福尔摩斯探案全集哪个版本最好 福尔摩斯探案经典:《恐怖谷》第5章Part5

福尔摩斯探案经典:《恐怖谷》第5章Part5  

"And he had been married five years. You must have returned about the time of his marriage."
"About a month before. I was his best man."
"Did you know Mrs. Douglas before her marriage?"
"No
I did not. I had been away from England for ten years."
"But you have seen a good deal of her since."
Barker looked sternly at the detective. "I have seen a good deal of HIM since
" he answered. "If I have seen her
it is because you cannot visit a man without knowing his wife. If you imagine there is any connection--"
"I imagine nothing
Mr. Barker. I am bound to make every inquiry which can bear upon the case. But I mean no offense."
"Some inquiries are offensive
" Barker answered angrily.
"It's only the facts that we want. It is in your interest and everyone's interest that they should be cleared up. Did Mr. Douglas entirely approve your friendship with his wife?"
Barker grew paler
and his great
strong hands were clasped convulsively together. "You have no right to ask such questions!" he cried. "What has this to do with the matter you are investigating?"
"I must repeat the question."
"Well
I refuse to answer."
"You can refuse to answer; but you must be aware that your refusal is in itself an answer
for you would not refuse if you had not something to conceal."
Barker stood for a moment with his face set grimly and his strong black eyebrows drawn low in intense thought. Then he looked up with a smile. "Well
I guess you gentlemen are only doing your clear duty after all
and I have no right to stand in the way of it. I'd only ask you not to worry Mrs. Douglas over this matter; for she has enough upon her just now. I may tell you that poor Douglas had just one fault in the world
and that was his jealousy. He was fond of me--no man could be fonder of a friend. And he was devoted to his wife. He loved me to e here
and was forever sending for me. And yet if his wife and I talked together or there seemed any sympathy beeen us
a kind of wave of jealousy would pass over him
and he would be off the handle and saying the wildest things in a moment. More than once I've sworn off ing for that reason
and then he would write me such penitent
imploring letters that I just had to. But you can take it from me
gentlemen
if it was my last word
that no man ever had amore loving
faithful wife--and I can say also no friend could be more loyal than I!"
It was spoken with fervour and feeling
and yet Inspector MacDonald could not dismiss the subject. "You are aware
" said he
"that the dead man's wedding ring has been taken from his finger?"
"So it appears
" said Barker.
“这只不过是我们需要了解一些事实，弄清这些事实对你和大家都有好处。你和道格拉斯夫人的友情，道格拉斯先生完全赞成吗？”
巴克脸色更加苍白，两只有力的大手痉挛似地紧握在一起。“你没有权力问这样的问题！"他大声喊道，“这和你所调查的事情有什么关系呢？”
“我一定要提这个问题。”
“那么，我拒绝回答。”
“你可以拒绝回答，不过你要知道，你拒绝回答本身就是回答，因为你如果没有需要隐瞒的事，你就不会拒绝回答了。”
巴克绷着脸站了一会儿，那双浓重的黑眉皱起来，苦思不已。然后他又微笑着擡起头来说道：“嗯，不管怎么说，我想诸位先生们毕竟是在执行公事。我没有权力从中阻梗。我只想请求你们不要让这件事再去烦扰道格拉斯夫人了，因为她现在已经够受的了。我可以告诉你们，可怜的道格拉斯就是有一个缺点，就是他的嫉妒心。他对我非常友爱——没有人对朋友比他对我更友爱了。他对妻子的爱情也非常专一。他愿意叫我到这里来，并且经常派人去找我来。可是如果他的妻子和我一起谈话或是我和他妻子之间好象有些互相同情的时候，他就会大发醋劲，勃然大怒，马上说出最粗野的话来。我曾不止一次为此发誓不再到这里来。可是事后他又给我写信，向我表示忏悔，哀求我，我也只好不计较这些了。不过，先生们，你们可以听我说一句结论性的话，那就是，天下再也没有象道格拉斯夫人这样爱丈夫、忠诚于丈夫的妻子；我还敢说，天下也没有比我更忠诚的朋友了。”
话说得热情洋溢、感情真挚，然而警官麦克唐纳还是没有转移话题，他问道：“你知道死者的结婚戒指被人从手指上取走了吧？”
“看来象是这样，"巴克说道。