“Butwhenwillthatbe？“
“Thetimehascome。Youwillnowbepresentatthelastsceneofa
remarkablelittledrama。”
Therewasasounduponthestairs，andourdoorwasopenedto
admitasfineaspecimenofmanhoodaseverpassedthroughit。He
wasaverytallyoungman，golden-moustached，blue-eyed，withaskin
whichhadbeenburnedbytropicalsuns，andaspringystep，which
showedthatthehugeframewasasactiveasitwasstrong。Heclosed
thedoorbehindhim，andthenhestoodwithclenchedhandsandheaving
breast，chokingdownsomeovermasteringemotion。
“Sitdown，CaptainCrocker。Yougotmytelegram？“
Ourvisitorsankintoanarmchairandlookedfromonetotheother
ofuswithquestioningeyes。
“Igotyourtelegram，andIcameatthehouryousaid。Iheard
thatyouhadbeendowntotheoffice。Therewasnogettingawayfrom
you。Let”sheartheworst。Whatareyougoingtodowithme？Arrest
me？Speakout，man！Youcan”tsitthereandplaywithmelikeacat
withamouse。”
“Givehimacigar，“saidHolmes。“Biteonthat，CaptainCrocker，and
don”tletyournervesrunawaywithyou。Ishouldnotsitheresmoking
withyouifIthoughtthatyouwereacommoncriminal，youmaybesure
ofthat。Befrankwithmeandwemaydosomegood。Playtrickswith
me，andI”llcrushyou。”
“Whatdoyouwishmetodo？“
“TogivemeatrueaccountofallthathappenedattheAbbey
Grangelastnight-atrueaccount，mindyou，withnothingaddedand
nothingtakenoff。Iknowsomuchalreadythatifyougooneinch
offthestraight，I”llblowthispolicewhistlefrommywindowandthe
affairgoesoutofmyhandsforever。”
Thesailorthoughtforalittle。Thenhestruckhislegwithhis
greatsunburnedhand。
“I”llchanceit，“hecried。“Ibelieveyouareamanofyourword，
andawhiteman，andI”lltellyouthewholestory。ButonethingI
willsayfirst。SofarasIamconcerned，IregretnothingandI
fearnothing，andIwoulddoitallagainandbeproudofthejob。
Damnthebeast，ifhehadasmanylivesasacat，hewouldowethem
alltome！Butit”sthelady，Mary-MaryFraser-forneverwillIcall
herbythataccursedname。WhenIthinkofgettingherintotrouble，I
whowouldgivemylifejusttobringonesmiletoherdearface，
it”sthatthatturnsmysoulintowater。Andyet-andyet-whatless
couldIdo？I”lltellyoumystory，gentlemen，andthenI”llaskyou，as
mantoman，whatlesscouldIdo？
“Imustgobackabit。Youseemtoknoweverything，soIexpectthat
youknowthatImetherwhenshewasapassengerandIwasfirst
officeroftheRockofGibraltar。FromthefirstdayImether，she
wastheonlywomantome。EverydayofthatvoyageIlovedhermore，
andmanyatimesincehaveIkneeleddowninthedarknessofthenight
watchandkissedthedeckofthatshipbecauseIknewherdearfeet
hadtrodit。Shewasneverengagedtome。Shetreatedmeasfairly
aseverawomantreatedaman。Ihavenocomplainttomake。Itwasall
loveonmyside，andallgoodcomradeshipandfriendshiponhers。When
wepartedshewasafreewoman，butIcouldneveragainbeafreeman。
“NexttimeIcamebackfromsea，Iheardofhermarriage。Well，
whyshouldn”tshemarrywhomsheliked？Titleandmoney-whocould
carrythembetterthanshe？Shewasbornforallthatisbeautifuland
dainty。Ididn”tgrieveoverhermarriage。Iwasnotsuchaselfish
houndasthat。Ijustrejoicedthatgoodluckhadcomeherway，and
thatshehadnotthrownherselfawayonapennilesssailor。That”show
IlovedMaryFraser。
“Well，Ineverthoughttoseeheragain，butlastvoyageIwas
promoted，andthenewboatwasnotyetlaunched，soIhadtowait
foracoupleofmonthswithmypeopleatSydenham。Onedayoutina
countrylaneImetTheresaWright，heroldmaid。Shetoldmeallabout
her，abouthim，abouteverything。Itellyou，gentlemen，itnearly
drovememad。Thisdrunkenhound，thatheshoulddaretoraisehis
handtoher，whosebootshewasnotworthytolick！ImetTheresa
again。ThenImetMaryherself-andmetheragain。Thenshewouldmeet
menomore。ButtheotherdayIhadanoticethatIwastostartonmy
voyagewithinaweek，andIdeterminedthatIwouldseeheronce
beforeIleft。Theresawasalwaysmyfriend，forshelovedMaryand
hatedthisvillainalmostasmuchasIdid。FromherIlearnedthe
waysofthehouse。Maryusedtositupreadinginherownlittle
roomdownstairs。Icreptroundtherelastnightandscratchedatthe
window。Atfirstshewouldnotopentome，butinherheartIknow
thatnowshelovesme，andshecouldnotleavemeinthefrostynight。
Shewhisperedtometocomeroundtothebigfrontwindow，andIfound
itopenbeforeme，soastoletmeintothedining-room。AgainIheard
fromherownlipsthingsthatmademybloodboil，andagainIcursed
thisbrutewhomishandledthewomanIloved。Well，gentlemen，Iwas
standingwithherjustinsidethewindow，inallinnocence，asGod
ismyjudge，whenherushedlikeamadmanintotheroom，calledher
thevilestnamethatamancouldusetoawoman，andweltedheracross
thefacewiththestickhehadinhishand。Ihadsprungforthe
poker，anditwasafairfightbetweenus。Seehere，onmyarm，
wherehisfirstblowfell。Thenitwasmyturn，andIwentthroughhim
asifhehadbeenarottenpumpkin。DoyouthinkIwassorry？NotIf
Itwashislifeormine，butfarmorethanthat，itwashislifeor
hers，forhowcouldIleaveherinthepowerofthismadman？That
washowIkilledhim。WasIwrong？Well，then，whatwouldeitherof
yougentlemenhavedone，ifyouhadbeeninmyposition？“
“Shehadscreamedwhenhestruckher，andthatbroughtoldTheresa
downfromtheroomabove。Therewasabottleofwineonthesideboard，
andIopeneditandpouredalittlebetweenMary”slips，forshewas
halfdeadwithshock。ThenItookadropmyself。Theresawasascool
asice，anditwasherplotasmuchasmine。Wemustmakeitappear
thatburglarshaddonethething。Theresakeptonrepeatingour
storytohermistress，whileIswarmedupandcuttheropeofthe
bell。ThenIlashedherinherchair，andfrayedouttheendofthe
ropetomakeitlooknatural，elsetheywouldwonderhowinthe
worldaburglarcouldhavegotuptheretocutit。ThenIgathered
upafewplatesandpotsofsilver，tocarryouttheideaofthe
robbery，andthereIleftthem，withorderstogivethealarmwhenI
hadaquarterofanhour”sstart。Idroppedthesilverintothe
pond，andmadeoffforSydenham，feelingthatforonceinmylifeI
haddonearealgoodnight”swork。Andthat”sthetruthandthe
wholetruth，Mr。Holmes，ifitcostsmemyneck。”
Holmessmokedforsometimeinsilence。Thenhecrossedtheroom，
andshookourvisitorbythehand。
“That”swhatIthink，“saidhe。“Iknowthateverywordistrue，for
youhavehardlysaidawordwhichIdidnotknow。Noonebutan
acrobatorasailorcouldhavegotuptothatbell-ropefromthe
bracket，andnoonebutasailorcouldhavemadetheknotswith
whichthecordwasfastenedtothechair。Onlyoncehadthisladybeen
broughtintocontactwithsailors，andthatwasonhervoyage，and
itwassomeoneofherownclassoflife，sinceshewastryinghard
toshieldhim，andsoshowingthatshelovedhim。Youseehoweasy
itwasformetolaymyhandsuponyouwhenonceIhadstartedupon
therighttrail。”
“Ithoughtthepolicenevercouldhaveseenthroughourdodge。”
“Andthepolicehaven”t，norwillthey，tothebestofmybelief。
Now，lookhere，CaptainCrocker，thisisaveryseriousmatter，though
Iamwillingtoadmitthatyouactedunderthemostextreme
provocationtowhichanymancouldbesubjected。Iamnotsurethatin
defenceofyourownlifeyouractionwillnotbepronounced
legitimate。However，thatisforaBritishjurytodecide。MeanwhileI
havesomuchsympathyforyouthat，ifyouchoosetodisappearin
thenexttwenty-fourhours，Iwillpromiseyouthatnoonewillhinder
you。”
“Andthenitwillallcomeout？“
“Certainlyitwillcomeout。”
Thesailorflushedwithanger。
“Whatsortofproposalisthattomakeaman？Iknowenoughoflaw
tounderstandthatMarywouldbeheldasaccomplice。DoyouthinkI
wouldleaveheralonetofacethemusicwhileIslunkaway？No，sir，
letthemdotheirworstuponme，butforheaven”ssake，Mr。Holmes，
findsomewayofkeepingmypoorMaryoutofthecourts。”
Holmesforasecondtimeheldouthishandtothesailor。
“Iwasonlytestingyou，andyouringtrueeverytime。Well，itisa
greatresponsibilitythatItakeuponmyself，butIhavegivenHopkins
anexcellenthintandifhecan”tavailhimselfofitIcandono
more。Seehere，CaptainCrocker，we”lldothisindueformoflaw。You
aretheprisoner。Watson，youareaBritishjury，andInevermeta
manwhowasmoreeminentlyfittedtorepresentone。Iamthejudge。
Now，gentlemanofthejury，youhaveheardtheevidence。Doyoufind
theprisonerguiltyornotguilty？“
“Notguilty，mylord，“saidI。
“Voxpopuli，voxdei。Youareacquitted，CaptainCrocker。Solongas
thelawdoesnotfindsomeothervictimyouaresafefromme。Come
backtothisladyinayear，andmayherfutureandyoursjustifyus
inthejudgmentwhichwehavepronouncedthisnight！“-
THEEND。
1892
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEBERYLCORONET
bySirArthurConanDoyle
TheAdventureoftheBerylCoronet。
“Holmes，“saidIasIstoodonemorninginourbow-windowlooking
downthestreet，“hereisamadmancomingalong。Itseemsrathersad
thathisrelativesshouldallowhimtocomeoutalone。”
Myfriendroselazilyfromhisarmchairandstoodwithhishands
inthepocketsofhisdressing-gown，lookingovermyshoulder。It
wasabright，crispFebruarymorning，andthesnowofthedaybefore
stilllaydeepupontheground，shimmeringbrightlyinthewintrysun。
DownthecentreofBakerStreetithadbeenploughedintoabrown
crumblybandbythetraffic，butateithersideandontheheaped-up
edgesofthefoot-pathsitstilllayaswhiteaswhenitfell。The
graypavementhadbeencleanedandscraped，butwasstill
dangerouslyslippery，sothattherewerefewerpassengersthan
usual。Indeed，fromthedirectionoftheMetropolitanStationnoone
wascomingsavethesinglegentlemanwhoseeccentricconducthaddrawn
myattention。
Hewasamanofaboutfifty，tall，portly，andimposing，witha
massive，stronglymarkedfaceandacommandingfigure。Hewas
dressedinasombreyetrichstyle，inblackfrock-coat，shining
hat，neatbrowngaiters，andwell-cutpearl-graytrousers。Yethis
actionswereinabsurdcontrasttothedignityofhisdressand
features，forhewasrunninghard，withoccasionallittlesprings，
suchasawearymangiveswhoislittleaccustomedtosetanytaxupon
hislegs。Asheranhejerkedhishandsupanddown，waggledhishead，
andwrithedhisfaceintothemostextraordinarycontortions。
“Whatonearthcanbethematterwithhim？“Iasked。“Heis
lookingupatthenumbersofthehouses。”
“Ibelievethatheiscominghere，“saidHolmes，rubbinghishands。
“Here？“
“Yes；Iratherthinkheiscomingtoconsultmeprofessionally。I
thinkthatIrecognizethesymptoms。Ha！didInottellyou？“Ashe
spoke，theman，puffingandblowing，rushedatourdoorandpulled
atourbelluntilthewholehouseresoundedwiththeclanging。
Afewmomentslaterhewasinourroom，stillpuffing，still
gesticulating，butwithsofixedalookofgriefanddespairinhis
eyesthatoursmileswereturnedinaninstanttohorrorandpity。For
awhilehecouldnotgethiswordsout，butswayedhisbodyand
pluckedathishairlikeonewhohasbeendriventotheextremelimits
ofhisreason。Then，suddenlyspringingtohisfeet，hebeathis
headagainstthewallwithsuchforcethatwebothrusheduponhimand
torehimawaytothecentreoftheroom。SherlockHolmespushedhim
downintotheeasy-chairand，sittingbesidehim，pattedhishand
andchattedwithhimintheeasy，soothingtoneswhichheknewsowell
howtoemploy。
“Youhavecometometotellyourstory，haveyounot？“saidhe。
“Youarefatiguedwithyourhaste。Praywaituntilyouhave
recoveredyourself，andthenIshallbemosthappytolookintoany
littleproblemwhichyoumaysubmittome。”
Themansatforaminuteormorewithaheavingchest，fighting
againsthisemotion。Thenhepassedhishandkerchiefoverhisbrow，
sethislipstight，andturnedhisfacetowardsus。
“Nodoubtyouthinkmemad？“saidhe。
“Iseethatyouhavehadsomegreattrouble，“respondedHolmes。
“GodknowsIhave！-atroublewhichisenoughtounseatmyreason，so
suddenandsoterribleisit。PublicdisgraceImighthavefaced，
althoughIamamanwhosecharacterhasneveryetborneastain。
Privateafflictionalsoisthelotofeveryman；butthetwocoming
together，andinsofrightfulaform，havebeenenoughtoshakemy
verysoul。Besides，itisnotIalone。Theverynoblestintheland
maysufferunlesssomewaybefoundoutofthishorribleaffair。”
“Praycomposeyourself，sir，“saidHolmes，“andletmehavea
clearaccountofwhoyouareandwhatitisthathasbefallenyou。”
“Myname，“answeredourvisitor，“isprobablyfamiliartoyourears。
IamAlexanderHolder，ofthebankingfirmofHolder&Stevenson，of
ThreadneedleStreet。”
Thenamewasindeedwellknowntousasbelongingtothesenior
partnerinthesecondlargestprivatebankingconcernintheCityof
London。Whatcouldhavehappened，then，tobringoneoftheforemost
citizensofLondontothismostpitiablepass？Wewaited，all
curiosity，untilwithanotherefforthebracedhimselftotellhis
story。
“Ifeelthattimeisofvalue，“saidhe；“thatiswhyIhastened
herewhenthepoliceinspectorsuggestedthatIshouldsecureyour
cooperation。IcametoBakerStreetbytheUndergroundandhurried
fromthereonfoot，forthecabsgoslowlythroughthissnow。That
iswhyIwassooutofbreath，forIamamanwhotakesverylittle
exercise。Ifeelbetternow，andIwillputthefactsbeforeyouas
shortlyandyetasclearlyasIcan。
“Itis，ofcourse，wellknowntoyouthatinasuccessfulbanking
businessasmuchdependsuponourbeingabletofindremunerative
investmentsforourfundsasuponourincreasingourconnectionand
thenumberofourdepositors。Oneofourmostlucrativemeansof
layingoutmoneyisintheshapeofloans，wherethesecurityis
unimpeachable。Wehavedoneagooddealinthisdirectionduringthe
lastfewyears，andtherearemanynoblefamiliestowhomwehave
advancedlargesumsuponthesecurityoftheirpictures，libraries，or
plate。
“YesterdaymorningIwasseatedinmyofficeatthebankwhenacard
wasbroughtintomebyoneoftheclerks。IstartedwhenIsawthe
name，foritwasthatofnoneotherthan-well，perhapseventoyouI
hadbettersaynomorethanthatitwasanamewhichisahousehold
wordallovertheearth-oneofthehighest，noblest，mostexalted
namesinEngland。Iwasoverwhelmedbythehonourandattempted，
whenheentered，tosayso，butheplungedatonceintobusiness
withtheairofamanwhowishestohurryquicklythrougha
disagreeabletask。
“”Mr。Holder”saidhe，”Ihavebeeninformedthatyouareinthe
habitofadvancingmoney。”
“”Thefirmdoessowhenthesecurityisgood”Ianswered。
“”Itisabsolutelyessentialtome”saidhe，”thatIshouldhave
L50，000atonce。Icould，ofcourse，borrowsotriflingasumten
timesoverfrommyfriends，butImuchprefertomakeitamatterof
businessandtocarryoutthatbusinessmyself。Inmypositionyoucan
readilyunderstandthatitisunwisetoplaceone”sselfunder
obligations。”
“”Forhowlong，mayIask，doyouwantthissum？”Iasked。
“”NextMondayIhavealargesumduetome，andIshallthenmost
certainlyrepaywhatyouadvance，withwhateverinterestyouthink
itrighttocharge。Butitisveryessentialtomethatthemoney
shouldbepaidatonce。”
“”Ishouldbehappytoadvanceitwithoutfurtherparleyfrommyown
privatepurse”saidI，”wereitnotthatthestrainwouldberather
morethanitcouldbear。If，ontheotherhand，Iamtodoitinthe
nameofthefirm，theninjusticetomypartnerImustinsistthat
eveninyourcase，everybusinesslikeprecautionshouldbetaken。”
“”Ishouldmuchprefertohaveitso”saidhe，raisingupasquare，
blackmoroccocasewhichhehadlaidbesidehischair。”Youhave
doubtlessheardoftheBerylCoronet？”
“”Oneofthemostpreciouspublicpossessionsoftheempire”said
I。
“”Precisely。”Heopenedthecase，andthere，imbeddedinsoft，
flesh-colouredvelvet，laythemagnificentpieceofjewellerywhichhe
hadnamed。”Therearethirty-nineenormousberyls”saidhe，”and
thepriceofthegoldchasingisincalculable。Thelowestestimate
wouldputtheworthofthecoronetatdoublethesumwhichIhave
asked。Iampreparedtoleaveitwithyouasmysecurity。”
“Itookthepreciouscaseintomyhandsandlookedinsome
perplexityfromittomyillustriousclient。
“”Youdoubtitsvalue？”heasked。
“”Notatall。Ionlydoubt-”
“”Theproprietyofmyleavingit。Youmaysetyourmindatrest
aboutthat。Ishouldnotdreamofdoingsowereitnotabsolutely
certainthatIshouldbeableinfourdaystoreclaimit。Itisapure
matterofform。Isthesecuritysufficient？”
“”Ample。”
“”Youunderstand，Mr。Holder，thatIamgivingyouastrongproofof
theconfidencewhichIhaveinyou，foundeduponallthatIhaveheard
ofyou。Irelyuponyounotonlytobediscreetandtorefrainfrom
allgossipuponthematterbut，aboveall，topreservethiscoronet
witheverypossibleprecautionbecauseIneednotsaythatagreat
publicscandalwouldbecausedifanyharmweretobefallit。Any
injurytoitwouldbealmostasseriousasitscompleteloss，for
therearenoberylsintheworldtomatchthese，anditwouldbe
impossibletoreplacethem。Ileaveitwithyou，however，withevery
confidence，andIshallcallforitinpersononMondaymorning。”
“Seeingthatmyclientwasanxioustoleave，Isaidnomore；but，
callingformycashier，IorderedhimtopayoverfiftyL1000notes。
WhenIwasaloneoncemore，however，withthepreciouscaselyingupon
thetableinfrontofme，Icouldnotbutthinkwithsomemisgivings
oftheimmenseresponsibilitywhichitentaileduponme。Therecould
benodoubtthat，asitwasanationalpossession，ahorrible
scandalwouldensueifanymisfortuneshouldoccurtoit。Ialready
regrettedhavingeverconsentedtotakechargeofit。However，it
wastoolatetoalterthematternow，soIlockeditupinmy
privatesafeandturnedoncemoretomywork。
“WheneveningcameIfeltthatitwouldbeanimprudencetoleaveso
preciousathingintheofficebehindme。Bankers”safeshadbeen
forcedbeforenow，andwhyshouldnotminebe？Ifso，howterrible
wouldbethepositioninwhichIshouldfindmyself！Idetermined，
therefore，thatforthenextfewdaysIwouldalwayscarrythecase
backwardandforwardwithme，sothatitmightneverbereallyout
ofmyreach。Withthisintention，Icalledacabanddroveouttomy
houseatStreatham，carryingthejewelwithme。Ididnotbreathe
freelyuntilIhadtakenitupstairsandlockeditinthebureauofmy
dressing-room。
“Andnowawordastomyhousehold，Mr。Holmes，forIwishyouto
thoroughlyunderstandthesituation。Mygroomandmypagesleepoutof
thehouse，andmaybesetasidealtogether。Ihavethreemaid-servants
whohavebeenwithmeanumberofyearsandwhoseabsolutereliability
isquiteabovesuspicion。Another，LucyParr，thesecondwaiting-maid，
hasonlybeeninmyserviceafewmonths。Shecamewithanexcellent
character，however，andhasalwaysgivenmesatisfaction。Sheisa
veryprettygirlandhasattractedadmirerswhohaveoccasionallyhung
abouttheplace。Thatistheonlydrawbackwhichwehavefoundtoher，
butwebelievehertobeathoroughlygoodgirlineveryway。
“Somuchfortheservants。Myfamilyitselfissosmallthatitwill
nottakemelongtodescribeit。Iamawidowerandhaveanonly
son，Arthur。Hehasbeenadisappointmenttome，Mr。Holmes-agrievous
disappointment。IhavenodoubtthatIammyselftoblame。Peopletell
methatIhavespoiledhim。VerylikelyIhave。Whenmydearwifedied
IfeltthathewasallIhadtolove。Icouldnotbeartoseethe
smilefadeevenforamomentfromhisface。Ihaveneverdeniedhim
awish。PerhapsitwouldhavebeenbetterforbothofushadIbeen
sterner，butImeantitforthebest。
“Itwasnaturallymyintentionthatheshouldsucceedmeinmy
business，buthewasnotofabusinessturn。Hewaswild，wayward，
and，tospeakthetruth，Icouldnottrusthiminthehandlingof
largesumsofmoney。Whenhewasyounghebecameamemberofan
aristocraticclub，andthere，havingcharmingmanners，hewassoonthe
intimateofanumberofmenwithlongpursesandexpensivehabits。
Helearnedtoplayheavilyatcardsandtosquandermoneyontheturf，
untilhehadagainandagaintocometomeandimploremetogive
himanadvanceuponhisallowance，thathemightsettlehisdebtsof
honour。Hetriedmorethanoncetobreakawayfromthedangerous
companywhichhewaskeeping，buteachtimetheinfluenceofhis
friend，SirGeorgeBurnwell，wasenoughtodrawhimbackagain。
“And，indeed，IcouldnotwonderthatsuchamanasSirGeorge
Burnwellshouldgainaninfluenceoverhim，forhehasfrequently
broughthimtomyhouse，andIhavefoundmyselfthatIcouldhardly
resistthefascinationofhismanner。HeisolderthanArthur，aman
oftheworldtohisfinger-tips，onewhohadbeeneverywhere，seen
everything，abrillianttalker，andamanofgreatpersonalbeauty。
YetwhenIthinkofhimincoldblood，farawayfromtheglamourof
hispresence，Iamconvincedfromhiscynicalspeechandthelook
whichIhavecaughtinhiseyesthatheisonewhoshouldbedeeply
distrusted。SoIthink，andso，too，thinksmylittleMary，whohas
awoman”squickinsightintocharacter。
“Andnowthereisonlyshetobedescribed。Sheismyniece；but
whenmybrotherdiedfiveyearsagoandleftheraloneintheworld
Iadoptedher，andhavelookeduponhereversinceasmydaughter。She
isasunbeaminmyhousesweet，loving，beautiful，awonderfulmanager
andhousekeeper，yetastenderandquietandgentleasawomancould
be。Sheismyrighthand。IdonotknowwhatIcoulddowithouther。
Inonlyonematterhassheevergoneagainstmywishes。Twicemyboy
hasaskedhertomarryhim，forhelovesherdevotedly，buteach
timeshehasrefusedhim。Ithinkthatifanyonecouldhavedrawn
himintotherightpathitwouldhavebeenshe，andthathis
marriagemighthavechangedhiswholelife；butnow，alas！itistoo
late-forevertoolate！
“Now，Mr。Holmes，youknowthepeoplewholiveundermyroof，and
Ishallcontinuewithmymiserablestory。
“Whenweweretakingcoffeeinthedrawing-roomthatnightafter
dinner，ItoldArthurandMarymyexperience，andoftheprecious
treasurewhichwehadunderourroof，suppressingonlythenameof
myclient。LucyParr，whohadbroughtinthecoffee，had，Iamsure，
lefttheroom；butIcannotswearthatthedoorwasclosed。Maryand
Arthurweremuchinterestedandwishedtoseethefamouscoronet，
butIthoughtitbetternottodisturbit。
“”Wherehaveyouputit？”askedArthur。
“”Inmyownbureau。”
“”Well，Ihopetogoodnessthehousewon”tbeburgledduringthe
night”saidhe。
“”Itislockedup”Ianswered。
“”Oh，anyoldkeywillfitthatbureau。WhenIwasayoungsterI
haveopeneditmyselfwiththekeyofthebox-roomcupboard。”
“Heoftenhadawildwayoftalking，sothatIthoughtlittleof
whathesaid。Hefollowedmetomyroom，however，thatnightwitha
verygraveface。
“”Lookhere，dad”saidhewithhiseyescastdown，”canyoulet
mehaveL200？”
“”No，Icannot！”Iansweredsharply。”Ihavebeenfartoogenerous
withyouinmoneymatters。”
“”Youhavebeenverykind”saidhe，”butImusthavethismoney，or
elseIcannevershowmyfaceinsidetheclubagain。”
“”Andaverygoodthing，too！”Icried。
“”Yes，butyouwouldnothavemeleaveitadishonouredman”said
he。”Icouldnotbearthedisgrace。Imustraisethemoneyinsome
way，andifyouwillnotletmehaveit，thenImusttryothermeans。”
“Iwasveryangry，forthiswasthethirddemandduringthemonth。”Youshallnothaveafarthingfromme”cried，onwhichhebowed
andlefttheroomwithoutanotherword。
“WhenhewasgoneIunlockedmybureau，madesurethatmytreasure
wassafe，andlockeditagain。ThenIstartedtogoroundthehouseto
seethatallwassecure-adutywhichIusuallyleavetoMarybutwhich
Ithoughtitwelltoperformmyselfthatnight。AsIcamedownthe
stairsIsawMaryherselfatthesidewindowofthehail，whichshe
closedandfastenedasIapproached。
“”Tellme，dad”saidshe，looking，Ithought，alittledisturbed，”didyougiveLucy，themaid，leavetogooutto-night？”
“”Certainlynot。”
“”Shecameinjustnowbythebackdoor。Ihavenodoubtthatshe
hasonlybeentothesidegatetoseesomeone，butIthinkthatit
ishardlysafeandshouldbestopped。”
“”Youmustspeaktoherinthemorning，orIwillifyouprefer
it。Areyousurethateverythingisfastened？”
“”Quitesure，dad。”
“”Then，good-night。”Ikissedherandwentuptomybedroomagain，
whereIwassoonasleep。
“Iamendeavouringtotellyoueverything，Mr。Holmes，whichmay
haveanybearinguponthecase，butIbegthatyouwillquestionme
uponanypointwhichIdonotmakeclear。”
“Onthecontrary，yourstatementissingularlylucid。”
“IcometoapartofmystorynowinwhichIshouldwishtobe
particularlyso。Iamnotaveryheavysleeper，andtheanxietyin
mymindtended，nodoubt，tomakemeevenlesssothanusual。About
twointhemorning，then，Iwasawakenedbysomesoundinthehouse。
IthadceasedereIwaswideawake，butithadleftanimpression
behinditasthoughawindowhadgentlyclosedsomewhere。Ilay
listeningwithallmyears。Suddenly，tomyhorror，therewasa
distinctsoundoffootstepsmovingsoftlyinthenextroom。I
slippedoutofbed，anpalpitatingwithfear，andpeepedroundthe
cornerofmydressing-roomdoor。
“”Arthur”Iscreamed，”youvillain！youthief！Howdareyoutouch
thatcoronet？”
“Thegaswashalfup，asIhadleftit，andmyunhappyboy，
dressedonlyinhisshirtandtrousers，wasstandingbesidethelight，
holdingthecoronetinhishands。Heappearedtobewrenchingatit，
orbendingitwithallhisstrength。Atmycryhedroppeditfrom
hisgraspandturnedaspaleasdeath。Isnatcheditupandexamined
it。Oneofthegoldcorners，withthreeoftheberylsinit，was
missing。
“”Youblackguard！”Ishouted，besidemyselfwithrage。”Youhave
destroyedit！Youhavedishonouredmeforever！Wherearethejewels
whichyouhavestolen？”
“”Stolen！”hecried。
“”Yes，thief！”Iroared，shakinghimbytheshoulder。
“”Therearenonemissing。therecannotbeanymissing”saidhe。
“”Therearethreemissing。Andyouknowwheretheyare。MustI
callyoualiaraswellasathief？DidInotseeyoutryingtotear
offanotherpiece？”
“”Youhavecalledmenamesenough”saidhe；”Iwillnotstandit
anylonger。Ishallnotsayanotherwordaboutthisbusiness，since
youhavechosentoinsultme。Iwillleaveyourhouseinthemorning
andmakemyownwayintheworld。”
“”Youshallleaveitinthehandsofthepolice！”Icried，
half-madwithgriefandrage。”Ishallhavethismatterprobedto
thebottom。”
“”Youshalllearnnothingfromme”saidhewithapassionsuchasI
shouldnothavethoughtyouchoosetocallthepolice，letthe
policefindwhattheycan。”
“Bythistimethewholehousewasastir，forIhadraisedmyvoice
inmyanger。Marywasthefirsttorushintomyroom，and，atthe
sightofthecoronetandofandofArthur”sface，shereadthewhole
storyand，withascream，felldownsenselessontheground。Isent
thehouse-maidforthepoliceandputtheinvestigationintotheir
handsatonce。Whentheinspectorandaconstableenteredthehouse，
Arthur，whohadstoodsullenlywithhisarmsfolded，askedme
whetheritwasmyintentiontochargehimwiththeft。Ianswered
thatithadceasedtobeaprivatematter，buthadbecomeapublic
one，sincetheruinedcoronetwasnationalproperty。Iwas
determinedthatthelawshouldhaveitswayineverything。
“”Atleast”saidhe，”youwillnothavemearrestedatonce。It
wouldbetoyouradvantageaswellasmineifImightleavethe
houseforfiveminutes。”
“”Thatyoumaygetaway，orperhapsthatyoumayconcealwhatyou
havestolen；saidI。Andthen，realizingthedreadfulpositionin
whichIwasplaced，Iimploredhimtorememberthatnotonlymyhonour
butthatofonewhowasfargreaterthanIwasatstake；andthathe
threatenedtoraiseascandalwhichwouldconvulsethenation。He
mightavertitallifhewouldbuttellmewhathehaddonewiththe
threemissingstones。
“”Youmayaswellfacethematter”saidI；”youhavebeencaughtin
theact，andnoconfessioncouldmakeyourguiltmoreheinous。If
youbutmakesuchreparationasisinyourpower，bytellingus
wheretheberylsare，allshallbeforgivenandforgotten。”
“”Keepyourforgivenessforthosewhoaskforit”heanswered，
turningawayfrommewithasneer。Isawthathewastoohardened
foranywordsofminetoinfluencehim。Therewasbutonewayfor
it。Icalledintheinspectorandgavehimintocustody。Asearch
wasmadeatoncenotonlyofhispersonbutofhisroomandofevery
portionofthehousewherehecouldpossiblyhaveconcealedthe
gems；butnotraceofthemcouldbefound，norwouldthewretched
boyopenhismouthforallourpersuasionsandourthreats。This
morninghewasremovedtoacell，andI，aftergoingthroughallthe
policeformalities，havehurriedroundtoyoutoimploreyoutouse
yourskillinunravellingthematter。Thepolicehaveopenlyconfessed
thattheycanatpresentmakenothingofit。Youmaygotoanyexpense
whichyouthinknecessary。IhavealreadyofferedarewardofL1000。
MyGod，whatshallIdo！Ihavelostmyhonour，mygems，andmysonin
onenight。Oh，whatshallIdo！“
Heputahandoneithersideofhisheadandrockedhimselftoand
fro，droningtohimselflikeachildwhosegriefhasgotbeyondwords。
SherlockHolmessatsilentforsomefewminutes，withhisbrows
knittedandhiseyesfixeduponthefire。
“Doyoureceivemuchcompany？“heasked。
“Nonesavemypartnerwithhisfamilyandanoccasionalfriendof
Arthur”s。SirGeorgeBurnwellhasbeenseveraltimeslately。Noone
else，Ithink。”
“Doyougooutmuchinsociety？“
“Arthurdoes。MaryandIstayathome。Weneitherofuscarefor
it。”
“Thatisunusualinayounggirl。”
“Sheisofaquietnature。Besides，sheisnotsoveryyoung。Sheis
four-andtwenty。”
“Thismatter，fromwhatyousay，seemstohavebeenashocktoher
also。”
“Terrible！SheisevenmoreaffectedthanI。”
“Youhaveneitherofyouanydoubtastoyourson”sguilt？“
“HowcanwehavewhenIsawhimwithmyowneyeswiththecoronetin
hishands。”
“Ihardlyconsiderthataconclusiveproof。Wastheremainderofthe
coronetatallinjured？“
“Yes，itwastwisted。”
“Doyounotthink，then，thathemighthavebeentryingto
straightenit？“
“Godblessyou！Youaredoingwhatyoucanforhimandforme。But
itistooheavyatask。Whatwashedoingthereatall？Ifhispurpose
wereinnocent，whydidhenotsayso？“
“Precisely。Andifitwereguilty，whydidhenotinventalie？
Hissilenceappearstometocutbothways。thereareseveralsingular
pointsaboutthecase。Whatdidthepolicethinkofthenoisewhich
awokeyoufromyoursleep？“
“TheyconsideredthatitmightbecausedbyArthur”sclosinghis
bedroomdoor。”
“Alikelystory！Asifamanbentonfelonywouldslamhisdoorso
astowakeahousehold。Whatdidtheysay，then，ofthe
disappearanceofthesegems？“
“Theyarestillsoundingtheplankingandprobingthefurniturein
thehopeoffindingthem。”
“Havetheythoughtoflookingoutsidethehouse？“
“Yes，theyhaveshownextraordinaryenergy。Thewholegardenhas
alreadybeenminutelyexamined。”
“Now，mydearsir，“saidHolmes，“isitnotobvioustoyounow
thatthismatterreallystrikesverymuchdeeperthaneitheryouor
thepolicewereatfirstinclinedtothink？Itappearedtoyoutobea
simplecase；tomeitseemsexceedinglycomplex。Considerwhatis
involvedbyyourtheory。Yousupposethatyoursoncamedownfrom
hisbed，went，atgreatrisk，toyourdressing-room，openedyour
bureau，tookoutyourcoronet，brokeoffbymainforceasmallportion
ofit，wentofftosomeotherplace，concealedthreegemsoutofthe
thirty-nine，withsuchskillthatnobodycanfindthem，andthen
returnedwiththeotherthirty-sixintotheroominwhichheexposed
himselftothegreatestdangerofbeingdiscovered。Iaskyounow，
issuchatheorytenable？“
“Butwhatotheristhere？“criedthebankerwithagestureof
despair。“Ifhismotiveswereinnocent，whydoeshenotexplainthem？“
“Itisourtasktofindthatout，“repliedHolmes；“sonow，ifyou
please，Mr。Holder，wewillsetoffforStreathamtogether，anddevote
anhourtoglancingalittlemorecloselyintodetails。”
Myfriendinsisteduponmyaccompanyingthemintheirexpedition，
whichIwaseagerenoughtodo，formycuriosityandsympathywere
deeplystirredbythestorytowhichwehadlistened。Iconfessthat
theguiltofthebanker”ssonappearedtometobeasobviousasit
didtohisunhappyfather，butstillIhadsuchfaithinHolmes”s
judgmentthatIfeltthattheremustbesomegroundsforhopeas
longashewasdissatisfiedwiththeacceptedexplanation。Hehardly
spokeawordthewholewayouttothesouthernsuburb，butsatwith
hischinuponhisbreastandhishatdrawnoverhiseyes，sunkin
thedeepestthought。Ourclientappearedtohavetakenfreshheart
atthelittleglimpseofhopewhichhadbeenpresentedtohim，and
heevenbrokeintoadesultorychatwithmeoverhisbusinessaffairs。
AshortrailwayjourneyandashorterwalkbroughtustoFairbank，the
modestresidenceofthegreatfinancier。
Fairbankwasagood-sizedsquarehouseofwhitestone，standingback
alittlefromtheroad。Adoublecarriage-sweep，withasnow-clad
lawn，stretcheddowninfronttotwolargeirongateswhichclosedthe
entrance。Ontherightsidewasasmallwoodenthicket，whichledinto
anarrowpathbetweentwoneathedgesstretchingfromtheroadto
thekitchendoor，andformingthetradesmen”sentrance。Ontheleft
ranalanewhichledtothestables，andwasnotitselfwithinthe
groundsatall，beingapublic，thoughlittleused，thoroughfare。
Holmesleftusstandingatthedoorandwalkedslowlyallroundthe
house，acrossthefront，downthetradesmen”spath，andsoroundby
thegardenbehindintothestablelane。SolongwashethatMr。Holder
andIwentintothedining-roomandwaitedbythefireuntilheshould
return。Weweresittingthereinsilencewhenthedooropenedanda
youngladycamein。Shewasratherabovethemiddleheight，slim，with
darkhairandeyes，whichseemedthedarkeragainsttheabsolute
pallorofherskin。IdonotthinkthatIhaveeverseensuchdeadly
palenessinawoman”sface。Herlips，too，werebloodless，buther
eyeswereflushedwithcrying。Asshesweptsilentlyintotheroomshe
impressedmewithagreatersenseofgriefthanthebankerhaddonein
themorning，anditwasthemorestrikinginherasshewas
evidentlyawomanofstrongcharacter，withimmensecapacityfor
self-restraint。Disregardingmypresence，shewentstraighttoher
uncleandpassedherhandoverhisheadwithasweetwomanlycaress。
“YouhavegivenordersthatArthurshouldbeliberated，haveyou
not，dad？“sheasked。
“No，no，mygirl，themattermustbeprobedtothebottom。”
“ButIamsosurethatheisinnocent。Youknowwhatwoman”s
instinctsare。Iknowthathehasdonenoharmandthatyouwillbe
sorryforhavingactedsoharshly。”
“Whyishesilent，then，ifheisinnocent？“
“Whoknows？Perhapsbecausehewassoangrythatyoushould
suspecthim。”
“HowcouldIhelpsuspectinghim，whenIactuallysawhimwiththe
coronetinhishand？“
“Oh，buthehadonlypickedituptolookatit。Oh，do，dotake
mywordforitthatheisinnocent。Letthematterdropandsayno
more。ItissodreadfultothinkofourdearArthurinprison！“
“Ishallneverletitdropuntilthegemsarefound-never，Mary！
YouraffectionforArthurblindsyouastotheawfulconsequencesto
me。Farfromhushingthethingup，Ihavebroughtagentlemandown
fromLondontoinquiremoredeeplyintoit。”
“Thisgentleman？“sheasked，facingroundtome。
“No，hisfriend。Hewishedustoleavehimalone。Heisroundinthe
stablelanenow。”
“Thestablelane？“Sheraisedherdarkeyebrows。“Whatcanhehope
tofindthere？Ah！this，Isuppose，ishe。Itrust，sir，thatyouwill
succeedinproving，whatIfeelsureisthetruth。thatmycousin
Arthurisinnocentofthiscrime。”
“Ifullyshareyouropinion，andItrust，withyou，thatwemay
proveit，“returnedHolmes，goingbacktothemattoknockthesnow
fromhisshoes。“IbelieveIhavethehonourofaddressingMissMary
Holder。MightIaskyouaquestionortwo？“
“Praydo，sir，ifitmayhelptoclearthishorribleaffairup。”
“Youheardnothingyourselflastnight？“
“Nothing，untilmyuncleherebegantospeakloudly。Iheardthat，
andIcamedown。”
“Youshutupthewindowsanddoorsthenightbefore。Didyou
fastenallthewindows？“
“Yes。”
“Weretheyallfastenedthismorning？“
“Yes。”
“Youhaveamaidwhohasasweetheart？Ithinkthatyouremarked
toyourunclelastnightthatshehadbeenouttoseehim？“
“Yes，andshewasthegirlwhowaitedinthedrawing-room，andwho
mayhavehearduncle”sremarksaboutthecoronet。”
“Isee。Youinferthatshemayhavegoneouttotellhersweetheart，
andthatthetwomayhaveplannedtherobbery。”
“Butwhatisthegoodofallthesevaguetheories，“criedthebanker
impatiently，“WhenIhavetoldyouthatIsawArthurwiththe
coronetinhishands？“
“Waitalittle，Mr。Holder。Wemustcomebacktothat。Aboutthis
girl，MissHolder。Yousawherreturnbythekitchendoor，Ipresume？“
“Yes；whenIwenttoseeifthedoorwasfastenedforthenightI
metherslippingin。Isawtheman，too，inthegloom。”
“Doyouknowhim？“
“Oh，yes！heisthegreen-grocerwhobringsourvegetablesround。
HisnameisFrancisProsper。”
“Hestood，“saidHolmes，“totheleftofthedoor-thatistosay，
fartherupthepaththanisnecessarytoreachthedoor？“
“Yes，hedid。”
“Andheisamanwithawoodenleg？“
Somethinglikefearsprangupintheyounglady”sexpressiveblack
eyes。“Why，youarelikeamagician，“saidshe。“Howdoyouknow
that？“Shesmiled，buttherewasnoansweringsmileinHolmes”s
thin，eagerface。
“Ishouldbeverygladnowtogoupstairs，“saidhe。“Ishall
probablywishtogoovertheoutsideofthehouseagain。PerhapsIhad
bettertakealookatthelowerwindowsbeforeIgoup。”
Hewalkedswiftlyroundfromonetotheother，pausingonlyatthe
largeonewhichlookedfromthehallontothestablelane。Thishe
openedandmadeaverycarefulexaminationofthesillwithhis
powerfulmagnifyinglens。“Nowweshallgoupstairs，“saidheatlast。
Thebanker”sdressing-roomwasaplainlyfurnishedlittlechamber，
withagraycarpet，alargebureau，andalongmirror。Holmeswent
tothebureaufirstandlookedhardatthelock。
“Whichkeywasusedtoopenit？“heasked。
“Thatwhichmysonhimselfindicated-thatofthecupboardofthe
lumberroom。”
“Haveyouithere？“
“Thatisitonthedressing-table。”
SherlockHolmestookitupandopenedthebureau。
“Itisanoiselesslock，“saidhe。“Itisnowonderthatitdid
notwakeyou。Thiscase，Ipresume，containsthecoronet。Wemusthave
alookatit。”Heopenedthecase，andtakingoutthediademhelaid
ituponthetable。Itwasamagnificentspecimenofthejeweller”s
art，andthethirty-sixstoneswerethefinestthatIhaveever
seen。Atonesideofthecoronetwasacrackededge，whereacorner
holdingthreegemshadbeentornaway。
“Now，Mr。Holder，“saidHolmes，“hereisthecornerwhich
correspondstothatwhichhasbeensounfortunatelylost。MightI
begthatyouwillbreakitoff。”
Thebankerrecoiledinhorror。“Ishouldnotdreamoftrying，“
saidhe。
“ThenIwill。”Holmessuddenlybenthisstrengthuponit，but
withoutresult。“Ifeelitgivealittle，“saidhe；“but，thoughI
amexceptionallystronginthefingers，itwouldtakemeallmytime
tobreakit。Anordinarymancouldnotdoit。Now，whatdoyouthink
wouldhappenifIdidbreakit，Mr。Holder？Therewouldbeanoise
likeapistolshot。Doyoutellmethatallthishappenedwithinafew
yardsofyourbedandthatyouheardnothingofit？“
“Idonotknowwhattothink。Itisalldarktome。”
“Butperhapsitmaygrowlighteraswego。Whatdoyouthink，Miss
Holder？“
“IconfessthatIstillsharemyuncle”sperplexity。”
“Yoursonhadnoshoesorslippersonwhenyousawhim？“
“Hehadnothingonsaveonlyhistrousersandshirt。”
“Thankyou。Wehavecertainlybeenfavouredwithextraordinary
luckduringthisinquiry，anditwillbeentirelyourownfaultif
wedonotsucceedinclearingthematterup。Withyourpermission，Mr。
Holder，Ishallnowcontinuemyinvestigationsoutside。”
Hewentalone，athisownrequest，forheexplainedthatany
unnecessaryfootmarksmightmakehistaskmoredifficult。Foran
hourormorehewasatwork，returningatlastwithhisfeetheavy
withsnowandhisfeaturesasinscrutableasever。
“IthinkthatIhaveseennowallthatthereistosee，Mr。Holder，“
saidhe；“Icanserveyoubestbyreturningtomyrooms。”
“Butthegems，Mr。Holmes。Wherearethey？“
“Icannottell。”
Thebankerwrunghishands。“Ishallneverseethemagain！“he
cried。“Andmyson？Yougivemehopes？“
“Myopinionisinnowayaltered。”
“Then，forGod”ssake，whatwasthisdarkbusinesswhichwasacted
inmyhouselastnight？“
“IfyoucancalluponmeatmyBakerStreetroomsto-morrow
morningbetweennineandtenIshallbehappytodowhatIcantomake
itclearer。Iunderstandthatyougivemecarteblanchetoactfor
you，providedonlythatIgetbackthegems，andthatyouplaceno
limitonthesumImaydraw。”
“Iwouldgivemyfortunetohavethemback。”
“Verygood。Ishalllookintothematterbetweenthisandthen。
Good-bye；itisjustpossiblethatImayhavetocomeoverhere
againbeforeevening。”
Itwasobvioustomethatmycompanion”smindwasnowmadeup
aboutthecase，althoughwhathisconclusionswerewasmorethanI
couldevendimlyimagine。Severaltimesduringourhomewardjourney
Iendeavouredtosoundhimuponthepoint，buthealwaysglidedaway
tosomeothertopic，untilatlastIgaveitoverindespair。Itwas
notyetthreewhenwefoundourselvesinourroomoncemore。He
hurriedtohischamber，andwasdownagaininafewminutesdressedas
acommonloafer。Withhiscollarturnedup，hisshiny，seedycoat，his
redcravat，andhiswornboots，hewasaperfectsampleoftheclass。
“Ithinkthatthisshoulddo，“saidhe，glancingintotheglass
abovethefireplace。“Ionlywishthatyoucouldcomewithme，Watson，
butIfearthatitwon”tdo。Imaybeonthetrailinthismatter，
orImaybefollowingawill-o”-the-wisp，butIshallsoonknow
whichitis。IhopethatImaybebackinafewhours。”Hecutaslice
ofbeeffromthejointuponthesideboard，sandwicheditbetweentwo
roundsofbread，andthrustingthisrudemealintohispockethe
startedoffuponhisexpedition。
Ihadjustfinishedmyteawhenhereturned，evidentlyin
excellentspirits，swinginganoldelastic-sidedbootinhishand。
Hechuckeditdownintoacornerandhelpedhimselftoacupoftea。
“IonlylookedinasIpassed，“saidhe。“Iamgoingrighton。”
“Whereto？“
“Oh，totheothersideoftheWestEnd。ItmaybesometimebeforeI
getback。Don”twaitupformeincaseIshouldbelate。”
“Howareyougettingon？“
“Oh，soso。Nothingtocomplainof。IhavebeenouttoStreatham
sinceIsawyoulast，butIdidnotcallatthehouse。Itisavery
sweetlittleproblem，andIwouldnothavemisseditforagood
deal。However，Imustnotsitgossipinghere，butmustgetthese
disreputableclothesoffandreturntomyhighlyrespectableself。”
Icouldseebyhismannerthathehadstrongerreasonsfor
satisfactionthanhiswordsalonewouldimply。Hiseyestwinkled，
andtherewasevenatouchofcolouruponhissallowcheeks。He
hastenedupstairs，andafewminuteslaterIheardtheslamofthe
halldoor，whichtoldmethathewasoffoncemoreuponhis
congenialhunt。
Iwaiteduntilmidnight，buttherewasnosignofhisreturn，soI
retiredtomyroom。Itwasnouncommonthingforhimtobeawayfor
daysandnightsonendwhenhewashotuponascent，sothathis
latenesscausedmenosurprise。Idonotknowatwhathourhecamein，
butwhenIcamedowntobreakfastinthemorningtherehewaswitha
cupofcoffeeinonehandandthepaperintheother，asfreshand
trimaspossible。
“Youwillexcusemybeginningwithoutyou，Watson，“saidhe，“but
yourememberthatourclienthasratheranearlyappointmentthis
morning。”
“Why，itisafterninenow，“answered。“Ishouldnotbesurprisedif
thatwerehe。IthoughtIheardaring。”
Itwas，indeed，ourfriendthefinancier。Iwasshockedbythe
changewhichhadcomeoverhim，forhisfacewhichwasnaturallyof
abroadandmassivemould，wasnowpinchedandfallenin，whilehis
hairseemedtomeatleastashadewhiter。Heenteredwithaweariness
andlethargywhichwasevenmorepainfulthanhisviolenceofthe
morningbefore，andhedroppedheavilyintothearmchairwhichI
pushedforwardforhim。
“IdonotknowwhatIhavedonetobesoseverelytried，“saidhe。
“OnlytwodaysagoIwasahappyandprosperousman，withoutacarein
theworld。NowIamlefttoalonelyanddishonouredage。Onesorrow
comescloseupontheheelsofanother。Myniece，Mary，hasdeserted
me。”
“Desertedyou？“
“Yes。Herbedthismorninghadnotbeensleptin，herroomwas
empty，andanoteformelayuponthehalltable。Ihadsaidtoher
lastnight，insorrowandnotinanger，thatifshehadmarriedmyboy
allmighthavebeenwellwithhim。Perhapsitwasthoughtlessofmeto
sayso。Itistothatremarkthatsherefersinthisnote：”MYDEARESTUNCLE：”IfeelthatIhavebroughttroubleuponyou，andthatifIhad
acteddifferentlythisterriblemisfortunemightneverhave
occurred。Icannot，withthisthoughtinmymind，everagainbe
happyunderyourroof，andIfeelthatImustleaveyouforever。Do
notworryaboutmyfuture，forthatisprovidedfor；and，aboveall，
donotsearchforme，foritwillbefruitlesslabourandan
ill-servicetome。Inlifeorindeath，Iamever
“Yourloving“MARY。
“Whatcouldshemeanbythatnote，Mr。Holmes？Doyouthinkit
pointstosuicide？“
“No，no，nothingofthekind。Itisperhapsthebestpossible
solution。ItrustMr。Holder，thatyouarenearingtheendofyour
troubles。”
“Ha！Yousayso！Youhaveheardsomething，Mr。Holmes；youhave
learnedsomething！Wherearethegems？“
“YouwouldnotthinkL1000apieceanexcessivesumforthem？“
“Iwouldpayten。”
“Thatwouldbeunnecessary。Threethousandwillcoverthematter。
Andthereisalittlereward，Ifancy。Haveyouyourcheck-book？
Hereisapen。BettermakeitoutforL4000。”
Withadazedfacethebankermadeouttherequiredcheck。Holmes
walkedovertohisdesk，tookoutalittletriangularpieceofgold
withthreegemsinit，andthrewitdownuponthetable。
Withashriekofjoyourclientclutcheditup。
“Youhaveit！“hegasped。“Iamsaved！Iamsaved！“
Thereactionofjoywasaspassionateashisgriefhadbeen，and
hehuggedhisrecoveredgemstohisbosom。
“Thereisoneotherthingyouowe，Mr。Holder，“saidSherlockHolmes
rathersternly。
“Owe！“Hecaughtupapen。“Namethesum，andIwillpayit。”
“No，thedebtisnottome。Youoweaveryhumbleapologytothat
noblelad，yourson，whohascarriedhimselfinthismatterasI
shouldbeproudtoseemyownsondo，shouldIeverchancetohave
one。”
“ThenitwasnotArthurwhotookthem？“
“Itoldyouyesterday，andIrepeatto-day，thatitwasnot。”
“Youaresureofit！Thenletushurrytohimatoncetolethim
knowthatthetruthisknown。”
“Heknowsitalready。WhenIhadcleareditallupIhadan
interviewwithhim，andfindingthathewouldnottellmethestory，I
toldittohim，onwhichhehadtoconfessthatIwasrightandtoadd
theveryfewdetailswhichwerenotyetquitecleartome。Yournews
ofthismorning，however，mayopenhislips。”
“Forheaven”ssake，tellme，then，whatisthisextraordinary
mystery！“
“Iwilldoso，andIwillshowthestepsbywhichIreachedit。
Andletmetoyou，first，thatwhichitishardestformetosayand
foryoutohear：therehasbeenanunderstandingbetweenSirGeorge
BurnwellandyournieceMary。Theyhavenowfledtogether。”
“MyMary？Impossible！“
“Itisunfortunatelymorethanpossible，itiscertain。Neither
younoryoursonknewthetruecharacterofthismanwhenyouadmitted
himintoyourfamilycircle。Heisoneofthemostdangerousmenin
England-aruinedgambler，anabsolutelydesperatevillain，aman
withoutheartorconscience。Yournieceknewnothingofsuchmen。When
hebreathedhisvowstoher，ashehaddonetoahundredbeforeher，
sheflatteredherselfthatshealonehadtouchedhisheart。The
devilknowsbestwhathesaid，butatleastshebecamehistooland
wasinthehabitofseeinghimnearlyeveryevening。”
“Icannot，andIwillnot，believeit！“criedthebankerwithan
ashenface。
“Iwilltellyou，then，whatoccurredinyourhouselastnight。Your
niece，whenyouhad，asshethought，gonetoyourroom，slippeddown
andtalkedtoherloverthroughthewindowwhichleadsintothestable
lane。Hisfootmarkshadpressedrightthroughthesnow，solonghadhe
stoodthere。Shetoldhimofthecoronet。Hiswickedlustforgold
kindledatthenews，andhebenthertohiswill。Ihavenodoubtthat
shelovedyou，buttherearewomeninwhomtheloveofalover
extinguishesallotherloves，andIthinkthatshemusthavebeenone。
Shehadhardlylistenedtohisinstructionswhenshesawyoucoming
downstairs，onwhichsheclosedthewindowrapidlyandtoldyou
aboutoneoftheservants”escapadewithherwooden-leggedlover，
whichwasallperfectlytrue。
“Yourboy，Arthur，wenttobedafterhisinterviewwithyou，but
hesleptbadlyonaccountofhisuneasinessabouthisclubdebts。In
themiddleofthenightheheardasofttreadpasshisdoor，sohe
roseand，lookingout，wassurprisedtoseehiscousinwalkingvery
stealthilyalongthepassageuntilshedisappearedintoyour
dressing-room。Petrifiedwithastonishment，theladslippedonsome
clothesandwaitedthereinthedarktoseewhatwouldcomeofthis
strangeaffair。Presentlysheemergedfromtheroomagain，andin
thelightofthepassage-lampyoursonsawthatshecarriedthe
preciouscoronetinherhands。Shepasseddownthestairs，andhe，
thrillingwithhorror，ranalongandslippedbehindthecurtainnear
yourdoor，whencehecouldseewhatpassedinthehallbeneath。Hesaw
herstealthilyopenthewindow，handoutthecoronettosomeoneinthe
gloom，andthenclosingitoncemorehurrybacktoherroom，passing
quiteclosetowherehestoodhidbehindthecurtain。