“Butwhatisattherootofit？“
“Ah，yes，Watson-severelypractical，asusual！Whatisatthe
rootofitall？Mrs。Warren”swhimsicalproblemenlargessomewhat
andassumesamoresinisteraspectasweproceed。Thismuchwecan
say：thatitisnoordinaryloveescapade。Yousawthewoman”sfaceat
thesignofdanger。Wehaveheard，too，oftheattackuponthe
landlord，whichwasundoubtedlymeantforthelodger。Thesealarms，
andthedesperateneedforsecrecy，arguethatthematterisoneof
lifeordeath。TheattackuponMr。Warrenfurthershowsthatthe
enemy，whoevertheyare，arethemselvesnotawareofthe
substitutionofthefemalelodgerforthemale。Itisverycuriousand
complex，Watson。”
“Whyshouldyougofurtherinit？Whathaveyoutogainfromit？“
“What，indeed？Itisartforart”ssake，Watson。Isupposewhen
youdoctoredyoufoundyourselfstudyingcaseswithoutthoughtofa
fee？“
“Formyeducation，Holmes。”
“Educationneverends，Watson。Itisaseriesoflessonswiththe
greatestforthelast。Thisisaninstructivecase。Thereisneither
moneynorcreditinit，andyetonewouldwishtotidyitup。When
duskcomesweshouldfindourselvesonestageadvancedinour
investigation。”
WhenwereturnedtoMrs。Warren”srooms，thegloomofaLondon
wintereveninghadthickenedintoonegraycurtain，adeadmonotoneof
colour，brokenonlybythesharpyellowsquaresofthewindowsandthe
blurredhaloesofthegas-lamps。Aswepeeredfromthedarkened
sitting-roomofthelodging-house，onemoredimlightglimmeredhigh
upthroughtheobscurity。
“Someoneismovinginthatroom，“saidHolmesinawhisper，his
gauntandcagerfacethrustforwardtothewindow-pane。“Yes，Ican
seehisshadow。Thereheisagain！Hehasacandleinhishand。Nowhe
ispeeringacross。Hewantstobesurethatsheisonthelookout。Now
hebeginstoflash。Takethemessagealso，Watson，thatwemaycheck
eachother。Asingleflash-thatisA，surely。Now，then。Howmanydid
youmakeit？Twenty。SodidI。ThatshouldmeanT。AT-that”s
intelligibleenough！AnotherT。Surelythisisthebeginningofa
secondword。Now，then-TENTA。Deadstop。Thatcan”tbeall，Watson？
ATTENTAgivesnosense。NorisitanybetterasthreewordsAT，TEN，
TA，unlessT。A。areaperson”sinitials。Thereitgoesagain！
What”sthat？ATTE-why，itisthesamemessageoveragain。Curious，
Watson，verycurious！Nowheisoffoncemore！AT-why，heis
repeatingitforthethirdtime。ATTENTAthreetimes！Howoftenwill
berepeatit？No，thatseemstobethefinish。Hehaswithdrawnfrom
thewindow。Whatdoyoumakeofit，Watson？“
“Aciphermessage，Holmes。”
Mycompaniongaveasuddenchuckleofcomprehension。“Andnotavery
obscurecipher，Watson，“saidhe。“Why，ofcourse，itisItalian！
TheAmeansthatitisaddressedtoawoman。”Beware！Beware！Beware！”
How”sthat，Watson？“
“Ibelieveyouhavehitit。”
“Notadoubtofit。Itisaveryurgentmessage，thricerepeated
tomakeitmoreso。Butbewareofwhat？Waitabit；heiscomingto
thewindowoncemore。”
Againwesawthedimsilhouetteofacrouchingmanandthewhisk
ofthesmallflameacrossthewindowasthesignalswererenewed。They
camemorerapidlythanbefore-sorapidthatitwashardtofollow
them。
PERICOLO-pericolo-eh，what”sthat，Watson？”Danger”isn”tit？
Yes，byJove，it”sadangersignal。Therehegoesagain！PERI。Halloa，
whatonearth-“
Thelighthadsuddenlygoneout，theglimmeringsquareofwindowhad
disappeared，andthethirdfloorformedadarkbandroundthelofty
building，withitstiersofshiningcasements。Thatlastwarningcry
hadbeensuddenlycutshort。How，andbywhom？Thesamethought
occurredontheinstanttousboth。Holmessprangupfromwherehe
crouchedbythewindow。
“Thisisserious，Watson，“hecried。“Thereissomedevilrygoing
forward！Whyshouldsuchamessagestopinsuchaway？Ishouldput
ScotlandYardintouchwiththisbusiness-andyet，itistoopressing
forustoleave。”
“ShallIgoforthepolice？“
“Wemustdefinethesituationalittlemoreclearly。Itmaybear
somemoreinnocentinterpretation。Come，Watson，letusgoacross
ourselvesandseewhatwecanmakeofit。”
AswewalkedrapidlydownHoweStreetIglancedbackatthebuilding
whichwehadleft。There，dimlyoutlinedatthetopwindow，Icould
seetheshadowofahead，awoman”shead，gazingtensely，rigidly，out
intothenight，waitingwithbreathlesssuspensefortherenewalof
thatinterruptedmessage。AtthedoorwayoftheHoweStreetflatsa
man，muffledinacravatandgreatcoat，wasleaningagainstthe
railing。Hestartedasthehall-lightfelluponourfaces。
“Holmes！“hecried。
“Why，Gregson！“saidmycompanionasheshookhandswiththe
ScotlandYarddetective。“Journeysendwithlovers”meetings。What
bringsyouhere？“
“Thesamereasonsthatbringyou，Iexpect，“saidGregson。“How
yougotontoitIcan”timagine。”
“Differentthreads，butleadinguptothesametangle。I”vebeen
takingthesignals。”
“Signals？“
“Yes，fromthatwindow。Theybrokeoffinthemiddle。Wecameover
toseethereason。ButsinceitissafeinyourhandsIseeno
objectincontinuingthebusiness。”
“Waitabit！“criedGregsoneagerly。“I”lldoyouthisjustice，
Mr。Holmes，thatIwasneverinacaseyetthatIdidn”tfeelstronger
forhavingyouonmyside。There”sonlytheoneexittotheseflats，
sowehavehimsafe。”
“Whoishe？“
“Well，well，wescoreoveryouforonce，Mr。Holmes。Youmustgive
usbestthistime。”Hestruckhissticksharplyupontheground，on
whichacabman，hiswhipinhisband，saunteredoverfroma
four-wheelerwhichstoodonthefarsideofthestreet。“MayI
introduceyoutoMr。SherlockHolmes？“hesaidtothecabman。This
isMr。Leverton，ofPinkerton”sAmericanAgency。”
“TheherooftheLongIslandcavemystery？“saidHolmes。“Sir，I
ampleasedtomeetyou。”
TheAmerican，aquiet，businesslikeyoungman，witha
clean-shaven，hatchetface，flushedupatthewordsofcommendation。
“Iamonthetrailofmylifenow，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe。“IfIcanget
Gorgiano-“
“What！GorgianooftheRedCircle？“
“Oh，hehasaEuropeanfame，hashe？Well，we”velearnedallabout
himinAmerica。Weknowheisatthebottomoffiftymurders，and
yetwehavenothingpositivewecantakehimon。Itrackedhimover
fromNewYork，andI”vebeenclosetohimforaweekinLondon，
waitingsomeexcusetogetmyhandonhiscollar。Mr。GregsonandI
ranhimtogroundinthatbigtenementhouse，andthere”sonlytheone
door，sohecan”tslipus。There”sthreefolkcomeoutsincehewent
in，butI”llswearhewasn”toneofthem。”
“Mr。Holmestalksofsignals，“saidGregson。“Iexpect，asusual，he
knowsagooddealthatwedon”t。”
InafewclearwordsHolmesexplainedthesituationasithad
appearedtous。TheAmericanstruckhishandstogetherwithvexation。
“He”sontous！“hecried。
“Whydoyouthinkso？“
“Well，itfiguresoutthatway，doesitnot？Hereheis，sendingout
messagestoanaccomplice-thereareseveralofhisganginLondon。
Thensuddenly，justasbyyourownaccounthewastellingthemthat
therewasdanger，hebrokeshortoff。Whatcoulditmeanexceptthat
fromthewindowhehadsuddenlyeithercaughtsightofusinthe
street，orinsomewaycometounderstandhowclosethedangerwas，
andthathemustactrightawayifhewastoavoidit？Whatdoyou
suggest，Mr。Holmes？“
“Thatwegoupatonceandseeforourselves。”
“Butwehavenowarrantforhisarrest。”
“Heisinunoccupiedpremisesundersuspiciouscircumstances，“
saidGregson。“Thatisgoodenoughforthemoment。Whenwehavehimby
theheelswecanseeifNewYorkcan”thelpustokeephim。I”ll
taketheresponsibilityofarrestinghimnow。”
Ourofficialdetectivesmayblunderinthematterofintelligence，
butneverinthatofcourage。Gregsonclimbedthestairtoarrestthis
desperatemurdererwiththesameabsolutelyquietandbusinesslike
bearingwithwhichhewouldhaveascendedtheofficialstaircaseof
ScotlandYard。ThePinkertonmanhadtriedtopushpasthim，but
Gregsonhadfirmlyelbowedhimback。Londondangersweretheprivilege
oftheLondonforce。
Thedooroftheleft-handflatuponthethirdlandingwasstanding
ajar。Gregsonpusheditopen。Withinallwasabsolutesilenceand
darkness。Istruckamatchandlitthedetective”slantern。AsIdid
so，andastheflickersteadiedintoaflame，weallgaveagaspof
surprise。Onthedealboardsofthecarpetlessfloortherewas
outlinedafreshtrackofblood。Theredstepspointedtowardsus
andledawayfromaninnerroom，thedoorofwhichwasclosed。Gregson
flungitopenandheldhislightfullblazeinfrontofhim，while
weallpeeredeagerlyoverhisshoulders。
Inthemiddleoftheflooroftheemptyroomwashuddledthe
figureofanenormousman，hisclean-shaven，swarthyface
grotesquelyhorribleinitscontortionandhisheadencircledbya
ghastlycrimsonhaloofblood，lyinginabroadwetcircleuponthe
whitewoodwork。Hiskneesweredrawnup，hishandsthrownoutin
agony，andfromthecentreofhisbroad，brown，upturnedthroat
thereprojectedthewhitehaftofaknifedrivenblade-deepintohis
body。Giantashewas，themanmusthavegonedownlikeapole-axedox
beforethatterrificblow。Besidehisrighthandamostformidable
horn-handled，two-edgeddaggerlayuponthefloor，andnearitablack
kidglove。
“ByGeorge！it”sBlackGorgianohimself！“criedtheAmerican
detective。“Someonehasgotaheadofusthistime。”
Hereisthecandleinthewindow，Mr。Holmes，“saidGregson。“Why，
whateverareyoudoing？“
Holmeshadsteppedacross，hadlitthecandle，andwaspassingit
backwardandforwardacrossthewindow-panes。Thenhepeeredinto
thedarkness，blewthecandleout，andthrewitonthefloor。
“Iratherthinkthatwillbehelpful，“saidhe。Hecameoverand
stoodindeepthoughtwhilethetwoprofessionalswereexaminingthe
body。“Yousaythatthreepeoplecameoutfromtheflatwhileyouwere
waitingdownstairs，“saidheatlast。“Didyouobservethemclosely？“
“Yes，Idid。”
“Wasthereafellowaboutthirty，black-bearded，dark，ofmiddle
size？“
“Yes；hewasthelasttopassme。”
“Thatisyourman，Ifancy。Icangiveyouhisdescription，andwe
haveaveryexcellentoutlineofhisfootmark。Thatshouldbeenough
foryou。”
“Notmuch，Mr。Holmes，amongthemillionsofLondon。”
“Perhapsnot。ThatiswhyIthoughtitbesttosummonthisladyto
youraid。”
Weallturnedroundatthewords。There，framedinthedoorway，
wasatallandbeautifulwoman-themysteriouslodgerofBloomsbury。
Slowlysheadvanced，herfacepaleanddrawnwithafrightful
apprehension，hereyesfixedandstaring，herterrifiedgazeriveted
uponthedarkfigureonthefloor。
“Youhavekilledhim！“shemuttered。“Oh，Diomio，youhavekilled
him！“ThenIheardasuddensharpintakeofherbreath，andshesprang
intotheairwithacryofjoy。Roundandroundtheroomshedanced，
herhandsclapping，herdarkeyesgleamingwithdelightedwonder，
andathousandprettyItalianexclamationspouringfromherlips。It
wasterribleandamazingtoseesuchawomansoconvulsedwithjoy
atsuchasight。Suddenlyshestoppedandgazedatusallwitha
questioningstare。
“Butyou！Youarepolice，areyounot？YouhavekilledGiuseppe
Gorgiano。Isitnotso？“
“Wearepolice，madam。”
Shelookedroundintotheshadowsoftheroom。
“Butwhere，then，isGennaro？“sheasked。“Heismyhusband，Gennaro
Lucca。amEmiliaLucca，andwearebothfromNewYork。Whereis
Gennaro？Hecalledmethismomentfromthiswindow，andIranwithall
myspeed。”
“ItwasIwhocalled，“saidHolmes。
“You！Howcouldyoucall？“
“Yourcipherwasnotdifficult，madam。Yourpresenceherewas
desirable。IknewthatIhadonlytoflash“Vieni“andyouwould
surelycome。”
ThebeautifulItalianlookedwithaweatmycompanion。
“Idonotunderstandhowyouknowthesethings，“shesaid。“Giuseppe
Gorgiano-howdidhe”Shepaused，andthensuddenlyherfacelit
upwithprideanddelight。“NowIseeit！MyGennaro！Mysplendid，
beautifulGennaro，whohasguardedmesafefromallharm，hedidit，
withhisownstronghandhekilledthemonster！Oh，Gennaro，how
wonderfulyouare！Whatwomancouldeverbeworthyofsuchaman？“
“Well，Mrs。Lucca，“saidtheprosaicGregson，layinghishandupon
thelady”ssleevewithaslittlesentimentasifshewereaNotting
Hillhooligan，“Iamnotveryclearyetwhoyouareorwhatyouare；
butyou”vesaidenoughtomakeitveryclearthatweshallwantyouat
theYard。”
“Onemoment，Gregson，“saidHolmes。“Iratherfancythatthislady
maybeasanxioustogiveusinformationaswecanbetogetit。You
understand，madam，thatyourhusbandwillbearrestedandtriedfor
thedeathofthemanwholiesbeforeus？Whatyousaymaybeusedin
evidence。Butifyouthinkthathehasactedfrommotiveswhichare
notcriminal，andwhichhewouldwishtohaveknown，thenyoucannot
servehimbetterthanbytellingusthewholestory。”
“NowthatGorgianoisdeadwefearnothing，“saidthelady。“He
wasadevilandamonster，andtherecanbenojudgeintheworld
whowouldpunishmyhusbandforhavingkilledhim。”
“Inthatcase，“saidHolmes，“mysuggestionisthatwelockthis
door，leavethingsaswefoundthem，gowiththisladytoherroom，
andformouropinionafterwehaveheardwhatitisthatshehasto
saytous。”
Halfanhourlaterwewereseated，allfour，inthesmall
sitting-roomofSignoraLucca，listeningtoherremarkablenarrative
ofthosesinisterevents，theendingofwhichwehadchancedto
witness。Shespokeinrapidandfluentbutveryunconventional
English，which，forthesakeofclearness，Iwillmakegrammatical。
“IwasborninPosilippo，nearNaples，“saidshe，“andwasthe
daughterofAugustoBarelli，whowasthechieflawyerandoncethe
deputyofthatpart。Gennarowasinmyfather”semployment，andIcame
tolovehim，asanywomanmust。Hehadneithermoneynorposition-
nothingbuthisbeautyandstrengthandenergy-somyfatherforbade
thematch。Wefledtogether，weremarriedatBari，andsoldmy
jewelstogainthemoneywhichwouldtakeustoAmerica。Thiswasfour
yearsago，andwehavebeeninNewYorkeversince。
“Fortunewasverygoodtousatfirst。Gennarowasabletodoa
servicetoanItaliangentleman-hesavedhimfromsomeruffiansin
theplacecalledtheBowery，andsomadeapowerfulfriend。Hisname
wasTitoCastalotte，andhewastheseniorpartnerofthegreatfirm
ofCastalotteandZamba，whoarethechieffruitimportersofNew
York。SignorZambaisaninvalid，andournewfriendCastalottehas
allpowerwithinthefirm，whichemploysmorethanthreehundred
men。Hetookmyhusbandintohisemployment，madehimheadofa
department，andshowedhisgood-willtowardshimineveryway。
SignorCastalottewasabachelor，andIbelievethathefeltasif
Gennarowashisson，andbothmyhusbandandIlovedhimasifhewere
ourfather。WehadtakenandfurnishedalittlehouseinBrooklyn，and
ourwholefutureseemedassuredwhenthatblackcloudappearedwhich
wassoontooverspreadoursky。
“Onenight，whenGennaroreturnedfromhiswork，hebroughta
fellow-countrymanbackwithhim。HisnamewasGorgiano，andhehad
comealsofromPosilippo。Hewasahugeman，asyoucantestify，for
youhavelookeduponhiscorpse。Notonlywashisbodythatofagiant
buteverythingabouthimwasgrotesque，gigantic，andterrifying。
Hisvoicewaslikethunderinourlittlehouse。Therewasscarce
roomforthewhirlofhisgreatarmsashetalked。Histhoughts，his
emotions，hispassions，allwereexaggeratedandmonstrous。Hetalked，
orratherroared，withsuchenergythatotherscouldbutsitand
listen，cowedwiththemightystreamofwords。Hiseyesblazedat
youandheldyouathismercy。Hewasaterribleandwonderfulman。
IthankGodthatheisdead！
“Hecameagainandagain。YetIwasawarethatGennarowasnomore
happythanIwasinhispresence。Mypoorhusbandwouldsitpaleand
listless，listeningtotheendlessravinguponpoliticsandupon
socialquestionswhichmadeupourvisitor”sconversation。Gennaro
saidnothing，butI，whoknewhimsowell，couldreadinhisfacesome
emotionwhichIhadneverseentherebefore。AtfirstIthoughtthat
itwasdislike。Andthen，gradually，Iunderstoodthatitwasmore
thandislike。Itwasfear-adeep，secret，shrinkingfear。Thatnight-
thenightthatIreadhisterror-IputmyarmsroundhimandI
imploredhimbyhisloveformeandbyallthathehelddeartohold
nothingfromme，andtotellmewhythishugemanovershadowedhimso。
“Hetoldme，andmyownheartgrewcoldasiceasIlistened。My
poorGennaro，inhiswildandfierydays，whenalltheworldseemed
againsthimandhismindwasdrivenhalfmadbytheinjusticesof
life，hadjoinedaNeapolitansociety，theRedCircle，whichwas
alliedtotheoldCarbonari。Theoathsandsecretsofthisbrotherhood
werefrightful，butoncewithinitsrulenoescapewaspossible。
WhenwehadfledtoAmericaGennarothoughtthathehadcastitall
offforever。Whatwashishorroroneeveningtomeetinthestreets
theverymanwhohadinitiatedhiminNaples，thegiantGorgiano，a
manwhohadearnedthenameof”Death”inthesouthofItaly，forhe
wasredtotheelbowinmurder！HehadcometoNewYorktoavoidthe
Italianpolice，andhehadalreadyplantedabranchofthisdreadful
societyinhisnewhome。AllthisGennarotoldmeandshowedmea
summonswhichhehadreceivedthatveryday，aRedCircledrawnupon
theheadofittellinghimthatalodgewouldbehelduponacertain
date，andthathispresenceatitwasrequiredandordered。
“Thatwasbadenough，butworsewastocome。Ihadnoticedfor
sometimethatwhenGorgianocametous，asheconstantlydid，in
theevening，hespokemuchtome；andevenwhenhiswordsweretomy
husbandthoseterrible，glaring，wildbeasteyesofhiswerealways
turneduponme。Onenighthissecretcameout。Ihadawakenedwhat
hecalled”love”withinhim-theloveofabrute-asavage。Gennaro
hadnotyetreturnedwhenhecame。Hepushedhiswayin，seizedme
inhismightyarms，huggedmeinhisbear”sembrace，coveredmewith
kisses，andimploredmetocomeawaywithhim。Iwasstrugglingand
screamingwhenGennaroenteredandattackedhim。HestruckGennaro
senselessandfledfromthehousewhichhewasnevermoretoenter。It
wasadeadlyenemythatwemadethatnight。
“Afewdayslatercamethemeeting。Gennaroreturnedfromitwith
afacewhichtoldmethatsomethingdreadfulhadoccurred。Itwas
worsethanwecouldhaveimaginedpossible。Thefundsofthesociety
wereraisedbyblackmailingrichItaliansandthreateningthemwith
violenceshouldtheyrefusethemoney。ItseemsthatCastalotte，our
dearfriendandbenefactor，hadbeenapproached。Hehadrefusedto
yieldtothreats，andhehadhandedthenoticestothepolice。It
wasresolvedhowthatsuchanexampleshouldbemadeofhimaswould
preventanyothervictim，fromrebelling。Atthemeetingitwas
arrangedthatheandhishouseshouldbeblownupwithdynamite。There
wasadrawingoflotsastowhoshouldcarryoutthedeed。Gennarosaw
ourenemy”scruelface，smilingathimashedippedhishandinthe
bag。Nodoubtithadbeenprearrangedinsomefashion，foritwas
thefataldiscwiththeRedCircleuponit，themandateformurder，
whichlayuponhispalm。Hewastokillhisbestfriend，orhewas
toexposehimselfandmetothevengeanceofhiscomrades。Itwaspart
oftheirfiendishsystemtopunishthosewhomtheyfearedorhated
byinjuringnotonlytheirownpersonsbutthosewhomtheyloved，
anditwastheknowledgeofthiswhichhungasaterrorovermypoor
Gennaro”sheadanddrovehimnearlycrazywithapprehension。
“Allthatnightwesattogether，ourarmsroundeachother，each
strengtheningeachforthetroublesthatlaybeforeus。Thevery
nexteveninghadbeenfixedfortheattempt。Bymiddaymyhusband
andIwereonourwaytoLondon，butnotbeforehehadgivenour
benefactorfullwarningofhisdanger，andhadalsoleftsuch
informationforthepoliceaswouldsafeguardhislifeforthefuture。
“Therest，gentlemen，youknowforyourselves。Weweresurethatour
enemieswouldbebehinduslikeourownshadows。Gorgianohadhis
privatereasonsforvengence，butinanycaseweknewhowruthless，
cunning，anduntiringhecouldbe。BothItalyandAmericaarefull
ofstoriesofhisdreadfulpowers。Ifevertheywereexertedit
wouldbenow。Mydarlingmadeuseofthefewcleardayswhichour
starthadgivenusinarrangingforarefugeformeinsucha
fashionthatnopossibledangercouldreachme。Forhisownpart，he
wishedtobefreethathemightcommunicatebothwiththeAmericanand
withtheItalianpolice。Idonotmyselfknowwherehelived，or
how。AllthatIlearnedwasthroughthecolumnsofanewspaper。But
onceasIlookedthroughmywindow，IsawtwoItalianswatchingthe
house，andIunderstoodthatinsomewayGorgianohadfoundoutour
retreat。FinallyGennarotoldme，throughthepaper，thathewould
signaltomefromacertainwindow，butwhenthesignalscamethey
werenothingbutwarnings，whichweresuddenlyinterrupted。Itisvery
cleartomenowthatheknewGorgianotobecloseuponhim，and
that，thankGod！hewasreadyforhimwhenhecame。Andnow，
gentlemen，Iwouldaskyouwhetherwehaveanythingtofearfromthe
law，orwhetheranyjudgeuponearthwouldcondemnmyGennaroforwhat
hehasdone？“
“Well，Mr。Gregson，“saidtheAmerican，lookingacrossatthe
official，“Idon”tknowwhatyourBritishpointofviewmaybe，but
IguessthatinNewYorkthislady”shusbandwillreceiveapretty
generalvoteofthanks。”
“Shewillhavetocomewithmeandseethechief，“Gregsonanswered。
“Ifwhatshesaysiscorroborated，Idonotthinksheorherhusband
hasmuchtofear。ButwhatIcan”tmakeheadortailof，Mr。Holmes，
ishowonearthyougotyourselfmixedupinthematter。”
“Education，Gregson，education。Stillseekingknowledgeattheold
university。Well，Watson，youhaveonemorespecimenofthetragicand
grotesquetoaddtoyourcollection。Bytheway，itisnoteight
o”clock，andaWagnernightatCoventGarden！Ifweburry，wemightbe
intimeforthesecondact。”-
THEEND。
1926
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHERETIREDCOLOURMAN
bySirArthurConanDoyle
SherlockHolmeswasinamelancholyandphilosophicmoodthat
morning。Hisalertpracticalnaturewassubjecttosuchreactions。
“Didyouseehim？“heasked。
“Youmeantheoldfellowwhohasjustgoneout？“
“Precisely。”
“Yes，Imethimatthedoor。”
“Whatdidyouthinkofhim？“
“Apathetic，futile，brokencreature。”
“Exactly，Watson。Patheticandfutile。Butisnotalllife
patheticandfutile？Isnothisstoryamicrocosmofthewhole？We
reach。Wegrasp。Andwhatisleftinourhandsattheend？Ashadow。
Orworsethanashadow-misery。”
“Isheoneofyourclients？“
“Well，IsupposeImaycallhimso。HehasbeensentonbytheYard。
Justasmedicalmenoccasionallysendtheirincurablestoaquack。
Theyarguethattheycandonothingmore，andthatwhateverhappens
thepatientcanbenoworsethanheis。”
“Whatisthematter？“
Holmestookarathersoiledcardfromthetable。“JosiahAmberley。
HesayshewasjuniorpartnerofBrickfallandAmberley，whoare
manufacturersofartisticmaterials。Youwillseetheirnamesupon
paint-boxes。Hemadehislittlepile，retiredfrombusinessattheage
ofsixty-one，boughtahouseatLewisham，andsettleddowntorest
afteralifeofceaselessgrind。Onewouldthinkhisfuturewas
tolerablyassured。”
“Yes，indeed。”
Holmesglancedoversomenoteswhichhehadscribbleduponthe
backofanenvelope。
“Retiredin1896，Watson。Earlyin1897hemarriedawomantwenty
yearsyoungerthanhimself-agood-lookingwoman，too，ifthe
photographdoesnotflatter。Acompetence，awife，leisure-it
seemedastraightroadwhichlaybeforehim。Andyetwithintwo
yearsheis，asyouhaveseen，asbrokenandmiserableacreatureas
crawlsbeneaththesun。”
“Butwhathashappened？“
“Theoldstory，Watson。Atreacherousfriendandaficklewife。It
wouldappearthatAmberleyhasonehobbyinlife，anditischess。Not
farfromhimatLewishamtherelivesayoungdoctorwhoisalsoa
chess-player。IhavenotedhisnameasDr。RayErnest。Ernestwas
frequentlyinthehouse，andanintimacybetweenhimandMrs。Amberley
wasanaturalsequence，foryoumustadmitthatourunfortunateclient
hasfewoutwardgraces，whateverhisinnervirtuesmaybe。The
couplewentofftogetherlastweek-destinationuntraced。Whatis
more，thefaithlessspousecarriedofftheoldman”sdeed-boxasher
personalluggagewithagoodpartofhislife”ssavingswithin。Canwe
findthelady？Canwesavethemoney？Acommonplaceproblemsofar
asithasdeveloped，andyetavitaloneforJosiahAmberley。”
“Whatwillyoudoaboutit？“
“Well，theimmediatequestion，mydearWatson，happenstobe，what
willyoudo？-ifyouwillbegoodenoughtounderstudyme。Youknow
thatIampreoccupiedwiththiscaseofthetwoCopticPatriarchs，
whichshouldcometoaheadto-day。Ireallyhavenottimetogoout
toLewisham，andyetevidencetakenonthespothasaspecialvalue。
TheoldfellowwasquiteinsistentthatIshouldgo，butIexplained
mydifficulty。Heispreparedtomeetarepresentative。”
“Byallmeans，“Ianswered。“IconfessIdon”tseethatIcanbe
ofmuchservice，butIamwillingtodomybest。”Andsoitwasthat
onasummerafternoonIsetforthtoLewisham，littledreamingthat
withinaweektheaffairinwhichIwasengagingwouldbetheeager
debateofallEngland。
ItwaslatethateveningbeforeIreturnedtoBakerStreetand
gaveanaccountofmymission。Holmeslaywithhisgauntfigure
stretchedinhisdeepchair，hispipecurlingforthslowwreathsof
acridtobacco，whilehiseyelidsdroopedoverhiseyessolazily
thathemightalmosthavebeenasleepwereitnotthatatanyhalt
orquestionablepassageofmynarrativetheyhalflifted，andtwogray
eyes，asbrightandkeenasrapiers，transfixedmewiththeir
searchingglance。
“TheHavenisthenameofMr。JosiahAmberley”shouse，“Iexplained。
“Ithinkitwouldinterestyou，Holmes。Itislikesomepenurious
patricianwhohassunkintothecompanyofhisinferiors。Youknow
thatparticularquarter，themonotonousbrickstreets，theweary
suburbanhighways。Rightinthemiddleofthem，alittleislandof
ancientcultureandcomfort，liesthisoldhome，surroundedbya
highsun-bakedwallmottledwithlichensandtoppedwithmoss，the
sortofwall-“
“Cutoutthepoetry，Watson，“saidHolmesseverely。“Inotethat
itwasahighbrickwall。”
“Exactly。IshouldnothaveknownwhichwasTheHavenhadInot
askedaloungerwhowassmokinginthestreet。Ihaveareasonfor
mentioninghim。Hewasatall，dark，heavilymoustached，rather
military-lookingman。Henoddedinanswertomyinquiryandgaveme
acuriouslyquestioningglance，whichcamebacktomymemorya
littlelater。
“IhadhardlyenteredthegatewaybeforeIsawMr。Amberleycoming
downthedrive。Ionlyhadaglimpseofhimthismorning，andhe
certainlygavemetheimpressionofastrangecreature，butwhenIsaw
himinfulllighthisappearancewasevenmoreabnormal。”
“Ihave，ofcourse，studiedit，andyetIshouldbeinterestedto
haveyourimpression，“saidHolmes。
“Heseemedtomelikeamanwhowasliterallyboweddownbycare。
Hisbackwascurvedasthoughhecarriedaheavyburden。Yethewas
nottheweaklingthatIhadatfirstimagined，forhisshouldersand
chesthavetheframeworkofagiant，thoughhisfiguretapersaway
intoapairofspindledlegs。”
“Leftshoewrinkled，rightonesmooth。”
“Ididnotobservethat。”
“No，youwouldn”t。Ispottedhisartificiallimb。Butproceed。”
“Iwasstruckbythesnakylocksofgrizzledhairwhichcurled
fromunderhisoldstrawhat，andhisfacewithitsfierce，eager
expressionandthedeeplylinedfeatures。”
“Verygood，Watson。Whatdidhesay？“
“Hebeganpouringoutthestoryofhisgrievances。Wewalkeddown
thedrivetogether，andofcourseItookagoodlookround。Ihave
neverseenaworse-keptplace。Thegardenwasallrunningtoseed，
givingmeanimpressionofwildneglectinwhichtheplantshadbeen
allowedtofindthewayofNatureratherthanofart。Howanydecent
womancouldhavetoleratedsuchastateofthings，Idon”tknow。The
house，too，wasslatternlytothelastdegree，butthepoormanseemed
himselftobeawareofitandtobetryingtoremedyit，foragreat
potofgreenpaintstoodinthecentreofthehall，andhewas
carryingathickbrushinhislefthand。Hehadbeenworkingonthe
woodwork。
“Hetookmeintohisdingysanctum，andwehadalongchat。Of
course，hewasdisappointedthatyouhadnotcomeyourself。”I
hardlyexpected”hesaid，”thatsohumbleallindividualasmyself，
especiallyaftermyheavyfinancialloss，couldobtainthecomplete
attentionofsofamousamanasMr。SherlockHolmes。”
“Iassuredhimthatthefinancialquestiondidnotarise。”No，of
course，itisartforart”ssakewithhim”saidhe，”butevenon
theartisticsideofcrimehemighthavefoundsomethinghereto
study。Andhumannature，Dr。Watson-theblackingratitudeofit
all！WhendidIeverrefuseoneofherrequests？Waseverawomanso
pampered？Andthatyoungman-hemighthavebeenmyownson。Hehad
therunofmyhouse。Andyetseehowtheyhavetreatedme！Oh，Dr。
Watson，itisadreadful，dreadfulworld！”
“Thatwastheburdenofhissongforanhourormore。Hehad，it
seems，nosuspicionofanintrigue。Theylivedalonesavefora
womanwhocomesinbythedayandleaveseveryeveningatsix。Onthat
particulareveningoldAmberley，wishingtogivehiswifeatreat，had
takentwouppercircleseatsattheHaymarketTheatre。Atthelast
momentshehadcomplainedofaheadacheandhadrefusedtogo。He
hadgonealone。Thereseemedtobenodoubtaboutthefact，forhe
producedtheunusedticketwhichhehadtakenforhiswife。”
“Thatisremarkable-mostremarkable，“saidHolmes，whoseinterest
inthecaseseemedtoberising。“Praycontinue，Watson。Ifindyour
narrativemostarresting。Didyoupersonallyexaminethisticket？
Youdidnot，perchance，takethenumber？“
“ItsohappensthatIdid，“Iansweredwithsomepride。“It
chancedtobemyoldschoolnumber，thirty-one，andsoisstuckin
myhead。”
“Excellent，Watson！Hisseat，then，waseitherthirtyor
thirty-two。”
“Quiteso，“Iansweredwithsomemystification。“AndonBrow。”
“Thatismostsatisfactory。Whatelsedidhetellyou？“
“Heshowedmehisstrong-room，ashecalledit。Itreallyisa
strong-room-likeabank-withirondoorandshutter-burglar-proof，
asheclaimed。Whoever，thewomanseemstohavehadaduplicatekey，
andbetweenthemtheyhadcarriedoffsomeseventhousandpoundsworth
ofcashandsecurities。”
“Securities！Howcouldtheydisposeofthose？“
“Hesaidthathehadgiventhepolicealistandthathehoped
theywouldbeunsaleable。Hehadgotbackfromthetheatreabout
midnightandfoundtheplaceplundered，thedoorandwindowopen，
andthefugitivesgone。Therewasnoletterormessage，norhashe
heardawordsince。Heatoncegavethealarmtothepolice。”
Holmesbroodedforsomeminutes。
“Yousayhewaspainting。Whatwashepainting？“
“Well，hewaspaintingthepassage。Buthehadalreadypaintedthe
floorandwoodworkofthisroomIspokeof。”
“Doesitnotstrikeyouasastrangeoccupationinthe
circumstances？“
“”Onemustdosomethingtoeaseanachingheart。”Thatwashisown
explanation。Itwaseccentric，nodoubt，butheisclearlyan
eccentricman。Hetoreuponeofhiswife”sphotographsinmy
presence-toreitupfuriouslyinatempestofpassion。”Inever
wishtoseeherdamnedfaceagain”heshrieked。”
“Anythingmore，Watson？“
“Yes，onethingwhichstruckmemorethananythingelse。Ihad
driventotheBlackheathStationandhadcaughtmytraintherewhen，
justasitwasstarting，Isawamandartintothecarriagenexttomy
own。YouknowthatIhaveaquickeyeforfaces，Holmes。Itwas
undoubtedlythetall，darkmanwhomIhadaddressedinthestreet。I
sawhimoncemoreatLondonBridge，andthenIlosthiminthe
crowd。ButIamconvincedthathewasfollowingme。”
“Nodoubt！Nodoubt！“saidHolmes。“Atall，dark，heavilymoustached
man，yousay，withgray-tintedsun-glasses？“
“Holmes，youareawizard。Ididnotsayso，buthehad
gray-tintedsun-glasses。”
“AndaMasonictie-pin？“
“Holmes！“
“Quitesimple，mydearWatson。Butletusgetdowntowhatis
practical。Imustadmittoyouthatthecase，whichseemedtometobe
soabsurdlysimpleastobehardlyworthmynotice，israpidly
assumingaverydifferentaspect。Itistruethatthoughinyour
missionyouhavemissedeverythingofimportance，yeteventhose
thingswhichhaveobtrudedthemselvesuponyournoticegiveriseto
seriousthought。”
“WhathaveImissed？“
“Don”tbehurt，mydearfellow。YouknowthatIamquiteimpersonal。
Nooneelsewouldhavedonebetter。Somepossiblynotsowell。But
clearlyyouhavemissedsomevitalpoints。Whatistheopinionof
theneighboursaboutthismanAmberleyandhiswife？Thatsurelyisof
importance。WhatofDr。Ernest？WashethegayLotharioonewould
expect？Withyournaturaladvantages，Watson，everyladyisyour
helperandaccomplice。Whataboutthegirlatthepost-office，or
thewifeofthegreengrocer？Icanpictureyouwhisperingsoft
nothingswiththeyoungladyattheBlueAnchor，andreceivinghard
somethingsinexchange。Allthisyouhaveleftundone。”
“Itcanstillbedone。”
“Ithasbeendone。ThankstothetelephoneandthehelpoftheYard，
Icanusuallygetmyessentialswithoutleavingthisroom。Asamatter
offact，myinformationconfirmstheman”sstory。Hehasthelocal
reputeofbeingamiseraswellasaharshandexactinghusband。
Thathehadalargesumofmoneyinthatstrongroomofhisiscertain。
SoalsoisitthatyoungDr。Ernest，anunmarriedman，playedchess
withAmberley，andprobablyplayedthefoolwithhiswife。Allthis
seemsplainsailing，andonewouldthinkthattherewasnomoreto
besaid-andyet！-andyet！“
“Whereliesthedifficulty？“
“Inmyimagination，perhaps。Well，leaveitthere，Watson。Letus
escapefromthiswearyworkadayworldbythesidedoorofmusic。
Carinasingsto-nightattheAlbertHall，andwestillhavetimeto
dress，dine，andenjoy。”
InthemorningIwasupbetimes，butsometoastcrumbsandtwoempty
eggshellstoldmethatmycompanionwasearlierstill。Ifounda
scribblednoteuponthetable。
DearWatson：
ThereareoneortwopointsofcontactwhichIshouldwishto
establishwithMr。JosiahAmberley。WhenIhavedonesowecandismiss
thecase-ornot。Iwouldonlyaskyoutobeonhandaboutthree
o”clock，asIconceiveitpossiblethatImaywantyou。
S。H。
IsawnothingofHolmesallday，butatthehournamedhe
returned，grave，preoccupied，andaloof。Atsuchtimesitwaswiserto
leavehimtohimself。
“HasAmberleybeenhereyet？“
“No。”
“Ah！Iamexpectinghim。”
Hewasnotdisappointed，forpresentlytheoldfellowarrivedwitha
veryworriedandpuzzledexpressionuponhisaustereface。
“I”vehadatelegram，Mr。Holmes。Icanmakenothingofit。”He
handeditover，andHolmesreaditaloud。
“Comeatoncewithoutfail。Cangiveyouinformationastoyour
recentloss。
“ELMAN。
“TheVicarage。
“Dispatchedat2：10fromLittlePurlington，“saidHolmes。“Little
PurlingtonisinEssex，Ibelieve，notfarfromFrinton。Well，of
courseyouwillstartatonce。Thisisevidentlyfromaresponsible
person，thevicaroftheplace。WhereismyCrockford？Yes，herewe
havehim：J。C。Elman，M。A。，LivingofMoosmoorcumLittlePurlington。”
Lookupthetrains，Watson。”
“Thereisoneat5：20fromLiverpoolStreet。”
“Excellent。Youhadbestgowithhim，Watson。Hemayneedhelpor
advice。Clearlywehavecometoacrisisinthisaffair。”
Butourclientseemedbynomeanseagertostart。
“It”sperfectlyabsurd，Mr。Holmes，“hesaid。“Whatcanthisman
possiblyknowofwhathasoccurred？Itiswasteoftimeandmoney。”
“Hewouldnothavetelegraphedtoyouifhedidnotknow
something。Wireatoncethatyouarecoming。”
“Idon”tthinkIshallgo。”
Holmesassumedhissternestaspect。
“Itwouldmaketheworstpossibleimpressionbothonthepolice
anduponmyself，Mr。Amberley，ifwhensoobviousacluearoseyou
shouldrefusetofollowitup。Weshouldfeelthatyouwerenotreally
inearnestinthisinvestigation。”
Ourclientseemedhorrifiedatthesuggestion。
“Why，ofcourseIshallgoifyoulookatitinthatway，“said
he。“Onthefaceofit，itseemsabsurdtosupposethatthisparson
knowsanything，butifyouthink-“
“Idothink，“saidHolmeswithemphasis，andsowewerelaunched
uponourjourney。Holmestookmeasidebeforewelefttheroomand
gavemeonewordofcounsel，whichshowedthatheconsideredthe
mattertobeofimportance。“Whateveryoudo，seethathereally
doesgo，“saidhe。“Shouldhebreakawayorreturn，gettothenearest
telephoneexchangeandsendthesingleword”Bolted。”Iwillarrange
herethatitshallreachmewhereverIam。”
LittlePurlingtonisnotaneasyplacetoreach，foritisona
branchline。Myremembranceofthejourneyisnotapleasantone，
fortheweatherwashot，thetrainslow，andmycompanionsullenand
silent，hardlytalkingatallsavetomakeanoccasionalsardonic
remarkastothefutilityofourproceedings。Whenweatlast
reachedthelittlestationitwasatwo-miledrivebeforewecameto
theVicarage，whereabig，solemn，ratherpompousclergymanreceived
usinhisstudy。Ourtelegramlaybeforehim。
“Well，gentlemen，“heasked，“whatcanIdoforyou？“
“Wecame，“Iexplained，“inanswertoyourwire。”
“Mywire！Isentnowire。”
“ImeanthewirewhichyousenttoMr。JosiahAmberleyabouthis
wifeandhismoney。”
“Ifthisisajoke，sir，itisaveryquestionableone，“saidthe
vicarangrily。“Ihaveneverheardofthegentlemanyouname，andI
havenotsentawiretoanyone。”
OurclientandIlookedateachotherinamazement。
“Perhapsthereissomemistake，“saidI；“arethereperhapstwo
vicarages？Hereisthewireitself，signedElmananddatedfromthe
Vicarage。”
“Thereisonlyonevicarage，sir，andonlyonevicar，andthis
wireisascandalousforgery，theoriginofwhichshallcertainlybe
investigatedbythepolice。Meanwhile，Icanseenopossibleobjectin
prolongingthisinterview。”
SoMr。AmberleyandIfoundourselvesontheroadsideinwhatseemed
tometobethemostprimitivevillageinEngland。Wemadeforthe
telegraphoffice，butitwasalreadyclosed。Therewasatelephone，
however，atthelittleRailwayArms，andbyitIgotintotouchwith
Holmes，whosharedinouramazementattheresultofourjourney。
“Mostsingular！“saidthedistantvoice。“Mostremarkable！Imuch
fear，mydearWatson，thatthereisnoreturntrainto-night。Ihave
unwittinglycondemnedyoutothehorrorsofacountryinn。However，
thereisalwaysNature，Watson-NatureandJosiahAmberley-youcanbe
inclosecommunewithboth。”Iheardhisdrychuckleasheturned
away。
Itwassoonapparenttomethatmycompanion”sreputationasamiser
wasnotundeserved。hehadgrumbledattheexpenseofthejourney，had
insistedupontravellingthird-class，andwasnowclamorousinhis
objectionstothehotelbill。Nextmorning，whenwedidatlastarrive
inLondon，itwashardtosaywhichofuswasintheworsehumour。
“YouhadbesttakeBakerStreetaswepass，“saidI。“Mr。Holmesmay
havesomefreshinstructions。”
“Iftheyarenotworthmorethanthelastonestheyarenotof
muchuse，“saidAmberleywithamalevolentscowl。Nonetheless，he
keptmecompany。IhadalreadywarnedHolmesbytelegramofthehour
ofourarrival，butwefoundamessagewaitingthathewasatLewisham
andwouldexpectusthere。Thatwasasurprise，butanevengreater
onewastofindthathewasnotaloneinthesittingroomofour
client。Astern-looking，impassivemansatbesidehim，adarkmanwith
gray-tintedglassesandalargeMasonicplanprojectingfromhistie。
“ThisismyfriendMr。Barker，“saidHolmes。“Hehasbeen
interestinghimselfalsoinyourbusiness，Mr。JosiahAmberley，though
wehavebeenworkingindependently。Butwebothhavethesamequestion
toaskyou！“
Mr。Amberleysatdownheavily。Hesensedimpendingdanger。Ireadit
inhisstrainingeyesandhistwitchingfeatures。
“Whatisthequestion，Mr。Holmes？“
“Onlythis：Whatdidyoudowiththebodies？“
Themansprangtohisfeetwithahoarsescream。Heclawedinto
theairwithhisbonyhands。Hismouthwasopen，andfortheinstant
helookedlikesomehorriblebirdofprey。Inaflashwegotaglimpse
oftherealJosiahAmberley，amisshapendemonwithasoulas
distortedashisbody。Ashefellbackintohischairheclappedhis
handtohislipsasiftostifleacough。Holmessprangathis
throatlikeatigerandtwistedhisfacetowardstheground。Awhite
pelletfellfrombetweenhisgaspinglips。
“Noshortcuts，JosiahAmberley，Thingsmustbedonedecentlyandin
order。Whataboutit，Barker？“
“Ihaveacabatthedoor，“saidourtaciturncompanion。
“Itisonlyafewhundredyardstothestation。Wewillgotogether。
Youcanstaythere，Watson。Ishallbebackwithinhalfanhour。”
Theoldcolourmanhadthestrengthofalioninthatgreattrunk
ofhis，buthewashelplessinthehandsofthetwoexperienced
man-handlers。Wrigglingandtwistinghewasdraggedtothewaiting
cab，andIwaslefttomysolitaryvigilintheill-omenedhouse。In
lesstimethanhehadnamed，however，Holmeswasback，incompanywith
asmartyoungpoliceinspector。
“I”veleftBarkertolookaftertheformalities，“saidHolmes。
“YouhadnotmetBarker，Watson。Heismyhatedrivaluponthe
Surreyshore。Whenyousaidatalldarkmanitwasnotdifficultfor
metocompletethepicture。Hehasseveralgoodcasestohiscredit，
hashenot，Inspector？“
“Hehascertainlyinterferedseveraltimes，“theinspector
answeredwithreserve。
“Hismethodsareirregular，nodoubt，likemyown。Theirregulars
areusefulsometimes，youknow。You，forexample，withyourcompulsory
warningaboutwhateverhesaidbeingusedagainsthim，couldnever
havebluffedthisrascalintowhatisvirtuallyaconfession。”
“Perhapsnot。Butwegetthereallthesame，Mr。Holmes。Don”t
imaginethatwehadnotformedourownviewsofthiscase，andthatwe
wouldnothavelaidourhandsonourman。Youwillexcuseusfor
feelingsorewhenyoujumpinwithmethodswhichwecannotuse，andso
robusofthecredit。”
“Thereshallbenosuchrobbery，MacKinnon。IassureyouthatI
effacemyselffromnowonward，andastoBarker，hehasdonenothing
savewhatItoldhim。”
Theinspectorseemedconsiderablyrelieved。
“Thatisveryhandsomeofyou，Mr。Holmes。Praiseorblamecan
matterlittletoyou，butitisverydifferenttouswhenthe
newspapersbegintoaskquestions。”
“Quiteso。Buttheyareprettysuretoaskquestionsanyhow，soit
wouldbeaswelltohaveanswers。Whatwillyousay，forexample，when
theintelligentandenterprisingreporterasksyouwhattheexact
pointswerewhicharousedyoursuspicion，andfinallygaveyoua
certainconvictionastotherealfacts？“
Theinspectorlookedpuzzled。
“Wedon”tseemtohavegotanyrealfactsyet，Mr。Holmes。Yousay
thattheprisoner，inthepresenceofthreewitnesses，practically
confessedbytryingtocommitsuicide，thathehadmurderedhiswife
andherlover。Whatotherfactshaveyou？“
“Haveyouarrangedforasearch？“
“Therearethreeconstablesontheirway。”
“Thenyouwillsoongettheclearestfactofall。Thebodies
cannotbefaraway。
Trythecellarsandthegarden。Itshouldnottakelongtodigup
thelikelyplaces。Thishouseisolderthanthewater-pipes。There
mustbeadisusedwellsomewhere。Tryyourluckthere。”
“Buthowdidyouknowofit，andhowwasitdone？“
“I”llshowyoufirsthowitwasdone，andthenIwillgivethe
explanationwhichisduetoyou，andevenmoretomylong-suffering
friendhere，whohasbeeninvaluablethroughout。But，first，Iwould
giveyouaninsightintothisman”smentality。Itisaveryunusual
one-somuchsothatIthinkhisdestinationismorelikelytobe
Broadmoorthanthescaffold。Hehas，toahighdegree，thesortof
mindwhichoneassociateswiththemediaevalItaliannaturerather
thanwiththemodernBriton。Hewasamiserablemiserwhomadehis
wifesowretchedbyhisniggardlywaysthatshewasareadypreyfor
anyadventurer。Suchaonecameuponthesceneinthepersonofthis
chess-playingdoctor。Amberleyexcelledatchess-onemark，Watson，of
aschemingmind。Likeallmisers，hewasajealousman，andhis
jealousybecameafranticmania。Rightlyorwrongly，hesuspectedan
intrigue。Hedeterminedtohavehisrevenge，andheplanneditwith
diabolicalcleverness。Comehere！“
Holmesledusalongthepassagewithasmuchcertaintyasifhe
hadlivedinthehouseandhaltedattheopendoorofthestrong-room。
“Pooh！Whatanawfulsmellofpaint！“criedtheinspector。
“Thatwasourfirstclue，“saidHolmes。“YoucanthankDr。
Watson”sobservationforthat，thoughhefailedtodrawtheinference。
Itsetmyfootuponthetrail。Whyshouldthismanatsuchatimebe
fillinghishousewithstrongodours？Obviously，tocoversomeother
smellwhichhewishedtoconceal-someguiltysmellwhichwould
suggestsuspicions。thencametheideaofaroomsuchasyousee
herewithirondoorandshutter-ahermeticallysealedroom。Putthose
twofactstogether，andwhitherdotheylead？Icouldonlydetermine
thatbyexaminingthehousemyself。Iwasalreadycertainthatthe
casewasserious，forIhadexaminedthebox-officechartatthe
HaymarketTheatre-anotherofDr。Watson”sbull”s-eyes-and
ascertainedthatneitherBthirtynorthirty-twooftheuppercircle
hadbeenoccupiedthatnight。Therefore，Amberleyhadnotbeento
thetheatre，andhisalibifelltotheground。Hemadeabadslipwhen
heallowedmyastutefriendtonoticethenumberoftheseattakenfor
hiswife。ThequestionnowarosehowImightbeabletoexaminethe
house。IsentanagenttothemostimpossiblevillageIcouldthink
of，andsummonedmymantoitatsuchanhourthathecouldnot
possiblygetback。Topreventanymiscarriage，Dr。Watson
accompaniedhim。Thegoodvicar”snameItook，ofcourse，outofmy
Crockford。DoImakeitallcleartoyou？“
“Itismasterly，“saidtheinspectorinanawedvoice。
“TherebeingnofearofinterruptionIproceededtoburglethe
house。BurglaryhasalwaysbeenanalternativeprofessionhadI
caredtoadoptit，andIhavelittledoubtthatIshouldhavecome
tothefront。ObservewhatIfound。Youseethegas-pipealongthe
skirtinghere。Verygood。Itrisesintheangleofthewall，andthere
isataphereinthecorner。Thepiperunsoutintothestrong-room，
asyoucansee，andendsinthatplasterroseinthecentreofthe
ceiling，whereitisconcealedbytheornamentation。Thatendis
wideopen。Atanymomentbyturningtheoutsidetaptheroomcould
befloodedwithgas。Withdoorandshutterclosedandthetapfull
onIwouldnotgivetwominutesofconscioussensationtoanyone
shutupinthatlittlechamber。Bywhatdevilishdevicehedecoyed
themthereIdonotknow，butonceinsidethedoortheywereathis
mercy。”
Theinspectorexaminedthepipewithinterest。“Oneofour
officersmentionedthesmellofgas，“saidhe，“butofcoursethe
windowanddoorwereopenthen，andthepaint-orsomeofit-was
alreadyabout。Hehadbeguntheworkofpaintingthedaybefore，
accordingtohisstory。Butwhatnext，Mr。Holmes？“
“Well，thencameanincidentwhichwasratherunexpectedto
myself。Iwasslippingthroughthepantrywindow，intheearlydawn
whenIfeltahandinsidemycollar，andavoicesaid：”Now，you
rascal，whatareyoudoinginthere？”WhenIcouldtwistmyheadround
Ilookedintothetintedspectaclesofmyfriendandrival，Mr。
Barker。itwasacuriousforegatheringandsetusbothsmiling。It
seemsthathehadbeenengagedbyDr。RayErnest”sfamilytomakesome
investigationsandhadcometothesameconclusionastofoulplay。He
hadwatchedthehouseforsomedaysandhadspottedDr。Watsonas
oneoftheobviouslysuspiciouscharacterswhohadcalledthere。He
couldhardlyarrestWatson，butwhenhesawamanactuallyclimbing
outofthepantrywindowtherecamealimittohisrestraint。Of
course，Itoldhimhowmattersstoodandwecontinuedthecase
together。”
“Whyhim？Why，notus？“
“Becauseitwasinmymindtoputthatlittletestwhichansweredso
admirably。Ifearyouwouldnothavegonesofar。”
Theinspectorsmiled。
“Well，maybenot。IunderstandthatIhaveyourword，Mr。Holmes，
thatyousteprightoutofthecasenowandthatyouturnallyour
resultsovertous。”
“Certainly，thatisalwaysmycustom。”
“Well，inthenameoftheforceIthankyou。Itseemsaclear
case，asyouputit，andtherecan”tbemuchdifficultyoverthe
bodies。”
“I”llshowyouagrimlittlebitofevidence，“saidHolmes，“andI
amsureAmberleyhimselfneverobservedit。You”llgetresults，
Inspector，byalwaysputtingyourselfintheotherfellow”splace，and
thinkingwhatyouwoulddoyourself。Ittakessomeimagination，butit
pays。Now，wewillsupposethatyouwereshutupinthislittle
room，hadnottwominutestolive，butwantedtogetevenwiththe
fiendwhowasprobablymockingatyoufromtheothersideofthedoor。
Whatwouldyoudo？“
“Writeamessage。”
“Exactly。Youwouldliketotellpeoplehowyoudied。Nousewriting
onpaper。Thatwouldbeseen。Ifyouwroteonthewallsomeonemight
restuponit。Now，lookhere！Justabovetheskirtingisscribbled
withapurpleindeliblepencil：”Wewe-”That”sall。”
“Whatdoyoumakeofthat？“
“Well，it”sonlyafootabovetheground。Thepoordevilwason
thefloordyingwhenhewroteit。Helosthissensesbeforehecould
finish。”
“Hewaswriting，”Weweremurdered。”“
“That”showIreadit。Ifyoufindanindeliblepencilonthebody-“
“We”lllookoutforit，youmaybesure。Butthosesecurities？
Clearlytherewasnorobberyatall。Andyethedidpossessthose
bonds。Weverifiedthat。”
“Youmaybesurehehasthemhiddeninasafeplace。Whenthe
wholeelopementhadpassedintohistory，hewouldsuddenlydiscover
themandannouncethattheguiltycouplehadrelentedandsentback
theplunderorhaddroppeditontheway。”
“Youcertainlyseemtohavemeteverydifficulty，“saidthe
inspector。“Ofcourse，hewasboundtocallusin，butwhyheshould
havegonetoyouIcan”tunderstand。”
“Pureswank！“Holmesanswered。“Hefeltsocleverandsosureof
himselfthatheimaginednoonecouldtouchhim。Hecouldsaytoany
suspiciousneighbour，”LookatthestepsIhavetaken。Ihave
consultednotonlythepolicebutevenSherlockHolmes。”“
Theinspectorlaughed。
“Wemustforgiveyouyour”even”Mr。Holmes，“saidhe，“It”sas
workmanlikeajobasIcanremember。”
Acoupleofdayslatermyfriendtossedacrosstomeacopyofthe
bi-weeklyNorthSurreyObserver。Underaseriesofflaming
headlines，whichbeganwith“TheHavenHorror“andendedwith
“BrilliantPoliceInvestigation，“therewasapackedcolumnofprint
whichgavethefirstconsecutiveaccountoftheaffair。Theconcluding
paragraphistypicalofthewhole。Itranthus：
TheremarkableacumenbywhichInspectorMacKinnondeducedfrom
thesmellofpaintthatsomeothersmell，thatofgas，forexample，
mightbeconcealed；thebolddeductionthatthestrong-roommightalso
bethedeath-chamber，andthesubsequentinquirywhichledtothe
discoveryofthebodiesinadisusedwell，cleverlyconcealedbya
dog-kennel，shouldliveinthehistoryofcrimeasastanding
exampleoftheintelligenceofourprofessionaldetectives。
“Well，well，MacKinnonisagoodfellow，“saidHolmeswitha
tolerantsmile。“Youcanfileitinourarchives，Watson。Somedaythe
truestorymaybetold。”-
THEEND。
1904
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHESECONDSTAIN
bySirArthurConanDoyle
THEADVENTUREOFTHESECONDSTAIN
Ihadintended“TheAdventureoftheAbbeyGrange“tobethelastof
thoseexploitsofmyfriend，Mr。SherlockHolmes，whichIshould
evercommunicatetothepublic。Thisresolutionofminewasnotdueto
anylackofmaterial，sinceIhavenotesofmanyhundredsofcases
towhichIhaveneveralluded，norwasitcausedbyanywaning
interestonthepartofmyreadersinthesingularpersonalityand
uniquemethodsofthisremarkableman。Therealreasonlayinthe
reluctancewhichMr。Holmeshasshowntothecontinuedpublication
ofhisexperiences。Solongashewasinactualprofessional
practicetherecordsofhissuccesseswereofsomepracticalvalue
tohim，butsincehehasdefinitelyretiredfromLondonandbetaken
himselftostudyandbee-farmingontheSussexDowns，notorietyhas
becomehatefultohim，andhehasperemptorilyrequestedthathis
wishesinthismattershouldbestrictlyobserved。Itwasonlyuponmy
representingtohimthatIhadgivenapromisethat“TheAdventure
oftheSecondStain“shouldbepublishedwhenthetimeswereripe，and
pointingouttohimthatitisonlyappropriatethatthislong
seriesofepisodesshouldculminateinthemostimportant
internationalcasewhichhehaseverbeencalledupontohandle，
thatIatlastsucceededinobtaininghisconsentthatacarefully
guardedaccountoftheincidentshouldatlastbelaidbeforethe
public。IfintellingthestoryIseemtobesomewhatvagueincertain
details，thepublicwillreadilyunderstandthatthereisanexcellent
reasonformyreticence。