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the sign of the four(那四个的记号)-第7部分

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might     be   able   to  see   you   first。   I  have    complete     confidence      in  his 

discretion; and he had orders; if he were dissatisfied; to proceed no further 

in   the   matter。   You   will   excuse   these   precautions;   but   I   am   a   man   of 

somewhat       retiring;   and   I  might    even   say   refined;   tastes;   and   there   is 

nothing   more   unaesthetic   than   a   policeman。        I   have   a   natural   shrinking 

from all   forms   of   rough   materialism。  I seldom  come   in   contact   with the 

rough crowd。        I live; as you see; with some little atmosphere of elegance 

around me。        I may call myself a patron of the arts。             It is my weakness。 

The     landscape     is  a  genuine    Corot;    and;   though     a  connoisseur      might 

perhaps throw a doubt upon that Salvator Rosa; there cannot be the least 

question     about    the   Bouguereau。       I   am   partial   to  the   modern     French 

school。〃 

     〃You will excuse me; Mr。 Sholto;〃 said Miss Morstan; 〃but I am here 

at your request to learn something which you desire to tell me。                    It is very 

late; and I should desire the interview to be as short as possible。〃 

     〃At   the   best   it   must   take   some   time;〃   he   answered;   〃for   we   shall 

certainly have to go to Norwood and see Brother Bartholomew。                       We shall 

all   go   and   try   if   we   can   get   the   better   of   Brother   Bartholomew。 He   is 

very angry with me for taking the course which has seemed right to me。 

I had quite high words with him last night。                You cannot imagine what a 

terrible fellow he is when he is angry。〃 

     〃If  we   are   to   go   to   Norwood   it   would   perhaps   be   as   well   to   start   at 

once;〃 I ventured to remark。 

     He laughed until his ears were quite red。             〃That would hardly do;〃 he 

cried。    〃I don't know what he would say if I brought you in that sudden 



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way。     No; I must prepare you by showing you how we all stand to each 

other。 In the first place; I must tell you that there are several points in the 

story of which I am myself ignorant。             I can only lay the facts before you 

as far as I know them myself。 

     〃My father was; as you may have guessed; Major John Sholto; once of 

the Indian army。        He retired some eleven years ago; and came to live at 

Pondicherry Lodge in Upper Norwood。                 He had prospered in India; and 

brought back with him a considerable sum of money; a large collection of 

valuable curiosities; and a staff of native servants。           With these advantages 

he   bought   himself  a   house;   and lived   in   great   luxury。   My   twin…brother 

Bartholomew and I were the only children。 

     〃I   very   well    remember      the   sensation    which    was    caused    by   the 

disappearance of Captain Morstan。             We read the details in the papers; and; 

knowing that he had been a friend of our father's; we discussed the case 

freely   in   his   presence。  He   used   to   join   in   our   speculations   as   to   what 

could have happened。          Never for an instant did we suspect that he had the 

whole secret hidden in his own breast;that of all men he alone knew the 

fate of Arthur Morstan。 

     〃We   did   know;   however;   that   some   mysterysome   positive   danger 

overhung   our   father。     He   was   very   fearful   of   going   out   alone;   and   he 

always employed two prize…fighters to act as porters at Pondicherry Lodge。 

Williams; who drove you to…night; was one of them。 He was once light… 

weight champion of England。            Our father would never tell us what it was 

he feared; but he had a most marked aversion to men with wooden legs。 

On one occasion he actually fired his revolver at a wooden…legged man; 

who proved to be a harmless tradesman canvassing for orders。                   We had to 

pay a large sum to hush the matter up。              My brother and I used to think 

this a mere whim of my father's; but events have since led us to change 

our opinion。 

     〃Early   in   1882   my   father   received   a   letter   from   India   which   was   a 

great   shock   to   him。   He   nearly   fainted   at   the   breakfast…table   when   he 

opened it; and from that day he sickened to his death。                 What was in the 

letter   we   could   never   discover;   but   I   could   see   as   he   held   it   that   it   was 

short and written in a scrawling hand。            He had suffered for years from an 



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enlarged spleen; but he now became rapidly worse; and towards the end of 

April we were informed that he was beyond all hope; and that he wished 

to make a last communication to us。 

     〃When   we   entered   his   room   he   was   propped   up   with   pillows   and 

breathing   heavily。       He   besought   us   to   lock   the   door   and   to   come   upon 

either side of the bed。         Then; grasping our hands; he made a remarkable 

statement to us; in a voice which was broken as much by emotion as by 

pain。     I shall try and give it to you in his own very words。 

     〃'I have only one thing;' he said; 'which weighs upon my mind at this 

supreme   moment。          It   is   my   treatment   of   poor   Morstan's   orphan。       The 

cursed greed   which   has been   my  besetting sin   through   life has   withheld 

from her the treasure; half at least of which should have been hers。                       And 

yet   I   have   made   no   use   of   it   myself;…   …so   blind   and   foolish   a   thing   is 

avarice。      The   mere   feeling   of   possession   has been   so   dear   to   me   that   I 

could   not   bear   to   share   it   with   another。    See   that   chaplet   dipped   with 

pearls beside the quinine…bottle。            Even that I could not bear to part with; 

although I had got it out with the design of sending it to her。                       You; my 

sons;    will   give   her   a  fair   share   of   the  Agra    treasure。     But    send    her 

nothingnot even the chapletuntil I am gone。                 After all; men have been 

as bad as this and have recovered。 

     〃'I   will   tell   you   how  Morstan   died;' he   continued。       'He   had   suffered 

for years from a weak heart; but he concealed it from every one。                        I alone 

knew      it。  When       in  India;   he   and    I;  through     a  remarkable      chain    of 

circumstances;        came     into   possession      of   a   considerable      treasure。      I 

brought it over to England; and on the night of Morstan's arrival he came 

straight over here to claim his share。              He walked over from the station; 

and was admitted by my faithful Lal Chowdar; who is now dead。 Morstan 

and I had a difference of opinion as to the division of the treasure; and we 

came      to  heated     words。     Morstan       had   sprung     out   of   his   chair   in  a 

paroxysm of anger; when he suddenly pressed his hand to his side; his face 

turned   a   dusky   hue;   and   he   fell   backwards;   cutting   his   head   against   the 

corner   of   the   treasure…chest。      When   I   stooped   over   him  I   found;   to   my 

horror; that he was dead。 

     〃'For   a   long   time   I   sat   half   distracted;   wondering   what   I   should   do。 



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My first impulse was; of course; to call for assistance; but I could not but 

recognize   that   there   was   every   chance   that   I   would   be   accused   of   his 

murder。      His death at the moment of a quarrel; and the gash in his head; 

would be black against me。            Again; an official inquiry could not be made 

without      bringing     out   some     facts   about    the   treasure;    which     I  was 

particularly anxious to keep secret。 He had told me that no soul upon earth 

knew where he had gone。            There seemed to be no necessity why any soul 

ever should know。 

     〃'I   was   still   pondering   over   the   matter;   when;   looking   up;   I   saw   my 

servant; Lal   Chowdar; in   the doorway。            He stole  in   and bolted   the  door 

behind him。       〃Do not fear; Sahib;〃 he said。          〃No one need know that you 

have killed him。        Let us hide him away; and who is the wiser?〃 〃I did not 

kill him;〃 said I。      Lal Chowdar shook his head and smiled。                   〃I heard it 

all; Sahib;〃 said he。       〃I heard you quarrel; and 
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