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第24章 蓝宝石十字架4（第2页）

"

Valentinlookedhisqueryattherorietor，whocametohisrescuewithfullerreorts。

"Yes，sir，

"hesaid，

"itsquitetrue，thoughIdontsuoseithasanythingtodowiththesugarandsalt。Twoclergymencameinanddranksouhereveryearly，assoonastheshuttersweretakendown。Theywerebothveryquiet，resectableeole;oneofthemaidthebillandwentout;theother，whoseemedaslowercoachaltogether，wassomeminuteslongergettinghisthingstogether。Buthewentatlast。Only，theinstantbeforehesteedintothestreethedeliberatelyickeduhiscu，whichhehadonlyhalfemtied，andthrewthesouslaonthewall。Iwasinthebackroommyself，andsowasthewaiter;soIcouldonlyrushoutintimetofindthewallslashedandtheshoemty。Itdontdoanyarticulardamage，butitwasconfoundedcheek;andItriedtocatchthemeninthestreet。Theyweretoofaroffthough;IonlynoticedtheywentroundthenextcornerintoCarstairsStreet。

"

Thedetectivewasonhisfeet，hatsettledandstickinhand。Hehadalreadydecidedthatintheuniversaldarknessofhismindhecouldonlyfollowthefirstoddfingerthatointed;andthisfingerwasoddenough。Payinghisbillandclashingtheglassdoorsbehindhim，hewassoonswingingroundintotheotherstreet。

Itwasfortunatethateveninsuchfeveredmomentshiseyewascoolandquick。Somethinginasho-frontwentbyhimlikeamereflash;yethewentbacktolookatit。Theshowasaoulargreengrocerandfruiterers，anarrayofgoodssetoutintheoenairandlainlyticketedwiththeirnamesandrices。Inthetwomostrominentcomartmentsweretwoheas，oforangesandofnutsresectively。Ontheheaofnutslayascraofcardboard，onwhichwaswritteninbold，bluechalk，

"Besttangerineoranges，twoaenny。

"Ontheorangeswastheequallyclearandexactdeion，

"FinestBrazilnuts，4d。alb。

"Valentinlookedatthesetwolacardsandfanciedhehadmetthishighlysubtleformofhumourbefore，andthatsomewhatrecently。Hedrewtheattentionofthered-facedfruiterer，whowaslookingrathersullenlyuanddownthestreet，tothisinaccuracyinhisadvertisements。Thefruiterersaidnothing，butsharlyuteachcardintoitsroerlace。Thedetective，leaningelegantlyonhiswalking-cane，continuedtoscrutinizethesho。Atlasthesaid，

"Prayexcusemyaarentirrelevance，mygoodsir，butIshouldliketoaskyouaquestioninexerimentalsychologyandtheassociationofideas。

"

Thered-facedshomanregardedhimwithaneyeofmenace;buthecontinuedgaily，swinginghiscane，

"Why，

"heursued，

"whyaretwoticketswronglylacedinagreengrocerssholikeashovelhatthathascometoLondonforaholiday?Or，incaseIdonotmakemyselfclear，whatisthemysticalassociationwhichconnectstheideaofnutsmarkedasorangeswiththeideaoftwoclergymen，onetallandtheothershort?

"

Theeyesofthetradesmanstoodoutofhisheadlikeasnails;hereallyseemedforaninstantlikelytoflinghimselfuonthestranger。Atlasthestammeredangrily，

"Idontknowwhatyouhavetodowithit，butifyoureoneoftheirfriends，youcantellthemfrommethatIllknocktheirsillyheadsoff，arsonsornoarsons，iftheyusetmyalesagain。

"

"Indeed?

"askedthedetective，withgreatsymathy。

"Didtheyusetyourales?

"

"Oneofthemdid，

"saidtheheatedshoman，

"rolledthemalloverthestreet。Idhavecaughtthefoolbutforhavingtoickthemu。

"

"Whichwaydidthesearsonsgo?

"askedValentin。

"Uthatsecondroadontheleft-handside，andthenacrossthesquare，

"saidtheotherromtly。

"Thanks，

"reliedValentin，andvanishedlikeafairy。Ontheothersideofthesecondsquarehefoundaoliceman，andsaid，

"Thisisurgent，constable，haveyouseentwoclergymeninshovelhats?

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