III.A CASE OF IDENTITY

ingabouthimlikearatinatrap. “Oh,itwon’tdo—reallyitwon’t,”saidHolmessuavely.“Thereisnopossiblegettingoutofit,Mr.Windibank.Itisquitetootransparent,anditwasaverybadcomplimentwhenyousaidthatitwasimpossibleformetosolvesosimpleaquestion.That’sright!Sitdownandletustalkitover.” Ourvisitorcollapsedintoachair,withaghastlyfaceandaglitterofmoistureonhisbrow.“It—it’snotactionable,”hestammered. “Iamverymuchafraidthatitisnot.Butbetweenourselves,Windibank,itwasascruelandselfishandheartlessatrickinapettywayasevercamebeforeme.Now,letmejustrunoverthecourseofevents,andyouwillcontradictmeifIgowrong.” Themansathuddledupinhischair,withhisheadsunkuponhisbreast,likeonewhoisutterlycrushed.Holmesstuckhisfeetuponthecornerofthemantelpieceand,leaningbackwithhishandsinhispockets,begantalking,rathertohimself,asitseemed,thantous. “Themanmarriedawomanverymucholderthanhimselfforhermoney,”saidhe,“andheenjoyedtheuseofthemoneyofthedaughteraslongasshelivedwiththem.Itwasaconsiderablesum,forpeopleintheirposition,andthelossofitwouldhavemadeaseriousdifference.Itwasworthanefforttopreserveit.Thedaughterwasofagood,amiabledisposition,butaffectionateandwarm-heartedinherways,sothatitwasevidentthatwithherfairpersonaladvantages,andherlittleincome,shewouldnotbeallowedtoremainsinglelong.Nowhermarriagewouldmean,ofcourse,thelossofahundredayear,sowhatdoesherstepfatherdotopreventit?Hetakestheobviouscourseofkeepingherathomeandforbiddinghertoseekthecompanyofpeopleofherownage.Butsoonhefoundthatthatwouldnotanswerforever.Shebecamerestive,insisteduponherrights,andfinallyannouncedherpositiveintentionofgoingtoacertainball.Whatdoeshercleverstepfatherdothen?Heconceivesanideamorecreditabletohisheadthantohisheart.Withtheconnivanceandassistanceofhiswifehedisguisedhimself,coveredthosekeeneyeswithtintedglasses,maskedthefacewithamoustacheandapairofbushywhiskers,sunkthatclearvoiceintoaninsinuatingwhisper,anddoublysecureonaccountofthegirl’sshortsight,heappearsasMr.HosmerAngel,andkeepsoffotherloversbymakinglovehimself.” “Itwasonlyajokeatfirst,”groanedourvisitor.“Weneverthoughtthatshewouldhavebeensocarriedaway.” “Verylikelynot.Howeverthatmaybe,theyoungladywasverydecidedlycarriedaway,and,havingquitemadeuphermindthatherstepfatherwasinFrance,thesuspicionoftreacheryneverforaninstantenteredhermind.Shewasflatteredbythegentleman’sattentions,andtheeffectwasincreasedbytheloudlyexpressedadmirationofhermother.ThenMr.Angelbegantocall,foritwasobviousthatthemattershouldbepushedasfarasitwouldgoifarealeffectweretobeproduced.Thereweremeetings,andanengagement,whichwouldfinallysecurethegirl’saffectionsfromturningtowardsanyoneelse.Butthedeceptioncouldnotbekeptupforever.ThesepretendedjourneystoFrancewererathercumbrous.Thethingtodowasclearlytobringthebusinesstoanendinsuchadramaticmannerthatitwouldleaveapermanentimpressionupontheyounglady’smindandpreventherfromlookinguponanyothersuitorforsometimetocome.HencethosevowsoffidelityexacteduponaTestament,andhencealsotheallusionstoapossibilityofsomethinghappeningontheverymorningofthewedding.JamesWindibankwishedMissSutherlandtobesoboundtoHosmerAngel,andsouncertainastohisfate,thatfortenyearstocome,atanyrate,shewouldnotlistentoanotherman.Asfarasthechurchdoorhebroughther,andthen,ashecouldgonofarther,heconvenientlyvanishedawaybytheoldtrickofsteppinginatonedoorofafour-wheelerandoutattheother.Ithinkthatwasthechainofevents,Mr.Windibank!” OurvisitorhadrecoveredsomethingofhisassurancewhileHolmeshadbeentalking,andherosefromhischairnowwithacoldsneeruponhispaleface. “Itmaybeso,oritmaynot,Mr.Holmes,”saidhe,“butifyouaresoverysharpyououghttobesharpenoughtoknowthatitisyouwhoarebreakingthelawnow,andnotme.Ihavedonenothingactionablefromthefirst,butaslongasyoukeepthatdoorlockedyoulayyourselfopentoanactionforassaultandillegalconstraint.” “Thelawcannot,asyousay,touchyou,”saidHolmes,unlockingandthrowingopenthedoor,“yetthereneverwasamanwhodeservedpunishmentmore.Iftheyoungladyhasabrotherorafriend,heoughttolayawhipacrossyourshoulders.ByJove!”hecontinued,flushingupatthesightofthebittersneerupontheman’sface,“itisnotpartofmydutiestomyclient,buthere’sahuntingcrophandy,andIthinkIshalljusttreatmyselfto—”Hetooktwoswiftstepstothewhip,butbeforehecouldgraspittherewasawildclatterofstepsuponthestairs,theheavyhalldoorbanged,andfromthewindowwecouldseeMr.JamesWindibankrunningatthetopofhisspeeddowntheroad. “There’sacold-bloodedscoundrel!”saidHolmes,laughing,ashethrewhimselfdownintohischaironcemore.“Thatfellowwillrisefromcrimetocrimeuntilhedoessomethingverybad,andendsonagallows.Thecasehas,insomerespects,beennotentirelydevoidofinterest.” “Icannotnowentirelyseeallthestepsofyourreasoning,”Iremarked. “Well,ofcourseitwasobviousfromthefirstthatthisMr.HosmerAngelmusthavesomestrongobjectforhiscuriousconduct,anditwasequallyclearthattheonlymanwhoreallyprofitedbytheincident,asfaraswecouldsee,wasthestepfather.Thenthefactthatthetwomenwerenevertogether,butthattheonealwaysappearedwhentheotherwasaway,wassuggestive.Sowerethetintedspectaclesandthecuriousvoice,whichbothhintedatadisguise,asdidthebushywhiskers.Mysuspicionswereallconfirmedbyhispeculiaractionintypewritinghissignature,which,ofcourse,inferredthathishandwritingwassofamiliartoherthatshewouldrecogniseeventhesmallestsampleofit.Youseealltheseisolatedfacts,togetherwithmanyminorones,allpointedinthesamedirection.” “Andhowdidyouverifythem?” “Havingoncespottedmyman,itwaseasytogetcorroboration.Iknewthefirmforwhichthismanworked.Havingtakentheprinteddescription.Ieliminatedeverythingfromitwhichcouldbetheresultofadisguise—thewhiskers,theglasses,thevoice,andIsentittothefirm,witharequestthattheywouldinformmewhetheritansweredtothedescriptionofanyoftheirtravellers.Ihadalreadynoticedthepeculiaritiesofthetypewriter,andIwrotetothemanhimselfathisbusinessaddressaskinghimifhewouldcomehere.AsIexpected,hisreplywastypewrittenandrevealedthesametrivialbutcharacteristicdefects.ThesamepostbroughtmealetterfromWesthouse&Marbank,ofFenchurchStreet,tosaythatthedescriptiontalliedineveryrespectwiththatoftheiremployé,JamesWindibank.Voilàtout!” “AndMissSutherland?” “IfItellhershewillnotbelieveme.YoumayremembertheoldPersiansaying,‘Thereisdangerforhimwhotakeththetigercub,anddangeralsoforwhososnatchesadelusionfromawoman.’ThereisasmuchsenseinHafizasinHorace,andasmuchknowledgeoftheworld.”