Notes　Scene 56: The Room on Monday

"Last Monday I had finished for the day and was dressing in my room above the opium den when I looked out of my window and saw, to my horror and astonishment, that my wife was standing in the street, with her eyes fixed full upon me. I gave a cry of surprise, threw up my arms to cover my face, and, rushing to my confidant, the Lascar, entreated him to prevent anyone from coming up to me. I heard her voice downstairs, but I knew that she could not ascend. Swiftly I threw off my clothes, pulled on those of a beggar, and put on my pigments and wig. Even a wife's eyes could not pierce so complete a disguise. But then it occurred to me that there might be a search in the room, and that the clothes might betray me. I threw open the window, reopening by my violence a small cut which I had inflicted upon myself in the bedroom that morning. Then I seized my coat, which was weighted by the coppers which I had just transferred to it from the leather bag in which I carried my takings. I hurled it out of the window, and it disappeared into the Thames. The other clothes would have followed, but at that moment there was a rush of constables up the stair, and a few minutes after I found, rather, I confess, to my relief, that instead of being identified as Mr. Neville St. Clair, I was arrested as his murderer.

「先週の月曜、一日の仕事を終えてアヘン窟の上の部屋で着替えていたとき、窓から外を見ると、驚いたことに、妻が通りに立ち、まっすぐ私を見つめていました。驚きの声を上げ、両腕で顔を隠し、秘密を知る店主の所へ走って、誰も上へ来させないでくれと頼み込みました。階下で妻の声が聞こえましたが、上へは来られないと分かっていました。急いで服を脱ぎ、物乞いの服に着替え、顔料を塗ってかつらを着けました。妻の目でも、これほど完璧な変装を見抜くことはできませんでした。だが、部屋を捜索されたら、衣服から気づかれるかもしれないと思いつきました。窓を勢いよく開けると、その朝寝室でつけた小さな切り傷が、その乱暴な動きでまた開きました。それから外套をつかみました。稼ぎを入れていた革袋から銅貨を移したばかりで、その外套は重くなっていました。窓から投げ捨てると、外套はテムズ川へ消えました。ほかの衣服も捨てるはずでしたが、ちょうどそのとき警官が階段を駆け上がってきました。数分後、私はネヴィル・セントクレアと見破られる代わりに、その殺人犯として逮捕されました。正直に言えば、むしろほっとしたのです。