解説　場面 54「月の下の岩山」

And it was at this moment that there occurred a most strange and unexpected thing. We had risen from our rocks and were turning to go home, having abandoned the hopeless chase. The moon was low upon the right, and the jagged pinnacle of a granite tor stood up against the lower curve of its silver disc. There, outlined as black as an ebony statue on that shining background, I saw the figure of a man upon the tor. Do not think that it was a delusion, Holmes. I assure you that I have never in my life seen anything more clearly. As far as I could judge, the figure was that of a tall, thin man. He stood with his legs a little separated, his arms folded, his head bowed, as if he were brooding over that enormous wilderness of peat and granite which lay before him. He might have been the very spirit of that terrible place. It was not the convict. This man was far from the place where the latter had disappeared. Besides, he was a much taller man. With a cry of surprise I pointed him out to the baronet, but in the instant during which I had turned to grasp his arm the man was gone. There was the sharp pinnacle of granite still cutting the lower edge of the moon, but its peak bore no trace of that silent and motionless figure.

ちょうどそのとき、実に奇妙で思いがけないことが起きた。見込みのない追跡を諦め、岩から立ち上がって、帰ろうとしていたところだった。月は右手の低い所にあり、花崗岩の岩山の、ぎざぎざした尖った頂が、銀色の円盤の下側の曲線を背に突き出ていた。そこに、輝く背景を背負い、黒檀の像のように黒く縁取られた、男の姿が見えた。幻覚だったなどと思わないでくれ、ホームズ。生まれてこの方、あれほどはっきり見たものはないと、断言する。見分けられる限りでは、背の高い、痩せた男の姿だった。男は足を少し開き、腕を組み、頭を垂れて立っていた。目の前に広がる泥炭と花崗岩の広大な荒野について、深く思いを巡らせているようだった。あの恐ろしい場所の精霊そのものかもしれなかった。囚人ではなかった。囚人が消えた所からは、ずっと離れた場所に、この男はいた。それに、背丈もはるかに高かった。私は驚きの声を上げ、準男爵へ指し示したが、腕をつかもうと振り向いた、その一瞬の間に、男は消えた。花崗岩の鋭い頂は、まだ月の下端を切り取っていたが、頂上には、あの静かで動かない姿の痕跡はなかった。