a case of identity-第4章
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official police； but it is not pleasant to have a family
misfortune like this noised abroad。 Besides； it is a useless
expense； for how could you possibly find this Hosmer Angel？〃
〃On the contrary；〃 said Holmes quietly； 〃I have every reason
to believe that I will succeed in discovering Mr。 Hosmer Angel。〃
Mr。 Windibank gave a violent start and dropped his gloves。 〃I
am delighted to hear it；〃 he said。
〃It is a curious thing；〃 remarked Holmes； 〃that a typewriter
has really quite as much individuality as a man's handwriting。
Unless they are quite new； no two of them write exactly alike。
Some letters get more worn than others； and some wear only on one
side。 Now； you remark in this note of yours； Mr。 Windibank； that
in every case there is some little slurring over of the ‘e；' and a
slight defect in the tail of the ‘r。' There are fourteen other
characteristics； but those are the more obvious。〃
〃We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office；
and no doubt it is a little worn；〃 our visitor answered； glancing
keenly at Holmes with his bright little eyes。
〃And now I will show you what is really a very interesting
study； Mr。 Windibank；〃 Holmes continued。 〃I think of writing
another little monograph some of these days on the typewriter and
its relation to crime。 It is a subject to which I have devoted
some little attention。 I have here four letters which purport to
come from the missing man。 They are all typewritten。 In each
case； not only are the ‘e's' slurred and the ‘r's' tailless； but
you will observe； if you care to use my magnifying lens； that the
fourteen other characteristics to which I have alluded are there
as well。〃
Mr。 Windibank sprang out of his chair and picked up his hat。
〃I cannot waste time over this sort of fantastic talk； Mr。
Holmes；〃 he said。 〃If you can catch the man； catch him； and let
me know when you have done it。〃
〃Certainly；〃 said Holmes； stepping over and turning the key in
the door。 〃I let you know； then； that I have caught him！〃
〃What！ where？〃 shouted Mr。 Windibank； turning white to his
lips and glancing about him like a rat in a trap。
〃Oh； it won't doreally it won't；〃 said Holmes suavely。
〃There is no possible getting out of it； Mr。 Windibank。 It is
quite too transparent； and it was a very bad compliment when you
said that it was impossible for me to solve so simple a question。
That's right！ Sit down and let us talk it over。〃
Our visitor collapsed into a chair； with a ghastly face and a
glitter of moisture on his brow。 〃Itit's not actionable；〃 he
stammered。
〃I am very much afraid that it is not。 But between ourselves；
Windibank； it was as cruel and selfish and heartless a trick in a
petty way as ever came before me。 Now； let me just run over the
course of events； and you will contradict me if I go wrong。〃
The man sat huddled up in his chair； with his head sunk upon
his breast； like one who is utterly crushed。 Holmes stuck his
feet up on the corner of the mantelpiece and； leaning back with
his hands in his pockets； began talking； rather to himself； as it
seemed； than to us。
〃The man married a woman very much older than himself for her
money；〃 said he； 〃and he enjoyed the use of the money of the
daughter as long as she lived with them。 It was a considerable
sum； for people in their position； and the loss of it would have
made a serious difference。 It was worth an effort to preserve it。
The daughter was of a good； amiable disposition； but affectionate
and warm…hearted in her ways； so that it was evident that with her
fair personal advantages； and her little income； she would not be
allowed to remain single long。 Now her marriage would mean； of
course； the loss of a hundred a year； so what does her stepfather
do to prevent it？ He takes the obvious course of keeping her at
home and forbidding her to seek the company of people of her own
age。 But soon he found that that would not answer forever。 She
became restive； insisted upon her rights； and finally announced
her positive intention of going to a certain ball。 What does her
clever stepfather do then？ He conceives an idea more creditable
to his head than to his heart。 With the connivance and assistance
of his wife he disguised himself； covered those keen eyes with
tinted glasses； masked the face with a moustache and a pair of
bushy whiskers； sunk that clear voice into an insinuating whisper；
and doubly secure on account of the girl's short sight； he appears
as Mr。 Hosmer Angel； and keeps off other lovers by making love
himself。〃
〃It was only a joke at first；〃 groaned our visitor。 〃We never
thought that she would have been so carried away。〃
〃Very likely not。 However that may be； the young lady was
very decidedly carried away； and； having quite made up her mind
that her stepfather was in France； the suspicion of treachery
never for an instant entered her mind。 She was flattered by the
gentleman's attentions； and the effect was increased by the loudly
expressed admiration of her mother。 Then Mr。 Angel began to call；
for it was obvious that the matter should be pushed as far as it
would go if a real effect were to be produced。 There were
meetings； and an engagement； which would finally secure the girl's
affections from turning towards anyone else。 But the deception
could not be kept up forever。 These pretended journeys to France
were rather cumbrous。 The thing to do was clearly to bring the
business to an end in such a dramatic manner that it would leave a
permanent impression upon the young lady's mind and prevent her
from looking upon any other suitor for some time to come。 Hence
those vows of fidelity exacted upon a Testament； and hence also
the allusions to a possibility of something happening on the very
morning of the wedding。 James Windibank wished Miss Sutherland to
be so bound to Hosmer Angel； and so uncertain as to his fate； that
for ten years to come； at any rate； she would not listen to
another man。 As far as the church door he brought her； and then；
as he could go no farther； he conveniently vanished away by the
old trick of stepping in at one door of a four…wheeler and out at
the other。 I think that that was the chain of events； Mr。
Windibank！〃
Our visitor had recovered something of his assurance while
Holmes had been talking； and he rose from his chair now with a
cold sneer upon his pale face。
〃It may be so； or it may not； Mr。 Holmes；〃 said he； 〃but if
you are so very sharp you ought to be sharp enough to know that it
is you who are breaking the law now； and not me。 I have done
nothing actionable from the first； but as long as you keep； that
door locked you lay yourself open to an action for assault and
illegal constraint。
〃The law cannot； as you say； touch you；〃 said Holmes；
unlocking and throwing open the door； 〃yet there never was a man
who deserved punishment more。 If the young lady has a brother or
a friend； he ought to lay a whip across your shoulders。 By Jove！〃
he continued； flushing up at the sight of the bitter sneer upon
the man's face； 〃it is not part of my duties to my client； but
here's a hunting crop handy； and I think I shall just treat myself
to〃 He took two swift steps to the whip； but before he could
grasp it there was a wild clatter of steps upon the stairs； the
heavy hall door banged； and from the window we could see Mr。
James Windibank running at the top of his speed down the road。
〃There's a cold…blooded scoundrel！〃 said Holmes； laughing； as
he threw himself down into his chair once more。 〃That fellow will
rise from crime to crime until he does something very bad； and
ends on a gallows。 The case has； in some respects； been not
entirely devoid of interest。〃
〃I cannot now entirely see all the steps of your reasoning；〃 I
remarked。
〃Well； of course it was obvious from the first that this Mr。
Hosmer Angel must have some strong object for his curious conduct；
and it was equally clear that the only man who really profited by
the incident； as far as we could see； was the stepfather。 Then
the fact that the two men were never together； but that the one
always appeared when the other was away； was suggestive。 So were
the tinted spectacles and the curious voice； which both hinted at
a disguise； as did the bushy whiskers。 My suspicions were all
confirmed by his peculiar action in typewriting his signature；
which； of course； inferred that his handwriting was so familiar to
her that she would recognize even the smallest sample of it。 You
see all these isolated facts； together with many minor ones； all
pointed in the same direction。〃
〃And how did you verify them？〃
〃Having once spotted my man； it was easy to get corroboration。
I knew the firm for which this man worked。 Having taken the
printed description； I eliminated everything from it which could
be the result of a disguisethe whiskers； the glasses； the voice；
and I sent it to the firm； with a request that they would inform
me whether it answered to the description of any of their
travellers。 I had already noticed the peculiarities of the
typewriter； and I wrote to the man himself at his business
address； asking him if he would come here。 As I expected； his
reply was typewritten and revealed the same trivial but
characteristic defects。 The same post brought me a letter from
Westhouse & Marbank； of Fenchurch Street； to say that the
description tallied in every respect with that of their employee；
James Windibank。 Voila tout！〃
〃And Miss Sutherland？〃
〃If I tell her she will not believe me。 You may remember the
old Persian saying； ‘There is danger for him who taketh the tiger
cub； and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman。'
There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace； and as much
knowledge of t
