the adventure of the copper beeches-第6部分
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the news to his wife; I did what I could to relieve his pain。 We
were all assembled round him when the door opened and a tall; gaunt
woman entered the room。
〃Mrs。 Toller!〃 cried Miss Hunter。
〃Yes; miss。 Mr。 Rucastle let me out when he came back before he went
up to you。 Ah; miss; it is a pity you didn't let me know what you were
planning; for I would have told you that your pains were wasted。〃
〃Ha!〃 said Holmes; looking keenly at her。 〃It is clear that Mrs。
Toller knows more about this matter than anyone else。〃
〃Yes; sir; I do; and I am ready enough to tell what I know。〃
〃Then; pray; sit down; and let us hear it; for there are several
points on which I must confess that I am still in the dark。〃
〃I will soon make it clear to you;〃 said she; 〃and I'd have done
so before now if I could ha' got out from the cellar。 If there's
police…court business over this; you'll remember that I was the one
that stood your friend; and that I was Miss Alice's friend too。
〃She was never happy at home; Miss Alice wasn't; from the time
that her father married again。 She was slighted like and had no say in
anything; but it never really became bad for her until after she met
Mr。 Fowler at a friend's house。 As well as I could learn; Miss Alice
had rights of her own by will; but she was so quiet and patient; she
was; that she never said a word about them; but just left everything
in Mr。 Rucastle's hands。 He knew he was safe with her; but when
there was a chance of a husband coming forward; who would ask for
all that the law would give him; then her father thought it time to
put a stop on it。 He wanted her to sign a paper; so that whether she
married or not; he could use her money。 When she wouldn't do it; he
kept on worrying her until she got brain…fever; and for six weeks
was at death's door。 Then she got better at last; all worn to a
shadow; and with her beautiful hair cut off; but that didn't make no
change in her young man; and he stuck to her as true as man could be。〃
〃Ah;〃 said Holmes; 〃I think that what you have been good enough to
tell us makes the matter fairly clear; and that I can deduce all
that remains。 Mr。 Rucastle then; I presume; took to this system of
imprisonment?〃
〃Yes; sir。〃
〃And brought Miss Hunter down from London in order to get rid of the
disagreeable persistence of Mr。 Fowler。〃
〃That was it; sir。〃
〃But Mr。 Fowler being a persevering man; as a good seaman should be;
blockaded the house; and having met you succeeded by certain
arguments; metallic or otherwise; in convincing you that your
interests were the same as his。〃
〃Mr。 Fowler was a very kind…spoken; free…handed gentleman;〃 said
Mrs。 Toller serenely。
〃And in this way he managed that your good man should have no want
of drink; and that a ladder should be ready at the moment when your
master had gone out。〃
〃You have it; sir; just as it happened。〃
〃I am sure we owe you an apology; Mrs。 Toller;〃 said Holmes; 〃for
you have certainly cleared up everything which puzzled us。 And here
comes the country surgeon and Mrs。 Rucastle; so I think; Watson;
that we had best escort Miss Hunter back to Winchester; as it seems to
me that our locus standi now is rather a questionable one。〃
And thus was solved the mystery of the sinister house with the
copper beeches in front of the door。 Mr。 Rucastle survived; but was
always a broken man; kept alive solely through the care of his devoted
wife。 They still live with their old servants; who probably know so
much of Rucastle's past life that he finds it difficult to part from
them。 Mr。 Fowler and Miss Rucastle were married; by special license;
in Southampton the day after their flight; and he is now the holder of
a government appointment in the island of Mauritius。 As to Miss Violet
Hunter; my friend Holmes; rather to my disappointment; manifested no
further interest in her when once she had ceased to be the centre of
one of his problems; and she is now the head of a private school at
Walsall; where I believe that she has met with considerable success。
THE END
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