布鲁斯-帕廷顿计划-the bruce-partington plans-第4章

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sheltered　the　bereaved　mother。　　The　old　lady　was　too　dazed　with
grief　to　be　of　any　use　to　us；　but　at　her　side　was　a　white…faced
young　lady；　who　introduced　herself　as　Miss　Violet　Westbury；　the
fiancee　of　the　dead　man；　and　the　last　to　see　him　upon　that　fatal
night。

〃I　cannot　explain　it；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　she　said。　　〃I　have　not　shut　an
eye　since　the　tragedy；　thinking；　thinking；　thinking；　night　and
day；　what　the　true　meaning　of　it　can　be。　　Arthur　was　the　most
single…minded；　chivalrous；　patriotic　man　upon　earth。　　He　would
have　cut　his　right　hand　off　before　he　would　sell　a　State　secret
confided　to　his　keeping。　　It　is　absurd；　impossible；　preposterous
to　anyone　who　knew　him。〃

〃But　the　facts；　Miss　Westbury？〃

〃Yes；　yes；　I　admit　I　cannot　explain　them。〃

〃Was　he　in　any　want　of　money？〃

〃No；　his　needs　were　very　simple　and　his　salary　ample。　　He　had
saved　a　few　hundreds；　and　we　were　to　marry　at　the　New　Year。〃

〃No　signs　of　any　mental　excitement？　　e；　Miss　Westbury；　be
absolutely　frank　with　us。〃

The　quick　eye　of　my　panion　had　noted　some　change　in　her
manner。　　She　coloured　and　hesitated。

〃Yes；〃　she　said　at　last；　〃I　had　a　feeling　that　there　was
something　on　his　mind。〃

〃For　long？〃

〃Only　for　the　last　week　or　so。　　He　was　thoughtful　and　worried。
Once　I　pressed　him　about　it。　　He　admitted　that　there　was
something；　and　that　it　was　concerned　with　his　official　life。　　'It
is　too　serious　for　me　to　speak　about；　even　to　you；'　said　he。　　I
could　get　nothing　more。〃

Holmes　looked　grave。

〃Go　on；　Miss　Westbury。　　Even　if　it　seems　to　tell　against　him；　go
on。　　We　cannot　say　what　it　may　lead　to。〃

〃Indeed；　I　have　nothing　more　to　tell。　　Once　or　twice　it　seemed　to
me　that　he　was　on　the　point　of　telling　me　something。　　He　spoke
one　evening　of　the　importance　of　the　secret；　and　I　have　some
recollection　that　he　said　that　no　doubt　foreign　spies　would　pay　a
great　deal　to　have　it。〃

My　friend's　face　grew　graver　still。

〃Anything　else？〃

〃He　said　that　we　were　slack　about　such　matters……that　it　would　be
easy　for　a　traitor　to　get　the　plans。〃

〃Was　it　only　recently　that　he　made　such　remarks？〃

〃Yes；　quite　recently。〃

〃Now　tell　us　of　that　last　evening。〃

〃We　were　to　go　to　the　theatre。　　The　fog　was　so　thick　that　a　cab
was　useless。　　We　walked；　and　our　way　took　us　close　to　the　office。
Suddenly　he　darted　away　into　the　fog。〃

〃Without　a　word？〃

〃He　gave　an　exclamation；　that　was　all。　　I　waited　but　he　never
returned。　　Then　I　walked　home。　　Next　morning；　after　the　office
opened；　they　came　to　inquire。　　About　twelve　o'clock　we　heard　the
terrible　news。　　Oh；　Mr。　Holmes；　if　you　could　only；　only　save　his
honour！　　It　was　so　much　to　him。〃

Holmes　shook　his　head　sadly。

〃e；　Watson；〃　said　he；　〃our　ways　lie　elsewhere。　　Our　next
station　must　be　the　office　from　which　the　papers　were　taken。

〃It　was　black　enough　before　against　this　young　man；　but　our
inquiries　make　it　blacker；〃　he　remarked　as　the　cab　lumbered　off。
〃His　ing　marriage　gives　a　motive　for　the　crime。　　He　naturally
wanted　money。　　The　idea　was　in　his　head；　since　he　spoke　about　it。
He　nearly　made　the　girl　an　acplice　in　the　treason　by　telling
her　his　plans。　　It　is　all　very　bad。〃

〃But　surely；　Holmes；　character　goes　for　something？　　Then；　again；
why　should　he　leave　the　girl　in　the　street　and　dart　away　to
mit　a　felony？〃

〃Exactly！　　There　are　certainly　objections。　　But　it　is　a
formidable　case　which　they　have　to　meet。〃

Mr。　Sidney　Johnson；　the　senior　clerk；　met　us　at　the　office　and
received　us　with　that　respect　which　my　panion's　card　always
manded。　　He　was　a　thin；　gruff；　bespectacled　man　of　middle　age；
his　cheeks　haggard；　and　his　hands　twitching　from　the　nervous
strain　to　which　he　had　been　subjected。

〃It　is　bad；　Mr。　Holmes；　very　bad！　　Have　you　heard　of　the　death　of
the　chief？〃

〃We　have　just　e　from　his　house。〃

〃The　place　is　disorganized。　　The　chief　dead；　Cadogan　West　dead；
our　papers　stolen。　　And　yet；　when　we　closed　our　door　on　Monday
evening；　we　were　as　efficient　an　office　as　any　in　the　government
service。　　Good　God；　it's　dreadful　to　think　of！　　That　West；　of　all
men；　should　have　done　such　a　thing！〃

〃You　are　sure　of　his　guilt；　then？〃

〃I　can　see　no　other　way　out　of　it。　　And　yet　I　would　have　trusted
him　as　I　trust　myself。〃

〃At　what　hour　was　the　office　closed　on　Monday？〃

〃At　five。〃

〃Did　you　close　it？〃

〃I　am　always　the　last　man　out。〃

〃Where　were　the　plans？〃

〃In　that　safe。　　I　put　them　there　myself。〃

〃Is　there　no　watchman　to　the　building？〃

〃There　is；　but　he　has　other　departments　to　look　after　as　well。
He　is　an　old　soldier　and　a　most　trustworthy　man。　　He　saw　nothing
that　evening。　　Of　course　the　fog　was　very　thick。〃

〃Suppose　that　Cadogan　West　wished　to　make　his　way　into　the
building　after　hours；　he　would　need　three　keys；　would　he　not；
before　the　could　reach　the　papers？〃

〃Yes；　he　would。　　The　key　of　the　outer　door；　the　key　of　the
office；　and　the　key　of　the　safe。〃

〃Only　Sir　James　Walter　and　you　had　those　keys？〃

〃I　had　no　keys　of　the　doors……only　of　the　safe。〃

〃Was　Sir　James　a　man　who　was　orderly　in　his　habits？〃

〃Yes；　I　think　he　was。　　I　know　that　so　far　as　those　three　keys　are
concerned　he　kept　them　on　the　same　ring。　　I　have　often　seen　them
there。〃

〃And　that　ring　went　with　him　to　London？〃

〃He　said　so。〃

〃And　your　key　never　left　your　possession？〃

〃Never。〃

〃Then　West；　if　he　is　the　culprit；　must　have　had　a　duplicate。　　And
yet　none　was　found　upon　his　body。　　One　other　point：　　if　a　clerk
in　this　office　desired　to　sell　the　plans；　would　it　not　be　simply
to　copy　the　plans　for　himself　than　to　take　the　originals；　as　was
actually　done？〃

〃It　would　take　considerable　technical　knowledge　to　copy　the　plans
in　an　effective　way。〃

〃But　I　suppose　either　Sir　James；　or　you；　or　West　has　that
technical　knowledge？〃

〃No　doubt　we　had；　but　I　beg　you　won't　try　to　drag　me　into　the
matter；　Mr。　Holmes。　　What　is　the　use　of　our　speculating　in　this
way　when　the　original　plans　were　actually　found　on　West？〃

〃Well；　it　is　certainly　singular　that　he　should　run　the　risk　of
taking　originals　if　he　could　safely　have　taken　copies；　which
would　have　equally　served　his　turn。〃

〃Singular；　no　doubt……and　yet　he　did　so。〃

〃Every　inquiry　in　this　case　reveals　something　inexplicable。　　Now
there　are　three　papers　still　missing。　　They　are；　as　I　understand；
the　vital　ones。〃

〃Yes；　that　is　so。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　anyone　holding　these　three　papers；　and
without　the　seven　others；　could　construct　a　Bruce…Partington
submarine？〃

〃I　reported　to　that　effect　to　the　Admiralty。　　But　to…day　I　have
been　over　the　drawings　again；　and　I　am　not　so　sure　of　it。　　The
double　valves　with　the　automatic　self…adjusting　slots　are　drawn
in　one　of　the　papers　which　have　been　returned。　　Until　the
foreigners　had　invented　that　for　themselves　they　could　not　make
the　boat。　　Of　course　they　might　soon　get　over　the　difficulty。〃

〃But　the　three　missing　drawings　are　the　most　important？〃

〃Undoubtedly。〃

〃I　think；　with　your　permission；　I　will　now　take　a　stroll　round
the　premises。　　I　do　not　recall　any　other　question　which　I　desired
to　ask。〃

He　examined　the　lock　of　the　safe；　the　door　of　the　room；　and
finally　the　iron　shutters　of　the　window。　　It　was　only　when　we
were　on　the　lawn　outside　that　his　interest　was　strongly　excited。
There　was　a　laurel　bush　outside　the　window；　and　several　of　the
branches　bore　signs　of　having　been　twisted　or　snapped。　　He
examined　them　carefully　with　his　lens；　and　then　some　dim　and
vague　marks　upon　the　earth　beneath。　　Finally　he　asked　the　chief
clerk　to　close　the　iron　shutters；　and　he　pointed　out　to　me　that
they　hardly　met　in　the　centre；　and　that　it　would　be　possible　for
anyone　outside　to　see　what　was　going　on　within　the　room。

〃The　indications　are　ruined　by　three　days'　delay。　　They　may　mean
something　or　nothing。　　Well；　Watson；　I　do　not　think　that　Woolwich
can　help　us　further。　　It　is　a　small　crop　which　we　have　gathered。
Let　us　see　if　we　can　do　better　in　London。〃

Yet　we　added　one　more　sheaf　to　our　harvest　before　we　left
Woolwich　Station。　　The　clerk　in　the　ticket　office　was　able　to　say
with　confidence　that　he　saw　Cadogan　West……whom　he　knew　well　by
sight……upon　the　Monday　night；　and　that　he　went　to　London　by　the
8：15　to　London　Bridge。　　He　was　alone　and　took　a　single　third…
class　ticket。　　The　clerk　was　struck　at　the　time　by　his　excited
and　nervous　manner。　　So　shaky　was　he　that　he　could　hardly　pick　up
his　change；　and　the　clerk　had　helped　him　with　it。　　A　reference　to
the　timetable　showed　that　the　8：15　was　the　first　train　which　it
was　possible　for　West　to　take　after　he　had　left　the　lady　about
7：30。

〃Let　us　reconstruct；　Watson；〃　said　Holmes　after　half　an　hour　of
silence。　　〃I　am　not　aware　that　in　all　our　joint　researches　we
have　ever　had　a　case　which　was　more　difficult　to　get　at。　　Every
fresh　advance　which　we　make　only　reveals　a　fresh　ridge　beyond。
And　yet　we　have　surely　made　some　appreciable　progress。

〃The　effect　of　our　inquiries　at　Woolwich　has　in　the　main　been
against　young　Cadogan　West；　but　the　indications　at　the　window
would　lend　themselves　to　a　more　favourable　hypothesis。　　Let　us
suppose；　for　example；　that　he　had　been　approached　by　some　foreign
agent。　　It　might　have　been　done　und