng cóng wài miàn huí lái。
　　① Ｔ ｈ ｏ ｍ ａ ｓ Ｄ ｅ ｕ ｉ ｎ ｃｅ ｙ， １ ７ ８ ５ héng１８５ ９， yīng guó zuò jiā。 héng héng yì zhě zhù
　　 wǒ tīng dào kāi mén shēng hé jí cù de huà yīn， rán hòu yī zhèn kuài bù zǒu guò dì zhān de shēng xiǎng。 jiē zhe wǒ men de fáng mén tū rán dà kāi。 yī wèi fù nǚ shēn chuān shēn sè ní róng yī fú， tóu méng hēi shā， zǒu jìn wū lái。
　　“ qǐng yuán liàng wǒ zhè me wǎn lái dǎ jiǎo nín！ " tā kāi shǐ shuō， suí jí kè zhì bù zhù zì jǐ， kuài bù xiàng qián， lǒu zhe wǒ qī zǐ de bó zǐ， fú zài tā de jiān shàng chuò qì liǎo qǐ lái。 " ō！ wǒ zhēn dǎo méi！ " tā kū zhe shuō，“ wǒ duō me xū yào néng dé dào yī diǎn 'ér bāng zhù 'ā！”
　　“ ā！ " wǒ de qī zǐ shuō， tóng shí xiān kāi tā de miàn shā，“ yuán lái shì kǎi tè · huì tè ní 'ā。 nǐ kě xià zhe wǒ liǎo， kǎi tè！ nǐ jìn lái shí wǒ jiǎn zhí xiǎng xiàng bù dào shì nǐ！”
　　“ wǒ bù zhī dào zěn yàng cái hǎo， wǒ jiù zhí jiē páo lái zhǎo nǐ。 " shì qíng zǒng shì zhè yàng。 rén men yī yòu fā chóu de shì， jiù lái zhǎo wǒ de qī zǐ， hǎo xiàng hēi yè lǐ de niǎo 'ér qí xiàng dēng tǎ yī yàng lái xún zhǎo wèi jiè。
　　“ wǒ men hěn gāo xīng nǐ de lái lín！ bù guò， nǐ dé hē yī diǎn duì shuǐ de jiǔ， píng jìng dì zuò yī huì 'ér， zài gēn wǒ men jiǎng shì zěn me yī huí shì， yào bù rán wǒ xiān dǎ fā zhān mǔ sī qù jiù qǐn， nǐ kàn hǎo má？”
　　“ ò！ bù， bù！ wǒ yě xū yào dà fū de zhǐ diǎn hé bāng zhù ní。 shì guān yú 'ài sà de shì qíng， tā liǎng tiān méi huí jiā liǎo。 wǒ wéi tā hài pà jí liǎo！”
　　 duì wǒ lái shuō zuò wéi yī gè yī shēng， duì wǒ qī zǐ lái shuō zuò wéi yī gè lǎo péng yǒu hé lǎo tóng xué， tīng tā xiàng wǒ men sù shuō tā zhàng fū gěi tā dài lái de kǔ nǎo， zhè yǐ jīng bù shì dì yī cì liǎo。 wǒ men jìn liàng zhǎo xiē lèi sì zhè yàng de huà lái 'ān wèi tā， lì rú， tā zhī dào tā de zhàng fū zài nǎ lǐ má？ wǒ men yòu kě néng tì tā bǎ tā zhǎo huí lái má？
　　 kàn lái hǎo xiàng yòu kě néng。 tā dé dào què qiē de xiāo xī shuō， jìn lái tā de yān yǐn yī fā zuò， jiù dào lǎo chéng qū zuì dōng biān de yī gè yā piàn guǎn qù guò yǐn。 dào mù qián wéi zhǐ， tā zài wài fàng dàng cóng lái bù chāo chū yī tiān， měi dào wǎn shàng tā jiù chōu chù zhe shēn tǐ， kuǎ diào liǎo shìde huí dào jiā lǐ。 kě shì zhè cì guǐ mí xīn qiào yǐ jīng sì shí bā xiǎo shí liǎo。 xiàn zài zhǔn shì tǎng zài nà 'ér， hé zài mǎ tóu shàng de shè huì zhā zǐ yǎn wò zài yī qǐ tūn yún tù wù dì xī dú。 huò zhě jìng zài hān shuì， hǎo cóng yā piàn suǒ qǐ de zuò yòng zhōng huǎn guò jìn lái。 dào nà 'ér yī dìng huì zhǎo dé dào tā， zhè yī diǎn tā què xìn wú yí。 dì diǎn shì tiān 'é zhá xiàng de huáng jīn jiǔ diàn。 kě shì， tā kě zěn me bàn ní？ tā， yī gè nián qīng jiāo qiè de nǚ rén jiā， yòu zěn néng chuǎng jìn nà yàng yī gè dì fāng， bǎ sī hùn zài yī qún dǎi tú zhōng jiān de zhàng fū zhuài zǒu ní？
　　 qíng kuàng jiù shì rú cǐ， ér qiě dāng rán yě zhǐ yòu zhè yàng yī gè bàn fǎ。 wǒ xiǎng shì fǒu jiù yóu wǒ péi tóng tā qù nà dì fāng ní？ suí zhe， yòu yī zhuǎn niàn， tā yòu hé bì qù ní？ wǒ shì 'ài sà · huì tè ní de yī yào gù wèn， yǐ zhè céng guān xì jiǎng， wǒ duì tā yòu xiē yǐng xiǎng lì。 wǒ cháng ruò dú zì qián wǎng， yě xǔ néng jiě jué dé gèng hǎo xiē。 wǒ dāyìng tā， rú guǒ tā zhēn shì zài tā gào sù wǒ men de nà gè dì fāng de huà， wǒ huì zài liǎng xiǎo shí nèi gù liàng chū zū mǎ chē bǎ tā sòng huí jiā qù。 yú shì， zài shí fēn zhōng nèi， wǒ jiù yǐ jīng lí kāi liǎo wǒ de nà zhāng fú shǒu yǐ hé nà shū shì yú kuài de qǐ jū shì， chéng liǎo yī liàng shuāng lún xiǎo mǎ chē， zài xiàng dōng jí shǐ de tú zhōng liǎo。 zhè tàng chāishi， dāng shí wǒ yǐ jué dé yòu diǎn lí qí， bù guò zhǐ yòu dào liǎo hòu lái cái xiǎn chū tā shì lí qí dào liǎo hé děng chéng dù。
　　 dàn shì， zài wǒ zhè tàn qí zhī shǐ， dǎo méi yòu duō dà de kùn nán。 tiān 'é zhá xiàng shì yī tiáo wū zhuó de xiǎo xiàng， tā yǐn cáng yú lún dūn qiáo dōng yán hé běi 'àn de gāo dà mǎ tóu jiàn zhù wù hòu biān。 zài yī jiā chū shòu lián jià chéng yī de shāng diàn hé yī jiā dù sōng zǐ jiǔ diàn zhī jiān， kào jìn yòu yī tiáo dǒu qiào de jiē tī wǎng xià zhí tōng yī gè xiàng dòng xué shìde hēi hū hū huōkǒu， wǒ fā xiàn liǎo wǒ yào xún fǎng de nà jiā yān guǎn。 wǒ jiào mǎ chē tíng xià lái děng zhe， biàn shùn zhe nà jiē tī zǒu xià qù。 zhè jiē tī de shí jí zhōng bù yǐ bèi chuān liú bù xī de zuì hàn men shuāng jiǎo cǎi mó dé 'āo xiàn bù píng。 mén shàng xuán guà zhe dēng guāng shǎn shuò bù dìng de yóu dēng。 jiè zhe dēng guāng， wǒ mō dào mén shuān， biàn zǒu jìn yī gè yòu shēn yòu 'ǎi de fáng jiān， wū lǐ mí màn zhe nóng zhòng de zōng hè sè de yā piàn yān de yān wù， kào qiáng fàng zhe yī pái pái de mù tà， jiù xiàng yí mín chuán qián jiá bǎn xià de shuǐ shǒu cāng yī yàng。
　　 tòu guò wēi ruò de dēng guāng， kě yǐ yǐn yuē qiáo jiàn dōng dǎo xī wāi de rén tǎng zài mù tà shàng， yòu de sǒng jiān dī tóu， yòu de qū xī quán wò， yòu de tóu lú hòu yǎng， yòu de xià hàn cháo tiān， tā men cóng gè gè jiǎo luò lǐ yǐ shī shén de mù guāng wàng zhe xīn lái de kè rén。 zài chuáng chuáng hēi yǐng lǐ， yòu bù shǎo dì fāng fā chū liǎo hóng sè xiǎo guāng huán， wēi guāng shǎn shuò， hū míng hū 'àn。 zhè shì rán zhe de yā piàn zài jīn shǔ de yān dǒu guō lǐ bèi rén shǔn xī shí de qíng jǐng。 dà duō shù rén jìng qiǎo qiǎo dì tǎng zhe， yě yòu xiē rén zì yǔ， hái yòu rén yòng yī zhǒng qí guài de、 dī chén 'ér dān diào de yǔ shēng jiāo tóu jiē 'ěr， qiè qiè sī yǔ héng héng zhè zhǒng tán huà yòu shí tāo tāo bù jué， dū dū nāng nāng， jìn tán zì jǐ de xīn shì， ér bǎ rén jiā duì tā jiǎng de huà dū dāng 'ěr biān fēng。 zài yuǎn chù yī tóu， yòu yī gè xiǎo tàn huǒ pén， tàn huǒ xióng xióng。 pén bàng yī zhǐ sān zú mù bǎn dèng shàng zuò zhe yī gè shòu gāo de lǎo tóu， shuāng quán tuō sāi， liǎng zhǒu zhī zài xī gài shàng， shuāng mù níng shì zhe tàn huǒ。
　　 dāng wǒ jìn wū shí， yī gè miàn wú xuè sè de mǎ lái rén huǒ jì xīng chōng chōng dì zǒu shàng qián lái， dì gěi wǒ yīgǎn yān qiāng hé yī fèn yān jì， zhāo hū wǒ dào yī zhāng kōng tà shàng qù。 " xiè xiè nǐ。 wǒ bù shì lái jiǔ dāi de， " wǒ shuō，“ wǒ yòu yī wèi péng yǒu 'ài sà · huì tè ní xiān shēng zài zhè lǐ。 wǒ yào zhǎo tā shuō huà。”
　　 zài wǒ yòu biān yòu rén rú dòng bìng fā chū hǎn shēng。 wǒ tòu guò 'àn dàn de dēng guāng qiáo jiàn huì tè ní miàn sè cāng bái， qiáo cuì bù kān， lā lǐ lā tà， zhēng dà yǎn jīng dīng zhe wǒ。
　　“ tiān nǎ！ yuán lái shì huá shēng！ " tā shuō， tā dá huà de yàng zǐ xiǎn dé jì kě lián yòu kě bǐ， tā de měi tiáo shén jīng sì hū dū chǔyú jǐn zhāng zhuàng tài。 " hēi， huá shēng， jǐ diǎn zhōng liǎo？”
　　“ kuài shí yī diǎn zhōng liǎo。”
　　“ nǎ tiān de shí yī diǎn zhōng？”
　　“ xīng qī wǔ， liù yuè shí jiǔ rì。”
　　“ wǒ de tiān！ wǒ yī zhí rèn wéi shì xīng qī sān。 jīn tiān shì xīng qī sān， nǐ xià hǔ rén gànshénme？ " tā dī xià tóu， bǎ liǎn mái zài shuāng bì zhī jiān， kāi shǐ fàng shēng tòng kū AE zhāng f1 lái。
　　“ wǒ gào sù nǐ， jīn tiān shì xīng qī wǔ， méi cuò。 nǐ de lǎo qǐ yī zhí děng nǐ liǎng tiān liǎo。 nǐ yīngdāng gǎn dào xiū chǐ！”
　　“ duì！ wǒ yīngdāng gǎn dào xiū chǐ， bù guò nǐ nòng cuò liǎo， huá shēng， yīn wéi wǒ zài zhè lǐ zhǐ bù guò dāi liǎo jǐ gè xiǎo shí， chōu liǎo sān guō， sì guō …… wǒ jì bù dé chōu liǎo duō shǎo guō liǎo。 bù guò wǒ yào gēn nǐ huí qù。 wǒ bù gāi ràng kǎi tè dān xīn hài pà， kě lián de xiǎo kǎi tè yā！ fú wǒ yī xià！ nǐ gù mǎ chē lái liǎo má？”
　　“ shì de， wǒ gù liǎo yī liàng， děng zhe ní。”
　　“ nà mò， wǒ jiù zuò chē zǒu bā。 bù guò， wǒ yī dìng qiàn liǎo zhàng。 kàn kàn wǒ qiàn liǎo duō shǎo， huá shēng。 wǒ yī diǎn jīng shén yě méi yòu liǎo。 wǒ yī diǎn yě zhào gù bù liǎo zì jǐ。”
　　 wǒ zǒu guò liǎng pái tǎng zhe rén de mù tà jiān de xiá zhǎi guò dào， bǐngxī liǎn qì， miǎn dé qù wén nà yā piàn lìng rén zuò 'ǒu hé fā yùn de chòu qì， dào chù xún zhǎo zhǎng guì de。 wǒ zǒu guò tàn huǒ pén bàng de nà gè gāo gè zǐ shí， jué dé yòu yī zhǐ shǒu tū rán měng lā liǎo yī xià wǒ shàng yī de xià bǎi， yòu rén dī shēng shuō：“ zǒu guò qù， zài huí tóu kàn wǒ！ " zhè liǎng jù huà qīng qīng chǔ chǔ dì luò rù wǒ de 'ěr gǔ。 wǒ dī tóu yī kàn， zhè huà zhǐ néng shì chū zì wǒ shēn biān de lǎo tóu zhī kǒu。 kě shì， cǐ shí tā hái shì hé gāng cái yī yàng， quán shén guàn zhù dì zuò zài nà lǐ。 tā shòu gǔ lín xún， zhòu wén mǎn miàn， shuāi lǎo gōulóu， yī zhī yān qiāng dā luò zài tā de shuāng xī zhōng jiān， hǎo xiàng shì yīn wéi tā pí fá wú lì 'ér huá tuō xià qù shìde。 wǒ xiàng qián zǒu liǎo liǎng bù， huí tóu kàn shí， bù jué dà chī yī jīng。 xìng kuī wǒ jí lì kè zhì cái méi yòu shī shēng hǎn jiào chū lái。 tā yě zhuǎn guò shēn lái， chú liǎo wǒ， shuí yě kàn bù jiàn tā。 tā de shēn tǐ de xíng zhuàng yǐ jīng shēn zhǎn kāi liǎo， liǎn shàng de zhòu wén yě yè yǐ xiāo shī， hūn huā wú shén de shuāng yǎn yòu jiǒng jiǒng yòu shén。 zhè shí， zuò zài tàn huǒ pén biān wàng zhe chī jīng de wǒ 'ér lie zuǐ fā xiào de， bù shì bié rén， jìng shì xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī。 tā 'àn 'àn shì yì jiào wǒ dào tā shēn biān qù， suí jí zhuǎn guò shēn qù， zài yǐ cè miàn cháo xiàng zhòng rén shí， mǎ shàng yòu xiǎn chū yī fù duō duō suo suo、 suí kǒu luàn shuō de lóng zhōng lǎo tài。
　　“ fú 'ěr mó sī！ " wǒ dī shēng shuō，“ nǐ jiū jìng dào zhè gè yān guǎn lái gànshénme？”
　　“ jìn liàng fàng dī shēng xiē， " tā huí dá shuō，“ wǒ 'ěr duǒ hěn líng。 rú guǒ nǐ kěn bāng gè dà máng， dǎ fā kāi nǐ de nà wèi yǐn jūn zǐ péng yǒu， wǒ dǎo hěn gāo xīng néng gòu hé nǐ shāo wēi tán jǐ jù huà。”
　　“ wǒ yòu yī liàng xiǎo mǎ chē zài wài biān。”
　　“ nà mò， qǐng ràng tā zuò liǎo huí qù bā！ duì tā nǐ kě yǐ fàng xīn， yīn wéi tā xiǎn rán yǐ jīng méi yòu jīng shén zài qù rě shì shēng fēi liǎo。 wǒ jiàn yì nǐ zài xiě gè biàn tiáo， tuō mǎ chē fū shào gěi nǐ de qī zǐ， shuō zán liǎ yòu dā shàng huǒ lā。 nǐ zài wài biān děng yī huì， wǒ guò wǔ fēn zhōng jiù chū lái。”
　　 yào jù jué xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī de rèn hé qǐng qiú shì hěn nán de， yīn wéi tā de qǐng qiú zǒng shì jí qí míng què， yòu zǒng yǐ zhè yàng yī zhǒng qiǎo miào de wēn hé tài dù tí chū lái de。 zǒng zhī， wǒ jué dé， huì tè ní zhǐ yào yī dēng shàng mǎ chē， wǒ de shǐ mìng shí jì shàng jiù gào wán chéng liǎo。 zhì yú yú xià de shì， néng gòu hé wǒ de lǎo yǒu gòng tóng xié shǒu qù jìn xíng yī cì fēi tóng xún cháng de tàn qí shè xiǎn nà shì zài hǎo méi yòu liǎo， ér tàn xiǎn duì tā shuō lái， què shì shēng huó zhōng xí yǐ wéi cháng de shì qíng。 wǒ yòng liǎo jǐ fēn zhōng shí jiān xiě hǎo biàn tiáo， dài huì tè ní fù qīng liǎo zhàng， lǐng tā chū qù shàng chē， mù sòng tā zài hēi yè zhōng chéng chē lín lín 'ér qù。 bù jiǔ， yī gè shuāi lǎo de rén cóng nà yā piàn yān guǎn lǐ chū lái， zhè yàng wǒ jiù tóng xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī yī qǐ zǒu dào jiē shàng lái liǎo。 dà yuē zǒu liǎo liǎng tiáo jiē de lù chéng， tā zǒng shì tuó zhe bèi， dōng yáo xī huàng， pán shān 'ér xíng。 rán hòu， tā xiàng sì zhōu xùn sù dì dǎliang liǎo yī xià， zhàn zhí liǎo shēn tǐ， bào fā chū yī zhèn jìn qíng de huān xiào。
　　“ huá shēng， wǒ gū jì， " tā shuō，“ nǐ xiǎng xiàng wǒ zài zhù shè kě kǎ yīn hé qì tā yī xiē nǐ cóng yī xué guān diǎn lái kàn yě bìng bù fǎn duì de xiǎo máo bìng zhī wài， yòu tiān liǎo yī gè 'ā fú róng pǐ bā。”
　　“ wǒ dāng rán hěn gǎn jīng qí huì zài nà lǐ kàn dào nǐ。”
　　“ bù guò bù huì bǐ wǒ zài nà lǐ fā xiàn nǐ jīng qí dé gèng lì hài。”
　　“ wǒ lái zhǎo yī wèi péng yǒu。”
　　“ ér wǒ shì lái zhǎo yī gè dí rén de。”
　　“ dí rén？”
　　“ shì de， shì wǒ de yī gè tiān rán de dí rén， huò zhě， wǒ jiāng chēng zhī wèiwǒ de yī gè dāng rán de bǔ huò wù。 jiǎn dān dì shuō， huá shēng， wǒ zhèng zài jìn xíng yīcháng hěn bù píng fán de zhēn chá。 wǒ dǎ suàn cóng zhè xiē yān guǐ de hú yán luàn yǔ zhōng zhǎo dào yī tiáo xiàn suǒ， zhèng rú wǒ cóng qián gān guò de yī yàng。 cháng ruò zài nà yān guǎn lǐ yòu rén rèn chū wǒ lái， nà me， qǐng kè zhī jiān， wǒ de xìng mìng jiù huì duàn sòng diào liǎo。 yǐ qián wǒ céng wéi zì jǐ de mùdì dào nà lǐ qù zhēn chá guò。 nà gè kāi yān guǎn de wú lài yìn dù 'ā sān jiù céng fā shì yào zhǎo wǒ bào chóu。 zài bǎo luó mǎ tóu fù jìn guǎi jiǎo chù nà fáng zǐ de hòu miàn yòu yī gè huó bǎn mén， tā néng shuō dé chū yī xiē qí guài de、 zài yuè hēi fēng gāo zhī yè zài nà lǐ jīng guò de dōng xī de gù shì。”
　　“ shénme！ nǐ mò fēi shuō de shì xiē shī tǐ？”
　　“ āi， shì shī tǐ， huá shēng。 rú guǒ wǒ men néng gòu cóng měi yī gè zài nà gè yān guǎn lǐ bèi gǎo sǐ de dǎo méi dàn shēn shàng dé dào yī qiān bàng， wǒ men jiù chéng wéi cái zhù lā。 zhè shì yán hé yī dài zuì xiǎn 'è de tú cái hài mìng de dì fāng。 wǒ dān xīn nèi wéi 'ěr · shèng kè lāi 'ěr jìn dé qù， chū bù lái。 kě shì wǒ men de juàn tào yīngdāng jiù shè zài zhè 'ér。 " tā bǎ liǎng gè shí zhǐ fàng zài shàng xià chún zhī jiān， chuī chū jiān ruì de shào shēng， yuǎn chù yě huí xiǎng qǐ tóng yàng xìn hào de shào shēng， bù jiǔ jiù tīng dào yī zhèn lù lù de chē lún shēng hé dé dé de mǎ tí shēng。
　　“ xiàn zài， huá shēng， " fú 'ěr mó sī shuō。 zhè shí yī liàng gāo xuān de shuāng lún dān mǎ chē cóng 'àn zhōng shǐ chū， liǎng bàng diào dēng shè chū liǎng dào huáng sè de dēng guāng。 " nǐ yuàn yì gēn wǒ yī kuài qù má？”
　　“ rú guǒ wǒ duì nǐ yòu suǒ bāng zhù de huà。”
　　“ ō， kào dé zhù de huǒ bàn zǒng shì yòu yòng de； jì shì de rén gèng méi yòu shuō de liǎo。 wǒ zài shān yuán de fáng jiān lǐ yòu liǎng zhāng chuáng pū。”
　　“ shān yuán？”
　　“ shì de， nà shì shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng de fáng zǐ。 wǒ jìn xíng zhēn chá shí jiù zhù zài nà lǐ。”
　　“ nà mò， tā zài shénme dì fāng？”
　　“ zài kěn tè jùn， lí lǐ zhèn bù yuǎn。 wǒ men yào páo 'èr shí lái lǐ lù。”
　　“ wǒ kě shì yī wú suǒ zhī 'ā。”
　　“ dāng rán shì lou， suǒ yòu de qíng kuàng， bù jiǔ nǐ jiù huì míng bái de。 tiào shàng lái bā！ hǎo liǎo， yuē hàn， bù má fán nǐ liǎo， zhè shì bàn kè lǎng。 míng tiān děng zhe wǒ， dà yuē shí① yī diǎn zhōng。 fàng kāi mǎ jiāng shéng bā， zài jiàn。”
　　 tā qīng qīng chōu liǎo nà mǎ yī biān zǐ， mǎ chē jiù jí chí qǐ lái， jīng guò liǎo yī tiáo tiáo hēi yǒu yǒu de jì jìng wú rén de jiē dào， sì hòu， lù miàn jiàn jiàn kuān kuò qǐ lái， zuì hòu fēi chí guò yī zuò liǎng cè yòu lán gān de dà qiáo， qiáo xià hēi chén chén de hé shuǐ huǎn huǎn dì liú zhe。 xiàng qián wàng qù， yòu shì yī piàn jìn shì zhuān duī hé huī ní de dān diào de huāng dì， sì yě qù rán。 zhǐ yòu xún luó jǐng de chén zhòng 'ér yòu guī lǜ de jiǎo bù shēng， huò zhě 'ǒu 'ěr yòu mǒu xiē liú lián wàng fǎn de kuáng huān zuò lè zhě zài guī tú zhōng zòng gē làn hǎn， cái jiànhuò dǎ pò jì jìng。 yī duī sǎnluàn de yún huǎn huǎn dì piāo guò tiān kōng， zhè 'ér nà 'ér yī liǎng kē xīng xīng zài yún féng lǐ shǎn shuò zhe wēi ruò de guāng máng。 fú 'ěr mó sī zài chén jì zhōng qū chē qián jìn。 tā tóu chuí xiōng qián， fǎng fó shēn sī rù huàn。 wǒ zuò zài tā shēn biān， fēi cháng nà mèn zhè jiàn xīn 'àn jiū jìng shì zěn me yī huí shì 'ér， jìng shǐ tā hào fèi rú cǐ zhī dà de jīng lì， dàn yòu bù gǎn dǎ duàn tā de sī cháo。 wǒ men qū chē zǒu chū hǎo jǐ lǐ， lái dào jiāo wài bié shù qū de biān yuán， zhè shí tā cái yáo yáo shēn zǐ， sǒng sǒng jiān bǎng， diǎn rán liǎo yān dǒu， xiǎn chū zì míng dé yì de shén qì。
　　“ nǐ yòu bǎo chí jiān mò de tiān fù， huá shēng， " tā shuō，“ tā shǐ nǐ chéng wéi fēi cháng nán dé de huǒ bàn。 wǒ xiàng nǐ bǎo zhèng què shí shì zhè yàng： hé bié rén hù xiāng jiāo tán， duì wǒ shì jiàn hěn zhòng yào de shì qíng， yīn wéi wǒ zì jǐ de xiǎng fǎ bù yī dìng shì néng lìng rén quándōu mǎn yì de。 wǒ xiǎng bù chū jīn wǎn nà wèi kě 'ài de nián qīng fù rén dào mén kǒu lái yíng jiē wǒ shí gāi duì tā shuō xiē shénme。”
　　①（ yīng guó） dài wáng guān de jiù zhì wǔ xiān lìng yìng bì。 héng héng yì zhě zhù
　　“ nǐ wàng liǎo wǒ shì yī wú suǒ zhī de。”
　　“ zài wǒ men dào dá lǐ zhèn zhī qián， wǒ qià hǎo yòu shí jiān duì nǐ jiǎng míng běn 'àn de qíng jié。 kàn lái sì hū jiǎn dān dé chū qí， dàn shì， wǒ què yòu xiē mō bù zhe tóu nǎo。 háo wú yí wèn， xiàn suǒ hěn duō， dàn wǒ zhuā bù dào gè tóu xù。 xiàn zài， wǒ lái jiǎn míng 'ě yào dì bǎ 'àn qíng jiǎng gěi nǐ tīng， huá shēng， yě xǔ nǐ néng zài duì wǒ lái shuō shì yī qǐ qī hēi zhī zhōng kàn dào yī xiàn guāng míng。”
　　“ nà me， nǐ jiù shuō bā。”
　　“ jǐ nián qián héng héng shuō dé gèng què qiē xiē， shì zài yī bā bā sì nián wǔ yuè lǐ héng héng yòu wèi shēn shì， míng jiào nèi wéi 'ěr · shèng kè lāi 'ěr， lái dào lǐ zhèn。 zhè gè rén xiǎn rán hěn yòu qián。 tā gòu zhì liǎo yī zuò dà bié shù， bǎ tíng yuán zhěng zhì dé hěn piào liàng， shēng huó dé hěn háo huá。 tā zhú jiàn hé lín jìn xǔ duō rén jiāo shàng péng yǒu。 yī bā bā qī nián， tā qǔ liǎo dāng dì yī jiā niàng jiǔ shāng de nǚ 'ér wéi qī， shēng xià liǎng gè hái zǐ。 tā méi yòu zhí yè， dàn zài jǐ jiā gōng sī lǐ yòu tóu zī。 tā zhào lì měi tiān zǎo chén jìn chéng， xià wǔ wǔ diǎn shí sì fēn cóng kǎn nóng jiē zuò huǒ chē huí lái。 shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng xiàn nián sān shí qī suì， méi yòu shénme bù liáng pǐ hǎo， kān chēng liáng fū cí fù， yǔ rén wú wǔ。 wǒ kě yǐ zài bǔ chōng yī jù， mù qián tā de quán bù zhài wù， jù wǒ men chá míng， gòng jì bā shí bā bàng shí xiān lìng， ér tā zài shǒu dū jùn yínháng lǐ jiù yòu cún kuǎn 'èr bǎi 'èr shí bàng。 yīn cǐ， méi yòu lǐ yóu rèn wéi tā huì wéi cái wù wèn tí 'ér kǔ nǎo。
　　“ shàng xīng qī yī， shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng jìn chéng bǐ píng shí zǎo dé duō。 chū fā qián tā shuō guò yòu liǎng jiàn zhòng yào shì qíng yào bàn， hái shuō yào gěi xiǎo 'ér zǐ dài huí yī hé jī mù。 shuō lái yě qiǎo， zài nà tóng yī gè xīng qī yī， tā chū mén hòu bù jiǔ， tā de tài tài shōu dào yī fēng diàn bào shuō yòu gè guì zhòng de xiǎo bāo guǒ héng héng tā yī zhí děng zhe zhè bāo guǒ héng héng yǐ jīng jì dào yà bó dīng yùn shū gōng sī bàn shì chù děng tā qù qǔ。 hǎo liǎo， rú guǒ nǐ shú xī lún dūn de jiē dào， nǐ huì zhī dào gōng sī de bàn shì chù shì zài fú léi jiē。 nà tiáo jiē yòu yī tiáo chà dào tōng xiàng tiān 'é zhá xiàng， jiù shì jīn wǎn nǐ jiàn dào wǒ de dì fāng。 shèng kè lāi 'ěr tài tài chī guò wǔ fàn jiù jìn chéng liǎo， zài shāng diàn mǎi liǎo xiē dōng xī jiù dào gōng sī bàn shì chù qù， qǔ chū bāo guǒ， zài huí chē zhàn zǒu guò tiān 'é zhá xiàng shí， zhèng hǎo shì xià wǔ sì diǎn sān shí wǔ fēn。 nǐ míng bái liǎo má？”
　　“ tīng dé hěn qīng chǔ。”
　　“ rú guǒ nǐ hái jì dé de huà， xīng qī yī nà tiān tiān qì shí fēn yán rè， shèng kè lāi 'ěr tài tài bù fá huǎn màn， sì xià zhāng wàng， xī wàng néng gù dào yī liàng xiǎo mǎ chē， yīn wéi tā fā jué tā bù xǐ huān zhōu wéi de nà xiē jiē dào。 zhèng dāng tā yī lù zǒu guò tiān 'é zhá xiàng shí， tū rán tīng jiàn yī shēng hǎn jiào huò kū hào， kàn dào tā de zhàng fū cóng sān céng lóu de chuāng kǒu cháo xià wàng zhe tā， hǎo xiàng zài xiàng tā zhāo shǒu， tā xià dé hún shēn bīng liáng。 nà chuāng hù shì kāi zhe de， tā de liǎn tā kàn dé hěn qīng chǔ， jù tā shuō tā nà jī dòng de yàng zǐ fēi cháng kě pà， tā pàn mìng dì xiàng tā huī shǒu， dàn hū rán xiāo shī yú chà nà zhī jiān， hǎo xiàng tā shēn hòu yòu yī zhǒng bù kě kàng jù de lì liàng yī bǎ jiāng tā měng lā huí qù yī yàng。 tā nà shuāng nǚ rén suǒ jù yòu de mǐn ruì de yǎn jīng měng dì kàn dào de yī gè yì cháng de dì fāng shì tā chuān de suī rán shì tā jìn chéng shí de nà jiàn hēi sè shàng yī， kě shì tā de bó zǐ shàng méi yòu yìng lǐng， xiōng qián yě méi yòu lǐng dài。
　　“ tā què xìn tā chū liǎo shénme shì gù， biàn shùn zhe tái jiē fēi bēn xià qù héng héng yīn wéi zhè fáng zǐ qià qià jiù shì jīn wǎn nǐ fā xiàn wǒ dāi guò de nà gè yān guǎn héng héng chuǎng jìn nà dòng fáng zǐ de qián wū， dāng tā chuān guò wū zǐ zhèng xiǎng dēng shàng tōng wǎng 'èr lóu de lóu tī shí， zài lóu tī kǒu， tā yù dào liǎo wǒ shuō guò de nà gè yìn dù rén， bèi tā tuī liǎo huí lái。 jiē zhe yòu lái liǎo yī gè dān mài zhù shǒu， yī qǐ bǎ tā tuī dào jiē shàng。 tā xīn lǐ chōng mǎn liǎo wú qióng de yí lǜ hé zhèn jīng， jí máng yán zhe xiǎo xiàng chōng liǎo chū qù， wàn xiǎng bù dào fēi cháng xìng yùn， zài fú léi jiē tóu， yù jiàn liǎo zhèng zài qù zhí gǎng shàng bān tú zhōng de yī wèi xún guān hé jǐ míng xún bǔ。 nà xún guān tóng liǎng míng xún bǔ suí tā huí qù。 jìn guǎn nà yān guǎn lǎo bǎn zài sān zǔ lán， tā men réng rán jìn rù liǎo gāng cái fā xiàn shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng de nà jiān wū zǐ。 zài nà jiān wū zǐ lǐ kàn bù chū yòu tā zài nà 'ér dāi guò de jì xiàng。 shì shí shàng， zài zhěng gè nà céng lóu shàng， chú liǎo yī gè bǒ jiǎo de、 miàn mù kě zēng de jiā huǒ sì hū zài nà lǐ zhù jiā yǐ wài， méi yòu jiàn dào yòu qí tā rèn hé rén。 zhè jiā huǒ hé nà gè yìn dù rén tóng shēng dǔ zhòu fā shì shuō， nà tiān xià wǔ méi yòu rèn hé rén dào guò nà céng lóu de qián wū。 tā men shǐ kǒu fǒu rèn， shǐ dé xún guān wú suǒ shì cóng， bìng qiě jīhū rèn wéi shèng kè lāi 'ěr tài tài kàn cuò liǎo rén； zhè shí， tā tū rán dà hǎn yī shēng， měng pū dào zhuō shàng de yī gè xiǎo sōng mù hé qián， bǎ hé gài xiān kāi， huá dì dǎo chū lái yī dà duī 'ér tóng wán jù jī mù， zhè jiù shì tā céng dāyìng yào dài huí jiā qù de wán jù。
　　“ zhè yī fā xiàn， jiā shàng nà qué zǐ biǎo xiàn chū míng xiǎn de jīng huāng shī cuò de yàng zǐ， shǐ xún guān rèn shí dào shì tài de yán zhòng xìng。 suǒ yòu fáng jiān dū jìn xíng liǎo zǎi xì jiǎn chá， jiēguǒ biǎo míng yī qiēdōu yǔ yī jiàn kě zēng de zuì xíng yòu guān。 qián wū chén shè jiǎn pǔ， zuò wéi qǐ jū zhī yòng。 zhè jiān wū zǐ tōng xiàng yī jiān xiǎo wò shì， yóu xiǎo wò shì wàng chū qù， zhèng duì zhe yī duàn mǎ tóu de bèi bù。 mǎ tóu hé wò shì chuāng hù zhī jiān shì yī zhǎi cháng dì duàn， tuì cháo shí shì gān hé de， zhǎng cháo shí zé wéi zhì shǎo sì yīng chǐ shēn de hé shuǐ suǒ yānmò。 wò shì de chuāng hù hěn kuān chǎng， shì yóu xià biān kāi de。 zài jiǎn chá fáng jiān shí， fā xiàn chuāng kuàng shàng yòu bān bān xuè jì， hái yòu jǐ dī dī zài wò shì de dì bǎn shàng。 zài qián wū zhōng， měng dì lā kāi yī tiáo wéi mù zài tā de hòu miàn fā xiàn yòu shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng de quán tào yī fú， zhǐ quē nà jiàn shàng yī。 tā de xuē zǐ、 wà zǐ、 mào zǐ hé shǒu biǎo héng héng dōuzài nà lǐ。 cóng zhè xiē yī wù shàng dū qiáo bù chū yòu shénme bào xíng de hén jì， cǐ wài yě kàn bù dào shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng de zōng yǐng。 tā xiǎn rán yī dìng shì cóng chuāng hù páo chū qù de， yīn wéi méi yòu fā xiàn yòu bié de chū lù。 cóng chuāng kuàng shàng nà xiē bù xiáng de xuè jì kàn lái， tā xiǎng yóu yǒng táo shēng shì bù dà kě néng de， yīn wéi zhè mù bēi jù fā shēng de shí hòu， cháo shuǐ zhèng zhǎng dào liǎo dǐng diǎn。
　　“ zài shuō shuō kàn lái zhí jiē yǔ běn 'àn yòu qiān lián de dǎi tú men bā。 nà gè yìn dù 'ā sān shì gè chū míng de liè jì zhāo zhāng de rén。 bù guò， gēn jù shèng kè lāi 'ěr tài tài de shuō fǎ， tā de zhàng fū chū xiàn zài chuāng kǒu yǐ hòu jǐn jǐn jǐ miǎo zhōng， tā jiù yǐ jīng zài lóu tī jiǎo nà lǐ liǎo。 zhè rén zhì duō bù guò shì zhè zhuāng zuì 'àn de yī gè bāng xiōng 'ér yǐ。 tā fēn biàn shuō tā shénme yě bù zhī dào， tā shēn míng tā duì lóu shàng zū hù xiū · bù 'ēn de yī qiē xíng dòng dū yī wú suǒ zhī。 tā duì yú nà wèi xià luò bù míng de xiān shēng de yī wù chū xiàn zài nà wū zǐ lǐ de yuán yīn yě shuō bù chū gè suǒ yǐ rán lái。
　　“ yìn dù 'ā sān lǎo bǎn de qíng kuàng jiù shì zhè xiē。 nà gè yīn xiǎn de qué zǐ zhù zài sān céng lóu shàng， yī dìng shì zuì hòu qīn yǎn kàn jiàn shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng de rén。 tā míng jiào xiū · bù 'ēn， tā de chǒu 'è de miàn kǒng， sù wéi cháng dào lún dūn jiù chéng qū lái de rén men suǒ shú zhī。 tā yǐ qǐ tǎo wéi shēng， yóu yú yào bì miǎn de guǎn zhì， tā zhuāng zuò mài là huǒ chái de xiǎo fàn。 jiù zài zhēn xiàn jiē wǎng xià zǒu bù yuǎn， kào zuǒ shǒu yī biān， kě néng nǐ yǐ zhù yì dào yòu yī gè xiǎo qiáng jiǎo， tā měi tiān jiù zuò zài nà lǐ， pán zhe tuǐ 'ér， bǎ shǎo dé kě lián de jǐ hé huǒ chái fàng zài xī shàng。 yóu yú tā yòu zhe yī fù lìng rén 'āi lián de yàng zǐ， bù shī gěi tā de xiǎo qián jiù yóu rú yǔ diǎn bān dì luò jìn fàng zài rén hángdào shàng tā shēn biān de yī dǐng yóu nì de pí gé mào zǐ lǐ。 zài wǒ xiǎng dào bì xū duì tā de yǐ qǐ tǎo wéi shēng de qíng kuàng jìn xíng liǎo jiě yǐ qián， wǒ yě céng bù zhǐ yī cì dì guān chá guò zhè gè jiā huǒ； dàn zhǐ yòu zài liǎo jiě tā de qǐ tǎo qíng kuàng zhī hòu， wǒ cái duì tā zài yī huì 'ér gōng fū shōu huò zhī duō shēn gǎn chī jīng。 nǐ zhī dào tā de xíng xiàng shì nà me yì cháng， méi yòu yī gè yóu tā miàn qián lù guò de rén néng bù kàn tā yī yǎn de。 yī tóu péng sōng de hóng tóu fā； yī zhāng cāng bái de miàn kǒng bèi yī kuài kě pà de shāng bā nòng de gèng jiā nán kàn， zhè kuài shāng bā， yī jīng shōu suō jiù bǎ shàng chún de wài bù biān yuán fān juàn shàng qù liǎo； yī fù bà 'ér gǒu shìde xià bā； yī shuāng mù guāng ruì lì de hēi yǎn jīng， zhè liǎng zhǐ yǎn jīng hé tā de tóu fā de yán sè xíng chéng xiān míng de duì zhào； zhè yī qiēdōu xiǎn shì chū tā hé yī bān qǐ gài bù tóng。 ér qiě， tā de zhì lì yě xiǎn rán shì chāo qún de， yīn wéi guò lù rén tóu gěi tā wú lùn shì shénme pò làn dōng xī shí， tādōu yòu huà kě shuō。 xiàn zài wǒ men zhī dào tā jiù shì nà gè zài yān guǎn lǐ jì sù de rén， bìng qiě yě zhèng shì zuì hòu mù dǔ wǒ men xiǎng xún zhǎo de nà gè shēn shì de rén。”
　　“ kě shì， yī gè qué zǐ！ " wǒ shuō，“ tā dān dú yī gè rén néng bǎ yī gè nián qīng lì zhuàng de nán zǐ zěn me yàng？”
　　“ jiù zǒu qǐ lù lái yī qué yī guǎi zhè diǎn lái shuō， tā shì gè cán fèi rén； dàn shì， zài qí tā fāng miàn， tā xiǎn rán shì yòu jìn 'ér hé yíng yǎng chōng zú de rén。 dāng rán nǐ de yī xué jīng yàn huì gào sù nǐ， huá shēng， yī zhī bù líng de ruò diǎn， cháng cháng kě yóu qí tā zhī tǐ de gé wài jiàn zhuàng yòu lì 'ér dé dào bǔ cháng。”
　　“ qǐng jì xù shuō xià qù。”
　　“ shèng kè lāi 'ěr tài tài yī jiàn chuāng kuàng shàng de xuè jì jiù yùn liǎo guò qù， yóu yī wèi xún bǔ yòng chē bàn sòng tā huí jiā， yīn wéi tā liú zài xiàn chǎng wú zhù yú zhēn chá。 bā dùn xún guān fù zé běn 'àn， jiāng fáng wū quán bù zǎi xì chá kàn guò liǎo， dàn méi yòu fā xiàn duì pò 'àn yòu suǒ qǐ fā de dōng xī。 dāng shí fàn liǎo yī gè cuò wù， jiù shì méi yòu bǎ xiū · bù 'ēn lì kè dài bǔ qǐ lái， shǐ tā dé dào liǎo kě néng hé tā nà yìn dù péng yǒu hù xiāng chuàn gōng de jǐ fēn zhōng de shí jiān。 bù guò， zhè gè cuò wù hěn kuài jiù dé dào liǎo jiū zhèng。 tā bèi jū bǔ bìng shòu dào sōu chá， kě shì bìng wèi fā xiàn rèn hé kě yǐ jiāng tā dìng zuì de zhèng jù。 díquè， tā de hàn shān yòu shǒu xiù zǐ shàng yòu xiē xuè bān， dàn tā zhǐ zhe tā de zuǒ shǒu dì sì zhǐ kào jìn zhǐ jiá bèi dāo gē pò de dì fāng， shuō xuè shì cóng nà lǐ liú chū lái de； hái shuō bù dà gōng fū yǐ qián tā céng zǒu dào chuāng hù nà biān qù guò， nà lǐ bèi fā xiàn de xuè bān wú yí yě shì zhè me lái de。 tā jiān jué fǒu rèn céng jiàn guò shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng， bìng qiě fā shì shuō， zhì yú zài tā de fáng jiān lǐ fā xiàn de yī wù， tā hé jǐng fāng tóng yàng gǎn dào shì gè mí。 ér duì shèng kè lāi 'ěr tài tài suǒ shuō tā què shí kàn dào tā zhàng fū chū xiàn zài chuāng qián zhè yī diǎn， tā shuō tā yī dìng shì fā fēng liǎo， fǒu zé shì zài zuò mèng。 hòu lái jìn guǎn tā dà shēng， hái shì bǎ tā dài dào jú qù liǎo。 lìng yī fāng miàn， xún guān jiù liú zài nà suǒ fáng lǐ， xī wàng zài tuì cháo hòu néng zhǎo dào yī xiē xīn de xiàn suǒ。
　　“ jū rán zhǎo dào liǎo， suī rán zài nà ní tān shàng tā men méi zhǎo dào tā men shēng pà zhǎo dào de dōng xī。 yīn wéi zhǎo dào de bù shì nèi wéi 'ěr · shèng kè lāi 'ěr běn rén， ér shì tā de shàng yī。 zhè jiàn shàng yī wú zhē gài dì yí liú zài tuì cháo hòu de ní tān shàng。 nǐ cāi xiǎng tā men zài yī dài lǐ fā xiàn liǎo xiē shénme？”
　　“ wǒ xiǎng xiàng bù chū。”
　　“ shì de， wǒ xiǎng nǐ shì cāi bù dào de。 měi gè kǒu dài lǐ dū zhuāng mǎn liǎo biàn shì hé bàn biàn shì héng héng sì bǎi 'èr shí yī gè biàn shì hé 'èr bǎi qī shí gè bàn biàn shì。 wú guài hū zhè shàng yī bù céng bèi cháo shuǐ juàn zǒu。 kě shì rén de qū tǐ jiù shì lìng wài yī huí shì liǎo。 zài nà fáng zǐ hé mǎ tóu zhī jiān de tuì cháo， shuǐ shì xiōng yǒng。 kàn lái hěn kě néng shì zhè chén diàn diàn de shàng yī liú liǎo xià lái， ér bèi bō guāng liǎo de qū tǐ què jìn hé lǐ qù liǎo。”
　　“ bù guò， jù wǒ suǒ zhī， tā men fā xiàn suǒ yòu bié de yī fú dōuzài wū zǐ lǐ， nán dào tā shēn shàng zhǐ chuānzhuó yī jiàn shàng yī bù chéng？”
　　“ bù， xiān shēng， kě shì zhè jiàn shì yě xǔ néng zì yuán qí shuō。 jiǎ dìng bù 'ēn zhè gè rén bǎ nèi wéi 'ěr · shèng kè lāi 'ěr tuī chū chuāng wài héng héng kě shì méi yòu rén qīn yǎn kàn jiàn cǐ shì héng héng nà shí tā huì zài gànshénme ní？ dāng rán tā mǎ shàng jiù huì xiǎng dào yào xiāo miè nà xiē xiè lù zhēn qíng de yī fú liǎo。 zhè shí tā huì zhuā qǐ yī fú lái， pāo chū chuāng wài qù。 ér zài tā wǎng wài pāo de dāng 'ér， tā huì xiǎng dào： nà jiàn shàng yī yào suí shuǐ qǐ fú， chén bù xià qù。 tā de shí jiān yǐ jīng hěn shǎo liǎo， yīn wéi tā yǐ tīng dào nà wèi tài tài wéi yào qiǎng shàng lóu 'ér zài lóu xià chǎo nào， yě xǔ tā yǐ cóng tā de yìn dù tóng huǒ nà lǐ tīng shuō yòu yī pī xún bǔ zhèng shùn zhe dà jiē cháo zhè gè fāng xiàng jí máng páo lái。 zhè shí yǐ kè bù róng huǎn。 tā yī xià zǐ chōng dào mì cáng tā cóng qǐ tǎo zhōng jī lěi qǐ lái de yín qián de dì fāng。 kàn dào nà xiē yìng bì， tā néng zhuā qǐ duō shǎo， jìn liàng wǎng yī dài lǐ sài， zhè yàng wéi de shì què bǎo shàng yī néng gòu shēn chén shuǐ dǐ。 tā bǎ zhè jiàn shàng yī pāo liǎo chū qù yǐ hòu， hái xiǎng yòng tóng yàng de fāng fǎ chǔlǐ bié de yī fú， rú guǒ bù shì yǐ tīng dào lóu xià cōng cù de jiǎo bù shēng de huà。 kě shì zhè shí xún bǔ yǐ jīng shàng lóu lái liǎo， tā jǐn jǐn lái dé jí bǎ chuāng hù guān shàng。”
　　“ tīng qǐ lái què shí kě néng shì zhè yàng。”
　　“ nuò， zán men jiù quán qiě dāng tā shì gè yòu yòng de jiǎ dìng bā， yīn wéi hái méi yòu bǐ zhè gèng hǎo de jiǎ dìng。 wǒ yǐ jīng shuō guò， xiū · bù 'ēn bèi bǔ liǎo bìng bèi guān dào jú lǐ qù， kě jiù shì ná bù chū shénme dōng xī lái zhèng shí tā yǐ wǎng yòu shénme zuì xián。 duō nián yǐ lái tā shì jìn rén jiē zhī de zhuān mén yǐ qǐ tǎo wéi shēng de rén。 tā de shēng huó sì hū shì shí fēn 'ān jìng hé wú hài yú rén de。 xiàn zài shì qíng jiù zhè yàng bǎi zài miàn qián， yīnggāi jiě jué de wèn tí xiàng guò qù yī yàng hái yuǎn yuǎn méi dé dào jiě jué。 zhè xiē wèn tí shì： nèi wéi 'ěr · shèng kè lāi 'ěr zài yān guǎn lǐ gànshénme？ tā zài nà lǐ fā shēng liǎo shénme shì？ tā xiàn zài zài nǎ lǐ？ xiū · bù 'ēn hé tā de shī zōng yòu shénme guān xì？ wǒ chéng rèn： zài wǒ de jīng yàn zhōng， wǒ xiǎng bù qǐ yòu nǎ yī gè 'àn jiàn， zhà yī kàn sì hū hěn jiǎn dān， kě shì què chū xiàn liǎo zhè me xǔ duō kùn nán。”
　　 dāng xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī xì shuō zhe zhè yī lián chuàn qí guài de shì qíng de shí hòu， wǒ men de mǎ chē zhèng fēi kuài dì shǐ guò zhè zuò dà chéng shì de jiāo qū， zhí dào zuì hòu bǎ nà xiē líng líng luò luò de fáng zǐ shuǎi zài hòu miàn。 jiē zhe mǎ chē shùn zhe liǎng bàng yòu lí bā de xiāng jiān dào lù lín lín qián jìn。 tā gāng yī jiǎng wán， wǒ men zhèng cóng liǎng gè shū shū luò luò de cūn zhuāng zhī jiān shǐ guò， yòu jǐ jiā chuāng hù lǐ dēng guāng shǎn shuò zhe wēi guāng。
　　“ xiàn zài yǐ jīng dào liǎo lǐ zhèn de jiāo qū， " wǒ de huǒ bàn shuō，“ zài wǒ men duǎn duǎn de lǚ tú zhōng， yī lù shàng jìng jiē chù liǎo yīng gé lán de sān gè jùn xiàn， cóng mǐ dé 'ěr sài kè sī chū fā， jīng guò sà lǐ de yī yú， zuì hòu dào dá liǎo kěn tè jùn。 nǐ kàn dào liǎo nà shù cóng zhōng de dēng guāng liǎo má？ nà jiù shì shān yuán。 zài nà dēng bàng zuò zhe yī wèi fù nǚ， tā yōu xīn rú fén， jìng líng dòng jìng de 'ěr duǒ wú yí yǐ jīng tīng dào wǒ men mǎ tí dé dé de shēng yīn liǎo。”
　　“ kě shì nǐ wèishénme bù zài bèi kè jiē bàn zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ ní？”
　　“ yīn wéi yòu xǔ duō shì qíng yào zài zhè lǐ jìn xíng zhēn chá。 shèng kè lāi 'ěr tài tài yǐ jīng shèng qíng dì 'ān pái liǎo liǎng jiān wū zǐ gōng wǒ shǐ yòng。 nǐ kě yǐ fàng xīn， tā yī dìng duì wǒ de péng yǒu jiān huǒ bàn biǎo shì rè liè huān yíng。 huá shēng， zài wǒ hái méi yòu dé dào tā zhàng fū de xiāo xī yǐ qián， wǒ kě zhēn pà jiàn tā。 wǒ men dào lā。”
　　 wǒ men zài yī zuò dà bié shù qián tíng chē， zhè zuò bié shù zuò luò zài tíng yuán zhī zhōng。 zhè shí yī gè mǎ tóng páo liǎo guò lái， lā zhù mǎ tóu。 wǒ tiào xià chē lái gēn zhe fú 'ěr mó sī zǒu shàng liǎo yī tiáo tōng wǎng lóu qián de、 xiǎo xiǎo wān qū de suì shí dào。 wǒ men zǒu jìn lóu qián shí， lóu mén dòng kāi， yī wèi bái fū jīn fā de xiǎo fù rén lì zài mén kǒu， chuānzhuó yī shēn qiǎn sè xì shā bù de yī fú， zài yī fú de jǐng kǒu hé wàn kǒu chù xiāng zhe shǎo xǔ fěn hóng sè péng sōng tòu míng de sī zhì báoshā biān。 tā zài dēng guāng huī yìng xià， tíng tíng yù lì， yī shǒu fú mén， yī shǒu bàn jǔ， qíng jí rèqiè。 tā wēi wēi wān yāo， tàn shǒu xiàng qián， kě wàng de mù guāng níng shì zhe wǒ men， shuāng chún wēi zhāng yù yǔ， hǎo xiàng shì zài tí chū xún wèn de yàng zǐ。
　　“ ā？ " tā hǎn dào，“ zěn me yàng？ " suí hòu， tā kàn chū wǒ men shì liǎng gè rén， qǐ xiān hái chōng mǎn liǎo xī wàng dì hǎn zhe； kě shì kàn dào wǒ de huǒ bàn yáo tóu sǒng jiān， jiù zhuǎn 'ér fā chū tòng kǔ de liǎo。
　　“ méi yòu hǎo xiāo xī má？”
　　“ méi yòu。”
　　“ méi yòu huài xiāo xī má？”
　　“ méi yòu。”
　　“ xiè tiān xiè dì！ qǐng jìn lái bā！ nǐ men yī dìng hěn xīn kǔ liǎo， zú zú lěi liǎo zhè me yī zhěng tiān。”
　　“ zhè shì wǒ de péng yǒu， huá shēng yī shēng。 zài guò qù de jǐ gè 'àn jiàn lǐ， tā duì wǒ de bāng zhù jí dà， wǒ hěn xìng yùn néng bǎ tā qǐng lái hé wǒ yī tóng jìn xíng zhēn chá。”
　　“ wǒ hěn gāo xīng jiàn dào nín，” tā shuō， rè liè dì hé wǒ wò shǒu，“ rú guǒ nín kǎo lǜ dào wǒ men suǒ shòu dào de dǎ jī shì lái dé duō me tū rán de huà， wǒ xiāng xìn nín huì yuán liàng wǒ men yòu shénme zhāo dài bù zhōu de dì fāng de。”
　　“ qīn 'ài de tài tài， " wǒ shuō，“ wǒ shì jīng guò duō cì zhàn yì de lǎo zhàn shì， jí shǐ bù shì rú cǐ， qǐng nín yě bù bì gēn wǒ kè qì。 duì nín huò zhě duì wǒ de lǎo péng yǒu， rú guǒ wǒ néng gòu yòu suǒ bāng zhù de huà， nà me， wǒ zhēn shì tài gāo xīng liǎo。”
　　“ fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， " shèng kè lāi 'ěr tài tài shuō， zhè shí wǒ men yǐ jīng zǒu jìn liǎo yī jiān dēng guāng míng liàng de cān shì， zhuō shàng bǎi hǎo liǎo lěng cān，“ wǒ hěn xiǎng wèn nín yī liǎng gè zhí jié liǎo dāng de wèn tí， qiú nín gěi yī gè tǎn shuài de huí dá。”
　　“ dāng rán kě yǐ， tài tài。”
　　“ nín bié dān xīn wǒ de qíng xù。 wǒ bù shì xiē sī dǐ lǐ de， yě bù huì dòng bù dòng jiù yūndǎo。 wǒ jǐn jǐn xiǎng tīng tīng nín de shí shí zài zài de yì jiàn。”
　　“ zài nǎ yī diǎn shàng？”
　　“ nín shuō zhēn xīn huà， nín rèn wéi nèi wéi 'ěr hái huó zhe má？”
　　 xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī sì hū bèi zhè wèn tí jiǒng zhù liǎo。 " shuō lǎo shí huà， shuō 'ā！ " tā chóngfù zhe， zhàn zài dì tǎn shàng mù guāng xiàng xià zhí dīng zhe tā， zhè shí tā zhèng yǎng shēn zuò zài yī zhāng liǔ tiáo yǐ lǐ。
　　“ nà mò， tài tài， shuō lǎo shí huà， wǒ bù zhè me rèn wéi。”
　　“ nǐ rèn wéi tā sǐ liǎo？”
　　“ shì de。”
　　“ bèi móu shā liǎo？”
　　“ wǒ bù zhè yàng rèn wéi。 huò xǔ shì。”
　　“ tā zài nǎ yī tiān yù hài de？”
　　“ xīng qī yī。”
　　“ nà wèi， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， yě xǔ nín yuàn yì jiě shì yī xià wǒ jīn tiān jiē dào tā de lái xìn， zhè yòu shì zěn me yī huí shì？ " fú 'ěr mó sī cóng yǐ zǐ shàng tiào liǎo qǐ lái， hǎo xiàng chù liǎo diàn yī yàng。
　　“ shénme？ " tā páo xiào dào。
　　“ shì de， jīn tiān， " tā wēi xiào dì zhàn zhe， gāo gāo dì jǔ qǐ yī zhāng xiǎo zhǐ tiáo。
　　“ wǒ kě yǐ kàn kàn má？”
　　“ dāng rán kě yǐ。”
　　 tā jíqiè dì zhuā zhù nà zhāng zhǐ tiáo， zài zhuō zǐ shàng bǎ tā tān kāi， nuó guò dēng lái， zhuān xīn dì shěn shì。 wǒ lí kāi zuò yǐ， cóng tā bèi hòu zhù shì nà zhāng zhǐ。 xìn fēng de zhǐ hěn cū cāo， gài yòu gé léi fū sēn dé dì fāng de yóu chuō， fā xìn rì qī jiù shì dāng tiān， huò zhě shuō shì qián yī tiān， yīn wéi cǐ shí yǐ guò liǎo wǔ yè hěn jiǔ liǎo。
　　“ zì jì liáo cǎo， " fú 'ěr mó sī nán nán zì yǔ，“ kěn dìng zhè bù shì nín xiān shēng de bǐ jì， fū rén。”
　　“ shì de， kě shì xìn què shì tā xiě de。”
　　“ wǒ hái jué dé， bù guǎn shì shuí xiě de xìn fēng， tā dū dé qù wèn dì zhǐ。”
　　“ nín zěn néng zhè me shuō？”
　　“ zhè rén míng， nín kàn， wán quán shì yòng hēi mò shuǐ xiě de， xiě chū hòu zì xíng yīn gān。 qí yú de zì chéng huī hēi sè， zhè shuō míng xiě hòu shì yòng xī mò zhǐ xī guò de。 rú guǒ shì yī qǐ xiě chéng， zài yòng xī mò zhǐ xī guò， nà mò yòu xiē zì jiù bù huì shì shēn hēi sè de liǎo。 zhè gè rén xiān xiě rén míng， guò liǎo yī huì 'ér， cái xiě dì zhǐ， zhè jiù zhǐ néng shuō míng tā bù shú xī zhè gè dì zhǐ。 zhè zì rán shì jiàn xiǎo shì， dàn shì méi yòu bǐ yī xiē xiǎo shì gèng zhòng yào de liǎo。 xiàn zài ràng zán men lái kàn kàn xìn bā。 hā！ suí xìn hái fù liǎo jiàn dōng xī ní！”
　　“ shì， yòu yī zhǐ jiè zhǐ， tā de tú zhāng jiè zhǐ。”
　　“ nín néng rèn dìng zhè shì nín zhàng fū de bǐ jì me？”
　　“ zhè shì tā de yī zhǒng bǐ jì。”
　　“ yī zhǒng？”
　　“ shì tā zài cōng máng zhōng xiě de yī zhǒng bǐ jì。 zhè hé tā píng shí de bǐ jì bù yī yàng， kě shì wǒ wán quán rèn dé chū lái。”
　　 qīn 'ài de：
　　 bù yào hài pà。 yī qiēdōu huì biàn hǎo qǐ lái de。 yǐ jīng zhù chéng yī gè dà cuò， zhè yě xǔ xū yào fèi xiē shí jiān lái jiā yǐ jiū zhèng。 qǐng nài xīn děng dài。
　　 nèi wéi 'ěr
　　“ zhè xìn shì yòng qiān bǐ xiě zài yī zhāng bā kāi běn shū de fēi yè shàng de， zhǐ shàng méi yòu shuǐ wén。 ǹg！ tā shì yóu yī gè dà mǔ zhǐ hěn zàng de rén jīn tiān cóng gé léi fū sēn dé jì chū de。 hā！ xìn fēng de kǒu gài shì yòng jiāo shuǐ nián de， rú guǒ wǒ méi yòu nòng cuò de huà， fēng zhè fēng xìn de rén hái shì yī zhí zài jiáo yān cǎo de。 tài tài， nín gǎn kěn dìng zhè shì nín zhàng fū de bǐ jì má？”
　　“ wǒ gǎn kěn dìng。 zhè shì nèi wéi 'ěr xiě de zì。”
　　“ xìn wù hái shì jīn tiān cóng gé léi fū sēn dé jì chū de。 nuò， shèng kè lāi 'ěr tài tài， wū yún yǐ sàn， suī rán wǒ bù yīnggāi mào xiǎn dì shuō wēi xiǎn yǐ jīng guò qù liǎo。”
　　“ kě shì tā yī dìng shì shàng zài rén jiān liǎo， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。”
　　“ chú fēi zhè bǐ jì shì yī zhǒng qiǎo miào de wěi zào， lái yǐn yòu wǒ men zǒu rù qí tú de。 nà jiè zhǐ， guī gēn dào dǐ， zhèng míng bù liǎo shénme。 tā kě yǐ shì cóng tā shǒu shàng qǔ xià lái de má！”
　　“ bù， bù， zhè shì tā de qīn shǒu bǐ jì 'ā！”
　　“ hěn hǎo。 bù guò， tā huò xǔ shì xīng qī yī shū xiě de， ér dào jīn tiān cái jì chū lái de。”
　　“ nà shì kě néng de。”
　　“ zhào zhè yàng shuō， zài zhè duàn shí jiān lǐ yě kě néng fā shēng xǔ duō shì。”
　　“ ò， nín kě bié jìng gěi wǒ pō lěng shuǐ， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。 wǒ zhī dào tā zhǔn méi chū shì。 wǒ men liǎng rén zhī jiān， yòu yī zhǒng mǐn ruì de tóng gǎn lì。 wàn yī tā zāo dào bù xìng， wǒ shì yīngdāng huì gǎn dào de。 jiù zài wǒ zuì hòu jiàn dào tā de nà yī tiān， tā zài wò shì lǐ gē pò liǎo shǒu， ér wǒ zài cān shì lǐ， xīn lǐ jiù zhī dào zhǔn shì chū liǎo shénme shì， suǒ yǐ mǎ shàng páo shàng lóu qù。 nín xiǎng wǒ duì zhè yàng yī zhuāng xiǎo shì hái huì fǎn yìng dé zhè me kuài， ér duì yú tā de sǐ wáng， wǒ yòu zěn néng háo wú gǎn yìng ní？”
　　“ wǒ jiàn guò de shì miàn tài duō liǎo， bù huì bù zhī dào yī wèi fù nǚ suǒ dé dào de yìn xiàng huò xǔ huì bǐ yī wèi fēn xī tuī lǐ jiā de lùn duàn gèng yòu jià zhí。 zài zhè fēng xìn lǐ， nín què hū dé dào yī gè qiáng yòu lì de zhèng jù lái zhī chí nín de kàn fǎ。 bù guò， cháng ruò nín de zhàng fū hái huó zhe， ér qiě hái néng xiě xìn de huà， nà tā wèishénme hái dāi zài wài miàn 'ér bù huí jiā ní？”
　　“ wǒ xiǎng xiàng bù chū zhè shì zěn me huí shì， zhè shì bù kě lǐ jiě de。”
　　“ xīng qī yī nà tiān， tā lí kāi nín shí， méi shuō shénme má？”
　　“ méi yòu。”
　　“ nín zài tiān 'é zhá xiàng wàng jiàn tā shí shì bù shì dà chī yī jīng？”
　　“ jí wéi chī jīng。”
　　“ chuāng hù shì kāi zhe de má？”
　　“ shì de。”
　　“ nà mò， tā yě xǔ hái kě yǐ jiào nín liǎo？”
　　“ kě yǐ。”
　　“ jù wǒ suǒ zhī， tā jǐn jǐn fā chū liǎo bù qīng chǔ de hǎn shēng。”
　　“ duì。”
　　“ nín rèn wéi shì yī shēng hū jiù de shēng yīn má？”
　　“ shì de， tā huī dòng liǎo tā de shuāng shǒu。”
　　“ dàn shì， nà yě kě néng shì yī shēng chī jīng de jiào hǎn。 chū tā yì liào zhī wài dì kàn dào nín suǒ yǐn qǐ de jīng qí yě kě néng huì shǐ tā jǔ qǐ shuāng shǒu， shì má？”
　　“ zhè shì kě néng de。”
　　“ nín rèn wéi tā shì bèi rén yìng zhuài huí qù de má？”
　　“ tā shì nà yàng tū rán dì yī xià zǐ jiù bù jiàn liǎo。”
　　“ tā kě néng shì yī xià zǐ tiào huí qù liǎo。 nín méi yòu kàn jiàn fáng lǐ hái yòu bié rén bā？”
　　“ méi yòu， dàn shì nà gè kě pà de rén chéng rèn tā céng zài nà lǐ， hái yòu nà gè yìn dù 'ā sān zài lóu tī jiǎo xià。”
　　“ zhèng shì zhè yàng。 jiù nín suǒ néng kàn dào de， nín de zhàng fū chuān de hái shì tā píng cháng nà shēn yī fú má？”
　　“ kě shì méi yòu liǎo yìng lǐng hé lǐng dài。 wǒ qīng qīng chǔ chǔ dì kàn tā lù zhe bó zǐ。”
　　“ tā yǐ qián tí dào guò tiān 'é zhá xiàng méi yòu？”
　　“ cóng lái méi yòu。”
　　“ tā céng jīng lù chū chōu guò yā piàn de rèn hé jì xiàng má？”
　　“ cóng lái méi yòu。”
　　“ xiè xiè nín， shèng kè lāi 'ěr tài tài。 zhè xiē zhèng shì wǒ xī wàng nòng dé yī qīng 'èr chǔ de yào diǎn。 ràng wǒ men lái chī diǎn wǎn fàn， rán hòu qù jiù qǐn， yīn wéi míng tiān wǒ men yě xǔ yào máng lù yī zhěng tiān ní。”
　　 yī jiān kuān chǎng shū shì de fáng zǐ， fàng zhe liǎng zhāng chuáng pū， gōng wǒ men shǐ yòng。 wǒ hěn kuài jiù zuàn dào bèi wō lǐ qù liǎo， yīn wéi zài zhè yī yè de bēn bō zhī hòu yǐ jīng jīng pí lì jìn liǎo。 kě shì xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī què shì zhè yàng yī gè rén： dāng tā xīn zhōng yòu yī gè jiě jué bù liǎo de wèn tí shí， tā jiù huì lián xù shù tiān、 shèn zhì yī gè xīng qī， fèi qǐn wàng shí dì fǎn fù sī kǎo， chóngxīn shū lǐ zhǎng wò de gè zhǒng qíng kuàng， bìng cóng gè gè jiǎo dù lái shěn chá nà wèn tí， yī zhí yào dào shuǐ luò shí chū， huò shì shēn xìn zì jǐ sōu jí de cái liào shàng bù chōng fēn shí cái kěn bà xiū。 wǒ hěn kuài jiù zhī dào： tā zhèng yào zhǔn bèi tōng xiāo dá dàn dì zuò zhe。 tā tuō xià liǎo shàng yī hé bèi xīn， chuān shàng yī jiàn kuān dà de lán sè shuì yī， suí hòu jiù zài wū zǐ lǐ dào chù luàn zhǎo， bǎ tā chuáng shàng de zhěn tóu yǐ jí shā fā hé fú shǒu yǐ shàng de kào diàn shōu lǒng dào yī qǐ。 tā yòng zhè xiē dōng xī pū chéng yī gè dōng fāng shì de shā fā。 tā pán tuǐ zuò zài shàng miàn， miàn qián fàng zhe yī 'àng sī qiáng wèi de bǎn yān sī hé yī hé huǒ chái。 zài nà yōu 'àn de dēng guāng lǐ， zhǐ jiàn tā duān zuò zài nà lǐ， zuǐ lǐ diāo zhe yī zhǐ 'ōu shí nán gēn diāo chéng de jiù yān dǒu， liǎng yǎn máng rán dì níng shì zhe tiān huā bǎn yī jiǎo。 lán sè de yān wù cóng tā zuǐ biān pán xuán liáo rào， rǎn rǎn shàng shēng。 tā jì jìng wú shēng， wén sī bù dòng。 dēng guāng shǎn yào， zhèng zhào zhe tā nà shān yīng bān de jiān dìng miàn róng。 wǒ jiàn rù mèng xiāng， tā jiù zhè yàng zuò zhe。 yòu shí wǒ dà jiào yī shēng cóng mèng zhōng jīng xǐng， tā hái shì zhè yàng zuò zhe。 zuì hòu， wǒ zhēng kāi shuāng yǎn， xià rì de xù yáng zhèng zhào jìn fáng lái。 nà yān dǒu yǐ rán zài tā de zuǐ lǐ diāo zhe， qīng yān réng rán liáo rào pán xuán， rǎn rǎn shàng shēng。 nóng zhòng de yān wù mí màn mǎn wū， qián yè suǒ kàn dào de yī duī bǎn yān sī， zhè shí yǐ jīng dàng rán wú cún liǎo。
　　“ xǐng liǎo me， huá shēng？ " tā wèn dào。
　　“ xǐng liǎo。”
　　“ zǎo shàng gǎn chē chū qù wán wán rú hé？”
　　“ hǎo de！”
　　“ nà me， chuān shàng yī fú bā。 shuídōu méi qǐ nǎ， kě shì wǒ zhī dào nà xiǎo mǎ tóng shuì jué de dì fāng， wǒ men hěn kuài jiù huì bǎ mǎ chē nòng chū lái de。 " tā biān shuō biān gē gē dì xiào liǎo qǐ lái， liǎng yǎn shǎn shuò zhe guāng máng， sì hū hé zuó yè nà gè kǔ sī míng xiǎng de tā pàn ruò liǎng rén。
　　 wǒ chuān yī shí kàn liǎo yī xià biǎo。 nán guài hái méi yòu rén pǐn shēn， zhè shí cái sì diǎn 'èr shí wǔ fēn。 wǒ gāng gāng chuān hǎo yī fú， fú 'ěr mó sī jiù huí lái shuō mǎ tóng zhèng zài tào chē。
　　“ wǒ yào jiǎn yàn yī xià wǒ xiǎo xiǎo de lǐ lùn， " tā shuō， lā shàng tā de xuē zǐ，“ huá shēng， wǒ rèn wéi nǐ xiàn zài zhèng zhàn zài quán 'ōu zhōu de yī gè zuì bèn de hú tú chóng miàn qián！ wǒ gāi bèi rén men yī jiǎo cóng zhè 'ér tī dào chá lín kè luó sī qù！ kě shì wǒ xiǎng wǒ xiàn zài yǐ jīng zhǎo dào liǎo kāi qǐ zhè gè 'àn zǐ de zhè bǎ suǒ de yàoshì liǎo。”
　　“ zài nǎ lǐ？ " wǒ wēi xiào zhe wèn dào。
　　“ zài guàn xǐ shì lǐ， " tā huí dá dào，“ ò， wǒ bù shì kāi wán xiào。 " tā kàn jiàn wǒ yòu diǎn bù xiāng xìn de yàng zǐ， jiù jì xù shuō xià qù。“ wǒ gāng dào nà lǐ qù guò， wǒ yǐ jīng bǎ tā ná chū lái liǎo， fàng jìn gé lā dé sī tōng zhì zào de ruǎn tí bāo lǐ liǎo。 zǒu bā， huǒ jì， ràng zán qiáo qiáo yàoshì duì bù duì dé shàng suǒ。”
　　 wǒ men jìn liàng fàng qīng jiǎo bù zǒu xià lóu tī， chū dé fáng lái， mù yù zài míng mèi de chén xī zhī zhōng。 tào hǎo de mǎ chē tíng zài lù biān， nà gè yī fú shàng wèi chuān hǎo de mǎ tóng zài mǎ tóu yī bàng děng zhe。 wǒ men liǎng rén yī yuè shàng chē， jiù shùn zhe lún dūn dà dào fēi bēn 'ér qù。 lù shàng yòu jǐ liàng nóng cūn dà chē zài zǒu dòng， tā men shì yùn zài shū cài jìn chéng de， kě shì lù bàng liǎng cè de yī pái pái bié shù réng rán jì jìng wú shēng， sǐ qǐ chén chén， yóu rú mèng zhōng de chéng shì。
　　“ yòu xiē dì fāng xiǎn dé zhè shì yī zhuāng qí 'àn， " fú 'ěr mó sī shuō zhe， shùn shǒu yī biān cuī mǎ xiàng qián jí chí，“ wǒ chéng rèn wǒ céng jīng xiā dé huó xiàng yǎn shǔ。 bù guò xué cōng míng suī wǎn， zǒng hái shì shèng yú bù xué。”
　　 dāng wǒ men qū chē jīng guò sà lǐ yī dài de jiē dào shí， zhè chéng lǐ qǐ chuáng zuì zǎo de rén yě gāng gāng shuì yǎn xīng sōng dì wàng wàng chuāng wài de shǔ guāng。 mǎ chē shǐ guò huá tiě lú qiáo， fēi kuài dì jīng guò wēi líng dùn dà jiē， rán hòu xiàng yòu jí zhuǎn wān， lái dào bù jiē。 fú 'ěr mó sī shì jǐng wù rén yuán suǒ shú shí de， mén bàng liǎng gè xún bǔ xiàng tā jìng lǐ。 yī gè xún bǔ qiān zhù mǎ tóu， lìng yī gè biàn yǐn wǒ men jìn qù。
　　“ shuí zhí bān？ " fú 'ěr mó sī wèn。
　　“ bù léi cí tè lǐ tè xún guān， xiān shēng。”
　　“ ā！ bù léi cí tè lǐ tè， nǐ hǎo！ " yī wèi shēn cái gāo dà kuí wěi de xún guān zǒu xià shí bǎn pō de yǒng dào， tóu dài yā shé biàn mào， shēn chuān dài yòu pán huā niǔ kòu de jiā kè shān。 " wǒ xiǎng tóng nǐ sī xià tán yī tán， bù léi cí tè lǐ tè。”
　　“ hǎo de， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。 dào wǒ de wū zǐ lǐ lái。”
　　 zhè shì yī jiān xiǎo xiǎo de lèi sì bàn gōng shì de fáng jiān， zhuō shàng fàng zhe yī dà běn hòu hòu de fēn lèi dēng jì bù， yī jià diàn huà tū chū dì 'ān zài qiáng shàng。 xún guān lín zhuō zuò xià。
　　“ nín yào wǒ zuò diǎn shénme， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng？”
　　“ wǒ shì wèile qǐ gài xiū · bù 'ēn 'ér lái de。 zhè rén bèi kòng yǔ lǐ zhèn nèi wéi 'ěr · shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng de shī zōng yòu guān。”
　　“ shì de， tā shì bèi yā dào zhè lǐ lái hòu shěn de。”
　　“ zhè wǒ yǐ zhī dào liǎo。 tā xiàn zài zài zhè lǐ má？”
　　“ zài dān rén láo fáng lǐ。”
　　“ tā guīju má？”
　　“ ò， yī diǎn yě bù dǎo luàn。 bù guò zhè huài dàn zàng tòu liǎo。”
　　“ zàng dé hěn？”
　　“ duì， wǒ men zhǐ néng zuò dào cù shǐ tā xǐ liǎo xǐ shǒu。 tā de liǎn jiǎn zhí hēi dé xiàng gè bǔ guō jiàng yī yàng。 hēng， děng tā de 'àn dìng liǎo， tā dé 'àn jiān yù de guī dìng xǐ gè zǎo。 wǒ xiǎng， nín jiàn liǎo tā， nín huì tóng yì wǒ suǒ shuō de tā xū yào xǐ zǎo de kàn fǎ。”
　　“ wǒ hěn xiǎng jiàn jiàn tā。”
　　“ nín xiǎng jiàn tā má？ nà hěn róng yì。 gēn wǒ lái。 nín kě yǐ bǎ zhè tí bāo liào zài zhè lǐ。”
　　“ bù， wǒ xiǎng wǒ hái shì ná zhe tā hǎo。”
　　“ hǎo bā， qǐng gēn wǒ lái！ " tā lǐng zhe wǒ men zǒu xià yī tiáo yǒng dào， dǎ kāi liǎo yī dào shàng shuān de mén， cóng yī tiáo pán xuán shì de lóu tī xià qù， bǎ wǒ men dài dào liǎo yī chù qiáng shàng shuà bái huī de zǒu láng， liǎng cè gè yòu yī pái láo fáng。
　　“ yòu shǒu dì sān gè mén jiù shì tā de láo fáng， " xún guān shuō， wǎng lǐ qiáo liǎo yī qiáo。
　　“ tā shuì zhe liǎo， " tā shuō，“ nǐ kě yǐ kàn dé hěn qīng chǔ。”
　　 wǒ men liǎng rén cóng gé shān wǎng lǐ qiáo， nà qiú fàn liǎn cháo wǒ men tǎng zhe， zhèng zài hān shuì， hū xī huǎn màn 'ér yòu shēn chén。 tā zhōng děng shēn cái， chuānzhuó hé tā de hángdāng xiāngchèn de cū liào zǐ yī fú， tiē shēn yī jiàn rǎn guò sè de chèn shān cóng pò làn de shàng yī lièfèng chù lù liǎo chū lái。 tā de què xiàng xún guān shuō de nà yàng， wū huì 'āng zàng dào liǎo wú yǐ fù jiā de dì bù。 kě shì tā liǎn shàng de wū gòu hái shì yǎn gài bù liǎo tā nà kě zēng de chǒu róng： cóng yǎn biān dào xià bā yòu yī dào kuān kuān de jiù shāng bā， zhè shāng bā shōu suō hòu bǎ shàng chún de yī biān wǎng shàng diào qǐ， sān kē yá chǐ lù zài wài miàn， xiàng shì yī zhí zài háo jiào de yàng zǐ， yī tóu péng sōng guāng liàng de hóng fā dī dī fù gài zhe liǎng yǎn hé qián 'é。
　　“ shì gè měi rén 'ér， shì bù shì？ " xún guān shuō。
　　“ tā de què xū yào xǐ yī xǐ， " fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ wǒ xiǎng liǎo gè tā kě yǐ xǐ yī xǐ de zhù yì， hái zì zuò zhù zhāng dì dài liǎo xiē jiā huǒ lái。 " tā yī biān shuō， yī biān dǎ kāi nà gè gé lā dé sī tōng zhì zào de ruǎn tí bāo， qǔ chū liǎo yī kuài hěn dà de xǐ zǎo hǎi mián， shǐ wǒ chī liǎo yī jīng。
　　“ xī， xī！ nín zhēn shì gè 'ài kāi wán xiào de rén！ " xún guān qīng shēng dì xiào zhe。
　　“ nuò， rú guǒ nín kěn zuò jiàn dà hǎo shì， qiāoqiāo dǎ kāi zhè láo mén， zán men hěn kuài jiù huì ràng tā xiàn chū yī fù gèng tǐ miàn de xiàngmào。”
　　“ xíng， nà yòu yòu hé bù kě？ " xún guān shuō，“ tā zhè yàng zǐ bù huì gěi bù jiē kānshǒu suǒ zēng guāng， shì má？ " tā bǎ yàoshì chā jìn mén suǒ lǐ miàn， wǒ mendōu qiāoqiāo dì zǒu jìn láo fáng。 nà shuì zhe de jiā huǒ cè liǎo cè shēn zǐ， zhòng yòu jìn rù mèng xiāng。 fú 'ěr mó sī wān yāo jiù zháoshuǐ guàn， zhàn shī liǎo hǎi mián， zài qiú fàn de liǎn shàng shǐ jìn dì shàng xià zuǒ yòu cā liǎo liǎng xià。
　　“ ràng wǒ lái gěi nǐ men jiè shào jiè shào， " tā hǎn dào，“ zhè wèi shì kěn tè jùn lǐ zhèn de nèi wéi 'ěr · shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng。”
　　 wǒ yī bèi zǐ cóng méi jiàn guò zhè zhǒng chǎng miàn。 zhè rén de liǎn jiù xiàng bō shù pí yī yàng ràng hǎi mián bō xià yī céng pí。 nà cū cāo de zōng sè bù jiàn liǎo！ zài liǎn shàng héng féng zhe de yī dào kě pà de shāng bā hé nà xiǎn chū yī fù kě zēng de lěng xiào de wāi chún yědōu bù jiàn liǎo。 nà yī duī luàn péng péng de hóng tóu fā zài yī jiū zhī xià yě quán diào liǎo。 zhè shí， zài chuáng shàng zuò qǐ lái de shì yī gè miàn sè cāng bái、 chóu méi bù zhǎn、 múyàng jùn xiù de rén， yī tóu hēi fā， pí fū qǐ huá。 tā róu cuō shuāng yǎn， níng shén dǎliang zhe zhōu wéi， shuì yǎn xīng sōng， bù zhī suǒ yǐ。 hū rán tā míng bái shì yǐ bài lù， bù jué jiān jiào yī shēng pū zài chuáng shàng， bǎ liǎn mái zài zhěn tóu lǐ。
　　“ tiān 'ā！ " xún guān jiào dào，“ zhēn de， tā jiù shì nà gè shī zōng de rén。 wǒ cóng xiàngpiàn shàng rèn chū tā。”
　　 nà qiú fàn zhuǎn guò shēn lái， bǎi chū yī fù tīng tiān yóu mìng、 bù zài hū de jià shì shuō， " jiù suàn zhè yàng bā， " tā shuō，“ qǐng wèn， néng kòng gào wǒ fàn liǎo shénme zuì？”
　　“ kòng gào nǐ fàn liǎo shā hài nèi wéi 'ěr · shèng…… ò， chú fēi tā men bǎ zhè 'àn jiàn dàngzuò zì shā wèi suì 'àn， tā men jiù bù huì kòng gào nǐ fàn liǎo zhè gè zuì。 " xún guān lie zuǐ xiào zhe shuō，“ hēng， wǒ dāng liǎo 'èr shí qī nián de liǎo， zhè cì kě zhēn gāi dé jiǎng liǎo。”
　　“ rú guǒ wǒ shì nèi wéi 'ěr · shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng， nà me， xiǎn rán wǒ jiù méi fàn shénme zuì。 yīn cǐ， wǒ shì shòu dào fēi fǎ jū liú。”
　　“ bù fàn zuì， què fàn liǎo yī gè hěn dà de cuò wù！ " fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ nǐ yào shì xìn dé guò nǐ de qī zǐ de huà， nǐ jiù huì gānde gèng hǎo xiē。”
　　“ dǎo bù shì wǒ de qī zǐ， ér shì wǒ de 'ér nǚ， " nà qiú fàn fā chū de shēng yīn shuō，“ shàng dì bǎo yòu， wǒ bù yuàn tā men wèitā men de fù qīn suǒ zuò de shì 'ér gǎn dào chǐ rǔ。 tiān nǎ！ jiǎng chū qù duō me nán kān 'ā！ wǒ kě zěn me bàn ní？”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī zài chuáng shàng zuò zài tā shēn biān， hé 'ǎi dì pāi liǎo pāi tā de jiān bǎng。
　　“ rú guǒ nǐ ràng fǎ tíng lái chá qīng zhè jiàn shì qíng， " tā shuō，“ dāng rán nà jiù nán miǎn yào xuān yáng chū qù。 kě shì， zhǐ yào nǐ néng shǐ jǐng wù dāng jú xiāng xìn， zhè bù shì yī jiàn zú yǐ xiàng nǐ tí chū kòng gào de shì qíng， wǒ xiǎng méi yòu shénme lǐ yóu bì xū bǎ nǐ 'àn zǐ de xiáng qíng gōng zhū yú bào zhǐ。 wǒ xiāng xìn bù léi cí tè lǐ tè xún guān shì huì bǎ nǐ shuō gěi wǒ men tīng de jì lù jì xià lái tí jiāo gěi yòu guān dāng jú de。 zhè yàng， zhè 'àn zǐ jiù gēn běn bù huì tí dào fǎ tíng shàng qù liǎo。”
　　“ shàng dì bǎo yòu nín！ " nà qiú fàn rè qíng yáng yì dì gāo hǎn qǐ lái，“ wǒ nìngyuàn rěn shòu jū jìn， āi， shèn zhì chǔjué， yě bù yuàn bǎ wǒ de lìng rén gǎn dào tòng kǔ de mì mì zuò wéi jiā tíng de wū diǎn， liú gěi hái zǐ men。
　　“ nǐ men shì wéi yī tīng dào wǒ de shēn shì de rén。 wǒ fù qīn shì qiē sī tè fěi 'ěr dé de xiǎo xué xiào cháng， zài nà lǐ wǒ shòu guò jí wéi liáng hǎo de jiào yù。 wǒ qīng nián de shí hòu kù 'ài lǚ xíng， xǐ huān yǎn xì， hòu lái zài lún dūn yī jiā wǎn bào dāng liǎo jì zhě。 yòu yī tiān， zǒng biān ji xiǎng yào yī zǔ fǎn yìng dà chéng shì lǐ de qǐ tǎo shēng huó de bào dào， wǒ zì gào fèn yǒng lái tí gōng zhè fāng miàn de gǎo jiàn。 zhè jiù chéng liǎo wǒ yī shēng lì xiǎn de kāi duān。 wǒ zhǐ yòu kè chuàn chōng bàn qǐ gài cái néng shōu jí dào xiě wén zhāng suǒ xū de yī xiē jī běn cái liào。 wǒ dāng guò yǎn yuán， zì rán xué dào liǎo yī xiē huà zhuāng de mì jué， bìng céng yǐ wǒ de huà zhuāng jì qiǎo 'ér wén míng yú jù chǎng hòu tái。 zhè shí wǒ lì yòng liǎo zhè zhǒng běn lǐng。 wǒ xiān yòng yóu sè tú liǎn， rán hòu wèile jìn liàng zhuāng chéng zuì lìng rén lián mǐn de yàng zǐ， wǒ yòng yī xiǎo tiáo ròu sè de xiàng qǐ gāo， zuò chū yī gè wéi miào wéi xiào de shāng bā， bǎ zuǐ chún yī biān xiàng shàng niǔ juǎnqǐ lái， dài shàng yī tóu hóng fā， pèi shàng shìdàng de yī fú， jiù zài shì shāng yè qū xuǎn dìng yī gè dì fāng， biǎo miàn shàng shì huǒ chái xiǎo fàn， shí jì shàng shì dàngpiào gài。 wǒ zhè yàng gān liǎo qǐ gè xiǎo shí， wǎn shàng huí dào jiā zhōng， fā xiàn wǒ jìng dé dào 'èr shí liù gè xiān lìng líng sì gè biàn shì， zhè shǐ wǒ dà chī yī jīng。
　　“ wǒ xiě wán liǎo bào dào， zhè xiē shì yě jiù zhì zhī nǎo hòu bù zài qù xiǎng liǎo。 zhí dào hòu lái yòu yī tiān， wǒ wéi yī wèi péng yǒu bèi shū dān bǎo liǎo yī zhāng piào jù， hòu lái jìng jiē① dào yī zhāng chuán piào yào wǒ péi cháng 'èr shí wǔ bàng， wǒ yīn ná bù chū zhè me duō qián， jí dé zǒu tóu wú lù， zhè cái hū rán jì shàng xīn lái。 wǒ yāng qiú zhài zhù huǎn qī bàn yuè ràng wǒ qù chóu kuǎn， yòu qǐng qiú gù zhù gěi wǒ jǐ tiān jiǎ。 rán hòu wǒ jiù huà qǐ zhuāng lái， dào chéng lǐ qù qǐ tǎo。 guò liǎo shí tiān， wǒ còu qǐ liǎo qián， qīng liǎo zhè bǐ zhài。
　　“ ò， zhè me yī lái， nǐ men kě yǐ xiǎng jiàn， dāng wǒ yǐ dǒng dé： zhǐ yào wǒ zài liǎn shàng mǒ shàng yī diǎn yóu cǎi， bǎ mào zǐ fàng zài dì shàng， jìng jìng dì zuò zhe， yī tiān jiù néng zhèng liǎng yīng bàng de shí hòu， zài yào wǒ 'ān xīn dì qù zuò nà yī xīng qī zhǐ néng zhèng zhè me duō qián de xīn kǔ gōng zuò， shì duō me bù róng yì liǎo。 shì yào zì zūn xīn hái shì yào qián， wǒ sī xiǎng① bèi shū。 zhè shì jīn róng cáikuài shàng de shù yǔ， jí zhǐ zài zhī piào děng piào jù de bèi miàn qiān zì dān bǎo。 héng héng yì zhě zhù dǒu zhēng liǎo hěn jiǔ。 zuì hòu shì jīn qián zhàn liǎo shàng fēng， wǒ pāo qì liǎo jì zhě shēng huó， rì fù yī rì dì zuò zài wǒ dì yī cì xuǎn dìng de nà tiáo jiē de guǎi jiǎo， jiè zhe wǒ nà yī fù kě pà de miàn róng suǒ yǐn qǐ de cè yǐn zhī xīn， tóng bǎn 'ér sài mǎn liǎo wǒ de kǒu dài。 zhǐ yòu yī gè rén zhī dào wǒ de yǐn mì。 zhè jiù shì wǒ zài tiān 'é zhá xiàng jì sù de nà xià děng yān guǎn de lǎo bǎn。 zài nà lǐ wǒ néng gòu měi tiān zǎo chén yǐ yī gè lā tà qǐ gài de miàn mù chū xiàn， dào wǎn shàng yòu biàn chéng yī gè yī guān chǔ chǔ de làng dàng gōng zǐ。 zhè gè yìn dù 'ā sān shōu liǎo wǒ gāo jià de fáng zū， suǒ yǐ tā huì wèiwǒ bǎo mì。
　　“ bù jiǔ， wǒ jiù fā xiàn wǒ yǐ jī qǐ dà bǐ qián cái。 wǒ bù shì shuō： rèn hé qǐ gài zài lún dūn de jiē tóu， yī nián dōunéng zhèng dào qī bǎi yīng bàng（ zhè hái gòu bù shàng wǒ de píng jūn shōu rù）， dàn wǒ yòu qiǎo yú huà zhuāng hé shàn yú yìng fù de tè shū cái néng， ér zhè liǎng fāng miàn yòu yuè liàn yuè jīng， zhè jiù shǐ wǒ chéng wéi chéng lǐ wéi rén suǒ shǎng shí de rén wù。 zhěng tiān dōuyòu gè zhǒng gè yàng de yín bì liú shuǐ bān dì jìn rù wǒ de náng zhōng， rú guǒ nǎ tiān shōu rù bù dào liǎng yīng bàng， nà jiù suàn shì yùn qǐ bù jì de liǎo。
　　“ wǒ yuè fā cái， yě xīn yuè dà。 wǒ zài jiāo qū mǎi liǎo suǒ fáng zǐ， hòu lái jié hūn chéng jiā。 méi yòu rèn hé rén huái yí wǒ de zhēn zhèng zhí yè。 wǒ de 'ài qī zhǐ zhī dào wǒ zài chéng lǐ zuò shēng yì， tā què bù zhī dào wǒ jiū jìng gān de shì xiē shénme。
　　“ shàng yī gè xīng qī yī， wǒ gāng jié shù liǎo yī tiān de yíng shēng， zhèng zài yān guǎn lóu shàng de fáng jiān lǐ huàn yī fú， bù liào xiàng chuāng wài yī wàng， hū jiàn wǒ qī zǐ zhàn zài jiē xīn， yǎn jīng zhèng duì zhe wǒ qiáo， zhè shǐ wǒ huáng kǒng wàn zhuàng。 wǒ jīng jiào yī shēng， lián máng yòng shǒu bì zhē zhù liǎn， jiē zhe lì jí páo qù zhǎo wǒ de zhī jiāo héng héng nà gè yìn dù 'ā sān， qiú tā zǔ zhǐ rèn hé rén shàng lóu lái zhǎo wǒ。 wǒ tīng jiàn tā zài lóu xià de shēng yīn， dàn zhī dào tā yī shí hái shàng bù lái。 wǒ fēi kuài dì tuō xià yī fú， chuān shàng qǐ gài de nà yī shēn zhuāng shù， tú shàng yán sè， dài shàng jiǎ fā。 zhè yàng， shèn zhì yú yī gè qī zǐ de yǎn jīng yě bù néng shí pò zhè wěi zhuāng。 bù guò mǎ shàng wǒ yòu xiǎng dào yě xǔ zài zhè wū zǐ lǐ yào jìn xíng sōu chá， nà xiē yī fú kě néng huì xiè lù wǒ de mì mì。 wǒ máng bǎ chuāng hù dǎ kāi， yóu yú yòng lì guò měng， jìng yòu pèng pò wǒ qīng chén zài wò shì lǐ gē pò de chuāngkǒu。 píng cháng wǒ yào lái de qián dū fàng zài yī gè pí dài lǐ， zhè shí wǒ gāng bǎ qí zhōng de tóng bǎn tāo chū lái sài zài shàng yī dōu lǐ。 wǒ zhuā qǐ yīn zhuāng mǎn tóng bǎn 'ér chén diàn diàn de zhè jiàn yī fú， rēng chū chuāng wài。 tā diào zài tài wù shì hé lǐ bù jiàn liǎo。 qí tā de yī fú běn lái yě yào rēng xià qù， dàn shì jiù zài cǐ zhuǎn shùn zhī jiān， yòu xiē zhèng chōng shàng lóu。 wǒ chéng rèn， shǐ wǒ gǎn dào xīn wèi de shì， yī huì 'ér， wǒ jiù fā xiàn wǒ wèi bèi rèn chū shì nèi wéi 'ěr · shèng kè lāi 'ěr xiān shēng， ér shì bǎ wǒ dāng zuò móu shā nèi wéi 'ěr · shèng kè lāi 'ěr de xián yí fàn bèi dài bǔ qǐ lái liǎo。
　　“ wǒ bù zhī dào shì bù shì hái yòu xiē shénme bié de xū yào wǒ jiě shì de dì fāng。 wǒ dāng shí xià dìng jué xīn cháng qī bǎo chí wǒ nà huà zhuāng de yàng zǐ， suǒ yǐ wǒ nìngyuàn liǎn shàng zàng yī diǎn yě méi guān xì。 wǒ xiǎo dé wǒ de lǎo pó yī dìng jiāo jí wàn fēn， wǒ jiù qǔ xià jiè zhǐ， chéng bù zài yì de shí hòu， tuō fù gěi nà yìn dù 'ā sān， hái cōng cōng xiě liǎo jǐ xíng zì， gào sù wǒ de qī zǐ bù bì hài pà。”
　　“ nà fēng xìn zuó tiān cái jì dào tā de shǒu lǐ， " fú 'ěr mó sī shuō。
　　“ wǒ de tiān！ zhè yī gè xīng qī kě zhēn gòu tā 'áo de！”
　　“ kàn zhù liǎo nà gè yìn dù 'ā sān， " bù léi cí tè lǐ tè xún guān shuō，“ wǒ hěn liǎo jiě： tā huì jué dé yào xiǎng bǎ xìn jì chū qù 'ér bù bèi fā xiàn shì kùn nán de。 dà gài tā bǎ xìn yòu zhuǎn tuō gěi mǒu gè dāng hǎi yuán de gù kè， ér nà jiā huǒ yòu bǎ tā yī gǔ nǎo 'ér dì wàng liǎo jǐ tiān。”
　　“ jiù shì zhè me yī huí shì， " fú 'ěr mó sī shuō， diǎn diǎn tóu biǎo shì tóng yì，“ wǒ xiāng xìn jiù shì zhè yàng。 kě shì nǐ cóng lái méi yòu yīn wéi xíng piàn 'ér bèi kòng gào guò má？”
　　“ yòu guò duō cì liǎo， dàn shì， yī diǎn fá kuǎn duì wǒ lái shuō yòu suàn dé liǎo shénme ní？”
　　“ bù guò shì qíng bì xū dào cǐ wéi zhǐ， " bù léi cí tè lǐ tè shuō，“ rú guǒ yào jú bù shēng zhāng chū qù， bì xū shì xiū · bù 'ēn bù zài cún zài liǎo。”
　　“ wǒ yǐ jīng zuì zhèng zhòng dì fā guò shì liǎo。”
　　“ yào shì zhè yàng， wǒ xiǎng dà gài yě jiù bù huì zài shēn jiū xià qù liǎo。 kě shì， nǐ rú xià cì zài fàn， nà wǒ men jiù yào quán pán tuō chū。 fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， wǒ dé shuō wǒ men fēi cháng gǎn xiè nín bāng zhù wǒ men chéng qīng zhè gè 'àn jiàn！ wǒ xī wàng zhī dào nín yòu shì zěn yàng dé chū zhè gè dá 'àn lái de ní？”
　　“ zhè gè dá 'àn， " fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ shì quán kào zuò zài wǔ gè zhěn tóu shàng， chōu wán yī 'àng sī bǎn yān sī dé lái de。 wǒ xiǎng， huá shēng， rú guǒ wǒ men zuò chē qù bèi kè jiē， zhèng hǎo gǎn shàng chī zǎo fàn。”

　　Isa Whitney, brother of the late Elias Whitney, D.D., Principal of the Theological College of St. George's, was much addicted to opium. The habit grew upon him, as I understand, from some foolish freak when he was at college; for having read De Quincey's description of his dreams and sensations, he had drenched his tobacco with laudanum in an attempt to produce the same effects. He found, as so many more have done, that the practice is easier to attain than to get rid of, and for many years he continued to be a slave to the drug, an object of mingled horror and pity to his friends and relatives. I can see him now, with yellow, pasty face, drooping lids, and pin-point pupils, all huddled in a chair, the wreck and ruin of a noble man.
　　 One night--it was in June, '89--there came a ring to my bell, about the hour when a man gives his first yawn and glances at the clock. I sat up in my chair, and my wife laid her needle-work down in her lap and made a little face of disappointment.
　　 "A patient!" said she. "You'll have to go out."
　　 I groaned, for I was newly come back from a weary day.
　　 We heard the door open, a few hurried words, and then quick steps upon the linoleum. Our own door flew open, and a lady, clad in some dark-coloured stuff, with a black veil, entered the room.
　　 "You will excuse my calling so late," she began, and then, suddenly losing her self-control, she ran forward, threw her arms about my wife's neck, and sobbed upon her shoulder. "Oh, I'm in such trouble!" she cried; "I do so want a little help."
　　 "Why," said my wife, pulling up her veil, "it is Kate Whitney. How you startled me, Kate! I had not an idea who you were when you came in."
　　 "I didn't know what to do, so I came straight to you." That was always the way. Folk who were in grief came to my wife like birds to a light-house.
　　 "It was very sweet of you to come. Now, you must have some wine and water, and sit here comfortably and tell us all about it. Or should you rather that I sent James off to bed?"
　　 "Oh, no, no! I want the doctor's advice and help, too. It's about Isa. He has not been home for two days. I am so frightened about him!"
　　 It was not the first time that she had spoken to us of her husband's trouble, to me as a doctor, to my wife as an old friend and school companion. We soothed and comforted her by such words as we could find. Did she know where her husband was? Was it possible that we could bring him back to her?
　　 It seems that it was. She had the surest information that of late he had, when the fit was on him, made use of an opium den in the farthest east of the City. Hitherto his orgies had always been confined to one day, and he had come back, twitching and shattered, in the evening. But now the spell had been upon him eight-and-forty hours, and he lay there, doubtless among the dregs of the docks, breathing in the poison or sleeping off the effects. There he was to be found, she was sure of it, at the Bar of Gold, in Upper Swandam Lane. But what was she to do? How could she, a young and timid woman, make her way into such a place and pluck her husband out from among the ruffians who surrounded him?
　　 There was the case, and of course there was but one way out of it. Might I not escort her to this place? And then, as a second thought, why should she come at all? I was Isa Whitney's medical adviser, and as such I had influence over him. I could manage it better if I were alone. I promised her on my word that I would send him home in a cab within two hours if he were indeed at the address which she had given me. And so in ten minutes I had left my armchair and cheery sitting-room behind me, and was speeding eastward in a hansom on a strange errand, as it seemed to me at the time, though the future only could show how strange it was to be.
　　 But there was no great difficulty in the first stage of my adventure. Upper Swandam Lane is a vile alley lurking behind the high wharves which line the north side of the river to the east of London Bridge. Between a slop-shop and a gin-shop, approached by a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the mouth of a cave, I found the den of which I was in search. Ordering my cab to wait, I passed down the steps, worn hollow in the centre by the ceaseless tread of drunken feet; and by the light of a flickering oil-lamp above the door I found the latch and made my way into a long, low room, thick and heavy with the brown opium smoke, and terraced with wooden berths, like the forecastle of an emigrant ship.
　　 Through the gloom one could dimly catch a glimpse of bodies lying in strange fantastic poses, bowed shoulders, bent knees, heads thrown back, and chins pointing upward, with here and there a dark, lack-lustre eye turned upon the newcomer. Out of the black shadows there glimmered little red circles of light, now bright, now faint, as the burning poison waxed or waned in the bowls of the metal pipes. The most lay silent, but some muttered to themselves, and others talked together in a strange, low, monotonous voice, their conversation coming in gushes, and then suddenly tailing off into silence, each mumbling out his own thoughts and paying little heed to the words of his neighbour. At the farther end was a small brazier of burning charcoal, beside which on a three-legged wooden stool there sat a tall, thin old man, with his jaw resting upon his two fists, and his elbows upon his knees, staring into the fire.
　　 As I entered, a sallow Malay attendant had hurried up with a pipe for me and a supply of the drug, beckoning me to an empty berth.
　　 "Thank you. I have not come to stay," said I. "There is a friend of mine here, Mr. Isa Whitney, and I wish to speak with him."
　　 There was a movement and an exclamation from my right, and peering through the gloom, I saw Whitney, pale, haggard, and unkempt, staring out at me.
　　 "My God! It's Watson," said he. He was in a pitiable state of reaction, with every nerve in a twitter. "I say, Watson, what o'clock is it?"
　　 "Nearly eleven."
　　 "Of what day?"
　　 "Of Friday, June 19th."
　　 "Good heavens! I thought it was Wednesday. It is Wednesday. What d'you want to frighten a chap for?" He sank his face onto his arms and began to sob in a high treble key.
　　 "I tell you that it is Friday, man. Your wife has been waiting this two days for you. You should be ashamed of yourself!"
　　 "So I am. But you've got mixed, Watson, for I have only been here a few hours, three pipes, four pipes--I forget how many. But I'll go home with you. I wouldn't frighten Kate--poor little Kate. Give me your hand! Have you a cab?"
　　 "Yes, I have one waiting."
　　 "Then I shall go in it. But I must owe something. Find what I owe, Watson. I am all off colour. I can do nothing for myself."
　　 I walked down the narrow passage between the double row of sleepers, holding my breath to keep out the vile, stupefying fumes of the drug, and looking about for the manager. As I passed the tall man who sat by the brazier I felt a sudden pluck at my skirt, and a low voice whispered, "Walk past me, and then look back at me." The words fell quite distinctly upon my ear. I glanced down. They could only have come from the old man at my side, and yet he sat now as absorbed as ever, very thin, very wrinkled, bent with age, an opium pipe dangling down from between his knees, as though it had dropped in sheer lassitude from his fingers. I took two steps forward and looked back. It took all my self-control to prevent me from breaking out into a cry of astonishment. He had turned his back so that none could see him but I. His form had filled out, his wrinkles were gone, the dull eyes had regained their fire, and there, sitting by the fire and grinning at my surprise, was none other than Sherlock Holmes. He made a slight motion to me to approach him, and instantly, as he turned his face half round to the company once more, subsided into a doddering, loose-lipped senility.
　　 "Holmes!" I whispered, "what on earth are you doing in this den?"
　　 "As low as you can," he answered; "I have excellent ears. If you would have the great kindness to get rid of that sottish friend of yours I should be exceedingly glad to have a little talk with you."
　　 "I have a cab outside."
　　 "Then pray send him home in it. You may safely trust him, for he appears to be too limp to get into any mischief. I should recommend you also to send a note by the cabman to your wife to say that you have thrown in your lot with me. If you will wait outside, I shall be with you in five minutes."
　　 It was difficult to refuse any of Sherlock Holmes' requests, for they were always so exceedingly definite, and put forward with such a quiet air of mastery. I felt, however, that when Whitney was once confined in the cab my mission was practically accomplished; and for the rest, I could not wish anything better than to be associated with my friend in one of those singular adventures which were the normal condition of his existence. In a few minutes I had written my note, paid Whitney's bill, led him out to the cab, and seen him driven through the darkness. In a very short time a decrepit figure had emerged from the opium den, and I was walking down the street with Sherlock Holmes. For two streets he shuffled along with a bent back and an uncertain foot. Then, glancing quickly round, he straightened himself out and burst into a hearty fit of laughter.
　　 "I suppose, Watson," said he, "that you imagine that I have added opium-smoking to cocaine injections, and all the other little weaknesses on which you have favoured me with your medical views."
　　 "I was certainly surprised to find you there."
　　 "But not more so than I to find you."
　　 "I came to find a friend."
　　 "And I to find an enemy."
　　 "An enemy?"
　　 "Yes; one of my natural enemies, or, shall I say, my natural prey. Briefly, Watson, I am in the midst of a very remarkable inquiry, and I have hoped to find a clue in the incoherent ramblings of these sots, as I have done before now. Had I been recognised in that den my life would not have been worth an hour's purchase; for I have used it before now for my own purposes, and the rascally Lascar who runs it has sworn to have vengeance upon me. There is a trap-door at the back of that building, near the corner of Paul's Wharf, which could tell some strange tales of what has passed through it upon the moonless nights."
　　 "What! You do not mean bodies?"
　　 "Ay, bodies, Watson. We should be rich men if we had 1000 pounds for every poor devil who has been done to death in that den. It is the vilest murder-trap on the whole riverside, and I fear that Neville St. Clair has entered it never to leave it more. But our trap should be here." He put his two forefingers between his teeth and whistled shrilly--a signal which was answered by a similar whistle from the distance, followed shortly by the rattle of wheels and the clink of horses' hoofs.
　　 "Now, Watson," said Holmes, as a tall dog-cart dashed up through the gloom, throwing out two golden tunnels of yellow light from its side lanterns. "You'll come with me, won't you?"
　　 "If I can be of use."
　　 "Oh, a trusty comrade is always of use; and a chronicler still more so. My room at The Cedars is a double-bedded one."
　　 "The Cedars?"
　　 "Yes; that is Mr. St. Clair's house. I am staying there while I conduct the inquiry."
　　 "Where is it, then?"
　　 "Near Lee, in Kent. We have a seven-mile drive before us."
　　 "But I am all in the dark."
　　 "Of course you are. You'll know all about it presently. Jump up here. All right, John; we shall not need you. Here's half a crown. Look out for me to-morrow, about eleven. Give her her head. So long, then!"
　　 He flicked the horse with his whip, and we dashed away through the endless succession of sombre and deserted streets, which widened gradually, until we were flying across a broad balustraded bridge, with the murky river flowing sluggishly beneath us. Beyond lay another dull wilderness of bricks and mortar, its silence broken only by the heavy, regular footfall of the policeman, or the songs and shouts of some belated party of revellers. A dull wrack was drifting slowly across the sky, and a star or two twinkled dimly here and there through the rifts of the clouds. Holmes drove in silence, with his head sunk upon his breast, and the air of a man who is lost in thought, while I sat beside him, curious to learn what this new quest might be which seemed to tax his powers so sorely, and yet afraid to break in upon the current of his thoughts. We had driven several miles, and were beginning to get to the fringe of the belt of suburban villas, when he shook himself, shrugged his shoulders, and lit up his pipe with the air of a man who has satisfied himself that he is acting for the best.
　　 "You have a grand gift of silence, Watson," said he. "It makes you quite invaluable as a companion. 'Pon my word, it is a great thing for me to have someone to talk to, for my own thoughts are not over-pleasant. I was wondering what I should say to this dear little woman to-night when she meets me at the door."
　　 "You forget that I know nothing about it."
　　 "I shall just have time to tell you the facts of the case before we get to Lee. It seems absurdly simple, and yet, somehow I can get nothing to go upon. There's plenty of thread, no doubt, but I can't get the end of it into my hand. Now, I'll state the case clearly and concisely to you, Watson, and maybe you can see a spark where all is dark to me."
　　 "Proceed, then."
　　 "Some years ago--to be definite, in May, 1884--there came to Lee a gentleman, Neville St. Clair by name, who appeared to have plenty of money. He took a large villa, laid out the grounds very nicely, and lived generally in good style. By degrees he made friends in the neighbourhood, and in 1887 he married the daughter of a local brewer, by whom he now has two children. He had no occupation, but was interested in several companies and went into town as a rule in the morning, returning by the 5:14 from Cannon Street every night. Mr. St. Clair is now thirty-seven years of age, is a man of temperate habits, a good husband, a very affectionate father, and a man who is popular with all who know him. I may add that his whole debts at the present moment, as far as we have been able to ascertain, amount to 88 pounds 10s., while he has 220 pounds standing to his credit in the Capital and Counties Bank. There is no reason, therefore, to think that money troubles have been weighing upon his mind.
　　 "Last Monday Mr. Neville St. Clair went into town rather earlier than usual, remarking before he started that he had two important commissions to perform, and that he would bring his little boy home a box of bricks. Now, by the merest chance, his wife received a telegram upon this same Monday, very shortly after his departure, to the effect that a small parcel of considerable value which she had been expecting was waiting for her at the offices of the Aberdeen Shipping Company. Now, if you are well up in your London, you will know that the office of the company is in Fresno Street, which branches out of Upper Swandam Lane, where you found me to-night. Mrs. St. Clair had her lunch, started for the City, did some shopping, proceeded to the company's office, got her packet, and found herself at exactly 4:35 walking through Swandam Lane on her way back to the station. Have you followed me so far?"
　　 "It is very clear."
　　 "If you remember, Monday was an exceedingly hot day, and Mrs. St. Clair walked slowly, glancing about in the hope of seeing a cab, as she did not like the neighbourhood in which she found herself. While she was walking in this way down Swandam Lane, she suddenly heard an ejaculation or cry, and was struck cold to see her husband looking down at her and, as it seemed to her, beckoning to her from a second-floor window. The window was open, and she distinctly saw his face, which she describes as being terribly agitated. He waved his hands frantically to her, and then vanished from the window so suddenly that it seemed to her that he had been plucked back by some irresistible force from behind. One singular point which struck her quick feminine eye was that although he wore some dark coat, such as he had started to town in, he had on neither collar nor necktie.
　　 "Convinced that something was amiss with him, she rushed down the steps--for the house was none other than the opium den in which you found me to-night--and running through the front room she attempted to ascend the stairs which led to the first floor. At the foot of the stairs, however, she met this Lascar scoundrel of whom I have spoken, who thrust her back and, aided by a Dane, who acts as assistant there, pushed her out into the street. Filled with the most maddening doubts and fears, she rushed down the lane and, by rare good-fortune, met in Fresno Street a number of constables with an inspector, all on their way to their beat. The inspector and two men accompanied her back, and in spite of the continued resistance of the proprietor, they made their way to the room in which Mr. St. Clair had last been seen. There was no sign of him there. In fact, in the whole of that floor there was no one to be found save a crippled wretch of hideous aspect, who, it seems, made his home there. Both he and the Lascar stoutly swore that no one else had been in the front room during the afternoon. So determined was their denial that the inspector was staggered, and had almost come to believe that Mrs. St. Clair had been deluded when, with a cry, she sprang at a small deal box which lay upon the table and tore the lid from it. Out there fell a cascade of children's bricks. It was the toy which he had promised to bring home.
　　 "This discovery, and the evident confusion which the cripple showed, made the inspector realise that the matter was serious. The rooms were carefully examined, and results all pointed to an abominable crime. The front room was plainly furnished as a sitting-room and led into a small bedroom, which looked out upon the back of one of the wharves. Between the wharf and the bedroom window is a narrow strip, which is dry at low tide but is covered at high tide with at least four and a half feet of water. The bedroom window was a broad one and opened from below. On examination traces of blood were to be seen upon the windowsill, and several scattered drops were visible upon the wooden floor of the bedroom. Thrust away behind a curtain in the front room were all the clothes of Mr. Neville St. Clair, with the exception of his coat. His boots, his socks, his hat, and his watch--all were there. There were no signs of violence upon any of these garments, and there were no other traces of Mr. Neville St. Clair. Out of the window he must apparently have gone for no other exit could be discovered, and the ominous bloodstains upon the sill gave little promise that he could save himself by swimming, for the tide was at its very highest at the moment of the tragedy.
　　 "And now as to the villains who seemed to be immediately implicated in the matter. The Lascar was known to be a man of the vilest antecedents, but as, by Mrs. St. Clair's story, he was known to have been at the foot of the stair within a very few seconds of her husband's appearance at the window, he could hardly have been more than an accessory to the crime. His defence was one of absolute ignorance, and he protested that he had no knowledge as to the doings of Hugh Boone, his lodger, and that he could not account in any way for the presence of the missing gentleman's clothes.
　　 "So much for the Lascar manager. Now for the sinister cripple who lives upon the second floor of the opium den, and who was certainly the last human being whose eyes rested upon Neville St. Clair. His name is Hugh Boone, and his hideous face is one which is familiar to every man who goes much to the City. He is a professional beggar, though in order to avoid the police regulations he pretends to a small trade in wax vestas. Some little distance down Threadneedle Street, upon the left-hand side, there is, as you may have remarked, a small angle in the wall. Here it is that this creature takes his daily seat, cross-legged with his tiny stock of matches on his lap, and as he is a piteous spectacle a small rain of charity descends into the greasy leather cap which lies upon the pavement beside him. I have watched the fellow more than once before ever I thought of making his professional acquaintance, and I have been surprised at the harvest which he has reaped in a short time. His appearance, you see, is so remarkable that no one can pass him without observing him. A shock of orange hair, a pale face disfigured by a horrible scar, which, by its contraction, has turned up the outer edge of his upper lip, a bulldog chin, and a pair of very penetrating dark eyes, which present a singular contrast to the colour of his hair, all mark him out from amid the common crowd of mendicants and so, too, does his wit, for he is ever ready with a reply to any piece of chaff which may be thrown at him by the passers-by. This is the man whom we now learn to have been the lodger at the opium den, and to have been the last man to see the gentleman of whom we are in quest."
　　 "But a cripple!" said I. "What could he have done single-handed against a man in the prime of life?"
　　 "He is a cripple in the sense that he walks with a limp; but in other respects he appears to be a powerful and well-nurtured man. Surely your medical experience would tell you, Watson, that weakness in one limb is often compensated for by exceptional strength in the others."
　　 "Pray continue your narrative."
　　 "Mrs. St. Clair had fainted at the sight of the blood upon the window, and she was escorted home in a cab by the police, as her presence could be of no help to them in their investigations. Inspector Barton, who had charge of the case, made a very careful examination of the premises, but without finding anything which threw any light upon the matter. One mistake had been made in not arresting Boone instantly, as he was allowed some few minutes during which he might have communicated with his friend the Lascar, but this fault was soon remedied, and he was seized and searched, without anything being found which could incriminate him. There were, it is true, some blood-stains upon his right shirt-sleeve, but he pointed to his ring-finger, which had been cut near the nail, and explained that the bleeding came from there, adding that he had been to the window not long before, and that the stains which had been observed there came doubtless from the same source. He denied strenuously having ever seen Mr. Neville St. Clair and swore that the presence of the clothes in his room was as much a mystery to him as to the police. As to Mrs. St. Clair's assertion that she had actually seen her husband at the window, he declared that she must have been either mad or dreaming. He was removed, loudly protesting, to the police-station, while the inspector remained upon the premises in the hope that the ebbing tide might afford some fresh clue.
　　 "And it did, though they hardly found upon the mud-bank what they had feared to find. It was Neville St. Clair's coat, and not Neville St. Clair, which lay uncovered as the tide receded. And what do you think they found in the pockets?"
　　 "I cannot imagine."
　　 "No, I don't think you would guess. Every pocket stuffed with pennies and half-pennies--421 pennies and 270 half-pennies. It was no wonder that it had not been swept away by the tide. But a human body is a different matter. There is a fierce eddy between the wharf and the house. It seemed likely enough that the weighted coat had remained when the stripped body had been sucked away into the river."
　　 "But I understand that all the other clothes were found in the room. Would the body be dressed in a coat alone?"
　　 "No, sir, but the facts might be met speciously enough. Suppose that this man Boone had thrust Neville St. Clair through the window, there is no human eye which could have seen the deed. What would he do then? It would of course instantly strike him that he must get rid of the tell-tale garments. He would seize the coat, then, and be in the act of throwing it out, when it would occur to him that it would swim and not sink. He has little time, for he has heard the scuffle downstairs when the wife tried to force her way up, and perhaps he has already heard from his Lascar confederate that the police are hurrying up the street. There is not an instant to be lost. He rushes to some secret hoard, where he has accumulated the fruits of his beggary, and he stuffs all the coins upon which he can lay his hands into the pockets to make sure of the coat's sinking. He throws it out, and would have done the same with the other garments had not he heard the rush of steps below, and only just had time to close the window when the police appeared."
　　 "It certainly sounds feasible."
　　 "Well, we will take it as a working hypothesis for want of a better. Boone, as I have told you, was arrested and taken to the station, but it could not be shown that there had ever before been anything against him. He had for years been known as a professional beggar, but his life appeared to have been a very quiet and innocent one. There the matter stands at present, and the questions which have to be solved--what Neville St. Clair was doing in the opium den, what happened to him when there, where is he now, and what Hugh Boone had to do with his disappearance--are all as far from a solution as ever. I confess that I cannot recall any case within my experience which looked at the first glance so simple and yet which presented such difficulties."
　　 While Sherlock Holmes had been detailing this singular series of events, we had been whirling through the outskirts of the great town until the last straggling houses had been left behind, and we rattled along with a country hedge upon either side of us. Just as he finished, however, we drove through two scattered villages, where a few lights still glimmered in the windows.
　　 "We are on the outskirts of Lee," said my companion. "We have touched on three English counties in our short drive, starting in Middlesex, passing over an angle of Surrey, and ending in Kent. See that light among the trees? That is The Cedars, and beside that lamp sits a woman whose anxious ears have already, I have little doubt, caught the clink of our horse's feet."
　　 "But why are you not conducting the case from Baker Street?" I asked.
　　 "Because there are many inquiries which must be made out here. Mrs. St. Clair has most kindly put two rooms at my disposal, and you may rest assured that she will have nothing but a welcome for my friend and colleague. I hate to meet her, Watson, when I have no news of her husband. Here we are. Whoa, there, whoa!"
　　 We had pulled up in front of a large villa which stood within its own grounds. A stable-boy had run out to the horse's head, and springing down, I followed Holmes up the small, winding gravel-drive which led to the house. As we approached, the door flew open, and a little blonde woman stood in the opening, clad in some sort of light mousseline de soie, with a touch of fluffy pink chiffon at her neck and wrists. She stood with her figure outlined against the flood of light, one hand upon the door, one half-raised in her eagerness, her body slightly bent, her head and face protruded, with eager eyes and parted lips, a standing question.
　　 "Well?" she cried, "well?" And then, seeing that there were two of us, she gave a cry of hope which sank into a groan as she saw that my companion shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
　　 "No good news?"
　　 "None."
　　 "No bad?"
　　 "No."
　　 "Thank God for that. But come in. You must be weary, for you have had a long day."
　　 "This is my friend, Dr. Watson. He has been of most vital use to me in several of my cases, and a lucky chance has made it possible for me to bring him out and associate him with this investigation."
　　 "I am delighted to see you," said she, pressing my hand warmly. "You will, I am sure, forgive anything that may be wanting in our arrangements, when you consider the blow which has come so suddenly upon us."
　　 "My dear madam," said I, "I am an old campaigner, and if I were not I can very well see that no apology is needed. If I can be of any assistance, either to you or to my friend here, I shall be indeed happy."
　　 "Now, Mr. Sherlock Holmes," said the lady as we entered a well-lit dining-room, upon the table of which a cold supper had been laid out, "I should very much like to ask you one or two plain questions, to which I beg that you will give a plain answer."
　　 "Certainly, madam."
　　 "Do not trouble about my feelings. I am not hysterical, nor given to fainting. I simply wish to hear your real, real opinion."
　　 "Upon what point?"
　　 "In your heart of hearts, do you think that Neville is alive?"
　　 Sherlock Holmes seemed to be embarrassed by the question. "Frankly, now!" she repeated, standing upon the rug and looking keenly down at him as he leaned back in a basket-chair.
　　 "Frankly, then, madam, I do not."
　　 "You think that he is dead?"
　　 "I do."
　　 "Murdered?"
　　 "I don't say that. Perhaps."
　　 "And on what day did he meet his death?"
　　 "On Monday."
　　 "Then perhaps, Mr. Holmes, you will be good enough to explain how it is that I have received a letter from him to-day."
　　 Sherlock Holmes sprang out of his chair as if he had been galvanised.
　　 "What!" he roared.
　　 "Yes, to-day." She stood smiling, holding up a little slip of paper in the air.
　　 "May I see it?"
　　 "Certainly."
　　 He snatched it from her in his eagerness, and smoothing it out upon the table he drew over the lamp and examined it intently. I had left my chair and was gazing at it over his shoulder. The envelope was a very coarse one and was stamped with the Gravesend postmark and with the date of that very day, or rather of the day before, for it was considerably after midnight.
　　 "Coarse writing," murmured Holmes. "Surely this is not your husband's writing, madam."
　　 "No, but the enclosure is."
　　 "I perceive also that whoever addressed the envelope had to go and inquire as to the address."
　　 "How can you tell that?"
　　 "The name, you see, is in perfectly black ink, which has dried itself. The rest is of the greyish colour, which shows that blotting-paper has been used. If it had been written straight off, and then blotted, none would be of a deep black shade. This man has written the name, and there has then been a pause before he wrote the address, which can only mean that he was not familiar with it. It is, of course, a trifle, but there is nothing so important as trifles. Let us now see the letter. Ha! there has been an enclosure here!"
　　 "Yes, there was a ring. His signet-ring."
　　 "And you are sure that this is your husband's hand?"
　　 "One of his hands."
　　 "One?"
　　 "His hand when he wrote hurriedly. It is very unlike his usual writing, and yet I know it well."
　　 "'Dearest do not be frightened. All will come well. There is a huge error which it may take some little time to rectify. Wait in patience.--NEVILLE.' Written in pencil upon the fly-leaf of a book, octavo size, no water-mark. Hum! Posted to-day in Gravesend by a man with a dirty thumb. Ha! And the flap has been gummed, if I am not very much in error, by a person who had been chewing tobacco. And you have no doubt that it is your husband's hand, madam?"
　　 "None. Neville wrote those words."
　　 "And they were posted to-day at Gravesend. Well, Mrs. St. Clair, the clouds lighten, though I should not venture to say that the danger is over."
　　 "But he must be alive, Mr. Holmes."
　　 "Unless this is a clever forgery to put us on the wrong scent. The ring, after all, proves nothing. It may have been taken from him."
　　 "No, no; it is, it is his very own writing!"
　　 "Very well. It may, however, have been written on Monday and only posted to-day."
　　 "That is possible."
　　 "If so, much may have happened between."
　　 "Oh, you must not discourage me, Mr. Holmes. I know that all is well with him. There is so keen a sympathy between us that I should know if evil came upon him. On the very day that I saw him last he cut himself in the bedroom, and yet I in the dining-room rushed upstairs instantly with the utmost certainty that something had happened. Do you think that I would respond to such a trifle and yet be ignorant of his death?"
　　 "I have seen too much not to know that the impression of a woman may be more valuable than the conclusion of an analytical reasoner. And in this letter you certainly have a very strong piece of evidence to corroborate your view. But if your husband is alive and able to write letters, why should he remain away from you?"
　　 "I cannot imagine. It is unthinkable."
　　 "And on Monday he made no remarks before leaving you?"
　　 "No."
　　 "And you were surprised to see him in Swandam Lane?"
　　 "Very much so."
　　 "Was the window open?"
　　 "Yes."
　　 "Then he might have called to you?"
　　 "He might."
　　 "He only, as I understand, gave an inarticulate cry?"
　　 "Yes."
　　 "A call for help, you thought?"
　　 "Yes. He waved his hands."
　　 "But it might have been a cry of surprise. Astonishment at the unexpected sight of you might cause him to throw up his hands?"
　　 "It is possible."
　　 "And you thought he was pulled back?"
　　 "He disappeared so suddenly."
　　 "He might have leaped back. You did not see anyone else in the room?"
　　 "No, but this horrible man confessed to having been there, and the Lascar was at the foot of the stairs."
　　 "Quite so. Your husband, as far as you could see, had his ordinary clothes on?"
　　 "But without his collar or tie. I distinctly saw his bare throat."
　　 "Had he ever spoken of Swandam Lane?"
　　 "Never."
　　 "Had he ever showed any signs of having taken opium?"
　　 "Never."
　　 "Thank you, Mrs. St. Clair. Those are the principal points about which I wished to be absolutely clear. We shall now have a little supper and then retire, for we may have a very busy day to-morrow."
　　 A large and comfortable double-bedded room had been placed at our disposal, and I was quickly between the sheets, for I was weary after my night of adventure. Sherlock Holmes was a man, however, who, when he had an unsolved problem upon his mind, would go for days, and even for a week, without rest, turning it over, rearranging his facts, looking at it from every point of view until he had either fathomed it or convinced himself that his data were insufficient. It was soon evident to me that he was now preparing for an all-night sitting. He took off his coat and waistcoat, put on a large blue dressing-gown, and then wandered about the room collecting pillows from his bed and cushions from the sofa and armchairs. With these he constructed a sort of Eastern divan, upon which he perched himself cross-legged, with an ounce of shag tobacco and a box of matches laid out in front of him. In the dim light of the lamp I saw him sitting there, an old briar pipe between his lips, his eyes fixed vacantly upon the corner of the ceiling, the blue smoke curling up from him, silent, motionless, with the light shining upon his strong-set aquiline features. So he sat as I dropped off to sleep, and so he sat when a sudden ejaculation caused me to wake up, and I found the summer sun shining into the apartment. The pipe was still between his lips, the smoke still curled upward, and the room was full of a dense tobacco haze, but nothing remained of the heap of shag which I had seen upon the previous night.
　　 "Awake, Watson?" he asked.
　　 "Yes."
　　 "Game for a morning drive?"
　　 "Certainly."
　　 "Then dress. No one is stirring yet, but I know where the stable-boy sleeps, and we shall soon have the trap out." He chuckled to himself as he spoke, his eyes twinkled, and he seemed a different man to the sombre thinker of the previous night.
　　 As I dressed I glanced at my watch. It was no wonder that no one was stirring. It was twenty-five minutes past four. I had hardly finished when Holmes returned with the news that the boy was putting in the horse.
　　 "I want to test a little theory of mine," said he, pulling on his boots. "I think, Watson, that you are now standing in the presence of one of the most absolute fools in Europe. I deserve to be kicked from here to Charing Cross. But I think I have the key of the affair now."
　　 "And where is it?" I asked, smiling.
　　 "In the bathroom," he answered. "Oh, yes, I am not joking," he continued, seeing my look of incredulity. "I have just been there, and I have taken it out, and I have got it in this Gladstone bag. Come on, my boy, and we shall see whether it will not fit the lock."
　　 We made our way downstairs as quietly as possible, and out into the bright morning sunshine. In the road stood our horse and trap, with the half-clad stable-boy waiting at the head. We both sprang in, and away we dashed down the London Road. A few country carts were stirring, bearing in vegetables to the metropolis, but the lines of villas on either side were as silent and lifeless as some city in a dream.
　　 "It has been in some points a singular case," said Holmes, flicking the horse on into a gallop. "I confess that I have been as blind as a mole, but it is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all."
　　 In town the earliest risers were just beginning to look sleepily from their windows as we drove through the streets of the Surrey side. Passing down the Waterloo Bridge Road we crossed over the river, and dashing up Wellington Street wheeled sharply to the right and found ourselves in Bow Street. Sherlock Holmes was well known to the force, and the two constables at the door saluted him. One of them held the horse's head while the other led us in.
　　 "Who is on duty?" asked Holmes.
　　 "Inspector Bradstreet, sir."
　　 "Ah, Bradstreet, how are you?" A tall, stout official had come down the stone-flagged passage, in a peaked cap and frogged jacket. "I wish to have a quiet word with you, Bradstreet." "Certainly, Mr. Holmes. Step into my room here." It was a small, office-like room, with a huge ledger upon the table, and a telephone projecting from the wall. The inspector sat down at his desk.
　　 "What can I do for you, Mr. Holmes?"
　　 "I called about that beggarman, Boone--the one who was charged with being concerned in the disappearance of Mr. Neville St. Clair, of Lee."
　　 "Yes. He was brought up and remanded for further inquiries."
　　 "So I heard. You have him here?"
　　 "In the cells."
　　 "Is he quiet?"
　　 "Oh, he gives no trouble. But he is a dirty scoundrel."
　　 "Dirty?"
　　 "Yes, it is all we can do to make him wash his hands, and his face is as black as a tinker's. Well, when once his case has been settled, he will have a regular prison bath; and I think, if you saw him, you would agree with me that he needed it."
　　 "I should like to see him very much."
　　 "Would you? That is easily done. Come this way. You can leave your bag."
　　 "No, I think that I'll take it."
　　 "Very good. Come this way, if you please." He led us down a passage, opened a barred door, passed down a winding stair, and brought us to a whitewashed corridor with a line of doors on each side.
　　 "The third on the right is his," said the inspector. "Here it is!" He quietly shot back a panel in the upper part of the door and glanced through.
　　 "He is asleep," said he. "You can see him very well."
　　 We both put our eyes to the grating. The prisoner lay with his face towards us, in a very deep sleep, breathing slowly and heavily. He was a middle-sized man, coarsely clad as became his calling, with a coloured shirt protruding through the rent in his tattered coat. He was, as the inspector had said, extremely dirty, but the grime which covered his face could not conceal its repulsive ugliness. A broad wheal from an old scar ran right across it from eye to chin, and by its contraction had turned up one side of the upper lip, so that three teeth were exposed in a perpetual snarl. A shock of very bright red hair grew low over his eyes and forehead.
　　 "He's a beauty, isn't he?" said the inspector.
　　 "He certainly needs a wash," remarked Holmes. "I had an idea that he might, and I took the liberty of bringing the tools with me." He opened the Gladstone bag as he spoke, and took out, to my astonishment, a very large bath-sponge.
　　 "He! he! You are a funny one," chuckled the inspector.
　　 "Now, if you will have the great goodness to open that door very quietly, we will soon make him cut a much more respectable figure."
　　 "Well, I don't know why not," said the inspector. "He doesn't look a credit to the Bow Street cells, does he?" He slipped his key into the lock, and we all very quietly entered the cell. The sleeper half turned, and then settled down once more into a deep slumber. Holmes stooped to the water-jug, moistened his sponge, and then rubbed it twice vigorously across and down the prisoner's face.
　　 "Let me introduce you," he shouted, "to Mr. Neville St. Clair, of Lee, in the county of Kent."
　　 Never in my life have I seen such a sight. The man's face peeled off under the sponge like the bark from a tree. Gone was the coarse brown tint! Gone, too, was the horrid scar which had seamed it across, and the twisted lip which had given the repulsive sneer to the face! A twitch brought away the tangled red hair, and there, sitting up in his bed, was a pale, sad-faced, refined-looking man, black-haired and smooth-skinned, rubbing his eyes and staring about him with sleepy bewilderment. Then suddenly realising the exposure, he broke into a scream and threw himself down with his face to the pillow.
　　 "Great heavens!" cried the inspector, "it is, indeed, the missing man. I know him from the photograph."
　　 The prisoner turned with the reckless air of a man who abandons himself to his destiny. "Be it so," said he. "And pray what am I charged with?"
　　 "With making away with Mr. Neville St.-- Oh, come, you can't be charged with that unless they make a case of attempted suicide of it," said the inspector with a grin. "Well, I have been twenty-seven years in the force, but this really takes the cake."
　　 "If I am Mr. Neville St. Clair, then it is obvious that no crime has been committed, and that, therefore, I am illegally detained."
　　 "No crime, but a very great error has been committed," said Holmes. "You would have done better to have trusted you wife."
　　 "It was not the wife; it was the children," groaned the prisoner. "God help me, I would not have them ashamed of their father. My God! What an exposure! What can I do?"
　　 Sherlock Holmes sat down beside him on the couch and patted him kindly on the shoulder.
　　 "If you leave it to a court of law to clear the matter up," said he, "of course you can hardly avoid publicity. On the other hand, if you convince the police authorities that there is no possible case against you, I do not know that there is any reason that the details should find their way into the papers. Inspector Bradstreet would, I am sure, make notes upon anything which you might tell us and submit it to the proper authorities. The case would then never go into court at all."
　　 "God bless you!" cried the prisoner passionately. "I would have endured imprisonment, ay, even execution, rather than have left my miserable secret as a family blot to my children.
　　 "You are the first who have ever heard my story. My father was a schoolmaster in Chesterfield, where I received an excellent education. I travelled in my youth, took to the stage, and finally became a reporter on an evening paper in London. One day my editor wished to have a series of articles upon begging in the metropolis, and I volunteered to supply them. There was the point from which all my adventures started. It was only by trying begging as an amateur that I could get the facts upon which to base my articles. When an actor I had, of course, learned all the secrets of making up, and had been famous in the green-room for my skill. I took advantage now of my attainments. I painted my face, and to make myself as pitiable as possible I made a good scar and fixed one side of my lip in a twist by the aid of a small slip of flesh-coloured plaster. Then with a red head of hair, and an appropriate dress, I took my station in the business part of the city, ostensibly as a match-seller but really as a beggar. For seven hours I plied my trade, and when I returned home in the evening I found to my surprise that I had received no less than 26s. 4d.
　　 "I wrote my articles and thought little more of the matter until, some time later, I backed a bill for a friend and had a writ served upon me for 25 pounds. I was at my wit's end where to get the money, but a sudden idea came to me. I begged a fortnight's grace from the creditor, asked for a holiday from my employers, and spent the time in begging in the City under my disguise. In ten days I had the money and had paid the debt.
　　 "Well, you can imagine how hard it was to settle down to arduous work at 2 pounds a week when I knew that I could earn as much in a day by smearing my face with a little paint, laying my cap on the ground, and sitting still. It was a long fight between my pride and the money, but the dollars won at last, and I threw up reporting and sat day after day in the corner which I had first chosen, inspiring pity by my ghastly face and filling my pockets with coppers. Only one man knew my secret. He was the keeper of a low den in which I used to lodge in Swandam Lane, where I could every morning emerge as a squalid beggar and in the evenings transform myself into a well-dressed man about town. This fellow, a Lascar, was well paid by me for his rooms, so that I knew that my secret was safe in his possession.
　　 "Well, very soon I found that I was saving considerable sums of money. I do not mean that any beggar in the streets of London could earn 700 pounds a year--which is less than my average takings--but I had exceptional advantages in my power of making up, and also in a facility of repartee, which improved by practice and made me quite a recognised character in the City. All day a stream of pennies, varied by silver, poured in upon me, and it was a very bad day in which I failed to take 2 pounds.
　　 "As I grew richer I grew more ambitious, took a house in the country, and eventually married, without anyone having a suspicion as to my real occupation. My dear wife knew that I had business in the City. She little knew what.
　　 "Last Monday I had finished for the day and was dressing in my room above the opium den when I looked out of my window and saw, to my horror and astonishment, that my wife was standing in the street, with her eyes fixed full upon me. I gave a cry of surprise, threw up my arms to cover my face, and, rushing to my confidant, the Lascar, entreated him to prevent anyone from coming up to me. I heard her voice downstairs, but I knew that she could not ascend. Swiftly I threw off my clothes, pulled on those of a beggar, and put on my pigments and wig. Even a wife's eyes could not pierce so complete a disguise. But then it occurred to me that there might be a search in the room, and that the clothes might betray me. I threw open the window, reopening by my violence a small cut which I had inflicted upon myself in the bedroom that morning. Then I seized my coat, which was weighted by the coppers which I had just transferred to it from the leather bag in which I carried my takings. I hurled it out of the window, and it disappeared into the Thames. The other clothes would have followed, but at that moment there was a rush of constables up the stair, and a few minutes after I found, rather, I confess, to my relief, that instead of being identified as Mr. Neville St. Clair, I was arrested as his murderer.
　　 "I do not know that there is anything else for me to explain. I was determined to preserve my disguise as long as possible, and hence my preference for a dirty face. Knowing that my wife would be terribly anxious, I slipped off my ring and confided it to the Lascar at a moment when no constable was watching me, together with a hurried scrawl, telling her that she had no cause to fear."
　　 "That note only reached her yesterday," said Holmes.
　　 "Good God! What a week she must have spent!"
　　 "The police have watched this Lascar," said Inspector Bradstreet, "and I can quite understand that he might find it difficult to post a letter unobserved. Probably he handed it to some sailor customer of his, who forgot all about it for some days."
　　 "That was it," said Holmes, nodding approvingly; "I have no doubt of it. But have you never been prosecuted for begging?"
　　 "Many times; but what was a fine to me?"
　　 "It must stop here, however," said Bradstreet. "If the police are to hush this thing up, there must be no more of Hugh Boone."
　　 "I have sworn it by the most solemn oaths which a man can take."
　　 "In that case I think that it is probable that no further steps may be taken. But if you are found again, then all must come out. I am sure, Mr. Holmes, that we are very much indebted to you for having cleared the matter up. I wish I knew how you reach your results."
　　 "I reached this one," said my friend, "by sitting upon five pillows and consuming an ounce of shag. I think, Watson, that if we drive to Baker Street we shall just be in time for breakfast."