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藍寶石案 The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
聖誕節後的第二個早晨，我懷着祝賀佳節的心情，前往探望我的朋友歇洛剋·福爾摩斯。他身穿一件紫紅色睡衣懶散地斜靠在一張長沙發上，右手邊放着一個煙斗架，眼前還有一堆折皺了的晨報，顯然是剛剛翻閱過的。沙發旁是一把木椅，椅子靠背上挂着一頂骯髒的破爛不堪的硬胎氈帽。帽子簡直糟得不能再戴了，有好幾處都裂了縫。椅墊上放着一個放大鏡和一把鑷子，這說明那頂帽子之所以用這樣的方式挂着，目的是為了便於檢查。
“你正忙着呢，”我說，“也許我打攪你了。”
“沒有的話，我很高興有一位朋友來和我一AE?討論我研究所得的結果。這完全是一件毫無價值的東西。"說着，他竪AE?大拇指指了一下那頂帽子，“不過，同它有關聯的幾個問題卻不是索然無味的，甚至還能給我們一些教益。”
*我坐在他那張扶手椅上，就着木柴劈啪作響的爐火暖暖自己的雙手，因為嚴寒已經降臨，窗戶上的玻璃都結了晶瑩的冰凌。"我猜想，"我說道，“儘管這頂帽子很不雅觀，但它卻和某樁性命攸關的事故有所牽連，就是這條綫索能引導你解開某個疑團，並且指導你去懲罰某種犯罪行為。”
“不，不，並非犯罪行為，"歇洛剋·福爾摩斯笑着說，“這衹不過是許多離奇的小事中的一件罷了。在一塊僅有幾平方英裏的彈丸之地，擁擠不堪地住着四百萬人口，這類小事是少不了的。在如此稠密的人群爾虞我詐的爭逐中，各種錯綜復雜的事件都是可能發生的；有些疑難問題看AE?來很驚人和稀奇古怪，但並非就是犯罪行為。我們對於諸如此類的事件是早有經驗的了。”
“是的，甚至到了這樣的程度，”我說，“那就是我記錄上最近增添的六個案件中，倒有三個完全與法律上的犯罪行為無關。”
“確切地說，你指的是我找回艾琳·艾德勒相片的嘗試，瑪麗·薩瑟蘭小姐奇案和歪唇男人這幾個案件吧。我不懷疑這件小事也屬於法律上無罪的範疇。你認識看門人彼得森嗎？”
“認識。”
“這就是他的戰利品。”
“這是他的帽子？”
“不，不是。是他揀來的。帽主是誰尚未知曉。但請不要因為它衹不過是一頂破氈帽而等閑視之，而應當把它當作一個需要智力才能解决的疑難問題來看待。首先說說這頂帽子的來歷。它是連同一隻大肥鵝一AE?在聖誕節早晨送到這裏來的。我相信，此鵝現時正在彼得森的爐前燒烤。事情是這樣的：聖誕節破曉大約四點鐘的時候，彼得森，正如你所知道的，為人淳樸誠實，在某處參加了一個小小的歡宴之後正在歸傢途中，他是取道托特納姆法院路走回傢去的。在煤氣燈下，他看見一個身材頗高的人在他前面走着，步伐有些蹣跚，肩上背着一隻白鵝。當彼得森途經古治街拐角時，這個陌生人忽然和幾個流氓發生了一場爭吵。一個流氓把他的帽子打落在地，為此他掄AE?棍子進行自衛，他高舉棍子四處揮舞，一下子把身後商店的玻璃櫥窗打得粉碎。彼得森正想挺身而出，助這個陌生人一臂之力以對付這幫無賴，但那個陌生人正因打碎玻璃而感到驚慌，同時又瞧見一個身穿、狀如警官的人衝他而來，於是把鵝丟下，拔腿就跑，很快地消失在托特納姆法院路後面彎彎麯麯的小巷裏。那幫流氓看見彼得森正在趕來也逃之夭夭了。這樣，衹留下了彼得森在那裏，不僅占領了戰場，而且擄獲了這兩樣戰利品：一頂破舊的氈帽和一隻上等的聖誕大肥鵝。”
“他無疑是想把這些東西歸還原主的吧？”
“我親愛的夥伴，難題就出在這裏。的確，這衹鵝的左腿上係着一張寫着'獻給亨利·貝剋夫人'的小卡片，而且這頂帽子的襯裏也的確寫着姓名縮寫'H．B．'的字樣，但是，在我們這個城市裏，姓貝剋（Ｂａｋｅｒ）的人數以千計，而名叫亨利·貝剋（ＨｅｎｒｙＢａｋｅｒ）的人又何止數百，所以要在這許多人中間找到失主，把東西歸還給他，决不是一件容易的事。”
“那麽，後來彼得森怎麽辦呢？”
“因為他知道我對那些即使是最細小的問題也是很感興趣的，所以就在聖誕節早晨帶着帽子和鵝到我這裏來了。這衹鵝我們一直留到今天早晨。儘管天氣較冷，但有些跡象表明最好還是把它吃掉，沒有必要再拖延了。因此彼得森帶走它，去完成一隻鵝的最終命運，而我則繼續保留着這位失去了聖誕節佳饌的素未謀面的先生的帽子。”
“他沒有在報紙上刊登尋找失物的AE?事嗎？”
“沒有。”
“那麽，關於這個人的身份你有什麽綫索嗎？”
“衹有盡我們所能去推測。”
“從這頂帽子上？”
“對。”
“你真是會開玩笑，從這頂又破又舊的氈帽上你能推測出什麽來？”
“這是我的放大鏡，你素來知道我的方法。對於戴這頂帽子的那個人的個性，你能夠推測出什麽來嗎？”
*我把這頂破爛帽子拿在手裏，無可奈何地把它翻過來看看，這是一頂極其普通的圓形黑氈帽，硬邦邦的而且破舊得不堪再戴了。原來的紅色絲綢襯裏已經大大褪色，上面沒有製帽商的商標，但是正象福爾摩斯說過的，在帽子的一側，卻有潦草塗寫的姓名縮寫字母'H．B．'。為了防止被風颳跑，帽檐曾穿有小孔，但上面的鬆緊帶已經沒有了。至於其它情況，儘管似乎是為了掩蓋帽子上幾塊褪了色的補丁而用墨水把它們塗黑了，但還是到處開裂，布滿灰塵，有好幾個地方污點斑斑。
“我看不出什麽來。"我一面說着，一面把帽子遞還我的朋友。
“恰恰相反，華生，你什麽都能看出來，可是，你沒有從所看到的東西作出推論。你對作出推論太缺乏信心了。”
“那麽，請你告訴我你能夠從這頂帽子作出什麽推論呢？”
*他拿起帽子，並用他那獨特的、足以表示他的性格的思考方式凝視着它。“這頂帽子可能提供的引人聯想的東西也許要少一些，"他說道，“不過，還是有幾點推論是很明顯的，而其它幾點推論至少或然率是很大的。從帽子的外觀來看，很明顯這個人是個學問淵博的人，而且在過去三年裏，生活相當富裕，儘管他目前已處於窘境。他過去很有遠見，可是，已今非昔比，再加上傢道中落，因此，精神日趨頽廢，這仿佛說明了他受到某種有害的影響，也許染上了酗酒的惡習，恐怕這也是他AE?子已不再愛他這一明顯事實的原因。”
“哎呀，我親愛的福爾摩斯，好了！”
“可是不管怎麽樣，他還保持着一定程度的自尊，"他沒有理睬我的反對而繼續說下去。
“他這個人一嚮深居簡出，根本不鍛煉身體，是個中年人，頭髮灰白，而且是最近幾天剛剛理過的，頭髮上塗着檸檬膏，這些就是根據這頂帽子所推斷出來的比較明顯的事實。還有，順便再提一下，他傢裏是絶對不可能安有煤氣燈的。”
“你肯定是在開玩笑，福爾摩斯。”
“一點都不是開玩笑。難道現在當我把研究結果都告訴了你，你還看不出它們是怎樣得出來的嗎？”
“我並不懷疑我自己是很遲鈍的，但是我必須承認我不能領會你說的話。舉個例子說吧，你是怎樣推斷出這個人是很有學問的？”
*福爾摩斯啪的一下把帽子扣在頭上來作為回答。帽子正好把整個前額罩住，並且壓到了鼻梁上。"這是一個容積的問題，”他說，“有這麽大腦袋的人，頭腦裏必定有些東西吧！”
“那麽他傢道中落又是怎麽推斷出來的呢？”
“這頂帽子已買了三年，這種平沿、帽邊嚮上捲AE?的帽子當時是很時興的。它是一頂第一流的帽子。你瞧瞧這條羅紋絲綢箍帶兒和那華貴的襯裏。如果這個人三年前買得AE?這麽昂貴的帽子，而從那以後從沒有買別的帽子，那麽毫無疑問他是在走下坡路了。”
“噢，這一點當然很清楚了，但是說這個人有'遠見'，又說他'精神頽廢'這是怎麽回事呢？”
*歇洛剋·福爾摩斯笑了AE?來，“這就說明有遠見。"他一邊說着，一邊把手指放在釘鬆緊帶用的小圓盤和搭環上。"出售的帽子從來不附帶這些東西。這個人定做了這樣一頂帽子，正好說明此人品有遠見，因為他特意用這個方法來預防帽子被風颳跑。可是我們又看到他把鬆緊帶弄壞了，而又不願意費點事重新釘上一條，這清楚地說明他的遠見已不如從前了，同時這也是他意志日漸消沉的一個明顯證明。另一方面，他用墨水塗抹帽子上的污痕，拚命加以掩飾它的破舊，表明他還沒有完全喪失他的自尊心。”
“當然你的推論似乎是言之有理的。”
“此外還有幾點：他是個中年人，頭髮灰白，最近剛理過發，頭上抹過檸檬膏。這些都是通過對帽子襯裏下部的周密檢查推斷出來的。通過放大鏡看到了許多被理發師剪刀剪過的整齊的頭髮楂兒。頭髮楂兒都是粘在一AE?的，而且有一種檸檬膏的特殊氣味。而帽子上的這些塵土，你將會註意到，不是街道上夾雜砂粒的灰塵，而是房間裏那種棕色的絨狀塵土。這說明帽子大部分時間是挂在房間裏的，而另一方面襯裏的濕跡很清楚地證明戴帽子的人經常大量出汗，所以不可能是一個身體鍛煉得很好的人。”
“可是他的妻子——你剛纔說過她已經不再愛他了。”"這頂帽子已經有好幾個星期沒有撣撣刷刷了。我親愛的華生，如果我看到你的帽子堆積了個把星期的灰塵，而且你的妻子聽之任之，就讓你這個樣子去出訪，我恐怕你也已經很不幸地失去你的妻子的愛情了。”
“可是他可能是個單身漢哪！”
“不可能，因為那天晚上他正要把那衹鵝帶回傢去作為一件表示親善的禮物獻給他的妻子的。你可別忘了係在鵝腿上的那張卡片。”
“你對每個問題都做出瞭解答，可是你究竟是怎樣推斷出他傢裏沒有安煤氣燈的呢？”
“一滴燭油、或者甚至是兩滴燭油，那可能是偶然滴上的；可是當我看到至少有五滴燭油時，我認為毫無疑問每一滴燭油都一定是由於常和點燃着的蠟燭接觸而滴上的。比方說，夜裏上樓時很可能是一手拿着帽子，而另一隻手拿着淌着燭油的蠟燭。不管怎麽說，他决不可能從煤氣燈上沾上燭油。你現在相信了吧？”
“太好了，你的腦子真靈，"我笑着說，“但是既然象你剛纔所說的，這中間沒有犯罪行為，除了失去一隻鵝以外，並未造成任何危害，所有的一切看來都是浪費精力了。”
歇洛剋·福爾摩斯剛要張開嘴回答我，衹見房門猛地打開，看門人彼得森跑了進來，臉漲得通紅，帶着一種由於吃驚而感到茫然的神色。
“那衹鵝，福爾摩斯先生！那衹鵝，先生！"他喘着氣說。
“噢，它怎麽啦？莫非它又活了，拍打着翅膀從廚房的窗戶飛了出去？"為了把這個人的激動面孔看得更清楚一些，福爾摩斯在沙發上轉過身來。
“瞧，先生，你瞧我妻子從鵝的嗦囊裏發現了什麽！"他伸出手，在他手心上展現着一顆閃爍着奪目光輝的藍寶石。這顆藍寶石比黃豆稍微小一些，可是晶瑩潔淨、光彩閃閃，就象一道電光在他那黝黑的手心裏閃爍着。
*歇洛剋·福爾摩斯吹了一聲口哨，坐了AE?來。“天啊，彼得森！"他說道，“這確實是一件秘藏的珍寶啊！我想你知道你得到的是什麽。”
“一顆鑽石，先生，是不是？一顆寶石。用它切割玻璃就象切割油泥一樣。”
“這不是一顆平常的寶石，而恰恰是那顆名貴的寶石。”
“莫非是莫卡伯爵夫人的藍寶石嗎？"我喊了出來。
“一點都不錯！因為我最近每天都看《泰晤士報》有關這顆寶右的奇事，我應該知道它的大小和形狀的。這顆寶石絶對是獨一無二的珍寶。它的價值衹能約略估計。可是懸賞的報酬一千英鎊肯定還不到這顆藍寶石市價的二十分之一。”
“一千英鎊！我的老天爺呀！"看門人品通一下跌坐在椅子上，瞪大眼睛輪番看着我和福爾摩斯。
“那衹不過是賞格而已，而且我確實知道伯爵夫人由於暗中某些感情上的考慮，衹要能夠找回這顆寶石，她就是將財産分一半給人也會心甘情願的。”
“如果我沒有記錯的話，這顆寶石是在'世界旅館'丟失的。"我說道。
“的確如此，十二月二十二日，也就是五天以前。約翰·霍納，一個管子工，被人指控從伯爵夫人的首飾匣裏竊取了這顆寶石。因為他犯罪的證據確鑿，現在這一案件已提交法庭。我想這裏還有些關於這事件的記載。"他在那堆報紙裏翻弄着，眼睛掃視一張張報紙上的日期，最後把一張報紙攤平，疊了一折，然後念了下面的段落："'世界旅館'寶石偷竊案。約翰·霍納，二十六歲，管子工，因本月二十二日從莫卡伯爵夫人首飾匣中竊取一顆以'藍寶石'聞名的貴重寶石而被送交法院AE?訴。旅館侍者領班詹姆士·賴德，對此案的證詞如下：偷竊發生當天，他曾帶領約翰·霍納到樓上莫卡伯爵夫人的化妝室內焊接壁爐的第二根業已鬆動的爐柵。他和霍納一AE?稍逗片刻，旋即被召走。及至重新回到該處，發現霍納已經離去，而梳妝臺則已被人撬開，有摩洛哥小首飾匣一隻AE?置於梳妝臺上，裏面已經空空如也。嗣後人們纔知伯爵夫人習慣存放寶石於此匣內。賴德迅速報案，霍納於當晚被捕。但從霍納身上及其傢中均未搜得寶石。伯爵夫人的女僕凱瑟琳·丘薩剋宣誓證明曾聽到賴德發現寶石被竊時的驚呼，並且證明她跑進房間時目睹情況和上述證人所述相符。Ｂ區布雷茲特裏特巡官證明霍納被捕時曾經拚命抗拒，並且用最強烈措詞申辯自己乃是清白無辜的。鑒於以前有人證明他曾犯過類似盜竊案，地方法官拒絶草率從事，並已將此案提交巡回審判庭處理。霍納於審訊過程中表現得異常激動，在判决時竟至昏厥而被擡出法庭。
“哼！局和法庭所提供的情況也就這麽多了，"福爾摩斯若有所思地說着，順手把報紙扔到一邊。"我們現在要解决的問題是，把從被盜的首飾匣為AE?點到托特納姆法院路拾到的那衹鵝的嗦囊為終點的一係列事件按順序理清楚。你知道嗎？我們的小小推論已經很快地表現為嚴重性大為增加，而無罪的可能性大為減少這方面了。這就是那顆寶石，那顆寶石來自那衹鵝，那衹鵝來自亨利·貝剋先生。關於這位先生的破帽子以及所有其它的特徵的分析我已嚮你提供了。因此現在我們要認真地找到這位先生，並且弄清楚他在這小小的神秘事件中扮演的是什麽樣的角色。要做到這一點，我們開始必須使用最簡單的方法。這方法無庸置疑地是在所有晚報上刊登一則啓事。如果這種方法不成功，那麽我將不得不藉助於其它的方法了。”
“啓事說什麽呢？”
“給我一枝鉛筆和一張紙。好，下面就是我要說的：
*'茲於古治街拐角揀到鵝一隻和黑氈帽一頂。亨利·
*貝剋先生請於晚六點半到貝剋街２２１號乙詢問，即可領
*回原物。'這樣寫既簡單又明了。”
“對，很簡單，很清楚，可是他會看到這個啓事嗎？”
“當然會的，他肯定會註意看報的，因為對於一個窮人來說，這損失也算是慘重的了。他顯然由於打破玻璃闖了禍以及彼得森嚮他逼近，而驚慌失措，因此除了衹顧逃跑以外，沒有想到別的。可是，過後他一定是深感後悔莫及，痛惜一時的衝動而丟下了他的鵝。另外，報上刊登了他的名字一定會使他看報，因為每一個認識他的人都會提醒他去註意看報的。彼得森，這給你，趕快把它送到廣告公司，並且要刊登在今天的晚報上。”
“登在哪傢報紙上，先生？”
“噢，《環球報》、《星報》、《蓓爾美爾報》、《聖詹姆斯宮報》、《新聞晚報》、《回聲報》和你想到的隨便哪一傢報紙。”
“是的，先生，那麽這顆寶石怎麽辦呢？”
“噢，這顆寶石我先保存着，謝謝你，還有，彼得森，在你回來的路上買一隻鵝送到我這裏來，因為我必須給這位先生一隻鵝來代替你們全家人正在吃的那衹。”
*看門人走了以後，福爾摩斯拿AE?寶石對着光綫仔細鑒賞，"真是一顆美奐絶倫的寶石，”他說，“請看看它是何等地光彩照耀呀！當然，它又是罪惡的淵藪。每顆珍貴的寶石無不如此。它們是魔鬼最得意的誘餌。在更大的和更古老的寶石上，每一個刻面都象徵着一個血腥的罪行。這顆寶石問世以來還不到二十年，它是在華南廈門河岸上發現的。它的奇異之處在於：除了它是蔚藍色的而不是鮮紅色的這一點之外，它具有紅寶石的一切特點，儘管它流傳在世為時不長，可是已經有過一段不幸的歷史了。由於這顆重四十𠔌的結晶碳的緣故，已經發①生了兩AE?謀殺案，一AE?澆灑硝鏹水毀人容貌案，一AE?自殺案，
*①𠔌是英美最小的重量單位，等於６４．８毫剋，原為小麥𠔌粒的平均重量。——編者註另外還有幾AE?搶劫案。誰能想到如此美麗的小裝飾品竟是嚮絞刑架和監獄輸送罪犯的供應商呢？我要把它鎖在我的保險櫃裏，並寫一封短箋給伯爵夫人，說我們已經覓獲這顆寶石。”
“你認為霍納這個人是無罪的了？”
“我說不上來。”
“好，那麽你認為另外那個人亨利·貝剋和這件事有牽連了？”
“我想亨利·貝剋很可能是絶對清白無辜的。他决不會想到他手裏的鵝的價值比一隻金子鑄成的鵝的價值還要多得多。不管怎麽樣，如果我的啓事得到答復，我就能通過一個極其簡單的檢驗來測定這一點。”
“在此之前你無事可做了嗎？”
“沒有什麽可做的了。”
“既然是這樣，我將繼續處理我的日常業務，不過我今天晚上會在你剛纔說的時間回來，因為我很想看看如此復雜的事情是怎樣迎刃而解的。”
“我會很高興再見到你，我七點鐘吃晚飯，我相信會吃到一隻山鷸。順便提一下，考慮到最近出現的情況，也許我應該請赫德森夫人檢查一下那衹山鷸的嗉囊。”
*有一個患者耽誤了我一點時間，當我重新回到貝剋街的時候，已經過了六點半了。我走近寓所時，看見一個身材高大的男人，身穿一件帶蘇格蘭帽的上衣，上衣的紐扣一直扣到下巴底下。他正伫立在屋外一個從扇形窗裏照射出來的半圓形的燈光下。我到達門口的時候，門正好打開，我們一AE?被領進福爾摩斯的房間。
“我相信你就是亨利·貝剋先生。"他一邊說着一邊從扶手椅上站AE?身來，並且很快地擺出一副平易近人的和藹神態來歡迎客人。“請坐在靠近壁爐的這把椅子上，貝剋先生，今天晚上冷得很哪，我看得出你的血液循環夏天比鼕天強。啊，華生，你來的正是時候。這是你的帽子嗎，貝剋先生？”
“是的，先生，這的確是我的帽子。”
*他身軀魁偉，膀圓腰粗，頭顱很大，有一張寬闊、聰明的臉，和越往下越尖的已呈灰白色的棕色絡腮鬍須。鼻子和面頰略帶紅潤之色，手伸出來時微微顫抖，這些特徵使人想AE?了福爾摩斯對於他特徵的臆測。他的已褪色的黑禮服大衣前面全都扣上了，領子也竪了AE?來，在大衣袖子下面露出細長的手腕，手腕上並沒有袖口或襯衣的痕跡。他說話有些斷斷續續，措詞謹慎，總的說來他給人留下了一個時運不濟的文人學者的印象。
“這些東西在我們這兒保留好幾天了，"福爾摩斯說，“因為我們期待着從你的尋物啓事上看到你的地址。我不理解你為什麽不登報呢？”
*我們的客人難為情地笑了笑，“我已經阮囊羞澀不象過去那麽有錢了，"他說道。“我相信襲擊我的那幫流氓早把我的帽子和鵝都搶走了。因此試圖找回它們是毫無希望的，我不想為此再花錢了！”
“你說得很合乎情理，順便提一下，至於那衹鵝，我們不得已把它吃掉了。”
“吃掉了！"我們的客人激動得差一點站了AE?來。
“是的，如果我們不這麽做的話，那衹鵝對誰來說都將是不堪食用的了。但是，我認為餐櫃上那衹鵝的斤量和你的鵝不相上下，而且十分鮮嫩，這會同樣使你滿意的。”
“噢，那當然，那當然。"貝剋先生鬆了一口氣說。
“當然，我們還留着你自己那衹鵝的羽毛、腿、嗉囊等等。所以，如果你希望……”
這個人突然哈哈大笑AE?來。“這些東西作為我那次歷險的紀念品也許有點用處，”他說，“除此以外，我簡直看不出我的那衹鵝的零碎遺物對我有何裨益。不，先生，如果你許可的話，我想我關心的將僅限於我所看到的餐櫃上的那衹絶妙的鵝。”
*歇洛剋·福爾摩斯飛快地朝我看了一眼，略微聳了聳肩膀。
“那麽，這是你的帽子；還有，這是你的鵝，"他說道，“順便問一聲，你能否費心告訴我們你那衹鵝是從哪裏買來的？我對飼養傢禽頗感興趣，比你那衹長得更好的鵝，我還很少見過。”"當然可以，先生，"他站AE?身來並且把剛剛得到的財産夾在腋下說，“我們當中有些人經常出入博物館附近的阿爾法小酒店，因為我們白天都在博物館裏。你明白嗎？今年，我們的好店主，名叫溫迪蓋特，創辦了一個鵝俱樂部，因為考慮到每星期嚮俱樂部交納幾個便士，所以我們每個人在聖誕節都收到了俱樂部給的一隻鵝。我總是按時付錢。至於以後發生的事你已經都知道了。先生，因為戴一頂蘇格蘭帽既不適合我這樣的年齡，也不適合我的身份，而你使我受惠非淺，我謹嚮你深表謝意。"他帶着一種滑稽的自負神態嚮我們兩人嚴肅地鞠了一躬，然後邁開大步走出房間。
“亨利·貝剋先生的事情就到此結束。"福爾摩斯一邊說着，一邊隨手關上了門。"很明顯，他對此事是一無所知。你餓了嗎？華生？”
“不十分餓。”
“那麽我建議把我們的晚餐改為夜餐，我們應該順藤摸瓜，要趁熱打鐵。”
“好的，當然可以。”
*這是一個凜冽的寒夜，所以我們都身穿長大衣，脖子圍上了圍巾。屋外，群星燦爛，在萬裏無雲的黑夜裏閃爍着寒光，過往行人噴出的呵氣凝成冷霧，就象許多手槍在射擊一樣。我們的腳步發出了清脆而又響亮的聲音。我們大步穿過了醫師區、威姆波爾街、哈利街，然後又穿過了威格摩街到了牛津街，在一刻鐘內我們到達博物館區的阿爾法小酒店。這是一傢很小的酒店，坐落在通嚮霍爾伯恩的一條街的拐角處。福爾摩斯推開這傢私人酒店的門，從紅光滿面、係着白圍裙的老闆那裏要了兩杯啤酒。
“如果你的啤酒能象你的鵝一樣出色，那將是最上等的啤酒了。"他說道。
“我的鵝！"這個人好象很吃驚。
“是的，僅在半小時以前我剛和你們俱樂部的會員亨利·貝剋先生談過。”
“啊，我明白了。可是你知道嗎，先生，那些鵝不是我們的！”
“真的！那麽，是誰的呢？”
“噢，我從考文特園一個推銷員那裏買了二十四衹。”
“真的？我認識他們當中幾個人，是哪一個呢？”
“他的名字叫布萊肯裏奇。”"噢，我不認識他，好吧，老闆，祝你身體健康，生意興隆。再見。”
“現在去找布萊肯裏奇，"我們離開酒店走進寒冷的空氣中。他一邊扣着外衣，一邊繼續往下說，“記住，華生，雖然在這條鎖鏈的一端，我們現在衹找到象鵝這樣傢常的東西，但在另一端，我們卻會找到一個肯定將被判處七年徒刑的人，除非我們能夠證明他是無罪的；可是，很可能我們的調查也許衹能證明他有罪。無論如何，有一條被忽略了的調查綫索由於一種特別機緣落入我們的手中。讓我們順着這條綫索追查下去，直到水落石出為止。現在朝南快步前進！”
*我們穿過霍爾伯恩街，折入恩德爾街，接着又走過道路麯折的平民區來到了考文特園市場。在一些大貨攤中有一個貨攤的招牌上寫着布萊肯裏奇的名字。店主是個長臉的人，臉部瘦削，留着整齊的絡腮鬍子，這時候，他正在幫着一個小夥計收攤。
“晚安，多麽冷的夜晚哪！"福爾摩斯說。
*店主人點了點頭，用懷疑的眼光打量了一下我的同伴。
“看光景鵝都賣完了。"福爾摩斯手指着空蕩蕩的大理石櫃臺接着說。
“明天早晨，我可以賣給你五百衹鵝。”
“那沒有用。”
“好吧，煤氣燈亮着的那個貨攤上還有幾衹。”
“噢，可是我是人傢介紹到你這兒來的。”
“誰介紹的？”
“阿爾法酒店的老闆。”
“噢，是的；我給他送去了二十四衹。”
“那些鵝可真是不錯啊。那麽，你是從哪兒弄來的呢？”
*使我感到吃驚的是這個問題竟然惹得店主勃然大怒。
“那麽，好吧，先生，"他揚着頭，手叉着腰說，“你這是什麽意思？有什麽話咱們就直截了當地說個明白。”
“我已經夠直截了當的了，我很想知道你供應阿爾法酒店的那些鵝是誰賣給你的？”
“噢，是這麽一回事，我不想告訴你，就是這個樣！”
“噢，這是一件無關緊要的事，但是我不明白你為什麽會為這件小事而大動肝火？”
“大動肝火！如果你也象我那樣被人糾纏的話，也許你也會大動肝火的。我花大價錢買好貨，這不就完事了嗎。但是你卻要問：‘鵝在哪兒？''你們的鵝賣給誰了？'和'你們這些鵝要換些什麽東西啊？'人們在聽到對他們提出這些嘮嘮叨叨的問題時，也許會認為這些鵝在世界上是獨一無二的了。”
“噢，可是我和別的提這些問題的人毫無聯繫，"福爾摩斯漫不經心地說，“如果你不願意告訴我們，這個打賭就算吹了。我要說的就是這個話。但是我會永遠堅持我在傢禽問題上的看法。我在這個問題上下了五英鎊的賭註，我敢斷定我吃的那衹鵝是在農村喂大的。”
“嘿，你那五英鎊算是輸掉了，因為它是在城裏喂大的。”這位老闆說。
“不是這樣。”
“我說是這樣。”
“我不信。”
“你以為你對於傢禽的瞭解比我這個從當小夥計開始就同它們打交道的人還要內行嗎？我告訴你，那些送到阿爾法酒店的鵝全是在城裏喂大的。”
“你决不可能使我相信你的話。”
“那麽你願意打賭嗎？”
“這不過是要讓你輸錢罷了，因為我知道我是正確的。但是我還是願意拿出一個金鎊的硬幣和你打賭，僅僅是為了教訓你不要固執己見。”
*店主獰笑AE?來。"把帳簿給我拿來，比爾，"他說道。
*那個小男孩取來一個薄薄的小帳本和一個封面沾滿油膩的大帳本。把它們一AE?攤在吊燈下。
“喂，過於自信的先生，"店主人說道，“剛纔我以為我把鵝都賣光了，可是在我結束營業之前，你會發現我們店裏還剩下一隻鵝，你看見這個小帳本了嗎？”
“怎麽回事？”
“那就是賣鵝給我的人的名單，你明白了嗎？好！這一頁上的名字是鄉下人的，在他們名字後面的數目字是總帳的頁碼，他們的帳戶就記載在那一頁上。喂！你看見用紅墨水寫的另外一頁了嗎？這是一張賣鵝給我的城裏人的名單。好！看一下那第三個人的名字。把它念給我聽。”
“奧剋肖特太太，布裏剋斯頓路１１７號——２４９頁，"福爾摩斯念道。
“正是如此。現在再查看一下總帳吧！”
*福爾摩斯翻到了他所指的那一頁。"正是這裏，奧剋肖特太太，布裏剋斯頓路１１７號，雞蛋和傢禽供應商。”
“那麽最後記的一筆帳是什麽？”
“'十二月二十二日，二十四衹鵝，收價七先令六便士。'”
“對，是這樣，你看，那麽在這行下面呢？”
“'賣給阿爾法酒店溫迪蓋特，售價十二先令。'”
“你現在還有什麽可說的呢？”
*歇洛剋·福爾摩斯現出仿佛十分懊惱的樣子。他從口袋裏掏出一個金鎊的硬幣扔在大理石櫃臺上，帶着一種難以用語言形容、叫人莫測高深的厭惡神態走開了。走出幾步以後，他在一個路燈桿子下站住，以他特有的姿勢會心而默默地笑了AE?來。
“當你遇到留着那種絡腮鬍子的人，而他又不願泄露機密時，你總是可以用打賭的方式使他吐露真情，”他說，“我敢說，如果我剛纔在那個人面前放上一百鎊，那他就决不會象通過打賭的方式那樣嚮我提供那麽全面的情況。噢，華生，我真想不到我們已經接近了調查的尾聲。現在剩下唯一需要决定的是我們今天晚上就應該到這位奧剋肖特太太那裏去，還是應該等到明天再去。從那個粗魯傢夥的談吐中，可以清楚地知道，除了我們之外，還有其它人也急於知道此事，因此，我應該……”
他的話忽然被一片喧噪的吵鬧聲打斷了，聲音是從我們剛剛離開的那個貨攤那裏爆發出來的。我們回頭一看，衹見一個獐頭鼠目、身材矮小的人正站在門口吊燈的黃色光暈下。那個店主人布萊肯裏奇堵在他那貨攤的門口，嚮這個畏畏縮縮的人惡狠狠地揮舞着拳頭。
“你和你的鵝真叫我煩透了！"他喊着，“我希望你們都一AE?見鬼去吧！如果你再跑來用那些蠢話糾纏我，我就放狗咬你。你把奧剋肖特太太帶來，我會答復她的，但是這和你有什麽相幹？我的鵝是從你那裏買來的嗎？”
“不是，不過話雖如此，那裏面有一隻鵝是我的呀！"那個矮個子唉聲嘆氣地說。
“好吧，那你就去找奧剋肖特太太要去吧。”
“她讓我來問你要。”
“噢，那你可以去嚮普魯士國王要吧，這我管不着。我已經聽夠了，你給我滾開吧！"他惡狠狠地衝上前去，那個問話的人很快地就在黑暗裏消失了。
“哈哈，這就省得我們到布裏剋斯頓路去了。"福爾摩斯低聲對我說，“跟我來，我們要看看從這個傢夥身上能查出些什麽來，"我們穿過三五成群在燈火輝煌的店鋪四周閑逛的人叢，我的同伴搶前幾步趕上那個矮個子，拍了一下他的肩膀。那個人猛然轉過身來，我在氣燈下可以看見這個人面色泛白，毫無血氣。
“你是誰？你想幹什麽？"他顫聲問道。
“對不AE?，"福爾摩斯溫和地說，“我剛纔無意中聽見了你對那個商販提出的問題，我想我也許能夠幫你一點忙。”
“你？你是誰？你怎麽會知道這件事的。”
“我的名字是歇洛剋·福爾摩斯。知道別人不知道的事是我份內的事。”
“但是你對這件事能知道些什麽？”
“對不AE?，這件事我全知道了。你拚命想尋找那幾衹鵝。那幾衹鵝是布裏剋斯頓路的奧剋肖特太太賣給名叫布萊肯裏奇的那個商販的。通過他的手又轉到阿爾法酒店溫迪蓋特先生那裏。由他又轉到他的俱樂部，而亨利·貝剋先生是俱樂部的會員。”
“哎呀！先生，你正是我渴望要見的人，"這個身材矮小的人哆裏哆嗦地伸出雙手喊着，“我難以嚮你解釋我對這件事是何等地感興趣。”
*歇洛剋·福爾摩斯喊住一輛路過的四輪馬車。"既然是那樣，我們與其在這個颳着寒風的鬧市談話，還不如到一個舒舒服服的房間裏細細討論這個問題，”他說，“但是，在我們還沒出發之前，請把我有幸為之效勞的人的尊姓大名告訴我。”
*這個人猶豫了一會兒，眼睛嚮旁斜視了一下，回答說：“我的名字是約翰·魯賓遜。”
“不，不，我是問你的真名實姓，"福爾摩斯和藹地說道，"辦事情用化名總是很不方便的。”
*這位陌生人的蒼白的臉頓時漲得通紅。"好吧，那麽，"他說，“我的真名實姓是詹姆斯·賴德。”
“一點兒也不錯，‘世界旅館'的領班。請上馬車吧！我一會兒就能把你想要知道的一切告訴你。"這個小個子站在那裏，來回打量着我們，眼神半是耽心，半是希望。這正是一個處於吉兇未卜的境地，對自己的前途毫無把握的人的表情。隨後他上了馬車，在車上我們都緘默無語，一言不發，可是我們的新夥伴呼吸急促、微弱，兩手時而緊握，時而放鬆，透露了他內心的極度緊張。半小時以後，我們回到了貝剋街的AE?居室。
“我們到傢了！"我們魚貫走進屋子時，福爾摩斯愉快地說道。“在這種天氣裏這熊熊爐火是很令人愜意的。你似乎很冷，賴德先生。請你坐在這把藤椅上吧。在解决你這件小事之前，讓我先換上拖鞋。噢，現在好了，你是想知道那些鵝的情況吧？”
“是的，先生。”
“我想，或者更確切地說，你想知道的是那衹鵝的情況吧。我設想你最感興趣的是一隻白色的、尾巴上有一道黑的鵝。”賴德激動得顫抖了一下。"啊，先生！"他喊道，“您能告訴我這衹鵝的下落嗎？”
“它到我這裏來過了。”
“這裏？”
“是的，它確實是一隻最奇異不過的鵝。我並不奇怪你為什麽對這衹鵝那麽感興趣。這衹鵝死後下了一個蛋——世界上罕見的、最美麗、最明亮的藍色小蛋。我已經把它珍藏在我這兒的博物館裏了。”
*我們的客人搖搖晃晃地站了AE?來，右手抓住了壁爐架。福爾摩斯打開他的保險箱，高舉那顆藍寶石，那寶石光芒四射，象一顆燦爛的寒星。賴德拉長了臉，直瞪瞪地註視着寶石，不知道是認領好還是否認好。
“這出戲算演完了，賴德，"福爾摩斯平靜地說，“站穩些，賴德，不然你就跌到壁爐裏去了。扶他坐到他的椅子上去，華生。他還沒有足夠的膽量泰然自若地去幹罪惡的勾當。給他喝點白蘭地。好了，現在他看AE?來有點人樣了。真的，他是一個多麽瘦小的人哪！”
*俄而，他蹣跚地站AE?身來，但因站立不穩幾乎倒下，可是白蘭地給他兩頰帶來了一些血色，他又坐了下來，帶着恐懼的眼光盯着譴責他的人。
“我幾乎已經完全掌握這個案子的每一個環節和我可能需要的一切證據。所以沒有多少事情需要你告訴我的了。但是，為了地結束這件案子，我們也把那件小事弄清楚吧。賴德，你曾經聽說過莫卡伯爵夫人的藍寶石嗎？”
“是凱瑟琳·丘薩剋告訴我的。"他斷斷續續地說。
“哦，是伯爵夫人的侍女。唔，如此垂手可得的大筆橫財對你來說具有巨大的力，就如同它以前曾引誘過比你本領更大的人一樣；但是，你施展的伎倆卻不夠周密啊。在我看來，賴德，你這個人生性就是一個十分狡猾的惡棍。你知道管子工霍納這個人以前曾有過類似的盜竊行為，所以嫌疑會很容易地落在他身上。那麽你幹了些什麽呢？你們——你和你的同謀丘薩剋在伯爵夫人的房間裏搞了些小小的AE?局。你們設法把他叫進房間裏來，而在他走後，你撬開了首飾匣，緊接着又大叫發現了房間被盜，使這個不幸的人遭受逮捕。然後你……”
*賴德普通一下跪在地毯上，抓住我朋友的兩膝哀求說："看在上帝的面上，可憐可憐我吧，想想我的父親！想想我的母親！那會使他們心碎的。我從前從來沒幹過壞事！以後我再也不敢了，我可以AE?誓。我可以手按聖經AE?誓。噢，千萬別把這件事交到法庭！看在的份上，千萬別這樣做！”
“坐到你的椅子上去！"福爾摩斯厲聲說，“現在你倒知道磕頭求饒了，可是你沒有想想可憐的霍納卻因為他並不知情的罪名而被置於被告席上。”
“我逃走，福爾摩斯先生。我要離開這個國傢，先生。那麽，對他的控告也就會撤銷了。”
“哼！我們要談這個問題的。不過現在先讓我們聽聽這出戲第二幕的真實情況吧。你老實說，這顆寶石是怎樣到了鵝的肚子裏，而那衹鵝又是怎樣到市場上去的呢？把事實告訴我們，這是你能平安無事的唯一希望。”
*賴德用舌頭舔了舔他那幹裂的嘴唇。“我一定將實際情況告訴你，先生，”他說，“霍納被捕以後，對我來說似乎最好是攜帶寶石立即逃走，因為我不知道什麽時候也許就會想起搜查我和我的房間。可是旅館裏沒有一個安全的地方。我假裝受人差遣走出旅館，乘機到我姐姐傢跑了一趟。她和一個名叫奧剋肖特的人結了婚，住在布裏剋斯頓路。她在那裏以把鵝喂肥供應市場為職業。對我來說一路上碰到的每一個人都好象是或偵探。因此，儘管那天晚上十分寒冷，但在我到達布裏剋斯頓路之前，已經是汗流滿面了。我姐姐問我出了什麽事，又問我為什麽臉色這麽蒼白；但是我告訴她說我是被旅館發生的那一樁珍寶盜竊案弄得心煩意亂。緊接着我走進後院，抽着煙斗，盤算着怎樣做纔是萬全之計。
“我從前有過一個叫莫茲利的朋友，他曾經幹過壞事，剛在培恩頓威爾服刑期滿。有一天他碰到我並和我談AE?盜竊的門徑以及如何把贓物出手的方法。我相信他不致出賣我，因為我知道一兩件有關他的事，於是我打定主意去基爾伯恩他的住處找他，並嚮他吐露我的秘密。他一定會教我怎樣把寶石變換成錢。但是怎樣才能安全到達他那裏呢？我想AE?了我從旅館來的路上惶恐不安的心情。我也許隨時都會遭到逮捕和搜查，而寶石就在我背心的口袋裏。當時我正倚着墻看着一群鵝在我身邊搖搖擺擺地走來走去，我突然心生一計，我想此計一定能瞞過舉世無雙的偵探。
“幾個星期以前，我姐姐曾經告訴過我，我可以從她的鵝中挑選一隻，作為她送給我的聖誕節禮物。我素知姐姐說話是算數的。那麽，我不如現在就把鵝拿走，這樣我可以把寶石藏在鵝的肚子裏，帶到基爾伯恩去。我姐姐院子裏有一個小棚子，於是我從棚子後面趕出來一隻鵝——一隻大白鵝，尾巴上有一道黑邊。我抓住了它，撬開它的嘴，把寶石塞到它的喉嚨裏，一直塞到我的手指能夠達到的地方。鵝一口就把寶石吞咽下去，我摸到寶石已經順着它的食道到了它的嗉囊裏。那衹鵝拍打着翅膀極力掙紮着，這時候我姐姐聞聲走出屋來，問我發生了什麽事情。正當我轉身和她講話的剎那，那衹鵝卻從我的手裏猛地掙脫出來、拍打着翅膀竄回到鵝群裏去了。
“'傑姆，你抓那衹鵝幹什麽來着？'她問。
“'噢，'我說，‘你不是說過要給我一隻鵝作為聖誕節的禮物嗎？我在試摸哪一隻鵝最肥！'
“'噢，'她說，‘我們早已把準備送給你的鵝留在一邊了'我們給它AE?名叫做傑姆的鵝。就是在那頭的那一隻大白鵝。我一共養了二十六衹鵝，一隻是給你的，一隻留給我們自己吃，還有二十四衹是要賣到市場上去的。'
“'謝謝你，麥琪，'我說，‘但是如果對你來說都一樣的話，我還是願意要我剛纔抓到的那一隻。'
“'我們給你留的那一隻要比你剛纔抓的那衹整整重三磅。'她說：‘那是我們特意為你喂肥的。'
“'沒關係，我要我抓的那衹，我打算現在就把它帶走。'我說。
“'唉！那就隨你的便吧。'她有點生氣地說，‘那麽，你要的是哪一隻呢？'
“'那衹尾巴上有一道黑的白鵝，就在那群鵝裏面。'
“'噢，好吧，把它宰了，你就帶走吧。'
“就這樣，我照我姐姐說的做了，福爾摩斯先生。於是我帶着這衹鵝一路跑到基爾伯恩。我把我所做的一切都告訴了我的夥伴，因為他是一個可以將此類事情推心置腹地相告的人。他樂得喘不上氣來。我們持刀將鵝開了膛。我的心一下子涼了半截，因為嗉囊裏根本沒有藍寶石的蹤影，我知道一定發生了什麽很糟糕的差錯。我置鵝於不顧，急步奔嚮我姐姐傢裏，匆匆走進了後院，但是那裏已經一隻鵝也不見了。
“我喊道：‘麥琪，那些鵝都到哪裏去了？'
“'已經送到經銷店去了，傑姆。'
“'哪傢經銷店？'
“'考文特園的布萊肯裏奇。'
“'其中是否有一隻尾巴帶有黑道的鵝？和我挑選的那衹一樣的？'我問道。
“'有的，傑姆，一共有兩衹尾巴帶黑道的鵝，連我都分不清它們。'
“是啊，我當然明白是怎麽回事了。我竭盡全力飛快地跑到布萊肯裏奇店主那裏，可是他早就把所有的鵝都賣掉了，而且他一句話也不肯告訴我，鵝究竟賣到哪裏去了。他今天夜裏說的話你已經親自聽到了。他總是那樣回答我。我姐姐以為我要發瘋了，有時候我自己也覺得我是要發瘋了。而現在，我已經是一個打上了竊賊的烙印的人了，儘管我並沒有得到我為此出賣人格的財寶。願上帝寬恕我吧！願上帝寬恕我吧！”衹見他用雙手捂着臉抽搐着哭了AE?來。很長一段時間，房裏一片寂靜，衹能聽到他沉重的呼吸聲和歇洛剋·福爾摩斯用指尖有節奏地叩打桌沿的聲音。突然，我的朋友站了AE?來，猛地把門打開。
“滾出去！"他說。
“什麽，先生？！噢，願上帝保佑你！”
“別廢話了，滾吧！”
*也不需要多說什麽了。衹聽見樓梯上一陣"噔噔"的腳步聲，“嘭"的一聲關門聲，接着是從街上傳來的一陣清脆的跑步聲。
“畢竟，華生，"福爾摩斯一邊說着，一邊伸出手去拿那衹陶土製的煙斗，“我現在還沒有被局請去嚮他們提供他們所不知道的案情，如果霍納現在處於危險境地，那就是另外一回事了；但是這個傢夥是不可能再出頭露面控告他了，這個案件也就會不瞭瞭之。我想我在使一個重罪得以減輕，但也可能我是輓救了一個人。這個人將不會再做壞事了，他已經嚇得喪魂落魄了。要是把他送進監獄的話，你就會使他變成一個終身的罪犯。再說，現在正是大赦時節，我們何樂而不為呢。偶然的機會使我們碰上這個十分奇特的古怪問題。而這個問題的解决也就算是對它的報酬了。如果你願意按一按鈴，醫生，我們還可以開始另一案件的調查，其中主要的特點仍然是一隻傢禽。”
"You are engaged," said I; "perhaps I interrupt you."
"Not at all. I am glad to have a friend with whom I can discuss my results. The matter is a perfectly trivial one"--he jerked his thumb in the direction of the old hat--"but there are points in connection with it which are not entirely devoid of interest and even of instruction."
I seated myself in his armchair and warmed my hands before his crackling fire, for a sharp frost had set in, and the windows were thick with the ice crystals. "I suppose," I remarked, "that, homely as it looks, this thing has some deadly story linked on to it--that it is the clue which will guide you in the solution of some mystery and the punishment of some crime."
"No, no. No crime," said Sherlock Holmes, laughing. "Only one of those whimsical little incidents which will happen when you have four million human beings all jostling each other within the space of a few square miles. Amid the action and reaction of so dense a swarm of humanity, every possible combination of events may be expected to take place, and many a little problem will be presented which may be striking and bizarre without being criminal. We have already had experience of such."
"So much so," I remarked, "that of the last six cases which I have added to my notes, three have been entirely free of any legal crime."
"Precisely. You allude to my attempt to recover the Irene Adler papers, to the singular case of Miss Mary Sutherland, and to the adventure of the man with the twisted lip. Well, I have no doubt that this small matter will fall into the same innocent category. You know Peterson, the commissionaire?"
"Yes."
"It is to him that this trophy belongs."
"It is his hat."
"No, no, he found it. Its owner is unknown. I beg that you will look upon it not as a battered billycock but as an intellectual problem. And, first, as to how it came here. It arrived upon Christmas morning, in company with a good fat goose, which is, I have no doubt, roasting at this moment in front of Peterson's fire. The facts are these: about four o'clock on Christmas morning, Peterson, who, as you know, is a very honest fellow, was returning from some small jollification and was making his way homeward down Tottenham Court Road. In front of him he saw, in the gaslight, a tallish man, walking with a slight stagger, and carrying a white goose slung over his shoulder. As he reached the corner of Goodge Street, a row broke out between this stranger and a little knot of roughs. One of the latter knocked off the man's hat, on which he raised his stick to defend himself and, swinging it over his head, smashed the shop window behind him. Peterson had rushed forward to protect the stranger from his assailants; but the man, shocked at having broken the window, and seeing an official-looking person in uniform rushing towards him, dropped his goose, took to his heels, and vanished amid the labyrinth of small streets which lie at the back of Tottenham Court Road. The roughs had also fled at the appearance of Peterson, so that he was left in possession of the field of battle, and also of the spoils of victory in the shape of this battered hat and a most unimpeachable Christmas goose."
"Which surely he restored to their owner?"
"My dear fellow, there lies the problem. It is true that 'For Mrs. Henry Baker' was printed upon a small card which was tied to the bird's left leg, and it is also true that the initials 'H. B.' are legible upon the lining of this hat, but as there are some thousands of Bakers, and some hundreds of Henry Bakers in this city of ours, it is not easy to restore lost property to any one of them."
"What, then, did Peterson do?"
"He brought round both hat and goose to me on Christmas morning, knowing that even the smallest problems are of interest to me. The goose we retained until this morning, when there were signs that, in spite of the slight frost, it would be well that it should be eaten without unnecessary delay. Its finder has carried it off, therefore, to fulfil the ultimate destiny of a goose, while I continue to retain the hat of the unknown gentleman who lost his Christmas dinner."
"Did he not advertise?"
"No."
"Then, what clue could you have as to his identity?"
"Only as much as we can deduce."
"From his hat?"
"Precisely."
"But you are joking. What can you gather from this old battered felt?"
"Here is my lens. You know my methods. What can you gather yourself as to the individuality of the man who has worn this article?"
I took the tattered object in my hands and turned it over rather ruefully. It was a very ordinary black hat of the usual round shape, hard and much the worse for wear. The lining had been of red silk, but was a good deal discoloured. There was no maker's name; but, as Holmes had remarked, the initials "H. B." were scrawled upon one side. It was pierced in the brim for a hat-securer, but the elastic was missing. For the rest, it was cracked, exceedingly dusty, and spotted in several places, although there seemed to have been some attempt to hide the discoloured patches by smearing them with ink.
"I can see nothing," said I, handing it back to my friend.
"On the contrary, Watson, you can see everything. You fail, however, to reason from what you see. You are too timid in drawing your inferences."
"Then, pray tell me what it is that you can infer from this hat?"
He picked it up and gazed at it in the peculiar introspective fashion which was characteristic of him. "It is perhaps less suggestive than it might have been," he remarked, "and yet there are a few inferences which are very distinct, and a few others which represent at least a strong balance of probability. That the man was highly intellectual is of course obvious upon the face of it, and also that he was fairly well-to-do within the last three years, although he has now fallen upon evil days. He had foresight, but has less now than formerly, pointing to a moral retrogression, which, when taken with the decline of his fortunes, seems to indicate some evil influence, probably drink, at work upon him. This may account also for the obvious fact that his wife has ceased to love him."
"My dear Holmes!"
"He has, however, retained some degree of self-respect," he continued, disregarding my remonstrance. "He is a man who leads a sedentary life, goes out little, is out of training entirely, is middle-aged, has grizzled hair which he has had cut within the last few days, and which he anoints with lime-cream. These are the more patent facts which are to be deduced from his hat. Also, by the way, that it is extremely improbable that he has gas laid on in his house."
"You are certainly joking, Holmes."
"Not in the least. Is it possible that even now, when I give you these results, you are unable to see how they are attained?"
"I have no doubt that I am very stupid, but I must confess that I am unable to follow you. For example, how did you deduce that this man was intellectual?"
For answer Holmes clapped the hat upon his head. It came right over the forehead and settled upon the bridge of his nose. "It is a question of cubic capacity," said he; "a man with so large a brain must have something in it."
"The decline of his fortunes, then?"
"This hat is three years old. These flat brims curled at the edge came in then. It is a hat of the very best quality. Look at the band of ribbed silk and the excellent lining. If this man could afford to buy so expensive a hat three years ago, and has had no hat since, then he has assuredly gone down in the world."
"Well, that is clear enough, certainly. But how about the foresight and the moral retrogression?"
Sherlock Holmes laughed. "Here is the foresight," said he putting his finger upon the little disc and loop of the hat-securer. "They are never sold upon hats. If this man ordered one, it is a sign of a certain amount of foresight, since he went out of his way to take this precaution against the wind. But since we see that he has broken the elastic and has not troubled to replace it, it is obvious that he has less foresight now than formerly, which is a distinct proof of a weakening nature. On the other hand, he has endeavoured to conceal some of these stains upon the felt by daubing them with ink, which is a sign that he has not entirely lost his self-respect."
"Your reasoning is certainly plausible."
"The further points, that he is middle-aged, that his hair is grizzled, that it has been recently cut, and that he uses lime-cream, are all to be gathered from a close examination of the lower part of the lining. The lens discloses a large number of hair-ends, clean cut by the scissors of the barber. They all appear to be adhesive, and there is a distinct odour of lime-cream. This dust, you will observe, is not the gritty, grey dust of the street but the fluffy brown dust of the house, showing that it has been hung up indoors most of the time, while the marks of moisture upon the inside are proof positive that the wearer perspired very freely, and could therefore, hardly be in the best of training."
"But his wife--you said that she had ceased to love him."
"This hat has not been brushed for weeks. When I see you, my dear Watson, with a week's accumulation of dust upon your hat, and when your wife allows you to go out in such a state, I shall fear that you also have been unfortunate enough to lose your wife's affection."
"But he might be a bachelor."
"Nay, he was bringing home the goose as a peace-offering to his wife. Remember the card upon the bird's leg."
"You have an answer to everything. But how on earth do you deduce that the gas is not laid on in his house?"
"One tallow stain, or even two, might come by chance; but when I see no less than five, I think that there can be little doubt that the individual must be brought into frequent contact with burning tallow--walks upstairs at night probably with his hat in one hand and a guttering candle in the other. Anyhow, he never got tallow-stains from a gas-jet. Are you satisfied?"
"Well, it is very ingenious," said I, laughing; "but since, as you said just now, there has been no crime committed, and no harm done save the loss of a goose, all this seems to be rather a waste of energy."
Sherlock Holmes had opened his mouth to reply, when the door flew open, and Peterson, the commissionaire, rushed into the apartment with flushed cheeks and the face of a man who is dazed with astonishment.
"The goose, Mr. Holmes! The goose, sir!" he gasped.
"Eh? What of it, then? Has it returned to life and flapped off through the kitchen window?" Holmes twisted himself round upon the sofa to get a fairer view of the man's excited face.
"See here, sir! See what my wife found in its crop!" He held out his hand and displayed upon the centre of the palm a brilliantly scintillating blue stone, rather smaller than a bean in size, but of such purity and radiance that it twinkled like an electric point in the dark hollow of his hand.
Sherlock Holmes sat up with a whistle. "By Jove, Peterson!" said he, "this is treasure trove indeed. I suppose you know what you have got?"
"A diamond, sir? A precious stone. It cuts into glass as though it were putty."
"It's more than a precious stone. It is the precious stone."
"Not the Countess of Morcar's blue carbuncle!" I ejaculated.
"Precisely so. I ought to know its size and shape, seeing that I have read the advertisement about it in The Times every day lately. It is absolutely unique, and its value can only be conjectured, but the reward offered of 1000 pounds is certainly not within a twentieth part of the market price."
"A thousand pounds! Great Lord of mercy!" The commissionaire plumped down into a chair and stared from one to the other of us.
"That is the reward, and I have reason to know that there are sentimental considerations in the background which would induce the Countess to part with half her fortune if she could but recover the gem."
"It was lost, if I remember aright, at the Hotel Cosmopolitan," I remarked.
"Precisely so, on December 22nd, just five days ago. John Horner, a plumber, was accused of having abstracted it from the lady's jewel-case. The evidence against him was so strong that the case has been referred to the Assizes. I have some account of the matter here, I believe." He rummaged amid his newspapers, glancing over the dates, until at last he smoothed one out, doubled it over, and read the following paragraph:
"Hotel Cosmopolitan Jewel Robbery. John Horner, 26, plumber, was brought up upon the charge of having upon the 22nd inst., abstracted from the jewel-case of the Countess of Morcar the valuable gem known as the blue carbuncle. James Ryder, upper-attendant at the hotel, gave his evidence to the effect that he had shown Horner up to the dressing-room of the Countess of Morcar upon the day of the robbery in order that he might solder the second bar of the grate, which was loose. He had remained with Horner some little time, but had finally been called away. On returning, he found that Horner had disappeared, that the bureau had been forced open, and that the small morocco casket in which, as it afterwards transpired, the Countess was accustomed to keep her jewel, was lying empty upon the dressing-table. Ryder instantly gave the alarm, and Horner was arrested the same evening; but the stone could not be found either upon his person or in his rooms. Catherine Cusack, maid to the Countess, deposed to having heard Ryder's cry of dismay on discovering the robbery, and to having rushed into the room, where she found matters as described by the last witness. Inspector Bradstreet, B division, gave evidence as to the arrest of Horner, who struggled frantically, and protested his innocence in the strongest terms. Evidence of a previous conviction for robbery having been given against the prisoner, the magistrate refused to deal summarily with the offence, but referred it to the Assizes. Horner, who had shown signs of intense emotion during the proceedings, fainted away at the conclusion and was carried out of court."
"Hum! So much for the police-court," said Holmes thoughtfully, tossing aside the paper. "The question for us now to solve is the sequence of events leading from a rifled jewel-case at one end to the crop of a goose in Tottenham Court Road at the other. You see, Watson, our little deductions have suddenly assumed a much more important and less innocent aspect. Here is the stone; the stone came from the goose, and the goose came from Mr. Henry Baker, the gentleman with the bad hat and all the other characteristics with which I have bored you. So now we must set ourselves very seriously to finding this gentleman and ascertaining what part he has played in this little mystery. To do this, we must try the simplest means first, and these lie undoubtedly in an advertisement in all the evening papers. If this fail, I shall have recourse to other methods."
"What will you say?"
"Give me a pencil and that slip of paper. Now, then: 'Found at the corner of Goodge Street, a goose and a black felt hat. Mr. Henry Baker can have the same by applying at 6:30 this evening at 221B, Baker Street.' That is clear and concise."
"Very. But will he see it?"
"Well, he is sure to keep an eye on the papers, since, to a poor man, the loss was a heavy one. He was clearly so scared by his mischance in breaking the window and by the approach of Peterson that he thought of nothing but flight, but since then he must have bitterly regretted the impulse which caused him to drop his bird. Then, again, the introduction of his name will cause him to see it, for everyone who knows him will direct his attention to it. Here you are, Peterson, run down to the advertising agency and have this put in the evening papers."
"In which, sir?"
"Oh, in the Globe, Star, Pall Mall, St. James's, Evening News, Standard, Echo, and any others that occur to you."
"Very well, sir. And this stone?"
"Ah, yes, I shall keep the stone. Thank you. And, I say, Peterson, just buy a goose on your way back and leave it here with me, for we must have one to give to this gentleman in place of the one which your family is now devouring."
When the commissionaire had gone, Holmes took up the stone and held it against the light. "It's a bonny thing," said he. "Just see how it glints and sparkles. Of course it is a nucleus and focus of crime. Every good stone is. They are the devil's pet baits. In the larger and older jewels every facet may stand for a bloody deed. This stone is not yet twenty years old. It was found in the banks of the Amoy River in southern China and is remarkable in having every characteristic of the carbuncle, save that it is blue in shade instead of ruby red. In spite of its youth, it has already a sinister history. There have been two murders, a vitriol-throwing, a suicide, and several robberies brought about for the sake of this forty-grain weight of crystallised charcoal. Who would think that so pretty a toy would be a purveyor to the gallows and the prison? I'll lock it up in my strong box now and drop a line to the Countess to say that we have it."
"Do you think that this man Horner is innocent?"
"I cannot tell."
"Well, then, do you imagine that this other one, Henry Baker, had anything to do with the matter?"
"It is, I think, much more likely that Henry Baker is an absolutely innocent man, who had no idea that the bird which he was carrying was of considerably more value than if it were made of solid gold. That, however, I shall determine by a very simple test if we have an answer to our advertisement."
"And you can do nothing until then?"
"Nothing."
"In that case I shall continue my professional round. But I shall come back in the evening at the hour you have mentioned, for I should like to see the solution of so tangled a business."
"Very glad to see you. I dine at seven. There is a woodcock, I believe. By the way, in view of recent occurrences, perhaps I ought to ask Mrs. Hudson to examine its crop."
I had been delayed at a case, and it was a little after half-past six when I found myself in Baker Street once more. As I approached the house I saw a tall man in a Scotch bonnet with a coat which was buttoned up to his chin waiting outside in the bright semicircle which was thrown from the fanlight. Just as I arrived the door was opened, and we were shown up together to Holmes' room.
"Mr. Henry Baker, I believe," said he, rising from his armchair and greeting his visitor with the easy air of geniality which he could so readily assume. "Pray take this chair by the fire, Mr. Baker. It is a cold night, and I observe that your circulation is more adapted for summer than for winter. Ah, Watson, you have just come at the right time. Is that your hat, Mr. Baker?"
"Yes, sir, that is undoubtedly my hat."
He was a large man with rounded shoulders, a massive head, and a broad, intelligent face, sloping down to a pointed beard of grizzled brown. A touch of red in nose and cheeks, with a slight tremor of his extended hand, recalled Holmes' surmise as to his habits. His rusty black frock-coat was buttoned right up in front, with the collar turned up, and his lank wrists protruded from his sleeves without a sign of cuff or shirt. He spoke in a slow staccato fashion, choosing his words with care, and gave the impression generally of a man of learning and letters who had had ill-usage at the hands of fortune.
"We have retained these things for some days," said Holmes, "because we expected to see an advertisement from you giving your address. I am at a loss to know now why you did not advertise."
Our visitor gave a rather shamefaced laugh. "Shillings have not been so plentiful with me as they once were," he remarked. "I had no doubt that the gang of roughs who assaulted me had carried off both my hat and the bird. I did not care to spend more money in a hopeless attempt at recovering them."
"Very naturally. By the way, about the bird, we were compelled to eat it."
"To eat it!" Our visitor half rose from his chair in his excitement.
"Yes, it would have been of no use to anyone had we not done so. But I presume that this other goose upon the sideboard, which is about the same weight and perfectly fresh, will answer your purpose equally well?"
"Oh, certainly, certainly," answered Mr. Baker with a sigh of relief.
"Of course, we still have the feathers, legs, crop, and so on of your own bird, so if you wish--"
The man burst into a hearty laugh. "They might be useful to me as relics of my adventure," said he, "but beyond that I can hardly see what use the disjecta membra of my late acquaintance are going to be to me. No, sir, I think that, with your permission, I will confine my attentions to the excellent bird which I perceive upon the sideboard."
Sherlock Holmes glanced sharply across at me with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
"There is your hat, then, and there your bird," said he. "By the way, would it bore you to tell me where you got the other one from? I am somewhat of a fowl fancier, and I have seldom seen a better grown goose."
"Certainly, sir," said Baker, who had risen and tucked his newly gained property under his arm. "There are a few of us who frequent the Alpha Inn, near the Museum--we are to be found in the Museum itself during the day, you understand. This year our good host, Windigate by name, instituted a goose club, by which, on consideration of some few pence every week, we were each to receive a bird at Christmas. My pence were duly paid, and the rest is familiar to you. I am much indebted to you, sir, for a Scotch bonnet is fitted neither to my years nor my gravity." With a comical pomposity of manner he bowed solemnly to both of us and strode off upon his way.
"So much for Mr. Henry Baker," said Holmes when he had closed the door behind him. "It is quite certain that he knows nothing whatever about the matter. Are you hungry, Watson?"
"Not particularly."
"Then I suggest that we turn our dinner into a supper and follow up this clue while it is still hot."
"By all means."
It was a bitter night, so we drew on our ulsters and wrapped cravats about our throats. Outside, the stars were shining coldly in a cloudless sky, and the breath of the passers-by blew out into smoke like so many pistol shots. Our footfalls rang out crisply and loudly as we swung through the doctors' quarter, Wimpole Street, Harley Street, and so through Wigmore Street into Oxford Street. In a quarter of an hour we were in Bloomsbury at the Alpha Inn, which is a small public-house at the corner of one of the streets which runs down into Holborn. Holmes pushed open the door of the private bar and ordered two glasses of beer from the ruddy-faced, white-aproned landlord.
"Your beer should be excellent if it is as good as your geese," said he.
"My geese!" The man seemed surprised.
"Yes. I was speaking only half an hour ago to Mr. Henry Baker, who was a member of your goose club."
"Ah! yes, I see. But you see, sir, them's not our geese."
"Indeed! Whose, then?"
"Well, I got the two dozen from a salesman in Covent Garden."
"Indeed? I know some of them. Which was it?"
"Breckinridge is his name."
"Ah! I don't know him. Well, here's your good health landlord, and prosperity to your house. Good-night."
"Now for Mr. Breckinridge," he continued, buttoning up his coat as we came out into the frosty air. "Remember, Watson that though we have so homely a thing as a goose at one end of this chain, we have at the other a man who will certainly get seven years' penal servitude unless we can establish his innocence. It is possible that our inquiry may but confirm his guilt; but, in any case, we have a line of investigation which has been missed by the police, and which a singular chance has placed in our hands. Let us follow it out to the bitter end. Faces to the south, then, and quick march!"
We passed across Holborn, down Endell Street, and so through a zigzag of slums to Covent Garden Market. One of the largest stalls bore the name of Breckinridge upon it, and the proprietor a horsey-looking man, with a sharp face and trim side-whiskers was helping a boy to put up the shutters.
"Good-evening. It's a cold night," said Holmes.
The salesman nodded and shot a questioning glance at my companion.
"Sold out of geese, I see," continued Holmes, pointing at the bare slabs of marble.
"Let you have five hundred to-morrow morning."
"That's no good."
"Well, there are some on the stall with the gas-flare."
"Ah, but I was recommended to you."
"Who by?"
"The landlord of the Alpha."
"Oh, yes; I sent him a couple of dozen."
"Fine birds they were, too. Now where did you get them from?"
To my surprise the question provoked a burst of anger from the salesman.
"Now, then, mister," said he, with his head cocked and his arms akimbo, "what are you driving at? Let's have it straight, now."
"It is straight enough. I should like to know who sold you the geese which you supplied to the Alpha."
"Well then, I shan't tell you. So now!"
"Oh, it is a matter of no importance; but I don't know why you should be so warm over such a trifle."
"Warm! You'd be as warm, maybe, if you were as pestered as I am. When I pay good money for a good article there should be an end of the business; but it's 'Where are the geese?' and 'Who did you sell the geese to?' and 'What will you take for the geese?' One would think they were the only geese in the world, to hear the fuss that is made over them."
"Well, I have no connection with any other people who have been making inquiries," said Holmes carelessly. "If you won't tell us the bet is off, that is all. But I'm always ready to back my opinion on a matter of fowls, and I have a fiver on it that the bird I ate is country bred."
"Well, then, you've lost your fiver, for it's town bred," snapped the salesman.
"It's nothing of the kind."
"I say it is."
"I don't believe it."
"D'you think you know more about fowls than I, who have handled them ever since I was a nipper? I tell you, all those birds that went to the Alpha were town bred."
"You'll never persuade me to believe that."
"Will you bet, then?"
"It's merely taking your money, for I know that I am right. But I'll have a sovereign on with you, just to teach you not to be obstinate."
The salesman chuckled grimly. "Bring me the books, Bill," said he.
The small boy brought round a small thin volume and a great greasy-backed one, laying them out together beneath the hanging lamp.
"Now then, Mr. Cocksure," said the salesman, "I thought that I was out of geese, but before I finish you'll find that there is still one left in my shop. You see this little book?"
"Well?"
"That's the list of the folk from whom I buy. D'you see? Well, then, here on this page are the country folk, and the numbers after their names are where their accounts are in the big ledger. Now, then! You see this other page in red ink? Well, that is a list of my town suppliers. Now, look at that third name. Just read it out to me."
"Mrs. Oakshott, 117, Brixton Road--249," read Holmes.
"Quite so. Now turn that up in the ledger."
Holmes turned to the page indicated. "Here you are, 'Mrs. Oakshott, 117, Brixton Road, egg and poultry supplier.'"
"Now, then, what's the last entry?"
"'December 22nd. Twenty-four geese at 7s. 6d.'"
"Quite so. There you are. And underneath?"
"'Sold to Mr. Windigate of the Alpha, at 12s.'"
"What have you to say now?"
Sherlock Holmes looked deeply chagrined. He drew a sovereign from his pocket and threw it down upon the slab, turning away with the air of a man whose disgust is too deep for words. A few yards off he stopped under a lamp-post and laughed in the hearty, noiseless fashion which was peculiar to him.
"When you see a man with whiskers of that cut and the 'Pink 'un' protruding out of his pocket, you can always draw him by a bet," said he. "I daresay that if I had put 100 pounds down in front of him, that man would not have given me such complete information as was drawn from him by the idea that he was doing me on a wager. Well, Watson, we are, I fancy, nearing the end of our quest, and the only point which remains to be determined is whether we should go on to this Mrs. Oakshott to-night, or whether we should reserve it for to-morrow. It is clear from what that surly fellow said that there are others besides ourselves who are anxious about the matter, and I should--"
His remarks were suddenly cut short by a loud hubbub which broke out from the stall which we had just left. Turning round we saw a little rat-faced fellow standing in the centre of the circle of yellow light which was thrown by the swinging lamp, while Breckinridge, the salesman, framed in the door of his stall, was shaking his fists fiercely at the cringing figure.
"I've had enough of you and your geese," he shouted. "I wish you were all at the devil together. If you come pestering me any more with your silly talk I'll set the dog at you. You bring Mrs. Oakshott here and I'll answer her, but what have you to do with it? Did I buy the geese off you?"
"No; but one of them was mine all the same," whined the little man.
"Well, then, ask Mrs. Oakshott for it."
"She told me to ask you."
"Well, you can ask the King of Proosia, for all I care. I've had enough of it. Get out of this!" He rushed fiercely forward, and the inquirer flitted away into the darkness.
"Ha! this may save us a visit to Brixton Road," whispered Holmes. "Come with me, and we will see what is to be made of this fellow." Striding through the scattered knots of people who lounged round the flaring stalls, my companion speedily overtook the little man and touched him upon the shoulder. He sprang round, and I could see in the gas-light that every vestige of colour had been driven from his face.
"Who are you, then? What do you want?" he asked in a quavering voice.
"You will excuse me," said Holmes blandly, "but I could not help overhearing the questions which you put to the salesman just now. I think that I could be of assistance to you."
"You? Who are you? How could you know anything of the matter?"
"My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know."
"But you can know nothing of this?"
"Excuse me, I know everything of it. You are endeavouring to trace some geese which were sold by Mrs. Oakshott, of Brixton Road, to a salesman named Breckinridge, by him in turn to Mr. Windigate, of the Alpha, and by him to his club, of which Mr. Henry Baker is a member."
"Oh, sir, you are the very man whom I have longed to meet," cried the little fellow with outstretched hands and quivering fingers. "I can hardly explain to you how interested I am in this matter."
Sherlock Holmes hailed a four-wheeler which was passing. "In that case we had better discuss it in a cosy room rather than in this wind-swept market-place," said he. "But pray tell me, before we go farther, who it is that I have the pleasure of assisting."
The man hesitated for an instant. "My name is John Robinson," he answered with a sidelong glance.
"No, no; the real name," said Holmes sweetly. "It is always awkward doing business with an alias."
A flush sprang to the white cheeks of the stranger. "Well then," said he, "my real name is James Ryder."
"Precisely so. Head attendant at the Hotel Cosmopolitan. Pray step into the cab, and I shall soon be able to tell you everything which you would wish to know."
The little man stood glancing from one to the other of us with half-frightened, half-hopeful eyes, as one who is not sure whether he is on the verge of a windfall or of a catastrophe. Then he stepped into the cab, and in half an hour we were back in the sitting-room at Baker Street. Nothing had been said during our drive, but the high, thin breathing of our new companion, and the claspings and unclaspings of his hands, spoke of the nervous tension within him.
"Here we are!" said Holmes cheerily as we filed into the room. "The fire looks very seasonable in this weather. You look cold, Mr. Ryder. Pray take the basket-chair. I will just put on my slippers before we settle this little matter of yours. Now, then! You want to know what became of those geese?"
"Yes, sir."
"Or rather, I fancy, of that goose. It was one bird, I imagine in which you were interested--white, with a black bar across the tail."
Ryder quivered with emotion. "Oh, sir," he cried, "can you tell me where it went to?"
"It came here."
"Here?"
"Yes, and a most remarkable bird it proved. I don't wonder that you should take an interest in it. It laid an egg after it was dead--the bonniest, brightest little blue egg that ever was seen. I have it here in my museum."
Our visitor staggered to his feet and clutched the mantelpiece with his right hand. Holmes unlocked his strong-box and held up the blue carbuncle, which shone out like a star, with a cold, brilliant, many-pointed radiance. Ryder stood glaring with a drawn face, uncertain whether to claim or to disown it.
"The game's up, Ryder," said Holmes quietly. "Hold up, man, or you'll be into the fire! Give him an arm back into his chair, Watson. He's not got blood enough to go in for felony with impunity. Give him a dash of brandy. So! Now he looks a little more human. What a shrimp it is, to be sure!"
For a moment he had staggered and nearly fallen, but the brandy brought a tinge of colour into his cheeks, and he sat staring with frightened eyes at his accuser.
"I have almost every link in my hands, and all the proofs which I could possibly need, so there is little which you need tell me. Still, that little may as well be cleared up to make the case complete. You had heard, Ryder, of this blue stone of the Countess of Morcar's?"
"It was Catherine Cusack who told me of it," said he in a crackling voice.
"I see--her ladyship's waiting-maid. Well, the temptation of sudden wealth so easily acquired was too much for you, as it has been for better men before you; but you were not very scrupulous in the means you used. It seems to me, Ryder, that there is the making of a very pretty villain in you. You knew that this man Horner, the plumber, had been concerned in some such matter before, and that suspicion would rest the more readily upon him. What did you do, then? You made some small job in my lady's room--you and your confederate Cusack--and you managed that he should be the man sent for. Then, when he had left, you rifled the jewel-case, raised the alarm, and had this unfortunate man arrested. You then--"
Ryder threw himself down suddenly upon the rug and clutched at my companion's knees. "For God's sake, have mercy!" he shrieked. "Think of my father! Of my mother! It would break their hearts. I never went wrong before! I never will again. I swear it. I'll swear it on a Bible. Oh, don't bring it into court! For Christ's sake, don't!"
"Get back into your chair!" said Holmes sternly. "It is very well to cringe and crawl now, but you thought little enough of this poor Horner in the dock for a crime of which he knew nothing."
"I will fly, Mr. Holmes. I will leave the country, sir. Then the charge against him will break down."
"Hum! We will talk about that. And now let us hear a true account of the next act. How came the stone into the goose, and how came the goose into the open market? Tell us the truth, for there lies your only hope of safety."
Ryder passed his tongue over his parched lips. "I will tell you it just as it happened, sir," said he. "When Horner had been arrested, it seemed to me that it would be best for me to get away with the stone at once, for I did not know at what moment the police might not take it into their heads to search me and my room. There was no place about the hotel where it would be safe. I went out, as if on some commission, and I made for my sister's house. She had married a man named Oakshott, and lived in Brixton Road, where she fattened fowls for the market. All the way there every man I met seemed to me to be a policeman or a detective; and, for all that it was a cold night, the sweat was pouring down my face before I came to the Brixton Road. My sister asked me what was the matter, and why I was so pale; but I told her that I had been upset by the jewel robbery at the hotel. Then I went into the back yard and smoked a pipe and wondered what it would be best to do.
"I had a friend once called Maudsley, who went to the bad, and has just been serving his time in Pentonville. One day he had met me, and fell into talk about the ways of thieves, and how they could get rid of what they stole. I knew that he would be true to me, for I knew one or two things about him; so I made up my mind to go right on to Kilburn, where he lived, and take him into my confidence. He would show me how to turn the stone into money. But how to get to him in safety? I thought of the agonies I had gone through in coming from the hotel. I might at any moment be seized and searched, and there would be the stone in my waistcoat pocket. I was leaning against the wall at the time and looking at the geese which were waddling about round my feet, and suddenly an idea came into my head which showed me how I could beat the best detective that ever lived.
"My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word. I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn. There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds--a fine big one, white, with a barred tail. I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach. The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop. But the creature flapped and struggled, and out came my sister to know what was the matter. As I turned to speak to her the brute broke loose and fluttered off among the others.
"'Whatever were you doing with that bird, Jem?' says she.
"'Well,' said I, 'you said you'd give me one for Christmas, and I was feeling which was the fattest.'
"'Oh,' says she, 'we've set yours aside for you--Jem's bird, we call it. It's the big white one over yonder. There's twenty-six of them, which makes one for you, and one for us, and two dozen for the market.'
"'Thank you, Maggie,' says I; 'but if it is all the same to you, I'd rather have that one I was handling just now.'
"'The other is a good three pound heavier,' said she, 'and we fattened it expressly for you.'
"'Never mind. I'll have the other, and I'll take it now,' said I.
"'Oh, just as you like,' said she, a little huffed. 'Which is it you want, then?'
"'That white one with the barred tail, right in the middle of the flock.'
"'Oh, very well. Kill it and take it with you.'
"Well, I did what she said, Mr. Holmes, and I carried the bird all the way to Kilburn. I told my pal what I had done, for he was a man that it was easy to tell a thing like that to. He laughed until he choked, and we got a knife and opened the goose. My heart turned to water, for there was no sign of the stone, and I knew that some terrible mistake had occurred. I left the bird, rushed back to my sister's, and hurried into the back yard. There was not a bird to be seen there.
"'Where are they all, Maggie?' I cried.
"'Gone to the dealer's, Jem.'
"'Which dealer's?'
"'Breckinridge, of Covent Garden.'
"'But was there another with a barred tail?' I asked, 'the same as the one I chose?'
"'Yes, Jem; there were two barred-tailed ones, and I could never tell them apart.'
"Well, then, of course I saw it all, and I ran off as hard as my feet would carry me to this man Breckinridge; but he had sold the lot at once, and not one word would he tell me as to where they had gone. You heard him yourselves to-night. Well, he has always answered me like that. My sister thinks that I am going mad. Sometimes I think that I am myself. And now--and now I am myself a branded thief, without ever having touched the wealth for which I sold my character. God help me! God help me!" He burst into convulsive sobbing, with his face buried in his hands.
There was a long silence, broken only by his heavy breathing and by the measured tapping of Sherlock Holmes' finger-tips upon the edge of the table. Then my friend rose and threw open the door.
"Get out!" said he.
"What, sir! Oh, Heaven bless you!"
"No more words. Get out!"
And no more words were needed. There was a rush, a clatter upon the stairs, the bang of a door, and the crisp rattle of running footfalls from the street.
"After all, Watson," said Holmes, reaching up his hand for his clay pipe, "I am not retained by the police to supply their deficiencies. If Horner were in danger it would be another thing; but this fellow will not appear against him, and the case must collapse. I suppose that I am commuting a felony, but it is just possible that I am saving a soul. This fellow will not go wrong again; he is too terribly frightened. Send him to gaol now, and you make him a gaol-bird for life. Besides, it is the season of forgiveness. Chance has put in our way a most singular and whimsical problem, and its solution is its own reward. If you will have the goodness to touch the bell, Doctor, we will begin another investigation, in which, also a bird will be the chief feature."
“你正忙着呢，”我說，“也許我打攪你了。”
“沒有的話，我很高興有一位朋友來和我一AE?討論我研究所得的結果。這完全是一件毫無價值的東西。"說着，他竪AE?大拇指指了一下那頂帽子，“不過，同它有關聯的幾個問題卻不是索然無味的，甚至還能給我們一些教益。”
*我坐在他那張扶手椅上，就着木柴劈啪作響的爐火暖暖自己的雙手，因為嚴寒已經降臨，窗戶上的玻璃都結了晶瑩的冰凌。"我猜想，"我說道，“儘管這頂帽子很不雅觀，但它卻和某樁性命攸關的事故有所牽連，就是這條綫索能引導你解開某個疑團，並且指導你去懲罰某種犯罪行為。”
“不，不，並非犯罪行為，"歇洛剋·福爾摩斯笑着說，“這衹不過是許多離奇的小事中的一件罷了。在一塊僅有幾平方英裏的彈丸之地，擁擠不堪地住着四百萬人口，這類小事是少不了的。在如此稠密的人群爾虞我詐的爭逐中，各種錯綜復雜的事件都是可能發生的；有些疑難問題看AE?來很驚人和稀奇古怪，但並非就是犯罪行為。我們對於諸如此類的事件是早有經驗的了。”
“是的，甚至到了這樣的程度，”我說，“那就是我記錄上最近增添的六個案件中，倒有三個完全與法律上的犯罪行為無關。”
“確切地說，你指的是我找回艾琳·艾德勒相片的嘗試，瑪麗·薩瑟蘭小姐奇案和歪唇男人這幾個案件吧。我不懷疑這件小事也屬於法律上無罪的範疇。你認識看門人彼得森嗎？”
“認識。”
“這就是他的戰利品。”
“這是他的帽子？”
“不，不是。是他揀來的。帽主是誰尚未知曉。但請不要因為它衹不過是一頂破氈帽而等閑視之，而應當把它當作一個需要智力才能解决的疑難問題來看待。首先說說這頂帽子的來歷。它是連同一隻大肥鵝一AE?在聖誕節早晨送到這裏來的。我相信，此鵝現時正在彼得森的爐前燒烤。事情是這樣的：聖誕節破曉大約四點鐘的時候，彼得森，正如你所知道的，為人淳樸誠實，在某處參加了一個小小的歡宴之後正在歸傢途中，他是取道托特納姆法院路走回傢去的。在煤氣燈下，他看見一個身材頗高的人在他前面走着，步伐有些蹣跚，肩上背着一隻白鵝。當彼得森途經古治街拐角時，這個陌生人忽然和幾個流氓發生了一場爭吵。一個流氓把他的帽子打落在地，為此他掄AE?棍子進行自衛，他高舉棍子四處揮舞，一下子把身後商店的玻璃櫥窗打得粉碎。彼得森正想挺身而出，助這個陌生人一臂之力以對付這幫無賴，但那個陌生人正因打碎玻璃而感到驚慌，同時又瞧見一個身穿、狀如警官的人衝他而來，於是把鵝丟下，拔腿就跑，很快地消失在托特納姆法院路後面彎彎麯麯的小巷裏。那幫流氓看見彼得森正在趕來也逃之夭夭了。這樣，衹留下了彼得森在那裏，不僅占領了戰場，而且擄獲了這兩樣戰利品：一頂破舊的氈帽和一隻上等的聖誕大肥鵝。”
“他無疑是想把這些東西歸還原主的吧？”
“我親愛的夥伴，難題就出在這裏。的確，這衹鵝的左腿上係着一張寫着'獻給亨利·貝剋夫人'的小卡片，而且這頂帽子的襯裏也的確寫着姓名縮寫'H．B．'的字樣，但是，在我們這個城市裏，姓貝剋（Ｂａｋｅｒ）的人數以千計，而名叫亨利·貝剋（ＨｅｎｒｙＢａｋｅｒ）的人又何止數百，所以要在這許多人中間找到失主，把東西歸還給他，决不是一件容易的事。”
“那麽，後來彼得森怎麽辦呢？”
“因為他知道我對那些即使是最細小的問題也是很感興趣的，所以就在聖誕節早晨帶着帽子和鵝到我這裏來了。這衹鵝我們一直留到今天早晨。儘管天氣較冷，但有些跡象表明最好還是把它吃掉，沒有必要再拖延了。因此彼得森帶走它，去完成一隻鵝的最終命運，而我則繼續保留着這位失去了聖誕節佳饌的素未謀面的先生的帽子。”
“他沒有在報紙上刊登尋找失物的AE?事嗎？”
“沒有。”
“那麽，關於這個人的身份你有什麽綫索嗎？”
“衹有盡我們所能去推測。”
“從這頂帽子上？”
“對。”
“你真是會開玩笑，從這頂又破又舊的氈帽上你能推測出什麽來？”
“這是我的放大鏡，你素來知道我的方法。對於戴這頂帽子的那個人的個性，你能夠推測出什麽來嗎？”
*我把這頂破爛帽子拿在手裏，無可奈何地把它翻過來看看，這是一頂極其普通的圓形黑氈帽，硬邦邦的而且破舊得不堪再戴了。原來的紅色絲綢襯裏已經大大褪色，上面沒有製帽商的商標，但是正象福爾摩斯說過的，在帽子的一側，卻有潦草塗寫的姓名縮寫字母'H．B．'。為了防止被風颳跑，帽檐曾穿有小孔，但上面的鬆緊帶已經沒有了。至於其它情況，儘管似乎是為了掩蓋帽子上幾塊褪了色的補丁而用墨水把它們塗黑了，但還是到處開裂，布滿灰塵，有好幾個地方污點斑斑。
“我看不出什麽來。"我一面說着，一面把帽子遞還我的朋友。
“恰恰相反，華生，你什麽都能看出來，可是，你沒有從所看到的東西作出推論。你對作出推論太缺乏信心了。”
“那麽，請你告訴我你能夠從這頂帽子作出什麽推論呢？”
*他拿起帽子，並用他那獨特的、足以表示他的性格的思考方式凝視着它。“這頂帽子可能提供的引人聯想的東西也許要少一些，"他說道，“不過，還是有幾點推論是很明顯的，而其它幾點推論至少或然率是很大的。從帽子的外觀來看，很明顯這個人是個學問淵博的人，而且在過去三年裏，生活相當富裕，儘管他目前已處於窘境。他過去很有遠見，可是，已今非昔比，再加上傢道中落，因此，精神日趨頽廢，這仿佛說明了他受到某種有害的影響，也許染上了酗酒的惡習，恐怕這也是他AE?子已不再愛他這一明顯事實的原因。”
“哎呀，我親愛的福爾摩斯，好了！”
“可是不管怎麽樣，他還保持着一定程度的自尊，"他沒有理睬我的反對而繼續說下去。
“他這個人一嚮深居簡出，根本不鍛煉身體，是個中年人，頭髮灰白，而且是最近幾天剛剛理過的，頭髮上塗着檸檬膏，這些就是根據這頂帽子所推斷出來的比較明顯的事實。還有，順便再提一下，他傢裏是絶對不可能安有煤氣燈的。”
“你肯定是在開玩笑，福爾摩斯。”
“一點都不是開玩笑。難道現在當我把研究結果都告訴了你，你還看不出它們是怎樣得出來的嗎？”
“我並不懷疑我自己是很遲鈍的，但是我必須承認我不能領會你說的話。舉個例子說吧，你是怎樣推斷出這個人是很有學問的？”
*福爾摩斯啪的一下把帽子扣在頭上來作為回答。帽子正好把整個前額罩住，並且壓到了鼻梁上。"這是一個容積的問題，”他說，“有這麽大腦袋的人，頭腦裏必定有些東西吧！”
“那麽他傢道中落又是怎麽推斷出來的呢？”
“這頂帽子已買了三年，這種平沿、帽邊嚮上捲AE?的帽子當時是很時興的。它是一頂第一流的帽子。你瞧瞧這條羅紋絲綢箍帶兒和那華貴的襯裏。如果這個人三年前買得AE?這麽昂貴的帽子，而從那以後從沒有買別的帽子，那麽毫無疑問他是在走下坡路了。”
“噢，這一點當然很清楚了，但是說這個人有'遠見'，又說他'精神頽廢'這是怎麽回事呢？”
*歇洛剋·福爾摩斯笑了AE?來，“這就說明有遠見。"他一邊說着，一邊把手指放在釘鬆緊帶用的小圓盤和搭環上。"出售的帽子從來不附帶這些東西。這個人定做了這樣一頂帽子，正好說明此人品有遠見，因為他特意用這個方法來預防帽子被風颳跑。可是我們又看到他把鬆緊帶弄壞了，而又不願意費點事重新釘上一條，這清楚地說明他的遠見已不如從前了，同時這也是他意志日漸消沉的一個明顯證明。另一方面，他用墨水塗抹帽子上的污痕，拚命加以掩飾它的破舊，表明他還沒有完全喪失他的自尊心。”
“當然你的推論似乎是言之有理的。”
“此外還有幾點：他是個中年人，頭髮灰白，最近剛理過發，頭上抹過檸檬膏。這些都是通過對帽子襯裏下部的周密檢查推斷出來的。通過放大鏡看到了許多被理發師剪刀剪過的整齊的頭髮楂兒。頭髮楂兒都是粘在一AE?的，而且有一種檸檬膏的特殊氣味。而帽子上的這些塵土，你將會註意到，不是街道上夾雜砂粒的灰塵，而是房間裏那種棕色的絨狀塵土。這說明帽子大部分時間是挂在房間裏的，而另一方面襯裏的濕跡很清楚地證明戴帽子的人經常大量出汗，所以不可能是一個身體鍛煉得很好的人。”
“可是他的妻子——你剛纔說過她已經不再愛他了。”"這頂帽子已經有好幾個星期沒有撣撣刷刷了。我親愛的華生，如果我看到你的帽子堆積了個把星期的灰塵，而且你的妻子聽之任之，就讓你這個樣子去出訪，我恐怕你也已經很不幸地失去你的妻子的愛情了。”
“可是他可能是個單身漢哪！”
“不可能，因為那天晚上他正要把那衹鵝帶回傢去作為一件表示親善的禮物獻給他的妻子的。你可別忘了係在鵝腿上的那張卡片。”
“你對每個問題都做出瞭解答，可是你究竟是怎樣推斷出他傢裏沒有安煤氣燈的呢？”
“一滴燭油、或者甚至是兩滴燭油，那可能是偶然滴上的；可是當我看到至少有五滴燭油時，我認為毫無疑問每一滴燭油都一定是由於常和點燃着的蠟燭接觸而滴上的。比方說，夜裏上樓時很可能是一手拿着帽子，而另一隻手拿着淌着燭油的蠟燭。不管怎麽說，他决不可能從煤氣燈上沾上燭油。你現在相信了吧？”
“太好了，你的腦子真靈，"我笑着說，“但是既然象你剛纔所說的，這中間沒有犯罪行為，除了失去一隻鵝以外，並未造成任何危害，所有的一切看來都是浪費精力了。”
歇洛剋·福爾摩斯剛要張開嘴回答我，衹見房門猛地打開，看門人彼得森跑了進來，臉漲得通紅，帶着一種由於吃驚而感到茫然的神色。
“那衹鵝，福爾摩斯先生！那衹鵝，先生！"他喘着氣說。
“噢，它怎麽啦？莫非它又活了，拍打着翅膀從廚房的窗戶飛了出去？"為了把這個人的激動面孔看得更清楚一些，福爾摩斯在沙發上轉過身來。
“瞧，先生，你瞧我妻子從鵝的嗦囊裏發現了什麽！"他伸出手，在他手心上展現着一顆閃爍着奪目光輝的藍寶石。這顆藍寶石比黃豆稍微小一些，可是晶瑩潔淨、光彩閃閃，就象一道電光在他那黝黑的手心裏閃爍着。
*歇洛剋·福爾摩斯吹了一聲口哨，坐了AE?來。“天啊，彼得森！"他說道，“這確實是一件秘藏的珍寶啊！我想你知道你得到的是什麽。”
“一顆鑽石，先生，是不是？一顆寶石。用它切割玻璃就象切割油泥一樣。”
“這不是一顆平常的寶石，而恰恰是那顆名貴的寶石。”
“莫非是莫卡伯爵夫人的藍寶石嗎？"我喊了出來。
“一點都不錯！因為我最近每天都看《泰晤士報》有關這顆寶右的奇事，我應該知道它的大小和形狀的。這顆寶石絶對是獨一無二的珍寶。它的價值衹能約略估計。可是懸賞的報酬一千英鎊肯定還不到這顆藍寶石市價的二十分之一。”
“一千英鎊！我的老天爺呀！"看門人品通一下跌坐在椅子上，瞪大眼睛輪番看着我和福爾摩斯。
“那衹不過是賞格而已，而且我確實知道伯爵夫人由於暗中某些感情上的考慮，衹要能夠找回這顆寶石，她就是將財産分一半給人也會心甘情願的。”
“如果我沒有記錯的話，這顆寶石是在'世界旅館'丟失的。"我說道。
“的確如此，十二月二十二日，也就是五天以前。約翰·霍納，一個管子工，被人指控從伯爵夫人的首飾匣裏竊取了這顆寶石。因為他犯罪的證據確鑿，現在這一案件已提交法庭。我想這裏還有些關於這事件的記載。"他在那堆報紙裏翻弄着，眼睛掃視一張張報紙上的日期，最後把一張報紙攤平，疊了一折，然後念了下面的段落："'世界旅館'寶石偷竊案。約翰·霍納，二十六歲，管子工，因本月二十二日從莫卡伯爵夫人首飾匣中竊取一顆以'藍寶石'聞名的貴重寶石而被送交法院AE?訴。旅館侍者領班詹姆士·賴德，對此案的證詞如下：偷竊發生當天，他曾帶領約翰·霍納到樓上莫卡伯爵夫人的化妝室內焊接壁爐的第二根業已鬆動的爐柵。他和霍納一AE?稍逗片刻，旋即被召走。及至重新回到該處，發現霍納已經離去，而梳妝臺則已被人撬開，有摩洛哥小首飾匣一隻AE?置於梳妝臺上，裏面已經空空如也。嗣後人們纔知伯爵夫人習慣存放寶石於此匣內。賴德迅速報案，霍納於當晚被捕。但從霍納身上及其傢中均未搜得寶石。伯爵夫人的女僕凱瑟琳·丘薩剋宣誓證明曾聽到賴德發現寶石被竊時的驚呼，並且證明她跑進房間時目睹情況和上述證人所述相符。Ｂ區布雷茲特裏特巡官證明霍納被捕時曾經拚命抗拒，並且用最強烈措詞申辯自己乃是清白無辜的。鑒於以前有人證明他曾犯過類似盜竊案，地方法官拒絶草率從事，並已將此案提交巡回審判庭處理。霍納於審訊過程中表現得異常激動，在判决時竟至昏厥而被擡出法庭。
“哼！局和法庭所提供的情況也就這麽多了，"福爾摩斯若有所思地說着，順手把報紙扔到一邊。"我們現在要解决的問題是，把從被盜的首飾匣為AE?點到托特納姆法院路拾到的那衹鵝的嗦囊為終點的一係列事件按順序理清楚。你知道嗎？我們的小小推論已經很快地表現為嚴重性大為增加，而無罪的可能性大為減少這方面了。這就是那顆寶石，那顆寶石來自那衹鵝，那衹鵝來自亨利·貝剋先生。關於這位先生的破帽子以及所有其它的特徵的分析我已嚮你提供了。因此現在我們要認真地找到這位先生，並且弄清楚他在這小小的神秘事件中扮演的是什麽樣的角色。要做到這一點，我們開始必須使用最簡單的方法。這方法無庸置疑地是在所有晚報上刊登一則啓事。如果這種方法不成功，那麽我將不得不藉助於其它的方法了。”
“啓事說什麽呢？”
“給我一枝鉛筆和一張紙。好，下面就是我要說的：
*'茲於古治街拐角揀到鵝一隻和黑氈帽一頂。亨利·
*貝剋先生請於晚六點半到貝剋街２２１號乙詢問，即可領
*回原物。'這樣寫既簡單又明了。”
“對，很簡單，很清楚，可是他會看到這個啓事嗎？”
“當然會的，他肯定會註意看報的，因為對於一個窮人來說，這損失也算是慘重的了。他顯然由於打破玻璃闖了禍以及彼得森嚮他逼近，而驚慌失措，因此除了衹顧逃跑以外，沒有想到別的。可是，過後他一定是深感後悔莫及，痛惜一時的衝動而丟下了他的鵝。另外，報上刊登了他的名字一定會使他看報，因為每一個認識他的人都會提醒他去註意看報的。彼得森，這給你，趕快把它送到廣告公司，並且要刊登在今天的晚報上。”
“登在哪傢報紙上，先生？”
“噢，《環球報》、《星報》、《蓓爾美爾報》、《聖詹姆斯宮報》、《新聞晚報》、《回聲報》和你想到的隨便哪一傢報紙。”
“是的，先生，那麽這顆寶石怎麽辦呢？”
“噢，這顆寶石我先保存着，謝謝你，還有，彼得森，在你回來的路上買一隻鵝送到我這裏來，因為我必須給這位先生一隻鵝來代替你們全家人正在吃的那衹。”
*看門人走了以後，福爾摩斯拿AE?寶石對着光綫仔細鑒賞，"真是一顆美奐絶倫的寶石，”他說，“請看看它是何等地光彩照耀呀！當然，它又是罪惡的淵藪。每顆珍貴的寶石無不如此。它們是魔鬼最得意的誘餌。在更大的和更古老的寶石上，每一個刻面都象徵着一個血腥的罪行。這顆寶石問世以來還不到二十年，它是在華南廈門河岸上發現的。它的奇異之處在於：除了它是蔚藍色的而不是鮮紅色的這一點之外，它具有紅寶石的一切特點，儘管它流傳在世為時不長，可是已經有過一段不幸的歷史了。由於這顆重四十𠔌的結晶碳的緣故，已經發①生了兩AE?謀殺案，一AE?澆灑硝鏹水毀人容貌案，一AE?自殺案，
*①𠔌是英美最小的重量單位，等於６４．８毫剋，原為小麥𠔌粒的平均重量。——編者註另外還有幾AE?搶劫案。誰能想到如此美麗的小裝飾品竟是嚮絞刑架和監獄輸送罪犯的供應商呢？我要把它鎖在我的保險櫃裏，並寫一封短箋給伯爵夫人，說我們已經覓獲這顆寶石。”
“你認為霍納這個人是無罪的了？”
“我說不上來。”
“好，那麽你認為另外那個人亨利·貝剋和這件事有牽連了？”
“我想亨利·貝剋很可能是絶對清白無辜的。他决不會想到他手裏的鵝的價值比一隻金子鑄成的鵝的價值還要多得多。不管怎麽樣，如果我的啓事得到答復，我就能通過一個極其簡單的檢驗來測定這一點。”
“在此之前你無事可做了嗎？”
“沒有什麽可做的了。”
“既然是這樣，我將繼續處理我的日常業務，不過我今天晚上會在你剛纔說的時間回來，因為我很想看看如此復雜的事情是怎樣迎刃而解的。”
“我會很高興再見到你，我七點鐘吃晚飯，我相信會吃到一隻山鷸。順便提一下，考慮到最近出現的情況，也許我應該請赫德森夫人檢查一下那衹山鷸的嗉囊。”
*有一個患者耽誤了我一點時間，當我重新回到貝剋街的時候，已經過了六點半了。我走近寓所時，看見一個身材高大的男人，身穿一件帶蘇格蘭帽的上衣，上衣的紐扣一直扣到下巴底下。他正伫立在屋外一個從扇形窗裏照射出來的半圓形的燈光下。我到達門口的時候，門正好打開，我們一AE?被領進福爾摩斯的房間。
“我相信你就是亨利·貝剋先生。"他一邊說着一邊從扶手椅上站AE?身來，並且很快地擺出一副平易近人的和藹神態來歡迎客人。“請坐在靠近壁爐的這把椅子上，貝剋先生，今天晚上冷得很哪，我看得出你的血液循環夏天比鼕天強。啊，華生，你來的正是時候。這是你的帽子嗎，貝剋先生？”
“是的，先生，這的確是我的帽子。”
*他身軀魁偉，膀圓腰粗，頭顱很大，有一張寬闊、聰明的臉，和越往下越尖的已呈灰白色的棕色絡腮鬍須。鼻子和面頰略帶紅潤之色，手伸出來時微微顫抖，這些特徵使人想AE?了福爾摩斯對於他特徵的臆測。他的已褪色的黑禮服大衣前面全都扣上了，領子也竪了AE?來，在大衣袖子下面露出細長的手腕，手腕上並沒有袖口或襯衣的痕跡。他說話有些斷斷續續，措詞謹慎，總的說來他給人留下了一個時運不濟的文人學者的印象。
“這些東西在我們這兒保留好幾天了，"福爾摩斯說，“因為我們期待着從你的尋物啓事上看到你的地址。我不理解你為什麽不登報呢？”
*我們的客人難為情地笑了笑，“我已經阮囊羞澀不象過去那麽有錢了，"他說道。“我相信襲擊我的那幫流氓早把我的帽子和鵝都搶走了。因此試圖找回它們是毫無希望的，我不想為此再花錢了！”
“你說得很合乎情理，順便提一下，至於那衹鵝，我們不得已把它吃掉了。”
“吃掉了！"我們的客人激動得差一點站了AE?來。
“是的，如果我們不這麽做的話，那衹鵝對誰來說都將是不堪食用的了。但是，我認為餐櫃上那衹鵝的斤量和你的鵝不相上下，而且十分鮮嫩，這會同樣使你滿意的。”
“噢，那當然，那當然。"貝剋先生鬆了一口氣說。
“當然，我們還留着你自己那衹鵝的羽毛、腿、嗉囊等等。所以，如果你希望……”
這個人突然哈哈大笑AE?來。“這些東西作為我那次歷險的紀念品也許有點用處，”他說，“除此以外，我簡直看不出我的那衹鵝的零碎遺物對我有何裨益。不，先生，如果你許可的話，我想我關心的將僅限於我所看到的餐櫃上的那衹絶妙的鵝。”
*歇洛剋·福爾摩斯飛快地朝我看了一眼，略微聳了聳肩膀。
“那麽，這是你的帽子；還有，這是你的鵝，"他說道，“順便問一聲，你能否費心告訴我們你那衹鵝是從哪裏買來的？我對飼養傢禽頗感興趣，比你那衹長得更好的鵝，我還很少見過。”"當然可以，先生，"他站AE?身來並且把剛剛得到的財産夾在腋下說，“我們當中有些人經常出入博物館附近的阿爾法小酒店，因為我們白天都在博物館裏。你明白嗎？今年，我們的好店主，名叫溫迪蓋特，創辦了一個鵝俱樂部，因為考慮到每星期嚮俱樂部交納幾個便士，所以我們每個人在聖誕節都收到了俱樂部給的一隻鵝。我總是按時付錢。至於以後發生的事你已經都知道了。先生，因為戴一頂蘇格蘭帽既不適合我這樣的年齡，也不適合我的身份，而你使我受惠非淺，我謹嚮你深表謝意。"他帶着一種滑稽的自負神態嚮我們兩人嚴肅地鞠了一躬，然後邁開大步走出房間。
“亨利·貝剋先生的事情就到此結束。"福爾摩斯一邊說着，一邊隨手關上了門。"很明顯，他對此事是一無所知。你餓了嗎？華生？”
“不十分餓。”
“那麽我建議把我們的晚餐改為夜餐，我們應該順藤摸瓜，要趁熱打鐵。”
“好的，當然可以。”
*這是一個凜冽的寒夜，所以我們都身穿長大衣，脖子圍上了圍巾。屋外，群星燦爛，在萬裏無雲的黑夜裏閃爍着寒光，過往行人噴出的呵氣凝成冷霧，就象許多手槍在射擊一樣。我們的腳步發出了清脆而又響亮的聲音。我們大步穿過了醫師區、威姆波爾街、哈利街，然後又穿過了威格摩街到了牛津街，在一刻鐘內我們到達博物館區的阿爾法小酒店。這是一傢很小的酒店，坐落在通嚮霍爾伯恩的一條街的拐角處。福爾摩斯推開這傢私人酒店的門，從紅光滿面、係着白圍裙的老闆那裏要了兩杯啤酒。
“如果你的啤酒能象你的鵝一樣出色，那將是最上等的啤酒了。"他說道。
“我的鵝！"這個人好象很吃驚。
“是的，僅在半小時以前我剛和你們俱樂部的會員亨利·貝剋先生談過。”
“啊，我明白了。可是你知道嗎，先生，那些鵝不是我們的！”
“真的！那麽，是誰的呢？”
“噢，我從考文特園一個推銷員那裏買了二十四衹。”
“真的？我認識他們當中幾個人，是哪一個呢？”
“他的名字叫布萊肯裏奇。”"噢，我不認識他，好吧，老闆，祝你身體健康，生意興隆。再見。”
“現在去找布萊肯裏奇，"我們離開酒店走進寒冷的空氣中。他一邊扣着外衣，一邊繼續往下說，“記住，華生，雖然在這條鎖鏈的一端，我們現在衹找到象鵝這樣傢常的東西，但在另一端，我們卻會找到一個肯定將被判處七年徒刑的人，除非我們能夠證明他是無罪的；可是，很可能我們的調查也許衹能證明他有罪。無論如何，有一條被忽略了的調查綫索由於一種特別機緣落入我們的手中。讓我們順着這條綫索追查下去，直到水落石出為止。現在朝南快步前進！”
*我們穿過霍爾伯恩街，折入恩德爾街，接着又走過道路麯折的平民區來到了考文特園市場。在一些大貨攤中有一個貨攤的招牌上寫着布萊肯裏奇的名字。店主是個長臉的人，臉部瘦削，留着整齊的絡腮鬍子，這時候，他正在幫着一個小夥計收攤。
“晚安，多麽冷的夜晚哪！"福爾摩斯說。
*店主人點了點頭，用懷疑的眼光打量了一下我的同伴。
“看光景鵝都賣完了。"福爾摩斯手指着空蕩蕩的大理石櫃臺接着說。
“明天早晨，我可以賣給你五百衹鵝。”
“那沒有用。”
“好吧，煤氣燈亮着的那個貨攤上還有幾衹。”
“噢，可是我是人傢介紹到你這兒來的。”
“誰介紹的？”
“阿爾法酒店的老闆。”
“噢，是的；我給他送去了二十四衹。”
“那些鵝可真是不錯啊。那麽，你是從哪兒弄來的呢？”
*使我感到吃驚的是這個問題竟然惹得店主勃然大怒。
“那麽，好吧，先生，"他揚着頭，手叉着腰說，“你這是什麽意思？有什麽話咱們就直截了當地說個明白。”
“我已經夠直截了當的了，我很想知道你供應阿爾法酒店的那些鵝是誰賣給你的？”
“噢，是這麽一回事，我不想告訴你，就是這個樣！”
“噢，這是一件無關緊要的事，但是我不明白你為什麽會為這件小事而大動肝火？”
“大動肝火！如果你也象我那樣被人糾纏的話，也許你也會大動肝火的。我花大價錢買好貨，這不就完事了嗎。但是你卻要問：‘鵝在哪兒？''你們的鵝賣給誰了？'和'你們這些鵝要換些什麽東西啊？'人們在聽到對他們提出這些嘮嘮叨叨的問題時，也許會認為這些鵝在世界上是獨一無二的了。”
“噢，可是我和別的提這些問題的人毫無聯繫，"福爾摩斯漫不經心地說，“如果你不願意告訴我們，這個打賭就算吹了。我要說的就是這個話。但是我會永遠堅持我在傢禽問題上的看法。我在這個問題上下了五英鎊的賭註，我敢斷定我吃的那衹鵝是在農村喂大的。”
“嘿，你那五英鎊算是輸掉了，因為它是在城裏喂大的。”這位老闆說。
“不是這樣。”
“我說是這樣。”
“我不信。”
“你以為你對於傢禽的瞭解比我這個從當小夥計開始就同它們打交道的人還要內行嗎？我告訴你，那些送到阿爾法酒店的鵝全是在城裏喂大的。”
“你决不可能使我相信你的話。”
“那麽你願意打賭嗎？”
“這不過是要讓你輸錢罷了，因為我知道我是正確的。但是我還是願意拿出一個金鎊的硬幣和你打賭，僅僅是為了教訓你不要固執己見。”
*店主獰笑AE?來。"把帳簿給我拿來，比爾，"他說道。
*那個小男孩取來一個薄薄的小帳本和一個封面沾滿油膩的大帳本。把它們一AE?攤在吊燈下。
“喂，過於自信的先生，"店主人說道，“剛纔我以為我把鵝都賣光了，可是在我結束營業之前，你會發現我們店裏還剩下一隻鵝，你看見這個小帳本了嗎？”
“怎麽回事？”
“那就是賣鵝給我的人的名單，你明白了嗎？好！這一頁上的名字是鄉下人的，在他們名字後面的數目字是總帳的頁碼，他們的帳戶就記載在那一頁上。喂！你看見用紅墨水寫的另外一頁了嗎？這是一張賣鵝給我的城裏人的名單。好！看一下那第三個人的名字。把它念給我聽。”
“奧剋肖特太太，布裏剋斯頓路１１７號——２４９頁，"福爾摩斯念道。
“正是如此。現在再查看一下總帳吧！”
*福爾摩斯翻到了他所指的那一頁。"正是這裏，奧剋肖特太太，布裏剋斯頓路１１７號，雞蛋和傢禽供應商。”
“那麽最後記的一筆帳是什麽？”
“'十二月二十二日，二十四衹鵝，收價七先令六便士。'”
“對，是這樣，你看，那麽在這行下面呢？”
“'賣給阿爾法酒店溫迪蓋特，售價十二先令。'”
“你現在還有什麽可說的呢？”
*歇洛剋·福爾摩斯現出仿佛十分懊惱的樣子。他從口袋裏掏出一個金鎊的硬幣扔在大理石櫃臺上，帶着一種難以用語言形容、叫人莫測高深的厭惡神態走開了。走出幾步以後，他在一個路燈桿子下站住，以他特有的姿勢會心而默默地笑了AE?來。
“當你遇到留着那種絡腮鬍子的人，而他又不願泄露機密時，你總是可以用打賭的方式使他吐露真情，”他說，“我敢說，如果我剛纔在那個人面前放上一百鎊，那他就决不會象通過打賭的方式那樣嚮我提供那麽全面的情況。噢，華生，我真想不到我們已經接近了調查的尾聲。現在剩下唯一需要决定的是我們今天晚上就應該到這位奧剋肖特太太那裏去，還是應該等到明天再去。從那個粗魯傢夥的談吐中，可以清楚地知道，除了我們之外，還有其它人也急於知道此事，因此，我應該……”
他的話忽然被一片喧噪的吵鬧聲打斷了，聲音是從我們剛剛離開的那個貨攤那裏爆發出來的。我們回頭一看，衹見一個獐頭鼠目、身材矮小的人正站在門口吊燈的黃色光暈下。那個店主人布萊肯裏奇堵在他那貨攤的門口，嚮這個畏畏縮縮的人惡狠狠地揮舞着拳頭。
“你和你的鵝真叫我煩透了！"他喊着，“我希望你們都一AE?見鬼去吧！如果你再跑來用那些蠢話糾纏我，我就放狗咬你。你把奧剋肖特太太帶來，我會答復她的，但是這和你有什麽相幹？我的鵝是從你那裏買來的嗎？”
“不是，不過話雖如此，那裏面有一隻鵝是我的呀！"那個矮個子唉聲嘆氣地說。
“好吧，那你就去找奧剋肖特太太要去吧。”
“她讓我來問你要。”
“噢，那你可以去嚮普魯士國王要吧，這我管不着。我已經聽夠了，你給我滾開吧！"他惡狠狠地衝上前去，那個問話的人很快地就在黑暗裏消失了。
“哈哈，這就省得我們到布裏剋斯頓路去了。"福爾摩斯低聲對我說，“跟我來，我們要看看從這個傢夥身上能查出些什麽來，"我們穿過三五成群在燈火輝煌的店鋪四周閑逛的人叢，我的同伴搶前幾步趕上那個矮個子，拍了一下他的肩膀。那個人猛然轉過身來，我在氣燈下可以看見這個人面色泛白，毫無血氣。
“你是誰？你想幹什麽？"他顫聲問道。
“對不AE?，"福爾摩斯溫和地說，“我剛纔無意中聽見了你對那個商販提出的問題，我想我也許能夠幫你一點忙。”
“你？你是誰？你怎麽會知道這件事的。”
“我的名字是歇洛剋·福爾摩斯。知道別人不知道的事是我份內的事。”
“但是你對這件事能知道些什麽？”
“對不AE?，這件事我全知道了。你拚命想尋找那幾衹鵝。那幾衹鵝是布裏剋斯頓路的奧剋肖特太太賣給名叫布萊肯裏奇的那個商販的。通過他的手又轉到阿爾法酒店溫迪蓋特先生那裏。由他又轉到他的俱樂部，而亨利·貝剋先生是俱樂部的會員。”
“哎呀！先生，你正是我渴望要見的人，"這個身材矮小的人哆裏哆嗦地伸出雙手喊着，“我難以嚮你解釋我對這件事是何等地感興趣。”
*歇洛剋·福爾摩斯喊住一輛路過的四輪馬車。"既然是那樣，我們與其在這個颳着寒風的鬧市談話，還不如到一個舒舒服服的房間裏細細討論這個問題，”他說，“但是，在我們還沒出發之前，請把我有幸為之效勞的人的尊姓大名告訴我。”
*這個人猶豫了一會兒，眼睛嚮旁斜視了一下，回答說：“我的名字是約翰·魯賓遜。”
“不，不，我是問你的真名實姓，"福爾摩斯和藹地說道，"辦事情用化名總是很不方便的。”
*這位陌生人的蒼白的臉頓時漲得通紅。"好吧，那麽，"他說，“我的真名實姓是詹姆斯·賴德。”
“一點兒也不錯，‘世界旅館'的領班。請上馬車吧！我一會兒就能把你想要知道的一切告訴你。"這個小個子站在那裏，來回打量着我們，眼神半是耽心，半是希望。這正是一個處於吉兇未卜的境地，對自己的前途毫無把握的人的表情。隨後他上了馬車，在車上我們都緘默無語，一言不發，可是我們的新夥伴呼吸急促、微弱，兩手時而緊握，時而放鬆，透露了他內心的極度緊張。半小時以後，我們回到了貝剋街的AE?居室。
“我們到傢了！"我們魚貫走進屋子時，福爾摩斯愉快地說道。“在這種天氣裏這熊熊爐火是很令人愜意的。你似乎很冷，賴德先生。請你坐在這把藤椅上吧。在解决你這件小事之前，讓我先換上拖鞋。噢，現在好了，你是想知道那些鵝的情況吧？”
“是的，先生。”
“我想，或者更確切地說，你想知道的是那衹鵝的情況吧。我設想你最感興趣的是一隻白色的、尾巴上有一道黑的鵝。”賴德激動得顫抖了一下。"啊，先生！"他喊道，“您能告訴我這衹鵝的下落嗎？”
“它到我這裏來過了。”
“這裏？”
“是的，它確實是一隻最奇異不過的鵝。我並不奇怪你為什麽對這衹鵝那麽感興趣。這衹鵝死後下了一個蛋——世界上罕見的、最美麗、最明亮的藍色小蛋。我已經把它珍藏在我這兒的博物館裏了。”
*我們的客人搖搖晃晃地站了AE?來，右手抓住了壁爐架。福爾摩斯打開他的保險箱，高舉那顆藍寶石，那寶石光芒四射，象一顆燦爛的寒星。賴德拉長了臉，直瞪瞪地註視着寶石，不知道是認領好還是否認好。
“這出戲算演完了，賴德，"福爾摩斯平靜地說，“站穩些，賴德，不然你就跌到壁爐裏去了。扶他坐到他的椅子上去，華生。他還沒有足夠的膽量泰然自若地去幹罪惡的勾當。給他喝點白蘭地。好了，現在他看AE?來有點人樣了。真的，他是一個多麽瘦小的人哪！”
*俄而，他蹣跚地站AE?身來，但因站立不穩幾乎倒下，可是白蘭地給他兩頰帶來了一些血色，他又坐了下來，帶着恐懼的眼光盯着譴責他的人。
“我幾乎已經完全掌握這個案子的每一個環節和我可能需要的一切證據。所以沒有多少事情需要你告訴我的了。但是，為了地結束這件案子，我們也把那件小事弄清楚吧。賴德，你曾經聽說過莫卡伯爵夫人的藍寶石嗎？”
“是凱瑟琳·丘薩剋告訴我的。"他斷斷續續地說。
“哦，是伯爵夫人的侍女。唔，如此垂手可得的大筆橫財對你來說具有巨大的力，就如同它以前曾引誘過比你本領更大的人一樣；但是，你施展的伎倆卻不夠周密啊。在我看來，賴德，你這個人生性就是一個十分狡猾的惡棍。你知道管子工霍納這個人以前曾有過類似的盜竊行為，所以嫌疑會很容易地落在他身上。那麽你幹了些什麽呢？你們——你和你的同謀丘薩剋在伯爵夫人的房間裏搞了些小小的AE?局。你們設法把他叫進房間裏來，而在他走後，你撬開了首飾匣，緊接着又大叫發現了房間被盜，使這個不幸的人遭受逮捕。然後你……”
*賴德普通一下跪在地毯上，抓住我朋友的兩膝哀求說："看在上帝的面上，可憐可憐我吧，想想我的父親！想想我的母親！那會使他們心碎的。我從前從來沒幹過壞事！以後我再也不敢了，我可以AE?誓。我可以手按聖經AE?誓。噢，千萬別把這件事交到法庭！看在的份上，千萬別這樣做！”
“坐到你的椅子上去！"福爾摩斯厲聲說，“現在你倒知道磕頭求饒了，可是你沒有想想可憐的霍納卻因為他並不知情的罪名而被置於被告席上。”
“我逃走，福爾摩斯先生。我要離開這個國傢，先生。那麽，對他的控告也就會撤銷了。”
“哼！我們要談這個問題的。不過現在先讓我們聽聽這出戲第二幕的真實情況吧。你老實說，這顆寶石是怎樣到了鵝的肚子裏，而那衹鵝又是怎樣到市場上去的呢？把事實告訴我們，這是你能平安無事的唯一希望。”
*賴德用舌頭舔了舔他那幹裂的嘴唇。“我一定將實際情況告訴你，先生，”他說，“霍納被捕以後，對我來說似乎最好是攜帶寶石立即逃走，因為我不知道什麽時候也許就會想起搜查我和我的房間。可是旅館裏沒有一個安全的地方。我假裝受人差遣走出旅館，乘機到我姐姐傢跑了一趟。她和一個名叫奧剋肖特的人結了婚，住在布裏剋斯頓路。她在那裏以把鵝喂肥供應市場為職業。對我來說一路上碰到的每一個人都好象是或偵探。因此，儘管那天晚上十分寒冷，但在我到達布裏剋斯頓路之前，已經是汗流滿面了。我姐姐問我出了什麽事，又問我為什麽臉色這麽蒼白；但是我告訴她說我是被旅館發生的那一樁珍寶盜竊案弄得心煩意亂。緊接着我走進後院，抽着煙斗，盤算着怎樣做纔是萬全之計。
“我從前有過一個叫莫茲利的朋友，他曾經幹過壞事，剛在培恩頓威爾服刑期滿。有一天他碰到我並和我談AE?盜竊的門徑以及如何把贓物出手的方法。我相信他不致出賣我，因為我知道一兩件有關他的事，於是我打定主意去基爾伯恩他的住處找他，並嚮他吐露我的秘密。他一定會教我怎樣把寶石變換成錢。但是怎樣才能安全到達他那裏呢？我想AE?了我從旅館來的路上惶恐不安的心情。我也許隨時都會遭到逮捕和搜查，而寶石就在我背心的口袋裏。當時我正倚着墻看着一群鵝在我身邊搖搖擺擺地走來走去，我突然心生一計，我想此計一定能瞞過舉世無雙的偵探。
“幾個星期以前，我姐姐曾經告訴過我，我可以從她的鵝中挑選一隻，作為她送給我的聖誕節禮物。我素知姐姐說話是算數的。那麽，我不如現在就把鵝拿走，這樣我可以把寶石藏在鵝的肚子裏，帶到基爾伯恩去。我姐姐院子裏有一個小棚子，於是我從棚子後面趕出來一隻鵝——一隻大白鵝，尾巴上有一道黑邊。我抓住了它，撬開它的嘴，把寶石塞到它的喉嚨裏，一直塞到我的手指能夠達到的地方。鵝一口就把寶石吞咽下去，我摸到寶石已經順着它的食道到了它的嗉囊裏。那衹鵝拍打着翅膀極力掙紮着，這時候我姐姐聞聲走出屋來，問我發生了什麽事情。正當我轉身和她講話的剎那，那衹鵝卻從我的手裏猛地掙脫出來、拍打着翅膀竄回到鵝群裏去了。
“'傑姆，你抓那衹鵝幹什麽來着？'她問。
“'噢，'我說，‘你不是說過要給我一隻鵝作為聖誕節的禮物嗎？我在試摸哪一隻鵝最肥！'
“'噢，'她說，‘我們早已把準備送給你的鵝留在一邊了'我們給它AE?名叫做傑姆的鵝。就是在那頭的那一隻大白鵝。我一共養了二十六衹鵝，一隻是給你的，一隻留給我們自己吃，還有二十四衹是要賣到市場上去的。'
“'謝謝你，麥琪，'我說，‘但是如果對你來說都一樣的話，我還是願意要我剛纔抓到的那一隻。'
“'我們給你留的那一隻要比你剛纔抓的那衹整整重三磅。'她說：‘那是我們特意為你喂肥的。'
“'沒關係，我要我抓的那衹，我打算現在就把它帶走。'我說。
“'唉！那就隨你的便吧。'她有點生氣地說，‘那麽，你要的是哪一隻呢？'
“'那衹尾巴上有一道黑的白鵝，就在那群鵝裏面。'
“'噢，好吧，把它宰了，你就帶走吧。'
“就這樣，我照我姐姐說的做了，福爾摩斯先生。於是我帶着這衹鵝一路跑到基爾伯恩。我把我所做的一切都告訴了我的夥伴，因為他是一個可以將此類事情推心置腹地相告的人。他樂得喘不上氣來。我們持刀將鵝開了膛。我的心一下子涼了半截，因為嗉囊裏根本沒有藍寶石的蹤影，我知道一定發生了什麽很糟糕的差錯。我置鵝於不顧，急步奔嚮我姐姐傢裏，匆匆走進了後院，但是那裏已經一隻鵝也不見了。
“我喊道：‘麥琪，那些鵝都到哪裏去了？'
“'已經送到經銷店去了，傑姆。'
“'哪傢經銷店？'
“'考文特園的布萊肯裏奇。'
“'其中是否有一隻尾巴帶有黑道的鵝？和我挑選的那衹一樣的？'我問道。
“'有的，傑姆，一共有兩衹尾巴帶黑道的鵝，連我都分不清它們。'
“是啊，我當然明白是怎麽回事了。我竭盡全力飛快地跑到布萊肯裏奇店主那裏，可是他早就把所有的鵝都賣掉了，而且他一句話也不肯告訴我，鵝究竟賣到哪裏去了。他今天夜裏說的話你已經親自聽到了。他總是那樣回答我。我姐姐以為我要發瘋了，有時候我自己也覺得我是要發瘋了。而現在，我已經是一個打上了竊賊的烙印的人了，儘管我並沒有得到我為此出賣人格的財寶。願上帝寬恕我吧！願上帝寬恕我吧！”衹見他用雙手捂着臉抽搐着哭了AE?來。很長一段時間，房裏一片寂靜，衹能聽到他沉重的呼吸聲和歇洛剋·福爾摩斯用指尖有節奏地叩打桌沿的聲音。突然，我的朋友站了AE?來，猛地把門打開。
“滾出去！"他說。
“什麽，先生？！噢，願上帝保佑你！”
“別廢話了，滾吧！”
*也不需要多說什麽了。衹聽見樓梯上一陣"噔噔"的腳步聲，“嘭"的一聲關門聲，接着是從街上傳來的一陣清脆的跑步聲。
“畢竟，華生，"福爾摩斯一邊說着，一邊伸出手去拿那衹陶土製的煙斗，“我現在還沒有被局請去嚮他們提供他們所不知道的案情，如果霍納現在處於危險境地，那就是另外一回事了；但是這個傢夥是不可能再出頭露面控告他了，這個案件也就會不瞭瞭之。我想我在使一個重罪得以減輕，但也可能我是輓救了一個人。這個人將不會再做壞事了，他已經嚇得喪魂落魄了。要是把他送進監獄的話，你就會使他變成一個終身的罪犯。再說，現在正是大赦時節，我們何樂而不為呢。偶然的機會使我們碰上這個十分奇特的古怪問題。而這個問題的解决也就算是對它的報酬了。如果你願意按一按鈴，醫生，我們還可以開始另一案件的調查，其中主要的特點仍然是一隻傢禽。”
"You are engaged," said I; "perhaps I interrupt you."
"Not at all. I am glad to have a friend with whom I can discuss my results. The matter is a perfectly trivial one"--he jerked his thumb in the direction of the old hat--"but there are points in connection with it which are not entirely devoid of interest and even of instruction."
I seated myself in his armchair and warmed my hands before his crackling fire, for a sharp frost had set in, and the windows were thick with the ice crystals. "I suppose," I remarked, "that, homely as it looks, this thing has some deadly story linked on to it--that it is the clue which will guide you in the solution of some mystery and the punishment of some crime."
"No, no. No crime," said Sherlock Holmes, laughing. "Only one of those whimsical little incidents which will happen when you have four million human beings all jostling each other within the space of a few square miles. Amid the action and reaction of so dense a swarm of humanity, every possible combination of events may be expected to take place, and many a little problem will be presented which may be striking and bizarre without being criminal. We have already had experience of such."
"So much so," I remarked, "that of the last six cases which I have added to my notes, three have been entirely free of any legal crime."
"Precisely. You allude to my attempt to recover the Irene Adler papers, to the singular case of Miss Mary Sutherland, and to the adventure of the man with the twisted lip. Well, I have no doubt that this small matter will fall into the same innocent category. You know Peterson, the commissionaire?"
"Yes."
"It is to him that this trophy belongs."
"It is his hat."
"No, no, he found it. Its owner is unknown. I beg that you will look upon it not as a battered billycock but as an intellectual problem. And, first, as to how it came here. It arrived upon Christmas morning, in company with a good fat goose, which is, I have no doubt, roasting at this moment in front of Peterson's fire. The facts are these: about four o'clock on Christmas morning, Peterson, who, as you know, is a very honest fellow, was returning from some small jollification and was making his way homeward down Tottenham Court Road. In front of him he saw, in the gaslight, a tallish man, walking with a slight stagger, and carrying a white goose slung over his shoulder. As he reached the corner of Goodge Street, a row broke out between this stranger and a little knot of roughs. One of the latter knocked off the man's hat, on which he raised his stick to defend himself and, swinging it over his head, smashed the shop window behind him. Peterson had rushed forward to protect the stranger from his assailants; but the man, shocked at having broken the window, and seeing an official-looking person in uniform rushing towards him, dropped his goose, took to his heels, and vanished amid the labyrinth of small streets which lie at the back of Tottenham Court Road. The roughs had also fled at the appearance of Peterson, so that he was left in possession of the field of battle, and also of the spoils of victory in the shape of this battered hat and a most unimpeachable Christmas goose."
"Which surely he restored to their owner?"
"My dear fellow, there lies the problem. It is true that 'For Mrs. Henry Baker' was printed upon a small card which was tied to the bird's left leg, and it is also true that the initials 'H. B.' are legible upon the lining of this hat, but as there are some thousands of Bakers, and some hundreds of Henry Bakers in this city of ours, it is not easy to restore lost property to any one of them."
"What, then, did Peterson do?"
"He brought round both hat and goose to me on Christmas morning, knowing that even the smallest problems are of interest to me. The goose we retained until this morning, when there were signs that, in spite of the slight frost, it would be well that it should be eaten without unnecessary delay. Its finder has carried it off, therefore, to fulfil the ultimate destiny of a goose, while I continue to retain the hat of the unknown gentleman who lost his Christmas dinner."
"Did he not advertise?"
"No."
"Then, what clue could you have as to his identity?"
"Only as much as we can deduce."
"From his hat?"
"Precisely."
"But you are joking. What can you gather from this old battered felt?"
"Here is my lens. You know my methods. What can you gather yourself as to the individuality of the man who has worn this article?"
I took the tattered object in my hands and turned it over rather ruefully. It was a very ordinary black hat of the usual round shape, hard and much the worse for wear. The lining had been of red silk, but was a good deal discoloured. There was no maker's name; but, as Holmes had remarked, the initials "H. B." were scrawled upon one side. It was pierced in the brim for a hat-securer, but the elastic was missing. For the rest, it was cracked, exceedingly dusty, and spotted in several places, although there seemed to have been some attempt to hide the discoloured patches by smearing them with ink.
"I can see nothing," said I, handing it back to my friend.
"On the contrary, Watson, you can see everything. You fail, however, to reason from what you see. You are too timid in drawing your inferences."
"Then, pray tell me what it is that you can infer from this hat?"
He picked it up and gazed at it in the peculiar introspective fashion which was characteristic of him. "It is perhaps less suggestive than it might have been," he remarked, "and yet there are a few inferences which are very distinct, and a few others which represent at least a strong balance of probability. That the man was highly intellectual is of course obvious upon the face of it, and also that he was fairly well-to-do within the last three years, although he has now fallen upon evil days. He had foresight, but has less now than formerly, pointing to a moral retrogression, which, when taken with the decline of his fortunes, seems to indicate some evil influence, probably drink, at work upon him. This may account also for the obvious fact that his wife has ceased to love him."
"My dear Holmes!"
"He has, however, retained some degree of self-respect," he continued, disregarding my remonstrance. "He is a man who leads a sedentary life, goes out little, is out of training entirely, is middle-aged, has grizzled hair which he has had cut within the last few days, and which he anoints with lime-cream. These are the more patent facts which are to be deduced from his hat. Also, by the way, that it is extremely improbable that he has gas laid on in his house."
"You are certainly joking, Holmes."
"Not in the least. Is it possible that even now, when I give you these results, you are unable to see how they are attained?"
"I have no doubt that I am very stupid, but I must confess that I am unable to follow you. For example, how did you deduce that this man was intellectual?"
For answer Holmes clapped the hat upon his head. It came right over the forehead and settled upon the bridge of his nose. "It is a question of cubic capacity," said he; "a man with so large a brain must have something in it."
"The decline of his fortunes, then?"
"This hat is three years old. These flat brims curled at the edge came in then. It is a hat of the very best quality. Look at the band of ribbed silk and the excellent lining. If this man could afford to buy so expensive a hat three years ago, and has had no hat since, then he has assuredly gone down in the world."
"Well, that is clear enough, certainly. But how about the foresight and the moral retrogression?"
Sherlock Holmes laughed. "Here is the foresight," said he putting his finger upon the little disc and loop of the hat-securer. "They are never sold upon hats. If this man ordered one, it is a sign of a certain amount of foresight, since he went out of his way to take this precaution against the wind. But since we see that he has broken the elastic and has not troubled to replace it, it is obvious that he has less foresight now than formerly, which is a distinct proof of a weakening nature. On the other hand, he has endeavoured to conceal some of these stains upon the felt by daubing them with ink, which is a sign that he has not entirely lost his self-respect."
"Your reasoning is certainly plausible."
"The further points, that he is middle-aged, that his hair is grizzled, that it has been recently cut, and that he uses lime-cream, are all to be gathered from a close examination of the lower part of the lining. The lens discloses a large number of hair-ends, clean cut by the scissors of the barber. They all appear to be adhesive, and there is a distinct odour of lime-cream. This dust, you will observe, is not the gritty, grey dust of the street but the fluffy brown dust of the house, showing that it has been hung up indoors most of the time, while the marks of moisture upon the inside are proof positive that the wearer perspired very freely, and could therefore, hardly be in the best of training."
"But his wife--you said that she had ceased to love him."
"This hat has not been brushed for weeks. When I see you, my dear Watson, with a week's accumulation of dust upon your hat, and when your wife allows you to go out in such a state, I shall fear that you also have been unfortunate enough to lose your wife's affection."
"But he might be a bachelor."
"Nay, he was bringing home the goose as a peace-offering to his wife. Remember the card upon the bird's leg."
"You have an answer to everything. But how on earth do you deduce that the gas is not laid on in his house?"
"One tallow stain, or even two, might come by chance; but when I see no less than five, I think that there can be little doubt that the individual must be brought into frequent contact with burning tallow--walks upstairs at night probably with his hat in one hand and a guttering candle in the other. Anyhow, he never got tallow-stains from a gas-jet. Are you satisfied?"
"Well, it is very ingenious," said I, laughing; "but since, as you said just now, there has been no crime committed, and no harm done save the loss of a goose, all this seems to be rather a waste of energy."
Sherlock Holmes had opened his mouth to reply, when the door flew open, and Peterson, the commissionaire, rushed into the apartment with flushed cheeks and the face of a man who is dazed with astonishment.
"The goose, Mr. Holmes! The goose, sir!" he gasped.
"Eh? What of it, then? Has it returned to life and flapped off through the kitchen window?" Holmes twisted himself round upon the sofa to get a fairer view of the man's excited face.
"See here, sir! See what my wife found in its crop!" He held out his hand and displayed upon the centre of the palm a brilliantly scintillating blue stone, rather smaller than a bean in size, but of such purity and radiance that it twinkled like an electric point in the dark hollow of his hand.
Sherlock Holmes sat up with a whistle. "By Jove, Peterson!" said he, "this is treasure trove indeed. I suppose you know what you have got?"
"A diamond, sir? A precious stone. It cuts into glass as though it were putty."
"It's more than a precious stone. It is the precious stone."
"Not the Countess of Morcar's blue carbuncle!" I ejaculated.
"Precisely so. I ought to know its size and shape, seeing that I have read the advertisement about it in The Times every day lately. It is absolutely unique, and its value can only be conjectured, but the reward offered of 1000 pounds is certainly not within a twentieth part of the market price."
"A thousand pounds! Great Lord of mercy!" The commissionaire plumped down into a chair and stared from one to the other of us.
"That is the reward, and I have reason to know that there are sentimental considerations in the background which would induce the Countess to part with half her fortune if she could but recover the gem."
"It was lost, if I remember aright, at the Hotel Cosmopolitan," I remarked.
"Precisely so, on December 22nd, just five days ago. John Horner, a plumber, was accused of having abstracted it from the lady's jewel-case. The evidence against him was so strong that the case has been referred to the Assizes. I have some account of the matter here, I believe." He rummaged amid his newspapers, glancing over the dates, until at last he smoothed one out, doubled it over, and read the following paragraph:
"Hotel Cosmopolitan Jewel Robbery. John Horner, 26, plumber, was brought up upon the charge of having upon the 22nd inst., abstracted from the jewel-case of the Countess of Morcar the valuable gem known as the blue carbuncle. James Ryder, upper-attendant at the hotel, gave his evidence to the effect that he had shown Horner up to the dressing-room of the Countess of Morcar upon the day of the robbery in order that he might solder the second bar of the grate, which was loose. He had remained with Horner some little time, but had finally been called away. On returning, he found that Horner had disappeared, that the bureau had been forced open, and that the small morocco casket in which, as it afterwards transpired, the Countess was accustomed to keep her jewel, was lying empty upon the dressing-table. Ryder instantly gave the alarm, and Horner was arrested the same evening; but the stone could not be found either upon his person or in his rooms. Catherine Cusack, maid to the Countess, deposed to having heard Ryder's cry of dismay on discovering the robbery, and to having rushed into the room, where she found matters as described by the last witness. Inspector Bradstreet, B division, gave evidence as to the arrest of Horner, who struggled frantically, and protested his innocence in the strongest terms. Evidence of a previous conviction for robbery having been given against the prisoner, the magistrate refused to deal summarily with the offence, but referred it to the Assizes. Horner, who had shown signs of intense emotion during the proceedings, fainted away at the conclusion and was carried out of court."
"Hum! So much for the police-court," said Holmes thoughtfully, tossing aside the paper. "The question for us now to solve is the sequence of events leading from a rifled jewel-case at one end to the crop of a goose in Tottenham Court Road at the other. You see, Watson, our little deductions have suddenly assumed a much more important and less innocent aspect. Here is the stone; the stone came from the goose, and the goose came from Mr. Henry Baker, the gentleman with the bad hat and all the other characteristics with which I have bored you. So now we must set ourselves very seriously to finding this gentleman and ascertaining what part he has played in this little mystery. To do this, we must try the simplest means first, and these lie undoubtedly in an advertisement in all the evening papers. If this fail, I shall have recourse to other methods."
"What will you say?"
"Give me a pencil and that slip of paper. Now, then: 'Found at the corner of Goodge Street, a goose and a black felt hat. Mr. Henry Baker can have the same by applying at 6:30 this evening at 221B, Baker Street.' That is clear and concise."
"Very. But will he see it?"
"Well, he is sure to keep an eye on the papers, since, to a poor man, the loss was a heavy one. He was clearly so scared by his mischance in breaking the window and by the approach of Peterson that he thought of nothing but flight, but since then he must have bitterly regretted the impulse which caused him to drop his bird. Then, again, the introduction of his name will cause him to see it, for everyone who knows him will direct his attention to it. Here you are, Peterson, run down to the advertising agency and have this put in the evening papers."
"In which, sir?"
"Oh, in the Globe, Star, Pall Mall, St. James's, Evening News, Standard, Echo, and any others that occur to you."
"Very well, sir. And this stone?"
"Ah, yes, I shall keep the stone. Thank you. And, I say, Peterson, just buy a goose on your way back and leave it here with me, for we must have one to give to this gentleman in place of the one which your family is now devouring."
When the commissionaire had gone, Holmes took up the stone and held it against the light. "It's a bonny thing," said he. "Just see how it glints and sparkles. Of course it is a nucleus and focus of crime. Every good stone is. They are the devil's pet baits. In the larger and older jewels every facet may stand for a bloody deed. This stone is not yet twenty years old. It was found in the banks of the Amoy River in southern China and is remarkable in having every characteristic of the carbuncle, save that it is blue in shade instead of ruby red. In spite of its youth, it has already a sinister history. There have been two murders, a vitriol-throwing, a suicide, and several robberies brought about for the sake of this forty-grain weight of crystallised charcoal. Who would think that so pretty a toy would be a purveyor to the gallows and the prison? I'll lock it up in my strong box now and drop a line to the Countess to say that we have it."
"Do you think that this man Horner is innocent?"
"I cannot tell."
"Well, then, do you imagine that this other one, Henry Baker, had anything to do with the matter?"
"It is, I think, much more likely that Henry Baker is an absolutely innocent man, who had no idea that the bird which he was carrying was of considerably more value than if it were made of solid gold. That, however, I shall determine by a very simple test if we have an answer to our advertisement."
"And you can do nothing until then?"
"Nothing."
"In that case I shall continue my professional round. But I shall come back in the evening at the hour you have mentioned, for I should like to see the solution of so tangled a business."
"Very glad to see you. I dine at seven. There is a woodcock, I believe. By the way, in view of recent occurrences, perhaps I ought to ask Mrs. Hudson to examine its crop."
I had been delayed at a case, and it was a little after half-past six when I found myself in Baker Street once more. As I approached the house I saw a tall man in a Scotch bonnet with a coat which was buttoned up to his chin waiting outside in the bright semicircle which was thrown from the fanlight. Just as I arrived the door was opened, and we were shown up together to Holmes' room.
"Mr. Henry Baker, I believe," said he, rising from his armchair and greeting his visitor with the easy air of geniality which he could so readily assume. "Pray take this chair by the fire, Mr. Baker. It is a cold night, and I observe that your circulation is more adapted for summer than for winter. Ah, Watson, you have just come at the right time. Is that your hat, Mr. Baker?"
"Yes, sir, that is undoubtedly my hat."
He was a large man with rounded shoulders, a massive head, and a broad, intelligent face, sloping down to a pointed beard of grizzled brown. A touch of red in nose and cheeks, with a slight tremor of his extended hand, recalled Holmes' surmise as to his habits. His rusty black frock-coat was buttoned right up in front, with the collar turned up, and his lank wrists protruded from his sleeves without a sign of cuff or shirt. He spoke in a slow staccato fashion, choosing his words with care, and gave the impression generally of a man of learning and letters who had had ill-usage at the hands of fortune.
"We have retained these things for some days," said Holmes, "because we expected to see an advertisement from you giving your address. I am at a loss to know now why you did not advertise."
Our visitor gave a rather shamefaced laugh. "Shillings have not been so plentiful with me as they once were," he remarked. "I had no doubt that the gang of roughs who assaulted me had carried off both my hat and the bird. I did not care to spend more money in a hopeless attempt at recovering them."
"Very naturally. By the way, about the bird, we were compelled to eat it."
"To eat it!" Our visitor half rose from his chair in his excitement.
"Yes, it would have been of no use to anyone had we not done so. But I presume that this other goose upon the sideboard, which is about the same weight and perfectly fresh, will answer your purpose equally well?"
"Oh, certainly, certainly," answered Mr. Baker with a sigh of relief.
"Of course, we still have the feathers, legs, crop, and so on of your own bird, so if you wish--"
The man burst into a hearty laugh. "They might be useful to me as relics of my adventure," said he, "but beyond that I can hardly see what use the disjecta membra of my late acquaintance are going to be to me. No, sir, I think that, with your permission, I will confine my attentions to the excellent bird which I perceive upon the sideboard."
Sherlock Holmes glanced sharply across at me with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
"There is your hat, then, and there your bird," said he. "By the way, would it bore you to tell me where you got the other one from? I am somewhat of a fowl fancier, and I have seldom seen a better grown goose."
"Certainly, sir," said Baker, who had risen and tucked his newly gained property under his arm. "There are a few of us who frequent the Alpha Inn, near the Museum--we are to be found in the Museum itself during the day, you understand. This year our good host, Windigate by name, instituted a goose club, by which, on consideration of some few pence every week, we were each to receive a bird at Christmas. My pence were duly paid, and the rest is familiar to you. I am much indebted to you, sir, for a Scotch bonnet is fitted neither to my years nor my gravity." With a comical pomposity of manner he bowed solemnly to both of us and strode off upon his way.
"So much for Mr. Henry Baker," said Holmes when he had closed the door behind him. "It is quite certain that he knows nothing whatever about the matter. Are you hungry, Watson?"
"Not particularly."
"Then I suggest that we turn our dinner into a supper and follow up this clue while it is still hot."
"By all means."
It was a bitter night, so we drew on our ulsters and wrapped cravats about our throats. Outside, the stars were shining coldly in a cloudless sky, and the breath of the passers-by blew out into smoke like so many pistol shots. Our footfalls rang out crisply and loudly as we swung through the doctors' quarter, Wimpole Street, Harley Street, and so through Wigmore Street into Oxford Street. In a quarter of an hour we were in Bloomsbury at the Alpha Inn, which is a small public-house at the corner of one of the streets which runs down into Holborn. Holmes pushed open the door of the private bar and ordered two glasses of beer from the ruddy-faced, white-aproned landlord.
"Your beer should be excellent if it is as good as your geese," said he.
"My geese!" The man seemed surprised.
"Yes. I was speaking only half an hour ago to Mr. Henry Baker, who was a member of your goose club."
"Ah! yes, I see. But you see, sir, them's not our geese."
"Indeed! Whose, then?"
"Well, I got the two dozen from a salesman in Covent Garden."
"Indeed? I know some of them. Which was it?"
"Breckinridge is his name."
"Ah! I don't know him. Well, here's your good health landlord, and prosperity to your house. Good-night."
"Now for Mr. Breckinridge," he continued, buttoning up his coat as we came out into the frosty air. "Remember, Watson that though we have so homely a thing as a goose at one end of this chain, we have at the other a man who will certainly get seven years' penal servitude unless we can establish his innocence. It is possible that our inquiry may but confirm his guilt; but, in any case, we have a line of investigation which has been missed by the police, and which a singular chance has placed in our hands. Let us follow it out to the bitter end. Faces to the south, then, and quick march!"
We passed across Holborn, down Endell Street, and so through a zigzag of slums to Covent Garden Market. One of the largest stalls bore the name of Breckinridge upon it, and the proprietor a horsey-looking man, with a sharp face and trim side-whiskers was helping a boy to put up the shutters.
"Good-evening. It's a cold night," said Holmes.
The salesman nodded and shot a questioning glance at my companion.
"Sold out of geese, I see," continued Holmes, pointing at the bare slabs of marble.
"Let you have five hundred to-morrow morning."
"That's no good."
"Well, there are some on the stall with the gas-flare."
"Ah, but I was recommended to you."
"Who by?"
"The landlord of the Alpha."
"Oh, yes; I sent him a couple of dozen."
"Fine birds they were, too. Now where did you get them from?"
To my surprise the question provoked a burst of anger from the salesman.
"Now, then, mister," said he, with his head cocked and his arms akimbo, "what are you driving at? Let's have it straight, now."
"It is straight enough. I should like to know who sold you the geese which you supplied to the Alpha."
"Well then, I shan't tell you. So now!"
"Oh, it is a matter of no importance; but I don't know why you should be so warm over such a trifle."
"Warm! You'd be as warm, maybe, if you were as pestered as I am. When I pay good money for a good article there should be an end of the business; but it's 'Where are the geese?' and 'Who did you sell the geese to?' and 'What will you take for the geese?' One would think they were the only geese in the world, to hear the fuss that is made over them."
"Well, I have no connection with any other people who have been making inquiries," said Holmes carelessly. "If you won't tell us the bet is off, that is all. But I'm always ready to back my opinion on a matter of fowls, and I have a fiver on it that the bird I ate is country bred."
"Well, then, you've lost your fiver, for it's town bred," snapped the salesman.
"It's nothing of the kind."
"I say it is."
"I don't believe it."
"D'you think you know more about fowls than I, who have handled them ever since I was a nipper? I tell you, all those birds that went to the Alpha were town bred."
"You'll never persuade me to believe that."
"Will you bet, then?"
"It's merely taking your money, for I know that I am right. But I'll have a sovereign on with you, just to teach you not to be obstinate."
The salesman chuckled grimly. "Bring me the books, Bill," said he.
The small boy brought round a small thin volume and a great greasy-backed one, laying them out together beneath the hanging lamp.
"Now then, Mr. Cocksure," said the salesman, "I thought that I was out of geese, but before I finish you'll find that there is still one left in my shop. You see this little book?"
"Well?"
"That's the list of the folk from whom I buy. D'you see? Well, then, here on this page are the country folk, and the numbers after their names are where their accounts are in the big ledger. Now, then! You see this other page in red ink? Well, that is a list of my town suppliers. Now, look at that third name. Just read it out to me."
"Mrs. Oakshott, 117, Brixton Road--249," read Holmes.
"Quite so. Now turn that up in the ledger."
Holmes turned to the page indicated. "Here you are, 'Mrs. Oakshott, 117, Brixton Road, egg and poultry supplier.'"
"Now, then, what's the last entry?"
"'December 22nd. Twenty-four geese at 7s. 6d.'"
"Quite so. There you are. And underneath?"
"'Sold to Mr. Windigate of the Alpha, at 12s.'"
"What have you to say now?"
Sherlock Holmes looked deeply chagrined. He drew a sovereign from his pocket and threw it down upon the slab, turning away with the air of a man whose disgust is too deep for words. A few yards off he stopped under a lamp-post and laughed in the hearty, noiseless fashion which was peculiar to him.
"When you see a man with whiskers of that cut and the 'Pink 'un' protruding out of his pocket, you can always draw him by a bet," said he. "I daresay that if I had put 100 pounds down in front of him, that man would not have given me such complete information as was drawn from him by the idea that he was doing me on a wager. Well, Watson, we are, I fancy, nearing the end of our quest, and the only point which remains to be determined is whether we should go on to this Mrs. Oakshott to-night, or whether we should reserve it for to-morrow. It is clear from what that surly fellow said that there are others besides ourselves who are anxious about the matter, and I should--"
His remarks were suddenly cut short by a loud hubbub which broke out from the stall which we had just left. Turning round we saw a little rat-faced fellow standing in the centre of the circle of yellow light which was thrown by the swinging lamp, while Breckinridge, the salesman, framed in the door of his stall, was shaking his fists fiercely at the cringing figure.
"I've had enough of you and your geese," he shouted. "I wish you were all at the devil together. If you come pestering me any more with your silly talk I'll set the dog at you. You bring Mrs. Oakshott here and I'll answer her, but what have you to do with it? Did I buy the geese off you?"
"No; but one of them was mine all the same," whined the little man.
"Well, then, ask Mrs. Oakshott for it."
"She told me to ask you."
"Well, you can ask the King of Proosia, for all I care. I've had enough of it. Get out of this!" He rushed fiercely forward, and the inquirer flitted away into the darkness.
"Ha! this may save us a visit to Brixton Road," whispered Holmes. "Come with me, and we will see what is to be made of this fellow." Striding through the scattered knots of people who lounged round the flaring stalls, my companion speedily overtook the little man and touched him upon the shoulder. He sprang round, and I could see in the gas-light that every vestige of colour had been driven from his face.
"Who are you, then? What do you want?" he asked in a quavering voice.
"You will excuse me," said Holmes blandly, "but I could not help overhearing the questions which you put to the salesman just now. I think that I could be of assistance to you."
"You? Who are you? How could you know anything of the matter?"
"My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know."
"But you can know nothing of this?"
"Excuse me, I know everything of it. You are endeavouring to trace some geese which were sold by Mrs. Oakshott, of Brixton Road, to a salesman named Breckinridge, by him in turn to Mr. Windigate, of the Alpha, and by him to his club, of which Mr. Henry Baker is a member."
"Oh, sir, you are the very man whom I have longed to meet," cried the little fellow with outstretched hands and quivering fingers. "I can hardly explain to you how interested I am in this matter."
Sherlock Holmes hailed a four-wheeler which was passing. "In that case we had better discuss it in a cosy room rather than in this wind-swept market-place," said he. "But pray tell me, before we go farther, who it is that I have the pleasure of assisting."
The man hesitated for an instant. "My name is John Robinson," he answered with a sidelong glance.
"No, no; the real name," said Holmes sweetly. "It is always awkward doing business with an alias."
A flush sprang to the white cheeks of the stranger. "Well then," said he, "my real name is James Ryder."
"Precisely so. Head attendant at the Hotel Cosmopolitan. Pray step into the cab, and I shall soon be able to tell you everything which you would wish to know."
The little man stood glancing from one to the other of us with half-frightened, half-hopeful eyes, as one who is not sure whether he is on the verge of a windfall or of a catastrophe. Then he stepped into the cab, and in half an hour we were back in the sitting-room at Baker Street. Nothing had been said during our drive, but the high, thin breathing of our new companion, and the claspings and unclaspings of his hands, spoke of the nervous tension within him.
"Here we are!" said Holmes cheerily as we filed into the room. "The fire looks very seasonable in this weather. You look cold, Mr. Ryder. Pray take the basket-chair. I will just put on my slippers before we settle this little matter of yours. Now, then! You want to know what became of those geese?"
"Yes, sir."
"Or rather, I fancy, of that goose. It was one bird, I imagine in which you were interested--white, with a black bar across the tail."
Ryder quivered with emotion. "Oh, sir," he cried, "can you tell me where it went to?"
"It came here."
"Here?"
"Yes, and a most remarkable bird it proved. I don't wonder that you should take an interest in it. It laid an egg after it was dead--the bonniest, brightest little blue egg that ever was seen. I have it here in my museum."
Our visitor staggered to his feet and clutched the mantelpiece with his right hand. Holmes unlocked his strong-box and held up the blue carbuncle, which shone out like a star, with a cold, brilliant, many-pointed radiance. Ryder stood glaring with a drawn face, uncertain whether to claim or to disown it.
"The game's up, Ryder," said Holmes quietly. "Hold up, man, or you'll be into the fire! Give him an arm back into his chair, Watson. He's not got blood enough to go in for felony with impunity. Give him a dash of brandy. So! Now he looks a little more human. What a shrimp it is, to be sure!"
For a moment he had staggered and nearly fallen, but the brandy brought a tinge of colour into his cheeks, and he sat staring with frightened eyes at his accuser.
"I have almost every link in my hands, and all the proofs which I could possibly need, so there is little which you need tell me. Still, that little may as well be cleared up to make the case complete. You had heard, Ryder, of this blue stone of the Countess of Morcar's?"
"It was Catherine Cusack who told me of it," said he in a crackling voice.
"I see--her ladyship's waiting-maid. Well, the temptation of sudden wealth so easily acquired was too much for you, as it has been for better men before you; but you were not very scrupulous in the means you used. It seems to me, Ryder, that there is the making of a very pretty villain in you. You knew that this man Horner, the plumber, had been concerned in some such matter before, and that suspicion would rest the more readily upon him. What did you do, then? You made some small job in my lady's room--you and your confederate Cusack--and you managed that he should be the man sent for. Then, when he had left, you rifled the jewel-case, raised the alarm, and had this unfortunate man arrested. You then--"
Ryder threw himself down suddenly upon the rug and clutched at my companion's knees. "For God's sake, have mercy!" he shrieked. "Think of my father! Of my mother! It would break their hearts. I never went wrong before! I never will again. I swear it. I'll swear it on a Bible. Oh, don't bring it into court! For Christ's sake, don't!"
"Get back into your chair!" said Holmes sternly. "It is very well to cringe and crawl now, but you thought little enough of this poor Horner in the dock for a crime of which he knew nothing."
"I will fly, Mr. Holmes. I will leave the country, sir. Then the charge against him will break down."
"Hum! We will talk about that. And now let us hear a true account of the next act. How came the stone into the goose, and how came the goose into the open market? Tell us the truth, for there lies your only hope of safety."
Ryder passed his tongue over his parched lips. "I will tell you it just as it happened, sir," said he. "When Horner had been arrested, it seemed to me that it would be best for me to get away with the stone at once, for I did not know at what moment the police might not take it into their heads to search me and my room. There was no place about the hotel where it would be safe. I went out, as if on some commission, and I made for my sister's house. She had married a man named Oakshott, and lived in Brixton Road, where she fattened fowls for the market. All the way there every man I met seemed to me to be a policeman or a detective; and, for all that it was a cold night, the sweat was pouring down my face before I came to the Brixton Road. My sister asked me what was the matter, and why I was so pale; but I told her that I had been upset by the jewel robbery at the hotel. Then I went into the back yard and smoked a pipe and wondered what it would be best to do.
"I had a friend once called Maudsley, who went to the bad, and has just been serving his time in Pentonville. One day he had met me, and fell into talk about the ways of thieves, and how they could get rid of what they stole. I knew that he would be true to me, for I knew one or two things about him; so I made up my mind to go right on to Kilburn, where he lived, and take him into my confidence. He would show me how to turn the stone into money. But how to get to him in safety? I thought of the agonies I had gone through in coming from the hotel. I might at any moment be seized and searched, and there would be the stone in my waistcoat pocket. I was leaning against the wall at the time and looking at the geese which were waddling about round my feet, and suddenly an idea came into my head which showed me how I could beat the best detective that ever lived.
"My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word. I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn. There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds--a fine big one, white, with a barred tail. I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach. The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop. But the creature flapped and struggled, and out came my sister to know what was the matter. As I turned to speak to her the brute broke loose and fluttered off among the others.
"'Whatever were you doing with that bird, Jem?' says she.
"'Well,' said I, 'you said you'd give me one for Christmas, and I was feeling which was the fattest.'
"'Oh,' says she, 'we've set yours aside for you--Jem's bird, we call it. It's the big white one over yonder. There's twenty-six of them, which makes one for you, and one for us, and two dozen for the market.'
"'Thank you, Maggie,' says I; 'but if it is all the same to you, I'd rather have that one I was handling just now.'
"'The other is a good three pound heavier,' said she, 'and we fattened it expressly for you.'
"'Never mind. I'll have the other, and I'll take it now,' said I.
"'Oh, just as you like,' said she, a little huffed. 'Which is it you want, then?'
"'That white one with the barred tail, right in the middle of the flock.'
"'Oh, very well. Kill it and take it with you.'
"Well, I did what she said, Mr. Holmes, and I carried the bird all the way to Kilburn. I told my pal what I had done, for he was a man that it was easy to tell a thing like that to. He laughed until he choked, and we got a knife and opened the goose. My heart turned to water, for there was no sign of the stone, and I knew that some terrible mistake had occurred. I left the bird, rushed back to my sister's, and hurried into the back yard. There was not a bird to be seen there.
"'Where are they all, Maggie?' I cried.
"'Gone to the dealer's, Jem.'
"'Which dealer's?'
"'Breckinridge, of Covent Garden.'
"'But was there another with a barred tail?' I asked, 'the same as the one I chose?'
"'Yes, Jem; there were two barred-tailed ones, and I could never tell them apart.'
"Well, then, of course I saw it all, and I ran off as hard as my feet would carry me to this man Breckinridge; but he had sold the lot at once, and not one word would he tell me as to where they had gone. You heard him yourselves to-night. Well, he has always answered me like that. My sister thinks that I am going mad. Sometimes I think that I am myself. And now--and now I am myself a branded thief, without ever having touched the wealth for which I sold my character. God help me! God help me!" He burst into convulsive sobbing, with his face buried in his hands.
There was a long silence, broken only by his heavy breathing and by the measured tapping of Sherlock Holmes' finger-tips upon the edge of the table. Then my friend rose and threw open the door.
"Get out!" said he.
"What, sir! Oh, Heaven bless you!"
"No more words. Get out!"
And no more words were needed. There was a rush, a clatter upon the stairs, the bang of a door, and the crisp rattle of running footfalls from the street.
"After all, Watson," said Holmes, reaching up his hand for his clay pipe, "I am not retained by the police to supply their deficiencies. If Horner were in danger it would be another thing; but this fellow will not appear against him, and the case must collapse. I suppose that I am commuting a felony, but it is just possible that I am saving a soul. This fellow will not go wrong again; he is too terribly frightened. Send him to gaol now, and you make him a gaol-bird for life. Besides, it is the season of forgiveness. Chance has put in our way a most singular and whimsical problem, and its solution is its own reward. If you will have the goodness to touch the bell, Doctor, we will begin another investigation, in which, also a bird will be the chief feature."
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