THE ADVENTURE OF THE NORWOOD BUILDER

intwobundlesofit.IthinkitwillbeofthegreatestassistanceinproducingthewitnesswhomIrequire.Thankyouverymuch.IbelieveyouhavesomematchesinyourpocketWatson.Now,Mr.Lestrade,Iwillaskyoualltoaccompanymetothetoplanding.” AsIhavesaid,therewasabroadcorridorthere,whichranoutsidethreeemptybedrooms.AtoneendofthecorridorwewereallmarshalledbySherlockHolmes,theconstablesgrinningandLestradestaringatmyfriendwithamazement,expectation,andderisionchasingeachotheracrosshisfeatures.Holmesstoodbeforeuswiththeairofaconjurerwhoisperformingatrick. “Wouldyoukindlysendoneofyourconstablesfortwobucketsofwater?Putthestrawonthefloorhere,freefromthewalloneitherside.NowIthinkthatweareallready.” Lestrade’sfacehadbeguntogrowredandangry.“Idon’tknowwhetheryouareplayingagamewithus,Mr.SherlockHolmes,”saidhe.“Ifyouknowanything,youcansurelysayitwithoutallthistomfoolery.” “Iassureyou,mygoodLestrade,thatIhaveanexcellentreasonforeverythingthatIdo.Youmaypossiblyrememberthatyouchaffedmealittle,somehoursago,whenthesunseemedonyoursideofthehedge,soyoumustnotgrudgemealittlepompandceremonynow.MightIaskyou,Watson,toopenthatwindow,andthentoputamatchtotheedgeofthestraw?” Ididso,anddrivenbythedraughtacoilofgreysmokeswirleddownthecorridor,whilethedrystrawcrackledandflamed. “Nowwemustseeifwecanfindthiswitnessforyou,Lestrade.MightIaskyoualltojoininthecryof‘Fire!’?Nowthenone,two,three——” “Fire!”weallyelled. “Thankyou.Iwilltroubleyouonceagain.” “Fire!” “Justoncemore,gentlemen,andalltogether.” “Fire!”TheshoutmusthaverungoverNorwood. Ithadhardlydiedawaywhenanamazingthinghappened.Adoorsuddenlyflewopenoutofwhatappearedtobesolidwallattheendofthecorridor,andalittle,wizenedmandartedoutofit,likearabbitoutofitsburrow. “Capital!”saidHolmes,calmly.“Watson,abucketofwateroverthestraw.Thatwilldo!Lestrade,allowmetopresentyouwithyourprincipalmissingwitness,Mr.JonasOldacre.” Thedetectivestaredatthenewcomerwithblankamazement.Thelatterwasblinkinginthebrightlightofthecorridor,andpeeringatusandatthesmoulderingfire.Itwasanodiousface—crafty,vicious,malignant,withshifty,light-greyeyesandwhitelashes. “What’sthis,then?”saidLestrade,atlast.“Whathaveyoubeendoingallthistime,eh?” Oldacregaveanuneasylaugh,shrinkingbackfromthefuriousredfaceoftheangrydetective. “Ihavedonenoharm.” “Noharm?Youhavedoneyourbesttogetaninnocentmanhanged.Ifitwasn’tforthisgentlemanhere,Iamnotsurethatyouwouldnothavesucceeded.” Thewretchedcreaturebegantowhimper. “Iamsure,sir,itwasonlymypracticaljoke.” “Oh!ajoke,wasit?Youwon’tfindthelaughonyourside,Ipromiseyou.Takehimdown,andkeephiminthesitting-roomuntilIcome.Mr.Holmes,”hecontinued,whentheyhadgone,“Icouldnotspeakbeforetheconstables,butIdon’tmindsaying,inthepresenceofDr.Watson,thatthisisthebrightestthingthatyouhavedoneyet,thoughitisamysterytomehowyoudidit.Youhavesavedaninnocentman’slife,andyouhavepreventedaverygravescandal,whichwouldhaveruinedmyreputationintheForce.” Holmessmiled,andclappedLestradeupontheshoulder. “Insteadofbeingruined,mygoodsir,youwillfindthatyourreputationhasbeenenormouslyenhanced.Justmakeafewalterationsinthatreportwhichyouwerewriting,andtheywillunderstandhowharditistothrowdustintheeyesofInspectorLestrade.” “Andyoudon’twantyournametoappear?” “Notatall.Theworkisitsownreward.PerhapsIshallgetthecreditalsoatsomedistantday,whenIpermitmyzealoushistoriantolayouthisfoolscaponcemore—eh,Watson?Well,now,letusseewherethisrathasbeenlurking.” Alath-and-plasterpartitionhadbeenrunacrossthepassagesixfeetfromtheend,withadoorcunninglyconcealedinit.Itwaslitwithinbyslitsundertheeaves.Afewarticlesoffurnitureandasupplyoffoodandwaterwerewithin,togetherwithanumberofbooksandpapers. “There’stheadvantageofbeingabuilder,”saidHolmes,aswecameout.“Hewasabletofixuphisownlittlehiding-placewithoutanyconfederate—save,ofcourse,thatprecioushousekeeperofhis,whomIshouldlosenotimeinaddingtoyourbag,Lestrade.” “I’lltakeyouradvice.Buthowdidyouknowofthisplace,Mr.Holmes?” “Imadeupmymindthatthefellowwasinhidinginthehouse.WhenIpacedonecorridorandfounditsixfeetshorterthanthecorrespondingonebelow,itwasprettyclearwherehewas.Ithoughthehadnotthenervetoliequietbeforeanalarmoffire.Wecould,ofcourse,havegoneinandtakenhim,butitamusedmetomakehimrevealhimself.Besides,Iowedyoualittlemystification,Lestrade,foryourchaffinthemorning.” “Well,sir,youcertainlygotequalwithmeonthat.Buthowintheworlddidyouknowthathewasinthehouseatall?” “Thethumb-mark,Lestrade.Yousaiditwasfinalandsoitwas,inaverydifferentsense.Iknewithadnotbeentherethedaybefore.Ipayagooddealofattentiontomattersofdetail,asyoumayhaveobserved,andIhadexaminedthehall,andwassurethatthewallwasclear.Therefore,ithadbeenputonduringthenight.” “Buthow?” “Verysimply.Whenthosepacketsweresealedup,JonasOldacregotMcFarlanetosecureoneofthesealsbyputtinghisthumbuponthesoftwax.Itwouldbedonesoquicklyandsonaturally,thatIdaresaytheyoungmanhimselfhasnorecollectionofit.Verylikelyitjustsohappened,andOldacrehadhimselfnonotionoftheusehewouldputitto.Broodingoverthecaseinthatdenofhis,itsuddenlystruckhimwhatabsolutelydamningevidencehecouldmakeagainstMcFarlanebyusingthatthumb-mark.Itwasthesimplestthingintheworldforhimtotakeawaximpressionfromtheseal,tomoistenitinasmuchbloodashecouldgetfromapin-prick,andtoputthemarkuponthewallduringthenight,eitherwithhisownhandorwiththatofhishousekeeper.Ifyouexamineamongthosedocumentswhichhetookwithhimintohisretreat,Iwilllayyouawagerthatyoufindthesealwiththethumb-markuponit.” “Wonderful!”saidLestrade.“Wonderful!It’sallasclearascrystal,asyouputit.Butwhatistheobjectofthisdeepdeception,Mr.Holmes?” Itwasamusingtometoseehowthedetective’soverbearingmannerhadchangedsuddenlytothatofachildaskingquestionsofitsteacher. “Well,Idon’tthinkthatisveryhardtoexplain.Averydeep,malicious,vindictivepersonisthegentlemanwhoisnowwaitingusdownstairs.YouknowthathewasoncerefusedbyMcFarlane’smother?Youdon’t!ItoldyouthatyoushouldgotoBlackheathfirstandNorwoodafterwards.Well,thisinjury,ashewouldconsiderit,hasrankledinhiswicked,schemingbrain,andallhislifehehaslongedforvengeance,butneverseenhischance.Duringthelastyearortwo,thingshavegoneagainsthim—secretspeculation,Ithink—andhefindshimselfinabadway.Hedeterminestoswindlehiscreditors,andforthispurposehepayslargecheckstoacertainMr.Cornelius,whois,Iimagine,himselfunderanothername.Ihavenottracedthesechecksyet,butIhavenodoubtthattheywerebankedunderthatnameatsomeprovincialtownwhereOldacrefromtimetotimeledadoubleexistence.Heintendedtochangehisnamealtogether,drawthismoney,andvanish,startinglifeagainelsewhere.” “Well,that’slikelyenough.” “Itwouldstrikehimthatindisappearinghemightthrowallpursuitoffhistrack,andatthesametimehaveanampleandcrushingrevengeuponhisoldsweetheart,ifhecouldgivetheimpressionthathehadbeenmurderedbyheronlychild.Itwasamasterpieceofvillainy,andhecarrieditoutlikeamaster.Theideaofthewill,whichwouldgiveanobviousmotiveforthecrime,thesecretvisitunknowntohisownparents,theretentionofthestick,theblood,andtheanimalremainsandbuttonsinthewood-pile,allwereadmirable.Itwasanetfromwhichitseemedtome,afewhoursago,thattherewasnopossibleescape.Buthehadnotthatsupremegiftoftheartist,theknowledgeofwhentostop.Hewishedtoimprovethatwhichwasalreadyperfect—todrawtheropetighteryetroundtheneckofhisunfortunatevictim—andsoheruinedall.Letusdescend,Lestrade.TherearejustoneortwoquestionsthatIwouldaskhim.” Themalignantcreaturewasseatedinhisownparlour,withapolicemanuponeachsideofhim. “Itwasajoke,mygoodsir—apracticaljoke,nothingmore,”hewhinedincessantly.“Iassureyou,sir,thatIsimplyconcealedmyselfinordertoseetheeffectofmydisappearance,andIamsurethatyouwouldnotbesounjustastoimaginethatIwouldhaveallowedanyharmtobefallpooryoungMr.McFarlane.” “That’sforajurytodecide,”saidLestrade.“Anyhow,weshallhaveyouonachargeofconspiracy,ifnotforattemptedmurder.” “Andyou’llprobablyfindthatyourcreditorswillimpoundthebankingaccountofMr.Cornelius,”saidHolmes. Thelittlemanstarted,andturnedhismalignanteyesuponmyfriend. “Ihavetothankyouforagooddeal,”saidhe.“PerhapsI’llpaymydebtsomeday.” Holmessmiledindulgently. “Ifancythat,forsomefewyears,youwillfindyourtimeveryfullyoccupied,”saidhe.“Bytheway,whatwasityouputintothewood-pilebesidesyouroldtrousers?Adeaddog,orrabbits,orwhat?Youwon’ttell?Dearme,howveryunkindofyou!Well,well,Idaresaythatacoupleofrabbitswouldaccountbothforthebloodandforthecharredashes.Ifeveryouwriteanaccount,Watson,youcanmakerabbitsserveyourturn.”