修道院公学（29）

“This is indeed a most serious matter. Even more culpable in my opinion, your Grace, is your attitude towards your younger son. You leave him in this den for three days.”

“Under solemn promises—”

“What are promises to such people as these? You have no guarantee that he will not be spirited away again. To humour your guilty elder son you have exposed your innocent younger son to imminent and unnecessary danger. It was a most unjustifiable action.”

The proud lord of Holdernesse was not accustomed to be so rated in his own ducal hall. The blood flushed into his high forehead, but his conscience held him dumb.

“I will help you, but on one condition only. It is that you ring for the footman and let me give such orders as I like.”

Without a word the Duke pressed the electric bell. A servant entered.

“You will be glad to hear,” said Holmes, “that your young master is found. It is the Duke's desire that the carriage shall go at once to the Fighting Cock Inn to bring Lord Saltire home.

“Now,” said Holmes, when the rejoicing lackey had disappeared, “having secured the future, we can afford to be more lenient with the past. I am not in an official position, and there is no reason, so long as the ends of justice are served, why I should disclose all that I know. As to Hayes I say nothing. The gallows awaits him, and I would do nothing to save him from it. What he will divulge I cannot tell, but I have no doubt that your Grace could make him understand that it is to his interest to be silent. From the police point of view he will have kidnapped the boy for the purpose of ransom. If they do not themselves find it out I see no reason why I should prompt them to take a broader point of view. I would warn your Grace, however, that the continued presence of Mr. James Wilder in your household can only lead to misfortune.”

“I understand that, Mr. Holmes, and it is already settled that he shall leave me for ever and go to seek his fortune in Australia.”

“In that case, your Grace, since you have yourself stated that any unhappiness in your married life was caused by his presence, I would suggest that you make such amends as you can to the Duchess, and that you try to resume those relations which have been so unhappily interrupted.”

“这确实是一件严重的事情。在我看来，更应受到指责的是，您对于您小儿子的态度。您把他继续留在虎一穴一里三天。”

“他们严肃地做了保证……”

“诺言、保证对于这样的人们算得了什么！您无法保证他不会再被拐走。为了迁就您犯罪的长子，您使您无辜的幼子处于不应遭受的危险之中。这是很不公平的行为。”

骄傲的霍尔得芮斯公爵不一习一惯于在自己的府内受到这样的评论。他的脸从高高的前额到下巴完全红了，可是良心使他沉默。

“我会帮助您的，可是要有一个条件。这就是您把您的佣人叫来，我要按照我的意愿发出命令。”

公爵一句话也没有说，按了一下电铃。一个仆人进来了。

福尔摩斯说：“你一定很高兴你的小主人找到了。公爵希望你立刻驾驶马车到'斗鸡'旅店去把萨尔特尔勋爵接回家来。”

高兴的仆人走出去后，福尔摩斯说：“既然我们已经把握住了未来，对于过去的事就可以宽容一点。我不处于官方的地位，只要正义得到伸张，我没有理由把我知道的事情说出去。至于黑斯我没有什么可说的，绞刑架在等待着他，我不想出力拯救他。我不知道他会说出什么，但是毫无疑问，公爵您可以使他明白，沉默对他是有好处的。从警察的观点来看，他劫持这个孩子是为了得到赎金。如果警察他们自己找不到更多的问题，我没有必要促使他们把问题看得更复杂。然而我警告您，公爵，詹姆士·王尔得先生继续留在您的家中只会带来不幸。”

“福尔摩斯先生，我理解这一点。已经说好，他将永远离开我，去澳大利亚自己谋生。”

“公爵，事情要是这样的话，我建议您和公爵夫人尽力和好，恢复你们中断了的关系，因为您自己说过，您婚后的不幸，是由詹姆士造成的。”