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黃面人 The Yellow Face
在一些神秘的案件中，我的朋友福爾摩斯的非凡才能使我們對一些離奇的戲劇性故事聽得入了神，最後我們自己也投身到這些故事中去了。在我發表根據這些案件所寫的短篇小說時，很自然地就把他的成就寫得比失敗要詳細得多。我所以這樣做，並不是為了顧全福爾摩斯的名聲——事實上，每逢瀕於絶境時，他的精力和多才多能實在令人欽佩不迭——而是因為凡是福爾摩斯遭到失敗之處，別人也不會成功，而故事也就永遠沒有結局了。然而，往往發生一種情況，甚至當他出現了錯誤，最後還是被他查出了真情。我曾註意到五六種這類情況的案子，其中有兩件案子最明顯而引人入勝，一件是馬斯格雷夫禮典案，一件就是我現在準備講述的故事。
福爾摩斯是一個很少為鍛煉身體而進行體育活動的人。一般來說，善於運用自己體力的人並不很多。而毫無疑問，在與他同體重的人中，福爾摩斯是我見過的最優秀的拳擊傢，不過，他把盲目鍛煉身體看作是浪費精力，所以除了與他職業有關的項目以外，他對其餘活動一嚮很少問津。可是他精力非常充沛，不知疲倦。顯然，他這樣的養身之道，確實是很奇怪的。他的飲食總是很簡單的，起居也極其簡樸，近於節衣縮食。除了偶爾註射些可卡因以外，福爾摩斯沒有其他惡習。每當沒有案件可查，而報紙新聞又枯燥無味時，他便求助於麻醉劑，以解除生活的單調。
早春的一天，福爾摩斯清閑起來，居然有時間陪我到公園去散步。此時榆樹已生出嫩緑的幼芽，慄樹梢頭開始冒出五瓣形新葉。我們在一豈不言不語地漫步了兩個小時，這對兩個互知肺腑的人是很適合的。我們回到貝剋街時，已經近五點了。
“請原諒，先生，”我們的小僕人一邊開門一邊說道，“有一位紳士來找過您，先生。”
福爾摩斯抱怨地望了我一眼。
“這都怪午後散步！”福爾摩斯說道，“那麽，這位紳士已經走了嗎？”
“是的，先生。”
“你沒有請他進來嗎？”
“請了，先生，他進來過。”
“他等了多久？”
“他等了半小時，先生。他非常焦躁不安，先生，他一直在屋中踱來踱去，跺着腳。我在門外等候，先生，可是我能聽到他的動靜。最後他走到過道裏大聲叫喊說：'是不是他不打算回來了？'他的原話就是這樣，先生。我說：'請再稍等一等。'他又說：'那麽我到外面去等好了，我在這裏快悶死了，過一會我就回來。'說完他就走了，我說什麽也留不住他。”
“好了，好了，你做得很對，”我們走進屋中，福爾摩斯說道，“真叫人生氣，華生。我正需要一件案子。從這個人急不可耐的樣子來看，似乎是一件重要案子呢。喂！這桌上的煙斗不是你的，一定是這個人丟下的。這是一隻很好的歐石南根煙斗，鬥柄很長，是用煙草商叫做琥珀的那種材料做成的。我不知道倫敦城裏究竟有幾支真正的琥珀煙嘴，有人認為裏面包着蒼蠅的那種纔是真正的琥珀。喂，他竟把顯然很珍愛的煙斗遺忘了，說明他一定是非常心煩意亂了。”
“你怎麽知道他珍愛這衹煙斗呢？”我問道。
“啊，據我看來，這煙斗的原價不過七先令六便士，可是，你看，已經修補過兩次，一次在木柄上，另一次是在琥珀嘴上。你可以看到，每次修補都用的是銀箍，比煙斗的原價要高得多。這個人寧願去修理煙斗，也不願花同樣的錢去買一隻新的，說明他一定很珍愛這衹煙斗了。”
“還有別的嗎？”我問道，因為福爾摩斯正把煙斗翻過來掉過去，以獨特的沉思神情凝視着它。
福爾摩斯把煙斗拿起來，用他那細長的食指彈了彈，好象一個教授在講授動物骨骼課似的。
“煙斗有時是非常重要的，”福爾摩斯說道，“除了表和鞋帶以外，沒有什麽東西比煙斗更能表示一個人的個性了。可是這衹煙斗的跡象既不明顯，也不重要。煙斗的主人顯然是一個身強力壯的人，慣用左手，一口好牙齒，粗心大意，經濟富裕。”
我的朋友絲毫不假思索地信口說出了這些話，我看到他斜視着我，看我是否明白他的推理。
“你認為他用一隻七先令的煙斗吸煙，那就是一個有錢的人嗎？”我問道。
“這是格羅夫納板煙，八便士一英兩，”福爾摩斯說着，把煙斗在手心中磕出一點煙絲來，”用這一半的價錢，他就可以抽上等煙了，可見他是經濟富裕的了。”
“那麽，別的幾點呢？”
“他有在油燈和煤氣噴燈上點煙斗的習慣。你可以看出這煙斗的一邊已經燒焦了。當然用火柴就不會弄成這樣了。用火柴點煙怎麽會燒焦煙斗邊呢？但你在油燈上把煙點着，就不能不燒焦煙斗。而燒焦的衹是煙斗的右側，由此，我推測他是一個使用左手的人。現在你把你的煙斗在燈上點燃，你就可以看到，因為你慣用右手，自然是左邊側嚮火焰了。有時你也許不這麽點煙，但這畢竟不是經常的。所以衹能認為他慣用左手。琥珀嘴已被咬穿，說明他身強力壯，牙齒整齊。如果我沒有弄錯的話，我聽到他已走上樓來，那麽，我們就可以研究一些比這煙斗更有趣的問題了。”
過了一會兒，我們的屋門開了，一個身材高大的年輕人走進來。他身穿一套講究而素淨的深灰色衣服，手中拿着一頂褐色寬檐呢帽。我猜他的年齡在三十歲上下，可是實際上他還要大幾歲。
“請原諒，”他有些窘豈不安地說道，“我想我應當先敲一敲門。是的，我當然應該先敲門。可是事實上我有點心煩意亂，請原諒我的冒失。”他把手放在額上，仿佛頭昏眼花似的，一扭身倒在椅子上。
“我可以看出你已經一兩夜沒有睡覺了。”福爾摩斯和藹可親地說道，“這確實比工作還要傷神，甚至比玩樂還要傷神。請問我可以幫你什麽忙呢？”
“我要請你指教，先生。我不知道怎樣辦纔好，我的整個生活似乎已經垮了。”
“你是不是想請我做一個咨詢偵探？”
“不單是這樣。你是一個見識廣博的人，一個飽經世故的人，我需要你賜教。我需要知道下一步我該怎麽辦。我希望你能告訴我。”
他說得支離破碎，呼吸急促，聲調顫抖，我覺得他好象連說話本身都非常痛苦，始終竭力用意志抑製着自己的感情。
“這是一件非常棘手的事，”他說道，“哪一個人也不願意對外人說自己的傢務事。尤其是和兩個完全陌生的人來商議自己妻子的行為，更是令人難堪。這樣做簡直太可怕了。可是，我已經到了智窮力盡的地步，不能不嚮別人求教了。”
“我親愛的格蘭特·芒羅先生……”福爾摩斯開口說道。
我們的來客從椅子上跳起身來。
“怎麽？”他大聲說道，“你知道我的姓名？”
“假如你想隱瞞自己的姓名身份，”福爾摩斯笑容滿面地說道，“我勸你以後不要再把名字寫在帽裏兒上，或者你拜訪別人時，不要把帽裏兒衝嚮人傢。我正想告訴你，我和我的朋友在這間屋子裏已經聽到過許許多多稀奇古怪、神秘莫測的事情，而且我們有幸能夠使不少惶惑不安的人得到安寧。我相信我們也能為你做到這一點。因為時間是很重要的，請你不要耽誤時間，趕快把事情的原委告訴我吧。”
我們的來客又把手放到額上，仿佛感到非常痛苦。我從他的姿態神情上看出來，他是一個沉默寡言、不易衝動的人，天性有些驕傲，寧願掩蓋自己的創痛，也不願暴露出來。後來，他忽然用握緊的拳頭作了個堅定的手勢，似乎不再保守秘密，開始說道：
“事情是這樣的，福爾摩斯先生，我是一個已經結了婚的人，婚後已三年了。在這三年中，我和我的妻子象任何一對夫妻一樣，恩愛異常，生活美滿。我們的思想、言論和行動沒有絲毫分歧。可是現在，從上星期一開始，我們中間突然産生了障礙。我發現，在她的生活上和思想上，有一些東西我竟然一無所知，猶如她是個陌路相逢的女人一般。我們疏遠了。我要知道這是為什麽？
“不過，有一件事我要先讓你知道，然後我再繼續講下去，福爾摩斯先生。艾菲是愛我的。不要在這方面産生什麽誤會。她一心一意地愛着我，現在更加愛我了。這一點我知道，也感覺得出來，這是毋庸置疑的。一個男人很容易察覺女人在愛他。不過我們夫妻之間，有這個秘密存在，在這個秘密弄清楚以前，我們不能一切照舊了。”
“芒羅先生，請你把事實告訴我，”福爾摩斯有點不耐煩地說道。
“我先把我所知道的艾菲的歷史告訴你。我初次見到她時，雖然她很年輕，僅僅二十五歲，卻已是未亡人了。那時她叫赫伯竜夫人。她小時就到美國去了，住在亞特蘭大城，在那裏嫁給了那個赫伯竜，他是個律師，顧客很多。他們有一個孩子，可是那地方流行了黃熱病，她的丈夫和孩子得黃熱病雙雙死去，我看到了赫伯竜的死亡證。這使她對美國産生了惡感，便回國和她未出嫁的姑母一起住在米德爾塞剋斯的平納爾。我還要說明，她的丈夫給她留下相當多的遺産，大約有四千五百鎊。她丈夫在世時對這筆資産投資得利，平均年利七釐。我遇見她時，她到平納爾纔六個月，我們互相傾心，幾星期後就結婚了。
“我自己是個蛇麻商人，每年有七八百鎊的收入。我們在諾伯裏租了一座小別墅，每年租金八十鎊，生活非常舒適。我們這小地方離城雖然很近，卻有鄉村風味。離我們不遠，有一傢小旅館和兩所房屋，我們門前田地的那一邊有一所單獨的小別墅。除此以外，衹有到車站去的半路上纔有房子。我的職業使我在一定的季節纔進城去辦事，可是在夏季我就不用進城了。於是我和我的妻子在自己的鄉下住宅縱情歡樂。我可以告訴你，在這件不幸的事情發生之前，我們夫婦從來沒有發生過任何不愉快的事。
“還有一件事，我應當先告訴你，然後再講下去。我們結婚時，妻子把全部財産都轉讓到我名下了。這原不是我的本意，因為我覺得我的事業如果失敗，那就很難周轉了。可是，她一定要這樣做，我衹好照辦了。啊，大約六個星期以前，她來找我。
“'傑剋，'她說道，'當你接受我那筆錢的時候，你說過，我什麽時候要用就可以嚮你要。'
“'不錯，'我說道，'那本來都是你自己的錢嘛。'
“'好，'她說道，'我要一百鎊。'
“我聽到這話，感到有些驚愕，因為我以為她不過是要買一件新衣服或其他這一類的東西。
“'到底怎麽回事？'我問道。
“'噢，'她開玩笑地說道，'你說過你衹不過做我的銀行保管，你知道，銀行保管是從來不嚮人傢亂發問的。'
“'如果你真需要這些錢，當然可以拿到它。'我說道。
“'啊，是的，我當真需要它。'
“'你不能告訴我你用這筆錢作什麽嗎？'
“'傑剋，過幾天可以告訴你，不過現在不行。'
“於是我衹好這樣辦了。不過如果說我們夫婦間有什麽秘密的話，這就是破題兒第一遭。我給了她一張支票，事後也沒再想這件事。這件事也許和後來發生的事沒有什麽關係，但我想我還是都說出來好。
“好，我剛纔告訴你們，離我們住處不遠，有一所小別墅。在我們住所和小別墅之間有一塊田野，可是你要到小別墅去，就得沿大道走到對過，然後再繞到一條小路上去。就在小別墅那邊，有一頻繁茂的蘇格蘭樅樹，我平常很喜歡在那裏散步。因為，在樹林中散步總是令人心曠神怡的。八個月來，這所小別墅一直無人居住，但這太可惜了。因為那是一座很漂亮的兩層樓，有一道古式的遊廊，周圍到處是金銀花。我經常在那裏逗留，並且經常想，如果住在這裏該是多麽愜意啊。
“咳，上星期一傍晚，我走在這條路上，遇到一輛空篷車轉到小路上，同時看到遊廊旁草地上有一堆地毯和一些別的東西。很明顯，這所小別墅終於租出去了。我走過去，象一個遊手好閑的人那樣停下來打量一番，想知道住得離我們這麽近的究竟是什麽人。可是我正在打量，突然意識到上面一扇窗戶裏有一張面孔也正在看着我。
“福爾摩斯先生，我當時不知道這張面孔的樣子，可是，我背上似乎冒出了冷汗。我站得稍微遠了一點，所以看不清面貌如何。不過這張面孔有點不自然而且不象人臉。這就是我那時的印象。我便急忙走嚮前去，以便把窺視我的那個人看得更清楚些。但我走近以後，那張面孔突然不見了，仿佛突然被拉到室內的暗處。我站了足有五分鐘，仔細考慮這件事，打算把我得到的印象分析一下。我很難說明這究竟是一張男人的面孔，還是女人的，它離我太遠了。可是這張面孔的顔色給我留下的印象卻是很深的。它就象青灰色的白堊土一樣，而且有點僵硬呆板，不自然得嚇人。我心裏很不安，便决心再去看看這所小別墅的新住戶。我走近門前敲了敲門，立即有一個身材高大、體態削瘦的女人把門打開，這女人面容醜陋，令人生畏。
“'你要幹什麽？'她操着北方口音問道。
“'我是你對面的鄰居，'我把頭朝我的住處點了點，說道，我看你們剛剛搬進來，因此我想是不是能幫助你們做些什麽……'
“'喂，我們需要你時，自然會請你的，'她說着，竟然把門關上。我吃了這樣粗暴的閉門羹，非常惱怒，轉身便回傢了。整個晚上，儘管我竭力去想別的事情，但我腦中始終縈繞着窗口的那個怪人和那女人的粗魯形象。我决意不嚮妻子說這件事，因為她是一個膽怯而又容易激動的女人，我不願意讓她分擔我所遭遇到的不快。然而，在我臨睡以前，我告訴她那所小別墅現在已經住上人了，她沒有回答。
“我通常睡得很死。傢裏人經常嘲笑我說夜裏沒有什麽能把我吵醒。可是在這天晚上，由於這件事情的小小刺激或是其他原因，我不知道，但我卻睡得不象平常那麽死。我在似睡非睡中模模糊糊地覺得室內有什麽在走動，逐漸意識到我妻子已經穿好衣服，並且披上了鬥篷，戴上了帽子。我喃喃地說了幾句驚異的話，對她這種不適時的舉動提出了異議。當我半睜半閉的雙眼突然落到我妻子被燭光映照的臉上，竟使我驚異得說不出話來。她的表情是以前我從未見過的，也决不會是假裝的。她臉色死白，呼吸急促，在她扣緊鬥篷時，偷偷地瞧着床上，看是否驚醒了我。後來，以為我還在睡夢中，她便悄悄地從屋中溜出去，過了一會，我聽到一陣尖銳的吱吱嘎嘎聲，這分明是大門合葉發出的響聲。我從床上坐起來，用手關節敲床欄，看看我是不是真的醒着。然後我從枕下拿出表來，已經是凌晨三點鐘了。而凌晨三點鐘我妻子到外面去，她究竟要幹什麽呢？
“我坐了有二十分鐘，腦中翻騰着這件事，設法尋找一些可能的解釋。我越想越覺得離奇古怪，莫名片妙。我正在苦苦思索這件事時，聽到門又輕輕關上了，我妻子走上樓來。
“'你半夜三更到哪裏去了，艾菲？'她一進來，我便問道。
“聽我一說，她立即大驚失色，猛然尖叫了一聲。這一驚一叫比其他的事更使我煩惱，因為這裏面具有難以形容的內疚之意。我妻子嚮來是一個真誠而性情直爽的女人，看到她悄悄溜進自己的屋內，而當丈夫問話時竟然驚呼出聲，畏縮不安，這真使我異常寒心。
“'你醒了，傑剋！'她勉強笑了笑，大聲說道，'怎麽，我還以為沒有什麽能把你吵醒呢。'
“'你到哪裏去了？'我更加嚴厲地問道。
“'無怪乎你要覺得驚奇了，'她說道。我看到她在解鬥篷上的鈕扣時，手指不住顫抖，'呃，以前我從未做過這樣的事。事實是這樣的：我覺得好象有些氣悶，特別想透一透新鮮空氣。假如我不出去，我真以為我要暈倒了。我在門外站了幾分鐘，現在已經完全恢復過來了。'
“她說這番話的時候，始終不敢嚮我這邊看一眼，她的聲音也完全不象平常的語調。這就說明她說的都是假話。我沒有回答，把臉轉嚮墻壁，非常傷心，心中充滿了千百種惡意的猜測和懷疑。我妻子對我隱瞞什麽呢？她這次奇怪的外出，究竟到哪裏去了？我感到，在我查明這件事的底細以前，我是不會安寧的。可是，在她嚮我說過一次假話以後，我不願再問她什麽了。這一夜我一直輾轉反側，忐忑不安，猜來猜去，越想越糊塗。
“第二天我本應到城裏去，但我心中異常煩惱，也顧不得照顧生意了。我妻子似乎也和我一樣心神不安，她始終註意着我的臉色，我從她那疑慮的目光看去，她已經知道我不相信她講的話，現在也是六神無主不知如何是好。早餐時我們一句話也沒有交談，然後我立即出去散步，以便能在清晨新鮮空氣中思考這件事。
“我一直走到剋裏斯特爾宮，在那裏度過了一個小時，回到諾伯裏時已經一點鐘了。我正巧路過那所小別墅，便停下腳步望望那些窗戶，看看是否能見到昨天看我的那張面孔。福爾摩斯先生，你想象我是多麽驚奇，原來我正站在那裏時，小別墅的門突然打開了，我妻子走了出來。
“我一見到她，竟驚呆得說不出話來，可是當我們目光相遇時，我妻子顯得比我更加激動。一霎時，她似乎想再退回到那所別墅中去。後來，看到再隱藏也沒有什麽用了，便走上前來，面色異常蒼白，目光驚懼，與她嘴辱上強露出的微笑，顯然是毫不相稱的。
“'啊，傑剋，'她說道，'我剛纔來看看是不是能給新鄰居幫點忙。你為什麽這樣看着我？傑剋，你不會和我生氣吧？'
“'那麽，'我說道，'這就是你昨夜來過的地方了。'
“'你這是什麽意思？'她喊道。
“'我完全可以肯定，你昨夜到這裏來了。這都是些什麽人？你竟然在深更半夜來看他們？'
“'以前我沒到這裏來過。'
“'你怎能竟然對我說起假話來？'我大聲喊道，'你說話時聲音都變了。我什麽時候有事瞞過你？我要進去，把這件事弄個一清二楚。'
“'不，不，傑剋，看在上帝的面上！不要進去。'她激動得控製不住自己，氣喘籲籲地說道。等我走到門口時，她一把扯住我的袖子，一股蠻勁把我拉回去。
“'我懇求你不要這樣做，傑剋，'她高聲喊道，'我保證過幾天把一切全都告訴你，如果你進到別墅裏去，除了自找苦吃以外，沒有別的好處。'後來，我從她手中掙脫開，她緊緊把我纏住，瘋狂地哀求着。
“請你相信我，傑剋！'她叫喊道，'就相信我這一次。你决不會因此而感到後悔的。你知道，要不是為了你好，我决不會對你隱瞞什麽的。這關係到我們的整個生活。如果你和我一起回傢，一切都會很好的，如果你硬要進別墅去，那麽我們之間的一切就全完了。'
“她的態度如此誠懇，又如此絶望，她的話勸阻了我，使我猶豫不决地站在門前。
“'要讓我相信你，必須有一個條件，而且衹有一個條件，'我終於說道，'那就是從現在起必須停止這種秘密活動。你有權保留你的秘密，但你必須答應我夜裏不再出來，不再做什麽事情不讓我知道。如果你答應我，將來不會再有這樣的事情，我就忘掉過去的一切。'
“'我知道你會相信我的，'她非常寬慰地鬆了口氣，高聲喊道，'完全可以照你的願望辦。走吧，啊，離開這兒回傢去吧。'
“她仍然拉着我的衣袖，把我從小別墅引開。我走時嚮後看了看，看到上面窗上，有一張鉛灰色的面孔正嚮我們張望。我妻子和這個怪人之間有什麽關係呢？頭天我看到的那個粗野而又醜陋的女人和她又有什麽瓜葛呢？這是一個奇怪的謎。我知道，在我解開這個疑團之前，我的心情是永遠不會平靜的。
“在這以後，我在傢呆了兩天，我妻子很忠實守約，因為，就我所知，她從未出門一步。然而，第三天，我有充分的證據證明，她那麽嚴肅許諾的話，竟不能使她擺脫那股神秘的吸引力，從而使她背棄她的丈夫和她的責任。
“那一天我到城裏去了，可是我沒有象往常那樣乘三點三十六分的火車回來，而是乘兩點四十的火車返回的。我一進門，女僕就面帶驚慌地跑進廳房。
“'太太在哪裏？'我問道。
“'我想她出去散步了，'她答道。
“我心裏霎時充滿了疑雲，我跑到樓上看她是否確實不在屋中。這時我偶然嚮窗外一望，看到剛纔和我說話的女僕穿過田野，正嚮那小別墅方向跑去。那時我當然非常清楚這是怎麽回事了。我妻子又到那裏去了，並曾吩咐女僕，我如果回來，就去叫她。我氣得發抖，跑下樓來，奔出去，决心一勞永逸地把這件事查到底。我看到我妻子和女僕沿小路趕回來，可是我沒有站下來和她們說話。這所小別墅裏有一種秘密，使黑暗籠罩了我的生活，我發誓，無論如何，不能再讓它繼續下去。我走到房前，甚至連門都沒敲，轉動門鈕，就衝進過道裏。
“樓下是一片寂靜。廚房裏爐竈上水壺噝噝作響。一隻大黑貓盤臥在一隻籃中。但沒有以前我看到的那個女人的蹤影。我跑進另一間屋子，可是也同樣空無一人。後來我跑上樓去，另兩間屋子也是空的。原來整個別墅竟空空如也。室中的傢具和圖畫都極為平常而粗俗，衹有我從窗戶看到奇異面孔的那間寢室舒適而講究。當我看到壁爐臺上懸挂着一張我妻子的全身照平時，我的全部疑團燃燒起強烈而痛苦的火焰，那張照片還是三個月前我要她拍攝的。
“我在室內停留了一會，確知完全無人以後，纔走出來，心中感到以前從未有過的沉重。我進屋時，我妻子來到前廳，可是我極為痛心，異常惱怒，不願和她說話，從她身旁衝進我的書房中去。可是她在我把門關上以前，卻隨我身後走了進來。
“'我很抱歉，竟破壞了我的諾言，傑剋，'她說道，'可是你如果知道這裏面的一切真情，我相信你是一定能原諒我的。'
“'那麽就把這一切告訴我吧。'我說道。
“'我不能，傑剋，我不能，'她高聲喊道。
“'如果你不告訴我住在那所別墅裏的是誰，你送給像片的那個人是什麽人，我們就不能互相信任了。'我說道，從她身旁走開，離開了傢。這是昨天的事，福爾摩斯先生，從那時期我就沒有見過她。對於這件奇怪的多，我衹知道這些。這是我們中間頭一次出現不和。這使我十分震驚，不知如何解决是好。今天早晨我突然想到你可以指教我，所以急忙趕到你這裏來，一切拜托給你。假如這裏面有哪一點我沒有說清楚，請你問我好了。不過，首先請你趕快告訴我該怎麽辦，因為我實在忍受不了這樣的痛苦。”
福爾摩斯和我聚精會神地靜聽這件離奇的故事。這個人異常激動，講得斷斷續續。我的夥伴，一隻手托着下巴，靜靜地坐在那裏，陷入沉思。
“請告訴我，”他終於說道，“你能保證你在窗戶上看到的面孔是一張男人的面孔嗎？”
“我每次看到這張面孔，距離都比較遠，所以不能肯定。”
“但你顯然對這張面孔的印象是很不好的。”
“它似乎顔色很不自然，而且面貌呆板得奇怪。但我走近時，就猛然不見了。”
“你妻子嚮你要一百鎊，到現在有多長時間了？”
“大約有兩個月了。”
“你看到過她前夫的照片嗎？”
“沒有，在他死後不久，亞特蘭大着了大火，她的所有文件都燒掉了。”
“可是她有一張死亡證，你說你看到過是嗎？”
“是啊，在這場火災以後，她拿到了一份副本。”
“你可曾遇到過在美國認識她的人嗎？”
“沒有。”
“或者接到過那裏的來信嗎？”
“沒有。”
“謝謝你。現在我要把這件事情稍微想一想。如果這所別墅現在仍然空着，我們就有些難辦了。不過，我想很可能，昨天在你進去以前，裏面的住戶得到警告，所以事先躲開了，現在可能又回屋了。我們不難把它查清楚。我勸你返回諾伯裏，再觀察一下那所別墅的窗戶。如果肯定裏面有人居住，你不必硬闖進去，衹要拍一個電報給我和我的朋友就可以了。我們收到電報，一小時就趕到你那裏，很快就可以查個水落石出。”
“假如那別墅現在還空着怎麽辦呢？”
“這樣的話，我明天去，然後再和你商量。再見。不過，重要的是，在沒有弄清原委之前，你不要再煩惱了。”
“我擔心這事情不妙，華生，”我的朋友把格蘭特·芒羅先生送到門口以後，回來時說道：”你認為怎麽樣？”
“這件事很難辦，”我回答道。
“對了，如果我沒弄錯的話，這裏面必定有詐啊。”
“那麽詐人的是誰呢？”
“啊，那一定是住在那唯一舒適的房間裏、並把她的照AE琝f1挂在壁爐墻上的那個人。華生，真的，窗戶裏那張呆板面孔真是很值得註意呢，我無論如何也不放過這件案子。”
“你已經有了推論嗎？”
“是啊，這僅是暫時的推論。可是如果這推論證明是不正確的，那就不免使我吃驚了。我認為這女人的前夫就住在小別墅裏。”
“你為什麽這樣想呢？”
“不然，她那樣驚惶不安、堅决不讓現在的丈夫進去的舉動又怎樣解釋呢？照我想來，事實大致是這樣：這個女人在美國結了婚，她前夫沾染了什麽不良的惡習，或者說，染上了什麽令人討厭的疾病，別人不願接觸了或者能力降低了。她終於拋棄了他，回到英國。更名改姓，想開始一個新的生活。她把一張別人的死亡證給丈夫看過。現在結婚已經三年，她深信自己的處境非常安全。可是她的蹤跡突然被她的前夫發現，或者可以設想，被某個與這位病人有瓜葛的發現了。他們便寫信給這個妻子，威脅說要來揭露她。她便要了一百鎊設法去擺脫他們。他們卻仍然來了。當丈夫嚮妻子提到別墅有了新住戶時，她知道這就是追蹤她的人。她便等丈夫熟睡以後，跑出去設法說服他們讓她安靜。這一次沒有成功，第二天早晨她又去了，可是正象她丈夫告訴我們的那樣，她出來時正好碰上了他。這時她纔答應不再去了。但兩天以後，擺脫這些可怕鄰居的強烈願望驅使她又進行了一次嘗試。這一次她帶上他們嚮她索要的照片。正在和前夫會晤，女僕突然跑來報告說主人回傢了。此時她知道他必定要直奔別墅而來，便催促室內的人從後門溜到附近的樅樹叢裏。所以，他看到的是一所空房子。但如果他今晚再去，房子還空着纔怪呢。你認為我的推論如何？”
“這完全是猜測。”
“可是它至少符合所有的事實。假使再發現了不相符合的新情況，我們重新考慮也還來得及的。在我們沒有收到那位朋友從諾伯裏拍來的電報之前，我們衹好寸步不前了。”
不過我們並沒有等多久。剛剛吃完茶點，電報就來了。
電報說道：
別墅依舊有人居住。又看到窗內那張面孔。請乘七點鐘火車來會，一切等你前來處理。
我們下火車時，他已在月臺上等候，在車站燈光下，我們看到他面色蒼白，憂心忡忡，渾身顫抖。
“他們還在那裏，福爾摩斯先生，”他用手緊緊拉住我朋友的衣袖說道，“我經過別墅時，看到有燈光。現在我們應當斷然徹底解决它。”
“那麽，你有什麽打算？”當我們走在幽暗的樹蔭路上時，福爾摩斯問道。
“我打算闖進去，親眼看看屋裏到底是什麽人。我希望你們兩位做個見證。”
“你妻子警告你最好不要揭開這個謎，你决心不顧一切地去闖嗎？”
“是的，我下了决心。”
“好，我認為你是對的。弄清總比無休止地懷疑好得多。我們最好立刻就去。當然，從法律上說，我們這樣做是錯誤的。不過我想這也值得。”
那晚天色異常昏暗，我們從公路轉入一條兩旁全是樹籬的狹窄小路，天開始下起毛毛細雨，格蘭特·芒羅先生急不可耐地奔嚮前去，我們也竭力隨在他身後跌跌撞撞地走着。
“那就是我傢的燈光，”他指着樹叢中閃現的燈光，低聲說道，“這就是我要進去的那所別墅。”
他說話時，我們已在小路上拐了彎，那所房子已近在咫尺。門前地上映着一翧E黃色燈光，說明門是半掩着的，樓上一個窗戶也被燈光照得異常明亮。我們望過去，見一個黑影正從窗簾上掠過。
“這就是那個怪物！”格蘭特·芒羅喊道，”你們可以親眼見到有人在這裏。現在隨我來，我們馬上就把一切弄明白。”
我們走近門口，突然一個婦人從黑影中走出來，站在燈光的金黃色光影中。在暗中我看不清她的臉面，但她雙臂高舉，做出懇求的姿態。
“看在上帝面上，不要這樣！傑剋，”她高喊道，”我預料到今晚你一定會來。親愛的，請你再好好想一想！再相信我一次，你永遠不會後悔的。”
“艾菲，我已經相信你太久了，”他厲聲叫道，”放開我！我一定要進去。我的朋友和我要徹底解决這件事！”他把妻子推到一旁，我們緊隨在他身後走過去。他剛把門打開，一個老婦人跑到他面前，想阻攔他，可是他一把將她推開，轉瞬之間我們都到了樓上。格蘭特·芒羅跑到上面亮着燈光的屋中，我們隨後走了進去。
這是一間暖和、舒適、佈置得很好的臥室，桌上點着兩支蠟燭，壁爐臺上也點着兩支。房間的一角，象是個小女孩俯身坐在桌旁。我們一進門，她就把臉轉過去，不過我們可以看到她穿着一件紅上衣，戴着一副長長的白手套。在她突然轉嚮我們時，我不由得驚駭得叫出聲來。她的面孔是極為奇怪的鉛灰色，完全沒有絲毫表情。一瞬間，這個謎就揭開了。福爾摩斯笑了笑，把手伸到這孩子耳後，一個假面具從她臉上掉下來，原來她是一個小黑炭一樣的黑人女孩，看到我們驚駭的面容，高興得露出了一排白牙齒。看到她那滑稽的樣子，我也不禁大笑起來。可是格蘭特·芒羅卻一隻手按着自己的喉嚨，站在那裏呆呆地望着。
“我的天哪！”他大聲喊道，”這是怎麽回事？”
“我告訴你這是怎麽回事，”他妻子面容堅定而自豪地掃視了屋內的人一眼，說道，“你強迫我違反我的意志告訴你，現在我們兩個人必須求得一個妥善的辦法。我的丈夫死在亞特蘭大，可是孩子還活着。”
“你的孩子？”
她從懷裏取出一個大銀盒說道：
“你從未見它打開過吧。”
“我以為它打不開呢。”
她按了一下彈簧，盒蓋立即打開。裏面是一張男人的肖像，清秀英俊，溫文爾雅，可是他的面貌卻明顯具有非洲血統的特徵。
“這是亞特蘭大的約翰·赫伯竜，”夫人說道，“世上再沒有比他更高尚的人了。我為了要嫁給他，與我的同種人隔絶了，不過他在世的時候我一時一刻也沒後悔過。不幸的是，我們唯一的孩子，竟承受了她祖先的血統而不象我。因為白人和黑人通婚，往往有這種情形。小露西竟比她父親還要黑得多。不管黑白，她畢竟是我自己親愛的小女兒，是母親的小寶貝兒。”聽到這些話，小傢夥跑過去偎依在女人身旁。”僅僅是因為她的身體不健康，換了水土可能對她有害，我纔把她交給我們以前的僕人，一個忠誠的蘇格蘭女人撫養。我從未想到遺棄我的孩子。可是自從遇到了你，傑剋，並且知道我愛上了你，我不敢把我有小孩的事對你說，上帝原諒我，我怕我會失掉你，所以就沒有勇氣告訴你。我衹有在你們二人中選一個，我這懦弱的人哪，終於捨棄了我的小女孩，選中了你。三年來我一直嚮你隱瞞了這件事，可是我經常從保姆那裏得到消息，知道她一切都很好。然而，我終於遏製不住想見見孩子的願望。我雖然一再壓抑這種願望，可是無濟無事。我知道有危險，也决心讓孩子來，那怕是幾個星期也好。於是我給保姆寄去一百鎊，告訴她這裏有所小別墅，她可以來和我住鄰居，而我根本無需出面和她聯繫。我甚至囑咐她白天不讓孩子到外面去，並且把孩子的臉和手都掩蓋住，即使有人從窗外看到她，也不會産生流言蜚語，說鄰宅有一個小黑人。假使我不是過於小心，也可能做得不這麽蠢了。因為我怕你看出真情，反而有些發昏了。
“是你首先告訴我這個小別墅有人住了，我本應等到早晨，可是我激動得睡不着，因為我知道你很難驚醒，所以就溜了出去。不料被你看到了，於是我開始碰到了麻煩。第二天你察覺了我的秘密，可是你寬宏大量，沒有追究。三天以後，你從前門闖進去，保姆和孩子卻從後門逃走了。今天晚上終於真情大白，請問你打算怎樣處理我和孩子呢？”她握緊雙手，等待着回答。
這樣過了十幾分鐘，格蘭特·芒羅打破了沉默。他的回答給我留下了愉快的回憶。他抱起孩子，吻吻她，然後，一手抱着孩子，一手輓着妻子，轉身嚮門口走去。
“我們可以回傢去從容商量嘛，”他說道，“我雖然不是聖人，艾菲，可是我想，總比你所想象的要好一些。”
福爾摩斯和我隨他走出那條小路，這時，我的朋友拉了拉我的衣袖。
“我想，”他說道，“我們還是回倫敦去，這比在諾伯裏更有用些。”
這整晚他對本案再也沒提起過，直到他最後拿着點燃的蠟燭走回臥室時纔說：
“華生，如果以後你覺得我過於自信我的能力，或在辦一件案子時下的功夫不夠，請你最好在我耳旁輕輕說一聲'諾伯裏'，那我一定會感激不盡的。”
Sherlock Holmes was a man who seldom took exercise for exercise's sake. Few men were capable of greater muscular effort, and he was undoubtedly one of the finest boxers of his weight that I have ever seen; but he looked upon aimless bodily exertion as a waste of energy, and he seldom bestirred himself save when there was some professional object to be served. Then he was absolutely untiring and indefatigable. That he should have kept himself in training under such circumstances is remarkable, but his diet was usually of the sparest, and his habits were simple to the verge of austerity. Save for the occasional use of cocaine, he had no vices, and he only turned to the drug as a protest against the monotony of existence when cases were scanty and the papers uninteresting.
One day in early spring he had so far relaxed as to go for a walk with me in the Park, where the first faint shoots of green were breaking out upon the elms, and the sticky spear-heads of the chestnuts were just beginning to burst into their five-fold leaves. For two hours we rambled about together, in silence for the most part, as befits two men who know each other intimately. It was nearly five before we were back in Baker Street once more.
"Beg pardon, sir," said our page-boy, as he opened the door. "There's been a gentleman here asking for you, sir."
Holmes glanced reproachfully at me. "So much for afternoon walks!" said he. "Has this gentleman gone, then?"
"Yes, sir."
"Didn't you ask him in?"
"Yes, sir; he came in."
"How long did he wait?"
"Half an hour, sir. He was a very restless gentleman, sir, a-walkin' and a-stampin' all the time he was here. I was waitin' outside the door, sir, and I could hear him. At last he outs into the passage, and he cries, 'Is that man never goin' to come?' Those were his very words, sir. 'You'll only need to wait a little longer,' says I. 'Then I'll wait in the open air, for I feel half choked,' says he. 'I'll be back before long.' And with that he ups and he outs, and all I could say wouldn't hold him back."
"Well, well, you did your best," said Holmes, as we walked into our room. "It's very annoying, though, Watson. I was badly in need of a case, and this looks, from the man's impatience, as if it were of importance. Hullo! That's not your pipe on the table. He must have left his behind him. A nice old brier with a good long stem of what the tobacconists call amber. I wonder how many real amber mouthpieces there are in London? Some people think that a fly in it is a sign. Well, he must have been disturbed in his mind to leave a pipe behind him which he evidently values highly."
"How do you know that he values it highly?" I asked.
"Well, I should put the original cost of the pipe at seven and sixpence. Now it has, you see, been twice mended, once in the wooden stem and once in the amber. Each of these mends, done, as you observe, with silver bands, must have cost more than the pipe did originally. The man must value the pipe highly when he prefers to patch it up rather than buy a new one with the same money."
"Anything else?" I asked, for Holmes was turning the pipe about in his hand, and staring at it in his peculiar pensive way.
He held it up and tapped on it with his long, thin fore-finger, as a professor might who was lecturing on a bone.
"Pipes are occasionally of extraordinary interest," said he. "Nothing has more individuality, save perhaps watches and bootlaces. The indications here, however, are neither very marked nor very important. The owner is obviously a muscular man, left-handed, with an excellent set of teeth, careless in his habits, and with no need to practise economy."
My friend threw out the information in a very offhand way, but I saw that he cocked his eye at me to see if I had followed his reasoning.
"You think a man must be well-to-do if he smokes a seven-shilling pipe," said I.
"This is Grosvenor mixture at eightpence an ounce," Holmes answered, knocking a little out on his palm. "As he might get an excellent smoke for half the price, he has no need to practise economy."
"And the other points?"
"He has been in the habit of lighting his pipe at lamps and gas-jets. You can see that it is quite charred all down one side. Of course a match could not have done that. Why should a man hold a match to the side of his pipe? But you cannot light it at a lamp without getting the bowl charred. And it is all on the right side of the pipe. From that I gather that he is a left-handed man. You hold your own pipe to the lamp, and see how naturally you, being right-handed, hold the left side to the flame. You might do it once the other way, but not as a constancy. This has always been held so. Then he has bitten through his amber. It takes a muscular, energetic fellow, and one with a good set of teeth, to do that. But if I am not mistaken I hear him upon the stair, so we shall have something more interesting than his pipe to study."
An instant later our door opened, and a tall young man entered the room. He was well but quietly dressed in a dark-gray suit, and carried a brown wide-awake in his hand. I should have put him at about thirty, though he was really some years older.
"I beg your pardon," said he, with some embarrassment; "I suppose I should have knocked. Yes, of course I should have knocked. The fact is that I am a little upset, and you must put it all down to that." He passed his hand over his forehead like a man who is half dazed, and then fell rather than sat down upon a chair.
"I can see that you have not slept for a night or two," said Holmes, in his easy, genial way. "That tries a man's nerves more than work, and more even than pleasure. May I ask how I can help you?"
"I wanted your advice, sir. I don't know what to do and my whole life seems to have gone to pieces."
"You wish to employ me as a consulting detective?"
"Not that only. I want your opinion as a judicious man--as a man of the world. I want to know what I ought to do next. I hope to God you'll be able to tell me."
He spoke in little, sharp, jerky outbursts, and it seemed to me that to speak at all was very painful to him, and that his will all through was overriding his inclinations.
"It's a very delicate thing," said he. "One does not like to speak of one's domestic affairs to strangers. It seems dreadful to discuss the conduct of one's wife with two men whom I have never seen before. It's horrible to have to do it. But I've got to the end of my tether, and I must have advice."
"My dear Mr. Grant Munro--" began Holmes.
Our visitor sprang from his chair. "What!" he cried, "you know my name?"
"If you wish to preserve your incognito," said Holmes, smiling, "I would suggest that you cease to write your name upon the lining of your hat, or else that you turn the crown towards the person whom you are addressing. I was about to say that my friend and I have listened to a good many strange secrets in this room, and that we have had the good fortune to bring peace to many troubled souls. I trust that we may do as much for you. Might I beg you, as time may prove to be of importance, to furnish me with the facts of your case without further delay?"
Our visitor again passed his hand over his forehead, as if he found it bitterly hard. From every gesture and expression I could see that he was a reserved, self-contained man, with a dash of pride in his nature, more likely to hide his wounds than to expose them. Then suddenly, with a fierce gesture of his closed hand, like one who throws reserve to the winds, he began.
"The facts are these, Mr. Holmes," said he. "I am a married man, and have been so for three years. During that time my wife and I have loved each other as fondly and lived as happily as any two that ever were joined. We have not had a difference, not one, in thought or word or deed. And now, since last Monday, there has suddenly sprung up a barrier between us, and I find that there is something in her life and in her thought of which I know as little as if she were the woman who brushes by me in the street. We are estranged, and I want to know why.
"Now there is one thing that I want to impress upon you before I go any further, Mr. Holmes. Effie loves me. Don't let there be any mistake about that. She loves me with her whole heart and soul, and never more than now. I know it. I feel it. I don't want to argue about that. A man can tell easily enough when a woman loves him. But there's this secret between us, and we can never be the same until it is cleared."
"Kindly let me have the facts, Mr. Munro," said Holmes, with some impatience.
"I'll tell you what I know about Effie's history. She was a widow when I met her first, though quite young--only twenty-five. Her name then was Mrs. Hebron. She went out to America when she was young, and lived in the town of Atlanta, where she married this Hebron, who was a lawyer with a good practice. They had one child, but the yellow fever broke out badly in the place, and both husband and child died of it. I have seen his death certificate. This sickened her of America, and she came back to live with a maiden aunt at Pinner, in Middlesex. I may mention that her husband had left her comfortably off, and that she had a capital of about four thousand five hundred pounds, which had been so well invested by him that it returned an average of seven per cent. She had only been six months at Pinner when I met her; we fell in love with each other, and we married a few weeks afterwards.
"I am a hop merchant myself, and as I have an income of seven or eight hundred, we found ourselves comfortably off, and took a nice eighty-pound-a-year villa at Norbury. Our little place was very countrified, considering that it is so close to town. We had an inn and two houses a little above us, and a single cottage at the other side of the field which faces us, and except those there were no houses until you got half way to the station. My business took me into town at certain seasons, but in summer I had less to do, and then in our country home my wife and I were just as happy as could be wished. I tell you that there never was a shadow between us until this accursed affair began.
"There's one thing I ought to tell you before I go further. When we married, my wife made over all her property to me--rather against my will, for I saw how awkward it would be if my business affairs went wrong. However, she would have it so, and it was done. Well, about six weeks ago she came to me.
"'Jack,' said she, 'when you took my money you said that if ever I wanted any I was to ask you for it.'
"'Certainly,' said I. 'It's all your own.'
"'Well,' said she, 'I want a hundred pounds.'
"I was a bit staggered at this, for I had imagined it was simply a new dress or something of the kind that she was after.
"'What on earth for?' I asked.
"'Oh,' said she, in her playful way, 'you said that you were only my banker, and bankers never ask questions, you know.'
"'If you really mean it, of course you shall have the money,' said I.
"'Oh, yes, I really mean it.'
"'And you won't tell me what you want it for?'
"'Some day, perhaps, but not just at present, Jack.'
"So I had to be content with that, though it was the first time that there had ever been any secret between us. I gave her a check, and I never thought any more of the matter. It may have nothing to do with what came afterwards, but I thought it only right to mention it.
"Well, I told you just now that there is a cottage not far from our house. There is just a field between us, but to reach it you have to go along the road and then turn down a lane. Just beyond it is a nice little grove of Scotch firs, and I used to be very fond of strolling down there, for trees are always a neighborly kind of things. The cottage had been standing empty this eight months, and it was a pity, for it was a pretty two-storied place, with an old-fashioned porch and honeysuckle about it. I have stood many a time and thought what a neat little homestead it would make.
"Well, last Monday evening I was taking a stroll down that way, when I met an empty van coming up the lane, and saw a pile of carpets and things lying about on the grass-plot beside the porch. It was clear that the cottage had at last been let. I walked past it, and wondered what sort of folk they were who had come to live so near us. And as I looked I suddenly became aware that a face was watching me out of one of the upper windows.
"I don't know what there was about that face, Mr. Holmes, but it seemed to send a chill right down my back. I was some little way off, so that I could not make out the features, but there was something unnatural and inhuman about the face. That was the impression that I had, and I moved quickly forwards to get a nearer view of the person who was watching me. But as I did so the face suddenly disappeared, so suddenly that it seemed to have been plucked away into the darkness of the room. I stood for five minutes thinking the business over, and trying to analyze my impressions. I could not tell if the face were that of a man or a woman. It had been too far from me for that. But its color was what had impressed me most. It was of a livid chalky white, and with something set and rigid about it which was shockingly unnatural. So disturbed was I that I determined to see a little more of the new inmates of the cottage. I approached and knocked at the door, which was instantly opened by a tall, gaunt woman with a harsh, forbidding face.
"'What may you be wantin'?' she asked, in a Northern accent.
"'I am your neighbor over yonder,' said I, nodding towards my house. 'I see that you have only just moved in, so I thought that if I could be of any help to you in any--'
"'Ay, we'll just ask ye when we want ye,' said she, and shut the door in my face. Annoyed at the churlish rebuff, I turned my back and walked home. All evening, though I tried to think of other things, my mind would still turn to the apparition at the window and the rudeness of the woman. I determined to say nothing about the former to my wife, for she is a nervous, highly strung woman, and I had no wish that she would share the unpleasant impression which had been produced upon myself. I remarked to her, however, before I fell asleep, that the cottage was now occupied, to which she returned no reply.
"I am usually an extremely sound sleeper. It has been a standing jest in the family that nothing could ever wake me during the night. And yet somehow on that particular night, whether it may have been the slight excitement produced by my little adventure or not I know not, but I slept much more lightly than usual. Half in my dreams I was dimly conscious that something was going on in the room, and gradually became aware that my wife had dressed herself and was slipping on her mantle and her bonnet. My lips were parted to murmur out some sleepy words of surprise or remonstrance at this untimely preparation, when suddenly my half-opened eyes fell upon her face, illuminated by the candle-light, and astonishment held me dumb. She wore an expression such as I had never seen before--such as I should have thought her incapable of assuming. She was deadly pale and breathing fast, glancing furtively towards the bed as she fastened her mantle, to see if she had disturbed me. Then, thinking that I was still asleep, she slipped noiselessly from the room, and an instant later I heard a sharp creaking which could only come from the hinges of the front door. I sat up in bed and rapped my knuckles against the rail to make certain that I was truly awake. Then I took my watch from under the pillow. It was three in the morning. What on this earth could my wife be doing out on the country road at three in the morning?
"I had sat for about twenty minutes turning the thing over in my mind and trying to find some possible explanation. The more I thought, the more extraordinary and inexplicable did it appear. I was still puzzling over it when I heard the door gently close again, and her footsteps coming up the stairs.
"'Where in the world have you been, Effie?' I asked as she entered.
"She gave a violent start and a kind of gasping cry when I spoke, and that cry and start troubled me more than all the rest, for there was something indescribably guilty about them. My wife had always been a woman of a frank, open nature, and it gave me a chill to see her slinking into her own room, and crying out and wincing when her own husband spoke to her.
"'You awake, Jack!' she cried, with a nervous laugh. 'Why, I thought that nothing could awake you.'
"'Where have you been?' I asked, more sternly.
"'I don't wonder that you are surprised,' said she, and I could see that her fingers were trembling as she undid the fastenings of her mantle. 'Why, I never remember having done such a thing in my life before. The fact is that I felt as though I were choking, and had a perfect longing for a breath of fresh air. I really think that I should have fainted if I had not gone out. I stood at the door for a few minutes, and now I am quite myself again.'
"All the time that she was telling me this story she never once looked in my direction, and her voice was quite unlike her usual tones. It was evident to me that she was saying what was false. I said nothing in reply, but turned my face to the wall, sick at heart, with my mind filled with a thousand venomous doubts and suspicions. What was it that my wife was concealing from me? Where had she been during that strange expedition? I felt that I should have no peace until I knew, and yet I shrank from asking her again after once she had told me what was false. All the rest of the night I tossed and tumbled, framing theory after theory, each more unlikely than the last.
"I should have gone to the City that day, but I was too disturbed in my mind to be able to pay attention to business matters. My wife seemed to be as upset as myself, and I could see from the little questioning glances which she kept shooting at me that she understood that I disbelieved her statement, and that she was at her wits' end what to do. We hardly exchanged a word during breakfast, and immediately afterwards I went out for a walk, that I might think the matter out in the fresh morning air.
"I went as far as the Crystal Palace, spent an hour in the grounds, and was back in Norbury by one o'clock. It happened that my way took me past the cottage, and I stopped for an instant to look at the windows, and to see if I could catch a glimpse of the strange face which had looked out at me on the day before. As I stood there, imagine my surprise, Mr. Holmes, when the door suddenly opened and my wife walked out.
"I was struck dumb with astonishment at the sight of her; but my emotions were nothing to those which showed themselves upon her face when our eyes met. She seemed for an instant to wish to shrink back inside the house again; and then, seeing how useless all concealment must be, she came forward, with a very white face and frightened eyes which belied the smile upon her lips.
"'Ah, Jack,' she said, 'I have just been in to see if I can be of any assistance to our new neighbors. Why do you look at me like that, Jack? You are not angry with me?'
"'So,' said I, 'this is where you went during the night.'
"'What do you mean?' she cried.
"'You came here. I am sure of it. Who are these people, that you should visit them at such an hour?'
"'I have not been here before.'
"'How can you tell me what you know is false?' I cried. 'Your very voice changes as you speak. When have I ever had a secret from you? I shall enter that cottage, and I shall probe the matter to the bottom.'
"'No, no, Jack, for God's sake!' she gasped, in uncontrollable emotion. Then, as I approached the door, she seized my sleeve and pulled me back with convulsive strength.
"'I implore you not to do this, Jack,' she cried. 'I swear that I will tell you everything some day, but nothing but misery can come of it if you enter that cottage.' Then, as I tried to shake her off, she clung to me in a frenzy of entreaty.
"'Trust me, Jack!' she cried. 'Trust me only this once. You will never have cause to regret it. You know that I would not have a secret from you if it were not for your own sake. Our whole lives are at stake in this. If you come home with me, all will be well. If you force your way into that cottage, all is over between us.'
"There was such earnestness, such despair, in her manner that her words arrested me, and I stood irresolute before the door.
"'I will trust you on one condition, and on one condition only,' said I at last. 'It is that this mystery comes to an end from now. You are at liberty to preserve your secret, but you must promise me that there shall be no more nightly visits, no more doings which are kept from my knowledge. I am willing to forget those which are passed if you will promise that there shall be no more in the future.'
"'I was sure that you would trust me,' she cried, with a great sigh of relief. 'It shall be just as you wish. Come away--oh, come away up to the house.'
"Still pulling at my sleeve, she led me away from the cottage. As we went I glanced back, and there was that yellow livid face watching us out of the upper window. What link could there be between that creature and my wife? Or how could the coarse, rough woman whom I had seen the day before be connected with her? It was a strange puzzle, and yet I knew that my mind could never know ease again until I had solved it.
"For two days after this I stayed at home, and my wife appeared to abide loyally by our engagement, for, as far as I know, she never stirred out of the house. On the third day, however, I had ample evidence that her solemn promise was not enough to hold her back from this secret influence which drew her away from her husband and her duty.
"I had gone into town on that day, but I returned by the 2.40 instead of the 3.36, which is my usual train. As I entered the house the maid ran into the hall with a startled face.
"'Where is your mistress?' I asked.
"'I think that she has gone out for a walk,' she answered.
"My mind was instantly filled with suspicion. I rushed upstairs to make sure that she was not in the house. As I did so I happened to glance out of one of the upper windows, and saw the maid with whom I had just been speaking running across the field in the direction of the cottage. Then of course I saw exactly what it all meant. My wife had gone over there, and had asked the servant to call her if I should return. Tingling with anger, I rushed down and hurried across, determined to end the matter once and forever. I saw my wife and the maid hurrying back along the lane, but I did not stop to speak with them. In the cottage lay the secret which was casting a shadow over my life. I vowed that, come what might, it should be a secret no longer. I did not even knock when I reached it, but turned the handle and rushed into the passage.
"It was all still and quiet upon the ground floor. In the kitchen a kettle was singing on the fire, and a large black cat lay coiled up in the basket; but there was no sign of the woman whom I had seen before. I ran into the other room, but it was equally deserted. Then I rushed up the stairs, only to find two other rooms empty and deserted at the top. There was no one at all in the whole house. The furniture and pictures were of the most common and vulgar description, save in the one chamber at the window of which I had seen the strange face. That was comfortable and elegant, and all my suspicions rose into a fierce bitter flame when I saw that on the mantelpiece stood a copy of a full-length photograph of my wife, which had been taken at my request only three months ago.
"I stayed long enough to make certain that the house was absolutely empty. Then I left it, feeling a weight at my heart such as I had never had before. My wife came out into the hall as I entered my house; but I was too hurt and angry to speak with her, and pushing past her, I made my way into my study. She followed me, however, before I could close the door.
"'I am sorry that I broke my promise, Jack,' said she; 'but if you knew all the circumstances I am sure that you would forgive me.'
"'Tell me everything, then,' said I.
"'I cannot, Jack, I cannot,' she cried.
"'Until you tell me who it is that has been living in that cottage, and who it is to whom you have given that photograph, there can never be any confidence between us,' said I, and breaking away from her, I left the house. That was yesterday, Mr. Holmes, and I have not seen her since, nor do I know anything more about this strange business. It is the first shadow that has come between us, and it has so shaken me that I do not know what I should do for the best. Suddenly this morning it occurred to me that you were the man to advise me, so I have hurried to you now, and I place myself unreservedly in your hands. If there is any point which I have not made clear, pray question me about it. But, above all, tell me quickly what I am to do, for this misery is more than I can bear."
Holmes and I had listened with the utmost interest to this extraordinary statement, which had been delivered in the jerky, broken fashion of a man who is under the influence of extreme emotions. My companion sat silent for some time, with his chin upon his hand, lost in thought.
"Tell me," said he at last, "could you swear that this was a man's face which you saw at the window?"
"Each time that I saw it I was some distance away from it, so that it is impossible for me to say."
"You appear, however, to have been disagreeably impressed by it."
"It seemed to be of an unnatural color, and to have a strange rigidity about the features. When I approached, it vanished with a jerk."
"How long is it since your wife asked you for a hundred pounds?"
"Nearly two months."
"Have you ever seen a photograph of her first husband?"
"No; there was a great fire at Atlanta very shortly after his death, and all her papers were destroyed."
"And yet she had a certificate of death. You say that you saw it."
"Yes; she got a duplicate after the fire."
"Did you ever meet any one who knew her in America?"
"No."
"Did she ever talk of revisiting the place?"
"No."
"Or get letters from it?"
"No."
"Thank you. I should like to think over the matter a little now. If the cottage is now permanently deserted we may have some difficulty. If, on the other hand, as I fancy is more likely, the inmates were warned of your coming, and left before you entered yesterday, then they may be back now, and we should clear it all up easily. Let me advise you, then, to return to Norbury, and to examine the windows of the cottage again. If you have reason to believe that it is inhabited, do not force your way in, but send a wire to my friend and me. We shall be with you within an hour of receiving it, and we shall then very soon get to the bottom of the business."
"And if it is still empty?"
"In that case I shall come out to-morrow and talk it over with you. Good-by; and, above all, do not fret until you know that you really have a cause for it."
"I am afraid that this is a bad business, Watson," said my companion, as he returned after accompanying Mr. Grant Munro to the door. "What do you make of it?"
"It had an ugly sound," I answered.
"Yes. There's blackmail in it, or I am much mistaken."
"And who is the blackmailer?"
"Well, it must be the creature who lives in the only comfortable room in the place, and has her photograph above his fireplace. Upon my word, Watson, there is something very attractive about that livid face at the window, and I would not have missed the case for worlds."
"You have a theory?"
"Yes, a provisional one. But I shall be surprised if it does not turn out to be correct. This woman's first husband is in that cottage."
"Why do you think so?"
"How else can we explain her frenzied anxiety that her second one should not enter it? The facts, as I read them, are something like this: This woman was married in America. Her husband developed some hateful qualities; or shall we say that he contracted some loathsome disease, and became a leper or an imbecile? She flies from him at last, returns to England, changes her name, and starts her life, as she thinks, afresh. She has been married three years, and believes that her position is quite secure, having shown her husband the death certificate of some man whose name she has assumed, when suddenly her whereabouts is discovered by her first husband; or, we may suppose, by some unscrupulous woman who has attached herself to the invalid. They write to the wife, and threaten to come and expose her. She asks for a hundred pounds, and endeavors to buy them off. They come in spite of it, and when the husband mentions casually to the wife that there are new-comers in the cottage, she knows in some way that they are her pursuers. She waits until her husband is asleep, and then she rushes down to endeavor to persuade them to leave her in peace. Having no success, she goes again next morning, and her husband meets her, as he has told us, as she comes out. She promises him then not to go there again, but two days afterwards the hope of getting rid of those dreadful neighbors was too strong for her, and she made another attempt, taking down with her the photograph which had probably been demanded from her. In the midst of this interview the maid rushed in to say that the master had come home, on which the wife, knowing that he would come straight down to the cottage, hurried the inmates out at the back door, into the grove of fir-trees, probably, which was mentioned as standing near. In this way he found the place deserted. I shall be very much surprised, however, if it is still so when he reconnoitres it this evening. What do you think of my theory?"
"It is all surmise."
"But at least it covers all the facts. When new facts come to our knowledge which cannot be covered by it, it will be time enough to reconsider it. We can do nothing more until we have a message from our friend at Norbury."
But we had not a very long time to wait for that. It came just as we had finished our tea. "The cottage is still tenanted," it said. "Have seen the face again at the window. Will meet the seven o'clock train, and will take no steps until you arrive."
He was waiting on the platform when we stepped out, and we could see in the light of the station lamps that he was very pale, and quivering with agitation.
"They are still there, Mr. Holmes," said he, laying his hand hard upon my friend's sleeve. "I saw lights in the cottage as I came down. We shall settle it now once and for all."
"What is your plan, then?" asked Holmes, as he walked down the dark tree-lined road.
"I am going to force my way in and see for myself who is in the house. I wish you both to be there as witnesses."
"You are quite determined to do this, in spite of your wife's warning that it is better that you should not solve the mystery?"
"Yes, I am determined."
"Well, I think that you are in the right. Any truth is better than indefinite doubt. We had better go up at once. Of course, legally, we are putting ourselves hopelessly in the wrong; but I think that it is worth it."
It was a very dark night, and a thin rain began to fall as we turned from the high road into a narrow lane, deeply rutted, with hedges on either side. Mr. Grant Munro pushed impatiently forward, however, and we stumbled after him as best we could.
"There are the lights of my house," he murmured, pointing to a glimmer among the trees. "And here is the cottage which I am going to enter."
We turned a corner in the lane as he spoke, and there was the building close beside us. A yellow bar falling across the black foreground showed that the door was not quite closed, and one window in the upper story was brightly illuminated. As we looked, we saw a dark blur moving across the blind.
"There is that creature!" cried Grant Munro. "You can see for yourselves that some one is there. Now follow me, and we shall soon know all."
We approached the door; but suddenly a woman appeared out of the shadow and stood in the golden track of the lamp-light. I could not see her face in the darkness, but her arms were thrown out in an attitude of entreaty.
"For God's sake, don't Jack!" she cried. "I had a presentiment that you would come this evening. Think better of it, dear! Trust me again, and you will never have cause to regret it."
"I have trusted you too long, Effie," he cried, sternly. "Leave go of me! I must pass you. My friends and I are going to settle this matter once and forever!" He pushed her to one side, and we followed closely after him. As he threw the door open an old woman ran out in front of him and tried to bar his passage, but he thrust her back, and an instant afterwards we were all upon the stairs. Grant Munro rushed into the lighted room at the top, and we entered at his heels.
It was a cosey, well-furnished apartment, with two candles burning upon the table and two upon the mantelpiece. In the corner, stooping over a desk, there sat what appeared to be a little girl. Her face was turned away as we entered, but we could see that she was dressed in a red frock, and that she had long white gloves on. As she whisked round to us, I gave a cry of surprise and horror. The face which she turned towards us was of the strangest livid tint, and the features were absolutely devoid of any expression. An instant later the mystery was explained. Holmes, with a laugh, passed his hand behind the child's ear, a mask peeled off from her countenance, and there was a little coal black negress, with all her white teeth flashing in amusement at our amazed faces. I burst out laughing, out of sympathy with her merriment; but Grant Munro stood staring, with his hand clutching his throat.
"My God!" he cried. "What can be the meaning of this?"
"I will tell you the meaning of it," cried the lady, sweeping into the room with a proud, set face. "You have forced me, against my own judgment, to tell you, and now we must both make the best of it. My husband died at Atlanta. My child survived."
"Your child?"
She drew a large silver locket from her bosom. "You have never seen this open."
"I understood that it did not open."
She touched a spring, and the front hinged back. There was a portrait within of a man strikingly handsome and intelligent-looking, but bearing unmistakable signs upon his features of his African descent.
"That is John Hebron, of Atlanta," said the lady, "and a nobler man never walked the earth. I cut myself off from my race in order to wed him, but never once while he lived did I for an instant regret it. It was our misfortune that our only child took after his people rather than mine. It is often so in such matches, and little Lucy is darker far than ever her father was. But dark or fair, she is my own dear little girlie, and her mother's pet." The little creature ran across at the words and nestled up against the lady's dress. "When I left her in America," she continued, "it was only because her health was weak, and the change might have done her harm. She was given to the care of a faithful Scotch woman who had once been our servant. Never for an instant did I dream of disowning her as my child. But when chance threw you in my way, Jack, and I learned to love you, I feared to tell you about my child. God forgive me, I feared that I should lose you, and I had not the courage to tell you. I had to choose between you, and in my weakness I turned away from my own little girl. For three years I have kept her existence a secret from you, but I heard from the nurse, and I knew that all was well with her. At last, however, there came an overwhelming desire to see the child once more. I struggled against it, but in vain. Though I knew the danger, I determined to have the child over, if it were but for a few weeks. I sent a hundred pounds to the nurse, and I gave her instructions about this cottage, so that she might come as a neighbor, without my appearing to be in any way connected with her. I pushed my precautions so far as to order her to keep the child in the house during the daytime, and to cover up her little face and hands so that even those who might see her at the window should not gossip about there being a black child in the neighborhood. If I had been less cautious I might have been more wise, but I was half crazy with fear that you should learn the truth.
"It was you who told me first that the cottage was occupied. I should have waited for the morning, but I could not sleep for excitement, and so at last I slipped out, knowing how difficult it is to awake you. But you saw me go, and that was the beginning of my troubles. Next day you had my secret at your mercy, but you nobly refrained from pursuing your advantage. Three days later, however, the nurse and child only just escaped from the back door as you rushed in at the front one. And now to-night you at last know all, and I ask you what is to become of us, my child and me?" She clasped her hands and waited for an answer.
It was a long ten minutes before Grant Munro broke the silence, and when his answer came it was one of which I love to think. He lifted the little child, kissed her, and then, still carrying her, he held his other hand out to his wife and turned towards the door.
"We can talk it over more comfortably at home," said he. "I am not a very good man, Effie, but I think that I am a better one than you have given me credit for being."
Holmes and I followed them down the lane, and my friend plucked at my sleeve as we came out.
"I think," said he, "that we shall be of more use in London than in Norbury."
Not another word did he say of the case until late that night, when he was turning away, with his lighted candle, for his bedroom.
"Watson," said he, "if it should ever strike you that I am getting a little over-confident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper 'Norbury' in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you."
福爾摩斯是一個很少為鍛煉身體而進行體育活動的人。一般來說，善於運用自己體力的人並不很多。而毫無疑問，在與他同體重的人中，福爾摩斯是我見過的最優秀的拳擊傢，不過，他把盲目鍛煉身體看作是浪費精力，所以除了與他職業有關的項目以外，他對其餘活動一嚮很少問津。可是他精力非常充沛，不知疲倦。顯然，他這樣的養身之道，確實是很奇怪的。他的飲食總是很簡單的，起居也極其簡樸，近於節衣縮食。除了偶爾註射些可卡因以外，福爾摩斯沒有其他惡習。每當沒有案件可查，而報紙新聞又枯燥無味時，他便求助於麻醉劑，以解除生活的單調。
早春的一天，福爾摩斯清閑起來，居然有時間陪我到公園去散步。此時榆樹已生出嫩緑的幼芽，慄樹梢頭開始冒出五瓣形新葉。我們在一豈不言不語地漫步了兩個小時，這對兩個互知肺腑的人是很適合的。我們回到貝剋街時，已經近五點了。
“請原諒，先生，”我們的小僕人一邊開門一邊說道，“有一位紳士來找過您，先生。”
福爾摩斯抱怨地望了我一眼。
“這都怪午後散步！”福爾摩斯說道，“那麽，這位紳士已經走了嗎？”
“是的，先生。”
“你沒有請他進來嗎？”
“請了，先生，他進來過。”
“他等了多久？”
“他等了半小時，先生。他非常焦躁不安，先生，他一直在屋中踱來踱去，跺着腳。我在門外等候，先生，可是我能聽到他的動靜。最後他走到過道裏大聲叫喊說：'是不是他不打算回來了？'他的原話就是這樣，先生。我說：'請再稍等一等。'他又說：'那麽我到外面去等好了，我在這裏快悶死了，過一會我就回來。'說完他就走了，我說什麽也留不住他。”
“好了，好了，你做得很對，”我們走進屋中，福爾摩斯說道，“真叫人生氣，華生。我正需要一件案子。從這個人急不可耐的樣子來看，似乎是一件重要案子呢。喂！這桌上的煙斗不是你的，一定是這個人丟下的。這是一隻很好的歐石南根煙斗，鬥柄很長，是用煙草商叫做琥珀的那種材料做成的。我不知道倫敦城裏究竟有幾支真正的琥珀煙嘴，有人認為裏面包着蒼蠅的那種纔是真正的琥珀。喂，他竟把顯然很珍愛的煙斗遺忘了，說明他一定是非常心煩意亂了。”
“你怎麽知道他珍愛這衹煙斗呢？”我問道。
“啊，據我看來，這煙斗的原價不過七先令六便士，可是，你看，已經修補過兩次，一次在木柄上，另一次是在琥珀嘴上。你可以看到，每次修補都用的是銀箍，比煙斗的原價要高得多。這個人寧願去修理煙斗，也不願花同樣的錢去買一隻新的，說明他一定很珍愛這衹煙斗了。”
“還有別的嗎？”我問道，因為福爾摩斯正把煙斗翻過來掉過去，以獨特的沉思神情凝視着它。
福爾摩斯把煙斗拿起來，用他那細長的食指彈了彈，好象一個教授在講授動物骨骼課似的。
“煙斗有時是非常重要的，”福爾摩斯說道，“除了表和鞋帶以外，沒有什麽東西比煙斗更能表示一個人的個性了。可是這衹煙斗的跡象既不明顯，也不重要。煙斗的主人顯然是一個身強力壯的人，慣用左手，一口好牙齒，粗心大意，經濟富裕。”
我的朋友絲毫不假思索地信口說出了這些話，我看到他斜視着我，看我是否明白他的推理。
“你認為他用一隻七先令的煙斗吸煙，那就是一個有錢的人嗎？”我問道。
“這是格羅夫納板煙，八便士一英兩，”福爾摩斯說着，把煙斗在手心中磕出一點煙絲來，”用這一半的價錢，他就可以抽上等煙了，可見他是經濟富裕的了。”
“那麽，別的幾點呢？”
“他有在油燈和煤氣噴燈上點煙斗的習慣。你可以看出這煙斗的一邊已經燒焦了。當然用火柴就不會弄成這樣了。用火柴點煙怎麽會燒焦煙斗邊呢？但你在油燈上把煙點着，就不能不燒焦煙斗。而燒焦的衹是煙斗的右側，由此，我推測他是一個使用左手的人。現在你把你的煙斗在燈上點燃，你就可以看到，因為你慣用右手，自然是左邊側嚮火焰了。有時你也許不這麽點煙，但這畢竟不是經常的。所以衹能認為他慣用左手。琥珀嘴已被咬穿，說明他身強力壯，牙齒整齊。如果我沒有弄錯的話，我聽到他已走上樓來，那麽，我們就可以研究一些比這煙斗更有趣的問題了。”
過了一會兒，我們的屋門開了，一個身材高大的年輕人走進來。他身穿一套講究而素淨的深灰色衣服，手中拿着一頂褐色寬檐呢帽。我猜他的年齡在三十歲上下，可是實際上他還要大幾歲。
“請原諒，”他有些窘豈不安地說道，“我想我應當先敲一敲門。是的，我當然應該先敲門。可是事實上我有點心煩意亂，請原諒我的冒失。”他把手放在額上，仿佛頭昏眼花似的，一扭身倒在椅子上。
“我可以看出你已經一兩夜沒有睡覺了。”福爾摩斯和藹可親地說道，“這確實比工作還要傷神，甚至比玩樂還要傷神。請問我可以幫你什麽忙呢？”
“我要請你指教，先生。我不知道怎樣辦纔好，我的整個生活似乎已經垮了。”
“你是不是想請我做一個咨詢偵探？”
“不單是這樣。你是一個見識廣博的人，一個飽經世故的人，我需要你賜教。我需要知道下一步我該怎麽辦。我希望你能告訴我。”
他說得支離破碎，呼吸急促，聲調顫抖，我覺得他好象連說話本身都非常痛苦，始終竭力用意志抑製着自己的感情。
“這是一件非常棘手的事，”他說道，“哪一個人也不願意對外人說自己的傢務事。尤其是和兩個完全陌生的人來商議自己妻子的行為，更是令人難堪。這樣做簡直太可怕了。可是，我已經到了智窮力盡的地步，不能不嚮別人求教了。”
“我親愛的格蘭特·芒羅先生……”福爾摩斯開口說道。
我們的來客從椅子上跳起身來。
“怎麽？”他大聲說道，“你知道我的姓名？”
“假如你想隱瞞自己的姓名身份，”福爾摩斯笑容滿面地說道，“我勸你以後不要再把名字寫在帽裏兒上，或者你拜訪別人時，不要把帽裏兒衝嚮人傢。我正想告訴你，我和我的朋友在這間屋子裏已經聽到過許許多多稀奇古怪、神秘莫測的事情，而且我們有幸能夠使不少惶惑不安的人得到安寧。我相信我們也能為你做到這一點。因為時間是很重要的，請你不要耽誤時間，趕快把事情的原委告訴我吧。”
我們的來客又把手放到額上，仿佛感到非常痛苦。我從他的姿態神情上看出來，他是一個沉默寡言、不易衝動的人，天性有些驕傲，寧願掩蓋自己的創痛，也不願暴露出來。後來，他忽然用握緊的拳頭作了個堅定的手勢，似乎不再保守秘密，開始說道：
“事情是這樣的，福爾摩斯先生，我是一個已經結了婚的人，婚後已三年了。在這三年中，我和我的妻子象任何一對夫妻一樣，恩愛異常，生活美滿。我們的思想、言論和行動沒有絲毫分歧。可是現在，從上星期一開始，我們中間突然産生了障礙。我發現，在她的生活上和思想上，有一些東西我竟然一無所知，猶如她是個陌路相逢的女人一般。我們疏遠了。我要知道這是為什麽？
“不過，有一件事我要先讓你知道，然後我再繼續講下去，福爾摩斯先生。艾菲是愛我的。不要在這方面産生什麽誤會。她一心一意地愛着我，現在更加愛我了。這一點我知道，也感覺得出來，這是毋庸置疑的。一個男人很容易察覺女人在愛他。不過我們夫妻之間，有這個秘密存在，在這個秘密弄清楚以前，我們不能一切照舊了。”
“芒羅先生，請你把事實告訴我，”福爾摩斯有點不耐煩地說道。
“我先把我所知道的艾菲的歷史告訴你。我初次見到她時，雖然她很年輕，僅僅二十五歲，卻已是未亡人了。那時她叫赫伯竜夫人。她小時就到美國去了，住在亞特蘭大城，在那裏嫁給了那個赫伯竜，他是個律師，顧客很多。他們有一個孩子，可是那地方流行了黃熱病，她的丈夫和孩子得黃熱病雙雙死去，我看到了赫伯竜的死亡證。這使她對美國産生了惡感，便回國和她未出嫁的姑母一起住在米德爾塞剋斯的平納爾。我還要說明，她的丈夫給她留下相當多的遺産，大約有四千五百鎊。她丈夫在世時對這筆資産投資得利，平均年利七釐。我遇見她時，她到平納爾纔六個月，我們互相傾心，幾星期後就結婚了。
“我自己是個蛇麻商人，每年有七八百鎊的收入。我們在諾伯裏租了一座小別墅，每年租金八十鎊，生活非常舒適。我們這小地方離城雖然很近，卻有鄉村風味。離我們不遠，有一傢小旅館和兩所房屋，我們門前田地的那一邊有一所單獨的小別墅。除此以外，衹有到車站去的半路上纔有房子。我的職業使我在一定的季節纔進城去辦事，可是在夏季我就不用進城了。於是我和我的妻子在自己的鄉下住宅縱情歡樂。我可以告訴你，在這件不幸的事情發生之前，我們夫婦從來沒有發生過任何不愉快的事。
“還有一件事，我應當先告訴你，然後再講下去。我們結婚時，妻子把全部財産都轉讓到我名下了。這原不是我的本意，因為我覺得我的事業如果失敗，那就很難周轉了。可是，她一定要這樣做，我衹好照辦了。啊，大約六個星期以前，她來找我。
“'傑剋，'她說道，'當你接受我那筆錢的時候，你說過，我什麽時候要用就可以嚮你要。'
“'不錯，'我說道，'那本來都是你自己的錢嘛。'
“'好，'她說道，'我要一百鎊。'
“我聽到這話，感到有些驚愕，因為我以為她不過是要買一件新衣服或其他這一類的東西。
“'到底怎麽回事？'我問道。
“'噢，'她開玩笑地說道，'你說過你衹不過做我的銀行保管，你知道，銀行保管是從來不嚮人傢亂發問的。'
“'如果你真需要這些錢，當然可以拿到它。'我說道。
“'啊，是的，我當真需要它。'
“'你不能告訴我你用這筆錢作什麽嗎？'
“'傑剋，過幾天可以告訴你，不過現在不行。'
“於是我衹好這樣辦了。不過如果說我們夫婦間有什麽秘密的話，這就是破題兒第一遭。我給了她一張支票，事後也沒再想這件事。這件事也許和後來發生的事沒有什麽關係，但我想我還是都說出來好。
“好，我剛纔告訴你們，離我們住處不遠，有一所小別墅。在我們住所和小別墅之間有一塊田野，可是你要到小別墅去，就得沿大道走到對過，然後再繞到一條小路上去。就在小別墅那邊，有一頻繁茂的蘇格蘭樅樹，我平常很喜歡在那裏散步。因為，在樹林中散步總是令人心曠神怡的。八個月來，這所小別墅一直無人居住，但這太可惜了。因為那是一座很漂亮的兩層樓，有一道古式的遊廊，周圍到處是金銀花。我經常在那裏逗留，並且經常想，如果住在這裏該是多麽愜意啊。
“咳，上星期一傍晚，我走在這條路上，遇到一輛空篷車轉到小路上，同時看到遊廊旁草地上有一堆地毯和一些別的東西。很明顯，這所小別墅終於租出去了。我走過去，象一個遊手好閑的人那樣停下來打量一番，想知道住得離我們這麽近的究竟是什麽人。可是我正在打量，突然意識到上面一扇窗戶裏有一張面孔也正在看着我。
“福爾摩斯先生，我當時不知道這張面孔的樣子，可是，我背上似乎冒出了冷汗。我站得稍微遠了一點，所以看不清面貌如何。不過這張面孔有點不自然而且不象人臉。這就是我那時的印象。我便急忙走嚮前去，以便把窺視我的那個人看得更清楚些。但我走近以後，那張面孔突然不見了，仿佛突然被拉到室內的暗處。我站了足有五分鐘，仔細考慮這件事，打算把我得到的印象分析一下。我很難說明這究竟是一張男人的面孔，還是女人的，它離我太遠了。可是這張面孔的顔色給我留下的印象卻是很深的。它就象青灰色的白堊土一樣，而且有點僵硬呆板，不自然得嚇人。我心裏很不安，便决心再去看看這所小別墅的新住戶。我走近門前敲了敲門，立即有一個身材高大、體態削瘦的女人把門打開，這女人面容醜陋，令人生畏。
“'你要幹什麽？'她操着北方口音問道。
“'我是你對面的鄰居，'我把頭朝我的住處點了點，說道，我看你們剛剛搬進來，因此我想是不是能幫助你們做些什麽……'
“'喂，我們需要你時，自然會請你的，'她說着，竟然把門關上。我吃了這樣粗暴的閉門羹，非常惱怒，轉身便回傢了。整個晚上，儘管我竭力去想別的事情，但我腦中始終縈繞着窗口的那個怪人和那女人的粗魯形象。我决意不嚮妻子說這件事，因為她是一個膽怯而又容易激動的女人，我不願意讓她分擔我所遭遇到的不快。然而，在我臨睡以前，我告訴她那所小別墅現在已經住上人了，她沒有回答。
“我通常睡得很死。傢裏人經常嘲笑我說夜裏沒有什麽能把我吵醒。可是在這天晚上，由於這件事情的小小刺激或是其他原因，我不知道，但我卻睡得不象平常那麽死。我在似睡非睡中模模糊糊地覺得室內有什麽在走動，逐漸意識到我妻子已經穿好衣服，並且披上了鬥篷，戴上了帽子。我喃喃地說了幾句驚異的話，對她這種不適時的舉動提出了異議。當我半睜半閉的雙眼突然落到我妻子被燭光映照的臉上，竟使我驚異得說不出話來。她的表情是以前我從未見過的，也决不會是假裝的。她臉色死白，呼吸急促，在她扣緊鬥篷時，偷偷地瞧着床上，看是否驚醒了我。後來，以為我還在睡夢中，她便悄悄地從屋中溜出去，過了一會，我聽到一陣尖銳的吱吱嘎嘎聲，這分明是大門合葉發出的響聲。我從床上坐起來，用手關節敲床欄，看看我是不是真的醒着。然後我從枕下拿出表來，已經是凌晨三點鐘了。而凌晨三點鐘我妻子到外面去，她究竟要幹什麽呢？
“我坐了有二十分鐘，腦中翻騰着這件事，設法尋找一些可能的解釋。我越想越覺得離奇古怪，莫名片妙。我正在苦苦思索這件事時，聽到門又輕輕關上了，我妻子走上樓來。
“'你半夜三更到哪裏去了，艾菲？'她一進來，我便問道。
“聽我一說，她立即大驚失色，猛然尖叫了一聲。這一驚一叫比其他的事更使我煩惱，因為這裏面具有難以形容的內疚之意。我妻子嚮來是一個真誠而性情直爽的女人，看到她悄悄溜進自己的屋內，而當丈夫問話時竟然驚呼出聲，畏縮不安，這真使我異常寒心。
“'你醒了，傑剋！'她勉強笑了笑，大聲說道，'怎麽，我還以為沒有什麽能把你吵醒呢。'
“'你到哪裏去了？'我更加嚴厲地問道。
“'無怪乎你要覺得驚奇了，'她說道。我看到她在解鬥篷上的鈕扣時，手指不住顫抖，'呃，以前我從未做過這樣的事。事實是這樣的：我覺得好象有些氣悶，特別想透一透新鮮空氣。假如我不出去，我真以為我要暈倒了。我在門外站了幾分鐘，現在已經完全恢復過來了。'
“她說這番話的時候，始終不敢嚮我這邊看一眼，她的聲音也完全不象平常的語調。這就說明她說的都是假話。我沒有回答，把臉轉嚮墻壁，非常傷心，心中充滿了千百種惡意的猜測和懷疑。我妻子對我隱瞞什麽呢？她這次奇怪的外出，究竟到哪裏去了？我感到，在我查明這件事的底細以前，我是不會安寧的。可是，在她嚮我說過一次假話以後，我不願再問她什麽了。這一夜我一直輾轉反側，忐忑不安，猜來猜去，越想越糊塗。
“第二天我本應到城裏去，但我心中異常煩惱，也顧不得照顧生意了。我妻子似乎也和我一樣心神不安，她始終註意着我的臉色，我從她那疑慮的目光看去，她已經知道我不相信她講的話，現在也是六神無主不知如何是好。早餐時我們一句話也沒有交談，然後我立即出去散步，以便能在清晨新鮮空氣中思考這件事。
“我一直走到剋裏斯特爾宮，在那裏度過了一個小時，回到諾伯裏時已經一點鐘了。我正巧路過那所小別墅，便停下腳步望望那些窗戶，看看是否能見到昨天看我的那張面孔。福爾摩斯先生，你想象我是多麽驚奇，原來我正站在那裏時，小別墅的門突然打開了，我妻子走了出來。
“我一見到她，竟驚呆得說不出話來，可是當我們目光相遇時，我妻子顯得比我更加激動。一霎時，她似乎想再退回到那所別墅中去。後來，看到再隱藏也沒有什麽用了，便走上前來，面色異常蒼白，目光驚懼，與她嘴辱上強露出的微笑，顯然是毫不相稱的。
“'啊，傑剋，'她說道，'我剛纔來看看是不是能給新鄰居幫點忙。你為什麽這樣看着我？傑剋，你不會和我生氣吧？'
“'那麽，'我說道，'這就是你昨夜來過的地方了。'
“'你這是什麽意思？'她喊道。
“'我完全可以肯定，你昨夜到這裏來了。這都是些什麽人？你竟然在深更半夜來看他們？'
“'以前我沒到這裏來過。'
“'你怎能竟然對我說起假話來？'我大聲喊道，'你說話時聲音都變了。我什麽時候有事瞞過你？我要進去，把這件事弄個一清二楚。'
“'不，不，傑剋，看在上帝的面上！不要進去。'她激動得控製不住自己，氣喘籲籲地說道。等我走到門口時，她一把扯住我的袖子，一股蠻勁把我拉回去。
“'我懇求你不要這樣做，傑剋，'她高聲喊道，'我保證過幾天把一切全都告訴你，如果你進到別墅裏去，除了自找苦吃以外，沒有別的好處。'後來，我從她手中掙脫開，她緊緊把我纏住，瘋狂地哀求着。
“請你相信我，傑剋！'她叫喊道，'就相信我這一次。你决不會因此而感到後悔的。你知道，要不是為了你好，我决不會對你隱瞞什麽的。這關係到我們的整個生活。如果你和我一起回傢，一切都會很好的，如果你硬要進別墅去，那麽我們之間的一切就全完了。'
“她的態度如此誠懇，又如此絶望，她的話勸阻了我，使我猶豫不决地站在門前。
“'要讓我相信你，必須有一個條件，而且衹有一個條件，'我終於說道，'那就是從現在起必須停止這種秘密活動。你有權保留你的秘密，但你必須答應我夜裏不再出來，不再做什麽事情不讓我知道。如果你答應我，將來不會再有這樣的事情，我就忘掉過去的一切。'
“'我知道你會相信我的，'她非常寬慰地鬆了口氣，高聲喊道，'完全可以照你的願望辦。走吧，啊，離開這兒回傢去吧。'
“她仍然拉着我的衣袖，把我從小別墅引開。我走時嚮後看了看，看到上面窗上，有一張鉛灰色的面孔正嚮我們張望。我妻子和這個怪人之間有什麽關係呢？頭天我看到的那個粗野而又醜陋的女人和她又有什麽瓜葛呢？這是一個奇怪的謎。我知道，在我解開這個疑團之前，我的心情是永遠不會平靜的。
“在這以後，我在傢呆了兩天，我妻子很忠實守約，因為，就我所知，她從未出門一步。然而，第三天，我有充分的證據證明，她那麽嚴肅許諾的話，竟不能使她擺脫那股神秘的吸引力，從而使她背棄她的丈夫和她的責任。
“那一天我到城裏去了，可是我沒有象往常那樣乘三點三十六分的火車回來，而是乘兩點四十的火車返回的。我一進門，女僕就面帶驚慌地跑進廳房。
“'太太在哪裏？'我問道。
“'我想她出去散步了，'她答道。
“我心裏霎時充滿了疑雲，我跑到樓上看她是否確實不在屋中。這時我偶然嚮窗外一望，看到剛纔和我說話的女僕穿過田野，正嚮那小別墅方向跑去。那時我當然非常清楚這是怎麽回事了。我妻子又到那裏去了，並曾吩咐女僕，我如果回來，就去叫她。我氣得發抖，跑下樓來，奔出去，决心一勞永逸地把這件事查到底。我看到我妻子和女僕沿小路趕回來，可是我沒有站下來和她們說話。這所小別墅裏有一種秘密，使黑暗籠罩了我的生活，我發誓，無論如何，不能再讓它繼續下去。我走到房前，甚至連門都沒敲，轉動門鈕，就衝進過道裏。
“樓下是一片寂靜。廚房裏爐竈上水壺噝噝作響。一隻大黑貓盤臥在一隻籃中。但沒有以前我看到的那個女人的蹤影。我跑進另一間屋子，可是也同樣空無一人。後來我跑上樓去，另兩間屋子也是空的。原來整個別墅竟空空如也。室中的傢具和圖畫都極為平常而粗俗，衹有我從窗戶看到奇異面孔的那間寢室舒適而講究。當我看到壁爐臺上懸挂着一張我妻子的全身照平時，我的全部疑團燃燒起強烈而痛苦的火焰，那張照片還是三個月前我要她拍攝的。
“我在室內停留了一會，確知完全無人以後，纔走出來，心中感到以前從未有過的沉重。我進屋時，我妻子來到前廳，可是我極為痛心，異常惱怒，不願和她說話，從她身旁衝進我的書房中去。可是她在我把門關上以前，卻隨我身後走了進來。
“'我很抱歉，竟破壞了我的諾言，傑剋，'她說道，'可是你如果知道這裏面的一切真情，我相信你是一定能原諒我的。'
“'那麽就把這一切告訴我吧。'我說道。
“'我不能，傑剋，我不能，'她高聲喊道。
“'如果你不告訴我住在那所別墅裏的是誰，你送給像片的那個人是什麽人，我們就不能互相信任了。'我說道，從她身旁走開，離開了傢。這是昨天的事，福爾摩斯先生，從那時期我就沒有見過她。對於這件奇怪的多，我衹知道這些。這是我們中間頭一次出現不和。這使我十分震驚，不知如何解决是好。今天早晨我突然想到你可以指教我，所以急忙趕到你這裏來，一切拜托給你。假如這裏面有哪一點我沒有說清楚，請你問我好了。不過，首先請你趕快告訴我該怎麽辦，因為我實在忍受不了這樣的痛苦。”
福爾摩斯和我聚精會神地靜聽這件離奇的故事。這個人異常激動，講得斷斷續續。我的夥伴，一隻手托着下巴，靜靜地坐在那裏，陷入沉思。
“請告訴我，”他終於說道，“你能保證你在窗戶上看到的面孔是一張男人的面孔嗎？”
“我每次看到這張面孔，距離都比較遠，所以不能肯定。”
“但你顯然對這張面孔的印象是很不好的。”
“它似乎顔色很不自然，而且面貌呆板得奇怪。但我走近時，就猛然不見了。”
“你妻子嚮你要一百鎊，到現在有多長時間了？”
“大約有兩個月了。”
“你看到過她前夫的照片嗎？”
“沒有，在他死後不久，亞特蘭大着了大火，她的所有文件都燒掉了。”
“可是她有一張死亡證，你說你看到過是嗎？”
“是啊，在這場火災以後，她拿到了一份副本。”
“你可曾遇到過在美國認識她的人嗎？”
“沒有。”
“或者接到過那裏的來信嗎？”
“沒有。”
“謝謝你。現在我要把這件事情稍微想一想。如果這所別墅現在仍然空着，我們就有些難辦了。不過，我想很可能，昨天在你進去以前，裏面的住戶得到警告，所以事先躲開了，現在可能又回屋了。我們不難把它查清楚。我勸你返回諾伯裏，再觀察一下那所別墅的窗戶。如果肯定裏面有人居住，你不必硬闖進去，衹要拍一個電報給我和我的朋友就可以了。我們收到電報，一小時就趕到你那裏，很快就可以查個水落石出。”
“假如那別墅現在還空着怎麽辦呢？”
“這樣的話，我明天去，然後再和你商量。再見。不過，重要的是，在沒有弄清原委之前，你不要再煩惱了。”
“我擔心這事情不妙，華生，”我的朋友把格蘭特·芒羅先生送到門口以後，回來時說道：”你認為怎麽樣？”
“這件事很難辦，”我回答道。
“對了，如果我沒弄錯的話，這裏面必定有詐啊。”
“那麽詐人的是誰呢？”
“啊，那一定是住在那唯一舒適的房間裏、並把她的照AE琝f1挂在壁爐墻上的那個人。華生，真的，窗戶裏那張呆板面孔真是很值得註意呢，我無論如何也不放過這件案子。”
“你已經有了推論嗎？”
“是啊，這僅是暫時的推論。可是如果這推論證明是不正確的，那就不免使我吃驚了。我認為這女人的前夫就住在小別墅裏。”
“你為什麽這樣想呢？”
“不然，她那樣驚惶不安、堅决不讓現在的丈夫進去的舉動又怎樣解釋呢？照我想來，事實大致是這樣：這個女人在美國結了婚，她前夫沾染了什麽不良的惡習，或者說，染上了什麽令人討厭的疾病，別人不願接觸了或者能力降低了。她終於拋棄了他，回到英國。更名改姓，想開始一個新的生活。她把一張別人的死亡證給丈夫看過。現在結婚已經三年，她深信自己的處境非常安全。可是她的蹤跡突然被她的前夫發現，或者可以設想，被某個與這位病人有瓜葛的發現了。他們便寫信給這個妻子，威脅說要來揭露她。她便要了一百鎊設法去擺脫他們。他們卻仍然來了。當丈夫嚮妻子提到別墅有了新住戶時，她知道這就是追蹤她的人。她便等丈夫熟睡以後，跑出去設法說服他們讓她安靜。這一次沒有成功，第二天早晨她又去了，可是正象她丈夫告訴我們的那樣，她出來時正好碰上了他。這時她纔答應不再去了。但兩天以後，擺脫這些可怕鄰居的強烈願望驅使她又進行了一次嘗試。這一次她帶上他們嚮她索要的照片。正在和前夫會晤，女僕突然跑來報告說主人回傢了。此時她知道他必定要直奔別墅而來，便催促室內的人從後門溜到附近的樅樹叢裏。所以，他看到的是一所空房子。但如果他今晚再去，房子還空着纔怪呢。你認為我的推論如何？”
“這完全是猜測。”
“可是它至少符合所有的事實。假使再發現了不相符合的新情況，我們重新考慮也還來得及的。在我們沒有收到那位朋友從諾伯裏拍來的電報之前，我們衹好寸步不前了。”
不過我們並沒有等多久。剛剛吃完茶點，電報就來了。
電報說道：
別墅依舊有人居住。又看到窗內那張面孔。請乘七點鐘火車來會，一切等你前來處理。
我們下火車時，他已在月臺上等候，在車站燈光下，我們看到他面色蒼白，憂心忡忡，渾身顫抖。
“他們還在那裏，福爾摩斯先生，”他用手緊緊拉住我朋友的衣袖說道，“我經過別墅時，看到有燈光。現在我們應當斷然徹底解决它。”
“那麽，你有什麽打算？”當我們走在幽暗的樹蔭路上時，福爾摩斯問道。
“我打算闖進去，親眼看看屋裏到底是什麽人。我希望你們兩位做個見證。”
“你妻子警告你最好不要揭開這個謎，你决心不顧一切地去闖嗎？”
“是的，我下了决心。”
“好，我認為你是對的。弄清總比無休止地懷疑好得多。我們最好立刻就去。當然，從法律上說，我們這樣做是錯誤的。不過我想這也值得。”
那晚天色異常昏暗，我們從公路轉入一條兩旁全是樹籬的狹窄小路，天開始下起毛毛細雨，格蘭特·芒羅先生急不可耐地奔嚮前去，我們也竭力隨在他身後跌跌撞撞地走着。
“那就是我傢的燈光，”他指着樹叢中閃現的燈光，低聲說道，“這就是我要進去的那所別墅。”
他說話時，我們已在小路上拐了彎，那所房子已近在咫尺。門前地上映着一翧E黃色燈光，說明門是半掩着的，樓上一個窗戶也被燈光照得異常明亮。我們望過去，見一個黑影正從窗簾上掠過。
“這就是那個怪物！”格蘭特·芒羅喊道，”你們可以親眼見到有人在這裏。現在隨我來，我們馬上就把一切弄明白。”
我們走近門口，突然一個婦人從黑影中走出來，站在燈光的金黃色光影中。在暗中我看不清她的臉面，但她雙臂高舉，做出懇求的姿態。
“看在上帝面上，不要這樣！傑剋，”她高喊道，”我預料到今晚你一定會來。親愛的，請你再好好想一想！再相信我一次，你永遠不會後悔的。”
“艾菲，我已經相信你太久了，”他厲聲叫道，”放開我！我一定要進去。我的朋友和我要徹底解决這件事！”他把妻子推到一旁，我們緊隨在他身後走過去。他剛把門打開，一個老婦人跑到他面前，想阻攔他，可是他一把將她推開，轉瞬之間我們都到了樓上。格蘭特·芒羅跑到上面亮着燈光的屋中，我們隨後走了進去。
這是一間暖和、舒適、佈置得很好的臥室，桌上點着兩支蠟燭，壁爐臺上也點着兩支。房間的一角，象是個小女孩俯身坐在桌旁。我們一進門，她就把臉轉過去，不過我們可以看到她穿着一件紅上衣，戴着一副長長的白手套。在她突然轉嚮我們時，我不由得驚駭得叫出聲來。她的面孔是極為奇怪的鉛灰色，完全沒有絲毫表情。一瞬間，這個謎就揭開了。福爾摩斯笑了笑，把手伸到這孩子耳後，一個假面具從她臉上掉下來，原來她是一個小黑炭一樣的黑人女孩，看到我們驚駭的面容，高興得露出了一排白牙齒。看到她那滑稽的樣子，我也不禁大笑起來。可是格蘭特·芒羅卻一隻手按着自己的喉嚨，站在那裏呆呆地望着。
“我的天哪！”他大聲喊道，”這是怎麽回事？”
“我告訴你這是怎麽回事，”他妻子面容堅定而自豪地掃視了屋內的人一眼，說道，“你強迫我違反我的意志告訴你，現在我們兩個人必須求得一個妥善的辦法。我的丈夫死在亞特蘭大，可是孩子還活着。”
“你的孩子？”
她從懷裏取出一個大銀盒說道：
“你從未見它打開過吧。”
“我以為它打不開呢。”
她按了一下彈簧，盒蓋立即打開。裏面是一張男人的肖像，清秀英俊，溫文爾雅，可是他的面貌卻明顯具有非洲血統的特徵。
“這是亞特蘭大的約翰·赫伯竜，”夫人說道，“世上再沒有比他更高尚的人了。我為了要嫁給他，與我的同種人隔絶了，不過他在世的時候我一時一刻也沒後悔過。不幸的是，我們唯一的孩子，竟承受了她祖先的血統而不象我。因為白人和黑人通婚，往往有這種情形。小露西竟比她父親還要黑得多。不管黑白，她畢竟是我自己親愛的小女兒，是母親的小寶貝兒。”聽到這些話，小傢夥跑過去偎依在女人身旁。”僅僅是因為她的身體不健康，換了水土可能對她有害，我纔把她交給我們以前的僕人，一個忠誠的蘇格蘭女人撫養。我從未想到遺棄我的孩子。可是自從遇到了你，傑剋，並且知道我愛上了你，我不敢把我有小孩的事對你說，上帝原諒我，我怕我會失掉你，所以就沒有勇氣告訴你。我衹有在你們二人中選一個，我這懦弱的人哪，終於捨棄了我的小女孩，選中了你。三年來我一直嚮你隱瞞了這件事，可是我經常從保姆那裏得到消息，知道她一切都很好。然而，我終於遏製不住想見見孩子的願望。我雖然一再壓抑這種願望，可是無濟無事。我知道有危險，也决心讓孩子來，那怕是幾個星期也好。於是我給保姆寄去一百鎊，告訴她這裏有所小別墅，她可以來和我住鄰居，而我根本無需出面和她聯繫。我甚至囑咐她白天不讓孩子到外面去，並且把孩子的臉和手都掩蓋住，即使有人從窗外看到她，也不會産生流言蜚語，說鄰宅有一個小黑人。假使我不是過於小心，也可能做得不這麽蠢了。因為我怕你看出真情，反而有些發昏了。
“是你首先告訴我這個小別墅有人住了，我本應等到早晨，可是我激動得睡不着，因為我知道你很難驚醒，所以就溜了出去。不料被你看到了，於是我開始碰到了麻煩。第二天你察覺了我的秘密，可是你寬宏大量，沒有追究。三天以後，你從前門闖進去，保姆和孩子卻從後門逃走了。今天晚上終於真情大白，請問你打算怎樣處理我和孩子呢？”她握緊雙手，等待着回答。
這樣過了十幾分鐘，格蘭特·芒羅打破了沉默。他的回答給我留下了愉快的回憶。他抱起孩子，吻吻她，然後，一手抱着孩子，一手輓着妻子，轉身嚮門口走去。
“我們可以回傢去從容商量嘛，”他說道，“我雖然不是聖人，艾菲，可是我想，總比你所想象的要好一些。”
福爾摩斯和我隨他走出那條小路，這時，我的朋友拉了拉我的衣袖。
“我想，”他說道，“我們還是回倫敦去，這比在諾伯裏更有用些。”
這整晚他對本案再也沒提起過，直到他最後拿着點燃的蠟燭走回臥室時纔說：
“華生，如果以後你覺得我過於自信我的能力，或在辦一件案子時下的功夫不夠，請你最好在我耳旁輕輕說一聲'諾伯裏'，那我一定會感激不盡的。”
Sherlock Holmes was a man who seldom took exercise for exercise's sake. Few men were capable of greater muscular effort, and he was undoubtedly one of the finest boxers of his weight that I have ever seen; but he looked upon aimless bodily exertion as a waste of energy, and he seldom bestirred himself save when there was some professional object to be served. Then he was absolutely untiring and indefatigable. That he should have kept himself in training under such circumstances is remarkable, but his diet was usually of the sparest, and his habits were simple to the verge of austerity. Save for the occasional use of cocaine, he had no vices, and he only turned to the drug as a protest against the monotony of existence when cases were scanty and the papers uninteresting.
One day in early spring he had so far relaxed as to go for a walk with me in the Park, where the first faint shoots of green were breaking out upon the elms, and the sticky spear-heads of the chestnuts were just beginning to burst into their five-fold leaves. For two hours we rambled about together, in silence for the most part, as befits two men who know each other intimately. It was nearly five before we were back in Baker Street once more.
"Beg pardon, sir," said our page-boy, as he opened the door. "There's been a gentleman here asking for you, sir."
Holmes glanced reproachfully at me. "So much for afternoon walks!" said he. "Has this gentleman gone, then?"
"Yes, sir."
"Didn't you ask him in?"
"Yes, sir; he came in."
"How long did he wait?"
"Half an hour, sir. He was a very restless gentleman, sir, a-walkin' and a-stampin' all the time he was here. I was waitin' outside the door, sir, and I could hear him. At last he outs into the passage, and he cries, 'Is that man never goin' to come?' Those were his very words, sir. 'You'll only need to wait a little longer,' says I. 'Then I'll wait in the open air, for I feel half choked,' says he. 'I'll be back before long.' And with that he ups and he outs, and all I could say wouldn't hold him back."
"Well, well, you did your best," said Holmes, as we walked into our room. "It's very annoying, though, Watson. I was badly in need of a case, and this looks, from the man's impatience, as if it were of importance. Hullo! That's not your pipe on the table. He must have left his behind him. A nice old brier with a good long stem of what the tobacconists call amber. I wonder how many real amber mouthpieces there are in London? Some people think that a fly in it is a sign. Well, he must have been disturbed in his mind to leave a pipe behind him which he evidently values highly."
"How do you know that he values it highly?" I asked.
"Well, I should put the original cost of the pipe at seven and sixpence. Now it has, you see, been twice mended, once in the wooden stem and once in the amber. Each of these mends, done, as you observe, with silver bands, must have cost more than the pipe did originally. The man must value the pipe highly when he prefers to patch it up rather than buy a new one with the same money."
"Anything else?" I asked, for Holmes was turning the pipe about in his hand, and staring at it in his peculiar pensive way.
He held it up and tapped on it with his long, thin fore-finger, as a professor might who was lecturing on a bone.
"Pipes are occasionally of extraordinary interest," said he. "Nothing has more individuality, save perhaps watches and bootlaces. The indications here, however, are neither very marked nor very important. The owner is obviously a muscular man, left-handed, with an excellent set of teeth, careless in his habits, and with no need to practise economy."
My friend threw out the information in a very offhand way, but I saw that he cocked his eye at me to see if I had followed his reasoning.
"You think a man must be well-to-do if he smokes a seven-shilling pipe," said I.
"This is Grosvenor mixture at eightpence an ounce," Holmes answered, knocking a little out on his palm. "As he might get an excellent smoke for half the price, he has no need to practise economy."
"And the other points?"
"He has been in the habit of lighting his pipe at lamps and gas-jets. You can see that it is quite charred all down one side. Of course a match could not have done that. Why should a man hold a match to the side of his pipe? But you cannot light it at a lamp without getting the bowl charred. And it is all on the right side of the pipe. From that I gather that he is a left-handed man. You hold your own pipe to the lamp, and see how naturally you, being right-handed, hold the left side to the flame. You might do it once the other way, but not as a constancy. This has always been held so. Then he has bitten through his amber. It takes a muscular, energetic fellow, and one with a good set of teeth, to do that. But if I am not mistaken I hear him upon the stair, so we shall have something more interesting than his pipe to study."
An instant later our door opened, and a tall young man entered the room. He was well but quietly dressed in a dark-gray suit, and carried a brown wide-awake in his hand. I should have put him at about thirty, though he was really some years older.
"I beg your pardon," said he, with some embarrassment; "I suppose I should have knocked. Yes, of course I should have knocked. The fact is that I am a little upset, and you must put it all down to that." He passed his hand over his forehead like a man who is half dazed, and then fell rather than sat down upon a chair.
"I can see that you have not slept for a night or two," said Holmes, in his easy, genial way. "That tries a man's nerves more than work, and more even than pleasure. May I ask how I can help you?"
"I wanted your advice, sir. I don't know what to do and my whole life seems to have gone to pieces."
"You wish to employ me as a consulting detective?"
"Not that only. I want your opinion as a judicious man--as a man of the world. I want to know what I ought to do next. I hope to God you'll be able to tell me."
He spoke in little, sharp, jerky outbursts, and it seemed to me that to speak at all was very painful to him, and that his will all through was overriding his inclinations.
"It's a very delicate thing," said he. "One does not like to speak of one's domestic affairs to strangers. It seems dreadful to discuss the conduct of one's wife with two men whom I have never seen before. It's horrible to have to do it. But I've got to the end of my tether, and I must have advice."
"My dear Mr. Grant Munro--" began Holmes.
Our visitor sprang from his chair. "What!" he cried, "you know my name?"
"If you wish to preserve your incognito," said Holmes, smiling, "I would suggest that you cease to write your name upon the lining of your hat, or else that you turn the crown towards the person whom you are addressing. I was about to say that my friend and I have listened to a good many strange secrets in this room, and that we have had the good fortune to bring peace to many troubled souls. I trust that we may do as much for you. Might I beg you, as time may prove to be of importance, to furnish me with the facts of your case without further delay?"
Our visitor again passed his hand over his forehead, as if he found it bitterly hard. From every gesture and expression I could see that he was a reserved, self-contained man, with a dash of pride in his nature, more likely to hide his wounds than to expose them. Then suddenly, with a fierce gesture of his closed hand, like one who throws reserve to the winds, he began.
"The facts are these, Mr. Holmes," said he. "I am a married man, and have been so for three years. During that time my wife and I have loved each other as fondly and lived as happily as any two that ever were joined. We have not had a difference, not one, in thought or word or deed. And now, since last Monday, there has suddenly sprung up a barrier between us, and I find that there is something in her life and in her thought of which I know as little as if she were the woman who brushes by me in the street. We are estranged, and I want to know why.
"Now there is one thing that I want to impress upon you before I go any further, Mr. Holmes. Effie loves me. Don't let there be any mistake about that. She loves me with her whole heart and soul, and never more than now. I know it. I feel it. I don't want to argue about that. A man can tell easily enough when a woman loves him. But there's this secret between us, and we can never be the same until it is cleared."
"Kindly let me have the facts, Mr. Munro," said Holmes, with some impatience.
"I'll tell you what I know about Effie's history. She was a widow when I met her first, though quite young--only twenty-five. Her name then was Mrs. Hebron. She went out to America when she was young, and lived in the town of Atlanta, where she married this Hebron, who was a lawyer with a good practice. They had one child, but the yellow fever broke out badly in the place, and both husband and child died of it. I have seen his death certificate. This sickened her of America, and she came back to live with a maiden aunt at Pinner, in Middlesex. I may mention that her husband had left her comfortably off, and that she had a capital of about four thousand five hundred pounds, which had been so well invested by him that it returned an average of seven per cent. She had only been six months at Pinner when I met her; we fell in love with each other, and we married a few weeks afterwards.
"I am a hop merchant myself, and as I have an income of seven or eight hundred, we found ourselves comfortably off, and took a nice eighty-pound-a-year villa at Norbury. Our little place was very countrified, considering that it is so close to town. We had an inn and two houses a little above us, and a single cottage at the other side of the field which faces us, and except those there were no houses until you got half way to the station. My business took me into town at certain seasons, but in summer I had less to do, and then in our country home my wife and I were just as happy as could be wished. I tell you that there never was a shadow between us until this accursed affair began.
"There's one thing I ought to tell you before I go further. When we married, my wife made over all her property to me--rather against my will, for I saw how awkward it would be if my business affairs went wrong. However, she would have it so, and it was done. Well, about six weeks ago she came to me.
"'Jack,' said she, 'when you took my money you said that if ever I wanted any I was to ask you for it.'
"'Certainly,' said I. 'It's all your own.'
"'Well,' said she, 'I want a hundred pounds.'
"I was a bit staggered at this, for I had imagined it was simply a new dress or something of the kind that she was after.
"'What on earth for?' I asked.
"'Oh,' said she, in her playful way, 'you said that you were only my banker, and bankers never ask questions, you know.'
"'If you really mean it, of course you shall have the money,' said I.
"'Oh, yes, I really mean it.'
"'And you won't tell me what you want it for?'
"'Some day, perhaps, but not just at present, Jack.'
"So I had to be content with that, though it was the first time that there had ever been any secret between us. I gave her a check, and I never thought any more of the matter. It may have nothing to do with what came afterwards, but I thought it only right to mention it.
"Well, I told you just now that there is a cottage not far from our house. There is just a field between us, but to reach it you have to go along the road and then turn down a lane. Just beyond it is a nice little grove of Scotch firs, and I used to be very fond of strolling down there, for trees are always a neighborly kind of things. The cottage had been standing empty this eight months, and it was a pity, for it was a pretty two-storied place, with an old-fashioned porch and honeysuckle about it. I have stood many a time and thought what a neat little homestead it would make.
"Well, last Monday evening I was taking a stroll down that way, when I met an empty van coming up the lane, and saw a pile of carpets and things lying about on the grass-plot beside the porch. It was clear that the cottage had at last been let. I walked past it, and wondered what sort of folk they were who had come to live so near us. And as I looked I suddenly became aware that a face was watching me out of one of the upper windows.
"I don't know what there was about that face, Mr. Holmes, but it seemed to send a chill right down my back. I was some little way off, so that I could not make out the features, but there was something unnatural and inhuman about the face. That was the impression that I had, and I moved quickly forwards to get a nearer view of the person who was watching me. But as I did so the face suddenly disappeared, so suddenly that it seemed to have been plucked away into the darkness of the room. I stood for five minutes thinking the business over, and trying to analyze my impressions. I could not tell if the face were that of a man or a woman. It had been too far from me for that. But its color was what had impressed me most. It was of a livid chalky white, and with something set and rigid about it which was shockingly unnatural. So disturbed was I that I determined to see a little more of the new inmates of the cottage. I approached and knocked at the door, which was instantly opened by a tall, gaunt woman with a harsh, forbidding face.
"'What may you be wantin'?' she asked, in a Northern accent.
"'I am your neighbor over yonder,' said I, nodding towards my house. 'I see that you have only just moved in, so I thought that if I could be of any help to you in any--'
"'Ay, we'll just ask ye when we want ye,' said she, and shut the door in my face. Annoyed at the churlish rebuff, I turned my back and walked home. All evening, though I tried to think of other things, my mind would still turn to the apparition at the window and the rudeness of the woman. I determined to say nothing about the former to my wife, for she is a nervous, highly strung woman, and I had no wish that she would share the unpleasant impression which had been produced upon myself. I remarked to her, however, before I fell asleep, that the cottage was now occupied, to which she returned no reply.
"I am usually an extremely sound sleeper. It has been a standing jest in the family that nothing could ever wake me during the night. And yet somehow on that particular night, whether it may have been the slight excitement produced by my little adventure or not I know not, but I slept much more lightly than usual. Half in my dreams I was dimly conscious that something was going on in the room, and gradually became aware that my wife had dressed herself and was slipping on her mantle and her bonnet. My lips were parted to murmur out some sleepy words of surprise or remonstrance at this untimely preparation, when suddenly my half-opened eyes fell upon her face, illuminated by the candle-light, and astonishment held me dumb. She wore an expression such as I had never seen before--such as I should have thought her incapable of assuming. She was deadly pale and breathing fast, glancing furtively towards the bed as she fastened her mantle, to see if she had disturbed me. Then, thinking that I was still asleep, she slipped noiselessly from the room, and an instant later I heard a sharp creaking which could only come from the hinges of the front door. I sat up in bed and rapped my knuckles against the rail to make certain that I was truly awake. Then I took my watch from under the pillow. It was three in the morning. What on this earth could my wife be doing out on the country road at three in the morning?
"I had sat for about twenty minutes turning the thing over in my mind and trying to find some possible explanation. The more I thought, the more extraordinary and inexplicable did it appear. I was still puzzling over it when I heard the door gently close again, and her footsteps coming up the stairs.
"'Where in the world have you been, Effie?' I asked as she entered.
"She gave a violent start and a kind of gasping cry when I spoke, and that cry and start troubled me more than all the rest, for there was something indescribably guilty about them. My wife had always been a woman of a frank, open nature, and it gave me a chill to see her slinking into her own room, and crying out and wincing when her own husband spoke to her.
"'You awake, Jack!' she cried, with a nervous laugh. 'Why, I thought that nothing could awake you.'
"'Where have you been?' I asked, more sternly.
"'I don't wonder that you are surprised,' said she, and I could see that her fingers were trembling as she undid the fastenings of her mantle. 'Why, I never remember having done such a thing in my life before. The fact is that I felt as though I were choking, and had a perfect longing for a breath of fresh air. I really think that I should have fainted if I had not gone out. I stood at the door for a few minutes, and now I am quite myself again.'
"All the time that she was telling me this story she never once looked in my direction, and her voice was quite unlike her usual tones. It was evident to me that she was saying what was false. I said nothing in reply, but turned my face to the wall, sick at heart, with my mind filled with a thousand venomous doubts and suspicions. What was it that my wife was concealing from me? Where had she been during that strange expedition? I felt that I should have no peace until I knew, and yet I shrank from asking her again after once she had told me what was false. All the rest of the night I tossed and tumbled, framing theory after theory, each more unlikely than the last.
"I should have gone to the City that day, but I was too disturbed in my mind to be able to pay attention to business matters. My wife seemed to be as upset as myself, and I could see from the little questioning glances which she kept shooting at me that she understood that I disbelieved her statement, and that she was at her wits' end what to do. We hardly exchanged a word during breakfast, and immediately afterwards I went out for a walk, that I might think the matter out in the fresh morning air.
"I went as far as the Crystal Palace, spent an hour in the grounds, and was back in Norbury by one o'clock. It happened that my way took me past the cottage, and I stopped for an instant to look at the windows, and to see if I could catch a glimpse of the strange face which had looked out at me on the day before. As I stood there, imagine my surprise, Mr. Holmes, when the door suddenly opened and my wife walked out.
"I was struck dumb with astonishment at the sight of her; but my emotions were nothing to those which showed themselves upon her face when our eyes met. She seemed for an instant to wish to shrink back inside the house again; and then, seeing how useless all concealment must be, she came forward, with a very white face and frightened eyes which belied the smile upon her lips.
"'Ah, Jack,' she said, 'I have just been in to see if I can be of any assistance to our new neighbors. Why do you look at me like that, Jack? You are not angry with me?'
"'So,' said I, 'this is where you went during the night.'
"'What do you mean?' she cried.
"'You came here. I am sure of it. Who are these people, that you should visit them at such an hour?'
"'I have not been here before.'
"'How can you tell me what you know is false?' I cried. 'Your very voice changes as you speak. When have I ever had a secret from you? I shall enter that cottage, and I shall probe the matter to the bottom.'
"'No, no, Jack, for God's sake!' she gasped, in uncontrollable emotion. Then, as I approached the door, she seized my sleeve and pulled me back with convulsive strength.
"'I implore you not to do this, Jack,' she cried. 'I swear that I will tell you everything some day, but nothing but misery can come of it if you enter that cottage.' Then, as I tried to shake her off, she clung to me in a frenzy of entreaty.
"'Trust me, Jack!' she cried. 'Trust me only this once. You will never have cause to regret it. You know that I would not have a secret from you if it were not for your own sake. Our whole lives are at stake in this. If you come home with me, all will be well. If you force your way into that cottage, all is over between us.'
"There was such earnestness, such despair, in her manner that her words arrested me, and I stood irresolute before the door.
"'I will trust you on one condition, and on one condition only,' said I at last. 'It is that this mystery comes to an end from now. You are at liberty to preserve your secret, but you must promise me that there shall be no more nightly visits, no more doings which are kept from my knowledge. I am willing to forget those which are passed if you will promise that there shall be no more in the future.'
"'I was sure that you would trust me,' she cried, with a great sigh of relief. 'It shall be just as you wish. Come away--oh, come away up to the house.'
"Still pulling at my sleeve, she led me away from the cottage. As we went I glanced back, and there was that yellow livid face watching us out of the upper window. What link could there be between that creature and my wife? Or how could the coarse, rough woman whom I had seen the day before be connected with her? It was a strange puzzle, and yet I knew that my mind could never know ease again until I had solved it.
"For two days after this I stayed at home, and my wife appeared to abide loyally by our engagement, for, as far as I know, she never stirred out of the house. On the third day, however, I had ample evidence that her solemn promise was not enough to hold her back from this secret influence which drew her away from her husband and her duty.
"I had gone into town on that day, but I returned by the 2.40 instead of the 3.36, which is my usual train. As I entered the house the maid ran into the hall with a startled face.
"'Where is your mistress?' I asked.
"'I think that she has gone out for a walk,' she answered.
"My mind was instantly filled with suspicion. I rushed upstairs to make sure that she was not in the house. As I did so I happened to glance out of one of the upper windows, and saw the maid with whom I had just been speaking running across the field in the direction of the cottage. Then of course I saw exactly what it all meant. My wife had gone over there, and had asked the servant to call her if I should return. Tingling with anger, I rushed down and hurried across, determined to end the matter once and forever. I saw my wife and the maid hurrying back along the lane, but I did not stop to speak with them. In the cottage lay the secret which was casting a shadow over my life. I vowed that, come what might, it should be a secret no longer. I did not even knock when I reached it, but turned the handle and rushed into the passage.
"It was all still and quiet upon the ground floor. In the kitchen a kettle was singing on the fire, and a large black cat lay coiled up in the basket; but there was no sign of the woman whom I had seen before. I ran into the other room, but it was equally deserted. Then I rushed up the stairs, only to find two other rooms empty and deserted at the top. There was no one at all in the whole house. The furniture and pictures were of the most common and vulgar description, save in the one chamber at the window of which I had seen the strange face. That was comfortable and elegant, and all my suspicions rose into a fierce bitter flame when I saw that on the mantelpiece stood a copy of a full-length photograph of my wife, which had been taken at my request only three months ago.
"I stayed long enough to make certain that the house was absolutely empty. Then I left it, feeling a weight at my heart such as I had never had before. My wife came out into the hall as I entered my house; but I was too hurt and angry to speak with her, and pushing past her, I made my way into my study. She followed me, however, before I could close the door.
"'I am sorry that I broke my promise, Jack,' said she; 'but if you knew all the circumstances I am sure that you would forgive me.'
"'Tell me everything, then,' said I.
"'I cannot, Jack, I cannot,' she cried.
"'Until you tell me who it is that has been living in that cottage, and who it is to whom you have given that photograph, there can never be any confidence between us,' said I, and breaking away from her, I left the house. That was yesterday, Mr. Holmes, and I have not seen her since, nor do I know anything more about this strange business. It is the first shadow that has come between us, and it has so shaken me that I do not know what I should do for the best. Suddenly this morning it occurred to me that you were the man to advise me, so I have hurried to you now, and I place myself unreservedly in your hands. If there is any point which I have not made clear, pray question me about it. But, above all, tell me quickly what I am to do, for this misery is more than I can bear."
Holmes and I had listened with the utmost interest to this extraordinary statement, which had been delivered in the jerky, broken fashion of a man who is under the influence of extreme emotions. My companion sat silent for some time, with his chin upon his hand, lost in thought.
"Tell me," said he at last, "could you swear that this was a man's face which you saw at the window?"
"Each time that I saw it I was some distance away from it, so that it is impossible for me to say."
"You appear, however, to have been disagreeably impressed by it."
"It seemed to be of an unnatural color, and to have a strange rigidity about the features. When I approached, it vanished with a jerk."
"How long is it since your wife asked you for a hundred pounds?"
"Nearly two months."
"Have you ever seen a photograph of her first husband?"
"No; there was a great fire at Atlanta very shortly after his death, and all her papers were destroyed."
"And yet she had a certificate of death. You say that you saw it."
"Yes; she got a duplicate after the fire."
"Did you ever meet any one who knew her in America?"
"No."
"Did she ever talk of revisiting the place?"
"No."
"Or get letters from it?"
"No."
"Thank you. I should like to think over the matter a little now. If the cottage is now permanently deserted we may have some difficulty. If, on the other hand, as I fancy is more likely, the inmates were warned of your coming, and left before you entered yesterday, then they may be back now, and we should clear it all up easily. Let me advise you, then, to return to Norbury, and to examine the windows of the cottage again. If you have reason to believe that it is inhabited, do not force your way in, but send a wire to my friend and me. We shall be with you within an hour of receiving it, and we shall then very soon get to the bottom of the business."
"And if it is still empty?"
"In that case I shall come out to-morrow and talk it over with you. Good-by; and, above all, do not fret until you know that you really have a cause for it."
"I am afraid that this is a bad business, Watson," said my companion, as he returned after accompanying Mr. Grant Munro to the door. "What do you make of it?"
"It had an ugly sound," I answered.
"Yes. There's blackmail in it, or I am much mistaken."
"And who is the blackmailer?"
"Well, it must be the creature who lives in the only comfortable room in the place, and has her photograph above his fireplace. Upon my word, Watson, there is something very attractive about that livid face at the window, and I would not have missed the case for worlds."
"You have a theory?"
"Yes, a provisional one. But I shall be surprised if it does not turn out to be correct. This woman's first husband is in that cottage."
"Why do you think so?"
"How else can we explain her frenzied anxiety that her second one should not enter it? The facts, as I read them, are something like this: This woman was married in America. Her husband developed some hateful qualities; or shall we say that he contracted some loathsome disease, and became a leper or an imbecile? She flies from him at last, returns to England, changes her name, and starts her life, as she thinks, afresh. She has been married three years, and believes that her position is quite secure, having shown her husband the death certificate of some man whose name she has assumed, when suddenly her whereabouts is discovered by her first husband; or, we may suppose, by some unscrupulous woman who has attached herself to the invalid. They write to the wife, and threaten to come and expose her. She asks for a hundred pounds, and endeavors to buy them off. They come in spite of it, and when the husband mentions casually to the wife that there are new-comers in the cottage, she knows in some way that they are her pursuers. She waits until her husband is asleep, and then she rushes down to endeavor to persuade them to leave her in peace. Having no success, she goes again next morning, and her husband meets her, as he has told us, as she comes out. She promises him then not to go there again, but two days afterwards the hope of getting rid of those dreadful neighbors was too strong for her, and she made another attempt, taking down with her the photograph which had probably been demanded from her. In the midst of this interview the maid rushed in to say that the master had come home, on which the wife, knowing that he would come straight down to the cottage, hurried the inmates out at the back door, into the grove of fir-trees, probably, which was mentioned as standing near. In this way he found the place deserted. I shall be very much surprised, however, if it is still so when he reconnoitres it this evening. What do you think of my theory?"
"It is all surmise."
"But at least it covers all the facts. When new facts come to our knowledge which cannot be covered by it, it will be time enough to reconsider it. We can do nothing more until we have a message from our friend at Norbury."
But we had not a very long time to wait for that. It came just as we had finished our tea. "The cottage is still tenanted," it said. "Have seen the face again at the window. Will meet the seven o'clock train, and will take no steps until you arrive."
He was waiting on the platform when we stepped out, and we could see in the light of the station lamps that he was very pale, and quivering with agitation.
"They are still there, Mr. Holmes," said he, laying his hand hard upon my friend's sleeve. "I saw lights in the cottage as I came down. We shall settle it now once and for all."
"What is your plan, then?" asked Holmes, as he walked down the dark tree-lined road.
"I am going to force my way in and see for myself who is in the house. I wish you both to be there as witnesses."
"You are quite determined to do this, in spite of your wife's warning that it is better that you should not solve the mystery?"
"Yes, I am determined."
"Well, I think that you are in the right. Any truth is better than indefinite doubt. We had better go up at once. Of course, legally, we are putting ourselves hopelessly in the wrong; but I think that it is worth it."
It was a very dark night, and a thin rain began to fall as we turned from the high road into a narrow lane, deeply rutted, with hedges on either side. Mr. Grant Munro pushed impatiently forward, however, and we stumbled after him as best we could.
"There are the lights of my house," he murmured, pointing to a glimmer among the trees. "And here is the cottage which I am going to enter."
We turned a corner in the lane as he spoke, and there was the building close beside us. A yellow bar falling across the black foreground showed that the door was not quite closed, and one window in the upper story was brightly illuminated. As we looked, we saw a dark blur moving across the blind.
"There is that creature!" cried Grant Munro. "You can see for yourselves that some one is there. Now follow me, and we shall soon know all."
We approached the door; but suddenly a woman appeared out of the shadow and stood in the golden track of the lamp-light. I could not see her face in the darkness, but her arms were thrown out in an attitude of entreaty.
"For God's sake, don't Jack!" she cried. "I had a presentiment that you would come this evening. Think better of it, dear! Trust me again, and you will never have cause to regret it."
"I have trusted you too long, Effie," he cried, sternly. "Leave go of me! I must pass you. My friends and I are going to settle this matter once and forever!" He pushed her to one side, and we followed closely after him. As he threw the door open an old woman ran out in front of him and tried to bar his passage, but he thrust her back, and an instant afterwards we were all upon the stairs. Grant Munro rushed into the lighted room at the top, and we entered at his heels.
It was a cosey, well-furnished apartment, with two candles burning upon the table and two upon the mantelpiece. In the corner, stooping over a desk, there sat what appeared to be a little girl. Her face was turned away as we entered, but we could see that she was dressed in a red frock, and that she had long white gloves on. As she whisked round to us, I gave a cry of surprise and horror. The face which she turned towards us was of the strangest livid tint, and the features were absolutely devoid of any expression. An instant later the mystery was explained. Holmes, with a laugh, passed his hand behind the child's ear, a mask peeled off from her countenance, and there was a little coal black negress, with all her white teeth flashing in amusement at our amazed faces. I burst out laughing, out of sympathy with her merriment; but Grant Munro stood staring, with his hand clutching his throat.
"My God!" he cried. "What can be the meaning of this?"
"I will tell you the meaning of it," cried the lady, sweeping into the room with a proud, set face. "You have forced me, against my own judgment, to tell you, and now we must both make the best of it. My husband died at Atlanta. My child survived."
"Your child?"
She drew a large silver locket from her bosom. "You have never seen this open."
"I understood that it did not open."
She touched a spring, and the front hinged back. There was a portrait within of a man strikingly handsome and intelligent-looking, but bearing unmistakable signs upon his features of his African descent.
"That is John Hebron, of Atlanta," said the lady, "and a nobler man never walked the earth. I cut myself off from my race in order to wed him, but never once while he lived did I for an instant regret it. It was our misfortune that our only child took after his people rather than mine. It is often so in such matches, and little Lucy is darker far than ever her father was. But dark or fair, she is my own dear little girlie, and her mother's pet." The little creature ran across at the words and nestled up against the lady's dress. "When I left her in America," she continued, "it was only because her health was weak, and the change might have done her harm. She was given to the care of a faithful Scotch woman who had once been our servant. Never for an instant did I dream of disowning her as my child. But when chance threw you in my way, Jack, and I learned to love you, I feared to tell you about my child. God forgive me, I feared that I should lose you, and I had not the courage to tell you. I had to choose between you, and in my weakness I turned away from my own little girl. For three years I have kept her existence a secret from you, but I heard from the nurse, and I knew that all was well with her. At last, however, there came an overwhelming desire to see the child once more. I struggled against it, but in vain. Though I knew the danger, I determined to have the child over, if it were but for a few weeks. I sent a hundred pounds to the nurse, and I gave her instructions about this cottage, so that she might come as a neighbor, without my appearing to be in any way connected with her. I pushed my precautions so far as to order her to keep the child in the house during the daytime, and to cover up her little face and hands so that even those who might see her at the window should not gossip about there being a black child in the neighborhood. If I had been less cautious I might have been more wise, but I was half crazy with fear that you should learn the truth.
"It was you who told me first that the cottage was occupied. I should have waited for the morning, but I could not sleep for excitement, and so at last I slipped out, knowing how difficult it is to awake you. But you saw me go, and that was the beginning of my troubles. Next day you had my secret at your mercy, but you nobly refrained from pursuing your advantage. Three days later, however, the nurse and child only just escaped from the back door as you rushed in at the front one. And now to-night you at last know all, and I ask you what is to become of us, my child and me?" She clasped her hands and waited for an answer.
It was a long ten minutes before Grant Munro broke the silence, and when his answer came it was one of which I love to think. He lifted the little child, kissed her, and then, still carrying her, he held his other hand out to his wife and turned towards the door.
"We can talk it over more comfortably at home," said he. "I am not a very good man, Effie, but I think that I am a better one than you have given me credit for being."
Holmes and I followed them down the lane, and my friend plucked at my sleeve as we came out.
"I think," said he, "that we shall be of more use in London than in Norbury."
Not another word did he say of the case until late that night, when he was turning away, with his lighted candle, for his bedroom.
"Watson," said he, "if it should ever strike you that I am getting a little over-confident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper 'Norbury' in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you."
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