adventure05-第5部分

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original　shape。



〃'You　must　bear　in　mind；'　said　I；　'that　the　royal

party　made　head　in　England　even　after　the　death　of　the

king；　and　that　when　they　at　last　fled　they　probably

left　many　of　their　most　precious　possession　buried

behind　them；　with　the　intention　of　returning　for　them

in　more　peaceful　times。'



〃'My　ancestor；　Sir　Ralph　Musgrave；　as　a　prominent

Cavalier　and　the　right…hand　man　of　Charles　the　Second

in　his　wanderings；'　said　my　friend。



〃'Ah；　indeed！'　I　answered。　　'Well　now；　I　think　that

really　should　give　us　the　last　link　that　we　wanted。　　I

must　congratulate　you　on　coming　into　the　possession；

though　in　rather　a　tragic　manner　of　a　relic　which　is

of　great　intrinsic　value；　but　of　even　greater

importance　as　an　historical　curiosity。'



〃'What　is　it；　then？'　he　gasped　in　astonishment。



〃'It　is　nothing　less　than　the　ancient　crown　of　the

kings　of　England。'



〃'The　crown！'



〃'Precisely。　　Consider　what　the　Ritual　says：　　How　does

it　run？　　〃Whose　was　it？〃　　〃His　who　is　gone。〃　　That　was

after　the　execution　of　Charles。　　Then；　〃Who　shall　have

it？〃　　〃He　who　will　come。〃　　That　was　Charles　the

Second；　whose　advent　was　already　foreseen。　　There　can；

I　think；　be　no　doubt　that　this　battered　and　shapeless

diadem　once　encircled　the　brows　of　the　royal　Stuarts。'



〃'And　how　came　it　in　the　pond？'



〃'Ah；　that　is　a　question　that　will　take　some　time　to

answer。'　　And　with　that　I　sketched　out　to　him　the

whole　long　chain　of　surmise　and　of　proof　which　I　had

constructed。　　The　twilight　had　closed　in　and　the　moon

was　shining　brightly　in　the　sky　before　my　narrative

was　finished。



〃'And　how　was　it　then　that　Charles　did　not　get　his

crown　when　he　returned？'　asked　Musgrave；　pushing　back

the　relic　into　its　linen　bag。



〃'Ah；　there　you　lay　your　finger　upon　the　one　point

which　we　shall　probably　never　be　able　to　clear　up。　　It

is　likely　that　the　Musgrave　who　held　the　secret　died

in　the　interval；　and　by　some　oversight　left　this　guide

to　his　descendant　without　explaining　the　meaning　of

it。　　From　that　day　to　this　it　has　been　handed　down

from　father　to　son；　until　at　last　it　came　within　reach

of　a　man　who　tore　its　secret　out　of　it　and　lost　his

life　in　the　venture。'





〃And　that's　the　story　of　the　Musgrave　Ritual；　Watson。　

They　have　the　crown　down　at　Hurlstonethough　they　had

some　legal　bother　and　a　considerable　sum　to　pay　before

they　were　allowed　to　retain　it。　　I　am　sure　that　if　you

mentioned　my　name　they　would　be　happy　to　show　it　to

you。　　Of　the　woman　nothing　was　ever　heard；　and　the

probability　is　that　she　got　away　out　of　England　and

carried　herself　and　the　memory　of　her　crime　to　some

land　beyond　the　seas。〃