Updated for challenge 9
[cipher-tools.git] / support / sherlock-holmes.txt
1 THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
2
3 by
4
5 SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
6
7
8
9 I . A Scandal in Bohemia
10 II . The Red - headed League
11 III . A Case of Identity
12 IV . The Boscombe Valley Mystery
13 V . The Five Orange Pips
14 VI . The Man with the Twisted Lip
15 VII . The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
16 VIII . The Adventure of the Speckled Band
17 IX . The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb
18 X . The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
19 XI . The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
20 XII . The Adventure of the Copper Beeches
21
22
23
24
25 ADVENTURE I . A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA
26
27 I .
28
29 To Sherlock Holmes she is always THE woman . I have seldom heard
30 him mention her under any other name . In his eyes she eclipses
31 and predominates the whole of her sex . It was not that he felt
32 any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler . All emotions , and that
33 one particularly , were abhorrent to his cold , precise but
34 admirably balanced mind . He was , I take it , the most perfect
35 reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen , but as a
36 lover he would have placed himself in a false position . He never
37 spoke of the softer passions , save with a gibe and a sneer . They
38 were admirable things for the observer - excellent for drawing the
39 veil from men's motives and actions . But for the trained reasoner
40 to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely
41 adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which
42 might throw a doubt upon all his mental results . Grit in a
43 sensitive instrument , or a crack in one of his own high - power
44 lenses , would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a
45 nature such as his . And yet there was but one woman to him , and
46 that woman was the late Irene Adler , of dubious and questionable
47 memory .
48
49 I had seen little of Holmes lately . My marriage had drifted us
50 away from each other . My own complete happiness , and the
51 home - centred interests which rise up around the man who first
52 finds himself master of his own establishment , were sufficient to
53 absorb all my attention , while Holmes , who loathed every form of
54 society with his whole Bohemian soul , remained in our lodgings in
55 Baker Street , buried among his old books , and alternating from
56 week to week between cocaine and ambition , the drowsiness of the
57 drug , and the fierce energy of his own keen nature . He was still ,
58 as ever , deeply attracted by the study of crime , and occupied his
59 immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in
60 following out those clues , and clearing up those mysteries which
61 had been abandoned as hopeless by the official police . From time
62 to time I heard some vague account of his doings : of his summons
63 to Odessa in the case of the Trepoff murder , of his clearing up
64 of the singular tragedy of the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee ,
65 and finally of the mission which he had accomplished so
66 delicately and successfully for the reigning family of Holland .
67 Beyond these signs of his activity , however , which I merely
68 shared with all the readers of the daily press , I knew little of
69 my former friend and companion .
70
71 One night - it was on the twentieth of March , 1888 - I was
72 returning from a journey to a patient ( for I had now returned to
73 civil practice , when my way led me through Baker Street . As I
74 passed the well - remembered door , which must always be associated
75 in my mind with my wooing , and with the dark incidents of the
76 Study in Scarlet , I was seized with a keen desire to see Holmes
77 again , and to know how he was employing his extraordinary powers .
78 His rooms were brilliantly lit , and , even as I looked up , I saw
79 his tall , spare figure pass twice in a dark silhouette against
80 the blind . He was pacing the room swiftly , eagerly , with his head
81 sunk upon his chest and his hands clasped behind him . To me , who
82 knew his every mood and habit , his attitude and manner told their
83 own story . He was at work again . He had risen out of his
84 drug - created dreams and was hot upon the scent of some new
85 problem . I rang the bell and was shown up to the chamber which
86 had formerly been in part my own .
87
88 His manner was not effusive . It seldom was ; but he was glad , I
89 think , to see me . With hardly a word spoken , but with a kindly
90 eye , he waved me to an armchair , threw across his case of cigars ,
91 and indicated a spirit case and a gasogene in the corner . Then he
92 stood before the fire and looked me over in his singular
93 introspective fashion .
94
95 " Wedlock suits you " he remarked . " I think , Watson , that you have
96 put on seven and a half pounds since I saw you "
97
98 " Seven " I answered .
99
100 " Indeed , I should have thought a little more . Just a trifle more ,
101 I fancy , Watson . And in practice again , I observe . You did not
102 tell me that you intended to go into harness "
103
104 " Then , how do you know "
105
106 " I see it , I deduce it . How do I know that you have been getting
107 yourself very wet lately , and that you have a most clumsy and
108 careless servant girl "
109
110 " My dear Holmes " said I , " this is too much . You would certainly
111 have been burned , had you lived a few centuries ago . It is true
112 that I had a country walk on Thursday and came home in a dreadful
113 mess , but as I have changed my clothes I can't imagine how you
114 deduce it . As to Mary Jane , she is incorrigible , and my wife has
115 given her notice , but there , again , I fail to see how you work it
116 out "
117
118 He chuckled to himself and rubbed his long , nervous hands
119 together .
120
121 " It is simplicity itself " said he ; " my eyes tell me that on the
122 inside of your left shoe , just where the firelight strikes it ,
123 the leather is scored by six almost parallel cuts . Obviously they
124 have been caused by someone who has very carelessly scraped round
125 the edges of the sole in order to remove crusted mud from it .
126 Hence , you see , my double deduction that you had been out in vile
127 weather , and that you had a particularly malignant boot - slitting
128 specimen of the London slavey . As to your practice , if a
129 gentleman walks into my rooms smelling of iodoform , with a black
130 mark of nitrate of silver upon his right forefinger , and a bulge
131 on the right side of his top - hat to show where he has secreted
132 his stethoscope , I must be dull , indeed , if I do not pronounce
133 him to be an active member of the medical profession "
134
135 I could not help laughing at the ease with which he explained his
136 process of deduction . " When I hear you give your reasons " I
137 remarked , " the thing always appears to me to be so ridiculously
138 simple that I could easily do it myself , though at each
139 successive instance of your reasoning I am baffled until you
140 explain your process . And yet I believe that my eyes are as good
141 as yours "
142
143 " Quite so " he answered , lighting a cigarette , and throwing
144 himself down into an armchair . " You see , but you do not observe .
145 The distinction is clear . For example , you have frequently seen
146 the steps which lead up from the hall to this room "
147
148 " Frequently "
149
150 " How often "
151
152 " Well , some hundreds of times "
153
154 " Then how many are there "
155
156 " How many ? I don't know "
157
158 " Quite so ! You have not observed . And yet you have seen . That is
159 just my point . Now , I know that there are seventeen steps ,
160 because I have both seen and observed . By - the - way , since you are
161 interested in these little problems , and since you are good
162 enough to chronicle one or two of my trifling experiences , you
163 may be interested in this " He threw over a sheet of thick ,
164 pink - tinted note - paper which had been lying open upon the table .
165 " It came by the last post " said he . " Read it aloud "
166
167 The note was undated , and without either signature or address .
168
169 " There will call upon you to - night , at a quarter to eight
170 o'clock " it said , " a gentleman who desires to consult you upon a
171 matter of the very deepest moment . Your recent services to one of
172 the royal houses of Europe have shown that you are one who may
173 safely be trusted with matters which are of an importance which
174 can hardly be exaggerated . This account of you we have from all
175 quarters received . Be in your chamber then at that hour , and do
176 not take it amiss if your visitor wear a mask "
177
178 " This is indeed a mystery " I remarked . " What do you imagine that
179 it means "
180
181 " I have no data yet . It is a capital mistake to theorize before
182 one has data . Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit
183 theories , instead of theories to suit facts . But the note itself .
184 What do you deduce from it "
185
186 I carefully examined the writing , and the paper upon which it was
187 written .
188
189 " The man who wrote it was presumably well to do " I remarked ,
190 endeavouring to imitate my companion's processes . " Such paper
191 could not be bought under half a crown a packet . It is peculiarly
192 strong and stiff "
193
194 " Peculiar - that is the very word " said Holmes . " It is not an
195 English paper at all . Hold it up to the light "
196
197 I did so , and saw a large " E " with a small " g " a " P " and a
198 large " G " with a small " t " woven into the texture of the paper .
199
200 " What do you make of that " asked Holmes .
201
202 " The name of the maker , no doubt ; or his monogram , rather "
203
204 " Not at all . The ' G ' with the small ' t ' stands for
205 ' Gesellschaft ' which is the German for ' Company ' It is a
206 customary contraction like our ' Co ' ' P ' of course , stands for
207 ' Papier ' Now for the ' Eg ' Let us glance at our Continental
208 Gazetteer " He took down a heavy brown volume from his shelves .
209 " Eglow , Eglonitz - here we are , Egria . It is in a German - speaking
210 country - in Bohemia , not far from Carlsbad . ' Remarkable as being
211 the scene of the death of Wallenstein , and for its numerous
212 glass - factories and paper - mills ' Ha , ha , my boy , what do you
213 make of that " His eyes sparkled , and he sent up a great blue
214 triumphant cloud from his cigarette .
215
216 " The paper was made in Bohemia " I said .
217
218 " Precisely . And the man who wrote the note is a German . Do you
219 note the peculiar construction of the sentence - ' This account of
220 you we have from all quarters received ' A Frenchman or Russian
221 could not have written that . It is the German who is so
222 uncourteous to his verbs . It only remains , therefore , to discover
223 what is wanted by this German who writes upon Bohemian paper and
224 prefers wearing a mask to showing his face . And here he comes , if
225 I am not mistaken , to resolve all our doubts "
226
227 As he spoke there was the sharp sound of horses ' hoofs and
228 grating wheels against the curb , followed by a sharp pull at the
229 bell . Holmes whistled .
230
231 " A pair , by the sound " said he . " Yes " he continued , glancing
232 out of the window . " A nice little brougham and a pair of
233 beauties . A hundred and fifty guineas apiece . There's money in
234 this case , Watson , if there is nothing else "
235
236 " I think that I had better go , Holmes "
237
238 " Not a bit , Doctor . Stay where you are . I am lost without my
239 Boswell . And this promises to be interesting . It would be a pity
240 to miss it "
241
242 " But your client -"
243
244 " Never mind him . I may want your help , and so may he . Here he
245 comes . Sit down in that armchair , Doctor , and give us your best
246 attention "
247
248 A slow and heavy step , which had been heard upon the stairs and
249 in the passage , paused immediately outside the door . Then there
250 was a loud and authoritative tap .
251
252 " Come in " said Holmes .
253
254 A man entered who could hardly have been less than six feet six
255 inches in height , with the chest and limbs of a Hercules . His
256 dress was rich with a richness which would , in England , be looked
257 upon as akin to bad taste . Heavy bands of astrakhan were slashed
258 across the sleeves and fronts of his double - breasted coat , while
259 the deep blue cloak which was thrown over his shoulders was lined
260 with flame - coloured silk and secured at the neck with a brooch
261 which consisted of a single flaming beryl . Boots which extended
262 halfway up his calves , and which were trimmed at the tops with
263 rich brown fur , completed the impression of barbaric opulence
264 which was suggested by his whole appearance . He carried a
265 broad - brimmed hat in his hand , while he wore across the upper
266 part of his face , extending down past the cheekbones , a black
267 vizard mask , which he had apparently adjusted that very moment ,
268 for his hand was still raised to it as he entered . From the lower
269 part of the face he appeared to be a man of strong character ,
270 with a thick , hanging lip , and a long , straight chin suggestive
271 of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy .
272
273 " You had my note " he asked with a deep harsh voice and a
274 strongly marked German accent . " I told you that I would call " He
275 looked from one to the other of us , as if uncertain which to
276 address .
277
278 " Pray take a seat " said Holmes . " This is my friend and
279 colleague , Dr . Watson , who is occasionally good enough to help me
280 in my cases . Whom have I the honour to address "
281
282 " You may address me as the Count Von Kramm , a Bohemian nobleman .
283 I understand that this gentleman , your friend , is a man of honour
284 and discretion , whom I may trust with a matter of the most
285 extreme importance . If not , I should much prefer to communicate
286 with you alone "
287
288 I rose to go , but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me
289 back into my chair . " It is both , or none " said he . " You may say
290 before this gentleman anything which you may say to me "
291
292 The Count shrugged his broad shoulders . " Then I must begin " said
293 he , " by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years ; at
294 the end of that time the matter will be of no importance . At
295 present it is not too much to say that it is of such weight it
296 may have an influence upon European history "
297
298 " I promise " said Holmes .
299
300 " And I "
301
302 " You will excuse this mask " continued our strange visitor . " The
303 august person who employs me wishes his agent to be unknown to
304 you , and I may confess at once that the title by which I have
305 just called myself is not exactly my own "
306
307 " I was aware of it " said Holmes dryly .
308
309 " The circumstances are of great delicacy , and every precaution
310 has to be taken to quench what might grow to be an immense
311 scandal and seriously compromise one of the reigning families of
312 Europe . To speak plainly , the matter implicates the great House
313 of Ormstein , hereditary kings of Bohemia "
314
315 " I was also aware of that " murmured Holmes , settling himself
316 down in his armchair and closing his eyes .
317
318 Our visitor glanced with some apparent surprise at the languid ,
319 lounging figure of the man who had been no doubt depicted to him
320 as the most incisive reasoner and most energetic agent in Europe .
321 Holmes slowly reopened his eyes and looked impatiently at his
322 gigantic client .
323
324 " If your Majesty would condescend to state your case " he
325 remarked , " I should be better able to advise you "
326
327 The man sprang from his chair and paced up and down the room in
328 uncontrollable agitation . Then , with a gesture of desperation , he
329 tore the mask from his face and hurled it upon the ground . " You
330 are right " he cried ; " I am the King . Why should I attempt to
331 conceal it "
332
333 " Why , indeed " murmured Holmes . " Your Majesty had not spoken
334 before I was aware that I was addressing Wilhelm Gottsreich
335 Sigismond von Ormstein , Grand Duke of Cassel - Felstein , and
336 hereditary King of Bohemia "
337
338 " But you can understand " said our strange visitor , sitting down
339 once more and passing his hand over his high white forehead , " you
340 can understand that I am not accustomed to doing such business in
341 my own person . Yet the matter was so delicate that I could not
342 confide it to an agent without putting myself in his power . I
343 have come incognito from Prague for the purpose of consulting
344 you "
345
346 " Then , pray consult " said Holmes , shutting his eyes once more .
347
348 " The facts are briefly these : Some five years ago , during a
349 lengthy visit to Warsaw , I made the acquaintance of the well - known
350 adventuress , Irene Adler . The name is no doubt familiar to you "
351
352 " Kindly look her up in my index , Doctor " murmured Holmes without
353 opening his eyes . For many years he had adopted a system of
354 docketing all paragraphs concerning men and things , so that it
355 was difficult to name a subject or a person on which he could not
356 at once furnish information . In this case I found her biography
357 sandwiched in between that of a Hebrew rabbi and that of a
358 staff - commander who had written a monograph upon the deep - sea
359 fishes .
360
361 " Let me see " said Holmes . " Hum ! Born in New Jersey in the year
362 1858 . Contralto - hum ! La Scala , hum ! Prima donna Imperial Opera
363 of Warsaw - yes ! Retired from operatic stage - ha ! Living in
364 London - quite so ! Your Majesty , as I understand , became entangled
365 with this young person , wrote her some compromising letters , and
366 is now desirous of getting those letters back "
367
368 " Precisely so . But how -"
369
370 " Was there a secret marriage "
371
372 " None "
373
374 " No legal papers or certificates "
375
376 " None "
377
378 " Then I fail to follow your Majesty . If this young person should
379 produce her letters for blackmailing or other purposes , how is
380 she to prove their authenticity "
381
382 " There is the writing "
383
384 " Pooh , pooh ! Forgery "
385
386 " My private note - paper "
387
388 " Stolen "
389
390 " My own seal "
391
392 " Imitated "
393
394 " My photograph "
395
396 " Bought "
397
398 " We were both in the photograph "
399
400 " Oh , dear ! That is very bad ! Your Majesty has indeed committed an
401 indiscretion "
402
403 " I was mad - insane "
404
405 " You have compromised yourself seriously "
406
407 " I was only Crown Prince then . I was young . I am but thirty now "
408
409 " It must be recovered "
410
411 " We have tried and failed "
412
413 " Your Majesty must pay . It must be bought "
414
415 " She will not sell "
416
417 " Stolen , then "
418
419 " Five attempts have been made . Twice burglars in my pay ransacked
420 her house . Once we diverted her luggage when she travelled . Twice
421 she has been waylaid . There has been no result "
422
423 " No sign of it "
424
425 " Absolutely none "
426
427 Holmes laughed . " It is quite a pretty little problem " said he .
428
429 " But a very serious one to me " returned the King reproachfully .
430
431 " Very , indeed . And what does she propose to do with the
432 photograph "
433
434 " To ruin me "
435
436 " But how "
437
438 " I am about to be married "
439
440 " So I have heard "
441
442 " To Clotilde Lothman von Saxe - Meningen , second daughter of the
443 King of Scandinavia . You may know the strict principles of her
444 family . She is herself the very soul of delicacy . A shadow of a
445 doubt as to my conduct would bring the matter to an end "
446
447 " And Irene Adler "
448
449 " Threatens to send them the photograph . And she will do it . I
450 know that she will do it . You do not know her , but she has a soul
451 of steel . She has the face of the most beautiful of women , and
452 the mind of the most resolute of men . Rather than I should marry
453 another woman , there are no lengths to which she would not
454 go - none "
455
456 " You are sure that she has not sent it yet "
457
458 " I am sure "
459
460 " And why "
461
462 " Because she has said that she would send it on the day when the
463 betrothal was publicly proclaimed . That will be next Monday "
464
465 " Oh , then we have three days yet " said Holmes with a yawn . " That
466 is very fortunate , as I have one or two matters of importance to
467 look into just at present . Your Majesty will , of course , stay in
468 London for the present "
469
470 " Certainly . You will find me at the Langham under the name of the
471 Count Von Kramm "
472
473 " Then I shall drop you a line to let you know how we progress "
474
475 " Pray do so . I shall be all anxiety "
476
477 " Then , as to money "
478
479 " You have carte blanche "
480
481 " Absolutely "
482
483 " I tell you that I would give one of the provinces of my kingdom
484 to have that photograph "
485
486 " And for present expenses "
487
488 The King took a heavy chamois leather bag from under his cloak
489 and laid it on the table .
490
491 " There are three hundred pounds in gold and seven hundred in
492 notes " he said .
493
494 Holmes scribbled a receipt upon a sheet of his note - book and
495 handed it to him .
496
497 " And Mademoiselle's address " he asked .
498
499 " Is Briony Lodge , Serpentine Avenue , St . John's Wood "
500
501 Holmes took a note of it . " One other question " said he . " Was the
502 photograph a cabinet "
503
504 " It was "
505
506 " Then , good - night , your Majesty , and I trust that we shall soon
507 have some good news for you . And good - night , Watson " he added ,
508 as the wheels of the royal brougham rolled down the street . " If
509 you will be good enough to call to - morrow afternoon at three
510 o'clock I should like to chat this little matter over with you "
511
512
513 II .
514
515 At three o'clock precisely I was at Baker Street , but Holmes had
516 not yet returned . The landlady informed me that he had left the
517 house shortly after eight o'clock in the morning . I sat down
518 beside the fire , however , with the intention of awaiting him ,
519 however long he might be . I was already deeply interested in his
520 inquiry , for , though it was surrounded by none of the grim and
521 strange features which were associated with the two crimes which
522 I have already recorded , still , the nature of the case and the
523 exalted station of his client gave it a character of its own .
524 Indeed , apart from the nature of the investigation which my
525 friend had on hand , there was something in his masterly grasp of
526 a situation , and his keen , incisive reasoning , which made it a
527 pleasure to me to study his system of work , and to follow the
528 quick , subtle methods by which he disentangled the most
529 inextricable mysteries . So accustomed was I to his invariable
530 success that the very possibility of his failing had ceased to
531 enter into my head .
532
533 It was close upon four before the door opened , and a
534 drunken - looking groom , ill - kempt and side - whiskered , with an
535 inflamed face and disreputable clothes , walked into the room .
536 Accustomed as I was to my friend's amazing powers in the use of
537 disguises , I had to look three times before I was certain that it
538 was indeed he . With a nod he vanished into the bedroom , whence he
539 emerged in five minutes tweed - suited and respectable , as of old .
540 Putting his hands into his pockets , he stretched out his legs in
541 front of the fire and laughed heartily for some minutes .
542
543 " Well , really " he cried , and then he choked and laughed again
544 until he was obliged to lie back , limp and helpless , in the
545 chair .
546
547 " What is it "
548
549 " It's quite too funny . I am sure you could never guess how I
550 employed my morning , or what I ended by doing "
551
552 " I can't imagine . I suppose that you have been watching the
553 habits , and perhaps the house , of Miss Irene Adler "
554
555 " Quite so ; but the sequel was rather unusual . I will tell you ,
556 however . I left the house a little after eight o'clock this
557 morning in the character of a groom out of work . There is a
558 wonderful sympathy and freemasonry among horsey men . Be one of
559 them , and you will know all that there is to know . I soon found
560 Briony Lodge . It is a bijou villa , with a garden at the back , but
561 built out in front right up to the road , two stories . Chubb lock
562 to the door . Large sitting - room on the right side , well
563 furnished , with long windows almost to the floor , and those
564 preposterous English window fasteners which a child could open .
565 Behind there was nothing remarkable , save that the passage window
566 could be reached from the top of the coach - house . I walked round
567 it and examined it closely from every point of view , but without
568 noting anything else of interest .
569
570 " I then lounged down the street and found , as I expected , that
571 there was a mews in a lane which runs down by one wall of the
572 garden . I lent the ostlers a hand in rubbing down their horses ,
573 and received in exchange twopence , a glass of half and half , two
574 fills of shag tobacco , and as much information as I could desire
575 about Miss Adler , to say nothing of half a dozen other people in
576 the neighbourhood in whom I was not in the least interested , but
577 whose biographies I was compelled to listen to "
578
579 " And what of Irene Adler " I asked .
580
581 " Oh , she has turned all the men's heads down in that part . She is
582 the daintiest thing under a bonnet on this planet . So say the
583 Serpentine - mews , to a man . She lives quietly , sings at concerts ,
584 drives out at five every day , and returns at seven sharp for
585 dinner . Seldom goes out at other times , except when she sings .
586 Has only one male visitor , but a good deal of him . He is dark ,
587 handsome , and dashing , never calls less than once a day , and
588 often twice . He is a Mr . Godfrey Norton , of the Inner Temple . See
589 the advantages of a cabman as a confidant . They had driven him
590 home a dozen times from Serpentine - mews , and knew all about him .
591 When I had listened to all they had to tell , I began to walk up
592 and down near Briony Lodge once more , and to think over my plan
593 of campaign .
594
595 " This Godfrey Norton was evidently an important factor in the
596 matter . He was a lawyer . That sounded ominous . What was the
597 relation between them , and what the object of his repeated
598 visits ? Was she his client , his friend , or his mistress ? If the
599 former , she had probably transferred the photograph to his
600 keeping . If the latter , it was less likely . On the issue of this
601 question depended whether I should continue my work at Briony
602 Lodge , or turn my attention to the gentleman's chambers in the
603 Temple . It was a delicate point , and it widened the field of my
604 inquiry . I fear that I bore you with these details , but I have to
605 let you see my little difficulties , if you are to understand the
606 situation "
607
608 " I am following you closely " I answered .
609
610 " I was still balancing the matter in my mind when a hansom cab
611 drove up to Briony Lodge , and a gentleman sprang out . He was a
612 remarkably handsome man , dark , aquiline , and moustached - evidently
613 the man of whom I had heard . He appeared to be in a
614 great hurry , shouted to the cabman to wait , and brushed past the
615 maid who opened the door with the air of a man who was thoroughly
616 at home .
617
618 " He was in the house about half an hour , and I could catch
619 glimpses of him in the windows of the sitting - room , pacing up and
620 down , talking excitedly , and waving his arms . Of her I could see
621 nothing . Presently he emerged , looking even more flurried than
622 before . As he stepped up to the cab , he pulled a gold watch from
623 his pocket and looked at it earnestly , ' Drive like the devil ' he
624 shouted , ' first to Gross & Hankey's in Regent Street , and then to
625 the Church of St . Monica in the Edgeware Road . Half a guinea if
626 you do it in twenty minutes '
627
628 " Away they went , and I was just wondering whether I should not do
629 well to follow them when up the lane came a neat little landau ,
630 the coachman with his coat only half - buttoned , and his tie under
631 his ear , while all the tags of his harness were sticking out of
632 the buckles . It hadn't pulled up before she shot out of the hall
633 door and into it . I only caught a glimpse of her at the moment ,
634 but she was a lovely woman , with a face that a man might die for .
635
636 ' The Church of St . Monica , John ' she cried , ' and half a
637 sovereign if you reach it in twenty minutes '
638
639 " This was quite too good to lose , Watson . I was just balancing
640 whether I should run for it , or whether I should perch behind her
641 landau when a cab came through the street . The driver looked
642 twice at such a shabby fare , but I jumped in before he could
643 object . ' The Church of St . Monica ' said I , ' and half a sovereign
644 if you reach it in twenty minutes ' It was twenty - five minutes to
645 twelve , and of course it was clear enough what was in the wind .
646
647 " My cabby drove fast . I don't think I ever drove faster , but the
648 others were there before us . The cab and the landau with their
649 steaming horses were in front of the door when I arrived . I paid
650 the man and hurried into the church . There was not a soul there
651 save the two whom I had followed and a surpliced clergyman , who
652 seemed to be expostulating with them . They were all three
653 standing in a knot in front of the altar . I lounged up the side
654 aisle like any other idler who has dropped into a church .
655 Suddenly , to my surprise , the three at the altar faced round to
656 me , and Godfrey Norton came running as hard as he could towards
657 me .
658
659 ' Thank God ' he cried . ' You ' ll do . Come ! Come '
660
661 ' What then ' I asked .
662
663 ' Come , man , come , only three minutes , or it won't be legal '
664
665 " I was half - dragged up to the altar , and before I knew where I was
666 I found myself mumbling responses which were whispered in my ear ,
667 and vouching for things of which I knew nothing , and generally
668 assisting in the secure tying up of Irene Adler , spinster , to
669 Godfrey Norton , bachelor . It was all done in an instant , and
670 there was the gentleman thanking me on the one side and the lady
671 on the other , while the clergyman beamed on me in front . It was
672 the most preposterous position in which I ever found myself in my
673 life , and it was the thought of it that started me laughing just
674 now . It seems that there had been some informality about their
675 license , that the clergyman absolutely refused to marry them
676 without a witness of some sort , and that my lucky appearance
677 saved the bridegroom from having to sally out into the streets in
678 search of a best man . The bride gave me a sovereign , and I mean
679 to wear it on my watch - chain in memory of the occasion "
680
681 " This is a very unexpected turn of affairs " said I ; " and what
682 then "
683
684 " Well , I found my plans very seriously menaced . It looked as if
685 the pair might take an immediate departure , and so necessitate
686 very prompt and energetic measures on my part . At the church
687 door , however , they separated , he driving back to the Temple , and
688 she to her own house . ' I shall drive out in the park at five as
689 usual ' she said as she left him . I heard no more . They drove
690 away in different directions , and I went off to make my own
691 arrangements "
692
693 " Which are "
694
695 " Some cold beef and a glass of beer " he answered , ringing the
696 bell . " I have been too busy to think of food , and I am likely to
697 be busier still this evening . By the way , Doctor , I shall want
698 your co - operation "
699
700 " I shall be delighted "
701
702 " You don't mind breaking the law "
703
704 " Not in the least "
705
706 " Nor running a chance of arrest "
707
708 " Not in a good cause "
709
710 " Oh , the cause is excellent "
711
712 " Then I am your man "
713
714 " I was sure that I might rely on you "
715
716 " But what is it you wish "
717
718 " When Mrs . Turner has brought in the tray I will make it clear to
719 you . Now " he said as he turned hungrily on the simple fare that
720 our landlady had provided , " I must discuss it while I eat , for I
721 have not much time . It is nearly five now . In two hours we must
722 be on the scene of action . Miss Irene , or Madame , rather , returns
723 from her drive at seven . We must be at Briony Lodge to meet her "
724
725 " And what then "
726
727 " You must leave that to me . I have already arranged what is to
728 occur . There is only one point on which I must insist . You must
729 not interfere , come what may . You understand "
730
731 " I am to be neutral "
732
733 " To do nothing whatever . There will probably be some small
734 unpleasantness . Do not join in it . It will end in my being
735 conveyed into the house . Four or five minutes afterwards the
736 sitting - room window will open . You are to station yourself close
737 to that open window "
738
739 " Yes "
740
741 " You are to watch me , for I will be visible to you "
742
743 " Yes "
744
745 " And when I raise my hand - so - you will throw into the room what
746 I give you to throw , and will , at the same time , raise the cry of
747 fire . You quite follow me "
748
749 " Entirely "
750
751 " It is nothing very formidable " he said , taking a long cigar - shaped
752 roll from his pocket . " It is an ordinary plumber's smoke - rocket ,
753 fitted with a cap at either end to make it self - lighting .
754 Your task is confined to that . When you raise your cry of fire ,
755 it will be taken up by quite a number of people . You may then
756 walk to the end of the street , and I will rejoin you in ten
757 minutes . I hope that I have made myself clear "
758
759 " I am to remain neutral , to get near the window , to watch you ,
760 and at the signal to throw in this object , then to raise the cry
761 of fire , and to wait you at the corner of the street "
762
763 " Precisely "
764
765 " Then you may entirely rely on me "
766
767 " That is excellent . I think , perhaps , it is almost time that I
768 prepare for the new role I have to play "
769
770 He disappeared into his bedroom and returned in a few minutes in
771 the character of an amiable and simple - minded Nonconformist
772 clergyman . His broad black hat , his baggy trousers , his white
773 tie , his sympathetic smile , and general look of peering and
774 benevolent curiosity were such as Mr . John Hare alone could have
775 equalled . It was not merely that Holmes changed his costume . His
776 expression , his manner , his very soul seemed to vary with every
777 fresh part that he assumed . The stage lost a fine actor , even as
778 science lost an acute reasoner , when he became a specialist in
779 crime .
780
781 It was a quarter past six when we left Baker Street , and it still
782 wanted ten minutes to the hour when we found ourselves in
783 Serpentine Avenue . It was already dusk , and the lamps were just
784 being lighted as we paced up and down in front of Briony Lodge ,
785 waiting for the coming of its occupant . The house was just such
786 as I had pictured it from Sherlock Holmes ' succinct description ,
787 but the locality appeared to be less private than I expected . On
788 the contrary , for a small street in a quiet neighbourhood , it was
789 remarkably animated . There was a group of shabbily dressed men
790 smoking and laughing in a corner , a scissors - grinder with his
791 wheel , two guardsmen who were flirting with a nurse - girl , and
792 several well - dressed young men who were lounging up and down with
793 cigars in their mouths .
794
795 " You see " remarked Holmes , as we paced to and fro in front of
796 the house , " this marriage rather simplifies matters . The
797 photograph becomes a double - edged weapon now . The chances are
798 that she would be as averse to its being seen by Mr . Godfrey
799 Norton , as our client is to its coming to the eyes of his
800 princess . Now the question is , Where are we to find the
801 photograph "
802
803 " Where , indeed "
804
805 " It is most unlikely that she carries it about with her . It is
806 cabinet size . Too large for easy concealment about a woman's
807 dress . She knows that the King is capable of having her waylaid
808 and searched . Two attempts of the sort have already been made . We
809 may take it , then , that she does not carry it about with her "
810
811 " Where , then "
812
813 " Her banker or her lawyer . There is that double possibility . But
814 I am inclined to think neither . Women are naturally secretive ,
815 and they like to do their own secreting . Why should she hand it
816 over to anyone else ? She could trust her own guardianship , but
817 she could not tell what indirect or political influence might be
818 brought to bear upon a business man . Besides , remember that she
819 had resolved to use it within a few days . It must be where she
820 can lay her hands upon it . It must be in her own house "
821
822 " But it has twice been burgled "
823
824 " Pshaw ! They did not know how to look "
825
826 " But how will you look "
827
828 " I will not look "
829
830 " What then "
831
832 " I will get her to show me "
833
834 " But she will refuse "
835
836 " She will not be able to . But I hear the rumble of wheels . It is
837 her carriage . Now carry out my orders to the letter "
838
839 As he spoke the gleam of the side - lights of a carriage came round
840 the curve of the avenue . It was a smart little landau which
841 rattled up to the door of Briony Lodge . As it pulled up , one of
842 the loafing men at the corner dashed forward to open the door in
843 the hope of earning a copper , but was elbowed away by another
844 loafer , who had rushed up with the same intention . A fierce
845 quarrel broke out , which was increased by the two guardsmen , who
846 took sides with one of the loungers , and by the scissors - grinder ,
847 who was equally hot upon the other side . A blow was struck , and
848 in an instant the lady , who had stepped from her carriage , was
849 the centre of a little knot of flushed and struggling men , who
850 struck savagely at each other with their fists and sticks . Holmes
851 dashed into the crowd to protect the lady ; but just as he reached
852 her he gave a cry and dropped to the ground , with the blood
853 running freely down his face . At his fall the guardsmen took to
854 their heels in one direction and the loungers in the other , while
855 a number of better - dressed people , who had watched the scuffle
856 without taking part in it , crowded in to help the lady and to
857 attend to the injured man . Irene Adler , as I will still call her ,
858 had hurried up the steps ; but she stood at the top with her
859 superb figure outlined against the lights of the hall , looking
860 back into the street .
861
862 " Is the poor gentleman much hurt " she asked .
863
864 " He is dead " cried several voices .
865
866 " No , no , there's life in him " shouted another . " But he ' ll be
867 gone before you can get him to hospital "
868
869 " He's a brave fellow " said a woman . " They would have had the
870 lady's purse and watch if it hadn't been for him . They were a
871 gang , and a rough one , too . Ah , he's breathing now "
872
873 " He can't lie in the street . May we bring him in , marm "
874
875 " Surely . Bring him into the sitting - room . There is a comfortable
876 sofa . This way , please "
877
878 Slowly and solemnly he was borne into Briony Lodge and laid out
879 in the principal room , while I still observed the proceedings
880 from my post by the window . The lamps had been lit , but the
881 blinds had not been drawn , so that I could see Holmes as he lay
882 upon the couch . I do not know whether he was seized with
883 compunction at that moment for the part he was playing , but I
884 know that I never felt more heartily ashamed of myself in my life
885 than when I saw the beautiful creature against whom I was
886 conspiring , or the grace and kindliness with which she waited
887 upon the injured man . And yet it would be the blackest treachery
888 to Holmes to draw back now from the part which he had intrusted
889 to me . I hardened my heart , and took the smoke - rocket from under
890 my ulster . After all , I thought , we are not injuring her . We are
891 but preventing her from injuring another .
892
893 Holmes had sat up upon the couch , and I saw him motion like a man
894 who is in need of air . A maid rushed across and threw open the
895 window . At the same instant I saw him raise his hand and at the
896 signal I tossed my rocket into the room with a cry of " Fire " The
897 word was no sooner out of my mouth than the whole crowd of
898 spectators , well dressed and ill - gentlemen , ostlers , and
899 servant - maids - joined in a general shriek of " Fire " Thick clouds
900 of smoke curled through the room and out at the open window . I
901 caught a glimpse of rushing figures , and a moment later the voice
902 of Holmes from within assuring them that it was a false alarm .
903 Slipping through the shouting crowd I made my way to the corner
904 of the street , and in ten minutes was rejoiced to find my
905 friend's arm in mine , and to get away from the scene of uproar .
906 He walked swiftly and in silence for some few minutes until we
907 had turned down one of the quiet streets which lead towards the
908 Edgeware Road .
909
910 " You did it very nicely , Doctor " he remarked . " Nothing could
911 have been better . It is all right "
912
913 " You have the photograph "
914
915 " I know where it is "
916
917 " And how did you find out "
918
919 " She showed me , as I told you she would "
920
921 " I am still in the dark "
922
923 " I do not wish to make a mystery " said he , laughing . " The matter
924 was perfectly simple . You , of course , saw that everyone in the
925 street was an accomplice . They were all engaged for the evening "
926
927 " I guessed as much "
928
929 " Then , when the row broke out , I had a little moist red paint in
930 the palm of my hand . I rushed forward , fell down , clapped my hand
931 to my face , and became a piteous spectacle . It is an old trick "
932
933 " That also I could fathom "
934
935 " Then they carried me in . She was bound to have me in . What else
936 could she do ? And into her sitting - room , which was the very room
937 which I suspected . It lay between that and her bedroom , and I was
938 determined to see which . They laid me on a couch , I motioned for
939 air , they were compelled to open the window , and you had your
940 chance "
941
942 " How did that help you "
943
944 " It was all - important . When a woman thinks that her house is on
945 fire , her instinct is at once to rush to the thing which she
946 values most . It is a perfectly overpowering impulse , and I have
947 more than once taken advantage of it . In the case of the
948 Darlington substitution scandal it was of use to me , and also in
949 the Arnsworth Castle business . A married woman grabs at her baby ;
950 an unmarried one reaches for her jewel - box . Now it was clear to
951 me that our lady of to - day had nothing in the house more precious
952 to her than what we are in quest of . She would rush to secure it .
953 The alarm of fire was admirably done . The smoke and shouting were
954 enough to shake nerves of steel . She responded beautifully . The
955 photograph is in a recess behind a sliding panel just above the
956 right bell - pull . She was there in an instant , and I caught a
957 glimpse of it as she half - drew it out . When I cried out that it
958 was a false alarm , she replaced it , glanced at the rocket , rushed
959 from the room , and I have not seen her since . I rose , and , making
960 my excuses , escaped from the house . I hesitated whether to
961 attempt to secure the photograph at once ; but the coachman had
962 come in , and as he was watching me narrowly it seemed safer to
963 wait . A little over - precipitance may ruin all "
964
965 " And now " I asked .
966
967 " Our quest is practically finished . I shall call with the King
968 to - morrow , and with you , if you care to come with us . We will be
969 shown into the sitting - room to wait for the lady , but it is
970 probable that when she comes she may find neither us nor the
971 photograph . It might be a satisfaction to his Majesty to regain
972 it with his own hands "
973
974 " And when will you call "
975
976 " At eight in the morning . She will not be up , so that we shall
977 have a clear field . Besides , we must be prompt , for this marriage
978 may mean a complete change in her life and habits . I must wire to
979 the King without delay "
980
981 We had reached Baker Street and had stopped at the door . He was
982 searching his pockets for the key when someone passing said :
983
984 " Good - night , Mister Sherlock Holmes "
985
986 There were several people on the pavement at the time , but the
987 greeting appeared to come from a slim youth in an ulster who had
988 hurried by .
989
990 " I ' ve heard that voice before " said Holmes , staring down the
991 dimly lit street . " Now , I wonder who the deuce that could have
992 been "
993
994
995 III .
996
997 I slept at Baker Street that night , and we were engaged upon our
998 toast and coffee in the morning when the King of Bohemia rushed
999 into the room .
1000
1001 " You have really got it " he cried , grasping Sherlock Holmes by
1002 either shoulder and looking eagerly into his face .
1003
1004 " Not yet "
1005
1006 " But you have hopes "
1007
1008 " I have hopes "
1009
1010 " Then , come . I am all impatience to be gone "
1011
1012 " We must have a cab "
1013
1014 " No , my brougham is waiting "
1015
1016 " Then that will simplify matters " We descended and started off
1017 once more for Briony Lodge .
1018
1019 " Irene Adler is married " remarked Holmes .
1020
1021 " Married ! When "
1022
1023 " Yesterday "
1024
1025 " But to whom "
1026
1027 " To an English lawyer named Norton "
1028
1029 " But she could not love him "
1030
1031 " I am in hopes that she does "
1032
1033 " And why in hopes "
1034
1035 " Because it would spare your Majesty all fear of future
1036 annoyance . If the lady loves her husband , she does not love your
1037 Majesty . If she does not love your Majesty , there is no reason
1038 why she should interfere with your Majesty's plan "
1039
1040 " It is true . And yet - Well ! I wish she had been of my own
1041 station ! What a queen she would have made " He relapsed into a
1042 moody silence , which was not broken until we drew up in
1043 Serpentine Avenue .
1044
1045 The door of Briony Lodge was open , and an elderly woman stood
1046 upon the steps . She watched us with a sardonic eye as we stepped
1047 from the brougham .
1048
1049 " Mr . Sherlock Holmes , I believe " said she .
1050
1051 " I am Mr . Holmes " answered my companion , looking at her with a
1052 questioning and rather startled gaze .
1053
1054 " Indeed ! My mistress told me that you were likely to call . She
1055 left this morning with her husband by the 5 : 15 train from Charing
1056 Cross for the Continent "
1057
1058 " What " Sherlock Holmes staggered back , white with chagrin and
1059 surprise . " Do you mean that she has left England "
1060
1061 " Never to return "
1062
1063 " And the papers " asked the King hoarsely . " All is lost "
1064
1065 " We shall see " He pushed past the servant and rushed into the
1066 drawing - room , followed by the King and myself . The furniture was
1067 scattered about in every direction , with dismantled shelves and
1068 open drawers , as if the lady had hurriedly ransacked them before
1069 her flight . Holmes rushed at the bell - pull , tore back a small
1070 sliding shutter , and , plunging in his hand , pulled out a
1071 photograph and a letter . The photograph was of Irene Adler
1072 herself in evening dress , the letter was superscribed to
1073 " Sherlock Holmes , Esq . To be left till called for " My friend
1074 tore it open and we all three read it together . It was dated at
1075 midnight of the preceding night and ran in this way :
1076
1077 " MY DEAR MR . SHERLOCK HOLMES -- You really did it very well . You
1078 took me in completely . Until after the alarm of fire , I had not a
1079 suspicion . But then , when I found how I had betrayed myself , I
1080 began to think . I had been warned against you months ago . I had
1081 been told that if the King employed an agent it would certainly
1082 be you . And your address had been given me . Yet , with all this ,
1083 you made me reveal what you wanted to know . Even after I became
1084 suspicious , I found it hard to think evil of such a dear , kind
1085 old clergyman . But , you know , I have been trained as an actress
1086 myself . Male costume is nothing new to me . I often take advantage
1087 of the freedom which it gives . I sent John , the coachman , to
1088 watch you , ran up stairs , got into my walking - clothes , as I call
1089 them , and came down just as you departed .
1090
1091 " Well , I followed you to your door , and so made sure that I was
1092 really an object of interest to the celebrated Mr . Sherlock
1093 Holmes . Then I , rather imprudently , wished you good - night , and
1094 started for the Temple to see my husband .
1095
1096 " We both thought the best resource was flight , when pursued by
1097 so formidable an antagonist ; so you will find the nest empty when
1098 you call to - morrow . As to the photograph , your client may rest in
1099 peace . I love and am loved by a better man than he . The King may
1100 do what he will without hindrance from one whom he has cruelly
1101 wronged . I keep it only to safeguard myself , and to preserve a
1102 weapon which will always secure me from any steps which he might
1103 take in the future . I leave a photograph which he might care to
1104 possess ; and I remain , dear Mr . Sherlock Holmes ,
1105
1106 " Very truly yours ,
1107 " IRENE NORTON , nee ADLER "
1108
1109 " What a woman - oh , what a woman " cried the King of Bohemia , when
1110 we had all three read this epistle . " Did I not tell you how quick
1111 and resolute she was ? Would she not have made an admirable queen ?
1112 Is it not a pity that she was not on my level "
1113
1114 " From what I have seen of the lady she seems indeed to be on a
1115 very different level to your Majesty " said Holmes coldly . " I am
1116 sorry that I have not been able to bring your Majesty's business
1117 to a more successful conclusion "
1118
1119 " On the contrary , my dear sir " cried the King ; " nothing could be
1120 more successful . I know that her word is inviolate . The
1121 photograph is now as safe as if it were in the fire "
1122
1123 " I am glad to hear your Majesty say so "
1124
1125 " I am immensely indebted to you . Pray tell me in what way I can
1126 reward you . This ring -" He slipped an emerald snake ring from
1127 his finger and held it out upon the palm of his hand .
1128
1129 " Your Majesty has something which I should value even more
1130 highly " said Holmes .
1131
1132 " You have but to name it "
1133
1134 " This photograph "
1135
1136 The King stared at him in amazement .
1137
1138 " Irene's photograph " he cried . " Certainly , if you wish it "
1139
1140 " I thank your Majesty . Then there is no more to be done in the
1141 matter . I have the honour to wish you a very good - morning " He
1142 bowed , and , turning away without observing the hand which the
1143 King had stretched out to him , he set off in my company for his
1144 chambers .
1145
1146 And that was how a great scandal threatened to affect the kingdom
1147 of Bohemia , and how the best plans of Mr . Sherlock Holmes were
1148 beaten by a woman's wit . He used to make merry over the
1149 cleverness of women , but I have not heard him do it of late . And
1150 when he speaks of Irene Adler , or when he refers to her
1151 photograph , it is always under the honourable title of the woman .
1152
1153
1154
1155 ADVENTURE II . THE RED - HEADED LEAGUE
1156
1157 I had called upon my friend , Mr . Sherlock Holmes , one day in the
1158 autumn of last year and found him in deep conversation with a
1159 very stout , florid - faced , elderly gentleman with fiery red hair .
1160 With an apology for my intrusion , I was about to withdraw when
1161 Holmes pulled me abruptly into the room and closed the door
1162 behind me .
1163
1164 " You could not possibly have come at a better time , my dear
1165 Watson " he said cordially .
1166
1167 " I was afraid that you were engaged "
1168
1169 " So I am . Very much so "
1170
1171 " Then I can wait in the next room "
1172
1173 " Not at all . This gentleman , Mr . Wilson , has been my partner and
1174 helper in many of my most successful cases , and I have no
1175 doubt that he will be of the utmost use to me in yours also "
1176
1177 The stout gentleman half rose from his chair and gave a bob of
1178 greeting , with a quick little questioning glance from his small
1179 fat - encircled eyes .
1180
1181 " Try the settee " said Holmes , relapsing into his armchair and
1182 putting his fingertips together , as was his custom when in
1183 judicial moods . " I know , my dear Watson , that you share my love
1184 of all that is bizarre and outside the conventions and humdrum
1185 routine of everyday life . You have shown your relish for it by
1186 the enthusiasm which has prompted you to chronicle , and , if you
1187 will excuse my saying so , somewhat to embellish so many of my own
1188 little adventures "
1189
1190 " Your cases have indeed been of the greatest interest to me " I
1191 observed .
1192
1193 " You will remember that I remarked the other day , just before we
1194 went into the very simple problem presented by Miss Mary
1195 Sutherland , that for strange effects and extraordinary
1196 combinations we must go to life itself , which is always far more
1197 daring than any effort of the imagination "
1198
1199 " A proposition which I took the liberty of doubting "
1200
1201 " You did , Doctor , but none the less you must come round to my
1202 view , for otherwise I shall keep on piling fact upon fact on you
1203 until your reason breaks down under them and acknowledges me to
1204 be right . Now , Mr . Jabez Wilson here has been good enough to call
1205 upon me this morning , and to begin a narrative which promises to
1206 be one of the most singular which I have listened to for some
1207 time . You have heard me remark that the strangest and most unique
1208 things are very often connected not with the larger but with the
1209 smaller crimes , and occasionally , indeed , where there is room for
1210 doubt whether any positive crime has been committed . As far as I
1211 have heard it is impossible for me to say whether the present
1212 case is an instance of crime or not , but the course of events is
1213 certainly among the most singular that I have ever listened to .
1214 Perhaps , Mr . Wilson , you would have the great kindness to
1215 recommence your narrative . I ask you not merely because my friend
1216 Dr . Watson has not heard the opening part but also because the
1217 peculiar nature of the story makes me anxious to have every
1218 possible detail from your lips . As a rule , when I have heard some
1219 slight indication of the course of events , I am able to guide
1220 myself by the thousands of other similar cases which occur to my
1221 memory . In the present instance I am forced to admit that the
1222 facts are , to the best of my belief , unique "
1223
1224 The portly client puffed out his chest with an appearance of some
1225 little pride and pulled a dirty and wrinkled newspaper from the
1226 inside pocket of his greatcoat . As he glanced down the
1227 advertisement column , with his head thrust forward and the paper
1228 flattened out upon his knee , I took a good look at the man and
1229 endeavoured , after the fashion of my companion , to read the
1230 indications which might be presented by his dress or appearance .
1231
1232 I did not gain very much , however , by my inspection . Our visitor
1233 bore every mark of being an average commonplace British
1234 tradesman , obese , pompous , and slow . He wore rather baggy grey
1235 shepherd's check trousers , a not over - clean black frock - coat ,
1236 unbuttoned in the front , and a drab waistcoat with a heavy brassy
1237 Albert chain , and a square pierced bit of metal dangling down as
1238 an ornament . A frayed top - hat and a faded brown overcoat with a
1239 wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside him . Altogether ,
1240 look as I would , there was nothing remarkable about the man save
1241 his blazing red head , and the expression of extreme chagrin and
1242 discontent upon his features .
1243
1244 Sherlock Holmes ' quick eye took in my occupation , and he shook
1245 his head with a smile as he noticed my questioning glances .
1246 " Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual
1247 labour , that he takes snuff , that he is a Freemason , that he has
1248 been in China , and that he has done a considerable amount of
1249 writing lately , I can deduce nothing else "
1250
1251 Mr . Jabez Wilson started up in his chair , with his forefinger
1252 upon the paper , but his eyes upon my companion .
1253
1254 " How , in the name of good - fortune , did you know all that , Mr .
1255 Holmes " he asked . " How did you know , for example , that I did
1256 manual labour . It's as true as gospel , for I began as a ship's
1257 carpenter "
1258
1259 " Your hands , my dear sir . Your right hand is quite a size larger
1260 than your left . You have worked with it , and the muscles are more
1261 developed "
1262
1263 " Well , the snuff , then , and the Freemasonry "
1264
1265 " I won't insult your intelligence by telling you how I read that ,
1266 especially as , rather against the strict rules of your order , you
1267 use an arc - and - compass breastpin "
1268
1269 " Ah , of course , I forgot that . But the writing "
1270
1271 " What else can be indicated by that right cuff so very shiny for
1272 five inches , and the left one with the smooth patch near the
1273 elbow where you rest it upon the desk "
1274
1275 " Well , but China "
1276
1277 " The fish that you have tattooed immediately above your right
1278 wrist could only have been done in China . I have made a small
1279 study of tattoo marks and have even contributed to the literature
1280 of the subject . That trick of staining the fishes ' scales of a
1281 delicate pink is quite peculiar to China . When , in addition , I
1282 see a Chinese coin hanging from your watch - chain , the matter
1283 becomes even more simple "
1284
1285 Mr . Jabez Wilson laughed heavily . " Well , I never " said he . " I
1286 thought at first that you had done something clever , but I see
1287 that there was nothing in it , after all "
1288
1289 " I begin to think , Watson " said Holmes , " that I make a mistake
1290 in explaining . ' Omne ignotum pro magnifico ' you know , and my
1291 poor little reputation , such as it is , will suffer shipwreck if I
1292 am so candid . Can you not find the advertisement , Mr . Wilson "
1293
1294 " Yes , I have got it now " he answered with his thick red finger
1295 planted halfway down the column . " Here it is . This is what began
1296 it all . You just read it for yourself , sir "
1297
1298 I took the paper from him and read as follows :
1299
1300 " TO THE RED - HEADED LEAGUE : On account of the bequest of the late
1301 Ezekiah Hopkins , of Lebanon , Pennsylvania , U . S . A , there is now
1302 another vacancy open which entitles a member of the League to a
1303 salary of 4 pounds a week for purely nominal services . All
1304 red - headed men who are sound in body and mind and above the age
1305 of twenty - one years , are eligible . Apply in person on Monday , at
1306 eleven o'clock , to Duncan Ross , at the offices of the League , 7
1307 Pope's Court , Fleet Street "
1308
1309 " What on earth does this mean " I ejaculated after I had twice
1310 read over the extraordinary announcement .
1311
1312 Holmes chuckled and wriggled in his chair , as was his habit when
1313 in high spirits . " It is a little off the beaten track , isn't it "
1314 said he . " And now , Mr . Wilson , off you go at scratch and tell us
1315 all about yourself , your household , and the effect which this
1316 advertisement had upon your fortunes . You will first make a note ,
1317 Doctor , of the paper and the date "
1318
1319 " It is The Morning Chronicle of April 27 , 1890 . Just two months
1320 ago "
1321
1322 " Very good . Now , Mr . Wilson "
1323
1324 " Well , it is just as I have been telling you , Mr . Sherlock
1325 Holmes " said Jabez Wilson , mopping his forehead ; " I have a small
1326 pawnbroker's business at Coburg Square , near the City . It's not a
1327 very large affair , and of late years it has not done more than
1328 just give me a living . I used to be able to keep two assistants ,
1329 but now I only keep one ; and I would have a job to pay him but
1330 that he is willing to come for half wages so as to learn the
1331 business "
1332
1333 " What is the name of this obliging youth " asked Sherlock Holmes .
1334
1335 " His name is Vincent Spaulding , and he's not such a youth ,
1336 either . It's hard to say his age . I should not wish a smarter
1337 assistant , Mr . Holmes ; and I know very well that he could better
1338 himself and earn twice what I am able to give him . But , after
1339 all , if he is satisfied , why should I put ideas in his head "
1340
1341 " Why , indeed ? You seem most fortunate in having an employe who
1342 comes under the full market price . It is not a common experience
1343 among employers in this age . I don't know that your assistant is
1344 not as remarkable as your advertisement "
1345
1346 " Oh , he has his faults , too " said Mr . Wilson . " Never was such a
1347 fellow for photography . Snapping away with a camera when he ought
1348 to be improving his mind , and then diving down into the cellar
1349 like a rabbit into its hole to develop his pictures . That is his
1350 main fault , but on the whole he's a good worker . There's no vice
1351 in him "
1352
1353 " He is still with you , I presume "
1354
1355 " Yes , sir . He and a girl of fourteen , who does a bit of simple
1356 cooking and keeps the place clean - that's all I have in the
1357 house , for I am a widower and never had any family . We live very
1358 quietly , sir , the three of us ; and we keep a roof over our heads
1359 and pay our debts , if we do nothing more .
1360
1361 " The first thing that put us out was that advertisement .
1362 Spaulding , he came down into the office just this day eight
1363 weeks , with this very paper in his hand , and he says :
1364
1365 ' I wish to the Lord , Mr . Wilson , that I was a red - headed man '
1366
1367 ' Why that ' I asks .
1368
1369 ' Why ' says he , ' here's another vacancy on the League of the
1370 Red - headed Men . It's worth quite a little fortune to any man who
1371 gets it , and I understand that there are more vacancies than
1372 there are men , so that the trustees are at their wits ' end what
1373 to do with the money . If my hair would only change colour , here's
1374 a nice little crib all ready for me to step into '
1375
1376 ' Why , what is it , then ' I asked . You see , Mr . Holmes , I am a
1377 very stay - at - home man , and as my business came to me instead of
1378 my having to go to it , I was often weeks on end without putting
1379 my foot over the door - mat . In that way I didn't know much of what
1380 was going on outside , and I was always glad of a bit of news .
1381
1382 ' Have you never heard of the League of the Red - headed Men ' he
1383 asked with his eyes open .
1384
1385 ' Never '
1386
1387 ' Why , I wonder at that , for you are eligible yourself for one
1388 of the vacancies '
1389
1390 ' And what are they worth ' I asked .
1391
1392 ' Oh , merely a couple of hundred a year , but the work is slight ,
1393 and it need not interfere very much with one's other
1394 occupations '
1395
1396 " Well , you can easily think that that made me prick up my ears ,
1397 for the business has not been over - good for some years , and an
1398 extra couple of hundred would have been very handy .
1399
1400 ' Tell me all about it ' said I .
1401
1402 ' Well ' said he , showing me the advertisement , ' you can see for
1403 yourself that the League has a vacancy , and there is the address
1404 where you should apply for particulars . As far as I can make out ,
1405 the League was founded by an American millionaire , Ezekiah
1406 Hopkins , who was very peculiar in his ways . He was himself
1407 red - headed , and he had a great sympathy for all red - headed men ;
1408 so when he died it was found that he had left his enormous
1409 fortune in the hands of trustees , with instructions to apply the
1410 interest to the providing of easy berths to men whose hair is of
1411 that colour . From all I hear it is splendid pay and very little to
1412 do '
1413
1414 ' But ' said I , ' there would be millions of red - headed men who
1415 would apply '
1416
1417 ' Not so many as you might think ' he answered . ' You see it is
1418 really confined to Londoners , and to grown men . This American had
1419 started from London when he was young , and he wanted to do the
1420 old town a good turn . Then , again , I have heard it is no use your
1421 applying if your hair is light red , or dark red , or anything but
1422 real bright , blazing , fiery red . Now , if you cared to apply , Mr .
1423 Wilson , you would just walk in ; but perhaps it would hardly be
1424 worth your while to put yourself out of the way for the sake of a
1425 few hundred pounds '
1426
1427 " Now , it is a fact , gentlemen , as you may see for yourselves ,
1428 that my hair is of a very full and rich tint , so that it seemed
1429 to me that if there was to be any competition in the matter I
1430 stood as good a chance as any man that I had ever met . Vincent
1431 Spaulding seemed to know so much about it that I thought he might
1432 prove useful , so I just ordered him to put up the shutters for
1433 the day and to come right away with me . He was very willing to
1434 have a holiday , so we shut the business up and started off for
1435 the address that was given us in the advertisement .
1436
1437 " I never hope to see such a sight as that again , Mr . Holmes . From
1438 north , south , east , and west every man who had a shade of red in
1439 his hair had tramped into the city to answer the advertisement .
1440 Fleet Street was choked with red - headed folk , and Pope's Court
1441 looked like a coster's orange barrow . I should not have thought
1442 there were so many in the whole country as were brought together
1443 by that single advertisement . Every shade of colour they
1444 were - straw , lemon , orange , brick , Irish - setter , liver , clay ;
1445 but , as Spaulding said , there were not many who had the real
1446 vivid flame - coloured tint . When I saw how many were waiting , I
1447 would have given it up in despair ; but Spaulding would not hear
1448 of it . How he did it I could not imagine , but he pushed and
1449 pulled and butted until he got me through the crowd , and right up
1450 to the steps which led to the office . There was a double stream
1451 upon the stair , some going up in hope , and some coming back
1452 dejected ; but we wedged in as well as we could and soon found
1453 ourselves in the office "
1454
1455 " Your experience has been a most entertaining one " remarked
1456 Holmes as his client paused and refreshed his memory with a huge
1457 pinch of snuff . " Pray continue your very interesting statement "
1458
1459 " There was nothing in the office but a couple of wooden chairs
1460 and a deal table , behind which sat a small man with a head that
1461 was even redder than mine . He said a few words to each candidate
1462 as he came up , and then he always managed to find some fault in
1463 them which would disqualify them . Getting a vacancy did not seem
1464 to be such a very easy matter , after all . However , when our turn
1465 came the little man was much more favourable to me than to any of
1466 the others , and he closed the door as we entered , so that he
1467 might have a private word with us .
1468
1469 ' This is Mr . Jabez Wilson ' said my assistant , ' and he is
1470 willing to fill a vacancy in the League '
1471
1472 ' And he is admirably suited for it ' the other answered . ' He has
1473 every requirement . I cannot recall when I have seen anything so
1474 fine ' He took a step backward , cocked his head on one side , and
1475 gazed at my hair until I felt quite bashful . Then suddenly he
1476 plunged forward , wrung my hand , and congratulated me warmly on my
1477 success .
1478
1479 ' It would be injustice to hesitate ' said he . ' You will ,
1480 however , I am sure , excuse me for taking an obvious precaution '
1481 With that he seized my hair in both his hands , and tugged until I
1482 yelled with the pain . ' There is water in your eyes ' said he as
1483 he released me . ' I perceive that all is as it should be . But we
1484 have to be careful , for we have twice been deceived by wigs and
1485 once by paint . I could tell you tales of cobbler's wax which
1486 would disgust you with human nature ' He stepped over to the
1487 window and shouted through it at the top of his voice that the
1488 vacancy was filled . A groan of disappointment came up from below ,
1489 and the folk all trooped away in different directions until there
1490 was not a red - head to be seen except my own and that of the
1491 manager .
1492
1493 ' My name ' said he , ' is Mr . Duncan Ross , and I am myself one of
1494 the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor . Are
1495 you a married man , Mr . Wilson ? Have you a family '
1496
1497 " I answered that I had not .
1498
1499 " His face fell immediately .
1500
1501 ' Dear me ' he said gravely , ' that is very serious indeed ! I am
1502 sorry to hear you say that . The fund was , of course , for the
1503 propagation and spread of the red - heads as well as for their
1504 maintenance . It is exceedingly unfortunate that you should be a
1505 bachelor '
1506
1507 " My face lengthened at this , Mr . Holmes , for I thought that I was
1508 not to have the vacancy after all ; but after thinking it over for
1509 a few minutes he said that it would be all right .
1510
1511 ' In the case of another ' said he , ' the objection might be
1512 fatal , but we must stretch a point in favour of a man with such a
1513 head of hair as yours . When shall you be able to enter upon your
1514 new duties '
1515
1516 ' Well , it is a little awkward , for I have a business already '
1517 said I .
1518
1519 ' Oh , never mind about that , Mr . Wilson ' said Vincent Spaulding .
1520 ' I should be able to look after that for you '
1521
1522 ' What would be the hours ' I asked .
1523
1524 ' Ten to two '
1525
1526 " Now a pawnbroker's business is mostly done of an evening , Mr .
1527 Holmes , especially Thursday and Friday evening , which is just
1528 before pay - day ; so it would suit me very well to earn a little in
1529 the mornings . Besides , I knew that my assistant was a good man ,
1530 and that he would see to anything that turned up .
1531
1532 ' That would suit me very well ' said I . ' And the pay '
1533
1534 ' Is 4 pounds a week '
1535
1536 ' And the work '
1537
1538 ' Is purely nominal '
1539
1540 ' What do you call purely nominal '
1541
1542 ' Well , you have to be in the office , or at least in the
1543 building , the whole time . If you leave , you forfeit your whole
1544 position forever . The will is very clear upon that point . You
1545 don't comply with the conditions if you budge from the office
1546 during that time '
1547
1548 ' It's only four hours a day , and I should not think of leaving '
1549 said I .
1550
1551 ' No excuse will avail ' said Mr . Duncan Ross ; ' neither sickness
1552 nor business nor anything else . There you must stay , or you lose
1553 your billet '
1554
1555 ' And the work '
1556
1557 ' Is to copy out the " Encyclopaedia Britannica " There is the first
1558 volume of it in that press . You must find your own ink , pens , and
1559 blotting - paper , but we provide this table and chair . Will you be
1560 ready to - morrow '
1561
1562 ' Certainly ' I answered .
1563
1564 ' Then , good - bye , Mr . Jabez Wilson , and let me congratulate you
1565 once more on the important position which you have been fortunate
1566 enough to gain ' He bowed me out of the room and I went home with
1567 my assistant , hardly knowing what to say or do , I was so pleased
1568 at my own good fortune .
1569
1570 " Well , I thought over the matter all day , and by evening I was in
1571 low spirits again ; for I had quite persuaded myself that the
1572 whole affair must be some great hoax or fraud , though what its
1573 object might be I could not imagine . It seemed altogether past
1574 belief that anyone could make such a will , or that they would pay
1575 such a sum for doing anything so simple as copying out the
1576 ' Encyclopaedia Britannica ' Vincent Spaulding did what he could to
1577 cheer me up , but by bedtime I had reasoned myself out of the
1578 whole thing . However , in the morning I determined to have a look
1579 at it anyhow , so I bought a penny bottle of ink , and with a
1580 quill - pen , and seven sheets of foolscap paper , I started off for
1581 Pope's Court .
1582
1583 " Well , to my surprise and delight , everything was as right as
1584 possible . The table was set out ready for me , and Mr . Duncan Ross
1585 was there to see that I got fairly to work . He started me off
1586 upon the letter A , and then he left me ; but he would drop in from
1587 time to time to see that all was right with me . At two o'clock he
1588 bade me good - day , complimented me upon the amount that I had
1589 written , and locked the door of the office after me .
1590
1591 " This went on day after day , Mr . Holmes , and on Saturday the
1592 manager came in and planked down four golden sovereigns for my
1593 week's work . It was the same next week , and the same the week
1594 after . Every morning I was there at ten , and every afternoon I
1595 left at two . By degrees Mr . Duncan Ross took to coming in only
1596 once of a morning , and then , after a time , he did not come in at
1597 all . Still , of course , I never dared to leave the room for an
1598 instant , for I was not sure when he might come , and the billet
1599 was such a good one , and suited me so well , that I would not risk
1600 the loss of it .
1601
1602 " Eight weeks passed away like this , and I had written about
1603 Abbots and Archery and Armour and Architecture and Attica , and
1604 hoped with diligence that I might get on to the B's before very
1605 long . It cost me something in foolscap , and I had pretty nearly
1606 filled a shelf with my writings . And then suddenly the whole
1607 business came to an end "
1608
1609 " To an end "
1610
1611 " Yes , sir . And no later than this morning . I went to my work as
1612 usual at ten o'clock , but the door was shut and locked , with a
1613 little square of cardboard hammered on to the middle of the
1614 panel with a tack . Here it is , and you can read for yourself "
1615
1616 He held up a piece of white cardboard about the size of a sheet
1617 of note - paper . It read in this fashion :
1618
1619 THE RED - HEADED LEAGUE
1620
1621 IS
1622
1623 DISSOLVED .
1624
1625 October 9 , 1890 .
1626
1627 Sherlock Holmes and I surveyed this curt announcement and the
1628 rueful face behind it , until the comical side of the affair so
1629 completely overtopped every other consideration that we both
1630 burst out into a roar of laughter .
1631
1632 " I cannot see that there is anything very funny " cried our
1633 client , flushing up to the roots of his flaming head . " If you can
1634 do nothing better than laugh at me , I can go elsewhere "
1635
1636 " No , no " cried Holmes , shoving him back into the chair from
1637 which he had half risen . " I really wouldn't miss your case for
1638 the world . It is most refreshingly unusual . But there is , if you
1639 will excuse my saying so , something just a little funny about it .
1640 Pray what steps did you take when you found the card upon the
1641 door "
1642
1643 " I was staggered , sir . I did not know what to do . Then I called
1644 at the offices round , but none of them seemed to know anything
1645 about it . Finally , I went to the landlord , who is an accountant
1646 living on the ground - floor , and I asked him if he could tell me
1647 what had become of the Red - headed League . He said that he had
1648 never heard of any such body . Then I asked him who Mr . Duncan
1649 Ross was . He answered that the name was new to him .
1650
1651 ' Well ' said I , ' the gentleman at No . 4 '
1652
1653 ' What , the red - headed man '
1654
1655 ' Yes '
1656
1657 ' Oh ' said he , ' his name was William Morris . He was a solicitor
1658 and was using my room as a temporary convenience until his new
1659 premises were ready . He moved out yesterday '
1660
1661 ' Where could I find him '
1662
1663 ' Oh , at his new offices . He did tell me the address . Yes , 17
1664 King Edward Street , near St . Paul's '
1665
1666 " I started off , Mr . Holmes , but when I got to that address it was
1667 a manufactory of artificial knee - caps , and no one in it had ever
1668 heard of either Mr . William Morris or Mr . Duncan Ross "
1669
1670 " And what did you do then " asked Holmes .
1671
1672 " I went home to Saxe - Coburg Square , and I took the advice of my
1673 assistant . But he could not help me in any way . He could only say
1674 that if I waited I should hear by post . But that was not quite
1675 good enough , Mr . Holmes . I did not wish to lose such a place
1676 without a struggle , so , as I had heard that you were good enough
1677 to give advice to poor folk who were in need of it , I came right
1678 away to you "
1679
1680 " And you did very wisely " said Holmes . " Your case is an
1681 exceedingly remarkable one , and I shall be happy to look into it .
1682 From what you have told me I think that it is possible that
1683 graver issues hang from it than might at first sight appear "
1684
1685 " Grave enough " said Mr . Jabez Wilson . " Why , I have lost four
1686 pound a week "
1687
1688 " As far as you are personally concerned " remarked Holmes , " I do
1689 not see that you have any grievance against this extraordinary
1690 league . On the contrary , you are , as I understand , richer by some
1691 30 pounds , to say nothing of the minute knowledge which you have
1692 gained on every subject which comes under the letter A . You have
1693 lost nothing by them "
1694
1695 " No , sir . But I want to find out about them , and who they are ,
1696 and what their object was in playing this prank - if it was a
1697 prank - upon me . It was a pretty expensive joke for them , for it
1698 cost them two and thirty pounds "
1699
1700 " We shall endeavour to clear up these points for you . And , first ,
1701 one or two questions , Mr . Wilson . This assistant of yours who
1702 first called your attention to the advertisement - how long had he
1703 been with you "
1704
1705 " About a month then "
1706
1707 " How did he come "
1708
1709 " In answer to an advertisement "
1710
1711 " Was he the only applicant "
1712
1713 " No , I had a dozen "
1714
1715 " Why did you pick him "
1716
1717 " Because he was handy and would come cheap "
1718
1719 " At half - wages , in fact "
1720
1721 " Yes "
1722
1723 " What is he like , this Vincent Spaulding "
1724
1725 " Small , stout - built , very quick in his ways , no hair on his face ,
1726 though he's not short of thirty . Has a white splash of acid upon
1727 his forehead "
1728
1729 Holmes sat up in his chair in considerable excitement . " I thought
1730 as much " said he . " Have you ever observed that his ears are
1731 pierced for earrings "
1732
1733 " Yes , sir . He told me that a gipsy had done it for him when he
1734 was a lad "
1735
1736 " Hum " said Holmes , sinking back in deep thought . " He is still
1737 with you "
1738
1739 " Oh , yes , sir ; I have only just left him "
1740
1741 " And has your business been attended to in your absence "
1742
1743 " Nothing to complain of , sir . There's never very much to do of a
1744 morning "
1745
1746 " That will do , Mr . Wilson . I shall be happy to give you an
1747 opinion upon the subject in the course of a day or two . To - day is
1748 Saturday , and I hope that by Monday we may come to a conclusion "
1749
1750 " Well , Watson " said Holmes when our visitor had left us , " what
1751 do you make of it all "
1752
1753 " I make nothing of it " I answered frankly . " It is a most
1754 mysterious business "
1755
1756 " As a rule " said Holmes , " the more bizarre a thing is the less
1757 mysterious it proves to be . It is your commonplace , featureless
1758 crimes which are really puzzling , just as a commonplace face is
1759 the most difficult to identify . But I must be prompt over this
1760 matter "
1761
1762 " What are you going to do , then " I asked .
1763
1764 " To smoke " he answered . " It is quite a three pipe problem , and I
1765 beg that you won't speak to me for fifty minutes " He curled
1766 himself up in his chair , with his thin knees drawn up to his
1767 hawk - like nose , and there he sat with his eyes closed and his
1768 black clay pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange bird .
1769 I had come to the conclusion that he had dropped asleep , and
1770 indeed was nodding myself , when he suddenly sprang out of his
1771 chair with the gesture of a man who has made up his mind and put
1772 his pipe down upon the mantelpiece .
1773
1774 " Sarasate plays at the St . James's Hall this afternoon " he
1775 remarked . " What do you think , Watson ? Could your patients spare
1776 you for a few hours "
1777
1778 " I have nothing to do to - day . My practice is never very
1779 absorbing "
1780
1781 " Then put on your hat and come . I am going through the City
1782 first , and we can have some lunch on the way . I observe that
1783 there is a good deal of German music on the programme , which is
1784 rather more to my taste than Italian or French . It is
1785 introspective , and I want to introspect . Come along "
1786
1787 We travelled by the Underground as far as Aldersgate ; and a short
1788 walk took us to Saxe - Coburg Square , the scene of the singular
1789 story which we had listened to in the morning . It was a poky ,
1790 little , shabby - genteel place , where four lines of dingy
1791 two - storied brick houses looked out into a small railed - in
1792 enclosure , where a lawn of weedy grass and a few clumps of faded
1793 laurel - bushes made a hard fight against a smoke - laden and
1794 uncongenial atmosphere . Three gilt balls and a brown board with
1795 " JABEZ WILSON " in white letters , upon a corner house , announced
1796 the place where our red - headed client carried on his business .
1797 Sherlock Holmes stopped in front of it with his head on one side
1798 and looked it all over , with his eyes shining brightly between
1799 puckered lids . Then he walked slowly up the street , and then down
1800 again to the corner , still looking keenly at the houses . Finally
1801 he returned to the pawnbroker's , and , having thumped vigorously
1802 upon the pavement with his stick two or three times , he went up
1803 to the door and knocked . It was instantly opened by a
1804 bright - looking , clean - shaven young fellow , who asked him to step
1805 in .
1806
1807 " Thank you " said Holmes , " I only wished to ask you how you would
1808 go from here to the Strand "
1809
1810 " Third right , fourth left " answered the assistant promptly ,
1811 closing the door .
1812
1813 " Smart fellow , that " observed Holmes as we walked away . " He is ,
1814 in my judgment , the fourth smartest man in London , and for daring
1815 I am not sure that he has not a claim to be third . I have known
1816 something of him before "
1817
1818 " Evidently " said I , " Mr . Wilson's assistant counts for a good
1819 deal in this mystery of the Red - headed League . I am sure that you
1820 inquired your way merely in order that you might see him "
1821
1822 " Not him "
1823
1824 " What then "
1825
1826 " The knees of his trousers "
1827
1828 " And what did you see "
1829
1830 " What I expected to see "
1831
1832 " Why did you beat the pavement "
1833
1834 " My dear doctor , this is a time for observation , not for talk . We
1835 are spies in an enemy's country . We know something of Saxe - Coburg
1836 Square . Let us now explore the parts which lie behind it "
1837
1838 The road in which we found ourselves as we turned round the
1839 corner from the retired Saxe - Coburg Square presented as great a
1840 contrast to it as the front of a picture does to the back . It was
1841 one of the main arteries which conveyed the traffic of the City
1842 to the north and west . The roadway was blocked with the immense
1843 stream of commerce flowing in a double tide inward and outward ,
1844 while the footpaths were black with the hurrying swarm of
1845 pedestrians . It was difficult to realise as we looked at the line
1846 of fine shops and stately business premises that they really
1847 abutted on the other side upon the faded and stagnant square
1848 which we had just quitted .
1849
1850 " Let me see " said Holmes , standing at the corner and glancing
1851 along the line , " I should like just to remember the order of the
1852 houses here . It is a hobby of mine to have an exact knowledge of
1853 London . There is Mortimer's , the tobacconist , the little
1854 newspaper shop , the Coburg branch of the City and Suburban Bank ,
1855 the Vegetarian Restaurant , and McFarlane's carriage - building
1856 depot . That carries us right on to the other block . And now ,
1857 Doctor , we ' ve done our work , so it's time we had some play . A
1858 sandwich and a cup of coffee , and then off to violin - land , where
1859 all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony , and there are no
1860 red - headed clients to vex us with their conundrums "
1861
1862 My friend was an enthusiastic musician , being himself not only a
1863 very capable performer but a composer of no ordinary merit . All
1864 the afternoon he sat in the stalls wrapped in the most perfect
1865 happiness , gently waving his long , thin fingers in time to the
1866 music , while his gently smiling face and his languid , dreamy eyes
1867 were as unlike those of Holmes the sleuth - hound , Holmes the
1868 relentless , keen - witted , ready - handed criminal agent , as it was
1869 possible to conceive . In his singular character the dual nature
1870 alternately asserted itself , and his extreme exactness and
1871 astuteness represented , as I have often thought , the reaction
1872 against the poetic and contemplative mood which occasionally
1873 predominated in him . The swing of his nature took him from
1874 extreme languor to devouring energy ; and , as I knew well , he was
1875 never so truly formidable as when , for days on end , he had been
1876 lounging in his armchair amid his improvisations and his
1877 black - letter editions . Then it was that the lust of the chase
1878 would suddenly come upon him , and that his brilliant reasoning
1879 power would rise to the level of intuition , until those who were
1880 unacquainted with his methods would look askance at him as on a
1881 man whose knowledge was not that of other mortals . When I saw him
1882 that afternoon so enwrapped in the music at St . James's Hall I
1883 felt that an evil time might be coming upon those whom he had set
1884 himself to hunt down .
1885
1886 " You want to go home , no doubt , Doctor " he remarked as we
1887 emerged .
1888
1889 " Yes , it would be as well "
1890
1891 " And I have some business to do which will take some hours . This
1892 business at Coburg Square is serious "
1893
1894 " Why serious "
1895
1896 " A considerable crime is in contemplation . I have every reason to
1897 believe that we shall be in time to stop it . But to - day being
1898 Saturday rather complicates matters . I shall want your help
1899 to - night "
1900
1901 " At what time "
1902
1903 " Ten will be early enough "
1904
1905 " I shall be at Baker Street at ten "
1906
1907 " Very well . And , I say , Doctor , there may be some little danger ,
1908 so kindly put your army revolver in your pocket " He waved his
1909 hand , turned on his heel , and disappeared in an instant among the
1910 crowd .
1911
1912 I trust that I am not more dense than my neighbours , but I was
1913 always oppressed with a sense of my own stupidity in my dealings
1914 with Sherlock Holmes . Here I had heard what he had heard , I had
1915 seen what he had seen , and yet from his words it was evident that
1916 he saw clearly not only what had happened but what was about to
1917 happen , while to me the whole business was still confused and
1918 grotesque . As I drove home to my house in Kensington I thought
1919 over it all , from the extraordinary story of the red - headed
1920 copier of the " Encyclopaedia " down to the visit to Saxe - Coburg
1921 Square , and the ominous words with which he had parted from me .
1922 What was this nocturnal expedition , and why should I go armed ?
1923 Where were we going , and what were we to do ? I had the hint from
1924 Holmes that this smooth - faced pawnbroker's assistant was a
1925 formidable man - a man who might play a deep game . I tried to
1926 puzzle it out , but gave it up in despair and set the matter aside
1927 until night should bring an explanation .
1928
1929 It was a quarter - past nine when I started from home and made my
1930 way across the Park , and so through Oxford Street to Baker
1931 Street . Two hansoms were standing at the door , and as I entered
1932 the passage I heard the sound of voices from above . On entering
1933 his room I found Holmes in animated conversation with two men ,
1934 one of whom I recognised as Peter Jones , the official police
1935 agent , while the other was a long , thin , sad - faced man , with a
1936 very shiny hat and oppressively respectable frock - coat .
1937
1938 " Ha ! Our party is complete " said Holmes , buttoning up his
1939 pea - jacket and taking his heavy hunting crop from the rack .
1940 " Watson , I think you know Mr . Jones , of Scotland Yard ? Let me
1941 introduce you to Mr . Merryweather , who is to be our companion in
1942 to - night's adventure "
1943
1944 " We ' re hunting in couples again , Doctor , you see " said Jones in
1945 his consequential way . " Our friend here is a wonderful man for
1946 starting a chase . All he wants is an old dog to help him to do
1947 the running down "
1948
1949 " I hope a wild goose may not prove to be the end of our chase "
1950 observed Mr . Merryweather gloomily .
1951
1952 " You may place considerable confidence in Mr . Holmes , sir " said
1953 the police agent loftily . " He has his own little methods , which
1954 are , if he won't mind my saying so , just a little too theoretical
1955 and fantastic , but he has the makings of a detective in him . It
1956 is not too much to say that once or twice , as in that business of
1957 the Sholto murder and the Agra treasure , he has been more nearly
1958 correct than the official force "
1959
1960 " Oh , if you say so , Mr . Jones , it is all right " said the
1961 stranger with deference . " Still , I confess that I miss my rubber .
1962 It is the first Saturday night for seven - and - twenty years that I
1963 have not had my rubber "
1964
1965 " I think you will find " said Sherlock Holmes , " that you will
1966 play for a higher stake to - night than you have ever done yet , and
1967 that the play will be more exciting . For you , Mr . Merryweather ,
1968 the stake will be some 30 , 000 pounds ; and for you , Jones , it will
1969 be the man upon whom you wish to lay your hands "
1970
1971 " John Clay , the murderer , thief , smasher , and forger . He's a
1972 young man , Mr . Merryweather , but he is at the head of his
1973 profession , and I would rather have my bracelets on him than on
1974 any criminal in London . He's a remarkable man , is young John
1975 Clay . His grandfather was a royal duke , and he himself has been
1976 to Eton and Oxford . His brain is as cunning as his fingers , and
1977 though we meet signs of him at every turn , we never know where to
1978 find the man himself . He ' ll crack a crib in Scotland one week ,
1979 and be raising money to build an orphanage in Cornwall the next .
1980 I ' ve been on his track for years and have never set eyes on him
1981 yet "
1982
1983 " I hope that I may have the pleasure of introducing you to - night .
1984 I ' ve had one or two little turns also with Mr . John Clay , and I
1985 agree with you that he is at the head of his profession . It is
1986 past ten , however , and quite time that we started . If you two
1987 will take the first hansom , Watson and I will follow in the
1988 second "
1989
1990 Sherlock Holmes was not very communicative during the long drive
1991 and lay back in the cab humming the tunes which he had heard in
1992 the afternoon . We rattled through an endless labyrinth of gas - lit
1993 streets until we emerged into Farrington Street .
1994
1995 " We are close there now " my friend remarked . " This fellow
1996 Merryweather is a bank director , and personally interested in the
1997 matter . I thought it as well to have Jones with us also . He is
1998 not a bad fellow , though an absolute imbecile in his profession .
1999 He has one positive virtue . He is as brave as a bulldog and as
2000 tenacious as a lobster if he gets his claws upon anyone . Here we
2001 are , and they are waiting for us "
2002
2003 We had reached the same crowded thoroughfare in which we had
2004 found ourselves in the morning . Our cabs were dismissed , and ,
2005 following the guidance of Mr . Merryweather , we passed down a
2006 narrow passage and through a side door , which he opened for us .
2007 Within there was a small corridor , which ended in a very massive
2008 iron gate . This also was opened , and led down a flight of winding
2009 stone steps , which terminated at another formidable gate . Mr .
2010 Merryweather stopped to light a lantern , and then conducted us
2011 down a dark , earth - smelling passage , and so , after opening a
2012 third door , into a huge vault or cellar , which was piled all
2013 round with crates and massive boxes .
2014
2015 " You are not very vulnerable from above " Holmes remarked as he
2016 held up the lantern and gazed about him .
2017
2018 " Nor from below " said Mr . Merryweather , striking his stick upon
2019 the flags which lined the floor . " Why , dear me , it sounds quite
2020 hollow " he remarked , looking up in surprise .
2021
2022 " I must really ask you to be a little more quiet " said Holmes
2023 severely . " You have already imperilled the whole success of our
2024 expedition . Might I beg that you would have the goodness to sit
2025 down upon one of those boxes , and not to interfere "
2026
2027 The solemn Mr . Merryweather perched himself upon a crate , with a
2028 very injured expression upon his face , while Holmes fell upon his
2029 knees upon the floor and , with the lantern and a magnifying lens ,
2030 began to examine minutely the cracks between the stones . A few
2031 seconds sufficed to satisfy him , for he sprang to his feet again
2032 and put his glass in his pocket .
2033
2034 " We have at least an hour before us " he remarked , " for they can
2035 hardly take any steps until the good pawnbroker is safely in bed .
2036 Then they will not lose a minute , for the sooner they do their
2037 work the longer time they will have for their escape . We are at
2038 present , Doctor - as no doubt you have divined - in the cellar of
2039 the City branch of one of the principal London banks . Mr .
2040 Merryweather is the chairman of directors , and he will explain to
2041 you that there are reasons why the more daring criminals of
2042 London should take a considerable interest in this cellar at
2043 present "
2044
2045 " It is our French gold " whispered the director . " We have had
2046 several warnings that an attempt might be made upon it "
2047
2048 " Your French gold "
2049
2050 " Yes . We had occasion some months ago to strengthen our resources
2051 and borrowed for that purpose 30 , 000 napoleons from the Bank of
2052 France . It has become known that we have never had occasion to
2053 unpack the money , and that it is still lying in our cellar . The
2054 crate upon which I sit contains 2 , 000 napoleons packed between
2055 layers of lead foil . Our reserve of bullion is much larger at
2056 present than is usually kept in a single branch office , and the
2057 directors have had misgivings upon the subject "
2058
2059 " Which were very well justified " observed Holmes . " And now it is
2060 time that we arranged our little plans . I expect that within an
2061 hour matters will come to a head . In the meantime Mr .
2062 Merryweather , we must put the screen over that dark lantern "
2063
2064 " And sit in the dark "
2065
2066 " I am afraid so . I had brought a pack of cards in my pocket , and
2067 I thought that , as we were a partie carree , you might have your
2068 rubber after all . But I see that the enemy's preparations have
2069 gone so far that we cannot risk the presence of a light . And ,
2070 first of all , we must choose our positions . These are daring men ,
2071 and though we shall take them at a disadvantage , they may do us
2072 some harm unless we are careful . I shall stand behind this crate ,
2073 and do you conceal yourselves behind those . Then , when I flash a
2074 light upon them , close in swiftly . If they fire , Watson , have no
2075 compunction about shooting them down "
2076
2077 I placed my revolver , cocked , upon the top of the wooden case
2078 behind which I crouched . Holmes shot the slide across the front
2079 of his lantern and left us in pitch darkness - such an absolute
2080 darkness as I have never before experienced . The smell of hot
2081 metal remained to assure us that the light was still there , ready
2082 to flash out at a moment's notice . To me , with my nerves worked
2083 up to a pitch of expectancy , there was something depressing and
2084 subduing in the sudden gloom , and in the cold dank air of the
2085 vault .
2086
2087 " They have but one retreat " whispered Holmes . " That is back
2088 through the house into Saxe - Coburg Square . I hope that you have
2089 done what I asked you , Jones "
2090
2091 " I have an inspector and two officers waiting at the front door "
2092
2093 " Then we have stopped all the holes . And now we must be silent
2094 and wait "
2095
2096 What a time it seemed ! From comparing notes afterwards it was but
2097 an hour and a quarter , yet it appeared to me that the night must
2098 have almost gone and the dawn be breaking above us . My limbs
2099 were weary and stiff , for I feared to change my position ; yet my
2100 nerves were worked up to the highest pitch of tension , and my
2101 hearing was so acute that I could not only hear the gentle
2102 breathing of my companions , but I could distinguish the deeper ,
2103 heavier in - breath of the bulky Jones from the thin , sighing note
2104 of the bank director . From my position I could look over the case
2105 in the direction of the floor . Suddenly my eyes caught the glint
2106 of a light .
2107
2108 At first it was but a lurid spark upon the stone pavement . Then
2109 it lengthened out until it became a yellow line , and then ,
2110 without any warning or sound , a gash seemed to open and a hand
2111 appeared , a white , almost womanly hand , which felt about in the
2112 centre of the little area of light . For a minute or more the
2113 hand , with its writhing fingers , protruded out of the floor . Then
2114 it was withdrawn as suddenly as it appeared , and all was dark
2115 again save the single lurid spark which marked a chink between
2116 the stones .
2117
2118 Its disappearance , however , was but momentary . With a rending ,
2119 tearing sound , one of the broad , white stones turned over upon
2120 its side and left a square , gaping hole , through which streamed
2121 the light of a lantern . Over the edge there peeped a clean - cut ,
2122 boyish face , which looked keenly about it , and then , with a hand
2123 on either side of the aperture , drew itself shoulder - high and
2124 waist - high , until one knee rested upon the edge . In another
2125 instant he stood at the side of the hole and was hauling after
2126 him a companion , lithe and small like himself , with a pale face
2127 and a shock of very red hair .
2128
2129 " It's all clear " he whispered . " Have you the chisel and the
2130 bags ? Great Scott ! Jump , Archie , jump , and I ' ll swing for it "
2131
2132 Sherlock Holmes had sprung out and seized the intruder by the
2133 collar . The other dived down the hole , and I heard the sound of
2134 rending cloth as Jones clutched at his skirts . The light flashed
2135 upon the barrel of a revolver , but Holmes ' hunting crop came
2136 down on the man's wrist , and the pistol clinked upon the stone
2137 floor .
2138
2139 " It's no use , John Clay " said Holmes blandly . " You have no
2140 chance at all "
2141
2142 " So I see " the other answered with the utmost coolness . " I fancy
2143 that my pal is all right , though I see you have got his
2144 coat - tails "
2145
2146 " There are three men waiting for him at the door " said Holmes .
2147
2148 " Oh , indeed ! You seem to have done the thing very completely . I
2149 must compliment you "
2150
2151 " And I you " Holmes answered . " Your red - headed idea was very new
2152 and effective "
2153
2154 " You ' ll see your pal again presently " said Jones . " He's quicker
2155 at climbing down holes than I am . Just hold out while I fix the
2156 derbies "
2157
2158 " I beg that you will not touch me with your filthy hands "
2159 remarked our prisoner as the handcuffs clattered upon his wrists .
2160 " You may not be aware that I have royal blood in my veins . Have
2161 the goodness , also , when you address me always to say ' sir ' and
2162 ' please '"
2163
2164 " All right " said Jones with a stare and a snigger . " Well , would
2165 you please , sir , march upstairs , where we can get a cab to carry
2166 your Highness to the police - station "
2167
2168 " That is better " said John Clay serenely . He made a sweeping bow
2169 to the three of us and walked quietly off in the custody of the
2170 detective .
2171
2172 " Really , Mr . Holmes " said Mr . Merryweather as we followed them
2173 from the cellar , " I do not know how the bank can thank you or
2174 repay you . There is no doubt that you have detected and defeated
2175 in the most complete manner one of the most determined attempts
2176 at bank robbery that have ever come within my experience "
2177
2178 " I have had one or two little scores of my own to settle with Mr .
2179 John Clay " said Holmes . " I have been at some small expense over
2180 this matter , which I shall expect the bank to refund , but beyond
2181 that I am amply repaid by having had an experience which is in
2182 many ways unique , and by hearing the very remarkable narrative of
2183 the Red - headed League "
2184
2185
2186 " You see , Watson " he explained in the early hours of the morning
2187 as we sat over a glass of whisky and soda in Baker Street , " it
2188 was perfectly obvious from the first that the only possible
2189 object of this rather fantastic business of the advertisement of
2190 the League , and the copying of the ' Encyclopaedia ' must be to get
2191 this not over - bright pawnbroker out of the way for a number of
2192 hours every day . It was a curious way of managing it , but ,
2193 really , it would be difficult to suggest a better . The method was
2194 no doubt suggested to Clay's ingenious mind by the colour of his
2195 accomplice's hair . The 4 pounds a week was a lure which must draw
2196 him , and what was it to them , who were playing for thousands ?
2197 They put in the advertisement , one rogue has the temporary
2198 office , the other rogue incites the man to apply for it , and
2199 together they manage to secure his absence every morning in the
2200 week . From the time that I heard of the assistant having come for
2201 half wages , it was obvious to me that he had some strong motive
2202 for securing the situation "
2203
2204 " But how could you guess what the motive was "
2205
2206 " Had there been women in the house , I should have suspected a
2207 mere vulgar intrigue . That , however , was out of the question . The
2208 man's business was a small one , and there was nothing in his
2209 house which could account for such elaborate preparations , and
2210 such an expenditure as they were at . It must , then , be something
2211 out of the house . What could it be ? I thought of the assistant's
2212 fondness for photography , and his trick of vanishing into the
2213 cellar . The cellar ! There was the end of this tangled clue . Then
2214 I made inquiries as to this mysterious assistant and found that I
2215 had to deal with one of the coolest and most daring criminals in
2216 London . He was doing something in the cellar - something which
2217 took many hours a day for months on end . What could it be , once
2218 more ? I could think of nothing save that he was running a tunnel
2219 to some other building .
2220
2221 " So far I had got when we went to visit the scene of action . I
2222 surprised you by beating upon the pavement with my stick . I was
2223 ascertaining whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind .
2224 It was not in front . Then I rang the bell , and , as I hoped , the
2225 assistant answered it . We have had some skirmishes , but we had
2226 never set eyes upon each other before . I hardly looked at his
2227 face . His knees were what I wished to see . You must yourself have
2228 remarked how worn , wrinkled , and stained they were . They spoke of
2229 those hours of burrowing . The only remaining point was what they
2230 were burrowing for . I walked round the corner , saw the City and
2231 Suburban Bank abutted on our friend's premises , and felt that I
2232 had solved my problem . When you drove home after the concert I
2233 called upon Scotland Yard and upon the chairman of the bank
2234 directors , with the result that you have seen "
2235
2236 " And how could you tell that they would make their attempt
2237 to - night " I asked .
2238
2239 " Well , when they closed their League offices that was a sign that
2240 they cared no longer about Mr . Jabez Wilson's presence - in other
2241 words , that they had completed their tunnel . But it was essential
2242 that they should use it soon , as it might be discovered , or the
2243 bullion might be removed . Saturday would suit them better than
2244 any other day , as it would give them two days for their escape .
2245 For all these reasons I expected them to come to - night "
2246
2247 " You reasoned it out beautifully " I exclaimed in unfeigned
2248 admiration . " It is so long a chain , and yet every link rings
2249 true "
2250
2251 " It saved me from ennui " he answered , yawning . " Alas ! I already
2252 feel it closing in upon me . My life is spent in one long effort
2253 to escape from the commonplaces of existence . These little
2254 problems help me to do so "
2255
2256 " And you are a benefactor of the race " said I .
2257
2258 He shrugged his shoulders . " Well , perhaps , after all , it is of
2259 some little use " he remarked . " ' L ' homme c ' est rien - l ' oeuvre
2260 c ' est tout ' as Gustave Flaubert wrote to George Sand "
2261
2262
2263
2264 ADVENTURE III . A CASE OF IDENTITY
2265
2266 " My dear fellow " said Sherlock Holmes as we sat on either side
2267 of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street , " life is infinitely
2268 stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent . We
2269 would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere
2270 commonplaces of existence . If we could fly out of that window
2271 hand in hand , hover over this great city , gently remove the
2272 roofs , and peep in at the queer things which are going on , the
2273 strange coincidences , the plannings , the cross - purposes , the
2274 wonderful chains of events , working through generations , and
2275 leading to the most outre results , it would make all fiction with
2276 its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and
2277 unprofitable "
2278
2279 " And yet I am not convinced of it " I answered . " The cases which
2280 come to light in the papers are , as a rule , bald enough , and
2281 vulgar enough . We have in our police reports realism pushed to
2282 its extreme limits , and yet the result is , it must be confessed ,
2283 neither fascinating nor artistic "
2284
2285 " A certain selection and discretion must be used in producing a
2286 realistic effect " remarked Holmes . " This is wanting in the
2287 police report , where more stress is laid , perhaps , upon the
2288 platitudes of the magistrate than upon the details , which to an
2289 observer contain the vital essence of the whole matter . Depend
2290 upon it , there is nothing so unnatural as the commonplace "
2291
2292 I smiled and shook my head . " I can quite understand your thinking
2293 so " I said . " Of course , in your position of unofficial adviser
2294 and helper to everybody who is absolutely puzzled , throughout
2295 three continents , you are brought in contact with all that is
2296 strange and bizarre . But here -- I picked up the morning paper
2297 from the ground -" let us put it to a practical test . Here is the
2298 first heading upon which I come . ' A husband's cruelty to his
2299 wife ' There is half a column of print , but I know without
2300 reading it that it is all perfectly familiar to me . There is , of
2301 course , the other woman , the drink , the push , the blow , the
2302 bruise , the sympathetic sister or landlady . The crudest of
2303 writers could invent nothing more crude "
2304
2305 " Indeed , your example is an unfortunate one for your argument "
2306 said Holmes , taking the paper and glancing his eye down it . " This
2307 is the Dundas separation case , and , as it happens , I was engaged
2308 in clearing up some small points in connection with it . The
2309 husband was a teetotaler , there was no other woman , and the
2310 conduct complained of was that he had drifted into the habit of
2311 winding up every meal by taking out his false teeth and hurling
2312 them at his wife , which , you will allow , is not an action likely
2313 to occur to the imagination of the average story - teller . Take a
2314 pinch of snuff , Doctor , and acknowledge that I have scored over
2315 you in your example "
2316
2317 He held out his snuffbox of old gold , with a great amethyst in
2318 the centre of the lid . Its splendour was in such contrast to his
2319 homely ways and simple life that I could not help commenting upon
2320 it .
2321
2322 " Ah " said he , " I forgot that I had not seen you for some weeks .
2323 It is a little souvenir from the King of Bohemia in return for my
2324 assistance in the case of the Irene Adler papers "
2325
2326 " And the ring " I asked , glancing at a remarkable brilliant which
2327 sparkled upon his finger .
2328
2329 " It was from the reigning family of Holland , though the matter in
2330 which I served them was of such delicacy that I cannot confide it
2331 even to you , who have been good enough to chronicle one or two of
2332 my little problems "
2333
2334 " And have you any on hand just now " I asked with interest .
2335
2336 " Some ten or twelve , but none which present any feature of
2337 interest . They are important , you understand , without being
2338 interesting . Indeed , I have found that it is usually in
2339 unimportant matters that there is a field for the observation ,
2340 and for the quick analysis of cause and effect which gives the
2341 charm to an investigation . The larger crimes are apt to be the
2342 simpler , for the bigger the crime the more obvious , as a rule , is
2343 the motive . In these cases , save for one rather intricate matter
2344 which has been referred to me from Marseilles , there is nothing
2345 which presents any features of interest . It is possible , however ,
2346 that I may have something better before very many minutes are
2347 over , for this is one of my clients , or I am much mistaken "
2348
2349 He had risen from his chair and was standing between the parted
2350 blinds gazing down into the dull neutral - tinted London street .
2351 Looking over his shoulder , I saw that on the pavement opposite
2352 there stood a large woman with a heavy fur boa round her neck ,
2353 and a large curling red feather in a broad - brimmed hat which was
2354 tilted in a coquettish Duchess of Devonshire fashion over her
2355 ear . From under this great panoply she peeped up in a nervous ,
2356 hesitating fashion at our windows , while her body oscillated
2357 backward and forward , and her fingers fidgeted with her glove
2358 buttons . Suddenly , with a plunge , as of the swimmer who leaves
2359 the bank , she hurried across the road , and we heard the sharp
2360 clang of the bell .
2361
2362 " I have seen those symptoms before " said Holmes , throwing his
2363 cigarette into the fire . " Oscillation upon the pavement always
2364 means an affaire de coeur . She would like advice , but is not sure
2365 that the matter is not too delicate for communication . And yet
2366 even here we may discriminate . When a woman has been seriously
2367 wronged by a man she no longer oscillates , and the usual symptom
2368 is a broken bell wire . Here we may take it that there is a love
2369 matter , but that the maiden is not so much angry as perplexed , or
2370 grieved . But here she comes in person to resolve our doubts "
2371
2372 As he spoke there was a tap at the door , and the boy in buttons
2373 entered to announce Miss Mary Sutherland , while the lady herself
2374 loomed behind his small black figure like a full - sailed
2375 merchant - man behind a tiny pilot boat . Sherlock Holmes welcomed
2376 her with the easy courtesy for which he was remarkable , and ,
2377 having closed the door and bowed her into an armchair , he looked
2378 her over in the minute and yet abstracted fashion which was
2379 peculiar to him .
2380
2381 " Do you not find " he said , " that with your short sight it is a
2382 little trying to do so much typewriting "
2383
2384 " I did at first " she answered , " but now I know where the letters
2385 are without looking " Then , suddenly realising the full purport
2386 of his words , she gave a violent start and looked up , with fear
2387 and astonishment upon her broad , good - humoured face . " You ' ve
2388 heard about me , Mr . Holmes " she cried , " else how could you know
2389 all that "
2390
2391 " Never mind " said Holmes , laughing ; " it is my business to know
2392 things . Perhaps I have trained myself to see what others
2393 overlook . If not , why should you come to consult me "
2394
2395 " I came to you , sir , because I heard of you from Mrs . Etherege ,
2396 whose husband you found so easy when the police and everyone had
2397 given him up for dead . Oh , Mr . Holmes , I wish you would do as
2398 much for me . I ' m not rich , but still I have a hundred a year in
2399 my own right , besides the little that I make by the machine , and
2400 I would give it all to know what has become of Mr . Hosmer Angel "
2401
2402 " Why did you come away to consult me in such a hurry " asked
2403 Sherlock Holmes , with his finger - tips together and his eyes to
2404 the ceiling .
2405
2406 Again a startled look came over the somewhat vacuous face of Miss
2407 Mary Sutherland . " Yes , I did bang out of the house " she said ,
2408 " for it made me angry to see the easy way in which Mr .
2409 Windibank - that is , my father - took it all . He would not go to
2410 the police , and he would not go to you , and so at last , as he
2411 would do nothing and kept on saying that there was no harm done ,
2412 it made me mad , and I just on with my things and came right away
2413 to you "
2414
2415 " Your father " said Holmes , " your stepfather , surely , since the
2416 name is different "
2417
2418 " Yes , my stepfather . I call him father , though it sounds funny ,
2419 too , for he is only five years and two months older than myself "
2420
2421 " And your mother is alive "
2422
2423 " Oh , yes , mother is alive and well . I wasn't best pleased , Mr .
2424 Holmes , when she married again so soon after father's death , and
2425 a man who was nearly fifteen years younger than herself . Father
2426 was a plumber in the Tottenham Court Road , and he left a tidy
2427 business behind him , which mother carried on with Mr . Hardy , the
2428 foreman ; but when Mr . Windibank came he made her sell the
2429 business , for he was very superior , being a traveller in wines .
2430 They got 4700 pounds for the goodwill and interest , which wasn ' t
2431 near as much as father could have got if he had been alive "
2432
2433 I had expected to see Sherlock Holmes impatient under this
2434 rambling and inconsequential narrative , but , on the contrary , he
2435 had listened with the greatest concentration of attention .
2436
2437 " Your own little income " he asked , " does it come out of the
2438 business "
2439
2440 " Oh , no , sir . It is quite separate and was left me by my uncle
2441 Ned in Auckland . It is in New Zealand stock , paying 4 1 / 2 per
2442 cent . Two thousand five hundred pounds was the amount , but I can
2443 only touch the interest "
2444
2445 " You interest me extremely " said Holmes . " And since you draw so
2446 large a sum as a hundred a year , with what you earn into the
2447 bargain , you no doubt travel a little and indulge yourself in
2448 every way . I believe that a single lady can get on very nicely
2449 upon an income of about 60 pounds "
2450
2451 " I could do with much less than that , Mr . Holmes , but you
2452 understand that as long as I live at home I don't wish to be a
2453 burden to them , and so they have the use of the money just while
2454 I am staying with them . Of course , that is only just for the
2455 time . Mr . Windibank draws my interest every quarter and pays it
2456 over to mother , and I find that I can do pretty well with what I
2457 earn at typewriting . It brings me twopence a sheet , and I can
2458 often do from fifteen to twenty sheets in a day "
2459
2460 " You have made your position very clear to me " said Holmes .
2461 " This is my friend , Dr . Watson , before whom you can speak as
2462 freely as before myself . Kindly tell us now all about your
2463 connection with Mr . Hosmer Angel "
2464
2465 A flush stole over Miss Sutherland's face , and she picked
2466 nervously at the fringe of her jacket . " I met him first at the
2467 gasfitters ' ball " she said . " They used to send father tickets
2468 when he was alive , and then afterwards they remembered us , and
2469 sent them to mother . Mr . Windibank did not wish us to go . He
2470 never did wish us to go anywhere . He would get quite mad if I
2471 wanted so much as to join a Sunday - school treat . But this time I
2472 was set on going , and I would go ; for what right had he to
2473 prevent ? He said the folk were not fit for us to know , when all
2474 father's friends were to be there . And he said that I had nothing
2475 fit to wear , when I had my purple plush that I had never so much
2476 as taken out of the drawer . At last , when nothing else would do ,
2477 he went off to France upon the business of the firm , but we went ,
2478 mother and I , with Mr . Hardy , who used to be our foreman , and it
2479 was there I met Mr . Hosmer Angel "
2480
2481 " I suppose " said Holmes , " that when Mr . Windibank came back from
2482 France he was very annoyed at your having gone to the ball "
2483
2484 " Oh , well , he was very good about it . He laughed , I remember , and
2485 shrugged his shoulders , and said there was no use denying
2486 anything to a woman , for she would have her way "
2487
2488 " I see . Then at the gasfitters ' ball you met , as I understand , a
2489 gentleman called Mr . Hosmer Angel "
2490
2491 " Yes , sir . I met him that night , and he called next day to ask if
2492 we had got home all safe , and after that we met him - that is to
2493 say , Mr . Holmes , I met him twice for walks , but after that father
2494 came back again , and Mr . Hosmer Angel could not come to the house
2495 any more "
2496
2497 " No "
2498
2499 " Well , you know father didn't like anything of the sort . He
2500 wouldn't have any visitors if he could help it , and he used to
2501 say that a woman should be happy in her own family circle . But
2502 then , as I used to say to mother , a woman wants her own circle to
2503 begin with , and I had not got mine yet "
2504
2505 " But how about Mr . Hosmer Angel ? Did he make no attempt to see
2506 you "
2507
2508 " Well , father was going off to France again in a week , and Hosmer
2509 wrote and said that it would be safer and better not to see each
2510 other until he had gone . We could write in the meantime , and he
2511 used to write every day . I took the letters in in the morning , so
2512 there was no need for father to know "
2513
2514 " Were you engaged to the gentleman at this time "
2515
2516 " Oh , yes , Mr . Holmes . We were engaged after the first walk that
2517 we took . Hosmer - Mr . Angel - was a cashier in an office in
2518 Leadenhall Street - and -"
2519
2520 " What office "
2521
2522 " That's the worst of it , Mr . Holmes , I don't know "
2523
2524 " Where did he live , then "
2525
2526 " He slept on the premises "
2527
2528 " And you don't know his address "
2529
2530 " No - except that it was Leadenhall Street "
2531
2532 " Where did you address your letters , then "
2533
2534 " To the Leadenhall Street Post Office , to be left till called
2535 for . He said that if they were sent to the office he would be
2536 chaffed by all the other clerks about having letters from a lady ,
2537 so I offered to typewrite them , like he did his , but he wouldn ' t
2538 have that , for he said that when I wrote them they seemed to come
2539 from me , but when they were typewritten he always felt that the
2540 machine had come between us . That will just show you how fond he
2541 was of me , Mr . Holmes , and the little things that he would think
2542 of "
2543
2544 " It was most suggestive " said Holmes . " It has long been an axiom
2545 of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important .
2546 Can you remember any other little things about Mr . Hosmer Angel "
2547
2548 " He was a very shy man , Mr . Holmes . He would rather walk with me
2549 in the evening than in the daylight , for he said that he hated to
2550 be conspicuous . Very retiring and gentlemanly he was . Even his
2551 voice was gentle . He ' d had the quinsy and swollen glands when he
2552 was young , he told me , and it had left him with a weak throat ,
2553 and a hesitating , whispering fashion of speech . He was always
2554 well dressed , very neat and plain , but his eyes were weak , just
2555 as mine are , and he wore tinted glasses against the glare "
2556
2557 " Well , and what happened when Mr . Windibank , your stepfather ,
2558 returned to France "
2559
2560 " Mr . Hosmer Angel came to the house again and proposed that we
2561 should marry before father came back . He was in dreadful earnest
2562 and made me swear , with my hands on the Testament , that whatever
2563 happened I would always be true to him . Mother said he was quite
2564 right to make me swear , and that it was a sign of his passion .
2565 Mother was all in his favour from the first and was even fonder
2566 of him than I was . Then , when they talked of marrying within the
2567 week , I began to ask about father ; but they both said never to
2568 mind about father , but just to tell him afterwards , and mother
2569 said she would make it all right with him . I didn't quite like
2570 that , Mr . Holmes . It seemed funny that I should ask his leave , as
2571 he was only a few years older than me ; but I didn't want to do
2572 anything on the sly , so I wrote to father at Bordeaux , where the
2573 company has its French offices , but the letter came back to me on
2574 the very morning of the wedding "
2575
2576 " It missed him , then "
2577
2578 " Yes , sir ; for he had started to England just before it arrived "
2579
2580 " Ha ! that was unfortunate . Your wedding was arranged , then , for
2581 the Friday . Was it to be in church "
2582
2583 " Yes , sir , but very quietly . It was to be at St . Saviour's , near
2584 King's Cross , and we were to have breakfast afterwards at the St .
2585 Pancras Hotel . Hosmer came for us in a hansom , but as there were
2586 two of us he put us both into it and stepped himself into a
2587 four - wheeler , which happened to be the only other cab in the
2588 street . We got to the church first , and when the four - wheeler
2589 drove up we waited for him to step out , but he never did , and
2590 when the cabman got down from the box and looked there was no one
2591 there ! The cabman said that he could not imagine what had become
2592 of him , for he had seen him get in with his own eyes . That was
2593 last Friday , Mr . Holmes , and I have never seen or heard anything
2594 since then to throw any light upon what became of him "
2595
2596 " It seems to me that you have been very shamefully treated " said
2597 Holmes .
2598
2599 " Oh , no , sir ! He was too good and kind to leave me so . Why , all
2600 the morning he was saying to me that , whatever happened , I was to
2601 be true ; and that even if something quite unforeseen occurred to
2602 separate us , I was always to remember that I was pledged to him ,
2603 and that he would claim his pledge sooner or later . It seemed
2604 strange talk for a wedding - morning , but what has happened since
2605 gives a meaning to it "
2606
2607 " Most certainly it does . Your own opinion is , then , that some
2608 unforeseen catastrophe has occurred to him "
2609
2610 " Yes , sir . I believe that he foresaw some danger , or else he
2611 would not have talked so . And then I think that what he foresaw
2612 happened "
2613
2614 " But you have no notion as to what it could have been "
2615
2616 " None "
2617
2618 " One more question . How did your mother take the matter "
2619
2620 " She was angry , and said that I was never to speak of the matter
2621 again "
2622
2623 " And your father ? Did you tell him "
2624
2625 " Yes ; and he seemed to think , with me , that something had
2626 happened , and that I should hear of Hosmer again . As he said ,
2627 what interest could anyone have in bringing me to the doors of
2628 the church , and then leaving me ? Now , if he had borrowed my
2629 money , or if he had married me and got my money settled on him ,
2630 there might be some reason , but Hosmer was very independent about
2631 money and never would look at a shilling of mine . And yet , what
2632 could have happened ? And why could he not write ? Oh , it drives me
2633 half - mad to think of it , and I can't sleep a wink at night " She
2634 pulled a little handkerchief out of her muff and began to sob
2635 heavily into it .
2636
2637 " I shall glance into the case for you " said Holmes , rising , " and
2638 I have no doubt that we shall reach some definite result . Let the
2639 weight of the matter rest upon me now , and do not let your mind
2640 dwell upon it further . Above all , try to let Mr . Hosmer Angel
2641 vanish from your memory , as he has done from your life "
2642
2643 " Then you don't think I ' ll see him again "
2644
2645 " I fear not "
2646
2647 " Then what has happened to him "
2648
2649 " You will leave that question in my hands . I should like an
2650 accurate description of him and any letters of his which you can
2651 spare "
2652
2653 " I advertised for him in last Saturday's Chronicle " said she .
2654 " Here is the slip and here are four letters from him "
2655
2656 " Thank you . And your address "
2657
2658 " No . 31 Lyon Place , Camberwell "
2659
2660 " Mr . Angel's address you never had , I understand . Where is your
2661 father's place of business "
2662
2663 " He travels for Westhouse & Marbank , the great claret importers
2664 of Fenchurch Street "
2665
2666 " Thank you . You have made your statement very clearly . You will
2667 leave the papers here , and remember the advice which I have given
2668 you . Let the whole incident be a sealed book , and do not allow it
2669 to affect your life "
2670
2671 " You are very kind , Mr . Holmes , but I cannot do that . I shall be
2672 true to Hosmer . He shall find me ready when he comes back "
2673
2674 For all the preposterous hat and the vacuous face , there was
2675 something noble in the simple faith of our visitor which
2676 compelled our respect . She laid her little bundle of papers upon
2677 the table and went her way , with a promise to come again whenever
2678 she might be summoned .
2679
2680 Sherlock Holmes sat silent for a few minutes with his fingertips
2681 still pressed together , his legs stretched out in front of him ,
2682 and his gaze directed upward to the ceiling . Then he took down
2683 from the rack the old and oily clay pipe , which was to him as a
2684 counsellor , and , having lit it , he leaned back in his chair , with
2685 the thick blue cloud - wreaths spinning up from him , and a look of
2686 infinite languor in his face .
2687
2688 " Quite an interesting study , that maiden " he observed . " I found
2689 her more interesting than her little problem , which , by the way ,
2690 is rather a trite one . You will find parallel cases , if you
2691 consult my index , in Andover in ' 77 , and there was something of
2692 the sort at The Hague last year . Old as is the idea , however ,
2693 there were one or two details which were new to me . But the
2694 maiden herself was most instructive "
2695
2696 " You appeared to read a good deal upon her which was quite
2697 invisible to me " I remarked .
2698
2699 " Not invisible but unnoticed , Watson . You did not know where to
2700 look , and so you missed all that was important . I can never bring
2701 you to realise the importance of sleeves , the suggestiveness of
2702 thumb - nails , or the great issues that may hang from a boot - lace .
2703 Now , what did you gather from that woman's appearance ? Describe
2704 it "
2705
2706 " Well , she had a slate - coloured , broad - brimmed straw hat , with a
2707 feather of a brickish red . Her jacket was black , with black beads
2708 sewn upon it , and a fringe of little black jet ornaments . Her
2709 dress was brown , rather darker than coffee colour , with a little
2710 purple plush at the neck and sleeves . Her gloves were greyish and
2711 were worn through at the right forefinger . Her boots I didn ' t
2712 observe . She had small round , hanging gold earrings , and a
2713 general air of being fairly well - to - do in a vulgar , comfortable ,
2714 easy - going way "
2715
2716 Sherlock Holmes clapped his hands softly together and chuckled .
2717
2718 ' Pon my word , Watson , you are coming along wonderfully . You have
2719 really done very well indeed . It is true that you have missed
2720 everything of importance , but you have hit upon the method , and
2721 you have a quick eye for colour . Never trust to general
2722 impressions , my boy , but concentrate yourself upon details . My
2723 first glance is always at a woman's sleeve . In a man it is
2724 perhaps better first to take the knee of the trouser . As you
2725 observe , this woman had plush upon her sleeves , which is a most
2726 useful material for showing traces . The double line a little
2727 above the wrist , where the typewritist presses against the table ,
2728 was beautifully defined . The sewing - machine , of the hand type ,
2729 leaves a similar mark , but only on the left arm , and on the side
2730 of it farthest from the thumb , instead of being right across the
2731 broadest part , as this was . I then glanced at her face , and ,
2732 observing the dint of a pince - nez at either side of her nose , I
2733 ventured a remark upon short sight and typewriting , which seemed
2734 to surprise her "
2735
2736 " It surprised me "
2737
2738 " But , surely , it was obvious . I was then much surprised and
2739 interested on glancing down to observe that , though the boots
2740 which she was wearing were not unlike each other , they were
2741 really odd ones ; the one having a slightly decorated toe - cap , and
2742 the other a plain one . One was buttoned only in the two lower
2743 buttons out of five , and the other at the first , third , and
2744 fifth . Now , when you see that a young lady , otherwise neatly
2745 dressed , has come away from home with odd boots , half - buttoned ,
2746 it is no great deduction to say that she came away in a hurry "
2747
2748 " And what else " I asked , keenly interested , as I always was , by
2749 my friend's incisive reasoning .
2750
2751 " I noted , in passing , that she had written a note before leaving
2752 home but after being fully dressed . You observed that her right
2753 glove was torn at the forefinger , but you did not apparently see
2754 that both glove and finger were stained with violet ink . She had
2755 written in a hurry and dipped her pen too deep . It must have been
2756 this morning , or the mark would not remain clear upon the finger .
2757 All this is amusing , though rather elementary , but I must go back
2758 to business , Watson . Would you mind reading me the advertised
2759 description of Mr . Hosmer Angel "
2760
2761 I held the little printed slip to the light .
2762
2763 " Missing " it said , " on the morning of the fourteenth , a gentleman
2764 named Hosmer Angel . About five ft . seven in . in height ;
2765 strongly built , sallow complexion , black hair , a little bald in
2766 the centre , bushy , black side - whiskers and moustache ; tinted
2767 glasses , slight infirmity of speech . Was dressed , when last seen ,
2768 in black frock - coat faced with silk , black waistcoat , gold Albert
2769 chain , and grey Harris tweed trousers , with brown gaiters over
2770 elastic - sided boots . Known to have been employed in an office in
2771 Leadenhall Street . Anybody bringing -"
2772
2773 " That will do " said Holmes . " As to the letters " he continued ,
2774 glancing over them , " they are very commonplace . Absolutely no
2775 clue in them to Mr . Angel , save that he quotes Balzac once . There
2776 is one remarkable point , however , which will no doubt strike
2777 you "
2778
2779 " They are typewritten " I remarked .
2780
2781 " Not only that , but the signature is typewritten . Look at the
2782 neat little ' Hosmer Angel ' at the bottom . There is a date , you
2783 see , but no superscription except Leadenhall Street , which is
2784 rather vague . The point about the signature is very suggestive - in
2785 fact , we may call it conclusive "
2786
2787 " Of what "
2788
2789 " My dear fellow , is it possible you do not see how strongly it
2790 bears upon the case "
2791
2792 " I cannot say that I do unless it were that he wished to be able
2793 to deny his signature if an action for breach of promise were
2794 instituted "
2795
2796 " No , that was not the point . However , I shall write two letters ,
2797 which should settle the matter . One is to a firm in the City , the
2798 other is to the young lady's stepfather , Mr . Windibank , asking
2799 him whether he could meet us here at six o'clock tomorrow
2800 evening . It is just as well that we should do business with the
2801 male relatives . And now , Doctor , we can do nothing until the
2802 answers to those letters come , so we may put our little problem
2803 upon the shelf for the interim "
2804
2805 I had had so many reasons to believe in my friend's subtle powers
2806 of reasoning and extraordinary energy in action that I felt that
2807 he must have some solid grounds for the assured and easy
2808 demeanour with which he treated the singular mystery which he had
2809 been called upon to fathom . Once only had I known him to fail , in
2810 the case of the King of Bohemia and of the Irene Adler
2811 photograph ; but when I looked back to the weird business of the
2812 Sign of Four , and the extraordinary circumstances connected with
2813 the Study in Scarlet , I felt that it would be a strange tangle
2814 indeed which he could not unravel .
2815
2816 I left him then , still puffing at his black clay pipe , with the
2817 conviction that when I came again on the next evening I would
2818 find that he held in his hands all the clues which would lead up
2819 to the identity of the disappearing bridegroom of Miss Mary
2820 Sutherland .
2821
2822 A professional case of great gravity was engaging my own
2823 attention at the time , and the whole of next day I was busy at
2824 the bedside of the sufferer . It was not until close upon six
2825 o'clock that I found myself free and was able to spring into a
2826 hansom and drive to Baker Street , half afraid that I might be too
2827 late to assist at the denouement of the little mystery . I found
2828 Sherlock Holmes alone , however , half asleep , with his long , thin
2829 form curled up in the recesses of his armchair . A formidable
2830 array of bottles and test - tubes , with the pungent cleanly smell
2831 of hydrochloric acid , told me that he had spent his day in the
2832 chemical work which was so dear to him .
2833
2834 " Well , have you solved it " I asked as I entered .
2835
2836 " Yes . It was the bisulphate of baryta "
2837
2838 " No , no , the mystery " I cried .
2839
2840 " Oh , that ! I thought of the salt that I have been working upon .
2841 There was never any mystery in the matter , though , as I said
2842 yesterday , some of the details are of interest . The only drawback
2843 is that there is no law , I fear , that can touch the scoundrel "
2844
2845 " Who was he , then , and what was his object in deserting Miss
2846 Sutherland "
2847
2848 The question was hardly out of my mouth , and Holmes had not yet
2849 opened his lips to reply , when we heard a heavy footfall in the
2850 passage and a tap at the door .
2851
2852 " This is the girl's stepfather , Mr . James Windibank " said
2853 Holmes . " He has written to me to say that he would be here at
2854 six . Come in "
2855
2856 The man who entered was a sturdy , middle - sized fellow , some
2857 thirty years of age , clean - shaven , and sallow - skinned , with a
2858 bland , insinuating manner , and a pair of wonderfully sharp and
2859 penetrating grey eyes . He shot a questioning glance at each of
2860 us , placed his shiny top - hat upon the sideboard , and with a
2861 slight bow sidled down into the nearest chair .
2862
2863 " Good - evening , Mr . James Windibank " said Holmes . " I think that
2864 this typewritten letter is from you , in which you made an
2865 appointment with me for six o'clock "
2866
2867 " Yes , sir . I am afraid that I am a little late , but I am not
2868 quite my own master , you know . I am sorry that Miss Sutherland
2869 has troubled you about this little matter , for I think it is far
2870 better not to wash linen of the sort in public . It was quite
2871 against my wishes that she came , but she is a very excitable ,
2872 impulsive girl , as you may have noticed , and she is not easily
2873 controlled when she has made up her mind on a point . Of course , I
2874 did not mind you so much , as you are not connected with the
2875 official police , but it is not pleasant to have a family
2876 misfortune like this noised abroad . Besides , it is a useless
2877 expense , for how could you possibly find this Hosmer Angel "
2878
2879 " On the contrary " said Holmes quietly ; " I have every reason to
2880 believe that I will succeed in discovering Mr . Hosmer Angel "
2881
2882 Mr . Windibank gave a violent start and dropped his gloves . " I am
2883 delighted to hear it " he said .
2884
2885 " It is a curious thing " remarked Holmes , " that a typewriter has
2886 really quite as much individuality as a man's handwriting . Unless
2887 they are quite new , no two of them write exactly alike . Some
2888 letters get more worn than others , and some wear only on one
2889 side . Now , you remark in this note of yours , Mr . Windibank , that
2890 in every case there is some little slurring over of the ' e ' and
2891 a slight defect in the tail of the ' r ' There are fourteen other
2892 characteristics , but those are the more obvious "
2893
2894 " We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office ,
2895 and no doubt it is a little worn " our visitor answered , glancing
2896 keenly at Holmes with his bright little eyes .
2897
2898 " And now I will show you what is really a very interesting study ,
2899 Mr . Windibank " Holmes continued . " I think of writing another
2900 little monograph some of these days on the typewriter and its
2901 relation to crime . It is a subject to which I have devoted some
2902 little attention . I have here four letters which purport to come
2903 from the missing man . They are all typewritten . In each case , not
2904 only are the ' e's ' slurred and the ' r's ' tailless , but you will
2905 observe , if you care to use my magnifying lens , that the fourteen
2906 other characteristics to which I have alluded are there as well "
2907
2908 Mr . Windibank sprang out of his chair and picked up his hat . " I
2909 cannot waste time over this sort of fantastic talk , Mr . Holmes "
2910 he said . " If you can catch the man , catch him , and let me know
2911 when you have done it "
2912
2913 " Certainly " said Holmes , stepping over and turning the key in
2914 the door . " I let you know , then , that I have caught him "
2915
2916 " What ! where " shouted Mr . Windibank , turning white to his lips
2917 and glancing about him like a rat in a trap .
2918
2919 " Oh , it won't do - really it won't " said Holmes suavely . " There
2920 is no possible getting out of it , Mr . Windibank . It is quite too
2921 transparent , and it was a very bad compliment when you said that
2922 it was impossible for me to solve so simple a question . That's
2923 right ! Sit down and let us talk it over "
2924
2925 Our visitor collapsed into a chair , with a ghastly face and a
2926 glitter of moisture on his brow . " It - it's not actionable " he
2927 stammered .
2928
2929 " I am very much afraid that it is not . But between ourselves ,
2930 Windibank , it was as cruel and selfish and heartless a trick in a
2931 petty way as ever came before me . Now , let me just run over the
2932 course of events , and you will contradict me if I go wrong "
2933
2934 The man sat huddled up in his chair , with his head sunk upon his
2935 breast , like one who is utterly crushed . Holmes stuck his feet up
2936 on the corner of the mantelpiece and , leaning back with his hands
2937 in his pockets , began talking , rather to himself , as it seemed ,
2938 than to us .
2939
2940 " The man married a woman very much older than himself for her
2941 money " said he , " and he enjoyed the use of the money of the
2942 daughter as long as she lived with them . It was a considerable
2943 sum , for people in their position , and the loss of it would have
2944 made a serious difference . It was worth an effort to preserve it .
2945 The daughter was of a good , amiable disposition , but affectionate
2946 and warm - hearted in her ways , so that it was evident that with
2947 her fair personal advantages , and her little income , she would
2948 not be allowed to remain single long . Now her marriage would
2949 mean , of course , the loss of a hundred a year , so what does her
2950 stepfather do to prevent it ? He takes the obvious course of
2951 keeping her at home and forbidding her to seek the company of
2952 people of her own age . But soon he found that that would not
2953 answer forever . She became restive , insisted upon her rights , and
2954 finally announced her positive intention of going to a certain
2955 ball . What does her clever stepfather do then ? He conceives an
2956 idea more creditable to his head than to his heart . With the
2957 connivance and assistance of his wife he disguised himself ,
2958 covered those keen eyes with tinted glasses , masked the face with
2959 a moustache and a pair of bushy whiskers , sunk that clear voice
2960 into an insinuating whisper , and doubly secure on account of the
2961 girl's short sight , he appears as Mr . Hosmer Angel , and keeps off
2962 other lovers by making love himself "
2963
2964 " It was only a joke at first " groaned our visitor . " We never
2965 thought that she would have been so carried away "
2966
2967 " Very likely not . However that may be , the young lady was very
2968 decidedly carried away , and , having quite made up her mind that
2969 her stepfather was in France , the suspicion of treachery never
2970 for an instant entered her mind . She was flattered by the
2971 gentleman's attentions , and the effect was increased by the
2972 loudly expressed admiration of her mother . Then Mr . Angel began
2973 to call , for it was obvious that the matter should be pushed as
2974 far as it would go if a real effect were to be produced . There
2975 were meetings , and an engagement , which would finally secure the
2976 girl's affections from turning towards anyone else . But the
2977 deception could not be kept up forever . These pretended journeys
2978 to France were rather cumbrous . The thing to do was clearly to
2979 bring the business to an end in such a dramatic manner that it
2980 would leave a permanent impression upon the young lady's mind and
2981 prevent her from looking upon any other suitor for some time to
2982 come . Hence those vows of fidelity exacted upon a Testament , and
2983 hence also the allusions to a possibility of something happening
2984 on the very morning of the wedding . James Windibank wished Miss
2985 Sutherland to be so bound to Hosmer Angel , and so uncertain as to
2986 his fate , that for ten years to come , at any rate , she would not
2987 listen to another man . As far as the church door he brought her ,
2988 and then , as he could go no farther , he conveniently vanished
2989 away by the old trick of stepping in at one door of a
2990 four - wheeler and out at the other . I think that was the chain of
2991 events , Mr . Windibank "
2992
2993 Our visitor had recovered something of his assurance while Holmes
2994 had been talking , and he rose from his chair now with a cold
2995 sneer upon his pale face .
2996
2997 " It may be so , or it may not , Mr . Holmes " said he , " but if you
2998 are so very sharp you ought to be sharp enough to know that it is
2999 you who are breaking the law now , and not me . I have done nothing
3000 actionable from the first , but as long as you keep that door
3001 locked you lay yourself open to an action for assault and illegal
3002 constraint "
3003
3004 " The law cannot , as you say , touch you " said Holmes , unlocking
3005 and throwing open the door , " yet there never was a man who
3006 deserved punishment more . If the young lady has a brother or a
3007 friend , he ought to lay a whip across your shoulders . By Jove "
3008 he continued , flushing up at the sight of the bitter sneer upon
3009 the man's face , " it is not part of my duties to my client , but
3010 here's a hunting crop handy , and I think I shall just treat
3011 myself to -" He took two swift steps to the whip , but before he
3012 could grasp it there was a wild clatter of steps upon the stairs ,
3013 the heavy hall door banged , and from the window we could see Mr .
3014 James Windibank running at the top of his speed down the road .
3015
3016 " There's a cold - blooded scoundrel " said Holmes , laughing , as he
3017 threw himself down into his chair once more . " That fellow will
3018 rise from crime to crime until he does something very bad , and
3019 ends on a gallows . The case has , in some respects , been not
3020 entirely devoid of interest "
3021
3022 " I cannot now entirely see all the steps of your reasoning " I
3023 remarked .
3024
3025 " Well , of course it was obvious from the first that this Mr .
3026 Hosmer Angel must have some strong object for his curious
3027 conduct , and it was equally clear that the only man who really
3028 profited by the incident , as far as we could see , was the
3029 stepfather . Then the fact that the two men were never together ,
3030 but that the one always appeared when the other was away , was
3031 suggestive . So were the tinted spectacles and the curious voice ,
3032 which both hinted at a disguise , as did the bushy whiskers . My
3033 suspicions were all confirmed by his peculiar action in
3034 typewriting his signature , which , of course , inferred that his
3035 handwriting was so familiar to her that she would recognise even
3036 the smallest sample of it . You see all these isolated facts ,
3037 together with many minor ones , all pointed in the same
3038 direction "
3039
3040 " And how did you verify them "
3041
3042 " Having once spotted my man , it was easy to get corroboration . I
3043 knew the firm for which this man worked . Having taken the printed
3044 description . I eliminated everything from it which could be the
3045 result of a disguise - the whiskers , the glasses , the voice , and I
3046 sent it to the firm , with a request that they would inform me
3047 whether it answered to the description of any of their
3048 travellers . I had already noticed the peculiarities of the
3049 typewriter , and I wrote to the man himself at his business
3050 address asking him if he would come here . As I expected , his
3051 reply was typewritten and revealed the same trivial but
3052 characteristic defects . The same post brought me a letter from
3053 Westhouse & Marbank , of Fenchurch Street , to say that the
3054 description tallied in every respect with that of their employe ,
3055 James Windibank . Voila tout "
3056
3057 " And Miss Sutherland "
3058
3059 " If I tell her she will not believe me . You may remember the old
3060 Persian saying , ' There is danger for him who taketh the tiger
3061 cub , and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman '
3062 There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace , and as much
3063 knowledge of the world "
3064
3065
3066
3067 ADVENTURE IV . THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY
3068
3069 We were seated at breakfast one morning , my wife and I , when the
3070 maid brought in a telegram . It was from Sherlock Holmes and ran
3071 in this way :
3072
3073 " Have you a couple of days to spare ? Have just been wired for from
3074 the west of England in connection with Boscombe Valley tragedy .
3075 Shall be glad if you will come with me . Air and scenery perfect .
3076 Leave Paddington by the 11 : 15 "
3077
3078 " What do you say , dear " said my wife , looking across at me .
3079 " Will you go "
3080
3081 " I really don't know what to say . I have a fairly long list at
3082 present "
3083
3084 " Oh , Anstruther would do your work for you . You have been looking
3085 a little pale lately . I think that the change would do you good ,
3086 and you are always so interested in Mr . Sherlock Holmes ' cases "
3087
3088 " I should be ungrateful if I were not , seeing what I gained
3089 through one of them " I answered . " But if I am to go , I must pack
3090 at once , for I have only half an hour "
3091
3092 My experience of camp life in Afghanistan had at least had the
3093 effect of making me a prompt and ready traveller . My wants were
3094 few and simple , so that in less than the time stated I was in a
3095 cab with my valise , rattling away to Paddington Station . Sherlock
3096 Holmes was pacing up and down the platform , his tall , gaunt
3097 figure made even gaunter and taller by his long grey
3098 travelling - cloak and close - fitting cloth cap .
3099
3100 " It is really very good of you to come , Watson " said he . " It
3101 makes a considerable difference to me , having someone with me on
3102 whom I can thoroughly rely . Local aid is always either worthless
3103 or else biassed . If you will keep the two corner seats I shall
3104 get the tickets "
3105
3106 We had the carriage to ourselves save for an immense litter of
3107 papers which Holmes had brought with him . Among these he rummaged
3108 and read , with intervals of note - taking and of meditation , until
3109 we were past Reading . Then he suddenly rolled them all into a
3110 gigantic ball and tossed them up onto the rack .
3111
3112 " Have you heard anything of the case " he asked .
3113
3114 " Not a word . I have not seen a paper for some days "
3115
3116 " The London press has not had very full accounts . I have just
3117 been looking through all the recent papers in order to master the
3118 particulars . It seems , from what I gather , to be one of those
3119 simple cases which are so extremely difficult "
3120
3121 " That sounds a little paradoxical "
3122
3123 " But it is profoundly true . Singularity is almost invariably a
3124 clue . The more featureless and commonplace a crime is , the more
3125 difficult it is to bring it home . In this case , however , they
3126 have established a very serious case against the son of the
3127 murdered man "
3128
3129 " It is a murder , then "
3130
3131 " Well , it is conjectured to be so . I shall take nothing for
3132 granted until I have the opportunity of looking personally into
3133 it . I will explain the state of things to you , as far as I have
3134 been able to understand it , in a very few words .
3135
3136 " Boscombe Valley is a country district not very far from Ross , in
3137 Herefordshire . The largest landed proprietor in that part is a
3138 Mr . John Turner , who made his money in Australia and returned
3139 some years ago to the old country . One of the farms which he
3140 held , that of Hatherley , was let to Mr . Charles McCarthy , who was
3141 also an ex - Australian . The men had known each other in the
3142 colonies , so that it was not unnatural that when they came to
3143 settle down they should do so as near each other as possible .
3144 Turner was apparently the richer man , so McCarthy became his
3145 tenant but still remained , it seems , upon terms of perfect
3146 equality , as they were frequently together . McCarthy had one son ,
3147 a lad of eighteen , and Turner had an only daughter of the same
3148 age , but neither of them had wives living . They appear to have
3149 avoided the society of the neighbouring English families and to
3150 have led retired lives , though both the McCarthys were fond of
3151 sport and were frequently seen at the race - meetings of the
3152 neighbourhood . McCarthy kept two servants - a man and a girl .
3153 Turner had a considerable household , some half - dozen at the
3154 least . That is as much as I have been able to gather about the
3155 families . Now for the facts .
3156
3157 " On June 3rd , that is , on Monday last , McCarthy left his house at
3158 Hatherley about three in the afternoon and walked down to the
3159 Boscombe Pool , which is a small lake formed by the spreading out
3160 of the stream which runs down the Boscombe Valley . He had been
3161 out with his serving - man in the morning at Ross , and he had told
3162 the man that he must hurry , as he had an appointment of
3163 importance to keep at three . From that appointment he never came
3164 back alive .
3165
3166 " From Hatherley Farm - house to the Boscombe Pool is a quarter of a
3167 mile , and two people saw him as he passed over this ground . One
3168 was an old woman , whose name is not mentioned , and the other was
3169 William Crowder , a game - keeper in the employ of Mr . Turner . Both
3170 these witnesses depose that Mr . McCarthy was walking alone . The
3171 game - keeper adds that within a few minutes of his seeing Mr .
3172 McCarthy pass he had seen his son , Mr . James McCarthy , going the
3173 same way with a gun under his arm . To the best of his belief , the
3174 father was actually in sight at the time , and the son was
3175 following him . He thought no more of the matter until he heard in
3176 the evening of the tragedy that had occurred .
3177
3178 " The two McCarthys were seen after the time when William Crowder ,
3179 the game - keeper , lost sight of them . The Boscombe Pool is thickly
3180 wooded round , with just a fringe of grass and of reeds round the
3181 edge . A girl of fourteen , Patience Moran , who is the daughter of
3182 the lodge - keeper of the Boscombe Valley estate , was in one of the
3183 woods picking flowers . She states that while she was there she
3184 saw , at the border of the wood and close by the lake , Mr .
3185 McCarthy and his son , and that they appeared to be having a
3186 violent quarrel . She heard Mr . McCarthy the elder using very
3187 strong language to his son , and she saw the latter raise up his
3188 hand as if to strike his father . She was so frightened by their
3189 violence that she ran away and told her mother when she reached
3190 home that she had left the two McCarthys quarrelling near
3191 Boscombe Pool , and that she was afraid that they were going to
3192 fight . She had hardly said the words when young Mr . McCarthy came
3193 running up to the lodge to say that he had found his father dead
3194 in the wood , and to ask for the help of the lodge - keeper . He was
3195 much excited , without either his gun or his hat , and his right
3196 hand and sleeve were observed to be stained with fresh blood . On
3197 following him they found the dead body stretched out upon the
3198 grass beside the pool . The head had been beaten in by repeated
3199 blows of some heavy and blunt weapon . The injuries were such as
3200 might very well have been inflicted by the butt - end of his son's
3201 gun , which was found lying on the grass within a few paces of the
3202 body . Under these circumstances the young man was instantly
3203 arrested , and a verdict of ' wilful murder ' having been returned
3204 at the inquest on Tuesday , he was on Wednesday brought before the
3205 magistrates at Ross , who have referred the case to the next
3206 Assizes . Those are the main facts of the case as they came out
3207 before the coroner and the police - court "
3208
3209 " I could hardly imagine a more damning case " I remarked . " If
3210 ever circumstantial evidence pointed to a criminal it does so
3211 here "
3212
3213 " Circumstantial evidence is a very tricky thing " answered Holmes
3214 thoughtfully . " It may seem to point very straight to one thing ,
3215 but if you shift your own point of view a little , you may find it
3216 pointing in an equally uncompromising manner to something
3217 entirely different . It must be confessed , however , that the case
3218 looks exceedingly grave against the young man , and it is very
3219 possible that he is indeed the culprit . There are several people
3220 in the neighbourhood , however , and among them Miss Turner , the
3221 daughter of the neighbouring landowner , who believe in his
3222 innocence , and who have retained Lestrade , whom you may recollect
3223 in connection with the Study in Scarlet , to work out the case in
3224 his interest . Lestrade , being rather puzzled , has referred the
3225 case to me , and hence it is that two middle - aged gentlemen are
3226 flying westward at fifty miles an hour instead of quietly
3227 digesting their breakfasts at home "
3228
3229 " I am afraid " said I , " that the facts are so obvious that you
3230 will find little credit to be gained out of this case "
3231
3232 " There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact " he
3233 answered , laughing . " Besides , we may chance to hit upon some
3234 other obvious facts which may have been by no means obvious to
3235 Mr . Lestrade . You know me too well to think that I am boasting
3236 when I say that I shall either confirm or destroy his theory by
3237 means which he is quite incapable of employing , or even of
3238 understanding . To take the first example to hand , I very clearly
3239 perceive that in your bedroom the window is upon the right - hand
3240 side , and yet I question whether Mr . Lestrade would have noted
3241 even so self - evident a thing as that "
3242
3243 " How on earth -"
3244
3245 " My dear fellow , I know you well . I know the military neatness
3246 which characterises you . You shave every morning , and in this
3247 season you shave by the sunlight ; but since your shaving is less
3248 and less complete as we get farther back on the left side , until
3249 it becomes positively slovenly as we get round the angle of the
3250 jaw , it is surely very clear that that side is less illuminated
3251 than the other . I could not imagine a man of your habits looking
3252 at himself in an equal light and being satisfied with such a
3253 result . I only quote this as a trivial example of observation and
3254 inference . Therein lies my metier , and it is just possible that
3255 it may be of some service in the investigation which lies before
3256 us . There are one or two minor points which were brought out in
3257 the inquest , and which are worth considering "
3258
3259 " What are they "
3260
3261 " It appears that his arrest did not take place at once , but after
3262 the return to Hatherley Farm . On the inspector of constabulary
3263 informing him that he was a prisoner , he remarked that he was not
3264 surprised to hear it , and that it was no more than his deserts .
3265 This observation of his had the natural effect of removing any
3266 traces of doubt which might have remained in the minds of the
3267 coroner's jury "
3268
3269 " It was a confession " I ejaculated .
3270
3271 " No , for it was followed by a protestation of innocence "
3272
3273 " Coming on the top of such a damning series of events , it was at
3274 least a most suspicious remark "
3275
3276 " On the contrary " said Holmes , " it is the brightest rift which I
3277 can at present see in the clouds . However innocent he might be ,
3278 he could not be such an absolute imbecile as not to see that the
3279 circumstances were very black against him . Had he appeared
3280 surprised at his own arrest , or feigned indignation at it , I
3281 should have looked upon it as highly suspicious , because such
3282 surprise or anger would not be natural under the circumstances ,
3283 and yet might appear to be the best policy to a scheming man . His
3284 frank acceptance of the situation marks him as either an innocent
3285 man , or else as a man of considerable self - restraint and
3286 firmness . As to his remark about his deserts , it was also not
3287 unnatural if you consider that he stood beside the dead body of
3288 his father , and that there is no doubt that he had that very day
3289 so far forgotten his filial duty as to bandy words with him , and
3290 even , according to the little girl whose evidence is so
3291 important , to raise his hand as if to strike him . The
3292 self - reproach and contrition which are displayed in his remark
3293 appear to me to be the signs of a healthy mind rather than of a
3294 guilty one "
3295
3296 I shook my head . " Many men have been hanged on far slighter
3297 evidence " I remarked .
3298
3299 " So they have . And many men have been wrongfully hanged "
3300
3301 " What is the young man's own account of the matter "
3302
3303 " It is , I am afraid , not very encouraging to his supporters ,
3304 though there are one or two points in it which are suggestive .
3305 You will find it here , and may read it for yourself "
3306
3307 He picked out from his bundle a copy of the local Herefordshire
3308 paper , and having turned down the sheet he pointed out the
3309 paragraph in which the unfortunate young man had given his own
3310 statement of what had occurred . I settled myself down in the
3311 corner of the carriage and read it very carefully . It ran in this
3312 way :
3313
3314 " Mr . James McCarthy , the only son of the deceased , was then called
3315 and gave evidence as follows : ' I had been away from home for
3316 three days at Bristol , and had only just returned upon the
3317 morning of last Monday , the 3rd . My father was absent from home at
3318 the time of my arrival , and I was informed by the maid that he
3319 had driven over to Ross with John Cobb , the groom . Shortly after
3320 my return I heard the wheels of his trap in the yard , and ,
3321 looking out of my window , I saw him get out and walk rapidly out
3322 of the yard , though I was not aware in which direction he was
3323 going . I then took my gun and strolled out in the direction of
3324 the Boscombe Pool , with the intention of visiting the rabbit
3325 warren which is upon the other side . On my way I saw William
3326 Crowder , the game - keeper , as he had stated in his evidence ; but
3327 he is mistaken in thinking that I was following my father . I had
3328 no idea that he was in front of me . When about a hundred yards
3329 from the pool I heard a cry of " Cooee " which was a usual signal
3330 between my father and myself . I then hurried forward , and found
3331 him standing by the pool . He appeared to be much surprised at
3332 seeing me and asked me rather roughly what I was doing there . A
3333 conversation ensued which led to high words and almost to blows ,
3334 for my father was a man of a very violent temper . Seeing that his
3335 passion was becoming ungovernable , I left him and returned
3336 towards Hatherley Farm . I had not gone more than 150 yards ,
3337 however , when I heard a hideous outcry behind me , which caused me
3338 to run back again . I found my father expiring upon the ground ,
3339 with his head terribly injured . I dropped my gun and held him in
3340 my arms , but he almost instantly expired . I knelt beside him for
3341 some minutes , and then made my way to Mr . Turner's lodge - keeper ,
3342 his house being the nearest , to ask for assistance . I saw no one
3343 near my father when I returned , and I have no idea how he came by
3344 his injuries . He was not a popular man , being somewhat cold and
3345 forbidding in his manners , but he had , as far as I know , no
3346 active enemies . I know nothing further of the matter '
3347
3348 " The Coroner : Did your father make any statement to you before
3349 he died ?
3350
3351 " Witness : He mumbled a few words , but I could only catch some
3352 allusion to a rat .
3353
3354 " The Coroner : What did you understand by that ?
3355
3356 " Witness : It conveyed no meaning to me . I thought that he was
3357 delirious .
3358
3359 " The Coroner : What was the point upon which you and your father
3360 had this final quarrel ?
3361
3362 " Witness : I should prefer not to answer .
3363
3364 " The Coroner : I am afraid that I must press it .
3365
3366 " Witness : It is really impossible for me to tell you . I can
3367 assure you that it has nothing to do with the sad tragedy which
3368 followed .
3369
3370 " The Coroner : That is for the court to decide . I need not point
3371 out to you that your refusal to answer will prejudice your case
3372 considerably in any future proceedings which may arise .
3373
3374 " Witness : I must still refuse .
3375
3376 " The Coroner : I understand that the cry of ' Cooee ' was a common
3377 signal between you and your father ?
3378
3379 " Witness : It was .
3380
3381 " The Coroner : How was it , then , that he uttered it before he saw
3382 you , and before he even knew that you had returned from Bristol ?
3383
3384 " Witness ( with considerable confusion : I do not know .
3385
3386 " A Juryman : Did you see nothing which aroused your suspicions
3387 when you returned on hearing the cry and found your father
3388 fatally injured ?
3389
3390 " Witness : Nothing definite .
3391
3392 " The Coroner : What do you mean ?
3393
3394 " Witness : I was so disturbed and excited as I rushed out into
3395 the open , that I could think of nothing except of my father . Yet
3396 I have a vague impression that as I ran forward something lay
3397 upon the ground to the left of me . It seemed to me to be
3398 something grey in colour , a coat of some sort , or a plaid perhaps .
3399 When I rose from my father I looked round for it , but it was
3400 gone .
3401
3402 ' Do you mean that it disappeared before you went for help '
3403
3404 ' Yes , it was gone '
3405
3406 ' You cannot say what it was '
3407
3408 ' No , I had a feeling something was there '
3409
3410 ' How far from the body '
3411
3412 ' A dozen yards or so '
3413
3414 ' And how far from the edge of the wood '
3415
3416 ' About the same '
3417
3418 ' Then if it was removed it was while you were within a dozen
3419 yards of it '
3420
3421 ' Yes , but with my back towards it '
3422
3423 " This concluded the examination of the witness "
3424
3425 " I see " said I as I glanced down the column , " that the coroner
3426 in his concluding remarks was rather severe upon young McCarthy .
3427 He calls attention , and with reason , to the discrepancy about his
3428 father having signalled to him before seeing him , also to his
3429 refusal to give details of his conversation with his father , and
3430 his singular account of his father's dying words . They are all ,
3431 as he remarks , very much against the son "
3432
3433 Holmes laughed softly to himself and stretched himself out upon
3434 the cushioned seat . " Both you and the coroner have been at some
3435 pains " said he , " to single out the very strongest points in the
3436 young man's favour . Don't you see that you alternately give him
3437 credit for having too much imagination and too little ? Too
3438 little , if he could not invent a cause of quarrel which would
3439 give him the sympathy of the jury ; too much , if he evolved from
3440 his own inner consciousness anything so outre as a dying
3441 reference to a rat , and the incident of the vanishing cloth . No ,
3442 sir , I shall approach this case from the point of view that what
3443 this young man says is true , and we shall see whither that
3444 hypothesis will lead us . And now here is my pocket Petrarch , and
3445 not another word shall I say of this case until we are on the
3446 scene of action . We lunch at Swindon , and I see that we shall be
3447 there in twenty minutes "
3448
3449 It was nearly four o'clock when we at last , after passing through
3450 the beautiful Stroud Valley , and over the broad gleaming Severn ,
3451 found ourselves at the pretty little country - town of Ross . A
3452 lean , ferret - like man , furtive and sly - looking , was waiting for
3453 us upon the platform . In spite of the light brown dustcoat and
3454 leather - leggings which he wore in deference to his rustic
3455 surroundings , I had no difficulty in recognising Lestrade , of
3456 Scotland Yard . With him we drove to the Hereford Arms where a
3457 room had already been engaged for us .
3458
3459 " I have ordered a carriage " said Lestrade as we sat over a cup
3460 of tea . " I knew your energetic nature , and that you would not be
3461 happy until you had been on the scene of the crime "
3462
3463 " It was very nice and complimentary of you " Holmes answered . " It
3464 is entirely a question of barometric pressure "
3465
3466 Lestrade looked startled . " I do not quite follow " he said .
3467
3468 " How is the glass ? Twenty - nine , I see . No wind , and not a cloud
3469 in the sky . I have a caseful of cigarettes here which need
3470 smoking , and the sofa is very much superior to the usual country
3471 hotel abomination . I do not think that it is probable that I
3472 shall use the carriage to - night "
3473
3474 Lestrade laughed indulgently . " You have , no doubt , already formed
3475 your conclusions from the newspapers " he said . " The case is as
3476 plain as a pikestaff , and the more one goes into it the plainer
3477 it becomes . Still , of course , one can't refuse a lady , and such a
3478 very positive one , too . She has heard of you , and would have your
3479 opinion , though I repeatedly told her that there was nothing
3480 which you could do which I had not already done . Why , bless my
3481 soul ! here is her carriage at the door "
3482
3483 He had hardly spoken before there rushed into the room one of the
3484 most lovely young women that I have ever seen in my life . Her
3485 violet eyes shining , her lips parted , a pink flush upon her
3486 cheeks , all thought of her natural reserve lost in her
3487 overpowering excitement and concern .
3488
3489 " Oh , Mr . Sherlock Holmes " she cried , glancing from one to the
3490 other of us , and finally , with a woman's quick intuition ,
3491 fastening upon my companion , " I am so glad that you have come . I
3492 have driven down to tell you so . I know that James didn't do it .
3493 I know it , and I want you to start upon your work knowing it ,
3494 too . Never let yourself doubt upon that point . We have known each
3495 other since we were little children , and I know his faults as no
3496 one else does ; but he is too tender - hearted to hurt a fly . Such a
3497 charge is absurd to anyone who really knows him "
3498
3499 " I hope we may clear him , Miss Turner " said Sherlock Holmes .
3500 " You may rely upon my doing all that I can "
3501
3502 " But you have read the evidence . You have formed some conclusion ?
3503 Do you not see some loophole , some flaw ? Do you not yourself
3504 think that he is innocent "
3505
3506 " I think that it is very probable "
3507
3508 " There , now " she cried , throwing back her head and looking
3509 defiantly at Lestrade . " You hear ! He gives me hopes "
3510
3511 Lestrade shrugged his shoulders . " I am afraid that my colleague
3512 has been a little quick in forming his conclusions " he said .
3513
3514 " But he is right . Oh ! I know that he is right . James never did
3515 it . And about his quarrel with his father , I am sure that the
3516 reason why he would not speak about it to the coroner was because
3517 I was concerned in it "
3518
3519 " In what way " asked Holmes .
3520
3521 " It is no time for me to hide anything . James and his father had
3522 many disagreements about me . Mr . McCarthy was very anxious that
3523 there should be a marriage between us . James and I have always
3524 loved each other as brother and sister ; but of course he is young
3525 and has seen very little of life yet , and - and - well , he
3526 naturally did not wish to do anything like that yet . So there
3527 were quarrels , and this , I am sure , was one of them "
3528
3529 " And your father " asked Holmes . " Was he in favour of such a
3530 union "
3531
3532 " No , he was averse to it also . No one but Mr . McCarthy was in
3533 favour of it " A quick blush passed over her fresh young face as
3534 Holmes shot one of his keen , questioning glances at her .
3535
3536 " Thank you for this information " said he . " May I see your father
3537 if I call to - morrow "
3538
3539 " I am afraid the doctor won't allow it "
3540
3541 " The doctor "
3542
3543 " Yes , have you not heard ? Poor father has never been strong for
3544 years back , but this has broken him down completely . He has taken
3545 to his bed , and Dr . Willows says that he is a wreck and that his
3546 nervous system is shattered . Mr . McCarthy was the only man alive
3547 who had known dad in the old days in Victoria "
3548
3549 " Ha ! In Victoria ! That is important "
3550
3551 " Yes , at the mines "
3552
3553 " Quite so ; at the gold - mines , where , as I understand , Mr . Turner
3554 made his money "
3555
3556 " Yes , certainly "
3557
3558 " Thank you , Miss Turner . You have been of material assistance to
3559 me "
3560
3561 " You will tell me if you have any news to - morrow . No doubt you
3562 will go to the prison to see James . Oh , if you do , Mr . Holmes , do
3563 tell him that I know him to be innocent "
3564
3565 " I will , Miss Turner "
3566
3567 " I must go home now , for dad is very ill , and he misses me so if
3568 I leave him . Good - bye , and God help you in your undertaking " She
3569 hurried from the room as impulsively as she had entered , and we
3570 heard the wheels of her carriage rattle off down the street .
3571
3572 " I am ashamed of you , Holmes " said Lestrade with dignity after a
3573 few minutes ' silence . " Why should you raise up hopes which you
3574 are bound to disappoint ? I am not over - tender of heart , but I
3575 call it cruel "
3576
3577 " I think that I see my way to clearing James McCarthy " said
3578 Holmes . " Have you an order to see him in prison "
3579
3580 " Yes , but only for you and me "
3581
3582 " Then I shall reconsider my resolution about going out . We have
3583 still time to take a train to Hereford and see him to - night "
3584
3585 " Ample "
3586
3587 " Then let us do so . Watson , I fear that you will find it very
3588 slow , but I shall only be away a couple of hours "
3589
3590 I walked down to the station with them , and then wandered through
3591 the streets of the little town , finally returning to the hotel ,
3592 where I lay upon the sofa and tried to interest myself in a
3593 yellow - backed novel . The puny plot of the story was so thin ,
3594 however , when compared to the deep mystery through which we were
3595 groping , and I found my attention wander so continually from the
3596 action to the fact , that I at last flung it across the room and
3597 gave myself up entirely to a consideration of the events of the
3598 day . Supposing that this unhappy young man's story were
3599 absolutely true , then what hellish thing , what absolutely
3600 unforeseen and extraordinary calamity could have occurred between
3601 the time when he parted from his father , and the moment when ,
3602 drawn back by his screams , he rushed into the glade ? It was
3603 something terrible and deadly . What could it be ? Might not the
3604 nature of the injuries reveal something to my medical instincts ?
3605 I rang the bell and called for the weekly county paper , which
3606 contained a verbatim account of the inquest . In the surgeon's
3607 deposition it was stated that the posterior third of the left
3608 parietal bone and the left half of the occipital bone had been
3609 shattered by a heavy blow from a blunt weapon . I marked the spot
3610 upon my own head . Clearly such a blow must have been struck from
3611 behind . That was to some extent in favour of the accused , as when
3612 seen quarrelling he was face to face with his father . Still , it
3613 did not go for very much , for the older man might have turned his
3614 back before the blow fell . Still , it might be worth while to call
3615 Holmes ' attention to it . Then there was the peculiar dying
3616 reference to a rat . What could that mean ? It could not be
3617 delirium . A man dying from a sudden blow does not commonly become
3618 delirious . No , it was more likely to be an attempt to explain how
3619 he met his fate . But what could it indicate ? I cudgelled my
3620 brains to find some possible explanation . And then the incident
3621 of the grey cloth seen by young McCarthy . If that were true the
3622 murderer must have dropped some part of his dress , presumably his
3623 overcoat , in his flight , and must have had the hardihood to
3624 return and to carry it away at the instant when the son was
3625 kneeling with his back turned not a dozen paces off . What a
3626 tissue of mysteries and improbabilities the whole thing was ! I
3627 did not wonder at Lestrade's opinion , and yet I had so much faith
3628 in Sherlock Holmes ' insight that I could not lose hope as long
3629 as every fresh fact seemed to strengthen his conviction of young
3630 McCarthy's innocence .
3631
3632 It was late before Sherlock Holmes returned . He came back alone ,
3633 for Lestrade was staying in lodgings in the town .
3634
3635 " The glass still keeps very high " he remarked as he sat down .
3636 " It is of importance that it should not rain before we are able
3637 to go over the ground . On the other hand , a man should be at his
3638 very best and keenest for such nice work as that , and I did not
3639 wish to do it when fagged by a long journey . I have seen young
3640 McCarthy "
3641
3642 " And what did you learn from him "
3643
3644 " Nothing "
3645
3646 " Could he throw no light "
3647
3648 " None at all . I was inclined to think at one time that he knew
3649 who had done it and was screening him or her , but I am convinced
3650 now that he is as puzzled as everyone else . He is not a very
3651 quick - witted youth , though comely to look at and , I should think ,
3652 sound at heart "
3653
3654 " I cannot admire his taste " I remarked , " if it is indeed a fact
3655 that he was averse to a marriage with so charming a young lady as
3656 this Miss Turner "
3657
3658 " Ah , thereby hangs a rather painful tale . This fellow is madly ,
3659 insanely , in love with her , but some two years ago , when he was
3660 only a lad , and before he really knew her , for she had been away
3661 five years at a boarding - school , what does the idiot do but get
3662 into the clutches of a barmaid in Bristol and marry her at a
3663 registry office ? No one knows a word of the matter , but you can
3664 imagine how maddening it must be to him to be upbraided for not
3665 doing what he would give his very eyes to do , but what he knows
3666 to be absolutely impossible . It was sheer frenzy of this sort
3667 which made him throw his hands up into the air when his father ,
3668 at their last interview , was goading him on to propose to Miss
3669 Turner . On the other hand , he had no means of supporting himself ,
3670 and his father , who was by all accounts a very hard man , would
3671 have thrown him over utterly had he known the truth . It was with
3672 his barmaid wife that he had spent the last three days in
3673 Bristol , and his father did not know where he was . Mark that
3674 point . It is of importance . Good has come out of evil , however ,
3675 for the barmaid , finding from the papers that he is in serious
3676 trouble and likely to be hanged , has thrown him over utterly and
3677 has written to him to say that she has a husband already in the
3678 Bermuda Dockyard , so that there is really no tie between them . I
3679 think that that bit of news has consoled young McCarthy for all
3680 that he has suffered "
3681
3682 " But if he is innocent , who has done it "
3683
3684 " Ah ! who ? I would call your attention very particularly to two
3685 points . One is that the murdered man had an appointment with
3686 someone at the pool , and that the someone could not have been his
3687 son , for his son was away , and he did not know when he would
3688 return . The second is that the murdered man was heard to cry
3689 ' Cooee ' before he knew that his son had returned . Those are the
3690 crucial points upon which the case depends . And now let us talk
3691 about George Meredith , if you please , and we shall leave all
3692 minor matters until to - morrow "
3693
3694 There was no rain , as Holmes had foretold , and the morning broke
3695 bright and cloudless . At nine o'clock Lestrade called for us with
3696 the carriage , and we set off for Hatherley Farm and the Boscombe
3697 Pool .
3698
3699 " There is serious news this morning " Lestrade observed . " It is
3700 said that Mr . Turner , of the Hall , is so ill that his life is
3701 despaired of "
3702
3703 " An elderly man , I presume " said Holmes .
3704
3705 " About sixty ; but his constitution has been shattered by his life
3706 abroad , and he has been in failing health for some time . This
3707 business has had a very bad effect upon him . He was an old friend
3708 of McCarthy's , and , I may add , a great benefactor to him , for I
3709 have learned that he gave him Hatherley Farm rent free "
3710
3711 " Indeed ! That is interesting " said Holmes .
3712
3713 " Oh , yes ! In a hundred other ways he has helped him . Everybody
3714 about here speaks of his kindness to him "
3715
3716 " Really ! Does it not strike you as a little singular that this
3717 McCarthy , who appears to have had little of his own , and to have
3718 been under such obligations to Turner , should still talk of
3719 marrying his son to Turner's daughter , who is , presumably ,
3720 heiress to the estate , and that in such a very cocksure manner ,
3721 as if it were merely a case of a proposal and all else would
3722 follow ? It is the more strange , since we know that Turner himself
3723 was averse to the idea . The daughter told us as much . Do you not
3724 deduce something from that "
3725
3726 " We have got to the deductions and the inferences " said
3727 Lestrade , winking at me . " I find it hard enough to tackle facts ,
3728 Holmes , without flying away after theories and fancies "
3729
3730 " You are right " said Holmes demurely ; " you do find it very hard
3731 to tackle the facts "
3732
3733 " Anyhow , I have grasped one fact which you seem to find it
3734 difficult to get hold of " replied Lestrade with some warmth .
3735
3736 " And that is -"
3737
3738 " That McCarthy senior met his death from McCarthy junior and that
3739 all theories to the contrary are the merest moonshine "
3740
3741 " Well , moonshine is a brighter thing than fog " said Holmes ,
3742 laughing . " But I am very much mistaken if this is not Hatherley
3743 Farm upon the left "
3744
3745 " Yes , that is it " It was a widespread , comfortable - looking
3746 building , two - storied , slate - roofed , with great yellow blotches
3747 of lichen upon the grey walls . The drawn blinds and the smokeless
3748 chimneys , however , gave it a stricken look , as though the weight
3749 of this horror still lay heavy upon it . We called at the door ,
3750 when the maid , at Holmes ' request , showed us the boots which her
3751 master wore at the time of his death , and also a pair of the
3752 son's , though not the pair which he had then had . Having measured
3753 these very carefully from seven or eight different points , Holmes
3754 desired to be led to the court - yard , from which we all followed
3755 the winding track which led to Boscombe Pool .
3756
3757 Sherlock Holmes was transformed when he was hot upon such a scent
3758 as this . Men who had only known the quiet thinker and logician of
3759 Baker Street would have failed to recognise him . His face flushed
3760 and darkened . His brows were drawn into two hard black lines ,
3761 while his eyes shone out from beneath them with a steely glitter .
3762 His face was bent downward , his shoulders bowed , his lips
3763 compressed , and the veins stood out like whipcord in his long ,
3764 sinewy neck . His nostrils seemed to dilate with a purely animal
3765 lust for the chase , and his mind was so absolutely concentrated
3766 upon the matter before him that a question or remark fell
3767 unheeded upon his ears , or , at the most , only provoked a quick ,
3768 impatient snarl in reply . Swiftly and silently he made his way
3769 along the track which ran through the meadows , and so by way of
3770 the woods to the Boscombe Pool . It was damp , marshy ground , as is
3771 all that district , and there were marks of many feet , both upon
3772 the path and amid the short grass which bounded it on either
3773 side . Sometimes Holmes would hurry on , sometimes stop dead , and
3774 once he made quite a little detour into the meadow . Lestrade and
3775 I walked behind him , the detective indifferent and contemptuous ,
3776 while I watched my friend with the interest which sprang from the
3777 conviction that every one of his actions was directed towards a
3778 definite end .
3779
3780 The Boscombe Pool , which is a little reed - girt sheet of water
3781 some fifty yards across , is situated at the boundary between the
3782 Hatherley Farm and the private park of the wealthy Mr . Turner .
3783 Above the woods which lined it upon the farther side we could see
3784 the red , jutting pinnacles which marked the site of the rich
3785 landowner's dwelling . On the Hatherley side of the pool the woods
3786 grew very thick , and there was a narrow belt of sodden grass
3787 twenty paces across between the edge of the trees and the reeds
3788 which lined the lake . Lestrade showed us the exact spot at which
3789 the body had been found , and , indeed , so moist was the ground ,
3790 that I could plainly see the traces which had been left by the
3791 fall of the stricken man . To Holmes , as I could see by his eager
3792 face and peering eyes , very many other things were to be read
3793 upon the trampled grass . He ran round , like a dog who is picking
3794 up a scent , and then turned upon my companion .
3795
3796 " What did you go into the pool for " he asked .
3797
3798 " I fished about with a rake . I thought there might be some weapon
3799 or other trace . But how on earth -"
3800
3801 " Oh , tut , tut ! I have no time ! That left foot of yours with its
3802 inward twist is all over the place . A mole could trace it , and
3803 there it vanishes among the reeds . Oh , how simple it would all
3804 have been had I been here before they came like a herd of buffalo
3805 and wallowed all over it . Here is where the party with the
3806 lodge - keeper came , and they have covered all tracks for six or
3807 eight feet round the body . But here are three separate tracks of
3808 the same feet " He drew out a lens and lay down upon his
3809 waterproof to have a better view , talking all the time rather to
3810 himself than to us . " These are young McCarthy's feet . Twice he
3811 was walking , and once he ran swiftly , so that the soles are
3812 deeply marked and the heels hardly visible . That bears out his
3813 story . He ran when he saw his father on the ground . Then here are
3814 the father's feet as he paced up and down . What is this , then ? It
3815 is the butt - end of the gun as the son stood listening . And this ?
3816 Ha , ha ! What have we here ? Tiptoes ! tiptoes ! Square , too , quite
3817 unusual boots ! They come , they go , they come again - of course
3818 that was for the cloak . Now where did they come from " He ran up
3819 and down , sometimes losing , sometimes finding the track until we
3820 were well within the edge of the wood and under the shadow of a
3821 great beech , the largest tree in the neighbourhood . Holmes traced
3822 his way to the farther side of this and lay down once more upon
3823 his face with a little cry of satisfaction . For a long time he
3824 remained there , turning over the leaves and dried sticks ,
3825 gathering up what seemed to me to be dust into an envelope and
3826 examining with his lens not only the ground but even the bark of
3827 the tree as far as he could reach . A jagged stone was lying among
3828 the moss , and this also he carefully examined and retained . Then
3829 he followed a pathway through the wood until he came to the
3830 highroad , where all traces were lost .
3831
3832 " It has been a case of considerable interest " he remarked ,
3833 returning to his natural manner . " I fancy that this grey house on
3834 the right must be the lodge . I think that I will go in and have a
3835 word with Moran , and perhaps write a little note . Having done
3836 that , we may drive back to our luncheon . You may walk to the cab ,
3837 and I shall be with you presently "
3838
3839 It was about ten minutes before we regained our cab and drove
3840 back into Ross , Holmes still carrying with him the stone which he
3841 had picked up in the wood .
3842
3843 " This may interest you , Lestrade " he remarked , holding it out .
3844 " The murder was done with it "
3845
3846 " I see no marks "
3847
3848 " There are none "
3849
3850 " How do you know , then "
3851
3852 " The grass was growing under it . It had only lain there a few
3853 days . There was no sign of a place whence it had been taken . It
3854 corresponds with the injuries . There is no sign of any other
3855 weapon "
3856
3857 " And the murderer "
3858
3859 " Is a tall man , left - handed , limps with the right leg , wears
3860 thick - soled shooting - boots and a grey cloak , smokes Indian
3861 cigars , uses a cigar - holder , and carries a blunt pen - knife in his
3862 pocket . There are several other indications , but these may be
3863 enough to aid us in our search "
3864
3865 Lestrade laughed . " I am afraid that I am still a sceptic " he
3866 said . " Theories are all very well , but we have to deal with a
3867 hard - headed British jury "
3868
3869 " Nous verrons " answered Holmes calmly . " You work your own
3870 method , and I shall work mine . I shall be busy this afternoon ,
3871 and shall probably return to London by the evening train "
3872
3873 " And leave your case unfinished "
3874
3875 " No , finished "
3876
3877 " But the mystery "
3878
3879 " It is solved "
3880
3881 " Who was the criminal , then "
3882
3883 " The gentleman I describe "
3884
3885 " But who is he "
3886
3887 " Surely it would not be difficult to find out . This is not such a
3888 populous neighbourhood "
3889
3890 Lestrade shrugged his shoulders . " I am a practical man " he said ,
3891 " and I really cannot undertake to go about the country looking
3892 for a left - handed gentleman with a game leg . I should become the
3893 laughing - stock of Scotland Yard "
3894
3895 " All right " said Holmes quietly . " I have given you the chance .
3896 Here are your lodgings . Good - bye . I shall drop you a line before
3897 I leave "
3898
3899 Having left Lestrade at his rooms , we drove to our hotel , where
3900 we found lunch upon the table . Holmes was silent and buried in
3901 thought with a pained expression upon his face , as one who finds
3902 himself in a perplexing position .
3903
3904 " Look here , Watson " he said when the cloth was cleared " just sit
3905 down in this chair and let me preach to you for a little . I don ' t
3906 know quite what to do , and I should value your advice . Light a
3907 cigar and let me expound "
3908
3909 " Pray do so "
3910
3911 " Well , now , in considering this case there are two points about
3912 young McCarthy's narrative which struck us both instantly ,
3913 although they impressed me in his favour and you against him . One
3914 was the fact that his father should , according to his account ,
3915 cry ' Cooee ' before seeing him . The other was his singular dying
3916 reference to a rat . He mumbled several words , you understand , but
3917 that was all that caught the son's ear . Now from this double
3918 point our research must commence , and we will begin it by
3919 presuming that what the lad says is absolutely true "
3920
3921 " What of this ' Cooee ' then "
3922
3923 " Well , obviously it could not have been meant for the son . The
3924 son , as far as he knew , was in Bristol . It was mere chance that
3925 he was within earshot . The ' Cooee ' was meant to attract the
3926 attention of whoever it was that he had the appointment with . But
3927 ' Cooee ' is a distinctly Australian cry , and one which is used
3928 between Australians . There is a strong presumption that the
3929 person whom McCarthy expected to meet him at Boscombe Pool was
3930 someone who had been in Australia "
3931
3932 " What of the rat , then "
3933
3934 Sherlock Holmes took a folded paper from his pocket and flattened
3935 it out on the table . " This is a map of the Colony of Victoria "
3936 he said . " I wired to Bristol for it last night " He put his hand
3937 over part of the map . " What do you read "
3938
3939 " ARAT " I read .
3940
3941 " And now " He raised his hand .
3942
3943 " BALLARAT "
3944
3945 " Quite so . That was the word the man uttered , and of which his
3946 son only caught the last two syllables . He was trying to utter
3947 the name of his murderer . So and so , of Ballarat "
3948
3949 " It is wonderful " I exclaimed .
3950
3951 " It is obvious . And now , you see , I had narrowed the field down
3952 considerably . The possession of a grey garment was a third point
3953 which , granting the son's statement to be correct , was a
3954 certainty . We have come now out of mere vagueness to the definite
3955 conception of an Australian from Ballarat with a grey cloak "
3956
3957 " Certainly "
3958
3959 " And one who was at home in the district , for the pool can only
3960 be approached by the farm or by the estate , where strangers could
3961 hardly wander "
3962
3963 " Quite so "
3964
3965 " Then comes our expedition of to - day . By an examination of the
3966 ground I gained the trifling details which I gave to that
3967 imbecile Lestrade , as to the personality of the criminal "
3968
3969 " But how did you gain them "
3970
3971 " You know my method . It is founded upon the observation of
3972 trifles "
3973
3974 " His height I know that you might roughly judge from the length
3975 of his stride . His boots , too , might be told from their traces "
3976
3977 " Yes , they were peculiar boots "
3978
3979 " But his lameness "
3980
3981 " The impression of his right foot was always less distinct than
3982 his left . He put less weight upon it . Why ? Because he limped - he
3983 was lame "
3984
3985 " But his left - handedness "
3986
3987 " You were yourself struck by the nature of the injury as recorded
3988 by the surgeon at the inquest . The blow was struck from
3989 immediately behind , and yet was upon the left side . Now , how can
3990 that be unless it were by a left - handed man ? He had stood behind
3991 that tree during the interview between the father and son . He had
3992 even smoked there . I found the ash of a cigar , which my special
3993 knowledge of tobacco ashes enables me to pronounce as an Indian
3994 cigar . I have , as you know , devoted some attention to this , and
3995 written a little monograph on the ashes of 140 different
3996 varieties of pipe , cigar , and cigarette tobacco . Having found the
3997 ash , I then looked round and discovered the stump among the moss
3998 where he had tossed it . It was an Indian cigar , of the variety
3999 which are rolled in Rotterdam "
4000
4001 " And the cigar - holder "
4002
4003 " I could see that the end had not been in his mouth . Therefore he
4004 used a holder . The tip had been cut off , not bitten off , but the
4005 cut was not a clean one , so I deduced a blunt pen - knife "
4006
4007 " Holmes " I said , " you have drawn a net round this man from which
4008 he cannot escape , and you have saved an innocent human life as
4009 truly as if you had cut the cord which was hanging him . I see the
4010 direction in which all this points . The culprit is -"
4011
4012 " Mr . John Turner " cried the hotel waiter , opening the door of
4013 our sitting - room , and ushering in a visitor .
4014
4015 The man who entered was a strange and impressive figure . His
4016 slow , limping step and bowed shoulders gave the appearance of
4017 decrepitude , and yet his hard , deep - lined , craggy features , and
4018 his enormous limbs showed that he was possessed of unusual
4019 strength of body and of character . His tangled beard , grizzled
4020 hair , and outstanding , drooping eyebrows combined to give an air
4021 of dignity and power to his appearance , but his face was of an
4022 ashen white , while his lips and the corners of his nostrils were
4023 tinged with a shade of blue . It was clear to me at a glance that
4024 he was in the grip of some deadly and chronic disease .
4025
4026 " Pray sit down on the sofa " said Holmes gently . " You had my
4027 note "
4028
4029 " Yes , the lodge - keeper brought it up . You said that you wished to
4030 see me here to avoid scandal "
4031
4032 " I thought people would talk if I went to the Hall "
4033
4034 " And why did you wish to see me " He looked across at my
4035 companion with despair in his weary eyes , as though his question
4036 was already answered .
4037
4038 " Yes " said Holmes , answering the look rather than the words . " It
4039 is so . I know all about McCarthy "
4040
4041 The old man sank his face in his hands . " God help me " he cried .
4042 " But I would not have let the young man come to harm . I give you
4043 my word that I would have spoken out if it went against him at
4044 the Assizes "
4045
4046 " I am glad to hear you say so " said Holmes gravely .
4047
4048 " I would have spoken now had it not been for my dear girl . It
4049 would break her heart - it will break her heart when she hears
4050 that I am arrested "
4051
4052 " It may not come to that " said Holmes .
4053
4054 " What "
4055
4056 " I am no official agent . I understand that it was your daughter
4057 who required my presence here , and I am acting in her interests .
4058 Young McCarthy must be got off , however "
4059
4060 " I am a dying man " said old Turner . " I have had diabetes for
4061 years . My doctor says it is a question whether I shall live a
4062 month . Yet I would rather die under my own roof than in a gaol "
4063
4064 Holmes rose and sat down at the table with his pen in his hand
4065 and a bundle of paper before him . " Just tell us the truth " he
4066 said . " I shall jot down the facts . You will sign it , and Watson
4067 here can witness it . Then I could produce your confession at the
4068 last extremity to save young McCarthy . I promise you that I shall
4069 not use it unless it is absolutely needed "
4070
4071 " It's as well " said the old man ; " it's a question whether I
4072 shall live to the Assizes , so it matters little to me , but I
4073 should wish to spare Alice the shock . And now I will make the
4074 thing clear to you ; it has been a long time in the acting , but
4075 will not take me long to tell .
4076
4077 " You didn't know this dead man , McCarthy . He was a devil
4078 incarnate . I tell you that . God keep you out of the clutches of
4079 such a man as he . His grip has been upon me these twenty years ,
4080 and he has blasted my life . I ' ll tell you first how I came to be
4081 in his power .
4082
4083 " It was in the early ' 60's at the diggings . I was a young chap
4084 then , hot - blooded and reckless , ready to turn my hand at
4085 anything ; I got among bad companions , took to drink , had no luck
4086 with my claim , took to the bush , and in a word became what you
4087 would call over here a highway robber . There were six of us , and
4088 we had a wild , free life of it , sticking up a station from time
4089 to time , or stopping the wagons on the road to the diggings .
4090 Black Jack of Ballarat was the name I went under , and our party
4091 is still remembered in the colony as the Ballarat Gang .
4092
4093 " One day a gold convoy came down from Ballarat to Melbourne , and
4094 we lay in wait for it and attacked it . There were six troopers
4095 and six of us , so it was a close thing , but we emptied four of
4096 their saddles at the first volley . Three of our boys were killed ,
4097 however , before we got the swag . I put my pistol to the head of
4098 the wagon - driver , who was this very man McCarthy . I wish to the
4099 Lord that I had shot him then , but I spared him , though I saw his
4100 wicked little eyes fixed on my face , as though to remember every
4101 feature . We got away with the gold , became wealthy men , and made
4102 our way over to England without being suspected . There I parted
4103 from my old pals and determined to settle down to a quiet and
4104 respectable life . I bought this estate , which chanced to be in
4105 the market , and I set myself to do a little good with my money ,
4106 to make up for the way in which I had earned it . I married , too ,
4107 and though my wife died young she left me my dear little Alice .
4108 Even when she was just a baby her wee hand seemed to lead me down
4109 the right path as nothing else had ever done . In a word , I turned
4110 over a new leaf and did my best to make up for the past . All was
4111 going well when McCarthy laid his grip upon me .
4112
4113 " I had gone up to town about an investment , and I met him in
4114 Regent Street with hardly a coat to his back or a boot to his
4115 foot .
4116
4117 ' Here we are , Jack ' says he , touching me on the arm ; ' we ' ll be
4118 as good as a family to you . There's two of us , me and my son , and
4119 you can have the keeping of us . If you don't - it's a fine ,
4120 law - abiding country is England , and there's always a policeman
4121 within hail '
4122
4123 " Well , down they came to the west country , there was no shaking
4124 them off , and there they have lived rent free on my best land
4125 ever since . There was no rest for me , no peace , no forgetfulness ;
4126 turn where I would , there was his cunning , grinning face at my
4127 elbow . It grew worse as Alice grew up , for he soon saw I was more
4128 afraid of her knowing my past than of the police . Whatever he
4129 wanted he must have , and whatever it was I gave him without
4130 question , land , money , houses , until at last he asked a thing
4131 which I could not give . He asked for Alice .
4132
4133 " His son , you see , had grown up , and so had my girl , and as I was
4134 known to be in weak health , it seemed a fine stroke to him that
4135 his lad should step into the whole property . But there I was
4136 firm . I would not have his cursed stock mixed with mine ; not that
4137 I had any dislike to the lad , but his blood was in him , and that
4138 was enough . I stood firm . McCarthy threatened . I braved him to do
4139 his worst . We were to meet at the pool midway between our houses
4140 to talk it over .
4141
4142 " When I went down there I found him talking with his son , so I
4143 smoked a cigar and waited behind a tree until he should be alone .
4144 But as I listened to his talk all that was black and bitter in
4145 me seemed to come uppermost . He was urging his son to marry my
4146 daughter with as little regard for what she might think as if she
4147 were a slut from off the streets . It drove me mad to think that I
4148 and all that I held most dear should be in the power of such a
4149 man as this . Could I not snap the bond ? I was already a dying and
4150 a desperate man . Though clear of mind and fairly strong of limb ,
4151 I knew that my own fate was sealed . But my memory and my girl !
4152 Both could be saved if I could but silence that foul tongue . I
4153 did it , Mr . Holmes . I would do it again . Deeply as I have sinned ,
4154 I have led a life of martyrdom to atone for it . But that my girl
4155 should be entangled in the same meshes which held me was more
4156 than I could suffer . I struck him down with no more compunction
4157 than if he had been some foul and venomous beast . His cry brought
4158 back his son ; but I had gained the cover of the wood , though I
4159 was forced to go back to fetch the cloak which I had dropped in
4160 my flight . That is the true story , gentlemen , of all that
4161 occurred "
4162
4163 " Well , it is not for me to judge you " said Holmes as the old man
4164 signed the statement which had been drawn out . " I pray that we
4165 may never be exposed to such a temptation "
4166
4167 " I pray not , sir . And what do you intend to do "
4168
4169 " In view of your health , nothing . You are yourself aware that you
4170 will soon have to answer for your deed at a higher court than the
4171 Assizes . I will keep your confession , and if McCarthy is
4172 condemned I shall be forced to use it . If not , it shall never be
4173 seen by mortal eye ; and your secret , whether you be alive or
4174 dead , shall be safe with us "
4175
4176 " Farewell , then " said the old man solemnly . " Your own deathbeds ,
4177 when they come , will be the easier for the thought of the peace
4178 which you have given to mine " Tottering and shaking in all his
4179 giant frame , he stumbled slowly from the room .
4180
4181 " God help us " said Holmes after a long silence . " Why does fate
4182 play such tricks with poor , helpless worms ? I never hear of such
4183 a case as this that I do not think of Baxter's words , and say ,
4184 ' There , but for the grace of God , goes Sherlock Holmes '"
4185
4186 James McCarthy was acquitted at the Assizes on the strength of a
4187 number of objections which had been drawn out by Holmes and
4188 submitted to the defending counsel . Old Turner lived for seven
4189 months after our interview , but he is now dead ; and there is
4190 every prospect that the son and daughter may come to live happily
4191 together in ignorance of the black cloud which rests upon their
4192 past .
4193
4194
4195
4196 ADVENTURE V . THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS
4197
4198 When I glance over my notes and records of the Sherlock Holmes
4199 cases between the years ' 82 and ' 90 , I am faced by so many which
4200 present strange and interesting features that it is no easy
4201 matter to know which to choose and which to leave . Some , however ,
4202 have already gained publicity through the papers , and others have
4203 not offered a field for those peculiar qualities which my friend
4204 possessed in so high a degree , and which it is the object of
4205 these papers to illustrate . Some , too , have baffled his
4206 analytical skill , and would be , as narratives , beginnings without
4207 an ending , while others have been but partially cleared up , and
4208 have their explanations founded rather upon conjecture and
4209 surmise than on that absolute logical proof which was so dear to
4210 him . There is , however , one of these last which was so remarkable
4211 in its details and so startling in its results that I am tempted
4212 to give some account of it in spite of the fact that there are
4213 points in connection with it which never have been , and probably
4214 never will be , entirely cleared up .
4215
4216 The year ' 87 furnished us with a long series of cases of greater
4217 or less interest , of which I retain the records . Among my
4218 headings under this one twelve months I find an account of the
4219 adventure of the Paradol Chamber , of the Amateur Mendicant
4220 Society , who held a luxurious club in the lower vault of a
4221 furniture warehouse , of the facts connected with the loss of the
4222 British barque " Sophy Anderson , of the singular adventures of the
4223 Grice Patersons in the island of Uffa , and finally of the
4224 Camberwell poisoning case . In the latter , as may be remembered ,
4225 Sherlock Holmes was able , by winding up the dead man's watch , to
4226 prove that it had been wound up two hours before , and that
4227 therefore the deceased had gone to bed within that time - a
4228 deduction which was of the greatest importance in clearing up the
4229 case . All these I may sketch out at some future date , but none of
4230 them present such singular features as the strange train of
4231 circumstances which I have now taken up my pen to describe .
4232
4233 It was in the latter days of September , and the equinoctial gales
4234 had set in with exceptional violence . All day the wind had
4235 screamed and the rain had beaten against the windows , so that
4236 even here in the heart of great , hand - made London we were forced
4237 to raise our minds for the instant from the routine of life and
4238 to recognise the presence of those great elemental forces which
4239 shriek at mankind through the bars of his civilisation , like
4240 untamed beasts in a cage . As evening drew in , the storm grew
4241 higher and louder , and the wind cried and sobbed like a child in
4242 the chimney . Sherlock Holmes sat moodily at one side of the
4243 fireplace cross - indexing his records of crime , while I at the
4244 other was deep in one of Clark Russell's fine sea - stories until
4245 the howl of the gale from without seemed to blend with the text ,
4246 and the splash of the rain to lengthen out into the long swash of
4247 the sea waves . My wife was on a visit to her mother's , and for a
4248 few days I was a dweller once more in my old quarters at Baker
4249 Street .
4250
4251 " Why " said I , glancing up at my companion , " that was surely the
4252 bell . Who could come to - night ? Some friend of yours , perhaps "
4253
4254 " Except yourself I have none " he answered . " I do not encourage
4255 visitors "
4256
4257 " A client , then "
4258
4259 " If so , it is a serious case . Nothing less would bring a man out
4260 on such a day and at such an hour . But I take it that it is more
4261 likely to be some crony of the landlady's "
4262
4263 Sherlock Holmes was wrong in his conjecture , however , for there
4264 came a step in the passage and a tapping at the door . He
4265 stretched out his long arm to turn the lamp away from himself and
4266 towards the vacant chair upon which a newcomer must sit .
4267
4268 " Come in " said he .
4269
4270 The man who entered was young , some two - and - twenty at the
4271 outside , well - groomed and trimly clad , with something of
4272 refinement and delicacy in his bearing . The streaming umbrella
4273 which he held in his hand , and his long shining waterproof told
4274 of the fierce weather through which he had come . He looked about
4275 him anxiously in the glare of the lamp , and I could see that his
4276 face was pale and his eyes heavy , like those of a man who is
4277 weighed down with some great anxiety .
4278
4279 " I owe you an apology " he said , raising his golden pince - nez to
4280 his eyes . " I trust that I am not intruding . I fear that I have
4281 brought some traces of the storm and rain into your snug
4282 chamber "
4283
4284 " Give me your coat and umbrella " said Holmes . " They may rest
4285 here on the hook and will be dry presently . You have come up from
4286 the south - west , I see "
4287
4288 " Yes , from Horsham "
4289
4290 " That clay and chalk mixture which I see upon your toe caps is
4291 quite distinctive "
4292
4293 " I have come for advice "
4294
4295 " That is easily got "
4296
4297 " And help "
4298
4299 " That is not always so easy "
4300
4301 " I have heard of you , Mr . Holmes . I heard from Major Prendergast
4302 how you saved him in the Tankerville Club scandal "
4303
4304 " Ah , of course . He was wrongfully accused of cheating at cards "
4305
4306 " He said that you could solve anything "
4307
4308 " He said too much "
4309
4310 " That you are never beaten "
4311
4312 " I have been beaten four times - three times by men , and once by a
4313 woman "
4314
4315 " But what is that compared with the number of your successes "
4316
4317 " It is true that I have been generally successful "
4318
4319 " Then you may be so with me "
4320
4321 " I beg that you will draw your chair up to the fire and favour me
4322 with some details as to your case "
4323
4324 " It is no ordinary one "
4325
4326 " None of those which come to me are . I am the last court of
4327 appeal "
4328
4329 " And yet I question , sir , whether , in all your experience , you
4330 have ever listened to a more mysterious and inexplicable chain of
4331 events than those which have happened in my own family "
4332
4333 " You fill me with interest " said Holmes . " Pray give us the
4334 essential facts from the commencement , and I can afterwards
4335 question you as to those details which seem to me to be most
4336 important "
4337
4338 The young man pulled his chair up and pushed his wet feet out
4339 towards the blaze .
4340
4341 " My name " said he , " is John Openshaw , but my own affairs have ,
4342 as far as I can understand , little to do with this awful
4343 business . It is a hereditary matter ; so in order to give you an
4344 idea of the facts , I must go back to the commencement of the
4345 affair .
4346
4347 " You must know that my grandfather had two sons - my uncle Elias
4348 and my father Joseph . My father had a small factory at Coventry ,
4349 which he enlarged at the time of the invention of bicycling . He
4350 was a patentee of the Openshaw unbreakable tire , and his business
4351 met with such success that he was able to sell it and to retire
4352 upon a handsome competence .
4353
4354 " My uncle Elias emigrated to America when he was a young man and
4355 became a planter in Florida , where he was reported to have done
4356 very well . At the time of the war he fought in Jackson's army ,
4357 and afterwards under Hood , where he rose to be a colonel . When
4358 Lee laid down his arms my uncle returned to his plantation , where
4359 he remained for three or four years . About 1869 or 1870 he came
4360 back to Europe and took a small estate in Sussex , near Horsham .
4361 He had made a very considerable fortune in the States , and his
4362 reason for leaving them was his aversion to the negroes , and his
4363 dislike of the Republican policy in extending the franchise to
4364 them . He was a singular man , fierce and quick - tempered , very
4365 foul - mouthed when he was angry , and of a most retiring
4366 disposition . During all the years that he lived at Horsham , I
4367 doubt if ever he set foot in the town . He had a garden and two or
4368 three fields round his house , and there he would take his
4369 exercise , though very often for weeks on end he would never leave
4370 his room . He drank a great deal of brandy and smoked very
4371 heavily , but he would see no society and did not want any
4372 friends , not even his own brother .
4373
4374 " He didn't mind me ; in fact , he took a fancy to me , for at the
4375 time when he saw me first I was a youngster of twelve or so . This
4376 would be in the year 1878 , after he had been eight or nine years
4377 in England . He begged my father to let me live with him and he
4378 was very kind to me in his way . When he was sober he used to be
4379 fond of playing backgammon and draughts with me , and he would
4380 make me his representative both with the servants and with the
4381 tradespeople , so that by the time that I was sixteen I was quite
4382 master of the house . I kept all the keys and could go where I
4383 liked and do what I liked , so long as I did not disturb him in
4384 his privacy . There was one singular exception , however , for he
4385 had a single room , a lumber - room up among the attics , which was
4386 invariably locked , and which he would never permit either me or
4387 anyone else to enter . With a boy's curiosity I have peeped
4388 through the keyhole , but I was never able to see more than such a
4389 collection of old trunks and bundles as would be expected in such
4390 a room .
4391
4392 " One day - it was in March , 1883 - a letter with a foreign stamp
4393 lay upon the table in front of the colonel's plate . It was not a
4394 common thing for him to receive letters , for his bills were all
4395 paid in ready money , and he had no friends of any sort . ' From
4396 India ' said he as he took it up , ' Pondicherry postmark ! What can
4397 this be ' Opening it hurriedly , out there jumped five little
4398 dried orange pips , which pattered down upon his plate . I began to
4399 laugh at this , but the laugh was struck from my lips at the sight
4400 of his face . His lip had fallen , his eyes were protruding , his
4401 skin the colour of putty , and he glared at the envelope which he
4402 still held in his trembling hand , ' K . K . K ! ' he shrieked , and
4403 then , ' My God , my God , my sins have overtaken me '
4404
4405 ' What is it , uncle ' I cried .
4406
4407 ' Death ' said he , and rising from the table he retired to his
4408 room , leaving me palpitating with horror . I took up the envelope
4409 and saw scrawled in red ink upon the inner flap , just above the
4410 gum , the letter K three times repeated . There was nothing else
4411 save the five dried pips . What could be the reason of his
4412 overpowering terror ? I left the breakfast - table , and as I
4413 ascended the stair I met him coming down with an old rusty key ,
4414 which must have belonged to the attic , in one hand , and a small
4415 brass box , like a cashbox , in the other .
4416
4417 ' They may do what they like , but I ' ll checkmate them still '
4418 said he with an oath . ' Tell Mary that I shall want a fire in my
4419 room to - day , and send down to Fordham , the Horsham lawyer '
4420
4421 " I did as he ordered , and when the lawyer arrived I was asked to
4422 step up to the room . The fire was burning brightly , and in the
4423 grate there was a mass of black , fluffy ashes , as of burned
4424 paper , while the brass box stood open and empty beside it . As I
4425 glanced at the box I noticed , with a start , that upon the lid was
4426 printed the treble K which I had read in the morning upon the
4427 envelope .
4428
4429 ' I wish you , John ' said my uncle , ' to witness my will . I leave
4430 my estate , with all its advantages and all its disadvantages , to
4431 my brother , your father , whence it will , no doubt , descend to
4432 you . If you can enjoy it in peace , well and good ! If you find you
4433 cannot , take my advice , my boy , and leave it to your deadliest
4434 enemy . I am sorry to give you such a two - edged thing , but I can ' t
4435 say what turn things are going to take . Kindly sign the paper
4436 where Mr . Fordham shows you '
4437
4438 " I signed the paper as directed , and the lawyer took it away with
4439 him . The singular incident made , as you may think , the deepest
4440 impression upon me , and I pondered over it and turned it every
4441 way in my mind without being able to make anything of it . Yet I
4442 could not shake off the vague feeling of dread which it left
4443 behind , though the sensation grew less keen as the weeks passed
4444 and nothing happened to disturb the usual routine of our lives . I
4445 could see a change in my uncle , however . He drank more than ever ,
4446 and he was less inclined for any sort of society . Most of his
4447 time he would spend in his room , with the door locked upon the
4448 inside , but sometimes he would emerge in a sort of drunken frenzy
4449 and would burst out of the house and tear about the garden with a
4450 revolver in his hand , screaming out that he was afraid of no man ,
4451 and that he was not to be cooped up , like a sheep in a pen , by
4452 man or devil . When these hot fits were over , however , he would
4453 rush tumultuously in at the door and lock and bar it behind him ,
4454 like a man who can brazen it out no longer against the terror
4455 which lies at the roots of his soul . At such times I have seen
4456 his face , even on a cold day , glisten with moisture , as though it
4457 were new raised from a basin .
4458
4459 " Well , to come to an end of the matter , Mr . Holmes , and not to
4460 abuse your patience , there came a night when he made one of those
4461 drunken sallies from which he never came back . We found him , when
4462 we went to search for him , face downward in a little
4463 green - scummed pool , which lay at the foot of the garden . There
4464 was no sign of any violence , and the water was but two feet deep ,
4465 so that the jury , having regard to his known eccentricity ,
4466 brought in a verdict of ' suicide ' But I , who knew how he winced
4467 from the very thought of death , had much ado to persuade myself
4468 that he had gone out of his way to meet it . The matter passed ,
4469 however , and my father entered into possession of the estate , and
4470 of some 14 , 000 pounds , which lay to his credit at the bank "
4471
4472 " One moment " Holmes interposed , " your statement is , I foresee ,
4473 one of the most remarkable to which I have ever listened . Let me
4474 have the date of the reception by your uncle of the letter , and
4475 the date of his supposed suicide "
4476
4477 " The letter arrived on March 10 , 1883 . His death was seven weeks
4478 later , upon the night of May 2nd "
4479
4480 " Thank you . Pray proceed "
4481
4482 " When my father took over the Horsham property , he , at my
4483 request , made a careful examination of the attic , which had been
4484 always locked up . We found the brass box there , although its
4485 contents had been destroyed . On the inside of the cover was a
4486 paper label , with the initials of K . K . K . repeated upon it , and
4487 ' Letters , memoranda , receipts , and a register ' written beneath .
4488 These , we presume , indicated the nature of the papers which had
4489 been destroyed by Colonel Openshaw . For the rest , there was
4490 nothing of much importance in the attic save a great many
4491 scattered papers and note - books bearing upon my uncle's life in
4492 America . Some of them were of the war time and showed that he had
4493 done his duty well and had borne the repute of a brave soldier .
4494 Others were of a date during the reconstruction of the Southern
4495 states , and were mostly concerned with politics , for he had
4496 evidently taken a strong part in opposing the carpet - bag
4497 politicians who had been sent down from the North .
4498
4499 " Well , it was the beginning of ' 84 when my father came to live at
4500 Horsham , and all went as well as possible with us until the
4501 January of ' 85 . On the fourth day after the new year I heard my
4502 father give a sharp cry of surprise as we sat together at the
4503 breakfast - table . There he was , sitting with a newly opened
4504 envelope in one hand and five dried orange pips in the
4505 outstretched palm of the other one . He had always laughed at what
4506 he called my cock - and - bull story about the colonel , but he looked
4507 very scared and puzzled now that the same thing had come upon
4508 himself .
4509
4510 ' Why , what on earth does this mean , John ' he stammered .
4511
4512 " My heart had turned to lead . ' It is K . K . K , ' said I .
4513
4514 " He looked inside the envelope . ' So it is ' he cried . ' Here are
4515 the very letters . But what is this written above them '
4516
4517 ' Put the papers on the sundial ' I read , peeping over his
4518 shoulder .
4519
4520 ' What papers ? What sundial ' he asked .
4521
4522 ' The sundial in the garden . There is no other ' said I ; ' but the
4523 papers must be those that are destroyed '
4524
4525 ' Pooh ' said he , gripping hard at his courage . ' We are in a
4526 civilised land here , and we can't have tomfoolery of this kind .
4527 Where does the thing come from '
4528
4529 ' From Dundee ' I answered , glancing at the postmark .
4530
4531 ' Some preposterous practical joke ' said he . ' What have I to do
4532 with sundials and papers ? I shall take no notice of such
4533 nonsense '
4534
4535 ' I should certainly speak to the police ' I said .
4536
4537 ' And be laughed at for my pains . Nothing of the sort '
4538
4539 ' Then let me do so '
4540
4541 ' No , I forbid you . I won't have a fuss made about such
4542 nonsense '
4543
4544 " It was in vain to argue with him , for he was a very obstinate
4545 man . I went about , however , with a heart which was full of
4546 forebodings .
4547
4548 " On the third day after the coming of the letter my father went
4549 from home to visit an old friend of his , Major Freebody , who is
4550 in command of one of the forts upon Portsdown Hill . I was glad
4551 that he should go , for it seemed to me that he was farther from
4552 danger when he was away from home . In that , however , I was in
4553 error . Upon the second day of his absence I received a telegram
4554 from the major , imploring me to come at once . My father had
4555 fallen over one of the deep chalk - pits which abound in the
4556 neighbourhood , and was lying senseless , with a shattered skull . I
4557 hurried to him , but he passed away without having ever recovered
4558 his consciousness . He had , as it appears , been returning from
4559 Fareham in the twilight , and as the country was unknown to him ,
4560 and the chalk - pit unfenced , the jury had no hesitation in
4561 bringing in a verdict of ' death from accidental causes '
4562 Carefully as I examined every fact connected with his death , I
4563 was unable to find anything which could suggest the idea of
4564 murder . There were no signs of violence , no footmarks , no
4565 robbery , no record of strangers having been seen upon the roads .
4566 And yet I need not tell you that my mind was far from at ease ,
4567 and that I was well - nigh certain that some foul plot had been
4568 woven round him .
4569
4570 " In this sinister way I came into my inheritance . You will ask me
4571 why I did not dispose of it ? I answer , because I was well
4572 convinced that our troubles were in some way dependent upon an
4573 incident in my uncle's life , and that the danger would be as
4574 pressing in one house as in another .
4575
4576 " It was in January , ' 85 , that my poor father met his end , and two
4577 years and eight months have elapsed since then . During that time
4578 I have lived happily at Horsham , and I had begun to hope that
4579 this curse had passed away from the family , and that it had ended
4580 with the last generation . I had begun to take comfort too soon ,
4581 however ; yesterday morning the blow fell in the very shape in
4582 which it had come upon my father "
4583
4584 The young man took from his waistcoat a crumpled envelope , and
4585 turning to the table he shook out upon it five little dried
4586 orange pips .
4587
4588 " This is the envelope " he continued . " The postmark is
4589 London - eastern division . Within are the very words which were
4590 upon my father's last message : ' K . K . K '; and then ' Put the
4591 papers on the sundial '"
4592
4593 " What have you done " asked Holmes .
4594
4595 " Nothing "
4596
4597 " Nothing "
4598
4599 " To tell the truth -- he sank his face into his thin , white
4600 hands -" I have felt helpless . I have felt like one of those poor
4601 rabbits when the snake is writhing towards it . I seem to be in
4602 the grasp of some resistless , inexorable evil , which no foresight
4603 and no precautions can guard against "
4604
4605 " Tut ! tut " cried Sherlock Holmes . " You must act , man , or you are
4606 lost . Nothing but energy can save you . This is no time for
4607 despair "
4608
4609 " I have seen the police "
4610
4611 " Ah "
4612
4613 " But they listened to my story with a smile . I am convinced that
4614 the inspector has formed the opinion that the letters are all
4615 practical jokes , and that the deaths of my relations were really
4616 accidents , as the jury stated , and were not to be connected with
4617 the warnings "
4618
4619 Holmes shook his clenched hands in the air . " Incredible
4620 imbecility " he cried .
4621
4622 " They have , however , allowed me a policeman , who may remain in
4623 the house with me "
4624
4625 " Has he come with you to - night "
4626
4627 " No . His orders were to stay in the house "
4628
4629 Again Holmes raved in the air .
4630
4631 " Why did you come to me " he cried , " and , above all , why did you
4632 not come at once "
4633
4634 " I did not know . It was only to - day that I spoke to Major
4635 Prendergast about my troubles and was advised by him to come to
4636 you "
4637
4638 " It is really two days since you had the letter . We should have
4639 acted before this . You have no further evidence , I suppose , than
4640 that which you have placed before us - no suggestive detail which
4641 might help us "
4642
4643 " There is one thing " said John Openshaw . He rummaged in his coat
4644 pocket , and , drawing out a piece of discoloured , blue - tinted
4645 paper , he laid it out upon the table . " I have some remembrance "
4646 said he , " that on the day when my uncle burned the papers I
4647 observed that the small , unburned margins which lay amid the
4648 ashes were of this particular colour . I found this single sheet
4649 upon the floor of his room , and I am inclined to think that it
4650 may be one of the papers which has , perhaps , fluttered out from
4651 among the others , and in that way has escaped destruction . Beyond
4652 the mention of pips , I do not see that it helps us much . I think
4653 myself that it is a page from some private diary . The writing is
4654 undoubtedly my uncle's "
4655
4656 Holmes moved the lamp , and we both bent over the sheet of paper ,
4657 which showed by its ragged edge that it had indeed been torn from
4658 a book . It was headed , " March , 1869 " and beneath were the
4659 following enigmatical notices :
4660
4661 " 4th . Hudson came . Same old platform .
4662
4663 " 7th . Set the pips on McCauley , Paramore , and
4664 John Swain , of St . Augustine .
4665
4666 " 9th . McCauley cleared .
4667
4668 " 10th . John Swain cleared .
4669
4670 " 12th . Visited Paramore . All well "
4671
4672 " Thank you " said Holmes , folding up the paper and returning it
4673 to our visitor . " And now you must on no account lose another
4674 instant . We cannot spare time even to discuss what you have told
4675 me . You must get home instantly and act "
4676
4677 " What shall I do "
4678
4679 " There is but one thing to do . It must be done at once . You must
4680 put this piece of paper which you have shown us into the brass
4681 box which you have described . You must also put in a note to say
4682 that all the other papers were burned by your uncle , and that
4683 this is the only one which remains . You must assert that in such
4684 words as will carry conviction with them . Having done this , you
4685 must at once put the box out upon the sundial , as directed . Do
4686 you understand "
4687
4688 " Entirely "
4689
4690 " Do not think of revenge , or anything of the sort , at present . I
4691 think that we may gain that by means of the law ; but we have our
4692 web to weave , while theirs is already woven . The first
4693 consideration is to remove the pressing danger which threatens
4694 you . The second is to clear up the mystery and to punish the
4695 guilty parties "
4696
4697 " I thank you " said the young man , rising and pulling on his
4698 overcoat . " You have given me fresh life and hope . I shall
4699 certainly do as you advise "
4700
4701 " Do not lose an instant . And , above all , take care of yourself in
4702 the meanwhile , for I do not think that there can be a doubt that
4703 you are threatened by a very real and imminent danger . How do you
4704 go back "
4705
4706 " By train from Waterloo "
4707
4708 " It is not yet nine . The streets will be crowded , so I trust that
4709 you may be in safety . And yet you cannot guard yourself too
4710 closely "
4711
4712 " I am armed "
4713
4714 " That is well . To - morrow I shall set to work upon your case "
4715
4716 " I shall see you at Horsham , then "
4717
4718 " No , your secret lies in London . It is there that I shall seek
4719 it "
4720
4721 " Then I shall call upon you in a day , or in two days , with news
4722 as to the box and the papers . I shall take your advice in every
4723 particular " He shook hands with us and took his leave . Outside
4724 the wind still screamed and the rain splashed and pattered
4725 against the windows . This strange , wild story seemed to have come
4726 to us from amid the mad elements - blown in upon us like a sheet
4727 of sea - weed in a gale - and now to have been reabsorbed by them
4728 once more .
4729
4730 Sherlock Holmes sat for some time in silence , with his head sunk
4731 forward and his eyes bent upon the red glow of the fire . Then he
4732 lit his pipe , and leaning back in his chair he watched the blue
4733 smoke - rings as they chased each other up to the ceiling .
4734
4735 " I think , Watson " he remarked at last , " that of all our cases we
4736 have had none more fantastic than this "
4737
4738 " Save , perhaps , the Sign of Four "
4739
4740 " Well , yes . Save , perhaps , that . And yet this John Openshaw seems
4741 to me to be walking amid even greater perils than did the
4742 Sholtos "
4743
4744 " But have you " I asked , " formed any definite conception as to
4745 what these perils are "
4746
4747 " There can be no question as to their nature " he answered .
4748
4749 " Then what are they ? Who is this K . K . K , and why does he pursue
4750 this unhappy family "
4751
4752 Sherlock Holmes closed his eyes and placed his elbows upon the
4753 arms of his chair , with his finger - tips together . " The ideal
4754 reasoner " he remarked , " would , when he had once been shown a
4755 single fact in all its bearings , deduce from it not only all the
4756 chain of events which led up to it but also all the results which
4757 would follow from it . As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole
4758 animal by the contemplation of a single bone , so the observer who
4759 has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents
4760 should be able to accurately state all the other ones , both
4761 before and after . We have not yet grasped the results which the
4762 reason alone can attain to . Problems may be solved in the study
4763 which have baffled all those who have sought a solution by the
4764 aid of their senses . To carry the art , however , to its highest
4765 pitch , it is necessary that the reasoner should be able to
4766 utilise all the facts which have come to his knowledge ; and this
4767 in itself implies , as you will readily see , a possession of all
4768 knowledge , which , even in these days of free education and
4769 encyclopaedias , is a somewhat rare accomplishment . It is not so
4770 impossible , however , that a man should possess all knowledge
4771 which is likely to be useful to him in his work , and this I have
4772 endeavoured in my case to do . If I remember rightly , you on one
4773 occasion , in the early days of our friendship , defined my limits
4774 in a very precise fashion "
4775
4776 " Yes " I answered , laughing . " It was a singular document .
4777 Philosophy , astronomy , and politics were marked at zero , I
4778 remember . Botany variable , geology profound as regards the
4779 mud - stains from any region within fifty miles of town , chemistry
4780 eccentric , anatomy unsystematic , sensational literature and crime
4781 records unique , violin - player , boxer , swordsman , lawyer , and
4782 self - poisoner by cocaine and tobacco . Those , I think , were the
4783 main points of my analysis "
4784
4785 Holmes grinned at the last item . " Well " he said , " I say now , as
4786 I said then , that a man should keep his little brain - attic
4787 stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use , and the
4788 rest he can put away in the lumber - room of his library , where he
4789 can get it if he wants it . Now , for such a case as the one which
4790 has been submitted to us to - night , we need certainly to muster
4791 all our resources . Kindly hand me down the letter K of the
4792 ' American Encyclopaedia ' which stands upon the shelf beside you .
4793 Thank you . Now let us consider the situation and see what may be
4794 deduced from it . In the first place , we may start with a strong
4795 presumption that Colonel Openshaw had some very strong reason for
4796 leaving America . Men at his time of life do not change all their
4797 habits and exchange willingly the charming climate of Florida for
4798 the lonely life of an English provincial town . His extreme love
4799 of solitude in England suggests the idea that he was in fear of
4800 someone or something , so we may assume as a working hypothesis
4801 that it was fear of someone or something which drove him from
4802 America . As to what it was he feared , we can only deduce that by
4803 considering the formidable letters which were received by himself
4804 and his successors . Did you remark the postmarks of those
4805 letters "
4806
4807 " The first was from Pondicherry , the second from Dundee , and the
4808 third from London "
4809
4810 " From East London . What do you deduce from that "
4811
4812 " They are all seaports . That the writer was on board of a ship "
4813
4814 " Excellent . We have already a clue . There can be no doubt that
4815 the probability - the strong probability - is that the writer was
4816 on board of a ship . And now let us consider another point . In the
4817 case of Pondicherry , seven weeks elapsed between the threat and
4818 its fulfilment , in Dundee it was only some three or four days .
4819 Does that suggest anything "
4820
4821 " A greater distance to travel "
4822
4823 " But the letter had also a greater distance to come "
4824
4825 " Then I do not see the point "
4826
4827 " There is at least a presumption that the vessel in which the man
4828 or men are is a sailing - ship . It looks as if they always send
4829 their singular warning or token before them when starting upon
4830 their mission . You see how quickly the deed followed the sign
4831 when it came from Dundee . If they had come from Pondicherry in a
4832 steamer they would have arrived almost as soon as their letter .
4833 But , as a matter of fact , seven weeks elapsed . I think that those
4834 seven weeks represented the difference between the mail - boat which
4835 brought the letter and the sailing vessel which brought the
4836 writer "
4837
4838 " It is possible "
4839
4840 " More than that . It is probable . And now you see the deadly
4841 urgency of this new case , and why I urged young Openshaw to
4842 caution . The blow has always fallen at the end of the time which
4843 it would take the senders to travel the distance . But this one
4844 comes from London , and therefore we cannot count upon delay "
4845
4846 " Good God " I cried . " What can it mean , this relentless
4847 persecution "
4848
4849 " The papers which Openshaw carried are obviously of vital
4850 importance to the person or persons in the sailing - ship . I think
4851 that it is quite clear that there must be more than one of them .
4852 A single man could not have carried out two deaths in such a way
4853 as to deceive a coroner's jury . There must have been several in
4854 it , and they must have been men of resource and determination .
4855 Their papers they mean to have , be the holder of them who it may .
4856 In this way you see K . K . K . ceases to be the initials of an
4857 individual and becomes the badge of a society "
4858
4859 " But of what society "
4860
4861 " Have you never -" said Sherlock Holmes , bending forward and
4862 sinking his voice -" have you never heard of the Ku Klux Klan "
4863
4864 " I never have "
4865
4866 Holmes turned over the leaves of the book upon his knee . " Here it
4867 is " said he presently :
4868
4869 ' Ku Klux Klan . A name derived from the fanciful resemblance to
4870 the sound produced by cocking a rifle . This terrible secret
4871 society was formed by some ex - Confederate soldiers in the
4872 Southern states after the Civil War , and it rapidly formed local
4873 branches in different parts of the country , notably in Tennessee ,
4874 Louisiana , the Carolinas , Georgia , and Florida . Its power was
4875 used for political purposes , principally for the terrorising of
4876 the negro voters and the murdering and driving from the country
4877 of those who were opposed to its views . Its outrages were usually
4878 preceded by a warning sent to the marked man in some fantastic
4879 but generally recognised shape - a sprig of oak - leaves in some
4880 parts , melon seeds or orange pips in others . On receiving this
4881 the victim might either openly abjure his former ways , or might
4882 fly from the country . If he braved the matter out , death would
4883 unfailingly come upon him , and usually in some strange and
4884 unforeseen manner . So perfect was the organisation of the
4885 society , and so systematic its methods , that there is hardly a
4886 case upon record where any man succeeded in braving it with
4887 impunity , or in which any of its outrages were traced home to the
4888 perpetrators . For some years the organisation flourished in spite
4889 of the efforts of the United States government and of the better
4890 classes of the community in the South . Eventually , in the year
4891 1869 , the movement rather suddenly collapsed , although there have
4892 been sporadic outbreaks of the same sort since that date '
4893
4894 " You will observe " said Holmes , laying down the volume , " that
4895 the sudden breaking up of the society was coincident with the
4896 disappearance of Openshaw from America with their papers . It may
4897 well have been cause and effect . It is no wonder that he and his
4898 family have some of the more implacable spirits upon their track .
4899 You can understand that this register and diary may implicate
4900 some of the first men in the South , and that there may be many
4901 who will not sleep easy at night until it is recovered "
4902
4903 " Then the page we have seen -"
4904
4905 " Is such as we might expect . It ran , if I remember right , ' sent
4906 the pips to A , B , and C -- that is , sent the society's warning to
4907 them . Then there are successive entries that A and B cleared , or
4908 left the country , and finally that C was visited , with , I fear , a
4909 sinister result for C . Well , I think , Doctor , that we may let
4910 some light into this dark place , and I believe that the only
4911 chance young Openshaw has in the meantime is to do what I have
4912 told him . There is nothing more to be said or to be done
4913 to - night , so hand me over my violin and let us try to forget for
4914 half an hour the miserable weather and the still more miserable
4915 ways of our fellow - men "
4916
4917
4918 It had cleared in the morning , and the sun was shining with a
4919 subdued brightness through the dim veil which hangs over the
4920 great city . Sherlock Holmes was already at breakfast when I came
4921 down .
4922
4923 " You will excuse me for not waiting for you " said he ; " I have , I
4924 foresee , a very busy day before me in looking into this case of
4925 young Openshaw's "
4926
4927 " What steps will you take " I asked .
4928
4929 " It will very much depend upon the results of my first inquiries .
4930 I may have to go down to Horsham , after all "
4931
4932 " You will not go there first "
4933
4934 " No , I shall commence with the City . Just ring the bell and the
4935 maid will bring up your coffee "
4936
4937 As I waited , I lifted the unopened newspaper from the table and
4938 glanced my eye over it . It rested upon a heading which sent a
4939 chill to my heart .
4940
4941 " Holmes " I cried , " you are too late "
4942
4943 " Ah " said he , laying down his cup , " I feared as much . How was it
4944 done " He spoke calmly , but I could see that he was deeply moved .
4945
4946 " My eye caught the name of Openshaw , and the heading ' Tragedy
4947 Near Waterloo Bridge ' Here is the account :
4948
4949 " Between nine and ten last night Police - Constable Cook , of the H
4950 Division , on duty near Waterloo Bridge , heard a cry for help and
4951 a splash in the water . The night , however , was extremely dark and
4952 stormy , so that , in spite of the help of several passers - by , it
4953 was quite impossible to effect a rescue . The alarm , however , was
4954 given , and , by the aid of the water - police , the body was
4955 eventually recovered . It proved to be that of a young gentleman
4956 whose name , as it appears from an envelope which was found in his
4957 pocket , was John Openshaw , and whose residence is near Horsham .
4958 It is conjectured that he may have been hurrying down to catch
4959 the last train from Waterloo Station , and that in his haste and
4960 the extreme darkness he missed his path and walked over the edge
4961 of one of the small landing - places for river steamboats . The body
4962 exhibited no traces of violence , and there can be no doubt that
4963 the deceased had been the victim of an unfortunate accident ,
4964 which should have the effect of calling the attention of the
4965 authorities to the condition of the riverside landing - stages "
4966
4967 We sat in silence for some minutes , Holmes more depressed and
4968 shaken than I had ever seen him .
4969
4970 " That hurts my pride , Watson " he said at last . " It is a petty
4971 feeling , no doubt , but it hurts my pride . It becomes a personal
4972 matter with me now , and , if God sends me health , I shall set my
4973 hand upon this gang . That he should come to me for help , and that
4974 I should send him away to his death - " He sprang from his chair
4975 and paced about the room in uncontrollable agitation , with a
4976 flush upon his sallow cheeks and a nervous clasping and
4977 unclasping of his long thin hands .
4978
4979 " They must be cunning devils " he exclaimed at last . " How could
4980 they have decoyed him down there ? The Embankment is not on the
4981 direct line to the station . The bridge , no doubt , was too
4982 crowded , even on such a night , for their purpose . Well , Watson ,
4983 we shall see who will win in the long run . I am going out now "
4984
4985 " To the police "
4986
4987 " No ; I shall be my own police . When I have spun the web they may
4988 take the flies , but not before "
4989
4990 All day I was engaged in my professional work , and it was late in
4991 the evening before I returned to Baker Street . Sherlock Holmes
4992 had not come back yet . It was nearly ten o'clock before he
4993 entered , looking pale and worn . He walked up to the sideboard ,
4994 and tearing a piece from the loaf he devoured it voraciously ,
4995 washing it down with a long draught of water .
4996
4997 " You are hungry " I remarked .
4998
4999 " Starving . It had escaped my memory . I have had nothing since
5000 breakfast "
5001
5002 " Nothing "
5003
5004 " Not a bite . I had no time to think of it "
5005
5006 " And how have you succeeded "
5007
5008 " Well "
5009
5010 " You have a clue "
5011
5012 " I have them in the hollow of my hand . Young Openshaw shall not
5013 long remain unavenged . Why , Watson , let us put their own devilish
5014 trade - mark upon them . It is well thought of "
5015
5016 " What do you mean "
5017
5018 He took an orange from the cupboard , and tearing it to pieces he
5019 squeezed out the pips upon the table . Of these he took five and
5020 thrust them into an envelope . On the inside of the flap he wrote
5021 " S . H . for J . O " Then he sealed it and addressed it to " Captain
5022 James Calhoun , Barque ' Lone Star ' Savannah , Georgia "
5023
5024 " That will await him when he enters port " said he , chuckling .
5025 " It may give him a sleepless night . He will find it as sure a
5026 precursor of his fate as Openshaw did before him "
5027
5028 " And who is this Captain Calhoun "
5029
5030 " The leader of the gang . I shall have the others , but he first "
5031
5032 " How did you trace it , then "
5033
5034 He took a large sheet of paper from his pocket , all covered with
5035 dates and names .
5036
5037 " I have spent the whole day " said he , " over Lloyd's registers
5038 and files of the old papers , following the future career of every
5039 vessel which touched at Pondicherry in January and February in
5040 ' 83 . There were thirty - six ships of fair tonnage which were
5041 reported there during those months . Of these , one , the ' Lone Star '
5042 instantly attracted my attention , since , although it was reported
5043 as having cleared from London , the name is that which is given to
5044 one of the states of the Union "
5045
5046 " Texas , I think "
5047
5048 " I was not and am not sure which ; but I knew that the ship must
5049 have an American origin "
5050
5051 " What then "
5052
5053 " I searched the Dundee records , and when I found that the barque
5054 ' Lone Star ' was there in January , ' 85 , my suspicion became a
5055 certainty . I then inquired as to the vessels which lay at present
5056 in the port of London "
5057
5058 " Yes "
5059
5060 " The ' Lone Star ' had arrived here last week . I went down to the
5061 Albert Dock and found that she had been taken down the river by
5062 the early tide this morning , homeward bound to Savannah . I wired
5063 to Gravesend and learned that she had passed some time ago , and
5064 as the wind is easterly I have no doubt that she is now past the
5065 Goodwins and not very far from the Isle of Wight "
5066
5067 " What will you do , then "
5068
5069 " Oh , I have my hand upon him . He and the two mates , are as I
5070 learn , the only native - born Americans in the ship . The others are
5071 Finns and Germans . I know , also , that they were all three away
5072 from the ship last night . I had it from the stevedore who has
5073 been loading their cargo . By the time that their sailing - ship
5074 reaches Savannah the mail - boat will have carried this letter , and
5075 the cable will have informed the police of Savannah that these
5076 three gentlemen are badly wanted here upon a charge of murder "
5077
5078 There is ever a flaw , however , in the best laid of human plans ,
5079 and the murderers of John Openshaw were never to receive the
5080 orange pips which would show them that another , as cunning and as
5081 resolute as themselves , was upon their track . Very long and very
5082 severe were the equinoctial gales that year . We waited long for
5083 news of the " Lone Star " of Savannah , but none ever reached us . We
5084 did at last hear that somewhere far out in the Atlantic a
5085 shattered stern - post of a boat was seen swinging in the trough
5086 of a wave , with the letters " L . S " carved upon it , and that is
5087 all which we shall ever know of the fate of the " Lone Star "
5088
5089
5090
5091 ADVENTURE VI . THE MAN WITH THE TWISTED LIP
5092
5093 Isa Whitney , brother of the late Elias Whitney , D . D , Principal
5094 of the Theological College of St . George's , was much addicted to
5095 opium . The habit grew upon him , as I understand , from some
5096 foolish freak when he was at college ; for having read De
5097 Quincey's description of his dreams and sensations , he had
5098 drenched his tobacco with laudanum in an attempt to produce the
5099 same effects . He found , as so many more have done , that the
5100 practice is easier to attain than to get rid of , and for many
5101 years he continued to be a slave to the drug , an object of
5102 mingled horror and pity to his friends and relatives . I can see
5103 him now , with yellow , pasty face , drooping lids , and pin - point
5104 pupils , all huddled in a chair , the wreck and ruin of a noble
5105 man .
5106
5107 One night - it was in June , ' 89 - there came a ring to my bell ,
5108 about the hour when a man gives his first yawn and glances at the
5109 clock . I sat up in my chair , and my wife laid her needle - work
5110 down in her lap and made a little face of disappointment .
5111
5112 " A patient " said she . " You ' ll have to go out "
5113
5114 I groaned , for I was newly come back from a weary day .
5115
5116 We heard the door open , a few hurried words , and then quick steps
5117 upon the linoleum . Our own door flew open , and a lady , clad in
5118 some dark - coloured stuff , with a black veil , entered the room .
5119
5120 " You will excuse my calling so late " she began , and then ,
5121 suddenly losing her self - control , she ran forward , threw her arms
5122 about my wife's neck , and sobbed upon her shoulder . " Oh , I ' m in
5123 such trouble " she cried ; " I do so want a little help "
5124
5125 " Why " said my wife , pulling up her veil , " it is Kate Whitney .
5126 How you startled me , Kate ! I had not an idea who you were when
5127 you came in "
5128
5129 " I didn't know what to do , so I came straight to you " That was
5130 always the way . Folk who were in grief came to my wife like birds
5131 to a light - house .
5132
5133 " It was very sweet of you to come . Now , you must have some wine
5134 and water , and sit here comfortably and tell us all about it . Or
5135 should you rather that I sent James off to bed "
5136
5137 " Oh , no , no ! I want the doctor's advice and help , too . It's about
5138 Isa . He has not been home for two days . I am so frightened about
5139 him "
5140
5141 It was not the first time that she had spoken to us of her
5142 husband's trouble , to me as a doctor , to my wife as an old friend
5143 and school companion . We soothed and comforted her by such words
5144 as we could find . Did she know where her husband was ? Was it
5145 possible that we could bring him back to her ?
5146
5147 It seems that it was . She had the surest information that of late
5148 he had , when the fit was on him , made use of an opium den in the
5149 farthest east of the City . Hitherto his orgies had always been
5150 confined to one day , and he had come back , twitching and
5151 shattered , in the evening . But now the spell had been upon him
5152 eight - and - forty hours , and he lay there , doubtless among the
5153 dregs of the docks , breathing in the poison or sleeping off the
5154 effects . There he was to be found , she was sure of it , at the Bar
5155 of Gold , in Upper Swandam Lane . But what was she to do ? How could
5156 she , a young and timid woman , make her way into such a place and
5157 pluck her husband out from among the ruffians who surrounded him ?
5158
5159 There was the case , and of course there was but one way out of
5160 it . Might I not escort her to this place ? And then , as a second
5161 thought , why should she come at all ? I was Isa Whitney's medical
5162 adviser , and as such I had influence over him . I could manage it
5163 better if I were alone . I promised her on my word that I would
5164 send him home in a cab within two hours if he were indeed at the
5165 address which she had given me . And so in ten minutes I had left
5166 my armchair and cheery sitting - room behind me , and was speeding
5167 eastward in a hansom on a strange errand , as it seemed to me at
5168 the time , though the future only could show how strange it was to
5169 be .
5170
5171 But there was no great difficulty in the first stage of my
5172 adventure . Upper Swandam Lane is a vile alley lurking behind the
5173 high wharves which line the north side of the river to the east
5174 of London Bridge . Between a slop - shop and a gin - shop , approached
5175 by a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the
5176 mouth of a cave , I found the den of which I was in search .
5177 Ordering my cab to wait , I passed down the steps , worn hollow in
5178 the centre by the ceaseless tread of drunken feet ; and by the
5179 light of a flickering oil - lamp above the door I found the latch
5180 and made my way into a long , low room , thick and heavy with the
5181 brown opium smoke , and terraced with wooden berths , like the
5182 forecastle of an emigrant ship .
5183
5184 Through the gloom one could dimly catch a glimpse of bodies lying
5185 in strange fantastic poses , bowed shoulders , bent knees , heads
5186 thrown back , and chins pointing upward , with here and there a
5187 dark , lack - lustre eye turned upon the newcomer . Out of the black
5188 shadows there glimmered little red circles of light , now bright ,
5189 now faint , as the burning poison waxed or waned in the bowls of
5190 the metal pipes . The most lay silent , but some muttered to
5191 themselves , and others talked together in a strange , low ,
5192 monotonous voice , their conversation coming in gushes , and then
5193 suddenly tailing off into silence , each mumbling out his own
5194 thoughts and paying little heed to the words of his neighbour . At
5195 the farther end was a small brazier of burning charcoal , beside
5196 which on a three - legged wooden stool there sat a tall , thin old
5197 man , with his jaw resting upon his two fists , and his elbows upon
5198 his knees , staring into the fire .
5199
5200 As I entered , a sallow Malay attendant had hurried up with a pipe
5201 for me and a supply of the drug , beckoning me to an empty berth .
5202
5203 " Thank you . I have not come to stay " said I . " There is a friend
5204 of mine here , Mr . Isa Whitney , and I wish to speak with him "
5205
5206 There was a movement and an exclamation from my right , and
5207 peering through the gloom , I saw Whitney , pale , haggard , and
5208 unkempt , staring out at me .
5209
5210 " My God ! It's Watson " said he . He was in a pitiable state of
5211 reaction , with every nerve in a twitter . " I say , Watson , what
5212 o'clock is it "
5213
5214 " Nearly eleven "
5215
5216 " Of what day "
5217
5218 " Of Friday , June 19th "
5219
5220 " Good heavens ! I thought it was Wednesday . It is Wednesday . What
5221 d ' you want to frighten a chap for " He sank his face onto his
5222 arms and began to sob in a high treble key .
5223
5224 " I tell you that it is Friday , man . Your wife has been waiting
5225 this two days for you . You should be ashamed of yourself "
5226
5227 " So I am . But you ' ve got mixed , Watson , for I have only been here
5228 a few hours , three pipes , four pipes - I forget how many . But I ' ll
5229 go home with you . I wouldn't frighten Kate - poor little Kate .
5230 Give me your hand ! Have you a cab "
5231
5232 " Yes , I have one waiting "
5233
5234 " Then I shall go in it . But I must owe something . Find what I
5235 owe , Watson . I am all off colour . I can do nothing for myself "
5236
5237 I walked down the narrow passage between the double row of
5238 sleepers , holding my breath to keep out the vile , stupefying
5239 fumes of the drug , and looking about for the manager . As I passed
5240 the tall man who sat by the brazier I felt a sudden pluck at my
5241 skirt , and a low voice whispered , " Walk past me , and then look
5242 back at me " The words fell quite distinctly upon my ear . I
5243 glanced down . They could only have come from the old man at my
5244 side , and yet he sat now as absorbed as ever , very thin , very
5245 wrinkled , bent with age , an opium pipe dangling down from between
5246 his knees , as though it had dropped in sheer lassitude from his
5247 fingers . I took two steps forward and looked back . It took all my
5248 self - control to prevent me from breaking out into a cry of
5249 astonishment . He had turned his back so that none could see him
5250 but I . His form had filled out , his wrinkles were gone , the dull
5251 eyes had regained their fire , and there , sitting by the fire and
5252 grinning at my surprise , was none other than Sherlock Holmes . He
5253 made a slight motion to me to approach him , and instantly , as he
5254 turned his face half round to the company once more , subsided
5255 into a doddering , loose - lipped senility .
5256
5257 " Holmes " I whispered , " what on earth are you doing in this den "
5258
5259 " As low as you can " he answered ; " I have excellent ears . If you
5260 would have the great kindness to get rid of that sottish friend
5261 of yours I should be exceedingly glad to have a little talk with
5262 you "
5263
5264 " I have a cab outside "
5265
5266 " Then pray send him home in it . You may safely trust him , for he
5267 appears to be too limp to get into any mischief . I should
5268 recommend you also to send a note by the cabman to your wife to
5269 say that you have thrown in your lot with me . If you will wait
5270 outside , I shall be with you in five minutes "
5271
5272 It was difficult to refuse any of Sherlock Holmes ' requests , for
5273 they were always so exceedingly definite , and put forward with
5274 such a quiet air of mastery . I felt , however , that when Whitney
5275 was once confined in the cab my mission was practically
5276 accomplished ; and for the rest , I could not wish anything better
5277 than to be associated with my friend in one of those singular
5278 adventures which were the normal condition of his existence . In a
5279 few minutes I had written my note , paid Whitney's bill , led him
5280 out to the cab , and seen him driven through the darkness . In a
5281 very short time a decrepit figure had emerged from the opium den ,
5282 and I was walking down the street with Sherlock Holmes . For two
5283 streets he shuffled along with a bent back and an uncertain foot .
5284 Then , glancing quickly round , he straightened himself out and
5285 burst into a hearty fit of laughter .
5286
5287 " I suppose , Watson " said he , " that you imagine that I have added
5288 opium - smoking to cocaine injections , and all the other little
5289 weaknesses on which you have favoured me with your medical
5290 views "
5291
5292 " I was certainly surprised to find you there "
5293
5294 " But not more so than I to find you "
5295
5296 " I came to find a friend "
5297
5298 " And I to find an enemy "
5299
5300 " An enemy "
5301
5302 " Yes ; one of my natural enemies , or , shall I say , my natural
5303 prey . Briefly , Watson , I am in the midst of a very remarkable
5304 inquiry , and I have hoped to find a clue in the incoherent
5305 ramblings of these sots , as I have done before now . Had I been
5306 recognised in that den my life would not have been worth an
5307 hour's purchase ; for I have used it before now for my own
5308 purposes , and the rascally Lascar who runs it has sworn to have
5309 vengeance upon me . There is a trap - door at the back of that
5310 building , near the corner of Paul's Wharf , which could tell some
5311 strange tales of what has passed through it upon the moonless
5312 nights "
5313
5314 " What ! You do not mean bodies "
5315
5316 " Ay , bodies , Watson . We should be rich men if we had 1000 pounds
5317 for every poor devil who has been done to death in that den . It
5318 is the vilest murder - trap on the whole riverside , and I fear that
5319 Neville St . Clair has entered it never to leave it more . But our
5320 trap should be here " He put his two forefingers between his
5321 teeth and whistled shrilly - a signal which was answered by a
5322 similar whistle from the distance , followed shortly by the rattle
5323 of wheels and the clink of horses ' hoofs .
5324
5325 " Now , Watson " said Holmes , as a tall dog - cart dashed up through
5326 the gloom , throwing out two golden tunnels of yellow light from
5327 its side lanterns . " You ' ll come with me , won't you "
5328
5329 " If I can be of use "
5330
5331 " Oh , a trusty comrade is always of use ; and a chronicler still
5332 more so . My room at The Cedars is a double - bedded one "
5333
5334 " The Cedars "
5335
5336 " Yes ; that is Mr . St . Clair's house . I am staying there while I
5337 conduct the inquiry "
5338
5339 " Where is it , then "
5340
5341 " Near Lee , in Kent . We have a seven - mile drive before us "
5342
5343 " But I am all in the dark "
5344
5345 " Of course you are . You ' ll know all about it presently . Jump up
5346 here . All right , John ; we shall not need you . Here's half a
5347 crown . Look out for me to - morrow , about eleven . Give her her
5348 head . So long , then "
5349
5350 He flicked the horse with his whip , and we dashed away through
5351 the endless succession of sombre and deserted streets , which
5352 widened gradually , until we were flying across a broad
5353 balustraded bridge , with the murky river flowing sluggishly
5354 beneath us . Beyond lay another dull wilderness of bricks and
5355 mortar , its silence broken only by the heavy , regular footfall of
5356 the policeman , or the songs and shouts of some belated party of
5357 revellers . A dull wrack was drifting slowly across the sky , and a
5358 star or two twinkled dimly here and there through the rifts of
5359 the clouds . Holmes drove in silence , with his head sunk upon his
5360 breast , and the air of a man who is lost in thought , while I sat
5361 beside him , curious to learn what this new quest might be which
5362 seemed to tax his powers so sorely , and yet afraid to break in
5363 upon the current of his thoughts . We had driven several miles ,
5364 and were beginning to get to the fringe of the belt of suburban
5365 villas , when he shook himself , shrugged his shoulders , and lit up
5366 his pipe with the air of a man who has satisfied himself that he
5367 is acting for the best .
5368
5369 " You have a grand gift of silence , Watson " said he . " It makes
5370 you quite invaluable as a companion . ' Pon my word , it is a great
5371 thing for me to have someone to talk to , for my own thoughts are
5372 not over - pleasant . I was wondering what I should say to this dear
5373 little woman to - night when she meets me at the door "
5374
5375 " You forget that I know nothing about it "
5376
5377 " I shall just have time to tell you the facts of the case before
5378 we get to Lee . It seems absurdly simple , and yet , somehow I can
5379 get nothing to go upon . There's plenty of thread , no doubt , but I
5380 can't get the end of it into my hand . Now , I ' ll state the case
5381 clearly and concisely to you , Watson , and maybe you can see a
5382 spark where all is dark to me "
5383
5384 " Proceed , then "
5385
5386 " Some years ago - to be definite , in May , 1884 - there came to Lee
5387 a gentleman , Neville St . Clair by name , who appeared to have
5388 plenty of money . He took a large villa , laid out the grounds very
5389 nicely , and lived generally in good style . By degrees he made
5390 friends in the neighbourhood , and in 1887 he married the daughter
5391 of a local brewer , by whom he now has two children . He had no
5392 occupation , but was interested in several companies and went into
5393 town as a rule in the morning , returning by the 5 : 14 from Cannon
5394 Street every night . Mr . St . Clair is now thirty - seven years of
5395 age , is a man of temperate habits , a good husband , a very
5396 affectionate father , and a man who is popular with all who know
5397 him . I may add that his whole debts at the present moment , as far
5398 as we have been able to ascertain , amount to 88 pounds 10s , while
5399 he has 220 pounds standing to his credit in the Capital and
5400 Counties Bank . There is no reason , therefore , to think that money
5401 troubles have been weighing upon his mind .
5402
5403 " Last Monday Mr . Neville St . Clair went into town rather earlier
5404 than usual , remarking before he started that he had two important
5405 commissions to perform , and that he would bring his little boy
5406 home a box of bricks . Now , by the merest chance , his wife
5407 received a telegram upon this same Monday , very shortly after his
5408 departure , to the effect that a small parcel of considerable
5409 value which she had been expecting was waiting for her at the
5410 offices of the Aberdeen Shipping Company . Now , if you are well up
5411 in your London , you will know that the office of the company is
5412 in Fresno Street , which branches out of Upper Swandam Lane , where
5413 you found me to - night . Mrs . St . Clair had her lunch , started for
5414 the City , did some shopping , proceeded to the company's office ,
5415 got her packet , and found herself at exactly 4 : 35 walking through
5416 Swandam Lane on her way back to the station . Have you followed me
5417 so far "
5418
5419 " It is very clear "
5420
5421 " If you remember , Monday was an exceedingly hot day , and Mrs . St .
5422 Clair walked slowly , glancing about in the hope of seeing a cab ,
5423 as she did not like the neighbourhood in which she found herself .
5424 While she was walking in this way down Swandam Lane , she suddenly
5425 heard an ejaculation or cry , and was struck cold to see her
5426 husband looking down at her and , as it seemed to her , beckoning
5427 to her from a second - floor window . The window was open , and she
5428 distinctly saw his face , which she describes as being terribly
5429 agitated . He waved his hands frantically to her , and then
5430 vanished from the window so suddenly that it seemed to her that
5431 he had been plucked back by some irresistible force from behind .
5432 One singular point which struck her quick feminine eye was that
5433 although he wore some dark coat , such as he had started to town
5434 in , he had on neither collar nor necktie .
5435
5436 " Convinced that something was amiss with him , she rushed down the
5437 steps - for the house was none other than the opium den in which
5438 you found me to - night - and running through the front room she
5439 attempted to ascend the stairs which led to the first floor . At
5440 the foot of the stairs , however , she met this Lascar scoundrel of
5441 whom I have spoken , who thrust her back and , aided by a Dane , who
5442 acts as assistant there , pushed her out into the street . Filled
5443 with the most maddening doubts and fears , she rushed down the
5444 lane and , by rare good - fortune , met in Fresno Street a number of
5445 constables with an inspector , all on their way to their beat . The
5446 inspector and two men accompanied her back , and in spite of the
5447 continued resistance of the proprietor , they made their way to
5448 the room in which Mr . St . Clair had last been seen . There was no
5449 sign of him there . In fact , in the whole of that floor there was
5450 no one to be found save a crippled wretch of hideous aspect , who ,
5451 it seems , made his home there . Both he and the Lascar stoutly
5452 swore that no one else had been in the front room during the
5453 afternoon . So determined was their denial that the inspector was
5454 staggered , and had almost come to believe that Mrs . St . Clair had
5455 been deluded when , with a cry , she sprang at a small deal box
5456 which lay upon the table and tore the lid from it . Out there fell
5457 a cascade of children's bricks . It was the toy which he had
5458 promised to bring home .
5459
5460 " This discovery , and the evident confusion which the cripple
5461 showed , made the inspector realise that the matter was serious .
5462 The rooms were carefully examined , and results all pointed to an
5463 abominable crime . The front room was plainly furnished as a
5464 sitting - room and led into a small bedroom , which looked out upon
5465 the back of one of the wharves . Between the wharf and the bedroom
5466 window is a narrow strip , which is dry at low tide but is covered
5467 at high tide with at least four and a half feet of water . The
5468 bedroom window was a broad one and opened from below . On
5469 examination traces of blood were to be seen upon the windowsill ,
5470 and several scattered drops were visible upon the wooden floor of
5471 the bedroom . Thrust away behind a curtain in the front room were
5472 all the clothes of Mr . Neville St . Clair , with the exception of
5473 his coat . His boots , his socks , his hat , and his watch - all were
5474 there . There were no signs of violence upon any of these
5475 garments , and there were no other traces of Mr . Neville St .
5476 Clair . Out of the window he must apparently have gone for no
5477 other exit could be discovered , and the ominous bloodstains upon
5478 the sill gave little promise that he could save himself by
5479 swimming , for the tide was at its very highest at the moment of
5480 the tragedy .
5481
5482 " And now as to the villains who seemed to be immediately
5483 implicated in the matter . The Lascar was known to be a man of the
5484 vilest antecedents , but as , by Mrs . St . Clair's story , he was
5485 known to have been at the foot of the stair within a very few
5486 seconds of her husband's appearance at the window , he could
5487 hardly have been more than an accessory to the crime . His defence
5488 was one of absolute ignorance , and he protested that he had no
5489 knowledge as to the doings of Hugh Boone , his lodger , and that he
5490 could not account in any way for the presence of the missing
5491 gentleman's clothes .
5492
5493 " So much for the Lascar manager . Now for the sinister cripple who
5494 lives upon the second floor of the opium den , and who was
5495 certainly the last human being whose eyes rested upon Neville St .
5496 Clair . His name is Hugh Boone , and his hideous face is one which
5497 is familiar to every man who goes much to the City . He is a
5498 professional beggar , though in order to avoid the police
5499 regulations he pretends to a small trade in wax vestas . Some
5500 little distance down Threadneedle Street , upon the left - hand
5501 side , there is , as you may have remarked , a small angle in the
5502 wall . Here it is that this creature takes his daily seat ,
5503 cross - legged with his tiny stock of matches on his lap , and as he
5504 is a piteous spectacle a small rain of charity descends into the
5505 greasy leather cap which lies upon the pavement beside him . I
5506 have watched the fellow more than once before ever I thought of
5507 making his professional acquaintance , and I have been surprised
5508 at the harvest which he has reaped in a short time . His
5509 appearance , you see , is so remarkable that no one can pass him
5510 without observing him . A shock of orange hair , a pale face
5511 disfigured by a horrible scar , which , by its contraction , has
5512 turned up the outer edge of his upper lip , a bulldog chin , and a
5513 pair of very penetrating dark eyes , which present a singular
5514 contrast to the colour of his hair , all mark him out from amid
5515 the common crowd of mendicants and so , too , does his wit , for he
5516 is ever ready with a reply to any piece of chaff which may be
5517 thrown at him by the passers - by . This is the man whom we now
5518 learn to have been the lodger at the opium den , and to have been
5519 the last man to see the gentleman of whom we are in quest "
5520
5521 " But a cripple " said I . " What could he have done single - handed
5522 against a man in the prime of life "
5523
5524 " He is a cripple in the sense that he walks with a limp ; but in
5525 other respects he appears to be a powerful and well - nurtured man .
5526 Surely your medical experience would tell you , Watson , that
5527 weakness in one limb is often compensated for by exceptional
5528 strength in the others "
5529
5530 " Pray continue your narrative "
5531
5532 " Mrs . St . Clair had fainted at the sight of the blood upon the
5533 window , and she was escorted home in a cab by the police , as her
5534 presence could be of no help to them in their investigations .
5535 Inspector Barton , who had charge of the case , made a very careful
5536 examination of the premises , but without finding anything which
5537 threw any light upon the matter . One mistake had been made in not
5538 arresting Boone instantly , as he was allowed some few minutes
5539 during which he might have communicated with his friend the
5540 Lascar , but this fault was soon remedied , and he was seized and
5541 searched , without anything being found which could incriminate
5542 him . There were , it is true , some blood - stains upon his right
5543 shirt - sleeve , but he pointed to his ring - finger , which had been
5544 cut near the nail , and explained that the bleeding came from
5545 there , adding that he had been to the window not long before , and
5546 that the stains which had been observed there came doubtless from
5547 the same source . He denied strenuously having ever seen Mr .
5548 Neville St . Clair and swore that the presence of the clothes in
5549 his room was as much a mystery to him as to the police . As to
5550 Mrs . St . Clair's assertion that she had actually seen her husband
5551 at the window , he declared that she must have been either mad or
5552 dreaming . He was removed , loudly protesting , to the
5553 police - station , while the inspector remained upon the premises in
5554 the hope that the ebbing tide might afford some fresh clue .
5555
5556 " And it did , though they hardly found upon the mud - bank what they
5557 had feared to find . It was Neville St . Clair's coat , and not
5558 Neville St . Clair , which lay uncovered as the tide receded . And
5559 what do you think they found in the pockets "
5560
5561 " I cannot imagine "
5562
5563 " No , I don't think you would guess . Every pocket stuffed with
5564 pennies and half - pennies - 421 pennies and 270 half - pennies . It
5565 was no wonder that it had not been swept away by the tide . But a
5566 human body is a different matter . There is a fierce eddy between
5567 the wharf and the house . It seemed likely enough that the
5568 weighted coat had remained when the stripped body had been sucked
5569 away into the river "
5570
5571 " But I understand that all the other clothes were found in the
5572 room . Would the body be dressed in a coat alone "
5573
5574 " No , sir , but the facts might be met speciously enough . Suppose
5575 that this man Boone had thrust Neville St . Clair through the
5576 window , there is no human eye which could have seen the deed .
5577 What would he do then ? It would of course instantly strike him
5578 that he must get rid of the tell - tale garments . He would seize
5579 the coat , then , and be in the act of throwing it out , when it
5580 would occur to him that it would swim and not sink . He has little
5581 time , for he has heard the scuffle downstairs when the wife tried
5582 to force her way up , and perhaps he has already heard from his
5583 Lascar confederate that the police are hurrying up the street .
5584 There is not an instant to be lost . He rushes to some secret
5585 hoard , where he has accumulated the fruits of his beggary , and he
5586 stuffs all the coins upon which he can lay his hands into the
5587 pockets to make sure of the coat's sinking . He throws it out , and
5588 would have done the same with the other garments had not he heard
5589 the rush of steps below , and only just had time to close the
5590 window when the police appeared "
5591
5592 " It certainly sounds feasible "
5593
5594 " Well , we will take it as a working hypothesis for want of a
5595 better . Boone , as I have told you , was arrested and taken to the
5596 station , but it could not be shown that there had ever before
5597 been anything against him . He had for years been known as a
5598 professional beggar , but his life appeared to have been a very
5599 quiet and innocent one . There the matter stands at present , and
5600 the questions which have to be solved - what Neville St . Clair was
5601 doing in the opium den , what happened to him when there , where is
5602 he now , and what Hugh Boone had to do with his disappearance - are
5603 all as far from a solution as ever . I confess that I cannot
5604 recall any case within my experience which looked at the first
5605 glance so simple and yet which presented such difficulties "
5606
5607 While Sherlock Holmes had been detailing this singular series of
5608 events , we had been whirling through the outskirts of the great
5609 town until the last straggling houses had been left behind , and
5610 we rattled along with a country hedge upon either side of us .
5611 Just as he finished , however , we drove through two scattered
5612 villages , where a few lights still glimmered in the windows .
5613
5614 " We are on the outskirts of Lee " said my companion . " We have
5615 touched on three English counties in our short drive , starting in
5616 Middlesex , passing over an angle of Surrey , and ending in Kent .
5617 See that light among the trees ? That is The Cedars , and beside
5618 that lamp sits a woman whose anxious ears have already , I have
5619 little doubt , caught the clink of our horse's feet "
5620
5621 " But why are you not conducting the case from Baker Street " I
5622 asked .
5623
5624 " Because there are many inquiries which must be made out here .
5625 Mrs . St . Clair has most kindly put two rooms at my disposal , and
5626 you may rest assured that she will have nothing but a welcome for
5627 my friend and colleague . I hate to meet her , Watson , when I have
5628 no news of her husband . Here we are . Whoa , there , whoa "
5629
5630 We had pulled up in front of a large villa which stood within its
5631 own grounds . A stable - boy had run out to the horse's head , and
5632 springing down , I followed Holmes up the small , winding
5633 gravel - drive which led to the house . As we approached , the door
5634 flew open , and a little blonde woman stood in the opening , clad
5635 in some sort of light mousseline de soie , with a touch of fluffy
5636 pink chiffon at her neck and wrists . She stood with her figure
5637 outlined against the flood of light , one hand upon the door , one
5638 half - raised in her eagerness , her body slightly bent , her head
5639 and face protruded , with eager eyes and parted lips , a standing
5640 question .
5641
5642 " Well " she cried , " well " And then , seeing that there were two
5643 of us , she gave a cry of hope which sank into a groan as she saw
5644 that my companion shook his head and shrugged his shoulders .
5645
5646 " No good news "
5647
5648 " None "
5649
5650 " No bad "
5651
5652 " No "
5653
5654 " Thank God for that . But come in . You must be weary , for you have
5655 had a long day "
5656
5657 " This is my friend , Dr . Watson . He has been of most vital use to
5658 me in several of my cases , and a lucky chance has made it
5659 possible for me to bring him out and associate him with this
5660 investigation "
5661
5662 " I am delighted to see you " said she , pressing my hand warmly .
5663 " You will , I am sure , forgive anything that may be wanting in our
5664 arrangements , when you consider the blow which has come so
5665 suddenly upon us "
5666
5667 " My dear madam " said I , " I am an old campaigner , and if I were
5668 not I can very well see that no apology is needed . If I can be of
5669 any assistance , either to you or to my friend here , I shall be
5670 indeed happy "
5671
5672 " Now , Mr . Sherlock Holmes " said the lady as we entered a
5673 well - lit dining - room , upon the table of which a cold supper had
5674 been laid out , " I should very much like to ask you one or two
5675 plain questions , to which I beg that you will give a plain
5676 answer "
5677
5678 " Certainly , madam "
5679
5680 " Do not trouble about my feelings . I am not hysterical , nor given
5681 to fainting . I simply wish to hear your real , real opinion "
5682
5683 " Upon what point "
5684
5685 " In your heart of hearts , do you think that Neville is alive "
5686
5687 Sherlock Holmes seemed to be embarrassed by the question .
5688 " Frankly , now " she repeated , standing upon the rug and looking
5689 keenly down at him as he leaned back in a basket - chair .
5690
5691 " Frankly , then , madam , I do not "
5692
5693 " You think that he is dead "
5694
5695 " I do "
5696
5697 " Murdered "
5698
5699 " I don't say that . Perhaps "
5700
5701 " And on what day did he meet his death "
5702
5703 " On Monday "
5704
5705 " Then perhaps , Mr . Holmes , you will be good enough to explain how
5706 it is that I have received a letter from him to - day "
5707
5708 Sherlock Holmes sprang out of his chair as if he had been
5709 galvanised .
5710
5711 " What " he roared .
5712
5713 " Yes , to - day " She stood smiling , holding up a little slip of
5714 paper in the air .
5715
5716 " May I see it "
5717
5718 " Certainly "
5719
5720 He snatched it from her in his eagerness , and smoothing it out
5721 upon the table he drew over the lamp and examined it intently . I
5722 had left my chair and was gazing at it over his shoulder . The
5723 envelope was a very coarse one and was stamped with the Gravesend
5724 postmark and with the date of that very day , or rather of the day
5725 before , for it was considerably after midnight .
5726
5727 " Coarse writing " murmured Holmes . " Surely this is not your
5728 husband's writing , madam "
5729
5730 " No , but the enclosure is "
5731
5732 " I perceive also that whoever addressed the envelope had to go
5733 and inquire as to the address "
5734
5735 " How can you tell that "
5736
5737 " The name , you see , is in perfectly black ink , which has dried
5738 itself . The rest is of the greyish colour , which shows that
5739 blotting - paper has been used . If it had been written straight
5740 off , and then blotted , none would be of a deep black shade . This
5741 man has written the name , and there has then been a pause before
5742 he wrote the address , which can only mean that he was not
5743 familiar with it . It is , of course , a trifle , but there is
5744 nothing so important as trifles . Let us now see the letter . Ha !
5745 there has been an enclosure here "
5746
5747 " Yes , there was a ring . His signet - ring "
5748
5749 " And you are sure that this is your husband's hand "
5750
5751 " One of his hands "
5752
5753 " One "
5754
5755 " His hand when he wrote hurriedly . It is very unlike his usual
5756 writing , and yet I know it well "
5757
5758 ' Dearest do not be frightened . All will come well . There is a
5759 huge error which it may take some little time to rectify .
5760 Wait in patience -- NEVILLE ' Written in pencil upon the fly - leaf
5761 of a book , octavo size , no water - mark . Hum ! Posted to - day in
5762 Gravesend by a man with a dirty thumb . Ha ! And the flap has been
5763 gummed , if I am not very much in error , by a person who had been
5764 chewing tobacco . And you have no doubt that it is your husband's
5765 hand , madam "
5766
5767 " None . Neville wrote those words "
5768
5769 " And they were posted to - day at Gravesend . Well , Mrs . St . Clair ,
5770 the clouds lighten , though I should not venture to say that the
5771 danger is over "
5772
5773 " But he must be alive , Mr . Holmes "
5774
5775 " Unless this is a clever forgery to put us on the wrong scent .
5776 The ring , after all , proves nothing . It may have been taken from
5777 him "
5778
5779 " No , no ; it is , it is his very own writing "
5780
5781 " Very well . It may , however , have been written on Monday and only
5782 posted to - day "
5783
5784 " That is possible "
5785
5786 " If so , much may have happened between "
5787
5788 " Oh , you must not discourage me , Mr . Holmes . I know that all is
5789 well with him . There is so keen a sympathy between us that I
5790 should know if evil came upon him . On the very day that I saw him
5791 last he cut himself in the bedroom , and yet I in the dining - room
5792 rushed upstairs instantly with the utmost certainty that
5793 something had happened . Do you think that I would respond to such
5794 a trifle and yet be ignorant of his death "
5795
5796 " I have seen too much not to know that the impression of a woman
5797 may be more valuable than the conclusion of an analytical
5798 reasoner . And in this letter you certainly have a very strong
5799 piece of evidence to corroborate your view . But if your husband
5800 is alive and able to write letters , why should he remain away
5801 from you "
5802
5803 " I cannot imagine . It is unthinkable "
5804
5805 " And on Monday he made no remarks before leaving you "
5806
5807 " No "
5808
5809 " And you were surprised to see him in Swandam Lane "
5810
5811 " Very much so "
5812
5813 " Was the window open "
5814
5815 " Yes "
5816
5817 " Then he might have called to you "
5818
5819 " He might "
5820
5821 " He only , as I understand , gave an inarticulate cry "
5822
5823 " Yes "
5824
5825 " A call for help , you thought "
5826
5827 " Yes . He waved his hands "
5828
5829 " But it might have been a cry of surprise . Astonishment at the
5830 unexpected sight of you might cause him to throw up his hands "
5831
5832 " It is possible "
5833
5834 " And you thought he was pulled back "
5835
5836 " He disappeared so suddenly "
5837
5838 " He might have leaped back . You did not see anyone else in the
5839 room "
5840
5841 " No , but this horrible man confessed to having been there , and
5842 the Lascar was at the foot of the stairs "
5843
5844 " Quite so . Your husband , as far as you could see , had his
5845 ordinary clothes on "
5846
5847 " But without his collar or tie . I distinctly saw his bare
5848 throat "
5849
5850 " Had he ever spoken of Swandam Lane "
5851
5852 " Never "
5853
5854 " Had he ever showed any signs of having taken opium "
5855
5856 " Never "
5857
5858 " Thank you , Mrs . St . Clair . Those are the principal points about
5859 which I wished to be absolutely clear . We shall now have a little
5860 supper and then retire , for we may have a very busy day
5861 to - morrow "
5862
5863 A large and comfortable double - bedded room had been placed at our
5864 disposal , and I was quickly between the sheets , for I was weary
5865 after my night of adventure . Sherlock Holmes was a man , however ,
5866 who , when he had an unsolved problem upon his mind , would go for
5867 days , and even for a week , without rest , turning it over ,
5868 rearranging his facts , looking at it from every point of view
5869 until he had either fathomed it or convinced himself that his
5870 data were insufficient . It was soon evident to me that he was now
5871 preparing for an all - night sitting . He took off his coat and
5872 waistcoat , put on a large blue dressing - gown , and then wandered
5873 about the room collecting pillows from his bed and cushions from
5874 the sofa and armchairs . With these he constructed a sort of
5875 Eastern divan , upon which he perched himself cross - legged , with
5876 an ounce of shag tobacco and a box of matches laid out in front
5877 of him . In the dim light of the lamp I saw him sitting there , an
5878 old briar pipe between his lips , his eyes fixed vacantly upon the
5879 corner of the ceiling , the blue smoke curling up from him ,
5880 silent , motionless , with the light shining upon his strong - set
5881 aquiline features . So he sat as I dropped off to sleep , and so he
5882 sat when a sudden ejaculation caused me to wake up , and I found
5883 the summer sun shining into the apartment . The pipe was still
5884 between his lips , the smoke still curled upward , and the room was
5885 full of a dense tobacco haze , but nothing remained of the heap of
5886 shag which I had seen upon the previous night .
5887
5888 " Awake , Watson " he asked .
5889
5890 " Yes "
5891
5892 " Game for a morning drive "
5893
5894 " Certainly "
5895
5896 " Then dress . No one is stirring yet , but I know where the
5897 stable - boy sleeps , and we shall soon have the trap out " He
5898 chuckled to himself as he spoke , his eyes twinkled , and he seemed
5899 a different man to the sombre thinker of the previous night .
5900
5901 As I dressed I glanced at my watch . It was no wonder that no one
5902 was stirring . It was twenty - five minutes past four . I had hardly
5903 finished when Holmes returned with the news that the boy was
5904 putting in the horse .
5905
5906 " I want to test a little theory of mine " said he , pulling on his
5907 boots . " I think , Watson , that you are now standing in the
5908 presence of one of the most absolute fools in Europe . I deserve
5909 to be kicked from here to Charing Cross . But I think I have the
5910 key of the affair now "
5911
5912 " And where is it " I asked , smiling .
5913
5914 " In the bathroom " he answered . " Oh , yes , I am not joking " he
5915 continued , seeing my look of incredulity . " I have just been
5916 there , and I have taken it out , and I have got it in this
5917 Gladstone bag . Come on , my boy , and we shall see whether it will
5918 not fit the lock "
5919
5920 We made our way downstairs as quietly as possible , and out into
5921 the bright morning sunshine . In the road stood our horse and
5922 trap , with the half - clad stable - boy waiting at the head . We both
5923 sprang in , and away we dashed down the London Road . A few country
5924 carts were stirring , bearing in vegetables to the metropolis , but
5925 the lines of villas on either side were as silent and lifeless as
5926 some city in a dream .
5927
5928 " It has been in some points a singular case " said Holmes ,
5929 flicking the horse on into a gallop . " I confess that I have been
5930 as blind as a mole , but it is better to learn wisdom late than
5931 never to learn it at all "
5932
5933 In town the earliest risers were just beginning to look sleepily
5934 from their windows as we drove through the streets of the Surrey
5935 side . Passing down the Waterloo Bridge Road we crossed over the
5936 river , and dashing up Wellington Street wheeled sharply to the
5937 right and found ourselves in Bow Street . Sherlock Holmes was well
5938 known to the force , and the two constables at the door saluted
5939 him . One of them held the horse's head while the other led us in .
5940
5941 " Who is on duty " asked Holmes .
5942
5943 " Inspector Bradstreet , sir "
5944
5945 " Ah , Bradstreet , how are you " A tall , stout official had come
5946 down the stone - flagged passage , in a peaked cap and frogged
5947 jacket . " I wish to have a quiet word with you , Bradstreet "
5948 " Certainly , Mr . Holmes . Step into my room here " It was a small ,
5949 office - like room , with a huge ledger upon the table , and a
5950 telephone projecting from the wall . The inspector sat down at his
5951 desk .
5952
5953 " What can I do for you , Mr . Holmes "
5954
5955 " I called about that beggarman , Boone - the one who was charged
5956 with being concerned in the disappearance of Mr . Neville St .
5957 Clair , of Lee "
5958
5959 " Yes . He was brought up and remanded for further inquiries "
5960
5961 " So I heard . You have him here "
5962
5963 " In the cells "
5964
5965 " Is he quiet "
5966
5967 " Oh , he gives no trouble . But he is a dirty scoundrel "
5968
5969 " Dirty "
5970
5971 " Yes , it is all we can do to make him wash his hands , and his
5972 face is as black as a tinker's . Well , when once his case has been
5973 settled , he will have a regular prison bath ; and I think , if you
5974 saw him , you would agree with me that he needed it "
5975
5976 " I should like to see him very much "
5977
5978 " Would you ? That is easily done . Come this way . You can leave
5979 your bag "
5980
5981 " No , I think that I ' ll take it "
5982
5983 " Very good . Come this way , if you please " He led us down a
5984 passage , opened a barred door , passed down a winding stair , and
5985 brought us to a whitewashed corridor with a line of doors on each
5986 side .
5987
5988 " The third on the right is his " said the inspector . " Here it
5989 is " He quietly shot back a panel in the upper part of the door
5990 and glanced through .
5991
5992 " He is asleep " said he . " You can see him very well "
5993
5994 We both put our eyes to the grating . The prisoner lay with his
5995 face towards us , in a very deep sleep , breathing slowly and
5996 heavily . He was a middle - sized man , coarsely clad as became his
5997 calling , with a coloured shirt protruding through the rent in his
5998 tattered coat . He was , as the inspector had said , extremely
5999 dirty , but the grime which covered his face could not conceal its
6000 repulsive ugliness . A broad wheal from an old scar ran right
6001 across it from eye to chin , and by its contraction had turned up
6002 one side of the upper lip , so that three teeth were exposed in a
6003 perpetual snarl . A shock of very bright red hair grew low over
6004 his eyes and forehead .
6005
6006 " He's a beauty , isn't he " said the inspector .
6007
6008 " He certainly needs a wash " remarked Holmes . " I had an idea that
6009 he might , and I took the liberty of bringing the tools with me "
6010 He opened the Gladstone bag as he spoke , and took out , to my
6011 astonishment , a very large bath - sponge .
6012
6013 " He ! he ! You are a funny one " chuckled the inspector .
6014
6015 " Now , if you will have the great goodness to open that door very
6016 quietly , we will soon make him cut a much more respectable
6017 figure "
6018
6019 " Well , I don't know why not " said the inspector . " He doesn ' t
6020 look a credit to the Bow Street cells , does he " He slipped his
6021 key into the lock , and we all very quietly entered the cell . The
6022 sleeper half turned , and then settled down once more into a deep
6023 slumber . Holmes stooped to the water - jug , moistened his sponge ,
6024 and then rubbed it twice vigorously across and down the
6025 prisoner's face .
6026
6027 " Let me introduce you " he shouted , " to Mr . Neville St . Clair , of
6028 Lee , in the county of Kent "
6029
6030 Never in my life have I seen such a sight . The man's face peeled
6031 off under the sponge like the bark from a tree . Gone was the
6032 coarse brown tint ! Gone , too , was the horrid scar which had
6033 seamed it across , and the twisted lip which had given the
6034 repulsive sneer to the face ! A twitch brought away the tangled
6035 red hair , and there , sitting up in his bed , was a pale ,
6036 sad - faced , refined - looking man , black - haired and smooth - skinned ,
6037 rubbing his eyes and staring about him with sleepy bewilderment .
6038 Then suddenly realising the exposure , he broke into a scream and
6039 threw himself down with his face to the pillow .
6040
6041 " Great heavens " cried the inspector , " it is , indeed , the missing
6042 man . I know him from the photograph "
6043
6044 The prisoner turned with the reckless air of a man who abandons
6045 himself to his destiny . " Be it so " said he . " And pray what am I
6046 charged with "
6047
6048 " With making away with Mr . Neville St -- Oh , come , you can't be
6049 charged with that unless they make a case of attempted suicide of
6050 it " said the inspector with a grin . " Well , I have been
6051 twenty - seven years in the force , but this really takes the cake "
6052
6053 " If I am Mr . Neville St . Clair , then it is obvious that no crime
6054 has been committed , and that , therefore , I am illegally
6055 detained "
6056
6057 " No crime , but a very great error has been committed " said
6058 Holmes . " You would have done better to have trusted your wife "
6059
6060 " It was not the wife ; it was the children " groaned the prisoner .
6061 " God help me , I would not have them ashamed of their father . My
6062 God ! What an exposure ! What can I do "
6063
6064 Sherlock Holmes sat down beside him on the couch and patted him
6065 kindly on the shoulder .
6066
6067 " If you leave it to a court of law to clear the matter up " said
6068 he , " of course you can hardly avoid publicity . On the other hand ,
6069 if you convince the police authorities that there is no possible
6070 case against you , I do not know that there is any reason that the
6071 details should find their way into the papers . Inspector
6072 Bradstreet would , I am sure , make notes upon anything which you
6073 might tell us and submit it to the proper authorities . The case
6074 would then never go into court at all "
6075
6076 " God bless you " cried the prisoner passionately . " I would have
6077 endured imprisonment , ay , even execution , rather than have left
6078 my miserable secret as a family blot to my children .
6079
6080 " You are the first who have ever heard my story . My father was a
6081 schoolmaster in Chesterfield , where I received an excellent
6082 education . I travelled in my youth , took to the stage , and
6083 finally became a reporter on an evening paper in London . One day
6084 my editor wished to have a series of articles upon begging in the
6085 metropolis , and I volunteered to supply them . There was the point
6086 from which all my adventures started . It was only by trying
6087 begging as an amateur that I could get the facts upon which to
6088 base my articles . When an actor I had , of course , learned all the
6089 secrets of making up , and had been famous in the green - room for
6090 my skill . I took advantage now of my attainments . I painted my
6091 face , and to make myself as pitiable as possible I made a good
6092 scar and fixed one side of my lip in a twist by the aid of a
6093 small slip of flesh - coloured plaster . Then with a red head of
6094 hair , and an appropriate dress , I took my station in the business
6095 part of the city , ostensibly as a match - seller but really as a
6096 beggar . For seven hours I plied my trade , and when I returned
6097 home in the evening I found to my surprise that I had received no
6098 less than 26s . 4d .
6099
6100 " I wrote my articles and thought little more of the matter until ,
6101 some time later , I backed a bill for a friend and had a writ
6102 served upon me for 25 pounds . I was at my wit's end where to get
6103 the money , but a sudden idea came to me . I begged a fortnight's
6104 grace from the creditor , asked for a holiday from my employers ,
6105 and spent the time in begging in the City under my disguise . In
6106 ten days I had the money and had paid the debt .
6107
6108 " Well , you can imagine how hard it was to settle down to arduous
6109 work at 2 pounds a week when I knew that I could earn as much in
6110 a day by smearing my face with a little paint , laying my cap on
6111 the ground , and sitting still . It was a long fight between my
6112 pride and the money , but the dollars won at last , and I threw up
6113 reporting and sat day after day in the corner which I had first
6114 chosen , inspiring pity by my ghastly face and filling my pockets
6115 with coppers . Only one man knew my secret . He was the keeper of a
6116 low den in which I used to lodge in Swandam Lane , where I could
6117 every morning emerge as a squalid beggar and in the evenings
6118 transform myself into a well - dressed man about town . This fellow ,
6119 a Lascar , was well paid by me for his rooms , so that I knew that
6120 my secret was safe in his possession .
6121
6122 " Well , very soon I found that I was saving considerable sums of
6123 money . I do not mean that any beggar in the streets of London
6124 could earn 700 pounds a year - which is less than my average
6125 takings - but I had exceptional advantages in my power of making
6126 up , and also in a facility of repartee , which improved by
6127 practice and made me quite a recognised character in the City .
6128 All day a stream of pennies , varied by silver , poured in upon me ,
6129 and it was a very bad day in which I failed to take 2 pounds .
6130
6131 " As I grew richer I grew more ambitious , took a house in the
6132 country , and eventually married , without anyone having a
6133 suspicion as to my real occupation . My dear wife knew that I had
6134 business in the City . She little knew what .
6135
6136 " Last Monday I had finished for the day and was dressing in my
6137 room above the opium den when I looked out of my window and saw ,
6138 to my horror and astonishment , that my wife was standing in the
6139 street , with her eyes fixed full upon me . I gave a cry of
6140 surprise , threw up my arms to cover my face , and , rushing to my
6141 confidant , the Lascar , entreated him to prevent anyone from
6142 coming up to me . I heard her voice downstairs , but I knew that
6143 she could not ascend . Swiftly I threw off my clothes , pulled on
6144 those of a beggar , and put on my pigments and wig . Even a wife's
6145 eyes could not pierce so complete a disguise . But then it
6146 occurred to me that there might be a search in the room , and that
6147 the clothes might betray me . I threw open the window , reopening
6148 by my violence a small cut which I had inflicted upon myself in
6149 the bedroom that morning . Then I seized my coat , which was
6150 weighted by the coppers which I had just transferred to it from
6151 the leather bag in which I carried my takings . I hurled it out of
6152 the window , and it disappeared into the Thames . The other clothes
6153 would have followed , but at that moment there was a rush of
6154 constables up the stair , and a few minutes after I found , rather ,
6155 I confess , to my relief , that instead of being identified as Mr .
6156 Neville St . Clair , I was arrested as his murderer .
6157
6158 " I do not know that there is anything else for me to explain . I
6159 was determined to preserve my disguise as long as possible , and
6160 hence my preference for a dirty face . Knowing that my wife would
6161 be terribly anxious , I slipped off my ring and confided it to the
6162 Lascar at a moment when no constable was watching me , together
6163 with a hurried scrawl , telling her that she had no cause to
6164 fear "
6165
6166 " That note only reached her yesterday " said Holmes .
6167
6168 " Good God ! What a week she must have spent "
6169
6170 " The police have watched this Lascar " said Inspector Bradstreet ,
6171 " and I can quite understand that he might find it difficult to
6172 post a letter unobserved . Probably he handed it to some sailor
6173 customer of his , who forgot all about it for some days "
6174
6175 " That was it " said Holmes , nodding approvingly ; " I have no doubt
6176 of it . But have you never been prosecuted for begging "
6177
6178 " Many times ; but what was a fine to me "
6179
6180 " It must stop here , however " said Bradstreet . " If the police are
6181 to hush this thing up , there must be no more of Hugh Boone "
6182
6183 " I have sworn it by the most solemn oaths which a man can take "
6184
6185 " In that case I think that it is probable that no further steps
6186 may be taken . But if you are found again , then all must come out .
6187 I am sure , Mr . Holmes , that we are very much indebted to you for
6188 having cleared the matter up . I wish I knew how you reach your
6189 results "
6190
6191 " I reached this one " said my friend , " by sitting upon five
6192 pillows and consuming an ounce of shag . I think , Watson , that if
6193 we drive to Baker Street we shall just be in time for breakfast "
6194
6195
6196
6197 VII . THE ADVENTURE OF THE BLUE CARBUNCLE
6198
6199 I had called upon my friend Sherlock Holmes upon the second
6200 morning after Christmas , with the intention of wishing him the
6201 compliments of the season . He was lounging upon the sofa in a
6202 purple dressing - gown , a pipe - rack within his reach upon the
6203 right , and a pile of crumpled morning papers , evidently newly
6204 studied , near at hand . Beside the couch was a wooden chair , and
6205 on the angle of the back hung a very seedy and disreputable
6206 hard - felt hat , much the worse for wear , and cracked in several
6207 places . A lens and a forceps lying upon the seat of the chair
6208 suggested that the hat had been suspended in this manner for the
6209 purpose of examination .
6210
6211 " You are engaged " said I ; " perhaps I interrupt you "
6212
6213 " Not at all . I am glad to have a friend with whom I can discuss
6214 my results . The matter is a perfectly trivial one -- he jerked his
6215 thumb in the direction of the old hat -" but there are points in
6216 connection with it which are not entirely devoid of interest and
6217 even of instruction "
6218
6219 I seated myself in his armchair and warmed my hands before his
6220 crackling fire , for a sharp frost had set in , and the windows
6221 were thick with the ice crystals . " I suppose " I remarked , " that ,
6222 homely as it looks , this thing has some deadly story linked on to
6223 it - that it is the clue which will guide you in the solution of
6224 some mystery and the punishment of some crime "
6225
6226 " No , no . No crime " said Sherlock Holmes , laughing . " Only one of
6227 those whimsical little incidents which will happen when you have
6228 four million human beings all jostling each other within the
6229 space of a few square miles . Amid the action and reaction of so
6230 dense a swarm of humanity , every possible combination of events
6231 may be expected to take place , and many a little problem will be
6232 presented which may be striking and bizarre without being
6233 criminal . We have already had experience of such "
6234
6235 " So much so " I remarked , " that of the last six cases which I
6236 have added to my notes , three have been entirely free of any
6237 legal crime "
6238
6239 " Precisely . You allude to my attempt to recover the Irene Adler
6240 papers , to the singular case of Miss Mary Sutherland , and to the
6241 adventure of the man with the twisted lip . Well , I have no doubt
6242 that this small matter will fall into the same innocent category .
6243 You know Peterson , the commissionaire "
6244
6245 " Yes "
6246
6247 " It is to him that this trophy belongs "
6248
6249 " It is his hat "
6250
6251 " No , no , he found it . Its owner is unknown . I beg that you will
6252 look upon it not as a battered billycock but as an intellectual
6253 problem . And , first , as to how it came here . It arrived upon
6254 Christmas morning , in company with a good fat goose , which is , I
6255 have no doubt , roasting at this moment in front of Peterson's
6256 fire . The facts are these : about four o'clock on Christmas
6257 morning , Peterson , who , as you know , is a very honest fellow , was
6258 returning from some small jollification and was making his way
6259 homeward down Tottenham Court Road . In front of him he saw , in
6260 the gaslight , a tallish man , walking with a slight stagger , and
6261 carrying a white goose slung over his shoulder . As he reached the
6262 corner of Goodge Street , a row broke out between this stranger
6263 and a little knot of roughs . One of the latter knocked off the
6264 man's hat , on which he raised his stick to defend himself and ,
6265 swinging it over his head , smashed the shop window behind him .
6266 Peterson had rushed forward to protect the stranger from his
6267 assailants ; but the man , shocked at having broken the window , and
6268 seeing an official - looking person in uniform rushing towards him ,
6269 dropped his goose , took to his heels , and vanished amid the
6270 labyrinth of small streets which lie at the back of Tottenham
6271 Court Road . The roughs had also fled at the appearance of
6272 Peterson , so that he was left in possession of the field of
6273 battle , and also of the spoils of victory in the shape of this
6274 battered hat and a most unimpeachable Christmas goose "
6275
6276 " Which surely he restored to their owner "
6277
6278 " My dear fellow , there lies the problem . It is true that ' For
6279 Mrs . Henry Baker ' was printed upon a small card which was tied to
6280 the bird's left leg , and it is also true that the initials ' H .
6281 B ' are legible upon the lining of this hat , but as there are
6282 some thousands of Bakers , and some hundreds of Henry Bakers in
6283 this city of ours , it is not easy to restore lost property to any
6284 one of them "
6285
6286 " What , then , did Peterson do "
6287
6288 " He brought round both hat and goose to me on Christmas morning ,
6289 knowing that even the smallest problems are of interest to me .
6290 The goose we retained until this morning , when there were signs
6291 that , in spite of the slight frost , it would be well that it
6292 should be eaten without unnecessary delay . Its finder has carried
6293 it off , therefore , to fulfil the ultimate destiny of a goose ,
6294 while I continue to retain the hat of the unknown gentleman who
6295 lost his Christmas dinner "
6296
6297 " Did he not advertise "
6298
6299 " No "
6300
6301 " Then , what clue could you have as to his identity "
6302
6303 " Only as much as we can deduce "
6304
6305 " From his hat "
6306
6307 " Precisely "
6308
6309 " But you are joking . What can you gather from this old battered
6310 felt "
6311
6312 " Here is my lens . You know my methods . What can you gather
6313 yourself as to the individuality of the man who has worn this
6314 article "
6315
6316 I took the tattered object in my hands and turned it over rather
6317 ruefully . It was a very ordinary black hat of the usual round
6318 shape , hard and much the worse for wear . The lining had been of
6319 red silk , but was a good deal discoloured . There was no maker's
6320 name ; but , as Holmes had remarked , the initials " H . B " were
6321 scrawled upon one side . It was pierced in the brim for a
6322 hat - securer , but the elastic was missing . For the rest , it was
6323 cracked , exceedingly dusty , and spotted in several places ,
6324 although there seemed to have been some attempt to hide the
6325 discoloured patches by smearing them with ink .
6326
6327 " I can see nothing " said I , handing it back to my friend .
6328
6329 " On the contrary , Watson , you can see everything . You fail ,
6330 however , to reason from what you see . You are too timid in
6331 drawing your inferences "
6332
6333 " Then , pray tell me what it is that you can infer from this hat "
6334
6335 He picked it up and gazed at it in the peculiar introspective
6336 fashion which was characteristic of him . " It is perhaps less
6337 suggestive than it might have been " he remarked , " and yet there
6338 are a few inferences which are very distinct , and a few others
6339 which represent at least a strong balance of probability . That
6340 the man was highly intellectual is of course obvious upon the
6341 face of it , and also that he was fairly well - to - do within the
6342 last three years , although he has now fallen upon evil days . He
6343 had foresight , but has less now than formerly , pointing to a
6344 moral retrogression , which , when taken with the decline of his
6345 fortunes , seems to indicate some evil influence , probably drink ,
6346 at work upon him . This may account also for the obvious fact that
6347 his wife has ceased to love him "
6348
6349 " My dear Holmes "
6350
6351 " He has , however , retained some degree of self - respect " he
6352 continued , disregarding my remonstrance . " He is a man who leads a
6353 sedentary life , goes out little , is out of training entirely , is
6354 middle - aged , has grizzled hair which he has had cut within the
6355 last few days , and which he anoints with lime - cream . These are
6356 the more patent facts which are to be deduced from his hat . Also ,
6357 by the way , that it is extremely improbable that he has gas laid
6358 on in his house "
6359
6360 " You are certainly joking , Holmes "
6361
6362 " Not in the least . Is it possible that even now , when I give you
6363 these results , you are unable to see how they are attained "
6364
6365 " I have no doubt that I am very stupid , but I must confess that I
6366 am unable to follow you . For example , how did you deduce that
6367 this man was intellectual "
6368
6369 For answer Holmes clapped the hat upon his head . It came right
6370 over the forehead and settled upon the bridge of his nose . " It is
6371 a question of cubic capacity " said he ; " a man with so large a
6372 brain must have something in it "
6373
6374 " The decline of his fortunes , then "
6375
6376 " This hat is three years old . These flat brims curled at the edge
6377 came in then . It is a hat of the very best quality . Look at the
6378 band of ribbed silk and the excellent lining . If this man could
6379 afford to buy so expensive a hat three years ago , and has had no
6380 hat since , then he has assuredly gone down in the world "
6381
6382 " Well , that is clear enough , certainly . But how about the
6383 foresight and the moral retrogression "
6384
6385 Sherlock Holmes laughed . " Here is the foresight " said he putting
6386 his finger upon the little disc and loop of the hat - securer .
6387 " They are never sold upon hats . If this man ordered one , it is a
6388 sign of a certain amount of foresight , since he went out of his
6389 way to take this precaution against the wind . But since we see
6390 that he has broken the elastic and has not troubled to replace
6391 it , it is obvious that he has less foresight now than formerly ,
6392 which is a distinct proof of a weakening nature . On the other
6393 hand , he has endeavoured to conceal some of these stains upon the
6394 felt by daubing them with ink , which is a sign that he has not
6395 entirely lost his self - respect "
6396
6397 " Your reasoning is certainly plausible "
6398
6399 " The further points , that he is middle - aged , that his hair is
6400 grizzled , that it has been recently cut , and that he uses
6401 lime - cream , are all to be gathered from a close examination of the
6402 lower part of the lining . The lens discloses a large number of
6403 hair - ends , clean cut by the scissors of the barber . They all
6404 appear to be adhesive , and there is a distinct odour of
6405 lime - cream . This dust , you will observe , is not the gritty , grey
6406 dust of the street but the fluffy brown dust of the house ,
6407 showing that it has been hung up indoors most of the time , while
6408 the marks of moisture upon the inside are proof positive that the
6409 wearer perspired very freely , and could therefore , hardly be in
6410 the best of training "
6411
6412 " But his wife - you said that she had ceased to love him "
6413
6414 " This hat has not been brushed for weeks . When I see you , my dear
6415 Watson , with a week's accumulation of dust upon your hat , and
6416 when your wife allows you to go out in such a state , I shall fear
6417 that you also have been unfortunate enough to lose your wife's
6418 affection "
6419
6420 " But he might be a bachelor "
6421
6422 " Nay , he was bringing home the goose as a peace - offering to his
6423 wife . Remember the card upon the bird's leg "
6424
6425 " You have an answer to everything . But how on earth do you deduce
6426 that the gas is not laid on in his house "
6427
6428 " One tallow stain , or even two , might come by chance ; but when I
6429 see no less than five , I think that there can be little doubt
6430 that the individual must be brought into frequent contact with
6431 burning tallow - walks upstairs at night probably with his hat in
6432 one hand and a guttering candle in the other . Anyhow , he never
6433 got tallow - stains from a gas - jet . Are you satisfied "
6434
6435 " Well , it is very ingenious " said I , laughing ; " but since , as
6436 you said just now , there has been no crime committed , and no harm
6437 done save the loss of a goose , all this seems to be rather a
6438 waste of energy "
6439
6440 Sherlock Holmes had opened his mouth to reply , when the door flew
6441 open , and Peterson , the commissionaire , rushed into the apartment
6442 with flushed cheeks and the face of a man who is dazed with
6443 astonishment .
6444
6445 " The goose , Mr . Holmes ! The goose , sir " he gasped .
6446
6447 " Eh ? What of it , then ? Has it returned to life and flapped off
6448 through the kitchen window " Holmes twisted himself round upon
6449 the sofa to get a fairer view of the man's excited face .
6450
6451 " See here , sir ! See what my wife found in its crop " He held out
6452 his hand and displayed upon the centre of the palm a brilliantly
6453 scintillating blue stone , rather smaller than a bean in size , but
6454 of such purity and radiance that it twinkled like an electric
6455 point in the dark hollow of his hand .
6456
6457 Sherlock Holmes sat up with a whistle . " By Jove , Peterson " said
6458 he , " this is treasure trove indeed . I suppose you know what you
6459 have got "
6460
6461 " A diamond , sir ? A precious stone . It cuts into glass as though
6462 it were putty "
6463
6464 " It's more than a precious stone . It is the precious stone "
6465
6466 " Not the Countess of Morcar's blue carbuncle " I ejaculated .
6467
6468 " Precisely so . I ought to know its size and shape , seeing that I
6469 have read the advertisement about it in The Times every day
6470 lately . It is absolutely unique , and its value can only be
6471 conjectured , but the reward offered of 1000 pounds is certainly
6472 not within a twentieth part of the market price "
6473
6474 " A thousand pounds ! Great Lord of mercy " The commissionaire
6475 plumped down into a chair and stared from one to the other of us .
6476
6477 " That is the reward , and I have reason to know that there are
6478 sentimental considerations in the background which would induce
6479 the Countess to part with half her fortune if she could but
6480 recover the gem "
6481
6482 " It was lost , if I remember aright , at the Hotel Cosmopolitan " I
6483 remarked .
6484
6485 " Precisely so , on December 22nd , just five days ago . John Horner ,
6486 a plumber , was accused of having abstracted it from the lady's
6487 jewel - case . The evidence against him was so strong that the case
6488 has been referred to the Assizes . I have some account of the
6489 matter here , I believe " He rummaged amid his newspapers ,
6490 glancing over the dates , until at last he smoothed one out ,
6491 doubled it over , and read the following paragraph :
6492
6493 " Hotel Cosmopolitan Jewel Robbery . John Horner , 26 , plumber , was
6494 brought up upon the charge of having upon the 22nd inst ,
6495 abstracted from the jewel - case of the Countess of Morcar the
6496 valuable gem known as the blue carbuncle . James Ryder ,
6497 upper - attendant at the hotel , gave his evidence to the effect
6498 that he had shown Horner up to the dressing - room of the Countess
6499 of Morcar upon the day of the robbery in order that he might
6500 solder the second bar of the grate , which was loose . He had
6501 remained with Horner some little time , but had finally been
6502 called away . On returning , he found that Horner had disappeared ,
6503 that the bureau had been forced open , and that the small morocco
6504 casket in which , as it afterwards transpired , the Countess was
6505 accustomed to keep her jewel , was lying empty upon the
6506 dressing - table . Ryder instantly gave the alarm , and Horner was
6507 arrested the same evening ; but the stone could not be found
6508 either upon his person or in his rooms . Catherine Cusack , maid to
6509 the Countess , deposed to having heard Ryder's cry of dismay on
6510 discovering the robbery , and to having rushed into the room ,
6511 where she found matters as described by the last witness .
6512 Inspector Bradstreet , B division , gave evidence as to the arrest
6513 of Horner , who struggled frantically , and protested his innocence
6514 in the strongest terms . Evidence of a previous conviction for
6515 robbery having been given against the prisoner , the magistrate
6516 refused to deal summarily with the offence , but referred it to
6517 the Assizes . Horner , who had shown signs of intense emotion
6518 during the proceedings , fainted away at the conclusion and was
6519 carried out of court "
6520
6521 " Hum ! So much for the police - court " said Holmes thoughtfully ,
6522 tossing aside the paper . " The question for us now to solve is the
6523 sequence of events leading from a rifled jewel - case at one end to
6524 the crop of a goose in Tottenham Court Road at the other . You
6525 see , Watson , our little deductions have suddenly assumed a much
6526 more important and less innocent aspect . Here is the stone ; the
6527 stone came from the goose , and the goose came from Mr . Henry
6528 Baker , the gentleman with the bad hat and all the other
6529 characteristics with which I have bored you . So now we must set
6530 ourselves very seriously to finding this gentleman and
6531 ascertaining what part he has played in this little mystery . To
6532 do this , we must try the simplest means first , and these lie
6533 undoubtedly in an advertisement in all the evening papers . If
6534 this fail , I shall have recourse to other methods "
6535
6536 " What will you say "
6537
6538 " Give me a pencil and that slip of paper . Now , then : ' Found at
6539 the corner of Goodge Street , a goose and a black felt hat . Mr .
6540 Henry Baker can have the same by applying at 6 : 30 this evening at
6541 221B , Baker Street ' That is clear and concise "
6542
6543 " Very . But will he see it "
6544
6545 " Well , he is sure to keep an eye on the papers , since , to a poor
6546 man , the loss was a heavy one . He was clearly so scared by his
6547 mischance in breaking the window and by the approach of Peterson
6548 that he thought of nothing but flight , but since then he must
6549 have bitterly regretted the impulse which caused him to drop his
6550 bird . Then , again , the introduction of his name will cause him to
6551 see it , for everyone who knows him will direct his attention to
6552 it . Here you are , Peterson , run down to the advertising agency
6553 and have this put in the evening papers "
6554
6555 " In which , sir "
6556
6557 " Oh , in the Globe , Star , Pall Mall , St . James's , Evening News ,
6558 Standard , Echo , and any others that occur to you "
6559
6560 " Very well , sir . And this stone "
6561
6562 " Ah , yes , I shall keep the stone . Thank you . And , I say ,
6563 Peterson , just buy a goose on your way back and leave it here
6564 with me , for we must have one to give to this gentleman in place
6565 of the one which your family is now devouring "
6566
6567 When the commissionaire had gone , Holmes took up the stone and
6568 held it against the light . " It's a bonny thing " said he . " Just
6569 see how it glints and sparkles . Of course it is a nucleus and
6570 focus of crime . Every good stone is . They are the devil's pet
6571 baits . In the larger and older jewels every facet may stand for a
6572 bloody deed . This stone is not yet twenty years old . It was found
6573 in the banks of the Amoy River in southern China and is remarkable
6574 in having every characteristic of the carbuncle , save that it is
6575 blue in shade instead of ruby red . In spite of its youth , it has
6576 already a sinister history . There have been two murders , a
6577 vitriol - throwing , a suicide , and several robberies brought about
6578 for the sake of this forty - grain weight of crystallised charcoal .
6579 Who would think that so pretty a toy would be a purveyor to the
6580 gallows and the prison ? I ' ll lock it up in my strong box now and
6581 drop a line to the Countess to say that we have it "
6582
6583 " Do you think that this man Horner is innocent "
6584
6585 " I cannot tell "
6586
6587 " Well , then , do you imagine that this other one , Henry Baker , had
6588 anything to do with the matter "
6589
6590 " It is , I think , much more likely that Henry Baker is an
6591 absolutely innocent man , who had no idea that the bird which he
6592 was carrying was of considerably more value than if it were made
6593 of solid gold . That , however , I shall determine by a very simple
6594 test if we have an answer to our advertisement "
6595
6596 " And you can do nothing until then "
6597
6598 " Nothing "
6599
6600 " In that case I shall continue my professional round . But I shall
6601 come back in the evening at the hour you have mentioned , for I
6602 should like to see the solution of so tangled a business "
6603
6604 " Very glad to see you . I dine at seven . There is a woodcock , I
6605 believe . By the way , in view of recent occurrences , perhaps I
6606 ought to ask Mrs . Hudson to examine its crop "
6607
6608 I had been delayed at a case , and it was a little after half - past
6609 six when I found myself in Baker Street once more . As I
6610 approached the house I saw a tall man in a Scotch bonnet with a
6611 coat which was buttoned up to his chin waiting outside in the
6612 bright semicircle which was thrown from the fanlight . Just as I
6613 arrived the door was opened , and we were shown up together to
6614 Holmes ' room .
6615
6616 " Mr . Henry Baker , I believe " said he , rising from his armchair
6617 and greeting his visitor with the easy air of geniality which he
6618 could so readily assume . " Pray take this chair by the fire , Mr .
6619 Baker . It is a cold night , and I observe that your circulation is
6620 more adapted for summer than for winter . Ah , Watson , you have
6621 just come at the right time . Is that your hat , Mr . Baker "
6622
6623 " Yes , sir , that is undoubtedly my hat "
6624
6625 He was a large man with rounded shoulders , a massive head , and a
6626 broad , intelligent face , sloping down to a pointed beard of
6627 grizzled brown . A touch of red in nose and cheeks , with a slight
6628 tremor of his extended hand , recalled Holmes ' surmise as to his
6629 habits . His rusty black frock - coat was buttoned right up in
6630 front , with the collar turned up , and his lank wrists protruded
6631 from his sleeves without a sign of cuff or shirt . He spoke in a
6632 slow staccato fashion , choosing his words with care , and gave the
6633 impression generally of a man of learning and letters who had had
6634 ill - usage at the hands of fortune .
6635
6636 " We have retained these things for some days " said Holmes ,
6637 " because we expected to see an advertisement from you giving your
6638 address . I am at a loss to know now why you did not advertise "
6639
6640 Our visitor gave a rather shamefaced laugh . " Shillings have not
6641 been so plentiful with me as they once were " he remarked . " I had
6642 no doubt that the gang of roughs who assaulted me had carried off
6643 both my hat and the bird . I did not care to spend more money in a
6644 hopeless attempt at recovering them "
6645
6646 " Very naturally . By the way , about the bird , we were compelled to
6647 eat it "
6648
6649 " To eat it " Our visitor half rose from his chair in his
6650 excitement .
6651
6652 " Yes , it would have been of no use to anyone had we not done so .
6653 But I presume that this other goose upon the sideboard , which is
6654 about the same weight and perfectly fresh , will answer your
6655 purpose equally well "
6656
6657 " Oh , certainly , certainly " answered Mr . Baker with a sigh of
6658 relief .
6659
6660 " Of course , we still have the feathers , legs , crop , and so on of
6661 your own bird , so if you wish -"
6662
6663 The man burst into a hearty laugh . " They might be useful to me as
6664 relics of my adventure " said he , " but beyond that I can hardly
6665 see what use the disjecta membra of my late acquaintance are
6666 going to be to me . No , sir , I think that , with your permission , I
6667 will confine my attentions to the excellent bird which I perceive
6668 upon the sideboard "
6669
6670 Sherlock Holmes glanced sharply across at me with a slight shrug
6671 of his shoulders .
6672
6673 " There is your hat , then , and there your bird " said he . " By the
6674 way , would it bore you to tell me where you got the other one
6675 from ? I am somewhat of a fowl fancier , and I have seldom seen a
6676 better grown goose "
6677
6678 " Certainly , sir " said Baker , who had risen and tucked his newly
6679 gained property under his arm . " There are a few of us who
6680 frequent the Alpha Inn , near the Museum - we are to be found in
6681 the Museum itself during the day , you understand . This year our
6682 good host , Windigate by name , instituted a goose club , by which ,
6683 on consideration of some few pence every week , we were each to
6684 receive a bird at Christmas . My pence were duly paid , and the
6685 rest is familiar to you . I am much indebted to you , sir , for a
6686 Scotch bonnet is fitted neither to my years nor my gravity " With
6687 a comical pomposity of manner he bowed solemnly to both of us and
6688 strode off upon his way .
6689
6690 " So much for Mr . Henry Baker " said Holmes when he had closed the
6691 door behind him . " It is quite certain that he knows nothing
6692 whatever about the matter . Are you hungry , Watson "
6693
6694 " Not particularly "
6695
6696 " Then I suggest that we turn our dinner into a supper and follow
6697 up this clue while it is still hot "
6698
6699 " By all means "
6700
6701 It was a bitter night , so we drew on our ulsters and wrapped
6702 cravats about our throats . Outside , the stars were shining coldly
6703 in a cloudless sky , and the breath of the passers - by blew out
6704 into smoke like so many pistol shots . Our footfalls rang out
6705 crisply and loudly as we swung through the doctors ' quarter ,
6706 Wimpole Street , Harley Street , and so through Wigmore Street into
6707 Oxford Street . In a quarter of an hour we were in Bloomsbury at
6708 the Alpha Inn , which is a small public - house at the corner of one
6709 of the streets which runs down into Holborn . Holmes pushed open
6710 the door of the private bar and ordered two glasses of beer from
6711 the ruddy - faced , white - aproned landlord .
6712
6713 " Your beer should be excellent if it is as good as your geese "
6714 said he .
6715
6716 " My geese " The man seemed surprised .
6717
6718 " Yes . I was speaking only half an hour ago to Mr . Henry Baker ,
6719 who was a member of your goose club "
6720
6721 " Ah ! yes , I see . But you see , sir , them's not our geese "
6722
6723 " Indeed ! Whose , then "
6724
6725 " Well , I got the two dozen from a salesman in Covent Garden "
6726
6727 " Indeed ? I know some of them . Which was it "
6728
6729 " Breckinridge is his name "
6730
6731 " Ah ! I don't know him . Well , here's your good health landlord ,
6732 and prosperity to your house . Good - night "
6733
6734 " Now for Mr . Breckinridge " he continued , buttoning up his coat
6735 as we came out into the frosty air . " Remember , Watson that though
6736 we have so homely a thing as a goose at one end of this chain , we
6737 have at the other a man who will certainly get seven years ' penal
6738 servitude unless we can establish his innocence . It is possible
6739 that our inquiry may but confirm his guilt ; but , in any case , we
6740 have a line of investigation which has been missed by the police ,
6741 and which a singular chance has placed in our hands . Let us
6742 follow it out to the bitter end . Faces to the south , then , and
6743 quick march "
6744
6745 We passed across Holborn , down Endell Street , and so through a
6746 zigzag of slums to Covent Garden Market . One of the largest
6747 stalls bore the name of Breckinridge upon it , and the proprietor
6748 a horsey - looking man , with a sharp face and trim side - whiskers was
6749 helping a boy to put up the shutters .
6750
6751 " Good - evening . It's a cold night " said Holmes .
6752
6753 The salesman nodded and shot a questioning glance at my
6754 companion .
6755
6756 " Sold out of geese , I see " continued Holmes , pointing at the
6757 bare slabs of marble .
6758
6759 " Let you have five hundred to - morrow morning "
6760
6761 " That's no good "
6762
6763 " Well , there are some on the stall with the gas - flare "
6764
6765 " Ah , but I was recommended to you "
6766
6767 " Who by "
6768
6769 " The landlord of the Alpha "
6770
6771 " Oh , yes ; I sent him a couple of dozen "
6772
6773 " Fine birds they were , too . Now where did you get them from "
6774
6775 To my surprise the question provoked a burst of anger from the
6776 salesman .
6777
6778 " Now , then , mister " said he , with his head cocked and his arms
6779 akimbo , " what are you driving at ? Let's have it straight , now "
6780
6781 " It is straight enough . I should like to know who sold you the
6782 geese which you supplied to the Alpha "
6783
6784 " Well then , I shan't tell you . So now "
6785
6786 " Oh , it is a matter of no importance ; but I don't know why you
6787 should be so warm over such a trifle "
6788
6789 " Warm ! You ' d be as warm , maybe , if you were as pestered as I am .
6790 When I pay good money for a good article there should be an end
6791 of the business ; but it's ' Where are the geese ' and ' Who did you
6792 sell the geese to ' and ' What will you take for the geese ' One
6793 would think they were the only geese in the world , to hear the
6794 fuss that is made over them "
6795
6796 " Well , I have no connection with any other people who have been
6797 making inquiries " said Holmes carelessly . " If you won't tell us
6798 the bet is off , that is all . But I ' m always ready to back my
6799 opinion on a matter of fowls , and I have a fiver on it that the
6800 bird I ate is country bred "
6801
6802 " Well , then , you ' ve lost your fiver , for it's town bred " snapped
6803 the salesman .
6804
6805 " It's nothing of the kind "
6806
6807 " I say it is "
6808
6809 " I don't believe it "
6810
6811 " D ' you think you know more about fowls than I , who have handled
6812 them ever since I was a nipper ? I tell you , all those birds that
6813 went to the Alpha were town bred "
6814
6815 " You ' ll never persuade me to believe that "
6816
6817 " Will you bet , then "
6818
6819 " It's merely taking your money , for I know that I am right . But
6820 I ' ll have a sovereign on with you , just to teach you not to be
6821 obstinate "
6822
6823 The salesman chuckled grimly . " Bring me the books , Bill " said
6824 he .
6825
6826 The small boy brought round a small thin volume and a great
6827 greasy - backed one , laying them out together beneath the hanging
6828 lamp .
6829
6830 " Now then , Mr . Cocksure " said the salesman , " I thought that I
6831 was out of geese , but before I finish you ' ll find that there is
6832 still one left in my shop . You see this little book "
6833
6834 " Well "
6835
6836 " That's the list of the folk from whom I buy . D ' you see ? Well ,
6837 then , here on this page are the country folk , and the numbers
6838 after their names are where their accounts are in the big ledger .
6839 Now , then ! You see this other page in red ink ? Well , that is a
6840 list of my town suppliers . Now , look at that third name . Just
6841 read it out to me "
6842
6843 " Mrs . Oakshott , 117 , Brixton Road - 249 " read Holmes .
6844
6845 " Quite so . Now turn that up in the ledger "
6846
6847 Holmes turned to the page indicated . " Here you are , ' Mrs .
6848 Oakshott , 117 , Brixton Road , egg and poultry supplier '"
6849
6850 " Now , then , what's the last entry "
6851
6852 ' December 22nd . Twenty - four geese at 7s . 6d '"
6853
6854 " Quite so . There you are . And underneath "
6855
6856 ' Sold to Mr . Windigate of the Alpha , at 12s '"
6857
6858 " What have you to say now "
6859
6860 Sherlock Holmes looked deeply chagrined . He drew a sovereign from
6861 his pocket and threw it down upon the slab , turning away with the
6862 air of a man whose disgust is too deep for words . A few yards off
6863 he stopped under a lamp - post and laughed in the hearty , noiseless
6864 fashion which was peculiar to him .
6865
6866 " When you see a man with whiskers of that cut and the ' Pink ' un '
6867 protruding out of his pocket , you can always draw him by a bet "
6868 said he . " I daresay that if I had put 100 pounds down in front of
6869 him , that man would not have given me such complete information
6870 as was drawn from him by the idea that he was doing me on a
6871 wager . Well , Watson , we are , I fancy , nearing the end of our
6872 quest , and the only point which remains to be determined is
6873 whether we should go on to this Mrs . Oakshott to - night , or
6874 whether we should reserve it for to - morrow . It is clear from what
6875 that surly fellow said that there are others besides ourselves
6876 who are anxious about the matter , and I should -"
6877
6878 His remarks were suddenly cut short by a loud hubbub which broke
6879 out from the stall which we had just left . Turning round we saw a
6880 little rat - faced fellow standing in the centre of the circle of
6881 yellow light which was thrown by the swinging lamp , while
6882 Breckinridge , the salesman , framed in the door of his stall , was
6883 shaking his fists fiercely at the cringing figure .
6884
6885 " I ' ve had enough of you and your geese " he shouted . " I wish you
6886 were all at the devil together . If you come pestering me any more
6887 with your silly talk I ' ll set the dog at you . You bring Mrs .
6888 Oakshott here and I ' ll answer her , but what have you to do with
6889 it ? Did I buy the geese off you "
6890
6891 " No ; but one of them was mine all the same " whined the little
6892 man .
6893
6894 " Well , then , ask Mrs . Oakshott for it "
6895
6896 " She told me to ask you "
6897
6898 " Well , you can ask the King of Proosia , for all I care . I ' ve had
6899 enough of it . Get out of this " He rushed fiercely forward , and
6900 the inquirer flitted away into the darkness .
6901
6902 " Ha ! this may save us a visit to Brixton Road " whispered Holmes .
6903 " Come with me , and we will see what is to be made of this
6904 fellow " Striding through the scattered knots of people who
6905 lounged round the flaring stalls , my companion speedily overtook
6906 the little man and touched him upon the shoulder . He sprang
6907 round , and I could see in the gas - light that every vestige of
6908 colour had been driven from his face .
6909
6910 " Who are you , then ? What do you want " he asked in a quavering
6911 voice .
6912
6913 " You will excuse me " said Holmes blandly , " but I could not help
6914 overhearing the questions which you put to the salesman just now .
6915 I think that I could be of assistance to you "
6916
6917 " You ? Who are you ? How could you know anything of the matter "
6918
6919 " My name is Sherlock Holmes . It is my business to know what other
6920 people don't know "
6921
6922 " But you can know nothing of this "
6923
6924 " Excuse me , I know everything of it . You are endeavouring to
6925 trace some geese which were sold by Mrs . Oakshott , of Brixton
6926 Road , to a salesman named Breckinridge , by him in turn to Mr .
6927 Windigate , of the Alpha , and by him to his club , of which Mr .
6928 Henry Baker is a member "
6929
6930 " Oh , sir , you are the very man whom I have longed to meet " cried
6931 the little fellow with outstretched hands and quivering fingers .
6932 " I can hardly explain to you how interested I am in this matter "
6933
6934 Sherlock Holmes hailed a four - wheeler which was passing . " In that
6935 case we had better discuss it in a cosy room rather than in this
6936 wind - swept market - place " said he . " But pray tell me , before we
6937 go farther , who it is that I have the pleasure of assisting "
6938
6939 The man hesitated for an instant . " My name is John Robinson " he
6940 answered with a sidelong glance .
6941
6942 " No , no ; the real name " said Holmes sweetly . " It is always
6943 awkward doing business with an alias "
6944
6945 A flush sprang to the white cheeks of the stranger . " Well then "
6946 said he , " my real name is James Ryder "
6947
6948 " Precisely so . Head attendant at the Hotel Cosmopolitan . Pray
6949 step into the cab , and I shall soon be able to tell you
6950 everything which you would wish to know "
6951
6952 The little man stood glancing from one to the other of us with
6953 half - frightened , half - hopeful eyes , as one who is not sure
6954 whether he is on the verge of a windfall or of a catastrophe .
6955 Then he stepped into the cab , and in half an hour we were back in
6956 the sitting - room at Baker Street . Nothing had been said during
6957 our drive , but the high , thin breathing of our new companion , and
6958 the claspings and unclaspings of his hands , spoke of the nervous
6959 tension within him .
6960
6961 " Here we are " said Holmes cheerily as we filed into the room .
6962 " The fire looks very seasonable in this weather . You look cold ,
6963 Mr . Ryder . Pray take the basket - chair . I will just put on my
6964 slippers before we settle this little matter of yours . Now , then !
6965 You want to know what became of those geese "
6966
6967 " Yes , sir "
6968
6969 " Or rather , I fancy , of that goose . It was one bird , I imagine in
6970 which you were interested - white , with a black bar across the
6971 tail "
6972
6973 Ryder quivered with emotion . " Oh , sir " he cried , " can you tell
6974 me where it went to "
6975
6976 " It came here "
6977
6978 " Here "
6979
6980 " Yes , and a most remarkable bird it proved . I don't wonder that
6981 you should take an interest in it . It laid an egg after it was
6982 dead - the bonniest , brightest little blue egg that ever was seen .
6983 I have it here in my museum "
6984
6985 Our visitor staggered to his feet and clutched the mantelpiece
6986 with his right hand . Holmes unlocked his strong - box and held up
6987 the blue carbuncle , which shone out like a star , with a cold ,
6988 brilliant , many - pointed radiance . Ryder stood glaring with a
6989 drawn face , uncertain whether to claim or to disown it .
6990
6991 " The game's up , Ryder " said Holmes quietly . " Hold up , man , or
6992 you ' ll be into the fire ! Give him an arm back into his chair ,
6993 Watson . He's not got blood enough to go in for felony with
6994 impunity . Give him a dash of brandy . So ! Now he looks a little
6995 more human . What a shrimp it is , to be sure "
6996
6997 For a moment he had staggered and nearly fallen , but the brandy
6998 brought a tinge of colour into his cheeks , and he sat staring
6999 with frightened eyes at his accuser .
7000
7001 " I have almost every link in my hands , and all the proofs which I
7002 could possibly need , so there is little which you need tell me .
7003 Still , that little may as well be cleared up to make the case
7004 complete . You had heard , Ryder , of this blue stone of the
7005 Countess of Morcar's "
7006
7007 " It was Catherine Cusack who told me of it " said he in a
7008 crackling voice .
7009
7010 " I see - her ladyship's waiting - maid . Well , the temptation of
7011 sudden wealth so easily acquired was too much for you , as it has
7012 been for better men before you ; but you were not very scrupulous
7013 in the means you used . It seems to me , Ryder , that there is the
7014 making of a very pretty villain in you . You knew that this man
7015 Horner , the plumber , had been concerned in some such matter
7016 before , and that suspicion would rest the more readily upon him .
7017 What did you do , then ? You made some small job in my lady's
7018 room - you and your confederate Cusack - and you managed that he
7019 should be the man sent for . Then , when he had left , you rifled
7020 the jewel - case , raised the alarm , and had this unfortunate man
7021 arrested . You then -"
7022
7023 Ryder threw himself down suddenly upon the rug and clutched at my
7024 companion's knees . " For God's sake , have mercy " he shrieked .
7025 " Think of my father ! Of my mother ! It would break their hearts . I
7026 never went wrong before ! I never will again . I swear it . I ' ll
7027 swear it on a Bible . Oh , don't bring it into court ! For Christ's
7028 sake , don't "
7029
7030 " Get back into your chair " said Holmes sternly . " It is very well
7031 to cringe and crawl now , but you thought little enough of this
7032 poor Horner in the dock for a crime of which he knew nothing "
7033
7034 " I will fly , Mr . Holmes . I will leave the country , sir . Then the
7035 charge against him will break down "
7036
7037 " Hum ! We will talk about that . And now let us hear a true account
7038 of the next act . How came the stone into the goose , and how came
7039 the goose into the open market ? Tell us the truth , for there lies
7040 your only hope of safety "
7041
7042 Ryder passed his tongue over his parched lips . " I will tell you
7043 it just as it happened , sir " said he . " When Horner had been
7044 arrested , it seemed to me that it would be best for me to get
7045 away with the stone at once , for I did not know at what moment
7046 the police might not take it into their heads to search me and my
7047 room . There was no place about the hotel where it would be safe .
7048 I went out , as if on some commission , and I made for my sister's
7049 house . She had married a man named Oakshott , and lived in Brixton
7050 Road , where she fattened fowls for the market . All the way there
7051 every man I met seemed to me to be a policeman or a detective ;
7052 and , for all that it was a cold night , the sweat was pouring down
7053 my face before I came to the Brixton Road . My sister asked me
7054 what was the matter , and why I was so pale ; but I told her that I
7055 had been upset by the jewel robbery at the hotel . Then I went
7056 into the back yard and smoked a pipe and wondered what it would
7057 be best to do .
7058
7059 " I had a friend once called Maudsley , who went to the bad , and
7060 has just been serving his time in Pentonville . One day he had met
7061 me , and fell into talk about the ways of thieves , and how they
7062 could get rid of what they stole . I knew that he would be true to
7063 me , for I knew one or two things about him ; so I made up my mind
7064 to go right on to Kilburn , where he lived , and take him into my
7065 confidence . He would show me how to turn the stone into money .
7066 But how to get to him in safety ? I thought of the agonies I had
7067 gone through in coming from the hotel . I might at any moment be
7068 seized and searched , and there would be the stone in my waistcoat
7069 pocket . I was leaning against the wall at the time and looking at
7070 the geese which were waddling about round my feet , and suddenly
7071 an idea came into my head which showed me how I could beat the
7072 best detective that ever lived .
7073
7074 " My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the
7075 pick of her geese for a Christmas present , and I knew that she
7076 was always as good as her word . I would take my goose now , and in
7077 it I would carry my stone to Kilburn . There was a little shed in
7078 the yard , and behind this I drove one of the birds - a fine big
7079 one , white , with a barred tail . I caught it , and prying its bill
7080 open , I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger
7081 could reach . The bird gave a gulp , and I felt the stone pass
7082 along its gullet and down into its crop . But the creature flapped
7083 and struggled , and out came my sister to know what was the
7084 matter . As I turned to speak to her the brute broke loose and
7085 fluttered off among the others .
7086
7087 ' Whatever were you doing with that bird , Jem ' says she .
7088
7089 ' Well ' said I , ' you said you ' d give me one for Christmas , and I
7090 was feeling which was the fattest '
7091
7092 ' Oh ' says she , ' we ' ve set yours aside for you - Jem's bird , we
7093 call it . It's the big white one over yonder . There's twenty - six
7094 of them , which makes one for you , and one for us , and two dozen
7095 for the market '
7096
7097 ' Thank you , Maggie ' says I ; ' but if it is all the same to you ,
7098 I ' d rather have that one I was handling just now '
7099
7100 ' The other is a good three pound heavier ' said she , ' and we
7101 fattened it expressly for you '
7102
7103 ' Never mind . I ' ll have the other , and I ' ll take it now ' said I .
7104
7105 ' Oh , just as you like ' said she , a little huffed . ' Which is it
7106 you want , then '
7107
7108 ' That white one with the barred tail , right in the middle of the
7109 flock '
7110
7111 ' Oh , very well . Kill it and take it with you '
7112
7113 " Well , I did what she said , Mr . Holmes , and I carried the bird
7114 all the way to Kilburn . I told my pal what I had done , for he was
7115 a man that it was easy to tell a thing like that to . He laughed
7116 until he choked , and we got a knife and opened the goose . My
7117 heart turned to water , for there was no sign of the stone , and I
7118 knew that some terrible mistake had occurred . I left the bird ,
7119 rushed back to my sister's , and hurried into the back yard . There
7120 was not a bird to be seen there .
7121
7122 ' Where are they all , Maggie ' I cried .
7123
7124 ' Gone to the dealer's , Jem '
7125
7126 ' Which dealer's '
7127
7128 ' Breckinridge , of Covent Garden '
7129
7130 ' But was there another with a barred tail ' I asked , ' the same
7131 as the one I chose '
7132
7133 ' Yes , Jem ; there were two barred - tailed ones , and I could never
7134 tell them apart '
7135
7136 " Well , then , of course I saw it all , and I ran off as hard as my
7137 feet would carry me to this man Breckinridge ; but he had sold the
7138 lot at once , and not one word would he tell me as to where they
7139 had gone . You heard him yourselves to - night . Well , he has always
7140 answered me like that . My sister thinks that I am going mad .
7141 Sometimes I think that I am myself . And now - and now I am myself
7142 a branded thief , without ever having touched the wealth for which
7143 I sold my character . God help me ! God help me " He burst into
7144 convulsive sobbing , with his face buried in his hands .
7145
7146 There was a long silence , broken only by his heavy breathing and
7147 by the measured tapping of Sherlock Holmes ' finger - tips upon the
7148 edge of the table . Then my friend rose and threw open the door .
7149
7150 " Get out " said he .
7151
7152 " What , sir ! Oh , Heaven bless you "
7153
7154 " No more words . Get out "
7155
7156 And no more words were needed . There was a rush , a clatter upon
7157 the stairs , the bang of a door , and the crisp rattle of running
7158 footfalls from the street .
7159
7160 " After all , Watson " said Holmes , reaching up his hand for his
7161 clay pipe , " I am not retained by the police to supply their
7162 deficiencies . If Horner were in danger it would be another thing ;
7163 but this fellow will not appear against him , and the case must
7164 collapse . I suppose that I am commuting a felony , but it is just
7165 possible that I am saving a soul . This fellow will not go wrong
7166 again ; he is too terribly frightened . Send him to gaol now , and
7167 you make him a gaol - bird for life . Besides , it is the season of
7168 forgiveness . Chance has put in our way a most singular and
7169 whimsical problem , and its solution is its own reward . If you
7170 will have the goodness to touch the bell , Doctor , we will begin
7171 another investigation , in which , also a bird will be the chief
7172 feature "
7173
7174
7175
7176 VIII . THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND
7177
7178 On glancing over my notes of the seventy odd cases in which I
7179 have during the last eight years studied the methods of my friend
7180 Sherlock Holmes , I find many tragic , some comic , a large number
7181 merely strange , but none commonplace ; for , working as he did
7182 rather for the love of his art than for the acquirement of
7183 wealth , he refused to associate himself with any investigation
7184 which did not tend towards the unusual , and even the fantastic .
7185 Of all these varied cases , however , I cannot recall any which
7186 presented more singular features than that which was associated
7187 with the well - known Surrey family of the Roylotts of Stoke Moran .
7188 The events in question occurred in the early days of my
7189 association with Holmes , when we were sharing rooms as bachelors
7190 in Baker Street . It is possible that I might have placed them
7191 upon record before , but a promise of secrecy was made at the
7192 time , from which I have only been freed during the last month by
7193 the untimely death of the lady to whom the pledge was given . It
7194 is perhaps as well that the facts should now come to light , for I
7195 have reasons to know that there are widespread rumours as to the
7196 death of Dr . Grimesby Roylott which tend to make the matter even
7197 more terrible than the truth .
7198
7199 It was early in April in the year ' 83 that I woke one morning to
7200 find Sherlock Holmes standing , fully dressed , by the side of my
7201 bed . He was a late riser , as a rule , and as the clock on the
7202 mantelpiece showed me that it was only a quarter - past seven , I
7203 blinked up at him in some surprise , and perhaps just a little
7204 resentment , for I was myself regular in my habits .
7205
7206 " Very sorry to knock you up , Watson " said he , " but it's the
7207 common lot this morning . Mrs . Hudson has been knocked up , she
7208 retorted upon me , and I on you "
7209
7210 " What is it , then - a fire "
7211
7212 " No ; a client . It seems that a young lady has arrived in a
7213 considerable state of excitement , who insists upon seeing me . She
7214 is waiting now in the sitting - room . Now , when young ladies wander
7215 about the metropolis at this hour of the morning , and knock
7216 sleepy people up out of their beds , I presume that it is
7217 something very pressing which they have to communicate . Should it
7218 prove to be an interesting case , you would , I am sure , wish to
7219 follow it from the outset . I thought , at any rate , that I should
7220 call you and give you the chance "
7221
7222 " My dear fellow , I would not miss it for anything "
7223
7224 I had no keener pleasure than in following Holmes in his
7225 professional investigations , and in admiring the rapid
7226 deductions , as swift as intuitions , and yet always founded on a
7227 logical basis with which he unravelled the problems which were
7228 submitted to him . I rapidly threw on my clothes and was ready in
7229 a few minutes to accompany my friend down to the sitting - room . A
7230 lady dressed in black and heavily veiled , who had been sitting in
7231 the window , rose as we entered .
7232
7233 " Good - morning , madam " said Holmes cheerily . " My name is Sherlock
7234 Holmes . This is my intimate friend and associate , Dr . Watson ,
7235 before whom you can speak as freely as before myself . Ha ! I am
7236 glad to see that Mrs . Hudson has had the good sense to light the
7237 fire . Pray draw up to it , and I shall order you a cup of hot
7238 coffee , for I observe that you are shivering "
7239
7240 " It is not cold which makes me shiver " said the woman in a low
7241 voice , changing her seat as requested .
7242
7243 " What , then "
7244
7245 " It is fear , Mr . Holmes . It is terror " She raised her veil as
7246 she spoke , and we could see that she was indeed in a pitiable
7247 state of agitation , her face all drawn and grey , with restless
7248 frightened eyes , like those of some hunted animal . Her features
7249 and figure were those of a woman of thirty , but her hair was shot
7250 with premature grey , and her expression was weary and haggard .
7251 Sherlock Holmes ran her over with one of his quick ,
7252 all - comprehensive glances .
7253
7254 " You must not fear " said he soothingly , bending forward and
7255 patting her forearm . " We shall soon set matters right , I have no
7256 doubt . You have come in by train this morning , I see "
7257
7258 " You know me , then "
7259
7260 " No , but I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm
7261 of your left glove . You must have started early , and yet you had
7262 a good drive in a dog - cart , along heavy roads , before you reached
7263 the station "
7264
7265 The lady gave a violent start and stared in bewilderment at my
7266 companion .
7267
7268 " There is no mystery , my dear madam " said he , smiling . " The left
7269 arm of your jacket is spattered with mud in no less than seven
7270 places . The marks are perfectly fresh . There is no vehicle save a
7271 dog - cart which throws up mud in that way , and then only when you
7272 sit on the left - hand side of the driver "
7273
7274 " Whatever your reasons may be , you are perfectly correct " said
7275 she . " I started from home before six , reached Leatherhead at
7276 twenty past , and came in by the first train to Waterloo . Sir , I
7277 can stand this strain no longer ; I shall go mad if it continues .
7278 I have no one to turn to - none , save only one , who cares for me ,
7279 and he , poor fellow , can be of little aid . I have heard of you ,
7280 Mr . Holmes ; I have heard of you from Mrs . Farintosh , whom you
7281 helped in the hour of her sore need . It was from her that I had
7282 your address . Oh , sir , do you not think that you could help me ,
7283 too , and at least throw a little light through the dense darkness
7284 which surrounds me ? At present it is out of my power to reward
7285 you for your services , but in a month or six weeks I shall be
7286 married , with the control of my own income , and then at least you
7287 shall not find me ungrateful "
7288
7289 Holmes turned to his desk and , unlocking it , drew out a small
7290 case - book , which he consulted .
7291
7292 " Farintosh " said he . " Ah yes , I recall the case ; it was
7293 concerned with an opal tiara . I think it was before your time ,
7294 Watson . I can only say , madam , that I shall be happy to devote
7295 the same care to your case as I did to that of your friend . As to
7296 reward , my profession is its own reward ; but you are at liberty
7297 to defray whatever expenses I may be put to , at the time which
7298 suits you best . And now I beg that you will lay before us
7299 everything that may help us in forming an opinion upon the
7300 matter "
7301
7302 " Alas " replied our visitor , " the very horror of my situation
7303 lies in the fact that my fears are so vague , and my suspicions
7304 depend so entirely upon small points , which might seem trivial to
7305 another , that even he to whom of all others I have a right to
7306 look for help and advice looks upon all that I tell him about it
7307 as the fancies of a nervous woman . He does not say so , but I can
7308 read it from his soothing answers and averted eyes . But I have
7309 heard , Mr . Holmes , that you can see deeply into the manifold
7310 wickedness of the human heart . You may advise me how to walk amid
7311 the dangers which encompass me "
7312
7313 " I am all attention , madam "
7314
7315 " My name is Helen Stoner , and I am living with my stepfather , who
7316 is the last survivor of one of the oldest Saxon families in
7317 England , the Roylotts of Stoke Moran , on the western border of
7318 Surrey "
7319
7320 Holmes nodded his head . " The name is familiar to me " said he .
7321
7322 " The family was at one time among the richest in England , and the
7323 estates extended over the borders into Berkshire in the north ,
7324 and Hampshire in the west . In the last century , however , four
7325 successive heirs were of a dissolute and wasteful disposition ,
7326 and the family ruin was eventually completed by a gambler in the
7327 days of the Regency . Nothing was left save a few acres of ground ,
7328 and the two - hundred - year - old house , which is itself crushed under
7329 a heavy mortgage . The last squire dragged out his existence
7330 there , living the horrible life of an aristocratic pauper ; but
7331 his only son , my stepfather , seeing that he must adapt himself to
7332 the new conditions , obtained an advance from a relative , which
7333 enabled him to take a medical degree and went out to Calcutta ,
7334 where , by his professional skill and his force of character , he
7335 established a large practice . In a fit of anger , however , caused
7336 by some robberies which had been perpetrated in the house , he
7337 beat his native butler to death and narrowly escaped a capital
7338 sentence . As it was , he suffered a long term of imprisonment and
7339 afterwards returned to England a morose and disappointed man .
7340
7341 " When Dr . Roylott was in India he married my mother , Mrs . Stoner ,
7342 the young widow of Major - General Stoner , of the Bengal Artillery .
7343 My sister Julia and I were twins , and we were only two years old
7344 at the time of my mother's re - marriage . She had a considerable
7345 sum of money - not less than 1000 pounds a year - and this she
7346 bequeathed to Dr . Roylott entirely while we resided with him ,
7347 with a provision that a certain annual sum should be allowed to
7348 each of us in the event of our marriage . Shortly after our return
7349 to England my mother died - she was killed eight years ago in a
7350 railway accident near Crewe . Dr . Roylott then abandoned his
7351 attempts to establish himself in practice in London and took us
7352 to live with him in the old ancestral house at Stoke Moran . The
7353 money which my mother had left was enough for all our wants , and
7354 there seemed to be no obstacle to our happiness .
7355
7356 " But a terrible change came over our stepfather about this time .
7357 Instead of making friends and exchanging visits with our
7358 neighbours , who had at first been overjoyed to see a Roylott of
7359 Stoke Moran back in the old family seat , he shut himself up in
7360 his house and seldom came out save to indulge in ferocious
7361 quarrels with whoever might cross his path . Violence of temper
7362 approaching to mania has been hereditary in the men of the
7363 family , and in my stepfather's case it had , I believe , been
7364 intensified by his long residence in the tropics . A series of
7365 disgraceful brawls took place , two of which ended in the
7366 police - court , until at last he became the terror of the village ,
7367 and the folks would fly at his approach , for he is a man of
7368 immense strength , and absolutely uncontrollable in his anger .
7369
7370 " Last week he hurled the local blacksmith over a parapet into a
7371 stream , and it was only by paying over all the money which I
7372 could gather together that I was able to avert another public
7373 exposure . He had no friends at all save the wandering gipsies ,
7374 and he would give these vagabonds leave to encamp upon the few
7375 acres of bramble - covered land which represent the family estate ,
7376 and would accept in return the hospitality of their tents ,
7377 wandering away with them sometimes for weeks on end . He has a
7378 passion also for Indian animals , which are sent over to him by a
7379 correspondent , and he has at this moment a cheetah and a baboon ,
7380 which wander freely over his grounds and are feared by the
7381 villagers almost as much as their master .
7382
7383 " You can imagine from what I say that my poor sister Julia and I
7384 had no great pleasure in our lives . No servant would stay with
7385 us , and for a long time we did all the work of the house . She was
7386 but thirty at the time of her death , and yet her hair had already
7387 begun to whiten , even as mine has "
7388
7389 " Your sister is dead , then "
7390
7391 " She died just two years ago , and it is of her death that I wish
7392 to speak to you . You can understand that , living the life which I
7393 have described , we were little likely to see anyone of our own
7394 age and position . We had , however , an aunt , my mother's maiden
7395 sister , Miss Honoria Westphail , who lives near Harrow , and we
7396 were occasionally allowed to pay short visits at this lady's
7397 house . Julia went there at Christmas two years ago , and met there
7398 a half - pay major of marines , to whom she became engaged . My
7399 stepfather learned of the engagement when my sister returned and
7400 offered no objection to the marriage ; but within a fortnight of
7401 the day which had been fixed for the wedding , the terrible event
7402 occurred which has deprived me of my only companion "
7403
7404 Sherlock Holmes had been leaning back in his chair with his eyes
7405 closed and his head sunk in a cushion , but he half opened his
7406 lids now and glanced across at his visitor .
7407
7408 " Pray be precise as to details " said he .
7409
7410 " It is easy for me to be so , for every event of that dreadful
7411 time is seared into my memory . The manor - house is , as I have
7412 already said , very old , and only one wing is now inhabited . The
7413 bedrooms in this wing are on the ground floor , the sitting - rooms
7414 being in the central block of the buildings . Of these bedrooms
7415 the first is Dr . Roylott's , the second my sister's , and the third
7416 my own . There is no communication between them , but they all open
7417 out into the same corridor . Do I make myself plain "
7418
7419 " Perfectly so "
7420
7421 " The windows of the three rooms open out upon the lawn . That
7422 fatal night Dr . Roylott had gone to his room early , though we
7423 knew that he had not retired to rest , for my sister was troubled
7424 by the smell of the strong Indian cigars which it was his custom
7425 to smoke . She left her room , therefore , and came into mine , where
7426 she sat for some time , chatting about her approaching wedding . At
7427 eleven o'clock she rose to leave me , but she paused at the door
7428 and looked back .
7429
7430 ' Tell me , Helen ' said she , ' have you ever heard anyone whistle
7431 in the dead of the night '
7432
7433 ' Never ' said I .
7434
7435 ' I suppose that you could not possibly whistle , yourself , in
7436 your sleep '
7437
7438 ' Certainly not . But why '
7439
7440 ' Because during the last few nights I have always , about three
7441 in the morning , heard a low , clear whistle . I am a light sleeper ,
7442 and it has awakened me . I cannot tell where it came from - perhaps
7443 from the next room , perhaps from the lawn . I thought that I would
7444 just ask you whether you had heard it '
7445
7446 ' No , I have not . It must be those wretched gipsies in the
7447 plantation '
7448
7449 ' Very likely . And yet if it were on the lawn , I wonder that you
7450 did not hear it also '
7451
7452 ' Ah , but I sleep more heavily than you '
7453
7454 ' Well , it is of no great consequence , at any rate ' She smiled
7455 back at me , closed my door , and a few moments later I heard her
7456 key turn in the lock "
7457
7458 " Indeed " said Holmes . " Was it your custom always to lock
7459 yourselves in at night "
7460
7461 " Always "
7462
7463 " And why "
7464
7465 " I think that I mentioned to you that the doctor kept a cheetah
7466 and a baboon . We had no feeling of security unless our doors were
7467 locked "
7468
7469 " Quite so . Pray proceed with your statement "
7470
7471 " I could not sleep that night . A vague feeling of impending
7472 misfortune impressed me . My sister and I , you will recollect ,
7473 were twins , and you know how subtle are the links which bind two
7474 souls which are so closely allied . It was a wild night . The wind
7475 was howling outside , and the rain was beating and splashing
7476 against the windows . Suddenly , amid all the hubbub of the gale ,
7477 there burst forth the wild scream of a terrified woman . I knew
7478 that it was my sister's voice . I sprang from my bed , wrapped a
7479 shawl round me , and rushed into the corridor . As I opened my door
7480 I seemed to hear a low whistle , such as my sister described , and
7481 a few moments later a clanging sound , as if a mass of metal had
7482 fallen . As I ran down the passage , my sister's door was unlocked ,
7483 and revolved slowly upon its hinges . I stared at it
7484 horror - stricken , not knowing what was about to issue from it . By
7485 the light of the corridor - lamp I saw my sister appear at the
7486 opening , her face blanched with terror , her hands groping for
7487 help , her whole figure swaying to and fro like that of a
7488 drunkard . I ran to her and threw my arms round her , but at that
7489 moment her knees seemed to give way and she fell to the ground .
7490 She writhed as one who is in terrible pain , and her limbs were
7491 dreadfully convulsed . At first I thought that she had not
7492 recognised me , but as I bent over her she suddenly shrieked out
7493 in a voice which I shall never forget , ' Oh , my God ! Helen ! It was
7494 the band ! The speckled band ' There was something else which she
7495 would fain have said , and she stabbed with her finger into the
7496 air in the direction of the doctor's room , but a fresh convulsion
7497 seized her and choked her words . I rushed out , calling loudly for
7498 my stepfather , and I met him hastening from his room in his
7499 dressing - gown . When he reached my sister's side she was
7500 unconscious , and though he poured brandy down her throat and sent
7501 for medical aid from the village , all efforts were in vain , for
7502 she slowly sank and died without having recovered her
7503 consciousness . Such was the dreadful end of my beloved sister "
7504
7505 " One moment " said Holmes , " are you sure about this whistle and
7506 metallic sound ? Could you swear to it "
7507
7508 " That was what the county coroner asked me at the inquiry . It is
7509 my strong impression that I heard it , and yet , among the crash of
7510 the gale and the creaking of an old house , I may possibly have
7511 been deceived "
7512
7513 " Was your sister dressed "
7514
7515 " No , she was in her night - dress . In her right hand was found the
7516 charred stump of a match , and in her left a match - box "
7517
7518 " Showing that she had struck a light and looked about her when
7519 the alarm took place . That is important . And what conclusions did
7520 the coroner come to "
7521
7522 " He investigated the case with great care , for Dr . Roylott's
7523 conduct had long been notorious in the county , but he was unable
7524 to find any satisfactory cause of death . My evidence showed that
7525 the door had been fastened upon the inner side , and the windows
7526 were blocked by old - fashioned shutters with broad iron bars ,
7527 which were secured every night . The walls were carefully sounded ,
7528 and were shown to be quite solid all round , and the flooring was
7529 also thoroughly examined , with the same result . The chimney is
7530 wide , but is barred up by four large staples . It is certain ,
7531 therefore , that my sister was quite alone when she met her end .
7532 Besides , there were no marks of any violence upon her "
7533
7534 " How about poison "
7535
7536 " The doctors examined her for it , but without success "
7537
7538 " What do you think that this unfortunate lady died of , then "
7539
7540 " It is my belief that she died of pure fear and nervous shock ,
7541 though what it was that frightened her I cannot imagine "
7542
7543 " Were there gipsies in the plantation at the time "
7544
7545 " Yes , there are nearly always some there "
7546
7547 " Ah , and what did you gather from this allusion to a band - a
7548 speckled band "
7549
7550 " Sometimes I have thought that it was merely the wild talk of
7551 delirium , sometimes that it may have referred to some band of
7552 people , perhaps to these very gipsies in the plantation . I do not
7553 know whether the spotted handkerchiefs which so many of them wear
7554 over their heads might have suggested the strange adjective which
7555 she used "
7556
7557 Holmes shook his head like a man who is far from being satisfied .
7558
7559 " These are very deep waters " said he ; " pray go on with your
7560 narrative "
7561
7562 " Two years have passed since then , and my life has been until
7563 lately lonelier than ever . A month ago , however , a dear friend ,
7564 whom I have known for many years , has done me the honour to ask
7565 my hand in marriage . His name is Armitage - Percy Armitage - the
7566 second son of Mr . Armitage , of Crane Water , near Reading . My
7567 stepfather has offered no opposition to the match , and we are to
7568 be married in the course of the spring . Two days ago some repairs
7569 were started in the west wing of the building , and my bedroom
7570 wall has been pierced , so that I have had to move into the
7571 chamber in which my sister died , and to sleep in the very bed in
7572 which she slept . Imagine , then , my thrill of terror when last
7573 night , as I lay awake , thinking over her terrible fate , I
7574 suddenly heard in the silence of the night the low whistle which
7575 had been the herald of her own death . I sprang up and lit the
7576 lamp , but nothing was to be seen in the room . I was too shaken to
7577 go to bed again , however , so I dressed , and as soon as it was
7578 daylight I slipped down , got a dog - cart at the Crown Inn , which
7579 is opposite , and drove to Leatherhead , from whence I have come on
7580 this morning with the one object of seeing you and asking your
7581 advice "
7582
7583 " You have done wisely " said my friend . " But have you told me
7584 all "
7585
7586 " Yes , all "
7587
7588 " Miss Roylott , you have not . You are screening your stepfather "
7589
7590 " Why , what do you mean "
7591
7592 For answer Holmes pushed back the frill of black lace which
7593 fringed the hand that lay upon our visitor's knee . Five little
7594 livid spots , the marks of four fingers and a thumb , were printed
7595 upon the white wrist .
7596
7597 " You have been cruelly used " said Holmes .
7598
7599 The lady coloured deeply and covered over her injured wrist . " He
7600 is a hard man " she said , " and perhaps he hardly knows his own
7601 strength "
7602
7603 There was a long silence , during which Holmes leaned his chin
7604 upon his hands and stared into the crackling fire .
7605
7606 " This is a very deep business " he said at last . " There are a
7607 thousand details which I should desire to know before I decide
7608 upon our course of action . Yet we have not a moment to lose . If
7609 we were to come to Stoke Moran to - day , would it be possible for
7610 us to see over these rooms without the knowledge of your
7611 stepfather "
7612
7613 " As it happens , he spoke of coming into town to - day upon some
7614 most important business . It is probable that he will be away all
7615 day , and that there would be nothing to disturb you . We have a
7616 housekeeper now , but she is old and foolish , and I could easily
7617 get her out of the way "
7618
7619 " Excellent . You are not averse to this trip , Watson "
7620
7621 " By no means "
7622
7623 " Then we shall both come . What are you going to do yourself "
7624
7625 " I have one or two things which I would wish to do now that I am
7626 in town . But I shall return by the twelve o'clock train , so as to
7627 be there in time for your coming "
7628
7629 " And you may expect us early in the afternoon . I have myself some
7630 small business matters to attend to . Will you not wait and
7631 breakfast "
7632
7633 " No , I must go . My heart is lightened already since I have
7634 confided my trouble to you . I shall look forward to seeing you
7635 again this afternoon " She dropped her thick black veil over her
7636 face and glided from the room .
7637
7638 " And what do you think of it all , Watson " asked Sherlock Holmes ,
7639 leaning back in his chair .
7640
7641 " It seems to me to be a most dark and sinister business "
7642
7643 " Dark enough and sinister enough "
7644
7645 " Yet if the lady is correct in saying that the flooring and walls
7646 are sound , and that the door , window , and chimney are impassable ,
7647 then her sister must have been undoubtedly alone when she met her
7648 mysterious end "
7649
7650 " What becomes , then , of these nocturnal whistles , and what of the
7651 very peculiar words of the dying woman "
7652
7653 " I cannot think "
7654
7655 " When you combine the ideas of whistles at night , the presence of
7656 a band of gipsies who are on intimate terms with this old doctor ,
7657 the fact that we have every reason to believe that the doctor has
7658 an interest in preventing his stepdaughter's marriage , the dying
7659 allusion to a band , and , finally , the fact that Miss Helen Stoner
7660 heard a metallic clang , which might have been caused by one of
7661 those metal bars that secured the shutters falling back into its
7662 place , I think that there is good ground to think that the
7663 mystery may be cleared along those lines "
7664
7665 " But what , then , did the gipsies do "
7666
7667 " I cannot imagine "
7668
7669 " I see many objections to any such theory "
7670
7671 " And so do I . It is precisely for that reason that we are going
7672 to Stoke Moran this day . I want to see whether the objections are
7673 fatal , or if they may be explained away . But what in the name of
7674 the devil "
7675
7676 The ejaculation had been drawn from my companion by the fact that
7677 our door had been suddenly dashed open , and that a huge man had
7678 framed himself in the aperture . His costume was a peculiar
7679 mixture of the professional and of the agricultural , having a
7680 black top - hat , a long frock - coat , and a pair of high gaiters ,
7681 with a hunting - crop swinging in his hand . So tall was he that his
7682 hat actually brushed the cross bar of the doorway , and his
7683 breadth seemed to span it across from side to side . A large face ,
7684 seared with a thousand wrinkles , burned yellow with the sun , and
7685 marked with every evil passion , was turned from one to the other
7686 of us , while his deep - set , bile - shot eyes , and his high , thin ,
7687 fleshless nose , gave him somewhat the resemblance to a fierce old
7688 bird of prey .
7689
7690 " Which of you is Holmes " asked this apparition .
7691
7692 " My name , sir ; but you have the advantage of me " said my
7693 companion quietly .
7694
7695 " I am Dr . Grimesby Roylott , of Stoke Moran "
7696
7697 " Indeed , Doctor " said Holmes blandly . " Pray take a seat "
7698
7699 " I will do nothing of the kind . My stepdaughter has been here . I
7700 have traced her . What has she been saying to you "
7701
7702 " It is a little cold for the time of the year " said Holmes .
7703
7704 " What has she been saying to you " screamed the old man
7705 furiously .
7706
7707 " But I have heard that the crocuses promise well " continued my
7708 companion imperturbably .
7709
7710 " Ha ! You put me off , do you " said our new visitor , taking a step
7711 forward and shaking his hunting - crop . " I know you , you scoundrel !
7712 I have heard of you before . You are Holmes , the meddler "
7713
7714 My friend smiled .
7715
7716 " Holmes , the busybody "
7717
7718 His smile broadened .
7719
7720 " Holmes , the Scotland Yard Jack - in - office "
7721
7722 Holmes chuckled heartily . " Your conversation is most
7723 entertaining " said he . " When you go out close the door , for
7724 there is a decided draught "
7725
7726 " I will go when I have said my say . Don't you dare to meddle with
7727 my affairs . I know that Miss Stoner has been here . I traced her !
7728 I am a dangerous man to fall foul of ! See here " He stepped
7729 swiftly forward , seized the poker , and bent it into a curve with
7730 his huge brown hands .
7731
7732 " See that you keep yourself out of my grip " he snarled , and
7733 hurling the twisted poker into the fireplace he strode out of the
7734 room .
7735
7736 " He seems a very amiable person " said Holmes , laughing . " I am
7737 not quite so bulky , but if he had remained I might have shown him
7738 that my grip was not much more feeble than his own " As he spoke
7739 he picked up the steel poker and , with a sudden effort ,
7740 straightened it out again .
7741
7742 " Fancy his having the insolence to confound me with the official
7743 detective force ! This incident gives zest to our investigation ,
7744 however , and I only trust that our little friend will not suffer
7745 from her imprudence in allowing this brute to trace her . And now ,
7746 Watson , we shall order breakfast , and afterwards I shall walk
7747 down to Doctors ' Commons , where I hope to get some data which may
7748 help us in this matter "
7749
7750
7751 It was nearly one o'clock when Sherlock Holmes returned from his
7752 excursion . He held in his hand a sheet of blue paper , scrawled
7753 over with notes and figures .
7754
7755 " I have seen the will of the deceased wife " said he . " To
7756 determine its exact meaning I have been obliged to work out the
7757 present prices of the investments with which it is concerned . The
7758 total income , which at the time of the wife's death was little
7759 short of 1100 pounds , is now , through the fall in agricultural
7760 prices , not more than 750 pounds . Each daughter can claim an
7761 income of 250 pounds , in case of marriage . It is evident ,
7762 therefore , that if both girls had married , this beauty would have
7763 had a mere pittance , while even one of them would cripple him to
7764 a very serious extent . My morning's work has not been wasted ,
7765 since it has proved that he has the very strongest motives for
7766 standing in the way of anything of the sort . And now , Watson ,
7767 this is too serious for dawdling , especially as the old man is
7768 aware that we are interesting ourselves in his affairs ; so if you
7769 are ready , we shall call a cab and drive to Waterloo . I should be
7770 very much obliged if you would slip your revolver into your
7771 pocket . An Eley's No . 2 is an excellent argument with gentlemen
7772 who can twist steel pokers into knots . That and a tooth - brush
7773 are , I think , all that we need "
7774
7775 At Waterloo we were fortunate in catching a train for
7776 Leatherhead , where we hired a trap at the station inn and drove
7777 for four or five miles through the lovely Surrey lanes . It was a
7778 perfect day , with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the
7779 heavens . The trees and wayside hedges were just throwing out
7780 their first green shoots , and the air was full of the pleasant
7781 smell of the moist earth . To me at least there was a strange
7782 contrast between the sweet promise of the spring and this
7783 sinister quest upon which we were engaged . My companion sat in
7784 the front of the trap , his arms folded , his hat pulled down over
7785 his eyes , and his chin sunk upon his breast , buried in the
7786 deepest thought . Suddenly , however , he started , tapped me on the
7787 shoulder , and pointed over the meadows .
7788
7789 " Look there " said he .
7790
7791 A heavily timbered park stretched up in a gentle slope ,
7792 thickening into a grove at the highest point . From amid the
7793 branches there jutted out the grey gables and high roof - tree of a
7794 very old mansion .
7795
7796 " Stoke Moran " said he .
7797
7798 " Yes , sir , that be the house of Dr . Grimesby Roylott " remarked
7799 the driver .
7800
7801 " There is some building going on there " said Holmes ; " that is
7802 where we are going "
7803
7804 " There's the village " said the driver , pointing to a cluster of
7805 roofs some distance to the left ; " but if you want to get to the
7806 house , you ' ll find it shorter to get over this stile , and so by
7807 the foot - path over the fields . There it is , where the lady is
7808 walking "
7809
7810 " And the lady , I fancy , is Miss Stoner " observed Holmes , shading
7811 his eyes . " Yes , I think we had better do as you suggest "
7812
7813 We got off , paid our fare , and the trap rattled back on its way
7814 to Leatherhead .
7815
7816 " I thought it as well " said Holmes as we climbed the stile ,
7817 " that this fellow should think we had come here as architects , or
7818 on some definite business . It may stop his gossip .
7819 Good - afternoon , Miss Stoner . You see that we have been as good as
7820 our word "
7821
7822 Our client of the morning had hurried forward to meet us with a
7823 face which spoke her joy . " I have been waiting so eagerly for
7824 you " she cried , shaking hands with us warmly . " All has turned
7825 out splendidly . Dr . Roylott has gone to town , and it is unlikely
7826 that he will be back before evening "
7827
7828 " We have had the pleasure of making the doctor's acquaintance "
7829 said Holmes , and in a few words he sketched out what had
7830 occurred . Miss Stoner turned white to the lips as she listened .
7831
7832 " Good heavens " she cried , " he has followed me , then "
7833
7834 " So it appears "
7835
7836 " He is so cunning that I never know when I am safe from him . What
7837 will he say when he returns "
7838
7839 " He must guard himself , for he may find that there is someone
7840 more cunning than himself upon his track . You must lock yourself
7841 up from him to - night . If he is violent , we shall take you away to
7842 your aunt's at Harrow . Now , we must make the best use of our
7843 time , so kindly take us at once to the rooms which we are to
7844 examine "
7845
7846 The building was of grey , lichen - blotched stone , with a high
7847 central portion and two curving wings , like the claws of a crab ,
7848 thrown out on each side . In one of these wings the windows were
7849 broken and blocked with wooden boards , while the roof was partly
7850 caved in , a picture of ruin . The central portion was in little
7851 better repair , but the right - hand block was comparatively modern ,
7852 and the blinds in the windows , with the blue smoke curling up
7853 from the chimneys , showed that this was where the family resided .
7854 Some scaffolding had been erected against the end wall , and the
7855 stone - work had been broken into , but there were no signs of any
7856 workmen at the moment of our visit . Holmes walked slowly up and
7857 down the ill - trimmed lawn and examined with deep attention the
7858 outsides of the windows .
7859
7860 " This , I take it , belongs to the room in which you used to sleep ,
7861 the centre one to your sister's , and the one next to the main
7862 building to Dr . Roylott's chamber "
7863
7864 " Exactly so . But I am now sleeping in the middle one "
7865
7866 " Pending the alterations , as I understand . By the way , there does
7867 not seem to be any very pressing need for repairs at that end
7868 wall "
7869
7870 " There were none . I believe that it was an excuse to move me from
7871 my room "
7872
7873 " Ah ! that is suggestive . Now , on the other side of this narrow
7874 wing runs the corridor from which these three rooms open . There
7875 are windows in it , of course "
7876
7877 " Yes , but very small ones . Too narrow for anyone to pass
7878 through "
7879
7880 " As you both locked your doors at night , your rooms were
7881 unapproachable from that side . Now , would you have the kindness
7882 to go into your room and bar your shutters "
7883
7884 Miss Stoner did so , and Holmes , after a careful examination
7885 through the open window , endeavoured in every way to force the
7886 shutter open , but without success . There was no slit through
7887 which a knife could be passed to raise the bar . Then with his
7888 lens he tested the hinges , but they were of solid iron , built
7889 firmly into the massive masonry . " Hum " said he , scratching his
7890 chin in some perplexity , " my theory certainly presents some
7891 difficulties . No one could pass these shutters if they were
7892 bolted . Well , we shall see if the inside throws any light upon
7893 the matter "
7894
7895 A small side door led into the whitewashed corridor from which
7896 the three bedrooms opened . Holmes refused to examine the third
7897 chamber , so we passed at once to the second , that in which Miss
7898 Stoner was now sleeping , and in which her sister had met with her
7899 fate . It was a homely little room , with a low ceiling and a
7900 gaping fireplace , after the fashion of old country - houses . A
7901 brown chest of drawers stood in one corner , a narrow
7902 white - counterpaned bed in another , and a dressing - table on the
7903 left - hand side of the window . These articles , with two small
7904 wicker - work chairs , made up all the furniture in the room save
7905 for a square of Wilton carpet in the centre . The boards round and
7906 the panelling of the walls were of brown , worm - eaten oak , so old
7907 and discoloured that it may have dated from the original building
7908 of the house . Holmes drew one of the chairs into a corner and sat
7909 silent , while his eyes travelled round and round and up and down ,
7910 taking in every detail of the apartment .
7911
7912 " Where does that bell communicate with " he asked at last
7913 pointing to a thick bell - rope which hung down beside the bed , the
7914 tassel actually lying upon the pillow .
7915
7916 " It goes to the housekeeper's room "
7917
7918 " It looks newer than the other things "
7919
7920 " Yes , it was only put there a couple of years ago "
7921
7922 " Your sister asked for it , I suppose "
7923
7924 " No , I never heard of her using it . We used always to get what we
7925 wanted for ourselves "
7926
7927 " Indeed , it seemed unnecessary to put so nice a bell - pull there .
7928 You will excuse me for a few minutes while I satisfy myself as to
7929 this floor " He threw himself down upon his face with his lens in
7930 his hand and crawled swiftly backward and forward , examining
7931 minutely the cracks between the boards . Then he did the same with
7932 the wood - work with which the chamber was panelled . Finally he
7933 walked over to the bed and spent some time in staring at it and
7934 in running his eye up and down the wall . Finally he took the
7935 bell - rope in his hand and gave it a brisk tug .
7936
7937 " Why , it's a dummy " said he .
7938
7939 " Won't it ring "
7940
7941 " No , it is not even attached to a wire . This is very interesting .
7942 You can see now that it is fastened to a hook just above where
7943 the little opening for the ventilator is "
7944
7945 " How very absurd ! I never noticed that before "
7946
7947 " Very strange " muttered Holmes , pulling at the rope . " There are
7948 one or two very singular points about this room . For example ,
7949 what a fool a builder must be to open a ventilator into another
7950 room , when , with the same trouble , he might have communicated
7951 with the outside air "
7952
7953 " That is also quite modern " said the lady .
7954
7955 " Done about the same time as the bell - rope " remarked Holmes .
7956
7957 " Yes , there were several little changes carried out about that
7958 time "
7959
7960 " They seem to have been of a most interesting character - dummy
7961 bell - ropes , and ventilators which do not ventilate . With your
7962 permission , Miss Stoner , we shall now carry our researches into
7963 the inner apartment "
7964
7965 Dr . Grimesby Roylott's chamber was larger than that of his
7966 step - daughter , but was as plainly furnished . A camp - bed , a small
7967 wooden shelf full of books , mostly of a technical character , an
7968 armchair beside the bed , a plain wooden chair against the wall , a
7969 round table , and a large iron safe were the principal things
7970 which met the eye . Holmes walked slowly round and examined each
7971 and all of them with the keenest interest .
7972
7973 " What's in here " he asked , tapping the safe .
7974
7975 " My stepfather's business papers "
7976
7977 " Oh ! you have seen inside , then "
7978
7979 " Only once , some years ago . I remember that it was full of
7980 papers "
7981
7982 " There isn't a cat in it , for example "
7983
7984 " No . What a strange idea "
7985
7986 " Well , look at this " He took up a small saucer of milk which
7987 stood on the top of it .
7988
7989 " No ; we don't keep a cat . But there is a cheetah and a baboon "
7990
7991 " Ah , yes , of course ! Well , a cheetah is just a big cat , and yet a
7992 saucer of milk does not go very far in satisfying its wants , I
7993 daresay . There is one point which I should wish to determine " He
7994 squatted down in front of the wooden chair and examined the seat
7995 of it with the greatest attention .
7996
7997 " Thank you . That is quite settled " said he , rising and putting
7998 his lens in his pocket . " Hullo ! Here is something interesting "
7999
8000 The object which had caught his eye was a small dog lash hung on
8001 one corner of the bed . The lash , however , was curled upon itself
8002 and tied so as to make a loop of whipcord .
8003
8004 " What do you make of that , Watson "
8005
8006 " It's a common enough lash . But I don't know why it should be
8007 tied "
8008
8009 " That is not quite so common , is it ? Ah , me ! it's a wicked world ,
8010 and when a clever man turns his brains to crime it is the worst
8011 of all . I think that I have seen enough now , Miss Stoner , and
8012 with your permission we shall walk out upon the lawn "
8013
8014 I had never seen my friend's face so grim or his brow so dark as
8015 it was when we turned from the scene of this investigation . We
8016 had walked several times up and down the lawn , neither Miss
8017 Stoner nor myself liking to break in upon his thoughts before he
8018 roused himself from his reverie .
8019
8020 " It is very essential , Miss Stoner " said he , " that you should
8021 absolutely follow my advice in every respect "
8022
8023 " I shall most certainly do so "
8024
8025 " The matter is too serious for any hesitation . Your life may
8026 depend upon your compliance "
8027
8028 " I assure you that I am in your hands "
8029
8030 " In the first place , both my friend and I must spend the night in
8031 your room "
8032
8033 Both Miss Stoner and I gazed at him in astonishment .
8034
8035 " Yes , it must be so . Let me explain . I believe that that is the
8036 village inn over there "
8037
8038 " Yes , that is the Crown "
8039
8040 " Very good . Your windows would be visible from there "
8041
8042 " Certainly "
8043
8044 " You must confine yourself to your room , on pretence of a
8045 headache , when your stepfather comes back . Then when you hear him
8046 retire for the night , you must open the shutters of your window ,
8047 undo the hasp , put your lamp there as a signal to us , and then
8048 withdraw quietly with everything which you are likely to want
8049 into the room which you used to occupy . I have no doubt that , in
8050 spite of the repairs , you could manage there for one night "
8051
8052 " Oh , yes , easily "
8053
8054 " The rest you will leave in our hands "
8055
8056 " But what will you do "
8057
8058 " We shall spend the night in your room , and we shall investigate
8059 the cause of this noise which has disturbed you "
8060
8061 " I believe , Mr . Holmes , that you have already made up your mind "
8062 said Miss Stoner , laying her hand upon my companion's sleeve .
8063
8064 " Perhaps I have "
8065
8066 " Then , for pity's sake , tell me what was the cause of my sister's
8067 death "
8068
8069 " I should prefer to have clearer proofs before I speak "
8070
8071 " You can at least tell me whether my own thought is correct , and
8072 if she died from some sudden fright "
8073
8074 " No , I do not think so . I think that there was probably some more
8075 tangible cause . And now , Miss Stoner , we must leave you for if
8076 Dr . Roylott returned and saw us our journey would be in vain .
8077 Good - bye , and be brave , for if you will do what I have told you ,
8078 you may rest assured that we shall soon drive away the dangers
8079 that threaten you "
8080
8081 Sherlock Holmes and I had no difficulty in engaging a bedroom and
8082 sitting - room at the Crown Inn . They were on the upper floor , and
8083 from our window we could command a view of the avenue gate , and
8084 of the inhabited wing of Stoke Moran Manor House . At dusk we saw
8085 Dr . Grimesby Roylott drive past , his huge form looming up beside
8086 the little figure of the lad who drove him . The boy had some
8087 slight difficulty in undoing the heavy iron gates , and we heard
8088 the hoarse roar of the doctor's voice and saw the fury with which
8089 he shook his clinched fists at him . The trap drove on , and a few
8090 minutes later we saw a sudden light spring up among the trees as
8091 the lamp was lit in one of the sitting - rooms .
8092
8093 " Do you know , Watson " said Holmes as we sat together in the
8094 gathering darkness , " I have really some scruples as to taking you
8095 to - night . There is a distinct element of danger "
8096
8097 " Can I be of assistance "
8098
8099 " Your presence might be invaluable "
8100
8101 " Then I shall certainly come "
8102
8103 " It is very kind of you "
8104
8105 " You speak of danger . You have evidently seen more in these rooms
8106 than was visible to me "
8107
8108 " No , but I fancy that I may have deduced a little more . I imagine
8109 that you saw all that I did "
8110
8111 " I saw nothing remarkable save the bell - rope , and what purpose
8112 that could answer I confess is more than I can imagine "
8113
8114 " You saw the ventilator , too "
8115
8116 " Yes , but I do not think that it is such a very unusual thing to
8117 have a small opening between two rooms . It was so small that a
8118 rat could hardly pass through "
8119
8120 " I knew that we should find a ventilator before ever we came to
8121 Stoke Moran "
8122
8123 " My dear Holmes "
8124
8125 " Oh , yes , I did . You remember in her statement she said that her
8126 sister could smell Dr . Roylott's cigar . Now , of course that
8127 suggested at once that there must be a communication between the
8128 two rooms . It could only be a small one , or it would have been
8129 remarked upon at the coroner's inquiry . I deduced a ventilator "
8130
8131 " But what harm can there be in that "
8132
8133 " Well , there is at least a curious coincidence of dates . A
8134 ventilator is made , a cord is hung , and a lady who sleeps in the
8135 bed dies . Does not that strike you "
8136
8137 " I cannot as yet see any connection "
8138
8139 " Did you observe anything very peculiar about that bed "
8140
8141 " No "
8142
8143 " It was clamped to the floor . Did you ever see a bed fastened
8144 like that before "
8145
8146 " I cannot say that I have "
8147
8148 " The lady could not move her bed . It must always be in the same
8149 relative position to the ventilator and to the rope - or so we may
8150 call it , since it was clearly never meant for a bell - pull "
8151
8152 " Holmes " I cried , " I seem to see dimly what you are hinting at .
8153 We are only just in time to prevent some subtle and horrible
8154 crime "
8155
8156 " Subtle enough and horrible enough . When a doctor does go wrong
8157 he is the first of criminals . He has nerve and he has knowledge .
8158 Palmer and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession .
8159 This man strikes even deeper , but I think , Watson , that we shall
8160 be able to strike deeper still . But we shall have horrors enough
8161 before the night is over ; for goodness ' sake let us have a quiet
8162 pipe and turn our minds for a few hours to something more
8163 cheerful "
8164
8165
8166 About nine o'clock the light among the trees was extinguished ,
8167 and all was dark in the direction of the Manor House . Two hours
8168 passed slowly away , and then , suddenly , just at the stroke of
8169 eleven , a single bright light shone out right in front of us .
8170
8171 " That is our signal " said Holmes , springing to his feet ; " it
8172 comes from the middle window "
8173
8174 As we passed out he exchanged a few words with the landlord ,
8175 explaining that we were going on a late visit to an acquaintance ,
8176 and that it was possible that we might spend the night there . A
8177 moment later we were out on the dark road , a chill wind blowing
8178 in our faces , and one yellow light twinkling in front of us
8179 through the gloom to guide us on our sombre errand .
8180
8181 There was little difficulty in entering the grounds , for
8182 unrepaired breaches gaped in the old park wall . Making our way
8183 among the trees , we reached the lawn , crossed it , and were about
8184 to enter through the window when out from a clump of laurel
8185 bushes there darted what seemed to be a hideous and distorted
8186 child , who threw itself upon the grass with writhing limbs and
8187 then ran swiftly across the lawn into the darkness .
8188
8189 " My God " I whispered ; " did you see it "
8190
8191 Holmes was for the moment as startled as I . His hand closed like
8192 a vice upon my wrist in his agitation . Then he broke into a low
8193 laugh and put his lips to my ear .
8194
8195 " It is a nice household " he murmured . " That is the baboon "
8196
8197 I had forgotten the strange pets which the doctor affected . There
8198 was a cheetah , too ; perhaps we might find it upon our shoulders
8199 at any moment . I confess that I felt easier in my mind when ,
8200 after following Holmes ' example and slipping off my shoes , I
8201 found myself inside the bedroom . My companion noiselessly closed
8202 the shutters , moved the lamp onto the table , and cast his eyes
8203 round the room . All was as we had seen it in the daytime . Then
8204 creeping up to me and making a trumpet of his hand , he whispered
8205 into my ear again so gently that it was all that I could do to
8206 distinguish the words :
8207
8208 " The least sound would be fatal to our plans "
8209
8210 I nodded to show that I had heard .
8211
8212 " We must sit without light . He would see it through the
8213 ventilator "
8214
8215 I nodded again .
8216
8217 " Do not go asleep ; your very life may depend upon it . Have your
8218 pistol ready in case we should need it . I will sit on the side of
8219 the bed , and you in that chair "
8220
8221 I took out my revolver and laid it on the corner of the table .
8222
8223 Holmes had brought up a long thin cane , and this he placed upon
8224 the bed beside him . By it he laid the box of matches and the
8225 stump of a candle . Then he turned down the lamp , and we were left
8226 in darkness .
8227
8228 How shall I ever forget that dreadful vigil ? I could not hear a
8229 sound , not even the drawing of a breath , and yet I knew that my
8230 companion sat open - eyed , within a few feet of me , in the same
8231 state of nervous tension in which I was myself . The shutters cut
8232 off the least ray of light , and we waited in absolute darkness .
8233
8234 From outside came the occasional cry of a night - bird , and once at
8235 our very window a long drawn catlike whine , which told us that
8236 the cheetah was indeed at liberty . Far away we could hear the
8237 deep tones of the parish clock , which boomed out every quarter of
8238 an hour . How long they seemed , those quarters ! Twelve struck , and
8239 one and two and three , and still we sat waiting silently for
8240 whatever might befall .
8241
8242 Suddenly there was the momentary gleam of a light up in the
8243 direction of the ventilator , which vanished immediately , but was
8244 succeeded by a strong smell of burning oil and heated metal .
8245 Someone in the next room had lit a dark - lantern . I heard a gentle
8246 sound of movement , and then all was silent once more , though the
8247 smell grew stronger . For half an hour I sat with straining ears .
8248 Then suddenly another sound became audible - a very gentle ,
8249 soothing sound , like that of a small jet of steam escaping
8250 continually from a kettle . The instant that we heard it , Holmes
8251 sprang from the bed , struck a match , and lashed furiously with
8252 his cane at the bell - pull .
8253
8254 " You see it , Watson " he yelled . " You see it "
8255
8256 But I saw nothing . At the moment when Holmes struck the light I
8257 heard a low , clear whistle , but the sudden glare flashing into my
8258 weary eyes made it impossible for me to tell what it was at which
8259 my friend lashed so savagely . I could , however , see that his face
8260 was deadly pale and filled with horror and loathing . He had
8261 ceased to strike and was gazing up at the ventilator when
8262 suddenly there broke from the silence of the night the most
8263 horrible cry to which I have ever listened . It swelled up louder
8264 and louder , a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger all mingled
8265 in the one dreadful shriek . They say that away down in the
8266 village , and even in the distant parsonage , that cry raised the
8267 sleepers from their beds . It struck cold to our hearts , and I
8268 stood gazing at Holmes , and he at me , until the last echoes of it
8269 had died away into the silence from which it rose .
8270
8271 " What can it mean " I gasped .
8272
8273 " It means that it is all over " Holmes answered . " And perhaps ,
8274 after all , it is for the best . Take your pistol , and we will
8275 enter Dr . Roylott's room "
8276
8277 With a grave face he lit the lamp and led the way down the
8278 corridor . Twice he struck at the chamber door without any reply
8279 from within . Then he turned the handle and entered , I at his
8280 heels , with the cocked pistol in my hand .
8281
8282 It was a singular sight which met our eyes . On the table stood a
8283 dark - lantern with the shutter half open , throwing a brilliant
8284 beam of light upon the iron safe , the door of which was ajar .
8285 Beside this table , on the wooden chair , sat Dr . Grimesby Roylott
8286 clad in a long grey dressing - gown , his bare ankles protruding
8287 beneath , and his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slippers .
8288 Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash which we
8289 had noticed during the day . His chin was cocked upward and his
8290 eyes were fixed in a dreadful , rigid stare at the corner of the
8291 ceiling . Round his brow he had a peculiar yellow band , with
8292 brownish speckles , which seemed to be bound tightly round his
8293 head . As we entered he made neither sound nor motion .
8294
8295 " The band ! the speckled band " whispered Holmes .
8296
8297 I took a step forward . In an instant his strange headgear began
8298 to move , and there reared itself from among his hair the squat
8299 diamond - shaped head and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent .
8300
8301 " It is a swamp adder " cried Holmes ; " the deadliest snake in
8302 India . He has died within ten seconds of being bitten . Violence
8303 does , in truth , recoil upon the violent , and the schemer falls
8304 into the pit which he digs for another . Let us thrust this
8305 creature back into its den , and we can then remove Miss Stoner to
8306 some place of shelter and let the county police know what has
8307 happened "
8308
8309 As he spoke he drew the dog - whip swiftly from the dead man's lap ,
8310 and throwing the noose round the reptile's neck he drew it from
8311 its horrid perch and , carrying it at arm's length , threw it into
8312 the iron safe , which he closed upon it .
8313
8314 Such are the true facts of the death of Dr . Grimesby Roylott , of
8315 Stoke Moran . It is not necessary that I should prolong a
8316 narrative which has already run to too great a length by telling
8317 how we broke the sad news to the terrified girl , how we conveyed
8318 her by the morning train to the care of her good aunt at Harrow ,
8319 of how the slow process of official inquiry came to the
8320 conclusion that the doctor met his fate while indiscreetly
8321 playing with a dangerous pet . The little which I had yet to learn
8322 of the case was told me by Sherlock Holmes as we travelled back
8323 next day .
8324
8325 " I had " said he , " come to an entirely erroneous conclusion which
8326 shows , my dear Watson , how dangerous it always is to reason from
8327 insufficient data . The presence of the gipsies , and the use of
8328 the word ' band ' which was used by the poor girl , no doubt , to
8329 explain the appearance which she had caught a hurried glimpse of
8330 by the light of her match , were sufficient to put me upon an
8331 entirely wrong scent . I can only claim the merit that I instantly
8332 reconsidered my position when , however , it became clear to me
8333 that whatever danger threatened an occupant of the room could not
8334 come either from the window or the door . My attention was
8335 speedily drawn , as I have already remarked to you , to this
8336 ventilator , and to the bell - rope which hung down to the bed . The
8337 discovery that this was a dummy , and that the bed was clamped to
8338 the floor , instantly gave rise to the suspicion that the rope was
8339 there as a bridge for something passing through the hole and
8340 coming to the bed . The idea of a snake instantly occurred to me ,
8341 and when I coupled it with my knowledge that the doctor was
8342 furnished with a supply of creatures from India , I felt that I
8343 was probably on the right track . The idea of using a form of
8344 poison which could not possibly be discovered by any chemical
8345 test was just such a one as would occur to a clever and ruthless
8346 man who had had an Eastern training . The rapidity with which such
8347 a poison would take effect would also , from his point of view , be
8348 an advantage . It would be a sharp - eyed coroner , indeed , who could
8349 distinguish the two little dark punctures which would show where
8350 the poison fangs had done their work . Then I thought of the
8351 whistle . Of course he must recall the snake before the morning
8352 light revealed it to the victim . He had trained it , probably by
8353 the use of the milk which we saw , to return to him when summoned .
8354 He would put it through this ventilator at the hour that he
8355 thought best , with the certainty that it would crawl down the
8356 rope and land on the bed . It might or might not bite the
8357 occupant , perhaps she might escape every night for a week , but
8358 sooner or later she must fall a victim .
8359
8360 " I had come to these conclusions before ever I had entered his
8361 room . An inspection of his chair showed me that he had been in
8362 the habit of standing on it , which of course would be necessary
8363 in order that he should reach the ventilator . The sight of the
8364 safe , the saucer of milk , and the loop of whipcord were enough to
8365 finally dispel any doubts which may have remained . The metallic
8366 clang heard by Miss Stoner was obviously caused by her stepfather
8367 hastily closing the door of his safe upon its terrible occupant .
8368 Having once made up my mind , you know the steps which I took in
8369 order to put the matter to the proof . I heard the creature hiss
8370 as I have no doubt that you did also , and I instantly lit the
8371 light and attacked it "
8372
8373 " With the result of driving it through the ventilator "
8374
8375 " And also with the result of causing it to turn upon its master
8376 at the other side . Some of the blows of my cane came home and
8377 roused its snakish temper , so that it flew upon the first person
8378 it saw . In this way I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Dr .
8379 Grimesby Roylott's death , and I cannot say that it is likely to
8380 weigh very heavily upon my conscience "
8381
8382
8383
8384 IX . THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENGINEER ' S THUMB
8385
8386 Of all the problems which have been submitted to my friend , Mr .
8387 Sherlock Holmes , for solution during the years of our intimacy ,
8388 there were only two which I was the means of introducing to his
8389 notice - that of Mr . Hatherley's thumb , and that of Colonel
8390 Warburton's madness . Of these the latter may have afforded a
8391 finer field for an acute and original observer , but the other was
8392 so strange in its inception and so dramatic in its details that
8393 it may be the more worthy of being placed upon record , even if it
8394 gave my friend fewer openings for those deductive methods of
8395 reasoning by which he achieved such remarkable results . The story
8396 has , I believe , been told more than once in the newspapers , but ,
8397 like all such narratives , its effect is much less striking when
8398 set forth en bloc in a single half - column of print than when the
8399 facts slowly evolve before your own eyes , and the mystery clears
8400 gradually away as each new discovery furnishes a step which leads
8401 on to the complete truth . At the time the circumstances made a
8402 deep impression upon me , and the lapse of two years has hardly
8403 served to weaken the effect .
8404
8405 It was in the summer of ' 89 , not long after my marriage , that the
8406 events occurred which I am now about to summarise . I had returned
8407 to civil practice and had finally abandoned Holmes in his Baker
8408 Street rooms , although I continually visited him and occasionally
8409 even persuaded him to forgo his Bohemian habits so far as to come
8410 and visit us . My practice had steadily increased , and as I
8411 happened to live at no very great distance from Paddington
8412 Station , I got a few patients from among the officials . One of
8413 these , whom I had cured of a painful and lingering disease , was
8414 never weary of advertising my virtues and of endeavouring to send
8415 me on every sufferer over whom he might have any influence .
8416
8417 One morning , at a little before seven o'clock , I was awakened by
8418 the maid tapping at the door to announce that two men had come
8419 from Paddington and were waiting in the consulting - room . I
8420 dressed hurriedly , for I knew by experience that railway cases
8421 were seldom trivial , and hastened downstairs . As I descended , my
8422 old ally , the guard , came out of the room and closed the door
8423 tightly behind him .
8424
8425 " I ' ve got him here " he whispered , jerking his thumb over his
8426 shoulder ; " he's all right "
8427
8428 " What is it , then " I asked , for his manner suggested that it was
8429 some strange creature which he had caged up in my room .
8430
8431 " It's a new patient " he whispered . " I thought I ' d bring him
8432 round myself ; then he couldn't slip away . There he is , all safe
8433 and sound . I must go now , Doctor ; I have my dooties , just the
8434 same as you " And off he went , this trusty tout , without even
8435 giving me time to thank him .
8436
8437 I entered my consulting - room and found a gentleman seated by the
8438 table . He was quietly dressed in a suit of heather tweed with a
8439 soft cloth cap which he had laid down upon my books . Round one of
8440 his hands he had a handkerchief wrapped , which was mottled all
8441 over with bloodstains . He was young , not more than
8442 five - and - twenty , I should say , with a strong , masculine face ; but
8443 he was exceedingly pale and gave me the impression of a man who
8444 was suffering from some strong agitation , which it took all his
8445 strength of mind to control .
8446
8447 " I am sorry to knock you up so early , Doctor " said he , " but I
8448 have had a very serious accident during the night . I came in by
8449 train this morning , and on inquiring at Paddington as to where I
8450 might find a doctor , a worthy fellow very kindly escorted me
8451 here . I gave the maid a card , but I see that she has left it upon
8452 the side - table "
8453
8454 I took it up and glanced at it . " Mr . Victor Hatherley , hydraulic
8455 engineer , 16A , Victoria Street ( 3rd floor ." That was the name ,
8456 style , and abode of my morning visitor . " I regret that I have
8457 kept you waiting " said I , sitting down in my library - chair . " You
8458 are fresh from a night journey , I understand , which is in itself
8459 a monotonous occupation "
8460
8461 " Oh , my night could not be called monotonous " said he , and
8462 laughed . He laughed very heartily , with a high , ringing note ,
8463 leaning back in his chair and shaking his sides . All my medical
8464 instincts rose up against that laugh .
8465
8466 " Stop it " I cried ; " pull yourself together " and I poured out
8467 some water from a caraffe .
8468
8469 It was useless , however . He was off in one of those hysterical
8470 outbursts which come upon a strong nature when some great crisis
8471 is over and gone . Presently he came to himself once more , very
8472 weary and pale - looking .
8473
8474 " I have been making a fool of myself " he gasped .
8475
8476 " Not at all . Drink this " I dashed some brandy into the water ,
8477 and the colour began to come back to his bloodless cheeks .
8478
8479 " That's better " said he . " And now , Doctor , perhaps you would
8480 kindly attend to my thumb , or rather to the place where my thumb
8481 used to be "
8482
8483 He unwound the handkerchief and held out his hand . It gave even
8484 my hardened nerves a shudder to look at it . There were four
8485 protruding fingers and a horrid red , spongy surface where the
8486 thumb should have been . It had been hacked or torn right out from
8487 the roots .
8488
8489 " Good heavens " I cried , " this is a terrible injury . It must have
8490 bled considerably "
8491
8492 " Yes , it did . I fainted when it was done , and I think that I must
8493 have been senseless for a long time . When I came to I found that
8494 it was still bleeding , so I tied one end of my handkerchief very
8495 tightly round the wrist and braced it up with a twig "
8496
8497 " Excellent ! You should have been a surgeon "
8498
8499 " It is a question of hydraulics , you see , and came within my own
8500 province "
8501
8502 " This has been done " said I , examining the wound , " by a very
8503 heavy and sharp instrument "
8504
8505 " A thing like a cleaver " said he .
8506
8507 " An accident , I presume "
8508
8509 " By no means "
8510
8511 " What ! a murderous attack "
8512
8513 " Very murderous indeed "
8514
8515 " You horrify me "
8516
8517 I sponged the wound , cleaned it , dressed it , and finally covered
8518 it over with cotton wadding and carbolised bandages . He lay back
8519 without wincing , though he bit his lip from time to time .
8520
8521 " How is that " I asked when I had finished .
8522
8523 " Capital ! Between your brandy and your bandage , I feel a new man .
8524 I was very weak , but I have had a good deal to go through "
8525
8526 " Perhaps you had better not speak of the matter . It is evidently
8527 trying to your nerves "
8528
8529 " Oh , no , not now . I shall have to tell my tale to the police ;
8530 but , between ourselves , if it were not for the convincing
8531 evidence of this wound of mine , I should be surprised if they
8532 believed my statement , for it is a very extraordinary one , and I
8533 have not much in the way of proof with which to back it up ; and ,
8534 even if they believe me , the clues which I can give them are so
8535 vague that it is a question whether justice will be done "
8536
8537 " Ha " cried I , " if it is anything in the nature of a problem
8538 which you desire to see solved , I should strongly recommend you
8539 to come to my friend , Mr . Sherlock Holmes , before you go to the
8540 official police "
8541
8542 " Oh , I have heard of that fellow " answered my visitor , " and I
8543 should be very glad if he would take the matter up , though of
8544 course I must use the official police as well . Would you give me
8545 an introduction to him "
8546
8547 " I ' ll do better . I ' ll take you round to him myself "
8548
8549 " I should be immensely obliged to you "
8550
8551 " We ' ll call a cab and go together . We shall just be in time to
8552 have a little breakfast with him . Do you feel equal to it "
8553
8554 " Yes ; I shall not feel easy until I have told my story "
8555
8556 " Then my servant will call a cab , and I shall be with you in an
8557 instant " I rushed upstairs , explained the matter shortly to my
8558 wife , and in five minutes was inside a hansom , driving with my
8559 new acquaintance to Baker Street .
8560
8561 Sherlock Holmes was , as I expected , lounging about his
8562 sitting - room in his dressing - gown , reading the agony column of The
8563 Times and smoking his before - breakfast pipe , which was composed
8564 of all the plugs and dottles left from his smokes of the day
8565 before , all carefully dried and collected on the corner of the
8566 mantelpiece . He received us in his quietly genial fashion ,
8567 ordered fresh rashers and eggs , and joined us in a hearty meal .
8568 When it was concluded he settled our new acquaintance upon the
8569 sofa , placed a pillow beneath his head , and laid a glass of
8570 brandy and water within his reach .
8571
8572 " It is easy to see that your experience has been no common one ,
8573 Mr . Hatherley " said he . " Pray , lie down there and make yourself
8574 absolutely at home . Tell us what you can , but stop when you are
8575 tired and keep up your strength with a little stimulant "
8576
8577 " Thank you " said my patient , " but I have felt another man since
8578 the doctor bandaged me , and I think that your breakfast has
8579 completed the cure . I shall take up as little of your valuable
8580 time as possible , so I shall start at once upon my peculiar
8581 experiences "
8582
8583 Holmes sat in his big armchair with the weary , heavy - lidded
8584 expression which veiled his keen and eager nature , while I sat
8585 opposite to him , and we listened in silence to the strange story
8586 which our visitor detailed to us .
8587
8588 " You must know " said he , " that I am an orphan and a bachelor ,
8589 residing alone in lodgings in London . By profession I am a
8590 hydraulic engineer , and I have had considerable experience of my
8591 work during the seven years that I was apprenticed to Venner &
8592 Matheson , the well - known firm , of Greenwich . Two years ago ,
8593 having served my time , and having also come into a fair sum of
8594 money through my poor father's death , I determined to start in
8595 business for myself and took professional chambers in Victoria
8596 Street .
8597
8598 " I suppose that everyone finds his first independent start in
8599 business a dreary experience . To me it has been exceptionally so .
8600 During two years I have had three consultations and one small
8601 job , and that is absolutely all that my profession has brought
8602 me . My gross takings amount to 27 pounds 10s . Every day , from
8603 nine in the morning until four in the afternoon , I waited in my
8604 little den , until at last my heart began to sink , and I came to
8605 believe that I should never have any practice at all .
8606
8607 " Yesterday , however , just as I was thinking of leaving the
8608 office , my clerk entered to say there was a gentleman waiting who
8609 wished to see me upon business . He brought up a card , too , with
8610 the name of ' Colonel Lysander Stark ' engraved upon it . Close at
8611 his heels came the colonel himself , a man rather over the middle
8612 size , but of an exceeding thinness . I do not think that I have
8613 ever seen so thin a man . His whole face sharpened away into nose
8614 and chin , and the skin of his cheeks was drawn quite tense over
8615 his outstanding bones . Yet this emaciation seemed to be his
8616 natural habit , and due to no disease , for his eye was bright , his
8617 step brisk , and his bearing assured . He was plainly but neatly
8618 dressed , and his age , I should judge , would be nearer forty than
8619 thirty .
8620
8621 ' Mr . Hatherley ' said he , with something of a German accent .
8622 ' You have been recommended to me , Mr . Hatherley , as being a man
8623 who is not only proficient in his profession but is also discreet
8624 and capable of preserving a secret '
8625
8626 " I bowed , feeling as flattered as any young man would at such an
8627 address . ' May I ask who it was who gave me so good a character '
8628
8629 ' Well , perhaps it is better that I should not tell you that just
8630 at this moment . I have it from the same source that you are both
8631 an orphan and a bachelor and are residing alone in London '
8632
8633 ' That is quite correct ' I answered ; ' but you will excuse me if
8634 I say that I cannot see how all this bears upon my professional
8635 qualifications . I understand that it was on a professional matter
8636 that you wished to speak to me '
8637
8638 ' Undoubtedly so . But you will find that all I say is really to
8639 the point . I have a professional commission for you , but absolute
8640 secrecy is quite essential - absolute secrecy , you understand , and
8641 of course we may expect that more from a man who is alone than
8642 from one who lives in the bosom of his family '
8643
8644 ' If I promise to keep a secret ' said I , ' you may absolutely
8645 depend upon my doing so '
8646
8647 " He looked very hard at me as I spoke , and it seemed to me that I
8648 had never seen so suspicious and questioning an eye .
8649
8650 ' Do you promise , then ' said he at last .
8651
8652 ' Yes , I promise '
8653
8654 ' Absolute and complete silence before , during , and after ? No
8655 reference to the matter at all , either in word or writing '
8656
8657 ' I have already given you my word '
8658
8659 ' Very good ' He suddenly sprang up , and darting like lightning
8660 across the room he flung open the door . The passage outside was
8661 empty .
8662
8663 ' That's all right ' said he , coming back . ' I know that clerks are
8664 sometimes curious as to their master's affairs . Now we can talk
8665 in safety ' He drew up his chair very close to mine and began to
8666 stare at me again with the same questioning and thoughtful look .
8667
8668 " A feeling of repulsion , and of something akin to fear had begun
8669 to rise within me at the strange antics of this fleshless man .
8670 Even my dread of losing a client could not restrain me from
8671 showing my impatience .
8672
8673 ' I beg that you will state your business , sir ' said I ; ' my time
8674 is of value ' Heaven forgive me for that last sentence , but the
8675 words came to my lips .
8676
8677 ' How would fifty guineas for a night's work suit you ' he asked .
8678
8679 ' Most admirably '
8680
8681 ' I say a night's work , but an hour's would be nearer the mark . I
8682 simply want your opinion about a hydraulic stamping machine which
8683 has got out of gear . If you show us what is wrong we shall soon
8684 set it right ourselves . What do you think of such a commission as
8685 that '
8686
8687 ' The work appears to be light and the pay munificent '
8688
8689 ' Precisely so . We shall want you to come to - night by the last
8690 train '
8691
8692 ' Where to '
8693
8694 ' To Eyford , in Berkshire . It is a little place near the borders
8695 of Oxfordshire , and within seven miles of Reading . There is a
8696 train from Paddington which would bring you there at about
8697 11 : 15 '
8698
8699 ' Very good '
8700
8701 ' I shall come down in a carriage to meet you '
8702
8703 ' There is a drive , then '
8704
8705 ' Yes , our little place is quite out in the country . It is a good
8706 seven miles from Eyford Station '
8707
8708 ' Then we can hardly get there before midnight . I suppose there
8709 would be no chance of a train back . I should be compelled to stop
8710 the night '
8711
8712 ' Yes , we could easily give you a shake - down '
8713
8714 ' That is very awkward . Could I not come at some more convenient
8715 hour '
8716
8717 ' We have judged it best that you should come late . It is to
8718 recompense you for any inconvenience that we are paying to you , a
8719 young and unknown man , a fee which would buy an opinion from the
8720 very heads of your profession . Still , of course , if you would
8721 like to draw out of the business , there is plenty of time to do
8722 so '
8723
8724 " I thought of the fifty guineas , and of how very useful they
8725 would be to me . ' Not at all ' said I , ' I shall be very happy to
8726 accommodate myself to your wishes . I should like , however , to
8727 understand a little more clearly what it is that you wish me to
8728 do '
8729
8730 ' Quite so . It is very natural that the pledge of secrecy which
8731 we have exacted from you should have aroused your curiosity . I
8732 have no wish to commit you to anything without your having it all
8733 laid before you . I suppose that we are absolutely safe from
8734 eavesdroppers '
8735
8736 ' Entirely '
8737
8738 ' Then the matter stands thus . You are probably aware that
8739 fuller's - earth is a valuable product , and that it is only found
8740 in one or two places in England '
8741
8742 ' I have heard so '
8743
8744 ' Some little time ago I bought a small place - a very small
8745 place - within ten miles of Reading . I was fortunate enough to
8746 discover that there was a deposit of fuller's - earth in one of my
8747 fields . On examining it , however , I found that this deposit was a
8748 comparatively small one , and that it formed a link between two
8749 very much larger ones upon the right and left - both of them ,
8750 however , in the grounds of my neighbours . These good people were
8751 absolutely ignorant that their land contained that which was
8752 quite as valuable as a gold - mine . Naturally , it was to my
8753 interest to buy their land before they discovered its true value ,
8754 but unfortunately I had no capital by which I could do this . I
8755 took a few of my friends into the secret , however , and they
8756 suggested that we should quietly and secretly work our own little
8757 deposit and that in this way we should earn the money which would
8758 enable us to buy the neighbouring fields . This we have now been
8759 doing for some time , and in order to help us in our operations we
8760 erected a hydraulic press . This press , as I have already
8761 explained , has got out of order , and we wish your advice upon the
8762 subject . We guard our secret very jealously , however , and if it
8763 once became known that we had hydraulic engineers coming to our
8764 little house , it would soon rouse inquiry , and then , if the facts
8765 came out , it would be good - bye to any chance of getting these
8766 fields and carrying out our plans . That is why I have made you
8767 promise me that you will not tell a human being that you are
8768 going to Eyford to - night . I hope that I make it all plain '
8769
8770 ' I quite follow you ' said I . ' The only point which I could not
8771 quite understand was what use you could make of a hydraulic press
8772 in excavating fuller's - earth , which , as I understand , is dug out
8773 like gravel from a pit '
8774
8775 ' Ah ' said he carelessly , ' we have our own process . We compress
8776 the earth into bricks , so as to remove them without revealing
8777 what they are . But that is a mere detail . I have taken you fully
8778 into my confidence now , Mr . Hatherley , and I have shown you how I
8779 trust you ' He rose as he spoke . ' I shall expect you , then , at
8780 Eyford at 11 : 15 '
8781
8782 ' I shall certainly be there '
8783
8784 ' And not a word to a soul ' He looked at me with a last long ,
8785 questioning gaze , and then , pressing my hand in a cold , dank
8786 grasp , he hurried from the room .
8787
8788 " Well , when I came to think it all over in cool blood I was very
8789 much astonished , as you may both think , at this sudden commission
8790 which had been intrusted to me . On the one hand , of course , I was
8791 glad , for the fee was at least tenfold what I should have asked
8792 had I set a price upon my own services , and it was possible that
8793 this order might lead to other ones . On the other hand , the face
8794 and manner of my patron had made an unpleasant impression upon
8795 me , and I could not think that his explanation of the
8796 fuller's - earth was sufficient to explain the necessity for my
8797 coming at midnight , and his extreme anxiety lest I should tell
8798 anyone of my errand . However , I threw all fears to the winds , ate
8799 a hearty supper , drove to Paddington , and started off , having
8800 obeyed to the letter the injunction as to holding my tongue .
8801
8802 " At Reading I had to change not only my carriage but my station .
8803 However , I was in time for the last train to Eyford , and I
8804 reached the little dim - lit station after eleven o'clock . I was the
8805 only passenger who got out there , and there was no one upon the
8806 platform save a single sleepy porter with a lantern . As I passed
8807 out through the wicket gate , however , I found my acquaintance of
8808 the morning waiting in the shadow upon the other side . Without a
8809 word he grasped my arm and hurried me into a carriage , the door
8810 of which was standing open . He drew up the windows on either
8811 side , tapped on the wood - work , and away we went as fast as the
8812 horse could go "
8813
8814 " One horse " interjected Holmes .
8815
8816 " Yes , only one "
8817
8818 " Did you observe the colour "
8819
8820 " Yes , I saw it by the side - lights when I was stepping into the
8821 carriage . It was a chestnut "
8822
8823 " Tired - looking or fresh "
8824
8825 " Oh , fresh and glossy "
8826
8827 " Thank you . I am sorry to have interrupted you . Pray continue
8828 your most interesting statement "
8829
8830 " Away we went then , and we drove for at least an hour . Colonel
8831 Lysander Stark had said that it was only seven miles , but I
8832 should think , from the rate that we seemed to go , and from the
8833 time that we took , that it must have been nearer twelve . He sat
8834 at my side in silence all the time , and I was aware , more than
8835 once when I glanced in his direction , that he was looking at me
8836 with great intensity . The country roads seem to be not very good
8837 in that part of the world , for we lurched and jolted terribly . I
8838 tried to look out of the windows to see something of where we
8839 were , but they were made of frosted glass , and I could make out
8840 nothing save the occasional bright blur of a passing light . Now
8841 and then I hazarded some remark to break the monotony of the
8842 journey , but the colonel answered only in monosyllables , and the
8843 conversation soon flagged . At last , however , the bumping of the
8844 road was exchanged for the crisp smoothness of a gravel - drive ,
8845 and the carriage came to a stand . Colonel Lysander Stark sprang
8846 out , and , as I followed after him , pulled me swiftly into a porch
8847 which gaped in front of us . We stepped , as it were , right out of
8848 the carriage and into the hall , so that I failed to catch the
8849 most fleeting glance of the front of the house . The instant that
8850 I had crossed the threshold the door slammed heavily behind us ,
8851 and I heard faintly the rattle of the wheels as the carriage
8852 drove away .
8853
8854 " It was pitch dark inside the house , and the colonel fumbled
8855 about looking for matches and muttering under his breath .
8856 Suddenly a door opened at the other end of the passage , and a
8857 long , golden bar of light shot out in our direction . It grew
8858 broader , and a woman appeared with a lamp in her hand , which she
8859 held above her head , pushing her face forward and peering at us .
8860 I could see that she was pretty , and from the gloss with which
8861 the light shone upon her dark dress I knew that it was a rich
8862 material . She spoke a few words in a foreign tongue in a tone as
8863 though asking a question , and when my companion answered in a
8864 gruff monosyllable she gave such a start that the lamp nearly
8865 fell from her hand . Colonel Stark went up to her , whispered
8866 something in her ear , and then , pushing her back into the room
8867 from whence she had come , he walked towards me again with the
8868 lamp in his hand .
8869
8870 ' Perhaps you will have the kindness to wait in this room for a
8871 few minutes ' said he , throwing open another door . It was a
8872 quiet , little , plainly furnished room , with a round table in the
8873 centre , on which several German books were scattered . Colonel
8874 Stark laid down the lamp on the top of a harmonium beside the
8875 door . ' I shall not keep you waiting an instant ' said he , and
8876 vanished into the darkness .
8877
8878 " I glanced at the books upon the table , and in spite of my
8879 ignorance of German I could see that two of them were treatises
8880 on science , the others being volumes of poetry . Then I walked
8881 across to the window , hoping that I might catch some glimpse of
8882 the country - side , but an oak shutter , heavily barred , was folded
8883 across it . It was a wonderfully silent house . There was an old
8884 clock ticking loudly somewhere in the passage , but otherwise
8885 everything was deadly still . A vague feeling of uneasiness began
8886 to steal over me . Who were these German people , and what were
8887 they doing living in this strange , out - of - the - way place ? And
8888 where was the place ? I was ten miles or so from Eyford , that was
8889 all I knew , but whether north , south , east , or west I had no
8890 idea . For that matter , Reading , and possibly other large towns ,
8891 were within that radius , so the place might not be so secluded ,
8892 after all . Yet it was quite certain , from the absolute stillness ,
8893 that we were in the country . I paced up and down the room ,
8894 humming a tune under my breath to keep up my spirits and feeling
8895 that I was thoroughly earning my fifty - guinea fee .
8896
8897 " Suddenly , without any preliminary sound in the midst of the
8898 utter stillness , the door of my room swung slowly open . The woman
8899 was standing in the aperture , the darkness of the hall behind
8900 her , the yellow light from my lamp beating upon her eager and
8901 beautiful face . I could see at a glance that she was sick with
8902 fear , and the sight sent a chill to my own heart . She held up one
8903 shaking finger to warn me to be silent , and she shot a few
8904 whispered words of broken English at me , her eyes glancing back ,
8905 like those of a frightened horse , into the gloom behind her .
8906
8907 ' I would go ' said she , trying hard , as it seemed to me , to
8908 speak calmly ; ' I would go . I should not stay here . There is no
8909 good for you to do '
8910
8911 ' But , madam ' said I , ' I have not yet done what I came for . I
8912 cannot possibly leave until I have seen the machine '
8913
8914 ' It is not worth your while to wait ' she went on . ' You can pass
8915 through the door ; no one hinders ' And then , seeing that I smiled
8916 and shook my head , she suddenly threw aside her constraint and
8917 made a step forward , with her hands wrung together . ' For the love
8918 of Heaven ' she whispered , ' get away from here before it is too
8919 late '
8920
8921 " But I am somewhat headstrong by nature , and the more ready to
8922 engage in an affair when there is some obstacle in the way . I
8923 thought of my fifty - guinea fee , of my wearisome journey , and of
8924 the unpleasant night which seemed to be before me . Was it all to
8925 go for nothing ? Why should I slink away without having carried
8926 out my commission , and without the payment which was my due ? This
8927 woman might , for all I knew , be a monomaniac . With a stout
8928 bearing , therefore , though her manner had shaken me more than I
8929 cared to confess , I still shook my head and declared my intention
8930 of remaining where I was . She was about to renew her entreaties
8931 when a door slammed overhead , and the sound of several footsteps
8932 was heard upon the stairs . She listened for an instant , threw up
8933 her hands with a despairing gesture , and vanished as suddenly and
8934 as noiselessly as she had come .
8935
8936 " The newcomers were Colonel Lysander Stark and a short thick man
8937 with a chinchilla beard growing out of the creases of his double
8938 chin , who was introduced to me as Mr . Ferguson .
8939
8940 ' This is my secretary and manager ' said the colonel . ' By the
8941 way , I was under the impression that I left this door shut just
8942 now . I fear that you have felt the draught '
8943
8944 ' On the contrary ' said I , ' I opened the door myself because I
8945 felt the room to be a little close '
8946
8947 " He shot one of his suspicious looks at me . ' Perhaps we had
8948 better proceed to business , then ' said he . ' Mr . Ferguson and I
8949 will take you up to see the machine '
8950
8951 ' I had better put my hat on , I suppose '
8952
8953 ' Oh , no , it is in the house '
8954
8955 ' What , you dig fuller's - earth in the house '
8956
8957 ' No , no . This is only where we compress it . But never mind that .
8958 All we wish you to do is to examine the machine and to let us
8959 know what is wrong with it '
8960
8961 " We went upstairs together , the colonel first with the lamp , the
8962 fat manager and I behind him . It was a labyrinth of an old house ,
8963 with corridors , passages , narrow winding staircases , and little
8964 low doors , the thresholds of which were hollowed out by the
8965 generations who had crossed them . There were no carpets and no
8966 signs of any furniture above the ground floor , while the plaster
8967 was peeling off the walls , and the damp was breaking through in
8968 green , unhealthy blotches . I tried to put on as unconcerned an
8969 air as possible , but I had not forgotten the warnings of the
8970 lady , even though I disregarded them , and I kept a keen eye upon
8971 my two companions . Ferguson appeared to be a morose and silent
8972 man , but I could see from the little that he said that he was at
8973 least a fellow - countryman .
8974
8975 " Colonel Lysander Stark stopped at last before a low door , which
8976 he unlocked . Within was a small , square room , in which the three
8977 of us could hardly get at one time . Ferguson remained outside ,
8978 and the colonel ushered me in .
8979
8980 ' We are now ' said he , ' actually within the hydraulic press , and
8981 it would be a particularly unpleasant thing for us if anyone were
8982 to turn it on . The ceiling of this small chamber is really the
8983 end of the descending piston , and it comes down with the force of
8984 many tons upon this metal floor . There are small lateral columns
8985 of water outside which receive the force , and which transmit and
8986 multiply it in the manner which is familiar to you . The machine
8987 goes readily enough , but there is some stiffness in the working
8988 of it , and it has lost a little of its force . Perhaps you will
8989 have the goodness to look it over and to show us how we can set
8990 it right '
8991
8992 " I took the lamp from him , and I examined the machine very
8993 thoroughly . It was indeed a gigantic one , and capable of
8994 exercising enormous pressure . When I passed outside , however , and
8995 pressed down the levers which controlled it , I knew at once by
8996 the whishing sound that there was a slight leakage , which allowed
8997 a regurgitation of water through one of the side cylinders . An
8998 examination showed that one of the india - rubber bands which was
8999 round the head of a driving - rod had shrunk so as not quite to
9000 fill the socket along which it worked . This was clearly the cause
9001 of the loss of power , and I pointed it out to my companions , who
9002 followed my remarks very carefully and asked several practical
9003 questions as to how they should proceed to set it right . When I
9004 had made it clear to them , I returned to the main chamber of the
9005 machine and took a good look at it to satisfy my own curiosity .
9006 It was obvious at a glance that the story of the fuller's - earth
9007 was the merest fabrication , for it would be absurd to suppose
9008 that so powerful an engine could be designed for so inadequate a
9009 purpose . The walls were of wood , but the floor consisted of a
9010 large iron trough , and when I came to examine it I could see a
9011 crust of metallic deposit all over it . I had stooped and was
9012 scraping at this to see exactly what it was when I heard a
9013 muttered exclamation in German and saw the cadaverous face of the
9014 colonel looking down at me .
9015
9016 ' What are you doing there ' he asked .
9017
9018 " I felt angry at having been tricked by so elaborate a story as
9019 that which he had told me . ' I was admiring your fuller's - earth '
9020 said I ; ' I think that I should be better able to advise you as to
9021 your machine if I knew what the exact purpose was for which it
9022 was used '
9023
9024 " The instant that I uttered the words I regretted the rashness of
9025 my speech . His face set hard , and a baleful light sprang up in
9026 his grey eyes .
9027
9028 ' Very well ' said he , ' you shall know all about the machine ' He
9029 took a step backward , slammed the little door , and turned the key
9030 in the lock . I rushed towards it and pulled at the handle , but it
9031 was quite secure , and did not give in the least to my kicks and
9032 shoves . ' Hullo ' I yelled . ' Hullo ! Colonel ! Let me out '
9033
9034 " And then suddenly in the silence I heard a sound which sent my
9035 heart into my mouth . It was the clank of the levers and the swish
9036 of the leaking cylinder . He had set the engine at work . The lamp
9037 still stood upon the floor where I had placed it when examining
9038 the trough . By its light I saw that the black ceiling was coming
9039 down upon me , slowly , jerkily , but , as none knew better than
9040 myself , with a force which must within a minute grind me to a
9041 shapeless pulp . I threw myself , screaming , against the door , and
9042 dragged with my nails at the lock . I implored the colonel to let
9043 me out , but the remorseless clanking of the levers drowned my
9044 cries . The ceiling was only a foot or two above my head , and with
9045 my hand upraised I could feel its hard , rough surface . Then it
9046 flashed through my mind that the pain of my death would depend
9047 very much upon the position in which I met it . If I lay on my
9048 face the weight would come upon my spine , and I shuddered to
9049 think of that dreadful snap . Easier the other way , perhaps ; and
9050 yet , had I the nerve to lie and look up at that deadly black
9051 shadow wavering down upon me ? Already I was unable to stand
9052 erect , when my eye caught something which brought a gush of hope
9053 back to my heart .
9054
9055 " I have said that though the floor and ceiling were of iron , the
9056 walls were of wood . As I gave a last hurried glance around , I saw
9057 a thin line of yellow light between two of the boards , which
9058 broadened and broadened as a small panel was pushed backward . For
9059 an instant I could hardly believe that here was indeed a door
9060 which led away from death . The next instant I threw myself
9061 through , and lay half - fainting upon the other side . The panel had
9062 closed again behind me , but the crash of the lamp , and a few
9063 moments afterwards the clang of the two slabs of metal , told me
9064 how narrow had been my escape .
9065
9066 " I was recalled to myself by a frantic plucking at my wrist , and
9067 I found myself lying upon the stone floor of a narrow corridor ,
9068 while a woman bent over me and tugged at me with her left hand ,
9069 while she held a candle in her right . It was the same good friend
9070 whose warning I had so foolishly rejected .
9071
9072 ' Come ! come ' she cried breathlessly . ' They will be here in a
9073 moment . They will see that you are not there . Oh , do not waste
9074 the so - precious time , but come '
9075
9076 " This time , at least , I did not scorn her advice . I staggered to
9077 my feet and ran with her along the corridor and down a winding
9078 stair . The latter led to another broad passage , and just as we
9079 reached it we heard the sound of running feet and the shouting of
9080 two voices , one answering the other from the floor on which we
9081 were and from the one beneath . My guide stopped and looked about
9082 her like one who is at her wit's end . Then she threw open a door
9083 which led into a bedroom , through the window of which the moon
9084 was shining brightly .
9085
9086 ' It is your only chance ' said she . ' It is high , but it may be
9087 that you can jump it '
9088
9089 " As she spoke a light sprang into view at the further end of the
9090 passage , and I saw the lean figure of Colonel Lysander Stark
9091 rushing forward with a lantern in one hand and a weapon like a
9092 butcher's cleaver in the other . I rushed across the bedroom ,
9093 flung open the window , and looked out . How quiet and sweet and
9094 wholesome the garden looked in the moonlight , and it could not be
9095 more than thirty feet down . I clambered out upon the sill , but I
9096 hesitated to jump until I should have heard what passed between
9097 my saviour and the ruffian who pursued me . If she were ill - used ,
9098 then at any risks I was determined to go back to her assistance .
9099 The thought had hardly flashed through my mind before he was at
9100 the door , pushing his way past her ; but she threw her arms round
9101 him and tried to hold him back .
9102
9103 ' Fritz ! Fritz ' she cried in English , ' remember your promise
9104 after the last time . You said it should not be again . He will be
9105 silent ! Oh , he will be silent '
9106
9107 ' You are mad , Elise ' he shouted , struggling to break away from
9108 her . ' You will be the ruin of us . He has seen too much . Let me
9109 pass , I say ' He dashed her to one side , and , rushing to the
9110 window , cut at me with his heavy weapon . I had let myself go , and
9111 was hanging by the hands to the sill , when his blow fell . I was
9112 conscious of a dull pain , my grip loosened , and I fell into the
9113 garden below .
9114
9115 " I was shaken but not hurt by the fall ; so I picked myself up and
9116 rushed off among the bushes as hard as I could run , for I
9117 understood that I was far from being out of danger yet . Suddenly ,
9118 however , as I ran , a deadly dizziness and sickness came over me .
9119 I glanced down at my hand , which was throbbing painfully , and
9120 then , for the first time , saw that my thumb had been cut off and
9121 that the blood was pouring from my wound . I endeavoured to tie my
9122 handkerchief round it , but there came a sudden buzzing in my
9123 ears , and next moment I fell in a dead faint among the
9124 rose - bushes .
9125
9126 " How long I remained unconscious I cannot tell . It must have been
9127 a very long time , for the moon had sunk , and a bright morning was
9128 breaking when I came to myself . My clothes were all sodden with
9129 dew , and my coat - sleeve was drenched with blood from my wounded
9130 thumb . The smarting of it recalled in an instant all the
9131 particulars of my night's adventure , and I sprang to my feet with
9132 the feeling that I might hardly yet be safe from my pursuers . But
9133 to my astonishment , when I came to look round me , neither house
9134 nor garden were to be seen . I had been lying in an angle of the
9135 hedge close by the highroad , and just a little lower down was a
9136 long building , which proved , upon my approaching it , to be the
9137 very station at which I had arrived upon the previous night . Were
9138 it not for the ugly wound upon my hand , all that had passed
9139 during those dreadful hours might have been an evil dream .
9140
9141 " Half dazed , I went into the station and asked about the morning
9142 train . There would be one to Reading in less than an hour . The
9143 same porter was on duty , I found , as had been there when I
9144 arrived . I inquired of him whether he had ever heard of Colonel
9145 Lysander Stark . The name was strange to him . Had he observed a
9146 carriage the night before waiting for me ? No , he had not . Was
9147 there a police - station anywhere near ? There was one about three
9148 miles off .
9149
9150 " It was too far for me to go , weak and ill as I was . I determined
9151 to wait until I got back to town before telling my story to the
9152 police . It was a little past six when I arrived , so I went first
9153 to have my wound dressed , and then the doctor was kind enough to
9154 bring me along here . I put the case into your hands and shall do
9155 exactly what you advise "
9156
9157 We both sat in silence for some little time after listening to
9158 this extraordinary narrative . Then Sherlock Holmes pulled down
9159 from the shelf one of the ponderous commonplace books in which he
9160 placed his cuttings .
9161
9162 " Here is an advertisement which will interest you " said he . " It
9163 appeared in all the papers about a year ago . Listen to this :
9164 ' Lost , on the 9th inst , Mr . Jeremiah Hayling , aged
9165 twenty - six , a hydraulic engineer . Left his lodgings at ten
9166 o'clock at night , and has not been heard of since . Was
9167 dressed in ' etc , etc . Ha ! That represents the last time that
9168 the colonel needed to have his machine overhauled , I fancy "
9169
9170 " Good heavens " cried my patient . " Then that explains what the
9171 girl said "
9172
9173 " Undoubtedly . It is quite clear that the colonel was a cool and
9174 desperate man , who was absolutely determined that nothing should
9175 stand in the way of his little game , like those out - and - out
9176 pirates who will leave no survivor from a captured ship . Well ,
9177 every moment now is precious , so if you feel equal to it we shall
9178 go down to Scotland Yard at once as a preliminary to starting for
9179 Eyford "
9180
9181 Some three hours or so afterwards we were all in the train
9182 together , bound from Reading to the little Berkshire village .
9183 There were Sherlock Holmes , the hydraulic engineer , Inspector
9184 Bradstreet , of Scotland Yard , a plain - clothes man , and myself .
9185 Bradstreet had spread an ordnance map of the county out upon the
9186 seat and was busy with his compasses drawing a circle with Eyford
9187 for its centre .
9188
9189 " There you are " said he . " That circle is drawn at a radius of
9190 ten miles from the village . The place we want must be somewhere
9191 near that line . You said ten miles , I think , sir "
9192
9193 " It was an hour's good drive "
9194
9195 " And you think that they brought you back all that way when you
9196 were unconscious "
9197
9198 " They must have done so . I have a confused memory , too , of having
9199 been lifted and conveyed somewhere "
9200
9201 " What I cannot understand " said I , " is why they should have
9202 spared you when they found you lying fainting in the garden .
9203 Perhaps the villain was softened by the woman's entreaties "
9204
9205 " I hardly think that likely . I never saw a more inexorable face
9206 in my life "
9207
9208 " Oh , we shall soon clear up all that " said Bradstreet . " Well , I
9209 have drawn my circle , and I only wish I knew at what point upon
9210 it the folk that we are in search of are to be found "
9211
9212 " I think I could lay my finger on it " said Holmes quietly .
9213
9214 " Really , now " cried the inspector , " you have formed your
9215 opinion ! Come , now , we shall see who agrees with you . I say it is
9216 south , for the country is more deserted there "
9217
9218 " And I say east " said my patient .
9219
9220 " I am for west " remarked the plain - clothes man . " There are
9221 several quiet little villages up there "
9222
9223 " And I am for north " said I , " because there are no hills there ,
9224 and our friend says that he did not notice the carriage go up
9225 any "
9226
9227 " Come " cried the inspector , laughing ; " it's a very pretty
9228 diversity of opinion . We have boxed the compass among us . Who do
9229 you give your casting vote to "
9230
9231 " You are all wrong "
9232
9233 " But we can't all be "
9234
9235 " Oh , yes , you can . This is my point " He placed his finger in the
9236 centre of the circle . " This is where we shall find them "
9237
9238 " But the twelve - mile drive " gasped Hatherley .
9239
9240 " Six out and six back . Nothing simpler . You say yourself that the
9241 horse was fresh and glossy when you got in . How could it be that
9242 if it had gone twelve miles over heavy roads "
9243
9244 " Indeed , it is a likely ruse enough " observed Bradstreet
9245 thoughtfully . " Of course there can be no doubt as to the nature
9246 of this gang "
9247
9248 " None at all " said Holmes . " They are coiners on a large scale ,
9249 and have used the machine to form the amalgam which has taken the
9250 place of silver "
9251
9252 " We have known for some time that a clever gang was at work "
9253 said the inspector . " They have been turning out half - crowns by
9254 the thousand . We even traced them as far as Reading , but could
9255 get no farther , for they had covered their traces in a way that
9256 showed that they were very old hands . But now , thanks to this
9257 lucky chance , I think that we have got them right enough "
9258
9259 But the inspector was mistaken , for those criminals were not
9260 destined to fall into the hands of justice . As we rolled into
9261 Eyford Station we saw a gigantic column of smoke which streamed
9262 up from behind a small clump of trees in the neighbourhood and
9263 hung like an immense ostrich feather over the landscape .
9264
9265 " A house on fire " asked Bradstreet as the train steamed off
9266 again on its way .
9267
9268 " Yes , sir " said the station - master .
9269
9270 " When did it break out "
9271
9272 " I hear that it was during the night , sir , but it has got worse ,
9273 and the whole place is in a blaze "
9274
9275 " Whose house is it "
9276
9277 " Dr . Becher's "
9278
9279 " Tell me " broke in the engineer , " is Dr . Becher a German , very
9280 thin , with a long , sharp nose "
9281
9282 The station - master laughed heartily . " No , sir , Dr . Becher is an
9283 Englishman , and there isn't a man in the parish who has a
9284 better - lined waistcoat . But he has a gentleman staying with him ,
9285 a patient , as I understand , who is a foreigner , and he looks as
9286 if a little good Berkshire beef would do him no harm "
9287
9288 The station - master had not finished his speech before we were all
9289 hastening in the direction of the fire . The road topped a low
9290 hill , and there was a great widespread whitewashed building in
9291 front of us , spouting fire at every chink and window , while in
9292 the garden in front three fire - engines were vainly striving to
9293 keep the flames under .
9294
9295 " That's it " cried Hatherley , in intense excitement . " There is
9296 the gravel - drive , and there are the rose - bushes where I lay . That
9297 second window is the one that I jumped from "
9298
9299 " Well , at least " said Holmes , " you have had your revenge upon
9300 them . There can be no question that it was your oil - lamp which ,
9301 when it was crushed in the press , set fire to the wooden walls ,
9302 though no doubt they were too excited in the chase after you to
9303 observe it at the time . Now keep your eyes open in this crowd for
9304 your friends of last night , though I very much fear that they are
9305 a good hundred miles off by now "
9306
9307 And Holmes ' fears came to be realised , for from that day to this
9308 no word has ever been heard either of the beautiful woman , the
9309 sinister German , or the morose Englishman . Early that morning a
9310 peasant had met a cart containing several people and some very
9311 bulky boxes driving rapidly in the direction of Reading , but
9312 there all traces of the fugitives disappeared , and even Holmes '
9313 ingenuity failed ever to discover the least clue as to their
9314 whereabouts .
9315
9316 The firemen had been much perturbed at the strange arrangements
9317 which they had found within , and still more so by discovering a
9318 newly severed human thumb upon a window - sill of the second floor .
9319 About sunset , however , their efforts were at last successful , and
9320 they subdued the flames , but not before the roof had fallen in ,
9321 and the whole place been reduced to such absolute ruin that , save
9322 some twisted cylinders and iron piping , not a trace remained of
9323 the machinery which had cost our unfortunate acquaintance so
9324 dearly . Large masses of nickel and of tin were discovered stored
9325 in an out - house , but no coins were to be found , which may have
9326 explained the presence of those bulky boxes which have been
9327 already referred to .
9328
9329 How our hydraulic engineer had been conveyed from the garden to
9330 the spot where he recovered his senses might have remained
9331 forever a mystery were it not for the soft mould , which told us a
9332 very plain tale . He had evidently been carried down by two
9333 persons , one of whom had remarkably small feet and the other
9334 unusually large ones . On the whole , it was most probable that the
9335 silent Englishman , being less bold or less murderous than his
9336 companion , had assisted the woman to bear the unconscious man out
9337 of the way of danger .
9338
9339 " Well " said our engineer ruefully as we took our seats to return
9340 once more to London , " it has been a pretty business for me ! I
9341 have lost my thumb and I have lost a fifty - guinea fee , and what
9342 have I gained "
9343
9344 " Experience " said Holmes , laughing . " Indirectly it may be of
9345 value , you know ; you have only to put it into words to gain the
9346 reputation of being excellent company for the remainder of your
9347 existence "
9348
9349
9350
9351 X . THE ADVENTURE OF THE NOBLE BACHELOR
9352
9353 The Lord St . Simon marriage , and its curious termination , have
9354 long ceased to be a subject of interest in those exalted circles
9355 in which the unfortunate bridegroom moves . Fresh scandals have
9356 eclipsed it , and their more piquant details have drawn the
9357 gossips away from this four - year - old drama . As I have reason to
9358 believe , however , that the full facts have never been revealed to
9359 the general public , and as my friend Sherlock Holmes had a
9360 considerable share in clearing the matter up , I feel that no
9361 memoir of him would be complete without some little sketch of
9362 this remarkable episode .
9363
9364 It was a few weeks before my own marriage , during the days when I
9365 was still sharing rooms with Holmes in Baker Street , that he came
9366 home from an afternoon stroll to find a letter on the table
9367 waiting for him . I had remained indoors all day , for the weather
9368 had taken a sudden turn to rain , with high autumnal winds , and
9369 the Jezail bullet which I had brought back in one of my limbs as
9370 a relic of my Afghan campaign throbbed with dull persistence .
9371 With my body in one easy - chair and my legs upon another , I had
9372 surrounded myself with a cloud of newspapers until at last ,
9373 saturated with the news of the day , I tossed them all aside and
9374 lay listless , watching the huge crest and monogram upon the
9375 envelope upon the table and wondering lazily who my friend's
9376 noble correspondent could be .
9377
9378 " Here is a very fashionable epistle " I remarked as he entered .
9379 " Your morning letters , if I remember right , were from a
9380 fish - monger and a tide - waiter "
9381
9382 " Yes , my correspondence has certainly the charm of variety " he
9383 answered , smiling , " and the humbler are usually the more
9384 interesting . This looks like one of those unwelcome social
9385 summonses which call upon a man either to be bored or to lie "
9386
9387 He broke the seal and glanced over the contents .
9388
9389 " Oh , come , it may prove to be something of interest , after all "
9390
9391 " Not social , then "
9392
9393 " No , distinctly professional "
9394
9395 " And from a noble client "
9396
9397 " One of the highest in England "
9398
9399 " My dear fellow , I congratulate you "
9400
9401 " I assure you , Watson , without affectation , that the status of my
9402 client is a matter of less moment to me than the interest of his
9403 case . It is just possible , however , that that also may not be
9404 wanting in this new investigation . You have been reading the
9405 papers diligently of late , have you not "
9406
9407 " It looks like it " said I ruefully , pointing to a huge bundle in
9408 the corner . " I have had nothing else to do "
9409
9410 " It is fortunate , for you will perhaps be able to post me up . I
9411 read nothing except the criminal news and the agony column . The
9412 latter is always instructive . But if you have followed recent
9413 events so closely you must have read about Lord St . Simon and his
9414 wedding "
9415
9416 " Oh , yes , with the deepest interest "
9417
9418 " That is well . The letter which I hold in my hand is from Lord
9419 St . Simon . I will read it to you , and in return you must turn
9420 over these papers and let me have whatever bears upon the matter .
9421 This is what he says :
9422
9423 ' MY DEAR MR . SHERLOCK HOLMES -- Lord Backwater tells me that I
9424 may place implicit reliance upon your judgment and discretion . I
9425 have determined , therefore , to call upon you and to consult you
9426 in reference to the very painful event which has occurred in
9427 connection with my wedding . Mr . Lestrade , of Scotland Yard , is
9428 acting already in the matter , but he assures me that he sees no
9429 objection to your co - operation , and that he even thinks that
9430 it might be of some assistance . I will call at four o'clock in
9431 the afternoon , and , should you have any other engagement at that
9432 time , I hope that you will postpone it , as this matter is of
9433 paramount importance . Yours faithfully , ST . SIMON '
9434
9435 " It is dated from Grosvenor Mansions , written with a quill pen ,
9436 and the noble lord has had the misfortune to get a smear of ink
9437 upon the outer side of his right little finger " remarked Holmes
9438 as he folded up the epistle .
9439
9440 " He says four o'clock . It is three now . He will be here in an
9441 hour "
9442
9443 " Then I have just time , with your assistance , to get clear upon
9444 the subject . Turn over those papers and arrange the extracts in
9445 their order of time , while I take a glance as to who our client
9446 is " He picked a red - covered volume from a line of books of
9447 reference beside the mantelpiece . " Here he is " said he , sitting
9448 down and flattening it out upon his knee . " ' Lord Robert Walsingham
9449 de Vere St . Simon , second son of the Duke of Balmoral ' Hum ! ' Arms :
9450 Azure , three caltrops in chief over a fess sable . Born in 1846 '
9451 He's forty - one years of age , which is mature for marriage . Was
9452 Under - Secretary for the colonies in a late administration . The
9453 Duke , his father , was at one time Secretary for Foreign Affairs .
9454 They inherit Plantagenet blood by direct descent , and Tudor on
9455 the distaff side . Ha ! Well , there is nothing very instructive in
9456 all this . I think that I must turn to you Watson , for something
9457 more solid "
9458
9459 " I have very little difficulty in finding what I want " said I ,
9460 " for the facts are quite recent , and the matter struck me as
9461 remarkable . I feared to refer them to you , however , as I knew
9462 that you had an inquiry on hand and that you disliked the
9463 intrusion of other matters "
9464
9465 " Oh , you mean the little problem of the Grosvenor Square
9466 furniture van . That is quite cleared up now - though , indeed , it
9467 was obvious from the first . Pray give me the results of your
9468 newspaper selections "
9469
9470 " Here is the first notice which I can find . It is in the personal
9471 column of the Morning Post , and dates , as you see , some weeks
9472 back : ' A marriage has been arranged ' it says , ' and will , if
9473 rumour is correct , very shortly take place , between Lord Robert
9474 St . Simon , second son of the Duke of Balmoral , and Miss Hatty
9475 Doran , the only daughter of Aloysius Doran . Esq , of San
9476 Francisco , Cal , U . S . A ' That is all "
9477
9478 " Terse and to the point " remarked Holmes , stretching his long ,
9479 thin legs towards the fire .
9480
9481 " There was a paragraph amplifying this in one of the society
9482 papers of the same week . Ah , here it is : ' There will soon be a
9483 call for protection in the marriage market , for the present
9484 free - trade principle appears to tell heavily against our home
9485 product . One by one the management of the noble houses of Great
9486 Britain is passing into the hands of our fair cousins from across
9487 the Atlantic . An important addition has been made during the last
9488 week to the list of the prizes which have been borne away by
9489 these charming invaders . Lord St . Simon , who has shown himself
9490 for over twenty years proof against the little god's arrows , has
9491 now definitely announced his approaching marriage with Miss Hatty
9492 Doran , the fascinating daughter of a California millionaire . Miss
9493 Doran , whose graceful figure and striking face attracted much
9494 attention at the Westbury House festivities , is an only child ,
9495 and it is currently reported that her dowry will run to
9496 considerably over the six figures , with expectancies for the
9497 future . As it is an open secret that the Duke of Balmoral has
9498 been compelled to sell his pictures within the last few years ,
9499 and as Lord St . Simon has no property of his own save the small
9500 estate of Birchmoor , it is obvious that the Californian heiress
9501 is not the only gainer by an alliance which will enable her to
9502 make the easy and common transition from a Republican lady to a
9503 British peeress '"
9504
9505 " Anything else " asked Holmes , yawning .
9506
9507 " Oh , yes ; plenty . Then there is another note in the Morning Post
9508 to say that the marriage would be an absolutely quiet one , that it
9509 would be at St . George's , Hanover Square , that only half a dozen
9510 intimate friends would be invited , and that the party would
9511 return to the furnished house at Lancaster Gate which has been
9512 taken by Mr . Aloysius Doran . Two days later - that is , on
9513 Wednesday last - there is a curt announcement that the wedding had
9514 taken place , and that the honeymoon would be passed at Lord
9515 Backwater's place , near Petersfield . Those are all the notices
9516 which appeared before the disappearance of the bride "
9517
9518 " Before the what " asked Holmes with a start .
9519
9520 " The vanishing of the lady "
9521
9522 " When did she vanish , then "
9523
9524 " At the wedding breakfast "
9525
9526 " Indeed . This is more interesting than it promised to be ; quite
9527 dramatic , in fact "
9528
9529 " Yes ; it struck me as being a little out of the common "
9530
9531 " They often vanish before the ceremony , and occasionally during
9532 the honeymoon ; but I cannot call to mind anything quite so prompt
9533 as this . Pray let me have the details "
9534
9535 " I warn you that they are very incomplete "
9536
9537 " Perhaps we may make them less so "
9538
9539 " Such as they are , they are set forth in a single article of a
9540 morning paper of yesterday , which I will read to you . It is
9541 headed , ' Singular Occurrence at a Fashionable Wedding :
9542
9543 ' The family of Lord Robert St . Simon has been thrown into the
9544 greatest consternation by the strange and painful episodes which
9545 have taken place in connection with his wedding . The ceremony , as
9546 shortly announced in the papers of yesterday , occurred on the
9547 previous morning ; but it is only now that it has been possible to
9548 confirm the strange rumours which have been so persistently
9549 floating about . In spite of the attempts of the friends to hush
9550 the matter up , so much public attention has now been drawn to it
9551 that no good purpose can be served by affecting to disregard what
9552 is a common subject for conversation .
9553
9554 ' The ceremony , which was performed at St . George's , Hanover
9555 Square , was a very quiet one , no one being present save the
9556 father of the bride , Mr . Aloysius Doran , the Duchess of Balmoral ,
9557 Lord Backwater , Lord Eustace and Lady Clara St . Simon ( the
9558 younger brother and sister of the bridegroom , and Lady Alicia
9559 Whittington . The whole party proceeded afterwards to the house of
9560 Mr . Aloysius Doran , at Lancaster Gate , where breakfast had been
9561 prepared . It appears that some little trouble was caused by a
9562 woman , whose name has not been ascertained , who endeavoured to
9563 force her way into the house after the bridal party , alleging
9564 that she had some claim upon Lord St . Simon . It was only after a
9565 painful and prolonged scene that she was ejected by the butler
9566 and the footman . The bride , who had fortunately entered the house
9567 before this unpleasant interruption , had sat down to breakfast
9568 with the rest , when she complained of a sudden indisposition and
9569 retired to her room . Her prolonged absence having caused some
9570 comment , her father followed her , but learned from her maid that
9571 she had only come up to her chamber for an instant , caught up an
9572 ulster and bonnet , and hurried down to the passage . One of the
9573 footmen declared that he had seen a lady leave the house thus
9574 apparelled , but had refused to credit that it was his mistress ,
9575 believing her to be with the company . On ascertaining that his
9576 daughter had disappeared , Mr . Aloysius Doran , in conjunction with
9577 the bridegroom , instantly put themselves in communication with
9578 the police , and very energetic inquiries are being made , which
9579 will probably result in a speedy clearing up of this very
9580 singular business . Up to a late hour last night , however , nothing
9581 had transpired as to the whereabouts of the missing lady . There
9582 are rumours of foul play in the matter , and it is said that the
9583 police have caused the arrest of the woman who had caused the
9584 original disturbance , in the belief that , from jealousy or some
9585 other motive , she may have been concerned in the strange
9586 disappearance of the bride '"
9587
9588 " And is that all "
9589
9590 " Only one little item in another of the morning papers , but it is
9591 a suggestive one "
9592
9593 " And it is -"
9594
9595 " That Miss Flora Millar , the lady who had caused the disturbance ,
9596 has actually been arrested . It appears that she was formerly a
9597 danseuse at the Allegro , and that she has known the bridegroom
9598 for some years . There are no further particulars , and the whole
9599 case is in your hands now - so far as it has been set forth in the
9600 public press "
9601
9602 " And an exceedingly interesting case it appears to be . I would
9603 not have missed it for worlds . But there is a ring at the bell ,
9604 Watson , and as the clock makes it a few minutes after four , I
9605 have no doubt that this will prove to be our noble client . Do not
9606 dream of going , Watson , for I very much prefer having a witness ,
9607 if only as a check to my own memory "
9608
9609 " Lord Robert St . Simon " announced our page - boy , throwing open
9610 the door . A gentleman entered , with a pleasant , cultured face ,
9611 high - nosed and pale , with something perhaps of petulance about
9612 the mouth , and with the steady , well - opened eye of a man whose
9613 pleasant lot it had ever been to command and to be obeyed . His
9614 manner was brisk , and yet his general appearance gave an undue
9615 impression of age , for he had a slight forward stoop and a little
9616 bend of the knees as he walked . His hair , too , as he swept off
9617 his very curly - brimmed hat , was grizzled round the edges and thin
9618 upon the top . As to his dress , it was careful to the verge of
9619 foppishness , with high collar , black frock - coat , white waistcoat ,
9620 yellow gloves , patent - leather shoes , and light - coloured gaiters .
9621 He advanced slowly into the room , turning his head from left to
9622 right , and swinging in his right hand the cord which held his
9623 golden eyeglasses .
9624
9625 " Good - day , Lord St . Simon " said Holmes , rising and bowing . " Pray
9626 take the basket - chair . This is my friend and colleague , Dr .
9627 Watson . Draw up a little to the fire , and we will talk this
9628 matter over "
9629
9630 " A most painful matter to me , as you can most readily imagine ,
9631 Mr . Holmes . I have been cut to the quick . I understand that you
9632 have already managed several delicate cases of this sort , sir ,
9633 though I presume that they were hardly from the same class of
9634 society "
9635
9636 " No , I am descending "
9637
9638 " I beg pardon "
9639
9640 " My last client of the sort was a king "
9641
9642 " Oh , really ! I had no idea . And which king "
9643
9644 " The King of Scandinavia "
9645
9646 " What ! Had he lost his wife "
9647
9648 " You can understand " said Holmes suavely , " that I extend to the
9649 affairs of my other clients the same secrecy which I promise to
9650 you in yours "
9651
9652 " Of course ! Very right ! very right ! I ' m sure I beg pardon . As to
9653 my own case , I am ready to give you any information which may
9654 assist you in forming an opinion "
9655
9656 " Thank you . I have already learned all that is in the public
9657 prints , nothing more . I presume that I may take it as correct - this
9658 article , for example , as to the disappearance of the bride "
9659
9660 Lord St . Simon glanced over it . " Yes , it is correct , as far as it
9661 goes "
9662
9663 " But it needs a great deal of supplementing before anyone could
9664 offer an opinion . I think that I may arrive at my facts most
9665 directly by questioning you "
9666
9667 " Pray do so "
9668
9669 " When did you first meet Miss Hatty Doran "
9670
9671 " In San Francisco , a year ago "
9672
9673 " You were travelling in the States "
9674
9675 " Yes "
9676
9677 " Did you become engaged then "
9678
9679 " No "
9680
9681 " But you were on a friendly footing "
9682
9683 " I was amused by her society , and she could see that I was
9684 amused "
9685
9686 " Her father is very rich "
9687
9688 " He is said to be the richest man on the Pacific slope "
9689
9690 " And how did he make his money "
9691
9692 " In mining . He had nothing a few years ago . Then he struck gold ,
9693 invested it , and came up by leaps and bounds "
9694
9695 " Now , what is your own impression as to the young lady's - your
9696 wife's character "
9697
9698 The nobleman swung his glasses a little faster and stared down
9699 into the fire . " You see , Mr . Holmes " said he , " my wife was
9700 twenty before her father became a rich man . During that time she
9701 ran free in a mining camp and wandered through woods or
9702 mountains , so that her education has come from Nature rather than
9703 from the schoolmaster . She is what we call in England a tomboy ,
9704 with a strong nature , wild and free , unfettered by any sort of
9705 traditions . She is impetuous - volcanic , I was about to say . She
9706 is swift in making up her mind and fearless in carrying out her
9707 resolutions . On the other hand , I would not have given her the
9708 name which I have the honour to bear -- he gave a little stately
9709 cough -" had not I thought her to be at bottom a noble woman . I
9710 believe that she is capable of heroic self - sacrifice and that
9711 anything dishonourable would be repugnant to her "
9712
9713 " Have you her photograph "
9714
9715 " I brought this with me " He opened a locket and showed us the
9716 full face of a very lovely woman . It was not a photograph but an
9717 ivory miniature , and the artist had brought out the full effect
9718 of the lustrous black hair , the large dark eyes , and the
9719 exquisite mouth . Holmes gazed long and earnestly at it . Then he
9720 closed the locket and handed it back to Lord St . Simon .
9721
9722 " The young lady came to London , then , and you renewed your
9723 acquaintance "
9724
9725 " Yes , her father brought her over for this last London season . I
9726 met her several times , became engaged to her , and have now
9727 married her "
9728
9729 " She brought , I understand , a considerable dowry "
9730
9731 " A fair dowry . Not more than is usual in my family "
9732
9733 " And this , of course , remains to you , since the marriage is a
9734 fait accompli "
9735
9736 " I really have made no inquiries on the subject "
9737
9738 " Very naturally not . Did you see Miss Doran on the day before the
9739 wedding "
9740
9741 " Yes "
9742
9743 " Was she in good spirits "
9744
9745 " Never better . She kept talking of what we should do in our
9746 future lives "
9747
9748 " Indeed ! That is very interesting . And on the morning of the
9749 wedding "
9750
9751 " She was as bright as possible - at least until after the
9752 ceremony "
9753
9754 " And did you observe any change in her then "
9755
9756 " Well , to tell the truth , I saw then the first signs that I had
9757 ever seen that her temper was just a little sharp . The incident
9758 however , was too trivial to relate and can have no possible
9759 bearing upon the case "
9760
9761 " Pray let us have it , for all that "
9762
9763 " Oh , it is childish . She dropped her bouquet as we went towards
9764 the vestry . She was passing the front pew at the time , and it
9765 fell over into the pew . There was a moment's delay , but the
9766 gentleman in the pew handed it up to her again , and it did not
9767 appear to be the worse for the fall . Yet when I spoke to her of
9768 the matter , she answered me abruptly ; and in the carriage , on our
9769 way home , she seemed absurdly agitated over this trifling cause "
9770
9771 " Indeed ! You say that there was a gentleman in the pew . Some of
9772 the general public were present , then "
9773
9774 " Oh , yes . It is impossible to exclude them when the church is
9775 open "
9776
9777 " This gentleman was not one of your wife's friends "
9778
9779 " No , no ; I call him a gentleman by courtesy , but he was quite a
9780 common - looking person . I hardly noticed his appearance . But
9781 really I think that we are wandering rather far from the point "
9782
9783 " Lady St . Simon , then , returned from the wedding in a less
9784 cheerful frame of mind than she had gone to it . What did she do
9785 on re - entering her father's house "
9786
9787 " I saw her in conversation with her maid "
9788
9789 " And who is her maid "
9790
9791 " Alice is her name . She is an American and came from California
9792 with her "
9793
9794 " A confidential servant "
9795
9796 " A little too much so . It seemed to me that her mistress allowed
9797 her to take great liberties . Still , of course , in America they
9798 look upon these things in a different way "
9799
9800 " How long did she speak to this Alice "
9801
9802 " Oh , a few minutes . I had something else to think of "
9803
9804 " You did not overhear what they said "
9805
9806 " Lady St . Simon said something about ' jumping a claim ' She was
9807 accustomed to use slang of the kind . I have no idea what she
9808 meant "
9809
9810 " American slang is very expressive sometimes . And what did your
9811 wife do when she finished speaking to her maid "
9812
9813 " She walked into the breakfast - room "
9814
9815 " On your arm "
9816
9817 " No , alone . She was very independent in little matters like that .
9818 Then , after we had sat down for ten minutes or so , she rose
9819 hurriedly , muttered some words of apology , and left the room . She
9820 never came back "
9821
9822 " But this maid , Alice , as I understand , deposes that she went to
9823 her room , covered her bride's dress with a long ulster , put on a
9824 bonnet , and went out "
9825
9826 " Quite so . And she was afterwards seen walking into Hyde Park in
9827 company with Flora Millar , a woman who is now in custody , and who
9828 had already made a disturbance at Mr . Doran's house that
9829 morning "
9830
9831 " Ah , yes . I should like a few particulars as to this young lady ,
9832 and your relations to her "
9833
9834 Lord St . Simon shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows .
9835 " We have been on a friendly footing for some years - I may say on
9836 a very friendly footing . She used to be at the Allegro . I have
9837 not treated her ungenerously , and she had no just cause of
9838 complaint against me , but you know what women are , Mr . Holmes .
9839 Flora was a dear little thing , but exceedingly hot - headed and
9840 devotedly attached to me . She wrote me dreadful letters when she
9841 heard that I was about to be married , and , to tell the truth , the
9842 reason why I had the marriage celebrated so quietly was that I
9843 feared lest there might be a scandal in the church . She came to
9844 Mr . Doran's door just after we returned , and she endeavoured to
9845 push her way in , uttering very abusive expressions towards my
9846 wife , and even threatening her , but I had foreseen the
9847 possibility of something of the sort , and I had two police
9848 fellows there in private clothes , who soon pushed her out again .
9849 She was quiet when she saw that there was no good in making a
9850 row "
9851
9852 " Did your wife hear all this "
9853
9854 " No , thank goodness , she did not "
9855
9856 " And she was seen walking with this very woman afterwards "
9857
9858 " Yes . That is what Mr . Lestrade , of Scotland Yard , looks upon as
9859 so serious . It is thought that Flora decoyed my wife out and laid
9860 some terrible trap for her "
9861
9862 " Well , it is a possible supposition "
9863
9864 " You think so , too "
9865
9866 " I did not say a probable one . But you do not yourself look upon
9867 this as likely "
9868
9869 " I do not think Flora would hurt a fly "
9870
9871 " Still , jealousy is a strange transformer of characters . Pray
9872 what is your own theory as to what took place "
9873
9874 " Well , really , I came to seek a theory , not to propound one . I
9875 have given you all the facts . Since you ask me , however , I may
9876 say that it has occurred to me as possible that the excitement of
9877 this affair , the consciousness that she had made so immense a
9878 social stride , had the effect of causing some little nervous
9879 disturbance in my wife "
9880
9881 " In short , that she had become suddenly deranged "
9882
9883 " Well , really , when I consider that she has turned her back - I
9884 will not say upon me , but upon so much that many have aspired to
9885 without success - I can hardly explain it in any other fashion "
9886
9887 " Well , certainly that is also a conceivable hypothesis " said
9888 Holmes , smiling . " And now , Lord St . Simon , I think that I have
9889 nearly all my data . May I ask whether you were seated at the
9890 breakfast - table so that you could see out of the window "
9891
9892 " We could see the other side of the road and the Park "
9893
9894 " Quite so . Then I do not think that I need to detain you longer .
9895 I shall communicate with you "
9896
9897 " Should you be fortunate enough to solve this problem " said our
9898 client , rising .
9899
9900 " I have solved it "
9901
9902 " Eh ? What was that "
9903
9904 " I say that I have solved it "
9905
9906 " Where , then , is my wife "
9907
9908 " That is a detail which I shall speedily supply "
9909
9910 Lord St . Simon shook his head . " I am afraid that it will take
9911 wiser heads than yours or mine " he remarked , and bowing in a
9912 stately , old - fashioned manner he departed .
9913
9914 " It is very good of Lord St . Simon to honour my head by putting
9915 it on a level with his own " said Sherlock Holmes , laughing . " I
9916 think that I shall have a whisky and soda and a cigar after all
9917 this cross - questioning . I had formed my conclusions as to the
9918 case before our client came into the room "
9919
9920 " My dear Holmes "
9921
9922 " I have notes of several similar cases , though none , as I
9923 remarked before , which were quite as prompt . My whole examination
9924 served to turn my conjecture into a certainty . Circumstantial
9925 evidence is occasionally very convincing , as when you find a
9926 trout in the milk , to quote Thoreau's example "
9927
9928 " But I have heard all that you have heard "
9929
9930 " Without , however , the knowledge of pre - existing cases which
9931 serves me so well . There was a parallel instance in Aberdeen some
9932 years back , and something on very much the same lines at Munich
9933 the year after the Franco - Prussian War . It is one of these
9934 cases - but , hullo , here is Lestrade ! Good - afternoon , Lestrade !
9935 You will find an extra tumbler upon the sideboard , and there are
9936 cigars in the box "
9937
9938 The official detective was attired in a pea - jacket and cravat ,
9939 which gave him a decidedly nautical appearance , and he carried a
9940 black canvas bag in his hand . With a short greeting he seated
9941 himself and lit the cigar which had been offered to him .
9942
9943 " What's up , then " asked Holmes with a twinkle in his eye . " You
9944 look dissatisfied "
9945
9946 " And I feel dissatisfied . It is this infernal St . Simon marriage
9947 case . I can make neither head nor tail of the business "
9948
9949 " Really ! You surprise me "
9950
9951 " Who ever heard of such a mixed affair ? Every clue seems to slip
9952 through my fingers . I have been at work upon it all day "
9953
9954 " And very wet it seems to have made you " said Holmes laying his
9955 hand upon the arm of the pea - jacket .
9956
9957 " Yes , I have been dragging the Serpentine "
9958
9959 " In heaven's name , what for "
9960
9961 " In search of the body of Lady St . Simon "
9962
9963 Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily .
9964
9965 " Have you dragged the basin of Trafalgar Square fountain " he
9966 asked .
9967
9968 " Why ? What do you mean "
9969
9970 " Because you have just as good a chance of finding this lady in
9971 the one as in the other "
9972
9973 Lestrade shot an angry glance at my companion . " I suppose you
9974 know all about it " he snarled .
9975
9976 " Well , I have only just heard the facts , but my mind is made up "
9977
9978 " Oh , indeed ! Then you think that the Serpentine plays no part in
9979 the matter "
9980
9981 " I think it very unlikely "
9982
9983 " Then perhaps you will kindly explain how it is that we found
9984 this in it " He opened his bag as he spoke , and tumbled onto the
9985 floor a wedding - dress of watered silk , a pair of white satin
9986 shoes and a bride's wreath and veil , all discoloured and soaked
9987 in water . " There " said he , putting a new wedding - ring upon the
9988 top of the pile . " There is a little nut for you to crack , Master
9989 Holmes "
9990
9991 " Oh , indeed " said my friend , blowing blue rings into the air .
9992 " You dragged them from the Serpentine "
9993
9994 " No . They were found floating near the margin by a park - keeper .
9995 They have been identified as her clothes , and it seemed to me
9996 that if the clothes were there the body would not be far off "
9997
9998 " By the same brilliant reasoning , every man's body is to be found
9999 in the neighbourhood of his wardrobe . And pray what did you hope
10000 to arrive at through this "
10001
10002 " At some evidence implicating Flora Millar in the disappearance "
10003
10004 " I am afraid that you will find it difficult "
10005
10006 " Are you , indeed , now " cried Lestrade with some bitterness . " I
10007 am afraid , Holmes , that you are not very practical with your
10008 deductions and your inferences . You have made two blunders in as
10009 many minutes . This dress does implicate Miss Flora Millar "
10010
10011 " And how "
10012
10013 " In the dress is a pocket . In the pocket is a card - case . In the
10014 card - case is a note . And here is the very note " He slapped it
10015 down upon the table in front of him . " Listen to this : ' You will
10016 see me when all is ready . Come at once . F . H . M ' Now my theory all
10017 along has been that Lady St . Simon was decoyed away by Flora
10018 Millar , and that she , with confederates , no doubt , was
10019 responsible for her disappearance . Here , signed with her
10020 initials , is the very note which was no doubt quietly slipped
10021 into her hand at the door and which lured her within their
10022 reach "
10023
10024 " Very good , Lestrade " said Holmes , laughing . " You really are
10025 very fine indeed . Let me see it " He took up the paper in a
10026 listless way , but his attention instantly became riveted , and he
10027 gave a little cry of satisfaction . " This is indeed important "
10028 said he .
10029
10030 " Ha ! you find it so "
10031
10032 " Extremely so . I congratulate you warmly "
10033
10034 Lestrade rose in his triumph and bent his head to look . " Why " he
10035 shrieked , " you ' re looking at the wrong side "
10036
10037 " On the contrary , this is the right side "
10038
10039 " The right side ? You ' re mad ! Here is the note written in pencil
10040 over here "
10041
10042 " And over here is what appears to be the fragment of a hotel
10043 bill , which interests me deeply "
10044
10045 " There's nothing in it . I looked at it before " said Lestrade .
10046 ' Oct . 4th , rooms 8s , breakfast 2s . 6d , cocktail 1s , lunch 2s .
10047 6d , glass sherry , 8d ' I see nothing in that "
10048
10049 " Very likely not . It is most important , all the same . As to the
10050 note , it is important also , or at least the initials are , so I
10051 congratulate you again "
10052
10053 " I ' ve wasted time enough " said Lestrade , rising . " I believe in
10054 hard work and not in sitting by the fire spinning fine theories .
10055 Good - day , Mr . Holmes , and we shall see which gets to the bottom
10056 of the matter first " He gathered up the garments , thrust them
10057 into the bag , and made for the door .
10058
10059 " Just one hint to you , Lestrade " drawled Holmes before his rival
10060 vanished ; " I will tell you the true solution of the matter . Lady
10061 St . Simon is a myth . There is not , and there never has been , any
10062 such person "
10063
10064 Lestrade looked sadly at my companion . Then he turned to me ,
10065 tapped his forehead three times , shook his head solemnly , and
10066 hurried away .
10067
10068 He had hardly shut the door behind him when Holmes rose to put on
10069 his overcoat . " There is something in what the fellow says about
10070 outdoor work " he remarked , " so I think , Watson , that I must
10071 leave you to your papers for a little "
10072
10073 It was after five o'clock when Sherlock Holmes left me , but I had
10074 no time to be lonely , for within an hour there arrived a
10075 confectioner's man with a very large flat box . This he unpacked
10076 with the help of a youth whom he had brought with him , and
10077 presently , to my very great astonishment , a quite epicurean
10078 little cold supper began to be laid out upon our humble
10079 lodging - house mahogany . There were a couple of brace of cold
10080 woodcock , a pheasant , a pate de foie gras pie with a group of
10081 ancient and cobwebby bottles . Having laid out all these luxuries ,
10082 my two visitors vanished away , like the genii of the Arabian
10083 Nights , with no explanation save that the things had been paid
10084 for and were ordered to this address .
10085
10086 Just before nine o'clock Sherlock Holmes stepped briskly into the
10087 room . His features were gravely set , but there was a light in his
10088 eye which made me think that he had not been disappointed in his
10089 conclusions .
10090
10091 " They have laid the supper , then " he said , rubbing his hands .
10092
10093 " You seem to expect company . They have laid for five "
10094
10095 " Yes , I fancy we may have some company dropping in " said he . " I
10096 am surprised that Lord St . Simon has not already arrived . Ha ! I
10097 fancy that I hear his step now upon the stairs "
10098
10099 It was indeed our visitor of the afternoon who came bustling in ,
10100 dangling his glasses more vigorously than ever , and with a very
10101 perturbed expression upon his aristocratic features .
10102
10103 " My messenger reached you , then " asked Holmes .
10104
10105 " Yes , and I confess that the contents startled me beyond measure .
10106 Have you good authority for what you say "
10107
10108 " The best possible "
10109
10110 Lord St . Simon sank into a chair and passed his hand over his
10111 forehead .
10112
10113 " What will the Duke say " he murmured , " when he hears that one of
10114 the family has been subjected to such humiliation "
10115
10116 " It is the purest accident . I cannot allow that there is any
10117 humiliation "
10118
10119 " Ah , you look on these things from another standpoint "
10120
10121 " I fail to see that anyone is to blame . I can hardly see how the
10122 lady could have acted otherwise , though her abrupt method of
10123 doing it was undoubtedly to be regretted . Having no mother , she
10124 had no one to advise her at such a crisis "
10125
10126 " It was a slight , sir , a public slight " said Lord St . Simon ,
10127 tapping his fingers upon the table .
10128
10129 " You must make allowance for this poor girl , placed in so
10130 unprecedented a position "
10131
10132 " I will make no allowance . I am very angry indeed , and I have
10133 been shamefully used "
10134
10135 " I think that I heard a ring " said Holmes . " Yes , there are steps
10136 on the landing . If I cannot persuade you to take a lenient view
10137 of the matter , Lord St . Simon , I have brought an advocate here
10138 who may be more successful " He opened the door and ushered in a
10139 lady and gentleman . " Lord St . Simon " said he " allow me to
10140 introduce you to Mr . and Mrs . Francis Hay Moulton . The lady , I
10141 think , you have already met "
10142
10143 At the sight of these newcomers our client had sprung from his
10144 seat and stood very erect , with his eyes cast down and his hand
10145 thrust into the breast of his frock - coat , a picture of offended
10146 dignity . The lady had taken a quick step forward and had held out
10147 her hand to him , but he still refused to raise his eyes . It was
10148 as well for his resolution , perhaps , for her pleading face was
10149 one which it was hard to resist .
10150
10151 " You ' re angry , Robert " said she . " Well , I guess you have every
10152 cause to be "
10153
10154 " Pray make no apology to me " said Lord St . Simon bitterly .
10155
10156 " Oh , yes , I know that I have treated you real bad and that I
10157 should have spoken to you before I went ; but I was kind of
10158 rattled , and from the time when I saw Frank here again I just
10159 didn't know what I was doing or saying . I only wonder I didn ' t
10160 fall down and do a faint right there before the altar "
10161
10162 " Perhaps , Mrs . Moulton , you would like my friend and me to leave
10163 the room while you explain this matter "
10164
10165 " If I may give an opinion " remarked the strange gentleman ,
10166 " we ' ve had just a little too much secrecy over this business
10167 already . For my part , I should like all Europe and America to
10168 hear the rights of it " He was a small , wiry , sunburnt man ,
10169 clean - shaven , with a sharp face and alert manner .
10170
10171 " Then I ' ll tell our story right away " said the lady . " Frank here
10172 and I met in ' 84 , in McQuire's camp , near the Rockies , where pa
10173 was working a claim . We were engaged to each other , Frank and I ;
10174 but then one day father struck a rich pocket and made a pile ,
10175 while poor Frank here had a claim that petered out and came to
10176 nothing . The richer pa grew the poorer was Frank ; so at last pa
10177 wouldn't hear of our engagement lasting any longer , and he took
10178 me away to ' Frisco . Frank wouldn't throw up his hand , though ; so
10179 he followed me there , and he saw me without pa knowing anything
10180 about it . It would only have made him mad to know , so we just
10181 fixed it all up for ourselves . Frank said that he would go and
10182 make his pile , too , and never come back to claim me until he had
10183 as much as pa . So then I promised to wait for him to the end of
10184 time and pledged myself not to marry anyone else while he lived .
10185 ' Why shouldn't we be married right away , then ' said he , ' and
10186 then I will feel sure of you ; and I won't claim to be your
10187 husband until I come back ' Well , we talked it over , and he had
10188 fixed it all up so nicely , with a clergyman all ready in waiting ,
10189 that we just did it right there ; and then Frank went off to seek
10190 his fortune , and I went back to pa .
10191
10192 " The next I heard of Frank was that he was in Montana , and then
10193 he went prospecting in Arizona , and then I heard of him from New
10194 Mexico . After that came a long newspaper story about how a
10195 miners ' camp had been attacked by Apache Indians , and there was
10196 my Frank's name among the killed . I fainted dead away , and I was
10197 very sick for months after . Pa thought I had a decline and took
10198 me to half the doctors in ' Frisco . Not a word of news came for a
10199 year and more , so that I never doubted that Frank was really
10200 dead . Then Lord St . Simon came to ' Frisco , and we came to London ,
10201 and a marriage was arranged , and pa was very pleased , but I felt
10202 all the time that no man on this earth would ever take the place
10203 in my heart that had been given to my poor Frank .
10204
10205 " Still , if I had married Lord St . Simon , of course I ' d have done
10206 my duty by him . We can't command our love , but we can our
10207 actions . I went to the altar with him with the intention to make
10208 him just as good a wife as it was in me to be . But you may
10209 imagine what I felt when , just as I came to the altar rails , I
10210 glanced back and saw Frank standing and looking at me out of the
10211 first pew . I thought it was his ghost at first ; but when I looked
10212 again there he was still , with a kind of question in his eyes , as
10213 if to ask me whether I were glad or sorry to see him . I wonder I
10214 didn't drop . I know that everything was turning round , and the
10215 words of the clergyman were just like the buzz of a bee in my
10216 ear . I didn't know what to do . Should I stop the service and make
10217 a scene in the church ? I glanced at him again , and he seemed to
10218 know what I was thinking , for he raised his finger to his lips to
10219 tell me to be still . Then I saw him scribble on a piece of paper ,
10220 and I knew that he was writing me a note . As I passed his pew on
10221 the way out I dropped my bouquet over to him , and he slipped the
10222 note into my hand when he returned me the flowers . It was only a
10223 line asking me to join him when he made the sign to me to do so .
10224 Of course I never doubted for a moment that my first duty was now
10225 to him , and I determined to do just whatever he might direct .
10226
10227 " When I got back I told my maid , who had known him in California ,
10228 and had always been his friend . I ordered her to say nothing , but
10229 to get a few things packed and my ulster ready . I know I ought to
10230 have spoken to Lord St . Simon , but it was dreadful hard before
10231 his mother and all those great people . I just made up my mind to
10232 run away and explain afterwards . I hadn't been at the table ten
10233 minutes before I saw Frank out of the window at the other side of
10234 the road . He beckoned to me and then began walking into the Park .
10235 I slipped out , put on my things , and followed him . Some woman
10236 came talking something or other about Lord St . Simon to
10237 me - seemed to me from the little I heard as if he had a little
10238 secret of his own before marriage also - but I managed to get away
10239 from her and soon overtook Frank . We got into a cab together , and
10240 away we drove to some lodgings he had taken in Gordon Square , and
10241 that was my true wedding after all those years of waiting . Frank
10242 had been a prisoner among the Apaches , had escaped , came on to
10243 ' Frisco , found that I had given him up for dead and had gone to
10244 England , followed me there , and had come upon me at last on the
10245 very morning of my second wedding "
10246
10247 " I saw it in a paper " explained the American . " It gave the name
10248 and the church but not where the lady lived "
10249
10250 " Then we had a talk as to what we should do , and Frank was all
10251 for openness , but I was so ashamed of it all that I felt as if I
10252 should like to vanish away and never see any of them again - just
10253 sending a line to pa , perhaps , to show him that I was alive . It
10254 was awful to me to think of all those lords and ladies sitting
10255 round that breakfast - table and waiting for me to come back . So
10256 Frank took my wedding - clothes and things and made a bundle of
10257 them , so that I should not be traced , and dropped them away
10258 somewhere where no one could find them . It is likely that we
10259 should have gone on to Paris to - morrow , only that this good
10260 gentleman , Mr . Holmes , came round to us this evening , though how
10261 he found us is more than I can think , and he showed us very
10262 clearly and kindly that I was wrong and that Frank was right , and
10263 that we should be putting ourselves in the wrong if we were so
10264 secret . Then he offered to give us a chance of talking to Lord
10265 St . Simon alone , and so we came right away round to his rooms at
10266 once . Now , Robert , you have heard it all , and I am very sorry if
10267 I have given you pain , and I hope that you do not think very
10268 meanly of me "
10269
10270 Lord St . Simon had by no means relaxed his rigid attitude , but
10271 had listened with a frowning brow and a compressed lip to this
10272 long narrative .
10273
10274 " Excuse me " he said , " but it is not my custom to discuss my most
10275 intimate personal affairs in this public manner "
10276
10277 " Then you won't forgive me ? You won't shake hands before I go "
10278
10279 " Oh , certainly , if it would give you any pleasure " He put out
10280 his hand and coldly grasped that which she extended to him .
10281
10282 " I had hoped " suggested Holmes , " that you would have joined us
10283 in a friendly supper "
10284
10285 " I think that there you ask a little too much " responded his
10286 Lordship . " I may be forced to acquiesce in these recent
10287 developments , but I can hardly be expected to make merry over
10288 them . I think that with your permission I will now wish you all a
10289 very good - night " He included us all in a sweeping bow and
10290 stalked out of the room .
10291
10292 " Then I trust that you at least will honour me with your
10293 company " said Sherlock Holmes . " It is always a joy to meet an
10294 American , Mr . Moulton , for I am one of those who believe that the
10295 folly of a monarch and the blundering of a minister in far - gone
10296 years will not prevent our children from being some day citizens
10297 of the same world - wide country under a flag which shall be a
10298 quartering of the Union Jack with the Stars and Stripes "
10299
10300 " The case has been an interesting one " remarked Holmes when our
10301 visitors had left us , " because it serves to show very clearly how
10302 simple the explanation may be of an affair which at first sight
10303 seems to be almost inexplicable . Nothing could be more natural
10304 than the sequence of events as narrated by this lady , and nothing
10305 stranger than the result when viewed , for instance , by Mr .
10306 Lestrade of Scotland Yard "
10307
10308 " You were not yourself at fault at all , then "
10309
10310 " From the first , two facts were very obvious to me , the one that
10311 the lady had been quite willing to undergo the wedding ceremony ,
10312 the other that she had repented of it within a few minutes of
10313 returning home . Obviously something had occurred during the
10314 morning , then , to cause her to change her mind . What could that
10315 something be ? She could not have spoken to anyone when she was
10316 out , for she had been in the company of the bridegroom . Had she
10317 seen someone , then ? If she had , it must be someone from America
10318 because she had spent so short a time in this country that she
10319 could hardly have allowed anyone to acquire so deep an influence
10320 over her that the mere sight of him would induce her to change
10321 her plans so completely . You see we have already arrived , by a
10322 process of exclusion , at the idea that she might have seen an
10323 American . Then who could this American be , and why should he
10324 possess so much influence over her ? It might be a lover ; it might
10325 be a husband . Her young womanhood had , I knew , been spent in
10326 rough scenes and under strange conditions . So far I had got
10327 before I ever heard Lord St . Simon's narrative . When he told us
10328 of a man in a pew , of the change in the bride's manner , of so
10329 transparent a device for obtaining a note as the dropping of a
10330 bouquet , of her resort to her confidential maid , and of her very
10331 significant allusion to claim - jumping - which in miners ' parlance
10332 means taking possession of that which another person has a prior
10333 claim to - the whole situation became absolutely clear . She had
10334 gone off with a man , and the man was either a lover or was a
10335 previous husband - the chances being in favour of the latter "
10336
10337 " And how in the world did you find them "
10338
10339 " It might have been difficult , but friend Lestrade held
10340 information in his hands the value of which he did not himself
10341 know . The initials were , of course , of the highest importance ,
10342 but more valuable still was it to know that within a week he had
10343 settled his bill at one of the most select London hotels "
10344
10345 " How did you deduce the select "
10346
10347 " By the select prices . Eight shillings for a bed and eightpence
10348 for a glass of sherry pointed to one of the most expensive
10349 hotels . There are not many in London which charge at that rate .
10350 In the second one which I visited in Northumberland Avenue , I
10351 learned by an inspection of the book that Francis H . Moulton , an
10352 American gentleman , had left only the day before , and on looking
10353 over the entries against him , I came upon the very items which I
10354 had seen in the duplicate bill . His letters were to be forwarded
10355 to 226 Gordon Square ; so thither I travelled , and being fortunate
10356 enough to find the loving couple at home , I ventured to give them
10357 some paternal advice and to point out to them that it would be
10358 better in every way that they should make their position a little
10359 clearer both to the general public and to Lord St . Simon in
10360 particular . I invited them to meet him here , and , as you see , I
10361 made him keep the appointment "
10362
10363 " But with no very good result " I remarked . " His conduct was
10364 certainly not very gracious "
10365
10366 " Ah , Watson " said Holmes , smiling , " perhaps you would not be
10367 very gracious either , if , after all the trouble of wooing and
10368 wedding , you found yourself deprived in an instant of wife and of
10369 fortune . I think that we may judge Lord St . Simon very mercifully
10370 and thank our stars that we are never likely to find ourselves in
10371 the same position . Draw your chair up and hand me my violin , for
10372 the only problem we have still to solve is how to while away
10373 these bleak autumnal evenings "
10374
10375
10376
10377 XI . THE ADVENTURE OF THE BERYL CORONET
10378
10379 " Holmes " said I as I stood one morning in our bow - window looking
10380 down the street , " here is a madman coming along . It seems rather
10381 sad that his relatives should allow him to come out alone "
10382
10383 My friend rose lazily from his armchair and stood with his hands
10384 in the pockets of his dressing - gown , looking over my shoulder . It
10385 was a bright , crisp February morning , and the snow of the day
10386 before still lay deep upon the ground , shimmering brightly in the
10387 wintry sun . Down the centre of Baker Street it had been ploughed
10388 into a brown crumbly band by the traffic , but at either side and
10389 on the heaped - up edges of the foot - paths it still lay as white as
10390 when it fell . The grey pavement had been cleaned and scraped , but
10391 was still dangerously slippery , so that there were fewer
10392 passengers than usual . Indeed , from the direction of the
10393 Metropolitan Station no one was coming save the single gentleman
10394 whose eccentric conduct had drawn my attention .
10395
10396 He was a man of about fifty , tall , portly , and imposing , with a
10397 massive , strongly marked face and a commanding figure . He was
10398 dressed in a sombre yet rich style , in black frock - coat , shining
10399 hat , neat brown gaiters , and well - cut pearl - grey trousers . Yet
10400 his actions were in absurd contrast to the dignity of his dress
10401 and features , for he was running hard , with occasional little
10402 springs , such as a weary man gives who is little accustomed to
10403 set any tax upon his legs . As he ran he jerked his hands up and
10404 down , waggled his head , and writhed his face into the most
10405 extraordinary contortions .
10406
10407 " What on earth can be the matter with him " I asked . " He is
10408 looking up at the numbers of the houses "
10409
10410 " I believe that he is coming here " said Holmes , rubbing his
10411 hands .
10412
10413 " Here "
10414
10415 " Yes ; I rather think he is coming to consult me professionally . I
10416 think that I recognise the symptoms . Ha ! did I not tell you " As
10417 he spoke , the man , puffing and blowing , rushed at our door and
10418 pulled at our bell until the whole house resounded with the
10419 clanging .
10420
10421 A few moments later he was in our room , still puffing , still
10422 gesticulating , but with so fixed a look of grief and despair in
10423 his eyes that our smiles were turned in an instant to horror and
10424 pity . For a while he could not get his words out , but swayed his
10425 body and plucked at his hair like one who has been driven to the
10426 extreme limits of his reason . Then , suddenly springing to his
10427 feet , he beat his head against the wall with such force that we
10428 both rushed upon him and tore him away to the centre of the room .
10429 Sherlock Holmes pushed him down into the easy - chair and , sitting
10430 beside him , patted his hand and chatted with him in the easy ,
10431 soothing tones which he knew so well how to employ .
10432
10433 " You have come to me to tell your story , have you not " said he .
10434 " You are fatigued with your haste . Pray wait until you have
10435 recovered yourself , and then I shall be most happy to look into
10436 any little problem which you may submit to me "
10437
10438 The man sat for a minute or more with a heaving chest , fighting
10439 against his emotion . Then he passed his handkerchief over his
10440 brow , set his lips tight , and turned his face towards us .
10441
10442 " No doubt you think me mad " said he .
10443
10444 " I see that you have had some great trouble " responded Holmes .
10445
10446 " God knows I have -- a trouble which is enough to unseat my
10447 reason , so sudden and so terrible is it . Public disgrace I might
10448 have faced , although I am a man whose character has never yet
10449 borne a stain . Private affliction also is the lot of every man ;
10450 but the two coming together , and in so frightful a form , have
10451 been enough to shake my very soul . Besides , it is not I alone .
10452 The very noblest in the land may suffer unless some way be found
10453 out of this horrible affair "
10454
10455 " Pray compose yourself , sir " said Holmes , " and let me have a
10456 clear account of who you are and what it is that has befallen
10457 you "
10458
10459 " My name " answered our visitor , " is probably familiar to your
10460 ears . I am Alexander Holder , of the banking firm of Holder &
10461 Stevenson , of Threadneedle Street "
10462
10463 The name was indeed well known to us as belonging to the senior
10464 partner in the second largest private banking concern in the City
10465 of London . What could have happened , then , to bring one of the
10466 foremost citizens of London to this most pitiable pass ? We
10467 waited , all curiosity , until with another effort he braced
10468 himself to tell his story .
10469
10470 " I feel that time is of value " said he ; " that is why I hastened
10471 here when the police inspector suggested that I should secure
10472 your co - operation . I came to Baker Street by the Underground and
10473 hurried from there on foot , for the cabs go slowly through this
10474 snow . That is why I was so out of breath , for I am a man who
10475 takes very little exercise . I feel better now , and I will put the
10476 facts before you as shortly and yet as clearly as I can .
10477
10478 " It is , of course , well known to you that in a successful banking
10479 business as much depends upon our being able to find remunerative
10480 investments for our funds as upon our increasing our connection
10481 and the number of our depositors . One of our most lucrative means
10482 of laying out money is in the shape of loans , where the security
10483 is unimpeachable . We have done a good deal in this direction
10484 during the last few years , and there are many noble families to
10485 whom we have advanced large sums upon the security of their
10486 pictures , libraries , or plate .
10487
10488 " Yesterday morning I was seated in my office at the bank when a
10489 card was brought in to me by one of the clerks . I started when I
10490 saw the name , for it was that of none other than - well , perhaps
10491 even to you I had better say no more than that it was a name
10492 which is a household word all over the earth - one of the highest ,
10493 noblest , most exalted names in England . I was overwhelmed by the
10494 honour and attempted , when he entered , to say so , but he plunged
10495 at once into business with the air of a man who wishes to hurry
10496 quickly through a disagreeable task .
10497
10498 ' Mr . Holder ' said he , ' I have been informed that you are in the
10499 habit of advancing money '
10500
10501 ' The firm does so when the security is good ' I answered .
10502
10503 ' It is absolutely essential to me ' said he , ' that I should have
10504 50 , 000 pounds at once . I could , of course , borrow so trifling a
10505 sum ten times over from my friends , but I much prefer to make it
10506 a matter of business and to carry out that business myself . In my
10507 position you can readily understand that it is unwise to place
10508 one's self under obligations '
10509
10510 ' For how long , may I ask , do you want this sum ' I asked .
10511
10512 ' Next Monday I have a large sum due to me , and I shall then most
10513 certainly repay what you advance , with whatever interest you
10514 think it right to charge . But it is very essential to me that the
10515 money should be paid at once '
10516
10517 ' I should be happy to advance it without further parley from my
10518 own private purse ' said I , ' were it not that the strain would be
10519 rather more than it could bear . If , on the other hand , I am to do
10520 it in the name of the firm , then in justice to my partner I must
10521 insist that , even in your case , every businesslike precaution
10522 should be taken '
10523
10524 ' I should much prefer to have it so ' said he , raising up a
10525 square , black morocco case which he had laid beside his chair .
10526 ' You have doubtless heard of the Beryl Coronet '
10527
10528 ' One of the most precious public possessions of the empire '
10529 said I .
10530
10531 ' Precisely ' He opened the case , and there , imbedded in soft ,
10532 flesh - coloured velvet , lay the magnificent piece of jewellery
10533 which he had named . ' There are thirty - nine enormous beryls ' said
10534 he , ' and the price of the gold chasing is incalculable . The
10535 lowest estimate would put the worth of the coronet at double the
10536 sum which I have asked . I am prepared to leave it with you as my
10537 security '
10538
10539 " I took the precious case into my hands and looked in some
10540 perplexity from it to my illustrious client .
10541
10542 ' You doubt its value ' he asked .
10543
10544 ' Not at all . I only doubt -'
10545
10546 ' The propriety of my leaving it . You may set your mind at rest
10547 about that . I should not dream of doing so were it not absolutely
10548 certain that I should be able in four days to reclaim it . It is a
10549 pure matter of form . Is the security sufficient '
10550
10551 ' Ample '
10552
10553 ' You understand , Mr . Holder , that I am giving you a strong proof
10554 of the confidence which I have in you , founded upon all that I
10555 have heard of you . I rely upon you not only to be discreet and to
10556 refrain from all gossip upon the matter but , above all , to
10557 preserve this coronet with every possible precaution because I
10558 need not say that a great public scandal would be caused if any
10559 harm were to befall it . Any injury to it would be almost as
10560 serious as its complete loss , for there are no beryls in the
10561 world to match these , and it would be impossible to replace them .
10562 I leave it with you , however , with every confidence , and I shall
10563 call for it in person on Monday morning '
10564
10565 " Seeing that my client was anxious to leave , I said no more but ,
10566 calling for my cashier , I ordered him to pay over fifty 1000
10567 pound notes . When I was alone once more , however , with the
10568 precious case lying upon the table in front of me , I could not
10569 but think with some misgivings of the immense responsibility
10570 which it entailed upon me . There could be no doubt that , as it
10571 was a national possession , a horrible scandal would ensue if any
10572 misfortune should occur to it . I already regretted having ever
10573 consented to take charge of it . However , it was too late to alter
10574 the matter now , so I locked it up in my private safe and turned
10575 once more to my work .
10576
10577 " When evening came I felt that it would be an imprudence to leave
10578 so precious a thing in the office behind me . Bankers ' safes had
10579 been forced before now , and why should not mine be ? If so , how
10580 terrible would be the position in which I should find myself ! I
10581 determined , therefore , that for the next few days I would always
10582 carry the case backward and forward with me , so that it might
10583 never be really out of my reach . With this intention , I called a
10584 cab and drove out to my house at Streatham , carrying the jewel
10585 with me . I did not breathe freely until I had taken it upstairs
10586 and locked it in the bureau of my dressing - room .
10587
10588 " And now a word as to my household , Mr . Holmes , for I wish you to
10589 thoroughly understand the situation . My groom and my page sleep
10590 out of the house , and may be set aside altogether . I have three
10591 maid - servants who have been with me a number of years and whose
10592 absolute reliability is quite above suspicion . Another , Lucy
10593 Parr , the second waiting - maid , has only been in my service a few
10594 months . She came with an excellent character , however , and has
10595 always given me satisfaction . She is a very pretty girl and has
10596 attracted admirers who have occasionally hung about the place .
10597 That is the only drawback which we have found to her , but we
10598 believe her to be a thoroughly good girl in every way .
10599
10600 " So much for the servants . My family itself is so small that it
10601 will not take me long to describe it . I am a widower and have an
10602 only son , Arthur . He has been a disappointment to me , Mr .
10603 Holmes - a grievous disappointment . I have no doubt that I am
10604 myself to blame . People tell me that I have spoiled him . Very
10605 likely I have . When my dear wife died I felt that he was all I
10606 had to love . I could not bear to see the smile fade even for a
10607 moment from his face . I have never denied him a wish . Perhaps it
10608 would have been better for both of us had I been sterner , but I
10609 meant it for the best .
10610
10611 " It was naturally my intention that he should succeed me in my
10612 business , but he was not of a business turn . He was wild ,
10613 wayward , and , to speak the truth , I could not trust him in the
10614 handling of large sums of money . When he was young he became a
10615 member of an aristocratic club , and there , having charming
10616 manners , he was soon the intimate of a number of men with long
10617 purses and expensive habits . He learned to play heavily at cards
10618 and to squander money on the turf , until he had again and again
10619 to come to me and implore me to give him an advance upon his
10620 allowance , that he might settle his debts of honour . He tried
10621 more than once to break away from the dangerous company which he
10622 was keeping , but each time the influence of his friend , Sir
10623 George Burnwell , was enough to draw him back again .
10624
10625 " And , indeed , I could not wonder that such a man as Sir George
10626 Burnwell should gain an influence over him , for he has frequently
10627 brought him to my house , and I have found myself that I could
10628 hardly resist the fascination of his manner . He is older than
10629 Arthur , a man of the world to his finger - tips , one who had been
10630 everywhere , seen everything , a brilliant talker , and a man of
10631 great personal beauty . Yet when I think of him in cold blood , far
10632 away from the glamour of his presence , I am convinced from his
10633 cynical speech and the look which I have caught in his eyes that
10634 he is one who should be deeply distrusted . So I think , and so ,
10635 too , thinks my little Mary , who has a woman's quick insight into
10636 character .
10637
10638 " And now there is only she to be described . She is my niece ; but
10639 when my brother died five years ago and left her alone in the
10640 world I adopted her , and have looked upon her ever since as my
10641 daughter . She is a sunbeam in my house - sweet , loving , beautiful ,
10642 a wonderful manager and housekeeper , yet as tender and quiet and
10643 gentle as a woman could be . She is my right hand . I do not know
10644 what I could do without her . In only one matter has she ever gone
10645 against my wishes . Twice my boy has asked her to marry him , for
10646 he loves her devotedly , but each time she has refused him . I
10647 think that if anyone could have drawn him into the right path it
10648 would have been she , and that his marriage might have changed his
10649 whole life ; but now , alas ! it is too late - forever too late !
10650
10651 " Now , Mr . Holmes , you know the people who live under my roof , and
10652 I shall continue with my miserable story .
10653
10654 " When we were taking coffee in the drawing - room that night after
10655 dinner , I told Arthur and Mary my experience , and of the precious
10656 treasure which we had under our roof , suppressing only the name
10657 of my client . Lucy Parr , who had brought in the coffee , had , I am
10658 sure , left the room ; but I cannot swear that the door was closed .
10659 Mary and Arthur were much interested and wished to see the famous
10660 coronet , but I thought it better not to disturb it .
10661
10662 ' Where have you put it ' asked Arthur .
10663
10664 ' In my own bureau '
10665
10666 ' Well , I hope to goodness the house won't be burgled during the
10667 night ' said he .
10668
10669 ' It is locked up ' I answered .
10670
10671 ' Oh , any old key will fit that bureau . When I was a youngster I
10672 have opened it myself with the key of the box - room cupboard '
10673
10674 " He often had a wild way of talking , so that I thought little of
10675 what he said . He followed me to my room , however , that night with
10676 a very grave face .
10677
10678 ' Look here , dad ' said he with his eyes cast down , ' can you let
10679 me have 200 pounds '
10680
10681 ' No , I cannot ' I answered sharply . ' I have been far too
10682 generous with you in money matters '
10683
10684 ' You have been very kind ' said he , ' but I must have this money ,
10685 or else I can never show my face inside the club again '
10686
10687 ' And a very good thing , too ' I cried .
10688
10689 ' Yes , but you would not have me leave it a dishonoured man '
10690 said he . ' I could not bear the disgrace . I must raise the money
10691 in some way , and if you will not let me have it , then I must try
10692 other means '
10693
10694 " I was very angry , for this was the third demand during the
10695 month . ' You shall not have a farthing from me ' I cried , on which
10696 he bowed and left the room without another word .
10697
10698 " When he was gone I unlocked my bureau , made sure that my
10699 treasure was safe , and locked it again . Then I started to go
10700 round the house to see that all was secure - a duty which I
10701 usually leave to Mary but which I thought it well to perform
10702 myself that night . As I came down the stairs I saw Mary herself
10703 at the side window of the hall , which she closed and fastened as
10704 I approached .
10705
10706 ' Tell me , dad ' said she , looking , I thought , a little
10707 disturbed , ' did you give Lucy , the maid , leave to go out
10708 to - night '
10709
10710 ' Certainly not '
10711
10712 ' She came in just now by the back door . I have no doubt that she
10713 has only been to the side gate to see someone , but I think that
10714 it is hardly safe and should be stopped '
10715
10716 ' You must speak to her in the morning , or I will if you prefer
10717 it . Are you sure that everything is fastened '
10718
10719 ' Quite sure , dad '
10720
10721 ' Then , good - night ' I kissed her and went up to my bedroom
10722 again , where I was soon asleep .
10723
10724 " I am endeavouring to tell you everything , Mr . Holmes , which may
10725 have any bearing upon the case , but I beg that you will question
10726 me upon any point which I do not make clear "
10727
10728 " On the contrary , your statement is singularly lucid "
10729
10730 " I come to a part of my story now in which I should wish to be
10731 particularly so . I am not a very heavy sleeper , and the anxiety
10732 in my mind tended , no doubt , to make me even less so than usual .
10733 About two in the morning , then , I was awakened by some sound in
10734 the house . It had ceased ere I was wide awake , but it had left an
10735 impression behind it as though a window had gently closed
10736 somewhere . I lay listening with all my ears . Suddenly , to my
10737 horror , there was a distinct sound of footsteps moving softly in
10738 the next room . I slipped out of bed , all palpitating with fear ,
10739 and peeped round the corner of my dressing - room door .
10740
10741 ' Arthur ' I screamed , ' you villain ! you thief ! How dare you
10742 touch that coronet '
10743
10744 " The gas was half up , as I had left it , and my unhappy boy ,
10745 dressed only in his shirt and trousers , was standing beside the
10746 light , holding the coronet in his hands . He appeared to be
10747 wrenching at it , or bending it with all his strength . At my cry
10748 he dropped it from his grasp and turned as pale as death . I
10749 snatched it up and examined it . One of the gold corners , with
10750 three of the beryls in it , was missing .
10751
10752 ' You blackguard ' I shouted , beside myself with rage . ' You have
10753 destroyed it ! You have dishonoured me forever ! Where are the
10754 jewels which you have stolen '
10755
10756 ' Stolen ' he cried .
10757
10758 ' Yes , thief ' I roared , shaking him by the shoulder .
10759
10760 ' There are none missing . There cannot be any missing ' said he .
10761
10762 ' There are three missing . And you know where they are . Must I
10763 call you a liar as well as a thief ? Did I not see you trying to
10764 tear off another piece '
10765
10766 ' You have called me names enough ' said he , ' I will not stand it
10767 any longer . I shall not say another word about this business ,
10768 since you have chosen to insult me . I will leave your house in
10769 the morning and make my own way in the world '
10770
10771 ' You shall leave it in the hands of the police ' I cried
10772 half - mad with grief and rage . ' I shall have this matter probed to
10773 the bottom '
10774
10775 ' You shall learn nothing from me ' said he with a passion such
10776 as I should not have thought was in his nature . ' If you choose to
10777 call the police , let the police find what they can '
10778
10779 " By this time the whole house was astir , for I had raised my
10780 voice in my anger . Mary was the first to rush into my room , and ,
10781 at the sight of the coronet and of Arthur's face , she read the
10782 whole story and , with a scream , fell down senseless on the
10783 ground . I sent the house - maid for the police and put the
10784 investigation into their hands at once . When the inspector and a
10785 constable entered the house , Arthur , who had stood sullenly with
10786 his arms folded , asked me whether it was my intention to charge
10787 him with theft . I answered that it had ceased to be a private
10788 matter , but had become a public one , since the ruined coronet was
10789 national property . I was determined that the law should have its
10790 way in everything .
10791
10792 ' At least ' said he , ' you will not have me arrested at once . It
10793 would be to your advantage as well as mine if I might leave the
10794 house for five minutes '
10795
10796 ' That you may get away , or perhaps that you may conceal what you
10797 have stolen ' said I . And then , realising the dreadful position
10798 in which I was placed , I implored him to remember that not only
10799 my honour but that of one who was far greater than I was at
10800 stake ; and that he threatened to raise a scandal which would
10801 convulse the nation . He might avert it all if he would but tell
10802 me what he had done with the three missing stones .
10803
10804 ' You may as well face the matter ' said I ; ' you have been caught
10805 in the act , and no confession could make your guilt more heinous .
10806 If you but make such reparation as is in your power , by telling
10807 us where the beryls are , all shall be forgiven and forgotten '
10808
10809 ' Keep your forgiveness for those who ask for it ' he answered ,
10810 turning away from me with a sneer . I saw that he was too hardened
10811 for any words of mine to influence him . There was but one way for
10812 it . I called in the inspector and gave him into custody . A search
10813 was made at once not only of his person but of his room and of
10814 every portion of the house where he could possibly have concealed
10815 the gems ; but no trace of them could be found , nor would the
10816 wretched boy open his mouth for all our persuasions and our
10817 threats . This morning he was removed to a cell , and I , after
10818 going through all the police formalities , have hurried round to
10819 you to implore you to use your skill in unravelling the matter .
10820 The police have openly confessed that they can at present make
10821 nothing of it . You may go to any expense which you think
10822 necessary . I have already offered a reward of 1000 pounds . My
10823 God , what shall I do ! I have lost my honour , my gems , and my son
10824 in one night . Oh , what shall I do "
10825
10826 He put a hand on either side of his head and rocked himself to
10827 and fro , droning to himself like a child whose grief has got
10828 beyond words .
10829
10830 Sherlock Holmes sat silent for some few minutes , with his brows
10831 knitted and his eyes fixed upon the fire .
10832
10833 " Do you receive much company " he asked .
10834
10835 " None save my partner with his family and an occasional friend of
10836 Arthur's . Sir George Burnwell has been several times lately . No
10837 one else , I think "
10838
10839 " Do you go out much in society "
10840
10841 " Arthur does . Mary and I stay at home . We neither of us care for
10842 it "
10843
10844 " That is unusual in a young girl "
10845
10846 " She is of a quiet nature . Besides , she is not so very young . She
10847 is four - and - twenty "
10848
10849 " This matter , from what you say , seems to have been a shock to
10850 her also "
10851
10852 " Terrible ! She is even more affected than I "
10853
10854 " You have neither of you any doubt as to your son's guilt "
10855
10856 " How can we have when I saw him with my own eyes with the coronet
10857 in his hands "
10858
10859 " I hardly consider that a conclusive proof . Was the remainder of
10860 the coronet at all injured "
10861
10862 " Yes , it was twisted "
10863
10864 " Do you not think , then , that he might have been trying to
10865 straighten it "
10866
10867 " God bless you ! You are doing what you can for him and for me .
10868 But it is too heavy a task . What was he doing there at all ? If
10869 his purpose were innocent , why did he not say so "
10870
10871 " Precisely . And if it were guilty , why did he not invent a lie ?
10872 His silence appears to me to cut both ways . There are several
10873 singular points about the case . What did the police think of the
10874 noise which awoke you from your sleep "
10875
10876 " They considered that it might be caused by Arthur's closing his
10877 bedroom door "
10878
10879 " A likely story ! As if a man bent on felony would slam his door
10880 so as to wake a household . What did they say , then , of the
10881 disappearance of these gems "
10882
10883 " They are still sounding the planking and probing the furniture
10884 in the hope of finding them "
10885
10886 " Have they thought of looking outside the house "
10887
10888 " Yes , they have shown extraordinary energy . The whole garden has
10889 already been minutely examined "
10890
10891 " Now , my dear sir " said Holmes , " is it not obvious to you now
10892 that this matter really strikes very much deeper than either you
10893 or the police were at first inclined to think ? It appeared to you
10894 to be a simple case ; to me it seems exceedingly complex . Consider
10895 what is involved by your theory . You suppose that your son came
10896 down from his bed , went , at great risk , to your dressing - room ,
10897 opened your bureau , took out your coronet , broke off by main
10898 force a small portion of it , went off to some other place ,
10899 concealed three gems out of the thirty - nine , with such skill that
10900 nobody can find them , and then returned with the other thirty - six
10901 into the room in which he exposed himself to the greatest danger
10902 of being discovered . I ask you now , is such a theory tenable "
10903
10904 " But what other is there " cried the banker with a gesture of
10905 despair . " If his motives were innocent , why does he not explain
10906 them "
10907
10908 " It is our task to find that out " replied Holmes ; " so now , if
10909 you please , Mr . Holder , we will set off for Streatham together ,
10910 and devote an hour to glancing a little more closely into
10911 details "
10912
10913 My friend insisted upon my accompanying them in their expedition ,
10914 which I was eager enough to do , for my curiosity and sympathy
10915 were deeply stirred by the story to which we had listened . I
10916 confess that the guilt of the banker's son appeared to me to be
10917 as obvious as it did to his unhappy father , but still I had such
10918 faith in Holmes ' judgment that I felt that there must be some
10919 grounds for hope as long as he was dissatisfied with the accepted
10920 explanation . He hardly spoke a word the whole way out to the
10921 southern suburb , but sat with his chin upon his breast and his
10922 hat drawn over his eyes , sunk in the deepest thought . Our client
10923 appeared to have taken fresh heart at the little glimpse of hope
10924 which had been presented to him , and he even broke into a
10925 desultory chat with me over his business affairs . A short railway
10926 journey and a shorter walk brought us to Fairbank , the modest
10927 residence of the great financier .
10928
10929 Fairbank was a good - sized square house of white stone , standing
10930 back a little from the road . A double carriage - sweep , with a
10931 snow - clad lawn , stretched down in front to two large iron gates
10932 which closed the entrance . On the right side was a small wooden
10933 thicket , which led into a narrow path between two neat hedges
10934 stretching from the road to the kitchen door , and forming the
10935 tradesmen's entrance . On the left ran a lane which led to the
10936 stables , and was not itself within the grounds at all , being a
10937 public , though little used , thoroughfare . Holmes left us standing
10938 at the door and walked slowly all round the house , across the
10939 front , down the tradesmen's path , and so round by the garden
10940 behind into the stable lane . So long was he that Mr . Holder and I
10941 went into the dining - room and waited by the fire until he should
10942 return . We were sitting there in silence when the door opened and
10943 a young lady came in . She was rather above the middle height ,
10944 slim , with dark hair and eyes , which seemed the darker against
10945 the absolute pallor of her skin . I do not think that I have ever
10946 seen such deadly paleness in a woman's face . Her lips , too , were
10947 bloodless , but her eyes were flushed with crying . As she swept
10948 silently into the room she impressed me with a greater sense of
10949 grief than the banker had done in the morning , and it was the
10950 more striking in her as she was evidently a woman of strong
10951 character , with immense capacity for self - restraint . Disregarding
10952 my presence , she went straight to her uncle and passed her hand
10953 over his head with a sweet womanly caress .
10954
10955 " You have given orders that Arthur should be liberated , have you
10956 not , dad " she asked .
10957
10958 " No , no , my girl , the matter must be probed to the bottom "
10959
10960 " But I am so sure that he is innocent . You know what woman's
10961 instincts are . I know that he has done no harm and that you will
10962 be sorry for having acted so harshly "
10963
10964 " Why is he silent , then , if he is innocent "
10965
10966 " Who knows ? Perhaps because he was so angry that you should
10967 suspect him "
10968
10969 " How could I help suspecting him , when I actually saw him with
10970 the coronet in his hand "
10971
10972 " Oh , but he had only picked it up to look at it . Oh , do , do take
10973 my word for it that he is innocent . Let the matter drop and say
10974 no more . It is so dreadful to think of our dear Arthur in
10975 prison "
10976
10977 " I shall never let it drop until the gems are found - never , Mary !
10978 Your affection for Arthur blinds you as to the awful consequences
10979 to me . Far from hushing the thing up , I have brought a gentleman
10980 down from London to inquire more deeply into it "
10981
10982 " This gentleman " she asked , facing round to me .
10983
10984 " No , his friend . He wished us to leave him alone . He is round in
10985 the stable lane now "
10986
10987 " The stable lane " She raised her dark eyebrows . " What can he
10988 hope to find there ? Ah ! this , I suppose , is he . I trust , sir ,
10989 that you will succeed in proving , what I feel sure is the truth ,
10990 that my cousin Arthur is innocent of this crime "
10991
10992 " I fully share your opinion , and I trust , with you , that we may
10993 prove it " returned Holmes , going back to the mat to knock the
10994 snow from his shoes . " I believe I have the honour of addressing
10995 Miss Mary Holder . Might I ask you a question or two "
10996
10997 " Pray do , sir , if it may help to clear this horrible affair up "
10998
10999 " You heard nothing yourself last night "
11000
11001 " Nothing , until my uncle here began to speak loudly . I heard
11002 that , and I came down "
11003
11004 " You shut up the windows and doors the night before . Did you
11005 fasten all the windows "
11006
11007 " Yes "
11008
11009 " Were they all fastened this morning "
11010
11011 " Yes "
11012
11013 " You have a maid who has a sweetheart ? I think that you remarked
11014 to your uncle last night that she had been out to see him "
11015
11016 " Yes , and she was the girl who waited in the drawing - room , and
11017 who may have heard uncle's remarks about the coronet "
11018
11019 " I see . You infer that she may have gone out to tell her
11020 sweetheart , and that the two may have planned the robbery "
11021
11022 " But what is the good of all these vague theories " cried the
11023 banker impatiently , " when I have told you that I saw Arthur with
11024 the coronet in his hands "
11025
11026 " Wait a little , Mr . Holder . We must come back to that . About this
11027 girl , Miss Holder . You saw her return by the kitchen door , I
11028 presume "
11029
11030 " Yes ; when I went to see if the door was fastened for the night I
11031 met her slipping in . I saw the man , too , in the gloom "
11032
11033 " Do you know him "
11034
11035 " Oh , yes ! he is the green - grocer who brings our vegetables round .
11036 His name is Francis Prosper "
11037
11038 " He stood " said Holmes , " to the left of the door - that is to
11039 say , farther up the path than is necessary to reach the door "
11040
11041 " Yes , he did "
11042
11043 " And he is a man with a wooden leg "
11044
11045 Something like fear sprang up in the young lady's expressive
11046 black eyes . " Why , you are like a magician " said she . " How do you
11047 know that " She smiled , but there was no answering smile in
11048 Holmes ' thin , eager face .
11049
11050 " I should be very glad now to go upstairs " said he . " I shall
11051 probably wish to go over the outside of the house again . Perhaps
11052 I had better take a look at the lower windows before I go up "
11053
11054 He walked swiftly round from one to the other , pausing only at
11055 the large one which looked from the hall onto the stable lane .
11056 This he opened and made a very careful examination of the sill
11057 with his powerful magnifying lens . " Now we shall go upstairs "
11058 said he at last .
11059
11060 The banker's dressing - room was a plainly furnished little
11061 chamber , with a grey carpet , a large bureau , and a long mirror .
11062 Holmes went to the bureau first and looked hard at the lock .
11063
11064 " Which key was used to open it " he asked .
11065
11066 " That which my son himself indicated - that of the cupboard of the
11067 lumber - room "
11068
11069 " Have you it here "
11070
11071 " That is it on the dressing - table "
11072
11073 Sherlock Holmes took it up and opened the bureau .
11074
11075 " It is a noiseless lock " said he . " It is no wonder that it did
11076 not wake you . This case , I presume , contains the coronet . We must
11077 have a look at it " He opened the case , and taking out the diadem
11078 he laid it upon the table . It was a magnificent specimen of the
11079 jeweller's art , and the thirty - six stones were the finest that I
11080 have ever seen . At one side of the coronet was a cracked edge ,
11081 where a corner holding three gems had been torn away .
11082
11083 " Now , Mr . Holder " said Holmes , " here is the corner which
11084 corresponds to that which has been so unfortunately lost . Might I
11085 beg that you will break it off "
11086
11087 The banker recoiled in horror . " I should not dream of trying "
11088 said he .
11089
11090 " Then I will " Holmes suddenly bent his strength upon it , but
11091 without result . " I feel it give a little " said he ; " but , though
11092 I am exceptionally strong in the fingers , it would take me all my
11093 time to break it . An ordinary man could not do it . Now , what do
11094 you think would happen if I did break it , Mr . Holder ? There would
11095 be a noise like a pistol shot . Do you tell me that all this
11096 happened within a few yards of your bed and that you heard
11097 nothing of it "
11098
11099 " I do not know what to think . It is all dark to me "
11100
11101 " But perhaps it may grow lighter as we go . What do you think ,
11102 Miss Holder "
11103
11104 " I confess that I still share my uncle's perplexity "
11105
11106 " Your son had no shoes or slippers on when you saw him "
11107
11108 " He had nothing on save only his trousers and shirt "
11109
11110 " Thank you . We have certainly been favoured with extraordinary
11111 luck during this inquiry , and it will be entirely our own fault
11112 if we do not succeed in clearing the matter up . With your
11113 permission , Mr . Holder , I shall now continue my investigations
11114 outside "
11115
11116 He went alone , at his own request , for he explained that any
11117 unnecessary footmarks might make his task more difficult . For an
11118 hour or more he was at work , returning at last with his feet
11119 heavy with snow and his features as inscrutable as ever .
11120
11121 " I think that I have seen now all that there is to see , Mr .
11122 Holder " said he ; " I can serve you best by returning to my
11123 rooms "
11124
11125 " But the gems , Mr . Holmes . Where are they "
11126
11127 " I cannot tell "
11128
11129 The banker wrung his hands . " I shall never see them again " he
11130 cried . " And my son ? You give me hopes "
11131
11132 " My opinion is in no way altered "
11133
11134 " Then , for God's sake , what was this dark business which was
11135 acted in my house last night "
11136
11137 " If you can call upon me at my Baker Street rooms to - morrow
11138 morning between nine and ten I shall be happy to do what I can to
11139 make it clearer . I understand that you give me carte blanche to
11140 act for you , provided only that I get back the gems , and that you
11141 place no limit on the sum I may draw "
11142
11143 " I would give my fortune to have them back "
11144
11145 " Very good . I shall look into the matter between this and then .
11146 Good - bye ; it is just possible that I may have to come over here
11147 again before evening "
11148
11149 It was obvious to me that my companion's mind was now made up
11150 about the case , although what his conclusions were was more than
11151 I could even dimly imagine . Several times during our homeward
11152 journey I endeavoured to sound him upon the point , but he always
11153 glided away to some other topic , until at last I gave it over in
11154 despair . It was not yet three when we found ourselves in our
11155 rooms once more . He hurried to his chamber and was down again in
11156 a few minutes dressed as a common loafer . With his collar turned
11157 up , his shiny , seedy coat , his red cravat , and his worn boots , he
11158 was a perfect sample of the class .
11159
11160 " I think that this should do " said he , glancing into the glass
11161 above the fireplace . " I only wish that you could come with me ,
11162 Watson , but I fear that it won't do . I may be on the trail in
11163 this matter , or I may be following a will - o - the - wisp , but I
11164 shall soon know which it is . I hope that I may be back in a few
11165 hours " He cut a slice of beef from the joint upon the sideboard ,
11166 sandwiched it between two rounds of bread , and thrusting this
11167 rude meal into his pocket he started off upon his expedition .
11168
11169 I had just finished my tea when he returned , evidently in
11170 excellent spirits , swinging an old elastic - sided boot in his
11171 hand . He chucked it down into a corner and helped himself to a
11172 cup of tea .
11173
11174 " I only looked in as I passed " said he . " I am going right on "
11175
11176 " Where to "
11177
11178 " Oh , to the other side of the West End . It may be some time
11179 before I get back . Don't wait up for me in case I should be
11180 late "
11181
11182 " How are you getting on "
11183
11184 " Oh , so so . Nothing to complain of . I have been out to Streatham
11185 since I saw you last , but I did not call at the house . It is a
11186 very sweet little problem , and I would not have missed it for a
11187 good deal . However , I must not sit gossiping here , but must get
11188 these disreputable clothes off and return to my highly
11189 respectable self "
11190
11191 I could see by his manner that he had stronger reasons for
11192 satisfaction than his words alone would imply . His eyes twinkled ,
11193 and there was even a touch of colour upon his sallow cheeks . He
11194 hastened upstairs , and a few minutes later I heard the slam of
11195 the hall door , which told me that he was off once more upon his
11196 congenial hunt .
11197
11198 I waited until midnight , but there was no sign of his return , so
11199 I retired to my room . It was no uncommon thing for him to be away
11200 for days and nights on end when he was hot upon a scent , so that
11201 his lateness caused me no surprise . I do not know at what hour he
11202 came in , but when I came down to breakfast in the morning there
11203 he was with a cup of coffee in one hand and the paper in the
11204 other , as fresh and trim as possible .
11205
11206 " You will excuse my beginning without you , Watson " said he , " but
11207 you remember that our client has rather an early appointment this
11208 morning "
11209
11210 " Why , it is after nine now " I answered . " I should not be
11211 surprised if that were he . I thought I heard a ring "
11212
11213 It was , indeed , our friend the financier . I was shocked by the
11214 change which had come over him , for his face which was naturally
11215 of a broad and massive mould , was now pinched and fallen in ,
11216 while his hair seemed to me at least a shade whiter . He entered
11217 with a weariness and lethargy which was even more painful than
11218 his violence of the morning before , and he dropped heavily into
11219 the armchair which I pushed forward for him .
11220
11221 " I do not know what I have done to be so severely tried " said
11222 he . " Only two days ago I was a happy and prosperous man , without
11223 a care in the world . Now I am left to a lonely and dishonoured
11224 age . One sorrow comes close upon the heels of another . My niece ,
11225 Mary , has deserted me "
11226
11227 " Deserted you "
11228
11229 " Yes . Her bed this morning had not been slept in , her room was
11230 empty , and a note for me lay upon the hall table . I had said to
11231 her last night , in sorrow and not in anger , that if she had
11232 married my boy all might have been well with him . Perhaps it was
11233 thoughtless of me to say so . It is to that remark that she refers
11234 in this note :
11235
11236 ' MY DEAREST UNCLE -- I feel that I have brought trouble upon you ,
11237 and that if I had acted differently this terrible misfortune
11238 might never have occurred . I cannot , with this thought in my
11239 mind , ever again be happy under your roof , and I feel that I must
11240 leave you forever . Do not worry about my future , for that is
11241 provided for ; and , above all , do not search for me , for it will
11242 be fruitless labour and an ill - service to me . In life or in
11243 death , I am ever your loving -- MARY '
11244
11245 " What could she mean by that note , Mr . Holmes ? Do you think it
11246 points to suicide "
11247
11248 " No , no , nothing of the kind . It is perhaps the best possible
11249 solution . I trust , Mr . Holder , that you are nearing the end of
11250 your troubles "
11251
11252 " Ha ! You say so ! You have heard something , Mr . Holmes ; you have
11253 learned something ! Where are the gems "
11254
11255 " You would not think 1000 pounds apiece an excessive sum for
11256 them "
11257
11258 " I would pay ten "
11259
11260 " That would be unnecessary . Three thousand will cover the matter .
11261 And there is a little reward , I fancy . Have you your check - book ?
11262 Here is a pen . Better make it out for 4000 pounds "
11263
11264 With a dazed face the banker made out the required check . Holmes
11265 walked over to his desk , took out a little triangular piece of
11266 gold with three gems in it , and threw it down upon the table .
11267
11268 With a shriek of joy our client clutched it up .
11269
11270 " You have it " he gasped . " I am saved ! I am saved "
11271
11272 The reaction of joy was as passionate as his grief had been , and
11273 he hugged his recovered gems to his bosom .
11274
11275 " There is one other thing you owe , Mr . Holder " said Sherlock
11276 Holmes rather sternly .
11277
11278 " Owe " He caught up a pen . " Name the sum , and I will pay it "
11279
11280 " No , the debt is not to me . You owe a very humble apology to that
11281 noble lad , your son , who has carried himself in this matter as I
11282 should be proud to see my own son do , should I ever chance to
11283 have one "
11284
11285 " Then it was not Arthur who took them "
11286
11287 " I told you yesterday , and I repeat to - day , that it was not "
11288
11289 " You are sure of it ! Then let us hurry to him at once to let him
11290 know that the truth is known "
11291
11292 " He knows it already . When I had cleared it all up I had an
11293 interview with him , and finding that he would not tell me the
11294 story , I told it to him , on which he had to confess that I was
11295 right and to add the very few details which were not yet quite
11296 clear to me . Your news of this morning , however , may open his
11297 lips "
11298
11299 " For heaven's sake , tell me , then , what is this extraordinary
11300 mystery "
11301
11302 " I will do so , and I will show you the steps by which I reached
11303 it . And let me say to you , first , that which it is hardest for me
11304 to say and for you to hear : there has been an understanding
11305 between Sir George Burnwell and your niece Mary . They have now
11306 fled together "
11307
11308 " My Mary ? Impossible "
11309
11310 " It is unfortunately more than possible ; it is certain . Neither
11311 you nor your son knew the true character of this man when you
11312 admitted him into your family circle . He is one of the most
11313 dangerous men in England - a ruined gambler , an absolutely
11314 desperate villain , a man without heart or conscience . Your niece
11315 knew nothing of such men . When he breathed his vows to her , as he
11316 had done to a hundred before her , she flattered herself that she
11317 alone had touched his heart . The devil knows best what he said ,
11318 but at least she became his tool and was in the habit of seeing
11319 him nearly every evening "
11320
11321 " I cannot , and I will not , believe it " cried the banker with an
11322 ashen face .
11323
11324 " I will tell you , then , what occurred in your house last night .
11325 Your niece , when you had , as she thought , gone to your room ,
11326 slipped down and talked to her lover through the window which
11327 leads into the stable lane . His footmarks had pressed right
11328 through the snow , so long had he stood there . She told him of the
11329 coronet . His wicked lust for gold kindled at the news , and he
11330 bent her to his will . I have no doubt that she loved you , but
11331 there are women in whom the love of a lover extinguishes all
11332 other loves , and I think that she must have been one . She had
11333 hardly listened to his instructions when she saw you coming
11334 downstairs , on which she closed the window rapidly and told you
11335 about one of the servants ' escapade with her wooden - legged lover ,
11336 which was all perfectly true .
11337
11338 " Your boy , Arthur , went to bed after his interview with you but
11339 he slept badly on account of his uneasiness about his club debts .
11340 In the middle of the night he heard a soft tread pass his door ,
11341 so he rose and , looking out , was surprised to see his cousin
11342 walking very stealthily along the passage until she disappeared
11343 into your dressing - room . Petrified with astonishment , the lad
11344 slipped on some clothes and waited there in the dark to see what
11345 would come of this strange affair . Presently she emerged from the
11346 room again , and in the light of the passage - lamp your son saw
11347 that she carried the precious coronet in her hands . She passed
11348 down the stairs , and he , thrilling with horror , ran along and
11349 slipped behind the curtain near your door , whence he could see
11350 what passed in the hall beneath . He saw her stealthily open the
11351 window , hand out the coronet to someone in the gloom , and then
11352 closing it once more hurry back to her room , passing quite close
11353 to where he stood hid behind the curtain .
11354
11355 " As long as she was on the scene he could not take any action
11356 without a horrible exposure of the woman whom he loved . But the
11357 instant that she was gone he realised how crushing a misfortune
11358 this would be for you , and how all - important it was to set it
11359 right . He rushed down , just as he was , in his bare feet , opened
11360 the window , sprang out into the snow , and ran down the lane ,
11361 where he could see a dark figure in the moonlight . Sir George
11362 Burnwell tried to get away , but Arthur caught him , and there was
11363 a struggle between them , your lad tugging at one side of the
11364 coronet , and his opponent at the other . In the scuffle , your son
11365 struck Sir George and cut him over the eye . Then something
11366 suddenly snapped , and your son , finding that he had the coronet
11367 in his hands , rushed back , closed the window , ascended to your
11368 room , and had just observed that the coronet had been twisted in
11369 the struggle and was endeavouring to straighten it when you
11370 appeared upon the scene "
11371
11372 " Is it possible " gasped the banker .
11373
11374 " You then roused his anger by calling him names at a moment when
11375 he felt that he had deserved your warmest thanks . He could not
11376 explain the true state of affairs without betraying one who
11377 certainly deserved little enough consideration at his hands . He
11378 took the more chivalrous view , however , and preserved her
11379 secret "
11380
11381 " And that was why she shrieked and fainted when she saw the
11382 coronet " cried Mr . Holder . " Oh , my God ! what a blind fool I have
11383 been ! And his asking to be allowed to go out for five minutes !
11384 The dear fellow wanted to see if the missing piece were at the
11385 scene of the struggle . How cruelly I have misjudged him "
11386
11387 " When I arrived at the house " continued Holmes , " I at once went
11388 very carefully round it to observe if there were any traces in
11389 the snow which might help me . I knew that none had fallen since
11390 the evening before , and also that there had been a strong frost
11391 to preserve impressions . I passed along the tradesmen's path , but
11392 found it all trampled down and indistinguishable . Just beyond it ,
11393 however , at the far side of the kitchen door , a woman had stood
11394 and talked with a man , whose round impressions on one side showed
11395 that he had a wooden leg . I could even tell that they had been
11396 disturbed , for the woman had run back swiftly to the door , as was
11397 shown by the deep toe and light heel marks , while Wooden - leg had
11398 waited a little , and then had gone away . I thought at the time
11399 that this might be the maid and her sweetheart , of whom you had
11400 already spoken to me , and inquiry showed it was so . I passed
11401 round the garden without seeing anything more than random tracks ,
11402 which I took to be the police ; but when I got into the stable
11403 lane a very long and complex story was written in the snow in
11404 front of me .
11405
11406 " There was a double line of tracks of a booted man , and a second
11407 double line which I saw with delight belonged to a man with naked
11408 feet . I was at once convinced from what you had told me that the
11409 latter was your son . The first had walked both ways , but the
11410 other had run swiftly , and as his tread was marked in places over
11411 the depression of the boot , it was obvious that he had passed
11412 after the other . I followed them up and found they led to the
11413 hall window , where Boots had worn all the snow away while
11414 waiting . Then I walked to the other end , which was a hundred
11415 yards or more down the lane . I saw where Boots had faced round ,
11416 where the snow was cut up as though there had been a struggle ,
11417 and , finally , where a few drops of blood had fallen , to show me
11418 that I was not mistaken . Boots had then run down the lane , and
11419 another little smudge of blood showed that it was he who had been
11420 hurt . When he came to the highroad at the other end , I found that
11421 the pavement had been cleared , so there was an end to that clue .
11422
11423 " On entering the house , however , I examined , as you remember , the
11424 sill and framework of the hall window with my lens , and I could
11425 at once see that someone had passed out . I could distinguish the
11426 outline of an instep where the wet foot had been placed in coming
11427 in . I was then beginning to be able to form an opinion as to what
11428 had occurred . A man had waited outside the window ; someone had
11429 brought the gems ; the deed had been overseen by your son ; he had
11430 pursued the thief ; had struggled with him ; they had each tugged
11431 at the coronet , their united strength causing injuries which
11432 neither alone could have effected . He had returned with the
11433 prize , but had left a fragment in the grasp of his opponent . So
11434 far I was clear . The question now was , who was the man and who
11435 was it brought him the coronet ?
11436
11437 " It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the
11438 impossible , whatever remains , however improbable , must be the
11439 truth . Now , I knew that it was not you who had brought it down ,
11440 so there only remained your niece and the maids . But if it were
11441 the maids , why should your son allow himself to be accused in
11442 their place ? There could be no possible reason . As he loved his
11443 cousin , however , there was an excellent explanation why he should
11444 retain her secret - the more so as the secret was a disgraceful
11445 one . When I remembered that you had seen her at that window , and
11446 how she had fainted on seeing the coronet again , my conjecture
11447 became a certainty .
11448
11449 " And who could it be who was her confederate ? A lover evidently ,
11450 for who else could outweigh the love and gratitude which she must
11451 feel to you ? I knew that you went out little , and that your
11452 circle of friends was a very limited one . But among them was Sir
11453 George Burnwell . I had heard of him before as being a man of evil
11454 reputation among women . It must have been he who wore those boots
11455 and retained the missing gems . Even though he knew that Arthur
11456 had discovered him , he might still flatter himself that he was
11457 safe , for the lad could not say a word without compromising his
11458 own family .
11459
11460 " Well , your own good sense will suggest what measures I took
11461 next . I went in the shape of a loafer to Sir George's house ,
11462 managed to pick up an acquaintance with his valet , learned that
11463 his master had cut his head the night before , and , finally , at
11464 the expense of six shillings , made all sure by buying a pair of
11465 his cast - off shoes . With these I journeyed down to Streatham and
11466 saw that they exactly fitted the tracks "
11467
11468 " I saw an ill - dressed vagabond in the lane yesterday evening "
11469 said Mr . Holder .
11470
11471 " Precisely . It was I . I found that I had my man , so I came home
11472 and changed my clothes . It was a delicate part which I had to
11473 play then , for I saw that a prosecution must be avoided to avert
11474 scandal , and I knew that so astute a villain would see that our
11475 hands were tied in the matter . I went and saw him . At first , of
11476 course , he denied everything . But when I gave him every
11477 particular that had occurred , he tried to bluster and took down a
11478 life - preserver from the wall . I knew my man , however , and I
11479 clapped a pistol to his head before he could strike . Then he
11480 became a little more reasonable . I told him that we would give
11481 him a price for the stones he held - 1000 pounds apiece . That
11482 brought out the first signs of grief that he had shown . ' Why ,
11483 dash it all ' said he , ' I ' ve let them go at six hundred for the
11484 three ' I soon managed to get the address of the receiver who had
11485 them , on promising him that there would be no prosecution . Off I
11486 set to him , and after much chaffering I got our stones at 1000
11487 pounds apiece . Then I looked in upon your son , told him that all
11488 was right , and eventually got to my bed about two o'clock , after
11489 what I may call a really hard day's work "
11490
11491 " A day which has saved England from a great public scandal " said
11492 the banker , rising . " Sir , I cannot find words to thank you , but
11493 you shall not find me ungrateful for what you have done . Your
11494 skill has indeed exceeded all that I have heard of it . And now I
11495 must fly to my dear boy to apologise to him for the wrong which I
11496 have done him . As to what you tell me of poor Mary , it goes to my
11497 very heart . Not even your skill can inform me where she is now "
11498
11499 " I think that we may safely say " returned Holmes , " that she is
11500 wherever Sir George Burnwell is . It is equally certain , too , that
11501 whatever her sins are , they will soon receive a more than
11502 sufficient punishment "
11503
11504
11505
11506 XII . THE ADVENTURE OF THE COPPER BEECHES
11507
11508 " To the man who loves art for its own sake " remarked Sherlock
11509 Holmes , tossing aside the advertisement sheet of the Daily
11510 Telegraph , " it is frequently in its least important and lowliest
11511 manifestations that the keenest pleasure is to be derived . It is
11512 pleasant to me to observe , Watson , that you have so far grasped
11513 this truth that in these little records of our cases which you
11514 have been good enough to draw up , and , I am bound to say ,
11515 occasionally to embellish , you have given prominence not so much
11516 to the many causes celebres and sensational trials in which I
11517 have figured but rather to those incidents which may have been
11518 trivial in themselves , but which have given room for those
11519 faculties of deduction and of logical synthesis which I have made
11520 my special province "
11521
11522 " And yet " said I , smiling , " I cannot quite hold myself absolved
11523 from the charge of sensationalism which has been urged against my
11524 records "
11525
11526 " You have erred , perhaps " he observed , taking up a glowing
11527 cinder with the tongs and lighting with it the long cherry - wood
11528 pipe which was wont to replace his clay when he was in a
11529 disputatious rather than a meditative mood -" you have erred
11530 perhaps in attempting to put colour and life into each of your
11531 statements instead of confining yourself to the task of placing
11532 upon record that severe reasoning from cause to effect which is
11533 really the only notable feature about the thing "
11534
11535 " It seems to me that I have done you full justice in the matter "
11536 I remarked with some coldness , for I was repelled by the egotism
11537 which I had more than once observed to be a strong factor in my
11538 friend's singular character .
11539
11540 " No , it is not selfishness or conceit " said he , answering , as
11541 was his wont , my thoughts rather than my words . " If I claim full
11542 justice for my art , it is because it is an impersonal thing - a
11543 thing beyond myself . Crime is common . Logic is rare . Therefore it
11544 is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should
11545 dwell . You have degraded what should have been a course of
11546 lectures into a series of tales "
11547
11548 It was a cold morning of the early spring , and we sat after
11549 breakfast on either side of a cheery fire in the old room at
11550 Baker Street . A thick fog rolled down between the lines of
11551 dun - coloured houses , and the opposing windows loomed like dark ,
11552 shapeless blurs through the heavy yellow wreaths . Our gas was lit
11553 and shone on the white cloth and glimmer of china and metal , for
11554 the table had not been cleared yet . Sherlock Holmes had been
11555 silent all the morning , dipping continuously into the
11556 advertisement columns of a succession of papers until at last ,
11557 having apparently given up his search , he had emerged in no very
11558 sweet temper to lecture me upon my literary shortcomings .
11559
11560 " At the same time " he remarked after a pause , during which he
11561 had sat puffing at his long pipe and gazing down into the fire ,
11562 " you can hardly be open to a charge of sensationalism , for out of
11563 these cases which you have been so kind as to interest yourself
11564 in , a fair proportion do not treat of crime , in its legal sense ,
11565 at all . The small matter in which I endeavoured to help the King
11566 of Bohemia , the singular experience of Miss Mary Sutherland , the
11567 problem connected with the man with the twisted lip , and the
11568 incident of the noble bachelor , were all matters which are
11569 outside the pale of the law . But in avoiding the sensational , I
11570 fear that you may have bordered on the trivial "
11571
11572 " The end may have been so " I answered , " but the methods I hold
11573 to have been novel and of interest "
11574
11575 " Pshaw , my dear fellow , what do the public , the great unobservant
11576 public , who could hardly tell a weaver by his tooth or a
11577 compositor by his left thumb , care about the finer shades of
11578 analysis and deduction ! But , indeed , if you are trivial , I cannot
11579 blame you , for the days of the great cases are past . Man , or at
11580 least criminal man , has lost all enterprise and originality . As
11581 to my own little practice , it seems to be degenerating into an
11582 agency for recovering lost lead pencils and giving advice to
11583 young ladies from boarding - schools . I think that I have touched
11584 bottom at last , however . This note I had this morning marks my
11585 zero - point , I fancy . Read it " He tossed a crumpled letter across
11586 to me .
11587
11588 It was dated from Montague Place upon the preceding evening , and
11589 ran thus :
11590
11591 " DEAR MR . HOLMES -- I am very anxious to consult you as to whether
11592 I should or should not accept a situation which has been offered
11593 to me as governess . I shall call at half - past ten to - morrow if I
11594 do not inconvenience you . Yours faithfully ,
11595 " VIOLET HUNTER "
11596
11597 " Do you know the young lady " I asked .
11598
11599 " Not I "
11600
11601 " It is half - past ten now "
11602
11603 " Yes , and I have no doubt that is her ring "
11604
11605 " It may turn out to be of more interest than you think . You
11606 remember that the affair of the blue carbuncle , which appeared to
11607 be a mere whim at first , developed into a serious investigation .
11608 It may be so in this case , also "
11609
11610 " Well , let us hope so . But our doubts will very soon be solved ,
11611 for here , unless I am much mistaken , is the person in question "
11612
11613 As he spoke the door opened and a young lady entered the room .
11614 She was plainly but neatly dressed , with a bright , quick face ,
11615 freckled like a plover's egg , and with the brisk manner of a
11616 woman who has had her own way to make in the world .
11617
11618 " You will excuse my troubling you , I am sure " said she , as my
11619 companion rose to greet her , " but I have had a very strange
11620 experience , and as I have no parents or relations of any sort
11621 from whom I could ask advice , I thought that perhaps you would be
11622 kind enough to tell me what I should do "
11623
11624 " Pray take a seat , Miss Hunter . I shall be happy to do anything
11625 that I can to serve you "
11626
11627 I could see that Holmes was favourably impressed by the manner
11628 and speech of his new client . He looked her over in his searching
11629 fashion , and then composed himself , with his lids drooping and
11630 his finger - tips together , to listen to her story .
11631
11632 " I have been a governess for five years " said she , " in the
11633 family of Colonel Spence Munro , but two months ago the colonel
11634 received an appointment at Halifax , in Nova Scotia , and took his
11635 children over to America with him , so that I found myself without
11636 a situation . I advertised , and I answered advertisements , but
11637 without success . At last the little money which I had saved began
11638 to run short , and I was at my wit's end as to what I should do .
11639
11640 " There is a well - known agency for governesses in the West End
11641 called Westaway's , and there I used to call about once a week in
11642 order to see whether anything had turned up which might suit me .
11643 Westaway was the name of the founder of the business , but it is
11644 really managed by Miss Stoper . She sits in her own little office ,
11645 and the ladies who are seeking employment wait in an anteroom ,
11646 and are then shown in one by one , when she consults her ledgers
11647 and sees whether she has anything which would suit them .
11648
11649 " Well , when I called last week I was shown into the little office
11650 as usual , but I found that Miss Stoper was not alone . A
11651 prodigiously stout man with a very smiling face and a great heavy
11652 chin which rolled down in fold upon fold over his throat sat at
11653 her elbow with a pair of glasses on his nose , looking very
11654 earnestly at the ladies who entered . As I came in he gave quite a
11655 jump in his chair and turned quickly to Miss Stoper .
11656
11657 ' That will do ' said he ; ' I could not ask for anything better .
11658 Capital ! capital ' He seemed quite enthusiastic and rubbed his
11659 hands together in the most genial fashion . He was such a
11660 comfortable - looking man that it was quite a pleasure to look at
11661 him .
11662
11663 ' You are looking for a situation , miss ' he asked .
11664
11665 ' Yes , sir '
11666
11667 ' As governess '
11668
11669 ' Yes , sir '
11670
11671 ' And what salary do you ask '
11672
11673 ' I had 4 pounds a month in my last place with Colonel Spence
11674 Munro '
11675
11676 ' Oh , tut , tut ! sweating - rank sweating ' he cried , throwing his
11677 fat hands out into the air like a man who is in a boiling
11678 passion . ' How could anyone offer so pitiful a sum to a lady with
11679 such attractions and accomplishments '
11680
11681 ' My accomplishments , sir , may be less than you imagine ' said I .
11682 ' A little French , a little German , music , and drawing -'
11683
11684 ' Tut , tut ' he cried . ' This is all quite beside the question .
11685 The point is , have you or have you not the bearing and deportment
11686 of a lady ? There it is in a nutshell . If you have not , you are
11687 not fitted for the rearing of a child who may some day play a
11688 considerable part in the history of the country . But if you have
11689 why , then , how could any gentleman ask you to condescend to
11690 accept anything under the three figures ? Your salary with me ,
11691 madam , would commence at 100 pounds a year '
11692
11693 " You may imagine , Mr . Holmes , that to me , destitute as I was ,
11694 such an offer seemed almost too good to be true . The gentleman ,
11695 however , seeing perhaps the look of incredulity upon my face ,
11696 opened a pocket - book and took out a note .
11697
11698 ' It is also my custom ' said he , smiling in the most pleasant
11699 fashion until his eyes were just two little shining slits amid
11700 the white creases of his face , ' to advance to my young ladies
11701 half their salary beforehand , so that they may meet any little
11702 expenses of their journey and their wardrobe '
11703
11704 " It seemed to me that I had never met so fascinating and so
11705 thoughtful a man . As I was already in debt to my tradesmen , the
11706 advance was a great convenience , and yet there was something
11707 unnatural about the whole transaction which made me wish to know
11708 a little more before I quite committed myself .
11709
11710 ' May I ask where you live , sir ' said I .
11711
11712 ' Hampshire . Charming rural place . The Copper Beeches , five miles
11713 on the far side of Winchester . It is the most lovely country , my
11714 dear young lady , and the dearest old country - house '
11715
11716 ' And my duties , sir ? I should be glad to know what they would
11717 be '
11718
11719 ' One child - one dear little romper just six years old . Oh , if
11720 you could see him killing cockroaches with a slipper ! Smack !
11721 smack ! smack ! Three gone before you could wink ' He leaned back
11722 in his chair and laughed his eyes into his head again .
11723
11724 " I was a little startled at the nature of the child's amusement ,
11725 but the father's laughter made me think that perhaps he was
11726 joking .
11727
11728 ' My sole duties , then ' I asked , ' are to take charge of a single
11729 child '
11730
11731 ' No , no , not the sole , not the sole , my dear young lady ' he
11732 cried . ' Your duty would be , as I am sure your good sense would
11733 suggest , to obey any little commands my wife might give , provided
11734 always that they were such commands as a lady might with
11735 propriety obey . You see no difficulty , heh '
11736
11737 ' I should be happy to make myself useful '
11738
11739 ' Quite so . In dress now , for example . We are faddy people , you
11740 know - faddy but kind - hearted . If you were asked to wear any dress
11741 which we might give you , you would not object to our little whim .
11742 Heh '
11743
11744 ' No ' said I , considerably astonished at his words .
11745
11746 ' Or to sit here , or sit there , that would not be offensive to
11747 you '
11748
11749 ' Oh , no '
11750
11751 ' Or to cut your hair quite short before you come to us '
11752
11753 " I could hardly believe my ears . As you may observe , Mr . Holmes ,
11754 my hair is somewhat luxuriant , and of a rather peculiar tint of
11755 chestnut . It has been considered artistic . I could not dream of
11756 sacrificing it in this offhand fashion .
11757
11758 ' I am afraid that that is quite impossible ' said I . He had been
11759 watching me eagerly out of his small eyes , and I could see a
11760 shadow pass over his face as I spoke .
11761
11762 ' I am afraid that it is quite essential ' said he . ' It is a
11763 little fancy of my wife's , and ladies ' fancies , you know , madam ,
11764 ladies ' fancies must be consulted . And so you won't cut your
11765 hair '
11766
11767 ' No , sir , I really could not ' I answered firmly .
11768
11769 ' Ah , very well ; then that quite settles the matter . It is a
11770 pity , because in other respects you would really have done very
11771 nicely . In that case , Miss Stoper , I had best inspect a few more
11772 of your young ladies '
11773
11774 " The manageress had sat all this while busy with her papers
11775 without a word to either of us , but she glanced at me now with so
11776 much annoyance upon her face that I could not help suspecting
11777 that she had lost a handsome commission through my refusal .
11778
11779 ' Do you desire your name to be kept upon the books ' she asked .
11780
11781 ' If you please , Miss Stoper '
11782
11783 ' Well , really , it seems rather useless , since you refuse the
11784 most excellent offers in this fashion ' said she sharply . ' You
11785 can hardly expect us to exert ourselves to find another such
11786 opening for you . Good - day to you , Miss Hunter ' She struck a gong
11787 upon the table , and I was shown out by the page .
11788
11789 " Well , Mr . Holmes , when I got back to my lodgings and found
11790 little enough in the cupboard , and two or three bills upon the
11791 table , I began to ask myself whether I had not done a very
11792 foolish thing . After all , if these people had strange fads and
11793 expected obedience on the most extraordinary matters , they were
11794 at least ready to pay for their eccentricity . Very few
11795 governesses in England are getting 100 pounds a year . Besides ,
11796 what use was my hair to me ? Many people are improved by wearing
11797 it short and perhaps I should be among the number . Next day I was
11798 inclined to think that I had made a mistake , and by the day after
11799 I was sure of it . I had almost overcome my pride so far as to go
11800 back to the agency and inquire whether the place was still open
11801 when I received this letter from the gentleman himself . I have it
11802 here and I will read it to you :
11803
11804 " ' The Copper Beeches , near Winchester .
11805 ' DEAR MISS HUNTER -- Miss Stoper has very kindly given me your
11806 address , and I write from here to ask you whether you have
11807 reconsidered your decision . My wife is very anxious that you
11808 should come , for she has been much attracted by my description of
11809 you . We are willing to give 30 pounds a quarter , or 120 pounds a
11810 year , so as to recompense you for any little inconvenience which
11811 our fads may cause you . They are not very exacting , after all . My
11812 wife is fond of a particular shade of electric blue and would
11813 like you to wear such a dress indoors in the morning . You need
11814 not , however , go to the expense of purchasing one , as we have one
11815 belonging to my dear daughter Alice ( now in Philadelphia , which
11816 would , I should think , fit you very well . Then , as to sitting
11817 here or there , or amusing yourself in any manner indicated , that
11818 need cause you no inconvenience . As regards your hair , it is no
11819 doubt a pity , especially as I could not help remarking its beauty
11820 during our short interview , but I am afraid that I must remain
11821 firm upon this point , and I only hope that the increased salary
11822 may recompense you for the loss . Your duties , as far as the child
11823 is concerned , are very light . Now do try to come , and I shall
11824 meet you with the dog - cart at Winchester . Let me know your train .
11825 Yours faithfully , JEPHRO RUCASTLE '
11826
11827 " That is the letter which I have just received , Mr . Holmes , and
11828 my mind is made up that I will accept it . I thought , however ,
11829 that before taking the final step I should like to submit the
11830 whole matter to your consideration "
11831
11832 " Well , Miss Hunter , if your mind is made up , that settles the
11833 question " said Holmes , smiling .
11834
11835 " But you would not advise me to refuse "
11836
11837 " I confess that it is not the situation which I should like to
11838 see a sister of mine apply for "
11839
11840 " What is the meaning of it all , Mr . Holmes "
11841
11842 " Ah , I have no data . I cannot tell . Perhaps you have yourself
11843 formed some opinion "
11844
11845 " Well , there seems to me to be only one possible solution . Mr .
11846 Rucastle seemed to be a very kind , good - natured man . Is it not
11847 possible that his wife is a lunatic , that he desires to keep the
11848 matter quiet for fear she should be taken to an asylum , and that
11849 he humours her fancies in every way in order to prevent an
11850 outbreak "
11851
11852 " That is a possible solution - in fact , as matters stand , it is
11853 the most probable one . But in any case it does not seem to be a
11854 nice household for a young lady "
11855
11856 " But the money , Mr . Holmes , the money "
11857
11858 " Well , yes , of course the pay is good - too good . That is what
11859 makes me uneasy . Why should they give you 120 pounds a year , when
11860 they could have their pick for 40 pounds ? There must be some
11861 strong reason behind "
11862
11863 " I thought that if I told you the circumstances you would
11864 understand afterwards if I wanted your help . I should feel so
11865 much stronger if I felt that you were at the back of me "
11866
11867 " Oh , you may carry that feeling away with you . I assure you that
11868 your little problem promises to be the most interesting which has
11869 come my way for some months . There is something distinctly novel
11870 about some of the features . If you should find yourself in doubt
11871 or in danger -"
11872
11873 " Danger ! What danger do you foresee "
11874
11875 Holmes shook his head gravely . " It would cease to be a danger if
11876 we could define it " said he . " But at any time , day or night , a
11877 telegram would bring me down to your help "
11878
11879 " That is enough " She rose briskly from her chair with the
11880 anxiety all swept from her face . " I shall go down to Hampshire
11881 quite easy in my mind now . I shall write to Mr . Rucastle at once ,
11882 sacrifice my poor hair to - night , and start for Winchester
11883 to - morrow " With a few grateful words to Holmes she bade us both
11884 good - night and bustled off upon her way .
11885
11886 " At least " said I as we heard her quick , firm steps descending
11887 the stairs , " she seems to be a young lady who is very well able
11888 to take care of herself "
11889
11890 " And she would need to be " said Holmes gravely . " I am much
11891 mistaken if we do not hear from her before many days are past "
11892
11893 It was not very long before my friend's prediction was fulfilled .
11894 A fortnight went by , during which I frequently found my thoughts
11895 turning in her direction and wondering what strange side - alley of
11896 human experience this lonely woman had strayed into . The unusual
11897 salary , the curious conditions , the light duties , all pointed to
11898 something abnormal , though whether a fad or a plot , or whether
11899 the man were a philanthropist or a villain , it was quite beyond
11900 my powers to determine . As to Holmes , I observed that he sat
11901 frequently for half an hour on end , with knitted brows and an
11902 abstracted air , but he swept the matter away with a wave of his
11903 hand when I mentioned it . " Data ! data ! data " he cried
11904 impatiently . " I can't make bricks without clay " And yet he would
11905 always wind up by muttering that no sister of his should ever
11906 have accepted such a situation .
11907
11908 The telegram which we eventually received came late one night
11909 just as I was thinking of turning in and Holmes was settling down
11910 to one of those all - night chemical researches which he frequently
11911 indulged in , when I would leave him stooping over a retort and a
11912 test - tube at night and find him in the same position when I came
11913 down to breakfast in the morning . He opened the yellow envelope ,
11914 and then , glancing at the message , threw it across to me .
11915
11916 " Just look up the trains in Bradshaw " said he , and turned back
11917 to his chemical studies .
11918
11919 The summons was a brief and urgent one .
11920
11921 " Please be at the Black Swan Hotel at Winchester at midday
11922 to - morrow " it said . " Do come ! I am at my wit's end . HUNTER "
11923
11924 " Will you come with me " asked Holmes , glancing up .
11925
11926 " I should wish to "
11927
11928 " Just look it up , then "
11929
11930 " There is a train at half - past nine " said I , glancing over my
11931 Bradshaw . " It is due at Winchester at 11 : 30 "
11932
11933 " That will do very nicely . Then perhaps I had better postpone my
11934 analysis of the acetones , as we may need to be at our best in the
11935 morning "
11936
11937 By eleven o'clock the next day we were well upon our way to the
11938 old English capital . Holmes had been buried in the morning papers
11939 all the way down , but after we had passed the Hampshire border he
11940 threw them down and began to admire the scenery . It was an ideal
11941 spring day , a light blue sky , flecked with little fleecy white
11942 clouds drifting across from west to east . The sun was shining
11943 very brightly , and yet there was an exhilarating nip in the air ,
11944 which set an edge to a man's energy . All over the countryside ,
11945 away to the rolling hills around Aldershot , the little red and
11946 grey roofs of the farm - steadings peeped out from amid the light
11947 green of the new foliage .
11948
11949 " Are they not fresh and beautiful " I cried with all the
11950 enthusiasm of a man fresh from the fogs of Baker Street .
11951
11952 But Holmes shook his head gravely .
11953
11954 " Do you know , Watson " said he , " that it is one of the curses of
11955 a mind with a turn like mine that I must look at everything with
11956 reference to my own special subject . You look at these scattered
11957 houses , and you are impressed by their beauty . I look at them ,
11958 and the only thought which comes to me is a feeling of their
11959 isolation and of the impunity with which crime may be committed
11960 there "
11961
11962 " Good heavens " I cried . " Who would associate crime with these
11963 dear old homesteads "
11964
11965 " They always fill me with a certain horror . It is my belief ,
11966 Watson , founded upon my experience , that the lowest and vilest
11967 alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin
11968 than does the smiling and beautiful countryside "
11969
11970 " You horrify me "
11971
11972 " But the reason is very obvious . The pressure of public opinion
11973 can do in the town what the law cannot accomplish . There is no
11974 lane so vile that the scream of a tortured child , or the thud of
11975 a drunkard's blow , does not beget sympathy and indignation among
11976 the neighbours , and then the whole machinery of justice is ever
11977 so close that a word of complaint can set it going , and there is
11978 but a step between the crime and the dock . But look at these
11979 lonely houses , each in its own fields , filled for the most part
11980 with poor ignorant folk who know little of the law . Think of the
11981 deeds of hellish cruelty , the hidden wickedness which may go on ,
11982 year in , year out , in such places , and none the wiser . Had this
11983 lady who appeals to us for help gone to live in Winchester , I
11984 should never have had a fear for her . It is the five miles of
11985 country which makes the danger . Still , it is clear that she is
11986 not personally threatened "
11987
11988 " No . If she can come to Winchester to meet us she can get away "
11989
11990 " Quite so . She has her freedom "
11991
11992 " What CAN be the matter , then ? Can you suggest no explanation "
11993
11994 " I have devised seven separate explanations , each of which would
11995 cover the facts as far as we know them . But which of these is
11996 correct can only be determined by the fresh information which we
11997 shall no doubt find waiting for us . Well , there is the tower of
11998 the cathedral , and we shall soon learn all that Miss Hunter has
11999 to tell "
12000
12001 The Black Swan is an inn of repute in the High Street , at no
12002 distance from the station , and there we found the young lady
12003 waiting for us . She had engaged a sitting - room , and our lunch
12004 awaited us upon the table .
12005
12006 " I am so delighted that you have come " she said earnestly . " It
12007 is so very kind of you both ; but indeed I do not know what I
12008 should do . Your advice will be altogether invaluable to me "
12009
12010 " Pray tell us what has happened to you "
12011
12012 " I will do so , and I must be quick , for I have promised Mr .
12013 Rucastle to be back before three . I got his leave to come into
12014 town this morning , though he little knew for what purpose "
12015
12016 " Let us have everything in its due order " Holmes thrust his long
12017 thin legs out towards the fire and composed himself to listen .
12018
12019 " In the first place , I may say that I have met , on the whole ,
12020 with no actual ill - treatment from Mr . and Mrs . Rucastle . It is
12021 only fair to them to say that . But I cannot understand them , and
12022 I am not easy in my mind about them "
12023
12024 " What can you not understand "
12025
12026 " Their reasons for their conduct . But you shall have it all just
12027 as it occurred . When I came down , Mr . Rucastle met me here and
12028 drove me in his dog - cart to the Copper Beeches . It is , as he
12029 said , beautifully situated , but it is not beautiful in itself ,
12030 for it is a large square block of a house , whitewashed , but all
12031 stained and streaked with damp and bad weather . There are grounds
12032 round it , woods on three sides , and on the fourth a field which
12033 slopes down to the Southampton highroad , which curves past about
12034 a hundred yards from the front door . This ground in front belongs
12035 to the house , but the woods all round are part of Lord
12036 Southerton's preserves . A clump of copper beeches immediately in
12037 front of the hall door has given its name to the place .
12038
12039 " I was driven over by my employer , who was as amiable as ever ,
12040 and was introduced by him that evening to his wife and the child .
12041 There was no truth , Mr . Holmes , in the conjecture which seemed to
12042 us to be probable in your rooms at Baker Street . Mrs . Rucastle is
12043 not mad . I found her to be a silent , pale - faced woman , much
12044 younger than her husband , not more than thirty , I should think ,
12045 while he can hardly be less than forty - five . From their
12046 conversation I have gathered that they have been married about
12047 seven years , that he was a widower , and that his only child by
12048 the first wife was the daughter who has gone to Philadelphia . Mr .
12049 Rucastle told me in private that the reason why she had left them
12050 was that she had an unreasoning aversion to her stepmother . As
12051 the daughter could not have been less than twenty , I can quite
12052 imagine that her position must have been uncomfortable with her
12053 father's young wife .
12054
12055 " Mrs . Rucastle seemed to me to be colourless in mind as well as
12056 in feature . She impressed me neither favourably nor the reverse .
12057 She was a nonentity . It was easy to see that she was passionately
12058 devoted both to her husband and to her little son . Her light grey
12059 eyes wandered continually from one to the other , noting every
12060 little want and forestalling it if possible . He was kind to her
12061 also in his bluff , boisterous fashion , and on the whole they
12062 seemed to be a happy couple . And yet she had some secret sorrow ,
12063 this woman . She would often be lost in deep thought , with the
12064 saddest look upon her face . More than once I have surprised her
12065 in tears . I have thought sometimes that it was the disposition of
12066 her child which weighed upon her mind , for I have never met so
12067 utterly spoiled and so ill - natured a little creature . He is small
12068 for his age , with a head which is quite disproportionately large .
12069 His whole life appears to be spent in an alternation between
12070 savage fits of passion and gloomy intervals of sulking . Giving
12071 pain to any creature weaker than himself seems to be his one idea
12072 of amusement , and he shows quite remarkable talent in planning
12073 the capture of mice , little birds , and insects . But I would
12074 rather not talk about the creature , Mr . Holmes , and , indeed , he
12075 has little to do with my story "
12076
12077 " I am glad of all details " remarked my friend , " whether they
12078 seem to you to be relevant or not "
12079
12080 " I shall try not to miss anything of importance . The one
12081 unpleasant thing about the house , which struck me at once , was
12082 the appearance and conduct of the servants . There are only two , a
12083 man and his wife . Toller , for that is his name , is a rough ,
12084 uncouth man , with grizzled hair and whiskers , and a perpetual
12085 smell of drink . Twice since I have been with them he has been
12086 quite drunk , and yet Mr . Rucastle seemed to take no notice of it .
12087 His wife is a very tall and strong woman with a sour face , as
12088 silent as Mrs . Rucastle and much less amiable . They are a most
12089 unpleasant couple , but fortunately I spend most of my time in the
12090 nursery and my own room , which are next to each other in one
12091 corner of the building .
12092
12093 " For two days after my arrival at the Copper Beeches my life was
12094 very quiet ; on the third , Mrs . Rucastle came down just after
12095 breakfast and whispered something to her husband .
12096
12097 ' Oh , yes ' said he , turning to me , ' we are very much obliged to
12098 you , Miss Hunter , for falling in with our whims so far as to cut
12099 your hair . I assure you that it has not detracted in the tiniest
12100 iota from your appearance . We shall now see how the electric - blue
12101 dress will become you . You will find it laid out upon the bed in
12102 your room , and if you would be so good as to put it on we should
12103 both be extremely obliged '
12104
12105 " The dress which I found waiting for me was of a peculiar shade
12106 of blue . It was of excellent material , a sort of beige , but it
12107 bore unmistakable signs of having been worn before . It could not
12108 have been a better fit if I had been measured for it . Both Mr .
12109 and Mrs . Rucastle expressed a delight at the look of it , which
12110 seemed quite exaggerated in its vehemence . They were waiting for
12111 me in the drawing - room , which is a very large room , stretching
12112 along the entire front of the house , with three long windows
12113 reaching down to the floor . A chair had been placed close to the
12114 central window , with its back turned towards it . In this I was
12115 asked to sit , and then Mr . Rucastle , walking up and down on the
12116 other side of the room , began to tell me a series of the funniest
12117 stories that I have ever listened to . You cannot imagine how
12118 comical he was , and I laughed until I was quite weary . Mrs .
12119 Rucastle , however , who has evidently no sense of humour , never so
12120 much as smiled , but sat with her hands in her lap , and a sad ,
12121 anxious look upon her face . After an hour or so , Mr . Rucastle
12122 suddenly remarked that it was time to commence the duties of the
12123 day , and that I might change my dress and go to little Edward in
12124 the nursery .
12125
12126 " Two days later this same performance was gone through under
12127 exactly similar circumstances . Again I changed my dress , again I
12128 sat in the window , and again I laughed very heartily at the funny
12129 stories of which my employer had an immense repertoire , and which
12130 he told inimitably . Then he handed me a yellow - backed novel , and
12131 moving my chair a little sideways , that my own shadow might not
12132 fall upon the page , he begged me to read aloud to him . I read for
12133 about ten minutes , beginning in the heart of a chapter , and then
12134 suddenly , in the middle of a sentence , he ordered me to cease and
12135 to change my dress .
12136
12137 " You can easily imagine , Mr . Holmes , how curious I became as to
12138 what the meaning of this extraordinary performance could possibly
12139 be . They were always very careful , I observed , to turn my face
12140 away from the window , so that I became consumed with the desire
12141 to see what was going on behind my back . At first it seemed to be
12142 impossible , but I soon devised a means . My hand - mirror had been
12143 broken , so a happy thought seized me , and I concealed a piece of
12144 the glass in my handkerchief . On the next occasion , in the midst
12145 of my laughter , I put my handkerchief up to my eyes , and was able
12146 with a little management to see all that there was behind me . I
12147 confess that I was disappointed . There was nothing . At least that
12148 was my first impression . At the second glance , however , I
12149 perceived that there was a man standing in the Southampton Road ,
12150 a small bearded man in a grey suit , who seemed to be looking in
12151 my direction . The road is an important highway , and there are
12152 usually people there . This man , however , was leaning against the
12153 railings which bordered our field and was looking earnestly up . I
12154 lowered my handkerchief and glanced at Mrs . Rucastle to find her
12155 eyes fixed upon me with a most searching gaze . She said nothing ,
12156 but I am convinced that she had divined that I had a mirror in my
12157 hand and had seen what was behind me . She rose at once .
12158
12159 ' Jephro ' said she , ' there is an impertinent fellow upon the
12160 road there who stares up at Miss Hunter '
12161
12162 ' No friend of yours , Miss Hunter ' he asked .
12163
12164 ' No , I know no one in these parts '
12165
12166 ' Dear me ! How very impertinent ! Kindly turn round and motion to
12167 him to go away '
12168
12169 ' Surely it would be better to take no notice '
12170
12171 ' No , no , we should have him loitering here always . Kindly turn
12172 round and wave him away like that '
12173
12174 " I did as I was told , and at the same instant Mrs . Rucastle drew
12175 down the blind . That was a week ago , and from that time I have
12176 not sat again in the window , nor have I worn the blue dress , nor
12177 seen the man in the road "
12178
12179 " Pray continue " said Holmes . " Your narrative promises to be a
12180 most interesting one "
12181
12182 " You will find it rather disconnected , I fear , and there may
12183 prove to be little relation between the different incidents of
12184 which I speak . On the very first day that I was at the Copper
12185 Beeches , Mr . Rucastle took me to a small outhouse which stands
12186 near the kitchen door . As we approached it I heard the sharp
12187 rattling of a chain , and the sound as of a large animal moving
12188 about .
12189
12190 ' Look in here ' said Mr . Rucastle , showing me a slit between two
12191 planks . ' Is he not a beauty '
12192
12193 " I looked through and was conscious of two glowing eyes , and of a
12194 vague figure huddled up in the darkness .
12195
12196 ' Don't be frightened ' said my employer , laughing at the start
12197 which I had given . ' It's only Carlo , my mastiff . I call him mine ,
12198 but really old Toller , my groom , is the only man who can do
12199 anything with him . We feed him once a day , and not too much then ,
12200 so that he is always as keen as mustard . Toller lets him loose
12201 every night , and God help the trespasser whom he lays his fangs
12202 upon . For goodness ' sake don't you ever on any pretext set your
12203 foot over the threshold at night , for it's as much as your life
12204 is worth '
12205
12206 " The warning was no idle one , for two nights later I happened to
12207 look out of my bedroom window about two o'clock in the morning .
12208 It was a beautiful moonlight night , and the lawn in front of the
12209 house was silvered over and almost as bright as day . I was
12210 standing , rapt in the peaceful beauty of the scene , when I was
12211 aware that something was moving under the shadow of the copper
12212 beeches . As it emerged into the moonshine I saw what it was . It
12213 was a giant dog , as large as a calf , tawny tinted , with hanging
12214 jowl , black muzzle , and huge projecting bones . It walked slowly
12215 across the lawn and vanished into the shadow upon the other side .
12216 That dreadful sentinel sent a chill to my heart which I do not
12217 think that any burglar could have done .
12218
12219 " And now I have a very strange experience to tell you . I had , as
12220 you know , cut off my hair in London , and I had placed it in a
12221 great coil at the bottom of my trunk . One evening , after the
12222 child was in bed , I began to amuse myself by examining the
12223 furniture of my room and by rearranging my own little things .
12224 There was an old chest of drawers in the room , the two upper ones
12225 empty and open , the lower one locked . I had filled the first two
12226 with my linen , and as I had still much to pack away I was
12227 naturally annoyed at not having the use of the third drawer . It
12228 struck me that it might have been fastened by a mere oversight ,
12229 so I took out my bunch of keys and tried to open it . The very
12230 first key fitted to perfection , and I drew the drawer open . There
12231 was only one thing in it , but I am sure that you would never
12232 guess what it was . It was my coil of hair .
12233
12234 " I took it up and examined it . It was of the same peculiar tint ,
12235 and the same thickness . But then the impossibility of the thing
12236 obtruded itself upon me . How could my hair have been locked in
12237 the drawer ? With trembling hands I undid my trunk , turned out the
12238 contents , and drew from the bottom my own hair . I laid the two
12239 tresses together , and I assure you that they were identical . Was
12240 it not extraordinary ? Puzzle as I would , I could make nothing at
12241 all of what it meant . I returned the strange hair to the drawer ,
12242 and I said nothing of the matter to the Rucastles as I felt that
12243 I had put myself in the wrong by opening a drawer which they had
12244 locked .
12245
12246 " I am naturally observant , as you may have remarked , Mr . Holmes ,
12247 and I soon had a pretty good plan of the whole house in my head .
12248 There was one wing , however , which appeared not to be inhabited
12249 at all . A door which faced that which led into the quarters of
12250 the Tollers opened into this suite , but it was invariably locked .
12251 One day , however , as I ascended the stair , I met Mr . Rucastle
12252 coming out through this door , his keys in his hand , and a look on
12253 his face which made him a very different person to the round ,
12254 jovial man to whom I was accustomed . His cheeks were red , his
12255 brow was all crinkled with anger , and the veins stood out at his
12256 temples with passion . He locked the door and hurried past me
12257 without a word or a look .
12258
12259 " This aroused my curiosity , so when I went out for a walk in the
12260 grounds with my charge , I strolled round to the side from which I
12261 could see the windows of this part of the house . There were four
12262 of them in a row , three of which were simply dirty , while the
12263 fourth was shuttered up . They were evidently all deserted . As I
12264 strolled up and down , glancing at them occasionally , Mr . Rucastle
12265 came out to me , looking as merry and jovial as ever .
12266
12267 ' Ah ' said he , ' you must not think me rude if I passed you
12268 without a word , my dear young lady . I was preoccupied with
12269 business matters '
12270
12271 " I assured him that I was not offended . ' By the way ' said I ,
12272 ' you seem to have quite a suite of spare rooms up there , and one
12273 of them has the shutters up '
12274
12275 " He looked surprised and , as it seemed to me , a little startled
12276 at my remark .
12277
12278 ' Photography is one of my hobbies ' said he . ' I have made my
12279 dark room up there . But , dear me ! what an observant young lady we
12280 have come upon . Who would have believed it ? Who would have ever
12281 believed it ' He spoke in a jesting tone , but there was no jest
12282 in his eyes as he looked at me . I read suspicion there and
12283 annoyance , but no jest .
12284
12285 " Well , Mr . Holmes , from the moment that I understood that there
12286 was something about that suite of rooms which I was not to know ,
12287 I was all on fire to go over them . It was not mere curiosity ,
12288 though I have my share of that . It was more a feeling of duty - a
12289 feeling that some good might come from my penetrating to this
12290 place . They talk of woman's instinct ; perhaps it was woman's
12291 instinct which gave me that feeling . At any rate , it was there ,
12292 and I was keenly on the lookout for any chance to pass the
12293 forbidden door .
12294
12295 " It was only yesterday that the chance came . I may tell you that ,
12296 besides Mr . Rucastle , both Toller and his wife find something to
12297 do in these deserted rooms , and I once saw him carrying a large
12298 black linen bag with him through the door . Recently he has been
12299 drinking hard , and yesterday evening he was very drunk ; and when
12300 I came upstairs there was the key in the door . I have no doubt at
12301 all that he had left it there . Mr . and Mrs . Rucastle were both
12302 downstairs , and the child was with them , so that I had an
12303 admirable opportunity . I turned the key gently in the lock ,
12304 opened the door , and slipped through .
12305
12306 " There was a little passage in front of me , unpapered and
12307 uncarpeted , which turned at a right angle at the farther end .
12308 Round this corner were three doors in a line , the first and third
12309 of which were open . They each led into an empty room , dusty and
12310 cheerless , with two windows in the one and one in the other , so
12311 thick with dirt that the evening light glimmered dimly through
12312 them . The centre door was closed , and across the outside of it
12313 had been fastened one of the broad bars of an iron bed , padlocked
12314 at one end to a ring in the wall , and fastened at the other with
12315 stout cord . The door itself was locked as well , and the key was
12316 not there . This barricaded door corresponded clearly with the
12317 shuttered window outside , and yet I could see by the glimmer from
12318 beneath it that the room was not in darkness . Evidently there was
12319 a skylight which let in light from above . As I stood in the
12320 passage gazing at the sinister door and wondering what secret it
12321 might veil , I suddenly heard the sound of steps within the room
12322 and saw a shadow pass backward and forward against the little
12323 slit of dim light which shone out from under the door . A mad ,
12324 unreasoning terror rose up in me at the sight , Mr . Holmes . My
12325 overstrung nerves failed me suddenly , and I turned and ran - ran
12326 as though some dreadful hand were behind me clutching at the
12327 skirt of my dress . I rushed down the passage , through the door ,
12328 and straight into the arms of Mr . Rucastle , who was waiting
12329 outside .
12330
12331 ' So ' said he , smiling , ' it was you , then . I thought that it
12332 must be when I saw the door open '
12333
12334 ' Oh , I am so frightened ' I panted .
12335
12336 ' My dear young lady ! my dear young lady ' - you cannot think how
12337 caressing and soothing his manner was - ' and what has frightened
12338 you , my dear young lady '
12339
12340 " But his voice was just a little too coaxing . He overdid it . I
12341 was keenly on my guard against him .
12342
12343 ' I was foolish enough to go into the empty wing ' I answered .
12344 ' But it is so lonely and eerie in this dim light that I was
12345 frightened and ran out again . Oh , it is so dreadfully still in
12346 there '
12347
12348 ' Only that ' said he , looking at me keenly .
12349
12350 ' Why , what did you think ' I asked .
12351
12352 ' Why do you think that I lock this door '
12353
12354 ' I am sure that I do not know '
12355
12356 ' It is to keep people out who have no business there . Do you
12357 see ' He was still smiling in the most amiable manner .
12358
12359 ' I am sure if I had known -'
12360
12361 ' Well , then , you know now . And if you ever put your foot over
12362 that threshold again -- here in an instant the smile hardened into
12363 a grin of rage , and he glared down at me with the face of a
12364 demon - ' I ' ll throw you to the mastiff '
12365
12366 " I was so terrified that I do not know what I did . I suppose that
12367 I must have rushed past him into my room . I remember nothing
12368 until I found myself lying on my bed trembling all over . Then I
12369 thought of you , Mr . Holmes . I could not live there longer without
12370 some advice . I was frightened of the house , of the man , of the
12371 woman , of the servants , even of the child . They were all horrible
12372 to me . If I could only bring you down all would be well . Of
12373 course I might have fled from the house , but my curiosity was
12374 almost as strong as my fears . My mind was soon made up . I would
12375 send you a wire . I put on my hat and cloak , went down to the
12376 office , which is about half a mile from the house , and then
12377 returned , feeling very much easier . A horrible doubt came into my
12378 mind as I approached the door lest the dog might be loose , but I
12379 remembered that Toller had drunk himself into a state of
12380 insensibility that evening , and I knew that he was the only one
12381 in the household who had any influence with the savage creature ,
12382 or who would venture to set him free . I slipped in in safety and
12383 lay awake half the night in my joy at the thought of seeing you .
12384 I had no difficulty in getting leave to come into Winchester this
12385 morning , but I must be back before three o'clock , for Mr . and
12386 Mrs . Rucastle are going on a visit , and will be away all the
12387 evening , so that I must look after the child . Now I have told you
12388 all my adventures , Mr . Holmes , and I should be very glad if you
12389 could tell me what it all means , and , above all , what I should
12390 do "
12391
12392 Holmes and I had listened spellbound to this extraordinary story .
12393 My friend rose now and paced up and down the room , his hands in
12394 his pockets , and an expression of the most profound gravity upon
12395 his face .
12396
12397 " Is Toller still drunk " he asked .
12398
12399 " Yes . I heard his wife tell Mrs . Rucastle that she could do
12400 nothing with him "
12401
12402 " That is well . And the Rucastles go out to - night "
12403
12404 " Yes "
12405
12406 " Is there a cellar with a good strong lock "
12407
12408 " Yes , the wine - cellar "
12409
12410 " You seem to me to have acted all through this matter like a very
12411 brave and sensible girl , Miss Hunter . Do you think that you could
12412 perform one more feat ? I should not ask it of you if I did not
12413 think you a quite exceptional woman "
12414
12415 " I will try . What is it "
12416
12417 " We shall be at the Copper Beeches by seven o'clock , my friend
12418 and I . The Rucastles will be gone by that time , and Toller will ,
12419 we hope , be incapable . There only remains Mrs . Toller , who might
12420 give the alarm . If you could send her into the cellar on some
12421 errand , and then turn the key upon her , you would facilitate
12422 matters immensely "
12423
12424 " I will do it "
12425
12426 " Excellent ! We shall then look thoroughly into the affair . Of
12427 course there is only one feasible explanation . You have been
12428 brought there to personate someone , and the real person is
12429 imprisoned in this chamber . That is obvious . As to who this
12430 prisoner is , I have no doubt that it is the daughter , Miss Alice
12431 Rucastle , if I remember right , who was said to have gone to
12432 America . You were chosen , doubtless , as resembling her in height ,
12433 figure , and the colour of your hair . Hers had been cut off , very
12434 possibly in some illness through which she has passed , and so , of
12435 course , yours had to be sacrificed also . By a curious chance you
12436 came upon her tresses . The man in the road was undoubtedly some
12437 friend of hers - possibly her fiance - and no doubt , as you wore
12438 the girl's dress and were so like her , he was convinced from your
12439 laughter , whenever he saw you , and afterwards from your gesture ,
12440 that Miss Rucastle was perfectly happy , and that she no longer
12441 desired his attentions . The dog is let loose at night to prevent
12442 him from endeavouring to communicate with her . So much is fairly
12443 clear . The most serious point in the case is the disposition of
12444 the child "
12445
12446 " What on earth has that to do with it " I ejaculated .
12447
12448 " My dear Watson , you as a medical man are continually gaining
12449 light as to the tendencies of a child by the study of the
12450 parents . Don't you see that the converse is equally valid . I have
12451 frequently gained my first real insight into the character of
12452 parents by studying their children . This child's disposition is
12453 abnormally cruel , merely for cruelty's sake , and whether he
12454 derives this from his smiling father , as I should suspect , or
12455 from his mother , it bodes evil for the poor girl who is in their
12456 power "
12457
12458 " I am sure that you are right , Mr . Holmes " cried our client . " A
12459 thousand things come back to me which make me certain that you
12460 have hit it . Oh , let us lose not an instant in bringing help to
12461 this poor creature "
12462
12463 " We must be circumspect , for we are dealing with a very cunning
12464 man . We can do nothing until seven o'clock . At that hour we shall
12465 be with you , and it will not be long before we solve the
12466 mystery "
12467
12468 We were as good as our word , for it was just seven when we
12469 reached the Copper Beeches , having put up our trap at a wayside
12470 public - house . The group of trees , with their dark leaves shining
12471 like burnished metal in the light of the setting sun , were
12472 sufficient to mark the house even had Miss Hunter not been
12473 standing smiling on the door - step .
12474
12475 " Have you managed it " asked Holmes .
12476
12477 A loud thudding noise came from somewhere downstairs . " That is
12478 Mrs . Toller in the cellar " said she . " Her husband lies snoring
12479 on the kitchen rug . Here are his keys , which are the duplicates
12480 of Mr . Rucastle's "
12481
12482 " You have done well indeed " cried Holmes with enthusiasm . " Now
12483 lead the way , and we shall soon see the end of this black
12484 business "
12485
12486 We passed up the stair , unlocked the door , followed on down a
12487 passage , and found ourselves in front of the barricade which Miss
12488 Hunter had described . Holmes cut the cord and removed the
12489 transverse bar . Then he tried the various keys in the lock , but
12490 without success . No sound came from within , and at the silence
12491 Holmes ' face clouded over .
12492
12493 " I trust that we are not too late " said he . " I think , Miss
12494 Hunter , that we had better go in without you . Now , Watson , put
12495 your shoulder to it , and we shall see whether we cannot make our
12496 way in "
12497
12498 It was an old rickety door and gave at once before our united
12499 strength . Together we rushed into the room . It was empty . There
12500 was no furniture save a little pallet bed , a small table , and a
12501 basketful of linen . The skylight above was open , and the prisoner
12502 gone .
12503
12504 " There has been some villainy here " said Holmes ; " this beauty
12505 has guessed Miss Hunter's intentions and has carried his victim
12506 off "
12507
12508 " But how "
12509
12510 " Through the skylight . We shall soon see how he managed it " He
12511 swung himself up onto the roof . " Ah , yes " he cried , " here's the
12512 end of a long light ladder against the eaves . That is how he did
12513 it "
12514
12515 " But it is impossible " said Miss Hunter ; " the ladder was not
12516 there when the Rucastles went away "
12517
12518 " He has come back and done it . I tell you that he is a clever and
12519 dangerous man . I should not be very much surprised if this were
12520 he whose step I hear now upon the stair . I think , Watson , that it
12521 would be as well for you to have your pistol ready "
12522
12523 The words were hardly out of his mouth before a man appeared at
12524 the door of the room , a very fat and burly man , with a heavy
12525 stick in his hand . Miss Hunter screamed and shrunk against the
12526 wall at the sight of him , but Sherlock Holmes sprang forward and
12527 confronted him .
12528
12529 " You villain " said he , " where's your daughter "
12530
12531 The fat man cast his eyes round , and then up at the open
12532 skylight .
12533
12534 " It is for me to ask you that " he shrieked , " you thieves ! Spies
12535 and thieves ! I have caught you , have I ? You are in my power . I ' ll
12536 serve you " He turned and clattered down the stairs as hard as he
12537 could go .
12538
12539 " He's gone for the dog " cried Miss Hunter .
12540
12541 " I have my revolver " said I .
12542
12543 " Better close the front door " cried Holmes , and we all rushed
12544 down the stairs together . We had hardly reached the hall when we
12545 heard the baying of a hound , and then a scream of agony , with a
12546 horrible worrying sound which it was dreadful to listen to . An
12547 elderly man with a red face and shaking limbs came staggering out
12548 at a side door .
12549
12550 " My God " he cried . " Someone has loosed the dog . It's not been
12551 fed for two days . Quick , quick , or it ' ll be too late "
12552
12553 Holmes and I rushed out and round the angle of the house , with
12554 Toller hurrying behind us . There was the huge famished brute , its
12555 black muzzle buried in Rucastle's throat , while he writhed and
12556 screamed upon the ground . Running up , I blew its brains out , and
12557 it fell over with its keen white teeth still meeting in the great
12558 creases of his neck . With much labour we separated them and
12559 carried him , living but horribly mangled , into the house . We laid
12560 him upon the drawing - room sofa , and having dispatched the sobered
12561 Toller to bear the news to his wife , I did what I could to
12562 relieve his pain . We were all assembled round him when the door
12563 opened , and a tall , gaunt woman entered the room .
12564
12565 " Mrs . Toller " cried Miss Hunter .
12566
12567 " Yes , miss . Mr . Rucastle let me out when he came back before he
12568 went up to you . Ah , miss , it is a pity you didn't let me know
12569 what you were planning , for I would have told you that your pains
12570 were wasted "
12571
12572 " Ha " said Holmes , looking keenly at her . " It is clear that Mrs .
12573 Toller knows more about this matter than anyone else "
12574
12575 " Yes , sir , I do , and I am ready enough to tell what I know "
12576
12577 " Then , pray , sit down , and let us hear it for there are several
12578 points on which I must confess that I am still in the dark "
12579
12580 " I will soon make it clear to you " said she ; " and I ' d have done
12581 so before now if I could ha ' got out from the cellar . If there's
12582 police - court business over this , you ' ll remember that I was the
12583 one that stood your friend , and that I was Miss Alice's friend
12584 too .
12585
12586 " She was never happy at home , Miss Alice wasn't , from the time
12587 that her father married again . She was slighted like and had no
12588 say in anything , but it never really became bad for her until
12589 after she met Mr . Fowler at a friend's house . As well as I could
12590 learn , Miss Alice had rights of her own by will , but she was so
12591 quiet and patient , she was , that she never said a word about them
12592 but just left everything in Mr . Rucastle's hands . He knew he was
12593 safe with her ; but when there was a chance of a husband coming
12594 forward , who would ask for all that the law would give him , then
12595 her father thought it time to put a stop on it . He wanted her to
12596 sign a paper , so that whether she married or not , he could use
12597 her money . When she wouldn't do it , he kept on worrying her until
12598 she got brain - fever , and for six weeks was at death's door . Then
12599 she got better at last , all worn to a shadow , and with her
12600 beautiful hair cut off ; but that didn't make no change in her
12601 young man , and he stuck to her as true as man could be "
12602
12603 " Ah " said Holmes , " I think that what you have been good enough
12604 to tell us makes the matter fairly clear , and that I can deduce
12605 all that remains . Mr . Rucastle then , I presume , took to this
12606 system of imprisonment "
12607
12608 " Yes , sir "
12609
12610 " And brought Miss Hunter down from London in order to get rid of
12611 the disagreeable persistence of Mr . Fowler "
12612
12613 " That was it , sir "
12614
12615 " But Mr . Fowler being a persevering man , as a good seaman should
12616 be , blockaded the house , and having met you succeeded by certain
12617 arguments , metallic or otherwise , in convincing you that your
12618 interests were the same as his "
12619
12620 " Mr . Fowler was a very kind - spoken , free - handed gentleman " said
12621 Mrs . Toller serenely .
12622
12623 " And in this way he managed that your good man should have no
12624 want of drink , and that a ladder should be ready at the moment
12625 when your master had gone out "
12626
12627 " You have it , sir , just as it happened "
12628
12629 " I am sure we owe you an apology , Mrs . Toller " said Holmes , " for
12630 you have certainly cleared up everything which puzzled us . And
12631 here comes the country surgeon and Mrs . Rucastle , so I think ,
12632 Watson , that we had best escort Miss Hunter back to Winchester ,
12633 as it seems to me that our locus standi now is rather a
12634 questionable one "
12635
12636 And thus was solved the mystery of the sinister house with the
12637 copper beeches in front of the door . Mr . Rucastle survived , but
12638 was always a broken man , kept alive solely through the care of
12639 his devoted wife . They still live with their old servants , who
12640 probably know so much of Rucastle's past life that he finds it
12641 difficult to part from them . Mr . Fowler and Miss Rucastle were
12642 married , by special license , in Southampton the day after their
12643 flight , and he is now the holder of a government appointment in
12644 the island of Mauritius . As to Miss Violet Hunter , my friend
12645 Holmes , rather to my disappointment , manifested no further
12646 interest in her when once she had ceased to be the centre of one
12647 of his problems , and she is now the head of a private school at
12648 Walsall , where I believe that she has met with considerable success .