空屋（5）

On the evening of the crime he returned from the club exactly at ten. His mother and sister were out spending the evening with a relation. The servant deposed that she heard him enter the front room on the second floor, generally used as his sitting-room. She had lit a fire there, and as it smoked she had opened the window. No sound was heard from the room until eleven-twenty, the hour of the return of Lady Maynooth and her daughter. Desiring to say good-night, she had attempted to enter her son's room. The door was locked on the inside, and no answer could be got to their cries and knocking. Help was obtained and the door forced. The unfortunate young man was found lying near the table. His head had been horribly mutilated by an expanding revolver bullet, but no weapon of any sort was to be found in the room. On the table lay two bank-notes for ten pounds each and seventeen pounds ten in silver and gold, the money arranged in little piles of varying amount. There were some figures also upon a sheet of paper with the names of some club friends opposite to them, from which it was conjectured that before his death he was endeavouring to make out his losses or winnings at cards.

在出事的那天晚上，他从俱乐部回到家里的时间是整十点。他母亲和妹妹上亲戚家串门去了。女仆供述听见他走进二楼的前厅——就是他经常当作品居室的那间屋子。她已经在屋里生好了火，因为冒烟她把窗户打开了。一直到十一点二十分梅鲁斯夫人和女儿回来以前，屋里没有动静。梅鲁斯夫人想进她儿子屋里去说声晚安，发现房门从里边锁上了。母女二人叫喊、敲门都不见答应。于是找来人把门撞开，只见这个不幸的青年躺在桌边，脑袋被一颗左轮子弹击碎，模样很可怕，可是屋里不见任何武器。桌上摆着两张十镑的钞票和总共十一镑十先令的金币和银币，这些钱码铺了十小堆，数目多少不一。另外有张纸条，上面记了若干数目字和几个俱乐部朋友的名字，由此推测遇害前他正在计算打牌的输赢。