”’”So！”saidI。”Thisishowyourepaythetrustwhichwehavereposedinyou。Youwillleavemyserviceto-morrow。””’Hebowedwiththelookofamanwhoisutterlycrushed，andslunkpastmewithoutaword。Thetaperwasstillonthetable，andbyitslightIglancedtoseewhatthepaperwaswhichBruntonhadtakenfromthebureau。Tomysurpriseitwasnothingofanyimportanceatall，butsimplyacopyofthequestionsandanswersinthesingularoldobservancecalledtheMusgraveRitual。Itisasortofceremonypeculiartoourfamily，whicheachMusgraveforcenturiespasthasgonethroughonhiscomingofage——athingofprivateinterest，andperhapsofsomelittleimportancetothearchaeologist，likeourownblazoningsandcharges，butofnopracticalusewhatever。’”’Wehadbettercomebacktothepaperafterwards，’saidI。”’Ifyouthinkitreallynecessary，’heanswered，withsomehesitation。’Tocontinuemystatement，however：
Irelockedthebureau，usingthekeywhichBruntonhadleft，andIhadturnedtogowhenIwassurprisedtofindthatthebutlerhadreturned，andwasstandingbeforeme。”’”Mr。Musgrave，sir，”hecried，inavoicewhichwashoarsewithemotion，”Ican’tbeardisgrace，sir。
I’vealwaysbeenproudabovemystationinlife，anddisgracewouldkillme。Mybloodwillbeonyourhead，sir——itwill，indeed——ifyoudrivemetodespair。Ifyoucannotkeepmeafterwhathaspassed，thenforGod’ssakeletmegiveyounoticeandleaveinamonth，asifofmyownfreewill。Icouldstandthat，Mr。Musgrave，butnottobecastoutbeforeallthefolkthatIknowsowell。””’”Youdon’tdeservemuchconsideration，Brunton，”I
answered。”Yourconducthasbeenmostinfamous。
However，asyouhavebeenalongtimeinthefamily，I
havenowishtobringpublicdisgraceuponyou。A
month，howeveristoolong。Takeyourselfawayinaweek，andgivewhatreasonyoulikeforgoing。””’”Onlyaweek，sir?”hecried，inadespairingvoice。”Afortnight——sayatleastafortnight！””’”Aweek，”Irepeated，”andyoumayconsideryourselftohavebeenverylenientlydealtwith。””’Hecreptaway，hisfacesunkuponhisbreast，likeabrokenman，whileIputoutthelightandreturnedtomyroom。””FortwodaysafterthisBruntonwasmostassiduousinhisattentiontohisduties。Imadenoallusiontowhathadpassed，andwaitedwithsomecuriositytoseehowhewouldcoverhisdisgrace。Onthethirdmorning，howeverhedidnotappear，aswashiscustom，afterbreakfasttoreceivemyinstructionsfortheday。AsIleftthedining-roomIhappenedtomeetRachelHowells，themaid。Ihavetoldyouthatshehadonlyrecentlyrecoveredfromanillness，andwaslookingsowretchedlypaleandwanthatIremonstratedwithherforbeingatwork。”’”Youshouldbeinbed，”Isaid。”Comebacktoyourdutieswhenyouarestronger。””’ShelookedatmewithsostrangeanexpressionthatIbegantosuspectthatherbrainwasaffected。”’”Iamstrongenough，Mr。Musgrave，”saidshe。”’”Wewillseewhatthedoctorsays，”Ianswered。”Youmuststopworknow，andwhenyougodownstairsjustsaythatIwishtoseeBrunton。””’”Thebutlerisgone，”saidshe。”’”Gone！Gonewhere?””’”Heisgone。Noonehasseenhim。Heisnotinhisroom。Oh，yes，heisgone，heisgone！”Shefellbackagainstthewallwithshriekaftershriekoflaughter，whileI，horrifiedatthissuddenhystericalattack，rushedtothebelltosummonhelp。Thegirlwastakentoherroom，stillscreamingandsobbing，whileImadeinquiriesaboutBrunton。Therewasnodoubtaboutitthathehaddisappeared。Hisbedhadnotbeensleptin，hehadbeenseenbynoonesincehehadretiredtohisroomthenightbefore，andyetitwasdifficulttoseehowhecouldhaveleftthehouse，asbothwindowsanddoorswerefoundtobefastenedinthemorning。Hisclothes，hiswatch，andevenhismoneywereinhisroom，buttheblacksuitwhichheusuallyworewasmissing。Hisslippers，too，weregone，buthisbootswereleftbehind。WherethencouldbutlerBruntonhavegoneinthenight，andwhatcouldhavebecomeofhimnow?”’Ofcoursewesearchedthehousefromcellartogarret，buttherewasnotraceofhim。Itis，asI
havesaid，alabyrinthofanoldhouse，especiallytheoriginalwing，whichisnowpracticallyuninhabited；
butweransackedeveryroomandcellarwithoutdiscoveringtheleastsignofthemissingman。Itwasincredibletomethathecouldhavegoneawayleavingallhispropertybehindhim，andyetwherecouldhebe?Icalledinthelocalpolice，butwithoutsuccess。Rainhadfallenonthenightbeforeandweexaminedthelawnandthepathsallroundthehouse，butinvain。Matterswereinthisstate，whenanewdevelopmentquitedrewourattentionawayfromtheoriginalmystery。”’FortwodaysRachelHowellshadbeensoill，sometimesdelirious，sometimeshysterical，thatanursehadbeenemployedtositupwithheratnight。
OnthethirdnightafterBrunton’sdisappearance，thenurse，findingherpatientsleepingnicely，haddroppedintoanapinthearm-chair，whenshoewokeintheearlymorningtofindthebedempty，thewindowopen，andnosignsoftheinvalid。Iwasinstantlyaroused，and，withthetwofootmen，startedoffatonceinsearchofthemissinggirl。Itwasnotdifficulttotellthedirectionwhichshehadtaken，for，startingfromunderherwindow，wecouldfollowherfootmarkseasilyacrossthelawntotheedgeofthemere，wheretheyvanishedclosetothegravelpathwhichleadsoutofthegrounds。Thelakethereiseightfeetdeep，andyoucanimagineourfeelingswhenwesawthatthetrailofthepoordementedgirlcametoanendattheedgeofit。”’Ofcourse，wehadthedragsatonce，andsettoworktorecovertheremains，butnotraceofthebodycouldwefind。Ontheotherhand，webroughttothesurfaceanobjectofamostunexpectedkind。Itwasalinenbagwhichcontainedwithinitamassofoldrustedanddiscoloredmetalandseveraldull-coloredpiecesofpebbleorglass。Thisstrangefindwasallthatwecouldgetfromthemere，and，althoughwemadeeverypossiblesearchandinquiryyesterday，weknownothingofthefateeitherofRachelHowellsorofRichardBrunton。Thecountypoliceareattheirwits’end，andIhavecomeuptoyouasalastresource。’”Youcanimagine，Watson，withwhateagernessI
listenedtothisextraordinarysequenceofevents，andendeavoredtopiecethemtogether，andtodevisesomecommonthreaduponwhichtheymightallhang。Thebutlerwasgone。Themaidwasgone。Themaidhadlovedthebutler，buthadafterwardshadcausetohatehim。ShewasofWelshblood，fieryandpassionate。
Shehadbeenterriblyexcitedimmediatelyafterhisdisappearance。Shehadflungintothelakeabagcontainingsomecuriouscontents。Thesewereallfactorswhichhadtobetakenintoconsideration，andyetnoneofthemgotquitetotheheartofthematter。
Whatwasthestarting-pointofthischainofevents?
Therelaytheendofthistangledline。”’Imustseethatpaper，Musgrave，’saidI，’whichthisbutlerofyourthoughtitworthhiswhiletoconsult，evenattheriskofthelossofhisplace。’”’Itisratheranabsurdbusiness，thisritualofours，’heanswered。’Butithasatleastthesavinggraceofantiquitytoexcuseit。Ihaveacopyofthequestionsandanswershereifyoucaretorunyoureyeoverthem。’”HehandedmetheverypaperwhichIhavehere，Watson，andthisisthestrangecatechismtowhicheachMusgravehadtosubmitwhenhecametoman’sestate。Iwillreadyouthequestionsandanswersastheystand。”’Whosewasit?’”’Hiswhoisgone。’”’Whoshallhaveit?’”’Hewhowillcome。’”’Wherewasthesun?’”’Overtheoak。’”’Wherewastheshadow?’”’Undertheelm。’”Howwasitstepped?’”’Northbytenandbyten，eastbyfiveandbyfive，southbytwoandbytwo，westbyoneandbyone，andsounder。’”’Whatshallwegiveforit?’”’Allthatisours。’”’Whyshouldwegiveit?’”’Forthesakeofthetrust。’”’Theoriginalhasnodate，butisinthespellingofthemiddleoftheseventeenthcentury，’remarkedMusgrave。’Iamafraid，however，thatitcanbeoflittlehelptoyouinsolvingthismystery。’