adventure05-第5章

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

we　had　not　been　the　only　people　to　visit　the　spot

recently。



〃It　had　been　used　for　the　storage　of　wood；　but　the

billets；　which　had　evidently　been　littered　over　the

floor；　were　now　piled　at　the　sides；　so　as　to　leave　a

clear　space　in　the　middle。　　In　this　space　lay　a　large

and　heavy　flagstone　with　a　rusted　iron　ring　in　the

centre　to　which　a　thick　shepherd's…check　muffler　was

attached。



〃'By　Jove！'　cried　my　client。　　'That's　Brunton's

muffler。　　I　have　seen　it　on　him；　and　could　swear　to

it。　　What　has　the　villain　been　doing　here？'



〃At　my　suggestion　a　couple　of　the　county　police　were

summoned　to　be　present；　and　I　then　endeavored　to　raise

the　stone　by　pulling　on　the　cravat。　　I　could　only　move

it　slightly；　and　it　was　with　the　aid　of　one　of　the

constables　that　I　succeeded　at　last　in　carrying　it　to

one　side。　　A　black　hole　yawned　beneath　into　which　we

all　peered；　while　Musgrave；　kneeling　at　the　side；

pushed　down　the　lantern。



〃A　small　chamber　about　seven　feet　deep　and　four　feet

square　lay　open　to　us。　　At　one　side　of　this　was　a

squat；　brass…bound　wooden　box；　the　lid　of　which　was

hinged　upwards；　with　this　curious　old…fashioned　key

projecting　from　the　lock。　　It　was　furred　outside　by　a

thick　layer　of　dust；　and　damp　and　worms　had　eaten

through　the　wood；　so　that　a　crop　of　livid　fungi　was

growing　on　the　inside　of　it。　　Several　discs　of　metal；

old　coins　apparently；　such　as　I　hold　here；　were

scattered　over　the　bottom　of　the　box；　but　it　contained

nothing　else。



〃At　the　moment；　however；　we　had　no　thought　for　the　old

chest；　for　our　eyes　were　riveted　upon　that　which

crouched　beside　it。　　It　was　the　figure　of　a　man；　clad

in　a　suit　of　black；　who　squatted　down　upon　him　hams

with　his　forehead　sunk　upon　the　edge　of　the　box　and

his　two　arms　thrown　out　on　each　side　of　it。　　The

attitude　had　drawn　all　the　stagnant　blood　to　the　face；

and　no　man　could　have　recognized　that　distorted

liver…colored　countenance；　but　his　height；　his　dress；

and　his　hair　were　all　sufficient　to　show　my　client；

when　we　had　drawn　the　body　up；　that　it　was　indeed　his

missing　butler。　　He　had　been　dead　some　days；　but　there

was　no　wound　or　bruise　upon　his　person　to　show　how　he

had　met　his　dreadful　end。　　When　his　body　had　been

carried　from　the　cellar　we　found　ourselves　still

confronted　with　a　problem　which　was　almost　as

formidable　as　that　with　which　we　had　started。



〃I　confess　that　so　far；　Watson；　I　had　been

disappointed　in　my　investigation。　　I　had　reckoned　upon

solving　the　matter　when　once　I　had　found　the　place

referred　to　in　the　Ritual；　but　now　I　was　there；　and

was　apparently　as　far　as　ever　from　knowing　what　it　was

which　the　family　had　concealed　with　such　elaborate

precautions。　　It　is　true　that　I　had　thrown　a　light

upon　the　fate　of　Brunton；　but　now　I　had　to　ascertain

how　that　fate　had　come　upon　him；　and　what　part　had

been　played　in　the　matter　by　the　woman　who　had

disappeared。　　I　sat　down　upon　a　keg　in　the　corner　and

thought　the　whole　matter　carefully　over。



〃You　know　my　methods　in　such　cases；　Watson。　　I　put

myself　in　the　man's　place　and；　having　first　gauged　his

intelligence；　I　try　to　imagine　how　I　should　myself

have　proceeded　under　the　same　circumstances。　　In　this

case　the　matter　was　simplified　by　Brunton's

intelligence　being　quite　first…rate；　so　that　it　was

unnecessary　to　make　any　allowance　for　the　personal

equation；　as　the　astronomers　have　dubbed　it。　　He　know

that　something　valuable　was　concealed。　　He　had　spotted

the　place。　　He　found　that　the　stone　which　covered　it

was　just　too　heavy　for　a　man　to　move　unaided。　　What

would　he　do　next？　　He　could　not　get　help　from　outside；

even　if　he　had　some　one　whom　he　could　trust；　without

the　unbarring　of　doors　and　considerable　risk　of

detection。　　It　was　better；　if　he　could；　to　have　his

helpmate　inside　the　house。　　But　whom　could　he　ask？　

This　girl　had　been　devoted　to　him。　　A　man　always　finds

it　hard　to　realize　that　he　may　have　finally　lost　a

woman's　love；　however　badly　he　may　have　treated　her。　

He　would　try　by　a　few　attentions　to　make　his　peace

with　the　girl　Howells；　and　then　would　engage　her　as

his　accomplice。　　Together　they　would　come　at　night　to

the　cellar；　and　their　united　force　would　suffice　to

raise　the　stone。　　So　far　I　could　follow　their　actions

as　if　I　had　actually　seen　them。



〃But　for　two　of　them；　and　one　a　woman；　it　must　have

been　heavy　work　the　raising　of　that　stone。　　A　burly

Sussex　policeman　and　I　had　found　it　no　light　job。　

What　would　they　do　to　assist　them？　　Probably　what　I

should　have　done　myself。　　I　rose　and　examined

carefully　the　different　billets　of　wood　which　were

scattered　round　the　floor。　　Almost　at　once　I　came　upon

what　I　expected。　　One　piece；　about　three　feet　in

length；　had　a　very　marked　indentation　at　one　end；

while　several　were　flattened　at　the　sides　as　if　they

had　been　compressed　by　some　considerable　weight。　

Evidently；　as　they　had　dragged　the　stone　up　they　had

thrust　the　chunks　of　wood　into　the　chink；　until　at

last；　when　the　opening　was　large　enough　to　crawl

through；　they　would　hold　it　open　by　a　billet　placed

lengthwise；　which　might　very　well　become　indented　at

the　lower　end；　since　the　whole　weight　of　the　stone

would　press　it　down　on　to　the　edge　of　this　other　slab。　

So　far　I　was　still　on　safe　ground。



〃And　now　how　was　I　to　proceed　to　reconstruct　this

midnight　drama？　　Clearly；　only　one　could　fit　into　the

hole；　and　that　one　was　Brunton。　　The　girl　must　have

waited　above。　　Brunton　then　unlocked　the　box；　handed

up　the　contents　presumablysince　they　were　not　to　be

foundand　thenand　then　what　happened？



〃What　smouldering　fire　of　vengeance　had　suddenly

sprung　into　flame　in　this　passionate　Celtic　woman's

soul　when　she　saw　the　man　who　had　wronged　herwronged

her；　perhaps；　far　more　than　we　suspectedin　her

power？　　Was　it　a　chance　that　the　wood　had　slipped；　and

that　the　stone　had　shut　Brunton　into　what　had　become

his　sepulchre？　　Had　she　only　been　guilty　of　silence　as

to　his　fate？　　Or　had　some　sudden　blow　from　her　hand

dashed　the　support　away　and　sent　the　slab　crashing

down　into　its　place？　　Be　that　as　it　might；　I　seemed　to

see　that　woman's　figure　still　clutching　at　her

treasure　trove　and　flying　wildly　up　the　winding　stair；

with　her　ears　ringing　perhaps　with　the　muffled　screams

from　behind　her　and　with　the　drumming　of　frenzied

hands　against　the　slab　of　stone　which　was　choking　her

faithless　lover's　life　out。



〃Here　was　the　secret　of　her　blanched　face；　her　shaken

nerves；　her　peals　of　hysterical　laughter　on　the　next

morning。　　But　what　had　been　in　the　box？　　What　had　she

done　with　that？　　Of　course；　it　must　have　been　the　old

metal　and　pebbles　which　my　client　had　dragged　from　the

mere。　　She　had　thrown　them　in　there　at　the　first

opportunity　to　remove　the　last　trace　of　her　crime。



〃For　twenty　minutes　I　had　sat　motionless；　thinking　the

matter　out。　　Musgrave　still　stood　with　a　very　pale

face；　swinging　his　lantern　and　peering　down　into　the

hole。



〃'These　are　coins　of　Charles　the　First；'　said　he；

holding　out　the　few　which　had　been　in　the　box；　'you

see　we　were　right　in　fixing　our　date　for　the　Ritual。'



〃'We　may　find　something　else　of　Charles　the　First；'　I

cried；　as　the　probable　meaning　of　the　first　two

question　of　the　Ritual　broke　suddenly　upon　me。　　'Let

me　see　the　contents　of　the　bag　which　you　fished　from

the　mere。'





〃We　ascended　to　his　study；　and　he　laid　the　debris

before　me。　　I　could　understand　his　regarding　it　as　of

small　importance　when　I　looked　at　it；　for　the　metal

was　almost　black　and　the　stones　lustreless　and　dull。　

I　rubbed　one　of　them　on　my　sleeve；　however；　and　it

glowed　afterwards　like　a　spark　in　the　dark　hollow　of

my　hand。　　The　metal　work　was　in　the　form　of　a　double

ring；　but　it　had　been　bent　and　twisted　out　of　its

original　shape。



〃'You　must　bear　in　mind；'　said　I；　'that　the　royal

party　made　head