Chapter 12

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Lestrade’s Envelope & Arrest

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II. The Adventure of the Cardboard Box

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Sherlock Holmes
was not disappointed
in his expectations.

Two days later
he received
a bulky ( 龐大的)
envelope,
which contained
a short note
from the detective,
and a typewritten ( 打字的)
document,
which covered
several pages
of foolscap ( 大張公文紙).

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“Lestrade
has got him
all right,”
said Holmes,
glancing up
at me.

“Perhaps it would
interest you
to hear
what he says.”

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“My dear
Mr. Holmes,—
In accordance
with the scheme
which we had formed
in order to test
our theories”—
“the ‘we’
is rather fine,
Watson,
is it not?”—
“I went down
to the Albert Dock ( 阿爾伯特码頭)
yesterday
at 6 P.M.,
and boarded
the S.S. ( 蒸汽船)
_May Day_,
belonging to
the Liverpool, Dublin,
and London
Steam Packet Company ( 輪船公司).”

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“On inquiry ( 詢問),
I found
that there was
a steward ( 船務員)
on board
of the name
of James Browner
and that he had acted
during the voyage
in such an extraordinary ( 反常的)
manner
that the captain
had been compelled
to relieve him
of his duties ( 解除職務).”

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“On descending
to his berth ( 船艙鋪位),
I found him
seated upon a chest
with his head
sunk upon his hands,
rocking himself
to and fro.

He is
a big,
powerful chap,
clean-shaven,
and very swarthy ( 黝黑的)—
something like Aldridge,
who helped us
in the bogus ( 假的)
laundry affair ( 事件).”

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“He jumped up
when he heard
my business,
and I had
my whistle ( 口哨)
to my lips
to call
a couple of
river police ( 水上警察),
who were round
the corner,
but he seemed
to have no heart
in him,
and he held out
his hands
quietly enough
for the darbies ( 手銬).”

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“We brought him
along to the cells ( 拘留室),
and his box
as well,
for we thought
there might be
something incriminating ( 定罪的);
but, bar ( 除了)
a big sharp knife
such as most sailors
have,
we got nothing
for our trouble.”

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“However,
we find
that we shall want
no more evidence,
for on being brought
before the inspector
at the station
he asked leave
to make
a statement ( 供述),
which was,
of course,
taken down,
just as he made it,
by our shorthand man ( 速記員).

We had
three copies
typewritten,
one of which
I enclose.”

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“The affair
proves,
as I always thought
it would,
to be an extremely
simple one,
but I am obliged
to you
for assisting me
in my
investigation.

With kind regards,
yours very truly,—
G. Lestrade.”

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“Hum!
The investigation
really was
a very simple one,”
remarked Holmes,
“but I don’t think
it struck him
in that light
when he first
called us in.

However,
let us see
what Jim Browner
has to say
for himself.

This is
his statement
as made before
Inspector Montgomery
at the Shadwell Police Station ( 薩德韋爾警局),
and it has
the advantage
of being
verbatim ( 逐字的).”

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The  End