《福尔摩斯探案集·蓝宝石案》第20节
“Indeed! Whose, then?” “Well, I got the two dozen from a salesman in Covent Garden.” “Indeed? I know some of them. Which was it?” “Breckinridge is his name.” “Ah! I don’t know him. Well, here’s your good health landlord, and prosperity to your house. Good-night.” “Now for Mr. Breckinridge,” he continued, buttoning up his coat as we came out into the frosty air. “Remember, Watson that though we have so homely a thing as a goose at one end of this chain, we have at the other a man who will certainly get seven years’ penal servitude unless we can establish his innocence. It is possible that our inquiry may but confirm his guilt; but, in any case, we have a line of investigation which has been missed by the police, and which a singular chance has placed in our hands. Let us follow it out to the bitter end. Faces to the south, then, and quick march!” We passed across Holborn, down Endell Street, and so through a zigzag of slums to Covent Garden Market. One of the largest stalls bore the name of Breckinridge upon it, and the proprietor a horsey-looking man, with a sharp face and trim side-whiskers was helping a boy to put up the shutters.
注释摘要
这段对话和接下来的街景，是整条食物链从餐桌倒推回市场的关键一步。 福尔摩斯从阿尔法酒馆老板口中问出鹅的货源：一个在考文特花园的商人，名叫布雷肯里奇。他立刻告辞，甚至不多寒暄。在寒风中，他向华生点明了此事的严重性——这条线索的另一端，拴着一个可能被判七年苦役的人。他明说追查可能证明那人有罪，也可能证明其无辜，但这是一条被警方错过的路，既然偶然的命运把线头递到…