04-01-01-巴斯克维尔猎犬 [14]
的神色。“人们说这是巴斯克维尔猎犬，它正在召唤猎物。我以前曾听到过一两次，可是声音从没有这么大过。”
“您是位科学工作者，”我说道。“谅您也不会相信这些，是吧？难道对这种声音就没有一个符合自然规律的解释吗？”
“泥潭有时会发出奇怪的声音。这是由于水和稀泥在移动。”
“可是那是动物发出的声音呀。”
“啊，也许是。沼地上有些稀有鸟类。极有可能是其中某一只的叫声。”
那时，一只小蝴蝶从我们面前飞过。“对不起，华生医生，”斯台普顿高喊着，同时跑开捉蝴蝶去了。他飞快地跑着，随着那只蝴蝶到了泥潭中，但是他知道自己的脚该落在哪儿，因此便没有什么危险。
正当我注视着他的时侯，我听到了身后的脚步声。我转过身去，看到路上离我不远处有一个女子。我敢肯定她便是斯台普顿小姐。她人很漂亮，肤色很深，身材纤长。我还没来得及开口说话，她便说道：
“回去吧！马上回到伦敦去。我不能告诉您缘由，可是请照我说的去做，千万不要再靠近沼地了。但是，我哥哥来了。对他什么也别说。”
斯台普顿已抓到了那只蝴蝶，正向我们这边走回来。
“你好，我亲爱的，”他对他妹妹说道，可是就我看来他的语气并不怎么友好。“我看得出来你们俩已经做过自我介绍了。”
“是啊，”她说道。“我正和亨利爵士说，他来得太晚了，已经看不到沼地的真正美丽之处了。”
“我很抱歉，”我说道。“您弄错了。我不是亨利爵士。我是来拜访他的一位朋友，我是华生医生。”
斯台普顿小姐显然对自己很懊恼。“我很抱歉，”她说道。“请忘掉我所说的话。可是，您一定得和我们一道去屋里坐坐。”
这所房屋既偏僻又相当阴森。我纳闷他们俩为何到这种与他人相隔甚远的地方来居住。斯台普顿似乎知道我在想些什么，于是便说道：“您可能认为这儿要住人的话偏僻和奇特了些，可是这些沼地相当有趣，我们在这儿过得也很快活。我曾在英格兰北部办过一所学校，但是后来被迫关闭了。我很怀念那些孩子们，但在此处有许多事情都有待去做，而且我们还有很好的邻居们。我希望亨利爵士也会成为其中的一员。您认为我今天下午可否冒昧地去庄园拜访一下他呢？”
“我敢说他一定会高兴见到您的，”我说道。“我现在得回庄园去了，我还打算立刻告诉他这个消息。”
我与斯台普顿兄妹道了别，继续沿着回庄园的那条路向前走。没走几分钟便惊奇地看到斯台普顿小姐正坐在我前边的一块岩石上。她呼吸急促，我意识到她是为了赶在我前面而抄近路跑来的。
“华生医生，”她说道。“因我所犯的错误，我想向您致以深深的歉意。我竟把您当成亨利爵士了。请忘掉我说过的话。我当时并不是说您有危险。现在我得走了，否则的话我哥哥就要挂念我了。”
“我不会忘记您的话语的，斯台普顿小姐，”我说道。“如果亨利爵士有危险的话，那我就得告诉他。”
“您知道那个猎犬的故事吧？”她对我问道。
“知道，但是我并不相信它，”我应答道。
“可是我认为它是真实的，”她说道。“请劝说亨利爵士离开这个地方。他家族中的那么多人都在这儿神秘地死去了。他不应该因呆在这儿而让自己冒生命危险。”
“没有真正的理由的话亨利爵士是不会离开此地的，”我说道。
“我给不出真正的理由。我并非确切地知道某些事情。”
“还有一个问题，斯台普顿小姐，”我说道。“猎犬的故事是众所周知的。您为何不愿让您哥哥听到您所说的话呢？”
“我哥哥想让巴斯克维尔家族的主人在这个庄园里住下来，”她说道。“他想叫亨利爵士把查尔斯爵士开创的慈善工作继续下去。他不想让亨利爵士去别处居住。因此他不想让我谈论猎犬的事情。我现在得走了，否则的话我哥哥就会猜到我是在同您谈话了。再见！”
她转身往回走去，我便继续向巴斯克维尔庄园走去。
■ 9 The Escaped Prisoner
Mr Stapleton came to the Hall and met Sir Henry that same afternoon．The next morning he took us to the place where the evil Sir Hugo died．Then we had lunch at the House．Sir Henry clearly thought Miss Stapleton was very beautiful．His eyes followed her everywhere．He liked her very much，and I was sure that she felt the same about him．He spoke about her again and again as we walked home．After the first meeting，we met the Stapletons almost every day．
After a short time it was clear that Sir Henry had fallen deeply in love with the beautiful Miss Stapleton．At first I thought that Stapleton would be very pleased if his sister mar－ ried Sir Henry．However，I soon realized that he did not want their friendship to grow into love．He did everything he could to make sure that they were never alone．On one or two occa－ sions they did manage to meet alone，but Stapleton followed them and was not pleased to see them together．
I soon met another neighbour of Sir Henry's．His name was Mr Frankland，and he lived about four miles to the south of the Hall．He was an old man with a red face and white hair．He had two hobbies．The first was arguing．He argued with everybody．The second hobby was studying the stars．For this he had a very big telescope．For several days he had been watching the moor through the telescope．He wanted to find Selden，the escaped murderer．Nobody had seen the prisoner for a fortnight，and we all thought that he had probably left the moor．
A few nights later I was woken by a noise at about two in the morning．I heard someone walking softly outside my door．I got up，opened the door and looked out．I saw Barrymore moving carefully and quietly away from me．I followed him，as quietly as I could．He went into one of the empty bedrooms and left the door open．I went quietly up to the door and looked in－ side．
Barrymore was standing at the window．He was holding a light in his hand and looking out onto the moor．He stood without moving for a few minutes and then he put out the light．
I went quickly back to my room．A few minutes later I heard Barrymore go softly by．
The next morning I told Sir Henry what I had seen．
'We must follow him and find out what he is doing，'said Sir Henry．'He won't hear us if we move carefully．'
That night we sat in Sir Henry's room and waited．At about three o'clock in the morning we heard the sound of footsteps outside the bedroom．We looked out and saw Barrymore．We followed him as quietly as we could．He went into the same room as before
“您是位科学工作者，”我说道。“谅您也不会相信这些，是吧？难道对这种声音就没有一个符合自然规律的解释吗？”
“泥潭有时会发出奇怪的声音。这是由于水和稀泥在移动。”
“可是那是动物发出的声音呀。”
“啊，也许是。沼地上有些稀有鸟类。极有可能是其中某一只的叫声。”
那时，一只小蝴蝶从我们面前飞过。“对不起，华生医生，”斯台普顿高喊着，同时跑开捉蝴蝶去了。他飞快地跑着，随着那只蝴蝶到了泥潭中，但是他知道自己的脚该落在哪儿，因此便没有什么危险。
正当我注视着他的时侯，我听到了身后的脚步声。我转过身去，看到路上离我不远处有一个女子。我敢肯定她便是斯台普顿小姐。她人很漂亮，肤色很深，身材纤长。我还没来得及开口说话，她便说道：
“回去吧！马上回到伦敦去。我不能告诉您缘由，可是请照我说的去做，千万不要再靠近沼地了。但是，我哥哥来了。对他什么也别说。”
斯台普顿已抓到了那只蝴蝶，正向我们这边走回来。
“你好，我亲爱的，”他对他妹妹说道，可是就我看来他的语气并不怎么友好。“我看得出来你们俩已经做过自我介绍了。”
“是啊，”她说道。“我正和亨利爵士说，他来得太晚了，已经看不到沼地的真正美丽之处了。”
“我很抱歉，”我说道。“您弄错了。我不是亨利爵士。我是来拜访他的一位朋友，我是华生医生。”
斯台普顿小姐显然对自己很懊恼。“我很抱歉，”她说道。“请忘掉我所说的话。可是，您一定得和我们一道去屋里坐坐。”
这所房屋既偏僻又相当阴森。我纳闷他们俩为何到这种与他人相隔甚远的地方来居住。斯台普顿似乎知道我在想些什么，于是便说道：“您可能认为这儿要住人的话偏僻和奇特了些，可是这些沼地相当有趣，我们在这儿过得也很快活。我曾在英格兰北部办过一所学校，但是后来被迫关闭了。我很怀念那些孩子们，但在此处有许多事情都有待去做，而且我们还有很好的邻居们。我希望亨利爵士也会成为其中的一员。您认为我今天下午可否冒昧地去庄园拜访一下他呢？”
“我敢说他一定会高兴见到您的，”我说道。“我现在得回庄园去了，我还打算立刻告诉他这个消息。”
我与斯台普顿兄妹道了别，继续沿着回庄园的那条路向前走。没走几分钟便惊奇地看到斯台普顿小姐正坐在我前边的一块岩石上。她呼吸急促，我意识到她是为了赶在我前面而抄近路跑来的。
“华生医生，”她说道。“因我所犯的错误，我想向您致以深深的歉意。我竟把您当成亨利爵士了。请忘掉我说过的话。我当时并不是说您有危险。现在我得走了，否则的话我哥哥就要挂念我了。”
“我不会忘记您的话语的，斯台普顿小姐，”我说道。“如果亨利爵士有危险的话，那我就得告诉他。”
“您知道那个猎犬的故事吧？”她对我问道。
“知道，但是我并不相信它，”我应答道。
“可是我认为它是真实的，”她说道。“请劝说亨利爵士离开这个地方。他家族中的那么多人都在这儿神秘地死去了。他不应该因呆在这儿而让自己冒生命危险。”
“没有真正的理由的话亨利爵士是不会离开此地的，”我说道。
“我给不出真正的理由。我并非确切地知道某些事情。”
“还有一个问题，斯台普顿小姐，”我说道。“猎犬的故事是众所周知的。您为何不愿让您哥哥听到您所说的话呢？”
“我哥哥想让巴斯克维尔家族的主人在这个庄园里住下来，”她说道。“他想叫亨利爵士把查尔斯爵士开创的慈善工作继续下去。他不想让亨利爵士去别处居住。因此他不想让我谈论猎犬的事情。我现在得走了，否则的话我哥哥就会猜到我是在同您谈话了。再见！”
她转身往回走去，我便继续向巴斯克维尔庄园走去。
■ 9 The Escaped Prisoner
Mr Stapleton came to the Hall and met Sir Henry that same afternoon．The next morning he took us to the place where the evil Sir Hugo died．Then we had lunch at the House．Sir Henry clearly thought Miss Stapleton was very beautiful．His eyes followed her everywhere．He liked her very much，and I was sure that she felt the same about him．He spoke about her again and again as we walked home．After the first meeting，we met the Stapletons almost every day．
After a short time it was clear that Sir Henry had fallen deeply in love with the beautiful Miss Stapleton．At first I thought that Stapleton would be very pleased if his sister mar－ ried Sir Henry．However，I soon realized that he did not want their friendship to grow into love．He did everything he could to make sure that they were never alone．On one or two occa－ sions they did manage to meet alone，but Stapleton followed them and was not pleased to see them together．
I soon met another neighbour of Sir Henry's．His name was Mr Frankland，and he lived about four miles to the south of the Hall．He was an old man with a red face and white hair．He had two hobbies．The first was arguing．He argued with everybody．The second hobby was studying the stars．For this he had a very big telescope．For several days he had been watching the moor through the telescope．He wanted to find Selden，the escaped murderer．Nobody had seen the prisoner for a fortnight，and we all thought that he had probably left the moor．
A few nights later I was woken by a noise at about two in the morning．I heard someone walking softly outside my door．I got up，opened the door and looked out．I saw Barrymore moving carefully and quietly away from me．I followed him，as quietly as I could．He went into one of the empty bedrooms and left the door open．I went quietly up to the door and looked in－ side．
Barrymore was standing at the window．He was holding a light in his hand and looking out onto the moor．He stood without moving for a few minutes and then he put out the light．
I went quickly back to my room．A few minutes later I heard Barrymore go softly by．
The next morning I told Sir Henry what I had seen．
'We must follow him and find out what he is doing，'said Sir Henry．'He won't hear us if we move carefully．'
That night we sat in Sir Henry's room and waited．At about three o'clock in the morning we heard the sound of footsteps outside the bedroom．We looked out and saw Barrymore．We followed him as quietly as we could．He went into the same room as before