Watson, M.D
Our prisoner smiled.
“I guess you’re going to take me to the police-station,” he remarked to Sherlock Holmes. “My cab’s at the door. If you’ll loose my legs I’ll walk down to it.”
Gregson and Lestrade exchanged glances; but Holmes loosened the towel.
“If there’s a vacant place for a chief of the police, I can recommend this man,” said Jefferson Hope, while he was gazing at Sherlock Holmes.
“Please come with me,” said Holmes to the two detectives.
“I can drive you,” said Lestrade.
“Good! And Gregson can come inside. You too, Doctor.”
I assented gladly, and we all descended together. Our prisoner stepped calmly into the cab. Lestrade whipped up the horse, and brought us in a very short time to our destination. A police Inspector wrote down our prisoner’s name and the names of the murdered men.
“The prisoner will be put before the magistrates in the course of the week,” said the Inspector; “in the mean time, Mr. Jefferson Hope, have you anything to say? I must warn you that your words may be used against you.”
“Yes, I want to say something,” our prisoner said slowly. “I want to tell you gentlemen all about it.”
“Why not in the court?” asked the Inspector.
“I will die soon,” he answered. “Are you a doctor?” He turned his fierce dark eyes upon me.
“Yes; I am,” I answered.
“Then put your hand here,” he said, with a smile, and showed his chest.
I did so. I felt an extraordinary throbbing and commotion. The walls of his chest thrilled and quivered. In the silence of the room I heard a dull humming and buzzing noise.
“Oh,” I cried, “you have an aortic aneurism[63]!”
“That’s what they call it,” he said, placidly. “I went to a doctor last week. I got it in the Salt Lake Mountains. My work is finished. But I don’t want to be a common murderer.”
“Do you consider, doctor, that there is immediate danger?” asked the Inspector.
“Most certainly there is,” I answered.
“In that case, sir,” said the Inspector, “please, give your account.”
“I’ll sit down, with your permission,” said Jefferson Hope. “This aneurism of mine makes me easily tired. I’m dying and I do not want to lie to you. Every word I say is the absolute truth.”
With these words, Jefferson Hope leaned back in his chair and began. He spoke in a calm and methodical manner.
“It doesn’t much matter to you why I hated these men,” he said; “they were guilty of the death of two human beings-a father and a daughter. Therefore, they forfeited their own lives. A lot of time passed since their crime. It was impossible for me to secure a conviction against them in any court. I knew of their guilt though, and I was the judge, jury, and executioner.
It happened twenty years ago. I wanted to marry that girl. She was forced into marrying[64] that same Drebber, and she died. I took the marriage ring from her dead finger, and I wanted to show it to my enemies. Their crime must be punished. I was following Drebber and his accomplice over two continents. If I die tomorrow, I will die happily. My work in this world is done, and well done. There is nothing for me to hope for, or to desire.
They were rich and I was poor, so that it was not easy for me to follow them. When I got to London my pocket was empty, and I found some work. I can drive and ride, so I applied at a cabowner’s office, and soon got employment. The hardest job was to remember the streets, this city is very confusing.
I found out where my two gentlemen were living. They were at a boarding-house at Camberwell, on the other side of the river. I had my beard, nobody could recognize me. I was following them until I saw my opportunity. They could not escape me again.
Sometimes I followed them on my cab, and sometimes on foot, they could not get away from me. They were very cunning, though. They never went out alone, and never after nightfall. During two weeks I drove behind them every day, and never once saw them separate. Drebber himself was always drunk, but Stangerson was sober. I watched them late and early, but never saw the chance.
At last, one evening I was driving up and down Torquay Terrace, when I saw a cab next to their door. The cabman brought some luggage, and after a time Drebber and Stangerson followed it, and drove off. I feared that they were going away. At Euston Station they got out, and I left a boy to hold my horse, and followed them on to the platform. They asked for the Liverpool train. There was no a train for some hours.
Stangerson was angry, but Drebber was pleased. I came closer to them in the bustle. I could hear every word that passed between them. Drebber says that he has a little business to do. His companion remonstrates with him. Drebber answers that the matter is a delicate one, and that he must go alone. Drebber reminds Stangerson that he is nothing more than his servant, and that he must not dictate to him. So the Secretary simply tells him that if he misses the last train he can rejoin him at Halliday’s Private Hotel. Drebber says that he will be back on the platform before eleven, and goes away.
This was my moment! I had my enemies within my power. Together they protected each other, but singly they were at my mercy. My plans were already formed. The offender must realize why retribution comes upon him.
Some days before a gentleman was looking over some houses in the Brixton Road. He dropped the key of one of them in my carriage. I returned the key; but in the interval I made a duplicate. But how to get Drebber to that house? It was a difficult problem.
Drebber walked down the road and went into one or two liquor shops. He stayed for nearly half-an-hour in the last of them. When he came out he was evidently drunk. There was a hansom just in front of me, and he hailed it. I followed it. The nose of my horse was within a yard of his driver the whole way.
We rattled across the city until, to my astonishment, we found ourselves back in the Terrace in which he boarded. He entered it, and his hansom drove away. Give me a glass of water, please.”
I handed him the glass.
“That’s better,” he said. “Well, I waited for a quarter of an hour, or more, when suddenly there came a noise. Some people were struggling inside the house. Next moment the door opened and two men appeared, one of whom was Drebber, and the other was a young chap. This fellow had Drebber by the collar[65], and when they came to the head of the steps he gave him a shove and a kick.
‘You hound,’ he cried; ‘I’ll teach you to insult an honest girl!’
He wanted to thrash Drebber with his cudgel, but the coward staggered away down the road very fast. He saw my cab, hailed me and jumped in.
‘Drive me to Halliday’s Private Hotel,’ said he.
When I had him inside my cab, my heart jumped with joy. I drove along slowly. What to do? He solved the problem for me. He ordered me to stop near a gin palace
aortic aneurism – аневризма аорты
she was forced into marrying – её силой выдали замуж
had Drebber by the collar – тащил Дреббера за шиворот
