最后一案（6）（在线收听）

“‘Well, well,’ said he, at last. ‘It seems a pity, but I have done what I could. I know every move of your game. You can do nothing before Monday. It has been a duel between you and me, Mr. Holmes. You hope to place me in the dock. I tell you that I will never stand in the dock. You hope to beat me. I tell you that you will never beat me. If you are clever enough to bring destruction upon me, rest assured that I shall do as much to you.’

“‘You have paid me several compliments, Mr. Moriarty,’ said I. ‘Let me pay you one in return when I say that if I were assured of the former eventuality I would, in the interests of the public, cheerfully accept the latter.’

“‘I can promise you the one, but not the other,’ he snarled, and so turned his rounded back upon me, and went peering and blinking out of the room.

“That was my singular interview with Professor Moriarty. I confess that it left an unpleasant effect upon my mind. His soft, precise fashion of speech leaves a conviction of sincerity which a mere bully could not produce. Of course, you will say: ‘Why not take police precautions against him?’ the reason is that I am well convinced that it is from his agents the blow would fall. I have the best proofs that it would be so.”

“You have already been assaulted?”

“My dear Watson, Professor Moriarty is not a man who lets the grass grow under his feet. I went out about mid-day to transact some business in Oxford Street. As I passed the corner which leads from Bentinck Street on to the Welbeck Street crossing a two-horse van furiously driven whizzed round and was on me like a flash. I sprang for the foot-path and saved myself by the fraction of a second. The van dashed round by Marylebone Lane and was gone in an instant. I kept to the pavement after that, Watson, but as I walked down Vere Street a brick came down from the roof of one of the houses, and was shattered to fragments at my feet. I called the police and had the place examined. There were slates and bricks piled up on the roof preparatory to some repairs, and they would have me believe that the wind had toppled over one of these. Of course I knew better, but I could prove nothing. I took a cab after that and reached my brother's rooms in Pall Mall, where I spent the day. Now I have come round to you, and on my way I was attacked by a rough with a bludgeon. I knocked him down, and the police have him in custody; but I can tell you with the most absolute confidence that no possible connection will ever be traced between the gentleman upon whose front teeth I have barked my knuckles and the retiring mathematical coach, who is, I dare say, working out problems upon a black-board ten miles away. You will not wonder, Watson, that my first act on entering your rooms was to close your shutters, and that I have been compelled to ask your permission to leave the house by some less conspicuous exit than the front door.”

I had often admired my friend's courage, but never more than now, as he sat quietly checking off a series of incidents which must have combined to make up a day of horror.

“‘好，好，’他终于说道，‘看来很可惜，不过我已尽力了。我对你的把戏每一步都很清楚。星期一以前你毫无办法。这是你死我活的一场决斗，福尔摩斯先生。你想把我置于被告席上，我告诉你，我决不会站到被告席上的。你想击败我，我告诉你，你决不会击败我的。如果你的聪明足以使我遭到毁灭，请放心好了，你会与我同归于尽的。’

“‘你过奖了，莫里亚蒂先生，’我说道，‘我来答谢你一句，我告诉你，如果能保证毁灭你，那么，为了社会的利益，即使和你同归于尽，我也心甘情愿。’

“‘我答应与你同归于尽，但不是你毁灭我。’他咆哮如雷地说道，转身走出屋去。

“这就是我和莫里亚蒂教授那场奇特的谈话。我承认，它在我心中产生了不愉快的影响。他的话讲得那么平静、明确，使人相信他是确有其意的，一个简单的恶棍是办不到这一点的。当然，你会说：‘为什么你不找警察防范他呢？’因为我确信他会叫一党一羽来加害我。我有最充分的证据，证明一定会这样。”

“你已经遭到袭击了吗？”

“我亲一爱一的华生，莫里亚蒂教授是一个不失时机的人。那天，我中午到牛津街处理一些事务，刚走过从本廷克街到韦尔贝克街十字路口的转角时，一辆双马货车象闪电一般向我猛一冲过来。我急忙跳到人行便道上，在千钧一发间幸免于难。

货车一瞬间冲过马里利本巷飞驰而去。经历了这次事故，我便只走人行道，华生，可是当我走到维尔街时，突然从一家屋顶上落下一块砖，在我脚旁摔得粉碎。我把警察找来，检查了那个地方。屋顶上堆满了修房用的石板和砖瓦，他们对我说是风把一块砖刮下来了。我心里当然很明白，却无法证明有人害我。这以后，我便叫了一辆马车，到蓓尔美尔街我哥哥家，在那里度过了白天。刚才我到你这里来时，在路上又遭到暴徒用大头棒袭击。我打倒了他，警察把他拘留起来。

我因打在那个人的门牙上，指关节擦破了。不过我可以绝对有把握地告诉你，不可能查出被拘留的那位先生和那个退职的数学教授之间的关系。我敢断定，那位教授现在正站在十英里以外的一块黑板前面解答问题呢。华生，你听到这些，对我来到你家首先关好百叶窗，然后又请你允许我从你的后墙而不从前门离开住宅，以便不惹人注目，你不会引以为怪了吧。”

我一向佩服我朋友的无畏一精一神。今天发生的这一系列事件，合起来简直够得上整天恐怖的了。现在他坐在那里平心静气地讲述着这一天所经历的那些令人一毛一骨悚然的恐怖事件，这使我对他更加钦佩了。