解説　場面 31「深まる事件」

"Now, my dear sir," said Holmes, "is it not obvious to you now that this matter really strikes very much deeper than either you or the police were at first inclined to think? It appeared to you to be a simple case; to me it seems exceedingly complex. Consider what is involved by your theory. You suppose that your son came down from his bed, went, at great risk, to your dressing-room, opened your bureau, took out your coronet, broke off by main force a small portion of it, went off to some other place, concealed three gems out of the thirty-nine, with such skill that nobody can find them, and then returned with the other thirty-six into the room in which he exposed himself to the greatest danger of being discovered. I ask you now, is such a theory tenable?"

「さて」とホームズは言った。「この問題は、あなたや警察が当初考えたより、実ははるかに根深いことが、もう明らかではありませんか。あなたには単純な事件に見えましたが、私にはきわめて複雑に見えます。あなたの説が何を意味するか考えてください。息子さんは寝台を抜け出し、大きな危険を冒して化粧室へ行き、書き物机を開け、宝冠を取り出し、力任せにその小さな一部を折り、別の場所へ行き、三十九個のうち三個の宝石を誰にも見つけられないほど巧みに隠した。そして残りの三十六個を持って、発見される危険が最も大きい部屋へ戻ったことになります。このような説が成り立つと、本当にお考えですか？」

"But what other is there?" cried the banker with a gesture of despair. "If his motives were innocent, why does he not explain them?"

「しかし、ほかにどんな説明があるのです？」と銀行家は絶望の身振りとともに叫んだ。「無実の動機なら、なぜ説明しないのでしょう？」

"It is our task to find that out," replied Holmes; "so now, if you please, Mr. Holder, we will set off for Streatham together, and devote an hour to glancing a little more closely into details."

「それを突き止めるのが私たちの仕事です」とホームズは答えた。「ではホールダーさん、よろしければ一緒にストリータムへ向かい、一時間ほどかけて細部をもう少し詳しく見てみましょう」