wǒ de péng yǒu xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī de xìng gé yòu yī diǎn yǔ zhòng bù tóng de dì fāng， jīng cháng shǐ wǒ fán nǎo。 suī rán tā de sī xiǎng fāng fǎ mǐn ruì guò rén， yòu tiáo yòu lǐ， zhuózhuāng pǔ sù 'ér zhěng jié， kě shì tā de shēng huó xí guàn què zá luàn wú zhāng， shǐ tóng zhù de rén gǎn dào xīn fán。 wǒ zì jǐ zài zhè fāng miàn yě bìng bù shì wú kě zhǐ zé de。 wǒ zài 'ā fù hàn shí nà zhǒng luàn zāo zāo de gōng zuò， hái yòu fàng dàng bù jī de xìng qíng， yǐ shǐ wǒ xiāng dāng mǎ hǔ， bù shì yī gè yī shēng yīngyǒu de yàng zǐ。 dàn duì wǒ lái shuō zǒng shì yòu gè xiàn dù。 dāng wǒ kàn dào yī gè rén bǎ yān juàn fàng zài méi dǒu lǐ， bǎ yān yè fàng zài bō sī tuō xié dǐng bù， ér yī xiē shàng wèi dá fù de xìn jiàn què bèi tā yòng yī bǎ dà zhé dāo chā zài mù zhì bì lú tái zhèng zhōng shí， wǒ biàn kāi shǐ jué dé zì jǐ hái guài bù cuò de ní。 cǐ wài， wǒ zǒng rèn wéi， shǒu qiāng liàn xí xiǎn rán yīngdāng shì yī zhǒng hù wài xiāo qiǎn， ér fú 'ěr mó sī yī shí xīng zhī suǒ zhì， biàn zuò zài yī bǎ fú shǒu yǐ zhōng， yòng tā nà shǒu qiāng hé yī bǎi xiá zǐ dàn， yǐ wéi duō lì yà nǚ wáng de 'ài guó zhù yì jīng shén， yòng dàn hén bǎ duì miàn qiáng shàng zhuāng shì dé xīng luó qí bù， wǒ shēn shēn gǎn dào， zhè jì bù néng gǎi shàn wǒ men shì nèi de qì fēn， yòu bù néng gǎi shàn fáng wū de wài guān。
　　 wǒ men de fáng lǐ jīng cháng sài mǎn liǎo huà xué yào pǐn hé zuì fàn de yí wù， ér zhè xiē dōng xī jīng cháng fàng zài yì liào bù dào de dì fāng， yòu shí tū rán zài huáng yóu pán lǐ， huò shèn zhì zài gèng bù lìng rén zhù yì de dì fāng chū xiàn， kě shì tā de wén jiàn què shì wǒ zuì dà de nán tí。 tā zuì bù xǐ huān xiāo huǐ wén jiàn， tè bié shì nà xiē yǔ tā guò qù bàn 'àn yòu guān de wén jiàn， tā měi yī liǎng nián zhǐ yòu yī cì jí zhōng jīng lì qù guī nà chǔlǐ tā men。 yīn wéi， zhèng rú wǒ zài zhè xiē zhī lí pò suì de huí yì lù lǐ yòu xiē dì fāng céng jīng tí dào de yī yàng， dāng tā jiàn lì liǎo zhuó yuè de gōng xūn yīn 'ér yáng míng shí， tā cái huì yòu zhè zhǒng jīng lì。 dàn zhè zhǒng rè qíng xuán jí xiāo shī， suí zhī 'ér lái de shì fǎn yìng yì cháng lěng mò， zài cǐ qī jiān， tā měi rì yǔ xiǎo tí qín hé shū jí wéi wǔ， chú liǎo cóng shā fā dào zhuō bàng yǐ wài jīhū yī dòng yě bù dòng。 zhè yàng yuè fù yī yuè， tā de wén jiàn yuè jī yuè duō， wū lǐ měi gè jiǎo luò dū duī fàng zhe yī kǔn kǔn de shǒu gǎo， tā jué bù kěn shāo huǐ， ér qiě chú liǎo tā běn rén wài， shuí yě bù zhǔn bǎ tā men nuó dòng yī cùn。
　　 yòu yī nián dōng jì de yè wǎn， wǒ men yī qǐ zuò zài lú bàng， wǒ mào rán xiàng tā tí chū， děng tā bǎ zhāi yào chāo jìn bèi wàng lù yǐ hòu， yòng liǎng xiǎo shí zhěng lǐ fáng jiān， gǎo dé shāo shāo shì yú jū zhù yī xiē。 tā wú fǎ fǎn bó wǒ zhè zhèng dāng de yào qiú， miàn yòu yùn sè， zǒu jìn qǐn shì， yī huì 'ér jiù fǎn huí， shēn hòu tuō zhe yī zhǐ tiě pí dà xiāng zǐ。 tā bǎ xiāng zǐ fàng zài dì bǎn dāng zhōng， ná gè xiǎo dèng dūn zuò dà xiāng zǐ qián miàn， dǎ kāi xiāng gài。 wǒ jiàn xiāng nèi yǐ yòu sān fēn zhī yī zhuāng jìn liǎo wén jiàn， dōushì yòng hóng dài zǐ bǎng chéng de xiǎo kǔn。
　　 “ huá shēng， zhè lǐ yòu hěn duō 'àn jiàn， ” fú 'ěr mó sī tiáopí dì wàng zhe wǒ shuō dào，“ wǒ xiǎng， rú guǒ nǐ zhī dào wǒ zhè xiāng zǐ lǐ zhuāng dedōu shì shénme， nà me nǐ jiù huì yào wǒ bǎ yǐ zhuāng jìn qù de ná chū lái， ér bù yào wǒ bǎ méi yòu zhuāng de zhuāng jìn qù liǎo。”
　　“ zhè me shuō， zhè dū shì nǐ zǎo qī bàn 'àn de jìzǎi liǎo？” wǒ wèn dào，“ wǒ zǒng xiǎng duì zhè xiē 'àn jiàn zuò xiē zhá jì ní。”
　　“ shì de， wǒ de péng yǒu， zhè dū shì zài wǒ méi chéng míng yǐ qián bàn de 'àn zǐ。” fú 'ěr mó sī qīng qīng 'ér yòu 'ài xī dì ná chū yī kǔn kǔn de wén jiàn。“ zhè xiē bìng bù dōushì chéng gōng de jì lù， huá shēng，” tā shuō dào，“ kě shì qí zhōng yě yòu xǔ duō hěn yòu qù。 zhè shì tǎ 'ěr dùn xiōng shā 'àn bào gào， zhè shì fàn bèi lǐ jiǔ shāng 'àn， lǎo fù rén lì xiǎn 'àn， hái yòu lǚ zhì guǎi zhàng qí 'àn yǐ jí bǒ zú de lǐ kē lǐ tè hé tā kěwù qī zǐ de 'àn jiàn。 hái yòu zhè yī jiàn， ā， zhè cái zhēn shì yī zhuāng yòu diǎn 'ér xīn qí de 'àn jiàn ní。”
　　 tā bǎ shǒu shēn jìn xiāng zǐ， cóng xiāng dǐ qǔ chū yī gè xiǎo mù xiá， xiá gài kě yǐ huó dòng， huó xiàng 'ér tóng wán jù hé zǐ。 fú 'ěr mó sī cóng xiá nèi qǔ chū yī zhāng róu zhòu liǎo de zhǐ， yī bǎ lǎo shì tóng yàoshì， yī zhǐ chán zhe xiàn qiú de mù dīng hé sān gè shēng xiù de jiù jīn shǔ yuán bǎn。
　　“ wèi， wǒ de péng yǒu， nǐ cāi zhè xiē dōng xī shì zěn me huí shì？” fú 'ěr mó sī kàn dào wǒ liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng， xiào róng mǎn miàn dì wèn dào。
　　“ zhè jiǎn zhí shì yī xiē xī qí gǔ guài de shōu cáng pǐn。”
　　“ fēi cháng xī qí gǔ guài， ér wéi rào tā men fā shēng de gù shì， gèng huì shǐ nǐ gǎn dào jīng qí bù dié ní。”
　　“ nà me， zhè xiē yí wù hái yòu yī duàn lì shǐ má？”
　　“ bù jǐn yòu lì shǐ， ér qiě tā men běn shēn jiù shì lì shǐ 'ā。”
　　“ zhè shì shénme yì sī ní？”
　　 xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī bǎ tā men yī jiàn yī jiàn ná chū lái， yán zhuō biān bǎi chéng yīháng， rán hòu yòu zuò dào yǐ zǐ shàng dǎliang zhe zhè xiē dōng xī， liǎng yǎn lù chū mǎn yì de shén qíng。
　　“ zhè xiē，” tā shuō dào，“ dōushì wǒ liú xià lái yǐ biàn huí yì mǎ sī gé léi fū lǐ diǎn yī 'àn de。”
　　 wǒ céng jīng tīng tā bù zhǐ yī cì tí dào zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ， kě shì shǐ zhōng wèi néng tàn xī xiáng qíng。“ rú guǒ nǐ xiáng xì jiǎng gěi wǒ tīng，” wǒ shuō dào，“ nà wǒ zhēn shì tài gāo xīng liǎo。”
　　“ nà me zhè xiē zá luàn dōng xī hái zhào yuán yàng bù dòng liǎo？” fú 'ěr mó sī tiáopí dì dà shēng shuō dào，“ nǐ de zhěng jié yòu bù néng rú yuàn liǎo， huá shēng。 kě shì wǒ hěn gāo xīng zài nǐ de 'àn lì jìzǎi zhōng， néng bǎ zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ zēng jiā jìn qù。 yīn wéi zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ bù jǐn zài guó nèi fàn zuì jìzǎi zhōng fēi cháng dú tè， ér qiě wǒ xiāng xìn， zài guó wài yě jí wéi hǎn jiàn。 rú guǒ sōu jí wǒ nà xiē wēi bù zú dào de chéng jiù， què bù jìzǎi zhè jiàn lí qí de 'àn zǐ， nà jiù hěn bù wán bèi liǎo。
　　“ nǐ dāng rán jì dé ‘ gé luò lǐ yà sī kē tè ’ hào fān chuán shì jiàn， wǒ xiàng nǐ jiǎng liǎo nà gè bù xìng de rén de zāo yù， wǒ hé tā de tán huà， dì yī cì shǐ wǒ xiǎng dào zhí yè wèn tí， ér hòu lái zhēn tàn guǒ rán chéng liǎo wǒ de zhōng shēn zhí yè。 xiàn zài nǐ kàn wǒ yǐ jīng míng yáng sì hǎi liǎo， wú lùn shì gōng zhòng， hái shì jǐng fāng dū pǔ biàn bǎ wǒ dāng zuò yí nán 'àn jiàn de zuì gāo shàng sù fǎ yuàn。 shèn zhì dāng nǐ hé wǒ chū jiāo zhī jì， jí wǒ zhèng jìn xíng zhe nǐ hòu lái zhuī jì wéi‘ xuè zì de yán jiū’ yī 'àn de shí hòu， suī rán wǒ yè wù bìng fēi shí fēn xīng lóng， dàn yǐ yòu liǎo hěn duō zhù gù liǎo。 nǐ hěn nán xiǎng xiàng， kāi shǐ wǒ shì duō me kùn nán， wǒ jīng lì liǎo duō me cháng jiǔ de nǔ lì cái dé dào liǎo chéng gōng。
　　“ dāng chū wǒ lái dào lún dūn， zhù zài dà yīng bó wù guǎn fù jìn de méng tǎ gé jiē， xián jū wú shì， biàn zhuān xīn yán jiū gè mén kē xué， yǐ biàn jiāng lái yòu suǒ chéng jiù。 nà shí bù duàn yòu rén qiú wǒ pò 'àn， zhù yào dōushì tōng guò wǒ yī xiē lǎo tóng xué jiè shào de。 yīn wéi wǒ zài dà xué de hòu jǐ nián， rén men jīng cháng yì lùn wǒ hé wǒ de sī xiǎng fāng fǎ。 wǒ pò de dì sān gè 'àn jiàn jiù shì mǎ sī gé léi fū lǐ diǎn 'àn。 ér nà shǐ wǒ xīng zhì 'áng rán de yī xì liè qí yì shì jiàn yǐ jí hòu lái zhèng míng shì shì guān zhòng dà de bàn 'àn jié jú， shǐ wǒ xiàng cóng shì jīn tiān zhè yī zhí yè mài chū liǎo dì yī bù。
　　“ léi jīn nà dé · mǎ sī gé léi fū hé wǒ zài tóng yī gè xué xiào xué xí， wǒ hé tā yòu yī miàn zhī jiāo。 yīn wéi tā kàn shàng qù hěn jiāo 'ào， suǒ yǐ zài dà xué shēng zhōng shì bù zěn me shòu huān yíng de。 dàn wǒ zǒng jué dé tā de jiāo 'ào， shí jì shàng shì lì tú yǎn gài tā nà tiān shēng de xiū qiè de biǎo xiàn。 tā yòu yī fù jí wéi diǎn xíng de guì zú zǐ dì de xiàngmào， shòu shēn xíng， gāo bí zǐ， dà yǎn jīng， màn tiáo sī lǐ， wēn wén 'ěr yǎ。 shì shí shàng tā què shì dà yīng dì guó yī jiā zuì gǔ lǎo guì zú de hòu yì。 kě shì zài shí liù shì jì shí， tā men zhè yī zhī（ cì zǐ de hòu yì） jiù cóng běi fāng de mǎ sī gé léi fū jiā zú zhōng fēn chū lái， dìng jū zài sū sài kè sī xī bù， ér hè 'ěr sī tōng zhuāng yuán huò xǔ shì zhè yī dì qū zhì jīn hái yòu rén jū zhù de zuì gǔ lǎo de jiàn zhù liǎo。 tā chū shēng dì sū sài kè sī yī dài de shì wù kàn lái duì tā yǐng xiǎng hěn dà， wǒ měi cì kàn dào tā nà cāng bái 'ér jī líng de miàn kǒng huò tā nà tóu bù de zī tài， jiù bù miǎn lián xiǎng qǐ nà xiē huī sè de gǒng dào、 zhí líng de chuāng hù yǐ jí fēng jiàn gǔ bǎo de yī qiē yí jì。 yòu yī liǎng cì wǒ men bù zhī bù jué dì pān tán qǐ lái， wǒ hái jì dé tā bù zhǐ yī cì shuō tā duì wǒ de guān chá hé tuī lǐ fāng fǎ gǎn xīng qù。
　　“ wǒ men yòu sì nián méi yòu jiàn miàn liǎo， yī tiān zǎo chén tā dào méng tǎ gé jiē lái zhǎo wǒ。 tā biàn huà bù dà， chuān dài dé xiàng yī gè shàng liú shè huì de nián qīng rén（ tā 'ài jiǎng jiū chuān dài）， yǐ rán bǎo chí tā cóng qián nà zhǒng yǔ zhòng bù tóng de 'ān jìng wén yǎ de fēng dù。
　　“‘ nǐ yī xiàng hěn hǎo má？ mǎ sī gé léi fū，’ wǒ men rè qíng dì wò shǒu yǐ hòu， wǒ wèn dào。
　　“‘ nǐ dà gài tīng shuō guò wǒ kě lián de fù qīn qù shì liǎo，’ mǎ sī gé léi fū shuō dào，“ tā shì liǎng nián qián gù qù de。 cóng nà shí qǐ wǒ dāng rán yào guǎn lǐ hè 'ěr sī tōng zhuāng yuán liǎo。 yīn wéi wǒ shì wǒ men zhè yī qū de yì yuán， suǒ yǐ máng dé bù kě kāi jiāo。 kě shì， fú 'ěr mó sī， wǒ tīng shuō nǐ zhèng zài bǎ nǐ nà lìng rén jīng qí de běn lǐng yòng dào shí jì shēng huó zhōng？’
　　“‘ shì de，’ wǒ shuō dào，‘ wǒ yǐ jīng kào zhè diǎn xiǎo cōng míng móu shēng liǎo！’“‘ tīng nǐ zhè me shuō wǒ hěn gāo xīng， yīn wéi yǎn xià nǐ de zhǐ jiào duì wǒ fēi cháng bǎo guì。 wǒ zài hè 'ěr sī tōng pèng dào xǔ duō guài shì， wèi néng chá chū rèn hé tóu xù。 zhè què shí shì yī jiàn zuì bù xún cháng de nán yǐ yán yù de 'àn jiàn。’
　　“ nǐ kě yǐ xiǎng xiàng wǒ tīng tā jiǎng shí shì duō me jí bù kě nài liǎo， huá shēng， yīn wéi jǐ gè yuè lái wǒ wú suǒ shì shì， wǒ yī zhí kě wàng de jī huì kàn lái zhōng yú lái dào liǎo。 zài wǒ nèi xīn shēn chù， wǒ xiāng xìn bié rén zāo dào shī bài de shì qíng， wǒ néng chéng gōng， xiàn zài wǒ yòu jī huì shì yī shì shēn shǒu liǎo。
　　“‘ qǐng bǎ xiáng qíng jiàn gào，’ wǒ dà shēng shuō dào。
　　“ léi jīn nà dé · mǎ sī gé léi fū zài wǒ duì miàn zuò xià lái， bǎ wǒ dì gěi tā de xiāng yān diǎn zhe。
　　“‘ nǐ yào zhī dào，’ tā shuō，‘ wǒ suī rán shì yī gè dān shēn hàn， dàn shì wǒ zài hè 'ěr sī tōng zhuāng yuán réng rán yōng yòu xiāng dāng duō de pú rén， yīn wéi nà shì yī zuò piān pì líng luàn de jiù zhuāng yuán， xū yào hěn duō rén zhào liào。 wǒ yě bù yuàn cí tuì tā men， ér qiě zài liè yě jī de jì jié， wǒ jīng cháng zài bié shù jǔ xíng jiā yàn， liú kè rén xiǎo zhù， quē fá rén shǒu shì bù chéng de。 wǒ gòng yòu bā gè nǚ pú， yī gè chú shī， yī gè guǎn jiā， liǎng gè nán pú hé yī gè xiǎo tīngchāi。 huā yuán hé mǎ jiù dāng rán lìng yòu yī bān zǐ rén。
　　“‘ pú rén zhōng dāngchāi zuì jiǔ de shì guǎn jiā bù lún dùn。 wǒ fù qīn dāng chū gù tā shí， tā shì yī gè bù chēng zhí de xiǎo xué jiào shī。 dàn tā jīng lì wàng shèng， gè xìng hěn qiáng， hěn kuài jiù shòu dào quán jiā de qì zhòng。 tā shēn cái shì zhōng， méi mù qīng xiù， qián 'é jùn měi， suī rán hé wǒ men xiāng chù yǐ 'èr shí nián， dàn nián líng hái bù mǎn sì shí。 yóu yú tā yòu xǔ duō yōu diǎn hé fēi fán de cái néng（ yīn wéi tā néng shuō jǐ guó yǔ yán， jīhū néng yǎn zòu suǒ yòu yuèqì）， cháng qī chǔyú pú yì dì wèi 'ér jìng rán hěn mǎn zú， zhè shí zài lìng rén fèi jiě。 bù guò wǒ kàn tā shì 'ān yú xiàn zhuàng， méi yòu jīng lì qù zuò rèn hé gǎi biàn。 fán shì bài fǎng guò wǒ men de réndōu jì dé zhè wèi guǎn jiā。
　　“‘ kě shì zhè gè wán rén yě yòu xiá cī， jiù shì yòu yī diǎn táng huáng ［ táng huáng： xī bān yá chuán qí rén wù， shì yī gè fēng liú làng dàng guì zú， xī fāng shī gē、 xì jù zhōng duō yǐn yòng。 héng héng yì zhě zhù ］ de zuò fēng， nǐ kě yǐ shè xiǎng， xiàng tā zhè yàng de rén zài qióng xiāng pì rǎng bàn yǎn fēng liú dàng zǐ shì háo bù kùn nán de。 tā chū jié hūn shí dǎo yě bù cuò， dàn zì qī zǐ wáng gù， wǒ men jiù zài tā shēn shàng pèng dào wú qióng wú jìn de má fán。 jǐ gè yuè yǐ qián yīn wèitā yǐ jīng yǔ wǒ men de 'èr děng shǐ nǚ léi qiē 'ěr · háo 'è 'ěr sī dìng liǎo hūn， wǒ men běn xī wàng tā zài yī cì shōu liǎn xiē， kě shì tā yòu bǎ léi qiē 'ěr pāo qì liǎo， yǔ liè chǎng kānshǒu bān tóu de nǚ 'ér zhēn nī tè · tè léi jié lì sī jiǎo zài yī qǐ。 léi qiē 'ěr shì yī gè hěn hǎo de gū niàn， kě shì jù yòu wēi 'ěr shì rén nà zhǒng róng yì jī dòng de xìng gé。 tā gāng nào liǎo yīcháng nǎo mó yán， xiàn zài， huò zhě shuō zhí dào zuó tiān cái kāi shǐ néng gòu xíng zǒu。 yǔ tā guò qù xiāng bǐ， jiǎn zhí chéng liǎo yī gè hēi yǎn jīng de yōu líng。 zhè shì wǒ men hè 'ěr sī tōng de dì yī chū xì jù xìng shì jiàn。 kě shì jiē zhe yòu fā shēng liǎo dì 'èr chū xì jù xìng shì jiàn， zhè shǐ wǒ men bǎ dì yī jiàn wàng zài nǎo hòu， nà dì 'èr chū xì jù xìng shì jiàn， shì yóu guǎn jiā bù lún dùn de shī chǒng hé jiě gù yǐn qǐ de。
　　“‘ shì qíng shì zhè yàng de： wǒ yǐ jīng shuō guò， zhè gè rén hěn cōng míng， kě shì cōng míng fǎn bèi cōng míng wù， yīn wéi cōng míng shǐ tā duì háo bù guān jǐ de shì xiǎn dé guòfèn hàoqí。
　　 wǒ gēn běn méi yòu xiǎng dào hàoqí xīn huì shǐ tā xiàn dé zhè yàng shēn， zhí dào fā shēng liǎo yī jiàn chún shǔ 'ǒu rán de shì qíng， cái shǐ wǒ zhòng shì qǐ lái。
　　“‘ wǒ shuō guò， zhè yuán shì yī suǒ líng luàn de zhuāng yuán。 shàng xīng qī yòu yī tiān， gèng què qiē dì shuō shì shàng xīng qī sì wǎn shàng， wǒ zài chī guò wǎn cān yǐ hòu， jí wéi yú chǔn dì hē liǎo yī bēi fēi cháng nóng de kā fēi， hěn jiǔ bù néng rù shuì， yī zhí nào dào qīng zǎo liǎng diǎn zhōng， wǒ gǎn dào háo wú rù shuì de xī wàng liǎo， biàn qǐ lái diǎn qǐ là zhú， dǎ suàn jì xù kàn wǒ méi kàn wán de yī běn xiǎo shuō。 rán 'ér wǒ bǎ zhè běn shū diū zài dàn zǐ fáng liǎo， yú shì wǒ biàn pī shàng shuì yī zǒu chū wò shì qù qǔ。
　　“‘ yào dào dàn zǐ fáng， wǒ bì xū xià yī duàn lóu tī， rán hòu jīng guò yī duàn zǒu láng， nà tiáo zǒu láng de jìn tóu， tōng wǎng cáng shū shì hé qiāng kù。 wǒ xiàng zǒu láng wàng guò qù， hū jiàn yī dào wēi ruò de liàng guāng cóng cáng shū shì chǎng kāi de mén chū， zhè shí nǐ kě xiǎng jiàn wǒ shì duō me jīng qí liǎo。 lín shuì qián wǒ yǐ jīng qīn zì bǎ cáng shū shì de dēng xī miè， bǎ mén yě guān shàng liǎo。 wǒ zì rán shǒu xiān xiǎng dào zhè yī dìng shì yè dào liǎo。 hè 'ěr sī tōng zhuāng yuán de zǒu láng lǐ de qiáng bì shàng zhuāng shì zhe xǔ duō gǔ dài wǔ qì de zhàn lì pǐn。 wǒ cóng lǐ miàn tiǎo chū yī bǎ zhàn fǔ， rán hòu， diū liǎo là zhú， niè shǒu niè jiǎo dì zǒu guò zǒu láng， xiàng mén lǐ kuī shì。
　　“‘ yuán lái shì guǎn jiā bù lún dùn dāi zài cáng shū shì lǐ。 tā yī zhe zhěng qí dì zuò zài yī bǎ 'ān lè yǐ lǐ， xī shàng tān zhe yī zhāng zhǐ， kàn shàng qù hǎo xiàng shì yī zhāng dì tú， shǒu tuō qián 'é， zhèng zài chén sī。 wǒ chēng mù jié shé dì lì zài nà lǐ， àn zhōng kuī tàn tā de dòng jìng。 zhǐ jiàn zhuō biān fàng zhe yī zhī xiǎo là zhú， wǒ jiè zhe nà wēi ruò de zhú guāng， qiáo jiàn tā yī zhe zhěng qí， yòu jiàn tā tū rán cóng yǐ shàng zhàn qǐ lái， zǒu xiàng nà biān yī gè xiě zì tái， dǎ kāi suǒ， lā kāi yī gè chōu tì。 tā cóng lǐ miàn qǔ chū yī fèn wén jiàn， yòu huí dào yuán lái de zuò wèi， bǎ wén jiàn píng pū zài zhuō biān là zhú bàng， kāi shǐ jù jīng huì shén dì yán jiū qǐ lái。 kàn dào tā nà yàng zhèn jìng zì ruò dì jiǎn chá wǒ men jiā de wén jiàn， wǒ bù jìn bó rán dà nù， biàn yī bù kuà xiàng qián qù。 zhè shí bù lún dùn tái qǐ tóu lái， jiàn wǒ zhàn zài mén kǒu， biàn tiào qǐ lái， liǎn xià dé fā qīng， lián máng bǎ gāng cái yán jiū de nà zhāng hǎi tú yī yàng de wén jiàn sài jìn huái zhōng。
　　“‘ wǒ shuō：“ hǎo wā！ nǐ jiù zhè yàng bào dá wǒ men duì nǐ de xìn rèn。 míng tiān nǐ jiù lí zhí cí xíng bā。”
　　“‘ tā chuí tóu sàng qì dì yī jū gōng， yī yán bù fā dì cóng wǒ shēn biān liù zǒu liǎo。
　　 là zhú yǐ rán bǎi zài zhuō shàng， jiè zhù zhú guāng， wǒ piē liǎo yī yǎn， kàn bù lún dùn cóng xiě zì tái lǐ qǔ chū de wén jiàn dào dǐ shì shénme。 chū hū wǒ de yì liào， nà wén jiàn gēn běn wú guān jǐn yào， zhǐ shì yī fèn qí yì de gǔ lǎo yí shì zhōng de wèn dá cí chāo jiàn 'ér yǐ。 zhè zhǒng yí shì jiào“ mǎ sī gé léi fū lǐ diǎn”， shì wǒ men jiā zú de tè yòu yí shì。 guò qù jǐ shì jì yǐ lái， fán shì mǎ sī gé léi fū jiā zú de rén， yī dào chéng nián jiù yào jǔ xíng zhè zhǒng yí shì héng héng zhè zhǐ tóng wǒ men jiā zú de sī shì yòu guān， jiù xiàng wǒ men zì jǐ de wén zhāng tú jì yī yàng， huò xǔ duì kǎo gǔ xué jiā yòu xiē zhòng yào zuò yòng， dàn shì háo wú shí jì yòng chù。’
　　“‘ wǒ men zuì hǎo hái shì huí tóu zài tán nà fèn wén jiàn de shì bā，’ wǒ shuō dào。
　　“‘ rú guǒ nǐ rèn wéi què yòu bì yào de huà，’ mǎ sī gé léi fū yě yòu xiē chí yí dì dá dào，‘ hǎo， wǒ jiù jì xù jiǎng xià qù： wǒ yòng bù lún dùn liú xià de yàoshì chóngxīn bǎ xiě zì tái suǒ hǎo， gāng yào zhuǎn shēn zǒu kāi， tū rán fā xiàn guǎn jiā yǐ jīng zǒu huí lái zhàn zài wǒ miàn qián， zhè shǐ wǒ chī liǎo yī jīng。
　　“‘ tā gǎn qíng jī dòng， shēng yīn sī yǎ dì gāo shēng hǎn dào：“ xiān shēng， mǎ sī gé léi fū xiān shēng， wǒ bù néng diū zhè gè liǎn， xiān shēng， wǒ suī rán shēn fèn dī wēi， dàn píng shēng jí zhòng liǎn miàn， diū zhè fèn liǎn jiù yào liǎo wǒ de mìng。 xiān shēng， rú guǒ nǐ jué rén shēng lù， nà wǒ de sǐ wáng yìng yóu nǐ fù zé， wǒ huì zhè me bàn de， què shí bù jiǎ。 xiān shēng， rú guǒ zài chū liǎo zhè jiàn shì yǐ hòu nǐ zài yě bù néng liú wǒ， nà me， kàn zài shàng dì miàn shàng， ràng wǒ xiàng nǐ shēn qǐng zài yī gè yuè nèi lí kāi， jiù rú tóng zì yuàn cí zhí yī yàng。 mǎ sī gé léi fū xiān shēng， cí zhí méi yòu guān xì， dàn shì dāng zhe suǒ yòu shú rén de miàn qián bǎ wǒ gǎn chū qù kě bù xíng。”
　　“‘ wǒ dá dào：“ nǐ bù pèi nà me duō zhào gù， bù lún dùn， nǐ de xíng wéi jí qí 'è liè。 bù guò， jì rán nǐ zài wǒ men jiā zhè me cháng shí jiān liǎo， wǒ yě wú yì ràng nǐ dāng zhòng diū liǎn。 bù guò yī gè yuè shí jiān tài cháng liǎo， yī xīng qī zhī nèi lí kāi bā， suí biàn zhǎo gè shénme lǐ yóu dū xíng。”
　　“‘ tā jué wàng dì jiào dào：“ zhǐ gěi yī gè xīng qī？ xiān shēng。 liǎng gè xīng qī bā， wǒ shuō， zhì shǎo liǎng gè xīng qī！”
　　“‘ wǒ chóngfù dào：“ yī gè xīng qī。 nǐ gāi rèn wéi zhè duì nǐ yǐ shì fēi cháng kuān dà de liǎo。”
　　“‘ tā xiàng yī gè jué wàng de rén， chuí tóu sàng qì dì qiāoqiāo zǒu kāi liǎo。 wǒ chuī xī liǎo dēng， huí dào zì jǐ fáng lǐ。
　　“‘ yǐ hòu liǎng tiān， bù lún dùn fēi cháng qín fèn zhuān zhù， kè jìn zhí shǒu。 wǒ yě bù tí fā shēng guò de shì， huái zhe yī zhǒng hàoqí xīn děng zhe kàn tā zěn yàng bǎo quán miàn zǐ。 tā yòu gè xí guàn， zǒng shì chī bà zǎo cān lái jiē shòu wǒ duì tā yī tiān gōng zuò de zhǐ shì， kě shì dì sān tiān zǎo chén tā méi yòu lái。 wǒ cóng cān shì chū lái shí pèng qiǎo yù dào nǚ pú léi qiē 'ěr · háo 'è 'ěr sī。 qián miàn yǐ jīng shuō guò， zhè wèi nǚ pú zuì jìn gāng gāng bìng yù fù yuán， pí bèi bù kān， miàn wú xuè sè， yú shì wǒ quàn tā bù yào zài qù gōng zuò。
　　“‘ wǒ shuō dào：“ nǐ yīngdāng wò chuáng xiū xī， shēn tǐ jiēshí xiē liǎo， zài gōng zuò。”
　　“‘ tā dài zhe nà me qí guài de biǎo qíng wàng zhe wǒ， shǐ wǒ kāi shǐ huái yí tā shì bù shì yòu fàn liǎo nǎo bìng。
　　“‘ tā shuō dào：“ wǒ yǐ jīng gòu jiēshí de liǎo， mǎ sī gé léi fū xiān shēng。”
　　“‘ wǒ huí dá dào：“ wǒ men yào tīng tīng yī shēng zěn me shuō。 nǐ xiàn zài bì xū tíng zhǐ gōng zuò， nǐ dào lóu xià shí， qǐng gào sù bù lún dùn， wǒ yào zhǎo tā。”
　　“‘ tā shuō dào：“ guǎn jiā yǐ jīng zǒu liǎo。”
　　“‘ wǒ wèn dào：“ zǒu liǎo！ dào nǎ 'ér qù liǎo？”
　　“‘ tā shuō：“ tā zǒu liǎo， méi yòu rén kàn jiàn tā。 tā bù zài fáng lǐ。 ā， shì de， tā zǒu liǎo， tā zǒu liǎo！” léi qiē 'ěr shuō zhe， kào zài qiáng shàng， fā chū yī zhèn zhèn jiān shēng kuáng xiào， zhè zhǒng xiē sī dǐ lǐ de tū rán fā zuò， shǐ wǒ máo gǔ sǒng rán， wǒ jí máng 'àn líng jiào rén bāng máng。 pú rén men bǎ gū niàn chān huí fáng qù。 wǒ xiàng tā xún wèn bù lún dùn de qíng kuàng， tā yǐ rán jiān jiào zhe， chōu qì bù zhǐ。 háo wú yí wèn， bù lún dùn què shí bù jiàn liǎo。 tā de chuáng zuó yè méi yòu rén shuì guò， cóng tā qián yè huí fáng yǐ hòu， zài méi yòu rén jiàn dào guò tā。 yě hěn nán chá míng tā shì zěn yàng lí kāi zhù zhái de， yīn wéi zǎo chén mén chuāng dōushì shuān zhe de。 tā de yī fú、 biǎo， shèn zhì qián chāo， dōuzài wū lǐ yuán fēng méi dòng， zhǐ yòu cháng chuān de nà tào hēi yī fú bù jiàn liǎo。 tā de tuō xié chuān zǒu liǎo， cháng tǒng xuē zǐ què liú xià lái。 nà me guǎn jiā bù lún dùn yín yè dào nǎ lǐ qù liǎo ní？ tā xiàn zài yòu zěn me yàng liǎo ní？
　　“‘ wǒ men dāng rán bǎ zhěng gè zhuāng yuán cóng dì xià shì dào gé lóu dū sōu suǒ liǎo yī biàn， kě shì lián tā de yǐng zǐ dōuméi yòu。 zhèng rú wǒ shuō guò de， zhè shì yī suǒ xiàng mí gōng yī yàng de lǎo zhái dǐ， tè bié shì nà xiē gǔ lǎo de xiāng fáng， xiàn zài shí jì shàng yǐ wú rén jū zhù。 kě shì wǒ men fǎn fù sōu chá liǎo měi gè fáng jiān hé dì xià shì， jiēguǒ lián shī zōng zhě de zhū sī mǎ jì yě méi yòu。 wǒ hěn nán xiāng xìn tā néng diū qì suǒ yòu cái wù kōng shǒu 'ér qù， zài shuō tā yòu néng dào shénme dì fāng qù ní？ wǒ jiào lái liǎo dāng dì， dàn yě wú jì wú shì。 qián yè céng jīng xià guò yǔ， wǒ men chá kàn zhuāng yuán sì zhōu de cǎo píng yǔ xiǎo jìng， yǐ rán tú láo wú yì。 qíng kuàng jiù shì zhè yàng。 hòu lái shì qíng yòu yòu liǎo xīn jìn zhǎn， bǎ wǒ men de zhù yì lì cóng zhè gè yí tuán shàng yǐn kāi liǎo。
　　“‘ léi qiē 'ěr · háo 'è 'ěr sī liǎng tiān lái bìng dé hěn lì hài， yòu shí shén zhì hūn mí， yòu shí xiē sī dǐ lǐ， wǒ biàn gù liǎo yī gè hù shì gěi tā péi yè。 zài bù lún dùn shī zōng hòu de dì sān gè yè wǎn， hù shì fā xiàn bìng rén shuìde xiāng tián， biàn zuò zài fú shǒu yǐ shàng dǎ dǔn， dì 'èr tiān dà qīng zǎo xǐng lái， fā xiàn bìng chuáng shàng kōng kōng rú yě， chuāng hù dà kāi， bìng rén yǐ wú yǐng wú zōng。 hù shì lì jí jiào xǐng liǎo wǒ， wǒ dài lǐng liǎng gè pú rén lì jí chū fā qù xún zhǎo nà gè shī zōng de gū niàn。 tā de qù xiàng bìng bù nán biàn rèn， yīn wéi cóng tā chuāng xià kāi shǐ， wǒ men kě yǐ yán zhe tā de zú jì， háo bù fèi lì dì chuān guò cǎo píng， lái dào xiǎo hú biān， zài zhè lǐ， zú jì jiù zài shí zǐ lù fù jìn xiāo shī liǎo， ér zhè tiáo shí zǐ lù shì tōng wǎng zhái bàng yuán dì de。 zhè gè xiǎo hú shuǐ shēn bā yīng chǐ， wǒ men kàn dào kě lián de fēng gū niàn de zú jì zài hú biān xiāo shī， dāng shí de xīn qíng jiù kě xiǎng 'ér zhī liǎo。
　　“‘ dāng rán， wǒ men lì jí dǎ lāo， zhuóshǒu xún zhǎo yí tǐ， dàn shì lián shī tǐ de yǐng zǐ yě méi néng zhǎo dào。 lìng yī fāng miàn， què lāo chū yī jiàn zuì yì liào bù dào de dōng xī， nà shì yī gè yà má bù kǒu dài， lǐ miàn zhuāng zhe yī duī chén jiù shēng xiù hé shī qù guāng zé de jīn shǔ jiàn， yǐ jí yī xiē 'àn dàn wú guāng de shuǐ jīng hé bō lí zhì pǐn。 wǒ men cóng hú zhōng lāo qǔ de chú cǐ qí guài de wù pǐn zhī wài， zài wú qí tā。 cǐ wài， suī rán zuó tiān wǒ men jié jìn yī qiē kě néng jìn xíng sōu suǒ、 chá xún， kě shì duì léi qiē 'ěr · háo 'è 'ěr sī hé lǐ chá dé · bù lún dùn de mìng yùn， réng rán yī wú suǒ zhī。 qū jǐng jú yǐ jīng zhì qióng lì jié。 wǒ zhǐ hǎo lái zhǎo nǐ， zhè shì zuì hòu yīzhāo liǎo。’“ huá shēng， kě xiǎng 'ér zhī， wǒ shì duō me jí bù kě nài dì qīng tīng zhe zhè yī lián chuàn lí qí shì jiàn， jí lì bǎ tā men chuàn dào yī qǐ， bìng zhǎo chū chuàn lián suǒ yòu shì jiàn de gòng tóng zhù xiàn lái。 guǎn jiā bù jiàn liǎo， nǚ pú yě bù jiàn liǎo， nǚ pú céng jīng 'ài guò guǎn jiā， bù guò hòu lái yòu yòu lǐ yóu yuàn hèn tā。 gū niàn shì wēi 'ěr shì xuè tǒng， xìng qíng jí zào yì nù。 guǎn jiā yī shī zōng， tā jiù lì kè wàn fēn jī dòng。 tā bǎ zhuāng zhe guài dōng xī de kǒu dài tóu jìn hú zhōng。 zhè xiē dōushì xū yào kǎo lǜ dào de yīn sù， dàn shì méi yòu yī gè yīn sù wán quán chù jí wèn tí de shí zhì。 zhè yī lián chuàn shì xiàng de qǐ diǎn shì shénme ní？ xiàn zài zhǐ yòu zhè yī lián chuàn cuò zōng fù zá shì jiàn de jié wěi。
　　“ wǒ shuō dào：‘ wǒ bì xū kàn kàn nà fèn wén jiàn， mǎ sī gé léi fū， nǐ de guǎn jiā rèn wéi zhí dé mào diū diào zhí yè de wēi xiǎn yī dú de nà yī fèn。’“‘ wǒ men jiā zú de lǐ diǎn shì jiàn fēi cháng huāng táng de dōng xī。’ mǎ sī gé léi fū huí dá dào，‘ bù guò yóu yú tā shì gǔ rén liú xià de， zhì shǎo hái yòu xiē kě qǔ zhī chù。
　　 rú guǒ nǐ yuàn yì guò mù de huà， wǒ yòu zhè fèn lǐ diǎn wèn dá cí de chāo jiàn。’“ huá shēng， mǎ sī gé léi fū jiù bǎ wǒ xiàn zài ná zhe de zhè fèn wén jiàn dì gěi liǎo wǒ， zhè jiù shì mǎ sī gé léi fū jiā zú zhōng měi gè chéng nián réndōu bì xū fú cóng de qí guài de jiào yì wèn dá shǒu cè。 qǐng tīng wèn dá cí de yuán wén。
　　“‘ tā shì shuí de？’
　　“‘ shì nà gè zǒu liǎo de rén de。’
　　“‘ shuí yīnggāi dé dào tā？’
　　“‘ nà gè jí jiāng lái dào de rén。’
　　“‘ tài yáng zài nǎ lǐ？’
　　“‘ zài xiàng shù shàng miàn。’
　　“‘ yīn yǐng zài nǎ lǐ？’
　　“‘ zài yú shù xià miàn。’
　　“‘ zěn yàng cè dào tā？’
　　“‘ xiàng běi shí bù yòu shí bù， xiàng dōng wǔ bù yòu wǔ bù， xiàng nán liǎng bù yòu liǎng bù， xiàng xī yī bù yòu yī bù， jiù zài xià miàn。’
　　“‘ wǒ men gāi ná shénme qù huàn qǔ tā？’
　　“‘ wǒ men suǒ yòu de yī qiē。’
　　“‘ wèishénme wǒ men gāi ná chū qù ní？’
　　“‘ yīn wéi yào shǒu xìn。’
　　“‘ yuán jiàn méi yòu shǔ rì qī， dàn shì， wén zì yòng de shì shí qī jì jì zhōng yè de pīn xiě fǎ。’ mǎ sī gé léi fū shuō dào，‘ bù guò， wǒ pà zhè duì nǐ jiě jué yí 'àn méi yòu duō dà bāng zhù。’
　　“‘ zhì shǎo，’ wǒ shuō dào，‘ tā gěi liǎo wǒ men lìng wài yī gè bù kě jiě de mí， ér qiě bǐ yuán lái de mí gèng yòu qù wèi。 hěn kě néng shì jiě liǎo zhè gè mí， yě jiù jiě liǎo nà gè mí。 qǐng yuán liàng， mǎ sī gé léi fū， jù wǒ kàn lái， nǐ de guǎn jiā sì hū shì yī gè fēi cháng cōng míng de rén， bìng qiě bǐ tā zhù rén jiā shí dài réndōu tóu nǎo qīng chǔ。’
　　“‘ wǒ hěn nán lǐng huì nǐ de yì sī，’ mǎ sī gé léi fū shuō dào，‘ wǒ hǎo xiàng jué dé zhè fèn wén jiàn méi yòu shénme shí jì zhòng yào yì yì。’
　　“‘ bù guò wǒ jué dé zhè fèn wén jiàn dà yòu shí jì zhòng yào yì yì， wǒ xiǎng bù lún dùn hé wǒ de jiàn jiě yī zhì， tā kě néng zài nà tiān yè lǐ nǐ zhuā zhù tā yǐ qián zǎo yǐ kàn guò zhè fèn wén jiàn liǎo。’
　　“‘ zhè shì hěn kě néng de。 wǒ men cóng lái yě méi fèi shén zhēn cáng tā。’
　　“‘ jù wǒ tuī cè， tā zuì hòu zhè yī cì bù guò shì xiǎng jì zhù tā de nèi róng bà liǎo。 wǒ zhī dào， tā zhèng yòng gè zhǒng dì tú hé cǎo tú hé yuán gǎo duì zhào， nǐ yī jìn lái， tā jiù huāng máng bǎ nà xiē tú sài jìn yī dài。’
　　“‘ díquè shì zhè yàng。 bù guò tā hé wǒ men jiā zú de zhè zhǒng jiù xí sú yòu shénme guān xì ní？ ér zhè gè wú liáo de jiā lǐ yòu yòu shénme yì yì ní？’
　　“‘ wǒ bù rèn wéi chá míng zhè gè wèn tí huì yòu hěn dà kùn nán，’ wǒ shuō dào，‘ rú guǒ nǐ tóng yì， wǒ men kě yǐ chéng shǒu bān huǒ chē qù sū sài kè sī， zài xiàn chǎng bǎ zhè shì shēn rù diào chá yī xià。’
　　“ wǒ men liǎng gè rén dāng tiān xià wǔ jiù dào liǎo hè 'ěr sī tōng。 kě néng nǐ zǎo yǐ jiàn guò zhè zuò zhù míng de gǔ lǎo jiàn zhù wù de zhào piàn hé jìzǎi， suǒ yǐ wǒ bù xiáng jiā jiè shào liǎo， zhǐ xiǎng shuō míng nà shì yī zuò Ｌ xíng de jiàn zhù wù。 cháng de yī pái fáng shì bǐ jiào jìn dài yàng shì de， duǎn de yī pái fáng shì gǔ dài yí liú de fáng wū zhōng xīn， qí tā fáng wū dōushì cóng zhè lǐ kuò zhǎn chū qù de。 zài jiù shì fáng wū zhōng bù de dī 'ǎi bèn zhòng de mén méi shàng， kè zhe yī liù qī nián zhè gè rì qī。 bù guò hángjiā mendōu rèn wéi， nà wū liáng hé shí zào gòu jiàn de shí jì nián dài hái yào jiǔ yuǎn xiē。 jiù shì fáng wū de qiáng bì yòu gāo yòu hòu， chuāng hù dōuhěn xiǎo， shǐ dé zhè yī jiā rén zài shàng yī shì jì jiù gài liǎo nà yī pái xīn fáng。 xiàn zài jiù fáng yǐ yòng zuò kù fáng hé jiǔ jiào， cǐ wài bié wú yòng tú。 fáng zǐ sì zhōu huán rào zhe mào mì de gǔ shù， xíng chéng yī gè yōu yǎ de xiǎo huā yuán， wǒ de wěi tuō rén tí dào de nà gè xiǎo hú jǐn 'āi zhe lín yìn lù， lí fáng wū yuē yòu 'èr bǎi mǎ。
　　“ huá shēng， wǒ yǐ jīng què xìn， zhè bù shì gū lì de sān gè mí， ér zhǐ shì yī gè mí， rú guǒ wǒ néng zhèng què dì lǐ jiě‘ mǎ sī gé léi fū lǐ diǎn’， jiù yī dìng néng zhuā zhù xiàn suǒ， jiè yǐ chá míng yǔ guǎn jiā bù lún dùn hé nǚ pú háo 'è 'ěr sī liǎng rén yòu guān de shì shí。 yú shì wǒ quán lì yǐ fù dì gān zhè jiàn shì。 wèishénme nà gè guǎn jiā nà yàng jí yú zhǎng wò nà xiē gǔ lǎo yí shì de yǔ jù？ xiǎn rán shì yīn wéi tā kàn chū liǎo qí zhōng de 'ào mì， zhè zhǒng 'ào mì què cóng lái méi yòu shòu dào zhè jiā xiāng shēn lì dài rén de zhù yì。 bù lún dùn zhèng zài zhǐ wàng cóng zhè zhǒng 'ào mì zhōng móu qǔ sī lì。 nà me， zhè 'ào mì dào dǐ shì shénme？ tā duì guǎn jiā de mìng yùn yòu yòu shénme yǐng xiǎng ní？
　　“ wǒ bǎ lǐ diǎn dú liǎo yī biàn， biàn jué dé yī qīng 'èr chǔ liǎo， zhè zhǒng cèliáng fǎ yī dìng shì zhǐ lǐ diǎn zhōng mǒu xiē yǔ jù 'àn shì de mǒu gè dì diǎn， rú guǒ néng gòu zhǎo dào zhè gè dì diǎn， wǒ men jiù zǒu shàng liǎo jiē chuān mì mì de zhèng què dào lù， ér mǎ sī gé léi fū de xiān rén rèn wéi bì xū yòng zhè zhǒng qí miào fāng shì cái néng shǐ hòu dài bù wàng zhè gè mì mì。 yào kāi shǐ dòng shǒu， wǒ men dé zhī liǎng gè fāng wèi biāo gān： yī kē xiàng shù hé yī kē yú shù。 xiàng shù gēn běn bù chéng wèn tí， jiù zài fáng wū de zhèng qián fāng， chē dào de zuǒ cè， xiàng shù cóng zhōng yòu yī kē zuì gǔ lǎo de， shì wǒ píng shēng jiàn guò de zuì gāo dà de shù。
　　“‘ qǐ cǎo nǐ jiā lǐ diǎn de shí hòu jiù yòu liǎo zhè kē xiàng shù má？’ dāng wǒ men jià chē jīng guò xiàng shù shí， wǒ shuō dào。
　　“‘ bā chéng zài nuò 'ěr màn rén zhēng fú yīng guó shí［ zhǐ yī liù liù nián。 héng héng yì zhě zhù］， jiù yòu zhè kē shù liǎo，’ mǎ sī gé léi fū dá dào，‘ zhè kē xiàng shù yòu 'èr shí sān yīng chǐ cū ní。’
　　“ wǒ cāi zhōng de yī diǎn yǐ jīng zhèng shí， wǒ biàn wèn dào：‘ nǐ men jiā yòu lǎo yú shù má？’
　　“‘ nà biān guò qù yòu yī kē hěn lǎo de yú shù， shí nián yǐ qián bèi léi diàn jī huǐ liǎo。 wǒ men bǎ shùgàn jù diào liǎo。’
　　“‘ nǐ néng zhǐ chū nà kē yú shù de yí zhǐ má？’
　　“‘ ā， dāng rán kě yǐ liǎo。’
　　“‘ méi yòu bié de yú shù liǎo má？’
　　“‘ méi yòu lǎo yú shù liǎo， bù guò yòu xǔ duō xīn yú shù。’
　　“‘ wǒ hěn xiǎng kàn kàn zhè kē lǎo yú shù de jiù zhǐ。’
　　“ wǒ men chéng zuò de shì dān mǎ chē， méi yòu jìn wū， wěi tuō rén lì jí bǎ wǒ yǐn dào cǎo píng de yī gè kēng wā chù， nà jiù shì yú shù guò qù shēngzhǎng de dì fāng。 zhè dì fāng jīhū jiù zài xiàng shù hé fáng wū de zhèng zhōng jiān。 wǒ de diào chá kàn lái zhèng yòu suǒ jìn zhǎn。
　　“‘ wǒ xiǎng wǒ men bù kě néng zhī dào zhè kē yú shù de gāo dù liǎo bā？’ wǒ wèn dào。
　　“‘ wǒ kě yǐ lì kè gào sù nǐ shù gāo liù shí sì yīng chǐ。’
　　“‘ nǐ zěn me zhī dào de ní？’ wǒ chī jīng dì wèn dào。
　　“‘ wǒ de lǎo jiā tíng jiào shī jīng cháng jiào wǒ zuò sān jiǎo liàn xí， wǎng wǎng shì cèliáng gāo dù。 wǒ zài shàonián shí dài jiù cè suàn guò zhuāng yuán lǐ de měi kē shù hé měi chuáng jiàn zhù wù。’
　　“ zhè zhēn shì yì wài de xìng yùn。 wǒ de shù jù lái dé bǐ wǒ xiǎng dé hái kuài 'ā。
　　“‘ qǐng gào sù wǒ，’ wǒ wèn dào，‘ guǎn jiā céng xiàng nǐ wèn guò yú shù de shì má？’
　　“ léi jīn nà dé · mǎ sī gé léi fū chī jīng dì wàng zhe wǒ。‘ jīng nǐ yī tí xǐng wǒ xiǎng qǐ lái liǎo，’ tā huí dá dào，‘ jǐ gè yuè yǐ qián， bù lún dùn zài tóng mǎ fū fā shēng yīcháng xiǎo zhēng lùn shí， dídí què què xiàng wǒ wèn guò yú shù de gāo dù。’
　　“ zhè xiāo xī jiǎn zhí tài miào liǎo， huá shēng， yīn wéi zhè shuō míng wǒ de lù zǐ duì liǎo。 wǒ tái tóu kàn kàn tài yáng， yǐ jīng piān xī， wǒ suàn chū， bù yào yī xiǎo shí， jiù yào piān dào lǎo xiàng shù zuì dǐng duān de zhī tóu shàng kōng。 lǐ diǎn zhōng tí dào de yī gè tiáo jiàn mǎn zú liǎo。 ér yú shù de yīn yǐng yī dìng shì zhǐ yīn yǐng de yuǎn duān， bù rán wèishénme bù xuǎn shùgàn zuò biāo gān ní？ yú shì， wǒ xún zhǎo tài yáng piān guò xiàng shù dǐng shí， yú shù yīn yǐng de zuì yuǎn duān luò zài shénme dì fāng。”
　　“ nà yī dìng shì fēi cháng kùn nán de， fú 'ěr mó sī， yīn wéi yú shù yǐ jīng bù zài liǎo。” wǒ shuō dào。
　　“ ǹg， zhì shǎo wǒ zhī dào， jì rán bù lún dùn néng zhǎo dào de， wǒ yě néng zhǎo dào。 hé kuàng， shí jì shàng bìng bù kùn nán。 wǒ hé mǎ sī gé léi fū zǒu jìn tā de shū fáng， xiāoliǎo zhè gè mù dīng， wǒ bǎ zhè tiáo cháng shéng shuān zài mù dīng shàng， měi gé yī mǎ dǎ yī gè jié， rán hòu ná liǎo liǎng gēn diào yú gān bǎng zài yī qǐ， zǒng cháng dù zhèng hǎo shì liù yīng chǐ， biàn hé wǒ de wěi tuō rén huí dào lǎo yú shù jiù zhǐ。 zhè shí tài yáng zhèng hǎo piān guò xiàng shù dǐng。 wǒ bǎ diào gān yī duān chā jìn tǔ zhōng， jì xià yīn yǐng de fāng xiàng， zhàng liàng liǎo yīn yǐng de cháng dù， yǐng cháng jiǔ yīng chǐ。
　　“ jì suàn qǐ lái dāng rán hěn jiǎn dān de liǎo。 rú gān cháng liù yīng chǐ shí tóu yǐng wéi jiǔ yīng chǐ， zé shù gāo liù shí sì yīng chǐ shí tóu yǐng jiù shì jiǔ shí liù yīng chǐ liǎo。 ér diào gān yīn yǐng de fāng xiàng zì rán yě jiù shì yú shù de fāng xiàng liǎo。 wǒ zhàng liàng chū zhè duàn jù lí， chàbù duō jiù dá dào liǎo zhuāng yuán de qiáng gēn。 wǒ zài zhè dì fāng dīng xià mù dīng。 huá shēng， dāng wǒ fā xiàn lí mù dīng bù dào liǎng yīng cùn de dì fāng dì shàng yòu gè zhuī xíng de xiǎo dòng shí， nǐ kě yǐ xiǎng xiàng wǒ dāng shí xīn xǐ ruò kuáng de yàng zǐ liǎo。 wǒ zhī dào zhè shì bù lún dùn zhàngliáng shí zuò de biāo jì， wǒ zhèng zài zǒu tā de lǎo lù ní。
　　“ cóng zhè diǎn qǐ bù wǒ men kāi shǐ bù cè， shǒu xiān yòng wǒ de xiù zhēn zhǐ nán zhēn dìng xià fāng xiàng， shùn zhe zhuāng yuán qiáng bì xiàng běi xíng liǎo 'èr shí bù， zài dīng xià yī gè mù dīng。 rán hòu wǒ xiǎo xīn dì xiàng dōng mài shí bù， xiàng nán mài sì bù， biàn dào liǎo jiù fáng dà mén mén jiàn xià。 àn zhào lǐ diǎn zhǐ shì de dì diǎn， zài xiàng xī mài liǎng bù， wǒ jiù zǒu dào shí bǎn pū de yǒng dào shàng liǎo。
　　“ huá shēng， wǒ cóng lái hái méi yòu xiàng nà shí nà yàng sǎo xīng shī wàng guò。 yī shí zhī jiān wǒ sì hū jué dé wǒ de jì suàn yī dìng yòu gēn běn xìng de cuò wù。 xié yáng bǎ yǒng dào de lù miàn zhào dé tōng liàng， wǒ kàn dào yǒng dào shàng pū de nà xiē huī sè shí bǎn， suī rán gǔ lǎo， ér qiě bèi guò wǎng xíng rén tà bó liǎo， dàn hái shì yòng shuǐ ní láo gù dì zhù zài yī qǐ， kěn dìng duō nián wèi bèi rén yí dòng guò。 bù lún dùn xiǎn rán wèi zài cǐ dì xià shǒu。 wǒ qiāo liǎo qiāo shí bǎn， dào chù shēng yīn dū yī yàng， shí bǎn xià miàn méi yòu dòng xué hé lièfèng。 bù guò， xìng 'ér mǎ sī gé léi fū kāi shǐ tǐ huì dào wǒ zhè yàng zuò de yòng yì， yě xiàng wǒ yī yàng xīng fèn yì cháng， ná lái shǒu gǎo lái hé duì wǒ jì suàn de jiēguǒ。
　　“‘ jiù zài xià miàn，’ tā gāo shēng hǎn dào，‘ nǐ hū lüè yī jù huà： jiù zài xià miàn。’
　　“ wǒ yuán yǐ wéi zhè shì yào wǒ men jìn xíng wā jué ní， dāng rán wǒ lì jí míng bái wǒ xiǎng cuò liǎo。‘ nà me shuō， yǒng dào xià miàn yòu gè dì xià shì má？’ wǒ dà shēng shuō dào。
　　“‘ shì de， dì xià shì hé zhè xiē fáng wū yī yàng gǔ lǎo， jiù zài xià miàn， cóng zhè shàn mén jìn qù。’“ wǒ men zǒu xià yū huí qū zhé de shí jiē， wǒ de tóng bàn huá liǎo yī gēn huǒ chái， diǎn zhe liǎo fàng zài qiáng jiǎo mù tǒng shàng de tí dēng。 yī shà shí wǒ men jiù kàn qīng liǎo， wǒ men lái dào liǎo wǒ men yào zhǎo de dì fāng， ér qiě zuì jìn jǐ tiān hái yòu rén lái guò cǐ dì。
　　“ zhè lǐ zǎo bèi yòng zuò duī fàng mù liào de cāng kù， kě shì nà xiē xiǎn rán bèi rén luàn diū zài dì miàn de duǎn mù tóu， xiàn zài dōuyǐ bèi rén duī jī zài liǎng bàng， yǐ biàn zài dì xià shì zhōng jiān téng chū yī kuài kōng dì。 kōng dì shàng yòu yī dà kuài zhòng shí bǎn， shí bǎn zhōng yāng 'ān zhe shēng xiù de tiě huán， tiě huán shàng fù zhe yī tiáo hòu hòu de hēi bái gé zǐ bù wéi jīn。
　　“‘ tiān nǎ！’ wǒ de wěi tuō rén jīng hū dào，‘ nà shì bù lún dùn de wéi jīn， wǒ kě yǐ fā shì kàn dào tā dài guò zhè tiáo wéi jīn。 zhè gè 'è gùn zài zhè lǐ gànshénme？’“ àn wǒ de jiàn yì zhào lái liǎo liǎng míng dāng dì， rán hòu wǒ zhuā zhù wéi jīn， yòng lì tí shí bǎn。 kě shì wǒ zhǐ nuó dòng liǎo yī diǎn diǎn， hái shì kào yī míng bāng zhù， wǒ cái miǎnqiǎng bǎ shí bǎn nuó dào yī bàng。 shí bǎn xià lù chū yī gè hēi dòng dòng de dì jiào， wǒ mendōu xiàng xià níng shì zhe。 mǎ sī gé léi fū guì zài dì jiào bàng， yòng tí dēng shēn jìn qù tàn zhào zhe。
　　“ wǒ men kàn dào zhè dì jiào dà yuē qī yīng chǐ shēn， sì yīng chǐ jiàn fāng， yī biān fàng zhe yī gè gū zhe huáng tóng gū de 'ǎi mù xiāng， xiāng gài yǐ jīng dǎ kāi liǎo， suǒ kǒng shàng chā zhe zhè bǎ xíng zhuàng gǔ guài de lǎo shì yàoshì。 xiāng zǐ wài miàn jī chén hěn hòu， shòu dào zhù chóng hé cháo shī de qīn shí， mù bǎn yǐ jīng làn chuān， lǐ miàn cháng mǎn liǎo qīng huī sè de mù jūn。 yī xiē xiàng jiù yìng bì nà yàng de jīn shǔ yuán piàn， xiǎn rán shì jiù shì yìng bì， xiàng wǒ shǒu lǐ ná de zhè xiē， sàn fàng zài xiāng dǐ， qí tā yī wú suǒ yòu。
　　“ rán 'ér， zhè shí wǒ men jiù gù bù shàng zhè gè jiù mù xiāng liǎo， yīn wéi wǒ men de mù guāng luò dào yī jiàn dōng xī shàng。 nà dōng xī quán suō zài mù xiāng bàng biān， shì yī gè rén xíng， chuānzhuó yī shēn hēi yī fú， dūn zài nà lǐ， qián 'é dǐ zài xiāng zǐ biān shàng， liǎng bì bào zhe xiāng zǐ。 zhè gè zī shì shǐ tā quán shēn xuè yè dū níng jù zài liǎn shàng， méi yòu yī gè rén néng gòu rèn chū zhè gè niǔ qū liǎo de zhū gān sè de miàn róng jiū jìng shì shuí。 dàn dāng wǒ men bǎ shī tǐ lā guò lái shí， nà shēn cái、 yī zhe hé tóu fā， yī qiēdōu xiàng wǒ men de wěi tuō rén shuō míng， sǐ zhě díquè shì nà gè shī zōng de guǎn jiā。 zhè gè rén yǐ jīng sǐ liǎo jǐ tiān， dàn shēn shàng bìng wú shāng hén néng shuō míng tā shì zěn yàng luò dào zhè gè xià chǎng de。 shī tǐ yùn chū dì xià shì， dàn wǒ men réng rán miàn lín zhe yī gè nán tí， zhè nán tí jiù xiàng kāi shǐ shí yù dào de nà gè yī yàng nán yú jiě jué。
　　“ huá shēng， dào xiàn zài wǒ yǐ rán chéng rèn， wǒ nà shí céng jīng duì wǒ de diào chá gǎn dào shī wàng。 zài wǒ 'àn zhào lǐ diǎn de 'àn shì zhǎo dào zhè gè dì fāng shí， wǒ céng jīng zhǐ wàng jiě jué zhè gè wèn tí。 kě shì xiàn zài wǒ yǐ shēn zài cǐ dì， xiǎn rán yuǎn wèi néng nòng qīng zhè yī jiā zú cǎi qǔ rú cǐ jīng xīn chóuhuà de fáng fàn cuò shī， jiū jìng wéi zhe shénme。 chéng rán wǒ shì gǎo qīng chǔ liǎo bù lún dùn de xià chǎng， kě shì xiàn zài hái dé chá míng tā shì rú hé zāo dào zhè gè xià chǎng de； ér nà gè shī zōng de gū niàn zài zhè jiàn shì qíng shàng yòu qǐ liǎo shénme zuò yòng。 wǒ zuò dào qiáng jiǎo de yī gè xiǎo tǒng shàng， zǎi xì dì sī suǒ zhe zhè zhěng gè 'àn jiàn。
　　“ yù dào zhè yàng de qíng xíng， nǐ shì zhī dào wǒ de chǔzhì fāng fǎ de， huá shēng。 wǒ tì zhè gè rén shèshēnchǔdì xiǎng yī xiǎng， shǒu xiān héng liàng yī xià tā de zhì lì shuǐ píng， jìn lì shè xiǎng wǒ zì jǐ zài tóng yī qíng kuàng xià gāi zěn me bàn。 zài zhè yī qíng kuàng xià， shì qíng jiù lái dé hěn jiǎn dān， yīn wéi bù lún dùn shì gè jué dǐng cōng míng de rén， bù bì kǎo lǜ tā guān chá wèn tí huì chū shénme‘ gè rén guān cè wù chā’（ zhè lǐ shì jiè yòng liǎo tiān wén guān cè rén yuán de yī gè shù yǔ）， tā zhī dào cáng zhe bǎo wù， biàn zhǔn què dì zhǎo dào liǎo dì fāng， fā xiàn shí bǎn gài tài zhòng， dān rén wú fǎ nuó dòng。 xià yī bù zěn me bàn？ jiù suàn tā zài zhuāng yuán yǐ wài yòu xìn dé guò de rén bā， nà yào qiú cǐ rén bāng zhù， yě dé kāi mén fàng tā jìn lái， yào mào bèi rén fā jué de zhòng dà wēi xiǎn。 zuì hǎo de bàn fǎ shì zài zhuāng yuán nèi bù zhǎo gè zhù shǒu。 kě shì tā néng xiàng shuí qiú zhù ní？ zhè gè gū niàn céng jīng qīng xīn 'ài guò tā。 nán rén bù guǎn duì nǚ rén duō huài， tā yě shǐ zhōng bù chéng rèn zuì hòu huì shī qù nà nǚ rén de 'ài qíng。 tā kě néng xiàn jǐ cì yīn qín， tóng gū niàn háo 'è 'ěr sī zhòng guī jiù hǎo， rán hòu yuē hǎo gòng tóng xíng dòng。 tā liǎ kě néng yè jiān yī tóng lái dào dì xià shì， hé lì xiān kāi shí bǎn。 zhì cǐ wǒ kě yǐ zhuī shù tā men de xíng dòng， yóu rú 'ěr wén mù dǔ yī bān。
　　“ bù guò yào jiē qǐ zhè kuài shí bǎn， duì yú tā men liǎng gè rén， bìng qiě qí zhōng yī gè shì fù nǚ， hái shì guò yú chī lì。 yīn wéi jiù lián wǒ hé nà gè wǔ dà sān cū de sū sài kè sī hé lì qù gān yě bù jué dé shì qīng kuài shì ní。 tā men nuó bù dòng shí bǎn zěn me bàn？ yào shì wǒ de huà yīnggāi zěn me bàn ní？ wǒ zhàn qǐ shēn lái， zǎi xì dì chá kàn liǎo dì miàn sì xià luàn fàng zhe de gè zhǒng duǎn mù。 wǒ jīhū lì kè kàn dào liǎo wǒ liào dào huì yòu de dōng xī。 yī gēn yuē sān yīng chǐ cháng de mù liào， yī duān yòu míng xiǎn de quē hén， hái yòu jǐ kuài mù tóu cè miàn dū yā píng liǎo， hǎo xiàng shì bèi xiāng dāng zhòng de dōng xī yā píng de。 hěn xiǎn rán， tā men yī miàn bǎ shí bǎn wǎng shàng tí， yī miàn bǎ yī xiē mù tóu sài jìn fèngxì zhōng， zhí dào zhè gè fèngxì kě yǐ pá jìn yī gè rén qù， cái yòng yī kuài mù tóu shù zhe dǐng zhù shí bǎn， bù ràng tā làxià lái。 yīn wéi shí bǎn zhòng liàng quán bù yā zài zhè gēn mù tóu shàng， shǐ tā yā zài lìng yī kuài shí bǎn biān yuán shàng， zhè jiù shǐ dé mù tóu zhe dì de yī duān chǎn shēng liǎo quē hén。 zhì cǐ wǒ de zhèng jù réng rán shì kě kào de。
　　“ xiàn zài de wèn tí shì wǒ rú hé chóngxiàn nà tiān yè lǐ fā shēng de shì qíng。 hěn xiǎn rán， zhè dì jiào zhǐ néng zuàn jìn yī gè rén， nà jiù shì bù lún dùn。 gū niàn yī dìng shì zài shàng miàn děng hòu。 rán hòu bù lún dùn dǎ kāi liǎo mù xiāng， bǎ xiāng zǐ lǐ miàn zhuāng de dōng xī dì shàng qù（ yīn wéi tā men wèi bèi fā xiàn）， hòu lái， hòu lái fā shēng liǎo shénme ní？
　　“ wǒ xiǎng， huò xǔ nà gè xìng qíng jí zào de kǎi 'ěr tè zú gū niàn yī jiàn kuī dài guò tā de rén（ huò xǔ tā dài tā bǐ wǒ men cāi xiǎng de hái yào huài dé duō）， kě yǐ rèn zì jǐ bǎi bù de shí hòu， nà yù jī zài xīn zhōng de fù chóu nù huǒ tū rán fā zuò qǐ lái？ huò zhě shì mù tóu 'ǒu rán huá dǎo， shí bǎn zì jǐ làxià， bǎ bù lún dùn guān sǐ zài zì zhǎo de shí mù zhī zhōng， ér tā de guò cuò zhǐ shì yǐn mán zhēn qíng wèi bào？ hái shì tā tū rán bǎ dǐng mù tuī kāi， ràng shí bǎn luò huí dòng kǒu？ bù guǎn shì shénme qíng kuàng， fǎn zhèng zài wǒ yǎn qián， sì hū xiàn chū yī gè nǚ rén zhuā zhù bǎo wù， pàn mìng bēn páo zài qū zhé de jiē tī shàng， chōng 'ěr bù tīng bèi hòuzhuàn lái de mèn shēng wèng qì de jiào hǎn shēng， yǐ jí shuāng shǒu fēng kuáng chuí dǎ shí bǎn de shēng yīn， zhèng shì nà kuài shí bǎn zhì sǐ liǎo nà gè duì tā bó xìng de qíng rén。
　　“ nán guài dì 'èr tiān zǎo chén tā miàn sè cāng bái， xià dé fā dǒu， xiē sī dǐ lǐ dì xiào gè bù tíng； yuán lái mì mì jiù zài yú cǐ。 kě shì xiāng zǐ lǐ yòu shì shénme dōng xī ní？ zhè xiē dōng xī hé tā yòu yòu shénme guān xì ní？ dāng rán， xiāng zǐ lǐ yī dìng shì wǒ de wěi tuō rén cóng hú lǐ dǎ lāo shàng lái de gǔ jīn zhǔhè shuǐ jīng shí liǎo。 tā yī yòu jī huì jiù bǎ zhè xiē dōng xī rēng dào hú zhōng， yǐ biàn xiāo zāng miè jì。
　　“ wǒ zài nà lǐ zuò liǎo 'èr shí fēn zhōng zuǒ yòu， yī dòng yě bù dòng， chè dǐ sī kǎo zhe 'àn zǐ。 mǎ sī gé léi fū yǐ rán zhàn zài nà lǐ， miàn sè cāng bái， bǎi dòng zhe tí dēng， xiàng shí dòng lǐ níng shì zhe。
　　“‘ zhè xiē shì chá lǐ yī shì shí dài de yìng bì，’ tā cóng mù xiāng zhōng qǔ chū jǐ méi jīn bì， shuō dào，‘ nǐ kàn， wǒ men bǎ lǐ diǎn xiě chéng de shí jiān tuī suàn dé wán quán zhèng què。’
　　“‘ wǒ men hái kě yǐ zhǎo dào chá lǐ yī shì shí dài qí tā de dōng xī，’ wǒ tū rán xiǎng dào zhè gè lǐ diǎn de tóu liǎng jù wèn dá kě néng shì shénme hán yì， biàn dà shēng hǎn dào，‘ ràng wǒ men lái kàn kàn nǐ cóng hú lǐ lāo chū de kǒu dài lǐ zhuāng de dōng xī bā。’
　　“ wǒ men huí dào tā de shū fáng， tā bǎ nà xiē pò làn dōng xī bǎi zài wǒ miàn qián。 yī jiàn nà xiē pò làn， wǒ jiù míng bái tā bìng bù kàn zhòng tā men， yīn wéi jīn shǔ jīhū dū biàn chéng hēi sè， shí kuài yě 'àn wú guāng zé。 rán 'ér wǒ ná qǐ yī kuài yòng xiù zǐ cā liǎo cā， tā zài wǒ shǒu zhōng， jìng rán xiàng huǒ xīng yī yàng shǎn shǎn fā guāng。 jīn shǔ zhì pǐn yàng shì xiàng shuāng huán xíng， bù guò yǐ jīng zhé wān niǔ qū， zài bù shì yuán lái de xíng zhuàng liǎo。
　　“‘ nǐ yī dìng hái jì dé，’ wǒ shuō dào，‘ shèn zhì zài yīng wáng chá lǐ yī shì sǐ hòu， bǎo huáng dǎng hái zài yīng guó jìn xíng wǔ zhuāng fǎn kàng， ér dāng tā men zhōng yú táo wáng shí， tā men kě néng bǎ xǔ duō jí guì zhòng de cái bǎo mái cáng qǐ lái， zhǔn bèi zài tài píng shí qī huí guó wā qǔ。’
　　“‘ wǒ de zǔ xiān lā 'ěr fū · mǎ sī gé léi fū jué shì， zài chá lǐ yī shì shí dài shì zhù míng de bǎo huáng dǎng dǎng yuán， zài chá lǐ 'èr shì wáng mìng tú zhōng， shì chá lǐ 'èr shì de dé lì zhù shǒu。’ wǒ de péng yǒu shuō dào。
　　“‘ ā， bù cuò！’ wǒ dá dào，‘ xiàn zài hǎo liǎo， wǒ kàn zhè cái zhēn zhèng shì wǒ men suǒ yào zhǎo de zuì hòu huán jié ní。 wǒ bì xū zhù hè nǐ dé dào zhè bǐ zhēn bǎo， suī rán lái dé hěn yòu bēi jù xìng， què shì yī jiàn jià zhí lián chéng de yí wù 'ā， ér zuò wéi lì shǐ zhēn pǐn， qí yì yì gèng wéi zhòng dà ní。’
　　“‘ nà dào dǐ shì shénme dōng xī？’ mǎ sī gé léi fū jīng yà dì zhuī wèn dào。
　　“‘ zhè bù shì bié de， zhèng shì yīng guó de yī dǐng gǔ dài de wáng guān。’
　　“‘ wáng guān！’
　　“‘ sī háo bù jiǎ。 xiǎng xiǎng lǐ diǎn shàng de huà bā！ tā zěn me shuō lái zhe！“ tā shì shuí de？ shì nà gè zǒu liǎo de rén de。” zhè shì zhǐ chá lǐ yī shì bèi chǔsǐ shuō de。 rán hòu shì“ shuí yīnggāi dé dào tā？ nà gè jí jiāng lái dào de rén。” zhè shì zhǐ chá lǐ 'èr shì shuō de， yǐ jīng yù jiàn dào chá lǐ 'èr shì yào lái dào hè 'ěr sī tōng de zhè zuò zhuāng yuán liǎo。 wǒ rèn wéi， háo wú yí wèn， zhè dǐng pò jiù dé bù chéng yàng zǐ de wáng guān céng jīng shì sī tú yà tè dì wáng dài guò de。’
　　“‘ tā zěn me páo dào hú lǐ qù liǎo ní？’
　　“‘ ā， zhè gè wèn tí jiù xū yào huā fèi yī xiē shí jiān lái huí dá liǎo。’ shuō zhe， wǒ bǎ wǒ suǒ zuò de tuī cè hé lùn zhèng cóng tóu dào wěi dì duì tā shuō liǎo yī biàn， zhí dào yè sè méng lóng， hào yuè dāng kōng， wǒ cái bǎ nà gù shì jiǎng wán。
　　“‘ nà wèishénme chá lǐ 'èr shì huí guó hòu， bù lái qǔ wáng guān ní？’ mǎ sī gé léi fū bǎ yí wù fàng huí yà má bù dài， wèn dào。
　　“‘ ā， nǐ zhǔn què dì zhǐ shì liǎo wǒ men yě xǔ yǒng yuǎn yě bù néng jiě jué de yī gè wèn tí。 kě néng shì zhǎng wò zhè gè mì mì de mǎ sī gé léi fū zài cǐ shí qù shì， ér chū yú shū hū， tā bǎ zhè gè zuò zhǐ nán yòng de lǐ diǎn chuán gěi hòu rén 'ér méi yòu shuō míng qí hán yì。 cóng nà shí dào jīn tiān， zhè gè lǐ diǎn shì dài xiāng chuán， zhí dào zhōng yú chū liǎo yī gè rén， tā jiē kāi liǎo mì mì， bìng zài mào xiǎn zhōng sàng shēng。’
　　“ zhè jiù shì mǎ sī gé léi fū lǐ diǎn de gù shì， huá shēng。 nà wáng guān jiù liú zài hè 'ěr sī tōng héng héng bù guò， tā men zài fǎ lǜ shàng jīng guò yī fān zhōu zhé， yòu fù liǎo yī dà bǐ qián cái bǎ wáng guān liú xià lái。 wǒ xiāng xìn， zhǐ yào nǐ yī tí wǒ de míng zì， tā men jiù huì bǎ wáng guān ná gěi nǐ kàn。 ér nà gè nǚ rén， yī zhí shì yīn xùn quán wú， hěn kě néng tā lí kāi yīng guó， dài zhe fàn zuì de jì yì táo wáng guó wài qù liǎo。”

　　An anomaly which often struck me in the character of my friend Sherlock Holmes was that, although in his methods of thought he was the neatest and most methodical of mankind, and although also he affected a certain quiet primness of dress, he was none the less in his personal habits one of the most untidy men that ever drove a fellow-lodger to distraction. Not that I am in the least conventional in that respect myself. The rough-and-tumble work in Afghanistan, coming on the top of a natural Bohemianism of disposition, has made me rather more lax than befits a medical man. But with me there is a limit, and when I find a man who keeps his cigars in the coal-scuttle, his tobacco in the toe end of a Persian slipper, and his unanswered correspondence transfixed by a jack-knife into the very centre of his wooden mantelpiece, then I begin to give myself virtuous airs. I have always held, too, that pistol practice should be distinctly an open-air pastime; and when Holmes, in one of his queer humors, would sit in an arm-chair with his hair-trigger and a hundred Boxer cartridges, and proceed to adorn the opposite wall with a patriotic V. R. done in bullet-pocks, I felt strongly that neither the atmosphere nor the appearance of our room was improved by it.
　　
　　Our chambers were always full of chemicals and of criminal relics which had a way of wandering into unlikely positions, and of turning up in the butter-dish or in even less desirable places. But his papers were my great crux. He had a horror of destroying documents, especially those which were connected with his past cases, and yet it was only once in every year or two that he would muster energy to docket and arrange them; for, as I have mentioned somewhere in these incoherent memoirs, the outbursts of passionate energy when he performed the remarkable feats with which his name is associated were followed by reactions of lethargy during which he would lie about with his violin and his books, hardly moving save from the sofa to the table. Thus month after month his papers accumulated, until every corner of the room was stacked with bundles of manuscript which were on no account to be burned, and which could not be put away save by their owner. One winter's night, as we sat together by the fire, I ventured to suggest to him that, as he had finished pasting extracts into his common-place book, he might employ the next two hours in making our room a little more habitable. He could not deny the justice of my request, so with a rather rueful face he went off to his bedroom, from which he returned presently pulling a large tin box behind him. This he placed in the middle of the floor and, squatting down upon a stool in front of it, he threw back the lid. I could see that it was already a third full of bundles of paper tied up with red tape into separate packages.
　　
　　"There are cases enough here, Watson," said he, looking at me with mischievous eyes. "I think that if you knew all that I had in this box you would ask me to pull some out instead of putting others in."
　　
　　"These are the records of your early work, then?" I asked. "I have often wished that I had notes of those cases."
　　
　　"Yes, my boy, these were all done prematurely before my biographer had come to glorify me." He lifted bundle after bundle in a tender, caressing sort of way. "They are not all successes, Watson," said he. "But there are some pretty little problems among them. Here's the record of the Tarleton murders, and the case of Vamberry, the wine merchant, and the adventure of the old Russian woman, and the singular affair of the aluminium crutch, as well as a full account of Ricoletti of the club-foot, and his abominable wife. And here--ah, now, this really is something a little recherché."
　　
　　He dived his arm down to the bottom of the chest, and brought up a small wooden box with a sliding lid, such as children's toys are kept in. From within he produced a crumpled piece of paper, and old-fashioned brass key, a peg of wood with a ball of string attached to it, and three rusty old disks of metal.
　　
　　"Well, my boy, what do you make of this lot?" he asked, smiling at my expression.
　　
　　"It is a curious collection."
　　
　　"Very curious, and the story that hangs round it will strike you as being more curious still."
　　
　　"These relics have a history then?"
　　
　　"So much so that they are history."
　　
　　"What do you mean by that?"
　　
　　Sherlock Holmes picked them up one by one, and laid them along the edge of the table. Then he reseated himself in his chair and looked them over with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes.
　　
　　"These," said he, "are all that I have left to remind me of the adventure of the Musgrave Ritual."
　　
　　I had heard him mention the case more than once, though I had never been able to gather the details. "I should be so glad," said I, "if you would give me an account of it."
　　
　　"And leave the litter as it is?" he cried, mischievously. "Your tidiness won't bear much strain after all, Watson. But I should be glad that you should add this case to your annals, for there are points in it which make it quite unique in the criminal records of this or, I believe, of any other country. A collection of my trifling achievements would certainly be incomplete which contained no account of this very singular business.
　　
　　"You may remember how the affair of the _Gloria Scott_, and my conversation with the unhappy man whose fate I told you of, first turned my attention in the direction of the profession which has become my life's work. You see me now when my name has become known far and wide, and when I am generally recognized both by the public and by the official force as being a final court of appeal in doubtful cases. Even when you knew me first, at the time of the affair which you have commemorated in 'A Study in Scarlet,' I had already established a considerable, though not a very lucrative, connection. You can hardly realize, then, how difficult I found it at first, and how long I had to wait before I succeeded in making any headway.
　　
　　"When I first came up to London I had rooms in Montague Street, just round the corner from the British Museum, and there I waited, filling in my too abundant leisure time by studying all those branches of science which might make me more efficient. Now and again cases came in my way, principally through the introduction of old fellow-students, for during my last years at the University there was a good deal of talk there about myself and my methods. The third of these cases was that of the Musgrave Ritual, and it is to the interest which was aroused by that singular chain of events, and the large issues which proved to be at stake, that I trace my first stride towards the position which I now hold.
　　
　　"Reginald Musgrave had been in the same college as myself, and I had some slight acquaintance with him. He was not generally popular among the undergraduates, though it always seemed to me that what was set down as pride was really an attempt to cover extreme natural diffidence. In appearance he was a man of exceedingly aristocratic type, thin, high-nosed, and large-eyed, with languid and yet courtly manners. He was indeed a scion of one of the very oldest families in the kingdom, though his branch was a cadet one which had separated from the northern Musgraves some time in the sixteenth century, and had established itself in western Sussex, where the Manor House of Hurlstone is perhaps the oldest inhabited building in the county. Something of his birth place seemed to cling to the man, and I never looked at his pale, keen face or the poise of his head without associating him with gray archways and mullioned windows and all the venerable wreckage of a feudal keep. Once or twice we drifted into talk, and I can remember that more than once he expressed a keen interest in my methods of observation and inference.
　　
　　"For four years I had seen nothing of him until one morning he walked into my room in Montague Street. He had changed little, was dressed like a young man of fashion--he was always a bit of a dandy--and preserved the same quiet, suave manner which had formerly distinguished him.
　　
　　"'How has all gone with you Musgrave?' I asked, after we had cordially shaken hands.
　　
　　"'You probably heard of my poor father's death,' said he; 'he was carried off about two years ago. Since then I have of course had the Hurlstone estates to manage, and as I am member for my district as well, my life has been a busy one. But I understand, Holmes, that you are turning to practical ends those powers with which you used to amaze us?'
　　
　　"'Yes,' said I, 'I have taken to living by my wits.'
　　
　　"'I am delighted to hear it, for your advice at present would be exceedingly valuable to me. We have had some very strange doings at Hurlstone, and the police have been able to throw no light upon the matter. It is really the most extraordinary and inexplicable business.'
　　
　　"You can imagine with what eagerness I listened to him, Watson, for the very chance for which I had been panting during all those months of inaction seemed to have come within my reach. In my inmost heart I believed that I could succeed where others failed, and now I had the opportunity to test myself.
　　
　　"'Pray, let me have the details,' I cried.
　　
　　"Reginald Musgrave sat down opposite to me, and lit the cigarette which I had pushed towards him.
　　
　　"'You must know,' said he, 'that though I am a bachelor, I have to keep up a considerable staff of servants at Hurlstone, for it is a rambling old place, and takes a good deal of looking after. I preserve, too, and in the pheasant months I usually have a house-party, so that it would not do to be short-handed. Altogether there are eight maids, the cook, the butler, two footmen, and a boy. The garden and the stables of course have a separate staff.
　　
　　"'Of these servants the one who had been longest in our service was Brunton the butler. He was a young school-master out of place when he was first taken up by my father, but he was a man of great energy and character, and he soon became quite invaluable in the household. He was a well-grown, handsome man, with a splendid forehead, and though he has been with us for twenty years he cannot be more than forty now. With his personal advantages and his extraordinary gifts--for he can speak several languages and play nearly every musical instrument--it is wonderful that he should have been satisfied so long in such a position, but I suppose that he was comfortable, and lacked energy to make any change. The butler of Hurlstone is always a thing that is remembered by all who visit us.
　　
　　"'But this paragon has one fault. He is a bit of a Don Juan, and you can imagine that for a man like him it is not a very difficult part to play in a quiet country district. When he was married it was all right, but since he has been a widower we have had no end of trouble with him. A few months ago we were in hopes that he was about to settle down again for he became engaged to Rachel Howells, our second house-maid; but he has thrown her over since then and taken up with Janet Tregellis, the daughter of the head game-keeper. Rachel--who is a very good girl, but of an excitable Welsh temperament--had a sharp touch of brain-fever, and goes about the house now--or did until yesterday--like a black-eyed shadow of her former self. That was our first drama at Hurlstone; but a second one came to drive it from our minds, and it was prefaced by the disgrace and dismissal of butler Brunton.
　　
　　"'This was how it came about. I have said that the man was intelligent, and this very intelligence has caused his ruin, for it seems to have led to an insatiable curiosity about things which did not in the least concern him. I had no idea of the lengths to which this would carry him, until the merest accident opened my eyes to it.
　　
　　"'I have said that the house is a rambling one. One day last week--on Thursday night, to be more exact--I found that I could not sleep, having foolishly taken a cup of strong café noir after my dinner. After struggling against it until two in the morning, I felt that it was quite hopeless, so I rose and lit the candle with the intention of continuing a novel which I was reading. The book, however, had been left in the billiard-room, so I pulled on my dressing-gown and started off to get it.
　　
　　"'In order to reach the billiard-room I had to descend a flight of stairs and then to cross the head of a passage which led to the library and the gun-room. You can imagine my surprise when, as I looked down this corridor, I saw a glimmer of light coming from the open door of the library. I had myself extinguished the lamp and closed the door before coming to bed. Naturally my first thought was of burglars. The corridors at Hurlstone have their walls largely decorated with trophies of old weapons. From one of these I picked a battle-axe, and then, leaving my candle behind me, I crept on tiptoe down the passage and peeped in at the open door.
　　
　　"'Brunton, the butler, was in the library. He was sitting, fully dressed, in an easy-chair, with a slip of paper which looked like a map upon his knee, and his forehead sunk forward upon his hand in deep thought. I stood dumb with astonishment, watching him from the darkness. A small taper on the edge of the table shed a feeble light which sufficed to show me that he was fully dressed. Suddenly, as I looked, he rose from his chair, and walking over to a bureau at the side, he unlocked it and drew out one of the drawers. From this he took a paper, and returning to his seat he flattened it out beside the taper on the edge of the table, and began to study it with minute attention. My indignation at this calm examination of our family documents overcame me so far that I took a step forward, and Brunton, looking up, saw me standing in the doorway. He sprang to his feet, his face turned livid with fear, and he thrust into his breast the chart-like paper which he had been originally studying.
　　
　　"'"So!" said I. "This is how you repay the trust which we have reposed in you. You will leave my service to-morrow."
　　
　　"'He bowed with the look of a man who is utterly crushed, and slunk past me without a word. The taper was still on the table, and by its light I glanced to see what the paper was which Brunton had taken from the bureau. To my surprise it was nothing of any importance at all, but simply a copy of the questions and answers in the singular old observance called the Musgrave Ritual. It is a sort of ceremony peculiar to our family, which each Musgrave for centuries past has gone through on his coming of age--a thing of private interest, and perhaps of some little importance to the archaeologist, like our own blazonings and charges, but of no practical use whatever.'
　　
　　"'We had better come back to the paper afterwards,' said I.
　　
　　"'If you think it really necessary,' he answered, with some hesitation. 'To continue my statement, however: I relocked the bureau, using the key which Brunton had left, and I had turned to go when I was surprised to find that the butler had returned, and was standing before me.
　　
　　"'"Mr. Musgrave, sir," he cried, in a voice which was hoarse with emotion, "I can't bear disgrace, sir. I've always been proud above my station in life, and disgrace would kill me. My blood will be on your head, sir--it will, indeed--if you drive me to despair. If you cannot keep me after what has passed, then for God's sake let me give you notice and leave in a month, as if of my own free will. I could stand that, Mr. Musgrave, but not to be cast out before all the folk that I know so well."
　　
　　"'"You don't deserve much consideration, Brunton," I answered. "Your conduct has been most infamous. However, as you have been a long time in the family, I have no wish to bring public disgrace upon you. A month, however is too long. Take yourself away in a week, and give what reason you like for going."
　　
　　"'"Only a week, sir?" he cried, in a despairing voice. "A fortnight--say at least a fortnight!"
　　
　　"'"A week," I repeated, "and you may consider yourself to have been very leniently dealt with."
　　
　　"'He crept away, his face sunk upon his breast, like a broken man, while I put out the light and returned to my room.
　　
　　"'"For two days after this Brunton was most assiduous in his attention to his duties. I made no allusion to what had passed, and waited with some curiosity to see how he would cover his disgrace. On the third morning, however he did not appear, as was his custom, after breakfast to receive my instructions for the day. As I left the dining-room I happened to meet Rachel Howells, the maid. I have told you that she had only recently recovered from an illness, and was looking so wretchedly pale and wan that I remonstrated with her for being at work.
　　
　　"'"You should be in bed," I said. "Come back to your duties when you are stronger."
　　
　　"'She looked at me with so strange an expression that I began to suspect that her brain was affected.
　　
　　"'"I am strong enough, Mr. Musgrave," said she.
　　
　　"'"We will see what the doctor says," I answered. "You must stop work now, and when you go downstairs just say that I wish to see Brunton."
　　
　　"'"The butler is gone," said she.
　　
　　"'"Gone! Gone where?"
　　
　　"'"He is gone. No one has seen him. He is not in his room. Oh, yes, he is gone, he is gone!" She fell back against the wall with shriek after shriek of laughter, while I, horrified at this sudden hysterical attack, rushed to the bell to summon help. The girl was taken to her room, still screaming and sobbing, while I made inquiries about Brunton. There was no doubt about it that he had disappeared. His bed had not been slept in, he had been seen by no one since he had retired to his room the night before, and yet it was difficult to see how he could have left the house, as both windows and doors were found to be fastened in the morning. His clothes, his watch, and even his money were in his room, but the black suit which he usually wore was missing. His slippers, too, were gone, but his boots were left behind. Where then could butler Brunton have gone in the night, and what could have become of him now?
　　
　　"'Of course we searched the house from cellar to garret, but there was no trace of him. It is, as I have said, a labyrinth of an old house, especially the original wing, which is now practically uninhabited; but we ransacked every room and cellar without discovering the least sign of the missing man. It was incredible to me that he could have gone away leaving all his property behind him, and yet where could he be? I called in the local police, but without success. Rain had fallen on the night before and we examined the lawn and the paths all round the house, but in vain. Matters were in this state, when a new development quite drew our attention away from the original mystery.
　　
　　"'For two days Rachel Howells had been so ill, sometimes delirious, sometimes hysterical, that a nurse had been employed to sit up with her at night. On the third night after Brunton's disappearance, the nurse, finding her patient sleeping nicely, had dropped into a nap in the arm-chair, when she woke in the early morning to find the bed empty, the window open, and no signs of the invalid. I was instantly aroused, and, with the two footmen, started off at once in search of the missing girl. It was not difficult to tell the direction which she had taken, for, starting from under her window, we could follow her footmarks easily across the lawn to the edge of the mere, where they vanished close to the gravel path which leads out of the grounds. The lake there is eight feet deep, and you can imagine our feelings when we saw that the trail of the poor demented girl came to an end at the edge of it.
　　
　　"'Of course, we had the drags at once, and set to work to recover the remains, but no trace of the body could we find. On the other hand, we brought to the surface an object of a most unexpected kind. It was a linen bag which contained within it a mass of old rusted and discolored metal and several dull-colored pieces of pebble or glass. This strange find was all that we could get from the mere, and, although we made every possible search and inquiry yesterday, we know nothing of the fate either of Rachel Howells or of Richard Brunton. The county police are at their wits' end, and I have come up to you as a last resource.'
　　
　　"You can imagine, Watson, with what eagerness I listened to this extraordinary sequence of events, and endeavored to piece them together, and to devise some common thread upon which they might all hang. The butler was gone. The maid was gone. The maid had loved the butler, but had afterwards had cause to hate him. She was of Welsh blood, fiery and passionate. She had been terribly excited immediately after his disappearance. She had flung into the lake a bag containing some curious contents. These were all factors which had to be taken into consideration, and yet none of them got quite to the heart of the matter. What was the starting-point of this chain of events? There lay the end of this tangled line.
　　
　　"'I must see that paper, Musgrave,' said I, 'which this butler of your thought it worth his while to consult, even at the risk of the loss of his place.'
　　
　　"'It is rather an absurd business, this ritual of ours,' he answered. 'But it has at least the saving grace of antiquity to excuse it. I have a copy of the questions and answers here if you care to run your eye over them.'
　　
　　"He handed me the very paper which I have here, Watson, and this is the strange catechism to which each Musgrave had to submit when he came to man's estate. I will read you the questions and answers as they stand.
　　
　　"'Whose was it?'
　　
　　"'His who is gone.'
　　
　　"'Who shall have it?'
　　
　　"'He who will come.'
　　
　　"'Where was the sun?'
　　
　　"'Over the oak.'
　　
　　"'Where was the shadow?'
　　
　　"'Under the elm.'
　　
　　"How was it stepped?'
　　
　　"'North by ten and by ten, east by five and by five, south by two and by two, west by one and by one, and so under.'
　　
　　"'What shall we give for it?'
　　
　　"'All that is ours.'
　　
　　"'Why should we give it?'
　　
　　"'For the sake of the trust.'
　　
　　"'The original has no date, but is in the spelling of the middle of the seventeenth century,' remarked Musgrave. 'I am afraid, however, that it can be of little help to you in solving this mystery.'
　　
　　"'At least,' said I, 'it gives us another mystery, and one which is even more interesting than the first. It may be that the solution of the one may prove to be the solution of the other. You will excuse me, Musgrave, if I say that your butler appears to me to have been a very clever man, and to have had a clearer insight than ten generations of his masters.'
　　
　　"'I hardly follow you,' said Musgrave. 'The paper seems to me to be of no practical importance.'
　　
　　"'But to me it seems immensely practical, and I fancy that Brunton took the same view. He had probably seen it before that night on which you caught him.'
　　
　　"'It is very possible. We took no pains to hide it.'
　　
　　"'He simply wished, I should imagine, to refresh his memory upon that last occasion. He had, as I understand, some sort of map or chart which he was comparing with the manuscript, and which he thrust into his pocket when you appeared.'
　　
　　"'That is true. But what could he have to do with this old family custom of ours, and what does this rigmarole mean?'
　　
　　"'I don't think that we should have much difficulty in determining that,' said I; 'with your permission we will take the first train down to Sussex, and go a little more deeply into the matter upon the spot.'
　　
　　"The same afternoon saw us both at Hurlstone. Possibly you have seen pictures and read descriptions of the famous old building, so I will confine my account of it to saying that it is built in the shape of an L, the long arm being the more modern portion, and the shorter the ancient nucleus, from which the other had developed. Over the low, heavily-lintelled door, in the centre of this old part, is chiseled the date, 1607, but experts are agreed that the beams and stone-work are really much older than this. The enormously thick walls and tiny windows of this part had in the last century driven the family into building the new wing, and the old one was used now as a store-house and a cellar, when it was used at all. A splendid park with fine old timber surrounds the house, and the lake, to which my client had referred, lay close to the avenue, about two hundred yards from the building.
　　
　　"I was already firmly convinced, Watson, that there were not three separate mysteries here, but one only, and that if I could read the Musgrave Ritual aright I should hold in my hand the clue which would lead me to the truth concerning both the butler Brunton and the maid Howells. To that then I turned all my energies. Why should this servant be so anxious to master this old formula? Evidently because he saw something in it which had escaped all those generations of country squires, and from which he expected some personal advantage. What was it then, and how had it affected his fate?
　　
　　"It was perfectly obvious to me, on reading the ritual, that the measurements must refer to some spot to which the rest of the document alluded, and that if we could find that spot, we should be in a fair way towards finding what the secret was which the old Musgraves had thought it necessary to embalm in so curious a fashion. There were two guides given us to start with, an oak and an elm. As to the oak there could be no question at all. Right in front of the house, upon the left-hand side of the drive, there stood a patriarch among oaks, one of the most magnificent trees that I have ever seen.
　　
　　"'That was there when your ritual was drawn up,' said I, as we drove past it.
　　
　　"'It was there at the Norman Conquest in all probability,' he answered. 'It has a girth of twenty-three feet.'
　　
　　"'Have you any old elms?' I asked.
　　
　　"'There used to be a very old one over yonder but it was struck by lightning ten years ago, and we cut down the stump.'
　　
　　"'You can see where it used to be?'
　　
　　"'Oh, yes.'
　　
　　"'There are no other elms?'
　　
　　"'No old ones, but plenty of beeches.'
　　
　　"'I should like to see where it grew.'
　　
　　"We had driven up in a dog-cart, and my client led me away at once, without our entering the house, to the scar on the lawn where the elm had stood. It was nearly midway between the oak and the house. My investigation seemed to be progressing.
　　
　　"'I suppose it is impossible to find out how high the elm was?' I asked.
　　
　　"'I can give you it at once. It was sixty-four feet.'
　　
　　"'How do you come to know it?' I asked, in surprise.
　　
　　"'When my old tutor used to give me an exercise in trigonometry, it always took the shape of measuring heights. When I was a lad I worked out every tree and building in the estate.'
　　
　　"This was an unexpected piece of luck. My data were coming more quickly than I could have reasonably hoped.
　　
　　"'Tell me,' I asked, 'did your butler ever ask you such a question?'
　　
　　"Reginald Musgrave looked at me in astonishment. 'Now that you call it to my mind,' he answered, 'Brunton did ask me about the height of the tree some months ago, in connection with some little argument with the groom.'
　　
　　"This was excellent news, Watson, for it showed me that I was on the right road. I looked up at the sun. It was low in the heavens, and I calculated that in less than an hour it would lie just above the topmost branches of the old oak. One condition mentioned in the Ritual would then be fulfilled. And the shadow of the elm must mean the farther end of the shadow, otherwise the trunk would have been chosen as the guide. I had, then, to find where the far end of the shadow would fall when the sun was just clear of the oak."
　　
　　"That must have been difficult, Holmes, when the elm was no longer there."
　　
　　"Well, at least I knew that if Brunton could do it, I could also. Besides, there was no real difficulty. I went with Musgrave to his study and whittled myself this peg, to which I tied this long string with a knot at each yard. Then I took two lengths of a fishing-rod, which came to just six feet, and I went back with my client to where the elm had been. The sun was just grazing the top of the oak. I fastened the rod on end, marked out the direction of the shadow, and measured it. It was nine feet in length.
　　
　　"Of course the calculation now was a simple one. If a rod of six feet threw a shadow of nine, a tree of sixty-four feet would throw one of ninety-six, and the line of the one would of course be the line of the other. I measured out the distance, which brought me almost to the wall of the house, and I thrust a peg into the spot. You can imagine my exultation, Watson, when within two inches of my peg I saw a conical depression in the ground. I knew that it was the mark made by Brunton in his measurements, and that I was still upon his trail.
　　
　　"From this starting-point I proceeded to step, having first taken the cardinal points by my pocket-compass. Ten steps with each foot took me along parallel with the wall of the house, and again I marked my spot with a peg. Then I carefully paced off five to the east and two to the south. It brought me to the very threshold of the old door. Two steps to the west meant now that I was to go two paces down the stone-flagged passage, and this was the place indicated by the Ritual.
　　
　　"Never have I felt such a cold chill of disappointment, Watson. For a moment is seemed to me that there must be some radical mistake in my calculations. The setting sun shone full upon the passage floor, and I could see that the old, foot-worn gray stones with which it was paved were firmly cemented together, and had certainly not been moved for many a long year. Brunton had not been at work here. I tapped upon the floor, but it sounded the same all over, and there was no sign of any crack or crevice. But, fortunately, Musgrave, who had begun to appreciate the meaning of my proceedings, and who was now as excited as myself, took out his manuscript to check my calculation.
　　
　　"'And under,' he cried. 'You have omitted the "and under."'
　　
　　"I had thought that it meant that we were to dig, but now, of course, I saw at once that I was wrong. 'There is a cellar under this then?' I cried.
　　
　　"'Yes, and as old as the house. Down here, through this door.'
　　
　　"We went down a winding stone stair, and my companion, striking a match, lit a large lantern which stood on a barrel in the corner. In an instant it was obvious that we had at last come upon the true place, and that we had not been the only people to visit the spot recently.
　　
　　"It had been used for the storage of wood, but the billets, which had evidently been littered over the floor, were now piled at the sides, so as to leave a clear space in the middle. In this space lay a large and heavy flagstone with a rusted iron ring in the centre to which a thick shepherd's-check muffler was attached.
　　
　　"'By Jove!' cried my client. 'That's Brunton's muffler. I have seen it on him, and could swear to it. What has the villain been doing here?'
　　
　　"At my suggestion a couple of the county police were summoned to be present, and I then endeavored to raise the stone by pulling on the cravat. I could only move it slightly, and it was with the aid of one of the constables that I succeeded at last in carrying it to one side. A black hole yawned beneath into which we all peered, while Musgrave, kneeling at the side, pushed down the lantern.
　　
　　"A small chamber about seven feet deep and four feet square lay open to us. At one side of this was a squat, brass-bound wooden box, the lid of which was hinged upwards, with this curious old-fashioned key projecting from the lock. It was furred outside by a thick layer of dust, and damp and worms had eaten through the wood, so that a crop of livid fungi was growing on the inside of it. Several discs of metal, old coins apparently, such as I hold here, were scattered over the bottom of the box, but it contained nothing else.
　　
　　"At the moment, however, we had no thought for the old chest, for our eyes were riveted upon that which crouched beside it. It was the figure of a man, clad in a suit of black, who squatted down upon his hams with his forehead sunk upon the edge of the box and his two arms thrown out on each side of it. The attitude had drawn all the stagnant blood to the face, and no man could have recognized that distorted liver-colored countenance; but his height, his dress, and his hair were all sufficient to show my client, when we had drawn the body up, that it was indeed his missing butler. He had been dead some days, but there was no wound or bruise upon his person to show how he had met his dreadful end. When his body had been carried from the cellar we found ourselves still confronted with a problem which was almost as formidable as that with which we had started.
　　
　　"I confess that so far, Watson, I had been disappointed in my investigation. I had reckoned upon solving the matter when once I had found the place referred to in the Ritual; but now I was there, and was apparently as far as ever from knowing what it was which the family had concealed with such elaborate precautions. It is true that I had thrown a light upon the fate of Brunton, but now I had to ascertain how that fate had come upon him, and what part had been played in the matter by the woman who had disappeared. I sat down upon a keg in the corner and thought the whole matter carefully over.
　　
　　"You know my methods in such cases, Watson. I put myself in the man's place and, having first gauged his intelligence, I try to imagine how I should myself have proceeded under the same circumstances. In this case the matter was simplified by Brunton's intelligence being quite first-rate, so that it was unnecessary to make any allowance for the personal equation, as the astronomers have dubbed it. He know that something valuable was concealed. He had spotted the place. He found that the stone which covered it was just too heavy for a man to move unaided. What would he do next? He could not get help from outside, even if he had some one whom he could trust, without the unbarring of doors and considerable risk of detection. It was better, if he could, to have his helpmate inside the house. But whom could he ask? This girl had been devoted to him. A man always finds it hard to realize that he may have finally lost a woman's love, however badly he may have treated her. He would try by a few attentions to make his peace with the girl Howells, and then would engage her as his accomplice. Together they would come at night to the cellar, and their united force would suffice to raise the stone. So far I could follow their actions as if I had actually seen them.
　　
　　"But for two of them, and one a woman, it must have been heavy work the raising of that stone. A burly Sussex policeman and I had found it no light job. What would they do to assist them? Probably what I should have done myself. I rose and examined carefully the different billets of wood which were scattered round the floor. Almost at once I came upon what I expected. One piece, about three feet in length, had a very marked indentation at one end, while several were flattened at the sides as if they had been compressed by some considerable weight. Evidently, as they had dragged the stone up they had thrust the chunks of wood into the chink, until at last, when the opening was large enough to crawl through, they would hold it open by a billet placed lengthwise, which might very well become indented at the lower end, since the whole weight of the stone would press it down on to the edge of this other slab. So far I was still on safe ground.
　　
　　"And now how was I to proceed to reconstruct this midnight drama? Clearly, only one could fit into the hole, and that one was Brunton. The girl must have waited above. Brunton then unlocked the box, handed up the contents presumably--since they were not to be found--and then--and then what happened?
　　
　　"What smouldering fire of vengeance had suddenly sprung into flame in this passionate Celtic woman's soul when she saw the man who had wronged her--wronged her, perhaps, far more than we suspected--in her power? Was it a chance that the wood had slipped, and that the stone had shut Brunton into what had become his sepulchre? Had she only been guilty of silence as to his fate? Or had some sudden blow from her hand dashed the support away and sent the slab crashing down into its place? Be that as it might, I seemed to see that woman's figure still clutching at her treasure trove and flying wildly up the winding stair, with her ears ringing perhaps with the muffled screams from behind her and with the drumming of frenzied hands against the slab of stone which was choking her faithless lover's life out.
　　
　　"Here was the secret of her blanched face, her shaken nerves, her peals of hysterical laughter on the next morning. But what had been in the box? What had she done with that? Of course, it must have been the old metal and pebbles which my client had dragged from the mere. She had thrown them in there at the first opportunity to remove the last trace of her crime.
　　
　　"For twenty minutes I had sat motionless, thinking the matter out. Musgrave still stood with a very pale face, swinging his lantern and peering down into the hole.
　　
　　"'These are coins of Charles the First,' said he, holding out the few which had been in the box; 'you see we were right in fixing our date for the Ritual.'
　　
　　"'We may find something else of Charles the First,' I cried, as the probable meaning of the first two questions of the Ritual broke suddenly upon me. 'Let me see the contents of the bag which you fished from the mere.'
　　
　　"We ascended to his study, and he laid the debris before me. I could understand his regarding it as of small importance when I looked at it, for the metal was almost black and the stones lustreless and dull. I rubbed one of them on my sleeve, however, and it glowed afterwards like a spark in the dark hollow of my hand. The metal work was in the form of a double ring, but it had been bent and twisted out of its original shape.
　　
　　"'You must bear in mind,' said I, 'that the royal party made head in England even after the death of the king, and that when they at last fled they probably left many of their most precious possessions buried behind them, with the intention of returning for them in more peaceful times.'
　　
　　"'My ancestor, Sir Ralph Musgrave, was a prominent Cavalier and the right-hand man of Charles the Second in his wanderings,' said my friend.
　　
　　"'Ah, indeed!' I answered. 'Well now, I think that really should give us the last link that we wanted. I must congratulate you on coming into the possession, though in rather a tragic manner of a relic which is of great intrinsic value, but of even greater importance as an historical curiosity.'
　　
　　"'What is it, then?' he gasped in astonishment.
　　
　　"'It is nothing less than the ancient crown of the kings of England.'
　　
　　"'The crown!'
　　
　　"'Precisely. Consider what the Ritual says: How does it run? "Whose was it?" "His who is gone." That was after the execution of Charles. Then, "Who shall have it?" "He who will come." That was Charles the Second, whose advent was already foreseen. There can, I think, be no doubt that this battered and shapeless diadem once encircled the brows of the royal Stuarts.'
　　
　　"'And how came it in the pond?'
　　
　　"'Ah, that is a question that will take some time to answer.' And with that I sketched out to him the whole long chain of surmise and of proof which I had constructed. The twilight had closed in and the moon was shining brightly in the sky before my narrative was finished.
　　
　　"'And how was it then that Charles did not get his crown when he returned?' asked Musgrave, pushing back the relic into its linen bag.
　　
　　"'Ah, there you lay your finger upon the one point which we shall probably never be able to clear up. It is likely that the Musgrave who held the secret died in the interval, and by some oversight left this guide to his descendant without explaining the meaning of it. From that day to this it has been handed down from father to son, until at last it came within reach of a man who tore its secret out of it and lost his life in the venture.'
　　
　　"And that's the story of the Musgrave Ritual, Watson. They have the crown down at Hurlstone--though they had some legal bother and a considerable sum to pay before they were allowed to retain it. I am sure that if you mentioned my name they would be happy to show it to you. Of the woman nothing was ever heard, and the probability is that she got away out of England and carried herself and the memory of her crime to some land beyond the seas."