巴斯克维尔的猎犬 巴斯克维尔的猎犬（15）

 

It was evident to us that all pursuit was in vain until the fog had lifted. Meanwhile we leftLestrade in possession of the house while Holmes and I went back with the baronet to BaskervilleHall. The story of the Stapletons could no longer be withheld from him, but he took the blowbravely when he learned the truth about the woman whom he had loved. But the shock of thenight's adventures had shattered his nerves, and before morning he lay delirious in a high feverunder the care of Dr. Mortimer. The two of them were destined to travel together round the worldbefore Sir Henry had become once more the hale, hearty man that he had been before he becamemaster of that ill-omened estate.

显然， 在雾气消散之前， 任何追逐都是枉费心机的。 当时我们留下了雷斯垂德， 让他照看房子， 而福尔摩斯和我就和准男爵一起回到巴斯克维尔庄园去了 。 关于斯台普吞家人的实情再也不能瞒着他了 ， 当他听到了他所热爱的女人的真情的时候， 竟能勇敢地承受了这个打击。 可是夜间那场冒险的震惊已经使他的神经受了创伤， 天亮之前他发起高烧来， 神志昏迷地躺在床上， 摩梯末医生被请了来照顾他。 他们俩已经决定了， 在亨利爵士恢复饱满的精神之前就要一起去作一次环球旅行， 要知道他在变成这份不祥的财产的主人以前， 他是个多么精神饱满的人啊。

And now I come rapidly to the conclusion of this singular narrative, in which I have tried tomake the reader share those dark fears and vague surmises which clouded our lives so long andended in so tragic a manner. On the morning after the death of the hound the fog had lifted and wewere guided by Mrs. Stapleton to the point where they had found a pathway through the bog. Ithelped us to realize the horror of this woman's life when we saw the eagerness and joy with whichshe laid us on her husband's track. We left her standing upon the thin peninsula of firm, peaty soilwhich tapered out into the widespread bog. From the end of it a small wand planted here and thereshowed where the path zigzagged from tuft to tuft of rushes among those green-scummed pits andfoul quagmires which barred the way to the stranger. Rank reeds and lush, slimy water-plants sentan odour of decay and a heavy miasmatic vapour onto our faces, while a false step plunged usmore than once thigh-deep into the dark, quivering mire, which shook for yards in soft undulationsaround our feet. Its tenacious grip plucked at our heels as we walked, and when we sank into it itwas as if some malignant hand was tugging us down into those obscene depths, so grim andpurposeful was the clutch in which it held us. Once only we saw a trace that someone had passedthat perilous way before us. From amid a tuft of cotton grass which bore it up out of the slimesome dark thing was projecting. Holmes sank to his waist as he stepped from the path to seize it,and had we not been there to drag him out he could never have set his foot upon firm land again.

He held an old black boot in the air. "Meyers, Toronto," was printed on the leather inside.

现在我要很快地结束这段奇特的故事了， 在故事里我想使读者也体会一下那些极端的恐怖和模糊的臆测， 这些东西长时期地使我们的心上蒙了一层阴影， 而结局竟是如此的悲惨。

在那猎狗死后第二天的早晨， 雾散了 ， 我们由斯台普吞太太引导着到了他们找到过一条贯穿泥沼的小路的地方。 看着她带领我们追踪她丈夫时所表现出来的急切心情和喜悦， 使我们体会到这个女人过去的生活是多么地可怕。 我们让她留在一个窄长的半岛似的、 坚实的泥煤质的地面上站着。 愈往泥沼里面走， 这块地面就变得愈窄。 从这块地面的尽头处起就这里一根那里一根地插着小木棍， 沿着这些小木棍就是那条陌生人无法走过的， 曲曲折折的， 由一堆乱树丛到另一堆乱树丛的， 蜿蜒在漂着绿沫的水洼和污浊的泥坑之间的小路， 繁茂的芦苇和青葱多汁而又粘滑的水草散发着腐朽的臭味， 浓重的浊气迎面袭来， 我们不只一次地失足，陷入没膝的、 黑色的、 颤动着的泥坑里， 走了数码之远， 泥还是粘粘地沾在脚上甩不下去。

在我们走着的时候， 那些泥一直死死地拖住我们的脚跟。 当我们陷入泥里的时候， 就象是有一只恶毒的手把我们拖向污泥的深处， 而且抓得那样紧那样坚决。 只有一次， 我们看到了一点痕迹， 说明曾有人在我们之先穿过了那条危险的路。 在粘土地上的一堆棉草中间露着一件黑色的东西。 福尔摩斯由小路上向旁边只迈了一步， 想要抓住那件东西， 就陷入了泥潭， 直陷到了腰那样深。 如果不是我们在那里把他拉了出来的话， 他就再也不会站到坚硬的陆地上来了。 他举起一只黑色的高筒皮鞋， 里面印着“麦尔斯· 多伦多”。