诺伍德的建筑师（17）（在线收听）

I do not know how far Sherlock Holmes took any sleep that night, but when I came down to breakfast I found him pale and harassed, his bright eyes the brighter for the dark shadows round them. The carpet round his chair was littered with cigarette-ends and with the early editions of the morning papers. An open telegram lay upon the table.

“What do you think of this, Watson?” he asked, tossing it across.

It was from Norwood, and ran as follows:

“Important fresh evidence to hand. McFarlane's guilt definitely established. Advise you to abandon case.

— Lestrade.

“This sounds serious,” said I.

“It is Lestrade's little cock-a-doodle of victory,” Holmes answered, with a bitter smile. “And yet it may be premature to abandon the case. After all, important fresh evidence is a two-edged thing, and may possibly cut in a very different direction to that which Lestrade imagines. Take your breakfast, Watson, and we will go out together and see what we can do. I feel as if I shall need your company and your moral support today.”

My friend had no breakfast himself, for it was one of his peculiarities that in his more intense moments he would permit himself no food, and I have known him presume upon his iron strength until he has fainted from pure inanition. “At present I cannot spare energy and nerve force for digestion,” he would say in answer to my medical remonstrances. I was not surprised, therefore, when this morning he left his untouched meal behind him and started with me for Norwood. A crowd of morbid sightseers were still gathered round Deep Dene House, which was just such a suburban villa as I had pictured. Within the gates Lestrade met us, his face flushed with victory, his manner grossly triumphant.

“Well, Mr. Holmes, have you proved us to be wrong yet? Have you found your tramp?” he cried.

“I have formed no conclusion whatever,” my companion answered.

我不知道那一一夜福尔摩斯究竟睡了多久，但我下楼吃早饭的时候，见他脸色苍白，满面愁容，他那双发亮的眼睛由于周围的黑圈显得更加明亮。在他的椅子附近的地毯上满是烟头和当天的早报。有一份电报摊在餐桌上。

“你看这是什么意思，华生？”他把电报扔过来问我。

电报是从诺伍德来的，全文如下：

新获重要证据，麦克法兰罪行已定，奉劝放弃此案。

雷斯垂德

“听起来象真的，”我说。

“这是雷斯垂德自鸣得意的小胜利，”福尔摩斯回答说，脸上露出一丝苦笑。“不过，放弃这个案子也许还不到时候。不管怎样，任何新的重要证据就象一把双刃的刀，它可能不一定朝着是雷斯垂德猜想的方向切过去。先吃早饭吧，华生。咱们一块儿出去看看有什么可做的，今天我觉得好象需要你的陪伴和一精一神援助。”

我的朋友自己却没有吃早饭。他在比较紧张的时候就不让自己吃东西，这是他的一个特一性一。我见过他滥用自己的体力，直到由于营养不足而晕倒。“我现在匀不出一精一力来消化食物，”他总是以这句话来回答我从医学的角度提出的劝告。因此，这天他没吃早饭就和我出发去诺伍德，并不使我奇怪。有一群好奇的人围在幽谷庄外，这所郊外的别墅和我想象的一样。雷斯垂德在里面迎接我们，胜利使他满面红光，样子很得意。“啊，福尔摩斯先生，你已经证明我们错了吧？你找到那个流一浪一汉没有？”他高声说。

“我还没有得出什么结论，”我的同伴回答说。