“ zài xíng shì zhuān jiā kàn lái， ” fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng shuō，“ zì cóng mò lǐ yà dì jiào shòu sǐ liǎo yǐ hòu， lún dūn biàn chéng liǎo yī zuò shí fēn fá wèi de chéng shì。”
　　“ wǒ bù rèn wéi huì yòu hěn duō zhèng pài de shì mín tóng yì nǐ de kàn fǎ，” wǒ huí dá shuō。
　　“ duì， duì， wǒ bù yīnggāi zì sī，” tā xiào zhe shuō， yī miàn bǎ tā de yǐ zǐ cóng cān zhuō bàng nuó kāi，“ dāng rán zhè duì shè huì yòu hǎo chù， chú liǎo kě lián de zhuān jiā wú shì kě zuò yǐ wài， shuí yě méi shòu sǔn shī。 zài nà gè jiā huǒ hái huó dòng de shí hòu， nǐ kě yǐ zài měi tiān de zǎo bào shàng kàn chū dà liàng kě néng fā shēng de qíng kuàng。 ér qiě， huá shēng， cháng cháng zhǐ shì yī diǎn jí xiǎo de xiàn suǒ， yī gè zuì mó hú de jì xiàng， jiù zú yǐ gào sù wǒ zhè gè 'è dú de fěi shǒu zài shénme dì fāng； rú tóng zhū wǎng de biān yuán shāo yòu chàn dòng， jiù shǐ nǐ xiǎng dào qián fú zài wǎng zhōng yāng de nà zhǐ kěwù de zhī zhū。 duì zhǎng wò xiàn suǒ de rén lái shuō， yī qiē xiǎo de dào qiè xíng wéi、 rèn yì de bào xíng、 yì tú bù míng de chěng xiōng， dōukě yǐ lián chéng yī gè zhěng tǐ。 duì yī gè yán jiū shàng céng de xué zhě lái shuō， ōu zhōu bié de shǒu dū méi yòu jù bèi guò xiàng lún dūn dāng shí suǒ jù yòu de nà xiē yòu lì tiáo jiàn。 kě shì， xiàn zài ……” tā sǒng liǎo sǒng jiān， hěn yōu mò dì biǎo shì duì tā zì jǐ huā liǎo bù shǎo qì lì zào chéng de xiàn zhuàng bù mǎn。
　　 wǒ xiàn zài tán dào de nà gè shí hòu， fú 'ěr mó sī huí guó yǐ jīng jǐ gè yuè liǎo。 wǒ yǐ zhe tā de qǐng qiú， chū ràng liǎo wǒ de zhěn suǒ， bān huí bèi kè jiē wǒ men hé zhù guò de jiù yù suǒ。 yòu gè xìng fú nà de nián qīng yī shēng mǎi liǎo wǒ zài kěn xīn dùn kāi de xiǎo zhěn suǒ， tā bàn diǎn yě méi yóu yù jiù zhào wǒ mào mèi tí chū de zuì gāo jià fù liǎo qián， shǐ wǒ gǎn dào qí guài。 jǐ nián yǐ hòu， wǒ fā xiàn fú nà shì fú 'ěr mó sī de yuǎn qīn， qián shí jì shàng shì tā chóu cuò de， zhè cái míng bái guò lái。
　　 zài wǒ men hé zuò de nà jǐ gè yuè lǐ， rì zǐ guò dé bìng bù xiàng tā suǒ shuō de nà yàng píng dàn wú qí。 yīn wéi wǒ dà zhì fān kàn liǎo yī xià wǒ de bǐ jì， jiù zhǎo chū liǎo zài zhè gè shí qǐ fā shēng de qián mù lǐ luó zǒng tǒng wén jiàn 'àn hé hé lán lún chuán“ fú lǐ sī lán” hào de jīng rén shì jiàn， hòu zhě chàdiǎn shǐ wǒ men liǎng rén sàng shī xìng mìng。 bù guò tā nà zhǒng lěng jìng、 zì zhòng de xìng gé， yī xiàng bù xǐ huān rèn hé xíng shì de gōng kāi zàn yáng。 tā yǐ zuì yán gé de guī dìng lái yuē shù wǒ bù zài shuō yī jù yòu guān tā běn rén、 tā de fāng fǎ huò shì tā de chéng gōng de huà。 wǒ yǐ jīng jiě shì guò liǎo， zhè xiàng jìn lìng zhǐ shì dào xiàn zài cái bèi chè xiāo。
　　 fā wán nà yī tōng gǔ guài de yì lùn zhī hòu， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng wǎng yǐ zǐ bèi shàng yī kào， yōu xián dì dǎ kāi dāng tiān de zǎo bào， zhè shí yī zhèn xià rén de mén líng shēng yǐn qǐ liǎo wǒ men de zhù yì， jǐn gēn zhe yī zhèn dōng dōng de qiāo mén shēng， xiàng shì shénme rén zài yòng quán tóu chuí dǎ dà mén。 mén kāi liǎo， wǒ tīng jiàn yòu rén chōng jìn guò dào hé shàng lóu tī de jí cù de jiǎo bù shēng。 méi guò yī huì 'ér， yī gè liǎn sè cāng bái、 tóu fā sǎnluàn de nián qīng rén， fā kuáng sì dì chuǎng jìn wū lái。 tā liǎng yǎn chōng mǎn liǎo jī fèn， quán shēn dōuzài chàn dǒu。 tā lái huí kàn liǎo kàn wǒ men liǎng gè。 zài wǒ men yí wèn mù guāng de zhù shì xià， tā gǎn dào yòu bì yào wèitā zhè yàng wú lǐ dì chuǎng jìn lái biǎo shì yī xià qiàn yì。
　　“ duì bù qǐ， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng，” tā dà shēng shuō，“ nín bù yào zé guài wǒ， wǒ jīhū yào fēng liǎo。 fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， wǒ jiù shì nà gè dǎo méi de yuē hàn · hè kè tuō · mài kè fǎ lán。”
　　 tā zuò liǎo zhè yàng de zì wǒ jiè shào， sì hū zhǐ yào yī tí tā de xìng míng， jiù kě yǐ jiě shì tā de fǎng wèn hé fǎng wèn de fāng shì； dàn shì cóng wǒ tóng bàn háo wú fǎn yìng de liǎn shàng， wǒ néng kàn chū zhè gè xìng míng duì tā hé wǒdōu yī yàng bù shuō míng shénme。
　　“ chōu zhī yān bā， mài kè fǎ lán xiān shēng，” tā shuō zhe bǎ yān hé dì guò qù，“ wǒ xiāng xìn wǒ de péng yǒu huá shēng yī shēng huì gēn jù zhèng zhuàng gěi nǐ kāi yī zhāng zhèn dìng jì de chǔfāng。 zuì jìn zhè jǐ tiān tiān qì zhēn gòu rè de。 xiàn zài rú guǒ nǐ gǎn dào xīn dìng liǎo xiē， qǐng zài nà bǎ yǐ zǐ shàng zuò xià lái， màn màn dì gào sù wǒ men nǐ shì shuí， yòu shénme shì zhǎo wǒ。 nǐ zhǐ jiǎng liǎo nǐ de míng zì， hǎo xiàng wǒ yīnggāi rèn dé nǐ， kě shì chú liǎo nǐ shì gè dān shēn hàn、 lǜ shī、 gòng jì huì huì yuán、 xiào chuǎn bìng huàn zhě zhè xiē xiǎn 'ér yì jiàn de shì shí yǐ wài， què shí wǒ duì nǐ yī diǎn yě bù liǎo jiě。”
　　 yóu yú wǒ shú xī wǒ péng yǒu de fāng fǎ， wǒ hěn róng yì lǐng huì tā de tuī lǐ， bìng qiě kàn chū shì zhè wèi nián qīng rén de bù xiū biān fú、 suí shēn dài de nà yī zhá wén jiàn、 tā biǎo liàn shàng de hù shēn fú hé tā chuǎn qǐ de shēng yīn shǐ fú 'ěr mó sī zuò chū liǎo zhè xiē tuī cè。 kě shì zhè wèi nián qīng de wěi tuō rén jīng dé mù dèng kǒu dāi。
　　“ bù cuò， nín shuō de jiù shì wǒ。 chú cǐ yǐ wài， wǒ xiàn zài hái shì quán lún dūn zuì bù xìng de rén。 kàn zài lǎo tiān de fèn shàng， nín bié bù guǎn wǒ， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。 yào shì zài wǒ méi yòu bǎ huà jiǎng wán yǐ qián tā men lái dài bǔ wǒ de huà， wù bì qǐng nín gào sù tā men gěi wǒ shí jiān bǎ quán bù shì shí gào sù nín。 zhǐ yào wǒ zhī dào yòu nín zài wài miàn wèiwǒ bēn zǒu， wǒ kě yǐ gāo gāo xīng xīng dì zǒu jìn jiān yù。”
　　“ dài bǔ nǐ！” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ zhè de què tài…… tài yòu yì sī liǎo。 nà nǐ huì yīn wèishénme zuì bèi dài bǔ ní？”
　　“ móu shā xià nuò wǔ dé de yuē nà sī · ào dé kè xiān shēng。”
　　 zài wǒ tóng bàn fù yú biǎo qíng de liǎn shàng， lù chū yī zhǒng sì hū duō shǎo dài diǎn mǎn yì de tóng qíng。
　　“ ā，” tā shuō，“ gāng cái chī zǎo fàn de shí hòu， wǒ hái duì wǒ de péng yǒu huá shēng yī shēng shuō yī qiē hōng dòng shè huì de 'àn zǐ yǐ jīng cóng bào shàng xiāo shī liǎo ní。”
　　 wǒ men de kè rén shēn chū yī zhǐ chàn dǒu de shǒu bǎ réng zài fú 'ěr mó sī xī gài shàng fàng zhe de《 měi rì diàn xùn bào》 ná qǐ lái。
　　“ yào shì nín kàn guò zhè fèn bào de huà， xiān shēng， nà nín yī yǎn jiù néng kàn chū wǒ jīn tiān wèishénme lái zhǎo nín liǎo。 wǒ jué dé hǎo xiàng rén réndōu zài tán lùn zhe wǒ de míng zì hé wǒ de zāi huò。” tā bǎ bào fān dào kān dēng zhòng yào xīn wén de nà yī bǎn。“ jiù zài zhè 'ér。 rú guǒ nín yǔn xǔ de huà， wǒ gěi nín niàn niàn。 nín tīng zhè gè， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。 zhè shì biāo tí： ‘ xià nuò wǔ dé de shén mì 'àn jiàn héng héng zhù míng jiàn zhù shī shī zōng héng héng huái yí wéi móu shā zòng huǒ 'àn héng héng zuì fàn de xiàn suǒ '， nà jiù shì tā men zhèng zài zhuī chá de xiàn suǒ， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。 wǒ zhī dào tā bì rán huì yǐn dào wǒ shēn shàng lái。 wǒ zài lún dūn qiáo zhàn yī xià chē jiù bèi gēn zōng liǎo， tā men zhǐ shì zài děng zhe duì wǒ fā chū dài bǔ zhèng。 zhè huì shǐ wǒ mǔ qīn shāng xīn de héng héng yī dìng huì shǐ tā shāng xīn de！” zài jí dù kǒng jù zhōng， tā shǐ jìn niǔ zhe zì jǐ de shǒu， zài yǐ zǐ shàng lái huí yáo huàng。
　　 wǒ zhù yì kàn liǎo kàn zhè gè bèi kòng xíng xiōng de nán zǐ： tā cháng zhe dàn huáng sè de tóu fā， miàn mào qīng xiù， dàn xiǎn dé shí fēn pí fá， liǎng zhǐ lán sè de yǎn jīng dài zhe jīng kǒng de shén sè， liǎn guā dé jìng guāng， shén jīng zhì de zuǐ chún xiǎn dé yōu róu guǎ duàn。 tā de nián líng dà yuē zài 'èr shí suì zuǒ yòu， yī zhe hé jǔ zhǐ dū xiàng gè shēn shì。 cóng tā de qiǎn sè xià jì wài yī de kǒu dài lǐ lù chū yī juàn qiān zhù guò de zhèng shū， shuō míng liǎo tā de zhí yè。
　　“ zán men dé lì yòng xiàn zài zhè duàn shí jiān，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ huá shēng， qǐng nǐ bǎ bào ná qǐ lái niàn yī niàn gāng cái tán dào de nà yī duàn， hǎo má？”
　　 jiù zài wǒ men de wěi tuō rén yǐn shù guò de dà biāo tí xià miàn， yòu zhè yàng yī duàn dài 'àn shì de xù shù， wǒ zhào zhe niàn dào：
　　“ zuó wǎn shēn yè huò jīn rì líng chén shí， xià nuò wǔ dé fā shēng liǎo yī qǐ yì wài shì jiàn， kǒng xì yán zhòng fàn zuì xíng wéi。 yuē nà sī · ào dé kè xiān shēng wéi gāi jiāo qū pō yòu míng qì zhī jū mín， jīng yíng jiàn zhù yè duō nián， yīn 'ér zhì fù。 ào dé kè xiān shēng xì dú shēn， wǔ shí 'èr suì， zhù xī dēng hǎn lù jìn tóu zhī yōu gǔ shān zhuāng， yǐ xí xìng guài pì chū míng， pǔ sù chén mò guǎ yán， bù 'ài jiāo jì， jìn jǐ nián shí yǐ tuì chū jiàn zhù yè， rán zhái hòu zhī zhù mù chǎng réng zài。 zuó yè shí 'èr diǎn zuǒ yòu， zhù mù chǎng fā chū huǒ jǐng， xiāo fáng chē bù jiǔ jí gǎn zhì xiàn chǎng， dàn yīn mù zào huǒ měng， wú fǎ pū jiù， zhí zhì zhěng duī mù liào shāo jìn shǐ xī。 zhì cǐ， qǐ huǒ yuán yīn sì shǔ 'ǒu rán， dàn lìng yòu jì xiàng xiǎn shì huò xì yán zhòng fàn zuì xíng wéi。 huǒ zāi xiàn chǎng wèi jiàn hù zhù， shū lìng rén chà yì。 jīng chá xún， shǐ zhī hù zhù yǐ shī zōng。 jiǎn chá wò shì， chuáng wú rén shuì guò， ér bǎo xiǎn guì mén yǐ kāi， ruò gān zhòng yào wén jiàn sǎnluò mǎn dì。 zuì hòu fā xiàn shì nèi céng fā shēng jī liè gé dǒu zhī jì xiàng， bìng zhǎo dào shǎo liàng xuè jì jí xiàng mù shǒu zhàng yī gēn， bǐng shàng yì zhān yòu xuè jì。 xiàn yǐ chá míng， shì yè 'ào dé kè xiān shēng céng zài wò shì jiē dài lái kè， gāi shǒu zhàng jí lái kè zhī wù。 cǐ shēn yè lái kè wéi nián qīng lǜ shī yuē hàn · hè kè tuō · mài kè fǎ lán xiān shēng， jí zhōng dōng qū gé lāi shā mǔ dà lóu ４ ２ ６ hào gé léi mǔ héng héng mài kè fǎ lán shì wù suǒ zhī hé huǒ rén。 jǐng fāng xiāng xìn yǐ zhǎng wò néng shuō míng fàn zuì dòng jī zhī yòu lì zhèng jù。 zǒng zhī， cǐ shì jiàn yòu jīng rén fā zhǎn， zé wú yōng zhì yí。
　　 běn bào fù yìn shí， yáo chuán mài kè fǎ lán xiān shēng， yīn móu shā yuē nà sī · ào dé kè zuì yǐ bèi dài bǔ。 dài bǔ zhèng què yǐ fā chū。 zhèng zài nuò wǔ dé jìn xíng zhī diào chá yòu yòu bù xiáng fā zhǎn。 zài jiàn zhù shī suǒ zhù lóu xià qǐn shì lǐ， chú yòu gé dǒu jì xiàng wài， xiàn yòu fā xiàn fǎ guó shì luò dì chuāng chǎng kāi， bìng yòu bèn zhòng wù tǐ cóng shì nèi tuō wǎng mù liào duī de hén jì。 zuì hòu zài huǒ chǎng huī jìn zhōng zhǎo dào bèi shāo jiāo zhī cán hái yī shuō yǐ bèi kěn dìng。 àn zhào jǐng fāng tuī cè， cǐ nǎi yī qǐ jí qí jīng rén zhī xiōng 'àn。 shòu hài zhě zài qǐn shì zhōng bèi jī bì， wén jiàn bèi dào， shī tǐ tuō zhì mù liào duī fén shāo miè jì。 cǐ 'àn yǐ jiāo sū gé lán chǎng sù yòu jīng yàn zhī jǐng guān léi sī chuí dé jìn xíng diào chá， cǐ kè qú zhèng yǐ qí guàn yòu zhī jīng lì yǔ jī zhì zhuī chá xiàn suǒ。”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī hé zhe yǎn， liǎng shǒu zhǐ jiān dǐng zhe zhǐ jiān， tīng liǎo zhè qǐ jīng rén de bào dào。
　　“ zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ yòu jǐ diǎn díquè zhí dé zhù yì，” tā màn tūn tūn dì shuō，“ mài kè fǎ lán xiān shēng， wǒ xiǎng xiān wèn yī wèn： jì rán kàn qǐ lái yòu zú gòu de zhèng jù kě yǐ dài bǔ nǐ， zěn me nǐ yǐ rán xiāo yáo fǎ wài ní？”
　　“ fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， wǒ hé fù mǔ tóng zhù zài bù lāi kè xī sī duō lín dùn yù ① suǒ， dàn shì zuó wǎn yīn wéi yòu diǎn shì yào tì yuē nà sī · ào dé kè xiān shēng bàn yī bàn， jiù zài nuò wǔ dé yī jiā lǚ guǎn lǐ zhù xià lái， cóng lǚ guǎn qù tā jiā bǎ shì qíng bàn liǎo。 wǒ shì zài huǒ chē shàng kàn dào bào shàng nín gāng cái tīng guò de nà tiáo xīn wén， cái zhī dào nuò wǔ dé fā shēng de shì jiàn。 wǒ lì jí kàn chū zì jǐ de chǔjìng fēi cháng wēi xiǎn， jiù gǎn lái bǎ zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ wěi tuō gěi nín。 wǒ zhī dào yào shì wǒ zài chéng lǐ de bàn gōng shì huò zài jiā lǐ， zhǔn huì gěi zhuā zǒu liǎo。 yòu rén cóng lún dūn qiáo chē zhàn jiù gēn zhù wǒ， wǒ yī diǎn dōubù huái yí héng héng 'āi yā！ shénme rén lái liǎo？”
　　 nà shì mén líng xiǎng liǎo， lì jí yòu cóng lóu tī shàng chuán lái chén zhòng de jiǎo bù shēng。 guò liǎo yī huì 'ér， wǒ men de lǎo péng yǒu léi sī chuí dé chū xiàn zài fáng mén kǒu。 wǒ cóng tā shēn hòu yī yǎn kàn jiàn mén wài zhàn zhe de liǎng míng chuān de。
　　 wǒ men zhè wèi bù xìng de wěi tuō rén zhàn qǐ shēn lái， liǎn sè fā bái。
　　“ yóu yú nǐ xù yì móu shā xià nuò wǔ dé de yuē nà sī · ào dé kè xiān shēng， wǒ xiàn zài dài bǔ nǐ。”
　　 mài kè fǎ lán zuò chū yī gè jué wàng de shǒu shì xiàng wǒ men qiú yuán。
　　“ děng yī děng， léi sī chuí dé。” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ zài děng bàn gè xiǎo shí zuǒ yòu bù huì duì nǐ yòu yǐng xiǎng bā。 zhè wèi shēn shì zhèng yào gěi wǒ men jiǎng zhè zhuāng fēi cháng yòu qù de shì jiàn de jīng guò， zhè kě néng bāng zhù wǒ men bǎ shì qíng nòng qīng chǔ。”
　　“ wǒ jué dé nòng qīng chǔ tā bù huì yòu kùn nán liǎo，” léi sī chuí dé lěng kù dì shuō。
　　“ bù guò， rú guǒ nǐ yǔn xǔ de huà， wǒ dǎo hěn yòu xīng qù tīng tā jiǎng。”
　　“ hǎo bā， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， wǒ hěn nán jù jué nǐ de rèn hé yào qiú， yīn wéi guò qù nǐ gěi wǒ men bāng guò yī liǎng cì máng， zài wǒ men sū gé lán chǎng zhè fāng miàn， hái qiàn nǐ yī fèn qíng ní。” léi sī chuí dé shuō，“ wǒ bì xū tóng fàn rén zài yī qǐ， ér qiě hái bù dé bù jǐng gào tā： fán shì tā shuō de huà dū huì chéng wéi bù lì yú tā de zhèng jù。”
　　“ zhè zài hǎo bù guò liǎo，” wǒ men de wěi tuō rén shuō，“ wǒ zhǐ qǐng qiú nín yī dìng yào tīng wǒ jiǎng， bìng qiě míng bái wǒ jiǎng de jué duì shì zhēn huà。”
　　 léi sī chuí dé kàn liǎo yī xià tā de biǎo。“ wǒ gěi nǐ bàn xiǎo shí，” tā shuō。
　　“ wǒ bì xū xiān shuō míng，” mài kè fǎ lán shuō，“ wǒ duì yuē nà sī · ào dé kè xiān shēng yī diǎn dōubù liǎo jiě。 tā de míng zì wǒ shú xī， yīn wéi hěn duō nián yǐ qián wǒ fù mǔ hé tā rèn shí， dàn shì tā men hòu lái shū yuǎn liǎo。 yīn cǐ， zuó tiān xià wǔ， dà yuē sān diǎn zhōng， dāng tā zǒu jìn wǒ chéng lǐ de bàn gōng shì de shí hòu， wǒ gǎn dào fēi cháng qí guài。 zài tā shuō míng liǎo lái yì zhī hòu， wǒ gǎn dào gèng jiā jīng qí。 tā shǒu lǐ ná zhe jǐ zhāng cóng bǐ jì běn zhōng sī xià lái de dān yè， shàng miàn xiě mǎn liǎo hěn liáo cǎo de zì héng héng jiù shì zhè jǐ zhāng héng héng bǎ tā fàng zài wǒ zhuō shàng。
　　“ ' zhè shì wǒ de yí zhǔ， ' tā shuō， ' mài kè fǎ lán xiān shēng， wǒ yào nǐ bǎ tā zhào zhèng shì fǎ dìng de gé shì xiě chū lái。 nǐ xiě nǐ de， wǒ jiù zài zhè zuò zhe。 '
　　“ wǒ kāi shǐ chāo xiě zhè fèn yí zhǔ。 dāng wǒ kàn dào tā chú yòu ruò gān bǎo liú wài， bǎ qí yú de quán bù cái chǎn liú gěi wǒ de shí hòu， nín kě yǐ xiǎng xiàng chū lái wǒ de jīng yà。 tā shì gè xiǎo xuě diāo shìde guài rén， cháng zhe quán bái de méi máo。 wǒ tái tóu kàn tā de shí hòu， fā xiàn tā nà shuāng ruì lì de huī sè yǎn jīng zhèng dīng zhe wǒ， liǎn shàng dài zhe yī zhǒng kāi xīn de biǎo qíng。 dāng wǒ dú dào yí zhǔ zhōng nà xiē tiáo wén de shí hòu， wǒ jiǎn zhí bù néng xiāng xìn wǒ de yǎn jīng， kě shì tā jiě shì shuō， tā shì gè méi yòu rèn hé huó zhe de qīn shǔ de dān shēn hàn， tā zài qīng nián shí qī jiù rèn shí wǒ de fù mǔ， ér qiě yī zhí tīng shuō wǒ shì gè zhí dé xìn rèn de nián qīng rén， suǒ yǐ fàng xīn bǎ tā de qián jiāo gěi wǒ。 dāng rán， wǒ zhǐ néng jié jiēbā bā dì shuō xiē gǎn xiè de huà。 yí zhǔ zhào gé shì xiě hǎo liǎo， qiān liǎo zì， yóu wǒ de shū jì dāng zhèng rén。 jiù shì zhè zhāng lán zhǐ shàng xiě de。 wǒ yǐ jīng shuō guò， zhè xiē xiǎo zhǐ tiáo zhǐ shì cǎo gǎo。 ào dé kè xiān shēng rán hòu gào sù wǒ， hái yòu yī xiē zì jù héng héng zū yuē、 fáng qì、 dǐ yā píng jù、 lín shí qī zhèng děng děng， yīnggāi ràng wǒ kàn kàn。 tā shuō zhǐ yòu zài zhè yī xiē dū bàn wán yǐ hòu tā cái fàng xīn， bìng qiě yào wǒ wǎn shàng jiù dài zhe zhè fèn yí zhǔ qù nuò wǔ dé， zài tā jiā lǐ bǎ suǒ yòu de shì qíng dū 'ān pái yī xià。 ' jì zhù， wǒ de hái zǐ， zài zhè yī qiē hái méi yòu bàn wán yǐ qián， shénme huà yě bù yào duì nǐ fù mǔ shuō。 zán men xiān bù jiǎng， hǎo gěi tā men yī gè xiǎo xiǎo de yì wài zhī xǐ。 ' tā fēi cháng jiān chí zhè yī diǎn， hái yào wǒ dāyìng yī dìng zuò dào。
　　“ nín néng xiǎng xiàng chū lái， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， wǒ dāng shí wú xīn jù jué tā rèn hé yào qiú。 tā chéng liǎo wǒ de bǎo hù rén， wǒ yī xīn xiǎng sī háo bùchà dì shí xiàn tā de yuàn wàng。 yú shì wǒ gěi jiā lǐ dǎ liǎo yī gè diàn bào， shuō wǒ shǒu biān yòu yào jǐn de shì， bù hǎo gū jì wǒ huì dāi dào duō wǎn cái huí jiā。 ào dé kè xiān shēng hái gào sù guò wǒ， tā xī wàng wǒ néng zài jiǔ diǎn zhōng gēn tā yī qǐ chī wǎn fàn， yīn wéi jiǔ diǎn yǐ qián tā kě néng hái méi yòu dào jiā。 kě shì， tā zhù de dì fāng hěn nán zhǎo， wǒ dào tā jiā de shí hòu kuài jiǔ diǎn bàn liǎo。 wǒ fā xiàn tā……”
　　“ děng yī xià！” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ shì shuí kāi de mén？”
　　“ yī gè zhōng nián fù nǚ， wǒ cāi shì tā de nǚ guǎn jiā。”
　　“ bǎ nǐ de míng zì shuō chū lái de， wǒ xiǎng jiù shì tā bā？”
　　“ bù cuò，” mài kè fǎ lán shuō。
　　“ qǐng shuō xià qù。”
　　 mài kè fǎ lán cā liǎo cā 'é tóu shàng de hàn， rán hòu jì xù jiǎng tā zhè duàn jīng guò：
　　“ zhè gè fù nǚ bǎ wǒ lǐng jìn yī jiān qǐ jū shì， lǐ miàn yǐ jīng bǎi hǎo liǎo jiǎn dān de wǎn fàn。 hòu lái， yuē nà sī · ào dé kè xiān shēng dài wǒ dào tā de wò shì qù， nà lǐ lì zhe yī gè bǎo xiǎn guì。 tā dǎ kāi bǎo xiǎn guì， qǔ chū lái yī dà duī wén jiàn。 wǒ men bǎ zhè duī wén jiàn zǎi xì kàn liǎo yī biàn， zhí dào shí yī diǎn hé shí 'èr diǎn zhī jiān cái kàn wán。 tā shuō wǒ men bù yào dǎ jiǎo nǚ guǎn jiā， jiù ràng wǒ cóng fǎ guó chuāng hù chū qù。 nà shàn chuāng yī zhí shì kāi zhe de。”
　　“ chuāng lián fàng xià lái méi yòu？” fú 'ěr mó sī wèn。
　　“ wǒ shuō bù zhǔn， bù guò wǒ xiǎng shì fàng liǎo yī bàn xià lái。 duì， wǒ jì dé tā wèile dǎ kāi chuāng hù， bǎ chuāng lián lā qǐ lái liǎo。 wǒ zhǎo bù dào wǒ de shǒu zhàng， tā shuō： ' méi guān xì， wǒ de hái zǐ， wǒ xī wàng cóng xiàn zài qǐ néng jīng cháng jiàn dào nǐ。 wǒ huì bǎ nǐ de shǒu zhàng shōu hǎo， děng nǐ xià cì lái qǔ。 ' wǒ lí kāi tā de shí hòu， wò shì lǐ de bǎo xiǎn guì shì kāi zhe de， nà xiē fēn chéng jǐ xiǎo bāo de zì jù hái bǎi zài zhuō shàng。 yǐ jīng nà me wǎn liǎo， dāng rán wǒ huí bù qù bù lāi kè xī sī， jiù zài 'ān nà lì · ā mǔ sī lǚ guǎn guò liǎo yī yè。 qí tā de wǒdōu bù zhī dào， yī zhí dào jīn tiān zǎo chén cái cóng bào shàng zhī dào liǎo zhè jiàn kě pà de shì qíng。”
　　“ nǐ hái yòu bié de yào wèn má， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng？” léi sī chuí dé shuō。 zài tā tīng nián qīng rén jiǎng zhè duàn bù píng fán de jīng lì de shí hòu， wǒ jiàn tā yòu yī liǎng cì yáng qí tā de méi máo lái。
　　“ zài wǒ méi yòu qù bù lāi kè xī sī yǐ qián， méi shí me yào wèn de liǎo。”
　　“ nǐ shì shuō méi yòu qù nuò wǔ dé yǐ qián bā，” léi sī chuí dé shuō。
　　“ ā， duì liǎo， wǒ yào shuō de shì nuò wǔ dé，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō， liǎn shàng dài zhe tā nà zhǒng gāo shēn mò cè de wēi xiào。 léi sī chuí dé cóng duō cì jīng yàn zhōng zhī dào fú 'ěr mó sī de nǎo zǐ jiù xiàng bǎ fēng lì de tì dāo， néng qiē kāi zài tā kàn lái shì jiān bù kě pò de dōng xī。 tā zhǐ shì bù yuàn chéng rèn zhè yī diǎn。 wǒ jiàn tā hàoqí dì kàn zhe wǒ de tóng bàn。
　　“ guò huì 'ér wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ shuō yī liǎng jù huà， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng，” tā shuō，“ hǎo bā， mài kè fǎ lán xiān shēng， wǒ de liǎng gè jǐng shì jiù zài mén kǒu， wài miàn hái yòu liàng sì lún mǎ chē zài děng zhe。” zhè gè kě lián de nián qīng rén zhàn liǎo qǐ lái， qí qiú dì duì wǒ men kàn liǎo zuì hòu yī yǎn， cóng wū lǐ zǒu chū lái。 dài zhe tā shàng liǎo mǎ chē， dàn léi sī chuí dé liú xià liǎo。
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī zhèng zài kàn tā ná zài shǒu lǐ de nà jǐ yè yí zhǔ cǎo gǎo， liǎn shàng dài zhe jí gǎn xīng qù de yàng zǐ。
　　“ zhè fèn yí zhǔ díquè yòu xiē tè diǎn， léi sī chuí dé， nǐ kàn ní？” tā shuō zhe biàn bǎ cǎo gǎo dì guò qù。
　　“ wǒ néng kàn chū tóu jǐ xíng hé dì 'èr yè zhōng jiān jǐ jù， hái yòu zuì hòu yī liǎng xíng。 zhè xiē xiàng yìn de yī yàng qīng chǔ，” tā shuō，“ qí yú dedōu xiěde bù qīng chǔ。 yòu sān gè dì fāng wǒ yī diǎn yě rèn bù chū lái。”
　　“ nǐ zěn me jiě shì zhè yī diǎn？” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō。
　　“ nǐ zěn me jiě shì ní？”
　　“ shì zài huǒ chē shàng xiě de。 qīng chǔ de bù fēn shuō míng huǒ chē tíng zài zhàn shàng， bù qīng chǔ de bù fēn shuō míng huǒ chē zài xíng shǐ， zuì bù qīng chǔ de bù fēn shuō míng huǒ chē zhèng jīng guò dào chà。 yòu jīng yàn de zhuān jiā néng lì kè duàn dìng zhè shì zài yī tiáo jiāo qū tiě lù xiàn shàng xiě chū lái de， yīn wéi zhǐ yòu zài dà chéng shì fù jìn cái néng jiē 'èr lián sān pèng dào dào chà。 jiǎ rú tā huā liǎo quán lǚ chéng de shí jiān lái xiě zhè fèn yí zhǔ， nà bì dìng shì yī tàng kuài chē， zài nuò wǔ dé hé lún dūn qiáo zhī jiān zhǐ tíng guò yī cì。”
　　 léi sī chuí dé xiào liǎo qǐ lái。
　　“ zài fēn xī wèn tí shàng nǐ bǐ wǒ qiáng， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng，” tā shuō，“ nǐ shuō de zhè yī diǎn gēn 'àn zǐ yòu shénme guān xì ní？”
　　“ tā zú yǐ zhèng shí nián qīng rén suǒ tán de zhè fèn yí zhǔ shì yuē nà sī · ào dé kè zuó tiān zài lǚ tú zhōng nǐ hǎo de。 yī gè rén jìng huì yǐ zhè yàng suí biàn de fāng shì lái xiě yī fèn zhè me zhòng yào de wén jiàn， qǐ fēi guài shì？ zhè shuō míng tā shí jì shàng bìng bù zhòng shì zhè fèn yí zhǔ。 zhǐ yòu gēn běn bù dǎ suàn ràng zì jǐ lì de yí zhǔ shēng xiào de rén cái huì zhè yàng zuò。”
　　“ zhè děng yú tā tóng shí gěi zì jǐ chū liǎo yī zhāng sǐ xíng pàn jué shū，” léi sī chuí dé shuō。
　　“ ò， nǐ zhè yàng xiǎng má？”
　　“ nǐ bù zhè yàng xiǎng má？”
　　“ hěn kě néng， bù guò zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ duì wǒ lái shuō hái bù qīng chǔ。”
　　“ bù qīng chǔ？ rú guǒ zhè yàng yī jiàn 'àn zǐ dōubù suàn shì qīng chǔ de huà， hái yòu shénme néng suàn shì qīng chǔ de ní？ yòu gè nián qīng rén hū rán zhī dào zhǐ yào mǒu gè lǎo rén yī sǐ， tā jiù kě yǐ jì chéng yī bǐ cái chǎn。 tā zěn me bàn？ tā bù gào sù rèn hé rén， ān pái liǎo mǒu zhǒng jiè kǒu zài dāng tiān zuó shàng qù bài fǎng tā de wěi tuō rén。 yī zhí děng dào quán wū jǐn cún de dì sān zhě shuì liǎo， zài dān dú de yī jiān wò shì lǐ tā shā liǎo wěi tuō rén， bǎ shī tǐ fàng zài mù liào duī lǐ fén shāo， rán hòu lí kāi nà lǐ qù fù jìn de lǚ guǎn。 wò shì lǐ hé shǒu zhàng shàng de xuè jì dōuhěn shǎo。 kě néng tā xiǎng xiàng lián zhè yī diǎn diǎn xuè jì yě bù huì liú xià， bìng qiě xī wàng zhǐ yào shī tǐ huǐ liǎo， jiù kě yǐ yǎn gài wěi tuō rén rú hé bì mìng de yī qiē hén jì， yīn wéi nà xiē hén jì chí zǎo yào bǎ tā bào lù chū lái。 zhè bù shì hěn míng xiǎn má？”
　　“ wǒ de hǎo léi sī chuí dé， nǐ suǒ shuō de shǐ wǒ gǎn dào yòu diǎn guò yú míng xiǎn，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ nǐ méi yòu bǎ xiǎng xiàng lì jiā dào nǐ xǔ duō cháng chù zhōng qù， dàn shì， rú guǒ nǐ néng shì shì bǎ zì jǐ bǎi zài zhè gè nián qīng rén de dì wèi shàng lái kàn， nǐ huì tiǎo xuǎn lì yí zhǔ de nà gè wǎn shàng qù xíng xiōng má？ nǐ bù jué děibǎ lì yí zhǔ hé xíng xiōng zhè liǎng jiàn shì lián jiē dé zhè me jǐn shì hěn wēi xiǎn de má？ hái yòu， nǐ huì xuǎn zé bié rén zhī dào nǐ zài nà lǐ、 zhèng shì zhè jiā de yōng rén kāi mén ràng nǐ jìn wū de zhè yàng yī gè shí jī má？ hái yòu zuì hòu yī diǎn， nǐ huì nà me shàfèi kǔ xīn dì cáng shī tǐ， ér yòu liú xià shǒu zhàng zuò wéi bào lù nǐ shì xiōng fàn de zhèng jù má？ léi sī chuí dé， nǐ bì xū chéng rèn zhè xiē dōushì bù kě néng de。”
　　“ zhì yú nà gēn shǒu zhàng， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， nǐ wǒdōu zhī dào： yī gè zuì fàn zǒng shì huāng huāng zhāng zhāng de， wǎng wǎng gān chū tóu nǎo lěng jìng de rén néng bì miǎn de yī xiē shì qíng lái。 tā hěn kě néng shì bù gǎn huí nà jiān wū lǐ qù。 nǐ gěi wǒ yī gè bié de néng fú hé shì shí de tuī cè bā。”
　　“ wǒ néng gòu hěn róng yì dì gěi nǐ jǔ chū hǎo jǐ gè tuī cè，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ pì rú， yòu zhè yàng yī gè kě néng de、 shèn zhì shì hěn kě néng de tuī cè， wǒ bǎ tā dāng lǐ wù zèng sòng gěi nǐ。 lǎo rén zhèng zài gěi nián qīng rén kàn nà xiē guì zhòng de zhèng quàn， yīn wéi chuāng lián zhǐ fàng xià liǎo yī bàn， yī gè guò lù de liú làng hàn zài chuāng wài kàn jiàn liǎo tā men。 nián qīng lǜ shī zǒu liǎo， liú làng hàn jiù jìn wū lái， kàn dào nà gēn shǒu zhàng， biàn zhuā qǐ shǒu zhàng bǎ 'ào dé kè dǎ sǐ， shāo liǎo shī tǐ yǐ hòu jiù páo liǎo。”
　　“ wèishénme liú làng hàn yào shāo diào shī tǐ？”
　　“ jiù zhè diǎn lái shuō， wèishénme mài kè fǎ lán shì yào zhè yàng zuò ní？”
　　“ wèile yǎn gài yī xiē zhèng jù。”
　　“ kě néng liú làng hàn xiǎng bù jiào rén zhī dào chū liǎo móu shā 'àn。”
　　“ nà wèishénme liú làng hàn bù ná dōng xī ní？”
　　“ yīn wéi nà xiē zì jù dōushì bù néng zhuǎn ràng de。”
　　“ hǎo bā， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， nǐ kě yǐ qù zhǎo nǐ de liú làng hàn。 zài nǐ zhǎo tā de shí hòu， wǒ men bù fàng zǒu zhè gè nián qīng rén。 jiāng lái huì zhèng míng shuí shì duì de。 qǐng zhù yì zhè yī diǎn， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng： jiù wǒ men suǒ zhī， zì jù yī zhāng dōuméi yòu dòng guò。 wǒ men zhè gè fàn rén gēn běn méi yòu lǐ yóu yào ná zǒu zì jù， yīn wéi tā shì fǎ dìng jì chéng rén， zài rèn hé qíng kuàng xià tādōu huì dé dào zhè xiē zì jù。”
　　 wǒ de péng yǒu hǎo xiàng gěi zhè jù huà zhā liǎo yī xià。“ wǒ wú yì fǒu rèn mù qián de zhèng jù zài mǒu xiē fāng miàn duì nǐ de tuī cè fēi cháng yòu lì，” tā shuō，“ wǒ zhǐ xiǎng zhǐ chū hái yòu qí tā kě néng de tuī cè。 jiù xiàng nǐ shuō de， jiāng lái huì zuò chū pàn duàn。 zài jiàn！ dà gài jīn tiān wǒ huì shùn biàn qù nuò wǔ dé， kàn kàn nǐ jìn zhǎn dé zěn yàng。”
　　 zhè wèi zhēn tàn zǒu liǎo， wǒ de péng yǒu cóng yǐ zǐ shàng qǐ lái， dài zhe yī gè rén miàn duì hé tā xīng qù de rèn wù shí nà zhǒng shén qíng， wéi zhè tiān de gōng zuò zuò hǎo zhǔn bèi。
　　“ huá shēng， gāng cái wǒ shuō guò， wǒ dì yī gè xíng dòng de fāng xiàng bì xū shì bù lāi kè xī sī，” tā shuō zhe yī biān cōng máng chuān shàng tā de cháng wài yī。
　　“ wèishénme bù shì nuò wǔ dé？”
　　“ wǒ men zài zhè gè 'àn zǐ lǐ kàn dào yòu liǎng jiàn jǐn jiē zhe chū xiàn de guài shì。 dāng jú zhèng zài fàn zhè yàng yī gè cuò wù， jiù shì tā men bǎ zhù yì lì jí zhōng zài dì 'èr jiàn guài shì shàng， yīn wéi tā qià qiǎo què shí shì fàn zuì xíng wéi。 dàn zài wǒ kàn lái， xiǎn rán chǔlǐ zhè gè 'àn zǐ de hé lǐ tú jìng yīnggāi shì cóng shè fǎ shuō míng dì yī gè shì jiàn zhuóshǒu， jiù shì nà zhāng bù xún cháng de yí zhǔ。 tā lì dé nà me cǎo shuài， yòu gěi liǎo nà me yī gè yì xiǎng bù dào de jì chéng rén。 zhè yī diǎn qīng chǔ liǎo， kě néng xià yī bù jiù hǎo bàn xiē。
　　“ qīn 'ài de péng yǒu， wǒ xiǎng nǐ bāng bù shàng wǒ de máng。 wǒ yī gè rén bù huì yòu shénme wēi xiǎn de， fǒu zé wǒ bù huì xiǎng dào dān dú xíng dòng。 děng wǒ wǎn shàng jiàn nǐ de shí hòu， wǒ xiāng xìn néng gòu gào sù nǐ wǒ wèile zhè gè qiú wǒ bǎo hù de xiǎo huǒ zǐ yǐ jīng zuò dào liǎo shénme。”
　　 wǒ de péng yǒu huí lái dé hěn wǎn。 cóng tā qiáo cuì、 jiāo jí de liǎn shàng， wǒ yī yǎn jiù kàn chū tā chū fā shí suǒ bào de xī wàng luò kōng liǎo。 tā lā liǎo yī xiǎo shí de tí qín， qín shēng dān diào 'ér dī chén， tā jié lì shǐ zì jǐ de fán zào xīn qíng píng jìng xià lái。 zuì hòu tā měng dì fàng xià liǎo tí qín， kāi shǐ xiáng xì jiǎng tā shī bài de cháng shì。
　　“ yī qiēdōu cuò liǎo， huá shēng， jiǎn zhí cuò dào dǐ liǎo。 wǒ zài léi sī chuí dé miàn qián zhuāng zhe bù zài hū， dàn cóng wǒ běn xīn shuō， wǒ xiāng xìn tā zhè yī huí lù zǐ zǒu duì liǎo， zán men què zǒu cuò liǎo。 wǒ de zhí jué zhǐ zhe zhè gè fāng xiàng， yī qiē shì shí què zhǐ zhe lìng yī gè fāng xiàng。 kǒng pà yīng guó de péi shěn tuán de zhì lì yuǎn méi yòu dá dào zhè zhǒng gāo dù， yǐ zhì tā men nìngyuàn jiē shòu wǒ de jiǎ shè 'ér bù yào léi sī chuí dé de zhèng jù。”
　　“ nǐ qù liǎo bù lāi kè xī sī má？”
　　“ qù liǎo， huá shēng。 wǒ dào liǎo nà lǐ， hěn kuài jiù fā xiàn sǐ qù de 'ào dé kè shì gè bù kě xiǎo kàn de 'è gùn。 mài kè fǎ lán de fù qīn chū qù zhǎo 'ér zǐ liǎo， tā mǔ qīn zài jiā。 tā shì gè lán yǎn jīng、 gè zǐ 'ǎi xiǎo、 yú mèi wú zhī de fù nǚ， kǒng jù hé qì fèn shǐ tā bù tíng dì fā dǒu。 dāng rán， tā rèn wéi tā 'ér zǐ jiǎn zhí bù kě néng fàn zuì， kě shì tā duì 'ào dé kè de zāo yù jì bù biǎo shì jīng yà， yě bù biǎo shì wǎn xī。 qià qià xiāng fǎn， tā tán qǐ 'ào dé kè shí liú lù de nà zhǒng shēn 'è tòng jué de yàng zǐ， děng yú tā bù zì jué dì zài zhī chí jǐng fāng de lǐ yóu。 yīn wéi yào shì tā 'ér zǐ céng jīng tīng guò tā zhè yàng tán lùn 'ào dé kè de huà， nà jiù huì zì rán 'ér rán shǐ tā chǎn shēng zēng hèn hé gān chū bào xíng。 ' ào dé kè yǐ qián yǔ qí shuō shì rén， dǎo bù rú shuō shì gè 'è dú jiǎo huá de guài wù， ' tā shuō。 ' cóng nián qīng de shí hòu qǐ， tā yī zhí jiù shì yī gè guài wù。 '
　　“ nà shí hòu nín jiù rèn shí tā？ ' wǒ shuō。
　　“ ' shì de， wǒ hěn shú xī tā。 qí shí， tā shì zuì zǎo xiàng wǒ qiú hūn de yī gè。 xiè xiè lǎo tiān wǒ hái yòu yǎn lì lí kāi tā， gēn yī gè yě xǔ bǐ tā qióng、 dàn shì bǐ tā hǎo de rén jié liǎo hūn。 zài wǒ hé 'ào dé kè dìng hūn yǐ hòu， tīng rén jiǎng qí tā zěn yàng bǎ yī zhǐ māo fàng jìn niǎo shè lǐ qù。 tā zhè zhǒng cán kù wú qíng de jǔ dòng shǐ wǒ yàn 'è jí liǎo， zài yě bù yuàn gēn tā yòu rèn hé wǎng lái。 ' tā cóng xiě zì tái chōu tì lǐ fān chū yī zhāng nǚ rén de zhào piàn， liǎn bù gěi dāo huá dé zhī lí pò suì。 ' zhè shì wǒ zì jǐ de xiàngpiàn， ' tā shuō， ' zài wǒ jié hūn de nà tiān shàng wǔ， tā wèile zǔ zhòu wǒ， bǎ tā nòng chéng zhè yàng gěi wǒ jì lái liǎo。 '
　　“ ' bù guò， ' wǒ shuō， ' zhì shǎo tā xiàn zài kuān shù nǐ liǎo， yīn wéi tā jiāng quán bù cái chǎn dū liú gěi liǎo nǐ de 'ér zǐ。 '
　　“ ' wǒ 'ér zǐ hé wǒdōu bù yào yuē nà sī · ào dé kè rèn hé dōng xī， bù guǎn tā shì sǐ shì huó， ' tā zhèng zhòng qí shì dì dà shēng shuō， ' tiān shàng yòu shàng dì yā， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。 shàng dì yǐ jīng chéng fá liǎo zhè gè huài rén， dào shí hòu shàng dì yě huì zhèng míng wǒ 'ér zǐ shǒu shàng méi yòu zhān tā de xuè。 '
　　“ wǒ hái shì liǎo zhuī xún yī liǎng gè xiàn suǒ， dàn shì zhǎo bù dào yòu zhù yú wǒ men de jiǎ shè de dōng xī， yòu jǐ diǎn qià qià tóng wǒ men de jiǎ shè xiāng fǎn。 zuì hòu wǒ fàng qì liǎo， qù liǎo nuò wǔ dé。
　　“ yōu gǔ zhuāng zhè gè dì fāng shì yī suǒ xiàn dài shì de dà bié shù， quán bù yòng shāo zhuān gài chéng de， qián miàn shì tíng yuán hé zhǒng liǎo yī cóng cóng yuè guì shù de cǎo píng。 yòu biān shì zhe guò huǒ de zhù mù chǎng， cóng nà lǐ dào dà lù shàng hái yòu yī duàn jù lí。 zhè shì wǒ zài bǐ jì běn shàng huà de jiǎn tú。 zuǒ biān zhè shàn chuāng hù shì 'ào dé kè de fáng jiān， zhàn zài zhè tiáo lù shàng jiù kě yǐ wàng dào wū lǐ， nǐ míng bái bā。 léi sī chuí dé bù zài nà 'ér， zhè shì wǒ jīn tiān dé dào de jǐn yòu de yī diǎn 'ān wèi， dàn shì tā de jǐng cháng jìn liǎo zhù rén zhī yì。 tā men gāng fā xiàn liǎo yī gè mò dà de bǎozàng。 tā men zài huī jìn zhōng xún zhǎo liǎo yī shàng wǔ， chú shāo jiāo de yòu jī tǐ cán hái yǐ wài， hái zhǎo dào jǐ gè biàn liǎo sè de jīn shǔ xiǎo yuán piàn。 wǒ zǎi xì jiǎn chá liǎo zhè xiē yuán piàn， yuán lái shì nán kù niǔ kòu。 wǒ shèn zhì hái biàn rèn chū yī lì niǔ kòu shàng de biāo jì： ' hǎi 'ān mǔ '， zhè shì 'ào dé kè de cái féng de xìng。 rán hòu wǒ zǎi xì jiǎn chá cǎo píng， xī wàng zhǎo dào bié de hén jì hé jiǎo yìn， kě shì zhè chǎng gān hàn shǐ yī qiē dōng xī dū biàn dé xiàng tiě yī yàng jiān yìng， shénme yě kàn bù chū lái， zhǐ kàn chū xiàng shì yī jù shī tǐ huò shì yī kǔn shénme dōng xī céng jīng bèi tuō guò yī piàn shuǐ là shù de 'ǎi lí bā， fāng xiàng zhèng duì zhe mù liào duī。 zhè xiē dāng rán fú hé guān fāng de tuī cè。 wǒ zài cǎo píng shàng pá lái pá qù， bèi shàng shài zhe bā yuè tiān de tài yáng， yī xiǎo shí yǐ hòu wǒ cái zhàn qǐ， hái shì gēn qù nà lǐ yǐ qián yī yàng bù míng bái。
　　“ zài yuàn zǐ lǐ yī wú suǒ huò， wǒ jiù jìn wū qù jiǎn chá nà jiān wò shì， lǐ miàn xuè jì hěn shǎo， jǐn jǐn shì zhān shàng liǎo xiē， dàn yán sè xīn xiān。 shǒu zhàng yǐ bèi rén yí dòng liǎo， shàng miàn de xuè jì yě hěn shǎo。 nà gēn shǒu zhàng díquè shì shǔ yú mài kè fǎ lán de， tā yě chéng rèn liǎo。 dì tǎn shàng kě yǐ kàn chū tā hé 'ào dé kè de jiǎo yìn， dàn shì méi yòu dì sān zhě de jiǎo yìn， zhè yòu shǐ jǐng chǎng yíng shàng yīzhāo。 tā men de dé fēn zài wǎng shàng jiā， zán men què yuán dì wèi dòng。
　　“ wǒ kàn dào guò yī diǎn diǎn xī wàng， bù guò yě luò kōng liǎo。 wǒ jiǎn chá liǎo bǎo xiǎn guì lǐ de dōng xī， qí zhōng dà bù fēn zǎo yǐ qǔ chū lái zài zhuō shàng fàng zhe。 nà xiē zì jù dū fēng zài fēng tào lǐ， yòu yī liǎng jiàn yǐ jīng gěi tā men chāi kāi liǎo。 zài wǒ kàn， nà dōushì xiē méi yòu hěn dà jià zhí de dōng xī； cóng yínháng cún zhé shàng yě kàn bù chū 'ào dé kè xiān shēng de jìng kuàng yòu duō fù yù。 dàn shì wǒ jué dé bìng fēi suǒ yòu de zì jù dōuzài nà lǐ。 yòu jǐ chù tí dào yī xiē wén píng héng héng kě néng shì gèng zhí qián de， dàn shì wǒ zhǎo bù chū lái。 dāng rán， rú guǒ zán men néng zhèng míng zhè yī diǎn， tā jiù huì shǐ léi sī chuí dé de shuō fǎ zì xiāng máo dùn。 nán dào huì yòu rén tōu zǒu tā míng zhī zì jǐ bù jiǔ jiù yào jì chéng de dōng xī má？
　　“ wǒ jiǎn chá liǎo suǒ yòu qí tā de dì fāng， yě méi zhǎo zhe xiàn suǒ， zuì hòu bù dé bù zài nǚ guǎn jiā shēn shàng pèng pèng yùn qì。 lè kè xīn dùn tài tài shì gè 'ǎi gè zǐ， pí fū hēi hēi de， bù duō shuō huà， yòu yī shuāng duō yí、 xié zhe kàn rén de yǎn jīng。 wǒ xiāng xìn zhǐ yào tā kěn shuō huà， tā néng shuō chū diǎn shénme lái， dàn tā de zuǐ jǐn dé xiàng gè là rén yī yàng。 shì de， tā zài jiǔ diǎn bàn de shí hòu ràng mài kè fǎ lán xiān shēng jìn lái liǎo。 tā hòu huǐ bù gāi ràng tā jìn wū。 tā shì shí diǎn bàn qù shuì de； tā de fáng jiān zài nà yī tóu， tīng bù jiàn zhè biān fā shēng de shì qíng。 mài kè fǎ lán xiān shēng bǎ tā de mào zǐ hé yī gēn tā xiāng xìn shì tā de shǒu zhàng fàng zài mén tīng lǐ。 tā gěi huǒ jǐng jīng xǐng liǎo。 tā de bù xìng de hǎo zhù rén kěn dìng shì bèi rén móu hài de。 tā yòu chóu rén má？ āi， shuídōu yòu chóu rén， bù guò 'ào dé kè xiān shēng hěn shǎo tóng rén wǎng lái， zhǐ jiē jiàn zhǎo tā bàn shì de rén。 tā kàn liǎo nà xiē niǔ kòu， bìng qiě duàn dìng jiù shì tā zuó wǎn chuān de yī fú shàng de。 yīn wéi yī gè yuè méi yòu xià yǔ， mù liào duī fēi cháng gān zào， suǒ yǐ shāo dé hěn kuài。 tā dào liǎo zhù mù chǎng de shí hòu， chú yī piàn liè huǒ zhī chù， shénme yě kàn bù jiàn liǎo。 tā hé suǒ yòu de jiù huǒ yuán dū wén dào ròu shāo jiāo liǎo de qì wèi。 tā yī diǎn bù zhī dào yòu shénme zì jù， yě bù zhī dào 'ào dé kè xiān shēng de sī shì。
　　“ nuò， wǒ qīn 'ài de huá shēng， zhè jiù shì wǒ de shī bài jīng guò。 dàn shì…… dàn shì……” tā tū rán wò jǐn quán tóu， hǎo xiàng huī fù liǎo zì xìn，“ wǒ zhī dào yī qiēdōu bù duì。 wǒ què shí gǎn dào quán bù duì。 hái yòu diǎn zhòng yào de qíng kuàng， nǚ guǎn jiā shì zhī dào de， kě shì wèn bù chū lái。 tā nà zhǒng yùn nù、 fǎn kàng de yǎn shén， zhǐ shuō míng tā zì jué yòu zuì。 bù guò zài duō shuō yě méi yòu yòng liǎo。 chú fēi yùn qì zhǎo shàng mén lái， kǒng pà zhè jiàn nuò wǔ dé de shī zōng 'àn bù huì zài zán men de pò 'àn jì lù zhōng chū xiàn。 wǒ kàn nài xīn de gōng zhòng zhǐ hǎo róng rěn zhè yī cì。”
　　“ zhè gè nián qīng rén de wài biǎo yī dìng huì gǎn dòng rèn hé yī gè péi shěn tuán bā？” wǒ shuō。
　　“ nà shì gè wēi xiǎn de lùn diǎn， wǒ qīn 'ài de huá shēng。 nǐ jì dé yī bā bā qī nián nà gè xiǎng yào zán men bāng tā kāi tuō de dà móu shā fàn bèi 'ěr tè · sī dì fēn sī bā？ nǐ jiàn guò tài dù bǐ tā gèng wēn hé、 gèng xiàng zhù rì xué xiào de 'ér tóng shìde nián qīng rén má？”
　　“ zhè dǎo shì zhēn de。”
　　“ chú fēi zán men néng tí chū lìng yī gè kě qǔ de jiǎ shè lái， bù rán mài kè fǎ lán jiù suàn wán liǎo。 zài zhè gè xiàn zài jiù kě yǐ duì tā tí chū kòng sù de 'àn zǐ zhōng， nǐ jiǎn zhí zhǎo bù chū yī diǎn máo bìng。 jìn yī bù diào chá de jiēguǒ fǎn dǎo jiā qiáng liǎo lì 'àn lǐ yóu。 wǒ xiǎng qǐ lái liǎo， nà xiē zì jù zhōng hái yòu yī diǎn qí guài de dì fāng， yě xǔ kě yǐ zuò wéi yī cì diào chá de qǐ diǎn。 wǒ zài fān kàn yínháng cún zhé de shí hòu， fā xiàn yú 'é wú jǐ， zhù yào yīn wéi guò qù yī nián lǐ yòu jǐ zhāng dà 'é zhī piào kāi gěi liǎo kē ní lì yà sī xiān shēng。 wǒ hěn xiǎng zhī dào gēn zhè wèi tuì xiū de jiàn zhù shī yòu guò zhè yàng de dà zōng jiāo yì de kē ní lì yà sī xiān shēng shì shénme rén。 yě xǔ tā hé zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ yòu guān xì？ kē ní lì yà sī xiān shēng kě néng shì gè qián kè， dàn shì wǒ méi yòu zhǎo dào hé zhè jǐ bǐ dà 'é fù kuǎn xiāng fú de píng jù。 jì rán xiàn zài méi yòu bié de jì xiàng， wǒ bì xū xiàng yínháng chá xún nà wèi bǎ zhī piào duì huàn chéng xiàn kuǎn de shēn shì。 dàn shì， wǒ de péng yǒu， wǒ dān xīn zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ jiāng bù guāng cǎi dì yǐ léi sī chuí dé diào sǐ zán men de wěi tuō rén gào jié shù， zhè duì sū gé lán chǎng wú yí huì chéng wéi yī cì shèng lì。”
　　 wǒ bù zhī dào nà yī yè fú 'ěr mó sī jiū jìng shuì liǎo duō jiǔ， dàn wǒ xià lóu chī zǎo fàn de shí hòu， jiàn tā liǎn sè cāng bái， mǎn miàn chóu róng， tā nà shuāng fā liàng de yǎn jīng yóu yú zhōu wéi de hēi juàn xiǎn dé gèng jiā míng liàng。 zài tā de yǐ zǐ fù jìn de dì tǎn shàng mǎn shì yān tóu hé dāng tiān de zǎo bào。 yòu yī fèn diàn bào tān zài cān zhuō shàng。
　　“ nǐ kàn zhè shì shénme yì sī， huá shēng？” tā bǎ diàn bào rēng guò lái wèn wǒ。
　　 diàn bào shì cóng nuò wǔ dé lái de， quán wén rú xià：
　　 xīn huò zhòng yào zhèng jù， mài kè fǎ lán zuì xíng yǐ dìng， fèng quàn fàng qì cǐ 'àn。
　　 léi sī chuí dé
　　“ tīng qǐ lái xiàng zhēn de，” wǒ shuō。
　　“ zhè shì léi sī chuí dé zì míng dé yì de xiǎo shèng lì，” fú 'ěr mó sī huí dá shuō， liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī kǔ xiào。“ bù guò， fàng qì zhè gè 'àn zǐ yě xǔ hái bù dào shí hòu。 bù guǎn zěn yàng， rèn hé xīn de zhòng yào zhèng jù jiù xiàng yī bǎ shuāng rèn de dāo， tā kě néng bù yī dìng cháo zhe shì léi sī chuí dé cāi xiǎng de fāng xiàng qiē guò qù。 xiān chī zǎo fàn bā， huá shēng。 zán men yī kuài 'ér chū qù kàn kàn yòu shénme kě zuò de， jīn tiān wǒ jué dé hǎo xiàng xū yào nǐ de péi bàn hé jīng shén yuán zhù。”
　　 wǒ de péng yǒu zì jǐ què méi yòu chī zǎo fàn。 tā zài bǐ jiào jǐn zhāng de shí hòu jiù bù ràng zì jǐ chī dōng xī， zhè shì tā de yī gè tè xìng。 wǒ jiàn guò tā làn yòng zì jǐ de tǐ lì， zhí dào yóu yú yíng yǎng bù zú 'ér yūndǎo。“ wǒ xiàn zài yún bù chū jīng lì lái xiāo huà shí wù，” tā zǒng shì yǐ zhè jù huà lái huí dá wǒ cóng yī xué de jiǎo dù tí chū de quàn gào。 yīn cǐ， zhè tiān tā méi chī zǎo fàn jiù hé wǒ chū fā qù nuò wǔ dé， bìng bù shǐ wǒ qí guài。 yòu yī qún hàoqí de rén wéi zài yōu gǔ zhuāng wài， zhè suǒ jiāo wài de bié shù hé wǒ xiǎng xiàng de yī yàng。 léi sī chuí dé zài lǐ miàn yíng jiē wǒ men， shèng lì shǐ tā mǎn miàn hóng guāng， yàng zǐ hěn dé yì。“ ā， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， nǐ yǐ jīng zhèng míng wǒ men cuò liǎo bā？ nǐ zhǎo dào nà gè liú làng hàn méi yòu？” tā gāo shēng shuō。
　　“ wǒ hái méi yòu dé chū shénme jié lùn，” wǒ de tóng bàn huí dá shuō。
　　“ kě shì wǒ men zuó tiān dé chū de jié lùn， xiàn zài zhèng míng shì duì de， nǐ dé chéng rèn zhè cì wǒ men zǒu zài nǐ qián tóu liǎo， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。”
　　“ nǐ de shén qì què shí xiàng fā shēng liǎo bù píng cháng de shì qíng。”
　　 léi sī chuí dé dà xiào qǐ lái。
　　“ nǐ yě hé wǒ men yī yàng bù xǐ huān luò zài bié rén hòu miàn，” tā shuō，“ yī gè rén bù néng zhǐ wàng shì shì rú yì， shì bù shì zhè yàng， huá shēng yī shēng？ xiān shēng men， qǐng dào zhè biān lái。 wǒ xiǎng wǒ néng chè dǐ shuō fú nǐ men běn 'àn de xiōng fàn jiù shì yuē hàn · mài kè fǎ lán。”
　　 tā lǐng wǒ men zǒu chū guò dào， lái dào nà biān de yī jiān hūn 'àn de mén tīng。
　　“ zhè shì nián qīng de mài kè fǎ lán zuò 'àn hòu bì dìng yào lái qǔ tā de mào zǐ de dì fāng，” tā shuō。“ xiàn zài nǐ men kàn yī kàn zhè gè。” tā tū rán xì jù xìng dì huá liàng liǎo yī gēn huǒ chái， zhào chū bái huī qiáng shàng yòu yī diǎn xuè jì。 dāng tā bǎ huǒ chái còu jìn liǎo xiē， wǒ kàn jiàn de bù jǐn shì xuè jì， ér qiě shì yī gè yìn dé hěn qīng chǔ de dà mǔ zhǐ wén。
　　“ yòng nǐ de fàng dà jìng kàn kàn bā， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。”
　　“ wǒ zhèng yòng fàng dà jìng kàn zhe ní。”
　　“ nǐ zhī dào dà mǔ zhǐ de zhǐ wén méi yòu liǎng gè tóng yàng de。”
　　“ wǒ tīng shuō guò lèi sì zhè yàng de huà。”
　　“ nà hǎo， qǐng nǐ bǎ qiáng shàng de zhǐ wén hé jīn tiān zǎo shàng wǒ mìng lìng cóng mài kè fǎ lán de yòu shǒu dà mǔ zhǐ shàng qǔ lái de là zhǐ wén bǐ yī bǐ bā。” tā bǎ là zhǐ wén 'āi zhe xuè jì jǔ qǐ lái， zhè shí hòu bù yòng fàng dà jìng yě néng kàn chū què shí dōushì yóu tóng yī gè dà mǔ zhǐ shàng yìn chū lái de。 hěn míng xiǎn wǒ men zhè gè bù xìng de wěi tuō rén shì méi xī wàng liǎo。
　　“ zhè shì jué dìng xìng de，” léi sī chuí dé shuō。
　　“ duì， shì jué dìng xìng de，” wǒ bù yóu zì zhù dì fù hé tā。
　　“ jué dìng xìng de！” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō。 wǒ cóng tā de yǔ qí zhōng tīng chū liǎo diǎn shénme， biàn zhuǎn guò tóu lái kàn zhe tā。 tā de biǎo qíng qǐ liǎo yì wài de biàn huà， miàn bù yīn 'àn 'àn zì xǐ 'ér bù zhù dì chōu dòng， yǎn jīng xiàng xīng xīng yī yàng shǎn shǎn fā guāng， sì hū zài jié lì rěn zhù yī zhèn dà xiào。
　　“ āi！ āi！” tā zhōng yú shuō，“ shuí néng xiǎng dé dào？ guāng kàn wài biǎo duō me bù kě kào， zhè yī diǎn bù jiǎ！ kàn shàng qù shì nà me hǎo de yī gè nián qīng rén！ zhè jiàn shì jiào xùn wǒ men bù yào xiāng xìn zì jǐ de yǎn lì， shì bù shì， léi sī chuí dé？”
　　“ shì de， zán men dāng zhōng yòu de rén jiù shì yòu xiē guò yú zì xìn， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng。” léi sī chuí dé shuō。 zhè gè rén de 'ào màn zhēn lìng rén shēng qì， dàn shì wǒ men shuō bù chū kǒu lái。
　　“ nà wèi nián qīng rén cóng guà dīng shàng qǔ xià mào zǐ de shí hòu huì yòng yòu shǒu dà mǔ zhǐ zài qiáng shàng 'àn yī xià， jiǎn zhí shì tiān yì！ duō me zì rán de yī gè dòng zuò， rú guǒ nǐ zǎi xì xiǎng yī xiǎng。” fú 'ěr mó sī biǎo miàn shàng hěn zhèn jìng， kě shì tā shuō zhè huà shí， yì zhì bù zhù de xīng fèn shǐ tā quán shēn dōuzài chàn dòng。
　　“ shùn biàn wèn yī xià， léi sī chuí dé， shì shuí zuò chū zhè gè jīng rén de fā xiàn de？”
　　“ shì nǚ guǎn jiā lè kè xīn dùn tài tài gào sù yè qín jǐng shì de。”
　　“ yè qín jǐng shì dāng shí zài nǎ lǐ？”
　　“ tā liú zài chū shì de nà jiān wò shì lǐ shǒu zhe bù ràng dòng lǐ miàn de dōng xī。”
　　“ dàn shì wèishénme nǐ men zuó tiān méi yòu fā xiàn zhè gè xuè jì ní？”
　　“ ǹg， wǒ men dāng shí méi yòu tè shū lǐ yóu yào zǎi xì jiǎn chá zhè jiān mén tīng。 zài shuō， nǐ kàn， zhè gè dì fāng bù dà xiǎn yǎn。”
　　“ duì， duì， dāng rán shì bù dà xiǎn yǎn。 wǒ xiǎng hěn kě néng zhè xuè jì zuó tiān jiù zài qiáng shàng bā？”
　　 léi sī chuí dé wàng zhe fú 'ěr mó sī， fǎng fó tā zài xiǎng zhè rén shì bù shì fēng zǐ。 wǒ chéng rèn lián wǒ duì fú 'ěr mó sī nà zhǒng gāo xīng de yàng zǐ hé xiāng dāng rèn xìng dì biǎo shì yì jiàn yě gǎn dào jīng qí。
　　“ wǒ bù dǒng nǐ shì fǒu rèn wéi mài kè fǎ lán wèile zēng jiā zì jǐ de zuì zhèng， tā shēn yè cóng jiān yù lǐ páo chū lái guò，” léi sī chuí dé shuō，“ wǒ kě yǐ qǐng shì jiè shàng rèn hé yī wèi zhuān jiā lái jiàn dìng zhè shì bù shì tā de mǔ zhǐ yìn。”
　　“ háo wú yí wèn， zhè shì tā de mǔ zhǐ yìn。”
　　“ nà jiù gòu liǎo，” léi sī chuí dé shuō，“ wǒ shì gè zhù zhòng shí jì de rén， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， zhǐ yòu zài zhǎo dào zhèng jù de shí hòu wǒ cái xià jié lùn。 yào shì nǐ hái yòu shénme yào shuō de， nǐ kě yǐ zài qǐ jū shì zhǎo dào wǒ。 wǒ yào zài nà lǐ xiě wǒ de bào gào。”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī yǐ jīng huī fù liǎo píng jìng， dàn wǒ zài tā de biǎo qíng zhōng sì hū réng jiù kàn dé chū lái tā xīn lǐ jué dé kě xiào。
　　“ āi， zhè shì gè hěn zāo de fā zhǎn， shì bù shì， huá shēng？ bù guò zhè lǐ miàn yòu xiē qí miào zhī chù， hái gěi zán men de wěi tuō rén liú xià jǐ fēn xī wàng。”
　　“ nǐ zhè yàng jiǎng shǐ wǒ tīng liǎo hěn gāo xīng，” wǒ yóu zhōng dì shuō，“ gāng cái wǒ jué dé kǒng pà tā méi yòu xī wàng liǎo。”
　　“ wǒ jiù bù yuàn yì shuō chū zhè yàng de huà lái， qīn 'ài de huá shēng。 shì shí shàng zài zán men zhè wèi péng yǒu jí qí zhòng shì de zhèng jù zhōng， yòu yī gè shí fēn yán zhòng de quē xiàn。”
　　“ zhēn de？ shénme quē xiàn？”
　　“ jiù shì zhè diǎn： wǒ zhī dào zuó tiān wǒ jiǎn chá mén tīng de shí hòu， qiáng shàng bìng méi yòu xuè jì。 huá shēng， xiàn zài zán men dào yòu tài yáng de dì fāng qù sàn sàn bù bā。”
　　 wǒ péi zhe wǒ de péng yǒu zài huā yuán lǐ sàn bù； wǒ de nǎo zǐ hěn luàn， xīn lǐ què yīn wèiyòu liǎo xī wàng kāi shǐ jué dé yòu xiē rè hū hū de。 fú 'ěr mó sī bǎ bié shù de měi yī miàn dū 'àn shùn xù kàn liǎo kàn， hěn yòu xīng qù dì jiǎn chá liǎo zhè suǒ fáng zǐ。 rán hòu tā lǐng tóu zǒu jìn wū lǐ。 cóng dì xià shì dào gé lóu， tā bǎ zhěng gè de jiàn zhù dū kàn dào liǎo。 dà duō shù de fáng jiān lǐ méi yòu jiā jù bǎi shè。 dàn shì tā réng rán zǎi xì dì jiǎn chá liǎo zhè xiē fáng jiān。 zuì hòu dào liǎo dǐng céng de zǒu láng shàng， nà lǐ yòu sān jiān kòngxián de wò shì， fú 'ěr mó sī tū rán yòu gāo xīng qǐ lái。
　　“ zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ díquè hěn yòu tè diǎn， huá shēng，” tā shuō，“ wǒ xiǎng xiàn zài shì gēn zán men de péng yǒu léi sī chuí dé shuō zhēn xīn huà de shí hòu liǎo。 tā yǐ jīng cháo xiào guò zán men， yě xǔ zán men yě kě yǐ zhào yàng huí jìng tā， rú guǒ wǒ duì 'àn zǐ de pàn duàn zhèng míng shì duì liǎo de huà。 yòu liǎo， yòu liǎo， wǒ xiǎng wǒ zhī dào zán men gāi cǎi qǔ shénme bàn fǎ。”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī dǎ rǎo zhè wèi sū gé lán chǎng jǐng guān de shí hòu， tā réng zài qǐ jū shì huī bǐ shū xiě。
　　“ wǒ zhī dào nǐ zài xiě yī fèn guān yú zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ de bào gào，” tā shuō。
　　“ wǒ shì zài xiě。”
　　“ nǐ bù rèn wéi yòu diǎn wéi shí guò zǎo má？ wǒ zǒng jué dé nǐ de zhèng jù bù zú。”
　　 léi sī chuí dé hěn liǎo jiě wǒ de péng yǒu， jué bù huì bù zhù yì tā de huà。 tā bǎ bǐ fàng xià lái， hàoqí dì kàn zhe fú 'ěr mó sī。
　　“ nǐ nà shì shénme yì sī， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng？”
　　“ wǒ zhǐ shì yào shuō yòu yī gè zhòng yào de zhèng rén nǐ hái méi yòu jiàn dào。”
　　“ nǐ néng tí chū lái má？”
　　“ wǒ xiǎng wǒ néng zuò dào。”
　　“ nà jiù tí chū lái bā。”
　　“ wǒ jìn lì 'ér wéi。 nǐ yòu jǐ gè jǐng shì？”
　　“ néng mǎ shàng zhào jí lái de yòu sān gè。”
　　“ hǎo jí liǎo！” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ tā mendōu shì shēn tǐ zhuàng、 sǎng mén dà de bā？”
　　“ dāng rán shì， dàn shì wǒ bù míng bái tā men de sǎng mén gēn zhè yòu shénme guān xì。”
　　“ yě xǔ wǒ néng bāng zhù nǐ nòng míng bái zhè diǎn hé yī liǎng gè bié de wèn tí，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ qǐng bǎ nǐ de jǐng shì jiào lái， wǒ yào shì yī shì。”
　　 guò liǎo wǔ fēn zhōng， sān míng jǐng shì yǐ jīng jí hé zài dà tīng lǐ liǎo。
　　“ wài miàn de xiǎo wū lǐ yòu yī dà duī mài jiē，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō，“ qǐng nǐ men bān liǎng kǔn jìn lái。 wǒ kàn zhè diǎn mài jiē kě yǐ bāng gè dà máng bǎ wǒ xū yào de zhèng rén zhǎo lái。 xiè xiè nǐ men。 huá shēng， wǒ xiāng xìn nǐ kǒu dài lǐ yòu huǒ chái。 xiàn zài， léi sī chuí dé xiān shēng， qǐng nǐ mendōu péi wǒ dào dǐng céng lóu tī de píng tái shàng qù。”
　　 wǒ yǐ jīng shuō guò， nà sān jiān kōng zhe de wò shì wài miàn yòu yī tiáo hěn kuān de zǒu láng。 fú 'ěr mó sī bǎ wǒ mendōu jí hé zài zǒu láng de yī tóu。 sān míng jǐng shì zài lie zhe zuǐ xiào； léi sī chuí dé wàng zhe wǒ de péng yǒu， liǎn shàng jiāo tì dì liú lù chū jīng qí、 qī dài hé jī xiào。 fú 'ěr mó sī zhàn zài wǒ men qián miàn， shén qì huó xiàng gè zài biàn xì fǎ de mó shù jiā。
　　“ qǐng nǐ pài yī wèi jǐng shì qù tí liǎng tǒng shuǐ lái hǎo má？ bǎ nà liǎng kǔn mài jiē fàng zài zhè lǐ， bù yào 'āi zhe qiáng。 xiàn zài wǒ kàn yī qiēdōu zhǔn bèi hǎo liǎo。”
　　 léi sī chuí dé de liǎn yǐ jīng kāi shǐ biàn hóng。 tā shēng qì liǎo。
　　“ wǒ bù míng bái nǐ shì fǒu zài gēn wǒ men kāi wán xiào， xiē luò kè · fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng，” tā shuō，“ rú guǒ nǐ zhī dào xiē shénme， nǐ mǎn kě yǐ jiǎng chū lái， yòng bù zhe zuò zhè zhǒng háo wú yì yì de jǔ dòng。”
　　“ wǒ xiàng nǐ bǎo zhèng， wǒ de hǎo léi sī chuí dé， wǒ zuò měi yī jiàn shì qíng dōushì yòu wán quán lǐ yóu de。 nǐ kě néng jì dé jǐ xiǎo shí yǐ qián nǐ hǎo xiàng shì zhàn liǎo shàng fēng de shí hòu， nǐ gēn wǒ kāi liǎo diǎn wán xiào， nà mò xiàn zài nǐ jiù bié bù ràng wǒ lái diǎn pái chǎng yā。 huá shēng， nǐ xiān kāi chuāng hù， rán hòu huá gēn huǒ chái bǎ mài jiē diǎn zhe， kě yǐ má？”
　　 wǒ zhào tā de huà zuò liǎo。 shāo zhe de gān mài jiē pī pā zuò xiǎng， mào chū liǎo huǒ yàn， yī gǔ bái yān gěi chuān táng fēng chuī dé zài zǒu láng lǐ liáo rào。
　　“ xiàn zài zán men kàn kàn néng bù néng gěi nǐ zhǎo chū nà gè zhèng rén lái， léi sī chuí dé。 qǐng gè wèi gēn wǒ yī qǐ hǎn ' zháohuǒ liǎo ' hǎo má？ lái bā， yī， èr， sān héng héng”
　　“ zháohuǒ lā！” wǒ mendōu gāo shēng jiào hǎn。
　　“ xiè xiè。 qǐng nǐ men zài lái yī xià。”
　　“ zháohuǒ lā！”
　　“ xiān shēng men， hái yào lái yī cì， yī qǐ hǎn。”
　　“ zháohuǒ lā！” zhè yī shēng dà gài quán nuò wǔ dé dū tīng dào liǎo。
　　 hǎn shēng gāng luò， jiù fā shēng liǎo jīng rén de shì qíng。 zài zǒu láng jìn tóu de nà dǔ kàn qǐ lái shì wán zhěng de qiáng shàng， tū rán dǎ kāi liǎo yī shàn mén， yī gè 'ǎi xiǎo、 gān shòu de rén cóng mén lǐ chōng chū lái， xiàng shì yī zhǐ tù zǐ cóng tā de dì dòng lǐ bèng liǎo chū lái shìde。
　　“ hǎo jí liǎo！” fú 'ěr mó sī chén zhe dì shuō，“ huá shēng， wǎng mài jiē shàng jiāo yī tǒng shuǐ。 zhè jiù xíng lā！ léi sī chuí dé， qǐng yǔn xǔ wǒ gěi nǐ jiè shào。 zhè jiù shì nǐ men de nà gè shī zōng de zhù yào zhèng rén yuē nà sī · ào dé kè xiān shēng。”
　　 léi sī chuí dé shí fēn chī jīng dì wàng zhe zhè gè mò shēng rén。 zǒu láng de liàng guāng huàng dé tā bù tíng dì zhǎ yǎn。 tā dīng zhe kàn kàn wǒ men， yòu kàn kàn réng zài mào yān de huǒ duī。 nà shì yī zhāng kě zēng de liǎn： jiǎo zhà，， xiōng hěn， cháng zhe liǎng zhǐ duō yí de、 qiǎn huī sè de yǎn jīng。
　　“ zhè shì zěn me huí shì？” léi sī chuí dé zhōng yú shuō huà liǎo，“ nǐ zhè xiē shí hòu zài gànshénme？”
　　 ào dé kè kàn jiàn zhè gè zhēn tàn fā nù de yàng zǐ hài pà liǎo， bù zì rán dì xiào liǎo yī shēng。
　　“ wǒ yòu méi hài rén。”
　　“ méi hài rén má？ nǐ xiǎng jìn liǎo bàn fǎ yào bǎ yī gè wú gū zhě sòng shàng jiǎo jià。 yào bù shì yòu zhè wèi xiān shēng de huà， shuō bù dìng nǐ jiù gān chéng liǎo。”
　　 zhè gè huài jiā huǒ kāi shǐ chōu shā qǐ lái。
　　“ shuō shí huà， xiān shēng， wǒ zhǐ shì kāi liǎo gè wán xiào。”
　　“ ā！ zhè shì wán xiào má？ wǒ bāo nǐ xiào bù chū lái。 bǎ tā dài xià qù， liú zài qǐ jū shì lǐ děng wǒ lái。”
　　 sān gè jǐng shì bǎ 'ào dé kè dài zǒu hòu， léi sī chuí dé jiē zhe shuō：“ fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， gāng cái dāng zhe jǐng shì miàn qián wǒ bù biàn shuō， dàn shì zài huá shēng yī shēng miàn qián， wǒ bù pà chéng rèn zhè shì nǐ zuòde zuì chū sè de yī jiàn shì， suī rán wǒ xiǎng bù chū lái nǐ shì zěn yàng zuò de。 nǐ jiù liǎo yī gè wú gū zhě de xìng mìng， bìng qiě bì miǎn liǎo yīcháng huì huǐ diào wǒ zài jǐng jiè shēng yù de chǒu wén。”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī wēi xiào zhe pāi liǎo pāi léi sī chuí dé de jiān bǎng。
　　“ bù dàn wú sǔn yú nǐ de shēng yù， wǒ de hǎo xiān shēng， nǐ fǎn 'ér huì kàn dào nǐ de míng shēng dà zēng ní。 zhǐ yào bǎ nǐ xiě de bào gào shāo jiā gǎi dòng， tā men jiù jué dé yào xiǎng mēngpiàn léi sī chuí dé xún guān de yǎn jīng yòu duō me nán nǎ。”
　　“ nà nǐ bù xī wàng bào gào zhōng yòu nǐ de míng zì？”
　　“ yī diǎn yě bù。 gōng zuò jiù shì jiǎng shǎng。 děng jiāng lái wǒ yǔn xǔ zhè wèi rè xīn de lì shǐ xué jiā zài ná qǐ bǐ de shí hòu， huò xǔ wǒ yě huì shòu dào chēng zàn héng héng ǹg， huá shēng？ hǎo bā， xiàn zài ràng zán men kàn kàn zhè zhǐ hào zǐ yǐn cáng de dì fāng。”
　　 lí zhè tiáo guò dào de jìn tóu liù yīng chǐ de dì fāng， céng jīng yòng mǒ guò huī de bǎn tiáo gé chū lái yī xiǎo jiān， gé qiáng shàng qiǎo miào dì 'ān zhuāng liǎo yī shàn 'àn mén。 xiǎo jiān quán kào wū yán fèngxì zhōng tòu guò lái yī diǎn guāng zhào míng， lǐ miàn yòu jǐ jiàn jiā jù， hái cún liǎo shí wù hé shuǐ， tóng yī xiē shū、 bào zhǐ fàng zài yī qǐ。
　　 zài wǒ men wǎng wài zǒu de shí hòu， fú 'ěr mó sī shuō：“ zhè shì jiàn zhù shī de yòu lì tiáo jiàn。 tā néng gěi zì jǐ zhǔn bèi yī jiān mì shì 'ér bù xū yào rèn hé bāng shǒu héng héng dāng rán， tā nà gè nǚ guǎn jiā chú wài。 wǒ yīnggāi mǎ shàng bǎ tā yě fàng jìn nǐ de liè náng。”
　　“ wǒ jiē shòu nǐ de yì jiàn。 kě shì nǐ zěn me zhī dào zhè gè dì fāng， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng？”
　　“ wǒ xiān duàn dìng tā jiù cáng zài wū lǐ。 dāng wǒ dì yī cì zǒu guò zhè tiáo zǒu láng de shí hòu， fā xiàn tā bǐ lóu xià nà tiáo tóng yàng de zǒu láng duǎn liǎo liù yīng chǐ， zhè yī lái tā cáng de dì fāng jiù shí fēn qīng chǔ liǎo。 wǒ yě liào dào tā méi yòu yǒng qì néng zài huǒ jǐng miàn qián dāi zhe bù dòng。 dāng rán， wǒ men yě kě yǐ jìn qù bǎ tā zhuā zhù， dàn shì wǒ jué dé bī tā chū lái gèng yòu qù。 zài shuō， léi sī chuí dé， shàng wǔ nǐ xì nòng liǎo wǒ， yě gāi wǒ lái mí huò nǐ yī xià zuò wéi huí jìng liǎo。”
　　“ ǹg， xiān shēng， nǐ de què xiàng wǒ bào fù liǎo。 dàn shì nǐ jiū jìng shì zěn me zhī dào tā cáng zài wū lǐ de ní？”
　　“ nà gè mǔ zhǐ yìn， léi sī chuí dé。 nǐ dāng shí shuō tā shì jué dìng xìng de。 zài wán quán bù tóng de yì yì shàng， tā zhēn shì jué dìng xìng de。 wǒ zhī dào qián tiān nà lǐ bìng méi yòu zhè gè zhǐ yìn。 wǒ duì xì jié fēi cháng zhù yì， zhè yī diǎn nǐ yě xǔ zhī dào； ér qiě nà tiān wǒ jiǎn chá guò dà tīng， qiáng shàng què shí shénme yě méi yòu。 yīn cǐ， zhǐ yìn shì hòu lái zài yè lǐ 'àn shàng qù de。”
　　“ dàn shì zěn me 'àn shàng qù de ní？”
　　“ hěn jiǎn dān。 nà tiān wǎn shàng tā men bǎ fēn chéng xiǎo bāo de zì jù yòng huǒ qī fēng kǒu de shí hòu， yuē nà sī · ào dé kè jiào mài kè fǎ lán yòng dà mǔ zhǐ zài qí zhōng de yī gè fēng tào shàng de rè huǒ qī shàng 'àn yī xià shǐ tā nián láo。 zhè gè nián qīng rén hěn kuài 'ér qiě hěn zì rán dì zhè yàng zuò liǎo， wǒ xiāng xìn lián tā zì jǐ yě wàng liǎo zhè jiàn shì。 hěn kě néng zhè shì pèng qiǎo fā shēng de shì， ào dé kè běn rén dāng shí bìng méi yòu xiǎng yào lì yòng tā。 hòu lái tā zài mì shì lǐ pán suàn zhè jiàn 'àn zǐ de shí hòu， hū rán xiǎng dào tā kě yǐ lì yòng zhè gè zhǐ yìn zhì zào yī gè kě yǐ zhèng míng mài kè fǎ lán yòu zuì díquè zhèng。 tā zhǐ yào cóng nà gè huǒ qī yìn shàng qǔ gè là mó， yòng zhēn cì chū zú gòu de xuè tú zài múzǐ shàng miàn， rán hòu yè lǐ qīn zì huò zhě jiào nǚ guǎn jiā bǎ yìn 'àn zài qiáng shàng jiù xíng liǎo。 zhè shì tiān xià zuì jiǎn dān de shì qíng。 rú bǎ tā dài jìn mì shì de nà xiē wén jiàn jiǎn chá yī biàn， nǐ zhǔn néng zhǎo dào nà gè yòu zhǐ wén de huǒ qī yìn， zhè wǒ kě yǐ dǎ dǔ。”
　　“ miào jí liǎo！” léi sī chuí dé shuō，“ miào jí liǎo！ jīng nǐ zhè yàng yī jiǎng， yī qiēdōu qīng qīng chǔ chǔ liǎo。 dàn shì， fú 'ěr mó sī xiān shēng， zhè gè jú de mùdì yòu shì shénme ní？”
　　 wǒ kàn jiàn zhè wèi tài dù 'ào màn de zhēn tàn hū rán biàn dé xiàng gè xiǎo hái zài wèn tā lǎo shī wèn tí yī yàng， zhēn shì yòu qù。
　　“ zhè gè wǒ rèn wéi bù nán jiě shì。 zhèng zài lóu xià děng zhe de zhè wèi shēn shì shì gè hěn jiǎo huá、 è dú、 jì chóu de rén。 nǐ zhī dào mài kè fǎ lán de mǔ qīn cóng qián jù jué guò tā de qiú hūn má？ nǐ bù zhī dào？ wǒ zǎo duì nǐ shuō guò yīnggāi xiān qù bù lāi kè xī sī， rán hòu qù nuò wǔ dé。 hòu lái， zhè zhǒng gǎn qíng shàng de shāng hài zài tā de guǐ zhà de xīn lǐ chǎn shēng liǎo yuàn hèn， tā zhōng shēng kě wàng bào fù， dàn méi yòu zhǎo dào jī huì。 zuì jìn yī liǎng nián lǐ， qíng kuàng biàn dé duì tā bù lì héng héng dà gài shì 'àn zhōng cóng shì tóu jī shēng yì shī bài， tā fā xiàn zì jǐ de chǔjìng bù miào。 tā jué xīn yào piàn qí tā suǒ yòu de zhài zhù。 wèile dá dào zhè gè mùdì， tā gěi mǒu gè kē ní lì yà sī xiān shēng kāi chū liǎo dà 'é zhī piào。 wǒ cāi xiǎng zhè gè rén jiù shì tā zì jǐ， yòng liǎo lìng yī gè míng zì。 wǒ hái méi yòu zhuī chá guò zhè xiē zhī piào， dàn shì wǒ xiāng xìn zhè xiē zhī piào quándōu yòng nà gè míng zì cún jìn liǎo wài dì yī gè xiǎo zhèn de yínháng， ào dé kè shí cháng qù nà gè xiǎo zhèn guò yī zhǒng shuāngchóng rén gé de shēng huó。 tā dǎ suàn jiāng lái gǎi míng huàn xìng， bǎ zhè bǐ qián qǔ chū lái， rán hòu qù bié de dì fāng chóngxīn kāi shǐ yī qiē。”
　　“ ǹg， wán quán kě néng。”
　　“ zài tā xiǎng lái， jiǎ rú tā néng zuò chū zhè yàng yī gè jiǎ xiàng， jiù shì tā bèi jiù qíng rén de dú zǐ móu shā liǎo， tā jiù kě yǐ xiāo shēng nì jì， tóng shí yòu duì tā de jiù qíng rén jìn xíng liǎo bào fù。 zhè gè 'è dú jì móu zhēn shì gè jié zuò， tā xiàng gè dà shī yī yàng bǎ tā shí xiàn liǎo。 wèile zào chéng yī gè míng xiǎn de fàn zuì dòng jī 'ér xiě de nà zhāng yí zhǔ， yào mài kè fǎ lán mán zhe fù mǔ sī xià lái jiàn tā， gù yì liú cáng xià shǒu zhàng， wò shì lǐ de xuè jì， mù liào duī zhōng de dòng wù shī gǔ hé niǔ kòu héng héng zhè yī qiēdōu lìng rén jīng tàn。 tā bù xià de zhè zhāng luó wǎng， zài jǐ xiǎo shí qián kàn lái réng rán láo gù， dàn shì tā quē shǎo yì shù jiā suǒ jù yòu de nà zhǒng dǒng dé shénme shí hòu tíng zhù de zhì gāo tiān fù。 tā huà shé tiān zú， xiǎng bǎ yǐ jīng tào zài zhè gè bù xìng de nián qīng rén bó zǐ shàng de shéng suǒ lā dé gèng jǐn yī xiē， jiēguǒ tā bǎ yī qiēdōu huǐ liǎo。 zán men xià lóu qù bā， léi sī chuí dé。 wǒ hái yòu yī liǎng gè wèn tí yào wèn wèn tā。”
　　 nà gè 'è gùn zài zì jǐ de qǐ jū shì lǐ zuò zhe， liǎng bàng gè zhàn zhe yī gè。
　　“ nà shì yī gè wán xiào， wǒ de hǎo xiān shēng héng héng yī gè 'è zuò jù， méi yòu bié de yòng yì，” tā bù tíng dì 'āi gào，“ wǒ xiàng nǐ bǎo zhèng， xiān shēng， wǒ bǎ zì jǐ cáng qǐ lái zhǐ shì wèile zhī dào wǒ de shī zōng huì dài lái shénme yǐng xiǎng。 wǒ xiāng xìn nǐ bù zhì yú rèn wéi wǒ huì ràng nián qīng de mài kè fǎ lán xiān shēng shòu dào rèn hé shāng hài bā。”
　　“ nà yào yóu péi shěn tuán lái jué dìng，” léi sī chuí dé shuō，“ bù guǎn zěn yàng， jí shǐ bù shì móu shā wèi suì， wǒ men yě yào kòng gào nǐ mì móu zuì。”
　　“ nǐ dà gài jiù yào kàn dào nǐ de zhài zhù yào qiú yínháng dòng jié kē ní lì yà sī xiān shēng de cún kuǎn liǎo，” fú 'ěr mó sī shuō。
　　 ào dé kè chī liǎo yī jīng， zhuǎn guò tóu lái 'è hěn hěn dì kàn zhe wǒ de péng yǒu。
　　“ wǒ dé duō xiè nǐ lā，” tā shuō，“ yě xǔ zǒng yòu yī tiān wǒ huì bào dá nǐ de 'ēn huì。”
　　 fú 'ěr mó sī bù jì jiào dì wēi xiào liǎo yī xià。
　　“ wǒ xiǎng jīn hòu jǐ nián lǐ nǐ bù huì yòu shí jiān gān bié de liǎo，” tā shuō，“ shùn biàn wèn yī xià， chú liǎo nǐ de kù zǐ yǐ wài， nǐ hái bǎ shénme diū jìn liǎo mù liào duī？ yī tiáo sǐ gǒu？ jǐ zhǐ tù zǐ？ huò zhě shì bié de dōng xī？ nǐ bù yuàn yì shuō chū lái？ āi， nǐ duō bù kè qì yā！ méi guān xì， wǒ xiǎng yòu liǎng zhǐ tù zǐ jiù zú gòu jiě shì nà xiē xuè jì hé shāo hēi liǎo de gǔ huī liǎo。 huá shēng， rú guǒ nǐ yào xiě yī piān jīng guò de huà， nǐ bù fáng shuō shì tù zǐ bā。”

　　"FROM the point of view of the criminal expert," said Mr. Sherlock Holmes, "London has become a singularly uninteresting city since the death of the late lamented Professor Moriarty."
　　
　　"I can hardly think that you would find many decent citizens to agree with you," I answered.
　　
　　"Well, well, I must not be selfish," said he, with a smile, as he pushed back his chair from the breakfast-table. "The community is certainly the gainer, and no one the loser, save the poor out-of-work specialist, whose occupation has gone. With that man in the field one's morning paper presented infinite possibilities. Often it was only the smallest trace, Watson, the faintest indication, and yet it was enough to tell me that the great malignant brain was there, as the gentlest tremors of the edges of the web remind one of the foul spider which lurks in the centre. Petty thefts, wanton assaults, purposeless outrage -- to the man who held the clue all could be worked into one connected whole. To the scientific student of the higher criminal world no capital in Europe offered the advantages which London then possessed. But now ----" He shrugged his shoulders in humorous deprecation of the state of things which he had himself done so much to produce.
　　
　　At the time of which I speak Holmes had been back for some months, and I, at his request, had sold my practice and returned to share the old quarters in Baker Street. A young doctor, named Verner, had purchased my small Kensington practice, and given with astonishingly little demur the highest price that I ventured to ask -- an incident which only explained itself some years later when I found that Verner was a distant relation of Holmes's, and that it was my friend who had really found the money.
　　
　　Our months of partnership had not been so uneventful as he had stated, for I find, on looking over my notes, that this period includes the case of the papers of Ex-President Murillo, and also the shocking affair of the Dutch steamship FRIESLAND, which so nearly cost us both our lives. His cold and proud nature was always averse, however, to anything in the shape of public applause, and he bound me in the most stringent terms to say no further word of himself, his methods, or his successes -- a prohibition which, as I have explained, has only now been removed.
　　
　　Mr. Sherlock Holmes was leaning back in his chair after his whimsical protest, and was unfolding his morning paper in a leisurely fashion, when our attention was arrested by a tremendous ring at the bell, followed immediately by a hollow drumming sound, as if someone were beating on the outer door with his fist. As it opened there came a tumultuous rush into the hall, rapid feet clattered up the stair, and an instant later a wild-eyed and frantic young man, pale, dishevelled, and palpitating, burst into the room. He looked from one to the other of us, and under our gaze of inquiry he became conscious that some apology was needed for this unceremonious entry.
　　
　　"I'm sorry, Mr. Holmes," he cried. "You mustn't blame me. I am nearly mad. Mr. Holmes, I am the unhappy John Hector McFarlane."
　　
　　He made the announcement as if the name alone would explain both his visit and its manner; but I could see by my companion's unresponsive face that it meant no more to him than to me.
　　
　　"Have a cigarette, Mr. McFarlane," said he, pushing his case across. "I am sure that with your symptoms my friend Dr. Watson here would prescribe a sedative. The weather has been so very warm these last few days. Now, if you feel a little more composed, I should be glad if you would sit down in that chair and tell us very slowly and quietly who you are and what it is that you want. You mentioned your name as if I should recognise it, but I assure you that, beyond the obvious facts that you are a bachelor, a solicitor, a Freemason, and an asthmatic, I know nothing whatever about you."
　　
　　Familiar as I was with my friend's methods, it was not difficult for me to follow his deductions, and to observe the untidiness of attire, the sheaf of legal papers, the watch-charm, and the breathing which had prompted them. Our client, however, stared in amazement.
　　
　　"Yes, I am all that, Mr. Holmes, and in addition I am the most unfortunate man at this moment in London. For Heaven's sake don't abandon me, Mr. Holmes! If they come to arrest me before I have finished my story, make them give me time so that I may tell you the whole truth. I could go to gaol happy if I knew that you were working for me outside."
　　
　　"Arrest you!" said Holmes. "This is really most grati -- most interesting. On what charge do you expect to be arrested?"
　　
　　"Upon the charge of murdering Mr. Jonas Oldacre, of Lower Norwood."
　　
　　My companion's expressive face showed a sympathy which was not, I am afraid, entirely unmixed with satisfaction.
　　
　　"Dear me," said he; "it was only this moment at breakfast that I was saying to my friend, Dr. Watson, that sensational cases had disappeared out of our papers."
　　
　　Our visitor stretched forward a quivering hand and picked up the DAILY TELEGRAPH, which still lay upon Holmes's knee.
　　
　　"If you had looked at it, sir, you would have seen at a glance what the errand is on which I have come to you this morning. I feel as if my name and my misfortune must be in every man's mouth." He turned it over to expose the central page. "Here it is, and with your permission I will read it to you. Listen to this, Mr. Holmes. The head-lines are: `Mysterious Affair at Lower Norwood. Disappearance of a Well-known Builder. Suspicion of Murder and Arson. A Clue to the Criminal.' That is the clue which they are already following, Mr. Holmes, and I know that it leads infallibly to me. I have been followed from London Bridge Station, and I am sure that they are only waiting for the warrant to arrest me. It will break my mother's heart -- it will break her heart!" He wrung his hands in an agony of apprehension, and swayed backwards and forwards in his chair.
　　
　　I looked with interest upon this man, who was accused of being the perpetrator of a crime of violence. He was flaxen-haired and handsome in a washed-out negative fashion, with frightened blue eyes and a clean-shaven face, with a weak, sensitive mouth. His age may have been about twenty-seven; his dress and bearing that of a gentleman. From the pocket of his light summer overcoat protruded the bundle of endorsed papers which proclaimed his profession.
　　
　　"We must use what time we have," said Holmes. "Watson, would you have the kindness to take the paper and to read me the paragraph in question?"
　　
　　Underneath the vigorous head-lines which our client had quoted I read the following suggestive narrative:---
　　
　　Late last night, or early this morning, an incident occurred at Lower Norwood which points, it is feared, to a serious crime. Mr. Jonas Oldacre is a well-known resident of that suburb, where he has carried on his business as a builder for many years. Mr. Oldacre is a bachelor, fifty-two years of age, and lives in Deep Dene House, at the Sydenham end of the road of that name. He has had the reputation of being a man of eccentric habits, secretive and retiring. For some years he has practically withdrawn from the business, in which he is said to have amassed considerable wealth. A small timber-yard still exists, however, at the back of the house, and last night, about twelve o'clock, an alarm was given that one of the stacks was on fire. The engines were soon upon the spot, but the dry wood burned with great fury, and it was impossible to arrest the conflagration until the stack had been entirely consumed. Up to this point the incident bore the appearance of an ordinary accident, but fresh indications seem to point to serious crime. Surprise was expressed at the absence of the master of the establishment from the scene of the fire, and an inquiry followed, which showed that he had disappeared from the house. An examination of his room revealed that the bed had not been slept in, that a safe which stood in it was open, that a number of important papers were scattered about the room, and, finally, that there were signs of a murderous struggle, slight traces of blood being found within the room, and an oaken walking-stick, which also showed stains of blood upon the handle. It is known that Mr. Jonas Oldacre had received a late visitor in his bedroom upon that night, and the stick found has been identified as the property of this person, who is a young London solicitor named John Hector McFarlane, junior partner of Graham and McFarlane, of 426, Gresham Buildings, E.C. The police believe that they have evidence in their possession which supplies a very convincing motive for the crime, and altogether it cannot be doubted that sensational developments will follow.
　　
　　LATER. -- It is rumoured as we go to press that Mr. John Hector McFarlane has actually been arrested on the charge of the murder of Mr. Jonas Oldacre. It is at least certain that a warrant has been issued. There have been further and sinister developments in the investigation at Norwood. Besides the signs of a struggle in the room of the unfortunate builder it is now known that the French windows of his bedroom (which is on the ground floor) were found to be open, that there were marks as if some bulky object had been dragged across to the wood-pile, and, finally, it is asserted that charred remains have been found among the charcoal ashes of the fire. The police theory is that a most sensational crime has been committed, that the victim was clubbed to death in his own bedroom, his papers rifled, and his dead body dragged across to the wood-stack, which was then ignited so as to hide all traces of the crime. The conduct of the criminal investigation has been left in the experienced hands of Inspector Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, who is following up the clues with his accustomed energy and sagacity.
　　
　　Sherlock Holmes listened with closed eyes and finger-tips together to this remarkable account.
　　
　　"The case has certainly some points of interest," said he, in his languid fashion. "May I ask, in the first place, Mr. McFarlane, how it is that you are still at liberty, since there appears to be enough evidence to justify your arrest?"
　　
　　"I live at Torrington Lodge, Blackheath, with my parents, Mr. Holmes; but last night, having to do business very late with Mr. Jonas Oldacre, I stayed at an hotel in Norwood, and came to my business from there. I knew nothing of this affair until I was in the train, when I read what you have just heard. I at once saw the horrible danger of my position, and I hurried to put the case into your hands. I have no doubt that I should have been arrested either at my City office or at my home. A man followed me from London Bridge Station, and I have no doubt --- Great Heaven, what is that?"
　　
　　It was a clang of the bell, followed instantly by heavy steps upon the stair. A moment later our old friend Lestrade appeared in the doorway. Over his shoulder I caught a glimpse of one or two uniformed policemen outside.
　　
　　"Mr. John Hector McFarlane?" said Lestrade.
　　
　　Our unfortunate client rose with a ghastly face.
　　
　　"I arrest you for the wilful murder of Mr. Jonas Oldacre, of Lower Norwood."
　　
　　McFarlane turned to us with a gesture of despair, and sank into his chair once more like one who is crushed.
　　
　　"One moment, Lestrade," said Holmes. "Half an hour more or less can make no difference to you, and the gentleman was about to give us an account of this very interesting affair, which might aid us in clearing it up."
　　
　　"I think there will be no difficulty in clearing it up," said Lestrade, grimly.
　　
　　"None the less, with your permission, I should be much interested to hear his account."
　　
　　"Well, Mr. Holmes, it is difficult for me to refuse you anything, for you have been of use to the force once or twice in the past, and we owe you a good turn at Scotland Yard," said Lestrade. "At the same time I must remain with my prisoner, and I am bound to warn him that anything he may say will appear in evidence against him."
　　
　　"I wish nothing better," said our client. "All I ask is that you should hear and recognise the absolute truth."
　　
　　Lestrade looked at his watch. "I'll give you half an hour," said he.
　　
　　"I must explain first," said McFarlane, "that I knew nothing of Mr. Jonas Oldacre. His name was familiar to me, for many years ago my parents were acquainted with him, but they drifted apart. I was very much surprised, therefore, when yesterday, about three o'clock in the afternoon, he walked into my office in the City. But I was still more astonished when he told me the object of his visit. He had in his hand several sheets of a note-book, covered with scribbled writing -- here they are -- and he laid them on my table.
　　
　　"`Here is my will,' said he. `I want you, Mr. McFarlane, to cast it into proper legal shape. I will sit here while you do so.'
　　
　　"I set myself to copy it, and you can imagine my astonishment when I found that, with some reservations, he had left all his property to me. He was a strange little, ferret-like man, with white eyelashes, and when I looked up at him I found his keen grey eyes fixed upon me with an amused expression. I could hardly believe my own senses as I read the terms of the will; but he explained that he was a bachelor with hardly any living relation, that he had known my parents in his youth, and that he had always heard of me as a very deserving young man, and was assured that his money would be in worthy hands. Of course, I could only stammer out my thanks. The will was duly finished, signed, and witnessed by my clerk. This is it on the blue paper, and these slips, as I have explained, are the rough draft. Mr. Jonas Oldacre then informed me that there were a number of documents -- building leases, title-deeds, mortgages, scrip, and so forth -- which it was necessary that I should see and understand. He said that his mind would not be easy until the whole thing was settled, and he begged me to come out to his house at Norwood that night, bringing the will with me, and to arrange matters. `Remember, my boy, not one word to your parents about the affair until everything is settled. We will keep it as a little surprise for them.' He was very insistent upon this point, and made me promise it faithfully.
　　
　　"You can imagine, Mr. Holmes, that I was not in a humour to refuse him anything that he might ask. He was my benefactor, and all my desire was to carry out his wishes in every particular. I sent a telegram home, therefore, to say that I had important business on hand, and that it was impossible for me to say how late I might be. Mr. Oldacre had told me that he would like me to have supper with him at nine, as he might not be home before that hour. I had some difficulty in finding his house, however, and it was nearly half-past before I reached it. I found him ---"
　　
　　"One moment!" said Holmes. "Who opened the door?"
　　
　　"A middle-aged woman, who was, I suppose, his housekeeper."
　　
　　"And it was she, I presume, who mentioned your name?"
　　
　　"Exactly," said McFarlane.
　　
　　"Pray proceed."
　　
　　McFarlane wiped his damp brow and then continued his narrative:--
　　
　　"I was shown by this woman into a sitting-room, where a frugal supper was laid out. Afterwards Mr. Jonas Oldacre led me into his bedroom, in which there stood a heavy safe. This he opened and took out a mass of documents, which we went over together. It was between eleven and twelve when we finished. He remarked that we must not disturb the housekeeper. He showed me out through his own French window, which had been open all this time."
　　
　　"Was the blind down?" asked Holmes.
　　
　　"I will not be sure, but I believe that it was only half down. Yes, I remember how he pulled it up in order to swing open the window. I could not find my stick, and he said, `Never mind, my boy; I shall see a good deal of you now, I hope, and I will keep your stick until you come back to claim it.' I left him there, the safe open, and the papers made up in packets upon the table. It was so late that I could not get back to Blackheath, so I spent the night at the Anerley Arms, and I knew nothing more until I read of this horrible affair in the morning."
　　
　　"Anything more that you would like to ask, Mr. Holmes?" said Lestrade, whose eyebrows had gone up once or twice during this remarkable explanation.
　　
　　"Not until I have been to Blackheath."
　　
　　"You mean to Norwood," said Lestrade.
　　
　　"Oh, yes; no doubt that is what I must have meant," said Holmes, with his enigmatical smile. Lestrade had learned by more experiences than he would care to acknowledge that that razor-like brain could cut through that which was impenetrable to him. I saw him look curiously at my companion.
　　
　　"I think I should like to have a word with you presently, Mr. Sherlock Holmes," said he. "Now, Mr. McFarlane, two of my constables are at the door and there is a four-wheeler waiting." The wretched young man arose, and with a last beseeching glance at us walked from the room. The officers conducted him to the cab, but Lestrade remained.
　　
　　Holmes had picked up the pages which formed the rough draft of the will, and was looking at them with the keenest interest upon his face.
　　
　　"There are some points about that document, Lestrade, are there not?" said he, pushing them over.
　　
　　The official looked at them with a puzzled expression.
　　
　　"I can read the first few lines, and these in the middle of the second page, and one or two at the end. Those are as clear as print," said he; "but the writing in between is very bad, and there are three places where I cannot read it at all."
　　
　　"What do you make of that?" said Holmes.
　　
　　"Well, what do YOU make of it?"
　　
　　"That it was written in a train; the good writing represents stations, the bad writing movement, and the very bad writing passing over points. A scientific expert would pronounce at once that this was drawn up on a suburban line, since nowhere save in the immediate vicinity of a great city could there be so quick a succession of points. Granting that his whole journey was occupied in drawing up the will, then the train was an express, only stopping once between Norwood and London Bridge."
　　
　　Lestrade began to laugh.
　　
　　"You are too many for me when you begin to get on your theories, Mr. Holmes," said he. "How does this bear on the case?"
　　
　　"Well, it corroborates the young man's story to the extent that the will was drawn up by Jonas Oldacre in his journey yesterday. It is curious -- is it not? -- that a man should draw up so important a document in so haphazard a fashion. It suggests that he did not think it was going to be of much practical importance. If a man drew up a will which he did not intend ever to be effective he might do it so."
　　
　　"Well, he drew up his own death-warrant at the same time," said Lestrade.
　　
　　"Oh, you think so?"
　　
　　"Don't you?"
　　
　　"Well, it is quite possible; but the case is not clear to me yet."
　　
　　"Not clear? Well, if that isn't clear, what COULD be clear? Here is a young man who learns suddenly that if a certain older man dies he will succeed to a fortune. What does he do? He says nothing to anyone, but he arranges that he shall go out on some pretext to see his client that night; he waits until the only other person in the house is in bed, and then in the solitude of a man's room he murders him, burns his body in the wood-pile, and departs to a neighbouring hotel. The blood-stains in the room and also on the stick are very slight. It is probable that he imagined his crime to be a bloodless one, and hoped that if the body were consumed it would hide all traces of the method of his death -- traces which for some reason must have pointed to him. Is all this not obvious?"
　　
　　"It strikes me, my good Lestrade, as being just a trifle too obvious," said Holmes. "You do not add imagination to your other great qualities; but if you could for one moment put yourself in the place of this young man, would you choose the very night after the will had been made to commit your crime? Would it not seem dangerous to you to make so very close a relation between the two incidents? Again, would you choose an occasion when you are known to be in the house, when a servant has let you in? And, finally, would you take the great pains to conceal the body and yet leave your own stick as a sign that you were the criminal? Confess, Lestrade, that all this is very unlikely."
　　
　　"As to the stick, Mr. Holmes, you know as well as I do that a criminal is often flurried and does things which a cool man would avoid. He was very likely afraid to go back to the room. Give me another theory that would fit the facts."
　　
　　"I could very easily give you half-a-dozen," said Holmes. "Here, for example, is a very possible and even probable one. I make you a free present of it. The older man is showing documents which are of evident value. A passing tramp sees them through the window, the blind of which is only half down. Exit the solicitor. Enter the tramp! He seizes a stick, which he observes there, kills Oldacre, and departs after burning the body."
　　
　　"Why should the tramp burn the body?"
　　
　　"For the matter of that why should McFarlane?"
　　
　　"To hide some evidence."
　　
　　"Possibly the tramp wanted to hide that any murder at all had been committed."
　　
　　"And why did the tramp take nothing?"
　　
　　"Because they were papers that he could not negotiate."
　　
　　Lestrade shook his head, though it seemed to me that his manner was less absolutely assured than before.
　　
　　"Well, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, you may look for your tramp, and while you are finding him we will hold on to our man. The future will show which is right. Just notice this point, Mr. Holmes: that so far as we know none of the papers were removed, and that the prisoner is the one man in the world who had no reason for removing them, since he was heir-at-law and would come into them in any case."
　　
　　My friend seemed struck by this remark.
　　
　　"I don't mean to deny that the evidence is in some ways very strongly in favour of your theory," said he. "I only wish to point out that there are other theories possible. As you say, the future will decide. Good morning! I dare say that in the course of the day I shall drop in at Norwood and see how you are getting on."
　　
　　When the detective departed my friend rose and made his preparations for the day's work with the alert air of a man who has a congenial task before him.
　　
　　"My first movement, Watson," said he, as he bustled into his frock-coat, "must, as I said, be in the direction of Blackheath."
　　
　　"And why not Norwood?"
　　
　　"Because we have in this case one singular incident coming close to the heels of another singular incident. The police are making the mistake of concentrating their attention upon the second, because it happens to be the one which is actually criminal. But it is evident to me that the logical way to approach the case is to begin by trying to throw some light upon the first incident -- the curious will, so suddenly made, and to so unexpected an heir. It may do something to simplify what followed. No, my dear fellow, I don't think you can help me. There is no prospect of danger, or I should not dream of stirring out without you. I trust that when I see you in the evening I will be able to report that I have been able to do something for this unfortunate youngster who has thrown himself upon my protection."
　　
　　It was late when my friend returned, and I could see by a glance at his haggard and anxious face that the high hopes with which he had started had not been fulfilled. For an hour he droned away upon his violin, endeavouring to soothe his own ruffled spirits. At last he flung down the instrument and plunged into a detailed account of his misadventures.
　　
　　"It's all going wrong, Watson -- all as wrong as it can go. I kept a bold face before Lestrade, but, upon my soul, I believe that for once the fellow is on the right track and we are on the wrong. All my instincts are one way and all the facts are the other, and I much fear that British juries have not yet attained that pitch of intelligence when they will give the preference to my theories over Lestrade's facts."
　　
　　"Did you go to Blackheath?"
　　
　　"Yes, Watson, I went there, and I found very quickly that the late lamented Oldacre was a pretty considerable black-guard. The father was away in search of his son. The mother was at home -- a little, fluffy, blue-eyed person, in a tremor of fear and indignation. Of course, she would not admit even the possibility of his guilt. But she would not express either surprise or regret over the fate of Oldacre. On the contrary, she spoke of him with such bitterness that she was unconsciously considerably strengthening the case of the police, for, of course, if her son had heard her speak of the man in this fashion it would predispose him towards hatred and violence. `He was more like a malignant and cunning ape than a human being,' said she, `and he always was, ever since he was a young man.'
　　
　　"`You knew him at that time?' said I.
　　
　　"`Yes, I knew him well; in fact, he was an old suitor of mine. Thank Heaven that I had the sense to turn away from him and to marry a better, if a poorer, man. I was engaged to him, Mr. Holmes, when I heard a shocking story of how he had turned a cat loose in an aviary, and I was so horrified at his brutal cruelty that I would have nothing more to do with him.' She rummaged in a bureau, and presently she produced a photograph of a woman, shamefully defaced and mutilated with a knife. `That is my own photograph,' she said. `He sent it to me in that state, with his curse, upon my wedding morning.'
　　
　　"`Well,' said I, `at least he has forgiven you now, since he has left all his property to your son.'
　　
　　"`Neither my son nor I want anything from Jonas Oldacre, dead or alive,' she cried, with a proper spirit. `There is a God in Heaven, Mr. Holmes, and that same God who has punished that wicked man will show in His own good time that my son's hands are guiltless of his blood.'
　　
　　"Well, I tried one or two leads, but could get at nothing which would help our hypothesis, and several points which would make against it. I gave it up at last and off I went to Norwood.
　　
　　"This place, Deep Dene House, is a big modern villa of staring brick, standing back in its own grounds, with a laurel-clumped lawn in front of it. To the right and some distance back from the road was the timber-yard which had been the scene of the fire. Here's a rough plan on a leaf of my note-book. This window on the left is the one which opens into Oldacre's room. You can look into it from the road, you see. That is about the only bit of consolation I have had to-day. Lestrade was not there, but his head constable did the honours. They had just made a great treasure-trove. They had spent the morning raking among the ashes of the burned wood-pile, and besides the charred organic remains they had secured several discoloured metal discs. I examined them with care, and there was no doubt that they were trouser buttons. I even distinguished that one of them was marked with the name of `Hyams,' who was Oldacre's tailor. I then worked the lawn very carefully for signs and traces, but this drought has made everything as hard as iron. Nothing was to be seen save that some body or bundle had been dragged through a low privet hedge which is in a line with the wood-pile. All that, of course, fits in with the official theory. I crawled about the lawn with an August sun on my back, but I got up at the end of an hour no wiser than before.
　　
　　"Well, after this fiasco I went into the bedroom and examined that also. The blood-stains were very slight, mere smears and discolorations, but undoubtedly fresh. The stick had been removed, but there also the marks were slight. There is no doubt about the stick belonging to our client. He admits it. Footmarks of both men could be made out on the carpet, but none of any third person, which again is a trick for the other side. They were piling up their score all the time and we were at a standstill.
　　
　　"Only one little gleam of hope did I get -- and yet it amounted to nothing. I examined the contents of the safe, most of which had been taken out and left on the table. The papers had been made up into sealed envelopes, one or two of which had been opened by the police. They were not, so far as I could judge, of any great value, nor did the bank-book show that Mr. Oldacre was in such very affluent circumstances. But it seemed to me that all the papers were not there. There were allusions to some deeds -- possibly the more valuable -- which I could not find. This, of course, if we could definitely prove it, would turn Lestrade's argument against himself, for who would steal a thing if he knew that he would shortly inherit it?
　　
　　"Finally, having drawn every other cover and picked up no scent, I tried my luck with the housekeeper. Mrs. Lexington is her name, a little, dark, silent person, with suspicious and sidelong eyes. She could tell us something if she would -- I am convinced of it. But she was as close as wax. Yes, she had let Mr. McFarlane in at half-past nine. She wished her hand had withered before she had done so. She had gone to bed at half-past ten. Her room was at the other end of the house, and she could hear nothing of what passed. Mr. McFarlane had left his hat, and to the best of her belief his stick, in the hall. She had been awakened by the alarm of fire. Her poor, dear master had certainly been murdered. Had he any enemies? Well, every man had enemies, but Mr. Oldacre kept himself very much to himself, and only met people in the way of business. She had seen the buttons, and was sure that they belonged to the clothes which he had worn last night. The wood-pile was very dry, for it had not rained for a month. It burned like tinder, and by the time she reached the spot nothing could be seen but flames. She and all the firemen smelled the burned flesh from inside it. She knew nothing of the papers, nor of Mr. Oldacre's private affairs.
　　
　　"So, my dear Watson, there's my report of a failure. And yet -- and yet ---" -- he clenched his thin hands in a paroxysm of conviction -- "I KNOW it's all wrong. I feel it in my bones. There is something that has not come out, and that housekeeper knows it. There was a sort of sulky defiance in her eyes, which only goes with guilty knowledge. However, there's no good talking any more about it, Watson; but unless some lucky chance comes our way I fear that the Norwood Disappearance Case will not figure in that chronicle of our successes which I foresee that a patient public will sooner or later have to endure."
　　
　　"Surely," said I, "the man's appearance would go far with any jury?"
　　
　　"That is a dangerous argument, my dear Watson. You remember that terrible murderer, Bert Stevens, who wanted us to get him off in '87? Was there ever a more mild-mannered, Sunday-school young man?"
　　
　　"It is true."
　　
　　"Unless we succeed in establishing an alternative theory this man is lost. You can hardly find a flaw in the case which can now be presented against him, and all further investigation has served to strengthen it. By the way, there is one curious little point about those papers which may serve us as the starting-point for an inquiry. On looking over the bank-book I found that the low state of the balance was principally due to large cheques which have been made out during the last year to Mr. Cornelius. I confess that I should be interested to know who this Mr. Cornelius may be with whom a retired builder has such very large transactions. Is it possible that he has had a hand in the affair? Cornelius might be a broker, but we have found no scrip to correspond with these large payments. Failing any other indication my researches must now take the direction of an inquiry at the bank for the gentleman who has cashed these cheques. But I fear, my dear fellow, that our case will end ingloriously by Lestrade hanging our client, which will certainly be a triumph for Scotland Yard."
　　
　　I do not know how far Sherlock Holmes took any sleep that night, but when I came down to breakfast I found him pale and harassed, his bright eyes the brighter for the dark shadows round them. The carpet round his chair was littered with cigarette-ends and with the early editions of the morning papers. An open telegram lay upon the table.
　　
　　"What do you think of this, Watson?" he asked, tossing it across.
　　
　　It was from Norwood, and ran as follows:--
　　
　　"IMPORTANT FRESH EVIDENCE TO HAND. MCFARLANE'S GUILT DEFINITELY ESTABLISHED. ADVISE YOU TO ABANDON CASE. -- LESTRADE."
　　
　　"This sounds serious," said I.
　　
　　"It is Lestrade's little cock-a-doodle of victory," Holmes answered, with a bitter smile. "And yet it may be premature to abandon the case. After all, important fresh evidence is a two-edged thing, and may possibly cut in a very different direction to that which Lestrade imagines. Take your breakfast, Watson, and we will go out together and see what we can do. I feel as if I shall need your company and your moral support to-day."
　　
　　My friend had no breakfast himself, for it was one of his peculiarities that in his more intense moments he would permit himself no food, and I have known him presume upon his iron strength until he has fainted from pure inanition. "At present I cannot spare energy and nerve force for digestion," he would say in answer to my medical remonstrances. I was not surprised, therefore, when this morning he left his untouched meal behind him and started with me for Norwood. A crowd of morbid sightseers were still gathered round Deep Dene House, which was just such a suburban villa as I had pictured. Within the gates Lestrade met us, his face flushed with victory, his manner grossly triumphant.
　　
　　"Well, Mr. Holmes, have you proved us to be wrong yet? Have you found your tramp?" he cried.
　　
　　"I have formed no conclusion whatever," my companion answered.
　　
　　"But we formed ours yesterday, and now it proves to be correct; so you must acknowledge that we have been a little in front of you this time, Mr. Holmes."
　　
　　"You certainly have the air of something unusual having occurred," said Holmes.
　　
　　Lestrade laughed loudly.
　　
　　"You don't like being beaten any more than the rest of us do," said he. "A man can't expect always to have it his own way, can he, Dr. Watson? Step this way, if you please, gentlemen, and I think I can convince you once for all that it was John McFarlane who did this crime."
　　
　　He led us through the passage and out into a dark hall beyond.
　　
　　"This is where young McFarlane must have come out to get his hat after the crime was done," said he. "Now, look at this." With dramatic suddenness he struck a match and by its light exposed a stain of blood upon the whitewashed wall. As he held the match nearer I saw that it was more than a stain. It was the well-marked print of a thumb.
　　
　　"Look at that with your magnifying glass, Mr. Holmes."
　　
　　"Yes, I am doing so."
　　
　　"You are aware that no two thumb marks are alike?"
　　
　　"I have heard something of the kind."
　　
　　"Well, then, will you please compare that print with this wax impression of young McFarlane's right thumb, taken by my orders this morning?"
　　
　　As he held the waxen print close to the blood-stain it did not take a magnifying glass to see that the two were undoubtedly from the same thumb. It was evident to me that our unfortunate client was lost.
　　
　　"That is final," said Lestrade.
　　
　　"Yes, that is final," I involuntarily echoed.
　　
　　"It is final," said Holmes.
　　
　　Something in his tone caught my ear, and I turned to look at him. An extraordinary change had come over his face. It was writhing with inward merriment. His two eyes were shining like stars. It seemed to me that he was making desperate efforts to restrain a convulsive attack of laughter.
　　
　　"Dear me! Dear me!" he said at last. "Well, now, who would have thought it? And how deceptive appearances may be, to be sure! Such a nice young man to look at! It is a lesson to us not to trust our own judgment, is it not, Lestrade?"
　　
　　"Yes, some of us are a little too much inclined to be cocksure, Mr. Holmes," said Lestrade. The man's insolence was maddening, but we could not resent it.
　　
　　"What a providential thing that this young man should press his right thumb against the wall in taking his hat from the peg! Such a very natural action, too, if you come to think of it." Holmes was outwardly calm, but his whole body gave a wriggle of suppressed excitement as he spoke. "By the way, Lestrade, who made this remarkable discovery?"
　　
　　"It was the housekeeper, Mrs. Lexington, who drew the night constable's attention to it."
　　
　　"Where was the night constable?"
　　
　　"He remained on guard in the bedroom where the crime was committed, so as to see that nothing was touched."
　　
　　"But why didn't the police see this mark yesterday?"
　　
　　"Well, we had no particular reason to make a careful examination of the hall. Besides, it's not in a very prominent place, as you see."
　　
　　"No, no, of course not. I suppose there is no doubt that the mark was there yesterday?"
　　
　　Lestrade looked at Holmes as if he thought he was going out of his mind. I confess that I was myself surprised both at his hilarious manner and at his rather wild observation.
　　
　　"I don't know whether you think that McFarlane came out of gaol in the dead of the night in order to strengthen the evidence against himself," said Lestrade. "I leave it to any expert in the world whether that is not the mark of his thumb."
　　
　　"It is unquestionably the mark of his thumb."
　　
　　"There, that's enough," said Lestrade. "I am a practical man, Mr. Holmes, and when I have got my evidence I come to my conclusions. If you have anything to say you will find me writing my report in the sitting-room."
　　
　　Holmes had recovered his equanimity, though I still seemed to detect gleams of amusement in his expression.
　　
　　"Dear me, this is a very sad development, Watson, is it not?" said he. "And yet there are singular points about it which hold out some hopes for our client."
　　
　　"I am delighted to hear it," said I, heartily. "I was afraid it was all up with him."
　　
　　"I would hardly go so far as to say that, my dear Watson. The fact is that there is one really serious flaw in this evidence to which our friend attaches so much importance."
　　
　　"Indeed, Holmes! What is it?"
　　
　　"Only this: that I KNOW that that mark was not there when I examined the hall yesterday. And now, Watson, let us have a little stroll round in the sunshine."
　　
　　With a confused brain, but with a heart into which some warmth of hope was returning, I accompanied my friend in a walk round the garden. Holmes took each face of the house in turn and examined it with great interest. He then led the way inside and went over the whole building from basement to attics. Most of the rooms were unfurnished, but none the less Holmes inspected them all minutely. Finally, on the top corridor, which ran outside three untenanted bedrooms, he again was seized with a spasm of merriment.
　　
　　"There are really some very unique features about this case, Watson," said he. "I think it is time now that we took our friend Lestrade into our confidence. He has had his little smile at our expense, and perhaps we may do as much by him if my reading of this problem proves to be correct. Yes, yes; I think I see how we should approach it."
　　
　　The Scotland Yard inspector was still writing in the parlour when Holmes interrupted him.
　　
　　"I understood that you were writing a report of this case," said he.
　　
　　"So I am."
　　
　　"Don't you think it may be a little premature? I can't help thinking that your evidence is not complete."
　　
　　Lestrade knew my friend too well to disregard his words. He laid down his pen and looked curiously at him.
　　
　　"What do you mean, Mr. Holmes?"
　　
　　"Only that there is an important witness whom you have not seen."
　　
　　"Can you produce him?"
　　
　　"I think I can."
　　
　　"Then do so."
　　
　　"I will do my best. How many constables have you?"
　　
　　"There are three within call."
　　
　　"Excellent!" said Holmes. "May I ask if they are all large, able-bodied men with powerful voices?"
　　
　　"I have no doubt they are, though I fail to see what their voices have to do with it."
　　
　　"Perhaps I can help you to see that and one or two other things as well," said Holmes. "Kindly summon your men, and I will try."
　　
　　Five minutes later three policemen had assembled in the hall.
　　
　　"In the outhouse you will find a considerable quantity of straw," said Holmes. "I will ask you to carry in two bundles of it. I think it will be of the greatest assistance in producing the witness whom I require. Thank you very much. I believe you have some matches in your pocket, Watson. Now, Mr. Lestrade, I will ask you all to accompany me to the top landing."
　　
　　As I have said, there was a broad corridor there, which ran outside three empty bedrooms. At one end of the corridor we were all marshalled by Sherlock Holmes, the constables grinning and Lestrade staring at my friend with amazement, expectation, and derision chasing each other across his features. Holmes stood before us with the air of a conjurer who is performing a trick.
　　
　　"Would you kindly send one of your constables for two buckets of water? Put the straw on the floor here, free from the wall on either side. Now I think that we are all ready."
　　
　　Lestrade's face had begun to grow red and angry.
　　
　　"I don't know whether you are playing a game with us, Mr. Sherlock Holmes," said he. "If you know anything, you can surely say it without all this tomfoolery."
　　
　　"I assure you, my good Lestrade, that I have an excellent reason for everything that I do. You may possibly remember that you chaffed me a little some hours ago, when the sun seemed on your side of the hedge, so you must not grudge me a little pomp and ceremony now. Might I ask you, Watson, to open that window, and then to put a match to the edge of the straw?"
　　
　　I did so, and, driven by the draught, a coil of grey smoke swirled down the corridor, while the dry straw crackled and flamed.
　　
　　"Now we must see if we can find this witness for you, Lestrade. Might I ask you all to join in the cry of `Fire!'? Now, then; one, two, three ---"
　　
　　"Fire!" we all yelled.
　　
　　"Thank you. I will trouble you once again."
　　
　　"Fire!"
　　
　　"Just once more, gentlemen, and all together."
　　
　　"Fire!" The shout must have rung over Norwood.
　　
　　It had hardly died away when an amazing thing happened. A door suddenly flew open out of what appeared to be solid wall at the end of the corridor, and a little, wizened man darted out of it, like a rabbit out of its burrow.
　　
　　"Capital!" said Holmes, calmly. "Watson, a bucket of water over the straw. That will do! Lestrade, allow me to present you with your principal missing witness, Mr. Jonas Oldacre."
　　
　　The detective stared at the new-comer with blank amazement. The latter was blinking in the bright light of the corridor, and peering at us and at the smouldering fire. It was an odious face -- crafty, vicious, malignant, with shifty, light-grey eyes and white eyelashes.
　　
　　"What's this, then?" said Lestrade at last. "What have you been doing all this time, eh?"
　　
　　Oldacre gave an uneasy laugh, shrinking back from the furious red face of the angry detective.
　　
　　"I have done no harm."
　　
　　"No harm? You have done your best to get an innocent man hanged. If it wasn't for this gentleman here, I am not sure that you would not have succeeded."
　　
　　The wretched creature began to whimper.
　　
　　"I am sure, sir, it was only my practical joke."
　　
　　"Oh! a joke, was it? You won't find the laugh on your side, I promise you. Take him down and keep him in the sitting-room until I come. Mr. Holmes," he continued, when they had gone, "I could not speak before the constables, but I don't mind saying, in the presence of Dr. Watson, that this is the brightest thing that you have done yet, though it is a mystery to me how you did it. You have saved an innocent man's life, and you have prevented a very grave scandal, which would have ruined my reputation in the Force."
　　
　　Holmes smiled and clapped Lestrade upon the shoulder.
　　
　　"Instead of being ruined, my good sir, you will find that your reputation has been enormously enhanced. Just make a few alterations in that report which you were writing, and they will understand how hard it is to throw dust in the eyes of Inspector Lestrade."
　　
　　"And you don't want your name to appear?"
　　
　　"Not at all. The work is its own reward. Perhaps I shall get the credit also at some distant day when I permit my zealous historian to lay out his foolscap once more -- eh, Watson? Well, now, let us see where this rat has been lurking."
　　
　　A lath-and-plaster partition had been run across the passage six feet from the end, with a door cunningly concealed in it. It was lit within by slits under the eaves. A few articles of furniture and a supply of food and water were within, together with a number of books and papers.
　　
　　"There's the advantage of being a builder," said Holmes, as we came out. "He was able to fix up his own little hiding-place without any confederate -- save, of course, that precious housekeeper of his, whom I should lose no time in adding to your bag, Lestrade."
　　
　　"I'll take your advice. But how did you know of this place, Mr. Holmes?"
　　
　　"I made up my mind that the fellow was in hiding in the house. When I paced one corridor and found it six feet shorter than the corresponding one below, it was pretty clear where he was. I thought he had not the nerve to lie quiet before an alarm of fire. We could, of course, have gone in and taken him, but it amused me to make him reveal himself; besides, I owed you a little mystification, Lestrade, for your chaff in the morning."
　　
　　"Well, sir, you certainly got equal with me on that. But how in the world did you know that he was in the house at all?"
　　
　　"The thumb-mark, Lestrade. You said it was final; and so it was, in a very different sense. I knew it had not been there the day before. I pay a good deal of attention to matters of detail, as you may have observed, and I had examined the hall and was sure that the wall was clear. Therefore, it had been put on during the night."
　　
　　"But how?"
　　
　　"Very simply. When those packets were sealed up, Jonas Oldacre got McFarlane to secure one of the seals by putting his thumb upon the soft wax. It would be done so quickly and so naturally that I dare say the young man himself has no recollection of it. Very likely it just so happened, and Oldacre had himself no notion of the use he would put it to. Brooding over the case in that den of his, it suddenly struck him what absolutely damning evidence he could make against McFarlane by using that thumb-mark. It was the simplest thing in the world for him to take a wax impression from the seal, to moisten it in as much blood as he could get from a pin-prick, and to put the mark upon the wall during the night, either with his own hand or with that of his housekeeper. If you examine among those documents which he took with him into his retreat I will lay you a wager that you find the seal with the thumb-mark upon it."
　　
　　"Wonderful!" said Lestrade. "Wonderful! It's all as clear as crystal, as you put it. But what is the object of this deep deception, Mr. Holmes?"
　　
　　It was amusing to me to see how the detective's overbearing manner had changed suddenly to that of a child asking questions of its teacher.
　　
　　"Well, I don't think that is very hard to explain. A very deep, malicious, vindictive person is the gentleman who is now awaiting us downstairs. You know that he was once refused by McFarlane's mother? You don't! I told you that you should go to Blackheath first and Norwood afterwards. Well, this injury, as he would consider it, has rankled in his wicked, scheming brain, and all his life he has longed for vengeance, but never seen his chance. During the last year or two things have gone against him -- secret speculation, I think -- and he finds himself in a bad way. He determines to swindle his creditors, and for this purpose he pays large cheques to a certain Mr. Cornelius, who is, I imagine, himself under another name. I have not traced these cheques yet, but I have no doubt that they were banked under that name at some provincial town where Oldacre from time to time led a double existence. He intended to change his name altogether, draw this money, and vanish, starting life again elsewhere."
　　
　　"Well, that's likely enough."
　　
　　"It would strike him that in disappearing he might throw all pursuit off his track, and at the same time have an ample and crushing revenge upon his old sweetheart, if he could give the impression that he had been murdered by her only child. It was a masterpiece of villainy, and he carried it out like a master. The idea of the will, which would give an obvious motive for the crime, the secret visit unknown to his own parents, the retention of the stick, the blood, and the animal remains and buttons in the wood-pile, all were admirable. It was a net from which it seemed to me a few hours ago that there was no possible escape. But he had not that supreme gift of the artist, the knowledge of when to stop. He wished to improve that which was already perfect -- to draw the rope tighter yet round the neck of his unfortunate victim -- and so he ruined all. Let us descend, Lestrade. There are just one or two questions that I would ask him."
　　
　　The malignant creature was seated in his own parlour with a policeman upon each side of him.
　　
　　"It was a joke, my good sir, a practical joke, nothing more," he whined incessantly. "I assure you, sir, that I simply concealed myself in order to see the effect of my disappearance, and I am sure that you would not be so unjust as to imagine that I would have allowed any harm to befall poor young Mr. McFarlane."
　　
　　"That's for a jury to decide," said Lestrade. "Anyhow, we shall have you on a charge of conspiracy, if not for attempted murder."
　　
　　"And you'll probably find that your creditors will impound the banking account of Mr. Cornelius," said Holmes.
　　
　　The little man started and turned his malignant eyes upon my friend.
　　
　　"I have to thank you for a good deal," said he. "Perhaps I'll pay my debt some day."
　　
　　Holmes smiled indulgently.
　　
　　"I fancy that for some few years you will find your time very fully occupied," said he. "By the way, what was it you put into the wood-pile besides your old trousers? A dead dog, or rabbits, or what? You won't tell? Dear me, how very unkind of you! Well, well, I dare say that a couple of rabbits would account both for the blood and for the charred ashes. If ever you write an account, Watson, you can make rabbits serve your turn."