住院的病人15（在线收听）

We had entered, and the doctor had preceded us into what was evidently his  waiting-room.

“I really hardly know what I am doing,” he cried. “The police are already  upstairs. It has shaken me most dreadfully.”

“When did you find it out?”

“He has a cup of tea taken in to him early every morning. When the maid  entered, about seven, there the unfortunate fellow was hanging in the middle of  the room. He had tied his cord to the hook on which the heavy lamp used to hang,  and he had jumped off from the top of the very box that he showed us yesterday. ”

Holmes stood for a moment in deep thought.

“With your permission,” said he at last, “I should like to go upstairs and  look into the matter.”

We both ascended, followed by the doctor.

It was a dreadful sight which met us as we entered the bedroom door. I have  spoken of the impression of flabbiness which this man Blessington conveyed. As  he dangled from the hook it was exaggerated and intensified until he was scarce  human in his appearance. The neck was drawn out like a plucked chicken's, making  the rest of him seem the more obese and unnatural by the contrast. He was clad  only in his long night-dress, and his swollen ankles and ungainly feet protruded  starkly from beneath it. Beside him stood a smart-looking police-inspector, who  was taking notes in a pocket-book.

“Ah, Mr. Holmes,” said he, heartily, as my friend entered, “I am delighted to  see you.”

“Good-morning, Lanner,” answered Holmes; “you won't think me an intruder, I  am sure. Have you heard of the events which led up to this affair?”

“Yes, I heard something of them.”

“Have you formed any opinion?”

“As far as I can see, the man has been driven out of his senses by fright. The  bed has been well slept in, you see. There's his impression deep enough. It's  about five in the morning, you know, that suicides are most common. That would  be about his time for hanging himself. It seems to have been a very deliberate  affair.”

我们走进去，医生把我们引进了那间显然是候诊室的房间。

“我真不知道应该做些什么，”他大声说道，“警察正在楼上呢。简直把我吓坏了。”

“你是什么时候发现的？”

“他每天一大早都要叫女仆给他送去一杯茶。大约七点钟，女仆走进去时，这个不幸的人已 经吊在房屋中央了。他把一根绳子绑在平常挂那盏笨重的煤汽灯的钩子上，然后他就从昨天 给我们看的那个箱子顶上跳下去吊死了。”

福尔摩斯站着沉思了片刻。

“如果你允许的话，”福尔摩斯终于说道，“我想上楼去把这件事调查一下。”

我们两个人便往楼上走去，医生跟在后面。

我们一进卧室门，迎面看到一个可怕的景象。我曾经说过那个布莱星顿肌肉松一弛的样子。 当他摇摇晃晃地悬挂在钩上时，这种样子愈发明显、难看，他看上去简直不象一个人了。他 的脖子拉长了，象一只拔了一毛一的鸡脖子，相形之下，他身一体的其余部分似乎更加肥一 大和不自然。他只穿着一件长睡衣。睡衣下，直一挺一挺地伸着那双难看的脚和那肿胀的脚 脖子。

一尸一体旁边，站着一位一精一干的侦探，正在笔记本上作记录。

“啊，福尔摩斯先生，”我的朋友一进来，警长便亲切地说道，“见到你我很高兴。”

“早安，兰诺尔，”福尔摩斯答道，“我相信，你不会认为我是闯进屋子的罪犯吧？你听说 过这个案子发生前的一些情况了吗？”

“对，我已经听到一些了。”

“你的意见怎样？”

“就我看来，这个人已被吓得魂不附体了。你看，在这张一床一上他睡了好一阵子，有很深 的压痕。你知道，自一杀常常发生在早晨五点钟左右。这大约也就是他上吊的时间了。看来 ，他是经过再三考虑才这样作的。”