解説　場面 93「訪問を終えて」

It was unlikely that she would dare to say that she had not been to Baskerville Hall if she really had been, for a trap would be necessary to take her there, and could not have returned to Coombe Tracey until the early hours of the morning. Such an excursion could not be kept secret. The probability was, therefore, that she was telling the truth, or, at least, a part of the truth. I came away baffled and disheartened. Once again I had reached that dead wall which seemed to be built across every path by which I tried to get at the object of my mission. And yet the more I thought of the lady's face and of her manner the more I felt that something was being held back from me. Why should she turn so pale? Why should she fight against every admission until it was forced from her? Why should she have been so reticent at the time of the tragedy? Surely the explanation of all this could not be as innocent as she would have me believe. For the moment I could proceed no farther in that direction, but must turn back to that other clue which was to be sought for among the stone huts upon the moor.

本当にバスカヴィル館へ行っていたなら、行っていないと言い張るのは考えにくい。行くには馬車が必要で、クーム・トレーシーへ戻るのは早朝になったはずだからだ。そのような外出を秘密にはできない。したがって、彼女は真実を、少なくとも真実の一部を語っている可能性が高かった。私は行き詰まり、落胆してその場を去った。任務の目的へ近づこうとする道のことごとくに築かれているような、あの行き止まりの壁へまた突き当たったのだ。それでも彼女の顔と態度を考えれば考えるほど、何かを隠されているという思いが強くなった。なぜ、あれほど青ざめたのか。なぜ、認めざるを得なくなるまで、一つ一つを否定したのか。なぜ、悲劇の当時、あれほど口を閉ざしていたのか。このすべてを、彼女が信じさせようとしたほど無実な事情で説明できるとは思えなかった。ひとまずこの方面では先へ進めない。荒れ地の石小屋に求めるべき、もう一つの手がかりへ戻らなければならなかった。