波思克姆比溪谷秘案 The Boscombe Valleymstery（第1页）
波思克姆比溪谷秘案TheBosbeValleymstery
亚瑟·柯南·道尔ArthurDoyle
&edatbreakfast，mywifeahemaidbroughtiwasfromSherloesandraninthis>
“Haveyouacoupleofdaystospare?HavejustbeenwiredforfromthewestofEnglandihBosbeValleytragedy。Shallbegladifyouwille。Airandseryperfect。LeavePaddingtonbythe11：15。”
“Whatdoyousay，dear?”saidmywife，lookingae。“Willyougo?”
“Ireallydon’tknowwhattosay。Ihaveafairlylonglistatpresent。”
“Oh，Anstrutherwoulddoyourworkforyou。Youhavebeenlookingalittlepalelately。Ithinkthatthegewoulddoyougood，andyouarealwayssoiedinMr。Sherloes’cases。”
“IshouldbeungratefulifIwereIgaihroughohem，”IaifIamtogo，Imustpace，forIhaveonlyhalfanhour。”
MyexperienplifeinAfghanistanhadatleasthadtheeffeakiaraveller。MyaihetimestatedIwasinacabwithmyvalise，rattlingaaddingtonStation。Sherloesanddowform，histall，gauntfiguremadeeveallerbyhisloravelling-dclose-fittingclothcap。
“Itisreallyverygoodofyoutoe，Watsomakesasiderablediffereome，havihmeonwhomIthhlyrely。Localaidisalwayseitherworthlessorelsebiassed。IfyouwillkeepthetwoerseatsIshallgetthetickets。”
&hecarriagetoourselvessaveforaerofpaperswhieshadbroughtwithhim。Amongtheseherummagedahintervalsofakingaion，uReading。Thenhesuddehemallintoagigantidtossedthemupontotherack。
“Haveyouheardanythingofthecase?”heasked。
“Notaword。Ihavenotseenapaperforsomedays。”
“TheLondonpresshasnothadveryfullats。Ihavejustbeenlhalltheretpapersiertheparticulars。Itseems，fromwhatIgather，tobeohosesimplecaseswhielydifficult。”
“Thatsoundsalittleparadoxical。”
“Butitisprofularityisalmostinvariablyaclue。Themorefeaturelessandonplaceacrimeis，themoredifficultitistithome。Inthiscase，however，theyhaveestablishedaveryseriousstthesonofthemurderedman。”
“Itisamurder，then?”
&isjecturedtobeso。IshalltakenrailIhavetheopportunityoflookingpersonallyintoit。Iwillexplaieofthingstoyou，asfarasIhavebeeou，inaveryfewwords。
“BosbeValleyisatrydistriotveryfarfromRoss，inHerefordshire。ThelargestlandedproprietorinthatpartisaMr。JohnTurner，whomadehismoraliaaurnedsototheoldtry。Ohefarmswhichheheld，thatofHatherley，waslettoMr。CharlesMcCarthy，whowasalsoaralian。Themenhadkherintheies，sothatitwasnotunnaturalthatwheosettledowntheyshoulddosoasheraspossible。Turnerarentlytheri，soMcCarthybecamehistenantbutstillremaiseems，upontermsofperfectequality，astheywerefrequeher。McCarthyhadoneson，aladofeighteen，andTurnerhadanonlydaughterofthesameage，buthemhadwivesliving。Theyappeartohaveavoidedthesocietyoftheneighblishfamiliesairedlives，thoughboththeMcCarthyswerefondofsportalyseenattheragsoftheneighbourhood。McCarthykepttwoservants-amanandagirl。Turnerhadasiderablehousehold，somehalf-dozehatisasmuchasIhavebeeheraboutthefamilies。Nowforthefacts。
“Ohatis，onMondaylast，McCarthylefthishouseatHatherleyaboutthreeiernoonaotheBosbePool，whichisasmalllakeformedbythespreadingoutofthestreamwhisdowntheBosbeValley。Hehadbeenoutwithhisserving-maninthematRoss，aoldthemahurry，ashehadanappoiofimportahree。Fromthatappoihenevercamebackalive。
”FromHatherleyFarm-housetotheBosbePoolisaquarterofamile，andtwopeoplesaassedround。Onewasanoldwoman，whosemeheotherwasWilliamCrame-keeperintheemployofMr。TurhesewitMr。McCarthywaswalkihegame-keeperaddsthatwithiesofhisseeingMr。McCarthypasshehadseenhisson，Mr。JamesMcCarthy，goingthesamewaywithagununderhisarm。Tothebestofhisbelief，thefatherwasasightatthetime，andthesonwasfollowihematteruheeveniragedythathadoccurred。
&woMcCarthyswereseeimewhenWilliamCrame-keeper，lostsightofthem。TheBosbePoolisthicklywoodedround，withjustafringeofgrassandofreedsroundtheedge。Agirloffourteen，Patien，whoisthedaughterofthelodge-keeperoftheBosbeValleyestate，wasihewoodspigflowers。Shestatesthatwhileshewasthereshesaw，attheborderofthewoodahelake，Mr。Mdhisson，andthattheyappearedtobehaviquarrel。SheheardMr。McCarthytheelderusironglaohissohelatterraiseuphishandasiftostrikehisfather。ShewasshteheirviolesheranawayaherwhenshereaethatshehadleftthetwoMcCarthysquarrellingnearBosbePool，andthatshewasafraidthattheyweregoingtofight。ShehadhardlysaidthewordswhenyoungMr。McCarthyinguptothelodgetosaythathehadfoundhisfatherdeadinthewood，andtoaskforthehelpofthelodge-keeper。Hewasmuchexcited，withunorhishat，andhisrighthandandsleevewereobservedtobestaihfreshblood。Onfollowihedeadbodystretchedoutuponthegrassbesidethepool。Theheadhadbeeeedblowsofsomeheavyandbluheinjuriesweresuchasmightverywellhavebeehebutt-endofhisson’sgun，whichwasfoundlyingonthegrassacesofthebody。Uaheyoungmanwasinstaed，aof‘wilfulmurder’havitheiuesday，hewasonWednesdaybroughtbefistratesatRoss，whohavereferredthecasetotheAssizes。Thosearethemainfactsofthecaseastheycameoutbeforethedthepolice-court。”
“Icineamcase，”Iremarked。“Ifevertialevideoaalitdoessohere。”
“tialevidenceisaverytrig，”answeredHolmesthoughtfully。“Itmayseemtophttoohing，butifyoushiftyourownpoile，youmayfinditpointinginanequallyunaosomethiirelydifferent。Itmustbefessed，however，thatthecaselooksexglygraveagainsttheyoungman，anditisverypossiblethatheisi。Thereareseveralpeopleintheneighbourhood，however，andamoureroftheneighblandowner，whobelieveinhisinnodwhohaveretairade，whomyoumayrewiththeStudyioworkoutthehisirade，beingratherpuzzled，hasreferredthee，ahattwomiddle-agedgentlemenareflyififtymilesanhourinsteadofquietlydigestingtheirbreakfastsathome。”
“Iamafraid，”saidI，“thatthefactsaresoobviousthatyouwillfiobegaiofthiscase。”
&hihananobviousfaswered，laughing。“Besides，wemaycetohitupoherobviousfactswhichmayhavebeenbynomeansobvioustoMr。Lestrade。YoukoowelltothinkthatIamboastihatIshalleitherordestroyhistheorybymeanswhichheisquiteinploying，oreveanding。Totakethefirstexampletohand，Iveryclearlyperceivethatihewindowisupht-haIquestioherMr。Lestradewouldhavenotedevensoself-evidentathingasthat。”
“Ho>
“Mydearfelloell。Ikarynesswhichcharacterisesyou。Youshaveeverym，andinthisseasonyoushavebythesunlight;butsinceyislessandlesspleteaswegetfartherbatheleftside，untilitbeespositivelysloveroundtheahejaw，itissurelyveryclearthatthatsideislessillumiheother。Iagineamanofyourhabitslookingathimselfinanequallightaisfiedwithsucharesult。Iohisasatrivialexampleofobservatiohereiier，anditisjustpossiblethatitmaybeofsomeservitheiionwhichliesbeforeus。Thereareowominorpointswhichwerebroughtouti，andwhichareworthg。”
“Whatarethey?”
“ItappearsthathisarrestdidoerthereturntoHatherleyFarm。Oorofstabularyinfhimthatherisohathewasnotsurprisedtohearit，andthatitwashahisobservationofhishadtheanytracesofdoubtwhichmighthaveremaihemindsoftheer’sjury。”
“Itwasa，”Iejaculated1。
“No，foritwasfollorotestationofinnoce。”
“iopofsuingseriesofevents，itwasatleastamostsuspiark。”
“Orary，”saidHolmes，“itisthebrightestriftreseheclouds。Howeveribe，heotbesubeottoseethattheceswereveryblasthim。Hadheappearedsurprisedathisow，nedindignationatit，Ishouldhavelookeduponitashighlysuspicious，becausesuchsurpriseerwoulduraluandyetmightappeartobethebestpoliingman。Hisfraaionmarkshimaseitheraman，orelseasamanofsiderableself-restraintaohisremarkabouthisdeserts，itwasalsonotunnaturalifyousiderthathestoodbesidethedeadbodyofhisfather，andthatthereisnodoubtthathehadthatverydaysottenhisfilialdutyastobandywordswithhim，andeven，agtothelittlegirlwhoseevidenportant，toraisehishandasiftostrikehim。Theself-reproatritionlayedinhisremarkappeartometobethesighymihanofaguiltyone。”