“”Tellme，Helen”saidshe，”haveyoueverheardanyonewhistle
inthedeadofthenight？”
“”Never”saidI。
“”Isupposethatyoucouldnotpossiblywhistle，yourself，inyour
sleep？”
“”Certainlynot。Butwhy？”
“”BecauseduringthelastfewnightsIhavealways，aboutthreein
themorning，heardalow，clearwhistle。Iamalightsleeper，and
ithasawakenedme。Icannottellwhereitcamefrom-perhapsfrom
thenextroom，perhapsfromthelawn。IthoughtthatIwouldjust
askyouwhetheryouhadheardit。”
“”No，Ihavenot。Itmustbethosewretchedgypsiesinthe
plantation。”
“”Verylikely。Andyetifitwereonthelawn，Iwonderthatyoudid
nothearitalso。”
“”Ah，butIsleepmoreheavilythanyou。”
“”Well，itisofnogreatconsequence，atanyrate。”Shesmiledback
atme，closedmydoor，andafewmomentslaterIheardherkeyturnin
thelock。”
“Indeed，“saidHolmes。“Wasityourcustomalwaystolockyourselves
inatnight？“
“Always。”
“Andwhy？“
“IthinkthatImentionedtoyouthatthedoctorkeptacheetah
andababoon。Wehadnofeelingofsecurityunlessourdoorswere
locked。”
“Quiteso。Prayproceedwithyourstatement。”
“Icouldnotsleepthatnight。Avaguefeelingofimpending
misfortuneimpressedme。MysisterandI，youwillrecollect，were
twins，andyouknowhowsubtlearethelinkswhichbindtwosouls
whicharesocloselyallied。Itwasawildnight。Thewindwashowling
outside，andtherainwasbeatingandsplashingagainstthewindows。
Suddenly，amidallthehubbubofthegale，thereburstforththe
wildscreamofaterrifiedwoman。Iknewthatitwasmysister”s
voice。Isprangfrommybed，wrappedashawlroundme，andrushedinto
thecorridor。AsIopenedmydoorIseemedtohearalowwhistle，such
asmysisterdescribed，andafewmomentslateraclangingsound，as
ifamassofmetalhadfallen。AsIrandownthepassage，my
sister”sdoorwasunlocked，andrevolvedslowlyuponitshinges。I
staredatithorror-stricken，notknowingwhatwasabouttoissuefrom
it。Bythelightofthecorridor-lampIsawmysisterappearatthe
opening，herfaceblanchedwithterror，herhandsgropingforhelp，
herwholefigureswayingtoandfrolikethatofadrunkard。Iran
toherandthrewmyarmsroundher，butatthatmomentherknees
seemedtogivewayandshefelltotheground。Shewrithedasone
whoisinterriblepain，andherlimbsweredreadfullyconvulsed。At
firstIthoughtthatshehadnotrecognizedme，butasIbentoverher
shesuddenlyshriekedoutinavoicewhichIshallneverforget，”Oh，myGod！Helen！Itwastheband！Thespeckledband！”Therewas
somethingelsewhichshewouldfainhavesaid，andshestabbedwith
herfingerintotheairinthedirectionofthedoctorsroom，buta
freshconvulsionseizedherandchokedherwords。Irushedout，
callingloudlyformystepfather，andImethimhasteningfromhis
roominhisdressing-gown。Whenhereachedmysisterssideshewas
unconscious，andthoughhepouredbrandydownherthroatandsent
formedicalaidfromthevillage，alleffortswereinvain，forshe
slowlysankanddiedwithouthavingrecoveredherconsciousness。
Suchwasthedreadfulendofmybelovedsister。”
“Onemoment，“saidHolmes；“areyousureaboutthiswhistleand
metallicsound？Couldyousweartoit？“
“Thatwaswhatthecountycoroneraskedmeattheinquiry。Itis
mystrongimpressionthatIheardit，andyet，amongthecrashof
thegaleandthecreakingofanoldhouse，Imaypossiblyhavebeen
deceived。”
“Wasyoursisterdressed？“
“No，shewasinhernight-dress。Inherrighthandwasfoundthe
charredstumpofamatch，andinherleftamatch-box。”
“Showingthatshehadstruckalightandlookedaboutherwhenthe
alarmtookplace。Thatisimportant。Andwhatconclusionsdidthe
coronercometo？“
“Heinvestigatedthecasewithgreatcare，forDr。Roylott”sconduct
hadlongbeennotoriousinthecounty，buthewasunabletofindany
satisfactorycauseofdeath。Myevidenceshowedthatthedoorhadbeen
fastenedupontheinnerside，andthewindowswereblockedby
old-fashionedshutterswithbroadironbars，whichweresecured
everynight。Thewallswerecarefullysounded，andwereshowntobe
quitesolidallround，andtheflooringwasalsothoroughly
examined，withthesameresult。Thechimneyiswide，butisbarred
upbyfourlargestaples。Itiscertain，therefore，thatmysisterwas
quitealonewhenshemetherend。Besides，therewerenomarksof
anyviolenceuponher。”
“Howaboutpoison？“
“Thedoctorsexaminedherforit，butwithoutsuccess。”
“Whatdoyouthinkthatthisunfortunateladydiedof，then？“
“Itismybeliefthatshediedofpurefearandnervousshock，
thoughwhatitwasthatfrightenedherIcannotimagine。”
“Weretheregypsiesintheplantationatthetime？“
“Yes，therearenearlyalwayssomethere。”
“Ah，andwhatdidyougatherfromthisallusiontoaband-aspeckled
band？“
“SometimesIhavethoughtthatitwasmerelythewildtalkof
delirium，sometimesthatitmayhavereferredtosomebandof
people，perhapstotheseverygypsiesintheplantation。Idonotknow
whetherthespottedhandkerchiefswhichsomanyofthemwearover
theirheadsmighthavesuggestedthestrangeadjectivewhichshe
used。”
Holmesshookhisheadlikeamanwhoisfarfrombeingsatisfied。
“Theseareverydeepwaters，“saidhe；“praygoonwithyour
narrative。”
“Twoyearshavepassedsincethen，andmylifehasbeenuntillately
lonelierthanever。Amonthago，however，adearfriend，whomIhave
knownformanyyears，hasdonemethehonourtoaskmyhandin
marriage。HisnameisArmitage-PercyArmitage-thesecondsonofMr。
Armitage，ofCraneWater，nearReading。Mystepfatherhasofferedno
oppositiontothematch，andwearetobemarriedinthecourseofthe
spring。Twodaysagosomerepairswerestartedinthewestwingofthe
building，andmybedroomwallhasbeenpierced，sothatIhavehad
tomoveintothechamberinwhichmysisterdied，andtosleepin
theverybedinwhichsheslept。Imagine，then，mythrillofterror
whenlastnight，asIlayawake，thinkingoverherterriblefate，I
suddenlyheardinthesilenceofthenightthelowwhistlewhichhad
beentheheraldofherowndeath。Isprangupandlitthelamp，but
nothingwastobeseenintheroom。Iwastooshakentogotobed
again，however，soIdressed，andassoonasitwasdaylightIslipped
down，gotadog-cartattheCrownInn，whichisopposite，anddroveto
Leatherhead，fromwhenceIhavecomeonthismorningwiththeone
objectofseeingyouandaskingyouradvice。”
“Youhavedonewisely，“saidmyfriend。“Buthaveyoutoldmeall？“
“Yes，all。”
“MissRoylott，youhavenot。Youarescreeningyourstepfather。”
“Why，whatdoyoumean？“
ForanswerHolmespushedbackthefrillofblacklacewhich
fringedthehandthatlayuponourvisitor”sknee。Fivelittlelivid
spots，themarksoffourfingersandathumb，wereprinteduponthe
whitewrist。
“Youhavebeencruellyused，“saidHolmes。
Theladycoloureddeeplyandcoveredoverherinjuredwrist。“He
isahardman，“shesaid，“andperhapshehardlyknowshisown
strength。”
Therewasalongsilence，duringwhichHolmesleanedhischinupon
hishandsandstaredintothecracklingfire。
“Thisisaverydeepbusiness，“hesaidatlast。“Therearea
thousanddetailswhichIshoulddesiretoknowbeforeIdecideupon
ourcourseofaction。Yetwehavenotamomenttolose。Ifwewere
tocometoStokeMoranto-day，woulditbepossibleforustoseeover
theseroomswithouttheknowledgeofyourstepfather？“
“Asithappens，hespokeofcomingintotownto-dayuponsomemost
importantbusiness。Itisprobablethathewillbeawayallday，and
thattherewouldbenothingtodisturbyou。Wehaveahousekeepernow，
butsheisoldandfoolish，andIcouldeasilygetheroutofthe
way。”
“Excellent。Youarenotaversetothistrip，Watson？“
“Bynomeans。”
“Thenweshallbothcome。Whatareyougoingtodoyourself？“
“IhaveoneortwothingswhichIwouldwishtodonowthatIam
intown。ButIshallreturnbythetwelveo”clocktrain，soastobe
thereintimeforyourcoming。”
“Andyoumayexpectusearlyintheafternoon。Ihavemyselfsome
smallbusinessmatterstoattendto。Willyounotwaitandbreakfast？“
“No，Imustgo。MyheartislightenedalreadysinceIhave
confidedmytroubletoyou。Ishalllookforwardtoseeingyouagain
thisafternoon。”Shedroppedherthickblackveiloverherfaceand
glidedfromtheroom。
“Andwhatdoyouthinkofitall，Watson？“askedSherlockHolmes，
leaningbackinhischair。
“Itseemstometobeamostdarkandsinisterbusiness。”
“Darkenoughandsinisterenough。”
“Yetiftheladyiscorrectinsayingthattheflooringandwalls
aresound，andthatthedoor，window，andchimneyareimpassable，then
hersistermusthavebeenundoubtedlyalonewhenshemether
mysteriousend。”
“Whatbecomes，then，ofthesenocturnalwhistles，andwhatofthe
verypeculiarwordsofthedyingwoman？“
“Icannotthink。”
“Whenyoucombinetheideasofwhistlesatnight，thepresenceof
abandofgypsieswhoareonintimatetermswiththisolddoctor，
thefactthatwehaveeveryreasontobelievethatthedoctorhasan
interestinpreventinghisstepdaughter”smarriage，thedyingallusion
toaband，and，finally，thefactthatMissHelenStonerhearda
metallicclang，whichmighthavebeencausedbyoneofthosemetal
barsthatsecuredtheshuttersfallingbackintoitsplace，Ithink
thatthereisgoodgroundtothinkthatthemysterymaybecleared
alongthoselines。”
“Butwhat，then，didthegypsiesdo？“
“Icannotimagine。”
“Iseemanyobjectionstoanysuchtheory。”
“AndsodoI。Itispreciselyforthatreasonthatwearegoingto
StokeMoranthisday。Iwanttoseewhethertheobjectionsare
fatal，oriftheymaybeexplainedaway。Butwhatinthenameofthe
devil！“
Theejaculationhadbeendrawnfrommycompanionbythefactthat
ourdoorhadbeensuddenlydashedopen，andthatahugemanhadframed
himselfintheaperture。Hiscostumewasapeculiarmixtureofthe
professionalandoftheagricultural，havingablacktop-hat，along
frock-coat，andapairofhighgaiters，withahunting-cropswinging
inhishand。Sotallwashethathishatactuallybrushedthecross
barofthedoorway，andhisbreadthseemedtospanitacrossfromside
toside。Alargeface，searedwithathousandwrinkles，burned
yellowwiththesun，andmarkedwitheveryevilpassion，wasturned
fromonetotheotherofus，whilehisdeep-set，bile-shoteyes，and
hishigh，thin，fleshlessnose，gavehimsomewhattheresemblancetoa
fierceoldbirdofprey。
“WhichofyouisHolmes？“askedthisapparition。
“Myname，sir；butyouhavetheadvantageofme，“saidmy
companionquietly。
“IamDr。GrimesbyRoylott，ofStokesMoran。”
“Indeed，Doctor，“saidHolmesblandly。“Praytakeaseat。”
“Iwilldonothingofthekind。Mystepdaughterhasbeenhere。I
havetracedher。Whathasshebeensayingtoyou？“
“Itisalittlecoldforthetimeoftheyear，“saidHolmes。
“Whathasshebeensayingtoyou？“screamedtheoldmanfuriously。
“ButIhaveheardthatthecrocusespromisewell，“continuedmy
companionimperturbably。
“Ha！Youputmeoff，doyou？“saidournewvisitor，takingastep
forwardandshakinghishunting-crop。“Iknowyou，youscoundrel！I
haveheardofyoubefore。YouareHolmes，themeddler。”
Myfriendsmiled。
“Holmes，thebusybody？“
Hissmilebroadened。
“Holmes，theScotlandYardJack-in-office！“
Holmeschuckledheartily。“Yourconversationismost
entertaining，“saidhe。“Whenyougooutclosethedoor，forthere
isadecideddraught。”
“IwillgowhenIhavesaidmysay。Don”tyoudaretomeddlewithmy
affairs。IknowthatMissStonerhasbeenhere。Itracedher！Iama
dangerousmantofallfouloffSeehere。”Hesteppedswiftly
forward，seizedthepoker，andbentitintoacurvewithhishuge
brownhands。
“Seethatyoukeepyourselfoutofmygrip，“hesnarled，andhurling
thetwistedpokerintothefireplacehestrodeoutoftheroom。
“Heseemsaveryamiableperson，“saidHolmes，laughing。“Iamnot
quitesobulky，butifhehadremainedImighthaveshownhimthat
mygripwasnotmuchmorefeeblethanhisown。”Ashespokehe
pickedupthesteelpokerand，withasuddeneffort，straightenedit
outagain。
“Fancyhishavingtheinsolencetoconfoundmewiththeofficial
detectiveforce！Thisincidentgiveszesttoourinvestigation，
however，andIonlytrustthatourlittlefriendwillnotsuffer
fromherimprudenceinallowingthisbrutetotraceher。Andnow，
Watson，weshallorderbreakfast，andafterwardsIshallwalkdown
toDoctors”Commons，whereIhopetogetsomedatawhichmayhelpus
inthismatter。”
Itwasnearlyoneo”clockwhenSherlockHolmesreturnedfromhis
excursion。Heheldinhishandasheetofbluepaper，scrawledover
withnotesandfigures。
“Ihaveseenthewillofthedeceasedwife，“saidhe。“To
determineitsexactmeaningIhavebeenobligedtoworkoutthe
presentpricesoftheinvestmentswithwhichitisconcerned。The
totalincome，whichatthetimeofthewife”sdeathwaslittleshort
ofL1000isnow，throughthefallinagriculturalprices，notmore
thanL750。EachdaughtercanclaimanincomeofL250，incaseof
marriage。Itisevident，therefore，thatifbothgirlshadmarried，
thisbeautywouldhavehadamerepittance，whileevenoneofthem
wouldcripplehimtoaveryseriousextent。Mymorning”sworkhas
notbeenwasted，sinceithasprovedthathehastheverystrongest
motivesforstandinginthewayofanythingofthesort。Andnow，
Watson，thisistooseriousfordawdling，especiallyastheoldmanis
awarethatweareinterestingourselvesinhisaffairs；soifyou
areready，weshallcallacabanddrivetoWaterloo。Ishouldbevery
muchobligedifyouwouldslipyourrevolverintoyourpocket。An
Eley”sNo。2isanexcellentargumentwithgentlemenwhocantwist
steelpokersintoknots。Thatandatooth-brushare，Ithink，allthat
weneed。”
AtWaterloowewerefortunateincatchingatrainforLeatherhead，
wherewehiredatrapatthestationinnanddroveforfourorfive
milesthroughthelovelySurreylanes。Itwasaperfectday，witha
brightsunandafewfleecycloudsintheheavens。Thetreesand
waysidehedgeswerejustthrowingouttheirfirstgreenshoots，and
theairwasfullofthepleasantsmellofthemoistearth。Tomeat
leasttherewasastrangecontrastbetweenthesweetpromiseofthe
springandthissinisterquestuponwhichwewereengaged。My
companionsatinthefrontofthetrap，hisarmsfolded，hishat
pulleddownoverhiseyes，andhischinsunkuponhisbreast，buried
inthedeepestthought。Suddenly，however，hestarted，tappedmeon
theshoulder，andpointedoverthemeadows。
“Lookthere！“saidhe。
Aheavilytimberedparkstretchedupinagentleslope，thickening
intoagroveatthehighestpoint。Fromamidthebranchestherejutted
outthegraygablesandhighroof-treeofaveryoldmansion。
“StokeMoran？“saidhe。
“Yes，sir，thatbethehouseofDr。GrimesbyRoylott，“remarked
thedriver。
“Thereissomebuildinggoingonthere，“saidHolmes，“thatiswhere
wearegoing。”
“There”sthevillage，“saidthedriver，pointingtoaclusterof
roofssomedistancetotheleft；“butifyouwanttogettothehouse，
you”llfinditshortertogetoverthisstile，andsobythefoot-path
overthefields。Thereitis，wheretheladyiswalking。”
“Andthelady，Ifancy，isMissStoner，“observedHolmes，shading
hiseyes。“Yes，Ithinkwehadbetterdoasyousuggest。”
Wegotoff，paidourfare，andthetraprattledbackonitswayto
Leatherhead。
“Ithoughtitaswell，“saidHolmesasweclimbedthestile，“that
thisfellowshouldthinkwehadcomehereasarchitects，oronsome
definitebusiness。Itmaystophisgossip。Good-afternoon，Miss
Stoner。Youseethatwehavebeenasgoodasourword。”
Ourclientofthemorninghadhurriedforwardtomeetuswithaface
whichspokeherjoy。“Ihavebeenwaitingsoeagerlyforyou，“she
cried，shakinghandswithuswarmly。“Allhasturnedoutsplendidly。
Dr。Roylotthasgonetotown，anditisunlikelythathewillbe
backbeforeevening。”
“Wehavehadthepleasureofmakingthedoctorsacquaintance，“
saidHolmes，andinafewwordshesketchedoutwhathadoccurred。
MissStonerturnedwhitetothelipsasshelistened。
“Goodheavens！“shecried，“hehasfollowedme，then。”
“Soitappears。”
“HeissocunningthatIneverknowwhenIamsafefromhim。What
willhesaywhenhereturns？“
“Hemustguardhimself，forhemayfindthatthereissomeonemore
cunningthanhimselfuponhistrack。Youmustlockyourselfupfrom
himto-night。Ifheisviolent，weshalltakeyouawaytoyour
aunt”satHarrow。Now，wemustmakethebestuseofourtime，so
kindlytakeusatoncetotheroomswhichwearetoexamine。”
Thebuildingwasofgray，lichen-blotchedstone，withahighcentral
portionandtwocurvingwings，liketheclawsofacrab，thrownouton
eachside。Inoneofthesewingsthewindowswerebrokenandblocked
withwoodenboards，whiletheroofwaspartlycavedin，apictureof
ruin。Thecentralportionwasinlittlebetterrepair，butthe
right-handblockwascomparativelymodern，andtheblindsinthe
windows，withthebluesmokecurlingupfromthechimneys，showedthat
thiswaswherethefamilyresided。Somescaffoldinghadbeenerected
againsttheendwall，andthestone-workhadbeenbrokeninto，but
therewerenosignsofanyworkmenatthemomentofourvisit。
Holmeswalkedslowlyupanddowntheill-trimmedlawnandexamined
withdeepattentiontheoutsidesofthewindows。
“This，Itakeit，belongstotheroominwhichyouusedtosleep，
thecentreonetoyoursister”s，andtheonenexttothemainbuilding
toDr。Roylott”schamber？“
“Exactlyso。ButIamnowsleepinginthemiddleone。”
“Pendingthealterations，asIunderstand。Bytheway，theredoes
notseemtobeanyverypressingneedforrepairsatthatendwall。”
“Therewerenone。Ibelievethatitwasanexcusetomovemefrommy
room。”
“Ah！thatissuggestive。Now，ontheothersideofthisnarrow
wingrunsthecorridorfromwhichthesethreeroomsopen。Thereare
windowsinit，ofcourse？“
“Yes，butverysmallones。Toonarrowforanyonetopassthrough。”
“Asyoubothlockedyourdoorsatnight，yourroomswere
unapproachablefromthatside。Now，wouldyouhavethekindnessto
gointoyourroomandbaryourshutters？“
MissStonerdidso，andHolmes，afteracarefulexamination
throughtheopenwindow，endeavouredineverywaytoforcetheshutter
open，butwithoutsuccess。Therewasnoslitthroughwhichaknife
couldbepassedtoraisethebar。Thenwithhislenshetestedthe
hinges，buttheywereofsolidiron，builtfirmlyintothemassive
masonry。“Hum！“saidhe，scratchinghischininsomeperplexity，“my
theorycertainlypresentssomedifficulties。Noonecouldpassthese
shuttersiftheywerebolted。Well，weshallseeiftheinside
throwsanylightuponthematter。”
Asmallsidedoorledintothewhitewashedcorridorfromwhichthe
threebedroomsopened。Holmesrefusedtoexaminethethirdchamber，so
wepassedatoncetothesecond，thatinwhichMissStonerwasnow
sleeping，andinwhichhersisterhadmetwithherfate。Itwasa
homelylittleroom，withalowceilingandagapingfireplace，after
thefashionofoldcountry-houses。Abrownchestofdrawersstoodin
onecorner，anarrowwhite-counterpanedbedinanother，anda
dressingtableontheleft-handsideofthewindow。Thesearticles，
withtwosmallwickerworkchairs，madeupallthefurnitureinthe
roomsaveforasquareofWiltoncarpetinthecentre。Theboards
roundandthepanellingofthewallswereofbrown，worm-eatenoak，so
oldanddiscolouredthatitmayhavedatedfromtheoriginal
buildingofthehouse。Holmesdrewoneofthechairsintoacornerand
satsilent，whilehiseyestravelledroundandroundandupand
down，takingineverydetailoftheapartment。
“Wheredoesthatbellcommunicatewith？“heaskedatlast，
pointingtoathickbell-ropewhichhungdownbesidethebed，the
tasselactuallylyinguponthepillow。
“Itgoestothehousekeeper”sroom。”
“Itlooksnewerthantheotherthings？“
“Yes，itwasonlyputthereacoupleofyearsago。”
“YoursisteraskedforitIsuppose？“
“No，Ineverheardofherusingit。Weusedalwaystogetwhatwe
wantedforourselves。”
“Indeed，itseemedunnecessarytoputsoniceabell-pullthere。You
willexcusemeforafewminuteswhileIsatisymyselfastothis
floor。”Hethrewhimselfdownuponhisfacewithhislensinhis
handandcrawledswiftlybackwardandforward，examiningminutely
thecracksbetweentheboards。Thenhedidthesamewiththewood-work
withwhichthechamberwaspanelled。Finallyhewalkedovertothebed
andspentsometimeinstaringatitandinrunninghiseyeupand
downthewall。Finallyhetookthebell-ropeinhishandandgaveita
brisktug。
“Why，it”sadummy，“saidhe。
“Won”titring？“
“No，itisnotevenattachedtoawire。Thisisveryinteresting。
Youcanseenowthatitisfastenedtoahookjustabovewherethe
littleopeningfortheventilatoris。”
“Howveryabsurd！Inevernoticedthatbefore。”
“Verystrange！“mutteredHolmes，pullingattherope。“Thereareone
ortwoverysingularpointsaboutthisroom。Forexample，whata
foolabuildermustbetoopenaventilatorintoanotherroom，when，
withthesametrouble，hemighthavecommunicatedwiththeoutside
air！“
“Thatisalsoquitemodern，“saidthelady。
“Doneaboutthesametimeasthebell-rope？“remarkedHolmes。
“Yes，therewereseverallittlechangescarriedoutaboutthat
time。”
“Theyseemtohavebeenofamostinterestingcharacter-dummy
bell-ropes，andventilatorswhichdonotventilate。Withyour
permission，MissStoner，weshallnowcarryourresearchesintothe
innerapartment。”
Dr。GrimesbyRoylott”schamberwaslargerthanthatofhis
stepdaughter，butwasasplainlyfurnished。Acamp-bed，asmallwooden
shelffullofbooks，mostlyofatechnicalcharacter，anarmchair
besidethebed，aplainwoodenchairagainstthewall，around
table，andalargeironsafeweretheprincipalthingswhichmetthe
eye。Holmeswalkedslowlyroundandexaminedeachandallofthemwith
thekeenestinterest。
“What”sinhere？“heasked，tappingthesafe。
“Mystepfather”sbusinesspapers。”
“Oh！youhaveseeninside，then？“
“Onlyonce，someyearsago。Irememberthatitwasfullofpapers。”
“Thereisn”tacatinit，forexample？”
“No。Whatastrangeidea！“
“Well，lookatthis！“Hetookupasmallsaucerofmilkwhich
stoodonthetopofit。
“No；wedon”tkeepacat。Butthereisacheetahandababoon。”
“Ah，yes，ofcourse！Well，acheetahisjustabigcat，andyeta
saucerofmilkdoesnotgoveryfarinsatisfyingitswants，I
daresay。ThereisonepointwhichIshouldwishtodetermine。”He
squatteddowninfrontofthewoodenchairandexaminedtheseatofit
withthegreatestattention。
“Thankyou。Thatisquitesettled，“saidhe，risingandputting
hislensinhispocket。“Hello！Hereissomethinginteresting！“
Theobjectwhichhadcaughthiseyewasasmalldoglashhungonone
cornerofthebed。Thelash，however，wascurleduponitselfand
tiedsoastomakealoopofwhipcord。
“Whatdoyoumakeofthat，Watson？“
“It”sacommonenoughlash。ButIdon”tknowwhyitshouldbetied。”
“Thatisnotquitesocommon，isit？Ah，me！it”sawickedworld，
andwhenaclevermanturnshisbrainstocrimeitistheworstof
all。IthinkthatIhaveseenenoughnow，MissStoner，andwithyour
permissionweshallwalkoutuponthelawn。”
Ihadneverseenmyfriend”sfacesogrimorhisbrowsodarkas
itwaswhenweturnedfromthesceneofthisinvestigation。Wehad
walkedseveraltimesupanddownthelawn，neitherMissStonernor
myselflikingtobreakinuponhisthoughtsbeforeherousedhimself
fromhisreverie。
“Itisveryessential，MissStoner，“saidhe，“thatyoushould
absolutelyfollowmyadviceineveryrespect。”
“Ishallmostcertainlydoso。”
“Thematteristooseriousforanyhesitation。Yourlifemay
dependuponyourcompliance。”
“IassureyouthatIaminyourhands。”
“Inthefirstplace，bothmyfriendandImustspendthenightin
yourroom。”
BothMissStonerandIgazedathiminastonishment。
“Yes，itmustbeso。Letmeexplain。Ibelievethatthatisthe
villageinnoverthere？“
“Yes，thatistheCrown。”
“Verygood。Yourwindowswouldbevisiblefromthere？“
“Certainly。”
“Youmustconfineyourselftoyourroom，onpretenceofa
headache，whenyourstepfathercomesback。Thenwhenyouhearhim
retireforthenight，youmustopentheshuttersofyourwindow，
undothehasp，putyourlampthereasasignaltous，andthen
withdrawquietlywitheverythingwhichyouarelikelytowantintothe
roomwhichyouusedtooccupy。Ihavenodoubtthat，inspiteofthe
repairs，youcouldmanagethereforonenight。”
“Oh，yes，easily。”
“Therestyouwillleaveinourhands。”
“Butwhatwillyoudo？“
“Weshallspendthenightinyourroom，andweshallinvestigatethe
causeofthisnoisewhichhasdisturbedyou。”
“Ibelieve，Mr。Holmes，thatyouhavealreadymadeupyourmind，“
saidMissStoner，layingherhanduponmycompanion”ssleeve。
“PerhapsIhave。”
“Then，forpity”ssake，tellmewhatwasthecauseofmysister”s
death。”
“IshouldprefertohaveclearerproofsbeforeIspeak。”
“Youcanatleasttellmewhethermyownthoughtiscorrect，and
ifshediedfromsomesuddenfright。”
“No，Idonotthinkso。Ithinkthattherewasprobablysomemore
tangiblecause。Andnow，MissStoner，wemustleaveyou，forifDr。
Roylottreturnedandsawusourjourneywouldbeinvain。Good-bye，
andbebrave，forifyouwilldowhatIhavetoldyourestassured
thatweshallsoondriveawaythedangersthatthreatenyou。”
SherlockHolmesandIhadnodifficultyinengagingabedroomand
sitting-roomattheCrownInn。Theywereontheupperfloor，and
fromourwindowwecouldcommandaviewoftheavenuegate，andofthe
inhabitedwingofStokeMoranManorHouse。AtduskwesawDr。Grimesby
Roylottdrivepast，hishugeformloomingupbesidethelittle
figureoftheladwhodrovehim。Theboyhadsomeslightdifficultyin
undoingtheheavyirongates，andweheardthehoarseroarofthe
doctor”svoiceandsawthefurywithwhichheshookhisclinchedfists
athim。Thetrapdroveon，andafewminuteslaterwesawasudden
lightspringupamongthetreesasthelampwaslitinoneofthe
sitting-rooms。
“Doyouknow，Watson，“saidHolmesaswesattogetherinthe
gatheringdarkness，“Ihavereallysomescruplesastotakingyou
to-night。Thereisadistinctelementofdanger。”
“CanIbeofassistance？“
“Yourpresencemightbeinvaluable。”
“ThenIshallcertainlycome。”
“Itisverykindofyou。”
“Youspeakofdanger。Youhaveevidentlyseenmoreintheserooms
thanwasvisibletome。”
“No，butIfancythatImayhavededucedalittlemore。Iimagine
thatyousawallthatIdid。”
“Isawnothingremarkablesavethebell-rope，andwhatpurpose
thatcouldanswerIconfessismorethanIcanimagine。”
“Yousawtheventilator，too？“
“Yes，butIdonotthinkthatitissuchaveryunusualthingto
haveasmallopeningbetweentworooms。Itwassosmallthatarat
couldhardlypassthrough。”
“Iknewthatweshouldfindaventilatorbeforeeverwecameto
StokeMoran。”
“MydearHolmes！“
“Oh，yes，Idid。Yourememberinherstatementshesaidthather
sistercouldsmellDr。Roylott”scigar。Now，ofcoursethat
suggestedatoncethattheremustbeacommunicationbetweenthetwo
rooms。Itcouldonlybeasmallone，orwouldhavebeenremarked
uponatthecoroner”sinquiry。Ideducedaventilator。”
“Butwhatharmcantherebeinthat？“
“Well，thereisatleastacuriouscoincidenceofdates。A
ventilatorismade，acordishung，andaladywhosleepsinthebed
dies。Doesnotthatstrikeyou？“
“Icannotasyetseeanyconnection。”
“Didyouobserveanythingverypeculiaraboutthatbed？“
“No。”
“Itwasclampedtothefloor。Didyoueverseeabedfastenedlike
thatbefore？“
“IcannotsaythatIhave。”
“Theladycouldnotmoveherbed。Itmustalwaysbeinthesame
relativepositiontotheventilatorandtotherope-orsowemay
callit，sinceitwasclearlynevermeantforabell-pull。”
“Holmes，“Icried，“Iseemtoseedimlywhatyouarehintingat。
Weareonlyjustintimetopreventsomesubtleandhorriblecrime。”
“Subtleenoughandhorribleenough。Whenadoctordoesgowronghe
isthefirstofcriminals。Hehasnerveandhehasknowledge。Palmer
andPritchardwereamongtheheadsoftheirprofession。Thisman
strikesevendeeper，butIthink，Watson，thatweshallbeableto
strikedeeperstill。Butweshallhavehorrorsenoughbeforethenight
isover；forgoodness”sakeletushaveaquietpipeandturnour
mindsforafewhourstosomethingmorecheerful。”
Aboutnineo”clockthelightamongthetreeswasextinguished，and
allwasdarkinthedirectionoftheManorHouse。Twohourspassed
slowlyaway，andthen，suddenly，justatthestrokeofeleven，a
singlebrightlightshoneoutrightinfrontofus。
“Thatisoursignal，“saidHolmes，springingtohisfeet；“it
comesfromthemiddlewindow。”
Aswepassedoutheexchangedafewwordswiththelandlord，
explainingthatweweregoingonalatevisittoanacquaintance，
andthatitwaspossiblethatwemightspendthenightthere。Amoment
laterwewereoutonthedarkroad，achillwindblowinginourfaces，
andoneyellowlighttwinklinginfrontofusthroughthegloomto
guideusonoursombreerrand。
Therewaslittledifficultyinenteringthegrounds，for
unrepairedbreachesgapedintheoldparkwall。Makingourwayamong
thetrees，wereachedthelawn，crossedit，andwereabouttoenter
throughthewindowwhenoutfromaclumpoflaurelbushestheredarted
whatseemedtobeahideousanddistortedchild，whothrewitselfupon
thegrasswithwrithinglimbsandthenranswiftlyacrossthelawn
intothedarkness。
“MyGod！“Iwhispered；“didyouseeit？“
HolmeswasforthemomentasstartledasI。Hishandclosedlikea
viseuponmywristinhisagitation。Thenhebrokeintoalowlaugh
andputhislipstomyear。
“Itisanicehousehold，“hemurmured。“Thatisthebaboon。”
Ihadforgottenthestrangepetswhichthedoctoraffected。There
wasacheetah，too；perhapswemightfindituponourshouldersatany
moment。IconfessthatIfelteasierinmymindwhen，after
followingHolmes”sexampleandslippingoffmyshoes，Ifoundmyself
insidethebedroom。Mycompanionnoiselesslyclosedtheshutters，
movedthelampontothetable，andcasthiseyesroundtheroom。All
wasaswehadseenitinthedaytime。Thencreepinguptomeand
makingatrumpetofhishand，hewhisperedintomyearagainsogently
thatitwasallthatIcoulddotodistinguishthewords：
“Theleastsoundwouldbefataltoourplans。”
InoddedtoshowthatIhadheard。
“Wemustsitwithoutlight。Hewouldseeitthroughtheventilator。”
Inoddedagain。
“Donotgoasleep，yourverylifemaydependuponit。Haveyour
pistolreadyincaseweshouldneedit。Iwillsitonthesideof
thebed，andyouinthatchair。”
Itookoutmyrevolverandlaiditonthecornerofthetable。
Holmeshadbroughtupalongthincane，andthisheplacedupon
thebedbesidehim。Byithelaidtheboxofmatchesandthestump
ofacandle。Thenheturneddownthelamp，andwewereleftin
darkness。
HowshallIeverforgetthatdreadfulvigil？Icouldnotheara
sound，noteventhedrawingofabreath，andyetIknewthatmy
companionsatopen-eyed，withinafewfeetofme，inthesamestateof
nervoustensioninwhichIwasmyself。Theshutterscutoffthe
leastrayoflightandwewaitedinabsolutedarkness。Fromoutside
cametheoccasionalcryofanight-bird，andonceatourverywindowa
longdrawncatlikewhine，whichtoldusthatthecheetahwasindeedat
liberty。Farawaywecouldhearthedeeptonesoftheparishclock，
whichboomedouteveryquarterofanhour。Howlongtheyseemed，those
quarters！Twelvestruck，andoneandtwoandthree，andstillwesat
waitingsilentlyforwhatevermightbefall。
Suddenlytherewasthemomentarygleamofalightupinthe
directionoftheventilator，whichvanishedimmediately，butwas
succeededbyastrongsmellofburningoilandheatedmetal。Someone
inthenextroomhadlitadark-lanten。Iheardagentlesoundof
movement，andthenallwassilentoncemore，thoughthesmellgrew
stronger。ForhalfanhourIsatwithstrainingears。Thensuddenly
anothersoundbecameaudible-averygentle，soothingsound，like
thatofasmalljetofsteamescapingcontinuallyfromakettle。The
instantthatweheardit，Holmessprangfromthebed，strucka
match，andlashedfuriouslywithhiscaneatthebell-pull。
“Youseeit，Watson？“heyelled。“Youseeit？“
ButIsawnothing。AtthemomentwhenHolmesstruckthelightI
heardalow，clearwhistle，butthesuddenglareflashingintomy
wearyeyesmadeitimpossibleformetotellwhatitwasatwhichmy
friendlashedsosavagely。Icould，however，seethathisfacewas
deadlypaleandfilledwithhorrorandloathing。
Hehadceasedtostrikeandwasgazingupattheventilatorwhen
suddenlytherebrokefromthesilenceofthenightthemosthorrible
crytowhichIhaveeverlistened。Itswelleduplouderandlouder，
ahoarseyellofpainandfearandangerallmingledintheone
dreadfulshriek。Theysaythatawaydowninthevillage，andevenin
thedistantparsonage，thatcryraisedthesleepersfromtheirbeds。
Itstruckcoldtoourhearts，andIstoodgazingatHolmes，andhe
atme，untilthelastechoesofithaddiedawayintothesilencefrom
whichitrose。
“Whatcanitmean？“Igasped。
“Itmeansthatitisallover，“Holmesanswered。“Andperhaps，after
all，itisforthebest。Takeyourpistol，andwewillenterDr。
Roylott”sroom。”
Withagravefacehelitthelampandledthewaydownthecorridor。
Twicehestruckatthechamberdoorwithoutanyreplyfromwithin。
Thenheturnedthehandleandentered，Iathisheels，withthecocked
pistolinmyhand。
Itwasasingularsightwhichmetoureyes。Onthetablestooda
dark-lanternwiththeshutterhalfopen，throwingabrilliantbeam
oflightupontheironsafe，thedoorofwhichwasajar。Besidethis
table，onthewoodenchair，satDr。GrimesbyRoylott，cladinalong
graydressing-gown，hisbareanklesprotrudingbeneath，andhisfeet
thrustintoredheellessTurkishslippers。Acrosshislaplaythe
shortstockwiththelonglashwhichwehadnoticedduringtheday。
Hischinwascockedupwardandhiseyeswerefixedinadreadful，
rigidstareatthecorneroftheceiling。Roundhisbrowhehada
peculiaryellowband，withbrownishspeckles，whichseemedtobebound
tightlyroundhishead。Asweenteredhemadeneithersoundnor
motion。
“Theband！Thespeckledband！“whisperedHolmes。
Itookastepforward。Inaninstanthisstrangeheadgearbeganto
move，andtherereareditselffromamonghishairthesquat
diamond-shapedheadandpuffedneckofaloathsomeserpent。
“Itisaswampadder！“criedHolmes；“thedeadliestsnakein
India。Hehasdiedwithintensecondsofbeingbitten。Violence
does，intruth，recoilupontheviolentandtheschemerfallsintothe
pitwhichhedigsforanother。Letusthrustthiscreaturebackinto
itsden，andwecanthenremoveMissStonertosomeplaceofshelter
andletthecountypoliceknowwhathashappened。”
Ashespokehedrewthedog-whipswiftlyfromthedeadman”slap，
andthrowingthenooseroundthereptile”sneckhedrewitfromits
horridperchand，carryingitatarm”slength，threwitintothe
ironsafe，whichhecloseduponit。
SucharethetruefactsofthedeathofDr。GrimesbyRoylott，of
StokeMoran。ItisnotnecessarythatIshouldprolonganarrative
whichhasalreadyruntotoogreatalengthbytellinghowwebroke
thesadnewstotheterrifiedgirl，howweconveyedherbythemorning
traintothecareofhergoodauntatHarrow，ofhowtheslow
processofofficialinquirycametotheconclusionthatthedoctormet
hisfatewhileindiscreetlyplayingwithadangerouspet。Thelittle
whichIhadyettolearnofthecasewastoldmebySherlockHolmesas
wetravelledbacknextday。
“Ihad，“saidhe，“cometoanentirelyerroneousconclusionwhich
shows，mydearWatson，howdangerousitalwaysistoreasonfrom
insufficientdata。Thepresenceofthegypsies，andtheuseofthe
word”band”whichwasusedbythepoorgirl，nodoubttoexplain
theappearancewhichshehadcaughtahurriedglimpseofbythe
lightofhermatch，weresufficienttoputmeuponanentirelywrong
scent。IcanonlyclaimthemeritthatIinstantlyreconsideredmy
positionwhen，however，itbecamecleartomethatwhateverdanger
threatenedanoccupantoftheroomcouldnotcomeeitherfromthe
windoworthedoor。Myattentionwasspeedilydrawn，asIhavealready
remarkedtoyou，tothisventilator，andtothebell-ropewhichhung
downtothebed。Thediscoverythatthiswasadummy，andthatthebed
wasclampedtothefloor，instantlygaverisetothesuspicionthat
theropewasthereasabridgeforsomethingpassingthroughthe
holeandcomingtothebed。Theideaofasnakeinstantlyoccurred
tome，andwhenIcoupleditwithmyknowledgethatthedoctorwas
furnishedwithasupplyofcreaturesfromIndia，IfeltthatIwas
probablyontherighttrack。Theideaofusingaformofpoison
whichcouldnotpossiblybediscoveredbyanychemicaltestwasjust
suchaoneaswouldoccurtoacleverandruthlessmanwhohadhad
anEasterntraining。Therapiditywithwhichsuchapoisonwould
takeeffectwouldalso，fromhispointofview，beanadvantage。It
wouldbeasharp-eyedcoroner，indeed，whocoulddistinguishthetwo
littledarkpunctureswhichwouldshowwherethepoisonfangshaddone
theirwork。ThenIthoughtofthewhistle。Ofcoursehemustrecall
thesnakebeforethemorninglightrevealedittothevictim。Hehad
trainedit，probablybytheuseofthemilkwhichwesaw，toreturnto
himwhensummoned。Hewouldputitthroughthisventilatoratthehour
thathethoughtbest，withthecertaintythatitwouldcrawldown
theropeandlandonthebed。Itmightormightnotbitetheoccupant，
perhapsshemightescapeeverynightforaweek，butsoonerorlater
shemustfallavictim。
“IhadcometotheseconclusionsbeforeeverIhadenteredhisroom。
Aninspectionofhischairshowedmethathehadbeeninthehabit
ofstandingonit，whichofcoursewouldbenecessaryinorderthathe
shouldreachtheventilator。Thesightofthesafe，thesaucerof
milk，andtheloopofwhipcordwereenoughtofinallydispelany
doubtswhichmayhaveremained。ThemetallicclangheardbyMiss
Stonerwasobviouslycausedbyherstepfatherhastilyclosingthedoor
ofhissafeuponitsterribleoccupant。Havingoncemadeupmymind，
youknowthestepswhichItookinordertoputthemattertothe
proof。IheardthecreaturehissasIhavenodoubtthatyoudidalso，
andIinstantlylitthelightandattackedit。”
“Withtheresultofdrivingitthroughtheventilator。”
“Andalsowiththeresultofcausingittoturnuponitsmasterat
theotherside。Someoftheblowsofmycanecamehomeandroused
itssnakishtemper，sothatitflewuponthefirstpersonitsaw。In
thiswayIamnodoubtindirectlyresponsibleforDr。Grimesby
Roylott”sdeath，andIcannotsaythatitislikelytoweighvery
heavilyuponmyconscience。”-
THEEND。
1924
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHESUSSEXVAMPIRE
bySirArthurConanDoyle
Holmeshadreadcarefullyanotewhichthelastposthadbrought
him。Then，withthedrychucklewhichwashisnearestapproachtoa
laugh，hetosseditovertome。
“Foramixtureofthemodernandthemediaeval，ifthepracticaland
ofthewildlyfanciful，Ithinkthisissurelythelimit，“saidhe。
“Whatdoyoumakeofit，Watson？“
Ireadasfollows：
46，OLDJEWRY，
Nov。19th。
ReVampires
SIR：
Ourclient，Mr。RobertFerguson，ofFergusonandMuirhead，tea
brokers，ofMincingLane，hasmadesomeinquiryfromusina
communicationofevendateconcerningvampires。Asourfirm
specializesentirelyupontheassessmentofmachinerythematter
hardlycomeswithinourpurview，andwehavethereforerecommendedMr。
Fergusontocalluponyouandlaythematterbeforeyou。Wehavenot
forgottenyoursuccessfulactioninthecaseofMatildaBriggs。
Weare，sir，
Faithfullyyours，
MORRISON，MORRISON，ANDDODD。
perE。J。C。
“MatildaBriggswasnotthenameofayoungwoman，Watson，“said
Holmesinareminiscentvoice。“Itwasashipwhichisassociatedwith
thegiantratofSumatra，astoryforwhichtheworldisnotyet
prepared。Butwhatdoweknowaboutvampires？Doesitcomewithin
ourpurvieweither？Anythingisbetterthanstagnation，butreally
weseemtohavebeenswitchedontoaGrimms”fairytale。Makea
longarm，Watson，andseewhatVhastosay。”
Ileanedbackandtookdownthegreatindexvolumetowhichhe
referred。Holmesbalanceditonhisknee，andhiseyesmovedslowly
andlovinglyovertherecordofoldcases，mixedwiththe
accumulatedinformationofalifetime。
“VoyageoftheGloriaScott，“heread。“Thatwasabadbusiness。I
havesomerecollectionthatyoumadearecordofit，Watson，though
Iwasunabletocongratulateyouupontheresult。VictorLynch，the
forger。Venomouslizardorgila。Remarkablecase，that！Vittoria，
thecircusbelle。VanderbiltandtheYeggman。Vipers。Vigor，the
Hammersmithwonder。Hullo！Hullo！Goodoldindex。Youcan”tbeatit。
Listentothis，Watson。VampirisminHungary。Andagain，Vampiresin
Transylvania。”Heturnedoverthepageswitheagerness，butaftera
shortintentperusalhethrewdownthegreatbookwithasnarlof
disappointment。
“Rubbish，Watson，rubbish！Whathavewetodowithwalkingcorpses
whocanonlybeheldintheirgravebystakesdriventhroughtheir
hearts？It”spurelunacy。”
“Butsurely，“saidI，“thevampirewasnotnecessarilyadeadman？A
livingpersonmighthavethehabit。Ihaveread，forexample，ofthe
oldsuckingthebloodoftheyounginordertoretaintheiryouth。”
“Youareright，Watson。Itmentionsthelegendinoneofthese
references。Butarewetogiveseriousattentiontosuchthings？
Thisagencystandsflat-footedupontheground，andthereitmust
remain。Theworldisbigenoughforus。Noghostsneedapply。Ifear
thatwecannottakeMr。RobertFergusonveryseriously。Possibly
thisnotemaybefromhimandmaythrowsomelightuponwhatis
worryinghim。”
Hetookupasecondletterwhichhadlainunnoticeduponthetable
whilehehadbeenabsorbedwiththefirst。Thishebegantoread
withasmileofamusementuponhisfacewhichgraduallyfadedaway
intoanexpressionofintenseinterestandconcentration。Whenhe
hadfinishedhesatforsomelittletimelostinthoughtwiththe
letterdanglingfromhisfingers。Finally，withastart，hearoused
himselffromhisreverie。
“Cheeseman”s，Lamberley。WhereisLamberley，Watson？“
“ItisinSussex，southofHorsham。”
“Notveryfar，eh？AndCheeseman”s？“
“Iknowthatcountry，Holmes。Itisfullofoldhouseswhichare
namedafterthemenwhobuiltthemcenturiesago。YougetOdley”s
andHarvey”sandCarriton”s-thefolkareforgottenbuttheirnames
liveintheirhouses。
“Precisely，“saidHolmescoldly。Itwasoneofthepeculiarities
ofhisproud，self-containednaturethatthoughhedocketedany
freshinformationveryquietlyandaccuratelyinhisbrain，he
seldommadeanyacknowledgmenttothegiver。“Iratherfancywe
shallknowagooddealmoreaboutCheeseman”s，Lamberley，beforewe
arethrough。Theletteris，asIhadhoped，fromRobertFerguson。By
theway，heclaimsacquaintancewithyou。”
“Withme！“
“Youhadbetterreadit。”
Hehandedtheletteracross。Itwasheadedwiththeaddressquoted。
DEARMR。HOLMES[itsaid]：
Ihavebeenrecommendedtoyoubymylawyers，butindeedthe
matterissoextraordinarilydelicatethatitismostdifficultto
discuss。ItconcernsafriendforwhomIamacting。Thisgentleman
marriedsomefiveyearsagoaPeruvianlady，thedaughterofa
Peruvianmerchant，whomhehadmetinconnectionwiththe
importationofnitrates。Theladywasverybeautiful，butthefact
ofherforeignbirthandofheralienreligionalwayscauseda
separationofinterestsandoffeelingsbetweenhusbandandwife，so
thatafteratimehislovemayhavecooledtowardsherandhemayhave
cometoregardtheirunionasamistake。Hefeltthereweresidesof
hercharacterwhichhecouldneverexploreorunderstand。Thiswasthe
morepainfulasshewasaslovingawifeasamancouldhave-toall
appearanceabsolutelydevoted。
NowforthepointwhichIwillmakemoreplainwhenwemeet。Indeed，
thisnoteismerelytogiveyouageneralideaofthesituationandto
ascertainwhetheryouwouldcaretointerestyourselfinthematter。
Theladybegantoshowsomecurioustraitsquitealientoher
ordinarilysweetandgentledisposition。Thegentlemanhadbeen
marriedtwiceandhehadonesonbythefirstwife。Thisboywasnow
fifteen，averycharmingandaffectionateyouth，thoughunhappily
injuredthroughanaccidentinchildhood。Twicethewifewascaughtin
theactofassaultingthispoorladinthemostunprovokedway。Once
shestruckhimwithastickandleftagreatwealonhisarm。
Thiswasasmallmatter，however，comparedwithherconducttoher
ownchild，adearboyjustunderoneyearofage。Ononeoccasion
aboutamonthagothischildhadbeenleftbyitsnurseforafew
minutes。Aloudcryfromthebaby，asofpain，calledthenurse
back。Assheranintotheroomshesawheremployer，thelady，leaning
overthebabyandapparentlybitinghisneck。Therewasasmall
woundintheneckfromwhichastreamofbloodhadescaped。The
nursewassohorrifiedthatshewishedtocallthehusband，butthe
ladyimploredhernottodosoandactuallygaveherfivepoundsas
apriceforhersilence。Noexplanationwasevergiven，andforthe
momentthematterwaspassedover。
Itleft，however，aterribleimpressionuponthenurse”smind，and
fromthattimeshebegantowatchhermistresscloselyandtokeepa
closerguarduponthebaby，whomshetenderlyloved。Itseemedto
herthatevenasshewatchedthemother，sothemotherwatchedher，
andthateverytimeshewascompelledtoleavethebabyalonethe
motherwaswaitingtogetatit。Dayandnightthenursecoveredthe
child，anddayandnightthesilent，watchfulmotherseemedtobe
lyinginwaitasawolfwaitsforalamb。Itmustreadmostincredible
toyou，andyetIbegyoutotakeitseriously，forachild”slifeand
aman”ssanitymaydependuponit。
Atlasttherecameonedreadfuldaywhenthefactscouldnolonger
beconcealedfromthehusband。Thenurse”snervehadgivenway；she
couldstandthestrainnolonger，andshemadeacleanbreastofit
alltotheman。Tohimitseemedaswildataleasitmaynowseem
toyou。Heknewhiswifetobealovingwife，and，saveforthe
assaultsuponherstepson，alovingmother。Why，then，shouldshe
woundherowndearlittlebaby？Hetoldthenursethatshewas
dreaming，thathersuspicionswerethoseofalunatic，andthatsuch
libelsuponhermistresswerenottobetolerated。Whiletheywere
talkingasuddencryofpainwasheard。Nurseandmasterrushed
togethertothenursery。Imaginehisfeelings，Mr。Holmes，ashesaw
hiswiferisefromakneelingpositionbesidethecotandsawblood
uponthechild”sexposedneckanduponthesheet。Withacryof
horror，heturnedhiswife”sfacetothelightandsawbloodallround
herlips。Itwasshe-shebeyondallquestion-whohaddrunkthe
poorbaby”sblood。
Sothematterstands。Sheisnowconfinedtoherroom。Therehas
beennoexplanation。Thehusbandishalfdemented。Heknows，andI
know，littleofvampirismbeyondthename。Wehadthoughtitwas
somewildtaleofforeignparts。Andyethereintheveryheartofthe
EnglishSussex-well，allthiscanbediscussedwithyouinthe
morning。Willyouseeme？Willyouuseyourgreatpowersinaidinga
distractedman？Ifso，kindlywiretoFerguson，Cheeseman”s，
Lamberley，andIwillbeatyourroomsbyteno”clock。
Yoursfaithfully，
ROBERTFERGUSON。
P。S。IbelieveyourfriendWatsonplayedRugbyforBlackheath
whenIwasthree-quarterforRichmond。Itistheonlypersonal
introductionwhichIcangive。
“OfcourseIrememberedhim，“saidIasIlaiddowntheletter。“Big
BobFerguson，thefinestthree-quarterRichmondeverhad。Hewas
alwaysagood-naturedchap。It”slikehimtobesoconcernedovera
friend”scase。”
Holmeslookedatmethoughtfullyandshookhishead。
“Inevergetyourlimits，Watson，“saidhe。“Thereareunexplored
possibilitiesaboutyou。Takeawiredown，likeagoodfellow。”Will
examineyourcasewithpleasure。”“
“Yourcase！“
“Wemustnotlethimthinkthatthisagencyisahomeforthe
weak-minded。Ofcourseitishiscase。Sendhimthatwireandlet
thematterresttillmorning。”
Promptlyatteno”clocknextmorningFergusonstrodeintoour
room。Ihadrememberedhimasalong，slab-sidedmanwithloose
limbsandafineturnofspeedwhichhadcarriedhimroundmanyan
opposingback。Thereissurelynothinginlifemorepainfulthanto
meetthewreckofafineathletewhomonehasknowninhisprime。This
greatframehadfallenin，hisflaxenhairwasscanty，andhis
shoulderswerebowed。IfearthatIrousedcorrespondingemotionsin
him。
“Hullo，Watson，“saidhe，andhisvoicewasstilldeepandhearty。
“Youdon”tlookquitethemanyoudidwhenIthrewyouoverthe
ropesintothecrowdattheOldDeerPark。IexpectIhavechangeda
bitalso。Butit”sthislastdayortwothathasagedme。Iseeby
yourtelegram，Mr。Holmes，thatitisnousemypretendingtobe
anyone”sdeputy。”
“Itissimplertodealdirect，“saidHolmes。
“Ofcourseitis。Butyoucanimaginehowdifficultitiswhenyou
arespeakingoftheonewomanwhomyouareboundtoprotectand
help。WhatcanIdo？HowamItogotothepolicewithsuchastory？
Andyetthekiddieshavegottobeprotected。Isitmadness，Mr。
Holmes？Isitsomethingintheblood？Haveyouanysimilarcasein
yourexperience？ForGod”ssake，givemesomeadvice，forIamatmy
wit”send。”
“Verynaturally，Mr。Ferguson。Nowsithereandpullyourself
togetherandgivemeafewclearanswers。IcanassureyouthatIam
veryfarfrombeingatmywit”sand，andthatIamconfidentwe
shallfindsomesolution。Firstofall，tellmewhatstepsyouhave
taken。Isyourwifestillnearthechildren？“
“Wehadadreadfulscene。Sheisamostlovingwoman，Mr。Holmes。If
everawomanlovedamanwithallherheartandsoul，shelovesme。
ShewascuttotheheartthatIshouldhavediscoveredthis
horrible，thisincredible，secret。Shewouldnotevenspeak。She
gavenoanswertomyreproaches，savetogazeatmewithasortof
wild，despairinglookinhereyes。Thensherushedtoherroomand
lockedherselfin。Sincethenshehasrefusedtoseeme。Shehasa
maidwhowaswithherbeforehermarriage，Doloresbyname-afriend
ratherthanaservant。Shetakesherfoodtoher。”
“Thenthechildisinnoimmediatedanger？“
“Mrs。Mason，thenurse，hasswornthatshewillnotleaveitnight
orday。Icanabsolutelytrusther。Iammoreuneasyaboutpoorlittle
Jack，for，asItoldyouinmynote，hehastwicebeenassaultedby
her。”
“Butneverwounded？“
“No，shestruckhimsavagely。Itisthemoreterribleasheisa
poorlittleinoffensivecripple。”Ferguson”sgauntfeaturessoftened
ashespokeofhisboy。“Youwouldthinkthatthedearlad”scondition
wouldsoftenanyone”sheart。Afallinchildhoodandatwisted
spine，Mr。Holmes。Butthedearest，mostlovingheartwithin。”
Holmeshadpickeduptheletterofyesterdayandwasreadingit
over。“Whatotherinmatesarethereinyourhouse，Mr。Ferguson？“
“Twoservantswhohavenotbeenlongwithus。Onestable-hand，
Michael，whosleepsinthehouse。Mywife，myself，myboyJack，
baby，Dolores，andMrs。Mason。Thatisall。”
“Igatherthatyoudidnotknowyourwifewellatthetimeofyour
marriage？“
“Ihadonlyknownherafewweeks。”
“HowlonghadthismaidDoloresbeenwithher？“
“Someyears。”
“Thenyourwife”scharacterwouldreallybebetterknownby
Doloresthanbyyou？“
“Yes，youmaysayso。”
Holmesmadeanote。
“Ifancy，“saidhe，“thatImaybeofmoreuseatLamberleythan
here。Itiseminentlyacaseforpersonalinvestigation。Ifthelady
remainsinherroom，ourpresencecouldnotannoyorinconvenience
her。Ofcourse，wewouldstayattheinn。”
Fergusongaveagestureofrelief。
“ItiswhatIhoped，Mr。Holmes。Thereisanexcellenttrainat
twofromVictoriaifyoucouldcome。”
“Ofcoursewecouldcome。Thereisalullatpresent。Icangiveyou
myundividedenergies。Watson，ofcourse，comeswithus。Butthereare
oneortwopointsuponwhichIwishtobeverysurebeforeIstart。
Thisunhappylady，asIunderstandit，hasappearedtoassaultboth
thechildren，herownbabyandyourlittleson？“
“Thatisso。”
“Buttheassaultstakedifferentforms，dotheynot？Shehas
beatenyourson。”
“Oncewithastickandonceverysavagelywithherhands。”
“Didshegivenoexplanationwhyshestruckhim？“
“Nonesavethatshehatedhim。Againandagainshesaidso。”
“Well，thatisnotunknownamongstepmothers。Aposthumousjealousy，
wewillsay。Istheladyjealousbynature？“
“Yes，sheisveryjealous-jealouswithallthestrengthofher
fierytropicallove。”
“Buttheboy-heisfifteen，Iunderstand，andprobablyvery
developedinmind，sincehisbodyhasbeencircumscribedinaction。
Didhegiveyounoexplanationoftheseassaults？“