黑彼得（12）

The nocturnal visitor was a young man, frail and thin, with a black moustache which intensified the deadly pallor of his face. He could not have been much above twenty years of age. I have never seen any human being who appeared to be in such a pitiable fright, for his teeth were visibly chattering and he was shaking in every limb. He was dressed like a gentleman, in Norfolk jacket and knickerbockers, with a cloth cap upon his head. We watched him staring round with frightened eyes. Then he laid the candle-end upon the table and disappeared from our view into one of the corners. He returned with a large book, one of the log-books which formed a line upon the shelves. Leaning on the table he rapidly turned over the leaves of this volume until he came to the entry which he sought. Then, with an angry gesture of his clenched hand, he closed the book, replaced it in the corner, and put out the light. He had hardly turned to leave the hut when Hopkins's hand was on the fellow's collar, and I heard his loud gasp of terror as he understood that he was taken. The candle was re-lit, and there was our wretched captive shivering and cowering in the grasp of the detective. He sank down upon the sea-chest, and looked helplessly from one of us to the other.

“Now, my fine fellow,” said Stanley Hopkins, “who are you, and what do you want here?”

The man pulled himself together and faced us with an effort at self-composure.

“You are detectives, I suppose?” said he. “You imagine I am connected with the death of Captain Peter Carey. I assure you that I am innocent.”

“We'll see about that,” said Hopkins. “First of all, what is your name?”

“It is John Hopley Neligan.”

I saw Holmes and Hopkins exchange a quick glance.

“What are you doing here?”

“Can I speak confidentially?”

“No, certainly not.”

“Why should I tell you?”

“If you have no answer it may go badly with you at the trial.”

The young man winced.

这位夜间来客是个身一体瘦弱的年轻人，下巴的黑一胡一须使得他象死人一样苍白的面孔更加苍白。他象个刚过二十岁的人。我从来没有见过有人象他这样又惊又怕，他的牙齿显然在打冷战，他的四肢全在颤一抖。他的衣着象个绅士，穿着诺福克式的上衣和灯笼裤，头戴便帽。我们看他惊恐地凝视着四周，然后他把蜡烛头放在桌子上，走到一个角落里，我们便看不到他了。他拿着一个大本子又走回来，这是在架子上排成一排的航海日志里的一本。他倚着桌子，一页一页地迅速翻阅，直到翻出他要找的项目。他紧一握着拳作了一个愤怒的手势，然后合上本子，放回原处，并且吹熄了蜡烛。他还没有来得及转身走出这间小屋，霍普金的手已经抓住了这个人的领子。当他明白他是被捕了的时候，我听到他大声叹了一口气。蜡烛又点上了。在侦探的看管下他浑身打颤，蜷缩起来。他坐在贮物箱上，不知所措地看看这个人又看看那个人。

斯坦莱·霍普金说：“我的好人，你是谁？来这儿干什么？”

这个人振作一下一精一神，尽力保持冷静，然后看着我们。

他说：“我想你们是侦探吧？你们以为我和加里船长的死有关。我向你们保证，我是无辜的。”

霍普金说：“我们会弄清楚的。先说你的名字是什么？”

“约翰·霍普莱·乃尔根。”

我看见福尔摩斯和霍普金迅速一交一换了一下眼色。

“你在这儿干什么？”

“我有机密的事情，能够信托你们吗？”

“不，不必。”

“那么我为什么要告诉你们呢？”

“如果你不回答，在审问你的时候可能对你不利。”

这个年轻人有些发窘。