THE ADVENTURE OF THE NORWOOD BUILDER
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ecomesourwayIfearthattheNorwoodDisappearanceCasewillnotfigureinthatchronicleofoursuccesseswhichIforeseethatapatientpublicwillsoonerorlaterhavetoendure.”
“Surely,”saidI,“theman’sappearancewouldgofarwithanyjury?”
“ThatisadangerousargumentmydearWatson.Yourememberthatterriblemurderer,BertStevens,whowantedustogethimoffin’87?Wasthereeveramoremild-mannered,Sunday-schoolyoungman?”
“Itistrue.”
“Unlesswesucceedinestablishinganalternativetheory,thismanislost.Youcanhardlyfindaflawinthecasewhichcannowbepresentedagainsthim,andallfurtherinvestigationhasservedtostrengthenit.Bytheway,thereisonecuriouslittlepointaboutthosepaperswhichmayserveusasthestarting-pointforaninquiry.Onlookingoverthebank-bookIfoundthatthelowstateofthebalancewasprincipallyduetolargecheckswhichhavebeenmadeoutduringthelastyeartoMr.Cornelius.IconfessthatIshouldbeinterestedtoknowwhothisMr.Corneliusmaybewithwhomaretiredbuilderhassuchverylargetransactions.Isitpossiblethathehashadahandintheaffair?Corneliusmightbeabroker,butwehavefoundnoscriptocorrespondwiththeselargepayments.Failinganyotherindication,myresearchesmustnowtakethedirectionofaninquiryatthebankforthegentlemanwhohascashedthesechecks.ButIfear,mydearfellow,thatourcasewillendingloriouslybyLestradehangingourclient,whichwillcertainlybeatriumphforScotlandYard.”
IdonotknowhowfarSherlockHolmestookanysleepthatnight,butwhenIcamedowntobreakfastIfoundhimpaleandharassed,hisbrighteyesthebrighterforthedarkshadowsroundthem.Thecarpetroundhischairwaslitteredwithcigarette-endsandwiththeearlyeditionsofthemorningpapers.Anopentelegramlayuponthetable.
“Whatdoyouthinkofthis,Watson?”heasked,tossingitacross.
ItwasfromNorwood,andranasfollows:
Importantfreshevidencetohand.McFarlane’sguiltdefinitelyestablished.Adviseyoutoabandoncase.—LESTRADE.
“Thissoundsserious,”saidI.
“ItisLestrade’slittlecock-a-doodleofvictory,”Holmesanswered,withabittersmile.“Andyetitmaybeprematuretoabandonthecase.Afterall,importantfreshevidenceisatwo-edgedthing,andmaypossiblycutinaverydifferentdirectiontothatwhichLestradeimagines.Takeyourbreakfast,Watson,andwewillgoouttogetherandseewhatwecando.IfeelasifIshallneedyourcompanyandyourmoralsupporttoday.”
Myfriendhadnobreakfasthimself,foritwasoneofhispeculiaritiesthatinhismoreintensemomentshewouldpermithimselfnofood,andIhaveknownhimpresumeuponhisironstrengthuntilhehasfaintedfrompureinanition.“AtpresentIcannotspareenergyandnerveforcefordigestion,”hewouldsayinanswertomymedicalremonstrances.Iwasnotsurprised,therefore,whenthismorninghelefthisuntouchedmealbehindhim,andstartedwithmeforNorwood.AcrowdofmorbidsightseerswerestillgatheredroundDeepDeneHouse,whichwasjustsuchasuburbanvillaasIhadpictured.WithinthegatesLestrademetus,hisfaceflushedwithvictory,hismannergrosslytriumphant.
“Well,Mr.Holmes,haveyouprovedustobewrongyet?Haveyoufoundyourtramp?”hecried.
“Ihaveformednoconclusionwhatever,”mycompanionanswered.
“Butweformedoursyesterday,andnowitprovestobecorrect,soyoumustacknowledgethatwehavebeenalittleinfrontofyouthistime,Mr.Holmes.”
“Youcertainlyhavetheairofsomethingunusualhavingoccurred,”saidHolmes.
Lestradelaughedloudly.
“Youdon’tlikebeingbeatenanymorethantherestofusdo,”saidhe.“Amancan’texpectalwaystohaveithisownway,canhe,Dr.Watson?Stepthisway,ifyouplease,gentlemen,andIthinkIcanconvinceyouonceforallthatitwasJohnMcFarlanewhodidthiscrime.”
Heledusthroughthepassageandoutintoadarkhallbeyond.
“ThisiswhereyoungMcFarlanemusthavecomeouttogethishatafterthecrimewasdone,”saidhe.“Nowlookatthis.”Withdramaticsuddennesshestruckamatch,andbyitslightexposedastainofblooduponthewhitewashedwall.Asheheldthematchnearer,Isawthatitwasmorethanastain.Itwasthewell-markedprintofathumb.
“Lookatthatwithyourmagnifyingglass,Mr.Holmes.”
“Yes,Iamdoingso.”
“Youareawarethatnotwothumb-marksarealike?”
“Ihaveheardsomethingofthekind.”
“Well,then,willyoupleasecomparethatprintwiththiswaximpressionofyoungMcFarlane’srightthumb,takenbymyordersthismorning?”
Asheheldthewaxenprintclosetotheblood-stain,itdidnottakeamagnifyingglasstoseethatthetwowereundoubtedlyfromthesamethumb.Itwasevidenttomethatourunfortunateclientwaslost.
“Thatisfinal,”saidLestrade.
“Yes,thatisfinal,”Iinvoluntarilyechoed.
“Itisfinal,”saidHolmes.
Somethinginhistonecaughtmyear,andIturnedtolookathim.Anextraordinarychangehadcomeoverhisface.Itwaswrithingwithinwardmerriment.Histwoeyeswereshininglikestars.Itseemedtomethathewasmakingdesperateeffortstorestrainaconvulsiveattackoflaughter.
“Dearme!Dearme!”hesaidatlast.“Well,now,whowouldhavethoughtit?Andhowdeceptiveappearancesmaybe,tobesure!Suchaniceyoungmantolookat!Itisalessontousnottotrustourownjudgment,isitnot,Lestrade?”
“Yes,someofusarealittletoomuchinclinedtobecock-sure,Mr.Holmes,”saidLestrade.Theman’sinsolencewasmaddening,butwecouldnotresentit.
“Whataprovidentialthingthatthisyoungmanshouldpresshisrightthumbagainstthewallintakinghishatfromthepeg!Suchaverynaturalaction,too,ifyoucometothinkofit.”Holmeswasoutwardlycalm,buthiswholebodygaveawriggleofsuppressedexcitementashespoke.
“Bytheway,Lestrade,whomadethisremarkablediscovery?”
“Itwasthehousekeeper,Mrs.Lexington,whodrewthenightconstable’sattentiontoit.”
“Wherewasthenightconstable?”
“Heremainedonguardinthebedroomwherethecrimewascommitted,soastoseethatnothingwastouched.”
“Butwhydidn’tthepoliceseethismarkyesterday?”
“Well,wehadnoparticularreasontomakeacarefulexaminationofthehall.Besides,it’snotinaveryprominentplace,asyousee.”
“No,no—ofcoursenot.Isupposethereisnodoubtthatthemarkwasthereyesterday?”
LestradelookedatHolmesasifhethoughthewasgoingoutofhismind.IconfessthatIwasmyselfsurprisedbothathishilariousmannerandathisratherwildobservation.
“Idon’tknowwhetheryouthinkthatMcFarlanecameoutofjailinthedeadofthenightinordertostrengthentheevidenceagainsthimself,”saidLestrade.“Ileaveittoanyexpertintheworldwhetherthatisnotthemarkofhisthumb.”
“Itisunquestionablythemarkofhisthumb.”
“There,that’senough,”saidLestrade.“Iamapracticalman,Mr.Holmes,andwhenIhavegotmyevidenceIcometomyconclusions.Ifyouhaveanythingtosay,youwillfindmewritingmyreportinthesitting-room.”
Holmeshadrecoveredhisequanimity,thoughIstillseemedtodetectgleamsofamusementinhisexpression.
“Dearme,thisisaverysaddevelopment,Watson,isitnot?”saidhe.“Andyettherearesingularpointsaboutitwhichholdoutsomehopesforourclient.”
“Iamdelightedtohearit,”saidI,heartily.“Iwasafraiditwasallupwithhim.”
“Iwouldhardlygosofarastosaythat,mydearWatson.Thefactisthatthereisonereallyseriousflawinthisevidencetowhichourfriendattachessomuchimportance.”
“Indeed,Holmes!Whatisit?”
“Onlythis:thatIknowthatthatmarkwasnottherewhenIexaminedthehallyesterday.Andnow,Watson,letushavealittlestrollroundinthesunshine.”
Withaconfusedbrain,butwithaheartintowhichsomewarmthofhopewasreturning,Iaccompaniedmyfriendinawalkroundthegarden.Holmestookeachfaceofthehouseinturn,andexamineditwithgreatinterest.Hethenledthewayinside,andwentoverthewholebuildingfrombasementtoattic.Mostoftheroomswereunfurnished,butnonethelessHolmesinspectedthemallminutely.Finally,onthetopcorridor,whichranoutsidethreeuntenantedbedrooms,heagainwasseizedwithaspasmofmerriment.
“Therearereallysomeveryuniquefeaturesaboutthiscase,Watson,”saidhe.“IthinkitistimenowthatwetookourfriendLestradeintoourconfidence.Hehashadhislittlesmileatourexpense,andperhapswemaydoasmuchbyhim,ifmyreadingofthisproblemprovestobecorrect.Yes,yes,IthinkIseehowweshouldapproachit.”
TheScotlandYardinspectorwasstillwritingintheparlourwhenHolmesinterruptedhim.
“Iunderstoodthatyouwerewritingareportofthiscase,”saidhe.
“SoIam.”
“Don’tyouthinkitmaybealittlepremature?Ican’thelpthinkingthatyourevidenceisnotcomplete.”
Lestradeknewmyfriendtoowelltodisregardhiswords.Helaiddownhispenandlookedcuriouslyathim.
“Whatdoyoumean,Mr.Holmes?”
“Onlythatthereisanimportantwitnesswhomyouhavenotseen.”
“Canyouproducehim?”
“IthinkIcan.”
“Thendoso.”
“Iwilldomybest.Howmanyconstableshaveyou?”
“Therearethreewithincall.”
“Excellent!”saidHolmes.“MayIaskiftheyarealllarge,able-bodiedmenwithpowerfulvoices?”
“Ihavenodoubttheyare,thoughIfailtoseewhattheirvoiceshavetodowithit.”
“PerhapsIcanhelpyoutoseethatandoneortwootherthingsaswell,”saidHolmes.“Kindlysummonyourmen,andIwilltry.”
Fiveminuteslater,threepolicemenhadassembledinthehall.
“Intheouthouseyouwillfindaconsiderablequantityofstraw,”saidHolmes.“Iwillaskyoutocarry