Chapter 13. Fixing the Nets

thhasheevertoldme.Andwhy—why?Iimaginedthatallwasformyownsake.ButnowIseethatIwasneveranythingbutatoolinhishands.WhyshouldIpreservefaithwithhimwhoneverkeptanywithme?WhyshouldItrytoshieldhimfromtheconsequencesofhisownwickedacts?Askmewhatyoulike,andthereisnothingwhichIshallholdback.OnethingIsweartoyou,andthatisthatwhenIwrotetheletterIneverdreamedofanyharmtotheoldgentleman,whohadbeenmykindestfriend.” “Ientirelybelieveyou,madam,”saidSherlockHolmes.“Therecitaloftheseeventsmustbeverypainfultoyou,andperhapsitwillmakeiteasierifItellyouwhatoccurred,andyoucancheckmeifImakeanymaterialmistake.ThesendingofthisletterwassuggestedtoyoubyStapleton?” “Hedictatedit.” “IpresumethatthereasonhegavewasthatyouwouldreceivehelpfromSirCharlesforthelegalexpensesconnectedwithyourdivorce?” “Exactly.” “Andthenafteryouhadsenttheletterhedissuadedyoufromkeepingtheappointment?” “Hetoldmethatitwouldhurthisself-respectthatanyothermanshouldfindthemoneyforsuchanobject,andthatthoughhewasapoormanhimselfhewoulddevotehislastpennytoremovingtheobstacleswhichdividedus.” “Heappearstobeaveryconsistentcharacter.Andthenyouheardnothinguntilyoureadthereportsofthedeathinthepaper?” “No.” “AndhemadeyousweartosaynothingaboutyourappointmentwithSirCharles?” “Hedid.Hesaidthatthedeathwasaverymysteriousone,andthatIshouldcertainlybesuspectedifthefactscameout.Hefrightenedmeintoremainingsilent.” “Quiteso.Butyouhadyoursuspicions?” Shehesitatedandlookeddown. “Iknewhim,”shesaid.“ButifhehadkeptfaithwithmeIshouldalwayshavedonesowithhim.” “Ithinkthatonthewholeyouhavehadafortunateescape,”saidSherlockHolmes.“Youhavehadhiminyourpowerandheknewit,andyetyouarealive.Youhavebeenwalkingforsomemonthsveryneartotheedgeofaprecipice.Wemustwishyougood-morningnow,Mrs.Lyons,anditisprobablethatyouwillveryshortlyhearfromusagain.” “Ourcasebecomesroundedoff,anddifficultyafterdifficultythinsawayinfrontofus,”saidHolmesaswestoodwaitingforthearrivaloftheexpressfromtown.“Ishallsoonbeinthepositionofbeingabletoputintoasingleconnectednarrativeoneofthemostsingularandsensationalcrimesofmoderntimes.StudentsofcriminologywillremembertheanalogousincidentsinGodno,inLittleRussia,intheyear’66,andofcoursetherearetheAndersonmurdersinNorthCarolina,butthiscasepossessessomefeatureswhichareentirelyitsown.Evennowwehavenoclearcaseagainstthisverywilyman.ButIshallbeverymuchsurprisedifitisnotclearenoughbeforewegotobedthisnight.” TheLondonexpresscameroaringintothestation,andasmall,wirybulldogofamanhadsprungfromafirst-classcarriage.Weallthreeshookhands,andIsawatoncefromthereverentialwayinwhichLestradegazedatmycompanionthathehadlearnedagooddealsincethedayswhentheyhadfirstworkedtogether.Icouldwellrememberthescornwhichthetheoriesofthereasonerusedthentoexciteinthepracticalman. “Anythinggood?”heasked. “Thebiggestthingforyears,”saidHolmes.“Wehavetwohoursbeforeweneedthinkofstarting.Ithinkwemightemployitingettingsomedinnerandthen,Lestrade,wewilltaketheLondonfogoutofyourthroatbygivingyouabreathofthepurenightairofDartmoor.Neverbeenthere?Ah,well,Idon’tsupposeyouwillforgetyourfirstvisit.”