the adventure of the creeping man-第3部分

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ancient　hostel　of　which　he　had　spoken。

　　〃I　think；　Watson；　that　we　can　catch　the　professor　just　before　lunch。

He　lectures　at　eleven　and　should　have　an　interval　at　home。〃

　　〃What　possible　excuse　have　we　for　calling？〃

　　Holmes　glanced　at　his　notebook。

　　〃There　was　a　period　of　excitement　upon　August　26th。　We　will　assume

that　he　is　a　little　hazy　as　to　what　he　does　at　such　times。　If　we

insist　that　we　are　there　by　appointment　I　think　he　will　hardly　venture

to　contradict　us。　Have　you　the　effrontery　necessary　to　put　it

through？〃

　　〃We　can　but　try。〃

　　〃Excellent；　Watson！　Compound　of　the　Busy　Bee　and　Excellsior。　We

can　but　try…　the　motto　of　the　firm。　A　friendly　native　will　surely

guide　us。〃

　　Such　a　one　on　the　back　of　a　smart　hansom　swept　us　past　a　row　of

ancient　colleges　and；　finally　turning　into　a　tree…lined　drive；

pulled　up　at　the　door　of　a　charming　house；　girt　round　with　lawns　and

covered　with　purple　wistaria。　Professor　Presbury　was　certainly

surrounded　with　every　sign　not　only　of　comfort　but　of　luxury。　Even

as　we　pulled　up；　a　grizzled　head　appeared　at　the　front　window；　and

we　were　aware　of　a　pair　of　keen　eyes　from　under　shaggy　brows　which

surveyed　us　through　large　horn　glasses。　A　moment　later　we　were

actually　in　his　sanctum；　and　the　mysterious　scientist；　whose

vagaries　had　brought　us　from　London；　was　standing　before　us。　There　was

certainly　no　sign　of　eccentricity　either　in　his　manner　or

appearance；　for　he　was　a　portly；　large…featured　man；　grave；　tall；

and　frock…coated；　with　the　dignity　of　bearing　which　a　lecturer

needs。　His　eyes　were　his　most　remarkable　feature；　keen；　observant；　and

clever　to　the　verge　of　cunning。

　　He　looked　at　our　cards。　〃Pray　sit　down；　gentlemen。　What　can　I　do　for

you？〃

　　Mr。　Holmes　smiled　amiably。

　　〃It　was　the　question　which　I　was　about　to　put　to　you；　Professor。〃

　　〃To　me；　sir！〃

　　〃Possibly　there　is　some　mistake。　I　heard　through　a　second　person

that　Professor　Presbury　of　Camford　had　need　of　my　services。〃

　　〃Oh；　indeed！〃　It　seemed　to　me　that　there　was　a　malicious　sparkle

in　the　intense　gray　eyes。　〃You　heard　that；　did　you？　May　I　ask　the　name

of　your　informant？〃

　　〃I　am　sorry；　Professor；　but　the　matter　was　rather　confidential。　If　I

have　made　a　mistake　there　is　no　harm　done。　I　can　only　express　my

regret。〃

　　〃Not　at　all。　I　should　wish　to　go　further　into　this　matter。　It

interests　me。　Have　you　any　scrap　of　writing；　any　letter　or　telegram；

to　bear　out　your　assertion？〃

　　〃No；　I　have　not。〃

　　〃I　presume　that　you　do　not　go　so　far　as　to　assert　that　I　summoned

you？〃

　　〃I　would　rather　answer　no　questions；〃　said　Holmes。

　　〃No；　I　dare　say　not；〃　said　the　professor　with　asperity。　〃However；

that　particular　one　can　be　answered　very　easily　without　your　aid。〃

　　He　walked　across　the　room　to　the　bell。　Our　London　friend；　Mr。

Bennett；　answered　the　call。

　　〃Come　in；　Mr。　Bennett。　These　two　gentlemen　have　come　from　London

under　the　impression　that　they　have　been　summoned。　You　handle　all　my

correspondence。　Have　you　a　note　of　anything　going　to　a　person　named

Holmes？〃

　　〃No；　sir；〃　Bennett　answered　with　a　flush。

　　〃That　is　conclusive；〃　said　the　professor；　glaring　angrily　at　my

companion。　〃Now；　sir〃…　he　leaned　forward　with　his　two　hands　upon　the

table…　〃it　seems　to　me　that　your　position　is　a　very　questionable　one。〃

　　Holmes　shrugged　his　shoulders。

　　〃I　can　only　repeat　that　I　am　sorry　that　we　have　made　a　needless

intrusion。〃

　　〃Hardly　enough；　Mr。　Holmes！〃　the　old　man　cried　in　a　high　screaming

voice；　with　extraordinary　malignancy　upon　his　face。　He　got　between

us　and　the　door　as　he　spoke；　and　he　shook　his　two　hands　at　us　with

furious　passion。　〃You　can　hardly　get　out　of　it　so　easily　as　that。〃　His

face　was　convulsed；　and　he　grinned　and　gibbered　at　us　in　his　senseless

rage。　I　am　convinced　that　we　should　have　had　to　fight　our　way　out　of

the　room　if　Mr。　Bennett　had　not　intervened。

　　〃My　dear　Professor；〃　he　cried；　〃consider　your　position！　Consider　the

scandal　at　the　university！　Mr。　Holmes　is　a　well…known　man。　You

cannot　possibly　treat　him　with　such　discourtesy。〃

　　Sulkily　our　host…　if　I　may　call　him　so…　cleared　the　path　to　the

door。　We　were　glad　to　find　ourselves　outside　the　house　and　in　the

quiet　of　the　tree…lined　drive。　Holmes　seemed　greatly　amused　by　the

episode。

　　〃Our　learned　friend's　nerves　are　somewhat　out　of　order；〃　said　he。

〃Perhaps　our　intrusion　was　a　little　crude；　and　yet　we　have　gained　that

personal　contact　which　I　desired。　But；　dear　me；　Watson；　he　is　surely

at　our　heels。　The　villain　still　pursues　us。〃

　　There　were　the　sounds　of　running　feet　behind；　but　it　was；　to　my

relief；　not　the　formidable　professor　but　his　assistant　who　appeared

round　the　curve　of　the　drive。　He　came　panting　up　to　us。

　　〃I　am　so　sorry；　Mr。　Holmes。　I　wished　to　apologize。〃

　　〃My　dear　sir；　there　is　no　need。　It　is　all　in　the　way　of　professional

experience。〃

　　〃I　have　never　seen　him　in　a　more　dangerous　mood。　But　he　grows　more

sinister。　You　can　understand　now　why　his　daughter　and　I　are　alarmed。

And　yet　his　mind　is　perfectly　clear。〃

　　〃Too　clear！〃　said　Holmes。　〃That　was　my　miscalculation。　It　is　evident

that　his　memory　is　much　more　reliable　than　I　had　thought。　By　the

way；　can　we；　before　we　go；　see　the　window　of　Miss　Presbury's　room？〃

　　Mr。　Bennett　pushed　his　way　through　some　shrubs；　and　we　had　a　view　of

the　side　of　the　house。

　　〃It　is　there。　The　second　on　the　left。〃

　　〃Dear　me；　it　seems　hardly　accessible。　And　yet　you　will　observe

that　there　is　a　creeper　bellow　and　a　water…pipe　above　which　give

some　foothold。〃

　　〃I　could　not　climb　it　myself；〃　said　Mr。　Bennett。

　　〃Very　likely。　It　would　certainly　be　a　dangerous　exploit　for　any

normal　man。〃

　　〃There　was　one　other　thing　I　wish　to　tell　you；　Mr。　Holmes。　I　have

the　address　of　the　man　in　London　to　whom　the　professor　writes。　He

seems　to　have　written　this　morning；　and　I　got　it　from　his

blotting…paper。　It　is　an　ignoble　position　for　a　trusted　secretary；　but

what　else　can　I　do？〃

　　Holmes　glanced　at　the　paper　and　put　it　into　his　pocket。

　　〃Dorak…　a　curious　name。　Slavonic；　I　imagine。　Well；　it　is　an

important　link　in　the　chain。　We　return　to　London；　this　afternoon；

Mr。　Bennett。　I　see　no　good　purpose　to　be　served　by　our　remaining。　We

cannot　arrest　the　professor　because　he　has　done　no　crime；　nor　can　we

place　him　under　constraint；　for　he　cannot　be　proved　to　be　mad。　No

action　is　is　yet　possible。〃

　　〃Then　what　on　earth　are　we　to　do？〃

　　〃A　little　patience；　Mr。　Bennett。　Things　will　soon　develop。　Unless

I　am　mistaken；　next　Tuesday　may　mark　a　crisis。　Certainly　we　shall　be

in　Camford　on　that　day。　meanwhile；　the　general　position　is

undeniably　unpleasant；　and　if　Miss　Presbury　can　prolong　her　visit…〃

　　That　is　easy。〃

　　〃Then　let　her　stay　till　we　can　assure　her　that　all　danger　is　past。

Meanwhile；　let　him　have　his　way　and　do　not　cross　him。　So　long　as　he　is

in　a　good　humour　all　is　well。〃

　　〃There　he　is！〃　said　Bennett　in　a　startled　whisper。　Looking　between

the　branches　we　saw　the　tall；　great　figure　emerge　from　the　hall　door

and　look　around　him。　He　stood　leaning　forward；　his　hands　swinging

straight　before　him；　his　head　turning　from　side　to　side。　The　secretary

with　a　last　wave　slipped　off　among　the　trees；　and　we　saw　him　presently

rejoin　his　employer；　the　two　entering　the　house　together　in　what

seemed　to　be　animated　and　even　excited　conversation。

　　〃I　expect　the　old　gentleman　has　been　putting　two　and　two

together；〃　said　Holmes　as　we　walked　hotelward。　〃He　struck　me　as　having

a　particularly　clear　and　logical　brain　from　the　little　I　saw　of　him。

Explosive；　no　doubt；　but　then　from　his　point　of　view　he　has

something　to　explode　about　if　detectives　are　put　on　his　track　and　he

suspects　his　own　household　of　doing　it。　I　rather　fancy　that　friend

Bennett　is　in　for　an　uncomfortable　time。〃

　　Holmes　stopped　at　a　post…office　and　sent　off　a　telegram　on　our

way。　The　answer　reached　us　in　the　evening；　and　he　tossed　it　across

to　me。



　　Have　visited　the　Commercial　Road　and　seen　Dorak。　Suave　person；

Bohemian；　elderly。　Keeps　large　general　store。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MERCER。



　　〃Mercer　is　since　your　time；〃　said　Holmes。　〃He　is　my　general

utility　man　who　looks　up　routine　business。　It　was　important　to　know

something　of　the　man　with　whom　our　professor　was　so　secretly

corresponding。　His　nationality　connects　up　with　the　Prague　visit。〃

　　〃Thank　goodness　that　something　connects　with　something；〃　said　I。　〃At

present　we　seem　to　be　faced　by　a　long　series　of　inexplicable　incidents

with　no　bearing　upon　each　other。　For　example；　what　possible　connection

can　there　be　between　an　angry　wolfhound　and　a　visit　to　Bohemia；　or

either　of　them　with　a　man　crawling　down　a　passage　at　night？　As　to　your

dates；　that　is　the　biggest　mystification　of　all。〃

　　Holmes　smiled　and　rubbed　his　hands；　We　were；　I　may　say；　seated　in

the　old　sitting…room　of　the　ancient　hotel；　with　a　bottle　of　the　famous

vintage　of　which　Holmes　had　spoken　on　the　table　between　us。

　　〃Well；　now；　let　us　take　the　dates　first；〃　said　he；　his　finger…tips

together　and　his　manner　as　if　he　were　addressing　a　class。　〃This

excellent　young　man's　diary　shows　that　there　was　trouble　upon　July　2d；

and　from　then　onward　it　seems　to　have　been　at　nine…day　intervals；

with；　so　far　as　I　remember；　only　one　exception。　Thus　the　last　outbreak

upon　Friday　was　on　September　3rd；　which　also　falls　into　the　series；　as

did　August　26th；　which　preceded　it。　The　thing　is　beyond　coincidence。〃

　　I　was　forced　to　agree。

　　〃Let　us；　then；　form　the　provisional　theory　that　every　nine　days

the　professor　takes　some　strong　drug　which　has　a　passing　but　highly

poisonous　effect。　His　naturally　violent　nature　is　intensified　by　it。

He　learned　to　take　this　drug　while　he　was　in　Prague；　and　is　now

supplied　with　it　by　a　Bohemian　intermediary　in　London。　This　all

hangs　together；　Watson！〃

　　〃But　the　dog；　the　face　at　the　window；　the　creeping　man　in　the

passage？〃

　　〃Well；　well；　we　have　made　a　beginning。　I　should　not　expect　any　fresh

developments　until　next　Tuesday。　In　the　meantime　we　can　only　keep　in

touch　with　friend　Bennett　and　enjoy；　the　amnenities