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by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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Title  The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Author  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Release Date  March  1999   EBook  1661 
 Most recently updated  November 29  2002 

Edition  12

Language  English

Character set encoding  iso 8859 1

    START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK  THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES    




 Additional editing by Jose Menendez 



THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE




   I  A Scandal in Bohemia
  II  The Red headed League
 III  A Case of Identity
  IV  The Boscombe Valley Mystery
   V  The Five Orange Pips
  VI  The Man with the Twisted Lip
 VII  The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
VIII  The Adventure of the Speckled Band
  IX  The Adventure of the Engineer s Thumb
   X  The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
  XI  The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
 XII  The Adventure of the Copper Beeches




ADVENTURE I  A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA

I 

To Sherlock Holmes she is always THE woman  I have seldom heard
him mention her under any other name  In his eyes she eclipses
and predominates the whole of her sex  It was not that he felt
any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler  All emotions  and that
one particularly  were abhorrent to his cold  precise but
admirably balanced mind  He was  I take it  the most perfect
reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen  but as a
lover he would have placed himself in a false position  He never
spoke of the softer passions  save with a gibe and a sneer  They
were admirable things for the observer  excellent for drawing the
veil from men s motives and actions  But for the trained reasoner
to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely
adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which
might throw a doubt upon all his mental results  Grit in a
sensitive instrument  or a crack in one of his own high power
lenses  would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a
nature such as his  And yet there was but one woman to him  and
that woman was the late Irene Adler  of dubious and questionable
memory 

I had seen little of Holmes lately  My marriage had drifted us
away from each other  My own complete happiness  and the
home centred interests which rise up around the man who first
finds himself master of his own establishment  were sufficient to
absorb all my attention  while Holmes  who loathed every form of
society with his whole Bohemian soul  remained in our lodgings in
Baker Street  buried among his old books  and alternating from
week to week between cocaine and ambition  the drowsiness of the
drug  and the fierce energy of his own keen nature  He was still 
as ever  deeply attracted by the study of crime  and occupied his
immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in
following out those clues  and clearing up those mysteries which
had been abandoned as hopeless by the official police  From time
to time I heard some vague account of his doings  of his summons
to Odessa in the case of the Trepoff murder  of his clearing up
of the singular tragedy of the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee 
and finally of the mission which he had accomplished so
delicately and successfully for the reigning family of Holland 
Beyond these signs of his activity  however  which I merely
shared with all the readers of the daily press  I knew little of
my former friend and companion 

One night  it was on the twentieth of March  1888  I was
returning from a journey to a patient  for I had now returned to
civil practice   when my way led me through Baker Street  As I
passed the well remembered door  which must always be associated
in my mind with my wooing  and with the dark incidents of the
Study in Scarlet  I was seized with a keen desire to see Holmes
again  and to know how he was employing his extraordinary powers 
His rooms were brilliantly lit  and  even as I looked up  I saw
his tall  spare figure pass twice in a dark silhouette against
the blind  He was pacing the room swiftly  eagerly  with his head
sunk upon his chest and his hands clasped behind him  To me  who
knew his every mood and habit  his attitude and manner told their
own story  He was at work again  He had risen out of his
drug created dreams and was hot upon the scent of some new
problem  I rang the bell and was shown up to the chamber which
had formerly been in part my own 

His manner was not effusive  It seldom was  but he was glad  I
think  to see me  With hardly a word spoken  but with a kindly
eye  he waved me to an armchair  threw across his case of cigars 
and indicated a spirit case and a gasogene in the corner  Then he
stood before the fire and looked me over in his singular
introspective fashion 

 Wedlock suits you   he remarked   I think  Watson  that you have
put on seven and a half pounds since I saw you  

 Seven   I answered 

 Indeed  I should have thought a little more  Just a trifle more 
I fancy  Watson  And in practice again  I observe  You did not
tell me that you intended to go into harness  

 Then  how do you know  

 I see it  I deduce it  How do I know that you have been getting
yourself very wet lately  and that you have a most clumsy and
careless servant girl  

 My dear Holmes   said I   this is too much  You would certainly
have been burned  had you lived a few centuries ago  It is true
that I had a country walk on Thursday and came home in a dreadful
mess  but as I have changed my clothes I can t imagine how you
deduce it  As to Mary Jane  she is incorrigible  and my wife has
given her notice  but there  again  I fail to see how you work it
out  

He chuckled to himself and rubbed his long  nervous hands
together 

 It is simplicity itself   said he   my eyes tell me that on the
inside of your left shoe  just where the firelight strikes it 
the leather is scored by six almost parallel cuts  Obviously they
have been caused by someone who has very carelessly scraped round
the edges of the sole in order to remove crusted mud from it 
Hence  you see  my double deduction that you had been out in vile
weather  and that you had a particularly malignant boot slitting
specimen of the London slavey  As to your practice  if a
gentleman walks into my rooms smelling of iodoform  with a black
mark of nitrate of silver upon his right forefinger  and a bulge
on the right side of his top hat to show where he has secreted
his stethoscope  I must be dull  indeed  if I do not pronounce
him to be an active member of the medical profession  

I could not help laughing at the ease with which he explained his
process of deduction   When I hear you give your reasons   I
remarked   the thing always appears to me to be so ridiculously
simple that I could easily do it myself  though at each
successive instance of your reasoning I am baffled until you
explain your process  And yet I believe that my eyes are as good
as yours  

 Quite so   he answered  lighting a cigarette  and throwing
himself down into an armchair   You see  but you do not observe 
The distinction is clear  For example  you have frequently seen
the steps which lead up from the hall to this room  

 Frequently  

 How often  

 Well  some hundreds of times  

 Then how many are there  

 How many  I don t know  

 Quite so  You have not observed  And yet you have seen  That is
just my point  Now  I know that there are seventeen steps 
because I have both seen and observed  By the way  since you are
interested in these little problems  and since you are good
enough to chronicle one or two of my trifling experiences  you
may be interested in this   He threw over a sheet of thick 
pink tinted note paper which had been lying open upon the table 
 It came by the last post   said he   Read it aloud  

The note was undated  and without either signature or address 

 There will call upon you to night  at a quarter to eight
o clock   it said   a gentleman who desires to consult you upon a
matter of the very deepest moment  Your recent services to one of
the royal houses of Europe have shown that you are one who may
safely be trusted with matters which are of an importance which
can hardly be exaggerated  This account of you we have from all
quarters received  Be in your chamber then at that hour  and do
not take it amiss if your visitor wear a mask  

 This is indeed a mystery   I remarked   What do you imagine that
it means  

 I have no data yet  It is a capital mistake to theorize before
one has data  Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit
theories  instead of theories to suit facts  But the note itself 
What do you deduce from it  

I carefully examined the writing  and the paper upon which it was
written 

 The man who wrote it was presumably well to do   I remarked 
endeavouring to imitate my companion s processes   Such paper
could not be bought under half a crown a packet  It is peculiarly
strong and stiff  

 Peculiar  that is the very word   said Holmes   It is not an
English paper at all  Hold it up to the light  

I did so  and saw a large  E  with a small  g   a  P   and a
large  G  with a small  t  woven into the texture of the paper 

 What do you make of that   asked Holmes 

 The name of the maker  no doubt  or his monogram  rather  

 Not at all  The  G  with the small  t  stands for
 Gesellschaft   which is the German for  Company   It is a
customary contraction like our  Co    P   of course  stands for
 Papier   Now for the  Eg   Let us glance at our Continental
Gazetteer   He took down a heavy brown volume from his shelves 
 Eglow  Eglonitz  here we are  Egria  It is in a German speaking
country  in Bohemia  not far from Carlsbad   Remarkable as being
the scene of the death of Wallenstein  and for its numerous
glass factories and paper mills   Ha  ha  my boy  what do you
make of that   His eyes sparkled  and he sent up a great blue
triumphant cloud from his cigarette 

 The paper was made in Bohemia   I said 

 Precisely  And the man who wrote the note is a German  Do you
note the peculiar construction of the sentence   This account of
you we have from all quarters received   A Frenchman or Russian
could not have written that  It is the German who is so
uncourteous to his verbs  It only remains  therefore  to discover
what is wanted by this German who writes upon Bohemian paper and
prefers wearing a mask to showing his face  And here he comes  if
I am not mistaken  to resolve all our doubts  

As he spoke there was the sharp sound of horses  hoofs and
grating wheels against the curb  followed by a sharp pull at the
bell  Holmes whistled 

 A pair  by the sound   said he   Yes   he continued  glancing
out of the window   A nice little brougham and a pair of
beauties  A hundred and fifty guineas apiece  There s money in
this case  Watson  if there is nothing else  

 I think that I had better go  Holmes  

 Not a bit  Doctor  Stay where you are  I am lost without my
Boswell  And this promises to be interesting  It would be a pity
to miss it  

 But your client   

 Never mind him  I may want your help  and so may he  Here he
comes  Sit down in that armchair  Doctor  and give us your best
attention  

A slow and heavy step  which had been heard upon the stairs and
in the passage  paused immediately outside the door  Then there
was a loud and authoritative tap 

 Come in   said Holmes 

A man entered who could hardly have been less than six feet six
inches in height  with the chest and limbs of a Hercules  His
dress was rich with a richness which would  in England  be looked
upon as akin to bad taste  Heavy bands of astrakhan were slashed
across the sleeves and fronts of his double breasted coat  while
the deep blue cloak which was thrown over his shoulders was lined
with flame coloured silk and secured at the neck with a brooch
which consisted of a single flaming beryl  Boots which extended
halfway up his calves  and which were trimmed at the tops with
rich brown fur  completed the impression of barbaric opulence
which was suggested by his whole appearance  He carried a
broad brimmed hat in his hand  while he wore across the upper
part of his face  extending down past the cheekbones  a black
vizard mask  which he had apparently adjusted that very moment 
for his hand was still raised to it as he entered  From the lower
part of the face he appeared to be a man of strong character 
with a thick  hanging lip  and a long  straight chin suggestive
of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy 

 You had my note   he asked with a deep harsh voice and a
strongly marked German accent   I told you that I would call   He
looked from one to the other of us  as if uncertain which to
address 

 Pray take a seat   said Holmes   This is my friend and
colleague  Dr  Watson  who is occasionally good enough to help me
in my cases  Whom have I the honour to address  

 You may address me as the Count Von Kramm  a Bohemian nobleman 
I understand that this gentleman  your friend  is a man of honour
and discretion  whom I may trust with a matter of the most
extreme importance  If not  I should much prefer to communicate
with you alone  

I rose to go  but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me
back into my chair   It is both  or none   said he   You may say
before this gentleman anything which you may say to me  

The Count shrugged his broad shoulders   Then I must begin   said
he   by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years  at
the end of that time the matter will be of no importance  At
present it is not too much to say that it is of such weight it
may have an influence upon European history  

 I promise   said Holmes 

 And I  

 You will excuse this mask   continued our strange visitor   The
august person who employs me wishes his agent to be unknown to
you  and I may confess at once that the title by which I have
just called myself is not exactly my own  

 I was aware of it   said Holmes dryly 

 The circumstances are of great delicacy  and every precaution
has to be taken to quench what might grow to be an immense
scandal and seriously compromise one of the reigning families of
Europe  To speak plainly  the matter implicates the great House
of Ormstein  hereditary kings of Bohemia  

 I was also aware of that   murmured Holmes  settling himself
down in his armchair and closing his eyes 

Our visitor glanced with some apparent surprise at the languid 
lounging figure of the man who had been no doubt depicted to him
as the most incisive reasoner and most energetic agent in Europe 
Holmes slowly reopened his eyes and looked impatiently at his
gigantic client 

 If your Majesty would condescend to state your case   he
remarked   I should be better able to advise you  

The man sprang from his chair and paced up and down the room in
uncontrollable agitation  Then  with a gesture of desperation  he
tore the mask from his face and hurled it upon the ground   You
are right   he cried   I am the King  Why should I attempt to
conceal it  

 Why  indeed   murmured Holmes   Your Majesty had not spoken
before I was aware that I was addressing Wilhelm Gottsreich
Sigismond von Ormstein  Grand Duke of Cassel Felstein  and
hereditary King of Bohemia  

 But you can understand   said our strange visitor  sitting down
once more and passing his hand over his high white forehead   you
can understand that I am not accustomed to doing such business in
my own person  Yet the matter was so delicate that I could not
confide it to an agent without putting myself in his power  I
have come incognito from Prague for the purpose of consulting
you  

 Then  pray consult   said Holmes  shutting his eyes once more 

 The facts are briefly these  Some five years ago  during a
lengthy visit to Warsaw  I made the acquaintance of the well known
adventuress  Irene Adler  The name is no doubt familiar to you  

 Kindly look her up in my index  Doctor   murmured Holmes without
opening his eyes  For many years he had adopted a system of
docketing all paragraphs concerning men and things  so that it
was difficult to name a subject or a person on which he could not
at once furnish information  In this case I found her biography
sandwiched in between that of a Hebrew rabbi and that of a
staff commander who had written a monograph upon the deep sea
fishes 

 Let me see   said Holmes   Hum  Born in New Jersey in the year
1858  Contralto  hum  La Scala  hum  Prima donna Imperial Opera
of Warsaw  yes  Retired from operatic stage  ha  Living in
London  quite so  Your Majesty  as I understand  became entangled
with this young person  wrote her some compromising letters  and
is now desirous of getting those letters back  

 Precisely so  But how   

 Was there a secret marriage  

 None  

 No legal papers or certificates  

 None  

 Then I fail to follow your Majesty  If this young person should
produce her letters for blackmailing or other purposes  how is
she to prove their authenticity  

 There is the writing  

 Pooh  pooh  Forgery  

 My private note paper  

 Stolen  

 My own seal  

 Imitated  

 My photograph  

 Bought  

 We were both in the photograph  

 Oh  dear  That is very bad  Your Majesty has indeed committed an
indiscretion  

 I was mad  insane  

 You have compromised yourself seriously  

 I was only Crown Prince then  I was young  I am but thirty now  

 It must be recovered  

 We have tried and failed  

 Your Majesty must pay  It must be bought  

 She will not sell  

 Stolen  then  

 Five attempts have been made  Twice burglars in my pay ransacked
her house  Once we diverted her luggage when she travelled  Twice
she has been waylaid  There has been no result  

 No sign of it  

 Absolutely none  

Holmes laughed   It is quite a pretty little problem   said he 

 But a very serious one to me   returned the King reproachfully 

 Very  indeed  And what does she propose to do with the
photograph  

 To ruin me  

 But how  

 I am about to be married  

 So I have heard  

 To Clotilde Lothman von Saxe Meningen  second daughter of the
King of Scandinavia  You may know the strict principles of her
family  She is herself the very soul of delicacy  A shadow of a
doubt as to my conduct would bring the matter to an end  

 And Irene Adler  

 Threatens to send them the photograph  And she will do it  I
know that she will do it  You do not know her  but she has a soul
of steel  She has the face of the most beautiful of women  and
the mind of the most resolute of men  Rather than I should marry
another woman  there are no lengths to which she would not
go  none  

 You are sure that she has not sent it yet  

 I am sure  

 And why  

 Because she has said that she would send it on the day when the
betrothal was publicly proclaimed  That will be next Monday  

 Oh  then we have three days yet   said Holmes with a yawn   That
is very fortunate  as I have one or two matters of importance to
look into just at present  Your Majesty will  of course  stay in
London for the present  

 Certainly  You will find me at the Langham under the name of the
Count Von Kramm  

 Then I shall drop you a line to let you know how we progress  

 Pray do so  I shall be all anxiety  

 Then  as to money  

 You have carte blanche  

 Absolutely  

 I tell you that I would give one of the provinces of my kingdom
to have that photograph  

 And for present expenses  

The King took a heavy chamois leather bag from under his cloak
and laid it on the table 

 There are three hundred pounds in gold and seven hundred in
notes   he said 

Holmes scribbled a receipt upon a sheet of his note book and
handed it to him 

 And Mademoiselle s address   he asked 

 Is Briony Lodge  Serpentine Avenue  St  John s Wood  

Holmes took a note of it   One other question   said he   Was the
photograph a cabinet  

 It was  

 Then  good night  your Majesty  and I trust that we shall soon
have some good news for you  And good night  Watson   he added 
as the wheels of the royal brougham rolled down the street   If
you will be good enough to call to morrow afternoon at three
o clock I should like to chat this little matter over with you  


II 

At three o clock precisely I was at Baker Street  but Holmes had
not yet returned  The landlady informed me that he had left the
house shortly after eight o clock in the morning  I sat down
beside the fire  however  with the intention of awaiting him 
however long he might be  I was already deeply interested in his
inquiry  for  though it was surrounded by none of the grim and
strange features which were associated with the two crimes which
I have already recorded  still  the nature of the case and the
exalted station of his client gave it a character of its own 
Indeed  apart from the nature of the investigation which my
friend had on hand  there was something in his masterly grasp of
a situation  and his keen  incisive reasoning  which made it a
pleasure to me to study his system of work  and to follow the
quick  subtle methods by which he disentangled the most
inextricable mysteries  So accustomed was I to his invariable
success that the very possibility of his failing had ceased to
enter into my head 

It was close upon four before the door opened  and a
drunken looking groom  ill kempt and side whiskered  with an
inflamed face and disreputable clothes  walked into the room 
Accustomed as I was to my friend s amazing powers in the use of
disguises  I had to look three times before I was certain that it
was indeed he  With a nod he vanished into the bedroom  whence he
emerged in five minutes tweed suited and respectable  as of old 
Putting his hands into his pockets  he stretched out his legs in
front of the fire and laughed heartily for some minutes 

 Well  really   he cried  and then he choked and laughed again
until he was obliged to lie back  limp and helpless  in the
chair 

 What is it  

 It s quite too funny  I am sure you could never guess how I
employed my morning  or what I ended by doing  

 I can t imagine  I suppose that you have been watching the
habits  and perhaps the house  of Miss Irene Adler  

 Quite so  but the sequel was rather unusual  I will tell you 
however  I left the house a little after eight o clock this
morning in the character of a groom out of work  There is a
wonderful sympathy and freemasonry among horsey men  Be one of
them  and you will know all that there is to know  I soon found
Briony Lodge  It is a bijou villa  with a garden at the back  but
built out in front right up to the road  two stories  Chubb lock
to the door  Large sitting room on the right side  well
furnished  with long windows almost to the floor  and those
preposterous English window fasteners which a child could open 
Behind there was nothing remarkable  save that the passage window
could be reached from the top of the coach house  I walked round
it and examined it closely from every point of view  but without
noting anything else of interest 

 I then lounged down the street and found  as I expected  that
there was a mews in a lane which runs down by one wall of the
garden  I lent the ostlers a hand in rubbing down their horses 
and received in exchange twopence  a glass of half and half  two
fills of shag tobacco  and as much information as I could desire
about Miss Adler  to say nothing of half a dozen other people in
the neighbourhood in whom I was not in the least interested  but
whose biographies I was compelled to listen to  

 And what of Irene Adler   I asked 

 Oh  she has turned all the men s heads down in that part  She is
the daintiest thing under a bonnet on this planet  So say the
Serpentine mews  to a man  She lives quietly  sings at concerts 
drives out at five every day  and returns at seven sharp for
dinner  Seldom goes out at other times  except when she sings 
Has only one male visitor  but a good deal of him  He is dark 
handsome  and dashing  never calls less than once a day  and
often twice  He is a Mr  Godfrey Norton  of the Inner Temple  See
the advantages of a cabman as a confidant  They had driven him
home a dozen times from Serpentine mews  and knew all about him 
When I had listened to all they had to tell  I began to walk up
and down near Briony Lodge once more  and to think over my plan
of campaign 

 This Godfrey Norton was evidently an important factor in the
matter  He was a lawyer  That sounded ominous  What was the
relation between them  and what the object of his repeated
visits  Was she his client  his friend  or his mistress  If the
former  she had probably transferred the photograph to his
keeping  If the latter  it was less likely  On the issue of this
question depended whether I should continue my work at Briony
Lodge  or turn my attention to the gentleman s chambers in the
Temple  It was a delicate point  and it widened the field of my
inquiry  I fear that I bore you with these details  but I have to
let you see my little difficulties  if you are to understand the
situation  

 I am following you closely   I answered 

 I was still balancing the matter in my mind when a hansom cab
drove up to Briony Lodge  and a gentleman sprang out  He was a
remarkably handsome man  dark  aquiline  and moustached  
evidently the man of whom I had heard  He appeared to be in a
great hurry  shouted to the cabman to wait  and brushed past the
maid who opened the door with the air of a man who was thoroughly
at home 

 He was in the house about half an hour  and I could catch
glimpses of him in the windows of the sitting room  pacing up and
down  talking excitedly  and waving his arms  Of her I could see
nothing  Presently he emerged  looking even more flurried than
before  As he stepped up to the cab  he pulled a gold watch from
his pocket and looked at it earnestly   Drive like the devil   he
shouted   first to Gross   Hankey s in Regent Street  and then to
the Church of St  Monica in the Edgeware Road  Half a guinea if
you do it in twenty minutes  

 Away they went  and I was just wondering whether I should not do
well to follow them when up the lane came a neat little landau 
the coachman with his coat only half buttoned  and his tie under
his ear  while all the tags of his harness were sticking out of
the buckles  It hadn t pulled up before she shot out of the hall
door and into it  I only caught a glimpse of her at the moment 
but she was a lovely woman  with a face that a man might die for 

  The Church of St  Monica  John   she cried   and half a
sovereign if you reach it in twenty minutes  

 This was quite too good to lose  Watson  I was just balancing
whether I should run for it  or whether I should perch behind her
landau when a cab came through the street  The driver looked
twice at such a shabby fare  but I jumped in before he could
object   The Church of St  Monica   said I   and half a sovereign
if you reach it in twenty minutes   It was twenty five minutes to
twelve  and of course it was clear enough what was in the wind 

 My cabby drove fast  I don t think I ever drove faster  but the
others were there before us  The cab and the landau with their
steaming horses were in front of the door when I arrived  I paid
the man and hurried into the church  There was not a soul there
save the two whom I had followed and a surpliced clergyman  who
seemed to be expostulating with them  They were all three
standing in a knot in front of the altar  I lounged up the side
aisle like any other idler who has dropped into a church 
Suddenly  to my surprise  the three at the altar faced round to
me  and Godfrey Norton came running as hard as he could towards
me 

  Thank God   he cried   You ll do  Come  Come  

  What then   I asked 

  Come  man  come  only three minutes  or it won t be legal  

 I was half dragged up to the altar  and before I knew where I was
I found myself mumbling responses which were whispered in my ear 
and vouching for things of which I knew nothing  and generally
assisting in the secure tying up of Irene Adler  spinster  to
Godfrey Norton  bachelor  It was all done in an instant  and
there was the gentleman thanking me on the one side and the lady
on the other  while the clergyman beamed on me in front  It was
the most preposterous position in which I ever found myself in my
life  and it was the thought of it that started me laughing just
now  It seems that there had been some informality about their
license  that the clergyman absolutely refused to marry them
without a witness of some sort  and that my lucky appearance
saved the bridegroom from having to sally out into the streets in
search of a best man  The bride gave me a sovereign  and I mean
to wear it on my watch chain in memory of the occasion  

 This is a very unexpected turn of affairs   said I   and what
then  

 Well  I found my plans very seriously menaced  It looked as if
the pair might take an immediate departure  and so necessitate
very prompt and energetic measures on my part  At the church
door  however  they separated  he driving back to the Temple  and
she to her own house   I shall drive out in the park at five as
usual   she said as she left him  I heard no more  They drove
away in different directions  and I went off to make my own
arrangements  

 Which are  

 Some cold beef and a glass of beer   he answered  ringing the
bell   I have been too busy to think of food  and I am likely to
be busier still this evening  By the way  Doctor  I shall want
your co operation  

 I shall be delighted  

 You don t mind breaking the law  

 Not in the least  

 Nor running a chance of arrest  

 Not in a good cause  

 Oh  the cause is excellent  

 Then I am your man  

 I was sure that I might rely on you  

 But what is it you wish  

 When Mrs  Turner has brought in the tray I will make it clear to
you  Now   he said as he turned hungrily on the simple fare that
our landlady had provided   I must discuss it while I eat  for I
have not much time  It is nearly five now  In two hours we must
be on the scene of action  Miss Irene  or Madame  rather  returns
from her drive at seven  We must be at Briony Lodge to meet her  

 And what then  

 You must leave that to me  I have already arranged what is to
occur  There is only one point on which I must insist  You must
not interfere  come what may  You understand  

 I am to be neutral  

 To do nothing whatever  There will probably be some small
unpleasantness  Do not join in it  It will end in my being
conveyed into the house  Four or five minutes afterwards the
sitting room window will open  You are to station yourself close
to that open window  

 Yes  

 You are to watch me  for I will be visible to you  

 Yes  

 And when I raise my hand  so  you will throw into the room what
I give you to throw  and will  at the same time  raise the cry of
fire  You quite follow me  

 Entirely  

 It is nothing very formidable   he said  taking a long cigar 
shaped roll from his pocket   It is an ordinary plumber s smoke 
rocket  fitted with a cap at either end to make it self lighting 
Your task is confined to that  When you raise your cry of fire 
it will be taken up by quite a number of people  You may then
walk to the end of the street  and I will rejoin you in ten
minutes  I hope that I have made myself clear  

 I am to remain neutral  to get near the window  to watch you 
and at the signal to throw in this object  then to raise the cry
of fire  and to wait you at the corner of the street  

 Precisely  

 Then you may entirely rely on me  

 That is excellent  I think  perhaps  it is almost time that I
prepare for the new role I have to play  

He disappeared into his bedroom and returned in a few minutes in
the character of an amiable and simple minded Nonconformist
clergyman  His broad black hat  his baggy trousers  his white
tie  his sympathetic smile  and general look of peering and
benevolent curiosity were such as Mr  John Hare alone could have
equalled  It was not merely that Holmes changed his costume  His
expression  his manner  his very soul seemed to vary with every
fresh part that he assumed  The stage lost a fine actor  even as
science lost an acute reasoner  when he became a specialist in
crime 

It was a quarter past six when we left Baker Street  and it still
wanted ten minutes to the hour when we found ourselves in
Serpentine Avenue  It was already dusk  and the lamps were just
being lighted as we paced up and down in front of Briony Lodge 
waiting for the coming of its occupant  The house was just such
as I had pictured it from Sherlock Holmes  succinct description 
but the locality appeared to be less private than I expected  On
the contrary  for a small street in a quiet neighbourhood  it was
remarkably animated  There was a group of shabbily dressed men
smoking and laughing in a corner  a scissors grinder with his
wheel  two guardsmen who were flirting with a nurse girl  and
several well dressed young men who were lounging up and down with
cigars in their mouths 

 You see   remarked Holmes  as we paced to and fro in front of
the house   this marriage rather simplifies matters  The
photograph becomes a double edged weapon now  The chances are
that she would be as averse to its being seen by Mr  Godfrey
Norton  as our client is to its coming to the eyes of his
princess  Now the question is  Where are we to find the
photograph  

 Where  indeed  

 It is most unlikely that she carries it about with her  It is
cabinet size  Too large for easy concealment about a woman s
dress  She knows that the King is capable of having her waylaid
and searched  Two attempts of the sort have already been made  We
may take it  then  that she does not carry it about with her  

 Where  then  

 Her banker or her lawyer  There is that double possibility  But
I am inclined to think neither  Women are naturally secretive 
and they like to do their own secreting  Why should she hand it
over to anyone else  She could trust her own guardianship  but
she could not tell what indirect or political influence might be
brought to bear upon a business man  Besides  remember that she
had resolved to use it within a few days  It must be where she
can lay her hands upon it  It must be in her own house  

 But it has twice been burgled  

 Pshaw  They did not know how to look  

 But how will you look  

 I will not look  

 What then  

 I will get her to show me  

 But she will refuse  

 She will not be able to  But I hear the rumble of wheels  It is
her carriage  Now carry out my orders to the letter  

As he spoke the gleam of the side lights of a carriage came round
the curve of the avenue  It was a smart little landau which
rattled up to the door of Briony Lodge  As it pulled up  one of
the loafing men at the corner dashed forward to open the door in
the hope of earning a copper  but was elbowed away by another
loafer  who had rushed up with the same intention  A fierce
quarrel broke out  which was increased by the two guardsmen  who
took sides with one of the loungers  and by the scissors grinder 
who was equally hot upon the other side  A blow was struck  and
in an instant the lady  who had stepped from her carriage  was
the centre of a little knot of flushed and struggling men  who
struck savagely at each other with their fists and sticks  Holmes
dashed into the crowd to protect the lady  but just as he reached
her he gave a cry and dropped to the ground  with the blood
running freely down his face  At his fall the guardsmen took to
their heels in one direction and the loungers in the other  while
a number of better dressed people  who had watched the scuffle
without taking part in it  crowded in to help the lady and to
attend to the injured man  Irene Adler  as I will still call her 
had hurried up the steps  but she stood at the top with her
superb figure outlined against the lights of the hall  looking
back into the street 

 Is the poor gentleman much hurt   she asked 

 He is dead   cried several voices 

 No  no  there s life in him   shouted another   But he ll be
gone before you can get him to hospital  

 He s a brave fellow   said a woman   They would have had the
lady s purse and watch if it hadn t been for him  They were a
gang  and a rough one  too  Ah  he s breathing now  

 He can t lie in the street  May we bring him in  marm  

 Surely  Bring him into the sitting room  There is a comfortable
sofa  This way  please  

Slowly and solemnly he was borne into Briony Lodge and laid out
in the principal room  while I still observed the proceedings
from my post by the window  The lamps had been lit  but the
blinds had not been drawn  so that I could see Holmes as he lay
upon the couch  I do not know whether he was seized with
compunction at that moment for the part he was playing  but I
know that I never felt more heartily ashamed of myself in my life
than when I saw the beautiful creature against whom I was
conspiring  or the grace and kindliness with which she waited
upon the injured man  And yet it would be the blackest treachery
to Holmes to draw back now from the part which he had intrusted
to me  I hardened my heart  and took the smoke rocket from under
my ulster  After all  I thought  we are not injuring her  We are
but preventing her from injuring another 

Holmes had sat up upon the couch  and I saw him motion like a man
who is in need of air  A maid rushed across and threw open the
window  At the same instant I saw him raise his hand and at the
signal I tossed my rocket into the room with a cry of  Fire   The
word was no sooner out of my mouth than the whole crowd of
spectators  well dressed and ill  gentlemen  ostlers  and
servant maids  joined in a general shriek of  Fire   Thick clouds
of smoke curled through the room and out at the open window  I
caught a glimpse of rushing figures  and a moment later the voice
of Holmes from within assuring them that it was a false alarm 
Slipping through the shouting crowd I made my way to the corner
of the street  and in ten minutes was rejoiced to find my
friend s arm in mine  and to get away from the scene of uproar 
He walked swiftly and in silence for some few minutes until we
had turned down one of the quiet streets which lead towards the
Edgeware Road 

 You did it very nicely  Doctor   he remarked   Nothing could
have been better  It is all right  

 You have the photograph  

 I know where it is  

 And how did you find out  

 She showed me  as I told you she would  

 I am still in the dark  

 I do not wish to make a mystery   said he  laughing   The matter
was perfectly simple  You  of course  saw that everyone in the
street was an accomplice  They were all engaged for the evening  

 I guessed as much  

 Then  when the row broke out  I had a little moist red paint in
the palm of my hand  I rushed forward  fell down  clapped my hand
to my face  and became a piteous spectacle  It is an old trick  

 That also I could fathom  

 Then they carried me in  She was bound to have me in  What else
could she do  And into her sitting room  which was the very room
which I suspected  It lay between that and her bedroom  and I was
determined to see which  They laid me on a couch  I motioned for
air  they were compelled to open the window  and you had your
chance  

 How did that help you  

 It was all important  When a woman thinks that her house is on
fire  her instinct is at once to rush to the thing which she
values most  It is a perfectly overpowering impulse  and I have
more than once taken advantage of it  In the case of the
Darlington substitution scandal it was of use to me  and also in
the Arnsworth Castle business  A married woman grabs at her baby 
an unmarried one reaches for her jewel box  Now it was clear to
me that our lady of to day had nothing in the house more precious
to her than what we are in quest of  She would rush to secure it 
The alarm of fire was admirably done  The smoke and shouting were
enough to shake nerves of steel  She responded beautifully  The
photograph is in a recess behind a sliding panel just above the
right bell pull  She was there in an instant  and I caught a
glimpse of it as she half drew it out  When I cried out that it
was a false alarm  she replaced it  glanced at the rocket  rushed
from the room  and I have not seen her since  I rose  and  making
my excuses  escaped from the house  I hesitated whether to
attempt to secure the photograph at once  but the coachman had
come in  and as he was watching me narrowly it seemed safer to
wait  A little over precipitance may ruin all  

 And now   I asked 

 Our quest is practically finished  I shall call with the King
to morrow  and with you  if you care to come with us  We will be
shown into the sitting room to wait for the lady  but it is
probable that when she comes she may find neither us nor the
photograph  It might be a satisfaction to his Majesty to regain
it with his own hands  

 And when will you call  

 At eight in the morning  She will not be up  so that we shall
have a clear field  Besides  we must be prompt  for this marriage
may mean a complete change in her life and habits  I must wire to
the King without delay  

We had reached Baker Street and had stopped at the door  He was
searching his pockets for the key when someone passing said 

 Good night  Mister Sherlock Holmes  

There were several people on the pavement at the time  but the
greeting appeared to come from a slim youth in an ulster who had
hurried by 

 I ve heard that voice before   said Holmes  staring down the
dimly lit street   Now  I wonder who the deuce that could have
been  


III 

I slept at Baker Street that night  and we were engaged upon our
toast and coffee in the morning when the King of Bohemia rushed
into the room 

 You have really got it   he cried  grasping Sherlock Holmes by
either shoulder and looking eagerly into his face 

 Not yet  

 But you have hopes  

 I have hopes  

 Then  come  I am all impatience to be gone  

 We must have a cab  

 No  my brougham is waiting  

 Then that will simplify matters   We descended and started off
once more for Briony Lodge 

 Irene Adler is married   remarked Holmes 

 Married  When  

 Yesterday  

 But to whom  

 To an English lawyer named Norton  

 But she could not love him  

 I am in hopes that she does  

 And why in hopes  

 Because it would spare your Majesty all fear of future
annoyance  If the lady loves her husband  she does not love your
Majesty  If she does not love your Majesty  there is no reason
why she should interfere with your Majesty s plan  

 It is true  And yet  Well  I wish she had been of my own
station  What a queen she would have made   He relapsed into a
moody silence  which was not broken until we drew up in
Serpentine Avenue 

The door of Briony Lodge was open  and an elderly woman stood
upon the steps  She watched us with a sardonic eye as we stepped
from the brougham 

 Mr  Sherlock Holmes  I believe   said she 

 I am Mr  Holmes   answered my companion  looking at her with a
questioning and rather startled gaze 

 Indeed  My mistress told me that you were likely to call  She
left this morning with her husband by the 5 15 train from Charing
Cross for the Continent  

 What   Sherlock Holmes staggered back  white with chagrin and
surprise   Do you mean that she has left England  

 Never to return  

 And the papers   asked the King hoarsely   All is lost  

 We shall see   He pushed past the servant and rushed into the
drawing room  followed by the King and myself  The furniture was
scattered about in every direction  with dismantled shelves and
open drawers  as if the lady had hurriedly ransacked them before
her flight  Holmes rushed at the bell pull  tore back a small
sliding shutter  and  plunging in his hand  pulled out a
photograph and a letter  The photograph was of Irene Adler
herself in evening dress  the letter was superscribed to
 Sherlock Holmes  Esq  To be left till called for   My friend
tore it open and we all three read it together  It was dated at
midnight of the preceding night and ran in this way 

 MY DEAR MR  SHERLOCK HOLMES   You really did it very well  You
took me in completely  Until after the alarm of fire  I had not a
suspicion  But then  when I found how I had betrayed myself  I
began to think  I had been warned against you months ago  I had
been told that if the King employed an agent it would certainly
be you  And your address had been given me  Yet  with all this 
you made me reveal what you wanted to know  Even after I became
suspicious  I found it hard to think evil of such a dear  kind
old clergyman  But  you know  I have been trained as an actress
myself  Male costume is nothing new to me  I often take advantage
of the freedom which it gives  I sent John  the coachman  to
watch you  ran up stairs  got into my walking clothes  as I call
them  and came down just as you departed 

 Well  I followed you to your door  and so made sure that I was
really an object of interest to the celebrated Mr  Sherlock
Holmes  Then I  rather imprudently  wished you good night  and
started for the Temple to see my husband 

 We both thought the best resource was flight  when pursued by
so formidable an antagonist  so you will find the nest empty when
you call to morrow  As to the photograph  your client may rest in
peace  I love and am loved by a better man than he  The King may
do what he will without hindrance from one whom he has cruelly
wronged  I keep it only to safeguard myself  and to preserve a
weapon which will always secure me from any steps which he might
take in the future  I leave a photograph which he might care to
possess  and I remain  dear Mr  Sherlock Holmes 

                                       Very truly yours 
                                    IRENE NORTON  née ADLER  

 What a woman  oh  what a woman   cried the King of Bohemia  when
we had all three read this epistle   Did I not tell you how quick
and resolute she was  Would she not have made an admirable queen 
Is it not a pity that she was not on my level  

 From what I have seen of the lady she seems indeed to be on a
very different level to your Majesty   said Holmes coldly   I am
sorry that I have not been able to bring your Majesty s business
to a more successful conclusion  

 On the contrary  my dear sir   cried the King   nothing could be
more successful  I know that her word is inviolate  The
photograph is now as safe as if it were in the fire  

 I am glad to hear your Majesty say so  

 I am immensely indebted to you  Pray tell me in what way I can
reward you  This ring    He slipped an emerald snake ring from
his finger and held it out upon the palm of his hand 

 Your Majesty has something which I should value even more
highly   said Holmes 

 You have but to name it  

 This photograph  

The King stared at him in amazement 

 Irene s photograph   he cried   Certainly  if you wish it  

 I thank your Majesty  Then there is no more to be done in the
matter  I have the honour to wish you a very good morning   He
bowed  and  turning away without observing the hand which the
King had stretched out to him  he set off in my company for his
chambers 

And that was how a great scandal threatened to affect the kingdom
of Bohemia  and how the best plans of Mr  Sherlock Holmes were
beaten by a woman s wit  He used to make merry over the
cleverness of women  but I have not heard him do it of late  And
when he speaks of Irene Adler  or when he refers to her
photograph  it is always under the honourable title of the woman 



ADVENTURE II  THE RED HEADED LEAGUE

I had called upon my friend  Mr  Sherlock Holmes  one day in the
autumn of last year and found him in deep conversation with a
very stout  florid faced  elderly gentleman with fiery red hair 
With an apology for my intrusion  I was about to withdraw when
Holmes pulled me abruptly into the room and closed the door
behind me 

 You could not possibly have come at a better time  my dear
Watson   he said cordially 

 I was afraid that you were engaged  

 So I am  Very much so  

 Then I can wait in the next room  

 Not at all  This gentleman  Mr  Wilson  has been my partner and
helper in many of my most successful cases  and I have no
doubt that he will be of the utmost use to me in yours also  

The stout gentleman half rose from his chair and gave a bob of
greeting  with a quick little questioning glance from his small
fat encircled eyes 

 Try the settee   said Holmes  relapsing into his armchair and
putting his fingertips together  as was his custom when in
judicial moods   I know  my dear Watson  that you share my love
of all that is bizarre and outside the conventions and humdrum
routine of everyday life  You have shown your relish for it by
the enthusiasm which has prompted you to chronicle  and  if you
will excuse my saying so  somewhat to embellish so many of my own
little adventures  

 Your cases have indeed been of the greatest interest to me   I
observed 

 You will remember that I remarked the other day  just before we
went into the very simple problem presented by Miss Mary
Sutherland  that for strange effects and extraordinary
combinations we must go to life itself  which is always far more
daring than any effort of the imagination  

 A proposition which I took the liberty of doubting  

 You did  Doctor  but none the less you must come round to my
view  for otherwise I shall keep on piling fact upon fact on you
until your reason breaks down under them and acknowledges me to
be right  Now  Mr  Jabez Wilson here has been good enough to call
upon me this morning  and to begin a narrative which promises to
be one of the most singular which I have listened to for some
time  You have heard me remark that the strangest and most unique
things are very often connected not with the larger but with the
smaller crimes  and occasionally  indeed  where there is room for
doubt whether any positive crime has been committed  As far as I
have heard it is impossible for me to say whether the present
case is an instance of crime or not  but the course of events is
certainly among the most singular that I have ever listened to 
Perhaps  Mr  Wilson  you would have the great kindness to
recommence your narrative  I ask you not merely because my friend
Dr  Watson has not heard the opening part but also because the
peculiar nature of the story makes me anxious to have every
possible detail from your lips  As a rule  when I have heard some
slight indication of the course of events  I am able to guide
myself by the thousands of other similar cases which occur to my
memory  In the present instance I am forced to admit that the
facts are  to the best of my belief  unique  

The portly client puffed out his chest with an appearance of some
little pride and pulled a dirty and wrinkled newspaper from the
inside pocket of his greatcoat  As he glanced down the
advertisement column  with his head thrust forward and the paper
flattened out upon his knee  I took a good look at the man and
endeavoured  after the fashion of my companion  to read the
indications which might be presented by his dress or appearance 

I did not gain very much  however  by my inspection  Our visitor
bore every mark of being an average commonplace British
tradesman  obese  pompous  and slow  He wore rather baggy grey
shepherd s check trousers  a not over clean black frock coat 
unbuttoned in the front  and a drab waistcoat with a heavy brassy
Albert chain  and a square pierced bit of metal dangling down as
an ornament  A frayed top hat and a faded brown overcoat with a
wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside him  Altogether 
look as I would  there was nothing remarkable about the man save
his blazing red head  and the expression of extreme chagrin and
discontent upon his features 

Sherlock Holmes  quick eye took in my occupation  and he shook
his head with a smile as he noticed my questioning glances 
 Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual
labour  that he takes snuff  that he is a Freemason  that he has
been in China  and that he has done a considerable amount of
writing lately  I can deduce nothing else  

Mr  Jabez Wilson started up in his chair  with his forefinger
upon the paper  but his eyes upon my companion 

 How  in the name of good fortune  did you know all that  Mr 
Holmes   he asked   How did you know  for example  that I did
manual labour  It s as true as gospel  for I began as a ship s
carpenter  

 Your hands  my dear sir  Your right hand is quite a size larger
than your left  You have worked with it  and the muscles are more
developed  

 Well  the snuff  then  and the Freemasonry  

 I won t insult your intelligence by telling you how I read that 
especially as  rather against the strict rules of your order  you
use an arc and compass breastpin  

 Ah  of course  I forgot that  But the writing  

 What else can be indicated by that right cuff so very shiny for
five inches  and the left one with the smooth patch near the
elbow where you rest it upon the desk  

 Well  but China  

 The fish that you have tattooed immediately above your right
wrist could only have been done in China  I have made a small
study of tattoo marks and have even contributed to the literature
of the subject  That trick of staining the fishes  scales of a
delicate pink is quite peculiar to China  When  in addition  I
see a Chinese coin hanging from your watch chain  the matter
becomes even more simple  

Mr  Jabez Wilson laughed heavily   Well  I never   said he   I
thought at first that you had done something clever  but I see
that there was nothing in it  after all  

 I begin to think  Watson   said Holmes   that I make a mistake
in explaining   Omne ignotum pro magnifico   you know  and my
poor little reputation  such as it is  will suffer shipwreck if I
am so candid  Can you not find the advertisement  Mr  Wilson  

 Yes  I have got it now   he answered with his thick red finger
planted halfway down the column   Here it is  This is what began
it all  You just read it for yourself  sir  

I took the paper from him and read as follows 

 TO THE RED HEADED LEAGUE  On account of the bequest of the late
Ezekiah Hopkins  of Lebanon  Pennsylvania  U  S  A   there is now
another vacancy open which entitles a member of the League to a
salary of 4 pounds a week for purely nominal services  All
red headed men who are sound in body and mind and above the age
of twenty one years  are eligible  Apply in person on Monday  at
eleven o clock  to Duncan Ross  at the offices of the League  7
Pope s Court  Fleet Street  

 What on earth does this mean   I ejaculated after I had twice
read over the extraordinary announcement 

Holmes chuckled and wriggled in his chair  as was his habit when
in high spirits   It is a little off the beaten track  isn t it  
said he   And now  Mr  Wilson  off you go at scratch and tell us
all about yourself  your household  and the effect which this
advertisement had upon your fortunes  You will first make a note 
Doctor  of the paper and the date  

 It is The Morning Chronicle of April 27  1890  Just two months
ago  

 Very good  Now  Mr  Wilson  

 Well  it is just as I have been telling you  Mr  Sherlock
Holmes   said Jabez Wilson  mopping his forehead   I have a small
pawnbroker s business at Coburg Square  near the City  It s not a
very large affair  and of late years it has not done more than
just give me a living  I used to be able to keep two assistants 
but now I only keep one  and I would have a job to pay him but
that he is willing to come for half wages so as to learn the
business  

 What is the name of this obliging youth   asked Sherlock Holmes 

 His name is Vincent Spaulding  and he s not such a youth 
either  It s hard to say his age  I should not wish a smarter
assistant  Mr  Holmes  and I know very well that he could better
himself and earn twice what I am able to give him  But  after
all  if he is satisfied  why should I put ideas in his head  

 Why  indeed  You seem most fortunate in having an employé who
comes under the full market price  It is not a common experience
among employers in this age  I don t know that your assistant is
not as remarkable as your advertisement  

 Oh  he has his faults  too   said Mr  Wilson   Never was such a
fellow for photography  Snapping away with a camera when he ought
to be improving his mind  and then diving down into the cellar
like a rabbit into its hole to develop his pictures  That is his
main fault  but on the whole he s a good worker  There s no vice
in him  

 He is still with you  I presume  

 Yes  sir  He and a girl of fourteen  who does a bit of simple
cooking and keeps the place clean  that s all I have in the
house  for I am a widower and never had any family  We live very
quietly  sir  the three of us  and we keep a roof over our heads
and pay our debts  if we do nothing more 

 The first thing that put us out was that advertisement 
Spaulding  he came down into the office just this day eight
weeks  with this very paper in his hand  and he says 

  I wish to the Lord  Mr  Wilson  that I was a red headed man  

  Why that   I asks 

  Why   says he   here s another vacancy on the League of the
Red headed Men  It s worth quite a little fortune to any man who
gets it  and I understand that there are more vacancies than
there are men  so that the trustees are at their wits  end what
to do with the money  If my hair would only change colour  here s
a nice little crib all ready for me to step into  

  Why  what is it  then   I asked  You see  Mr  Holmes  I am a
very stay at home man  and as my business came to me instead of
my having to go to it  I was often weeks on end without putting
my foot over the door mat  In that way I didn t know much of what
was going on outside  and I was always glad of a bit of news 

  Have you never heard of the League of the Red headed Men   he
asked with his eyes open 

  Never  

  Why  I wonder at that  for you are eligible yourself for one
of the vacancies  

  And what are they worth   I asked 

  Oh  merely a couple of hundred a year  but the work is slight 
and it need not interfere very much with one s other
occupations  

 Well  you can easily think that that made me prick up my ears 
for the business has not been over good for some years  and an
extra couple of hundred would have been very handy 

  Tell me all about it   said I 

  Well   said he  showing me the advertisement   you can see for
yourself that the League has a vacancy  and there is the address
where you should apply for particulars  As far as I can make out 
the League was founded by an American millionaire  Ezekiah
Hopkins  who was very peculiar in his ways  He was himself
red headed  and he had a great sympathy for all red headed men 
so when he died it was found that he had left his enormous
fortune in the hands of trustees  with instructions to apply the
interest to the providing of easy berths to men whose hair is of
that colour  From all I hear it is splendid pay and very little to
do  

  But   said I   there would be millions of red headed men who
would apply  

  Not so many as you might think   he answered   You see it is
really confined to Londoners  and to grown men  This American had
started from London when he was young  and he wanted to do the
old town a good turn  Then  again  I have heard it is no use your
applying if your hair is light red  or dark red  or anything but
real bright  blazing  fiery red  Now  if you cared to apply  Mr 
Wilson  you would just walk in  but perhaps it would hardly be
worth your while to put yourself out of the way for the sake of a
few hundred pounds  

 Now  it is a fact  gentlemen  as you may see for yourselves 
that my hair is of a very full and rich tint  so that it seemed
to me that if there was to be any competition in the matter I
stood as good a chance as any man that I had ever met  Vincent
Spaulding seemed to know so much about it that I thought he might
prove useful  so I just ordered him to put up the shutters for
the day and to come right away with me  He was very willing to
have a holiday  so we shut the business up and started off for
the address that was given us in the advertisement 

 I never hope to see such a sight as that again  Mr  Holmes  From
north  south  east  and west every man who had a shade of red in
his hair had tramped into the city to answer the advertisement 
Fleet Street was choked with red headed folk  and Pope s Court
looked like a coster s orange barrow  I should not have thought
there were so many in the whole country as were brought together
by that single advertisement  Every shade of colour they
were  straw  lemon  orange  brick  Irish setter  liver  clay 
but  as Spaulding said  there were not many who had the real
vivid flame coloured tint  When I saw how many were waiting  I
would have given it up in despair  but Spaulding would not hear
of it  How he did it I could not imagine  but he pushed and
pulled and butted until he got me through the crowd  and right up
to the steps which led to the office  There was a double stream
upon the stair  some going up in hope  and some coming back
dejected  but we wedged in as well as we could and soon found
ourselves in the office  

 Your experience has been a most entertaining one   remarked
Holmes as his client paused and refreshed his memory with a huge
pinch of snuff   Pray continue your very interesting statement  

 There was nothing in the office but a couple of wooden chairs
and a deal table  behind which sat a small man with a head that
was even redder than mine  He said a few words to each candidate
as he came up  and then he always managed to find some fault in
them which would disqualify them  Getting a vacancy did not seem
to be such a very easy matter  after all  However  when our turn
came the little man was much more favourable to me than to any of
the others  and he closed the door as we entered  so that he
might have a private word with us 

  This is Mr  Jabez Wilson   said my assistant   and he is
willing to fill a vacancy in the League  

  And he is admirably suited for it   the other answered   He has
every requirement  I cannot recall when I have seen anything so
fine   He took a step backward  cocked his head on one side  and
gazed at my hair until I felt quite bashful  Then suddenly he
plunged forward  wrung my hand  and congratulated me warmly on my
success 

  It would be injustice to hesitate   said he   You will 
however  I am sure  excuse me for taking an obvious precaution  
With that he seized my hair in both his hands  and tugged until I
yelled with the pain   There is water in your eyes   said he as
he released me   I perceive that all is as it should be  But we
have to be careful  for we have twice been deceived by wigs and
once by paint  I could tell you tales of cobbler s wax which
would disgust you with human nature   He stepped over to the
window and shouted through it at the top of his voice that the
vacancy was filled  A groan of disappointment came up from below 
and the folk all trooped away in different directions until there
was not a red head to be seen except my own and that of the
manager 

  My name   said he   is Mr  Duncan Ross  and I am myself one of
the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor  Are
you a married man  Mr  Wilson  Have you a family  

 I answered that I had not 

 His face fell immediately 

  Dear me   he said gravely   that is very serious indeed  I am
sorry to hear you say that  The fund was  of course  for the
propagation and spread of the red heads as well as for their
maintenance  It is exceedingly unfortunate that you should be a
bachelor  

 My face lengthened at this  Mr  Holmes  for I thought that I was
not to have the vacancy after all  but after thinking it over for
a few minutes he said that it would be all right 

  In the case of another   said he   the objection might be
fatal  but we must stretch a point in favour of a man with such a
head of hair as yours  When shall you be able to enter upon your
new duties  

  Well  it is a little awkward  for I have a business already  
said I 

  Oh  never mind about that  Mr  Wilson   said Vincent Spaulding 
 I should be able to look after that for you  

  What would be the hours   I asked 

  Ten to two  

 Now a pawnbroker s business is mostly done of an evening  Mr 
Holmes  especially Thursday and Friday evening  which is just
before pay day  so it would suit me very well to earn a little in
the mornings  Besides  I knew that my assistant was a good man 
and that he would see to anything that turned up 

  That would suit me very well   said I   And the pay  

  Is 4 pounds a week  

  And the work  

  Is purely nominal  

  What do you call purely nominal  

  Well  you have to be in the office  or at least in the
building  the whole time  If you leave  you forfeit your whole
position forever  The will is very clear upon that point  You
don t comply with the conditions if you budge from the office
during that time  

  It s only four hours a day  and I should not think of leaving  
said I 

  No excuse will avail   said Mr  Duncan Ross   neither sickness
nor business nor anything else  There you must stay  or you lose
your billet  

  And the work  

  Is to copy out the  Encyclopaedia Britannica   There is the first
volume of it in that press  You must find your own ink  pens  and
blotting paper  but we provide this table and chair  Will you be
ready to morrow  

  Certainly   I answered 

  Then  good bye  Mr  Jabez Wilson  and let me congratulate you
once more on the important position which you have been fortunate
enough to gain   He bowed me out of the room and I went home with
my assistant  hardly knowing what to say or do  I was so pleased
at my own good fortune 

 Well  I thought over the matter all day  and by evening I was in
low spirits again  for I had quite persuaded myself that the
whole affair must be some great hoax or fraud  though what its
object might be I could not imagine  It seemed altogether past
belief that anyone could make such a will  or that they would pay
such a sum for doing anything so simple as copying out the
 Encyclopaedia Britannica   Vincent Spaulding did what he could to
cheer me up  but by bedtime I had reasoned myself out of the
whole thing  However  in the morning I determined to have a look
at it anyhow  so I bought a penny bottle of ink  and with a
quill pen  and seven sheets of foolscap paper  I started off for
Pope s Court 

 Well  to my surprise and delight  everything was as right as
possible  The table was set out ready for me  and Mr  Duncan Ross
was there to see that I got fairly to work  He started me off
upon the letter A  and then he left me  but he would drop in from
time to time to see that all was right with me  At two o clock he
bade me good day  complimented me upon the amount that I had
written  and locked the door of the office after me 

 This went on day after day  Mr  Holmes  and on Saturday the
manager came in and planked down four golden sovereigns for my
week s work  It was the same next week  and the same the week
after  Every morning I was there at ten  and every afternoon I
left at two  By degrees Mr  Duncan Ross took to coming in only
once of a morning  and then  after a time  he did not come in at
all  Still  of course  I never dared to leave the room for an
instant  for I was not sure when he might come  and the billet
was such a good one  and suited me so well  that I would not risk
the loss of it 

 Eight weeks passed away like this  and I had written about
Abbots and Archery and Armour and Architecture and Attica  and
hoped with diligence that I might get on to the B s before very
long  It cost me something in foolscap  and I had pretty nearly
filled a shelf with my writings  And then suddenly the whole
business came to an end  

 To an end  

 Yes  sir  And no later than this morning  I went to my work as
usual at ten o clock  but the door was shut and locked  with a
little square of cardboard hammered on to the middle of the
panel with a tack  Here it is  and you can read for yourself  

He held up a piece of white cardboard about the size of a sheet
of note paper  It read in this fashion 

                  THE RED HEADED LEAGUE

                           IS

                        DISSOLVED 

                     October 9  1890 

Sherlock Holmes and I surveyed this curt announcement and the
rueful face behind it  until the comical side of the affair so
completely overtopped every other consideration that we both
burst out into a roar of laughter 

 I cannot see that there is anything very funny   cried our
client  flushing up to the roots of his flaming head   If you can
do nothing better than laugh at me  I can go elsewhere  

 No  no   cried Holmes  shoving him back into the chair from
which he had half risen   I really wouldn t miss your case for
the world  It is most refreshingly unusual  But there is  if you
will excuse my saying so  something just a little funny about it 
Pray what steps did you take when you found the card upon the
door  

 I was staggered  sir  I did not know what to do  Then I called
at the offices round  but none of them seemed to know anything
about it  Finally  I went to the landlord  who is an accountant
living on the ground floor  and I asked him if he could tell me
what had become of the Red headed League  He said that he had
never heard of any such body  Then I asked him who Mr  Duncan
Ross was  He answered that the name was new to him 

  Well   said I   the gentleman at No  4  

  What  the red headed man  

  Yes  

  Oh   said he   his name was William Morris  He was a solicitor
and was using my room as a temporary convenience until his new
premises were ready  He moved out yesterday  

  Where could I find him  

  Oh  at his new offices  He did tell me the address  Yes  17
King Edward Street  near St  Paul s  

 I started off  Mr  Holmes  but when I got to that address it was
a manufactory of artificial knee caps  and no one in it had ever
heard of either Mr  William Morris or Mr  Duncan Ross  

 And what did you do then   asked Holmes 

 I went home to Saxe Coburg Square  and I took the advice of my
assistant  But he could not help me in any way  He could only say
that if I waited I should hear by post  But that was not quite
good enough  Mr  Holmes  I did not wish to lose such a place
without a struggle  so  as I had heard that you were good enough
to give advice to poor folk who were in need of it  I came right
away to you  

 And you did very wisely   said Holmes   Your case is an
exceedingly remarkable one  and I shall be happy to look into it 
From what you have told me I think that it is possible that
graver issues hang from it than might at first sight appear  

 Grave enough   said Mr  Jabez Wilson   Why  I have lost four
pound a week  

 As far as you are personally concerned   remarked Holmes   I do
not see that you have any grievance against this extraordinary
league  On the contrary  you are  as I understand  richer by some
30 pounds  to say nothing of the minute knowledge which you have
gained on every subject which comes under the letter A  You have
lost nothing by them  

 No  sir  But I want to find out about them  and who they are 
and what their object was in playing this prank  if it was a
prank  upon me  It was a pretty expensive joke for them  for it
cost them two and thirty pounds  

 We shall endeavour to clear up these points for you  And  first 
one or two questions  Mr  Wilson  This assistant of yours who
first called your attention to the advertisement  how long had he
been with you  

 About a month then  

 How did he come  

 In answer to an advertisement  

 Was he the only applicant  

 No  I had a dozen  

 Why did you pick him  

 Because he was handy and would come cheap  

 At half wages  in fact  

 Yes  

 What is he like  this Vincent Spaulding  

 Small  stout built  very quick in his ways  no hair on his face 
though he s not short of thirty  Has a white splash of acid upon
his forehead  

Holmes sat up in his chair in considerable excitement   I thought
as much   said he   Have you ever observed that his ears are
pierced for earrings  

 Yes  sir  He told me that a gipsy had done it for him when he
was a lad  

 Hum   said Holmes  sinking back in deep thought   He is still
with you  

 Oh  yes  sir  I have only just left him  

 And has your business been attended to in your absence  

 Nothing to complain of  sir  There s never very much to do of a
morning  

 That will do  Mr  Wilson  I shall be happy to give you an
opinion upon the subject in the course of a day or two  To day is
Saturday  and I hope that by Monday we may come to a conclusion  

 Well  Watson   said Holmes when our visitor had left us   what
do you make of it all  

 I make nothing of it   I answered frankly   It is a most
mysterious business  

 As a rule   said Holmes   the more bizarre a thing is the less
mysterious it proves to be  It is your commonplace  featureless
crimes which are really puzzling  just as a commonplace face is
the most difficult to identify  But I must be prompt over this
matter  

 What are you going to do  then   I asked 

 To smoke   he answered   It is quite a three pipe problem  and I
beg that you won t speak to me for fifty minutes   He curled
himself up in his chair  with his thin knees drawn up to his
hawk like nose  and there he sat with his eyes closed and his
black clay pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange bird 
I had come to the conclusion that he had dropped asleep  and
indeed was nodding myself  when he suddenly sprang out of his
chair with the gesture of a man who has made up his mind and put
his pipe down upon the mantelpiece 

 Sarasate plays at the St  James s Hall this afternoon   he
remarked   What do you think  Watson  Could your patients spare
you for a few hours  

 I have nothing to do to day  My practice is never very
absorbing  

 Then put on your hat and come  I am going through the City
first  and we can have some lunch on the way  I observe that
there is a good deal of German music on the programme  which is
rather more to my taste than Italian or French  It is
introspective  and I want to introspect  Come along  

We travelled by the Underground as far as Aldersgate  and a short
walk took us to Saxe Coburg Square  the scene of the singular
story which we had listened to in the morning  It was a poky 
little  shabby genteel place  where four lines of dingy
two storied brick houses looked out into a small railed in
enclosure  where a lawn of weedy grass and a few clumps of faded
laurel bushes made a hard fight against a smoke laden and
uncongenial atmosphere  Three gilt balls and a brown board with
 JABEZ WILSON  in white letters  upon a corner house  announced
the place where our red headed client carried on his business 
Sherlock Holmes stopped in front of it with his head on one side
and looked it all over  with his eyes shining brightly between
puckered lids  Then he walked slowly up the street  and then down
again to the corner  still looking keenly at the houses  Finally
he returned to the pawnbroker s  and  having thumped vigorously
upon the pavement with his stick two or three times  he went up
to the door and knocked  It was instantly opened by a
bright looking  clean shaven young fellow  who asked him to step
in 

 Thank you   said Holmes   I only wished to ask you how you would
go from here to the Strand  

 Third right  fourth left   answered the assistant promptly 
closing the door 

 Smart fellow  that   observed Holmes as we walked away   He is 
in my judgment  the fourth smartest man in London  and for daring
I am not sure that he has not a claim to be third  I have known
something of him before  

 Evidently   said I   Mr  Wilson s assistant counts for a good
deal in this mystery of the Red headed League  I am sure that you
inquired your way merely in order that you might see him  

 Not him  

 What then  

 The knees of his trousers  

 And what did you see  

 What I expected to see  

 Why did you beat the pavement  

 My dear doctor  this is a time for observation  not for talk  We
are spies in an enemy s country  We know something of Saxe Coburg
Square  Let us now explore the parts which lie behind it  

The road in which we found ourselves as we turned round the
corner from the retired Saxe Coburg Square presented as great a
contrast to it as the front of a picture does to the back  It was
one of the main arteries which conveyed the traffic of the City
to the north and west  The roadway was blocked with the immense
stream of commerce flowing in a double tide inward and outward 
while the footpaths were black with the hurrying swarm of
pedestrians  It was difficult to realise as we looked at the line
of fine shops and stately business premises that they really
abutted on the other side upon the faded and stagnant square
which we had just quitted 

 Let me see   said Holmes  standing at the corner and glancing
along the line   I should like just to remember the order of the
houses here  It is a hobby of mine to have an exact knowledge of
London  There is Mortimer s  the tobacconist  the little
newspaper shop  the Coburg branch of the City and Suburban Bank 
the Vegetarian Restaurant  and McFarlane s carriage building
depot  That carries us right on to the other block  And now 
Doctor  we ve done our work  so it s time we had some play  A
sandwich and a cup of coffee  and then off to violin land  where
all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony  and there are no
red headed clients to vex us with their conundrums  

My friend was an enthusiastic musician  being himself not only a
very capable performer but a composer of no ordinary merit  All
the afternoon he sat in the stalls wrapped in the most perfect
happiness  gently waving his long  thin fingers in time to the
music  while his gently smiling face and his languid  dreamy eyes
were as unlike those of Holmes the sleuth hound  Holmes the
relentless  keen witted  ready handed criminal agent  as it was
possible to conceive  In his singular character the dual nature
alternately asserted itself  and his extreme exactness and
astuteness represented  as I have often thought  the reaction
against the poetic and contemplative mood which occasionally
predominated in him  The swing of his nature took him from
extreme languor to devouring energy  and  as I knew well  he was
never so truly formidable as when  for days on end  he had been
lounging in his armchair amid his improvisations and his
black letter editions  Then it was that the lust of the chase
would suddenly come upon him  and that his brilliant reasoning
power would rise to the level of intuition  until those who were
unacquainted with his methods would look askance at him as on a
man whose knowledge was not that of other mortals  When I saw him
that afternoon so enwrapped in the music at St  James s Hall I
felt that an evil time might be coming upon those whom he had set
himself to hunt down 

 You want to go home  no doubt  Doctor   he remarked as we
emerged 

 Yes  it would be as well  

 And I have some business to do which will take some hours  This
business at Coburg Square is serious  

 Why serious  

 A considerable crime is in contemplation  I have every reason to
believe that we shall be in time to stop it  But to day being
Saturday rather complicates matters  I shall want your help
to night  

 At what time  

 Ten will be early enough  

 I shall be at Baker Street at ten  

 Very well  And  I say  Doctor  there may be some little danger 
so kindly put your army revolver in your pocket   He waved his
hand  turned on his heel  and disappeared in an instant among the
crowd 

I trust that I am not more dense than my neighbours  but I was
always oppressed with a sense of my own stupidity in my dealings
with Sherlock Holmes  Here I had heard what he had heard  I had
seen what he had seen  and yet from his words it was evident that
he saw clearly not only what had happened but what was about to
happen  while to me the whole business was still confused and
grotesque  As I drove home to my house in Kensington I thought
over it all  from the extraordinary story of the red headed
copier of the  Encyclopaedia  down to the visit to Saxe Coburg
Square  and the ominous words with which he had parted from me 
What was this nocturnal expedition  and why should I go armed 
Where were we going  and what were we to do  I had the hint from
Holmes that this smooth faced pawnbroker s assistant was a
formidable man  a man who might play a deep game  I tried to
puzzle it out  but gave it up in despair and set the matter aside
until night should bring an explanation 

It was a quarter past nine when I started from home and made my
way across the Park  and so through Oxford Street to Baker
Street  Two hansoms were standing at the door  and as I entered
the passage I heard the sound of voices from above  On entering
his room I found Holmes in animated conversation with two men 
one of whom I recognised as Peter Jones  the official police
agent  while the other was a long  thin  sad faced man  with a
very shiny hat and oppressively respectable frock coat 

 Ha  Our party is complete   said Holmes  buttoning up his
pea jacket and taking his heavy hunting crop from the rack 
 Watson  I think you know Mr  Jones  of Scotland Yard  Let me
introduce you to Mr  Merryweather  who is to be our companion in
to night s adventure  

 We re hunting in couples again  Doctor  you see   said Jones in
his consequential way   Our friend here is a wonderful man for
starting a chase  All he wants is an old dog to help him to do
the running down  

 I hope a wild goose may not prove to be the end of our chase  
observed Mr  Merryweather gloomily 

 You may place considerable confidence in Mr  Holmes  sir   said
the police agent loftily   He has his own little methods  which
are  if he won t mind my saying so  just a little too theoretical
and fantastic  but he has the makings of a detective in him  It
is not too much to say that once or twice  as in that business of
the Sholto murder and the Agra treasure  he has been more nearly
correct than the official force  

 Oh  if you say so  Mr  Jones  it is all right   said the
stranger with deference   Still  I confess that I miss my rubber 
It is the first Saturday night for seven and twenty years that I
have not had my rubber  

 I think you will find   said Sherlock Holmes   that you will
play for a higher stake to night than you have ever done yet  and
that the play will be more exciting  For you  Mr  Merryweather 
the stake will be some 30 000 pounds  and for you  Jones  it will
be the man upon whom you wish to lay your hands  

 John Clay  the murderer  thief  smasher  and forger  He s a
young man  Mr  Merryweather  but he is at the head of his
profession  and I would rather have my bracelets on him than on
any criminal in London  He s a remarkable man  is young John
Clay  His grandfather was a royal duke  and he himself has been
to Eton and Oxford  His brain is as cunning as his fingers  and
though we meet signs of him at every turn  we never know where to
find the man himself  He ll crack a crib in Scotland one week 
and be raising money to build an orphanage in Cornwall the next 
I ve been on his track for years and have never set eyes on him
yet  

 I hope that I may have the pleasure of introducing you to night 
I ve had one or two little turns also with Mr  John Clay  and I
agree with you that he is at the head of his profession  It is
past ten  however  and quite time that we started  If you two
will take the first hansom  Watson and I will follow in the
second  

Sherlock Holmes was not very communicative during the long drive
and lay back in the cab humming the tunes which he had heard in
the afternoon  We rattled through an endless labyrinth of gas lit
streets until we emerged into Farrington Street 

 We are close there now   my friend remarked   This fellow
Merryweather is a bank director  and personally interested in the
matter  I thought it as well to have Jones with us also  He is
not a bad fellow  though an absolute imbecile in his profession 
He has one positive virtue  He is as brave as a bulldog and as
tenacious as a lobster if he gets his claws upon anyone  Here we
are  and they are waiting for us  

We had reached the same crowded thoroughfare in which we had
found ourselves in the morning  Our cabs were dismissed  and 
following the guidance of Mr  Merryweather  we passed down a
narrow passage and through a side door  which he opened for us 
Within there was a small corridor  which ended in a very massive
iron gate  This also was opened  and led down a flight of winding
stone steps  which terminated at another formidable gate  Mr 
Merryweather stopped to light a lantern  and then conducted us
down a dark  earth smelling passage  and so  after opening a
third door  into a huge vault or cellar  which was piled all
round with crates and massive boxes 

 You are not very vulnerable from above   Holmes remarked as he
held up the lantern and gazed about him 

 Nor from below   said Mr  Merryweather  striking his stick upon
the flags which lined the floor   Why  dear me  it sounds quite
hollow   he remarked  looking up in surprise 

 I must really ask you to be a little more quiet   said Holmes
severely   You have already imperilled the whole success of our
expedition  Might I beg that you would have the goodness to sit
down upon one of those boxes  and not to interfere  

The solemn Mr  Merryweather perched himself upon a crate  with a
very injured expression upon his face  while Holmes fell upon his
knees upon the floor and  with the lantern and a magnifying lens 
began to examine minutely the cracks between the stones  A few
seconds sufficed to satisfy him  for he sprang to his feet again
and put his glass in his pocket 

 We have at least an hour before us   he remarked   for they can
hardly take any steps until the good pawnbroker is safely in bed 
Then they will not lose a minute  for the sooner they do their
work the longer time they will have for their escape  We are at
present  Doctor  as no doubt you have divined  in the cellar of
the City branch of one of the principal London banks  Mr 
Merryweather is the chairman of directors  and he will explain to
you that there are reasons why the more daring criminals of
London should take a considerable interest in this cellar at
present  

 It is our French gold   whispered the director   We have had
several warnings that an attempt might be made upon it  

 Your French gold  

 Yes  We had occasion some months ago to strengthen our resources
and borrowed for that purpose 30 000 napoleons from the Bank of
France  It has become known that we have never had occasion to
unpack the money  and that it is still lying in our cellar  The
crate upon which I sit contains 2 000 napoleons packed between
layers of lead foil  Our reserve of bullion is much larger at
present than is usually kept in a single branch office  and the
directors have had misgivings upon the subject  

 Which were very well justified   observed Holmes   And now it is
time that we arranged our little plans  I expect that within an
hour matters will come to a head  In the meantime Mr 
Merryweather  we must put the screen over that dark lantern  

 And sit in the dark  

 I am afraid so  I had brought a pack of cards in my pocket  and
I thought that  as we were a partie carrée  you might have your
rubber after all  But I see that the enemy s preparations have
gone so far that we cannot risk the presence of a light  And 
first of all  we must choose our positions  These are daring men 
and though we shall take them at a disadvantage  they may do us
some harm unless we are careful  I shall stand behind this crate 
and do you conceal yourselves behind those  Then  when I flash a
light upon them  close in swiftly  If they fire  Watson  have no
compunction about shooting them down  

I placed my revolver  cocked  upon the top of the wooden case
behind which I crouched  Holmes shot the slide across the front
of his lantern and left us in pitch darkness  such an absolute
darkness as I have never before experienced  The smell of hot
metal remained to assure us that the light was still there  ready
to flash out at a moment s notice  To me  with my nerves worked
up to a pitch of expectancy  there was something depressing and
subduing in the sudden gloom  and in the cold dank air of the
vault 

 They have but one retreat   whispered Holmes   That is back
through the house into Saxe Coburg Square  I hope that you have
done what I asked you  Jones  

 I have an inspector and two officers waiting at the front door  

 Then we have stopped all the holes  And now we must be silent
and wait  

What a time it seemed  From comparing notes afterwards it was but
an hour and a quarter  yet it appeared to me that the night must
have almost gone and the dawn be breaking above us  My limbs
were weary and stiff  for I feared to change my position  yet my
nerves were worked up to the highest pitch of tension  and my
hearing was so acute that I could not only hear the gentle
breathing of my companions  but I could distinguish the deeper 
heavier in breath of the bulky Jones from the thin  sighing note
of the bank director  From my position I could look over the case
in the direction of the floor  Suddenly my eyes caught the glint
of a light 

At first it was but a lurid spark upon the stone pavement  Then
it lengthened out until it became a yellow line  and then 
without any warning or sound  a gash seemed to open and a hand
appeared  a white  almost womanly hand  which felt about in the
centre of the little area of light  For a minute or more the
hand  with its writhing fingers  protruded out of the floor  Then
it was withdrawn as suddenly as it appeared  and all was dark
again save the single lurid spark which marked a chink between
the stones 

Its disappearance  however  was but momentary  With a rending 
tearing sound  one of the broad  white stones turned over upon
its side and left a square  gaping hole  through which streamed
the light of a lantern  Over the edge there peeped a clean cut 
boyish face  which looked keenly about it  and then  with a hand
on either side of the aperture  drew itself shoulder high and
waist high  until one knee rested upon the edge  In another
instant he stood at the side of the hole and was hauling after
him a companion  lithe and small like himself  with a pale face
and a shock of very red hair 

 It s all clear   he whispered   Have you the chisel and the
bags  Great Scott  Jump  Archie  jump  and I ll swing for it  

Sherlock Holmes had sprung out and seized the intruder by the
collar  The other dived down the hole  and I heard the sound of
rending cloth as Jones clutched at his skirts  The light flashed
upon the barrel of a revolver  but Holmes  hunting crop came
down on the man s wrist  and the pistol clinked upon the stone
floor 

 It s no use  John Clay   said Holmes blandly   You have no
chance at all  

 So I see   the other answered with the utmost coolness   I fancy
that my pal is all right  though I see you have got his
coat tails  

 There are three men waiting for him at the door   said Holmes 

 Oh  indeed  You seem to have done the thing very completely  I
must compliment you  

 And I you   Holmes answered   Your red headed idea was very new
and effective  

 You ll see your pal again presently   said Jones   He s quicker
at climbing down holes than I am  Just hold out while I fix the
derbies  

 I beg that you will not touch me with your filthy hands  
remarked our prisoner as the handcuffs clattered upon his wrists 
 You may not be aware that I have royal blood in my veins  Have
the goodness  also  when you address me always to say  sir  and
 please   

 All right   said Jones with a stare and a snigger   Well  would
you please  sir  march upstairs  where we can get a cab to carry
your Highness to the police station  

 That is better   said John Clay serenely  He made a sweeping bow
to the three of us and walked quietly off in the custody of the
detective 

 Really  Mr  Holmes   said Mr  Merryweather as we followed them
from the cellar   I do not know how the bank can thank you or
repay you  There is no doubt that you have detected and defeated
in the most complete manner one of the most determined attempts
at bank robbery that have ever come within my experience  

 I have had one or two little scores of my own to settle with Mr 
John Clay   said Holmes   I have been at some small expense over
this matter  which I shall expect the bank to refund  but beyond
that I am amply repaid by having had an experience which is in
many ways unique  and by hearing the very remarkable narrative of
the Red headed League  


 You see  Watson   he explained in the early hours of the morning
as we sat over a glass of whisky and soda in Baker Street   it
was perfectly obvious from the first that the only possible
object of this rather fantastic business of the advertisement of
the League  and the copying of the  Encyclopaedia   must be to get
this not over bright pawnbroker out of the way for a number of
hours every day  It was a curious way of managing it  but 
really  it would be difficult to suggest a better  The method was
no doubt suggested to Clay s ingenious mind by the colour of his
accomplice s hair  The 4 pounds a week was a lure which must draw
him  and what was it to them  who were playing for thousands 
They put in the advertisement  one rogue has the temporary
office  the other rogue incites the man to apply for it  and
together they manage to secure his absence every morning in the
week  From the time that I heard of the assistant having come for
half wages  it was obvious to me that he had some strong motive
for securing the situation  

 But how could you guess what the motive was  

 Had there been women in the house  I should have suspected a
mere vulgar intrigue  That  however  was out of the question  The
man s business was a small one  and there was nothing in his
house which could account for such elaborate preparations  and
such an expenditure as they were at  It must  then  be something
out of the house  What could it be  I thought of the assistant s
fondness for photography  and his trick of vanishing into the
cellar  The cellar  There was the end of this tangled clue  Then
I made inquiries as to this mysterious assistant and found that I
had to deal with one of the coolest and most daring criminals in
London  He was doing something in the cellar  something which
took many hours a day for months on end  What could it be  once
more  I could think of nothing save that he was running a tunnel
to some other building 

 So far I had got when we went to visit the scene of action  I
surprised you by beating upon the pavement with my stick  I was
ascertaining whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind 
It was not in front  Then I rang the bell  and  as I hoped  the
assistant answered it  We have had some skirmishes  but we had
never set eyes upon each other before  I hardly looked at his
face  His knees were what I wished to see  You must yourself have
remarked how worn  wrinkled  and stained they were  They spoke of
those hours of burrowing  The only remaining point was what they
were burrowing for  I walked round the corner  saw the City and
Suburban Bank abutted on our friend s premises  and felt that I
had solved my problem  When you drove home after the concert I
called upon Scotland Yard and upon the chairman of the bank
directors  with the result that you have seen  

 And how could you tell that they would make their attempt
to night   I asked 

 Well  when they closed their League offices that was a sign that
they cared no longer about Mr  Jabez Wilson s presence  in other
words  that they had completed their tunnel  But it was essential
that they should use it soon  as it might be discovered  or the
bullion might be removed  Saturday would suit them better than
any other day  as it would give them two days for their escape 
For all these reasons I expected them to come to night  

 You reasoned it out beautifully   I exclaimed in unfeigned
admiration   It is so long a chain  and yet every link rings
true  

 It saved me from ennui   he answered  yawning   Alas  I already
feel it closing in upon me  My life is spent in one long effort
to escape from the commonplaces of existence  These little
problems help me to do so  

 And you are a benefactor of the race   said I 

He shrugged his shoulders   Well  perhaps  after all  it is of
some little use   he remarked    L homme c est rien  l oeuvre
c est tout   as Gustave Flaubert wrote to George Sand  



ADVENTURE III  A CASE OF IDENTITY

 My dear fellow   said Sherlock Holmes as we sat on either side
of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street   life is infinitely
stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent  We
would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere
commonplaces of existence  If we could fly out of that window
hand in hand  hover over this great city  gently remove the
roofs  and peep in at the queer things which are going on  the
strange coincidences  the plannings  the cross purposes  the
wonderful chains of events  working through generations  and
leading to the most outré results  it would make all fiction with
its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and
unprofitable  

 And yet I am not convinced of it   I answered   The cases which
come to light in the papers are  as a rule  bald enough  and
vulgar enough  We have in our police reports realism pushed to
its extreme limits  and yet the result is  it must be confessed 
neither fascinating nor artistic  

 A certain selection and discretion must be used in producing a
realistic effect   remarked Holmes   This is wanting in the
police report  where more stress is laid  perhaps  upon the
platitudes of the magistrate than upon the details  which to an
observer contain the vital essence of the whole matter  Depend
upon it  there is nothing so unnatural as the commonplace  

I smiled and shook my head   I can quite understand your thinking
so   I said   Of course  in your position of unofficial adviser
and helper to everybody who is absolutely puzzled  throughout
three continents  you are brought in contact with all that is
strange and bizarre  But here   I picked up the morning paper
from the ground   let us put it to a practical test  Here is the
first heading upon which I come   A husband s cruelty to his
wife   There is half a column of print  but I know without
reading it that it is all perfectly familiar to me  There is  of
course  the other woman  the drink  the push  the blow  the
bruise  the sympathetic sister or landlady  The crudest of
writers could invent nothing more crude  

 Indeed  your example is an unfortunate one for your argument  
said Holmes  taking the paper and glancing his eye down it   This
is the Dundas separation case  and  as it happens  I was engaged
in clearing up some small points in connection with it  The
husband was a teetotaler  there was no other woman  and the
conduct complained of was that he had drifted into the habit of
winding up every meal by taking out his false teeth and hurling
them at his wife  which  you will allow  is not an action likely
to occur to the imagination of the average story teller  Take a
pinch of snuff  Doctor  and acknowledge that I have scored over
you in your example  

He held out his snuffbox of old gold  with a great amethyst in
the centre of the lid  Its splendour was in such contrast to his
homely ways and simple life that I could not help commenting upon
it 

 Ah   said he   I forgot that I had not seen you for some weeks 
It is a little souvenir from the King of Bohemia in return for my
assistance in the case of the Irene Adler papers  

 And the ring   I asked  glancing at a remarkable brilliant which
sparkled upon his finger 

 It was from the reigning family of Holland  though the matter in
which I served them was of such delicacy that I cannot confide it
even to you  who have been good enough to chronicle one or two of
my little problems  

 And have you any on hand just now   I asked with interest 

 Some ten or twelve  but none which present any feature of
interest  They are important  you understand  without being
interesting  Indeed  I have found that it is usually in
unimportant matters that there is a field for the observation 
and for the quick analysis of cause and effect which gives the
charm to an investigation  The larger crimes are apt to be the
simpler  for the bigger the crime the more obvious  as a rule  is
the motive  In these cases  save for one rather intricate matter
which has been referred to me from Marseilles  there is nothing
which presents any features of interest  It is possible  however 
that I may have something better before very many minutes are
over  for this is one of my clients  or I am much mistaken  

He had risen from his chair and was standing between the parted
blinds gazing down into the dull neutral tinted London street 
Looking over his shoulder  I saw that on the pavement opposite
there stood a large woman with a heavy fur boa round her neck 
and a large curling red feather in a broad brimmed hat which was
tilted in a coquettish Duchess of Devonshire fashion over her
ear  From under this great panoply she peeped up in a nervous 
hesitating fashion at our windows  while her body oscillated
backward and forward  and her fingers fidgeted with her glove
buttons  Suddenly  with a plunge  as of the swimmer who leaves
the bank  she hurried across the road  and we heard the sharp
clang of the bell 

 I have seen those symptoms before   said Holmes  throwing his
cigarette into the fire   Oscillation upon the pavement always
means an affaire de coeur  She would like advice  but is not sure
that the matter is not too delicate for communication  And yet
even here we may discriminate  When a woman has been seriously
wronged by a man she no longer oscillates  and the usual symptom
is a broken bell wire  Here we may take it that there is a love
matter  but that the maiden is not so much angry as perplexed  or
grieved  But here she comes in person to resolve our doubts  

As he spoke there was a tap at the door  and the boy in buttons
entered to announce Miss Mary Sutherland  while the lady herself
loomed behind his small black figure like a full sailed
merchant man behind a tiny pilot boat  Sherlock Holmes welcomed
her with the easy courtesy for which he was remarkable  and 
having closed the door and bowed her into an armchair  he looked
her over in the minute and yet abstracted fashion which was
peculiar to him 

 Do you not find   he said   that with your short sight it is a
little trying to do so much typewriting  

 I did at first   she answered   but now I know where the letters
are without looking   Then  suddenly realising the full purport
of his words  she gave a violent start and looked up  with fear
and astonishment upon her broad  good humoured face   You ve
heard about me  Mr  Holmes   she cried   else how could you know
all that  

 Never mind   said Holmes  laughing   it is my business to know
things  Perhaps I have trained myself to see what others
overlook  If not  why should you come to consult me  

 I came to you  sir  because I heard of you from Mrs  Etherege 
whose husband you found so easy when the police and everyone had
given him up for dead  Oh  Mr  Holmes  I wish you would do as
much for me  I m not rich  but still I have a hundred a year in
my own right  besides the little that I make by the machine  and
I would give it all to know what has become of Mr  Hosmer Angel  

 Why did you come away to consult me in such a hurry   asked
Sherlock Holmes  with his finger tips together and his eyes to
the ceiling 

Again a startled look came over the somewhat vacuous face of Miss
Mary Sutherland   Yes  I did bang out of the house   she said 
 for it made me angry to see the easy way in which Mr 
Windibank  that is  my father  took it all  He would not go to
the police  and he would not go to you  and so at last  as he
would do nothing and kept on saying that there was no harm done 
it made me mad  and I just on with my things and came right away
to you  

 Your father   said Holmes   your stepfather  surely  since the
name is different  

 Yes  my stepfather  I call him father  though it sounds funny 
too  for he is only five years and two months older than myself  

 And your mother is alive  

 Oh  yes  mother is alive and well  I wasn t best pleased  Mr 
Holmes  when she married again so soon after father s death  and
a man who was nearly fifteen years younger than herself  Father
was a plumber in the Tottenham Court Road  and he left a tidy
business behind him  which mother carried on with Mr  Hardy  the
foreman  but when Mr  Windibank came he made her sell the
business  for he was very superior  being a traveller in wines 
They got 4700 pounds for the goodwill and interest  which wasn t
near as much as father could have got if he had been alive  

I had expected to see Sherlock Holmes impatient under this
rambling and inconsequential narrative  but  on the contrary  he
had listened with the greatest concentration of attention 

 Your own little income   he asked   does it come out of the
business  

 Oh  no  sir  It is quite separate and was left me by my uncle
Ned in Auckland  It is in New Zealand stock  paying 4 1 2 per
cent  Two thousand five hundred pounds was the amount  but I can
only touch the interest  

 You interest me extremely   said Holmes   And since you draw so
large a sum as a hundred a year  with what you earn into the
bargain  you no doubt travel a little and indulge yourself in
every way  I believe that a single lady can get on very nicely
upon an income of about 60 pounds  

 I could do with much less than that  Mr  Holmes  but you
understand that as long as I live at home I don t wish to be a
burden to them  and so they have the use of the money just while
I am staying with them  Of course  that is only just for the
time  Mr  Windibank draws my interest every quarter and pays it
over to mother  and I find that I can do pretty well with what I
earn at typewriting  It brings me twopence a sheet  and I can
often do from fifteen to twenty sheets in a day  

 You have made your position very clear to me   said Holmes 
 This is my friend  Dr  Watson  before whom you can speak as
freely as before myself  Kindly tell us now all about your
connection with Mr  Hosmer Angel  

A flush stole over Miss Sutherland s face  and she picked
nervously at the fringe of her jacket   I met him first at the
gasfitters  ball   she said   They used to send father tickets
when he was alive  and then afterwards they remembered us  and
sent them to mother  Mr  Windibank did not wish us to go  He
never did wish us to go anywhere  He would get quite mad if I
wanted so much as to join a Sunday school treat  But this time I
was set on going  and I would go  for what right had he to
prevent  He said the folk were not fit for us to know  when all
father s friends were to be there  And he said that I had nothing
fit to wear  when I had my purple plush that I had never so much
as taken out of the drawer  At last  when nothing else would do 
he went off to France upon the business of the firm  but we went 
mother and I  with Mr  Hardy  who used to be our foreman  and it
was there I met Mr  Hosmer Angel  

 I suppose   said Holmes   that when Mr  Windibank came back from
France he was very annoyed at your having gone to the ball  

 Oh  well  he was very good about it  He laughed  I remember  and
shrugged his shoulders  and said there was no use denying
anything to a woman  for she would have her way  

 I see  Then at the gasfitters  ball you met  as I understand  a
gentleman called Mr  Hosmer Angel  

 Yes  sir  I met him that night  and he called next day to ask if
we had got home all safe  and after that we met him  that is to
say  Mr  Holmes  I met him twice for walks  but after that father
came back again  and Mr  Hosmer Angel could not come to the house
any more  

 No  

 Well  you know father didn t like anything of the sort  He
wouldn t have any visitors if he could help it  and he used to
say that a woman should be happy in her own family circle  But
then  as I used to say to mother  a woman wants her own circle to
begin with  and I had not got mine yet  

 But how about Mr  Hosmer Angel  Did he make no attempt to see
you  

 Well  father was going off to France again in a week  and Hosmer
wrote and said that it would be safer and better not to see each
other until he had gone  We could write in the meantime  and he
used to write every day  I took the letters in in the morning  so
there was no need for father to know  

 Were you engaged to the gentleman at this time  

 Oh  yes  Mr  Holmes  We were engaged after the first walk that
we took  Hosmer  Mr  Angel  was a cashier in an office in
Leadenhall Street  and   

 What office  

 That s the worst of it  Mr  Holmes  I don t know  

 Where did he live  then  

 He slept on the premises  

 And you don t know his address  

 No  except that it was Leadenhall Street  

 Where did you address your letters  then  

 To the Leadenhall Street Post Office  to be left till called
for  He said that if they were sent to the office he would be
chaffed by all the other clerks about having letters from a lady 
so I offered to typewrite them  like he did his  but he wouldn t
have that  for he said that when I wrote them they seemed to come
from me  but when they were typewritten he always felt that the
machine had come between us  That will just show you how fond he
was of me  Mr  Holmes  and the little things that he would think
of  

 It was most suggestive   said Holmes   It has long been an axiom
of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important 
Can you remember any other little things about Mr  Hosmer Angel  

 He was a very shy man  Mr  Holmes  He would rather walk with me
in the evening than in the daylight  for he said that he hated to
be conspicuous  Very retiring and gentlemanly he was  Even his
voice was gentle  He d had the quinsy and swollen glands when he
was young  he told me  and it had left him with a weak throat 
and a hesitating  whispering fashion of speech  He was always
well dressed  very neat and plain  but his eyes were weak  just
as mine are  and he wore tinted glasses against the glare  

 Well  and what happened when Mr  Windibank  your stepfather 
returned to France  

 Mr  Hosmer Angel came to the house again and proposed that we
should marry before father came back  He was in dreadful earnest
and made me swear  with my hands on the Testament  that whatever
happened I would always be true to him  Mother said he was quite
right to make me swear  and that it was a sign of his passion 
Mother was all in his favour from the first and was even fonder
of him than I was  Then  when they talked of marrying within the
week  I began to ask about father  but they both said never to
mind about father  but just to tell him afterwards  and mother
said she would make it all right with him  I didn t quite like
that  Mr  Holmes  It seemed funny that I should ask his leave  as
he was only a few years older than me  but I didn t want to do
anything on the sly  so I wrote to father at Bordeaux  where the
company has its French offices  but the letter came back to me on
the very morning of the wedding  

 It missed him  then  

 Yes  sir  for he had started to England just before it arrived  

 Ha  that was unfortunate  Your wedding was arranged  then  for
the Friday  Was it to be in church  

 Yes  sir  but very quietly  It was to be at St  Saviour s  near
King s Cross  and we were to have breakfast afterwards at the St 
Pancras Hotel  Hosmer came for us in a hansom  but as there were
two of us he put us both into it and stepped himself into a
four wheeler  which happened to be the only other cab in the
street  We got to the church first  and when the four wheeler
drove up we waited for him to step out  but he never did  and
when the cabman got down from the box and looked there was no one
there  The cabman said that he could not imagine what had become
of him  for he had seen him get in with his own eyes  That was
last Friday  Mr  Holmes  and I have never seen or heard anything
since then to throw any light upon what became of him  

 It seems to me that you have been very shamefully treated   said
Holmes 

 Oh  no  sir  He was too good and kind to leave me so  Why  all
the morning he was saying to me that  whatever happened  I was to
be true  and that even if something quite unforeseen occurred to
separate us  I was always to remember that I was pledged to him 
and that he would claim his pledge sooner or later  It seemed
strange talk for a wedding morning  but what has happened since
gives a meaning to it  

 Most certainly it does  Your own opinion is  then  that some
unforeseen catastrophe has occurred to him  

 Yes  sir  I believe that he foresaw some danger  or else he
would not have talked so  And then I think that what he foresaw
happened  

 But you have no notion as to what it could have been  

 None  

 One more question  How did your mother take the matter  

 She was angry  and said that I was never to speak of the matter
again  

 And your father  Did you tell him  

 Yes  and he seemed to think  with me  that something had
happened  and that I should hear of Hosmer again  As he said 
what interest could anyone have in bringing me to the doors of
the church  and then leaving me  Now  if he had borrowed my
money  or if he had married me and got my money settled on him 
there might be some reason  but Hosmer was very independent about
money and never would look at a shilling of mine  And yet  what
could have happened  And why could he not write  Oh  it drives me
half mad to think of it  and I can t sleep a wink at night   She
pulled a little handkerchief out of her muff and began to sob
heavily into it 

 I shall glance into the case for you   said Holmes  rising   and
I have no doubt that we shall reach some definite result  Let the
weight of the matter rest upon me now  and do not let your mind
dwell upon it further  Above all  try to let Mr  Hosmer Angel
vanish from your memory  as he has done from your life  

 Then you don t think I ll see him again  

 I fear not  

 Then what has happened to him  

 You will leave that question in my hands  I should like an
accurate description of him and any letters of his which you can
spare  

 I advertised for him in last Saturday s Chronicle   said she 
 Here is the slip and here are four letters from him  

 Thank you  And your address  

 No  31 Lyon Place  Camberwell  

 Mr  Angel s address you never had  I understand  Where is your
father s place of business  

 He travels for Westhouse   Marbank  the great claret importers
of Fenchurch Street  

 Thank you  You have made your statement very clearly  You will
leave the papers here  and remember the advice which I have given
you  Let the whole incident be a sealed book  and do not allow it
to affect your life  

 You are very kind  Mr  Holmes  but I cannot do that  I shall be
true to Hosmer  He shall find me ready when he comes back  

For all the preposterous hat and the vacuous face  there was
something noble in the simple faith of our visitor which
compelled our respect  She laid her little bundle of papers upon
the table and went her way  with a promise to come again whenever
she might be summoned 

Sherlock Holmes sat silent for a few minutes with his fingertips
still pressed together  his legs stretched out in front of him 
and his gaze directed upward to the ceiling  Then he took down
from the rack the old and oily clay pipe  which was to him as a
counsellor  and  having lit it  he leaned back in his chair  with
the thick blue cloud wreaths spinning up from him  and a look of
infinite languor in his face 

 Quite an interesting study  that maiden   he observed   I found
her more interesting than her little problem  which  by the way 
is rather a trite one  You will find parallel cases  if you
consult my index  in Andover in  77  and there was something of
the sort at The Hague last year  Old as is the idea  however 
there were one or two details which were new to me  But the
maiden herself was most instructive  

 You appeared to read a good deal upon her which was quite
invisible to me   I remarked 

 Not invisible but unnoticed  Watson  You did not know where to
look  and so you missed all that was important  I can never bring
you to realise the importance of sleeves  the suggestiveness of
thumb nails  or the great issues that may hang from a boot lace 
Now  what did you gather from that woman s appearance  Describe
it  

 Well  she had a slate coloured  broad brimmed straw hat  with a
feather of a brickish red  Her jacket was black  with black beads
sewn upon it  and a fringe of little black jet ornaments  Her
dress was brown  rather darker than coffee colour  with a little
purple plush at the neck and sleeves  Her gloves were greyish and
were worn through at the right forefinger  Her boots I didn t
observe  She had small round  hanging gold earrings  and a
general air of being fairly well to do in a vulgar  comfortable 
easy going way  

Sherlock Holmes clapped his hands softly together and chuckled 

  Pon my word  Watson  you are coming along wonderfully  You have
really done very well indeed  It is true that you have missed
everything of importance  but you have hit upon the method  and
you have a quick eye for colour  Never trust to general
impressions  my boy  but concentrate yourself upon details  My
first glance is always at a woman s sleeve  In a man it is
perhaps better first to take the knee of the trouser  As you
observe  this woman had plush upon her sleeves  which is a most
useful material for showing traces  The double line a little
above the wrist  where the typewritist presses against the table 
was beautifully defined  The sewing machine  of the hand type 
leaves a similar mark  but only on the left arm  and on the side
of it farthest from the thumb  instead of being right across the
broadest part  as this was  I then glanced at her face  and 
observing the dint of a pince nez at either side of her nose  I
ventured a remark upon short sight and typewriting  which seemed
to surprise her  

 It surprised me  

 But  surely  it was obvious  I was then much surprised and
interested on glancing down to observe that  though the boots
which she was wearing were not unlike each other  they were
really odd ones  the one having a slightly decorated toe cap  and
the other a plain one  One was buttoned only in the two lower
buttons out of five  and the other at the first  third  and
fifth  Now  when you see that a young lady  otherwise neatly
dressed  has come away from home with odd boots  half buttoned 
it is no great deduction to say that she came away in a hurry  

 And what else   I asked  keenly interested  as I always was  by
my friend s incisive reasoning 

 I noted  in passing  that she had written a note before leaving
home but after being fully dressed  You observed that her right
glove was torn at the forefinger  but you did not apparently see
that both glove and finger were stained with violet ink  She had
written in a hurry and dipped her pen too deep  It must have been
this morning  or the mark would not remain clear upon the finger 
All this is amusing  though rather elementary  but I must go back
to business  Watson  Would you mind reading me the advertised
description of Mr  Hosmer Angel  

I held the little printed slip to the light 

 Missing   it said   on the morning of the fourteenth  a gentleman
named Hosmer Angel  About five ft  seven in  in height 
strongly built  sallow complexion  black hair  a little bald in
the centre  bushy  black side whiskers and moustache  tinted
glasses  slight infirmity of speech  Was dressed  when last seen 
in black frock coat faced with silk  black waistcoat  gold Albert
chain  and grey Harris tweed trousers  with brown gaiters over
elastic sided boots  Known to have been employed in an office in
Leadenhall Street  Anybody bringing   

 That will do   said Holmes   As to the letters   he continued 
glancing over them   they are very commonplace  Absolutely no
clue in them to Mr  Angel  save that he quotes Balzac once  There
is one remarkable point  however  which will no doubt strike
you  

 They are typewritten   I remarked 

 Not only that  but the signature is typewritten  Look at the
neat little  Hosmer Angel  at the bottom  There is a date  you
see  but no superscription except Leadenhall Street  which is
rather vague  The point about the signature is very suggestive
  in fact  we may call it conclusive  

 Of what  

 My dear fellow  is it possible you do not see how strongly it
bears upon the case  

 I cannot say that I do unless it were that he wished to be able
to deny his signature if an action for breach of promise were
instituted  

 No  that was not the point  However  I shall write two letters 
which should settle the matter  One is to a firm in the City  the
other is to the young lady s stepfather  Mr  Windibank  asking
him whether he could meet us here at six o clock tomorrow
evening  It is just as well that we should do business with the
male relatives  And now  Doctor  we can do nothing until the
answers to those letters come  so we may put our little problem
upon the shelf for the interim  

I had had so many reasons to believe in my friend s subtle powers
of reasoning and extraordinary energy in action that I felt that
he must have some solid grounds for the assured and easy
demeanour with which he treated the singular mystery which he had
been called upon to fathom  Once only had I known him to fail  in
the case of the King of Bohemia and of the Irene Adler
photograph  but when I looked back to the weird business of the
Sign of Four  and the extraordinary circumstances connected with
the Study in Scarlet  I felt that it would be a strange tangle
indeed which he could not unravel 

I left him then  still puffing at his black clay pipe  with the
conviction that when I came again on the next evening I would
find that he held in his hands all the clues which would lead up
to the identity of the disappearing bridegroom of Miss Mary
Sutherland 

A professional case of great gravity was engaging my own
attention at the time  and the whole of next day I was busy at
the bedside of the sufferer  It was not until close upon six
o clock that I found myself free and was able to spring into a
hansom and drive to Baker Street  half afraid that I might be too
late to assist at the dénouement of the little mystery  I found
Sherlock Holmes alone  however  half asleep  with his long  thin
form curled up in the recesses of his armchair  A formidable
array of bottles and test tubes  with the pungent cleanly smell
of hydrochloric acid  told me that he had spent his day in the
chemical work which was so dear to him 

 Well  have you solved it   I asked as I entered 

 Yes  It was the bisulphate of baryta  

 No  no  the mystery   I cried 

 Oh  that  I thought of the salt that I have been working upon 
There was never any mystery in the matter  though  as I said
yesterday  some of the details are of interest  The only drawback
is that there is no law  I fear  that can touch the scoundrel  

 Who was he  then  and what was his object in deserting Miss
Sutherland  

The question was hardly out of my mouth  and Holmes had not yet
opened his lips to reply  when we heard a heavy footfall in the
passage and a tap at the door 

 This is the girl s stepfather  Mr  James Windibank   said
Holmes   He has written to me to say that he would be here at
six  Come in  

The man who entered was a sturdy  middle sized fellow  some
thirty years of age  clean shaven  and sallow skinned  with a
bland  insinuating manner  and a pair of wonderfully sharp and
penetrating grey eyes  He shot a questioning glance at each of
us  placed his shiny top hat upon the sideboard  and with a
slight bow sidled down into the nearest chair 

 Good evening  Mr  James Windibank   said Holmes   I think that
this typewritten letter is from you  in which you made an
appointment with me for six o clock  

 Yes  sir  I am afraid that I am a little late  but I am not
quite my own master  you know  I am sorry that Miss Sutherland
has troubled you about this little matter  for I think it is far
better not to wash linen of the sort in public  It was quite
against my wishes that she came  but she is a very excitable 
impulsive girl  as you may have noticed  and she is not easily
controlled when she has made up her mind on a point  Of course  I
did not mind you so much  as you are not connected with the
official police  but it is not pleasant to have a family
misfortune like this noised abroad  Besides  it is a useless
expense  for how could you possibly find this Hosmer Angel  

 On the contrary   said Holmes quietly   I have every reason to
believe that I will succeed in discovering Mr  Hosmer Angel  

Mr  Windibank gave a violent start and dropped his gloves   I am
delighted to hear it   he said 

 It is a curious thing   remarked Holmes   that a typewriter has
really quite as much individuality as a man s handwriting  Unless
they are quite new  no two of them write exactly alike  Some
letters get more worn than others  and some wear only on one
side  Now  you remark in this note of yours  Mr  Windibank  that
in every case there is some little slurring over of the  e   and
a slight defect in the tail of the  r   There are fourteen other
characteristics  but those are the more obvious  

 We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office 
and no doubt it is a little worn   our visitor answered  glancing
keenly at Holmes with his bright little eyes 

 And now I will show you what is really a very interesting study 
Mr  Windibank   Holmes continued   I think of writing another
little monograph some of these days on the typewriter and its
relation to crime  It is a subject to which I have devoted some
little attention  I have here four letters which purport to come
from the missing man  They are all typewritten  In each case  not
only are the  e s  slurred and the  r s  tailless  but you will
observe  if you care to use my magnifying lens  that the fourteen
other characteristics to which I have alluded are there as well  

Mr  Windibank sprang out of his chair and picked up his hat   I
cannot waste time over this sort of fantastic talk  Mr  Holmes  
he said   If you can catch the man  catch him  and let me know
when you have done it  

 Certainly   said Holmes  stepping over and turning the key in
the door   I let you know  then  that I have caught him  

 What  where   shouted Mr  Windibank  turning white to his lips
and glancing about him like a rat in a trap 

 Oh  it won t do  really it won t   said Holmes suavely   There
is no possible getting out of it  Mr  Windibank  It is quite too
transparent  and it was a very bad compliment when you said that
it was impossible for me to solve so simple a question  That s
right  Sit down and let us talk it over  

Our visitor collapsed into a chair  with a ghastly face and a
glitter of moisture on his brow   It  it s not actionable   he
stammered 

 I am very much afraid that it is not  But between ourselves 
Windibank  it was as cruel and selfish and heartless a trick in a
petty way as ever came before me  Now  let me just run over the
course of events  and you will contradict me if I go wrong  

The man sat huddled up in his chair  with his head sunk upon his
breast  like one who is utterly crushed  Holmes stuck his feet up
on the corner of the mantelpiece and  leaning back with his hands
in his pockets  began talking  rather to himself  as it seemed 
than to us 

 The man married a woman very much older than himself for her
money   said he   and he enjoyed the use of the money of the
daughter as long as she lived with them  It was a considerable
sum  for people in their position  and the loss of it would have
made a serious difference  It was worth an effort to preserve it 
The daughter was of a good  amiable disposition  but affectionate
and warm hearted in her ways  so that it was evident that with
her fair personal advantages  and her little income  she would
not be allowed to remain single long  Now her marriage would
mean  of course  the loss of a hundred a year  so what does her
stepfather do to prevent it  He takes the obvious course of
keeping her at home and forbidding her to seek the company of
people of her own age  But soon he found that that would not
answer forever  She became restive  insisted upon her rights  and
finally announced her positive intention of going to a certain
ball  What does her clever stepfather do then  He conceives an
idea more creditable to his head than to his heart  With the
connivance and assistance of his wife he disguised himself 
covered those keen eyes with tinted glasses  masked the face with
a moustache and a pair of bushy whiskers  sunk that clear voice
into an insinuating whisper  and doubly secure on account of the
girl s short sight  he appears as Mr  Hosmer Angel  and keeps off
other lovers by making love himself  

 It was only a joke at first   groaned our visitor   We never
thought that she would have been so carried away  

 Very likely not  However that may be  the young lady was very
decidedly carried away  and  having quite made up her mind that
her stepfather was in France  the suspicion of treachery never
for an instant entered her mind  She was flattered by the
gentleman s attentions  and the effect was increased by the
loudly expressed admiration of her mother  Then Mr  Angel began
to call  for it was obvious that the matter should be pushed as
far as it would go if a real effect were to be produced  There
were meetings  and an engagement  which would finally secure the
girl s affections from turning towards anyone else  But the
deception could not be kept up forever  These pretended journeys
to France were rather cumbrous  The thing to do was clearly to
bring the business to an end in such a dramatic manner that it
would leave a permanent impression upon the young lady s mind and
prevent her from looking upon any other suitor for some time to
come  Hence those vows of fidelity exacted upon a Testament  and
hence also the allusions to a possibility of something happening
on the very morning of the wedding  James Windibank wished Miss
Sutherland to be so bound to Hosmer Angel  and so uncertain as to
his fate  that for ten years to come  at any rate  she would not
listen to another man  As far as the church door he brought her 
and then  as he could go no farther  he conveniently vanished
away by the old trick of stepping in at one door of a
four wheeler and out at the other  I think that was the chain of
events  Mr  Windibank  

Our visitor had recovered something of his assurance while Holmes
had been talking  and he rose from his chair now with a cold
sneer upon his pale face 

 It may be so  or it may not  Mr  Holmes   said he   but if you
are so very sharp you ought to be sharp enough to know that it is
you who are breaking the law now  and not me  I have done nothing
actionable from the first  but as long as you keep that door
locked you lay yourself open to an action for assault and illegal
constraint  

 The law cannot  as you say  touch you   said Holmes  unlocking
and throwing open the door   yet there never was a man who
deserved punishment more  If the young lady has a brother or a
friend  he ought to lay a whip across your shoulders  By Jove  
he continued  flushing up at the sight of the bitter sneer upon
the man s face   it is not part of my duties to my client  but
here s a hunting crop handy  and I think I shall just treat
myself to    He took two swift steps to the whip  but before he
could grasp it there was a wild clatter of steps upon the stairs 
the heavy hall door banged  and from the window we could see Mr 
James Windibank running at the top of his speed down the road 

 There s a cold blooded scoundrel   said Holmes  laughing  as he
threw himself down into his chair once more   That fellow will
rise from crime to crime until he does something very bad  and
ends on a gallows  The case has  in some respects  been not
entirely devoid of interest  

 I cannot now entirely see all the steps of your reasoning   I
remarked 

 Well  of course it was obvious from the first that this Mr 
Hosmer Angel must have some strong object for his curious
conduct  and it was equally clear that the only man who really
profited by the incident  as far as we could see  was the
stepfather  Then the fact that the two men were never together 
but that the one always appeared when the other was away  was
suggestive  So were the tinted spectacles and the curious voice 
which both hinted at a disguise  as did the bushy whiskers  My
suspicions were all confirmed by his peculiar action in
typewriting his signature  which  of course  inferred that his
handwriting was so familiar to her that she would recognise even
the smallest sample of it  You see all these isolated facts 
together with many minor ones  all pointed in the same
direction  

 And how did you verify them  

 Having once spotted my man  it was easy to get corroboration  I
knew the firm for which this man worked  Having taken the printed
description  I eliminated everything from it which could be the
result of a disguise  the whiskers  the glasses  the voice  and I
sent it to the firm  with a request that they would inform me
whether it answered to the description of any of their
travellers  I had already noticed the peculiarities of the
typewriter  and I wrote to the man himself at his business
address asking him if he would come here  As I expected  his
reply was typewritten and revealed the same trivial but
characteristic defects  The same post brought me a letter from
Westhouse   Marbank  of Fenchurch Street  to say that the
description tallied in every respect with that of their employé 
James Windibank  Voilà tout  

 And Miss Sutherland  

 If I tell her she will not believe me  You may remember the old
Persian saying   There is danger for him who taketh the tiger
cub  and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman  
There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace  and as much
knowledge of the world  



ADVENTURE IV  THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY

We were seated at breakfast one morning  my wife and I  when the
maid brought in a telegram  It was from Sherlock Holmes and ran
in this way 

 Have you a couple of days to spare  Have just been wired for from
the west of England in connection with Boscombe Valley tragedy 
Shall be glad if you will come with me  Air and scenery perfect 
Leave Paddington by the 11 15  

 What do you say  dear   said my wife  looking across at me 
 Will you go  

 I really don t know what to say  I have a fairly long list at
present  

 Oh  Anstruther would do your work for you  You have been looking
a little pale lately  I think that the change would do you good 
and you are always so interested in Mr  Sherlock Holmes  cases  

 I should be ungrateful if I were not  seeing what I gained
through one of them   I answered   But if I am to go  I must pack
at once  for I have only half an hour  

My experience of camp life in Afghanistan had at least had the
effect of making me a prompt and ready traveller  My wants were
few and simple  so that in less than the time stated I was in a
cab with my valise  rattling away to Paddington Station  Sherlock
Holmes was pacing up and down the platform  his tall  gaunt
figure made even gaunter and taller by his long grey
travelling cloak and close fitting cloth cap 

 It is really very good of you to come  Watson   said he   It
makes a considerable difference to me  having someone with me on
whom I can thoroughly rely  Local aid is always either worthless
or else biassed  If you will keep the two corner seats I shall
get the tickets  

We had the carriage to ourselves save for an immense litter of
papers which Holmes had brought with him  Among these he rummaged
and read  with intervals of note taking and of meditation  until
we were past Reading  Then he suddenly rolled them all into a
gigantic ball and tossed them up onto the rack 

 Have you heard anything of the case   he asked 

 Not a word  I have not seen a paper for some days  

 The London press has not had very full accounts  I have just
been looking through all the recent papers in order to master the
particulars  It seems  from what I gather  to be one of those
simple cases which are so extremely difficult  

 That sounds a little paradoxical  

 But it is profoundly true  Singularity is almost invariably a
clue  The more featureless and commonplace a crime is  the more
difficult it is to bring it home  In this case  however  they
have established a very serious case against the son of the
murdered man  

 It is a murder  then  

 Well  it is conjectured to be so  I shall take nothing for
granted until I have the opportunity of looking personally into
it  I will explain the state of things to you  as far as I have
been able to understand it  in a very few words 

 Boscombe Valley is a country district not very far from Ross  in
Herefordshire  The largest landed proprietor in that part is a
Mr  John Turner  who made his money in Australia and returned
some years ago to the old country  One of the farms which he
held  that of Hatherley  was let to Mr  Charles McCarthy  who was
also an ex Australian  The men had known each other in the
colonies  so that it was not unnatural that when they came to
settle down they should do so as near each other as possible 
Turner was apparently the richer man  so McCarthy became his
tenant but still remained  it seems  upon terms of perfect
equality  as they were frequently together  McCarthy had one son 
a lad of eighteen  and Turner had an only daughter of the same
age  but neither of them had wives living  They appear to have
avoided the society of the neighbouring English families and to
have led retired lives  though both the McCarthys were fond of
sport and were frequently seen at the race meetings of the
neighbourhood  McCarthy kept two servants  a man and a girl 
Turner had a considerable household  some half dozen at the
least  That is as much as I have been able to gather about the
families  Now for the facts 

 On June 3rd  that is  on Monday last  McCarthy left his house at
Hatherley about three in the afternoon and walked down to the
Boscombe Pool  which is a small lake formed by the spreading out
of the stream which runs down the Boscombe Valley  He had been
out with his serving man in the morning at Ross  and he had told
the man that he must hurry  as he had an appointment of
importance to keep at three  From that appointment he never came
back alive 

 From Hatherley Farm house to the Boscombe Pool is a quarter of a
mile  and two people saw him as he passed over this ground  One
was an old woman  whose name is not mentioned  and the other was
William Crowder  a game keeper in the employ of Mr  Turner  Both
these witnesses depose that Mr  McCarthy was walking alone  The
game keeper adds that within a few minutes of his seeing Mr 
McCarthy pass he had seen his son  Mr  James McCarthy  going the
same way with a gun under his arm  To the best of his belief  the
father was actually in sight at the time  and the son was
following him  He thought no more of the matter until he heard in
the evening of the tragedy that had occurred 

 The two McCarthys were seen after the time when William Crowder 
the game keeper  lost sight of them  The Boscombe Pool is thickly
wooded round  with just a fringe of grass and of reeds round the
edge  A girl of fourteen  Patience Moran  who is the daughter of
the lodge keeper of the Boscombe Valley estate  was in one of the
woods picking flowers  She states that while she was there she
saw  at the border of the wood and close by the lake  Mr 
McCarthy and his son  and that they appeared to be having a
violent quarrel  She heard Mr  McCarthy the elder using very
strong language to his son  and she saw the latter raise up his
hand as if to strike his father  She was so frightened by their
violence that she ran away and told her mother when she reached
home that she had left the two McCarthys quarrelling near
Boscombe Pool  and that she was afraid that they were going to
fight  She had hardly said the words when young Mr  McCarthy came
running up to the lodge to say that he had found his father dead
in the wood  and to ask for the help of the lodge keeper  He was
much excited  without either his gun or his hat  and his right
hand and sleeve were observed to be stained with fresh blood  On
following him they found the dead body stretched out upon the
grass beside the pool  The head had been beaten in by repeated
blows of some heavy and blunt weapon  The injuries were such as
might very well have been inflicted by the butt end of his son s
gun  which was found lying on the grass within a few paces of the
body  Under these circumstances the young man was instantly
arrested  and a verdict of  wilful murder  having been returned
at the inquest on Tuesday  he was on Wednesday brought before the
magistrates at Ross  who have referred the case to the next
Assizes  Those are the main facts of the case as they came out
before the coroner and the police court  

 I could hardly imagine a more damning case   I remarked   If
ever circumstantial evidence pointed to a criminal it does so
here  

 Circumstantial evidence is a very tricky thing   answered Holmes
thoughtfully   It may seem to point very straight to one thing 
but if you shift your own point of view a little  you may find it
pointing in an equally uncompromising manner to something
entirely different  It must be confessed  however  that the case
looks exceedingly grave against the young man  and it is very
possible that he is indeed the culprit  There are several people
in the neighbourhood  however  and among them Miss Turner  the
daughter of the neighbouring landowner  who believe in his
innocence  and who have retained Lestrade  whom you may recollect
in connection with the Study in Scarlet  to work out the case in
his interest  Lestrade  being rather puzzled  has referred the
case to me  and hence it is that two middle aged gentlemen are
flying westward at fifty miles an hour instead of quietly
digesting their breakfasts at home  

 I am afraid   said I   that the facts are so obvious that you
will find little credit to be gained out of this case  

 There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact   he
answered  laughing   Besides  we may chance to hit upon some
other obvious facts which may have been by no means obvious to
Mr  Lestrade  You know me too well to think that I am boasting
when I say that I shall either confirm or destroy his theory by
means which he is quite incapable of employing  or even of
understanding  To take the first example to hand  I very clearly
perceive that in your bedroom the window is upon the right hand
side  and yet I question whether Mr  Lestrade would have noted
even so self evident a thing as that  

 How on earth   

 My dear fellow  I know you well  I know the military neatness
which characterises you  You shave every morning  and in this
season you shave by the sunlight  but since your shaving is less
and less complete as we get farther back on the left side  until
it becomes positively slovenly as we get round the angle of the
jaw  it is surely very clear that that side is less illuminated
than the other  I could not imagine a man of your habits looking
at himself in an equal light and being satisfied with such a
result  I only quote this as a trivial example of observation and
inference  Therein lies my métier  and it is just possible that
it may be of some service in the investigation which lies before
us  There are one or two minor points which were brought out in
the inquest  and which are worth considering  

 What are they  

 It appears that his arrest did not take place at once  but after
the return to Hatherley Farm  On the inspector of constabulary
informing him that he was a prisoner  he remarked that he was not
surprised to hear it  and that it was no more than his deserts 
This observation of his had the natural effect of removing any
traces of doubt which might have remained in the minds of the
coroner s jury  

 It was a confession   I ejaculated 

 No  for it was followed by a protestation of innocence  

 Coming on the top of such a damning series of events  it was at
least a most suspicious remark  

 On the contrary   said Holmes   it is the brightest rift which I
can at present see in the clouds  However innocent he might be 
he could not be such an absolute imbecile as not to see that the
circumstances were very black against him  Had he appeared
surprised at his own arrest  or feigned indignation at it  I
should have looked upon it as highly suspicious  because such
surprise or anger would not be natural under the circumstances 
and yet might appear to be the best policy to a scheming man  His
frank acceptance of the situation marks him as either an innocent
man  or else as a man of considerable self restraint and
firmness  As to his remark about his deserts  it was also not
unnatural if you consider that he stood beside the dead body of
his father  and that there is no doubt that he had that very day
so far forgotten his filial duty as to bandy words with him  and
even  according to the little girl whose evidence is so
important  to raise his hand as if to strike him  The
self reproach and contrition which are displayed in his remark
appear to me to be the signs of a healthy mind rather than of a
guilty one  

I shook my head   Many men have been hanged on far slighter
evidence   I remarked 

 So they have  And many men have been wrongfully hanged  

 What is the young man s own account of the matter  

 It is  I am afraid  not very encouraging to his supporters 
though there are one or two points in it which are suggestive 
You will find it here  and may read it for yourself  

He picked out from his bundle a copy of the local Herefordshire
paper  and having turned down the sheet he pointed out the
paragraph in which the unfortunate young man had given his own
statement of what had occurred  I settled myself down in the
corner of the carriage and read it very carefully  It ran in this
way 

 Mr  James McCarthy  the only son of the deceased  was then called
and gave evidence as follows   I had been away from home for
three days at Bristol  and had only just returned upon the
morning of last Monday  the 3rd  My father was absent from home at
the time of my arrival  and I was informed by the maid that he
had driven over to Ross with John Cobb  the groom  Shortly after
my return I heard the wheels of his trap in the yard  and 
looking out of my window  I saw him get out and walk rapidly out
of the yard  though I was not aware in which direction he was
going  I then took my gun and strolled out in the direction of
the Boscombe Pool  with the intention of visiting the rabbit
warren which is upon the other side  On my way I saw William
Crowder  the game keeper  as he had stated in his evidence  but
he is mistaken in thinking that I was following my father  I had
no idea that he was in front of me  When about a hundred yards
from the pool I heard a cry of  Cooee   which was a usual signal
between my father and myself  I then hurried forward  and found
him standing by the pool  He appeared to be much surprised at
seeing me and asked me rather roughly what I was doing there  A
conversation ensued which led to high words and almost to blows 
for my father was a man of a very violent temper  Seeing that his
passion was becoming ungovernable  I left him and returned
towards Hatherley Farm  I had not gone more than 150 yards 
however  when I heard a hideous outcry behind me  which caused me
to run back again  I found my father expiring upon the ground 
with his head terribly injured  I dropped my gun and held him in
my arms  but he almost instantly expired  I knelt beside him for
some minutes  and then made my way to Mr  Turner s lodge keeper 
his house being the nearest  to ask for assistance  I saw no one
near my father when I returned  and I have no idea how he came by
his injuries  He was not a popular man  being somewhat cold and
forbidding in his manners  but he had  as far as I know  no
active enemies  I know nothing further of the matter  

 The Coroner  Did your father make any statement to you before
he died 

 Witness  He mumbled a few words  but I could only catch some
allusion to a rat 

 The Coroner  What did you understand by that 

 Witness  It conveyed no meaning to me  I thought that he was
delirious 

 The Coroner  What was the point upon which you and your father
had this final quarrel 

 Witness  I should prefer not to answer 

 The Coroner  I am afraid that I must press it 

 Witness  It is really impossible for me to tell you  I can
assure you that it has nothing to do with the sad tragedy which
followed 

 The Coroner  That is for the court to decide  I need not point
out to you that your refusal to answer will prejudice your case
considerably in any future proceedings which may arise 

 Witness  I must still refuse 

 The Coroner  I understand that the cry of  Cooee  was a common
signal between you and your father 

 Witness  It was 

 The Coroner  How was it  then  that he uttered it before he saw
you  and before he even knew that you had returned from Bristol 

 Witness  with considerable confusion   I do not know 

 A Juryman  Did you see nothing which aroused your suspicions
when you returned on hearing the cry and found your father
fatally injured 

 Witness  Nothing definite 

 The Coroner  What do you mean 

 Witness  I was so disturbed and excited as I rushed out into
the open  that I could think of nothing except of my father  Yet
I have a vague impression that as I ran forward something lay
upon the ground to the left of me  It seemed to me to be
something grey in colour  a coat of some sort  or a plaid perhaps 
When I rose from my father I looked round for it  but it was
gone 

  Do you mean that it disappeared before you went for help  

  Yes  it was gone  

  You cannot say what it was  

  No  I had a feeling something was there  

  How far from the body  

  A dozen yards or so  

  And how far from the edge of the wood  

  About the same  

  Then if it was removed it was while you were within a dozen
yards of it  

  Yes  but with my back towards it  

 This concluded the examination of the witness  

 I see   said I as I glanced down the column   that the coroner
in his concluding remarks was rather severe upon young McCarthy 
He calls attention  and with reason  to the discrepancy about his
father having signalled to him before seeing him  also to his
refusal to give details of his conversation with his father  and
his singular account of his father s dying words  They are all 
as he remarks  very much against the son  

Holmes laughed softly to himself and stretched himself out upon
the cushioned seat   Both you and the coroner have been at some
pains   said he   to single out the very strongest points in the
young man s favour  Don t you see that you alternately give him
credit for having too much imagination and too little  Too
little  if he could not invent a cause of quarrel which would
give him the sympathy of the jury  too much  if he evolved from
his own inner consciousness anything so outré as a dying
reference to a rat  and the incident of the vanishing cloth  No 
sir  I shall approach this case from the point of view that what
this young man says is true  and we shall see whither that
hypothesis will lead us  And now here is my pocket Petrarch  and
not another word shall I say of this case until we are on the
scene of action  We lunch at Swindon  and I see that we shall be
there in twenty minutes  

It was nearly four o clock when we at last  after passing through
the beautiful Stroud Valley  and over the broad gleaming Severn 
found ourselves at the pretty little country town of Ross  A
lean  ferret like man  furtive and sly looking  was waiting for
us upon the platform  In spite of the light brown dustcoat and
leather leggings which he wore in deference to his rustic
surroundings  I had no difficulty in recognising Lestrade  of
Scotland Yard  With him we drove to the Hereford Arms where a
room had already been engaged for us 

 I have ordered a carriage   said Lestrade as we sat over a cup
of tea   I knew your energetic nature  and that you would not be
happy until you had been on the scene of the crime  

 It was very nice and complimentary of you   Holmes answered   It
is entirely a question of barometric pressure  

Lestrade looked startled   I do not quite follow   he said 

 How is the glass  Twenty nine  I see  No wind  and not a cloud
in the sky  I have a caseful of cigarettes here which need
smoking  and the sofa is very much superior to the usual country
hotel abomination  I do not think that it is probable that I
shall use the carriage to night  

Lestrade laughed indulgently   You have  no doubt  already formed
your conclusions from the newspapers   he said   The case is as
plain as a pikestaff  and the more one goes into it the plainer
it becomes  Still  of course  one can t refuse a lady  and such a
very positive one  too  She has heard of you  and would have your
opinion  though I repeatedly told her that there was nothing
which you could do which I had not already done  Why  bless my
soul  here is her carriage at the door  

He had hardly spoken before there rushed into the room one of the
most lovely young women that I have ever seen in my life  Her
violet eyes shining  her lips parted  a pink flush upon her
cheeks  all thought of her natural reserve lost in her
overpowering excitement and concern 

 Oh  Mr  Sherlock Holmes   she cried  glancing from one to the
other of us  and finally  with a woman s quick intuition 
fastening upon my companion   I am so glad that you have come  I
have driven down to tell you so  I know that James didn t do it 
I know it  and I want you to start upon your work knowing it 
too  Never let yourself doubt upon that point  We have known each
other since we were little children  and I know his faults as no
one else does  but he is too tender hearted to hurt a fly  Such a
charge is absurd to anyone who really knows him  

 I hope we may clear him  Miss Turner   said Sherlock Holmes 
 You may rely upon my doing all that I can  

 But you have read the evidence  You have formed some conclusion 
Do you not see some loophole  some flaw  Do you not yourself
think that he is innocent  

 I think that it is very probable  

 There  now   she cried  throwing back her head and looking
defiantly at Lestrade   You hear  He gives me hopes  

Lestrade shrugged his shoulders   I am afraid that my colleague
has been a little quick in forming his conclusions   he said 

 But he is right  Oh  I know that he is right  James never did
it  And about his quarrel with his father  I am sure that the
reason why he would not speak about it to the coroner was because
I was concerned in it  

 In what way   asked Holmes 

 It is no time for me to hide anything  James and his father had
many disagreements about me  Mr  McCarthy was very anxious that
there should be a marriage between us  James and I have always
loved each other as brother and sister  but of course he is young
and has seen very little of life yet  and  and  well  he
naturally did not wish to do anything like that yet  So there
were quarrels  and this  I am sure  was one of them  

 And your father   asked Holmes   Was he in favour of such a
union  

 No  he was averse to it also  No one but Mr  McCarthy was in
favour of it   A quick blush passed over her fresh young face as
Holmes shot one of his keen  questioning glances at her 

 Thank you for this information   said he   May I see your father
if I call to morrow  

 I am afraid the doctor won t allow it  

 The doctor  

 Yes  have you not heard  Poor father has never been strong for
years back  but this has broken him down completely  He has taken
to his bed  and Dr  Willows says that he is a wreck and that his
nervous system is shattered  Mr  McCarthy was the only man alive
who had known dad in the old days in Victoria  

 Ha  In Victoria  That is important  

 Yes  at the mines  

 Quite so  at the gold mines  where  as I understand  Mr  Turner
made his money  

 Yes  certainly  

 Thank you  Miss Turner  You have been of material assistance to
me  

 You will tell me if you have any news to morrow  No doubt you
will go to the prison to see James  Oh  if you do  Mr  Holmes  do
tell him that I know him to be innocent  

 I will  Miss Turner  

 I must go home now  for dad is very ill  and he misses me so if
I leave him  Good bye  and God help you in your undertaking   She
hurried from the room as impulsively as she had entered  and we
heard the wheels of her carriage rattle off down the street 

 I am ashamed of you  Holmes   said Lestrade with dignity after a
few minutes  silence   Why should you raise up hopes which you
are bound to disappoint  I am not over tender of heart  but I
call it cruel  

 I think that I see my way to clearing James McCarthy   said
Holmes   Have you an order to see him in prison  

 Yes  but only for you and me  

 Then I shall reconsider my resolution about going out  We have
still time to take a train to Hereford and see him to night  

 Ample  

 Then let us do so  Watson  I fear that you will find it very
slow  but I shall only be away a couple of hours  

I walked down to the station with them  and then wandered through
the streets of the little town  finally returning to the hotel 
where I lay upon the sofa and tried to interest myself in a
yellow backed novel  The puny plot of the story was so thin 
however  when compared to the deep mystery through which we were
groping  and I found my attention wander so continually from the
action to the fact  that I at last flung it across the room and
gave myself up entirely to a consideration of the events of the
day  Supposing that this unhappy young man s story were
absolutely true  then what hellish thing  what absolutely
unforeseen and extraordinary calamity could have occurred between
the time when he parted from his father  and the moment when 
drawn back by his screams  he rushed into the glade  It was
something terrible and deadly  What could it be  Might not the
nature of the injuries reveal something to my medical instincts 
I rang the bell and called for the weekly county paper  which
contained a verbatim account of the inquest  In the surgeon s
deposition it was stated that the posterior third of the left
parietal bone and the left half of the occipital bone had been
shattered by a heavy blow from a blunt weapon  I marked the spot
upon my own head  Clearly such a blow must have been struck from
behind  That was to some extent in favour of the accused  as when
seen quarrelling he was face to face with his father  Still  it
did not go for very much  for the older man might have turned his
back before the blow fell  Still  it might be worth while to call
Holmes  attention to it  Then there was the peculiar dying
reference to a rat  What could that mean  It could not be
delirium  A man dying from a sudden blow does not commonly become
delirious  No  it was more likely to be an attempt to explain how
he met his fate  But what could it indicate  I cudgelled my
brains to find some possible explanation  And then the incident
of the grey cloth seen by young McCarthy  If that were true the
murderer must have dropped some part of his dress  presumably his
overcoat  in his flight  and must have had the hardihood to
return and to carry it away at the instant when the son was
kneeling with his back turned not a dozen paces off  What a
tissue of mysteries and improbabilities the whole thing was  I
did not wonder at Lestrade s opinion  and yet I had so much faith
in Sherlock Holmes  insight that I could not lose hope as long
as every fresh fact seemed to strengthen his conviction of young
McCarthy s innocence 

It was late before Sherlock Holmes returned  He came back alone 
for Lestrade was staying in lodgings in the town 

 The glass still keeps very high   he remarked as he sat down 
 It is of importance that it should not rain before we are able
to go over the ground  On the other hand  a man should be at his
very best and keenest for such nice work as that  and I did not
wish to do it when fagged by a long journey  I have seen young
McCarthy  

 And what did you learn from him  

 Nothing  

 Could he throw no light  

 None at all  I was inclined to think at one time that he knew
who had done it and was screening him or her  but I am convinced
now that he is as puzzled as everyone else  He is not a very
quick witted youth  though comely to look at and  I should think 
sound at heart  

 I cannot admire his taste   I remarked   if it is indeed a fact
that he was averse to a marriage with so charming a young lady as
this Miss Turner  

 Ah  thereby hangs a rather painful tale  This fellow is madly 
insanely  in love with her  but some two years ago  when he was
only a lad  and before he really knew her  for she had been away
five years at a boarding school  what does the idiot do but get
into the clutches of a barmaid in Bristol and marry her at a
registry office  No one knows a word of the matter  but you can
imagine how maddening it must be to him to be upbraided for not
doing what he would give his very eyes to do  but what he knows
to be absolutely impossible  It was sheer frenzy of this sort
which made him throw his hands up into the air when his father 
at their last interview  was goading him on to propose to Miss
Turner  On the other hand  he had no means of supporting himself 
and his father  who was by all accounts a very hard man  would
have thrown him over utterly had he known the truth  It was with
his barmaid wife that he had spent the last three days in
Bristol  and his father did not know where he was  Mark that
point  It is of importance  Good has come out of evil  however 
for the barmaid  finding from the papers that he is in serious
trouble and likely to be hanged  has thrown him over utterly and
has written to him to say that she has a husband already in the
Bermuda Dockyard  so that there is really no tie between them  I
think that that bit of news has consoled young McCarthy for all
that he has suffered  

 But if he is innocent  who has done it  

 Ah  who  I would call your attention very particularly to two
points  One is that the murdered man had an appointment with
someone at the pool  and that the someone could not have been his
son  for his son was away  and he did not know when he would
return  The second is that the murdered man was heard to cry
 Cooee   before he knew that his son had returned  Those are the
crucial points upon which the case depends  And now let us talk
about George Meredith  if you please  and we shall leave all
minor matters until to morrow  

There was no rain  as Holmes had foretold  and the morning broke
bright and cloudless  At nine o clock Lestrade called for us with
the carriage  and we set off for Hatherley Farm and the Boscombe
Pool 

 There is serious news this morning   Lestrade observed   It is
said that Mr  Turner  of the Hall  is so ill that his life is
despaired of  

 An elderly man  I presume   said Holmes 

 About sixty  but his constitution has been shattered by his life
abroad  and he has been in failing health for some time  This
business has had a very bad effect upon him  He was an old friend
of McCarthy s  and  I may add  a great benefactor to him  for I
have learned that he gave him Hatherley Farm rent free  

 Indeed  That is interesting   said Holmes 

 Oh  yes  In a hundred other ways he has helped him  Everybody
about here speaks of his kindness to him  

 Really  Does it not strike you as a little singular that this
McCarthy  who appears to have had little of his own  and to have
been under such obligations to Turner  should still talk of
marrying his son to Turner s daughter  who is  presumably 
heiress to the estate  and that in such a very cocksure manner 
as if it were merely a case of a proposal and all else would
follow  It is the more strange  since we know that Turner himself
was averse to the idea  The daughter told us as much  Do you not
deduce something from that  

 We have got to the deductions and the inferences   said
Lestrade  winking at me   I find it hard enough to tackle facts 
Holmes  without flying away after theories and fancies  

 You are right   said Holmes demurely   you do find it very hard
to tackle the facts  

 Anyhow  I have grasped one fact which you seem to find it
difficult to get hold of   replied Lestrade with some warmth 

 And that is   

 That McCarthy senior met his death from McCarthy junior and that
all theories to the contrary are the merest moonshine  

 Well  moonshine is a brighter thing than fog   said Holmes 
laughing   But I am very much mistaken if this is not Hatherley
Farm upon the left  

 Yes  that is it   It was a widespread  comfortable looking
building  two storied  slate roofed  with great yellow blotches
of lichen upon the grey walls  The drawn blinds and the smokeless
chimneys  however  gave it a stricken look  as though the weight
of this horror still lay heavy upon it  We called at the door 
when the maid  at Holmes  request  showed us the boots which her
master wore at the time of his death  and also a pair of the
son s  though not the pair which he had then had  Having measured
these very carefully from seven or eight different points  Holmes
desired to be led to the court yard  from which we all followed
the winding track which led to Boscombe Pool 

Sherlock Holmes was transformed when he was hot upon such a scent
as this  Men who had only known the quiet thinker and logician of
Baker Street would have failed to recognise him  His face flushed
and darkened  His brows were drawn into two hard black lines 
while his eyes shone out from beneath them with a steely glitter 
His face was bent downward  his shoulders bowed  his lips
compressed  and the veins stood out like whipcord in his long 
sinewy neck  His nostrils seemed to dilate with a purely animal
lust for the chase  and his mind was so absolutely concentrated
upon the matter before him that a question or remark fell
unheeded upon his ears  or  at the most  only provoked a quick 
impatient snarl in reply  Swiftly and silently he made his way
along the track which ran through the meadows  and so by way of
the woods to the Boscombe Pool  It was damp  marshy ground  as is
all that district  and there were marks of many feet  both upon
the path and amid the short grass which bounded it on either
side  Sometimes Holmes would hurry on  sometimes stop dead  and
once he made quite a little detour into the meadow  Lestrade and
I walked behind him  the detective indifferent and contemptuous 
while I watched my friend with the interest which sprang from the
conviction that every one of his actions was directed towards a
definite end 

The Boscombe Pool  which is a little reed girt sheet of water
some fifty yards across  is situated at the boundary between the
Hatherley Farm and the private park of the wealthy Mr  Turner 
Above the woods which lined it upon the farther side we could see
the red  jutting pinnacles which marked the site of the rich
landowner s dwelling  On the Hatherley side of the pool the woods
grew very thick  and there was a narrow belt of sodden grass
twenty paces across between the edge of the trees and the reeds
which lined the lake  Lestrade showed us the exact spot at which
the body had been found  and  indeed  so moist was the ground 
that I could plainly see the traces which had been left by the
fall of the stricken man  To Holmes  as I could see by his eager
face and peering eyes  very many other things were to be read
upon the trampled grass  He ran round  like a dog who is picking
up a scent  and then turned upon my companion 

 What did you go into the pool for   he asked 

 I fished about with a rake  I thought there might be some weapon
or other trace  But how on earth   

 Oh  tut  tut  I have no time  That left foot of yours with its
inward twist is all over the place  A mole could trace it  and
there it vanishes among the reeds  Oh  how simple it would all
have been had I been here before they came like a herd of buffalo
and wallowed all over it  Here is where the party with the
lodge keeper came  and they have covered all tracks for six or
eight feet round the body  But here are three separate tracks of
the same feet   He drew out a lens and lay down upon his
waterproof to have a better view  talking all the time rather to
himself than to us   These are young McCarthy s feet  Twice he
was walking  and once he ran swiftly  so that the soles are
deeply marked and the heels hardly visible  That bears out his
story  He ran when he saw his father on the ground  Then here are
the father s feet as he paced up and down  What is this  then  It
is the butt end of the gun as the son stood listening  And this 
Ha  ha  What have we here  Tiptoes  tiptoes  Square  too  quite
unusual boots  They come  they go  they come again  of course
that was for the cloak  Now where did they come from   He ran up
and down  sometimes losing  sometimes finding the track until we
were well within the edge of the wood and under the shadow of a
great beech  the largest tree in the neighbourhood  Holmes traced
his way to the farther side of this and lay down once more upon
his face with a little cry of satisfaction  For a long time he
remained there  turning over the leaves and dried sticks 
gathering up what seemed to me to be dust into an envelope and
examining with his lens not only the ground but even the bark of
the tree as far as he could reach  A jagged stone was lying among
the moss  and this also he carefully examined and retained  Then
he followed a pathway through the wood until he came to the
highroad  where all traces were lost 

 It has been a case of considerable interest   he remarked 
returning to his natural manner   I fancy that this grey house on
the right must be the lodge  I think that I will go in and have a
word with Moran  and perhaps write a little note  Having done
that  we may drive back to our luncheon  You may walk to the cab 
and I shall be with you presently  

It was about ten minutes before we regained our cab and drove
back into Ross  Holmes still carrying with him the stone which he
had picked up in the wood 

 This may interest you  Lestrade   he remarked  holding it out 
 The murder was done with it  

 I see no marks  

 There are none  

 How do you know  then  

 The grass was growing under it  It had only lain there a few
days  There was no sign of a place whence it had been taken  It
corresponds with the injuries  There is no sign of any other
weapon  

 And the murderer  

 Is a tall man  left handed  limps with the right leg  wears
thick soled shooting boots and a grey cloak  smokes Indian
cigars  uses a cigar holder  and carries a blunt pen knife in his
pocket  There are several other indications  but these may be
enough to aid us in our search  

Lestrade laughed   I am afraid that I am still a sceptic   he
said   Theories are all very well  but we have to deal with a
hard headed British jury  

 Nous verrons   answered Holmes calmly   You work your own
method  and I shall work mine  I shall be busy this afternoon 
and shall probably return to London by the evening train  

 And leave your case unfinished  

 No  finished  

 But the mystery  

 It is solved  

 Who was the criminal  then  

 The gentleman I describe  

 But who is he  

 Surely it would not be difficult to find out  This is not such a
populous neighbourhood  

Lestrade shrugged his shoulders   I am a practical man   he said 
 and I really cannot undertake to go about the country looking
for a left handed gentleman with a game leg  I should become the
laughing stock of Scotland Yard  

 All right   said Holmes quietly   I have given you the chance 
Here are your lodgings  Good bye  I shall drop you a line before
I leave  

Having left Lestrade at his rooms  we drove to our hotel  where
we found lunch upon the table  Holmes was silent and buried in
thought with a pained expression upon his face  as one who finds
himself in a perplexing position 

 Look here  Watson   he said when the cloth was cleared  just sit
down in this chair and let me preach to you for a little  I don t
know quite what to do  and I should value your advice  Light a
cigar and let me expound  

  Pray do so  

 Well  now  in considering this case there are two points about
young McCarthy s narrative which struck us both instantly 
although they impressed me in his favour and you against him  One
was the fact that his father should  according to his account 
cry  Cooee   before seeing him  The other was his singular dying
reference to a rat  He mumbled several words  you understand  but
that was all that caught the son s ear  Now from this double
point our research must commence  and we will begin it by
presuming that what the lad says is absolutely true  

 What of this  Cooee   then  

 Well  obviously it could not have been meant for the son  The
son  as far as he knew  was in Bristol  It was mere chance that
he was within earshot  The  Cooee   was meant to attract the
attention of whoever it was that he had the appointment with  But
 Cooee  is a distinctly Australian cry  and one which is used
between Australians  There is a strong presumption that the
person whom McCarthy expected to meet him at Boscombe Pool was
someone who had been in Australia  

 What of the rat  then  

Sherlock Holmes took a folded paper from his pocket and flattened
it out on the table   This is a map of the Colony of Victoria  
he said   I wired to Bristol for it last night   He put his hand
over part of the map   What do you read  

 ARAT   I read 

 And now   He raised his hand 

 BALLARAT  

 Quite so  That was the word the man uttered  and of which his
son only caught the last two syllables  He was trying to utter
the name of his murderer  So and so  of Ballarat  

 It is wonderful   I exclaimed 

 It is obvious  And now  you see  I had narrowed the field down
considerably  The possession of a grey garment was a third point
which  granting the son s statement to be correct  was a
certainty  We have come now out of mere vagueness to the definite
conception of an Australian from Ballarat with a grey cloak  

 Certainly  

 And one who was at home in the district  for the pool can only
be approached by the farm or by the estate  where strangers could
hardly wander  

 Quite so  

 Then comes our expedition of to day  By an examination of the
ground I gained the trifling details which I gave to that
imbecile Lestrade  as to the personality of the criminal  

 But how did you gain them  

 You know my method  It is founded upon the observation of
trifles  

 His height I know that you might roughly judge from the length
of his stride  His boots  too  might be told from their traces  

 Yes  they were peculiar boots  

 But his lameness  

 The impression of his right foot was always less distinct than
his left  He put less weight upon it  Why  Because he limped  he
was lame  

 But his left handedness  

 You were yourself struck by the nature of the injury as recorded
by the surgeon at the inquest  The blow was struck from
immediately behind  and yet was upon the left side  Now  how can
that be unless it were by a left handed man  He had stood behind
that tree during the interview between the father and son  He had
even smoked there  I found the ash of a cigar  which my special
knowledge of tobacco ashes enables me to pronounce as an Indian
cigar  I have  as you know  devoted some attention to this  and
written a little monograph on the ashes of 140 different
varieties of pipe  cigar  and cigarette tobacco  Having found the
ash  I then looked round and discovered the stump among the moss
where he had tossed it  It was an Indian cigar  of the variety
which are rolled in Rotterdam  

 And the cigar holder  

 I could see that the end had not been in his mouth  Therefore he
used a holder  The tip had been cut off  not bitten off  but the
cut was not a clean one  so I deduced a blunt pen knife  

 Holmes   I said   you have drawn a net round this man from which
he cannot escape  and you have saved an innocent human life as
truly as if you had cut the cord which was hanging him  I see the
direction in which all this points  The culprit is   

 Mr  John Turner   cried the hotel waiter  opening the door of
our sitting room  and ushering in a visitor 

The man who entered was a strange and impressive figure  His
slow  limping step and bowed shoulders gave the appearance of
decrepitude  and yet his hard  deep lined  craggy features  and
his enormous limbs showed that he was possessed of unusual
strength of body and of character  His tangled beard  grizzled
hair  and outstanding  drooping eyebrows combined to give an air
of dignity and power to his appearance  but his face was of an
ashen white  while his lips and the corners of his nostrils were
tinged with a shade of blue  It was clear to me at a glance that
he was in the grip of some deadly and chronic disease 

 Pray sit down on the sofa   said Holmes gently   You had my
note  

 Yes  the lodge keeper brought it up  You said that you wished to
see me here to avoid scandal  

 I thought people would talk if I went to the Hall  

 And why did you wish to see me   He looked across at my
companion with despair in his weary eyes  as though his question
was already answered 

 Yes   said Holmes  answering the look rather than the words   It
is so  I know all about McCarthy  

The old man sank his face in his hands   God help me   he cried 
 But I would not have let the young man come to harm  I give you
my word that I would have spoken out if it went against him at
the Assizes  

 I am glad to hear you say so   said Holmes gravely 

 I would have spoken now had it not been for my dear girl  It
would break her heart  it will break her heart when she hears
that I am arrested  

 It may not come to that   said Holmes 

 What  

 I am no official agent  I understand that it was your daughter
who required my presence here  and I am acting in her interests 
Young McCarthy must be got off  however  

 I am a dying man   said old Turner   I have had diabetes for
years  My doctor says it is a question whether I shall live a
month  Yet I would rather die under my own roof than in a gaol  

Holmes rose and sat down at the table with his pen in his hand
and a bundle of paper before him   Just tell us the truth   he
said   I shall jot down the facts  You will sign it  and Watson
here can witness it  Then I could produce your confession at the
last extremity to save young McCarthy  I promise you that I shall
not use it unless it is absolutely needed  

 It s as well   said the old man   it s a question whether I
shall live to the Assizes  so it matters little to me  but I
should wish to spare Alice the shock  And now I will make the
thing clear to you  it has been a long time in the acting  but
will not take me long to tell 

 You didn t know this dead man  McCarthy  He was a devil
incarnate  I tell you that  God keep you out of the clutches of
such a man as he  His grip has been upon me these twenty years 
and he has blasted my life  I ll tell you first how I came to be
in his power 

 It was in the early  60 s at the diggings  I was a young chap
then  hot blooded and reckless  ready to turn my hand at
anything  I got among bad companions  took to drink  had no luck
with my claim  took to the bush  and in a word became what you
would call over here a highway robber  There were six of us  and
we had a wild  free life of it  sticking up a station from time
to time  or stopping the wagons on the road to the diggings 
Black Jack of Ballarat was the name I went under  and our party
is still remembered in the colony as the Ballarat Gang 

 One day a gold convoy came down from Ballarat to Melbourne  and
we lay in wait for it and attacked it  There were six troopers
and six of us  so it was a close thing  but we emptied four of
their saddles at the first volley  Three of our boys were killed 
however  before we got the swag  I put my pistol to the head of
the wagon driver  who was this very man McCarthy  I wish to the
Lord that I had shot him then  but I spared him  though I saw his
wicked little eyes fixed on my face  as though to remember every
feature  We got away with the gold  became wealthy men  and made
our way over to England without being suspected  There I parted
from my old pals and determined to settle down to a quiet and
respectable life  I bought this estate  which chanced to be in
the market  and I set myself to do a little good with my money 
to make up for the way in which I had earned it  I married  too 
and though my wife died young she left me my dear little Alice 
Even when she was just a baby her wee hand seemed to lead me down
the right path as nothing else had ever done  In a word  I turned
over a new leaf and did my best to make up for the past  All was
going well when McCarthy laid his grip upon me 

 I had gone up to town about an investment  and I met him in
Regent Street with hardly a coat to his back or a boot to his
foot 

  Here we are  Jack   says he  touching me on the arm   we ll be
as good as a family to you  There s two of us  me and my son  and
you can have the keeping of us  If you don t  it s a fine 
law abiding country is England  and there s always a policeman
within hail  

 Well  down they came to the west country  there was no shaking
them off  and there they have lived rent free on my best land
ever since  There was no rest for me  no peace  no forgetfulness 
turn where I would  there was his cunning  grinning face at my
elbow  It grew worse as Alice grew up  for he soon saw I was more
afraid of her knowing my past than of the police  Whatever he
wanted he must have  and whatever it was I gave him without
question  land  money  houses  until at last he asked a thing
which I could not give  He asked for Alice 

 His son  you see  had grown up  and so had my girl  and as I was
known to be in weak health  it seemed a fine stroke to him that
his lad should step into the whole property  But there I was
firm  I would not have his cursed stock mixed with mine  not that
I had any dislike to the lad  but his blood was in him  and that
was enough  I stood firm  McCarthy threatened  I braved him to do
his worst  We were to meet at the pool midway between our houses
to talk it over 

 When I went down there I found him talking with his son  so I
smoked a cigar and waited behind a tree until he should be alone 
But as I listened to his talk all that was black and bitter in
me seemed to come uppermost  He was urging his son to marry my
daughter with as little regard for what she might think as if she
were a slut from off the streets  It drove me mad to think that I
and all that I held most dear should be in the power of such a
man as this  Could I not snap the bond  I was already a dying and
a desperate man  Though clear of mind and fairly strong of limb 
I knew that my own fate was sealed  But my memory and my girl 
Both could be saved if I could but silence that foul tongue  I
did it  Mr  Holmes  I would do it again  Deeply as I have sinned 
I have led a life of martyrdom to atone for it  But that my girl
should be entangled in the same meshes which held me was more
than I could suffer  I struck him down with no more compunction
than if he had been some foul and venomous beast  His cry brought
back his son  but I had gained the cover of the wood  though I
was forced to go back to fetch the cloak which I had dropped in
my flight  That is the true story  gentlemen  of all that
occurred  

 Well  it is not for me to judge you   said Holmes as the old man
signed the statement which had been drawn out   I pray that we
may never be exposed to such a temptation  

 I pray not  sir  And what do you intend to do  

 In view of your health  nothing  You are yourself aware that you
will soon have to answer for your deed at a higher court than the
Assizes  I will keep your confession  and if McCarthy is
condemned I shall be forced to use it  If not  it shall never be
seen by mortal eye  and your secret  whether you be alive or
dead  shall be safe with us  

 Farewell  then   said the old man solemnly   Your own deathbeds 
when they come  will be the easier for the thought of the peace
which you have given to mine   Tottering and shaking in all his
giant frame  he stumbled slowly from the room 

 God help us   said Holmes after a long silence   Why does fate
play such tricks with poor  helpless worms  I never hear of such
a case as this that I do not think of Baxter s words  and say 
 There  but for the grace of God  goes Sherlock Holmes   

James McCarthy was acquitted at the Assizes on the strength of a
number of objections which had been drawn out by Holmes and
submitted to the defending counsel  Old Turner lived for seven
months after our interview  but he is now dead  and there is
every prospect that the son and daughter may come to live happily
together in ignorance of the black cloud which rests upon their
past 



ADVENTURE V  THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS

When I glance over my notes and records of the Sherlock Holmes
cases between the years  82 and  90  I am faced by so many which
present strange and interesting features that it is no easy
matter to know which to choose and which to leave  Some  however 
have already gained publicity through the papers  and others have
not offered a field for those peculiar qualities which my friend
possessed in so high a degree  and which it is the object of
these papers to illustrate  Some  too  have baffled his
analytical skill  and would be  as narratives  beginnings without
an ending  while others have been but partially cleared up  and
have their explanations founded rather upon conjecture and
surmise than on that absolute logical proof which was so dear to
him  There is  however  one of these last which was so remarkable
in its details and so startling in its results that I am tempted
to give some account of it in spite of the fact that there are
points in connection with it which never have been  and probably
never will be  entirely cleared up 

The year  87 furnished us with a long series of cases of greater
or less interest  of which I retain the records  Among my
headings under this one twelve months I find an account of the
adventure of the Paradol Chamber  of the Amateur Mendicant
Society  who held a luxurious club in the lower vault of a
furniture warehouse  of the facts connected with the loss of the
British barque  Sophy Anderson   of the singular adventures of the
Grice Patersons in the island of Uffa  and finally of the
Camberwell poisoning case  In the latter  as may be remembered 
Sherlock Holmes was able  by winding up the dead man s watch  to
prove that it had been wound up two hours before  and that
therefore the deceased had gone to bed within that time  a
deduction which was of the greatest importance in clearing up the
case  All these I may sketch out at some future date  but none of
them present such singular features as the strange train of
circumstances which I have now taken up my pen to describe 

It was in the latter days of September  and the equinoctial gales
had set in with exceptional violence  All day the wind had
screamed and the rain had beaten against the windows  so that
even here in the heart of great  hand made London we were forced
to raise our minds for the instant from the routine of life and
to recognise the presence of those great elemental forces which
shriek at mankind through the bars of his civilisation  like
untamed beasts in a cage  As evening drew in  the storm grew
higher and louder  and the wind cried and sobbed like a child in
the chimney  Sherlock Holmes sat moodily at one side of the
fireplace cross indexing his records of crime  while I at the
other was deep in one of Clark Russell s fine sea stories until
the howl of the gale from without seemed to blend with the text 
and the splash of the rain to lengthen out into the long swash of
the sea waves  My wife was on a visit to her mother s  and for a
few days I was a dweller once more in my old quarters at Baker
Street 

 Why   said I  glancing up at my companion   that was surely the
bell  Who could come to night  Some friend of yours  perhaps  

 Except yourself I have none   he answered   I do not encourage
visitors  

 A client  then  

 If so  it is a serious case  Nothing less would bring a man out
on such a day and at such an hour  But I take it that it is more
likely to be some crony of the landlady s  

Sherlock Holmes was wrong in his conjecture  however  for there
came a step in the passage and a tapping at the door  He
stretched out his long arm to turn the lamp away from himself and
towards the vacant chair upon which a newcomer must sit 

 Come in   said he 

The man who entered was young  some two and twenty at the
outside  well groomed and trimly clad  with something of
refinement and delicacy in his bearing  The streaming umbrella
which he held in his hand  and his long shining waterproof told
of the fierce weather through which he had come  He looked about
him anxiously in the glare of the lamp  and I could see that his
face was pale and his eyes heavy  like those of a man who is
weighed down with some great anxiety 

 I owe you an apology   he said  raising his golden pince nez to
his eyes   I trust that I am not intruding  I fear that I have
brought some traces of the storm and rain into your snug
chamber  

 Give me your coat and umbrella   said Holmes   They may rest
here on the hook and will be dry presently  You have come up from
the south west  I see  

 Yes  from Horsham  

 That clay and chalk mixture which I see upon your toe caps is
quite distinctive  

 I have come for advice  

 That is easily got  

 And help  

 That is not always so easy  

 I have heard of you  Mr  Holmes  I heard from Major Prendergast
how you saved him in the Tankerville Club scandal  

 Ah  of course  He was wrongfully accused of cheating at cards  

 He said that you could solve anything  

 He said too much  

 That you are never beaten  

 I have been beaten four times  three times by men  and once by a
woman  

 But what is that compared with the number of your successes  

 It is true that I have been generally successful  

 Then you may be so with me  

 I beg that you will draw your chair up to the fire and favour me
with some details as to your case  

 It is no ordinary one  

 None of those which come to me are  I am the last court of
appeal  

 And yet I question  sir  whether  in all your experience  you
have ever listened to a more mysterious and inexplicable chain of
events than those which have happened in my own family  

 You fill me with interest   said Holmes   Pray give us the
essential facts from the commencement  and I can afterwards
question you as to those details which seem to me to be most
important  

The young man pulled his chair up and pushed his wet feet out
towards the blaze 

 My name   said he   is John Openshaw  but my own affairs have 
as far as I can understand  little to do with this awful
business  It is a hereditary matter  so in order to give you an
idea of the facts  I must go back to the commencement of the
affair 

 You must know that my grandfather had two sons  my uncle Elias
and my father Joseph  My father had a small factory at Coventry 
which he enlarged at the time of the invention of bicycling  He
was a patentee of the Openshaw unbreakable tire  and his business
met with such success that he was able to sell it and to retire
upon a handsome competence 

 My uncle Elias emigrated to America when he was a young man and
became a planter in Florida  where he was reported to have done
very well  At the time of the war he fought in Jackson s army 
and afterwards under Hood  where he rose to be a colonel  When
Lee laid down his arms my uncle returned to his plantation  where
he remained for three or four years  About 1869 or 1870 he came
back to Europe and took a small estate in Sussex  near Horsham 
He had made a very considerable fortune in the States  and his
reason for leaving them was his aversion to the negroes  and his
dislike of the Republican policy in extending the franchise to
them  He was a singular man  fierce and quick tempered  very
foul mouthed when he was angry  and of a most retiring
disposition  During all the years that he lived at Horsham  I
doubt if ever he set foot in the town  He had a garden and two or
three fields round his house  and there he would take his
exercise  though very often for weeks on end he would never leave
his room  He drank a great deal of brandy and smoked very
heavily  but he would see no society and did not want any
friends  not even his own brother 

 He didn t mind me  in fact  he took a fancy to me  for at the
time when he saw me first I was a youngster of twelve or so  This
would be in the year 1878  after he had been eight or nine years
in England  He begged my father to let me live with him and he
was very kind to me in his way  When he was sober he used to be
fond of playing backgammon and draughts with me  and he would
make me his representative both with the servants and with the
tradespeople  so that by the time that I was sixteen I was quite
master of the house  I kept all the keys and could go where I
liked and do what I liked  so long as I did not disturb him in
his privacy  There was one singular exception  however  for he
had a single room  a lumber room up among the attics  which was
invariably locked  and which he would never permit either me or
anyone else to enter  With a boy s curiosity I have peeped
through the keyhole  but I was never able to see more than such a
collection of old trunks and bundles as would be expected in such
a room 

 One day  it was in March  1883  a letter with a foreign stamp
lay upon the table in front of the colonel s plate  It was not a
common thing for him to receive letters  for his bills were all
paid in ready money  and he had no friends of any sort   From
India   said he as he took it up   Pondicherry postmark  What can
this be   Opening it hurriedly  out there jumped five little
dried orange pips  which pattered down upon his plate  I began to
laugh at this  but the laugh was struck from my lips at the sight
of his face  His lip had fallen  his eyes were protruding  his
skin the colour of putty  and he glared at the envelope which he
still held in his trembling hand   K  K  K    he shrieked  and
then   My God  my God  my sins have overtaken me  

  What is it  uncle   I cried 

  Death   said he  and rising from the table he retired to his
room  leaving me palpitating with horror  I took up the envelope
and saw scrawled in red ink upon the inner flap  just above the
gum  the letter K three times repeated  There was nothing else
save the five dried pips  What could be the reason of his
overpowering terror  I left the breakfast table  and as I
ascended the stair I met him coming down with an old rusty key 
which must have belonged to the attic  in one hand  and a small
brass box  like a cashbox  in the other 

  They may do what they like  but I ll checkmate them still  
said he with an oath   Tell Mary that I shall want a fire in my
room to day  and send down to Fordham  the Horsham lawyer  

 I did as he ordered  and when the lawyer arrived I was asked to
step up to the room  The fire was burning brightly  and in the
grate there was a mass of black  fluffy ashes  as of burned
paper  while the brass box stood open and empty beside it  As I
glanced at the box I noticed  with a start  that upon the lid was
printed the treble K which I had read in the morning upon the
envelope 

  I wish you  John   said my uncle   to witness my will  I leave
my estate  with all its advantages and all its disadvantages  to
my brother  your father  whence it will  no doubt  descend to
you  If you can enjoy it in peace  well and good  If you find you
cannot  take my advice  my boy  and leave it to your deadliest
enemy  I am sorry to give you such a two edged thing  but I can t
say what turn things are going to take  Kindly sign the paper
where Mr  Fordham shows you  

 I signed the paper as directed  and the lawyer took it away with
him  The singular incident made  as you may think  the deepest
impression upon me  and I pondered over it and turned it every
way in my mind without being able to make anything of it  Yet I
could not shake off the vague feeling of dread which it left
behind  though the sensation grew less keen as the weeks passed
and nothing happened to disturb the usual routine of our lives  I
could see a change in my uncle  however  He drank more than ever 
and he was less inclined for any sort of society  Most of his
time he would spend in his room  with the door locked upon the
inside  but sometimes he would emerge in a sort of drunken frenzy
and would burst out of the house and tear about the garden with a
revolver in his hand  screaming out that he was afraid of no man 
and that he was not to be cooped up  like a sheep in a pen  by
man or devil  When these hot fits were over  however  he would
rush tumultuously in at the door and lock and bar it behind him 
like a man who can brazen it out no longer against the terror
which lies at the roots of his soul  At such times I have seen
his face  even on a cold day  glisten with moisture  as though it
were new raised from a basin 

 Well  to come to an end of the matter  Mr  Holmes  and not to
abuse your patience  there came a night when he made one of those
drunken sallies from which he never came back  We found him  when
we went to search for him  face downward in a little
green scummed pool  which lay at the foot of the garden  There
was no sign of any violence  and the water was but two feet deep 
so that the jury  having regard to his known eccentricity 
brought in a verdict of  suicide   But I  who knew how he winced
from the very thought of death  had much ado to persuade myself
that he had gone out of his way to meet it  The matter passed 
however  and my father entered into possession of the estate  and
of some 14 000 pounds  which lay to his credit at the bank  

 One moment   Holmes interposed   your statement is  I foresee 
one of the most remarkable to which I have ever listened  Let me
have the date of the reception by your uncle of the letter  and
the date of his supposed suicide  

 The letter arrived on March 10  1883  His death was seven weeks
later  upon the night of May 2nd  

 Thank you  Pray proceed  

 When my father took over the Horsham property  he  at my
request  made a careful examination of the attic  which had been
always locked up  We found the brass box there  although its
contents had been destroyed  On the inside of the cover was a
paper label  with the initials of K  K  K  repeated upon it  and
 Letters  memoranda  receipts  and a register  written beneath 
These  we presume  indicated the nature of the papers which had
been destroyed by Colonel Openshaw  For the rest  there was
nothing of much importance in the attic save a great many
scattered papers and note books bearing upon my uncle s life in
America  Some of them were of the war time and showed that he had
done his duty well and had borne the repute of a brave soldier 
Others were of a date during the reconstruction of the Southern
states  and were mostly concerned with politics  for he had
evidently taken a strong part in opposing the carpet bag
politicians who had been sent down from the North 

 Well  it was the beginning of  84 when my father came to live at
Horsham  and all went as well as possible with us until the
January of  85  On the fourth day after the new year I heard my
father give a sharp cry of surprise as we sat together at the
breakfast table  There he was  sitting with a newly opened
envelope in one hand and five dried orange pips in the
outstretched palm of the other one  He had always laughed at what
he called my cock and bull story about the colonel  but he looked
very scared and puzzled now that the same thing had come upon
himself 

  Why  what on earth does this mean  John   he stammered 

 My heart had turned to lead   It is K  K  K    said I 

 He looked inside the envelope   So it is   he cried   Here are
the very letters  But what is this written above them  

  Put the papers on the sundial   I read  peeping over his
shoulder 

  What papers  What sundial   he asked 

  The sundial in the garden  There is no other   said I   but the
papers must be those that are destroyed  

  Pooh   said he  gripping hard at his courage   We are in a
civilised land here  and we can t have tomfoolery of this kind 
Where does the thing come from  

  From Dundee   I answered  glancing at the postmark 

  Some preposterous practical joke   said he   What have I to do
with sundials and papers  I shall take no notice of such
nonsense  

  I should certainly speak to the police   I said 

  And be laughed at for my pains  Nothing of the sort  

  Then let me do so  

  No  I forbid you  I won t have a fuss made about such
nonsense  

 It was in vain to argue with him  for he was a very obstinate
man  I went about  however  with a heart which was full of
forebodings 

 On the third day after the coming of the letter my father went
from home to visit an old friend of his  Major Freebody  who is
in command of one of the forts upon Portsdown Hill  I was glad
that he should go  for it seemed to me that he was farther from
danger when he was away from home  In that  however  I was in
error  Upon the second day of his absence I received a telegram
from the major  imploring me to come at once  My father had
fallen over one of the deep chalk pits which abound in the
neighbourhood  and was lying senseless  with a shattered skull  I
hurried to him  but he passed away without having ever recovered
his consciousness  He had  as it appears  been returning from
Fareham in the twilight  and as the country was unknown to him 
and the chalk pit unfenced  the jury had no hesitation in
bringing in a verdict of  death from accidental causes  
Carefully as I examined every fact connected with his death  I
was unable to find anything which could suggest the idea of
murder  There were no signs of violence  no footmarks  no
robbery  no record of strangers having been seen upon the roads 
And yet I need not tell you that my mind was far from at ease 
and that I was well nigh certain that some foul plot had been
woven round him 

 In this sinister way I came into my inheritance  You will ask me
why I did not dispose of it  I answer  because I was well
convinced that our troubles were in some way dependent upon an
incident in my uncle s life  and that the danger would be as
pressing in one house as in another 

 It was in January   85  that my poor father met his end  and two
years and eight months have elapsed since then  During that time
I have lived happily at Horsham  and I had begun to hope that
this curse had passed away from the family  and that it had ended
with the last generation  I had begun to take comfort too soon 
however  yesterday morning the blow fell in the very shape in
which it had come upon my father  

The young man took from his waistcoat a crumpled envelope  and
turning to the table he shook out upon it five little dried
orange pips 

 This is the envelope   he continued   The postmark is
London  eastern division  Within are the very words which were
upon my father s last message   K  K  K    and then  Put the
papers on the sundial   

 What have you done   asked Holmes 

 Nothing  

 Nothing  

 To tell the truth   he sank his face into his thin  white
hands   I have felt helpless  I have felt like one of those poor
rabbits when the snake is writhing towards it  I seem to be in
the grasp of some resistless  inexorable evil  which no foresight
and no precautions can guard against  

 Tut  tut   cried Sherlock Holmes   You must act  man  or you are
lost  Nothing but energy can save you  This is no time for
despair  

 I have seen the police  

 Ah  

 But they listened to my story with a smile  I am convinced that
the inspector has formed the opinion that the letters are all
practical jokes  and that the deaths of my relations were really
accidents  as the jury stated  and were not to be connected with
the warnings  

Holmes shook his clenched hands in the air   Incredible
imbecility   he cried 

 They have  however  allowed me a policeman  who may remain in
the house with me  

 Has he come with you to night  

 No  His orders were to stay in the house  

Again Holmes raved in the air 

 Why did you come to me   he cried   and  above all  why did you
not come at once  

 I did not know  It was only to day that I spoke to Major
Prendergast about my troubles and was advised by him to come to
you  

 It is really two days since you had the letter  We should have
acted before this  You have no further evidence  I suppose  than
that which you have placed before us  no suggestive detail which
might help us  

 There is one thing   said John Openshaw  He rummaged in his coat
pocket  and  drawing out a piece of discoloured  blue tinted
paper  he laid it out upon the table   I have some remembrance  
said he   that on the day when my uncle burned the papers I
observed that the small  unburned margins which lay amid the
ashes were of this particular colour  I found this single sheet
upon the floor of his room  and I am inclined to think that it
may be one of the papers which has  perhaps  fluttered out from
among the others  and in that way has escaped destruction  Beyond
the mention of pips  I do not see that it helps us much  I think
myself that it is a page from some private diary  The writing is
undoubtedly my uncle s  

Holmes moved the lamp  and we both bent over the sheet of paper 
which showed by its ragged edge that it had indeed been torn from
a book  It was headed   March  1869   and beneath were the
following enigmatical notices 

 4th  Hudson came  Same old platform 

 7th  Set the pips on McCauley  Paramore  and
      John Swain  of St  Augustine 

 9th  McCauley cleared 

 10th  John Swain cleared 

 12th  Visited Paramore  All well  

 Thank you   said Holmes  folding up the paper and returning it
to our visitor   And now you must on no account lose another
instant  We cannot spare time even to discuss what you have told
me  You must get home instantly and act  

 What shall I do  

 There is but one thing to do  It must be done at once  You must
put this piece of paper which you have shown us into the brass
box which you have described  You must also put in a note to say
that all the other papers were burned by your uncle  and that
this is the only one which remains  You must assert that in such
words as will carry conviction with them  Having done this  you
must at once put the box out upon the sundial  as directed  Do
you understand  

 Entirely  

 Do not think of revenge  or anything of the sort  at present  I
think that we may gain that by means of the law  but we have our
web to weave  while theirs is already woven  The first
consideration is to remove the pressing danger which threatens
you  The second is to clear up the mystery and to punish the
guilty parties  

 I thank you   said the young man  rising and pulling on his
overcoat   You have given me fresh life and hope  I shall
certainly do as you advise  

 Do not lose an instant  And  above all  take care of yourself in
the meanwhile  for I do not think that there can be a doubt that
you are threatened by a very real and imminent danger  How do you
go back  

 By train from Waterloo  

 It is not yet nine  The streets will be crowded  so I trust that
you may be in safety  And yet you cannot guard yourself too
closely  

 I am armed  

 That is well  To morrow I shall set to work upon your case  

 I shall see you at Horsham  then  

 No  your secret lies in London  It is there that I shall seek
it  

 Then I shall call upon you in a day  or in two days  with news
as to the box and the papers  I shall take your advice in every
particular   He shook hands with us and took his leave  Outside
the wind still screamed and the rain splashed and pattered
against the windows  This strange  wild story seemed to have come
to us from amid the mad elements  blown in upon us like a sheet
of sea weed in a gale  and now to have been reabsorbed by them
once more 

Sherlock Holmes sat for some time in silence  with his head sunk
forward and his eyes bent upon the red glow of the fire  Then he
lit his pipe  and leaning back in his chair he watched the blue
smoke rings as they chased each other up to the ceiling 

 I think  Watson   he remarked at last   that of all our cases we
have had none more fantastic than this  

 Save  perhaps  the Sign of Four  

 Well  yes  Save  perhaps  that  And yet this John Openshaw seems
to me to be walking amid even greater perils than did the
Sholtos  

 But have you   I asked   formed any definite conception as to
what these perils are  

 There can be no question as to their nature   he answered 

 Then what are they  Who is this K  K  K   and why does he pursue
this unhappy family  

Sherlock Holmes closed his eyes and placed his elbows upon the
arms of his chair  with his finger tips together   The ideal
reasoner   he remarked   would  when he had once been shown a
single fact in all its bearings  deduce from it not only all the
chain of events which led up to it but also all the results which
would follow from it  As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole
animal by the contemplation of a single bone  so the observer who
has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents
should be able to accurately state all the other ones  both
before and after  We have not yet grasped the results which the
reason alone can attain to  Problems may be solved in the study
which have baffled all those who have sought a solution by the
aid of their senses  To carry the art  however  to its highest
pitch  it is necessary that the reasoner should be able to
utilise all the facts which have come to his knowledge  and this
in itself implies  as you will readily see  a possession of all
knowledge  which  even in these days of free education and
encyclopaedias  is a somewhat rare accomplishment  It is not so
impossible  however  that a man should possess all knowledge
which is likely to be useful to him in his work  and this I have
endeavoured in my case to do  If I remember rightly  you on one
occasion  in the early days of our friendship  defined my limits
in a very precise fashion  

 Yes   I answered  laughing   It was a singular document 
Philosophy  astronomy  and politics were marked at zero  I
remember  Botany variable  geology profound as regards the
mud stains from any region within fifty miles of town  chemistry
eccentric  anatomy unsystematic  sensational literature and crime
records unique  violin player  boxer  swordsman  lawyer  and
self poisoner by cocaine and tobacco  Those  I think  were the
main points of my analysis  

Holmes grinned at the last item   Well   he said   I say now  as
I said then  that a man should keep his little brain attic
stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use  and the
rest he can put away in the lumber room of his library  where he
can get it if he wants it  Now  for such a case as the one which
has been submitted to us to night  we need certainly to muster
all our resources  Kindly hand me down the letter K of the
 American Encyclopaedia  which stands upon the shelf beside you 
Thank you  Now let us consider the situation and see what may be
deduced from it  In the first place  we may start with a strong
presumption that Colonel Openshaw had some very strong reason for
leaving America  Men at his time of life do not change all their
habits and exchange willingly the charming climate of Florida for
the lonely life of an English provincial town  His extreme love
of solitude in England suggests the idea that he was in fear of
someone or something  so we may assume as a working hypothesis
that it was fear of someone or something which drove him from
America  As to what it was he feared  we can only deduce that by
considering the formidable letters which were received by himself
and his successors  Did you remark the postmarks of those
letters  

 The first was from Pondicherry  the second from Dundee  and the
third from London  

 From East London  What do you deduce from that  

 They are all seaports  That the writer was on board of a ship  

 Excellent  We have already a clue  There can be no doubt that
the probability  the strong probability  is that the writer was
on board of a ship  And now let us consider another point  In the
case of Pondicherry  seven weeks elapsed between the threat and
its fulfilment  in Dundee it was only some three or four days 
Does that suggest anything  

 A greater distance to travel  

 But the letter had also a greater distance to come  

 Then I do not see the point  

 There is at least a presumption that the vessel in which the man
or men are is a sailing ship  It looks as if they always send
their singular warning or token before them when starting upon
their mission  You see how quickly the deed followed the sign
when it came from Dundee  If they had come from Pondicherry in a
steamer they would have arrived almost as soon as their letter 
But  as a matter of fact  seven weeks elapsed  I think that those
seven weeks represented the difference between the mail boat which
brought the letter and the sailing vessel which brought the
writer  

 It is possible  

 More than that  It is probable  And now you see the deadly
urgency of this new case  and why I urged young Openshaw to
caution  The blow has always fallen at the end of the time which
it would take the senders to travel the distance  But this one
comes from London  and therefore we cannot count upon delay  

 Good God   I cried   What can it mean  this relentless
persecution  

 The papers which Openshaw carried are obviously of vital
importance to the person or persons in the sailing ship  I think
that it is quite clear that there must be more than one of them 
A single man could not have carried out two deaths in such a way
as to deceive a coroner s jury  There must have been several in
it  and they must have been men of resource and determination 
Their papers they mean to have  be the holder of them who it may 
In this way you see K  K  K  ceases to be the initials of an
individual and becomes the badge of a society  

 But of what society  

 Have you never    said Sherlock Holmes  bending forward and
sinking his voice   have you never heard of the Ku Klux Klan  

 I never have  

Holmes turned over the leaves of the book upon his knee   Here it
is   said he presently 

  Ku Klux Klan  A name derived from the fanciful resemblance to
the sound produced by cocking a rifle  This terrible secret
society was formed by some ex Confederate soldiers in the
Southern states after the Civil War  and it rapidly formed local
branches in different parts of the country  notably in Tennessee 
Louisiana  the Carolinas  Georgia  and Florida  Its power was
used for political purposes  principally for the terrorising of
the negro voters and the murdering and driving from the country
of those who were opposed to its views  Its outrages were usually
preceded by a warning sent to the marked man in some fantastic
but generally recognised shape  a sprig of oak leaves in some
parts  melon seeds or orange pips in others  On receiving this
the victim might either openly abjure his former ways  or might
fly from the country  If he braved the matter out  death would
unfailingly come upon him  and usually in some strange and
unforeseen manner  So perfect was the organisation of the
society  and so systematic its methods  that there is hardly a
case upon record where any man succeeded in braving it with
impunity  or in which any of its outrages were traced home to the
perpetrators  For some years the organisation flourished in spite
of the efforts of the United States government and of the better
classes of the community in the South  Eventually  in the year
1869  the movement rather suddenly collapsed  although there have
been sporadic outbreaks of the same sort since that date  

 You will observe   said Holmes  laying down the volume   that
the sudden breaking up of the society was coincident with the
disappearance of Openshaw from America with their papers  It may
well have been cause and effect  It is no wonder that he and his
family have some of the more implacable spirits upon their track 
You can understand that this register and diary may implicate
some of the first men in the South  and that there may be many
who will not sleep easy at night until it is recovered  

 Then the page we have seen   

 Is such as we might expect  It ran  if I remember right   sent
the pips to A  B  and C   that is  sent the society s warning to
them  Then there are successive entries that A and B cleared  or
left the country  and finally that C was visited  with  I fear  a
sinister result for C  Well  I think  Doctor  that we may let
some light into this dark place  and I believe that the only
chance young Openshaw has in the meantime is to do what I have
told him  There is nothing more to be said or to be done
to night  so hand me over my violin and let us try to forget for
half an hour the miserable weather and the still more miserable
ways of our fellow men  


It had cleared in the morning  and the sun was shining with a
subdued brightness through the dim veil which hangs over the
great city  Sherlock Holmes was already at breakfast when I came
down 

 You will excuse me for not waiting for you   said he   I have  I
foresee  a very busy day before me in looking into this case of
young Openshaw s  

 What steps will you take   I asked 

 It will very much depend upon the results of my first inquiries 
I may have to go down to Horsham  after all  

 You will not go there first  

 No  I shall commence with the City  Just ring the bell and the
maid will bring up your coffee  

As I waited  I lifted the unopened newspaper from the table and
glanced my eye over it  It rested upon a heading which sent a
chill to my heart 

 Holmes   I cried   you are too late  

 Ah   said he  laying down his cup   I feared as much  How was it
done   He spoke calmly  but I could see that he was deeply moved 

 My eye caught the name of Openshaw  and the heading  Tragedy
Near Waterloo Bridge   Here is the account 

 Between nine and ten last night Police Constable Cook  of the H
Division  on duty near Waterloo Bridge  heard a cry for help and
a splash in the water  The night  however  was extremely dark and
stormy  so that  in spite of the help of several passers by  it
was quite impossible to effect a rescue  The alarm  however  was
given  and  by the aid of the water police  the body was
eventually recovered  It proved to be that of a young gentleman
whose name  as it appears from an envelope which was found in his
pocket  was John Openshaw  and whose residence is near Horsham 
It is conjectured that he may have been hurrying down to catch
the last train from Waterloo Station  and that in his haste and
the extreme darkness he missed his path and walked over the edge
of one of the small landing places for river steamboats  The body
exhibited no traces of violence  and there can be no doubt that
the deceased had been the victim of an unfortunate accident 
which should have the effect of calling the attention of the
authorities to the condition of the riverside landing stages  

We sat in silence for some minutes  Holmes more depressed and
shaken than I had ever seen him 

 That hurts my pride  Watson   he said at last   It is a petty
feeling  no doubt  but it hurts my pride  It becomes a personal
matter with me now  and  if God sends me health  I shall set my
hand upon this gang  That he should come to me for help  and that
I should send him away to his death     He sprang from his chair
and paced about the room in uncontrollable agitation  with a
flush upon his sallow cheeks and a nervous clasping and
unclasping of his long thin hands 

 They must be cunning devils   he exclaimed at last   How could
they have decoyed him down there  The Embankment is not on the
direct line to the station  The bridge  no doubt  was too
crowded  even on such a night  for their purpose  Well  Watson 
we shall see who will win in the long run  I am going out now  

 To the police  

 No  I shall be my own police  When I have spun the web they may
take the flies  but not before  

All day I was engaged in my professional work  and it was late in
the evening before I returned to Baker Street  Sherlock Holmes
had not come back yet  It was nearly ten o clock before he
entered  looking pale and worn  He walked up to the sideboard 
and tearing a piece from the loaf he devoured it voraciously 
washing it down with a long draught of water 

 You are hungry   I remarked 

 Starving  It had escaped my memory  I have had nothing since
breakfast  

 Nothing  

 Not a bite  I had no time to think of it  

 And how have you succeeded  

 Well  

 You have a clue  

 I have them in the hollow of my hand  Young Openshaw shall not
long remain unavenged  Why  Watson  let us put their own devilish
trade mark upon them  It is well thought of  

 What do you mean  

He took an orange from the cupboard  and tearing it to pieces he
squeezed out the pips upon the table  Of these he took five and
thrust them into an envelope  On the inside of the flap he wrote
 S  H  for J  O   Then he sealed it and addressed it to  Captain
James Calhoun  Barque  Lone Star   Savannah  Georgia  

 That will await him when he enters port   said he  chuckling 
 It may give him a sleepless night  He will find it as sure a
precursor of his fate as Openshaw did before him  

 And who is this Captain Calhoun  

 The leader of the gang  I shall have the others  but he first  

 How did you trace it  then  

He took a large sheet of paper from his pocket  all covered with
dates and names 

 I have spent the whole day   said he   over Lloyd s registers
and files of the old papers  following the future career of every
vessel which touched at Pondicherry in January and February in
 83  There were thirty six ships of fair tonnage which were
reported there during those months  Of these  one  the  Lone Star  
instantly attracted my attention  since  although it was reported
as having cleared from London  the name is that which is given to
one of the states of the Union  

 Texas  I think  

 I was not and am not sure which  but I knew that the ship must
have an American origin  

 What then  

 I searched the Dundee records  and when I found that the barque
 Lone Star  was there in January   85  my suspicion became a
certainty  I then inquired as to the vessels which lay at present
in the port of London  

 Yes  

 The  Lone Star  had arrived here last week  I went down to the
Albert Dock and found that she had been taken down the river by
the early tide this morning  homeward bound to Savannah  I wired
to Gravesend and learned that she had passed some time ago  and
as the wind is easterly I have no doubt that she is now past the
Goodwins and not very far from the Isle of Wight  

 What will you do  then  

 Oh  I have my hand upon him  He and the two mates  are as I
learn  the only native born Americans in the ship  The others are
Finns and Germans  I know  also  that they were all three away
from the ship last night  I had it from the stevedore who has
been loading their cargo  By the time that their sailing ship
reaches Savannah the mail boat will have carried this letter  and
the cable will have informed the police of Savannah that these
three gentlemen are badly wanted here upon a charge of murder  

There is ever a flaw  however  in the best laid of human plans 
and the murderers of John Openshaw were never to receive the
orange pips which would show them that another  as cunning and as
resolute as themselves  was upon their track  Very long and very
severe were the equinoctial gales that year  We waited long for
news of the  Lone Star  of Savannah  but none ever reached us  We
did at last hear that somewhere far out in the Atlantic a
shattered stern post of a boat was seen swinging in the trough
of a wave  with the letters  L  S   carved upon it  and that is
all which we shall ever know of the fate of the  Lone Star  



ADVENTURE VI  THE MAN WITH THE TWISTED LIP

Isa Whitney  brother of the late Elias Whitney  D D   Principal
of the Theological College of St  George s  was much addicted to
opium  The habit grew upon him  as I understand  from some
foolish freak when he was at college  for having read De
Quincey s description of his dreams and sensations  he had
drenched his tobacco with laudanum in an attempt to produce the
same effects  He found  as so many more have done  that the
practice is easier to attain than to get rid of  and for many
years he continued to be a slave to the drug  an object of
mingled horror and pity to his friends and relatives  I can see
him now  with yellow  pasty face  drooping lids  and pin point
pupils  all huddled in a chair  the wreck and ruin of a noble
man 

One night  it was in June   89  there came a ring to my bell 
about the hour when a man gives his first yawn and glances at the
clock  I sat up in my chair  and my wife laid her needle work
down in her lap and made a little face of disappointment 

 A patient   said she   You ll have to go out  

I groaned  for I was newly come back from a weary day 

We heard the door open  a few hurried words  and then quick steps
upon the linoleum  Our own door flew open  and a lady  clad in
some dark coloured stuff  with a black veil  entered the room 

 You will excuse my calling so late   she began  and then 
suddenly losing her self control  she ran forward  threw her arms
about my wife s neck  and sobbed upon her shoulder   Oh  I m in
such trouble   she cried   I do so want a little help  

 Why   said my wife  pulling up her veil   it is Kate Whitney 
How you startled me  Kate  I had not an idea who you were when
you came in  

 I didn t know what to do  so I came straight to you   That was
always the way  Folk who were in grief came to my wife like birds
to a light house 

 It was very sweet of you to come  Now  you must have some wine
and water  and sit here comfortably and tell us all about it  Or
should you rather that I sent James off to bed  

 Oh  no  no  I want the doctor s advice and help  too  It s about
Isa  He has not been home for two days  I am so frightened about
him  

It was not the first time that she had spoken to us of her
husband s trouble  to me as a doctor  to my wife as an old friend
and school companion  We soothed and comforted her by such words
as we could find  Did she know where her husband was  Was it
possible that we could bring him back to her 

It seems that it was  She had the surest information that of late
he had  when the fit was on him  made use of an opium den in the
farthest east of the City  Hitherto his orgies had always been
confined to one day  and he had come back  twitching and
shattered  in the evening  But now the spell had been upon him
eight and forty hours  and he lay there  doubtless among the
dregs of the docks  breathing in the poison or sleeping off the
effects  There he was to be found  she was sure of it  at the Bar
of Gold  in Upper Swandam Lane  But what was she to do  How could
she  a young and timid woman  make her way into such a place and
pluck her husband out from among the ruffians who surrounded him 

There was the case  and of course there was but one way out of
it  Might I not escort her to this place  And then  as a second
thought  why should she come at all  I was Isa Whitney s medical
adviser  and as such I had influence over him  I could manage it
better if I were alone  I promised her on my word that I would
send him home in a cab within two hours if he were indeed at the
address which she had given me  And so in ten minutes I had left
my armchair and cheery sitting room behind me  and was speeding
eastward in a hansom on a strange errand  as it seemed to me at
the time  though the future only could show how strange it was to
be 

But there was no great difficulty in the first stage of my
adventure  Upper Swandam Lane is a vile alley lurking behind the
high wharves which line the north side of the river to the east
of London Bridge  Between a slop shop and a gin shop  approached
by a steep flight of steps leading down to a black gap like the
mouth of a cave  I found the den of which I was in search 
Ordering my cab to wait  I passed down the steps  worn hollow in
the centre by the ceaseless tread of drunken feet  and by the
light of a flickering oil lamp above the door I found the latch
and made my way into a long  low room  thick and heavy with the
brown opium smoke  and terraced with wooden berths  like the
forecastle of an emigrant ship 

Through the gloom one could dimly catch a glimpse of bodies lying
in strange fantastic poses  bowed shoulders  bent knees  heads
thrown back  and chins pointing upward  with here and there a
dark  lack lustre eye turned upon the newcomer  Out of the black
shadows there glimmered little red circles of light  now bright 
now faint  as the burning poison waxed or waned in the bowls of
the metal pipes  The most lay silent  but some muttered to
themselves  and others talked together in a strange  low 
monotonous voice  their conversation coming in gushes  and then
suddenly tailing off into silence  each mumbling out his own
thoughts and paying little heed to the words of his neighbour  At
the farther end was a small brazier of burning charcoal  beside
which on a three legged wooden stool there sat a tall  thin old
man  with his jaw resting upon his two fists  and his elbows upon
his knees  staring into the fire 

As I entered  a sallow Malay attendant had hurried up with a pipe
for me and a supply of the drug  beckoning me to an empty berth 

 Thank you  I have not come to stay   said I   There is a friend
of mine here  Mr  Isa Whitney  and I wish to speak with him  

There was a movement and an exclamation from my right  and
peering through the gloom  I saw Whitney  pale  haggard  and
unkempt  staring out at me 

 My God  It s Watson   said he  He was in a pitiable state of
reaction  with every nerve in a twitter   I say  Watson  what
o clock is it  

 Nearly eleven  

 Of what day  

 Of Friday  June 19th  

 Good heavens  I thought it was Wednesday  It is Wednesday  What
d you want to frighten a chap for   He sank his face onto his
arms and began to sob in a high treble key 

 I tell you that it is Friday  man  Your wife has been waiting
this two days for you  You should be ashamed of yourself  

 So I am  But you ve got mixed  Watson  for I have only been here
a few hours  three pipes  four pipes  I forget how many  But I ll
go home with you  I wouldn t frighten Kate  poor little Kate 
Give me your hand  Have you a cab  

 Yes  I have one waiting  

 Then I shall go in it  But I must owe something  Find what I
owe  Watson  I am all off colour  I can do nothing for myself  

I walked down the narrow passage between the double row of
sleepers  holding my breath to keep out the vile  stupefying
fumes of the drug  and looking about for the manager  As I passed
the tall man who sat by the brazier I felt a sudden pluck at my
skirt  and a low voice whispered   Walk past me  and then look
back at me   The words fell quite distinctly upon my ear  I
glanced down  They could only have come from the old man at my
side  and yet he sat now as absorbed as ever  very thin  very
wrinkled  bent with age  an opium pipe dangling down from between
his knees  as though it had dropped in sheer lassitude from his
fingers  I took two steps forward and looked back  It took all my
self control to prevent me from breaking out into a cry of
astonishment  He had turned his back so that none could see him
but I  His form had filled out  his wrinkles were gone  the dull
eyes had regained their fire  and there  sitting by the fire and
grinning at my surprise  was none other than Sherlock Holmes  He
made a slight motion to me to approach him  and instantly  as he
turned his face half round to the company once more  subsided
into a doddering  loose lipped senility 

 Holmes   I whispered   what on earth are you doing in this den  

 As low as you can   he answered   I have excellent ears  If you
would have the great kindness to get rid of that sottish friend
of yours I should be exceedingly glad to have a little talk with
you  

 I have a cab outside  

 Then pray send him home in it  You may safely trust him  for he
appears to be too limp to get into any mischief  I should
recommend you also to send a note by the cabman to your wife to
say that you have thrown in your lot with me  If you will wait
outside  I shall be with you in five minutes  

It was difficult to refuse any of Sherlock Holmes  requests  for
they were always so exceedingly definite  and put forward with
such a quiet air of mastery  I felt  however  that when Whitney
was once confined in the cab my mission was practically
accomplished  and for the rest  I could not wish anything better
than to be associated with my friend in one of those singular
adventures which were the normal condition of his existence  In a
few minutes I had written my note  paid Whitney s bill  led him
out to the cab  and seen him driven through the darkness  In a
very short time a decrepit figure had emerged from the opium den 
and I was walking down the street with Sherlock Holmes  For two
streets he shuffled along with a bent back and an uncertain foot 
Then  glancing quickly round  he straightened himself out and
burst into a hearty fit of laughter 

 I suppose  Watson   said he   that you imagine that I have added
opium smoking to cocaine injections  and all the other little
weaknesses on which you have favoured me with your medical
views  

 I was certainly surprised to find you there  

 But not more so than I to find you  

 I came to find a friend  

 And I to find an enemy  

 An enemy  

 Yes  one of my natural enemies  or  shall I say  my natural
prey  Briefly  Watson  I am in the midst of a very remarkable
inquiry  and I have hoped to find a clue in the incoherent
ramblings of these sots  as I have done before now  Had I been
recognised in that den my life would not have been worth an
hour s purchase  for I have used it before now for my own
purposes  and the rascally Lascar who runs it has sworn to have
vengeance upon me  There is a trap door at the back of that
building  near the corner of Paul s Wharf  which could tell some
strange tales of what has passed through it upon the moonless
nights  

 What  You do not mean bodies  

 Ay  bodies  Watson  We should be rich men if we had 1000 pounds
for every poor devil who has been done to death in that den  It
is the vilest murder trap on the whole riverside  and I fear that
Neville St  Clair has entered it never to leave it more  But our
trap should be here   He put his two forefingers between his
teeth and whistled shrilly  a signal which was answered by a
similar whistle from the distance  followed shortly by the rattle
of wheels and the clink of horses  hoofs 

 Now  Watson   said Holmes  as a tall dog cart dashed up through
the gloom  throwing out two golden tunnels of yellow light from
its side lanterns   You ll come with me  won t you  

 If I can be of use  

 Oh  a trusty comrade is always of use  and a chronicler still
more so  My room at The Cedars is a double bedded one  

 The Cedars  

 Yes  that is Mr  St  Clair s house  I am staying there while I
conduct the inquiry  

 Where is it  then  

 Near Lee  in Kent  We have a seven mile drive before us  

 But I am all in the dark  

 Of course you are  You ll know all about it presently  Jump up
here  All right  John  we shall not need you  Here s half a
crown  Look out for me to morrow  about eleven  Give her her
head  So long  then  

He flicked the horse with his whip  and we dashed away through
the endless succession of sombre and deserted streets  which
widened gradually  until we were flying across a broad
balustraded bridge  with the murky river flowing sluggishly
beneath us  Beyond lay another dull wilderness of bricks and
mortar  its silence broken only by the heavy  regular footfall of
the policeman  or the songs and shouts of some belated party of
revellers  A dull wrack was drifting slowly across the sky  and a
star or two twinkled dimly here and there through the rifts of
the clouds  Holmes drove in silence  with his head sunk upon his
breast  and the air of a man who is lost in thought  while I sat
beside him  curious to learn what this new quest might be which
seemed to tax his powers so sorely  and yet afraid to break in
upon the current of his thoughts  We had driven several miles 
and were beginning to get to the fringe of the belt of suburban
villas  when he shook himself  shrugged his shoulders  and lit up
his pipe with the air of a man who has satisfied himself that he
is acting for the best 

 You have a grand gift of silence  Watson   said he   It makes
you quite invaluable as a companion   Pon my word  it is a great
thing for me to have someone to talk to  for my own thoughts are
not over pleasant  I was wondering what I should say to this dear
little woman to night when she meets me at the door  

 You forget that I know nothing about it  

 I shall just have time to tell you the facts of the case before
we get to Lee  It seems absurdly simple  and yet  somehow I can
get nothing to go upon  There s plenty of thread  no doubt  but I
can t get the end of it into my hand  Now  I ll state the case
clearly and concisely to you  Watson  and maybe you can see a
spark where all is dark to me  

 Proceed  then  

 Some years ago  to be definite  in May  1884  there came to Lee
a gentleman  Neville St  Clair by name  who appeared to have
plenty of money  He took a large villa  laid out the grounds very
nicely  and lived generally in good style  By degrees he made
friends in the neighbourhood  and in 1887 he married the daughter
of a local brewer  by whom he now has two children  He had no
occupation  but was interested in several companies and went into
town as a rule in the morning  returning by the 5 14 from Cannon
Street every night  Mr  St  Clair is now thirty seven years of
age  is a man of temperate habits  a good husband  a very
affectionate father  and a man who is popular with all who know
him  I may add that his whole debts at the present moment  as far
as we have been able to ascertain  amount to 88 pounds 10s   while
he has 220 pounds standing to his credit in the Capital and
Counties Bank  There is no reason  therefore  to think that money
troubles have been weighing upon his mind 

 Last Monday Mr  Neville St  Clair went into town rather earlier
than usual  remarking before he started that he had two important
commissions to perform  and that he would bring his little boy
home a box of bricks  Now  by the merest chance  his wife
received a telegram upon this same Monday  very shortly after his
departure  to the effect that a small parcel of considerable
value which she had been expecting was waiting for her at the
offices of the Aberdeen Shipping Company  Now  if you are well up
in your London  you will know that the office of the company is
in Fresno Street  which branches out of Upper Swandam Lane  where
you found me to night  Mrs  St  Clair had her lunch  started for
the City  did some shopping  proceeded to the company s office 
got her packet  and found herself at exactly 4 35 walking through
Swandam Lane on her way back to the station  Have you followed me
so far  

 It is very clear  

 If you remember  Monday was an exceedingly hot day  and Mrs  St 
Clair walked slowly  glancing about in the hope of seeing a cab 
as she did not like the neighbourhood in which she found herself 
While she was walking in this way down Swandam Lane  she suddenly
heard an ejaculation or cry  and was struck cold to see her
husband looking down at her and  as it seemed to her  beckoning
to her from a second floor window  The window was open  and she
distinctly saw his face  which she describes as being terribly
agitated  He waved his hands frantically to her  and then
vanished from the window so suddenly that it seemed to her that
he had been plucked back by some irresistible force from behind 
One singular point which struck her quick feminine eye was that
although he wore some dark coat  such as he had started to town
in  he had on neither collar nor necktie 

 Convinced that something was amiss with him  she rushed down the
steps  for the house was none other than the opium den in which
you found me to night  and running through the front room she
attempted to ascend the stairs which led to the first floor  At
the foot of the stairs  however  she met this Lascar scoundrel of
whom I have spoken  who thrust her back and  aided by a Dane  who
acts as assistant there  pushed her out into the street  Filled
with the most maddening doubts and fears  she rushed down the
lane and  by rare good fortune  met in Fresno Street a number of
constables with an inspector  all on their way to their beat  The
inspector and two men accompanied her back  and in spite of the
continued resistance of the proprietor  they made their way to
the room in which Mr  St  Clair had last been seen  There was no
sign of him there  In fact  in the whole of that floor there was
no one to be found save a crippled wretch of hideous aspect  who 
it seems  made his home there  Both he and the Lascar stoutly
swore that no one else had been in the front room during the
afternoon  So determined was their denial that the inspector was
staggered  and had almost come to believe that Mrs  St  Clair had
been deluded when  with a cry  she sprang at a small deal box
which lay upon the table and tore the lid from it  Out there fell
a cascade of children s bricks  It was the toy which he had
promised to bring home 

 This discovery  and the evident confusion which the cripple
showed  made the inspector realise that the matter was serious 
The rooms were carefully examined  and results all pointed to an
abominable crime  The front room was plainly furnished as a
sitting room and led into a small bedroom  which looked out upon
the back of one of the wharves  Between the wharf and the bedroom
window is a narrow strip  which is dry at low tide but is covered
at high tide with at least four and a half feet of water  The
bedroom window was a broad one and opened from below  On
examination traces of blood were to be seen upon the windowsill 
and several scattered drops were visible upon the wooden floor of
the bedroom  Thrust away behind a curtain in the front room were
all the clothes of Mr  Neville St  Clair  with the exception of
his coat  His boots  his socks  his hat  and his watch  all were
there  There were no signs of violence upon any of these
garments  and there were no other traces of Mr  Neville St 
Clair  Out of the window he must apparently have gone for no
other exit could be discovered  and the ominous bloodstains upon
the sill gave little promise that he could save himself by
swimming  for the tide was at its very highest at the moment of
the tragedy 

 And now as to the villains who seemed to be immediately
implicated in the matter  The Lascar was known to be a man of the
vilest antecedents  but as  by Mrs  St  Clair s story  he was
known to have been at the foot of the stair within a very few
seconds of her husband s appearance at the window  he could
hardly have been more than an accessory to the crime  His defence
was one of absolute ignorance  and he protested that he had no
knowledge as to the doings of Hugh Boone  his lodger  and that he
could not account in any way for the presence of the missing
gentleman s clothes 

 So much for the Lascar manager  Now for the sinister cripple who
lives upon the second floor of the opium den  and who was
certainly the last human being whose eyes rested upon Neville St 
Clair  His name is Hugh Boone  and his hideous face is one which
is familiar to every man who goes much to the City  He is a
professional beggar  though in order to avoid the police
regulations he pretends to a small trade in wax vestas  Some
little distance down Threadneedle Street  upon the left hand
side  there is  as you may have remarked  a small angle in the
wall  Here it is that this creature takes his daily seat 
cross legged with his tiny stock of matches on his lap  and as he
is a piteous spectacle a small rain of charity descends into the
greasy leather cap which lies upon the pavement beside him  I
have watched the fellow more than once before ever I thought of
making his professional acquaintance  and I have been surprised
at the harvest which he has reaped in a short time  His
appearance  you see  is so remarkable that no one can pass him
without observing him  A shock of orange hair  a pale face
disfigured by a horrible scar  which  by its contraction  has
turned up the outer edge of his upper lip  a bulldog chin  and a
pair of very penetrating dark eyes  which present a singular
contrast to the colour of his hair  all mark him out from amid
the common crowd of mendicants and so  too  does his wit  for he
is ever ready with a reply to any piece of chaff which may be
thrown at him by the passers by  This is the man whom we now
learn to have been the lodger at the opium den  and to have been
the last man to see the gentleman of whom we are in quest  

 But a cripple   said I   What could he have done single handed
against a man in the prime of life  

 He is a cripple in the sense that he walks with a limp  but in
other respects he appears to be a powerful and well nurtured man 
Surely your medical experience would tell you  Watson  that
weakness in one limb is often compensated for by exceptional
strength in the others  

 Pray continue your narrative  

 Mrs  St  Clair had fainted at the sight of the blood upon the
window  and she was escorted home in a cab by the police  as her
presence could be of no help to them in their investigations 
Inspector Barton  who had charge of the case  made a very careful
examination of the premises  but without finding anything which
threw any light upon the matter  One mistake had been made in not
arresting Boone instantly  as he was allowed some few minutes
during which he might have communicated with his friend the
Lascar  but this fault was soon remedied  and he was seized and
searched  without anything being found which could incriminate
him  There were  it is true  some blood stains upon his right
shirt sleeve  but he pointed to his ring finger  which had been
cut near the nail  and explained that the bleeding came from
there  adding that he had been to the window not long before  and
that the stains which had been observed there came doubtless from
the same source  He denied strenuously having ever seen Mr 
Neville St  Clair and swore that the presence of the clothes in
his room was as much a mystery to him as to the police  As to
Mrs  St  Clair s assertion that she had actually seen her husband
at the window  he declared that she must have been either mad or
dreaming  He was removed  loudly protesting  to the
police station  while the inspector remained upon the premises in
the hope that the ebbing tide might afford some fresh clue 

 And it did  though they hardly found upon the mud bank what they
had feared to find  It was Neville St  Clair s coat  and not
Neville St  Clair  which lay uncovered as the tide receded  And
what do you think they found in the pockets  

 I cannot imagine  

 No  I don t think you would guess  Every pocket stuffed with
pennies and half pennies  421 pennies and 270 half pennies  It
was no wonder that it had not been swept away by the tide  But a
human body is a different matter  There is a fierce eddy between
the wharf and the house  It seemed likely enough that the
weighted coat had remained when the stripped body had been sucked
away into the river  

 But I understand that all the other clothes were found in the
room  Would the body be dressed in a coat alone  

 No  sir  but the facts might be met speciously enough  Suppose
that this man Boone had thrust Neville St  Clair through the
window  there is no human eye which could have seen the deed 
What would he do then  It would of course instantly strike him
that he must get rid of the tell tale garments  He would seize
the coat  then  and be in the act of throwing it out  when it
would occur to him that it would swim and not sink  He has little
time  for he has heard the scuffle downstairs when the wife tried
to force her way up  and perhaps he has already heard from his
Lascar confederate that the police are hurrying up the street 
There is not an instant to be lost  He rushes to some secret
hoard  where he has accumulated the fruits of his beggary  and he
stuffs all the coins upon which he can lay his hands into the
pockets to make sure of the coat s sinking  He throws it out  and
would have done the same with the other garments had not he heard
the rush of steps below  and only just had time to close the
window when the police appeared  

 It certainly sounds feasible  

 Well  we will take it as a working hypothesis for want of a
better  Boone  as I have told you  was arrested and taken to the
station  but it could not be shown that there had ever before
been anything against him  He had for years been known as a
professional beggar  but his life appeared to have been a very
quiet and innocent one  There the matter stands at present  and
the questions which have to be solved  what Neville St  Clair was
doing in the opium den  what happened to him when there  where is
he now  and what Hugh Boone had to do with his disappearance  are
all as far from a solution as ever  I confess that I cannot
recall any case within my experience which looked at the first
glance so simple and yet which presented such difficulties  

While Sherlock Holmes had been detailing this singular series of
events  we had been whirling through the outskirts of the great
town until the last straggling houses had been left behind  and
we rattled along with a country hedge upon either side of us 
Just as he finished  however  we drove through two scattered
villages  where a few lights still glimmered in the windows 

 We are on the outskirts of Lee   said my companion   We have
touched on three English counties in our short drive  starting in
Middlesex  passing over an angle of Surrey  and ending in Kent 
See that light among the trees  That is The Cedars  and beside
that lamp sits a woman whose anxious ears have already  I have
little doubt  caught the clink of our horse s feet  

 But why are you not conducting the case from Baker Street   I
asked 

 Because there are many inquiries which must be made out here 
Mrs  St  Clair has most kindly put two rooms at my disposal  and
you may rest assured that she will have nothing but a welcome for
my friend and colleague  I hate to meet her  Watson  when I have
no news of her husband  Here we are  Whoa  there  whoa  

We had pulled up in front of a large villa which stood within its
own grounds  A stable boy had run out to the horse s head  and
springing down  I followed Holmes up the small  winding
gravel drive which led to the house  As we approached  the door
flew open  and a little blonde woman stood in the opening  clad
in some sort of light mousseline de soie  with a touch of fluffy
pink chiffon at her neck and wrists  She stood with her figure
outlined against the flood of light  one hand upon the door  one
half raised in her eagerness  her body slightly bent  her head
and face protruded  with eager eyes and parted lips  a standing
question 

 Well   she cried   well   And then  seeing that there were two
of us  she gave a cry of hope which sank into a groan as she saw
that my companion shook his head and shrugged his shoulders 

 No good news  

 None  

 No bad  

 No  

 Thank God for that  But come in  You must be weary  for you have
had a long day  

 This is my friend  Dr  Watson  He has been of most vital use to
me in several of my cases  and a lucky chance has made it
possible for me to bring him out and associate him with this
investigation  

 I am delighted to see you   said she  pressing my hand warmly 
 You will  I am sure  forgive anything that may be wanting in our
arrangements  when you consider the blow which has come so
suddenly upon us  

 My dear madam   said I   I am an old campaigner  and if I were
not I can very well see that no apology is needed  If I can be of
any assistance  either to you or to my friend here  I shall be
indeed happy  

 Now  Mr  Sherlock Holmes   said the lady as we entered a
well lit dining room  upon the table of which a cold supper had
been laid out   I should very much like to ask you one or two
plain questions  to which I beg that you will give a plain
answer  

 Certainly  madam  

 Do not trouble about my feelings  I am not hysterical  nor given
to fainting  I simply wish to hear your real  real opinion  

 Upon what point  

 In your heart of hearts  do you think that Neville is alive  

Sherlock Holmes seemed to be embarrassed by the question 
 Frankly  now   she repeated  standing upon the rug and looking
keenly down at him as he leaned back in a basket chair 

 Frankly  then  madam  I do not  

 You think that he is dead  

 I do  

 Murdered  

 I don t say that  Perhaps  

 And on what day did he meet his death  

 On Monday  

 Then perhaps  Mr  Holmes  you will be good enough to explain how
it is that I have received a letter from him to day  

Sherlock Holmes sprang out of his chair as if he had been
galvanised 

 What   he roared 

 Yes  to day   She stood smiling  holding up a little slip of
paper in the air 

 May I see it  

 Certainly  

He snatched it from her in his eagerness  and smoothing it out
upon the table he drew over the lamp and examined it intently  I
had left my chair and was gazing at it over his shoulder  The
envelope was a very coarse one and was stamped with the Gravesend
postmark and with the date of that very day  or rather of the day
before  for it was considerably after midnight 

 Coarse writing   murmured Holmes   Surely this is not your
husband s writing  madam  

 No  but the enclosure is  

 I perceive also that whoever addressed the envelope had to go
and inquire as to the address  

 How can you tell that  

 The name  you see  is in perfectly black ink  which has dried
itself  The rest is of the greyish colour  which shows that
blotting paper has been used  If it had been written straight
off  and then blotted  none would be of a deep black shade  This
man has written the name  and there has then been a pause before
he wrote the address  which can only mean that he was not
familiar with it  It is  of course  a trifle  but there is
nothing so important as trifles  Let us now see the letter  Ha 
there has been an enclosure here  

 Yes  there was a ring  His signet ring  

 And you are sure that this is your husband s hand  

 One of his hands  

 One  

 His hand when he wrote hurriedly  It is very unlike his usual
writing  and yet I know it well  

  Dearest do not be frightened  All will come well  There is a
huge error which it may take some little time to rectify 
Wait in patience   NEVILLE   Written in pencil upon the fly leaf
of a book  octavo size  no water mark  Hum  Posted to day in
Gravesend by a man with a dirty thumb  Ha  And the flap has been
gummed  if I am not very much in error  by a person who had been
chewing tobacco  And you have no doubt that it is your husband s
hand  madam  

 None  Neville wrote those words  

 And they were posted to day at Gravesend  Well  Mrs  St  Clair 
the clouds lighten  though I should not venture to say that the
danger is over  

 But he must be alive  Mr  Holmes  

 Unless this is a clever forgery to put us on the wrong scent 
The ring  after all  proves nothing  It may have been taken from
him  

 No  no  it is  it is his very own writing  

 Very well  It may  however  have been written on Monday and only
posted to day  

 That is possible  

 If so  much may have happened between  

 Oh  you must not discourage me  Mr  Holmes  I know that all is
well with him  There is so keen a sympathy between us that I
should know if evil came upon him  On the very day that I saw him
last he cut himself in the bedroom  and yet I in the dining room
rushed upstairs instantly with the utmost certainty that
something had happened  Do you think that I would respond to such
a trifle and yet be ignorant of his death  

 I have seen too much not to know that the impression of a woman
may be more valuable than the conclusion of an analytical
reasoner  And in this letter you certainly have a very strong
piece of evidence to corroborate your view  But if your husband
is alive and able to write letters  why should he remain away
from you  

 I cannot imagine  It is unthinkable  

 And on Monday he made no remarks before leaving you  

 No  

 And you were surprised to see him in Swandam Lane  

 Very much so  

 Was the window open  

 Yes  

 Then he might have called to you  

 He might  

 He only  as I understand  gave an inarticulate cry  

 Yes  

 A call for help  you thought  

 Yes  He waved his hands  

 But it might have been a cry of surprise  Astonishment at the
unexpected sight of you might cause him to throw up his hands  

 It is possible  

 And you thought he was pulled back  

 He disappeared so suddenly  

 He might have leaped back  You did not see anyone else in the
room  

 No  but this horrible man confessed to having been there  and
the Lascar was at the foot of the stairs  

 Quite so  Your husband  as far as you could see  had his
ordinary clothes on  

 But without his collar or tie  I distinctly saw his bare
throat  

 Had he ever spoken of Swandam Lane  

 Never  

 Had he ever showed any signs of having taken opium  

 Never  

 Thank you  Mrs  St  Clair  Those are the principal points about
which I wished to be absolutely clear  We shall now have a little
supper and then retire  for we may have a very busy day
to morrow  

A large and comfortable double bedded room had been placed at our
disposal  and I was quickly between the sheets  for I was weary
after my night of adventure  Sherlock Holmes was a man  however 
who  when he had an unsolved problem upon his mind  would go for
days  and even for a week  without rest  turning it over 
rearranging his facts  looking at it from every point of view
until he had either fathomed it or convinced himself that his
data were insufficient  It was soon evident to me that he was now
preparing for an all night sitting  He took off his coat and
waistcoat  put on a large blue dressing gown  and then wandered
about the room collecting pillows from his bed and cushions from
the sofa and armchairs  With these he constructed a sort of
Eastern divan  upon which he perched himself cross legged  with
an ounce of shag tobacco and a box of matches laid out in front
of him  In the dim light of the lamp I saw him sitting there  an
old briar pipe between his lips  his eyes fixed vacantly upon the
corner of the ceiling  the blue smoke curling up from him 
silent  motionless  with the light shining upon his strong set
aquiline features  So he sat as I dropped off to sleep  and so he
sat when a sudden ejaculation caused me to wake up  and I found
the summer sun shining into the apartment  The pipe was still
between his lips  the smoke still curled upward  and the room was
full of a dense tobacco haze  but nothing remained of the heap of
shag which I had seen upon the previous night 

 Awake  Watson   he asked 

 Yes  

 Game for a morning drive  

 Certainly  

 Then dress  No one is stirring yet  but I know where the
stable boy sleeps  and we shall soon have the trap out   He
chuckled to himself as he spoke  his eyes twinkled  and he seemed
a different man to the sombre thinker of the previous night 

As I dressed I glanced at my watch  It was no wonder that no one
was stirring  It was twenty five minutes past four  I had hardly
finished when Holmes returned with the news that the boy was
putting in the horse 

 I want to test a little theory of mine   said he  pulling on his
boots   I think  Watson  that you are now standing in the
presence of one of the most absolute fools in Europe  I deserve
to be kicked from here to Charing Cross  But I think I have the
key of the affair now  

 And where is it   I asked  smiling 

 In the bathroom   he answered   Oh  yes  I am not joking   he
continued  seeing my look of incredulity   I have just been
there  and I have taken it out  and I have got it in this
Gladstone bag  Come on  my boy  and we shall see whether it will
not fit the lock  

We made our way downstairs as quietly as possible  and out into
the bright morning sunshine  In the road stood our horse and
trap  with the half clad stable boy waiting at the head  We both
sprang in  and away we dashed down the London Road  A few country
carts were stirring  bearing in vegetables to the metropolis  but
the lines of villas on either side were as silent and lifeless as
some city in a dream 

 It has been in some points a singular case   said Holmes 
flicking the horse on into a gallop   I confess that I have been
as blind as a mole  but it is better to learn wisdom late than
never to learn it at all  

In town the earliest risers were just beginning to look sleepily
from their windows as we drove through the streets of the Surrey
side  Passing down the Waterloo Bridge Road we crossed over the
river  and dashing up Wellington Street wheeled sharply to the
right and found ourselves in Bow Street  Sherlock Holmes was well
known to the force  and the two constables at the door saluted
him  One of them held the horse s head while the other led us in 

 Who is on duty   asked Holmes 

 Inspector Bradstreet  sir  

 Ah  Bradstreet  how are you   A tall  stout official had come
down the stone flagged passage  in a peaked cap and frogged
jacket   I wish to have a quiet word with you  Bradstreet  
 Certainly  Mr  Holmes  Step into my room here   It was a small 
office like room  with a huge ledger upon the table  and a
telephone projecting from the wall  The inspector sat down at his
desk 

 What can I do for you  Mr  Holmes  

 I called about that beggarman  Boone  the one who was charged
with being concerned in the disappearance of Mr  Neville St 
Clair  of Lee  

 Yes  He was brought up and remanded for further inquiries  

 So I heard  You have him here  

 In the cells  

 Is he quiet  

 Oh  he gives no trouble  But he is a dirty scoundrel  

 Dirty  

 Yes  it is all we can do to make him wash his hands  and his
face is as black as a tinker s  Well  when once his case has been
settled  he will have a regular prison bath  and I think  if you
saw him  you would agree with me that he needed it  

 I should like to see him very much  

 Would you  That is easily done  Come this way  You can leave
your bag  

 No  I think that I ll take it  

 Very good  Come this way  if you please   He led us down a
passage  opened a barred door  passed down a winding stair  and
brought us to a whitewashed corridor with a line of doors on each
side 

 The third on the right is his   said the inspector   Here it
is   He quietly shot back a panel in the upper part of the door
and glanced through 

 He is asleep   said he   You can see him very well  

We both put our eyes to the grating  The prisoner lay with his
face towards us  in a very deep sleep  breathing slowly and
heavily  He was a middle sized man  coarsely clad as became his
calling  with a coloured shirt protruding through the rent in his
tattered coat  He was  as the inspector had said  extremely
dirty  but the grime which covered his face could not conceal its
repulsive ugliness  A broad wheal from an old scar ran right
across it from eye to chin  and by its contraction had turned up
one side of the upper lip  so that three teeth were exposed in a
perpetual snarl  A shock of very bright red hair grew low over
his eyes and forehead 

 He s a beauty  isn t he   said the inspector 

 He certainly needs a wash   remarked Holmes   I had an idea that
he might  and I took the liberty of bringing the tools with me  
He opened the Gladstone bag as he spoke  and took out  to my
astonishment  a very large bath sponge 

 He  he  You are a funny one   chuckled the inspector 

 Now  if you will have the great goodness to open that door very
quietly  we will soon make him cut a much more respectable
figure  

 Well  I don t know why not   said the inspector   He doesn t
look a credit to the Bow Street cells  does he   He slipped his
key into the lock  and we all very quietly entered the cell  The
sleeper half turned  and then settled down once more into a deep
slumber  Holmes stooped to the water jug  moistened his sponge 
and then rubbed it twice vigorously across and down the
prisoner s face 

 Let me introduce you   he shouted   to Mr  Neville St  Clair  of
Lee  in the county of Kent  

Never in my life have I seen such a sight  The man s face peeled
off under the sponge like the bark from a tree  Gone was the
coarse brown tint  Gone  too  was the horrid scar which had
seamed it across  and the twisted lip which had given the
repulsive sneer to the face  A twitch brought away the tangled
red hair  and there  sitting up in his bed  was a pale 
sad faced  refined looking man  black haired and smooth skinned 
rubbing his eyes and staring about him with sleepy bewilderment 
Then suddenly realising the exposure  he broke into a scream and
threw himself down with his face to the pillow 

 Great heavens   cried the inspector   it is  indeed  the missing
man  I know him from the photograph  

The prisoner turned with the reckless air of a man who abandons
himself to his destiny   Be it so   said he   And pray what am I
charged with  

 With making away with Mr  Neville St    Oh  come  you can t be
charged with that unless they make a case of attempted suicide of
it   said the inspector with a grin   Well  I have been
twenty seven years in the force  but this really takes the cake  

 If I am Mr  Neville St  Clair  then it is obvious that no crime
has been committed  and that  therefore  I am illegally
detained  

 No crime  but a very great error has been committed   said
Holmes   You would have done better to have trusted your wife  

 It was not the wife  it was the children   groaned the prisoner 
 God help me  I would not have them ashamed of their father  My
God  What an exposure  What can I do  

Sherlock Holmes sat down beside him on the couch and patted him
kindly on the shoulder 

 If you leave it to a court of law to clear the matter up   said
he   of course you can hardly avoid publicity  On the other hand 
if you convince the police authorities that there is no possible
case against you  I do not know that there is any reason that the
details should find their way into the papers  Inspector
Bradstreet would  I am sure  make notes upon anything which you
might tell us and submit it to the proper authorities  The case
would then never go into court at all  

 God bless you   cried the prisoner passionately   I would have
endured imprisonment  ay  even execution  rather than have left
my miserable secret as a family blot to my children 

 You are the first who have ever heard my story  My father was a
schoolmaster in Chesterfield  where I received an excellent
education  I travelled in my youth  took to the stage  and
finally became a reporter on an evening paper in London  One day
my editor wished to have a series of articles upon begging in the
metropolis  and I volunteered to supply them  There was the point
from which all my adventures started  It was only by trying
begging as an amateur that I could get the facts upon which to
base my articles  When an actor I had  of course  learned all the
secrets of making up  and had been famous in the green room for
my skill  I took advantage now of my attainments  I painted my
face  and to make myself as pitiable as possible I made a good
scar and fixed one side of my lip in a twist by the aid of a
small slip of flesh coloured plaster  Then with a red head of
hair  and an appropriate dress  I took my station in the business
part of the city  ostensibly as a match seller but really as a
beggar  For seven hours I plied my trade  and when I returned
home in the evening I found to my surprise that I had received no
less than 26s  4d 

 I wrote my articles and thought little more of the matter until 
some time later  I backed a bill for a friend and had a writ
served upon me for 25 pounds  I was at my wit s end where to get
the money  but a sudden idea came to me  I begged a fortnight s
grace from the creditor  asked for a holiday from my employers 
and spent the time in begging in the City under my disguise  In
ten days I had the money and had paid the debt 

 Well  you can imagine how hard it was to settle down to arduous
work at 2 pounds a week when I knew that I could earn as much in
a day by smearing my face with a little paint  laying my cap on
the ground  and sitting still  It was a long fight between my
pride and the money  but the dollars won at last  and I threw up
reporting and sat day after day in the corner which I had first
chosen  inspiring pity by my ghastly face and filling my pockets
with coppers  Only one man knew my secret  He was the keeper of a
low den in which I used to lodge in Swandam Lane  where I could
every morning emerge as a squalid beggar and in the evenings
transform myself into a well dressed man about town  This fellow 
a Lascar  was well paid by me for his rooms  so that I knew that
my secret was safe in his possession 

 Well  very soon I found that I was saving considerable sums of
money  I do not mean that any beggar in the streets of London
could earn 700 pounds a year  which is less than my average
takings  but I had exceptional advantages in my power of making
up  and also in a facility of repartee  which improved by
practice and made me quite a recognised character in the City 
All day a stream of pennies  varied by silver  poured in upon me 
and it was a very bad day in which I failed to take 2 pounds 

 As I grew richer I grew more ambitious  took a house in the
country  and eventually married  without anyone having a
suspicion as to my real occupation  My dear wife knew that I had
business in the City  She little knew what 

 Last Monday I had finished for the day and was dressing in my
room above the opium den when I looked out of my window and saw 
to my horror and astonishment  that my wife was standing in the
street  with her eyes fixed full upon me  I gave a cry of
surprise  threw up my arms to cover my face  and  rushing to my
confidant  the Lascar  entreated him to prevent anyone from
coming up to me  I heard her voice downstairs  but I knew that
she could not ascend  Swiftly I threw off my clothes  pulled on
those of a beggar  and put on my pigments and wig  Even a wife s
eyes could not pierce so complete a disguise  But then it
occurred to me that there might be a search in the room  and that
the clothes might betray me  I threw open the window  reopening
by my violence a small cut which I had inflicted upon myself in
the bedroom that morning  Then I seized my coat  which was
weighted by the coppers which I had just transferred to it from
the leather bag in which I carried my takings  I hurled it out of
the window  and it disappeared into the Thames  The other clothes
would have followed  but at that moment there was a rush of
constables up the stair  and a few minutes after I found  rather 
I confess  to my relief  that instead of being identified as Mr 
Neville St  Clair  I was arrested as his murderer 

 I do not know that there is anything else for me to explain  I
was determined to preserve my disguise as long as possible  and
hence my preference for a dirty face  Knowing that my wife would
be terribly anxious  I slipped off my ring and confided it to the
Lascar at a moment when no constable was watching me  together
with a hurried scrawl  telling her that she had no cause to
fear  

 That note only reached her yesterday   said Holmes 

 Good God  What a week she must have spent  

 The police have watched this Lascar   said Inspector Bradstreet 
 and I can quite understand that he might find it difficult to
post a letter unobserved  Probably he handed it to some sailor
customer of his  who forgot all about it for some days  

 That was it   said Holmes  nodding approvingly   I have no doubt
of it  But have you never been prosecuted for begging  

 Many times  but what was a fine to me  

 It must stop here  however   said Bradstreet   If the police are
to hush this thing up  there must be no more of Hugh Boone  

 I have sworn it by the most solemn oaths which a man can take  

 In that case I think that it is probable that no further steps
may be taken  But if you are found again  then all must come out 
I am sure  Mr  Holmes  that we are very much indebted to you for
having cleared the matter up  I wish I knew how you reach your
results  

 I reached this one   said my friend   by sitting upon five
pillows and consuming an ounce of shag  I think  Watson  that if
we drive to Baker Street we shall just be in time for breakfast  



VII  THE ADVENTURE OF THE BLUE CARBUNCLE

I had called upon my friend Sherlock Holmes upon the second
morning after Christmas  with the intention of wishing him the
compliments of the season  He was lounging upon the sofa in a
purple dressing gown  a pipe rack within his reach upon the
right  and a pile of crumpled morning papers  evidently newly
studied  near at hand  Beside the couch was a wooden chair  and
on the angle of the back hung a very seedy and disreputable
hard felt hat  much the worse for wear  and cracked in several
places  A lens and a forceps lying upon the seat of the chair
suggested that the hat had been suspended in this manner for the
purpose of examination 

 You are engaged   said I   perhaps I interrupt you  

 Not at all  I am glad to have a friend with whom I can discuss
my results  The matter is a perfectly trivial one   he jerked his
thumb in the direction of the old hat   but there are points in
connection with it which are not entirely devoid of interest and
even of instruction  

I seated myself in his armchair and warmed my hands before his
crackling fire  for a sharp frost had set in  and the windows
were thick with the ice crystals   I suppose   I remarked   that 
homely as it looks  this thing has some deadly story linked on to
it  that it is the clue which will guide you in the solution of
some mystery and the punishment of some crime  

 No  no  No crime   said Sherlock Holmes  laughing   Only one of
those whimsical little incidents which will happen when you have
four million human beings all jostling each other within the
space of a few square miles  Amid the action and reaction of so
dense a swarm of humanity  every possible combination of events
may be expected to take place  and many a little problem will be
presented which may be striking and bizarre without being
criminal  We have already had experience of such  

 So much so   I remarked   that of the last six cases which I
have added to my notes  three have been entirely free of any
legal crime  

 Precisely  You allude to my attempt to recover the Irene Adler
papers  to the singular case of Miss Mary Sutherland  and to the
adventure of the man with the twisted lip  Well  I have no doubt
that this small matter will fall into the same innocent category 
You know Peterson  the commissionaire  

 Yes  

 It is to him that this trophy belongs  

 It is his hat  

 No  no  he found it  Its owner is unknown  I beg that you will
look upon it not as a battered billycock but as an intellectual
problem  And  first  as to how it came here  It arrived upon
Christmas morning  in company with a good fat goose  which is  I
have no doubt  roasting at this moment in front of Peterson s
fire  The facts are these  about four o clock on Christmas
morning  Peterson  who  as you know  is a very honest fellow  was
returning from some small jollification and was making his way
homeward down Tottenham Court Road  In front of him he saw  in
the gaslight  a tallish man  walking with a slight stagger  and
carrying a white goose slung over his shoulder  As he reached the
corner of Goodge Street  a row broke out between this stranger
and a little knot of roughs  One of the latter knocked off the
man s hat  on which he raised his stick to defend himself and 
swinging it over his head  smashed the shop window behind him 
Peterson had rushed forward to protect the stranger from his
assailants  but the man  shocked at having broken the window  and
seeing an official looking person in uniform rushing towards him 
dropped his goose  took to his heels  and vanished amid the
labyrinth of small streets which lie at the back of Tottenham
Court Road  The roughs had also fled at the appearance of
Peterson  so that he was left in possession of the field of
battle  and also of the spoils of victory in the shape of this
battered hat and a most unimpeachable Christmas goose  

 Which surely he restored to their owner  

 My dear fellow  there lies the problem  It is true that  For
Mrs  Henry Baker  was printed upon a small card which was tied to
the bird s left leg  and it is also true that the initials  H 
B   are legible upon the lining of this hat  but as there are
some thousands of Bakers  and some hundreds of Henry Bakers in
this city of ours  it is not easy to restore lost property to any
one of them  

 What  then  did Peterson do  

 He brought round both hat and goose to me on Christmas morning 
knowing that even the smallest problems are of interest to me 
The goose we retained until this morning  when there were signs
that  in spite of the slight frost  it would be well that it
should be eaten without unnecessary delay  Its finder has carried
it off  therefore  to fulfil the ultimate destiny of a goose 
while I continue to retain the hat of the unknown gentleman who
lost his Christmas dinner  

 Did he not advertise  

 No  

 Then  what clue could you have as to his identity  

 Only as much as we can deduce  

 From his hat  

 Precisely  

 But you are joking  What can you gather from this old battered
felt  

 Here is my lens  You know my methods  What can you gather
yourself as to the individuality of the man who has worn this
article  

I took the tattered object in my hands and turned it over rather
ruefully  It was a very ordinary black hat of the usual round
shape  hard and much the worse for wear  The lining had been of
red silk  but was a good deal discoloured  There was no maker s
name  but  as Holmes had remarked  the initials  H  B   were
scrawled upon one side  It was pierced in the brim for a
hat securer  but the elastic was missing  For the rest  it was
cracked  exceedingly dusty  and spotted in several places 
although there seemed to have been some attempt to hide the
discoloured patches by smearing them with ink 

 I can see nothing   said I  handing it back to my friend 

 On the contrary  Watson  you can see everything  You fail 
however  to reason from what you see  You are too timid in
drawing your inferences  

 Then  pray tell me what it is that you can infer from this hat  

He picked it up and gazed at it in the peculiar introspective
fashion which was characteristic of him   It is perhaps less
suggestive than it might have been   he remarked   and yet there
are a few inferences which are very distinct  and a few others
which represent at least a strong balance of probability  That
the man was highly intellectual is of course obvious upon the
face of it  and also that he was fairly well to do within the
last three years  although he has now fallen upon evil days  He
had foresight  but has less now than formerly  pointing to a
moral retrogression  which  when taken with the decline of his
fortunes  seems to indicate some evil influence  probably drink 
at work upon him  This may account also for the obvious fact that
his wife has ceased to love him  

 My dear Holmes  

 He has  however  retained some degree of self respect   he
continued  disregarding my remonstrance   He is a man who leads a
sedentary life  goes out little  is out of training entirely  is
middle aged  has grizzled hair which he has had cut within the
last few days  and which he anoints with lime cream  These are
the more patent facts which are to be deduced from his hat  Also 
by the way  that it is extremely improbable that he has gas laid
on in his house  

 You are certainly joking  Holmes  

 Not in the least  Is it possible that even now  when I give you
these results  you are unable to see how they are attained  

 I have no doubt that I am very stupid  but I must confess that I
am unable to follow you  For example  how did you deduce that
this man was intellectual  

For answer Holmes clapped the hat upon his head  It came right
over the forehead and settled upon the bridge of his nose   It is
a question of cubic capacity   said he   a man with so large a
brain must have something in it  

 The decline of his fortunes  then  

 This hat is three years old  These flat brims curled at the edge
came in then  It is a hat of the very best quality  Look at the
band of ribbed silk and the excellent lining  If this man could
afford to buy so expensive a hat three years ago  and has had no
hat since  then he has assuredly gone down in the world  

 Well  that is clear enough  certainly  But how about the
foresight and the moral retrogression  

Sherlock Holmes laughed   Here is the foresight   said he putting
his finger upon the little disc and loop of the hat securer 
 They are never sold upon hats  If this man ordered one  it is a
sign of a certain amount of foresight  since he went out of his
way to take this precaution against the wind  But since we see
that he has broken the elastic and has not troubled to replace
it  it is obvious that he has less foresight now than formerly 
which is a distinct proof of a weakening nature  On the other
hand  he has endeavoured to conceal some of these stains upon the
felt by daubing them with ink  which is a sign that he has not
entirely lost his self respect  

 Your reasoning is certainly plausible  

 The further points  that he is middle aged  that his hair is
grizzled  that it has been recently cut  and that he uses
lime cream  are all to be gathered from a close examination of the
lower part of the lining  The lens discloses a large number of
hair ends  clean cut by the scissors of the barber  They all
appear to be adhesive  and there is a distinct odour of
lime cream  This dust  you will observe  is not the gritty  grey
dust of the street but the fluffy brown dust of the house 
showing that it has been hung up indoors most of the time  while
the marks of moisture upon the inside are proof positive that the
wearer perspired very freely  and could therefore  hardly be in
the best of training  

 But his wife  you said that she had ceased to love him  

 This hat has not been brushed for weeks  When I see you  my dear
Watson  with a week s accumulation of dust upon your hat  and
when your wife allows you to go out in such a state  I shall fear
that you also have been unfortunate enough to lose your wife s
affection  

 But he might be a bachelor  

 Nay  he was bringing home the goose as a peace offering to his
wife  Remember the card upon the bird s leg  

 You have an answer to everything  But how on earth do you deduce
that the gas is not laid on in his house  

 One tallow stain  or even two  might come by chance  but when I
see no less than five  I think that there can be little doubt
that the individual must be brought into frequent contact with
burning tallow  walks upstairs at night probably with his hat in
one hand and a guttering candle in the other  Anyhow  he never
got tallow stains from a gas jet  Are you satisfied  

 Well  it is very ingenious   said I  laughing   but since  as
you said just now  there has been no crime committed  and no harm
done save the loss of a goose  all this seems to be rather a
waste of energy  

Sherlock Holmes had opened his mouth to reply  when the door flew
open  and Peterson  the commissionaire  rushed into the apartment
with flushed cheeks and the face of a man who is dazed with
astonishment 

 The goose  Mr  Holmes  The goose  sir   he gasped 

 Eh  What of it  then  Has it returned to life and flapped off
through the kitchen window   Holmes twisted himself round upon
the sofa to get a fairer view of the man s excited face 

 See here  sir  See what my wife found in its crop   He held out
his hand and displayed upon the centre of the palm a brilliantly
scintillating blue stone  rather smaller than a bean in size  but
of such purity and radiance that it twinkled like an electric
point in the dark hollow of his hand 

Sherlock Holmes sat up with a whistle   By Jove  Peterson   said
he   this is treasure trove indeed  I suppose you know what you
have got  

 A diamond  sir  A precious stone  It cuts into glass as though
it were putty  

 It s more than a precious stone  It is the precious stone  

 Not the Countess of Morcar s blue carbuncle   I ejaculated 

 Precisely so  I ought to know its size and shape  seeing that I
have read the advertisement about it in The Times every day
lately  It is absolutely unique  and its value can only be
conjectured  but the reward offered of 1000 pounds is certainly
not within a twentieth part of the market price  

 A thousand pounds  Great Lord of mercy   The commissionaire
plumped down into a chair and stared from one to the other of us 

 That is the reward  and I have reason to know that there are
sentimental considerations in the background which would induce
the Countess to part with half her fortune if she could but
recover the gem  

 It was lost  if I remember aright  at the Hotel Cosmopolitan   I
remarked 

 Precisely so  on December 22nd  just five days ago  John Horner 
a plumber  was accused of having abstracted it from the lady s
jewel case  The evidence against him was so strong that the case
has been referred to the Assizes  I have some account of the
matter here  I believe   He rummaged amid his newspapers 
glancing over the dates  until at last he smoothed one out 
doubled it over  and read the following paragraph 

 Hotel Cosmopolitan Jewel Robbery  John Horner  26  plumber  was
brought up upon the charge of having upon the 22nd inst  
abstracted from the jewel case of the Countess of Morcar the
valuable gem known as the blue carbuncle  James Ryder 
upper attendant at the hotel  gave his evidence to the effect
that he had shown Horner up to the dressing room of the Countess
of Morcar upon the day of the robbery in order that he might
solder the second bar of the grate  which was loose  He had
remained with Horner some little time  but had finally been
called away  On returning  he found that Horner had disappeared 
that the bureau had been forced open  and that the small morocco
casket in which  as it afterwards transpired  the Countess was
accustomed to keep her jewel  was lying empty upon the
dressing table  Ryder instantly gave the alarm  and Horner was
arrested the same evening  but the stone could not be found
either upon his person or in his rooms  Catherine Cusack  maid to
the Countess  deposed to having heard Ryder s cry of dismay on
discovering the robbery  and to having rushed into the room 
where she found matters as described by the last witness 
Inspector Bradstreet  B division  gave evidence as to the arrest
of Horner  who struggled frantically  and protested his innocence
in the strongest terms  Evidence of a previous conviction for
robbery having been given against the prisoner  the magistrate
refused to deal summarily with the offence  but referred it to
the Assizes  Horner  who had shown signs of intense emotion
during the proceedings  fainted away at the conclusion and was
carried out of court  

 Hum  So much for the police court   said Holmes thoughtfully 
tossing aside the paper   The question for us now to solve is the
sequence of events leading from a rifled jewel case at one end to
the crop of a goose in Tottenham Court Road at the other  You
see  Watson  our little deductions have suddenly assumed a much
more important and less innocent aspect  Here is the stone  the
stone came from the goose  and the goose came from Mr  Henry
Baker  the gentleman with the bad hat and all the other
characteristics with which I have bored you  So now we must set
ourselves very seriously to finding this gentleman and
ascertaining what part he has played in this little mystery  To
do this  we must try the simplest means first  and these lie
undoubtedly in an advertisement in all the evening papers  If
this fail  I shall have recourse to other methods  

 What will you say  

 Give me a pencil and that slip of paper  Now  then   Found at
the corner of Goodge Street  a goose and a black felt hat  Mr 
Henry Baker can have the same by applying at 6 30 this evening at
221B  Baker Street   That is clear and concise  

 Very  But will he see it  

 Well  he is sure to keep an eye on the papers  since  to a poor
man  the loss was a heavy one  He was clearly so scared by his
mischance in breaking the window and by the approach of Peterson
that he thought of nothing but flight  but since then he must
have bitterly regretted the impulse which caused him to drop his
bird  Then  again  the introduction of his name will cause him to
see it  for everyone who knows him will direct his attention to
it  Here you are  Peterson  run down to the advertising agency
and have this put in the evening papers  

 In which  sir  

 Oh  in the Globe  Star  Pall Mall  St  James s  Evening News 
Standard  Echo  and any others that occur to you  

 Very well  sir  And this stone  

 Ah  yes  I shall keep the stone  Thank you  And  I say 
Peterson  just buy a goose on your way back and leave it here
with me  for we must have one to give to this gentleman in place
of the one which your family is now devouring  

When the commissionaire had gone  Holmes took up the stone and
held it against the light   It s a bonny thing   said he   Just
see how it glints and sparkles  Of course it is a nucleus and
focus of crime  Every good stone is  They are the devil s pet
baits  In the larger and older jewels every facet may stand for a
bloody deed  This stone is not yet twenty years old  It was found
in the banks of the Amoy River in southern China and is remarkable
in having every characteristic of the carbuncle  save that it is
blue in shade instead of ruby red  In spite of its youth  it has
already a sinister history  There have been two murders  a
vitriol throwing  a suicide  and several robberies brought about
for the sake of this forty grain weight of crystallised charcoal 
Who would think that so pretty a toy would be a purveyor to the
gallows and the prison  I ll lock it up in my strong box now and
drop a line to the Countess to say that we have it  

 Do you think that this man Horner is innocent  

 I cannot tell  

 Well  then  do you imagine that this other one  Henry Baker  had
anything to do with the matter  

 It is  I think  much more likely that Henry Baker is an
absolutely innocent man  who had no idea that the bird which he
was carrying was of considerably more value than if it were made
of solid gold  That  however  I shall determine by a very simple
test if we have an answer to our advertisement  

 And you can do nothing until then  

 Nothing  

 In that case I shall continue my professional round  But I shall
come back in the evening at the hour you have mentioned  for I
should like to see the solution of so tangled a business  

 Very glad to see you  I dine at seven  There is a woodcock  I
believe  By the way  in view of recent occurrences  perhaps I
ought to ask Mrs  Hudson to examine its crop  

I had been delayed at a case  and it was a little after half past
six when I found myself in Baker Street once more  As I
approached the house I saw a tall man in a Scotch bonnet with a
coat which was buttoned up to his chin waiting outside in the
bright semicircle which was thrown from the fanlight  Just as I
arrived the door was opened  and we were shown up together to
Holmes  room 

 Mr  Henry Baker  I believe   said he  rising from his armchair
and greeting his visitor with the easy air of geniality which he
could so readily assume   Pray take this chair by the fire  Mr 
Baker  It is a cold night  and I observe that your circulation is
more adapted for summer than for winter  Ah  Watson  you have
just come at the right time  Is that your hat  Mr  Baker  

 Yes  sir  that is undoubtedly my hat  

He was a large man with rounded shoulders  a massive head  and a
broad  intelligent face  sloping down to a pointed beard of
grizzled brown  A touch of red in nose and cheeks  with a slight
tremor of his extended hand  recalled Holmes  surmise as to his
habits  His rusty black frock coat was buttoned right up in
front  with the collar turned up  and his lank wrists protruded
from his sleeves without a sign of cuff or shirt  He spoke in a
slow staccato fashion  choosing his words with care  and gave the
impression generally of a man of learning and letters who had had
ill usage at the hands of fortune 

 We have retained these things for some days   said Holmes 
 because we expected to see an advertisement from you giving your
address  I am at a loss to know now why you did not advertise  

Our visitor gave a rather shamefaced laugh   Shillings have not
been so plentiful with me as they once were   he remarked   I had
no doubt that the gang of roughs who assaulted me had carried off
both my hat and the bird  I did not care to spend more money in a
hopeless attempt at recovering them  

 Very naturally  By the way  about the bird  we were compelled to
eat it  

 To eat it   Our visitor half rose from his chair in his
excitement 

 Yes  it would have been of no use to anyone had we not done so 
But I presume that this other goose upon the sideboard  which is
about the same weight and perfectly fresh  will answer your
purpose equally well  

 Oh  certainly  certainly   answered Mr  Baker with a sigh of
relief 

 Of course  we still have the feathers  legs  crop  and so on of
your own bird  so if you wish   

The man burst into a hearty laugh   They might be useful to me as
relics of my adventure   said he   but beyond that I can hardly
see what use the disjecta membra of my late acquaintance are
going to be to me  No  sir  I think that  with your permission  I
will confine my attentions to the excellent bird which I perceive
upon the sideboard  

Sherlock Holmes glanced sharply across at me with a slight shrug
of his shoulders 

 There is your hat  then  and there your bird   said he   By the
way  would it bore you to tell me where you got the other one
from  I am somewhat of a fowl fancier  and I have seldom seen a
better grown goose  

 Certainly  sir   said Baker  who had risen and tucked his newly
gained property under his arm   There are a few of us who
frequent the Alpha Inn  near the Museum  we are to be found in
the Museum itself during the day  you understand  This year our
good host  Windigate by name  instituted a goose club  by which 
on consideration of some few pence every week  we were each to
receive a bird at Christmas  My pence were duly paid  and the
rest is familiar to you  I am much indebted to you  sir  for a
Scotch bonnet is fitted neither to my years nor my gravity   With
a comical pomposity of manner he bowed solemnly to both of us and
strode off upon his way 

 So much for Mr  Henry Baker   said Holmes when he had closed the
door behind him   It is quite certain that he knows nothing
whatever about the matter  Are you hungry  Watson  

 Not particularly  

 Then I suggest that we turn our dinner into a supper and follow
up this clue while it is still hot  

 By all means  

It was a bitter night  so we drew on our ulsters and wrapped
cravats about our throats  Outside  the stars were shining coldly
in a cloudless sky  and the breath of the passers by blew out
into smoke like so many pistol shots  Our footfalls rang out
crisply and loudly as we swung through the doctors  quarter 
Wimpole Street  Harley Street  and so through Wigmore Street into
Oxford Street  In a quarter of an hour we were in Bloomsbury at
the Alpha Inn  which is a small public house at the corner of one
of the streets which runs down into Holborn  Holmes pushed open
the door of the private bar and ordered two glasses of beer from
the ruddy faced  white aproned landlord 

 Your beer should be excellent if it is as good as your geese  
said he 

 My geese   The man seemed surprised 

 Yes  I was speaking only half an hour ago to Mr  Henry Baker 
who was a member of your goose club  

 Ah  yes  I see  But you see  sir  them s not our geese  

 Indeed  Whose  then  

 Well  I got the two dozen from a salesman in Covent Garden  

 Indeed  I know some of them  Which was it  

 Breckinridge is his name  

 Ah  I don t know him  Well  here s your good health landlord 
and prosperity to your house  Good night  

 Now for Mr  Breckinridge   he continued  buttoning up his coat
as we came out into the frosty air   Remember  Watson that though
we have so homely a thing as a goose at one end of this chain  we
have at the other a man who will certainly get seven years  penal
servitude unless we can establish his innocence  It is possible
that our inquiry may but confirm his guilt  but  in any case  we
have a line of investigation which has been missed by the police 
and which a singular chance has placed in our hands  Let us
follow it out to the bitter end  Faces to the south  then  and
quick march  

We passed across Holborn  down Endell Street  and so through a
zigzag of slums to Covent Garden Market  One of the largest
stalls bore the name of Breckinridge upon it  and the proprietor
a horsey looking man  with a sharp face and trim side whiskers was
helping a boy to put up the shutters 

 Good evening  It s a cold night   said Holmes 

The salesman nodded and shot a questioning glance at my
companion 

 Sold out of geese  I see   continued Holmes  pointing at the
bare slabs of marble 

 Let you have five hundred to morrow morning  

 That s no good  

 Well  there are some on the stall with the gas flare  

 Ah  but I was recommended to you  

 Who by  

 The landlord of the Alpha  

 Oh  yes  I sent him a couple of dozen  

 Fine birds they were  too  Now where did you get them from  

To my surprise the question provoked a burst of anger from the
salesman 

 Now  then  mister   said he  with his head cocked and his arms
akimbo   what are you driving at  Let s have it straight  now  

 It is straight enough  I should like to know who sold you the
geese which you supplied to the Alpha  

 Well then  I shan t tell you  So now  

 Oh  it is a matter of no importance  but I don t know why you
should be so warm over such a trifle  

 Warm  You d be as warm  maybe  if you were as pestered as I am 
When I pay good money for a good article there should be an end
of the business  but it s  Where are the geese   and  Who did you
sell the geese to   and  What will you take for the geese   One
would think they were the only geese in the world  to hear the
fuss that is made over them  

 Well  I have no connection with any other people who have been
making inquiries   said Holmes carelessly   If you won t tell us
the bet is off  that is all  But I m always ready to back my
opinion on a matter of fowls  and I have a fiver on it that the
bird I ate is country bred  

 Well  then  you ve lost your fiver  for it s town bred   snapped
the salesman 

 It s nothing of the kind  

 I say it is  

 I don t believe it  

 D you think you know more about fowls than I  who have handled
them ever since I was a nipper  I tell you  all those birds that
went to the Alpha were town bred  

 You ll never persuade me to believe that  

 Will you bet  then  

 It s merely taking your money  for I know that I am right  But
I ll have a sovereign on with you  just to teach you not to be
obstinate  

The salesman chuckled grimly   Bring me the books  Bill   said
he 

The small boy brought round a small thin volume and a great
greasy backed one  laying them out together beneath the hanging
lamp 

 Now then  Mr  Cocksure   said the salesman   I thought that I
was out of geese  but before I finish you ll find that there is
still one left in my shop  You see this little book  

 Well  

 That s the list of the folk from whom I buy  D you see  Well 
then  here on this page are the country folk  and the numbers
after their names are where their accounts are in the big ledger 
Now  then  You see this other page in red ink  Well  that is a
list of my town suppliers  Now  look at that third name  Just
read it out to me  

 Mrs  Oakshott  117  Brixton Road  249   read Holmes 

 Quite so  Now turn that up in the ledger  

Holmes turned to the page indicated   Here you are   Mrs 
Oakshott  117  Brixton Road  egg and poultry supplier   

 Now  then  what s the last entry  

  December 22nd  Twenty four geese at 7s  6d   

 Quite so  There you are  And underneath  

  Sold to Mr  Windigate of the Alpha  at 12s   

 What have you to say now  

Sherlock Holmes looked deeply chagrined  He drew a sovereign from
his pocket and threw it down upon the slab  turning away with the
air of a man whose disgust is too deep for words  A few yards off
he stopped under a lamp post and laughed in the hearty  noiseless
fashion which was peculiar to him 

 When you see a man with whiskers of that cut and the  Pink  un 
protruding out of his pocket  you can always draw him by a bet  
said he   I daresay that if I had put 100 pounds down in front of
him  that man would not have given me such complete information
as was drawn from him by the idea that he was doing me on a
wager  Well  Watson  we are  I fancy  nearing the end of our
quest  and the only point which remains to be determined is
whether we should go on to this Mrs  Oakshott to night  or
whether we should reserve it for to morrow  It is clear from what
that surly fellow said that there are others besides ourselves
who are anxious about the matter  and I should   

His remarks were suddenly cut short by a loud hubbub which broke
out from the stall which we had just left  Turning round we saw a
little rat faced fellow standing in the centre of the circle of
yellow light which was thrown by the swinging lamp  while
Breckinridge  the salesman  framed in the door of his stall  was
shaking his fists fiercely at the cringing figure 

 I ve had enough of you and your geese   he shouted   I wish you
were all at the devil together  If you come pestering me any more
with your silly talk I ll set the dog at you  You bring Mrs 
Oakshott here and I ll answer her  but what have you to do with
it  Did I buy the geese off you  

 No  but one of them was mine all the same   whined the little
man 

 Well  then  ask Mrs  Oakshott for it  

 She told me to ask you  

 Well  you can ask the King of Proosia  for all I care  I ve had
enough of it  Get out of this   He rushed fiercely forward  and
the inquirer flitted away into the darkness 

 Ha  this may save us a visit to Brixton Road   whispered Holmes 
 Come with me  and we will see what is to be made of this
fellow   Striding through the scattered knots of people who
lounged round the flaring stalls  my companion speedily overtook
the little man and touched him upon the shoulder  He sprang
round  and I could see in the gas light that every vestige of
colour had been driven from his face 

 Who are you  then  What do you want   he asked in a quavering
voice 

 You will excuse me   said Holmes blandly   but I could not help
overhearing the questions which you put to the salesman just now 
I think that I could be of assistance to you  

 You  Who are you  How could you know anything of the matter  

 My name is Sherlock Holmes  It is my business to know what other
people don t know  

 But you can know nothing of this  

 Excuse me  I know everything of it  You are endeavouring to
trace some geese which were sold by Mrs  Oakshott  of Brixton
Road  to a salesman named Breckinridge  by him in turn to Mr 
Windigate  of the Alpha  and by him to his club  of which Mr 
Henry Baker is a member  

 Oh  sir  you are the very man whom I have longed to meet   cried
the little fellow with outstretched hands and quivering fingers 
 I can hardly explain to you how interested I am in this matter  

Sherlock Holmes hailed a four wheeler which was passing   In that
case we had better discuss it in a cosy room rather than in this
wind swept market place   said he   But pray tell me  before we
go farther  who it is that I have the pleasure of assisting  

The man hesitated for an instant   My name is John Robinson   he
answered with a sidelong glance 

 No  no  the real name   said Holmes sweetly   It is always
awkward doing business with an alias  

A flush sprang to the white cheeks of the stranger   Well then  
said he   my real name is James Ryder  

 Precisely so  Head attendant at the Hotel Cosmopolitan  Pray
step into the cab  and I shall soon be able to tell you
everything which you would wish to know  

The little man stood glancing from one to the other of us with
half frightened  half hopeful eyes  as one who is not sure
whether he is on the verge of a windfall or of a catastrophe 
Then he stepped into the cab  and in half an hour we were back in
the sitting room at Baker Street  Nothing had been said during
our drive  but the high  thin breathing of our new companion  and
the claspings and unclaspings of his hands  spoke of the nervous
tension within him 

 Here we are   said Holmes cheerily as we filed into the room 
 The fire looks very seasonable in this weather  You look cold 
Mr  Ryder  Pray take the basket chair  I will just put on my
slippers before we settle this little matter of yours  Now  then 
You want to know what became of those geese  

 Yes  sir  

 Or rather  I fancy  of that goose  It was one bird  I imagine in
which you were interested  white  with a black bar across the
tail  

Ryder quivered with emotion   Oh  sir   he cried   can you tell
me where it went to  

 It came here  

 Here  

 Yes  and a most remarkable bird it proved  I don t wonder that
you should take an interest in it  It laid an egg after it was
dead  the bonniest  brightest little blue egg that ever was seen 
I have it here in my museum  

Our visitor staggered to his feet and clutched the mantelpiece
with his right hand  Holmes unlocked his strong box and held up
the blue carbuncle  which shone out like a star  with a cold 
brilliant  many pointed radiance  Ryder stood glaring with a
drawn face  uncertain whether to claim or to disown it 

 The game s up  Ryder   said Holmes quietly   Hold up  man  or
you ll be into the fire  Give him an arm back into his chair 
Watson  He s not got blood enough to go in for felony with
impunity  Give him a dash of brandy  So  Now he looks a little
more human  What a shrimp it is  to be sure  

For a moment he had staggered and nearly fallen  but the brandy
brought a tinge of colour into his cheeks  and he sat staring
with frightened eyes at his accuser 

 I have almost every link in my hands  and all the proofs which I
could possibly need  so there is little which you need tell me 
Still  that little may as well be cleared up to make the case
complete  You had heard  Ryder  of this blue stone of the
Countess of Morcar s  

 It was Catherine Cusack who told me of it   said he in a
crackling voice 

 I see  her ladyship s waiting maid  Well  the temptation of
sudden wealth so easily acquired was too much for you  as it has
been for better men before you  but you were not very scrupulous
in the means you used  It seems to me  Ryder  that there is the
making of a very pretty villain in you  You knew that this man
Horner  the plumber  had been concerned in some such matter
before  and that suspicion would rest the more readily upon him 
What did you do  then  You made some small job in my lady s
room  you and your confederate Cusack  and you managed that he
should be the man sent for  Then  when he had left  you rifled
the jewel case  raised the alarm  and had this unfortunate man
arrested  You then   

Ryder threw himself down suddenly upon the rug and clutched at my
companion s knees   For God s sake  have mercy   he shrieked 
 Think of my father  Of my mother  It would break their hearts  I
never went wrong before  I never will again  I swear it  I ll
swear it on a Bible  Oh  don t bring it into court  For Christ s
sake  don t  

 Get back into your chair   said Holmes sternly   It is very well
to cringe and crawl now  but you thought little enough of this
poor Horner in the dock for a crime of which he knew nothing  

 I will fly  Mr  Holmes  I will leave the country  sir  Then the
charge against him will break down  

 Hum  We will talk about that  And now let us hear a true account
of the next act  How came the stone into the goose  and how came
the goose into the open market  Tell us the truth  for there lies
your only hope of safety  

Ryder passed his tongue over his parched lips   I will tell you
it just as it happened  sir   said he   When Horner had been
arrested  it seemed to me that it would be best for me to get
away with the stone at once  for I did not know at what moment
the police might not take it into their heads to search me and my
room  There was no place about the hotel where it would be safe 
I went out  as if on some commission  and I made for my sister s
house  She had married a man named Oakshott  and lived in Brixton
Road  where she fattened fowls for the market  All the way there
every man I met seemed to me to be a policeman or a detective 
and  for all that it was a cold night  the sweat was pouring down
my face before I came to the Brixton Road  My sister asked me
what was the matter  and why I was so pale  but I told her that I
had been upset by the jewel robbery at the hotel  Then I went
into the back yard and smoked a pipe and wondered what it would
be best to do 

 I had a friend once called Maudsley  who went to the bad  and
has just been serving his time in Pentonville  One day he had met
me  and fell into talk about the ways of thieves  and how they
could get rid of what they stole  I knew that he would be true to
me  for I knew one or two things about him  so I made up my mind
to go right on to Kilburn  where he lived  and take him into my
confidence  He would show me how to turn the stone into money 
But how to get to him in safety  I thought of the agonies I had
gone through in coming from the hotel  I might at any moment be
seized and searched  and there would be the stone in my waistcoat
pocket  I was leaning against the wall at the time and looking at
the geese which were waddling about round my feet  and suddenly
an idea came into my head which showed me how I could beat the
best detective that ever lived 

 My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the
pick of her geese for a Christmas present  and I knew that she
was always as good as her word  I would take my goose now  and in
it I would carry my stone to Kilburn  There was a little shed in
the yard  and behind this I drove one of the birds  a fine big
one  white  with a barred tail  I caught it  and prying its bill
open  I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger
could reach  The bird gave a gulp  and I felt the stone pass
along its gullet and down into its crop  But the creature flapped
and struggled  and out came my sister to know what was the
matter  As I turned to speak to her the brute broke loose and
fluttered off among the others 

  Whatever were you doing with that bird  Jem   says she 

  Well   said I   you said you d give me one for Christmas  and I
was feeling which was the fattest  

  Oh   says she   we ve set yours aside for you  Jem s bird  we
call it  It s the big white one over yonder  There s twenty six
of them  which makes one for you  and one for us  and two dozen
for the market  

  Thank you  Maggie   says I   but if it is all the same to you 
I d rather have that one I was handling just now  

  The other is a good three pound heavier   said she   and we
fattened it expressly for you  

  Never mind  I ll have the other  and I ll take it now   said I 

  Oh  just as you like   said she  a little huffed   Which is it
you want  then  

  That white one with the barred tail  right in the middle of the
flock  

  Oh  very well  Kill it and take it with you  

 Well  I did what she said  Mr  Holmes  and I carried the bird
all the way to Kilburn  I told my pal what I had done  for he was
a man that it was easy to tell a thing like that to  He laughed
until he choked  and we got a knife and opened the goose  My
heart turned to water  for there was no sign of the stone  and I
knew that some terrible mistake had occurred  I left the bird 
rushed back to my sister s  and hurried into the back yard  There
was not a bird to be seen there 

  Where are they all  Maggie   I cried 

  Gone to the dealer s  Jem  

  Which dealer s  

  Breckinridge  of Covent Garden  

  But was there another with a barred tail   I asked   the same
as the one I chose  

  Yes  Jem  there were two barred tailed ones  and I could never
tell them apart  

 Well  then  of course I saw it all  and I ran off as hard as my
feet would carry me to this man Breckinridge  but he had sold the
lot at once  and not one word would he tell me as to where they
had gone  You heard him yourselves to night  Well  he has always
answered me like that  My sister thinks that I am going mad 
Sometimes I think that I am myself  And now  and now I am myself
a branded thief  without ever having touched the wealth for which
I sold my character  God help me  God help me   He burst into
convulsive sobbing  with his face buried in his hands 

There was a long silence  broken only by his heavy breathing and
by the measured tapping of Sherlock Holmes  finger tips upon the
edge of the table  Then my friend rose and threw open the door 

 Get out   said he 

 What  sir  Oh  Heaven bless you  

 No more words  Get out  

And no more words were needed  There was a rush  a clatter upon
the stairs  the bang of a door  and the crisp rattle of running
footfalls from the street 

 After all  Watson   said Holmes  reaching up his hand for his
clay pipe   I am not retained by the police to supply their
deficiencies  If Horner were in danger it would be another thing 
but this fellow will not appear against him  and the case must
collapse  I suppose that I am commuting a felony  but it is just
possible that I am saving a soul  This fellow will not go wrong
again  he is too terribly frightened  Send him to gaol now  and
you make him a gaol bird for life  Besides  it is the season of
forgiveness  Chance has put in our way a most singular and
whimsical problem  and its solution is its own reward  If you
will have the goodness to touch the bell  Doctor  we will begin
another investigation  in which  also a bird will be the chief
feature  



VIII  THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND

On glancing over my notes of the seventy odd cases in which I
have during the last eight years studied the methods of my friend
Sherlock Holmes  I find many tragic  some comic  a large number
merely strange  but none commonplace  for  working as he did
rather for the love of his art than for the acquirement of
wealth  he refused to associate himself with any investigation
which did not tend towards the unusual  and even the fantastic 
Of all these varied cases  however  I cannot recall any which
presented more singular features than that which was associated
with the well known Surrey family of the Roylotts of Stoke Moran 
The events in question occurred in the early days of my
association with Holmes  when we were sharing rooms as bachelors
in Baker Street  It is possible that I might have placed them
upon record before  but a promise of secrecy was made at the
time  from which I have only been freed during the last month by
the untimely death of the lady to whom the pledge was given  It
is perhaps as well that the facts should now come to light  for I
have reasons to know that there are widespread rumours as to the
death of Dr  Grimesby Roylott which tend to make the matter even
more terrible than the truth 

It was early in April in the year  83 that I woke one morning to
find Sherlock Holmes standing  fully dressed  by the side of my
bed  He was a late riser  as a rule  and as the clock on the
mantelpiece showed me that it was only a quarter past seven  I
blinked up at him in some surprise  and perhaps just a little
resentment  for I was myself regular in my habits 

 Very sorry to knock you up  Watson   said he   but it s the
common lot this morning  Mrs  Hudson has been knocked up  she
retorted upon me  and I on you  

 What is it  then  a fire  

 No  a client  It seems that a young lady has arrived in a
considerable state of excitement  who insists upon seeing me  She
is waiting now in the sitting room  Now  when young ladies wander
about the metropolis at this hour of the morning  and knock
sleepy people up out of their beds  I presume that it is
something very pressing which they have to communicate  Should it
prove to be an interesting case  you would  I am sure  wish to
follow it from the outset  I thought  at any rate  that I should
call you and give you the chance  

 My dear fellow  I would not miss it for anything  

I had no keener pleasure than in following Holmes in his
professional investigations  and in admiring the rapid
deductions  as swift as intuitions  and yet always founded on a
logical basis with which he unravelled the problems which were
submitted to him  I rapidly threw on my clothes and was ready in
a few minutes to accompany my friend down to the sitting room  A
lady dressed in black and heavily veiled  who had been sitting in
the window  rose as we entered 

 Good morning  madam   said Holmes cheerily   My name is Sherlock
Holmes  This is my intimate friend and associate  Dr  Watson 
before whom you can speak as freely as before myself  Ha  I am
glad to see that Mrs  Hudson has had the good sense to light the
fire  Pray draw up to it  and I shall order you a cup of hot
coffee  for I observe that you are shivering  

 It is not cold which makes me shiver   said the woman in a low
voice  changing her seat as requested 

 What  then  

 It is fear  Mr  Holmes  It is terror   She raised her veil as
she spoke  and we could see that she was indeed in a pitiable
state of agitation  her face all drawn and grey  with restless
frightened eyes  like those of some hunted animal  Her features
and figure were those of a woman of thirty  but her hair was shot
with premature grey  and her expression was weary and haggard 
Sherlock Holmes ran her over with one of his quick 
all comprehensive glances 

 You must not fear   said he soothingly  bending forward and
patting her forearm   We shall soon set matters right  I have no
doubt  You have come in by train this morning  I see  

 You know me  then  

 No  but I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm
of your left glove  You must have started early  and yet you had
a good drive in a dog cart  along heavy roads  before you reached
the station  

The lady gave a violent start and stared in bewilderment at my
companion 

 There is no mystery  my dear madam   said he  smiling   The left
arm of your jacket is spattered with mud in no less than seven
places  The marks are perfectly fresh  There is no vehicle save a
dog cart which throws up mud in that way  and then only when you
sit on the left hand side of the driver  

 Whatever your reasons may be  you are perfectly correct   said
she   I started from home before six  reached Leatherhead at
twenty past  and came in by the first train to Waterloo  Sir  I
can stand this strain no longer  I shall go mad if it continues 
I have no one to turn to  none  save only one  who cares for me 
and he  poor fellow  can be of little aid  I have heard of you 
Mr  Holmes  I have heard of you from Mrs  Farintosh  whom you
helped in the hour of her sore need  It was from her that I had
your address  Oh  sir  do you not think that you could help me 
too  and at least throw a little light through the dense darkness
which surrounds me  At present it is out of my power to reward
you for your services  but in a month or six weeks I shall be
married  with the control of my own income  and then at least you
shall not find me ungrateful  

Holmes turned to his desk and  unlocking it  drew out a small
case book  which he consulted 

 Farintosh   said he   Ah yes  I recall the case  it was
concerned with an opal tiara  I think it was before your time 
Watson  I can only say  madam  that I shall be happy to devote
the same care to your case as I did to that of your friend  As to
reward  my profession is its own reward  but you are at liberty
to defray whatever expenses I may be put to  at the time which
suits you best  And now I beg that you will lay before us
everything that may help us in forming an opinion upon the
matter  

 Alas   replied our visitor   the very horror of my situation
lies in the fact that my fears are so vague  and my suspicions
depend so entirely upon small points  which might seem trivial to
another  that even he to whom of all others I have a right to
look for help and advice looks upon all that I tell him about it
as the fancies of a nervous woman  He does not say so  but I can
read it from his soothing answers and averted eyes  But I have
heard  Mr  Holmes  that you can see deeply into the manifold
wickedness of the human heart  You may advise me how to walk amid
the dangers which encompass me  

 I am all attention  madam  

 My name is Helen Stoner  and I am living with my stepfather  who
is the last survivor of one of the oldest Saxon families in
England  the Roylotts of Stoke Moran  on the western border of
Surrey  

Holmes nodded his head   The name is familiar to me   said he 

 The family was at one time among the richest in England  and the
estates extended over the borders into Berkshire in the north 
and Hampshire in the west  In the last century  however  four
successive heirs were of a dissolute and wasteful disposition 
and the family ruin was eventually completed by a gambler in the
days of the Regency  Nothing was left save a few acres of ground 
and the two hundred year old house  which is itself crushed under
a heavy mortgage  The last squire dragged out his existence
there  living the horrible life of an aristocratic pauper  but
his only son  my stepfather  seeing that he must adapt himself to
the new conditions  obtained an advance from a relative  which
enabled him to take a medical degree and went out to Calcutta 
where  by his professional skill and his force of character  he
established a large practice  In a fit of anger  however  caused
by some robberies which had been perpetrated in the house  he
beat his native butler to death and narrowly escaped a capital
sentence  As it was  he suffered a long term of imprisonment and
afterwards returned to England a morose and disappointed man 

 When Dr  Roylott was in India he married my mother  Mrs  Stoner 
the young widow of Major General Stoner  of the Bengal Artillery 
My sister Julia and I were twins  and we were only two years old
at the time of my mother s re marriage  She had a considerable
sum of money  not less than 1000 pounds a year  and this she
bequeathed to Dr  Roylott entirely while we resided with him 
with a provision that a certain annual sum should be allowed to
each of us in the event of our marriage  Shortly after our return
to England my mother died  she was killed eight years ago in a
railway accident near Crewe  Dr  Roylott then abandoned his
attempts to establish himself in practice in London and took us
to live with him in the old ancestral house at Stoke Moran  The
money which my mother had left was enough for all our wants  and
there seemed to be no obstacle to our happiness 

 But a terrible change came over our stepfather about this time 
Instead of making friends and exchanging visits with our
neighbours  who had at first been overjoyed to see a Roylott of
Stoke Moran back in the old family seat  he shut himself up in
his house and seldom came out save to indulge in ferocious
quarrels with whoever might cross his path  Violence of temper
approaching to mania has been hereditary in the men of the
family  and in my stepfather s case it had  I believe  been
intensified by his long residence in the tropics  A series of
disgraceful brawls took place  two of which ended in the
police court  until at last he became the terror of the village 
and the folks would fly at his approach  for he is a man of
immense strength  and absolutely uncontrollable in his anger 

 Last week he hurled the local blacksmith over a parapet into a
stream  and it was only by paying over all the money which I
could gather together that I was able to avert another public
exposure  He had no friends at all save the wandering gipsies 
and he would give these vagabonds leave to encamp upon the few
acres of bramble covered land which represent the family estate 
and would accept in return the hospitality of their tents 
wandering away with them sometimes for weeks on end  He has a
passion also for Indian animals  which are sent over to him by a
correspondent  and he has at this moment a cheetah and a baboon 
which wander freely over his grounds and are feared by the
villagers almost as much as their master 

 You can imagine from what I say that my poor sister Julia and I
had no great pleasure in our lives  No servant would stay with
us  and for a long time we did all the work of the house  She was
but thirty at the time of her death  and yet her hair had already
begun to whiten  even as mine has  

 Your sister is dead  then  

 She died just two years ago  and it is of her death that I wish
to speak to you  You can understand that  living the life which I
have described  we were little likely to see anyone of our own
age and position  We had  however  an aunt  my mother s maiden
sister  Miss Honoria Westphail  who lives near Harrow  and we
were occasionally allowed to pay short visits at this lady s
house  Julia went there at Christmas two years ago  and met there
a half pay major of marines  to whom she became engaged  My
stepfather learned of the engagement when my sister returned and
offered no objection to the marriage  but within a fortnight of
the day which had been fixed for the wedding  the terrible event
occurred which has deprived me of my only companion  

Sherlock Holmes had been leaning back in his chair with his eyes
closed and his head sunk in a cushion  but he half opened his
lids now and glanced across at his visitor 

 Pray be precise as to details   said he 

 It is easy for me to be so  for every event of that dreadful
time is seared into my memory  The manor house is  as I have
already said  very old  and only one wing is now inhabited  The
bedrooms in this wing are on the ground floor  the sitting rooms
being in the central block of the buildings  Of these bedrooms
the first is Dr  Roylott s  the second my sister s  and the third
my own  There is no communication between them  but they all open
out into the same corridor  Do I make myself plain  

 Perfectly so  

 The windows of the three rooms open out upon the lawn  That
fatal night Dr  Roylott had gone to his room early  though we
knew that he had not retired to rest  for my sister was troubled
by the smell of the strong Indian cigars which it was his custom
to smoke  She left her room  therefore  and came into mine  where
she sat for some time  chatting about her approaching wedding  At
eleven o clock she rose to leave me  but she paused at the door
and looked back 

  Tell me  Helen   said she   have you ever heard anyone whistle
in the dead of the night  

  Never   said I 

  I suppose that you could not possibly whistle  yourself  in
your sleep  

  Certainly not  But why  

  Because during the last few nights I have always  about three
in the morning  heard a low  clear whistle  I am a light sleeper 
and it has awakened me  I cannot tell where it came from  perhaps
from the next room  perhaps from the lawn  I thought that I would
just ask you whether you had heard it  

  No  I have not  It must be those wretched gipsies in the
plantation  

  Very likely  And yet if it were on the lawn  I wonder that you
did not hear it also  

  Ah  but I sleep more heavily than you  

  Well  it is of no great consequence  at any rate   She smiled
back at me  closed my door  and a few moments later I heard her
key turn in the lock  

 Indeed   said Holmes   Was it your custom always to lock
yourselves in at night  

 Always  

 And why  

 I think that I mentioned to you that the doctor kept a cheetah
and a baboon  We had no feeling of security unless our doors were
locked  

 Quite so  Pray proceed with your statement  

 I could not sleep that night  A vague feeling of impending
misfortune impressed me  My sister and I  you will recollect 
were twins  and you know how subtle are the links which bind two
souls which are so closely allied  It was a wild night  The wind
was howling outside  and the rain was beating and splashing
against the windows  Suddenly  amid all the hubbub of the gale 
there burst forth the wild scream of a terrified woman  I knew
that it was my sister s voice  I sprang from my bed  wrapped a
shawl round me  and rushed into the corridor  As I opened my door
I seemed to hear a low whistle  such as my sister described  and
a few moments later a clanging sound  as if a mass of metal had
fallen  As I ran down the passage  my sister s door was unlocked 
and revolved slowly upon its hinges  I stared at it
horror stricken  not knowing what was about to issue from it  By
the light of the corridor lamp I saw my sister appear at the
opening  her face blanched with terror  her hands groping for
help  her whole figure swaying to and fro like that of a
drunkard  I ran to her and threw my arms round her  but at that
moment her knees seemed to give way and she fell to the ground 
She writhed as one who is in terrible pain  and her limbs were
dreadfully convulsed  At first I thought that she had not
recognised me  but as I bent over her she suddenly shrieked out
in a voice which I shall never forget   Oh  my God  Helen  It was
the band  The speckled band   There was something else which she
would fain have said  and she stabbed with her finger into the
air in the direction of the doctor s room  but a fresh convulsion
seized her and choked her words  I rushed out  calling loudly for
my stepfather  and I met him hastening from his room in his
dressing gown  When he reached my sister s side she was
unconscious  and though he poured brandy down her throat and sent
for medical aid from the village  all efforts were in vain  for
she slowly sank and died without having recovered her
consciousness  Such was the dreadful end of my beloved sister  

 One moment   said Holmes   are you sure about this whistle and
metallic sound  Could you swear to it  

 That was what the county coroner asked me at the inquiry  It is
my strong impression that I heard it  and yet  among the crash of
the gale and the creaking of an old house  I may possibly have
been deceived  

 Was your sister dressed  

 No  she was in her night dress  In her right hand was found the
charred stump of a match  and in her left a match box  

 Showing that she had struck a light and looked about her when
the alarm took place  That is important  And what conclusions did
the coroner come to  

 He investigated the case with great care  for Dr  Roylott s
conduct had long been notorious in the county  but he was unable
to find any satisfactory cause of death  My evidence showed that
the door had been fastened upon the inner side  and the windows
were blocked by old fashioned shutters with broad iron bars 
which were secured every night  The walls were carefully sounded 
and were shown to be quite solid all round  and the flooring was
also thoroughly examined  with the same result  The chimney is
wide  but is barred up by four large staples  It is certain 
therefore  that my sister was quite alone when she met her end 
Besides  there were no marks of any violence upon her  

 How about poison  

 The doctors examined her for it  but without success  

 What do you think that this unfortunate lady died of  then  

 It is my belief that she died of pure fear and nervous shock 
though what it was that frightened her I cannot imagine  

 Were there gipsies in the plantation at the time  

 Yes  there are nearly always some there  

 Ah  and what did you gather from this allusion to a band  a
speckled band  

 Sometimes I have thought that it was merely the wild talk of
delirium  sometimes that it may have referred to some band of
people  perhaps to these very gipsies in the plantation  I do not
know whether the spotted handkerchiefs which so many of them wear
over their heads might have suggested the strange adjective which
she used  

Holmes shook his head like a man who is far from being satisfied 

 These are very deep waters   said he   pray go on with your
narrative  

 Two years have passed since then  and my life has been until
lately lonelier than ever  A month ago  however  a dear friend 
whom I have known for many years  has done me the honour to ask
my hand in marriage  His name is Armitage  Percy Armitage  the
second son of Mr  Armitage  of Crane Water  near Reading  My
stepfather has offered no opposition to the match  and we are to
be married in the course of the spring  Two days ago some repairs
were started in the west wing of the building  and my bedroom
wall has been pierced  so that I have had to move into the
chamber in which my sister died  and to sleep in the very bed in
which she slept  Imagine  then  my thrill of terror when last
night  as I lay awake  thinking over her terrible fate  I
suddenly heard in the silence of the night the low whistle which
had been the herald of her own death  I sprang up and lit the
lamp  but nothing was to be seen in the room  I was too shaken to
go to bed again  however  so I dressed  and as soon as it was
daylight I slipped down  got a dog cart at the Crown Inn  which
is opposite  and drove to Leatherhead  from whence I have come on
this morning with the one object of seeing you and asking your
advice  

 You have done wisely   said my friend   But have you told me
all  

 Yes  all  

 Miss Roylott  you have not  You are screening your stepfather  

 Why  what do you mean  

For answer Holmes pushed back the frill of black lace which
fringed the hand that lay upon our visitor s knee  Five little
livid spots  the marks of four fingers and a thumb  were printed
upon the white wrist 

 You have been cruelly used   said Holmes 

The lady coloured deeply and covered over her injured wrist   He
is a hard man   she said   and perhaps he hardly knows his own
strength  

There was a long silence  during which Holmes leaned his chin
upon his hands and stared into the crackling fire 

 This is a very deep business   he said at last   There are a
thousand details which I should desire to know before I decide
upon our course of action  Yet we have not a moment to lose  If
we were to come to Stoke Moran to day  would it be possible for
us to see over these rooms without the knowledge of your
stepfather  

 As it happens  he spoke of coming into town to day upon some
most important business  It is probable that he will be away all
day  and that there would be nothing to disturb you  We have a
housekeeper now  but she is old and foolish  and I could easily
get her out of the way  

 Excellent  You are not averse to this trip  Watson  

 By no means  

 Then we shall both come  What are you going to do yourself  

 I have one or two things which I would wish to do now that I am
in town  But I shall return by the twelve o clock train  so as to
be there in time for your coming  

 And you may expect us early in the afternoon  I have myself some
small business matters to attend to  Will you not wait and
breakfast  

 No  I must go  My heart is lightened already since I have
confided my trouble to you  I shall look forward to seeing you
again this afternoon   She dropped her thick black veil over her
face and glided from the room 

 And what do you think of it all  Watson   asked Sherlock Holmes 
leaning back in his chair 

 It seems to me to be a most dark and sinister business  

 Dark enough and sinister enough  

 Yet if the lady is correct in saying that the flooring and walls
are sound  and that the door  window  and chimney are impassable 
then her sister must have been undoubtedly alone when she met her
mysterious end  

 What becomes  then  of these nocturnal whistles  and what of the
very peculiar words of the dying woman  

 I cannot think  

 When you combine the ideas of whistles at night  the presence of
a band of gipsies who are on intimate terms with this old doctor 
the fact that we have every reason to believe that the doctor has
an interest in preventing his stepdaughter s marriage  the dying
allusion to a band  and  finally  the fact that Miss Helen Stoner
heard a metallic clang  which might have been caused by one of
those metal bars that secured the shutters falling back into its
place  I think that there is good ground to think that the
mystery may be cleared along those lines  

 But what  then  did the gipsies do  

 I cannot imagine  

 I see many objections to any such theory  

 And so do I  It is precisely for that reason that we are going
to Stoke Moran this day  I want to see whether the objections are
fatal  or if they may be explained away  But what in the name of
the devil  

The ejaculation had been drawn from my companion by the fact that
our door had been suddenly dashed open  and that a huge man had
framed himself in the aperture  His costume was a peculiar
mixture of the professional and of the agricultural  having a
black top hat  a long frock coat  and a pair of high gaiters 
with a hunting crop swinging in his hand  So tall was he that his
hat actually brushed the cross bar of the doorway  and his
breadth seemed to span it across from side to side  A large face 
seared with a thousand wrinkles  burned yellow with the sun  and
marked with every evil passion  was turned from one to the other
of us  while his deep set  bile shot eyes  and his high  thin 
fleshless nose  gave him somewhat the resemblance to a fierce old
bird of prey 

 Which of you is Holmes   asked this apparition 

 My name  sir  but you have the advantage of me   said my
companion quietly 

 I am Dr  Grimesby Roylott  of Stoke Moran  

 Indeed  Doctor   said Holmes blandly   Pray take a seat  

 I will do nothing of the kind  My stepdaughter has been here  I
have traced her  What has she been saying to you  

 It is a little cold for the time of the year   said Holmes 

 What has she been saying to you   screamed the old man
furiously 

 But I have heard that the crocuses promise well   continued my
companion imperturbably 

 Ha  You put me off  do you   said our new visitor  taking a step
forward and shaking his hunting crop   I know you  you scoundrel 
I have heard of you before  You are Holmes  the meddler  

My friend smiled 

 Holmes  the busybody  

His smile broadened 

 Holmes  the Scotland Yard Jack in office  

Holmes chuckled heartily   Your conversation is most
entertaining   said he   When you go out close the door  for
there is a decided draught  

 I will go when I have said my say  Don t you dare to meddle with
my affairs  I know that Miss Stoner has been here  I traced her 
I am a dangerous man to fall foul of  See here   He stepped
swiftly forward  seized the poker  and bent it into a curve with
his huge brown hands 

 See that you keep yourself out of my grip   he snarled  and
hurling the twisted poker into the fireplace he strode out of the
room 

 He seems a very amiable person   said Holmes  laughing   I am
not quite so bulky  but if he had remained I might have shown him
that my grip was not much more feeble than his own   As he spoke
he picked up the steel poker and  with a sudden effort 
straightened it out again 

 Fancy his having the insolence to confound me with the official
detective force  This incident gives zest to our investigation 
however  and I only trust that our little friend will not suffer
from her imprudence in allowing this brute to trace her  And now 
Watson  we shall order breakfast  and afterwards I shall walk
down to Doctors  Commons  where I hope to get some data which may
help us in this matter  


It was nearly one o clock when Sherlock Holmes returned from his
excursion  He held in his hand a sheet of blue paper  scrawled
over with notes and figures 

 I have seen the will of the deceased wife   said he   To
determine its exact meaning I have been obliged to work out the
present prices of the investments with which it is concerned  The
total income  which at the time of the wife s death was little
short of 1100 pounds  is now  through the fall in agricultural
prices  not more than 750 pounds  Each daughter can claim an
income of 250 pounds  in case of marriage  It is evident 
therefore  that if both girls had married  this beauty would have
had a mere pittance  while even one of them would cripple him to
a very serious extent  My morning s work has not been wasted 
since it has proved that he has the very strongest motives for
standing in the way of anything of the sort  And now  Watson 
this is too serious for dawdling  especially as the old man is
aware that we are interesting ourselves in his affairs  so if you
are ready  we shall call a cab and drive to Waterloo  I should be
very much obliged if you would slip your revolver into your
pocket  An Eley s No  2 is an excellent argument with gentlemen
who can twist steel pokers into knots  That and a tooth brush
are  I think  all that we need  

At Waterloo we were fortunate in catching a train for
Leatherhead  where we hired a trap at the station inn and drove
for four or five miles through the lovely Surrey lanes  It was a
perfect day  with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the
heavens  The trees and wayside hedges were just throwing out
their first green shoots  and the air was full of the pleasant
smell of the moist earth  To me at least there was a strange
contrast between the sweet promise of the spring and this
sinister quest upon which we were engaged  My companion sat in
the front of the trap  his arms folded  his hat pulled down over
his eyes  and his chin sunk upon his breast  buried in the
deepest thought  Suddenly  however  he started  tapped me on the
shoulder  and pointed over the meadows 

 Look there   said he 

A heavily timbered park stretched up in a gentle slope 
thickening into a grove at the highest point  From amid the
branches there jutted out the grey gables and high roof tree of a
very old mansion 

 Stoke Moran   said he 

 Yes  sir  that be the house of Dr  Grimesby Roylott   remarked
the driver 

 There is some building going on there   said Holmes   that is
where we are going  

 There s the village   said the driver  pointing to a cluster of
roofs some distance to the left   but if you want to get to the
house  you ll find it shorter to get over this stile  and so by
the foot path over the fields  There it is  where the lady is
walking  

 And the lady  I fancy  is Miss Stoner   observed Holmes  shading
his eyes   Yes  I think we had better do as you suggest  

We got off  paid our fare  and the trap rattled back on its way
to Leatherhead 

 I thought it as well   said Holmes as we climbed the stile 
 that this fellow should think we had come here as architects  or
on some definite business  It may stop his gossip 
Good afternoon  Miss Stoner  You see that we have been as good as
our word  

Our client of the morning had hurried forward to meet us with a
face which spoke her joy   I have been waiting so eagerly for
you   she cried  shaking hands with us warmly   All has turned
out splendidly  Dr  Roylott has gone to town  and it is unlikely
that he will be back before evening  

 We have had the pleasure of making the doctor s acquaintance  
said Holmes  and in a few words he sketched out what had
occurred  Miss Stoner turned white to the lips as she listened 

 Good heavens   she cried   he has followed me  then  

 So it appears  

 He is so cunning that I never know when I am safe from him  What
will he say when he returns  

 He must guard himself  for he may find that there is someone
more cunning than himself upon his track  You must lock yourself
up from him to night  If he is violent  we shall take you away to
your aunt s at Harrow  Now  we must make the best use of our
time  so kindly take us at once to the rooms which we are to
examine  

The building was of grey  lichen blotched stone  with a high
central portion and two curving wings  like the claws of a crab 
thrown out on each side  In one of these wings the windows were
broken and blocked with wooden boards  while the roof was partly
caved in  a picture of ruin  The central portion was in little
better repair  but the right hand block was comparatively modern 
and the blinds in the windows  with the blue smoke curling up
from the chimneys  showed that this was where the family resided 
Some scaffolding had been erected against the end wall  and the
stone work had been broken into  but there were no signs of any
workmen at the moment of our visit  Holmes walked slowly up and
down the ill trimmed lawn and examined with deep attention the
outsides of the windows 

 This  I take it  belongs to the room in which you used to sleep 
the centre one to your sister s  and the one next to the main
building to Dr  Roylott s chamber  

 Exactly so  But I am now sleeping in the middle one  

 Pending the alterations  as I understand  By the way  there does
not seem to be any very pressing need for repairs at that end
wall  

 There were none  I believe that it was an excuse to move me from
my room  

 Ah  that is suggestive  Now  on the other side of this narrow
wing runs the corridor from which these three rooms open  There
are windows in it  of course  

 Yes  but very small ones  Too narrow for anyone to pass
through  

 As you both locked your doors at night  your rooms were
unapproachable from that side  Now  would you have the kindness
to go into your room and bar your shutters  

Miss Stoner did so  and Holmes  after a careful examination
through the open window  endeavoured in every way to force the
shutter open  but without success  There was no slit through
which a knife could be passed to raise the bar  Then with his
lens he tested the hinges  but they were of solid iron  built
firmly into the massive masonry   Hum   said he  scratching his
chin in some perplexity   my theory certainly presents some
difficulties  No one could pass these shutters if they were
bolted  Well  we shall see if the inside throws any light upon
the matter  

A small side door led into the whitewashed corridor from which
the three bedrooms opened  Holmes refused to examine the third
chamber  so we passed at once to the second  that in which Miss
Stoner was now sleeping  and in which her sister had met with her
fate  It was a homely little room  with a low ceiling and a
gaping fireplace  after the fashion of old country houses  A
brown chest of drawers stood in one corner  a narrow
white counterpaned bed in another  and a dressing table on the
left hand side of the window  These articles  with two small
wicker work chairs  made up all the furniture in the room save
for a square of Wilton carpet in the centre  The boards round and
the panelling of the walls were of brown  worm eaten oak  so old
and discoloured that it may have dated from the original building
of the house  Holmes drew one of the chairs into a corner and sat
silent  while his eyes travelled round and round and up and down 
taking in every detail of the apartment 

 Where does that bell communicate with   he asked at last
pointing to a thick bell rope which hung down beside the bed  the
tassel actually lying upon the pillow 

 It goes to the housekeeper s room  

 It looks newer than the other things  

 Yes  it was only put there a couple of years ago  

 Your sister asked for it  I suppose  

 No  I never heard of her using it  We used always to get what we
wanted for ourselves  

 Indeed  it seemed unnecessary to put so nice a bell pull there 
You will excuse me for a few minutes while I satisfy myself as to
this floor   He threw himself down upon his face with his lens in
his hand and crawled swiftly backward and forward  examining
minutely the cracks between the boards  Then he did the same with
the wood work with which the chamber was panelled  Finally he
walked over to the bed and spent some time in staring at it and
in running his eye up and down the wall  Finally he took the
bell rope in his hand and gave it a brisk tug 

 Why  it s a dummy   said he 

 Won t it ring  

 No  it is not even attached to a wire  This is very interesting 
You can see now that it is fastened to a hook just above where
the little opening for the ventilator is  

 How very absurd  I never noticed that before  

 Very strange   muttered Holmes  pulling at the rope   There are
one or two very singular points about this room  For example 
what a fool a builder must be to open a ventilator into another
room  when  with the same trouble  he might have communicated
with the outside air  

 That is also quite modern   said the lady 

 Done about the same time as the bell rope   remarked Holmes 

 Yes  there were several little changes carried out about that
time  

 They seem to have been of a most interesting character  dummy
bell ropes  and ventilators which do not ventilate  With your
permission  Miss Stoner  we shall now carry our researches into
the inner apartment  

Dr  Grimesby Roylott s chamber was larger than that of his
step daughter  but was as plainly furnished  A camp bed  a small
wooden shelf full of books  mostly of a technical character  an
armchair beside the bed  a plain wooden chair against the wall  a
round table  and a large iron safe were the principal things
which met the eye  Holmes walked slowly round and examined each
and all of them with the keenest interest 

 What s in here   he asked  tapping the safe 

 My stepfather s business papers  

 Oh  you have seen inside  then  

 Only once  some years ago  I remember that it was full of
papers  

 There isn t a cat in it  for example  

 No  What a strange idea  

 Well  look at this   He took up a small saucer of milk which
stood on the top of it 

 No  we don t keep a cat  But there is a cheetah and a baboon  

 Ah  yes  of course  Well  a cheetah is just a big cat  and yet a
saucer of milk does not go very far in satisfying its wants  I
daresay  There is one point which I should wish to determine   He
squatted down in front of the wooden chair and examined the seat
of it with the greatest attention 

 Thank you  That is quite settled   said he  rising and putting
his lens in his pocket   Hullo  Here is something interesting  

The object which had caught his eye was a small dog lash hung on
one corner of the bed  The lash  however  was curled upon itself
and tied so as to make a loop of whipcord 

 What do you make of that  Watson  

 It s a common enough lash  But I don t know why it should be
tied  

 That is not quite so common  is it  Ah  me  it s a wicked world 
and when a clever man turns his brains to crime it is the worst
of all  I think that I have seen enough now  Miss Stoner  and
with your permission we shall walk out upon the lawn  

I had never seen my friend s face so grim or his brow so dark as
it was when we turned from the scene of this investigation  We
had walked several times up and down the lawn  neither Miss
Stoner nor myself liking to break in upon his thoughts before he
roused himself from his reverie 

 It is very essential  Miss Stoner   said he   that you should
absolutely follow my advice in every respect  

 I shall most certainly do so  

 The matter is too serious for any hesitation  Your life may
depend upon your compliance  

 I assure you that I am in your hands  

 In the first place  both my friend and I must spend the night in
your room  

Both Miss Stoner and I gazed at him in astonishment 

 Yes  it must be so  Let me explain  I believe that that is the
village inn over there  

 Yes  that is the Crown  

 Very good  Your windows would be visible from there  

 Certainly  

 You must confine yourself to your room  on pretence of a
headache  when your stepfather comes back  Then when you hear him
retire for the night  you must open the shutters of your window 
undo the hasp  put your lamp there as a signal to us  and then
withdraw quietly with everything which you are likely to want
into the room which you used to occupy  I have no doubt that  in
spite of the repairs  you could manage there for one night  

 Oh  yes  easily  

 The rest you will leave in our hands  

 But what will you do  

 We shall spend the night in your room  and we shall investigate
the cause of this noise which has disturbed you  

 I believe  Mr  Holmes  that you have already made up your mind  
said Miss Stoner  laying her hand upon my companion s sleeve 

 Perhaps I have  

 Then  for pity s sake  tell me what was the cause of my sister s
death  

 I should prefer to have clearer proofs before I speak  

 You can at least tell me whether my own thought is correct  and
if she died from some sudden fright  

 No  I do not think so  I think that there was probably some more
tangible cause  And now  Miss Stoner  we must leave you for if
Dr  Roylott returned and saw us our journey would be in vain 
Good bye  and be brave  for if you will do what I have told you 
you may rest assured that we shall soon drive away the dangers
that threaten you  

Sherlock Holmes and I had no difficulty in engaging a bedroom and
sitting room at the Crown Inn  They were on the upper floor  and
from our window we could command a view of the avenue gate  and
of the inhabited wing of Stoke Moran Manor House  At dusk we saw
Dr  Grimesby Roylott drive past  his huge form looming up beside
the little figure of the lad who drove him  The boy had some
slight difficulty in undoing the heavy iron gates  and we heard
the hoarse roar of the doctor s voice and saw the fury with which
he shook his clinched fists at him  The trap drove on  and a few
minutes later we saw a sudden light spring up among the trees as
the lamp was lit in one of the sitting rooms 

 Do you know  Watson   said Holmes as we sat together in the
gathering darkness   I have really some scruples as to taking you
to night  There is a distinct element of danger  

 Can I be of assistance  

 Your presence might be invaluable  

 Then I shall certainly come  

 It is very kind of you  

 You speak of danger  You have evidently seen more in these rooms
than was visible to me  

 No  but I fancy that I may have deduced a little more  I imagine
that you saw all that I did  

 I saw nothing remarkable save the bell rope  and what purpose
that could answer I confess is more than I can imagine  

 You saw the ventilator  too  

 Yes  but I do not think that it is such a very unusual thing to
have a small opening between two rooms  It was so small that a
rat could hardly pass through  

 I knew that we should find a ventilator before ever we came to
Stoke Moran  

 My dear Holmes  

 Oh  yes  I did  You remember in her statement she said that her
sister could smell Dr  Roylott s cigar  Now  of course that
suggested at once that there must be a communication between the
two rooms  It could only be a small one  or it would have been
remarked upon at the coroner s inquiry  I deduced a ventilator  

 But what harm can there be in that  

 Well  there is at least a curious coincidence of dates  A
ventilator is made  a cord is hung  and a lady who sleeps in the
bed dies  Does not that strike you  

 I cannot as yet see any connection  

 Did you observe anything very peculiar about that bed  

 No  

 It was clamped to the floor  Did you ever see a bed fastened
like that before  

 I cannot say that I have  

 The lady could not move her bed  It must always be in the same
relative position to the ventilator and to the rope  or so we may
call it  since it was clearly never meant for a bell pull  

 Holmes   I cried   I seem to see dimly what you are hinting at 
We are only just in time to prevent some subtle and horrible
crime  

 Subtle enough and horrible enough  When a doctor does go wrong
he is the first of criminals  He has nerve and he has knowledge 
Palmer and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession 
This man strikes even deeper  but I think  Watson  that we shall
be able to strike deeper still  But we shall have horrors enough
before the night is over  for goodness  sake let us have a quiet
pipe and turn our minds for a few hours to something more
cheerful  


About nine o clock the light among the trees was extinguished 
and all was dark in the direction of the Manor House  Two hours
passed slowly away  and then  suddenly  just at the stroke of
eleven  a single bright light shone out right in front of us 

 That is our signal   said Holmes  springing to his feet   it
comes from the middle window  

As we passed out he exchanged a few words with the landlord 
explaining that we were going on a late visit to an acquaintance 
and that it was possible that we might spend the night there  A
moment later we were out on the dark road  a chill wind blowing
in our faces  and one yellow light twinkling in front of us
through the gloom to guide us on our sombre errand 

There was little difficulty in entering the grounds  for
unrepaired breaches gaped in the old park wall  Making our way
among the trees  we reached the lawn  crossed it  and were about
to enter through the window when out from a clump of laurel
bushes there darted what seemed to be a hideous and distorted
child  who threw itself upon the grass with writhing limbs and
then ran swiftly across the lawn into the darkness 

 My God   I whispered   did you see it  

Holmes was for the moment as startled as I  His hand closed like
a vice upon my wrist in his agitation  Then he broke into a low
laugh and put his lips to my ear 

 It is a nice household   he murmured   That is the baboon  

I had forgotten the strange pets which the doctor affected  There
was a cheetah  too  perhaps we might find it upon our shoulders
at any moment  I confess that I felt easier in my mind when 
after following Holmes  example and slipping off my shoes  I
found myself inside the bedroom  My companion noiselessly closed
the shutters  moved the lamp onto the table  and cast his eyes
round the room  All was as we had seen it in the daytime  Then
creeping up to me and making a trumpet of his hand  he whispered
into my ear again so gently that it was all that I could do to
distinguish the words 

 The least sound would be fatal to our plans  

I nodded to show that I had heard 

 We must sit without light  He would see it through the
ventilator  

I nodded again 

 Do not go asleep  your very life may depend upon it  Have your
pistol ready in case we should need it  I will sit on the side of
the bed  and you in that chair  

I took out my revolver and laid it on the corner of the table 

Holmes had brought up a long thin cane  and this he placed upon
the bed beside him  By it he laid the box of matches and the
stump of a candle  Then he turned down the lamp  and we were left
in darkness 

How shall I ever forget that dreadful vigil  I could not hear a
sound  not even the drawing of a breath  and yet I knew that my
companion sat open eyed  within a few feet of me  in the same
state of nervous tension in which I was myself  The shutters cut
off the least ray of light  and we waited in absolute darkness 

From outside came the occasional cry of a night bird  and once at
our very window a long drawn catlike whine  which told us that
the cheetah was indeed at liberty  Far away we could hear the
deep tones of the parish clock  which boomed out every quarter of
an hour  How long they seemed  those quarters  Twelve struck  and
one and two and three  and still we sat waiting silently for
whatever might befall 

Suddenly there was the momentary gleam of a light up in the
direction of the ventilator  which vanished immediately  but was
succeeded by a strong smell of burning oil and heated metal 
Someone in the next room had lit a dark lantern  I heard a gentle
sound of movement  and then all was silent once more  though the
smell grew stronger  For half an hour I sat with straining ears 
Then suddenly another sound became audible  a very gentle 
soothing sound  like that of a small jet of steam escaping
continually from a kettle  The instant that we heard it  Holmes
sprang from the bed  struck a match  and lashed furiously with
his cane at the bell pull 

 You see it  Watson   he yelled   You see it  

But I saw nothing  At the moment when Holmes struck the light I
heard a low  clear whistle  but the sudden glare flashing into my
weary eyes made it impossible for me to tell what it was at which
my friend lashed so savagely  I could  however  see that his face
was deadly pale and filled with horror and loathing  He had
ceased to strike and was gazing up at the ventilator when
suddenly there broke from the silence of the night the most
horrible cry to which I have ever listened  It swelled up louder
and louder  a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger all mingled
in the one dreadful shriek  They say that away down in the
village  and even in the distant parsonage  that cry raised the
sleepers from their beds  It struck cold to our hearts  and I
stood gazing at Holmes  and he at me  until the last echoes of it
had died away into the silence from which it rose 

 What can it mean   I gasped 

 It means that it is all over   Holmes answered   And perhaps 
after all  it is for the best  Take your pistol  and we will
enter Dr  Roylott s room  

With a grave face he lit the lamp and led the way down the
corridor  Twice he struck at the chamber door without any reply
from within  Then he turned the handle and entered  I at his
heels  with the cocked pistol in my hand 

It was a singular sight which met our eyes  On the table stood a
dark lantern with the shutter half open  throwing a brilliant
beam of light upon the iron safe  the door of which was ajar 
Beside this table  on the wooden chair  sat Dr  Grimesby Roylott
clad in a long grey dressing gown  his bare ankles protruding
beneath  and his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slippers 
Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash which we
had noticed during the day  His chin was cocked upward and his
eyes were fixed in a dreadful  rigid stare at the corner of the
ceiling  Round his brow he had a peculiar yellow band  with
brownish speckles  which seemed to be bound tightly round his
head  As we entered he made neither sound nor motion 

 The band  the speckled band   whispered Holmes 

I took a step forward  In an instant his strange headgear began
to move  and there reared itself from among his hair the squat
diamond shaped head and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent 

 It is a swamp adder   cried Holmes   the deadliest snake in
India  He has died within ten seconds of being bitten  Violence
does  in truth  recoil upon the violent  and the schemer falls
into the pit which he digs for another  Let us thrust this
creature back into its den  and we can then remove Miss Stoner to
some place of shelter and let the county police know what has
happened  

As he spoke he drew the dog whip swiftly from the dead man s lap 
and throwing the noose round the reptile s neck he drew it from
its horrid perch and  carrying it at arm s length  threw it into
the iron safe  which he closed upon it 

Such are the true facts of the death of Dr  Grimesby Roylott  of
Stoke Moran  It is not necessary that I should prolong a
narrative which has already run to too great a length by telling
how we broke the sad news to the terrified girl  how we conveyed
her by the morning train to the care of her good aunt at Harrow 
of how the slow process of official inquiry came to the
conclusion that the doctor met his fate while indiscreetly
playing with a dangerous pet  The little which I had yet to learn
of the case was told me by Sherlock Holmes as we travelled back
next day 

 I had   said he   come to an entirely erroneous conclusion which
shows  my dear Watson  how dangerous it always is to reason from
insufficient data  The presence of the gipsies  and the use of
the word  band   which was used by the poor girl  no doubt  to
explain the appearance which she had caught a hurried glimpse of
by the light of her match  were sufficient to put me upon an
entirely wrong scent  I can only claim the merit that I instantly
reconsidered my position when  however  it became clear to me
that whatever danger threatened an occupant of the room could not
come either from the window or the door  My attention was
speedily drawn  as I have already remarked to you  to this
ventilator  and to the bell rope which hung down to the bed  The
discovery that this was a dummy  and that the bed was clamped to
the floor  instantly gave rise to the suspicion that the rope was
there as a bridge for something passing through the hole and
coming to the bed  The idea of a snake instantly occurred to me 
and when I coupled it with my knowledge that the doctor was
furnished with a supply of creatures from India  I felt that I
was probably on the right track  The idea of using a form of
poison which could not possibly be discovered by any chemical
test was just such a one as would occur to a clever and ruthless
man who had had an Eastern training  The rapidity with which such
a poison would take effect would also  from his point of view  be
an advantage  It would be a sharp eyed coroner  indeed  who could
distinguish the two little dark punctures which would show where
the poison fangs had done their work  Then I thought of the
whistle  Of course he must recall the snake before the morning
light revealed it to the victim  He had trained it  probably by
the use of the milk which we saw  to return to him when summoned 
He would put it through this ventilator at the hour that he
thought best  with the certainty that it would crawl down the
rope and land on the bed  It might or might not bite the
occupant  perhaps she might escape every night for a week  but
sooner or later she must fall a victim 

 I had come to these conclusions before ever I had entered his
room  An inspection of his chair showed me that he had been in
the habit of standing on it  which of course would be necessary
in order that he should reach the ventilator  The sight of the
safe  the saucer of milk  and the loop of whipcord were enough to
finally dispel any doubts which may have remained  The metallic
clang heard by Miss Stoner was obviously caused by her stepfather
hastily closing the door of his safe upon its terrible occupant 
Having once made up my mind  you know the steps which I took in
order to put the matter to the proof  I heard the creature hiss
as I have no doubt that you did also  and I instantly lit the
light and attacked it  

 With the result of driving it through the ventilator  

 And also with the result of causing it to turn upon its master
at the other side  Some of the blows of my cane came home and
roused its snakish temper  so that it flew upon the first person
it saw  In this way I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Dr 
Grimesby Roylott s death  and I cannot say that it is likely to
weigh very heavily upon my conscience  



IX  THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENGINEER S THUMB

Of all the problems which have been submitted to my friend  Mr 
Sherlock Holmes  for solution during the years of our intimacy 
there were only two which I was the means of introducing to his
notice  that of Mr  Hatherley s thumb  and that of Colonel
Warburton s madness  Of these the latter may have afforded a
finer field for an acute and original observer  but the other was
so strange in its inception and so dramatic in its details that
it may be the more worthy of being placed upon record  even if it
gave my friend fewer openings for those deductive methods of
reasoning by which he achieved such remarkable results  The story
has  I believe  been told more than once in the newspapers  but 
like all such narratives  its effect is much less striking when
set forth en bloc in a single half column of print than when the
facts slowly evolve before your own eyes  and the mystery clears
gradually away as each new discovery furnishes a step which leads
on to the complete truth  At the time the circumstances made a
deep impression upon me  and the lapse of two years has hardly
served to weaken the effect 

It was in the summer of  89  not long after my marriage  that the
events occurred which I am now about to summarise  I had returned
to civil practice and had finally abandoned Holmes in his Baker
Street rooms  although I continually visited him and occasionally
even persuaded him to forgo his Bohemian habits so far as to come
and visit us  My practice had steadily increased  and as I
happened to live at no very great distance from Paddington
Station  I got a few patients from among the officials  One of
these  whom I had cured of a painful and lingering disease  was
never weary of advertising my virtues and of endeavouring to send
me on every sufferer over whom he might have any influence 

One morning  at a little before seven o clock  I was awakened by
the maid tapping at the door to announce that two men had come
from Paddington and were waiting in the consulting room  I
dressed hurriedly  for I knew by experience that railway cases
were seldom trivial  and hastened downstairs  As I descended  my
old ally  the guard  came out of the room and closed the door
tightly behind him 

 I ve got him here   he whispered  jerking his thumb over his
shoulder   he s all right  

 What is it  then   I asked  for his manner suggested that it was
some strange creature which he had caged up in my room 

 It s a new patient   he whispered   I thought I d bring him
round myself  then he couldn t slip away  There he is  all safe
and sound  I must go now  Doctor  I have my dooties  just the
same as you   And off he went  this trusty tout  without even
giving me time to thank him 

I entered my consulting room and found a gentleman seated by the
table  He was quietly dressed in a suit of heather tweed with a
soft cloth cap which he had laid down upon my books  Round one of
his hands he had a handkerchief wrapped  which was mottled all
over with bloodstains  He was young  not more than
five and twenty  I should say  with a strong  masculine face  but
he was exceedingly pale and gave me the impression of a man who
was suffering from some strong agitation  which it took all his
strength of mind to control 

 I am sorry to knock you up so early  Doctor   said he   but I
have had a very serious accident during the night  I came in by
train this morning  and on inquiring at Paddington as to where I
might find a doctor  a worthy fellow very kindly escorted me
here  I gave the maid a card  but I see that she has left it upon
the side table  

I took it up and glanced at it   Mr  Victor Hatherley  hydraulic
engineer  16A  Victoria Street  3rd floor    That was the name 
style  and abode of my morning visitor   I regret that I have
kept you waiting   said I  sitting down in my library chair   You
are fresh from a night journey  I understand  which is in itself
a monotonous occupation  

 Oh  my night could not be called monotonous   said he  and
laughed  He laughed very heartily  with a high  ringing note 
leaning back in his chair and shaking his sides  All my medical
instincts rose up against that laugh 

 Stop it   I cried   pull yourself together   and I poured out
some water from a caraffe 

It was useless  however  He was off in one of those hysterical
outbursts which come upon a strong nature when some great crisis
is over and gone  Presently he came to himself once more  very
weary and pale looking 

 I have been making a fool of myself   he gasped 

 Not at all  Drink this   I dashed some brandy into the water 
and the colour began to come back to his bloodless cheeks 

 That s better   said he   And now  Doctor  perhaps you would
kindly attend to my thumb  or rather to the place where my thumb
used to be  

He unwound the handkerchief and held out his hand  It gave even
my hardened nerves a shudder to look at it  There were four
protruding fingers and a horrid red  spongy surface where the
thumb should have been  It had been hacked or torn right out from
the roots 

 Good heavens   I cried   this is a terrible injury  It must have
bled considerably  

 Yes  it did  I fainted when it was done  and I think that I must
have been senseless for a long time  When I came to I found that
it was still bleeding  so I tied one end of my handkerchief very
tightly round the wrist and braced it up with a twig  

 Excellent  You should have been a surgeon  

 It is a question of hydraulics  you see  and came within my own
province  

 This has been done   said I  examining the wound   by a very
heavy and sharp instrument  

 A thing like a cleaver   said he 

 An accident  I presume  

 By no means  

 What  a murderous attack  

 Very murderous indeed  

 You horrify me  

I sponged the wound  cleaned it  dressed it  and finally covered
it over with cotton wadding and carbolised bandages  He lay back
without wincing  though he bit his lip from time to time 

 How is that   I asked when I had finished 

 Capital  Between your brandy and your bandage  I feel a new man 
I was very weak  but I have had a good deal to go through  

 Perhaps you had better not speak of the matter  It is evidently
trying to your nerves  

 Oh  no  not now  I shall have to tell my tale to the police 
but  between ourselves  if it were not for the convincing
evidence of this wound of mine  I should be surprised if they
believed my statement  for it is a very extraordinary one  and I
have not much in the way of proof with which to back it up  and 
even if they believe me  the clues which I can give them are so
vague that it is a question whether justice will be done  

 Ha   cried I   if it is anything in the nature of a problem
which you desire to see solved  I should strongly recommend you
to come to my friend  Mr  Sherlock Holmes  before you go to the
official police  

 Oh  I have heard of that fellow   answered my visitor   and I
should be very glad if he would take the matter up  though of
course I must use the official police as well  Would you give me
an introduction to him  

 I ll do better  I ll take you round to him myself  

 I should be immensely obliged to you  

 We ll call a cab and go together  We shall just be in time to
have a little breakfast with him  Do you feel equal to it  

 Yes  I shall not feel easy until I have told my story  

 Then my servant will call a cab  and I shall be with you in an
instant   I rushed upstairs  explained the matter shortly to my
wife  and in five minutes was inside a hansom  driving with my
new acquaintance to Baker Street 

Sherlock Holmes was  as I expected  lounging about his
sitting room in his dressing gown  reading the agony column of The
Times and smoking his before breakfast pipe  which was composed
of all the plugs and dottles left from his smokes of the day
before  all carefully dried and collected on the corner of the
mantelpiece  He received us in his quietly genial fashion 
ordered fresh rashers and eggs  and joined us in a hearty meal 
When it was concluded he settled our new acquaintance upon the
sofa  placed a pillow beneath his head  and laid a glass of
brandy and water within his reach 

 It is easy to see that your experience has been no common one 
Mr  Hatherley   said he   Pray  lie down there and make yourself
absolutely at home  Tell us what you can  but stop when you are
tired and keep up your strength with a little stimulant  

 Thank you   said my patient   but I have felt another man since
the doctor bandaged me  and I think that your breakfast has
completed the cure  I shall take up as little of your valuable
time as possible  so I shall start at once upon my peculiar
experiences  

Holmes sat in his big armchair with the weary  heavy lidded
expression which veiled his keen and eager nature  while I sat
opposite to him  and we listened in silence to the strange story
which our visitor detailed to us 

 You must know   said he   that I am an orphan and a bachelor 
residing alone in lodgings in London  By profession I am a
hydraulic engineer  and I have had considerable experience of my
work during the seven years that I was apprenticed to Venner  
Matheson  the well known firm  of Greenwich  Two years ago 
having served my time  and having also come into a fair sum of
money through my poor father s death  I determined to start in
business for myself and took professional chambers in Victoria
Street 

 I suppose that everyone finds his first independent start in
business a dreary experience  To me it has been exceptionally so 
During two years I have had three consultations and one small
job  and that is absolutely all that my profession has brought
me  My gross takings amount to 27 pounds 10s  Every day  from
nine in the morning until four in the afternoon  I waited in my
little den  until at last my heart began to sink  and I came to
believe that I should never have any practice at all 

 Yesterday  however  just as I was thinking of leaving the
office  my clerk entered to say there was a gentleman waiting who
wished to see me upon business  He brought up a card  too  with
the name of  Colonel Lysander Stark  engraved upon it  Close at
his heels came the colonel himself  a man rather over the middle
size  but of an exceeding thinness  I do not think that I have
ever seen so thin a man  His whole face sharpened away into nose
and chin  and the skin of his cheeks was drawn quite tense over
his outstanding bones  Yet this emaciation seemed to be his
natural habit  and due to no disease  for his eye was bright  his
step brisk  and his bearing assured  He was plainly but neatly
dressed  and his age  I should judge  would be nearer forty than
thirty 

  Mr  Hatherley   said he  with something of a German accent 
 You have been recommended to me  Mr  Hatherley  as being a man
who is not only proficient in his profession but is also discreet
and capable of preserving a secret  

 I bowed  feeling as flattered as any young man would at such an
address   May I ask who it was who gave me so good a character  

  Well  perhaps it is better that I should not tell you that just
at this moment  I have it from the same source that you are both
an orphan and a bachelor and are residing alone in London  

  That is quite correct   I answered   but you will excuse me if
I say that I cannot see how all this bears upon my professional
qualifications  I understand that it was on a professional matter
that you wished to speak to me  

  Undoubtedly so  But you will find that all I say is really to
the point  I have a professional commission for you  but absolute
secrecy is quite essential  absolute secrecy  you understand  and
of course we may expect that more from a man who is alone than
from one who lives in the bosom of his family  

  If I promise to keep a secret   said I   you may absolutely
depend upon my doing so  

 He looked very hard at me as I spoke  and it seemed to me that I
had never seen so suspicious and questioning an eye 

  Do you promise  then   said he at last 

  Yes  I promise  

  Absolute and complete silence before  during  and after  No
reference to the matter at all  either in word or writing  

  I have already given you my word  

  Very good   He suddenly sprang up  and darting like lightning
across the room he flung open the door  The passage outside was
empty 

  That s all right   said he  coming back   I know that clerks are
sometimes curious as to their master s affairs  Now we can talk
in safety   He drew up his chair very close to mine and began to
stare at me again with the same questioning and thoughtful look 

 A feeling of repulsion  and of something akin to fear had begun
to rise within me at the strange antics of this fleshless man 
Even my dread of losing a client could not restrain me from
showing my impatience 

  I beg that you will state your business  sir   said I   my time
is of value   Heaven forgive me for that last sentence  but the
words came to my lips 

  How would fifty guineas for a night s work suit you   he asked 

  Most admirably  

  I say a night s work  but an hour s would be nearer the mark  I
simply want your opinion about a hydraulic stamping machine which
has got out of gear  If you show us what is wrong we shall soon
set it right ourselves  What do you think of such a commission as
that  

  The work appears to be light and the pay munificent  

  Precisely so  We shall want you to come to night by the last
train  

  Where to  

  To Eyford  in Berkshire  It is a little place near the borders
of Oxfordshire  and within seven miles of Reading  There is a
train from Paddington which would bring you there at about
11 15  

  Very good  

  I shall come down in a carriage to meet you  

  There is a drive  then  

  Yes  our little place is quite out in the country  It is a good
seven miles from Eyford Station  

  Then we can hardly get there before midnight  I suppose there
would be no chance of a train back  I should be compelled to stop
the night  

  Yes  we could easily give you a shake down  

  That is very awkward  Could I not come at some more convenient
hour  

  We have judged it best that you should come late  It is to
recompense you for any inconvenience that we are paying to you  a
young and unknown man  a fee which would buy an opinion from the
very heads of your profession  Still  of course  if you would
like to draw out of the business  there is plenty of time to do
so  

 I thought of the fifty guineas  and of how very useful they
would be to me   Not at all   said I   I shall be very happy to
accommodate myself to your wishes  I should like  however  to
understand a little more clearly what it is that you wish me to
do  

  Quite so  It is very natural that the pledge of secrecy which
we have exacted from you should have aroused your curiosity  I
have no wish to commit you to anything without your having it all
laid before you  I suppose that we are absolutely safe from
eavesdroppers  

  Entirely  

  Then the matter stands thus  You are probably aware that
fuller s earth is a valuable product  and that it is only found
in one or two places in England  

  I have heard so  

  Some little time ago I bought a small place  a very small
place  within ten miles of Reading  I was fortunate enough to
discover that there was a deposit of fuller s earth in one of my
fields  On examining it  however  I found that this deposit was a
comparatively small one  and that it formed a link between two
very much larger ones upon the right and left  both of them 
however  in the grounds of my neighbours  These good people were
absolutely ignorant that their land contained that which was
quite as valuable as a gold mine  Naturally  it was to my
interest to buy their land before they discovered its true value 
but unfortunately I had no capital by which I could do this  I
took a few of my friends into the secret  however  and they
suggested that we should quietly and secretly work our own little
deposit and that in this way we should earn the money which would
enable us to buy the neighbouring fields  This we have now been
doing for some time  and in order to help us in our operations we
erected a hydraulic press  This press  as I have already
explained  has got out of order  and we wish your advice upon the
subject  We guard our secret very jealously  however  and if it
once became known that we had hydraulic engineers coming to our
little house  it would soon rouse inquiry  and then  if the facts
came out  it would be good bye to any chance of getting these
fields and carrying out our plans  That is why I have made you
promise me that you will not tell a human being that you are
going to Eyford to night  I hope that I make it all plain  

  I quite follow you   said I   The only point which I could not
quite understand was what use you could make of a hydraulic press
in excavating fuller s earth  which  as I understand  is dug out
like gravel from a pit  

  Ah   said he carelessly   we have our own process  We compress
the earth into bricks  so as to remove them without revealing
what they are  But that is a mere detail  I have taken you fully
into my confidence now  Mr  Hatherley  and I have shown you how I
trust you   He rose as he spoke   I shall expect you  then  at
Eyford at 11 15  

  I shall certainly be there  

  And not a word to a soul   He looked at me with a last long 
questioning gaze  and then  pressing my hand in a cold  dank
grasp  he hurried from the room 

 Well  when I came to think it all over in cool blood I was very
much astonished  as you may both think  at this sudden commission
which had been intrusted to me  On the one hand  of course  I was
glad  for the fee was at least tenfold what I should have asked
had I set a price upon my own services  and it was possible that
this order might lead to other ones  On the other hand  the face
and manner of my patron had made an unpleasant impression upon
me  and I could not think that his explanation of the
fuller s earth was sufficient to explain the necessity for my
coming at midnight  and his extreme anxiety lest I should tell
anyone of my errand  However  I threw all fears to the winds  ate
a hearty supper  drove to Paddington  and started off  having
obeyed to the letter the injunction as to holding my tongue 

 At Reading I had to change not only my carriage but my station 
However  I was in time for the last train to Eyford  and I
reached the little dim lit station after eleven o clock  I was the
only passenger who got out there  and there was no one upon the
platform save a single sleepy porter with a lantern  As I passed
out through the wicket gate  however  I found my acquaintance of
the morning waiting in the shadow upon the other side  Without a
word he grasped my arm and hurried me into a carriage  the door
of which was standing open  He drew up the windows on either
side  tapped on the wood work  and away we went as fast as the
horse could go  

 One horse   interjected Holmes 

 Yes  only one  

 Did you observe the colour  

 Yes  I saw it by the side lights when I was stepping into the
carriage  It was a chestnut  

 Tired looking or fresh  

 Oh  fresh and glossy  

 Thank you  I am sorry to have interrupted you  Pray continue
your most interesting statement  

 Away we went then  and we drove for at least an hour  Colonel
Lysander Stark had said that it was only seven miles  but I
should think  from the rate that we seemed to go  and from the
time that we took  that it must have been nearer twelve  He sat
at my side in silence all the time  and I was aware  more than
once when I glanced in his direction  that he was looking at me
with great intensity  The country roads seem to be not very good
in that part of the world  for we lurched and jolted terribly  I
tried to look out of the windows to see something of where we
were  but they were made of frosted glass  and I could make out
nothing save the occasional bright blur of a passing light  Now
and then I hazarded some remark to break the monotony of the
journey  but the colonel answered only in monosyllables  and the
conversation soon flagged  At last  however  the bumping of the
road was exchanged for the crisp smoothness of a gravel drive 
and the carriage came to a stand  Colonel Lysander Stark sprang
out  and  as I followed after him  pulled me swiftly into a porch
which gaped in front of us  We stepped  as it were  right out of
the carriage and into the hall  so that I failed to catch the
most fleeting glance of the front of the house  The instant that
I had crossed the threshold the door slammed heavily behind us 
and I heard faintly the rattle of the wheels as the carriage
drove away 

 It was pitch dark inside the house  and the colonel fumbled
about looking for matches and muttering under his breath 
Suddenly a door opened at the other end of the passage  and a
long  golden bar of light shot out in our direction  It grew
broader  and a woman appeared with a lamp in her hand  which she
held above her head  pushing her face forward and peering at us 
I could see that she was pretty  and from the gloss with which
the light shone upon her dark dress I knew that it was a rich
material  She spoke a few words in a foreign tongue in a tone as
though asking a question  and when my companion answered in a
gruff monosyllable she gave such a start that the lamp nearly
fell from her hand  Colonel Stark went up to her  whispered
something in her ear  and then  pushing her back into the room
from whence she had come  he walked towards me again with the
lamp in his hand 

  Perhaps you will have the kindness to wait in this room for a
few minutes   said he  throwing open another door  It was a
quiet  little  plainly furnished room  with a round table in the
centre  on which several German books were scattered  Colonel
Stark laid down the lamp on the top of a harmonium beside the
door   I shall not keep you waiting an instant   said he  and
vanished into the darkness 

 I glanced at the books upon the table  and in spite of my
ignorance of German I could see that two of them were treatises
on science  the others being volumes of poetry  Then I walked
across to the window  hoping that I might catch some glimpse of
the country side  but an oak shutter  heavily barred  was folded
across it  It was a wonderfully silent house  There was an old
clock ticking loudly somewhere in the passage  but otherwise
everything was deadly still  A vague feeling of uneasiness began
to steal over me  Who were these German people  and what were
they doing living in this strange  out of the way place  And
where was the place  I was ten miles or so from Eyford  that was
all I knew  but whether north  south  east  or west I had no
idea  For that matter  Reading  and possibly other large towns 
were within that radius  so the place might not be so secluded 
after all  Yet it was quite certain  from the absolute stillness 
that we were in the country  I paced up and down the room 
humming a tune under my breath to keep up my spirits and feeling
that I was thoroughly earning my fifty guinea fee 

 Suddenly  without any preliminary sound in the midst of the
utter stillness  the door of my room swung slowly open  The woman
was standing in the aperture  the darkness of the hall behind
her  the yellow light from my lamp beating upon her eager and
beautiful face  I could see at a glance that she was sick with
fear  and the sight sent a chill to my own heart  She held up one
shaking finger to warn me to be silent  and she shot a few
whispered words of broken English at me  her eyes glancing back 
like those of a frightened horse  into the gloom behind her 

  I would go   said she  trying hard  as it seemed to me  to
speak calmly   I would go  I should not stay here  There is no
good for you to do  

  But  madam   said I   I have not yet done what I came for  I
cannot possibly leave until I have seen the machine  

  It is not worth your while to wait   she went on   You can pass
through the door  no one hinders   And then  seeing that I smiled
and shook my head  she suddenly threw aside her constraint and
made a step forward  with her hands wrung together   For the love
of Heaven   she whispered   get away from here before it is too
late  

 But I am somewhat headstrong by nature  and the more ready to
engage in an affair when there is some obstacle in the way  I
thought of my fifty guinea fee  of my wearisome journey  and of
the unpleasant night which seemed to be before me  Was it all to
go for nothing  Why should I slink away without having carried
out my commission  and without the payment which was my due  This
woman might  for all I knew  be a monomaniac  With a stout
bearing  therefore  though her manner had shaken me more than I
cared to confess  I still shook my head and declared my intention
of remaining where I was  She was about to renew her entreaties
when a door slammed overhead  and the sound of several footsteps
was heard upon the stairs  She listened for an instant  threw up
her hands with a despairing gesture  and vanished as suddenly and
as noiselessly as she had come 

 The newcomers were Colonel Lysander Stark and a short thick man
with a chinchilla beard growing out of the creases of his double
chin  who was introduced to me as Mr  Ferguson 

  This is my secretary and manager   said the colonel   By the
way  I was under the impression that I left this door shut just
now  I fear that you have felt the draught  

  On the contrary   said I   I opened the door myself because I
felt the room to be a little close  

 He shot one of his suspicious looks at me   Perhaps we had
better proceed to business  then   said he   Mr  Ferguson and I
will take you up to see the machine  

  I had better put my hat on  I suppose  

  Oh  no  it is in the house  

  What  you dig fuller s earth in the house  

  No  no  This is only where we compress it  But never mind that 
All we wish you to do is to examine the machine and to let us
know what is wrong with it  

 We went upstairs together  the colonel first with the lamp  the
fat manager and I behind him  It was a labyrinth of an old house 
with corridors  passages  narrow winding staircases  and little
low doors  the thresholds of which were hollowed out by the
generations who had crossed them  There were no carpets and no
signs of any furniture above the ground floor  while the plaster
was peeling off the walls  and the damp was breaking through in
green  unhealthy blotches  I tried to put on as unconcerned an
air as possible  but I had not forgotten the warnings of the
lady  even though I disregarded them  and I kept a keen eye upon
my two companions  Ferguson appeared to be a morose and silent
man  but I could see from the little that he said that he was at
least a fellow countryman 

 Colonel Lysander Stark stopped at last before a low door  which
he unlocked  Within was a small  square room  in which the three
of us could hardly get at one time  Ferguson remained outside 
and the colonel ushered me in 

  We are now   said he   actually within the hydraulic press  and
it would be a particularly unpleasant thing for us if anyone were
to turn it on  The ceiling of this small chamber is really the
end of the descending piston  and it comes down with the force of
many tons upon this metal floor  There are small lateral columns
of water outside which receive the force  and which transmit and
multiply it in the manner which is familiar to you  The machine
goes readily enough  but there is some stiffness in the working
of it  and it has lost a little of its force  Perhaps you will
have the goodness to look it over and to show us how we can set
it right  

 I took the lamp from him  and I examined the machine very
thoroughly  It was indeed a gigantic one  and capable of
exercising enormous pressure  When I passed outside  however  and
pressed down the levers which controlled it  I knew at once by
the whishing sound that there was a slight leakage  which allowed
a regurgitation of water through one of the side cylinders  An
examination showed that one of the india rubber bands which was
round the head of a driving rod had shrunk so as not quite to
fill the socket along which it worked  This was clearly the cause
of the loss of power  and I pointed it out to my companions  who
followed my remarks very carefully and asked several practical
questions as to how they should proceed to set it right  When I
had made it clear to them  I returned to the main chamber of the
machine and took a good look at it to satisfy my own curiosity 
It was obvious at a glance that the story of the fuller s earth
was the merest fabrication  for it would be absurd to suppose
that so powerful an engine could be designed for so inadequate a
purpose  The walls were of wood  but the floor consisted of a
large iron trough  and when I came to examine it I could see a
crust of metallic deposit all over it  I had stooped and was
scraping at this to see exactly what it was when I heard a
muttered exclamation in German and saw the cadaverous face of the
colonel looking down at me 

  What are you doing there   he asked 

 I felt angry at having been tricked by so elaborate a story as
that which he had told me   I was admiring your fuller s earth  
said I   I think that I should be better able to advise you as to
your machine if I knew what the exact purpose was for which it
was used  

 The instant that I uttered the words I regretted the rashness of
my speech  His face set hard  and a baleful light sprang up in
his grey eyes 

  Very well   said he   you shall know all about the machine   He
took a step backward  slammed the little door  and turned the key
in the lock  I rushed towards it and pulled at the handle  but it
was quite secure  and did not give in the least to my kicks and
shoves   Hullo   I yelled   Hullo  Colonel  Let me out  

 And then suddenly in the silence I heard a sound which sent my
heart into my mouth  It was the clank of the levers and the swish
of the leaking cylinder  He had set the engine at work  The lamp
still stood upon the floor where I had placed it when examining
the trough  By its light I saw that the black ceiling was coming
down upon me  slowly  jerkily  but  as none knew better than
myself  with a force which must within a minute grind me to a
shapeless pulp  I threw myself  screaming  against the door  and
dragged with my nails at the lock  I implored the colonel to let
me out  but the remorseless clanking of the levers drowned my
cries  The ceiling was only a foot or two above my head  and with
my hand upraised I could feel its hard  rough surface  Then it
flashed through my mind that the pain of my death would depend
very much upon the position in which I met it  If I lay on my
face the weight would come upon my spine  and I shuddered to
think of that dreadful snap  Easier the other way  perhaps  and
yet  had I the nerve to lie and look up at that deadly black
shadow wavering down upon me  Already I was unable to stand
erect  when my eye caught something which brought a gush of hope
back to my heart 

 I have said that though the floor and ceiling were of iron  the
walls were of wood  As I gave a last hurried glance around  I saw
a thin line of yellow light between two of the boards  which
broadened and broadened as a small panel was pushed backward  For
an instant I could hardly believe that here was indeed a door
which led away from death  The next instant I threw myself
through  and lay half fainting upon the other side  The panel had
closed again behind me  but the crash of the lamp  and a few
moments afterwards the clang of the two slabs of metal  told me
how narrow had been my escape 

 I was recalled to myself by a frantic plucking at my wrist  and
I found myself lying upon the stone floor of a narrow corridor 
while a woman bent over me and tugged at me with her left hand 
while she held a candle in her right  It was the same good friend
whose warning I had so foolishly rejected 

  Come  come   she cried breathlessly   They will be here in a
moment  They will see that you are not there  Oh  do not waste
the so precious time  but come  

 This time  at least  I did not scorn her advice  I staggered to
my feet and ran with her along the corridor and down a winding
stair  The latter led to another broad passage  and just as we
reached it we heard the sound of running feet and the shouting of
two voices  one answering the other from the floor on which  we
were and from the one beneath  My guide stopped and looked about
her like one  who is at her wit s end  Then she threw open a door
which led into a bedroom  through the window of which the moon
was shining brightly 

  It is your only chance   said she   It is high  but it may be
that you can jump it  

 As she spoke a light sprang into view at the further end of the
passage  and I saw the lean figure of Colonel Lysander Stark
rushing forward with a lantern in one hand and a weapon like a
butcher s cleaver in the other  I rushed across the bedroom 
flung open the window  and looked out  How quiet and sweet and
wholesome the garden looked in the moonlight  and it could not be
more than thirty feet down  I clambered out upon the sill  but I
hesitated to jump until I should have heard what passed between
my saviour and the ruffian who pursued me  If she were ill used 
then at any risks I was determined to go back to her assistance 
The thought had hardly flashed through my mind before he was at
the door  pushing his way past her  but she threw her arms round
him and tried to hold him back 

  Fritz  Fritz   she cried in English   remember your promise
after the last time  You said it should not be again  He will be
silent  Oh  he will be silent  

  You are mad  Elise   he shouted  struggling to break away from
her   You will be the ruin of us  He has seen too much  Let me
pass  I say   He dashed her to one side  and  rushing to the
window  cut at me with his heavy weapon  I had let myself go  and
was hanging by the hands to the sill  when his blow fell  I was
conscious of a dull pain  my grip loosened  and I fell into the
garden below 

 I was shaken but not hurt by the fall  so I picked myself up and
rushed off among the bushes as hard as I could run  for I
understood that I was far from being out of danger yet  Suddenly 
however  as I ran  a deadly dizziness and sickness came over me 
I glanced down at my hand  which was throbbing painfully  and
then  for the first time  saw that my thumb had been cut off and
that the blood was pouring from my wound  I endeavoured to tie my
handkerchief round it  but there came a sudden buzzing in my
ears  and next moment I fell in a dead faint among the
rose bushes 

 How long I remained unconscious I cannot tell  It must have been
a very long time  for the moon had sunk  and a bright morning was
breaking when I came to myself  My clothes were all sodden with
dew  and my coat sleeve was drenched with blood from my wounded
thumb  The smarting of it recalled in an instant all the
particulars of my night s adventure  and I sprang to my feet with
the feeling that I might hardly yet be safe from my pursuers  But
to my astonishment  when I came to look round me  neither house
nor garden were to be seen  I had been lying in an angle of the
hedge close by the highroad  and just a little lower down was a
long building  which proved  upon my approaching it  to be the
very station at which I had arrived upon the previous night  Were
it not for the ugly wound upon my hand  all that had passed
during those dreadful hours might have been an evil dream 

 Half dazed  I went into the station and asked about the morning
train  There would be one to Reading in less than an hour  The
same porter was on duty  I found  as had been there when I
arrived  I inquired of him whether he had ever heard of Colonel
Lysander Stark  The name was strange to him  Had he observed a
carriage the night before waiting for me  No  he had not  Was
there a police station anywhere near  There was one about three
miles off 

 It was too far for me to go  weak and ill as I was  I determined
to wait until I got back to town before telling my story to the
police  It was a little past six when I arrived  so I went first
to have my wound dressed  and then the doctor was kind enough to
bring me along here  I put the case into your hands and shall do
exactly what you advise  

We both sat in silence for some little time after listening to
this extraordinary narrative  Then Sherlock Holmes pulled down
from the shelf one of the ponderous commonplace books in which he
placed his cuttings 

 Here is an advertisement which will interest you   said he   It
appeared in all the papers about a year ago  Listen to this 
 Lost  on the 9th inst   Mr  Jeremiah Hayling  aged
twenty six  a hydraulic engineer  Left his lodgings at ten
o clock at night  and has not been heard of since  Was
dressed in   etc   etc  Ha  That represents the last time that
the colonel needed to have his machine overhauled  I fancy  

 Good heavens   cried my patient   Then that explains what the
girl said  

 Undoubtedly  It is quite clear that the colonel was a cool and
desperate man  who was absolutely determined that nothing should
stand in the way of his little game  like those out and out
pirates who will leave no survivor from a captured ship  Well 
every moment now is precious  so if you feel equal to it we shall
go down to Scotland Yard at once as a preliminary to starting for
Eyford  

Some three hours or so afterwards we were all in the train
together  bound from Reading to the little Berkshire village 
There were Sherlock Holmes  the hydraulic engineer  Inspector
Bradstreet  of Scotland Yard  a plain clothes man  and myself 
Bradstreet had spread an ordnance map of the county out upon the
seat and was busy with his compasses drawing a circle with Eyford
for its centre 

 There you are   said he   That circle is drawn at a radius of
ten miles from the village  The place we want must be somewhere
near that line  You said ten miles  I think  sir  

 It was an hour s good drive  

 And you think that they brought you back all that way when you
were unconscious  

 They must have done so  I have a confused memory  too  of having
been lifted and conveyed somewhere  

 What I cannot understand   said I   is why they should have
spared you when they found you lying fainting in the garden 
Perhaps the villain was softened by the woman s entreaties  

 I hardly think that likely  I never saw a more inexorable face
in my life  

 Oh  we shall soon clear up all that   said Bradstreet   Well  I
have drawn my circle  and I only wish I knew at what point upon
it the folk that we are in search of are to be found  

 I think I could lay my finger on it   said Holmes quietly 

 Really  now   cried the inspector   you have formed your
opinion  Come  now  we shall see who agrees with you  I say it is
south  for the country is more deserted there  

 And I say east   said my patient 

 I am for west   remarked the plain clothes man   There are
several quiet little villages up there  

 And I am for north   said I   because there are no hills there 
and our friend says that he did not notice the carriage go up
any  

 Come   cried the inspector  laughing   it s a very pretty
diversity of opinion  We have boxed the compass among us  Who do
you give your casting vote to  

 You are all wrong  

 But we can t all be  

 Oh  yes  you can  This is my point   He placed his finger in the
centre of the circle   This is where we shall find them  

 But the twelve mile drive   gasped Hatherley 

 Six out and six back  Nothing simpler  You say yourself that the
horse was fresh and glossy when you got in  How could it be that
if it had gone twelve miles over heavy roads  

 Indeed  it is a likely ruse enough   observed Bradstreet
thoughtfully   Of course there can be no doubt as to the nature
of this gang  

 None at all   said Holmes   They are coiners on a large scale 
and have used the machine to form the amalgam which has taken the
place of silver  

 We have known for some time that a clever gang was at work  
said the inspector   They have been turning out half crowns by
the thousand  We even traced them as far as Reading  but could
get no farther  for they had covered their traces in a way that
showed that they were very old hands  But now  thanks to this
lucky chance  I think that we have got them right enough  

But the inspector was mistaken  for those criminals were not
destined to fall into the hands of justice  As we rolled into
Eyford Station we saw a gigantic column of smoke which streamed
up from behind a small clump of trees in the neighbourhood and
hung like an immense ostrich feather over the landscape 

 A house on fire   asked Bradstreet as the train steamed off
again on its way 

 Yes  sir   said the station master 

 When did it break out  

 I hear that it was during the night  sir  but it has got worse 
and the whole place is in a blaze  

 Whose house is it  

 Dr  Becher s  

 Tell me   broke in the engineer   is Dr  Becher a German  very
thin  with a long  sharp nose  

The station master laughed heartily   No  sir  Dr  Becher is an
Englishman  and there isn t a man in the parish who has a
better lined waistcoat  But he has a gentleman staying with him 
a patient  as I understand  who is a foreigner  and he looks as
if a little good Berkshire beef would do him no harm  

The station master had not finished his speech before we were all
hastening in the direction of the fire  The road topped a low
hill  and there was a great widespread whitewashed building in
front of us  spouting fire at every chink and window  while in
the garden in front three fire engines were vainly striving to
keep the flames under 

 That s it   cried Hatherley  in intense excitement   There is
the gravel drive  and there are the rose bushes where I lay  That
second window is the one that I jumped from  

 Well  at least   said Holmes   you have had your revenge upon
them  There can be no question that it was your oil lamp which 
when it was crushed in the press  set fire to the wooden walls 
though no doubt they were too excited in the chase after you to
observe it at the time  Now keep your eyes open in this crowd for
your friends of last night  though I very much fear that they are
a good hundred miles off by now  

And Holmes  fears came to be realised  for from that day to this
no word has ever been heard either of the beautiful woman  the
sinister German  or the morose Englishman  Early that morning a
peasant had met a cart containing several people and some very
bulky boxes driving rapidly in the direction of Reading  but
there all traces of the fugitives disappeared  and even Holmes 
ingenuity failed ever to discover the least clue as to their
whereabouts 

The firemen had been much perturbed at the strange arrangements
which they had found within  and still more so by discovering a
newly severed human thumb upon a window sill of the second floor 
About sunset  however  their efforts were at last successful  and
they subdued the flames  but not before the roof had fallen in 
and the whole place been reduced to such absolute ruin that  save
some twisted cylinders and iron piping  not a trace remained of
the machinery which had cost our unfortunate acquaintance so
dearly  Large masses of nickel and of tin were discovered stored
in an out house  but no coins were to be found  which may have
explained the presence of those bulky boxes which have been
already referred to 

How our hydraulic engineer had been conveyed from the garden to
the spot where he recovered his senses might have remained
forever a mystery were it not for the soft mould  which told us a
very plain tale  He had evidently been carried down by two
persons  one of whom had remarkably small feet and the other
unusually large ones  On the whole  it was most probable that the
silent Englishman  being less bold or less murderous than his
companion  had assisted the woman to bear the unconscious man out
of the way of danger 

 Well   said our engineer ruefully as we took our seats to return
once more to London   it has been a pretty business for me  I
have lost my thumb and I have lost a fifty guinea fee  and what
have I gained  

 Experience   said Holmes  laughing   Indirectly it may be of
value  you know  you have only to put it into words to gain the
reputation of being excellent company for the remainder of your
existence  



X  THE ADVENTURE OF THE NOBLE BACHELOR

The Lord St  Simon marriage  and its curious termination  have
long ceased to be a subject of interest in those exalted circles
in which the unfortunate bridegroom moves  Fresh scandals have
eclipsed it  and their more piquant details have drawn the
gossips away from this four year old drama  As I have reason to
believe  however  that the full facts have never been revealed to
the general public  and as my friend Sherlock Holmes had a
considerable share in clearing the matter up  I feel that no
memoir of him would be complete without some little sketch of
this remarkable episode 

It was a few weeks before my own marriage  during the days when I
was still sharing rooms with Holmes in Baker Street  that he came
home from an afternoon stroll to find a letter on the table
waiting for him  I had remained indoors all day  for the weather
had taken a sudden turn to rain  with high autumnal winds  and
the Jezail bullet which I had brought back in one of my limbs as
a relic of my Afghan campaign throbbed with dull persistence 
With my body in one easy chair and my legs upon another  I had
surrounded myself with a cloud of newspapers until at last 
saturated with the news of the day  I tossed them all aside and
lay listless  watching the huge crest and monogram upon the
envelope upon the table and wondering lazily who my friend s
noble correspondent could be 

 Here is a very fashionable epistle   I remarked as he entered 
 Your morning letters  if I remember right  were from a
fish monger and a tide waiter  

 Yes  my correspondence has certainly the charm of variety   he
answered  smiling   and the humbler are usually the more
interesting  This looks like one of those unwelcome social
summonses which call upon a man either to be bored or to lie  

He broke the seal and glanced over the contents 

 Oh  come  it may prove to be something of interest  after all  

 Not social  then  

 No  distinctly professional  

 And from a noble client  

 One of the highest in England  

 My dear fellow  I congratulate you  

 I assure you  Watson  without affectation  that the status of my
client is a matter of less moment to me than the interest of his
case  It is just possible  however  that that also may not be
wanting in this new investigation  You have been reading the
papers diligently of late  have you not  

 It looks like it   said I ruefully  pointing to a huge bundle in
the corner   I have had nothing else to do  

 It is fortunate  for you will perhaps be able to post me up  I
read nothing except the criminal news and the agony column  The
latter is always instructive  But if you have followed recent
events so closely you must have read about Lord St  Simon and his
wedding  

 Oh  yes  with the deepest interest  

 That is well  The letter which I hold in my hand is from Lord
St  Simon  I will read it to you  and in return you must turn
over these papers and let me have whatever bears upon the matter 
This is what he says 

  MY DEAR MR  SHERLOCK HOLMES   Lord Backwater tells me that I
may place implicit reliance upon your judgment and discretion  I
have determined  therefore  to call upon you and to consult you
in reference to the very painful event which has occurred in
connection with my wedding  Mr  Lestrade  of Scotland Yard  is
acting already in the matter  but he assures me that he sees no
objection to your co operation  and that he even thinks that
it might be of some assistance  I will call at four o clock in
the afternoon  and  should you have any other engagement at that
time  I hope that you will postpone it  as this matter is of
paramount importance  Yours faithfully  ST  SIMON  

 It is dated from Grosvenor Mansions  written with a quill pen 
and the noble lord has had the misfortune to get a smear of ink
upon the outer side of his right little finger   remarked Holmes
as he folded up the epistle 

 He says four o clock  It is three now  He will be here in an
hour  

 Then I have just time  with your assistance  to get clear upon
the subject  Turn over those papers and arrange the extracts in
their order of time  while I take a glance as to who our client
is   He picked a red covered volume from a line of books of
reference beside the mantelpiece   Here he is   said he  sitting
down and flattening it out upon his knee    Lord Robert Walsingham
de Vere St  Simon  second son of the Duke of Balmoral   Hum   Arms 
Azure  three caltrops in chief over a fess sable  Born in 1846  
He s forty one years of age  which is mature for marriage  Was
Under Secretary for the colonies in a late administration  The
Duke  his father  was at one time Secretary for Foreign Affairs 
They inherit Plantagenet blood by direct descent  and Tudor on
the distaff side  Ha  Well  there is nothing very instructive in
all this  I think that I must turn to you Watson  for something
more solid  

 I have very little difficulty in finding what I want   said I 
 for the facts are quite recent  and the matter struck me as
remarkable  I feared to refer them to you  however  as I knew
that you had an inquiry on hand and that you disliked the
intrusion of other matters  

 Oh  you mean the little problem of the Grosvenor Square
furniture van  That is quite cleared up now  though  indeed  it
was obvious from the first  Pray give me the results of your
newspaper selections  

 Here is the first notice which I can find  It is in the personal
column of the Morning Post  and dates  as you see  some weeks
back   A marriage has been arranged   it says   and will  if
rumour is correct  very shortly take place  between Lord Robert
St  Simon  second son of the Duke of Balmoral  and Miss Hatty
Doran  the only daughter of Aloysius Doran  Esq   of San
Francisco  Cal   U S A   That is all  

 Terse and to the point   remarked Holmes  stretching his long 
thin legs towards the fire 

 There was a paragraph amplifying this in one of the society
papers of the same week  Ah  here it is   There will soon be a
call for protection in the marriage market  for the present
free trade principle appears to tell heavily against our home
product  One by one the management of the noble houses of Great
Britain is passing into the hands of our fair cousins from across
the Atlantic  An important addition has been made during the last
week to the list of the prizes which have been borne away by
these charming invaders  Lord St  Simon  who has shown himself
for over twenty years proof against the little god s arrows  has
now definitely announced his approaching marriage with Miss Hatty
Doran  the fascinating daughter of a California millionaire  Miss
Doran  whose graceful figure and striking face attracted much
attention at the Westbury House festivities  is an only child 
and it is currently reported that her dowry will run to
considerably over the six figures  with expectancies for the
future  As it is an open secret that the Duke of Balmoral has
been compelled to sell his pictures within the last few years 
and as Lord St  Simon has no property of his own save the small
estate of Birchmoor  it is obvious that the Californian heiress
is not the only gainer by an alliance which will enable her to
make the easy and common transition from a Republican lady to a
British peeress   

 Anything else   asked Holmes  yawning 

 Oh  yes  plenty  Then there is another note in the Morning Post
to say that the marriage would be an absolutely quiet one  that it
would be at St  George s  Hanover Square  that only half a dozen
intimate friends would be invited  and that the party would
return to the furnished house at Lancaster Gate which has been
taken by Mr  Aloysius Doran  Two days later  that is  on
Wednesday last  there is a curt announcement that the wedding had
taken place  and that the honeymoon would be passed at Lord
Backwater s place  near Petersfield  Those are all the notices
which appeared before the disappearance of the bride  

 Before the what   asked Holmes with a start 

 The vanishing of the lady  

 When did she vanish  then  

 At the wedding breakfast  

 Indeed  This is more interesting than it promised to be  quite
dramatic  in fact  

 Yes  it struck me as being a little out of the common  

 They often vanish before the ceremony  and occasionally during
the honeymoon  but I cannot call to mind anything quite so prompt
as this  Pray let me have the details  

 I warn you that they are very incomplete  

 Perhaps we may make them less so  

 Such as they are  they are set forth in a single article of a
morning paper of yesterday  which I will read to you  It is
headed   Singular Occurrence at a Fashionable Wedding  

  The family of Lord Robert St  Simon has been thrown into the
greatest consternation by the strange and painful episodes which
have taken place in connection with his wedding  The ceremony  as
shortly announced in the papers of yesterday  occurred on the
previous morning  but it is only now that it has been possible to
confirm the strange rumours which have been so persistently
floating about  In spite of the attempts of the friends to hush
the matter up  so much public attention has now been drawn to it
that no good purpose can be served by affecting to disregard what
is a common subject for conversation 

  The ceremony  which was performed at St  George s  Hanover
Square  was a very quiet one  no one being present save the
father of the bride  Mr  Aloysius Doran  the Duchess of Balmoral 
Lord Backwater  Lord Eustace and Lady Clara St  Simon  the
younger brother and sister of the bridegroom   and Lady Alicia
Whittington  The whole party proceeded afterwards to the house of
Mr  Aloysius Doran  at Lancaster Gate  where breakfast had been
prepared  It appears that some little trouble was caused by a
woman  whose name has not been ascertained  who endeavoured to
force her way into the house after the bridal party  alleging
that she had some claim upon Lord St  Simon  It was only after a
painful and prolonged scene that she was ejected by the butler
and the footman  The bride  who had fortunately entered the house
before this unpleasant interruption  had sat down to breakfast
with the rest  when she complained of a sudden indisposition and
retired to her room  Her prolonged absence having caused some
comment  her father followed her  but learned from her maid that
she had only come up to her chamber for an instant  caught up an
ulster and bonnet  and hurried down to the passage  One of the
footmen declared that he had seen a lady leave the house thus
apparelled  but had refused to credit that it was his mistress 
believing her to be with the company  On ascertaining that his
daughter had disappeared  Mr  Aloysius Doran  in conjunction with
the bridegroom  instantly put themselves in communication with
the police  and very energetic inquiries are being made  which
will probably result in a speedy clearing up of this very
singular business  Up to a late hour last night  however  nothing
had transpired as to the whereabouts of the missing lady  There
are rumours of foul play in the matter  and it is said that the
police have caused the arrest of the woman who had caused the
original disturbance  in the belief that  from jealousy or some
other motive  she may have been concerned in the strange
disappearance of the bride   

 And is that all  

 Only one little item in another of the morning papers  but it is
a suggestive one  

 And it is   

 That Miss Flora Millar  the lady who had caused the disturbance 
has actually been arrested  It appears that she was formerly a
danseuse at the Allegro  and that she has known the bridegroom
for some years  There are no further particulars  and the whole
case is in your hands now  so far as it has been set forth in the
public press  

 And an exceedingly interesting case it appears to be  I would
not have missed it for worlds  But there is a ring at the bell 
Watson  and as the clock makes it a few minutes after four  I
have no doubt that this will prove to be our noble client  Do not
dream of going  Watson  for I very much prefer having a witness 
if only as a check to my own memory  

 Lord Robert St  Simon   announced our page boy  throwing open
the door  A gentleman entered  with a pleasant  cultured face 
high nosed and pale  with something perhaps of petulance about
the mouth  and with the steady  well opened eye of a man whose
pleasant lot it had ever been to command and to be obeyed  His
manner was brisk  and yet his general appearance gave an undue
impression of age  for he had a slight forward stoop and a little
bend of the knees as he walked  His hair  too  as he swept off
his very curly brimmed hat  was grizzled round the edges and thin
upon the top  As to his dress  it was careful to the verge of
foppishness  with high collar  black frock coat  white waistcoat 
yellow gloves  patent leather shoes  and light coloured gaiters 
He advanced slowly into the room  turning his head from left to
right  and swinging in his right hand the cord which held his
golden eyeglasses 

 Good day  Lord St  Simon   said Holmes  rising and bowing   Pray
take the basket chair  This is my friend and colleague  Dr 
Watson  Draw up a little to the fire  and we will talk this
matter over  

 A most painful matter to me  as you can most readily imagine 
Mr  Holmes  I have been cut to the quick  I understand that you
have already managed several delicate cases of this sort  sir 
though I presume that they were hardly from the same class of
society  

 No  I am descending  

 I beg pardon  

 My last client of the sort was a king  

 Oh  really  I had no idea  And which king  

 The King of Scandinavia  

 What  Had he lost his wife  

 You can understand   said Holmes suavely   that I extend to the
affairs of my other clients the same secrecy which I promise to
you in yours  

 Of course  Very right  very right  I m sure I beg pardon  As to
my own case  I am ready to give you any information which may
assist you in forming an opinion  

 Thank you  I have already learned all that is in the public
prints  nothing more  I presume that I may take it as correct  
this article  for example  as to the disappearance of the bride  

Lord St  Simon glanced over it   Yes  it is correct  as far as it
goes  

 But it needs a great deal of supplementing before anyone could
offer an opinion  I think that I may arrive at my facts most
directly by questioning you  

 Pray do so  

 When did you first meet Miss Hatty Doran  

 In San Francisco  a year ago  

 You were travelling in the States  

 Yes  

 Did you become engaged then  

 No  

 But you were on a friendly footing  

 I was amused by her society  and she could see that I was
amused  

 Her father is very rich  

 He is said to be the richest man on the Pacific slope  

 And how did he make his money  

 In mining  He had nothing a few years ago  Then he struck gold 
invested it  and came up by leaps and bounds  

 Now  what is your own impression as to the young lady s  your
wife s character  

The nobleman swung his glasses a little faster and stared down
into the fire   You see  Mr  Holmes   said he   my wife was
twenty before her father became a rich man  During that time she
ran free in a mining camp and wandered through woods or
mountains  so that her education has come from Nature rather than
from the schoolmaster  She is what we call in England a tomboy 
with a strong nature  wild and free  unfettered by any sort of
traditions  She is impetuous  volcanic  I was about to say  She
is swift in making up her mind and fearless in carrying out her
resolutions  On the other hand  I would not have given her the
name which I have the honour to bear   he gave a little stately
cough   had not I thought her to be at bottom a noble woman  I
believe that she is capable of heroic self sacrifice and that
anything dishonourable would be repugnant to her  

 Have you her photograph  

 I brought this with me   He opened a locket and showed us the
full face of a very lovely woman  It was not a photograph but an
ivory miniature  and the artist had brought out the full effect
of the lustrous black hair  the large dark eyes  and the
exquisite mouth  Holmes gazed long and earnestly at it  Then he
closed the locket and handed it back to Lord St  Simon 

 The young lady came to London  then  and you renewed your
acquaintance  

 Yes  her father brought her over for this last London season  I
met her several times  became engaged to her  and have now
married her  

 She brought  I understand  a considerable dowry  

 A fair dowry  Not more than is usual in my family  

 And this  of course  remains to you  since the marriage is a
fait accompli  

 I really have made no inquiries on the subject  

 Very naturally not  Did you see Miss Doran on the day before the
wedding  

 Yes  

 Was she in good spirits  

 Never better  She kept talking of what we should do in our
future lives  

 Indeed  That is very interesting  And on the morning of the
wedding  

 She was as bright as possible  at least until after the
ceremony  

 And did you observe any change in her then  

 Well  to tell the truth  I saw then the first signs that I had
ever seen that her temper was just a little sharp  The incident
however  was too trivial to relate and can have no possible
bearing upon the case  

 Pray let us have it  for all that  

 Oh  it is childish  She dropped her bouquet as we went towards
the vestry  She was passing the front pew at the time  and it
fell over into the pew  There was a moment s delay  but the
gentleman in the pew handed it up to her again  and it did not
appear to be the worse for the fall  Yet when I spoke to her of
the matter  she answered me abruptly  and in the carriage  on our
way home  she seemed absurdly agitated over this trifling cause  

 Indeed  You say that there was a gentleman in the pew  Some of
the general public were present  then  

 Oh  yes  It is impossible to exclude them when the church is
open  

 This gentleman was not one of your wife s friends  

 No  no  I call him a gentleman by courtesy  but he was quite a
common looking person  I hardly noticed his appearance  But
really I think that we are wandering rather far from the point  

 Lady St  Simon  then  returned from the wedding in a less
cheerful frame of mind than she had gone to it  What did she do
on re entering her father s house  

 I saw her in conversation with her maid  

 And who is her maid  

 Alice is her name  She is an American and came from California
with her  

 A confidential servant  

 A little too much so  It seemed to me that her mistress allowed
her to take great liberties  Still  of course  in America they
look upon these things in a different way  

 How long did she speak to this Alice  

 Oh  a few minutes  I had something else to think of  

 You did not overhear what they said  

 Lady St  Simon said something about  jumping a claim   She was
accustomed to use slang of the kind  I have no idea what she
meant  

 American slang is very expressive sometimes  And what did your
wife do when she finished speaking to her maid  

 She walked into the breakfast room  

 On your arm  

 No  alone  She was very independent in little matters like that 
Then  after we had sat down for ten minutes or so  she rose
hurriedly  muttered some words of apology  and left the room  She
never came back  

 But this maid  Alice  as I understand  deposes that she went to
her room  covered her bride s dress with a long ulster  put on a
bonnet  and went out  

 Quite so  And she was afterwards seen walking into Hyde Park in
company with Flora Millar  a woman who is now in custody  and who
had already made a disturbance at Mr  Doran s house that
morning  

 Ah  yes  I should like a few particulars as to this young lady 
and your relations to her  

Lord St  Simon shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows 
 We have been on a friendly footing for some years  I may say on
a very friendly footing  She used to be at the Allegro  I have
not treated her ungenerously  and she had no just cause of
complaint against me  but you know what women are  Mr  Holmes 
Flora was a dear little thing  but exceedingly hot headed and
devotedly attached to me  She wrote me dreadful letters when she
heard that I was about to be married  and  to tell the truth  the
reason why I had the marriage celebrated so quietly was that I
feared lest there might be a scandal in the church  She came to
Mr  Doran s door just after we returned  and she endeavoured to
push her way in  uttering very abusive expressions towards my
wife  and even threatening her  but I had foreseen the
possibility of something of the sort  and I had two police
fellows there in private clothes  who soon pushed her out again 
She was quiet when she saw that there was no good in making a
row  

 Did your wife hear all this  

 No  thank goodness  she did not  

 And she was seen walking with this very woman afterwards  

 Yes  That is what Mr  Lestrade  of Scotland Yard  looks upon as
so serious  It is thought that Flora decoyed my wife out and laid
some terrible trap for her  

 Well  it is a possible supposition  

 You think so  too  

 I did not say a probable one  But you do not yourself look upon
this as likely  

 I do not think Flora would hurt a fly  

 Still  jealousy is a strange transformer of characters  Pray
what is your own theory as to what took place  

 Well  really  I came to seek a theory  not to propound one  I
have given you all the facts  Since you ask me  however  I may
say that it has occurred to me as possible that the excitement of
this affair  the consciousness that she had made so immense a
social stride  had the effect of causing some little nervous
disturbance in my wife  

 In short  that she had become suddenly deranged  

 Well  really  when I consider that she has turned her back  I
will not say upon me  but upon so much that many have aspired to
without success  I can hardly explain it in any other fashion  

 Well  certainly that is also a conceivable hypothesis   said
Holmes  smiling   And now  Lord St  Simon  I think that I have
nearly all my data  May I ask whether you were seated at the
breakfast table so that you could see out of the window  

 We could see the other side of the road and the Park  

 Quite so  Then I do not think that I need to detain you longer 
I shall communicate with you  

 Should you be fortunate enough to solve this problem   said our
client  rising 

 I have solved it  

 Eh  What was that  

 I say that I have solved it  

 Where  then  is my wife  

 That is a detail which I shall speedily supply  

Lord St  Simon shook his head   I am afraid that it will take
wiser heads than yours or mine   he remarked  and bowing in a
stately  old fashioned manner he departed 

 It is very good of Lord St  Simon to honour my head by putting
it on a level with his own   said Sherlock Holmes  laughing   I
think that I shall have a whisky and soda and a cigar after all
this cross questioning  I had formed my conclusions as to the
case before our client came into the room  

 My dear Holmes  

 I have notes of several similar cases  though none  as I
remarked before  which were quite as prompt  My whole examination
served to turn my conjecture into a certainty  Circumstantial
evidence is occasionally very convincing  as when you find a
trout in the milk  to quote Thoreau s example  

 But I have heard all that you have heard  

 Without  however  the knowledge of pre existing cases which
serves me so well  There was a parallel instance in Aberdeen some
years back  and something on very much the same lines at Munich
the year after the Franco Prussian War  It is one of these
cases  but  hullo  here is Lestrade  Good afternoon  Lestrade 
You will find an extra tumbler upon the sideboard  and there are
cigars in the box  

The official detective was attired in a pea jacket and cravat 
which gave him a decidedly nautical appearance  and he carried a
black canvas bag in his hand  With a short greeting he seated
himself and lit the cigar which had been offered to him 

 What s up  then   asked Holmes with a twinkle in his eye   You
look dissatisfied  

 And I feel dissatisfied  It is this infernal St  Simon marriage
case  I can make neither head nor tail of the business  

 Really  You surprise me  

 Who ever heard of such a mixed affair  Every clue seems to slip
through my fingers  I have been at work upon it all day  

 And very wet it seems to have made you   said Holmes laying his
hand upon the arm of the pea jacket 

 Yes  I have been dragging the Serpentine  

 In heaven s name  what for  

 In search of the body of Lady St  Simon  

Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily 

 Have you dragged the basin of Trafalgar Square fountain   he
asked 

 Why  What do you mean  

 Because you have just as good a chance of finding this lady in
the one as in the other  

Lestrade shot an angry glance at my companion   I suppose you
know all about it   he snarled 

 Well  I have only just heard the facts  but my mind is made up  

 Oh  indeed  Then you think that the Serpentine plays no part in
the matter  

 I think it very unlikely  

 Then perhaps you will kindly explain how it is that we found
this in it   He opened his bag as he spoke  and tumbled onto the
floor a wedding dress of watered silk  a pair of white satin
shoes and a bride s wreath and veil  all discoloured and soaked
in water   There   said he  putting a new wedding ring upon the
top of the pile   There is a little nut for you to crack  Master
Holmes  

 Oh  indeed   said my friend  blowing blue rings into the air 
 You dragged them from the Serpentine  

 No  They were found floating near the margin by a park keeper 
They have been identified as her clothes  and it seemed to me
that if the clothes were there the body would not be far off  

 By the same brilliant reasoning  every man s body is to be found
in the neighbourhood of his wardrobe  And pray what did you hope
to arrive at through this  

 At some evidence implicating Flora Millar in the disappearance  

 I am afraid that you will find it difficult  

 Are you  indeed  now   cried Lestrade with some bitterness   I
am afraid  Holmes  that you are not very practical with your
deductions and your inferences  You have made two blunders in as
many minutes  This dress does implicate Miss Flora Millar  

 And how  

 In the dress is a pocket  In the pocket is a card case  In the
card case is a note  And here is the very note   He slapped it
down upon the table in front of him   Listen to this   You will
see me when all is ready  Come at once  F H M   Now my theory all
along has been that Lady St  Simon was decoyed away by Flora
Millar  and that she  with confederates  no doubt  was
responsible for her disappearance  Here  signed with her
initials  is the very note which was no doubt quietly slipped
into her hand at the door and which lured her within their
reach  

 Very good  Lestrade   said Holmes  laughing   You really are
very fine indeed  Let me see it   He took up the paper in a
listless way  but his attention instantly became riveted  and he
gave a little cry of satisfaction   This is indeed important  
said he 

 Ha  you find it so  

 Extremely so  I congratulate you warmly  

Lestrade rose in his triumph and bent his head to look   Why   he
shrieked   you re looking at the wrong side  

 On the contrary  this is the right side  

 The right side  You re mad  Here is the note written in pencil
over here  

 And over here is what appears to be the fragment of a hotel
bill  which interests me deeply  

 There s nothing in it  I looked at it before   said Lestrade 
  Oct  4th  rooms 8s   breakfast 2s  6d   cocktail 1s   lunch 2s 
6d   glass sherry  8d   I see nothing in that  

 Very likely not  It is most important  all the same  As to the
note  it is important also  or at least the initials are  so I
congratulate you again  

 I ve wasted time enough   said Lestrade  rising   I believe in
hard work and not in sitting by the fire spinning fine theories 
Good day  Mr  Holmes  and we shall see which gets to the bottom
of the matter first   He gathered up the garments  thrust them
into the bag  and made for the door 

 Just one hint to you  Lestrade   drawled Holmes before his rival
vanished   I will tell you the true solution of the matter  Lady
St  Simon is a myth  There is not  and there never has been  any
such person  

Lestrade looked sadly at my companion  Then he turned to me 
tapped his forehead three times  shook his head solemnly  and
hurried away 

He had hardly shut the door behind him when Holmes rose to put on
his overcoat   There is something in what the fellow says about
outdoor work   he remarked   so I think  Watson  that I must
leave you to your papers for a little  

It was after five o clock when Sherlock Holmes left me  but I had
no time to be lonely  for within an hour there arrived a
confectioner s man with a very large flat box  This he unpacked
with the help of a youth whom he had brought with him  and
presently  to my very great astonishment  a quite epicurean
little cold supper began to be laid out upon our humble
lodging house mahogany  There were a couple of brace of cold
woodcock  a pheasant  a pâté de foie gras pie with a group of
ancient and cobwebby bottles  Having laid out all these luxuries 
my two visitors vanished away  like the genii of the Arabian
Nights  with no explanation save that the things had been paid
for and were ordered to this address 

Just before nine o clock Sherlock Holmes stepped briskly into the
room  His features were gravely set  but there was a light in his
eye which made me think that he had not been disappointed in his
conclusions 

 They have laid the supper  then   he said  rubbing his hands 

 You seem to expect company  They have laid for five  

 Yes  I fancy we may have some company dropping in   said he   I
am surprised that Lord St  Simon has not already arrived  Ha  I
fancy that I hear his step now upon the stairs  

It was indeed our visitor of the afternoon who came bustling in 
dangling his glasses more vigorously than ever  and with a very
perturbed expression upon his aristocratic features 

 My messenger reached you  then   asked Holmes 

 Yes  and I confess that the contents startled me beyond measure 
Have you good authority for what you say  

 The best possible  

Lord St  Simon sank into a chair and passed his hand over his
forehead 

 What will the Duke say   he murmured   when he hears that one of
the family has been subjected to such humiliation  

 It is the purest accident  I cannot allow that there is any
humiliation  

 Ah  you look on these things from another standpoint  

 I fail to see that anyone is to blame  I can hardly see how the
lady could have acted otherwise  though her abrupt method of
doing it was undoubtedly to be regretted  Having no mother  she
had no one to advise her at such a crisis  

 It was a slight  sir  a public slight   said Lord St  Simon 
tapping his fingers upon the table 

 You must make allowance for this poor girl  placed in so
unprecedented a position  

 I will make no allowance  I am very angry indeed  and I have
been shamefully used  

 I think that I heard a ring   said Holmes   Yes  there are steps
on the landing  If I cannot persuade you to take a lenient view
of the matter  Lord St  Simon  I have brought an advocate here
who may be more successful   He opened the door and ushered in a
lady and gentleman   Lord St  Simon   said he  allow me to
introduce you to Mr  and Mrs  Francis Hay Moulton  The lady  I
think  you have already met  

At the sight of these newcomers our client had sprung from his
seat and stood very erect  with his eyes cast down and his hand
thrust into the breast of his frock coat  a picture of offended
dignity  The lady had taken a quick step forward and had held out
her hand to him  but he still refused to raise his eyes  It was
as well for his resolution  perhaps  for her pleading face was
one which it was hard to resist 

 You re angry  Robert   said she   Well  I guess you have every
cause to be  

 Pray make no apology to me   said Lord St  Simon bitterly 

 Oh  yes  I know that I have treated you real bad and that I
should have spoken to you before I went  but I was kind of
rattled  and from the time when I saw Frank here again I just
didn t know what I was doing or saying  I only wonder I didn t
fall down and do a faint right there before the altar  

 Perhaps  Mrs  Moulton  you would like my friend and me to leave
the room while you explain this matter  

 If I may give an opinion   remarked the strange gentleman 
 we ve had just a little too much secrecy over this business
already  For my part  I should like all Europe and America to
hear the rights of it   He was a small  wiry  sunburnt man 
clean shaven  with a sharp face and alert manner 

 Then I ll tell our story right away   said the lady   Frank here
and I met in  84  in McQuire s camp  near the Rockies  where pa
was working a claim  We were engaged to each other  Frank and I 
but then one day father struck a rich pocket and made a pile 
while poor Frank here had a claim that petered out and came to
nothing  The richer pa grew the poorer was Frank  so at last pa
wouldn t hear of our engagement lasting any longer  and he took
me away to  Frisco  Frank wouldn t throw up his hand  though  so
he followed me there  and he saw me without pa knowing anything
about it  It would only have made him mad to know  so we just
fixed it all up for ourselves  Frank said that he would go and
make his pile  too  and never come back to claim me until he had
as much as pa  So then I promised to wait for him to the end of
time and pledged myself not to marry anyone else while he lived 
 Why shouldn t we be married right away  then   said he   and
then I will feel sure of you  and I won t claim to be your
husband until I come back   Well  we talked it over  and he had
fixed it all up so nicely  with a clergyman all ready in waiting 
that we just did it right there  and then Frank went off to seek
his fortune  and I went back to pa 

 The next I heard of Frank was that he was in Montana  and then
he went prospecting in Arizona  and then I heard of him from New
Mexico  After that came a long newspaper story about how a
miners  camp had been attacked by Apache Indians  and there was
my Frank s name among the killed  I fainted dead away  and I was
very sick for months after  Pa thought I had a decline and took
me to half the doctors in  Frisco  Not a word of news came for a
year and more  so that I never doubted that Frank was really
dead  Then Lord St  Simon came to  Frisco  and we came to London 
and a marriage was arranged  and pa was very pleased  but I felt
all the time that no man on this earth would ever take the place
in my heart that had been given to my poor Frank 

 Still  if I had married Lord St  Simon  of course I d have done
my duty by him  We can t command our love  but we can our
actions  I went to the altar with him with the intention to make
him just as good a wife as it was in me to be  But you may
imagine what I felt when  just as I came to the altar rails  I
glanced back and saw Frank standing and looking at me out of the
first pew  I thought it was his ghost at first  but when I looked
again there he was still  with a kind of question in his eyes  as
if to ask me whether I were glad or sorry to see him  I wonder I
didn t drop  I know that everything was turning round  and the
words of the clergyman were just like the buzz of a bee in my
ear  I didn t know what to do  Should I stop the service and make
a scene in the church  I glanced at him again  and he seemed to
know what I was thinking  for he raised his finger to his lips to
tell me to be still  Then I saw him scribble on a piece of paper 
and I knew that he was writing me a note  As I passed his pew on
the way out I dropped my bouquet over to him  and he slipped the
note into my hand when he returned me the flowers  It was only a
line asking me to join him when he made the sign to me to do so 
Of course I never doubted for a moment that my first duty was now
to him  and I determined to do just whatever he might direct 

 When I got back I told my maid  who had known him in California 
and had always been his friend  I ordered her to say nothing  but
to get a few things packed and my ulster ready  I know I ought to
have spoken to Lord St  Simon  but it was dreadful hard before
his mother and all those great people  I just made up my mind to
run away and explain afterwards  I hadn t been at the table ten
minutes before I saw Frank out of the window at the other side of
the road  He beckoned to me and then began walking into the Park 
I slipped out  put on my things  and followed him  Some woman
came talking something or other about Lord St  Simon to
me  seemed to me from the little I heard as if he had a little
secret of his own before marriage also  but I managed to get away
from her and soon overtook Frank  We got into a cab together  and
away we drove to some lodgings he had taken in Gordon Square  and
that was my true wedding after all those years of waiting  Frank
had been a prisoner among the Apaches  had escaped  came on to
 Frisco  found that I had given him up for dead and had gone to
England  followed me there  and had come upon me at last on the
very morning of my second wedding  

 I saw it in a paper   explained the American   It gave the name
and the church but not where the lady lived  

 Then we had a talk as to what we should do  and Frank was all
for openness  but I was so ashamed of it all that I felt as if I
should like to vanish away and never see any of them again  just
sending a line to pa  perhaps  to show him that I was alive  It
was awful to me to think of all those lords and ladies sitting
round that breakfast table and waiting for me to come back  So
Frank took my wedding clothes and things and made a bundle of
them  so that I should not be traced  and dropped them away
somewhere where no one could find them  It is likely that we
should have gone on to Paris to morrow  only that this good
gentleman  Mr  Holmes  came round to us this evening  though how
he found us is more than I can think  and he showed us very
clearly and kindly that I was wrong and that Frank was right  and
that we should be putting ourselves in the wrong if we were so
secret  Then he offered to give us a chance of talking to Lord
St  Simon alone  and so we came right away round to his rooms at
once  Now  Robert  you have heard it all  and I am very sorry if
I have given you pain  and I hope that you do not think very
meanly of me  

Lord St  Simon had by no means relaxed his rigid attitude  but
had listened with a frowning brow and a compressed lip to this
long narrative 

 Excuse me   he said   but it is not my custom to discuss my most
intimate personal affairs in this public manner  

 Then you won t forgive me  You won t shake hands before I go  

 Oh  certainly  if it would give you any pleasure   He put out
his hand and coldly grasped that which she extended to him 

 I had hoped   suggested Holmes   that you would have joined us
in a friendly supper  

 I think that there you ask a little too much   responded his
Lordship   I may be forced to acquiesce in these recent
developments  but I can hardly be expected to make merry over
them  I think that with your permission I will now wish you all a
very good night   He included us all in a sweeping bow and
stalked out of the room 

 Then I trust that you at least will honour me with your
company   said Sherlock Holmes   It is always a joy to meet an
American  Mr  Moulton  for I am one of those who believe that the
folly of a monarch and the blundering of a minister in far gone
years will not prevent our children from being some day citizens
of the same world wide country under a flag which shall be a
quartering of the Union Jack with the Stars and Stripes  

 The case has been an interesting one   remarked Holmes when our
visitors had left us   because it serves to show very clearly how
simple the explanation may be of an affair which at first sight
seems to be almost inexplicable  Nothing could be more natural
than the sequence of events as narrated by this lady  and nothing
stranger than the result when viewed  for instance  by Mr 
Lestrade of Scotland Yard  

 You were not yourself at fault at all  then  

 From the first  two facts were very obvious to me  the one that
the lady had been quite willing to undergo the wedding ceremony 
the other that she had repented of it within a few minutes of
returning home  Obviously something had occurred during the
morning  then  to cause her to change her mind  What could that
something be  She could not have spoken to anyone when she was
out  for she had been in the company of the bridegroom  Had she
seen someone  then  If she had  it must be someone from America
because she had spent so short a time in this country that she
could hardly have allowed anyone to acquire so deep an influence
over her that the mere sight of him would induce her to change
her plans so completely  You see we have already arrived  by a
process of exclusion  at the idea that she might have seen an
American  Then who could this American be  and why should he
possess so much influence over her  It might be a lover  it might
be a husband  Her young womanhood had  I knew  been spent in
rough scenes and under strange conditions  So far I had got
before I ever heard Lord St  Simon s narrative  When he told us
of a man in a pew  of the change in the bride s manner  of so
transparent a device for obtaining a note as the dropping of a
bouquet  of her resort to her confidential maid  and of her very
significant allusion to claim jumping  which in miners  parlance
means taking possession of that which another person has a prior
claim to  the whole situation became absolutely clear  She had
gone off with a man  and the man was either a lover or was a
previous husband  the chances being in favour of the latter  

 And how in the world did you find them  

 It might have been difficult  but friend Lestrade held
information in his hands the value of which he did not himself
know  The initials were  of course  of the highest importance 
but more valuable still was it to know that within a week he had
settled his bill at one of the most select London hotels  

 How did you deduce the select  

 By the select prices  Eight shillings for a bed and eightpence
for a glass of sherry pointed to one of the most expensive
hotels  There are not many in London which charge at that rate 
In the second one which I visited in Northumberland Avenue  I
learned by an inspection of the book that Francis H  Moulton  an
American gentleman  had left only the day before  and on looking
over the entries against him  I came upon the very items which I
had seen in the duplicate bill  His letters were to be forwarded
to 226 Gordon Square  so thither I travelled  and being fortunate
enough to find the loving couple at home  I ventured to give them
some paternal advice and to point out to them that it would be
better in every way that they should make their position a little
clearer both to the general public and to Lord St  Simon in
particular  I invited them to meet him here  and  as you see  I
made him keep the appointment  

 But with no very good result   I remarked   His conduct was
certainly not very gracious  

 Ah  Watson   said Holmes  smiling   perhaps you would not be
very gracious either  if  after all the trouble of wooing and
wedding  you found yourself deprived in an instant of wife and of
fortune  I think that we may judge Lord St  Simon very mercifully
and thank our stars that we are never likely to find ourselves in
the same position  Draw your chair up and hand me my violin  for
the only problem we have still to solve is how to while away
these bleak autumnal evenings  



XI  THE ADVENTURE OF THE BERYL CORONET

 Holmes   said I as I stood one morning in our bow window looking
down the street   here is a madman coming along  It seems rather
sad that his relatives should allow him to come out alone  

My friend rose lazily from his armchair and stood with his hands
in the pockets of his dressing gown  looking over my shoulder  It
was a bright  crisp February morning  and the snow of the day
before still lay deep upon the ground  shimmering brightly in the
wintry sun  Down the centre of Baker Street it had been ploughed
into a brown crumbly band by the traffic  but at either side and
on the heaped up edges of the foot paths it still lay as white as
when it fell  The grey pavement had been cleaned and scraped  but
was still dangerously slippery  so that there were fewer
passengers than usual  Indeed  from the direction of the
Metropolitan Station no one was coming save the single gentleman
whose eccentric conduct had drawn my attention 

He was a man of about fifty  tall  portly  and imposing  with a
massive  strongly marked face and a commanding figure  He was
dressed in a sombre yet rich style  in black frock coat  shining
hat  neat brown gaiters  and well cut pearl grey trousers  Yet
his actions were in absurd contrast to the dignity of his dress
and features  for he was running hard  with occasional little
springs  such as a weary man gives who is little accustomed to
set any tax upon his legs  As he ran he jerked his hands up and
down  waggled his head  and writhed his face into the most
extraordinary contortions 

 What on earth can be the matter with him   I asked   He is
looking up at the numbers of the houses  

 I believe that he is coming here   said Holmes  rubbing his
hands 

 Here  

 Yes  I rather think he is coming to consult me professionally  I
think that I recognise the symptoms  Ha  did I not tell you   As
he spoke  the man  puffing and blowing  rushed at our door and
pulled at our bell until the whole house resounded with the
clanging 

A few moments later he was in our room  still puffing  still
gesticulating  but with so fixed a look of grief and despair in
his eyes that our smiles were turned in an instant to horror and
pity  For a while he could not get his words out  but swayed his
body and plucked at his hair like one who has been driven to the
extreme limits of his reason  Then  suddenly springing to his
feet  he beat his head against the wall with such force that we
both rushed upon him and tore him away to the centre of the room 
Sherlock Holmes pushed him down into the easy chair and  sitting
beside him  patted his hand and chatted with him in the easy 
soothing tones which he knew so well how to employ 

 You have come to me to tell your story  have you not   said he 
 You are fatigued with your haste  Pray wait until you have
recovered yourself  and then I shall be most happy to look into
any little problem which you may submit to me  

The man sat for a minute or more with a heaving chest  fighting
against his emotion  Then he passed his handkerchief over his
brow  set his lips tight  and turned his face towards us 

 No doubt you think me mad   said he 

 I see that you have had some great trouble   responded Holmes 

 God knows I have   a trouble which is enough to unseat my
reason  so sudden and so terrible is it  Public disgrace I might
have faced  although I am a man whose character has never yet
borne a stain  Private affliction also is the lot of every man 
but the two coming together  and in so frightful a form  have
been enough to shake my very soul  Besides  it is not I alone 
The very noblest in the land may suffer unless some way be found
out of this horrible affair  

 Pray compose yourself  sir   said Holmes   and let me have a
clear account of who you are and what it is that has befallen
you  

 My name   answered our visitor   is probably familiar to your
ears  I am Alexander Holder  of the banking firm of Holder  
Stevenson  of Threadneedle Street  

The name was indeed well known to us as belonging to the senior
partner in the second largest private banking concern in the City
of London  What could have happened  then  to bring one of the
foremost citizens of London to this most pitiable pass  We
waited  all curiosity  until with another effort he braced
himself to tell his story 

 I feel that time is of value   said he   that is why I hastened
here when the police inspector suggested that I should secure
your co operation  I came to Baker Street by the Underground and
hurried from there on foot  for the cabs go slowly through this
snow  That is why I was so out of breath  for I am a man who
takes very little exercise  I feel better now  and I will put the
facts before you as shortly and yet as clearly as I can 

 It is  of course  well known to you that in a successful banking
business as much depends upon our being able to find remunerative
investments for our funds as upon our increasing our connection
and the number of our depositors  One of our most lucrative means
of laying out money is in the shape of loans  where the security
is unimpeachable  We have done a good deal in this direction
during the last few years  and there are many noble families to
whom we have advanced large sums upon the security of their
pictures  libraries  or plate 

 Yesterday morning I was seated in my office at the bank when a
card was brought in to me by one of the clerks  I started when I
saw the name  for it was that of none other than  well  perhaps
even to you I had better say no more than that it was a name
which is a household word all over the earth  one of the highest 
noblest  most exalted names in England  I was overwhelmed by the
honour and attempted  when he entered  to say so  but he plunged
at once into business with the air of a man who wishes to hurry
quickly through a disagreeable task 

  Mr  Holder   said he   I have been informed that you are in the
habit of advancing money  

  The firm does so when the security is good   I answered 

  It is absolutely essential to me   said he   that I should have
50 000 pounds at once  I could  of course  borrow so trifling a
sum ten times over from my friends  but I much prefer to make it
a matter of business and to carry out that business myself  In my
position you can readily understand that it is unwise to place
one s self under obligations  

  For how long  may I ask  do you want this sum   I asked 

  Next Monday I have a large sum due to me  and I shall then most
certainly repay what you advance  with whatever interest you
think it right to charge  But it is very essential to me that the
money should be paid at once  

  I should be happy to advance it without further parley from my
own private purse   said I   were it not that the strain would be
rather more than it could bear  If  on the other hand  I am to do
it in the name of the firm  then in justice to my partner I must
insist that  even in your case  every businesslike precaution
should be taken  

  I should much prefer to have it so   said he  raising up a
square  black morocco case which he had laid beside his chair 
 You have doubtless heard of the Beryl Coronet  

  One of the most precious public possessions of the empire  
said I 

  Precisely   He opened the case  and there  imbedded in soft 
flesh coloured velvet  lay the magnificent piece of jewellery
which he had named   There are thirty nine enormous beryls   said
he   and the price of the gold chasing is incalculable  The
lowest estimate would put the worth of the coronet at double the
sum which I have asked  I am prepared to leave it with you as my
security  

 I took the precious case into my hands and looked in some
perplexity from it to my illustrious client 

  You doubt its value   he asked 

  Not at all  I only doubt   

  The propriety of my leaving it  You may set your mind at rest
about that  I should not dream of doing so were it not absolutely
certain that I should be able in four days to reclaim it  It is a
pure matter of form  Is the security sufficient  

  Ample  

  You understand  Mr  Holder  that I am giving you a strong proof
of the confidence which I have in you  founded upon all that I
have heard of you  I rely upon you not only to be discreet and to
refrain from all gossip upon the matter but  above all  to
preserve this coronet with every possible precaution because I
need not say that a great public scandal would be caused if any
harm were to befall it  Any injury to it would be almost as
serious as its complete loss  for there are no beryls in the
world to match these  and it would be impossible to replace them 
I leave it with you  however  with every confidence  and I shall
call for it in person on Monday morning  

 Seeing that my client was anxious to leave  I said no more but 
calling for my cashier  I ordered him to pay over fifty 1000
pound notes  When I was alone once more  however  with the
precious case lying upon the table in front of me  I could not
but think with some misgivings of the immense responsibility
which it entailed upon me  There could be no doubt that  as it
was a national possession  a horrible scandal would ensue if any
misfortune should occur to it  I already regretted having ever
consented to take charge of it  However  it was too late to alter
the matter now  so I locked it up in my private safe and turned
once more to my work 

 When evening came I felt that it would be an imprudence to leave
so precious a thing in the office behind me  Bankers  safes had
been forced before now  and why should not mine be  If so  how
terrible would be the position in which I should find myself  I
determined  therefore  that for the next few days I would always
carry the case backward and forward with me  so that it might
never be really out of my reach  With this intention  I called a
cab and drove out to my house at Streatham  carrying the jewel
with me  I did not breathe freely until I had taken it upstairs
and locked it in the bureau of my dressing room 

 And now a word as to my household  Mr  Holmes  for I wish you to
thoroughly understand the situation  My groom and my page sleep
out of the house  and may be set aside altogether  I have three
maid servants who have been with me a number of years and whose
absolute reliability is quite above suspicion  Another  Lucy
Parr  the second waiting maid  has only been in my service a few
months  She came with an excellent character  however  and has
always given me satisfaction  She is a very pretty girl and has
attracted admirers who have occasionally hung about the place 
That is the only drawback which we have found to her  but we
believe her to be a thoroughly good girl in every way 

 So much for the servants  My family itself is so small that it
will not take me long to describe it  I am a widower and have an
only son  Arthur  He has been a disappointment to me  Mr 
Holmes  a grievous disappointment  I have no doubt that I am
myself to blame  People tell me that I have spoiled him  Very
likely I have  When my dear wife died I felt that he was all I
had to love  I could not bear to see the smile fade even for a
moment from his face  I have never denied him a wish  Perhaps it
would have been better for both of us had I been sterner  but I
meant it for the best 

 It was naturally my intention that he should succeed me in my
business  but he was not of a business turn  He was wild 
wayward  and  to speak the truth  I could not trust him in the
handling of large sums of money  When he was young he became a
member of an aristocratic club  and there  having charming
manners  he was soon the intimate of a number of men with long
purses and expensive habits  He learned to play heavily at cards
and to squander money on the turf  until he had again and again
to come to me and implore me to give him an advance upon his
allowance  that he might settle his debts of honour  He tried
more than once to break away from the dangerous company which he
was keeping  but each time the influence of his friend  Sir
George Burnwell  was enough to draw him back again 

 And  indeed  I could not wonder that such a man as Sir George
Burnwell should gain an influence over him  for he has frequently
brought him to my house  and I have found myself that I could
hardly resist the fascination of his manner  He is older than
Arthur  a man of the world to his finger tips  one who had been
everywhere  seen everything  a brilliant talker  and a man of
great personal beauty  Yet when I think of him in cold blood  far
away from the glamour of his presence  I am convinced from his
cynical speech and the look which I have caught in his eyes that
he is one who should be deeply distrusted  So I think  and so 
too  thinks my little Mary  who has a woman s quick insight into
character 

 And now there is only she to be described  She is my niece  but
when my brother died five years ago and left her alone in the
world I adopted her  and have looked upon her ever since as my
daughter  She is a sunbeam in my house  sweet  loving  beautiful 
a wonderful manager and housekeeper  yet as tender and quiet and
gentle as a woman could be  She is my right hand  I do not know
what I could do without her  In only one matter has she ever gone
against my wishes  Twice my boy has asked her to marry him  for
he loves her devotedly  but each time she has refused him  I
think that if anyone could have drawn him into the right path it
would have been she  and that his marriage might have changed his
whole life  but now  alas  it is too late  forever too late 

 Now  Mr  Holmes  you know the people who live under my roof  and
I shall continue with my miserable story 

 When we were taking coffee in the drawing room that night after
dinner  I told Arthur and Mary my experience  and of the precious
treasure which we had under our roof  suppressing only the name
of my client  Lucy Parr  who had brought in the coffee  had  I am
sure  left the room  but I cannot swear that the door was closed 
Mary and Arthur were much interested and wished to see the famous
coronet  but I thought it better not to disturb it 

  Where have you put it   asked Arthur 

  In my own bureau  

  Well  I hope to goodness the house won t be burgled during the
night   said he 

  It is locked up   I answered 

  Oh  any old key will fit that bureau  When I was a youngster I
have opened it myself with the key of the box room cupboard  

 He often had a wild way of talking  so that I thought little of
what he said  He followed me to my room  however  that night with
a very grave face 

  Look here  dad   said he with his eyes cast down   can you let
me have 200 pounds  

  No  I cannot   I answered sharply   I have been far too
generous with you in money matters  

  You have been very kind   said he   but I must have this money 
or else I can never show my face inside the club again  

  And a very good thing  too   I cried 

  Yes  but you would not have me leave it a dishonoured man  
said he   I could not bear the disgrace  I must raise the money
in some way  and if you will not let me have it  then I must try
other means  

 I was very angry  for this was the third demand during the
month   You shall not have a farthing from me   I cried  on which
he bowed and left the room without another word 

 When he was gone I unlocked my bureau  made sure that my
treasure was safe  and locked it again  Then I started to go
round the house to see that all was secure  a duty which I
usually leave to Mary but which I thought it well to perform
myself that night  As I came down the stairs I saw Mary herself
at the side window of the hall  which she closed and fastened as
I approached 

  Tell me  dad   said she  looking  I thought  a little
disturbed   did you give Lucy  the maid  leave to go out
to night  

  Certainly not  

  She came in just now by the back door  I have no doubt that she
has only been to the side gate to see someone  but I think that
it is hardly safe and should be stopped  

  You must speak to her in the morning  or I will if you prefer
it  Are you sure that everything is fastened  

  Quite sure  dad  

  Then  good night   I kissed her and went up to my bedroom
again  where I was soon asleep 

 I am endeavouring to tell you everything  Mr  Holmes  which may
have any bearing upon the case  but I beg that you will question
me upon any point which I do not make clear  

 On the contrary  your statement is singularly lucid  

 I come to a part of my story now in which I should wish to be
particularly so  I am not a very heavy sleeper  and the anxiety
in my mind tended  no doubt  to make me even less so than usual 
About two in the morning  then  I was awakened by some sound in
the house  It had ceased ere I was wide awake  but it had left an
impression behind it as though a window had gently closed
somewhere  I lay listening with all my ears  Suddenly  to my
horror  there was a distinct sound of footsteps moving softly in
the next room  I slipped out of bed  all palpitating with fear 
and peeped round the corner of my dressing room door 

  Arthur   I screamed   you villain  you thief  How dare you
touch that coronet  

 The gas was half up  as I had left it  and my unhappy boy 
dressed only in his shirt and trousers  was standing beside the
light  holding the coronet in his hands  He appeared to be
wrenching at it  or bending it with all his strength  At my cry
he dropped it from his grasp and turned as pale as death  I
snatched it up and examined it  One of the gold corners  with
three of the beryls in it  was missing 

  You blackguard   I shouted  beside myself with rage   You have
destroyed it  You have dishonoured me forever  Where are the
jewels which you have stolen  

  Stolen   he cried 

  Yes  thief   I roared  shaking him by the shoulder 

  There are none missing  There cannot be any missing   said he 

  There are three missing  And you know where they are  Must I
call you a liar as well as a thief  Did I not see you trying to
tear off another piece  

  You have called me names enough   said he   I will not stand it
any longer  I shall not say another word about this business 
since you have chosen to insult me  I will leave your house in
the morning and make my own way in the world  

  You shall leave it in the hands of the police   I cried
half mad with grief and rage   I shall have this matter probed to
the bottom  

  You shall learn nothing from me   said he with a passion such
as I should not have thought was in his nature   If you choose to
call the police  let the police find what they can  

 By this time the whole house was astir  for I had raised my
voice in my anger  Mary was the first to rush into my room  and 
at the sight of the coronet and of Arthur s face  she read the
whole story and  with a scream  fell down senseless on the
ground  I sent the house maid for the police and put the
investigation into their hands at once  When the inspector and a
constable entered the house  Arthur  who had stood sullenly with
his arms folded  asked me whether it was my intention to charge
him with theft  I answered that it had ceased to be a private
matter  but had become a public one  since the ruined coronet was
national property  I was determined that the law should have its
way in everything 

  At least   said he   you will not have me arrested at once  It
would be to your advantage as well as mine if I might leave the
house for five minutes  

  That you may get away  or perhaps that you may conceal what you
have stolen   said I  And then  realising the dreadful position
in which I was placed  I implored him to remember that not only
my honour but that of one who was far greater than I was at
stake  and that he threatened to raise a scandal which would
convulse the nation  He might avert it all if he would but tell
me what he had done with the three missing stones 

  You may as well face the matter   said I   you have been caught
in the act  and no confession could make your guilt more heinous 
If you but make such reparation as is in your power  by telling
us where the beryls are  all shall be forgiven and forgotten  

  Keep your forgiveness for those who ask for it   he answered 
turning away from me with a sneer  I saw that he was too hardened
for any words of mine to influence him  There was but one way for
it  I called in the inspector and gave him into custody  A search
was made at once not only of his person but of his room and of
every portion of the house where he could possibly have concealed
the gems  but no trace of them could be found  nor would the
wretched boy open his mouth for all our persuasions and our
threats  This morning he was removed to a cell  and I  after
going through all the police formalities  have hurried round to
you to implore you to use your skill in unravelling the matter 
The police have openly confessed that they can at present make
nothing of it  You may go to any expense which you think
necessary  I have already offered a reward of 1000 pounds  My
God  what shall I do  I have lost my honour  my gems  and my son
in one night  Oh  what shall I do  

He put a hand on either side of his head and rocked himself to
and fro  droning to himself like a child whose grief has got
beyond words 

Sherlock Holmes sat silent for some few minutes  with his brows
knitted and his eyes fixed upon the fire 

 Do you receive much company   he asked 

 None save my partner with his family and an occasional friend of
Arthur s  Sir George Burnwell has been several times lately  No
one else  I think  

 Do you go out much in society  

 Arthur does  Mary and I stay at home  We neither of us care for
it  

 That is unusual in a young girl  

 She is of a quiet nature  Besides  she is not so very young  She
is four and twenty  

 This matter  from what you say  seems to have been a shock to
her also  

 Terrible  She is even more affected than I  

 You have neither of you any doubt as to your son s guilt  

 How can we have when I saw him with my own eyes with the coronet
in his hands  

 I hardly consider that a conclusive proof  Was the remainder of
the coronet at all injured  

 Yes  it was twisted  

 Do you not think  then  that he might have been trying to
straighten it  

 God bless you  You are doing what you can for him and for me 
But it is too heavy a task  What was he doing there at all  If
his purpose were innocent  why did he not say so  

 Precisely  And if it were guilty  why did he not invent a lie 
His silence appears to me to cut both ways  There are several
singular points about the case  What did the police think of the
noise which awoke you from your sleep  

 They considered that it might be caused by Arthur s closing his
bedroom door  

 A likely story  As if a man bent on felony would slam his door
so as to wake a household  What did they say  then  of the
disappearance of these gems  

 They are still sounding the planking and probing the furniture
in the hope of finding them  

 Have they thought of looking outside the house  

 Yes  they have shown extraordinary energy  The whole garden has
already been minutely examined  

 Now  my dear sir   said Holmes   is it not obvious to you now
that this matter really strikes very much deeper than either you
or the police were at first inclined to think  It appeared to you
to be a simple case  to me it seems exceedingly complex  Consider
what is involved by your theory  You suppose that your son came
down from his bed  went  at great risk  to your dressing room 
opened your bureau  took out your coronet  broke off by main
force a small portion of it  went off to some other place 
concealed three gems out of the thirty nine  with such skill that
nobody can find them  and then returned with the other thirty six
into the room in which he exposed himself to the greatest danger
of being discovered  I ask you now  is such a theory tenable  

 But what other is there   cried the banker with a gesture of
despair   If his motives were innocent  why does he not explain
them  

 It is our task to find that out   replied Holmes   so now  if
you please  Mr  Holder  we will set off for Streatham together 
and devote an hour to glancing a little more closely into
details  

My friend insisted upon my accompanying them in their expedition 
which I was eager enough to do  for my curiosity and sympathy
were deeply stirred by the story to which we had listened  I
confess that the guilt of the banker s son appeared to me to be
as obvious as it did to his unhappy father  but still I had such
faith in Holmes  judgment that I felt that there must be some
grounds for hope as long as he was dissatisfied with the accepted
explanation  He hardly spoke a word the whole way out to the
southern suburb  but sat with his chin upon his breast and his
hat drawn over his eyes  sunk in the deepest thought  Our client
appeared to have taken fresh heart at the little glimpse of hope
which had been presented to him  and he even broke into a
desultory chat with me over his business affairs  A short railway
journey and a shorter walk brought us to Fairbank  the modest
residence of the great financier 

Fairbank was a good sized square house of white stone  standing
back a little from the road  A double carriage sweep  with a
snow clad lawn  stretched down in front to two large iron gates
which closed the entrance  On the right side was a small wooden
thicket  which led into a narrow path between two neat hedges
stretching from the road to the kitchen door  and forming the
tradesmen s entrance  On the left ran a lane which led to the
stables  and was not itself within the grounds at all  being a
public  though little used  thoroughfare  Holmes left us standing
at the door and walked slowly all round the house  across the
front  down the tradesmen s path  and so round by the garden
behind into the stable lane  So long was he that Mr  Holder and I
went into the dining room and waited by the fire until he should
return  We were sitting there in silence when the door opened and
a young lady came in  She was rather above the middle height 
slim  with dark hair and eyes  which seemed the darker against
the absolute pallor of her skin  I do not think that I have ever
seen such deadly paleness in a woman s face  Her lips  too  were
bloodless  but her eyes were flushed with crying  As she swept
silently into the room she impressed me with a greater sense of
grief than the banker had done in the morning  and it was the
more striking in her as she was evidently a woman of strong
character  with immense capacity for self restraint  Disregarding
my presence  she went straight to her uncle and passed her hand
over his head with a sweet womanly caress 

 You have given orders that Arthur should be liberated  have you
not  dad   she asked 

 No  no  my girl  the matter must be probed to the bottom  

 But I am so sure that he is innocent  You know what woman s
instincts are  I know that he has done no harm and that you will
be sorry for having acted so harshly  

 Why is he silent  then  if he is innocent  

 Who knows  Perhaps because he was so angry that you should
suspect him  

 How could I help suspecting him  when I actually saw him with
the coronet in his hand  

 Oh  but he had only picked it up to look at it  Oh  do  do take
my word for it that he is innocent  Let the matter drop and say
no more  It is so dreadful to think of our dear Arthur in
prison  

 I shall never let it drop until the gems are found  never  Mary 
Your affection for Arthur blinds you as to the awful consequences
to me  Far from hushing the thing up  I have brought a gentleman
down from London to inquire more deeply into it  

 This gentleman   she asked  facing round to me 

 No  his friend  He wished us to leave him alone  He is round in
the stable lane now  

 The stable lane   She raised her dark eyebrows   What can he
hope to find there  Ah  this  I suppose  is he  I trust  sir 
that you will succeed in proving  what I feel sure is the truth 
that my cousin Arthur is innocent of this crime  

 I fully share your opinion  and I trust  with you  that we may
prove it   returned Holmes  going back to the mat to knock the
snow from his shoes   I believe I have the honour of addressing
Miss Mary Holder  Might I ask you a question or two  

 Pray do  sir  if it may help to clear this horrible affair up  

 You heard nothing yourself last night  

 Nothing  until my uncle here began to speak loudly  I heard
that  and I came down  

 You shut up the windows and doors the night before  Did you
fasten all the windows  

 Yes  

 Were they all fastened this morning  

 Yes  

 You have a maid who has a sweetheart  I think that you remarked
to your uncle last night that she had been out to see him  

 Yes  and she was the girl who waited in the drawing room  and
who may have heard uncle s remarks about the coronet  

 I see  You infer that she may have gone out to tell her
sweetheart  and that the two may have planned the robbery  

 But what is the good of all these vague theories   cried the
banker impatiently   when I have told you that I saw Arthur with
the coronet in his hands  

 Wait a little  Mr  Holder  We must come back to that  About this
girl  Miss Holder  You saw her return by the kitchen door  I
presume  

 Yes  when I went to see if the door was fastened for the night I
met her slipping in  I saw the man  too  in the gloom  

 Do you know him  

 Oh  yes  he is the green grocer who brings our vegetables round 
His name is Francis Prosper  

 He stood   said Holmes   to the left of the door  that is to
say  farther up the path than is necessary to reach the door  

 Yes  he did  

 And he is a man with a wooden leg  

Something like fear sprang up in the young lady s expressive
black eyes   Why  you are like a magician   said she   How do you
know that   She smiled  but there was no answering smile in
Holmes  thin  eager face 

 I should be very glad now to go upstairs   said he   I shall
probably wish to go over the outside of the house again  Perhaps
I had better take a look at the lower windows before I go up  

He walked swiftly round from one to the other  pausing only at
the large one which looked from the hall onto the stable lane 
This he opened and made a very careful examination of the sill
with his powerful magnifying lens   Now we shall go upstairs  
said he at last 

The banker s dressing room was a plainly furnished little
chamber  with a grey carpet  a large bureau  and a long mirror 
Holmes went to the bureau first and looked hard at the lock 

 Which key was used to open it   he asked 

 That which my son himself indicated  that of the cupboard of the
lumber room  

 Have you it here  

 That is it on the dressing table  

Sherlock Holmes took it up and opened the bureau 

 It is a noiseless lock   said he   It is no wonder that it did
not wake you  This case  I presume  contains the coronet  We must
have a look at it   He opened the case  and taking out the diadem
he laid it upon the table  It was a magnificent specimen of the
jeweller s art  and the thirty six stones were the finest that I
have ever seen  At one side of the coronet was a cracked edge 
where a corner holding three gems had been torn away 

 Now  Mr  Holder   said Holmes   here is the corner which
corresponds to that which has been so unfortunately lost  Might I
beg that you will break it off  

The banker recoiled in horror   I should not dream of trying  
said he 

 Then I will   Holmes suddenly bent his strength upon it  but
without result   I feel it give a little   said he   but  though
I am exceptionally strong in the fingers  it would take me all my
time to break it  An ordinary man could not do it  Now  what do
you think would happen if I did break it  Mr  Holder  There would
be a noise like a pistol shot  Do you tell me that all this
happened within a few yards of your bed and that you heard
nothing of it  

 I do not know what to think  It is all dark to me  

 But perhaps it may grow lighter as we go  What do you think 
Miss Holder  

 I confess that I still share my uncle s perplexity  

 Your son had no shoes or slippers on when you saw him  

 He had nothing on save only his trousers and shirt  

 Thank you  We have certainly been favoured with extraordinary
luck during this inquiry  and it will be entirely our own fault
if we do not succeed in clearing the matter up  With your
permission  Mr  Holder  I shall now continue my investigations
outside  

He went alone  at his own request  for he explained that any
unnecessary footmarks might make his task more difficult  For an
hour or more he was at work  returning at last with his feet
heavy with snow and his features as inscrutable as ever 

 I think that I have seen now all that there is to see  Mr 
Holder   said he   I can serve you best by returning to my
rooms  

 But the gems  Mr  Holmes  Where are they  

 I cannot tell  

The banker wrung his hands   I shall never see them again   he
cried   And my son  You give me hopes  

 My opinion is in no way altered  

 Then  for God s sake  what was this dark business which was
acted in my house last night  

 If you can call upon me at my Baker Street rooms to morrow
morning between nine and ten I shall be happy to do what I can to
make it clearer  I understand that you give me carte blanche to
act for you  provided only that I get back the gems  and that you
place no limit on the sum I may draw  

 I would give my fortune to have them back  

 Very good  I shall look into the matter between this and then 
Good bye  it is just possible that I may have to come over here
again before evening  

It was obvious to me that my companion s mind was now made up
about the case  although what his conclusions were was more than
I could even dimly imagine  Several times during our homeward
journey I endeavoured to sound him upon the point  but he always
glided away to some other topic  until at last I gave it over in
despair  It was not yet three when we found ourselves in our
rooms once more  He hurried to his chamber and was down again in
a few minutes dressed as a common loafer  With his collar turned
up  his shiny  seedy coat  his red cravat  and his worn boots  he
was a perfect sample of the class 

 I think that this should do   said he  glancing into the glass
above the fireplace   I only wish that you could come with me 
Watson  but I fear that it won t do  I may be on the trail in
this matter  or I may be following a will o  the wisp  but I
shall soon know which it is  I hope that I may be back in a few
hours   He cut a slice of beef from the joint upon the sideboard 
sandwiched it between two rounds of bread  and thrusting this
rude meal into his pocket he started off upon his expedition 

I had just finished my tea when he returned  evidently in
excellent spirits  swinging an old elastic sided boot in his
hand  He chucked it down into a corner and helped himself to a
cup of tea 

 I only looked in as I passed   said he   I am going right on  

 Where to  

 Oh  to the other side of the West End  It may be some time
before I get back  Don t wait up for me in case I should be
late  

 How are you getting on  

 Oh  so so  Nothing to complain of  I have been out to Streatham
since I saw you last  but I did not call at the house  It is a
very sweet little problem  and I would not have missed it for a
good deal  However  I must not sit gossiping here  but must get
these disreputable clothes off and return to my highly
respectable self  

I could see by his manner that he had stronger reasons for
satisfaction than his words alone would imply  His eyes twinkled 
and there was even a touch of colour upon his sallow cheeks  He
hastened upstairs  and a few minutes later I heard the slam of
the hall door  which told me that he was off once more upon his
congenial hunt 

I waited until midnight  but there was no sign of his return  so
I retired to my room  It was no uncommon thing for him to be away
for days and nights on end when he was hot upon a scent  so that
his lateness caused me no surprise  I do not know at what hour he
came in  but when I came down to breakfast in the morning there
he was with a cup of coffee in one hand and the paper in the
other  as fresh and trim as possible 

 You will excuse my beginning without you  Watson   said he   but
you remember that our client has rather an early appointment this
morning  

 Why  it is after nine now   I answered   I should not be
surprised if that were he  I thought I heard a ring  

It was  indeed  our friend the financier  I was shocked by the
change which had come over him  for his face which was naturally
of a broad and massive mould  was now pinched and fallen in 
while his hair seemed to me at least a shade whiter  He entered
with a weariness and lethargy which was even more painful than
his violence of the morning before  and he dropped heavily into
the armchair which I pushed forward for him 

 I do not know what I have done to be so severely tried   said
he   Only two days ago I was a happy and prosperous man  without
a care in the world  Now I am left to a lonely and dishonoured
age  One sorrow comes close upon the heels of another  My niece 
Mary  has deserted me  

 Deserted you  

 Yes  Her bed this morning had not been slept in  her room was
empty  and a note for me lay upon the hall table  I had said to
her last night  in sorrow and not in anger  that if she had
married my boy all might have been well with him  Perhaps it was
thoughtless of me to say so  It is to that remark that she refers
in this note 

  MY DEAREST UNCLE   I feel that I have brought trouble upon you 
and that if I had acted differently this terrible misfortune
might never have occurred  I cannot  with this thought in my
mind  ever again be happy under your roof  and I feel that I must
leave you forever  Do not worry about my future  for that is
provided for  and  above all  do not search for me  for it will
be fruitless labour and an ill service to me  In life or in       
death  I am ever your loving   MARY  

 What could she mean by that note  Mr  Holmes  Do you think it
points to suicide  

 No  no  nothing of the kind  It is perhaps the best possible
solution  I trust  Mr  Holder  that you are nearing the end of
your troubles  

 Ha  You say so  You have heard something  Mr  Holmes  you have
learned something  Where are the gems  

 You would not think 1000 pounds apiece an excessive sum for
them  

 I would pay ten  

 That would be unnecessary  Three thousand will cover the matter 
And there is a little reward  I fancy  Have you your check book 
Here is a pen  Better make it out for 4000 pounds  

With a dazed face the banker made out the required check  Holmes
walked over to his desk  took out a little triangular piece of
gold with three gems in it  and threw it down upon the table 

With a shriek of joy our client clutched it up 

 You have it   he gasped   I am saved  I am saved  

The reaction of joy was as passionate as his grief had been  and
he hugged his recovered gems to his bosom 

 There is one other thing you owe  Mr  Holder   said Sherlock
Holmes rather sternly 

 Owe   He caught up a pen   Name the sum  and I will pay it  

 No  the debt is not to me  You owe a very humble apology to that
noble lad  your son  who has carried himself in this matter as I
should be proud to see my own son do  should I ever chance to
have one  

 Then it was not Arthur who took them  

 I told you yesterday  and I repeat to day  that it was not  

 You are sure of it  Then let us hurry to him at once to let him
know that the truth is known  

 He knows it already  When I had cleared it all up I had an
interview with him  and finding that he would not tell me the
story  I told it to him  on which he had to confess that I was
right and to add the very few details which were not yet quite
clear to me  Your news of this morning  however  may open his
lips  

 For heaven s sake  tell me  then  what is this extraordinary
mystery  

 I will do so  and I will show you the steps by which I reached
it  And let me say to you  first  that which it is hardest for me
to say and for you to hear  there has been an understanding
between Sir George Burnwell and your niece Mary  They have now
fled together  

 My Mary  Impossible  

 It is unfortunately more than possible  it is certain  Neither
you nor your son knew the true character of this man when you
admitted him into your family circle  He is one of the most
dangerous men in England  a ruined gambler  an absolutely
desperate villain  a man without heart or conscience  Your niece
knew nothing of such men  When he breathed his vows to her  as he
had done to a hundred before her  she flattered herself that she
alone had touched his heart  The devil knows best what he said 
but at least she became his tool and was in the habit of seeing
him nearly every evening  

 I cannot  and I will not  believe it   cried the banker with an
ashen face 

 I will tell you  then  what occurred in your house last night 
Your niece  when you had  as she thought  gone to your room 
slipped down and talked to her lover through the window which
leads into the stable lane  His footmarks had pressed right
through the snow  so long had he stood there  She told him of the
coronet  His wicked lust for gold kindled at the news  and he
bent her to his will  I have no doubt that she loved you  but
there are women in whom the love of a lover extinguishes all
other loves  and I think that she must have been one  She had
hardly listened to his instructions when she saw you coming
downstairs  on which she closed the window rapidly and told you
about one of the servants  escapade with her wooden legged lover 
which was all perfectly true 

 Your boy  Arthur  went to bed after his interview with you but
he slept badly on account of his uneasiness about his club debts 
In the middle of the night he heard a soft tread pass his door 
so he rose and  looking out  was surprised to see his cousin
walking very stealthily along the passage until she disappeared
into your dressing room  Petrified with astonishment  the lad
slipped on some clothes and waited there in the dark to see what
would come of this strange affair  Presently she emerged from the
room again  and in the light of the passage lamp your son saw
that she carried the precious coronet in her hands  She passed
down the stairs  and he  thrilling with horror  ran along and
slipped behind the curtain near your door  whence he could see
what passed in the hall beneath  He saw her stealthily open the
window  hand out the coronet to someone in the gloom  and then
closing it once more hurry back to her room  passing quite close
to where he stood hid behind the curtain 

 As long as she was on the scene he could not take any action
without a horrible exposure of the woman whom he loved  But the
instant that she was gone he realised how crushing a misfortune
this would be for you  and how all important it was to set it
right  He rushed down  just as he was  in his bare feet  opened
the window  sprang out into the snow  and ran down the lane 
where he could see a dark figure in the moonlight  Sir George
Burnwell tried to get away  but Arthur caught him  and there was
a struggle between them  your lad tugging at one side of the
coronet  and his opponent at the other  In the scuffle  your son
struck Sir George and cut him over the eye  Then something
suddenly snapped  and your son  finding that he had the coronet
in his hands  rushed back  closed the window  ascended to your
room  and had just observed that the coronet had been twisted in
the struggle and was endeavouring to straighten it when you
appeared upon the scene  

 Is it possible   gasped the banker 

 You then roused his anger by calling him names at a moment when
he felt that he had deserved your warmest thanks  He could not
explain the true state of affairs without betraying one who
certainly deserved little enough consideration at his hands  He
took the more chivalrous view  however  and preserved her
secret  

 And that was why she shrieked and fainted when she saw the
coronet   cried Mr  Holder   Oh  my God  what a blind fool I have
been  And his asking to be allowed to go out for five minutes 
The dear fellow wanted to see if the missing piece were at the
scene of the struggle  How cruelly I have misjudged him  

 When I arrived at the house   continued Holmes   I at once went
very carefully round it to observe if there were any traces in
the snow which might help me  I knew that none had fallen since
the evening before  and also that there had been a strong frost
to preserve impressions  I passed along the tradesmen s path  but
found it all trampled down and indistinguishable  Just beyond it 
however  at the far side of the kitchen door  a woman had stood
and talked with a man  whose round impressions on one side showed
that he had a wooden leg  I could even tell that they had been
disturbed  for the woman had run back swiftly to the door  as was
shown by the deep toe and light heel marks  while Wooden leg had
waited a little  and then had gone away  I thought at the time
that this might be the maid and her sweetheart  of whom you had
already spoken to me  and inquiry showed it was so  I passed
round the garden without seeing anything more than random tracks 
which I took to be the police  but when I got into the stable
lane a very long and complex story was written in the snow in
front of me 

 There was a double line of tracks of a booted man  and a second
double line which I saw with delight belonged to a man with naked
feet  I was at once convinced from what you had told me that the
latter was your son  The first had walked both ways  but the
other had run swiftly  and as his tread was marked in places over
the depression of the boot  it was obvious that he had passed
after the other  I followed them up and found they led to the
hall window  where Boots had worn all the snow away while
waiting  Then I walked to the other end  which was a hundred
yards or more down the lane  I saw where Boots had faced round 
where the snow was cut up as though there had been a struggle 
and  finally  where a few drops of blood had fallen  to show me
that I was not mistaken  Boots had then run down the lane  and
another little smudge of blood showed that it was he who had been
hurt  When he came to the highroad at the other end  I found that
the pavement had been cleared  so there was an end to that clue 

 On entering the house  however  I examined  as you remember  the
sill and framework of the hall window with my lens  and I could
at once see that someone had passed out  I could distinguish the
outline of an instep where the wet foot had been placed in coming
in  I was then beginning to be able to form an opinion as to what
had occurred  A man had waited outside the window  someone had
brought the gems  the deed had been overseen by your son  he had
pursued the thief  had struggled with him  they had each tugged
at the coronet  their united strength causing injuries which
neither alone could have effected  He had returned with the
prize  but had left a fragment in the grasp of his opponent  So
far I was clear  The question now was  who was the man and who
was it brought him the coronet 

 It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the
impossible  whatever remains  however improbable  must be the
truth  Now  I knew that it was not you who had brought it down 
so there only remained your niece and the maids  But if it were
the maids  why should your son allow himself to be accused in
their place  There could be no possible reason  As he loved his
cousin  however  there was an excellent explanation why he should
retain her secret  the more so as the secret was a disgraceful
one  When I remembered that you had seen her at that window  and
how she had fainted on seeing the coronet again  my conjecture
became a certainty 

 And who could it be who was her confederate  A lover evidently 
for who else could outweigh the love and gratitude which she must
feel to you  I knew that you went out little  and that your
circle of friends was a very limited one  But among them was Sir
George Burnwell  I had heard of him before as being a man of evil
reputation among women  It must have been he who wore those boots
and retained the missing gems  Even though he knew that Arthur
had discovered him  he might still flatter himself that he was
safe  for the lad could not say a word without compromising his
own family 

 Well  your own good sense will suggest what measures I took
next  I went in the shape of a loafer to Sir George s house 
managed to pick up an acquaintance with his valet  learned that
his master had cut his head the night before  and  finally  at
the expense of six shillings  made all sure by buying a pair of
his cast off shoes  With these I journeyed down to Streatham and
saw that they exactly fitted the tracks  

 I saw an ill dressed vagabond in the lane yesterday evening  
said Mr  Holder 

 Precisely  It was I  I found that I had my man  so I came home
and changed my clothes  It was a delicate part which I had to
play then  for I saw that a prosecution must be avoided to avert
scandal  and I knew that so astute a villain would see that our
hands were tied in the matter  I went and saw him  At first  of
course  he denied everything  But when I gave him every
particular that had occurred  he tried to bluster and took down a
life preserver from the wall  I knew my man  however  and I
clapped a pistol to his head before he could strike  Then he
became a little more reasonable  I told him that we would give
him a price for the stones he held  1000 pounds apiece  That
brought out the first signs of grief that he had shown   Why 
dash it all   said he   I ve let them go at six hundred for the
three   I soon managed to get the address of the receiver who had
them  on promising him that there would be no prosecution  Off I
set to him  and after much chaffering I got our stones at 1000
pounds apiece  Then I looked in upon your son  told him that all
was right  and eventually got to my bed about two o clock  after
what I may call a really hard day s work  

 A day which has saved England from a great public scandal   said
the banker  rising   Sir  I cannot find words to thank you  but
you shall not find me ungrateful for what you have done  Your
skill has indeed exceeded all that I have heard of it  And now I
must fly to my dear boy to apologise to him for the wrong which I
have done him  As to what you tell me of poor Mary  it goes to my
very heart  Not even your skill can inform me where she is now  

 I think that we may safely say   returned Holmes   that she is
wherever Sir George Burnwell is  It is equally certain  too  that
whatever her sins are  they will soon receive a more than
sufficient punishment  



XII  THE ADVENTURE OF THE COPPER BEECHES

 To the man who loves art for its own sake   remarked Sherlock
Holmes  tossing aside the advertisement sheet of the Daily
Telegraph   it is frequently in its least important and lowliest
manifestations that the keenest pleasure is to be derived  It is
pleasant to me to observe  Watson  that you have so far grasped
this truth that in these little records of our cases which you
have been good enough to draw up  and  I am bound to say 
occasionally to embellish  you have given prominence not so much
to the many causes célèbres and sensational trials in which I
have figured but rather to those incidents which may have been
trivial in themselves  but which have given room for those
faculties of deduction and of logical synthesis which I have made
my special province  

 And yet   said I  smiling   I cannot quite hold myself absolved
from the charge of sensationalism which has been urged against my
records  

 You have erred  perhaps   he observed  taking up a glowing
cinder with the tongs and lighting with it the long cherry wood
pipe which was wont to replace his clay when he was in a
disputatious rather than a meditative mood   you have erred
perhaps in attempting to put colour and life into each of your
statements instead of confining yourself to the task of placing
upon record that severe reasoning from cause to effect which is
really the only notable feature about the thing  

 It seems to me that I have done you full justice in the matter  
I remarked with some coldness  for I was repelled by the egotism
which I had more than once observed to be a strong factor in my
friend s singular character 

 No  it is not selfishness or conceit   said he  answering  as
was his wont  my thoughts rather than my words   If I claim full
justice for my art  it is because it is an impersonal thing  a
thing beyond myself  Crime is common  Logic is rare  Therefore it
is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should
dwell  You have degraded what should have been a course of
lectures into a series of tales  

It was a cold morning of the early spring  and we sat after
breakfast on either side of a cheery fire in the old room at
Baker Street  A thick fog rolled down between the lines of
dun coloured houses  and the opposing windows loomed like dark 
shapeless blurs through the heavy yellow wreaths  Our gas was lit
and shone on the white cloth and glimmer of china and metal  for
the table had not been cleared yet  Sherlock Holmes had been
silent all the morning  dipping continuously into the
advertisement columns of a succession of papers until at last 
having apparently given up his search  he had emerged in no very
sweet temper to lecture me upon my literary shortcomings 

 At the same time   he remarked after a pause  during which he
had sat puffing at his long pipe and gazing down into the fire 
 you can hardly be open to a charge of sensationalism  for out of
these cases which you have been so kind as to interest yourself
in  a fair proportion do not treat of crime  in its legal sense 
at all  The small matter in which I endeavoured to help the King
of Bohemia  the singular experience of Miss Mary Sutherland  the
problem connected with the man with the twisted lip  and the
incident of the noble bachelor  were all matters which are
outside the pale of the law  But in avoiding the sensational  I
fear that you may have bordered on the trivial  

 The end may have been so   I answered   but the methods I hold
to have been novel and of interest  

 Pshaw  my dear fellow  what do the public  the great unobservant
public  who could hardly tell a weaver by his tooth or a
compositor by his left thumb  care about the finer shades of
analysis and deduction  But  indeed  if you are trivial  I cannot
blame you  for the days of the great cases are past  Man  or at
least criminal man  has lost all enterprise and originality  As
to my own little practice  it seems to be degenerating into an
agency for recovering lost lead pencils and giving advice to
young ladies from boarding schools  I think that I have touched
bottom at last  however  This note I had this morning marks my
zero point  I fancy  Read it   He tossed a crumpled letter across
to me 

It was dated from Montague Place upon the preceding evening  and
ran thus 

 DEAR MR  HOLMES   I am very anxious to consult you as to whether
I should or should not accept a situation which has been offered
to me as governess  I shall call at half past ten to morrow if I
do not inconvenience you  Yours faithfully 
                                                VIOLET HUNTER  

 Do you know the young lady   I asked 

 Not I  

 It is half past ten now  

 Yes  and I have no doubt that is her ring  

 It may turn out to be of more interest than you think  You
remember that the affair of the blue carbuncle  which appeared to
be a mere whim at first  developed into a serious investigation 
It may be so in this case  also  

 Well  let us hope so  But our doubts will very soon be solved 
for here  unless I am much mistaken  is the person in question  

As he spoke the door opened and a young lady entered the room 
She was plainly but neatly dressed  with a bright  quick face 
freckled like a plover s egg  and with the brisk manner of a
woman who has had her own way to make in the world 

 You will excuse my troubling you  I am sure   said she  as my
companion rose to greet her   but I have had a very strange
experience  and as I have no parents or relations of any sort
from whom I could ask advice  I thought that perhaps you would be
kind enough to tell me what I should do  

 Pray take a seat  Miss Hunter  I shall be happy to do anything
that I can to serve you  

I could see that Holmes was favourably impressed by the manner
and speech of his new client  He looked her over in his searching
fashion  and then composed himself  with his lids drooping and
his finger tips together  to listen to her story 

 I have been a governess for five years   said she   in the
family of Colonel Spence Munro  but two months ago the colonel
received an appointment at Halifax  in Nova Scotia  and took his
children over to America with him  so that I found myself without
a situation  I advertised  and I answered advertisements  but
without success  At last the little money which I had saved began
to run short  and I was at my wit s end as to what I should do 

 There is a well known agency for governesses in the West End
called Westaway s  and there I used to call about once a week in
order to see whether anything had turned up which might suit me 
Westaway was the name of the founder of the business  but it is
really managed by Miss Stoper  She sits in her own little office 
and the ladies who are seeking employment wait in an anteroom 
and are then shown in one by one  when she consults her ledgers
and sees whether she has anything which would suit them 

 Well  when I called last week I was shown into the little office
as usual  but I found that Miss Stoper was not alone  A
prodigiously stout man with a very smiling face and a great heavy
chin which rolled down in fold upon fold over his throat sat at
her elbow with a pair of glasses on his nose  looking very
earnestly at the ladies who entered  As I came in he gave quite a
jump in his chair and turned quickly to Miss Stoper 

  That will do   said he   I could not ask for anything better 
Capital  capital   He seemed quite enthusiastic and rubbed his
hands together in the most genial fashion  He was such a
comfortable looking man that it was quite a pleasure to look at
him 

  You are looking for a situation  miss   he asked 

  Yes  sir  

  As governess  

  Yes  sir  

  And what salary do you ask  

  I had 4 pounds a month in my last place with Colonel Spence
Munro  

  Oh  tut  tut  sweating  rank sweating   he cried  throwing his
fat hands out into the air like a man who is in a boiling
passion   How could anyone offer so pitiful a sum to a lady with
such attractions and accomplishments  

  My accomplishments  sir  may be less than you imagine   said I 
 A little French  a little German  music  and drawing   

  Tut  tut   he cried   This is all quite beside the question 
The point is  have you or have you not the bearing and deportment
of a lady  There it is in a nutshell  If you have not  you are
not fitted for the rearing of a child who may some day play a
considerable part in the history of the country  But if you have
why  then  how could any gentleman ask you to condescend to
accept anything under the three figures  Your salary with me 
madam  would commence at 100 pounds a year  

 You may imagine  Mr  Holmes  that to me  destitute as I was 
such an offer seemed almost too good to be true  The gentleman 
however  seeing perhaps the look of incredulity upon my face 
opened a pocket book and took out a note 

  It is also my custom   said he  smiling in the most pleasant
fashion until his eyes were just two little shining slits amid
the white creases of his face   to advance to my young ladies
half their salary beforehand  so that they may meet any little
expenses of their journey and their wardrobe  

 It seemed to me that I had never met so fascinating and so
thoughtful a man  As I was already in debt to my tradesmen  the
advance was a great convenience  and yet there was something
unnatural about the whole transaction which made me wish to know
a little more before I quite committed myself 

  May I ask where you live  sir   said I 

  Hampshire  Charming rural place  The Copper Beeches  five miles
on the far side of Winchester  It is the most lovely country  my
dear young lady  and the dearest old country house  

  And my duties  sir  I should be glad to know what they would
be  

  One child  one dear little romper just six years old  Oh  if
you could see him killing cockroaches with a slipper  Smack 
smack  smack  Three gone before you could wink   He leaned back
in his chair and laughed his eyes into his head again 

 I was a little startled at the nature of the child s amusement 
but the father s laughter made me think that perhaps he was
joking 

  My sole duties  then   I asked   are to take charge of a single
child  

  No  no  not the sole  not the sole  my dear young lady   he
cried   Your duty would be  as I am sure your good sense would
suggest  to obey any little commands my wife might give  provided
always that they were such commands as a lady might with
propriety obey  You see no difficulty  heh  

  I should be happy to make myself useful  

  Quite so  In dress now  for example  We are faddy people  you
know  faddy but kind hearted  If you were asked to wear any dress
which we might give you  you would not object to our little whim 
Heh  

  No   said I  considerably astonished at his words 

  Or to sit here  or sit there  that would not be offensive to
you  

  Oh  no  

  Or to cut your hair quite short before you come to us  

 I could hardly believe my ears  As you may observe  Mr  Holmes 
my hair is somewhat luxuriant  and of a rather peculiar tint of
chestnut  It has been considered artistic  I could not dream of
sacrificing it in this offhand fashion 

  I am afraid that that is quite impossible   said I  He had been
watching me eagerly out of his small eyes  and I could see a
shadow pass over his face as I spoke 

  I am afraid that it is quite essential   said he   It is a
little fancy of my wife s  and ladies  fancies  you know  madam 
ladies  fancies must be consulted  And so you won t cut your
hair  

  No  sir  I really could not   I answered firmly 

  Ah  very well  then that quite settles the matter  It is a
pity  because in other respects you would really have done very
nicely  In that case  Miss Stoper  I had best inspect a few more
of your young ladies  

 The manageress had sat all this while busy with her papers
without a word to either of us  but she glanced at me now with so
much annoyance upon her face that I could not help suspecting
that she had lost a handsome commission through my refusal 

  Do you desire your name to be kept upon the books   she asked 

  If you please  Miss Stoper  

  Well  really  it seems rather useless  since you refuse the
most excellent offers in this fashion   said she sharply   You
can hardly expect us to exert ourselves to find another such
opening for you  Good day to you  Miss Hunter   She struck a gong
upon the table  and I was shown out by the page 

 Well  Mr  Holmes  when I got back to my lodgings and found
little enough in the cupboard  and two or three bills upon the
table  I began to ask myself whether I had not done a very
foolish thing  After all  if these people had strange fads and
expected obedience on the most extraordinary matters  they were
at least ready to pay for their eccentricity  Very few
governesses in England are getting 100 pounds a year  Besides 
what use was my hair to me  Many people are improved by wearing
it short and perhaps I should be among the number  Next day I was
inclined to think that I had made a mistake  and by the day after
I was sure of it  I had almost overcome my pride so far as to go
back to the agency and inquire whether the place was still open
when I received this letter from the gentleman himself  I have it
here and I will read it to you 

                         The Copper Beeches  near Winchester 
  DEAR MISS HUNTER   Miss Stoper has very kindly given me your
address  and I write from here to ask you whether you have
reconsidered your decision  My wife is very anxious that you
should come  for she has been much attracted by my description of
you  We are willing to give 30 pounds a quarter  or 120 pounds a
year  so as to recompense you for any little inconvenience which
our fads may cause you  They are not very exacting  after all  My
wife is fond of a particular shade of electric blue and would
like you to wear such a dress indoors in the morning  You need
not  however  go to the expense of purchasing one  as we have one
belonging to my dear daughter Alice  now in Philadelphia   which
would  I should think  fit you very well  Then  as to sitting
here or there  or amusing yourself in any manner indicated  that
need cause you no inconvenience  As regards your hair  it is no
doubt a pity  especially as I could not help remarking its beauty
during our short interview  but I am afraid that I must remain
firm upon this point  and I only hope that the increased salary
may recompense you for the loss  Your duties  as far as the child
is concerned  are very light  Now do try to come  and I shall
meet you with the dog cart at Winchester  Let me know your train 
Yours faithfully  JEPHRO RUCASTLE  

 That is the letter which I have just received  Mr  Holmes  and
my mind is made up that I will accept it  I thought  however 
that before taking the final step I should like to submit the
whole matter to your consideration  

 Well  Miss Hunter  if your mind is made up  that settles the
question   said Holmes  smiling 

 But you would not advise me to refuse  

 I confess that it is not the situation which I should like to
see a sister of mine apply for  

 What is the meaning of it all  Mr  Holmes  

 Ah  I have no data  I cannot tell  Perhaps you have yourself
formed some opinion  

 Well  there seems to me to be only one possible solution  Mr 
Rucastle seemed to be a very kind  good natured man  Is it not
possible that his wife is a lunatic  that he desires to keep the
matter quiet for fear she should be taken to an asylum  and that
he humours her fancies in every way in order to prevent an
outbreak  

 That is a possible solution  in fact  as matters stand  it is
the most probable one  But in any case it does not seem to be a
nice household for a young lady  

 But the money  Mr  Holmes  the money  

 Well  yes  of course the pay is good  too good  That is what
makes me uneasy  Why should they give you 120 pounds a year  when
they could have their pick for 40 pounds  There must be some
strong reason behind  

 I thought that if I told you the circumstances you would
understand afterwards if I wanted your help  I should feel so
much stronger if I felt that you were at the back of me  

 Oh  you may carry that feeling away with you  I assure you that
your little problem promises to be the most interesting which has
come my way for some months  There is something distinctly novel
about some of the features  If you should find yourself in doubt
or in danger   

 Danger  What danger do you foresee  

Holmes shook his head gravely   It would cease to be a danger if
we could define it   said he   But at any time  day or night  a
telegram would bring me down to your help  

 That is enough   She rose briskly from her chair with the
anxiety all swept from her face   I shall go down to Hampshire
quite easy in my mind now  I shall write to Mr  Rucastle at once 
sacrifice my poor hair to night  and start for Winchester
to morrow   With a few grateful words to Holmes she bade us both
good night and bustled off upon her way 

 At least   said I as we heard her quick  firm steps descending
the stairs   she seems to be a young lady who is very well able
to take care of herself  

 And she would need to be   said Holmes gravely   I am much
mistaken if we do not hear from her before many days are past  

It was not very long before my friend s prediction was fulfilled 
A fortnight went by  during which I frequently found my thoughts
turning in her direction and wondering what strange side alley of
human experience this lonely woman had strayed into  The unusual
salary  the curious conditions  the light duties  all pointed to
something abnormal  though whether a fad or a plot  or whether
the man were a philanthropist or a villain  it was quite beyond
my powers to determine  As to Holmes  I observed that he sat
frequently for half an hour on end  with knitted brows and an
abstracted air  but he swept the matter away with a wave of his
hand when I mentioned it   Data  data  data   he cried
impatiently   I can t make bricks without clay   And yet he would
always wind up by muttering that no sister of his should ever
have accepted such a situation 

The telegram which we eventually received came late one night
just as I was thinking of turning in and Holmes was settling down
to one of those all night chemical researches which he frequently
indulged in  when I would leave him stooping over a retort and a
test tube at night and find him in the same position when I came
down to breakfast in the morning  He opened the yellow envelope 
and then  glancing at the message  threw it across to me 

 Just look up the trains in Bradshaw   said he  and turned back
to his chemical studies 

The summons was a brief and urgent one 

 Please be at the Black Swan Hotel at Winchester at midday
to morrow   it said   Do come  I am at my wit s end   HUNTER  

 Will you come with me   asked Holmes  glancing up 

 I should wish to  

 Just look it up  then  

 There is a train at half past nine   said I  glancing over my
Bradshaw   It is due at Winchester at 11 30  

 That will do very nicely  Then perhaps I had better postpone my
analysis of the acetones  as we may need to be at our best in the
morning  

By eleven o clock the next day we were well upon our way to the
old English capital  Holmes had been buried in the morning papers
all the way down  but after we had passed the Hampshire border he
threw them down and began to admire the scenery  It was an ideal
spring day  a light blue sky  flecked with little fleecy white
clouds drifting across from west to east  The sun was shining
very brightly  and yet there was an exhilarating nip in the air 
which set an edge to a man s energy  All over the countryside 
away to the rolling hills around Aldershot  the little red and
grey roofs of the farm steadings peeped out from amid the light
green of the new foliage 

 Are they not fresh and beautiful   I cried with all the
enthusiasm of a man fresh from the fogs of Baker Street 

But Holmes shook his head gravely 

 Do you know  Watson   said he   that it is one of the curses of
a mind with a turn like mine that I must look at everything with
reference to my own special subject  You look at these scattered
houses  and you are impressed by their beauty  I look at them 
and the only thought which comes to me is a feeling of their
isolation and of the impunity with which crime may be committed
there  

 Good heavens   I cried   Who would associate crime with these
dear old homesteads  

 They always fill me with a certain horror  It is my belief 
Watson  founded upon my experience  that the lowest and vilest
alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin
than does the smiling and beautiful countryside  

 You horrify me  

 But the reason is very obvious  The pressure of public opinion
can do in the town what the law cannot accomplish  There is no
lane so vile that the scream of a tortured child  or the thud of
a drunkard s blow  does not beget sympathy and indignation among
the neighbours  and then the whole machinery of justice is ever
so close that a word of complaint can set it going  and there is
but a step between the crime and the dock  But look at these
lonely houses  each in its own fields  filled for the most part
with poor ignorant folk who know little of the law  Think of the
deeds of hellish cruelty  the hidden wickedness which may go on 
year in  year out  in such places  and none the wiser  Had this
lady who appeals to us for help gone to live in Winchester  I
should never have had a fear for her  It is the five miles of
country which makes the danger  Still  it is clear that she is
not personally threatened  

 No  If she can come to Winchester to meet us she can get away  

 Quite so  She has her freedom  

 What CAN be the matter  then  Can you suggest no explanation  

 I have devised seven separate explanations  each of which would
cover the facts as far as we know them  But which of these is
correct can only be determined by the fresh information which we
shall no doubt find waiting for us  Well  there is the tower of
the cathedral  and we shall soon learn all that Miss Hunter has
to tell  

The Black Swan is an inn of repute in the High Street  at no
distance from the station  and there we found the young lady
waiting for us  She had engaged a sitting room  and our lunch
awaited us upon the table 

 I am so delighted that you have come   she said earnestly   It
is so very kind of you both  but indeed I do not know what I
should do  Your advice will be altogether invaluable to me  

 Pray tell us what has happened to you  

 I will do so  and I must be quick  for I have promised Mr 
Rucastle to be back before three  I got his leave to come into
town this morning  though he little knew for what purpose  

 Let us have everything in its due order   Holmes thrust his long
thin legs out towards the fire and composed himself to listen 

 In the first place  I may say that I have met  on the whole 
with no actual ill treatment from Mr  and Mrs  Rucastle  It is
only fair to them to say that  But I cannot understand them  and
I am not easy in my mind about them  

 What can you not understand  

 Their reasons for their conduct  But you shall have it all just
as it occurred  When I came down  Mr  Rucastle met me here and
drove me in his dog cart to the Copper Beeches  It is  as he
said  beautifully situated  but it is not beautiful in itself 
for it is a large square block of a house  whitewashed  but all
stained and streaked with damp and bad weather  There are grounds
round it  woods on three sides  and on the fourth a field which
slopes down to the Southampton highroad  which curves past about
a hundred yards from the front door  This ground in front belongs
to the house  but the woods all round are part of Lord
Southerton s preserves  A clump of copper beeches immediately in
front of the hall door has given its name to the place 

 I was driven over by my employer  who was as amiable as ever 
and was introduced by him that evening to his wife and the child 
There was no truth  Mr  Holmes  in the conjecture which seemed to
us to be probable in your rooms at Baker Street  Mrs  Rucastle is
not mad  I found her to be a silent  pale faced woman  much
younger than her husband  not more than thirty  I should think 
while he can hardly be less than forty five  From their
conversation I have gathered that they have been married about
seven years  that he was a widower  and that his only child by
the first wife was the daughter who has gone to Philadelphia  Mr 
Rucastle told me in private that the reason why she had left them
was that she had an unreasoning aversion to her stepmother  As
the daughter could not have been less than twenty  I can quite
imagine that her position must have been uncomfortable with her
father s young wife 

 Mrs  Rucastle seemed to me to be colourless in mind as well as
in feature  She impressed me neither favourably nor the reverse 
She was a nonentity  It was easy to see that she was passionately
devoted both to her husband and to her little son  Her light grey
eyes wandered continually from one to the other  noting every
little want and forestalling it if possible  He was kind to her
also in his bluff  boisterous fashion  and on the whole they
seemed to be a happy couple  And yet she had some secret sorrow 
this woman  She would often be lost in deep thought  with the
saddest look upon her face  More than once I have surprised her
in tears  I have thought sometimes that it was the disposition of
her child which weighed upon her mind  for I have never met so
utterly spoiled and so ill natured a little creature  He is small
for his age  with a head which is quite disproportionately large 
His whole life appears to be spent in an alternation between
savage fits of passion and gloomy intervals of sulking  Giving
pain to any creature weaker than himself seems to be his one idea
of amusement  and he shows quite remarkable talent in planning
the capture of mice  little birds  and insects  But I would
rather not talk about the creature  Mr  Holmes  and  indeed  he
has little to do with my story  

 I am glad of all details   remarked my friend   whether they
seem to you to be relevant or not  

 I shall try not to miss anything of importance  The one
unpleasant thing about the house  which struck me at once  was
the appearance and conduct of the servants  There are only two  a
man and his wife  Toller  for that is his name  is a rough 
uncouth man  with grizzled hair and whiskers  and a perpetual
smell of drink  Twice since I have been with them he has been
quite drunk  and yet Mr  Rucastle seemed to take no notice of it 
His wife is a very tall and strong woman with a sour face  as
silent as Mrs  Rucastle and much less amiable  They are a most
unpleasant couple  but fortunately I spend most of my time in the
nursery and my own room  which are next to each other in one
corner of the building 

 For two days after my arrival at the Copper Beeches my life was
very quiet  on the third  Mrs  Rucastle came down just after
breakfast and whispered something to her husband 

  Oh  yes   said he  turning to me   we are very much obliged to
you  Miss Hunter  for falling in with our whims so far as to cut
your hair  I assure you that it has not detracted in the tiniest
iota from your appearance  We shall now see how the electric blue
dress will become you  You will find it laid out upon the bed in
your room  and if you would be so good as to put it on we should
both be extremely obliged  

 The dress which I found waiting for me was of a peculiar shade
of blue  It was of excellent material  a sort of beige  but it
bore unmistakable signs of having been worn before  It could not
have been a better fit if I had been measured for it  Both Mr 
and Mrs  Rucastle expressed a delight at the look of it  which
seemed quite exaggerated in its vehemence  They were waiting for
me in the drawing room  which is a very large room  stretching
along the entire front of the house  with three long windows
reaching down to the floor  A chair had been placed close to the
central window  with its back turned towards it  In this I was
asked to sit  and then Mr  Rucastle  walking up and down on the
other side of the room  began to tell me a series of the funniest
stories that I have ever listened to  You cannot imagine how
comical he was  and I laughed until I was quite weary  Mrs 
Rucastle  however  who has evidently no sense of humour  never so
much as smiled  but sat with her hands in her lap  and a sad 
anxious look upon her face  After an hour or so  Mr  Rucastle
suddenly remarked that it was time to commence the duties of the
day  and that I might change my dress and go to little Edward in
the nursery 

 Two days later this same performance was gone through under
exactly similar circumstances  Again I changed my dress  again I
sat in the window  and again I laughed very heartily at the funny
stories of which my employer had an immense répertoire  and which
he told inimitably  Then he handed me a yellow backed novel  and
moving my chair a little sideways  that my own shadow might not
fall upon the page  he begged me to read aloud to him  I read for
about ten minutes  beginning in the heart of a chapter  and then
suddenly  in the middle of a sentence  he ordered me to cease and
to change my dress 

 You can easily imagine  Mr  Holmes  how curious I became as to
what the meaning of this extraordinary performance could possibly
be  They were always very careful  I observed  to turn my face
away from the window  so that I became consumed with the desire
to see what was going on behind my back  At first it seemed to be
impossible  but I soon devised a means  My hand mirror had been
broken  so a happy thought seized me  and I concealed a piece of
the glass in my handkerchief  On the next occasion  in the midst
of my laughter  I put my handkerchief up to my eyes  and was able
with a little management to see all that there was behind me  I
confess that I was disappointed  There was nothing  At least that
was my first impression  At the second glance  however  I
perceived that there was a man standing in the Southampton Road 
a small bearded man in a grey suit  who seemed to be looking in
my direction  The road is an important highway  and there are
usually people there  This man  however  was leaning against the
railings which bordered our field and was looking earnestly up  I
lowered my handkerchief and glanced at Mrs  Rucastle to find her
eyes fixed upon me with a most searching gaze  She said nothing 
but I am convinced that she had divined that I had a mirror in my
hand and had seen what was behind me  She rose at once 

  Jephro   said she   there is an impertinent fellow upon the
road there who stares up at Miss Hunter  

  No friend of yours  Miss Hunter   he asked 

  No  I know no one in these parts  

  Dear me  How very impertinent  Kindly turn round and motion to
him to go away  

  Surely it would be better to take no notice  

  No  no  we should have him loitering here always  Kindly turn
round and wave him away like that  

 I did as I was told  and at the same instant Mrs  Rucastle drew
down the blind  That was a week ago  and from that time I have
not sat again in the window  nor have I worn the blue dress  nor
seen the man in the road  

 Pray continue   said Holmes   Your narrative promises to be a
most interesting one  

 You will find it rather disconnected  I fear  and there may
prove to be little relation between the different incidents of
which I speak  On the very first day that I was at the Copper
Beeches  Mr  Rucastle took me to a small outhouse which stands
near the kitchen door  As we approached it I heard the sharp
rattling of a chain  and the sound as of a large animal moving
about 

  Look in here   said Mr  Rucastle  showing me a slit between two
planks   Is he not a beauty  

 I looked through and was conscious of two glowing eyes  and of a
vague figure huddled up in the darkness 

  Don t be frightened   said my employer  laughing at the start
which I had given   It s only Carlo  my mastiff  I call him mine 
but really old Toller  my groom  is the only man who can do
anything with him  We feed him once a day  and not too much then 
so that he is always as keen as mustard  Toller lets him loose
every night  and God help the trespasser whom he lays his fangs
upon  For goodness  sake don t you ever on any pretext set your
foot over the threshold at night  for it s as much as your life
is worth  

 The warning was no idle one  for two nights later I happened to
look out of my bedroom window about two o clock in the morning 
It was a beautiful moonlight night  and the lawn in front of the
house was silvered over and almost as bright as day  I was
standing  rapt in the peaceful beauty of the scene  when I was
aware that something was moving under the shadow of the copper
beeches  As it emerged into the moonshine I saw what it was  It
was a giant dog  as large as a calf  tawny tinted  with hanging
jowl  black muzzle  and huge projecting bones  It walked slowly
across the lawn and vanished into the shadow upon the other side 
That dreadful sentinel sent a chill to my heart which I do not
think that any burglar could have done 

 And now I have a very strange experience to tell you  I had  as
you know  cut off my hair in London  and I had placed it in a
great coil at the bottom of my trunk  One evening  after the
child was in bed  I began to amuse myself by examining the
furniture of my room and by rearranging my own little things 
There was an old chest of drawers in the room  the two upper ones
empty and open  the lower one locked  I had filled the first two
with my linen  and as I had still much to pack away I was
naturally annoyed at not having the use of the third drawer  It
struck me that it might have been fastened by a mere oversight 
so I took out my bunch of keys and tried to open it  The very
first key fitted to perfection  and I drew the drawer open  There
was only one thing in it  but I am sure that you would never
guess what it was  It was my coil of hair 

 I took it up and examined it  It was of the same peculiar tint 
and the same thickness  But then the impossibility of the thing
obtruded itself upon me  How could my hair have been locked in
the drawer  With trembling hands I undid my trunk  turned out the
contents  and drew from the bottom my own hair  I laid the two
tresses together  and I assure you that they were identical  Was
it not extraordinary  Puzzle as I would  I could make nothing at
all of what it meant  I returned the strange hair to the drawer 
and I said nothing of the matter to the Rucastles as I felt that
I had put myself in the wrong by opening a drawer which they had
locked 

 I am naturally observant  as you may have remarked  Mr  Holmes 
and I soon had a pretty good plan of the whole house in my head 
There was one wing  however  which appeared not to be inhabited
at all  A door which faced that which led into the quarters of
the Tollers opened into this suite  but it was invariably locked 
One day  however  as I ascended the stair  I met Mr  Rucastle
coming out through this door  his keys in his hand  and a look on
his face which made him a very different person to the round 
jovial man to whom I was accustomed  His cheeks were red  his
brow was all crinkled with anger  and the veins stood out at his
temples with passion  He locked the door and hurried past me
without a word or a look 

 This aroused my curiosity  so when I went out for a walk in the
grounds with my charge  I strolled round to the side from which I
could see the windows of this part of the house  There were four
of them in a row  three of which were simply dirty  while the
fourth was shuttered up  They were evidently all deserted  As I
strolled up and down  glancing at them occasionally  Mr  Rucastle
came out to me  looking as merry and jovial as ever 

  Ah   said he   you must not think me rude if I passed you
without a word  my dear young lady  I was preoccupied with
business matters  

 I assured him that I was not offended   By the way   said I 
 you seem to have quite a suite of spare rooms up there  and one
of them has the shutters up  

 He looked surprised and  as it seemed to me  a little startled
at my remark 

  Photography is one of my hobbies   said he   I have made my
dark room up there  But  dear me  what an observant young lady we
have come upon  Who would have believed it  Who would have ever
believed it   He spoke in a jesting tone  but there was no jest
in his eyes as he looked at me  I read suspicion there and
annoyance  but no jest 

 Well  Mr  Holmes  from the moment that I understood that there
was something about that suite of rooms which I was not to know 
I was all on fire to go over them  It was not mere curiosity 
though I have my share of that  It was more a feeling of duty  a
feeling that some good might come from my penetrating to this
place  They talk of woman s instinct  perhaps it was woman s
instinct which gave me that feeling  At any rate  it was there 
and I was keenly on the lookout for any chance to pass the
forbidden door 

 It was only yesterday that the chance came  I may tell you that 
besides Mr  Rucastle  both Toller and his wife find something to
do in these deserted rooms  and I once saw him carrying a large
black linen bag with him through the door  Recently he has been
drinking hard  and yesterday evening he was very drunk  and when
I came upstairs there was the key in the door  I have no doubt at
all that he had left it there  Mr  and Mrs  Rucastle were both
downstairs  and the child was with them  so that I had an
admirable opportunity  I turned the key gently in the lock 
opened the door  and slipped through 

 There was a little passage in front of me  unpapered and
uncarpeted  which turned at a right angle at the farther end 
Round this corner were three doors in a line  the first and third
of which were open  They each led into an empty room  dusty and
cheerless  with two windows in the one and one in the other  so
thick with dirt that the evening light glimmered dimly through
them  The centre door was closed  and across the outside of it
had been fastened one of the broad bars of an iron bed  padlocked
at one end to a ring in the wall  and fastened at the other with
stout cord  The door itself was locked as well  and the key was
not there  This barricaded door corresponded clearly with the
shuttered window outside  and yet I could see by the glimmer from
beneath it that the room was not in darkness  Evidently there was
a skylight which let in light from above  As I stood in the
passage gazing at the sinister door and wondering what secret it
might veil  I suddenly heard the sound of steps within the room
and saw a shadow pass backward and forward against the little
slit of dim light which shone out from under the door  A mad 
unreasoning terror rose up in me at the sight  Mr  Holmes  My
overstrung nerves failed me suddenly  and I turned and ran  ran
as though some dreadful hand were behind me clutching at the
skirt of my dress  I rushed down the passage  through the door 
and straight into the arms of Mr  Rucastle  who was waiting
outside 

  So   said he  smiling   it was you  then  I thought that it
must be when I saw the door open  

  Oh  I am so frightened   I panted 

  My dear young lady  my dear young lady    you cannot think how
caressing and soothing his manner was   and what has frightened
you  my dear young lady  

 But his voice was just a little too coaxing  He overdid it  I
was keenly on my guard against him 

  I was foolish enough to go into the empty wing   I answered 
 But it is so lonely and eerie in this dim light that I was
frightened and ran out again  Oh  it is so dreadfully still in
there  

  Only that   said he  looking at me keenly 

  Why  what did you think   I asked 

  Why do you think that I lock this door  

  I am sure that I do not know  

  It is to keep people out who have no business there  Do you
see   He was still smiling in the most amiable manner 

  I am sure if I had known   

  Well  then  you know now  And if you ever put your foot over
that threshold again   here in an instant the smile hardened into
a grin of rage  and he glared down at me with the face of a
demon   I ll throw you to the mastiff  

 I was so terrified that I do not know what I did  I suppose that
I must have rushed past him into my room  I remember nothing
until I found myself lying on my bed trembling all over  Then I
thought of you  Mr  Holmes  I could not live there longer without
some advice  I was frightened of the house  of the man  of the
woman  of the servants  even of the child  They were all horrible
to me  If I could only bring you down all would be well  Of
course I might have fled from the house  but my curiosity was
almost as strong as my fears  My mind was soon made up  I would
send you a wire  I put on my hat and cloak  went down to the
office  which is about half a mile from the house  and then
returned  feeling very much easier  A horrible doubt came into my
mind as I approached the door lest the dog might be loose  but I
remembered that Toller had drunk himself into a state of
insensibility that evening  and I knew that he was the only one
in the household who had any influence with the savage creature 
or who would venture to set him free  I slipped in in safety and
lay awake half the night in my joy at the thought of seeing you 
I had no difficulty in getting leave to come into Winchester this
morning  but I must be back before three o clock  for Mr  and
Mrs  Rucastle are going on a visit  and will be away all the
evening  so that I must look after the child  Now I have told you
all my adventures  Mr  Holmes  and I should be very glad if you
could tell me what it all means  and  above all  what I should
do  

Holmes and I had listened spellbound to this extraordinary story 
My friend rose now and paced up and down the room  his hands in
his pockets  and an expression of the most profound gravity upon
his face 

 Is Toller still drunk   he asked 

 Yes  I heard his wife tell Mrs  Rucastle that she could do
nothing with him  

 That is well  And the Rucastles go out to night  

 Yes  

 Is there a cellar with a good strong lock  

 Yes  the wine cellar  

 You seem to me to have acted all through this matter like a very
brave and sensible girl  Miss Hunter  Do you think that you could
perform one more feat  I should not ask it of you if I did not
think you a quite exceptional woman  

 I will try  What is it  

 We shall be at the Copper Beeches by seven o clock  my friend
and I  The Rucastles will be gone by that time  and Toller will 
we hope  be incapable  There only remains Mrs  Toller  who might
give the alarm  If you could send her into the cellar on some
errand  and then turn the key upon her  you would facilitate
matters immensely  

 I will do it  

 Excellent  We shall then look thoroughly into the affair  Of
course there is only one feasible explanation  You have been
brought there to personate someone  and the real person is
imprisoned in this chamber  That is obvious  As to who this
prisoner is  I have no doubt that it is the daughter  Miss Alice
Rucastle  if I remember right  who was said to have gone to
America  You were chosen  doubtless  as resembling her in height 
figure  and the colour of your hair  Hers had been cut off  very
possibly in some illness through which she has passed  and so  of
course  yours had to be sacrificed also  By a curious chance you
came upon her tresses  The man in the road was undoubtedly some
friend of hers  possibly her fiancé  and no doubt  as you wore
the girl s dress and were so like her  he was convinced from your
laughter  whenever he saw you  and afterwards from your gesture 
that Miss Rucastle was perfectly happy  and that she no longer
desired his attentions  The dog is let loose at night to prevent
him from endeavouring to communicate with her  So much is fairly
clear  The most serious point in the case is the disposition of
the child  

 What on earth has that to do with it   I ejaculated 

 My dear Watson  you as a medical man are continually gaining
light as to the tendencies of a child by the study of the
parents  Don t you see that the converse is equally valid  I have
frequently gained my first real insight into the character of
parents by studying their children  This child s disposition is
abnormally cruel  merely for cruelty s sake  and whether he
derives this from his smiling father  as I should suspect  or
from his mother  it bodes evil for the poor girl who is in their
power  

 I am sure that you are right  Mr  Holmes   cried our client   A
thousand things come back to me which make me certain that you
have hit it  Oh  let us lose not an instant in bringing help to
this poor creature  

 We must be circumspect  for we are dealing with a very cunning
man  We can do nothing until seven o clock  At that hour we shall
be with you  and it will not be long before we solve the
mystery  

We were as good as our word  for it was just seven when we
reached the Copper Beeches  having put up our trap at a wayside
public house  The group of trees  with their dark leaves shining
like burnished metal in the light of the setting sun  were
sufficient to mark the house even had Miss Hunter not been
standing smiling on the door step 

 Have you managed it   asked Holmes 

A loud thudding noise came from somewhere downstairs   That is
Mrs  Toller in the cellar   said she   Her husband lies snoring
on the kitchen rug  Here are his keys  which are the duplicates
of Mr  Rucastle s  

 You have done well indeed   cried Holmes with enthusiasm   Now
lead the way  and we shall soon see the end of this black
business  

We passed up the stair  unlocked the door  followed on down a
passage  and found ourselves in front of the barricade which Miss
Hunter had described  Holmes cut the cord and removed the
transverse bar  Then he tried the various keys in the lock  but
without success  No sound came from within  and at the silence
Holmes  face clouded over 

 I trust that we are not too late   said he   I think  Miss
Hunter  that we had better go in without you  Now  Watson  put
your shoulder to it  and we shall see whether we cannot make our
way in  

It was an old rickety door and gave at once before our united
strength  Together we rushed into the room  It was empty  There
was no furniture save a little pallet bed  a small table  and a
basketful of linen  The skylight above was open  and the prisoner
gone 

 There has been some villainy here   said Holmes   this beauty
has guessed Miss Hunter s intentions and has carried his victim
off  

 But how  

 Through the skylight  We shall soon see how he managed it   He
swung himself up onto the roof   Ah  yes   he cried   here s the
end of a long light ladder against the eaves  That is how he did
it  

 But it is impossible   said Miss Hunter   the ladder was not
there when the Rucastles went away  

 He has come back and done it  I tell you that he is a clever and
dangerous man  I should not be very much surprised if this were
he whose step I hear now upon the stair  I think  Watson  that it
would be as well for you to have your pistol ready  

The words were hardly out of his mouth before a man appeared at
the door of the room  a very fat and burly man  with a heavy
stick in his hand  Miss Hunter screamed and shrunk against the
wall at the sight of him  but Sherlock Holmes sprang forward and
confronted him 

 You villain   said he   where s your daughter  

The fat man cast his eyes round  and then up at the open
skylight 

 It is for me to ask you that   he shrieked   you thieves  Spies
and thieves  I have caught you  have I  You are in my power  I ll
serve you   He turned and clattered down the stairs as hard as he
could go 

 He s gone for the dog   cried Miss Hunter 

 I have my revolver   said I 

 Better close the front door   cried Holmes  and we all rushed
down the stairs together  We had hardly reached the hall when we
heard the baying of a hound  and then a scream of agony  with a
horrible worrying sound which it was dreadful to listen to  An
elderly man with a red face and shaking limbs came staggering out
at a side door 

 My God   he cried   Someone has loosed the dog  It s not been
fed for two days  Quick  quick  or it ll be too late  

Holmes and I rushed out and round the angle of the house  with
Toller hurrying behind us  There was the huge famished brute  its
black muzzle buried in Rucastle s throat  while he writhed and
screamed upon the ground  Running up  I blew its brains out  and
it fell over with its keen white teeth still meeting in the great
creases of his neck  With much labour we separated them and
carried him  living but horribly mangled  into the house  We laid
him upon the drawing room sofa  and having dispatched the sobered
Toller to bear the news to his wife  I did what I could to
relieve his pain  We were all assembled round him when the door
opened  and a tall  gaunt woman entered the room 

 Mrs  Toller   cried Miss Hunter 

 Yes  miss  Mr  Rucastle let me out when he came back before he
went up to you  Ah  miss  it is a pity you didn t let me know
what you were planning  for I would have told you that your pains
were wasted  

 Ha   said Holmes  looking keenly at her   It is clear that Mrs 
Toller knows more about this matter than anyone else  

 Yes  sir  I do  and I am ready enough to tell what I know  

 Then  pray  sit down  and let us hear it for there are several
points on which I must confess that I am still in the dark  

 I will soon make it clear to you   said she   and I d have done
so before now if I could ha  got out from the cellar  If there s
police court business over this  you ll remember that I was the
one that stood your friend  and that I was Miss Alice s friend
too 

 She was never happy at home  Miss Alice wasn t  from the time
that her father married again  She was slighted like and had no
say in anything  but it never really became bad for her until
after she met Mr  Fowler at a friend s house  As well as I could
learn  Miss Alice had rights of her own by will  but she was so
quiet and patient  she was  that she never said a word about them
but just left everything in Mr  Rucastle s hands  He knew he was
safe with her  but when there was a chance of a husband coming
forward  who would ask for all that the law would give him  then
her father thought it time to put a stop on it  He wanted her to
sign a paper  so that whether she married or not  he could use
her money  When she wouldn t do it  he kept on worrying her until
she got brain fever  and for six weeks was at death s door  Then
she got better at last  all worn to a shadow  and with her
beautiful hair cut off  but that didn t make no change in her
young man  and he stuck to her as true as man could be  

 Ah   said Holmes   I think that what you have been good enough
to tell us makes the matter fairly clear  and that I can deduce
all that remains  Mr  Rucastle then  I presume  took to this
system of imprisonment  

 Yes  sir  

 And brought Miss Hunter down from London in order to get rid of
the disagreeable persistence of Mr  Fowler  

 That was it  sir  

 But Mr  Fowler being a persevering man  as a good seaman should
be  blockaded the house  and having met you succeeded by certain
arguments  metallic or otherwise  in convincing you that your
interests were the same as his  

 Mr  Fowler was a very kind spoken  free handed gentleman   said
Mrs  Toller serenely 

 And in this way he managed that your good man should have no
want of drink  and that a ladder should be ready at the moment
when your master had gone out  

 You have it  sir  just as it happened  

 I am sure we owe you an apology  Mrs  Toller   said Holmes   for
you have certainly cleared up everything which puzzled us  And
here comes the country surgeon and Mrs  Rucastle  so I think 
Watson  that we had best escort Miss Hunter back to Winchester 
as it seems to me that our locus standi now is rather a
questionable one  

And thus was solved the mystery of the sinister house with the
copper beeches in front of the door  Mr  Rucastle survived  but
was always a broken man  kept alive solely through the care of
his devoted wife  They still live with their old servants  who
probably know so much of Rucastle s past life that he finds it
difficult to part from them  Mr  Fowler and Miss Rucastle were
married  by special license  in Southampton the day after their
flight  and he is now the holder of a government appointment in
the island of Mauritius  As to Miss Violet Hunter  my friend
Holmes  rather to my disappointment  manifested no further
interest in her when once she had ceased to be the centre of one
of his problems  and she is now the head of a private school at
Walsall  where I believe that she has met with considerable success 





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