登陆注册
47188300000527

第527章 The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge1(62)

When I say that I started my pilgrimage at Chicago, graduatedin an Irish secret society at Buffalo, gave serious trouble to theconstabulary at Skibbareen, and so eventually caught the eye of asubordinate agent of Von Bork, who recommended me as a likelyman, you will realize that the matter was complex. Since then Ihave been honoured by his confidence, which has not preventedmost of his plans going subtly wrong and five of his best agentsbeing in prison. I watched them, Watson, and I picked them asthey ripened. Well, sir, I hope that you are none the worse!”

The last remark was addressed to Von Bork himself, who aftermuch gasping and blinking had lain quietly listening to Holmes’sstatement. He broke out now into a furious stream of Germaninvective, his face convulsed with passion. Holmes continued his swiftinvestigation of documents while his prisoner cursed and swore.

“Though unmusical, German is the most expressive of alllanguages,” he observed when Von Bork had stopped from pureexhaustion. “Hullo! Hullo!” he added as he looked hard at thecorner of a tracing before putting it in the box. “This should putanother bird in the cage. I had no idea that the paymaster wassuch a rascal, though I have long had an eye upon him. Mister VonBork, you have a great deal to answer for.”

The prisoner had raised himself with some difficulty upon thesofa and was staring with a strange mixture of amazement andhatred at his captor.

“I shall get level with you, Altamont,” he said, speaking withslow deliberation. “If it takes me all my life I shall get level withyou!”

“The old sweet song,” said Holmes. “How often have I heardit in days gone by. It was a favorite ditty of the late lamentedProfessor Moriarty. Colonel Sebastian Moran has also been knownto warble it. And yet I live and keep bees upon the South Downs.”

“Curse you, you double traitor!” cried the German, strainingagainst his bonds and glaring murder from his furious eyes.

“No, no, it is not so bad as that,” said Holmes, smiling. “Asmy speech surely shows you, Mr. Altamont of Chicago had noexistence in fact. I used him and he is gone.”

“Then who are you?”

“It is really immaterial who I am, but since the matter seemsto interest you, Mr. Von Bork, I may say that this is not my firstacquaintance with the members of your family. I have done a gooddeal of business in Germany in the past and my name is probablyfamiliar to you.”

“I would wish to know it,” said the Prussian grimly.

“It was I who brought about the separation between Irene Adlerand the late King of Bohemia when your cousin Heinrich wasthe Imperial Envoy. It was I also who saved from murder, by theNihilist Klopman, Count Von und Zu Grafenstein, who was yourmother’s elder brother. It was I—”

Von Bork sat up in amazement.

“There is only one man,” he cried.

“Exactly,” said Holmes.

Von Bork groaned and sank back on the sofa. “And most ofthat information came through you,” he cried. “What is it worth?

What have I done? It is my ruin forever!”

“It is certainly a little untrustworthy,” said Holmes. “It willrequire some checking and you have little time to check it. Youradmiral may find the new guns rather larger than he expects, andthe cruisers perhaps a trifle faster.”

Von Bork clutched at his own throat in despair.

同类推荐
  • 况味

    况味

    黑夜是睡眠的时候,做梦很正常;白天睡眠就不正常,做梦当然更不正常。然而只有在不正常中,才发生这些故事。梦已经逝去,只留下一些淡淡的记忆。
  • 山那边是海

    山那边是海

    自幼无父无母的女孩姚伊楠跟着爷爷奶奶长大,性格活泼开朗,在大学里被富家子弟许志远所倾慕,两人结下短暂的友情。原定出国留学的许志远因为伊楠想要放弃,惹得爱子心切的许母大发雷霆却又无可奈何,只得让志远的哥哥梁钟鸣找伊楠谈判,想用计骗志远出国。耿直的伊楠不肯就范,谈判破裂,但伊楠对温润儒雅,文质彬彬的梁钟鸣留下了深刻的印象。一次偶然,伊楠与梁钟鸣再次邂逅,两人从此有了交集……
  • 藏北草原·我的羊皮袄

    藏北草原·我的羊皮袄

    曾哲是当代文坛著名作家。1989年至今,他断续独自一人游荡,走访了西北西南边境20多个少数民族地区。他的小说多以他所见所闻为题材,《藏北草原·我的羊皮袄》是他的短篇小说集,收录了《苗岭的夏天》、《黑水潋滟》、《寂寞的雪》、《巴颜喀拉的月亮》等二十篇佳作。
  • 躲去天堂

    躲去天堂

    一群在生活的沉浮,情感的起落中,慢慢变得心智成熟的孩子们,突破一个个横隔眼前的障碍,只为完成一种叫做自我的成长,不管是笑与泪,都是那么真实的呈现,因为滚烫的不止是血液,还有一颗颗用自己的心跳来感应命运变化的心。
  • 花旗袍

    花旗袍

    杨袭,女,1976年出生于黄河口,08年始在《大家》《作品》《黄河文学》《飞天》《山东文学》等文学杂志发表小说。
热门推荐
  • 苍世之劫

    苍世之劫

    元启大陆,充斥无数天地元素;北岛之上,少年领悟世间罕见的空间元素。沧澜雨夜,邂逅神秘白衣少女;黑暗之中,孤独迷惘的少女仍在挣扎彷徨。一段人生,两段情缘。金狮王朝的统治、第一家族的衰落、汹涌激荡的暗流、酝酿已久的阴谋……平静的大陆必将迎来颠覆。暴风雨之中,谁才是屹立天下之人?
  • 本就是一场错

    本就是一场错

    白清爱唐泽旭,很爱很爱,不对,曾经很爱很爱而唐泽旭不爱白清,所有人都知道唐泽旭喜欢那个叫做周沫沫的女人那颗心慢慢的支离破碎,再也无法愈合,伤害那么多,原谅那句话怎么也说不出口"我们之间有一个孩子的命""我们回不去了,分手吧""我已经垮了,你还想我怎么样?""笨笨,我们和好吧""笨笨,我宁愿我们重蹈覆辙,互相伤害,也不希望你是别人的"
  • 混世魔妃

    混世魔妃

    莫名穿越,从黑帮少女穿成个软柿子,被人捏来捏去。被人刺,她忍,因为她刚来到这个世界;被人卖,她忍,因为她不想呆在他的身边;“凤无双,你想死就跟他走!”他魔鬼似得挡在了她的身前,丫的!本小姐不发威,真把本小姐当成病猫了,“去死吧!”她飞起一脚就朝他的命根子去…情节虚构,请勿模仿!
  • 生命中另一个自己

    生命中另一个自己

    慕瑶从小就不喜欢和人交谈,总是把自己关在只属于自己的城堡里。直到有一天,父母的关系恶化,她遇到了一个女孩。值得惊奇的是,那女孩竟然长得和她一模一样。(注:不是爱情文!不是爱情文!不是爱情文!重要的事情说三遍!!!)
  • 琉璃孤岛

    琉璃孤岛

    晴天原本是为报仇而来,却不曾想她落入他的孤岛,如琉璃一般的孤岛,再也没能出来。
  • 神思:艺术的精灵

    神思:艺术的精灵

    《神思:艺术的精灵》是《中国美学范畴丛书》中的一种。本书对“神思”这一中国古典美学中关于艺术创作思维的核心范畴进行了全面而深入的论述,说明了“神思”具有自由性、超越性、直觉性和创造性的特点,是一个动态的思维方式,论述了想象是“神思”的主要内涵,有很多创见,给读者以启迪。
  • 跑出天际

    跑出天际

    换了个新的环境,踏出一小步,却成了他新人生的一大步。激活步数系统,跑步就能变强在充满危机的世界,他刀砍凶兽,拳打魔族他‘肝’道为王,跑出了一片天点击进入,看他的故事
  • 我就是魔修

    我就是魔修

    一场阴谋,开启了新的世界!一个少年!却成了起点!他!被逼成魔!但他仍是怒吼:我就是魔修!
  • 恶魔小甜心强势

    恶魔小甜心强势

    平凡少女,看见两个不可能在一起的事物,随即发生翻天覆地的变化,遇见恶魔少爷
  • 永度少年

    永度少年

    有一个梦!我要当科学家!科学家是什么!不知道,我只知道科学家可以把不可能变成可能!所以我开始了自己的努力!我的生命只有一个目标——科学家!后来才知人生百年,短短数载,何为悟道,今日才知。欲望,贪欲,追求,心伤,生活,每个人的目标都不同,心声也不同,原来读书,真正要读懂的是自己如何过一生,如何看透生死。