“格洛里亚斯科特”号三桅帆船06（在线收听）

“From that day, amid all his cordiality, there was always a touch of suspicion in Mr. Trevor's manner towards me. Even his son remarked it. ‘You've given the governor such a turn,’ said he, ‘that he'll never be sure again of what you know and what you don't know.’ He did not mean to show it, I am sure, but it was so strongly in his mind that it peeped out at every action. At last I became so convinced that I was causing him uneasiness that I drew my visit to a close. On the very day, however, before I left, an incident occurred which proved in the sequel to be of importance.

“We were sitting out upon the lawn on garden chairs, the three of us, basking in the sun and admiring the view across the Broads, when a maid came out to say that there was a man at the door who wanted to see Mr. Trevor.

“‘What is his name?’ asked my host.

“‘He would not give any.’

“‘What does he want, then?’

“‘He says that you know him, and that he only wants a moment's conversation.’

“‘Show him round here.’ An instant afterwards there appeared a little wizened fellow with a cringing manner and a shambling style of walking. He wore an open jacket, with a splotch of tar on the sleeve, a red-and-black check shirt, dungaree trousers, and heavy boots badly worn. His face was thin and brown and crafty, with a perpetual smile upon it, which showed an irregular line of yellow teeth, and his crinkled hands were half closed in a way that is distinctive of sailors. As he came slouching across the lawn I heard Mr. Trevor make a sort of hiccoughing noise in his throat, and jumping out of his chair, he ran into the house. He was back in a moment, and I smelt a strong reek of brandy as he passed me.

“‘Well, my man,’ said he. ‘What can I do for you?’

“The sailor stood looking at him with puckered eyes, and with the same loose-lipped smile upon his face.

“‘You don't know me?’ he asked.

“‘Why, dear me, it is surely Hudson,’ said Mr. Trevor in a tone of surprise.

“‘啊，孩子们，’他强作笑脸说道，‘但愿没有吓着你们。我的外貌看起来很强壮，可是心脏很弱，毫不费力就可使我昏倒。福尔摩斯先生，我不知道你是怎么推断出来的，不过我觉得，那些实际存在的侦探也好，虚构出来的侦探也好，在你手下，都只不过象一些小孩子罢了。先生，你可以把它做为你一生的职业。你可以记住我这个饱经世事的人所说的话。’

“华生，请你相信这点。当时，搞推断仅仅是我的业余一爱一好，首先促使我想到这种一爱一好可以作为终生职业的，就是他的劝告以及对我的能力的言过其实的评价。然而，当时，我对东道主突然生病靶到非常不安，顾不得去想别的事。

“‘我希望我没有说什么使你痛苦的话。’我说道。

“‘啊，你当真触到了我的痛处。但我想问一下，你是怎样知道的，你知道了多少情况？’现在他半开玩笑地说道，可是双眼依然残留着惊骇的神情。

“‘这是很简单的，’我说道，‘那天我们在小艇中，你卷起袖子去捉鱼，我见你胳臂弯上刺着Ｊ．Ａ．二字，字形仍然清晰可辨，但笔划已弄得模糊了。字的四周又染着墨迹，分明后来你曾设法要把那字迹抹去。由此可见这两个缩写字母，你本来十分熟悉，后来却想忘掉它。’

“‘你的眼力好厉害啊！’他放心地松了一口气，说道，‘这事正象你所说的那样。不过我们不必去谈论它了。一切鬼魂之中，我们旧相知的一陰一魂是最凶恶的。我们到弹子房去安静地吸一支烟吧。’