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, Northwestern
University Library
Evanston,
Illinois 60208-2300
UL ‘










gr] 1112 same iikxxtljnr.
A STUDY IN SCARLET.
THE SIGN OF FOUR.
THE FIRM OF GIRDLESTONE.
MICAH CLARKE.
THE WHITE COMPANY.
THE CAPTAIN OF THE POLESTAR.
THE DOINGS OF RAFFLES HAW.
THE GREAT SHADOW.


//
THE ADVENTURES
OF
SHERLOCK HOLM ES, 7 ,
BY
A. CONAN IIDOYLE.
SECOND EDITION.
ZLonnnn :
GEORGE NEWNES, LIMITED,
SOUTHAMPTON STREET AND EXETER STREET,
STRAND. " .,.
1893. ‘
[All rig/Qty reserved]


823,5;
D75
1&3
@0
MY OLD TEACHER,
JOSEPH BELL, M.D., &C.
OF
2, MELVILLE CRESCENT,
EDINBURGH.
Northwestern
University
Library
Evanston. 11l-


. THE
ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES;
I.
THE ADVENTURES OF A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA.
I.
I have
seldom heard him mention her under any other name.
In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole
It was not that he felt any emotion
of her sex.
emotions, and
akin to love for Irene‘Adler. All
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
But for the trained


the veil from men’s motives and actions.
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 sensi-
tive 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 mazrwho 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
961818
2 I


2 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLJIIES.
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 20th of March, 1888—1 was returning
from a journey to a patient (for I had now returned to civil prac-
tice), 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 introspec-
tive fashion. ‘ ‘ ‘
“Wedlock suits you,” he remarked. “I think, Watson, that
you have put on seven and a half pounds since I saw you.”


A SCANDAL [1V BOHEMIA. 3
ll “ Seven,” I answered.
“Indeed, I should have thought a little more. Just a trifle
l, 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 ?”


Wm‘r" '
_ m5_
"THEN 11E sIooI) uEroRE Tm; MR5.”
“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,


4 AD VEzVTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 idioforrn, with a black mark of nitrate of
silver upon his right fore-finger, and a bulge on the 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 ob-
serve. 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


.A SCL41VLL4L ZATJBOZZEWIL4. 5
r
can hardly be exaggerated.
notepaper 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
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
Your recent services to one of the
either signature or
the very deepest moment.
Royal Houses of Europe have shown that you are one who may
safely be trusted with matters which are of an importance which
This
account of you we have from all


quarters re-
ceived. Be
in your cham_
her then at
that hour, and
do not take it
amiss if your
visitor wear a
mask.”
“ This is
in d e e d a
mystery,” I
r e m a r k e d.
“What do you
imagine that
it means ? ”
“ I have
no data yet.
theorise before one has data.
one begins to twist facts to suit theories,
instead of theories to suit facts. But the note itself. What do
“I CAREFULLY EXAMINED THE
wRI‘rrNG.”
It is a capital mistake to
Insensibly
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
remarked, endeavouring to imitate my companion’s processes.
“Such paper could not be bought under half-a-crown a packet.
to do,” I
It is peculiarly strong and stiff.”


AD VENTURES OF SHERLOCK flOLIl/ES.
“ Peculiar—that is the very word,” said Holmes.
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 if stands for ‘ Gesellschaft,’
which is the German for ‘Company.’
tion 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 French-
man 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 Bohe-
mian 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’ hools and
grating wheels against the curb, followed by a sharp pull at the
bell. Holmes whistled.
“A pair, by the sound,” said he.
out of the window.
“It is not an
It is a customary contrac-
“ Yes ” he continued, glancing
“A nice little brougham and a pair of beauties.
A hundred and fifty guineas apiece.
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 ” r"
“Never mind him.
There’s money in this case,

I may want your help, and so may he.


A SCANDAL 11V BOHLIJVIA. 7
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.


there was a loud and V ,,_~ ,.
ion. 7 ‘
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 Eng-
land, 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
half way 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 cheek-bones, a black vizard mask, which he had apparently
adjusted that very moment, for his hand was still raised to it as he
“ A MAN ENTERED.”
Then .
is‘:


8 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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. \Vatson, 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 com-
municate 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 that 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,


A SCANDAL [1V BOHEMIA. 9
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
if


"HE TORE THE MASK FROM ins FACE.”
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


Io ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLZl/ES.

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—huml La Scala, hum! Prima
donna Imperial Opera of Warsaw—Yes! Retired from operatic
stage—ha! Living in London—quite sol 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 notepaper."
“ Stolen.”
“ My own seal."


A SCANDAL [1V BOHEMIA.
I]
“ Imitated.”
“ My photograph.”
“ Bought.”
“ We were both in the photograph.”
“ Oh dear! That is very bad.I
committed an indiscretion.”
“ I was mad—insane.”
“ You have compromised yourself‘seriously.”
“I was only Crown Prince then. I was young. I am but
Your Majesty has indeed
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.
ransacked her house. Once we diverted her luggage when she
been waylaid. _There has been no
Twice burglars in my pay
travelled. Twice she has
result.”
“ No sign ofit ? ”
“ Absolutely none.”
Holmes laughed.
said he.
, “But a ver serious one to me,” returned the Kin ,re roach-
Y P
“It is quite a pretty little problem,”
fully.
“ 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
ofa 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


I‘, ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

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 im-
portance 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,


A SCANDAL 11v BOHEMJA , 3 ‘_
at three o’clock, I should like to chat this little matter over with
than
‘lllcll you.”
11.
At three o’clock precisely I was at Baker-street, but Holmes
had not yet returned. The landlady informed me that he had left
lay the house shortly after eight o’clock in the morning. I sat down
:xt 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
grimandstrangefeatureswhich
were associated with the two
crimes which I have elsewhere
recorded, still, the nature of
the case and the exalted
station of his client gave it
a character of its own. In-
deed, 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 disen- ‘
tangled the most inextricable
So accustomed .
"A DRUNKEN-LOOKING GROOM‘ ‘

mysteries.
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,


14 ADVENTURES OF SIIERLOCK HOLMES.
I had to look three times before Iwas 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. Iwill 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 bij‘ou 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 I 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


A SCANDAL [N BOHEMIA. I5
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 that 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
Presently he emerged, looking even more flurried
As he stepped up to the cab, he pulled a gold watch
‘Drive like the
see nothing.
than before.
from his pocket and looked at it earnestly.
devil,’ he shouted, ‘first to Gross & Hankey’s in Regent-street,
and then to the church of St. Monica in the Edgware-road.
I)?!
Half a guinea if you do it in twenty minutes


16 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“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.”
Iwas 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


A SCANDAL [N BOHEJWIA. 17
the most preposterous position in which I ever found myself in my
life, and it was the thought of it that started me laughingjust now.
It seems that there had been some informality about their licence,
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 seri-
ously menaced.
It looked as if the
pair might take
an immediate de-
parture, and so
necessitate very
prompt and ener-
getic measures on
my part. At the
church door, how:
ever, they sepa-
rated, 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.


'~...t 'a.
“I FOUND MYSELF MUMHLING RESPONSES."
They drove away in different directions, and I went off to make
my own arrangements.”
“ Which are .P ”
"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.”
‘a


A SCANDAL 1N BUHEMIA. 19

“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. Ithink perhaps it is almost time that I
Prepared 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 Nonconforml‘st
clergyman. His broad black hat,
his baggy trousers, his white tie,
lllS sympathetic smile, and general
look of peering and benevolent ‘curi~
Oslty were such as Mr. john Hare
Irlliotne could have equalled. It was
his CI(I)ls€true‘lqye.thaftfisHolmes changed
manner his expression, his
Va ,‘ very soul seemed to
ry With every fresh part
]that he assumed. The stage
0% a fine actor, even as
science lost an acute reasoner
when he became a specialisf
to crime.
wh It was a quarter past six
_ flu weleftBaker-street and
it still wanted ten minutds to
the hour when we found our-
Selves in Serpentine-avenue.


.,,t
“A srMPLE‘MiNDED CLERGYMAN."
, It was already dusk, and the
1:122:22; Just béi‘ng lighted as we pace‘d up and down in front of
. ge, 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 ex-
pected. 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,


20 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK .HOL/l/ES.
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 photo-
graph 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—VVhere 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 any one 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.”
“ Pshawl 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 sidelights 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


A SCANDAL 11v b’OHEA/IA. ,,
and down
1 front ol
e photo-
are that
,rton, as
low the
It is
man.s
aylaid
made.
‘ility,
the,
id it
bnt
be
she
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

" HE GAVE A CRY AND nRorPan.”
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


22 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 com-
fortable sofa. This way, please! ”
Slowly and solemnly he was borne into Briony Lodge, and laid
out in the principal room, whileI 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 com-
punction 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 entrusted 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 prevent-
ing her from injuring another.
Holmes had sat up upon the couch, and I saw him motion like
a man who is in want 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 the uproar. He


A SCANDAL [N BO/JEZIIZA. 23
, looking
he’ll be
ve had
were 3
l laid
dings
t the
a lay
now
han
ing,
walked swiftly and in silence for some few minutes, until we had
turned down one of the quiet streets which lead towards the Edg-
ware-road.
“You did it very nicely, Doctor,” he remarked.
could have been better. It is all right.”
“ You have the photograph l ”
“I know where it is.”
“And how did you find out ?”
“ She showed me, as I told you that she would.”
“ I am still in the dark.”
“I do not wish to make a mystery,” said he, laughing. “The
You, of course, saw that every one
They were all engaged for the
“ Nothing
matter was perfectly simple.
in the street was an accomplice.
evening.”
“ I guessed as much.”
“Then, when the row broke out, I had a little moist red paint
I rushed forward, fell down, clapped my
in the palm of my hand.
It is an old
hand to my face, and became a piteous spectacle.
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 bed-
room, 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
It is a perfectly overpowering impulse, and I have
values most.
In the case of the Darling-
more than once taken advantage of it.
ton Substitution Scandal it was of use to me, and also in the Arns-
A married woman grabs at her baby—an
worth Castle business.
Now it was clear to me
unmarried one reaches for her jewel box.
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
was enough to shake nerves of steel. She responded beautifully.
The photograph is in a recess behind a sliding panel just above the


24 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLZIIES.
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.
“Oar 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 some one 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 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.” ‘


A SCANDAL [N BOHEJIIIA. 25
. glimpse
s a false
ie room,
excnses,
) secore
(1, as he
le over-
e King
will be
‘obahle
graph.
5 own
shall
‘riage
ire to
He
aid:

“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 Nor-
ton.”
“But she could
not love him ? ”
“I am in hopes
that she does.”
“GOOD-NIGHT, MR. SHERLOCK HOLMEs‘..
“ 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 re-
lapsed 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.


26 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLJIIES.
“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,—Y0u 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 upstairs, 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


at her
I0 call.
1 from
llilll‘t
olore
mall
raph
iing
‘sad
and
when You call to i A
-mo
rest in peace_ I loverigvdv. A15 to the p otograph y 27
‘ am oved b ’ Our C],
y 8- better ma em may
has cruell w Tahce fro
Y ronged. I keep it only to safeo‘uardm one whom he
s myself, and to
very truly yours,
“What a woman—Oh’ what a wOrnanl” cried the K‘
Bohemia, when we had all three read this Epistle n D_dlng of
tell you how quick and resolute she was? Would she nlot 1b not
made an admirable queen? Is it pot a pity She was not on :e
level?” y
“From what I have seen
of the lady, she seems, in-
deed, to be on a very differ-
ent level to your Majesty,”
said Holmes, coldly. “I am 5 sorry thatIhave ‘ I
not been able to
bring your Ma-
jesty’s business
to a more suc-
cessful conclu-
sion.”
“ On the con-
trary, my dear
sir,” cried the
King. “Nothing
could be more
successful. I
know that her
Word is invio-
late. The pho-
tograph is now " ‘ ‘, K ‘
as safe as if it ‘ I“
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


“ THIS PHOTOGRAPH l ”


28 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

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.


hsmh
ill liltll’t
II.
THE ADVENTURE OF THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE
giaéllcztleejuutpqnnnljg triend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, one
D ‘ st 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 finger-tips 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
You have shown your relish for it by the enthusiasm
every-day life. I
which has prompted you to chronicle, and, if you wlll 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
79


30 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLJl/ES.
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 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.
.,
MR. JABEZ WILSON.
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. \Vilson, you would have the great kindness to recommence yOuI


32 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

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 shiney for I
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 which 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 I ” said he.
“Ithought at first 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 half-way 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, Penn., U.S.A., there is
now another‘vacan‘cy open which entitles a member of the League to
a salary of four 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.


THE IBED‘HEADED LEAGUE. ‘ 33
emoscles 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
What, all about yourself, your household, and the effect which this adver-
tisement 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
Iineyhr 5. months ago.”
1e elbow I “ Very good. Now, Mr. Wilson ? ”
“Well, it is just as I have been
telling you, Mr. Sherlock
,63‘0iw Holmes,” said Jabez WiL
yon ose


nade a
to the
ales ol
I see
:omes
l he.
that
ra a
0w,


“ WHAT ON EARTH noEs THIS MEAN."
son, mopping his forehead, “I have a small pawnbroker’s business
at Coburg-square, near the City. It’s not a very large affair, and
oflate 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.
4


34 ADVENTURES OF 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 ex-
perience 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. \Vilson. “ 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,1
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.


TffE KED-IIEADED LEAGUE. 35
:h a yooth
a smarter
tllld better
taiterall,
in any/qr?
nmon er
that yoor
was soch
when it
into lllt
at is his
no l.ltt
simple
hoist‘
e rill
is, and
:ment
Wttl‘i
:adtl
“‘Have you never heard of the League of the Red-headed
Men?’ he asked,‘with his eyes open.
“ ‘ Never.’
“ ‘ Why, I wondenjat 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 occu-
pations.’


"Tin; LEAGUE HAS A VACANCY.”
“ \Vell, 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.
“‘\Vell,’ said be, 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,


36 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 advertise-
ment. 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


THE RED-HEADED LEA G UE. 3 7
fortnne in
‘est to the
or. From
T men who
i’on see it
American
ted to to
s no ose
hing to
ply, llr.
iardly be
ol o tor
rselves
l to oe
food at
pntding
pron
Ly, art
olidat,
t was
,imes
tie Ill
rtise
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 more favour-
able 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 va-
cancy 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 backwards, 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


“HE CONGRATULATED ME wARnrLv.”
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
be 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.


THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE. 39
be carelol,
‘. I coold
th homan
lngh it at
n ol dis‘ .
away in
an excepl
.sell one
1r. Are
idly‘
‘ent
“ ‘ 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 for
ever. 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 M:‘. Duncan Ross, ‘neither sickness,
nor business, nor anything else. There you must stay, or you lose
your billet.’
“ ‘ And the work P ’ _
“ ‘Is to copy out the “Encyclopadia 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, andI
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 any one could make such a will, or that they would
pay such a sum for doing anything so simple as copying out the
‘Encyclopzedia 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


4o ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 de-
grees 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 in-
stant, 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 Bs 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



“THE DOOR wAs snur AND LOCKED.”
‘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.”


THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE. 41
hat i had
onity the
.25 for my
the west‘
:rnoon l
By de-
Dnncan
coming
& ol t
then,
he did
it all. ‘
so, l
leave
n in
t not
light
)lllel
He held up a piece of white cardboard, about the size of a
sheet of notepaper. It read in this fashion :—
“THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE IS DISSOLVED. Oct. 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.
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.
He answered that the name was new to him.”
I did not know what to do. Then I
Duncan Ross was.
“ ‘ \Vell,’ said I, ‘the gentleman at No. 4.’
“ ‘ \Vhat, the red-headed man ? ’
‘‘ ‘ Y ,
es.
“‘Oh,’ said he, ‘his name was William Morris.
solicitor, and was using my room as a temporary convenience
He moved out yesterday.’
He was a
until his new premises were ready.
“ ‘ 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


42 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLJIIES.
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 ’Lis 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
thirty 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 P ”
“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.”


T HE RED-HEADED LEA G UE. 4 3
it coold
was not
soch a
re good
I came
: is an
t into
e that
.e losl
illlllt
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. Wil-
son. I shall be happy to
give you an opinion upon the
subject in the course of a
day or two. To-day is Satur-
day, 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


“uE CURLED HIMSELF UP IN
HIS CHAIR.”


44 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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, whichis
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 pokey,
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 VVILsoN” 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


THE KED-HL‘ADED LEAGUE. 45
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.”
i,” he "Not him.”
tients “ What then ? ”
“ The knees of his trousers.”
me to
iodding
gestore
1 opon
“ And what did
you see ? ”
“ \Vhat I ex-
pected to see.”
“Why did you
beat the pave-
ment ? ”
“ My dear Doc-
tor, 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 be-
hind it.”
The road in
which we found
ourselves as we
turned round the
“ ,, corner from the re-
TIIE DOOR WAS INSTANTLY OPENED. ,
tired 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 convey 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
inwards and outwards, 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


THE RED-ffEADED LEAGUE. 47
stagnant
glancing
r0f the
edge ol
'spaper


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. Iames’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,
[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


48 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOL/VES.
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 PeterJones, 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. ]ones., of Scotland‘yard? Let me introduce
you to Mr. l\lerryweather, 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 thirty thousand pounds; and for you, ]ones,
it will be the man upon whom you wish to lay your hands.”
“ John Clay, the murderer, thief, smasher, and forger. He’s


THE RED-BEADED LEA G 02;; 49
I tried to
ter aside
nd nude
, Bottr-
entered
:ntering
‘o men,
agent;
‘ shinI‘
is per-
atson,
odoce
ight’s
Se,"
a young man, Mr. Merryweather, but he is at the head of his pro-
fession, 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 Farringdon-street.
“ We are close there now,” my friend remarked.
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
He is as brave as a bulldog, and as
IIere
“ This fellow
has one positive virtue.
tenacious as a lobster if he gets his claws upon any one.
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
This also was opened, and led down a flight of winding
iron gate.
Mr.
stone steps, which terminated at another formidable gate.
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.
5


50 ' ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLZIIES.
u 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 magni-
fying 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 1, ,.
in bed. Then they ,5, will not lose a minute: "MR. MERRYWEATHER STOPPED 'ro LIGHT A LANTERN”
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 ths
City branch of one of the principal London banks. Mr. Merry-
vicather is the chairman of directors, and he will explain to you


THE KED-HEADED LEA G UE. 5 I
; his slicl
it soond
1 Holmes,

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. “ Vile 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, thirty thousand 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
The crate upon which I sit contains two thousand
our cellar.
Our reserve of
napoleons packed between layers of lead foil.
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 apm/fie 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 com-
punction 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. ‘f That is


52 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 rend-
ing, 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
tending cloth as Jones clutched at his skirts. The light flashed


T111? KED-HEADED LEAGUE. 53
: that yoo
mt door,"
mnst b:
wards it
he night
18. My
in, yet
and my
‘calling
vier in-
s but
in the
‘lint ol
Them
idwot
rated,
ll the
1 its
an
ngle
nd‘
10L‘
be
ill
at
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.”

‘IT.S N0 USE, jOI‘IN CLAY."
“ There are three men waiting for him at the door,” said Holmes.
“Oh, indeed. You seem to have done the thing very com-
pletely. 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


54 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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. l\lerryweather, 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 four 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


THE lr’ED-HEADED LEAGUE. ‘ 55
)ol while
hands,"
s nuisls.
, Hare
rir’ and
“ Well,
cab to
ads o
in the
llowed
lr yoo
I and
nined
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
Then I rang the bell, and, as I hoped, the as-
VVe have had some skirmishes, but we had
I hardly looked at his face.
You must yourself have
They spoke
was not in front.
sistant answered it.
never set eyes on each other before.
His knees were what I wished to see.
remarked how worn, wrinkled, and stained they were.
of those hours of burrowing. ‘The only remaining point was what
they were burrowing for. I walked round the corner, saw that the
City and Suburban Bank abutted on our friends premises, and felt
thatI 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


56 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 Georges Sand.”


ell these
lleigned
1 rings
liiiSi l
a long
litde
is ol
lllVle
III.
THE ADVENTURE OF A CASE OF IDENTITY.
~‘ .: 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 con-
ceive 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.
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,
“ The cases
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 con-
tain 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 you
thinking so,” I said. “ Of‘course, in your position of unofficial
adviser and helper to everybody who is absolutely puzzled, through-
Out 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 whichI come. ‘A husband’s cruelty to his

57


58 ADVENTURES OF SLIERLOCK HOLZIIES.
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 sympa-
thetic sister or landlady. The crudest of writers could invent nothing
more crude.” ,
“Indeed, your example is an unfortunate one for your argu~
ment,” 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 snuff-box 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 presents any feature of
interest. They are important, you understand, without being in-
teresting. 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 investi-
gation. 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


A CASE OF IDENTITY: 59
ending
re, the
Ymlll‘
)thing
argo-
down
I was
lh it.
i the
)li ol
rling
yto
oin
‘ street.

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
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
backwards and forwards, 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 s m toms before,” said Holmes, throwing‘
y P b
“ Oscillation upon the pavement always
means an aflhz‘re a’e mam’. She would like advice, but is not sure
that the matter is not too delicate for communication. And yet
When a woman has been seriously
his cigarette into the fire.
even here we may discriminate.
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
rnatter, 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 merchantman
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?”


60 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“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 every one had
given him up for dead. Oh, Mr. Holmes, I wish you would do as

“SHERLOCK HOLMES \.El.CO.ED HER.”
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.


A CASE OF IDENTITY 61
ness to
others
ierege,
ie hail
do as
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 step-father, surely, since the
name is different.”
“Yes, my step-father. 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.
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
I wasn’t best pleased, Mr.
‘ business, for he was very superior, being a traveller in wines.
They got four thousand seven hundred 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%‘ per cent.
Two thousand five hundred pounds was the amount, but I can only
touch the interest.”
“You interest me extremely,’
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
I believe that a single lady can get on very nicely upon
’ said Holmes. “And since you
every way.
an income of about sixty pounds.”
“I could do with much less than that, Mr. Holmes, but you


62 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 onlyjust 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 con-
nection 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 Ihad 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.”


A CASE OF IDENTITI’. 65
“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!
.. _"se,vw. a‘ t



“THERE was NO ONE THERE.”
The cabman said 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

6


66 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK IIOLZIIES.
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 any one 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! 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.”


A CASE OF IDENTITY.
.67
at l was
r or later.
vhat has
at some
else hr
loresaw
“ Thank you.
And your address? "
“3r, 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 im-
porters of Fenchurch-street.”
“Thank you. You
have made your state-
ment very clearly. You
will leave the papers here,
and remember the advice
which I have given you.
Let the whole incident he
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 prepos-
tero_us hat and the
vacuous face, there was
something noble in the
simple faith of our visitor
which compelled our re-
spect. She laid her little
bundle of papers upon
the table, and went her
way, with a promise to




“SHE LAID A LITTLE BUNDLE UPON THE TABLE."
come again whenever she might be summoned.
Sherlock Holmes sat
silent for a few minutes with his finger
tips still pressed together, his legs stretched out in front of him,
and his gaze directed upwards 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.


68 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
I
“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 suggestive-
ness of thumbnails, or the great issues that may hang from a
bootlace. Now what did you gather from that woman’s appear-
ance? 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. ‘
J “ ’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


A CASE OF IDENTITY. 69
rveel, “l
h, by the
as, it yet
ething it
u, there
1 mader
as qoite
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 very 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.
“on the morning of the 14th, a gentleman named Hosmer Angel.
About 5ft. 7in. 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 em-
ployed in an office in Leadenhall-street. Anybody bringing,”&c., &c.
“That will do,” said Holmes. “As to the letters,” he con-
tinued, glancing over them, “they are very commonplace. Abso-
lutely no clue in them to Mr. Angel, save that he quotes Balzac
once. There is. one remarkable point, however, which will no
“ Missing,” it said,
doubt strike you?”


7o ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“ They‘are typewritten,” I remarked.
“ Not only that, but the signature is typewritten. Look at the
neat little ‘Hosmer Angel’ at the bottom. There isa 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 insti-
tuted.”
“ 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. \Vindibank, asking
him whether he could meet us here at six o’clock to-morrow 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 con-
viction 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 atten-
tion 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 ha‘nsom and drive
to Baker-street, half afraid that I might be too late to assist at the


72 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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’clockl”
“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 auseless 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 charac-
teristics, but those are the more obvious.”
“ We do all our correspondence with this machine at the office,


A CASE OF IDENTITY. 73
ill in the
it," sail
here at
w, some
a hlani,
etratirg
rest his
. sidlei
i that
de an
it not
start
retter
r my
rl, es
s has
USU‘
not
till-
tllit
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 map, 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 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.
Windibank, it was as cruel, and selfish, and heartless a trick in a
Now, let me just run over the
But between ourselves,
petty way as ever came before me.
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


74 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.



sum for peo-
ple in their
position,and
the loss of
it would
have made
a serious
difference.
Itwas worth
an effort to
preserve it.
'i The daugh-
ter was of a
good, ami-
able dispo-
sition, but
affectionate
and warm-
hearted in
her ways, s0
that it was
evident that
with her fair
personal ad-

_,i- ‘ --v-—, , ' "1". ., M.

“oLANcINo ABOUT um LIKE A RAT 1N A TRAP.”
vantages,
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 for ever. 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-


A CASE OF IDENTITY 75
n lorpeo-
in their
itiouaol
loss ol
woold
2 male
serioos
:renoe.
.s worth
tlort to
rve it.
doogh
as ot a
omi
dispo-
hot
motr
umo-
1 u
so
was
that
ltlo
od-
es,
gle
oh
ot
Hosmer Angel, and keeps off other lovers by making love him-
self.”
“ It was only a joke at first,” groaned our visitor.
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 gentle-
man’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 any one else. But the deception
could not be kept up for ever. 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 morn-
ing 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 further, 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 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
“ We never
constraint.”
“ The law cannot, as you say, touch you,” said Holmes, unlock-
ing and throwing open the door, “yet there never was a man who


A CASE OF IDENTITY. 77
“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 dis-
guise, 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 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 and Marbank, of Fenchurch-street, to
say that the description tallied in every respect with that of their
employé, James Windibank. Voila tout! "
“And Miss Sutherland ? ”
“If I tell her she will not believe me.
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 know-
ledge of the world.”
You may remember the


1v.,
THE ADVENTURE OF THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY.
\ E 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 some one 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."
78


TIIE BOSCOMBE VALLE Y MYSTER l’.
79
llllll lr
s trom
o jost
ertion
: with
t me
; lrst
We had the carriage to ourselves save for an immense litter
of papers which Holmes had brought with him. Among these he

s‘
“wE IIAD THE CARRIAGE TO OURSELVES. ’
rummaged and read, with intervals of note-taking and of medita-
tion, until we were past Reading. Then he suddenly rolled them
all into a gigantic ball, and tossed them up on to 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


80 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOL/l/ES.
difficult is it 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 3, 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 hadan appointment
of importance to keep at three. From that appointment he never
came back alive.
“From Hatherley Farmhouse 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


THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY. 81
they hare
mnrdent
thing in
y into it,
we been
m Ross
art in
‘etnrnel
hich it
y, who
ther in
‘ can:
tSSiitit
re his
rally
other was William Crowder, a gamekeeper in the employ of Mr.
Turner. Both these witnesses depose that Mr. McCarthy was
walking alone. The gamekeeper 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 gamekeeper, 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 Bos-
combe 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 of his ‘father 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 at the police-
a iii
no‘
eiiei
e let
not
nod
d r
court.”


82
ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“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

like?" ‘‘‘
“THEY FOUND THE BODY."
Study in Scarlet, to work out the case in his interest.
5 against
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 uncom-
promising manner to
something entirely
different. It must be
confessed, however,
that the case looks
exceedingly grave
the young
man, and it is very
possible that he is
indeed the culprit.
There are several
people in the neigh-
bourhood, however,
and among them Miss
Turner, the daughter
of the neighbouring
landowner, who be-
lieve in his innocence,
and who have retained
Lestrade, whom you
may remember in
connection with the
Les-
trade, 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.” ‘


TIIE BOSCO/IIBE VALLEY JIIYS T E11’ K 8 3
‘ remorheh
it doeso
aosweul
ooghdolh:
seem to
traightto
ont it yoo
on pool
lttle, )‘ot
poiotitg
r nooou
ooner h
eotlreh
mosth
oweut
e looh
grit?
yootg
is \‘th
he h
olpnh
eucri
oehh‘
“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 under-
standing. 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 l ”
"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 further 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 well 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 con-
stabulary 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

‘!


84 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
hichI 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 circum-
stances, 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 by 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 Iwas 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


THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY 85
rnoeent he
as not to
in. Hot
rdignntinr
, becaose
r eirenn-
scheming
IS either
restraint
also not
y ol hi
i so in
i even,
tttl, to
trition
gns nl
direction he was going. I then took my gun, and strolled out in
thedirection 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 gamekeeper, as he has 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 un-
governable, I left him, and returned towards Hatherley Farm. I
had not gone more than one hundred and fifty yards, however,
when I heard a hideous outcry behind me, which caused me to
Ifound my father expiring on the ground, with
I dropped my gun, and held him in
I knelt beside him
run back again.
his head terribly injured.
my arms, but he almost instantly expired.
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 some-
what 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.
assure you that it has nothing to do with the sad tragedy which
I can
followed.


86 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

“I HELD Hm IN MY ARMS.”
“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 sus-
picions when you returned on hearing the cry, and found your father
fatally injured ?


THE BOSCOMBE VALLE Y MYSTER Y. 87
“ 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


88 AD VENTURES 0F SHERLOCK ‘HOLMES.
shall I say of this case until we are on thescene 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.‘ Ido 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 had 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


TIIE BOSCOJIBE VALLEY All/STEIN’. 89
ion, lie
11 twenty
‘ throogh
Severn,
A teenl
upon the
euro
had no
rim we
y been
a ool
notbe
tend,
rote
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 any one 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 fiaw? 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 I “
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
“LEsrRAoE SHRUGGED HIS
SIIOULDERS."
concerned in it.”


90 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“ 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 assist-
ance 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


THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY. 91
his lather
was very
omes oot
ol coorse
-well. he
ere were
troot ol
thy was
lace is
e yoor
troog
e has
that
llllll
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 re-consider 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, Ifear that you will find it very
slow, but ,1 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 inte-


“I TRIED TO INTEREST MYSELF IN A YELLOW‘BACKED NovEL.”
rest myself in ayellow-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 constantly from
the fiction 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 was 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.


.92 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 hardi-
hood to return and 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! Idid 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


THE 5030011155 PALLE Y MYSTER Y. 93
‘ies revert
called in
not ol the
posterior
ital hone
T martet
tve been
‘ oi the
rith his
1 might
: worth
ecolin
not be
monly
not to
s? i
then
that
knew who had done it, and was screening him or her, but I am
convinced now that he is as puzzled as every one 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,
whowas 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 some one at the Pool, and that the some one could not have
been his son, for his son was away, and he did not know when he
The second is that the murdered man was heard to
would return.
Those are
cry, ‘ Cooee l ’ before he knew that his son had returned.
the crucial points updn 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.”


94 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOL/IIES.

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 was 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 tacklefacts,
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


()6 AD VENZ URES OF SHERLOCK HOLJIIES.
long, sinewy neck. His nostrils seemed to dilate with a purely
animal lust for the chase, and his mind was so absolutely concen-
trated 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 détour 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 were 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 further side we could see
the red jutting pinnacles which marked the site of the rich land-
owner’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


THE BOSCOMBE VALLE Y MYSTER Y. 97
l a porely
ly concea‘
emarl lell
a qoirt;
his way
y way ot
groond,
th opon
er Sldt.
ii on
and l
minos, .
m the ,
lfllS a
rater
I the
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? Tip-toes! tip_toes! Square, too, quite unusual
boots! They come, they go, they come again—of course that was


-
“FOR A LONG TIME HE REMAINED THERE."
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 further 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
8


98 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
a pathway through the wood until he came to the high road, 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 penknife 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 718770115,” answered Holmes, calmly. “You work your
own method, and I shall work mine. I shall be busy this after-
noon, and shall probably return to London by the evening train.”
“ And leave your case unfinished P ”
“ No, finished.”
“But the‘mystery?”
“ It is solved.”
“ Who was the criminal, then ? ”
“ The gentleman I describe.” .
“ But who is he?”


1d, tt’iltlt
smart/ti
hoose on
‘ ilflt‘tl
rig done
: to the
i tilOl‘t
rich it
it oot.
1 hi‘
thw
THE BOSCOMBE VAZLEY MYSTERY. 99
“ Surely it would not be difficult to find out. This is not such
a populous neighbourhood.”
Lestrade shrugged his shoulders.
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
"I am a practical man,” he
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 quite know 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 l ’ before seeing him. The other was his singular dying
He mumbled several words, you understand, but
reference to a rat.
Now from this double point
that was all that caught the son’s ear.
our research must commence, and we will begin it by presuming
that what the lad says is absolutely true.”
“What of this ‘Cooee ! ’ then ?”
\Vell, 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 some one 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
North‘.
Unlvd
Libra’


IOO ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
Victoria,” he said. “I wired to Bristol for it last night.” He put
his hand over part of the map. “ What do you read ? ” he asked.
“ 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 observance of
trifies.”
“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 1eft-handedness."
“You were yourself struck by the nature of the injury as re-
corded 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


THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY’.
[01
’ He pot
e ashed,
ol which
y to otter
:he tell
n thirl
was r
to the
it til
ol oot
ogen
allow
that


that tree during the interview between the father and son. He had
I found the ash of a cigar, which my special
knowledge of to-
bacco ashes enabled
me to pronounce as
an Indian cigar. I
have, as you know,
devoted some atten-
tion to this, and
written a little mono-
graph on the ashes
of I40‘ 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 Rot-
terdam.”
“And the cigar-
holder?”
“ I could see that
the end had not been
even smoked there.


“ HE HAD sroon BEHIND THAT TREE.”
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 penknife.”
“ 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


ioz ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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? ” Ile looked
across at my companion with
despair in his weary eyes, as
though his question were
already answered.
“‘ Yes,” said Holmes, an-
swering the look rather than
the words. “It is so. I
“e. know all about McCarthy.”
The old man sank his
face in his hands. “God
help me ! ” he cried. “But

“‘MR. JOHN TURNER,’ SAID THE WAITER.” I would not llav€ 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.” ‘


THE BOSCOjl/BE VALLE Y 111 YSTZEK K 103
:arance t’
nres, aot
onosoal
zled hair,
in air a‘
in asheo
ged witi
IS in the
on the
geoth:
leepu
it thos
mreto
woole
ll."
wish
old
with
“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
Young McCarthy must be got off, however.”
her interests.
“I have had diabetes
“I am a dying man,” said old Turner.
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
I tell you that. ‘God keep you out of the clutches of
His grip has been upon me these twenty years,
I’ll tell you first how I came to be in
incarnate.
such a man as he.
and he has blasted my life.
his power.
“It was in the early sixties at the diggings.
chap then, hot-blooded and reckless, ready to turn my hand to
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 waggons 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 waggon-
driver, who was this very man McCarthy. I wish to the Lord that
I was a young


106 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES;
Assizes. I will keep your confession, and, if McCarthy is con-
demned, 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
death-beds, 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.


hy is cot-
er he sees
lead, shot
Yoor oon
taoght t
‘ shohiog
“ Why
I new
t words
imes"
treogtt
‘olmes,
ed h:
liltlt
I hit
opon
THE ADVENTURE OF THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS.
IHEN I glance over my notes and records of the Sherlock
Holmes cases between the years ’82 and ’90, I am


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 barqu‘e Sopluy 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 ago, and that therefore the deceased had gone to bed within
that time—a deduction which was of the greatest importance in
All these I may sketch out at some future
clearing up the case.

107


THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS. :09
e strange
t pen to
ot.noctd
ind hoh
tat eveo
reel to
and to
shoe!
beasts
ooher,
moey.
cross
e and his eyes heavy, like those of a man
reat 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 the rain into your snug
that his face was pal
who is weighed down with some g
chamber.”
“Give me your coat and um-
brella,” 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
“HE LooxEn ABOUT HIM ANxIousLY." Prendergast how you saved him
in the Tankerville Club Scandal.”
He was wrongfully accused of cheating at

“ Ah, of course.
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 suc-
cesses ? ”
“ 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.”


no ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

“ 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 it, 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 bicy-
cling. He was the 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.
\Vhen 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


THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS. 111
et oot
thirs
totot
idea
node
‘ at
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. That
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
any one 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 col-
lection 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


112 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

belonged to the attic, in one hand, and a small brass box, like a
cash box, 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, fiuffy 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 were printed the
treble K which I had read in the morning upon the envelope.
"‘‘1 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. Fordharn
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 it, 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. ,


THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS. 113
you, lileo
1em still,’
re in my
yet.’
as aslel
hi it] the
i paper,
glaoeel
rteri the
will. I
ntages
to yon
aonot,
I aw
i torn
that
away
the
u it
lett
, green-scummed pool, which lay at the foot of the garden.
“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 downwards in a little
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
fourteen thousand
pounds, which lay
to his credit at the
bank.”


“\VE FOUND HIM FACE DO\VN\VARDS IN A LITTLE GREEN-SCUMMED POOL."
“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 latter arrived on March the 10th, I883.
seven weeks later, upon the night of the 2nd of May.”
“ 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
His death ‘was
9


r14 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 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 notebooks 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 being a brave soldigr. 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 break-
fast table. There he
was, sitting with ‘a
newly - opened envelope
in one hand and five
dried orange-pips in the
out - stretched palm of _
the other one. He had
always laughed at what
he called my
COCk-anCl-bull
story about the‘
Colonel, but he
looked very
p u Z Z l e d a n d
scared now that
the same thing
had come uPon
himself.
H .Vyhy, what
earth does this mean, John?’ he starnmered.
on
It My heart had furned to lead‘ ‘ It is K- K. K.’ said I


“ WIIAT ON EARTH DOES THIS MEAN?"


S.
THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS. r I 5
lehoogh itr
rver was a
d ‘Letters
These, os
had beer
s nothing
ed paper
Someot
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it dono
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“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 sun-dial,’ I read, peeping over his
shoulder.
“ ‘ What papers? What sun-dial ? ’ he asked.
“ ‘ The sun-dial 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.
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 practicaljoke,’ said he. ‘What have I to do
with sun-dials 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.
nonsense.’
“ It was in vain to argue with him, for he was a very obstinate
I went about, however, with a heart which was full of
‘We are in
I won’t have a fuss made about such
man.
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 further
from danger when he was away from home.
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.
In that, however, ‘


116 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLJIIES.
And yet I need not tell you that my mind was far from at ease, and
that Iwas well-nigh certain that some foul plot had been woven
round him.
“‘In this sinister wayI 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

uSHOOK OUT mve Lnnmu DRIED ORANGE Hrs”
velope, and, turning to the table, he shook out
orange pips.
.. This is the envelope? he continued“
Londonfleaster n division. Within are the ver
upon my father’s last message- ‘K K‘ K-
‘I‘!!!
apers on the sun-dia ”
.. Vvhat have you done ? asked Holmes_
it Nothing.”
.. Nothing? ”
ii and then ‘
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,how-
ever; yesterday morn-
ing the blow fell in
the very shape in
which it had come
upon my father.”
The young man
took from his waist-
coat a crumpled en_
uPon it five little dried
“ The postmark is
y words which were


THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS. 117
“ 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 precau-
tions can guard against.”
“ Tut! Tut l ” cried Sherlock Holmes.
or you are lost. Nothing but energy can save you.
time for despair.”
“I have seen the police.”
“ Ah ? ”
“ But they listened to my story with a smile.
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
“ You must act, man,
This is no
I am convinced
warnings.”
Holmes shook his clenched hands in the air.
imbecilityl ” he cried.
“The have however, allowed me a oliceman, who ma remain
y i y
“Incredible
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 said,‘ “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 trouble, and was advised by him to come to
you.”
“It is really two days since you had the letter. \Ve 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.
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 hashperhaps, fluttered out from among the
He rummaged in


118 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
others, and in that way have 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 un-
doubtedly 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, I869,” 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 return~
ing 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 sun-dial, 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 considera-
tion 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


THE FIVE ORANGE RIPS. 119
:yond the
ola mysell
tg is nn-
sheet 0f
ed been
beneath
rain 0f
Yoo
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.
“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. Thisstrange,
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
To-morrow I shall set to work upon your case.”

“ HIS EYES BENT UPON THE GLOW or rHE FIRE.”
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.”


120 ADVEZVTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

“ 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 has 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 encyclopwdias, 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 cucaine and tobacco. Those, I think, were the main
points of my analysis.” ‘
Holmes grinned at the last item. “ Well,” he said, “ I say now,


THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS. 121
)penshaw
did the
ali0n is
l opon
‘ ideal
own a
chain
voolh
1imal
has
i be
ller.
lied
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 sub-
mitted to us to-night, we need. certainly to muster all our resources.
Kindly hand me down the letter K of the American Encyclopxdia
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 some one or something, so
we may assume as a working hypothesis that it was fear of some one
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 sea-ports. That the writer was on board 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 sent
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


122 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 im-
portance 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 a fanciful resemblance to the sound produced by
cocking a rifle. This terrible secret society was formed by
some ex-Confeclerate 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
or 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


THE FIVE ORANGE RIPS. I 2 3
boat shit!
he writer“
:he deadly
nshaw to
are which
this on
detail‘
:lendess
tal in
oh that
rm. a!
ray as
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 move-
ment 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 impli-
cate 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 which 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.


r24 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOL/l/ES.

“ 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.”

"‘noLMEs,’ 1 camp, ‘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 im-


126 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

“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. 0.” Then he sealed it and ad-
dressed 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 the files of the old papers, following the future career of every
vessel which touched at Pondicherry in January and in February in
’83. There were thirty-six ships of fair tonnage which were re
ported 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


THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS. 127
rad nothing
rhawshal
:heir onr
rg it to
:hese he
nside at
and ad-
rannalt
el‘ling.
sore 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 sternpost 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.




VI.
THE ADVENTURE OF THE MAN WITH THE TwIsTED LIP.
51E WHITNEY, brother of the late Elias Whitney,
i':\_, ‘gal/f. D.D., Principal of the Theological College of St.
George’s, was much addicted to opium. The habit
IL 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 con-
tinued 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 needlework
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’sneck, 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
138


130 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

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 pointingup-
wards, with here
and there a dark,
lack - lustre eye
turned upon the
new‘comer. Out

“STARING INTO THE rum." 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 further 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. 1
of the black.


r32 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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. _
,..
“ ‘ IIOLMES !’ I wrrrsrERED."
“ 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,


THE MAN I‘VITH THE TWISTED III’. 133
him had
led lheh
rise, was
m to m:
oond h
e‘lippel
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 cucaine 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
sets, 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 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?”
"Aye, bodies, Watson. We should be rich men if we had a


I34 ADVENTURES OF SIIERLOCK [[OLZIIES.
ri— *
thousand pounds for every poor devil who has been done to‘death
in that den. It is the vilest murder-trap on the whole river-side,
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 fore-fingers
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, Wat-
s o n,” s a i d
Holmes, as a
tall dog - cart
d a s h e d u p
t h r o u g h t h e
gloom, throwing
out two golden
tunnels ofyellow
light from its
side-lanterns,
“ you’ll come
with me, won’t
you? ”
“ If I can be
of use.”
“Oh,a trusty
comrade is al-
ways of use. And
a chronicler still
more so. My
room at The
C e d a r s is a

“m: FLICKED ‘TIIE HORSE wITn ms WHIP."
double-bedded one.
“ The Cedars?”
“Yes; that is Mr. St. Clair’s house.
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-
I am staying there while


THE Ill/IN WITH THE TIVISTED LIP. :35
r to death
river‘side,
) leave it
re‘lingers
answered
he ratde
w, Wat-
said
as a
g ‘ can
"I
h the
"owing
golden
Yellow
t its
erns,
:onre
ront
the
til
at-
nd
ill
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 broad 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, whilst 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 satis-
tied 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 some one 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 shalljust have time to tell you the facts of the case before
It seems absurdly simple, and yet, somehow, I
There’s plenty of thread, no doubt,
Now, I’ll state the case
we get to Lee.
can get nothing to go upon.
but I can‘t get the end of it in my hand.
clearly and concisely to you, Watson, and maybe you may see
a spark where all is dark to me.”
“ Proceed then.”
“Some years ago—to be definite, in May, I884—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 has now had two children. He
had no occupation, but was interested in several companies, and


r38 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES ‘
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 window
sill, 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 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


THE MAN WITH THE TIVISTED LIP. 139
ring the
rctorwar
llair hat ‘
)x which
e lella
romisel
cripple
serioos.
rted tr
hed as
ed oot
rd the
e, bot
water
relon
ndow
roder
the
r the
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 the 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 pave-
ment before him.
I have watched
this fellow more
than once, before
ever I thought of
making his profes-
sional acquaint-
ance, 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 upthe outer edge of his upper lip, a bull-dog 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
“ HE as A PROFESSIONAL BEGGAR.”


r40 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 bloodstains 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 mudbank
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 1’ ”
“ I cannot imagine.’


THE MAN WITH THE TWISTED LIP. I41
nowletn
been lht
1e single
np ; hnt
Illlllltlti
Watson
:epdoni
non the
lice, c
gations
cnrehl
which
mot
e ten
h hi
2 to
cool
one:
hot
tron
int
‘:len‘
“ No, I don’t think you will guess. Every pocket stuffed with
pennies and halfpennies—four hundred and twenty-one pennies,
and two hundred and seventy halfpennies. 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 re-
mained 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 horde, 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 pro-
fessional 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.” ‘


r42‘ ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
Whilst 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 out-
skirts of Lee,” said my
companion. “We have
touched on three English
counties in our short ,
drive, starting in Middle-
sex, passing over
anangleofSurrey,
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 havelittle doubt,
caught the clink
of our horse’s
feet.”
“.But why are
you not conduct-
ing 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
“srurrs ALL rm; COINS m'ro rm: POCKETS."


THE [MAN IVITH THE TH/ISTED LIP. 143
olar sens
the great
i, and rt
os, jot
villages



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 eager-
ness, 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 2’ ”
“ No.”
“Thank God for that.
you have had a long day.”
“ This is my friend, Dr. Watson.
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
But come in. You must be weary, for
He has been of most vital
investigation.”
“ I am delighted to see you,” said she, pressing my hand warmly.
“You will, I am sure, forgive anything which 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 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? ”


144 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“ 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 ? ”

“‘FRANKLY Now,’ SHE REPEATED.”
“ 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 t0
explain how it is that I have received this letter from him
to-day?”
Sherlock Holmes sprang out of his chair as if he had been
galvanised.
“ \Vhat! ” he roared.


THE IIIAIV IVITH TIIE TIVISTED LIP. 145
alive!"
qoestion
ti looh‘ng
‘0., ~_» .‘;4'
“Yes, to-day.” She stood smiling, holding up a little slip of
paper in the air.
“May I see it P "
“ 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 post-mark, 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-
If it had been written straight off, and then
paper has been used.
This man has
blotted, none would be of a deep black shade.
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. 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 watermark. 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
And you have no doubt that it is your husband’s hand,
All will come well.
tobacco.
madam ? ”
it


THE MAN WITH THE TIVISTED LIP. 147
‘, Mrs. St
a say that
ng scent
ten tron
tlondaw,
on that
is that
I saw
ining‘
some
rch a
at a
tical
riett
dire
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.
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.
throat.”
“ Had he ever spoken of Swandam-lane ? ”
You did not see any one else
I distinctly saw his bare
“ Never.”
“ Had he ever shown any signs of having taken opium P”
“ Never.”
‘“ Thank you, Mrs. St. Clair.
about which I wished to be absolutely clear.
a little supper and then retire, for we may have a very busy day
Those are the principal points
We shall now have
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, how-
ever, 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 brier 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


148 ADVENTURES OF SIIERLOCK H'OLMES

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 upwards, 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, W'atson ? ” he asked.
“ Yes.”

“THE l‘IPE \VAS STILL BET\VEEN HIS LIPS.U
“ 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


150 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 white-washed 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 ugli-
ness. A broad wheal from an old scar ran 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.


THE AIAN IVITH THE TWISTED LIP. 151

“ He certainly needs a wash,” remarked Holmes. “ I had an

pectorsat
idea that he might, and I took the liberty of bringing the tools with
me.” He opened his Gladstone bag as he spoke, and took out, to
wh0n; my astonishment, a very large bath sponge.
‘.h‘en.lr “ He l he ! You are a funny one,” chuckled the inspector.
“ Now, if you ‘
qoiries," will have the great
goodness to‘ open
that door very
quietly, we will
soon make him cut
a much more re-
—ndtj. spectable 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 sleeperl
half turned, and I
l
I
s been
lll Slit

Wll l
and
eat!

‘it
f'’ then settled down
once more into a
deep slumber. ‘
Holmes stooped to
the water jug,
, moistened his ”
“HE TOOK OUT A VERY LARGE BATH SPONGE.
i 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, the horrid scar which had
seamed it across, and the‘twisted lip which had given the repulsive


15‘2 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 heaven! ” 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 aban-


“ IrE BROKE INTO A SCREAM."
dons 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


TIIE iii/AN ZVITH THE TIVISTED LIP. 153
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.
have endured imprisonment, aye, 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. Myfather
was a schoolmaster in Chesterfield, where I received an excellent
I travelled in my youth, took to the stage, and finally
One day my
“ I would
education.
became a reporter on an evening paper in London.
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 busiest 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 twenty-six
shillings and fourpence.
“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


154 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
served upon me for 7625. I was at my wits’ 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.
had the money, and had paid the debt.
“Well, you can imagine how hard it was to settle down to
arduous work at two 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 even-
ings 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 seven hundred 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 in 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 upon which I failed to take two pounds.
“As I grew richer I grew more ambitious, took a house in the
country, and eventually married, without any one 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 the 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 any one from coming
up to me. I heard her voice downstairs, but I‘ knew that she could
not ascend. SwiftlyI threw off my clothes, pulled on those of a
beggar, and put on my pigments and wig. Even a wife’s eyes could
In ten days I


THE MAN WITH THE TWISTED LIP. 155
‘ may be taken.
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, re-opening by my violence a
small out which I had inflicted upon myself in the bedroomthat
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 Brad-
street, “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
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.
HAD called upon my friend Sherlock Holmes upon
the second morning after Christmas, with the inten-
tion 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




1. .
1? ‘
"A VERY SEEDY HARD FELT mar."
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
156

L _____——._ ,-


THE BL UE CARBUNCLE. .157
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 dis-
cuss 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.” , ‘ ,
Iseated 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 andreaction 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 cate-
gory. 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.


r58 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 homewards
down Tottenham Court-road. In front of him he saw, in the gas-
light, 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

“Tl-IE ROUGHS HAD FLED AT THE APPEARANCE OF PETERSON.‘I
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 BL UE CARBUNCLE. 159
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.
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 ? ”
What can you gather from this old
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.


[60 AD VElVTURES OF SHERLOCK flOL/IIES.

“ I, can see nothing,” said I, handing it back to my friend.
“ On the contrary, \Vatson, you can see everything. You fail,
however, to reason from what you see. You are too timid in draw-
ing 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 ? ”


THE BLUE CARBUNCLE. 161
“ This hat is three years old. These fiat brims curled at the edge
It is a hat of the very best quality. Look at the
came in then.
If this man could
band of ribbed silk, and the excellent lining.
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.” \
12


162 ADVENTURES OF SffERLOCK HOLJIIES.
“ You have an answer to everything. But how on‘earth do you
deduce that the gas is not laid on in the 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."
l‘SEE \VIIAT MY \VIFE FOUND IN ITS CROP.’
Sherlock Holmes had opened his mouth to reply, when the door
flew open, and Peterson the commissionaire rushed into the apart-
ment 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 fiapped
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


THE BL UE CAKEU/VCLE. 163
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!
though it were putty.”
“ It’s more than a precious stone. It’s the precious stone.”
“Not the Countess of Morcar’s blue carbuncle!” I ejacu-
lated. ‘
“ Precisely so. Iought to know its size and shape, seeing that
I have read the advertisement about it in The Times every day
It is absolutely unique, and its value can only be con-
It cuts into glass as
lately.
. jectured, but the reward offered of a thousand pounds is certainly
not within a twentieth part of the market price.”
“A thousand pounds! Great Lord" of mercy! ” The commis-
sionaire 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 of 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 the twenty-second of December, just five days
ago. John Horner, a plumber, was accused of having abstracted it
from the lady’sjewel 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


164 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 even-
ing; 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 Homer, 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, thought-
fully, tossing aside the paper. “The question for us now to solve
is the sequence of events leading from a rified 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 character-
istics 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 ? ”


THE BLUE CARBUZVCLE. 165
"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 Peter-
son, 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 every one 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 Gazette, 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 vitrol-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 this man Horner is innocent P ”
“I cannot tell.”
“ Well, then, do you imagine that this other one, Henry Baker,
had anything to do with the matter? ”1 .
“It is, I think, much more likely that Henry Baker is an abso-
lutely innocent man, who had no idea that the bird which he was
carrying .was of considerably more value than if it were made of


I66 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 caseI 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 ap-
proached 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 low 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 shame-faced laugh. “Shillings have
not been so plentiful with me as they once were,” he remarked. “ I


‘ THE BLUE CARBUNCLE. 167
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 excite-
ment.
“ Yes, it would have been no use to any one 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 membm 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 y0u,“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


168 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLJIIES. .
“It is quite certain that he knows
Are you hungry, Watson?”
closed the door behind him.
nothing whatever about the matter.
“ 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. Ourfootfalls
rang out crisply
and loudly as we
swung through the
Doctors’ quarter,
\Vimpole - street,
Harley-street, and
so through Wig-
more - street into
Oxford-street. In
a quarter of an
hour we were in
Bloomsbury at the
“ A l p h a ”
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 l ‘ Whose, then i’ ”

“1:1; BOWED SOLEMNLY T0 BOTH or Us."


Inn,‘


THE BLUE CARB UNCLE. r69
‘a boy to put up the shutters.
“ 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, land-
lord, 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,ahorsey-
looking man, with a sharp face and trim side-whiskers, washelping
“Good evening. It's a cold night,” said Holmes.
The salesman nodded,‘ and shot a questioning glance at my com-
‘ panion.
“Sold out of geese, I see,” continued Holmes, pointing at the
bare slabs of marble.
“ Let you have five hundredto-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.’ ”


170 ‘‘ ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

." Well, then, I sh’an’t tell you. So now i ”
“ 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
Iam. WhenI pay good money for a good article there should be
an end of the business; but it’s ‘ Where are the geese?’ and ‘ WVho
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 connectionwith any other people who have
been making inquiries,” said Holmes carelessly. “If you‘wonit tell
us the bet is off, that is all. But I’m alwaysready to back‘ my
opinion on a matter of fowls, and I have a fiver on it that the bird I
ate is country bred." ‘ > ‘ .
“ \Vell, 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.”
‘7 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. a
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‘Ibuy. 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,


THE BLUE CARI)’ UNCLE. I7!
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, n7, 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 22. Twenty-four geese at 75. 6d.’ ”
i’!
“JUST READ 1‘1‘ 00T TO ME.”
“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, noise-
less 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


THE BLUE CARBUNCLE. r73
“ 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

“ YOU ARE THE VERY “AN.”
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.”


r74 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOL/IIES.
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
windswept market-place,” said he. “ But pray tell me, before,we
go further, who it is that I have the pleasure of assisting.”
The man hesitated for an instant. “ My name is John Robin-
son,” 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.
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 every-
thing 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
“ \Vell,


THE BLUE CARBUNCLE. I75
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 i ”
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 com-
plete. 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
Homer, 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
H
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. Inever 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.”


176 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“ 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.”


“‘HAVE MERCY!’ HE sImiaknD.”
Ryder passed his tongue over his parched lips. “ I will tell you
it just as it happened, sir,” said be. “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.


THE BLUE CARB UNCLE. .77
[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 detec-
tive, 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 con-
fidence. 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, prising 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 fiapped 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.’
I3


THE BL UE CARBUNCLE. 179

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 i ”
“ No more words. Get out! ”


“Hr. BURST mro CONVULSIVE soanmo.”
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 de-
ficiencies. 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


180 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
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.”


182 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“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 profes-
sional 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. Sher-
lock 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 ? ”
i


184 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOL/IIES.

at least throw a little light through the dense darkness which sur-
rounds me?‘ At present it is out of my power to reward you for
your services, but in a month or two 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 con-
cerned 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 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 estate 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,


THE SPECKLED BAND. 185
living the horrible life of an aristocratic pauper; but his only son,
my stepfather, seeing that he must adapt himself to the new con-
ditions, 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 con-
siderable sum of money, not less than a thousand a year, and this
she bequeathed to Dr. Roylott entirely whilst 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 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, be 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 that I could
gather together that I was able to avert another public exposure.


r86 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLJIIES.
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 ser-
vant 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
any one 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


“ HE HURLEU ‘rm; BLACKSMI‘I‘H OVER A I‘AkArE‘r.”


THE SPECKLED BAND. . . 1 s7
)llld
ble-
t in
a_‘‘—.
H‘asag
terrible event occurred which has deprived me of my only com-
panion.” , , _ , _ .
Sherlock Holmes had been leaning back in his chair with his eyes
closed, andhis head sunk in a cushion, but he half o‘penedrhis 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 o,nly,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.‘ , Qf‘these ‘betl.roo.ms 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 any one
whistle in the dead of the night ? ’
“ ‘ Never,’ said I.
“ ‘ I suppose that you could not possibly whistle yourself in your
JI/
. _l
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.’


188 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“‘VVell, 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, amidst 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 doorI 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 step-
father, and I met him hastening from his room in his dressing-gown.
When he reached my sister’s side she was unconscious, and though


THE SPECKLED BAND. 189
smiled
.rd her ,
.0 loct >
r
Etlilll
were
in
were ,
)LIlS
be 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.”
M

3i
*3
“ HER FACE BLANCHED WITH TERROR."
“ Was your sister dressed ? ”
‘,‘ No, she was in her nightdress.
the charred stump of a match, and in her left a matchbox.”
“ 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
In her right hand was found


I90 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

to find any satisfactory cause of death. My evidence showed that
the door had been fastened‘upo‘n‘the inneriside, 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 solidla‘ll Iroundfan‘d 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 which frightened her I cannot imagine.”
“Were there gipsies in the plantation at the time ? ”
“Yes, there are nearly always some there.”
“Ab, 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
r
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 couri‘se 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


THE SFECKLED BAND. 193
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 ofyou
is Holmes ? ”asked
this apparition.
“ My name,
sir, but you have
the advantage of
me,” said my com-
panion, quietly.
“ I am Dr.
GrimesbyRoylott,
of Stoke Moran.”
“Indeed, Doc-
tor,” said Holmes,
blandly. “ Pray
take a seat.”
“I will do
nothing of the
kind. My step-
daughter has been
here. I ‘have
traced her. What
has she been say-
ing to you ? ”
“ It is a little cold for the time of the year,” said I-Iolmes.
“ 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.”

“WHICH or YOU rs mourns?” l.‘ V
I4


THE SPECKLED BAND. 195
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 Leather-
head, 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 front of the trap, his arms folded, his hat
pulleddown‘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 agentle slope, thickening
into a grove at the highest point. From amidst 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,” re-
marked the driver.
“There is some building going on there,” said Holmes; “that
9’
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 wehad better do as you suggest.”
We got off, paid our fare, and the trap rattled back on its way to
Leatherhead.


I96 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK [{OLMES.
“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 acquaint-



“WE GOT OFF, PAID OUR FARE.”
ance,” 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.
\/Vhat will he say when he returns ? ”
“ He must guard himself, for he may find that there is some one
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


198 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 her fate.
It was a homely little room, with a low ceiling and a gaping fire-
place, 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 thewindow.
These articles, with two small wickerwork 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
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.
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 backwards and forwards, examining
minutely the cracks between the boards. Then he did the same with
the woodwork with which ‘the chamber was panelled. Finally he
walked over to the bed and spent some time in staring at it, and in
Finally he took the bell-
VVe used always to get
running his eye up and down the wall.
rope in his hand and gave it a brisk tug.
“Why, it’s a dummy,” said he.
“ VVon’t it ring? ”
“ No, it is not even attached to a wire. This is very interest-
ing. You can see now that it is fastened to a hook just above where
the little opening of the ventilator is."
“ How very absurd ! I never noticed that before.”


THE SPECKLED BAND. 199
third
Miss
late.
din
“ 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 commu-
nicated 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, hut was as plainly furnished. A camp bed, a small
wooden shelf full of books, mostly of a technical character, an arm-
chair 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.
“ \Vhat’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 mill; 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! ”


200 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

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."


“WELL, LOOK AT ThIs.”
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.”
I


THE SPECKLED BAND. 201
hong
npon
ioold
sled .
the
in,
“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 head-.
ache, 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 with-
draw 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 investi- ‘
gate 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.” 7
“ 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 youwill 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
D


202 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLAIES.

dusk we saw Dr. Grimesby Roylott drive past, his huge form loom-
ing 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 clenched 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 dark-
ness, “ have
r e a l l y s o m e
scruples as to
takingyou to-night.
There is a distinct
element ofdanger.”
“ Can I be of
assistance .? ”
“Your presence
might be invalu-
able.”
“ 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.”

"coon-BYE, AND BE BRAVE.”
an‘.-. "'P-s-‘w'l‘,>r


THE SPECKLED BAND. 203
“ 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
suggests 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—for 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
\Ve are only just in time to prevent some subtle and horrible
at.
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


204 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 on
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.
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 on to the table, and cast his eyes round
the room. All was as we had seen it in the day-time. Then creep-
ing 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 a light. He would see it through the
ventilator.
I nodded again.
“ Do not go asleep ; your very life may depend upon it. Have
“That is the


THE SPECKLED BAND. 205
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
ofa 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 out-
side came the occasional cry of a night bird, and once at our very
window‘a long drawn, cat-like 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 byastrong smell of burning oil and heated metal. Some
one 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 ? ”
Butl 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. Icould, 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


206 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 per-
haps, after all, it is for the best. Take your pistol, and we shall
enter Dr. Roylott’s room.”

“ HOLMES LASHED FuIuousLY.”
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, Iat 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


THE SPECKLED BAND. 207
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 upwards, 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.


“ IIE MADE NEITHER SOUND NOR MOTION.n
“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


208 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLJI‘IES.
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 morn-
ing 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. Ican only claim the merit that I instantly recon-
sidered my position when, however, it became clear to me that what-
ever 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 dis-
covered 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


THE SPECKLED BAND. 209
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 father 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 orderto 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.”
15


IX.
THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENGINEER’S THUMB.

F 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 forego 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 Padding-
ton Station, I got a few patients from among the ofiicials. 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.
21°


THE ENGINEER ’S THUMB. 2 I I
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 pff 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 be. “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,


THE ENGINEER ’S THU/VB. 2x3
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!” Icried, “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 hand-
kerchief 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 l ”
“ 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


214 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 dottels 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 your-
self 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


THE ENGINEER ’S THUMB. 2 15
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
and 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 every one finds his first independent start in

“HE SETTLED OUR NEW ACQUAIN‘IANCE ON THE soFA.”
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 twenty-seven pounds ten. 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


216 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 out-
standing 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?’
I asked.
“ ‘ Well, perhaps it is better that
I should not tell you 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 an-
swered, ‘but you will excuse me if
I say that I cannot see how all this bears upon my professional
qualifications. I understood 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.‘ ‘

"coronEr. LYSANDER srARK.”


THE ENGINEER ‘S THUMB. 1 317

“‘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.
“ ‘ You do 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 light-
ning 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 commis-
sion 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 in there at about
eleven fifteen.’
4:___


zzo ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.

ming at midnight, and his extreme anxiety lest I
should tell any one of my errand. However, I threw all my 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
sity for my co

tongue.
“‘NoT A worm TO A sour. !”’
“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


TIIE ENGINEER ’.S THUzL/B. 2 2 1
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 woodwork, and away we went as hard as the
horse could go.”
“ One horse ? ” interjected Holmes.
“ Yes, only one.”
“ Did you observe the colour ?”
“ Yes, I saw it by the sidelights 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 con-
tinue 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 blurr 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 darkinside the house, and the Colonel fumbled
about looking for matches, and muttering under his breath. Sud-


222 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLAIES.
I"
denly 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 every-
thing 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


224 ‘ ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 were 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 new-comers 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 glances 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, do 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


226 AD VE1VTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“ ‘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.’


~ '~ f “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.
‘ Hullol’ 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
y‘.
‘ 3,
“I RUSHED TO THE DOOR.”
‘2


THE ENGINEER’S Till/MB. 227
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 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 backwards.
For an instant I could hardly believe that here was indeed ‘a door
which led away from death. The next 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.
J“ ‘ 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 wits’ end. Then she threw open
a door which led into a bedroom, through the window of which
the moon was shining brightly.


228 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK IIOLMES.
“ ‘‘ 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 with my fingers in the window slot and my
hands across 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
A


THE ErVGINEE/t’ ’S T H U/IIB. 229

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
But, to my astonishment, when I came to look round
pursuers.
I had been lying
me, neither house nor garden were to be seen.




“‘ HE cur AT ME.’ ”
in an angle of the hedge close by the high road, and just a little
lower down was a long building, which proved, upon my approach-
ing 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.


T/IE ENGL’VEEZP ‘S THUJIB. 231
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.
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. Per-
haps 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 on
the centre of the circle. “This is where we shall find them.”
“ But the twelve-mile drive P ” 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,
I have a confused memory, too, of‘


232 ADVEZVTURES OF SIJERLOCK TIOLZIIES.
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 further; 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 thelandscape.
“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.”
“ \Vhose 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 stationmaster 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 stationmaster 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 white-washed 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


234 ADVENTURES OF SHE/{LOCK HOLjllES.
The firemen had been much perturbed at the strange arrange-
ments which they 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
outhouse, but no coins were to be found, which may have explained
the presence of those bulky boxes which have been already referred
t0. ‘
How our hydraulic engineer had been conveyed from the garden
to the spot where he recovered his senses might have remained for
ever 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 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.”
.__-__-__ 4“ ‘_‘


238 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOL/llES.

“for the facts are quite recent, and the matter struck me as u:-
markable. 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 news-
paper 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 which7have 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 an-
nounced 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 title.“
w


THE NOBLE BACHELOR. 239
3 35 In
3w rim
:siorr oi
sqoare
red, ir
lltll‘S-
‘sonrl
reels
ll, il
rberl
ally
sco,
“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


:40 AD VEZVTUA’ES OF SHERLOCK HOLJVES.

‘ Doran, at Lancaster Gate, where breakfast had been prepared.
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
It


“ SHE \VAS EJECTED BY THE BUTLER AND THE FOOTMAN."
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 pro-
longed scene that she was ejected by the butler and the footman. The


THE NOBLE BACHELOR. 241
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 into
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 disturb-
ance, has actually been arrested. It appears that she was formerly
a rimzseiisc 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
I7


242 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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,yello
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 f,
golden eye-glasses. W‘
“ 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
shall talk this matter over.”
“ A most painful matter
to me, as you can most
readily imagine, Mr.
Holmes. I have been cut ‘ “LORD ROB“; SIMON."
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 NOBLE BACHELOR. 243
“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 any one
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 ?”
‘i 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.
gold, invested it, and came up by leaps and bounds.”
“Now, what is your own impression as to the young lady’s—
Then he struck
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,


246 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLJIIES.

“ 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 had 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."


248 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 detain you any
‘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 1 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 l ”
“I have notes of several similar cases, though none, as I
remarked before, which were quite as prompt. My whole exami-
nation served to turn my conjecture into a certainty. Circumstan-
tial 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


THE NOBLE BA CHELOR. 249
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 the Trafalgar-square fountain?”
he asked.
“Why? What do you mean ? ”
“Because you have just as good a chance of findingr 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
“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 on to
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
“There is a little nut for you to crack, Master
up.
top of the pile.
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-


250 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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.
you hope to arrive at through this? ”
“ At some evidence implicating Flora Millar in the dis-
And pray what did
appearance.”
“ I am afraid that you will find it difficult.”
Q‘,
;.
$3
“Are you indeed, now?” cried Lestrade,
with some bitterness. “I am afraid, Holmes,
that you are not very practical with your deduc-


“ ‘ THERE,’ SAID HE.”
tions 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 
as decoyed
‘away by Flora Miller, 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.”


252 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLZlIES.
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 Ptifé
d6 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 0f 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 morning who came bustling in,
dangling his glasses more vigorously than ever, and with a very per-
turbed 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 a 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 any one 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.”


THE NOBLE BACHELOR. ‘ 253
“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. IfI 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.”

1
‘‘A PICTURE OF OFFENDED DIGNI‘I‘Y.'
At the sight of these new-comers 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. “ \Vell, I guess you have
every cause to be.”
“ Pray make no apology to me,” said Lord St. Simon, bitterly.


254 AD VEA’TURES OF SHERLOCK IIOLIIIES.
“ Oh yes, I know that I 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 whenI saw Frank here again, I just didn’t know
what I was doing or saying. I only wonder that I didn’t fall down
and do a faint right there before the altar.”
“ l’erhaps, 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 littletoo 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, sunburned man, with a sharp
face and alert manner.
“ Then I’ll‘ tell our story right away,” said the lady. “ Frank
here and I met in ’81, in McQuire’s camp, near the Rockies, where
Pat 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 any-
thing 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 any one else while he lived.
‘ \Vhy 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 that'I heard of Frank was that he was in Montana,
and then he went prospecting into 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


TIIE NOB/.E BACHELOR. ‘ 255
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, ifI 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. Iwent to the altar with him with the intention that I
would 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,
Iglanced back and saw Frank standing 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.
Ididn’t know what to do. Should I stop the service and make a
scene in the church? Iglanced 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 now was 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


256 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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.”

“some WOMAN canE TALKING ABOUT LORD ST. SIMON."
“I saw it in a paper,” explained the American.
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
would like to vanish away and never see any of them agaimlust
sending a line to Pa, perhaps, to show him that I was alive- It
“ It gave the


TH'E NOBLE BA CH'EL OR. 257
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 should 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 put
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.”
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 develop-
ments, 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
He included us all in a sweeping bow, and stalked out
He put out
good-night.”
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 me 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.”
I8


THE NOBLE BA CHELOR. 259
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 had _I 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 of 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 informa-
tion 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.
was certainly not very gracious.”
“Ah ! Watson,” said Holmes, smiling, “perhaps you would not
“ His conduct


260 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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. Ithink that we may judge Lord St. Simon very ,merci-
fully, 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 which we have still to solve is how to while
away these bleak autumnal evenings.”
. 4 "A


XI.
THE ADVENTURE OF THE BERYL CORONET.
OLMES,” said I, as I stood one morning in our bow
window looking down the street, “here is a mad-
man 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 footpaths 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 ma‘n 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 contor-






tions. ‘
“ 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.
261


262 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“ Here ? ”
“ Yes; I rather think he is coming to consult me professionally.
I think that I recognise the symptoms. Hal 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.


“ WITH A Look or GRIEF AND DEsPAm.”
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 me your story, have you not ? ”
said he. “ You are fatigued with your haste. Pray wait until you


TIIE BER YL COKOZVEZ 263
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, althoughI 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 8:
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


264 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOL/lIES.
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, libra-
ries, or plate.
“Yesterday morning I was seated in my office at the Bank,
when a ‘card was brought into me by one of the clerks. Istarted
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 over-
whelmed 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 do so when the security is good,’ I answered.
“ ‘ It is absolutely essential to me,’ said he, ‘ that I should have
fifty thousand 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 oneself
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 business-like 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.


THE BERYL CORONEZ'. 265
“ ‘ Precisely.’ He opened the case, and there, embedded 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 abso-
lutely certain that
I should be able in
four days to reclaim
it. It is a pure
matter of form. Is
the security suffi-
cient ? ’
“ ‘ Ample.’
“‘You under-
stand, Mr, Holder, "1 Tom; run PRECIOUS case."
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


266 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
you, however, with every confidence, and I shall call for it in person
on Monday morning.’ a
“ Seeing that my client was anxious to leave, I said no more;
but, calling for my cashier, I ordered him to pay over fifty thousand-
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 backwards and forwards 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 Iam
myself to blame. People tell me that I have spoiled him. Very


THE BER YL CORONET. ‘ 267
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, se‘en 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


27o ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOL/IIES.
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! youthief!
How dare you
touch that coro-
net ? ’
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 itwith
all his strength.
At my cry he
dropped it from
7 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 for ever! Where
are the jewels which you have stolen ?’
“ ‘ Stolen! ’ he cried.
“ ‘ Yes, you thief! ’ I roared, shaking him by the shoulder.


“AT MY CRY HE DROPI’ED IT.”


THE BE/(YL COROZVET. 271
“‘ 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 housemaid 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,


27‘2 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK IIOLMES.
by telling us where the beryls are, all shall be forgiven and for-
gotten.’ ,
“ ‘ Keep your forgiveness for those who ask for it,’ he answered,
turning away from me with a sneer. I saw that he was too har-
dened 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 a thousand 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.”


274 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOL/IIES.
and devote an hour to glancing a little more closely into
details.”
My friend insisted upon my accompanying them in their expedi-
tion, which I was eager enough to do, for my curiosity and sym-
pathy 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 the 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
tradesm‘en’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 pale-
ness 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 her 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


THE BERYL CORONET. 275
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
women’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?”


“ SHE WENT STRAIGHT TO HER UNCLE.”
“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


THE BER i/L COROJVET. 179
rh
"‘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 cannottell.”
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
It was not yet three when we found ourselves in
our room 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
“I only wish that you could come with me,
I may be on the trail in this
,’
over in despair.
above the fireplace.
Watson, but I fear that it won’t do.
matter, or I may be following a will 0’ 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, sand-
wiched 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.


282 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“ I would pay ten.” 7
“That would be unnecessary. Three thousand will cover the
matter. And there is a little reward, I fancy. Have you your
cheque-book? Here is a pen. Better make it out for four
thousand pounds.” ‘
With a dazed face the banker made out the required cheque.
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 l ”
“ It is, unfortunately, more than possible; it is certain. Neither
you nor your son knew the true character of this man when you


THE BERYL CORONET’. 283
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. \Vhen 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 last 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 some one 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.


THE BER YL CORONEI’. 285
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 trades-
men’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 impression
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.
Ithought at the time that this might be the maid and her sweet-
heart, 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


THE BERYL CORONET. 287

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

‘~ ..f
“I CLAPPED A PISTOL TO HIS HEAD."
that he was safe, for the lad could not say a word without compro-
mising 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


288 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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—a thousand 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 prosecu-
tion. Off I set to him, and after much chaffering I got our stones
at a thousand 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 ever 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.
O 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 em-
bellish, you have given prominence not so much to the many causes
célébres 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 cherrywood pipe
which was wont to replace his clay when he was in a disputatious
rather than a meditative mood—“you have erred perhaps in at-
tempting 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 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
20 =89


THE COPPER BEECHES. 293
hands together in the most genial fashion. He was such a com-
fortable-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 four pounds a month in my last place with Colonel
Spence Munro.’


“ CAPITAL! "
“ ‘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 any one 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 consider-
able part in the history of the country. But if you have, why, then


294 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
how could any gentleman ask you to condescend to accept anything
under the three figures? Your salary with me, madam, would
commence at a hundred pounds a year.’
“ You may imagine, Mr. Holmes, that to me, destitute as I was,
such an offer seemed almpst 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 s0
thoughtful a man. As I was already in debt to my tradesmen the
advance was a great convenience, and yet there was something un-
natural 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 which 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,


THE COPPER BEECHES. 295
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 off-hand 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


296 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLJIIES.
on the most extraordinary matters, they were at least ready to pay
for their eccentricity. Very few governesses in England are getting
a hundred 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 thatI 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 Iwill 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 thirty pounds a quarter, or £120 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
dogcart at Winchester. Let me know your train.—Yours faithfully,
“ JEPHRO RucAs'rLE.’
“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.


THE COPPER BEECHES. 301
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 kind of you both; but indeed I do not know what I
should do. Your advice will be altogether invaluable to me.”

‘~.,‘\
“I AM so DELIGIXTED THAT YOU HAVE coma."
“ 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


304 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 com-
mence the duties of
the day, and that I
might change my
dress, and go to little
Edward in the nur-
sery.
“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 ré-
Pet’toit’e, and which
he told inimitably.
Then he handed me
a yellow - backed
novel,
“I READ ‘ron .ABouT TEN MINUTES‘n
that my own shadow mlght no
m and, moving
y chair a little sideways,
t fall

\ /


THE COPPER BEECHES. 305
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
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 South-
ampton 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.
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!
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,
Kindly turn round, and
nor seen the man in the road.”


21


THE COPPER EEE CHES. 307


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

"I TOOK IT UP AND EXAMINED IT.’I
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 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


THE COPPER BEECHES 309
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 look-out 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 further 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
eheerless, 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, padlockcd 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 this
sinister door, and wondering what secret it might veil, I suddenly
heard the sound of steps within the room, and saw a shadow pass
backwards and forwards 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 it must
be when I saw the door open.’


3m ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
“ ‘ 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
i so dreadfully still in
there ! ’
“ ‘ Only that?’
said he, looking at
me keenly.
“‘Why, what do
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
“‘on! I AM so rmonrannn!’ r PAINTED." 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


3T2 ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
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 some one, and the real person is im-
prisoned 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 cutoff,
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 herfiancé—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


THE coPPEle BEECHES. 313
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 doorstep.
“ 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 on to the roof. “Ah, yes,” he cried,
“here’s the end of a long light ladder against the eaves. That is
how he did it.”


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