巴斯克威尔的猎犬 梅利琵宅邸的主人斯台普吞（4）（在线收听）

　　It seemed hopeless to pursue the inquiry any farther, but it was clear that in spite of Holmes'sruse we had no proof that Barrymore had not been in London all the time. Suppose that it were so-- suppose that the same man had been the last who had seen Sir Charles alive, and the first to dogthe new heir when he returned to England. What then? Was he the agent of others or had he somesinister design of his own? What interest could he have in persecuting the Baskerville family? Ithought of the strange warning clipped out of the leading article of the Times. Was that his work orwas it possibly the doing of someone who was bent upon counteracting his schemes? The onlyconceivable motive was that which had been suggested by Sir Henry, that if the family could bescared away a comfortable and permanent home would be secured for the Barrymores. But surelysuch an explanation as that would be quite inadequate to account for the deep and subtle schemingwhich seemed to be weaving an invisible net round the young baronet. Holmes himself had saidthat no more complex case had come to him in all the long series of his sensational investigations.

　　I prayed, as I walked back along the gray, lonely road, that my friend might soon be freed from hispreoccupations and able to come down to take this heavy burden of responsibility from myshoulders.

　　要想继续这件调查似已无望了， 可是有一点是很清楚的， 虽然福尔摩斯使用了巧计， 我们仍未能证明白瑞摩一直也没有去过伦敦。假设事实就是如此——假设他就是最后看到查尔兹爵士还活着的人， 就是首先跟踪刚刚回到英伦的新继承人的人， 那又怎么样呢？ 他是受别人的指使呢， 还是另有个人的阴谋呢？ 害巴斯克维尔家的人对他会有什么好处呢？ 我想起了用《泰晤士报》 评论剪贴而成的警告信。 这是否就是他干的呢， 还是可能有谁因为决心要反对他的阴谋而干的呢？ 唯一能想象得出的就是亨利爵士所猜测过的那种动机， 那就是说， 如果庄园的主人能被吓跑的话， 那么白瑞摩夫妇就能到手一个永久而舒适的家了 。 可是这样一种解释， 对于如同环绕年轻的准男爵织成一面无形罗网的、 深谋远虑的阴谋来说， 确乎十分不当。 福尔摩斯本人曾说过， 在他那一长串惊人的侦探案里， 再没有过比这更复杂的案子了。

　　在我沿着颜色灰白而又孤寂的道路回来的途中， 心里默默地祷告着， 愿我的朋友能从他的事务中脱身到这里来， 从我的双肩上卸下这份沉重的责任吧。

　　Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of running feet behind me and by avoice which called me by name. I turned, expecting to see Dr. Mortimer, but to my surprise it wasa stranger who was pursuing me. He was a small, slim, clean-shaven, prim-faced man,flaxen-haired and leanjawed, between thirty and forty years of age, dressed in a gray suit andwearing a straw hat. A tin box for botanical specimens hung over his shoulder and he carried agreen butterfly-net in one of his hands.

　　忽然一阵跑步声和唤着我名字的声音打断了我的思路， 我转过身去， 心想一定是摩梯末医生， 但是很使我惊奇， 追我的竟是一个陌生人。 他是个矮小瘦削、 胡子刮得很干净和面貌端正的人， 长着淡黄色的头发， 下巴尖瘦， 大约三四十岁的样子， 穿着一身灰色衣服， 戴着草帽， 肩上挂着一只薄薄的植物标本匣， 一只手里拿着一把绿色的捕蝶网。