巴斯克维尔的猎犬 回忆（5）

 

"He found a way out of his difficulties through the chance that Sir Charles, who hadconceived a friendship for him, made him the minister of his charity in the case of this unfortunatewoman, Mrs. Laura Lyons. By representing himself as a single man he acquired completeinfluence over her, and he gave her to understand.that in the event of her obtaining a divorce fromher husband he would marry her. His plans were suddenly brought to a head by his knowledge thatSir Charles was about to leave the Hall on the advice of Dr. Mortimer, with whose opinion hehimself pretended to coincide. He must act at once, or his victim might get beyond his power. Hetherefore put pressure upon Mrs. Lyons to write this letter, imploring the old man to give her aninterview on the evening before his departure for London. He then, by a specious argument,prevented her from going, and so had the chance for which he had waited.

“可是他在困难之中终于抓到了一个机会。 由于查尔兹爵士对他已经产生了友情， 就在帮助那可怜的女人劳拉·莱昂丝太太的那件事里请他负责掌管那一笔慈善金。 由于他以单身汉的身分出现， 所以他才能对她产生决定性的影响。 他向她表示， 如果她和丈夫离婚能获成功， 他就和她结婚。 可是他那计划突然面临了一个紧要关头， 在摩梯末医生建议之下， 查尔兹爵士正准备离庄园他去， 他本人也假装同意这个意见， 但他必须马上采取行动， 否则他所要加害的人一远离， 他就会弄得鞭长莫及了。 因此他就迫使莱昂丝太太写了那封信， 恳求老头在去伦敦之前的晚上和她见一次面， 随后又用听来似乎很有道理的一套理由使她未去赴约， 这样一来， 他就得到了一个久候未得的好机会。

"Driving back in the evening from Coombe Tracey he was in time to get his hound, to treat itwith his infernal paint, and to bring the beast round to the gate at which he had reason to expectthat he would find the old gentleman waiting. The dog, incited by its master, sprang over thewicket-gate and pursued the unfortunate baronet, who fled screaming down the yew alley. In thatgloomy tunnel it must indeed have been a dreadful sight to see that huge black creature, with itsflaming jaws and blazing eyes, bounding after its victim. He fell dead at the end of the alley fromheart disease and terror. The hound had kept upon the grassy border while the baronet had rundown the path, so that no track but the man's was visible. On seeing him lying still the creaturehad probably approached to sniff at him, but finding him dead had turned away again. It was thenthat it left the print which was actually observed by Dr. Mortimer. The hound was called off andhurried away to its lair in the Grimpen Mire, and a mystery was left which puzzled the authorities,alarmed the countryside, and finally brought the case within the scope of our observation.

“在傍晚的时候， 他从库姆· 特雷西坐车回来， 有足够的时间弄回他的猎狗来， 抹好发光涂料， 再带着那畜生到栅门附近去， 他知道， 他一定能看到老绅士在那里等着。 那狗受到了主人的怂使， 跃过了栅门就向不幸的准男爵追了过去， 他被追得一边喊叫一边顺着水松夹道飞奔下去。 在那样阴暗的夹道里看到那只又大又黑、 嘴眼都冒火的家伙在身后跳跃前进，确实是万分可怕， 因此他就由于心脏病和恐惧过度的缘故在夹道的尽头倒地身亡了。 那猎狗顺着多草的路边跑， 而准男爵则在小路上跑， 因此除了人的脚印之外看不到任何其他痕迹。

那狗看到他躺下一动不动之后， 也许走近前来， 闻了一闻， 可是发现他已死去之后就又转头离开了， 就是在那时， 它留下了摩梯末医生所看到的爪印。 猎狗被叫了回去， 并急忙地被赶回设在格林盆泥沼的狗窝去。 这件神秘的事件使官厅感到莫名其妙， 使乡 下人大为吃惊， 最后我们就接手调查了 这件案子。