THE ADVENTURE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE

expandingbulletfromanair-gunthroughtheopenwindowofthesecond-floorfrontofNo.427,ParkLane,uponthethirtiethoflastmonth.That’sthecharge,Lestrade.Andnow,Watson,ifyoucanendurethedraughtfromabrokenwindow,Ithinkthathalfanhourinmystudyoveracigarmayaffordyousomeprofitableamusement.” OuroldchambershadbeenleftunchangedthroughthesupervisionofMycroftHolmesandtheimmediatecareofMrs.Hudson.AsIenteredIsaw,itistrue,anunwontedtidiness,buttheoldlandmarkswereallintheirplace.Therewerethechemicalcornerandtheacid-stained,deal-toppedtable.Thereuponashelfwastherowofformidablescrap-booksandbooksofreferencewhichmanyofourfellow-citizenswouldhavebeensogladtoburn.Thediagrams,theviolin-case,andthepipe-rack—eventhePersianslipperwhichcontainedthetobacco—allmetmyeyesasIglancedroundme.Thereweretwooccupantsoftheroom—one,Mrs.Hudson,whobeameduponusbothasweentered—theother,thestrangedummywhichhadplayedsoimportantapartintheevening’sadventures.Itwasawax-colouredmodelofmyfriend,soadmirablydonethatitwasaperfectfacsimile.Itstoodonasmallpedestaltablewithanolddressing-gownofHolmes’ssodrapedrounditthattheillusionfromthestreetwasabsolutelyperfect. “Ihopeyouobservedallprecautions,Mrs.Hudson?”saidHolmes. “Iwenttoitonmyknees,sir,justasyoutoldme.” “Excellent.Youcarriedthethingoutverywell.Didyouobservewherethebulletwent?” “Yes,sir.I’mafraidithasspoiltyourbeautifulbust,foritpassedrightthroughtheheadandflatteneditselfonthewall.Ipickeditupfromthecarpet.Hereitis!” Holmeshelditouttome.“Asoftrevolverbullet,asyouperceive,Watson.There’sgeniusinthat,forwhowouldexpecttofindsuchathingfiredfromanairgun?Allright,Mrs.Hudson.Iammuchobligedforyourassistance.Andnow,Watson,letmeseeyouinyouroldseatoncemore,forthereareseveralpointswhichIshouldliketodiscusswithyou.” Hehadthrownofftheseedyfrockcoat,andnowhewastheHolmesofoldinthemouse-coloureddressing-gownwhichhetookfromhiseffigy. “Theoldshikari’snerveshavenotlosttheirsteadiness,norhiseyestheirkeenness,”saidhe,withalaugh,asheinspectedtheshatteredforeheadofhisbust. “Plumbinthemiddleofthebackoftheheadandsmackthroughthebrain.HewasthebestshotinIndia,andIexpectthattherearefewbetterinLondon.Haveyouheardthename?” “No,Ihavenot.” “Well,well,suchisfame!But,then,ifIrememberright,youhadnotheardthenameofProfessorJamesMoriarty,whohadoneofthegreatbrainsofthecentury.Justgivemedownmyindexofbiographiesfromtheshelf.” Heturnedoverthepageslazily,leaningbackinhischairandblowinggreatcloudsfromhiscigar. “MycollectionofM’sisafineone,”saidhe.“Moriartyhimselfisenoughtomakeanyletterillustrious,andhereisMorganthepoisoner,andMerridewofabominablememory,andMathews,whoknockedoutmyleftcanineinthewaiting-roomatCharingCross,and,finally,hereisourfriendofto-night.” Hehandedoverthebook,andIread: Moran,Sebastian,Colonel.Unemployed.Formerly1stBangalorePioneers.BornLondon,1840.SonofSirAugustusMoran,C.B.,onceBritishMinistertoPersia.EducatedEtonandOxford.ServedinJowakiCampaign,AfghanCampaign,Charasiab(despatches),Sherpur,andCabul.AuthorofHeavyGameoftheWesternHimalayas(1881)ThreeMonthsintheJungle(1884).Address:ConduitStreet.Clubs:TheAnglo-Indian,theTankerville,theBagatelleCardClub. Onthemarginwaswritten,inHolmes’sprecisehand: ThesecondmostdangerousmaninLondon. “Thisisastonishing,”saidI,asIhandedbackthevolume.“Theman’scareeristhatofanhonourablesoldier.” “Itistrue,”Holmesanswered.“Uptoacertainpointhedidwell.Hewasalwaysamanofironnerve,andthestoryisstilltoldinIndiahowhecrawleddownadrainafterawoundedman-eatingtiger.Therearesometrees,Watson,whichgrowtoacertainheight,andthensuddenlydevelopsomeunsightlyeccentricity.Youwillseeitofteninhumans.Ihaveatheorythattheindividualrepresentsinhisdevelopmentthewholeprocessionofhisancestors,andthatsuchasuddenturntogoodorevilstandsforsomestronginfluencewhichcameintothelineofhispedigree.Thepersonbecomes,asitwere,theepitomeofthehistoryofhisownfamily.” “Itissurelyratherfanciful.” “Well,Idon’tinsistuponit.Whateverthecause,ColonelMoranbegantogowrong.Withoutanyopenscandal,hestillmadeIndiatoohottoholdhim.Heretired,cametoLondon,andagainacquiredanevilname.ItwasatthistimethathewassoughtoutbyProfessorMoriarty,towhomforatimehewaschiefofthestaff.Moriartysuppliedhimliberallywithmoney,andusedhimonlyinoneortwoveryhigh-classjobs,whichnoordinarycriminalcouldhaveundertaken.YoumayhavesomerecollectionofthedeathofMrs.Stewart,ofLauder,in1887.Not?Well,IamsureMoranwasatthebottomofit,butnothingcouldbeproved.Socleverlywasthecolonelconcealedthat,evenwhentheMoriartygangwasbrokenup,wecouldnotincriminatehim.Yourememberatthatdate,whenIcalleduponyouinyourrooms,howIputuptheshuttersforfearofair-guns?Nodoubtyouthoughtmefanciful.IknewexactlywhatIwasdoing,forIknewoftheexistenceofthisremarkablegun,andIknewalsothatoneofthebestshotsintheworldwouldbebehindit.WhenwewereinSwitzerlandhefolloweduswithMoriarty,anditwasundoubtedlyhewhogavemethatevilfiveminutesontheReichenbachledge. “YoumaythinkthatIreadthepaperswithsomeattentionduringmysojourninFrance,onthelook-outforanychanceoflayinghimbytheheels.SolongashewasfreeinLondon,mylifewouldreallynothavebeenworthliving.Nightanddaytheshadowwouldhavebeenoverme,andsoonerorlaterhischancemusthavecome.WhatcouldIdo?Icouldnotshoothimatsight,orIshouldmyselfbeinthedock.Therewasnouseappealingtoamagistrate.Theycannotinterfereonthestrengthofwhatwouldappeartothemtobeawildsuspicion.SoIcoulddonothing.ButIwatchedthecriminalnews,knowingthatsoonerorlaterIshouldgethim.ThencamethedeathofthisRonaldAdair.Mychancehadcomeatlast.KnowingwhatIdid,wasitnotcertainthatColonelMoranhaddoneit?Hehadplayedcardswiththelad,hehadfollowedhimhomefromtheclub,hehadshothimthroughtheopenwindow.Therewasnotadoubtofit.Thebulletsaloneareenoughtoputhisheadinanoose.Icameoveratonce.Iwasseenbythesentinel,whowould,Iknew,directthecolonel’sattentiontomypresence.Hecouldnotfailtoconnectmysuddenreturnwithhiscrime,andtobeterriblyalarmed.Iwassurethathewouldmakeanattempttogetmeoutofthewayatonce,andwouldbringroundhismurderousweaponforthatpurpose.Ilefthimanexcellentmarkinthewindow,and,havingwarnedthepolicethattheymightbeneeded—bytheway,Watson,youspottedtheirpresenceinthatdoorwaywithunerringaccuracy—Itookupwhatseemedtometobeajudiciouspostforobservation,neverdreamingthathewouldchoosethesamespotforhisattack.Now,mydearWatson,doesanythingremainformetoexplain?” “Yes,”saidI.“YouhavenotmadeitclearwhatwasColonelMoran’smotiveinmurderingtheHonourableRonaldAdair?” “Ah!mydearWatson,therewecomeintothoserealmsofconjecture,wherethemostlogicalmindmaybeatfault.Eachmayformhisownhypothesisuponthepresentevidence,andyoursisaslikelytobecorrectasmine.” “Youhaveformedone,then?” “Ithinkthatitisnotdifficulttoexplainthefacts.ItcameoutinevidencethatColonelMoranandyoungAdairhad,betweenthem,wonaconsiderableamountofmoney.Now,Moranundoubtedlyplayedfoul—ofthatIhavelongbeenaware.IbelievethatonthedayofthemurderAdairhaddiscoveredthatMoranwascheating.Verylikelyhehadspokentohimprivately,andhadthreatenedtoexposehimunlesshevoluntarilyresignedhismembershipoftheclub,andpromisednottoplaycardsagain.ItisunlikelythatayoungsterlikeAdairwouldatoncemakeahideousscandalbyexposingawell-knownmansomucholderthanhimself.ProbablyheactedasIsuggest.TheexclusionfromhisclubswouldmeanruintoMoran,wholivedbyhisill-gottencard-gains.HethereforemurderedAdair,whoatthetimewasendeavouringtoworkouthowmuchmoneyheshouldhimselfreturn,sincehecouldnotprofitbyhispartner’sfoulplay.Helockedthedoorlesttheladiesshouldsurprisehimandinsistuponknowingwhathewasdoingwiththesenamesandcoins.Willitpass?” “Ihavenodoubtthatyouhavehituponthetruth.” “Itwillbeverifiedordisprovedatthetrial.Meanwhile,comewhatmay,ColonelMoranwilltroubleusnomore.Thefamousair-gunofVonHerderwillembellishtheScotlandYardMuseum,andonceagainMr.SherlockHolmesisfreetodevotehislifetoexaminingthoseinterestinglittleproblemswhichthecomplexlifeofLondonsoplentifullypresents.”