It was a quarter past six when we left Baker Street, and it still wanted ten minutes to the hour when we found ourselves in Serpentine Avenue. It was already dusk, and the lamps were just being lighted as we paced up and down in front of Briony Lodge, waiting for the coming of its occupant. The house was just such as I had pictured it from Sherlock Holmes’s succinct description, but the locality appeared to be less private than I expected. On the contrary, for a small street in a quiet neighbourhood, it was remarkably animated. There was a group of shabbily dressed men smoking and laughing in a corner, a scissors-grinder with his wheel, two guardsmen who were flirting with a nurse-girl, and several well-dressed young men who were lounging up and down with cigars in their mouths.

我々がベーカー街を後にしたのは6時15分だった / そしてまだ予定時刻まで10分あった / サーペンタイン通りに着いたのは◆すでに夕暮れで / 灯りが灯り始めていた / 我々がブライアニ・ロッジの前を言ったり来たりしている時 / そこの住人が来るのを待っている間◆家は私が想像していたとおりだった / ホームズの簡潔な説明から / しかし、その地域は私が思っていたほど閑静ではなかった◆むしろ / 閑静な住宅街の小さな通りにしては / 驚くほど活気があった◆みすぼらしい格好の男の集団が / タバコを吸いながら片隅でたむろしていたり / 手押し車のハサミ研ぎがいたり / 二人の衛兵が一人の子守女とふざけていたり / 何人かの身なりのいい青年は / ぶらぶらと通りをいったり来たりしていた / タバコを口にくわえて

“You see,” remarked Holmes, as we paced to and fro in front of the house, “this marriage rather simplifies matters. The photograph becomes a double-edged weapon now. The chances are that she would be as averse to its being seen by Mr. Godfrey Norton, as our client is to its coming to the eyes of his princess. Now the question is, Where are we to find the photograph?”

「いいか」 / ホームズが言った / 家の前を行き来しながら / 「この結婚は事態をむしろ単純にした◆あの写真は今や両刃の剣だ◆おそらく彼女は嫌がるだろう / ゴドフリー・ノートン氏にそれが見られることを / 我々の依頼人が王妃の目に触れさせたくないように◆問題はだ、どこでその写真を見つけることができるかだ」

“Where, indeed?”

「どこかだな、確かに？」

“It is most unlikely that she carries it about with her. It is cabinet size. Too large for easy concealment about a woman’s dress. She knows that the King is capable of having her waylaid and searched. Two attempts of the sort have already been made. We may take it, then, that she does not carry it about with her.”

「自分で持ち歩いているというのは最も考えにくい◆写真はキャビネ版だ◆女の服に簡単に隠せるような大きさじゃない◆彼女は王様が待ち伏せして探すようなことをしかねないと承知している◆そのたぐいの企てはすでに2回なされている◆だからこう考えられる / それなら / 彼女はそれを持ち歩いてはいない」

“Where, then?”

「それならどこだ？」

“Her banker or her lawyer. There is that double possibility. But I am inclined to think neither. Women are naturally secretive, and they like to do their own secreting. Why should she hand it over to anyone else? She could trust her own guardianship, but she could not tell what indirect or political influence might be brought to bear upon a business man. Besides, remember that she had resolved to use it within a few days. It must be where she can lay her hands upon it. It must be in her own house.”

「銀行員か弁護士◆二つの可能性がある◆だが僕はどちらも無いという気持ちに傾いている◆女は基本的に秘密主義だ / そして自分で秘密を処理したがる◆どうして他人の手に渡そうとするだろうか? / 彼女は自分の保護は信用できるだろう / だが彼女は相談できない / 間接的、政治的影響が加えられるかもしれない職業人に◆それにだ / 彼女が数日内に使うと決心していたことを忘れてはならない◆写真は彼女が何時でも手の届くところになければならない◆それは必ず自宅にある」

“But it has twice been burgled.”

「しかし2回も荒らされているのに」

“Pshaw! They did not know how to look.”

「ハ、探し方を知らなかったのだ」

“But how will you look?”

「しかし君はどう探すつもりだ？」

“I will not look.”

「探すつもりはないね」

“What then?”

「じゃあどうやって？」

“I will get her to show me.”

「彼女に教えてもらおうと思っている」

“But she will refuse.”

「しかし断るだろう」

“She will not be able to. But I hear the rumble of wheels. It is her carriage. Now carry out my orders to the letter.”

「拒絶できないね◆あ、車輪の音が聞こえる◆彼女の馬車だ◆さあ僕の指令を忠実に実行してくれ」

As he spoke the gleam of the side-lights of a carriage came round the curve of the avenue. It was a smart little landau which rattled up to the door of Briony Lodge. As it pulled up, one of the loafing men at the corner dashed forward to open the door in the hope of earning a copper, but was elbowed away by another loafer, who had rushed up with the same intention. A fierce quarrel broke out, which was increased by the two guardsmen, who took sides with one of the loungers, and by the scissors-grinder, who was equally hot upon the other side. A blow was struck, and in an instant the lady, who had stepped from her carriage, was the centre of a little knot of flushed and struggling men, who struck savagely at each other with their fists and sticks. Holmes dashed into the crowd to protect the lady; but just as he reached her he gave a cry and dropped to the ground, with the blood running freely down his face. At his fall the guardsmen took to their heels in one direction and the loungers in the other, while a number of better-dressed people, who had watched the scuffle without taking part in it, crowded in to help the lady and to attend to the injured man. Irene Adler, as I will still call her, had hurried up the steps; but she stood at the top with her superb figure outlined against the lights of the hall, looking back into the street.

彼が話していると / 馬車のサイドライトの輝きが / 通りの曲がり角に現れた◆それは高級な小型ランドー馬車だった / ガラガラと音をたててブライアニ・ロッジの戸口に来た◆馬車が止まった時 / 隅にいた一人の浮浪者が / 飛び出して扉を開けようとした / 小銭をせびろうと思って / しかし別の浮浪者に肘で押された / 同じ目的で急いでいた◆激しい口論が始まった / 二人の衛兵が加わった / 彼らは片方の浮浪者の肩をもち / そしてハサミ研ぎ職人は / 反対側について同じくらいカッカしていた◆誰かが一発殴られた / 次の瞬間 / 馬車から折りた彼女は / 真中にいた / 顔を真っ赤にして格闘している男達の密集した集団の / 拳やステッキで乱暴にお互いを殴りあっている◆ホームズは彼女をかばうために群集の中に突進した / しかし、彼女の側に行くと同時に彼は悲鳴をあげ / 地面に倒れた / 彼の顔を血が大量に流れ落ちた◆ホームズが倒れるや衛兵は / ある方向に急いで逃げ / 浮浪者は別の方向に逃げた / 沢山の小ましな格好をした人々は / 乱闘に参加せずに見まもっていた / 女性を助け怪我人の手当てをするために集まってきて◆アイリーン・アドラーは / これからも彼女をそう呼ぶが / 階段を駆け上がっていた / しかし一番上で彼女は立ち止まり / 玄関の灯りを逆光に素晴らしいプロポーションを浮かび上がらせながら / 通りを振り返った

“Is the poor gentleman much hurt?” she asked.

「その不運な人の傷はひどいのですか？」 / 彼女は尋ねた

“He is dead,” cried several voices.

「死んでるぞ」 / 何人かが叫んだ