”Thatwasthestateofthings，Watson，whenupontheTuesdaymorningI，attherequestofMajorMurphy，wentdowntoAldershottosupplementtheeffortsofthepolice。Ithinkthatyouwillacknowledgethattheproblemwasalreadyoneofinterest，butmyobservationssoonmademerealizethatitwasintruthmuchmoreextraordinarythanwouldatfirstsightappear。”BeforeexaminingtheroomIcross-questionedtheservants，butonlysucceededinelicitingthefactswhichIhavealreadystated。OneotherdetailofinterestwasrememberedbyJaneStewart，thehousemaid。Youwillrememberthatonhearingthesoundofthequarrelshedescendedandreturnedwiththeotherservants。Onthatfirstoccasion，whenshewasalone，shesaysthatthevoicesofhermasterandmistressweresunksolowthatshecouldhearhardlyanything，andjudgedbytheirtonesrathertantheirwordsthattheyhadfallenout。Onmypressingher，however，sherememberedthatsheheardthewordDavidutteredtwicebythelady。Thepointisoftheutmostimportanceasguidingustowardsthereasonofthesuddenquarrel。TheColonel’sname，youremember，wasJames。”Therewasonethinginthecasewhichhadmadethedeepestimpressionbothupontheservantsandthepolice。ThiswasthecontortionoftheColonel’sface。Ithadset，accordingtotheiraccount，intothemostdreadfulexpressionoffearandhorrorwhichahumancountenanceiscapableofassuming。Morethanonepersonfaintedatthemeresightofhim，soterriblewastheeffect。Itwasquitecertainthathehadforeseenhisfate，andthatithadcausedhimtheutmosthorror。This，ofcourse，fittedinwellenoughwiththepolicetheory，iftheColonelcouldhaveseenhiswifemakingamurderousattackuponhim。Norwasthefactofthewoundbeingonthebackofhisheadafatalobjectiontothis，ashemighthaveturnedtoavoidtheblow。Noinformationcouldbegotfromtheladyherself，whowastemporarilyinsanefromanacuteattackofbrain-fever。”FromthepoliceIlearnedthatMissMorrison，whoyourememberwentoutthateveningwithMrs。Barclay，deniedhavinganyknowledgeofwhatitwaswhichhadcausedtheill-humorinwhichhercompanionhadreturned。”Havinggatheredthesefacts，Watson，Ismokeseveralpipesoverthem，tryingtoseparatethosewhichwerecrucialfromotherswhichweremerelyincidental。Therecouldbenoquestionthatthemostdistinctiveandsuggestivepointinthecasewasthesingulardisappearanceofthedoor-key。Amostcarefulsearchhadfailedtodiscoveritintheroom。Thereforeitmusthavebeentakenfromit。ButneithertheColonelnortheColonel’swifecouldhavetakenit。Thatwasperfectlyclear。Thereforeathirdpersonmusthaveenteredtheroom。Andthatthirdpersoncouldonlyhavecomeinthroughthewindow。Itseemedtomethatacarefulexaminationoftheroomandthelawnmightpossiblyrevealsometracesofthismysteriousindividual。Youknowmymethods，Watson。TherewasnotoneofthemwhichIdidnotapplytotheinquiry。
AndonesfromthosewhichIhadexpected。Therehadbeenamanintheroom，andhehadcrossedthelawncomingfromtheroad。Iwasabletoobtainfiveveryclearimpressionsofhisfoot-marks：oneintheroadwayitself，atthepointwherehehadclimbedthelowwall，twoonthelawn，andtwoveryfaintonesuponthestainedboardsnearthewindowwherehehadentered。Hehadapparentlyrushedacrossthelawn，forhistoe-marksweremuchdeeperthanhisheels。
Butitwasnotthemanwhosurprisedme。Itwashiscompanion。””Hiscompanion！”
Holmespulledalargesheetoftissue-paperoutofhispocketandcarefullyunfoldedituponhisknee。”Whatdoyoumakeofthat?”heasked。
Thepaperwascoveredwithhetracingsofthefoot-marksofsomesmallanimal。Ithadfivewell-markedfoot-pads，anindicationoflongnails，andthewholeprintmightbenearlyaslargeasadessert-spoon。”It’sadog，”saidI。”Didyoueverhearofadogrunningupacurtain?I
founddistincttracesthatthiscreaturehaddoneso。””Amonkey，then?””Butitisnottheprintofamonkey。””Whatcanitbe，then?””Neitherdognorcatnormonkeynoranycreaturethatwearefamiliarwith。Ihavetriedtoreconstructitfromthemeasurements。Herearefourprintswherethebeasthasbeenstandingmotionless。Youseethatitisnolessthanfifteeninchesfromfore-foottohind。
Addtothatthelengthofneckandhead，andyougetacreaturenotmuchlessthantwofeetlong——probablymoreifthereisanytail。Butnowobservethisothermeasurement。Theanimalhasbeenmoving，andwehavethelengthofitsstride。Ineachcaseitisonlyaboutthreeinches。Youhaveanindication，yousee，ofalongbodywithveryshortlegsattachedtoit。
Ithasnotbeenconsiderateenoughtoleaveanyofitshairbehindit。ButitsgeneralshapemustbewhatI
haveindicated，anditcanrunupacurtain，anditiscarnivorous。””Howdoyoudeducethat?””Becauseitranupthecurtain。Acanary’scagewashanginginthewindow，anditsaimseemstohavebeentogetatthebird。””Thenwhatwasthebeast?””Ah，ifIcouldgiveitanameitmightgoalongwaytowardssolvingthecase。Onthewhole，itwasprobablysomecreatureoftheweaselandstoattribe——andyetitislargerthananyofthesethatI
haveseen。””Butwhathadittodowiththecrime?””That，also，isstillobscure。Butwehavelearnedagooddeal，youperceive。WeknowthatamanstoodintheroadlookingatthequarrelbetweentheBarclays——theblindswereupandtheroomlighted。Weknow，also，thatheranacrossthelawn，enteredtheroom，accompaniedbyastrangeanimal，andthatheeitherstrucktheColonelor，asisequallypossible，thattheColonelfelldownfromsheerfrightatthesightofhim，andcuthisheadonthecornerofthefender。Finally，wehavethecuriousfactthattheintrudercarriedawaythekeywithhimwhenheleft。””Youdiscoveriesseemtohaveleftthebusinessmoreobscurethatitwasbefore，”saidI。”Quiteso。Theyundoubtedlyshowedthattheaffairwasmuchdeeperthanwasatfirstconjectured。I
thoughtthematterover，andIcametotheconclusionthatImustapproachthecasefromanotheraspect。
Butreally，Watson，Iamkeepingyouup，andImightjustaswelltellyouallthisonourwaytoAldershotto-morrow。””Thankyou，youhavegonerathertoofartostop。””ItisquitecertainthatwhenMrs。Barclayleftthehouseathalf-pastsevenshewasongoodtermswithherhusband。Shewasnever，asIthinkIhavesaid，ostentatiouslyaffectionate，butshewasheardbythecoachmanchattingwiththeColonelinafriendlyfashion。Now，itwasequallycertainthat，immediatelyonherreturn，shehadgonetotheroominwhichshewasleastlikelytoseeherhusband，hadflowntoteaasanagitatedwomanwill，andfinally，onhiscomingintoher，hadbrokenintoviolentrecriminations。Thereforesomethinghadoccurredbetweenseven-thirtyandnineo’clockwhichhadcompletelyalteredherfeelingstowardshim。ButMissMorrisonhadbeenwithherduringthewholeofthathourandahalf。Itwasabsolutelycertain，therefore，inspiteofherdenial，thatshemustknowsomethingofthematter。”Myfirstconjecturewas，thatpossiblytherehadbeensomepassagesbetweenthisyoungladyandtheoldsoldier，whichtheformerhadnowconfessedtothewife。Thatwouldaccountfortheangryreturn，andalsoforthegirl’sdenialthatanythinghadoccurred。
Norwoulditbeentirelyincompatiblewithmostofthewordsoverhead。ButtherewasthereferencetoDavid，andtherewastheknownaffectionoftheColonelforhiswife，toweighagainstit，tosaynothingofthetragicintrusionofthisotherman，whichmight，ofcourse，beentirelydisconnectedwithwhathadgonebefore。Itwasnoteasytopickone’ssteps，but，onthewhole，IwasinclinedtodismisstheideathattherehadbeenanythingbetweentheColonelandMissMorrison，butmorethaneverconvincedthattheyoungladyheldtheclueastowhatitwaswhichhadturnedMrs。Barclaytohatredofherhusband。Itooktheobviouscourse，therefore，ofcallinguponMissM。，ofexplainingtoherthatIwasperfectlycertainthatsheheldthefactsinherpossession，andofassuringherthatherfriend，Mrs。Barclay，mightfindherselfinthedockuponacapitalchargeunlessthematterwereclearedup。”MissMorrisonisalittleetherealslipofagirl，withtimideyesandblondhair，butIfoundherbynomeanswantinginshrewdnessandcommon-sense。ShesatthinkingforsometimeafterIhadspoken，andthen，turningtomewithabriskairofresolution，shebrokeintoaremarkablestatementwhichIwillcondenseforyourbenefit。”’IpromisedmyfriendthatIwouldsaynothingofthematter，andapromiseisapromise，；saidshe；’butifIcanreallyhelpherwhensoseriousachargeislaidagainsther，andwhenherownmouth，poordarling，isclosedbyillness，thenIthinkIamabsolvedfrommypromise。IwilltellyouexactlywhathappeneduponMondayevening。”’WewerereturningfromtheWattStreetMissionaboutaquartertonineo’clock。OnourwaywehadtopassthroughHudsonStreet，whichisaveryquietthoroughfare。Thereisonlyonelampinit，upontheleft-handside，andasweapproachedthislampIsawamancomingtowardsuswithisbackverybent，andsomethinglikeaboxslungoveroneofhisshoulders。
Heappearedtobedeformed，forhecarriedhisheadlowandwalkedwithhiskneesbent。Wewerepassinghimwhenheraisedhisfacetolookatusinthecircleoflightthrownbythelamp，andashedidsohestoppedandscreamedoutinadreadfulvoice，”MyGod，it’sNancy！”Mrs。Barclayturnedaswhiteasdeath，andwouldhavefallendownhadthedreadful-lookingcreaturenotcaughtholdofher。I
wasgoingtocallforthepolice，butshe，tomysurprise，spokequitecivillytothefellow。