海军协定（39）（在线收听）

Phelps gave a groan.

“I don't know how it is,” said he, “but I had hoped for so much from his return. But surely his hand was not tied up like that yesterday. What can be the matter?”

“You are not wounded, Holmes?” I asked, as my friend entered the room.

“Tut, it is only a scratch through my own clumsiness,” he answered, nodding his good-mornings to us. “This case of yours, Mr. Phelps, is certainly one of the darkest which I have ever investigated.”

“I feared that you would find it beyond you.”

“It has been a most remarkable experience.”

“That bandage tells of adventures,” said I. “Won't you tell us what has happened?”

“After breakfast, my dear Watson. Remember that I have breathed thirty miles of Surrey air this morning. I suppose that there has been no answer from my cabman advertisement? Well, well, we cannot expect to score every time.”

The table was all laid, and just as I was about to ring Mrs. Hudson entered with the tea and coffee. A few minutes later she brought in three covers, and we all drew up to the table, Holmes ravenous, I curious, and Phelps in the gloomiest state of depression.

费尔普斯呻一吟了一声。

“我不知道这是怎么回事，”他说道，“可是我对他回来抱有那么多的希望。不过他的手昨天并没有象这样缠着。这究竟是怎么回事呢？”

“福尔摩斯，你没有受伤吗？”我的朋友走进屋内时，我问道。

“唉，这不过是由于我手脚笨拙，擦伤了点皮，”他一面点头向我们问候，一面回答道，“费尔普斯先生，你这件案子，同我过去查办过的所有案子相比，确实是最隐秘的了。”

“我怕你对这案子是力不从心了。”

“这是一次十分奇异的经历。”

“你手上的绷带就说明你曾经历过险，”我说道，“你能不能告诉我们发生了什么事？”

“等吃过早餐再说吧，我亲一爱一的华生。别忘了今天早晨我从萨里赶了三十英里路。大概，我那份寻找马车的广告还没有着落吧？好了，好了，我们不能指望一切都顺利。”

餐桌已经准备好了，我刚要按铃，赫德森太太就把茶点和咖啡送来了。几分钟以后，她又送上三份早餐，我们一齐就坐，福尔摩斯狼吞虎咽地吃起来，我好奇地望着，费尔普斯闷闷不乐，垂头丧气。