查爾斯爵士是如何死的-巴斯克維爾獵犬-名著縮寫

巴斯克維爾獵犬目錄 3 查爾斯爵士是如何死的 How Sir Charles Died When Dr Mortimer had finished reading this strange story,he looked across at Sherlock Holmes.Holmes looked bored.
'Did you find the story interesting?'asked Dr Mortimer.
'It may interest a collector of stories to frighten children,' said Holmes.
Dr Mortimer took a newspaper from another pocket.
'Now,Mr Holmes,let me read you something which was written only three months ago.It is from the Devonshire County Newspaper,and it is about the death of Sir Charles Baskerville.'
Holmes looked more interested.Dr Mortimer began to read:
The sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville has caused great sadness in the county.Although he had lived at Baskerville Hall for only two years,everyone liked him.Sir Charles had lived abroad and made his money there.He came back to spend his fortune on repairing Baskerville Hall and its farms and villages,as the buildings and lands were in very poor condition.He was a friendly and generous man,who gave freely to the poor.
The official report of his death does not explain every thing that happened.However,it does show that there was no question of murder.Sir Charles died from natural causes,and the strange stories people are telling about his death are not true.His friend and doctor,Dr James Mor timer,said that Sir Charles'heart had been weak for some time.
The facts are simple.Every night before going to bed,Sir Charles went for a walk in the gardens of Baskerville Hall.His favourite walk was down a path between two hedges of yew trees,the famous Yew Alley of Baskerville Hall.On the night of 4th June he went out for his walk to think and to smoke his usual cigar.
Sir Charles was going to London on the next day,and Barrymore,his butler,was packing his suitcases.By mid night Barrymore was worried that Sir Charles had not re turned,so he went to look for him.He found the door of the Hall open.The day had been rainy and wet so Barry more saw the prints left by Sir Charles'shoes as he had walked down the Alley.Half way down the Alley is a gate,which leads to the moor.There were signs that Sir Charles had stood there for some time.Barrymore fol lowed the footprints to the far end of the Alley.And there he found Sir Charles'body.
Barrymore reported something interesting about the footprints.He said that they changed between the moor gate and the end of the Alley.As far as the moor gate there was a whole footprint for each of Sir Charles'steps.After he passed the gate,only toe prints could be seen.Barrymore thought that Sir Charles had walked on his toes.
A man called Murphy,who buys and sells horses,was not far away at the time of Sir Charles'death.He had been drinking a lot of beer,but he says he heard cries.He is not sure where they came from.
Dr Mortimer was called to look at Sir Charles'body.There were no signs that Sir Charles had been murdered,but Dr Mortimer did not recognize his friend's face.The whole shape of it was changed.However,this often hap pens with deaths which are caused by weak hearts.When Dr Mortimer looked at the body,he found that this was,in fact,what had happened.Sir Charles'weak heart had failed,and this had caused his death.
Everyone hopes that the new head of the Baskerville family will move quickly into the Hall.Sir Charles good work must go on.
The new head of the Baskerville family will be Sir Hen ry Baskerville,if he is still alive and if the lawyers can find him.He is the son of Sir Charles Baskerville's younger brother,who died some years ago.The young man has been living in the USA.The Baskerville lawyers are trying to contact him to tell him about his good fortune.
Dr Mortimer put the newspaper back into his pocket.
'Those are the official facts about the death of Sir Charles.They are the facts that everyone knows,Mr Holmes,'he said.
'Thank you for informing me about this interesting case,'Holmes said.'I read about it at the time,but I heard none of the details.The newspaper gives the facts that everybody knows.Now I want you to tell me all the other facts that you know.What do you know about the strange stories?'
'I haven't told anyone these other facts,'said Dr Mortimer.'I am a man of science,as you know.I have always believed that there are sensible explanations for everything.I didn't want to say anything that could stop Sir Henry from coming to live at the Hall.But I will tell you tile details that were not in the report.'
'In the months before his death,'Dr Mortimer went on,'Sir Charles was a very worried man.He was near to breaking down.He believed the story of the Hound of the Baskervilles.He refused to go out at night.He often asked me whether I had seen any strange animal or heard the cry of a hound on the moor at night.He always got very excited when he asked this question.
'I remember driving up to the Hall one evening about three weeks before he died.He was standing at the door.I went up to him,and saw him staring at something behind me.There was a look of horror on his face.I turned quickly and saw something moving between the trees.It looked like a small black cow.He was so frightened that I went to look for the animal.It had disappeared but Sir Charles was very worried.I stayed with him all the evening.It was then he gave me the old papers I have read to you.What I saw that evening may be im portant when you consider what happened on the night of his death.
'When Barrymore,the butler,found Sir Charles'body,he sent someone to fetch me.I checked all the facts.I have just read them to you,and they are all true.
'But Barrymore said one thing that was not true.He said that there were no other prints on the ground around the body.He did not notice any.But I did.They were not close to the body,but they were fresh and clear.'
'Footprints?'asked Holmes.
'Yes.Footprints,'said Mortimer.
'A man's or a woman's?'asked Holmes.
Dr Mortimer looked at us strangely for a moment.His voice became a whisper as he answered:
'Mr Holmes,they were the footprints of a huge hound!' 摩梯末醫生讀完這個奇怪的故事後望著對面的歇洛克·福爾摩斯。福爾摩斯看上去顯得很不耐煩。
“你沒覺得這個故事有趣嗎？”摩梯末醫生問道。
“它可能會讓那些收集嚇唬孩子們的故事的人感興趣，”福爾摩斯講道。
摩梯末醫生從另一個衣袋裏掏出一張報紙。
“福爾摩斯先生，現在讓我來讀給您聽聽就在三個月之前撰寫的東西吧。它刊登在《德文郡紀事報》上，並與查爾斯·巴斯克維爾爵士的死有關。”
福爾摩斯看上去更專註些了。摩梯末醫生開始讀了起來：
查爾斯·巴斯克維爾爵士之暴卒，使本郡不勝哀悼。盡管他來巴斯克維爾莊園不過兩年時間，但是大家都非常喜愛他。查爾斯爵士曾旅居國外，並在那裏發了財。他致富後還鄉，想把自己的資產用來修復巴斯克維爾莊園及其農場和村莊，因為這些建築和土地都已處於潦倒不堪的境地了。他待人友善而又慷慨大方，還毫無吝嗇之意地資助捐送窮人。
官方對他死亡的報告沒有說明所發生的一切事情。然而，它的確表明其中並沒有謀殺的成分。查爾斯爵士死於自然原因；人們講述的關於他的死亡的種種故事都是不真實的。他的朋友兼醫生詹姆斯·摩梯末醫生說查爾斯爵士的心臟虛弱已頗有一段時日了。
實情甚為簡單。查爾斯爵士在每晚就寢前，總要在巴斯克維爾莊園的公園裏散步。他喜歡沿著夾在水松樹籬之間的那條小路即巴斯克維爾莊園裏那條出名的水松小道散步。6月4日晚，他出去散步來思考些問題並抽根他慣常抽的雪茄。
查爾斯爵士次日將去倫敦，他的總管白瑞摩當時正在為他準備行裝。午夜時分，白瑞摩因查爾斯爵士還未回來而焦慮不安，因此便去找他。他發現莊園的門還開著。那天的天氣很潮濕，因此白瑞摩看到了查爾斯爵士沿著那條小道走時留下的腳印。在小道的中途有一個柵門，它通向沼地。有種種跡象說明查爾斯爵士曾在此站過一會兒。白瑞摩循著足跡走到了小道的盡頭。而且就在那兒他發現了查爾斯爵士的屍體。
白瑞摩報告了一件有關腳印的有趣的事情。他說，腳印在柵門和小道的盡頭之間變樣了。到柵門為止，查爾斯爵士的每個腳印都是完整的。但過了柵門之後，則只能看到他腳趾的印記了。白瑞摩以為查爾斯爵士曾用腳尖走過。
一位名叫摩菲的馬販子在查爾斯爵士死時正在距出事地點不遠之處。他當時已喝了許多啤酒，但是他說他那時曾聽到呼喊聲。他不清楚呼喊聲來自何方。
摩梯末醫生被叫來查看查爾斯爵士的屍體。沒有跡象說明查爾斯爵士是被謀殺的，但是摩梯末醫生已認不出他朋友的面容了。整個臉已經變形了。然而，這對因心臟衰竭而導致的死亡來說是常有的。當摩梯末醫生察看屍體時，他發現這事實上正是所發生的情況。查爾斯爵士的虛弱的心臟已無力承受重荷，這導致了他的死亡。
大家都期盼巴斯克維爾家族的新主人能快速入住巴斯克維爾莊園。查爾斯爵士的善行必須繼續進行下去。
巴斯克維爾家族的新主人將是亨利·巴斯克維爾爵士，如果他尚在人世而律師們又能找到他的話。他是查爾斯·巴斯克維爾爵士的弟弟的兒子，他弟弟本人已在數年前故去。這位年輕人一直居住在美國。巴斯克維爾家族的律師們正試圖與他聯系以將他的好運告訴他。
摩梯末醫生將這份報紙放回了口袋裏。
“那些便是有關查爾斯爵士之死的官方報導。它們是些眾所周知的事實，福爾摩斯先生，”他說道。
“感謝您告知我有關這個饒有趣味的案件的情況，”福爾摩斯說道。“當時我曾看到過有關它的報導，但是我從未聽到過相關的細節。報紙提供了那些眾所周知的事實。現在我想讓您告訴我您所知道的其他事實。你對這些怪誕的故事知道些什麽呢？”
“我從未告訴過任何人這些內幕，”摩梯末醫生道。“如您所知，我是一位從事科學工作的人。我從來都認為凡事都有個明智的解釋辦法。我當時不想說出阻止亨利爵士前來莊園定居的任何話。可是我將告訴您那些從未在報導中寫進去的種種細節。”
“在他去世之前的幾個月裏，”摩梯末醫生接著說道，“查爾斯爵士已是非常焦慮不安。他幾乎瀕於崩潰的境地。他相信巴斯克維爾獵犬的故事。他拒絕在晚上外出。他常常問我是否在夜間看到過什麽奇怪的動物或是聽見過一只****在沼地上的嗥叫聲。每當他問起這個問題的時候他總是變得非常亢奮。”
“我記得，在他死之前大約三個星期的一天傍晚，我駕著馬車去他的莊園。他正站在門前。我走到他面前，看到他正盯著我背後的什麽東西。他的臉上帶著恐怖的神情。我趕快轉過身去，看到有個東西正在樹林之間移動。它看似一頭黑色的小牛。他是如此恐懼不安，我便不得不去那兒四下裏尋找一番那個東西了。它已經消失了，可是查爾斯爵士非常擔心。整個晚上我都陪著他。就是在那時，他將我已讀給您聽的那篇古老的手稿交給了我。在您考慮他死去的那個晚上所發生的情況時，我在那個傍晚看到的情況也許會是重要的。”
“當白瑞摩，那個總管，發現了查爾斯爵士的屍體時，他派人叫我去了。我核實了所有的情況。我剛才已把它們念給你們聽了，而且這些事實都是確鑿的。”
“但是白瑞摩有一件事沒講真話。他說，在屍體周圍的地面上沒有別的痕跡。他沒有註意到其他痕跡。可是我註意到了。雖沒有挨著屍體，可是既痕跡猶新而又清晰可見。”
“是足跡嗎？”福爾摩斯問道。
“是的。是足跡，”摩梯末說道。
“是男人的還是女人的？”福爾摩斯問道。
摩梯末奇怪地望了我們一會兒。他回答時聲音變得猶如耳語：
“福爾摩斯先生，是一個極大的獵犬的一些爪印！”