wǒ hūn hòu bù jiǔ， zài pà dīng dùn qū mǎi liǎo yī gè zhěn suǒ， shì cóng lǎo fǎ kuā 'ěr xiān shēng shǒu zhōng mǎi xià de。 yòu yī gè shí qī lǎo fǎ kuā 'ěr xiān shēng de zhěn liáo yè wù fēi cháng xīng wàng， kě shì yóu yú tā de nián jì dà liǎo， yòu jiā shàng zāo shòu yī zhǒng wǔ dǎo bìng de zhé mó， tā de mén tíng yě jiù zhú jiàn lěng luò xià lái。 yīn wéi rén men hěn zì rán dì zūn shǒu yī tiáo zhǔn zé， nà jiù shì： yī shēng bì xū shǒu xiān zì shēn jiàn kāng， cái néng zhì hǎo bié rén； rú guǒ lián zì jǐ yě bù néng yào dào bìng chú， nà rén men duì tā de yī shù zì rán yào lěng yǎn xiāng shì liǎo。 suǒ yǐ， wǒ de zhè wèi lǎo qián bèi shēn tǐ yuè shuāi ruò， tā de shōu rù jiù yuè wēi bó， dào wǒ mǎi xià zhè gè zhěn suǒ shí， tā de shōu rù yǐ jīng yóu měi nián yī qiān 'èr bǎi bàng jiàng dào sān bǎi duō bàng liǎo。 rán 'ér， wǒ piān yǐ zì jǐ nián suì zhèng qīng、 jīng lì wàng shèng 'ér zì xìn， rèn wéi bù yào jǐ nián， zhè gè zhěn suǒ yī dìng huì huī fù jiù rì de xīng wàng。
　　 kāi yè hòu sān gè yuè， wǒ yī zhí máng yú yī wù， hěn shǎo jiàn dào wǒ de péng yǒu xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī。 yīn wéi wǒ fēi cháng máng， wú xiá dào bèi kè jiē qù， ér fú 'ěr mó sī zì jǐ， chú liǎo zhēn tàn yè wù xū yào， yě hěn shǎo dào bié chù zǒu zǒu。 liù yuè lǐ de yī tiān qīng chén， zǎo cān hòu， wǒ zhèng zuò xià lái yuè dú《 yīng guó yī wù zá zhì》， hū tīng yī zhèn líng shēng， suí hòu jiù chuán lái wǒ nà lǎo huǒ bàn gāo kàng 'ér yòu diǎn cì 'ěr de huà yǔ shēng， zhè zhēn lìng wǒ shí fēn jīng qí。
　　 “ ā， wǒ qīn 'ài de huá shēng， ” fú 'ěr mó sī dà tà bù zǒu jìn fáng nèi shuō dào，” fēi cháng gāo xīng jiàn dào nǐ！ wǒ xiāng xìn，” sì qiān míng” àn jiàn zūn fū rén shòu liǎo jīng， xiàn zài xiǎng bì wán quán huī fù jiàn kāng liǎo。”
　　“ xiè xiè nǐ， wǒ men liǎng gè réndōu hěn hǎo，” wǒ fēi cháng rè qíng dì wò zhe tā de shǒu shuō。
　　“ wǒ yě xī wàng，” tā zuò dào yáo yǐ shàng， jì xù shuō dào，“ jìn guǎn nǐ guān xīn yī wù， kě bù yào bǎ nǐ duì wǒ men xiǎo xiǎo de tuī lǐ fǎ chǎn shēng de xīng qù wán quán wàng diào liǎo。”
　　“ qià qià xiāng fǎn，” wǒ huí dá dào，” jiù zài zuó tiān yè wǎn， wǒ hái bǎ yuán lái de bǐ jì yī yī guò mù， bìng qiě hái bǎ wǒ men de pò 'àn chéng guǒ fēn liǎo lèi ní。”
　　“ wǒ xiāng xìn nǐ bù huì rèn wéi zī liào sōu jí dào cǐ wéi zhǐ liǎo bā。”
　　“ yī diǎn yě bù huì de。 wǒ xī wàng zhè yàng de jīng lì yù duō yù hǎo！”
　　“ pì rú shuō， jīn tiān jiù qù zěn me yàng。”
　　“ kě yǐ， rú guǒ nǐ yuàn yì， jīn tiān jiù qù bā。”
　　“ qù bó míng hàn zhè yàng yuǎn de dì fāng yě xíng má？”
　　“ rú guǒ nǐ yuàn yì， dāng rán kě yǐ。”
　　“ nà me nǐ de yī wù ní？”
　　“ wǒ lín jū wài chū， wǒ jiù tì tā xíng yī。 tā zǒng xiǎng bào dá wǒ zhè fèn qíng yì。”
　　“ hā！ zhè zài hǎo yě méi yòu liǎo！” fú 'ěr mó sī xiàng hòu yǎng kào zài yǐ zǐ shàng， mī féng zhe shuāng yǎn mǐn ruì dì wàng zhe wǒ，” wǒ fā xiàn nǐ zuì jìn yī dìng shēn tǐ bù hǎo， xià tiān gǎn mào zǒng shì yòu diǎn lìng rén tǎo yàn de。”
　　“ shàng xīng qī wǒ dé liǎo zhòng gǎn mào， sān tiān méi yòu chū mén。 kě shì， wǒ xiǎng wǒ xiàn zài yǐ jīng wán quán hǎo liǎo。”
　　“ zhè yī diǎn bù cuò， nǐ kàn qǐ lái hěn zhuàng shí。”
　　“ nà me， nǐ zěn me zhī dào wǒ shēng guò bìng ní？”
　　“ wǒ qīn 'ài de huǒ jì， nǐ shì zhī dào wǒ de fāng fǎ de。”
　　“ nà me， yòu kào nǐ de tuī lǐ fǎ liǎo。”
　　“ yī diǎn yě bù cuò。”
　　“ cóng hé shuō qǐ ní？”
　　“ cóng nǐ de tuō xié shàng。”
　　 wǒ dī tóu kàn liǎo kàn wǒ jiǎo shàng chuān de nà shuāng xīn qī pí tuō xié，“ nǐ jiū jìng shì zěn yàng ……” wǒ kāi shǐ shuō， kě shì fú 'ěr mó sī méi děng wǒ wèn wán jiù xiān kāi liǎo kǒu。
　　“ nǐ de tuō xié shì xīn de，” tā shuō dào，“ nǐ mǎi lái hái bù dào jǐ gè xīng qī。 kě shì wǒ kàn nà chōng xiàng wǒ zhè biān de xié dǐ yǐ jīng shāo jiāo liǎo。 qǐ chū wǒ yǐ wéi shì zhān liǎo shuǐ hòu zài huǒ shàng hōng gān shí shāo jiāo de。 kě shì xié miàn shàng yòu gè xiǎo yuán zhǐ qǐ， shàng miàn xiě zhe diàn yuán de dài hào。 rú guǒ xié zǐ zhān guò shuǐ， zhè dài hào zhǐ piàn zǎo gāi diào liǎo。 suǒ yǐ nǐ yī dìng shì yǐ lú shēn jiǎo kǎo huǒ kǎo jiāo liǎo xié dǐ。 yī gè rén yào shì wú bìng wú zāi， jí shǐ zài liù yuè fèn zhè yàng cháo shī de tiān qì， tā yě bù huì qīng yì qù kǎo huǒ de。”
　　 jiù xiàng fú 'ěr mó sī de suǒ yòu tuī lǐ yī yàng， shì qíng yī jīng jiě shì， běn shēn kàn lái fēi cháng jiǎn dān。 tā cóng wǒ liǎn shàng kàn chū liǎo wǒ de xiǎng fǎ， xiào liǎo qǐ lái， dàn què yòu xiē wā kǔ de yì wèi。
　　“ kǒng pà wǒ zhè me yī jiě shì， jiù xiè lù liǎo tiān jī，” tā shuō dào，“ zhǐ jiǎng jiēguǒ bù jiǎng yuán yīn fǎn 'ér huì gěi rén liú xià gēngshēn de yìn xiàng。 nà me， nǐ shì zhǔn bèi dào bó míng hàn qù liǎo？”
　　“ dāng rán liǎo。 zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ shì zěn me yī huí shì？”
　　“ dào huǒ chē shàng wǒ bǎ zhè yī qiē jiǎng gěi nǐ tīng。 wǒ de wěi tuō rén zài wài miàn sì lún mǎ chē shàng děng zhe。 nǐ néng mǎ shàng zǒu bā？”
　　“ shāo děng yī děng，” wǒ jí cōng cōng dì gěi lín rén xiě liǎo yī tiáo biàn tiáo， páo shàng lóu qù xiàng wǒ qī zǐ shuō míng liǎo yī xià， dào mén wài shí jiē shàng gǎn shàng liǎo fú 'ěr mó sī。
　　“ nǐ de lín jū shì yī gè yī shēng，” fú 'ěr mó sī xiàng gé bì mén shàng de huáng tóng mén pái diǎn tóu shì yì shuō。
　　“ duì， tā yě xiàng wǒ yī yàng， mǎi liǎo yī gè zhěn liáo suǒ。”
　　“ zhè gè zhěn liáo suǒ lǎo zǎo jiù yòu liǎo？”
　　“ hé wǒ de yī yàng， cóng fáng zǐ yī jiàn chéng， liǎng gè zhěn liáo suǒ jiù chéng lì liǎo。”
　　“ ā！ nà me， nǐ zhè biān shēng yì bǐ jiào hǎo xiē liǎo。”
　　“ wǒ xiǎng shì zhè yàng。 kě shì nǐ zěn me zhī dào de？”
　　“ cóng tái jiē shàng kàn chū lái de， wǒ de péng yǒu。 nǐ jiā tái jiē bǐ tā jiā de mó bó liǎo sān yīng cùn。 mǎ chē shàng zhè wèi xiān shēng jiù shì wǒ de wěi tuō rén， huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè xiān shēng。 qǐng yǔn xǔ wǒ lái jiè shào yī xià。 wèi， chē fū， bǎ mǎ gǎn kuài diǎn， wǒ men de shí jiān gāng hǎo néng gǎn shàng huǒ chē。”
　　 wǒ zuò zài pài kè luó fū tè xiān shēng duì miàn， tā shì yī gè shēn cái kuí wěi、 qì yǔ xuān 'áng de nián qīng rén， biǎo qíng tǎn shuài 'ér chéng kěn， yòu yī diǎn juǎnqū de xiǎo huáng hú zǐ， dài yī dǐng shǎn liàng de dà lǐ mào ． chuān yī tào zhěng jié 'ér pǔ sù de hēi yī fú， shǐ wǒ men yī yǎn jiù kàn chū tā yuán lái shì nà zhǒng cōng míng líng lì de chéng shì qīng nián。 tā men shǔ yú bèi chēng wéi” lún dūn lǎo” de nà yī lèi rén， wǒ guó zuì fù shèng míng de yì yǒng jūn tuán， jiù shì ① yóu zhè lèi rén zǔ chéng de； zài yīng lún sān dǎo shàng zhè lèi rén zhōng yǒng xiàn de yōu xiù tǐ yù jiā hé yùn dòng yuán bǐ qí tā jiē céng dedōu duō。 tā nà hóng rùn de yuán liǎn hěn zì rán dì dài zhe yú kuài de biǎo qíng， kě shì tā de zuǐ jiǎo xià chuí， wǒ jué dé tā yòu yī zhǒng yì yàng de bēi shāng。 rán 'ér， zhí dào wǒ men zuò zài tóu děng chē xiāng lǐ， dòng shēn qù bó míng hàn de tú zhōng， wǒ cái zhī dào tā pèng dào de nà jiàn má fán shì。 tā jiù shì yīn wéi zhè jiàn shì cái lái zhǎo xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī de。
　　“ wǒ men yào zuò qī shí fēn zhōng de huǒ chē，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō dào，“ huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè xiān shēng， qǐng nǐ bǎ gěi wǒ tán guò de nà xiē fēi cháng yòu qù de jīng lì， yuán yuán běn běn dì jiǎng gěi wǒ de péng yǒu tīng， bìng qǐng nǐ jìn kě néng jiǎng xiáng xì yī xiē。 zài tīng yī biàn zhè xiē shì jiàn de jīng guò duì wǒ yě yòu yòng。 huá shēng， zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ kě néng yòu xiē míng táng， yě kě néng méi yòu。 bù guò， zhì shǎo xiǎn shì chū nǐ wǒdōu xǐ 'ài de nà xiē bù① lún dūn lǎo zhǐ jū zhù zài lún dūn dōng qū（ píng mín qū） de rén。 héng héng yì zhě zhù píng cháng hé huāng dàn de tè zhēng， xiàn zài， pài kè luó fū tè xiān shēng， wǒ bù zài dǎ rǎo nǐ liǎo。”
　　 wǒ men de nián qīng lǚ bàn shuāng yǎn shǎn guāng wàng zhe wǒ。
　　“ zhè shì qíng zuì zāo gāo de shì，” tā shuō dào，“ wǒ sì hū wán quán shàng dāng liǎo。 dāng rán， kàn qǐ lái hǎo xiàng méi yòu shàngdàng， wǒ yě méi kàn chū lái yǐ jīng shàng dāng liǎo。 bù guò， rú guǒ wǒ zhēn de bǎ zhè gè fàn wǎn diū diào， huàn dé de dài jià shì yīcháng kōng， nà me wǒ gāi shì yī gè duō me shǎ de jiā huǒ yā。 huá shēng xiān shēng， wǒ bù shàn yú jiǎng gù shì， kě shì wǒ yù dào de shì qíng shì zhè yàng de：
　　“ wǒ yǐ qián zài dé léi pò guǎng chǎng bàng de kǎo kè sēn hé wǔ dé háo sī shāngháng gòngzhí， kě shì jīn nián chūn chū shāngháng juǎnrù liǎo wěi nèi ruì lā gōng zhài quàn 'àn， yǐ zhì yī jué bù zhèn， zhè nǐ wú yí hái jì dé。 dāng shāngháng pò chǎn shí， wǒ men 'èr shí qī míng zhí yuán dāng rán quán bèi cí tuì liǎo。 wǒ zài nà lǐ gòngzhí wǔ nián， lǎo kǎo kè sēn gěi liǎo wǒ yī fèn píng jià hěn gāo de jiàn dìng shū。 wǒ dōng páo páo， xī shì shì， kě shì hěn duō rén chǔjìng hé wǒ yī yàng， suǒ yǐ hěn cháng yī duàn shí jiān dào chù pèng bì。 wǒ zài kǎo kè sēn shāng xíng shí měi xīng qī xīn jīn sān bàng， wǒ chǔ xù liǎo dà yuē qī shí bàng， kě shì wǒ jiù kào zhè yī diǎn jī xù wéi chí shēng huó， hěn kuài jiù yòng guāng liǎo。 wǒ zhōng yú dào liǎo shān qióng shuǐ jìn de dì bù， jīhū lián yìng zhēng guǎng gào de huí xìn xìn fēng hé yóu piào dū mǎi bù qǐ。 wǒ zhǎo liǎo duō shǎo gōng sī、 shāng diàn， shàng xià lóu tī dū mó pò liǎo xuē zǐ， kě shì yào zhǎo dào zhí wèi réng rán shì yīn xìn yǎo rán。
　　“ wǒ zhōng yú tīng shuō lóng bā dé jiē de yī jiā dà zhèng quàn shāngháng héng héng mò sēn hé wēi lián sī shāngháng yòu yī gè kòngquē。 wǒ dǒu dǎn shuō， nǐ duì lún dūn dōng bù zhōng yāng yóu zhèng qū de qíng kuàng kě néng bù tài shú xī， kě shì wǒ kě yǐ gào sù nǐ， zhè shì lún dūn yī jiā zuì fù de shāngháng。 nà jiā gōng sī guī dìng， zhǐ néng tōng guò xìn hán yìng zhēng tā de zhāo pìn guǎng gào。 wǒ bǎ wǒ de jiàn dìng shū hé shēn qǐng shū dū jì liǎo qù， kě shì bìng bù bào duō dà xī wàng。 bù liào tū rán jiē dào liǎo huí xìn， xìn zhōng shuō， rú guǒ wǒ xià xīng qī yī dào nà lǐ， ér wǒ de wài biǎo fú hé yào qiú de， wǒ lì jí kě yǐ jiù rèn xīn zhí。 shuí yě bù zhī dào jiā shì zěn me tiǎo xuǎn de。 yòu rén shuō， zhè shì jīng lǐ bǎ shǒu shēn dào yī duī shēn qǐng shū lǐ， suí shǒu jiǎn qǐ liǎo yī fèn。 bù guǎn zěn me shuō， zhè cì shì wǒ zǒu yùn， ér wǒ cóng lái yě méi yòu xiàng zhè yàng gāo xīng guò。 xīn shuǐ kāi shǐ shì yī xīng qī yī bàng， zhí wù hé wǒ zài kǎo kè sēn shāngháng yī yàng。
　　“ xiàn zài wǒ jiù yào shuō dào zhè jiàn shì de gǔ guài zhī chù liǎo。 wǒ zhù zài hàn pǔ sī tè dé fù jìn bō tè xiàng １ ７ hào de yī gè yù suǒ。 duì liǎo， jiù zài dé dào rèn yòng tōng zhī de nà tiān wǎn shàng， wǒ zhèng zuò zài nà lǐ xī yān， fáng dōng tài tài ná zhe yī zhāng míng piàn jìn wū lái， míng piàn shàng miàn yìn zhe” cái zhèng jīng lǐ rén 'ā sè · píng nà”。 wǒ cóng lái wèi tīng shuō guò zhè gè rén de míng zì， gèng xiǎng bù chū tā zhǎo wǒ gànshénme。 kě shì wǒ dāng rán hái shì ràng tā bǎ nà rén qǐng jìn lái。 jìn lái de rén shì zhōng děng shēn cái， hēi fā， hēi yǎn， hēi hú xū， bí zǐ yòu diǎn fā liàng。 tā zǒu lù qīng kuài， shuō huà jí cù， fǎng fó shì yī gè zhēn xī shí jiān de rén。
　　“ wǒ xiǎng， nǐ shì huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè xiān shēng bā？” tā wèn dào。
　　“ shì de， xiān shēng，” wǒ huí dá dào， tóng shí lā guò yī bǎ yǐ zǐ gěi tā。
　　“ yǐ qián shì zài kǎo kè sēn hé wǔ dé háo sī shāngháng zuò shì má？”
　　“ shì de， xiān shēng。”
　　“ shì mò sēn shāngháng xīn lù yòng de shū jì yuán má？”
　　“ zhèng shì zhè yàng。”
　　“ ā，” tā shuō dào，“ shì qíng shì zhè yàng de， wǒ tīng shuō nǐ zài lǐ cái fāng miàn hěn yòu cáigàn， yòu xǔ duō bù fán de shì jì。 nǐ jì dé kǎo kè sēn de jīng lǐ pà kè bā， tā duì nǐ zǒng shì zàn bù jué kǒu de。”
　　“ tīng tā zhè me shuō， wǒ dāng rán gāo xīng liǎo。 wǒ zài yè wù shàng yī xiàng jīng míng néng gān， kě cóng wèi mèng xiǎng dào chéng lǐ jìng yòu rén zhè yàng chēng zàn wǒ。
　　“ nǐ de jì yì lì hěn hǎo má？” tā shuō dào。
　　“ hái suàn bù cuò，” wǒ qiān gōng dì huí dá dào。
　　“ nǐ shī yè yǐ hòu， duì shāng qíng hái liú yì má？” tā wèn dào。
　　“ shì de。 wǒ měi tiān zǎo shàng dōuyào kàn zhèng quàn jiāo yì suǒ de pái jià biǎo。”
　　“ zhēn xià gōng fū 'ā！” tā dà shēng hǎn dào，” zhè cái shì shēng cái zhī dào ní！ nǐ bù fǎn duì wǒ lái cè yàn nǐ yī xià bā？ qǐng wèn 'āi 'ěr jùn gǔ piào pái jià shì duō shǎo？”
　　“ yī bǎi líng liù bàng wǔ xiān lìng zhì yī bǎi líng wǔ bàng shí qī xiān lìng bàn。”
　　“ xīn xī lán tǒng yī gōng zhài ní？”
　　“ yī bǎi líng sì bàng。”
　　“ yīng guó bù luó kěn · xī 'ěr 'ēn gǔ qǐ ní？”
　　“ qī bàng zhì qī bàng liù xiān lìng。”
　　“ tài hǎo liǎo！” tā jǔ qǐ shuāng shǒu huān hū dào，” zhè wán quán fú hé wǒ zhī dào de hángqíng。 wǒ de péng yǒu， wǒ de péng yǒu， nǐ dào mò sēn shāngháng qù dāng shū jì yuán tài qū cái liǎo！”
　　“ nǐ xiǎng xiǎng， tā zhè yàng kuáng xǐ duō me shǐ wǒ gǎn dào jīng qí。“ ā，” wǒ shuō dào，“ bié rén kě bù xiàng nǐ zhè yàng tì wǒ zhuóxiǎng， píng nà xiān shēng。 wǒ zhǎo dào zhè fèn chāishi kě bù róng yì， wǒ kě fēi cháng xǐ huān tā ní。”
　　“ shénme huà， xiān shēng， nǐ lǐ yìng fēi huáng téng dá， gān zhè shì shì bù dé qí suǒ。 wǒ yào gào sù nǐ， wǒ shì duō me zhòng shì nǐ de cái néng。 wǒ gěi nǐ de zhí wèi hé xīn fèng， àn nǐ de cáigàn héng liàng hái shì gòu dī de， dàn hé mò sēn shāngháng xiāng bǐ， nà jiù yòu tiān rǎng zhī bié liǎo。 qǐng nǐ gào sù wǒ， nǐ shénme shí hòu dào mò sēn shāngháng qù shàng bān？”
　　“ xià xīng qī yī。”
　　“ hā， hā！ wǒ xiǎng wǒ yīngdāng mào xiǎn dǎ gè dǔ， nǐ gēn běn bù yào dào nà lǐ qù。”
　　“ bù dào mò sēn shāngháng qù？”
　　“ duì yā， xiān shēng。 dào nà tiān nǐ yào dāng shàng fǎ guó zhōng bù wǔ jīn yòu xiàn gōng sī de jīng lǐ， zhè jiā gōng sī zài fǎ guó chéng xiāng yòu yī bǎi sān shí sì jiā fēn gōng sī， lìng wài zài bù lǔ sài 'ěr hé shèng léi mò hái gè yòu yī jiā fēn gōng sī。”
　　“ zhè shǐ wǒ dà chī yī jīng。” wǒ cóng wèi tīng shuō guò zhè jiā gōng sī，” wǒ shuō dào。
　　“ nǐ hěn kě néng méi tīng shuō guò。 gōng sī yī zhí zài wú shēng wú xī dì yíng yè， yīn wéi tā de zī běn shì xiàng sī rén chóu jí de， shēng yì xīng lóng， gēn běn bù xū yào jiā yǐ xuān yáng。 wǒ xiōng dì hā lǐ · píng nà shì chuàng bàn rén， zuò liǎo zǒng jīng lǐ， bìng qiě jìn liǎo dǒng shì huì。 tā zhī dào wǒ zài zhè lǐ jiāo yóu hěn guǎng， yào wǒ tì tā wù sè yī gè gànliàn 'ér xīn fèng bù gāo de rén， yī gè jīng lì chōng pèi 'ér yòu tīng shǐ huàn de xiǎo huǒ zǐ。 pà kè tán dào liǎo nǐ， yú shì wǒ jīn wǎn dào zhè 'ér lái fǎng。 wǒ men kāi shǐ zhǐ néng gěi nǐ jí wéi fěi bó de wǔ bǎi bàng。”
　　“ yī nián wǔ bǎi bàng！” wǒ dà shēng hǎn dào。
　　“ bù guò zhè zhǐ shì zài kāi shǐ de shí hòu； chú cǐ yǐ wài， fán shì nǐ de dài xiāo shāng wán chéng de yíng yè 'é， nǐ dū kě yǐ tí qǔ bǎi fēn zhī yī de yòngjīn。 nǐ kě yǐ xiāng xìn wǒ de huà， zhè bǐ shōu rù huì bǐ nǐ de xīn shuǐ hái yào duō。”
　　“ kě shì wǒ yī diǎn yě bù dǒng wǔ jīn 'ā。”
　　“ shénme huà， wǒ de péng yǒu， nǐ dǒng kuàijì 'ā。”
　　“ wǒ tóu nǎo zài wēng wēng zuò xiǎng， jīhū lián yǐ zǐ yě zuò bù wěn liǎo。 kě shì tū rán yī diǎn yí wèn yǒng shàng xīn tóu。
　　“ wǒ bì xū tǎn shuài dì duì nǐ shuō，” wǒ shuō dào，“ mò sēn shāngháng zhǐ gěi wǒ yī nián 'èr bǎi bàng， kě shì mò sēn shāngháng shì kě kào de。 ā， shuō shí zài huà， wǒ duì nǐ men de gōng sī què shí zhī dào dé hěn shǎo……”
　　“ ā， jīng míng， jīng míng！” tā xīn xǐ ruò kuáng dì gāo shēng hǎn dào，” wǒ men zhèng xū yào nǐ zhè yàng de rén。 nǐ shì bù huì bèi rén shuō fú de， zhè yě hěn duì。 qiáo， zhè shì yī zhāng yī bǎi bàng de chāo piào， rú guǒ nǐ rèn wéi wǒ men kě yǐ chéng jiāo， nà nǐ jiù bǎ tā zuò wéi yù zhī xīn shuǐ shōu qǐ lái bā。”
　　“ nà tài hǎo liǎo，” wǒ shuō dào，“ wǒ shénme shí hòu jiù rèn xīn zhí ní？”
　　“ míng tiān yī diǎn zhōng zài bó míng hàn，” tā shuō dào，“ wǒ kǒu dài lǐ yòu yī zhāng biàn tiáo， nǐ kě yǐ ná tā qù jiàn wǒ xiōng dì。 nǐ kě yǐ dào zhè jiā gōng sī de lín shí bàn gōng shì kē bō lāi sēn jiē１ ２ ６ hào yǐ qù zhǎo tā。 dāng rán tā bì xū duì nǐ de rèn yòng biǎo shì rèn kě， dàn zài wǒ men zhī jiān zhè shì bù chéng wèn tí de。”
　　“ shuō shí zài de， wǒ jīhū bù zhī dào rú hé biǎo shì gǎn xiè cái hǎo， píng nà xiān shēng。” wǒ shuō dào。
　　“ bù bì kè qì， wǒ de péng yǒu。 zhè bù guò shì nǐ yìng dé de。 kě shì yòu yī liǎng jiàn xiǎo shì， wǒ bì xū hé nǐ bàn qīng chǔ， zhè jǐn jǐn shì gè xíng shì。 nǐ shǒu biān yòu yī zhāng zhǐ， qǐng zài shàng miàn xiě shàng： wǒ wán quán yuàn yì zuò fǎ guó zhōng bù wǔ jīn yòu xiàn gōng sī de jīng lǐ， nián xīn zuì shǎo wǔ bǎi bàng。”
　　“ wǒ zhào tā suǒ shuō de xiě liǎo， tā bǎ zhè zhāng zhǐ fàng jìn kǒu dài lǐ。
　　“ hái yòu yī jiàn xiǎo shì，” tā shuō dào，“ nǐ duì mò sēn shāngháng zhǔn bèi zěn yàng yìng fù ní？”
　　“ wǒ gāo xīng děibǎ mò sēn shāngháng de shì wàng dé yī gān 'èr jìng。” wǒ gěi tā men xiě xìn cí zhí hǎo liǎo，” wǒ shuō dào。
　　“ wǒ qià qià bù xī wàng nǐ zhè me bàn。 wéi nǐ de shì， wǒ céng hé mò sēn shāng xíng de jīng lǐfà shēng liǎo kǒu jiǎo。 wǒ qù wèn tā guān yú nǐ de shì， tā fēi cháng wú lǐ， zé bèi wǒ bǎ nǐ cóng tā men shāng xíng qì zǒu děng děng。 wǒ zhōng yú rěn nài bù zhù shuō：” rú guǒ nǐ yào yòng yī xiē yòu cáigàn de rén， nà nǐ jiù yīngdāng gěi tā men yōu hòu de xīn fèng。” tā shuō：” tā nìngkěn jiē shòu wǒ men de dī xīn， yě bù huì ná nǐ men de gāo xīn。” wǒ shuō：” wǒ hé nǐ dǔ wǔ gè jīn bàng， rú guǒ tā jiē shòu wǒ de pìn qǐng， nǐ zài yě bù huì tīng dào tā de huí yīn liǎo。” tā shuō：” hǎo！ wǒ men bǎ tā cóng píng mín kū lǐ jiù liǎo chū lái， tā bù huì zhè me qīng yì lí kāi wǒ men de。” zhè jiù shì tā de yuán huà。”
　　“ zhè gè wú lǐ de 'è gùn！” wǒ hǎn dào，” wǒ men sù wèi móu miàn， wǒ wèishénme fēi yào zhào gù tā bù kě ní？ rú guǒ nǐ bù yuàn yì ràng wǒ xiě xìn gěi tā， wǒ dāng rán bù gěi tā xiě xìn liǎo。”
　　“ hǎo！ jiù zhè yàng shuō dìng liǎo，” tā cóng yǐ shàng zhàn qǐ lái shuō dào，“ hǎo， wǒ hěn gāo xīng tì xiōng dì wù sè dào zhè yàng yòu cáigàn de rén。 zhè shì nǐ de yī bǎi bàng yù zhī xīn jīn， zhè shì nà fēng xìn。 qǐng jì xià dì zhǐ， kē bō lāi sēn jiē１２６ hào yǐ， jì zhù yuē hǎo de shí jiān shì míng tiān xià wǔ yī diǎn zhōng。 wǎn 'ān， zhù nǐ yī qiē shùn lì！”
　　“ zhè jiù shì wǒ suǒ jì dé de wǒ men liǎng rén tán huà de quán bù qíng kuàng。 huá shēng yī shēng， nǐ kě yǐ xiǎng xiàng， wǒ jiāo liǎo zhè yàng de hǎo yùn， gāi shì duō me gāo xīng。 wǒ 'àn zì qìng xìng， bàn yè wèi néng rù shuì。 dì 'èr tiān wǒ chéng huǒ chē qù bó míng hàn， yīn 'ér yòu chōng yù de shí jiān qù fù yuē。 wǒ bǎ xíng lǐ fàng zài xīn dà jiē de yī jiā lǚ guǎn， rán hòu 'àn jiè shào de dì zhǐ qù zhǎo。
　　“ zhè bǐ wǒ yuē dìng de shí jiān zǎo yī kè zhōng， kě shì wǒ xiǎng zhè méi yòu shénme guān xì。１２６ hào yǐ shì jiā zài liǎng jiā dà shāng diàn zhōng jiān de yī gè yǒng dào， jìn tóu shì yī dào wān qū de shí tī， cóng shí tī shàng qù yòu xǔ duō tào fáng， zū gěi yī xiē gōng sī huò zì yóu zhí yè zhě zuò bàn gōng shì。 qiáng shàng xiě zhe zū hù de míng pái， què méi yòu fǎ guó zhōng bù wǔ jīn yòu xiàn gōng sī de míng pái。 wǒ huáng kǒng dì zhàn liǎo yī huì 'ér， xiǎng zhī dào zhěng gè shì jiàn shì bù shì yī gè jīng xīn cèhuà de， zhè shí shàng lái yī gè rén xiàng wǒ dǎ zhāo hū， tā fēi cháng xiàng zuó wǎn wǒ kàn jiàn de nà gè rén， tóng yàng de shēn xíng hé sǎng yīn， kě shì tā hú zǐ guā dé hěn guāng， fā sè bǐ jiào qiǎn。
　　“ nǐ shì huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè xiān shēng má？” tā wèn dào。
　　“ duì，” wǒ shuō dào。
　　“ ā！ wǒ zhèng děng zhe nǐ， kě shì nǐ bǐ yuē dìng de shí jiān lái zǎo liǎo yī diǎn。 wǒ jīn tiān zǎo chén jiē dào wǒ gē gē yī fēng lái xìn， tā zài xìn shàng duì nǐ bāo jiǎng bèi zhì。”
　　“ nǐ lái de shí hòu wǒ zhèng zài xún zhǎo nǐ men de bàn gōng shì。”
　　“ yīn wéi shàng xīng qī wǒ men gāng zū dào zhè jǐ jiān lín shí bàn gōng shì， suǒ yǐ hái méi yòu guà shàng wǒ men gōng sī de míng pái。 suí wǒ lái， wǒ men bǎ gōng shì tán yī tán。”
　　“ wǒ suí tā zǒu shàng gāo lóu de zuì shàng céng， jiù zài lóu dǐng shí bǎn wǎ xià miàn， yòu liǎng jiān kōng dàng dàng、 bù mǎn chén 'āi de xiǎo wū zǐ， jì wú chuāng lián、 yòu wú dì tǎn， tā bǎ wǒ lǐng jìn qù。 wǒ běn lái shè xiǎng tā xiàng wǒ cháng jiàn de nà yàng， shì yī jiān kuān chǎng de bàn gōng shì， zhuō míng jǐ jìng， zuò zhe yī pái pái de zhí yuán。 kě shì wǒ kàn dào wū lǐ zhǐ yòu liǎng bǎ sōng mù yǐ hé yī zhāng xiǎo zhuō zǐ， zhuō shàng zhǐ yòu yī běn zǒng zhàng， hái yòu yī gè fèi zhǐ lǒu， zhè jiù shì quán bù de bǎi shè。
　　“ qǐng bù yào xiè qì， pài kè luó fū tè xiān shēng，” wǒ de xīn xiāng shí kàn dào wǒ liǎn shàng lù chū bù kuài de yàng zǐ， biàn shuō dào，“ luó mǎ yě bù shì yī tiān jiàn chéng de， wǒ men de zī běn xióng hòu， dàn bù zài bàn gōng shì shàng bǎi kuò qì。 qǐng zuò， bǎ nà fēng xìn gěi wǒ。”
　　“ wǒ bǎ xìn jiāo gěi tā， tā shí fēn zǎi xì dì kàn liǎo yī biàn。
　　“ kàn lái wǒ gē gē 'ā sè duì nǐ de yìn xiàng fēi cháng shēn kè，” tā shuō dào，“ wǒ zhī dào tā hěn zhī rén shàn rèn。 nǐ zhī dào， tā shēn shēn xìn lài lún dūn rén， ér wǒ xìn lài bó míng hàn rén， kě shì zhè huí wǒ jiē shòu liǎo tā de tuī jiàn， nǐ yǐ bèi zhèng shì lù yòng liǎo。”
　　“ wǒ de rèn wù shì shénme ní？” wǒ wèn dào。
　　“ nǐ jiāng lái yào guǎn lǐ bā lí de dà huò zhàn， bǎ yīng guó zào de táo qì yuán yuán bù duàn dì yùn gěi fǎ guó yī bǎi sān shí sì jiā dài shòu diàn。 yī xīng qī nèi jiù kě gòu qí zhè pī shāng pǐn， zài zhè duàn shí jiān nèi nǐ hái yào dài zài bó míng hàn zuò xiē yòu yì de shì。”
　　“ shénme shì ní？ ’
　　“ tā méi yòu huí dá， cóng chōu tì lǐ qǔ chū yī běn dà hóng shū lái。
　　“ zhè shì yī běn bā lí gōng shāngháng míng lù，” tā shuō dào，“ rén míng hòu miàn yòu xíng yè míng chēng。 wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ bǎ tā dài huí jiā qù， bǎ wǔ jīn shāng hé tā men de dì zhǐ dū chāo xià lái。 zhè duì wǒ men yòu hěn dà yòng chù。”
　　“ yī dìng zhào bàn， bù guò bù shì yòu fēn lèi biǎo liǎo má？” wǒ jiàn yì shuō。
　　“ nà xiē biǎo bù kě kào。 tā men de fēn lèi hé wǒ men de bù tóng。 jiā jǐn chāo bā， qǐng zài xīng qī yī shí 'èr diǎn bǎ dān zǐ jiāo gěi wǒ。 zài jiàn， pài kè luó fū tè xiān shēng。 rú guǒ nǐ jì xù biǎo xiàn dé rè qíng 'ér néng gān， nǐ huì kàn dé chū lái gōng sī shì yī gè hǎo dōng dào zhù de。”
　　“ wǒ yè xià jiā zhe nà běn dà shū huí dào lǚ guǎn， xīn lǐ chōng mǎn liǎo máo dùn de gǎn jué。 yī fāng miàn， wǒ yǐ bèi zhèng shì lù yòng liǎo， ér qiě kǒu dài lǐ zhuāng zhe yī bǎi bàng chāo piào； lìng yī fāng miàn， zhè gè bàn gōng shì de yàng zǐ， gōng sī méi yòu guà míng pái， yǐ jí yī gè shí yè rén yuán yī mù liǎo rán de qí tā zhū shì， shǐ wǒ duì dōng jiā de jīng jì qíng kuàng yìn xiàng bù jiā。 rán 'ér， bù guǎn zěn me shuō， fǎn zhèng wǒ ná dào liǎo qián， yú shì wǒ zuò xià lái chāo lù。 zhěng gè xīng qī rì wǒdōu zài mái tóu kǔ gān， kě shì dào xīng qī yī wǒ cái chāo dào zì mǔ Ｈ。 wǒ biàn qù zhǎo wǒ de dōng jiā， hái shì zài nà jiān xiàng bèi xǐ jié guò de wū zǐ lǐ zhǎo dào liǎo tā。 tā gào sù wǒ yào yī zhí chāo dào xīng qī sān， rán hòu zài qù zhǎo tā。 kě shì dào xīng qī sān wǒ hái méi yòu chāo wán， yú shì yòu kǔ gān dào xīng qī wǔ， yě jiù shì zuó tiān。 rán hòu wǒ bǎ chāo hǎo de dōng xī dài qù jiāo gěi hā lǐ · píng nà xiān shēng。
　　“ fēi cháng gǎn xiè nǐ，” tā shuō dào，“ wǒ kǒng pà bǎ zhè xiàng rèn wù de kùn nán gū jì guò dī liǎo。 zhè fèn dān zǐ duì wǒ yòu hěn dà de shí jì yòng chù。”
　　“ wǒ yòng liǎo bù shàoshí jiān，” wǒ shuō dào。
　　“ xiàn zài，” tā shuō dào，“ wǒ yào nǐ zài chāo yī fèn jiā jù diàn de dān zǐ， zhè xiē jiā jù diàn dū chū shòu cí qì。”
　　“ hěn hǎo。”
　　“ nǐ kě yǐ zài míng tiān wǎn shàng qī diǎn zhōng dào zhè lǐ lái， gào sù wǒ jìn zhǎn qíng kuàng。 qǐng bù yào guò yú láolèi， jīng guò yī tiān de láolèi zhī hòu， wǎn shàng dào dài sī yīnyuè tīng qù xīn shǎng liǎng xiǎo shí yīnyuè， zhè duì nǐ shì yòu yì wú sǔn de。” tā shuō huà shí miàn dài xiào róng， wǒ yī kàn， dùn shí máo gǔ sǒng rán， yīn wéi tā zuǒ shàng biān dì 'èr gè yá chǐ shàng hú luàn xiāng zhe jīn yá。”
　　 xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī xīng fèn dì cuō zhe shuāng shǒu， wǒ jīng qí dì wàng zhe wǒ men de wěi tuō rén。
　　“ xiǎn rán nǐ hěn jīng qí， huá shēng yī shēng。 shì qíng shì zhè yàng de，” tā shuō dào，” wǒ zài lún dūn hé nà gè jiā huǒ tán huà shí， tā tīng wǒ shuō bù qù mò sēn shāng xíng liǎo， biàn xiào zhú yán kāi， wǒ wú yì zhōng fā xiàn tā jiù shì zài dì 'èr gè yá chǐ shàng hú luàn xiāng zhe jīn yá。 yào zhī dào， zhè liǎng zhǒng chǎng hé wǒdōu kàn dào liǎo jīn guāng yī shǎn， zài jiā shàng zhè liǎng rén de shēng yīn hé tǐ xíng yī mó yī yàng， zhǐ shì nà xiē kě yǐ yòng tì dāo huò jiǎ fā gǎi zhuāng de dì fāng cái yòu suǒ bù tóng。 yīn cǐ， wǒ háo bù huái yí， tā men” gē 'ér liǎ” jiù shì tóng yī gè rén。 dāng rán rén men huì xiǎng dào liǎng xiōng dì kě néng cháng dé yī mó yī yàng， kě tā men jué bù huì zài tóng yī gè yá shàng xiāng shàng tóng yàng xíng zhuàng de jīn yá。 tā gōng jìng dì bǎ wǒ sòng chū lái， wǒ zǒu dào jiē shàng， jiǎn zhí bù zhī dào rú hé shì hǎo。 wǒ huí dào lǚ guǎn， zài liáng shuǐ pén lǐ xǐ liǎo tóu， jiǎo jìn nǎo zhī sī suǒ zhè jiàn shì。 tā wèishénme bǎ wǒ zhī shǐ dào bó míng hàn lái ní？ tā wèishénme bǐ wǒ xiān lái ní？ tā yòu wèishénme zì jǐ gěi zì jǐ xiě yī fēng xìn ní？ zǒng 'ér yán zhī， zhè xiē wèn tí duì wǒ lái shuō shì tài shāng nǎo jīn liǎo， wú lùn rú hé yě nòng bù qīng chǔ。 hòu lái wǒ tū rán xiǎng dào zài wǒ kàn lái shì yān wù yī tuán de shì， zài xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī kàn lái què kě néng liǎo rú zhǐ zhǎng。 wǒ zhèng hǎo gǎn shàng yè chē huí dào chéng lǐ， jīn tiān qīng zǎo jiù lái bài fǎng fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， bìng qǐng nǐ men 'èr wèi yǔ wǒ yī qǐ huí bó míng hàn qù。”
　　 zhè wèi zhèng quàn jīng jì rén de shū jì yuán bǎ tā qí yì de jīng lì jiǎng wán yǐ hòu， wǒ mendōu mò bù zuò shēng。 hòu lái xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī nì shì liǎo wǒ yī yǎn， xiàng hòu yǎng kào zài zuò diàn shàng， liǎn shàng lù chū yī zhǒng mǎn yì 'ér yòu xiǎng píng lùn de biǎo qíng， hǎo xiàng yī wèi pǐn cháng jiā gāng gāng chuò rù dì yī kǒu měi jiǔ shìde。
　　“ xiāng dāng bù cuò， duì bù duì？ huá shēng，” tā shuō dào，“ zhè lǐ miàn yòu xǔ duō dì fāng shǐ wǒ hěn gǎn xīng qù。 wǒ xiǎng nǐ yī dìng tóng yì wǒ de yì jiàn， wǒ men dào fǎ guó zhōng bù wǔ jīn yòu xiàn gōng sī de lín shí bàn gōng shì qù bài fǎng yī xià 'ā sè · píng nà xiān shēng， duì nǐ wǒ 'èr rén lái shuō， yī dìng shì yī cìxiàng dāng yòu qù de jīng lì。”
　　“ kě shì wǒ men zěn yàng cái néng bài fǎng tā ní？” wǒ wèn dào。
　　“ ā， zhè hěn róng yì，” huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè gāo xīng dì shuō dào，“ wǒ jiù shuō nǐ men shì wǒ de péng yǒu， xiǎng zhǎo gè chā shǐ gān， zhè yàng wǒ dài nǐ men liǎng gè rén qù zhǎo zǒng jīng lǐ bù shì gèng zì rán yī xiē má？”
　　“ dāng rán， wán quán rú cǐ，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō dào，“ wǒ hěn yuàn jiàn yī jiàn zhè wèi shēn shì， kàn kàn wǒ shì fǒu néng cóng tā nà xiǎo xiǎo de bǎ xì zhōng zhǎo chū gè tóu xù lái。 wǒ de péng yǒu， nǐ dào dǐ yòu shénme běn lǐng shǐ nǐ de xiào láo rú cǐ nán néng kě guì？ yě xǔ néng gòu……” tā shuō dào zhè lǐ， kāi shǐ niè yǎo tā de zhǐ jiá， máng rán ruò shī dì níng wàng zhe chuāng wài， zhí dào wǒ men dào dá xīn dà jiē， zài méi yòu tīng tā jiǎng yī jù huà。
　　 zhè tiān wǎn shàng qī diǎn zhōng， wǒ men sān gè rén màn bù lái dào kē bō lāi sēn jiē zhè jiā gōng sī de bàn gōng shì。
　　“ wǒ men zǎo lái yī diǎn yě méi yòu yòng，” wǒ men de wěi tuō rén shuō dào，“ xiǎn 'ér yì jiàn de shì， tā zhǐ shì dào zhè lǐ lái huì wǒ， yīn wéi chú liǎo tā zhǐ dìng de nà gè shí jiān yǐ wài， zhè gè fáng jiān shì kōng wú yī rén de。”
　　“ zhè dǎo shì yǐn rén shēn sī de，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō。
　　“ ā， tīng wǒ shuō！” zhè wèi shū jì jiào hǎn dào，” zài wǒ men qián miàn zǒu de jiù shì tā 'ā。”
　　 tā zhǐ xiàng yī gè 'ǎi xiǎo shēn cái、 hēi hēi de、 yī fú zhěng jié de rén， zhè gè rén zhèng zài jiē nà biān huāng máng bēn zǒu zhe。 wǒ men jiàn dào tā shí， tā kàn dào jiē duì guò yī gè jiào mài wǎn bào de xiǎo hái， jiù zài mǎ chē hé gōng gòng qì chē zhī jiān chuān jiē 'ér guò， xiàng nà gè hái zǐ mǎi liǎo yī fèn wǎn bào， rán hòu， ná zài shǒu zhōng， zǒu jìn mén qù。
　　“ tā dào nà lǐ qù liǎo！” huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè hǎn dào，” tā jìn qù de jiù shì nà jiā gōng sī de bàn gōng shì。 suí wǒ lái， wǒ jìn kě néng bǎ shì qíng 'ān pái dé róng yì xiē。”
　　 wǒ men gēn zài tā hòu miàn pá shàng wǔ céng lóu， lái dào yī jiān mén bàn kāi bàn yǎn de fáng jiān qián， wǒ men de wěi tuō rén qīng qīng qiāo liǎo qiāo mén， lǐ miàn yòu yī gè shēng yīn jiào wǒ men jìn qù。 wǒ men zǒu jìn yī gè kōng dàng dàng de méi yòu bǎi shè de wū zǐ， zhèng xiàng huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè jiè shào guò de yī yàng。 wǒ men zài jiē shàng jiàn dào de nà gè rén zhèng zuò zài jǐn yòu de yī zhāng zhuō zǐ bàng biān， miàn qián fàng zhe nà zhāng wǎn bào。 zài tā tái tóu kàn wǒ men shí， wǒ hǎo xiàng jué dé， wǒ hái cóng lái méi jiàn guò yī zhāng miàn kǒng qí biǎo qíng shì nà yàng de bēi tòng， qǐ zhǐ shì bēi tòng， jiǎn zhí shì xiàng zài shēng sǐ guān tóu nà zhǒng jí duān kǒng bù de yàng zǐ。 tā de 'é jiǎo shàng mào zhe hàn zhū， miàn jiá xiàng yú dù zǐ yī yàng de sǐ bái， shuāng yǎn dèng dé dà dà de， sǐ sǐ dì dīng zhe tā de shū jì yuán， hǎo xiàng bù rèn shí tā yī yàng， wǒ cóng wǒ men xiàng dǎo liǎn shàng jīng yì de biǎo qíng kě yǐ kàn chū， zhè jué bù shì tā dōng jiā píng shí de biǎo qíng。
　　“ nǐ liǎn sè bù hǎo！ píng nà xiān shēng，” huò 'ěr shuō dào。
　　“ shì de， wǒ bù tài shū fú，” píng nà dá dào， xiǎn rán jié lì huī fù zhèn jìng， zài shuō huà qián shì liǎo shì gān zào de shuāng chún，“ nǐ dài lái de zhè liǎng wèi shēn shì shì shénme rén？”
　　“ yī wèi shì bó méng qí de hā lǐ sī xiān shēng， lìng yī wèi shì běn zhèn de pǔ lài sī xiān shēng，” wǒ men de wěi tuō rén suí jī yìng biàn dì shuō dào，“ tā men shì wǒ de péng yǒu， bìng qiě shì liǎng wèi jīng yàn fēng fù de xiān shēng， bù guò jìn lái tā men shī yè liǎo， tā men xī wàng huò xǔ nǐ kě yǐ zài gōng sī lǐ gěi tā men zhǎo gè chū lù。”
　　“ tài kě néng liǎo！ tài kě néng liǎo！” píng nà xiān shēng miǎnqiǎng xiào liǎo xiào， dà shēng shuō dào，” duì liǎo， wǒ kěn dìng wǒ men néng wéi nǐ men jìn lì de。 hā lǐ sī xiān shēng， nǐ de zhuān cháng shì shénme ní？”
　　“ wǒ shì yī gè kuàijì shī，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō dào。
　　“ ā， hǎo， wǒ men zhèng xū yào zhè yàng de rén cái。 qǐ lài sī xiān shēng， nà me nǐ ní？”
　　“ wǒ shì yī gè shū jì yuán。” wǒ shuō dào。
　　“ wǒ xī wàng gōng sī kě yǐ jiē nà nǐ men， wǒ men yī zuò chū jué dìng， wǒ mǎ shàng jiù tōng zhī nǐ men。 xiàn zài qǐng nǐ men zǒu bā， kàn shàng dì miàn shàng， ràng wǒ 'ān jìng 'ān jìng！”
　　 zuì hòu jǐ jù tā hǎn jiào dé shēng yīn hěn dà， hǎo xiàng tā zài yě kòng zhì bù liǎo zì jǐ liǎo。 fú 'ěr mó sī hé wǒ miàn miàn xiāng qù， huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè xiàng zhuō qián zǒu jìn yī bù。
　　“ píng nà xiān shēng， nǐ wàng liǎo， wǒ shì yìng yuē lái zhè lǐ tīng qǔ nǐ de zhǐ shì de，” tā shuō dào。
　　“ dāng rán liǎo， pài kè luó fū tè xiān shēng， dāng rán liǎo，” duì fāng huī fù liǎo bǐ jiào lěng jìng de qiāng diào shuō dào，“ nǐ kě yǐ zài zhè lǐ shāo děng piàn kè， nǐ de péng yǒu yě kě yǐ děng yī děng， rú guǒ bù huì shǐ nǐ men bù nài fán de huà， guò sān fēn zhōng wǒ yī dìng wán quán tīng cóng nǐ men de fēn fù，” tā bīn bīn yòu lǐ dì zhàn qǐ lái， xiàng wǒ men diǎn liǎo diǎn tóu， cóng wū zǐ nà yī tóu de mén zǒu liǎo chū qù， suí jí bǎ mén guān shàng liǎo。
　　“ xiàn zài zěn me bàn？” fú 'ěr mó sī dī yǔ dào，” tā shì bù shì táo zǒu liǎo？”
　　“ bù kě néng。” pài kè luó fū tè dá dào。
　　“ wèishénme bù kě néng ní？”
　　“ nà shàn mén tōng wǎng tào jiān。”
　　“ méi yòu chū kǒu má？”
　　“ méi yòu。”
　　“ lǐ miàn yòu jiā jù má？”
　　“ zuó tiān hái shì kōng de。”
　　“ nà me tā jiū jìng zài lǐ miàn néng gànshénme ní？ zhè jiàn shì zhēn yòu xiē jiào wǒ mō bù zhe tóu nǎo， zhè gè jiào píng nà de rén shì bù shì xià fēng liǎo？ shénme shì néng bǎ tā xià dé hún shēn chàn dǒu ní？”
　　“ tā yī dìng huái yí wǒ men shì zhēn tàn，” wǒ tí xǐng shuō。
　　“ yī dìng shì zhè yàng，” pài kè luó fū tè dà shēng shuō dào。
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī yáo liǎo yáo tóu。” tā bù shì jiàn liǎo wǒ men cái xià huài de， wǒ men jìn zhè fáng jiān shí tā yǐ jīng liǎn sè cāng bái liǎo，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō dào，“ zhǐ kě néng shì……” cóng tào jiān mén nà biān chuán lái liǎo yī zhèn xiǎng liàng de dǎ mén shēng yīn， dǎ duàn liǎo fú 'ěr mó sī de huà。
　　“ tā gànshénme zì jǐ zài lǐ miàn qiāo mén？” shū jì yuán hǎn dào。
　　 dǎ mén shēng yòu xiǎng qǐ lái， ér qiě gèng jiā xiǎng liàng。 wǒ mendōu huái zhe qī dài xīn qíng dīng zhe nà shàn guān zhe de mén。 wǒ wàng liǎo fú 'ěr mó sī yī yǎn， jiàn tā miàn róng yán jùn， jī dòng yì cháng dì fǔ shēn xiàng qián。 jiē zhe tū rán chuán lái yī zhèn dī dī de hóu tóu gū lū shēng， yī zhèn dōng dōng de qiāo dǎ mù qì de shēng yīn。 fú 'ěr mó sī fā kuáng sì dì chōng xiàng qián qù， měng tuī nà shàn mén。 kě shì mén yǐ cóng lǐ miàn shuān shàng liǎo。 wǒ men yě fǎng xiào tā de yàng zǐ yòng jìn hún shēn zhī lì zhuàng mén。 yī gè mén hé yè tū rán duàn liǎo， jiē zhe lìng yī gè yě duàn liǎo。 mén pēng dì yī shēng dǎo xià qù。 wǒ men cóng mén shàng chōng guò qù， jìn rù tào jiān， lǐ miàn què kōng wú yī rén。
　　 wǒ men yī shí gǎn dào bù zhī suǒ cuò， kě shì bù dà gōng fū jiù fā xiàn kào jìn wǒ men jìn lái de wū jiǎo hái yòu yī gè xiǎo mén。 fú 'ěr mó sī bēn guò qù bǎ mén tuī kāi， jiàn dì bǎn shàng rēng zhe yī jiàn wài yī hé bèi xīn， mén hòu de yī gè guà gōu shàng， fǎ guó zhōng bù wǔ jīn yòu xiàn gōng sī de zǒng jīng lǐ yòng zì jǐ kù zǐ de bēidài rào zài bó zǐ shàng zì yì liǎo。 tā de shuāng xī wān qū， tóu guà dé hé tā de shēn tǐ chéng liǎo yī gè kě pà de jiǎo dù， tā de liǎng gè jiǎo hòu gēn dōng dōng dì qiāo dǎzháo mù mén， yuán lái jiù shì zhè gè shēng yīn dǎ duàn liǎo wǒ men de tán huà。 wǒ yī xià zǐ bào zhù tā de yāo， bǎ tā jǔ qǐ， fú 'ěr mó sī hé pài kè luó fū tè bǎ yòu tánxìng de kù zǐ bēidài jiě xià lái， nà gēn bēidài zǎo yǐ lè jìn liǎo tā fā qīng de pí fū zhōng。 wǒ men bǎ tā nòng dào wài wū。 tā tǎng zài nà lǐ， miàn rú tǔ sè， fā zǐ de zuǐ chún suí zhe wēi wēi de chuǎn xī 'ér chàn dòng zhe， yī fù jīng rén de cǎn zhuàng， wán quán bù shì wǔ fēn zhōng yǐ qián de yàng zǐ liǎo。
　　“ nǐ kàn tā hái yòu jiù má， huá shēng？” fú 'ěr mó sī wèn dào。
　　 wǒ fǔ lái， duì zhè rén jìn xíng jiǎn chá。 tā de mài bó wēi ruò 'ér yòu jiān xiē， kě shì hū xī què yuè lái yuè cháng， tā de yǎn jiǎn wēi wēi chàn dòng， yǎn jiǎn xià lù chū bái bái de yǎn qiú。
　　“ tā běn lái hěn wēi xiǎn，” wǒ shuō dào，“ kě shì xiàn zài yǐ jīng jiù huó liǎo。 qǐng dǎ kāi chuāng hù， bǎ lěng shuǐ píng gěi wǒ，” wǒ jiě kāi tā de yī lǐng， zài tā liǎn shàng dǎo liǎo yī xiē lěng shuǐ， gěi tā zuò rén gōng hū xī， zhí dào tā zì rán dì cháng cháng hū liǎo yī kǒu qì。
　　“ xiàn zài zhǐ shì shí jiān wèn tí liǎo，” wǒ cóng tā shēn bàng zǒu kāi， shuō dào。
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī zhàn zài zhuō bàng， shuāng shǒu chā zài kù dài lǐ， dī zhe tóu。
　　“ wǒ xiǎng wǒ men xiàn zài yīngdāng bǎ zhǎo lái liǎo，” tā shuō dào，“ děng tā men lái hòu， wǒ men jiù bǎ quán 'àn jiāo gěi tā men。”
　　“ jiàn guǐ， wǒ hái shì yī diǎn yě bù míng bái，” pài kè luó fū tè sāo zhe tóu， jiào hǎn dào，” bù guǎn tā men tè dì bǎ wǒ yǐn dào zhè lǐ lái gànshénme， kě……”
　　“ hēng！ zhè yī qiēdōu hěn qīng chǔ！” fú 'ěr mó sī bù nài fán dì shuō dào，“ jiù shì wèile zhè zuì hòu de tū rán xíng dòng。”
　　“ nà me， nǐ duì qí yú de shìdōu qīng chǔ liǎo má？”
　　“ wǒ xiǎng zhè shì jí wéi míng xiǎn de， huá shēng， nǐ de yì jiàn zěn yàng？”
　　 wǒ sǒng liǎo sǒng shuāng jiān。” wǒ bì xū chéng rèn wǒ duì cǐ mò míng piàn miào。” wǒ shuō dào。
　　“ ā， rú guǒ nǐ men xiān bǎ zhè xiē shì qíng zǎi xì xiǎng yī xiǎng， jiù néng dé chū yī gè jié lùn。”
　　“ nà nǐ dào dǐ dé chū shénme jié lùn ní？”
　　“ hǎo， quán 'àn de guān jiàn yòu liǎng diǎn。 dì yī diǎn shì tā ràng pài kè luó fū tè xiě liǎo yī fèn dào zhè jiā huāng dàn de gōng sī fú wù de shēng míng， nǐ hái bù míng bái zhè shì duō me fā rén shēn sī má？”
　　“ kǒng pà wǒ méi yòu dào zhè yī diǎn。”
　　“ nà me， tā men wèishénme yào tā xiě zhè fèn shēng míng ní？ zhè bù fú cháng qíng， yīn wéi xiàng zhè lèi 'ān pái tōng cháng dōushì kǒu tóu yuē dìng de， zhè yī cì bìng méi yòu shénme lǐ yóu yī dìng yào dǎ pò guàn lì。 wǒ nián qīng de péng yǒu， nǐ méi yòu kàn chū tā men fēi cháng kě wàng nòng dào nǐ de bǐ jì， ér yòu méi yòu bié de bàn fǎ nòng dào má？”
　　“ wèishénme yào wǒ de bǐ jì ní？”
　　“ hěn hǎo， wèishénme ní？ huí dá liǎo zhè gè wèn tí， wǒ men de 'àn zǐ jiù yòu hěn dà jìn zhǎn liǎo。 wèishénme ní？ zhǐ néng yòu yī gè shìdàng de lǐ yóu， jiù shì yòu rén yào mó fǎng nǐ de bǐ jì， bù dé bù huā qián mǎi nǐ de bǐ jì yàng běn。 xiàn zài wǒ men zài kàn kàn dì 'èr diǎn， jiù fā xiàn zhè liǎng diǎn kě yǐ xiāng hù shuō míng liǎo。 zhè dì 'èr diǎn jiù shì píng nà yào nǐ bù yào cí zhí， yī dìng yào ràng nà jiā yè de jīng lǐ bào zhe xī wàng， rèn wéi yòu yī wèi tā cóng wèi jiàn guò miàn de huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè xiān shēng xīng qī yī zǎo chén jiù yào qù shàng bān liǎo。”
　　“ wǒ de tiān nǎ！” wǒ men de wěi tuō rén hǎn dào，” wǒ shì duō me xiā 'ā！”
　　“ xiàn zài kàn kàn tā wèishénme yào nòng dào nǐ de bǐ jì bā。 jiǎ shè yòu rén mào míng dǐng tì nǐ qù shàng bān， kě shì zì jì hé nǐ dì jiāo de shēn qǐng shū shàng de bìng bù xiāng tóng， dāng rán zhè chū bǎ xì jiù yào lù chū mǎ jiǎo。 kě shì rú guǒ zài zhè jǐ tiān nèi nà gè wú lài xué huì mó fǎng nǐ de bǐ jì， nà tā jiù wàn wú yī shī liǎo， yīn wéi wǒ xiāng xìn zhè jiā gōng sī méi yòu rén jiàn guò nǐ。”
　　“ yī gè rén yě méi yòu jiàn guò wǒ，” huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè 'āi shēng tàn qì dì shuō dào。
　　“ tài hǎo liǎo。 dāng rán， zhè jiàn shì zuì zhòng yào de yī diǎn jiù shì shè fǎ bù ràng nǐ gǎi biàn zhù yì， bìng qiě bù ràng nǐ hé rèn hé zhī qíng rén jiē chù， yǐ miǎn yòu rén gào sù nǐ nà gè mào míng dǐng tì bō rén yǐ jīng zài mò sēn shāngháng shàng bān liǎo。 suǒ yǐ tā men yù zhī gěi tā yī bǐ gāo xīn， bǎ nǐ zhī dào zhōng bù dì qū， zài nà lǐ tā men gěi nǐ xǔ duō gōng zuò gān， shǐ nǐ wú xiá fǎn huí lún dūn， bù rán nǐ jiù huì bǎ tā men de xiǎo bǎ xì chāi chuān liǎo。 zhè yī qiē shì fēi cháng qīng chǔ de。”
　　“ kě shì wèishénme zhè gè rén yào jiǎ zhuāng tā zì jǐ de gē gē ní？”
　　“ ā， zhè yě shì fēi cháng míng xiǎn de。 xiǎn rán tā men zhǐ yòu liǎng gè rén。 lìng yī gè rén jì yǐ mào yòng nǐ de míng zì jìn liǎo mò sēn shāngháng， tā men yòu bù yuàn yòu dì sān zhě cānyù yīn móu， yòu yào yòu rén dāng nǐ de dōng jiā， suǒ yǐ tā jiù jìn liàng qiáo zhuāng dǎ bàn mào chōng liǎng xiōng dì， xiāng xìn nǐ jí shǐ fā xiàn tā men múyàng xiāng sì， yě huì rèn zuò shì gē 'ér liǎ cháng dé yī yàng。 yào bù shì nǐ xìng 'ér wú yì zhōng fā xiàn liǎo tā de jīn yá， nà nǐ jiù bù huì qǐ yí xīn liǎo。”
　　 huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè shuāng shǒu wò quán zài kōng zhōng huī wǔ。” tiān 'ā！” tā jiào hǎn dào，” zài wǒ shòu rén yú nòng de shí hòu， nà gè jiǎ huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè zài mò sēn shāngháng lǐ zuò liǎo xiē shénme ní？ wǒ men gāi zěn me bàn？ fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。 qǐng zhǐ jiào wǒ zěn me bàn？”
　　“ wǒ men bì xū gěi mò sēn shāngháng fā yī fèn diàn bào。”
　　“ tā men měi xīng qī liù shí 'èr diǎn guān mén。”
　　“ bù yào jǐn。 huì yòu yī xiē kānmén rén huò jǐng wèi……”
　　“ ā， duì liǎo， yīn wéi tā men bǎo cún zhe hěn duō guì zhòng de zhèng quàn， tā men yòu yī zhī cháng bèi jǐng wèi duì。 wǒ jì dé zài chéng lǐ tīng rén jiǎng guò zhè jiàn shì。”
　　“ tài hǎo liǎo， wǒ men gěi tā fā yī gè diàn bào， kàn kàn shì fǒu yī qiē zhèng cháng， shì fǒu yòu yī gè mào yòng nǐ míng zì de shū jì yuán zài nà lǐ bàn gōng。 zhè shì hěn qīng chǔ de， kě shì， wǒ hái bù tài míng bái de shì， wèishénme yī kàn dào wǒ men， qí zhōng de yī gè lài què lì jí páo chū qù zì yì liǎo？”
　　“ bào zhǐ！” wǒ men shēn hòuzhuàn lái liǎo yī zhèn sī yǎ de shēng yīn。 zhè gè rén yǐ zuò qǐ shēn lái， miàn sè hé sǐ rén yī yàng cāng bái， shuāng yǎn yǐ jīng fù yuán， yòng shǒu fǔ mō zhe yān hóu sì zhōu de kuān kuān de hóng sè lè hén。
　　“ bào zhǐ！ dāng rán liǎo！” fú 'ěr mó sī tū rán jī dòng dì jiào hǎn dào，” wǒ zhēn shì yī gè bái chī！ wǒ bǎ wǒ men lái fǎng de shì xiǎng dé tài duō liǎo， yī diǎn 'ér yě méi yòu xiǎng dào bào zhǐ。 kěn dìng shuō， mì mì jiù zài bào zhǐ shàng。” tā bǎ bào zhǐ zài zhuō shàng tān kāi， xīn xǐ yù kuáng dì jiào hǎn qǐ lái。” qǐng kàn zhè yī tiáo， huá shēng。” tā dà shēng shuō dào，” zhè shì lún dūn de bào zhǐ， zǎo bǎn de《 qí zhì wǎn bào》。 wǒ men xū yào de zài zhè lǐ， qǐng kàn dà zì biāo tí： ‘ chéng lǐ qiǎng dòng 'àn。 mò sēn hé wēi lián sī shāngháng fā shēng xiōng shā 'àn。 yòu yù móu de dà qiǎng jié。 zuì fàn luò wǎng。” huá shēng， zhè bù dōushì wǒ men xiǎng zhī dào de má？ qǐng dà shēng dú gěi wǒ men tīng tīng。”
　　 zhè xiàng bào dào zài bào zhǐ shàng zhàn de wèi zhì， jiù shuō míng liǎo zhè shì chéng lǐ de yī jiàn zhòng yào 'àn jiàn， nèi róng jìzǎi rú xià：
　　” jīn rì xià wǔ zài lún dūn fā shēng yī qǐ xiōng xiǎn de qiǎng jié 'àn， yī rén zhì sǐ， xiōng fàn yǐ luò wǎng。 bù jiǔ qián， mò sēn hé wēi lián sī zhè jiā zhù míng de zhèng quàn xíng cún yòu bǎi wàn bàng yǐ shàng de jù 'é zhèng quàn， shè lì liǎo jǐng wèi rén yuán。 jīng lǐ yì shí dào tā jiān tóu zé rèn de zhòng dà， biàn zhì bàn liǎo yī xiē zuì xīn shì de bǎo xiǎn guì， bìng zài lóu shàng shè liǎo yī míng wǔ zhuāng jǐng wèi rì yè kānshǒu。 shàng zhōu gōng sī zhāo shōu yī míng xīn zhí yuán huò 'ěr · pài kè luó fū tè。 yuán lái cǐ rén bù shì bié rén， nǎi shì 'è míng yuǎn yáng de wěi bì zhì zào fàn jí dà dào bèi dīng dùn。 gāi fàn yǔ qí dì gāng gāng fú mǎn wǔ nián kǔ yì huò shì。 xiàn shàng wèi chá míng bǐ děng yòng hé zhǒng fāng fǎ cǎi yòng jiǎ míng jìng huò dé zhè jiā gōng sī de rèn yòng， yǐ biàn jiè cǐ liè qǔ gè zhǒng suǒyuè de mó shì， chè dǐ liǎo jiě bǎo xiǎn kù hé bǎo xiǎn guì de shè zhì qíng kuàng。
　　 zhào mò lín shāngháng guàn lì， xīng qī liù zhōng wǔ zhí yuán fàngjià。 yīn cǐ， zài xià wǔ yī diǎn 'èr shí fēn， sū gé lán chǎng de jǐng guān tú sēn kàn dào yī gè rén ná zhe yī gè máo zhān zhì de shǒu tí bāo zǒu chū lái shí， gǎn dào fēi cháng jīng qí。 zhè gè rén yǐn qí tā de huái yí， tā biàn wěi suí 'ér xíng， zuì fàn suī rán pàn mìng dǐ kàng， dàn tú sēn zài bō luò kè de xié zhù xià， zhōng yú jiāng qí bǔ huò。 dāng jí chá míng fā shēng liǎo yī qǐ dǎn dà bāo tiān de dà qiǎng jié 'àn。 cóng shǒu tí bāo zhōng sōu chū jià zhí jìn shí wàn yīng bàng de měi guó tiě lù gōng zhài quàn， cǐ wài shàng yòu kuàng yè hé qí tā gōng sī de jù 'é gǔ piào。 zài jiǎn chá fáng wū shí， fā xiàn nà bù xìng de jǐng wèi de shī tǐ bèi wān qū zhe sài jìn yī gè dà yī guì lǐ， ruò bù shì jǐng guān tú sēn cǎi qǔ liǎo guǒ duàn xíng dòng， shī tǐ zài xīng qī yī zǎo chén zhī qián shàng bù huì bèi rén fā xiàn。 gāi jǐng wèi de lú gǔ bèi rén cóng shēn hòu yòng huǒ qián zá suì。 háo wú yí wèn， yī dìng shì bèi dīng dùn jiǎ tuō yí wàng liǎo shénme dōng xī， jìn rù lóu nèi， shā sǐ liǎo jǐng wèi， xùn sù bǎ dà bǎo xiǎn guì nèi de dōng xī jié lüè yī kōng， rán hòu xié dài zāng wù táo páo。 tā de dì dì jīng cháng yǔ tā yī qǐ zuò 'àn， cǐ cì jīng guò chá zhèng， què sì wèi céng cānyù， rán jǐng fāng réng zài jìn lì chá fǎng qí xià luò yún yún。”
　　“ hǎo liǎo， wǒ men kě yǐ shǐ jǐng tīng zài zhè fāng miàn shěng qù hǎo duō má fán，” fú 'ěr mó sī wàng liǎo nà quán suō zài chuāng bàng de xíng róng kū gǎo de rén yī yǎn， shuō dào，“ rén lèi de tiān xìng shì yī zhǒng qí guài de hùn hé wù， huá shēng， nǐ kàn， jí shǐ shì 'è gùn hé shā rén fàn yě néng yòu zhè yàng de gǎn qíng： dì dì yī tīng shuō gē gē yào diū nǎo dài biàn zì xún duǎn jiàn。 bù guò， wǒ men bì xū cǎi qǔ xíng dòng liǎo。 yī shēng hé wǒ liú xià kānshǒu， pài kè luó fū tè xiān shēng， láo jià nǐ qù bǎ zhǎo lái。”

　　Shortly after my marriage I had bought a connection in the Paddington district. Old Mr. Farquhar, from whom I purchased it, had at one time an excellent general practice; but his age, and an affliction of the nature of St. Vitus's dance from which he suffered, had very much thinned it. The public not unnaturally goes on the principle that he who would heal others must himself be whole, and looks askance at the curative powers of the man whose own case is beyond the reach of his drugs. Thus as my predecessor weakened his practice declined, until when I purchased it from him it had sunk from twelve hundred to little more than three hundred a year. I had confidence, however, in my own youth and energy, and was convinced that in a very few years the concern would be as flourishing as ever.
　　
　　For three months after taking over the practice I was kept very closely at work, and saw little of my friend Sherlock Holmes, for I was too busy to visit Baker Street, and he seldom went anywhere himself save upon professional business. I was surprised, therefore, when, one morning in June, as I sat reading the British Medical Journal after breakfast, I heard a ring at the bell, followed by the high, somewhat strident tones of my old companion's voice.
　　
　　"Ah, my dear Watson," said he, striding into the room, "I am very delighted to see you! I trust that Mrs. Watson has entirely recovered from all the little excitements connected with our adventure of the Sign of Four."
　　
　　"Thank you, we are both very well," said I, shaking him warmly by the hand.
　　
　　"And I hope, also," he continued, sitting down in the rocking-chair, "that the cares of medical practice have not entirely obliterated the interest which you used to take in our little deductive problems."
　　
　　"On the contrary," I answered, "it was only last night that I was looking over my old notes, and classifying some of our past results."
　　
　　"I trust that you don't consider your collection closed."
　　
　　"Not at all. I should wish nothing better than to have some more of such experiences."
　　
　　"To-day, for example?"
　　
　　"Yes, to-day, if you like."
　　
　　"And as far off as Birmingham?"
　　
　　"Certainly, if you wish it."
　　
　　"And the practice?"
　　
　　"I do my neighbor's when he goes. He is always ready to work off the debt."
　　
　　"Ha! Nothing could be better," said Holmes, leaning back in his chair and looking keenly at me from under his half closed lids. "I perceive that you have been unwell lately. Summer colds are always a little trying."
　　
　　"I was confined to the house by a severe chill for three days last week. I thought, however, that I had cast off every trace of it."
　　
　　"So you have. You look remarkably robust."
　　
　　"How, then, did you know of it?"
　　
　　"My dear fellow, you know my methods."
　　
　　"You deduced it, then?"
　　
　　"Certainly."
　　
　　"And from what?"
　　
　　"From your slippers."
　　
　　I glanced down at the new patent leathers which I was wearing. "How on earth--" I began, but Holmes answered my question before it was asked.
　　
　　"Your slippers are new," he said. "You could not have had them more than a few weeks. The soles which you are at this moment presenting to me are slightly scorched. For a moment I thought they might have got wet and been burned in the drying. But near the instep there is a small circular wafer of paper with the shopman's hieroglyphics upon it. Damp would of course have removed this. You had, then, been sitting with your feet outstretched to the fire, which a man would hardly do even in so wet a June as this if he were in his full health."
　　
　　Like all Holmes's reasoning the thing seemed simplicity itself when it was once explained. He read the thought upon my features, and his smile had a tinge of bitterness.
　　
　　"I am afraid that I rather give myself away when I explain," said he. "Results without causes are much more impressive. You are ready to come to Birmingham, then?"
　　
　　"Certainly. What is the case?"
　　
　　"You shall hear it all in the train. My client is outside in a four-wheeler. Can you come at once?"
　　
　　"In an instant." I scribbled a note to my neighbor, rushed upstairs to explain the matter to my wife, and joined Holmes upon the door-step.
　　
　　"Your neighbor is a doctor," said he, nodding at the brass plate.
　　
　　"Yes; he bought a practice as I did."
　　
　　"An old-established one?"
　　
　　"Just the same as mine. Both have been ever since the houses were built."
　　
　　"Ah! Then you got hold of the best of the two."
　　
　　"I think I did. But how do you know?"
　　
　　"By the steps, my boy. Yours are worn three inches deeper than his. But this gentleman in the cab is my client, Mr. Hall Pycroft. Allow me to introduce you to him. Whip your horse up, cabby, for we have only just time to catch our train."
　　
　　The man whom I found myself facing was a well built, fresh-complexioned young fellow, with a frank, honest face and a slight, crisp, yellow mustache. He wore a very shiny top hat and a neat suit of sober black, which made him look what he was--a smart young City man, of the class who have been labeled cockneys, but who give us our crack volunteer regiments, and who turn out more fine athletes and sportsmen than any body of men in these islands. His round, ruddy face was naturally full of cheeriness, but the corners of his mouth seemed to me to be pulled down in a half-comical distress. It was not, however, until we were all in a first-class carriage and well started upon our journey to Birmingham that I was able to learn what the trouble was which had driven him to Sherlock Holmes.
　　
　　"We have a clear run here of seventy minutes," Holmes remarked. "I want you, Mr. Hall Pycroft, to tell my friend your very interesting experience exactly as you have told it to me, or with more detail if possible. It will be of use to me to hear the succession of events again. It is a case, Watson, which may prove to have something in it, or may prove to have nothing, but which, at least, presents those unusual and outré features which are as dear to you as they are to me. Now, Mr. Pycroft, I shall not interrupt you again."
　　
　　Our young companion looked at me with a twinkle in his eye.
　　
　　"The worst of the story is," said he, "that I show myself up as such a confounded fool. Of course it may work out all right, and I don't see that I could have done otherwise; but if I have lost my crib and get nothing in exchange I shall feel what a soft Johnnie I have been. I'm not very good at telling a story, Dr. Watson, but it is like this with me:
　　
　　"I used to have a billet at Coxon & Woodhouse's, of Draper's Gardens, but they were let in early in the spring through the Venezuelan loan, as no doubt you remember, and came a nasty cropper. I had been with them five years, and old Coxon gave me a ripping good testimonial when the smash came, but of course we clerks were all turned adrift, the twenty-seven of us. I tried here and tried there, but there were lots of other chaps on the same lay as myself, and it was a perfect frost for a long time. I had been taking three pounds a week at Coxon's, and I had saved about seventy of them, but I soon worked my way through that and out at the other end. I was fairly at the end of my tether at last, and could hardly find the stamps to answer the advertisements or the envelopes to stick them to. I had worn out my boots paddling up office stairs, and I seemed just as far from getting a billet as ever.
　　
　　"At last I saw a vacancy at Mawson & Williams's, the great stock-broking firm in Lombard Street. I dare say E. C. Is not much in your line, but I can tell you that this is about the richest house in London. The advertisement was to be answered by letter only. I sent in my testimonial and application, but without the least hope of getting it. Back came an answer by return, saying that if I would appear next Monday I might take over my new duties at once, provided that my appearance was satisfactory. No one knows how these things are worked. Some people say that the manager just plunges his hand into the heap and takes the first that comes. Anyhow it was my innings that time, and I don't ever wish to feel better pleased. The screw was a pound a week rise, and the duties just about the same as at Coxon's.
　　
　　"And now I come to the queer part of the business. I was in diggings out Hampstead way, 17 Potter's Terrace. Well, I was sitting doing a smoke that very evening after I had been promised the appointment, when up came my landlady with a card which had 'Arthur Pinner, Financial Agent,' printed upon it. I had never heard the name before and could not imagine what he wanted with me; but, of course, I asked her to show him up. In he walked, a middle-sized, dark-haired, dark-eyed, black-bearded man, with a touch of the Sheeny about his nose. He had a brisk kind of way with him and spoke sharply, like a man who knew the value of time."
　　
　　"'Mr. Hall Pycroft, I believe?'" said he.
　　
　　"'Yes, sir,' I answered, pushing a chair towards him.
　　
　　"'Lately engaged at Coxon & Woodhouse's?'
　　
　　"'Yes, sir.'
　　
　　"'And now on the staff of Mawson's.'
　　
　　"'Quite so.'
　　
　　"'Well,' said he, 'the fact is that I have heard some really extraordinary stories about your financial ability. You remember Parker, who used to be Coxon's manager? He can never say enough about it.'
　　
　　"Of course I was pleased to hear this. I had always been pretty sharp in the office, but I had never dreamed that I was talked about in the City in this fashion.
　　
　　"'You have a good memory?' said he.
　　
　　"'Pretty fair,' I answered, modestly.
　　
　　"'Have you kept in touch with the market while you have been out of work?' he asked.
　　
　　"'Yes. I read the stock exchange list every morning.'
　　
　　"'Now that shows real application!' he cried. 'That is the way to prosper! You won't mind my testing you, will you? Let me see. How are Ayrshires?'
　　
　　"'A hundred and six and a quarter to a hundred and five and seven-eighths.'
　　
　　"'And New Zealand consolidated?'
　　
　　"'A hundred and four.
　　
　　"'And British Broken Hills?'
　　
　　"'Seven to seven-and-six.'
　　
　　"'Wonderful!' he cried, with his hands up. 'This quite fits in with all that I had heard. My boy, my boy, you are very much too good to be a clerk at Mawson's!'
　　
　　"This outburst rather astonished me, as you can think. 'Well,' said I, 'other people don't think quite so much of me as you seem to do, Mr. Pinner. I had a hard enough fight to get this berth, and I am very glad to have it.'
　　
　　"'Pooh, man; you should soar above it. You are not in your true sphere. Now, I'll tell you how it stands with me. What I have to offer is little enough when measured by your ability, but when compared with Mawson's, it's light to dark. Let me see. When do you go to Mawson's?'
　　
　　"'On Monday.'
　　
　　"'Ha, ha! I think I would risk a little sporting flutter that you don't go there at all.'
　　
　　"'Not go to Mawson's?'
　　
　　"'No, sir. By that day you will be the business manager of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, with a hundred and thirty-four branches in the towns and villages of France, not counting one in Brussels and one in San Remo.'
　　
　　"This took my breath away. 'I never heard of it,' said I.
　　
　　"'Very likely not. It has been kept very quiet, for the capital was all privately subscribed, and it's too good a thing to let the public into. My brother, Harry Pinner, is promoter, and joins the board after allotment as managing director. He knew I was in the swim down here, and asked me to pick up a good man cheap. A young, pushing man with plenty of snap about him. Parker spoke of you, and that brought me here to-night. We can only offer you a beggarly five hundred to start with.'
　　
　　"'Five hundred a year!' I shouted.
　　
　　"'Only that at the beginning; but you are to have an overriding commission of one per cent on all business done by your agents, and you may take my word for it that this will come to more than your salary.'
　　
　　"'But I know nothing about hardware.'
　　
　　"'Tut, my boy; you know about figures.'
　　
　　"My head buzzed, and I could hardly sit still in my chair. But suddenly a little chill of doubt came upon me.
　　
　　"'I must be frank with you,' said I. 'Mawson only gives me two hundred, but Mawson is safe. Now, really, I know so little about your company that--'
　　
　　"'Ah, smart, smart!' he cried, in a kind of ecstasy of delight. 'You are the very man for us. You are not to be talked over, and quite right, too. Now, here's a note for a hundred pounds, and if you think that we can do business you may just slip it into your pocket as an advance upon your salary.'
　　
　　"'That is very handsome,' said I. 'When should I take over my new duties?'
　　
　　"'Be in Birmingham to-morrow at one,' said he. 'I have a note in my pocket here which you will take to my brother. You will find him at 126b Corporation Street, where the temporary offices of the company are situated. Of course he must confirm your engagement, but between ourselves it will be all right.'
　　
　　"'Really, I hardly know how to express my gratitude, Mr. Pinner,' said I.
　　
　　"'Not at all, my boy. You have only got your deserts. There are one or two small things--mere formalities--which I must arrange with you. You have a bit of paper beside you there. Kindly write upon it "I am perfectly willing to act as business manager to the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, at a minimum salary of L500."'
　　
　　"I did as he asked, and he put the paper in his pocket.
　　
　　"'There is one other detail,' said he. 'What do you intend to do about Mawson's?'
　　
　　"I had forgotten all about Mawson's in my joy. 'I'll write and resign,' said I.
　　
　　"'Precisely what I don't want you to do. I had a row over you with Mawson's manager. I had gone up to ask him about you, and he was very offensive; accused me of coaxing you away from the service of the firm, and that sort of thing. At last I fairly lost my temper. "If you want good men you should pay them a good price," said I.'
　　
　　"'He would rather have our small price than your big one,' said he.
　　
　　"'I'll lay you a fiver,' said I, 'that when he has my offer you'll never so much as hear from him again.'
　　
　　"'Done!' said he. 'We picked him out of the gutter, and he won't leave us so easily.' Those were his very words."
　　
　　"'The impudent scoundrel!' I cried. 'I've never so much as seen him in my life. Why should I consider him in any way? I shall certainly not write if you would rather I didn't.'
　　
　　"'Good! That's a promise,' said he, rising from his chair. 'Well, I'm delighted to have got so good a man for my brother. Here's your advance of a hundred pounds, and here is the letter. Make a note of the address, 126b Corporation Street, and remember that one o'clock to-morrow is your appointment. Good-night; and may you have all the fortune that you deserve!'
　　
　　"That's just about all that passed between us, as near as I can remember. You can imagine, Dr. Watson, how pleased I was at such an extraordinary bit of good fortune. I sat up half the night hugging myself over it, and next day I was off to Birmingham in a train that would take me in plenty time for my appointment. I took my things to a hotel in New Street, and then I made my way to the address which had been given me.
　　
　　"It was a quarter of an hour before my time, but I thought that would make no difference. 126b was a passage between two large shops, which led to a winding stone stair, from which there were many flats, let as offices to companies or professional men. The names of the occupants were painted at the bottom on the wall, but there was no such name as the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited. I stood for a few minutes with my heart in my boots, wondering whether the whole thing was an elaborate hoax or not, when up came a man and addressed me. He was very like the chap I had seen the night before, the same figure and voice, but he was clean shaven and his hair was lighter.
　　
　　"'Are you Mr. Hall Pycroft?' he asked.
　　
　　"'Yes,' said I.
　　
　　"'Oh! I was expecting you, but you are a trifle before your time. I had a note from my brother this morning in which he sang your praises very loudly.'
　　
　　"'I was just looking for the offices when you came.
　　
　　"'We have not got our name up yet, for we only secured these temporary premises last week. Come up with me, and we will talk the matter over.'
　　
　　"I followed him to the top of a very lofty stair, and there, right under the slates, were a couple of empty, dusty little rooms, uncarpeted and uncurtained, into which he led me. I had thought of a great office with shining tables and rows of clerks, such as I was used to, and I dare say I stared rather straight at the two deal chairs and one little table, which, with a ledger and a waste paper basket, made up the whole furniture.
　　
　　"'Don't be disheartened, Mr. Pycroft,' said my new acquaintance, seeing the length of my face. 'Rome was not built in a day, and we have lots of money at our backs, though we don't cut much dash yet in offices. Pray sit down, and let me have your letter.'
　　
　　"I gave it to him, and he read it over very carefully.
　　
　　"'You seem to have made a vast impression upon my brother Arthur,' said he; 'and I know that he is a pretty shrewd judge. He swears by London, you know; and I by Birmingham; but this time I shall follow his advice. Pray consider yourself definitely engaged."
　　
　　"'What are my duties?' I asked.
　　
　　"'You will eventually manage the great depot in Paris, which will pour a flood of English crockery into the shops of a hundred and thirty-four agents in France. The purchase will be completed in a week, and meanwhile you will remain in Birmingham and make yourself useful.'
　　
　　"'How?'
　　
　　"For answer, he took a big red book out of a drawer.
　　
　　"'This is a directory of Paris,' said he, 'with the trades after the names of the people. I want you to take it home with you, and to mark off all the hardware sellers, with their addresses. It would be of the greatest use to me to have them.'
　　
　　"'Surely there are classified lists?' I suggested.
　　
　　"'Not reliable ones. Their system is different from ours. Stick at it, and let me have the lists by Monday, at twelve. Good-day, Mr. Pycroft. If you continue to show zeal and intelligence you will find the company a good master.'
　　
　　"I went back to the hotel with the big book under my arm, and with very conflicting feelings in my breast. On the one hand, I was definitely engaged and had a hundred pounds in my pocket; on the other, the look of the offices, the absence of name on the wall, and other of the points which would strike a business man had left a bad impression as to the position of my employers. However, come what might, I had my money, so I settled down to my task. All Sunday I was kept hard at work, and yet by Monday I had only got as far as H. I went round to my employer, found him in the same dismantled kind of room, and was told to keep at it until Wednesday, and then come again. On Wednesday it was still unfinished, so I hammered away until Friday--that is, yesterday. Then I brought it round to Mr. Harry Pinner.
　　
　　"'Thank you very much,' said he; 'I fear that I underrated the difficulty of the task. This list will be of very material assistance to me.'
　　
　　"'It took some time,' said I.
　　
　　"'And now,' said he, 'I want you to make a list of the furniture shops, for they all sell crockery.'
　　
　　"'Very good.'
　　
　　"'And you can come up to-morrow evening, at seven, and let me know how you are getting on. Don't overwork yourself. A couple of hours at Day's Music Hall in the evening would do you no harm after your labors.' He laughed as he spoke, and I saw with a thrill that his second tooth upon the left-hand side had been very badly stuffed with gold."
　　
　　Sherlock Holmes rubbed his hands with delight, and I stared with astonishment at our client.
　　
　　"You may well look surprised, Dr. Watson; but it is this way," said he: "When I was speaking to the other chap in London, at the time that he laughed at my not going to Mawson's, I happened to notice that his tooth was stuffed in this very identical fashion. The glint of the gold in each case caught my eye, you see. When I put that with the voice and figure being the same, and only those things altered which might be changed by a razor or a wig, I could not doubt that it was the same man. Of course you expect two brothers to be alike, but not that they should have the same tooth stuffed in the same way. He bowed me out, and I found myself in the street, hardly knowing whether I was on my head or my heels. Back I went to my hotel, put my head in a basin of cold water, and tried to think it out. Why had he sent me from London to Birmingham? Why had he got there before me? And why had he written a letter from himself to himself? It was altogether too much for me, and I could make no sense of it. And then suddenly it struck me that what was dark to me might be very light to Mr. Sherlock Holmes. I had just time to get up to town by the night train to see him this morning, and to bring you both back with me to Birmingham."
　　
　　There was a pause after the stock-broker's clerk had concluded his surprising experience. Then Sherlock Holmes cocked his eye at me, leaning back on the cushions with a pleased and yet critical face, like a connoisseur who has just taken his first sip of a comet vintage.
　　
　　"Rather fine, Watson, is it not?" said he. "There are points in it which please me. I think that you will agree with me that an interview with Mr. Arthur Harry Pinner in the temporary offices of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, would be a rather interesting experience for both of us."
　　
　　"But how can we do it?" I asked.
　　
　　"Oh, easily enough," said Hall Pycroft, cheerily. "You are two friends of mine who are in want of a billet, and what could be more natural than that I should bring you both round to the managing director?"
　　
　　"Quite so, of course," said Holmes. "I should like to have a look at the gentleman, and see if I can make anything of his little game. What qualities have you, my friend, which would make your services so valuable? or is it possible that--" He began biting his nails and staring blankly out of the window, and we hardly drew another word from him until we were in New Street.
　　
　　At seven o'clock that evening we were walking, the three of us, down Corporation Street to the company's offices.
　　
　　"It is no use our being at all before our time," said our client. "He only comes there to see me, apparently, for the place is deserted up to the very hour he names."
　　
　　"That is suggestive," remarked Holmes.
　　
　　"By Jove, I told you so!" cried the clerk. "That's he walking ahead of us there."
　　
　　He pointed to a smallish, dark, well-dressed man who was bustling along the other side of the road. As we watched him he looked across at a boy who was bawling out the latest edition of the evening paper, and running over among the cabs and busses, he bought one from him. Then, clutching it in his hand, he vanished through a door-way.
　　
　　"There he goes!" cried Hall Pycroft. "These are the company's offices into which he has gone. Come with me, and I'll fix it up as easily as possible."
　　
　　Following his lead, we ascended five stories, until we found ourselves outside a half-opened door, at which our client tapped. A voice within bade us enter, and we entered a bare, unfurnished room such as Hall Pycroft had described. At the single table sat the man whom we had seen in the street, with his evening paper spread out in front of him, and as he looked up at us it seemed to me that I had never looked upon a face which bore such marks of grief, and of something beyond grief--of a horror such as comes to few men in a lifetime. His brow glistened with perspiration, his cheeks were of the dull, dead white of a fish's belly, and his eyes were wild and staring. He looked at his clerk as though he failed to recognize him, and I could see by the astonishment depicted upon our conductor's face that this was by no means the usual appearance of his employer.
　　
　　"You look ill, Mr. Pinner!" he exclaimed.
　　
　　"Yes, I am not very well," answered the other, making obvious efforts to pull himself together, and licking his dry lips before he spoke. "Who are these gentlemen whom you have brought with you?"
　　
　　"One is Mr. Harris, of Bermondsey, and the other is Mr. Price, of this town," said our clerk, glibly. "They are friends of mine and gentlemen of experience, but they have been out of a place for some little time, and they hoped that perhaps you might find an opening for them in the company's employment."
　　
　　"Very possibly! Very possibly!" cried Mr. Pinner with a ghastly smile. "Yes, I have no doubt that we shall be able to do something for you. What is your particular line, Mr. Harris?"
　　
　　"I am an accountant," said Holmes.
　　
　　"Ah yes, we shall want something of the sort. And you, Mr. Price?"
　　
　　"A clerk," said I.
　　
　　"I have every hope that the company may accommodate you. I will let you know about it as soon as we come to any conclusion. And now I beg that you will go. For God's sake leave me to myself!"
　　
　　These last words were shot out of him, as though the constraint which he was evidently setting upon himself had suddenly and utterly burst asunder. Holmes and I glanced at each other, and Hall Pycroft took a step towards the table.
　　
　　"You forget, Mr. Pinner, that I am here by appointment to receive some directions from you," said he.
　　
　　"Certainly, Mr. Pycroft, certainly," the other resumed in a calmer tone. "You may wait here a moment; and there is no reason why your friends should not wait with you. I will be entirely at your service in three minutes, if I might trespass upon your patience so far." He rose with a very courteous air, and, bowing to us, he passed out through a door at the farther end of the room, which he closed behind him.
　　
　　"What now?" whispered Holmes. "Is he giving us the slip?"
　　
　　"Impossible," answered Pycroft.
　　
　　"Why so?"
　　
　　"That door leads into an inner room."
　　
　　"There is no exit?"
　　
　　"None."
　　
　　"Is it furnished?"
　　
　　"It was empty yesterday."
　　
　　"Then what on earth can he be doing? There is something which I don't understand in this manner. If ever a man was three parts mad with terror, that man's name is Pinner. What can have put the shivers on him?"
　　
　　"He suspects that we are detectives," I suggested.
　　
　　"That's it," cried Pycroft.
　　
　　Holmes shook his head. "He did not turn pale. He was pale when we entered the room," said he. "It is just possible that--"
　　
　　His words were interrupted by a sharp rat-tat from the direction of the inner door.
　　
　　"What the deuce is he knocking at his own door for?" cried the clerk.
　　
　　Again and much louder came the rat-tat-tat. We all gazed expectantly at the closed door. Glancing at Holmes, I saw his face turn rigid, and he leaned forward in intense excitement. Then suddenly came a low guggling, gargling sound, and a brisk drumming upon woodwork. Holmes sprang frantically across the room and pushed at the door. It was fastened on the inner side. Following his example, we threw ourselves upon it with all our weight. One hinge snapped, then the other, and down came the door with a crash. Rushing over it, we found ourselves in the inner room. It was empty.
　　
　　But it was only for a moment that we were at fault. At one corner, the corner nearest the room which we had left, there was a second door. Holmes sprang to it and pulled it open. A coat and waistcoat were lying on the floor, and from a hook behind the door, with his own braces round his neck, was hanging the managing director of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company. His knees were drawn up, his head hung at a dreadful angle to his body, and the clatter of his heels against the door made the noise which had broken in upon our conversation. In an instant I had caught him round the waist, and held him up while Holmes and Pycroft untied the elastic bands which had disappeared between the livid creases of skin. Then we carried him into the other room, where he lay with a clay-colored face, puffing his purple lips in and out with every breath--a dreadful wreck of all that he had been but five minutes before.
　　
　　"What do you think of him, Watson?" asked Holmes.
　　
　　I stooped over him and examined him. His pulse was feeble and intermittent, but his breathing grew longer, and there was a little shivering of his eyelids, which showed a thin white slit of ball beneath.
　　
　　"It has been touch and go with him," said I, "but he'll live now. Just open that window, and hand me the water carafe." I undid his collar, poured the cold water over his face, and raised and sank his arms until he drew a long, natural breath. "It's only a question of time now," said I, as I turned away from him.
　　
　　Holmes stood by the table, with his hands deep in his trouser's pockets and his chin upon his breast.
　　
　　"I suppose we ought to call the police in now," said he. "And yet I confess that I'd like to give them a complete case when they come."
　　
　　"It's a blessed mystery to me," cried Pycroft, scratching his head. "Whatever they wanted to bring me all the way up here for, and then--"
　　
　　"Pooh! All that is clear enough," said Holmes impatiently. "It is this last sudden move."
　　
　　"You understand the rest, then?"
　　
　　"I think that it is fairly obvious. What do you say, Watson?"
　　
　　I shrugged my shoulders. "I must confess that I am out of my depths," said I.
　　
　　"Oh surely if you consider the events at first they can only point to one conclusion."
　　
　　"What do you make of them?"
　　
　　"Well, the whole thing hinges upon two points. The first is the making of Pycroft write a declaration by which he entered the service of this preposterous company. Do you not see how very suggestive that is?"
　　
　　"I am afraid I miss the point."
　　
　　"Well, why did they want him to do it? Not as a business matter, for these arrangements are usually verbal, and there was no earthly business reason why this should be an exception. Don't you see, my young friend, that they were very anxious to obtain a specimen of your handwriting, and had no other way of doing it?"
　　
　　"And why?"
　　
　　"Quite so. Why? When we answer that we have made some progress with our little problem. Why? There can be only one adequate reason. Some one wanted to learn to imitate your writing, and had to procure a specimen of it first. And now if we pass on to the second point we find that each throws light upon the other. That point is the request made by Pinner that you should not resign your place, but should leave the manager of this important business in the full expectation that a Mr. Hall Pycroft, whom he had never seen, was about to enter the office upon the Monday morning."
　　
　　"My God!" cried our client, "what a blind beetle I have been!"
　　
　　"Now you see the point about the handwriting. Suppose that some one turned up in your place who wrote a completely different hand from that in which you had applied for the vacancy, of course the game would have been up. But in the interval the rogue had learned to imitate you, and his position was therefore secure, as I presume that nobody in the office had ever set eyes upon you."
　　
　　"Not a soul," groaned Hall Pycroft.
　　
　　"Very good. Of course it was of the utmost importance to prevent you from thinking better of it, and also to keep you from coming into contact with any one who might tell you that your double was at work in Mawson's office. Therefore they gave you a handsome advance on your salary, and ran you off to the Midlands, where they gave you enough work to do to prevent your going to London, where you might have burst their little game up. That is all plain enough."
　　
　　"But why should this man pretend to be his own brother?"
　　
　　"Well, that is pretty clear also. There are evidently only two of them in it. The other is impersonating you at the office. This one acted as your engager, and then found that he could not find you an employer without admitting a third person into his plot. That he was most unwilling to do. He changed his appearance as far as he could, and trusted that the likeness, which you could not fail to observe, would be put down to a family resemblance. But for the happy chance of the gold stuffing, your suspicions would probably never have been aroused."
　　
　　Hall Pycroft shook his clinched hands in the air. "Good Lord!" he cried, "while I have been fooled in this way, what has this other Hall Pycroft been doing at Mawson's? What should we do, Mr. Holmes? Tell me what to do."
　　
　　"We must wire to Mawson's."
　　
　　"They shut at twelve on Saturdays."
　　
　　"Never mind. There may be some door-keeper or attendant--"
　　
　　"Ah yes, they keep a permanent guard there on account of the value of the securities that they hold. I remember hearing it talked of in the City."
　　
　　"Very good; we shall wire to him, and see if all is well, and if a clerk of your name is working there. That is clear enough; but what is not so clear is why at sight of us one of the rogues should instantly walk out of the room and hang himself."
　　
　　"The paper!" croaked a voice behind us. The man was sitting up, blanched and ghastly, with returning reason in his eyes, and hands which rubbed nervously at the broad red band which still encircled his throat.
　　
　　"The paper! Of course!" yelled Holmes, in a paroxysm of excitement. "Idiot that I was! I thought so much of our visit that the paper never entered my head for an instant. To be sure, the secret must be there." He flattened it out upon the table, and a cry of triumph burst from his lips. "Look at this, Watson," he cried. "It is a London paper, an early edition of the Evening Standard. Here is what we want. Look at the headlines: 'Crime in the City. Murder at Mawson & Williams's. Gigantic attempted Robbery. Capture of the Criminal.' Here, Watson, we are all equally anxious to hear it, so kindly read it aloud to us."
　　
　　It appeared from its position in the paper to have been the one event of importance in town, and the account of it ran in this way:
　　
　　"A desperate attempt at robbery, culminating in the death of one man and the capture of the criminal, occurred this afternoon in the City. For some time back Mawson & Williams, the famous financial house, have been the guardians of securities which amount in the aggregate to a sum of considerably over a million sterling. So conscious was the manager of the responsibility which devolved upon him in consequence of the great interests at stake that safes of the very latest construction have been employed, and an armed watchman has been left day and night in the building. It appears that last week a new clerk named Hall Pycroft was engaged by the firm. This person appears to have been none other that Beddington, the famous forger and cracksman, who, with his brother, had only recently emerged from a five years' spell of penal servitude. By some means, which are not yet clear, he succeeded in winning, under a false name, this official position in the office, which he utilized in order to obtain moulding of various locks, and a thorough knowledge of the position of the strong room and the safes.
　　
　　"It is customary at Mawson's for the clerks to leave at midday on Saturday. Sergeant Tuson, of the City Police, was somewhat surprised, therefore to see a gentleman with a carpet bag come down the steps at twenty minutes past one. His suspicions being aroused, the sergeant followed the man, and with the aid of Constable Pollock succeeded, after a most desperate resistance, in arresting him. It was at once clear that a daring and gigantic robbery had been committed. Nearly a hundred thousand pounds' worth of American railway bonds, with a large amount of scrip in mines and other companies, was discovered in the bag. On examining the premises the body of the unfortunate watchman was found doubled up and thrust into the largest of the safes, where it would not have been discovered until Monday morning had it not been for the prompt action of Sergeant Tuson. The man's skull had been shattered by a blow from a poker delivered from behind. There could be no doubt that Beddington had obtained entrance by pretending that he had left something behind him, and having murdered the watchman, rapidly rifled the large safe, and then made off with his booty. His brother, who usually works with him, has not appeared in this job as far as can at present be ascertained, although the police are making energetic inquiries as to his whereabouts."
　　
　　"Well, we may save the police some little trouble in that direction," said Holmes, glancing at the haggard figure huddled up by the window. "Human nature is a strange mixture, Watson. You see that even a villain and murderer can inspire such affection that his brother turns to suicide when he learns that his neck is forfeited. However, we have no choice as to our action. The doctor and I will remain on guard, Mr. Pycroft, if you will have the kindness to step out for the police."