按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
which； as you say； you have nothing whatever to do。〃
There was a cab passing as we came out； and Holmes hailed it。
〃How far to Wallington？〃 he asked。
〃Only about a mile； sir。〃
〃Very good。 Jump in； Watson。 We must strike while the iron is hot。
11
… Page 12…
The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
Simple as the case is； there have been one or two very instructive details in
connection with it。 Just pull up at a telegraph office as you pass； cabby。〃
Holmes sent off a short wire and for the rest of the drive lay back in
the cab； with his hat tilted over his nose to keep the sun from his face。 Our
drive pulled up at a house which was not unlike the one which we had just
quitted。 My companion ordered him to wait； and had his hand upon the
knocker； when the door opened and a grave young gentleman in black；
with a very shiny hat； appeared on the step。
〃Is Miss Cushing at home？〃 asked Holmes。
〃Miss Sarah Cushing is extremely ill；〃 said he。 〃She has been
suffering since yesterday from brain symptoms of great severity。 As her
medical adviser； I cannot possibly take the responsibility of allowing
anyone to see her。 I should recommend you to call again in ten days。〃
He drew on his gloves； closed the door； and marched off down the street。
〃Well； if we can't we can't；〃 said Holmes； cheerfully。
〃Perhaps she could not or would not have told you much。〃
〃I did not wish her to tell me anything。 I only wanted to look at her。
However； I think that I have got all that I want。 Drive us to some decent
hotel； cabby； where we may have some lunch； and afterwards we shall
drop down upon friend Lestrade at the police… station。〃
We had a pleasant little meal together； during which Holmes would
talk about nothing but violins； narrating with great exultation how he had
purchased his own Stradivarius； which was worth at least five hundred
guineas； at a Jew broker's in Tottenham Court Road for fifty…five shillings。
This led him to Paganini； and we sat for an hour over a bottle of claret
while he told me anecdote after anecdote of that extraordinary man。 The
afternoon was far advanced and the hot glare had softened into a mellow
glow before we found ourselves at the police…station。 Lestrade was
waiting for us at the door。
〃A telegram for you； Mr。 Holmes；〃 said he。
〃Ha！ It is the answer！〃 He tore it open； glanced his eyes over it；
and crumpled it into his pocket。 〃That's all right；〃 said he。
〃Have you found out anything？〃
〃I have found out everything！〃
12
… Page 13…
The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
〃What！〃 Lestrade stared at him in amazement。 〃You are joking。〃
〃I was never more serious in my life。 A shocking crime has been
committed； and I think I have now laid bare every detail of it。〃
〃And the criminal？〃
Holmes scribbled a few words upon the back of one of his visiting
cards and threw it over to Lestrade。
〃That is the name；〃 he said。 〃You cannot effect an arrest until to…
morrow night at the earliest。 I should prefer that you do not mention my
name at all in connection with the case； as I choose to be only associated
with those crimes which present some difficulty in their solution。 Come
on； Watson。〃 We strode off together to the station； leaving Lestrade still
staring with a delighted face at the card which Holmes had thrown him。
〃The case；〃 said Sherlock Holmes as we chatted over or cigars that
night in our rooms at Baker Street； 〃is one where； as in the investigations
which you have chronicled under the names of 'A Study in Scarlet' and of
'The Sign of Four；' we have been compelled to reason backward from
effects to causes。 I have written to Lestrade asking him to supply us with
the details which are now wanting； and which he will only get after he had
secured his man。 That he may be safely trusted to do； for although he is
absolutely devoid of reason； he is as tenacious as a bulldog when he once
understands what he has to do； and indeed； it is just this tenacity which has
brought him to the top at Scotland Yard。〃
〃Your case is not complete； then？〃 I asked。
〃It is fairly complete in essentials。 We know who the author of the
revolting business is； although one of the victims still escapes us。 Of
course； you have formed your own conclusions。〃
〃I presume that this Jim Browner； the steward of a Liverpool boat； is
the man whom you suspect？〃
〃Oh！ it is more than a suspicion。〃
〃And yet I cannot see anything save very vague indications。〃
〃On the contrary； to my mind nothing could be more clear。 Let me
run over the principal steps。 We approached the case； you remember；
with an absolutely blank mind； which is always an advantage。 We had
formed no theories。 We were simply there to observe and to draw
13
… Page 14…
The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
inferences from our observations。 What did we see first？ A very placid
and respectable lady； who seemed quite innocent of any secret； and a
portrait which showed me that she had two younger sisters。 It instantly
flashed across my mind that the box might have been meant for one of
these。 I set the idea aside as one which could be disproved or confirmed
at our leisure。 Then we went to the garden； as you remember； and we
saw the very singular contents of the little yellow box。
〃The string was of the quality which is used by sail…makers aboard
ship； and at once a whiff of the sea was perceptible in our investigation。
When I observed that the knot was one which is popular with sailors； that
the parcel had been posted at a port； and that the male ear was pierced for
an earring which is so much more common among sailors than landsmen；
I was quite certain that all the actors in the tragedy were to be found
among our seafaring classes。
〃When I came to examine the address of the packet I observed that it
was to Miss S。 Cushing。 Now； the oldest sister would； of course； be Miss
Cushing； and although her initial was 'S' it might belong to one of the
others as well。 In that case we should have to commence our
investigation from a fresh basis altogether。 I therefore went into the
house with the intention of clearing up this point。 I was about to assure
Miss Cushing that I was convinced that a mistake had been made when
you may remember that I came suddenly to a stop。 The fact was that I
had just seen something which filled me with surprise and at the same
time narrowed the field of our inquiry immensely。
〃As a medical man； you are aware； Watson； that there is no part of the
body which varies so much as the human ear。 Each ear is as a rule quite
distinctive and differs from all other ones。 In last year's Anthropological
Journal you will find two short monographs from my pen upon the subject。
I had； therefore； examined the ears in the box with the eyes of an expert
and had carefully noted their anatomical peculiarities。 Imagine my
surprise； then； when on looking at Miss Cushing I perceived that her ear
corresponded exactly with the female ear which I had just inspected。 The
matter was entirely beyond coincidence。 There was the same shortening
of the pinna； the same broad curve of the upper lobe； the same convolution
14
… Page 15…
The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
of the inner cartilage。 In all essentials it was the same ear。
〃In the first place； her sister's name was Sarah； and her address had
until recently been the same； so that it was quite obvious how the mistak