Chapter IV The Story of the Bald-Headed Man

sofarthatIthoughtitbesttosetuproomsformyself:soIleftPondicherryLodge,takingtheoldkhitmutgarandWilliamswithme.Yesterday,however,Ilearnthataneventofextremeimportancehasoccurred.Thetreasurehasbeendiscovered.IinstantlycommunicatedwithMissMorstan,anditonlyremainsforustodriveouttoNorwoodanddemandourshare.IexplainedmyviewslastnighttoBrotherBartholomew:soweshallbeexpected,ifnotwelcome,visitors.” Mr.ThaddeusSholtoceased,andsattwitchingonhisluxurioussettee.Weallremainedsilent,withourthoughtsuponthenewdevelopmentwhichthemysteriousbusinesshadtaken.Holmeswasthefirsttospringtohisfeet. “Youhavedonewell,sir,fromfirsttolast,”saidhe.“Itispossiblethatwemaybeabletomakeyousomesmallreturnbythrowingsomelightuponthatwhichisstilldarktoyou.But,asMissMorstanremarkedjustnow,itislate,andwehadbestputthematterthroughwithoutdelay.” Ournewacquaintanceverydeliberatelycoiledupthetubeofhishookah,andproducedfrombehindacurtainaverylongbefroggedtopcoatwithAstrakhancollarandcuffs.Thishebuttonedtightlyup,inspiteoftheextremeclosenessofthenight,andfinishedhisattirebyputtingonarabbit-skincapwithhanginglappetswhichcoveredtheears,sothatnopartofhimwasvisiblesavehismobileandpeakyface.“Myhealthissomewhatfragile,”heremarked,asheledthewaydownthepassage.“Iamcompelledtobeavaletudinarian.” Ourcabwasawaitingusoutside,andourprogrammewasevidentlyprearranged,forthedriverstartedoffatonceatarapidpace.ThaddeusSholtotalkedincessantly,inavoicewhichrosehighabovetherattleofthewheels. “Bartholomewisacleverfellow,”saidhe.“Howdoyouthinkhefoundoutwherethetreasurewas?Hehadcometotheconclusionthatitwassomewhereindoors:soheworkedoutallthecubicspaceofthehouse,andmademeasurementseverywhere,sothatnotoneinchshouldbeunaccountedfor.Amongotherthings,hefoundthattheheightofthebuildingwasseventy-fourfeet,butonaddingtogethertheheightsofalltheseparaterooms,andmakingeveryallowanceforthespacebetween,whichheascertainedbyborings,hecouldnotbringthetotaltomorethanseventyfeet.Therewerefourfeetunaccountedfor.Thesecouldonlybeatthetopofthebuilding.Heknockedahole,therefore,inthelath-and-plasterceilingofthehighestroom,andthere,sureenough,hecameuponanotherlittlegarretaboveit,whichhadbeensealedupandwasknowntonoone.Inthecentrestoodthetreasure-chest,restingupontworafters.Helowereditthroughthehole,andthereitlies.Hecomputesthevalueofthejewelsatnotlessthanhalfamillionsterling.” Atthementionofthisgiganticsumweallstaredatoneanotheropen-eyed.MissMorstan,couldwesecureherrights,wouldchangefromaneedygovernesstotherichestheiressinEngland.SurelyitwastheplaceofaloyalfriendtorejoiceatsuchnewsyetIamashamedtosaythatselfishnesstookmebythesoul,andthatmyheartturnedasheavyasleadwithinme.Istammeredoutsomefewhaltingwordsofcongratulation,andthensatdowncast,withmyheaddrooped,deaftothebabbleofournewacquaintance.Hewasclearlyaconfirmedhypochondriac,andIwasdreamilyconsciousthathewaspouringforthinterminabletrainsofsymptoms,andimploringinformationastothecompositionandactionofinnumerablequacknostrums,someofwhichheboreaboutinaleathercaseinhispocket.ItrustthathemaynotrememberanyoftheanswerswhichIgavehimthatnight.Holmesdeclaresthatheoverheardmecautionhimagainstthegreatdangeroftakingmorethantwodropsofcastoroil,whileIrecommendedstrychnineinlargedosesasasedative.Howeverthatmaybe,Iwascertainlyrelievedwhenourcabpulledupwithajerkandthecoachmansprangdowntoopenthedoor. “This,MissMorstan,isPondicherryLodge,”saidMr.ThaddeusSholto,ashehandedherout.