"Rather a sweeping statement, Hastings, and one which would hardly be appreciated by the theatrical world. Do you not see that the man is, or has been, at one time or another, an actor?"
"An actor?"
「ちょっと大雑把に過ぎるね、ヘイスティングス。演劇界では認められないよ。その男は俳優であるか、俳優をやったことがあるかだとは思わないかね？」
「俳優？」
"But certainly. He has the whole technique at his fingertips. Now there are two classes of actors, the one who sinks himself in his part, and the one who manages to impress his personality upon it. It is from the latter class that actor managers usually spring. They seize a part and mould it to their own personality. The former class is quite likely to spend its days doing Mr. Lloyd George at different music halls, or impersonating old men with beards in repertory plays. It is among that former class that we must look for our Number Four. He is a supreme artist in the way he sinks himself in each part he plays."
「そうに違いないよ。彼は全ての技術に精通している。俳優には２種類あって、その役柄に入り込むもの、そしてその人自身をその役に投影するものだ。座長はたいてい後者を起用する。彼らは役柄を掴み、彼ら自身の個性に織り込んでいく。前者はいろんな音楽堂でロイド・ジョージを演じるか、髭をつけた老人をレパートリーとして過ごすことになるだろう。我々がNo.４とみなして探すのはこの前者の方だ。彼は役柄になりきる優れた役者だ。」
I was growing interested.
"So you fancy you may be able to trace his identity through his connection with the stage?"
面白くなってきた。
「じゃあ、舞台関係者から彼を追跡できると思うのかい？」
"Your reasoning is always brilliant, Hastings."
"It might have been better," I said coldly, "if the idea had come to you sooner. We have wasted a lot of time."
「君はいつも素晴らしい推理をするね、ヘイスティングス。」
「残念だったね。」私は冷たく言った。「もっと早く気づいていたらこんなに長く無駄に過ごすことはなかったのに。」
"You are in error, mon ami. No more time has been wasted than was unavoidable. For some months now my agents have been engaged on the task. Joseph Aarons is one of them. You remember him? They have compiled a list for me of men fulfilling the necessary qualifications—young men round about the age of thirty, of more or less nondescript appearance, and with a gift for playing character parts—men, moreover, who have definitely left the stage within the last three years."
「それは違うよ、きみ。これ以上は避けられなかった。この数ヶ月私の調査官たちが働いてきた。その一人がジョセフ・アーロンだが、きみ覚えているかね？ 彼が、30歳ぐらいで目立たず、演じる才能があり、そして何より、この３年のうちに舞台を離れたという条件に合う人をリストにしてくれたんですよ。」
"Well?" I said, deeply interested.
「それで？」かなり興味を持って私は言った。
"The list was, necessarily, rather a long one. For some time now, we have been engaged on the task of elimination. And finally we have boiled the whole thing down to four names. Here they are, my friend."
He tossed me over a sheet of paper. I read its contents aloud.
「必然的にリストは長くなった。次の我々の仕事は、削除していく事でした。すべてを検討して４つの名前まで絞り込んだんですよ。これがそのリストです。」
彼が紙を渡してきたので、私はそれを声をあげて読んだ。
"Ernest Luttrell. Son of a North Country parson. Always had a kink of some kind in his moral make-up. Was expelled from his public school. Went on the stage at the age of twenty-three. (There followed a list of parts he had played, with dates and places.) Addicted to drugs. Supposed to have gone to Australia four years ago. Cannot be traced after leaving England. Age 32, height 5 ft. 10-1/2 in., clean-shaven, hair brown, nose straight, complexion fair, eyes gray.
「アーネスト・ルタレル、イングランド北部生まれ。変わった趣向のメイクアップに傾倒し、公立学校を退学になる。23歳で舞台に立つ。（演じた役柄と日付は後記）薬物中毒者。４年前にオーストラリアに行ったとされるが、英国を出た後の消息はなし。32歳、５フィート10.5インチ、髭はなく、髪は茶色、鼻はまっすぐで白い肌、目はグレイ。
"John St. Maur. Assumed name. Real name not known. Believed to be of cockney extraction. On stage since quite a child. Did music hall impersonations. Not been heard of for three years. Age, about 33, height 5 ft. 10 in., slim build, blue eyes, fair colouring.
ジョン・セント・マウアとされるが本名は不明。英国の血統と思われる。幼い頃から舞台に立つ。音楽堂で役者をしていたが、この３年名前を聞かない。33歳ほど、５フィート10インチ。痩せ型、青い目、白い肌。
"Austen Lee. Assumed name. Real name Austen Foly. Good family. Always had taste for acting and distinguished himself in that way at Oxford. Brilliant war record. Acted in—(The usual list followed. It included many Repertory plays.) An enthusiast on criminology. Had bad nervous breakdown as the result of a motor accident three and a half years ago, and has not appeared on the stage since. No clue to his present whereabouts. Age 35, height 5 ft. 9-1/2 in., complexion fair, eyes blue, hair brown.
オースティン・リーとされるが本名はオースティン・フォリー。いい家柄。演劇に熱心でオックスフォードで名をあげる。輝かしい戦歴。演目（リスト後述。レパートリー含む。犯罪学熱狂者。３年半前の交通事故で、ひどく精神を病み、以来舞台に立っていない。現在の居場所不明。35歳、５フィート9.5インチ。白い肌、青い目、茶色い髪。
"Claud Darrell. Supposed to be real name. Some mystery about his origin. Played at music halls, and also in Repertory plays. Seems to have had no intimate friends. Was in China in 1919. Returned by way of America. Played a few parts in New York. Did not appear on the stage one night, and has never been heard of since. New York police say most mysterious disappearance. Age about 33, hair brown, fair complexion, gray eyes. Height 5 ft. 10-1/2 in.
クロード・ダレル、本名と思われる。素性に不明な点あり。音楽堂で演じ、レパートリーも持つ。親しい友達はない様子。1919年に中国にいたが、アメリカ経由で帰国。ニューヨークでも少し演じた。ある日舞台に来ず、そのまま消息を断つ。ニューヨーク警察は謎深い失踪と表明。33歳ほど。茶色い髪、白い肌、灰色の目。身長５フィート10.5インチ。」
"Most interesting," I said, as I laid down the paper. "And so this is the result of the investigation of months? These four names. Which of them are you inclined to suspect?"
「なんと興味深い。」紙を置きながら私は言った。「数ヶ月かかった結果なんだな。４人の名前か。君はどの人が怪しいと思う？」
