THE ADVENTURE OF THE NORWOOD BUILDER

eatpainstoconcealthebody,andyetleaveyourownstickasasignthatyouwerethecriminal?Confess,Lestrade,thatallthisisveryunlikely.” “Astothestick,Mr.Holmes,youknowaswellasIdothatacriminalisoftenflurried,anddoessuchthings,whichacoolmanwouldavoid.Hewasverylikelyafraidtogobacktotheroom.Givemeanothertheorythatwouldfitthefacts.” “Icouldveryeasilygiveyouhalfadozen,”saidHolmes.“Hereforexample,isaverypossibleandevenprobableone.Imakeyouafreepresentofit.Theoldermanisshowingdocumentswhichareofevidentvalue.Apassingtrampseesthemthroughthewindow,theblindofwhichisonlyhalfdown.Exitthesolicitor.Enterthetramp!Heseizesastick,whichheobservesthere,killsOldacre,anddepartsafterburningthebody.” “Whyshouldthetrampburnthebody?” “Forthematterofthat,whyshouldMcFarlane?” “Tohidesomeevidence.” “Possiblythetrampwantedtohidethatanymurderatallhadbeencommitted.” “Andwhydidthetramptakenothing?” “Becausetheywerepapersthathecouldnotnegotiate.” Lestradeshookhishead,thoughitseemedtomethathismannerwaslessabsolutelyassuredthanbefore. “Well,Mr.SherlockHolmes,youmaylookforyourtramp,andwhileyouarefindinghimwewillholdontoourman.Thefuturewillshowwhichisright.Justnoticethispoint,Mr.Holmes:thatsofarasweknow,noneofthepaperswereremoved,andthattheprisoneristheonemanintheworldwhohadnoreasonforremovingthem,sincehewasheir-at-law,andwouldcomeintotheminanycase.” Myfriendseemedstruckbythisremark. “Idon’tmeantodenythattheevidenceisinsomewaysverystronglyinfavourofyourtheory,”saidhe.“Ionlywishtopointoutthatthereareothertheoriespossible.Asyousay,thefuturewilldecide.Good-morning!IdaresaythatinthecourseofthedayIshalldropinatNorwoodandseehowyouaregettingon.” Whenthedetectivedeparted,myfriendroseandmadehispreparationsfortheday’sworkwiththealertairofamanwhohasacongenialtaskbeforehim. “MyfirstmovementWatson,”saidhe,ashebustledintohisfrockcoat,“must,asIsaid,beinthedirectionofBlackheath.” “AndwhynotNorwood?” “Becausewehaveinthiscaseonesingularincidentcomingclosetotheheelsofanothersingularincident.Thepolicearemakingthemistakeofconcentratingtheirattentionuponthesecond,becauseithappenstobetheonewhichisactuallycriminal.Butitisevidenttomethatthelogicalwaytoapproachthecaseistobeginbytryingtothrowsomelightuponthefirstincident—thecuriouswill,sosuddenlymade,andtosounexpectedanheir.Itmaydosomethingtosimplifywhatfollowed.No,mydearfellow,Idon’tthinkyoucanhelpme.Thereisnoprospectofdanger,orIshouldnotdreamofstirringoutwithoutyou.ItrustthatwhenIseeyouintheevening,IwillbeabletoreportthatIhavebeenabletodosomethingforthisunfortunateyoungster,whohasthrownhimselfuponmyprotection.” Itwaslatewhenmyfriendreturned,andIcouldsee,byaglanceathishaggardandanxiousface,thatthehighhopeswithwhichhehadstartedhadnotbeenfulfilled.Foranhourhedronedawayuponhisviolin,endeavouringtosoothehisownruffledspirits.Atlastheflungdowntheinstrument,andplungedintoadetailedaccountofhismisadventures. “It’sallgoingwrong,Watson—allaswrongasitcango.IkeptaboldfacebeforeLestrade,but,uponmysoul,Ibelievethatforoncethefellowisontherighttrackandweareonthewrong.Allmyinstinctsareoneway,andallthefactsaretheother,andImuchfearthatBritishjurieshavenotyetattainedthatpitchofintelligencewhentheywillgivethepreferencetomytheoriesoverLestrade’sfacts.” “DidyougotoBlackheath?” “Yes,Watson,Iwentthere,andIfoundveryquicklythatthelatelamentedOldacrewasaprettyconsiderableblackguard.Thefatherwasawayinsearchofhisson.Themotherwasathome—alittle,fluffy,blue-eyedperson,inatremoroffearandindignation.Ofcourse,shewouldnotadmiteventhepossibilityofhisguilt.ButshewouldnotexpresseithersurpriseorregretoverthefateofOldacre.Onthecontrary,shespokeofhimwithsuchbitternessthatshewasunconsciouslyconsiderablystrengtheningthecaseofthepolicefor,ofcourse,ifhersonhadheardherspeakofthemaninthisfashion,itwouldpredisposehimtowardshatredandviolence.‘Hewasmorelikeamalignantandcunningapethanahumanbeing,’saidshe,‘andhealwayswas,eversincehewasayoungman.’ “‘Youknewhimatthattime?’saidI. “‘Yes,Iknewhimwell,infact,hewasanoldsuitorofmine.ThankheaventhatIhadthesensetoturnawayfromhimandtomarryabetter,ifpoorer,man.Iwasengagedtohim,Mr.Holmes,whenIheardashockingstoryofhowhehadturnedacatlooseinanaviary,andIwassohorrifiedathisbrutalcrueltythatIwouldhavenothingmoretodowithhim.’Sherummagedinabureau,andpresentlysheproducedaphotographofawoman,shamefullydefacedandmutilatedwithaknife.‘Thatismyownphotograph,’shesaid.‘Hesentittomeinthatstate,withhiscurse,uponmyweddingmorning.’ “‘Well,’saidI,‘atleasthehasforgivenyounow,sincehehasleftallhispropertytoyourson.’ “‘NeithermysonnorIwantanythingfromJonasOldacre,deadoralive!’shecried,withaproperspirit.‘ThereisaGodinheaven,Mr.Holmes,andthatsameGodwhohaspunishedthatwickedmanwillshow,inHisowngoodtime,thatmyson’shandsareguiltlessofhisblood.’ “Well,Itriedoneortwoleads,butcouldgetatnothingwhichwouldhelpourhypothesis,andseveralpointswhichwouldmakeagainstit.IgaveitupatlastandoffIwenttoNorwood. “Thisplace,DeepDeneHouse,isabigmodernvillaofstaringbrick,standingbackinitsowngrounds,withalaurel-clumpedlawninfrontofit.Totherightandsomedistancebackfromtheroadwasthetimber-yardwhichhadbeenthesceneofthefire.Here’saroughplanonaleafofmynotebook.ThiswindowontheleftistheonewhichopensintoOldacre’sroom.Youcanlookintoitfromtheroad,yousee.ThatisabouttheonlybitofconsolationIhavehadto-day.Lestradewasnotthere,buthisheadconstabledidthehonours.Theyhadjustfoundagreattreasure-trove.Theyhadspentthemorningrakingamongtheashesoftheburnedwood-pile,andbesidesthecharredorganicremainstheyhadsecuredseveraldiscolouredmetaldiscs.Iexaminedthemwithcare,andtherewasnodoubtthattheyweretrouserbuttons.Ievendistinguishedthatoneofthemwasmarkedwiththenameof‘Hyams,’whowasOldacrestailor.Ithenworkedthelawnverycarefullyforsignsandtraces,butthisdroughthasmadeeverythingashardasiron.Nothingwastobeseensavethatsomebodyorbundlehadbeendraggedthroughalowprivethedgewhichisinalinewiththewood-pile.Allthat,ofcourse,fitsinwiththeofficialtheory.IcrawledaboutthelawnwithanAugustsunonmyback,butIgotupattheendofanhournowiserthanbefore. “Well,afterthisfiascoIwentintothebedroomandexaminedthatalso.Theblood-stainswereveryslight,meresmearsanddiscolourations,butundoubtedlyfresh.Thestickhadbeenremoved,buttherealsothemarkswereslight.Thereisnodoubtaboutthestickbelongingtoourclient.Headmitsit.Footmarksofbothmencouldbemadeoutonthecarpet,butnoneofanythirdperson,whichagainisatrickfortheotherside.Theywerepilinguptheirscoreallthetimeandwewereatastandstill. “OnlyonelittlegleamofhopedidIget—andyetitamountedtonothing.Iexaminedthecontentsofthesafe,mostofwhichhadbeentakenoutandleftonthetable.Thepapershadbeenmadeupintosealedenvelopes,oneortwoofwhichhadbeenopenedbythepolice.Theywerenot,sofarasIcouldjudge,ofanygreatvalue,nordidthebank-bookshowthatMr.Oldacrewasinsuchveryaffluentcircumstances.Butitseemedtomethatallthepaperswerenotthere.Therewereallusionstosomedeeds—possiblythemorevaluable—whichIcouldnotfind.This,ofcourse,ifwecoulddefinitelyproveit,wouldturnLestrade’sargumentagainsthimself,forwhowouldstealathingifheknewthathewouldshortlyinheritit? “Finally,havingdrawneveryothercoverandpickedupnoscent,Itriedmyluckwiththehousekeeper.Mrs.Lexingtonishername—alittle,dark,silentperson,withsuspiciousandsidelongeyes.Shecouldtellussomethingifshewould—Iamconvincedofit.Butshewasascloseaswax.Yes,shehadletMr.McFarlaneinathalf-pastnine.Shewishedherhandhadwitheredbeforeshehaddoneso.Shehadgonetobedathalf-pastten.Herroomwasattheotherendofthehouse,andshecouldhearnothingofwhathadpassed.Mr.McFarlanehadlefthishat,andtothebestofherbeliefhisstick,inthehall.Shehadbeenawakenedbythealarmoffire.Herpoor,dearmasterhadcertainlybeenmurdered.Hadheanyenemies?Well,everymanhadenemies,butMr.Oldacrekepthimselfverymuchtohimself,andonlymetpeopleinthewayofbusiness.Shehadseenthebuttons,andwassurethattheybelongedtotheclotheswhichhehadwornlastnight.Thewood-pilewasverydry,forithadnotrainedforamonth.Itburnedliketinder,andbythetimeshereachedthespot,nothingcouldbeseenbutflames.Sheandallthefiremensmelledtheburnedfleshfrominsideit.Sheknewnothingofthepapers,norofMr.Oldacre’sprivateaffairs. “So,mydearWatson,there’smyreportofafailure.Andyet—andyet—”heclenchedhisthinhandsinaparoxysmofconviction—“Iknowit’sallwrong.Ifeelitinmybones.Thereissomethingthathasnotcomeout,andthathousekeeperknowsit.Therewasasortofsulkydefianceinhereyes,whichonlygoeswithguiltyknowledge.However,there’snogoodtalkinganymoreaboutit,Watsonbutunlesssomeluckychanc