福爾摩斯探案經典:《恐怖谷》第2章Part1
It was one of those dramatic moments for which my friend existed. It would be an overstatement to say that he was shocked or even excited by the amazing announcement. Without having a tinge of cruelty in his singular composition, he was undoubtedly callous from long overstimulation. Yet, if his emotions were dulled, his intellectual perceptions were exceedingly active. There was no trace then of the horror which I had myself felt at this curt declaration; but his face showed rather the quiet and interested composure of the chemist who sees the crystals falling into position from his oversaturated solution.
"Remarkable!" said he. "Remarkable!"
"You don't seem surprised."
"Interested, Mr. Mac, but hardly surprised. Why should I be surprised? I receive an anonymous communication from a quarter which I know to be important, warning me that danger threatens a certain person. Within an hour I learn that this danger has actually materialized and that the person is dead. I am interested; but, as you observe, I am not surprised."
In a few short sentences he explained to the inspector the facts about the letter and the cipher. MacDonald sat with his chin on his hands and his great sandy eyebrows bunched into a yellow tangle.
"I was going down to Birlstone this morning," said he. "I had come to ask you if you cared to come with me--you and your friend here. But from what you say we might perhaps be doing better work in London."
"I rather think not," said Holmes.
"Hang it all, Mr. Holmes!" cried the inspector. "The papers will be full of the Birlstone mystery in a day or two; but where's the mystery if there is a man in London who prophesied the crime before ever it occurred? We have only to lay our hands on that man, and the rest will follow."
"No doubt, Mr. Mac. But how do you propose to lay your hands on the so-called Porlock?"
MacDonald turned over the letter which Holmes had handed him. "Posted in Camberwell--that doesn't help us much. Name, you say, is assumed. Not much to go on, certainly. Didn't you say that you have sent him money?"
"Twice."
"And how?"
"In notes to Camberwell post office."
"Did you ever trouble to see who called for them?"
"No."
The inspector looked surprised and a little shocked. "Why not?"
"Because I always keep faith. I had promised when he first wrote that I would not try to trace him."
"You think there is someone behind him?"
"I know there is."
這又是一個富於戲劇性的時刻，我的朋友就是爲這樣的時刻而生的。如果說這個驚人的消息使他吃了一驚，或者說哪怕使他有所激動，那都言過其實了。儘管在他的癖性中不存在殘忍的成分，可是由於長期過度興奮，他無疑變得冷漠起來。然而，他的感情固然淡漠了，他的理智的洞察力卻極端的敏銳。這個簡短的消息使我感到恐怖，可是福爾摩斯卻絲毫不露聲色，他的臉上顯得頗爲鎮靜而沉着，正象一個化學家看到結晶體從過飽和溶液裏分離出來一樣。
“意外！意外！"他說。
“看來你並不感到吃驚啊！”
“麥克先生，這只不過是引起了我的注意罷了，決不是吃驚。我爲什麼要吃驚呢？我從某方面接到一封匿名信並知道這封信非常重要。它警告我說危險正威脅着某個人。一小時之內，我得知這個危險已成爲現實，而那個人已經死了。正象你看到的那樣 ，它引起了我的注意，可我並不吃驚。”
他把這封信和密碼的來由向那警官簡單講了一遍。麥克唐納雙手託着下巴坐着，兩道淡茶色的濃眉蹙成一團。
“今天早晨我本來是要到伯爾斯通去的，"麥克唐納說，“我來的目的就是問一下你和你的這位朋友是否願意和我一起去。不過，從你剛纔的話來看，我們在倫敦也許能辦得更好些。”
“我倒不這樣想，"福爾摩斯說。
“真是活見鬼了！福爾摩斯先生，"警官大聲喊道，“一兩天內，報上就該登滿'伯爾斯通之謎'了。可是既然在罪行還沒有發生以前，已經有人在倫敦預料到了，那還算得上什麼謎呢？我們只要捉住這個人，其餘的一切就迎刃而解了。”
“這是毫無疑問的，麥克先生。可是你打算怎樣去捉住這個所謂的波爾洛克呢？”
麥克唐納把福爾摩斯遞給他的那封信翻過來說：“是從坎伯韋爾投寄的——這對我們也沒有太大幫助。你說名字是假名。這當然不會有什麼進展。你不是說你曾給他送過錢麼？”
“送過兩次。”
“怎樣送給他的？”
“把鈔票寄到坎伯韋爾郵局。”
“你沒有設法去看看是誰取走的？”
“沒有。”
警官顯出吃驚的樣子，而且有些詫異地說：“爲什麼沒有呢？”
“因爲我一貫守信用。他第一次寫信給我時，我曾經答應不去追查他的行蹤。”
“你認爲他背後有個什麼人嗎？”
“我當然知道有。”
