rushedupstairstomakesurethatshewasnotinthehouse。AsIdidsoIhappenedtoglanceoutofoneoftheupperwindows，andsawthemaidwithwhomIhadjustbeenspeakingrunningacrossthefieldinthedirectionofthecottage。ThenofcourseIsawexactlywhatitallmeant。Mywifehadgoneoverthere，andhadaskedtheservanttocallherifI
shouldreturn。Tinglingwithanger，Irusheddownandhurriedacross，determinedtoendthematteronceandforever。Isawmywifeandthemaidhurryingbackalongthelane，butIdidnotstoptospeakwiththem。
Inthecottagelaythesecretwhichwascastingashadowovermylife。Ivowedthat，comewhatmight，itshouldbeasecretnolonger。IdidnotevenknockwhenIreachedit，butturnedthehandleandrushedintothepassage。”Itwasallstillandquietuponthegroundfloor。Inthekitchenakettlewassingingonthefire，andalargeblackcatlaycoiledupinthebasket；buttherewasnosignofthewomanwhomIhadseenbefore。I
ranintotheotherroom，butitwasequallydeserted。
ThenIrushedupthestairs，onlytofindtwootherroomsemptyanddesertedatthetop。Therewasnooneatallinthewholehouse。Thefurnitureandpictureswereofthemostcommonandvulgardescription，saveintheonechamberatthewindowofwhichIhadseenthestrangeface。Thatwascomfortableandelegant，andallmysuspicionsroseintoafiercebitterflamewhenIsawthatonthemantelpiecestoodacopyofafell-lengthphotographofmywife，whichhadbeentakenatmyrequestonlythreemonthsago。”Istayedlongenoughtomakecertainthatthehousewasabsolutelyempty。ThenIleftit，feelingaweightatmyheartsuchasIhadneverhadbefore。MywifecameoutintothehallasIenteredmyhouse；butIwastoohurtandangrytospeakwithher，andpushingpasther，Imademywayintomystudy。Shefollowedme，however，beforeIcouldclosethedoor。”’IamsorrythatIbrokemypromise，Jack，’saidshe；
’butifyouknewallthecircumstancesIamsurethatyouwouldforgiveme。’”’Tellmeeverything，then，’saidI。”’Icannot，Jack，Icannot，’shecried。”’Untilyoutellmewhoitisthathasbeenlivinginthatcottage，andwhoitistowhomyouhavegiventhatphotograph，therecanneverbeanyconfidencebetweenus，’saidI，andbreakingawayfromher，I
leftthehouse。Thatwasyesterday，Mr。Holmes，andI
havenotseenhersince，nordoIknowanythingmoreaboutthisstrangebusiness。Itisthefirstshadowthathascomebetweenus，andithassoshakenmethatIdonotknowwhatIshoulddoforthebest。Suddenlythismorningitoccurredtomethatyouwerethemantoadviseme，soIhavehurriedtoyounow，andI
placemyselfunreservedlyinyourhands。IfthereisanypointwhichIhavenotmadeclear，prayquestionmeaboutit。But，aboveall，tellmequicklywhatI
amtodo，forthismiseryismorethanIcanbear。”
HolmesandIhadlistenedwiththeutmostinteresttothisextraordinarystatement，whichhadbeendeliveredinthejerky，brokenfashionofamanwhoisundertheinfluenceofextremeemotions。Mycompanionsatsilentforsometime，withhischinuponhishand，lostinthought。”Tellme，”saidheatlast，”couldyouswearthatthiswasaman’sfacewhichyousawatthewindow?””EachtimethatIsawitIwassomedistanceawayfromit，sothatitisimpossibleformetosay。””Youappear，however，tohavebeendisagreeablyimpressedbyit。””Itseemedtobeofanunnaturalcolor，andtohaveastrangerigidityaboutthefeatures。WhenI
approached，itvanishedwithajerk。””Howlongisitsinceyourwifeaskedyouforahundredpounds?””Nearlytwomonths。””Haveyoueverseenaphotographofherfirsthusband?””No；therewasagreatfireatAtlantaveryshortlyafterhisdeath，andallherpapersweredestroyed。””Andyetshehadacertificateofdeath。Yousaythatyousawit。””Yes；shegotaduplicateafterthefire。””DidyouevermeetanyonewhoknewherinAmerica?””No。””Didsheevertalkofrevisitingtheplace?””No。””Orgetlettersfromit?””No。””Thankyou。Ishouldliketothinkoverthematteralittlenow。Ifthecottageisnowpermanentlydesertedwemayhavesomedifficulty。If，ontheotherhand，asIfancyismorelikely，theinmateswerewarnedofyoucoming，andleftbeforeyouenteredyesterday，thentheymaybebacknow，andweshouldclearitallupeasily。Letmeadviseyou，then，toreturntoNorbury，andtoexaminethewindowsofthecottageagain。Ifyouhavereasontobelievethatisinhabited，donotforceyourwayin，butsendawiretomyfriendandme。Weshallbewithyouwithinanhourofreceivingit，andweshallthenverysoongettothebottomofthebusiness。””Andifitisstillempty?””InthatcaseIshallcomeoutto-morrowandtalkitoverwithyou。Good-by；and，aboveall，donotfretuntilyouknowthatyoureallyhaveacauseforit。””Iamafraidthatthisisabadbusiness，Watson，”
saidmycompanion，ashereturnedafteraccompanyingMr。GrantMunrotothedoor。”Whatdoyoumakeofit?””Ithadanuglysound，”Ianswered。”Yes。There’sblackmailinit，orIammuchmistaken。””Andwhoistheblackmailer?””Well，itmustbethecreaturewholivesintheonlycomfortableroomintheplace，andhasherphotographabovehisfireplace。Uponmyword，Watson，thereissomethingveryattractiveaboutthatlividfaceatthewindow，andIwouldnothavemissedthecaseforworlds。””Youhaveatheory?””Yes，aprovisionalone。ButIshallbesurprisedifitdoesnotturnouttobecorrect。Thiswoman’sfirsthusbandisinthatcottage。””Whydoyouthinkso?””Howelsecanweexplainherfrenziedanxietythathersecondoneshouldnotenterit?Thefacts，asIreadthem，aresomethinglikethis：ThiswomanwasmarriedinAmerica。Herhusbanddevelopedsomehatefulqualities；orshallwesaythathecontractedsomeloathsomedisease，andbecamealeperoranimbecile?
Shefliesfromhimatlast，returnstoEngland，changeshername，andstartsherlife，asshethinks，afresh。Shehasbeenmarriedthreeyears，andbelievesthatherpositionisquitesecure，havingshownherhusbandthedeathcertificateofsomemanwhosenameshehasassumed，whensuddenlyherwhereaboutsisdiscoveredbyherfirsthusband；or，wemaysuppose，bysomeunscrupulouswomanwhohasattachedherselftotheinvalid。Theywritetothewife，andthreatentocomeandexposeher。Sheasksforahundredpounds，andendeavorstobuythemoff。
Theycomeinspiteofit，andwhenthehusbandmentionscasuallytothewifethatthereanew-comersinthecottage，sheknowsinsomewaythattheyareherpursuers。Shewaitsuntilherhusbandisasleep，andthensherushesdowntoendeavortopersuadethemtoleaveherinpeace。Havingnosuccess，shegoesagainnextmorning，andherhusbandmeetsher，ashehastoldus，asshecomesout。Shepromiseshimthennottogothereagain，buttwodaysafterwardsthehopeofgettingridofthosedreadfulneighborswastoostrongforher，andshemadeanotherattempt，takingdownwithherthephotographwhichhadprobablybeendemandedfromher。Inthemidstofthisinterviewthemaidrushedintosaythatthemasterhadcomehome，onwhichthewife，knowingthathewouldcomestraightdowntothecottage，hurriedtheinmatesoutatthebackdoor，intothegroveoffir-trees，probably，whichwasmentionedasstandingnear。Inthiswayhefoundtheplacedeserted。I
shallbeverymuchsurprised，however，ifitstillsowhenhereconnoitresitthisevening。Whatdoyouthinkofmytheory?””Itisallsurmise。””Butatleastitcoversallthefacts。Whennewfactscometoourknowledgewhichcannotbecoveredbyit，itwillbetimeenoughtoreconsiderit。WecandonothingmoreuntilwehaveamessagefromourfriendatNorbury。”
Butwehadnotaverylongtimetowaitforthat。Itcamejustaswehadfinishedourtea。”Thecottageisstilltenanted，”itsaid。”Haveseenthefaceagainatthewindow。Willmeettheseveno’clocktrain，andwilltakenostepsuntilyouarrive。”
Hewaswaitingontheplatformwhenwesteppedout，andwecouldseeinthelightofthestationlampsthathewasverypale，andquiveringwithagitation。”Theyarestillthere，Mr。Holmes，”saidhe，layinghishandharduponmyfriend’ssleeve。”IsawlightsinthecottageasIcamedown。Weshallsettleitnowonceandforall。””Whatisyourplan，then?”askedHolmes，ashewalkeddownthedarktree-linedroad。