THE ADVENTURE OF THE NORWOOD BUILDER

Iask,inthefirstplace,Mr.McFarlane,howitisthatyouarestillatliberty,sincethereappearstobeenoughevidencetojustifyyourarrest?” “IliveatTorringtonLodge,Blackheath,withmyparents,Mr.Holmes,butlastnight,havingtodobusinessverylatewithMr.JonasOldacre,IstayedatanhotelinNorwood,andcametomybusinessfromthere.IknewnothingofthisaffairuntilIwasinthetrain,whenIreadwhatyouhavejustheard.Iatoncesawthehorribledangerofmyposition,andIhurriedtoputthecaseintoyourhands.IhavenodoubtthatIshouldhavebeenarrestedeitheratmycityofficeoratmyhome.AmanfollowedmefromLondonBridgeStation,andIhavenodoubt—Greatheaven!whatisthat?” Itwasaclangofthebell,followedinstantlybyheavystepsuponthestair.Amomentlater,ouroldfriendLestradeappearedinthedoorway.OverhisshoulderIcaughtaglimpseofoneortwouniformedpolicemenoutside. “Mr.JohnHectorMcFarlane?”saidLestrade. Ourunfortunateclientrosewithaghastlyface. “IarrestyouforthewilfulmurderofMr.JonasOldacre,ofLowerNorwood.” McFarlaneturnedtouswithagestureofdespair,andsankintohischaironcemorelikeonewhoiscrushed. “Onemoment,Lestrade,”saidHolmes.“Halfanhourmoreorlesscanmakenodifferencetoyou,andthegentlemanwasabouttogiveusanaccountofthisveryinterestingaffair,whichmightaidusinclearingitup.” “Ithinktherewillbenodifficultyinclearingitup,”saidLestrade,grimly. “Nonetheless,withyourpermission,Ishouldbemuchinterestedtohearhisaccount.” “Well,Mr.Holmes,itisdifficultformetorefuseyouanything,foryouhavebeenofusetotheforceonceortwiceinthepast,andweoweyouagoodturnatScotlandYard,”saidLestrade.“AtthesametimeImustremainwithmyprisoner,andIamboundtowarnhimthatanythinghemaysaywillappearinevidenceagainsthim.” “Iwishnothingbetter,”saidourclient.“AllIaskisthatyoushouldhearandrecognizetheabsolutetruth.” Lestradelookedathiswatch.“I’llgiveyouhalfanhour,”saidhe. “Imustexplainfirst,”saidMcFarlane,“thatIknewnothingofMr.JonasOldacre.Hisnamewasfamiliartome,formanyyearsagomyparentswereacquaintedwithhim,buttheydriftedapart.Iwasverymuchsurprisedtherefore,whenyesterday,aboutthreeo’clockintheafternoon,hewalkedintomyofficeinthecity.ButIwasstillmoreastonishedwhenhetoldmetheobjectofhisvisit.Hehadinhishandseveralsheetsofanotebook,coveredwithscribbledwriting—heretheyare—andhelaidthemonmytable. “‘Hereismywill,’saidhe.‘Iwantyou,Mr.McFarlane,tocastitintoproperlegalshape.Iwillsitherewhileyoudoso.’ “Isetmyselftocopyit,andyoucanimaginemyastonishmentwhenIfoundthat,withsomereservations,hehadleftallhispropertytome.Hewasastrangelittleferret-likeman,withwhiteeyelashes,andwhenIlookedupathimIfoundhiskeengreyeyesfixeduponmewithanamusedexpression.IcouldhardlybelievemyownasIreadthetermsofthewillbutheexplainedthathewasabachelorwithhardlyanylivingrelation,thathehadknownmyparentsinhisyouth,andthathehadalwaysheardofmeasaverydeservingyoungman,andwasassuredthathismoneywouldbeinworthyhands.Ofcourse,Icouldonlystammeroutmythanks.Thewillwasdulyfinished,signed,andwitnessedbymyclerk.Thisisitonthebluepaper,andtheseslips,asIhaveexplained,aretheroughdraft.Mr.JonasOldacretheninformedmethattherewereanumberofdocuments—buildingleases,title-deeds,mortgages,scrip,andsoforth—whichitwasnecessarythatIshouldseeandunderstand.Hesaidthathismindwouldnotbeeasyuntilthewholethingwassettled,andhebeggedmetocomeouttohishouseatNorwoodthatnight,bringingthewillwithme,andtoarrangematters.‘Remember,myboy,notonewordtoyourparentsabouttheaffairuntileverythingissettled.Wewillkeepitasalittlesurpriseforthem.’Hewasveryinsistentuponthispoint,andmademepromiseitfaithfully. “Youcanimagine,Mr.Holmes,thatIwasnotinahumourtorefusehimanythingthathemightask.Hewasmybenefactor,andallmydesirewastocarryouthiswishesineveryparticular.Isentatelegramhome,therefore,tosaythatIhadimportantbusinessonhand,andthatitwasimpossibleformetosayhowlateImightbe.Mr.Oldacrehadtoldmethathewouldlikemetohavesupperwithhimatnine,ashemightnotbehomebeforethathour.Ihadsomedifficultyinfindinghishouse,however,anditwasnearlyhalf-pastbeforeIreachedit.Ifoundhim——” “Onemoment!”saidHolmes.“Whoopenedthedoor?” “Amiddle-agedwoman,whowas,Isuppose,hishousekeeper.” “Anditwasshe,Ipresume,whomentionedyourname?” “Exactly,”saidMcFarlane. “Prayproceed.” McFarlanewipedhisdampbrow,andthencontinuedhisnarrative: “Iwasshownbythiswomanintoasitting-room,whereafrugalsupperwaslaidout.Afterwards,Mr.JonasOldacreledmeintohisbedroom,inwhichtherestoodaheavysafe.Thisheopenedandtookoutamassofdocuments,whichwewentovertogether.Itwasbetweenelevenandtwelvewhenwefinished.Heremarkedthatwemustnotdisturbthehousekeeper.HeshowedmeoutthroughhisownFrenchwindow,whichhadbeenopenallthistime.” “Wastheblinddown?”askedHolmes. “Iwillnotbesure,butIbelievethatitwasonlyhalfdown.Yes,Irememberhowhepulleditupinordertoswingopenthewindow.Icouldnotfindmystick,andhesaid,‘Nevermind,myboy,Ishallseeagooddealofyounow,Ihope,andIwillkeepyourstickuntilyoucomebacktoclaimit.’Ilefthimthere,thesafeopen,andthepapersmadeupinpacketsuponthetable.ItwassolatethatIcouldnotgetbacktoBlackheath,soIspentthenightattheAnerleyArms,andIknewnothingmoreuntilIreadofthishorribleaffairinthemorning.” “Anythingmorethatyouwouldliketoask,Mr.Holmes?”saidLestrade,whoseeyebrowshadgoneuponceortwiceduringthisremarkableexplanation. “NotuntilIhavebeentoBlackheath.” “YoumeantoNorwood,”saidLestrade. “Oh,yes,nodoubtthatiswhatImusthavemeant,”saidHolmes,withhisenigmaticalsmile.Lestradehadlearnedbymoreexperiencesthanhewouldcaretoacknowledgethatthatbraincouldcutthroughthatwhichwasimpenetrabletohim.Isawhimlookcuriouslyatmycompanion. “IthinkIshouldliketohaveawordwithyoupresently,Mr.SherlockHolmes,”saidhe.“Now,Mr.McFarlane,twoofmyconstablesareatthedoor,andthereisafour-wheelerwaiting.”Thewretchedyoungmanarose,andwithalastbeseechingglanceatuswalkedfromtheroom.Theofficersconductedhimtothecab,butLestraderemained. Holmeshadpickedupthepageswhichformedtheroughdraftofthewill,andwaslookingatthemwiththekeenestinterestuponhisface. “Therearesomepointsaboutthatdocument,Lestrade,aretherenot?”saidhe,pushingthemover. Theofficiallookedatthemwithapuzzledexpression. “Icanreadthefirstfewlinesandtheseinthemiddleofthesecondpage,andoneortwoattheend.Thoseareasclearasprint,”saidhe,“butthewritinginbetweenisverybad,andtherearethreeplaceswhereIcannotreaditatall.” “Whatdoyoumakeofthat?”saidHolmes. “Well,whatdoyoumakeofit?” “Thatitwaswritteninatrain.Thegoodwritingrepresentsstations,thebadwritingmovement,andtheverybadwritingpassingoverpoints.Ascientificexpertwouldpronounceatoncethatthiswasdrawnuponasuburbanline,sincenowheresaveintheimmediatevicinityofagreatcitycouldtherebesoquickasuccessionofpoints.Grantingthathiswholejourneywasoccupiedindrawingupthewill,thenthetrainwasanexpress,onlystoppingoncebetweenNorwoodandLondonBridge.” Lestradebegantolaugh. “Youaretoomanyformewhenyoubegintogetonyourtheories,Mr.Holmes,”saidhe.“Howdoesthisbearonthecase?” “Well,itcorroboratestheyoungman’sstorytotheextentthatthewillwasdrawnupbyJonasOldacreinhisjourneyyesterday.Itiscurious—isitnot?—thatamanshoulddrawupsoimportantadocumentinsohaphazardafashion.Itsuggeststhathedidnotthinkitwasgoingtobeofmuchpracticalimportance.Ifamandrewupawillwhichhedidnotintendevertobeeffective,hemightdoitso.” “Well,hedrewuphisowndeathwarrantatthesametime,”saidLestrade. “Oh,youthinkso?” “Don’tyou?” “Well,itisquitepossible,butthecaseisnotcleartomeyet.” “Notclear?Well,ifthatisn’tclear,whatcouldbeclearer?Hereisayoungmanwholearnssuddenlythat,ifacertainoldermandies,hewillsucceedtoafortune.Whatdoeshedo?Hesaysnothingtoanyone,buthearrangesthatheshallgooutonsomepretexttoseehisclientthatnight.Hewaitsuntiltheonlyotherpersoninthehouseisinbed,andtheninthesolitudeofaman’sroomhemurdershim,burnshisbodyinthewood-pile,anddepartstoaneighbouringhotel.Theblood-stainsintheroomandalsoonthestickareveryslight.Itisprobablethatheimaginedhiscrimetobeabloodlessone,andhopedthatifthebodywereconsumeditwouldhidealltracesofthemethodofhisdeath—traceswhich,forsomereason,musthavepointedtohim.Isnotallthisobvious?” “Itstrikesme,mygoodLestrade,asbeingjustatrifletooobvious,”saidHolmes.“Youdonotaddimaginationtoyourothergreatqualities,butifyoucouldforonemomentputyourselfintheplaceofthisyoungman,wouldyouchoosetheverynightafterthewillhadbeenmadetocommityourcrime?Woulditnotseemdangeroustoyoutomakesoveryclosearelationbetweenthetwoincidents?Again,wouldyouchooseanoccasionwhenyouareknowntobeinthehouse,whenaservanthasletyouin?And,finally,wouldyoutakethegr