adventure05-第4章

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it　before　that　night　on　which　you　caught　him。'



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



〃'He　simply　wished；　I　should　imagine；　to　refresh　his

memory　upon　that　last　occasion。　　He　had；　as　I

understand；　some　sort　of　map　or　chart　which　he　was

comparing　with　the　manuscript；　and　which　he　thrust

into　his　pocket　when　you　appeared。'



〃'That　is　true。　　But　what　could　he　have　to　do　with

this　old　family　custom　of　ours；　and　what　does　this

rigmarole　mean？'



〃'I　don't　think　that　we　should　have　much　difficulty　in

determining　that；'　said　I；　'with　your　permission　we

will　take　the　first　train　down　to　Sussex；　and　go　a

little　more　deeply　into　the　matter　upon　the　spot。'





〃The　same　afternoon　saw　us　both　at　Hurlstone。　

Possibly　you　have　seen　pictures　and　read　descriptions

of　the　famous　old　building；　so　I　will　confine　my

account　of　it　to　saying　that　it　is　built　in　the　shape

of　an　L；　the　long　arm　being　the　more　modern　portion；

and　the　shorter　the　ancient　nucleus；　from　which　the

other　had　developed。　　Over　the　low；　heavily…lintelled

door；　in　the　centre　of　this　old　part；　is　chiseled　the

date；　1607；　but　experts　are　agreed　that　the　beams　and

stone…work　are　really　much　older　than　this。　　The

enormously　thick　walls　and　tiny　windows　of　this　part

had　in　the　last　century　driven　the　family　into

building　the　new　wing；　and　the　old　one　was　used　now　as

a　store…house　and　a　cellar；　when　it　was　used　at　all。　

A　splendid　park　with　fine　old　timber　surrounds　the

house；　and　the　lake；　to　which　my　client　had　referred；

lay　close　to　the　avenue；　about　tow　hundred　yards　from

the　building。



〃I　was　already　firmly　convinced；　Watson；　that　there

were　not　three　separate　mysteries　here；　but　one　only；

and　that　if　I　could　read　the　Musgrave　Ritual　aright　I

should　hold　in　my　hand　the　clue　which　would　lead　me　to

the　truth　concerning　both　the　butler　Brunton　and　the

maid　Howells。　　To　that　then　I　turned　all　my　energies。　

Why　should　this　servant　be　so　anxious　to　master　this

old　formula？　　Evidently　because　he　saw　something　in　it

which　had　escaped　all　those　generations　of　country

squires；　and　from　which　he　expected　some　personal

advantage。　　What　was　it　then；　and　how　had　it　affected

his　fate？



〃It　was　perfectly　obvious　to　me；　on　reading　the

ritual；　that　the　measurements　must　refer　to　some　spot

to　which　the　rest　of　the　document　alluded；　and　that　if

we　could　find　that　spot；　we　should　be　in　a　fair　way

towards　finding　what　the　secret　was　which　the　old

Musgraves　had　thought　it　necessary　to　embalm　in　so

curious　a　fashion。　　There　were　two　guides　given　us　to

start　with；　an　oak　and　an　elm。　　As　to　the　oak　there

could　be　no　question　at　all。　　Right　in　front　of　the

house；　upon　the　left…hand　side　of　the　drive；　there

stood　a　patriarch　among　oaks；　one　of　the　most

magnificent　trees　that　I　have　ever　seen。



〃'That　was　there　when　you　ritual　was　drawn　up；'　said

I；　as　we　drove　past　it。



〃'It　was　there　at　the　Norman　Conquest　in　all

probability；'　he　answered。　　'It　has　a　girth　of

twenty…three　feet。'



〃'Have　you　any　old　elms？'　I　asked。



〃'There　used　to　be　a　very　old　one　over　yonder　but　it

was　struck　by　lightning　ten　years　ago；　and　we　cut　down

the　stump；'



〃'You　can　see　where　it　used　to　be？'



〃'Oh；　yes。'



〃'There　are　no　other　elms？'



〃'No　old　ones；　but　plenty　of　beeches。'



〃'I　should　like　to　see　where　it　grew。'



〃We　had　driven　up　in　a　dogcart；　and　my　client　led　me

away　at　once；　without　our　entering　the　house；　to　the

scar　on　the　lawn　where　the　elm　had　stood。　　It　was

nearly　midway　between　the　oak　and　the　house。　　My

investigation　seemed　to　be　progressing。



〃'I　suppose　it　is　impossible　to　find　out　how　high　the

elm　was？'　I　asked。



〃'I　can　give　you　it　at　once。　　It　was　sixty…four　feet。'



〃'How　do　you　come　to　know　it？'　I　asked；　in　surprise。



〃'When　my　old　tutor　used　to　give　me　an　exercise　in

trigonometry；　it　always　took　the　shape　of　measuring

heights。　　When　I　was　a　lad　I　worked　out　every　tree　and

building　in　the　estate。'



〃This　was　an　unexpected　piece　of　luck。　　My　data　were

coming　more　quickly　than　I　could　have　reasonably

hoped。



〃'Tell　me；'　I　asked；　'did　your　butler　ever　ask　you

such　a　question？'



〃Reginald　Musgrave　looked　at　me　in　astonishment。　　'Now

that　you　call　it　to　my　mind；'　he　answered；　'Brunton

did　ask　me　about　the　height　of　the　tree　some　months

ago；　in　connection　with　some　little　argument　with　the

groom；'



〃This　was　excellent　news；　Watson；　for　it　showed　me

that　I　was　on　the　right　road。　　I　looked　up　at　the　sun。　

It　was　low　in　the　heavens；　and　I　calculated　that　in

less　than　an　hour　it　would　lie　just　above　the　topmost

branches　of　the　old　oak。　　One　condition　mentioned　in

the　Ritual　would　then　be　fulfilled。　　And　the　shadow　of

the　elm　must　mean　the　farther　end　of　the　shadow；

otherwise　the　trunk　would　have　been　chosen　as　the

guide。　　I　had；　then；　to　find　where　the　far　end　of　the

shadow　would　fall　when　the　sun　was　just　clear　of　the

oak。〃



〃That　must　have　been　difficult；　Holmes；　when　the　elm

was　no　longer　there。〃



〃Well；　at　least　I　knew　that　if　Brunton　could　do　it；　I

could　also。　　Besides；　there　was　no　real　difficulty。　　I

went　with　Musgrave　to　his　study　and　whittled　myself

this　peg；　to　which　I　tied　this　long　string　with　a　knot

at　each　yard。　　Then　I　took　two　lengths　of　a

fishing…rod；　which　came　to　just　six　feet；　and　I　went

back　with　my　client　to　where　the　elm　had　been。　　The

sun　was　just　grazing　the　top　of　the　oak。　　I　fastened

the　rod　on　end；　marked　out　the　direction　of　the

shadow；　and　measured　it。　　It　was　nine　feet　in　length。



〃Of　course　the　calculation　now　was　a　simple　one。　　If　a

rod　of　six　feet　threw　a　shadow　of　nine；　a　tree　of

sixty…four　feet　would　throw　one　of　ninety…six；　and　the

line　of　the　one　would　of　course　the　line　of　the　other。　

I　measured　out　the　distance；　which　brought　me　almost

to　the　wall　of　the　house；　and　I　thrust　a　peg　into　the

spot。　　You　can　imagine　my　exultation；　Watson；　when

within　two　inches　of　my　peg　I　saw　a　conical　depression

in　the　ground。　　I　knew　that　it　was　the　mark　made　by

Brunton　in　his　measurements；　and　that　I　was　still　upon

his　trail。



〃From　this　starting…point　I　proceeded　to　step；　having

first　taken　the　cardinal　points　by　my　pocket…compass。　

Ten　steps　with　each　foot　took　me　along　parallel　with

the　wall　of　the　house；　and　again　I　marked　my　spot　with

a　peg。　　Then　I　carefully　paced　off　five　to　the　east

and　two　to　the　south。　　It　brought　me　to　the　very

threshold　of　the　old　door。　　Two　steps　to　the　west

meant　now　that　I　was　to　go　two　paces　down　the

stone…flagged　passage；　and　this　was　the　place

indicated　by　the　Ritual。



〃Never　have　I　felt　such　a　cold　chill　of

disappointment；　Watson。　　For　a　moment　is　seemed　to　me

that　there　must　be　some　radical　mistake　in　my

calculations。　　The　setting　sun　shone　full　upon　the

passage　floor；　and　I　could　see　that　the　old；　foot…worn

gray　stones　with　which　it　was　paved　were　firmly

cemented　together；　and　had　certainly　not　been　moved

for　many　a　long　year。　　Brunton　had　not　been　at　work

here。　　I　tapped　upon　the　floor；　but　it　sounded　the

same　all　over；　and　there　was　no　sign　of　any　crack　or

crevice。　　But；　Fortunately；　Musgrave；　who　had　begun　to

appreciate　the　meaning　of　my　proceedings；　and　who　was

now　as　excited　as　myself；　took　out　his　manuscript　to

check　my　calculation。



〃'And　under；'　he　cried。　　'You　have　omitted　the　〃and

under。〃'



〃I　had　thought　that　it　meant　that　we　were　to　dig；　but

now；　of　course；　I　saw　at　once　that　I　was　wrong。　

'There　is　a　cellar　under　this　then？'　I　cried。



〃'Yes；　and　as　old　as　the　house。　　Down　here；　through

this　door。'



〃We　went　down　a　winding　stone　stair；　and　my　companion；

striking　a　match；　lit　a　large　lantern　which　stood　on　a

barrel　in　the　corner。　　In　an　instant　it　was　obvious

that　we　had　at　last　come　upon　the　true　place；　and　that

we　had　not　been　the　only　people　to　visit　the　spot