”Thesailorstoodlookingathimwithpuckeredeyes，andwiththesameloose-lippedsmileuponhisface。”’Youdon’tknowme?’heasked。”’Why，dearme，itissurelyHudson，’saidMr。Trevorinatoneofsurprise。”’Hudsonitis，sir，’saidtheseaman。’Why，it’sthirtyyearandmoresinceIsawyoulast。Hereyouareinyourhouse，andmestillpickingmysaltmeatoutoftheharnesscask。’”’Tut，youwillfindthatIhavenotforgottenoldtimes，’criedMr。Trevor，and，walkingtowardsthesailor，hesaidsomethinginalowvoice。’Gointothekitchen，’hecontinuedoutloud，’andyouwillgetfoodanddrink。IhavenodoubtthatIshallfindyouasituation。’”’Thankyou，sir，’saidtheseaman，touchinghisfore-lock。’I’mjustoffatwo-yearerinaneight-knottramp，short-handedatthat，andIwantsarest。IthoughtI’dgetiteitherwithMr。Beddoesorwithyou。’”’Ah！’criedTrevor。’YouknowwhereMr。Beddoesis?’”’Blessyou，sir，Iknowwhereallmyoldfriendsare，’saidthefellowwithasinistersmile，andheslouchedoffafterthemaidtothekitchen。Mr。Trevormumbledsomethingtousabouthavingbeenshipmatewiththemanwhenhewasgoingbacktothediggings，andthen，leavingusonthelawn，hewentindoors。Anhourlater，whenweenteredthehouse，wefoundhimstretcheddeaddrunkuponthedining-roomsofa。Thewholeincidentleftamostuglyimpressionuponmymind，andIwasnotsorrynextdaytoleaveDonnithorpebehindme，forIfeltthatmypresencemustbeasourceofembarrassmenttomyfriend。”Allthisoccurredduringthefirstmonthofthelongvacation。IwentuptomyLondonrooms，whereIspentsevenweeksworkingoutafewexperimentsinorganicchemistry。Onday，however，whentheautumnwasfaradvancedandthevacationdrawingtoaclose，I
receivedatelegramfrommyfriendimploringmetoreturntoDonnithorpe，andsayingthathewasingreatneedofmyadviceandassistance。OfcourseIdroppedeverythingandsetoutfortheNorthoncemore。”Hemetmewiththedog-cartatthestation，andIsawataglancethatthelasttwomonthshadbeenverytryingonesforhim。Hehadgrownthinandcareworn，andhadlosttheloud，cheerymannerforwhichhehadbeenremarkable。”’Thegovernorisdying，’werethefirstwordshesaid。”’Impossible！’Icried。’Whatisthematter?’”’Apoplexy。Nervousshock，He’sbeenonthevergeallday。Idoubtifweshallfindhimalive。’”Iwas，asyoumaythink，Watson，horrifiedatthisunexpectednews。”’Whathascausedit?’Iasked。”’Ah，thatisthepoint。Jumpinandwecantalkitoverwhilewedrive。Yourememberthatfellowwhocameupontheeveningbeforeyouleftus?’”’Perfectly。’”’Doyouknowwhoitwasthatweletintothehousethatday?’”’Ihavenoidea。’”’Itwasthedevil，Holmes，’hecried。”Istaredathiminastonishment。”’Yes，itwasthedevilhimself。Wehavenothadapeacefulhoursince——notone。Thegovernorhasneverhelduphisheadfromthatevening，andnowthelifehasbeencrushedoutofhimandhisheartbroken，allthroughthisaccursedHudson。’”’Whatpowerhadhe，then?’”’Ah，thatiswhatIwouldgivesomuchtoknow。Thekindly，charitable，goodoldgovernor——howcouldhehavefallenintotheclutchesofsucharuffian！ButIamsogladthatyouhavecome，Holmes。Itrustverymuchtoyourjudgmentanddiscretion，andIknowthatyouwilladvisemeforthebest。’”Weweredashingalongthesmoothwhitecountryroad，withthelongstretchoftheBroadsinfrontofusglimmeringintheredlightofthesettingsun。FromagroveuponourleftIcouldalreadyseethehighchimneysandtheflag-staffwhichmarkedthesquire’sdwelling。”’Myfathermadethefellowgardener，’saidmycompanion，’andthen，asthatdidnotsatisfyhim，hewaspromotedtobebutler。Thehouseseemedtobeathismercy，andhewanderedaboutanddidwhathechoseinit。Themaidscomplainedofhisdrunkenhabitsandhisvilelanguage。Thedadraisedtheirwagesallroundtorecompensethemfortheannoyance。Thefellowwouldtaketheboatandmyfather’sbestgunandtreathimselftolittleshootingtrips。Andallthiswithsuchasneering，leering，insolentfacethatIwouldhaveknockedhimdowntwentytimesoverifhehadbeenamanofmyownage。Itellyou，Holmes，I
havehadtokeepatightholduponmyselfallthistime；andnowIamaskingmyselfwhether，ifIhadletmyselfgoalittlemore，Imightnothavebeenawiserman。”’Well，matterswentfrombadtoworsewithus，andthisanimalHudsonbecamemoreandmoreintrusive，untilatlast，onmakingsomeinsolentreplytomyfatherinmypresenceoneday，Itookhimbytheshouldersandturnedhimoutoftheroom。Heslunkawaywithalividfaceandtwovenomouseyeswhichutteredmorethreatsthanhistonguecoulddo。I
don’tknowwhatpassedbetweenthepoordadandhimafterthat，butthedadcametomenextdayandaskedmewhetherIwouldmindapologizingtoHudson。I
refused，asyoucanimagine，andaskedmyfatherhowhecouldallowsuchawretchtotakesuchlibertieswithhimselfandhishousehold。”’”Ah，myboy，”saidhe，”itisallverywelltotalk，butyoudon’tknowhowIamplaced。Butyoushallknow，Victor。I’llseethatyoushallknow，comewhatmay。Youwouldn’tbelieveharmofyourpooroldfather，wouldyou，lad?”Hewasverymuchmoved，andshuthimselfupinthestudyallday，whereIcouldseethroughthewindowthathewaswritingbusily。”’Thateveningtherecamewhatseemedtometobeagrandrelease，forHudsontoldusthathewasgoingtoleaveus。Hewalkedintothedining-roomaswesatafterdinner，andannouncedhisintentioninthethickvoiceofahalf-drunkenman。”’”I’vehadenoughofNorfolk，”saidhe。”I’llrundowntoMr。BeddoesinHampshire。He’llbeasgladtoseemeasyouwere，Idaresay。””’”You’renotgoingawayinanykindofspirit，Hudson，Ihope，”saidmyfather，withatamenesswhichmadmybloodboil。”’”I’venothadmy’pology，”saidhesulkily，glancinginmydirection。”’”Victor，youwillacknowledgethatyouhaveusedthisworthyfellowratherroughly，”saidthedad，turningtome。”’”Onthecontrary，Ithinkthatwehavebothshownextraordinarypatiencetowardshim，”Ianswered。”’”Oh，youdo，doyou?”hesnarls。”Verygood，mate。
We’llseeaboutthat！””’Heslouchedoutoftheroom，andhalfanhourafterwardsleftthehouse，leavingmyfatherinastateofpitiablenervousness。NightafternightI
heardhimpacinghisroom，anditwasjustashewasrecoveringhisconfidencethattheblowdidatlastfall。’”’Andhow?’Iaskedeagerly。”’Inamostextraordinaryfashion。Aletterarrivedformyfatheryesterdayevening，bearingtheFordingbridgepost-mark。Myfatherreadit，clappedbothhishandstohishead，andbeganrunningroundtheroominlittlecircleslikeamanwhohasbeendrivenoutofhissenses。WhenIatlastdrewhimdownontothesofa，hismouthandeyelidswereallpuckeredononeside，andIsawthathehadastroke。
Dr。Fordhamcameoveratonce。Weputhimtobed；buttheparalysishasspread，hehasshownnosignofreturningconsciousness，andIthinkthatweshallhardlyfindhimalive。’”’Youhorrifyme，Trevor！’Icried。’Whatthencouldhavebeeninthislettertocausesodreadfularesult?’”’Nothing。Thereliestheinexplicablepartofit。
Themessagewasabsurdandtrivial。Ah，myGod，itisasIfeared！’”Ashespokewecameroundthecurveoftheavenue，andsawinthefadinglightthateveryblindinthehousehadbeendrawndown。Aswedasheduptothedoor，myfriend’sfaceconvulsedwithgrief，agentlemaninblackemergedfromit。”’Whendidithappen，doctor?’askedTrevor。”’Almostimmediatelyafteryouleft。’”’Didherecoverconsciousness?’”’Foraninstantbeforetheend。’”’Anymessageforme。’”’OnlythatthepaperswereinthebackdraweroftheJapanesecabinet。’”Myfriendascendedwiththedoctortothechamberofdeath，whileIremainedinthestudy，turningthewholematteroverandoverinmyhead，andfeelingassombreaseverIhaddoneinmylife。WhatwasthepastofthisTrevor，pugilist，traveler，andgold-digger，andhowhadheplacedhimselfinthepowerofthisacid-facedseaman?Why，too，shouldhefaintatanallusiontothehalf-effacedinitialsuponhisarm，anddieoffrightwhenhehadaletterfromFordingham?ThenIrememberedthatFordinghamwasinHampshire，andthatthisMr。Beddoes，whomtheseamanhadgonetovisitandpresumablytoblackmail，hadalsobeenmentionedaslivinginHampshire。Theletter，then，mighteithercomefromHudson，theseaman，sayingthathehadbetrayedtheguiltysecretwhichappearedtoexist，oritmightcomefromBeddoes，warninganoldconfederatethatsuchabetrayalwasimminent。Sofaritseemedclearenough。
Butthenhowcouldthisletterbetrivialandgrotesque，asdescribebytheson?Hemusthavemisreadit。Ifso，itmusthavebeenoneofthoseingenioussecretcodeswhichmeanonethingwhiletheyseemtomeananother。Imustseethisletter。Iftherewereahiddenmeaninginit，IwasconfidentthatIcouldpluckitforth。ForanhourIsatponderingoveritinthegloom，untilatlastaweepingmaidbroughtinalamp，andcloseatherheelscamemyfriendTrevor，palebutcomposed，withtheseverypaperswhichlieuponmykneeheldinhisgrasp。
Hesatdownoppositetome，drewthelamptotheedgeofthetable，andhandedmeashortnotescribbled，asyousee，uponasinglesheetofgraypaper。”ThesupplyofgameforLondonisgoingsteadilyup，’itran。’Head-keeperHudson，webelieve，hasbeennowtoldtoreceiveallordersforfly-paperandforpreservationofyouhen-pheasant’slife。’”IdaresaymyfacelookedasbewilderedasyourdidjustnowwhenfirstIreadthismessage。ThenI
rereaditverycarefully。ItwasevidentlyasIhadthought，andsomesecretmeaningmustlieburiedinthisstrangecombinationofwords。Orcoulditbethattherewasaprearrangedsignificancetosuchphrasesas’fly-paper’andhen-pheasant’?Suchameaningwouldbearbitraryandcouldnotbededucedinanyway。AndyetIwasloathtobelievethatthiswasthecase，andthepresenceofthewordHudsonseemedtoshowthatthesubjectofthemessagewasasIhadguessed，andthatitwasfromBeddoesratherthanthesailor。Itrieditbackwards，butthecombination’lifepheasant’shen’wasnotencouraging。ThenI