“It”saswell，“saidtheoldman；“it”saquestionwhetherIshall
livetotheAssizes，soitmatterslittletome，butIshouldwish
tospareAlicetheshock。AndnowIwillmakethethingclearto
you；ithasbeenalongtimeintheacting，butwillnottakeme
longtotell。”
“Youdidn”tknowthisdeadman，McCarthy。Hewasadevil
incarnate。Itellyouthat。Godkeepyououtoftheclutchesofsucha
manashe。Hisgriphasbeenuponmethesetwentyyears，andhehas
blastedmylife。I”lltellyoufirsthowIcametobeinhispower。
“Itwasintheearly”60”satthediggings。Iwasayoungchapthen，
hot-bloodedandreckless，readytoturnmyhandatanything；Igot
amongbadcompanions，tooktodrink，hadnoluckwithmyclaim，took
tothebush，andinawordbecamewhatyouwouldcalloverherea
highwayrobber。Thereweresixofus，andwehadawild，freelife
ofit，stickingupastationfromtimetotime，orstoppingthewagons
ontheroadtothediggings。BlackJackofBallaratwasthenameI
wentunder，andourpartyisstillrememberedinthecolonyasthe
BallaratGang。
“OnedayagoldconvoycamedownfromBallusttoMelbourne，andwe
layinwaitforitandattackedit。Thereweresixtroopersandsixof
us，soitwasaclosething，butweemptiedfouroftheirsaddlesat
thefirstvolley。Threeofourboyswerekilled，however，beforewe
gottheswag。Iputmypistoltotheheadofthewagon-driver，whowas
thisverymanMcCarthy。IwishtotheLordthatIhadthoughhim
shothimthen，butIsparedhim，thoughIsawhiswickedlittleeyes
fixedonmyface，asthoughtoremembereveryfeature。Wegotaway
withthegold，becamewealthymen，andmadeourwayovertoEngland
withoutbeingsuspected。ThereIpartedfrommyoldpalsand
determinedtosettledowntoaquietandrespectablelife。Ibought
thisestate，whichchancedtobeinthemarket，andIsetmyselftodo
alittlewithmymoney，tomakeupforthewayinwhichIhadearned
it。Imarried，too，andthoughmywifediedyoungsheleftmemy
dearlittleAlice。Evenwhenshewasjustababyherweehandseemed
toleadmedowntherightpathasnothingelsehadeverdone。Ina
word，Iturnedoveranewleafanddidmybesttomakeupforthe
past。AllwasgoingwellwhenMcCarthylaidhisgripuponme。
“Ihadgoneuptotownaboutaninvestment，andImethimin
RegentStreetwithhardlyacoattohisbackoraboottohisfoot。
“”Hereweare，Jack”sayshe，touchingmeonthearm；”we”llbe
asgoodasafamilytoyou。There”stwoofus，meandmyson，and
youcanhavethekeepingofus。Ifyoudon”t-it”safine，
law-abidingcountryisEngland，andthere”salwaysapoliceman
withinhail。”
“Well，downtheycametothewestcountry，therewasnoshakingthem
off，andtheretheyhavelivedrentfreeonmybestlandeversince。
Therewasnorestforme，nopeace，noforgetfulness；turnwhereI
would，therewashiscunning，grinningfaceatmyelbow。Itgrewworse
asAlicegrewup，forhesoonsawIwasmoreafraidofherknowingmy
pastthanofthepolice。Whateverhewantedhemusthave，andwhatever
itwasIgavehimwithoutquestion，land，money，houses，untilatlast
heaskedathingwhichIcouldnotgive。HeaskedforAlice。
“Hisson，yousee，hadgrownup，andsohadmygirl，andasIwas
knowntobeinweakhealth，itseemedafinestroketohimthathis
ladshouldstepintothewholeproperty。ButthereIwasfirm。Iwould
nothavehiscursedstockmixedwithmine；notthatIhadany
disliketothelad，buthisbloodwasinhim，andthatwasenough。I
stoodfirm。McCarthythreatened。Ibravedhimtodohisworst。Wewere
tomeetatthepoolmidwaybetweenourhousestotalkitover。
“WhenIwentdownthereIfoundhimtalkingwithhisson，soI
smokedacigarandwaitedbehindatreeuntilheshouldbealone。
ButasIlistenedtohistalkallthatwasblackandbitterinme
seemed，tocomeuppermost。Hewasurginghissontomarrymy
daughterwithaslittleregardforwhatshemightthinkasifshewere
aslutfromoffthestreets。ItdrovememadtothinkthatIandall
thatIheldmostdearshouldbeinthepowerofsuchamanasthis。
CouldInotsnapthebond？Iwasalreadyadyingandadesperate
man。Thoughclearofmindandfairlystrongoflimb，Iknewthatmy
ownfatewassealed。Butmymemoryandmygirl！Bothcouldbesavedif
Icouldbutsilencethatfoultongue。Ididit，Mr。Holmes。
“Iwoulddoitagain。DeeplyasIhavesinned，Ihaveledalife
ofmartyrdomtoatoneforit。Butthatmygirlshouldbeentangled
inthesamemesheswhichheldmewasmorethanIcouldsuffer。I
struckhimdownwithnomorecompunctionthanifhehadbeensomefoul
andvenomousbeast。Hiscrybroughtbackhisson；butIhadgainedthe
coverofthewood，thoughIwasforcedtogobacktofetchthecloak
whichIhaddroppedinmyflight。Thatisthetruestory，gentlemen，
ofallthatoccurred。”
Well，itisnotformetojudgeyou，“saidHolmesastheoldman
signedthestatementwhichhadbeendrawnout。“Ipraythatwemay
neverbeexposedtosuchatemptation。”
“Ipraynot，sir。Andwhatdoyouintendtodo？“
“Inviewofyourhealth，nothing。Youareyourselfawarethatyou
willsoonhavetoanswerforyourdeedatahighercourtthanthe
Assizes。Iwillkeepyourconfession，andifMcCarthyiscondemnedI
shallbeforcedtouseit。Ifnot，itshallneverbeseenbymortal
eye；andyoursecret，whetheryoubealiveordead，shallbesafewith
us。”
“Farewell，then，“saidtheoldmansolemnly。“Yourowndeathbeds，
whentheycome，willbetheeasierforthethoughtofthepeace
whichyouhavegiventomine。”Totteringandshakinginallhis
giantframe，hestumbledslowlyfromtheroom。
“Godhelpus！“saidHolmesafteralongsilence。“Whydoesfateplay
suchtrickswithpoor，helplessworms？Ineverhearofsuchacase
asthisthatIdonotthinkofBaxter”swords，andsay，”There，but
forthegraceofGod，goesSherlockHolmes。”“
JamesMcCarthywasacquittedattheAssizesonthestrengthofa
numberofobjectionswhichhadbeendrawnoutbyHolmesand
submittedtothedefendingcounsel。OldTurnerlivedforseven
monthsafterourinterview，butheisnowdead；andthereisevery
prospectthatthesonanddaughtermaycometolivehappilytogether
inignoranceoftheblackcloudwhichrestsupontheirpast-
THEEND。
1893
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THECROOKEDMAN
bySirArthurConanDoyle
TheCrookedMan。
Onesummernightafewmonthsaftermymarriage，Iwasseatedby
myownhearthsmokingalastpipeandnoddingoveranovel，formy
day”sworkhadbeenanexhaustingone。Mywifehadalreadygone
upstairs，andthesoundofthelockingofthehalldoorsometime
beforetoldmethattheservantshadalsoretired。Ihadrisenfrommy
seatandwasknockingouttheashesofmypipewhenIsuddenlyheard
theclangofthebell。
Ilookedattheclock。Itwasaquartertotwelve。Thiscouldnotbe
avisitoratsolateanhour。Apatientevidently，andpossiblyan
all-nightsitting。WithawryfaceIwentoutintothehallandopened
thedoor。TomyastonishmentitwasSherlockHolmeswhostoodupon
mystep。
“Ah，Watson，“saidhe，“IhopedthatImightnotbetoolateto
catchyou。”
“Mydearfellow，praycomein。”
“Youlooksurprised，andnowonder！Relieved，too，Ifancy！Hum！You
stillsmoketheArcadiamixtureofyourbachelordays，then！There”s
nomistakingthatfluffyashuponyourcoat。It”seasytotellthat
youhavebeenaccustomedtowearauniform，Watson。You”llnever
passasapure-bredcivilianaslongasyoukeepthathabitof
carryingyourhandkerchiefinyoursleeve。Couldyouputmeup
to-night？“
“Withpleasure。”
“Youtoldmethatyouhadbachelorquartersforone，andIsee
thatyouhavenogentlemanvisitoratpresent。Yourhat-stand
proclaimsasmuch。”
“Ishallbedelightedifyouwillstay。”
“Thankyou。I”llfillthevacantpegthen。Sorrytoseethat
you”vehadtheBritishworkmaninthehouse。He”satokenofevil。Not
thedrains，Ihope？“
“No，thegas。”
“Ah！Hehaslefttwonail-marksfromhisbootuponyourlinoleum
justwherethelightstrikesit。No，thankyou，Ihadsomesupperat
Waterloo，butI”llsmokeapipewithyouwithpleasure。”
Ihandedhimmypouch，andheseatedhimselfoppositetomeand
smokedforsometimeinsilence。Iwaswellawarethatnothingbut
businessofimportancewouldhavebroughthimtomeatsuchanhour，
soIwaitedpatientlyuntilheshouldcomeroundtoit。
“Iseethatyouareprofessionallyratherbusyjustnow，“saidhe，
glancingverykeenlyacrossatme。
“Yes，I”vehadabusyday，“Ianswered。“Itmayseemveryfoolishin
youreyes“Iadded，“butreallyIdon”tknowhowyoudeducedit。”
Holmeschuckledtohimself。
“Ihavetheadvantageofknowingyourhabits，mydearWatson，“
saidhe。“Whenyourroundisashortoneyouwalk，andwhenitisa
longoneyouuseahansom。AsIperceivethatyourboots，although
used，arebynomeansdirty，Icannotdoubtthatyouareatpresent
busyenoughtojustifythehansom。”
“Excellent！“Icried。
“Elementary，“saidhe。“Itisoneofthoseinstanceswherethe
reasonercanproduceaneffectwhichseemsremarkabletohis
neighbour，becausethelatterhasmissedtheonelittlepointwhichis
thebasisofthededuction。Thesamemaybesaid，mydearfellow，
fortheeffectofsomeoftheselittlesketchesofyours，whichis
entirelymeretricious，dependingasitdoesuponyourretainingin
yourownhandssomefactorsintheproblemwhichareneverimpartedto
thereader。Now，atpresentIaminthepositionofthesesame
readers，forIholdinthishandseveralthreadsofoneofthe
strangestcaseswhicheverperplexedaman”sbrain，andyetIlackthe
oneortwowhichareneedfultocompletemytheory。ButI”llhave
them，Watson，I”llhavethem！“Hiseyeskindledandaslightflush
sprangintohisthincheeks。Foraninstanttheveilhadliftedupon
hiskeen，intensenature，butforaninstantonly。WhenIglanced
againhisfacehadresumedthatred-Indiancomposurewhichhadmadeso
manyregardhimasamachineratherthanaman。
“Theproblempresentsfeaturesofinterest，“saidhe。“Imayeven
sayexceptionalfeaturesofinterest。Ihavealreadylookedintothe
matter，andhavecome，asIthink，withinsightofmysolution。Ifyou
couldaccompanymeinthatlaststepyoumightbeofconsiderable
servicetome。”
“Ishouldbedelighted。”
“CouldyougoasfarasAldershotto-morrow？”
“IhavenodoubtJacksonwouldtakemypractice。”
“Verygood。Iwanttostartbythe11：10fromWaterloo。”
“Thatwouldgivemetime。”
“Then，ifyouarenottoosleepy，Iwillgiveyouasketchofwhat
hashappened，andofwhatremainstobedone。”
“Iwassleepybeforeyoucame。Iamquitewakefulnow。”
“Iwillcompressthestoryasfarasmaybedonewithoutomitting
anythingvitaltothecase。Itisconceivablethatyoumayevenhave
readsomeaccountofthematter。Itisthesupposedmurderof
ColonelBarclay，oftheRoyalMunsters，atAldershot，whichIam
investigating。”
“Ihaveheardnothingofit。”
“Ithasnotexcitedmuchattentionyet，exceptlocally。Thefacts
areonlytwodaysold。Brieflytheyarethese：
“TheRoyalMunstersis，asyouknow，oneofthemostfamousIrish
regimentsintheBritishArmy。ItdidwondersbothintheCrimeaand
theMutiny，andhassincethattimedistinguisheditselfuponevery
possibleoccasion。ItwascommandeduptoMondaynightbyJames
Barclay，agallantveteran，whostartedasafullprivate，was
raisedtocommissionedrankforhisbraveryatthetimeoftheMutiny，
andsolivedtocommandtheregimentinwhichhehadoncecarrieda
musket。
“ColonelBarclayhadmarriedatthetimewhenhewasasergeant，and
hiswife，whosemaidennamewasMissNancyDevoy，wasthedaughter
ofaformercoloursergeantinthesamecorps。Therewas，therefore，
ascanbeimagined，somelittlesocialfrictionwhentheyoung
couplefortheywerestillyoungfoundthemselvesintheirnew
surroundings。Theyappear，however，tohavequicklyadapted
themselves，andMrs。Barclayhasalways，Iunderstand，beenaspopular
withtheladiesoftheregimentasherhusbandwaswithhisbrother
officers。Imayaddthatshewasawomanofgreatbeauty，andthat
evennow，whenshehasbeenmarriedforofastrikingandqueenly
appearance。
“ColonelBarclay”sfamilylifeappearstohavebeenauniformly
happyone。MajorMurphy，towhomIowemostofmyfacts，assuresme
thathehasneverheardofanymisunderstandingbetweenthepair。On
thewhole，hethinksthatBarclay”sdevotiontohiswifewasgreater
thanhiswife”stoBarclay。Hewasacutelyuneasyifhewereabsent
fromherforaday。She，ontheotherhand，thoughdevotedand
faithful，waslessobtrusivelyaffectionate。Buttheywereregardedin
theregimentastheverymodelofamiddle-agedcouple。Therewas
absolutelynothingintheirmutualrelationstopreparepeopleforthe
tragedywhichwastofollow。
“ColonelBarclayhimselfseemstohavehadsomesingulartraitsin
hischaracter。Hewasadashing，jovialoldsoldierinhisusualmood，
buttherewereoccasionsonwhichheseemedtoshowhimselfcapableof
considerableviolenceandvindictiveness。Thissideofhisnature，
however，appearsnevertohavebeenturnedtowardshiswife。Another
factwhichhadstruckMajorMurphyandthreeoutoffiveofthe
otherofficerswithwhomIconversedwasthesingularsortof
depressionwhichcameuponhimattimes。Asthemajorexpressedit，
thesmilehasoftenbeenstruckfromhismouth，asifbysome
invisiblehand，whenhehasbeenjoininginthegaietiesandchaff
ofthemess-table。Fordaysonend，whenthemoodwasonhim，hehas
beensunkinthedeepestgloom。Thisandacertaintingeof
superstitionweretheonlyunusualtraitsinhischaracterwhichhis
brotherofficershadobserved。Thelatterpeculiaritytooktheformof
adisliketobeingleftalone，especiallyafterdark。Thispuerile
featureinanaturewhichwasconspicuouslymanlyhadoftengivenrise
tocommentandconjecture。
“ThefirstbattalionoftheRoyalMunsterswhichistheoldOne
HundredandSeventeenthhasbeenstationedatAldershotforsome
years。Themarriedofficersliveoutofbarracks，andthecolonel
hasduringallthistimeoccupiedavillacalled”Lachine”abouthalf
amilefromthenorthcamp。Thehousestandsinitsowngrounds，but
thewestsideofitisnotmorethanthirtyyardsfromthehighroad。A
coachmanandtwomaidsformthestaffofservants。Thesewiththeir
masterandmistresswerethesoleoccupantsofLachine，forthe
Barclayshadnochildren，norwasitusualforthemtohaveresident
visitors。
“NowfortheeventsatLachinebetweennineandtenontheevening
oflastMonday。
“Mrs。Barclaywas，itappears，amemberoftheRomanCatholicChurch
andhadinterestedherselfverymuchintheestablishmentoftheGuild
ofSt。George，whichwasformedinconnectionwiththeWattStreet
Chapelforthepurposeofsupplyingthepoorwithcast-offclothing。A
meetingoftheGuildhadbeenheldthateveningateight，andMrs。
Barclayhadhurriedoverherdinnerinordertobepresentatit。When
leavingthehouseshewasheardbythecoachmantomakesome
commonplaceremarktoherhusband，andtoassurehimthatshewouldbe
backbeforeverylong。ShethencalledforMissMorrison，ayounglady
wholivesinthenextvillaandthetwowentofftogethertotheir
meeting。Itlastedfortyminutes，andataquarter-pastnineMrs。
Barclayreturnedhome，havingleftMissMorrisonatherdoorasshe
passed。
“Thereisaroomwhichisusedasamorning-roomatLachine。This
facestheroadandopensbyalargeglassfolding-doorontothelawn。
Thelawnisthirtyyardsacrossandisonlydividedfromthehighway
byalowwallwithanironrailaboveit。Itwasintothisroomthat
Mrs。Barclaywentuponherreturn。Theblindswerenotdown，forthe
roomwasseldomusedintheevening，butMrs。Barclayherselflit
thelampandthenrangthebell，askingJaneStewart，thehousemaid，
tobringheracupoftea，whichwasquitecontrarytoherusual
habits。Thecolonelhadbeensittinginthedining-room，but，
hearingthathiswifehadreturned，hejoinedherinthemorning-room。
Thecoachmansawhimcrossthehallandenterit。Hewasneverseen
againalive。
“Theteawhichhadbeenorderedwasbroughtupattheendoften
minutes；butthemaid，assheapproachedthedoor，wassurprisedto
hearthevoicesofhermasterandmistressinfuriousaltercation。She
knockedwithoutreceivinganyanswer，andeventurnedthehandle，
butonlytofindthatthedoorwaslockedupontheinside。Naturally
enoughsherandowntotellthecook，andthetwowomenwiththe
coachmancameupintothehallandlistenedtothedisputewhichwas
stillraging。Theyallagreedthatonlytwovoicesweretobeheard，
thoseofBarclayandofhiswife。Barclay”sremarksweresubduedand
abruptsothatnoneofthemwereaudibletothelisteners。Thelady”s，
ontheotherhand，weremostbitter，andwhensheraisedhervoice
couldbeplainlyheard。”Youcoward”sherepeatedoverandoveragain。”Whatcanbedonenow？Whatcanbedonenow？Givemebackmylife。I
willneversomuchasbreathethesameairwithyouagain！You
cowardYoucoward”Thosewerescrapsofherconversation，endingin
asuddendreadfulcryintheman”svoice，withacrash，andapiercing
screamfromthewoman。Convincedthatsometragedyhadoccurred，the
coachmanrushedtothedoorandstrovetoforceit，whilescreamafter
screamissuedfromwithin。Hewasunable，however，tomakehiswayin，
andthemaidsweretoodistractedwithfeartobeofanyassistanceto
him。Asuddenthoughtstruckhim，however，andheranthroughthehall
doorandroundtothelawnuponwhichthelongFrenchwindowsopen。
Onesideofthewindowwasopen，whichIunderstandwasquiteusualin
thesummertime，andhepassedwithoutdifficultyintotheroom。His
mistresshadceasedtoscreamandwasstretchedinsensibleupona
couch，whilewithhisfeettiltedoverthesideofanarmchair，and
hisheaduponthegroundnearthecornerofthefender，waslying
theunfortunatesoldierstonedeadinapoolofhisownblood。
“Naturally，thecoachman”sfirstthought，onfindingthathecould
donothingforhismaster，wastoopenthedoor。Butherean
unexpectedandsingulardifficultypresenteditself。Thekeywasnot
intheinnersideofthedoor，norcouldhefinditanywhereinthe
room。Hewentoutagain，therefore，throughthewindow，and，having
obtainedthehelpofapolicemanandofamedicalman，hereturned。
Thelady，againstwhomnaturallythestrongestsuspicionrested，was
removedtoherroom，stillinastateofinsensibility。The
colonel”sbodywasthenplaceduponthesofaandacarefulexamination
madeofthesceneofthetragedy。
“Theinjuryfromwhichtheunfortunateveteranwassufferingwas
foundtobeajaggedcutsometwoincheslongatthebackpartof
hishead，whichhadevidentlybeencausedbyaviolentblowfroma
bluntweapon。Norwasitdifficulttoguesswhatthatweaponmay
havebeen。Uponthefloor，closetothebody，waslyingasingular
clubofhardcarvedwoodwithabonehandle。Thecolonelpossesseda
variedcollectionofweaponsbroughtfromthedifferentcountriesin
whichhehadfought，anditisconjecturedbythepolicethatthis
clubwasamonghistrophies。Theservantsdenyhavingseenit
before，butamongthenumerouscuriositiesinthehouseitispossible
thatitmayhavebeenoverlooked。Nothingelseofimportancewas
discoveredintheroombythepolice，savetheinexplicablefact
thatneitheruponMrs。Barclay”spersonnoruponthatofthevictim
norinanypartoftheroomwasthemissingkeytobefound。The
doorhadeventuallytobeopenedbyalocksmithfromAldershot。
“Thatwasthestateofthings，Watson，whenupontheTuesdaymorning
I，attherequestofMajorMurphy，wentdowntoAldershotto
supplementtheeffortsofthepolice。Ithinkthatyouwill
acknowledgethattheproblemwasalreadyoneofinterestbutmy
observationssoonmademerealizethatitwasintruthmuchmore
extraordinarythanwouldatfirstsightappear。
“BeforeexaminingtheroomIcross-questionedtheservants，butonly
succeededinelicitingthefactswhichIhavealreadystated。One
otherdetailofinterestwasrememberedbyJaneStewart，the
housemaid。Youwillrememberthatonhearingthesoundofthe
quarrelshedescendedandreturnedwiththeotherservants。Onthat
firstoccasion，whenshewasalone，shesaysthatthevoicesofher
masterandmistressweresunksolowthatshecouldhardlyhear
anything，andjudgedbytheirtonesratherthantheirwordsthat
theyhadfallenout。Onmypressingher，however，sheremembered
thatsheheardthewordDavidutteredtwicebythelady。Thepoint
isoftheutmostimportanceasguidingustowardsthereasonofthe
suddenquarrel。Thecolonel”sname，youremember，wasJames。
“Therewasonethinginthecasewhichhadmadethedeepest
impressionbothupontheservantsandthepolice。Thiswasthe
contortionofthecolonel”sface。Ithadset，accordingtotheir
account，intothemostdreadfulexpressionoffearandhorrorwhich
ahumancountenanceiscapableofassuming。Morethanoneperson
faintedatthemeresightofhim，soterriblewastheeffect。Itwas
quitecertainthathehadforeseenhisfate，andthatithadcaused
himtheutmosthorror。This，ofcourse，fittedinwellenoughwiththe
policetheory，ifthecolonelcouldhaveseenhiswifemakinga
murderousattackuponhim。Norwasthefactofthewoundbeingon
thebackofhisheadafatalobjectiontothis，ashemighthave
turnedtoavoidtheblow。Noinformationcouldbegotfromthelady
herself，whowastemporarilyinsanefromanacuteattackof
brain-fever。
“FromthepoliceIlearnedthatMissMorrison，whoyourememberwent
outthateveningwithMrs。Barclay，deniedhavinganyknowledgeof
whatitwaswhichhadcausedtheill-humourinwhichhercompanionhad
returned。
“Havinggatheredthesefacts，Watson，Ismokedseveralpipesover
them，tryingtoseparatethosewhichwerecrucialfromotherswhich
weremerelyincidental。Therecouldbenoquestionthatthemost
distinctiveandsuggestivepointinthecasewasthesingular
disappearanceofthedoor-key。Amostcarefulsearchhadfailedto
discoveritintheroom。Thereforeitmusthavebeentakenfromit。
Butneitherthecolonelnorthecolonel”swifecouldhavetakenit。
Thatwasperfectlyclear。Thereforeathirdpersonmusthaveentered
theroom。Andthatthirdpersoncouldonlyhavecomeinthroughthe
window。Itseemedtomethatacarefulexaminationoftheroomandthe
lawnmightpossiblyrevealsometracesofthismysterious
individual。Youknowmymethods，Watson。Therewasnotoneofthem
whichIdidnotapplytotheinquiry。Anditendedbymydiscovering
traces，butverydifferentonesfromthosewhichIhadexpected。There
hadbeenamanintheroom，andhehadcrossedthelawncomingfrom
theroad。Iwasabletoobtainfiveveryclearimpressionsofhis
footmarks：oneintheroadwayitself，atthepointwherehehad
climbedthelowwall，twoonthelawn，andtwoveryfaintonesupon
thestainedboardsnearthewindowwherehehadentered。Hehad
apparentlyrushedacrossthelawn，forhistoe-marksweremuch
deeperthanhisheels。Butitwasnotthemanwhosurprisedme。Itwas
hiscompanion。”
“Hiscompanion！“
Holmespulledalargesheetoftissue-paperoutofhispocketand
carefullyunfoldedituponhisknee。
“Whatdoyoumakeofthat？“heasked。
Thepaperwascoveredwiththetracingsofthefootmarksofsome
smallanimal。Ithadfivewell-markedfootpads，anindicationof
longnails，andthewholeprintmightbenearlyaslargeasa
dessert-spoon。
“It”sadog，“saidI。
“Didyoueverhearofadogrunningupacurtain？Ifounddistinct
tracesthatthiscreaturehaddoneso。”
“Amonkey，then？”
“Butitisnottheprintofamonkey。”
“Whatcanitbe，then？“
“Neitherdognorcatnormonkeynoranycreaturethatweare
familiarwith。Ihavetriedtoreconstructitfromthemeasurements。
Herearefourprintswherethebeasthasbeenstandingmotionless。You
seethatitisnolessthanfifteeninchesfromfore-foottohind。Add
tothatthelengthofneckandhead，andyougetacreaturenotmuch
lessthantwofeetlong-probablymoreifthereisanytail。Butnow
observethisothermeasurement。Theanimalhasbeenmoving，andwe
havethelengthofitsstride。Ineachcaseitisonlyaboutthree
inches。Youhaveanindication，yousee，ofalongbodywithvery
shortlegsattachedtoit。Ithasnotbeenconsiderateenoughtoleave
anyofitshairbehindit。ButitsgeneralshapemustbewhatIhave
indicated，anditcanrunupacurtain，anditiscarnivorous。”
“Howdoyoudeducethat？“
“Becauseitranupthecurtain。Acanary”scagewashanginginthe
window，anditsaimseemstohavebeentogetatthebird。”
“Thenwhatwasthebeast？“
“Ah，ifIcouldgiveitanameitmightgoalongwaytowards
solvingthecase。Onthewhole，itwasprobablysomecreatureofthe
weaselandstoattribe-andyetitislargerthananyofthesethatI
haveseen。”
“Butwhathadittodowiththecrime？“
“That，also，isstillobscure。Butwehavelearnedagooddeal，
youperceive。Weknowthatamanstoodintheroadlookingatthe
quarrelbetweentheBarclays-theblindswereupandtheroom
lighted。Weknow，also，thatheranacrossthelawn，enteredtheroom，
accompaniedbyastrangeanimal，andthatheeitherstruckthecolonel
or，asisequallypossible，thatthecolonelfelldownfromsheer
frightatthesightofhim，andcuthisheadonthecornerofthe
fender。Finallywehavethecuriousfactthattheintrudercarried
awaythekeywithhimwhenheleft。”
“Yourdiscoveriesseemtohaveleftthebusinessmoreobscurethan
itwasbefore，“saidI。
“Quiteso。Theyundoubtedlyshowedthattheaffairwasmuchdeeper
thanwasatfirstconjectured。Ithoughtthematterover，andIcame
totheconclusionthatImustapproachthecasefromanotheraspect。
Butreally，Watson，Iamkeepingyouup，andImightjustaswelltell
youallthisonourwaytoAldershotto-morrow。”
“Thankyou，youhavegonerathertoofartostop。”
“ItisquitecertainthatwhenMrs。Barclayleftthehouseat
half-pastsevenshewasongoodtermswithherhusband。Shewasnever，
asIthinkIhavesaid，ostentatiouslyaffectionate，butshewasheard
bythecoachmanchattingwiththecolonelinafriendlyfashion。
Now，itwasequallycertainthat，immediatelyonherreturn，shehad
gonetotheroominwhichshewasleastlikelytoseeherhusband，had
flowntoteaasanagitatedwomanwill，andfinally，onhiscoming
intoher，hadbrokenintoviolentrecriminations。Thereforesomething
hadoccurredbetweenseven-thirtyandnineo”clockwhichhad
completelyalteredherfeelingstowardshim。ButMissMorrisonhad
beenwithherduringthewholeofthathourandahalf。Itwas
absolutelycertain，therefore，inspiteofherdenial，thatshemust
knowsomethingofthematter。
“Myfirstconjecturewasthatpossiblytherehadbeensome
passagesbetweenthisyoungladyandtheoldsoldier，whichtheformer
hadnowconfessedtothewife。Thatwouldaccountfortheangry
return，andalsoforthegirl”sdenialthatanythinghadoccurred。Nor
woulditbeentirelyincompatiblewithmostofthewordsoverheard。
ButtherewasthereferencetoDavid，andtherewastheknown
affectionofthecolonelforhiswifetoweighagainstit，tosay
nothingofthetragicintrusionofthisotherman，whichmight，of
course，beentirelydisconnectedwithwhathadgonebefore。Itwasnot
easytopickone”ssteps，but，onthewhole，Iwasinclinedtodismiss
theideathattherehadbeenanythingbetweenthecolonelandMiss
Morrison，butmorethaneverconvincedthattheyoungladyheldthe
clueastowhatitwaswhichhadturnedMrs。Barclaytohatredof
herhusband。Itooktheobviouscourse，therefore，ofcallingupon
MissM。，ofexplainingtoherthatIwasperfectlycertainthatshe
heldthefactsinherpossession，andofassuringherthatherfriend，
Mrs。Barclay，mightfindherselfinthedockuponacapitalcharge
unlessthematterwereclearedup。
“MissMorrisonisalittleetherealslipofagirl，withtimid
eyesandblondhair，butIfoundherbynomeanswantinginshrewdness
andcommonsense。ShesatthinkingforsometimeafterIhadspoken，
andthen，turningtomewithabriskairofresolution，shebrokeinto
aremarkablestatementwhichIwillcondenseforyourbenefit。
“”IpromisedmyfriendthatIwouldsaynothingofthematter，anda
promiseisapromise”saidshe；”butifIcanreallyhelpherwhenso
seriousachargeislaidagainsther，andwhenherownmouth，poor
darling，isclosedbyillness，thenIthinkIamabsolvedfrommy
promise。IwilltellyouexactlywhathappeneduponMondayevening。
“”WewerereturningfromtheWattStreetMissionaboutaquarter
tonineo”clock。OnourwaywehadtopassthroughHudsonStreet，
whichisaveryquietthoroughfare。Thereisonlyonelampinit，upon
theleft-handside，andasweapproachedthislampIsawaman
comingtowardsuswithhisbackverybent，andsomethinglikeabox
slungoveroneofhisshoulders。Heappearedtobedeformed，forhe
carriedhisheadlowandwalkedwithhiskneesbent。Wewerepassing
himwhenheraisedhisfacetolookatusinthecircleoflight
thrownbythelamp，andashedidsohestoppedandscreamedoutin
adreadfulvoice，“MyGod，it”sNancy！“Mrs。Barclayturnedaswhite
asdeathandwouldhavefallendownhadthedreadful-looking
creaturenotcaughtholdofher。Iwasgoingtocallforthepolice，
butshe，tomysurprise，spokequitecivillytothefellow。
“”“Ithoughtyouhadbeendeadthisthirtyyears，Henry，“saidshe
inashakingvoice。
“”“SoIhave，“saidhe，anditwasawfultohearthetonesthathe
saiditin。Hehadaverydark，fearsomeface，andagleaminhiseyes
thatcomesbacktomeinmydreams。Hishairandwhiskerswereshot
withgray，andhisfacewasallcrinkledandPuckeredlikea
witheredapple。
“”“Justwalkonalittleway，dear，“saidMrs。Barclay，“Iwantto
haveawordwiththisman。Thereisnothingtobeafraidof。”She
triedtospeakboldly，butshewasstilldeadlypaleandcould
hardlygetherwordsoutforthetremblingofherlips。
“”Ididassheaskedme，andtheytalkedtogetherforafewminutes。
Thenshecamedownthestreetwithhereyesblazing，andIsawthe
crippledwretchstandingbythelamp-postandshakinghisclenched
fistsintheairasifheweremadwithrage。Sheneversaidaword
untilwewereatthedoorhere，whenshetookmebythehandand
beggedmetotellnoonewhathadhappened。
“”“It”sanoldacquaintanceofminewhohascomedownintheworld，“
saidshe。WhenIpromisedherIwouldsaynothingshekissedme，andI
haveneverseenhersince。Ihavetoldyounowthewholetruth，andif
IwithhelditfromthepoliceitisbecauseIdidnotrealizethenthe
dangerinwhichmydearfriendstood。Iknowthatitcanonlybeto
heradvantagethateverythingshouldbeknown。”
“Therewasherstatement，Watson，andtome，asyoucanimagine，
itwaslikealightonadarknight。Everythingwhichhadbeen
disconnectedbeforebeganatoncetoassumeitstrueplace，andI
hadashadowypresentimentofthewholesequenceofevents。Mynext
stepobviouslywastofindthemanwhohadproducedsucha
remarkableimpressionuponMrs。Barclay。IfhewerestillinAldershot
itshouldnotbeaverydifficultmatter。Therearenotsuchavery
greatnumberofcivilians，andadeformedmanwassuretohave
attractedattention。Ispentadayinthesearch，andby
evening-thisveryevening，Watson-Ihadrunhimdown。Theman”sname
isHenryWood，andhelivesinlodgingsinthissamestreetinwhich
theladiesmethim。Hehasonlybeenfivedaysintheplace。Inthe
characterofaregistration-agentIhadamostinterestinggossipwith
hislandlady。Themanisbytradeaconjurerandperformer，going
roundthecanteensafternightfall，andgivingalittle
entertainmentateach。Hecarriessomecreatureaboutwithhiminthat
box，aboutwhichthelandladyseemedtobeinconsiderable
trepidation，forshehadneverseenananimallikeit。Heusesitin
someofhistricksaccordingtoheraccount。Somuchthewomanwas
abletotellme，andalsothatitwasawonderthemanlived，seeing
howtwistedhewas，andthathespokeinastrangetonguesometimes，
andthatforthelasttwonightsshehadheardhimgroaningand
weepinginhisbedroom。Hewasallright，asfarasmoneywent，butin
hisdeposithehadgivenherwhatlookedlikeabadflorin。Sheshowed
ittome，Watson，anditwasanIndianrupee。
“Sonow，mydearfellow，youseeexactlyhowwestandandwhyit
isIwantyou。Itisperfectlyplainthataftertheladiespartedfrom
thismanhefollowedthematadistance，thathesawthequarrel
betweenhusbandandwifethroughthewindow，thatherushedin，and
thatthecreaturewhichhecarriedinhisboxgotloose。Thatisall
verycertain。Butheistheonlypersoninthisworldwhocantell
usexactlywhathappenedinthatroom。”
“Andyouintendtoaskhim？“
“Mostcertainly-butinthepresenceofawitness。”
“AndIamthewitness？“
“Ifyouwillbesogood。Ifhecanclearthematterup，welland
good。Ifherefuses，wehavenoalternativebuttoapplyfora
warrant。”
“Buthowdoyouknowhe”llbetherewhenwereturn？“
“YoumaybesurethatItooksomeprecautions。Ihaveoneofmy
BakerStreetboysmountingguardoverhimwhowouldsticktohim
likeaburr，gowherehemight。WeshallfindhiminHudsonStreet
to-morrow，Watson，andmeanwhileIshouldbethecriminalmyselfif
Ikeptyououtofbedanylonger。”
Itwasmiddaywhenwefoundourselvesatthesceneofthetragedy，
and，undermycompanion”sguidance，wemadeourwayatonceto
HudsonStreet。Inspiteofhiscapacityforconcealinghisemotions，I
couldeasilyseethatHolmeswasinastateofsuppressedexcitement
whileIwasmyselftinglingwiththathalf-sporting，half-intellectual
pleasurewhichIinvariablyexperiencedwhenIassociatedmyself
withhiminhisinvestigations。
“Thisisthestreet，“saidheasweturnedintoashortthoroughfare
linedwithplaintwo-storiedbrickhouses。“Ah，hereisSimpsonto
report。”
“He”sinallright，Mr。Holmes，“criedasmallstreetArab，
runninguptous。
“Good，Simpson！“saidHolmes，pattinghimonthehead。“Come
along，Watson。Thisisthehouse。”Hesentinhiscardwitha
messagethathehadcomeonimportantbusiness，andamomentlater
wewerefacetofacewiththemanwhomwehadcometosee。Inspiteof
thewarmweatherhewascrouchingoverafire，andthelittleroomwas
likeanoven。Themansatalltwistedandhuddledinhischairina
waywhichgaveanindescribableimpressionofdeformity，butthe
facewhichheturnedtowardsus，thoughwornandswarthy，mustatsome
timehavebeenremarkableforitsbeauty。Helookedsuspiciouslyatus
nowoutofyellow-shot，biliouseyes，and，withoutspeakingorrising，
hewavedtowardstwochairs。
“Mr。HenryWood，lateofIndia，Ibelieve，“saidHolmesaffably。
“I”vecomeoverthislittlematterofColonelBarclay”sdeath。”
“WhatshouldIknowaboutthat？“
“That”swhatIwanttoascertain。Youknow，Isuppose，thatunless
thematterisclearedup，Mrs。Barclay，whoisanoldfriendofyours，
willinallprobabilitybetriedformurder。”
Themangaveaviolentstart。
“Idon”tknowwhoyouare，“hecried，“norhowyoucometoknowwhat
youdoknow，butwillyouswearthatthisistruethatyoutellme？“
“Why，theyareonlywaitingforhertocometohersensesto
arresther。”
“MyGod！Areyouinthepoliceyourself？“
“No。”
“Whatbusinessisitofyours，then？“
“It”severyman”sbusinesstoseejusticedone。”
“Youcantakemywordthatsheisinnocent。”
“Thenyouareguilty。”
“No，Iamnot。”
“WhokilledColonelJamesBarclay，then？“
“ItwasajustProvidencethatkilledhim。But，mindyouthis，
thatifIhadknockedhisbrainsout，asitwasinmyhearttodo，
hewouldhavehadnomorethanhisduefrommyhands。Ifhisown
guiltyconsciencehadnotstruckhimdownitislikelyenoughthatI
mighthavehadhisblooduponmysoul。Youwantmetotellthe
story。Well，Idon”tknowwhyIshouldn”t，forthere”snocauseforme
tobeashamedofit。
“Itwasinthisway，sir。Youseemenowwithmybacklikeacamel
andmyribsallawry，buttherewasatimewhenCorporalHenryWood
wasthesmartestmanintheOneHundredandSeventeenthfoot。We
wereinIndia，then，incantonments，ataplacewe”llcallBhurtee。
Barclay，whodiedtheotherday，wassergeantinthesamecompanyas
myself，andthebelleoftheregiment，ay，andthefinestgirlthat
everhadthebreathoflifebetweenherlips，wasNancyDevoy，the
daughterofthecolour-sergeant。Thereweretwomenthatlovedher，
andonethatsheloved，andyou”llsmilewhenyoulookatthispoor
thinghuddledbeforethefireandhearmesaythatitwasformy
goodlooksthatshelovedme。
“Well，thoughIhadherheart，herfatherwassetuponher
marryingBarclay。Iwasaharum-scarum，recklesslad，andhehadhad
aneducationandwasalreadymarkedforthesword-belt。Butthegirl
heldtruetome，anditseemedthatIwouldhavehadherwhenthe
Mutinybrokeout，andallhellwaslooseinthecountry。
“WewereshutupinBhurtee，theregimentofuswithhalfa
batteryofartillery，acompanyofSikhs，andalotofciviliansand
women-folk。Thereweretenthousandrebelsroundus，andtheywere
askeenasasetofterriersroundarat-cage。Aboutthesecondweek
ofitourwatergaveout，anditwasaquestionwhetherwecould
communicatewithGeneralNeill”scolumn，whichwasmoving
up-country。Itwasouronlychance，forwecouldnothopetofightour
wayoutwithallthewomenandchildren，soIvolunteeredtogoout
andtowarnGeneralNeillofourdanger。Myofferwasaccepted，and
ItalkeditoverwithSergeantBarclay，whowassupposedtoknowthe
groundbetterthananyotherman，andwhodrewuparoutebywhichI
mightgetthroughtherebellines。Atteno”clockthesamenightI
startedoffuponmyjourney。Therewereathousandlivestosave，
butitwasofonlyonethatIwasthinkingwhenIdroppedoverthe
wallthatnight。
“Mywayrandownadried-upwatercourse，whichwehopedwould
screenmefromtheenemy”ssentries；butasIcreptroundthecorner
ofitIwalkedrightintosixofthem，whowerecrouchingdownin
thedarkwaitingforme。InaninstantIwasstunnedwithablowand
boundhandandfoot。Buttherealblowwastomyheartandnottomy
head，forasIcametoandlistenedtoasmuchasIcouldunderstand
oftheirtalk，Iheardenoughtotellmethatmycomrade，theveryman
whohadarrangedthewayIwastotake，hadbetrayedmebymeansof
anativeservantintothehandsoftheenemy。
“Well，there”snoneedformetodwellonthatpartofit。You
knownowwhatJamesBarclaywascapableof。Bhurteewasrelievedby
Neillnextday，buttherebelstookmeawaywiththemintheir
retreat，anditwasmanyalongyearbeforeeverIsawawhiteface
again。Iwastorturedandtriedtogetaway，andwascapturedand
torturedagain。YoucanseeforyourselvesthestateinwhichIwas
left。SomeofthemthatfledintoNepaltookmewiththem，andthen
afterwardsIwasuppastDarjeeling。Thehill-folkuptheremurdered
therebelswhohadme，andIbecametheirslaveforatimeuntilI
escaped；butinsteadofgoingsouthIhadtogonorth，untilIfound
myselfamongtheAfghans。ThereIwanderedaboutformanyayear，
andatlastcamebacktothePunjab，whereIlivedmostlyamongthe
nativesandpickedupalivingbytheconjuringtricksthatIhad
learned。Whatusewasitforme，awretchedcripple，togobackto
Englandortomakemyselfknowntomyoldcomrades？Evenmywishfor
revengewouldnotmakemedothat。IhadratherthatNancyandmy
oldpalsshouldthinkofHarryWoodashavingdiedwithastraight
back，thanseehimlivingandcrawlingwithasticklikeachimpanzee。
TheyneverdoubtedthatIwasdead，andImeantthattheynever
should。IheardthatBarclayhadmarriedNancy，andthathewasrising
rapidlyintheregiment，buteventhatdidnotmakemespeak。
“Butwhenonegetsoldonehasalongingforhome。ForyearsI”ve
beendreamingofthebrightgreenfieldsandthehedgesofEngland。At
lastIdeterminedtoseethembeforeIdied。Isavedenoughtobring
meacross，andthenIcameherewherethesoldiersare，forIknow
theirwaysandhowtoamusethemandsoearnenoughtokeepme。”
“Yournarrativeismostinteresting，“saidSherlockHolmes。“I
havealreadyheardofyourmeetingwithMrs。Barclay，andyour
mutualrecognition。Youthen，asIunderstand，followedherhomeand
sawthroughthewindowanaltercationbetweenherhusbandandher，
inwhichshedoubtlesscasthisconducttoyouinhisteeth。Your
ownfeelingsovercameyou，andyouranacrossthelawnandbrokein
uponthem。”
“Idid，sir，andatthesightofmehelookedasIhaveneverseena
manlookbefore，andoverhewentwithhisheadonthefender。But
hewasdeadbeforehefell。IreaddeathonhisfaceasplainasIcan
readthattextoverthefire。Thebaresightofmewaslikeabullet
throughhisguiltyheart。”
“Andthen？“
“ThenNancyfainted，andIcaughtupthekeyofthedoorfromher
hand，intendingtounlockitandgethelp。ButasIwasdoingittome
bettertoleaveitaloneandgetaway，forthethingmightlook
blackagainstme，andanywaymysecretwouldbeoutifIweretaken。
InmyhasteIthrustthekeyintomypocket，anddroppedmystick
whileIwaschasingTeddy，whohadrunupthecurtain。WhenIgot
himintohisbox，fromwhichhehadslipped，IwasoffasfastasI
couldrun。”
“Who”sTeddy？“askedHolmes。
Themanleanedoverandpulledupthefrontofakindofhutchin
thecorner。Inaninstantoutthereslippedabeautiful
reddish-browncreature，thinandlithe，withthelegsofastoat，a
long，thinnose，andapairofthefinestredeyesthateverIsaw
inananimal”shead。
“It”samongoose，“Icried。
“Well，somecallthemthatandsomecallthemichneumon，“saidthe
man。“Snake-catcheriswhatIcallthem，andTeddyisamazingquickon
cobras。Ihaveoneherewithoutthefangs，andTeddycatchesit
everynighttopleasethefolkinthecanteen。”
“Anyotherpoint，sir？“
“Well，wemayhavetoapplytoyouagainifMrs。Barclayshould
provetobeinserioustrouble。”
“Inthatcase，ofcourse，I”dcomeforward。”
“Butifnot，thereisnoobjectinrakingupthisscandalagainst
adeadman，foullyashehasacted。Youhaveatleastthesatisfaction
ofknowingthatforthirtyyearsofhislifehisconsciencebitterly
reproachedhimforhiswickeddeed。Ah，theregoesMajorMurphyonthe
othersideofthestreet。Good-bye，Wood。Iwanttolearnif
anythinghashappenedsinceyesterday。”
Wewereintimetoovertakethemajorbeforehereachedthecorner。
“Ah，Holmes，“hesaid，“Isupposeyouhaveheardthatallthis
fusshascometonothing？“
“Whatthen？“
“Theinquestisjustover。Themedicalevidenceshowed
conclusivelythatdeathwasduetoapoplexy。Youseeitwasquitea
simplecase，afterall。”
“Oh，remarkablysuperficial，“saidHolmes，smiling。“Come，Watson，I
don”tthinkweshallbewantedinAldershotanymore。”
“There”sonething，“saidIaswewalkeddowntothestation。“If
thehusband”snamewasJames，andtheotherwasHenry，whatwasthis
talkaboutDavid？“
“Thatoneword，mydearWatson，shouldhavetoldmethewhole
storyhadIbeentheidealreasonerwhichyouaresofondof
depicting。Itwasevidentlyatermofreproach。”
“Ofreproach？“
“Yes；Davidstrayedalittleoccasionally，youknow，andonone
occasioninthesamedirectionasSergeantJamesBarclay。Youremember
thesmallaffairofUriahandBathsheba？MyBiblicalknowledgeisa
triflerusty，Ifear，butyouwillfindthestoryinthefirstor
secondofSamuel。”
THEEND。
1911
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEDISAPPEARANCEOFLADYFRANCESCARFAX
bySirArthurConanDoyle
“ButwhyTurkish？“askedMr。SherlockHolmes，gazingfixedlyatmy
boots。Iwasreclininginacane-backedchairatthemoment，andmy
protrudedfeethadattractedhisever-activeattention。
“English，“Iansweredinsomesurprise。“IgotthematLatimer”s，in
OxfordStreet。”
Holmessmiledwithanexpressionofwearypatience。
“Thebath！“hesaid；“thebath！Whytherelaxingandexpensive
Turkishratherthantheinvigoratinghome-madearticle？“
“BecauseforthelastfewdaysIhavebeenfeelingrheumaticand
old。ATurkishbathiswhatwecallanalterativeinmedicine-afresh
starting-point，acleanserofthesystem。
“Bytheway，Holmes，“Iadded，“Ihavenodoubttheconnection
betweenmybootsandaTurkishbathisaperfectlyself-evidentoneto
alogicalmind，andyetIshouldbeobligedtoyouifyouwould
indicateit。”
“Thetrainofreasoningisnotveryobscure，Watson，“saidHolmes
withamischievoustwinkle。“Itbelongstothesameelementaryclass
ofdeductionwhichIshouldillustrateifIweretoaskyouwhoshared
yourcabinyourdrivethismorning。”
“Idon”tadmitthatafreshillustrationisanexplanation，“said
Iwithsomeasperity。
“Bravo，Watson！Averydignifiedandlogicalremonstrance。Letme
see，whatwerethepoints？Takethelastonefirst-thecab。You
observethatyouhavesomesplashesontheleftsleeveandshoulderof
yourcoat。Hadyousatinthecentreofahansomyouwouldprobably
havehadnosplashes，andifyouhadtheywouldcertainlyhavebeen
symmetrical。Thereforeitisclearthatyousatattheside。Therefore
itisequallyclearthatyouhadacompanion。”
“Thatisveryevident。”
“Absurdlycommonplace，isitnot？“
“Butthebootsandthebath？“
“Equallychildish。Youareinthehabitofdoingupyourbootsin
acertainway。Iseethemonthisoccasionfastenedwithan
elaboratedoublebow，whichisnotyourusualmethodoftyingthem。
Youhave，therefore，hadthemoff。Whohastiedthem？Abootmaker-
ortheboyatthebath。Itisunlikelythatitisthebootmaker，since
yourbootsarenearlynew。Well，whatremains？Thebath。Absurd，isit
not？But，forallthat，theTurkishbathhasservedapurpose。”
“Whatisthat？“
“Yousaythatyouhavehaditbecauseyouneedachange。Letme
suggestthatyoutakeone。HowwouldLausannedo，mydearWatson-
first-classticketsandallexpensespaidonaprincelyscale？“
“Splendid！Butwhy？“
Holmesleanedbackinhisarmchairandtookhisnotebookfromhis
pocket。
“Oneofthemostdangerousclassesintheworld，“saidhe，“isthe
driftingandfriendlesswoman。Sheisthemostharmlessandoften
themostusefulofmortals，butsheistheinevitableinciterofcrime
inothers。Sheishelpless。Sheismigratory。Shehassufficientmeans
totakeherfromcountrytocountryandfromhoteltohotel。Sheis
lost，asoftenasnot，inamazeofobscurepensionsand
boarding-houses。Sheisastraychickeninaworldoffoxes。When
sheisgobbledupsheishardlymissed。Imuchfearthatsomeevilhas
cometotheLadyFrancesCarfax。”
Iwasrelievedatthissuddendescentfromthegeneraltothe
particular。Holmesconsultedhisnotes。
“LadyFrances，“hecontinued，“isthesolesurvivorofthedirect
familyofthelateEarlofRufton。Theestateswent，asyoumay
remember，inthemaleline。Shewasleftwithlimitedmeans，but
withsomeveryremarkableoldSpanishjewelleryofsilverand
curiouslycutdiamondstowhichshewasfondlyattached-tooattached，
forsherefusedtoleavethemwithherbankerandalwayscarried
themaboutwithher。Aratherpatheticfigure，theLadyFrances，a
beautifulwoman，stillinfreshmiddleage，andyet，byastrange
chance，thelastderelictofwhatonlytwentyyearsagowasagoodly
fleet。”
“Whathashappenedtoher，then？“
“Ah，whathashappenedtotheLadyFrances？Isshealiveordead？
Thereisourproblem。Sheisaladyofprecisehabits，andforfour
yearsithasbeenherinvariablecustomtowriteeverysecondweek
toMissDobney，heroldgoverness，whohaslongretiredandlivesin
Camberwell。ItisthisMissDobneywhohasconsultedme。Nearlyfive
weekshavepassedwithoutaword。ThelastletterwasfromtheHotel
NationalatLausanne。LadyFrancesseemstohaveleftthereand
givennoaddress。Thefamilyareanxious，andastheyare
exceedinglywealthynosumwillbesparedifwecanclearthematter
up。”
“IsMissDobneytheonlysourceofinformation？Surelyshehadother
correspondents？“
“Thereisonecorrespondentwhoisasuredraw，Watson。Thatis
thebank。Singleladiesmustlive，andtheirpassbooksare
compresseddiaries。ShebanksatSilvester”s。Ihaveglancedover
heraccount。ThelastcheckbutonepaidherbillatLausanne，but
itwasalargeoneandprobablyleftherwithcashinhand。Onlyone
checkhasbeendrawnsince。”
“Towhom，andwhere？“
“ToMissMarieDevine。Thereisnothingtoshowwherethecheck
wasdrawn。ItwascashedattheCreditLyonnaisatMontpellierless
thanthreeweeksago。ThesumwasfiftyPounds。”
“AndwhoisMissMarieDevine？“
“ThatalsoIhavebeenabletodiscover。MissMarieDevinewasthe
maidofLadyFrancesCarfax。Whysheshouldhavepaidherthischeck
wehavenotyetdetermined。Ihavenodoubt，however，thatyour
researcheswillsoonclearthematterup。”