"You could not possibly have come at a better time, my dear Watson," he said, cordially.
"I was afraid that you were engaged."
"So I am. Very much so."
"Then I can wait in the next room."
"Not at all. This gentleman, Mr. Wilson, has been my partner and helper in many of my most successful cases, and I have no doubt that he will be of the utmost use to me in yours also."
The stout gentleman half rose from his chair and gave a bob of greeting, with a quick little questioning glance from his small, fat-encircled eyes.
"Try the settee," said Holmes, relapsing into his armchair, and putting his finger tips together, as was his custom when in judicial4 moods. "I know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and outside the conventions and humdrum5 routine of everyday life. You have shown your relish6 for it by the enthusiasm which has prompted you to chronicle, and, if you will excuse my saying so, somewhat to embellish8 so many of my own little adventures."
"Your cases have indeed been of the greatest interest to me," I observed.
"You will remember that I remarked the other day, just before we went into the very simple problem presented by Miss Mary Sutherland, that for strange effects and extraordinary combinations we must go to life itself, which is always far more daring than any effort of the imagination."
"A proposition which I took the liberty of doubting."
"You did, doctor, but none the less you must come round to my view, for otherwise I shall keep on piling fact upon fact on you, until your reason breaks down under them and acknowledge me to be right. Now, Mr. Jabez Wilson here has been good enough to call upon me this morning, and to begin a narrative9 which promises to be one of the most singular which I have listened to for some time. You have heard me remark that the strangest and most unique things are very often connected not with the larger but with the smaller crimes, and occasionally, indeed, where there is room for doubt whether any positive crime has been committed. As far as I have heard, it is impossible for me to say whether the present case is an instance of crime or not, but the course of events is certainly among the most singular that I have ever listened to. Perhaps, Mr. Wilson, you would have the great kindness to recommence your narrative. I ask you, not merely because my friend, Dr. Watson, has not heard the opening part, but also because the peculiar11 nature of the story makes me anxious to have every possible detail from your lips. As a rule, when I have heard some slight indication of the course of events I am able to guide myself by the thousands of other similar cases which occur to my memory. In the present instance I am forced to admit that the facts are, to the best of my belief, unique."
The portly client puffed12 out his chest with an appearance of some little pride, and pulled a dirty and wrinkled newspaper from the inside pocket of his greatcoat. As he glanced down the advertisement column, with his head thrust forward, and the paper flattened13 out upon his knee, I took a good look at the man, and endeavored, after the fashion of my companion, to read the indications which might be presented by his dress or appearance.
I did not gain very much, however, by my inspection14. Our visitor bore every mark of being an average commonplace British tradesman, obese15, pompous16, and slow. He wore rather baggy17 gray shepherd's check trousers, a not overclean black frock coat, unbuttoned in the front, and a drab waistcoat with a heavy brassy Albert chain, and a square pierced bit of metal dangling18 down as an ornament19. A frayed20 top hat and a faded brown overcoat with a wrinkled velvet21 collar lay upon a chair beside him. Altogether, look as I would, there was nothing remarkable22 about the man save his blazing red head and the expression of extreme chagrin23 and discontent upon his features.
Sherlock Holmes's quick eye took in my occupation, and he shook his head with a smile as he noticed my questioning glances. "Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual labor24, that he takes snuff, that he is a Freemason, that he has been in China, and that he has done a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else."
Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in his chair, with his forefinger25 upon the paper, but his eyes upon my companion.
"How, in the name of good fortune, did you know all that, Mr. Holmes?" he asked. "How did you know, for example, that I did manual labor? It's as true as gospel, for I began as a ship's carpenter."
"Your hands, my dear sir. Your right hand is quite a size larger than your left. You have worked with it and the muscles are more developed."
"Well, the snuff, then, and the Freemasonry?"
"I won't insult your intelligence by telling you how I read that, especially as, rather against the strict rules of your order, you use an arc and compass breastpin."
"Ah, of course, I forgot that. But the writing?"
"What else can be indicated by that right cuff26 so very shiny for five inches, and the left one with the smooth patch near the elbow where you rest it upon the desk."
"Well, but China?"
"The fish which you have tattooed27 immediately above your wrist could only have been done in China. I have made a small study of tattoo28 marks, and have even contributed to the literature of the subject. That trick of staining the fishes' scales of a delicate pink is quite peculiar to China. When, in addition, I see a Chinese coin hanging from your watch chain, the matter becomes even more simple."
Mr. Jabez Wilson laughed heavily. "Well, I never!" said he. "I thought at first that you had done something clever, but I see that there was nothing in it after all."
"I begin to think, Watson," said Holmes, "that I make a mistake in explaining. 'Omne ignotom pro7 magnifico,' you know, and my poor little reputation, such as it is, will suffer shipwreck29 if I am so candid30. Can you not find the advertisement, Mr. Wilson?"
"Yes, I have got it now," he answered, with his thick, red finger planted halfway31 down the column. "Here it is. This is what began it all. You just read it for yourself, sir."
I took the paper from him and read as follows:
"To the Red-headed League: On account of the bequest32 of the late Ezekiah Hopkins, of Lebanon, Pa., U.S.A., there is now another vacancy33 open which entitles a member of the League to a salary of four pounds a week for purely34 nominal35 services. All red-headed men who are sound in body and mind and above the age of twenty-one years are eligible37. Apply in person on Monday, at eleven o'clock, to Duncan Ross, at the offices of the League, 7 Pope's Court, Fleet Street."
"What on earth does this mean?" I ejaculated, after I had twice read over the extraordinary announcement.
Holmes chuckled38 and wriggled39 in his chair, as was his habit when in high spirits. "It is a little off the beaten track, isn't it?" said he. "And now, Mr. Wilson, off you go at scratch, and tell us all about yourself, your household, and the effect which this advertisement had upon your fortunes. You will first make a note, doctor, of the paper and the date."
"It is The Morning Chronicle of April 27, 1890. Just two months ago."
"Very good. Now, Mr. Wilson."
"Well, it is just as I have been telling you, Mr. Sherlock Holmes," said Jabez Wilson, mopping his forehead, "I have a small pawnbroker41's business at Saxe-Coburg Square, near the City. It's not a very large affair, and of late years it has not done more than just give me a living. I used to be able to keep two assistants, but now I only keep one; and I would have a job to pay him but that he is willing to come for half wages, so as to learn the business."
"What is the name of this obliging youth?" asked Sherlock Holmes.
"His name is Vincent Spaulding, and he's not such a youth either. It's hard to say his age. I should not wish a smarter assistant, Mr. Holmes; and I know very well that he could better himself, and earn twice what I am able to give him. But, after all, if he is satisfied, why should I put ideas in his head?"
"Why, indeed? You seem most fortunate in having an employee who comes under the full market price. It is not a common experience among employers in this age. I don't know that your assistant is not as remarkable as your advertisement."
"Oh, he has his faults, too," said Mr. Wilson. "Never was such a fellow for photography. Snapping away with a camera when he ought to be improving his mind, and then diving down into the cellar like a rabbit into its hole to develop his pictures. That is his main fault; but, on the whole, he's a good worker. There's no vice36 in him."
"He is still with you, I presume?"
"Yes, sir. He and a girl of fourteen, who does a bit of simple cooking, and keeps the place clean—that's all I have in the house, for I am a widower42, and never had any family. We live very quietly, sir, the three of us; and we keep a roof over our heads, and pay our debts, if we do nothing more.
"The first thing that put us out was that advertisement. Spaulding, he came down into the office just this day eight weeks, with this very paper in his hand, and he says:
"'I wish to the Lord, Mr. Wilson, that I was a red-headed man.'
"'Why that?' I asks.
"'Why,' says he, 'here's another vacancy on the League of the Red-headed Men. It's worth quite a little fortune to any man who gets it, and I understand that there are more vacancies43 than there are men, so that the trustees are at their wits' end what to do with the money. If my hair would only change color here's a nice little crib all ready for me to step into.'
"'Why, what is it, then?' I asked. You see, Mr. Holmes, I am a very stay-at-home man, and, as my business came to me instead of my having to go to it, I was often weeks on end without putting my foot over the door mat. In that way I didn't know much of what was going on outside, and I was always glad of a bit of news.
"'Have you never heard of the League of the Red-headed Men?' he asked, with his eyes open.
"'Never.'
"'Why, I wonder at that, for you are eligible yourself for one of the vacancies.'
"'And what are they worth?' I asked.
"'Oh, merely a couple of hundred a year, but the work is slight, and it need not interfere44 very much with one's other occupations.'
"Well, you can easily think that that made me prick45 up my ears, for the business has not been over good for some years, and an extra couple of hundred would have been very handy.
"'Tell me all about it,' said I.
"'Well,' said he, showing me the advertisement, 'you can see for yourself that the League has a vacancy, and there is the address where you should apply for particulars. As far as I can make out, the League was founded by an American millionaire, Ezekiah Hopkins, who was very peculiar in his ways. He was himself red-headed, and he had a great sympathy for all red-headed men; so, when he died, it was found that he had left his enormous fortune in the hands of trustees, with instructions to apply the interest to the providing of easy berths46 to men whose hair is of that color. From all I hear it is splendid pay, and very little to do.'
"'But,' said I, 'there would be millions of red-headed men who would apply.'
"'Not so many as you might think,' he answered. 'You see it is really confined to Londoners, and to grown men. This American had started from London when he was young, and he wanted to do the old town a good turn. Then, again, I have heard it is of no use your applying if your hair is light red, or dark red, or anything but real, bright, blazing, fiery red. Now, if you cared to apply, Mr. Wilson, you would just walk in; but perhaps it would hardly be worth your while to put yourself out of the way for the sake of a few hundred pounds.'
"Now it is a fact, gentlemen, as you may see for yourselves, that my hair is of a very full and rich tint47, so that it seemed to me that, if there was to be any competition in the matter, I stood as good a chance as any man that I had ever met. Vincent Spaulding seemed to know so much about it that I thought he might prove useful, so I just ordered him to put up the shutters48 for the day, and to come right away with me. He was very willing to have a holiday, so we shut the business up, and started off for the address that was given us in the advertisement.
"I never hope to see such a sight as that again, Mr. Holmes. From north, south, east, and west every man who had a shade of red in his hair had tramped into the City to answer the advertisement. Fleet Street was choked with red-headed folk, and Pope's Court looked like a coster's orange barrow. I should not have thought there were so many in the whole country as were brought together by that single advertisement. Every shade of color they were—straw, lemon, orange, brick, Irish setter, liver, clay; but, as Spaulding said, there were not many who had the real vivid flame-colored tint. When I saw how many were waiting, I would have given it up in despair; but Spaulding would not hear of it. How he did it I could not imagine, but he pushed and pulled and butted49 until he got me through the crowd, and right up to the steps which led to the office. There was a double stream upon the stair, some going up in hope, and some coming back dejected; but we wedged in as well as we could, and soon found ourselves in the office."
"Your experience has been a most entertaining one," remarked Holmes, as his client paused and refreshed his memory with a huge pinch of snuff. "Pray continue your very interesting statement."
"There was nothing in the office but a couple of wooden chairs and a deal table, behind which sat a small man, with a head that was even redder than mine. He said a few words to each candidate as he came up, and then he always managed to find some fault in them which would disqualify them. Getting a vacancy did not seem to be such a very easy matter after all. However, when our turn came, the little man was much more favorable to me than to any of the others, and he closed the door as we entered, so that he might have a private word with us.
"'This is Mr. Jabez Wilson,' said my assistant, 'and he is willing to fill a vacancy in the League.'
"'And he is admirably suited for it,' the other answered. 'He has every requirement. I cannot recall when I have seen anything so fine.' He took a step backward, cocked his head on one side, and gazed at my hair until I felt quite bashful. Then suddenly he plunged50 forward, wrung51 my hand, and congratulated me warmly on my success.
"'It would be injustice52 to hesitate,' said he. 'You will, however, I am sure, excuse me for taking an obvious precaution.' With that he seized my hair in both his hands, and tugged53 until I yelled with the pain. 'There is water in your eyes,' said he, as he released me. 'I perceive that all is as it should be. But we have to be careful, for we have twice been deceived by wigs54 and once by paint. I could tell you tales of cobbler's wax which would disgust you with human nature.' He stepped over to the window and shouted through it at the top of his voice that the vacancy was filled. A groan55 of disappointment came up from below, and the folk all trooped away in different directions, until there was not a red head to be seen except my own and that of the manager.
"'My name,' said he, 'is Mr. Duncan Ross, and I am myself one of the pensioners56 upon the fund left by our noble benefactor57. Are you a married man, Mr. Wilson? Have you a family?'
"I answered that I had not.
"His face fell immediately.
"'Dear me!' he said, gravely, 'that is very serious indeed! I am sorry to hear you say that. The fund was, of course, for the propagation and spread of the red heads as well as for their maintenance. It is exceedingly unfortunate that you should be a bachelor.'
"My face lengthened58 at this, Mr. Holmes, for I thought that I was not to have the vacancy after all; but, after thinking it over for a few minutes, he said that it would be all right.
"'In the case of another,' said he, 'the objection might be fatal, but we must stretch a point in favor of a man with such a head of hair as yours. When shall you be able to enter upon your new duties?'
"'Well, it is a little awkward, for I have a business already,' said I.
"'Oh, never mind about that, Mr. Wilson!' said Vincent Spaulding. 'I shall be able to look after that for you.'
"'What would be the hours?' I asked.
"'Ten to two.'
"Now a pawnbroker's business is mostly done of an evening, Mr. Holmes, especially Thursday and Friday evenings, which is just before pay day; so it would suit me very well to earn a little in the mornings. Besides, I knew that my assistant was a good man, and that he would see to anything that turned up.
"'That would suit me very well,' said I. 'And the pay?'
"'Is four pounds a week.'
"'And the work?'
"'Is purely nominal.'
"'What do you call purely nominal?'
"'Well, you have to be in the office, or at least in the building, the whole time. If you leave, you forfeit59 your whole position forever. The will is very clear upon that point. You don't comply with the conditions if you budge60 from the office during that time.'
"'It's only four hours a day, and I should not think of leaving,' said I.
"'No excuse will avail,' said Mr. Duncan Ross, 'neither sickness, nor business, nor anything else. There you must stay, or you lose your billet.'
"'And the work?'
"'Is to copy out the "Encyclop?dia Britannica." There is the first volume of it in that press. You must find your own ink, pens, and blotting61 paper, but we provide this table and chair. Will you be ready to-morrow?'
"'Certainly,' I answered.
"'Then, good-by, Mr. Jabez Wilson, and let me congratulate you once more on the important position which you have been fortunate enough to gain.' He bowed me out of the room, and I went home with my assistant hardly knowing what to say or do, I was so pleased at my own good fortune.
"Well, I thought over the matter all day, and by evening I was in low spirits again; for I had quite persuaded myself that the whole affair must be some great hoax62 or fraud, though what its object might be I could not imagine. It seemed altogether past belief that anyone could make such a will, or that they would pay such a sum for doing anything so simple as copying out the 'Encyclop?dia Britannica.' Vincent Spaulding did what he could to cheer me up, but by bed time I had reasoned myself out of the whole thing. However, in the morning I determined63 to have a look at it anyhow, so I bought a penny bottle of ink, and with a quill64 pen and seven sheets of foolscap paper I started off for Pope's Court.
"Well, to my surprise and delight everything was as right as possible. The table was set out ready for me, and Mr. Duncan Ross was there to see that I got fairly to work. He started me off upon the letter A, and then he left me; but he would drop in from time to time to see that all was right with me. At two o'clock he bade me good-day, complimented me upon the amount that I had written, and locked the door of the office after me.
"This went on day after day, Mr. Holmes, and on Saturday the manager came in and planked down four golden sovereigns for my week's work. It was the same next week, and the same the week after. Every morning I was there at ten, and every afternoon I left at two. By degrees Mr. Duncan Ross took to coming in only once of a morning, and then, after a time, he did not come in at all. Still, of course, I never dared to leave the room for an instant, for I was not sure when he might come, and the billet was such a good one, and suited me so well, that I would not risk the loss of it.
"Eight weeks passed away like this, and I had written about Abbots, and Archery, and Armor, and Architecture, and Attica, and hoped with diligence that I might get on to the Bs before very long. It cost me something in foolscap, and I had pretty nearly filled a shelf with my writings. And then suddenly the whole business came to an end."
"To an end?"
"Yes, sir. And no later than this morning. I went to my work as usual at ten o'clock, but the door was shut and locked, with a little square of cardboard hammered onto the middle of the panel with a tack65. Here it is, and you can read for yourself."
He held up a piece of white cardboard, about the size of a sheet of note paper. It read in this fashion:
"THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE IS DISSOLVED.
Oct. 9, 1890."
Sherlock Holmes and I surveyed this curt66 announcement and the rueful face behind it, until the comical side of the affair so completely overtopped every consideration that we both burst out into a roar of laughter.
"I cannot see that there is anything very funny," cried our client, flushing up to the roots of his flaming head. "If you can do nothing better than laugh at me, I can go elsewhere."
"No, no," cried Holmes, shoving him back into the chair from which he had half risen. "I really wouldn't miss your case for the world. It is most refreshingly67 unusual. But there is, if you will excuse my saying so, something just a little funny about it. Pray what steps did you take when you found the card upon the door?"
"I was staggered, sir. I did not know what to do. Then I called at the offices round, but none of them seemed to know anything about it. Finally, I went to the landlord, who is an accountant living on the ground floor, and I asked him if he could tell me what had become of the Red-headed League. He said that he had never heard of any such body. Then I asked him who Mr. Duncan Ross was. He answered that the name was new to him.
"'Well' said I, 'the gentleman at No. 4.'
"'What, the red-headed man?'
"'Yes.'
"'Oh,' said he, 'his name was William Morris. He was a solicitor68, and was using my room as a temporary convenience until his new premises69 were ready. He moved out yesterday.'
"'Where could I find him?'
"'Oh, at his new offices. He did tell me the address. Yes, 17 King Edward Street, near St. Paul's.'
"I started off, Mr. Holmes, but when I got to that address it was a manufactory of artificial knee-caps, and no one in it had ever heard of either Mr. William Morris or Mr. Duncan Ross."
"And what did you do then?" asked Holmes.
"I went home to Saxe-Coburg Square, and I took the advice of my assistant. But he could not help me in any way. He could only say that if I waited I should hear by post. But that was not quite good enough, Mr. Holmes. I did not wish to lose such a place without a struggle, so, as I had heard that you were good enough to give advice to poor folk who were in need of it, I came right away to you."
"And you did very wisely," said Holmes. "Your case is an exceedingly remarkable one, and I shall be happy to look into it. From what you have told me I think that it is possible that graver issues hang from it than might at first sight appear."
"Grave enough!" said Mr. Jabez Wilson. "Why, I have lost four pound a week."
"As far as you are personally concerned," remarked Holmes, "I do not see that you have any grievance70 against this extraordinary league. On the contrary, you are, as I understand, richer by some thirty pounds, to say nothing of the minute knowledge which you have gained on every subject which comes under the letter A. You have lost nothing by them."
"No, sir. But I want to find out about them, and who they are, and what their object was in playing this prank—if it was a prank—upon me. It was a pretty expensive joke for them, for it cost them two-and-thirty pounds."
"We shall endeavor to clear up these points for you. And, first, one or two questions, Mr. Wilson. This assistant of yours who first called your attention to the advertisement—how long had he been with you?"
"About a month then."
"How did he come?"
"In answer to an advertisement."
"Was he the only applicant71?"
"No, I had a dozen."
"Why did you pick him?"
"Because he was handy and would come cheap."
"At half wages, in fact."
"Yes."
"What is he like, this Vincent Spaulding?"
"Small, stout-built, very quick in his ways, no hair on his face, though he's not short of thirty. Has a white splash of acid upon his forehead."
Holmes sat up in his chair in considerable excitement. "I thought as much," said he. "Have you ever observed that his ears are pierced for earrings72?"
"Yes, sir. He told me that a gypsy had done it for him when he was a lad."
"Hum!" said Holmes, sinking back in deep thought. "He is still with you?"
"Oh, yes, sir; I have only just left him."
"And has your business been attended to in your absence?"
"Nothing to complain of, sir. There's never very much to do of a morning."
"That will do, Mr. Wilson. I shall be happy to give you an opinion upon the subject in the course of a day or two. To-day is Saturday, and I hope that by Monday we may come to a conclusion."
"Well, Watson," said Holmes, when our visitor had left us, "what do you make of it all?"
"I make nothing of it," I answered frankly73. "It is a most mysterious business."
"As a rule," said Holmes, "the more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featureless crimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify. But I must be prompt over this matter."
"What are you going to do, then?" I asked.
"To smoke," he answered. "It is quite a three-pipe problem, and I beg that you won't speak to me for fifty minutes." He curled himself up in his chair, with his thin knees drawn74 up to his hawklike75 nose, and there he sat with his eyes closed and his black clay pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange bird. I had come to the conclusion that he had dropped asleep, and indeed was nodding myself, when he suddenly sprang out of his chair with the gesture of a man who has made up his mind, and put his pipe down upon the mantelpiece.
"Sarasate plays at St. James's Hall this afternoon," he remarked. "What do you think, Watson? Could your patients spare you for a few hours?"
"I have nothing to do to-day. My practice is never very absorbing."
"Then put on your hat and come. I am going through the City first, and we can have some lunch on the way. I observe that there is a good deal of German music on the programme, which is rather more to my taste than Italian or French. It is introspective, and I want to introspect. Come along!"
We traveled by the Underground as far as Aldersgate; and a short walk took us to Saxe-Coburg Square, the scene of the singular story which we had listened to in the morning. It was a poky, little, shabby-genteel place, where four lines of dingy76, two-storied brick houses looked out into a small railed-in inclosure, where a lawn of weedy grass, and a few clumps77 of faded laurel bushes made a hard fight against a smoke-laden and uncongenial atmosphere. Three gilt78 balls and a brown board with JABEZ WILSON in white letters, upon a corner house, announced the place where our red-headed client carried on his business. Sherlock Holmes stopped in front of it with his head on one side, and looked it all over, with his eyes shining brightly between puckered79 lids. Then he walked slowly up the street, and then down again to the corner, still looking keenly at the houses. Finally he returned to the pawnbroker's and, having thumped80 vigorously upon the pavement with his stick two or three times, he went up to the door and knocked. It was instantly opened by a bright-looking, clean-shaven young fellow, who asked him to step in.
"Thank you," said Holmes, "I only wished to ask you how you would go from here to the Strand81."
"Third right, fourth left," answered the assistant, promptly82, closing the door.
"Smart fellow, that," observed Holmes as we walked away. "He is, in my judgment83, the fourth smartest man in London, and for daring I am not sure that he has not a claim to be third. I have known something of him before."
"Evidently," said I, "Mr. Wilson's assistant counts for a good deal in this mystery of the Red-headed League. I am sure that you inquired your way merely in order that you might see him."
"Not him."
"What then?"
"The knees of his trousers."
"And what did you see?"
"What I expected to see."
"Why did you beat the pavement?"
"My dear doctor, this is a time for observation, not for talk. We are spies in an enemy's country. We know something of Saxe-Coburg Square. Let us now explore the parts which lie behind it."
The road in which we found ourselves as we turned round the corner from the retired84 Saxe-Coburg Square presented as great a contrast to it as the front of a picture does to the back. It was one of the main arteries85 which convey the traffic of the City to the north and west. The roadway was blocked with the immense stream of commerce flowing in a double tide inward and outward, while the footpaths86 were black with the hurrying swarm87 of pedestrians88. It was difficult to realize, as we looked at the line of fine shops and stately business premises, that they really abutted89 on the other side upon the faded and stagnant90 square which we had just quitted.
"Let me see," said Holmes, standing91 at the corner, and glancing along the line, "I should like just to remember the order of the houses here. It is a hobby of mine to have an exact knowledge of London. There is Mortimer's, the tobacconist; the little newspaper shop, the Coburg branch of the City and Suburban92 Bank, the Vegetarian93 Restaurant, and McFarlane's carriage-building depot94. That carries us right on to the other block. And now, doctor, we've done our work, so it's time we had some play. A sandwich and a cup of coffee, and then off to violin-land, where all is sweetness, and delicacy95, and harmony, and there are no red-headed clients to vex96 us with their conundrums97."
My friend was an enthusiastic musician, being himself not only a very capable performer, but a composer of no ordinary merit. All the afternoon he sat in the stalls wrapped in the most perfect happiness, gently waving his long thin fingers in time to the music, while his gently smiling face and his languid, dreamy eyes were as unlike those of Holmes the sleuth-hound, Holmes the relentless98, keen-witted, ready-handed criminal agent, as it was possible to conceive. In his singular character the dual99 nature alternately asserted itself, and his extreme exactness and astuteness100 represented, as I have often thought, the reaction against the poetic101 and contemplative mood which occasionally predominated in him. The swing of his nature took him from extreme languor102 to devouring103 energy; and, as I knew well, he was never so truly formidable as when, for days on end, he had been lounging in his armchair amid his improvisations and his black-letter editions. Then it was that the lust104 of the chase would suddenly come upon him, and that his brilliant reasoning power would rise to the level of intuition, until those who were unacquainted with his methods would look askance at him as on a man whose knowledge was not that of other mortals. When I saw him that afternoon so enwrapped in the music at St. James's Hall, I felt that an evil time might be coming upon those whom he had set himself to hunt down.
"You want to go home, no doubt, doctor," he remarked, as we emerged.
"Yes, it would be as well."
"And I have some business to do which will take some hours. This business at Saxe-Coburg Square is serious."
"Why serious?"
"A considerable crime is in contemplation. I have every reason to believe that we shall be in time to stop it. But to-day being Saturday rather complicates105 matters. I shall want your help to-night."
"At what time?"
"Ten will be early enough."
"I shall be at Baker106 Street at ten."
"Very well. And, I say, doctor! there may be some little danger, so kindly107 put your army revolver in your pocket." He waved his hand, turned on his heel, and disappeared in an instant among the crowd.
I trust that I am not more dense108 than my neighbors, but I was always oppressed with a sense of my own stupidity in my dealings with Sherlock Holmes. Here I had heard what he had heard, I had seen what he had seen, and yet from his words it was evident that he saw clearly not only what had happened, but what was about to happen, while to me the whole business was still confused and grotesque109. As I drove home to my house in Kensington I thought over it all, from the extraordinary story of the red-headed copier of the "Encyclop?dia" down to the visit to Saxe-Coburg Square, and the ominous110 words with which he had parted from me. What was this nocturnal expedition, and why should I go armed? Where were we going, and what were we to do? I had the hint from Holmes that this smooth-faced pawnbroker's assistant was a formidable man—a man who might play a deep game. I tried to puzzle it out, but gave it up in despair, and set the matter aside until night should bring an explanation.
It was a quarter-past nine when I started from home and made my way across the Park, and so through Oxford111 Street to Baker Street. Two hansoms were standing at the door, and, as I entered the passage, I heard the sound of voices from above. On entering his room, I found Holmes in animated112 conversation with two men, one of whom I recognized as Peter Jones, the official police agent; while the other was a long, thin, sad-faced man, with a very shiny hat and oppressively respectable frock coat.
"Ha! our party is complete," said Holmes, buttoning up his pea-jacket, and taking his heavy hunting crop from the rack. "Watson, I think you know Mr. Jones, of Scotland Yard? Let me introduce you to Mr. Merryweather, who is to be our companion in to-night's adventure."
"We're hunting in couples again, doctor, you see," said Jones, in his consequential113 way. "Our friend here is a wonderful man for starting a chase. All he wants is an old dog to help him do the running down."
"I hope a wild goose may not prove to be the end of our chase," observed Mr. Merryweather gloomily.
"You may place considerable confidence in Mr. Holmes, sir," said the police agent loftily. "He has his own little methods, which are, if he won't mind my saying so, just a little too theoretical and fantastic, but he has the makings of a detective in him. It is not too much to say that once or twice, as in that business of the Sholto murder and the Agra treasure, he has been more nearly correct than the official force."
"Oh, if you say so, Mr. Jones, it is all right!" said the stranger, with deference114. "Still, I confess that I miss my rubber. It is the first Saturday night for seven-and-twenty years that I have not had my rubber."
"I think you will find," said Sherlock Holmes, "that you will play for a higher stake to-night than you have ever done yet, and that the play will be more exciting. For you, Mr. Merryweather, the stake will be some thirty thousand pounds; and for you, Jones, it will be the man upon whom you wish to lay your hands."
"John Clay, the murderer, thief, smasher, and forger115. He's a young man, Mr. Merryweather, but he is at the head of his profession, and I would rather have my bracelets116 on him than on any criminal in London. He's a remarkable man, is young John Clay. His grandfather was a Royal Duke, and he himself has been to Eton and Oxford. His brain is as cunning as his fingers, and though we meet signs of him at every turn, we never know where to find the man himself. He'll crack a crib in Scotland one week, and be raising money to build an orphanage117 in Cornwall the next. I've been on his track for years, and have never set eyes on him yet."
"I hope that I may have the pleasure of introducing you to-night. I've had one or two little turns also with Mr. John Clay, and I agree with you that he is at the head of his profession. It is past ten, however, and quite time that we started. If you two will take the first hansom, Watson and I will follow in the second."
Sherlock Holmes was not very communicative during the long drive, and lay back in the cab humming the tunes40 which he had heard in the afternoon. We rattled118 through an endless labyrinth119 of gaslit streets until we emerged into Farringdon Street.
"We are close there now," my friend remarked. "This fellow Merryweather is a bank director and personally interested in the matter. I thought it as well to have Jones with us also. He is not a bad fellow, though an absolute imbecile in his profession. He has one positive virtue120. He is as brave as a bulldog, and as tenacious121 as a lobster122 if he gets his claws upon anyone. Here we are, and they are waiting for us."
We had reached the same crowded thoroughfare in which we had found ourselves in the morning. Our cabs were dismissed, and following the guidance of Mr. Merryweather, we passed down a narrow passage, and through a side door which he opened for us. Within there was a small corridor, which ended in a very massive iron gate. This also was opened, and led down a flight of winding123 stone steps, which terminated at another formidable gate. Mr. Merryweather stopped to light a lantern, and then conducted us down a dark, earth-smelling passage, and so, after opening a third door, into a huge vault124 or cellar, which was piled all round with crates126 and massive boxes.
"You are not very vulnerable from above," Holmes remarked, as he held up the lantern and gazed about him.
"Nor from below," said Mr. Merryweather, striking his stick upon the flags which lined the floor. "Why, dear me, it sounds quite hollow!" he remarked, looking up in surprise.
"I must really ask you to be a little more quiet," said Holmes severely127. "You have already imperiled the whole success of our expedition. Might I beg that you would have the goodness to sit down upon one of those boxes, and not to interfere?"
The solemn Mr. Merryweather perched himself upon a crate125, with a very injured expression upon his face, while Holmes fell upon his knees upon the floor, and, with the lantern and a magnifying lens, began to examine minutely the cracks between the stones. A few seconds sufficed to satisfy him, for he sprang to his feet again, and put his glass in his pocket.
"We have at least an hour before us," he remarked, "for they can hardly take any steps until the good pawnbroker is safely in bed. Then they will not lose a minute, for the sooner they do their work the longer time they will have for their escape. We are at present, doctor—as no doubt you have divined—in the cellar of the City branch of one of the principal London banks. Mr. Merryweather is the chairman of directors, and he will explain to you that there are reasons why the more daring criminals of London should take a considerable interest in this cellar at present."
"It is our French gold," whispered the director. "We have had several warnings that an attempt might be made upon it."
"Your French gold?"
"Yes. We had occasion some months ago to strengthen our resources, and borrowed, for that purpose, thirty thousand napoleons from the Bank of France. It has become known that we have never had occasion to unpack129 the money, and that it is still lying in our cellar. The crate upon which I sit contains two thousand napoleons packed between layers of lead foil. Our reserve of bullion130 is much larger at present than is usually kept in a single branch office, and the directors have had misgivings131 upon the subject."
"Which were very well justified," observed Holmes.
"And now it is time that we arranged our little plans. I expect that within an hour matters will come to a head. In the meantime, Mr. Merryweather, we must put the screen over that dark lantern."
"And sit in the dark?"
"I am afraid so. I had brought a pack of cards in my pocket, and I thought that, as we were a partie carrée, you might have your rubber after all. But I see that the enemy's preparations have gone so far that we cannot risk the presence of a light. And, first of all, we must choose our positions. These are daring men, and, though we shall take them at a disadvantage, they may do us some harm, unless we are careful. I shall stand behind this crate, and do you conceal132 yourself behind those. Then, when I flash a light upon them, close in swiftly. If they fire, Watson, have no compunction about shooting them down."
I placed my revolver, cocked, upon the top of the wooden case behind which I crouched133. Holmes shot the slide across the front of his lantern, and left us in pitch darkness—such an absolute darkness as I have never before experienced. The smell of hot metal remained to assure us that the light was still there, ready to flash out at a moment's notice. To me, with my nerves worked up to a pitch of expectancy134, there was something depressing and subduing135 in the sudden gloom, and in the cold, dank air of the vault.
"They have but one retreat," whispered Holmes. "That is back through the house into Saxe-Coburg Square. I hope that you have done what I asked you, Jones?"
"I have an inspector136 and two officers waiting at the front door."
"Then we have stopped all the holes. And now we must be silent and wait."
What a time it seemed! From comparing notes afterwards, it was but an hour and a quarter, yet it appeared to me that the night must have almost gone, and the dawn be breaking above us. My limbs were weary and stiff, for I feared to change my position, yet my nerves were worked up to the highest pitch of tension, and my hearing was so acute that I could not only hear the gentle breathing of my companions, but I could distinguish the deeper, heavier inbreath of the bulky Jones from the thin, sighing note of the bank director. From my position I could look over the case in the direction of the floor. Suddenly my eyes caught the glint of a light.
At first it was but a lurid137 spark upon the stone pavement. Then it lengthened out until it became a yellow line, and then, without any warning or sound, a gash138 seemed to open and a hand appeared, a white, almost womanly hand, which felt about in the center of the little area of light. For a minute or more the hand, with its writhing139 fingers, protruded140 out of the floor. Then it was withdrawn141 as suddenly as it appeared, and all was dark again save the single lurid spark, which marked a chink between the stones.
Its disappearance142, however, was but momentary143. With a rending144, tearing sound, one of the broad white stones turned over upon its side, and left a square, gaping145 hole, through which streamed the light of a lantern. Over the edge there peeped a clean-cut, boyish face, which looked keenly about it, and then, with a hand on either side of the aperture146, drew itself shoulder-high and waist-high, until one knee rested upon the edge. In another instant he stood at the side of the hole, and was hauling after him a companion, lithe147 and small like himself, with a pale face and a shock of very red hair.
"It's all clear," he whispered. "Have you the chisel148 and the bags? Great Scott! Jump, Archie, jump, and I'll swing for it!"
Sherlock Holmes had sprung out and seized the intruder by the collar. The other dived down the hole, and I heard the sound of rending cloth as Jones clutched at his skirts. The light flashed upon the barrel of a revolver, but Holmes's hunting crop came down on the man's wrist, and the pistol clinked upon the stone floor.
"It's no use, John Clay," said Holmes blandly149, "you have no chance at all."
"So I see," the other answered, with the utmost coolness. "I fancy that my pal128 is all right, though I see you have got his coat-tails."
"There are three men waiting for him at the door," said Holmes.
"Oh, indeed. You seem to have done the thing very completely. I must compliment you."
"And I you," Holmes answered. "Your red-headed idea was very new and effective."
"You'll see your pal again presently," said Jones. "He's quicker at climbing down holes than I am. Just hold out while I fix the derbies."
"I beg that you will not touch me with your filthy150 hands," remarked our prisoner, as the handcuffs clattered151 upon his wrists. "You may not be aware that I have royal blood in my veins152. Have the goodness also, when you address me, always to say 'sir' and 'please.'"
"All right," said Jones, with a stare and a snigger. "Well, would you please, sir, march upstairs where we can get a cab to carry your highness to the police station?"
"That is better," said John Clay serenely153. He made a sweeping154 bow to the three of us, and walked quietly off in the custody155 of the detective.
"Really, Mr. Holmes," said Mr. Merryweather, as we followed them from the cellar, "I do not know how the bank can thank you or repay you. There is no doubt that you have detected and defeated in the most complete manner one of the most determined attempts at bank robbery, that have ever come within my experience."
"I have had one or two little scores of my own to settle with Mr. John Clay," said Holmes. "I have been at some small expense over this matter, which I shall expect the bank to refund156, but beyond that I am amply repaid by having had an experience which is in many ways unique, and by hearing the very remarkable narrative of the Red-headed League."
"You see, Watson," he explained, in the early hours of the morning, as we sat over a glass of whisky and soda157 in Baker Street, "it was perfectly158 obvious from the first that the only possible object of this rather fantastic business of the advertisement of the League, and the copying of the 'Encyclop?dia,' must be to get this not over-bright pawnbroker out of the way for a number of hours every day. It was a curious way of managing it, but really it would be difficult to suggest a better. The method was no doubt suggested to Clay's ingenious mind by the color of his accomplice's hair. The four pounds a week was a lure159 which must draw him, and what was it to them, who were playing for thousands? They put in the advertisement, one rogue160 has the temporary office, the other rogue incites161 the man to apply for it, and together they manage to secure his absence every morning in the week. From the time that I heard of the assistant having come for half wages, it was obvious to me that he had some strong motive162 for securing the situation."
"But how could you guess what the motive was?"
"Had there been women in the house, I should have suspected a mere10 vulgar intrigue163. That, however, was out of the question. The man's business was a small one, and there was nothing in his house which could account for such elaborate preparations, and such an expenditure164 as they were at. It must then be something out of the house. What could it be? I thought of the assistant's fondness for photography, and his trick of vanishing into the cellar. The cellar! There was the end of this tangled165 clew. Then I made inquiries166 as to this mysterious assistant, and found that I had to deal with one of the coolest and most daring criminals in London. He was doing something in the cellar—something which took many hours a day for months on end. What could it be, once more? I could think of nothing save that he was running a tunnel to some other building.
"So far I had got when we went to visit the scene of action. I surprised you by beating upon the pavement with my stick. I was ascertaining167 whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind. It was not in front. Then I rang the bell, and, as I hoped, the assistant answered it. We have had some skirmishes, but we had never set eyes upon each other before. I hardly looked at his face. His knees were what I wished to see. You must yourself have remarked how worn, wrinkled, and stained they were. They spoke168 of those hours of burrowing169. The only remaining point was what they were burrowing for. I walked round the corner, saw that the City and Suburban Bank abutted on our friend's premises, and felt that I had solved my problem. When you drove home after the concert I called upon Scotland Yard, and upon the chairman of the bank directors, with the result that you have seen."
"And how could you tell that they would make their attempt to-night?" I asked.
"Well, when they closed their League offices that was a sign that they cared no longer about Mr. Jabez Wilson's presence; in other words, that they had completed their tunnel. But it was essential that they should use it soon, as it might be discovered, or the bullion might be removed. Saturday would suit them better than any other day, as it would give them two days for their escape. For all these reasons I expected them to come to-night."
"You reasoned it out beautifully," I exclaimed, in unfeigned admiration170. "It is so long a chain, and yet every link rings true."
"It saved me from ennui," he answered, yawning. "Alas171! I already feel it closing in upon me. My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so."
"And you are a benefactor of the race," said I. He shrugged172 his shoulders. "Well, perhaps, after all, it is of some little use," he remarked. "'L'homme c'est rien—l'oeuvre c'est tout,' as Gustave Flaubert wrote to Georges Sands."
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2
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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4
judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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humdrum
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| adj.单调的，乏味的 | |
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6
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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7
pro
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| n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者 | |
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8
embellish
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| v.装饰，布置；给…添加细节，润饰 | |
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9
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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10
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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11
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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12
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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13
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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14
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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15
obese
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| adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的 | |
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16
pompous
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的 | |
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17
baggy
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| adj.膨胀如袋的，宽松下垂的 | |
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18
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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19
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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20
frayed
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| adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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24
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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25
forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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26
cuff
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| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
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27
tattooed
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| v.刺青，文身( tattoo的过去式和过去分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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28
tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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30
candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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31
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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32
bequest
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| n.遗赠；遗产，遗物 | |
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33
vacancy
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| n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺 | |
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34
purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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35
nominal
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| adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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eligible
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| adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的 | |
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38
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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40
tunes
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| n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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41
pawnbroker
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| n.典当商，当铺老板 | |
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42
widower
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| n.鳏夫 | |
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43
vacancies
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| n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺 | |
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44
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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45
prick
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| v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛 | |
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46
berths
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| n.（船、列车等的）卧铺( berth的名词复数 )；（船舶的）停泊位或锚位；差事；船台vt.v.停泊( berth的第三人称单数 )；占铺位 | |
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47
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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48
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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49
butted
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| 对接的 | |
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50
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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51
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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52
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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53
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
wigs
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| n.假发，法官帽( wig的名词复数 ) | |
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55
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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56
pensioners
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| n.领取退休、养老金或抚恤金的人( pensioner的名词复数 ) | |
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57
benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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58
lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59
forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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60
budge
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| v.移动一点儿；改变立场 | |
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61
blotting
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| 吸墨水纸 | |
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62
hoax
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| v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧 | |
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63
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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64
quill
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| n.羽毛管；v.给（织物或衣服）作皱褶 | |
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65
tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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66
curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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67
refreshingly
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| adv.清爽地，有精神地 | |
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68
solicitor
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| n.初级律师，事务律师 | |
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69
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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70
grievance
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| n.怨愤，气恼，委屈 | |
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71
applicant
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| n.申请人，求职者，请求者 | |
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72
earrings
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| n.耳环( earring的名词复数 )；耳坠子 | |
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73
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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74
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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75
hawklike
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76
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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77
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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78
gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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79
puckered
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| v.（使某物）起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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80
thumped
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| v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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82
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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83
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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84
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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85
arteries
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| n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道 | |
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86
footpaths
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| 人行小径，人行道( footpath的名词复数 ) | |
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87
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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88
pedestrians
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| n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 ) | |
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89
abutted
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| v.（与…）邻接( abut的过去式和过去分词 )；（与…）毗连；接触；倚靠 | |
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90
stagnant
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| adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的 | |
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91
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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92
suburban
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| adj.城郊的，在郊区的 | |
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93
vegetarian
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| n.素食者；adj.素食的 | |
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94
depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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95
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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96
vex
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| vt.使烦恼，使苦恼 | |
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97
conundrums
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| n.谜，猜不透的难题，难答的问题( conundrum的名词复数 ) | |
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98
relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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99
dual
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| adj.双的；二重的，二元的 | |
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100
astuteness
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| n.敏锐；精明；机敏 | |
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101
poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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102
languor
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| n.无精力，倦怠 | |
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103
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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104
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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105
complicates
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| 使复杂化( complicate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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106
baker
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| n.面包师 | |
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107
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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108
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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109
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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110
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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111
Oxford
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| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
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112
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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113
consequential
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| adj.作为结果的，间接的；重要的 | |
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114
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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115
forger
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| v.伪造；n.（钱、文件等的）伪造者 | |
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116
bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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117
orphanage
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| n.孤儿院 | |
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118
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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119
labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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120
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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121
tenacious
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| adj.顽强的，固执的，记忆力强的，粘的 | |
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122
lobster
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| n.龙虾，龙虾肉 | |
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123
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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124
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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125
crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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126
crates
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| n. 板条箱, 篓子, 旧汽车 vt. 装进纸条箱 | |
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127
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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128
pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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129
unpack
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| vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货 | |
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130
bullion
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| n.金条，银条 | |
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131
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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132
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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133
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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134
expectancy
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| n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额 | |
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135
subduing
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| 征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗 | |
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136
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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137
lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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138
gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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139
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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140
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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141
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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142
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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143
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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144
rending
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| v.撕碎( rend的现在分词 )；分裂；（因愤怒、痛苦等而）揪扯（衣服或头发等）；（声音等）刺破 | |
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145
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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146
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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147
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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148
chisel
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| n.凿子；v.用凿子刻，雕，凿 | |
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149
blandly
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| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
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150
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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151
clattered
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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152
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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153
serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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154
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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155
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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156
refund
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| v.退还，偿还；n.归还，偿还额，退款 | |
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157
soda
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| n.苏打水；汽水 | |
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158
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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159
lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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160
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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161
incites
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| 刺激，激励，煽动( incite的第三人称单数 ) | |
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162
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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163
intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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164
expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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165
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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166
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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167
ascertaining
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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168
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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169
burrowing
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的现在分词 )；翻寻 | |
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170
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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171
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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172
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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