wǒ huái zhe chén tòng de xīn qíng tí bǐ xiě xià zhè zuì hòu yī 'àn， jì xià wǒ péng yǒu xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī jié chū de tiān cái。 cóng “ xuè zì de yán jiū ” dì yī cì bǎ wǒ men jié hé zài yī qǐ， dào tā jiè rù“ hǎi jūn xié dìng” yī 'àn héng héng yóu yú tā de jiè rù， háo wú yí wèn， fáng zhǐ liǎo yīcháng yán zhòng de guó jì jiū fēn héng héng jìn guǎn xiěde hěn bù lián guàn， ér qiě wǒ shēn shēn gǎn dào xiěde jí bù chōng fēn， dàn wǒ zǒng shì jié jìn wēi lì bǎ wǒ hé tā gòng tóng de qí yì jīng lì jìzǎi liǎo xià lái。 wǒ běn lái dǎ suàn zhǐ xiě dào“ hǎi jūn xié dìng” yī 'àn wéi zhǐ， jué kǒu bù tí nà jiàn zào chéng wǒ yī shēng chóu chàng de 'àn jiàn。
　　 liǎng nián guò qù liǎo， zhè zhǒng chóu chàng què sī háo wèi jiǎn。 rán 'ér， zuì jìn zhān mǔ sī · mò lǐ yà dì shàng xiào fā biǎo liǎo jǐ fēng xìn， wèitā yǐ gù de xiōng dì biàn hù。 wǒ wú kě xuǎn zé， zhǐ néng bǎ shì shí wán quán rú shí dì gōng zhū yú zhòng。 wǒ shì wéi yī liǎo jiě quán bù de rén， què xìn shí jī yǐ dào， zài mì 'ér bù xuān yǐ méi yòu shénme yòng chù liǎo。
　　 jù wǒ suǒ zhī， bào zhǐ shàng duì cǐ shì zhǐ yòu guò sān cì bào dào： yī cì jiàn yú yī yī nián wǔ yuè liù rì《 rì nèi wǎ zá zhì》； yī cì jiàn yú yī yī nián wǔ yuè qī rì yīng guó gè bào kānzǎi de lù tòu shè diàn xùn； zuì hòu yī cì jiù shì wǒ shàng miàn tí dào de jǐ fēng xìn， nà shì zuì jìn cái fā biǎo de。 dì yī cì bào dào hé dì 'èr cì bào dào dū guòfèn jiǎn lüè， ér zuì hòu yī cì， zhèng rú wǒ yào zhǐ chū de， shì wán quán wāi qū shì shí de。 wǒ yòu zé rèn bǎ mò lǐ yà dì jiào shòu hé xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī zhī jiān fā shēng de shì shí dì yī cì gōng zhī yú zhòng。
　　 dú zhě kě néng hái jì dé， zì cóng wǒ jié hūn jí hūn hòu kāi yè xíng yī yǐ lái， fú 'ěr mó sī hé wǒ zhī jiān jí wéi qīn mì de guān xì zài mǒu zhǒng chéng dù shàng biàn dé shū yuǎn liǎo。
　　 dāng tā zài diào chá zhōng xū yào gè zhù shǒu shí， yǐ rán bù shí lái zhǎo wǒ， bù guò zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng biàn dé yuè lái yuè shǎo liǎo。 wǒ fā xiàn， zài yī nián， wǒ zhǐ jìzǎi liǎo sān jiàn 'àn zǐ。 zhè yī nián dōng tiān hé yī yī nián chū chūn， wǒ cóng bào shàng kàn dào fú 'ěr mó sī shòu fǎ guó zhèng fǔ de pìn qǐng， chéng bàn yī jiàn jí wéi zhòng yào de 'àn zǐ。 wǒ jiē dào fú 'ěr mó sī liǎng fēng xìn， yī fēng shì cóng nà 'ěr bǎng fā lái de， yī fēng shì cóng ní mǔ fā lái de， yóu cǐ， wǒ cāi xiǎng tā yī dìng yào zài fǎ guó dòu liú hěn cháng shí jiān。 rán 'ér， fēi cháng chū rén yì wài de shì， yī yī nián sì yuè 'èr shí sì rì wǎn jiān， wǒ jiàn tā zǒu jìn wǒ de zhěn shì。 yóu qí shǐ wǒ chī jīng de shì， tā kàn lái bǐ píng rì gèng wéi cāng bái hé shòuxuē。
　　“ bù cuò， wǒ jìn lái bǎ zì jǐ gǎo dé guò yú jīn pí lì jìn liǎo，” tā kàn dào wǒ de shén qíng， bù děng wǒ fā wèn， qiǎng xiān shuō dào，“ zuì jìn wǒ yòu diǎn 'ér chī jǐn。 nǐ bù fǎn duì wǒ bǎ nǐ de bǎi yè chuāng guān shàng bā？”
　　 wǒ yòng yǐ yuè dú de nà zhǎn dēng， bǎi zài zhuō shàng， shì nèi jǐn yòu zhè diǎn dēng guāng。 fú 'ěr mó sī shùn qiáng biān zǒu guò qù， bǎ liǎng shàn bǎi yè chuāng guān liǎo， bǎ chā xiāo chā jǐn。
　　“ nǐ shì hài pà shénme dōng xī bā？” wǒ wèn dào。
　　“ duì， wǒ hài pà。”
　　“ pà shénme？”
　　“ pà qì qiāng xí jī。”
　　“ wǒ qīn 'ài de fú 'ěr mó sī， nǐ zhè shì shénme yì sī ní？”
　　“ wǒ xiǎng nǐ duì wǒ shì fēi cháng liǎo jiě de， huá shēng， nǐ zhī dào wǒ bìng bù shì yī gè dǎn xiǎo pà shì de rén。 kě shì， rú guǒ nǐ wēi xiǎn lín tóu hái bù chéng rèn yòu wēi xiǎn， nà jiù shì yòu yǒng wú móu liǎo。 néng bù néng gěi wǒ yī gēn huǒ chái？” fú 'ěr mó sī chōu zhe xiāng yān， hǎo xiàng hěn xǐ huān xiāng yān de zhèn jìng zuò yòng shìde。
　　“ hěn bào qiàn， zhè me wǎn lái dǎ rǎo nǐ，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō dào，“ wǒ hái bì xū qǐng nǐ pò lì yǔn xǔ wǒ xiàn zài cóng nǐ huā yuán hòu qiáng fān chū qù， lí kāi nǐ de zhù suǒ。”
　　“ kě shì zhè yī qiēdōu shì zěn me huí shì ní？” wǒ wèn dào。
　　 tā bǎ shǒu shēn chū lái， wǒ jiè zhe dēng guāng kàn jiàn tā liǎng gè zhǐ guān jié shòu liǎo shāng， zhèng zài chū xuè。
　　“ nǐ kàn， zhè bìng bù shì wú zhōng shēng yòu bā，” fú 'ěr mó sī xiào dào，“ zhè shì shí shí zài zài de， shèn zhì kě yǐ bǎ rén de shǒu nòng duàn ní。 zūn fū rén zài jiā má？”
　　“ tā wài chū fǎng yǒu qù liǎo。”
　　“ zhēn de！ jiù shèng nǐ yī gè rén má？”
　　“ duì。”
　　“ nà me wǒ jiù biàn yú xiàng nǐ tí chū， qǐng nǐ hé wǒ yī qǐ dào 'ōu zhōu dà lù qù zuò yī zhōu lǚ xíng liǎo。”
　　“ dào shénme dì fāng？”
　　“ ā， shénme dì fāng dū xíng， wǒ wú suǒ wèi。”
　　 zhè yī qiēdōu shì fēi cháng qí guài de， fú 'ěr mó sī cóng lái bù 'ài màn wú mùdì dì dù shénme jiàqī， ér tā nà cāng bái、 qiáo cuì de miàn róng shǐ wǒ kàn chū tā de shén jīng yǐ jǐn zhāng dào liǎo jí diǎn。 fú 'ěr mó sī cóng wǒ de yǎn shén zhōng kàn chū liǎo zhè zhǒng yí wèn， biàn bǎ liǎng shǒu shǒu zhǐ jiāo chā zài yī qǐ， gēbo zhǒu zhī zài xī shàng， zuò liǎo yī fān jiě shì。
　　“ nǐ kě néng cóng lái méi tīng shuō guò yòu gè mò lǐ yà dì jiào shòu bā？” tā shuō dào。
　　“ cóng lái méi yòu。”
　　“ ā， tiān xià zhēn yòu yīng cái hé qí jì 'ā！” fú 'ěr mó sī dà shēng shuō dào，“ zhè gè rén de shì lì biàn jí zhěng gè lún dūn， kě shì méi yòu yī gè rén tīng shuō guò tā。 zhè jiù shǐ tā de fàn zuì jì lù dá dào dēng fēng zào jí de dì bù。 wǒ yán sù dì gào sù nǐ， huá shēng， rú guǒ wǒ néng zhàn shèng tā， rú guǒ wǒ néng wéi shè huì chú diào tā zhè gè bài lèi， nà mò， wǒ jiù huì jué dé wǒ běn rén de shì yè yě dá dào liǎo dǐng fēng， rán hòu wǒ jiù zhǔn bèi huàn yī zhǒng bǐ jiào 'ān jìng de shēng huó liǎo。 yòu jiàn shì qǐng bù yào gào sù wài rén， jìn lái wǒ wéi sī kān de nà wéi yà huáng shì hé fǎ lán xī gòng hé guó bàn de nà jǐ jiàn 'àn zǐ， gěi wǒ chuàng zào liǎo hǎo tiáo jiàn， shǐ wǒ néng gòu guò yī zhǒng wǒ suǒ xǐ 'ài de 'ān jìng shēng huó， bìng qiě néng jí zhōng jīng lì cóng shì wǒ de huà xué yán jiū。 kě shì， huá shēng， rú guǒ wǒ xiǎng dào xiàng mò lǐ yà dì jiào shòu zhè yàng de rén hái zài lún dūn jiē tóu héng xíng wú jì， nà wǒ shì bù néng 'ān xīn de， wǒ shì bù néng jìng zuò zài 'ān lè yǐ zhōng wú suǒ shì shì de。”
　　“ nà me， tā gān liǎo xiē shénme huài shì ní？”
　　“ tā de lǚ lì fēi tóng děng xián。 tā chū shēn liáng jiā， shòu guò jí hǎo de jiào yù， yòu fēi fán de shù xué tiān fù。 tā 'èr shí yī suì shí xiě liǎo yī piān guān yú 'èr xiàng shì dìng lǐ de lùn wén， céng jīng zài 'ōu zhōu fēng xíng yī shí。 jiè cǐ jī huì， tā zài wǒ men de yī xiē xiǎo xué yuàn lǐ huò dé liǎo shù xué jiào shòu de zhí wèi， bìng qiě， xiǎn rán， tā de qián chéng yě shì guāng huī càn làn de。 kě shì zhè gè rén bǐng chéng liǎo tā xiān shì de jí wéi xiōng 'è de běn xìng。 tā xuè yè zhōng bēn liú zhe de fàn zuì de xuè yuán bù dàn méi yòu jiǎn qīng， bìng qiě yóu yú tā nà fēi fán de zhì néng， fǎn 'ér biàn běn jiā lì， gèng jù yòu wú xiàn de wēi xiǎn xìng。 dà xué qū yě liú chuán zhe tā de yī xiē liè jì， tā zhōng yú cí qù jiào shòu zhí wù， lái dào liǎo lún dūn， dǎ suàn zuò yī míng jūn shì jiào liàn。 rén men zhǐ zhī dào tā zhè xiē qíng kuàng， bù guò wǒ xiàn zài zhǔn bèi gào sù nǐ de shì wǒ zì jǐ fā xiàn de qíng kuàng。
　　“ nǐ shì zhī dào de， huá shēng， duì yú lún dūn nà xiē gāo jí fàn zuì huó dòng， zài méi yòu shuí bǐ wǒ zhī dào dé gèng qīng chǔ liǎo。 zuì jìn zhè xiē nián lái， wǒ yī zhí yì shí dào zài nà xiē fàn zuì fènzǐ bèi hòu yòu yī gǔ shì lì， yòu yī gǔ yīn xiǎn de shì lì zǒng shì chéng wéi fǎ lǜ de zhàng 'ài， bì hù zhe nà xiē zuò 'è de rén。 wǒ suǒ bàn lǐ de 'àn jiàn， wǔ huā bā mén héng héng wěi zào 'àn， qiǎng jié 'àn， xiōng shā 'àn héng héng wǒ yī 'ér zài、 zài 'ér sān dì gǎn dào zhè gǔ lì liàng de cún zài， wǒ yùn yòng tuī lǐ fāng fǎ fā xiàn liǎo zhè gǔ shì lì zài yī xiē wèi pò 'àn de fàn zuì 'àn jiàn zhōng de huó dòng， suī rán zhè xiē 'àn zǐ wǒ gè rén bìng wèi yìng yāo chéng bàn。 duō nián lái， wǒ xiǎng jìn bàn fǎ qù jiē kāi yìn bì zhè gǔ shì lì de hēi mù， zhè yī shí kè zhōng yú dào lái liǎo。 wǒ zhuā zhù xiàn suǒ， gēn zōng zhuī jī， jīng guò qiān bǎi cì de qū zhé yū huí cái zhǎo dào liǎo nà wèi shù xué míng liú、 tuì zhí jiào shòu mò lǐ yà dì。
　　“ tā shì fàn zuì jiè de ná pò lún， huá shēng。 lún dūn chéng zhōng de fàn zuì huó dòng yòu yī bàn shì tā zǔ zhì de， jīhū suǒ yòu wèi bèi zhēn pò de fàn zuì huó dòng dōushì tā zǔ zhì de。 tā shì yī gè qí cái， zhé xué jiā， shēn 'ào de sī xiǎng jiā。 tā yòu yī gè rén lèi dì yī liú de tóu nǎo。 tā xiàng yī zhǐ zhī zhū zhé fú yú zhū wǎng de zhōng xīn， ān rán bù dòng， kě shì zhū wǎng què yòu qiān sī wàn lǚ， tā duì qí zhōng měi yī sī de zhèn chàn dū liǎo rú zhǐ zhǎng。 tā zì jǐ hěn shǎo dòng shǒu， zhǐ shì chū móu huá cè。 tā de dǎng yǔ zhòng duō， zǔ zhì yán mì。 wǒ men shuō， rú guǒ yòu rén yào zuò 'àn， yào dào qiè wén jiàn， yào qiǎng jié yī hù rén jiā， yào 'àn shā yī gè rén， zhǐ yào chuán gěi jiào shòu yī jù huà， zhè jiàn fàn zuì huó dòng jiù huì zhōu mì zǔ zhì， fù zhū shí xiàn。 tā de dǎng yǔ jí shǐ bèi bǔ， yě yòu qián bǎ tā bǎo shì chū lái， huò wèitā jìn xíng biàn hù。 kě shì zhǐ huī zhè xiē dǎng yǔ de zhù yào rén wù què cóng wèi bèi bǔ guò héng héng lián xián yí yě méi yòu。 zhè jiù shì wǒ tuī duàn chū de tā men de zǔ zhì qíng kuàng， huá shēng， wǒ yī zhí zài quán lì jiē lù hé pò huò zhè yī zǔ zhì。
　　“ kě shì zhè wèi jiào shòu zhōu wéi de fáng fàn cuò shī fēi cháng yán mì， cèhuà dé jiǎo zhà yì cháng， jìn guǎn wǒ qiān fāng bǎi jì， hái shì bù néng huò dé kě yǐ bǎ tā sòng shàng fǎ tíng de zuì zhèng。 nǐ shì zhī dào wǒ de néng lì de， wǒ qīn 'ài de huá shēng， kě shì jīng guò sān gè yuè de nǔ lì， wǒ bù dé bù chéng rèn， zhì shǎo wǒ pèng dào liǎo yī gè zhì lì yǔ wǒ shì jūn lì dí de duì shǒu。 wǒ pèi fú tā de běn shì， shèng guò liǎo yàn 'è tā de zuì xíng。 kě shì tā zhōng yú chū liǎo gè pí lòu， yī gè hěn xiǎo hěn xiǎo de pí lòu， bù guò， zài wǒ bǎ tā dīng dé zhè me jǐn de shí hòu， zhè diǎn pí lòu tā yě shì bù néng chū de。 wǒ jì yǐ zhuā zhù jī huì， biàn cóng zhè yī diǎn kāi shǐ， dào xiàn zài wǒ yǐ zài tā zhōu wéi bù xià fǎ wǎng， yī qiē jiù xù， zhǐ děng shōu wǎng liǎo。 zài sān tiān zhī nèi héng héng yě jiù shì zài xià xīng qī yī héng héng shí jī jiù chéng shú liǎo， jiào shòu hé tā nà yī bāng zhù yào dǎng yǔ， jiù yào quán bù luò rù shǒu zhōng。 nà shí jiù huì jìn xíng běn shì jì yǐ lái duì zuì fàn zuì dà de shěn pàn， nòng qīng sì shí duō jiàn wèi jié de yí 'àn， bǎ tā men quán bù pàn chù jiǎo xíng。 kě shì rú guǒ wǒ men de xíng dòng lüè yòu bù zhōu， nà me nǐ zhī dào， tā men shèn zhì zài zuì hòu guān tóu， yě néng cóng wǒ men shǒu zhōng liù zǒu。
　　“ āi， rú guǒ néng bǎ zhè jiàn shì zuò dé shǐ mò lǐ yà dì jiào shòu háo wú jué chá， nà jiù wàn shì shùn suì liǎo。 bù guò mò lǐ yà dì shí zài guǐ jì duō duān， wǒ zài tā zhōu wéi shè wǎng de měi yī bù， tādōu zhī dào。 tā yī cì yòu yī cì dì jié lì pò wǎng 'ér táo， wǒ jiù yī cì yòu yī cì dì zǔ zhǐ liǎo tā。 wǒ gào sù nǐ， wǒ de péng yǒu， rú guǒ bǎ wǒ hé tā 'àn dǒu de xiáng xì qíng kuàng jìzǎi xià lái， nà bì néng yǐ guāng huī de yī yè zài rù míng qiāng 'àn jiàn de zhēn tàn shǐ cè。 wǒ cóng lái hái méi yòu dá dào guò zhè yàng de gāo dù， yě cóng lái méi yòu bèi yī míng duì shǒu bī dé zhè yàng jǐn。 tā gānde fēi cháng yòu xiào， ér wǒ gāng gāng chāo guò tā。 jīn tiān zǎo chén wǒ yǐ jīng wán chéng liǎo zuì hòu de bù shǔ， zhǐ yào sān tiān de shí jiān jiù néng bǎ zhè jiàn shì bàn wán。 wǒ zhèng zuò zài shì nèi tōng pán kǎo lǜ zhè jiàn shì， fáng mén tū rán dǎ kāi liǎo， mò lǐ yà dì jiào shòu zhàn zài wǒ miàn qián。
　　“ wǒ de shén jīng hái shì xiāng dāng jiān qiáng de， huá shēng， bù guò wǒ bì xū chéng rèn， zài wǒ kàn dào nà gè shǐ wǒ gěng gěng yú huái de rén zhàn zài mén jiàn nà lǐ shí， yě bù miǎn chī liǎo yī jīng。 wǒ duì tā de róng mào shí fēn shú xī。 tā gè zǐ tè bié gāo， xiāoshòu， qián 'é lóng qǐ， shuāng mù shēn xiàn， liǎn guā dé guāng guāng de， miàn sè cāng bái， yòu diǎn xiàng kǔ xíng sēng， bǎo chí zhe mǒu zhǒng jiào shòu fēng dù。 tā de jiān bèi yóu yú xué xí guò duō， yòu xiē gōulóu， tā de liǎn xiàng qián shēn， bìng qiě zuǒ yòu qīng qīng yáo bǎi bù zhǐ， yàng zǐ gǔ guài 'ér yòu kě bēi。 tā mī féng zhe shuāng yǎn， shí fēn hàoqí dì dǎliang zhe wǒ。
　　“ ‘ nǐ de qián 'é bìng bù xiàng wǒ suǒ xiǎng xiàng de nà yàng fā dá， xiān shēng， ’ tā zhōng yú shuō dào，‘ bǎi nòng shuì yī kǒu dài lǐ zǐ dàn shàng táng de shǒu qiāng， shì yī gè wēi xiǎn de xí guàn。’
　　“ shì shí shàng， zài tā jìn lái shí， wǒ lì jí yì shí dào wǒ miàn lín de jù dà de rén shēn wēi xiǎn。 yīn wéi duì tā lái shuō， wéi yī de bǎi tuō kùn jìng fāng fǎ， jiù shì shā wǒ miè kǒu。 suǒ yǐ wǒ jí máng cóng chōu tì lǐ zhuā qǐ shǒu qiāng tōu tōu sài jìn kǒu dài lǐ， bìng qiě gé zhe yī fú duì zhǔn liǎo tā。 tā yī tí dào zhè diǎn， wǒ biàn bǎ shǒu qiāng ná chū lái， bǎ jī tóu zhāng kāi， fàng dào zhuō shàng。 tā yǐ rán xiào róng kě jū， mī féng zhuóyǎn， kě shì tā yǎn shén zhōng yòu yī zhǒng biǎo qíng shǐ wǒ 'àn zì wèiwǒ shǒu tóu yòu zhè zhī shǒu qiāng 'ér gǎn dào qìng xìng。
　　“‘ nǐ xiǎn rán bù liǎo jiě wǒ，’ tā shuō dào。
　　“‘ qià qià xiāng fǎn，’ wǒ dá dào，‘ wǒ rèn wéi wǒ duì nǐ liǎo jiě dé fēi cháng qīng chǔ。 qǐng zuò。 rú guǒ yòu shénme huà yào shuō， wǒ kě yǐ gěi nǐ wǔ fēn zhōng shí jiān。’
　　“‘ fán shì wǒ yào shuō de， nǐ zǎo jiù zhī dào liǎo。’ tā shuō dào。
　　“‘ nà me shuō， wǒ de huí dá nǐ yě zǎo yǐ zhī dào liǎo，’ wǒ huí dá dào。
　　“‘ nǐ bù kěn ràng bù má？’
　　“‘ jué bù ràng bù。’
　　“ tā měng dì bǎ shǒu chā jìn kǒu dài， wǒ ná qǐ zhuō shàng de shǒu qiāng。 kě shì tā zhǐ bù guò tāo chū yī běn bèi wàng lù， shàng miàn liáo cǎo dì xiě zhe yī xiē rì qī。
　　“‘ yī yuè sì rì nǐ zǔ 'ài guò wǒ xíng shì，’ tā shuō dào，‘ èr shí sān rì nǐ yòu 'ài liǎo wǒ de shǒu jiǎo； èr yuè zhōng xún nǐ gěi wǒ zhì zào liǎo hěn dà má fán； sān yuè dǐ nǐ wán quán pò huài liǎo wǒ de jìhuà。 zài sì yuè jiāng jìn shí， wǒ fā xiàn， yóu yú nǐ bù duàn， wǒ kěn dìng yòu sàng shī zì yóu de wēi xiǎn。 shì qíng yǐ jīng shì rěn wú kě rěn liǎo。’
　　“‘ nǐ yòu shénme dǎ suàn má？’ wǒ wèn dào。
　　“‘ nǐ bì xū zhù shǒu， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng！’ tā zuǒ yòu huàng zhe tóu shuō dào，‘ nǐ zhī dào， nǐ zhēn de bì xū zhù shǒu。’
　　“‘ guò liǎo xīng qī yī zài shuō，’ wǒ shuō dào。
　　“‘ zé， zé！’ tā shuō dào，‘ wǒ què xìn， xiàng nǐ zhè yàng cōng míng de rén huì míng bái zhè zhǒng shì zhǐ néng yòu yī zhǒng jié jú。 nà jiù shì nǐ bì xū zhù shǒu。 nǐ bǎ shì qíng zuò jué liǎo， wǒ men zhǐ shèng xià zhè yī zhǒng bàn fǎ。 kàn dào nǐ bǎ zhè jiàn shì jiǎo chéng zhè gè yàng zǐ， zhè duì wǒ lái shuō jiǎn zhí shì zhì lì shàng de yī zhǒng lè shì。 wǒ zhēn chéng dì gào sù nǐ， rú guǒ wǒ cǎi qǔ rèn hé jí duān cuò shī， nà shì lìng rén tòng xīn de。 nǐ xiào bā， xiān shēng， kě shì wǒ xiàng nǐ bǎo zhèng， nà zhēn shì lìng rén tòng xīn de。’
　　“‘ gān wǒ men zhè xíng wēi xiǎn shì bù kě bì miǎn de，’ wǒ shuō dào。
　　“‘ zhè bù shì wēi xiǎn，’ tā shuō dào，‘ shì bù kě bì miǎn de huǐ miè。 nǐ suǒ zǔ náo de bù dān shì yī gè rén， ér shì yī gè qiáng dà de zǔ zhì。 jìn guǎn nǐ cōng míng guò rén， dàn nǐ hái shì bù kě néng rèn shí dào zhè gè zǔ zhì de xióng hòu lì liàng。 nǐ bì xū zhàn kāi diǎn， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， fǒu zé nǐ huì bèi cǎi sǐ de。’
　　“‘ kǒng pà，’ wǒ zhàn qǐ shēn lái shuō dào，‘ yóu yú wǒ men tán dé tài qǐ jìn， wǒ huì bǎ bié chù děng wǒ qù bàn de zhòng yào shì qíng dān gē liǎo。’
　　“ tā yě zhàn qǐ shēn lái， mò mò bù yǔ dì wàng zhe wǒ， bēi shāng dì yáo yáo tóu。
　　“‘ hǎo， hǎo，’ tā zhōng yú shuō dào，‘ kàn lái hěn kě xī， bù guò wǒ yǐ jìn lì liǎo。 wǒ duì nǐ de bǎ xì měi yī bù dōuhěn qīng chǔ。 xīng qī yī yǐ qián nǐ háo wú bàn fǎ。 zhè shì nǐ sǐ wǒ huó de yīcháng jué dǒu， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。 nǐ xiǎng bǎ wǒ zhì yú bèi gào xí shàng， wǒ gào sù nǐ， wǒ jué bù huì zhàn dào bèi gào xí shàng de。 nǐ xiǎng jī bài wǒ， wǒ gào sù nǐ， nǐ jué bù huì jī bài wǒ de。 rú guǒ nǐ de cōng míng zú yǐ shǐ wǒ zāo dào huǐ miè， qǐng fàng xīn hǎo liǎo， nǐ huì yǔ wǒ tóng guī yú jìn de。’
　　“‘ nǐ guò jiǎng liǎo， mò lǐ yà dì xiān shēng，’ wǒ shuō dào，‘ wǒ lái dá xiè nǐ yī jù， wǒ gào sù nǐ， rú guǒ néng bǎo zhèng huǐ miè nǐ， nà me， wèile shè huì de lì yì， jí shǐ hé nǐ tóng guī yú jìn， wǒ yě xīn gān qíng yuàn。’
　　“‘ wǒ dāyìng yǔ nǐ tóng guī yú jìn， dàn bù shì nǐ huǐ miè wǒ。’ tā páo xiào rú léi dì shuō dào， zhuǎn shēn zǒu chū wū qù。
　　“ zhè jiù shì wǒ hé mò lǐ yà dì jiào shòu nà chǎng qí tè de tán huà。 wǒ chéng rèn， tā zài wǒ xīn zhōng chǎn shēng liǎo bù yú kuài de yǐng xiǎng。 tā de huà jiǎng dé nà me píng jìng、 míng què， shǐ rén xiāng xìn tā shì què yòu qí yì de， yī gè jiǎn dān de 'è gùn shì bàn bù dào zhè yī diǎn de。 dāng rán， nǐ huì shuō：‘ wèishénme nǐ bù zhǎo fáng fàn tā ní？’ yīn wéi wǒ què xìn tā huì jiào dǎng yǔ lái jiā hài wǒ。 wǒ yòu zuì chōng fēn de zhèng jù， zhèng míng yī dìng huì zhè yàng。”
　　“ nǐ yǐ jīng zāo dào xí jī liǎo má？”
　　“ wǒ qīn 'ài de huá shēng， mò lǐ yà dì jiào shòu shì yī gè bù shī shí jī de rén。 nà tiān， wǒ zhōng wǔ dào niú jīn jiē chǔlǐ yī xiē shì wù， gāng zǒu guò cóng běn tíng kè jiē dào wéi 'ěr bèi kè jiē shí zì lù kǒu de zhuǎn jiǎo shí， yī liàng shuāng mǎ huò chē xiàng shǎn diàn yī bān xiàng wǒ měng chōng guò lái。 wǒ jí máng tiào dào rén xíng biàn dào shàng， zài qiān jūn yī fā jiān xìng miǎn yú nán。
　　 huò chē yī shùn jiān chōng guò mǎ lǐ lì běn xiàng fēi chí 'ér qù。 jīng lì liǎo zhè cì shì gù， wǒ biàn zhǐ zǒu rén hángdào， huá shēng， kě shì dāng wǒ zǒu dào wéi 'ěr jiē shí， tū rán cóng yī jiā wū dǐng shàng làxià yī kuài zhuān， zài wǒ jiǎo bàng shuāi dé fěn suì。 wǒ bǎ zhǎo lái， jiǎn chá liǎo nà gè dì fāng。 wū dǐng shàng duī mǎn liǎo xiū fáng yòng de shí bǎn hé zhuān wǎ， tā men duì wǒ shuō shì fēng bǎ yī kuài zhuān guā xià lái liǎo。 wǒ xīn lǐ dāng rán hěn míng bái， què wú fǎ zhèng míng yòu rén hài wǒ。 zhè yǐ hòu， wǒ biàn jiào liǎo yī liàng mǎ chē， dào bèi 'ěr měi 'ěr jiē wǒ gē gē jiā， zài nà lǐ dù guò liǎo bái tiān。 gāng cái wǒ dào nǐ zhè lǐ lái shí， zài lù shàng yòu zāo dào bào tú yòng dà tóu bàng xí jī。 wǒ liǎo tā， bǎ tā jū liú qǐ lái。
　　 wǒ yīn dǎ zài nà gè rén de mén yá shàng， zhǐ guān jié cā pò liǎo。 bù guò wǒ kě yǐ jué duì yòu bǎ wò dì gào sù nǐ， bù kě néng chá chū bèi jū liú de nà wèi xiān shēng hé nà gè tuì zhí de shù xué jiào shòu zhī jiān de guān xì。 wǒ gǎn duàn dìng， nà wèi jiào shòu xiàn zài zhèng zhàn zài shí yīng lǐ yǐ wài de yī kuài hēi bǎn qián miàn jiě dá wèn tí ní。 huá shēng， nǐ tīng dào zhè xiē， duì wǒ lái dào nǐ jiā shǒu xiān guān hǎo bǎi yè chuāng， rán hòu yòu qǐng nǐ yǔn xǔ wǒ cóng nǐ de hòu qiáng 'ér bù cóng qián mén lí kāi zhù zhái， yǐ biàn bù rě rén zhù mù， nǐ bù huì yǐn yǐ wéi guài liǎo bā。”
　　 wǒ yī xiàng pèi fú wǒ péng yǒu de wú wèi jīng shén。 jīn tiān fā shēng de zhè yī xì liè shì jiàn， hé qǐ lái jiǎn zhí gòu dé shàng zhěng tiān kǒng bù de liǎo。 xiàn zài tā zuò zài nà lǐ píng xīn jìng qì dì jiǎng shù zhe zhè yī tiān suǒ jīng lì de nà xiē lìng rén máo gǔ sǒng rán de kǒng bù shì jiàn， zhè shǐ wǒ duì tā gèng jiā qīn pèi liǎo。
　　“ nǐ zài zhè lǐ guò yè má？” wǒ wèn dào。
　　“ bù， wǒ de péng yǒu， wǒ zài zhè lǐ guò yè huì gěi nǐ zào chéng wēi xiǎn de。 wǒ yǐ jīng nǐ dìng liǎo jìhuà， wàn shì dū huì rú yì de。 jiù dài bǔ 'ér yán， shì qíng yǐ jìn zhǎn dào bù yòng wǒ bāng máng tā men yě kě yǐ dài bǔ nà xiē bù fǎ zhī tú de chéng dù liǎo， zhǐ shì jiāng lái hái xū yào wǒ chū tíng zuò zhèng。 suǒ yǐ， zài dài bǔ qián zhè jǐ tiān， wǒ xiǎn rán yǐ lí kāi cǐ dì wéi miào， zhè yàng biàn yú men néng zì yóu xíng dòng。 rú guǒ nǐ néng tóng wǒ yī qǐ dào dà lù qù lǚ xíng yī fān， nà wǒ jiù tài gāo xīng liǎo。”
　　“ zuì jìn yī wù zhèng hǎo qīng xián，” wǒ shuō dào，“ wǒ yòu yòu yī wèi kěn bāng máng de lín jū， wǒ hěn gāo xīng tóng nǐ qù。”
　　“ míng tiān zǎo chén dòng shēn kě yǐ má？”
　　“ rú guǒ xū yào， dāng rán kě yǐ。”
　　“ ā， hǎo， fēi cháng xū yào。 nà me， zhè xiē jiù shì gěi nǐ de zhǐ lìng。 wǒ qǐng nǐ， wǒ qīn 'ài de huá shēng， yī dìng yào bù zhé bù kòu dì zūn zhào zhí xíng， yīn wéi xiàn zài wǒ liǎ zhèng zài tóng zuì jiǎo huá de bào tú hé 'ōu zhōu zuì yòu shì lì de fàn zuì jí tuán zuò shū sǐ de jué dǒu。 hǎo liǎo， zhù yì！ bù guǎn nǐ dǎ suàn dài shénme yàng de xíng lǐ， shàng miàn yī dìng bù yào xiě fā wǎng hé chù， bìng yú jīn yè pài yī gè kě kào de rén sòng wǎng wéi duō lì yà chē zhàn。 míng tiān zǎo chén nǐ gù yī liàng shuāng lún mǎ chē， dàn fēn fù nǐ de pú rén kě bù yào gù dì yī liàng hé dì 'èr liàng zhù dòng lái lǎn shēng yì de mǎ chē。 nǐ tiào shàng shuāng lún mǎ chē， yòng zhǐ tiáo xiě gè dì zhǐ jiāo gěi chē fū， shàng miàn xiě zhe shǐ wǎng láo sè jiē sī tè lán dé jìn tóu chù， fēn fù tā bù yào diū diào zhǐ tiáo。 nǐ yào shì xiān bǎ chē fèi fù qīng， nǐ de chē yī tíng， mǎ shàng chuān guò jiē dào， yú jiǔ diǎn yī kè dào dá jiē de lìng yī duān。 nǐ huì jiàn dào yī liàng sì lún jiào shì xiǎo mǎ chē děng zài jiē biān， gǎn chē de rén pī shēn hēi sè dǒu péng， lǐng zǐ shàng xiāng yòu hóng biān， nǐ shàng liǎo chē， biàn néng jí shí gǎn dào wéi duō lì yà chē zhàn dā chéng kāi wǎng 'ōu zhōu dà lù de kuài chē。”
　　“ wǒ zài nǎ lǐ hé nǐ pèng tóu？”
　　“ zài chē zhàn。 wǒ men dìng de zuò wèi zài cóng qián wǎng hòu shù dì 'èr jié tóu děng chē xiāng lǐ。”
　　“ nà me， chē xiāng jiù shì wǒ men de pèng tóu dì diǎn liǎo？”
　　“ duì。”
　　 wǒ liú fú 'ěr mó sī zhù sù， tā zhí yì bù kěn。 hěn xiǎn rán， tā rèn wéi tā zhù zài zhè lǐ huì zhāo lái má fán， zhè jiù shì tā fēi lí kāi bù kě de yuán yīn。 tā cāng cù jiǎng liǎo yī xià wǒ men míng tiān de jìhuà， biàn zhàn qǐ shēn lái hé wǒ yī tóng zǒu jìn huā yuán， fān qiáng dào liǎo mò dì mò jiē， lì jí hū shào yī shēng， huàn lái yī liàng mǎ chē， wǒ tīng jiàn tā chéng chē shǐ qù。
　　 dì 'èr tiān zǎo chén， wǒ bù zhé bù kòu dì 'àn zhào fú 'ěr mó sī de zhǐ lìng xíng shì， cǎi qǔ liǎo jǐn shèn de cuò shī， yǐ fáng gù lái de mǎ chē shì zhuān mén wèiwǒ men shè xià de juàn tào。
　　 wǒ chī guò zǎo fàn， xuǎn dìng liǎo yī liàng shuāng lún mǎ chē， lì jí shǐ wǎng láo sè jiē。 wǒ fēi bēn zhe chuān guò zhè tiáo jiē。 yī wèi shēn cái yì cháng kuí wú de chē fū， pī zhe hēi dǒu péng， jià zhe yī liàng sì lún xiǎo mǎ chē zhèng děng zài nà lǐ， wǒ yī bù kuà shàng chē， tā lì jí huī biān cè mǎ， shǐ wǎng wéi duō lì yà chē zhàn， wǒ yī xià chē， tā biàn diào guò chē tóu jí chí 'ér qù。
　　 dào mù qián wéi zhǐ， yī qiē jìn xíng dé lìng rén pèi fú bù yǐ。 wǒ de xíng lǐ yǐ zài chē shàng， wǒ háo bù fèi lì jiù zhǎo dào liǎo fú 'ěr mó sī zhǐ dìng de chē xiāng， yīn wéi zhǐ yòu yī jié chē xiāng shàng biāo zhe“ yù dìng” zì yàng。 xiàn zài zhǐ yòu yī jiàn shì lìng wǒ zháojí， nà jiù shì fú 'ěr mó sī méi yòu lái。 wǒ kàn liǎo kàn chē zhàn shàng de zhōng， lí kāi chē shí jiān zhǐ yòu qī fēn zhōng liǎo。 wǒ zài yī qún lǚ kè hé gào bié de rén qún zhōng xún zhǎo wǒ péng yǒu nà shòu cháng de shēn qū， què háo wú zōng yǐng。 wǒ jiàn dào yī wèi gāo líng de yì dà lì jiào shì， zuǐ lǐ shuō zhe bié jiǎo de yīng yǔ， jìn lì xiǎng ràng bān yùn gōng míng bái， tā de xíng lǐ yào tuō yùn dào bā lí。 zhè shí wǒ shàng qián bāng liǎo diǎn máng， dān gē liǎo jǐ fēn zhōng。 rán hòu， tā yòu xiàng sì zhōu dǎliang liǎo yī fān。 wǒ huí dào chē xiāng lǐ， fā xiàn nà gè bān yùn gōng bù guǎn piào hào duì bù duì， jìng bǎ nà wèi gāo líng yì dà lì péng yǒu lǐng lái hé wǒ zuò bàn。 jìn guǎn wǒ duì tā jiě shì shuō bù yào qīn zhàn bié rén de zuò wèi， kě shì sī háo méi yòng， yīn wéi wǒ shuō yì dà lì yǔ bǐ tā shuō yīng yǔ gèng zāo gāo， suǒ yǐ wǒ zhǐ hǎo wú kě nài hé dì sǒng liǎo sǒng shuāng jiān， jì xù jiāo zhuó bù 'ān dì xiàng wài zhāng wàng， xún zhǎo wǒ de péng yǒu。 wǒ xiǎng dào zuó yè tā kě néng shì zāo dào liǎo xí jī， suǒ yǐ jīn tiān méi lái， bù yóu xià dé bù hán 'ér lì。
　　 huǒ chē suǒ yòu de mén dū guān shàng liǎo， qì dí xiǎng liǎo， cǐ shí ……
　　“ wǒ qīn 'ài de huá shēng，” yī gè shēng yīn chuán lái，“ nǐ hái méi yòu qū zūn xiàng wǒ dào zǎo 'ān ní。”
　　 wǒ dà chī yī jīng， huí guò tóu lái， nà lǎo jiào shì yǐ xiàng wǒ zhuǎn guò liǎn lái。 tā nà mǎn liǎn zhòu wén qǐng kè bù jiàn liǎo， bí zǐ biàn gāo liǎo， xià zuǐ chún bù tū chū liǎo， zuǐ yě bù biě liǎo， dāi zhì de shuāng yǎn biàn dé jiǒng jiǒng yòu shén， wān qū de shēn tǐ shū zhǎn kāi liǎo。
　　 rán hòu zhěng gè shēn qū yòu shuāi wěi liǎo， ér fú 'ěr mó sī yòu xiàng tā lái shí nà yàng shū rán xiāo shī。
　　“ tiān nǎ！” wǒ gāo shēng jiào dào，“ nǐ jiǎn zhí xià sǐ wǒ liǎo！”
　　“ yán mì fáng fàn yǐ rán shì bì yào de，” fú 'ěr mó sī xiǎo shēng shuō dào，“ wǒ yòu lǐ yóu rèn wéi tā men zhèng jǐn zhuī wǒ men。 ā， nà jiù shì mò lǐ yà dì jiào shòu běn rén。”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī shuō shí， huǒ chē yǐ jīng kāi dòng。 wǒ xiàng hòu wàng liǎo yī yǎn， jiàn yī gè shēn cái gāo dà de rén měng rán cóng rén qún zhōng chuǎng chū lái， bù zhù huī shǒu， fǎng fó xiǎng jiào huǒ chē tíng xià shìde。 bù guò wéi shí tài wǎn liǎo， yīn wéi wǒ men de liè chē zhèng zài jiā sù， yī shùn jiān jiù chū liǎo chē zhàn。
　　“ yóu yú zuò liǎo fáng fàn， nǐ kàn wǒ men hěn lì suǒ dì tuō shēn liǎo，” fú 'ěr mó sī xiào róng mǎn miàn dì shuō zhe zhàn qǐ shēn lái， tuō xià huà zhuāng yòng de hēi sè jiào shì yī mào， zhuāng jìn shǒu tí dài lǐ。
　　“ nǐ kàn guò jīn tiān de chén bào liǎo má， huá shēng？”
　　“ méi yòu。”
　　“ nà me， nǐ bù zhī dào bèi kè jiē de shì má？”
　　“ bèi kè jiē？”
　　“ zuó yè tā men bǎ wǒ men de fáng zǐ diǎn zhe liǎo。 bù guò méi yòu zào chéng zhòng dà sǔn shī。”
　　“ wǒ de tiān nǎ！ fú 'ěr mó sī， zhè shì bù néng róng rěn de！”
　　“ cóng nà gè yòng dà tóu bàng xí jī wǒ de rén bèi bǔ yǐ hòu， tā men jiù zhǎo bù dào wǒ de xíng zōng liǎo。 fǒu zé tā men bù huì yǐ wèiwǒ yǐ huí jiā liǎo。 bù guò， tā men xiǎn rán yù xiān duì nǐ jìn xíng liǎo jiān shì， zhè jiù shì mò lǐ yà dì lái dào wéi duō lì yà chē zhàn de yuán yīn。 nǐ lái shí méi yòu liú xià yī diǎn lòu dòng má？”
　　“ wǒ wán quán 'àn nǐ fēn fù xíng shì de。”
　　“ nǐ zhǎo dào nà liàng shuāng lún mǎ chē liǎo má？”
　　“ duì， tā zhèng děng zài nà lǐ。”
　　“ nǐ rèn shí nà gè mǎ chē fū má？”
　　“ bù rèn shí。”
　　“ nà shì wǒ gē gē mài kè luó fū tè。 zài bàn zhè yàng de shì qíng shí， zuì hǎo bù yǐ lài gù yòng de rén。 bù guò wǒ men xiàn zài bì xū zhì dìng hǎo duì fù mò lǐ yà dì de jìhuà。”
　　“ jì rán zhè shì kuài chē， ér lún chuán yòu hé zhè liè chē lián yùn， wǒ rèn wéi wǒ men yǐ jīng chéng gōng dì bǎ tā shuǎi diào liǎo。”
　　“ wǒ qīn 'ài de huá shēng， wǒ céng duì nǐ shuō guò zhè gè rén de zhì lì shuǐ píng hé wǒ bù xiāng shàng xià， nǐ xiǎn rán bìng wèi wán quán lǐ jiě zhè huà de yì sī。 rú guǒ wǒ shì nà gè zhuī zōng zhě， nǐ jué bù huì rèn wéi， wǒ yù dào zhè yàng yī diǎn xiǎo xiǎo de zhàng 'ài jiù bèi nán dǎo liǎo。 nà me， nǐ yòu zěn néng zhè yàng xiǎo kàn tā ní？”
　　“ tā néng zěn me bàn ní？”
　　“ wǒ néng zěn me bàn， tā jiù néng zěn me bàn。”
　　“ nà me， nǐ yào zěn me bàn ní？”
　　“ dìng yī liàng zhuān chē。”
　　“ kě shì nà yī dìng tài wǎn liǎo。”
　　“ gēn běn bù wǎn。 zhè tàng chē yào zài kǎn tè bó léi zhàn tíng chē， píng cháng zǒng shì zhì shǎo dān gē yī kè zhōng cái néng shàng chuán。 tā huì zài mǎ tóu shàng zhuā zhù wǒ men de。”
　　“ nà bié rén hái yǐ wèiwǒ men shì zuì fàn ní。 wǒ men hé bù zài tā lái dào shí xiān dài bǔ tā？”
　　“ nà jiù shǐ wǒ sān gè yuè de xīn xuè bái fèi liǎo。 wǒ men suī rán néng zhuō zhù dà yú， kě shì nà xiē xiǎo yú jiù huì héng chōng zhí zhuàng， tuō wǎng 'ér táo。 dàn dào xīng qī yī wǒ men jiù kě yǐ bǎ tā men yī wǎng dǎ jìn。 bù xíng， jué bù néng dài bǔ tā。”
　　“ nà zěn me bàn ní？”
　　“ wǒ men cóng kǎn tè bó léi zhàn xià chē。”
　　“ rán hòu ní？”
　　“ ā， rán hòu wǒ men zuò héng guàn quán guó de lǚ xíng， dào niǔ hēi wén qù， rán hòu dào dí 'āi pǔ qù。 mò lǐ yà dì yī dìng xiàng wǒ zài zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià huì zuò de nà yàng dào bā lí， rèn zhǔn wǒ men tuō yùn de xíng lǐ， zài chē zhàn děng hòu liǎng tiān。 yǔ cǐ tóng shí， wǒ men mǎi liǎng gè zhān shuì dài， yǐ biàn gǔ lì yī xià yán tú guó jiā de shuì dài shāng， rán hòu cóng róng zì zài dì jīng guò lú sēn bǎo hé bā sài 'ěr dào ruì shì yī yóu。”
　　 suǒ yǐ， wǒ men zài kǎn tè bó léi zhàn xià liǎo chē， kě shì xià chē yī kàn， hái yào děng yī xiǎo shí cái yòu chē dào niǔ hēi wén。
　　 nà jié zài zhe wǒ quán tào xíng zhuāng de xíng lǐ chē jí chí 'ér qù， wǒ yǐ rán xīn qíng jù sàng dì wàng zhe， zhè shí fú 'ěr mó sī lā liǎo lā wǒ de yī xiù， xiàng yuǎn chù zhǐ zhe。
　　“ nǐ kàn， guǒ rán lái liǎo。” tā shuō dào。
　　 yuǎn fāng， cóng kěn tè sēn lín zhōng shēng qǐ yī lǚ hēi yān， yī fēn zhōng hòu， kě yǐ kàn dào jī chē yǐn zhe liè chē pá guò wān dào， xiàng chē zhàn jí chí 'ér lái。 wǒ men gāng gāng zài yī duī xíng lǐ hòu miàn cáng hǎo shēn， nà liè chē jiù míng zhe qì dí lóng lóng shǐ guò， yī gǔ rè qì xiàng wǒ men yíng miàn pū lái。
　　“ tā zǒu liǎo，” wǒ men jiàn nà liè chē fēi kuài dì yuè guò jǐ gè xiǎo qiū， fú 'ěr mó sī shuō dào，“ nǐ kàn， wǒ men péng yǒu de zhì lì bì jìng yòu xiàn。 tā yào shì néng bǎ wǒ tuī duàn de shì tuī duàn chū lái， bìng cǎi qǔ xiāng yìng de xíng dòng， nà jiù fēi cháng gāo chāo liǎo。”
　　“ tā yào shì gǎn shàng wǒ men， huì zěn me yàng ní？”
　　“ háo wú yí wèn， tā yī dìng yào shā sǐ wǒ de。 bù guò， zhè shì yīcháng shèng fù wèi bǔ de gé dǒu。 xiàn zài de wèn tí shì wǒ men zài zhè lǐ tí qián jìn wǔ cān ní， hái shì gǎn dào niǔ hēi wén zài zhǎo fàn guǎn； bù guò dào niǔ hēi wén jiù yòu 'è dù zǐ de wēi xiǎn liǎo。”
　　 dāng yè wǒ men dào dá bù lǔ sài 'ěr， zài nà lǐ dòu liú liǎo liǎng tiān， dì sān tiān dào dá shī tè lā sī bǎo。 xīng qī yī zǎo chén fú 'ěr mó sī xiàng sū gé lán chǎng fā liǎo yī fēng diàn bào， dāng wǎn wǒ men huí lǚ diàn jiù jiàn huí diàn yǐ jīng dào liǎo。 fú 'ěr mó sī chāi kāi diàn bào， rán hòu biàn tòng mà yī shēng bǎ tā rēng jìn liǎo huǒ lú。
　　“ wǒ zǎo jiù yīnggāi yù liào dào zhè yī diǎn！” fú 'ěr mó sī hēng liǎo yī shēng shuō dào，“ tā páo liǎo。”
　　“ mò lǐ yà dì má？”“ sū gé lán chǎng pò huò liǎo zhěng gè jí tuán， kě jiù shì méi yòu zhuā zhù mò lǐ yà dì， tā liù zǒu liǎo。 jì rán wǒ lí kāi liǎo yīng guó， dāng rán shuí yě duì fù bù liǎo tā liǎo， kě shì wǒ què rèn wéi sū gé lán chǎng yǐ jīng wěn cāo shèng quàn liǎo。 wǒ kàn， nǐ zuì hǎo hái shì huí yīng guó qù， huá shēng。”
　　“ wèishénme？”
　　“ yīn wéi xiàn zài nǐ hé wǒ zuò bàn yǐ jīng hěn wēi xiǎn liǎo。 nà gè rén lǎo cháo yǐ jīng bèi duān liǎo， rú guǒ tā huí dào lún dūn qù， tā yě yào wán dàn。 jiǎ rú wǒ duì tā de xìng gé liǎo jiě dé bù cuò de huà， tā bì dìng yī xīn yào zhǎo wǒ fù chóu。 zài nà cì hé wǒ jiǎn duǎn de tán huà lǐ， tā yǐ shuō dé hěn qīng chǔ liǎo。 wǒ xiāng xìn tā shì shuō dé chū jiù zuòde dào de。 yīn cǐ wǒ bì xū quàn nǐ huí qù xíng yī。”
　　 yīn wéi wǒ céng duō cì xié zhù tā bàn 'àn， yòu shì tā de lǎo péng yǒu， suǒ yǐ hěn nán tóng yì tā de zhè zhǒng jiàn yì。 duì zhè gè wèn tí， wǒ men zuò zài shī tè lā sī bǎo fàn guǎn zhēng lùn liǎo bàn xiǎo shí， dàn dāng yè jué dìng jì xù lǚ xíng， wǒ men píng 'ān dào dá rì nèi wǎ。
　　 wǒ men yī lù màn yóu， zài lóng hé xiá gǔ dù guò liǎo lìng rén shén wǎng de yī zhōu， rán hòu， cóng luò yī kè zhuǎn lù qián wǎng jí mǐ shān 'ài， shān shàng yǐ rán jī xuě hěn hòu， zuì hòu， qǔ dào yīn tè lā kěn， qù mài lín gēn。 zhè shì yī cì shǎng xīn yuè mùdì lǚ xíng， shān xià chūn guāng míng mèi， yī piàn nèn lǜ， shān shàng bái xuě 'ái 'ái， yǐ rán hán dōng。 kě shì wǒ hěn qīng chǔ， fú 'ěr mó sī yī shí yī kè yě méi yòu wàng diào héng zài tā xīn shàng de yīn yǐng。 wú lùn shì zài chún pǔ de 'ā 'ěr bēi sī shān cūn， hái shì zài rén jì xī shǎo de shān 'ài， tā duì měi yī gè cóng wǒ men shēn bàng jīng guò de réndōu jí sù dì tóu yǐ jǐng tì de mù guāng， zǎi xì dǎliang zhe。 wǒ cóng zhè jiàn shì kàn chū， tā què xìn， bù guǎn wǒ men zǒu dào nǎ lǐ， dōuyòu bèi rén gēn zōng de wēi xiǎn。
　　 wǒ jì dé， yòu yī cì wǒ men tōng guò liǎo jí mǐ shān 'ài， yán zhe lìng rén yù mèn de dào běn ní shān biān jiè bù xíng， tū rán yī kuài dà shān shí cóng yòu fāng shān jǐ shàng zhuì luò， gū dōng yī shēng diào xià lái， gǔn dào wǒ men shēn hòu de hú zhōng。 fú 'ěr mó sī lì kè páo shàng shān jǐ， zhàn zài gāo sǒng de fēng dǐng， yán jǐng sì wàng。 jìn guǎn wǒ men de xiàng dǎo xiàng tā bǎo zhèng， chūn jì zhè gè dì fāng shān shí zhuì luò shì jīng cháng de xiàn xiàng， réng wú jì wú shì。 fú 'ěr mó sī suī mò bù zuò shēng， dàn xiàng wǒ wēi xiào zhe， dài zhe zǎo yǐ liào dào huì yòu cǐ shì nà zhǒng shén qíng。
　　 jìn guǎn tā shí fēn jǐng tì， dàn bìng bù huī xīn sàng qì。 qià qià xiāng fǎn， wǒ guò qù hái cóng wèi jiàn guò tā zhè yàng jīng shén dǒu sǒu guò。 tā yī cì yòu yī cì fǎn fù tí qǐ： rú guǒ tā néng wéi shè huì chú diào mò lǐ yà dì jiào shòu zhè gè huò hài， nà mò， tā jiù xīn gān qíng yuàn jié shù tā de zhēn tàn shēng yá。
　　“ huá shēng， wǒ mǎn kě yǐ shuō， wǒ wán quán méi yòu xū dù cǐ shēng，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō dào，“ rú guǒ wǒ shēng mìng de lǚ chéng dào jīn yè wéi zhǐ， wǒ yě kě yǐ wèn xīn wú kuì dì shì sǐ rú guī。 yóu yú wǒ de cún zài， lún dūn de kōng qì dé yǐ qīng xīn。 zài wǒ bàn de yī qiān duō jiàn 'àn zǐ lǐ， wǒ xiāng xìn， wǒ cóng wèi bǎ wǒ de lì liàng yòng cuò liǎo dì fāng。 wǒ bù tài xǐ huān yán jiū wǒ men de shè huì de nà xiē qiǎn bó de wèn tí， nà shì yóu wǒ men rén wéi de shè huì zhuàng tài zào chéng de， què gèng xǐ huān yán jiū dà zì rán tí chū de wèn tí。 huá shēng， yòu yī tiān， dāng wǒ bǎ nà wèi 'ōu zhōu zuì wēi xiǎn 'ér yòu zuì yòu néng nài de zuì fàn bǔ huò huò xiāo miè de shí hòu， wǒ de zhēn tàn shēng yá yě jiù gào zhōng liǎo， ér nǐ de huí yì lù yě kě yǐ shōu wěi liǎo。”
　　 wǒ zhǔn bèi jìn liàng jiǎn míng 'ě yào 'ér yòu zhǔn què wú wù dì jiǎng wán wǒ zhè gè gù shì。
　　 wǒ běn xīn shì bù yuàn xì jiǎng zhè jiàn shì de， kě shì wǒ de zé rèn xīn bù róng xǔ wǒ yí lòu rèn hé xì jié。
　　 wǔ yuè sān rì， wǒ men dào liǎo hé lán mài lín gēn de yī gè xiǎo cūn zhèn， zhù zài lǎo bǐ dé · sī tài lè kāi shè de“ dà yīng lǚ guǎn” lǐ。 diàn zhù shì yī gè cōng míng rén， céng zài lún dūn gé luó fū nà lǚ guǎn dāng guò sān nián shì zhě， huì shuō yī kǒu piào liàng de yīng yǔ。 sì rì xià wǔ， zài tā de jiàn yì xià， wǒ men liǎng rén yī qǐ chū fā， dǎ suàn fān shān yuè lǐng dào luó sēn luò yǐ de yī gè xiǎo cūn zhuāng qù guò yè。 bù guò， tā zhèng zhòng dì xiàng wǒ men jiàn yì bù yào cuò guò bàn shān yāo shàng de lāi xīn bā hè pù bù ［ ruì shì zhù míng pù bù。 héng héng yì zhě zhù ］， kě yǐ shāo wēi rào yī xiē lù qù xīn shǎng yī fān。
　　 nà què shí shì yī gè xiǎn 'è de dì fāng。 róng xuě huì chéng jī liú， qīng xiè jìn wàn zhàng shēn yuān， shuǐ huā gāo jiàn， wǎn rú fáng wū shī huǒ shí mào chū de nóng yān。 hé liú zhù rù de gǔ kǒu běn shēn jiù yòu yī gè jù dà de liè xià， liǎng 'àn chù lì zhe hēi méi yī bān de shān yán， wǎng xià liè xià biàn zhǎi liǎo， rǔ bái sè de、 fèi téng bān de shuǐ liú xiè rù wú dǐ shēn hè， yǒng yì bèng jiàn chū yī gǔ jī liú cóng huōkǒu chù liú xià， lián mián bù duàn de lǜ bō fā chū léi míng bān jù shēng qīng xiè 'ér xià， nóng mì 'ér huàng dòng de shuǐ lián jīng jiǔ bù xī dì fā chū xiǎng shēng， shuǐ huā xiàng shàng fēi jiàn， tuān liú yǔ xuān 'áo shēng shǐ rén tóuyūn mù huàn。 wǒ men zhàn zài shān biān níng shì zhe xià fāng pāi jī zhe hēi yán de làng huā， qīng tīng zhe shēn yuān fā chū de wǎn rú nù hǒu de lóng lóng xiǎng shēng。
　　 bàn shān pō shàng， huán rào pù bù bì chū yī tiáo xiǎo jìng， shǐ rén néng bǎo lǎn pù bù quán jǐng， kě shì xiǎo jìng duàn rán zhōng zhǐ， yóu kè zhǐ hǎo yuán lù fǎn huí。 wǒ men yě zhǐ hǎo zhuǎn shēn fǎn huí， hū rán kàn dào yī gè ruì shì shàonián shǒu ná yī fēng xìn shùn xiǎo lù páo guò lái， xìn shàng yòu wǒ men gāng gāng lí kāi de nà jiā lǚ guǎn de yìn zhāng， shì diàn zhù xiě gěi wǒ de。 xìn shàng xiě zhe， zài wǒ men lí kāi bù jiǔ， lái liǎo yī wèi yīng guó fù nǚ， yǐ jīng dào liǎo fèi jié hé hòu qī。 tā zài dá wò sī pǔ lā cí guò dōng， xiàn zài dào lú sài 'ēn lǚ yóu fǎng yǒu。
　　 bù liào tā tū rán gē xuè， shù xiǎo shí nèi， pō yòu shēng mìng wēi xiǎn， rú néng yòu yī wèi yīng guó yī shēng wéi tā zhěn zhì， tā jiāng gǎn dào shí fēn kuài wèi， wèn wǒ kě fǒu fǎn huí yī tàng děng děng。 hǎo xīn de diàn zhù sī tài lè zài fù yán zhōng yòu shuō， yīn wéi zhè wèi fū rén duàn rán jù jué ràng ruì shì yī shēng zhěn zhì， tā bié wú bàn fǎ zhǐ hǎo zì jǐ dān fù zhòng dà de zé rèn， wǒ rú yǔn nuò， tā běn rén jiāng duì wǒ méng gǎn dà dé。
　　 zhè zhǒng qǐng qiú， shì bù néng zhì zhī bù lǐ de， bù néng jù jué yī wèi shēn zài yì guó shēng mìng chuí wēi de nǚ tóng bāo de qǐng qiú。 kě shì yào lí kāi fú 'ěr mó sī， què yòu shǐ wǒ chóu chú bù jué。 rán 'ér， zuì hòu wǒ liǎ yī zhì jué dìng， zài wǒ fǎn huí mài lín gēn qī jiān， tā bǎ zhè wèi sòng xìn de ruì shì qīng nián liú zài shēn biān zuò xiàng dǎo hé lǚ bàn。 fú 'ěr mó sī shuō， tā yào zài zhè pù bù bàng shāo shì dòu liú， rán hòu huǎn bù fān shān 'ér guò qián wǎng luó sēn luò yǐ， wǒ zài bàng wǎn shí fēn dào nà lǐ hé tā xiāng huì。 wǒ zhuǎn shēn zǒu kāi shí， kàn dào fú 'ěr mó sī bèi kào shān shí， shuāng shǒu bào bì， fǔ kàn zhe fēi xiè de shuǐ liú。 bù liào zhè jìng shì wǒ hé tā jīn shì de yǒng bié。
　　 dāng wǒ zǒu xià shān pō niǔ tóu huí gù shí， pù bù yǐ yǎo bù kě jiàn， bù guò réng kě kàn dào shān yāo tōng wǎng pù bù de wān yán qí qū de xiǎo jìng。 wǒ jì dé， dāng shí kàn jiàn yī gè rén shùn xiǎo jìng kuài bù zǒu shàng qù。 zài tā shēn hòu lǜ yìn de chèn tuō zhī xià， wǒ hěn qīng chǔ dì kàn dào tā hēi sè de shēn yǐng。 wǒ zhù yì dào tā， zhù yì dào tā zǒu lù shí nà zhǒng jīng shén dǒu sǒu de yàng zǐ， kě shì yīn wéi wǒ yòu jí shì zài shēn， hěn kuài biàn bǎ tā wàng què liǎo。
　　 dà yuē zǒu liǎo yī gè duō xiǎo shí， wǒ cái dào mài lín gēn。 lǎo sī tài lè zhèng zhàn zài lǚ guǎn mén kǒu。
　　“ wèi，” wǒ jí máng zǒu guò qù shuō dào，“ wǒ xiāng xìn tā bìng qíng méi yòu 'è huà bā？”
　　 tā dùn shí miàn chéng jīng yì zhī sè， yī jiàn tā shuāng méi xiàng shàng yī yáng， wǒ de xīn bù yóu chén zhòng qǐ lái。
　　“ nǐ méi yòu xiě zhè fēng xìn má？” wǒ cóng yī dài lǐ tāo chū xìn lái wèn dào，“ lǚ guǎn lǐ méi yòu yī wèi shēng bìng de yīng guó nǚ rén má？”
　　“ dāng rán méi yòu！” tā dà shēng shuō dào，“ kě shì zhè shàng miàn yòu lǚ guǎn de yìn zhāng！
　　 hā， zhè yī dìng shì nà gè gāo gè zǐ yīng guó rén xiě de， tā shì zài nǐ men zǒu hòu lái dào zhè lǐ de。 tā shuō……”
　　 kě shì wǒ méi děng diàn zhù shuō wán， biàn jīng kǒng shī sè yán cūn lù jí sù páo huí， bēn xiàng gāng cái zǒu guò de nà tiáo xiǎo jìng。 wǒ lái shí shì xià pō zǒu liǎo yī gè duō xiǎo shí， kě zhè cì fǎn huí shì shàng pō， jìn guǎn wǒ pīn mìng kuài páo， fǎn huí lāi xīn bā hè pù bù shí， hái shì guò liǎo liǎng gè duō xiǎo shí。 fú 'ěr mó sī de dēng shān zhàng yǐ rán kào zài wǒ men fēn shǒu shí tā kào guò de nà kuài yán shí shàng。 kě shì què bù jiàn tā běn rén de zōng yǐng， wǒ dà shēng hū huàn zhe， kě shì 'ěr biān zhǐ yòu sì zhōu shān gǔ chuán lái de huí shēng。
　　 kàn dào dēng shān zhàng， bù yóu shǐ wǒ bù hán 'ér lì。 nà me shuō， tā méi yòu dào luó sēn luò yǐ qù， zài zāo dào chóu dí xí jī shí， tā yǐ rán dài zài zhè tiáo yī biān shì dǒu bì、 yī biān shì shēn jiàn de sān yīng chǐ kuān de xiǎo jìng shàng。 nà gè ruì shì shàonián yě bù jiàn liǎo。 tā kě néng ná liǎo mò lǐ yà dì de shǎng qián， liú xià zhè liǎng gè duì shǒu zǒu kāi liǎo。 hòu lái fā shēng liǎo shénme shì？ yòu shuí lái gào sù wǒ men hòu lái fā shēng liǎo shénme shì ní？
　　 wǒ bèi zhè jiàn shì xià hūn liǎo tóu， zài nà lǐ zhàn liǎo yī liǎng fēn zhōng， jié lì shǐ zì jǐ zhèn jìng xià lái， rán hòu kāi shǐ xiǎng qǐ fú 'ěr mó sī de fāng fǎ， jié lì yùn yòng tā qù chá míng zhè chǎng bēi jù。 āi yā， zhè bìng bù nán。 wǒ men tán huà shí， hái méi yòu zǒu dào xiǎo jìng de jìn tóu， dēng shān zhàng jiù shuō míng liǎo wǒ men céng jīng zhàn guò de dì fāng。 wēi hēi de tǔ rǎng shòu dào shuǐ huā jīng cháng bù duàn de jiàn sǎ， shǐ zhōng shì sōng ruǎn de， jí shǐ yī zhǐ niǎo luò zài shàng miàn yě huì liú xià zhǎo yìn。 zài wǒ jiǎo xià， yòu liǎng pái qīng xī de jiǎo yìn yī zhí tōng xiàng xiǎo jìng jìn tóu chù， bìng méi yòu fǎn huí de hén jì。 lí xiǎo lù jìn tóu chù jǐ mǎ de dì fāng， dì miàn bèi jiàn tà chéng ní nìng xiǎo dào liè xià biān shàng de jīng jí hé yáng chǐ cǎo bèi chě luàn， dǎo fú zài ní shuǐ zhōng。 wǒ fú zài xià biān， dī tóu chá kàn， shuǐ huā zài wǒ zhōu wéi pēn jiàn。 wǒ lí kāi lǚ guǎn shí， tiān sè yǐ jīng kāi shǐ hēi xià lái， xiàn zài wǒ zhǐ néng kàn dào hēi sè de qiào bì shàng de shuǐ zhū yì yì fā guāng yǐ jí xiá gǔ yuǎn chù làng huā chōng jī de shǎn guāng。 wǒ dà shēng hū huàn， kě shì zhǐ yòu nà pù bù de bēn téng yóu rú rén shēng chuán rù 'ěr zhōng。
　　 bù guò mìng zhōng zhù dìng， wǒ zhōng yú zhǎo dào liǎo wǒ péng yǒu hé tóng zhì de lín zhōng yí yán。
　　 wǒ gāng cái yǐ jīng shuō guò， tā de dēng shān zhàng xié kào zài xiǎo jìng bàng de yī kuài tū chū de yán shí shàng。 zài zhè kuài yuán shí dǐng shàng yòu yī jiàn dōng xī shǎn shǎn fā guāng， yìng rù wǒ de yǎn lián， wǒ jǔ shǒu qǔ xià lái， fā xiàn nà shì fú 'ěr mó sī jīng cháng suí shēn xié dài de yín yān hé。 wǒ ná qǐ yān hé， yān hé xià miàn yā zhe de dié chéng xiǎo fāng kuài de zhǐ fēi luò dào dì miàn。 wǒ dǎ kāi tā， yuán lái shì cóng bǐ jì běn shàng sī xià lái de sān yè zhǐ， shì xiě gěi wǒ de。 tā wán quán xiǎn chū fú 'ěr mó sī de tè xìng， zhǐ shì zhào yàng zhǔn què， bǐ fǎ gāngjìng yòu lì， fǎng fó shì zài shū fáng xiě chéng de。
　　 wǒ qīn 'ài de huá shēng（ xìn shàng xiě dào）： chéng méng mò lǐ yà dì xiān shēng de hǎo yì， wǒ xiě xià zhè jǐ xíng shū xìn， tā zhèng děng zhe duì wǒ men zhī jiān cún zài de wèn tí jìn xíng zuì hòu de tǎo lùn。 tā yǐ xiàng wǒ gài shù liǎo tā bǎi tuō yīng guó bìng chá míng wǒ men xíng zōng de fāng fǎ。 zhè gèng jiā kěn dìng dì zhèng shí liǎo wǒ duì tā de cái néng suǒ zuò de jí gāo píng jià。 wǒ yī xiǎng dào wǒ néng wéi shè huì chú diào yóu yú tā de cún zài 'ér dài lái de huò hài， jiù hěn gāo xīng， jìn guǎn zhè kǒng pà yào gěi wǒ de péng yǒu men， tè bié shì gěi nǐ， wǒ qīn 'ài de huá shēng， dài lái bēi 'āi。 bù guò， wǒ yǐ jīng xiàng nǐ jiě shì guò liǎo， wǒ de shēng yá yǐ jīng dào liǎo jǐn yào guān tóu， ér duì wǒ lái shuō， zài méi yòu bǐ zhè yàng de jié jú gèng shǐ wǒ xīn mǎn yì zú de liǎo。 chéng rán， rú guǒ wǒ duì nǐ chè dǐ tǎn bái shuō， wǒ wán quán zhī dào mài lín gēn de lái xìn shì yīcháng， ér wǒ ràng nǐ zǒu kāi， shì yīn wéi wǒ què xìn， yī xì liè lèi sì de shì qíng huì jiē zhǒng 'ér zhì。 qǐng gào sù jǐng cháng pà tè sēn， tā suǒ xū yào de gěi nà gè fěi bāng dìng zuì de zhèng jù fàng zài zì shǒu wéi Ｍ de wén jiàn jià lǐ， lǐ miàn yòu yī gè lán xìn fēng， shàng xiě“ mò lǐ yà dì”。 zài lí kāi yīng guó shí， wǒ yǐ jiāng bó chǎn zuò liǎo chǔlǐ， bìng yǐ fù yǔ wǒ xiōng mài kè luó fū tè。 qǐng dài wǒ xiàng huá shēng fū rén wèn hòu， wǒ de péng yǒu。
　　 nǐ zhōng chéng de xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī
　　 yú xià de shì jǐ jù huà jiù néng shuō qīng chǔ。 jīng guò zhuān jiā jìn xíng xiàn chǎng kān chá， háo wú yí wèn， zhè liǎng rén jìn xíng guò yīcháng bó dǒu， qí jiēguǒ zài zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià zhǐ néng shì liǎng rén jǐn jǐn dì niǔ dǎ zài yī qǐ， yáo yáo huàng huàng dì zhuì rù liè xià。 háo wú zhǎo dào tā men de shī tǐ de xī wàng， ér dāng dài zuì wēi xiǎn de zuì fàn hé zuì jié chū de wèi shì jiāng yǒng yuǎn zàng shēn zài nà xuán wō jī dàng、 pào mò fèi téng de wú dǐ shēn yuān zhōng。 hòu lái zài méi yòu rén jiàn dào nà gè ruì shì shàonián， tā fēn míng shì mò lǐ yà dì gù yòng de zhǎo yá。
　　 zhì yú nà gè fěi bāng， dà gài gōng zhòng dū hái jì dé， fú 'ěr mó sī suǒ sōu jí de shí fēn wán zhěng de zuì zhèng， jiē lù liǎo tā men de zǔ zhì， jiē lù liǎo sǐ qù de mò lǐ yà dì de tiě wàn duì tā men kòng zhì dé shì duō me yán mì。 zài sù sòng guò chéng zhōng， duì tā men nà kě pà de shǒu lǐng de xiáng qíng hěn shǎo shè jí， ér xiàn zài wǒ zhī suǒ yǐ bù dé bù bǎ tā de zuì 'è gòu dāng hé pán tuō chū， zhè shì yóu yú nà xiē wǎng fèi xīn jī de biàn hù shì men wàng xiǎng yòng gōng jī fú 'ěr mó sī de shǒu duàn lái jì niàn mò lǐ yà dì， ér wǒ yǒng yuǎn bǎ fú 'ěr mó sī kàn zuò wǒ suǒ zhī dào de zuì hǎo de rén， zuì míng zhì de rén。

　　It is with a heavy heart that I take up my pen to write these the last words in which I shall ever record the singular gifts by which my friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes was distinguished. In an incoherent and, as I deeply feel, an entirely inadequate fashion, I have endeavored to give some account of my strange experiences in his company from the chance which first brought us together at the period of the "Study in Scarlet," up to the time of his interference in the matter of the "Naval Treaty"--an interference which had the unquestionable effect of preventing a serious international complication. It was my intention to have stopped there, and to have said nothing of that event which has created a void in my life which the lapse of two years has done little to fill. My hand has been forced, however, by the recent letters in which Colonel James Moriarty defends the memory of his brother, and I have no choice but to lay the facts before the public exactly as they occurred. I alone know the absolute truth of the matter, and I am satisfied that the time has come when no good purpose is to be served by its suppression. As far as I know, there have been only three accounts in the public press: that in the Journal de Geneve on May 6th, 1891, the Reuter's despatch in the English papers on May 7th, and finally the recent letter to which I have alluded. Of these the first and second were extremely condensed, while the last is, as I shall now show, an absolute perversion of the facts. It lies with me to tell for the first time what really took place between Professor Moriarty and Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
　　
　　It may be remembered that after my marriage, and my subsequent start in private practice, the very intimate relations which had existed between Holmes and myself became to some extent modified. He still came to me from time to time when he desired a companion in his investigation, but these occasions grew more and more seldom, until I find that in the year 1890 there were only three cases of which I retain any record. During the winter of that year and the early spring of 1891, I saw in the papers that he had been engaged by the French government upon a matter of supreme importance, and I received two notes from Holmes, dated from Narbonne and from Nimes, from which I gathered that his stay in France was likely to be a long one. It was with some surprise, therefore, that I saw him walk into my consulting-room upon the evening of April 24th. It struck me that he was looking even paler and thinner than usual.
　　
　　"Yes, I have been using myself up rather too freely," he remarked, in answer to my look rather than to my words; "I have been a little pressed of late. Have you any objection to my closing your shutters?"
　　
　　The only light in the room came from the lamp upon the table at which I had been reading. Holmes edged his way round the wall and flinging the shutters together, he bolted them securely.
　　
　　"You are afraid of something?" I asked.
　　
　　"Well, I am."
　　
　　"Of what?"
　　
　　"Of air-guns."
　　
　　"My dear Holmes, what do you mean?"
　　
　　"I think that you know me well enough, Watson, to understand that I am by no means a nervous man. At the same time, it is stupidity rather than courage to refuse to recognize danger when it is close upon you. Might I trouble you for a match?" He drew in the smoke of his cigarette as if the soothing influence was grateful to him.
　　
　　"I must apologize for calling so late," said he, "and I must further beg you to be so unconventional as to allow me to leave your house presently by scrambling over your back garden wall."
　　
　　"But what does it all mean?" I asked.
　　
　　He held out his hand, and I saw in the light of the lamp that two of his knuckles were burst and bleeding.
　　
　　"It is not an airy nothing, you see," said he, smiling. "On the contrary, it is solid enough for a man to break his hand over. Is Mrs. Watson in?"
　　
　　"She is away upon a visit."
　　
　　"Indeed! You are alone?"
　　
　　"Quite."
　　
　　"Then it makes it the easier for me to propose that you should come away with me for a week to the Continent."
　　
　　"Where?"
　　
　　"Oh, anywhere. It's all the same to me."
　　
　　There was something very strange in all this. It was not Holmes's nature to take an aimless holiday, and something about his pale, worn face told me that his nerves were at their highest tension. He saw the question in my eyes, and, putting his finger-tips together and his elbows upon his knees, he explained the situation.
　　
　　"You have probably never heard of Professor Moriarty?" said he.
　　
　　"Never."
　　
　　"Aye, there's the genius and the wonder of the thing!" he cried. "The man pervades London, and no one has heard of him. That's what puts him on a pinnacle in the records of crime. I tell you, Watson, in all seriousness, that if I could beat that man, if I could free society of him, I should feel that my own career had reached its summit, and I should be prepared to turn to some more placid line in life. Between ourselves, the recent cases in which I have been of assistance to the royal family of Scandinavia, and to the French republic, have left me in such a position that I could continue to live in the quiet fashion which is most congenial to me, and to concentrate my attention upon my chemical researches. But I could not rest, Watson, I could not sit quiet in my chair, if I thought that such a man as Professor Moriarty were walking the streets of London unchallenged."
　　
　　"What has he done, then?"
　　
　　"His career has been an extraordinary one. He is a man of good birth and excellent education, endowed by nature with a phenomenal mathematical faculty. At the age of twenty-one he wrote a treatise upon the Binomial Theorem, which has had a European vogue. On the strength of it he won the Mathematical Chair at one of our smaller universities, and had, to all appearances, a most brilliant career before him. But the man had hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind. A criminal strain ran in his blood, which, instead of being modified, was increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers. Dark rumors gathered round him in the university town, and eventually he was compelled to resign his chair and to come down to London, where he set up as an army coach. So much is known to the world, but what I am telling you now is what I have myself discovered.
　　
　　"As you are aware, Watson, there is no one who knows the higher criminal world of London so well as I do. For years past I have continually been conscious of some power behind the malefactor, some deep organizing power which forever stands in the way of the law, and throws its shield over the wrong-doer. Again and again in cases of the most varying sorts--forgery cases, robberies, murders--I have felt the presence of this force, and I have deduced its action in many of those undiscovered crimes in which I have not been personally consulted. For years I have endeavored to break through the veil which shrouded it, and at last the time came when I seized my thread and followed it, until it led me, after a thousand cunning windings, to ex-Professor Moriarty of mathematical celebrity.
　　
　　"He is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organizer of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city. He is a genius, a philosopher, an abstract thinker. He has a brain of the first order. He sits motionless, like a spider in the center of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them. He does little himself. He only plans. But his agents are numerous and splendidly organized. Is there a crime to be done, a paper to be abstracted, we will say, a house to be rifled, a man to be removed--the word is passed to the Professor, the matter is organized and carried out. The agent may be caught. In that case money is found for his bail or his defence. But the central power which uses the agent is never caught--never so much as suspected. This was the organization which I deduced, Watson, and which I devoted my whole energy to exposing and breaking up.
　　
　　"But the Professor was fenced round with safeguards so cunningly devised that, do what I would, it seemed impossible to get evidence which would convict in a court of law. You know my powers, my dear Watson, and yet at the end of three months I was forced to confess that I had at last met an antagonist who was my intellectual equal. My horror at his crimes was lost in my admiration at his skill. But at last he made a trip--only a little, little trip--but it was more than he could afford when I was so close upon him. I had my chance, and, starting from that point, I have woven my net round him until now it is all ready to close. In three days--that is to say, on Monday next--matters will be ripe, and the Professor, with all the principal members of his gang, will be in the hands of the police. Then will come the greatest criminal trial of the century, the clearing up of over forty mysteries, and the rope for all of them; but if we move at all prematurely, you understand, they may slip out of our hands even at the last moment.
　　
　　"Now, if I could have done this without the knowledge of Professor Moriarty, all would have been well. But he was too wily for that. He saw every step which I took to draw my toils round him. Again and again he strove to break away, but I as often headed him off. I tell you, my friend, that if a detailed account of that silent contest could be written, it would take its place as the most brilliant bit of thrust-and-parry work in the history of detection. Never have I risen to such a height, and never have I been so hard pressed by an opponent. He cut deep, and yet I just undercut him. This morning the last steps were taken, and three days only were wanted to complete the business. I was sitting in my room thinking the matter over, when the door opened and Professor Moriarty stood before me.
　　
　　"My nerves are fairly proof, Watson, but I must confess to a start when I saw the very man who had been so much in my thoughts standing there on my threshhold. His appearance was quite familiar to me. He is extremely tall and thin, his forehead domes out in a white curve, and his two eyes are deeply sunken in his head. He is clean-shaven, pale, and ascetic-looking, retaining something of the professor in his features. His shoulders are rounded from much study, and his face protrudes forward, and is forever slowly oscillating from side to side in a curiously reptilian fashion. He peered at me with great curiosity in his puckered eyes.
　　
　　"'You have less frontal development than I should have expected,' said he, at last. 'It is a dangerous habit to finger loaded firearms in the pocket of one's dressing-gown.'
　　
　　"The fact is that upon his entrance I had instantly recognized the extreme personal danger in which I lay. The only conceivable escape for him lay in silencing my tongue. In an instant I had slipped the revolver from the drawer into my pocket, and was covering him through the cloth. At his remark I drew the weapon out and laid it cocked upon the table. He still smiled and blinked, but there was something about his eyes which made me feel very glad that I had it there.
　　
　　"'You evidently don't know me,' said he.
　　
　　"'On the contrary,' I answered, 'I think it is fairly evident that I do. Pray take a chair. I can spare you five minutes if you have anything to say.'
　　
　　"'All that I have to say has already crossed your mind,' said he.
　　
　　"'Then possibly my answer has crossed yours,' I replied.
　　
　　"'You stand fast?'
　　
　　"'Absolutely.'
　　
　　"He clapped his hand into his pocket, and I raised the pistol from the table. But he merely drew out a memorandum-book in which he had scribbled some dates.
　　
　　"'You crossed my path on the 4th of January,' said he. 'On the 23d you incommoded me; by the middle of February I was seriously inconvenienced by you; at the end of March I was absolutely hampered in my plans; and now, at the close of April, I find myself placed in such a position through your continual persecution that I am in positive danger of losing my liberty. The situation is becoming an impossible one.'
　　
　　"'Have you any suggestion to make?' I asked.
　　
　　"'You must drop it, Mr. Holmes,' said he, swaying his face about. 'You really must, you know.'
　　
　　"'After Monday,' said I.
　　
　　"'Tut, tut,' said he. 'I am quite sure that a man of your intelligence will see that there can be but one outcome to this affair. It is necessary that you should withdraw. You have worked things in such a fashion that we have only one resource left. It has been an intellectual treat to me to see the way in which you have grappled with this affair, and I say, unaffectedly, that it would be a grief to me to be forced to take any extreme measure. You smile, sir, but I assure you that it really would.'
　　
　　"'Danger is part of my trade,' I remarked.
　　
　　"'That is not danger,' said he. 'It is inevitable destruction. You stand in the way not merely of an individual, but of a mighty organization, the full extent of which you, with all your cleverness, have been unable to realize. You must stand clear, Mr. Holmes, or be trodden under foot.'
　　
　　"'I am afraid,' said I, rising, 'that in the pleasure of this conversation I am neglecting business of importance which awaits me elsewhere.'
　　
　　"He rose also and looked at me in silence, shaking his head sadly.
　　
　　"'Well, well,' said he, at last. 'It seems a pity, but I have done what I could. I know every move of your game. You can do nothing before Monday. It has been a duel between you and me, Mr. Holmes. You hope to place me in the dock. I tell you that I will never stand in the dock. You hope to beat me. I tell you that you will never beat me. If you are clever enough to bring destruction upon me, rest assured that I shall do as much to you.'
　　
　　"'You have paid me several compliments, Mr. Moriarty,' said I. 'Let me pay you one in return when I say that if I were assured of the former eventuality I would, in the interests of the public, cheerfully accept the latter.'
　　
　　"'I can promise you the one, but not the other,' he snarled, and so turned his rounded back upon me, and went peering and blinking out of the room.
　　
　　"That was my singular interview with Professor Moriarty. I confess that it left an unpleasant effect upon my mind. His soft, precise fashion of speech leaves a conviction of sincerity which a mere bully could not produce. Of course, you will say: 'Why not take police precautions against him?' the reason is that I am well convinced that it is from his agents the blow will fall. I have the best proofs that it would be so."
　　
　　"You have already been assaulted?"
　　
　　"My dear Watson, Professor Moriarty is not a man who lets the grass grow under his feet. I went out about mid-day to transact some business in Oxford Street. As I passed the corner which leads from Bentinck Street on to the Welbeck Street crossing a two-horse van furiously driven whizzed round and was on me like a flash. I sprang for the foot-path and saved myself by the fraction of a second. The van dashed round by Marylebone Lane and was gone in an instant. I kept to the pavement after that, Watson, but as I walked down Vere Street a brick came down from the roof of one of the houses, and was shattered to fragments at my feet. I called the police and had the place examined. There were slates and bricks piled up on the roof preparatory to some repairs, and they would have me believe that the wind had toppled over one of these. Of course I knew better, but I could prove nothing. I took a cab after that and reached my brother's rooms in Pall Mall, where I spent the day. Now I have come round to you, and on my way I was attacked by a rough with a bludgeon. I knocked him down, and the police have him in custody; but I can tell you with the most absolute confidence that no possible connection will ever be traced between the gentleman upon whose front teeth I have barked my knuckles and the retiring mathematical coach, who is, I dare say, working out problems upon a black-board ten miles away. You will not wonder, Watson, that my first act on entering your rooms was to close your shutters, and that I have been compelled to ask your permission to leave the house by some less conspicuous exit than the front door."
　　
　　I had often admired my friend's courage, but never more than now, as he sat quietly checking off a series of incidents which must have combined to make up a day of horror.
　　
　　"You will spend the night here?" I said.
　　
　　"No, my friend, you might find me a dangerous guest. I have my plans laid, and all will be well. Matters have gone so far now that they can move without my help as far as the arrest goes, though my presence is necessary for a conviction. It is obvious, therefore, that I cannot do better than get away for the few days which remain before the police are at liberty to act. It would be a great pleasure to me, therefore, if you could come on to the Continent with me."
　　
　　"The practice is quiet," said I, "and I have an accommodating neighbor. I should be glad to come."
　　
　　"And to start to-morrow morning?"
　　
　　"If necessary."
　　
　　"Oh yes, it is most necessary. Then these are your instructions, and I beg, my dear Watson, that you will obey them to the letter, for you are now playing a double-handed game with me against the cleverest rogue and the most powerful syndicate of criminals in Europe. Now listen! You will dispatch whatever luggage you intend to take by a trusty messenger unaddressed to Victoria to-night. In the morning you will send for a hansom, desiring your man to take neither the first nor the second which may present itself. Into this hansom you will jump, and you will drive to the Strand end of the Lowther Arcade, handing the address to the cabman upon a slip of paper, with a request that he will not throw it away. Have your fare ready, and the instant that your cab stops, dash through the Arcade, timing yourself to reach the other side at a quarter-past nine. You will find a small brougham waiting close to the curb, driven by a fellow with a heavy black cloak tipped at the collar with red. Into this you will step, and you will reach Victoria in time for the Continental express."
　　
　　"Where shall I meet you?"
　　
　　"At the station. The second first-class carriage from the front will be reserved for us."
　　
　　"The carriage is our rendezvous, then?"
　　
　　"Yes."
　　
　　It was in vain that I asked Holmes to remain for the evening. It was evident to me that he thought he might bring trouble to the roof he was under, and that that was the motive which impelled him to go. With a few hurried words as to our plans for the morrow he rose and came out with me into the garden, clambering over the wall which leads into Mortimer Street, and immediately whistling for a hansom, in which I heard him drive away.
　　
　　In the morning I obeyed Holmes's injunctions to the letter. A hansom was procured with such precaution as would prevent its being one which was placed ready for us, and I drove immediately after breakfast to the Lowther Arcade, through which I hurried at the top of my speed. A brougham was waiting with a very massive driver wrapped in a dark cloak, who, the instant that I had stepped in, whipped up the horse and rattled off to Victoria Station. On my alighting there he turned the carriage, and dashed away again without so much as a look in my direction.
　　
　　So far all had gone admirably. My luggage was waiting for me, and I had no difficulty in finding the carriage which Holmes had indicated, the less so as it was the only one in the train which was marked "Engaged." My only source of anxiety now was the non-appearance of Holmes. The station clock marked only seven minutes from the time when we were due to start. In vain I searched among the groups of travellers and leave-takers for the lithe figure of my friend. There was no sign of him. I spent a few minutes in assisting a venerable Italian priest, who was endeavoring to make a porter understand, in his broken English, that his luggage was to be booked through to Paris. Then, having taken another look round, I returned to my carriage, where I found that the porter, in spite of the ticket, had given me my decrepit Italian friend as a traveling companion. It was useless for me to explain to him that his presence was an intrusion, for my Italian was even more limited than his English, so I shrugged my shoulders resignedly, and continued to look out anxiously for my friend. A chill of fear had come over me, as I thought that his absence might mean that some blow had fallen during the night. Already the doors had all been shut and the whistle blown, when--
　　
　　"My dear Watson," said a voice, "you have not even condescended to say good-morning."
　　
　　I turned in uncontrollable astonishment. The aged ecclesiastic had turned his face towards me. For an instant the wrinkles were smoothed away, the nose drew away from the chin, the lower lip ceased to protrude and the mouth to mumble, the dull eyes regained their fire, the drooping figure expanded. The next the whole frame collapsed again, and Holmes had gone as quickly as he had come.
　　
　　"Good heavens!" I cried; "how you startled me!"
　　
　　"Every precaution is still necessary," he whispered. "I have reason to think that they are hot upon our trail. Ah, there is Moriarty himself."
　　
　　The train had already begun to move as Holmes spoke. Glancing back, I saw a tall man pushing his way furiously through the crowd, and waving his hand as if he desired to have the train stopped. It was too late, however, for we were rapidly gathering momentum, and an instant later had shot clear of the station.
　　
　　"With all our precautions, you see that we have cut it rather fine," said Holmes, laughing. He rose, and throwing off the black cassock and hat which had formed his disguise, he packed them away in a hand-bag.
　　
　　"Have you seen the morning paper, Watson?"
　　
　　"No."
　　
　　"You haven't' seen about Baker Street, then?"
　　
　　"Baker Street?"
　　
　　"They set fire to our rooms last night. No great harm was done."
　　
　　"Good heavens, Holmes! this is intolerable."
　　
　　"They must have lost my track completely after their bludgeon-man was arrested. Otherwise they could not have imagined that I had returned to my rooms. They have evidently taken the precaution of watching you, however, and that is what has brought Moriarty to Victoria. You could not have made any slip in coming?"
　　
　　"I did exactly what you advised."
　　
　　"Did you find your brougham?"
　　
　　"Yes, it was waiting."
　　
　　"Did you recognize your coachman?"
　　
　　"No."
　　
　　"It was my brother Mycroft. It is an advantage to get about in such a case without taking a mercenary into your confidence. But we must plan what we are to do about Moriarty now."
　　
　　"As this is an express, and as the boat runs in connection with it, I should think we have shaken him off very effectively."
　　
　　"My dear Watson, you evidently did not realize my meaning when I said that this man may be taken as being quite on the same intellectual plane as myself. You do not imagine that if I were the pursuer I should allow myself to be baffled by so slight an obstacle. Why, then, should you think so meanly of him?"
　　
　　"What will he do?"
　　
　　"What I should do?"
　　
　　"What would you do, then?"
　　
　　"Engage a special."
　　
　　"But it must be late."
　　
　　"By no means. This train stops at Canterbury; and there is always at least a quarter of an hour's delay at the boat. He will catch us there."
　　
　　"One would think that we were the criminals. Let us have him arrested on his arrival."
　　
　　"It would be to ruin the work of three months. We should get the big fish, but the smaller would dart right and left out of the net. On Monday we should have them all. No, an arrest is inadmissible."
　　
　　"What then?"
　　
　　"We shall get out at Canterbury."
　　
　　"And then?"
　　
　　"Well, then we must make a cross-country journey to Newhaven, and so over to Dieppe. Moriarty will again do what I should do. He will get on to Paris, mark down our luggage, and wait for two days at the depot. In the meantime we shall treat ourselves to a couple of carpet-bags, encourage the manufactures of the countries through which we travel, and make our way at our leisure into Switzerland, via Luxembourg and Basle."
　　
　　At Canterbury, therefore, we alighted, only to find that we should have to wait an hour before we could get a train to Newhaven.
　　
　　I was still looking rather ruefully after the rapidly disappearing luggage-van which contained my wardrobe, when Holmes pulled my sleeve and pointed up the line.
　　
　　"Already, you see," said he.
　　
　　Far away, from among the Kentish woods there rose a thin spray of smoke. A minute later a carriage and engine could be seen flying along the open curve which leads to the station. We had hardly time to take our place behind a pile of luggage when it passed with a rattle and a roar, beating a blast of hot air into our faces.
　　
　　"There he goes," said Holmes, as we watched the carriage swing and rock over the points. "There are limits, you see, to our friend's intelligence. It would have been a coup-de-maitre had he deduced what I would deduce and acted accordingly."
　　
　　"And what would he have done had he overtaken us?"
　　
　　"There cannot be the least doubt that he would have made a murderous attack upon me. It is, however, a game at which two may play. The question now is whether we should take a premature lunch here, or run our chance of starving before we reach the buffet at Newhaven."
　　
　　We made our way to Brussels that night and spent two days there, moving on upon the third day as far as Strasburg. On the Monday morning Holmes had telegraphed to the London police, and in the evening we found a reply waiting for us at our hotel. Holmes tore it open, and then with a bitter curse hurled it into the grate.
　　
　　"I might have known it!" he groaned. "He has escaped!"
　　
　　"Moriarty?"
　　
　　"They have secured the whole gang with the exception of him. He has given them the slip. Of course, when I had left the country there was no one to cope with him. But I did think that I had put the game in their hands. I think that you had better return to England, Watson."
　　
　　"Why?"
　　
　　"Because you will find me a dangerous companion now. This man's occupation is gone. He is lost if he returns to London. If I read his character right he will devote his whole energies to revenging himself upon me. He said as much in our short interview, and I fancy that he meant it. I should certainly recommend you to return to your practice."
　　
　　It was hardly an appeal to be successful with one who was an old campaigner as well as an old friend. We sat in the Strasburg salle-à-manger arguing the question for half an hour, but the same night we had resumed our journey and were well on our way to Geneva.
　　
　　For a charming week we wandered up the Valley of the Rhone, and then, branching off at Leuk, we made our way over the Gemmi Pass, still deep in snow, and so, by way of Interlaken, to Meiringen. It was a lovely trip, the dainty green of the spring below, the virgin white of the winter above; but it was clear to me that never for one instant did Holmes forget the shadow which lay across him. In the homely Alpine villages or in the lonely mountain passes, I could tell by his quick glancing eyes and his sharp scrutiny of every face that passed us, that he was well convinced that, walk where we would, we could not walk ourselves clear of the danger which was dogging our footsteps.
　　
　　Once, I remember, as we passed over the Gemmi, and walked along the border of the melancholy Daubensee, a large rock which had been dislodged from the ridge upon our right clattered down and roared into the lake behind us. In an instant Holmes had raced up on to the ridge, and, standing upon a lofty pinnacle, craned his neck in every direction. It was in vain that our guide assured him that a fall of stones was a common chance in the spring-time at that spot. He said nothing, but he smiled at me with the air of a man who sees the fulfillment of that which he had expected.
　　
　　And yet for all his watchfulness he was never depressed. On the contrary, I can never recollect having seen him in such exuberant spirits. Again and again he recurred to the fact that if he could be assured that society was freed from Professor Moriarty he would cheerfully bring his own career to a conclusion.
　　
　　"I think that I may go so far as to say, Watson, that I have not lived wholly in vain," he remarked. "If my record were closed to-night I could still survey it with equanimity. The air of London is the sweeter for my presence. In over a thousand cases I am not aware that I have ever used my powers upon the wrong side. Of late I have been tempted to look into the problems furnished by nature rather than those more superficial ones for which our artificial state of society is responsible. Your memoirs will draw to an end, Watson, upon the day that I crown my career by the capture or extinction of the most dangerous and capable criminal in Europe."
　　
　　I shall be brief, and yet exact, in the little which remains for me to tell. It is not a subject on which I would willingly dwell, and yet I am conscious that a duty devolves upon me to omit no detail.
　　
　　It was on the 3d of May that we reached the little village of Meiringen, where we put up at the Englischer Hof, then kept by Peter Steiler the elder. Our landlord was an intelligent man, and spoke excellent English, having served for three years as waiter at the Grosvenor Hotel in London. At his advice, on the afternoon of the 4th we set off together, with the intention of crossing the hills and spending the night at the hamlet of Rosenlaui. We had strict injunctions, however, on no account to pass the falls of Reichenbach, which are about half-way up the hill, without making a small detour to see them.
　　
　　It is indeed, a fearful place. The torrent, swollen by the melting snow, plunges into a tremendous abyss, from which the spray rolls up like the smoke from a burning house. The shaft into which the river hurls itself is an immense chasm, lined by glistening coal-black rock, and narrowing into a creaming, boiling pit of incalculable depth, which brims over and shoots the stream onward over its jagged lip. The long sweep of green water roaring forever down, and the thick flickering curtain of spray hissing forever upward, turn a man giddy with their constant whirl and clamor. We stood near the edge peering down at the gleam of the breaking water far below us against the black rocks, and listening to the half-human shout which came booming up with the spray out of the abyss.
　　
　　The path has been cut half-way round the fall to afford a complete view, but it ends abruptly, and the traveler has to return as he came. We had turned to do so, when we saw a Swiss lad come running along it with a letter in his hand. It bore the mark of the hotel which we had just left, and was addressed to me by the landlord. It appeared that within a very few minutes of our leaving, an English lady had arrived who was in the last stage of consumption. She had wintered at Davos Platz, and was journeying now to join her friends at Lucerne, when a sudden hemorrhage had overtaken her. It was thought that she could hardly live a few hours, but it would be a great consolation to her to see an English doctor, and, if I would only return, etc. The good Steiler assured me in a postscript that he would himself look upon my compliance as a very great favor, since the lady absolutely refused to see a Swiss physician, and he could not but feel that he was incurring a great responsibility.
　　
　　The appeal was one which could not be ignored. It was impossible to refuse the request of a fellow-countrywoman dying in a strange land. Yet I had my scruples about leaving Holmes. It was finally agreed, however, that he should retain the young Swiss messenger with him as guide and companion while I returned to Meiringen. My friend would stay some little time at the fall, he said, and would then walk slowly over the hill to Rosenlaui, where I was to rejoin him in the evening. As I turned away I saw Holmes, with his back against a rock and his arms folded, gazing down at the rush of the waters. It was the last that I was ever destined to see of him in this world.
　　
　　When I was near the bottom of the descent I looked back. It was impossible, from that position, to see the fall, but I could see the curving path which winds over the shoulder of the hill and leads to it. Along this a man was, I remember, walking very rapidly.
　　
　　I could see his black figure clearly outlined against the green behind him. I noted him, and the energy with which he walked but he passed from my mind again as I hurried on upon my errand.
　　
　　It may have been a little over an hour before I reached Meiringen. Old Steiler was standing at the porch of his hotel.
　　
　　"Well," said I, as I came hurrying up, "I trust that she is no worse?"
　　
　　A look of surprise passed over his face, and at the first quiver of his eyebrows my heart turned to lead in my breast.
　　
　　"You did not write this?" I said, pulling the letter from my pocket. "There is no sick Englishwoman in the hotel?"
　　
　　"Certainly not!" he cried. "But it has the hotel mark upon it! Ha, it must have been written by that tall Englishman who came in after you had gone. He said--"
　　
　　But I waited for none of the landlord's explanations. In a tingle of fear I was already running down the village street, and making for the path which I had so lately descended. It had taken me an hour to come down. For all my efforts two more had passed before I found myself at the fall of Reichenbach once more. There was Holmes's Alpine-stock still leaning against the rock by which I had left him. But there was no sign of him, and it was in vain that I shouted. My only answer was my own voice reverberating in a rolling echo from the cliffs around me.
　　
　　It was the sight of that Alpine-stock which turned me cold and sick. He had not gone to Rosenlaui, then. He had remained on that three-foot path, with sheer wall on one side and sheer drop on the other, until his enemy had overtaken him. The young Swiss had gone too. He had probably been in the pay of Moriarty, and had left the two men together. And then what had happened? Who was to tell us what had happened then?
　　
　　I stood for a minute or two to collect myself, for I was dazed with the horror of the thing. Then I began to think of Holmes's own methods and to try to practise them in reading this tragedy. It was, alas, only too easy to do. During our conversation we had not gone to the end of the path, and the Alpine-stock marked the place where we had stood. The blackish soil is kept forever soft by the incessant drift of spray, and a bird would leave its tread upon it. Two lines of footmarks were clearly marked along the farther end of the path, both leading away from me. There were none returning. A few yards from the end the soil was all ploughed up into a patch of mud, and the branches and ferns which fringed the chasm were torn and bedraggled. I lay upon my face and peered over with the spray spouting up all around me. It had darkened since I left, and now I could only see here and there the glistening of moisture upon the black walls, and far away down at the end of the shaft the gleam of the broken water. I shouted; but only the same half-human cry of the fall was borne back to my ears.
　　
　　But it was destined that I should after all have a last word of greeting from my friend and comrade. I have said that his Alpine-stock had been left leaning against a rock which jutted on to the path. From the top of this bowlder the gleam of something bright caught my eye, and, raising my hand, I found that it came from the silver cigarette-case which he used to carry. As I took it up a small square of paper upon which it had lain fluttered down on to the ground. Unfolding it, I found that it consisted of three pages torn from his note-book and addressed to me. It was characteristic of the man that the direction was a precise, and the writing as firm and clear, as though it had been written in his study.
　　
　　My dear Watson (it said), I write these few lines through the courtesy of Mr. Moriarty, who awaits my convenience for the final discussion of those questions which lie between us. He has been giving me a sketch of the methods by which he avoided the English police and kept himself informed of our movements. They certainly confirm the very high opinion which I had formed of his abilities. I am pleased to think that I shall be able to free society from any further effects of his presence, though I fear that it is at a cost which will give pain to my friends, and especially, my dear Watson, to you. I have already explained to you, however, that my career had in any case reached its crisis, and that no possible conclusion to it could be more congenial to me than this. Indeed, if I may make a full confession to you, I was quite convinced that the letter from Meiringen was a hoax, and I allowed you to depart on that errand under the persuasion that some development of this sort would follow. Tell Inspector Patterson that the papers which he needs to convict the gang are in pigeonhole M., done up in a blue envelope and inscribed "Moriarty." I made every disposition of my property before leaving England, and handed it to my brother Mycroft. Pray give my greetings to Mrs. Watson, and believe me to be, my dear fellow,
　　
　　Very sincerely yours,
　　
　　Sherlock Holmes
　　
　　A few words may suffice to tell the little that remains. An examination by experts leaves little doubt that a personal contest between the two men ended, as it could hardly fail to end in such a situation, in their reeling over, locked in each other's arms. Any attempt at recovering the bodies was absolutely hopeless, and there, deep down in that dreadful caldron of swirling water and seething foam, will lie for all time the most dangerous criminal and the foremost champion of the law of their generation. The Swiss youth was never found again, and there can be no doubt that he was one of the numerous agents whom Moriarty kept in this employ. As to the gang, it will be within the memory of the public how completely the evidence which Holmes had accumulated exposed their organization, and how heavily the hand of the dead man weighed upon them. Of their terrible chief few details came out during the proceedings, and if I have now been compelled to make a clear statement of his career it is due to those injudicious champions who have endeavored to clear his memory by attacks upon him whom I shall ever regard as the best and the wisest man whom I have ever known.