adventure05-第3章

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head；　sirit　will；　indeedif　you　drive　me　to

despair。　　If　you　cannot　keep　me　after　what　has　passed；

then　for　God's　sake　let　me　give　you　notice　and　leave

in　a　month；　as　if　of　my　own　free　will。　　I　could　stand

that；　Mr。　Musgrave；　but　not　to　be　cast　out　before　all

the　folk　that　I　know　so　well。〃



〃'〃You　don't　deserve　much　consideration；　Brunton；〃　I

answered。　　〃Your　conduct　has　been　most　infamous。　

However；　as　you　have　been　a　long　time　in　the　family；　I

have　no　wish　to　bring　public　disgrace　upon　you。　　A

month；　however　is　too　long。　　Take　yourself　away　in　a

week；　and　give　what　reason　you　like　for　going。〃



〃'〃Only　a　week；　sir？〃　he　cried；　in　a　despairing　voice。　

〃A　fortnightsay　at　least　a　fortnight！〃



〃'〃A　week；〃　I　repeated；　〃and　you　may　consider　yourself

to　have　been　very　leniently　dealt　with。〃



〃'He　crept　away；　his　face　sunk　upon　his　breast；　like　a

broken　man；　while　I　put　out　the　light　and　returned　to

my　room。





〃〃For　two　days　after　this　Brunton　was　most　assiduous

in　his　attention　to　his　duties。　　I　made　no　allusion　to

what　had　passed；　and　waited　with　some　curiosity　to　see

how　he　would　cover　his　disgrace。　　On　the　third

morning；　however　he　did　not　appear；　as　was　his　custom；

after　breakfast　to　receive　my　instructions　for　the

day。　　As　I　left　the　dining…room　I　happened　to　meet

Rachel　Howells；　the　maid。　　I　have　told　you　that　she

had　only　recently　recovered　from　an　illness；　and　was

looking　so　wretchedly　pale　and　wan　that　I　remonstrated

with　her　for　being　at　work。



〃'〃You　should　be　in　bed；〃　I　said。　　〃Come　back　to　your

duties　when　you　are　stronger。〃



〃'She　looked　at　me　with　so　strange　an　expression　that

I　began　to　suspect　that　her　brain　was　affected。



〃'〃I　am　strong　enough；　Mr。　Musgrave；〃　said　she。



〃'〃We　will　see　what　the　doctor　says；〃　I　answered。　

〃You　must　stop　work　now；　and　when　you　go　downstairs

just　say　that　I　wish　to　see　Brunton。〃



〃'〃The　butler　is　gone；〃　said　she。



〃'〃Gone！　　Gone　where？〃



〃'〃He　is　gone。　　No　one　has　seen　him。　He　is　not　in　his

room。　　Oh；　yes；　he　is　gone；　he　is　gone！〃　　She　fell

back　against　the　wall　with　shriek　after　shriek　of

laughter；　while　I；　horrified　at　this　sudden　hysterical

attack；　rushed　to　the　bell　to　summon　help。　　The　girl

was　taken　to　her　room；　still　screaming　and　sobbing；

while　I　made　inquiries　about　Brunton。　　There　was　no

doubt　about　it　that　he　had　disappeared。　　His　bed　had

not　been　slept　in；　he　had　been　seen　by　no　one　since　he

had　retired　to　his　room　the　night　before；　and　yet　it

was　difficult　to　see　how　he　could　have　left　the　house；

as　both　windows　and　doors　were　found　to　be　fastened　in

the　morning。　　His　clothes；　his　watch；　and　even　his

money　were　in　his　room；　but　the　black　suit　which　he

usually　wore　was　missing。　　His　slippers；　too；　were

gone；　but　his　boots　were　left　behind。　　Where　then

could　butler　Brunton　have　gone　in　the　night；　and　what

could　have　become　of　him　now？



〃'Of　course　we　searched　the　house　from　cellar　to

garret；　but　there　was　no　trace　of　him。　　It　is；　as　I

have　said；　a　labyrinth　of　an　old　house；　especially　the

original　wing；　which　is　now　practically　uninhabited；

but　we　ransacked　every　room　and　cellar　without

discovering　the　least　sign　of　the　missing　man。　　It　was

incredible　to　me　that　he　could　have　gone　away　leaving

all　his　property　behind　him；　and　yet　where　could　he

be？　　I　called　in　the　local　police；　but　without

success。　　Rain　had　fallen　on　the　night　before　and　we

examined　the　lawn　and　the　paths　all　round　the　house；

but　in　vain。　　Matters　were　in　this　state；　when　a　new

development　quite　drew　our　attention　away　from　the

original　mystery。



〃'For　two　days　Rachel　Howells　had　been　so　ill；

sometimes　delirious；　sometimes　hysterical；　that　a

nurse　had　been　employed　to　sit　up　with　her　at　night。　

On　the　third　night　after　Brunton's　disappearance；　the

nurse；　finding　her　patient　sleeping　nicely；　had

dropped　into　a　nap　in　the　arm…chair；　when　shoe　woke　in

the　early　morning　to　find　the　bed　empty；　the　window

open；　and　no　signs　of　the　invalid。　　I　was　instantly

aroused；　and；　with　the　two　footmen；　started　off　at

once　in　search　of　the　missing　girl。　　It　was　not

difficult　to　tell　the　direction　which　she　had　taken；

for；　starting　from　under　her　window；　we　could　follow

her　footmarks　easily　across　the　lawn　to　the　edge　of

the　mere；　where　they　vanished　close　to　the　gravel　path

which　leads　out　of　the　grounds。　　The　lake　there　is

eight　feet　deep；　and　you　can　imagine　our　feelings　when

we　saw　that　the　trail　of　the　poor　demented　girl　came

to　an　end　at　the　edge　of　it。



〃'Of　course；　we　had　the　drags　at　once；　and　set　to　work

to　recover　the　remains；　but　no　trace　of　the　body　could

we　find。　　On　the　other　hand；　we　brought　to　the　surface

an　object　of　a　most　unexpected　kind。　　It　was　a　linen

bag　which　contained　within　it　a　mass　of　old　rusted　and

discolored　metal　and　several　dull…colored　pieces　of

pebble　or　glass。　　This　strange　find　was　all　that　we

could　get　from　the　mere；　and；　although　we　made　every

possible　search　and　inquiry　yesterday；　we　know　nothing

of　the　fate　either　of　Rachel　Howells　or　of　Richard

Brunton。　　The　county　police　are　at　their　wits'　end；

and　I　have　come　up　to　you　as　a　last　resource。'



〃You　can　imagine；　Watson；　with　what　eagerness　I

listened　to　this　extraordinary　sequence　of　events；　and

endeavored　to　piece　them　together；　and　to　devise　some

common　thread　upon　which　they　might　all　hang。　　The

butler　was　gone。　　The　maid　was　gone。　　The　maid　had

loved　the　butler；　but　had　afterwards　had　cause　to　hate

him。　　She　was　of　Welsh　blood；　fiery　and　passionate。　

She　had　been　terribly　excited　immediately　after　his

disappearance。　　She　had　flung　into　the　lake　a　bag

containing　some　curious　contents。　　These　were　all

factors　which　had　to　be　taken　into　consideration；　and

yet　none　of　them　got　quite　to　the　heart　of　the　matter。　

What　was　the　starting…point　of　this　chain　of　events？　

There　lay　the　end　of　this　tangled　line。



〃'I　must　see　that　paper；　Musgrave；'　said　I；　'which

this　butler　of　your　thought　it　worth　his　while　to

consult；　even　at　the　risk　of　the　loss　of　his　place。'



〃'It　is　rather　an　absurd　business；　this　ritual　of

ours；'　he　answered。　　'But　it　has　at　least　the　saving

grace　of　antiquity　to　excuse　it。　　I　have　a　copy　of　the

questions　and　answers　here　if　you　care　to　run　your　eye

over　them。'



〃He　handed　me　the　very　paper　which　I　have　here；

Watson；　and　this　is　the　strange　catechism　to　which

each　Musgrave　had　to　submit　when　he　came　to　man's

estate。　　I　will　read　you　the　questions　and　answers　as

they　stand。



〃'Whose　was　it？'



〃'His　who　is　gone。'



〃'Who　shall　have　it？'



〃'He　who　will　come。'



〃'Where　was　the　sun？'



〃'Over　the　oak。'



〃'Where　was　the　shadow？'



〃'Under　the　elm。'



〃How　was　it　stepped？'



〃'North　by　ten　and　by　ten；　east　by　five　and　by　five；

south　by　two　and　by　two；　west　by　one　and　by　one；　and

so　under。'



〃'What　shall　we　give　for　it？'



〃'All　that　is　ours。'



〃'Why　should　we　give　it？'



〃'For　the　sake　of　the　trust。'



〃'The　original　has　no　date；　but　is　in　the　spelling　of

the　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century；'　remarked

Musgrave。　　'I　am　afraid；　however；　that　it　can　be　of

little　help　to　you　in　solving　this　mystery。'



〃'At　least；'　said　I；　'it　gives　us　another　mystery；　and

one　which　is　even　more　interesting　than　the　first。　　It

may　be　that　the　solution　of　the　one　may　prove　to　be

the　solution　of　the　other。　　You　will　excuse　me；

Musgrave；　if　I　say　that　your　butler　appears　to　me　to

have　been　a　very　clever　man；　and　to　have　had　a　clearer

insight　that　ten　generations　of　his　masters。'



〃'I　hardly　follow　you；'　said　Musgrave。　　'The　paper

seems　to　me　to　be　of　no　practical　importance。'



〃'But　to　me　it　seems　immensely　practical；　and　I　fancy

that　Brunton　took　the　same　view。　　He　had　probably　seen

it　before　that　night　on　which　you　caught　him。'



〃'It　is　very　possible。　　We　took　no　pains　to　hi