Chapter 36 crawler

Holmes has always thought that if publication of some of the eccentricities of Professor Presbury's twenty years ago would dispel the anxieties of his University and all the hideous rumors which had shaken London's academic circles, I should do so.Due to certain obstacles, however, the actual course of the investigation of this singular case has been buried in my tin box, along with the records of my friend's many other experiences.Now, at last, we have obtained permission to publish the investigation of this last case which Holmes worked on before his retirement.Even now, you need to be cautious about what you say and do when you make things public.

It was a Sunday evening in early September, 1903, when I received a brief note from Holmes: Our relationship became very special over the next few years.He was a man with some strange habits, monotonous and focused habits, and I was one of his habits.I'm like his violin, rough tobacco, old black pipe, reference book, or some other little thing.When he needed help with a case, or a partner he could rely on mentally, my role was obvious.However, besides this, I have other places available.I am the sharpening stone of his soul, I can inspire him.When I was around, he liked to talk a lot, and it wasn't really said to me - in fact he could have said it to the bed frame - but, anyway, it became a habit, and if I was involved, yes He always helps.If my slow thinking made him impatient, it only made his strong instincts and reflexes more flexible and quicker.This is my little role in our cooperation.

When I reached Baker Street, I found him curled up in an arm-chair with his knees bent, his pipe in his mouth, his brow wrinkled in thought, evidently troubled by some nagging question.With a wave of his hand he motioned me to sit in the armchair I used to sit in, but for half an hour he made no sign, ignored me at all.Then, suddenly, as if leaping out of his reverie, he welcomed me back to the place that had once been my residence with his customary eccentric smile. "You will forgive my ecstasy, Watson," said he, "some extraordinary incidents have come into my hands during the past twenty-four hours, which remind me of some more general characteristics. I am very Seriously trying to write an essay on using dogs for detective work."

"Oh, Holmes, has it not been done already," said I, "as in the case of hounds—police dogs—" "No, no, Watson, that aspect of the work is of course obvious, but there are other, more subtle ones. You may recall the case of the copper beeches which you wrote in your exquisite notes. I was only observing a The mind of a child can infer the crime of a father who is content with all prestige." "Yes, I remember the case well." "My idea of ​​inferring from dogs is similar. A dog reflects the life of its owner's family. Has anyone ever seen a lively dog ​​in a gloomy family? Or a happy family with a sad dog? Like A person who scolds, his dog growls non-stop, and a dangerous person's dog is also dangerous, and their momentary emotions will also affect the momentary emotions of others."

I shook my head and said: "Obviously, Holmes, your statement is far-fetched." He refilled his pipe and sat back in his chair, paying no attention to what I said. "The practical application of what I've just said is very close to the problem I'm investigating now. It's a mess, you know, and I'm looking for clues, and one of the possible clues is: Why did Professor Presbury's wolfhound Noe would want to bite him?" I sat back in the chair with some disappointment, did he ask me to put down my work and come here just because of such a trivial problem?Holmes glanced at me.

"You're still the same!" he said. "You never learn that the most serious things often depend on the least. But if things are a little strange, a calm old philosopher—of course you Heard the name of Professor Presbury, a famous physiologist at the University of Cambridge—his beloved wolf-dog attacked him twice! What do you think?" "The dog is sick." "Well, that has to be taken into account. It doesn't attack, however, and, except in very exceptional circumstances, it doesn't harass its master. Strange, Watson--strange indeed. But if the bell is He is early, young Mr. Bennett. I would have liked to have spoken to you before he came."

There were swift footsteps on the stairs, followed by a crisp knock on the door.In a moment, our new client walked in by himself.He was a tall and handsome young man of about thirty, well-dressed and well-mannered, but in his manner, there was a bit of a student's shyness, not like a mature man who was very sure of everything.He shook hands with Holmes, and looked at me with some surprise. "Mr. Holmes, this is a very sensitive matter," he said. "Please take into account the public and private relations between Professor Presbury and myself. I really cannot discuss this matter in the presence of a third party."

"Don't worry, Mr. Bennett. Dr. Watson can keep a secret, I can assure you. I will probably need an assistant in this matter." "Then it's up to you, Mr. Holmes. I'm sure you understand that I have scruples about the matter." "Watson, I think you will understand if I introduce to you that Mr. Trevor Bennett is the assistant of the great scientist, lives in his house, and is engaged to his only daughter. Of course, We must admit that he was absolutely devoted and respectful to that professor. However, the best way to show this is to clear up this strange incident."

"I hope so, Mr. Holmes. That is my only object. Does Dr. Watson know the whole story?" "I haven't had time to explain it to him yet." "Maybe, then, before I explain the new development, I'll give you a general overview of how things started." "Let me say it," said Holmes, "to see if I have a clear understanding of the sequence of events. This professor, Watson, is well-known in Europe, and he has devoted his life to scholarship and has never been involved in any scandal. He Currently widowed with a daughter named Edith, he was, I presume, an energetic and motivated man. This remained the case until a few months ago.

"Then his life was disrupted. He was now sixty-one years old, but he was engaged to a colleague, the daughter of Professor Murphy, an authority on comparative anatomy. As far as I understand, his behavior, Not the sane intercourse proposal of an older man, but out of the kind of enthusiasm that resembles a young man. No one behaved more like a lover in love than him. As for the lady Alice Murphy, regardless of body Or heart, is a wonderful woman, so it is no wonder that the professor is so obsessed with her. However, his own family does not fully agree." "We think it seems a bit excessive," said our visitor.

"It's not bad at all, it's too much, and it's a bit reckless and unnatural. However, Professor Presbury is quite rich, and the other's father doesn't object. As for the daughter, there are many suitable people around her. They weren't as famous as the professor, but at least they were of the right age. The lady didn't seem to care about some of the professor's eccentricities, age being the only obstacle. "That's when some rather odd little thing suddenly disrupted the normal life of the professor. He did something he had never done before. He left home suddenly without telling anyone where he was. He left After two weeks, he came back exhausted. He did not mention where he had been, although he is usually a very frank person. However, by chance, our client, Mr. Bennett, received a A letter from a classmate in Prague, saying that he was very happy to meet Professor Presbury there, although he had no opportunity to talk to him. Only because of this, his family knew that he had been there. "Now, to get to the point. Since then, the professor has had some strange changes. He's become sneaky and furtive, and people around him don't think he's the same person they used to know, and there seems to be some The shadow covered his noble character. His learning was not affected, and his lectures were still as good as before, but there were always some strange and unexpected behaviors in his life that were not there before. His daughter She was very close to him, and tried again and again to unmask her father and restore the old intimacy. And, sir, you, as far as I know, tried to do the same thing - but it didn't work. Now, Mr. Bennett, tell yourself about those letters." "You must know, Dr. Watson, that the Professor has never had any secrets from me, and if I had been his son or brother, I would have gained no more confidence. As his secretary, I handled all his correspondence, He also opened and sorted his letters. After he came back, all this changed. He told me that there might be some letters for him from London, which would have a swastika under the stamp, and these letters must Picked out, only he can open and read. I can say that there are indeed several such letters, postmarked in the East End of London, and written by people with little education. If he answered them, they It must have never been in my hands or in our usual mail basket." "And the box," said Holmes. "Ah, yes, the box. The professor brought back a small wooden box from that trip. This thing provided a clue that he had been to the European continent, because it was an exquisitely carved box, and most people would think it was Germany. He put this box in the instrument cabinet. One day, because I was looking for a cannula, I picked up the box and looked at it. To my surprise, he was very angry. Just because of my curiosity, he He scolded me viciously, the first time this had happened, and I felt deeply hurt. I tried to explain that I touched the box by accident, but all night I could feel that he was treating me very badly. Unfriendly, it has always been on his mind." Mr. Bennett took a little diary out of his pocket and said, "It happened on the second of July." "You are a very careful witness," said Holmes. "I may need some dates from you." "This method was one of the things I learned from my great teacher. As soon as I started noticing that he was behaving erratically, I felt it was my duty to look into it, so I made a note of these things. On the same day, July 2, Noel attacked the professor as he was walking from his study to the corridor. On July 11, a similar incident happened again. On July 20, I note that it happened again. After that, we had to take Noe to the stables. He was a sweet, friendly little animal—oh, I guess you're tired of hearing about it." Mr. Bennett's tone was somewhat sullen, for it was evident that Holmes was not listening.His expression was rigid, and he stared blankly at the ceiling.After some hard work, he finally brought himself back to reality. "Strange! Strange!" he murmured. "I don't know the details now, Mr. Bennett. I think we've got a pretty good idea of ​​how things started, haven't we? But you mentioned some new things. clue." The cheerful face of our visitor immediately darkened, as if recalling something unpleasant. "I'm going to tell you about the night before," said he, "that I lay awake till two o'clock in the morning, when I heard muffled noises in the corridor, and opened the door and looked out. I should explain first that the professor sleeps in the room at the end of the corridor—" "When is the date—?" asked Holmes. Our visitor was clearly annoyed at being interrupted by such an insignificant question. "Sir, as I have said, it was the night before—that is, the fourth of September." Holmes nodded with a smile. "Go on," he said. "He sleeps at the end of the corridor, and in order to reach the stairs one must pass my door. It was a dreadful situation, Mr. Holmes. I don't think my nerves are any weaker than others, but I am still terrified by what I see." The hallway was dark except for a window in the middle that let in some light. I could see something moving from one end of the hallway. It was a dark shadow crawling. Then, it suddenly entered the light from the window. I saw that it was Professor, he is crawling, Mr. Holmes—climbing! He is not crawling on his knees and hands, but on his hands and feet, with his face hanging between his hands. But he seems to be crawling with ease. I am overwhelmed by the sight. I was so stunned that I didn't step out until he was in front of me and asked him if there was anything I could do for him. His answer was unusual, and he straightened up, cursed me badly, and hurried Passed me, and went downstairs. I waited about a full hour, and he didn't come back. It must have been daylight when he got back to his room." "Well, Watson, what do you think of the matter?" asked Holmes in the tone of a pathologist presenting a rare specimen. "It's probably lumbago. I know of very bad lumbago attacks that make people walk like that, and there's no other disease that makes a person more ill-tempered." "That's right! Watson, you can always make sense. But we cannot accept the explanation of lumbago, because he immediately stood up straight again without difficulty." "He's in very good health," said Bennett. "In fact, he's in the best shape I've ever known him. But, Mr. Holmes, there are so many strange things. You can't go to the police for that sort of thing, and yet Not knowing what to do, we felt as though some great misfortune was about to happen. Edith - Miss Presbury - felt the same way I did, we couldn't do nothing like this Just wait." "It is a very strange and interesting case indeed. What do you think, Watson?" "From a doctor's point of view," I said, "this seems to be a case of insanity. The old professor's mind may have been taken away by love. He has gone abroad to try to cool down his enthusiasm. His letters, and the wooden box, may have been related to a private financial transaction—perhaps a loan or securities or something, deposited in the box." "Then the wolfhound evidently disagrees with his financial dealings. No, no, Watson, there are more complicated reasons. Now I can only suggest—" Holmes' proposal was never known, for at that moment the door was opened and a young lady was ushered in.As soon as she appeared, Mr. Bennet jumped to his feet with an exclamation, and ran to hold out both of the lady's outstretched hands. "Edith! My dear, I hope I'm all right?" "Oh, Jack, I think I must come with you. I'm frightened to death! It's dreadful to be there alone." "Mr. Holmes, this is the young lady I mentioned, my fiancée." "We're slowly guessing, too, aren't we, Watson?" replied Holmes, smiling. "Miss Presbury, I think there have been some new developments that you think we should know about, don't you?" Our new visitor, a beautiful, traditional English girl, smiled at Holmes as she sat down beside Mr. Bennett. "As soon as I found out that Mr. Bennett had left the hotel, it occurred to me that he might be here. He told me, of course, that he would come to you for advice. But, oh, Mr. Holmes, can't you help my poor man?" father?" "I hope, Miss Presbury, but the case is still unclear. Perhaps what you are about to tell us will bring us some new leads." "It was last night, Mr. Holmes. He's been behaving strangely all day, and I'm sure sometimes he doesn't remember what he's done. It's not my father who lives with me. His shell is still there, but completely not him." "Tell me what happened?" "The dog woke me up last night by barking like mad. Poor Noe, he's chained up to the stables now. I can tell you I always sleep with the door locked because Jack— Mr. Bennett - I can tell you that we always feel there is some kind of danger around us. My room is on the second floor. Last night I happened to have my curtains open and it was very bright moonlight. I lay in bed staring out I heard the dog barking in the moonlight. Suddenly, quite unexpectedly, I saw my father's face looking at me. Mr. Holmes, I almost died of fright. His face was pressed against the window frame, and one hand was raised It's like trying to push the window open. If the window were pushed open, I think I would go crazy with fright. It is definitely not a hallucination, Mr. Holmes, don't get me wrong. I dare say that for about twenty seconds I lay frozen and couldn't I just watched the face. Then he disappeared, but I couldn't—I couldn't jump up to see him, and I lay shivering until dawn. At breakfast, he was wide awake. , but in a rough manner, and didn't mention anything about last night. Neither did I, but I found an excuse to go into town—and here I am." Holmes seems completely surprised by Miss Presbury's account. "Miss, you said your room is on the second floor. Is there a long ladder in the garden?" "No, Mr. Holmes, that's what's incredible. There's no way of getting to the window—and yet he did." "The date is the fifth of September," said Holmes, "which obviously complicates the matter." Now it was the young lady's turn to be surprised. "Mr. Holmes, this is the second time you have mentioned a date," said Bennett. "Is it possible that this may be relevant to the case?" "Possibly—probably—but I haven't gathered all the information yet." "Maybe you think of the relationship between the full moon and people's emotions?" "No, I can assure you at this point that my thoughts have nothing to do with it. Perhaps, you can leave me your notebook, I need to check the dates. Well, Watson, I think what we are going to do now is The action was evident. The young lady told us—and I believe it with conviction—that her father had no recollection, or only a vague recollection, of certain days. We visited him and pretended to be him He has an appointment with us, and he will think he forgot. This way we can take a closer look at him first." "That's all very well," said Mr. Bennett. "But let me warn you, the professor can be very rough sometimes." Holmes smiled and said: "We have reasons for acting at once--very strong reasons, if my theory is right. To-morrow, Mr. Bennett, you will see us at Cambridge. If I remember correctly, there There is a hotel called Chess, where the red rum is better than average, and the sheets are a little better than scolded. Watson, I think we may spend the next few days in a very unpleasant place. The place." On Monday morning we set off for the famous university town--for Holmes, a trip out of the house was no big deal, and he had no entanglements, but for me it was a lot of hasty arrangements, because I couldn't leave it alone. my clinic.He didn't bring up the case again until after we had dropped our luggage at the old hotel where he had taken it. "I think, Watson, we shall be able to find the professor just before lunch. His class is at eleven, and he should be at home at lunchtime." "What excuse do we have for visiting him?" Holmes looked at his notebook. "On August 26th, he had a strange behavior. We assume that he doesn't remember the day clearly. If we insist that it was an appointment that day, I don't think he will refute us. Do this kind of thing Are you thick-skinned enough?" "We have no other choice but to try." "Excellent! Watson, hard work and excellence. We have to try anyway-this is the motto that persists. Find a friendly local to lead the way, and we will surely find the professor's home." A kind coachman and his handsome carriage led us swiftly through a row of old schoolhouses, and at last turned into a tree-lined drive and stopped at the gate of a handsome house.The house is surrounded by lawns and covered with wisteria.Professor Presbury evidently lived not only in comfort but in considerable luxury.Just as our car stopped, a gray-haired head poked out of the front window, and we noticed that his sharp eyes under thick eyebrows were looking at us from behind thick glasses.Moments later, we are actually in the study of the mysterious scientist.It was his strange behavior that brought us here from London, and now he stands before us.Judging from his attitude and appearance, there was absolutely no sign of eccentricity. He was a dignified and tall man, wearing a double-breasted coat, and his demeanor had the dignity that a professor should have.His eyes were the most prominent part of his features, sharp, quick-witted, intelligent to the point of cunning. He looked at our business cards and said, "Sit down, gentlemen. What can I do for you?" Holmes smiled amicably. "Professor, that's exactly the question I want to ask you." "Ask me, sir?" "Perhaps there has been some misunderstanding. I have heard from others that Professor Presbury at Cambridge University is in need of my services." "Oh, is it?" I felt a malicious look in his keen gray eyes. "You heard someone say it, didn't you? May I ask who this person is?" "I'm sorry, Professor, but I can't say that. If it's a mistake, no damage has been done anyway, and I can only express my apologies." "Not really. I would like to know more about the matter. It interests me. Do you have a note, letter, or telegram justifying your visit?" "No." "I'm sure you won't say that I came here for you?" "I do not wish to answer any further questions," said Holmes. "No, I say no," said the professor gruffly, "but the question can be easily answered without your help." He went to the other side of the room and rang the bell, which was answered by our London friend, Mr. Bennett. "Come in, Mr. Bennett. These two gentlemen are from London, and they think I have sent them. You handle all my correspondence. Have you sent any correspondence to this man, Holmes?" "No, sir," replied Bennett, blushing. "That's right," said the professor, glaring at my companion displeasedly. "Now, sir," leaning forward with his hands on the table, "it seems to me that your motives are quite questionable." Holmes shrugged his shoulders. "I can only say again that I am sorry for the needless interruption." "That's not enough! Mr. Holmes," cried the old man in a shrill voice, with a look of extreme malice.As he said, he stood between us and the door, waving his hands viciously, "It's not so easy for you to just leave." His face began to twitch, he grinned wildly at us, and kept growling.I believe we would have been kicked out of the house had Mr. Bennett not dissuaded us. "Professor," he cried, "think of your position! Think of the scandal this will cause in the school! Mr. Holmes is a famous gentleman, and you cannot treat him so disrespectfully." Our master--if I may call him that--sulled out of the way.I was so thankful when we were back outside in the quiet driveway again.Holmes seemed to have nothing but amused interest in the whole thing. "Our learned friend seems a little deranged," said he. "Our intrusion may have been a little rash, but I have achieved what I hoped for my personal contact. But, God, Watson, he still It’s really coming, this madman is still chasing us.” There were footsteps running up behind me, but I was greatly relieved to find that it was not the scary professor but his assistant.The latter appeared at the bend in the driveway, ran towards us out of breath, and said: "I am very sorry, Mr. Holmes, but I have come to apologize." "Oh, sir, no need for that. These are just some of the experiences I've had in my career." "I have never seen him scarier than just now. It can be seen that he is getting more and more violent. You should now understand why his daughter and I are worried, but he is still very clear." "That's too clear!" said Holmes. "It was my miscalculation, and his memory is evidently more reliable than I thought. By the way, before we go, could I have a look at the door of Miss Presbury's room?" windows?" Mr. Bennett pushed his way through the bushes, and we saw the side of the house. "It's over there, the second door from the left." "God, there's almost no way to get up there. You can see, though, that there's an iron frame with water pipes on it, and you can step on those." "I can't climb it myself," said Mr. Bennett. "Very likely. It would be dangerous for ordinary people to climb." "Mr. Holmes, I have one more thing to tell you. I have the address of the man in London with whom the Professor corresponded. He seems to have written him another letter this morning, and I read the address on the blotter. .It would be immoral for a trusted secretary to do so, but what else could I do?" Holmes glanced at it, and stuffed the note into his pocket. "Doric - a very strange name, I think Slavic. Well, this is a very important link. Mr. Bennett, we return to London tomorrow afternoon. I can't see the use of staying here , we can't arrest the professor because he didn't commit a crime, and we can't put him in a mental institution because it doesn't prove he's crazy. It's not possible to take any action at the moment." "So, what on earth are we going to do?" "Be patient, Mr. Bennett, things will get better soon. Unless I'm wrong, there's danger next Tuesday, and we'll be at Cambridge that day. At the same time, it cannot be denied that the situation is not very good, and if Pu Miss Lisbury continues to stay at—" "It's easy to do." "Then let her stay until we think all danger has passed. In the meantime, let the professor move about freely and don't hinder him. As long as he doesn't lose his temper, everything will be all right." "Here he comes!" whispered Bennett in horror.Looking through the branches, we saw the tall and straight figure of the professor appearing from the hall door, and then looked around.He leaned forward, swinging his hands forward, turning his head from side to side.The secretary waved and slipped through the bushes, and we saw him reappear before his employer, and then the two returned to the house together, still seeming to be discussing something vigorously. "The old scholar has put things together, I suppose," said Holmes, as we walked back to the hotel. "In the short time I have seen him, I can see that he has a clear mind and a strong power of reasoning." No doubt he was angry, and from his point of view he would have lost his temper if it had been his own family who had sent detectives to investigate him. I guess our Bennett friend is not at the moment. Nice." On the way, Holmes stopped by the post office and sent a telegram.The call back came that evening, and he threw it over for me to see. "Mercer came after you had moved away," said Holmes. "He is the person I use for general inquiries. It is very important to know who our professor is with whom we have such secret dealings. His nationality." The trip to Prague with the professor can be said to be connected." "Thank God, one thing is finally connected to another," I said. "We seem to have a series of unexplained things at the moment, and they don't seem to be related to each other. For example, an angry wolfhound and de Bosch Mia (Note: Czech was called Bohemia in ancient times)? And what do these two things have to do with a person crawling down a hallway in the middle of the night? And your dates are even more mysterious." Holmes smiled and rubbed his hands.We were sitting at this moment in the old drawing-room of the old hotel, with a bottle of that famous claret of which Holmes had mentioned lying on the table. "Okay, now let's go over the dates," he said with his fingertips folded, as if teaching a student. "The diary of this brilliant young man shows trouble on the second of July. From there, it seems It happens every nine days, and so far, as far as I can remember, there is only one exception. The most recent onset on a Friday was September 3rd, which is also regular, and the previous one was August 26th. It can't be coincide." I have to agree. "Let us suppose, then, that every nine days the professor takes a very strong drug, which acts quickly but is vicious, and which makes his violent temper all the more terrible. He learned to take it when he went to Prague. This medicine, which is now being supplied to him by a bohemian middleman in London. These facts can be connected, Watson!" "But what about the dog, and the face peeking out the window, and the creeping man in the aisle?" "Well, well, at least we've got a start, and I don't think there will be any new developments until next Tuesday, and in the meantime we'll just keep in touch with Bennett friends and enjoy the atmosphere of this mild and charming town." The next morning Mr. Bennett sneaked up to give us an update.Life, as Holmes said, was not easy for him.The professor, though not directly accusing him of being responsible for our visit, was stern and clearly disaffected, yet this morning he was back to normal, and as usual gave an excellent lecture to a packed room. "Aside from his unusual behavior," Bennett said, "the fact that he has more energy and a clearer head than I can remember at any time, but that's not him — not the him we knew." "At least I don't think you need worry about anything during the week," replied Holmes. "I am very busy, and Dr. Watson has his patients to attend to. Let us arrange to meet here at the same time next Tuesday. When you leave this place again, even if you can't completely solve your troubles, I believe you will find a reasonable explanation. In the meantime, you can contact us at any time." I did not communicate with my friend again for the next few days, but on the evening of the second Monday, I received a note from him asking me to meet him at the train station the next day.On our way to Cambridge, he told me that everything was fine at the professor's house and that the professor was behaving normally.In the old room of the Chess Hotel that evening, Mr. Bennett made the same report to us: "He has a letter from London today. There is a letter, and a small parcel, both of which are stamped There was a swastika warning me not to open it. Other than that, nothing else happened." "That may be proof enough," said Holmes gravely. "I think we shall have something tonight, Mr. Bennett. If my reasoning is correct, we shall have an opportunity of getting something out of the matter. But we must To do so, we must monitor the professor's movements. Therefore, I advise you to stay up at night, be alert at all times, and if you hear him passing your door, do not stop him, but follow him as stealthily as possible. Dr. Watson and I Will stay around. And where's the key to that locket you mentioned?" "On his watch chain." "I believe our investigation must be heading in that direction. Even in the worst case, the lock will not be too difficult to open. Do you have any other strong hands in the house?" "There was a coachman named McGaffie." "Where does he sleep?" "Over there at the stables." "We may use him. Well, there's nothing more we can do until things get better. Good-bye—but we'll see you again before tomorrow morning." Near midnight, we hid in the bushes opposite the professor's gate.It was a nice night, but cold, and luckily we all had thick coats on.The night wind is blowing slowly, the clouds are flying in the sky, and the bright moon is flickering.Such a vigil would not have been a pleasant affair, were it not for the anticipation of intense and exciting events, and my companion's reassurance that the strange chain of events which attracted us would probably come to fruition. "If the nine-day theory is correct, then the Professor is at his worst tonight," said Holmes. "His strange symptoms only began after he went to Prague, and he had a secret relationship with a Bosch in London."米亚商人来往，那人很可能是在布拉格的某人的代理人。今天他又收到一个此人寄来的小包裹，所有这些事实，都指往同一个方向。他用的是什么药，他为什么要用这种药，我们都还想不通，但这全源自于布拉格，他严格按指示用药，每九天用一次，这点首先引起了我的注意，不过他的症状实在非常不寻常。你看到他的关节了吗？” 我必须承认我没有。 “又厚又有老茧，这我从没见过。华生，观察人总是先从手看起，然后看袖口、长裤的膝盖处，以及鞋子。那些奇怪的关节只可能与行进的样子有关，班尼特看到他行进——”福尔摩斯突然停了下来，将手拍向额头，“噢，华生，华生，我真笨啊！虽然看起来难以置信，但一定是对的，所有的事都指向一个方向，我怎么会没有看出关联的地方？那些关节——我怎么会没想到那些关节？还有狗！还有树藤！啊，我实在该退休到我梦想的农场去了。注意！华生，他出来了！我们这就能亲眼见到了。” 门廊上的大门慢慢地打开，由背后透出的灯光我们再次看到了普利斯伯瑞教授高大的身影，他穿着他的晨袍。他站在门廊前时，人是直立的，但身体前倾，两臂垂直地在身前晃荡，就像我们上次见到一样。 他向前走上车道，姿势突然变了。他弯下身去，开始手脚并用地匍匐而行，偶尔快速地滑跳，像是有过多的精力需要发泄。他沿着屋子前方前行，然后转过转角处。他的身影消失后，班尼特由门中溜出来，偷偷地跟在他身后。 “来！华生，来！”福尔摩斯叫道，我们尽可能轻盈地在树丛间穿梭，直到我们来到一处可以看到房子侧面之处。房子的另一面正沐浴在半弯月光下，我们可以很清楚地看到教授正在爬满常春藤的墙角边匍匐而行。当我们注视他时，他突然开始十分敏捷地爬升，由一根藤枝跳到另一根藤枝，每一次都确定手抓紧、脚踏实了才动。他这么爬似乎只是很高兴自己有这种能力，并没有什么特定的目的。晨袍在他身体的两侧打开，使他看起来像只大蝙蝠贴在自家的墙上。月光下，那片墙上现出一片高大的黑影。突然，他显得厌烦了这种娱乐，于是又原样一根跳到另一根地爬下来，然后用他原来的怪样子匍匐而行，往马厩那个方向移去。狼狗出来了，疯狂地吠着，当它看见主人的身影，吠声变得更狂烈。它被铁链拴着，因急切与疯狂而不停地跳动。教授有意地蹲到狼狗刚刚碰不到他的地方，然后用各种方法逗它。他在车道上抓起一把小石子，丢到狗的脸上，又捡了一根树枝去刺它，他挥动的手离狗气喘吁吁的大嘴只有几寸，而且还极力用各种方式去激发那狗本已无法控制的狂怒。在我所有的经历中，我想我从没见过比这更怪异的情景：一个冷静而有尊严的人，像只青蛙般匍匐在地上，想尽各种残忍的方法，不停地刺激在他面前一条已经狂怒的狗，使它表现得更加疯狂。 顷刻，危险发生了！铁链并没有挣断，而是项圈滑了出来，因为那本来是颈项较大的纽芬兰狗的项圈。我们听到一阵金属坠地声，瞬间人狗就同时在地上滚成一团，一个发出疯狂的怒吠，一个则是从没听过的凄厉惨叫声。教授几乎丧命，那只疯狂的狗紧紧地咬住他的喉咙，它的利牙咬得很深，在我们赶去将他们拖开前，他已失去了知觉。如果让我们去拉开他们，会是十分危险的事，不过班尼特的声音及出现，立刻使那条狼狗安静下来。喧闹声把睡眼惺忪、惊诧万分的马车夫由马厩上面的房间吵了下来。 “我对这事一点儿都不惊奇，”他摇着头说道，“我以前看过他这样，我知道迟早会出事的。” 狗被拴住了，我们一起把教授抬进屋中。班尼特有医学学位，帮我一起包扎教授被撕裂的喉咙。狗的利牙已深入到离大动脉十分接近的地方，因此出血十分严重。半个小时后，血总算止住了，危险暂时算是过去了。我替病人注射了吗啡，让他沉沉睡去。直到这时，我们才能互相谈论该怎么办。 “我认为需要请一流的外科医生来看他。”我说。 “上帝，不行！”班尼特叫道，“到目前为止，这件丑闻还只有这屋子里的人知道，我们能保守秘密。但一旦传出这屋子，事情就会没完没了。我们得考虑他在学校的地位，在欧洲的声誉，以及他女儿的感觉。” “一点儿也不错，”福尔摩斯说，“我想我们可以保守秘密，现在我们又多了一个人手，应该可以阻止事情再次发生。班尼特先生，请你取下表链上的钥匙。麦格菲守住病人，如果情况有变，马上来告诉我们。让我们看看在教授神秘的盒子中能找到些什么。” 盒子里面的东西并不多，但已足够了——一个空的小药瓶，还有一瓶几乎满的小药瓶，一个皮下注射针管，几封外国人写得潦草的信。信封上的记号显示，那些就是秘书不得拆阅的信，每一封都是由商业街发出，有“a·多瑞克”的签名。信里的内容只是通知普利斯伯瑞教授新药寄出的发票，或者是钱已收到的收据。不过，另有一封显然出自受过较高教育的人的信，贴的是奥地利邮票，邮戳是布拉格。 “这就是我们要找的东西了！”福尔摩斯抽出信纸时，大声说道。 洛文斯坦！这个名字使我记起来曾在报上看过。此人是个荒谬的科学家，极力研究某种不为人知的返老还童以及长生不老的方法。布拉格的洛文斯坦！洛文斯坦的奇异的强壮精力的血清，是医学界禁止的，因为他拒绝公开来源。我简单地说出了我记起来的事，班尼特由书架上取下一本动物学。“黑面猴，”他念道，“喜马拉雅山麓之巨型黑脸猴子，是体形最大、最接近人类之攀爬类猴子。另外还有许多细节。啊，谢谢你，福尔摩斯先生，很显然我们已经追查到血清的来源了。” “真正的来源，”福尔摩斯说，“当然是源自于那桩不合时宜的恋爱。我们这位有名的教授以为，只要他能变年轻一点儿，就能实现愿望。一个人想要超乎自然，则一定会跌至地狱。最高等的人类，如果脱离常轨，就会变为动物。”他手中把玩着小药瓶，注视着里面透明的液体，“如果我写信给这个人，告诉他，他对传送出来的这些毒药必须负刑事责任，我们就不会再有麻烦了。不过这种事情还可能再次发生，别人也许会想出另外的办法，危险仍然存在——对人类的真正危险仍然存在。华生，想想，全世界那些追求物质、感官的人类全都想延长他们毫无价值的生命，而真正有灵性的人都不愿意违反造物的意旨，于是最不好的人留了下来，我们这可悲的世界会变成个什么样的污池泥淖啊？”突然，他的空想停止了，这个注重实际行动的人从椅子中跳起来，“班尼特先生，我想没有其他需要说的事情了，这一连串不同的事件现在都很容易连接起来。当然，狗能比你更快察觉变化，它的嗅觉不会有错。诺埃攻击的是猴子，不是教授，就好像是猴子在挑逗诺埃一样。攀爬是那种动物的喜好，我想那次只是巧合，他爬到了那位年轻女士的窗边。华生，一早有火车回城，不过，我想我们还有足够的时间到棋格旅馆喝杯茶，是吧？”