黑彼得（7）

“For all that its presence has some significance,” said Holmes. “However, let us hear some more about the objects which do seem to you to bear upon the case.”

“There was this tobacco-pouch upon the table.”

“What part of the table?”

“It lay in the middle. It was of coarse seal-skin—the straight-haired skin, with a leather thong to bind it. Inside was ‘P.C.’ on the flap. There was half an ounce of strong ship's tobacco in it.”

“Excellent! What more?”

Stanley Hopkins drew from his pocket a drab-covered note-book. The outside was rough and worn, the leaves discoloured. On the first page were written the initials “J.H.N.” and the date “1883.” Holmes laid it on the table and examined it in his minute way, while Hopkins and I gazed over each shoulder. On the second page were the printed letters “C.P.R.,” and then came several sheets of numbers. Another heading was Argentine, another Costa Rica, and another San Paulo, each with pages of signs and figures after it.

“What do you make of these?” asked Holmes.

“They appear to be lists of Stock Exchange securities. I thought that ‘J.H.N.’ were the initials of a broker, and that ‘C.P.R.’ may have been his client.”

“Try Canadian Pacific Railway,” said Holmes.

Stanley Hopkins swore between his teeth and struck his thigh with his clenched hand.

“What a fool I have been!” he cried. “Of course, it is as you say. Then ‘J.H.N.’ are the only initials we have to solve. I have already examined the old Stock Exchange lists, and I can find no one in 1883 either in the House or among the outside brokers whose initials correspond with these. Yet I feel that the clue is the most important one that I hold. You will admit, Mr. Holmes, that there is a possibility that these initials are those of the second person who was present—in other words, of the murderer. I would also urge that the introduction into the case of a document relating to large masses of valuable securities gives us for the first time some indication of a motive for the crime.”

Sherlock Holmes's face showed that he was thoroughly taken aback by this new development.

福尔摩斯说：“尽避这样，柜子中的酒还是有意义的。不过先请你讲讲你认为和案件有关的其他物品的情况。”

“桌子上有那个烟丝袋。”

“桌子上的哪一部分？”

“在桌子的中间。烟丝袋是用海豹皮，未加工的带一毛一的海豹皮做的，有个皮绳可以捆住。烟丝袋盖儿的里边有'Ｐ．Ｃ．'字样。袋里有半盎斯强烈的海员用的烟丝。”

“很好！还有什么吗？”

斯坦莱·霍普金从他的口袋里拿出一本有黄褐色外皮的笔记本，外表很粗很旧，边缘有点脏。第一页写有字首"Ｊ．Ｈ．Ｎ．"及日期"一八八三"。福尔摩斯把笔记本放在桌子上，进行仔细检查，霍普金和我站在他身后从两边看着。在第二页上有印刷体字母”Ｃ．Ｐ．Ｒ．"，以后的几页全是数字。接着有

“阿根廷"，"哥斯达黎加"，"圣保罗"等标题，每项之后均有几页符号和数字。

福尔摩斯问道：“这些说明什么问题吗？”

“这些象是一交一易所证券的表报。我想'Ｊ．Ｈ．Ｎ．'是经纪人的名字的字首，'Ｃ．Ｐ．Ｒ．'可能是他的顾客。”

福尔摩斯说：“你看'Ｃ．Ｐ．Ｒ．'是不是加拿大太平洋铁路？”

斯坦莱·霍普金一面用拳头敲着大一腿，一面低声责骂自己。

霍普金接着喊道：“我太笨了！你说的当然是对的。那么只有'Ｊ．Ｈ．Ｎ．'这几个字首是我们要解决的了。我检查过这些证券一交一易所的旧表报，在一八八三年我找不到所内或所外任何经纪人名字的字首和它一样。可是我觉得这是我全部线索中最重要的。福尔摩斯先生，您也许承认有这样的可能一性一，这几个字首是现场的第二个人名字的缩写，换句话说是杀人犯的。我还认为，记载着大笔值钱证券的笔记本的发现，正好给我们指出了谋杀的动机。”

歇洛克·福尔摩斯的面部表情说明案件的这一新发展完全出乎他的意料。