”Asmallchamberaboutsevenfeetdeepandfourfeetsquarelayopentous。Atonesideofthiswasasquat，brass-boundwoodenbox，thelidofwhichwashingedupwards，withthiscuriousold-fashionedkeyprojectingfromthelock。Itwasfurredoutsidebyathicklayerofdust，anddampandwormshadeatenthroughthewood，sothatacropoflividfungiwasgrowingontheinsideofit。Severaldiscsofmetal，oldcoinsapparently，suchasIholdhere，werescatteredoverthebottomofthebox，butitcontainednothingelse。”Atthemoment，however，wehadnothoughtfortheoldchest，foroureyeswereriveteduponthatwhichcrouchedbesideit。Itwasthefigureofaman，cladinasuitofblack，whosquatteddownuponhimhamswithhisforeheadsunkupontheedgeoftheboxandhistwoarmsthrownoutoneachsideofit。Theattitudehaddrawnallthestagnantbloodtotheface，andnomancouldhaverecognizedthatdistortedliver-coloredcountenance；buthisheight，hisdress，andhishairwereallsufficienttoshowmyclient，whenwehaddrawnthebodyup，thatitwasindeedhismissingbutler。Hehadbeendeadsomedays，buttherewasnowoundorbruiseuponhispersontoshowhowhehadmethisdreadfulend。Whenhisbodyhadbeencarriedfromthecellarwefoundourselvesstillconfrontedwithaproblemwhichwasalmostasformidableasthatwithwhichwehadstarted。”Iconfessthatsofar，Watson，Ihadbeendisappointedinmyinvestigation。IhadreckoneduponsolvingthematterwhenonceIhadfoundtheplacereferredtointheRitual；butnowIwasthere，andwasapparentlyasfaraseverfromknowingwhatitwaswhichthefamilyhadconcealedwithsuchelaborateprecautions。ItistruethatIhadthrownalightuponthefateofBrunton，butnowIhadtoascertainhowthatfatehadcomeuponhim，andwhatparthadbeenplayedinthematterbythewomanwhohaddisappeared。Isatdownuponakeginthecornerandthoughtthewholemattercarefullyover。”Youknowmymethodsinsuchcases，Watson。Iputmyselfintheman’splaceand，havingfirstgaugedhisintelligence，ItrytoimaginehowIshouldmyselfhaveproceededunderthesamecircumstances。InthiscasethematterwassimplifiedbyBrunton’sintelligencebeingquitefirst-rate，sothatitwasunnecessarytomakeanyallowanceforthepersonalequation，astheastronomershavedubbedit。Heknowthatsomethingvaluablewasconcealed。Hehadspottedtheplace。Hefoundthatthestonewhichcovereditwasjusttooheavyforamantomoveunaided。Whatwouldhedonext?Hecouldnotgethelpfromoutside，evenifhehadsomeonewhomhecouldtrust，withouttheunbarringofdoorsandconsiderableriskofdetection。Itwasbetter，ifhecould，tohavehishelpmateinsidethehouse。Butwhomcouldheask?Thisgirlhadbeendevotedtohim。Amanalwaysfindsithardtorealizethathemayhavefinallylostawoman’slove，howeverbadlyhemayhavetreatedher。
HewouldtrybyafewattentionstomakehispeacewiththegirlHowells，andthenwouldengageherashisaccomplice。Togethertheywouldcomeatnighttothecellar，andtheirunitedforcewouldsufficetoraisethestone。SofarIcouldfollowtheiractionsasifIhadactuallyseenthem。”Butfortwoofthem，andoneawoman，itmusthavebeenheavyworktheraisingofthatstone。AburlySussexpolicemanandIhadfounditnolightjob。
Whatwouldtheydotoassistthem?ProbablywhatI
shouldhavedonemyself。Iroseandexaminedcarefullythedifferentbilletsofwoodwhichwerescatteredroundthefloor。AlmostatonceIcameuponwhatIexpected。Onepiece，aboutthreefeetinlength，hadaverymarkedindentationatoneend，whileseveralwereflattenedatthesidesasiftheyhadbeencompressedbysomeconsiderableweight。
Evidently，astheyhaddraggedthestoneuptheyhadthrustthechunksofwoodintothechink，untilatlast，whentheopeningwaslargeenoughtocrawlthrough，theywouldholditopenbyabilletplacedlengthwise，whichmightverywellbecomeindentedatthelowerend，sincethewholeweightofthestonewouldpressitdownontotheedgeofthisotherslab。
SofarIwasstillonsafeground。”AndnowhowwasItoproceedtoreconstructthismidnightdrama?Clearly，onlyonecouldfitintothehole，andthatonewasBrunton。Thegirlmusthavewaitedabove。Bruntonthenunlockedthebox，handedupthecontentspresumably——sincetheywerenottobefound——andthen——andthenwhathappened?”WhatsmoulderingfireofvengeancehadsuddenlysprungintoflameinthispassionateCelticwoman’ssoulwhenshesawthemanwhohadwrongedher——wrongedher，perhaps，farmorethanwesuspected——inherpower?Wasitachancethatthewoodhadslipped，andthatthestonehadshutBruntonintowhathadbecomehissepulchre?Hadsheonlybeenguiltyofsilenceastohisfate?Orhadsomesuddenblowfromherhanddashedthesupportawayandsenttheslabcrashingdownintoitsplace?Bethatasitmight，Iseemedtoseethatwoman’sfigurestillclutchingathertreasuretroveandflyingwildlyupthewindingstair，withherearsringingperhapswiththemuffledscreamsfrombehindherandwiththedrummingoffrenziedhandsagainsttheslabofstonewhichwaschokingherfaithlesslover’slifeout。”Herewasthesecretofherblanchedface，hershakennerves，herpealsofhystericallaughteronthenextmorning。Butwhathadbeeninthebox?Whathadshedonewiththat?Ofcourse，itmusthavebeentheoldmetalandpebbleswhichmyclienthaddraggedfromthemere。Shehadthrowntheminthereatthefirstopportunitytoremovethelasttraceofhercrime。”FortwentyminutesIhadsatmotionless，thinkingthematterout。Musgravestillstoodwithaverypaleface，swinginghislanternandpeeringdownintothehole。”’ThesearecoinsofCharlestheFirst，’saidhe，holdingoutthefewwhichhadbeeninthebox；’youseewewererightinfixingourdatefortheRitual。’”’WemayfindsomethingelseofCharlestheFirst，’I
cried，astheprobablemeaningofthefirsttwoquestionoftheRitualbrokesuddenlyuponme。’Letmeseethecontentsofthebagwhichyoufishedfromthemere。’”Weascendedtohisstudy，andhelaidthedebrisbeforeme。IcouldunderstandhisregardingitasofsmallimportancewhenIlookedatit，forthemetalwasalmostblackandthestoneslustrelessanddull。
Irubbedoneofthemonmysleeve，however，anditglowedafterwardslikeasparkinthedarkhollowofmyhand。Themetalworkwasintheformofadoublering，butithadbeenbentandtwistedoutofitsoriginalshape。”’Youmustbearinmind，’saidI，’thattheroyalpartymadeheadinEnglandevenafterthedeathoftheking，andthatwhentheyatlastfledtheyprobablyleftmanyoftheirmostpreciouspossessionburiedbehindthem，withtheintentionofreturningfortheminmorepeacefultimes。’”’Myancestor，SirRalphMusgrave，asaprominentCavalierandtheright-handmanofCharlestheSecondinhiswanderings，’saidmyfriend。”’Ah，indeed！’Ianswered。’Wellnow，Ithinkthatreallyshouldgiveusthelastlinkthatwewanted。I
mustcongratulateyouoncomingintothepossession，thoughinratheratragicmannerofarelicwhichisofgreatintrinsicvalue，butofevengreaterimportanceasanhistoricalcuriosity。’”’Whatisit，then?’hegaspedinastonishment。”’ItisnothinglessthantheancientcrownofthekingsofEngland。’”’Thecrown！’”’Precisely。ConsiderwhattheRitualsays：Howdoesitrun?”Whosewasit?””Hiswhoisgone。”ThatwasaftertheexecutionofCharles。Then，”Whoshallhaveit?””Hewhowillcome。”ThatwasCharlestheSecond，whoseadventwasalreadyforeseen。Therecan，Ithink，benodoubtthatthisbatteredandshapelessdiademonceencircledthebrowsoftheroyalStuarts。’”’Andhowcameitinthepond?’”’Ah，thatisaquestionthatwilltakesometimetoanswer。’AndwiththatIsketchedouttohimthewholelongchainofsurmiseandofproofwhichIhadconstructed。Thetwilighthadclosedinandthemoonwasshiningbrightlyintheskybeforemynarrativewasfinished。”’AndhowwasitthenthatCharlesdidnotgethiscrownwhenhereturned?’askedMusgrave，pushingbacktherelicintoitslinenbag。”’Ah，thereyoulayyourfingerupontheonepointwhichweshallprobablyneverbeabletoclearup。ItislikelythattheMusgravewhoheldthesecretdiedintheinterval，andbysomeoversightleftthisguidetohisdescendantwithoutexplainingthemeaningofit。Fromthatdaytothisithasbeenhandeddownfromfathertoson，untilatlastitcamewithinreachofamanwhotoreitssecretoutofitandlosthislifeintheventure。’”Andthat’sthestoryoftheMusgraveRitual，Watson。
TheyhavethecrowndownatHurlstone——thoughtheyhadsomelegalbotherandaconsiderablesumtopaybeforetheywereallowedtoretainit。Iamsurethatifyoumentionedmynametheywouldbehappytoshowittoyou。Ofthewomannothingwaseverheard，andtheprobabilityisthatshegotawayoutofEnglandandcarriedherselfandthememoryofhercrimetosomelandbeyondtheseas。”
AdventureVI
TheReigatePuzzleItwassometimebeforethehealthofmyfriendMr。
SherlockHolmesrecoveredfromthestraincausedbyhisimmenseexertionsinthespringof’87。ThewholequestionoftheNetherland-SumatraCompanyandofthecolossalschemesofBaronMaupertuisaretoorecentinthemindsofthepublic，andaretoointimatelyconcernedwithpoliticsandfinancetobefittingsubjectsforthisseriesofsketches。Theyled，however，inanindirectfashiontoasingularandcomplexproblemwhichgavemyfriendanopportunityofdemonstratingthevalueofafreshweaponamongthemanywithwhichhewagedhislife-longbattleagainstcrime。
OnreferringtomynotesIseethatitwasuponthe14thofAprilthatIreceivedatelegramfromLyonswhichinformedmethatHolmeswaslyingillintheHotelDulong。Withintwenty-fourhoursIwasinhissick-room，andwasrelievedtofindthattherewasnothingformidableinhissymptoms。Evenhisironconstitution，however，hadbrokendownunderthestrainofaninvestigationwhichhadextendedovertwomonths，duringwhichperiodhehadneverworkedlessthanfifteenhoursaday，andhadmorethanonce，asheassuredme，kepttohistaskforfivedaysatastretch。Eventhetriumphantissueofhislaborscouldnotsavehimfromreactionaftersoterribleanexertion，andatatimewhenEuropewasringingwithhisnameandwhenhisroomwasliterallyankle-deepwithcongratulatorytelegramsIfoundhimapreytotheblackestdepression。Eventheknowledgethathehadsucceededwherethepoliceofthreecountrieshadfailed，andthathehadoutmanoeuvredateverypointthemostaccomplishedswindlerinEurope，wasinsufficienttorousehimfromhisnervousprostration。