His investigation2 of the case of the man with the shaven skull3 afforded an instance of this, and even more notable was his first meeting with Major Jack4 Ragstaff of the Cavalry5 Club, a meeting which took place after the office had been closed, but which led to the unmasking of perhaps the most cunning murderer in the annals of crime.
One summer’s evening when the little clock upon his table was rapidly approaching the much-desired hour, Harley lay back in his chair and stared meditatively6 across his private office in the direction of a large and very handsome Burmese cabinet, which seemed strangely out of place amid the filing drawers, bookshelves, and other usual impedimenta of a professional man. A peculiarly uninteresting week was drawing to a close, and he was wondering if this betokened7 a decreased activity in the higher criminal circles, or whether it was merely one of those usual quiescent8 periods which characterize every form of warfare9.
Paul Harley, although the fact was unknown to the general public, occupied something of the position of an unofficial field marshal of the forces arrayed against evildoers. Throughout the war he had undertaken confidential10 work of the highest importance, especially in regard to the Near East, with which he was intimately acquainted. A member of the English bar, and the last court of appeal to which Home Office and Foreign Office alike came in troubled times, the brass11 plate upon the door of his unassuming premises12 in Chancery Lane conveyed little or nothing to the uninitiated.
The man himself, with his tropical bronze and air of eager vitality13, must have told the most careless observer that he stood in the presence of an extraordinary personality. He was slightly gray at the temples in these days, but young in mind and body, physically14 fit, and possessed15 of an intellectual keenness which had forced recognition from two hemispheres. His office was part of an old city residence, and his chambers16 adjoined his workroom, so that now, noting that his table clock registered the hour of six, he pressed a bell which summoned Innes, his confidential secretary.
“Well, Innes,” said Harley, looking around, “another uneventful day.”
“Very uneventful, Mr. Harley. About a month of this and you will have to resume practice at the bar.”
Paul Harley laughed.
“Not a bit likely, Innes,” he replied. “No more briefs for me. I shall retire to Norfolk and devote my declining years to fishing.”
“It would more than satisfy me,” returned Harley. “But every man to his own ambition. Well, there is no occasion to wait; you might as well get along. But what’s that you’ve got in your hand?”
“Well,” replied Innes, laying a card upon the table, “I was just coming in with it when you rang.”
Paul Harley glanced at the card.
“Sir Charles Abingdon,” he read aloud, staring reflectively at his secretary. “That is the osteologist?”
“Ah,” murmured Harley, “I wonder what he wants. I suppose I had better see him, as I fancy that he and I met casually19 some years ago in India. Ask him to come in, will you?”
Innes retiring, there presently entered a distinguished-looking, elderly gentleman upon whose florid face rested an expression not unlike that of embarrassment20.
“Mr. Harley,” he began, “I feel somewhat ill at ease in encroaching upon your time, for I am by no means sure that my case comes within your particular province.”
“Sit down, Sir Charles,” said Harley with quiet geniality21. “Officially, my working day is ended; but if nothing comes of your visit beyond a chat it will have been very welcome. Calcutta, was it not, where we last met?”
“It was,” replied Sir Charles, placing his hat and cane22 upon the table and sitting down rather wearily in a big leather armchair which Harley had pushed forward. “If I presume upon so slight an acquaintance, I am sorry, but I must confess that only the fact of having met you socially encouraged me to make this visit.”
He raised his eyes to Harley’s face and gazed at him with that peculiarly searching look which belongs to members of his profession; but mingled23 with it was an expression of almost pathetic appeal, of appeal for understanding, for sympathy of some kind.
“Go on, Sir Charles,” said Harley. He pushed forward a box of cigars. “Will you smoke?”
“Thanks, no,” was the answer.
Sir Charles evidently was oppressed by some secret trouble, thus Harley mused24 silently, as, taking out a tin of tobacco from a cabinet beside him, he began in leisurely25 manner to load a briar. In this he desired to convey that he treated the visit as that of a friend, and also, since business was over, that Sir Charles might without scruple26 speak at length and at leisure of whatever matters had brought him there.
“Very well, then,” began the surgeon; “I am painfully conscious that the facts which I am in a position to lay before you are very scanty28 and unsatisfactory.”
Paul Harley nodded encouragingly.
“If this were not so,” he explained, “you would have no occasion to apply to me, Sir Charles. It is my business to look for facts. Naturally, I do not expect my clients to supply them.”
Sir Charles slowly nodded his head, and seemed in some measure to recover confidence.
“Briefly, then,” he said, “I believe my life is in danger.”
“You mean that there is someone who desires your death?”
“I do.”
“H’m,” said Harley, replacing the tin in the cupboard and striking a match. “Even if the facts are scanty, no doubt you have fairly substantial grounds for such a suspicion?”
“I cannot say that they are substantial, Mr. Harley. They are rather more circumstantial. Frankly29, I have forced myself to come here, and now that I have intruded30 upon your privacy, I realize my difficulties more keenly than ever.”
The expression of embarrassment upon the speaker’s face had grown intense; and now he paused, bending forward in his chair. He seemed in his glance to appeal for patience on the part of his hearer, and Harley, lighting31 his pipe, nodded in understanding fashion. He was the last man in the world to jump to conclusions. He had learned by bitter experience that lightly to dismiss such cases as this of Sir Charles as coming within the province of delusion32, was sometimes tantamount to refusing aid to a man in deadly peril33.
“You are naturally anxious for the particulars,” Sir Charles presently resumed. “They bear, I regret to say, a close resemblance to the symptoms of a well-known form of hallucination. In short, with one exception, they may practically all be classed under the head of surveillance.”
“Surveillance,” said Paul Harley. “You mean that you are more or less constantly followed?”
“I do.”
“A very hazy35 one. To-night, as I came to your office, I have every reason to believe that someone followed me in a taxicab.”
“You came in a car?”
“I did.”
“And a cab followed you the whole way?”
“Practically the whole way, except that as my chauffeur36 turned into Chancery Lane, the cab stopped at the corner of Fleet Street.”
“Your idea is that your pursuer followed on foot from this point?”
“Such was my impression.”
“H’m, quite impossible. And is this sort of thing constant, Sir Charles?”
“It has been for some time past.”
“Anything else?”
“One very notable thing, Mr. Harley. I was actually assaulted less than a week ago within sight of my own house.”
“Indeed! Tell me of this.” Paul Harley became aware of an awakening37 curiosity. Sir Charles Abingdon was not the type of man who is lightly intimidated38.
“I had been to visit a friend in the neighbourhood,” Sir Charles continued, “whom I am at present attending professionally, although I am actually retired. I was returning across the square, close to midnight, when, fortunately for myself, I detected the sound of light, pattering footsteps immediately behind me. The place was quite deserted39 at that hour, and although I was so near home, the worst would have happened, I fear, if my sense of hearing had been less acute. I turned in the very instant that a man was about to spring upon me from behind. He was holding in his hand what looked like a large silk handkerchief. This encounter took place in the shadow of some trees, and beyond the fact that my assailant was a small man, I could form no impression of his identity.”
“What did you do?”
“I turned and struck out with my stick.”
“And then?”
“Then he made no attempt to contest the issue, but simply ran swiftly off, always keeping in the shadows of the trees.”
“Very strange,” murmured Harley. “Do you think he had meant to drug you?”
“Maybe,” replied Sir Charles. “The handkerchief was perhaps saturated40 with some drug, or he may even have designed to attempt to strangle me.”
“And you formed absolutely no impression of the man?”
“None whatever, Mr. Harley. When you see the spot at which the encounter took place, if you care to do so, you will recognize the difficulties. It is perfectly41 dark there after nightfall.”
“H’m,” mused Harley. “A very alarming occurrence, Sir Charles. It must have shaken you very badly. But we must not overlook the possibility that this may have been an ordinary footpad.”
“His methods were scarcely those of a footpad,” murmured Sir Charles.
“I quite agree,” said Harley. “They were rather Oriental, if I may say so.”
Sir Charles Abingdon started. “Oriental!” he whispered. “Yes, you are right.”
“Does this suggest a train of thought?” prompted Harley.
Sir Charles Abingdon cleared his throat nervously42. “It does, Mr. Harley,” he admitted, “but a very confusing train of thought. It leads me to a point which I must mention, but which concerns a very well-known man. Before I proceed I should like to make it clear that I do not believe for a moment that he is responsible for this unpleasant business.”
Harley stared at him curiously43. “Nevertheless,” he said, “there must be some data in your possession which suggest to your mind that he has some connection with it.”
“There are, Mr. Harley, and I should be deeply indebted if you could visit my house this evening, when I could place this evidence, if evidence it may be called, before you. I find myself in so delicate a position. If you are free I should welcome your company at dinner.”
Paul Harley seemed to be reflecting.
“Of course, Sir Charles,” he said, presently, “your statement is very interesting and curious, and I shall naturally make a point of going fully27 into the matter. But before proceeding44 further there are two questions I should like to ask you. The first is this: What is the name of the ‘well-known’ man to whom you refer? And the second: If not he then whom do you suspect of being behind all this?”
“The one matter is so hopelessly involved in the other,” he finally replied, “that although I came here prepared as I thought with a full statement of the case, I should welcome a further opportunity of rearranging the facts before imparting them to you. One thing, however, I have omitted to mention. It is, perhaps, of paramount45 importance. There was a robbery at my house less than a week ago.”
“What! A robbery! Tell me: what was stolen?”
“Nothing of the slightest value, Mr. Harley, to any one but myself—or so I should have supposed.” The speaker coughed nervously. “The thief had gained admittance to my private study, where there are several cases of Oriental jewellery and a number of pieces of valuable gold and silverware, all antique. At what hour he came, how he gained admittance, and how he retired, I cannot imagine. All the doors were locked as usual in the morning and nothing was disturbed.”
“I don’t understand, then.”
“I chanced to have occasion to open my bureau which I invariably keep locked. Immediately—immediately—I perceived that my papers were disarranged. Close examination revealed the fact that a short manuscript in my own hand, which had been placed in one of the pigeonholes46, was missing.”
“A manuscript,” murmured Harley. “Upon a technical subject?”
“Scarcely a technical subject, Mr. Harley. It was a brief account which I had vaguely47 contemplated48 publishing in one of the reviews, a brief account of a very extraordinary patient whom I once attended.”
“And had you written it recently?”
“No; some years ago. But I had recently added to it. I may say that it was my purpose still further to add to it, and with this object I had actually unlocked the bureau.”
“New facts respecting this patient had come into your possession?”
“They had.”
“Before the date of the attack upon you?”
“Before that date, yes.”
“And before surveillance of your movements began?”
“I believe so.”
“May I suggest that your patient and the ‘well-known man’ to whom you referred are one and the same?”
“It is not so, Mr. Harley,” returned Sir Charles in a tired voice. “Nothing so simple. I realize more than ever that I must arrange my facts in some sort of historical order. Therefore I ask you again: will you dine with me to-night?”
That his ready acceptance had immensely relieved the troubled mind of Sir Charles was evident enough. His visitor stood up. “I am not prone50 to sickly fancies, Mr. Harley,” he said. “But a conviction has been growing upon me for some time that I have incurred51, how I cannot imagine, but that nevertheless I have incurred powerful enmity. I trust our evening’s counsel may enable you, with your highly specialized52 faculties53, to detect an explanation.”
And it was instructive to note how fluently he spoke54 now that he found himself temporarily relieved of the necessity of confessing the source of his mysterious fears.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
labyrinth
|
|
| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
investigation
|
|
| n.调查，调查研究 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
skull
|
|
| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
jack
|
|
| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
cavalry
|
|
| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
meditatively
|
|
| adv.冥想地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
betokened
|
|
| v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
quiescent
|
|
| adj.静止的，不活动的，寂静的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
warfare
|
|
| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
confidential
|
|
| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
brass
|
|
| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
premises
|
|
| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
vitality
|
|
| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
physically
|
|
| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
chambers
|
|
| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
retired
|
|
| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
casually
|
|
| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
embarrassment
|
|
| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
geniality
|
|
| n.和蔼，诚恳；愉快 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
cane
|
|
| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
mingled
|
|
| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
mused
|
|
| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
leisurely
|
|
| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
scruple
|
|
| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
scanty
|
|
| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
frankly
|
|
| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
intruded
|
|
| n.侵入的，推进的v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的过去式和过去分词 )；把…强加于 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
lighting
|
|
| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
delusion
|
|
| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
peril
|
|
| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
follower
|
|
| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
hazy
|
|
| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
chauffeur
|
|
| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
awakening
|
|
| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
intimidated
|
|
| v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
deserted
|
|
| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
saturated
|
|
| a.饱和的，充满的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
nervously
|
|
| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
curiously
|
|
| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
proceeding
|
|
| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
paramount
|
|
| a.最重要的，最高权力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
pigeonholes
|
|
| n.鸽舍出入口( pigeonhole的名词复数 )；小房间；文件架上的小间隔v.把…搁在分类架上( pigeonhole的第三人称单数 )；把…留在记忆中；缓办；把…隔成小格 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
vaguely
|
|
| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
contemplated
|
|
| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
promptly
|
|
| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
prone
|
|
| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
incurred
|
|
| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
specialized
|
|
| adj.专门的，专业化的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
faculties
|
|
| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |