福爾摩斯探案經典:《恐怖谷》第13章Part6
The police trial had passed, in which the case of John Douglas was referred to a higher court. So had the Quarter Sessions, at which he was acquitted as having acted in self-defense.
"Get him out of England at any cost," wrote Holmes to the wife. "There are forces here which may be more dangerous than those he has escaped. There is no safety for your husband in England."
Two months had gone by, and the case had to some extent passed from our minds. Then one morning there came an enigmatic note slipped into our letter box. "Dear me, Mr. Holmes. Dear me!" said this singular epistle. There was neither superscription nor signature. I laughed at the quaint message; but Holmes showed unwonted seriousness.
"Deviltry, Watson!" he remarked, and sat long with a clouded brow.
Late last night Mrs. Hudson, our landlady, brought up a message that a gentleman wished to see Mr. Holmes, and that the matter was of the utmost importance. Close at the heels of his messenger came Cecil Barker, our friend of the moated Manor House. His face was drawn and haggard.
"I've had bad news--terrible news, Mr. Holmes," said he.
"I feared as much," said Holmes.
"You have not had a cable, have you?"
"I have had a note from someone who has."
"It's poor Douglas. They tell me his name is Edwards; but he will always be Jack Douglas of Benito Canon to me. I told you that they started together for South Africa in the Palmyra three weeks ago."
"Exactly."
"The ship reached Cape Town last night. I received this cable from Mrs. Douglas this morning:
Jack has been lost overboard in gale off St. Helena. No one knows how accident occurred.
IVY DOUGLAS."
"Ha! It came like that, did it?" said Holmes thoughtfully. "Well, I've no doubt it was well stage-managed."
"You mean that you think there was no accident?"
"None in the world."
"He was murdered?"
"Surely!"
經過警署審理，約翰·道格拉斯案轉到上一級法庭。地方法庭以自衛殺人無罪，宣判釋放。
“不借任何代價，一定要讓他離開英國，"福爾摩斯給愛德華妻子的信中寫道，“這裏危機四伏，甚至比他逃過的那些危難還要兇險許多。在英國，沒有你丈夫安全棲身之地。”
兩個月過去了，我們把這件案子漸漸淡忘了。可是一天早晨，我們的信箱裏收到一封莫名片妙的信。信上只有簡單的幾個字：“天哪，福爾摩斯先生，天哪！"既無地址，又無署名。我看了這離奇古怪的語句，不覺好笑，可是福爾摩斯卻顯得異常嚴肅。
“這一定是壞事情，華生！"福爾摩斯說道，雙眉緊鎖坐在那裏。
夜裏已經很晚了，我們的女房東赫德森太太進來通報說，有一位紳士有要事求見福爾摩斯。緊隨着通報人之後，我們在伯爾斯通莊園所結識的朋友塞西爾·巴克走了進來。巴克面色陰鬱，形容憔悴。
“我帶來了不幸的消息，可怕的消息，福爾摩斯先生，"巴克說道。
“我也很擔憂呢，"福爾摩斯說道。
“你沒有接到電報嗎？”
“我收到一個人寫來的信。”
“可憐的道格拉斯。他們告訴我，他的真名叫愛德華，可是對我來說，他永遠是貝尼託峽谷的傑克·道格拉斯。在三星期以前，他們夫婦二人一起乘巴爾米拉號輪船到南非洲去了。”
“不錯。”
“昨夜這艘船已駛抵開普敦。今天上午我收到道格拉斯夫人的電報：‘傑克於聖赫勒納島附近大風中不幸落海。沒有人知
道如何發生這樣的意外事故。
艾維·道格拉斯'”
“哎呀！原來如此！"福爾摩斯若有所思地說道，“嗯，我可以肯定，這是有人在幕後周密安排與指揮的。”
“你是說，你認爲這不是一次意外的事故嗎？”
“世界上沒有這樣的意外事故的。”
“他是被人謀殺的嗎？”
“當然了！”
