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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* - - - - -The Return of Sherlock Holmes, A Collection of Holmes Adventures - -by - -SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE - - - -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it my first duty to do so, had I not been barred -by a positive prohibition from his own lips, which was only -withdrawn upon the third of last month.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 {sic} -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 gray -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 gray 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 existance 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 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, 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 -be 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 -gray 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 clear? 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 be 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 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 gray 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-gray 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 gray 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -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 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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": - - -GRAPHIC - - -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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -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, -gray-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 XXX. - -"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. - -"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 gray 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 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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 menage 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 gray 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 rumor -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 grays 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 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 "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, gray-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 gray 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 rumor 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 encyclopaedia 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 gray trousers. There were no signs that anyone had entered -the room, and it is quite certain that anything in the nature of -cries or ones 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 heaven, no!" - -"Then how could you know?" - -"I have had some confidential talks with Mr. James Wilder, his -Graces secretary. It was he who gave me the information about -Lord Saltire's feelings." - -"I see. By the way, that last letter of the Dukes--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. - -"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." - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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 wit's 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, gray 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. "Well 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, "well 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." - -"Were?" - -"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 bread-crumbs 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 gray 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 surprised 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 wit's 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, gray-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. - -Somone 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 anaemic 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 rice 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 -debutante 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 gray 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 gray 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 fiancee--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 portiere 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 `IDEE 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 IDEE 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 IDEE 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 spat 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 employe, 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 wit's 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 mediaeval 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 with{sic} 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 -professors 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, - - -GRAPHIC - - -and he laid it across Holmes's knee. I rose and, standing -behind Holmes, studied it over his shoulder. - -"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 paralyzing. 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 awfull I wonder my hair isn't -gray. 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 naive 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -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: - - -GRAPHIC [Stand by us for Gods sake] - - -"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 -grays, 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 DETOUR 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 gray 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 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 manoeuvred 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 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. Well 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 Europe an 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. - - -End of Project Gutenberg etext of "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" - - - diff --git a/old/rholm10.txt~ b/old/rholm10.txt~ deleted file mode 100644 index 5aae9ae..0000000 --- a/old/rholm10.txt~ +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13716 +0,0 @@ -Please take a look at the important information in this header. -We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an -electronic path open for the next readers. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* - - - - -The Return of Sherlock Holmes, A Collection of Holmes Adventures - -by - -SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE - - - -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 {sic} -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 gray -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 gray 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 existance 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 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, 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 -be 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 -gray 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 clear? 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 be 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 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 gray 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-gray 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 gray 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -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 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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": - - -GRAPHIC - - -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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -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, -gray-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 XXX. - -"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. - -"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 gray 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 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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 menage 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 gray 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 rumor -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 grays 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 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 "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, gray-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 gray 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 rumor 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 encyclopaedia 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 gray trousers. There were no signs that anyone had entered -the room, and it is quite certain that anything in the nature of -cries or ones 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 heaven, no!" - -"Then how could you know?" - -"I have had some confidential talks with Mr. James Wilder, his -Graces secretary. It was he who gave me the information about -Lord Saltire's feelings." - -"I see. By the way, that last letter of the Dukes--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. - -"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." - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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 wit's 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, gray 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. "Well 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, "well 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." - -"Were?" - -"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 bread-crumbs 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 gray 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 surprised 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 wit's 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, gray-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. - -Somone 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 anaemic 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 rice 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 -debutante 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 gray 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 gray 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 fiancee--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 portiere 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 `IDEE 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 IDEE 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 IDEE 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 spat 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 employe, 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 wit's 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 mediaeval 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 with{sic} 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 -professors 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, - - -GRAPHIC - - -and he laid it across Holmes's knee. I rose and, standing -behind Holmes, studied it over his shoulder. - -"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 paralyzing. 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 awfull I wonder my hair isn't -gray. 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 naive 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -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: - - -GRAPHIC [Stand by us for Gods sake] - - -"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 -grays, 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 DETOUR 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 gray 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 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 manoeuvred 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 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. Well 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 Europe an 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. - - -End of Project Gutenberg etext of "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" - - - diff --git a/old/rholm10.txt~~ b/old/rholm10.txt~~ deleted file mode 100644 index 5aae9ae..0000000 --- a/old/rholm10.txt~~ +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13716 +0,0 @@ -Please take a look at the important information in this header. -We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an -electronic path open for the next readers. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* - - - - -The Return of Sherlock Holmes, A Collection of Holmes Adventures - -by - -SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE - - - -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 {sic} -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 gray -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 gray 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 existance 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 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, 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 -be 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 -gray 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 clear? 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 be 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 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 gray 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-gray 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 gray 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -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 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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": - - -GRAPHIC - - -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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -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, -gray-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 XXX. - -"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. - -"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 gray 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 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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 menage 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 gray 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 rumor -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 grays 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 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 "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, gray-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 gray 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 rumor 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 encyclopaedia 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 gray trousers. There were no signs that anyone had entered -the room, and it is quite certain that anything in the nature of -cries or ones 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 heaven, no!" - -"Then how could you know?" - -"I have had some confidential talks with Mr. James Wilder, his -Graces secretary. It was he who gave me the information about -Lord Saltire's feelings." - -"I see. By the way, that last letter of the Dukes--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. - -"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." - - -GRAPHIC - - -"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 wit's 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, gray 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. "Well 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, "well 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." - -"Were?" - -"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 bread-crumbs 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 gray 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 surprised 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 wit's 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, gray-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. - -Somone 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 anaemic 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 rice 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 -debutante 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 gray 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 gray 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 fiancee--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 portiere 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 `IDEE 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 IDEE 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 IDEE 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 spat 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 employe, 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 wit's 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 mediaeval 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 with{sic} 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 -professors 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, - - -GRAPHIC - - -and he laid it across Holmes's knee. I rose and, standing -behind Holmes, studied it over his shoulder. - -"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 paralyzing. 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 awfull I wonder my hair isn't -gray. 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 naive 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: - - -GRAPHIC - - -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: - - -GRAPHIC [Stand by us for Gods sake] - - -"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 -grays, 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 DETOUR 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 gray 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 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 manoeuvred 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 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. Well 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 Europe an 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. - - -End of Project Gutenberg etext of "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" - - - diff --git a/old/rholm10.zip b/old/rholm10.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 41fa874..0000000 --- a/old/rholm10.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/rholm10.zip~ b/old/rholm10.zip~ Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 41fa874..0000000 --- a/old/rholm10.zip~ +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/rholm10.zip~~ b/old/rholm10.zip~~ Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 41fa874..0000000 --- a/old/rholm10.zip~~ +++ /dev/null |