The Man with the Twisted Lip (1891), the Adventure of Sherlock Holmes: summary

The Man with the Twisted Lip (1891), the Adventure of Sherlock Holmes: summary

Kate Whitney was in rushed to Dr. Watson’s door in the middle of the night. It was not the first time that she had spoken to Watson and his wife of her husband trouble, to him as a doctor, to his wife as an old friend and school companion. Isa Whitney, brother of the late Elias Whitney, Principal of the Theological College, was much addicted to opium. Watson was Isa’s medical adviser. She had the surest information that her husband was in the opium house. Watson was asked to pursue him for going home. The doctor was so shocked to find Holmes was also there, but he did not found Isa there.

Back to 1884, there came to Lee a gentlemen, Neville St. Clair by name, who appeared to have plenty money. He took a large villa, laid the grounds very nicely, and lived generally in good style. By degrees he made friends in the neighborhood, and three years later he married the daughter of a local brewer, by whom he now has two children. He had no occupation, but was interested in several companies and went into town as a rule in the morning, returning at 5:14 from Cannon Street every night.

St. Clair was now thirty seven years of age, is a man of temperate habits, a good husband, a very affectionate father, and a man who is popular with all who know him. Then the money troubles have been weighing upon his mind. His wife received a telegram, very shortly after her husband departure, to effect small parcel of considerable value which she had been expecting was waiting for her at the offices of the shipping company. While she was walking down the street, she heard an ejaculation or cry and was struck cold to see her husband looking down at her, as it seemed to her, beckoning to her from a second-floor window. 

    

The window was open, she distinctly saw his face. He waved his hand frantically to her, and then vanished. One singular point which struck her to he wore some dark coat, such he had started to town, He had been on neither collar nor necktie. She rushed down steps to the house- for the house was none other than the opium den. She did not find her husband, but his boots, his socks, his hat and watch were there. It was Hugh Boone, there was no Neville St. Claire there. Boone was a professional beggar, though in order to avoid the police regulations he pretended to a small trade in wax vestas. His hideous face was one which familiar to every man who went much to the City.

A shock of orange hair, a pale face disfigured by horrible scar, which by contraction, has turned up the order edge of his upper lip, a bulldog chin. He was a cripple, but in other respects he appeared to be a powerful and well-nurtured man. Everyone in the house insisted that her husband was not there. She went to police to investigate where her husband was. It was true, some bloodstains upon her husband right shirt-sleeve.

Boone was arrested and taken to station, but it could not be shown that there had ever before been anything against him. He had for years been known as a professional beggar, but his life appeared to have been a very quite and innocent one. The disappearance of Neville St. Clair was mystery. Sherlock Holmes introduced Watson to their new client. Mrs. Claire gave them her husband message that asking her to waiting him in patient.

The inspector said that the prisoner had tried to kill himself. Holmes knew Boone did not do crime, but a very great error has been committed. Boone aka Clair was a school-master in Chesterfield, where he received an excellent education. He travelled in his youth, took the stage, and finally became a reporter on an evening paper in London. One day his editor wished to have a series of articles upon begging in the metropolis, and he volunteered to supply them.

He painted his face, and made himself as pitiable as possible. He made a good scar and fixed one side of his lip in twist by the aid of a small lip of flesh-coloured plaster. He grew richer and he grew more ambitious. He heard her voice down stairs, swiftly he threw off his clothes, pulled on those of beggar, and put on his pigments and wig. He hurled it out of the window, and it disappeared into Thames. A few minutes after he found, he confessed, to my relief, that instead of being identified as Mr. Neville St. Clair, he was arrested as his murderer.

*****

March 13, 2018

Sekapur Sirih

Cerpen ini dipublis tahun 1891, dan memiliki latar belakang waktu 1884-1889. Kisah seorang lelaki yang dikenal baik dan terhormat di lingkungannya, tertangkap basah, ternyata seorang pengemis profesional di kota. Fiksi ini meggambarkan kehidupan 120-an tahun silam, kisahnya masih nyata hingga kini, apalagi di negara kita. Pengemis profesional yang memiliki kehidupan mapan di pinggiran kota maupun di desa, bukanlah hal jarang ditemui. Media kerap membeberkan kehidupan mereka, bahkan ironisnya satu kampung melakukannya. Dari memanfaatkan bayi sewaan, orang cacat, segudang cara lain dilakukan demi memperoleh keuntungan tanpa kerja keras, modal memelas dan berpura-pura susah. Penulis Doyle membuat cerita ekstrim di mana pengemis adalah berpendidikan tinggi dan mantan reporter. Seperti umumnya karya penulis, cerpen ini, singkat, padat dan mudah dinikmati.

Terjemahan dalam Bahasa Indonesia, Cerpen Petualangan Sherlock Holmes, The Man with the Twisted Lip (1891), Cerpen Artur Doyle, (Lelaki dengan Bibir Mencong): ringkasan

Malam begitu larut ketika Kate Whitey mendatangi kediaman Dr. Watson. Isa Whitney adalah saudara dari mendiang Elias Whitney, seorang Kepala Sekolah Theologia, dikenal kecanduan opium. Istrinya Kate sangat panik, kebiasaan suaminya makan parah, bahkan jarang pulang. Watson adalah penasehat medis dari Isa, sedangkan Kate sendiri adalah teman lama istrinya, teman sekolah.

Watson akhirnya mendatangi rumah opium itu, ia terhentak melihat Holmes berada di antara orang-orang tengah mabuk dan melayang. Isa tidak ditemukan di sana, tak seorang mengaku melihatnya. Kemungkinan ia sedang berada di rumah opium Lee. Watson mengutarakan tujuannya mencari Isa. Sebelum mereka mencari Isa, Holmes mengutarakan sebuah kasus absurd tapi sederhana. Detektif itu dalam kebingungan, apalagi ia baru saja bertemu dengan wanita mungil, kliennya, beberapa menit lalu di depan pintu. Sebelum berangkat ke Lee, detektif itu pun menceritakan awal kasusnya.

Pada tahun 1884, seorang lelaki datang ke Lee, bernama Neville St. Clair, muncul dengan banyak uang. Dia membeli sebuah vila, dengan halaman yang bagus, dan hidup mapan dan dihormati. Keramahannya membuatnya dengan mudah disenangi tetangganya, dan tiga tahun kemudian, ia menikahi putri pembuat anggur, hingga memiliki dua orang anak. Dia tidak mempunyai pekerjaan, dikabarkan dia adalah investor di beberapa perusahaan membuatnya berjadual ketat: berangkat jam 5.14 setiap pagi dan kembali malam hari.

Kini ia berumur 37 tahun, orang baik, suami baik, dan sosok ayah pengasih. Dia sangat populer dengan label itu, tentu saja, setiap orang mengenalnya. Sebuah telegram tiba di rumah pagi itu, beberapa menit setelah keberangkatannya ke kota. Pesan yang mengatakan agar Ny. Clair mengambil paket di kantor pengiriman barang di kota, paket yang sudah dinantikannya.

Ia pun berangkat ke kantor paket tersebut, dan adalah kebiasaan Ny. Clair melihat-lihat dan mengamati sekitar ketika berjalan, ia pun senang berjalan lambat. Wajahnya berubah kaget melihat seseorang di jendela sebuah rumah, tepatnya lantai dua, sosok lelaki mirip suaminya. Hanya saja, pakaiannya tidak serapih suaminya. Setiap hari Neville berangkat kerja dengan jas, dasi leher, dan kemeja. Tampil rapih. Lelaki itu melambaikan tangan padanya, tergesa-gesa menghilang, kala wanita itu memanggilnya. Ia sangat yakin, lelaki di jendela adalah suaminya.

Keganjilan, pakaiannya tidak seperti biasa, wanita itu memasuki rumah itu yang tak lain adalah rumah opium. Tidak ada satupun orang dalam rumah itu mengenal nama dan ciri suaminya, lelaki yang melambai padanya adalah Hugh Boone, seorang pengemis profesional. Pengemis yang dikenal dengan luka di wajah dan bibir miring dan muka mencong, dengan kaki pincang. Ia sudah bertahun-tahun di sana, semua orang mengenal Boone. Wanita itu memaksa masuk ke lantai dua, dan ternyata benar ia menemukan barang-barang suaminya tergeletak berantakan di lantai dengan bercak darh di kemejanya. Dari kemeja, jas, topi dan kaos kaki diyakininya adalah milik Neville. Pengemis Boone pun menghilang.

Ny. Clair pun melapor ke polisi, dan Boone ditemukan. Dia dimasukkan ke penjara atas tuduhan telah membunuh Neville. Beberapa lama kemudian, wanita itu mendapat pesan dari suaminya Neville agar tidak perlu kuatir, agar bersabar menunggunya. Tapi semenjak itu suaminya tidak pernah muncul dan menghilang tanpa kabar.

Surat yang diterimanya membuatnya membawa kasus hilangnya Neville ke meja detektif Holmes. Detektif itu mendatangi penjara. Polisi mengatakan tahanan Boone beberapa kali berupaya mencoba bunuh diri. Dengan intelijensinya, detektif Holmes menyimpulkan Boone adalah Clair.

Neville dikirim ayahnya kuliah di sebuah perguruan tinggi, dia mendapatkan pendidikan bagus di sana. Masa mudanya, ia gemar berpetualang, termasuk ikut dalam panggung peran, terakhir ia bekerja sebagai reporter pada sebuah harian sore di London. Suatu hari editor memintanya membuat artikel berseri tentang pengemis di kota besar, ia pun menyanggupi dan bahkan menyamar menjadi pengemis. Kemampuannya di panggung sangat menyokong menjadi pengemis profesioal, mendandani wajahnya semiskin mungkin. Melukis luka di wajah membuat bibir miring tertarik ke atas, membuat muka mencong, kaki pincang.

Dia pun sukses dengan artikelnya, di samping itu ia mendapat uang banyak dari praktek mengemis. Penghasilan mengemisnya lampaui pengemis lainnya, keahliannya berakting melas sangat memikat perhatian. Malah ia menjadi kaya dari mengemis. Bertahun-tahun lamanya ia pun sukses dalam karirnya, pengemis. Hidup mapan, membeli rumah, menikah dan memiliki anak. Tiba hari yang tidak diduganya, istrinya menatap ke jendela di mana ia sedang duduk santai. Holmes jatuh iba melihat istri Clair. Detektif itu berkesimpulan bahwa Neville bukanlah penjahat, yang diperlukan adalah pengakuan atas kebohongannya di hadapan istri dan anak-anaknya.

*****

13 Maret 2018