解説　場面 39「五人分の夕食」

It was after five o'clock when Sherlock Holmes left me, but I had no time to be lonely, for within an hour there arrived a confectioner's man with a very large flat box. This he unpacked with the help of a youth whom he had brought with him, and presently, to my very great astonishment, a quite epicurean little cold supper began to be laid out upon our humble lodging-house mahogany. There were a couple of brace of cold woodcock, a pheasant, a pâté de foie gras pie with a group of ancient and cobwebby bottles. Having laid out all these luxuries, my two visitors vanished away, like the genii of the Arabian Nights, with no explanation save that the things had been paid for and were ordered to this address.

シャーロック・ホームズが私を残して出かけたのは五時過ぎだったが、寂しがっている暇はなかった。一時間もたたないうちに、菓子屋の男がたいへん大きな平たい箱を持ってやって来たからである。男は連れてきた若者に手伝わせて箱を開け、やがて私がひどく驚いているうちに、この質素な下宿のマホガニーの食卓へ、実に美食家向けの冷製の夕食が並べ始められた。冷たいヤマシギが四羽、キジが一羽、フォアグラのパテ入りパイが一つ、それに古びて蜘蛛の巣のかかった瓶が何本かあった。それらのご馳走を並べ終えると、二人の訪問者は、アラビアン・ナイトの魔神さながらに姿を消した。品物は支払い済みでこの住所へ届けるよう注文されたという以外、何の説明もなかった。

Just before nine o'clock Sherlock Holmes stepped briskly into the room. His features were gravely set, but there was a light in his eye which made me think that he had not been disappointed in his conclusions.

九時少し前、シャーロック・ホームズが軽快な足取りで部屋に入ってきた。その顔は真剣に引き締まっていたが、目には光があり、推理の結果に失望してはいないのだと私に思わせた。

"They have laid the supper, then," he said, rubbing his hands.

「さて、夕食は並べてくれたのだね」と、彼は手をこすりながら言った。