天才一秒记住【畅想小说网】地址：http://www.cxtra.net
Themaeredwasastrangeandimpressivefigure.Hisslow，limpingstepandbowedshavetheappearaude，ahishard，deep-lined，craggyfeatures，andhisenormouslimbsshowedthatheossessedofunusualstrengthofbodyandofcharacter.Histangledbeard，grizzledhair，andoutstanding，droopingeyebrowsbiogiveanairofdignityaohisappearahisfacewasofae，whilehislipsandtheersofhisnostrilsweretihashadeofblue.Itwaseataglahewasinthegripofsomedeadlyandicdisease.
"Praysitdownonthesofa，"saidHolmesgently."Youhadmy;
"Yes，thelodge-keeperbroughtitup.Yousaidthatyouwishedtoseemeheretoavoidsdal."
"IthoughtpeoplewouldtalkifIwenttotheHall."
"Andwhydidyouwishtoseeme?"Helookedaypanionwithdespairinhiswearyeyes，asthoughhisquestionwasalreadyanswered.
"Yes，"saidHolmes，ahelookratherthanthewords."Itisso.IknowallaboutMcCarthy."
Theoldmansankhisfahishands."Godhelpme!"hecried."ButIwouldheyoungmaiveyoumywordthatIokenoutifitwentagainsthimattheAssizes."
"Iamgladtohearyousayso，"saidHolmesgravely.
"Iokennowhaditnotbeenfirl.Itwouldbreakherheart...itwillbreakherheartwheIamarrested."
"Itmay，"saidHolmes.
"What?"
"Iamnooffit.Iuhatitwasyhterwhorequiredmypresencehere，andIamaheris.YoungMcCarthymustbegotoff，however."
"Iamadyingman，"saidoldTur;Ihavehaddiabetesforyears.MydoctorsaysitisaquestioherIshallliveamoIwouldratherdieundermyownroofthaninagaol."
Holmesroseandsatdowablewithhispeninhishandandabundleofpaperbeforehi"Justtellusthetruth，"hesaid."Ishalljotdows.Youwillsignit，andWatsohenIcouldproduceyouratthelastextremitytosaveyoungMcCarthy.IpromiseyouthatIshalluisabsolutely;
"It'saswell，"saidtheoldman，"it'saquestioherIshalllivetotheAssizes，soitmatterslittletome，butIshouldwishtospareAlicetheshoowIwillmakethethioyou;ithasbeenaloheag，butwillnottakemelongtotell.
"Youdidn'tknowthisdeadman，McCarthy.Hewasadeviliellyouthat.Godkeepyououtoftheclutchesofsuashe.Hisgriphasbeewentyyears，andhehasblastedmylife.I'lltellyoufirsthowIcametobeinhispower.
"Itwasintheearly60'satthediggings.Iwasayoung，hot-bloodedandreckless，readytoturnmyhandatanything;Igotamongbadpanions，tooktodrink，hadnoluckwithmyclaim，tooktothebush，andinawordbecamewhatyouwouldcallhwayrobber.Thereweresixofus，andwehadawild，freelifeofit，stigupastationfromtimetthewagoothediggings.BlackJackofBallaratwastheunder，andourpartyisstillrememberedintheyastheBallaratGang.
"OnedayagoldedownfromBallarattoMelbourne，andwelayinwaitforitahereweresixtroopersandsixofus，soitwasag，butweemptiedfouroftheirsaddlesatthefirstvolley.Threeofourboyswerekilled，however，befotthesutmypistoltotheheadofthewagon-driver，whowasthisverymanMcCarthy.IwishtotheLordthatIhadshothimthen，butIsparedhim，thoughIsawhiswickedlittleeyesfixedohoughtoremembereveryfeature.iththegold，becamewealthymen，andmadeourwaylandwithoutbeihereIpartedfrommyoldpalsaosettledowntoaquietaablelife.Iboughtthisestate，whicedtobei，amyselftodoalittlegoodwithmymoomakeupforthewayinwhichIhadear.Imarried，too，andthoughmywifediedyoumemydearlittleAliwheababyherweehaoleadmedhtpathasnothingelsehadeverdone.Inaword，Iturnedoveranewleafanddidmybesttomakeupforthepast.AllwasgoingwellwhenMcCarthylaidhisgripuponme.
"Ihadgoownabouta，ahimiwithhardlyacoattohisbackoraboottohisfoot.
"'Hereweare，Jack，'sayshe，tou;'we'llbeasgoodasafamilytoyou.There'stwoofus，meandmyson，andyouhavethekeepingofus.Ifyoudon't...it'safine，law-abidingtryisEngland，andthere'saloliwithinhail.'
"Well，dowothewesttry，therewasnoshakingthemoff，aheyhavelivedrentfreeolandeversiherewasforme，nopeaetfulurnwhereIwould，therewashisg，grimyelboorseasAlicegrewup，forhesoonsawIwasmoreafraidmypastthanofthepolice.Whateverhewahave，awasIgavehimwithoutquestion，land，moilatlastheaskedathingwhichIotgive.HeaskedforAlice.
"Hisson，yousee，hadgrownup，andsohadmygirl，andasIwasknowntobeiseemedafihathisladshouldstepintothewholeproperty.ButthereIwasfirIwouldnothavehisixedwithmiIhadahelad，buthisbloodwasinhim，andthatwasenough.IstoodfirMcCarthythreatened.Ibravedhimtodohiseretomeetatthepoolmidwaybetweenourhousestotalkitover.
"nthereIfoundhimtalkingwithhisson，soIsmokedadwaitedbehiilheshouldbealoasIlisteohistalkallthatwasbladbitterioost.Hewasurginghisshterwithaslittleregardforwhatshemightthinkasifshewereaslutfromoffthestreets.ItdrovememadtothinkthatIandallthatIheldmostdearshouldbeinthepowerofsuasthis.otsnapthebond?Iwasalreadyadyingaeman.Thoughindandfairlystrongoflimb，Ikmyownfatewassealed.Butmymemoryandmygirl!BothcouldbesavedifIcouldbutsilefoulto，MrHolmes.Iwoulddoitagain.DeeplyasIhavesinned，Ihaveledalifeofmartyrdomtoato.ButthatmygirlshouldbeehesamemesheswhichheldmewasmorethanIcouldsuffer.Istruckhimdownwithionthanifhehadbeensomefoulandve.Hiscrybroughtba;butIhadgaihecoverofthewood，thoughIwasfobacktofetchthecloakedinmyflight.Thatisthetruestentlemen，ofallthatoccurred."
"Well，itisojudgeyou，"saidHolmesastheoldmaatementwhichhadbeendrawnout."Ipraythatwemayosuchatemptation."
"Ipraynot，sir.Andwhatdoyouiodo?"
"Inviewofyourhealth，nothing.YouareyourselfawarethatyouwillsoooanswerforyourdeedatahighertheAssizes.Iwillkeepyour，andifMcCarthyisnedIshallbeforcedtouseit.Ifnot，itshallneverbeseenbymortaleye;a，whetheryoubealiveordead，shallbesafewithus."
"Farewell，then，"saidtheoldmansolemnly."Yourowhbeds，whentheye，willbetheeasierforthethoughtofthepeacewhichyouhavegiveandshakinginallhisgiaumbledslowlyfromtheroo
"Godhelpus!"saidHolmesafteralo;Whydoesfateplaysuchtrickswithpoor，helplessworms?IneverhearofsuchacaseasthisthatIdonotthinkofBaxter'swords，andsay，'There，butfod，goesSherloes.'"
&hywasacquittedattheAssizesthofanumberofobjeswhichhadbeendrawnoutbyHolmesandsubmittedtothedefendiurnerlivedforsevenmoerview，butheishereiseveryprospectthatthesonanddaughtermayetolivehappilytheblackcloudwhichrestsupo.
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