孤身骑车人（6）

“You will let me know any fresh development, Miss  Smith. I am very busy just now, but I will find time to  make some inquiries into your case. In the meantime  take no step without letting me know. Good-bye, and I  trust that we shall have nothing but good news from  you.”

“It is part of the settled order of Nature that such a  girl should have followers,” said Holmes, as he pulled  at his meditative pipe, “but for choice not on  bicycles in lonely country roads. Some secretive lover,  beyond all doubt. But there are curious and suggestive  details about the case, Watson.”

“That he should appear only at that point?”

“Exactly. Our first effort must be to find who are the  tenants of Charlington Hall. Then, again, how about the  connection between Carruthers and Woodley, since they  appear to be men of such a different type? How came  they both to be so keen upon looking up Ralph Smith's  relations? One more point. What sort of a menage is it  which pays double the market price for a governess, but  does not keep a horse although six miles from the  station? Odd, Watson—very odd!”

“You will go down?”

“No, my dear fellow, you will go down. This may be  some trifling intrigue, and I cannot break my other  important research for the sake of it. On Monday you  will arrive early at Farnham; you will conceal yourself  near Charlington Heath; you will observe these facts  for yourself, and act as your own judgment advises.  Then, having inquired as to the occupants of the Hall,  you will come back to me and report. And now, Watson,  not another word of the matter until we have a few  solid stepping-stones on which we may hope to get  across to our solution.”

We had ascertained from the lady that she went down  upon the Monday by the train which leaves Waterloo at  9.50, so I started early and caught the 9.13. At  Farnham Station I had no difficulty in being directed  to Charlington Heath. It was impossible to mistake the  scene of the young lady's adventure, for the road runs  between the open heath on one side and an old yew hedge  upon the other, surrounding a park which is studded  with magnificent trees. There was a main gateway of  lichen-studded stone, each side pillar surmounted by  mouldering heraldic emblems; but besides this central  carriage drive I observed several points where there  were gaps in the hedge and paths leading through them.  The house was invisible from the road, but the  surroundings all spoke of gloom and decay.

“史密斯小一姐，你要把新发现的一切情况告诉我。现在我很忙，不过我一定一抽一时间来查办你这件案子。在这期间，不要没通知我就采取行动。再见，我相信我们会得到你的好消息。”

“这样的一位姑一娘一会有一些追求者，这是很自然的，"福尔摩斯沉思地一抽一着烟斗说道，“不过不要选偏僻村路骑自行车去追逐嘛。毫无疑问是一个偷偷一爱一上她的人。可是这件案子里有一些颇为奇怪和引人深思的细节，华生。”

“你是说他竟然只在那个地方出现吗？”

“不错。我们要做的第一件事就是查明谁租用了查林顿庄园。然后再查明卡拉瑟斯和伍德利究竟是什么关系，因为他俩是完全不同类型的人啊。他俩为什么急于查访拉尔夫·史密斯的亲属呢？还有一点，卡拉瑟斯家离车站六英里远，连一骑马都不买，却偏偏要出两倍代价来雇一名家庭女教师，这是一种什么样的治家之道呢？奇怪，华生，十分奇怪！”

“你下去调查吗？”

“不，我亲一爱一的朋友，你下去调查好了。这可能是一件无足挂齿的小一陰一谋，我不能为它中断别的重大调查工作。星期一你一早到法纳姆去，要隐藏在查林顿石南地带附近，亲自观察这些事实。根据自己的判断见机行一事，然后，查明是谁住在查林顿庄园，回来向我报告。现在，华生，在弄到几件可靠的证据，有希望用于结案前，我对这件事没有别的话好讲的了。”

那姑一娘一告诉我们她星期一九点五十分从滑铁卢车站乘车出发，所以我便提早出发赶乘九点十三分的火车。到法纳姆车站，我毫不费力地问明了查林顿地带。要错过那姑一娘一的遇险地带是不可能的，因为那段路一边是开阔的石南灌木地带，另一边是老紫杉树篱，环绕着一座花园，花园里巨树参天。庄园有个长满地衣的石子路，大门两侧的石柱上满是破烂的纹章图案。除了中间行车的石子路之外，我发现几处树篱有豁口，有小路穿入。从路上看不到宅院，四周的环境都显得一陰一暗、衰颓。