《福尔摩斯探案集·歪唇男人》第23节
“Coarse writing,” murmured Holmes. “Surely this is not your husband’s writing, madam.” “No, but the enclosure is.” “I perceive also that whoever addressed the envelope had to go and inquire as to the address.” “How can you tell that?” “The name, you see, is in perfectly black ink, which has dried itself. The rest is of the greyish colour, which shows that blotting-paper has been used. If it had been written straight off, and then blotted, none would be of a deep black shade. This man has written the name, and there has then been a pause before he wrote the address, which can only mean that he was not familiar with it. It is, of course, a trifle, but there is nothing so important as trifles. Let us now see the letter. Ha! there has been an enclosure here!” “Yes, there was a ring. His signet-ring.” “And you are sure that this is your husband’s hand?” “One of his hands.” “One?” “His hand when he wrote hurriedly. It is very unlike his usual writing, and yet I know it well.” “‘Dearest do not be frightened. All will come well. There is a huge error which it may take some little time to rectify. Wait in patience.—NEVILLE.’ Written in pencil upon the fly-leaf of a book, octavo size, no water-mark. Hum! Posted to-day in Gravesend by a man with a dirty thumb. Ha! And the flap has been gummed, if I am not very much in error, by a person who had been chewing tobacco. And you have no doubt that it is your husband’s hand, madam?”
注释摘要
这一节发生了一场极为紧凑的书信检验，几乎是一堂维多利亚时代的文件鉴定课。圣克莱尔太太刚刚以一封今天收到的信反驳了福尔摩斯此前关于她丈夫已死的判断，福尔摩斯在震惊之后立刻进入了工作状态。他接过信纸与信封，在灯光下细细查看，嘴上不停地喃喃自语，每一条发现都像手术刀一般切入物证的最细微处。华生全程在场，但依然站在一旁，所见与读者一致：他看得见福尔摩斯在做什么，却…