VII.THE ADVENTURE OF THE BLUE CARBUNCLE

candloopofthehat-securer.“Theyareneversolduponhats.Ifthismanorderedone,itisasignofacertainamountofforesight,sincehewentoutofhiswaytotakethisprecautionagainstthewind.Butsinceweseethathehasbrokentheelasticandhasnottroubledtoreplaceit,itisobviousthathehaslessforesightnowthanformerly,whichisadistinctproofofaweakeningnature.Ontheotherhand,hehasendeavouredtoconcealsomeofthesestainsuponthefeltbydaubingthemwithink,whichisasignthathehasnotentirelylosthisself-respect.” “Yourreasoningiscertainlyplausible.” “Thefurtherpoints,thatheismiddle-aged,thathishairisgrizzled,thatithasbeenrecentlycut,andthatheuseslime-cream,arealltobegatheredfromacloseexaminationofthelowerpartofthelining.Thelensdisclosesalargenumberofhair-ends,cleancutbythescissorsofthebarber.Theyallappeartobeadhesive,andthereisadistinctodouroflime-cream.Thisdust,youwillobserve,isnotthegritty,greydustofthestreetbutthefluffybrowndustofthehouse,showingthatithasbeenhungupindoorsmostofthetime,whilethemarksofmoistureupontheinsideareproofpositivethatthewearerperspiredveryfreely,andcouldtherefore,hardlybeinthebestoftraining.” “Buthiswife—yousaidthatshehadceasedtolovehim.” “Thishathasnotbeenbrushedforweeks.WhenIseeyou,mydearWatson,withaweek’saccumulationofdustuponyourhat,andwhenyourwifeallowsyoutogooutinsuchastate,Ishallfearthatyoualsohavebeenunfortunateenoughtoloseyourwife’saffection.” “Buthemightbeabachelor.” “Nay,hewasbringinghomethegooseasapeace-offeringtohiswife.Rememberthecarduponthebird’sleg.” “Youhaveananswertoeverything.Buthowonearthdoyoudeducethatthegasisnotlaidoninhishouse?” “Onetallowstain,oreventwo,mightcomebychancebutwhenIseenolessthanfive,Ithinkthattherecanbelittledoubtthattheindividualmustbebroughtintofrequentcontactwithburningtallow—walksupstairsatnightprobablywithhishatinonehandandagutteringcandleintheother.Anyhow,henevergottallow-stainsfromagas-jet.Areyousatisfied?” “Well,itisveryingenious,”saidI,laughing“butsince,asyousaidjustnow,therehasbeennocrimecommitted,andnoharmdonesavethelossofagoose,allthisseemstoberatherawasteofenergy.” SherlockHolmeshadopenedhismouthtoreply,whenthedoorflewopen,andPeterson,thecommissionaire,rushedintotheapartmentwithflushedcheeksandthefaceofamanwhoisdazedwithastonishment. “Thegoose,Mr.Holmes!Thegoose,sir!”hegasped. “Eh?Whatofit,then?Hasitreturnedtolifeandflappedoffthroughthekitchenwindow?”Holmestwistedhimselfrounduponthesofatogetafairerviewoftheman’sexcitedface. “Seehere,sir!Seewhatmywifefoundinitscrop!”Heheldouthishandanddisplayeduponthecentreofthepalmabrilliantlyscintillatingbluestone,rathersmallerthanabeaninsize,butofsuchpurityandradiancethatittwinkledlikeanelectricpointinthedarkhollowofhishand. SherlockHolmessatupwithawhistle.“ByJove,Peterson!”saidhe,“thisistreasuretroveindeed.Isupposeyouknowwhatyouhavegot?” “Adiamond,sir?Apreciousstone.Itcutsintoglassasthoughitwereputty.” “It’smorethanapreciousstone.Itisthepreciousstone.” “NottheCountessofMorcar’sbluecarbuncle!”Iejaculated. “Preciselyso.Ioughttoknowitssizeandshape,seeingthatIhavereadtheadvertisementaboutitinTheTimeseverydaylately.Itisabsolutelyunique,anditsvaluecanonlybeconjectured,buttherewardofferedof￡1000iscertainlynotwithinatwentiethpartofthemarketprice.” “Athousandpounds!GreatLordofmercy!”Thecommissionaireplumpeddownintoachairandstaredfromonetotheotherofus. “Thatisthereward,andIhavereasontoknowthattherearesentimentalconsiderationsinthebackgroundwhichwouldinducetheCountesstopartwithhalfherfortuneifshecouldbutrecoverthegem.” “Itwaslost,ifIrememberaright,attheHotelCosmopolitan,”Iremarked. “Preciselyso,onDecember22nd,justfivedaysago.JohnHorner,aplumber,wasaccusedofhavingabstracteditfromthelady’sjewel-case.TheevidenceagainsthimwassostrongthatthecasehasbeenreferredtotheAssizes.Ihavesomeaccountofthematterhere,Ibelieve.”Herummagedamidhisnewspapers,glancingoverthedates,untilatlasthesmoothedoneout,doubleditover,andreadthefollowingparagraph: “HotelCosmopolitanJewelRobbery.JohnHorner,26,plumber,wasbroughtupuponthechargeofhavinguponthe22ndinst.,abstractedfromthejewel-caseoftheCountessofMorcarthevaluablegemknownasthebluecarbuncle.JamesRyder,upper-attendantatthehotel,gavehisevidencetotheeffectthathehadshownHorneruptothedressing-roomoftheCountessofMorcaruponthedayoftherobberyinorderthathemightsolderthesecondbarofthegrate,whichwasloose.HehadremainedwithHornersomelittletime,buthadfinallybeencalledaway.Onreturning,hefoundthatHornerhaddisappeared,thatthebureauhadbeenforcedopen,andthatthesmallmoroccocasketinwhich,asitafterwardstranspired,theCountesswasaccustomedtokeepherjewel,waslyingemptyuponthedressing-table.Ryderinstantlygavethealarm,andHornerwasarrestedthesameeveningbutthestonecouldnotbefoundeitheruponhispersonorinhisrooms.CatherineCusack,maidtotheCountess,deposedtohavingheardRyder’scryofdismayondiscoveringtherobbery,andtohavingrushedintotheroom,whereshefoundmattersasdescribedbythelastwitness.InspectorBradstreet,Bdivision,gaveevidenceastothearrestofHorner,whostruggledfrantically,andprotestedhisinnocenceinthestrongestterms.Evidenceofapreviousconvictionforrobberyhavingbeengivenagainsttheprisoner,themagistraterefusedtodealsummarilywiththeoffence,butreferredittotheAssizes.Horner,whohadshownsignsofintenseemotionduringtheproceedings,faintedawayattheconclusionandwascarriedoutofcourt.” “Hum!Somuchforthepolice-court,”saidHolmesthoughtfully,tossingasidethepaper.“Thequestionforusnowtosolveisthesequenceofeventsleadingfromarifledjewel-caseatoneendtothecropofagooseinTottenhamCourtRoadattheother.Yousee,Watson,ourlittledeductionshavesuddenlyassumedamuchmoreimportantandlessinnocentaspect.Hereisthestonethestonecamefromthegoose,andthegoosecamefromMr.HenryBaker,thegentlemanwiththebadhatandalltheothercharacteristicswithwhichIhaveboredyou.Sonowwemustsetourselvesveryseriouslytofindingthisgentlemanandascertainingwhatparthehasplayedinthislittlemystery.Todothis,wemusttrythesimplestmeansfirst,andtheselieundoubtedlyinanadvertisementinalltheeveningpapers.Ifthisfail,Ishallhaverecoursetoothermethods.” “Whatwillyousay?” “Givemeapencilandthatslipofpaper.Now,then:‘FoundatthecornerofGoodgeStreet,agooseandablackfelthat.Mr.HenryBakercanhavethesamebyapplyingat6:30thiseveningat221B,BakerStreet.’Thatisclearandconcise.” “Very.Butwillheseeit?” “Well,heissuretokeepaneyeonthepapers,since,toapoorman,thelosswasaheavyone.HewasclearlysoscaredbyhismischanceinbreakingthewindowandbytheapproachofPetersonthathethoughtofnothingbutflight,butsincethenhemusthavebitterlyregrettedtheimpulsewhichcausedhimtodrophisbird.Then,again,theintroductionofhisnamewillcausehimtoseeit,foreveryonewhoknowshimwilldirecthisattentiontoit.Hereyouare,Peterson,rundowntotheadvertisingagencyandhavethisputintheeveningpapers.” “Inwhich,sir?” “Oh,intheGlobe,Star,PallMall,St.James’sGazette,EveningNews,Standard,Echo,andanyothersthatoccurtoyou.” “Verywell,sir.Andthisstone?” “Ah,yes,Ishallkeepthestone.Thankyou.And,Isay,Peterson,justbuyagooseonyourwaybackandleaveithe