解説　場面 212「別々に動いた日々」

"It was my game to watch Stapleton. It was evident, however, that I could not do this if I were with you, since he would be keenly on his guard. I deceived everybody, therefore, yourself included, and I came down secretly when I was supposed to be in London. My hardships were not so great as you imagined, though such trifling details must never interfere with the investigation of a case. I stayed for the most part at Coombe Tracey, and only used the hut upon the moor when it was necessary to be near the scene of action. Cartwright had come down with me, and in his disguise as a country boy he was of great assistance to me. I was dependent upon him for food and clean linen. When I was watching Stapleton, Cartwright was frequently watching you, so that I was able to keep my hand upon all the strings.

「私の狙いはステイプルトンを監視することだった。しかし君と一緒にいては彼が厳重に警戒するので、それはできないと明らかだった。そこで君を含む全員を欺き、ロンドンにいると思わせておいて、ひそかに現地へ来た。君が想像したほど苦労はしていなかったが、そうした些細なことを事件の捜査に干渉させてはならない。私はたいていクーム・トレイシーに滞在し、現場の近くにいる必要があるときだけ荒れ地の小屋を使った。カートライトも一緒に来ており、田舎の少年に変装して大いに助けてくれた。食料と清潔な下着は彼に頼っていた。私がステイプルトンを見張る間、カートライトはしばしば君を見張った。そうして私はすべての糸を手にしておけた。

"I have already told you that your reports reached me rapidly, being forwarded instantly from Baker Street to Coombe Tracey. They were of great service to me, and especially that one incidentally truthful piece of biography of Stapleton's. I was able to establish the identity of the man and the woman and knew at last exactly how I stood. The case had been considerably complicated through the incident of the escaped convict and the relations between him and the Barrymores. This also you cleared up in a very effective way, though I had already come to the same conclusions from my own observations.

「すでに話したとおり、君の報告はベーカー街からクーム・トレイシーへ直ちに転送され、すぐ私に届いた。どれも大いに役立ったが、特に偶然にも真実を伝えていた、ステイプルトンの経歴に関するあの記述が有益だった。私は男女の身元を突き止め、ついに自分の立場を正確に把握できた。脱獄囚の出来事と、彼とバリモア夫妻との関係によって、事件はかなり複雑になっていた。それも君は非常に見事に解明した。もっとも、私も自分の観察からすでに同じ結論へ達していたがね。