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And now as to the villains who seemed to be immediately implicated in the matter.
再說說看來直接與本案有牽連的歹徒們吧。
The lascar was known to be a man of the vilest antecedents, but as, by Mrs. St. Clair's story,
那個印度阿三是個出名的劣跡昭彰的人。不過，根據圣克萊爾太太的說法，
he was known to have been at the foot of the stair within a very few seconds of her husband's appearance at the window,
她的丈夫出現在窗口以后僅僅幾秒鐘，他就已經在樓梯腳那里了。
he could hardly have been more than an accessory to the crime.
這人至多不過是這樁罪案的一個幫兇而已。
His defense was one of absolute ignorance, and he protested that he had no knowledge as to the doings of Hugh Boone, his lodger,
他分辯說他什么也不知道，他申明他對樓上租戶休·布恩的一切行動都一無所知。
and that he could not account in any way for the presence of the missing gentleman's clothes.
他對于那位下落不明的先生的衣物出現在那屋子里的原因也說不出個所以然來。
So much for the lascar manager.
印度阿三老板的情況就是這些。
Now for the sinister cripple who lives upon the second floor of the opium den,
那個陰險的瘸子住在三層樓上，
and who was certainly the last human being whose eyes rested upon Neville St. Clair.
一定是最后親眼看見圣克萊爾先生的人。
His name is Hugh Boone, and his hideous face is one which is familiar to every man who goes much to the City.
他名叫休·布恩，他的丑惡的面孔，素為常到倫敦舊城區來的人們所熟知。
He is a professional beggar, though in order to avoid the police regulations he pretends to a small trade in wax vestas.
他以乞討為生，由于要避免警察的管制，他裝作賣蠟火柴的小販。
Some little distance down Threadneedle Street, upon the left-hand side, there is,
就在針線街往下走不遠，靠左手一邊，
as you may have remarked, a small angle in the wall.
可能你已注意到有一個小墻角。
Here it is that this creature takes his daily seat, cross-legged, with his tiny stock of matches on his lap,
他每天就坐在那里，盤著腿兒，把少得可憐的幾盒火柴放在膝上，
and as he is a piteous spectacle a small rain of charity descends into the greasy leather cap which lies upon the pavement beside him.
由于他有著一副令人哀憐的樣子，布施給他的小錢就猶如雨點般地落進放在人行道上他身邊的一頂油膩的皮革帽子里。
