福爾摩斯探案經典:《恐怖谷》第7章Part7大綱

"Perhaps I should have said 'replaced it there,'" said Holmes. "You will remember, Inspector MacDonald, that I was somewhat struck by the absence of a dumb-bell. I drew your attention to it; but with the pressure of other events you had hardly the time to give it the consideration which would have enabled you to draw deductions from it. When water is near and a weight is missing it is not a very far-fetched supposition that something has been sunk in the water. The idea was at least worth testing; so with the help of Ames, who admitted me to the room, and the crook of Dr. Watson's umbrella, I was able last night to fish up and inspect this bundle.
"It was of the first importance, however, that we should be able to prove who placed it there. This we accomplished by the very obvious device of announcing that the moat would be dried to-morrow, which had, of course, the effect that whoever had hidden the bundle would most certainly withdraw it the moment that darkness enabled him to do so. We have no less than four witnesses as to who it was who took advantage of the opportunity, and so, Mr. Barker, I think the word lies now with you."
Sherlock Holmes put the sopping bundle upon the table beside the lamp and undid the cord which bound it. From within he extracted a dumb-bell, which he tossed down to its fellow in the corner. Next he drew forth a pair of boots. "American, as you perceive," he remarked, pointing to the toes. Then he laid upon the table a long, deadly, sheathed knife. Finally he unravelled a bundle of clothing, comprising a complete set of underclothes, socks, a gray tweed suit, and a short yellow overcoat.
"The clothes are commonplace," remarked Holmes, "save only the overcoat, which is full of suggestive touches." He held it tenderly towards the light. "Here, as you perceive, is the inner pocket prolonged into the lining in such fashion as to give ample space for the truncated fowling piece. The tailor's tab is on the neck--'Neal, Outfitter, Vermissa, U.S.A.' I have spent an instructive afternoon in the rector's library, and have enlarged my knowledge by adding the fact that Vermissa is a flourishing little town at the head of one of the best known coal and iron valleys in the United States. I have some recollection, Mr. Barker, that you associated the coal districts with Mr. Douglas's first wife, and it would surely not be too far-fetched an inference that the V.V. upon the card by the dead body might stand for Vermissa Valley, or that this very valley which sends forth emissaries of murder may be that Valley of Fear of which we have heard. So much is fairly clear. And now, Mr. Barker, I seem to be standing rather in the way of your explanation."
It was a sight to see Cecil Barker's expressive face during this exposition of the great detective. Anger, amazement, consternation, and indecision swept over it in turn. Finally he took refuge in a somewhat acrid irony.
"You know such a lot, Mr. Holmes, perhaps you had better tell us some more," he sneered.
"I have no doubt that I could tell you a great deal more, Mr. Barker; but it would come with a better grace from you."
"Oh, you think so, do you? Well, all I can say is that if there's any secret here it is not my secret, and I am not the man to give it away."
"Well, if you take that line, Mr. Barker," said the inspector quietly, "we must just keep you in sight until we have the warrant and can hold you."
"You can do what you damn please about that," said Barker defiantly.

“也許我應該說'是我重新放進水裏的'。"福爾摩斯說道，“麥克唐納先生，你記得我提到過缺一隻啞鈴的事吧，我讓你注意它，可是你卻忙於別的事，幾乎沒有去考慮，而它本來是可以使你從中得出正確推論的。這屋子既然靠近河水，而且又失去一件有重量的東西，那麼就不難想象，這是用來把什麼別的東西加重使之沉到水中去了。這種推測至少是值得驗證的。艾姆斯答應我可以留在這屋中，所以說，我在艾姆斯的幫助下，用華生醫生雨傘的傘柄，昨晚已經把這個包袱鉤出來，而且檢查了一番。
“然而，最首要的是，我們應當證實是誰把它放到水中去的。於是，我們便宣佈要在明天抽乾護城河水，當然，這就使得那個隱匿這個包袱的人一定要取回它來，而這隻有在黑夜裏才能去做。我們至少有四個人親眼見到是誰趁機搶先打撈包袱。巴克先生，我想，現在該由你講講了。”
歇洛克·福爾摩斯把這個溼包袱放在桌上油燈旁邊，打開捆着的繩索。他從裏面取出一隻啞鈴來，放到牆角上那一隻的旁邊。然後他又抽出一雙長統靴子。“你們看，這是美國式的，"福爾摩斯指着鞋尖說道。他又把一柄帶鞘的殺人長刀放在桌上。最後他解開一捆衣服，裏面有一整套內衣褲、一雙襪子、一身灰粗呢衣服，還有一件黃色短大衣。“這些衣服，"福爾摩斯指着說，“除了這件大衣以外，都是平常的衣物，這件大衣對人很有啓發。”
福爾摩斯把大衣舉到燈前，用他那瘦長的手指在大衣上指點着繼續說道：“你們看，這件大衣襯裏裏面，有做成這種式樣的一個口袋，好象是爲了有寬敞的地方去裝那支截短了的獵槍。衣領上有成衣商的籤條——美國維爾米薩鎮的尼爾服飾用品店。我曾在一個修道院院長的藏書室裏花了一下午的時間，增長了我的知識，瞭解到維爾米薩是一個繁榮的小城鎮，在美國一個馳名的盛產煤鐵山谷的谷口。巴克先生，我記得你同我談起道格拉斯先生第一位夫人時，曾經談到產煤地區的事。那麼就不難由此得出推論：死者身旁的卡片上的V．V．兩個字，可能是代表維爾米薩山谷（Vermissa Valley），或許就是從這個山谷中，派出了刺客，這山谷可能就是我們聽說的恐怖谷。這已經完全清楚了。現在，巴克先生，我好象是有點妨礙你來說明了。”
這個偉大的偵探解說時，塞西爾·巴克臉上的表情可真是怪相百出：忽而氣惱無比，忽而驚奇不已，忽而驚恐萬狀，忽而猶疑不決。最後他用帶挖苦味道的反話迴避福爾摩斯的話語，冷笑着說：
“福爾摩斯先生，你既然知道得這麼詳細，最好再多給我們講一點。”
“我當然能告訴你更多的情況了，巴克先生，不過還是你自己講體面一些。”
“啊，你是這樣想的嗎？好，我只能告訴你，如果這裏面有什麼隱私的話，那也不是我的祕密，叫我說出來是找錯人了。”
“好，巴克先生，假如你採取這種態度，"麥克唐納冷冷地說，“那我們就要先拘留你，等拿到逮捕證再逮捕你了。”
“隨你們的便好了，"巴克目中無人地說。