孤身骑车人（5）

Holmes chuckled and rubbed his hands. “This case  certainly presents some features of its own,” said he.  “How much time elapsed between your turning the corner  and your discovery that the road was clear?”

“Two or three minutes.”

“Then he could not have retreated down the road, and  you say that there are no side roads?”

“None.”

“Then he certainly took a footpath on one side or the  other.”

“It could not have been on the side of the heath or I  should have seen him.”

“So by the process of exclusion we arrive at the fact  that he made his way towards Charlington Hall, which,  as I understand, is situated in its own grounds on one  side of the road. Anything else?”

“Nothing, Mr. Holmes, save that I was so perplexed  that I felt I should not be happy until I had seen you  and had your advice.”

Holmes sat in silence for some little time.

“Where is the gentleman to whom you are engaged?” he  asked, at last.

“He is in the Midland Electrical Company, at Coventry. ”

“He would not pay you a surprise visit?”

“Oh, Mr. Holmes! As if I should not know him!”

“Have you had any other admirers?”

“Several before I knew Cyril.”

“And since?”

“There was this dreadful man, Woodley, if you can call  him an admirer.”

“No one else?”

Our fair client seemed a little confused.

“Who was he?” asked Holmes.

“Oh, it may be a mere fancy of mine; but it has seemed  to me sometimes that my employer, Mr. Carruthers, takes  a great deal of interest in me. We are thrown rather  together. I play his accompaniments in the evening. He  has never said anything. He is a perfect gentleman. But  a girl always knows.”

“Ha!” Holmes looked grave. “What does he do for a  living?”

“He is a rich man.”

“No carriages or horses?”

“Well, at least he is fairly well-to-do. But he goes  into the City two or three times a week. He is deeply  interested in South African gold shares.”

福尔摩斯轻声一笑，一搓一着双手。"这件事确实有它的特色，"他说道，"从你转过弯去到你发现路上无人，这中间有多久？”

“二、三分钟吧。”

“那他来不及从原路退走，你说那里没有岔路吗？”

“没有。”

“那他肯定是从路旁人行小径走开的。”

“不可能从石南灌木地段那一侧，不然我早就看到他了。”

“那么，按照排除推理法，我们就查明了一个事实，他向查林顿庄园那一侧去了，据我所知，查林顿庄园宅基就在大路一侧。还有其它情况吗？”

“没有了，福尔摩斯先生，只是我十分惶惑莫解，感到极不愉快，所以才来见你，求得你的指点。”

福尔摩斯默默不语地坐了一会儿。

“和你订婚的那位先生在什么地方？"福尔摩斯终于问道。

“他在考文垂的米得兰电气公司。”

“他不会出其不意地来看你吧？”

“噢，福尔摩斯先生！难道我还不认识他！”

“还有其他一爱一慕你的男人吗？”

“在我认识西里尔以前有过几个。”

“从那时以后呢？”

“假如你把伍德利也算做一个一爱一慕我的人的话，那就是那个可怕的人了。”

“没有别的人了吗？”

我们那位美丽的委托人似乎有点为难。

“他是谁呢？"福尔摩斯问道。

“噢，可能纯粹是我一胡一思乱想；可是有时我似乎觉得我的雇主卡拉瑟斯先生对我十分有意。我们经常相遇，晚上我给他伴奏，他从来没说过什么。他是一位很好的先生，可是一个姑一娘一总是心里明白的。”

“哈！"福尔摩斯显得十分严肃，"他以什么为生呢？”

“他是一个富有的人。”

“他没有四轮马车或者马匹吗？”

“啊，至少他生活相当富裕。他每星期进城两三次，十分关心南非的黄金股票。”