登陆注册
15460500000005

第5章 CHAPTER 2(2)

But about this picture: I thought you told me once, Mr. Holmes, that you had never met Professor Moriarty."

"No, I never have."

"Then how do you know about his rooms?"

"Ah, that's another matter. I have been three times in his rooms, twice waiting for him under different pretexts and leaving before he came. Once- well, I can hardly tell about the once to an official detective. It was on the last occasion that I took the liberty of running over his papers- with the most unexpected results."

"You found something compromising?"

"Absolutely nothing. That was what amazed me. However, you have now seen the point of the picture. It shows him to be a very wealthy man. How did he acquire wealth? He is unmarried. His younger brother is a station master in the west of England. His chair is worth seven hundred a year. And he owns a Greuze."

"Well?"

"Surely the inference is plain."

"You mean that he has a great income and that he must earn it in an illegal fashion?"

"Exactly. Of course I have other reasons for thinking so- dozens of exiguous threads which lead vaguely up towards the centre of the web where the poisonous, motionless creature is lurking. I only mention the Greuze because it brings the matter within the range of your own observation."

"Well, Mr. Holmes, I admit that what you say is interesting: it's more than interesting- it's just wonderful. But let us have it a little clearer if you can. Is it forgery, coining, burglary- where does the money come from?"

"Have you ever read of Jonathan Wild?"

"Well, the name has a familiar sound. Someone in a novel, was he not? I don't take much stock of detectives in novels- chaps that do things and never let you see how they do them. That's just inspiration: not business."

"Jonathan Wild wasn't a detective, and he wasn't in a novel. He was a master criminal, and he lived last century- 1750 or thereabouts."

"Then he's no use to me. I'm a practical man."

"Mr. Mac, the most practical thing that you ever did in your life would be to shut yourself up for three months and read twelve hours a day at the annals of crime. Everything comes in circles- even Professor Moriarty. Jonathan Wild was the hidden force of the London criminals, to whom he sold his brains and his organization on a fifteen per cent commission. The old wheel turns, and the same spoke comes up. It's all been done before, and will be again. I'll tell you one or two things about Moriarty which may interest you."

"You'll interest me, right enough."

"I happen to know who is the first link in his chain- a chain with this Napoleon gone-wrong at one end, and a hundred broken fighting men, pickpockets, blackmailers, and card sharpers at the other, with every sort of crime in between. His chief of staff is Colonel Sebastian Moran, as aloof and guarded and inaccessible to the law as himself. What do you think he pays him?"

"I'd like to hear."

"Six thousand a year. That's paying for brains, you see- the American business principle. I learned that detail quite by chance.

It's more than the Prime Minister gets. That gives you an idea of Moriarty's gains and of the scale on which he works. Another point:

I made it my business to hunt down some of Moriarty's checks lately- just common innocent checks that he pays his household bills with.

They were drawn on six different banks. Does that make any impression on your mind?"

"Queer, certainly! But what do you gather from it?"

"That he wanted no gossip about his wealth. No single man should know what he had. I have no doubt that he has twenty banking accounts; the bulk of his fortune abroad in the Deutsche Bank or the Credit Lyonnais as likely as not. Sometime when you have a year or two to spare I commend to you the study of Professor Moriarty."

Inspector MacDonald had grown steadily more impressed as the conversation proceeded. He had lost himself in his interest. Now his practical Scotch intelligence brought him back with a snap to the matter in hand.

"He can keep, anyhow," said he. "You've got us side-tracked with your interesting anecdotes, Mr. Holmes. What really counts is your remark that there is some connection between the professor and the crime. That you get from the warning received through the man Porlock.

Can we for our present practical needs get any further than that?"

同类推荐
  • 二妙集

    二妙集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 混俗颐生录

    混俗颐生录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 春官宗伯

    春官宗伯

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Henry IV

    Henry IV

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • GLASSES

    GLASSES

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • tfboys不要走

    tfboys不要走

    三个美到不能再美的世界前三富女孩遇上当红小鲜肉,会怎么样呢,一起期待吧!
  • 血族甜宠

    血族甜宠

    一场精心策划的邂逅,一次佯装偶然的相遇。前任男友纪冬觉,现任未婚夫杨彦希,从天而降的亲生父母,以及未来男友紫辰……他们的出现,究竟怀着什么目的?苏夕染(杜小染)在揭开身世之谜的同时,卷入了一场血族的权欲纷争……吸血鬼、死神、猎人、九尾狐妖,他们之间,究竟发生过什么,又藏着怎样的秘密……而最后,苏夕染是否能获得幸福,还是,一切早已命中注定?
  • 七色羽毛

    七色羽毛

    很久前写的一个小故事,今天把它给改了下。希望大家喜欢!
  • 我掌天命

    我掌天命

    我李独一命留一线机,造化千百重丹田孕灵树,天命由我掌
  • 末世盗贼玩家

    末世盗贼玩家

    带着游戏中盗贼的职业系统穿越到末世之中,潜行于黑暗阴影,无情锋刃收割一只只丧尸头颅,来去无形,潇洒如风。对别人而言,末世的丧尸是恐怖的,对李思文而言,一只只丧尸便相当于升级所需的经验值,技能书,以及神秘道具。咦,前面那么多人逃命是为什么?有一只恐怖的九阶丧尸?太好了,杀了它,看看能爆出什么好东西。啥?有许多丧尸小弟护卫?不怕,看我顶级潜行,虚空行走……
  • 穿越之嫡女无双

    穿越之嫡女无双

    当她再次醒来时,她已经不再是慕家那个无能的嫡女,那些害她的她要加倍奉还!
  • 重生绝者之路

    重生绝者之路

    重生那刻起他开启了一场努力成长上进的旅程,让错过的错过。让能够把握的绝不放过。绝者。所谓努力者,奋斗者。亦可谓极者。可达尽头者。前进再前进者。重生后,他的光芒照耀大地,他的美名世界传颂。鲤鱼越龙门后的他,罗斯柴尔德家族俯首,山口组恐惧。从此世界黑白竟变色。让我们见证来自东方的奇迹。让我们尽情期待林斌他的重生之路,绝者之路吧。顺便建了个群:201207427
  • 希企大陆

    希企大陆

    非我族类其心必异,人族,魔族,妖族,精灵族,龙族,兽族且看六大种族无情的厮杀,英雄的生死之战,豪杰们的恩恩怨怨,以及帅气的主角如何泡遍六族天娇。。。。
  • 恶魔奶爸之古市今非

    恶魔奶爸之古市今非

    某神和某神为了自家孩子……根据《恶魔奶爸》剧情创造了一个世界……那个世界分为:人间界,冥界,魔界。冥界是隔绝人间界和魔界的存在……传说魔界是人类的驱逐地~~~~神在其孩子将要投胎时便解除了对那个世界的监控,神的孩子是去历练~~~~家长不能干涉…………
  • 领导口才

    领导口才

    本书针对领导者在工作中要面对的批评、赞美、谈判、演讲等内容,逐一加以评说,是领导者能说会道、受人欢迎、办事顺当的必备助手。