diff options
Diffstat (limited to '108-0.txt~')
| -rw-r--r-- | 108-0.txt~ | 13831 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 13831 deletions
diff --git a/108-0.txt~ b/108-0.txt~ deleted file mode 100644 index 3786ac9..0000000 --- a/108-0.txt~ +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13831 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by -Arthur Conan Doyle - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Return of Sherlock Holmes - -Author: Arthur Conan Doyle - -Release Date: February, 1994 [eBook #108] -[Most recently updated: February 9, 2024] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: An Anonymous Volunteer - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK -HOLMES *** - - - - -The Return of Sherlock Holmes - - -by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - - -Contents - - The Adventure of the Empty House - The Adventure of the Norwood Builder - The Adventure of the Dancing Men - The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist - The Adventure of the Priory School - The Adventure of Black Peter. - The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton - The Adventure of the Six Napoleons - The Adventure of the Three Students - The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez - The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter - The Adventure of the Abbey Grange - The Adventure of the Second Stain - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE - - - It was in the spring of the year 1894 that all London was - interested, and the fashionable world dismayed, by the murder of - the Honourable Ronald Adair under most unusual and inexplicable - circumstances. The public has already learned those particulars - of the crime which came out in the police investigation, but a - good deal was suppressed upon that occasion, since the case for - the prosecution was so overwhelmingly strong that it was not - necessary to bring forward all the facts. Only now, at the end of - nearly ten years, am I allowed to supply those missing links - which make up the whole of that remarkable chain. The crime was - of interest in itself, but that interest was as nothing to me - compared to the inconceivable sequel, which afforded me the - greatest shock and surprise of any event in my adventurous life. - Even now, after this long interval, I find myself thrilling as I - think of it, and feeling once more that sudden flood of joy, - amazement, and incredulity which utterly submerged my mind. Let - me say to that public, which has shown some interest in those - glimpses which I have occasionally given them of the thoughts and - actions of a very remarkable man, that they are not to blame me - if I have not shared my knowledge with them, for I should have - considered it my first duty to do so, had I not been barred by a - positive prohibition from his own lips, which was only withdrawn - upon the third of last month. - - It can be imagined that my close intimacy with Sherlock Holmes - had interested me deeply in crime, and that after his - disappearance I never failed to read with care the various - problems which came before the public. And I even attempted, more - than once, for my own private satisfaction, to employ his methods - in their solution, though with indifferent success. There was - none, however, which appealed to me like this tragedy of Ronald - Adair. As I read the evidence at the inquest, which led up to a - verdict of willful murder against some person or persons unknown, - I realized more clearly than I had ever done the loss which the - community had sustained by the death of Sherlock Holmes. There - were points about this strange business which would, I was sure, - have specially appealed to him, and the efforts of the police - would have been supplemented, or more probably anticipated, by - the trained observation and the alert mind of the first criminal - agent in Europe. All day, as I drove upon my round, I turned over - the case in my mind and found no explanation which appeared to me - to be adequate. At the risk of telling a twice-told tale, I will - recapitulate the facts as they were known to the public at the - conclusion of the inquest. - - The Honourable Ronald Adair was the second son of the Earl of - Maynooth, at that time governor of one of the Australian - colonies. Adair’s mother had returned from Australia to undergo - the operation for cataract, and she, her son Ronald, and her - daughter Hilda were living together at 427, Park Lane. The youth - moved in the best society—had, so far as was known, no enemies - and no particular vices. He had been engaged to Miss Edith - Woodley, of Carstairs, but the engagement had been broken off by - mutual consent some months before, and there was no sign that it - had left any very profound feeling behind it. For the rest, the - man’s life moved in a narrow and conventional circle, for his - habits were quiet and his nature unemotional. Yet it was upon - this easy-going young aristocrat that death came, in most strange - and unexpected form, between the hours of ten and eleven-twenty - on the night of March 30, 1894. - - Ronald Adair was fond of cards—playing continually, but never for - such stakes as would hurt him. He was a member of the Baldwin, - the Cavendish, and the Bagatelle card clubs. It was shown that, - after dinner on the day of his death, he had played a rubber of - whist at the latter club. He had also played there in the - afternoon. The evidence of those who had played with him—Mr. - Murray, Sir John Hardy, and Colonel Moran—showed that the game - was whist, and that there was a fairly equal fall of the cards. - Adair might have lost five pounds, but not more. His fortune was - a considerable one, and such a loss could not in any way affect - him. He had played nearly every day at one club or other, but he - was a cautious player, and usually rose a winner. It came out in - evidence that, in partnership with Colonel Moran, he had actually - won as much as four hundred and twenty pounds in a sitting, some - weeks before, from Godfrey Milner and Lord Balmoral. So much for - his recent history as it came out at the inquest. - - On the evening of the crime, he returned from the club exactly at - ten. His mother and sister were out spending the evening with a - relation. The servant deposed that she heard him enter the front - room on the second floor, generally used as his sitting-room. She - had lit a fire there, and as it smoked she had opened the window. - No sound was heard from the room until eleven-twenty, the hour of - the return of Lady Maynooth and her daughter. Desiring to say - good-night, she attempted to enter her son’s room. The door was - locked on the inside, and no answer could be got to their cries - and knocking. Help was obtained, and the door forced. The - unfortunate young man was found lying near the table. His head - had been horribly mutilated by an expanding revolver bullet, but - no weapon of any sort was to be found in the room. On the table - lay two banknotes for ten pounds each and seventeen pounds ten in - silver and gold, the money arranged in little piles of varying - amount. There were some figures also upon a sheet of paper, with - the names of some club friends opposite to them, from which it - was conjectured that before his death he was endeavouring to make - out his losses or winnings at cards. - - A minute examination of the circumstances served only to make the - case more complex. In the first place, no reason could be given - why the young man should have fastened the door upon the inside. - There was the possibility that the murderer had done this, and - had afterwards escaped by the window. The drop was at least - twenty feet, however, and a bed of crocuses in full bloom lay - beneath. Neither the flowers nor the earth showed any sign of - having been disturbed, nor were there any marks upon the narrow - strip of grass which separated the house from the road. - Apparently, therefore, it was the young man himself who had - fastened the door. But how did he come by his death? No one could - have climbed up to the window without leaving traces. Suppose a - man had fired through the window, he would indeed be a remarkable - shot who could with a revolver inflict so deadly a wound. Again, - Park Lane is a frequented thoroughfare; there is a cab stand - within a hundred yards of the house. No one had heard a shot. And - yet there was the dead man and there the revolver bullet, which - had mushroomed out, as soft-nosed bullets will, and so inflicted - a wound which must have caused instantaneous death. Such were the - circumstances of the Park Lane Mystery, which were further - complicated by entire absence of motive, since, as I have said, - young Adair was not known to have any enemy, and no attempt had - been made to remove the money or valuables in the room. - - All day I turned these facts over in my mind, endeavouring to hit - upon some theory which could reconcile them all, and to find that - line of least resistance which my poor friend had declared to be - the starting-point of every investigation. I confess that I made - little progress. In the evening I strolled across the Park, and - found myself about six o’clock at the Oxford Street end of Park - Lane. A group of loafers upon the pavements, all staring up at a - particular window, directed me to the house which I had come to - see. A tall, thin man with coloured glasses, whom I strongly - suspected of being a plain-clothes detective, was pointing out - some theory of his own, while the others crowded round to listen - to what he said. I got as near him as I could, but his - observations seemed to me to be absurd, so I withdrew again in - some disgust. As I did so I struck against an elderly, deformed - man, who had been behind me, and I knocked down several books - which he was carrying. I remember that as I picked them up, I - observed the title of one of them, _The Origin of Tree Worship_, - and it struck me that the fellow must be some poor bibliophile, - who, either as a trade or as a hobby, was a collector of obscure - volumes. I endeavoured to apologize for the accident, but it was - evident that these books which I had so unfortunately maltreated - were very precious objects in the eyes of their owner. With a - snarl of contempt he turned upon his heel, and I saw his curved - back and white side-whiskers disappear among the throng. - - My observations of No. 427, Park Lane did little to clear up the - problem in which I was interested. The house was separated from - the street by a low wall and railing, the whole not more than - five feet high. It was perfectly easy, therefore, for anyone to - get into the garden, but the window was entirely inaccessible, - since there was no waterpipe or anything which could help the - most active man to climb it. More puzzled than ever, I retraced - my steps to Kensington. I had not been in my study five minutes - when the maid entered to say that a person desired to see me. To - my astonishment it was none other than my strange old book - collector, his sharp, wizened face peering out from a frame of - white hair, and his precious volumes, a dozen of them at least, - wedged under his right arm. - - “You’re surprised to see me, sir,” said he, in a strange, - croaking voice. - - I acknowledged that I was. - - “Well, I’ve a conscience, sir, and when I chanced to see you go - into this house, as I came hobbling after you, I thought to - myself, I’ll just step in and see that kind gentleman, and tell - him that if I was a bit gruff in my manner there was not any harm - meant, and that I am much obliged to him for picking up my - books.” - - “You make too much of a trifle,” said I. “May I ask how you knew - who I was?” - - “Well, sir, if it isn’t too great a liberty, I am a neighbour of - yours, for you’ll find my little bookshop at the corner of Church - Street, and very happy to see you, I am sure. Maybe you collect - yourself, sir. Here’s _British Birds_, and _Catullus_, and _The - Holy War_—a bargain, every one of them. With five volumes you - could just fill that gap on that second shelf. It looks untidy, - does it not, sir?” - - I moved my head to look at the cabinet behind me. When I turned - again, Sherlock Holmes was standing smiling at me across my study - table. I rose to my feet, stared at him for some seconds in utter - amazement, and then it appears that I must have fainted for the - first and the last time in my life. Certainly a grey mist swirled - before my eyes, and when it cleared I found my collar-ends undone - and the tingling after-taste of brandy upon my lips. Holmes was - bending over my chair, his flask in his hand. - - “My dear Watson,” said the well-remembered voice, “I owe you a - thousand apologies. I had no idea that you would be so affected.” - - I gripped him by the arms. - - “Holmes!” I cried. “Is it really you? Can it indeed be that you - are alive? Is it possible that you succeeded in climbing out of - that awful abyss?” - - “Wait a moment,” said he. “Are you sure that you are really fit - to discuss things? I have given you a serious shock by my - unnecessarily dramatic reappearance.” - - “I am all right, but indeed, Holmes, I can hardly believe my - eyes. Good heavens! to think that you—you of all men—should be - standing in my study.” Again I gripped him by the sleeve, and - felt the thin, sinewy arm beneath it. “Well, you’re not a spirit - anyhow,” said I. “My dear chap, I’m overjoyed to see you. Sit - down, and tell me how you came alive out of that dreadful chasm.” - - He sat opposite to me, and lit a cigarette in his old, nonchalant - manner. He was dressed in the seedy frockcoat of the book - merchant, but the rest of that individual lay in a pile of white - hair and old books upon the table. Holmes looked even thinner and - keener than of old, but there was a dead-white tinge in his - aquiline face which told me that his life recently had not been a - healthy one. - - “I am glad to stretch myself, Watson,” said he. “It is no joke - when a tall man has to take a foot off his stature for several - hours on end. Now, my dear fellow, in the matter of these - explanations, we have, if I may ask for your cooperation, a hard - and dangerous night’s work in front of us. Perhaps it would be - better if I gave you an account of the whole situation when that - work is finished.” - - “I am full of curiosity. I should much prefer to hear now.” - - “You’ll come with me to-night?” - - “When you like and where you like.” - - “This is, indeed, like the old days. We shall have time for a - mouthful of dinner before we need go. Well, then, about that - chasm. I had no serious difficulty in getting out of it, for the - very simple reason that I never was in it.” - - “You never were in it?” - - “No, Watson, I never was in it. My note to you was absolutely - genuine. I had little doubt that I had come to the end of my - career when I perceived the somewhat sinister figure of the late - Professor Moriarty standing upon the narrow pathway which led to - safety. I read an inexorable purpose in his grey eyes. I - exchanged some remarks with him, therefore, and obtained his - courteous permission to write the short note which you afterwards - received. I left it with my cigarette-box and my stick, and I - walked along the pathway, Moriarty still at my heels. When I - reached the end I stood at bay. He drew no weapon, but he rushed - at me and threw his long arms around me. He knew that his own - game was up, and was only anxious to revenge himself upon me. We - tottered together upon the brink of the fall. I have some - knowledge, however, of baritsu, or the Japanese system of - wrestling, which has more than once been very useful to me. I - slipped through his grip, and he with a horrible scream kicked - madly for a few seconds, and clawed the air with both his hands. - But for all his efforts he could not get his balance, and over he - went. With my face over the brink, I saw him fall for a long way. - Then he struck a rock, bounded off, and splashed into the water.” - - I listened with amazement to this explanation, which Holmes - delivered between the puffs of his cigarette. - - “But the tracks!” I cried. “I saw, with my own eyes, that two - went down the path and none returned.” - - “It came about in this way. The instant that the Professor had - disappeared, it struck me what a really extraordinarily lucky - chance Fate had placed in my way. I knew that Moriarty was not - the only man who had sworn my death. There were at least three - others whose desire for vengeance upon me would only be increased - by the death of their leader. They were all most dangerous men. - One or other would certainly get me. On the other hand, if all - the world was convinced that I was dead they would take - liberties, these men, they would soon lay themselves open, and - sooner or later I could destroy them. Then it would be time for - me to announce that I was still in the land of the living. So - rapidly does the brain act that I believe I had thought this all - out before Professor Moriarty had reached the bottom of the - Reichenbach Fall. - - “I stood up and examined the rocky wall behind me. In your - picturesque account of the matter, which I read with great - interest some months later, you assert that the wall was sheer. - That was not literally true. A few small footholds presented - themselves, and there was some indication of a ledge. The cliff - is so high that to climb it all was an obvious impossibility, and - it was equally impossible to make my way along the wet path - without leaving some tracks. I might, it is true, have reversed - my boots, as I have done on similar occasions, but the sight of - three sets of tracks in one direction would certainly have - suggested a deception. On the whole, then, it was best that I - should risk the climb. It was not a pleasant business, Watson. - The fall roared beneath me. I am not a fanciful person, but I - give you my word that I seemed to hear Moriarty’s voice screaming - at me out of the abyss. A mistake would have been fatal. More - than once, as tufts of grass came out in my hand or my foot - slipped in the wet notches of the rock, I thought that I was - gone. But I struggled upward, and at last I reached a ledge - several feet deep and covered with soft green moss, where I could - lie unseen, in the most perfect comfort. There I was stretched, - when you, my dear Watson, and all your following were - investigating in the most sympathetic and inefficient manner the - circumstances of my death. - - “At last, when you had all formed your inevitable and totally - erroneous conclusions, you departed for the hotel, and I was left - alone. I had imagined that I had reached the end of my - adventures, but a very unexpected occurrence showed me that there - were surprises still in store for me. A huge rock, falling from - above, boomed past me, struck the path, and bounded over into the - chasm. For an instant I thought that it was an accident, but a - moment later, looking up, I saw a man’s head against the - darkening sky, and another stone struck the very ledge upon which - I was stretched, within a foot of my head. Of course, the meaning - of this was obvious. Moriarty had not been alone. A - confederate—and even that one glance had told me how dangerous a - man that confederate was—had kept guard while the Professor had - attacked me. From a distance, unseen by me, he had been a witness - of his friend’s death and of my escape. He had waited, and then - making his way round to the top of the cliff, he had endeavoured - to succeed where his comrade had failed. - - “I did not take long to think about it, Watson. Again I saw that - grim face look over the cliff, and I knew that it was the - precursor of another stone. I scrambled down on to the path. I - don’t think I could have done it in cold blood. It was a hundred - times more difficult than getting up. But I had no time to think - of the danger, for another stone sang past me as I hung by my - hands from the edge of the ledge. Halfway down I slipped, but, by - the blessing of God, I landed, torn and bleeding, upon the path. - I took to my heels, did ten miles over the mountains in the - darkness, and a week later I found myself in Florence, with the - certainty that no one in the world knew what had become of me. - - “I had only one confidant—my brother Mycroft. I owe you many - apologies, my dear Watson, but it was all-important that it - should be thought I was dead, and it is quite certain that you - would not have written so convincing an account of my unhappy end - had you not yourself thought that it was true. Several times - during the last three years I have taken up my pen to write to - you, but always I feared lest your affectionate regard for me - should tempt you to some indiscretion which would betray my - secret. For that reason I turned away from you this evening when - you upset my books, for I was in danger at the time, and any show - of surprise and emotion upon your part might have drawn attention - to my identity and led to the most deplorable and irreparable - results. As to Mycroft, I had to confide in him in order to - obtain the money which I needed. The course of events in London - did not run so well as I had hoped, for the trial of the Moriarty - gang left two of its most dangerous members, my own most - vindictive enemies, at liberty. I travelled for two years in - Tibet, therefore, and amused myself by visiting Lhassa, and - spending some days with the head lama. You may have read of the - remarkable explorations of a Norwegian named Sigerson, but I am - sure that it never occurred to you that you were receiving news - of your friend. I then passed through Persia, looked in at Mecca, - and paid a short but interesting visit to the Khalifa at Khartoum - the results of which I have communicated to the Foreign Office. - Returning to France, I spent some months in a research into the - coal-tar derivatives, which I conducted in a laboratory at - Montpellier, in the south of France. Having concluded this to my - satisfaction and learning that only one of my enemies was now - left in London, I was about to return when my movements were - hastened by the news of this very remarkable Park Lane Mystery, - which not only appealed to me by its own merits, but which seemed - to offer some most peculiar personal opportunities. I came over - at once to London, called in my own person at Baker Street, threw - Mrs. Hudson into violent hysterics, and found that Mycroft had - preserved my rooms and my papers exactly as they had always been. - So it was, my dear Watson, that at two o’clock to-day I found - myself in my old armchair in my own old room, and only wishing - that I could have seen my old friend Watson in the other chair - which he has so often adorned.” - - Such was the remarkable narrative to which I listened on that - April evening—a narrative which would have been utterly - incredible to me had it not been confirmed by the actual sight of - the tall, spare figure and the keen, eager face, which I had - never thought to see again. In some manner he had learned of my - own sad bereavement, and his sympathy was shown in his manner - rather than in his words. “Work is the best antidote to sorrow, - my dear Watson,” said he; “and I have a piece of work for us both - to-night which, if we can bring it to a successful conclusion, - will in itself justify a man’s life on this planet.” In vain I - begged him to tell me more. “You will hear and see enough before - morning,” he answered. “We have three years of the past to - discuss. Let that suffice until half-past nine, when we start - upon the notable adventure of the empty house.” - - It was indeed like old times when, at that hour, I found myself - seated beside him in a hansom, my revolver in my pocket, and the - thrill of adventure in my heart. Holmes was cold and stern and - silent. As the gleam of the street-lamps flashed upon his austere - features, I saw that his brows were drawn down in thought and his - thin lips compressed. I knew not what wild beast we were about to - hunt down in the dark jungle of criminal London, but I was well - assured, from the bearing of this master huntsman, that the - adventure was a most grave one—while the sardonic smile which - occasionally broke through his ascetic gloom boded little good - for the object of our quest. - - I had imagined that we were bound for Baker Street, but Holmes - stopped the cab at the corner of Cavendish Square. I observed - that as he stepped out he gave a most searching glance to right - and left, and at every subsequent street corner he took the - utmost pains to assure that he was not followed. Our route was - certainly a singular one. Holmes’s knowledge of the byways of - London was extraordinary, and on this occasion he passed rapidly - and with an assured step through a network of mews and stables, - the very existence of which I had never known. We emerged at last - into a small road, lined with old, gloomy houses, which led us - into Manchester Street, and so to Blandford Street. Here he - turned swiftly down a narrow passage, passed through a wooden - gate into a deserted yard, and then opened with a key the back - door of a house. We entered together, and he closed it behind us. - - The place was pitch dark, but it was evident to me that it was an - empty house. Our feet creaked and crackled over the bare - planking, and my outstretched hand touched a wall from which the - paper was hanging in ribbons. Holmes’s cold, thin fingers closed - round my wrist and led me forward down a long hall, until I dimly - saw the murky fanlight over the door. Here Holmes turned suddenly - to the right and we found ourselves in a large, square, empty - room, heavily shadowed in the corners, but faintly lit in the - centre from the lights of the street beyond. There was no lamp - near, and the window was thick with dust, so that we could only - just discern each other’s figures within. My companion put his - hand upon my shoulder and his lips close to my ear. - - “Do you know where we are?” he whispered. - - “Surely that is Baker Street,” I answered, staring through the - dim window. - - “Exactly. We are in Camden House, which stands opposite to our - own old quarters.” - - “But why are we here?” - - “Because it commands so excellent a view of that picturesque - pile. Might I trouble you, my dear Watson, to draw a little - nearer to the window, taking every precaution not to show - yourself, and then to look up at our old rooms—the starting-point - of so many of your little fairy-tales? We will see if my three - years of absence have entirely taken away my power to surprise - you.” - - I crept forward and looked across at the familiar window. As my - eyes fell upon it, I gave a gasp and a cry of amazement. The - blind was down, and a strong light was burning in the room. The - shadow of a man who was seated in a chair within was thrown in - hard, black outline upon the luminous screen of the window. There - was no mistaking the poise of the head, the squareness of the - shoulders, the sharpness of the features. The face was turned - half-round, and the effect was that of one of those black - silhouettes which our grandparents loved to frame. It was a - perfect reproduction of Holmes. So amazed was I that I threw out - my hand to make sure that the man himself was standing beside me. - He was quivering with silent laughter. - - “Well?” said he. - - “Good heavens!” I cried. “It is marvellous.” - - “I trust that age doth not wither nor custom stale my infinite - variety,” said he, and I recognized in his voice the joy and - pride which the artist takes in his own creation. “It really is - rather like me, is it not?” - - “I should be prepared to swear that it was you.” - - “The credit of the execution is due to Monsieur Oscar Meunier, of - Grenoble, who spent some days in doing the moulding. It is a bust - in wax. The rest I arranged myself during my visit to Baker - Street this afternoon.” - - “But why?” - - “Because, my dear Watson, I had the strongest possible reason for - wishing certain people to think that I was there when I was - really elsewhere.” - - “And you thought the rooms were watched?” - - “I _knew_ that they were watched.” - - “By whom?” - - “By my old enemies, Watson. By the charming society whose leader - lies in the Reichenbach Fall. You must remember that they knew, - and only they knew, that I was still alive. Sooner or later they - believed that I should come back to my rooms. They watched them - continuously, and this morning they saw me arrive.” - - “How do you know?” - - “Because I recognized their sentinel when I glanced out of my - window. He is a harmless enough fellow, Parker by name, a - garroter by trade, and a remarkable performer upon the - jew’s-harp. I cared nothing for him. But I cared a great deal for - the much more formidable person who was behind him, the bosom - friend of Moriarty, the man who dropped the rocks over the cliff, - the most cunning and dangerous criminal in London. That is the - man who is after me to-night Watson, and that is the man who is - quite unaware that we are after _him_.” - - My friend’s plans were gradually revealing themselves. From this - convenient retreat, the watchers were being watched and the - trackers tracked. That angular shadow up yonder was the bait, and - we were the hunters. In silence we stood together in the darkness - and watched the hurrying figures who passed and repassed in front - of us. Holmes was silent and motionless; but I could tell that he - was keenly alert, and that his eyes were fixed intently upon the - stream of passers-by. It was a bleak and boisterous night and the - wind whistled shrilly down the long street. Many people were - moving to and fro, most of them muffled in their coats and - cravats. Once or twice it seemed to me that I had seen the same - figure before, and I especially noticed two men who appeared to - be sheltering themselves from the wind in the doorway of a house - some distance up the street. I tried to draw my companion’s - attention to them; but he gave a little ejaculation of - impatience, and continued to stare into the street. More than - once he fidgeted with his feet and tapped rapidly with his - fingers upon the wall. It was evident to me that he was becoming - uneasy, and that his plans were not working out altogether as he - had hoped. At last, as midnight approached and the street - gradually cleared, he paced up and down the room in - uncontrollable agitation. I was about to make some remark to him, - when I raised my eyes to the lighted window, and again - experienced almost as great a surprise as before. I clutched - Holmes’s arm, and pointed upward. - - “The shadow has moved!” I cried. - - It was indeed no longer the profile, but the back, which was - turned towards us. - - Three years had certainly not smoothed the asperities of his - temper or his impatience with a less active intelligence than his - own. - - “Of course it has moved,” said he. “Am I such a farcical bungler, - Watson, that I should erect an obvious dummy, and expect that - some of the sharpest men in Europe would be deceived by it? We - have been in this room two hours, and Mrs. Hudson has made some - change in that figure eight times, or once in every quarter of an - hour. She works it from the front, so that her shadow may never - be seen. Ah!” He drew in his breath with a shrill, excited - intake. In the dim light I saw his head thrown forward, his whole - attitude rigid with attention. Outside the street was absolutely - deserted. Those two men might still be crouching in the doorway, - but I could no longer see them. All was still and dark, save only - that brilliant yellow screen in front of us with the black figure - outlined upon its centre. Again in the utter silence I heard that - thin, sibilant note which spoke of intense suppressed excitement. - An instant later he pulled me back into the blackest corner of - the room, and I felt his warning hand upon my lips. The fingers - which clutched me were quivering. Never had I known my friend - more moved, and yet the dark street still stretched lonely and - motionless before us. - - But suddenly I was aware of that which his keener senses had - already distinguished. A low, stealthy sound came to my ears, not - from the direction of Baker Street, but from the back of the very - house in which we lay concealed. A door opened and shut. An - instant later steps crept down the passage—steps which were meant - to be silent, but which reverberated harshly through the empty - house. Holmes crouched back against the wall, and I did the same, - my hand closing upon the handle of my revolver. Peering through - the gloom, I saw the vague outline of a man, a shade blacker than - the blackness of the open door. He stood for an instant, and then - he crept forward, crouching, menacing, into the room. He was - within three yards of us, this sinister figure, and I had braced - myself to meet his spring, before I realized that he had no idea - of our presence. He passed close beside us, stole over to the - window, and very softly and noiselessly raised it for half a - foot. As he sank to the level of this opening, the light of the - street, no longer dimmed by the dusty glass, fell full upon his - face. The man seemed to be beside himself with excitement. His - two eyes shone like stars, and his features were working - convulsively. He was an elderly man, with a thin, projecting - nose, a high, bald forehead, and a huge grizzled moustache. An - opera hat was pushed to the back of his head, and an evening - dress shirt-front gleamed out through his open overcoat. His face - was gaunt and swarthy, scored with deep, savage lines. In his - hand he carried what appeared to be a stick, but as he laid it - down upon the floor it gave a metallic clang. Then from the - pocket of his overcoat he drew a bulky object, and he busied - himself in some task which ended with a loud, sharp click, as if - a spring or bolt had fallen into its place. Still kneeling upon - the floor he bent forward and threw all his weight and strength - upon some lever, with the result that there came a long, - whirling, grinding noise, ending once more in a powerful click. - He straightened himself then, and I saw that what he held in his - hand was a sort of gun, with a curiously misshapen butt. He - opened it at the breech, put something in, and snapped the - breech-lock. Then, crouching down, he rested the end of the - barrel upon the ledge of the open window, and I saw his long - moustache droop over the stock and his eye gleam as it peered - along the sights. I heard a little sigh of satisfaction as he - cuddled the butt into his shoulder; and saw that amazing target, - the black man on the yellow ground, standing clear at the end of - his foresight. For an instant he was rigid and motionless. Then - his finger tightened on the trigger. There was a strange, loud - whiz and a long, silvery tinkle of broken glass. At that instant - Holmes sprang like a tiger on to the marksman’s back, and hurled - him flat upon his face. He was up again in a moment, and with - convulsive strength he seized Holmes by the throat, but I struck - him on the head with the butt of my revolver, and he dropped - again upon the floor. I fell upon him, and as I held him my - comrade blew a shrill call upon a whistle. There was the clatter - of running feet upon the pavement, and two policemen in uniform, - with one plain-clothes detective, rushed through the front - entrance and into the room. - - “That you, Lestrade?” said Holmes. - - “Yes, Mr. Holmes. I took the job myself. It’s good to see you - back in London, sir.” - - “I think you want a little unofficial help. Three undetected - murders in one year won’t do, Lestrade. But you handled the - Molesey Mystery with less than your usual—that’s to say, you - handled it fairly well.” - - We had all risen to our feet, our prisoner breathing hard, with a - stalwart constable on each side of him. Already a few loiterers - had begun to collect in the street. Holmes stepped up to the - window, closed it, and dropped the blinds. Lestrade had produced - two candles, and the policemen had uncovered their lanterns. I - was able at last to have a good look at our prisoner. - - It was a tremendously virile and yet sinister face which was - turned towards us. With the brow of a philosopher above and the - jaw of a sensualist below, the man must have started with great - capacities for good or for evil. But one could not look upon his - cruel blue eyes, with their drooping, cynical lids, or upon the - fierce, aggressive nose and the threatening, deep-lined brow, - without reading Nature’s plainest danger-signals. He took no heed - of any of us, but his eyes were fixed upon Holmes’s face with an - expression in which hatred and amazement were equally blended. - “You fiend!” he kept on muttering. “You clever, clever fiend!” - - “Ah, Colonel!” said Holmes, arranging his rumpled collar. - “‘Journeys end in lovers’ meetings,’ as the old play says. I - don’t think I have had the pleasure of seeing you since you - favoured me with those attentions as I lay on the ledge above the - Reichenbach Fall.” - - The colonel still stared at my friend like a man in a trance. - “You cunning, cunning fiend!” was all that he could say. - - “I have not introduced you yet,” said Holmes. “This, gentlemen, - is Colonel Sebastian Moran, once of Her Majesty’s Indian Army, - and the best heavy-game shot that our Eastern Empire has ever - produced. I believe I am correct Colonel, in saying that your bag - of tigers still remains unrivalled?” - - The fierce old man said nothing, but still glared at my - companion. With his savage eyes and bristling moustache he was - wonderfully like a tiger himself. - - “I wonder that my very simple stratagem could deceive so old a - _shikari_,” said Holmes. “It must be very familiar to you. Have - you not tethered a young kid under a tree, lain above it with - your rifle, and waited for the bait to bring up your tiger? This - empty house is my tree, and you are my tiger. You have possibly - had other guns in reserve in case there should be several tigers, - or in the unlikely supposition of your own aim failing you. - These,” he pointed around, “are my other guns. The parallel is - exact.” - - Colonel Moran sprang forward with a snarl of rage, but the - constables dragged him back. The fury upon his face was terrible - to look at. - - “I confess that you had one small surprise for me,” said Holmes. - “I did not anticipate that you would yourself make use of this - empty house and this convenient front window. I had imagined you - as operating from the street, where my friend, Lestrade and his - merry men were awaiting you. With that exception, all has gone as - I expected.” - - Colonel Moran turned to the official detective. - - “You may or may not have just cause for arresting me,” said he, - “but at least there can be no reason why I should submit to the - gibes of this person. If I am in the hands of the law, let things - be done in a legal way.” - - “Well, that’s reasonable enough,” said Lestrade. “Nothing further - you have to say, Mr. Holmes, before we go?” - - Holmes had picked up the powerful air-gun from the floor, and was - examining its mechanism. - - “An admirable and unique weapon,” said he, “noiseless and of - tremendous power: I knew Von Herder, the blind German mechanic, - who constructed it to the order of the late Professor Moriarty. - For years I have been aware of its existence though I have never - before had the opportunity of handling it. I commend it very - specially to your attention, Lestrade and also the bullets which - fit it.” - - “You can trust us to look after that, Mr. Holmes,” said Lestrade, - as the whole party moved towards the door. “Anything further to - say?” - - “Only to ask what charge you intend to prefer?” - - “What charge, sir? Why, of course, the attempted murder of Mr. - Sherlock Holmes.” - - “Not so, Lestrade. I do not propose to appear in the matter at - all. To you, and to you only, belongs the credit of the - remarkable arrest which you have effected. Yes, Lestrade, I - congratulate you! With your usual happy mixture of cunning and - audacity, you have got him.” - - “Got him! Got whom, Mr. Holmes?” - - “The man that the whole force has been seeking in vain—Colonel - Sebastian Moran, who shot the Honourable Ronald Adair with an - expanding bullet from an air-gun through the open window of the - second-floor front of No. 427, Park Lane, upon the thirtieth of - last month. That’s the charge, Lestrade. And now, Watson, if you - can endure the draught from a broken window, I think that half an - hour in my study over a cigar may afford you some profitable - amusement.” - - Our old chambers had been left unchanged through the supervision - of Mycroft Holmes and the immediate care of Mrs. Hudson. As I - entered I saw, it is true, an unwonted tidiness, but the old - landmarks were all in their place. There were the chemical corner - and the acid-stained, deal-topped table. There upon a shelf was - the row of formidable scrap-books and books of reference which - many of our fellow-citizens would have been so glad to burn. The - diagrams, the violin-case, and the pipe-rack—even the Persian - slipper which contained the tobacco—all met my eyes as I glanced - round me. There were two occupants of the room—one, Mrs. Hudson, - who beamed upon us both as we entered—the other, the strange - dummy which had played so important a part in the evening’s - adventures. It was a wax-coloured model of my friend, so - admirably done that it was a perfect facsimile. It stood on a - small pedestal table with an old dressing-gown of Holmes’s so - draped round it that the illusion from the street was absolutely - perfect. - - “I hope you observed all precautions, Mrs. Hudson?” said Holmes. - - “I went to it on my knees, sir, just as you told me.” - - “Excellent. You carried the thing out very well. Did you observe - where the bullet went?” - - “Yes, sir. I’m afraid it has spoilt your beautiful bust, for it - passed right through the head and flattened itself on the wall. I - picked it up from the carpet. Here it is!” - - Holmes held it out to me. “A soft revolver bullet, as you - perceive, Watson. There’s genius in that, for who would expect to - find such a thing fired from an airgun? All right, Mrs. Hudson. I - am much obliged for your assistance. And now, Watson, let me see - you in your old seat once more, for there are several points - which I should like to discuss with you.” - - He had thrown off the seedy frockcoat, and now he was the Holmes - of old in the mouse-coloured dressing-gown which he took from his - effigy. - - “The old _shikari’s_ nerves have not lost their steadiness, nor - his eyes their keenness,” said he, with a laugh, as he inspected - the shattered forehead of his bust. - - “Plumb in the middle of the back of the head and smack through - the brain. He was the best shot in India, and I expect that there - are few better in London. Have you heard the name?” - - “No, I have not.” - - “Well, well, such is fame! But, then, if I remember right, you - had not heard the name of Professor James Moriarty, who had one - of the great brains of the century. Just give me down my index of - biographies from the shelf.” - - He turned over the pages lazily, leaning back in his chair and - blowing great clouds from his cigar. - - “My collection of M’s is a fine one,” said he. “Moriarty himself - is enough to make any letter illustrious, and here is Morgan the - poisoner, and Merridew of abominable memory, and Mathews, who - knocked out my left canine in the waiting-room at Charing Cross, - and, finally, here is our friend of to-night.” - - He handed over the book, and I read: - - _Moran_, _Sebastian_, _Colonel_. Unemployed. Formerly 1st - Bangalore Pioneers. Born London, 1840. Son of Sir Augustus Moran, - C.B., once British Minister to Persia. Educated Eton and Oxford. - Served in Jowaki Campaign, Afghan Campaign, Charasiab - (despatches), Sherpur, and Cabul. Author of _Heavy Game of the - Western Himalayas_ (1881); _Three Months in the Jungle_ (1884). - Address: Conduit Street. Clubs: The Anglo-Indian, the - Tankerville, the Bagatelle Card Club. - - On the margin was written, in Holmes’s precise hand: - - The second most dangerous man in London. - - “This is astonishing,” said I, as I handed back the volume. “The - man’s career is that of an honourable soldier.” - - “It is true,” Holmes answered. “Up to a certain point he did - well. He was always a man of iron nerve, and the story is still - told in India how he crawled down a drain after a wounded - man-eating tiger. There are some trees, Watson, which grow to a - certain height, and then suddenly develop some unsightly - eccentricity. You will see it often in humans. I have a theory - that the individual represents in his development the whole - procession of his ancestors, and that such a sudden turn to good - or evil stands for some strong influence which came into the line - of his pedigree. The person becomes, as it were, the epitome of - the history of his own family.” - - “It is surely rather fanciful.” - - “Well, I don’t insist upon it. Whatever the cause, Colonel Moran - began to go wrong. Without any open scandal, he still made India - too hot to hold him. He retired, came to London, and again - acquired an evil name. It was at this time that he was sought out - by Professor Moriarty, to whom for a time he was chief of the - staff. Moriarty supplied him liberally with money, and used him - only in one or two very high-class jobs, which no ordinary - criminal could have undertaken. You may have some recollection of - the death of Mrs. Stewart, of Lauder, in 1887. Not? Well, I am - sure Moran was at the bottom of it, but nothing could be proved. - So cleverly was the colonel concealed that, even when the - Moriarty gang was broken up, we could not incriminate him. You - remember at that date, when I called upon you in your rooms, how - I put up the shutters for fear of air-guns? No doubt you thought - me fanciful. I knew exactly what I was doing, for I knew of the - existence of this remarkable gun, and I knew also that one of the - best shots in the world would be behind it. When we were in - Switzerland he followed us with Moriarty, and it was undoubtedly - he who gave me that evil five minutes on the Reichenbach ledge. - - “You may think that I read the papers with some attention during - my sojourn in France, on the look-out for any chance of laying - him by the heels. So long as he was free in London, my life would - really not have been worth living. Night and day the shadow would - have been over me, and sooner or later his chance must have come. - What could I do? I could not shoot him at sight, or I should - myself be in the dock. There was no use appealing to a - magistrate. They cannot interfere on the strength of what would - appear to them to be a wild suspicion. So I could do nothing. But - I watched the criminal news, knowing that sooner or later I - should get him. Then came the death of this Ronald Adair. My - chance had come at last. Knowing what I did, was it not certain - that Colonel Moran had done it? He had played cards with the lad, - he had followed him home from the club, he had shot him through - the open window. There was not a doubt of it. The bullets alone - are enough to put his head in a noose. I came over at once. I was - seen by the sentinel, who would, I knew, direct the colonel’s - attention to my presence. He could not fail to connect my sudden - return with his crime, and to be terribly alarmed. I was sure - that he would make an attempt to get me out of the way _at once_, - and would bring round his murderous weapon for that purpose. I - left him an excellent mark in the window, and, having warned the - police that they might be needed—by the way, Watson, you spotted - their presence in that doorway with unerring accuracy—I took up - what seemed to me to be a judicious post for observation, never - dreaming that he would choose the same spot for his attack. Now, - my dear Watson, does anything remain for me to explain?” - - “Yes,” said I. “You have not made it clear what was Colonel - Moran’s motive in murdering the Honourable Ronald Adair?” - - “Ah! my dear Watson, there we come into those realms of - conjecture, where the most logical mind may be at fault. Each may - form his own hypothesis upon the present evidence, and yours is - as likely to be correct as mine.” - - “You have formed one, then?” - - “I think that it is not difficult to explain the facts. It came - out in evidence that Colonel Moran and young Adair had, between - them, won a considerable amount of money. Now, Moran undoubtedly - played foul—of that I have long been aware. I believe that on the - day of the murder Adair had discovered that Moran was cheating. - Very likely he had spoken to him privately, and had threatened to - expose him unless he voluntarily resigned his membership of the - club, and promised not to play cards again. It is unlikely that a - youngster like Adair would at once make a hideous scandal by - exposing a well-known man so much older than himself. Probably he - acted as I suggest. The exclusion from his clubs would mean ruin - to Moran, who lived by his ill-gotten card-gains. He therefore - murdered Adair, who at the time was endeavouring to work out how - much money he should himself return, since he could not profit by - his partner’s foul play. He locked the door lest the ladies - should surprise him and insist upon knowing what he was doing - with these names and coins. Will it pass?” - - “I have no doubt that you have hit upon the truth.” - - “It will be verified or disproved at the trial. Meanwhile, come - what may, Colonel Moran will trouble us no more. The famous - air-gun of Von Herder will embellish the Scotland Yard Museum, - and once again Mr. Sherlock Holmes is free to devote his life to - examining those interesting little problems which the complex - life of London so plentifully presents.” - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF THE NORWOOD BUILDER - - - “From the point of view of the criminal expert,” said Mr. - Sherlock Holmes, “London has become a singularly uninteresting - city since the death of the late lamented Professor Moriarty.” - - “I can hardly think that you would find many decent citizens to - agree with you,” I answered. - - “Well, well, I must not be selfish,” said he, with a smile, as he - pushed back his chair from the breakfast-table. “The community is - certainly the gainer, and no one the loser, save the poor - out-of-work specialist, whose occupation has gone. With that man - in the field, one’s morning paper presented infinite - possibilities. Often it was only the smallest trace, Watson, the - faintest indication, and yet it was enough to tell me that the - great malignant brain was there, as the gentlest tremors of the - edges of the web remind one of the foul spider which lurks in the - centre. Petty thefts, wanton assaults, purposeless outrage—to the - man who held the clue all could be worked into one connected - whole. To the scientific student of the higher criminal world, no - capital in Europe offered the advantages which London then - possessed. But now——” He shrugged his shoulders in humorous - deprecation of the state of things which he had himself done so - much to produce. - - At the time of which I speak, Holmes had been back for some - months, and I at his request had sold my practice and returned to - share the old quarters in Baker Street. A young doctor, named - Verner, had purchased my small Kensington practice, and given - with astonishingly little demur the highest price that I ventured - to ask—an incident which only explained itself some years later, - when I found that Verner was a distant relation of Holmes, and - that it was my friend who had really found the money. - - Our months of partnership had not been so uneventful as he had - stated, for I find, on looking over my notes, that this period - includes the case of the papers of ex-President Murillo, and also - the shocking affair of the Dutch steamship _Friesland_, which so - nearly cost us both our lives. His cold and proud nature was - always averse, however, from anything in the shape of public - applause, and he bound me in the most stringent terms to say no - further word of himself, his methods, or his successes—a - prohibition which, as I have explained, has only now been - removed. - - Mr. Sherlock Holmes was leaning back in his chair after his - whimsical protest, and was unfolding his morning paper in a - leisurely fashion, when our attention was arrested by a - tremendous ring at the bell, followed immediately by a hollow - drumming sound, as if someone were beating on the outer door with - his fist. As it opened there came a tumultuous rush into the - hall, rapid feet clattered up the stair, and an instant later a - wild-eyed and frantic young man, pale, disheveled, and - palpitating, burst into the room. He looked from one to the other - of us, and under our gaze of inquiry he became conscious that - some apology was needed for this unceremonious entry. - - “I’m sorry, Mr. Holmes,” he cried. “You mustn’t blame me. I am - nearly mad. Mr. Holmes, I am the unhappy John Hector McFarlane.” - - He made the announcement as if the name alone would explain both - his visit and its manner, but I could see, by my companion’s - unresponsive face, that it meant no more to him than to me. - - “Have a cigarette, Mr. McFarlane,” said he, pushing his case - across. “I am sure that, with your symptoms, my friend Dr. Watson - here would prescribe a sedative. The weather has been so very - warm these last few days. Now, if you feel a little more - composed, I should be glad if you would sit down in that chair, - and tell us very slowly and quietly who you are, and what it is - that you want. You mentioned your name, as if I should recognize - it, but I assure you that, beyond the obvious facts that you are - a bachelor, a solicitor, a Freemason, and an asthmatic, I know - nothing whatever about you.” - - Familiar as I was with my friend’s methods, it was not difficult - for me to follow his deductions, and to observe the untidiness of - attire, the sheaf of legal papers, the watch-charm, and the - breathing which had prompted them. Our client, however, stared in - amazement. - - “Yes, I am all that, Mr. Holmes; and, in addition, I am the most - unfortunate man at this moment in London. For heaven’s sake, - don’t abandon me, Mr. Holmes! If they come to arrest me before I - have finished my story, make them give me time, so that I may - tell you the whole truth. I could go to jail happy if I knew that - you were working for me outside.” - - “Arrest you!” said Holmes. “This is really most grati—most - interesting. On what charge do you expect to be arrested?” - - “Upon the charge of murdering Mr. Jonas Oldacre, of Lower - Norwood.” - - My companion’s expressive face showed a sympathy which was not, I - am afraid, entirely unmixed with satisfaction. - - “Dear me,” said he, “it was only this moment at breakfast that I - was saying to my friend, Dr. Watson, that sensational cases had - disappeared out of our papers.” - - Our visitor stretched forward a quivering hand and picked up the - _Daily Telegraph_, which still lay upon Holmes’s knee. - - “If you had looked at it, sir, you would have seen at a glance - what the errand is on which I have come to you this morning. I - feel as if my name and my misfortune must be in every man’s - mouth.” He turned it over to expose the central page. “Here it - is, and with your permission I will read it to you. Listen to - this, Mr. Holmes. The headlines are: ‘Mysterious Affair at Lower - Norwood. Disappearance of a Well-known Builder. Suspicion of - Murder and Arson. A Clue to the Criminal.’ That is the clue which - they are already following, Mr. Holmes, and I know that it leads - infallibly to me. I have been followed from London Bridge - Station, and I am sure that they are only waiting for the warrant - to arrest me. It will break my mother’s heart—it will break her - heart!” He wrung his hands in an agony of apprehension, and - swayed backward and forward in his chair. - - I looked with interest upon this man, who was accused of being - the perpetrator of a crime of violence. He was flaxen-haired and - handsome, in a washed-out negative fashion, with frightened blue - eyes, and a clean-shaven face, with a weak, sensitive mouth. His - age may have been about twenty-seven, his dress and bearing that - of a gentleman. From the pocket of his light summer overcoat - protruded the bundle of indorsed papers which proclaimed his - profession. - - “We must use what time we have,” said Holmes. “Watson, would you - have the kindness to take the paper and to read the paragraph in - question?” - - Underneath the vigorous headlines which our client had quoted, I - read the following suggestive narrative: - - “Late last night, or early this morning, an incident occurred at - Lower Norwood which points, it is feared, to a serious crime. Mr. - Jonas Oldacre is a well-known resident of that suburb, where he - has carried on his business as a builder for many years. Mr. - Oldacre is a bachelor, fifty-two years of age, and lives in Deep - Dene House, at the Sydenham end of the road of that name. He has - had the reputation of being a man of eccentric habits, secretive - and retiring. For some years he has practically withdrawn from - the business, in which he is said to have massed considerable - wealth. A small timber-yard still exists, however, at the back of - the house, and last night, about twelve o’clock, an alarm was - given that one of the stacks was on fire. The engines were soon - upon the spot, but the dry wood burned with great fury, and it - was impossible to arrest the conflagration until the stack had - been entirely consumed. Up to this point the incident bore the - appearance of an ordinary accident, but fresh indications seem to - point to serious crime. Surprise was expressed at the absence of - the master of the establishment from the scene of the fire, and - an inquiry followed, which showed that he had disappeared from - the house. An examination of his room revealed that the bed had - not been slept in, that a safe which stood in it was open, that a - number of important papers were scattered about the room, and - finally, that there were signs of a murderous struggle, slight - traces of blood being found within the room, and an oaken - walking-stick, which also showed stains of blood upon the handle. - It is known that Mr. Jonas Oldacre had received a late visitor in - his bedroom upon that night, and the stick found has been - identified as the property of this person, who is a young London - solicitor named John Hector McFarlane, junior partner of Graham - and McFarlane, of 426, Gresham Buildings, E.C. The police believe - that they have evidence in their possession which supplies a very - convincing motive for the crime, and altogether it cannot be - doubted that sensational developments will follow. - “LATER.—It is rumoured as we go to press that Mr. John Hector - McFarlane has actually been arrested on the charge of the - murder of Mr. Jonas Oldacre. It is at least certain that a - warrant has been issued. There have been further and sinister - developments in the investigation at Norwood. Besides the - signs of a struggle in the room of the unfortunate builder it - is now known that the French windows of his bedroom (which is - on the ground floor) were found to be open, that there were - marks as if some bulky object had been dragged across to the - wood-pile, and, finally, it is asserted that charred remains - have been found among the charcoal ashes of the fire. The - police theory is that a most sensational crime has been - committed, that the victim was clubbed to death in his own - bedroom, his papers rifled, and his dead body dragged across - to the wood-stack, which was then ignited so as to hide all - traces of the crime. The conduct of the criminal - investigation has been left in the experienced hands of - Inspector Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, who is following up the - clues with his accustomed energy and sagacity.” - - Sherlock Holmes listened with closed eyes and fingertips together - to this remarkable account. - - “The case has certainly some points of interest,” said he, in his - languid fashion. “May I ask, in the first place, Mr. McFarlane, - how it is that you are still at liberty, since there appears to - be enough evidence to justify your arrest?” - - “I live at Torrington Lodge, Blackheath, with my parents, Mr. - Holmes, but last night, having to do business very late with Mr. - Jonas Oldacre, I stayed at an hotel in Norwood, and came to my - business from there. I knew nothing of this affair until I was in - the train, when I read what you have just heard. I at once saw - the horrible danger of my position, and I hurried to put the case - into your hands. I have no doubt that I should have been arrested - either at my city office or at my home. A man followed me from - London Bridge Station, and I have no doubt—Great heaven! what is - that?” - - It was a clang of the bell, followed instantly by heavy steps - upon the stair. A moment later, our old friend Lestrade appeared - in the doorway. Over his shoulder I caught a glimpse of one or - two uniformed policemen outside. - - “Mr. John Hector McFarlane?” said Lestrade. - - Our unfortunate client rose with a ghastly face. - - “I arrest you for the wilful murder of Mr. Jonas Oldacre, of - Lower Norwood.” - - McFarlane turned to us with a gesture of despair, and sank into - his chair once more like one who is crushed. - - “One moment, Lestrade,” said Holmes. “Half an hour more or less - can make no difference to you, and the gentleman was about to - give us an account of this very interesting affair, which might - aid us in clearing it up.” - - “I think there will be no difficulty in clearing it up,” said - Lestrade, grimly. - - “None the less, with your permission, I should be much interested - to hear his account.” - - “Well, Mr. Holmes, it is difficult for me to refuse you anything, - for you have been of use to the force once or twice in the past, - and we owe you a good turn at Scotland Yard,” said Lestrade. “At - the same time I must remain with my prisoner, and I am bound to - warn him that anything he may say will appear in evidence against - him.” - - “I wish nothing better,” said our client. “All I ask is that you - should hear and recognize the absolute truth.” - - Lestrade looked at his watch. “I’ll give you half an hour,” said - he. - - “I must explain first,” said McFarlane, “that I knew nothing of - Mr. Jonas Oldacre. His name was familiar to me, for many years - ago my parents were acquainted with him, but they drifted apart. - I was very much surprised therefore, when yesterday, about three - o’clock in the afternoon, he walked into my office in the city. - But I was still more astonished when he told me the object of his - visit. He had in his hand several sheets of a notebook, covered - with scribbled writing—here they are—and he laid them on my - table. - - “‘Here is my will,’ said he. ‘I want you, Mr. McFarlane, to cast - it into proper legal shape. I will sit here while you do so.’ - - “I set myself to copy it, and you can imagine my astonishment - when I found that, with some reservations, he had left all his - property to me. He was a strange little ferret-like man, with - white eyelashes, and when I looked up at him I found his keen - grey eyes fixed upon me with an amused expression. I could hardly - believe my own as I read the terms of the will; but he explained - that he was a bachelor with hardly any living relation, that he - had known my parents in his youth, and that he had always heard - of me as a very deserving young man, and was assured that his - money would be in worthy hands. Of course, I could only stammer - out my thanks. The will was duly finished, signed, and witnessed - by my clerk. This is it on the blue paper, and these slips, as I - have explained, are the rough draft. Mr. Jonas Oldacre then - informed me that there were a number of documents—building - leases, title-deeds, mortgages, scrip, and so forth—which it was - necessary that I should see and understand. He said that his mind - would not be easy until the whole thing was settled, and he - begged me to come out to his house at Norwood that night, - bringing the will with me, and to arrange matters. ‘Remember, my - boy, not one word to your parents about the affair until - everything is settled. We will keep it as a little surprise for - them.’ He was very insistent upon this point, and made me promise - it faithfully. - - “You can imagine, Mr. Holmes, that I was not in a humour to - refuse him anything that he might ask. He was my benefactor, and - all my desire was to carry out his wishes in every particular. I - sent a telegram home, therefore, to say that I had important - business on hand, and that it was impossible for me to say how - late I might be. Mr. Oldacre had told me that he would like me to - have supper with him at nine, as he might not be home before that - hour. I had some difficulty in finding his house, however, and it - was nearly half-past before I reached it. I found him——” - - “One moment!” said Holmes. “Who opened the door?” - - “A middle-aged woman, who was, I suppose, his housekeeper.” - - “And it was she, I presume, who mentioned your name?” - - “Exactly,” said McFarlane. - - “Pray proceed.” - - McFarlane wiped his damp brow, and then continued his narrative: - - “I was shown by this woman into a sitting-room, where a frugal - supper was laid out. Afterwards, Mr. Jonas Oldacre led me into - his bedroom, in which there stood a heavy safe. This he opened - and took out a mass of documents, which we went over together. It - was between eleven and twelve when we finished. He remarked that - we must not disturb the housekeeper. He showed me out through his - own French window, which had been open all this time.” - - “Was the blind down?” asked Holmes. - - “I will not be sure, but I believe that it was only half down. - Yes, I remember how he pulled it up in order to swing open the - window. I could not find my stick, and he said, ‘Never mind, my - boy, I shall see a good deal of you now, I hope, and I will keep - your stick until you come back to claim it.’ I left him there, - the safe open, and the papers made up in packets upon the table. - It was so late that I could not get back to Blackheath, so I - spent the night at the Anerley Arms, and I knew nothing more - until I read of this horrible affair in the morning.” - - “Anything more that you would like to ask, Mr. Holmes?” said - Lestrade, whose eyebrows had gone up once or twice during this - remarkable explanation. - - “Not until I have been to Blackheath.” - - “You mean to Norwood,” said Lestrade. - - “Oh, yes, no doubt that is what I must have meant,” said Holmes, - with his enigmatical smile. Lestrade had learned by more - experiences than he would care to acknowledge that that brain - could cut through that which was impenetrable to him. I saw him - look curiously at my companion. - - “I think I should like to have a word with you presently, Mr. - Sherlock Holmes,” said he. “Now, Mr. McFarlane, two of my - constables are at the door, and there is a four-wheeler waiting.” - The wretched young man arose, and with a last beseeching glance - at us walked from the room. The officers conducted him to the - cab, but Lestrade remained. - - Holmes had picked up the pages which formed the rough draft of - the will, and was looking at them with the keenest interest upon - his face. - - “There are some points about that document, Lestrade, are there - not?” said he, pushing them over. - - The official looked at them with a puzzled expression. - - “I can read the first few lines and these in the middle of the - second page, and one or two at the end. Those are as clear as - print,” said he, “but the writing in between is very bad, and - there are three places where I cannot read it at all.” - - “What do you make of that?” said Holmes. - - “Well, what do _you_ make of it?” - - “That it was written in a train. The good writing represents - stations, the bad writing movement, and the very bad writing - passing over points. A scientific expert would pronounce at once - that this was drawn up on a suburban line, since nowhere save in - the immediate vicinity of a great city could there be so quick a - succession of points. Granting that his whole journey was - occupied in drawing up the will, then the train was an express, - only stopping once between Norwood and London Bridge.” - - Lestrade began to laugh. - - “You are too many for me when you begin to get on your theories, - Mr. Holmes,” said he. “How does this bear on the case?” - - “Well, it corroborates the young man’s story to the extent that - the will was drawn up by Jonas Oldacre in his journey yesterday. - It is curious—is it not?—that a man should draw up so important a - document in so haphazard a fashion. It suggests that he did not - think it was going to be of much practical importance. If a man - drew up a will which he did not intend ever to be effective, he - might do it so.” - - “Well, he drew up his own death warrant at the same time,” said - Lestrade. - - “Oh, you think so?” - - “Don’t you?” - - “Well, it is quite possible, but the case is not clear to me - yet.” - - “Not clear? Well, if that isn’t clear, what _could_ be clearer? - Here is a young man who learns suddenly that, if a certain older - man dies, he will succeed to a fortune. What does he do? He says - nothing to anyone, but he arranges that he shall go out on some - pretext to see his client that night. He waits until the only - other person in the house is in bed, and then in the solitude of - a man’s room he murders him, burns his body in the wood-pile, and - departs to a neighbouring hotel. The blood-stains in the room and - also on the stick are very slight. It is probable that he - imagined his crime to be a bloodless one, and hoped that if the - body were consumed it would hide all traces of the method of his - death—traces which, for some reason, must have pointed to him. Is - not all this obvious?” - - “It strikes me, my good Lestrade, as being just a trifle too - obvious,” said Holmes. “You do not add imagination to your other - great qualities, but if you could for one moment put yourself in - the place of this young man, would you choose the very night - after the will had been made to commit your crime? Would it not - seem dangerous to you to make so very close a relation between - the two incidents? Again, would you choose an occasion when you - are known to be in the house, when a servant has let you in? And, - finally, would you take the great pains to conceal the body, and - yet leave your own stick as a sign that you were the criminal? - Confess, Lestrade, that all this is very unlikely.” - - “As to the stick, Mr. Holmes, you know as well as I do that a - criminal is often flurried, and does such things, which a cool - man would avoid. He was very likely afraid to go back to the - room. Give me another theory that would fit the facts.” - - “I could very easily give you half a dozen,” said Holmes. “Here - for example, is a very possible and even probable one. I make you - a free present of it. The older man is showing documents which - are of evident value. A passing tramp sees them through the - window, the blind of which is only half down. Exit the solicitor. - Enter the tramp! He seizes a stick, which he observes there, - kills Oldacre, and departs after burning the body.” - - “Why should the tramp burn the body?” - - “For the matter of that, why should McFarlane?” - - “To hide some evidence.” - - “Possibly the tramp wanted to hide that any murder at all had - been committed.” - - “And why did the tramp take nothing?” - - “Because they were papers that he could not negotiate.” - - Lestrade shook his head, though it seemed to me that his manner - was less absolutely assured than before. - - “Well, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, you may look for your tramp, and - while you are finding him we will hold on to our man. The future - will show which is right. Just notice this point, Mr. Holmes: - that so far as we know, none of the papers were removed, and that - the prisoner is the one man in the world who had no reason for - removing them, since he was heir-at-law, and would come into them - in any case.” - - My friend seemed struck by this remark. - - “I don’t mean to deny that the evidence is in some ways very - strongly in favour of your theory,” said he. “I only wish to - point out that there are other theories possible. As you say, the - future will decide. Good-morning! I dare say that in the course - of the day I shall drop in at Norwood and see how you are getting - on.” - - When the detective departed, my friend rose and made his - preparations for the day’s work with the alert air of a man who - has a congenial task before him. - - “My first movement Watson,” said he, as he bustled into his - frockcoat, “must, as I said, be in the direction of Blackheath.” - - “And why not Norwood?” - - “Because we have in this case one singular incident coming close - to the heels of another singular incident. The police are making - the mistake of concentrating their attention upon the second, - because it happens to be the one which is actually criminal. But - it is evident to me that the logical way to approach the case is - to begin by trying to throw some light upon the first - incident—the curious will, so suddenly made, and to so unexpected - an heir. It may do something to simplify what followed. No, my - dear fellow, I don’t think you can help me. There is no prospect - of danger, or I should not dream of stirring out without you. I - trust that when I see you in the evening, I will be able to - report that I have been able to do something for this unfortunate - youngster, who has thrown himself upon my protection.” - - It was late when my friend returned, and I could see, by a glance - at his haggard and anxious face, that the high hopes with which - he had started had not been fulfilled. For an hour he droned away - upon his violin, endeavouring to soothe his own ruffled spirits. - At last he flung down the instrument, and plunged into a detailed - account of his misadventures. - - “It’s all going wrong, Watson—all as wrong as it can go. I kept a - bold face before Lestrade, but, upon my soul, I believe that for - once the fellow is on the right track and we are on the wrong. - All my instincts are one way, and all the facts are the other, - and I much fear that British juries have not yet attained that - pitch of intelligence when they will give the preference to my - theories over Lestrade’s facts.” - - “Did you go to Blackheath?” - - “Yes, Watson, I went there, and I found very quickly that the - late lamented Oldacre was a pretty considerable blackguard. The - father was away in search of his son. The mother was at home—a - little, fluffy, blue-eyed person, in a tremor of fear and - indignation. Of course, she would not admit even the possibility - of his guilt. But she would not express either surprise or regret - over the fate of Oldacre. On the contrary, she spoke of him with - such bitterness that she was unconsciously considerably - strengthening the case of the police for, of course, if her son - had heard her speak of the man in this fashion, it would - predispose him towards hatred and violence. ‘He was more like a - malignant and cunning ape than a human being,’ said she, ‘and he - always was, ever since he was a young man.’ - - “‘You knew him at that time?’ said I. - - “‘Yes, I knew him well, in fact, he was an old suitor of mine. - Thank heaven that I had the sense to turn away from him and to - marry a better, if poorer, man. I was engaged to him, Mr. Holmes, - when I heard a shocking story of how he had turned a cat loose in - an aviary, and I was so horrified at his brutal cruelty that I - would have nothing more to do with him.’ She rummaged in a - bureau, and presently she produced a photograph of a woman, - shamefully defaced and mutilated with a knife. ‘That is my own - photograph,’ she said. ‘He sent it to me in that state, with his - curse, upon my wedding morning.’ - - “‘Well,’ said I, ‘at least he has forgiven you now, since he has - left all his property to your son.’ - - “‘Neither my son nor I want anything from Jonas Oldacre, dead or - alive!’ she cried, with a proper spirit. ‘There is a God in - heaven, Mr. Holmes, and that same God who has punished that - wicked man will show, in His own good time, that my son’s hands - are guiltless of his blood.’ - - “Well, I tried one or two leads, but could get at nothing which - would help our hypothesis, and several points which would make - against it. I gave it up at last and off I went to Norwood. - - “This place, Deep Dene House, is a big modern villa of staring - brick, standing back in its own grounds, with a laurel-clumped - lawn in front of it. To the right and some distance back from the - road was the timber-yard which had been the scene of the fire. - Here’s a rough plan on a leaf of my notebook. This window on the - left is the one which opens into Oldacre’s room. You can look - into it from the road, you see. That is about the only bit of - consolation I have had to-day. Lestrade was not there, but his - head constable did the honours. They had just found a great - treasure-trove. They had spent the morning raking among the ashes - of the burned wood-pile, and besides the charred organic remains - they had secured several discoloured metal discs. I examined them - with care, and there was no doubt that they were trouser buttons. - I even distinguished that one of them was marked with the name of - ‘Hyams,’ who was Oldacres tailor. I then worked the lawn very - carefully for signs and traces, but this drought has made - everything as hard as iron. Nothing was to be seen save that some - body or bundle had been dragged through a low privet hedge which - is in a line with the wood-pile. All that, of course, fits in - with the official theory. I crawled about the lawn with an August - sun on my back, but I got up at the end of an hour no wiser than - before. - - “Well, after this fiasco I went into the bedroom and examined - that also. The blood-stains were very slight, mere smears and - discolourations, but undoubtedly fresh. The stick had been - removed, but there also the marks were slight. There is no doubt - about the stick belonging to our client. He admits it. Footmarks - of both men could be made out on the carpet, but none of any - third person, which again is a trick for the other side. They - were piling up their score all the time and we were at a - standstill. - - “Only one little gleam of hope did I get—and yet it amounted to - nothing. I examined the contents of the safe, most of which had - been taken out and left on the table. The papers had been made up - into sealed envelopes, one or two of which had been opened by the - police. They were not, so far as I could judge, of any great - value, nor did the bank-book show that Mr. Oldacre was in such - very affluent circumstances. But it seemed to me that all the - papers were not there. There were allusions to some - deeds—possibly the more valuable—which I could not find. This, of - course, if we could definitely prove it, would turn Lestrade’s - argument against himself, for who would steal a thing if he knew - that he would shortly inherit it? - - “Finally, having drawn every other cover and picked up no scent, - I tried my luck with the housekeeper. Mrs. Lexington is her - name—a little, dark, silent person, with suspicious and sidelong - eyes. She could tell us something if she would—I am convinced of - it. But she was as close as wax. Yes, she had let Mr. McFarlane - in at half-past nine. She wished her hand had withered before she - had done so. She had gone to bed at half-past ten. Her room was - at the other end of the house, and she could hear nothing of what - had passed. Mr. McFarlane had left his hat, and to the best of - her belief his stick, in the hall. She had been awakened by the - alarm of fire. Her poor, dear master had certainly been murdered. - Had he any enemies? Well, every man had enemies, but Mr. Oldacre - kept himself very much to himself, and only met people in the way - of business. She had seen the buttons, and was sure that they - belonged to the clothes which he had worn last night. The - wood-pile was very dry, for it had not rained for a month. It - burned like tinder, and by the time she reached the spot, nothing - could be seen but flames. She and all the firemen smelled the - burned flesh from inside it. She knew nothing of the papers, nor - of Mr. Oldacre’s private affairs. - - “So, my dear Watson, there’s my report of a failure. And yet—and - yet—” he clenched his thin hands in a paroxysm of conviction—“I - _know_ it’s all wrong. I feel it in my bones. There is something - that has not come out, and that housekeeper knows it. There was a - sort of sulky defiance in her eyes, which only goes with guilty - knowledge. However, there’s no good talking any more about it, - Watson; but unless some lucky chance comes our way I fear that - the Norwood Disappearance Case will not figure in that chronicle - of our successes which I foresee that a patient public will - sooner or later have to endure.” - - “Surely,” said I, “the man’s appearance would go far with any - jury?” - - “That is a dangerous argument my dear Watson. You remember that - terrible murderer, Bert Stevens, who wanted us to get him off in - ’87? Was there ever a more mild-mannered, Sunday-school young - man?” - - “It is true.” - - “Unless we succeed in establishing an alternative theory, this - man is lost. You can hardly find a flaw in the case which can now - be presented against him, and all further investigation has - served to strengthen it. By the way, there is one curious little - point about those papers which may serve us as the starting-point - for an inquiry. On looking over the bank-book I found that the - low state of the balance was principally due to large checks - which have been made out during the last year to Mr. Cornelius. I - confess that I should be interested to know who this Mr. - Cornelius may be with whom a retired builder has such very large - transactions. Is it possible that he has had a hand in the - affair? Cornelius might be a broker, but we have found no scrip - to correspond with these large payments. Failing any other - indication, my researches must now take the direction of an - inquiry at the bank for the gentleman who has cashed these - checks. But I fear, my dear fellow, that our case will end - ingloriously by Lestrade hanging our client, which will certainly - be a triumph for Scotland Yard.” - - I do not know how far Sherlock Holmes took any sleep that night, - but when I came down to breakfast I found him pale and harassed, - his bright eyes the brighter for the dark shadows round them. The - carpet round his chair was littered with cigarette-ends and with - the early editions of the morning papers. An open telegram lay - upon the table. - - “What do you think of this, Watson?” he asked, tossing it across. - - It was from Norwood, and ran as follows: - - Important fresh evidence to hand. McFarlane’s guilt definitely - established. Advise you to abandon case.—LESTRADE. - - “This sounds serious,” said I. - - “It is Lestrade’s little cock-a-doodle of victory,” Holmes - answered, with a bitter smile. “And yet it may be premature to - abandon the case. After all, important fresh evidence is a - two-edged thing, and may possibly cut in a very different - direction to that which Lestrade imagines. Take your breakfast, - Watson, and we will go out together and see what we can do. I - feel as if I shall need your company and your moral support - today.” - - My friend had no breakfast himself, for it was one of his - peculiarities that in his more intense moments he would permit - himself no food, and I have known him presume upon his iron - strength until he has fainted from pure inanition. “At present I - cannot spare energy and nerve force for digestion,” he would say - in answer to my medical remonstrances. I was not surprised, - therefore, when this morning he left his untouched meal behind - him, and started with me for Norwood. A crowd of morbid - sightseers were still gathered round Deep Dene House, which was - just such a suburban villa as I had pictured. Within the gates - Lestrade met us, his face flushed with victory, his manner - grossly triumphant. - - “Well, Mr. Holmes, have you proved us to be wrong yet? Have you - found your tramp?” he cried. - - “I have formed no conclusion whatever,” my companion answered. - - “But we formed ours yesterday, and now it proves to be correct, - so you must acknowledge that we have been a little in front of - you this time, Mr. Holmes.” - - “You certainly have the air of something unusual having - occurred,” said Holmes. - - Lestrade laughed loudly. - - “You don’t like being beaten any more than the rest of us do,” - said he. “A man can’t expect always to have it his own way, can - he, Dr. Watson? Step this way, if you please, gentlemen, and I - think I can convince you once for all that it was John McFarlane - who did this crime.” - - He led us through the passage and out into a dark hall beyond. - - “This is where young McFarlane must have come out to get his hat - after the crime was done,” said he. “Now look at this.” With - dramatic suddenness he struck a match, and by its light exposed a - stain of blood upon the whitewashed wall. As he held the match - nearer, I saw that it was more than a stain. It was the - well-marked print of a thumb. - - “Look at that with your magnifying glass, Mr. Holmes.” - - “Yes, I am doing so.” - - “You are aware that no two thumb-marks are alike?” - - “I have heard something of the kind.” - - “Well, then, will you please compare that print with this wax - impression of young McFarlane’s right thumb, taken by my orders - this morning?” - - As he held the waxen print close to the blood-stain, it did not - take a magnifying glass to see that the two were undoubtedly from - the same thumb. It was evident to me that our unfortunate client - was lost. - - “That is final,” said Lestrade. - - “Yes, that is final,” I involuntarily echoed. - - “It is final,” said Holmes. - - Something in his tone caught my ear, and I turned to look at him. - An extraordinary change had come over his face. It was writhing - with inward merriment. His two eyes were shining like stars. It - seemed to me that he was making desperate efforts to restrain a - convulsive attack of laughter. - - “Dear me! Dear me!” he said at last. “Well, now, who would have - thought it? And how deceptive appearances may be, to be sure! - Such a nice young man to look at! It is a lesson to us not to - trust our own judgment, is it not, Lestrade?” - - “Yes, some of us are a little too much inclined to be cock-sure, - Mr. Holmes,” said Lestrade. The man’s insolence was maddening, - but we could not resent it. - - “What a providential thing that this young man should press his - right thumb against the wall in taking his hat from the peg! Such - a very natural action, too, if you come to think of it.” Holmes - was outwardly calm, but his whole body gave a wriggle of - suppressed excitement as he spoke. - - “By the way, Lestrade, who made this remarkable discovery?” - - “It was the housekeeper, Mrs. Lexington, who drew the night - constable’s attention to it.” - - “Where was the night constable?” - - “He remained on guard in the bedroom where the crime was - committed, so as to see that nothing was touched.” - - “But why didn’t the police see this mark yesterday?” - - “Well, we had no particular reason to make a careful examination - of the hall. Besides, it’s not in a very prominent place, as you - see.” - - “No, no—of course not. I suppose there is no doubt that the mark - was there yesterday?” - - Lestrade looked at Holmes as if he thought he was going out of - his mind. I confess that I was myself surprised both at his - hilarious manner and at his rather wild observation. - - “I don’t know whether you think that McFarlane came out of jail - in the dead of the night in order to strengthen the evidence - against himself,” said Lestrade. “I leave it to any expert in the - world whether that is not the mark of his thumb.” - - “It is unquestionably the mark of his thumb.” - - “There, that’s enough,” said Lestrade. “I am a practical man, Mr. - Holmes, and when I have got my evidence I come to my conclusions. - If you have anything to say, you will find me writing my report - in the sitting-room.” - - Holmes had recovered his equanimity, though I still seemed to - detect gleams of amusement in his expression. - - “Dear me, this is a very sad development, Watson, is it not?” - said he. “And yet there are singular points about it which hold - out some hopes for our client.” - - “I am delighted to hear it,” said I, heartily. “I was afraid it - was all up with him.” - - “I would hardly go so far as to say that, my dear Watson. The - fact is that there is one really serious flaw in this evidence to - which our friend attaches so much importance.” - - “Indeed, Holmes! What is it?” - - “Only this: that I _know_ that that mark was not there when I - examined the hall yesterday. And now, Watson, let us have a - little stroll round in the sunshine.” - - With a confused brain, but with a heart into which some warmth of - hope was returning, I accompanied my friend in a walk round the - garden. Holmes took each face of the house in turn, and examined - it with great interest. He then led the way inside, and went over - the whole building from basement to attic. Most of the rooms were - unfurnished, but none the less Holmes inspected them all - minutely. Finally, on the top corridor, which ran outside three - untenanted bedrooms, he again was seized with a spasm of - merriment. - - “There are really some very unique features about this case, - Watson,” said he. “I think it is time now that we took our friend - Lestrade into our confidence. He has had his little smile at our - expense, and perhaps we may do as much by him, if my reading of - this problem proves to be correct. Yes, yes, I think I see how we - should approach it.” - - The Scotland Yard inspector was still writing in the parlour when - Holmes interrupted him. - - “I understood that you were writing a report of this case,” said - he. - - “So I am.” - - “Don’t you think it may be a little premature? I can’t help - thinking that your evidence is not complete.” - - Lestrade knew my friend too well to disregard his words. He laid - down his pen and looked curiously at him. - - “What do you mean, Mr. Holmes?” - - “Only that there is an important witness whom you have not seen.” - - “Can you produce him?” - - “I think I can.” - - “Then do so.” - - “I will do my best. How many constables have you?” - - “There are three within call.” - - “Excellent!” said Holmes. “May I ask if they are all large, - able-bodied men with powerful voices?” - - “I have no doubt they are, though I fail to see what their voices - have to do with it.” - - “Perhaps I can help you to see that and one or two other things - as well,” said Holmes. “Kindly summon your men, and I will try.” - - Five minutes later, three policemen had assembled in the hall. - - “In the outhouse you will find a considerable quantity of straw,” - said Holmes. “I will ask you to carry in two bundles of it. I - think it will be of the greatest assistance in producing the - witness whom I require. Thank you very much. I believe you have - some matches in your pocket Watson. Now, Mr. Lestrade, I will ask - you all to accompany me to the top landing.” - - As I have said, there was a broad corridor there, which ran - outside three empty bedrooms. At one end of the corridor we were - all marshalled by Sherlock Holmes, the constables grinning and - Lestrade staring at my friend with amazement, expectation, and - derision chasing each other across his features. Holmes stood - before us with the air of a conjurer who is performing a trick. - - “Would you kindly send one of your constables for two buckets of - water? Put the straw on the floor here, free from the wall on - either side. Now I think that we are all ready.” - - Lestrade’s face had begun to grow red and angry. “I don’t know - whether you are playing a game with us, Mr. Sherlock Holmes,” - said he. “If you know anything, you can surely say it without all - this tomfoolery.” - - “I assure you, my good Lestrade, that I have an excellent reason - for everything that I do. You may possibly remember that you - chaffed me a little, some hours ago, when the sun seemed on your - side of the hedge, so you must not grudge me a little pomp and - ceremony now. Might I ask you, Watson, to open that window, and - then to put a match to the edge of the straw?” - - I did so, and driven by the draught a coil of grey smoke swirled - down the corridor, while the dry straw crackled and flamed. - - “Now we must see if we can find this witness for you, Lestrade. - Might I ask you all to join in the cry of ‘Fire!’? Now then; one, - two, three——” - - “Fire!” we all yelled. - - “Thank you. I will trouble you once again.” - - “Fire!” - - “Just once more, gentlemen, and all together.” - - “Fire!” The shout must have rung over Norwood. - - It had hardly died away when an amazing thing happened. A door - suddenly flew open out of what appeared to be solid wall at the - end of the corridor, and a little, wizened man darted out of it, - like a rabbit out of its burrow. - - “Capital!” said Holmes, calmly. “Watson, a bucket of water over - the straw. That will do! Lestrade, allow me to present you with - your principal missing witness, Mr. Jonas Oldacre.” - - The detective stared at the newcomer with blank amazement. The - latter was blinking in the bright light of the corridor, and - peering at us and at the smouldering fire. It was an odious - face—crafty, vicious, malignant, with shifty, light-grey eyes and - white lashes. - - “What’s this, then?” said Lestrade, at last. “What have you been - doing all this time, eh?” - - Oldacre gave an uneasy laugh, shrinking back from the furious red - face of the angry detective. - - “I have done no harm.” - - “No harm? You have done your best to get an innocent man hanged. - If it wasn’t for this gentleman here, I am not sure that you - would not have succeeded.” - - The wretched creature began to whimper. - - “I am sure, sir, it was only my practical joke.” - - “Oh! a joke, was it? You won’t find the laugh on your side, I - promise you. Take him down, and keep him in the sitting-room - until I come. Mr. Holmes,” he continued, when they had gone, “I - could not speak before the constables, but I don’t mind saying, - in the presence of Dr. Watson, that this is the brightest thing - that you have done yet, though it is a mystery to me how you did - it. You have saved an innocent man’s life, and you have prevented - a very grave scandal, which would have ruined my reputation in - the Force.” - - Holmes smiled, and clapped Lestrade upon the shoulder. - - “Instead of being ruined, my good sir, you will find that your - reputation has been enormously enhanced. Just make a few - alterations in that report which you were writing, and they will - understand how hard it is to throw dust in the eyes of Inspector - Lestrade.” - - “And you don’t want your name to appear?” - - “Not at all. The work is its own reward. Perhaps I shall get the - credit also at some distant day, when I permit my zealous - historian to lay out his foolscap once more—eh, Watson? Well, - now, let us see where this rat has been lurking.” - - A lath-and-plaster partition had been run across the passage six - feet from the end, with a door cunningly concealed in it. It was - lit within by slits under the eaves. A few articles of furniture - and a supply of food and water were within, together with a - number of books and papers. - - “There’s the advantage of being a builder,” said Holmes, as we - came out. “He was able to fix up his own little hiding-place - without any confederate—save, of course, that precious - housekeeper of his, whom I should lose no time in adding to your - bag, Lestrade.” - - “I’ll take your advice. But how did you know of this place, Mr. - Holmes?” - - “I made up my mind that the fellow was in hiding in the house. - When I paced one corridor and found it six feet shorter than the - corresponding one below, it was pretty clear where he was. I - thought he had not the nerve to lie quiet before an alarm of - fire. We could, of course, have gone in and taken him, but it - amused me to make him reveal himself. Besides, I owed you a - little mystification, Lestrade, for your chaff in the morning.” - - “Well, sir, you certainly got equal with me on that. But how in - the world did you know that he was in the house at all?” - - “The thumb-mark, Lestrade. You said it was final; and so it was, - in a very different sense. I knew it had not been there the day - before. I pay a good deal of attention to matters of detail, as - you may have observed, and I had examined the hall, and was sure - that the wall was clear. Therefore, it had been put on during the - night.” - - “But how?” - - “Very simply. When those packets were sealed up, Jonas Oldacre - got McFarlane to secure one of the seals by putting his thumb - upon the soft wax. It would be done so quickly and so naturally, - that I daresay the young man himself has no recollection of it. - Very likely it just so happened, and Oldacre had himself no - notion of the use he would put it to. Brooding over the case in - that den of his, it suddenly struck him what absolutely damning - evidence he could make against McFarlane by using that - thumb-mark. It was the simplest thing in the world for him to - take a wax impression from the seal, to moisten it in as much - blood as he could get from a pin-prick, and to put the mark upon - the wall during the night, either with his own hand or with that - of his housekeeper. If you examine among those documents which he - took with him into his retreat, I will lay you a wager that you - find the seal with the thumb-mark upon it.” - - “Wonderful!” said Lestrade. “Wonderful! It’s all as clear as - crystal, as you put it. But what is the object of this deep - deception, Mr. Holmes?” - - It was amusing to me to see how the detective’s overbearing - manner had changed suddenly to that of a child asking questions - of its teacher. - - “Well, I don’t think that is very hard to explain. A very deep, - malicious, vindictive person is the gentleman who is now waiting - us downstairs. You know that he was once refused by McFarlane’s - mother? You don’t! I told you that you should go to Blackheath - first and Norwood afterwards. Well, this injury, as he would - consider it, has rankled in his wicked, scheming brain, and all - his life he has longed for vengeance, but never seen his chance. - During the last year or two, things have gone against him—secret - speculation, I think—and he finds himself in a bad way. He - determines to swindle his creditors, and for this purpose he pays - large checks to a certain Mr. Cornelius, who is, I imagine, - himself under another name. I have not traced these checks yet, - but I have no doubt that they were banked under that name at some - provincial town where Oldacre from time to time led a double - existence. He intended to change his name altogether, draw this - money, and vanish, starting life again elsewhere.” - - “Well, that’s likely enough.” - - “It would strike him that in disappearing he might throw all - pursuit off his track, and at the same time have an ample and - crushing revenge upon his old sweetheart, if he could give the - impression that he had been murdered by her only child. It was a - masterpiece of villainy, and he carried it out like a master. The - idea of the will, which would give an obvious motive for the - crime, the secret visit unknown to his own parents, the retention - of the stick, the blood, and the animal remains and buttons in - the wood-pile, all were admirable. It was a net from which it - seemed to me, a few hours ago, that there was no possible escape. - But he had not that supreme gift of the artist, the knowledge of - when to stop. He wished to improve that which was already - perfect—to draw the rope tighter yet round the neck of his - unfortunate victim—and so he ruined all. Let us descend, - Lestrade. There are just one or two questions that I would ask - him.” - - The malignant creature was seated in his own parlour, with a - policeman upon each side of him. - - “It was a joke, my good sir—a practical joke, nothing more,” he - whined incessantly. “I assure you, sir, that I simply concealed - myself in order to see the effect of my disappearance, and I am - sure that you would not be so unjust as to imagine that I would - have allowed any harm to befall poor young Mr. McFarlane.” - - “That’s for a jury to decide,” said Lestrade. “Anyhow, we shall - have you on a charge of conspiracy, if not for attempted murder.” - - “And you’ll probably find that your creditors will impound the - banking account of Mr. Cornelius,” said Holmes. - - The little man started, and turned his malignant eyes upon my - friend. - - “I have to thank you for a good deal,” said he. “Perhaps I’ll pay - my debt some day.” - - Holmes smiled indulgently. - - “I fancy that, for some few years, you will find your time very - fully occupied,” said he. “By the way, what was it you put into - the wood-pile besides your old trousers? A dead dog, or rabbits, - or what? You won’t tell? Dear me, how very unkind of you! Well, - well, I daresay that a couple of rabbits would account both for - the blood and for the charred ashes. If ever you write an - account, Watson, you can make rabbits serve your turn.” - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF THE DANCING MEN - - - Holmes had been seated for some hours in silence with his long, - thin back curved over a chemical vessel in which he was brewing a - particularly malodorous product. His head was sunk upon his - breast, and he looked from my point of view like a strange, lank - bird, with dull grey plumage and a black top-knot. - - “So, Watson,” said he, suddenly, “you do not propose to invest in - South African securities?” - - I gave a start of astonishment. Accustomed as I was to Holmes’s - curious faculties, this sudden intrusion into my most intimate - thoughts was utterly inexplicable. - - “How on earth do you know that?” I asked. - - He wheeled round upon his stool, with a steaming test-tube in his - hand, and a gleam of amusement in his deep-set eyes. - - “Now, Watson, confess yourself utterly taken aback,” said he. - - “I am.” - - “I ought to make you sign a paper to that effect.” - - “Why?” - - “Because in five minutes you will say that it is all so absurdly - simple.” - - “I am sure that I shall say nothing of the kind.” - - “You see, my dear Watson,”—he propped his test-tube in the rack, - and began to lecture with the air of a professor addressing his - class—“it is not really difficult to construct a series of - inferences, each dependent upon its predecessor and each simple - in itself. If, after doing so, one simply knocks out all the - central inferences and presents one’s audience with the - starting-point and the conclusion, one may produce a startling, - though possibly a meretricious, effect. Now, it was not really - difficult, by an inspection of the groove between your left - forefinger and thumb, to feel sure that you did _not_ propose to - invest your small capital in the gold fields.” - - “I see no connection.” - - “Very likely not; but I can quickly show you a close connection. - Here are the missing links of the very simple chain: 1. You had - chalk between your left finger and thumb when you returned from - the club last night. 2. You put chalk there when you play - billiards, to steady the cue. 3. You never play billiards except - with Thurston. 4. You told me, four weeks ago, that Thurston had - an option on some South African property which would expire in a - month, and which he desired you to share with him. 5. Your check - book is locked in my drawer, and you have not asked for the key. - 6. You do not propose to invest your money in this manner.” - - “How absurdly simple!” I cried. - - “Quite so!” said he, a little nettled. “Every problem becomes - very childish when once it is explained to you. Here is an - unexplained one. See what you can make of that, friend Watson.” - He tossed a sheet of paper upon the table, and turned once more - to his chemical analysis. - - I looked with amazement at the absurd hieroglyphics upon the - paper. - - “Why, Holmes, it is a child’s drawing,” I cried. - - “Oh, that’s your idea!” - - “What else should it be?” - - “That is what Mr. Hilton Cubitt, of Riding Thorpe Manor, Norfolk, - is very anxious to know. This little conundrum came by the first - post, and he was to follow by the next train. There’s a ring at - the bell, Watson. I should not be very much surprised if this - were he.” - - A heavy step was heard upon the stairs, and an instant later - there entered a tall, ruddy, clean-shaven gentleman, whose clear - eyes and florid cheeks told of a life led far from the fogs of - Baker Street. He seemed to bring a whiff of his strong, fresh, - bracing, east-coast air with him as he entered. Having shaken - hands with each of us, he was about to sit down, when his eye - rested upon the paper with the curious markings, which I had just - examined and left upon the table. - - “Well, Mr. Holmes, what do you make of these?” he cried. “They - told me that you were fond of queer mysteries, and I don’t think - you can find a queerer one than that. I sent the paper on ahead, - so that you might have time to study it before I came.” - - “It is certainly rather a curious production,” said Holmes. “At - first sight it would appear to be some childish prank. It - consists of a number of absurd little figures dancing across the - paper upon which they are drawn. Why should you attribute any - importance to so grotesque an object?” - - “I never should, Mr. Holmes. But my wife does. It is frightening - her to death. She says nothing, but I can see terror in her eyes. - That’s why I want to sift the matter to the bottom.” - - Holmes held up the paper so that the sunlight shone full upon it. - It was a page torn from a notebook. The markings were done in - pencil, and ran in this way: - - AM-HERE-ABE-SLANEY - - Holmes examined it for some time, and then, folding it carefully - up, he placed it in his pocketbook. - - “This promises to be a most interesting and unusual case,” said - he. “You gave me a few particulars in your letter, Mr. Hilton - Cubitt, but I should be very much obliged if you would kindly go - over it all again for the benefit of my friend, Dr. Watson.” - - “I’m not much of a story-teller,” said our visitor, nervously - clasping and unclasping his great, strong hands. “You’ll just ask - me anything that I don’t make clear. I’ll begin at the time of my - marriage last year, but I want to say first of all that, though - I’m not a rich man, my people have been at Riding Thorpe for a - matter of five centuries, and there is no better known family in - the County of Norfolk. Last year I came up to London for the - Jubilee, and I stopped at a boarding-house in Russell Square, - because Parker, the vicar of our parish, was staying in it. There - was an American young lady there—Patrick was the name—Elsie - Patrick. In some way we became friends, until before my month was - up I was as much in love as a man could be. We were quietly - married at a registry office, and we returned to Norfolk a wedded - couple. You’ll think it very mad, Mr. Holmes, that a man of a - good old family should marry a wife in this fashion, knowing - nothing of her past or of her people, but if you saw her and knew - her, it would help you to understand. - - “She was very straight about it, was Elsie. I can’t say that she - did not give me every chance of getting out of it if I wished to - do so. ‘I have had some very disagreeable associations in my - life,’ said she, ‘I wish to forget all about them. I would rather - never allude to the past, for it is very painful to me. If you - take me, Hilton, you will take a woman who has nothing that she - need be personally ashamed of, but you will have to be content - with my word for it, and to allow me to be silent as to all that - passed up to the time when I became yours. If these conditions - are too hard, then go back to Norfolk, and leave me to the lonely - life in which you found me.’ It was only the day before our - wedding that she said those very words to me. I told her that I - was content to take her on her own terms, and I have been as good - as my word. - - “Well we have been married now for a year, and very happy we have - been. But about a month ago, at the end of June, I saw for the - first time signs of trouble. One day my wife received a letter - from America. I saw the American stamp. She turned deadly white, - read the letter, and threw it into the fire. She made no allusion - to it afterwards, and I made none, for a promise is a promise, - but she has never known an easy hour from that moment. There is - always a look of fear upon her face—a look as if she were waiting - and expecting. She would do better to trust me. She would find - that I was her best friend. But until she speaks, I can say - nothing. Mind you, she is a truthful woman, Mr. Holmes, and - whatever trouble there may have been in her past life it has been - no fault of hers. I am only a simple Norfolk squire, but there is - not a man in England who ranks his family honour more highly than - I do. She knows it well, and she knew it well before she married - me. She would never bring any stain upon it—of that I am sure. - - “Well, now I come to the queer part of my story. About a week - ago—it was the Tuesday of last week—I found on one of the - window-sills a number of absurd little dancing figures like these - upon the paper. They were scrawled with chalk. I thought that it - was the stable-boy who had drawn them, but the lad swore he knew - nothing about it. Anyhow, they had come there during the night. I - had them washed out, and I only mentioned the matter to my wife - afterwards. To my surprise, she took it very seriously, and - begged me if any more came to let her see them. None did come for - a week, and then yesterday morning I found this paper lying on - the sundial in the garden. I showed it to Elsie, and down she - dropped in a dead faint. Since then she has looked like a woman - in a dream, half dazed, and with terror always lurking in her - eyes. It was then that I wrote and sent the paper to you, Mr. - Holmes. It was not a thing that I could take to the police, for - they would have laughed at me, but you will tell me what to do. I - am not a rich man, but if there is any danger threatening my - little woman, I would spend my last copper to shield her.” - - He was a fine creature, this man of the old English soil—simple, - straight, and gentle, with his great, earnest blue eyes and - broad, comely face. His love for his wife and his trust in her - shone in his features. Holmes had listened to his story with the - utmost attention, and now he sat for some time in silent thought. - - “Don’t you think, Mr. Cubitt,” said he, at last, “that your best - plan would be to make a direct appeal to your wife, and to ask - her to share her secret with you?” - - Hilton Cubitt shook his massive head. - - “A promise is a promise, Mr. Holmes. If Elsie wished to tell me - she would. If not, it is not for me to force her confidence. But - I am justified in taking my own line—and I will.” - - “Then I will help you with all my heart. In the first place, have - you heard of any strangers being seen in your neighbourhood?” - - “No.” - - “I presume that it is a very quiet place. Any fresh face would - cause comment?” - - “In the immediate neighbourhood, yes. But we have several small - watering-places not very far away. And the farmers take in - lodgers.” - - “These hieroglyphics have evidently a meaning. If it is a purely - arbitrary one, it may be impossible for us to solve it. If, on - the other hand, it is systematic, I have no doubt that we shall - get to the bottom of it. But this particular sample is so short - that I can do nothing, and the facts which you have brought me - are so indefinite that we have no basis for an investigation. I - would suggest that you return to Norfolk, that you keep a keen - lookout, and that you take an exact copy of any fresh dancing men - which may appear. It is a thousand pities that we have not a - reproduction of those which were done in chalk upon the - window-sill. Make a discreet inquiry also as to any strangers in - the neighbourhood. When you have collected some fresh evidence, - come to me again. That is the best advice which I can give you, - Mr. Hilton Cubitt. If there are any pressing fresh developments, - I shall be always ready to run down and see you in your Norfolk - home.” - - The interview left Sherlock Holmes very thoughtful, and several - times in the next few days I saw him take his slip of paper from - his notebook and look long and earnestly at the curious figures - inscribed upon it. He made no allusion to the affair, however, - until one afternoon a fortnight or so later. I was going out when - he called me back. - - “You had better stay here, Watson.” - - “Why?” - - “Because I had a wire from Hilton Cubitt this morning. You - remember Hilton Cubitt, of the dancing men? He was to reach - Liverpool Street at one-twenty. He may be here at any moment. I - gather from his wire that there have been some new incidents of - importance.” - - We had not long to wait, for our Norfolk squire came straight - from the station as fast as a hansom could bring him. He was - looking worried and depressed, with tired eyes and a lined - forehead. - - “It’s getting on my nerves, this business, Mr. Holmes,” said he, - as he sank, like a wearied man, into an armchair. “It’s bad - enough to feel that you are surrounded by unseen, unknown folk, - who have some kind of design upon you, but when, in addition to - that, you know that it is just killing your wife by inches, then - it becomes as much as flesh and blood can endure. She’s wearing - away under it—just wearing away before my eyes.” - - “Has she said anything yet?” - - “No, Mr. Holmes, she has not. And yet there have been times when - the poor girl has wanted to speak, and yet could not quite bring - herself to take the plunge. I have tried to help her, but I - daresay I did it clumsily, and scared her from it. She has spoken - about my old family, and our reputation in the county, and our - pride in our unsullied honour, and I always felt it was leading - to the point, but somehow it turned off before we got there.” - - “But you have found out something for yourself?” - - “A good deal, Mr. Holmes. I have several fresh dancing-men - pictures for you to examine, and, what is more important, I have - seen the fellow.” - - “What, the man who draws them?” - - “Yes, I saw him at his work. But I will tell you everything in - order. When I got back after my visit to you, the very first - thing I saw next morning was a fresh crop of dancing men. They - had been drawn in chalk upon the black wooden door of the - tool-house, which stands beside the lawn in full view of the - front windows. I took an exact copy, and here it is.” He unfolded - a paper and laid it upon the table. Here is a copy of the - hieroglyphics: - - AT-ELRIGES - - “Excellent!” said Holmes. “Excellent! Pray continue.” - - “When I had taken the copy, I rubbed out the marks, but, two - mornings later, a fresh inscription had appeared. I have a copy - of it here:” - - COME-ELSIE - - Holmes rubbed his hands and chuckled with delight. - - “Our material is rapidly accumulating,” said he. - - “Three days later a message was left scrawled upon paper, and - placed under a pebble upon the sundial. Here it is. The - characters are, as you see, exactly the same as the last one. - After that I determined to lie in wait, so I got out my revolver - and I sat up in my study, which overlooks the lawn and garden. - About two in the morning I was seated by the window, all being - dark save for the moonlight outside, when I heard steps behind - me, and there was my wife in her dressing-gown. She implored me - to come to bed. I told her frankly that I wished to see who it - was who played such absurd tricks upon us. She answered that it - was some senseless practical joke, and that I should not take any - notice of it. - - “‘If it really annoys you, Hilton, we might go and travel, you - and I, and so avoid this nuisance.’ - - “‘What, be driven out of our own house by a practical joker?’ - said I. ‘Why, we should have the whole county laughing at us.’ - - “‘Well, come to bed,’ said she, ‘and we can discuss it in the - morning.’ - - “Suddenly, as she spoke, I saw her white face grow whiter yet in - the moonlight, and her hand tightened upon my shoulder. Something - was moving in the shadow of the tool-house. I saw a dark, - creeping figure which crawled round the corner and squatted in - front of the door. Seizing my pistol, I was rushing out, when my - wife threw her arms round me and held me with convulsive - strength. I tried to throw her off, but she clung to me most - desperately. At last I got clear, but by the time I had opened - the door and reached the house the creature was gone. He had left - a trace of his presence, however, for there on the door was the - very same arrangement of dancing men which had already twice - appeared, and which I have copied on that paper. There was no - other sign of the fellow anywhere, though I ran all over the - grounds. And yet the amazing thing is that he must have been - there all the time, for when I examined the door again in the - morning, he had scrawled some more of his pictures under the line - which I had already seen.” - - “Have you that fresh drawing?” - - “Yes, it is very short, but I made a copy of it, and here it is.” - - Again he produced a paper. The new dance was in this form: - - NEVER - - “Tell me,” said Holmes—and I could see by his eyes that he was - much excited—“was this a mere addition to the first or did it - appear to be entirely separate?” - - “It was on a different panel of the door.” - - “Excellent! This is far the most important of all for our - purpose. It fills me with hopes. Now, Mr. Hilton Cubitt, please - continue your most interesting statement.” - - “I have nothing more to say, Mr. Holmes, except that I was angry - with my wife that night for having held me back when I might have - caught the skulking rascal. She said that she feared that I might - come to harm. For an instant it had crossed my mind that perhaps - what she really feared was that _he_ might come to harm, for I - could not doubt that she knew who this man was, and what he meant - by these strange signals. But there is a tone in my wife’s voice, - Mr. Holmes, and a look in her eyes which forbid doubt, and I am - sure that it was indeed my own safety that was in her mind. - There’s the whole case, and now I want your advice as to what I - ought to do. My own inclination is to put half a dozen of my farm - lads in the shrubbery, and when this fellow comes again to give - him such a hiding that he will leave us in peace for the future.” - - “I fear it is too deep a case for such simple remedies,” said - Holmes. “How long can you stay in London?” - - “I must go back to-day. I would not leave my wife alone all night - for anything. She is very nervous, and begged me to come back.” - - “I daresay you are right. But if you could have stopped, I might - possibly have been able to return with you in a day or two. - Meanwhile you will leave me these papers, and I think that it is - very likely that I shall be able to pay you a visit shortly and - to throw some light upon your case.” - - Sherlock Holmes preserved his calm professional manner until our - visitor had left us, although it was easy for me, who knew him so - well, to see that he was profoundly excited. The moment that - Hilton Cubitt’s broad back had disappeared through the door my - comrade rushed to the table, laid out all the slips of paper - containing dancing men in front of him, and threw himself into an - intricate and elaborate calculation. For two hours I watched him - as he covered sheet after sheet of paper with figures and - letters, so completely absorbed in his task that he had evidently - forgotten my presence. Sometimes he was making progress and - whistled and sang at his work; sometimes he was puzzled, and - would sit for long spells with a furrowed brow and a vacant eye. - Finally he sprang from his chair with a cry of satisfaction, and - walked up and down the room rubbing his hands together. Then he - wrote a long telegram upon a cable form. “If my answer to this is - as I hope, you will have a very pretty case to add to your - collection, Watson,” said he. “I expect that we shall be able to - go down to Norfolk tomorrow, and to take our friend some very - definite news as to the secret of his annoyance.” - - I confess that I was filled with curiosity, but I was aware that - Holmes liked to make his disclosures at his own time and in his - own way, so I waited until it should suit him to take me into his - confidence. - - But there was a delay in that answering telegram, and two days of - impatience followed, during which Holmes pricked up his ears at - every ring of the bell. On the evening of the second there came a - letter from Hilton Cubitt. All was quiet with him, save that a - long inscription had appeared that morning upon the pedestal of - the sundial. He inclosed a copy of it, which is here reproduced: - - ELSIE-PREPARE-TO-MEET-THY-GOD - - Holmes bent over this grotesque frieze for some minutes, and then - suddenly sprang to his feet with an exclamation of surprise and - dismay. His face was haggard with anxiety. - - “We have let this affair go far enough,” said he. “Is there a - train to North Walsham to-night?” - - I turned up the time-table. The last had just gone. - - “Then we shall breakfast early and take the very first in the - morning,” said Holmes. “Our presence is most urgently needed. Ah! - here is our expected cablegram. One moment, Mrs. Hudson, there - may be an answer. No, that is quite as I expected. This message - makes it even more essential that we should not lose an hour in - letting Hilton Cubitt know how matters stand, for it is a - singular and a dangerous web in which our simple Norfolk squire - is entangled.” - - So, indeed, it proved, and as I come to the dark conclusion of a - story which had seemed to me to be only childish and bizarre, I - experience once again the dismay and horror with which I was - filled. Would that I had some brighter ending to communicate to - my readers, but these are the chronicles of fact, and I must - follow to their dark crisis the strange chain of events which for - some days made Riding Thorpe Manor a household word through the - length and breadth of England. - - We had hardly alighted at North Walsham, and mentioned the name - of our destination, when the station-master hurried towards us. - “I suppose that you are the detectives from London?” said he. - - A look of annoyance passed over Holmes’s face. - - “What makes you think such a thing?” - - “Because Inspector Martin from Norwich has just passed through. - But maybe you are the surgeons. She’s not dead—or wasn’t by last - accounts. You may be in time to save her yet—though it be for the - gallows.” - - Holmes’s brow was dark with anxiety. - - “We are going to Riding Thorpe Manor,” said he, “but we have - heard nothing of what has passed there.” - - “It’s a terrible business,” said the stationmaster. “They are - shot, both Mr. Hilton Cubitt and his wife. She shot him and then - herself—so the servants say. He’s dead and her life is despaired - of. Dear, dear, one of the oldest families in the county of - Norfolk, and one of the most honoured.” - - Without a word Holmes hurried to a carriage, and during the long - seven miles’ drive he never opened his mouth. Seldom have I seen - him so utterly despondent. He had been uneasy during all our - journey from town, and I had observed that he had turned over the - morning papers with anxious attention, but now this sudden - realization of his worst fears left him in a blank melancholy. He - leaned back in his seat, lost in gloomy speculation. Yet there - was much around to interest us, for we were passing through as - singular a countryside as any in England, where a few scattered - cottages represented the population of to-day, while on every - hand enormous square-towered churches bristled up from the flat - green landscape and told of the glory and prosperity of old East - Anglia. At last the violet rim of the German Ocean appeared over - the green edge of the Norfolk coast, and the driver pointed with - his whip to two old brick and timber gables which projected from - a grove of trees. “That’s Riding Thorpe Manor,” said he. - - As we drove up to the porticoed front door, I observed in front - of it, beside the tennis lawn, the black tool-house and the - pedestalled sundial with which we had such strange associations. - A dapper little man, with a quick, alert manner and a waxed - moustache, had just descended from a high dog-cart. He introduced - himself as Inspector Martin, of the Norfolk Constabulary, and he - was considerably astonished when he heard the name of my - companion. - - “Why, Mr. Holmes, the crime was only committed at three this - morning. How could you hear of it in London and get to the spot - as soon as I?” - - “I anticipated it. I came in the hope of preventing it.” - - “Then you must have important evidence, of which we are ignorant, - for they were said to be a most united couple.” - - “I have only the evidence of the dancing men,” said Holmes. “I - will explain the matter to you later. Meanwhile, since it is too - late to prevent this tragedy, I am very anxious that I should use - the knowledge which I possess in order to insure that justice be - done. Will you associate me in your investigation, or will you - prefer that I should act independently?” - - “I should be proud to feel that we were acting together, Mr. - Holmes,” said the inspector, earnestly. - - “In that case I should be glad to hear the evidence and to - examine the premises without an instant of unnecessary delay.” - - Inspector Martin had the good sense to allow my friend to do - things in his own fashion, and contented himself with carefully - noting the results. The local surgeon, an old, white-haired man, - had just come down from Mrs. Hilton Cubitt’s room, and he - reported that her injuries were serious, but not necessarily - fatal. The bullet had passed through the front of her brain, and - it would probably be some time before she could regain - consciousness. On the question of whether she had been shot or - had shot herself, he would not venture to express any decided - opinion. Certainly the bullet had been discharged at very close - quarters. There was only the one pistol found in the room, two - barrels of which had been emptied. Mr. Hilton Cubitt had been - shot through the heart. It was equally conceivable that he had - shot her and then himself, or that she had been the criminal, for - the revolver lay upon the floor midway between them. - - “Has he been moved?” asked Holmes. - - “We have moved nothing except the lady. We could not leave her - lying wounded upon the floor.” - - “How long have you been here, Doctor?” - - “Since four o’clock.” - - “Anyone else?” - - “Yes, the constable here.” - - “And you have touched nothing?” - - “Nothing.” - - “You have acted with great discretion. Who sent for you?” - - “The housemaid, Saunders.” - - “Was it she who gave the alarm?” - - “She and Mrs. King, the cook.” - - “Where are they now?” - - “In the kitchen, I believe.” - - “Then I think we had better hear their story at once.” - - The old hall, oak-panelled and high-windowed, had been turned - into a court of investigation. Holmes sat in a great, - old-fashioned chair, his inexorable eyes gleaming out of his - haggard face. I could read in them a set purpose to devote his - life to this quest until the client whom he had failed to save - should at last be avenged. The trim Inspector Martin, the old, - grey-headed country doctor, myself, and a stolid village - policeman made up the rest of that strange company. - - The two women told their story clearly enough. They had been - aroused from their sleep by the sound of an explosion, which had - been followed a minute later by a second one. They slept in - adjoining rooms, and Mrs. King had rushed in to Saunders. - Together they had descended the stairs. The door of the study was - open, and a candle was burning upon the table. Their master lay - upon his face in the centre of the room. He was quite dead. Near - the window his wife was crouching, her head leaning against the - wall. She was horribly wounded, and the side of her face was red - with blood. She breathed heavily, but was incapable of saying - anything. The passage, as well as the room, was full of smoke and - the smell of powder. The window was certainly shut and fastened - upon the inside. Both women were positive upon the point. They - had at once sent for the doctor and for the constable. Then, with - the aid of the groom and the stable-boy, they had conveyed their - injured mistress to her room. Both she and her husband had - occupied the bed. She was clad in her dress—he in his - dressing-gown, over his night-clothes. Nothing had been moved in - the study. So far as they knew, there had never been any quarrel - between husband and wife. They had always looked upon them as a - very united couple. - - These were the main points of the servants’ evidence. In answer - to Inspector Martin, they were clear that every door was fastened - upon the inside, and that no one could have escaped from the - house. In answer to Holmes, they both remembered that they were - conscious of the smell of powder from the moment that they ran - out of their rooms upon the top floor. “I commend that fact very - carefully to your attention,” said Holmes to his professional - colleague. “And now I think that we are in a position to - undertake a thorough examination of the room.” - - The study proved to be a small chamber, lined on three sides with - books, and with a writing-table facing an ordinary window, which - looked out upon the garden. Our first attention was given to the - body of the unfortunate squire, whose huge frame lay stretched - across the room. His disordered dress showed that he had been - hastily aroused from sleep. The bullet had been fired at him from - the front, and had remained in his body, after penetrating the - heart. His death had certainly been instantaneous and painless. - There was no powder-marking either upon his dressing-gown or on - his hands. According to the country surgeon, the lady had stains - upon her face, but none upon her hand. - - “The absence of the latter means nothing, though its presence may - mean everything,” said Holmes. “Unless the powder from a badly - fitting cartridge happens to spurt backward, one may fire many - shots without leaving a sign. I would suggest that Mr. Cubitt’s - body may now be removed. I suppose, Doctor, you have not - recovered the bullet which wounded the lady?” - - “A serious operation will be necessary before that can be done. - But there are still four cartridges in the revolver. Two have - been fired and two wounds inflicted, so that each bullet can be - accounted for.” - - “So it would seem,” said Holmes. “Perhaps you can account also - for the bullet which has so obviously struck the edge of the - window?” - - He had turned suddenly, and his long, thin finger was pointing to - a hole which had been drilled right through the lower - window-sash, about an inch above the bottom. - - “By George!” cried the inspector. “How ever did you see that?” - - “Because I looked for it.” - - “Wonderful!” said the country doctor. “You are certainly right, - sir. Then a third shot has been fired, and therefore a third - person must have been present. But who could that have been, and - how could he have got away?” - - “That is the problem which we are now about to solve,” said - Sherlock Holmes. “You remember, Inspector Martin, when the - servants said that on leaving their room they were at once - conscious of a smell of powder, I remarked that the point was an - extremely important one?” - - “Yes, sir; but I confess I did not quite follow you.” - - “It suggested that at the time of the firing, the window as well - as the door of the room had been open. Otherwise the fumes of - powder could not have been blown so rapidly through the house. A - draught in the room was necessary for that. Both door and window - were only open for a very short time, however.” - - “How do you prove that?” - - “Because the candle was not guttered.” - - “Capital!” cried the inspector. “Capital! - - “Feeling sure that the window had been open at the time of the - tragedy, I conceived that there might have been a third person in - the affair, who stood outside this opening and fired through it. - Any shot directed at this person might hit the sash. I looked, - and there, sure enough, was the bullet mark!” - - “But how came the window to be shut and fastened?” - - “The woman’s first instinct would be to shut and fasten the - window. But, halloa! What is this?” - - It was a lady’s hand-bag which stood upon the study table—a trim - little handbag of crocodile-skin and silver. Holmes opened it and - turned the contents out. There were twenty fifty-pound notes of - the Bank of England, held together by an india-rubber - band—nothing else. - - “This must be preserved, for it will figure in the trial,” said - Holmes, as he handed the bag with its contents to the inspector. - “It is now necessary that we should try to throw some light upon - this third bullet, which has clearly, from the splintering of the - wood, been fired from inside the room. I should like to see Mrs. - King, the cook, again. You said, Mrs. King, that you were - awakened by a _loud_ explosion. When you said that, did you mean - that it seemed to you to be louder than the second one?” - - “Well, sir, it wakened me from my sleep, so it is hard to judge. - But it did seem very loud.” - - “You don’t think that it might have been two shots fired almost - at the same instant?” - - “I am sure I couldn’t say, sir.” - - “I believe that it was undoubtedly so. I rather think, Inspector - Martin, that we have now exhausted all that this room can teach - us. If you will kindly step round with me, we shall see what - fresh evidence the garden has to offer.” - - A flower-bed extended up to the study window, and we all broke - into an exclamation as we approached it. The flowers were - trampled down, and the soft soil was imprinted all over with - footmarks. Large, masculine feet they were, with peculiarly long, - sharp toes. Holmes hunted about among the grass and leaves like a - retriever after a wounded bird. Then, with a cry of satisfaction, - he bent forward and picked up a little brazen cylinder. - - “I thought so,” said he, “the revolver had an ejector, and here - is the third cartridge. I really think, Inspector Martin, that - our case is almost complete.” - - The country inspector’s face had shown his intense amazement at - the rapid and masterful progress of Holmes’s investigation. At - first he had shown some disposition to assert his own position, - but now he was overcome with admiration, and ready to follow - without question wherever Holmes led. - - “Whom do you suspect?” he asked. - - “I’ll go into that later. There are several points in this - problem which I have not been able to explain to you yet. Now - that I have got so far, I had best proceed on my own lines, and - then clear the whole matter up once and for all.” - - “Just as you wish, Mr. Holmes, so long as we get our man.” - - “I have no desire to make mysteries, but it is impossible at the - moment of action to enter into long and complex explanations. I - have the threads of this affair all in my hand. Even if this lady - should never recover consciousness, we can still reconstruct the - events of last night and insure that justice be done. First of - all, I wish to know whether there is any inn in this - neighbourhood known as ‘Elrige’s’?” - - The servants were cross-questioned, but none of them had heard of - such a place. The stable-boy threw a light upon the matter by - remembering that a farmer of that name lived some miles off, in - the direction of East Ruston. - - “Is it a lonely farm?” - - “Very lonely, sir.” - - “Perhaps they have not heard yet of all that happened here during - the night?” - - “Maybe not, sir.” - - Holmes thought for a little, and then a curious smile played over - his face. - - “Saddle a horse, my lad,” said he. “I shall wish you to take a - note to Elrige’s Farm.” - - He took from his pocket the various slips of the dancing men. - With these in front of him, he worked for some time at the - study-table. Finally he handed a note to the boy, with directions - to put it into the hands of the person to whom it was addressed, - and especially to answer no questions of any sort which might be - put to him. I saw the outside of the note, addressed in - straggling, irregular characters, very unlike Holmes’s usual - precise hand. It was consigned to Mr. Abe Slaney, Elriges Farm, - East Ruston, Norfolk. - - “I think, Inspector,” Holmes remarked, “that you would do well to - telegraph for an escort, as, if my calculations prove to be - correct, you may have a particularly dangerous prisoner to convey - to the county jail. The boy who takes this note could no doubt - forward your telegram. If there is an afternoon train to town, - Watson, I think we should do well to take it, as I have a - chemical analysis of some interest to finish, and this - investigation draws rapidly to a close.” - - When the youth had been dispatched with the note, Sherlock Holmes - gave his instructions to the servants. If any visitor were to - call asking for Mrs. Hilton Cubitt, no information should be - given as to her condition, but he was to be shown at once into - the drawing-room. He impressed these points upon them with the - utmost earnestness. Finally he led the way into the drawing-room, - with the remark that the business was now out of our hands, and - that we must while away the time as best we might until we could - see what was in store for us. The doctor had departed to his - patients, and only the inspector and myself remained. - - “I think that I can help you to pass an hour in an interesting - and profitable manner,” said Holmes, drawing his chair up to the - table, and spreading out in front of him the various papers upon - which were recorded the antics of the dancing men. “As to you, - friend Watson, I owe you every atonement for having allowed your - natural curiosity to remain so long unsatisfied. To you, - Inspector, the whole incident may appeal as a remarkable - professional study. I must tell you, first of all, the - interesting circumstances connected with the previous - consultations which Mr. Hilton Cubitt has had with me in Baker - Street.” He then shortly recapitulated the facts which have - already been recorded. “I have here in front of me these singular - productions, at which one might smile, had they not proved - themselves to be the forerunners of so terrible a tragedy. I am - fairly familiar with all forms of secret writings, and am myself - the author of a trifling monograph upon the subject, in which I - analyze one hundred and sixty separate ciphers, but I confess - that this is entirely new to me. The object of those who invented - the system has apparently been to conceal that these characters - convey a message, and to give the idea that they are the mere - random sketches of children. - - “Having once recognized, however, that the symbols stood for - letters, and having applied the rules which guide us in all forms - of secret writings, the solution was easy enough. The first - message submitted to me was so short that it was impossible for - me to do more than to say, with some confidence, that the symbol - XXX stood for E. As you are aware, E is the most common letter in - the English alphabet, and it predominates to so marked an extent - that even in a short sentence one would expect to find it most - often. Out of fifteen symbols in the first message, four were the - same, so it was reasonable to set this down as E. It is true that - in some cases the figure was bearing a flag, and in some cases - not, but it was probable, from the way in which the flags were - distributed, that they were used to break the sentence up into - words. I accepted this as a hypothesis, and noted that E was - represented by - - E - - “But now came the real difficulty of the inquiry. The order of - the English letters after E is by no means well marked, and any - preponderance which may be shown in an average of a printed sheet - may be reversed in a single short sentence. Speaking roughly, T, - A, O, I, N, S, H, R, D, and L are the numerical order in which - letters occur, but T, A, O, and I are very nearly abreast of each - other, and it would be an endless task to try each combination - until a meaning was arrived at. I therefore waited for fresh - material. In my second interview with Mr. Hilton Cubitt he was - able to give me two other short sentences and one message, which - appeared—since there was no flag—to be a single word. Here are - the symbols. Now, in the single word I have already got the two - E’s coming second and fourth in a word of five letters. It might - be ‘sever,’ or ‘lever,’ or ‘never.’ There can be no question that - the latter as a reply to an appeal is far the most probable, and - the circumstances pointed to its being a reply written by the - lady. Accepting it as correct, we are now able to say that the - symbols stand respectively for N, V, and R. - - N-V-R - - “Even now I was in considerable difficulty, but a happy thought - put me in possession of several other letters. It occurred to me - that if these appeals came, as I expected, from someone who had - been intimate with the lady in her early life, a combination - which contained two E’s with three letters between might very - well stand for the name ‘ELSIE.’ On examination I found that such - a combination formed the termination of the message which was - three times repeated. It was certainly some appeal to ‘Elsie.’ In - this way I had got my L, S, and I. But what appeal could it be? - There were only four letters in the word which preceded ‘Elsie,’ - and it ended in E. Surely the word must be ‘COME.’ I tried all - other four letters ending in E, but could find none to fit the - case. So now I was in possession of C, O, and M, and I was in a - position to attack the first message once more, dividing it into - words and putting dots for each symbol which was still unknown. - So treated, it worked out in this fashion: - - .M .ERE ..E SL.NE. - - “Now the first letter _can_ only be A, which is a most useful - discovery, since it occurs no fewer than three times in this - short sentence, and the H is also apparent in the second word. - Now it becomes: - - AM HERE A.E SLANE. - - Or, filling in the obvious vacancies in the name: - - AM HERE ABE SLANEY. - - I had so many letters now that I could proceed with considerable - confidence to the second message, which worked out in this - fashion: - - A. ELRI. ES. - - Here I could only make sense by putting T and G for the missing - letters, and supposing that the name was that of some house or - inn at which the writer was staying.” - - Inspector Martin and I had listened with the utmost interest to - the full and clear account of how my friend had produced results - which had led to so complete a command over our difficulties. - - “What did you do then, sir?” asked the inspector. - - “I had every reason to suppose that this Abe Slaney was an - American, since Abe is an American contraction, and since a - letter from America had been the starting-point of all the - trouble. I had also every cause to think that there was some - criminal secret in the matter. The lady’s allusions to her past, - and her refusal to take her husband into her confidence, both - pointed in that direction. I therefore cabled to my friend, - Wilson Hargreave, of the New York Police Bureau, who has more - than once made use of my knowledge of London crime. I asked him - whether the name of Abe Slaney was known to him. Here is his - reply: ‘The most dangerous crook in Chicago.’ On the very evening - upon which I had his answer, Hilton Cubitt sent me the last - message from Slaney. Working with known letters, it took this - form: - - ELSIE .RE.ARE TO MEET THY GO. - - The addition of a P and a D completed a message which showed me - that the rascal was proceeding from persuasion to threats, and my - knowledge of the crooks of Chicago prepared me to find that he - might very rapidly put his words into action. I at once came to - Norfolk with my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, but, unhappily, - only in time to find that the worst had already occurred.” - - “It is a privilege to be associated with you in the handling of a - case,” said the inspector, warmly. “You will excuse me, however, - if I speak frankly to you. You are only answerable to yourself, - but I have to answer to my superiors. If this Abe Slaney, living - at Elrige’s, is indeed the murderer, and if he has made his - escape while I am seated here, I should certainly get into - serious trouble.” - - “You need not be uneasy. He will not try to escape.” - - “How do you know?” - - “To fly would be a confession of guilt.” - - “Then let us go arrest him.” - - “I expect him here every instant.” - - “But why should he come?” - - “Because I have written and asked him.” - - “But this is incredible, Mr. Holmes! Why should he come because - you have asked him? Would not such a request rather rouse his - suspicions and cause him to fly?” - - “I think I have known how to frame the letter,” said Sherlock - Holmes. “In fact, if I am not very much mistaken, here is the - gentleman himself coming up the drive.” - - A man was striding up the path which led to the door. He was a - tall, handsome, swarthy fellow, clad in a suit of grey flannel, - with a Panama hat, a bristling black beard, and a great, - aggressive hooked nose, and flourishing a cane as he walked. He - swaggered up a path as if the place belonged to him, and we heard - his loud, confident peal at the bell. - - “I think, gentlemen,” said Holmes, quietly, “that we had best - take up our position behind the door. Every precaution is - necessary when dealing with such a fellow. You will need your - handcuffs, Inspector. You can leave the talking to me.” - - We waited in silence for a minute—one of those minutes which one - can never forget. Then the door opened and the man stepped in. In - an instant Holmes clapped a pistol to his head, and Martin - slipped the handcuffs over his wrists. It was all done so swiftly - and deftly that the fellow was helpless before he knew that he - was attacked. He glared from one to the other of us with a pair - of blazing black eyes. Then he burst into a bitter laugh. - - “Well, gentlemen, you have the drop on me this time. I seem to - have knocked up against something hard. But I came here in answer - to a letter from Mrs. Hilton Cubitt. Don’t tell me that she is in - this? Don’t tell me that she helped to set a trap for me?” - - “Mrs. Hilton Cubitt was seriously injured, and is at death’s - door.” - - The man gave a hoarse cry of grief, which rang through the house. - - “You’re crazy!” he cried, fiercely. “It was he that was hurt, not - she. Who would have hurt little Elsie? I may have threatened - her—God forgive me!—but I would not have touched a hair of her - pretty head. Take it back—you! Say that she is not hurt!” - - “She was found badly wounded, by the side of her dead husband.” - - He sank with a deep groan on the settee and buried his face in - his manacled hands. For five minutes he was silent. Then he - raised his face once more, and spoke with the cold composure of - despair. - - “I have nothing to hide from you, gentlemen,” said he. “If I shot - the man he had his shot at me, and there’s no murder in that. But - if you think I could have hurt that woman, then you don’t know - either me or her. I tell you, there was never a man in this world - loved a woman more than I loved her. I had a right to her. She - was pledged to me years ago. Who was this Englishman that he - should come between us? I tell you that I had the first right to - her, and that I was only claiming my own.” - - “She broke away from your influence when she found the man that - you are,” said Holmes, sternly. “She fled from America to avoid - you, and she married an honourable gentleman in England. You - dogged her and followed her and made her life a misery to her, in - order to induce her to abandon the husband whom she loved and - respected in order to fly with you, whom she feared and hated. - You have ended by bringing about the death of a noble man and - driving his wife to suicide. That is your record in this - business, Mr. Abe Slaney, and you will answer for it to the law.” - - “If Elsie dies, I care nothing what becomes of me,” said the - American. He opened one of his hands, and looked at a note - crumpled up in his palm. “See here, mister! he cried, with a - gleam of suspicion in his eyes, “you’re not trying to scare me - over this, are you? If the lady is hurt as bad as you say, who - was it that wrote this note?” He tossed it forward on to the - table. - - “I wrote it, to bring you here.” - - “You wrote it? There was no one on earth outside the Joint who - knew the secret of the dancing men. How came you to write it?” - - “What one man can invent another can discover,” said Holmes. - “There is a cab coming to convey you to Norwich, Mr. Slaney. But - meanwhile, you have time to make some small reparation for the - injury you have wrought. Are you aware that Mrs. Hilton Cubitt - has herself lain under grave suspicion of the murder of her - husband, and that it was only my presence here, and the knowledge - which I happened to possess, which has saved her from the - accusation? The least that you owe her is to make it clear to the - whole world that she was in no way, directly or indirectly, - responsible for his tragic end.” - - “I ask nothing better,” said the American. “I guess the very best - case I can make for myself is the absolute naked truth.” - - “It is my duty to warn you that it will be used against you,” - cried the inspector, with the magnificent fair play of the - British criminal law. - - Slaney shrugged his shoulders. - - “I’ll chance that,” said he. “First of all, I want you gentlemen - to understand that I have known this lady since she was a child. - There were seven of us in a gang in Chicago, and Elsie’s father - was the boss of the Joint. He was a clever man, was old Patrick. - It was he who invented that writing, which would pass as a - child’s scrawl unless you just happened to have the key to it. - Well, Elsie learned some of our ways, but she couldn’t stand the - business, and she had a bit of honest money of her own, so she - gave us all the slip and got away to London. She had been engaged - to me, and she would have married me, I believe, if I had taken - over another profession, but she would have nothing to do with - anything on the cross. It was only after her marriage to this - Englishman that I was able to find out where she was. I wrote to - her, but got no answer. After that I came over, and, as letters - were no use, I put my messages where she could read them. - - “Well, I have been here a month now. I lived in that farm, where - I had a room down below, and could get in and out every night, - and no one the wiser. I tried all I could to coax Elsie away. I - knew that she read the messages, for once she wrote an answer - under one of them. Then my temper got the better of me, and I - began to threaten her. She sent me a letter then, imploring me to - go away, and saying that it would break her heart if any scandal - should come upon her husband. She said that she would come down - when her husband was asleep at three in the morning, and speak - with me through the end window, if I would go away afterwards and - leave her in peace. She came down and brought money with her, - trying to bribe me to go. This made me mad, and I caught her arm - and tried to pull her through the window. At that moment in - rushed the husband with his revolver in his hand. Elsie had sunk - down upon the floor, and we were face to face. I was heeled also, - and I held up my gun to scare him off and let me get away. He - fired and missed me. I pulled off almost at the same instant, and - down he dropped. I made away across the garden, and as I went I - heard the window shut behind me. That’s God’s truth, gentlemen, - every word of it, and I heard no more about it until that lad - came riding up with a note which made me walk in here, like a - jay, and give myself into your hands.” - - A cab had driven up whilst the American had been talking. Two - uniformed policemen sat inside. Inspector Martin rose and touched - his prisoner on the shoulder. - - “It is time for us to go.” - - “Can I see her first?” - - “No, she is not conscious. Mr. Sherlock Holmes, I only hope that - if ever again I have an important case, I shall have the good - fortune to have you by my side.” - - We stood at the window and watched the cab drive away. As I - turned back, my eye caught the pellet of paper which the prisoner - had tossed upon the table. It was the note with which Holmes had - decoyed him. - - “See if you can read it, Watson,” said he, with a smile. - - It contained no word, but this little line of dancing men: - - COME-HERE-AT-ONCE - - “If you use the code which I have explained,” said Holmes, “you - will find that it simply means ‘Come here at once.’ I was - convinced that it was an invitation which he would not refuse, - since he could never imagine that it could come from anyone but - the lady. And so, my dear Watson, we have ended by turning the - dancing men to good when they have so often been the agents of - evil, and I think that I have fulfilled my promise of giving you - something unusual for your notebook. Three-forty is our train, - and I fancy we should be back in Baker Street for dinner.” - - Only one word of epilogue. The American, Abe Slaney, was - condemned to death at the winter assizes at Norwich, but his - penalty was changed to penal servitude in consideration of - mitigating circumstances, and the certainty that Hilton Cubitt - had fired the first shot. Of Mrs. Hilton Cubitt I only know that - I have heard she recovered entirely, and that she still remains a - widow, devoting her whole life to the care of the poor and to the - administration of her husband’s estate. - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF THE SOLITARY CYCLIST - - - From the years 1894 to 1901 inclusive, Mr. Sherlock Holmes was a - very busy man. It is safe to say that there was no public case of - any difficulty in which he was not consulted during those eight - years, and there were hundreds of private cases, some of them of - the most intricate and extraordinary character, in which he - played a prominent part. Many startling successes and a few - unavoidable failures were the outcome of this long period of - continuous work. As I have preserved very full notes of all these - cases, and was myself personally engaged in many of them, it may - be imagined that it is no easy task to know which I should select - to lay before the public. I shall, however, preserve my former - rule, and give the preference to those cases which derive their - interest not so much from the brutality of the crime as from the - ingenuity and dramatic quality of the solution. For this reason I - will now lay before the reader the facts connected with Miss - Violet Smith, the solitary cyclist of Charlington, and the - curious sequel of our investigation, which culminated in - unexpected tragedy. It is true that the circumstance did not - admit of any striking illustration of those powers for which my - friend was famous, but there were some points about the case - which made it stand out in those long records of crime from which - I gather the material for these little narratives. - - On referring to my notebook for the year 1895, I find that it was - upon Saturday, the 23rd of April, that we first heard of Miss - Violet Smith. Her visit was, I remember, extremely unwelcome to - Holmes, for he was immersed at the moment in a very abstruse and - complicated problem concerning the peculiar persecution to which - John Vincent Harden, the well-known tobacco millionaire, had been - subjected. My friend, who loved above all things precision and - concentration of thought, resented anything which distracted his - attention from the matter in hand. And yet, without a harshness - which was foreign to his nature, it was impossible to refuse to - listen to the story of the young and beautiful woman, tall, - graceful, and queenly, who presented herself at Baker Street late - in the evening, and implored his assistance and advice. It was - vain to urge that his time was already fully occupied, for the - young lady had come with the determination to tell her story, and - it was evident that nothing short of force could get her out of - the room until she had done so. With a resigned air and a - somewhat weary smile, Holmes begged the beautiful intruder to - take a seat, and to inform us what it was that was troubling her. - - “At least it cannot be your health,” said he, as his keen eyes - darted over her, “so ardent a bicyclist must be full of energy.” - - She glanced down in surprise at her own feet, and I observed the - slight roughening of the side of the sole caused by the friction - of the edge of the pedal. - - “Yes, I bicycle a good deal, Mr. Holmes, and that has something - to do with my visit to you to-day.” - - My friend took the lady’s ungloved hand, and examined it with as - close an attention and as little sentiment as a scientist would - show to a specimen. - - “You will excuse me, I am sure. It is my business,” said he, as - he dropped it. “I nearly fell into the error of supposing that - you were typewriting. Of course, it is obvious that it is music. - You observe the spatulate finger-ends, Watson, which is common to - both professions? There is a spirituality about the face, - however”—she gently turned it towards the light—“which the - typewriter does not generate. This lady is a musician.” - - “Yes, Mr. Holmes, I teach music.” - - “In the country, I presume, from your complexion.” - - “Yes, sir, near Farnham, on the borders of Surrey.” - - “A beautiful neighbourhood, and full of the most interesting - associations. You remember, Watson, that it was near there that - we took Archie Stamford, the forger. Now, Miss Violet, what has - happened to you, near Farnham, on the borders of Surrey?” - - The young lady, with great clearness and composure, made the - following curious statement: - - “My father is dead, Mr. Holmes. He was James Smith, who conducted - the orchestra at the old Imperial Theatre. My mother and I were - left without a relation in the world except one uncle, Ralph - Smith, who went to Africa twenty-five years ago, and we have - never had a word from him since. When father died, we were left - very poor, but one day we were told that there was an - advertisement in _The Times_, inquiring for our whereabouts. You - can imagine how excited we were, for we thought that someone had - left us a fortune. We went at once to the lawyer whose name was - given in the paper. There we met two gentlemen, Mr. Carruthers - and Mr. Woodley, who were home on a visit from South Africa. They - said that my uncle was a friend of theirs, that he had died some - months before in great poverty in Johannesburg, and that he had - asked them with his last breath to hunt up his relations, and see - that they were in no want. It seemed strange to us that Uncle - Ralph, who took no notice of us when he was alive, should be so - careful to look after us when he was dead, but Mr. Carruthers - explained that the reason was that my uncle had just heard of the - death of his brother, and so felt responsible for our fate.” - - “Excuse me,” said Holmes. “When was this interview?” - - “Last December—four months ago.” - - “Pray proceed.” - - “Mr. Woodley seemed to me to be a most odious person. He was for - ever making eyes at me—a coarse, puffy-faced, red-moustached - young man, with his hair plastered down on each side of his - forehead. I thought that he was perfectly hateful—and I was sure - that Cyril would not wish me to know such a person.” - - “Oh, Cyril is his name!” said Holmes, smiling. - - The young lady blushed and laughed. - - “Yes, Mr. Holmes, Cyril Morton, an electrical engineer, and we - hope to be married at the end of the summer. Dear me, how _did_ I - get talking about him? What I wished to say was that Mr. Woodley - was perfectly odious, but that Mr. Carruthers, who was a much - older man, was more agreeable. He was a dark, sallow, - clean-shaven, silent person, but he had polite manners and a - pleasant smile. He inquired how we were left, and on finding that - we were very poor, he suggested that I should come and teach - music to his only daughter, aged ten. I said that I did not like - to leave my mother, on which he suggested that I should go home - to her every week-end, and he offered me a hundred a year, which - was certainly splendid pay. So it ended by my accepting, and I - went down to Chiltern Grange, about six miles from Farnham. Mr. - Carruthers was a widower, but he had engaged a lady housekeeper, - a very respectable, elderly person, called Mrs. Dixon, to look - after his establishment. The child was a dear, and everything - promised well. Mr. Carruthers was very kind and very musical, and - we had most pleasant evenings together. Every week-end I went - home to my mother in town. - - “The first flaw in my happiness was the arrival of the - red-moustached Mr. Woodley. He came for a visit of a week, and - oh! it seemed three months to me. He was a dreadful person—a - bully to everyone else, but to me something infinitely worse. He - made odious love to me, boasted of his wealth, said that if I - married him I could have the finest diamonds in London, and - finally, when I would have nothing to do with him, he seized me - in his arms one day after dinner—he was hideously strong—and - swore that he would not let me go until I had kissed him. Mr. - Carruthers came in and tore him from me, on which he turned upon - his own host, knocking him down and cutting his face open. That - was the end of his visit, as you can imagine. Mr. Carruthers - apologized to me next day, and assured me that I should never be - exposed to such an insult again. I have not seen Mr. Woodley - since. - - “And now, Mr. Holmes, I come at last to the special thing which - has caused me to ask your advice to-day. You must know that every - Saturday forenoon I ride on my bicycle to Farnham Station, in - order to get the 12:22 to town. The road from Chiltern Grange is - a lonely one, and at one spot it is particularly so, for it lies - for over a mile between Charlington Heath upon one side and the - woods which lie round Charlington Hall upon the other. You could - not find a more lonely tract of road anywhere, and it is quite - rare to meet so much as a cart, or a peasant, until you reach the - high road near Crooksbury Hill. Two weeks ago I was passing this - place, when I chanced to look back over my shoulder, and about - two hundred yards behind me I saw a man, also on a bicycle. He - seemed to be a middle-aged man, with a short, dark beard. I - looked back before I reached Farnham, but the man was gone, so I - thought no more about it. But you can imagine how surprised I - was, Mr. Holmes, when, on my return on the Monday, I saw the same - man on the same stretch of road. My astonishment was increased - when the incident occurred again, exactly as before, on the - following Saturday and Monday. He always kept his distance and - did not molest me in any way, but still it certainly was very - odd. I mentioned it to Mr. Carruthers, who seemed interested in - what I said, and told me that he had ordered a horse and trap, so - that in future I should not pass over these lonely roads without - some companion. - - “The horse and trap were to have come this week, but for some - reason they were not delivered, and again I had to cycle to the - station. That was this morning. You can think that I looked out - when I came to Charlington Heath, and there, sure enough, was the - man, exactly as he had been the two weeks before. He always kept - so far from me that I could not clearly see his face, but it was - certainly someone whom I did not know. He was dressed in a dark - suit with a cloth cap. The only thing about his face that I could - clearly see was his dark beard. To-day I was not alarmed, but I - was filled with curiosity, and I determined to find out who he - was and what he wanted. I slowed down my machine, but he slowed - down his. Then I stopped altogether, but he stopped also. Then I - laid a trap for him. There is a sharp turning of the road, and I - pedalled very quickly round this, and then I stopped and waited. - I expected him to shoot round and pass me before he could stop. - But he never appeared. Then I went back and looked round the - corner. I could see a mile of road, but he was not on it. To make - it the more extraordinary, there was no side road at this point - down which he could have gone.” - - Holmes chuckled and rubbed his hands. “This case certainly - presents some features of its own,” said he. “How much time - elapsed between your turning the corner and your discovery that - the road was clear?” - - “Two or three minutes.” - - “Then he could not have retreated down the road, and you say that - there are no side roads?” - - “None.” - - “Then he certainly took a footpath on one side or the other.” - - “It could not have been on the side of the heath, or I should - have seen him.” - - “So, by the process of exclusion, we arrive at the fact that he - made his way toward Charlington Hall, which, as I understand, is - situated in its own grounds on one side of the road. Anything - else?” - - “Nothing, Mr. Holmes, save that I was so perplexed that I felt I - should not be happy until I had seen you and had your advice.” - - Holmes sat in silence for some little time. - - “Where is the gentleman to whom you are engaged?” he asked at - last. - - “He is in the Midland Electrical Company, at Coventry.” - - “He would not pay you a surprise visit?” - - “Oh, Mr. Holmes! As if I should not know him!” - - “Have you had any other admirers?” - - “Several before I knew Cyril.” - - “And since?” - - “There was this dreadful man, Woodley, if you can call him an - admirer.” - - “No one else?” - - Our fair client seemed a little confused. - - “Who was he?” asked Holmes. - - “Oh, it may be a mere fancy of mine; but it had seemed to me - sometimes that my employer, Mr. Carruthers, takes a great deal of - interest in me. We are thrown rather together. I play his - accompaniments in the evening. He has never said anything. He is - a perfect gentleman. But a girl always knows.” - - “Ha!” Holmes looked grave. “What does he do for a living?” - - “He is a rich man.” - - “No carriages or horses?” - - “Well, at least he is fairly well-to-do. But he goes into the - city two or three times a week. He is deeply interested in South - African gold shares.” - - “You will let me know any fresh development, Miss Smith. I am - very busy just now, but I will find time to make some inquiries - into your case. In the meantime, take no step without letting me - know. Good-bye, and I trust that we shall have nothing but good - news from you.” - - “It is part of the settled order of Nature that such a girl - should have followers,” said Holmes, he pulled at his meditative - pipe, “but for choice not on bicycles in lonely country roads. - Some secretive lover, beyond all doubt. But there are curious and - suggestive details about the case, Watson.” - - “That he should appear only at that point?” - - “Exactly. Our first effort must be to find who are the tenants of - Charlington Hall. Then, again, how about the connection between - Carruthers and Woodley, since they appear to be men of such a - different type? How came they _both_ to be so keen upon looking - up Ralph Smith’s relations? One more point. What sort of a - _ménage_ is it which pays double the market price for a governess - but does not keep a horse, although six miles from the station? - Odd, Watson—very odd!” - - “You will go down?” - - “No, my dear fellow, _you_ will go down. This may be some - trifling intrigue, and I cannot break my other important research - for the sake of it. On Monday you will arrive early at Farnham; - you will conceal yourself near Charlington Heath; you will - observe these facts for yourself, and act as your own judgment - advises. Then, having inquired as to the occupants of the Hall, - you will come back to me and report. And now, Watson, not another - word of the matter until we have a few solid stepping-stones on - which we may hope to get across to our solution.” - - We had ascertained from the lady that she went down upon the - Monday by the train which leaves Waterloo at 9:50, so I started - early and caught the 9:13. At Farnham Station I had no difficulty - in being directed to Charlington Heath. It was impossible to - mistake the scene of the young lady’s adventure, for the road - runs between the open heath on one side and an old yew hedge upon - the other, surrounding a park which is studded with magnificent - trees. There was a main gateway of lichen-studded stone, each - side pillar surmounted by mouldering heraldic emblems, but - besides this central carriage drive I observed several points - where there were gaps in the hedge and paths leading through - them. The house was invisible from the road, but the surroundings - all spoke of gloom and decay. - - The heath was covered with golden patches of flowering gorse, - gleaming magnificently in the light of the bright spring - sunshine. Behind one of these clumps I took up my position, so as - to command both the gateway of the Hall and a long stretch of the - road upon either side. It had been deserted when I left it, but - now I saw a cyclist riding down it from the opposite direction to - that in which I had come. He was clad in a dark suit, and I saw - that he had a black beard. On reaching the end of the Charlington - grounds, he sprang from his machine and led it through a gap in - the hedge, disappearing from my view. - - A quarter of an hour passed, and then a second cyclist appeared. - This time it was the young lady coming from the station. I saw - her look about her as she came to the Charlington hedge. An - instant later the man emerged from his hiding-place, sprang upon - his cycle, and followed her. In all the broad landscape those - were the only moving figures, the graceful girl sitting very - straight upon her machine, and the man behind her bending low - over his handle-bar with a curiously furtive suggestion in every - movement. She looked back at him and slowed her pace. He slowed - also. She stopped. He at once stopped, too, keeping two hundred - yards behind her. Her next movement was as unexpected as it was - spirited. She suddenly whisked her wheels round and dashed - straight at him. He was as quick as she, however, and darted off - in desperate flight. Presently she came back up the road again, - her head haughtily in the air, not deigning to take any further - notice of her silent attendant. He had turned also, and still - kept his distance until the curve of the road hid them from my - sight. - - I remained in my hiding-place, and it was well that I did so, for - presently the man reappeared, cycling slowly back. He turned in - at the Hall gates, and dismounted from his machine. For some - minutes I could see him standing among the trees. His hands were - raised, and he seemed to be settling his necktie. Then he mounted - his cycle, and rode away from me down the drive towards the Hall. - I ran across the heath and peered through the trees. Far away I - could catch glimpses of the old grey building with its bristling - Tudor chimneys, but the drive ran through a dense shrubbery, and - I saw no more of my man. - - However, it seemed to me that I had done a fairly good morning’s - work, and I walked back in high spirits to Farnham. The local - house agent could tell me nothing about Charlington Hall, and - referred me to a well-known firm in Pall Mall. There I halted on - my way home, and met with courtesy from the representative. No, I - could not have Charlington Hall for the summer. I was just too - late. It had been let about a month ago. Mr. Williamson was the - name of the tenant. He was a respectable, elderly gentleman. The - polite agent was afraid he could say no more, as the affairs of - his clients were not matters which he could discuss. - - Mr. Sherlock Holmes listened with attention to the long report - which I was able to present to him that evening, but it did not - elicit that word of curt praise which I had hoped for and should - have valued. On the contrary, his austere face was even more - severe than usual as he commented upon the things that I had done - and the things that I had not. - - “Your hiding-place, my dear Watson, was very faulty. You should - have been behind the hedge, then you would have had a close view - of this interesting person. As it is, you were some hundreds of - yards away and can tell me even less than Miss Smith. She thinks - she does not know the man; I am convinced she does. Why, - otherwise, should he be so desperately anxious that she should - not get so near him as to see his features? You describe him as - bending over the handle-bar. Concealment again, you see. You - really have done remarkably badly. He returns to the house, and - you want to find out who he is. You come to a London house - agent!” - - “What should I have done?” I cried, with some heat. - - “Gone to the nearest public-house. That is the centre of country - gossip. They would have told you every name, from the master to - the scullery-maid. Williamson? It conveys nothing to my mind. If - he is an elderly man he is not this active cyclist who sprints - away from that young lady’s athletic pursuit. What have we gained - by your expedition? The knowledge that the girl’s story is true. - I never doubted it. That there is a connection between the - cyclist and the Hall. I never doubted that either. That the Hall - is tenanted by Williamson. Who’s the better for that? Well, well, - my dear sir, don’t look so depressed. We can do little more until - next Saturday, and in the meantime I may make one or two - inquiries myself.” - - Next morning, we had a note from Miss Smith, recounting shortly - and accurately the very incidents which I had seen, but the pith - of the letter lay in the postscript: - - “I am sure that you will respect my confidence, Mr. Holmes, when - I tell you that my place here has become difficult, owing to the - fact that my employer has proposed marriage to me. I am convinced - that his feelings are most deep and most honourable. At the same - time, my promise is of course given. He took my refusal very - seriously, but also very gently. You can understand, however, - that the situation is a little strained.” - - “Our young friend seems to be getting into deep waters,” said - Holmes, thoughtfully, as he finished the letter. “The case - certainly presents more features of interest and more possibility - of development than I had originally thought. I should be none - the worse for a quiet, peaceful day in the country, and I am - inclined to run down this afternoon and test one or two theories - which I have formed.” - - Holmes’s quiet day in the country had a singular termination, for - he arrived at Baker Street late in the evening, with a cut lip - and a discoloured lump upon his forehead, besides a general air - of dissipation which would have made his own person the fitting - object of a Scotland Yard investigation. He was immensely tickled - by his own adventures and laughed heartily as he recounted them. - - “I get so little active exercise that it is always a treat,” said - he. “You are aware that I have some proficiency in the good old - British sport of boxing. Occasionally, it is of service; to-day, - for example, I should have come to very ignominious grief without - it.” - - I begged him to tell me what had occurred. - - “I found that country pub which I had already recommended to your - notice, and there I made my discreet inquiries. I was in the bar, - and a garrulous landlord was giving me all that I wanted. - Williamson is a white-bearded man, and he lives alone with a - small staff of servants at the Hall. There is some rumour that he - is or has been a clergyman, but one or two incidents of his short - residence at the Hall struck me as peculiarly unecclesiastical. I - have already made some inquiries at a clerical agency, and they - tell me that there _was_ a man of that name in orders, whose - career has been a singularly dark one. The landlord further - informed me that there are usually week-end visitors—‘a warm lot, - sir’—at the Hall, and especially one gentleman with a red - moustache, Mr. Woodley by name, who was always there. We had got - as far as this, when who should walk in but the gentleman - himself, who had been drinking his beer in the tap-room and had - heard the whole conversation. Who was I? What did I want? What - did I mean by asking questions? He had a fine flow of language, - and his adjectives were very vigorous. He ended a string of abuse - by a vicious backhander, which I failed to entirely avoid. The - next few minutes were delicious. It was a straight left against a - slogging ruffian. I emerged as you see me. Mr. Woodley went home - in a cart. So ended my country trip, and it must be confessed - that, however enjoyable, my day on the Surrey border has not been - much more profitable than your own.” - - The Thursday brought us another letter from our client. - - You will not be surprised, Mr. Holmes (said she), to hear - that I am leaving Mr. Carruthers’s employment. Even the high - pay cannot reconcile me to the discomforts of my situation. - On Saturday I come up to town, and I do not intend to return. - Mr. Carruthers has got a trap, and so the dangers of the - lonely road, if there ever were any dangers, are now over. - As to the special cause of my leaving, it is not merely the - strained situation with Mr. Carruthers, but it is the - reappearance of that odious man, Mr. Woodley. He was always - hideous, but he looks more awful than ever now, for he appears to - have had an accident and he is much disfigured. I saw him out of - the window, but I am glad to say I did not meet him. He had a - long talk with Mr. Carruthers, who seemed much excited - afterwards. Woodley must be staying in the neighbourhood, for he - did not sleep here, and yet I caught a glimpse of him again this - morning, slinking about in the shrubbery. I would sooner have a - savage wild animal loose about the place. I loathe and fear him - more than I can say. How _can_ Mr. Carruthers endure such a - creature for a moment? However, all my troubles will be over on - Saturday. - - “So I trust, Watson, so I trust,” said Holmes, gravely. “There is - some deep intrigue going on round that little woman, and it is - our duty to see that no one molests her upon that last journey. I - think, Watson, that we must spare time to run down together on - Saturday morning and make sure that this curious and inclusive - investigation has no untoward ending.” - - I confess that I had not up to now taken a very serious view of - the case, which had seemed to me rather grotesque and bizarre - than dangerous. That a man should lie in wait for and follow a - very handsome woman is no unheard-of thing, and if he has so - little audacity that he not only dared not address her, but even - fled from her approach, he was not a very formidable assailant. - The ruffian Woodley was a very different person, but, except on - one occasion, he had not molested our client, and now he visited - the house of Carruthers without intruding upon her presence. The - man on the bicycle was doubtless a member of those week-end - parties at the Hall of which the publican had spoken, but who he - was, or what he wanted, was as obscure as ever. It was the - severity of Holmes’s manner and the fact that he slipped a - revolver into his pocket before leaving our rooms which impressed - me with the feeling that tragedy might prove to lurk behind this - curious train of events. - - A rainy night had been followed by a glorious morning, and the - heath-covered countryside, with the glowing clumps of flowering - gorse, seemed all the more beautiful to eyes which were weary of - the duns and drabs and slate greys of London. Holmes and I walked - along the broad, sandy road inhaling the fresh morning air and - rejoicing in the music of the birds and the fresh breath of the - spring. From a rise of the road on the shoulder of Crooksbury - Hill, we could see the grim Hall bristling out from amidst the - ancient oaks, which, old as they were, were still younger than - the building which they surrounded. Holmes pointed down the long - tract of road which wound, a reddish yellow band, between the - brown of the heath and the budding green of the woods. Far away, - a black dot, we could see a vehicle moving in our direction. - Holmes gave an exclamation of impatience. - - “I have given a margin of half an hour,” said he. “If that is her - trap, she must be making for the earlier train. I fear, Watson, - that she will be past Charlington before we can possibly meet - her.” - - From the instant that we passed the rise, we could no longer see - the vehicle, but we hastened onward at such a pace that my - sedentary life began to tell upon me, and I was compelled to fall - behind. Holmes, however, was always in training, for he had - inexhaustible stores of nervous energy upon which to draw. His - springy step never slowed until suddenly, when he was a hundred - yards in front of me, he halted, and I saw him throw up his hand - with a gesture of grief and despair. At the same instant an empty - dog-cart, the horse cantering, the reins trailing, appeared round - the curve of the road and rattled swiftly towards us. - - “Too late, Watson, too late!” cried Holmes, as I ran panting to - his side. “Fool that I was not to allow for that earlier train! - It’s abduction, Watson—abduction! Murder! Heaven knows what! - Block the road! Stop the horse! That’s right. Now, jump in, and - let us see if I can repair the consequences of my own blunder.” - - We had sprung into the dog-cart, and Holmes, after turning the - horse, gave it a sharp cut with the whip, and we flew back along - the road. As we turned the curve, the whole stretch of road - between the Hall and the heath was opened up. I grasped Holmes’s - arm. - - “That’s the man!” I gasped. - - A solitary cyclist was coming towards us. His head was down and - his shoulders rounded, as he put every ounce of energy that he - possessed on to the pedals. He was flying like a racer. Suddenly - he raised his bearded face, saw us close to him, and pulled up, - springing from his machine. That coal-black beard was in singular - contrast to the pallor of his face, and his eyes were as bright - as if he had a fever. He stared at us and at the dog-cart. Then a - look of amazement came over his face. - - “Halloa! Stop there!” he shouted, holding his bicycle to block - our road. “Where did you get that dog-cart? Pull up, man!” he - yelled, drawing a pistol from his side pocket. “Pull up, I say, - or, by George, I’ll put a bullet into your horse.” - - Holmes threw the reins into my lap and sprang down from the cart. - - “You’re the man we want to see. Where is Miss Violet Smith?” he - said, in his quick, clear way. - - “That’s what I’m asking you. You’re in her dog-cart. You ought to - know where she is.” - - “We met the dog-cart on the road. There was no one in it. We - drove back to help the young lady.” - - “Good Lord! Good Lord! What shall I do?” cried the stranger, in - an ecstasy of despair. “They’ve got her, that hell-hound Woodley - and the blackguard parson. Come, man, come, if you really are her - friend. Stand by me and we’ll save her, if I have to leave my - carcass in Charlington Wood.” - - He ran distractedly, his pistol in his hand, towards a gap in the - hedge. Holmes followed him, and I, leaving the horse grazing - beside the road, followed Holmes. - - “This is where they came through,” said he, pointing to the marks - of several feet upon the muddy path. “Halloa! Stop a minute! - Who’s this in the bush?” - - It was a young fellow about seventeen, dressed like an ostler, - with leather cords and gaiters. He lay upon his back, his knees - drawn up, a terrible cut upon his head. He was insensible, but - alive. A glance at his wound told me that it had not penetrated - the bone. - - “That’s Peter, the groom,” cried the stranger. “He drove her. The - beasts have pulled him off and clubbed him. Let him lie; we can’t - do him any good, but we may save her from the worst fate that can - befall a woman.” - - We ran frantically down the path, which wound among the trees. We - had reached the shrubbery which surrounded the house when Holmes - pulled up. - - “They didn’t go to the house. Here are their marks on the - left—here, beside the laurel bushes. Ah! I said so.” - - As he spoke, a woman’s shrill scream—a scream which vibrated with - a frenzy of horror—burst from the thick, green clump of bushes in - front of us. It ended suddenly on its highest note with a choke - and a gurgle. - - “This way! This way! They are in the bowling-alley,” cried the - stranger, darting through the bushes. “Ah, the cowardly dogs! - Follow me, gentlemen! Too late! too late! by the living Jingo!” - - We had broken suddenly into a lovely glade of greensward - surrounded by ancient trees. On the farther side of it, under the - shadow of a mighty oak, there stood a singular group of three - people. One was a woman, our client, drooping and faint, a - handkerchief round her mouth. Opposite her stood a brutal, - heavy-faced, red-moustached young man, his gaitered legs parted - wide, one arm akimbo, the other waving a riding crop, his whole - attitude suggestive of triumphant bravado. Between them an - elderly, grey-bearded man, wearing a short surplice over a light - tweed suit, had evidently just completed the wedding service, for - he pocketed his prayer-book as we appeared, and slapped the - sinister bridegroom upon the back in jovial congratulation. - - “They’re married!” I gasped. - - “Come on!” cried our guide, “come on!” He rushed across the - glade, Holmes and I at his heels. As we approached, the lady - staggered against the trunk of the tree for support. Williamson, - the ex-clergyman, bowed to us with mock politeness, and the - bully, Woodley, advanced with a shout of brutal and exultant - laughter. - - “You can take your beard off, Bob,” said he. “I know you, right - enough. Well, you and your pals have just come in time for me to - be able to introduce you to Mrs. Woodley.” - - Our guide’s answer was a singular one. He snatched off the dark - beard which had disguised him and threw it on the ground, - disclosing a long, sallow, clean-shaven face below it. Then he - raised his revolver and covered the young ruffian, who was - advancing upon him with his dangerous riding-crop swinging in his - hand. - - “Yes,” said our ally, “I _am_ Bob Carruthers, and I’ll see this - woman righted, if I have to swing for it. I told you what I’d do - if you molested her, and, by the Lord! I’ll be as good as my - word.” - - “You’re too late. She’s my wife.” - - “No, she’s your widow.” - - His revolver cracked, and I saw the blood spurt from the front of - Woodley’s waistcoat. He spun round with a scream and fell upon - his back, his hideous red face turning suddenly to a dreadful - mottled pallor. The old man, still clad in his surplice, burst - into such a string of foul oaths as I have never heard, and - pulled out a revolver of his own, but, before he could raise it, - he was looking down the barrel of Holmes’s weapon. - - “Enough of this,” said my friend, coldly. “Drop that pistol! - Watson, pick it up! Hold it to his head. Thank you. You, - Carruthers, give me that revolver. We’ll have no more violence. - Come, hand it over!” - - “Who are you, then?” - - “My name is Sherlock Holmes.” - - “Good Lord!” - - “You have heard of me, I see. I will represent the official - police until their arrival. Here, you!” he shouted to a - frightened groom, who had appeared at the edge of the glade. - “Come here. Take this note as hard as you can ride to Farnham.” - He scribbled a few words upon a leaf from his notebook. “Give it - to the superintendent at the police-station. Until he comes, I - must detain you all under my personal custody.” - - The strong, masterful personality of Holmes dominated the tragic - scene, and all were equally puppets in his hands. Williamson and - Carruthers found themselves carrying the wounded Woodley into the - house, and I gave my arm to the frightened girl. The injured man - was laid on his bed, and at Holmes’s request I examined him. I - carried my report to where he sat in the old tapestry-hung - dining-room with his two prisoners before him. - - “He will live,” said I. - - “What!” cried Carruthers, springing out of his chair. “I’ll go - upstairs and finish him first. Do you tell me that that angel, is - to be tied to Roaring Jack Woodley for life?” - - “You need not concern yourself about that,” said Holmes. “There - are two very good reasons why she should, under no circumstances, - be his wife. In the first place, we are very safe in questioning - Mr. Williamson’s right to solemnize a marriage.” - - “I have been ordained,” cried the old rascal. - - “And also unfrocked.” - - “Once a clergyman, always a clergyman.” - - “I think not. How about the license?” - - “We had a license for the marriage. I have it here in my pocket.” - - “Then you got it by trick. But, in any case a forced marriage is - no marriage, but it is a very serious felony, as you will - discover before you have finished. You’ll have time to think the - point out during the next ten years or so, unless I am mistaken. - As to you, Carruthers, you would have done better to keep your - pistol in your pocket.” - - “I begin to think so, Mr. Holmes, but when I thought of all the - precaution I had taken to shield this girl—for I loved her, Mr. - Holmes, and it is the only time that ever I knew what love was—it - fairly drove me mad to think that she was in the power of the - greatest brute and bully in South Africa—a man whose name is a - holy terror from Kimberley to Johannesburg. Why, Mr. Holmes, - you’ll hardly believe it, but ever since that girl has been in my - employment I never once let her go past this house, where I knew - the rascals were lurking, without following her on my bicycle, - just to see that she came to no harm. I kept my distance from - her, and I wore a beard, so that she should not recognize me, for - she is a good and high-spirited girl, and she wouldn’t have - stayed in my employment long if she had thought that I was - following her about the country roads.” - - “Why didn’t you tell her of her danger?” - - “Because then, again, she would have left me, and I couldn’t bear - to face that. Even if she couldn’t love me, it was a great deal - to me just to see her dainty form about the house, and to hear - the sound of her voice.” - - “Well,” said I, “you call that love, Mr. Carruthers, but I should - call it selfishness.” - - “Maybe the two things go together. Anyhow, I couldn’t let her go. - Besides, with this crowd about, it was well that she should have - someone near to look after her. Then, when the cable came, I knew - they were bound to make a move.” - - “What cable?” - - Carruthers took a telegram from his pocket. - - “That’s it,” said he. - - It was short and concise: - - The old man is dead. - - “Hum!” said Holmes. “I think I see how things worked, and I can - understand how this message would, as you say, bring them to a - head. But while you wait, you might tell me what you can.” - - The old reprobate with the surplice burst into a volley of bad - language. - - “By heaven!” said he, “if you squeal on us, Bob Carruthers, I’ll - serve you as you served Jack Woodley. You can bleat about the - girl to your heart’s content, for that’s your own affair, but if - you round on your pals to this plain-clothes copper, it will be - the worst day’s work that ever you did.” - - “Your reverence need not be excited,” said Holmes, lighting a - cigarette. “The case is clear enough against you, and all I ask - is a few details for my private curiosity. However, if there’s - any difficulty in your telling me, I’ll do the talking, and then - you will see how far you have a chance of holding back your - secrets. In the first place, three of you came from South Africa - on this game—you Williamson, you Carruthers, and Woodley.” - - “Lie number one,” said the old man; “I never saw either of them - until two months ago, and I have never been in Africa in my life, - so you can put that in your pipe and smoke it, Mr. Busybody - Holmes!” - - “What he says is true,” said Carruthers. - - “Well, well, two of you came over. His reverence is our own - homemade article. You had known Ralph Smith in South Africa. You - had reason to believe he would not live long. You found out that - his niece would inherit his fortune. How’s that—eh?” - - Carruthers nodded and Williamson swore. - - “She was next of kin, no doubt, and you were aware that the old - fellow would make no will.” - - “Couldn’t read or write,” said Carruthers. - - “So you came over, the two of you, and hunted up the girl. The - idea was that one of you was to marry her, and the other have a - share of the plunder. For some reason, Woodley was chosen as the - husband. Why was that?” - - “We played cards for her on the voyage. He won.” - - “I see. You got the young lady into your service, and there - Woodley was to do the courting. She recognized the drunken brute - that he was, and would have nothing to do with him. Meanwhile, - your arrangement was rather upset by the fact that you had - yourself fallen in love with the lady. You could no longer bear - the idea of this ruffian owning her?” - - “No, by George, I couldn’t!” - - “There was a quarrel between you. He left you in a rage, and - began to make his own plans independently of you.” - - “It strikes me, Williamson, there isn’t very much that we can - tell this gentleman,” cried Carruthers, with a bitter laugh. - “Yes, we quarreled, and he knocked me down. I am level with him - on that, anyhow. Then I lost sight of him. That was when he - picked up with this outcast padre here. I found that they had set - up housekeeping together at this place on the line that she had - to pass for the station. I kept my eye on her after that, for I - knew there was some devilry in the wind. I saw them from time to - time, for I was anxious to know what they were after. Two days - ago Woodley came up to my house with this cable, which showed - that Ralph Smith was dead. He asked me if I would stand by the - bargain. I said I would not. He asked me if I would marry the - girl myself and give him a share. I said I would willingly do so, - but that she would not have me. He said, ‘Let us get her married - first and after a week or two she may see things a bit - different.’ I said I would have nothing to do with violence. So - he went off cursing, like the foul-mouthed blackguard that he - was, and swearing that he would have her yet. She was leaving me - this week-end, and I had got a trap to take her to the station, - but I was so uneasy in my mind that I followed her on my bicycle. - She had got a start, however, and before I could catch her, the - mischief was done. The first thing I knew about it was when I saw - you two gentlemen driving back in her dog-cart.” - - Holmes rose and tossed the end of his cigarette into the grate. - “I have been very obtuse, Watson,” said he. “When in your report - you said that you had seen the cyclist as you thought arrange his - necktie in the shrubbery, that alone should have told me all. - However, we may congratulate ourselves upon a curious and, in - some respects, a unique case. I perceive three of the county - constabulary in the drive, and I am glad to see that the little - ostler is able to keep pace with them, so it is likely that - neither he nor the interesting bridegroom will be permanently - damaged by their morning’s adventures. I think, Watson, that in - your medical capacity, you might wait upon Miss Smith and tell - her that if she is sufficiently recovered, we shall be happy to - escort her to her mother’s home. If she is not quite convalescent - you will find that a hint that we were about to telegraph to a - young electrician in the Midlands would probably complete the - cure. As to you, Mr. Carruthers, I think that you have done what - you could to make amends for your share in an evil plot. There is - my card, sir, and if my evidence can be of help in your trial, it - shall be at your disposal.” - - In the whirl of our incessant activity, it has often been - difficult for me, as the reader has probably observed, to round - off my narratives, and to give those final details which the - curious might expect. Each case has been the prelude to another, - and the crisis once over, the actors have passed for ever out of - our busy lives. I find, however, a short note at the end of my - manuscript dealing with this case, in which I have put it upon - record that Miss Violet Smith did indeed inherit a large fortune, - and that she is now the wife of Cyril Morton, the senior partner - of Morton & Kennedy, the famous Westminster electricians. - Williamson and Woodley were both tried for abduction and assault, - the former getting seven years the latter ten. Of the fate of - Carruthers, I have no record, but I am sure that his assault was - not viewed very gravely by the court, since Woodley had the - reputation of being a most dangerous ruffian, and I think that a - few months were sufficient to satisfy the demands of justice. - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF THE PRIORY SCHOOL - - - We have had some dramatic entrances and exits upon our small - stage at Baker Street, but I cannot recollect anything more - sudden and startling than the first appearance of Thorneycroft - Huxtable, M.A., Ph.D., etc. His card, which seemed too small to - carry the weight of his academic distinctions, preceded him by a - few seconds, and then he entered himself—so large, so pompous, - and so dignified that he was the very embodiment of - self-possession and solidity. And yet his first action, when the - door had closed behind him, was to stagger against the table, - whence he slipped down upon the floor, and there was that - majestic figure prostrate and insensible upon our bearskin - hearth-rug. - - We had sprung to our feet, and for a few moments we stared in - silent amazement at this ponderous piece of wreckage, which told - of some sudden and fatal storm far out on the ocean of life. Then - Holmes hurried with a cushion for his head, and I with brandy for - his lips. The heavy, white face was seamed with lines of trouble, - the hanging pouches under the closed eyes were leaden in colour, - the loose mouth drooped dolorously at the corners, the rolling - chins were unshaven. Collar and shirt bore the grime of a long - journey, and the hair bristled unkempt from the well-shaped head. - It was a sorely stricken man who lay before us. - - “What is it, Watson?” asked Holmes. - - “Absolute exhaustion—possibly mere hunger and fatigue,” said I, - with my finger on the thready pulse, where the stream of life - trickled thin and small. - - “Return ticket from Mackleton, in the north of England,” said - Holmes, drawing it from the watch-pocket. “It is not twelve - o’clock yet. He has certainly been an early starter.” - - The puckered eyelids had begun to quiver, and now a pair of - vacant grey eyes looked up at us. An instant later the man had - scrambled on to his feet, his face crimson with shame. - - “Forgive this weakness, Mr. Holmes, I have been a little - overwrought. Thank you, if I might have a glass of milk and a - biscuit, I have no doubt that I should be better. I came - personally, Mr. Holmes, in order to insure that you would return - with me. I feared that no telegram would convince you of the - absolute urgency of the case.” - - “When you are quite restored——” - - “I am quite well again. I cannot imagine how I came to be so - weak. I wish you, Mr. Holmes, to come to Mackleton with me by the - next train.” - - My friend shook his head. - - “My colleague, Dr. Watson, could tell you that we are very busy - at present. I am retained in this case of the Ferrers Documents, - and the Abergavenny murder is coming up for trial. Only a very - important issue could call me from London at present.” - - “Important!” Our visitor threw up his hands. “Have you heard - nothing of the abduction of the only son of the Duke of - Holdernesse?” - - “What! the late Cabinet Minister?” - - “Exactly. We had tried to keep it out of the papers, but there - was some rumour in the _Globe_ last night. I thought it might - have reached your ears.” - - Holmes shot out his long, thin arm and picked out Volume “H” in - his encyclopædia of reference. - - “‘Holdernesse, 6th Duke, K.G., P.C.’—half the alphabet! ‘Baron - Beverley, Earl of Carston’—dear me, what a list! ‘Lord Lieutenant - of Hallamshire since 1900. Married Edith, daughter of Sir Charles - Appledore, 1888. Heir and only child, Lord Saltire. Owns about - two hundred and fifty thousand acres. Minerals in Lancashire and - Wales. Address: Carlton House Terrace; Holdernesse Hall, - Hallamshire; Carston Castle, Bangor, Wales. Lord of the - Admiralty, 1872; Chief Secretary of State for——’ Well, well, this - man is certainly one of the greatest subjects of the Crown!” - - “The greatest and perhaps the wealthiest. I am aware, Mr. Holmes, - that you take a very high line in professional matters, and that - you are prepared to work for the work’s sake. I may tell you, - however, that his Grace has already intimated that a check for - five thousand pounds will be handed over to the person who can - tell him where his son is, and another thousand to him who can - name the man or men who have taken him.” - - “It is a princely offer,” said Holmes. “Watson, I think that we - shall accompany Dr. Huxtable back to the north of England. And - now, Dr. Huxtable, when you have consumed that milk, you will - kindly tell me what has happened, when it happened, how it - happened, and, finally, what Dr. Thorneycroft Huxtable, of the - Priory School, near Mackleton, has to do with the matter, and why - he comes three days after an event—the state of your chin gives - the date—to ask for my humble services.” - - Our visitor had consumed his milk and biscuits. The light had - come back to his eyes and the colour to his cheeks, as he set - himself with great vigour and lucidity to explain the situation. - - “I must inform you, gentlemen, that the Priory is a preparatory - school, of which I am the founder and principal. _Huxtable’s - Sidelights on Horace_ may possibly recall my name to your - memories. The Priory is, without exception, the best and most - select preparatory school in England. Lord Leverstoke, the Earl - of Blackwater, Sir Cathcart Soames—they all have intrusted their - sons to me. But I felt that my school had reached its zenith - when, weeks ago, the Duke of Holdernesse sent Mr. James Wilder, - his secretary, with intimation that young Lord Saltire, ten years - old, his only son and heir, was about to be committed to my - charge. Little did I think that this would be the prelude to the - most crushing misfortune of my life. - - “On May 1st the boy arrived, that being the beginning of the - summer term. He was a charming youth, and he soon fell into our - ways. I may tell you—I trust that I am not indiscreet, but - half-confidences are absurd in such a case—that he was not - entirely happy at home. It is an open secret that the Duke’s - married life had not been a peaceful one, and the matter had - ended in a separation by mutual consent, the Duchess taking up - her residence in the south of France. This had occurred very - shortly before, and the boy’s sympathies are known to have been - strongly with his mother. He moped after her departure from - Holdernesse Hall, and it was for this reason that the Duke - desired to send him to my establishment. In a fortnight the boy - was quite at home with us and was apparently absolutely happy. - - “He was last seen on the night of May 13th—that is, the night of - last Monday. His room was on the second floor and was approached - through another larger room, in which two boys were sleeping. - These boys saw and heard nothing, so that it is certain that - young Saltire did not pass out that way. His window was open, and - there is a stout ivy plant leading to the ground. We could trace - no footmarks below, but it is sure that this is the only possible - exit. - - “His absence was discovered at seven o’clock on Tuesday morning. - His bed had been slept in. He had dressed himself fully, before - going off, in his usual school suit of black Eton jacket and dark - grey trousers. There were no signs that anyone had entered the - room, and it is quite certain that anything in the nature of - cries or a struggle would have been heard, since Caunter, the - elder boy in the inner room, is a very light sleeper. - - “When Lord Saltire’s disappearance was discovered, I at once - called a roll of the whole establishment—boys, masters, and - servants. It was then that we ascertained that Lord Saltire had - not been alone in his flight. Heidegger, the German master, was - missing. His room was on the second floor, at the farther end of - the building, facing the same way as Lord Saltire’s. His bed had - also been slept in, but he had apparently gone away partly - dressed, since his shirt and socks were lying on the floor. He - had undoubtedly let himself down by the ivy, for we could see the - marks of his feet where he had landed on the lawn. His bicycle - was kept in a small shed beside this lawn, and it also was gone. - - “He had been with me for two years, and came with the best - references, but he was a silent, morose man, not very popular - either with masters or boys. No trace could be found of the - fugitives, and now, on Thursday morning, we are as ignorant as we - were on Tuesday. Inquiry was, of course, made at once at - Holdernesse Hall. It is only a few miles away, and we imagined - that, in some sudden attack of homesickness, he had gone back to - his father, but nothing had been heard of him. The Duke is - greatly agitated, and, as to me, you have seen yourselves the - state of nervous prostration to which the suspense and the - responsibility have reduced me. Mr. Holmes, if ever you put - forward your full powers, I implore you to do so now, for never - in your life could you have a case which is more worthy of them.” - - Sherlock Holmes had listened with the utmost intentness to the - statement of the unhappy schoolmaster. His drawn brows and the - deep furrow between them showed that he needed no exhortation to - concentrate all his attention upon a problem which, apart from - the tremendous interests involved must appeal so directly to his - love of the complex and the unusual. He now drew out his notebook - and jotted down one or two memoranda. - - “You have been very remiss in not coming to me sooner,” said he, - severely. “You start me on my investigation with a very serious - handicap. It is inconceivable, for example, that this ivy and - this lawn would have yielded nothing to an expert observer.” - - “I am not to blame, Mr. Holmes. His Grace was extremely desirous - to avoid all public scandal. He was afraid of his family - unhappiness being dragged before the world. He has a deep horror - of anything of the kind.” - - “But there has been some official investigation?” - - “Yes, sir, and it has proved most disappointing. An apparent clue - was at once obtained, since a boy and a young man were reported - to have been seen leaving a neighbouring station by an early - train. Only last night we had news that the couple had been - hunted down in Liverpool, and they prove to have no connection - whatever with the matter in hand. Then it was that in my despair - and disappointment, after a sleepless night, I came straight to - you by the early train.” - - “I suppose the local investigation was relaxed while this false - clue was being followed up?” - - “It was entirely dropped.” - - “So that three days have been wasted. The affair has been most - deplorably handled.” - - “I feel it and admit it.” - - “And yet the problem should be capable of ultimate solution. I - shall be very happy to look into it. Have you been able to trace - any connection between the missing boy and this German master?” - - “None at all.” - - “Was he in the master’s class?” - - “No, he never exchanged a word with him, so far as I know.” - - “That is certainly very singular. Had the boy a bicycle?” - - “No.” - - “Was any other bicycle missing?” - - “No.” - - “Is that certain?” - - “Quite.” - - “Well, now, you do not mean to seriously suggest that this German - rode off upon a bicycle in the dead of the night, bearing the boy - in his arms?” - - “Certainly not.” - - “Then what is the theory in your mind?” - - “The bicycle may have been a blind. It may have been hidden - somewhere, and the pair gone off on foot.” - - “Quite so, but it seems rather an absurd blind, does it not? Were - there other bicycles in this shed?” - - “Several.” - - “Would he not have hidden _a couple_, had he desired to give the - idea that they had gone off upon them?” - - “I suppose he would.” - - “Of course he would. The blind theory won’t do. But the incident - is an admirable starting-point for an investigation. After all, a - bicycle is not an easy thing to conceal or to destroy. One other - question. Did anyone call to see the boy on the day before he - disappeared?” - - “No.” - - “Did he get any letters?” - - “Yes, one letter.” - - “From whom?” - - “From his father.” - - “Do you open the boys’ letters?” - - “No.” - - “How do you know it was from the father?” - - “The coat of arms was on the envelope, and it was addressed in - the Duke’s peculiar stiff hand. Besides, the Duke remembers - having written.” - - “When had he a letter before that?” - - “Not for several days.” - - “Had he ever one from France?” - - “No, never. - - “You see the point of my questions, of course. Either the boy was - carried off by force or he went of his own free will. In the - latter case, you would expect that some prompting from outside - would be needed to make so young a lad do such a thing. If he has - had no visitors, that prompting must have come in letters; hence - I try to find out who were his correspondents.” - - “I fear I cannot help you much. His only correspondent, so far as - I know, was his own father.” - - “Who wrote to him on the very day of his disappearance. Were the - relations between father and son very friendly?” - - “His Grace is never very friendly with anyone. He is completely - immersed in large public questions, and is rather inaccessible to - all ordinary emotions. But he was always kind to the boy in his - own way.” - - “But the sympathies of the latter were with the mother?” - - “Yes.” - - “Did he say so?” - - “No.” - - “The Duke, then?” - - “Good Heavens, no!” - - “Then how could you know?” - - “I have had some confidential talks with Mr. James Wilder, his - Grace’s secretary. It was he who gave me the information about - Lord Saltire’s feelings.” - - “I see. By the way, that last letter of the Duke’s—was it found - in the boy’s room after he was gone?” - - “No, he had taken it with him. I think, Mr. Holmes, it is time - that we were leaving for Euston.” - - “I will order a four-wheeler. In a quarter of an hour, we shall - be at your service. If you are telegraphing home, Mr. Huxtable, - it would be well to allow the people in your neighbourhood to - imagine that the inquiry is still going on in Liverpool, or - wherever else that red herring led your pack. In the meantime I - will do a little quiet work at your own doors, and perhaps the - scent is not so cold but that two old hounds like Watson and - myself may get a sniff of it.” - - That evening found us in the cold, bracing atmosphere of the Peak - country, in which Dr. Huxtable’s famous school is situated. It - was already dark when we reached it. A card was lying on the hall - table, and the butler whispered something to his master, who - turned to us with agitation in every heavy feature. - - “The Duke is here,” said he. “The Duke and Mr. Wilder are in the - study. Come, gentlemen, and I will introduce you.” - - I was, of course, familiar with the pictures of the famous - statesman, but the man himself was very different from his - representation. He was a tall and stately person, scrupulously - dressed, with a drawn, thin face, and a nose which was - grotesquely curved and long. His complexion was of a dead pallor, - which was more startling by contrast with a long, dwindling beard - of vivid red, which flowed down over his white waistcoat with his - watch-chain gleaming through its fringe. Such was the stately - presence who looked stonily at us from the centre of Dr. - Huxtable’s hearthrug. Beside him stood a very young man, whom I - understood to be Wilder, the private secretary. He was small, - nervous, alert with intelligent light-blue eyes and mobile - features. It was he who at once, in an incisive and positive - tone, opened the conversation. - - “I called this morning, Dr. Huxtable, too late to prevent you - from starting for London. I learned that your object was to - invite Mr. Sherlock Holmes to undertake the conduct of this case. - His Grace is surprised, Dr. Huxtable, that you should have taken - such a step without consulting him.” - - “When I learned that the police had failed——” - - “His Grace is by no means convinced that the police have failed.” - - “But surely, Mr. Wilder——” - - “You are well aware, Dr. Huxtable, that his Grace is particularly - anxious to avoid all public scandal. He prefers to take as few - people as possible into his confidence.” - - “The matter can be easily remedied,” said the brow-beaten doctor; - “Mr. Sherlock Holmes can return to London by the morning train.” - - “Hardly that, Doctor, hardly that,” said Holmes, in his blandest - voice. “This northern air is invigorating and pleasant, so I - propose to spend a few days upon your moors, and to occupy my - mind as best I may. Whether I have the shelter of your roof or of - the village inn is, of course, for you to decide.” - - I could see that the unfortunate doctor was in the last stage of - indecision, from which he was rescued by the deep, sonorous voice - of the red-bearded Duke, which boomed out like a dinner-gong. - - “I agree with Mr. Wilder, Dr. Huxtable, that you would have done - wisely to consult me. But since Mr. Holmes has already been taken - into your confidence, it would indeed be absurd that we should - not avail ourselves of his services. Far from going to the inn, - Mr. Holmes, I should be pleased if you would come and stay with - me at Holdernesse Hall.” - - “I thank your Grace. For the purposes of my investigation, I - think that it would be wiser for me to remain at the scene of the - mystery.” - - “Just as you like, Mr. Holmes. Any information which Mr. Wilder - or I can give you is, of course, at your disposal.” - - “It will probably be necessary for me to see you at the Hall,” - said Holmes. “I would only ask you now, sir, whether you have - formed any explanation in your own mind as to the mysterious - disappearance of your son?” - - “No, sir, I have not.” - - “Excuse me if I allude to that which is painful to you, but I - have no alternative. Do you think that the Duchess had anything - to do with the matter?” - - The great minister showed perceptible hesitation. - - “I do not think so,” he said, at last. - - “The other most obvious explanation is that the child has been - kidnapped for the purpose of levying ransom. You have not had any - demand of the sort?” - - “No, sir.” - - “One more question, your Grace. I understand that you wrote to - your son upon the day when this incident occurred.” - - “No, I wrote upon the day before.” - - “Exactly. But he received it on that day?” - - “Yes.” - - “Was there anything in your letter which might have unbalanced - him or induced him to take such a step?” - - “No, sir, certainly not.” - - “Did you post that letter yourself?” - - The nobleman’s reply was interrupted by his secretary, who broke - in with some heat. - - “His Grace is not in the habit of posting letters himself,” said - he. “This letter was laid with others upon the study table, and I - myself put them in the post-bag.” - - “You are sure this one was among them?” - - “Yes, I observed it.” - - “How many letters did your Grace write that day?” - - “Twenty or thirty. I have a large correspondence. But surely this - is somewhat irrelevant?” - - “Not entirely,” said Holmes. - - “For my own part,” the Duke continued, “I have advised the police - to turn their attention to the south of France. I have already - said that I do not believe that the Duchess would encourage so - monstrous an action, but the lad had the most wrong-headed - opinions, and it is possible that he may have fled to her, aided - and abetted by this German. I think, Dr. Huxtable, that we will - now return to the Hall.” - - I could see that there were other questions which Holmes would - have wished to put, but the nobleman’s abrupt manner showed that - the interview was at an end. It was evident that to his intensely - aristocratic nature this discussion of his intimate family - affairs with a stranger was most abhorrent, and that he feared - lest every fresh question would throw a fiercer light into the - discreetly shadowed corners of his ducal history. - - When the nobleman and his secretary had left, my friend flung - himself at once with characteristic eagerness into the - investigation. - - The boy’s chamber was carefully examined, and yielded nothing - save the absolute conviction that it was only through the window - that he could have escaped. The German master’s room and effects - gave no further clue. In his case a trailer of ivy had given way - under his weight, and we saw by the light of a lantern the mark - on the lawn where his heels had come down. That one dint in the - short, green grass was the only material witness left of this - inexplicable nocturnal flight. - - Sherlock Holmes left the house alone, and only returned after - eleven. He had obtained a large ordnance map of the - neighbourhood, and this he brought into my room, where he laid it - out on the bed, and, having balanced the lamp in the middle of - it, he began to smoke over it, and occasionally to point out - objects of interest with the reeking amber of his pipe. - - “This case grows upon me, Watson,” said he. “There are decidedly - some points of interest in connection with it. In this early - stage, I want you to realize those geographical features which - may have a good deal to do with our investigation. - - Holmes'-map - - HOLMES’ MAP OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF THE SCHOOL. - - “Look at this map. This dark square is the Priory School. I’ll - put a pin in it. Now, this line is the main road. You see that it - runs east and west past the school, and you see also that there - is no side road for a mile either way. If these two folk passed - away by road, it was _this_ road.” - - “Exactly.” - - “By a singular and happy chance, we are able to some extent to - check what passed along this road during the night in question. - At this point, where my pipe is now resting, a county constable - was on duty from twelve to six. It is, as you perceive, the first - cross-road on the east side. This man declares that he was not - absent from his post for an instant, and he is positive that - neither boy nor man could have gone that way unseen. I have - spoken with this policeman to-night and he appears to me to be a - perfectly reliable person. That blocks this end. We have now to - deal with the other. There is an inn here, the Red Bull, the - landlady of which was ill. She had sent to Mackleton for a - doctor, but he did not arrive until morning, being absent at - another case. The people at the inn were alert all night, - awaiting his coming, and one or other of them seems to have - continually had an eye upon the road. They declare that no one - passed. If their evidence is good, then we are fortunate enough - to be able to block the west, and also to be able to say that the - fugitives did _not_ use the road at all.” - - “But the bicycle?” I objected. - - “Quite so. We will come to the bicycle presently. To continue our - reasoning: if these people did not go by the road, they must have - traversed the country to the north of the house or to the south - of the house. That is certain. Let us weigh the one against the - other. On the south of the house is, as you perceive, a large - district of arable land, cut up into small fields, with stone - walls between them. There, I admit that a bicycle is impossible. - We can dismiss the idea. We turn to the country on the north. - Here there lies a grove of trees, marked as the ‘Ragged Shaw,’ - and on the farther side stretches a great rolling moor, Lower - Gill Moor, extending for ten miles and sloping gradually upward. - Here, at one side of this wilderness, is Holdernesse Hall, ten - miles by road, but only six across the moor. It is a peculiarly - desolate plain. A few moor farmers have small holdings, where - they rear sheep and cattle. Except these, the plover and the - curlew are the only inhabitants until you come to the - Chesterfield high road. There is a church there, you see, a few - cottages, and an inn. Beyond that the hills become precipitous. - Surely it is here to the north that our quest must lie.” - - “But the bicycle?” I persisted. - - “Well, well!” said Holmes, impatiently. “A good cyclist does not - need a high road. The moor is intersected with paths, and the - moon was at the full. Halloa! what is this?” - - There was an agitated knock at the door, and an instant - afterwards Dr. Huxtable was in the room. In his hand he held a - blue cricket-cap with a white chevron on the peak. - - “At last we have a clue!” he cried. “Thank heaven! at last we are - on the dear boy’s track! It is his cap.” - - “Where was it found?” - - “In the van of the gipsies who camped on the moor. They left on - Tuesday. To-day the police traced them down and examined their - caravan. This was found.” - - “How do they account for it?” - - “They shuffled and lied—said that they found it on the moor on - Tuesday morning. They know where he is, the rascals! Thank - goodness, they are all safe under lock and key. Either the fear - of the law or the Duke’s purse will certainly get out of them all - that they know.” - - “So far, so good,” said Holmes, when the doctor had at last left - the room. “It at least bears out the theory that it is on the - side of the Lower Gill Moor that we must hope for results. The - police have really done nothing locally, save the arrest of these - gipsies. Look here, Watson! There is a watercourse across the - moor. You see it marked here in the map. In some parts it widens - into a morass. This is particularly so in the region between - Holdernesse Hall and the school. It is vain to look elsewhere for - tracks in this dry weather, but at _that_ point there is - certainly a chance of some record being left. I will call you - early to-morrow morning, and you and I will try if we can throw - some little light upon the mystery.” - - The day was just breaking when I woke to find the long, thin form - of Holmes by my bedside. He was fully dressed, and had apparently - already been out. - - “I have done the lawn and the bicycle shed,” said he. “I have - also had a rumble through the Ragged Shaw. Now, Watson, there is - cocoa ready in the next room. I must beg you to hurry, for we - have a great day before us.” - - His eyes shone, and his cheek was flushed with the exhilaration - of the master workman who sees his work lie ready before him. A - very different Holmes, this active, alert man, from the - introspective and pallid dreamer of Baker Street. I felt, as I - looked upon that supple figure, alive with nervous energy, that - it was indeed a strenuous day that awaited us. - - And yet it opened in the blackest disappointment. With high hopes - we struck across the peaty, russet moor, intersected with a - thousand sheep paths, until we came to the broad, light-green - belt which marked the morass between us and Holdernesse. - Certainly, if the lad had gone homeward, he must have passed - this, and he could not pass it without leaving his traces. But no - sign of him or the German could be seen. With a darkening face my - friend strode along the margin, eagerly observant of every muddy - stain upon the mossy surface. Sheep-marks there were in - profusion, and at one place, some miles down, cows had left their - tracks. Nothing more. - - “Check number one,” said Holmes, looking gloomily over the - rolling expanse of the moor. “There is another morass down - yonder, and a narrow neck between. Halloa! halloa! halloa! what - have we here?” - - We had come on a small black ribbon of pathway. In the middle of - it, clearly marked on the sodden soil, was the track of a - bicycle. - - “Hurrah!” I cried. “We have it.” - - But Holmes was shaking his head, and his face was puzzled and - expectant rather than joyous. - - “A bicycle, certainly, but not _the_ bicycle,” said he. “I am - familiar with forty-two different impressions left by tires. - This, as you perceive, is a Dunlop, with a patch upon the outer - cover. Heidegger’s tires were Palmer’s, leaving longitudinal - stripes. Aveling, the mathematical master, was sure upon the - point. Therefore, it is not Heidegger’s track.” - - “The boy’s, then?” - - “Possibly, if we could prove a bicycle to have been in his - possession. But this we have utterly failed to do. This track, as - you perceive, was made by a rider who was going from the - direction of the school.” - - “Or towards it?” - - “No, no, my dear Watson. The more deeply sunk impression is, of - course, the hind wheel, upon which the weight rests. You perceive - several places where it has passed across and obliterated the - more shallow mark of the front one. It was undoubtedly heading - away from the school. It may or may not be connected with our - inquiry, but we will follow it backwards before we go any - farther.” - - We did so, and at the end of a few hundred yards lost the tracks - as we emerged from the boggy portion of the moor. Following the - path backwards, we picked out another spot, where a spring - trickled across it. Here, once again, was the mark of the - bicycle, though nearly obliterated by the hoofs of cows. After - that there was no sign, but the path ran right on into Ragged - Shaw, the wood which backed on to the school. From this wood the - cycle must have emerged. Holmes sat down on a boulder and rested - his chin in his hands. I had smoked two cigarettes before he - moved. - - “Well, well,” said he, at last. “It is, of course, possible that - a cunning man might change the tires of his bicycle in order to - leave unfamiliar tracks. A criminal who was capable of such a - thought is a man whom I should be proud to do business with. We - will leave this question undecided and hark back to our morass - again, for we have left a good deal unexplored.” - - We continued our systematic survey of the edge of the sodden - portion of the moor, and soon our perseverance was gloriously - rewarded. Right across the lower part of the bog lay a miry path. - Holmes gave a cry of delight as he approached it. An impression - like a fine bundle of telegraph wires ran down the centre of it. - It was the Palmer tires. - - “Here is Herr Heidegger, sure enough!” cried Holmes, exultantly. - “My reasoning seems to have been pretty sound, Watson.” - - “I congratulate you.” - - “But we have a long way still to go. Kindly walk clear of the - path. Now let us follow the trail. I fear that it will not lead - very far.” - - We found, however, as we advanced that this portion of the moor - is intersected with soft patches, and, though we frequently lost - sight of the track, we always succeeded in picking it up once - more. - - “Do you observe,” said Holmes, “that the rider is now undoubtedly - forcing the pace? There can be no doubt of it. Look at this - impression, where you get both tires clear. The one is as deep as - the other. That can only mean that the rider is throwing his - weight on to the handle-bar, as a man does when he is sprinting. - By Jove! he has had a fall.” - - There was a broad, irregular smudge covering some yards of the - track. Then there were a few footmarks, and the tire reappeared - once more. - - “A side-slip,” I suggested. - - Holmes held up a crumpled branch of flowering gorse. To my horror - I perceived that the yellow blossoms were all dabbled with - crimson. On the path, too, and among the heather were dark stains - of clotted blood. - - “Bad!” said Holmes. “Bad! Stand clear, Watson! Not an unnecessary - footstep! What do I read here? He fell wounded—he stood up—he - remounted—he proceeded. But there is no other track. Cattle on - this side path. He was surely not gored by a bull? Impossible! - But I see no traces of anyone else. We must push on, Watson. - Surely, with stains as well as the track to guide us, he cannot - escape us now.” - - Our search was not a very long one. The tracks of the tire began - to curve fantastically upon the wet and shining path. Suddenly, - as I looked ahead, the gleam of metal caught my eye from amid the - thick gorse-bushes. Out of them we dragged a bicycle, - Palmer-tired, one pedal bent, and the whole front of it horribly - smeared and slobbered with blood. On the other side of the bushes - a shoe was projecting. We ran round, and there lay the - unfortunate rider. He was a tall man, full-bearded, with - spectacles, one glass of which had been knocked out. The cause of - his death was a frightful blow upon the head, which had crushed - in part of his skull. That he could have gone on after receiving - such an injury said much for the vitality and courage of the man. - He wore shoes, but no socks, and his open coat disclosed a - nightshirt beneath it. It was undoubtedly the German master. - - Holmes turned the body over reverently, and examined it with - great attention. He then sat in deep thought for a time, and I - could see by his ruffled brow that this grim discovery had not, - in his opinion, advanced us much in our inquiry. - - “It is a little difficult to know what to do, Watson,” said he, - at last. “My own inclinations are to push this inquiry on, for we - have already lost so much time that we cannot afford to waste - another hour. On the other hand, we are bound to inform the - police of the discovery, and to see that this poor fellow’s body - is looked after.” - - “I could take a note back.” - - “But I need your company and assistance. Wait a bit! There is a - fellow cutting peat up yonder. Bring him over here, and he will - guide the police.” - - I brought the peasant across, and Holmes dispatched the - frightened man with a note to Dr. Huxtable. - - “Now, Watson,” said he, “we have picked up two clues this - morning. One is the bicycle with the Palmer tire, and we see what - that has led to. The other is the bicycle with the patched - Dunlop. Before we start to investigate that, let us try to - realize what we _do_ know, so as to make the most of it, and to - separate the essential from the accidental.” - - “First of all, I wish to impress upon you that the boy certainly - left of his own free-will. He got down from his window and he - went off, either alone or with someone. That is sure.” - - I assented. - - “Well, now, let us turn to this unfortunate German master. The - boy was fully dressed when he fled. Therefore, he foresaw what he - would do. But the German went without his socks. He certainly - acted on very short notice.” - - “Undoubtedly.” - - “Why did he go? Because, from his bedroom window, he saw the - flight of the boy, because he wished to overtake him and bring - him back. He seized his bicycle, pursued the lad, and in pursuing - him met his death.” - - “So it would seem.” - - “Now I come to the critical part of my argument. The natural - action of a man in pursuing a little boy would be to run after - him. He would know that he could overtake him. But the German - does not do so. He turns to his bicycle. I am told that he was an - excellent cyclist. He would not do this, if he did not see that - the boy had some swift means of escape.” - - “The other bicycle.” - - “Let us continue our reconstruction. He meets his death five - miles from the school—not by a bullet, mark you, which even a lad - might conceivably discharge, but by a savage blow dealt by a - vigorous arm. The lad, then, _had_ a companion in his flight. And - the flight was a swift one, since it took five miles before an - expert cyclist could overtake them. Yet we survey the ground - round the scene of the tragedy. What do we find? A few - cattle-tracks, nothing more. I took a wide sweep round, and there - is no path within fifty yards. Another cyclist could have had - nothing to do with the actual murder, nor were there any human - foot-marks.” - - “Holmes,” I cried, “this is impossible.” - - “Admirable!” he said. “A most illuminating remark. It _is_ - impossible as I state it, and therefore I must in some respect - have stated it wrong. Yet you saw for yourself. Can you suggest - any fallacy?” - - “He could not have fractured his skull in a fall?” - - “In a morass, Watson?” - - “I am at my wits’ end.” - - “Tut, tut, we have solved some worse problems. At least we have - plenty of material, if we can only use it. Come, then, and, - having exhausted the Palmer, let us see what the Dunlop with the - patched cover has to offer us.” - - We picked up the track and followed it onward for some distance, - but soon the moor rose into a long, heather-tufted curve, and we - left the watercourse behind us. No further help from tracks could - be hoped for. At the spot where we saw the last of the Dunlop - tire it might equally have led to Holdernesse Hall, the stately - towers of which rose some miles to our left, or to a low, grey - village which lay in front of us and marked the position of the - Chesterfield high road. - - As we approached the forbidding and squalid inn, with the sign of - a game-cock above the door, Holmes gave a sudden groan, and - clutched me by the shoulder to save himself from falling. He had - had one of those violent strains of the ankle which leave a man - helpless. With difficulty he limped up to the door, where a - squat, dark, elderly man was smoking a black clay pipe. - - “How are you, Mr. Reuben Hayes?” said Holmes. - - “Who are you, and how do you get my name so pat?” the countryman - answered, with a suspicious flash of a pair of cunning eyes. - - “Well, it’s printed on the board above your head. It’s easy to - see a man who is master of his own house. I suppose you haven’t - such a thing as a carriage in your stables?” - - “No, I have not.” - - “I can hardly put my foot to the ground.” - - “Don’t put it to the ground.” - - “But I can’t walk.” - - “Well, then hop.” - - Mr. Reuben Hayes’s manner was far from gracious, but Holmes took - it with admirable good-humour. - - “Look here, my man,” said he. “This is really rather an awkward - fix for me. I don’t mind how I get on.” - - “Neither do I,” said the morose landlord. - - “The matter is very important. I would offer you a sovereign for - the use of a bicycle.” - - The landlord pricked up his ears. - - “Where do you want to go?” - - “To Holdernesse Hall.” - - “Pals of the Dook, I suppose?” said the landlord, surveying our - mud-stained garments with ironical eyes. - - Holmes laughed good-naturedly. - - “He’ll be glad to see us, anyhow.” - - “Why?” - - “Because we bring him news of his lost son.” - - The landlord gave a very visible start. - - “What, you’re on his track?” - - “He has been heard of in Liverpool. They expect to get him every - hour.” - - Again a swift change passed over the heavy, unshaven face. His - manner was suddenly genial. - - “I’ve less reason to wish the Dook well than most men,” said he, - “for I was head coachman once, and cruel bad he treated me. It - was him that sacked me without a character on the word of a lying - corn-chandler. But I’m glad to hear that the young lord was heard - of in Liverpool, and I’ll help you to take the news to the Hall.” - - “Thank you,” said Holmes. “We’ll have some food first. Then you - can bring round the bicycle.” - - “I haven’t got a bicycle.” - - Holmes held up a sovereign. - - “I tell you, man, that I haven’t got one. I’ll let you have two - horses as far as the Hall.” - - “Well, well,” said Holmes, “we’ll talk about it when we’ve had - something to eat.” - - When we were left alone in the stone-flagged kitchen, it was - astonishing how rapidly that sprained ankle recovered. It was - nearly nightfall, and we had eaten nothing since early morning, - so that we spent some time over our meal. Holmes was lost in - thought, and once or twice he walked over to the window and - stared earnestly out. It opened on to a squalid courtyard. In the - far corner was a smithy, where a grimy lad was at work. On the - other side were the stables. Holmes had sat down again after one - of these excursions, when he suddenly sprang out of his chair - with a loud exclamation. - - “By heaven, Watson, I believe that I’ve got it!” he cried. “Yes, - yes, it must be so. Watson, do you remember seeing any cow-tracks - to-day?” - - “Yes, several.” - - “Where?” - - “Well, everywhere. They were at the morass, and again on the - path, and again near where poor Heidegger met his death.” - - “Exactly. Well, now, Watson, how many cows did you see on the - moor?” - - “I don’t remember seeing any.” - - “Strange, Watson, that we should see tracks all along our line, - but never a cow on the whole moor. Very strange, Watson, eh?” - - “Yes, it is strange.” - - “Now, Watson, make an effort, throw your mind back. Can you see - those tracks upon the path?” - - “Yes, I can.” - - “Can you recall that the tracks were sometimes like that, - Watson,”—he arranged a number of breadcrumbs in this fashion—: : - : : :—“and sometimes like this”—: . : . : . : .—“and occasionally - like this”—.・.・.・. “Can you remember that?” - - “No, I cannot.” - - “But I can. I could swear to it. However, we will go back at our - leisure and verify it. What a blind beetle I have been, not to - draw my conclusion.” - - “And what is your conclusion?” - - “Only that it is a remarkable cow which walks, canters, and - gallops. By George! Watson, it was no brain of a country publican - that thought out such a blind as that. The coast seems to be - clear, save for that lad in the smithy. Let us slip out and see - what we can see.” - - There were two rough-haired, unkempt horses in the tumble-down - stable. Holmes raised the hind leg of one of them and laughed - aloud. - - “Old shoes, but newly shod—old shoes, but new nails. This case - deserves to be a classic. Let us go across to the smithy.” - - The lad continued his work without regarding us. I saw Holmes’s - eye darting to right and left among the litter of iron and wood - which was scattered about the floor. Suddenly, however, we heard - a step behind us, and there was the landlord, his heavy eyebrows - drawn over his savage eyes, his swarthy features convulsed with - passion. He held a short, metal-headed stick in his hand, and he - advanced in so menacing a fashion that I was right glad to feel - the revolver in my pocket. - - “You infernal spies!” the man cried. “What are you doing there?” - - “Why, Mr. Reuben Hayes,” said Holmes, coolly, “one might think - that you were afraid of our finding something out.” - - The man mastered himself with a violent effort, and his grim - mouth loosened into a false laugh, which was more menacing than - his frown. - - “You’re welcome to all you can find out in my smithy,” said he. - “But look here, mister, I don’t care for folk poking about my - place without my leave, so the sooner you pay your score and get - out of this the better I shall be pleased.” - - “All right, Mr. Hayes, no harm meant,” said Holmes. “We have been - having a look at your horses, but I think I’ll walk, after all. - It’s not far, I believe.” - - “Not more than two miles to the Hall gates. That’s the road to - the left.” He watched us with sullen eyes until we had left his - premises. - - We did not go very far along the road, for Holmes stopped the - instant that the curve hid us from the landlord’s view. - - “We were warm, as the children say, at that inn,” said he. “I - seem to grow colder every step that I take away from it. No, no, - I can’t possibly leave it.” - - “I am convinced,” said I, “that this Reuben Hayes knows all about - it. A more self-evident villain I never saw.” - - “Oh! he impressed you in that way, did he? There are the horses, - there is the smithy. Yes, it is an interesting place, this - Fighting Cock. I think we shall have another look at it in an - unobtrusive way.” - - A long, sloping hillside, dotted with grey limestone boulders, - stretched behind us. We had turned off the road, and were making - our way up the hill, when, looking in the direction of - Holdernesse Hall, I saw a cyclist coming swiftly along. - - “Get down, Watson!” cried Holmes, with a heavy hand upon my - shoulder. We had hardly sunk from view when the man flew past us - on the road. Amid a rolling cloud of dust, I caught a glimpse of - a pale, agitated face—a face with horror in every lineament, the - mouth open, the eyes staring wildly in front. It was like some - strange caricature of the dapper James Wilder whom we had seen - the night before. - - “The Duke’s secretary!” cried Holmes. “Come, Watson, let us see - what he does.” - - We scrambled from rock to rock, until in a few moments we had - made our way to a point from which we could see the front door of - the inn. Wilder’s bicycle was leaning against the wall beside it. - No one was moving about the house, nor could we catch a glimpse - of any faces at the windows. Slowly the twilight crept down as - the sun sank behind the high towers of Holdernesse Hall. Then, in - the gloom, we saw the two side-lamps of a trap light up in the - stable-yard of the inn, and shortly afterwards heard the rattle - of hoofs, as it wheeled out into the road and tore off at a - furious pace in the direction of Chesterfield. - - “What do you make of that, Watson?” Holmes whispered. - - “It looks like a flight.” - - “A single man in a dog-cart, so far as I could see. Well, it - certainly was not Mr. James Wilder, for there he is at the door.” - - A red square of light had sprung out of the darkness. In the - middle of it was the black figure of the secretary, his head - advanced, peering out into the night. It was evident that he was - expecting someone. Then at last there were steps in the road, a - second figure was visible for an instant against the light, the - door shut, and all was black once more. Five minutes later a lamp - was lit in a room upon the first floor. - - “It seems to be a curious class of custom that is done by the - Fighting Cock,” said Holmes. - - “The bar is on the other side.” - - “Quite so. These are what one may call the private guests. Now, - what in the world is Mr. James Wilder doing in that den at this - hour of night, and who is the companion who comes to meet him - there? Come, Watson, we must really take a risk and try to - investigate this a little more closely.” - - Together we stole down to the road and crept across to the door - of the inn. The bicycle still leaned against the wall. Holmes - struck a match and held it to the back wheel, and I heard him - chuckle as the light fell upon a patched Dunlop tire. Up above us - was the lighted window. - - “I must have a peep through that, Watson. If you bend your back - and support yourself upon the wall, I think that I can manage.” - - An instant later, his feet were on my shoulders, but he was - hardly up before he was down again. - - “Come, my friend,” said he, “our day’s work has been quite long - enough. I think that we have gathered all that we can. It’s a - long walk to the school, and the sooner we get started the - better.” - - He hardly opened his lips during that weary trudge across the - moor, nor would he enter the school when he reached it, but went - on to Mackleton Station, whence he could send some telegrams. - Late at night I heard him consoling Dr. Huxtable, prostrated by - the tragedy of his master’s death, and later still he entered my - room as alert and vigorous as he had been when he started in the - morning. “All goes well, my friend,” said he. “I promise that - before to-morrow evening we shall have reached the solution of - the mystery.” - - At eleven o’clock next morning my friend and I were walking up - the famous yew avenue of Holdernesse Hall. We were ushered - through the magnificent Elizabethan doorway and into his Grace’s - study. There we found Mr. James Wilder, demure and courtly, but - with some trace of that wild terror of the night before still - lurking in his furtive eyes and in his twitching features. - - “You have come to see his Grace? I am sorry, but the fact is that - the Duke is far from well. He has been very much upset by the - tragic news. We received a telegram from Dr. Huxtable yesterday - afternoon, which told us of your discovery.” - - “I must see the Duke, Mr. Wilder.” - - “But he is in his room.” - - “Then I must go to his room.” - - “I believe he is in his bed.” - - “I will see him there.” - - Holmes’s cold and inexorable manner showed the secretary that it - was useless to argue with him. - - “Very good, Mr. Holmes, I will tell him that you are here.” - - After an hour’s delay, the great nobleman appeared. His face was - more cadaverous than ever, his shoulders had rounded, and he - seemed to me to be an altogether older man than he had been the - morning before. He greeted us with a stately courtesy and seated - himself at his desk, his red beard streaming down on the table. - - “Well, Mr. Holmes?” said he. - - But my friend’s eyes were fixed upon the secretary, who stood by - his master’s chair. - - “I think, your Grace, that I could speak more freely in Mr. - Wilder’s absence.” - - The man turned a shade paler and cast a malignant glance at - Holmes. - - “If your Grace wishes——” - - “Yes, yes, you had better go. Now, Mr. Holmes, what have you to - say?” - - My friend waited until the door had closed behind the retreating - secretary. - - “The fact is, your Grace,” said he, “that my colleague, Dr. - Watson, and myself had an assurance from Dr. Huxtable that a - reward had been offered in this case. I should like to have this - confirmed from your own lips.” - - “Certainly, Mr. Holmes.” - - “It amounted, if I am correctly informed, to five thousand pounds - to anyone who will tell you where your son is?” - - “Exactly.” - - “And another thousand to the man who will name the person or - persons who keep him in custody?” - - “Exactly.” - - “Under the latter heading is included, no doubt, not only those - who may have taken him away, but also those who conspire to keep - him in his present position?” - - “Yes, yes,” cried the Duke, impatiently. “If you do your work - well, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, you will have no reason to complain of - niggardly treatment.” - - My friend rubbed his thin hands together with an appearance of - avidity which was a surprise to me, who knew his frugal tastes. - - “I fancy that I see your Grace’s check-book upon the table,” said - he. “I should be glad if you would make me out a check for six - thousand pounds. It would be as well, perhaps, for you to cross - it. The Capital and Counties Bank, Oxford Street branch are my - agents.” - - His Grace sat very stern and upright in his chair and looked - stonily at my friend. - - “Is this a joke, Mr. Holmes? It is hardly a subject for - pleasantry.” - - “Not at all, your Grace. I was never more earnest in my life.” - - “What do you mean, then?” - - “I mean that I have earned the reward. I know where your son is, - and I know some, at least, of those who are holding him.” - - The Duke’s beard had turned more aggressively red than ever - against his ghastly white face. - - “Where is he?” he gasped. - - “He is, or was last night, at the Fighting Cock Inn, about two - miles from your park gate.” - - The Duke fell back in his chair. - - “And whom do you accuse?” - - Sherlock Holmes’s answer was an astounding one. He stepped - swiftly forward and touched the Duke upon the shoulder. - - “I accuse _you_,” said he. “And now, your Grace, I’ll trouble you - for that check.” - - Never shall I forget the Duke’s appearance as he sprang up and - clawed with his hands, like one who is sinking into an abyss. - Then, with an extraordinary effort of aristocratic self-command, - he sat down and sank his face in his hands. It was some minutes - before he spoke. - - “How much do you know?” he asked at last, without raising his - head. - - “I saw you together last night.” - - “Does anyone else beside your friend know?” - - “I have spoken to no one.” - - The Duke took a pen in his quivering fingers and opened his - check-book. - - “I shall be as good as my word, Mr. Holmes. I am about to write - your check, however unwelcome the information which you have - gained may be to me. When the offer was first made, I little - thought the turn which events might take. But you and your friend - are men of discretion, Mr. Holmes?” - - “I hardly understand your Grace.” - - “I must put it plainly, Mr. Holmes. If only you two know of this - incident, there is no reason why it should go any farther. I - think twelve thousand pounds is the sum that I owe you, is it - not?” - - But Holmes smiled and shook his head. - - “I fear, your Grace, that matters can hardly be arranged so - easily. There is the death of this schoolmaster to be accounted - for.” - - “But James knew nothing of that. You cannot hold him responsible - for that. It was the work of this brutal ruffian whom he had the - misfortune to employ.” - - “I must take the view, your Grace, that when a man embarks upon a - crime, he is morally guilty of any other crime which may spring - from it.” - - “Morally, Mr. Holmes. No doubt you are right. But surely not in - the eyes of the law. A man cannot be condemned for a murder at - which he was not present, and which he loathes and abhors as much - as you do. The instant that he heard of it he made a complete - confession to me, so filled was he with horror and remorse. He - lost not an hour in breaking entirely with the murderer. Oh, Mr. - Holmes, you must save him—you must save him! I tell you that you - must save him!” The Duke had dropped the last attempt at - self-command, and was pacing the room with a convulsed face and - with his clenched hands raving in the air. At last he mastered - himself and sat down once more at his desk. “I appreciate your - conduct in coming here before you spoke to anyone else,” said he. - “At least, we may take counsel how far we can minimize this - hideous scandal.” - - “Exactly,” said Holmes. “I think, your Grace, that this can only - be done by absolute frankness between us. I am disposed to help - your Grace to the best of my ability, but, in order to do so, I - must understand to the last detail how the matter stands. I - realize that your words applied to Mr. James Wilder, and that he - is not the murderer.” - - “No, the murderer has escaped.” - - Sherlock Holmes smiled demurely. - - “Your Grace can hardly have heard of any small reputation which I - possess, or you would not imagine that it is so easy to escape - me. Mr. Reuben Hayes was arrested at Chesterfield, on my - information, at eleven o’clock last night. I had a telegram from - the head of the local police before I left the school this - morning.” - - The Duke leaned back in his chair and stared with amazement at my - friend. - - “You seem to have powers that are hardly human,” said he. “So - Reuben Hayes is taken? I am right glad to hear it, if it will not - react upon the fate of James.” - - “Your secretary?” - - “No, sir, my son.” - - It was Holmes’s turn to look astonished. - - “I confess that this is entirely new to me, your Grace. I must - beg you to be more explicit.” - - “I will conceal nothing from you. I agree with you that complete - frankness, however painful it may be to me, is the best policy in - this desperate situation to which James’s folly and jealousy have - reduced us. When I was a very young man, Mr. Holmes, I loved with - such a love as comes only once in a lifetime. I offered the lady - marriage, but she refused it on the grounds that such a match - might mar my career. Had she lived, I would certainly never have - married anyone else. She died, and left this one child, whom for - her sake I have cherished and cared for. I could not acknowledge - the paternity to the world, but I gave him the best of - educations, and since he came to manhood I have kept him near my - person. He surmised my secret, and has presumed ever since upon - the claim which he has upon me, and upon his power of provoking a - scandal which would be abhorrent to me. His presence had - something to do with the unhappy issue of my marriage. Above all, - he hated my young legitimate heir from the first with a - persistent hatred. You may well ask me why, under these - circumstances, I still kept James under my roof. I answer that it - was because I could see his mother’s face in his, and that for - her dear sake there was no end to my long-suffering. All her - pretty ways too—there was not one of them which he could not - suggest and bring back to my memory. I _could_ not send him away. - But I feared so much lest he should do Arthur—that is, Lord - Saltire—a mischief, that I dispatched him for safety to Dr. - Huxtable’s school. - - “James came into contact with this fellow Hayes, because the man - was a tenant of mine, and James acted as agent. The fellow was a - rascal from the beginning, but, in some extraordinary way, James - became intimate with him. He had always a taste for low company. - When James determined to kidnap Lord Saltire, it was of this - man’s service that he availed himself. You remember that I wrote - to Arthur upon that last day. Well, James opened the letter and - inserted a note asking Arthur to meet him in a little wood called - the Ragged Shaw, which is near to the school. He used the - Duchess’s name, and in that way got the boy to come. That evening - James bicycled over—I am telling you what he has himself - confessed to me—and he told Arthur, whom he met in the wood, that - his mother longed to see him, that she was awaiting him on the - moor, and that if he would come back into the wood at midnight he - would find a man with a horse, who would take him to her. Poor - Arthur fell into the trap. He came to the appointment, and found - this fellow Hayes with a led pony. Arthur mounted, and they set - off together. It appears—though this James only heard - yesterday—that they were pursued, that Hayes struck the pursuer - with his stick, and that the man died of his injuries. Hayes - brought Arthur to his public-house, the Fighting Cock, where he - was confined in an upper room, under the care of Mrs. Hayes, who - is a kindly woman, but entirely under the control of her brutal - husband. - - “Well, Mr. Holmes, that was the state of affairs when I first saw - you two days ago. I had no more idea of the truth than you. You - will ask me what was James’s motive in doing such a deed. I - answer that there was a great deal which was unreasoning and - fanatical in the hatred which he bore my heir. In his view he - should himself have been heir of all my estates, and he deeply - resented those social laws which made it impossible. At the same - time, he had a definite motive also. He was eager that I should - break the entail, and he was of opinion that it lay in my power - to do so. He intended to make a bargain with me—to restore Arthur - if I would break the entail, and so make it possible for the - estate to be left to him by will. He knew well that I should - never willingly invoke the aid of the police against him. I say - that he would have proposed such a bargain to me, but he did not - actually do so, for events moved too quickly for him, and he had - not time to put his plans into practice. - - “What brought all his wicked scheme to wreck was your discovery - of this man Heidegger’s dead body. James was seized with horror - at the news. It came to us yesterday, as we sat together in this - study. Dr. Huxtable had sent a telegram. James was so overwhelmed - with grief and agitation that my suspicions, which had never been - entirely absent, rose instantly to a certainty, and I taxed him - with the deed. He made a complete voluntary confession. Then he - implored me to keep his secret for three days longer, so as to - give his wretched accomplice a chance of saving his guilty life. - I yielded—as I have always yielded—to his prayers, and instantly - James hurried off to the Fighting Cock to warn Hayes and give him - the means of flight. I could not go there by daylight without - provoking comment, but as soon as night fell I hurried off to see - my dear Arthur. I found him safe and well, but horrified beyond - expression by the dreadful deed he had witnessed. In deference to - my promise, and much against my will, I consented to leave him - there for three days, under the charge of Mrs. Hayes, since it - was evident that it was impossible to inform the police where he - was without telling them also who was the murderer, and I could - not see how that murderer could be punished without ruin to my - unfortunate James. You asked for frankness, Mr. Holmes, and I - have taken you at your word, for I have now told you everything - without an attempt at circumlocution or concealment. Do you in - turn be as frank with me.” - - “I will,” said Holmes. “In the first place, your Grace, I am - bound to tell you that you have placed yourself in a most serious - position in the eyes of the law. You have condoned a felony, and - you have aided the escape of a murderer, for I cannot doubt that - any money which was taken by James Wilder to aid his accomplice - in his flight came from your Grace’s purse.” - - The Duke bowed his assent. - - “This is, indeed, a most serious matter. Even more culpable in my - opinion, your Grace, is your attitude towards your younger son. - You leave him in this den for three days.” - - “Under solemn promises——” - - “What are promises to such people as these? You have no guarantee - that he will not be spirited away again. To humour your guilty - elder son, you have exposed your innocent younger son to imminent - and unnecessary danger. It was a most unjustifiable action.” - - The proud lord of Holdernesse was not accustomed to be so rated - in his own ducal hall. The blood flushed into his high forehead, - but his conscience held him dumb. - - “I will help you, but on one condition only. It is that you ring - for the footman and let me give such orders as I like.” - - Without a word, the Duke pressed the electric bell. A servant - entered. - - “You will be glad to hear,” said Holmes, “that your young master - is found. It is the Duke’s desire that the carriage shall go at - once to the Fighting Cock Inn to bring Lord Saltire home. - - “Now,” said Holmes, when the rejoicing lackey had disappeared, - “having secured the future, we can afford to be more lenient with - the past. I am not in an official position, and there is no - reason, so long as the ends of justice are served, why I should - disclose all that I know. As to Hayes, I say nothing. The gallows - awaits him, and I would do nothing to save him from it. What he - will divulge I cannot tell, but I have no doubt that your Grace - could make him understand that it is to his interest to be - silent. From the police point of view he will have kidnapped the - boy for the purpose of ransom. If they do not themselves find it - out, I see no reason why I should prompt them to take a broader - point of view. I would warn your Grace, however, that the - continued presence of Mr. James Wilder in your household can only - lead to misfortune.” - - “I understand that, Mr. Holmes, and it is already settled that he - shall leave me forever, and go to seek his fortune in Australia.” - - “In that case, your Grace, since you have yourself stated that - any unhappiness in your married life was caused by his presence, I - would suggest that you make such amends as you can to the - Duchess, and that you try to resume those relations which have - been so unhappily interrupted.” - - “That also I have arranged, Mr. Holmes. I wrote to the Duchess - this morning.” - - “In that case,” said Holmes, rising, “I think that my friend and - I can congratulate ourselves upon several most happy results from - our little visit to the North. There is one other small point - upon which I desire some light. This fellow Hayes had shod his - horses with shoes which counterfeited the tracks of cows. Was it - from Mr. Wilder that he learned so extraordinary a device?” - - The Duke stood in thought for a moment, with a look of intense - surprise on his face. Then he opened a door and showed us into a - large room furnished as a museum. He led the way to a glass case - in a corner, and pointed to the inscription. - - “These shoes,” it ran, “were dug up in the moat of Holdernesse - Hall. They are for the use of horses, but they are shaped below - with a cloven foot of iron, so as to throw pursuers off the - track. They are supposed to have belonged to some of the - marauding Barons of Holdernesse in the Middle Ages.” - - Holmes opened the case, and moistening his finger he passed it - along the shoe. A thin film of recent mud was left upon his skin. - - “Thank you,” said he, as he replaced the glass. “It is the second - most interesting object that I have seen in the North.” - - “And the first?” - - Holmes folded up his check and placed it carefully in his - notebook. “I am a poor man,” said he, as he patted it - affectionately, and thrust it into the depths of his inner - pocket. - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF BLACK PETER - - - I have never known my friend to be in better form, both mental - and physical, than in the year ’95. His increasing fame had - brought with it an immense practice, and I should be guilty of an - indiscretion if I were even to hint at the identity of some of - the illustrious clients who crossed our humble threshold in Baker - Street. Holmes, however, like all great artists, lived for his - art’s sake, and, save in the case of the Duke of Holdernesse, I - have seldom known him claim any large reward for his inestimable - services. So unworldly was he—or so capricious—that he frequently - refused his help to the powerful and wealthy where the problem - made no appeal to his sympathies, while he would devote weeks of - most intense application to the affairs of some humble client - whose case presented those strange and dramatic qualities which - appealed to his imagination and challenged his ingenuity. - - In this memorable year ’95, a curious and incongruous succession - of cases had engaged his attention, ranging from his famous - investigation of the sudden death of Cardinal Tosca—an inquiry - which was carried out by him at the express desire of His - Holiness the Pope—down to his arrest of Wilson, the notorious - canary-trainer, which removed a plague-spot from the East End of - London. Close on the heels of these two famous cases came the - tragedy of Woodman’s Lee, and the very obscure circumstances - which surrounded the death of Captain Peter Carey. No record of - the doings of Mr. Sherlock Holmes would be complete which did not - include some account of this very unusual affair. - - During the first week of July, my friend had been absent so often - and so long from our lodgings that I knew he had something on - hand. The fact that several rough-looking men called during that - time and inquired for Captain Basil made me understand that - Holmes was working somewhere under one of the numerous disguises - and names with which he concealed his own formidable identity. He - had at least five small refuges in different parts of London, in - which he was able to change his personality. He said nothing of - his business to me, and it was not my habit to force a - confidence. The first positive sign which he gave me of the - direction which his investigation was taking was an extraordinary - one. He had gone out before breakfast, and I had sat down to mine - when he strode into the room, his hat upon his head and a huge - barbed-headed spear tucked like an umbrella under his arm. - - “Good gracious, Holmes!” I cried. “You don’t mean to say that you - have been walking about London with that thing?” - - “I drove to the butcher’s and back.” - - “The butcher’s?” - - “And I return with an excellent appetite. There can be no - question, my dear Watson, of the value of exercise before - breakfast. But I am prepared to bet that you will not guess the - form that my exercise has taken.” - - “I will not attempt it.” - - He chuckled as he poured out the coffee. - - “If you could have looked into Allardyce’s back shop, you would - have seen a dead pig swung from a hook in the ceiling, and a - gentleman in his shirt sleeves furiously stabbing at it with this - weapon. I was that energetic person, and I have satisfied myself - that by no exertion of my strength can I transfix the pig with a - single blow. Perhaps you would care to try?” - - “Not for worlds. But why were you doing this?” - - “Because it seemed to me to have an indirect bearing upon the - mystery of Woodman’s Lee. Ah, Hopkins, I got your wire last - night, and I have been expecting you. Come and join us.” - - Our visitor was an exceedingly alert man, thirty years of age, - dressed in a quiet tweed suit, but retaining the erect bearing of - one who was accustomed to official uniform. I recognized him at - once as Stanley Hopkins, a young police inspector, for whose - future Holmes had high hopes, while he in turn professed the - admiration and respect of a pupil for the scientific methods of - the famous amateur. Hopkins’s brow was clouded, and he sat down - with an air of deep dejection. - - “No, thank you, sir. I breakfasted before I came round. I spent - the night in town, for I came up yesterday to report.” - - “And what had you to report?” - - “Failure, sir, absolute failure.” - - “You have made no progress?” - - “None.” - - “Dear me! I must have a look at the matter.” - - “I wish to heavens that you would, Mr. Holmes. It’s my first big - chance, and I am at my wits’ end. For goodness’ sake, come down - and lend me a hand.” - - “Well, well, it just happens that I have already read all the - available evidence, including the report of the inquest, with - some care. By the way, what do you make of that tobacco pouch, - found on the scene of the crime? Is there no clue there?” - - Hopkins looked surprised. - - “It was the man’s own pouch, sir. His initials were inside it. - And it was of sealskin,—and he was an old sealer.” - - “But he had no pipe.” - - “No, sir, we could find no pipe. Indeed, he smoked very little, - and yet he might have kept some tobacco for his friends.” - - “No doubt. I only mention it because, if I had been handling the - case, I should have been inclined to make that the starting-point - of my investigation. However, my friend, Dr. Watson, knows - nothing of this matter, and I should be none the worse for - hearing the sequence of events once more. Just give us some short - sketches of the essentials.” - - Stanley Hopkins drew a slip of paper from his pocket. - - “I have a few dates here which will give you the career of the - dead man, Captain Peter Carey. He was born in ’45—fifty years of - age. He was a most daring and successful seal and whale fisher. - In 1883 he commanded the steam sealer _Sea Unicorn_, of Dundee. - He had then had several successful voyages in succession, and in - the following year, 1884, he retired. After that he travelled for - some years, and finally he bought a small place called Woodman’s - Lee, near Forest Row, in Sussex. There he has lived for six - years, and there he died just a week ago to-day. - - “There were some most singular points about the man. In ordinary - life, he was a strict Puritan—a silent, gloomy fellow. His - household consisted of his wife, his daughter, aged twenty, and - two female servants. These last were continually changing, for it - was never a very cheery situation, and sometimes it became past - all bearing. The man was an intermittent drunkard, and when he - had the fit on him he was a perfect fiend. He has been known to - drive his wife and daughter out of doors in the middle of the - night and flog them through the park until the whole village - outside the gates was aroused by their screams. - - “He was summoned once for a savage assault upon the old vicar, - who had called upon him to remonstrate with him upon his conduct. - In short, Mr. Holmes, you would go far before you found a more - dangerous man than Peter Carey, and I have heard that he bore the - same character when he commanded his ship. He was known in the - trade as Black Peter, and the name was given him, not only on - account of his swarthy features and the colour of his huge beard, - but for the humours which were the terror of all around him. I - need not say that he was loathed and avoided by every one of his - neighbours, and that I have not heard one single word of sorrow - about his terrible end. - - “You must have read in the account of the inquest about the man’s - cabin, Mr. Holmes, but perhaps your friend here has not heard of - it. He had built himself a wooden outhouse—he always called it - the ‘cabin’—a few hundred yards from his house, and it was here - that he slept every night. It was a little, single-roomed hut, - sixteen feet by ten. He kept the key in his pocket, made his own - bed, cleaned it himself, and allowed no other foot to cross the - threshold. There are small windows on each side, which were - covered by curtains and never opened. One of these windows was - turned towards the high road, and when the light burned in it at - night the folk used to point it out to each other and wonder what - Black Peter was doing in there. That’s the window, Mr. Holmes, - which gave us one of the few bits of positive evidence that came - out at the inquest. - - “You remember that a stonemason, named Slater, walking from - Forest Row about one o’clock in the morning—two days before the - murder—stopped as he passed the grounds and looked at the square - of light still shining among the trees. He swears that the shadow - of a man’s head turned sideways was clearly visible on the blind, - and that this shadow was certainly not that of Peter Carey, whom - he knew well. It was that of a bearded man, but the beard was - short and bristled forward in a way very different from that of - the captain. So he says, but he had been two hours in the - public-house, and it is some distance from the road to the - window. Besides, this refers to the Monday, and the crime was - done upon the Wednesday. - - “On the Tuesday, Peter Carey was in one of his blackest moods, - flushed with drink and as savage as a dangerous wild beast. He - roamed about the house, and the women ran for it when they heard - him coming. Late in the evening, he went down to his own hut. - About two o’clock the following morning, his daughter, who slept - with her window open, heard a most fearful yell from that - direction, but it was no unusual thing for him to bawl and shout - when he was in drink, so no notice was taken. On rising at seven, - one of the maids noticed that the door of the hut was open, but - so great was the terror which the man caused that it was midday - before anyone would venture down to see what had become of him. - Peeping into the open door, they saw a sight which sent them - flying, with white faces, into the village. Within an hour, I was - on the spot and had taken over the case. - - “Well, I have fairly steady nerves, as you know, Mr. Holmes, but - I give you my word, that I got a shake when I put my head into - that little house. It was droning like a harmonium with the flies - and bluebottles, and the floor and walls were like a - slaughter-house. He had called it a cabin, and a cabin it was, - sure enough, for you would have thought that you were in a ship. - There was a bunk at one end, a sea-chest, maps and charts, a - picture of the _Sea Unicorn_, a line of logbooks on a shelf, all - exactly as one would expect to find it in a captain’s room. And - there, in the middle of it, was the man himself—his face twisted - like a lost soul in torment, and his great brindled beard stuck - upward in his agony. Right through his broad breast a steel - harpoon had been driven, and it had sunk deep into the wood of - the wall behind him. He was pinned like a beetle on a card. Of - course, he was quite dead, and had been so from the instant that - he had uttered that last yell of agony. - - “I know your methods, sir, and I applied them. Before I permitted - anything to be moved, I examined most carefully the ground - outside, and also the floor of the room. There were no - footmarks.” - - “Meaning that you saw none?” - - “I assure you, sir, that there were none.” - - “My good Hopkins, I have investigated many crimes, but I have - never yet seen one which was committed by a flying creature. As - long as the criminal remains upon two legs so long must there be - some indentation, some abrasion, some trifling displacement which - can be detected by the scientific searcher. It is incredible that - this blood-bespattered room contained no trace which could have - aided us. I understand, however, from the inquest that there were - some objects which you failed to overlook?” - - The young inspector winced at my companion’s ironical comments. - - “I was a fool not to call you in at the time Mr. Holmes. However, - that’s past praying for now. Yes, there were several objects in - the room which called for special attention. One was the harpoon - with which the deed was committed. It had been snatched down from - a rack on the wall. Two others remained there, and there was a - vacant place for the third. On the stock was engraved ‘SS. _Sea - Unicorn_, Dundee.’ This seemed to establish that the crime had - been done in a moment of fury, and that the murderer had seized - the first weapon which came in his way. The fact that the crime - was committed at two in the morning, and yet Peter Carey was - fully dressed, suggested that he had an appointment with the - murderer, which is borne out by the fact that a bottle of rum and - two dirty glasses stood upon the table.” - - “Yes,” said Holmes; “I think that both inferences are - permissible. Was there any other spirit but rum in the room?” - - “Yes, there was a tantalus containing brandy and whisky on the - sea-chest. It is of no importance to us, however, since the - decanters were full, and it had therefore not been used.” - - “For all that, its presence has some significance,” said Holmes. - “However, let us hear some more about the objects which do seem - to you to bear upon the case.” - - “There was this tobacco-pouch upon the table.” - - “What part of the table?” - - “It lay in the middle. It was of coarse sealskin—the - straight-haired skin, with a leather thong to bind it. Inside was - ‘P.C.’ on the flap. There was half an ounce of strong ship’s - tobacco in it.” - - “Excellent! What more?” - - Stanley Hopkins drew from his pocket a drab-covered notebook. The - outside was rough and worn, the leaves discoloured. On the first - page were written the initials “J.H.N.” and the date “1883.” - Holmes laid it on the table and examined it in his minute way, - while Hopkins and I gazed over each shoulder. On the second page - were the printed letters “C.P.R.,” and then came several sheets - of numbers. Another heading was “Argentine,” another “Costa - Rica,” and another “San Paulo,” each with pages of signs and - figures after it. - - “What do you make of these?” asked Holmes. - - “They appear to be lists of Stock Exchange securities. I thought - that ‘J.H.N.’ were the initials of a broker, and that ‘C.P.R.’ - may have been his client.” - - “Try Canadian Pacific Railway,” said Holmes. - - Stanley Hopkins swore between his teeth, and struck his thigh - with his clenched hand. - - “What a fool I have been!” he cried. “Of course, it is as you - say. Then ‘J.H.N.’ are the only initials we have to solve. I have - already examined the old Stock Exchange lists, and I can find no - one in 1883, either in the house or among the outside brokers, - whose initials correspond with these. Yet I feel that the clue is - the most important one that I hold. You will admit, Mr. Holmes, - that there is a possibility that these initials are those of the - second person who was present—in other words, of the murderer. I - would also urge that the introduction into the case of a document - relating to large masses of valuable securities gives us for the - first time some indication of a motive for the crime.” - - Sherlock Holmes’s face showed that he was thoroughly taken aback - by this new development. - - “I must admit both your points,” said he. “I confess that this - notebook, which did not appear at the inquest, modifies any views - which I may have formed. I had come to a theory of the crime in - which I can find no place for this. Have you endeavoured to trace - any of the securities here mentioned?” - - “Inquiries are now being made at the offices, but I fear that the - complete register of the stockholders of these South American - concerns is in South America, and that some weeks must elapse - before we can trace the shares.” - - Holmes had been examining the cover of the notebook with his - magnifying lens. - - “Surely there is some discolouration here,” said he. - - “Yes, sir, it is a blood-stain. I told you that I picked the book - off the floor.” - - “Was the blood-stain above or below?” - - “On the side next the boards.” - - “Which proves, of course, that the book was dropped after the - crime was committed.” - - “Exactly, Mr. Holmes. I appreciated that point, and I conjectured - that it was dropped by the murderer in his hurried flight. It lay - near the door.” - - “I suppose that none of these securities have been found among - the property of the dead man?” - - “No, sir.” - - “Have you any reason to suspect robbery?” - - “No, sir. Nothing seemed to have been touched.” - - “Dear me, it is certainly a very interesting case. Then there was - a knife, was there not?” - - “A sheath-knife, still in its sheath. It lay at the feet of the - dead man. Mrs. Carey has identified it as being her husband’s - property.” - - Holmes was lost in thought for some time. - - “Well,” said he, at last, “I suppose I shall have to come out and - have a look at it.” - - Stanley Hopkins gave a cry of joy. - - “Thank you, sir. That will, indeed, be a weight off my mind.” - - Holmes shook his finger at the inspector. - - “It would have been an easier task a week ago,” said he. “But - even now my visit may not be entirely fruitless. Watson, if you - can spare the time, I should be very glad of your company. If you - will call a four-wheeler, Hopkins, we shall be ready to start for - Forest Row in a quarter of an hour.” - - Alighting at the small wayside station, we drove for some miles - through the remains of widespread woods, which were once part of - that great forest which for so long held the Saxon invaders at - bay—the impenetrable “weald,” for sixty years the bulwark of - Britain. Vast sections of it have been cleared, for this is the - seat of the first iron-works of the country, and the trees have - been felled to smelt the ore. Now the richer fields of the North - have absorbed the trade, and nothing save these ravaged groves - and great scars in the earth show the work of the past. Here, in - a clearing upon the green slope of a hill, stood a long, low, - stone house, approached by a curving drive running through the - fields. Nearer the road, and surrounded on three sides by bushes, - was a small outhouse, one window and the door facing in our - direction. It was the scene of the murder. - - Stanley Hopkins led us first to the house, where he introduced us - to a haggard, grey-haired woman, the widow of the murdered man, - whose gaunt and deep-lined face, with the furtive look of terror - in the depths of her red-rimmed eyes, told of the years of - hardship and ill-usage which she had endured. With her was her - daughter, a pale, fair-haired girl, whose eyes blazed defiantly - at us as she told us that she was glad that her father was dead, - and that she blessed the hand which had struck him down. It was a - terrible household that Black Peter Carey had made for himself, - and it was with a sense of relief that we found ourselves in the - sunlight again and making our way along a path which had been - worn across the fields by the feet of the dead man. - - The outhouse was the simplest of dwellings, wooden-walled, - shingle-roofed, one window beside the door and one on the farther - side. Stanley Hopkins drew the key from his pocket and had - stooped to the lock, when he paused with a look of attention and - surprise upon his face. - - “Someone has been tampering with it,” he said. - - There could be no doubt of the fact. The woodwork was cut, and - the scratches showed white through the paint, as if they had been - that instant done. Holmes had been examining the window. - - “Someone has tried to force this also. Whoever it was has failed - to make his way in. He must have been a very poor burglar.” - - “This is a most extraordinary thing,” said the inspector, “I - could swear that these marks were not here yesterday evening.” - - “Some curious person from the village, perhaps,” I suggested. - - “Very unlikely. Few of them would dare to set foot in the - grounds, far less try to force their way into the cabin. What do - you think of it, Mr. Holmes?” - - “I think that fortune is very kind to us.” - - “You mean that the person will come again?” - - “It is very probable. He came expecting to find the door open. He - tried to get in with the blade of a very small penknife. He could - not manage it. What would he do?” - - “Come again next night with a more useful tool.” - - “So I should say. It will be our fault if we are not there to - receive him. Meanwhile, let me see the inside of the cabin.” - - The traces of the tragedy had been removed, but the furniture - within the little room still stood as it had been on the night of - the crime. For two hours, with most intense concentration, Holmes - examined every object in turn, but his face showed that his quest - was not a successful one. Once only he paused in his patient - investigation. - - “Have you taken anything off this shelf, Hopkins?” - - “No, I have moved nothing.” - - “Something has been taken. There is less dust in this corner of - the shelf than elsewhere. It may have been a book lying on its - side. It may have been a box. Well, well, I can do nothing more. - Let us walk in these beautiful woods, Watson, and give a few - hours to the birds and the flowers. We shall meet you here later, - Hopkins, and see if we can come to closer quarters with the - gentleman who has paid this visit in the night.” - - It was past eleven o’clock when we formed our little ambuscade. - Hopkins was for leaving the door of the hut open, but Holmes was - of the opinion that this would rouse the suspicions of the - stranger. The lock was a perfectly simple one, and only a strong - blade was needed to push it back. Holmes also suggested that we - should wait, not inside the hut, but outside it, among the bushes - which grew round the farther window. In this way we should be - able to watch our man if he struck a light, and see what his - object was in this stealthy nocturnal visit. - - It was a long and melancholy vigil, and yet brought with it - something of the thrill which the hunter feels when he lies - beside the water-pool, and waits for the coming of the thirsty - beast of prey. What savage creature was it which might steal upon - us out of the darkness? Was it a fierce tiger of crime, which - could only be taken fighting hard with flashing fang and claw, or - would it prove to be some skulking jackal, dangerous only to the - weak and unguarded? - - In absolute silence we crouched amongst the bushes, waiting for - whatever might come. At first the steps of a few belated - villagers, or the sound of voices from the village, lightened our - vigil, but one by one these interruptions died away, and an - absolute stillness fell upon us, save for the chimes of the - distant church, which told us of the progress of the night, and - for the rustle and whisper of a fine rain falling amid the - foliage which roofed us in. - - Half-past two had chimed, and it was the darkest hour which - precedes the dawn, when we all started as a low but sharp click - came from the direction of the gate. Someone had entered the - drive. Again there was a long silence, and I had begun to fear - that it was a false alarm, when a stealthy step was heard upon - the other side of the hut, and a moment later a metallic scraping - and clinking. The man was trying to force the lock. This time his - skill was greater or his tool was better, for there was a sudden - snap and the creak of the hinges. Then a match was struck, and - next instant the steady light from a candle filled the interior - of the hut. Through the gauze curtain our eyes were all riveted - upon the scene within. - - The nocturnal visitor was a young man, frail and thin, with a - black moustache, which intensified the deadly pallor of his face. - He could not have been much above twenty years of age. I have - never seen any human being who appeared to be in such a pitiable - fright, for his teeth were visibly chattering, and he was shaking - in every limb. He was dressed like a gentleman, in Norfolk jacket - and knickerbockers, with a cloth cap upon his head. We watched - him staring round with frightened eyes. Then he laid the - candle-end upon the table and disappeared from our view into one - of the corners. He returned with a large book, one of the - logbooks which formed a line upon the shelves. Leaning on the - table, he rapidly turned over the leaves of this volume until he - came to the entry which he sought. Then, with an angry gesture of - his clenched hand, he closed the book, replaced it in the corner, - and put out the light. He had hardly turned to leave the hut when - Hopkin’s hand was on the fellow’s collar, and I heard his loud - gasp of terror as he understood that he was taken. The candle was - relit, and there was our wretched captive, shivering and cowering - in the grasp of the detective. He sank down upon the sea-chest, - and looked helplessly from one of us to the other. - - “Now, my fine fellow,” said Stanley Hopkins, “who are you, and - what do you want here?” - - The man pulled himself together, and faced us with an effort at - self-composure. - - “You are detectives, I suppose?” said he. “You imagine I am - connected with the death of Captain Peter Carey. I assure you - that I am innocent.” - - “We’ll see about that,” said Hopkins. “First of all, what is your - name?” - - “It is John Hopley Neligan.” - - I saw Holmes and Hopkins exchange a quick glance. - - “What are you doing here?” - - “Can I speak confidentially?” - - “No, certainly not.” - - “Why should I tell you?” - - “If you have no answer, it may go badly with you at the trial.” - - The young man winced. - - “Well, I will tell you,” he said. “Why should I not? And yet I - hate to think of this old scandal gaining a new lease of life. - Did you ever hear of Dawson and Neligan?” - - I could see, from Hopkins’s face, that he never had, but Holmes - was keenly interested. - - “You mean the West Country bankers,” said he. “They failed for a - million, ruined half the county families of Cornwall, and Neligan - disappeared.” - - “Exactly. Neligan was my father.” - - At last we were getting something positive, and yet it seemed a - long gap between an absconding banker and Captain Peter Carey - pinned against the wall with one of his own harpoons. We all - listened intently to the young man’s words. - - “It was my father who was really concerned. Dawson had retired. I - was only ten years of age at the time, but I was old enough to - feel the shame and horror of it all. It has always been said that - my father stole all the securities and fled. It is not true. It - was his belief that if he were given time in which to realize - them, all would be well and every creditor paid in full. He - started in his little yacht for Norway just before the warrant - was issued for his arrest. I can remember that last night when he - bade farewell to my mother. He left us a list of the securities - he was taking, and he swore that he would come back with his - honour cleared, and that none who had trusted him would suffer. - Well, no word was ever heard from him again. Both the yacht and - he vanished utterly. We believed, my mother and I, that he and - it, with the securities that he had taken with him, were at the - bottom of the sea. We had a faithful friend, however, who is a - business man, and it was he who discovered some time ago that - some of the securities which my father had with him had - reappeared on the London market. You can imagine our amazement. I - spent months in trying to trace them, and at last, after many - doubtings and difficulties, I discovered that the original seller - had been Captain Peter Carey, the owner of this hut. - - “Naturally, I made some inquiries about the man. I found that he - had been in command of a whaler which was due to return from the - Arctic seas at the very time when my father was crossing to - Norway. The autumn of that year was a stormy one, and there was a - long succession of southerly gales. My father’s yacht may well - have been blown to the north, and there met by Captain Peter - Carey’s ship. If that were so, what had become of my father? In - any case, if I could prove from Peter Carey’s evidence how these - securities came on the market it would be a proof that my father - had not sold them, and that he had no view to personal profit - when he took them. - - “I came down to Sussex with the intention of seeing the captain, - but it was at this moment that his terrible death occurred. I - read at the inquest a description of his cabin, in which it - stated that the old logbooks of his vessel were preserved in it. - It struck me that if I could see what occurred in the month of - August, 1883, on board the _Sea Unicorn_, I might settle the - mystery of my father’s fate. I tried last night to get at these - logbooks, but was unable to open the door. To-night I tried again - and succeeded, but I find that the pages which deal with that - month have been torn from the book. It was at that moment I found - myself a prisoner in your hands.” - - “Is that all?” asked Hopkins. - - “Yes, that is all.” His eyes shifted as he said it. - - “You have nothing else to tell us?” - - He hesitated. - - “No, there is nothing.” - - “You have not been here before last night?” - - “No. - - “Then how do you account for _that_?” cried Hopkins, as he held - up the damning notebook, with the initials of our prisoner on the - first leaf and the blood-stain on the cover. - - The wretched man collapsed. He sank his face in his hands, and - trembled all over. - - “Where did you get it?” he groaned. “I did not know. I thought I - had lost it at the hotel.” - - “That is enough,” said Hopkins, sternly. “Whatever else you have - to say, you must say in court. You will walk down with me now to - the police-station. Well, Mr. Holmes, I am very much obliged to - you and to your friend for coming down to help me. As it turns - out your presence was unnecessary, and I would have brought the - case to this successful issue without you, but, none the less, I - am grateful. Rooms have been reserved for you at the Brambletye - Hotel, so we can all walk down to the village together.” - - “Well, Watson, what do you think of it?” asked Holmes, as we - travelled back next morning. - - “I can see that you are not satisfied.” - - “Oh, yes, my dear Watson, I am perfectly satisfied. At the same - time, Stanley Hopkins’s methods do not commend themselves to me. - I am disappointed in Stanley Hopkins. I had hoped for better - things from him. One should always look for a possible - alternative, and provide against it. It is the first rule of - criminal investigation.” - - “What, then, is the alternative?” - - “The line of investigation which I have myself been pursuing. It - may give us nothing. I cannot tell. But at least I shall follow - it to the end.” - - Several letters were waiting for Holmes at Baker Street. He - snatched one of them up, opened it, and burst out into a - triumphant chuckle of laughter. - - “Excellent, Watson! The alternative develops. Have you telegraph - forms? Just write a couple of messages for me: ‘Sumner, Shipping - Agent, Ratcliff Highway. Send three men on, to arrive ten - to-morrow morning.—Basil.’ That’s my name in those parts. The - other is: ‘Inspector Stanley Hopkins, 46 Lord Street, Brixton. - Come breakfast to-morrow at nine-thirty. Important. Wire if - unable to come.—Sherlock Holmes.’ There, Watson, this infernal - case has haunted me for ten days. I hereby banish it completely - from my presence. To-morrow, I trust that we shall hear the last - of it forever.” - - Sharp at the hour named Inspector Stanley Hopkins appeared, and - we sat down together to the excellent breakfast which Mrs. Hudson - had prepared. The young detective was in high spirits at his - success. - - “You really think that your solution must be correct?” asked - Holmes. - - “I could not imagine a more complete case.” - - “It did not seem to me conclusive.” - - “You astonish me, Mr. Holmes. What more could one ask for?” - - “Does your explanation cover every point?” - - “Undoubtedly. I find that young Neligan arrived at the Brambletye - Hotel on the very day of the crime. He came on the pretence of - playing golf. His room was on the ground-floor, and he could get - out when he liked. That very night he went down to Woodman’s Lee, - saw Peter Carey at the hut, quarrelled with him, and killed him - with the harpoon. Then, horrified by what he had done, he fled - out of the hut, dropping the notebook which he had brought with - him in order to question Peter Carey about these different - securities. You may have observed that some of them were marked - with ticks, and the others—the great majority—were not. Those - which are ticked have been traced on the London market, but the - others, presumably, were still in the possession of Carey, and - young Neligan, according to his own account, was anxious to - recover them in order to do the right thing by his father’s - creditors. After his flight he did not dare to approach the hut - again for some time, but at last he forced himself to do so in - order to obtain the information which he needed. Surely that is - all simple and obvious?” - - Holmes smiled and shook his head. - - “It seems to me to have only one drawback, Hopkins, and that is - that it is intrinsically impossible. Have you tried to drive a - harpoon through a body? No? Tut, tut my dear sir, you must really - pay attention to these details. My friend Watson could tell you - that I spent a whole morning in that exercise. It is no easy - matter, and requires a strong and practised arm. But this blow - was delivered with such violence that the head of the weapon sank - deep into the wall. Do you imagine that this anæmic youth was - capable of so frightful an assault? Is he the man who hobnobbed - in rum and water with Black Peter in the dead of the night? Was - it his profile that was seen on the blind two nights before? No, - no, Hopkins, it is another and more formidable person for whom we - must seek.” - - The detective’s face had grown longer and longer during Holmes’s - speech. His hopes and his ambitions were all crumbling about him. - But he would not abandon his position without a struggle. - - “You can’t deny that Neligan was present that night, Mr. Holmes. - The book will prove that. I fancy that I have evidence enough to - satisfy a jury, even if you are able to pick a hole in it. - Besides, Mr. Holmes, I have laid my hand upon _my_ man. As to - this terrible person of yours, where is he?” - - “I rather fancy that he is on the stair,” said Holmes, serenely. - “I think, Watson, that you would do well to put that revolver - where you can reach it.” He rose and laid a written paper upon a - side-table. “Now we are ready,” said he. - - There had been some talking in gruff voices outside, and now Mrs. - Hudson opened the door to say that there were three men inquiring - for Captain Basil. - - “Show them in one by one,” said Holmes. - - “The first who entered was a little Ribston pippin of a man, with - ruddy cheeks and fluffy white side-whiskers. Holmes had drawn a - letter from his pocket. - - “What name?” he asked. - - “James Lancaster.” - - “I am sorry, Lancaster, but the berth is full. Here is half a - sovereign for your trouble. Just step into this room and wait - there for a few minutes.” - - The second man was a long, dried-up creature, with lank hair and - sallow cheeks. His name was Hugh Pattins. He also received his - dismissal, his half-sovereign, and the order to wait. - - The third applicant was a man of remarkable appearance. A fierce - bull-dog face was framed in a tangle of hair and beard, and two - bold, dark eyes gleamed behind the cover of thick, tufted, - overhung eyebrows. He saluted and stood sailor-fashion, turning - his cap round in his hands. - - “Your name?” asked Holmes. - - “Patrick Cairns.” - - “Harpooner?” - - “Yes, sir. Twenty-six voyages.” - - “Dundee, I suppose?” - - “Yes, sir.” - - “And ready to start with an exploring ship?” - - “Yes, sir.” - - “What wages?” - - “Eight pounds a month.” - - “Could you start at once?” - - “As soon as I get my kit.” - - “Have you your papers?” - - “Yes, sir.” He took a sheaf of worn and greasy forms from his - pocket. Holmes glanced over them and returned them. - - “You are just the man I want,” said he. “Here’s the agreement on - the side-table. If you sign it the whole matter will be settled.” - - The seaman lurched across the room and took up the pen. - - “Shall I sign here?” he asked, stooping over the table. - - Holmes leaned over his shoulder and passed both hands over his - neck. - - “This will do,” said he. - - I heard a click of steel and a bellow like an enraged bull. The - next instant Holmes and the seaman were rolling on the ground - together. He was a man of such gigantic strength that, even with - the handcuffs which Holmes had so deftly fastened upon his - wrists, he would have very quickly overpowered my friend had - Hopkins and I not rushed to his rescue. Only when I pressed the - cold muzzle of the revolver to his temple did he at last - understand that resistance was vain. We lashed his ankles with - cord, and rose breathless from the struggle. - - “I must really apologize, Hopkins,” said Sherlock Holmes. “I fear - that the scrambled eggs are cold. However, you will enjoy the - rest of your breakfast all the better, will you not, for the - thought that you have brought your case to a triumphant - conclusion.” - - Stanley Hopkins was speechless with amazement. - - “I don’t know what to say, Mr. Holmes,” he blurted out at last, - with a very red face. “It seems to me that I have been making a - fool of myself from the beginning. I understand now, what I - should never have forgotten, that I am the pupil and you are the - master. Even now I see what you have done, but I don’t know how - you did it or what it signifies.” - - “Well, well,” said Holmes, good-humouredly. “We all learn by - experience, and your lesson this time is that you should never - lose sight of the alternative. You were so absorbed in young - Neligan that you could not spare a thought to Patrick Cairns, the - true murderer of Peter Carey.” - - The hoarse voice of the seaman broke in on our conversation. - - “See here, mister,” said he, “I make no complaint of being - man-handled in this fashion, but I would have you call things by - their right names. You say I murdered Peter Carey, I say I - _killed_ Peter Carey, and there’s all the difference. Maybe you - don’t believe what I say. Maybe you think I am just slinging you - a yarn.” - - “Not at all,” said Holmes. “Let us hear what you have to say.” - - “It’s soon told, and, by the Lord, every word of it is truth. I - knew Black Peter, and when he pulled out his knife I whipped a - harpoon through him sharp, for I knew that it was him or me. - That’s how he died. You can call it murder. Anyhow, I’d as soon - die with a rope round my neck as with Black Peter’s knife in my - heart.” - - “How came you there?” asked Holmes. - - “I’ll tell it you from the beginning. Just sit me up a little, so - as I can speak easy. It was in ’83 that it happened—August of - that year. Peter Carey was master of the _Sea Unicorn_, and I was - spare harpooner. We were coming out of the ice-pack on our way - home, with head winds and a week’s southerly gale, when we picked - up a little craft that had been blown north. There was one man on - her—a landsman. The crew had thought she would founder and had - made for the Norwegian coast in the dinghy. I guess they were all - drowned. Well, we took him on board, this man, and he and the - skipper had some long talks in the cabin. All the baggage we took - off with him was one tin box. So far as I know, the man’s name - was never mentioned, and on the second night he disappeared as if - he had never been. It was given out that he had either thrown - himself overboard or fallen overboard in the heavy weather that - we were having. Only one man knew what had happened to him, and - that was me, for, with my own eyes, I saw the skipper tip up his - heels and put him over the rail in the middle watch of a dark - night, two days before we sighted the Shetland Lights. Well, I - kept my knowledge to myself, and waited to see what would come of - it. When we got back to Scotland it was easily hushed up, and - nobody asked any questions. A stranger died by accident and it - was nobody’s business to inquire. Shortly after Peter Carey gave - up the sea, and it was long years before I could find where he - was. I guessed that he had done the deed for the sake of what was - in that tin box, and that he could afford now to pay me well for - keeping my mouth shut. I found out where he was through a sailor - man that had met him in London, and down I went to squeeze him. - The first night he was reasonable enough, and was ready to give - me what would make me free of the sea for life. We were to fix it - all two nights later. When I came, I found him three parts drunk - and in a vile temper. We sat down and we drank and we yarned - about old times, but the more he drank the less I liked the look - on his face. I spotted that harpoon upon the wall, and I thought - I might need it before I was through. Then at last he broke out - at me, spitting and cursing, with murder in his eyes and a great - clasp-knife in his hand. He had not time to get it from the - sheath before I had the harpoon through him. Heavens! what a yell - he gave! and his face gets between me and my sleep. I stood - there, with his blood splashing round me, and I waited for a bit, - but all was quiet, so I took heart once more. I looked round, and - there was the tin box on the shelf. I had as much right to it as - Peter Carey, anyhow, so I took it with me and left the hut. Like - a fool I left my baccy-pouch upon the table. - - “Now I’ll tell you the queerest part of the whole story. I had - hardly got outside the hut when I heard someone coming, and I hid - among the bushes. A man came slinking along, went into the hut, - gave a cry as if he had seen a ghost, and legged it as hard as he - could run until he was out of sight. Who he was or what he wanted - is more than I can tell. For my part I walked ten miles, got a - train at Tunbridge Wells, and so reached London, and no one the - wiser. - - “Well, when I came to examine the box I found there was no money - in it, and nothing but papers that I would not dare to sell. I - had lost my hold on Black Peter and was stranded in London - without a shilling. There was only my trade left. I saw these - advertisements about harpooners, and high wages, so I went to the - shipping agents, and they sent me here. That’s all I know, and I - say again that if I killed Black Peter, the law should give me - thanks, for I saved them the price of a hempen rope.” - - “A very clear statement said Holmes,” rising and lighting his - pipe. “I think, Hopkins, that you should lose no time in - conveying your prisoner to a place of safety. This room is not - well adapted for a cell, and Mr. Patrick Cairns occupies too - large a proportion of our carpet.” - - “Mr. Holmes,” said Hopkins, “I do not know how to express my - gratitude. Even now I do not understand how you attained this - result.” - - “Simply by having the good fortune to get the right clue from the - beginning. It is very possible if I had known about this notebook - it might have led away my thoughts, as it did yours. But all I - heard pointed in the one direction. The amazing strength, the - skill in the use of the harpoon, the rum and water, the sealskin - tobacco-pouch with the coarse tobacco—all these pointed to a - seaman, and one who had been a whaler. I was convinced that the - initials ‘P.C.’ upon the pouch were a coincidence, and not those - of Peter Carey, since he seldom smoked, and no pipe was found in - his cabin. You remember that I asked whether whisky and brandy - were in the cabin. You said they were. How many landsmen are - there who would drink rum when they could get these other - spirits? Yes, I was certain it was a seaman.” - - “And how did you find him?” - - “My dear sir, the problem had become a very simple one. If it - were a seaman, it could only be a seaman who had been with him on - the _Sea Unicorn_. So far as I could learn he had sailed in no - other ship. I spent three days in wiring to Dundee, and at the - end of that time I had ascertained the names of the crew of the - _Sea Unicorn_ in 1883. When I found Patrick Cairns among the - harpooners, my research was nearing its end. I argued that the - man was probably in London, and that he would desire to leave the - country for a time. I therefore spent some days in the East End, - devised an Arctic expedition, put forth tempting terms for - harpooners who would serve under Captain Basil—and behold the - result!” - - “Wonderful!” cried Hopkins. “Wonderful!” - - “You must obtain the release of young Neligan as soon as - possible,” said Holmes. “I confess that I think you owe him some - apology. The tin box must be returned to him, but, of course, the - securities which Peter Carey has sold are lost forever. There’s - the cab, Hopkins, and you can remove your man. If you want me for - the trial, my address and that of Watson will be somewhere in - Norway—I’ll send particulars later.” - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF CHARLES AUGUSTUS MILVERTON - - - It is years since the incidents of which I speak took place, and - yet it is with diffidence that I allude to them. For a long time, - even with the utmost discretion and reticence, it would have been - impossible to make the facts public, but now the principal person - concerned is beyond the reach of human law, and with due - suppression the story may be told in such fashion as to injure no - one. It records an absolutely unique experience in the career - both of Mr. Sherlock Holmes and of myself. The reader will excuse - me if I conceal the date or any other fact by which he might - trace the actual occurrence. - - We had been out for one of our evening rambles, Holmes and I, and - had returned about six o’clock on a cold, frosty winter’s - evening. As Holmes turned up the lamp the light fell upon a card - on the table. He glanced at it, and then, with an ejaculation of - disgust, threw it on the floor. I picked it up and read: - - CHARLES AUGUSTUS MILVERTON, - Appledore Towers, - Hampstead. - _Agent_. - - “Who is he?” I asked. - - “The worst man in London,” Holmes answered, as he sat down and - stretched his legs before the fire. “Is anything on the back of - the card?” - - I turned it over. - - “Will call at 6:30—C.A.M.,” I read. - - “Hum! He’s about due. Do you feel a creeping, shrinking - sensation, Watson, when you stand before the serpents in the Zoo, - and see the slithery, gliding, venomous creatures, with their - deadly eyes and wicked, flattened faces? Well, that’s how - Milverton impresses me. I’ve had to do with fifty murderers in my - career, but the worst of them never gave me the repulsion which I - have for this fellow. And yet I can’t get out of doing business - with him—indeed, he is here at my invitation.” - - “But who is he?” - - “I’ll tell you, Watson. He is the king of all the blackmailers. - Heaven help the man, and still more the woman, whose secret and - reputation come into the power of Milverton! With a smiling face - and a heart of marble, he will squeeze and squeeze until he has - drained them dry. The fellow is a genius in his way, and would - have made his mark in some more savoury trade. His method is as - follows: He allows it to be known that he is prepared to pay very - high sums for letters which compromise people of wealth and - position. He receives these wares not only from treacherous - valets or maids, but frequently from genteel ruffians, who have - gained the confidence and affection of trusting women. He deals - with no niggard hand. I happen to know that he paid seven hundred - pounds to a footman for a note two lines in length, and that the - ruin of a noble family was the result. Everything which is in the - market goes to Milverton, and there are hundreds in this great - city who turn white at his name. No one knows where his grip may - fall, for he is far too rich and far too cunning to work from - hand to mouth. He will hold a card back for years in order to - play it at the moment when the stake is best worth winning. I - have said that he is the worst man in London, and I would ask you - how could one compare the ruffian, who in hot blood bludgeons his - mate, with this man, who methodically and at his leisure tortures - the soul and wrings the nerves in order to add to his already - swollen money-bags?” - - I had seldom heard my friend speak with such intensity of - feeling. - - “But surely,” said I, “the fellow must be within the grasp of the - law?” - - “Technically, no doubt, but practically not. What would it profit - a woman, for example, to get him a few months’ imprisonment if - her own ruin must immediately follow? His victims dare not hit - back. If ever he blackmailed an innocent person, then indeed we - should have him, but he is as cunning as the Evil One. No, no, we - must find other ways to fight him.” - - “And why is he here?” - - “Because an illustrious client has placed her piteous case in my - hands. It is the Lady Eva Blackwell, the most beautiful - _débutante_ of last season. She is to be married in a fortnight - to the Earl of Dovercourt. This fiend has several imprudent - letters—imprudent, Watson, nothing worse—which were written to an - impecunious young squire in the country. They would suffice to - break off the match. Milverton will send the letters to the Earl - unless a large sum of money is paid him. I have been commissioned - to meet him, and—to make the best terms I can.” - - At that instant there was a clatter and a rattle in the street - below. Looking down I saw a stately carriage and pair, the - brilliant lamps gleaming on the glossy haunches of the noble - chestnuts. A footman opened the door, and a small, stout man in a - shaggy astrakhan overcoat descended. A minute later he was in the - room. - - Charles Augustus Milverton was a man of fifty, with a large, - intellectual head, a round, plump, hairless face, a perpetual - frozen smile, and two keen grey eyes, which gleamed brightly from - behind broad, gold-rimmed glasses. There was something of Mr. - Pickwick’s benevolence in his appearance, marred only by the - insincerity of the fixed smile and by the hard glitter of those - restless and penetrating eyes. His voice was as smooth and suave - as his countenance, as he advanced with a plump little hand - extended, murmuring his regret for having missed us at his first - visit. Holmes disregarded the outstretched hand and looked at him - with a face of granite. Milverton’s smile broadened, he shrugged - his shoulders removed his overcoat, folded it with great - deliberation over the back of a chair, and then took a seat. - - “This gentleman?” said he, with a wave in my direction. “Is it - discreet? Is it right?” - - “Dr. Watson is my friend and partner.” - - “Very good, Mr. Holmes. It is only in your client’s interests - that I protested. The matter is so very delicate——” - - “Dr. Watson has already heard of it.” - - “Then we can proceed to business. You say that you are acting for - Lady Eva. Has she empowered you to accept my terms?” - - “What are your terms?” - - “Seven thousand pounds.” - - “And the alternative?” - - “My dear sir, it is painful for me to discuss it, but if the - money is not paid on the 14th, there certainly will be no - marriage on the 18th.” His insufferable smile was more complacent - than ever. - - Holmes thought for a little. - - “You appear to me,” he said, at last, “to be taking matters too - much for granted. I am, of course, familiar with the contents of - these letters. My client will certainly do what I may advise. I - shall counsel her to tell her future husband the whole story and - to trust to his generosity.” - - Milverton chuckled. - - “You evidently do not know the Earl,” said he. - - From the baffled look upon Holmes’s face, I could see clearly - that he did. - - “What harm is there in the letters?” he asked. - - “They are sprightly—very sprightly,” Milverton answered. “The - lady was a charming correspondent. But I can assure you that the - Earl of Dovercourt would fail to appreciate them. However, since - you think otherwise, we will let it rest at that. It is purely a - matter of business. If you think that it is in the best interests - of your client that these letters should be placed in the hands - of the Earl, then you would indeed be foolish to pay so large a - sum of money to regain them.” He rose and seized his astrakhan - coat. - - Holmes was grey with anger and mortification. - - “Wait a little,” he said. “You go too fast. We should certainly - make every effort to avoid scandal in so delicate a matter.” - - Milverton relapsed into his chair. - - “I was sure that you would see it in that light,” he purred. - - “At the same time,” Holmes continued, “Lady Eva is not a wealthy - woman. I assure you that two thousand pounds would be a drain - upon her resources, and that the sum you name is utterly beyond - her power. I beg, therefore, that you will moderate your demands, - and that you will return the letters at the price I indicate, - which is, I assure you, the highest that you can get.” - - Milverton’s smile broadened and his eyes twinkled humorously. - - “I am aware that what you say is true about the lady’s - resources,” said he. “At the same time you must admit that the - occasion of a lady’s marriage is a very suitable time for her - friends and relatives to make some little effort upon her behalf. - They may hesitate as to an acceptable wedding present. Let me - assure them that this little bundle of letters would give more - joy than all the candelabra and butter-dishes in London.” - - “It is impossible,” said Holmes. - - “Dear me, dear me, how unfortunate!” cried Milverton, taking out - a bulky pocketbook. “I cannot help thinking that ladies are - ill-advised in not making an effort. Look at this!” He held up a - little note with a coat-of-arms upon the envelope. “That belongs - to—well, perhaps it is hardly fair to tell the name until - to-morrow morning. But at that time it will be in the hands of - the lady’s husband. And all because she will not find a beggarly - sum which she could get by turning her diamonds into paste. It - _is_ such a pity! Now, you remember the sudden end of the - engagement between the Honourable Miss Miles and Colonel Dorking? - Only two days before the wedding, there was a paragraph in the - _Morning Post_ to say that it was all off. And why? It is almost - incredible, but the absurd sum of twelve hundred pounds would - have settled the whole question. Is it not pitiful? And here I - find you, a man of sense, boggling about terms, when your - client’s future and honour are at stake. You surprise me, Mr. - Holmes.” - - “What I say is true,” Holmes answered. “The money cannot be - found. Surely it is better for you to take the substantial sum - which I offer than to ruin this woman’s career, which can profit - you in no way?” - - “There you make a mistake, Mr. Holmes. An exposure would profit - me indirectly to a considerable extent. I have eight or ten - similar cases maturing. If it was circulated among them that I - had made a severe example of the Lady Eva, I should find all of - them much more open to reason. You see my point?” - - Holmes sprang from his chair. - - “Get behind him, Watson! Don’t let him out! Now, sir, let us see - the contents of that notebook.” - - Milverton had glided as quick as a rat to the side of the room - and stood with his back against the wall. - - “Mr. Holmes, Mr. Holmes,” he said, turning the front of his coat - and exhibiting the butt of a large revolver, which projected from - the inside pocket. “I have been expecting you to do something - original. This has been done so often, and what good has ever - come from it? I assure you that I am armed to the teeth, and I am - perfectly prepared to use my weapons, knowing that the law will - support me. Besides, your supposition that I would bring the - letters here in a notebook is entirely mistaken. I would do - nothing so foolish. And now, gentlemen, I have one or two little - interviews this evening, and it is a long drive to Hampstead.” He - stepped forward, took up his coat, laid his hand on his revolver, - and turned to the door. I picked up a chair, but Holmes shook his - head, and I laid it down again. With bow, a smile, and a twinkle, - Milverton was out of the room, and a few moments after we heard - the slam of the carriage door and the rattle of the wheels as he - drove away. - - Holmes sat motionless by the fire, his hands buried deep in his - trouser pockets, his chin sunk upon his breast, his eyes fixed - upon the glowing embers. For half an hour he was silent and - still. Then, with the gesture of a man who has taken his - decision, he sprang to his feet and passed into his bedroom. A - little later a rakish young workman, with a goatee beard and a - swagger, lit his clay pipe at the lamp before descending into the - street. “I’ll be back some time, Watson,” said he, and vanished - into the night. I understood that he had opened his campaign - against Charles Augustus Milverton, but I little dreamed the - strange shape which that campaign was destined to take. - - For some days Holmes came and went at all hours in this attire, - but beyond a remark that his time was spent at Hampstead, and - that it was not wasted, I knew nothing of what he was doing. At - last, however, on a wild, tempestuous evening, when the wind - screamed and rattled against the windows, he returned from his - last expedition, and having removed his disguise he sat before - the fire and laughed heartily in his silent inward fashion. - - “You would not call me a marrying man, Watson?” - - “No, indeed!” - - “You’ll be interested to hear that I’m engaged.” - - “My dear fellow! I congrat——” - - “To Milverton’s housemaid.” - - “Good heavens, Holmes!” - - “I wanted information, Watson.” - - “Surely you have gone too far?” - - “It was a most necessary step. I am a plumber with a rising - business, Escott, by name. I have walked out with her each - evening, and I have talked with her. Good heavens, those talks! - However, I have got all I wanted. I know Milverton’s house as I - know the palm of my hand.” - - “But the girl, Holmes?” - - He shrugged his shoulders. - - “You can’t help it, my dear Watson. You must play your cards as - best you can when such a stake is on the table. However, I - rejoice to say that I have a hated rival, who will certainly cut - me out the instant that my back is turned. What a splendid night - it is!” - - “You like this weather?” - - “It suits my purpose. Watson, I mean to burgle Milverton’s house - to-night.” - - I had a catching of the breath, and my skin went cold at the - words, which were slowly uttered in a tone of concentrated - resolution. As a flash of lightning in the night shows up in an - instant every detail of a wild landscape, so at one glance I - seemed to see every possible result of such an action—the - detection, the capture, the honoured career ending in irreparable - failure and disgrace, my friend himself lying at the mercy of the - odious Milverton. - - “For heaven’s sake, Holmes, think what you are doing,” I cried. - - “My dear fellow, I have given it every consideration. I am never - precipitate in my actions, nor would I adopt so energetic and, - indeed, so dangerous a course, if any other were possible. Let us - look at the matter clearly and fairly. I suppose that you will - admit that the action is morally justifiable, though technically - criminal. To burgle his house is no more than to forcibly take - his pocketbook—an action in which you were prepared to aid me.” - - I turned it over in my mind. - - “Yes,” I said, “it is morally justifiable so long as our object - is to take no articles save those which are used for an illegal - purpose.” - - “Exactly. Since it is morally justifiable, I have only to - consider the question of personal risk. Surely a gentleman should - not lay much stress upon this, when a lady is in most desperate - need of his help?” - - “You will be in such a false position.” - - “Well, that is part of the risk. There is no other possible way - of regaining these letters. The unfortunate lady has not the - money, and there are none of her people in whom she could - confide. To-morrow is the last day of grace, and unless we can - get the letters to-night, this villain will be as good as his - word and will bring about her ruin. I must, therefore, abandon my - client to her fate or I must play this last card. Between - ourselves, Watson, it’s a sporting duel between this fellow - Milverton and me. He had, as you saw, the best of the first - exchanges, but my self-respect and my reputation are concerned to - fight it to a finish.” - - “Well, I don’t like it, but I suppose it must be,” said I. “When - do we start?” - - “You are not coming.” - - “Then you are not going,” said I. “I give you my word of - honour—and I never broke it in my life—that I will take a cab - straight to the police-station and give you away, unless you let - me share this adventure with you.” - - “You can’t help me.” - - “How do you know that? You can’t tell what may happen. Anyway, my - resolution is taken. Other people besides you have self-respect, - and even reputations.” - - Holmes had looked annoyed, but his brow cleared, and he clapped - me on the shoulder. - - “Well, well, my dear fellow, be it so. We have shared this same - room for some years, and it would be amusing if we ended by - sharing the same cell. You know, Watson, I don’t mind confessing - to you that I have always had an idea that I would have made a - highly efficient criminal. This is the chance of my lifetime in - that direction. See here!” He took a neat little leather case out - of a drawer, and opening it he exhibited a number of shining - instruments. “This is a first-class, up-to-date burgling kit, - with nickel-plated jemmy, diamond-tipped glass-cutter, adaptable - keys, and every modern improvement which the march of - civilization demands. Here, too, is my dark lantern. Everything - is in order. Have you a pair of silent shoes?” - - “I have rubber-soled tennis shoes.” - - “Excellent! And a mask?” - - “I can make a couple out of black silk.” - - “I can see that you have a strong, natural turn for this sort of - thing. Very good, do you make the masks. We shall have some cold - supper before we start. It is now nine-thirty. At eleven we shall - drive as far as Church Row. It is a quarter of an hour’s walk - from there to Appledore Towers. We shall be at work before - midnight. Milverton is a heavy sleeper, and retires punctually at - ten-thirty. With any luck we should be back here by two, with the - Lady Eva’s letters in my pocket.” - - Holmes and I put on our dress-clothes, so that we might appear to - be two theatre-goers homeward bound. In Oxford Street we picked - up a hansom and drove to an address in Hampstead. Here we paid - off our cab, and with our great coats buttoned up, for it was - bitterly cold, and the wind seemed to blow through us, we walked - along the edge of the heath. - - “It’s a business that needs delicate treatment,” said Holmes. - “These documents are contained in a safe in the fellow’s study, - and the study is the ante-room of his bed-chamber. On the other - hand, like all these stout, little men who do themselves well, he - is a plethoric sleeper. Agatha—that’s my _fiancée_—says it is a - joke in the servants’ hall that it’s impossible to wake the - master. He has a secretary who is devoted to his interests, and - never budges from the study all day. That’s why we are going at - night. Then he has a beast of a dog which roams the garden. I met - Agatha late the last two evenings, and she locks the brute up so - as to give me a clear run. This is the house, this big one in its - own grounds. Through the gate—now to the right among the laurels. - We might put on our masks here, I think. You see, there is not a - glimmer of light in any of the windows, and everything is working - splendidly.” - - With our black silk face-coverings, which turned us into two of - the most truculent figures in London, we stole up to the silent, - gloomy house. A sort of tiled veranda extended along one side of - it, lined by several windows and two doors. - - “That’s his bedroom,” Holmes whispered. “This door opens straight - into the study. It would suit us best, but it is bolted as well - as locked, and we should make too much noise getting in. Come - round here. There’s a greenhouse which opens into the - drawing-room.” - - The place was locked, but Holmes removed a circle of glass and - turned the key from the inside. An instant afterwards he had - closed the door behind us, and we had become felons in the eyes - of the law. The thick, warm air of the conservatory and the rich, - choking fragrance of exotic plants took us by the throat. He - seized my hand in the darkness and led me swiftly past banks of - shrubs which brushed against our faces. Holmes had remarkable - powers, carefully cultivated, of seeing in the dark. Still - holding my hand in one of his, he opened a door, and I was - vaguely conscious that we had entered a large room in which a - cigar had been smoked not long before. He felt his way among the - furniture, opened another door, and closed it behind us. Putting - out my hand I felt several coats hanging from the wall, and I - understood that I was in a passage. We passed along it and Holmes - very gently opened a door upon the right-hand side. Something - rushed out at us and my heart sprang into my mouth, but I could - have laughed when I realized that it was the cat. A fire was - burning in this new room, and again the air was heavy with - tobacco smoke. Holmes entered on tiptoe, waited for me to follow, - and then very gently closed the door. We were in Milverton’s - study, and a _portière_ at the farther side showed the entrance - to his bedroom. - - It was a good fire, and the room was illuminated by it. Near the - door I saw the gleam of an electric switch, but it was - unnecessary, even if it had been safe, to turn it on. At one side - of the fireplace was a heavy curtain which covered the bay window - we had seen from outside. On the other side was the door which - communicated with the veranda. A desk stood in the centre, with a - turning-chair of shining red leather. Opposite was a large - bookcase, with a marble bust of Athene on the top. In the corner, - between the bookcase and the wall, there stood a tall, green - safe, the firelight flashing back from the polished brass knobs - upon its face. Holmes stole across and looked at it. Then he - crept to the door of the bedroom, and stood with slanting head - listening intently. No sound came from within. Meanwhile it had - struck me that it would be wise to secure our retreat through the - outer door, so I examined it. To my amazement, it was neither - locked nor bolted. I touched Holmes on the arm, and he turned his - masked face in that direction. I saw him start, and he was - evidently as surprised as I. - - “I don’t like it,” he whispered, putting his lips to my very ear. - “I can’t quite make it out. Anyhow, we have no time to lose.” - - “Can I do anything?” - - “Yes, stand by the door. If you hear anyone come, bolt it on the - inside, and we can get away as we came. If they come the other - way, we can get through the door if our job is done, or hide - behind these window curtains if it is not. Do you understand?” - - I nodded, and stood by the door. My first feeling of fear had - passed away, and I thrilled now with a keener zest than I had - ever enjoyed when we were the defenders of the law instead of its - defiers. The high object of our mission, the consciousness that - it was unselfish and chivalrous, the villainous character of our - opponent, all added to the sporting interest of the adventure. - Far from feeling guilty, I rejoiced and exulted in our dangers. - With a glow of admiration I watched Holmes unrolling his case of - instruments and choosing his tool with the calm, scientific - accuracy of a surgeon who performs a delicate operation. I knew - that the opening of safes was a particular hobby with him, and I - understood the joy which it gave him to be confronted with this - green and gold monster, the dragon which held in its maw the - reputations of many fair ladies. Turning up the cuffs of his - dress-coat—he had placed his overcoat on a chair—Holmes laid out - two drills, a jemmy, and several skeleton keys. I stood at the - centre door with my eyes glancing at each of the others, ready - for any emergency, though, indeed, my plans were somewhat vague - as to what I should do if we were interrupted. For half an hour, - Holmes worked with concentrated energy, laying down one tool, - picking up another, handling each with the strength and delicacy - of the trained mechanic. Finally I heard a click, the broad green - door swung open, and inside I had a glimpse of a number of paper - packets, each tied, sealed, and inscribed. Holmes picked one out, - but it was as hard to read by the flickering fire, and he drew - out his little dark lantern, for it was too dangerous, with - Milverton in the next room, to switch on the electric light. - Suddenly I saw him halt, listen intently, and then in an instant - he had swung the door of the safe to, picked up his coat, stuffed - his tools into the pockets, and darted behind the window curtain, - motioning me to do the same. - - It was only when I had joined him there that I heard what had - alarmed his quicker senses. There was a noise somewhere within - the house. A door slammed in the distance. Then a confused, dull - murmur broke itself into the measured thud of heavy footsteps - rapidly approaching. They were in the passage outside the room. - They paused at the door. The door opened. There was a sharp snick - as the electric light was turned on. The door closed once more, - and the pungent reek of a strong cigar was borne to our nostrils. - Then the footsteps continued backward and forward, backward and - forward, within a few yards of us. Finally there was a creak from - a chair, and the footsteps ceased. Then a key clicked in a lock, - and I heard the rustle of papers. - - So far I had not dared to look out, but now I gently parted the - division of the curtains in front of me and peeped through. From - the pressure of Holmes’s shoulder against mine, I knew that he - was sharing my observations. Right in front of us, and almost - within our reach, was the broad, rounded back of Milverton. It - was evident that we had entirely miscalculated his movements, - that he had never been to his bedroom, but that he had been - sitting up in some smoking or billiard room in the farther wing - of the house, the windows of which we had not seen. His broad, - grizzled head, with its shining patch of baldness, was in the - immediate foreground of our vision. He was leaning far back in - the red leather chair, his legs outstretched, a long, black cigar - projecting at an angle from his mouth. He wore a semi-military - smoking jacket, claret-coloured, with a black velvet collar. In - his hand he held a long, legal document which he was reading in - an indolent fashion, blowing rings of tobacco smoke from his lips - as he did so. There was no promise of a speedy departure in his - composed bearing and his comfortable attitude. - - I felt Holmes’s hand steal into mine and give me a reassuring - shake, as if to say that the situation was within his powers, and - that he was easy in his mind. I was not sure whether he had seen - what was only too obvious from my position, that the door of the - safe was imperfectly closed, and that Milverton might at any - moment observe it. In my own mind I had determined that if I were - sure, from the rigidity of his gaze, that it had caught his eye, - I would at once spring out, throw my great coat over his head, - pinion him, and leave the rest to Holmes. But Milverton never - looked up. He was languidly interested by the papers in his hand, - and page after page was turned as he followed the argument of the - lawyer. At least, I thought, when he has finished the document - and the cigar he will go to his room, but before he had reached - the end of either, there came a remarkable development, which - turned our thoughts into quite another channel. - - Several times I had observed that Milverton looked at his watch, - and once he had risen and sat down again, with a gesture of - impatience. The idea, however, that he might have an appointment - at so strange an hour never occurred to me until a faint sound - reached my ears from the veranda outside. Milverton dropped his - papers and sat rigid in his chair. The sound was repeated, and - then there came a gentle tap at the door. Milverton rose and - opened it. - - “Well,” said he, curtly, “you are nearly half an hour late.” - - So this was the explanation of the unlocked door and of the - nocturnal vigil of Milverton. There was the gentle rustle of a - woman’s dress. I had closed the slit between the curtains as - Milverton’s face had turned in our direction, but now I ventured - very carefully to open it once more. He had resumed his seat, the - cigar still projecting at an insolent angle from the corner of - his mouth. In front of him, in the full glare of the electric - light, there stood a tall, slim, dark woman, a veil over her - face, a mantle drawn round her chin. Her breath came quick and - fast, and every inch of the lithe figure was quivering with - strong emotion. - - “Well,” said Milverton, “you made me lose a good night’s rest, my - dear. I hope you’ll prove worth it. You couldn’t come any other - time—eh?” - - The woman shook her head. - - “Well, if you couldn’t you couldn’t. If the Countess is a hard - mistress, you have your chance to get level with her now. Bless - the girl, what are you shivering about? That’s right. Pull - yourself together. Now, let us get down to business.” He took a - notebook from the drawer of his desk. “You say that you have five - letters which compromise the Countess d’Albert. You want to sell - them. I want to buy them. So far so good. It only remains to fix - a price. I should want to inspect the letters, of course. If they - are really good specimens—Great heavens, is it you?” - - The woman, without a word, had raised her veil and dropped the - mantle from her chin. It was a dark, handsome, clear-cut face - which confronted Milverton—a face with a curved nose, strong, - dark eyebrows shading hard, glittering eyes, and a straight, - thin-lipped mouth set in a dangerous smile. - - “It is I,” she said, “the woman whose life you have ruined.” - - Milverton laughed, but fear vibrated in his voice. “You were so - very obstinate,” said he. “Why did you drive me to such - extremities? I assure you I wouldn’t hurt a fly of my own accord, - but every man has his business, and what was I to do? I put the - price well within your means. You would not pay.” - - “So you sent the letters to my husband, and he—the noblest - gentleman that ever lived, a man whose boots I was never worthy - to lace—he broke his gallant heart and died. You remember that - last night, when I came through that door, I begged and prayed - you for mercy, and you laughed in my face as you are trying to - laugh now, only your coward heart cannot keep your lips from - twitching. Yes, you never thought to see me here again, but it - was that night which taught me how I could meet you face to face, - and alone. Well, Charles Milverton, what have you to say?” - - “Don’t imagine that you can bully me,” said he, rising to his - feet. “I have only to raise my voice and I could call my servants - and have you arrested. But I will make allowance for your natural - anger. Leave the room at once as you came, and I will say no - more.” - - The woman stood with her hand buried in her bosom, and the same - deadly smile on her thin lips. - - “You will ruin no more lives as you have ruined mine. You will - wring no more hearts as you wrung mine. I will free the world of - a poisonous thing. Take that, you hound—and that!—and that!—and - that!” - - She had drawn a little gleaming revolver, and emptied barrel - after barrel into Milverton’s body, the muzzle within two feet of - his shirt front. He shrank away and then fell forward upon the - table, coughing furiously and clawing among the papers. Then he - staggered to his feet, received another shot, and rolled upon the - floor. “You’ve done me,” he cried, and lay still. The woman - looked at him intently, and ground her heel into his upturned - face. She looked again, but there was no sound or movement. I - heard a sharp rustle, the night air blew into the heated room, - and the avenger was gone. - - No interference upon our part could have saved the man from his - fate, but, as the woman poured bullet after bullet into - Milverton’s shrinking body I was about to spring out, when I felt - Holmes’s cold, strong grasp upon my wrist. I understood the whole - argument of that firm, restraining grip—that it was no affair of - ours, that justice had overtaken a villain, that we had our own - duties and our own objects, which were not to be lost sight of. - But hardly had the woman rushed from the room when Holmes, with - swift, silent steps, was over at the other door. He turned the - key in the lock. At the same instant we heard voices in the house - and the sound of hurrying feet. The revolver shots had roused the - household. With perfect coolness Holmes slipped across to the - safe, filled his two arms with bundles of letters, and poured - them all into the fire. Again and again he did it, until the safe - was empty. Someone turned the handle and beat upon the outside of - the door. Holmes looked swiftly round. The letter which had been - the messenger of death for Milverton lay, all mottled with his - blood, upon the table. Holmes tossed it in among the blazing - papers. Then he drew the key from the outer door, passed through - after me, and locked it on the outside. “This way, Watson,” said - he, “we can scale the garden wall in this direction.” - - I could not have believed that an alarm could have spread so - swiftly. Looking back, the huge house was one blaze of light. The - front door was open, and figures were rushing down the drive. The - whole garden was alive with people, and one fellow raised a - view-halloa as we emerged from the veranda and followed hard at - our heels. Holmes seemed to know the grounds perfectly, and he - threaded his way swiftly among a plantation of small trees, I - close at his heels, and our foremost pursuer panting behind us. - It was a six-foot wall which barred our path, but he sprang to - the top and over. As I did the same I felt the hand of the man - behind me grab at my ankle, but I kicked myself free and - scrambled over a grass-strewn coping. I fell upon my face among - some bushes, but Holmes had me on my feet in an instant, and - together we dashed away across the huge expanse of Hampstead - Heath. We had run two miles, I suppose, before Holmes at last - halted and listened intently. All was absolute silence behind us. - We had shaken off our pursuers and were safe. - - We had breakfasted and were smoking our morning pipe on the day - after the remarkable experience which I have recorded, when Mr. - Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, very solemn and impressive, was - ushered into our modest sitting-room. - - “Good-morning, Mr. Holmes,” said he; “good-morning. May I ask if - you are very busy just now?” - - “Not too busy to listen to you.” - - “I thought that, perhaps, if you had nothing particular on hand, - you might care to assist us in a most remarkable case, which - occurred only last night at Hampstead.” - - “Dear me!” said Holmes. “What was that?” - - “A murder—a most dramatic and remarkable murder. I know how keen - you are upon these things, and I would take it as a great favour - if you would step down to Appledore Towers, and give us the - benefit of your advice. It is no ordinary crime. We have had our - eyes upon this Mr. Milverton for some time, and, between - ourselves, he was a bit of a villain. He is known to have held - papers which he used for blackmailing purposes. These papers have - all been burned by the murderers. No article of value was taken, - as it is probable that the criminals were men of good position, - whose sole object was to prevent social exposure.” - - “Criminals?” said Holmes. “Plural?” - - “Yes, there were two of them. They were as nearly as possible - captured red-handed. We have their footmarks, we have their - description, it’s ten to one that we trace them. The first fellow - was a bit too active, but the second was caught by the - under-gardener, and only got away after a struggle. He was a - middle-sized, strongly built man—square jaw, thick neck, - moustache, a mask over his eyes.” - - “That’s rather vague,” said Sherlock Holmes. “My, it might be a - description of Watson!” - - “It’s true,” said the inspector, with amusement. “It might be a - description of Watson.” - - “Well, I’m afraid I can’t help you, Lestrade,” said Holmes. “The - fact is that I knew this fellow Milverton, that I considered him - one of the most dangerous men in London, and that I think there - are certain crimes which the law cannot touch, and which - therefore, to some extent, justify private revenge. No, it’s no - use arguing. I have made up my mind. My sympathies are with the - criminals rather than with the victim, and I will not handle this - case.” - - Holmes had not said one word to me about the tragedy which we had - witnessed, but I observed all the morning that he was in his most - thoughtful mood, and he gave me the impression, from his vacant - eyes and his abstracted manner, of a man who is striving to - recall something to his memory. We were in the middle of our - lunch, when he suddenly sprang to his feet. “By Jove, Watson, - I’ve got it!” he cried. “Take your hat! Come with me!” He hurried - at his top speed down Baker Street and along Oxford Street, until - we had almost reached Regent Circus. Here, on the left hand, - there stands a shop window filled with photographs of the - celebrities and beauties of the day. Holmes’s eyes fixed - themselves upon one of them, and following his gaze I saw the - picture of a regal and stately lady in Court dress, with a high - diamond tiara upon her noble head. I looked at that delicately - curved nose, at the marked eyebrows, at the straight mouth, and - the strong little chin beneath it. Then I caught my breath as I - read the time-honoured title of the great nobleman and statesman - whose wife she had been. My eyes met those of Holmes, and he put - his finger to his lips as we turned away from the window. - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF THE SIX NAPOLEONS - - - It was no very unusual thing for Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, - to look in upon us of an evening, and his visits were welcome to - Sherlock Holmes, for they enabled him to keep in touch with all - that was going on at the police headquarters. In return for the - news which Lestrade would bring, Holmes was always ready to - listen with attention to the details of any case upon which the - detective was engaged, and was able occasionally, without any - active interference, to give some hint or suggestion drawn from - his own vast knowledge and experience. - - On this particular evening, Lestrade had spoken of the weather - and the newspapers. Then he had fallen silent, puffing - thoughtfully at his cigar. Holmes looked keenly at him. - - “Anything remarkable on hand?” he asked. - - “Oh, no, Mr. Holmes—nothing very particular.” - - “Then tell me about it.” - - Lestrade laughed. - - “Well, Mr. Holmes, there is no use denying that there _is_ - something on my mind. And yet it is such an absurd business, that - I hesitated to bother you about it. On the other hand, although - it is trivial, it is undoubtedly queer, and I know that you have - a taste for all that is out of the common. But, in my opinion, it - comes more in Dr. Watson’s line than ours.” - - “Disease?” said I. - - “Madness, anyhow. And a queer madness, too. You wouldn’t think - there was anyone living at this time of day who had such a hatred - of Napoleon the First that he would break any image of him that - he could see.” - - Holmes sank back in his chair. - - “That’s no business of mine,” said he. - - “Exactly. That’s what I said. But then, when the man commits - burglary in order to break images which are not his own, that - brings it away from the doctor and on to the policeman.” - - Holmes sat up again. - - “Burglary! This is more interesting. Let me hear the details.” - - Lestrade took out his official notebook and refreshed his memory - from its pages. - - “The first case reported was four days ago,” said he. “It was at - the shop of Morse Hudson, who has a place for the sale of - pictures and statues in the Kennington Road. The assistant had - left the front shop for an instant, when he heard a crash, and - hurrying in he found a plaster bust of Napoleon, which stood with - several other works of art upon the counter, lying shivered into - fragments. He rushed out into the road, but, although several - passers-by declared that they had noticed a man run out of the - shop, he could neither see anyone nor could he find any means of - identifying the rascal. It seemed to be one of those senseless - acts of hooliganism which occur from time to time, and it was - reported to the constable on the beat as such. The plaster cast - was not worth more than a few shillings, and the whole affair - appeared to be too childish for any particular investigation. - - “The second case, however, was more serious, and also more - singular. It occurred only last night. - - “In Kennington Road, and within a few hundred yards of Morse - Hudson’s shop, there lives a well-known medical practitioner, - named Dr. Barnicot, who has one of the largest practices upon the - south side of the Thames. His residence and principal - consulting-room is at Kennington Road, but he has a branch - surgery and dispensary at Lower Brixton Road, two miles away. - This Dr. Barnicot is an enthusiastic admirer of Napoleon, and his - house is full of books, pictures, and relics of the French - Emperor. Some little time ago he purchased from Morse Hudson two - duplicate plaster casts of the famous head of Napoleon by the - French sculptor, Devine. One of these he placed in his hall in - the house at Kennington Road, and the other on the mantelpiece of - the surgery at Lower Brixton. Well, when Dr. Barnicot came down - this morning he was astonished to find that his house had been - burgled during the night, but that nothing had been taken save - the plaster head from the hall. It had been carried out and had - been dashed savagely against the garden wall, under which its - splintered fragments were discovered.” - - Holmes rubbed his hands. - - “This is certainly very novel,” said he. - - “I thought it would please you. But I have not got to the end - yet. Dr. Barnicot was due at his surgery at twelve o’clock, and - you can imagine his amazement when, on arriving there, he found - that the window had been opened in the night and that the broken - pieces of his second bust were strewn all over the room. It had - been smashed to atoms where it stood. In neither case were there - any signs which could give us a clue as to the criminal or - lunatic who had done the mischief. Now, Mr. Holmes, you have got - the facts.” - - “They are singular, not to say grotesque,” said Holmes. “May I - ask whether the two busts smashed in Dr. Barnicot’s rooms were - the exact duplicates of the one which was destroyed in Morse - Hudson’s shop?” - - “They were taken from the same mould.” - - “Such a fact must tell against the theory that the man who breaks - them is influenced by any general hatred of Napoleon. Considering - how many hundreds of statues of the great Emperor must exist in - London, it is too much to suppose such a coincidence as that a - promiscuous iconoclast should chance to begin upon three - specimens of the same bust.” - - “Well, I thought as you do,” said Lestrade. “On the other hand, - this Morse Hudson is the purveyor of busts in that part of - London, and these three were the only ones which had been in his - shop for years. So, although, as you say, there are many hundreds - of statues in London, it is very probable that these three were - the only ones in that district. Therefore, a local fanatic would - begin with them. What do you think, Dr. Watson?” - - “There are no limits to the possibilities of monomania,” I - answered. “There is the condition which the modern French - psychologists have called the _idée fixe_, which may be trifling - in character, and accompanied by complete sanity in every other - way. A man who had read deeply about Napoleon, or who had - possibly received some hereditary family injury through the great - war, might conceivably form such an _idée fixe_ and under its - influence be capable of any fantastic outrage.” - - “That won’t do, my dear Watson,” said Holmes, shaking his head, - “for no amount of _idée fixe_ would enable your interesting - monomaniac to find out where these busts were situated.” - - “Well, how do _you_ explain it?” - - “I don’t attempt to do so. I would only observe that there is a - certain method in the gentleman’s eccentric proceedings. For - example, in Dr. Barnicot’s hall, where a sound might arouse the - family, the bust was taken outside before being broken, whereas - in the surgery, where there was less danger of an alarm, it was - smashed where it stood. The affair seems absurdly trifling, and - yet I dare call nothing trivial when I reflect that some of my - most classic cases have had the least promising commencement. You - will remember, Watson, how the dreadful business of the Abernetty - family was first brought to my notice by the depth which the - parsley had sunk into the butter upon a hot day. I can’t afford, - therefore, to smile at your three broken busts, Lestrade, and I - shall be very much obliged to you if you will let me hear of any - fresh development of so singular a chain of events.” - - The development for which my friend had asked came in a quicker - and an infinitely more tragic form than he could have imagined. I - was still dressing in my bedroom next morning, when there was a - tap at the door and Holmes entered, a telegram in his hand. He - read it aloud: - - “Come instantly, 131, Pitt Street, Kensington.—LESTRADE.” - - “What is it, then?” I asked. - - “Don’t know—may be anything. But I suspect it is the sequel of - the story of the statues. In that case our friend the - image-breaker has begun operations in another quarter of London. - There’s coffee on the table, Watson, and I have a cab at the - door.” - - In half an hour we had reached Pitt Street, a quiet little - backwater just beside one of the briskest currents of London - life. No. 131 was one of a row, all flat-chested, respectable, - and most unromantic dwellings. As we drove up, we found the - railings in front of the house lined by a curious crowd. Holmes - whistled. - - “By George! It’s attempted murder at the least. Nothing less will - hold the London message-boy. There’s a deed of violence indicated - in that fellow’s round shoulders and outstretched neck. What’s - this, Watson? The top steps swilled down and the other ones dry. - Footsteps enough, anyhow! Well, well, there’s Lestrade at the - front window, and we shall soon know all about it.” - - The official received us with a very grave face and showed us - into a sitting-room, where an exceedingly unkempt and agitated - elderly man, clad in a flannel dressing-gown, was pacing up and - down. He was introduced to us as the owner of the house—Mr. - Horace Harker, of the Central Press Syndicate. - - “It’s the Napoleon bust business again,” said Lestrade. “You - seemed interested last night, Mr. Holmes, so I thought perhaps - you would be glad to be present now that the affair has taken a - very much graver turn.” - - “What has it turned to, then?” - - “To murder. Mr. Harker, will you tell these gentlemen exactly - what has occurred?” - - The man in the dressing-gown turned upon us with a most - melancholy face. - - “It’s an extraordinary thing,” said he, “that all my life I have - been collecting other people’s news, and now that a real piece of - news has come my own way I am so confused and bothered that I - can’t put two words together. If I had come in here as a - journalist, I should have interviewed myself and had two columns - in every evening paper. As it is, I am giving away valuable copy - by telling my story over and over to a string of different - people, and I can make no use of it myself. However, I’ve heard - your name, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, and if you’ll only explain this - queer business, I shall be paid for my trouble in telling you the - story.” - - Holmes sat down and listened. - - “It all seems to centre round that bust of Napoleon which I - bought for this very room about four months ago. I picked it up - cheap from Harding Brothers, two doors from the High Street - Station. A great deal of my journalistic work is done at night, - and I often write until the early morning. So it was to-day. I - was sitting in my den, which is at the back of the top of the - house, about three o’clock, when I was convinced that I heard - some sounds downstairs. I listened, but they were not repeated, - and I concluded that they came from outside. Then suddenly, about - five minutes later, there came a most horrible yell—the most - dreadful sound, Mr. Holmes, that ever I heard. It will ring in my - ears as long as I live. I sat frozen with horror for a minute or - two. Then I seized the poker and went downstairs. When I entered - this room I found the window wide open, and I at once observed - that the bust was gone from the mantelpiece. Why any burglar - should take such a thing passes my understanding, for it was only - a plaster cast and of no real value whatever. - - “You can see for yourself that anyone going out through that open - window could reach the front doorstep by taking a long stride. - This was clearly what the burglar had done, so I went round and - opened the door. Stepping out into the dark, I nearly fell over a - dead man, who was lying there. I ran back for a light and there - was the poor fellow, a great gash in his throat and the whole - place swimming in blood. He lay on his back, his knees drawn up, - and his mouth horribly open. I shall see him in my dreams. I had - just time to blow on my police-whistle, and then I must have - fainted, for I knew nothing more until I found the policeman - standing over me in the hall.” - - “Well, who was the murdered man?” asked Holmes. - - “There’s nothing to show who he was,” said Lestrade. “You shall - see the body at the mortuary, but we have made nothing of it up - to now. He is a tall man, sunburned, very powerful, not more than - thirty. He is poorly dressed, and yet does not appear to be a - labourer. A horn-handled clasp knife was lying in a pool of blood - beside him. Whether it was the weapon which did the deed, or - whether it belonged to the dead man, I do not know. There was no - name on his clothing, and nothing in his pockets save an apple, - some string, a shilling map of London, and a photograph. Here it - is.” - - It was evidently taken by a snapshot from a small camera. It - represented an alert, sharp-featured simian man, with thick - eyebrows and a very peculiar projection of the lower part of the - face, like the muzzle of a baboon. - - “And what became of the bust?” asked Holmes, after a careful - study of this picture. - - “We had news of it just before you came. It has been found in the - front garden of an empty house in Campden House Road. It was - broken into fragments. I am going round now to see it. Will you - come?” - - “Certainly. I must just take one look round.” He examined the - carpet and the window. “The fellow had either very long legs or - was a most active man,” said he. “With an area beneath, it was no - mean feat to reach that window ledge and open that window. - Getting back was comparatively simple. Are you coming with us to - see the remains of your bust, Mr. Harker?” - - The disconsolate journalist had seated himself at a - writing-table. - - “I must try and make something of it,” said he, “though I have no - doubt that the first editions of the evening papers are out - already with full details. It’s like my luck! You remember when - the stand fell at Doncaster? Well, I was the only journalist in - the stand, and my journal the only one that had no account of it, - for I was too shaken to write it. And now I’ll be too late with a - murder done on my own doorstep.” - - As we left the room, we heard his pen travelling shrilly over the - foolscap. - - The spot where the fragments of the bust had been found was only - a few hundred yards away. For the first time our eyes rested upon - this presentment of the great emperor, which seemed to raise such - frantic and destructive hatred in the mind of the unknown. It lay - scattered, in splintered shards, upon the grass. Holmes picked up - several of them and examined them carefully. I was convinced, - from his intent face and his purposeful manner, that at last he - was upon a clue. - - “Well?” asked Lestrade. - - Holmes shrugged his shoulders. - - “We have a long way to go yet,” said he. “And yet—and yet—well, - we have some suggestive facts to act upon. The possession of this - trifling bust was worth more, in the eyes of this strange - criminal, than a human life. That is one point. Then there is the - singular fact that he did not break it in the house, or - immediately outside the house, if to break it was his sole - object.” - - “He was rattled and bustled by meeting this other fellow. He - hardly knew what he was doing.” - - “Well, that’s likely enough. But I wish to call your attention - very particularly to the position of this house, in the garden of - which the bust was destroyed.” - - Lestrade looked about him. - - “It was an empty house, and so he knew that he would not be - disturbed in the garden.” - - “Yes, but there is another empty house farther up the street - which he must have passed before he came to this one. Why did he - not break it there, since it is evident that every yard that he - carried it increased the risk of someone meeting him?” - - “I give it up,” said Lestrade. - - Holmes pointed to the street lamp above our heads. - - “He could see what he was doing here, and he could not there. - That was his reason.” - - “By Jove! that’s true,” said the detective. “Now that I come to - think of it, Dr. Barnicot’s bust was broken not far from his red - lamp. Well, Mr. Holmes, what are we to do with that fact?” - - “To remember it—to docket it. We may come on something later - which will bear upon it. What steps do you propose to take now, - Lestrade?” - - “The most practical way of getting at it, in my opinion, is to - identify the dead man. There should be no difficulty about that. - When we have found who he is and who his associates are, we - should have a good start in learning what he was doing in Pitt - Street last night, and who it was who met him and killed him on - the doorstep of Mr. Horace Harker. Don’t you think so?” - - “No doubt; and yet it is not quite the way in which I should - approach the case.” - - “What would you do then?” - - “Oh, you must not let me influence you in any way. I suggest that - you go on your line and I on mine. We can compare notes - afterwards, and each will supplement the other.” - - “Very good,” said Lestrade. - - “If you are going back to Pitt Street, you might see Mr. Horace - Harker. Tell him for me that I have quite made up my mind, and - that it is certain that a dangerous homicidal lunatic, with - Napoleonic delusions, was in his house last night. It will be - useful for his article.” - - Lestrade stared. - - “You don’t seriously believe that?” - - Holmes smiled. - - “Don’t I? Well, perhaps I don’t. But I am sure that it will - interest Mr. Horace Harker and the subscribers of the Central - Press Syndicate. Now, Watson, I think that we shall find that we - have a long and rather complex day’s work before us. I should be - glad, Lestrade, if you could make it convenient to meet us at - Baker Street at six o’clock this evening. Until then I should - like to keep this photograph, found in the dead man’s pocket. It - is possible that I may have to ask your company and assistance - upon a small expedition which will have be undertaken to-night, - if my chain of reasoning should prove to be correct. Until then - good-bye and good luck!” - - Sherlock Holmes and I walked together to the High Street, where - we stopped at the shop of Harding Brothers, whence the bust had - been purchased. A young assistant informed us that Mr. Harding - would be absent until afternoon, and that he was himself a - newcomer, who could give us no information. Holmes’s face showed - his disappointment and annoyance. - - “Well, well, we can’t expect to have it all our own way, Watson,” - he said, at last. “We must come back in the afternoon, if Mr. - Harding will not be here until then. I am, as you have no doubt - surmised, endeavouring to trace these busts to their source, in - order to find if there is not something peculiar which may - account for their remarkable fate. Let us make for Mr. Morse - Hudson, of the Kennington Road, and see if he can throw any light - upon the problem.” - - A drive of an hour brought us to the picture-dealer’s - establishment. He was a small, stout man with a red face and a - peppery manner. - - “Yes, sir. On my very counter, sir,” said he. “What we pay rates - and taxes for I don’t know, when any ruffian can come in and - break one’s goods. Yes, sir, it was I who sold Dr. Barnicot his - two statues. Disgraceful, sir! A Nihilist plot—that’s what I make - it. No one but an anarchist would go about breaking statues. Red - republicans—that’s what I call ’em. Who did I get the statues - from? I don’t see what that has to do with it. Well, if you - really want to know, I got them from Gelder & Co., in Church - Street, Stepney. They are a well-known house in the trade, and - have been this twenty years. How many had I? Three—two and one - are three—two of Dr. Barnicot’s, and one smashed in broad - daylight on my own counter. Do I know that photograph? No, I - don’t. Yes, I do, though. Why, it’s Beppo. He was a kind of - Italian piece-work man, who made himself useful in the shop. He - could carve a bit, and gild and frame, and do odd jobs. The - fellow left me last week, and I’ve heard nothing of him since. - No, I don’t know where he came from nor where he went to. I had - nothing against him while he was here. He was gone two days - before the bust was smashed.” - - “Well, that’s all we could reasonably expect from Morse Hudson,” - said Holmes, as we emerged from the shop. “We have this Beppo as - a common factor, both in Kennington and in Kensington, so that is - worth a ten-mile drive. Now, Watson, let us make for Gelder & - Co., of Stepney, the source and origin of the busts. I shall be - surprised if we don’t get some help down there.” - - In rapid succession we passed through the fringe of fashionable - London, hotel London, theatrical London, literary London, - commercial London, and, finally, maritime London, till we came to - a riverside city of a hundred thousand souls, where the tenement - houses swelter and reek with the outcasts of Europe. Here, in a - broad thoroughfare, once the abode of wealthy City merchants, we - found the sculpture works for which we searched. Outside was a - considerable yard full of monumental masonry. Inside was a large - room in which fifty workers were carving or moulding. The - manager, a big blond German, received us civilly and gave a clear - answer to all Holmes’s questions. A reference to his books showed - that hundreds of casts had been taken from a marble copy of - Devine’s head of Napoleon, but that the three which had been sent - to Morse Hudson a year or so before had been half of a batch of - six, the other three being sent to Harding Brothers, of - Kensington. There was no reason why those six should be different - from any of the other casts. He could suggest no possible cause - why anyone should wish to destroy them—in fact, he laughed at the - idea. Their wholesale price was six shillings, but the retailer - would get twelve or more. The cast was taken in two moulds from - each side of the face, and then these two profiles of plaster of - Paris were joined together to make the complete bust. The work - was usually done by Italians, in the room we were in. When - finished, the busts were put on a table in the passage to dry, - and afterwards stored. That was all he could tell us. - - But the production of the photograph had a remarkable effect upon - the manager. His face flushed with anger, and his brows knotted - over his blue Teutonic eyes. - - “Ah, the rascal!” he cried. “Yes, indeed, I know him very well. - This has always been a respectable establishment, and the only - time that we have ever had the police in it was over this very - fellow. It was more than a year ago now. He knifed another - Italian in the street, and then he came to the works with the - police on his heels, and he was taken here. Beppo was his - name—his second name I never knew. Serve me right for engaging a - man with such a face. But he was a good workman—one of the best.” - - “What did he get?” - - “The man lived and he got off with a year. I have no doubt he is - out now, but he has not dared to show his nose here. We have a - cousin of his here, and I daresay he could tell you where he is.” - - “No, no,” cried Holmes, “not a word to the cousin—not a word, I - beg of you. The matter is very important, and the farther I go - with it, the more important it seems to grow. When you referred - in your ledger to the sale of those casts I observed that the - date was June 3rd of last year. Could you give me the date when - Beppo was arrested?” - - “I could tell you roughly by the pay-list,” the manager answered. - “Yes,” he continued, after some turning over of pages, “he was - paid last on May 20th.” - - “Thank you,” said Holmes. “I don’t think that I need intrude upon - your time and patience any more.” With a last word of caution - that he should say nothing as to our researches, we turned our - faces westward once more. - - The afternoon was far advanced before we were able to snatch a - hasty luncheon at a restaurant. A news-bill at the entrance - announced “Kensington Outrage. Murder by a Madman,” and the - contents of the paper showed that Mr. Horace Harker had got his - account into print after all. Two columns were occupied with a - highly sensational and flowery rendering of the whole incident. - Holmes propped it against the cruet-stand and read it while he - ate. Once or twice he chuckled. - - “This is all right, Watson,” said he. “Listen to this: - - “It is satisfactory to know that there can be no difference of - opinion upon this case, since Mr. Lestrade, one of the most - experienced members of the official force, and Mr. Sherlock - Holmes, the well-known consulting expert, have each come to the - conclusion that the grotesque series of incidents, which have - ended in so tragic a fashion, arise from lunacy rather than from - deliberate crime. No explanation save mental aberration can cover - the facts. - - “The Press, Watson, is a most valuable institution, if you only - know how to use it. And now, if you have quite finished, we will - hark back to Kensington and see what the manager of Harding - Brothers has to say on the matter.” - - The founder of that great emporium proved to be a brisk, crisp - little person, very dapper and quick, with a clear head and a - ready tongue. - - “Yes, sir, I have already read the account in the evening papers. - Mr. Horace Harker is a customer of ours. We supplied him with the - bust some months ago. We ordered three busts of that sort from - Gelder & Co., of Stepney. They are all sold now. To whom? Oh, I - daresay by consulting our sales book we could very easily tell - you. Yes, we have the entries here. One to Mr. Harker you see, - and one to Mr. Josiah Brown, of Laburnum Lodge, Laburnum Vale, - Chiswick, and one to Mr. Sandeford, of Lower Grove Road, Reading. - No, I have never seen this face which you show me in the - photograph. You would hardly forget it, would you, sir, for I’ve - seldom seen an uglier. Have we any Italians on the staff? Yes, - sir, we have several among our workpeople and cleaners. I daresay - they might get a peep at that sales book if they wanted to. There - is no particular reason for keeping a watch upon that book. Well, - well, it’s a very strange business, and I hope that you will let - me know if anything comes of your inquiries.” - - Holmes had taken several notes during Mr. Harding’s evidence, and - I could see that he was thoroughly satisfied by the turn which - affairs were taking. He made no remark, however, save that, - unless we hurried, we should be late for our appointment with - Lestrade. Sure enough, when we reached Baker Street the detective - was already there, and we found him pacing up and down in a fever - of impatience. His look of importance showed that his day’s work - had not been in vain. - - “Well?” he asked. “What luck, Mr. Holmes?” - - “We have had a very busy day, and not entirely a wasted one,” my - friend explained. “We have seen both the retailers and also the - wholesale manufacturers. I can trace each of the busts now from - the beginning.” - - “The busts,” cried Lestrade. “Well, well, you have your own - methods, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, and it is not for me to say a word - against them, but I think I have done a better day’s work than - you. I have identified the dead man.” - - “You don’t say so?” - - “And found a cause for the crime.” - - “Splendid!” - - “We have an inspector who makes a specialty of Saffron Hill and - the Italian Quarter. Well, this dead man had some Catholic emblem - round his neck, and that, along with his colour, made me think he - was from the South. Inspector Hill knew him the moment he caught - sight of him. His name is Pietro Venucci, from Naples, and he is - one of the greatest cut-throats in London. He is connected with - the Mafia, which, as you know, is a secret political society, - enforcing its decrees by murder. Now, you see how the affair - begins to clear up. The other fellow is probably an Italian also, - and a member of the Mafia. He has broken the rules in some - fashion. Pietro is set upon his track. Probably the photograph we - found in his pocket is the man himself, so that he may not knife - the wrong person. He dogs the fellow, he sees him enter a house, - he waits outside for him, and in the scuffle he receives his own - death-wound. How is that, Mr. Sherlock Holmes?” - - Holmes clapped his hands approvingly. - - “Excellent, Lestrade, excellent!” he cried. “But I didn’t quite - follow your explanation of the destruction of the busts.” - - “The busts! You never can get those busts out of your head. After - all, that is nothing; petty larceny, six months at the most. It - is the murder that we are really investigating, and I tell you - that I am gathering all the threads into my hands.” - - “And the next stage?” - - “Is a very simple one. I shall go down with Hill to the Italian - Quarter, find the man whose photograph we have got, and arrest - him on the charge of murder. Will you come with us?” - - “I think not. I fancy we can attain our end in a simpler way. I - can’t say for certain, because it all depends—well, it all - depends upon a factor which is completely outside our control. - But I have great hopes—in fact, the betting is exactly two to - one—that if you will come with us to-night I shall be able to - help you to lay him by the heels.” - - “In the Italian Quarter?” - - “No, I fancy Chiswick is an address which is more likely to find - him. If you will come with me to Chiswick to-night, Lestrade, - I’ll promise to go to the Italian Quarter with you to-morrow, and - no harm will be done by the delay. And now I think that a few - hours’ sleep would do us all good, for I do not propose to leave - before eleven o’clock, and it is unlikely that we shall be back - before morning. You’ll dine with us, Lestrade, and then you are - welcome to the sofa until it is time for us to start. In the - meantime, Watson, I should be glad if you would ring for an - express messenger, for I have a letter to send and it is - important that it should go at once.” - - Holmes spent the evening in rummaging among the files of the old - daily papers with which one of our lumber-rooms was packed. When - at last he descended, it was with triumph in his eyes, but he - said nothing to either of us as to the result of his researches. - For my own part, I had followed step by step the methods by which - he had traced the various windings of this complex case, and, - though I could not yet perceive the goal which we would reach, I - understood clearly that Holmes expected this grotesque criminal - to make an attempt upon the two remaining busts, one of which, I - remembered, was at Chiswick. No doubt the object of our journey - was to catch him in the very act, and I could not but admire the - cunning with which my friend had inserted a wrong clue in the - evening paper, so as to give the fellow the idea that he could - continue his scheme with impunity. I was not surprised when - Holmes suggested that I should take my revolver with me. He had - himself picked up the loaded hunting-crop, which was his - favourite weapon. - - A four-wheeler was at the door at eleven, and in it we drove to a - spot at the other side of Hammersmith Bridge. Here the cabman was - directed to wait. A short walk brought us to a secluded road - fringed with pleasant houses, each standing in its own grounds. - In the light of a street lamp we read “Laburnum Villa” upon the - gate-post of one of them. The occupants had evidently retired to - rest, for all was dark save for a fanlight over the hall door, - which shed a single blurred circle on to the garden path. The - wooden fence which separated the grounds from the road threw a - dense black shadow upon the inner side, and here it was that we - crouched. - - “I fear that you’ll have a long wait,” Holmes whispered. “We may - thank our stars that it is not raining. I don’t think we can even - venture to smoke to pass the time. However, it’s a two to one - chance that we get something to pay us for our trouble.” - - It proved, however, that our vigil was not to be so long as - Holmes had led us to fear, and it ended in a very sudden and - singular fashion. In an instant, without the least sound to warn - us of his coming, the garden gate swung open, and a lithe, dark - figure, as swift and active as an ape, rushed up the garden path. - We saw it whisk past the light thrown from over the door and - disappear against the black shadow of the house. There was a long - pause, during which we held our breath, and then a very gentle - creaking sound came to our ears. The window was being opened. The - noise ceased, and again there was a long silence. The fellow was - making his way into the house. We saw the sudden flash of a dark - lantern inside the room. What he sought was evidently not there, - for again we saw the flash through another blind, and then - through another. - - “Let us get to the open window. We will nab him as he climbs - out,” Lestrade whispered. - - But before we could move, the man had emerged again. As he came - out into the glimmering patch of light, we saw that he carried - something white under his arm. He looked stealthily all round - him. The silence of the deserted street reassured him. Turning - his back upon us he laid down his burden, and the next instant - there was the sound of a sharp tap, followed by a clatter and - rattle. The man was so intent upon what he was doing that he - never heard our steps as we stole across the grass plot. With the - bound of a tiger Holmes was on his back, and an instant later - Lestrade and I had him by either wrist, and the handcuffs had - been fastened. As we turned him over I saw a hideous, sallow - face, with writhing, furious features, glaring up at us, and I - knew that it was indeed the man of the photograph whom we had - secured. - - But it was not our prisoner to whom Holmes was giving his - attention. Squatted on the doorstep, he was engaged in most - carefully examining that which the man had brought from the - house. It was a bust of Napoleon, like the one which we had seen - that morning, and it had been broken into similar fragments. - Carefully Holmes held each separate shard to the light, but in no - way did it differ from any other shattered piece of plaster. He - had just completed his examination when the hall lights flew up, - the door opened, and the owner of the house, a jovial, rotund - figure in shirt and trousers, presented himself. - - “Mr. Josiah Brown, I suppose?” said Holmes. - - “Yes, sir; and you, no doubt, are Mr. Sherlock Holmes? I had the - note which you sent by the express messenger, and I did exactly - what you told me. We locked every door on the inside and awaited - developments. Well, I’m very glad to see that you have got the - rascal. I hope, gentlemen, that you will come in and have some - refreshment.” - - However, Lestrade was anxious to get his man into safe quarters, - so within a few minutes our cab had been summoned and we were all - four upon our way to London. Not a word would our captive say, - but he glared at us from the shadow of his matted hair, and once, - when my hand seemed within his reach, he snapped at it like a - hungry wolf. We stayed long enough at the police-station to learn - that a search of his clothing revealed nothing save a few - shillings and a long sheath knife, the handle of which bore - copious traces of recent blood. - - “That’s all right,” said Lestrade, as we parted. “Hill knows all - these gentry, and he will give a name to him. You’ll find that my - theory of the Mafia will work out all right. But I’m sure I am - exceedingly obliged to you, Mr. Holmes, for the workmanlike way - in which you laid hands upon him. I don’t quite understand it all - yet.” - - “I fear it is rather too late an hour for explanations,” said - Holmes. “Besides, there are one or two details which are not - finished off, and it is one of those cases which are worth - working out to the very end. If you will come round once more to - my rooms at six o’clock to-morrow, I think I shall be able to - show you that even now you have not grasped the entire meaning of - this business, which presents some features which make it - absolutely original in the history of crime. If ever I permit you - to chronicle any more of my little problems, Watson, I foresee - that you will enliven your pages by an account of the singular - adventure of the Napoleonic busts.” - - When we met again next evening, Lestrade was furnished with much - information concerning our prisoner. His name, it appeared, was - Beppo, second name unknown. He was a well-known ne’er-do-well - among the Italian colony. He had once been a skilful sculptor and - had earned an honest living, but he had taken to evil courses and - had twice already been in jail—once for a petty theft, and once, - as we had already heard, for stabbing a fellow-countryman. He - could talk English perfectly well. His reasons for destroying the - busts were still unknown, and he refused to answer any questions - upon the subject, but the police had discovered that these same - busts might very well have been made by his own hands, since he - was engaged in this class of work at the establishment of Gelder - & Co. To all this information, much of which we already knew, - Holmes listened with polite attention, but I, who knew him so - well, could clearly see that his thoughts were elsewhere, and I - detected a mixture of mingled uneasiness and expectation beneath - that mask which he was wont to assume. At last he started in his - chair, and his eyes brightened. There had been a ring at the - bell. A minute later we heard steps upon the stairs, and an - elderly red-faced man with grizzled side-whiskers was ushered in. - In his right hand he carried an old-fashioned carpet-bag, which - he placed upon the table. - - “Is Mr. Sherlock Holmes here?” - - My friend bowed and smiled. “Mr. Sandeford, of Reading, I - suppose?” said he. - - “Yes, sir, I fear that I am a little late, but the trains were - awkward. You wrote to me about a bust that is in my possession.” - - “Exactly.” - - “I have your letter here. You said, ‘I desire to possess a copy - of Devine’s Napoleon, and am prepared to pay you ten pounds for - the one which is in your possession.’ Is that right?” - - “Certainly.” - - “I was very much surprised at your letter, for I could not - imagine how you knew that I owned such a thing.” - - “Of course you must have been surprised, but the explanation is - very simple. Mr. Harding, of Harding Brothers, said that they had - sold you their last copy, and he gave me your address.” - - “Oh, that was it, was it? Did he tell you what I paid for it?” - - “No, he did not.” - - “Well, I am an honest man, though not a very rich one. I only - gave fifteen shillings for the bust, and I think you ought to - know that before I take ten pounds from you. - - “I am sure the scruple does you honour, Mr. Sandeford. But I have - named that price, so I intend to stick to it.” - - “Well, it is very handsome of you, Mr. Holmes. I brought the bust - up with me, as you asked me to do. Here it is!” He opened his - bag, and at last we saw placed upon our table a complete specimen - of that bust which we had already seen more than once in - fragments. - - Holmes took a paper from his pocket and laid a ten-pound note - upon the table. - - “You will kindly sign that paper, Mr. Sandeford, in the presence - of these witnesses. It is simply to say that you transfer every - possible right that you ever had in the bust to me. I am a - methodical man, you see, and you never know what turn events - might take afterwards. Thank you, Mr. Sandeford; here is your - money, and I wish you a very good evening.” - - When our visitor had disappeared, Sherlock Holmes’s movements - were such as to rivet our attention. He began by taking a clean - white cloth from a drawer and laying it over the table. Then he - placed his newly acquired bust in the centre of the cloth. - Finally, he picked up his hunting-crop and struck Napoleon a - sharp blow on the top of the head. The figure broke into - fragments, and Holmes bent eagerly over the shattered remains. - Next instant, with a loud shout of triumph he held up one - splinter, in which a round, dark object was fixed like a plum in - a pudding. - - “Gentlemen,” he cried, “let me introduce you to the famous black - pearl of the Borgias.” - - Lestrade and I sat silent for a moment, and then, with a - spontaneous impulse, we both broke at clapping, as at the - well-wrought crisis of a play. A flush of colour sprang to - Holmes’s pale cheeks, and he bowed to us like the master - dramatist who receives the homage of his audience. It was at such - moments that for an instant he ceased to be a reasoning machine, - and betrayed his human love for admiration and applause. The same - singularly proud and reserved nature which turned away with - disdain from popular notoriety was capable of being moved to its - depths by spontaneous wonder and praise from a friend. - - “Yes, gentlemen,” said he, “it is the most famous pearl now - existing in the world, and it has been my good fortune, by a - connected chain of inductive reasoning, to trace it from the - Prince of Colonna’s bedroom at the Dacre Hotel, where it was - lost, to the interior of this, the last of the six busts of - Napoleon which were manufactured by Gelder & Co., of Stepney. You - will remember, Lestrade, the sensation caused by the - disappearance of this valuable jewel and the vain efforts of the - London police to recover it. I was myself consulted upon the - case, but I was unable to throw any light upon it. Suspicion fell - upon the maid of the Princess, who was an Italian, and it was - proved that she had a brother in London, but we failed to trace - any connection between them. The maid’s name was Lucretia - Venucci, and there is no doubt in my mind that this Pietro who - was murdered two nights ago was the brother. I have been looking - up the dates in the old files of the paper, and I find that the - disappearance of the pearl was exactly two days before the arrest - of Beppo, for some crime of violence—an event which took place in - the factory of Gelder & Co., at the very moment when these busts - were being made. Now you clearly see the sequence of events, - though you see them, of course, in the inverse order to the way - in which they presented themselves to me. Beppo had the pearl in - his possession. He may have stolen it from Pietro, he may have - been Pietro’s confederate, he may have been the go-between of - Pietro and his sister. It is of no consequence to us which is the - correct solution. - - “The main fact is that he _had_ the pearl, and at that moment, - when it was on his person, he was pursued by the police. He made - for the factory in which he worked, and he knew that he had only - a few minutes in which to conceal this enormously valuable prize, - which would otherwise be found on him when he was searched. Six - plaster casts of Napoleon were drying in the passage. One of them - was still soft. In an instant Beppo, a skilful workman, made a - small hole in the wet plaster, dropped in the pearl, and with a - few touches covered over the aperture once more. It was an - admirable hiding-place. No one could possibly find it. But Beppo - was condemned to a year’s imprisonment, and in the meanwhile his - six busts were scattered over London. He could not tell which - contained his treasure. Only by breaking them could he see. Even - shaking would tell him nothing, for as the plaster was wet it was - probable that the pearl would adhere to it—as, in fact, it has - done. Beppo did not despair, and he conducted his search with - considerable ingenuity and perseverance. Through a cousin who - works with Gelder, he found out the retail firms who had bought - the busts. He managed to find employment with Morse Hudson, and - in that way tracked down three of them. The pearl was not there. - Then, with the help of some Italian employee, he succeeded in - finding out where the other three busts had gone. The first was - at Harker’s. There he was dogged by his confederate, who held - Beppo responsible for the loss of the pearl, and he stabbed him - in the scuffle which followed.” - - “If he was his confederate, why should he carry his photograph?” - I asked. - - “As a means of tracing him, if he wished to inquire about him - from any third person. That was the obvious reason. Well, after - the murder I calculated that Beppo would probably hurry rather - than delay his movements. He would fear that the police would - read his secret, and so he hastened on before they should get - ahead of him. Of course, I could not say that he had not found - the pearl in Harker’s bust. I had not even concluded for certain - that it was the pearl, but it was evident to me that he was - looking for something, since he carried the bust past the other - houses in order to break it in the garden which had a lamp - overlooking it. Since Harker’s bust was one in three, the chances - were exactly as I told you—two to one against the pearl being - inside it. There remained two busts, and it was obvious that he - would go for the London one first. I warned the inmates of the - house, so as to avoid a second tragedy, and we went down, with - the happiest results. By that time, of course, I knew for certain - that it was the Borgia pearl that we were after. The name of the - murdered man linked the one event with the other. There only - remained a single bust—the Reading one—and the pearl must be - there. I bought it in your presence from the owner—and there it - lies.” - - We sat in silence for a moment. - - “Well,” said Lestrade, “I’ve seen you handle a good many cases, - Mr. Holmes, but I don’t know that I ever knew a more workmanlike - one than that. We’re not jealous of you at Scotland Yard. No, - sir, we are very proud of you, and if you come down to-morrow, - there’s not a man, from the oldest inspector to the youngest - constable, who wouldn’t be glad to shake you by the hand.” - - “Thank you!” said Holmes. “Thank you!” and as he turned away, it - seemed to me that he was more nearly moved by the softer human - emotions than I had ever seen him. A moment later he was the cold - and practical thinker once more. “Put the pearl in the safe, - Watson,” said he, “and get out the papers of the Conk-Singleton - forgery case. Good-bye, Lestrade. If any little problem comes - your way, I shall be happy, if I can, to give you a hint or two - as to its solution.” - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF THE THREE STUDENTS - - - It was in the year ’95 that a combination of events, into which I - need not enter, caused Mr. Sherlock Holmes and myself to spend - some weeks in one of our great university towns, and it was - during this time that the small but instructive adventure which I - am about to relate befell us. It will be obvious that any details - which would help the reader exactly to identify the college or - the criminal would be injudicious and offensive. So painful a - scandal may well be allowed to die out. With due discretion the - incident itself may, however, be described, since it serves to - illustrate some of those qualities for which my friend was - remarkable. I will endeavour, in my statement, to avoid such - terms as would serve to limit the events to any particular place, - or give a clue as to the people concerned. - - We were residing at the time in furnished lodgings close to a - library where Sherlock Holmes was pursuing some laborious - researches in early English charters—researches which led to - results so striking that they may be the subject of one of my - future narratives. Here it was that one evening we received a - visit from an acquaintance, Mr. Hilton Soames, tutor and lecturer - at the College of St. Luke’s. Mr. Soames was a tall, spare man, - of a nervous and excitable temperament. I had always known him to - be restless in his manner, but on this particular occasion he was - in such a state of uncontrollable agitation that it was clear - something very unusual had occurred. - - “I trust, Mr. Holmes, that you can spare me a few hours of your - valuable time. We have had a very painful incident at St. Luke’s, - and really, but for the happy chance of your being in town, I - should have been at a loss what to do.” - - “I am very busy just now, and I desire no distractions,” my - friend answered. “I should much prefer that you called in the aid - of the police.” - - “No, no, my dear sir; such a course is utterly impossible. When - once the law is evoked it cannot be stayed again, and this is - just one of those cases where, for the credit of the college, it - is most essential to avoid scandal. Your discretion is as - well-known as your powers, and you are the one man in the world - who can help me. I beg you, Mr. Holmes, to do what you can.” - - My friend’s temper had not improved since he had been deprived of - the congenial surroundings of Baker Street. Without his - scrapbooks, his chemicals, and his homely untidiness, he was an - uncomfortable man. He shrugged his shoulders in ungracious - acquiescence, while our visitor in hurried words and with much - excitable gesticulation poured forth his story. - - “I must explain to you, Mr. Holmes, that to-morrow is the first - day of the examination for the Fortescue Scholarship. I am one of - the examiners. My subject is Greek, and the first of the papers - consists of a large passage of Greek translation which the - candidate has not seen. This passage is printed on the - examination paper, and it would naturally be an immense advantage - if the candidate could prepare it in advance. For this reason, - great care is taken to keep the paper secret. - - “To-day, about three o’clock, the proofs of this paper arrived - from the printers. The exercise consists of half a chapter of - Thucydides. I had to read it over carefully, as the text must be - absolutely correct. At four-thirty my task was not yet completed. - I had, however, promised to take tea in a friend’s rooms, so I - left the proof upon my desk. I was absent rather more than an - hour. - - “You are aware, Mr. Holmes, that our college doors are double—a - green baize one within and a heavy oak one without. As I - approached my outer door, I was amazed to see a key in it. For an - instant I imagined that I had left my own there, but on feeling - in my pocket I found that it was all right. The only duplicate - which existed, so far as I knew, was that which belonged to my - servant, Bannister—a man who has looked after my room for ten - years, and whose honesty is absolutely above suspicion. I found - that the key was indeed his, that he had entered my room to know - if I wanted tea, and that he had very carelessly left the key in - the door when he came out. His visit to my room must have been - within a very few minutes of my leaving it. His forgetfulness - about the key would have mattered little upon any other occasion, - but on this one day it has produced the most deplorable - consequences. - - “The moment I looked at my table, I was aware that someone had - rummaged among my papers. The proof was in three long slips. I - had left them all together. Now, I found that one of them was - lying on the floor, one was on the side table near the window, - and the third was where I had left it.” - - Holmes stirred for the first time. - - “The first page on the floor, the second in the window, the third - where you left it,” said he. - - “Exactly, Mr. Holmes. You amaze me. How could you possibly know - that?” - - “Pray continue your very interesting statement.” - - “For an instant I imagined that Bannister had taken the - unpardonable liberty of examining my papers. He denied it, - however, with the utmost earnestness, and I am convinced that he - was speaking the truth. The alternative was that someone passing - had observed the key in the door, had known that I was out, and - had entered to look at the papers. A large sum of money is at - stake, for the scholarship is a very valuable one, and an - unscrupulous man might very well run a risk in order to gain an - advantage over his fellows. - - “Bannister was very much upset by the incident. He had nearly - fainted when we found that the papers had undoubtedly been - tampered with. I gave him a little brandy and left him collapsed - in a chair, while I made a most careful examination of the room. - I soon saw that the intruder had left other traces of his - presence besides the rumpled papers. On the table in the window - were several shreds from a pencil which had been sharpened. A - broken tip of lead was lying there also. Evidently the rascal had - copied the paper in a great hurry, had broken his pencil, and had - been compelled to put a fresh point to it.” - - “Excellent!” said Holmes, who was recovering his good-humour as - his attention became more engrossed by the case. “Fortune has - been your friend.” - - “This was not all. I have a new writing-table with a fine surface - of red leather. I am prepared to swear, and so is Bannister, that - it was smooth and unstained. Now I found a clean cut in it about - three inches long—not a mere scratch, but a positive cut. Not - only this, but on the table I found a small ball of black dough - or clay, with specks of something which looks like sawdust in it. - I am convinced that these marks were left by the man who rifled - the papers. There were no footmarks and no other evidence as to - his identity. I was at my wits’ end, when suddenly the happy - thought occurred to me that you were in the town, and I came - straight round to put the matter into your hands. Do help me, Mr. - Holmes. You see my dilemma. Either I must find the man or else - the examination must be postponed until fresh papers are - prepared, and since this cannot be done without explanation, - there will ensue a hideous scandal, which will throw a cloud not - only on the college, but on the university. Above all things, I - desire to settle the matter quietly and discreetly.” - - “I shall be happy to look into it and to give you such advice as - I can,” said Holmes, rising and putting on his overcoat. “The - case is not entirely devoid of interest. Had anyone visited you - in your room after the papers came to you?” - - “Yes, young Daulat Ras, an Indian student, who lives on the same - stair, came in to ask me some particulars about the examination.” - - “For which he was entered?” - - “Yes.” - - “And the papers were on your table?” - - “To the best of my belief, they were rolled up.” - - “But might be recognized as proofs?” - - “Possibly.” - - “No one else in your room?” - - “No.” - - “Did anyone know that these proofs would be there?” - - “No one save the printer.” - - “Did this man Bannister know?” - - “No, certainly not. No one knew.” - - “Where is Bannister now?” - - “He was very ill, poor fellow. I left him collapsed in the chair. - I was in such a hurry to come to you.” - - “You left your door open?” - - “I locked up the papers first.” - - “Then it amounts to this, Mr. Soames: that, unless the Indian - student recognized the roll as being proofs, the man who tampered - with them came upon them accidentally without knowing that they - were there.” - - “So it seems to me.” - - Holmes gave an enigmatic smile. - - “Well,” said he, “let us go round. Not one of your cases, - Watson—mental, not physical. All right; come if you want to. Now, - Mr. Soames—at your disposal!” - - The sitting-room of our client opened by a long, low, latticed - window on to the ancient lichen-tinted court of the old college. - A Gothic arched door led to a worn stone staircase. On the ground - floor was the tutor’s room. Above were three students, one on - each story. It was already twilight when we reached the scene of - our problem. Holmes halted and looked earnestly at the window. - Then he approached it, and, standing on tiptoe with his neck - craned, he looked into the room. - - “He must have entered through the door. There is no opening - except the one pane,” said our learned guide. - - “Dear me!” said Holmes, and he smiled in a singular way as he - glanced at our companion. “Well, if there is nothing to be - learned here, we had best go inside.” - - The lecturer unlocked the outer door and ushered us into his - room. We stood at the entrance while Holmes made an examination - of the carpet. - - “I am afraid there are no signs here,” said he. “One could hardly - hope for any upon so dry a day. Your servant seems to have quite - recovered. You left him in a chair, you say. Which chair?” - - “By the window there.” - - “I see. Near this little table. You can come in now. I have - finished with the carpet. Let us take the little table first. Of - course, what has happened is very clear. The man entered and took - the papers, sheet by sheet, from the central table. He carried - them over to the window table, because from there he could see if - you came across the courtyard, and so could effect an escape.” - - “As a matter of fact, he could not,” said Soames, “for I entered - by the side door.” - - “Ah, that’s good! Well, anyhow, that was in his mind. Let me see - the three strips. No finger impressions—no! Well, he carried over - this one first, and he copied it. How long would it take him to - do that, using every possible contraction? A quarter of an hour, - not less. Then he tossed it down and seized the next. He was in - the midst of that when your return caused him to make a very - hurried retreat—_very_ hurried, since he had not time to replace - the papers which would tell you that he had been there. You were - not aware of any hurrying feet on the stair as you entered the - outer door?” - - “No, I can’t say I was.” - - “Well, he wrote so furiously that he broke his pencil, and had, - as you observe, to sharpen it again. This is of interest, Watson. - The pencil was not an ordinary one. It was above the usual size, - with a soft lead, the outer colour was dark blue, the maker’s - name was printed in silver lettering, and the piece remaining is - only about an inch and a half long. Look for such a pencil, Mr. - Soames, and you have got your man. When I add that he possesses a - large and very blunt knife, you have an additional aid.” - - Mr. Soames was somewhat overwhelmed by this flood of information. - “I can follow the other points,” said he, “but really, in this - matter of the length——” - - Holmes held out a small chip with the letters NN and a space of - clear wood after them. - - “You see?” - - “No, I fear that even now——” - - “Watson, I have always done you an injustice. There are others. - What could this NN be? It is at the end of a word. You are aware - that Johann Faber is the most common maker’s name. Is it not - clear that there is just as much of the pencil left as usually - follows the Johann?” He held the small table sideways to the - electric light. “I was hoping that if the paper on which he wrote - was thin, some trace of it might come through upon this polished - surface. No, I see nothing. I don’t think there is anything more - to be learned here. Now for the central table. This small pellet - is, I presume, the black, doughy mass you spoke of. Roughly - pyramidal in shape and hollowed out, I perceive. As you say, - there appear to be grains of sawdust in it. Dear me, this is very - interesting. And the cut—a positive tear, I see. It began with a - thin scratch and ended in a jagged hole. I am much indebted to - you for directing my attention to this case, Mr. Soames. Where - does that door lead to?” - - “To my bedroom.” - - “Have you been in it since your adventure?” - - “No, I came straight away for you.” - - “I should like to have a glance round. What a charming, - old-fashioned room! Perhaps you will kindly wait a minute, until - I have examined the floor. No, I see nothing. What about this - curtain? You hang your clothes behind it. If anyone were forced - to conceal himself in this room he must do it there, since the - bed is too low and the wardrobe too shallow. No one there, I - suppose?” - - As Holmes drew the curtain I was aware, from some little rigidity - and alertness of his attitude, that he was prepared for an - emergency. As a matter of fact, the drawn curtain disclosed - nothing but three or four suits of clothes hanging from a line of - pegs. Holmes turned away, and stooped suddenly to the floor. - - “Halloa! What’s this?” said he. - - It was a small pyramid of black, putty-like stuff, exactly like - the one upon the table of the study. Holmes held it out on his - open palm in the glare of the electric light. - - “Your visitor seems to have left traces in your bedroom as well - as in your sitting-room, Mr. Soames.” - - “What could he have wanted there?” - - “I think it is clear enough. You came back by an unexpected way, - and so he had no warning until you were at the very door. What - could he do? He caught up everything which would betray him, and - he rushed into your bedroom to conceal himself.” - - “Good gracious, Mr. Holmes, do you mean to tell me that, all the - time I was talking to Bannister in this room, we had the man - prisoner if we had only known it?” - - “So I read it.” - - “Surely there is another alternative, Mr. Holmes. I don’t know - whether you observed my bedroom window?” - - “Lattice-paned, lead framework, three separate windows, one - swinging on hinge, and large enough to admit a man.” - - “Exactly. And it looks out on an angle of the courtyard so as to - be partly invisible. The man might have effected his entrance - there, left traces as he passed through the bedroom, and finally, - finding the door open, have escaped that way.” - - Holmes shook his head impatiently. - - “Let us be practical,” said he. “I understand you to say that - there are three students who use this stair, and are in the habit - of passing your door?” - - “Yes, there are.” - - “And they are all in for this examination?” - - “Yes.” - - “Have you any reason to suspect any one of them more than the - others?” - - Soames hesitated. - - “It is a very delicate question,” said he. “One hardly likes to - throw suspicion where there are no proofs.” - - “Let us hear the suspicions. I will look after the proofs.” - - “I will tell you, then, in a few words the character of the three - men who inhabit these rooms. The lower of the three is Gilchrist, - a fine scholar and athlete, plays in the Rugby team and the - cricket team for the college, and got his Blue for the hurdles - and the long jump. He is a fine, manly fellow. His father was the - notorious Sir Jabez Gilchrist, who ruined himself on the turf. My - scholar has been left very poor, but he is hard-working and - industrious. He will do well. - - “The second floor is inhabited by Daulat Ras, the Indian. He is a - quiet, inscrutable fellow; as most of those Indians are. He is - well up in his work, though his Greek is his weak subject. He is - steady and methodical. - - “The top floor belongs to Miles McLaren. He is a brilliant fellow - when he chooses to work—one of the brightest intellects of the - university; but he is wayward, dissipated, and unprincipled. He - was nearly expelled over a card scandal in his first year. He has - been idling all this term, and he must look forward with dread to - the examination.” - - “Then it is he whom you suspect?” - - “I dare not go so far as that. But, of the three, he is perhaps - the least unlikely.” - - “Exactly. Now, Mr. Soames, let us have a look at your servant, - Bannister.” - - He was a little, white-faced, clean-shaven, grizzly-haired fellow - of fifty. He was still suffering from this sudden disturbance of - the quiet routine of his life. His plump face was twitching with - his nervousness, and his fingers could not keep still. - - “We are investigating this unhappy business, Bannister,” said his - master. - - “Yes, sir.” - - “I understand,” said Holmes, “that you left your key in the - door?” - - “Yes, sir.” - - “Was it not very extraordinary that you should do this on the - very day when there were these papers inside?” - - “It was most unfortunate, sir. But I have occasionally done the - same thing at other times.” - - “When did you enter the room?” - - “It was about half-past four. That is Mr. Soames’ tea time.” - - “How long did you stay?” - - “When I saw that he was absent, I withdrew at once.” - - “Did you look at these papers on the table?” - - “No, sir—certainly not.” - - “How came you to leave the key in the door?” - - “I had the tea-tray in my hand. I thought I would come back for - the key. Then I forgot.” - - “Has the outer door a spring lock?” - - “No, sir.” - - “Then it was open all the time?” - - “Yes, sir.” - - “Anyone in the room could get out?” - - “Yes, sir.” - - “When Mr. Soames returned and called for you, you were very much - disturbed?” - - “Yes, sir. Such a thing has never happened during the many years - that I have been here. I nearly fainted, sir.” - - “So I understand. Where were you when you began to feel bad?” - - “Where was I, sir? Why, here, near the door.” - - “That is singular, because you sat down in that chair over yonder - near the corner. Why did you pass these other chairs?” - - “I don’t know, sir, it didn’t matter to me where I sat.” - - “I really don’t think he knew much about it, Mr. Holmes. He was - looking very bad—quite ghastly.” - - “You stayed here when your master left?” - - “Only for a minute or so. Then I locked the door and went to my - room.” - - “Whom do you suspect?” - - “Oh, I would not venture to say, sir. I don’t believe there is - any gentleman in this university who is capable of profiting by - such an action. No, sir, I’ll not believe it.” - - “Thank you, that will do,” said Holmes. “Oh, one more word. You - have not mentioned to any of the three gentlemen whom you attend - that anything is amiss?” - - “No, sir—not a word.” - - “You haven’t seen any of them?” - - “No, sir.” - - “Very good. Now, Mr. Soames, we will take a walk in the - quadrangle, if you please.” - - Three yellow squares of light shone above us in the gathering - gloom. - - “Your three birds are all in their nests,” said Holmes, looking - up. “Halloa! What’s that? One of them seems restless enough.” - - It was the Indian, whose dark silhouette appeared suddenly upon - his blind. He was pacing swiftly up and down his room. - - “I should like to have a peep at each of them,” said Holmes. “Is - it possible?” - - “No difficulty in the world,” Soames answered. “This set of rooms - is quite the oldest in the college, and it is not unusual for - visitors to go over them. Come along, and I will personally - conduct you.” - - “No names, please!” said Holmes, as we knocked at Gilchrist’s - door. A tall, flaxen-haired, slim young fellow opened it, and - made us welcome when he understood our errand. There were some - really curious pieces of mediæval domestic architecture within. - Holmes was so charmed with one of them that he insisted on - drawing it in his notebook, broke his pencil, had to borrow one - from our host and finally borrowed a knife to sharpen his own. - The same curious accident happened to him in the rooms of the - Indian—a silent, little, hook-nosed fellow, who eyed us askance, - and was obviously glad when Holmes’s architectural studies had - come to an end. I could not see that in either case Holmes had - come upon the clue for which he was searching. Only at the third - did our visit prove abortive. The outer door would not open to - our knock, and nothing more substantial than a torrent of bad - language came from behind it. “I don’t care who you are. You can - go to blazes!” roared the angry voice. “Tomorrow’s the exam, and - I won’t be drawn by anyone.” - - “A rude fellow,” said our guide, flushing with anger as we - withdrew down the stair. “Of course, he did not realize that it - was I who was knocking, but none the less his conduct was very - uncourteous, and, indeed, under the circumstances rather - suspicious.” - - Holmes’s response was a curious one. - - “Can you tell me his exact height?” he asked. - - “Really, Mr. Holmes, I cannot undertake to say. He is taller than - the Indian, not so tall as Gilchrist. I suppose five foot six - would be about it.” - - “That is very important,” said Holmes. “And now, Mr. Soames, I - wish you good-night.” - - Our guide cried aloud in his astonishment and dismay. “Good - gracious, Mr. Holmes, you are surely not going to leave me in - this abrupt fashion! You don’t seem to realize the position. - To-morrow is the examination. I must take some definite action - to-night. I cannot allow the examination to be held if one of the - papers has been tampered with. The situation must be faced.” - - “You must leave it as it is. I shall drop round early to-morrow - morning and chat the matter over. It is possible that I may be in - a position then to indicate some course of action. Meanwhile, you - change nothing—nothing at all.” - - “Very good, Mr. Holmes.” - - “You can be perfectly easy in your mind. We shall certainly find - some way out of your difficulties. I will take the black clay - with me, also the pencil cuttings. Good-bye.” - - When we were out in the darkness of the quadrangle, we again - looked up at the windows. The Indian still paced his room. The - others were invisible. - - “Well, Watson, what do you think of it?” Holmes asked, as we came - out into the main street. “Quite a little parlour game—sort of - three-card trick, is it not? There are your three men. It must be - one of them. You take your choice. Which is yours?” - - “The foul-mouthed fellow at the top. He is the one with the worst - record. And yet that Indian was a sly fellow also. Why should he - be pacing his room all the time?” - - “There is nothing in that. Many men do it when they are trying to - learn anything by heart.” - - “He looked at us in a queer way.” - - “So would you, if a flock of strangers came in on you when you - were preparing for an examination next day, and every moment was - of value. No, I see nothing in that. Pencils, too, and knives—all - was satisfactory. But that fellow _does_ puzzle me.” - - “Who?” - - “Why, Bannister, the servant. What’s his game in the matter?” - - “He impressed me as being a perfectly honest man.” - - “So he did me. That’s the puzzling part. Why should a perfectly - honest man—well, well, here’s a large stationer’s. We shall begin - our researches here.” - - There were only four stationers of any consequences in the town, - and at each Holmes produced his pencil chips, and bid high for a - duplicate. All were agreed that one could be ordered, but that it - was not a usual size of pencil and that it was seldom kept in - stock. My friend did not appear to be depressed by his failure, - but shrugged his shoulders in half-humorous resignation. - - “No good, my dear Watson. This, the best and only final clue, has - run to nothing. But, indeed, I have little doubt that we can - build up a sufficient case without it. By Jove! my dear fellow, - it is nearly nine, and the landlady babbled of green peas at - seven-thirty. What with your eternal tobacco, Watson, and your - irregularity at meals, I expect that you will get notice to quit, - and that I shall share your downfall—not, however, before we have - solved the problem of the nervous tutor, the careless servant, - and the three enterprising students.” - - Holmes made no further allusion to the matter that day, though he - sat lost in thought for a long time after our belated dinner. At - eight in the morning, he came into my room just as I finished my - toilet. - - “Well, Watson,” said he, “it is time we went down to St. Luke’s. - Can you do without breakfast?” - - “Certainly.” - - “Soames will be in a dreadful fidget until we are able to tell - him something positive.” - - “Have you anything positive to tell him?” - - “I think so.” - - “You have formed a conclusion?” - - “Yes, my dear Watson, I have solved the mystery.” - - “But what fresh evidence could you have got?” - - “Aha! It is not for nothing that I have turned myself out of bed - at the untimely hour of six. I have put in two hours’ hard work - and covered at least five miles, with something to show for it. - Look at that!” - - He held out his hand. On the palm were three little pyramids of - black, doughy clay. - - “Why, Holmes, you had only two yesterday.” - - “And one more this morning. It is a fair argument that wherever - No. 3 came from is also the source of Nos. 1 and 2. Eh, Watson? - Well, come along and put friend Soames out of his pain.” - - The unfortunate tutor was certainly in a state of pitiable - agitation when we found him in his chambers. In a few hours the - examination would commence, and he was still in the dilemma - between making the facts public and allowing the culprit to - compete for the valuable scholarship. He could hardly stand still - so great was his mental agitation, and he ran towards Holmes with - two eager hands outstretched. - - “Thank heaven that you have come! I feared that you had given it - up in despair. What am I to do? Shall the examination proceed?” - - “Yes, let it proceed, by all means.” - - “But this rascal?--” - - “He shall not compete.” - - “You know him?” - - “I think so. If this matter is not to become public, we must give - ourselves certain powers and resolve ourselves into a small - private court-martial. You there, if you please, Soames! Watson, - you here! I’ll take the armchair in the middle. I think that we - are now sufficiently imposing to strike terror into a guilty - breast. Kindly ring the bell!” - - Bannister entered, and shrank back in evident surprise and fear - at our judicial appearance. - - “You will kindly close the door,” said Holmes. “Now, Bannister, - will you please tell us the truth about yesterday’s incident?” - - The man turned white to the roots of his hair. - - “I have told you everything, sir.” - - “Nothing to add?” - - “Nothing at all, sir.” - - “Well, then, I must make some suggestions to you. When you sat - down on that chair yesterday, did you do so in order to conceal - some object which would have shown who had been in the room?” - - Bannister’s face was ghastly. - - “No, sir, certainly not.” - - “It is only a suggestion,” said Holmes, suavely. “I frankly admit - that I am unable to prove it. But it seems probable enough, since - the moment that Mr. Soames’s back was turned, you released the - man who was hiding in that bedroom.” - - Bannister licked his dry lips. - - “There was no man, sir.” - - “Ah, that’s a pity, Bannister. Up to now you may have spoken the - truth, but now I know that you have lied.” - - The man’s face set in sullen defiance. - - “There was no man, sir.” - - “Come, come, Bannister!” - - “No, sir, there was no one.” - - “In that case, you can give us no further information. Would you - please remain in the room? Stand over there near the bedroom - door. Now, Soames, I am going to ask you to have the great - kindness to go up to the room of young Gilchrist, and to ask him - to step down into yours.” - - An instant later the tutor returned, bringing with him the - student. He was a fine figure of a man, tall, lithe, and agile, - with a springy step and a pleasant, open face. His troubled blue - eyes glanced at each of us, and finally rested with an expression - of blank dismay upon Bannister in the farther corner. - - “Just close the door,” said Holmes. “Now, Mr. Gilchrist, we are - all quite alone here, and no one need ever know one word of what - passes between us. We can be perfectly frank with each other. We - want to know, Mr. Gilchrist, how you, an honourable man, ever - came to commit such an action as that of yesterday?” - - The unfortunate young man staggered back, and cast a look full of - horror and reproach at Bannister. - - “No, no, Mr. Gilchrist, sir, I never said a word—never one word!” - cried the servant. - - “No, but you have now,” said Holmes. “Now, sir, you must see that - after Bannister’s words your position is hopeless, and that your - only chance lies in a frank confession.” - - For a moment Gilchrist, with upraised hand, tried to control his - writhing features. The next he had thrown himself on his knees - beside the table, and burying his face in his hands, he had burst - into a storm of passionate sobbing. - - “Come, come,” said Holmes, kindly, “it is human to err, and at - least no one can accuse you of being a callous criminal. Perhaps - it would be easier for you if I were to tell Mr. Soames what - occurred, and you can check me where I am wrong. Shall I do so? - Well, well, don’t trouble to answer. Listen, and see that I do - you no injustice. - - “From the moment, Mr. Soames, that you said to me that no one, - not even Bannister, could have told that the papers were in your - room, the case began to take a definite shape in my mind. The - printer one could, of course, dismiss. He could examine the - papers in his own office. The Indian I also thought nothing of. - If the proofs were in a roll, he could not possibly know what - they were. On the other hand, it seemed an unthinkable - coincidence that a man should dare to enter the room, and that by - chance on that very day the papers were on the table. I dismissed - that. The man who entered knew that the papers were there. How - did he know? - - “When I approached your room, I examined the window. You amused - me by supposing that I was contemplating the possibility of - someone having in broad daylight, under the eyes of all these - opposite rooms, forced himself through it. Such an idea was - absurd. I was measuring how tall a man would need to be in order - to see, as he passed, what papers were on the central table. I am - six feet high, and I could do it with an effort. No one less than - that would have a chance. Already you see I had reason to think - that, if one of your three students was a man of unusual height, - he was the most worth watching of the three. - - “I entered, and I took you into my confidence as to the - suggestions of the side table. Of the centre table I could make - nothing, until in your description of Gilchrist you mentioned - that he was a long-distance jumper. Then the whole thing came to - me in an instant, and I only needed certain corroborative proofs, - which I speedily obtained. - - “What happened was this. This young fellow had employed his - afternoon at the athletic grounds, where he had been practising - the jump. He returned carrying his jumping-shoes, which are - provided, as you are aware, with several sharp spikes. As he - passed your window he saw, by means of his great height, these - proofs upon your table, and conjectured what they were. No harm - would have been done had it not been that, as he passed your - door, he perceived the key which had been left by the - carelessness of your servant. A sudden impulse came over him to - enter, and see if they were indeed the proofs. It was not a - dangerous exploit for he could always pretend that he had simply - looked in to ask a question. - - “Well, when he saw that they were indeed the proofs, it was then - that he yielded to temptation. He put his shoes on the table. - What was it you put on that chair near the window?” - - “Gloves,” said the young man. - - Holmes looked triumphantly at Bannister. “He put his gloves on - the chair, and he took the proofs, sheet by sheet, to copy them. - He thought the tutor must return by the main gate and that he - would see him. As we know, he came back by the side gate. - Suddenly he heard him at the very door. There was no possible - escape. He forgot his gloves but he caught up his shoes and - darted into the bedroom. You observe that the scratch on that - table is slight at one side, but deepens in the direction of the - bedroom door. That in itself is enough to show us that the shoe - had been drawn in that direction, and that the culprit had taken - refuge there. The earth round the spike had been left on the - table, and a second sample was loosened and fell in the bedroom. - I may add that I walked out to the athletic grounds this morning, - saw that tenacious black clay is used in the jumping-pit and - carried away a specimen of it, together with some of the fine tan - or sawdust which is strewn over it to prevent the athlete from - slipping. Have I told the truth, Mr. Gilchrist?” - - The student had drawn himself erect. - - “Yes, sir, it is true,” said he. - - “Good heavens! have you nothing to add?” cried Soames. - - “Yes, sir, I have, but the shock of this disgraceful exposure has - bewildered me. I have a letter here, Mr. Soames, which I wrote to - you early this morning in the middle of a restless night. It was - before I knew that my sin had found me out. Here it is, sir. You - will see that I have said, ‘I have determined not to go in for - the examination. I have been offered a commission in the - Rhodesian Police, and I am going out to South Africa at once.’” - - “I am indeed pleased to hear that you did not intend to profit by - your unfair advantage,” said Soames. “But why did you change your - purpose?” - - Gilchrist pointed to Bannister. - - “There is the man who set me in the right path,” said he. - - “Come now, Bannister,” said Holmes. “It will be clear to you, - from what I have said, that only you could have let this young - man out, since you were left in the room, and must have locked - the door when you went out. As to his escaping by that window, it - was incredible. Can you not clear up the last point in this - mystery, and tell us the reasons for your action?” - - “It was simple enough, sir, if you only had known, but, with all - your cleverness, it was impossible that you could know. Time was, - sir, when I was butler to old Sir Jabez Gilchrist, this young - gentleman’s father. When he was ruined I came to the college as - servant, but I never forgot my old employer because he was down - in the world. I watched his son all I could for the sake of the - old days. Well, sir, when I came into this room yesterday, when - the alarm was given, the very first thing I saw was Mr. - Gilchrist’s tan gloves a-lying in that chair. I knew those gloves - well, and I understood their message. If Mr. Soames saw them, the - game was up. I flopped down into that chair, and nothing would - budge me until Mr. Soames he went for you. Then out came my poor - young master, whom I had dandled on my knee, and confessed it all - to me. Wasn’t it natural, sir, that I should save him, and wasn’t - it natural also that I should try to speak to him as his dead - father would have done, and make him understand that he could not - profit by such a deed? Could you blame me, sir?” - - “No, indeed,” said Holmes, heartily, springing to his feet. - “Well, Soames, I think we have cleared your little problem up, - and our breakfast awaits us at home. Come, Watson! As to you, - sir, I trust that a bright future awaits you in Rhodesia. For - once you have fallen low. Let us see, in the future, how high you - can rise.” - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF THE GOLDEN PINCE-NEZ - - - When I look at the three massive manuscript volumes which contain - our work for the year 1894, I confess that it is very difficult - for me, out of such a wealth of material, to select the cases - which are most interesting in themselves, and at the same time - most conducive to a display of those peculiar powers for which my - friend was famous. As I turn over the pages, I see my notes upon - the repulsive story of the red leech and the terrible death of - Crosby, the banker. Here also I find an account of the Addleton - tragedy, and the singular contents of the ancient British barrow. - The famous Smith-Mortimer succession case comes also within this - period, and so does the tracking and arrest of Huret, the - Boulevard assassin—an exploit which won for Holmes an autograph - letter of thanks from the French President and the Order of the - Legion of Honour. Each of these would furnish a narrative, but on - the whole I am of opinion that none of them unites so many - singular points of interest as the episode of Yoxley Old Place, - which includes not only the lamentable death of young Willoughby - Smith, but also those subsequent developments which threw so - curious a light upon the causes of the crime. - - It was a wild, tempestuous night, towards the close of November. - Holmes and I sat together in silence all the evening, he engaged - with a powerful lens deciphering the remains of the original - inscription upon a palimpsest, I deep in a recent treatise upon - surgery. Outside the wind howled down Baker Street, while the - rain beat fiercely against the windows. It was strange there, in - the very depths of the town, with ten miles of man’s handiwork on - every side of us, to feel the iron grip of Nature, and to be - conscious that to the huge elemental forces all London was no - more than the molehills that dot the fields. I walked to the - window, and looked out on the deserted street. The occasional - lamps gleamed on the expanse of muddy road and shining pavement. - A single cab was splashing its way from the Oxford Street end. - - “Well, Watson, it’s as well we have not to turn out to-night,” - said Holmes, laying aside his lens and rolling up the palimpsest. - “I’ve done enough for one sitting. It is trying work for the - eyes. So far as I can make out, it is nothing more exciting than - an Abbey’s accounts dating from the second half of the fifteenth - century. Halloa! halloa! halloa! What’s this?” - - Amid the droning of the wind there had come the stamping of a - horse’s hoofs, and the long grind of a wheel as it rasped against - the curb. The cab which I had seen had pulled up at our door. - - “What can he want?” I ejaculated, as a man stepped out of it. - - “Want? He wants us. And we, my poor Watson, want overcoats and - cravats and goloshes, and every aid that man ever invented to - fight the weather. Wait a bit, though! There’s the cab off again! - There’s hope yet. He’d have kept it if he had wanted us to come. - Run down, my dear fellow, and open the door, for all virtuous - folk have been long in bed.” - - When the light of the hall lamp fell upon our midnight visitor, I - had no difficulty in recognizing him. It was young Stanley - Hopkins, a promising detective, in whose career Holmes had - several times shown a very practical interest. - - “Is he in?” he asked, eagerly. - - “Come up, my dear sir,” said Holmes’s voice from above. “I hope - you have no designs upon us such a night as this.” - - The detective mounted the stairs, and our lamp gleamed upon his - shining waterproof. I helped him out of it, while Holmes knocked - a blaze out of the logs in the grate. - - “Now, my dear Hopkins, draw up and warm your toes,” said he. - “Here’s a cigar, and the doctor has a prescription containing hot - water and a lemon, which is good medicine on a night like this. - It must be something important which has brought you out in such - a gale.” - - “It is indeed, Mr. Holmes. I’ve had a bustling afternoon, I - promise you. Did you see anything of the Yoxley case in the - latest editions?” - - “I’ve seen nothing later than the fifteenth century to-day.” - - “Well, it was only a paragraph, and all wrong at that, so you - have not missed anything. I haven’t let the grass grow under my - feet. It’s down in Kent, seven miles from Chatham and three from - the railway line. I was wired for at 3:15, reached Yoxley Old - Place at 5, conducted my investigation, was back at Charing Cross - by the last train, and straight to you by cab.” - - “Which means, I suppose, that you are not quite clear about your - case?” - - “It means that I can make neither head nor tail of it. So far as - I can see, it is just as tangled a business as ever I handled, - and yet at first it seemed so simple that one couldn’t go wrong. - There’s no motive, Mr. Holmes. That’s what bothers me—I can’t put - my hand on a motive. Here’s a man dead—there’s no denying - that—but, so far as I can see, no reason on earth why anyone - should wish him harm.” - - Holmes lit his cigar and leaned back in his chair. - - “Let us hear about it,” said he. - - “I’ve got my facts pretty clear,” said Stanley Hopkins. “All I - want now is to know what they all mean. The story, so far as I - can make it out, is like this. Some years ago this country house, - Yoxley Old Place, was taken by an elderly man, who gave the name - of Professor Coram. He was an invalid, keeping his bed half the - time, and the other half hobbling round the house with a stick or - being pushed about the grounds by the gardener in a Bath chair. - He was well liked by the few neighbours who called upon him, and - he has the reputation down there of being a very learned man. His - household used to consist of an elderly housekeeper, Mrs. Marker, - and of a maid, Susan Tarlton. These have both been with him since - his arrival, and they seem to be women of excellent character. - The professor is writing a learned book, and he found it - necessary, about a year ago, to engage a secretary. The first two - that he tried were not successes, but the third, Mr. Willoughby - Smith, a very young man straight from the university, seems to - have been just what his employer wanted. His work consisted in - writing all the morning to the professor’s dictation, and he - usually spent the evening in hunting up references and passages - which bore upon the next day’s work. This Willoughby Smith has - nothing against him, either as a boy at Uppingham or as a young - man at Cambridge. I have seen his testimonials, and from the - first he was a decent, quiet, hard-working fellow, with no weak - spot in him at all. And yet this is the lad who has met his death - this morning in the professor’s study under circumstances which - can point only to murder.” - - The wind howled and screamed at the windows. Holmes and I drew - closer to the fire, while the young inspector slowly and point by - point developed his singular narrative. - - “If you were to search all England,” said he, “I don’t suppose - you could find a household more self-contained or freer from - outside influences. Whole weeks would pass, and not one of them - go past the garden gate. The professor was buried in his work and - existed for nothing else. Young Smith knew nobody in the - neighbourhood, and lived very much as his employer did. The two - women had nothing to take them from the house. Mortimer, the - gardener, who wheels the Bath chair, is an army pensioner—an old - Crimean man of excellent character. He does not live in the - house, but in a three-roomed cottage at the other end of the - garden. Those are the only people that you would find within the - grounds of Yoxley Old Place. At the same time, the gate of the - garden is a hundred yards from the main London to Chatham road. - It opens with a latch, and there is nothing to prevent anyone - from walking in. - - “Now I will give you the evidence of Susan Tarlton, who is the - only person who can say anything positive about the matter. It - was in the forenoon, between eleven and twelve. She was engaged - at the moment in hanging some curtains in the upstairs front - bedroom. Professor Coram was still in bed, for when the weather - is bad he seldom rises before midday. The housekeeper was busied - with some work in the back of the house. Willoughby Smith had - been in his bedroom, which he uses as a sitting-room, but the - maid heard him at that moment pass along the passage and descend - to the study immediately below her. She did not see him, but she - says that she could not be mistaken in his quick, firm tread. She - did not hear the study door close, but a minute or so later there - was a dreadful cry in the room below. It was a wild, hoarse - scream, so strange and unnatural that it might have come either - from a man or a woman. At the same instant there was a heavy - thud, which shook the old house, and then all was silence. The - maid stood petrified for a moment, and then, recovering her - courage, she ran downstairs. The study door was shut and she - opened it. Inside, young Mr. Willoughby Smith was stretched upon - the floor. At first she could see no injury, but as she tried to - raise him she saw that blood was pouring from the underside of - his neck. It was pierced by a very small but very deep wound, - which had divided the carotid artery. The instrument with which - the injury had been inflicted lay upon the carpet beside him. It - was one of those small sealing-wax knives to be found on - old-fashioned writing-tables, with an ivory handle and a stiff - blade. It was part of the fittings of the professor’s own desk. - - “At first the maid thought that young Smith was already dead, but - on pouring some water from the carafe over his forehead he opened - his eyes for an instant. ‘The professor,’ he murmured—‘it was - she.’ The maid is prepared to swear that those were the exact - words. He tried desperately to say something else, and he held - his right hand up in the air. Then he fell back dead. - - “In the meantime the housekeeper had also arrived upon the scene, - but she was just too late to catch the young man’s dying words. - Leaving Susan with the body, she hurried to the professor’s room. - He was sitting up in bed, horribly agitated, for he had heard - enough to convince him that something terrible had occurred. Mrs. - Marker is prepared to swear that the professor was still in his - night-clothes, and indeed it was impossible for him to dress - without the help of Mortimer, whose orders were to come at twelve - o’clock. The professor declares that he heard the distant cry, - but that he knows nothing more. He can give no explanation of the - young man’s last words, ‘The professor—it was she,’ but imagines - that they were the outcome of delirium. He believes that - Willoughby Smith had not an enemy in the world, and can give no - reason for the crime. His first action was to send Mortimer, the - gardener, for the local police. A little later the chief - constable sent for me. Nothing was moved before I got there, and - strict orders were given that no one should walk upon the paths - leading to the house. It was a splendid chance of putting your - theories into practice, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. There was really - nothing wanting.” - - “Except Mr. Sherlock Holmes,” said my companion, with a somewhat - bitter smile. “Well, let us hear about it. What sort of a job did - you make of it?” - - “I must ask you first, Mr. Holmes, to glance at this rough plan, - which will give you a general idea of the position of the - professor’s study and the various points of the case. It will - help you in following my investigation.” - - He unfolded the rough chart, which I here reproduce, and he laid - it across Holmes’s knee. I rose and, standing behind Holmes, - studied it over his shoulder. - - Professor's-Study - - “It is very rough, of course, and it only deals with the points - which seem to me to be essential. All the rest you will see later - for yourself. Now, first of all, presuming that the assassin - entered the house, how did he or she come in? Undoubtedly by the - garden path and the back door, from which there is direct access - to the study. Any other way would have been exceedingly - complicated. The escape must have also been made along that line, - for of the two other exits from the room one was blocked by Susan - as she ran downstairs and the other leads straight to the - professor’s bedroom. I therefore directed my attention at once to - the garden path, which was saturated with recent rain, and would - certainly show any footmarks. - - “My examination showed me that I was dealing with a cautious and - expert criminal. No footmarks were to be found on the path. There - could be no question, however, that someone had passed along the - grass border which lines the path, and that he had done so in - order to avoid leaving a track. I could not find anything in the - nature of a distinct impression, but the grass was trodden down, - and someone had undoubtedly passed. It could only have been the - murderer, since neither the gardener nor anyone else had been - there that morning, and the rain had only begun during the - night.” - - “One moment,” said Holmes. “Where does this path lead to?” - - “To the road.” - - “How long is it?” - - “A hundred yards or so.” - - “At the point where the path passes through the gate, you could - surely pick up the tracks?” - - “Unfortunately, the path was tiled at that point.” - - “Well, on the road itself?” - - “No, it was all trodden into mire.” - - “Tut-tut! Well, then, these tracks upon the grass, were they - coming or going?” - - “It was impossible to say. There was never any outline.” - - “A large foot or a small?” - - “You could not distinguish.” - - Holmes gave an ejaculation of impatience. - - “It has been pouring rain and blowing a hurricane ever since,” - said he. “It will be harder to read now than that palimpsest. - Well, well, it can’t be helped. What did you do, Hopkins, after - you had made certain that you had made certain of nothing?” - - “I think I made certain of a good deal, Mr. Holmes. I knew that - someone had entered the house cautiously from without. I next - examined the corridor. It is lined with cocoanut matting and had - taken no impression of any kind. This brought me into the study - itself. It is a scantily furnished room. The main article is a - large writing-table with a fixed bureau. This bureau consists of - a double column of drawers, with a central small cupboard between - them. The drawers were open, the cupboard locked. The drawers, it - seems, were always open, and nothing of value was kept in them. - There were some papers of importance in the cupboard, but there - were no signs that this had been tampered with, and the professor - assures me that nothing was missing. It is certain that no - robbery has been committed. - - “I come now to the body of the young man. It was found near the - bureau, and just to the left of it, as marked upon that chart. - The stab was on the right side of the neck and from behind - forward, so that it is almost impossible that it could have been - self-inflicted.” - - “Unless he fell upon the knife,” said Holmes. - - “Exactly. The idea crossed my mind. But we found the knife some - feet away from the body, so that seems impossible. Then, of - course, there are the man’s own dying words. And, finally, there - was this very important piece of evidence which was found clasped - in the dead man’s right hand.” - - From his pocket Stanley Hopkins drew a small paper packet. He - unfolded it and disclosed a golden pince-nez, with two broken - ends of black silk cord dangling from the end of it. “Willoughby - Smith had excellent sight,” he added. “There can be no question - that this was snatched from the face or the person of the - assassin.” - - Sherlock Holmes took the glasses into his hand, and examined them - with the utmost attention and interest. He held them on his nose, - endeavoured to read through them, went to the window and stared - up the street with them, looked at them most minutely in the full - light of the lamp, and finally, with a chuckle, seated himself at - the table and wrote a few lines upon a sheet of paper, which he - tossed across to Stanley Hopkins. - - “That’s the best I can do for you,” said he. “It may prove to be - of some use.” - - The astonished detective read the note aloud. It ran as follows: - - “Wanted, a woman of good address, attired like a lady. She has a - remarkably thick nose, with eyes which are set close upon either - side of it. She has a puckered forehead, a peering expression, - and probably rounded shoulders. There are indications that she - has had recourse to an optician at least twice during the last - few months. As her glasses are of remarkable strength, and as - opticians are not very numerous, there should be no difficulty in - tracing her.” - - Holmes smiled at the astonishment of Hopkins, which must have - been reflected upon my features. “Surely my deductions are - simplicity itself,” said he. “It would be difficult to name any - articles which afford a finer field for inference than a pair of - glasses, especially so remarkable a pair as these. That they - belong to a woman I infer from their delicacy, and also, of - course, from the last words of the dying man. As to her being a - person of refinement and well dressed, they are, as you perceive, - handsomely mounted in solid gold, and it is inconceivable that - anyone who wore such glasses could be slatternly in other - respects. You will find that the clips are too wide for your - nose, showing that the lady’s nose was very broad at the base. - This sort of nose is usually a short and coarse one, but there is - a sufficient number of exceptions to prevent me from being - dogmatic or from insisting upon this point in my description. My - own face is a narrow one, and yet I find that I cannot get my - eyes into the centre, nor near the centre, of these glasses. - Therefore, the lady’s eyes are set very near to the sides of the - nose. You will perceive, Watson, that the glasses are concave and - of unusual strength. A lady whose vision has been so extremely - contracted all her life is sure to have the physical - characteristics of such vision, which are seen in the forehead, - the eyelids, and the shoulders.” - - “Yes,” I said, “I can follow each of your arguments. I confess, - however, that I am unable to understand how you arrive at the - double visit to the optician.” - - Holmes took the glasses in his hand. - - “You will perceive,” he said, “that the clips are lined with tiny - bands of cork to soften the pressure upon the nose. One of these - is discoloured and worn to some slight extent, but the other is - new. Evidently one has fallen off and been replaced. I should - judge that the older of them has not been there more than a few - months. They exactly correspond, so I gather that the lady went - back to the same establishment for the second.” - - “By George, it’s marvellous!” cried Hopkins, in an ecstasy of - admiration. “To think that I had all that evidence in my hand and - never knew it! I had intended, however, to go the round of the - London opticians.” - - “Of course you would. Meanwhile, have you anything more to tell - us about the case?” - - “Nothing, Mr. Holmes. I think that you know as much as I do - now—probably more. We have had inquiries made as to any stranger - seen on the country roads or at the railway station. We have - heard of none. What beats me is the utter want of all object in - the crime. Not a ghost of a motive can anyone suggest.” - - “Ah! there I am not in a position to help you. But I suppose you - want us to come out to-morrow?” - - “If it is not asking too much, Mr. Holmes. There’s a train from - Charing Cross to Chatham at six in the morning, and we should be - at Yoxley Old Place between eight and nine.” - - “Then we shall take it. Your case has certainly some features of - great interest, and I shall be delighted to look into it. Well, - it’s nearly one, and we had best get a few hours’ sleep. I - daresay you can manage all right on the sofa in front of the - fire. I’ll light my spirit lamp, and give you a cup of coffee - before we start.” - - The gale had blown itself out next day, but it was a bitter - morning when we started upon our journey. We saw the cold winter - sun rise over the dreary marshes of the Thames and the long, - sullen reaches of the river, which I shall ever associate with - our pursuit of the Andaman Islander in the earlier days of our - career. After a long and weary journey, we alighted at a small - station some miles from Chatham. While a horse was being put into - a trap at the local inn, we snatched a hurried breakfast, and so - we were all ready for business when we at last arrived at Yoxley - Old Place. A constable met us at the garden gate. - - “Well, Wilson, any news?” - - “No, sir—nothing.” - - “No reports of any stranger seen?” - - “No, sir. Down at the station they are certain that no stranger - either came or went yesterday.” - - “Have you had inquiries made at inns and lodgings?” - - “Yes, sir: there is no one that we cannot account for.” - - “Well, it’s only a reasonable walk to Chatham. Anyone might stay - there or take a train without being observed. This is the garden - path of which I spoke, Mr. Holmes. I’ll pledge my word there was - no mark on it yesterday.” - - “On which side were the marks on the grass?” - - “This side, sir. This narrow margin of grass between the path and - the flower-bed. I can’t see the traces now, but they were clear - to me then.” - - “Yes, yes: someone has passed along,” said Holmes, stooping over - the grass border. “Our lady must have picked her steps carefully, - must she not, since on the one side she would leave a track on - the path, and on the other an even clearer one on the soft bed?” - - “Yes, sir, she must have been a cool hand.” - - I saw an intent look pass over Holmes’s face. - - “You say that she must have come back this way?” - - “Yes, sir, there is no other.” - - “On this strip of grass?” - - “Certainly, Mr. Holmes.” - - “Hum! It was a very remarkable performance—very remarkable. Well, - I think we have exhausted the path. Let us go farther. This - garden door is usually kept open, I suppose? Then this visitor - had nothing to do but to walk in. The idea of murder was not in - her mind, or she would have provided herself with some sort of - weapon, instead of having to pick this knife off the - writing-table. She advanced along this corridor, leaving no - traces upon the cocoanut matting. Then she found herself in this - study. How long was she there? We have no means of judging.” - - “Not more than a few minutes, sir. I forgot to tell you that Mrs. - Marker, the housekeeper, had been in there tidying not very long - before—about a quarter of an hour, she says.” - - “Well, that gives us a limit. Our lady enters this room, and what - does she do? She goes over to the writing-table. What for? Not - for anything in the drawers. If there had been anything worth her - taking, it would surely have been locked up. No, it was for - something in that wooden bureau. Halloa! what is that scratch - upon the face of it? Just hold a match, Watson. Why did you not - tell me of this, Hopkins?” - - The mark which he was examining began upon the brass-work on the - right-hand side of the keyhole, and extended for about four - inches, where it had scratched the varnish from the surface. - - “I noticed it, Mr. Holmes, but you’ll always find scratches round - a keyhole.” - - “This is recent, quite recent. See how the brass shines where it - is cut. An old scratch would be the same colour as the surface. - Look at it through my lens. There’s the varnish, too, like earth - on each side of a furrow. Is Mrs. Marker there?” - - A sad-faced, elderly woman came into the room. - - “Did you dust this bureau yesterday morning?” - - “Yes, sir.” - - “Did you notice this scratch?” - - “No, sir, I did not.” - - “I am sure you did not, for a duster would have swept away these - shreds of varnish. Who has the key of this bureau?” - - “The Professor keeps it on his watch-chain.” - - “Is it a simple key?” - - “No, sir, it is a Chubb’s key.” - - “Very good. Mrs. Marker, you can go. Now we are making a little - progress. Our lady enters the room, advances to the bureau, and - either opens it or tries to do so. While she is thus engaged, - young Willoughby Smith enters the room. In her hurry to withdraw - the key, she makes this scratch upon the door. He seizes her, and - she, snatching up the nearest object, which happens to be this - knife, strikes at him in order to make him let go his hold. The - blow is a fatal one. He falls and she escapes, either with or - without the object for which she has come. Is Susan, the maid, - there? Could anyone have got away through that door after the - time that you heard the cry, Susan?” - - “No, sir, it is impossible. Before I got down the stair, I’d have - seen anyone in the passage. Besides, the door never opened, or I - would have heard it.” - - “That settles this exit. Then no doubt the lady went out the way - she came. I understand that this other passage leads only to the - professor’s room. There is no exit that way?” - - “No, sir.” - - “We shall go down it and make the acquaintance of the professor. - Halloa, Hopkins! this is very important, very important indeed. - The professor’s corridor is also lined with cocoanut matting.” - - “Well, sir, what of that?” - - “Don’t you see any bearing upon the case? Well, well. I don’t - insist upon it. No doubt I am wrong. And yet it seems to me to be - suggestive. Come with me and introduce me.” - - We passed down the passage, which was of the same length as that - which led to the garden. At the end was a short flight of steps - ending in a door. Our guide knocked, and then ushered us into the - professor’s bedroom. - - It was a very large chamber, lined with innumerable volumes, - which had overflowed from the shelves and lay in piles in the - corners, or were stacked all round at the base of the cases. The - bed was in the centre of the room, and in it, propped up with - pillows, was the owner of the house. I have seldom seen a more - remarkable-looking person. It was a gaunt, aquiline face which - was turned towards us, with piercing dark eyes, which lurked in - deep hollows under overhung and tufted brows. His hair and beard - were white, save that the latter was curiously stained with - yellow around his mouth. A cigarette glowed amid the tangle of - white hair, and the air of the room was fetid with stale tobacco - smoke. As he held out his hand to Holmes, I perceived that it was - also stained with yellow nicotine. - - “A smoker, Mr. Holmes?” said he, speaking in well-chosen English, - with a curious little mincing accent. “Pray take a cigarette. And - you, sir? I can recommend them, for I have them especially - prepared by Ionides, of Alexandria. He sends me a thousand at a - time, and I grieve to say that I have to arrange for a fresh - supply every fortnight. Bad, sir, very bad, but an old man has - few pleasures. Tobacco and my work—that is all that is left to - me.” - - Holmes had lit a cigarette and was shooting little darting - glances all over the room. - - “Tobacco and my work, but now only tobacco,” the old man - exclaimed. “Alas! what a fatal interruption! Who could have - foreseen such a terrible catastrophe? So estimable a young man! I - assure you that, after a few months’ training, he was an - admirable assistant. What do you think of the matter, Mr. - Holmes?” - - “I have not yet made up my mind.” - - “I shall indeed be indebted to you if you can throw a light where - all is so dark to us. To a poor bookworm and invalid like myself - such a blow is paralysing. I seem to have lost the faculty of - thought. But you are a man of action—you are a man of affairs. It - is part of the everyday routine of your life. You can preserve - your balance in every emergency. We are fortunate, indeed, in - having you at our side.” - - Holmes was pacing up and down one side of the room whilst the old - professor was talking. I observed that he was smoking with - extraordinary rapidity. It was evident that he shared our host’s - liking for the fresh Alexandrian cigarettes. - - “Yes, sir, it is a crushing blow,” said the old man. “That is my - _magnum opus_—the pile of papers on the side table yonder. It is - my analysis of the documents found in the Coptic monasteries of - Syria and Egypt, a work which will cut deep at the very - foundation of revealed religion. With my enfeebled health I do - not know whether I shall ever be able to complete it, now that my - assistant has been taken from me. Dear me! Mr. Holmes, why, you - are even a quicker smoker than I am myself.” - - Holmes smiled. - - “I am a connoisseur,” said he, taking another cigarette from the - box—his fourth—and lighting it from the stub of that which he had - finished. “I will not trouble you with any lengthy - cross-examination, Professor Coram, since I gather that you were - in bed at the time of the crime, and could know nothing about it. - I would only ask this: What do you imagine that this poor fellow - meant by his last words: ‘The professor—it was she’?” - - The professor shook his head. - - “Susan is a country girl,” said he, “and you know the incredible - stupidity of that class. I fancy that the poor fellow murmured - some incoherent delirious words, and that she twisted them into - this meaningless message.” - - “I see. You have no explanation yourself of the tragedy?” - - “Possibly an accident, possibly—I only breathe it among - ourselves—a suicide. Young men have their hidden troubles—some - affair of the heart, perhaps, which we have never known. It is a - more probable supposition than murder.” - - “But the eyeglasses?” - - “Ah! I am only a student—a man of dreams. I cannot explain the - practical things of life. But still, we are aware, my friend, - that love-gages may take strange shapes. By all means take - another cigarette. It is a pleasure to see anyone appreciate them - so. A fan, a glove, glasses—who knows what article may be carried - as a token or treasured when a man puts an end to his life? This - gentleman speaks of footsteps in the grass, but, after all, it is - easy to be mistaken on such a point. As to the knife, it might - well be thrown far from the unfortunate man as he fell. It is - possible that I speak as a child, but to me it seems that - Willoughby Smith has met his fate by his own hand.” - - Holmes seemed struck by the theory thus put forward, and he - continued to walk up and down for some time, lost in thought and - consuming cigarette after cigarette. - - “Tell me, Professor Coram,” he said, at last, “what is in that - cupboard in the bureau?” - - “Nothing that would help a thief. Family papers, letters from my - poor wife, diplomas of universities which have done me honour. - Here is the key. You can look for yourself.” - - Holmes picked up the key, and looked at it for an instant, then - he handed it back. - - “No, I hardly think that it would help me,” said he. “I should - prefer to go quietly down to your garden, and turn the whole - matter over in my head. There is something to be said for the - theory of suicide which you have put forward. We must apologize - for having intruded upon you, Professor Coram, and I promise that - we won’t disturb you until after lunch. At two o’clock we will - come again, and report to you anything which may have happened in - the interval.” - - Holmes was curiously distrait, and we walked up and down the - garden path for some time in silence. - - “Have you a clue?” I asked, at last. - - “It depends upon those cigarettes that I smoked,” said he. “It is - possible that I am utterly mistaken. The cigarettes will show - me.” - - “My dear Holmes,” I exclaimed, “how on earth——” - - “Well, well, you may see for yourself. If not, there’s no harm - done. Of course, we always have the optician clue to fall back - upon, but I take a short cut when I can get it. Ah, here is the - good Mrs. Marker! Let us enjoy five minutes of instructive - conversation with her.” - - I may have remarked before that Holmes had, when he liked, a - peculiarly ingratiating way with women, and that he very readily - established terms of confidence with them. In half the time which - he had named, he had captured the housekeeper’s goodwill and was - chatting with her as if he had known her for years. - - “Yes, Mr. Holmes, it is as you say, sir. He does smoke something - terrible. All day and sometimes all night, sir. I’ve seen that - room of a morning—well, sir, you’d have thought it was a London - fog. Poor young Mr. Smith, he was a smoker also, but not as bad - as the professor. His health—well, I don’t know that it’s better - nor worse for the smoking.” - - “Ah!” said Holmes, “but it kills the appetite.” - - “Well, I don’t know about that, sir.” - - “I suppose the professor eats hardly anything?” - - “Well, he is variable. I’ll say that for him.” - - “I’ll wager he took no breakfast this morning, and won’t face his - lunch after all the cigarettes I saw him consume.” - - “Well, you’re out there, sir, as it happens, for he ate a - remarkable big breakfast this morning. I don’t know when I’ve - known him make a better one, and he’s ordered a good dish of - cutlets for his lunch. I’m surprised myself, for since I came - into that room yesterday and saw young Mr. Smith lying there on - the floor, I couldn’t bear to look at food. Well, it takes all - sorts to make a world, and the professor hasn’t let it take his - appetite away.” - - We loitered the morning away in the garden. Stanley Hopkins had - gone down to the village to look into some rumours of a strange - woman who had been seen by some children on the Chatham Road the - previous morning. As to my friend, all his usual energy seemed to - have deserted him. I had never known him handle a case in such a - half-hearted fashion. Even the news brought back by Hopkins that - he had found the children, and that they had undoubtedly seen a - woman exactly corresponding with Holmes’s description, and - wearing either spectacles or eyeglasses, failed to rouse any sign - of keen interest. He was more attentive when Susan, who waited - upon us at lunch, volunteered the information that she believed - Mr. Smith had been out for a walk yesterday morning, and that he - had only returned half an hour before the tragedy occurred. I - could not myself see the bearing of this incident, but I clearly - perceived that Holmes was weaving it into the general scheme - which he had formed in his brain. Suddenly he sprang from his - chair and glanced at his watch. “Two o’clock, gentlemen,” said - he. “We must go up and have it out with our friend, the - professor.” - - The old man had just finished his lunch, and certainly his empty - dish bore evidence to the good appetite with which his - housekeeper had credited him. He was, indeed, a weird figure as - he turned his white mane and his glowing eyes towards us. The - eternal cigarette smouldered in his mouth. He had been dressed - and was seated in an armchair by the fire. - - “Well, Mr. Holmes, have you solved this mystery yet?” He shoved - the large tin of cigarettes which stood on a table beside him - towards my companion. Holmes stretched out his hand at the same - moment, and between them they tipped the box over the edge. For a - minute or two we were all on our knees retrieving stray - cigarettes from impossible places. When we rose again, I observed - Holmes’s eyes were shining and his cheeks tinged with colour. - Only at a crisis have I seen those battle-signals flying. - - “Yes,” said he, “I have solved it.” - - Stanley Hopkins and I stared in amazement. Something like a sneer - quivered over the gaunt features of the old professor. - - “Indeed! In the garden?” - - “No, here.” - - “Here! When?” - - “This instant.” - - “You are surely joking, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. You compel me to - tell you that this is too serious a matter to be treated in such - a fashion.” - - “I have forged and tested every link of my chain, Professor - Coram, and I am sure that it is sound. What your motives are, or - what exact part you play in this strange business, I am not yet - able to say. In a few minutes I shall probably hear it from your - own lips. Meanwhile I will reconstruct what is past for your - benefit, so that you may know the information which I still - require. - - “A lady yesterday entered your study. She came with the intention - of possessing herself of certain documents which were in your - bureau. She had a key of her own. I have had an opportunity of - examining yours, and I do not find that slight discolouration - which the scratch made upon the varnish would have produced. You - were not an accessory, therefore, and she came, so far as I can - read the evidence, without your knowledge to rob you.” - - The professor blew a cloud from his lips. “This is most - interesting and instructive,” said he. “Have you no more to add? - Surely, having traced this lady so far, you can also say what has - become of her.” - - “I will endeavour to do so. In the first place she was seized by - your secretary, and stabbed him in order to escape. This - catastrophe I am inclined to regard as an unhappy accident, for I - am convinced that the lady had no intention of inflicting so - grievous an injury. An assassin does not come unarmed. Horrified - by what she had done, she rushed wildly away from the scene of - the tragedy. Unfortunately for her, she had lost her glasses in - the scuffle, and as she was extremely short-sighted she was - really helpless without them. She ran down a corridor, which she - imagined to be that by which she had come—both were lined with - cocoanut matting—and it was only when it was too late that she - understood that she had taken the wrong passage, and that her - retreat was cut off behind her. What was she to do? She could not - go back. She could not remain where she was. She must go on. She - went on. She mounted a stair, pushed open a door, and found - herself in your room.” - - The old man sat with his mouth open, staring wildly at Holmes. - Amazement and fear were stamped upon his expressive features. - Now, with an effort, he shrugged his shoulders and burst into - insincere laughter. - - “All very fine, Mr. Holmes,” said he. “But there is one little - flaw in your splendid theory. I was myself in my room, and I - never left it during the day.” - - “I am aware of that, Professor Coram.” - - “And you mean to say that I could lie upon that bed and not be - aware that a woman had entered my room?” - - “I never said so. You _were_ aware of it. You spoke with her. You - recognized her. You aided her to escape.” - - Again the professor burst into high-keyed laughter. He had risen - to his feet, and his eyes glowed like embers. - - “You are mad!” he cried. “You are talking insanely. I helped her - to escape? Where is she now?” - - “She is there,” said Holmes, and he pointed to a high bookcase in - the corner of the room. - - I saw the old man throw up his arms, a terrible convulsion passed - over his grim face, and he fell back in his chair. At the same - instant the bookcase at which Holmes pointed swung round upon a - hinge, and a woman rushed out into the room. “You are right!” she - cried, in a strange foreign voice. “You are right! I am here.” - - She was brown with the dust and draped with the cobwebs which had - come from the walls of her hiding-place. Her face, too, was - streaked with grime, and at the best she could never have been - handsome, for she had the exact physical characteristics which - Holmes had divined, with, in addition, a long and obstinate chin. - What with her natural blindness, and what with the change from - dark to light, she stood as one dazed, blinking about her to see - where and who we were. And yet, in spite of all these - disadvantages, there was a certain nobility in the woman’s - bearing—a gallantry in the defiant chin and in the upraised head, - which compelled something of respect and admiration. - - Stanley Hopkins had laid his hand upon her arm and claimed her as - his prisoner, but she waved him aside gently, and yet with an - over-mastering dignity which compelled obedience. The old man lay - back in his chair with a twitching face, and stared at her with - brooding eyes. - - “Yes, sir, I am your prisoner,” she said. “From where I stood I - could hear everything, and I know that you have learned the - truth. I confess it all. It was I who killed the young man. But - you are right—you who say it was an accident. I did not even know - that it was a knife which I held in my hand, for in my despair I - snatched anything from the table and struck at him to make him - let me go. It is the truth that I tell.” - - “Madam,” said Holmes, “I am sure that it is the truth. I fear - that you are far from well.” - - She had turned a dreadful colour, the more ghastly under the dark - dust-streaks upon her face. She seated herself on the side of the - bed; then she resumed. - - “I have only a little time here,” she said, “but I would have you - to know the whole truth. I am this man’s wife. He is not an - Englishman. He is a Russian. His name I will not tell.” - - For the first time the old man stirred. “God bless you, Anna!” he - cried. “God bless you!” - - She cast a look of the deepest disdain in his direction. “Why - should you cling so hard to that wretched life of yours, - Sergius?” said she. “It has done harm to many and good to - none—not even to yourself. However, it is not for me to cause the - frail thread to be snapped before God’s time. I have enough - already upon my soul since I crossed the threshold of this cursed - house. But I must speak or I shall be too late. - - “I have said, gentlemen, that I am this man’s wife. He was fifty - and I a foolish girl of twenty when we married. It was in a city - of Russia, a university—I will not name the place.” - - “God bless you, Anna!” murmured the old man again. - - “We were reformers—revolutionists—Nihilists, you understand. He - and I and many more. Then there came a time of trouble, a police - officer was killed, many were arrested, evidence was wanted, and - in order to save his own life and to earn a great reward, my - husband betrayed his own wife and his companions. Yes, we were - all arrested upon his confession. Some of us found our way to the - gallows, and some to Siberia. I was among these last, but my term - was not for life. My husband came to England with his ill-gotten - gains and has lived in quiet ever since, knowing well that if the - Brotherhood knew where he was not a week would pass before - justice would be done.” - - The old man reached out a trembling hand and helped himself to a - cigarette. “I am in your hands, Anna,” said he. “You were always - good to me.” - - “I have not yet told you the height of his villainy,” said she. - “Among our comrades of the Order, there was one who was the - friend of my heart. He was noble, unselfish, loving—all that my - husband was not. He hated violence. We were all guilty—if that is - guilt—but he was not. He wrote forever dissuading us from such a - course. These letters would have saved him. So would my diary, in - which, from day to day, I had entered both my feelings towards - him and the view which each of us had taken. My husband found and - kept both diary and letters. He hid them, and he tried hard to - swear away the young man’s life. In this he failed, but Alexis - was sent a convict to Siberia, where now, at this moment, he - works in a salt mine. Think of that, you villain, you - villain!—now, now, at this very moment, Alexis, a man whose name - you are not worthy to speak, works and lives like a slave, and - yet I have your life in my hands, and I let you go.” - - “You were always a noble woman, Anna,” said the old man, puffing - at his cigarette. - - She had risen, but she fell back again with a little cry of pain. - - “I must finish,” she said. “When my term was over I set myself to - get the diary and letters which, if sent to the Russian - government, would procure my friend’s release. I knew that my - husband had come to England. After months of searching I - discovered where he was. I knew that he still had the diary, for - when I was in Siberia I had a letter from him once, reproaching - me and quoting some passages from its pages. Yet I was sure that, - with his revengeful nature, he would never give it to me of his - own free-will. I must get it for myself. With this object I - engaged an agent from a private detective firm, who entered my - husband’s house as a secretary—it was your second secretary, - Sergius, the one who left you so hurriedly. He found that papers - were kept in the cupboard, and he got an impression of the key. - He would not go farther. He furnished me with a plan of the - house, and he told me that in the forenoon the study was always - empty, as the secretary was employed up here. So at last I took - my courage in both hands, and I came down to get the papers for - myself. I succeeded; but at what a cost! - - “I had just taken the paper; and was locking the cupboard, when - the young man seized me. I had seen him already that morning. He - had met me on the road, and I had asked him to tell me where - Professor Coram lived, not knowing that he was in his employ.” - - “Exactly! Exactly!” said Holmes. “The secretary came back, and - told his employer of the woman he had met. Then, in his last - breath, he tried to send a message that it was she—the she whom - he had just discussed with him.” - - “You must let me speak,” said the woman, in an imperative voice, - and her face contracted as if in pain. “When he had fallen I - rushed from the room, chose the wrong door, and found myself in - my husband’s room. He spoke of giving me up. I showed him that if - he did so, his life was in my hands. If he gave me to the law, I - could give him to the Brotherhood. It was not that I wished to - live for my own sake, but it was that I desired to accomplish my - purpose. He knew that I would do what I said—that his own fate - was involved in mine. For that reason, and for no other, he - shielded me. He thrust me into that dark hiding-place—a relic of - old days, known only to himself. He took his meals in his own - room, and so was able to give me part of his food. It was agreed - that when the police left the house I should slip away by night - and come back no more. But in some way you have read our plans.” - She tore from the bosom of her dress a small packet. “These are - my last words,” said she; “here is the packet which will save - Alexis. I confide it to your honour and to your love of justice. - Take it! You will deliver it at the Russian Embassy. Now, I have - done my duty, and——” - - “Stop her!” cried Holmes. He had bounded across the room and had - wrenched a small phial from her hand. - - “Too late!” she said, sinking back on the bed. “Too late! I took - the poison before I left my hiding-place. My head swims! I am - going! I charge you, sir, to remember the packet.” - - “A simple case, and yet, in some ways, an instructive one,” - Holmes remarked, as we travelled back to town. “It hinged from - the outset upon the pince-nez. But for the fortunate chance of - the dying man having seized these, I am not sure that we could - ever have reached our solution. It was clear to me, from the - strength of the glasses, that the wearer must have been very - blind and helpless when deprived of them. When you asked me to - believe that she walked along a narrow strip of grass without - once making a false step, I remarked, as you may remember, that - it was a noteworthy performance. In my mind I set it down as an - impossible performance, save in the unlikely case that she had a - second pair of glasses. I was forced, therefore, to consider - seriously the hypothesis that she had remained within the house. - On perceiving the similarity of the two corridors, it became - clear that she might very easily have made such a mistake, and, - in that case, it was evident that she must have entered the - professor’s room. I was keenly on the alert, therefore, for - whatever would bear out this supposition, and I examined the room - narrowly for anything in the shape of a hiding-place. The carpet - seemed continuous and firmly nailed, so I dismissed the idea of a - trap-door. There might well be a recess behind the books. As you - are aware, such devices are common in old libraries. I observed - that books were piled on the floor at all other points, but that - one bookcase was left clear. This, then, might be the door. I - could see no marks to guide me, but the carpet was of a dun - colour, which lends itself very well to examination. I therefore - smoked a great number of those excellent cigarettes, and I - dropped the ash all over the space in front of the suspected - bookcase. It was a simple trick, but exceedingly effective. I - then went downstairs, and I ascertained, in your presence, - Watson, without your perceiving the drift of my remarks, that - Professor Coram’s consumption of food had increased—as one would - expect when he is supplying a second person. We then ascended to - the room again, when, by upsetting the cigarette-box, I obtained - a very excellent view of the floor, and was able to see quite - clearly, from the traces upon the cigarette ash, that the - prisoner had in our absence come out from her retreat. Well, - Hopkins, here we are at Charing Cross, and I congratulate you on - having brought your case to a successful conclusion. You are - going to headquarters, no doubt. I think, Watson, you and I will - drive together to the Russian Embassy.” - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF THE MISSING THREE-QUARTER - - - We were fairly accustomed to receive weird telegrams at Baker - Street, but I have a particular recollection of one which reached - us on a gloomy February morning, some seven or eight years ago, - and gave Mr. Sherlock Holmes a puzzled quarter of an hour. It was - addressed to him, and ran thus: - - Please await me. Terrible misfortune. Right wing three-quarter - missing, indispensable to-morrow. OVERTON. - - “Strand postmark, and dispatched ten thirty-six,” said Holmes, - reading it over and over. “Mr. Overton was evidently considerably - excited when he sent it, and somewhat incoherent in consequence. - Well, well, he will be here, I daresay, by the time I have looked - through _The Times_, and then we shall know all about it. Even - the most insignificant problem would be welcome in these stagnant - days.” - - Things had indeed been very slow with us, and I had learned to - dread such periods of inaction, for I knew by experience that my - companion’s brain was so abnormally active that it was dangerous - to leave it without material upon which to work. For years I had - gradually weaned him from that drug mania which had threatened - once to check his remarkable career. Now I knew that under - ordinary conditions he no longer craved for this artificial - stimulus, but I was well aware that the fiend was not dead but - sleeping, and I have known that the sleep was a light one and the - waking near when in periods of idleness I have seen the drawn - look upon Holmes’s ascetic face, and the brooding of his deep-set - and inscrutable eyes. Therefore I blessed this Mr. Overton - whoever he might be, since he had come with his enigmatic message - to break that dangerous calm which brought more peril to my - friend than all the storms of his tempestuous life. - - As we had expected, the telegram was soon followed by its sender, - and the card of Mr. Cyril Overton, Trinity College, Cambridge, - announced the arrival of an enormous young man, sixteen stone of - solid bone and muscle, who spanned the doorway with his broad - shoulders, and looked from one of us to the other with a comely - face which was haggard with anxiety. - - “Mr. Sherlock Holmes?” - - My companion bowed. - - “I’ve been down to Scotland Yard, Mr. Holmes. I saw Inspector - Stanley Hopkins. He advised me to come to you. He said the case, - so far as he could see, was more in your line than in that of the - regular police.” - - “Pray sit down and tell me what is the matter.” - - “It’s awful, Mr. Holmes—simply awful! I wonder my hair isn’t grey. - Godfrey Staunton—you’ve heard of him, of course? He’s simply the - hinge that the whole team turns on. I’d rather spare two from the - pack, and have Godfrey for my three-quarter line. Whether it’s - passing, or tackling, or dribbling, there’s no one to touch him, - and then, he’s got the head, and can hold us all together. What - am I to do? That’s what I ask you, Mr. Holmes. There’s Moorhouse, - first reserve, but he is trained as a half, and he always edges - right in on to the scrum instead of keeping out on the touchline. - He’s a fine place-kick, it’s true, but then he has no judgment, - and he can’t sprint for nuts. Why, Morton or Johnson, the Oxford - fliers, could romp round him. Stevenson is fast enough, but he - couldn’t drop from the twenty-five line, and a three-quarter who - can’t either punt or drop isn’t worth a place for pace alone. No, - Mr. Holmes, we are done unless you can help me to find Godfrey - Staunton.” - - My friend had listened with amused surprise to this long speech, - which was poured forth with extraordinary vigour and earnestness, - every point being driven home by the slapping of a brawny hand - upon the speaker’s knee. When our visitor was silent Holmes - stretched out his hand and took down letter “S” of his - commonplace book. For once he dug in vain into that mine of - varied information. - - “There is Arthur H. Staunton, the rising young forger,” said he, - “and there was Henry Staunton, whom I helped to hang, but Godfrey - Staunton is a new name to me.” - - It was our visitor’s turn to look surprised. - - “Why, Mr. Holmes, I thought you knew things,” said he. “I - suppose, then, if you have never heard of Godfrey Staunton, you - don’t know Cyril Overton either?” - - Holmes shook his head good humouredly. - - “Great Scott!” cried the athlete. “Why, I was first reserve for - England against Wales, and I’ve skippered the ’Varsity all this - year. But that’s nothing! I didn’t think there was a soul in - England who didn’t know Godfrey Staunton, the crack - three-quarter, Cambridge, Blackheath, and five Internationals. - Good Lord! Mr. Holmes, where _have_ you lived?” - - Holmes laughed at the young giant’s naïve astonishment. - - “You live in a different world to me, Mr. Overton—a sweeter and - healthier one. My ramifications stretch out into many sections of - society, but never, I am happy to say, into amateur sport, which - is the best and soundest thing in England. However, your - unexpected visit this morning shows me that even in that world of - fresh air and fair play, there may be work for me to do. So now, - my good sir, I beg you to sit down and to tell me, slowly and - quietly, exactly what it is that has occurred, and how you desire - that I should help you.” - - Young Overton’s face assumed the bothered look of the man who is - more accustomed to using his muscles than his wits, but by - degrees, with many repetitions and obscurities which I may omit - from his narrative, he laid his strange story before us. - - “It’s this way, Mr. Holmes. As I have said, I am the skipper of - the Rugger team of Cambridge ’Varsity, and Godfrey Staunton is my - best man. To-morrow we play Oxford. Yesterday we all came up, and - we settled at Bentley’s private hotel. At ten o’clock I went - round and saw that all the fellows had gone to roost, for I - believe in strict training and plenty of sleep to keep a team - fit. I had a word or two with Godfrey before he turned in. He - seemed to me to be pale and bothered. I asked him what was the - matter. He said he was all right—just a touch of headache. I bade - him good-night and left him. Half an hour later, the porter tells - me that a rough-looking man with a beard called with a note for - Godfrey. He had not gone to bed, and the note was taken to his - room. Godfrey read it, and fell back in a chair as if he had been - pole-axed. The porter was so scared that he was going to fetch - me, but Godfrey stopped him, had a drink of water, and pulled - himself together. Then he went downstairs, said a few words to - the man who was waiting in the hall, and the two of them went off - together. The last that the porter saw of them, they were almost - running down the street in the direction of the Strand. This - morning Godfrey’s room was empty, his bed had never been slept - in, and his things were all just as I had seen them the night - before. He had gone off at a moment’s notice with this stranger, - and no word has come from him since. I don’t believe he will ever - come back. He was a sportsman, was Godfrey, down to his marrow, - and he wouldn’t have stopped his training and let in his skipper - if it were not for some cause that was too strong for him. No: I - feel as if he were gone for good, and we should never see him - again.” - - Sherlock Holmes listened with the deepest attention to this - singular narrative. - - “What did you do?” he asked. - - “I wired to Cambridge to learn if anything had been heard of him - there. I have had an answer. No one has seen him.” - - “Could he have got back to Cambridge?” - - “Yes, there is a late train—quarter-past eleven.” - - “But, so far as you can ascertain, he did not take it?” - - “No, he has not been seen.” - - “What did you do next?” - - “I wired to Lord Mount-James.” - - “Why to Lord Mount-James?” - - “Godfrey is an orphan, and Lord Mount-James is his nearest - relative—his uncle, I believe.” - - “Indeed. This throws new light upon the matter. Lord Mount-James - is one of the richest men in England.” - - “So I’ve heard Godfrey say.” - - “And your friend was closely related?” - - “Yes, he was his heir, and the old boy is nearly eighty—cram full - of gout, too. They say he could chalk his billiard-cue with his - knuckles. He never allowed Godfrey a shilling in his life, for he - is an absolute miser, but it will all come to him right enough.” - - “Have you heard from Lord Mount-James?” - - “No.” - - “What motive could your friend have in going to Lord - Mount-James?” - - “Well, something was worrying him the night before, and if it was - to do with money it is possible that he would make for his - nearest relative, who had so much of it, though from all I have - heard he would not have much chance of getting it. Godfrey was - not fond of the old man. He would not go if he could help it.” - - “Well, we can soon determine that. If your friend was going to - his relative, Lord Mount-James, you have then to explain the - visit of this rough-looking fellow at so late an hour, and the - agitation that was caused by his coming.” - - Cyril Overton pressed his hands to his head. “I can make nothing - of it,” said he. - - “Well, well, I have a clear day, and I shall be happy to look - into the matter,” said Holmes. “I should strongly recommend you - to make your preparations for your match without reference to - this young gentleman. It must, as you say, have been an - overpowering necessity which tore him away in such a fashion, and - the same necessity is likely to hold him away. Let us step round - together to the hotel, and see if the porter can throw any fresh - light upon the matter.” - - Sherlock Holmes was a past-master in the art of putting a humble - witness at his ease, and very soon, in the privacy of Godfrey - Staunton’s abandoned room, he had extracted all that the porter - had to tell. The visitor of the night before was not a gentleman, - neither was he a workingman. He was simply what the porter - described as a “medium-looking chap,” a man of fifty, beard - grizzled, pale face, quietly dressed. He seemed himself to be - agitated. The porter had observed his hand trembling when he had - held out the note. Godfrey Staunton had crammed the note into his - pocket. Staunton had not shaken hands with the man in the hall. - They had exchanged a few sentences, of which the porter had only - distinguished the one word “time.” Then they had hurried off in - the manner described. It was just half-past ten by the hall - clock. - - “Let me see,” said Holmes, seating himself on Staunton’s bed. - “You are the day porter, are you not?” - - “Yes, sir, I go off duty at eleven.” - - “The night porter saw nothing, I suppose?” - - “No, sir, one theatre party came in late. No one else.” - - “Were you on duty all day yesterday?” - - “Yes, sir.” - - “Did you take any messages to Mr. Staunton?” - - “Yes, sir, one telegram.” - - “Ah! that’s interesting. What o’clock was this?” - - “About six.” - - “Where was Mr. Staunton when he received it?” - - “Here in his room.” - - “Were you present when he opened it?” - - “Yes, sir, I waited to see if there was an answer.” - - “Well, was there?” - - “Yes, sir, he wrote an answer.” - - “Did you take it?” - - “No, he took it himself.” - - “But he wrote it in your presence.” - - “Yes, sir. I was standing by the door, and he with his back - turned at that table. When he had written it, he said: ‘All - right, porter, I will take this myself.’” - - “What did he write it with?” - - “A pen, sir.” - - “Was the telegraphic form one of these on the table?” - - “Yes, sir, it was the top one.” - - Holmes rose. Taking the forms, he carried them over to the window - and carefully examined that which was uppermost. - - “It is a pity he did not write in pencil,” said he, throwing them - down again with a shrug of disappointment. “As you have no doubt - frequently observed, Watson, the impression usually goes - through—a fact which has dissolved many a happy marriage. - However, I can find no trace here. I rejoice, however, to - perceive that he wrote with a broad-pointed quill pen, and I can - hardly doubt that we will find some impression upon this - blotting-pad. Ah, yes, surely this is the very thing!” - - He tore off a strip of the blotting-paper and turned towards us - the following hieroglyphic: - - hieroglyphic - - Cyril Overton was much excited. “Hold it to the glass!” he cried. - - “That is unnecessary,” said Holmes. “The paper is thin, and the - reverse will give the message. Here it is.” He turned it over, - and we read: - - the reverse - - “So that is the tail end of the telegram which Godfrey Staunton - dispatched within a few hours of his disappearance. There are at - least six words of the message which have escaped us; but what - remains—‘Stand by us for God’s sake!’—proves that this young man - saw a formidable danger which approached him, and from which - someone else could protect him. ‘_Us_,’ mark you! Another person - was involved. Who should it be but the pale-faced, bearded man, - who seemed himself in so nervous a state? What, then, is the - connection between Godfrey Staunton and the bearded man? And what - is the third source from which each of them sought for help - against pressing danger? Our inquiry has already narrowed down to - that.” - - “We have only to find to whom that telegram is addressed,” I - suggested. - - “Exactly, my dear Watson. Your reflection, though profound, had - already crossed my mind. But I daresay it may have come to your - notice that, counterfoil of another man’s message, there may be - some disinclination on the part of the officials to oblige you. - There is so much red tape in these matters. However, I have no - doubt that with a little delicacy and finesse the end may be - attained. Meanwhile, I should like in your presence, Mr. Overton, - to go through these papers which have been left upon the table.” - - There were a number of letters, bills, and notebooks, which - Holmes turned over and examined with quick, nervous fingers and - darting, penetrating eyes. “Nothing here,” he said, at last. “By - the way, I suppose your friend was a healthy young fellow—nothing - amiss with him?” - - “Sound as a bell.” - - “Have you ever known him ill?” - - “Not a day. He has been laid up with a hack, and once he slipped - his knee-cap, but that was nothing.” - - “Perhaps he was not so strong as you suppose. I should think he - may have had some secret trouble. With your assent, I will put - one or two of these papers in my pocket, in case they should bear - upon our future inquiry.” - - “One moment—one moment!” cried a querulous voice, and we looked - up to find a queer little old man, jerking and twitching in the - doorway. He was dressed in rusty black, with a very broad-brimmed - top-hat and a loose white necktie—the whole effect being that of - a very rustic parson or of an undertaker’s mute. Yet, in spite of - his shabby and even absurd appearance, his voice had a sharp - crackle, and his manner a quick intensity which commanded - attention. - - “Who are you, sir, and by what right do you touch this - gentleman’s papers?” he asked. - - “I am a private detective, and I am endeavouring to explain his - disappearance.” - - “Oh, you are, are you? And who instructed you, eh?” - - “This gentleman, Mr. Staunton’s friend, was referred to me by - Scotland Yard.” - - “Who are you, sir?” - - “I am Cyril Overton.” - - “Then it is you who sent me a telegram. My name is Lord - Mount-James. I came round as quickly as the Bayswater bus would - bring me. So you have instructed a detective?” - - “Yes, sir.” - - “And are you prepared to meet the cost?” - - “I have no doubt, sir, that my friend Godfrey, when we find him, - will be prepared to do that.” - - “But if he is never found, eh? Answer me that!” - - “In that case, no doubt his family——” - - “Nothing of the sort, sir!” screamed the little man. “Don’t look - to me for a penny—not a penny! You understand that, Mr. - Detective! I am all the family that this young man has got, and I - tell you that I am not responsible. If he has any expectations it - is due to the fact that I have never wasted money, and I do not - propose to begin to do so now. As to those papers with which you - are making so free, I may tell you that in case there should be - anything of any value among them, you will be held strictly to - account for what you do with them.” - - “Very good, sir,” said Sherlock Holmes. “May I ask, in the - meanwhile, whether you have yourself any theory to account for - this young man’s disappearance?” - - “No, sir, I have not. He is big enough and old enough to look - after himself, and if he is so foolish as to lose himself, I - entirely refuse to accept the responsibility of hunting for him.” - - “I quite understand your position,” said Holmes, with a - mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Perhaps you don’t quite - understand mine. Godfrey Staunton appears to have been a poor - man. If he has been kidnapped, it could not have been for - anything which he himself possesses. The fame of your wealth has - gone abroad, Lord Mount-James, and it is entirely possible that a - gang of thieves have secured your nephew in order to gain from - him some information as to your house, your habits, and your - treasure.” - - The face of our unpleasant little visitor turned as white as his - neckcloth. - - “Heavens, sir, what an idea! I never thought of such villainy! - What inhuman rogues there are in the world! But Godfrey is a fine - lad—a staunch lad. Nothing would induce him to give his old uncle - away. I’ll have the plate moved over to the bank this evening. In - the meantime spare no pains, Mr. Detective! I beg you to leave no - stone unturned to bring him safely back. As to money, well, so - far as a fiver or even a tenner goes you can always look to me.” - - Even in his chastened frame of mind, the noble miser could give - us no information which could help us, for he knew little of the - private life of his nephew. Our only clue lay in the truncated - telegram, and with a copy of this in his hand Holmes set forth to - find a second link for his chain. We had shaken off Lord - Mount-James, and Overton had gone to consult with the other - members of his team over the misfortune which had befallen them. - - There was a telegraph-office at a short distance from the hotel. - We halted outside it. - - “It’s worth trying, Watson,” said Holmes. “Of course, with a - warrant we could demand to see the counterfoils, but we have not - reached that stage yet. I don’t suppose they remember faces in so - busy a place. Let us venture it.” - - “I am sorry to trouble you,” said he, in his blandest manner, to - the young woman behind the grating; “there is some small mistake - about a telegram I sent yesterday. I have had no answer, and I - very much fear that I must have omitted to put my name at the - end. Could you tell me if this was so?” - - The young woman turned over a sheaf of counterfoils. - - “What o’clock was it?” she asked. - - “A little after six.” - - “Whom was it to?” - - Holmes put his finger to his lips and glanced at me. “The last - words in it were ‘For God’s sake,’” he whispered, confidentially; - “I am very anxious at getting no answer.” - - The young woman separated one of the forms. - - “This is it. There is no name,” said she, smoothing it out upon - the counter. - - “Then that, of course, accounts for my getting no answer,” said - Holmes. “Dear me, how very stupid of me, to be sure! - Good-morning, miss, and many thanks for having relieved my mind.” - He chuckled and rubbed his hands when we found ourselves in the - street once more. - - “Well?” I asked. - - “We progress, my dear Watson, we progress. I had seven different - schemes for getting a glimpse of that telegram, but I could - hardly hope to succeed the very first time.” - - “And what have you gained?” - - “A starting-point for our investigation.” He hailed a cab. - “King’s Cross Station,” said he. - - “We have a journey, then?” - - “Yes, I think we must run down to Cambridge together. All the - indications seem to me to point in that direction.” - - “Tell me,” I asked, as we rattled up Gray’s Inn Road, “have you - any suspicion yet as to the cause of the disappearance? I don’t - think that among all our cases I have known one where the motives - are more obscure. Surely you don’t really imagine that he may be - kidnapped in order to give information against his wealthy - uncle?” - - “I confess, my dear Watson, that that does not appeal to me as a - very probable explanation. It struck me, however, as being the - one which was most likely to interest that exceedingly unpleasant - old person.” - - “It certainly did that; but what are your alternatives?” - - “I could mention several. You must admit that it is curious and - suggestive that this incident should occur on the eve of this - important match, and should involve the only man whose presence - seems essential to the success of the side. It may, of course, be - a coincidence, but it is interesting. Amateur sport is free from - betting, but a good deal of outside betting goes on among the - public, and it is possible that it might be worth someone’s while - to get at a player as the ruffians of the turf get at a - race-horse. There is one explanation. A second very obvious one - is that this young man really is the heir of a great property, - however modest his means may at present be, and it is not - impossible that a plot to hold him for ransom might be - concocted.” - - “These theories take no account of the telegram.” - - “Quite true, Watson. The telegram still remains the only solid - thing with which we have to deal, and we must not permit our - attention to wander away from it. It is to gain light upon the - purpose of this telegram that we are now upon our way to - Cambridge. The path of our investigation is at present obscure, - but I shall be very much surprised if before evening we have not - cleared it up, or made a considerable advance along it.” - - It was already dark when we reached the old university city. - Holmes took a cab at the station and ordered the man to drive to - the house of Dr. Leslie Armstrong. A few minutes later, we had - stopped at a large mansion in the busiest thoroughfare. We were - shown in, and after a long wait were at last admitted into the - consulting-room, where we found the doctor seated behind his - table. - - It argues the degree in which I had lost touch with my profession - that the name of Leslie Armstrong was unknown to me. Now I am - aware that he is not only one of the heads of the medical school - of the university, but a thinker of European reputation in more - than one branch of science. Yet even without knowing his - brilliant record one could not fail to be impressed by a mere - glance at the man, the square, massive face, the brooding eyes - under the thatched brows, and the granite moulding of the - inflexible jaw. A man of deep character, a man with an alert - mind, grim, ascetic, self-contained, formidable—so I read Dr. - Leslie Armstrong. He held my friend’s card in his hand, and he - looked up with no very pleased expression upon his dour features. - - “I have heard your name, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, and I am aware of - your profession—one of which I by no means approve.” - - “In that, Doctor, you will find yourself in agreement with every - criminal in the country,” said my friend, quietly. - - “So far as your efforts are directed towards the suppression of - crime, sir, they must have the support of every reasonable member - of the community, though I cannot doubt that the official - machinery is amply sufficient for the purpose. Where your calling - is more open to criticism is when you pry into the secrets of - private individuals, when you rake up family matters which are - better hidden, and when you incidentally waste the time of men - who are more busy than yourself. At the present moment, for - example, I should be writing a treatise instead of conversing - with you.” - - “No doubt, Doctor; and yet the conversation may prove more - important than the treatise. Incidentally, I may tell you that we - are doing the reverse of what you very justly blame, and that we - are endeavouring to prevent anything like public exposure of - private matters which must necessarily follow when once the case - is fairly in the hands of the official police. You may look upon - me simply as an irregular pioneer, who goes in front of the - regular forces of the country. I have come to ask you about Mr. - Godfrey Staunton.” - - “What about him?” - - “You know him, do you not?” - - “He is an intimate friend of mine.” - - “You are aware that he has disappeared?” - - “Ah, indeed!” There was no change of expression in the rugged - features of the doctor. - - “He left his hotel last night—he has not been heard of.” - - “No doubt he will return.” - - “To-morrow is the ’Varsity football match.” - - “I have no sympathy with these childish games. The young man’s - fate interests me deeply, since I know him and like him. The - football match does not come within my horizon at all.” - - “I claim your sympathy, then, in my investigation of Mr. - Staunton’s fate. Do you know where he is?” - - “Certainly not.” - - “You have not seen him since yesterday?” - - “No, I have not.” - - “Was Mr. Staunton a healthy man?” - - “Absolutely.” - - “Did you ever know him ill?” - - “Never.” - - Holmes popped a sheet of paper before the doctor’s eyes. “Then - perhaps you will explain this receipted bill for thirteen - guineas, paid by Mr. Godfrey Staunton last month to Dr. Leslie - Armstrong, of Cambridge. I picked it out from among the papers - upon his desk.” - - The doctor flushed with anger. - - “I do not feel that there is any reason why I should render an - explanation to you, Mr. Holmes.” - - Holmes replaced the bill in his notebook. “If you prefer a public - explanation, it must come sooner or later,” said he. “I have - already told you that I can hush up that which others will be - bound to publish, and you would really be wiser to take me into - your complete confidence.” - - “I know nothing about it.” - - “Did you hear from Mr. Staunton in London?” - - “Certainly not.” - - “Dear me, dear me—the postoffice again!” Holmes sighed, wearily. - “A most urgent telegram was dispatched to you from London by - Godfrey Staunton at six-fifteen yesterday evening—a telegram - which is undoubtedly associated with his disappearance—and yet - you have not had it. It is most culpable. I shall certainly go - down to the office here and register a complaint.” - - Dr. Leslie Armstrong sprang up from behind his desk, and his dark - face was crimson with fury. - - “I’ll trouble you to walk out of my house, sir,” said he. “You - can tell your employer, Lord Mount-James, that I do not wish to - have anything to do either with him or with his agents. No, - sir—not another word!” He rang the bell furiously. “John, show - these gentlemen out!” A pompous butler ushered us severely to the - door, and we found ourselves in the street. Holmes burst out - laughing. - - “Dr. Leslie Armstrong is certainly a man of energy and - character,” said he. “I have not seen a man who, if he turns his - talents that way, was more calculated to fill the gap left by the - illustrious Moriarty. And now, my poor Watson, here we are, - stranded and friendless in this inhospitable town, which we - cannot leave without abandoning our case. This little inn just - opposite Armstrong’s house is singularly adapted to our needs. If - you would engage a front room and purchase the necessaries for - the night, I may have time to make a few inquiries.” - - These few inquiries proved, however, to be a more lengthy - proceeding than Holmes had imagined, for he did not return to the - inn until nearly nine o’clock. He was pale and dejected, stained - with dust, and exhausted with hunger and fatigue. A cold supper - was ready upon the table, and when his needs were satisfied and - his pipe alight he was ready to take that half comic and wholly - philosophic view which was natural to him when his affairs were - going awry. The sound of carriage wheels caused him to rise and - glance out of the window. A brougham and pair of greys, under the - glare of a gas-lamp, stood before the doctor’s door. - - “It’s been out three hours,” said Holmes; “started at half-past - six, and here it is back again. That gives a radius of ten or - twelve miles, and he does it once, or sometimes twice, a day.” - - “No unusual thing for a doctor in practice.” - - “But Armstrong is not really a doctor in practice. He is a - lecturer and a consultant, but he does not care for general - practice, which distracts him from his literary work. Why, then, - does he make these long journeys, which must be exceedingly - irksome to him, and who is it that he visits?” - - “His coachman——” - - “My dear Watson, can you doubt that it was to him that I first - applied? I do not know whether it came from his own innate - depravity or from the promptings of his master, but he was rude - enough to set a dog at me. Neither dog nor man liked the look of - my stick, however, and the matter fell through. Relations were - strained after that, and further inquiries out of the question. - All that I have learned I got from a friendly native in the yard - of our own inn. It was he who told me of the doctor’s habits and - of his daily journey. At that instant, to give point to his - words, the carriage came round to the door.” - - “Could you not follow it?” - - “Excellent, Watson! You are scintillating this evening. The idea - did cross my mind. There is, as you may have observed, a bicycle - shop next to our inn. Into this I rushed, engaged a bicycle, and - was able to get started before the carriage was quite out of - sight. I rapidly overtook it, and then, keeping at a discreet - distance of a hundred yards or so, I followed its lights until we - were clear of the town. We had got well out on the country road, - when a somewhat mortifying incident occurred. The carriage - stopped, the doctor alighted, walked swiftly back to where I had - also halted, and told me in an excellent sardonic fashion that he - feared the road was narrow, and that he hoped his carriage did - not impede the passage of my bicycle. Nothing could have been - more admirable than his way of putting it. I at once rode past - the carriage, and, keeping to the main road, I went on for a few - miles, and then halted in a convenient place to see if the - carriage passed. There was no sign of it, however, and so it - became evident that it had turned down one of several side roads - which I had observed. I rode back, but again saw nothing of the - carriage, and now, as you perceive, it has returned after me. Of - course, I had at the outset no particular reason to connect these - journeys with the disappearance of Godfrey Staunton, and was only - inclined to investigate them on the general grounds that - everything which concerns Dr. Armstrong is at present of interest - to us, but, now that I find he keeps so keen a look-out upon - anyone who may follow him on these excursions, the affair appears - more important, and I shall not be satisfied until I have made - the matter clear.” - - “We can follow him to-morrow.” - - “Can we? It is not so easy as you seem to think. You are not - familiar with Cambridgeshire scenery, are you? It does not lend - itself to concealment. All this country that I passed over - to-night is as flat and clean as the palm of your hand, and the - man we are following is no fool, as he very clearly showed - to-night. I have wired to Overton to let us know any fresh London - developments at this address, and in the meantime we can only - concentrate our attention upon Dr. Armstrong, whose name the - obliging young lady at the office allowed me to read upon the - counterfoil of Staunton’s urgent message. He knows where the - young man is—to that I’ll swear, and if he knows, then it must be - our own fault if we cannot manage to know also. At present it - must be admitted that the odd trick is in his possession, and, as - you are aware, Watson, it is not my habit to leave the game in - that condition.” - - And yet the next day brought us no nearer to the solution of the - mystery. A note was handed in after breakfast, which Holmes - passed across to me with a smile. - - SIR [it ran],—I can assure you that you are wasting your time in - dogging my movements. I have, as you discovered last night, a - window at the back of my brougham, and if you desire a - twenty-mile ride which will lead you to the spot from which you - started, you have only to follow me. Meanwhile, I can inform you - that no spying upon me can in any way help Mr. Godfrey Staunton, - and I am convinced that the best service you can do to that - gentleman is to return at once to London and to report to your - employer that you are unable to trace him. Your time in Cambridge - will certainly be wasted. - - Yours faithfully, - LESLIE ARMSTRONG. - - “An outspoken, honest antagonist is the doctor,” said Holmes. - “Well, well, he excites my curiosity, and I must really know - before I leave him.” - - “His carriage is at his door now,” said I. “There he is stepping - into it. I saw him glance up at our window as he did so. Suppose - I try my luck upon the bicycle?” - - “No, no, my dear Watson! With all respect for your natural - acumen, I do not think that you are quite a match for the worthy - doctor. I think that possibly I can attain our end by some - independent explorations of my own. I am afraid that I must leave - you to your own devices, as the appearance of _two_ inquiring - strangers upon a sleepy countryside might excite more gossip than - I care for. No doubt you will find some sights to amuse you in - this venerable city, and I hope to bring back a more favourable - report to you before evening.” - - Once more, however, my friend was destined to be disappointed. He - came back at night weary and unsuccessful. - - “I have had a blank day, Watson. Having got the doctor’s general - direction, I spent the day in visiting all the villages upon that - side of Cambridge, and comparing notes with publicans and other - local news agencies. I have covered some ground. Chesterton, - Histon, Waterbeach, and Oakington have each been explored, and - have each proved disappointing. The daily appearance of a - brougham and pair could hardly have been overlooked in such - Sleepy Hollows. The doctor has scored once more. Is there a - telegram for me?” - - “Yes, I opened it. Here it is: - - “Ask for Pompey from Jeremy Dixon, Trinity College.” - - “I don’t understand it.” - - “Oh, it is clear enough. It is from our friend Overton, and is in - answer to a question from me. I’ll just send round a note to Mr. - Jeremy Dixon, and then I have no doubt that our luck will turn. - By the way, is there any news of the match?” - - “Yes, the local evening paper has an excellent account in its - last edition. Oxford won by a goal and two tries. The last - sentences of the description say: - - “‘The defeat of the Light Blues may be entirely attributed to the - unfortunate absence of the crack International, Godfrey Staunton, - whose want was felt at every instant of the game. The lack of - combination in the three-quarter line and their weakness both in - attack and defence more than neutralized the efforts of a heavy - and hard-working pack.’” - - “Then our friend Overton’s forebodings have been justified,” said - Holmes. “Personally I am in agreement with Dr. Armstrong, and - football does not come within my horizon. Early to bed to-night, - Watson, for I foresee that to-morrow may be an eventful day.” - - I was horrified by my first glimpse of Holmes next morning, for - he sat by the fire holding his tiny hypodermic syringe. I - associated that instrument with the single weakness of his - nature, and I feared the worst when I saw it glittering in his - hand. He laughed at my expression of dismay and laid it upon the - table. - - “No, no, my dear fellow, there is no cause for alarm. It is not - upon this occasion the instrument of evil, but it will rather - prove to be the key which will unlock our mystery. On this - syringe I base all my hopes. I have just returned from a small - scouting expedition, and everything is favourable. Eat a good - breakfast, Watson, for I propose to get upon Dr. Armstrong’s - trail to-day, and once on it I will not stop for rest or food - until I run him to his burrow.” - - “In that case,” said I, “we had best carry our breakfast with us, - for he is making an early start. His carriage is at the door.” - - “Never mind. Let him go. He will be clever if he can drive where - I cannot follow him. When you have finished, come downstairs with - me, and I will introduce you to a detective who is a very eminent - specialist in the work that lies before us.” - - When we descended I followed Holmes into the stable yard, where - he opened the door of a loose-box and led out a squat, lop-eared, - white-and-tan dog, something between a beagle and a foxhound. - - “Let me introduce you to Pompey,” said he. “Pompey is the pride - of the local draghounds—no very great flier, as his build will - show, but a staunch hound on a scent. Well, Pompey, you may not - be fast, but I expect you will be too fast for a couple of - middle-aged London gentlemen, so I will take the liberty of - fastening this leather leash to your collar. Now, boy, come - along, and show what you can do.” He led him across to the - doctor’s door. The dog sniffed round for an instant, and then - with a shrill whine of excitement started off down the street, - tugging at his leash in his efforts to go faster. In half an - hour, we were clear of the town and hastening down a country - road. - - “What have you done, Holmes?” I asked. - - “A threadbare and venerable device, but useful upon occasion. I - walked into the doctor’s yard this morning, and shot my syringe - full of aniseed over the hind wheel. A draghound will follow - aniseed from here to John o’Groat’s, and our friend, Armstrong, - would have to drive through the Cam before he would shake Pompey - off his trail. Oh, the cunning rascal! This is how he gave me the - slip the other night.” - - The dog had suddenly turned out of the main road into a - grass-grown lane. Half a mile farther this opened into another - broad road, and the trail turned hard to the right in the - direction of the town, which we had just quitted. The road took a - sweep to the south of the town, and continued in the opposite - direction to that in which we started. - - “This _détour_ has been entirely for our benefit, then?” said - Holmes. “No wonder that my inquiries among those villagers led to - nothing. The doctor has certainly played the game for all it is - worth, and one would like to know the reason for such elaborate - deception. This should be the village of Trumpington to the right - of us. And, by Jove! here is the brougham coming round the - corner. Quick, Watson—quick, or we are done!” - - He sprang through a gate into a field, dragging the reluctant - Pompey after him. We had hardly got under the shelter of the - hedge when the carriage rattled past. I caught a glimpse of Dr. - Armstrong within, his shoulders bowed, his head sunk on his - hands, the very image of distress. I could tell by my companion’s - graver face that he also had seen. - - “I fear there is some dark ending to our quest,” said he. “It - cannot be long before we know it. Come, Pompey! Ah, it is the - cottage in the field!” - - There could be no doubt that we had reached the end of our - journey. Pompey ran about and whined eagerly outside the gate, - where the marks of the brougham’s wheels were still to be seen. A - footpath led across to the lonely cottage. Holmes tied the dog to - the hedge, and we hastened onward. My friend knocked at the - little rustic door, and knocked again without response. And yet - the cottage was not deserted, for a low sound came to our ears—a - kind of drone of misery and despair which was indescribably - melancholy. Holmes paused irresolute, and then he glanced back at - the road which he had just traversed. A brougham was coming down - it, and there could be no mistaking those grey horses. - - “By Jove, the doctor is coming back!” cried Holmes. “That settles - it. We are bound to see what it means before he comes.” - - He opened the door, and we stepped into the hall. The droning - sound swelled louder upon our ears until it became one long, deep - wail of distress. It came from upstairs. Holmes darted up, and I - followed him. He pushed open a half-closed door, and we both - stood appalled at the sight before us. - - A woman, young and beautiful, was lying dead upon the bed. Her - calm pale face, with dim, wide-opened blue eyes, looked upward - from amid a great tangle of golden hair. At the foot of the bed, - half sitting, half kneeling, his face buried in the clothes, was - a young man, whose frame was racked by his sobs. So absorbed was - he by his bitter grief, that he never looked up until Holmes’s - hand was on his shoulder. - - “Are you Mr. Godfrey Staunton?” - - “Yes, yes, I am—but you are too late. She is dead.” - - The man was so dazed that he could not be made to understand that - we were anything but doctors who had been sent to his assistance. - Holmes was endeavouring to utter a few words of consolation and - to explain the alarm which had been caused to his friends by his - sudden disappearance when there was a step upon the stairs, and - there was the heavy, stern, questioning face of Dr. Armstrong at - the door. - - “So, gentlemen,” said he, “you have attained your end and have - certainly chosen a particularly delicate moment for your - intrusion. I would not brawl in the presence of death, but I can - assure you that if I were a younger man your monstrous conduct - would not pass with impunity.” - - “Excuse me, Dr. Armstrong, I think we are a little at - cross-purposes,” said my friend, with dignity. “If you could step - downstairs with us, we may each be able to give some light to the - other upon this miserable affair.” - - A minute later, the grim doctor and ourselves were in the - sitting-room below. - - “Well, sir?” said he. - - “I wish you to understand, in the first place, that I am not - employed by Lord Mount-James, and that my sympathies in this - matter are entirely against that nobleman. When a man is lost it - is my duty to ascertain his fate, but having done so the matter - ends so far as I am concerned, and so long as there is nothing - criminal I am much more anxious to hush up private scandals than - to give them publicity. If, as I imagine, there is no breach of - the law in this matter, you can absolutely depend upon my - discretion and my cooperation in keeping the facts out of the - papers.” - - Dr. Armstrong took a quick step forward and wrung Holmes by the - hand. - - “You are a good fellow,” said he. “I had misjudged you. I thank - heaven that my compunction at leaving poor Staunton all alone in - this plight caused me to turn my carriage back and so to make - your acquaintance. Knowing as much as you do, the situation is - very easily explained. A year ago Godfrey Staunton lodged in - London for a time and became passionately attached to his - landlady’s daughter, whom he married. She was as good as she was - beautiful and as intelligent as she was good. No man need be - ashamed of such a wife. But Godfrey was the heir to this crabbed - old nobleman, and it was quite certain that the news of his - marriage would have been the end of his inheritance. I knew the - lad well, and I loved him for his many excellent qualities. I did - all I could to help him to keep things straight. We did our very - best to keep the thing from everyone, for, when once such a - whisper gets about, it is not long before everyone has heard it. - Thanks to this lonely cottage and his own discretion, Godfrey has - up to now succeeded. Their secret was known to no one save to me - and to one excellent servant, who has at present gone for - assistance to Trumpington. But at last there came a terrible blow - in the shape of dangerous illness to his wife. It was consumption - of the most virulent kind. The poor boy was half crazed with - grief, and yet he had to go to London to play this match, for he - could not get out of it without explanations which would expose - his secret. I tried to cheer him up by wire, and he sent me one - in reply, imploring me to do all I could. This was the telegram - which you appear in some inexplicable way to have seen. I did not - tell him how urgent the danger was, for I knew that he could do - no good here, but I sent the truth to the girl’s father, and he - very injudiciously communicated it to Godfrey. The result was - that he came straight away in a state bordering on frenzy, and - has remained in the same state, kneeling at the end of her bed, - until this morning death put an end to her sufferings. That is - all, Mr. Holmes, and I am sure that I can rely upon your - discretion and that of your friend.” - - Holmes grasped the doctor’s hand. - - “Come, Watson,” said he, and we passed from that house of grief - into the pale sunlight of the winter day. - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF THE ABBEY GRANGE - - - It was on a bitterly cold and frosty morning, towards the end of - the winter of ’97, that I was awakened by a tugging at my - shoulder. It was Holmes. The candle in his hand shone upon his - eager, stooping face, and told me at a glance that something was - amiss. - - “Come, Watson, come!” he cried. “The game is afoot. Not a word! - Into your clothes and come!” - - Ten minutes later we were both in a cab, and rattling through the - silent streets on our way to Charing Cross Station. The first - faint winter’s dawn was beginning to appear, and we could dimly - see the occasional figure of an early workman as he passed us, - blurred and indistinct in the opalescent London reek. Holmes - nestled in silence into his heavy coat, and I was glad to do the - same, for the air was most bitter, and neither of us had broken - our fast. - - It was not until we had consumed some hot tea at the station and - taken our places in the Kentish train that we were sufficiently - thawed, he to speak and I to listen. Holmes drew a note from his - pocket, and read aloud: - - Abbey Grange, Marsham, Kent, 3:30 A.M. - MY DEAR MR. HOLMES: - - I should be very glad of your immediate assistance in what - promises to be a most remarkable case. It is something quite in - your line. Except for releasing the lady I will see that - everything is kept exactly as I have found it, but I beg you not - to lose an instant, as it is difficult to leave Sir Eustace - there. - - Yours faithfully, - STANLEY HOPKINS. - - “Hopkins has called me in seven times, and on each occasion his - summons has been entirely justified,” said Holmes. “I fancy that - every one of his cases has found its way into your collection, - and I must admit, Watson, that you have some power of selection, - which atones for much which I deplore in your narratives. Your - fatal habit of looking at everything from the point of view of a - story instead of as a scientific exercise has ruined what might - have been an instructive and even classical series of - demonstrations. You slur over work of the utmost finesse and - delicacy, in order to dwell upon sensational details which may - excite, but cannot possibly instruct, the reader.” - - “Why do you not write them yourself?” I said, with some - bitterness. - - “I will, my dear Watson, I will. At present I am, as you know, - fairly busy, but I propose to devote my declining years to the - composition of a textbook, which shall focus the whole art of - detection into one volume. Our present research appears to be a - case of murder.” - - “You think this Sir Eustace is dead, then?” - - “I should say so. Hopkins’s writing shows considerable agitation, - and he is not an emotional man. Yes, I gather there has been - violence, and that the body is left for our inspection. A mere - suicide would not have caused him to send for me. As to the - release of the lady, it would appear that she has been locked in - her room during the tragedy. We are moving in high life, Watson, - crackling paper, ‘E.B.’ monogram, coat-of-arms, picturesque - address. I think that friend Hopkins will live up to his - reputation, and that we shall have an interesting morning. The - crime was committed before twelve last night.” - - “How can you possibly tell?” - - “By an inspection of the trains, and by reckoning the time. The - local police had to be called in, they had to communicate with - Scotland Yard, Hopkins had to go out, and he in turn had to send - for me. All that makes a fair night’s work. Well, here we are at - Chiselhurst Station, and we shall soon set our doubts at rest.” - - A drive of a couple of miles through narrow country lanes brought - us to a park gate, which was opened for us by an old - lodge-keeper, whose haggard face bore the reflection of some - great disaster. The avenue ran through a noble park, between - lines of ancient elms, and ended in a low, widespread house, - pillared in front after the fashion of Palladio. The central part - was evidently of a great age and shrouded in ivy, but the large - windows showed that modern changes had been carried out, and one - wing of the house appeared to be entirely new. The youthful - figure and alert, eager face of Inspector Stanley Hopkins - confronted us in the open doorway. - - “I’m very glad you have come, Mr. Holmes. And you, too, Dr. - Watson. But, indeed, if I had my time over again, I should not - have troubled you, for since the lady has come to herself, she - has given so clear an account of the affair that there is not - much left for us to do. You remember that Lewisham gang of - burglars?” - - “What, the three Randalls?” - - “Exactly; the father and two sons. It’s their work. I have not a - doubt of it. They did a job at Sydenham a fortnight ago and were - seen and described. Rather cool to do another so soon and so - near, but it is they, beyond all doubt. It’s a hanging matter - this time.” - - “Sir Eustace is dead, then?” - - “Yes, his head was knocked in with his own poker.” - - “Sir Eustace Brackenstall, the driver tells me.” - - “Exactly—one of the richest men in Kent—Lady Brackenstall is in - the morning-room. Poor lady, she has had a most dreadful - experience. She seemed half dead when I saw her first. I think - you had best see her and hear her account of the facts. Then we - will examine the dining-room together.” - - Lady Brackenstall was no ordinary person. Seldom have I seen so - graceful a figure, so womanly a presence, and so beautiful a - face. She was a blonde, golden-haired, blue-eyed, and would no - doubt have had the perfect complexion which goes with such - colouring, had not her recent experience left her drawn and - haggard. Her sufferings were physical as well as mental, for over - one eye rose a hideous, plum-coloured swelling, which her maid, a - tall, austere woman, was bathing assiduously with vinegar and - water. The lady lay back exhausted upon a couch, but her quick, - observant gaze, as we entered the room, and the alert expression - of her beautiful features, showed that neither her wits nor her - courage had been shaken by her terrible experience. She was - enveloped in a loose dressing-gown of blue and silver, but a - black sequin-covered dinner-dress lay upon the couch beside her. - - “I have told you all that happened, Mr. Hopkins,” she said, - wearily. “Could you not repeat it for me? Well, if you think it - necessary, I will tell these gentlemen what occurred. Have they - been in the dining-room yet?” - - “I thought they had better hear your ladyship’s story first.” - - “I shall be glad when you can arrange matters. It is horrible to - me to think of him still lying there.” She shuddered and buried - her face in her hands. As she did so, the loose gown fell back - from her forearms. Holmes uttered an exclamation. - - “You have other injuries, madam! What is this?” Two vivid red - spots stood out on one of the white, round limbs. She hastily - covered it. - - “It is nothing. It has no connection with this hideous business - to-night. If you and your friend will sit down, I will tell you - all I can. - - “I am the wife of Sir Eustace Brackenstall. I have been married - about a year. I suppose that it is no use my attempting to - conceal that our marriage has not been a happy one. I fear that - all our neighbours would tell you that, even if I were to attempt - to deny it. Perhaps the fault may be partly mine. I was brought - up in the freer, less conventional atmosphere of South Australia, - and this English life, with its proprieties and its primness, is - not congenial to me. But the main reason lies in the one fact, - which is notorious to everyone, and that is that Sir Eustace was - a confirmed drunkard. To be with such a man for an hour is - unpleasant. Can you imagine what it means for a sensitive and - high-spirited woman to be tied to him for day and night? It is a - sacrilege, a crime, a villainy to hold that such a marriage is - binding. I say that these monstrous laws of yours will bring a - curse upon the land—God will not let such wickedness endure.” For - an instant she sat up, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes blazing - from under the terrible mark upon her brow. Then the strong, - soothing hand of the austere maid drew her head down on to the - cushion, and the wild anger died away into passionate sobbing. At - last she continued: - - “I will tell you about last night. You are aware, perhaps, that - in this house all the servants sleep in the modern wing. This - central block is made up of the dwelling-rooms, with the kitchen - behind and our bedroom above. My maid, Theresa, sleeps above my - room. There is no one else, and no sound could alarm those who - are in the farther wing. This must have been well-known to the - robbers, or they would not have acted as they did. - - “Sir Eustace retired about half-past ten. The servants had - already gone to their quarters. Only my maid was up, and she had - remained in her room at the top of the house until I needed her - services. I sat until after eleven in this room, absorbed in a - book. Then I walked round to see that all was right before I went - upstairs. It was my custom to do this myself, for, as I have - explained, Sir Eustace was not always to be trusted. I went into - the kitchen, the butler’s pantry, the gun-room, the - billiard-room, the drawing-room, and finally the dining-room. As - I approached the window, which is covered with thick curtains, I - suddenly felt the wind blow upon my face and realized that it was - open. I flung the curtain aside and found myself face to face - with a broad-shouldered elderly man, who had just stepped into - the room. The window is a long French one, which really forms a - door leading to the lawn. I held my bedroom candle lit in my - hand, and, by its light, behind the first man I saw two others, - who were in the act of entering. I stepped back, but the fellow - was on me in an instant. He caught me first by the wrist and then - by the throat. I opened my mouth to scream, but he struck me a - savage blow with his fist over the eye, and felled me to the - ground. I must have been unconscious for a few minutes, for when - I came to myself, I found that they had torn down the bell-rope, - and had secured me tightly to the oaken chair which stands at the - head of the dining-table. I was so firmly bound that I could not - move, and a handkerchief round my mouth prevented me from - uttering a sound. It was at this instant that my unfortunate - husband entered the room. He had evidently heard some suspicious - sounds, and he came prepared for such a scene as he found. He was - dressed in nightshirt and trousers, with his favourite blackthorn - cudgel in his hand. He rushed at the burglars, but another—it was - an elderly man—stooped, picked the poker out of the grate and - struck him a horrible blow as he passed. He fell with a groan and - never moved again. I fainted once more, but again it could only - have been for a very few minutes during which I was insensible. - When I opened my eyes I found that they had collected the silver - from the sideboard, and they had drawn a bottle of wine which - stood there. Each of them had a glass in his hand. I have already - told you, have I not, that one was elderly, with a beard, and the - others young, hairless lads. They might have been a father with - his two sons. They talked together in whispers. Then they came - over and made sure that I was securely bound. Finally they - withdrew, closing the window after them. It was quite a quarter - of an hour before I got my mouth free. When I did so, my screams - brought the maid to my assistance. The other servants were soon - alarmed, and we sent for the local police, who instantly - communicated with London. That is really all that I can tell you, - gentlemen, and I trust that it will not be necessary for me to go - over so painful a story again.” - - “Any questions, Mr. Holmes?” asked Hopkins. - - “I will not impose any further tax upon Lady Brackenstall’s - patience and time,” said Holmes. “Before I go into the - dining-room, I should like to hear your experience.” He looked at - the maid. - - “I saw the men before ever they came into the house,” said she. - “As I sat by my bedroom window I saw three men in the moonlight - down by the lodge gate yonder, but I thought nothing of it at the - time. It was more than an hour after that I heard my mistress - scream, and down I ran, to find her, poor lamb, just as she says, - and him on the floor, with his blood and brains over the room. It - was enough to drive a woman out of her wits, tied there, and her - very dress spotted with him, but she never wanted courage, did - Miss Mary Fraser of Adelaide and Lady Brackenstall of Abbey - Grange hasn’t learned new ways. You’ve questioned her long - enough, you gentlemen, and now she is coming to her own room, - just with her old Theresa, to get the rest that she badly needs.” - - With a motherly tenderness the gaunt woman put her arm round her - mistress and led her from the room. - - “She has been with her all her life,” said Hopkins. “Nursed her - as a baby, and came with her to England when they first left - Australia, eighteen months ago. Theresa Wright is her name, and - the kind of maid you don’t pick up nowadays. This way, Mr. - Holmes, if you please!” - - The keen interest had passed out of Holmes’s expressive face, and - I knew that with the mystery all the charm of the case had - departed. There still remained an arrest to be effected, but what - were these commonplace rogues that he should soil his hands with - them? An abstruse and learned specialist who finds that he has - been called in for a case of measles would experience something - of the annoyance which I read in my friend’s eyes. Yet the scene - in the dining-room of the Abbey Grange was sufficiently strange - to arrest his attention and to recall his waning interest. - - It was a very large and high chamber, with carved oak ceiling, - oaken panelling, and a fine array of deer’s heads and ancient - weapons around the walls. At the further end from the door was - the high French window of which we had heard. Three smaller - windows on the right-hand side filled the apartment with cold - winter sunshine. On the left was a large, deep fireplace, with a - massive, overhanging oak mantelpiece. Beside the fireplace was a - heavy oaken chair with arms and cross-bars at the bottom. In and - out through the open woodwork was woven a crimson cord, which was - secured at each side to the crosspiece below. In releasing the - lady, the cord had been slipped off her, but the knots with which - it had been secured still remained. These details only struck our - attention afterwards, for our thoughts were entirely absorbed by - the terrible object which lay upon the tigerskin hearthrug in - front of the fire. - - It was the body of a tall, well-made man, about forty years of - age. He lay upon his back, his face upturned, with his white - teeth grinning through his short, black beard. His two clenched - hands were raised above his head, and a heavy, blackthorn stick - lay across them. His dark, handsome, aquiline features were - convulsed into a spasm of vindictive hatred, which had set his - dead face in a terribly fiendish expression. He had evidently - been in his bed when the alarm had broken out, for he wore a - foppish, embroidered nightshirt, and his bare feet projected from - his trousers. His head was horribly injured, and the whole room - bore witness to the savage ferocity of the blow which had struck - him down. Beside him lay the heavy poker, bent into a curve by - the concussion. Holmes examined both it and the indescribable - wreck which it had wrought. - - “He must be a powerful man, this elder Randall,” he remarked. - - “Yes,” said Hopkins. “I have some record of the fellow, and he is - a rough customer.” - - “You should have no difficulty in getting him.” - - “Not the slightest. We have been on the look-out for him, and - there was some idea that he had got away to America. Now that we - know that the gang are here, I don’t see how they can escape. We - have the news at every seaport already, and a reward will be - offered before evening. What beats me is how they could have done - so mad a thing, knowing that the lady could describe them and - that we could not fail to recognize the description.” - - “Exactly. One would have expected that they would silence Lady - Brackenstall as well.” - - “They may not have realized,” I suggested, “that she had - recovered from her faint.” - - “That is likely enough. If she seemed to be senseless, they would - not take her life. What about this poor fellow, Hopkins? I seem - to have heard some queer stories about him.” - - “He was a good-hearted man when he was sober, but a perfect fiend - when he was drunk, or rather when he was half drunk, for he - seldom really went the whole way. The devil seemed to be in him - at such times, and he was capable of anything. From what I hear, - in spite of all his wealth and his title, he very nearly came our - way once or twice. There was a scandal about his drenching a dog - with petroleum and setting it on fire—her ladyship’s dog, to make - the matter worse—and that was only hushed up with difficulty. - Then he threw a decanter at that maid, Theresa Wright—there was - trouble about that. On the whole, and between ourselves, it will - be a brighter house without him. What are you looking at now?” - - Holmes was down on his knees, examining with great attention the - knots upon the red cord with which the lady had been secured. - Then he carefully scrutinized the broken and frayed end where it - had snapped off when the burglar had dragged it down. - - “When this was pulled down, the bell in the kitchen must have - rung loudly,” he remarked. - - “No one could hear it. The kitchen stands right at the back of - the house.” - - “How did the burglar know no one would hear it? How dared he pull - at a bell-rope in that reckless fashion?” - - “Exactly, Mr. Holmes, exactly. You put the very question which I - have asked myself again and again. There can be no doubt that - this fellow must have known the house and its habits. He must - have perfectly understood that the servants would all be in bed - at that comparatively early hour, and that no one could possibly - hear a bell ring in the kitchen. Therefore, he must have been in - close league with one of the servants. Surely that is evident. - But there are eight servants, and all of good character.” - - “Other things being equal,” said Holmes, “one would suspect the - one at whose head the master threw a decanter. And yet that would - involve treachery towards the mistress to whom this woman seems - devoted. Well, well, the point is a minor one, and when you have - Randall you will probably find no difficulty in securing his - accomplice. The lady’s story certainly seems to be corroborated, - if it needed corroboration, by every detail which we see before - us.” He walked to the French window and threw it open. “There are - no signs here, but the ground is iron hard, and one would not - expect them. I see that these candles in the mantelpiece have - been lighted.” - - “Yes, it was by their light and that of the lady’s bedroom - candle, that the burglars saw their way about.” - - “And what did they take?” - - “Well, they did not take much—only half a dozen articles of plate - off the sideboard. Lady Brackenstall thinks that they were - themselves so disturbed by the death of Sir Eustace that they did - not ransack the house, as they would otherwise have done.” - - “No doubt that is true, and yet they drank some wine, I - understand.” - - “To steady their nerves.” - - “Exactly. These three glasses upon the sideboard have been - untouched, I suppose?” - - “Yes, and the bottle stands as they left it.” - - “Let us look at it. Halloa, halloa! What is this?” - - The three glasses were grouped together, all of them tinged with - wine, and one of them containing some dregs of beeswing. The - bottle stood near them, two-thirds full, and beside it lay a - long, deeply stained cork. Its appearance and the dust upon the - bottle showed that it was no common vintage which the murderers - had enjoyed. - - A change had come over Holmes’s manner. He had lost his listless - expression, and again I saw an alert light of interest in his - keen, deep-set eyes. He raised the cork and examined it minutely. - - “How did they draw it?” he asked. - - Hopkins pointed to a half-opened drawer. In it lay some table - linen and a large corkscrew. - - “Did Lady Brackenstall say that screw was used?” - - “No, you remember that she was senseless at the moment when the - bottle was opened.” - - “Quite so. As a matter of fact, that screw was _not_ used. This - bottle was opened by a pocket screw, probably contained in a - knife, and not more than an inch and a half long. If you will - examine the top of the cork, you will observe that the screw was - driven in three times before the cork was extracted. It has never - been transfixed. This long screw would have transfixed it and - drawn it up with a single pull. When you catch this fellow, you - will find that he has one of these multiplex knives in his - possession.” - - “Excellent!” said Hopkins. - - “But these glasses do puzzle me, I confess. Lady Brackenstall - actually _saw_ the three men drinking, did she not?” - - “Yes; she was clear about that.” - - “Then there is an end of it. What more is to be said? And yet, - you must admit, that the three glasses are very remarkable, - Hopkins. What? You see nothing remarkable? Well, well, let it - pass. Perhaps, when a man has special knowledge and special - powers like my own, it rather encourages him to seek a complex - explanation when a simpler one is at hand. Of course, it must be - a mere chance about the glasses. Well, good-morning, Hopkins. I - don’t see that I can be of any use to you, and you appear to have - your case very clear. You will let me know when Randall is - arrested, and any further developments which may occur. I trust - that I shall soon have to congratulate you upon a successful - conclusion. Come, Watson, I fancy that we may employ ourselves - more profitably at home.” - - During our return journey, I could see by Holmes’s face that he - was much puzzled by something which he had observed. Every now - and then, by an effort, he would throw off the impression, and - talk as if the matter were clear, but then his doubts would - settle down upon him again, and his knitted brows and abstracted - eyes would show that his thoughts had gone back once more to the - great dining-room of the Abbey Grange, in which this midnight - tragedy had been enacted. At last, by a sudden impulse, just as - our train was crawling out of a suburban station, he sprang on to - the platform and pulled me out after him. - - “Excuse me, my dear fellow,” said he, as we watched the rear - carriages of our train disappearing round a curve, “I am sorry to - make you the victim of what may seem a mere whim, but on my life, - Watson, I simply _can’t_ leave that case in this condition. Every - instinct that I possess cries out against it. It’s wrong—it’s all - wrong—I’ll swear that it’s wrong. And yet the lady’s story was - complete, the maid’s corroboration was sufficient, the detail was - fairly exact. What have I to put up against that? Three - wine-glasses, that is all. But if I had not taken things for - granted, if I had examined everything with the care which I - should have shown had we approached the case _de novo_ and had no - cut-and-dried story to warp my mind, should I not then have found - something more definite to go upon? Of course I should. Sit down - on this bench, Watson, until a train for Chiselhurst arrives, and - allow me to lay the evidence before you, imploring you in the - first instance to dismiss from your mind the idea that anything - which the maid or her mistress may have said must necessarily be - true. The lady’s charming personality must not be permitted to - warp our judgment. - - “Surely there are details in her story which, if we looked at in - cold blood, would excite our suspicion. These burglars made a - considerable haul at Sydenham a fortnight ago. Some account of - them and of their appearance was in the papers, and would - naturally occur to anyone who wished to invent a story in which - imaginary robbers should play a part. As a matter of fact, - burglars who have done a good stroke of business are, as a rule, - only too glad to enjoy the proceeds in peace and quiet without - embarking on another perilous undertaking. Again, it is unusual - for burglars to operate at so early an hour, it is unusual for - burglars to strike a lady to prevent her screaming, since one - would imagine that was the sure way to make her scream, it is - unusual for them to commit murder when their numbers are - sufficient to overpower one man, it is unusual for them to be - content with a limited plunder when there was much more within - their reach, and finally, I should say, that it was very unusual - for such men to leave a bottle half empty. How do all these - unusuals strike you, Watson?” - - “Their cumulative effect is certainly considerable, and yet each - of them is quite possible in itself. The most unusual thing of - all, as it seems to me, is that the lady should be tied to the - chair.” - - “Well, I am not so clear about that, Watson, for it is evident - that they must either kill her or else secure her in such a way - that she could not give immediate notice of their escape. But at - any rate I have shown, have I not, that there is a certain - element of improbability about the lady’s story? And now, on the - top of this, comes the incident of the wineglasses.” - - “What about the wineglasses?” - - “Can you see them in your mind’s eye?” - - “I see them clearly.” - - “We are told that three men drank from them. Does that strike you - as likely?” - - “Why not? There was wine in each glass.” - - “Exactly, but there was beeswing only in one glass. You must have - noticed that fact. What does that suggest to your mind?” - - “The last glass filled would be most likely to contain beeswing.” - - “Not at all. The bottle was full of it, and it is inconceivable - that the first two glasses were clear and the third heavily - charged with it. There are two possible explanations, and only - two. One is that after the second glass was filled the bottle was - violently agitated, and so the third glass received the beeswing. - That does not appear probable. No, no, I am sure that I am - right.” - - “What, then, do you suppose?” - - “That only two glasses were used, and that the dregs of both were - poured into a third glass, so as to give the false impression - that three people had been here. In that way all the beeswing - would be in the last glass, would it not? Yes, I am convinced - that this is so. But if I have hit upon the true explanation of - this one small phenomenon, then in an instant the case rises from - the commonplace to the exceedingly remarkable, for it can only - mean that Lady Brackenstall and her maid have deliberately lied - to us, that not one word of their story is to be believed, that - they have some very strong reason for covering the real criminal, - and that we must construct our case for ourselves without any - help from them. That is the mission which now lies before us, and - here, Watson, is the Sydenham train.” - - The household at the Abbey Grange were much surprised at our - return, but Sherlock Holmes, finding that Stanley Hopkins had - gone off to report to headquarters, took possession of the - dining-room, locked the door upon the inside, and devoted himself - for two hours to one of those minute and laborious investigations - which form the solid basis on which his brilliant edifices of - deduction were reared. Seated in a corner like an interested - student who observes the demonstration of his professor, I - followed every step of that remarkable research. The window, the - curtains, the carpet, the chair, the rope—each in turn was - minutely examined and duly pondered. The body of the unfortunate - baronet had been removed, and all else remained as we had seen it - in the morning. Finally, to my astonishment, Holmes climbed up on - to the massive mantelpiece. Far above his head hung the few - inches of red cord which were still attached to the wire. For a - long time he gazed upward at it, and then in an attempt to get - nearer to it he rested his knee upon a wooden bracket on the - wall. This brought his hand within a few inches of the broken end - of the rope, but it was not this so much as the bracket itself - which seemed to engage his attention. Finally, he sprang down - with an ejaculation of satisfaction. - - “It’s all right, Watson,” said he. “We have got our case—one of - the most remarkable in our collection. But, dear me, how - slow-witted I have been, and how nearly I have committed the - blunder of my lifetime! Now, I think that, with a few missing - links, my chain is almost complete.” - - “You have got your men?” - - “Man, Watson, man. Only one, but a very formidable person. Strong - as a lion—witness the blow that bent that poker! Six foot three - in height, active as a squirrel, dexterous with his fingers, - finally, remarkably quick-witted, for this whole ingenious story - is of his concoction. Yes, Watson, we have come upon the - handiwork of a very remarkable individual. And yet, in that - bell-rope, he has given us a clue which should not have left us a - doubt.” - - “Where was the clue?” - - “Well, if you were to pull down a bell-rope, Watson, where would - you expect it to break? Surely at the spot where it is attached - to the wire. Why should it break three inches from the top, as - this one has done?” - - “Because it is frayed there?” - - “Exactly. This end, which we can examine, is frayed. He was - cunning enough to do that with his knife. But the other end is - not frayed. You could not observe that from here, but if you were - on the mantelpiece you would see that it is cut clean off without - any mark of fraying whatever. You can reconstruct what occurred. - The man needed the rope. He would not tear it down for fear of - giving the alarm by ringing the bell. What did he do? He sprang - up on the mantelpiece, could not quite reach it, put his knee on - the bracket—you will see the impression in the dust—and so got - his knife to bear upon the cord. I could not reach the place by - at least three inches—from which I infer that he is at least - three inches a bigger man than I. Look at that mark upon the seat - of the oaken chair! What is it?” - - “Blood.” - - “Undoubtedly it is blood. This alone puts the lady’s story out of - court. If she were seated on the chair when the crime was done, - how comes that mark? No, no, she was placed in the chair _after_ - the death of her husband. I’ll wager that the black dress shows a - corresponding mark to this. We have not yet met our Waterloo, - Watson, but this is our Marengo, for it begins in defeat and ends - in victory. I should like now to have a few words with the nurse, - Theresa. We must be wary for a while, if we are to get the - information which we want.” - - She was an interesting person, this stern Australian - nurse—taciturn, suspicious, ungracious, it took some time before - Holmes’s pleasant manner and frank acceptance of all that she - said thawed her into a corresponding amiability. She did not - attempt to conceal her hatred for her late employer. - - “Yes, sir, it is true that he threw the decanter at me. I heard - him call my mistress a name, and I told him that he would not - dare to speak so if her brother had been there. Then it was that - he threw it at me. He might have thrown a dozen if he had but - left my bonny bird alone. He was forever ill-treating her, and - she too proud to complain. She will not even tell me all that he - has done to her. She never told me of those marks on her arm that - you saw this morning, but I know very well that they come from a - stab with a hatpin. The sly devil—God forgive me that I should - speak of him so, now that he is dead! But a devil he was, if ever - one walked the earth. He was all honey when first we met him—only - eighteen months ago, and we both feel as if it were eighteen - years. She had only just arrived in London. Yes, it was her first - voyage—she had never been from home before. He won her with his - title and his money and his false London ways. If she made a - mistake she has paid for it, if ever a woman did. What month did - we meet him? Well, I tell you it was just after we arrived. We - arrived in June, and it was July. They were married in January of - last year. Yes, she is down in the morning-room again, and I have - no doubt she will see you, but you must not ask too much of her, - for she has gone through all that flesh and blood will stand.” - - Lady Brackenstall was reclining on the same couch, but looked - brighter than before. The maid had entered with us, and began - once more to foment the bruise upon her mistress’s brow. - - “I hope,” said the lady, “that you have not come to cross-examine - me again?” - - “No,” Holmes answered, in his gentlest voice, “I will not cause - you any unnecessary trouble, Lady Brackenstall, and my whole - desire is to make things easy for you, for I am convinced that - you are a much-tried woman. If you will treat me as a friend and - trust me, you may find that I will justify your trust.” - - “What do you want me to do?” - - “To tell me the truth.” - - “Mr. Holmes!” - - “No, no, Lady Brackenstall—it is no use. You may have heard of - any little reputation which I possess. I will stake it all on the - fact that your story is an absolute fabrication.” - - Mistress and maid were both staring at Holmes with pale faces and - frightened eyes. - - “You are an impudent fellow!” cried Theresa. “Do you mean to say - that my mistress has told a lie?” - - Holmes rose from his chair. - - “Have you nothing to tell me?” - - “I have told you everything.” - - “Think once more, Lady Brackenstall. Would it not be better to be - frank?” - - For an instant there was hesitation in her beautiful face. Then - some new strong thought caused it to set like a mask. - - “I have told you all I know.” - - Holmes took his hat and shrugged his shoulders. “I am sorry,” he - said, and without another word we left the room and the house. - There was a pond in the park, and to this my friend led the way. - It was frozen over, but a single hole was left for the - convenience of a solitary swan. Holmes gazed at it, and then - passed on to the lodge gate. There he scribbled a short note for - Stanley Hopkins, and left it with the lodge-keeper. - - “It may be a hit, or it may be a miss, but we are bound to do - something for friend Hopkins, just to justify this second visit,” - said he. “I will not quite take him into my confidence yet. I - think our next scene of operations must be the shipping office of - the Adelaide-Southampton line, which stands at the end of Pall - Mall, if I remember right. There is a second line of steamers - which connect South Australia with England, but we will draw the - larger cover first.” - - Holmes’s card sent in to the manager ensured instant attention, - and he was not long in acquiring all the information he needed. - In June of ’95, only one of their line had reached a home port. - It was the _Rock of Gibraltar_, their largest and best boat. A - reference to the passenger list showed that Miss Fraser, of - Adelaide, with her maid had made the voyage in her. The boat was - now somewhere south of the Suez Canal on her way to Australia. - Her officers were the same as in ’95, with one exception. The - first officer, Mr. Jack Crocker, had been made a captain and was - to take charge of their new ship, the _Bass Rock_, sailing in two - days’ time from Southampton. He lived at Sydenham, but he was - likely to be in that morning for instructions, if we cared to - wait for him. - - No, Mr. Holmes had no desire to see him, but would be glad to - know more about his record and character. - - His record was magnificent. There was not an officer in the fleet - to touch him. As to his character, he was reliable on duty, but a - wild, desperate fellow off the deck of his ship—hot-headed, - excitable, but loyal, honest, and kind-hearted. That was the pith - of the information with which Holmes left the office of the - Adelaide-Southampton company. Thence he drove to Scotland Yard, - but, instead of entering, he sat in his cab with his brows drawn - down, lost in profound thought. Finally he drove round to the - Charing Cross telegraph office, sent off a message, and then, at - last, we made for Baker Street once more. - - “No, I couldn’t do it, Watson,” said he, as we reentered our - room. “Once that warrant was made out, nothing on earth would - save him. Once or twice in my career I feel that I have done more - real harm by my discovery of the criminal than ever he had done - by his crime. I have learned caution now, and I had rather play - tricks with the law of England than with my own conscience. Let - us know a little more before we act.” - - Before evening, we had a visit from Inspector Stanley Hopkins. - Things were not going very well with him. - - “I believe that you are a wizard, Mr. Holmes. I really do - sometimes think that you have powers that are not human. Now, how - on earth could you know that the stolen silver was at the bottom - of that pond?” - - “I didn’t know it.” - - “But you told me to examine it.” - - “You got it, then?” - - “Yes, I got it.” - - “I am very glad if I have helped you.” - - “But you haven’t helped me. You have made the affair far more - difficult. What sort of burglars are they who steal silver and - then throw it into the nearest pond?” - - “It was certainly rather eccentric behaviour. I was merely going - on the idea that if the silver had been taken by persons who did - not want it—who merely took it for a blind, as it were—then they - would naturally be anxious to get rid of it.” - - “But why should such an idea cross your mind?” - - “Well, I thought it was possible. When they came out through the - French window, there was the pond with one tempting little hole - in the ice, right in front of their noses. Could there be a - better hiding-place?” - - “Ah, a hiding-place—that is better!” cried Stanley Hopkins. “Yes, - yes, I see it all now! It was early, there were folk upon the - roads, they were afraid of being seen with the silver, so they - sank it in the pond, intending to return for it when the coast - was clear. Excellent, Mr. Holmes—that is better than your idea of - a blind.” - - “Quite so, you have got an admirable theory. I have no doubt that - my own ideas were quite wild, but you must admit that they have - ended in discovering the silver.” - - “Yes, sir—yes. It was all your doing. But I have had a bad - setback.” - - “A setback?” - - “Yes, Mr. Holmes. The Randall gang were arrested in New York this - morning.” - - “Dear me, Hopkins! That is certainly rather against your theory - that they committed a murder in Kent last night.” - - “It is fatal, Mr. Holmes—absolutely fatal. Still, there are other - gangs of three besides the Randalls, or it may be some new gang - of which the police have never heard.” - - “Quite so, it is perfectly possible. What, are you off?” - - “Yes, Mr. Holmes, there is no rest for me until I have got to the - bottom of the business. I suppose you have no hint to give me?” - - “I have given you one.” - - “Which?” - - “Well, I suggested a blind.” - - “But why, Mr. Holmes, why?” - - “Ah, that’s the question, of course. But I commend the idea to - your mind. You might possibly find that there was something in - it. You won’t stop for dinner? Well, good-bye, and let us know - how you get on.” - - Dinner was over, and the table cleared before Holmes alluded to - the matter again. He had lit his pipe and held his slippered feet - to the cheerful blaze of the fire. Suddenly he looked at his - watch. - - “I expect developments, Watson.” - - “When?” - - “Now—within a few minutes. I dare say you thought I acted rather - badly to Stanley Hopkins just now?” - - “I trust your judgment.” - - “A very sensible reply, Watson. You must look at it this way: - what I know is unofficial, what he knows is official. I have the - right to private judgment, but he has none. He must disclose all, - or he is a traitor to his service. In a doubtful case I would not - put him in so painful a position, and so I reserve my information - until my own mind is clear upon the matter.” - - “But when will that be?” - - “The time has come. You will now be present at the last scene of - a remarkable little drama.” - - There was a sound upon the stairs, and our door was opened to - admit as fine a specimen of manhood as ever passed through it. He - was a very tall young man, golden-moustached, blue-eyed, with a - skin which had been burned by tropical suns, and a springy step, - which showed that the huge frame was as active as it was strong. - He closed the door behind him, and then he stood with clenched - hands and heaving breast, choking down some overmastering - emotion. - - “Sit down, Captain Crocker. You got my telegram?” - - Our visitor sank into an armchair and looked from one to the - other of us with questioning eyes. - - “I got your telegram, and I came at the hour you said. I heard - that you had been down to the office. There was no getting away - from you. Let’s hear the worst. What are you going to do with me? - Arrest me? Speak out, man! You can’t sit there and play with me - like a cat with a mouse.” - - “Give him a cigar,” said Holmes. “Bite on that, Captain Crocker, - and don’t let your nerves run away with you. I should not sit - here smoking with you if I thought that you were a common - criminal, you may be sure of that. Be frank with me and we may do - some good. Play tricks with me, and I’ll crush you.” - - “What do you wish me to do?” - - “To give me a true account of all that happened at the Abbey - Grange last night—a _true_ account, mind you, with nothing added - and nothing taken off. I know so much already that if you go one - inch off the straight, I’ll blow this police whistle from my - window and the affair goes out of my hands forever.” - - The sailor thought for a little. Then he struck his leg with his - great sunburned hand. - - “I’ll chance it,” he cried. “I believe you are a man of your - word, and a white man, and I’ll tell you the whole story. But one - thing I will say first. So far as I am concerned, I regret - nothing and I fear nothing, and I would do it all again and be - proud of the job. Damn the beast, if he had as many lives as a - cat, he would owe them all to me! But it’s the lady, Mary—Mary - Fraser—for never will I call her by that accursed name. When I - think of getting her into trouble, I who would give my life just - to bring one smile to her dear face, it’s that that turns my soul - into water. And yet—and yet—what less could I do? I’ll tell you - my story, gentlemen, and then I’ll ask you, as man to man, what - less could I do? - - “I must go back a bit. You seem to know everything, so I expect - that you know that I met her when she was a passenger and I was - first officer of the _Rock of Gibraltar_. From the first day I - met her, she was the only woman to me. Every day of that voyage I - loved her more, and many a time since have I kneeled down in the - darkness of the night watch and kissed the deck of that ship - because I knew her dear feet had trod it. She was never engaged - to me. She treated me as fairly as ever a woman treated a man. I - have no complaint to make. It was all love on my side, and all - good comradeship and friendship on hers. When we parted she was a - free woman, but I could never again be a free man. - - “Next time I came back from sea, I heard of her marriage. Well, - why shouldn’t she marry whom she liked? Title and money—who could - carry them better than she? She was born for all that is - beautiful and dainty. I didn’t grieve over her marriage. I was - not such a selfish hound as that. I just rejoiced that good luck - had come her way, and that she had not thrown herself away on a - penniless sailor. That’s how I loved Mary Fraser. - - “Well, I never thought to see her again, but last voyage I was - promoted, and the new boat was not yet launched, so I had to wait - for a couple of months with my people at Sydenham. One day out in - a country lane I met Theresa Wright, her old maid. She told me - all about her, about him, about everything. I tell you, - gentlemen, it nearly drove me mad. This drunken hound, that he - should dare to raise his hand to her, whose boots he was not - worthy to lick! I met Theresa again. Then I met Mary herself—and - met her again. Then she would meet me no more. But the other day - I had a notice that I was to start on my voyage within a week, - and I determined that I would see her once before I left. Theresa - was always my friend, for she loved Mary and hated this villain - almost as much as I did. From her I learned the ways of the - house. Mary used to sit up reading in her own little room - downstairs. I crept round there last night and scratched at the - window. At first she would not open to me, but in her heart I - know that now she loves me, and she could not leave me in the - frosty night. She whispered to me to come round to the big front - window, and I found it open before me, so as to let me into the - dining-room. Again I heard from her own lips things that made my - blood boil, and again I cursed this brute who mishandled the - woman I loved. Well, gentlemen, I was standing with her just - inside the window, in all innocence, as God is my judge, when he - rushed like a madman into the room, called her the vilest name - that a man could use to a woman, and welted her across the face - with the stick he had in his hand. I had sprung for the poker, - and it was a fair fight between us. See here, on my arm, where - his first blow fell. Then it was my turn, and I went through him - as if he had been a rotten pumpkin. Do you think I was sorry? Not - I! It was his life or mine, but far more than that, it was his - life or hers, for how could I leave her in the power of this - madman? That was how I killed him. Was I wrong? Well, then, what - would either of you gentlemen have done, if you had been in my - position? - - “She had screamed when he struck her, and that brought old - Theresa down from the room above. There was a bottle of wine on - the sideboard, and I opened it and poured a little between Mary’s - lips, for she was half dead with shock. Then I took a drop - myself. Theresa was as cool as ice, and it was her plot as much - as mine. We must make it appear that burglars had done the thing. - Theresa kept on repeating our story to her mistress, while I - swarmed up and cut the rope of the bell. Then I lashed her in her - chair, and frayed out the end of the rope to make it look - natural, else they would wonder how in the world a burglar could - have got up there to cut it. Then I gathered up a few plates and - pots of silver, to carry out the idea of the robbery, and there I - left them, with orders to give the alarm when I had a quarter of - an hour’s start. I dropped the silver into the pond, and made off - for Sydenham, feeling that for once in my life I had done a real - good night’s work. And that’s the truth and the whole truth, Mr. - Holmes, if it costs me my neck.” - - Holmes smoked for some time in silence. Then he crossed the room, - and shook our visitor by the hand. - - “That’s what I think,” said he. “I know that every word is true, - for you have hardly said a word which I did not know. No one but - an acrobat or a sailor could have got up to that bell-rope from - the bracket, and no one but a sailor could have made the knots - with which the cord was fastened to the chair. Only once had this - lady been brought into contact with sailors, and that was on her - voyage, and it was someone of her own class of life, since she - was trying hard to shield him, and so showing that she loved him. - You see how easy it was for me to lay my hands upon you when once - I had started upon the right trail.” - - “I thought the police never could have seen through our dodge.” - - “And the police haven’t, nor will they, to the best of my belief. - Now, look here, Captain Crocker, this is a very serious matter, - though I am willing to admit that you acted under the most - extreme provocation to which any man could be subjected. I am not - sure that in defence of your own life your action will not be - pronounced legitimate. However, that is for a British jury to - decide. Meanwhile I have so much sympathy for you that, if you - choose to disappear in the next twenty-four hours, I will promise - you that no one will hinder you.” - - “And then it will all come out?” - - “Certainly it will come out.” - - The sailor flushed with anger. - - “What sort of proposal is that to make a man? I know enough of - law to understand that Mary would be held as accomplice. Do you - think I would leave her alone to face the music while I slunk - away? No, sir, let them do their worst upon me, but for heaven’s - sake, Mr. Holmes, find some way of keeping my poor Mary out of - the courts.” - - Holmes for a second time held out his hand to the sailor. - - “I was only testing you, and you ring true every time. Well, it - is a great responsibility that I take upon myself, but I have - given Hopkins an excellent hint and if he can’t avail himself of - it I can do no more. See here, Captain Crocker, we’ll do this in - due form of law. You are the prisoner. Watson, you are a British - jury, and I never met a man who was more eminently fitted to - represent one. I am the judge. Now, gentleman of the jury, you - have heard the evidence. Do you find the prisoner guilty or not - guilty?” - - “Not guilty, my lord,” said I. - - “_Vox populi, vox Dei_. You are acquitted, Captain Crocker. So - long as the law does not find some other victim you are safe from - me. Come back to this lady in a year, and may her future and - yours justify us in the judgment which we have pronounced this - night!” - - - - -THE ADVENTURE OF THE SECOND STAIN - - - I had intended “The Adventure of the Abbey Grange” to be the last - of those exploits of my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, which I - should ever communicate to the public. This resolution of mine - was not due to any lack of material, since I have notes of many - hundreds of cases to which I have never alluded, nor was it - caused by any waning interest on the part of my readers in the - singular personality and unique methods of this remarkable man. - The real reason lay in the reluctance which Mr. Holmes has shown - to the continued publication of his experiences. So long as he - was in actual professional practice the records of his successes - were of some practical value to him, but since he has definitely - retired from London and betaken himself to study and bee-farming - on the Sussex Downs, notoriety has become hateful to him, and he - has peremptorily requested that his wishes in this matter should - be strictly observed. It was only upon my representing to him - that I had given a promise that “The Adventure of the Second - Stain” should be published when the times were ripe, and pointing - out to him that it is only appropriate that this long series of - episodes should culminate in the most important international - case which he has ever been called upon to handle, that I at last - succeeded in obtaining his consent that a carefully guarded - account of the incident should at last be laid before the public. - If in telling the story I seem to be somewhat vague in certain - details, the public will readily understand that there is an - excellent reason for my reticence. - - It was, then, in a year, and even in a decade, that shall be - nameless, that upon one Tuesday morning in autumn we found two - visitors of European fame within the walls of our humble room in - Baker Street. The one, austere, high-nosed, eagle-eyed, and - dominant, was none other than the illustrious Lord Bellinger, - twice Premier of Britain. The other, dark, clear-cut, and - elegant, hardly yet of middle age, and endowed with every beauty - of body and of mind, was the Right Honourable Trelawney Hope, - Secretary for European Affairs, and the most rising statesman in - the country. They sat side by side upon our paper-littered - settee, and it was easy to see from their worn and anxious faces - that it was business of the most pressing importance which had - brought them. The Premier’s thin, blue-veined hands were clasped - tightly over the ivory head of his umbrella, and his gaunt, - ascetic face looked gloomily from Holmes to me. The European - Secretary pulled nervously at his moustache and fidgeted with the - seals of his watch-chain. - - “When I discovered my loss, Mr. Holmes, which was at eight - o’clock this morning, I at once informed the Prime Minister. It - was at his suggestion that we have both come to you.” - - “Have you informed the police?” - - “No, sir,” said the Prime Minister, with the quick, decisive - manner for which he was famous. “We have not done so, nor is it - possible that we should do so. To inform the police must, in the - long run, mean to inform the public. This is what we particularly - desire to avoid.” - - “And why, sir?” - - “Because the document in question is of such immense importance - that its publication might very easily—I might almost say - probably—lead to European complications of the utmost moment. It - is not too much to say that peace or war may hang upon the issue. - Unless its recovery can be attended with the utmost secrecy, then - it may as well not be recovered at all, for all that is aimed at - by those who have taken it is that its contents should be - generally known.” - - “I understand. Now, Mr. Trelawney Hope, I should be much obliged - if you would tell me exactly the circumstances under which this - document disappeared.” - - “That can be done in a very few words, Mr. Holmes. The letter—for - it was a letter from a foreign potentate—was received six days - ago. It was of such importance that I have never left it in my - safe, but have taken it across each evening to my house in - Whitehall Terrace, and kept it in my bedroom in a locked - despatch-box. It was there last night. Of that I am certain. I - actually opened the box while I was dressing for dinner and saw - the document inside. This morning it was gone. The despatch-box - had stood beside the glass upon my dressing-table all night. I am - a light sleeper, and so is my wife. We are both prepared to swear - that no one could have entered the room during the night. And yet - I repeat that the paper is gone.” - - “What time did you dine?” - - “Half-past seven.” - - “How long was it before you went to bed?” - - “My wife had gone to the theatre. I waited up for her. It was - half-past eleven before we went to our room.” - - “Then for four hours the despatch-box had lain unguarded?” - - “No one is ever permitted to enter that room save the house-maid - in the morning, and my valet, or my wife’s maid, during the rest - of the day. They are both trusty servants who have been with us - for some time. Besides, neither of them could possibly have known - that there was anything more valuable than the ordinary - departmental papers in my despatch-box.” - - “Who did know of the existence of that letter?” - - “No one in the house.” - - “Surely your wife knew?” - - “No, sir. I had said nothing to my wife until I missed the paper - this morning.” - - The Premier nodded approvingly. - - “I have long known, sir, how high is your sense of public duty,” - said he. “I am convinced that in the case of a secret of this - importance it would rise superior to the most intimate domestic - ties.” - - The European Secretary bowed. - - “You do me no more than justice, sir. Until this morning I have - never breathed one word to my wife upon this matter.” - - “Could she have guessed?” - - “No, Mr. Holmes, she could not have guessed—nor could anyone have - guessed.” - - “Have you lost any documents before?” - - “No, sir.” - - “Who is there in England who did know of the existence of this - letter?” - - “Each member of the Cabinet was informed of it yesterday, but the - pledge of secrecy which attends every Cabinet meeting was - increased by the solemn warning which was given by the Prime - Minister. Good heavens, to think that within a few hours I should - myself have lost it!” His handsome face was distorted with a - spasm of despair, and his hands tore at his hair. For a moment we - caught a glimpse of the natural man, impulsive, ardent, keenly - sensitive. The next the aristocratic mask was replaced, and the - gentle voice had returned. “Besides the members of the Cabinet - there are two, or possibly three, departmental officials who know - of the letter. No one else in England, Mr. Holmes, I assure you.” - - “But abroad?” - - “I believe that no one abroad has seen it save the man who wrote - it. I am well convinced that his Ministers—that the usual - official channels have not been employed.” - - Holmes considered for some little time. - - “Now, sir, I must ask you more particularly what this document - is, and why its disappearance should have such momentous - consequences?” - - The two statesmen exchanged a quick glance and the Premier’s - shaggy eyebrows gathered in a frown. - - “Mr. Holmes, the envelope is a long, thin one of pale blue - colour. There is a seal of red wax stamped with a crouching lion. - It is addressed in large, bold handwriting to——” - - “I fear, sir,” said Holmes, “that, interesting and indeed - essential as these details are, my inquiries must go more to the - root of things. What _was_ the letter?” - - “That is a State secret of the utmost importance, and I fear that - I cannot tell you, nor do I see that it is necessary. If by the - aid of the powers which you are said to possess you can find such - an envelope as I describe with its enclosure, you will have - deserved well of your country, and earned any reward which it - lies in our power to bestow.” - - Sherlock Holmes rose with a smile. - - “You are two of the most busy men in the country,” said he, “and - in my own small way I have also a good many calls upon me. I - regret exceedingly that I cannot help you in this matter, and any - continuation of this interview would be a waste of time.” - - The Premier sprang to his feet with that quick, fierce gleam of - his deep-set eyes before which a Cabinet has cowered. “I am not - accustomed, sir,” he began, but mastered his anger and resumed - his seat. For a minute or more we all sat in silence. Then the - old statesman shrugged his shoulders. - - “We must accept your terms, Mr. Holmes. No doubt you are right, - and it is unreasonable for us to expect you to act unless we give - you our entire confidence.” - - “I agree with you,” said the younger statesman. - - “Then I will tell you, relying entirely upon your honour and that - of your colleague, Dr. Watson. I may appeal to your patriotism - also, for I could not imagine a greater misfortune for the - country than that this affair should come out.” - - “You may safely trust us.” - - “The letter, then, is from a certain foreign potentate who has - been ruffled by some recent Colonial developments of this - country. It has been written hurriedly and upon his own - responsibility entirely. Inquiries have shown that his Ministers - know nothing of the matter. At the same time it is couched in so - unfortunate a manner, and certain phrases in it are of so - provocative a character, that its publication would undoubtedly - lead to a most dangerous state of feeling in this country. There - would be such a ferment, sir, that I do not hesitate to say that - within a week of the publication of that letter this country - would be involved in a great war.” - - Holmes wrote a name upon a slip of paper and handed it to the - Premier. - - “Exactly. It was he. And it is this letter—this letter which may - well mean the expenditure of a thousand millions and the lives of - a hundred thousand men—which has become lost in this - unaccountable fashion.” - - “Have you informed the sender?” - - “Yes, sir, a cipher telegram has been despatched.” - - “Perhaps he desires the publication of the letter.” - - “No, sir, we have strong reason to believe that he already - understands that he has acted in an indiscreet and hot-headed - manner. It would be a greater blow to him and to his country than - to us if this letter were to come out.” - - “If this is so, whose interest is it that the letter should come - out? Why should anyone desire to steal it or to publish it?” - - “There, Mr. Holmes, you take me into regions of high - international politics. But if you consider the European - situation you will have no difficulty in perceiving the motive. - The whole of Europe is an armed camp. There is a double league - which makes a fair balance of military power. Great Britain holds - the scales. If Britain were driven into war with one confederacy, - it would assure the supremacy of the other confederacy, whether - they joined in the war or not. Do you follow?” - - “Very clearly. It is then the interest of the enemies of this - potentate to secure and publish this letter, so as to make a - breach between his country and ours?” - - “Yes, sir.” - - “And to whom would this document be sent if it fell into the - hands of an enemy?” - - “To any of the great Chancelleries of Europe. It is probably - speeding on its way thither at the present instant as fast as - steam can take it.” - - Mr. Trelawney Hope dropped his head on his chest and groaned - aloud. The Premier placed his hand kindly upon his shoulder. - - “It is your misfortune, my dear fellow. No one can blame you. - There is no precaution which you have neglected. Now, Mr. Holmes, - you are in full possession of the facts. What course do you - recommend?” - - Holmes shook his head mournfully. - - “You think, sir, that unless this document is recovered there - will be war?” - - “I think it is very probable.” - - “Then, sir, prepare for war.” - - “That is a hard saying, Mr. Holmes.” - - “Consider the facts, sir. It is inconceivable that it was taken - after eleven-thirty at night, since I understand that Mr. Hope - and his wife were both in the room from that hour until the loss - was found out. It was taken, then, yesterday evening between - seven-thirty and eleven-thirty, probably near the earlier hour, - since whoever took it evidently knew that it was there and would - naturally secure it as early as possible. Now, sir, if a document - of this importance were taken at that hour, where can it be now? - No one has any reason to retain it. It has been passed rapidly on - to those who need it. What chance have we now to overtake or even - to trace it? It is beyond our reach.” - - The Prime Minister rose from the settee. - - “What you say is perfectly logical, Mr. Holmes. I feel that the - matter is indeed out of our hands.” - - “Let us presume, for argument’s sake, that the document was taken - by the maid or by the valet——” - - “They are both old and tried servants.” - - “I understand you to say that your room is on the second floor, - that there is no entrance from without, and that from within no - one could go up unobserved. It must, then, be somebody in the - house who has taken it. To whom would the thief take it? To one - of several international spies and secret agents, whose names are - tolerably familiar to me. There are three who may be said to be - the heads of their profession. I will begin my research by going - round and finding if each of them is at his post. If one is - missing—especially if he has disappeared since last night—we will - have some indication as to where the document has gone.” - - “Why should he be missing?” asked the European Secretary. “He - would take the letter to an Embassy in London, as likely as not.” - - “I fancy not. These agents work independently, and their - relations with the Embassies are often strained.” - - The Prime Minister nodded his acquiescence. - - “I believe you are right, Mr. Holmes. He would take so valuable a - prize to headquarters with his own hands. I think that your - course of action is an excellent one. Meanwhile, Hope, we cannot - neglect all our other duties on account of this one misfortune. - Should there be any fresh developments during the day we shall - communicate with you, and you will no doubt let us know the - results of your own inquiries.” - - The two statesmen bowed and walked gravely from the room. - - When our illustrious visitors had departed Holmes lit his pipe in - silence and sat for some time lost in the deepest thought. I had - opened the morning paper and was immersed in a sensational crime - which had occurred in London the night before, when my friend - gave an exclamation, sprang to his feet, and laid his pipe down - upon the mantelpiece. - - “Yes,” said he, “there is no better way of approaching it. The - situation is desperate, but not hopeless. Even now, if we could - be sure which of them has taken it, it is just possible that it - has not yet passed out of his hands. After all, it is a question - of money with these fellows, and I have the British treasury - behind me. If it’s on the market I’ll buy it—if it means another - penny on the income-tax. It is conceivable that the fellow might - hold it back to see what bids come from this side before he tries - his luck on the other. There are only those three capable of - playing so bold a game—there are Oberstein, La Rothiere, and - Eduardo Lucas. I will see each of them.” - - I glanced at my morning paper. - - “Is that Eduardo Lucas of Godolphin Street?” - - “Yes.” - - “You will not see him.” - - “Why not?” - - “He was murdered in his house last night.” - - My friend has so often astonished me in the course of our - adventures that it was with a sense of exultation that I realized - how completely I had astonished him. He stared in amazement, and - then snatched the paper from my hands. This was the paragraph - which I had been engaged in reading when he rose from his chair: - - MURDER IN WESTMINSTER - - A crime of mysterious character was committed last night at 16, - Godolphin Street, one of the old-fashioned and secluded rows of - eighteenth century houses which lie between the river and the - Abbey, almost in the shadow of the great Tower of the Houses of - Parliament. This small but select mansion has been inhabited for - some years by Mr. Eduardo Lucas, well-known in society circles - both on account of his charming personality and because he has - the well-deserved reputation of being one of the best amateur - tenors in the country. Mr. Lucas is an unmarried man, thirty-four - years of age, and his establishment consists of Mrs. Pringle, an - elderly housekeeper, and of Mitton, his valet. The former retires - early and sleeps at the top of the house. The valet was out for - the evening, visiting a friend at Hammersmith. From ten o’clock - onward Mr. Lucas had the house to himself. What occurred during - that time has not yet transpired, but at a quarter to twelve - Police-constable Barrett, passing along Godolphin Street observed - that the door of No. 16 was ajar. He knocked, but received no - answer. Perceiving a light in the front room, he advanced into - the passage and again knocked, but without reply. He then pushed - open the door and entered. The room was in a state of wild - disorder, the furniture being all swept to one side, and one - chair lying on its back in the centre. Beside this chair, and - still grasping one of its legs, lay the unfortunate tenant of the - house. He had been stabbed to the heart and must have died - instantly. The knife with which the crime had been committed was - a curved Indian dagger, plucked down from a trophy of Oriental - arms which adorned one of the walls. Robbery does not appear to - have been the motive of the crime, for there had been no attempt - to remove the valuable contents of the room. Mr. Eduardo Lucas - was so well-known and popular that his violent and mysterious - fate will arouse painful interest and intense sympathy in a - widespread circle of friends. - - “Well, Watson, what do you make of this?” asked Holmes, after a - long pause. - - “It is an amazing coincidence.” - - “A coincidence! Here is one of the three men whom we had named as - possible actors in this drama, and he meets a violent death - during the very hours when we know that that drama was being - enacted. The odds are enormous against its being coincidence. No - figures could express them. No, my dear Watson, the two events - are connected—_must_ be connected. It is for us to find the - connection.” - - “But now the official police must know all.” - - “Not at all. They know all they see at Godolphin Street. They - know—and shall know—nothing of Whitehall Terrace. Only _we_ know - of both events, and can trace the relation between them. There is - one obvious point which would, in any case, have turned my - suspicions against Lucas. Godolphin Street, Westminster, is only - a few minutes’ walk from Whitehall Terrace. The other secret - agents whom I have named live in the extreme West End. It was - easier, therefore, for Lucas than for the others to establish a - connection or receive a message from the European Secretary’s - household—a small thing, and yet where events are compressed into - a few hours it may prove essential. Halloa! what have we here?” - - Mrs. Hudson had appeared with a lady’s card upon her salver. - Holmes glanced at it, raised his eyebrows, and handed it over to - me. - - “Ask Lady Hilda Trelawney Hope if she will be kind enough to step - up,” said he. - - A moment later our modest apartment, already so distinguished - that morning, was further honoured by the entrance of the most - lovely woman in London. I had often heard of the beauty of the - youngest daughter of the Duke of Belminster, but no description - of it, and no contemplation of colourless photographs, had - prepared me for the subtle, delicate charm and the beautiful - colouring of that exquisite head. And yet as we saw it that - autumn morning, it was not its beauty which would be the first - thing to impress the observer. The cheek was lovely but it was - paled with emotion, the eyes were bright but it was the - brightness of fever, the sensitive mouth was tight and drawn in - an effort after self-command. Terror—not beauty—was what sprang - first to the eye as our fair visitor stood framed for an instant - in the open door. - - “Has my husband been here, Mr. Holmes?” - - “Yes, madam, he has been here.” - - “Mr. Holmes. I implore you not to tell him that I came here.” - Holmes bowed coldly, and motioned the lady to a chair. - - “Your ladyship places me in a very delicate position. I beg that - you will sit down and tell me what you desire, but I fear that I - cannot make any unconditional promise.” - - She swept across the room and seated herself with her back to the - window. It was a queenly presence—tall, graceful, and intensely - womanly. “Mr. Holmes,” she said—and her white-gloved hands - clasped and unclasped as she spoke—“I will speak frankly to you - in the hopes that it may induce you to speak frankly in return. - There is complete confidence between my husband and me on all - matters save one. That one is politics. On this his lips are - sealed. He tells me nothing. Now, I am aware that there was a - most deplorable occurrence in our house last night. I know that a - paper has disappeared. But because the matter is political my - husband refuses to take me into his complete confidence. Now it - is essential—essential, I say—that I should thoroughly understand - it. You are the only other person, save only these politicians, - who knows the true facts. I beg you then, Mr. Holmes, to tell me - exactly what has happened and what it will lead to. Tell me all, - Mr. Holmes. Let no regard for your client’s interests keep you - silent, for I assure you that his interests, if he would only see - it, would be best served by taking me into his complete - confidence. What was this paper which was stolen?” - - “Madam, what you ask me is really impossible.” - - She groaned and sank her face in her hands. - - “You must see that this is so, madam. If your husband thinks fit - to keep you in the dark over this matter, is it for me, who has - only learned the true facts under the pledge of professional - secrecy, to tell what he has withheld? It is not fair to ask it. - It is him whom you must ask.” - - “I have asked him. I come to you as a last resource. But without - your telling me anything definite, Mr. Holmes, you may do a great - service if you would enlighten me on one point.” - - “What is it, madam?” - - “Is my husband’s political career likely to suffer through this - incident?” - - “Well, madam, unless it is set right it may certainly have a very - unfortunate effect.” - - “Ah!” She drew in her breath sharply as one whose doubts are - resolved. - - “One more question, Mr. Holmes. From an expression which my - husband dropped in the first shock of this disaster I understood - that terrible public consequences might arise from the loss of - this document.” - - “If he said so, I certainly cannot deny it.” - - “Of what nature are they?” - - “Nay, madam, there again you ask me more than I can possibly - answer.” - - “Then I will take up no more of your time. I cannot blame you, - Mr. Holmes, for having refused to speak more freely, and you on - your side will not, I am sure, think the worse of me because I - desire, even against his will, to share my husband’s anxieties. - Once more I beg that you will say nothing of my visit.” - - She looked back at us from the door, and I had a last impression - of that beautiful haunted face, the startled eyes, and the drawn - mouth. Then she was gone. - - “Now, Watson, the fair sex is your department,” said Holmes, with - a smile, when the dwindling _frou-frou_ of skirts had ended in - the slam of the front door. “What was the fair lady’s game? What - did she really want?” - - “Surely her own statement is clear and her anxiety very natural.” - - “Hum! Think of her appearance, Watson—her manner, her suppressed - excitement, her restlessness, her tenacity in asking questions. - Remember that she comes of a caste who do not lightly show - emotion.” - - “She was certainly much moved.” - - “Remember also the curious earnestness with which she assured us - that it was best for her husband that she should know all. What - did she mean by that? And you must have observed, Watson, how she - manœuvred to have the light at her back. She did not wish us to - read her expression.” - - “Yes, she chose the one chair in the room.” - - “And yet the motives of women are so inscrutable. You remember - the woman at Margate whom I suspected for the same reason. No - powder on her nose—that proved to be the correct solution. How - can you build on such a quicksand? Their most trivial action may - mean volumes, or their most extraordinary conduct may depend upon - a hairpin or a curling tongs. Good-morning, Watson.” - - “You are off?” - - “Yes, I will while away the morning at Godolphin Street with our - friends of the regular establishment. With Eduardo Lucas lies the - solution of our problem, though I must admit that I have not an - inkling as to what form it may take. It is a capital mistake to - theorize in advance of the facts. Do you stay on guard, my good - Watson, and receive any fresh visitors. I’ll join you at lunch if - I am able.” - - All that day and the next and the next Holmes was in a mood which - his friends would call taciturn, and others morose. He ran out - and ran in, smoked incessantly, played snatches on his violin, - sank into reveries, devoured sandwiches at irregular hours, and - hardly answered the casual questions which I put to him. It was - evident to me that things were not going well with him or his - quest. He would say nothing of the case, and it was from the - papers that I learned the particulars of the inquest, and the - arrest with the subsequent release of John Mitton, the valet of - the deceased. The coroner’s jury brought in the obvious Wilful - Murder, but the parties remained as unknown as ever. No motive - was suggested. The room was full of articles of value, but none - had been taken. The dead man’s papers had not been tampered with. - They were carefully examined, and showed that he was a keen - student of international politics, an indefatigable gossip, a - remarkable linguist, and an untiring letter writer. He had been - on intimate terms with the leading politicians of several - countries. But nothing sensational was discovered among the - documents which filled his drawers. As to his relations with - women, they appeared to have been promiscuous but superficial. He - had many acquaintances among them, but few friends, and no one - whom he loved. His habits were regular, his conduct inoffensive. - His death was an absolute mystery and likely to remain so. - - As to the arrest of John Mitton, the valet, it was a council of - despair as an alternative to absolute inaction. But no case could - be sustained against him. He had visited friends in Hammersmith - that night. The _alibi_ was complete. It is true that he started - home at an hour which should have brought him to Westminster - before the time when the crime was discovered, but his own - explanation that he had walked part of the way seemed probable - enough in view of the fineness of the night. He had actually - arrived at twelve o’clock, and appeared to be overwhelmed by the - unexpected tragedy. He had always been on good terms with his - master. Several of the dead man’s possessions—notably a small - case of razors—had been found in the valet’s boxes, but he - explained that they had been presents from the deceased, and the - housekeeper was able to corroborate the story. Mitton had been in - Lucas’s employment for three years. It was noticeable that Lucas - did not take Mitton on the Continent with him. Sometimes he - visited Paris for three months on end, but Mitton was left in - charge of the Godolphin Street house. As to the housekeeper, she - had heard nothing on the night of the crime. If her master had a - visitor he had himself admitted him. - - So for three mornings the mystery remained, so far as I could - follow it in the papers. If Holmes knew more, he kept his own - counsel, but, as he told me that Inspector Lestrade had taken him - into his confidence in the case, I knew that he was in close - touch with every development. Upon the fourth day there appeared - a long telegram from Paris which seemed to solve the whole - question. - - A discovery has just been made by the Parisian police (said the - _Daily Telegraph_) which raises the veil which hung round the - tragic fate of Mr. Eduardo Lucas, who met his death by violence - last Monday night at Godolphin Street, Westminster. Our readers - will remember that the deceased gentleman was found stabbed in - his room, and that some suspicion attached to his valet, but that - the case broke down on an _alibi_. Yesterday a lady, who has been - known as Mme. Henri Fournaye, occupying a small villa in the Rue - Austerlitz, was reported to the authorities by her servants as - being insane. An examination showed she had indeed developed - mania of a dangerous and permanent form. On inquiry, the police - have discovered that Mme. Henri Fournaye only returned from a - journey to London on Tuesday last, and there is evidence to - connect her with the crime at Westminster. A comparison of - photographs has proved conclusively that M. Henri Fournaye and - Eduardo Lucas were really one and the same person, and that the - deceased had for some reason lived a double life in London and - Paris. Mme. Fournaye, who is of Creole origin, is of an extremely - excitable nature, and has suffered in the past from attacks of - jealousy which have amounted to frenzy. It is conjectured that it - was in one of these that she committed the terrible crime which - has caused such a sensation in London. Her movements upon the - Monday night have not yet been traced, but it is undoubted that a - woman answering to her description attracted much attention at - Charing Cross Station on Tuesday morning by the wildness of her - appearance and the violence of her gestures. It is probable, - therefore, that the crime was either committed when insane, or - that its immediate effect was to drive the unhappy woman out of - her mind. At present she is unable to give any coherent account - of the past, and the doctors hold out no hopes of the - reestablishment of her reason. There is evidence that a woman, - who might have been Mme. Fournaye, was seen for some hours upon - Monday night watching the house in Godolphin Street. - - “What do you think of that, Holmes?” I had read the account aloud - to him, while he finished his breakfast. - - “My dear Watson,” said he, as he rose from the table and paced up - and down the room, “You are most long-suffering, but if I have - told you nothing in the last three days, it is because there is - nothing to tell. Even now this report from Paris does not help us - much.” - - “Surely it is final as regards the man’s death.” - - “The man’s death is a mere incident—a trivial episode—in - comparison with our real task, which is to trace this document - and save a European catastrophe. Only one important thing has - happened in the last three days, and that is that nothing has - happened. I get reports almost hourly from the government, and it - is certain that nowhere in Europe is there any sign of trouble. - Now, if this letter were loose—no, it _can’t_ be loose—but if it - isn’t loose, where can it be? Who has it? Why is it held back? - That’s the question that beats in my brain like a hammer. Was it, - indeed, a coincidence that Lucas should meet his death on the - night when the letter disappeared? Did the letter ever reach him? - If so, why is it not among his papers? Did this mad wife of his - carry it off with her? If so, is it in her house in Paris? How - could I search for it without the French police having their - suspicions aroused? It is a case, my dear Watson, where the law - is as dangerous to us as the criminals are. Every man’s hand is - against us, and yet the interests at stake are colossal. Should I - bring it to a successful conclusion, it will certainly represent - the crowning glory of my career. Ah, here is my latest from the - front!” He glanced hurriedly at the note which had been handed - in. “Halloa! Lestrade seems to have observed something of - interest. Put on your hat, Watson, and we will stroll down - together to Westminster.” - - It was my first visit to the scene of the crime—a high, dingy, - narrow-chested house, prim, formal, and solid, like the century - which gave it birth. Lestrade’s bulldog features gazed out at us - from the front window, and he greeted us warmly when a big - constable had opened the door and let us in. The room into which - we were shown was that in which the crime had been committed, but - no trace of it now remained save an ugly, irregular stain upon - the carpet. This carpet was a small square drugget in the centre - of the room, surrounded by a broad expanse of beautiful, - old-fashioned wood-flooring in square blocks, highly polished. - Over the fireplace was a magnificent trophy of weapons, one of - which had been used on that tragic night. In the window was a - sumptuous writing-desk, and every detail of the apartment, the - pictures, the rugs, and the hangings, all pointed to a taste - which was luxurious to the verge of effeminacy. - - “Seen the Paris news?” asked Lestrade. - - Holmes nodded. - - “Our French friends seem to have touched the spot this time. No - doubt it’s just as they say. She knocked at the door—surprise - visit, I guess, for he kept his life in water-tight - compartments—he let her in, couldn’t keep her in the street. She - told him how she had traced him, reproached him. One thing led to - another, and then with that dagger so handy the end soon came. It - wasn’t all done in an instant, though, for these chairs were all - swept over yonder, and he had one in his hand as if he had tried - to hold her off with it. We’ve got it all clear as if we had seen - it.” - - Holmes raised his eyebrows. - - “And yet you have sent for me?” - - “Ah, yes, that’s another matter—a mere trifle, but the sort of - thing you take an interest in—queer, you know, and what you might - call freakish. It has nothing to do with the main fact—can’t - have, on the face of it.” - - “What is it, then?” - - “Well, you know, after a crime of this sort we are very careful - to keep things in their position. Nothing has been moved. Officer - in charge here day and night. This morning, as the man was buried - and the investigation over—so far as this room is concerned—we - thought we could tidy up a bit. This carpet. You see, it is not - fastened down, only just laid there. We had occasion to raise it. - We found——” - - “Yes? You found——” - - Holmes’s face grew tense with anxiety. - - “Well, I’m sure you would never guess in a hundred years what we - did find. You see that stain on the carpet? Well, a great deal - must have soaked through, must it not?” - - “Undoubtedly it must.” - - “Well, you will be surprised to hear that there is no stain on - the white woodwork to correspond.” - - “No stain! But there must——” - - “Yes, so you would say. But the fact remains that there isn’t.” - - He took the corner of the carpet in his hand and, turning it - over, he showed that it was indeed as he said. - - “But the under side is as stained as the upper. It must have left - a mark.” - - Lestrade chuckled with delight at having puzzled the famous - expert. - - “Now, I’ll show you the explanation. There _is_ a second stain, - but it does not correspond with the other. See for yourself.” As - he spoke he turned over another portion of the carpet, and there, - sure enough, was a great crimson spill upon the square white - facing of the old-fashioned floor. “What do you make of that, Mr. - Holmes?” - - “Why, it is simple enough. The two stains did correspond, but the - carpet has been turned round. As it was square and unfastened it - was easily done.” - - “The official police don’t need you, Mr. Holmes, to tell them - that the carpet must have been turned round. That’s clear enough, - for the stains lie above each other—if you lay it over this way. - But what I want to know is, who shifted the carpet, and why?” - - I could see from Holmes’s rigid face that he was vibrating with - inward excitement. - - “Look here, Lestrade,” said he, “has that constable in the - passage been in charge of the place all the time?” - - “Yes, he has.” - - “Well, take my advice. Examine him carefully. Don’t do it before - us. We’ll wait here. You take him into the back room. You’ll be - more likely to get a confession out of him alone. Ask him how he - dared to admit people and leave them alone in this room. Don’t - ask him if he has done it. Take it for granted. Tell him you - _know_ someone has been here. Press him. Tell him that a full - confession is his only chance of forgiveness. Do exactly what I - tell you!” - - “By George, if he knows I’ll have it out of him!” cried Lestrade. - He darted into the hall, and a few moments later his bullying - voice sounded from the back room. - - “Now, Watson, now!” cried Holmes with frenzied eagerness. All the - demoniacal force of the man masked behind that listless manner - burst out in a paroxysm of energy. He tore the drugget from the - floor, and in an instant was down on his hands and knees clawing - at each of the squares of wood beneath it. One turned sideways as - he dug his nails into the edge of it. It hinged back like the lid - of a box. A small black cavity opened beneath it. Holmes plunged - his eager hand into it and drew it out with a bitter snarl of - anger and disappointment. It was empty. - - “Quick, Watson, quick! Get it back again!” The wooden lid was - replaced, and the drugget had only just been drawn straight when - Lestrade’s voice was heard in the passage. He found Holmes - leaning languidly against the mantelpiece, resigned and patient, - endeavouring to conceal his irrepressible yawns. - - “Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Holmes, I can see that you are - bored to death with the whole affair. Well, he has confessed, all - right. Come in here, MacPherson. Let these gentlemen hear of your - most inexcusable conduct.” - - The big constable, very hot and penitent, sidled into the room. - - “I meant no harm, sir, I’m sure. The young woman came to the door - last evening—mistook the house, she did. And then we got talking. - It’s lonesome, when you’re on duty here all day.” - - “Well, what happened then?” - - “She wanted to see where the crime was done—had read about it in - the papers, she said. She was a very respectable, well-spoken - young woman, sir, and I saw no harm in letting her have a peep. - When she saw that mark on the carpet, down she dropped on the - floor, and lay as if she were dead. I ran to the back and got - some water, but I could not bring her to. Then I went round the - corner to the Ivy Plant for some brandy, and by the time I had - brought it back the young woman had recovered and was off—ashamed - of herself, I daresay, and dared not face me.” - - “How about moving that drugget?” - - “Well, sir, it was a bit rumpled, certainly, when I came back. - You see, she fell on it and it lies on a polished floor with - nothing to keep it in place. I straightened it out afterwards.” - - “It’s a lesson to you that you can’t deceive me, Constable - MacPherson,” said Lestrade, with dignity. “No doubt you thought - that your breach of duty could never be discovered, and yet a - mere glance at that drugget was enough to convince me that - someone had been admitted to the room. It’s lucky for you, my - man, that nothing is missing, or you would find yourself in Queer - Street. I’m sorry to have called you down over such a petty - business, Mr. Holmes, but I thought the point of the second stain - not corresponding with the first would interest you.” - - “Certainly, it was most interesting. Has this woman only been - here once, constable?” - - “Yes, sir, only once.” - - “Who was she?” - - “Don’t know the name, sir. Was answering an advertisement about - typewriting and came to the wrong number—very pleasant, genteel - young woman, sir.” - - “Tall? Handsome?” - - “Yes, sir, she was a well-grown young woman. I suppose you might - say she was handsome. Perhaps some would say she was very - handsome. ‘Oh, officer, do let me have a peep!’ says she. She had - pretty, coaxing ways, as you might say, and I thought there was - no harm in letting her just put her head through the door.” - - “How was she dressed?” - - “Quiet, sir—a long mantle down to her feet.” - - “What time was it?” - - “It was just growing dusk at the time. They were lighting the - lamps as I came back with the brandy.” - - “Very good,” said Holmes. “Come, Watson, I think that we have - more important work elsewhere.” - - As we left the house Lestrade remained in the front room, while - the repentant constable opened the door to let us out. Holmes - turned on the step and held up something in his hand. The - constable stared intently. - - “Good Lord, sir!” he cried, with amazement on his face. Holmes - put his finger on his lips, replaced his hand in his breast - pocket, and burst out laughing as we turned down the street. - “Excellent!” said he. “Come, friend Watson, the curtain rings up - for the last act. You will be relieved to hear that there will be - no war, that the Right Honourable Trelawney Hope will suffer no - setback in his brilliant career, that the indiscreet Sovereign - will receive no punishment for his indiscretion, that the Prime - Minister will have no European complication to deal with, and - that with a little tact and management upon our part nobody will - be a penny the worse for what might have been a very ugly - incident.” - - My mind filled with admiration for this extraordinary man. - - “You have solved it!” I cried. - - “Hardly that, Watson. There are some points which are as dark as - ever. But we have so much that it will be our own fault if we - cannot get the rest. We will go straight to Whitehall Terrace and - bring the matter to a head.” - - When we arrived at the residence of the European Secretary it was - for Lady Hilda Trelawney Hope that Sherlock Holmes inquired. We - were shown into the morning-room. - - “Mr. Holmes!” said the lady, and her face was pink with her - indignation. “This is surely most unfair and ungenerous upon your - part. I desired, as I have explained, to keep my visit to you a - secret, lest my husband should think that I was intruding into - his affairs. And yet you compromise me by coming here and so - showing that there are business relations between us.” - - “Unfortunately, madam, I had no possible alternative. I have been - commissioned to recover this immensely important paper. I must - therefore ask you, madam, to be kind enough to place it in my - hands.” - - The lady sprang to her feet, with the colour all dashed in an - instant from her beautiful face. Her eyes glazed—she tottered—I - thought that she would faint. Then with a grand effort she - rallied from the shock, and a supreme astonishment and - indignation chased every other expression from her features. - - “You—you insult me, Mr. Holmes.” - - “Come, come, madam, it is useless. Give up the letter.” - - She darted to the bell. - - “The butler shall show you out.” - - “Do not ring, Lady Hilda. If you do, then all my earnest efforts - to avoid a scandal will be frustrated. Give up the letter and all - will be set right. If you will work with me I can arrange - everything. If you work against me I must expose you.” - - She stood grandly defiant, a queenly figure, her eyes fixed upon - his as if she would read his very soul. Her hand was on the bell, - but she had forborne to ring it. - - “You are trying to frighten me. It is not a very manly thing, Mr. - Holmes, to come here and browbeat a woman. You say that you know - something. What is it that you know?” - - “Pray sit down, madam. You will hurt yourself there if you fall. - I will not speak until you sit down. Thank you.” - - “I give you five minutes, Mr. Holmes.” - - “One is enough, Lady Hilda. I know of your visit to Eduardo - Lucas, of your giving him this document, of your ingenious return - to the room last night, and of the manner in which you took the - letter from the hiding-place under the carpet.” - - She stared at him with an ashen face and gulped twice before she - could speak. - - “You are mad, Mr. Holmes—you are mad!” she cried, at last. - - He drew a small piece of cardboard from his pocket. It was the - face of a woman cut out of a portrait. - - “I have carried this because I thought it might be useful,” said - he. “The policeman has recognized it.” - - She gave a gasp, and her head dropped back in the chair. - - “Come, Lady Hilda. You have the letter. The matter may still be - adjusted. I have no desire to bring trouble to you. My duty ends - when I have returned the lost letter to your husband. Take my - advice and be frank with me. It is your only chance.” - - Her courage was admirable. Even now she would not own defeat. - - “I tell you again, Mr. Holmes, that you are under some absurd - illusion.” - - Holmes rose from his chair. - - “I am sorry for you, Lady Hilda. I have done my best for you. I - can see that it is all in vain.” - - He rang the bell. The butler entered. - - “Is Mr. Trelawney Hope at home?” - - “He will be home, sir, at a quarter to one.” - - Holmes glanced at his watch. - - “Still a quarter of an hour,” said he. “Very good, I shall wait.” - - The butler had hardly closed the door behind him when Lady Hilda - was down on her knees at Holmes’s feet, her hands outstretched, - her beautiful face upturned and wet with her tears. - - “Oh, spare me, Mr. Holmes! Spare me!” she pleaded, in a frenzy of - supplication. “For heaven’s sake, don’t tell him! I love him so! - I would not bring one shadow on his life, and this I know would - break his noble heart.” - - Holmes raised the lady. “I am thankful, madam, that you have come - to your senses even at this last moment! There is not an instant - to lose. Where is the letter?” - - She darted across to a writing-desk, unlocked it, and drew out a - long blue envelope. - - “Here it is, Mr. Holmes. Would to heaven I had never seen it!” - - “How can we return it?” Holmes muttered. “Quick, quick, we must - think of some way! Where is the despatch-box?” - - “Still in his bedroom.” - - “What a stroke of luck! Quick, madam, bring it here!” A moment - later she had appeared with a red flat box in her hand. - - “How did you open it before? You have a duplicate key? Yes, of - course you have. Open it!” - - From out of her bosom Lady Hilda had drawn a small key. The box - flew open. It was stuffed with papers. Holmes thrust the blue - envelope deep down into the heart of them, between the leaves of - some other document. The box was shut, locked, and returned to - the bedroom. - - “Now we are ready for him,” said Holmes. “We have still ten - minutes. I am going far to screen you, Lady Hilda. In return you - will spend the time in telling me frankly the real meaning of - this extraordinary affair.” - - “Mr. Holmes, I will tell you everything,” cried the lady. “Oh, - Mr. Holmes, I would cut off my right hand before I gave him a - moment of sorrow! There is no woman in all London who loves her - husband as I do, and yet if he knew how I have acted—how I have - been compelled to act—he would never forgive me. For his own - honour stands so high that he could not forget or pardon a lapse - in another. Help me, Mr. Holmes! My happiness, his happiness, our - very lives are at stake!” - - “Quick, madam, the time grows short!” - - “It was a letter of mine, Mr. Holmes, an indiscreet letter - written before my marriage—a foolish letter, a letter of an - impulsive, loving girl. I meant no harm, and yet he would have - thought it criminal. Had he read that letter his confidence would - have been forever destroyed. It is years since I wrote it. I had - thought that the whole matter was forgotten. Then at last I heard - from this man, Lucas, that it had passed into his hands, and that - he would lay it before my husband. I implored his mercy. He said - that he would return my letter if I would bring him a certain - document which he described in my husband’s despatch-box. He had - some spy in the office who had told him of its existence. He - assured me that no harm could come to my husband. Put yourself in - my position, Mr. Holmes! What was I to do?” - - “Take your husband into your confidence.” - - “I could not, Mr. Holmes, I could not! On the one side seemed - certain ruin, on the other, terrible as it seemed to take my - husband’s paper, still in a matter of politics I could not - understand the consequences, while in a matter of love and trust - they were only too clear to me. I did it, Mr. Holmes! I took an - impression of his key. This man, Lucas, furnished a duplicate. I - opened his despatch-box, took the paper, and conveyed it to - Godolphin Street.” - - “What happened there, madam?” - - “I tapped at the door as agreed. Lucas opened it. I followed him - into his room, leaving the hall door ajar behind me, for I feared - to be alone with the man. I remember that there was a woman - outside as I entered. Our business was soon done. He had my - letter on his desk, I handed him the document. He gave me the - letter. At this instant there was a sound at the door. There were - steps in the passage. Lucas quickly turned back the drugget, - thrust the document into some hiding-place there, and covered it - over. - - “What happened after that is like some fearful dream. I have a - vision of a dark, frantic face, of a woman’s voice, which - screamed in French, ‘My waiting is not in vain. At last, at last - I have found you with her!’ There was a savage struggle. I saw - him with a chair in his hand, a knife gleamed in hers. I rushed - from the horrible scene, ran from the house, and only next - morning in the paper did I learn the dreadful result. That night - I was happy, for I had my letter, and I had not seen yet what the - future would bring. - - “It was the next morning that I realized that I had only - exchanged one trouble for another. My husband’s anguish at the - loss of his paper went to my heart. I could hardly prevent myself - from there and then kneeling down at his feet and telling him - what I had done. But that again would mean a confession of the - past. I came to you that morning in order to understand the full - enormity of my offence. From the instant that I grasped it my - whole mind was turned to the one thought of getting back my - husband’s paper. It must still be where Lucas had placed it, for - it was concealed before this dreadful woman entered the room. If - it had not been for her coming, I should not have known where his - hiding-place was. How was I to get into the room? For two days I - watched the place, but the door was never left open. Last night I - made a last attempt. What I did and how I succeeded, you have - already learned. I brought the paper back with me, and thought of - destroying it, since I could see no way of returning it without - confessing my guilt to my husband. Heavens, I hear his step upon - the stair!” - - The European Secretary burst excitedly into the room. “Any news, - Mr. Holmes, any news?” he cried. - - “I have some hopes.” - - “Ah, thank heaven!” His face became radiant. “The Prime Minister - is lunching with me. May he share your hopes? He has nerves of - steel, and yet I know that he has hardly slept since this - terrible event. Jacobs, will you ask the Prime Minister to come - up? As to you, dear, I fear that this is a matter of politics. We - will join you in a few minutes in the dining-room.” - - The Prime Minister’s manner was subdued, but I could see by the - gleam of his eyes and the twitchings of his bony hands that he - shared the excitement of his young colleague. - - “I understand that you have something to report, Mr. Holmes?” - - “Purely negative as yet,” my friend answered. “I have inquired at - every point where it might be, and I am sure that there is no - danger to be apprehended.” - - “But that is not enough, Mr. Holmes. We cannot live forever on - such a volcano. We must have something definite.” - - “I am in hopes of getting it. That is why I am here. The more I - think of the matter the more convinced I am that the letter has - never left this house.” - - “Mr. Holmes!” - - “If it had it would certainly have been public by now.” - - “But why should anyone take it in order to keep it in his house?” - - “I am not convinced that anyone did take it.” - - “Then how could it leave the despatch-box?” - - “I am not convinced that it ever did leave the despatch-box.” - - “Mr. Holmes, this joking is very ill-timed. You have my assurance - that it left the box.” - - “Have you examined the box since Tuesday morning?” - - “No. It was not necessary.” - - “You may conceivably have overlooked it.” - - “Impossible, I say.” - - “But I am not convinced of it. I have known such things to - happen. I presume there are other papers there. Well, it may have - got mixed with them.” - - “It was on the top.” - - “Someone may have shaken the box and displaced it.” - - “No, no, I had everything out.” - - “Surely it is easily decided, Hope,” said the Premier. “Let us - have the despatch-box brought in.” - - The Secretary rang the bell. - - “Jacobs, bring down my despatch-box. This is a farcical waste of - time, but still, if nothing else will satisfy you, it shall be - done. Thank you, Jacobs, put it here. I have always had the key - on my watch-chain. Here are the papers, you see. Letter from Lord - Merrow, report from Sir Charles Hardy, memorandum from Belgrade, - note on the Russo-German grain taxes, letter from Madrid, note - from Lord Flowers——Good heavens! what is this? Lord Bellinger! - Lord Bellinger!” - - The Premier snatched the blue envelope from his hand. - - “Yes, it is it—and the letter is intact. Hope, I congratulate - you.” - - “Thank you! Thank you! What a weight from my heart. But this is - inconceivable—impossible. Mr. Holmes, you are a wizard, a - sorcerer! How did you know it was there?” - - “Because I knew it was nowhere else.” - - “I cannot believe my eyes!” He ran wildly to the door. “Where is - my wife? I must tell her that all is well. Hilda! Hilda!” we - heard his voice on the stairs. - - The Premier looked at Holmes with twinkling eyes. - - “Come, sir,” said he. “There is more in this than meets the eye. - How came the letter back in the box?” - - Holmes turned away smiling from the keen scrutiny of those - wonderful eyes. - - “We also have our diplomatic secrets,” said he and, picking up - his hat, he turned to the door. - - THE END - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the -Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work -on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the -phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where - you are located before using this eBook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg™ License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format -other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain -Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -provided that: - -• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation.” - -• You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ - works. - -• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right -of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™ - -Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org. - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws. - -The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact. - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without -widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate. - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate. - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic -works - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org. - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - - |