巴斯克维尔的猎犬 岩岗上的人（9）

 

　　It was unlikely that she would dare to say that she had not been to Baskerville Hall if shereally had been, for a trap would be necessary to take her there, and could not have returned toCoombe Tracey until the early hours of the morning. Such an excursion could not be kept secret.

　　The probability was, therefore, that she was telling the truth, or, at least, a part of the truth. I cameaway baffled and disheartened. Once again I had reached that dead wall which seemed to be builtacross every path by which I tried to get at the object of my mission. And yet the more I thought ofthe lady's face and of her manner the more I felt that something was being held back from me.

　　Why should she turn so pale? Why should she fight against every admission until it was forcedfrom her? Why should she have been so reticent at the time of the tragedy? Surely the explanationof all this could not be as innocent as she would have me believe. For the moment I could proceedno farther in that direction, but must turn back to that other clue which was to be sought for amongthe stone huts upon the moor.

　　看来， 如果她真的去过巴斯克维尔庄园的话， 恐怕她不见得敢说她没有去过。 因为她总得坐马车才能到那里去， 这样的话， 要到第二天清晨她才能回到库姆· 特雷西， 这样一次远行是无法保守秘密的。 因此， 最大的可能就是， 她说的是实话， 或者说至少有一部分是实情。

　　我垂头丧气地回来了 ， 这是再度的碰壁， 这堵墙好象是修在每一条我想通过它而抵达目的地的路上似的。可是我愈想象那女士的面孔和她的神情， 我就愈觉得她还有些东西是瞒着我的。

　　为什么她的脸要变得那样苍白呢？ 为什么她每次都要竭力否认而只有到了 迫不得已的时候才承认呢？ 在悲剧发生的时候， 为什么她那样保持沉默呢？ 当然罗， 对这些问题的解释并非象她解释给我听的那样简单。 目前， 沿此方向我已无法再前进一步， 只好转到沼地里的石屋去搜寻其他线索了。