Name: 第6部--《福爾摩斯歷險記》有聲讀物，阿瑟-柯南-道爾爵士著 (歷險記11-12) (Part 6 - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Audiobook by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Adventures 11-12))
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THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

Adventure XI. THE ADVENTURE OF THE BERYL CORONET

"Holmes," said I as I stood one morning in our bow-window looking down the street,

"here is a madman coming along. It seems rather sad that his relatives

My friend rose lazily from his armchair and stood with his hands in the pockets of his

It was a bright, crisp February morning, and the snow of the day before still lay

deep upon the ground, shimmering brightly in the wintry sun.

Down the centre of Baker Street it had been ploughed into a brown crumbly band by the

traffic, but at either side and on the heaped-up edges of the foot-paths it still

The grey pavement had been cleaned and scraped, but was still dangerously

slippery, so that there were fewer passengers than usual.

Indeed, from the direction of the Metropolitan Station no one was coming save

the single gentleman whose eccentric conduct had drawn my attention.

He was a man of about fifty, tall, portly, and imposing, with a massive, strongly

He was dressed in a sombre yet rich style, in black frock-coat, shining hat, neat

brown gaiters, and well-cut pearl-grey trousers.

Yet his actions were in absurd contrast to the dignity of his dress and features, for

he was running hard, with occasional little springs, such as a weary man gives who is

little accustomed to set any tax upon his legs.

As he ran he jerked his hands up and down, waggled his head, and writhed his face into

"What on earth can be the matter with him?" I asked.

"He is looking up at the numbers of the houses."

"I believe that he is coming here," said Holmes, rubbing his hands.

"Here?" "Yes; I rather think he is coming to

I think that I recognise the symptoms. Ha! did I not tell you?"

As he spoke, the man, puffing and blowing, rushed at our door and pulled at our bell

until the whole house resounded with the clanging.

A few moments later he was in our room, still puffing, still gesticulating, but

with so fixed a look of grief and despair in his eyes that our smiles were turned in

For a while he could not get his words out, but swayed his body and plucked at his hair

like one who has been driven to the extreme limits of his reason.

Then, suddenly springing to his feet, he beat his head against the wall with such

force that we both rushed upon him and tore him away to the centre of the room.

Sherlock Holmes pushed him down into the easy-chair and, sitting beside him, patted

his hand and chatted with him in the easy, soothing tones which he knew so well how to

"You have come to me to tell your story, have you not?" said he.

Pray wait until you have recovered yourself, and then I shall be most happy to

look into any little problem which you may submit to me."

The man sat for a minute or more with a heaving chest, fighting against his

Then he passed his handkerchief over his brow, set his lips tight, and turned his

face towards us. "No doubt you think me mad?" said he.

"I see that you have had some great trouble," responded Holmes.

"God knows I have!--a trouble which is enough to unseat my reason, so sudden and

Public disgrace I might have faced, although I am a man whose character has

Private affliction also is the lot of every man; but the two coming together, and in so

frightful a form, have been enough to shake my very soul.

The very noblest in the land may suffer unless some way be found out of this

"Pray compose yourself, sir," said Holmes, "and let me have a clear account of who you

are and what it is that has befallen you." "My name," answered our visitor, "is

I am Alexander Holder, of the banking firm of Holder & Stevenson, of Threadneedle

The name was indeed well known to us as belonging to the senior partner in the

second largest private banking concern in the City of London.

What could have happened, then, to bring one of the foremost citizens of London to

We waited, all curiosity, until with another effort he braced himself to tell

"I feel that time is of value," said he; "that is why I hastened here when the

police inspector suggested that I should secure your co-operation.

I came to Baker Street by the Underground and hurried from there on foot, for the

cabs go slowly through this snow. That is why I was so out of breath, for I

I feel better now, and I will put the facts before you as shortly and yet as clearly as

"It is, of course, well known to you that in a successful banking business as much

depends upon our being able to find remunerative investments for our funds as

upon our increasing our connection and the number of our depositors.

One of our most lucrative means of laying out money is in the shape of loans, where

We have done a good deal in this direction during the last few years, and there are

many noble families to whom we have advanced large sums upon the security of

"Yesterday morning I was seated in my office at the bank when a card was brought

I started when I saw the name, for it was that of none other than--well, perhaps even

to you I had better say no more than that it was a name which is a household word all

over the earth--one of the highest, noblest, most exalted names in England.

I was overwhelmed by the honour and attempted, when he entered, to say so, but

he plunged at once into business with the air of a man who wishes to hurry quickly

"'Mr. Holder,' said he, 'I have been informed that you are in the habit of

advancing money.' "'The firm does so when the security is

I answered. "'It is absolutely essential to me,' said

he, 'that I should have 50,000 pounds at once.