《福尔摩斯探案集·铜山毛榉案》第25节
“‘No friend of yours, Miss Hunter?’ he asked. “‘No, I know no one in these parts.’ “‘Dear me! How very impertinent! Kindly turn round and motion to him to go away.’ “‘Surely it would be better to take no notice.’ “‘No, no, we should have him loitering here always. Kindly turn round and wave him away like that.’ “I did as I was told, and at the same instant Mrs. Rucastle drew down the blind. That was a week ago, and from that time I have not sat again in the window, nor have I worn the blue dress, nor seen the man in the road.” “Pray continue,” said Holmes. “Your narrative promises to be a most interesting one.” “You will find it rather disconnected, I fear, and there may prove to be little relation between the different incidents of which I speak. On the very first day that I was at the Copper Beeches, Mr. Rucastle took me to a small outhouse which stands near the kitchen door. As we approached it I heard the sharp rattling of a chain, and the sound as of a large animal moving about. “‘Look in here!’ said Mr. Rucastle, showing me a slit between two planks. ‘Is he not a beauty?’
注释摘要
福尔摩斯鼓励亨特小姐继续说下去时，语气已经从早先略带调侃的漠然转为专注，他说“你的叙述很可能将是极其有趣的”，这句话本身就是一个值得注意的判断——他显然从之前那些古怪的规矩里嗅到了某种结构性的诡异，而不仅仅是一个乡下富人家庭的怪癖。 亨特小姐以一种道歉的口吻预告接下来的讲述可能互不关联，担心不同事件之间缺乏联系。然后她退回到最初抵达铜山毛榉宅邸那一天，讲了…