”Iamgoingtoforcemywayinandseeformyselfwhoisinthehouse。Iwishyoubothtobethereaswitnesses。””Youarequitedeterminedtodothis，inspiteofyourwife’swarningthatitisbetterthatyoushouldnotsolvethemystery?””Yes，Iamdetermined。””Well，Ithinkthatyouareintheright。Anytruthisbetterthanindefinitedoubt。Wehadbettergoupatonce。Ofcourse，legally，weareputtingourselveshopelesslyinthewrong；butIthinkthatitisworthit。”Itwasaverydarknight，andathinrainbegantofallasweturnedfromthehighroadintoanarrowlane，deeplyrutted，withhedgesoneitherside。Mr。
　　GrantMunropushedimpatientlyforward，however，andwestumbledafterhimasbestwecould。”Therearethelightsofmyhouse，”hemurmured，pointingtoaglimmeramongthetrees。”AndhereisthecottagewhichIamgoingtoenter。”
　　Weturnedacornerinthelaneashespoke，andtherewasthebuildingclosebesideus。Ayellowbarfallingacrosstheblackforegroundshowedthatthedoorwasnotquiteclosed，andonewindowintheupperstorywasbrightlyilluminated。Aswelooked，wesawadarkblurmovingacrosstheblind。”Thereisthatcreature！”criedGrantMunro。”Youcanseeforyourselvesthatsomeoneisthere。Nowfollowme，andweshallsoonknowall。”
　　Weapproachedthedoor；butsuddenlyawomanappearedoutoftheshadowandstoodinthegoldentrackofthelamp-light。Icouldnotseeherfaceinthehedarkness，butherarmswerethrownoutinanattitudeofentreaty。”ForGod’ssake，don’tJack！”shecried。”Ihadapresentimentthatyouwouldcomethisevening。Thinkbetterofit，dear！Trustmeagain，andyouwillneverhavecausetoregretit。””Ihavetrustedyoutoollong，Effie，”hecried，sternly。”Leavegoofme！Imustpassyou。MyfriendsandIaregoingtosettlethismatteronceandforever！”Hepushedhertooneside，andwefollowedcloselyafterhim。Ashethrewthedooropenanoldwomanranoutinfrontofhimandtriedtobarhispassage，buthethrustherback，andaninstantafterwardswewerealluponthestairs。GrantMunrorushedintothelightedroomatthetop，andweenteredathisheels。
　　Itwasacosey，well-furnishedapartment，withtwocandlesburninguponthetableandtwouponthemantelpiece。Inthecorner，stoopingoveradesk，theresatwhatappearedtobealittlegirl。Herfacewasturnedawayasweentered，butwecouldseethatshewasdressedinaredfrock，andthatshehadlongwhitegloveson。Asshewhiskedroundtous，Igaveacryofsurpriseandhorror。Thefacewhichsheturnedtowardsuswasofthestrangestlividtint，andthefeatureswereabsolutelydevoidofanyexpression。Aninstantlaterthemysterywasexplained。Holmes，withalaugh，passedhishandbehindthechild’sear，amaskpeeledofffromhercountenance，antherewasalittlecoalblacknegress，withallherwhiteteethflashinginamusementatouramazedfaces。Iburstoutlaughing，outofsympathywithhermerriment；butGrantMunrostoodstaring，withhishandclutchinghisthroat。”MyGod！”hecried。”Whatcanbethemeaningofthis?””Iwilltellyouthemeaningofit，”criedthelady，sweepingintotheroomwithaproud，setface。”Youhaveforcedme，againstmyownjudgment，totellyou，andnowwemustbothmakethebestofit。MyhusbanddiedatAtlanta。Mychildsurvived。””Yourchild?”
　　Shedrewalargesilverlocketfromherbosom。”Youhaveneverseenthisopen。””Iunderstoodthatitdidnotopen。”
　　Shetouchedaspring，andthefronthingedback。
　　Therewasaportraitwithinofamanstrikinglyhandsomeandintelligent-looking，butbearingunmistakablesignsuponhisfeaturesofhisAfricandescent。”ThatisJohnHebron，ofAtlanta，”saidthelady，”andanoblermanneverwalkedtheearth。Icutmyselfofffrommyraceinordertowedhim，butneveroncewhileheliveddidIforaninstantregretit。Itwasourmisfortunethatouronlychildtookafterhispeopleratherthanmine。Itisoftensoinsuchmatches，andlittleLucyisdarkerfarthaneverherfatherwas。
　　Butdarkorfair，sheismyowndearlittlegirlie，andhermother’spet。”Thelittlecreatureranacrossatthewordsandnestledupagainstthelady’sdress。”WhenIleftherinAmerica，”shecontinued，”itwasonlybecauseherhealthwasweak，andthechangemighthavedoneherharm。ShewasgiventothecareofafaithfulScotchwomanwhohadoncebeenourservant。
　　NeverforaninstantdidIdreamofdisowningherasmychild。Butwhenchancethrewyouinmyway，Jack，andIlearnedtoloveyou，Ifearedtotellyouaboutmychild。Godforgiveme，IfearedthatIshouldloseyou，andIhadnotthecouragetotellyou。Ihadtochoosebetweenyou，andinmyweaknessIturnedawayfrommyownlittlegirl。ForthreeyearsIhavekeptherexistenceasecretfromyou，butIheardfromthenurse，andIknewthatallwaswellwithher。Atlast，however，therecameanoverwhelmingdesiretoseethechildoncemore。Istruggledagainstit，butinvain。ThoughIknewthedanger，Ideterminedtohavethechildover，ifitwerebutforafewweeks。
　　Isentahundredpoundstothenurse，andIgaveherinstructionsaboutthiscottage，sothatshemightcomeasaneighbor，withoutmyappearingtobeinanywayconnectedwithher。Ipushedmyprecautionssofarastoorderhertokeepthechildinthehouseduringthedaytime，andtocoverupherlittlefaceandhandssothateventhosewhomightseeheratthewindowshouldnotgossipabouttherebeingablackchildintheneighborhood。IfIhadbeenlesscautiousImighthavebeenmorewise，butIwashalfcrazywithfearthatyoushouldlearnthetruth。”Itwasyouwhotoldmefirstthatthecottagewasoccupied。Ishouldhavewaitedforthemorning，butI
　　couldnotsleepforexcitement，andsoatlastI
　　slippedout，knowinghowdifficultitistoawakeyou。
　　Butyousawmego，andthatwasthebeginningofmytroubles。Nextdayyouhadmysecretatyourmercy，butyounoblyrefrainedfrompursuingyouradvantage。
　　Threedayslater，however，thenurseandchildonlyjustescapedfromthebackdoorasyourushedinatthefrontone。Andnowto-nightyouatlastknowall，andIaskyouwhatistobecomeofus，mychildandme?”Sheclaspedherhandsandwaitedforananswer。
　　ItwasalongtenminutesbeforeGrantMunrobrokethesilence，andwhenhisanswercameitwasoneofwhichIlovetothink。Heliftedthelittlechild，kissedher，andthen，stillcarryingher，heheldhisotherhandouttohiswifeandturnedtowardsthedoor。”Wecantalkitovermorecomfortablyathome，”saidhe。”Iamnotaverygoodman，Effie，butIthinkthatIamabetteronethanyouhavegivenmecreditforbeing。”
　　HolmesandIfollowedthemdownthelane，andmyfriendpluckedatmysleeveaswecameout。”Ithink，”saidhe，”thatweshallbeofmoreuseinLondonthaninNorbury。”
　　Notanotherworddidhesayofthecaseuntillatethatnight，whenhewasturningaway，withhislightedcandle，forhisbedroom。”Watson，”saidhe，”ifitshouldeverstrikeyouthatIamgettingalittleover-confidentinmypowers，orgivinglesspainstoacasethanitdeserves，kindlywhisper’Norbury’inmyear，andIshallbeinfinitelyobligedtoyou。”
　　AdventureIII
　　TheStock-Broker’sClerkShortlyaftermymarriageIhadboughtaconnectioninthePaddingtondistrict。OldMr。Farquhar，fromwhomIpurchasedit，hadatonetimeanexcellentgeneralpractice；buthisage，andanafflictionofthenatureofSt。Vitus’sdancefromwhichhesuffered，hadverymuchthinnedit。Thepublicnotunnaturallygoesontheprinciplethathewhowouldhealothersmusthimselfbewhole，andlooksaskanceatthecurativepowersofthemanwhoseowncaseisbeyondthereachofhisdrugs。Thusasmypredecessorweakenedhispracticedeclined，untilwhenIpurchaseditfromhimithadsunkfromtwelvehundredtolittlemorethanthreehundredayear。Ihadconfidence，however，inmyownyouthandenergy，andwasconvincedthatinaveryfewyearstheconcernwouldbeasflourishingasever。
　　ForthreemonthsaftertakingoverthepracticeIwaskeptverycloselyatwork，andsawlittleofmyfriendSherlockHolmes，forIwastoobusytovisitBakerStreet，andheseldomwentanywherehimselfsaveuponprofessionalbusiness。Iwassurprised，therefore，when，onemorninginJune，asIsatreadingtheBritishMedicalJournalafterbreakfast，Iheardaringatthebell，followedbythehigh，somewhatstridenttonesofmyoldcompanion’svoice。”Ah，mydearWatson，”saidhe，stridingintotheroom，”Iamverydelightedtoseeyou！ItrustthatMrs。
　　WatsonhasentirelyrecoveredfromallthelittleexcitementsconnectedwithouradventureoftheSignofFour。””Thankyou，wearebothverywell，”saidI，shakinghimwarmlybythehand。”AndIhope，also，”hecontinued，sittingdownintherocking-chair，”thatthecaresofmedicalpracticehavenotentirelyobliteratedtheinterestwhichyouusedtotakeinourlittledeductiveproblems。””Onthecontrary，”Ianswered，”itwasonlylastnightthatIwaslookingovermyoldnotes，andclassifyingsomeofourpastresults。””Itrustthatyoudon’tconsideryourcollectionclosed。””Notatall。Ishouldwishnothingbetterthantohavesomemoreofsuchexperiences。””To-day，forexample?””Yes，to-day，ifyoulike。””AndasfaroffasBirmingham?””Certainly，ifyouwishit。”