“Whyshouldthetrampburnthebody？“
“Forthematterofthat，whyshouldMcFarlane？“
“Tohidesomeevidence。”
“Possiblythetrampwantedtohidethatanymurderatallhadbeen
committed。”
“Andwhydidthetramptakenothing？“
“Becausetheywerepapersthathecouldnotnegotiate。”
Lestradeshookhishead，thoughitseemedtomethathismanner
waslessabsolutelyassuredthanbefore。
“Well，Mr。SherlockHolmes，youmaylookforyourtramp，andwhile
youarefindinghimwewillholdontoourman。Thefuturewillshow
whichisright。Justnoticethispoint，Mr。Holmes：thatsofaras
weknow，noneofthepaperswereremoved，andthattheprisoneristhe
onemanintheworldwhohadnoreasonforremovingthem，sincehewas
heir-at-law，andwouldcomeintotheminanycase。”
Myfriendseemedstruckbythisremark。
“Idon”tmeantodenythattheevidenceisinsomewaysvery
stronglyinfavourofyourtheory，“saidhe。“Ionlywishtopointout
thatthereareothertheoriespossible。Asyousay，thefuturewill
decide。Good-morning！IdaresaythatinthecourseofthedayIshall
dropinatNorwoodandseehowyouaregettingon。”
Whenthedetectivedeparted，myfriendroseandmadehis
preparationsfortheday”sworkwiththealertairofamanwhohas
acongenialtaskbeforehim。
“MyfirstmovementWatson，“saidhe，ashebustledintohis
frockcoat，“must，asIsaid，beinthedirectionofBlackheath。”
“AndwhynotNorwood？“
“Becausewehaveinthiscaseonesingularincidentcomingclose
totheheelsofanothersingularincident。Thepolicearemakingthe
mistakeofconcentratingtheirattentionuponthesecond，becauseit
happenstobetheonewhichisactuallycriminal。Butitisevidentto
methatthelogicalwaytoapproachthecaseistobeginbytrying
tothrowsomelightuponthefirstincident-thecuriouswill，so
suddenlymade，andtosounexpectedanheir。Itmaydosomethingto
simplifywhatfollowed。No，mydearfellow，Idon”tthinkyoucanhelp
me。Thereisnoprospectofdanger，orIshouldnotdreamof
stirringoutwithoutyou。ItrustthatwhenIseeyouinthe
evening，IwillbeabletoreportthatIhavebeenabletodo
somethingforthisunfortunateyoungster，whohasthrownhimself
uponmyprotection。”
Itwaslatewhenmyfriendreturned，andIcouldsee，byaglanceat
hishaggardandanxiousface，thatthehighhopeswithwhichbehad
startedhadnotbeenfulfilled。Foranhourhedronedawayuponhis
violin，endeavouringtosoothehisownruffledspirits。Atlasthe
flungdowntheinstrument，andplungedintoadetailedaccountof
hismisadventures。
“It”sallgoingwrong，Watson-allaswrongasitcango。Ikepta
boldfacebeforeLestrade，but，uponmysoul，Ibelievethatfor
oncethefellowisontherighttrackandweareonthewrong。All
myinstinctsareoneway，andallthefactsaretheother，andI
muchfearthatBritishjurieshavenotyetattainedthatpitchof
intelligencewhentheywillgivethepreferencetomytheoriesover
Lestrade”sfacts。”
“DidyougotoBlackheath？“
“Yes，Watson，Iwentthere，andIfoundveryquicklythatthelate
lamentedOldacrewasaprettyconsiderableblackguard。Thefather
wasawayinsearchofhisson。Themotherwasathome-alittle，
fluffy，blue-eyedperson，inatremoroffearandindignation。Of
course，shewouldnotadmiteventhepossibilityofhisguilt。Butshe
wouldnotexpresseithersurpriseorregretoverthefateof
Oldacre。Onthecontrary，shespokeofhimwithsuchbitternessthat
shewasunconsciouslyconsiderablystrengtheningthecaseofthe
policefor，ofcourse，ifhersonhadheardherspeakofthemanin
thisfashion，itwouldpredisposehimtowardshatredandviolence。`He
wasmorelikeamalignantandcunningapethanahumanbeing”said
she，`andhealwayswas，eversincehewasayoungman。”
“`Youknewhimatthattime？”saidI
“`Yes，Iknewhimwell，infact，hewasanoldsuitorofmine。Thank
heaventhatIhadthesensetoturnawayfromhimandtomarrya
better，ifpoorer，man。Iwasengagedtohim，Mr。Holmes，whenIheard
ashockingstoryofhowhehadturnedacatlooseinanaviary，and
IwassohorrifiedathisbrutalcrueltythatIwouldhavenothing
moretodowithhim。”Sherummagedinabureau，andpresentlyshe
producedaphotographofawoman，shamefullydefacedandmutilated
withaknife。`Thatismyownphotograph”shesaid。`Hesentittome
inthatstate，withhiscurse，uponmyweddingmorning。”
“`Well”saidI，`atleasthehasforgivenyounow，sincehehas
leftallhispropertytoyourson。”
“`NeithermysonnorIwantanythingfromJonasOldacre，deador
alive！”shecried，withaproperspirit。`ThereisaGodinheaven，
Ah，Holmes，andthatsameGodwhohaspunishedthatwickedmanwill
show，inHisowngoodtime，thatmyson”shandsareguiltlessofhis
blood。”
“Well，Itriedoneortwoleads，butcouldgetatnothingwhich
wouldhelpourhypothesis，andseveralpointswhichwouldmakeagainst
it。IgaveitupatlastandoffIwenttoNorwood。
“Thisplace，DeepDeneHouse，isabigmodernvillaofstaring
brick，standingbackinitsowngrounds，withalaurel-clumpedlawnin
frontofit。Totherightandsomedistancebackfromtheroadwasthe
timber-yardwhichhadbeenthesceneofthefire。Here”sarough
planonaleafofmynotebook。Thiswindowontheleftistheone
whichopensintoOldacre”sroom。Youcanlookintoitfromtheroad，
yousee。ThatisabouttheonlybitofconsolationIhavehad
to-day。Lestradewasnotthere，buthisheadconstabledidthe
honours。Theyhadjustfoundagreattreasuretrove。Theyhadspent
themorningrakingamongtheashesoftheburnedwood-pile，and
besidesthecharredorganicremainstheyhadsecuredseveral
discolouredmetaldiscs。Iexaminedthemwithcare，andtherewasno
doubtthattheyweretrouserbuttons。Ievendistinguishedthatoneof
themwasmarkedwiththenameof`Hyams”whowasOldacrestailor。I
thenworkedthelawnverycarefullyforsignsandtraces，butthis
droughthasmadeeverythingashardasiron。Nothingwastobeseen
savethatsomebodyorbundlehadbeendraggedthroughalowprivet
hedgewhichisinalinewiththewood-pile。Allthat，ofcourse，fits
inwiththeofficialtheory。IcrawledaboutthelawnwithanAugust
sunonmyback，butIgotupattheendofanhournowiserthan
before。
“Well，afterthisfiascoIwentintothebedroomandexaminedthat
also。Theblood-stainswereveryslight，meresmearsand
discolourations，butundoubtedlyfresh。Thestickhadbeenremoved，
buttherealsothemarkswereslight。Thereisnodoubtaboutthe
stickbelongingtoourclient。Headmitsit。Footmarksofbothmen
couldbemadeoutonthecarpet，butnoneofanythirdperson，which
againisatrickfortheotherside。Theywerepilinguptheirscore
allthetimeandwewereatastandstill。
“OnlyonelittlegleamofhopedidIget-andyetitamountedto
nothing。Iexaminedthecontentsofthesafe，mostofwhichhadbeen
takenoutandleftonthetable。Thepapershadbeenmadeupinto
sealedenvelopes，oneortwoofwhichhadbeenopenedbythepolice。
Theywerenot，sofarasIcouldjudge，ofanygreatvalue，nordid
thebank-bookshowthatMr。Oldacrewasinsuchveryaffluent
circumstances。Butitseemedtomethatallthepaperswerenotthere。
Therewereallusionstosomedeeds-possiblythemorevaluable-
whichIcouldnotfind。This，ofcourse，ifwecoulddefinitely
proveit，wouldturnLestrade”sargumentagainsthimself，forwho
wouldstealathingifheknewthathewouldshortlyinheritit？
“Finally，havingdrawneveryothercoverandpickedupnoscent，I
triedmyluckwiththehousekeeper。Mrs。Lesingtonishername-a
little，dark，silentperson，withsuspiciousandsidelongeyes。She
couldtellussomethingifshewould-Iamconvincedofit。Butshe
wasascloseaswax。Yes，shehadletMr。McFarlaneinathalfpast
nine。Shewishedherhandhadwitheredbeforeshehaddoneso。Shehad
gonetobedathalf-pastten。Herroomwasattheotherendofthe
house，andshecouldhearnothingofwhathadpassed。Mr。McFarlane
hadlefthishat，andtothebestofherhadbeenawakenedbythe
alarmoffire。Herpoor，dearmasterhadcertainlybeenmurdered。
Hadheanyenemies？Well，everymanhadenemies，butMr。Oldacre
kepthimselfverymuchtohimself，andonlymetpeopleinthewayof
business。Shehadseenthebuttons，andwassurethattheyhad
belongedtotheclotheswhichhehadwornlastnight。Thewood-pile
wasverydry，forithadnotrainedforamonth。Itburnedlike
tinder，andbythetimeshereachedthespot，nothingcouldbeseen
butflames。Sheandallthefiremensmelledtheburnedfleshfrom
insideit。Sheknewnothingofthepapers，norofMr。Oldacre”s
privateaffairs。
“So，mydearWatson，there”smyreportofafailure。Andyet-and
yet-“heclenchedhisthinhandsinaparoxysmofconviction-“I
knowit”sallwrong。Ifeelitinmybones。Thereissomethingthat
hasnotcomeout，andthathousekeeperknowsit。Therewasasortof
sulkydefianceinhereyes，whichonlygoeswithguiltyknowledge。
However，there”snogoodtalkinganymoreaboutit，Watson；butunless
someluckychancecomesourwayIfearthattheNorwood
DisappearanceCasewillnotfigureinthatchronicleofour
successeswhichIforeseethatapatientpublicwillsoonerorlater
havetoendure。”
“Surely，“saidI，“theman”sappearancewouldgofarwithanyjury？“
“ThatisadangerousargumentmydearWatson。Yourememberthat
terriblemurderer，BertStevens，whowantedustogethimoffin”87？Wasthereeveramoremild-mannered，Sunday-schoolyoungman？“
“Itistrue。”
“Unlesswesucceedinestablishinganalternativetheory，thisman
islost。Youcanhardlyfindaflawinthecasewhichcannowbe
presentedagainsthim，andallfurtherinvestigationhasservedto
strengthenit。Bytheway，thereisonecuriouslittlepointabout
thosepaperswhichmayserveusasthestarting-pointforan
inquiry。Onlookingoverthebank-bookIfoundthatthelowstateof
thebalancewasprincipallyduetolargecheckswhichhavebeenmade
outduringthelastyeartoMr。Cornelius。IconfessthatIshould
beinterestedtoknowwhothisMr。Corneliusmaybewithwhoma
retiredbuilderhashadsuchverylargetransactions。Isitpossible
thathehashadahandintheaffair？Corneliusmightbeabroker，but
wehavefoundnoscriptocorrespondwiththeselargepayments。
Failinganyotherindication，myresearchesmustnowtakethe
directionofaninquiryatthebankforthegentlemanwhohascashed
thesechecks。ButIfear，mydearfellow，thatourcasewillend
ingloriouslybyLestradehangingourclient，whichwillcertainlybea
triumphforScotlandYard。”
IdonotknowhowfarSherlockHolmestookanysleepthatnight，but
whenIcamedowntobreakfastIfoundhimpaleandharassed，his
brighteyesthebrighterforthedarkshadowsroundthem。Thecarpet
roundhischairwaslitteredwithcigarette-endsandwiththeearly
editionsofthemorningpapers。Anopentelegramlayuponthetable。
“Whatdoyouthinkofthis，Watson？“heasked，tossingitacross。
ItwasfromNorwood，andranasfollows：
Importantfreshevidencetohand。McFarlane”sguiltdefinitely
established。Adviseyoutoabandoncase。
LESTRADE。
“Thissoundsserious，“saidI。
“ItisLestrade”slittlecock-a-doodleofvictory，“Holmesanswered，
withabittersmile。“Andyetitmaybeprematuretoabandonthecase。
Afterall，importantfreshevidenceisatwo-edgedthing，andmay
possiblycutinaverydifferentdirectiontothatwhichLestrade
imagines。Takeyourbreakfast，Watson，andwewillgoouttogetherand
seewhatwecando。IfeelasifIshallneedyourcompanyandyour
moralsupporttoday。”
Myfriendhadnobreakfasthimself，foritwasoneofhis
peculiaritiesthatinhismoreintensemomentshewouldpermithimself
nofood，andIhaveknownhimpresumeuponhisironstrengthuntil
hehasfaintedfrompureinanition。“AtpresentIcannotspare
energyandnerveforcefordigestion，“hewouldsayinanswertomy
medicalremonstrances。Iwasnotsurprised，therefore，whenthis
morninghelefthisuntouchedmealbehindhim，andstartedwithmefor
Norwood。AcrowdofmorbidsightseerswerestillgatheredroundDeep
DeneHouse，whichwasjustsuchasuburbanvillaasIhadpictured。
WithinthegatesLestrademetus，hisfaceflushedwithvictory，his
mannergrosslytriumphant。
“Well，Mr。Holmes，haveyouprovedustobewrongyet？Haveyou
foundyourtramp？“hecried。
“Ihaveformednoconclusionwhatever，“mycompanionanswered。
“Butweformedoursyesterday，andnowitprovestobecorrect，so
youmustacknowledgethatwehavebeenalittleinfrontofyouthis
time，Mr。Holmes。”
“Youcertainlyhavetheairofsomethingunusualhavingoccurred，“
saidHolmes。
Lestradelaughedloudly。
“Youdon”tlikebeingbeatenanymorethantherestofusdo，“
saidhe。“Amancan”texpectalwaystohaveithisownway，canhe，
Dr。Watson？Stepthisway，ifyouplease，gentlemen，andIthinkIcan
convinceyouonceforallthatitwasJohnMcFarlanewhodidthis
crime。”
Heledusthroughthepassageandoutintoadarkhallbeyond。
“ThisiswhereyoungMcFarlanemusthavecomeouttogethishat
afterthecrimewasdone，“saidhe。“Nowlookatthis。”With
dramaticsuddennesshestruckamatch，andbyitslightexposeda
stainofblooduponthewhitewashedwall。Asheheldthematchnearer，
Isawthatitwasmorethanastain。Itwasthewell-markedprintofa
thumb。
“Lookatthatwithyourmagnifyingglass，Mr。Holmes。”
“Yes，Iamdoingso。”
“Youareawarethatnotwothumb-marksarealike？“
“Ihaveheardsomethingofthekind。”
“Well，then，willyoupleasecomparethatprintwiththiswax
impressionofyoungMcFarlane”srightthumb，takenbymyordersthis
morning？“
Asheheldthewaxenprintclosetotheblood-stain，itdidnottake
amagnifyingglasstoseethatthetwowereundoubtedlyfromthe
samethumb。Itwasevidenttomethatourunfortunateclientwaslost。
“Thatisfinal，“saidLestrade。
“Yes，thatisfinal，“Iinvoluntarilyechoed。
“Itisfinal，“saidHolmes。
Somethinginhistonecaughtmyear，andIturnedtolookathim。An
extraordinarychangehadcomeoverhisface。Itwaswrithingwith
inwardmerriment。Histwoeyeswereshininglikestars。Itseemedto
methathewasmakingdesperateeffortstorestrainaconvulsive
attackoflaughter。
“Dearme！Dearme！“hesaidatlast。“Well，now，whowouldhave
thoughtit？Andhowdeceptiveappearancesmaybe，tobesure！Sucha
niceyoungmantolookat！Itisalessontousnottotrustourown
judgment，isitnot，Lestrade？“
“Yes，someofusarealittletoomuchinclinedtobecock-sure，Mr。
Holmes，“saidLestrade。Theman”sinsolencewasmaddening，butwe
couldnotresentit。
“Whataprovidentialthingthatthisyoungmanshouldpresshis
rightthumbagainstthewallintakinghishatfromthepeg！Sucha
verynaturalaction，too，ifyoucometothinkifit。”Holmeswas
outwardlycalm，buthiswholebodygaveawriggleofsuppressed
excitementashespoke。
“Bytheway，Lestrade，whomadethisremarkablediscovery？“
“Itwasthehousekeeper，Mrs。Lexington，whodrewthenight
constable”sattentiontoit。”
“Wherewasthenightconstable？“
“Heremainedonguardinthebedroomwherethecrimewas
committed，soastoseethatnothingwastouched。”
“Butwhydidn”tthepoliceseethismarkyesterday？“
“Well，wehadnoparticularreasontomakeacarefulexamination
ofthehall。Besides，it”snotinaveryprominentplace，asyousee。”
“No，no-ofcoursenot。Isupposethereisnodoubtthatthemark
wasthereyesterday？“
LestradelookedatHolmesasifhethoughthewasgoingoutofhis
mind。IconfessthatIwasmyselfsurprisedbothathishilarious
mannerandathisratherwildobservation。
“Idon”tknowwhetheryouthinkthatMcFarlanecameoutofjailin
thedeadofthenightinordertostrengthentheevidenceagainst
himself，“saidLestrade。“Ileaveittoanyexpertintheworld
whetherthatisnotthemarkofhisthumb。”
“Itisunquestionablythemarkofhisthumb。”
“There，that”senough，“saidLestrade。“Iamapracticalman，Mr。
Holmes，andwhenIhavegotmyevidenceIcometomyconclusions。If
youhaveanythingtosay，youwillfindmewritingmyreportinthe
sitting-room。”
Holmeshadrecoveredhisequanimity，thoughIstillseemedtodetect
gleamsofamusementinhisexpression。
“Dearme，thisisaverysaddevelopment，Watson，isitnot？“said
he。“Andyettherearesingularpointsaboutitwhichholdoutsome
hopesforourclient。”
“Iamdelightedtohearit，“saidI，heartily。“Iwasafraidit
wasallupwithhim。”
“Iwouldhardlygosofarastosaythat，mydearWatson。Thefact
isthatthereisonereallyseriousflawinthisevidencetowhichour
friendattachessomuchimportance。”
“Indeed，Holmes！Whatisit？“
“Onlythis：thatIknowthatthatwasnottherewhenIexamined
thehallyesterday。Andnow，Watson，letushavealittlestrollround
inthesunshine。”
Withaconfusedbrain，butwithaheartintowhichsomewarmthof
hopewasreturning，Iaccompaniedmyfriendinawalkroundthe
garden。Holmestookeachfaceofthehouseinturn，andexaminedit
withgreatinterest。Hethenledthewayinside，andwentoverthe
wholebuildingfrombasementtoattic。Mostoftheroomswere
unfurnished，butnonethelessHolmesinspectedthemallminutely。
Finally，onthetopcorridor，whichranoutsidethreeuntenanted
bedrooms，heagainwasseizedwithaspasmofmerriment。
“Therearereallysomeveryuniquefeaturesaboutthiscase，
Watson，“saidhe。“Ithinkitistimenowthatwetookourfriend
Lestradeintoourconfidence。Hehashadhislittlesmileatour
expense，andperhapswemaydoasmuchbyhim，ifmyreadingofthis
problemprovestobecorrect。Yes，yes，IthinkIseehowweshould
approachit。”
TheScotlandYardinspectorwasstillwritingintheparlourwhen
Holmesinterruptedhim。
“Iunderstoodthatyouwerewritingareportofthiscase，“saidhe。
“SoIam。”
“Don”tyouthinkitmaybealittlepremature？Ican”thelpthinking
thatyourevidenceisnotcomplete。”
Lestradeknewmyfriendtoowelltodisregardhiswords。Helaid
downhispenandlookedcuriouslyathim。
“Whatdoyoumean，Mr。Holmes？“
“Onlythatthereisanimportantwitnesswhomyouhavenotseen。”
“Canyouproducehim？“
“IthinkIcan。”
“Thendoso。”
“Iwilldomybest。Howmanyconstableshaveyou？“
“Therearethreewithincall。”
“Excellent！“saidHolmes。“MayIaskiftheyarealllarge，
able-bodiedmenwithpowerfulvoices？“
“Ihavenodoubttheyare，thoughIfailtoseewhattheirvoices
havetodowithit。”
“PerhapsIcanhelpyoutoseethatandoneortwootherthingsas
well，“saidHolmes。“Kindlysummonyourmen，andIwilltry。”
Fiveminuteslater，threepolicemenhadassembledinthehall。
“Intheouthouseyouwillfindaconsiderablequantityofstraw，“
saidHolmes。“Iwillaskyoutocarryintwobundlesofit。Ithinkit
willbeofthegreatestassistanceinproducingthewitnesswhomI
require。Thankyouverymuch。Ibelieveyouhavesomematchesin
yourpocketWatson。Now，Mr。Lestrade，Iwillaskyoualltoaccompany
metothetoplanding。”
AsIhavesaid，therewasabroadcorridorthere，whichran
outsidethreeemptybedrooms。Atoneendofthecorridorwewereall
marshalledbySherlockHolmes，theconstablesgrinningandLestrade
staringatmyfriendwithamazement，expectation，andderisionchasing
eachotheracrosshisfeatures。Holmesstoodbeforeuswiththeairof
aconjurerwhoisperformingatrick。
“Wouldyoukindlysendoneofyourconstablesfortwobucketsof
water？Putthestrawonthefloorhere，freefromthewalloneither
side。NowIthinkthatweareallready。”
Lestrade”sfacehadbeguntogrowredandangry。
“Idon”tknowwhetheryouareplayingagamewithus，Mr。Sherlock
Holmes，“saidhe。“Ifyouknowanything，youcansurelysayitwithout
allthistomfoolery。”
“Iassureyou，mygoodLestrade，thatIhaveanexcellentreasonfor
everythingthatIdo。Youmaypossiblyrememberthatyouchaffedme
alittle，somehoursago，whenthesunseemedonyoursideofthe
hedge，soyoumustnotgrudgemealittlepompandceremonynow。Might
Iaskyou，Watson，toopenthatwindow，andthentoputamatchtothe
edgeofthestraw？“
Ididso，anddrivenbythedraughtacoilofgraysmokeswirled
downthecorridor，whilethedrystrawcrackledandflamed。
“Nowwemustseeifwecanfindthiswitnessforyou，Lestrade。
MightIaskyoualltojoininthecryof`Fire！”？Nowthen；one，two，
three-“
“Fire！“weallyelled。
“Thankyou。Iwilltroubleyouonceagain。”
“Fire！“
“Justoncemore，gentlemen，andalltogether。”
“Fire！“TheshoutmusthaverungoverNorwood。
Ithadhardlydiedawaywhenanamazingthinghappened。Adoor
suddenlyflewopenoutofwhatappearedtobesolidwallattheendof
thecorridor，andalittle，wizenedmandartedoutofit，likea
rabbitoutofitsburrow。
“Capital！“saidHolmes，calmly。“Watson，abucketofwaterover
thestraw。Thatwilldo！Lestrade，allowmetopresentyouwithyour
principalmissingwitness，Mr。JonasOldacre。”
Thedetectivestaredatthenewcomerwithblankamazement。The
latterwasblinkinginthebrightlightofthecorridor，andpeering
atusandatthesmoulderingfire。Itwasanodiousface-crafty，
vicious，malignant，withshifty，light-grayeyesandwhitelashes。
“What”sthis，then？“saidLestrade，atlast。“Whathaveyoubeen
doingallthistime，eh？“
Oldacregaveanuneasylaugh，shrinkingbackfromthefuriousred
faceoftheangrydetective。
“Ihavedonenoharm。”
“Noharm？Youhavedoneyourbesttogetaninnocentmanhanged。
Ifitwasn”tthisgentlemanhere，Iamnotsurethatyouwouldnot
havesucceeded。”
Thewretchedcreaturebegantowhimper。
“Iamsure，sir，itwasonlymypracticaljoke。”
“Oh！ajoke，wasit？Youwon”tfindthelaughonyourside，Ipromise
you。Takehimdown，andkeephiminthesitting-roomuntilIcome。Mr。
Holmes，“hecontinued，whentheyhadgone，“Icouldnotspeakbefore
theconstables，butIdon”tmindsaying，inthepresenceofDr。
Watson，thatthisisthebrightestthingthatyouhavedoneyet，
thoughitisamysterytomehowyoudidit。Youhavesavedan
innocentman”slife，andyouhavepreventedaverygravescandal，
whichwouldhaveruinedmyreputationintheForce。”
Holmessmiled，andclappedLestradeupontheshoulder。
“Insteadofbeingruined，mygoodsir，youwillfindthatyour
reputationhasbeenenormouslyenhanced。Justmakeafewalterations
inthatreportwhichyouwerewriting，andtheywillunderstandhow
harditistothrowdustintheeyesofInspectorLestrade。”
“Andyoudon”twantyournametoappear？“
“Notatall。Theworkisitsownreward。PerhapsIshallgetthe
creditalsoatsomedistantday，whenIpermitmyzealoushistorianto
layouthisfoolscaponcemore-eh，Watson？Well，now，letussee
wherethisrathasbeenlurking。”
Alath-and-plasterpartitionhadbeenrunacrossthepassagesix
feetfromtheend，withadoorcunninglyconcealedinit。Itwaslit
withinbyslitsundertheeaves。Afewarticlesoffurnitureanda
supplyoffoodandwaterwerewithin，togetherwithanumberof
booksandpapers。
“There”stheadvantageofbeingabuilder，“saidHolmes，aswe
cameout。“Hewasabletofixuphisownlittlehiding-placewithout
anyconfederate-save，ofcourse，thatprecioushousekeeperofhis，
whomIshouldlosenotimeinaddingtoyourbag，Lestrade。”
“I”lltakeyouradvice。Buthowdidyouknowofthisplace，Mr。
Holmes？“
“Imadeupmymindthatthefellowwasinhidinginthehouse。
WhenIpacedonecorridorandfounditsixfeetshorterthanthe
correspondingonebelow，itwasprettyclearwherehewas。Ithought
hehadnotthenervetoliequietbeforeanalarmoffire。Wecould，
ofcourse，havegoneinandtakenhim，butitamusedmetomakehim
revealhimself。Besides，Iowedyoualittlemystification，
Lestrade，foryourchaffinthemorning。”
“Well，sir，youcertainlygotequalwithmeonthat。Buthowin
theworlddidyouknowthathewasinthehouseatall？“
“Thethumb-mark，Lestrade。Yousaiditwasfinal；andsoitwas，
inaverydifferentsense。Iknewithadnotbeentheretheday
before。Ipayagooddealofattentiontomattersofdetail，asyou
mayhaveobserved，andIhadexaminedthehall，andwassurethat
thewallwasclear。Therefore，ithadbeenputonduringthenight。”
“Buthow？“
“Verysimply。Whenthosepacketsweresealedup，JonasOldacregot
McFarlanetosecureoneofthesealsbyputtinghisthumbuponthe
softwax。Itwouldbedonesoquicklyandsonaturally，thatIdaresay
theyoungmanhimselfhasnorecollectionofit。Verylikelyitjust
sohappened，andOldacrehadhimselfnonotionoftheusehewouldput
itto。Broodingoverthecaseinthatdenofhis，itsuddenlystruck
himwhatabsolutelydamningevidencehecouldmakeagainstMcFarlane
byusingthatthumb-mark。Itwasthesimplestthingintheworldfor
himtotakeawaximpressionfromtheseal，tomoistenitinasmuch
bloodashecouldgetfromapin-prick，andtoputthemarkuponthe
wallduringthenight，eitherwithhisownhandorwiththatofhis
housekeeper。Ifyouexamineamongthosedocumentswhichhetookwith
himintohisretreat，Iwilllayyouawagerthatyoufindtheseal
withthethumb-markuponit。”
“Wonderful！“saidLestrade。“Wonderful！It”sallasclearas
crystal，asyouputit。Butwhatistheobjectofthisdeepdeception，
Mr。Holmes？“
Itwasamusingtometoseehowthedetective”soverbearingmanner
hadchangedsuddenlytothatofachildaskingquestionsofits
teacher。
“Well，Idon”tthinkthatisveryhardtoexplain。Averydeep，
malicious，vindictivepersonisthegentlemanwhoisnowwaitingus
downstairs。YouknowthathewasoncerefusedbyMcFarlane”smother？
Youdon”t！ItoldyouthatyoushouldgotoBlackheathfirstand
Norwoodafterwards。Well，thisinjury，ashewouldconsiderit，has
rankledinhiswicked，schemingbrain，andallhislifehehas
longedforvengeance，butneverseenhischance。Duringthelast
yearortwo，thingshavegoneagainsthim-secretspeculation，I
think-andhefindshimselfinabadway。Hedeterminestoswindlehis
creditors，andforthispurposehepayslargecheckstoacertain
Mr。Cornelius，whois，Iimagine，himselfunderanothername。Ihave
nottracedthesechecksyet，butIhavenodoubtthattheywerebanked
underthatnameatsomeprovincialtownwhereOldacrefromtimeto
timeledadoubleexistence。Heintendedtochangehisname
altogether，drawthismoney，andvanish，startinglifeagain
elsewhere。”
“Well，that”slikelyenough。”
“Itwouldstrikehimthatindisappearinghemightthrowallpursuit
offhistrack，andatthesametimehaveanampleandcrushingrevenge
uponhisoldsweetheart，ifhecouldgivetheimpressionthathehad
beenmurderedbyheronlychild。Itwasamasterpieceofvillainy，and
hecarrieditoutlikeamaster。Theideaofthewill，whichwould
giveanobviousmotiveforthecrime，thesecretvisitunknownto
hisownparents，theretentionofthestick，theblood，andtheanimal
remainsandbuttonsinthewood-pile，allwereadmirable。Itwasanet
fromwhichitseemedtome，afewhoursago，thattherewasno
possibleescape。Buthehadnotthatsupremegiftoftheartist，the
knowledgeofwhentostop。Hewishedtoimprovethatwhichwasalready
perfect-todrawtheropetighteryetroundtheneckofhis
unfortunatevictim-andsoheruinedall。Letusdescend，Lestrade。
TherearejustoneortwoquestionsthatIwouldaskhim。”
Themalignantcreaturewasseatedinhisownparlour，witha
policemanuponeachsideofhim。
“Itwasajoke，mygoodsir-apracticaljoke，nothingmore，“he
whinedincessantly。“Iassureyou，sir，thatIsimplyconcealedmyself
inordertoseetheeffectofmydisappearance，andIamsurethatyou
wouldnotbesounjustastoimaginethatIwouldhaveallowedany
harmtobefallpooryoungMr。McFarlane。”
“That”sforajurytodecide，“saidLestrade。“Anyhow，weshallhave
youonachargeofconspiracy，ifnotforattemptedmurder。”
“Andyou”llprobablyfindthatyourcreditorswillimpoundthe
bankingaccountofMr。Cornelius，“saidHolmes。
Thelittlemanstarted，andturnedhismalignanteyesuponmy
friend。
“Ihavetothankyouforagooddeal，“saidhe。“PerhapsI”llpaymy
debtsomeday。”
Holmessmiledindulgently。
“Ifancythat，forsomefewyears，youwillfindyourtimevery
fullyoccupied，“saidhe。“Bytheway，whatwasityouputintothe
wood-pilebesidesyouroldtrousers？Adeaddog，orrabbits，or
what？Youwon”ttell？Dearme，howveryunkindofyou！Well，well，I
daresaythatacoupleofrabbitswouldaccountbothfortheblood
andforthecharredashes。Ifeveryouwriteanaccount，Watson，you
canmakerabbitsserveyourturn。”-
THEEND。
1904
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEPRIORYSCHOOL
bySirArthurConanDoyle
THEADVENTUREOFTHEPRIORYSCHOOL
Wehavehadsomedramaticentrancesandexitsuponoursmallstage
atBakerStreet，butIcannotrecollectanythingmoresuddenand
startlingthanthefirstappearanceofThorneycroftHuxtable，M。A。，
Ph。D。，etc。Hiscard，whichseemedtoosmalltocarrytheweightof
hisacademicdistinctions，precededhimbyafewseconds，andthen
heenteredhimself-solarge，sopompous，andsodignifiedthathewas
theveryembodimentofself-possessionandsolidity。Andyethisfirst
action，whenthedoorhadclosedbehindhim，wastostaggeragainst
thetable，whenceheslippeddownuponthefloor，andtherewasthat
majesticfigureprostrateandinsensibleuponourbearskinhearthrug。
Wehadsprungtoourfeet，andforafewmomentswestaredinsilent
amazementatthisponderouspieceofwreckage，whichtoldofsome
suddenandfatalstormfaroutontheoceanoflife。ThenHolmes
hurriedwithacushionforhishead，andIwithbrandyforhislips。
Theheavy，whitefacewasseamedwithlinesoftrouble，thehanging
pouchesundertheclosedeyeswereleadenincolour，theloosemouth
droopeddolorouslyatthecorners，therollingchinswereunshaven。
Collarandshirtborethegrimeofalongjourney，andthehair
bristledunkemptfromthewell-shapedhead。Itwasasorelystricken
manwholaybeforeus。
“Whatisit，Watson？“askedHolmes。
“Absoluteexhaustion-possiblymerehungerandfatigue，“saidI，
withmyfingeronthethreadypulse，wherethestreamoflifetrickled
thinandsmall。
“ReturnticketfromMackleton，inthenorthofEngland，“said
Holmes，drawingitfromthewatch-pocket。“Itisnottwelveo”clock
yetHehascertainlybeenanearlystarter。”
Thepuckeredeyelidshadbeguntoquiver，andnowapairofvacant
grayeyeslookedupatus。Aninstantlaterthemanhadscrambledon
tohisfeet，hisfacecrimsonwithshame。
“Forgivethisweakness，Mr。Holmes，Ihavebeenalittle
overwrought。Thankyou，ifImighthaveaglassofmilkandabiscuit，
IhavenodoubtthatIshouldbebetter。Icamepersonally，Mr。
Holmes，inordertoinsurethatyouwouldreturnwithme。Ifeared
thatnotelegramwouldconvinceyouoftheabsoluteurgencyofthe
case。”
“Whenyouarequiterestored-“
“Iamquitewellagain。IcannotimaginehowIcametobesoweak。I
wishyou，Mr。Holmes，tocometoMackletonwithmebythenexttrain。”
Myfriendshookhishead。
“Mycolleague，Dr。Watson，couldtellyouthatweareverybusyat
present。IamretainedinthiscaseoftheFerrersDocuments，and
theAbergavennymurderiscomingupfortrial。Onlyaveryimportant
issuecouldcallmefromLondonatpresent。”
“Important！“Ourvisitorthrewuphishands。“Haveyouheardnothing
oftheabductionoftheonlysonoftheDukeofHoldernesse？“
“What！thelateCabinetMinister？“
“Exactly。Wehadtriedtokeepitoutofthepapers，buttherewas
somerumorintheGlobelastnight。Ithoughtitmighthavereached
yourears。”
Holmesshotouthislong，thinarmandpickedoutVolume“H“in
hisencyclopaediaofreference。
“`Holdernesse，6thDuke，K。G。，P。C。”-halfthealphabet！”Baron
Beverley，EarlofCarston”-dearme，whatalist！”LordLieutenant
ofHallamshiresince1900。MarriedEdith，daughterofSirCharles
Appledore，1888。Heirandonlychild，LordSaltire。Ownsabouttwo
hundredandfiftythousandacres。MineralsinLancashireandWales。
Address：CarltonHouseTerrace；HoldernesseHall，Hallamshire；Carston
Castle，Bangor，Wales。LordoftheAdmiralty，1872；ChiefSecretaryof
Statefor-”Well，well，thismaniscertainlyoneofthegreatest
subjectsoftheCrown！“
“Thegreatestandperhapsthewealthiest。Iamaware，Mr。Holmes，
thatyoutakeaveryhighlineinprofessionalmatters，andthatyou
arepreparedtoworkforthework”ssake。Imaytellyou，however，
thathisGracehasalreadyintimatedthatacheckforfivethousand
poundswillbehandedovertothepersonwhocantellhimwherehis
sonis，andanotherthousandtohimwhocannamethemanormenwho
havetakenhim。”
“Itisaprincelyoffer，“saidHolmes。“Watson，Ithinkthatwe
shallaccompanyDr。HuxtablebacktothenorthofEngland。Andnow，
Dr。Huxtable，whenyouhaveconsumedthatmilk，youwillkindlytell
mewhathashappened，whenithappened，howithappened，and，finally，
whatDr。ThorneycroftHuxtable，ofthePriorySchool，near
Mackleton，hastodowiththematter，andwhyhecomesthreedays
afteranevent-thestateofyourchingivesthedate-toaskformy
humbleservices。”
Ourvisitorhadconsumedhismilkandbiscuits。Thelighthadcome
backtohiseyesandthecolourtohischeeks，ashesethimself
withgreatvigourandluciditytoexplainthesituation。
“Imustinformyou，gentlemen，thatthePrioryisapreparatory
school，ofwhichIamthefounderandprincipal。Huxtable”sSidelights
onHoracemaypossiblyrecallmynametoyourmemories。ThePrioryis，
withoutexception，thebestandmostselectpreparatoryschoolin
England。LordLeverstoke，theEarlofBlackwater，SirCathcartSoames-
theyallhaveintrustedtheirsonstome。ButIfeltthatmyschool
hadreacheditszenithwhen，weeksago，theDukeofHoldernessesent
Mr。JamesWilder，hissecretary，withintimationthatyoungLord
Saltire，tenyearsold，hisonlysonandheir，wasabouttobe
committedtomycharge。LittledidIthinkthatthiswouldbethe
preludetothemostcrushingmisfortuneofmylife。
“OnMay1sttheboyarrived，thatbeingthebeginningofthe
summerterm。Hewasacharmingyouth，andhesoonfellintoour
ways。Imaytellyou-ItrustthatIamnotindiscreet，but
half-confidencesareabsurdinsuchacase-thathewasnotentirely
happyathome。ItisanopensecretthattheDuke”smarriedlifehad
notbeenapeacefulone，andthematterhadendedinaseparationby
mutualconsent，theDuchesstakingupherresidenceinthesouthof
France。Thishadoccurredveryshortlybefore，andtheboy”s
sympathiesareknowntohavebeenstronglywithhismother。Hemoped
afterherdeparturefromHoldernesseHall，anditwasforthis
reasonthattheDukedesiredtosendhimtomyestablishment。Ina
fortnighttheboywasquiteathomewithusandwasapparently
absolutelyhappy。
“HewaslastseenonthenightofMay13th-thatis，thenightof
lastMonday。Hisroomwasonthesecondfloorandwasapproached
throughanotherlargerroom，inwhichtwoboysweresleeping。These
boyssawandheardnothing，sothatitiscertainthatyoungSaltire
didnotpassoutthatway。Hiswindowwasopen，andthereisastout
ivyplantleadingtotheground。Wecouldtracenofootmarksbelow，
butitissurethatthisistheonlypossibleexit。
“Hisabsencewasdiscoveredatseveno”clockonTuesdaymorning。His
bedhadbeensleptin。Hehaddressedhimselffully，beforegoingoff，
inhisusualschoolsuitofblackEtonjacketanddarkgray
trousers。Therewerenosignsthatanyonehadenteredtheroom，andit
isquitecertainthatanythinginthenatureofcriesoronesstruggle
wouldhavebeenheard，sinceCaunter，theelderboyintheinnerroom，
isaverylightsleeper。
“WhenLordSaltire”sdisappearancewasdiscovered，Iatonce
calledarollofthewholeestablishment-boys，masters，andservants。
ItwasthenthatweascertainedthatLordSaltirehadnotbeenalone
inhisflight。Heidegger，theGermanmaster，wasmissing。Hisroomwas
onthesecondfloor，atthefartherendofthebuilding，facingthe
samewayasLordSaltire”s。Hisbedhadalsobeensleptin，buthehad
apparentlygoneawaypartlydressed，sincehisshirtandsockswere
lyingonthefloor。Hehadundoubtedlylethimselfdownbytheivy，
forwecouldseethemarksofhisfeetwherehehadlandedonthe
lawn。Hisbicyclewaskeptinasmallshedbesidethislawn，andit
alsowasgone。
“Hehadbeenwithmefortwoyears，andcamewiththebest
references，buthewasasilent，moroseman，notverypopulareither
withmastersorboys。Notracecouldbefoundofthefugitives，and
now，onThursdaymorning，weareasignorantaswewereonTuesday。
Inquirywas，ofcourse，madeatonceatHoldernesseHall。Itisonlya
fewmilesaway，andweimaginedthat，insomesuddenattackof
homesickness，hehadgonebacktohisfather，butnothinghadbeen
heardofhim。TheDukeisgreatlyagitated，and，astome，youhave
seenyourselvesthestateofnervousprostrationtowhichthesuspense
andtheresponsibilityhavereducedme。Mr。Holmes，ifeveryouput
forwardyourfullpowers，Iimploreyoutodosonow，forneverin
yourlifecouldyouhaveacasewhichismoreworthyofthem。”
SherlockHolmeshadlistenedwiththeutmostintentnesstothe
statementoftheunhappyschoolmaster。Hisdrawnbrowsandthedeep
furrowbetweenthemshowedthatheneedednoexhortationto
concentrateallhisattentionuponaproblemwhich，apartfromthe
tremendousinterestsinvolvedmustappealsodirectlytohisloveof
thecomplexandtheunusual。Henowdrewouthisnotebookandjotted
downoneortwomemoranda。
“Youhavebeenveryremissinnotcomingtomesooner，“saidhe，
severely。“Youstartmeonmyinvestigationwithaveryserious
handicap。Itisinconceivable，forexample，thatthisivyandthis
lawnwouldhaveyieldednothingtoanexpertobserver。”
“Iamnottoblame，Mr。Holmes。HisGracewasextremelydesirous
toavoidallpublicscandal。Hewasafraidofhisfamilyunhappiness
beingdraggedbeforetheworld。Hehasadeephorrorofanythingof
thekind。”
“Buttherehasbeensomeofficialinvestigation？“
“Yes，sir，andithasprovedmostdisappointing。Anapparentclue
wasatonceobtained，sinceaboyandayoungmanwerereportedto
havebeenseenleavinganeighbouringstationbyanearlytrain。
Onlylastnightwehadnewsthatthecouplehadbeenhunteddownin
Liverpool，andtheyprovetohavenoconnectionwhateverwiththe
matterinhand。Thenitwasthatinmydespairanddisappointment，
afterasleeplessnight，Icamestraighttoyoubytheearlytrain。”
“Isupposethelocalinvestigationwasrelaxedwhilethisfalseclue
wasbeingfollowedup？“
“Itwasentirelydropped。”
“Sothatthreedayshavebeenwasted。Theaffairhasbeenmost
deplorablyhandled。”
“Ifeelitandadmitit。”
“Andyettheproblemshouldbecapableofultimatesolution。Ishall
beveryhappytolookintoit。Haveyoubeenabletotraceany
connectionbetweenthemissingboyandthisGermanmaster？“
“Noneatall。”
“Washeinthemaster”sclass？“
“No，heneverexchangedawordwithhim，sofarasIknow。”
“Thatiscertainlyverysingular。Hadtheboyabicycle？“
“No。”
“Wasanyotherbicyclemissing？“
“No。”
“Isthatcertain？“
“Quite。”
“Well，now，youdonotmeantoseriouslysuggestthatthisGerman
rodeoffuponabicycleinthedeadofthenight，bearingtheboyin
hisarms？“
“Certainlynot。”
“Thenwhatisthetheoryinyourmind？“
“Thebicyclemayhavebeenablind。Itmayhavebeenhidden
somewhere，andthepairgoneoffonfoot。”
“Quiteso，butitseemsratheranabsurdblind，doesitnot？Were
thereotherbicyclesinthisshed？“
“Several。”
“Wouldhenothavehiddenacouple，hadhedesiredtogivethe
ideathattheyhadgoneoffuponthem？“
“Isupposehewould。”
“Ofcoursehewould。Theblindtheorywon”tdo。Buttheincident
isanadmirablestarting-pointforaninvestigation。Afterall，a
bicycleisnotaneasythingtoconcealortodestroy。Oneother
question。Didanyonecalltoseetheboyonthedaybeforehe
disappeared？“
“No。”
“Didhegetanyletters？“
“Yes，oneletter。”
“Fromwhom？“
“Fromhisfather。”
“Doyouopentheboys”letters？“
“No。”
“Howdoyouknowitwasfromthefather？“
“Thecoatofarmswasontheenvelope，anditwasaddressedinthe
Duke”speculiarstiffhand。Besides，theDukeremembershaving
written。”
“Whenhadhealetterbeforethat？“
“Notforseveraldays。”
“HadheeveronefromFrance？“
“No，never。
“Youseethepointofmyquestions，ofcourse。Eithertheboywas
carriedoffbyforceorhewentofhisownfreewill。Inthelatter
case，youwouldexpectthatsomepromptingfromoutsidewouldbe
neededtomakesoyoungaladdosuchathing。Ifhehashadno
visitors，thatpromptingmusthavecomeinletters；henceItryto
findoutwhowerehiscorrespondents。”
“IfearIcannothelpyoumuch。Hisonlycorrespondent，sofaras
Iknow，washisownfather。”
“Whowrotetohimontheverydayofhisdisappearance。Werethe
relationsbetweenfatherandsonveryfriendly？“
“HisGraceisneververyfriendlywithanyone。Heiscompletely
immersedinlargepublicquestions，andisratherinaccessibleto
allordinaryemotions。Buthewasalwayskindtotheboyinhisown
way。”
“Buttheofthelatterwerewiththemother？“
“Yes。”
“Didhesayso？“
“No。”
“TheDuke，then？“
“Goodheaven，no！“
“Thenhowcouldyouknow？“
“IhavehadsomeconfidentialtalkswithMr。JamesWilder，his
Gracessecretary。ItwashewhogavemetheinformationaboutLord
Saltire”sfeelings。”
“Isee。Bytheway，thatlastletteroftheDukes-wasitfoundin
theboy”sroomafterhewasgone？“
“No，hehadtakenitwithhim。Ithink，Mr。Holmes，itistime
thatwewereleavingforEuston。”
“Iwillorderafour-wheeler。Inaquarterofanhour，weshallbe
atyourservice。Ifyouaretelegraphinghome，Mr。Huxtable，it
wouldbewelltoallowthepeopleinyourneighbourhoodtoimagine
thattheinquiryisstillgoingoninLiverpool，orwhereverelsethat
redherringledyourpack。InthemeantimeIwilldoalittlequiet
workatyourowndoors，andperhapsthescentisnotsocoldbut
thattwooldhoundslikeWatsonandmyselfmaygetasniffofit。”
Thateveningfoundusinthecold，bracingatmosphereofthePeak
country，inwhichDr。Huxtable”sfamousschoolissituated。Itwas
alreadydarkwhenwereachedit。Acardwaslyingonthehalltable，
andthebutlerwhisperedsomethingtohismaster，whoturnedtous
withagitationineveryheavyfeature。
“TheDukeishere，“saidhe。“TheDukeandMr。Wilderareinthe
study。Come，gentlemen，andIwillintroduceyou。”
Iwas，ofcourse，familiarwiththepicturesofthefamous
statesman，butthemanhimselfwasverydifferentfromhis
representation。Hewasatallandstatelyperson，scrupulously
dressed，withadrawn，thinface，andanosewhichwasgrotesquely
curvedandlong。Hiscomplexionwasofadeadpallor，whichwasmore
startlingbycontrastwithalong，dwindlingbeardofvividred，which
floweddownoverhiswhitewaistcoatwithhiswatch-chaingleaming
throughitsfringe。Suchwasthestatelypresencewholookedstonily
atusfromthecentreofDr。Huxtable”shearthrug。Besidehimstood
averyyoungman，whomIunderstoodtobeWilder，theprivate
secretary。Hewassmall，nervous，alertwithintelligentlight-blue
eyesandmobilefeatures。Itwashewhoatonce，inanincisiveand
positivetone，openedtheconversation。
“Icalledthismorning，Dr。Huxtable，toolatetopreventyoufrom
startingforLondon。IlearnedthatyourobjectwastoinviteMr。
SherlockHolmestoundertaketheconductofthiscase。HisGraceis
surprised，Dr。Huxtable，thatyoushouldhavetakensuchastep
withoutconsultinghim。”
“WhenIlearnedthatthepolicehadfailed-“
“HisGraceisbynomeansconvincedthatthepolicehavefailed。”
“Butsurely，Mr。Wilder-“
“Youarewellaware，Dr。Huxtable，thathisGraceisparticularly
anxioustoavoidallpublicscandal。Hepreferstotakeasfew
peopleaspossibleintohisconfidence。”
“Themattercanbeeasilyremedied，“saidthebrowbeatendoctor；
“Mr。SherlockHolmescanreturntoLondonbythemorningtrain。”
“Hardlythat，Doctor，hardlythat，“saidHolmes，inhisblandest
voice。“Thisnorthernairisinvigoratingandpleasant，soIpropose
tospendafewdaysuponyourmoors，andtooccupymymindasbestI
may。WhetherIhavetheshelterofyourrooforofthevillageinnis，
ofcourse，foryoutodecide。”
Icouldseethattheunfortunatedoctorwasinthelaststageof
indecision，fromwhichhewasrescuedbythedeep，sonorousvoiceof
thered-beardedDuke，whichboomedoutlikeadinner-gong。
“IagreewithMr。Wilder，Dr。Huxtable，thatyouwouldhavedone
wiselytoconsultme。ButsinceMr。Holmeshasalreadybeentakeninto
yourconfidence，itwouldindeedbeabsurdthatweshouldnotavail
ourselvesofhisservices。Farfromgoingtotheinn，Mr。Holmes，I
shouldbepleasedifyouwouldcomeandstaywithmeatHoldernesse
Hall。”
“IthankyourGrace。Forthepurposesofmyinvestigation，Ithink
thatitwouldbewiserformetoremainatthesceneofthemystery。”
“Justasyoulike，Mr。Holmes。AnyinformationwhichMr。WilderorI
cangiveyouis，ofcourse，atyourdisposal。”
“ItwillprobablybenecessaryformetoseeyouattheHall，“
saidHolmes。“Iwouldonlyaskyounow，sir，whetheryouhaveformed
anyexplanationinyourownmindastothemysteriousdisappearanceof
yourson？“
“NosirIhavenot。”
“ExcusemeifIalludetothatwhichispainfultoyou，butIhave
noalternative。DoyouthinkthattheDuchesshadanythingtodo
withthematter？“
Thegreatministershowedperceptiblehesitation。
“Idonotthinkso，“hesaid，atlast。
“Theothermostobviousexplanationisthatthechildhasbeen
kidnappedforthepurposeoflevyingransom。Youhavenothadany
demandofthesort？“
“No，sir。”
“Onemorequestion，yourGrace。Iunderstandthatyouwroteto
yoursonuponthedaywhenthisincidentoccurred。”
“No，Iwroteuponthedaybefore。”
“Exactly。Buthereceiveditonthatday？“
“Yes。”
“Wasthereanythinginyourletterwhichmighthaveunbalancedhim
orinducedhimtotakesuchastep？“
“No，sir，certainlynot。”
“Didyoupostthatletteryourself？“
Thenobleman”sreplywasinterruptedbyhissecretary，whobroke
inwithsomeheat。
“HisGraceisnotinthehabitofpostinglettershimself，“saidhe。
“Thisletterwaslaidwithothersuponthestudytable，andImyself
puttheminthepost-bag。”
“Youaresurethisonewasamongthem？“
“Yes，Iobservedit。”
“HowmanylettersdidyourGracewritethatday？“
“Twentyorthirty。Ihavealargecorrespondence。Butsurelythisis
somewhatirrelevant？“
“Notentirely，“saidHolmes。
“Formyownpart，“theDukecontinued，“Ihaveadvisedthepoliceto
turntheirattentiontothesouthofFrance。Ihavealreadysaid
thatIdonotbelievethattheDuchesswouldencouragesomonstrousan
action，buttheladhadthemostwrongheadedopinions，anditis
possiblethathemayhavefledtoher，aidedandabettedbythis
German。Ithink，Dr。Huxtable，thatwewillnowreturntotheHall。”
IcouldseethattherewereotherquestionswhichHolmeswould
havewishedtoput，butthenobleman”sabruptmannershowedthatthe
interviewwasatanend。Itwasevidentthattohisintensely
aristocraticnaturethisdiscussionofhisintimatefamilyaffairs
withastrangerwasmostabhorrent，andthathefearedlestevery
freshquestionwouldthrowafiercerlightintothediscreetly
shadowedcornersofhisducalhistory。
Whenthenoblemanandhissecretaryhadleft，myfriendflung
himselfatoncewithcharacteristiceagernessintotheinvestigation。
Theboy”schamberwascarefullyexamined，andyieldednothingsave
theabsoluteconvictionthatitwasonlythroughthewindowthathe
couldhaveescaped。TheGermanmaster”sroomandeffectsgaveno
furtherclue。Inhiscaseatrailerofivyhadgivenwayunderhis
weight，andwesawbythelightofalanternthemarkonthelawn
wherehisheelshadcomedown。Thatonedintintheshort，greengrass
wastheonlymaterialwitnessleftofthisinexplicablenocturnal
flight。
SherlockHolmesleftthehousealone，andonlyreturnedafter
eleven。Hehadobtainedalargeordnancemapoftheneighbourhood，and
thishebroughtintomyroom，wherehelaiditoutonthebed，and，
havingbalancedthelampinthemiddleofit，hebegantosmokeover
it，andoccasionallytopointoutobjectsofinterestwiththereeking
amberofhispipe。