《福尔摩斯探案集·蓝宝石案》第23节
“Well?” “That’s the list of the folk from whom I buy. D’you see? Well, then, here on this page are the country folk, and the numbers after their names are where their accounts are in the big ledger. Now, then! You see this other page in red ink? Well, that is a list of my town suppliers. Now, look at that third name. Just read it out to me.” “Mrs. Oakshott, 117, Brixton Road—249,” read Holmes. “Quite so. Now turn that up in the ledger.” Holmes turned to the page indicated. “Here you are, ‘Mrs. Oakshott, 117, Brixton Road, egg and poultry supplier.’” “Now, then, what’s the last entry?” “‘December 22nd. Twenty-four geese at 7s. 6d.’” “Quite so. There you are. And underneath?” “‘Sold to Mr. Windigate of the Alpha, at 12s.’” “What have you to say now?” Sherlock Holmes looked deeply chagrined. He drew a sovereign from his pocket and threw it down upon the slab, turning away with the air of a man whose disgust is too deep for words. A few yards off he stopped under a lamp-post and laughed in the hearty, noiseless fashion which was peculiar to him. “When you see a man with whiskers of that cut and the ‘Pink ’un’ protruding out of his pocket, you can always draw him by a bet,” said he. “I daresay that if I had put £ 100 down in front of him, that man would not have given me such complete information as was drawn from him by the idea that he was doing me on a wager. Well, Watson, we are, I fancy, nearing the end of our quest, and the only point which remains to be determined is whether we should go on to this Mrs. Oakshott to-night, or whether we should reserve it for to-morrow. It is clear from what that surly fellow said that there are others besides ourselves who are anxious about the matter, and I should—”
注释摘要
这一节最精彩的，是福尔摩斯用一句轻巧的谎话，撬开了小贩紧闭的嘴。账本对峙这一段，表面上是买卖人教训自以为是的顾客，骨子里却是福尔摩斯设下的一个小小圈套。他把一桩生死攸关的查访，伪装成了一场关于鹅的产地和面子的赌局。 小贩翻开那本薄薄的小册子时，语气完全是行家对门外汉的不耐烦。他让福尔摩斯念出那一页乡下供货商的名册，紧接着又翻到红墨水记的城里供货商那一页，指…