登陆注册
5212500000091

第91章 The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter(7)

"Let me introduce you to Pompey," said he."Pompey is the pride of the local draghounds, no very great flier, as his build will show, but a staunch hound on a scent.Well, Pompey, you may not be fast, but I expect you will be too fast for a couple of middle-aged London gentlemen, so I will take the liberty of fastening this leather leash to your collar.Now, boy, come along, and show what you can do." He led him across to the doctor's door.The dog sniffed round for an instant, and then with a shrill whine of excitement started off down the street, tugging at his leash in his efforts to go faster.In half an hour, we were clear of the town and hastening down a country road.

"What have you done, Holmes?" I asked.

"A threadbare and venerable device, but useful upon occasion.

I walked into the doctor's yard this morning and shot my syringe full of aniseed over the hind wheel.A draghound will follow aniseed from here to John o' Groat's, and our friend Armstrong would have to drive through the Cam before he would shake Pompey off his trail.Oh, the cunning rascal!

This is how he gave me the slip the other night."The dog had suddenly turned out of the main road into a grass-grown lane.Half a mile farther this opened into another broad road, and the trail turned hard to the right in the direction of the town, which we had just quitted.The road took a sweep to the south of the town and continued in the opposite direction to that in which we started.

"This DETOUR has been entirely for our benefit, then?" said Holmes."No wonder that my inquiries among those villages led to nothing.The doctor has certainly played the game for all it is worth, and one would like to know the reason for such elaborate deception.This should be the village of Trumpington to the right of us.And, by Jove! here is the brougham coming round the corner.Quick, Watson, quick, or we are done!"He sprang through a gate into a field, dragging the reluctant Pompey after him.We had hardly got under the shelter of the hedge when the carriage rattled past.I caught a glimpse of Dr.Armstrong within, his shoulders bowed, his head sunk on his hands, the very image of distress.I could tell by my companion's graver face that he also had seen.

"I fear there is some dark ending to our quest," said he.

"It cannot be long before we know it.Come, Pompey!

Ah, it is the cottage in the field!"

There could be no doubt that we had reached the end of our journey.Pompey ran about and whined eagerly outside the gate where the marks of the brougham's wheels were still to be seen.

A footpath led across to the lonely cottage.Holmes tied the dog to the hedge, and we hastened onwards.My friend knocked at the little rustic door, and knocked again without response.And yet the cottage was not deserted, for a low sound came to our ears --a kind of drone of misery and despair, which was indescribably melancholy.Holmes paused irresolute, and then he glanced back at the road which we had just traversed.A brougham was coming down it, and there could be no mistaking those grey horses.

"By Jove, the doctor is coming back!" cried Holmes."That settles it.We are bound to see what it means before he comes."He opened the door and we stepped into the hall.The droning sound swelled louder upon our ears until it became one long, deep wail of distress.It came from upstairs.Holmes darted up and I followed him.He pushed open a half-closed door and we both stood appalled at the sight before us.

A woman, young and beautiful, was lying dead upon the bed.

Her calm, pale face, with dim, wide-opened blue eyes, looked upward from amid a great tangle of golden hair.At the foot of the bed, half sitting, half kneeling, his face buried in the clothes, was a young man, whose frame was racked by his sobs.

So absorbed was he by his bitter grief that he never looked up until Holmes's hand was on his shoulder.

"Are you Mr.Godfrey Staunton?"

同类推荐
  • Eugenie Grandet

    Eugenie Grandet

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 绝句代书赠钱员外

    绝句代书赠钱员外

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 查东山先生年谱

    查东山先生年谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 十二门论疏

    十二门论疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 净业痛策

    净业痛策

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 小公主她很甜很软糯

    小公主她很甜很软糯

    新书《我怀了暴君的崽》“什么都可以做?”“我,我都可以……”第一次见面,小姑娘簌簌发抖跪在他的马下乞求他的收留,他一时兴趣,将她带回自己宫中。数暖不曾想,一夜之间,自己会从亡国女奴蜕变成那位权倾朝野的王爷唯一的眷宠。晟千墨将少女豢养在身边,宠她,呵护她,疼爱她,给她无微不至的照顾和至高无上的身份地位,让她可以打着他的名号肆意妄为,无所不能。后来她一不小心惹恼了他,逃之夭夭,被他连夜逮回:“小东西,别忘了,我给你的一切,随时都可以收回。”她那时被他惯得翅膀早硬了,听到这话气得咬牙切齿,“行啊,有本事把我肚子里的宝宝也收回去!”禁欲系晟王爷X软绵绵小萝莉。【推荐我的甜宠文《太子妃她总是想和离》、《狐王他是个影帝》、《未见公子喜欢我》
  • 最后的独立团

    最后的独立团

    解放战争时期,西北一支百战百胜的独立团部队在最后一场战役后几乎全军覆没,人数从2000人锐减为60多人。抗美援朝开始,为了捍卫军人荣誉,他们渴望入朝参战,在朝鲜战场东山再起,再铸辉煌,却突然间接到就地转业为石油兵的命令。独立团壮志未酬,艰难转型,从团长、政委到司号手、旗帜手,每一个人都展开了面向自己人生的战争。
  • 五年孕妃:帝王宠要不起

    五年孕妃:帝王宠要不起

    天华十三年,一天夜里乌云骤变,沉睡五年的她终于苏醒,爬出坟墓的她,终于意识到,自己是穿越到这里的,但是五年被深埋地下的日子,她是怎样生活下去?五年前究竟发生了什么骇人听闻的事,让她被活埋了五年?记忆开始涌现,她睁大眼睛,不敢相信曾经发生过的一切。然而生活仍将继续,她的人生又将步入怎样一个局,多年前的记忆中的人,能否相遇?然而,最关键的是她还没有意识到自己身体内部的变化,其实她已经怀孕--五年!这将让她陷入怎样的深渊。这辈子是喜是悲?
  • 洞玄灵宝玉箓简文三元威仪自然真经

    洞玄灵宝玉箓简文三元威仪自然真经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一往情深:Kiss我的傲娇男神

    一往情深:Kiss我的傲娇男神

    【正文完】【推荐:《限量宠爱:男神,别撩我!》Hare酱】 一夜过后,夏之初怀上了顾子遇的孩子。失去恋人的他为了孩子跟她结婚,她孤注一掷,想借此机会让他爱上自己。婚后她依旧没脸没皮,他依旧高冷傲娇。顾子遇发现自己爱上对方时,夏之初却一个转身,消失五年。五年后再见,傲娇男人化身霸道总裁,一现身便想把人带走,却发现那女人身边居然有了别的男人,还有一个可恶的小屁孩!男的踢走,小的……实在不行,家里不缺他一口吃的。总之,夏之初只能是他顾子遇的!
  • 一吻成瘾:总裁老公狠狠爱

    一吻成瘾:总裁老公狠狠爱

    “秦小姐,请问我们之前是不是在哪见过?”本以为一夜放纵,留一下一百块后,自己和那个人在无交集,没想到却被这个男人给赖上。他想尽办法吃他豆腐,她拼命逃跑,“你放开我。”“我不放,你是我的我如何放,要不我们先研究下未来,我在放了你?”
  • 北京户口

    北京户口

    本书选入了作家王昕朋2011—2012年在《星火》发表的中篇小说《北京户口》、《红豆》发表的中篇小说《胡老板进京》、《刘大胖进京》。《北京户口》先后被《中华文学选刊》、《红旗文摘》转载。《胡老板进京》被《北京作家》转载。《北京户口》关注生活在北京的农民工后代的生存身份认同问题,因为没有户口,学习成绩再好也不能在北京参加高考。小说发表后曾产生较大反响。《胡老板进京》写的是外地老板进京跑项目、拉关系,从一个侧面揭示了腐败问题,符合中央正在整治的“四风”问题的主题。
  • 卓越领导的11项修炼

    卓越领导的11项修炼

    几十年公司治理心得,数十家企业成败得失,都归结成一句话:一个卓越领导者一定善于驾驭危机,懂得化危为机。危机无处不在,考验无时不有。伟大是熬出来的,领导就是修行。赶紧阅读本书,开始你成为卓越领导的修行之路吧。
  • 从此君王不翻牌

    从此君王不翻牌

    这世上的很多人与生俱来就有着某种特殊的才华跟天赋,这小叫化子也有,她似乎是天生的乞丐,换上华服也成不了娘娘。但俗话说“三百六十行,行行出状元”,即使是乞丐,也要做乞丐中的大BOSS。从乞丐混成皇妃,又从皇妃沦为乞丐,兜转一圈,才发现,什么都比不得“自在”二字。
  • 行走的姿态

    行走的姿态

    亚军听到李天的表白,情绪更加激动。争吵时间长了,就有了动静,亲戚朋友都来劝说,县政府办公室主任陈一飞和他老婆也在劝说的人员之列。陈一飞劝说,既符合他的身份,也符合他温文尔雅的性格特征。他说,李天以前不是那个样子,现在也不像你说的那个样子,摒弃前嫌是过好日子的前提。陈一飞老婆也在旁边帮腔说,现在有事业的男人都那样,有那点爱好不值得计较。