“Technically，nodoubt，butpracticallynot。Whatwoulditprofit
awoman，forexample，togethimafewmonths”imprisonmentifherown
ruinmustimmediatelyfollow？Hisvictimsdarenothitback。Ifever
heblackmailedaninnocentperson，thenindeedweshouldhavehim，but
heisascunningastheEvilOne。No，no，wemustfindotherwaysto
fighthim。”
“Andwhyishehere？“
“Becauseanillustriousclienthasplacedherpiteouscaseinmy
hands。ItistheLadyEvaBlackwell，themostbeautifuldebutanteof
lastseason。SheistobemarriedinafortnighttotheEarlof
Dovercourt。Thisfiendhasseveralimprudentletters-imprudent，
Watson，nothingworse-whichwerewrittentoanimpecuniousyoung
squireinthecountry。Theywouldsufficetobreakoffthematch。
MilvertonwillsendtheletterstotheEarlunlessalargesumof
moneyispaidhim。Ihavebeencommissionedtomeethim，and-to
makethebesttermsIcan。”
Atthatinstanttherewasaclatterandarattleinthestreet
below。LookingdownIsawastatelycarriageandpair，thebrilliant
lampsgleamingontheglossyhaunchesofthenoblechestnuts。A
footmanopenedthedoor，andasmall，stoutmaninashaggy
astrakhanovercoatdescended。Aminutelaterhewasintheroom。
CharlesAugustusMilvertonwasamanoffifty，withalarge，
intellectualhead，around，plump，hairlessface，aperpetualfrozen
smile，andtwokeengrayeyes，whichgleamedbrightlyfrombehind
broad，gold-rimmedglasses。TherewassomethingofMr。Pickwick”s
benevolenceinhisappearance，marredonlybytheinsincerityofthe
fixedsmileandbythehardglitterofthoserestlessand
penetratingeyes。Hisvoicewasassmoothandsuaveashis
countenance，asheadvancedwithaplumplittlehandextended，
murmuringhisregretforhavingmissedusathisfirstvisit。Holmes
disregardedtheoutstretchedhandandlookedathimwithafaceof
granite。Milverton”ssmilebroadened，heshruggedhisshoulders
removedhisovercoat，foldeditwithgreatdeliberationoverthe
backofachair，andthentookaseat。
“Thisgentleman？“saidhe，withawaveinmydirection。“Isit
discreet？Isitright？“
“Dr。Watsonismyfriendandpartner。”
“Verygood，Mr。Holmes。Itisonlyinyourclient”sintereststhatI
protested。Thematterissoverydelicate-“
“Dr。Watsonhasalreadyheardofit。”
“Thenwecanproceedtobusiness。Yousaythatyouareactingfor
LadyEva。Hassheempoweredyoutoacceptmyterms？“
“Whatareyourterms？“
“Seventhousandpounds。”
“Andthealternative？“
“Mydearsir，itispainfulformetodiscussit，butifthemoney
isnotpaidonthe14th，therecertainlywillbenomarriageonthe
18th。”Hisinsufferablesmilewasmorecomplacentthanever。
Holmesthoughtforalittle。
“Youappeartome，“hesaid，atlast，“tobetakingmatterstoomuch
forgranted。Iam，ofcourse，familiarwiththecontentsofthese
letters。MyclientwillcertainlydowhatImayadvise。Ishall
counselhertotellherfuturehusbandthewholestoryandtotrustto
hisgenerosity。”
Milvertonchuckled。
“YouevidentlydonotknowtheEarl，“saidhe。
FromthebaffledlookuponHolmes”sface，Icouldseeclearlythat
hedid。
“Whatharmisthereintheletters？“heasked。
“Theyaresprightly-verysprightly，“Milvertonanswered。“The
ladywasacharmingcorrespondent。ButIcanassureyouthatthe
EarlofDovercourtwouldfailtoappreciatethem。However，sinceyou
thinkotherwise，wewillletitrestatthat。Itispurelyamatterof
business。Ifyouthinkthatitisinthebestinterestsofyourclient
thattheselettersshouldbeplacedinthehandsoftheEarl，thenyou
wouldindeedbefoolishtopaysolargeasumofmoneytoregain
them。”Heroseandseizedhisastrakhancoat。
Holmeswasgraywithangerandmortification。
“Waitalittle，“hesaid。“Yougotoofast。Weshouldcertainlymake
everyefforttoavoidscandalinsodelicateamatter。”
Milvertonrelapsedintohischair。
“Iwassurethatyouwouldseeitinthatlight，“hepurred。
“Atthesametime，“Holmescontinued，“LadyEvaisnotawealthy
woman。Iassureyouthattwothousandpoundswouldbeadrainuponher
resources，andthatthesumyounameisutterlybeyondherpower。I
beg，therefore，thatyouwillmoderateyourdemands，andthatyouwill
returnthelettersatthepriceIindicate，whichis，Iassureyou，
thehighestthatyoucanget。”
Milverton”ssmilebroadenedandhiseyestwinkledhumorously。
“Iamawarethatwhatyousayistrueaboutthelady”sresources，“
saidhe。“Atthesametimeyoumustadmitthattheoccasionofa
lady”smarriageisaverysuitabletimeforherfriendsand
relativestomakesomelittleeffortuponherbehalf。Theymay
hesitateastoanacceptableweddingpresent。Letmeassurethem
thatthislittlebundleofletterswouldgivemorejoythanallthe
candelabraandbutter-dishesinLondon。”
“Itisimpossible，“saidHolmes。
“Dearme，dearme，howunfortunate！“criedMilverton，takingouta
bulkypocketbook。“Icannothelpthinkingthatladiesare
ill-advisedinnotmakinganeffort。Lookatthis！“Heheldupa
littlenotewithacoat-of-armsupontheenvelope。“Thatbelongsto-
well，perhapsitishardlyfairtotellthenameuntilto-morrow
morning。Butatthattimeitwillbeinthehandsofthelady”s
husband。Andallbecauseshewillnotfindabeggarlysumwhichshe
couldgetbyturningherdiamondsintopaste。Itissuchapity！
Now，yourememberthesuddenendoftheengagementbetweenthe
HonourableMissMilesandColonelDorking？Onlytwodaysbeforethe
wedding，therewasaparagraphintheMorningPosttosaythatit
wasalloff。Andwhy？Itisalmostincredible，buttheabsurdsumof
twelvehundredpoundswouldhavesettledthewholequestion。Isitnot
pitiful？AndhereIfindyou，amanofsense，bogglingaboutterms，
whenyourclient”sfutureandhonourareatstake。Yousurpriseme，
Mr。Holmes。”
“WhatIsayistrue，“Holmesanswered。“Themoneycannotbefound。
SurelyitisbetterforyoutotakethesubstantialsumwhichI
offerthantoruinthiswoman”scareer，whichcanprofityouinno
way？“
“Thereyoumakeamistake，Mr。Holmes。Anexposurewouldprofitme
indirectlytoaconsiderableextent。Ihaveeightortensimilarcases
maturing。IfitwascirculatedamongthemthatIhadmadeasevere
exampleoftheLadyEva，Ishouldfindallofthemmuchmoreopento
reason。Youseemypoint？“
Holmessprangfromhischair。
“Getbehindhim，Watson！Don”tlethimout！Now，sir，letusseethe
contentsofthatnotebook。”
Milvertonhadglidedasquickasarattothesideoftheroomand
stoodwithhisbackagainstthewall。
“Mr。Holmes，Mr。Holmes，“hesaid，turningthefrontofhiscoatand
exhibitingthebuttofalargerevolver，whichprojectedfromthe
insidepocket。“Ihavebeenexpectingyoutodosomethingoriginal。
Thishasbeendonesooften，andwhatgoodhasevercomefromit？I
assureyouthatIamarmedtotheteeth，andIamperfectlyprepared
tousemyweapons，knowingthatthelawwillsupportme。Besides，your
suppositionthatIwouldbringthelettershereinanotebookis
entirelymistaken。Iwoulddonothingsofoolish。Andnow，
gentlemen，Ihaveoneortwolittleinterviewsthisevening，anditis
alongdrivetoHampstead。”Hesteppedforward，tookuphiscoat，laid
hishandonhisrevolver，andturnedtothedoor。Ipickedupachair，
butHolmesshookhishead，andIlaiditdownagain。Withbow，a
smile，andatwinkle，Milvertonwasoutoftheroom，andafewmoments
afterweheardtheslamofthecarriagedoorandtherattleofthe
wheelsashedroveaway。
Holmessatmotionlessbythefire，hishandsburieddeepinhis
trouserpockets，hischinsunkuponhisbreast，hiseyesfixedupon
theglowingembers。Forhalfanhourhewassilentandstill。Then，
withthegestureofamanwhohastakenhisdecision，hesprangtohis
feetandpassedintohisbedroom。Alittlelaterarakishyoung
workman，withagoateebeardandaswagger，lithisclaypipeatthe
lampbeforedescendingintothestreet。“I”llbebacksometime，
Watson，“saidhe，andvanishedintothenight。Iunderstoodthathe
hadopenedhiscampaignagainstCharlesAugustusMilverton，butI
littledreamedthestrangeshapewhichthatcampaignwasdestinedto
take。
ForsomedaysHolmescameandwentatallhoursinthisattire，
butbeyondaremarkthathistimewasspentatHampstead，andthat
itwasnotwasted，Iknewnothingofwhathewasdoing。Atlast，
however，onawild，tempestuousevening，whenthewindscreamedand
rattledagainstthewindows，bereturnedfromhislastexpedition，and
havingremovedhisdisguisehesatbeforethefireandlaughed
heartilyinhissilentinwardfashion。
“Youwouldnotcallmeamarryingman，Watson？“
“No，indeed！“
“You”llbeinterestedtohearthatI”mengaged。”
“Mydearfellow！Icongrat-“
“ToMilverton”shousemaid。”
“Goodheavens，Holmes！“
“Iwantedinformation，Watson。”
“Surelyyouhavegonetoofar？“
“Itwasamostnecessarystep。Iamaplumberwitharising
business，Escott，byname。Ihavewalkedoutwithhereachevening，
andIhavetalkedwithher。Goodheavens，thosetalks！However，Ihave
gotallIwanted。IknowMilverton”shouseasIknowthepalmofmy
hand。”
“Butthegirl，Holmes？“
Heshruggedhisshoulders。
“Youcan”thelpit，mydearWatson。Youmustplayyourcardsasbest
youcanwhensuchastakeisonthetable。However，Irejoicetosay
thatIhaveahatedrival，whowillcertainlycutmeouttheinstant
thatmybackisturned。Whatasplendidnightitis！“
“Youlikethisweather？“
“Itsuitsmypurpose。Watson，ImeantoburgleMilverton”shouse
to-night。”
Ihadacatchingofthebreath，andmyskinwentcoldatthe
words，whichwereslowlyutteredinatoneofconcentratedresolution。
Asaflashoflightninginthenightshowsupinaninstantevery
detailofawildlandscape，soatoneglanceIseemedtoseeevery
possibleresultofsuchanaction-thedetection，thecapture，the
honouredcareerendinginirreparablefailureanddisgrace，my
friendhimselflyingatthemercyoftheodiousMilverton。
“Forheaven”ssake，Holmes，thinkwhatyouaredoing，“Icried。
“Mydearfellow，Ihavegiveniteveryconsideration。Iamnever
precipitateinmyactions，norwouldIadoptsoenergeticand，indeed，
sodangerousacourse，ifanyotherwerepossible。Letuslookat
thematterclearlyandfairly。Isupposethatyouwilladmitthat
theactionismorallyjustifiable，thoughtechnicallycriminal。To
burglehishouseisnomorethantoforciblytakehispocketbook-an
actioninwhichyouwerepreparedtoaidme。”
Iturneditoverinmymind。
“Yes，“Isaid，“itismorallyjustifiablesolongasourobjectis
totakenoarticlessavethosewhichareusedforanillegalpurpose。”
Exactly。Sinceitismorallyjustifiable，Ihaveonlytoconsider
thequestionofpersonalrisk。Surelyagentlemanshouldnotlay
muchstressuponthis，whenaladyisinmostdesperateneedofhis
help？“
“Youwillbeinsuchafalseposition。”
“Well，thatispartoftherisk。Thereisnootherpossiblewayof
regainingtheseletters。Theunfortunateladyhasnotthemoney，and
therearenoneofherpeopleinwhomshecouldconfide。To-morrowis
thelastdayofgrace，andunlesswecangetthelettersto-night，
thisvillainwillbeasgoodashiswordandwillbringabouther
ruin。Imust，therefore，abandonmyclienttoherfateorImust
playthislastcard。Betweenourselves，Watson，it”sasportingduel
betweenthisfellowMilvertonandme。Hehad，asyousaw，thebest
ofthefirstexchanges，butmyself-respectandmyreputationare
concernedtofightittoafinish。”
“Well，Idon”tlikeit，butIsupposeitmustbe，“saidI。“When
dowestart？“
“Youarenotcoming。”
“Thenyouarenotgoing，“saidI。“Igiveyoumywordofhonour-and
Ineverbrokeitinmylife-thatIwilltakeacabstraighttothe
police-stationandgiveyouaway，unlessyouletmesharethis
adventurewithyou。”
“Youcan”thelpme。”
“Howdoyouknowthat？Youcan”ttellwhatmayhappen。Anyway，my
resolutionistaken。Otherpeoplebesidesyouhaveself-respect，and
evenreputations。”
Holmeshadlookedannoyed，buthisbrowcleared，andheclappedme
ontheshoulder。
“Well，well，mydearfellow，beitso。Wehavesharedthissameroom
forsomeyears，anditwouldbeamusingifweendedbysharingthe
samecell。Youknow，Watson，Idon”tmindconfessingtoyouthatI
havealwayshadanideathatIwouldhavemadeahighlyefficient
criminal。Thisisthechanceofmylifetimeinthatdirection。See
here！“Hetookaneatlittleleathercaseoutofadrawer，andopening
itheexhibitedanumberofshininginstruments。“Thisisa
first-class，up-to-dateburglingkit，withnickel-platedjemmy，
diamond-tippedglass-cutter，adaptablekeys，andeverymodern
improvementwhichthemarchofcivilizationdemands。Here，too，is
mydarklantern。Everythingisinorder。Haveyouapairofsilent
shoes？“
“Ihaverubber-soledtennisshoes。”
“Excellent！Andamask？“
“Icanmakeacoupleoutofblacksilk。”
“Icanseethatyouhaveastrong，naturalturnforthissortof
thing。Verygood，doyoumakethemasks。Weshallhavesomecold
supperbeforewestart。Itisnownine-thirty。Atelevenweshall
driveasfarasChurchRow。Itisaquarterofanhour”swalkfrom
theretoAppledoreTowers。Weshallbeatworkbeforemidnight。
Milvertonisaheavysleeper，andretirespunctuallyatten-thirty。
Withanyluckweshouldbebackherebytwo，withtheLadyEva”s
lettersinmypocket。”
HolmesandIputonourdress-clothes，sothatwemightappeartobe
twotheatre-goershomewardbound。InOxfordStreetwepickedupa
hansomanddrovetoanaddressinHampstead。Herewepaidoffourcab，
andwithourgreatcoatsbuttonedup，foritwasbitterlycold，and
thewindseemedtoblowthroughus，wewalkedalongtheedgeofthe
heath。
“It”sabusinessthatneedsdelicatetreatment，“saidHolmes。“These
documentsarecontainedinasafeinthefellow”sstudy，andthestudy
istheante-roomofhisbed-chamber。Ontheotherhand，likeallthese
stout，littlemenwhodothemselveswell，heisaplethoricsleeper。
Agatha-that”smyfiancee-saysitisajokeintheservants”hall
thatit”simpossibletowakethemaster。Hehasasecretarywhois
devotedtohisinterests，andneverbudgesfromthestudyallday。
That”swhywearegoingatnight。Thenhehasabeastofadogwhich
roamsthegarden。ImetAgathalatethelasttwoevenings，andshe
locksthebruteupsoastogivemeaclearrun。Thisisthehouse，
thisbigoneinitsowngrounds。Throughthegate-nowtotheright
amongthelaurels。Wemightputonourmaskshere，Ithink。Yousee，
thereisnotaglimmeroflightinanyofthewindows，and
everythingisworkingsplendidly。”
Withourblacksilkface-coverings，whichturnedusintotwoof
themosttruculentfiguresinLondon，westoleuptothesilent，
gloomyhouse。Asortoftiledverandaextendedalongonesideofit，
linedbyseveralwindowsandtwodoors。
“That”shisbedroom，“Holmeswhispered。“Thisdooropensstraight
intothestudy。Itwouldsuitusbest，butitisboltedaswellas
locked，andweshouldmaketoomuchnoisegettingin。Comeroundhere。
There”sagreenhousewhichopensintothedrawing-room。”
Theplacewaslocked，butHolmesremovedacircleofglassand
turnedthekeyfromtheinside。Aninstantafterwardshehadclosed
thedoorbehindus，andwehadbecomefelonsintheeyesofthelaw。
Thethick，warmairoftheconservatoryandtherich，choking
fragranceofexoticplantstookusbythethroat。Heseizedmyhandin
thedarknessandledmeswiftlypastbanksofshrubswhichbrushed
againstourfaces。Holmeshadremarkablepowers，carefullycultivated，
ofseeinginthedark。Stillholdingmyhandinoneofhis，he
openedadoor，andIwasvaguelyconsciousthatwehadenteredalarge
roominwhichacigarhadbeensmokednotlongbefore。Hefelthisway
amongthefurniture，openedanotherdoor，andcloseditbehindus。
PuttingoutmyhandIfeltseveralcoatshangingfromthewall，and
IunderstoodthatIwasinapassage。WepassedalongitandHolmes
verygentlyopenedadoorupontheright-handside。Somethingrushed
outatusandmyheartsprangintomymouth，butIcouldhave
laughedwhenIrealizedthatitwasthecat。Afirewasburningin
thisnewroom，andagaintheairwasheavywithtobaccosmoke。
Holmesenteredontiptoe，waitedformetofollow，andthenvery
gentlyclosedthedoor。WewereinMilverton”sstudy，andaportiere
atthefarthersideshowedtheentrancetohisbedroom。
Itwasagoodfire，andtheroomwasilluminatedbyit。Nearthe
doorIsawthegleamofanelectricswitch，butitwasunnecessary，
evenifithadbeensafe，toturniton。Atonesideofthe
fireplacewasaheavycurtainwhichcoveredthebaywindowwehadseen
fromoutside。Ontheothersidewasthedoorwhichcommunicatedwith
theveranda。Adeskstoodinthecentre，withaturning-chairof
shiningredleather。Oppositewasalargebookcase，withamarblebust
ofAtheneonthetop。Inthecorner，betweenthebookcaseandthe
wall，therestoodatall，greensafe，thefirelightflashingbackfrom
thepolishedbrassknobsuponitsface。Holmesstoleacrossandlooked
atit。Thenhecrepttothedoorofthebedroom，andstoodwith
slantingheadlisteningintently。Nosoundcamefromwithin。Meanwhile
ithadstruckmethatitwouldbewisetosecureourretreatthrough
theouterdoor，soIexaminedit。Tomyamazement，itwasneither
lockednorbolted。ItouchedHolmesonthearm，andheturnedhis
maskedfaceinthatdirection。Isawhimstart，andhewasevidently
assurprisedasI。
“Idon”tlikeit，“hewhispered，puttinghislipstomyveryear。“I
can”tquitemakeitout。Anyhow，wehavenotimetolose。”
“CanIdoanything？“
“Yes，standbythedoor。Ifyouhearanyonecome，boltitonthe
inside，andwecangetawayaswecame。Iftheycometheotherway，we
cangetthroughthedoorifourjobisdone，orhidebehindthese
windowcurtainsifitisnot。Doyouunderstand？“
Inodded，andstoodbythedoor。Myfirstfeelingoffearhadpassed
away，andIthrillednowwithakeenerzestthanIhadeverenjoyed
whenwewerethedefendersofthelawinsteadofitsdefiers。Thehigh
objectofourmission，theconsciousnessthatitwasunselfishand
chivalrous，thevillainouscharacterofouropponent，alladdedtothe
sportinginterestoftheadventure。Farfromfeelingguilty，I
rejoicedandexultedinourdangers。WithaglowofadmirationI
watchedHolmesunrollinghiscaseofinstrumentsandchoosinghistool
withthecalm，scientificaccuracyofasurgeonwhoperformsa
delicateoperation。Iknewthattheopeningofsafeswasa
particularhobbywithhim，andIunderstoodthejoywhichitgave
himtobeconfrontedwiththisgreenandgoldmonster，thedragon
whichheldinitsmawthereputationsofmanyfairladies。Turning
upthecuffsofhisdress-coat-hehadplacedhisovercoatonachair-
Holmeslaidouttwodrills，ajemmy，andseveralskeletonkeys。I
stoodatthecentredoorwithmyeyesglancingateachofthe
others，readyforanyemergency，though，indeed，myplanswere
somewhatvagueastowhatIshoulddoifwewereinterrupted。Forhalf
anhour，Holmesworkedwithconcentratedenergy，layingdownonetool，
pickingupanother，handlingeachwiththestrengthanddelicacyof
thetrainedmechanic。FinallyIheardaclick，thebroadgreendoor
swungopen，andinsideIhadaglimpseofanumberofpaperpackets，
eachtied，sealed，andinscribed。Holmespickedoneout，butitwasas
hardtoreadbytheflickeringfire，andhedrewouthislittledark
lantern，foritwastoodangerous，withMilvertoninthenextroom，to
switchontheelectriclight。SuddenlyIsawhimhalt，listen
intently，andtheninaninstanthehadswungthedoorofthesafeto，
pickeduphiscoat，stuffedhistoolsintothepockets，anddarted
behindthewindowcurtain，motioningmetodothesame。
ItwasonlywhenIhadjoinedhimtherethatIheardwhathad
alarmedhisquickersenses。Therewasanoisesomewherewithinthe
house。Adoorslammedinthedistance。Thenaconfused，dullmurmur
brokeitselfintothemeasuredthudofheavyfootstepsrapidly
approaching。Theywereinthepassageoutsidetheroom。Theypausedat
thedoor。Thedooropened。Therewasasharpsnickastheelectric
lightwasturnedon。Thedoorclosedoncemore，andthepungentreek
ofastrongcigarwashometoournostrils。Thenthefootsteps
continuedbackwardandforward，backwardandforward，withinafew
yardsofus。Finallytherewasacreakfromachair，andthefootsteps
ceased。Thenakeyclickedinalock，andIheardtherustleof
papers。
SofarIhadnotdaredtolookout，butnowIgentlypartedthe
divisionofthecurtainsinfrontofmeandpeepedthrough。Fromthe
pressureofHolmes”sshoulderagainstmine，Iknewthathewassharing
myobservations。Rightinfrontofus，andalmostwithinourreach，
wasthebroad，roundedbackofMilverton。Itwasevidentthatwehad
entirelymiscalculatedhismovements，thathehadneverbeentohis
bedroom，butthathehadbeensittingupinsomesmokingorbilliard
roominthefartherwingofthehouse，thewindowsofwhichwehadnot
seen。Hisbroad，grizzledhead，withitsshiningpatchofbaldness，
wasintheimmediateforegroundofourvision。Hewasleaningfarback
intheredleatherchair，hislegsoutstretched，along，blackcigar
projectingatananglefromhismouth。Heworeasemi-militarysmoking
jacket，claret-coloured，withablackvelvetcollar。Inhishandhe
heldalong，legaldocumentwhichhewasreadinginanindolent
fashion，blowingringsoftobaccosmokefromhislipsashedidso。
Therewasnopromiseofaspeedydepartureinhiscomposedbearingand
hiscomfortableattitude。
IfeltHolmes”shandstealintomineandgivemeareassuringshake，
asiftosaythatthesituationwaswithinhispowers，andthathewas
easyinhismind。Iwasnotsurewhetherhehadseenwhatwasonlytoo
obviousfrommyposition，thatthedoorofthesafewasimperfectly
closed，andthatMilvertonmightatanymomentobserveit。Inmyown
mindIhaddeterminedthatifIweresure，fromtherigidityofhis
gaze，thatithadcaughthiseye，Iwouldatoncespringout，throwmy
greatcoatoverhishead，pinionhim，andleavetheresttoHolmes。
ButMilvertonneverlookedup。Hewaslanguidlyinterestedbythe
papersinhishand，andpageafterpagewasturnedashefollowed
theargumentofthelawyer。Atleast，Ithought，whenhehas
finishedthedocumentandthecigarhewillgotohisroom，butbefore
hehadreachedtheendofeither，therecamearemarkabledevelopment，
whichturnedourthoughtsintoquiteanotherchannel。
SeveraltimesIhadobservedthatMilvertonlookedathiswatch，and
oncehehadrisenandsatdownagain，withagestureofimpatience。
Theidea，however，thathemighthaveanappointmentatsostrange
anhourneveroccurredtomeuntilafaintsoundreachedmyears
fromtheverandaoutside。Milvertondroppedhispapersandsatrigid
inhischair。Thesoundwasrepeated，andthentherecameagentletap
atthedoor。Milvertonroseandopenedit。
“Well，“saidhe，curtly，“youarenearlyhalfanhourlate。”
Sothiswastheexplanationoftheunlockeddoorandofthe
nocturnalvigilofMilverton。Therewasthegentlerustleofawoman”s
dress。IhadclosedtheslitbetweenthecurtainsasMilverton”s
facehadturnedinourdirection，butnowIventuredverycarefullyto
openitoncemore。Hehadresumedhisseat，thecigarstillprojecting
ataninsolentanglefromthecornerofhismouth。Infrontofhim，in
thefullglareoftheelectriclight，therestoodatall，slim，dark
woman，aveiloverherface，amantledrawnroundherchin。Herbreath
camequickandfast，andeveryinchofthelithefigurewas
quiveringwithstrongemotion。
“Well，“saidMilverton，“youmademeloseagoodnight”srest，my
dear。Ihopeyou”llproveworthit。Youcouldn”tcomeanyother
time-eh？“
Thewomanshookherhead。
“Well，ifyoucouldn”tyoucouldn”t。IftheCountessisahard
mistress，youhaveyourchancetogetlevelwithhernow。Blessthe
girl，whatareyoushiveringabout？That”sright。Pullyourself
together。Now，letusgetdowntobusiness。”Hetookanotebookfrom
thedrawerofhisdesk。“Yousaythatyouhavefiveletterswhich
compromisetheCountessd”Albert。Youwanttosellthem。Iwanttobuy
them。Sofarsogood。Itonlyremainstofixaprice。Ishouldwantto
inspecttheletters，ofcourse。Iftheyarereallygoodspecimens-
Greatheavens，isityou？“
Thewoman，withoutaword，hadraisedherveilanddroppedthe
mantlefromherchin。Itwasadark，handsome，clear-cutfacewhich
confrontedMilverton-afacewithacurvednose，strong，darkeyebrows
shadinghard，glitteringeyes，andastraight，thin-lippedmouthset
inadangeroussmile。
“ItisI，“shesaid，“thewomanwhoselifeyouhaveruined。”
Milvertonlaughed，butfearvibratedinhisvoice。“Youweresovery
obstinate，“saidhe。“Whydidyoudrivemetosuchextremities？I
assureyouIwouldn”thurtaflyofmyownaccord，buteverymanhas
hisbusiness，andwhatwasItodo？Iputthepricewellwithinyour
means。Youwouldnotpay。”
“Soyousenttheletterstomyhusband，andhe-thenoblest
gentlemanthateverlived，amanwhosebootsIwasneverworthyto
lace-hebrokehisgallantheartanddied。Yourememberthatlast
night，whenIcamethroughthatdoor，Ibeggedandprayedyoufor
mercy，andyoulaughedinmyfaceasyouaretryingtolaughnow，only
yourcowardheartcannotkeepyourlipsfromtwitching。Yes，younever
thoughttoseemehereagain，butitwasthatnightwhichtaughtme
howIcouldmeetyoufacetoface，andalone。Well，CharlesMilverton，
whathaveyoutosay？“
“Don”timaginethatyoucanbullyme，“saidhe，risingtohis
feet。“IhaveonlytoraisemyvoiceandIcouldcallmyservants
andhaveyouarrested。ButIwillmakeallowanceforyournatural
anger。Leavetheroomatonceasyoucame，andIwillsaynomore。”
Thewomanstoodwithherhandburiedinherbosom，andthesame
deadlysmileonherthinlips。
“Youwillruinnomorelivesasyouhaveruinedmine。Youwillwring
nomoreheartsasyouwrungmine。Iwillfreetheworldofapoisonous
thing。Takethat，youhound-andthat！-andthat！-andthat！“
Shehaddrawnalittlegleamingrevolver，andemptiedbarrelafter
barrelintoMilverton”sbody，themuzzlewithintwofeetofhis
shirtfront。Heshrankawayandthenfellforwarduponthetable，
coughingfuriouslyandclawingamongthepapers。Thenhestaggered
tohisfeet，receivedanothershot，androlleduponthefloor。“You”ve
doneme，“hecried，andlaystill。Thewomanlookedathimintently，
andgroundherheelintohisupturnedface。Shelookedagain，but
therewasnosoundormovement。Iheardasharprustle，thenight
airblewintotheheatedroom，andtheavengerwasgone。
Nointerferenceuponourpartcouldhavesavedthemanfromhis
fate，but，asthewomanpouredbulletafterbulletintoMilverton”s
shrinkingbodyIwasabouttospringout，whenIfeltHolmes”scold，
stronggraspuponmywrist。Iunderstoodthewholeargumentofthat
firm，restraininggrip-thatitwasnoaffairofours，thatjustice
hadovertakenavillain，thatwehadourowndutiesandourown
objects，whichwerenottobelostsightof。Buthardlyhadthe
womanrushedfromtheroomwhenHolmes，withswift，silentsteps，
wasoverattheotherdoor。Heturnedthekeyinthelock。Atthesame
instantweheardvoicesinthehouseandthesoundofhurryingfeet。
Therevolvershotshadrousedthehousehold。Withperfectcoolness
Holmesslippedacrosstothesafe，filledhistwoarmswithbundlesof
letters，andpouredthemallintothefire。Againandagainhedidit，
untilthesafewasempty。Someoneturnedthehandleandbeatupon
theoutsideofthedoor。Holmeslookedswiftlyround。Theletterwhich
hadbeenthemessengerofdeathforMilvertonlay，allmottledwith
hisblood，uponthetable。Holmestosseditinamongtheblazing
papers。Thenhedrewthekeyfromtheouterdoor，passedthroughafter
me，andlockeditontheoutside。“Thisway，Watson，“saidhe，“wecan
scalethegardenwallinthisdirection。”
Icouldnothavebelievedthatanalarmcouldhavespreadso
swiftly。Lookingback，thehugehousewasoneblazeoflight。The
frontdoorwasopen，andfigureswererushingdownthedrive。The
wholegardenwasalivewithpeople，andonefellowraiseda
view-halloaasweemergedfromtheverandaandfollowedhardatour
heels。Holmesseemedtoknowthegroundsperfectly，andhethreaded
hiswayswiftlyamongaplantationofsmalltrees，Icloseathis
heels，andourforemostpursuerpantingbehindus。Itwasasix-foot
wallwhichbarredourpath，buthesprangtothetopandover。AsI
didthesameIfeltthehandofthemanbehindmegrabatmyankle，
butIkickedmyselffreeandscrambledoveragrass-strewncoping。I
felluponmyfaceamongsomebushes，butHolmeshadmeonmyfeetin
aninstant，andtogetherwedashedawayacrossthehugeexpanseof
HampsteadHeath。Wehadruntwomiles，Isuppose，beforeHolmesat
lasthaltedandlistenedintently。Allwasabsolutesilencebehindus。
Wehadshakenoffourpursuersandweresafe。
Wehadbreakfastedandweresmokingourmorningpipeontheday
aftertheremarkableexperiencewhichIhaverecorded，whenMr。
Lestrade，ofScotlandYard，verysolemnandimpressive，wasushered
intoourmodestsitting-room。
“Good-morning，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe；“good-morning。MayIaskifyou
areverybusyjustnow？“
“Nottoobusytolistentoyou。”
“Ithoughtthat，perhaps，ifyouhadnothingparticularonhand，you
mightcaretoassistusinamostremarkablecase，whichoccurredonly
lastnightatHampstead。”
“Dearme！“saidHolmes。“Whatwasthat？“
“Amurder-amostdramaticandremarkablemurder。Iknowhowkeen
youareuponthesethings，andIwouldtakeitasagreatfavourif
youwouldstepdowntoAppledoreTowers，andgiveusthebenefitof
youradvice。Itisnoordinarycrime。Wehavehadoureyesuponthis
Mr。Milvertonforsometime，and，betweenourselves，hewasabitofa
villain。Heisknowntohaveheldpaperswhichheusedfor
blackmailingpurposes。Thesepapershaveallbeenburnedbythe
murderers。Noarticleofvaluewastaken，asitisprobablethatthe
criminalsweremenofgoodposition，whosesoleobjectwasto
preventsocialexposure。”
“Criminals？“saidHolmes。“Plural？“
“Yes，thereweretwoofthem。Theywereasnearlyaspossible
capturedredhanded。Wehavetheirfootmarks，wehavetheir
description，it”stentoonethatwetracethem。Thefirstfellow
wasabittooactive，butthesecondwascaughtbytheunder-gardener，
andonlygotawayafterastruggle。Hewasamiddle-sized，strongly
builtman-squarejaw，thickneck，moustache，amaskoverhiseyes。”
“That”srathervague，“saidSherlockHolmes。“My，itmightbea
descriptionofWatson！“
“It”strue，“saidtheinspector，withamusement。“Itmightbea
descriptionofWatson。”
“Well，I”mafraidIcan”thelpyou，Lestrade，“saidHolmes。“The
factisthatIknewthisfellowMilverton，thatIconsideredhimone
ofthemostdangerousmeninLondon，andthatIthinkthereare
certaincrimeswhichthelawcannottouch，andwhichtherefore，to
someextent，justifyprivaterevenge。No，it”snousearguing。I
havemadeupmymind。Mysympathiesarewiththecriminalsratherthan
withthevictim，andIwillnothandlethiscase。”
Holmeshadnotsaidonewordtomeaboutthetragedywhichwehad
witnessed，butIobservedallthemorningthathewasinhismost
thoughtfulmood，andhegavemetheimpression，fromhisvacanteyes
andhisabstractedmanner，ofamanwhoisstrivingtorecall
somethingtohismemory。Wewereinthemiddleofourlunch，whenhe
suddenlysprangtohisfeet。“ByJove，Watson，I”vegotit！“hecried。
“Takeyourhat！Comewithme！“Hehurriedathistopspeeddown
BakerStreetandalongOxfordStreet，untilwehadalmostreached
RegentCircus。Here，onthelefthand，therestandsashopwindow
filledwithphotographsofthecelebritiesandbeautiesoftheday。
Holmes”seyesfixedthemselvesupononeofthem，andfollowinghis
gazeIsawthepictureofaregalandstatelyladyinCourtdress，
withahighdiamondtiarauponhernoblehead。Ilookedatthat
delicatelycurvednose，atthemarkedeyebrows，atthestraightmouth，
andthestronglittlechinbeneathit。ThenIcaughtmybreathasI
readthetime-honouredtitleofthegreatnoblemanandstatesmanwhose
wifeshehadbeen。MyeyesmetthoseofHolmes，andheputhis
fingertohislipsasweturnedawayfromthewindow-
THEEND。
1927
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFSHOSCOMBEOLDPLACE
bySirArthurConanDoyle
SherlockHolmeshadbeenbendingforalongtimeoveralow-power
microscope。Nowhestraightenedhimselfupandlookedroundatmein
triumph。
“Itisglue，Watson，“saidhe。“Unquestionablyitisglue。Havea
lookatthesescatteredobjectsinthefield！“
Istoopedtotheeyepieceandfocussedformyvision。
“Thosehairsarethreadsfromatweedcoat。Theirregulargray
massesaredust。Thereareepithelialscalesontheleft。Those
brownblobsinthecentreareundoubtedlyglue。”
“Well，“Isaid，laughing，“Iampreparedtotakeyourwordforit。
Doesanythingdependuponit？“
“Itisaveryfinedemonstration，“heanswered。“IntheSt。
Pancrascaseyoumayrememberthatacapwasfoundbesidethedead
policeman。Theaccusedmandeniesthatitishis。Butheisa
picture-framemakerwho，habituallyhandlesglue。”
“Isitoneofyourcases？“
“No；myfriend，Merivale，oftheYard，askedmetolookintothe
case。SinceIrandownthatcoinerbythezincandcopperfilingsin
theseamofhiscufftheyhavebeguntorealizetheimportanceof
themicroscope。”Helookedimpatientlyathiswatch。“Ihadanew
clientcalling，butheisoverdue。Bytheway，Watson，youknow
somethingofracing？“
“Ioughtto。Ipayforitwithabouthalfmywoundpension。”
“ThenI”llmakeyoumy”HandyGuidetotheTurf。”WhataboutSir
RobertNorberton？Doesthenamerecallanything？“
“Well，Ishouldsayso。HelivesatShoscombeOldPlace，andI
knowitwell，formysummerquartersweredownthereonce。Norberton
nearly，camewithinyourprovinceonce。”
“Howwasthat？“
“ItwaswhenhehorsewhippedSamBrewer，thewell-knownCurzon
Streetmoney-lender，onNewmarketHeath。Henearlykilledtheman。”
“Ah，hesoundsinteresting！Doesheoftenindulgeinthatway？“
“Well，hehasthenameofbeingadangerousman。Heisaboutthe
mostdaredevilriderinEngland-secondintheGrandNationalafew
yearsback。Heisoneofthosemenwhohaveovershottheirtrue
generation。HeshouldhavebeenabuckinthedaysoftheRegency-a
boxer，anathlete，aplungerontheturf，aloveroffairladies，and，
byallaccount，sofardownQueerStreetthathemayneverfindhis
waybackagain。”
“Capital，Watson！Athumb-nailsketch。Iseemtoknowtheman。
Now，canyougivemesomeideaofShoscombeOldPlace？“
“OnlythatitisinthecentreofShoscombePark，andthatthe
famousShoscombestudandtrainingquartersaretobefoundthere。”
“Andtheheadtrainer，“saidHolmes，“isJohnMason。Youneednot
looksurprisedatmyknowledge，Watson，forthisisaletterfrom
himwhichIamunfolding。ButletushavesomemoreaboutShoscombe。I
seemtohavestruckarichvein。”
“TherearetheShoscombespaniels，“saidI。“Youhearofthemat
everydogshow。ThemostexclusivebreedinEngland。Theyarethe
specialprideoftheladyofShoscombeOldPlace。”
“SirRobertNorberton”swife，Ipresume！“
“SirRoberthasnevermarried。Justaswell，Ithink，considering
hisprospects。Heliveswithhiswidowedsister，LadyBeatrice
Falder。”
“Youmeanthatsheliveswithhim？“
“No，no。Theplacebelongedtoherlatehusband，SirJamesNorberton
hasnoclaimonitatall。Itisonlyalifeinterestandrevertsto
herhusband”sbrother。Meantime，shedrawstherentseveryyear。”
“AndbrotherRobert，Isuppose，spendsthesaidrents？“
“Thatisaboutthesizeofit。Heisadevilofafellowandmust
leadheramostuneasylife。YetIhaveheardthatsheisdevotedto
him。ButwhatisamissatShoscombe？“
“Ah，thatisjustwhatIwanttoknow。Andhere，Iexpect，isthe
manwhocantellus。”
Thedoorhadopenedandthepagehadshowninatall，clean-shaven
manwiththefirm，austereexpressionwhichisonlyseenuponthose
whohavetocontrolhorsesorboys。Mr。JohnMasonhadmanyofboth
Linderhissway，andhelookedequaltothetask。Hebowedwithcold
self-possessionandseatedhimselfuponthechairtowhichHolmes
hadwavedhim。
“Youhadmynote，Mr。Holmes？“
“Yes，butitexplainednothing。”
“Itwastoodelicateathingformetoputthedetailsonpaper。And
toocomplicated。ItwasonlyfacetofaceIcoulddoit。”
“Well，weareatyourdisposal。”
“Firstofall，Mr。Holmes，Ithinkthatmyemployer，SiRobert，
hasgonemad。”
Holmesraisedhiseyebrows。“ThisisBakerStreet，notHarley
Street，“saidhe。“Butwhydoyousayso？“
“Well，sir，whenamandoesonequeerthing，ortwoqueerthings，
theremaybeameaningtoit，butwheneverythinghedoesisqueer，
thenyoubegintowonder。IbelieveShoscombePrinceandtheDerby
haveturnedhisbrain。”
“Thatisacoltyouarerunning？“
“BestinEngland，Mr。Holmes。Ishouldknow，ifanyonedoes。Now，
I”llbeplainwithyou，forIknowyouaregentlemenofhonourand
thatitwon”tgobeyondtheroom。SirRoberthasgottowinthis
Derby。He”suptotheneck，andit”shislastchance。Everythinghe
couldraiseorborrowisonthehorse-andatfineodds，too！You
cangetfortiesnow，butitwasnearerthehundredwhenhebeganto
backhim。”
“Buthowisthatifthehorseissogood？“
“Thepublicdon”tknowhowgoodheis。SirRoberthasbeentoo
cleverforthetouts。HehasthePrince”shalf-brotheroutfor
spins。Youcan”ttell”emapart。Buttherearetwolengthsina
furlongbetweenthemwhenitcomestoagallop。Hethinksofnothing
butthehorseandtherace。Hiswholelifeisonit。He”sholding
offtheJewstillthen。IfthePrincefallshimheisdone。”
“Itseemsaratherdesperategamble，butwheredoesthemadnesscome
in？“
“Well，firstofall，youhaveonlytolookathim。Idon”tbelieve
hesleepsatnight。Heisdownatthestablesatallhours。Hiseyes
arewild。Ithasallbeentoomuchforhisnerves。Thenthereishis
conducttoLadyBeatrice！“
“Ah！Whatisthat？“
“Theyhavealwaysbeenthebestoffriends。Theyhadthesame
tastes，thetwoofthem，andshelovedthehorsesasmuchashedid。
Everydayatthesamehourshewoulddrivedowntoseethem-and，
aboveall，shelovedthePrince。Hewouldprickuphisearswhenhe
heardthewheelsonthegravel，andhewouldtrotouteachmorning
tothecarriagetogethislumpofsugar。Butthat”sallovernow。”
“Why？“
“Well，sheseemstohavelostallinterestinthehorses。Foraweek
nowshehasdrivenpastthestableswithneversomuchas”Good-morning”！“
“Youthinktherehasbeenaquarrel？“
“Andabitter，savage，spitefulquarrelatthat。Whyelsewouldhe
giveawayherpetspanielthatshelovedasifhewereherchild？He
gaveitafewdaysagotooldBarnes，whatkeepstheGreenDragon，
threemilesoff，atCrendall。”
“Thatcertainlydidseemstrange。”
“Ofcourse，withherweakheartanddropsyonecouldn”texpect
thatshecouldgetaboutwithhim，buthespenttwohoursevery
eveninginherroom。Hemightwelldowhathecould，forshehas
beenararegoodfriendtohim。Butthat”sallover，too。Henever
goesnearher。Andshetakesittoheart。Sheisbroodingandsulky
anddrinking，Mr。Holmes-drinkinglikeafish。”
“Didshedrinkbeforethisestrangement？“
“Well，shetookherglass，butnowitisoftenawholebottleof
anevening。SoStephens，thebutler，toldme。It”sallchanged，Mr。
Holmes，andthereissomethingdamnedrottenaboutit。Butthen，
again，whatismasterdoingdownattheoldchurchcryptatnight？And
whoisthemanthatmeetshimthere？“
Holmesrubbedhishands。
“Goon，Mr。Mason。Yougetmoreandmoreinteresting。”
“Itwasthebutlerwhosawhimgo。Twelveo”clockatnightand
raininghard。SonextnightIwasupatthehouseand，sureenough，
masterwasoffagain。StephensandIwentafterhim，butitwas
jumpywork，foritwouldhavebeenabadjobifhehadseenus。He”sa
terriblemanwithhisfistsifhegetsstarted，andnorespecterof
persons。Sowewereshyofgettingtoonear，butwemarkedhimdown
allright。Itwasthehauntedcryptthathewasmakingfor，and
therewasamanwaitingforhimthere。”
“Whatisthishauntedcrypt？“
“Well，sir，thereisanoldruinedchapelinthepark。Itisso
oldthatnobodycouldfixitsdate。Andunderitthere”sacryptwhich
hasabadnameamongus。It”sadark，damp，lonelyplacebyday，but
therearefewinthatcountythatwouldhavethenervetogonearit
atnight。Butmaster”snotafraid。Heneverfearedanythinginhis
life。Butwhatishedoingthereinthenight-time？“
“Waitabit！“saidHolmes。“Yousaythereisanothermanthere。It
mustbeoneofyourownstablemen，orsomeonefromthehouse！Surely
youhaveonlytospotwhoitisandquestionhim？“
“It”snooneIknow。”
“Howcanyousaythat？“
“BecauseIhaveseenhim，Mr。Holmes。Itwasonthatsecondnight。
SirRobertturnedandpassedus-meandStephens，quakinginthe
bushesliketwobunny-rabbits，fortherewasabitofmoonthatnight。
Butwecouldheartheothermovingaboutbehind。Wewerenotafraidof
him。SoweupwhenSirRobertwasgoneandpretendedwewerejust
havingawalklikeinthemoonlight，andsowecamerightonhimas
casualandinnocentasyouplease。”Hullo，mate！whomayyoube？”says
I。”。Iguesshehadnothearduscoming，sohelookedoverhis
shoulderwithafaceasifhehadseenthedevilcomingoutofhell。
Heletoutayell，andawayhewentashardashecouldlickitinthe
darkness。Hecouldrun！-I”llgivehimthat。Inaminutehewasoutof
sightandhearing，andwhohewas，orwhathewas，weneverfound。”
“Butyousawhimclearlyinthemoonlight？“
“Yes，Iwouldsweartohisyellowface-ameandog，Ishouldsay。
WhatcouldhehaveincommonwithSirRobert？“
Holmessatforsometimelostinthought。
“WhokeepsLadyBeatriceFaldercompany？“heaskedatlast。
“Thereishermaid，CarrieEvans。Shehasbeenwithherthisfive
years。”
“Andis，nodoubt，devoted？“
Mr。Masonshuffleduncomfortably。
“She”sdevotedenough，“heansweredatlast。“ButIwon”tsayto
whom。”
“Ah！“saidHolmes。
“Ican”ttelltalesoutofschool。”
“Iquiteunderstand，Mr。Mason。Ofcourse，thesituationisclear
enough。FromDr。Watson”sdescriptionofSirRobertIcanrealizethat
nowomanissafefromhim。Don”tyouthinkthequarrelbetweenbrother
andsistermayliethere？“
Well，thescandalhasbeenprettyclearforalongtime。”
“Butshemaynothaveseenitbefore。Letussupposethatshehas
suddenlyfounditout。Shewaitstogetridofthewoman。Her
brotherwillnotpermitit。Theinvalid，withherweakheartand
inabilitytogetabout，hasnomeansofenforcingherwill。The
hatedmaidisstilltiedtoher。Theladyrefusestospeak，sulks，
takestodrink。SirRobertinhisangertakesherpetspanielaway
fromher。Doesnotallthishangtogether？“
“Well，itmightdo-sofarasitgoes。”
“Exactly！Asfarasitgoes。Howwouldallthatbearuponthevisits
bynighttotheoldcrypt？Wecan”tfitthatintoourplot。”
“No，sir，andthereissomethingmorethatIcan”tfitin。Why
shouldSirRobertwanttodigupadeadbody？“
Holmessatupabruptly。
“Weonlyfounditoutyesterday-afterIhadwrittentoyou。
YesterdaySirRoberthadgonetoLondon，soStephensandIwentdown
tothecrypt。Itwasallinorder，sir，exceptthatinonecorner
wasabitofahumanbody。”
“Youinformedthepolice，Isuppose？“
Ourvisitorsmiledgrimly。
“Well，sir，Ithinkitwouldhardlyinterestthem。Itwasjustthe
headandafewbonesofamummy。Itmayhavebeenathousandyears
old。Butitwasn”ttherebefore。ThatI”llswear，andsowill
Stephens。Ithadbeenstowedawayinacornerandcoveredoverwith
aboard，butthatcornerhadalwaysbeenemptybefore。”
“Whatdidyoudowithit？“
“Well，wejustleftitthere。”
“Thatwaswise。YousaySirRobertwasawayyesterday。Hashe
returned？“
“Weexpecthimbackto-day。”
“WhendidSirRobertgiveawayhissister”sdog？“
“Itwasjustaweekagoto-day。Thecreaturewashowlingoutsidethe
oldwell-house，andSirRobertwasinoneofhistantrumsthat
morning。Hecaughtitup，andIthoughthewouldhavekilledit。
ThenhegaveittoSandyBain，thejockey，andtoldhimtotakethe
dogtooldBarnesattheGreenDragon，forheneverwishedtoseeit
again。”
Holmessatforsometimeinsilentthought。Hehadlittheoldest
andfoulestofhispipes。
“Iamnotclearyetwhatyouwantmetodointhismatter，Mr。
Mason，“hesaidatlast。“Can”tyoumakeitmoredefinite？“
“Perhapsthiswillmakeitmoredefinite，Mr。Holmes，“saidour
visitor。
Hetookapaperfromhispocket，and，unwrappingitcarefully，he
exposedacharredfragmentofbone。
Holmesexamineditwithinterest。
“Wheredidyougetit？“
“ThereisacentralheatingfurnaceinthecellarunderLady
Beatrice”sroom。It”sbeenoffforsometime，butSirRobert
complainedofcoldandhaditonagain，Harveyrunsit-he”soneofmy
lads。Thisverymorninghecametomewiththiswhichhefound
rakingoutthecinders。Hedidn”tlikethelookofit。”
“NordoI，“saidHolmes。“Whatdoyoumakeofit，Watson？“
Itwasburnedtoablackcinder，buttherecouldbenoquestionas
toitsanatomicalsignificance。
“It”stheuppercondyleofahumanfemur，“saidI。
“Exactly！“Holmeshadbecomeveryserious。“Whendoesthislad
tendtothefurnace？“
“Hemakesitupeveryeveningandthenleavesit。”
“Thenanyonecouldvisititduringthenight？“
“Yes，sir。”
“Canyouenteritfromoutside？“
“Thereisonedoorfromtheoutside。Thereisanotherwhichleadsup
byastairtothepassageinwhichLadyBeatrice”sroomissituated。”
“Thesearedeepwaters，Mr。Mason；deepandratherdirty。Yousay
thatSirRobertwasnotathomelastnight？“
“No，sir。”
“Then，whoeverwasburningbones，itwasnothe。”
“That”strue，sir。”
“Whatisthenameofthatinnyouspokeof？“
“TheGreenDragon。”
“IstheregoodfishinginthatpartofBerkshire？“Thehonest
trainershowedveryclearlyuponhisfacethathewasconvincedthat
yetanotherlunatichadcomeintohisharassedlife。
“Well，sir，I”veheardtherearetroutinthemill-streamandpike
intheHalllake。”
“That”sgoodenough。WatsonandIarefamousfishermen-arewe
not，Watson？YoumayaddressusinfutureattheGreenDragon。We
shouldreachitto-night。Ineednotsaythatwedon”twanttosee
you，Mr。Mason，butanotewillreachus，andnodoubtIcouldfind
youifIwantyou。Whenwehavegonealittlefartherintothe
matterIwillletyouhaveaconsideredopinion。”
ThusitwasthatonabrightMayeveningHolmesandIfound
ourselvesaloneinafirst-classcarriageandboundforthelittle
“halt-on-demand“stationofShoscombe。Therackaboveuswascovered
withaformidablelitterofrods，reels，andbaskets。Onreaching
ourdestinationashortdrivetookustoanold-fashionedtavern，
whereasportinghost，JosiahBarnes，enteredeagerlyintoourplans
fortheextirpationofthefishoftheneighbourhood。
“WhatabouttheHalllakeandthechanceofapike？“saidHolmes。
Thefaceoftheinnkeeperclouded。
“Thatwouldn”tdo，sir。Youmightchancetofindyourselfinthe
lakebeforeyouwerethrough。”
“How”sthat，then？“
“It”sSirRobert，sir。He”sterriblejealousoftouts。Ifyoutwo
strangerswereasnearhistrainingquartersasthathe”dbeafteryou
assureasfate。Heain”ttakingnochances，SirRobertain”t。”
“I”veheardhehasahorseenteredfortheDerby。”
“Yes，andagoodcolt，too。Hecarriesallourmoneyfortherace，
andallSirRobert”sintotheBargain。Bytheway“-helookedatus
withthoughtfuleyes-“Isupposeyouain”tontheturfyourselves？“
“No，indeed。justtwowearyLondonerswhobadlyneedsomegood
Berkshireair。”
“Well，youareintherightplaceforthat。Thereisadealofit
lyingabout。ButmindwhatIhavetoldyouaboutSirRobert。He”s
thesortthatstrikesfirstandspeaksafterwards。Keepclearofthe
park。”
“Surely，Mr。Barnes！Wecertainlyshall。Bytheway，thatwasamost
beautifulspanielthatwaswhininginthehall。”
“Ishouldsayitwas。ThatwastherealShoscombebreed。Thereain”t
abetterinEngland。”
“Iamadog-fanciermyself，“saidHolmes。“Now，ifitisafair
question，whatwouldaprizedoglikethatcost？“
“MorethanIcouldpay，sir。ItwasSirRoberthimselfwhogaveme
thisone。That”swhyIhavetokeepitonalead。Itwouldbeoffto
theHallinajiffyifIgaveititshead。”
“Wearegettingsomecardsinourhand，Watson，“saidHolmeswhen
thelandlordhadleftus。“It”snotaneasyonetoplay，butwemay
seeourwayinadayortwo。Bytheway，SirRobertisstillin
London，Ihear。Wemight，perhaps，enterthesacreddomainto-night
withoutfearofbodilyassault。ThereareoneortwopointsonwhichI
shouldlikereassurance。”
“Haveyouanytheory，Holmes？“
“Onlythis，Watson，thatsomethinghappenedaweekorsoagowhich
hascutdeepintothelifeoftheShoscombehousehold。Whatisthat
something？Wecanonlyguessatitfromitseffects。Theyseemtobe
ofacuriouslymixedcharacter。Butthatshouldsurelyhelpus。It
isonlythecolourless，uneventfulcasewhichishopeless。
“Letusconsiderourdata。Thebrothernolongervisitsthe
belovedinvalidsister。Hegivesawayherfavouritedog。Herdog，
Watson！Doesthatsuggestnothingtoyou？“
“Nothingbutthebrother”sspite。”
“Well，itmightbeso。Or-well，thereisanalternative。Nowto
continueourreviewofthesituationfromthetimethatthequarrel，
ifthereisaquarrel，began。Theladykeepsherroom，altersher
habits，isnotseensavewhenshedrivesoutwithhermaid，refusesto
stopatthestablestogreetherfavouritehorse，andapparentlytakes
todrink。Thatcoversthecase，doesitnot？“
“Saveforthebusinessinthecrypt。”
“Thatisanotherlineofthought。Therearetwo，andIbegyou
willnottanglethem。LineA，whichconcernsLadyBeatrice，hasa
vaguelysinisterflavour，hasitnot？“
“Icanmakenothingofit。”
“Well，now，letustakeuplineB，whichconcernsSirRobert。He
ismadkeenuponwinningtheDerby。HeisinthehandsoftheJews，
andmayatanymomentbesoldupandhisracingstablesseizedby
hiscreditors。Heisadaringanddesperateman。Hederiveshisincome
fromhissister。Hissister”smaidishiswillingtool。Sofarweseem
tobeonfairlysafeground，dowenot？“
“Butthecrypt？“
“Ah，yes，thecrypt！Letussuppose，Watson-itismerelya
scandaloussupposition，ahypothesisputforwardforargument”s
sake-thatSirRoberthasdoneawaywithhissister。”
“MydearHolmes，itisoutofthequestion。”
“Verypossibly，Watson。SirRobertisamanofanhonourable
stock。Butyoudooccasionallyfindacarrioncrowamongtheeagles。
Letusforamomentargueuponthissupposition。Hecouldnotfly
thecountryuntilhehadrealizedhisfortune，andthatfortune
couldonlyberealizedbybringingoffthiscoupwithShoscombe
Prince。Therefore，hehasstilltostandhisground。Todothishe
wouldhavetodisposeofthebodyofhisvictim，andhewouldalso
havetofindasubstitutewhowouldimpersonateher。Withthemaid
ashisconfidantethatwouldnotbeimpossible。Thewoman”sbodymight
beconveyedtothecrypt，whichisaplacesoseldomvisited，andit
mightbesecretlydestroyedatnightinthefurnace，leavingbehindit
suchevidenceaswehavealreadyseen。Whatsayyoutothat，Watson？“
“Well，itisallpossibleifyougranttheoriginalmonstrous
supposition。”
“Ithinkthatthereisasmallexperimentwhichwemaytry
to-morrow，Watson，inordertothrowsomelightonthematter。
Meanwhile，ifwemeantokeepupourcharacters，Isuggestthatwe
haveourhostinforaglassofhisownwineandholdsomehigh
converseuponeelsanddace，whichseemstobethestraightroadto
hisaffections。Wemaychancetocomeuponsomeusefullocalgossipin
theprocess。”
InthemorningHolmesdiscoveredthatwehadcomewithoutour
spoon-baitforjack，whichabsolvedusfromfishingfortheday。About
eleveno”clockwestartedforawalk，andheobtainedleavetotake
theblackspanielwithus。
“Thisistheplace，“saidheaswecametotwohighparkgates
withheraldicgriffinstoweringabovethem。“Aboutmidday，Mr。
Barnesinformsme，theoldladytakesadrive，andthecarriagemust
slowdownwhilethegatesareopened。Whenitcomesthrough，and
beforeitgathersspeed，Iwantyou，Watson，tostopthecoachmanwith
somequestion。Nevermindme。Ishallstandbehindthisholly-bushand
seewhatIcansee。”
Itwasnotalongvigil。Withinaquarterofanhourwesawthe
bigopenyellowbarouchecomingdownthelongavenue，withtwo
splendid，high-steppinggraycarriagehorsesintheshafts。Holmes
crouchedbehindhisbushwiththedog。Istoodunconcernedly
swingingacaneintheroadway。Akeeperranoutandthegatesswung
open。
Thecarriagehadslowedtoawalk，andIwasabletogetagoodlook
attheoccupants。Ahighlycolouredyoungwomanwithflaxenhairand
impudenteyessatontheleft。Atherrightwasanelderlypersonwith
roundedbackandahuddleofshawlsaboutherfaceandshoulderswhich
proclaimedtheinvalid。WhenthehorsesreachedthehighroadIheldup
myhandwithanauthoritativegesture，andasthecoachmanpulledupI
inquiredifSirRobertwasatShoscombeOldPlace。
AtthesamemomentHolmessteppedoutandreleasedthespaniel。With
ajoyouscryitdashedforwardtothecarriageandspranguponthe
step。Theninamomentitseagergreetingchangedtofuriousrage，and
itsnappedattheblackskirtaboveit。
“Driveon！Driveon！“shriekedaharshvoice。Thecoachmanlashed
thehorses，andwewereleftstandingintheroadway。
“Well，Watson，that”sdoneit，“saidHolmesashefastenedthe
leadtotheneckoftheexcitedspaniel。“Hethoughtitwashis
mistress，andhefounditwasastranger。Dogsdon”tmakemistakes。”
“Butitwasthevoiceofaman！“Icried。
“Exactly！Wehaveaddedonecardtoourhand，Watson，Butitneeds
carefulplaying，allthesame。”
Mycompanionseemedtohavenofurtherplansfortheday，andwedid
actuallyuseourfishingtackleinthemill-stream，withtheresult
thatwehadadishoftroutforoursupper。Itwasonlyafterthat
mealthatHolmesshowedsignsofrenewedactivity。Oncemorewe
foundourselvesuponthesameroadasinthemorning，whichledus
totheparkgates。Atall，darkfigurewasawaitingusthere，who
provedtobeourLondonacquaintance，Mr。JohnMason，thetrainer。
“Good-evening，gentlemen，“saidhe。“Igotyournote，Mr。Holmes。
SirRoberthasnotreturnedyet，butIhearthatheisexpected
to-night。”
“Howfaristhiscryptfromthehouse？“askedHolmes。
“Agoodquarterofamile。”
“ThenIthinkwecandisregardhimaltogether。”
“Ican”taffordtodothat，Mr。Holmes。Themomenthearriveshe
willwanttoseemetogetthelastnewsofShoscombePrince。”
“Isee！Inthatcasewemustworkwithoutyou，Mr。Mason。Youcan
showusthecryptandthenleaveus。”