VIII.THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND

you.Ishalllookforwardtoseeingyouagainthisafternoon.”Shedroppedherthickblackveiloverherfaceandglidedfromtheroom. “Andwhatdoyouthinkofitall,Watson?”askedSherlockHolmes,leaningbackinhischair. “Itseemstometobeamostdarkandsinisterbusiness.” “Darkenoughandsinisterenough.” “Yetiftheladyiscorrectinsayingthattheflooringandwallsaresound,andthatthedoor,window,andchimneyareimpassable,thenhersistermusthavebeenundoubtedlyalonewhenshemethermysteriousend.” “Whatbecomes,then,ofthesenocturnalwhistles,andwhatoftheverypeculiarwordsofthedyingwoman?” “Icannotthink.” “Whenyoucombinetheideasofwhistlesatnight,thepresenceofabandofgipsieswhoareonintimatetermswiththisolddoctor,thefactthatwehaveeveryreasontobelievethatthedoctorhasaninterestinpreventinghisstepdaughter’smarriage,thedyingallusiontoaband,and,finally,thefactthatMissHelenStonerheardametallicclang,whichmighthavebeencausedbyoneofthosemetalbarsthatsecuredtheshuttersfallingbackintoitsplace,Ithinkthatthereisgoodgroundtothinkthatthemysterymaybeclearedalongthoselines.” “Butwhat,then,didthegipsiesdo?” “Icannotimagine.” “Iseemanyobjectionstoanysuchtheory.” “AndsodoI.ItispreciselyforthatreasonthatwearegoingtoStokeMoranthisday.Iwanttoseewhethertheobjectionsarefatal,oriftheymaybeexplainedaway.Butwhatinthenameofthedevil!” Theejaculationhadbeendrawnfrommycompanionbythefactthatourdoorhadbeensuddenlydashedopen,andthatahugemanhadframedhimselfintheaperture.Hiscostumewasapeculiarmixtureoftheprofessionalandoftheagricultural,havingablacktop-hat,alongfrock-coat,andapairofhighgaiters,withahunting-cropswinginginhishand.Sotallwashethathishatactuallybrushedthecrossbarofthedoorway,andhisbreadthseemedtospanitacrossfromsidetoside.Alargeface,searedwithathousandwrinkles,burnedyellowwiththesun,andmarkedwitheveryevilpassion,wasturnedfromonetotheotherofus,whilehisdeep-set,bile-shoteyes,andhishigh,thin,fleshlessnose,gavehimsomewhattheresemblancetoafierceoldbirdofprey. “WhichofyouisHolmes?”askedthisapparition. “Myname,sirbutyouhavetheadvantageofme,”saidmycompanionquietly. “IamDr.GrimesbyRoylott,ofStokeMoran.” “Indeed,Doctor,”saidHolmesblandly.“Praytakeaseat.” “Iwilldonothingofthekind.Mystepdaughterhasbeenhere.Ihavetracedher.Whathasshebeensayingtoyou?” “Itisalittlecoldforthetimeoftheyear,”saidHolmes. “Whathasshebeensayingtoyou?”screamedtheoldmanfuriously. “ButIhaveheardthatthecrocusespromisewell,”continuedmycompanionimperturbably. “Ha!Youputmeoff,doyou?”saidournewvisitor,takingastepforwardandshakinghishunting-crop.“Iknowyou,youscoundrel!Ihaveheardofyoubefore.YouareHolmes,themeddler.” Myfriendsmiled. “Holmes,thebusybody!” Hissmilebroadened. “Holmes,theScotlandYardJack-in-office!” Holmeschuckledheartily.“Yourconversationismostentertaining,”saidhe.“Whenyougooutclosethedoor,forthereisadecideddraught.” “IwillgowhenIhavehadmysay.Don’tyoudaretomeddlewithmyaffairs.IknowthatMissStonerhasbeenhere.Itracedher!Iamadangerousmantofallfoulof!Seehere.”Hesteppedswiftlyforward,seizedthepoker,andbentitintoacurvewithhishugebrownhands. “Seethatyoukeepyourselfoutofmygrip,”hesnarled,andhurlingthetwistedpokerintothefireplacehestrodeoutoftheroom. “Heseemsaveryamiableperson,”saidHolmes,laughing.“Iamnotquitesobulky,butifhehadremainedImighthaveshownhimthatmygripwasnotmuchmorefeeblethanhisown.”Ashespokehepickedupthesteelpokerand,withasuddeneffort,straighteneditoutagain. “Fancyhishavingtheinsolencetoconfoundmewiththeofficialdetectiveforce!Thisincidentgiveszesttoourinvestigation,however,andIonlytrustthatourlittlefriendwillnotsufferfromherimprudenceinallowingthisbrutetotraceher.Andnow,Watson,weshallorderbreakfast,andafterwardsIshallwalkdowntoDoctors’Commons,whereIhopetogetsomedatawhichmayhelpusinthismatter.” Itwasnearlyoneo’clockwhenSherlockHolmesreturnedfromhisexcursion.Heheldinhishandasheetofbluepaper,scrawledoverwithnotesandfigures. “Ihaveseenthewillofthedeceasedwife,”saidhe.“TodetermineitsexactmeaningIhavebeenobligedtoworkoutthepresentpricesoftheinvestmentswithwhichitisconcerned.Thetotalincome,whichatthetimeofthewife’sdeathwaslittleshortof￡1,100,isnow,throughthefallinagriculturalprices,notmorethan￡750.Eachdaughtercanclaimanincomeof￡250,incaseofmarriage.Itisevident,therefore,thatifbothgirlshadmarried,thisbeautywouldhavehadamerepittance,whileevenoneofthemwouldcripplehimtoaveryseriousextent.Mymorning’sworkhasnotbeenwasted,sinceithasprovedthathehastheverystrongestmotivesforstandinginthewayofanythingofthesort.Andnow,Watson,thisistooseriousfordawdling,especiallyastheoldmanisawarethatweareinterestingourselvesinhisaffairssoifyouareready,weshallcallacabanddrivetoWaterloo.Ishouldbeverymuchobligedifyouwouldslipyourrevolverintoyourpocket.AnEley’sNo.2isanexcellentargumentwithgentlemenwhocantwiststeelpokersintoknots.Thatandatooth-brushare,Ithink,allthatweneed.” AtWaterloowewerefortunateincatchingatrainforLeatherhead,wherewehiredatrapatthestationinnanddroveforfourorfivemilesthroughthelovelySurreylanes.Itwasaperfectday,withabrightsunandafewfleecycloudsintheheavens.Thetreesandwaysidehedgeswerejustthrowingouttheirfirstgreenshoots,andtheairwasfullofthepleasantsmellofthemoistearth.Tomeatleasttherewasastrangecontrastbetweenthesweetpromiseofthespringandthissinisterquestuponwhichwewereengaged.Mycompanionsatinthefrontofthetrap,hisarmsfolded,hishatpulleddownoverhiseyes,andhischinsunkuponhisbreast,buriedinthedeepestthought.Suddenly,however,hestarted,tappedmeontheshoulder,andpointedoverthemeadows. “Lookthere!”saidhe. Aheavilytimberedparkstretchedupinagentleslope,thickeningintoagroveatthehighestpoint.Fromamidthebranchestherejuttedoutthegreygablesandhighroof-treeofaveryoldmansion. “StokeMoran?”saidhe. “Yes,sir,thatbethehouseofDr.GrimesbyRoylott,”remarkedthedriver. “Thereissomebuildinggoingonthere,”saidHolmes“thatiswherewearegoing.” “There’sthevillage,”saidthedriver,pointingtoaclusterofroofssomedistancetotheleft“butifyouwanttogettothehouse,you’llfinditshortertogetoverthisstile,andsobythefootpathoverthefields.Thereitis,wheretheladyiswalking.” “Andthelady,Ifancy,isMissStoner,”observedHolmes,shadinghiseyes.“Yes,Ithinkwehadbetterdoasyousuggest.” Wegotoff,paidourfare,andthetraprattledbackonitswaytoLeatherhead. “Ithoughtitaswell,”saidHolmesasweclimbedthestile,“thatthisfellowshouldthinkwehadcomehereasarchitects,oronsomedefinitebusiness.Itmaystophisgossip.Good-afternoon,MissStoner.Youseethatwehavebeenasgoodasourword.” Ourclientofthemorninghadhurriedforwardtomeetuswithafacewhichspokeherjoy.“Ihavebeenwaitingsoeagerlyforyou,”shecried,shakinghandswithuswarmly.“Allhasturnedoutsplendidly.Dr.Roylotthasgonetotown,anditisunlikelythathewillbebackbeforeevening.” “WehavehadthepleasureofmakingtheDoctor’sacquaintance,”saidHolmes,andinafewwordshesketchedoutwhathadoccurred.MissStonerturnedwhitetothelipsasshelistened. “Goodheavens!”shecried,“hehasfollowedme,then.” “Soitappears.” “HeissocunningthatIneverknowwhenIamsafefromhim.Whatwillhesaywhenhereturns?” “Hemustguardhimself,forhemayfindthatthereissomeonemorecunningthanhimselfuponhistrack.Youmustlockyourselfupfromhimto-night.Ifheisviolent,weshalltakeyouawaytoyouraunt’satHarrow.Now,wemustmakethebestuseofourtime,sokindlytakeusatoncetotheroomswhichwearetoexamine.” Thebuildingwasofgrey,lichen-blotchedstone,withahighcentralportionandtwocurvingwings,liketheclawsofacrab,thrownoutoneachside.Inoneofthesewingsthewindowswerebrokenandblockedwithwoodenboards,whiletheroofwaspartlycavedin,apictureofruin.Thecentralportionwasinlittlebetterrepair,buttheright-handblockwascomparativelymodern,andtheblindsinthewindows,withthebluesmokecurlingupfromthechimneys,showedthatthiswaswherethefamilyresided.Somescaffoldinghadbeenerectedagainsttheendwall,andthestone-workhadbeenbrokeninto,buttherewerenosignsofanyworkmenatthemomentofourvisit.Holmeswalkedslowlyupanddowntheill-trimmedlawnandexaminedwithdeepattentiontheoutsidesofthewindows. “This,Itakeit,belongstotheroominwhichyouusedtosleep,thecentreonetoyoursister’s,andtheonenexttothemainbuildingtoDr.Roylott’schamber?” “Exactlyso.ButIamnowsleepinginthemiddleone.” “Pendingthealterations,asIunderstand.Bytheway,theredoesnotseemtobeanyverypressingneedforrepairsatthatendwall.” “Therewerenone.Ibelievethatitwasanexcusetomovemefrommyroom.” “Ah!thatissuggestive.Now,ontheothersideofthisnarrowwingrunsthecorridorfromwhichthesethreeroomsopen.Therearewindowsinit,ofcourse?” “Yes,butverysmallones.Toonarrowforanyonetopassthrough.” “Asyoubothlockedyourdoorsatnight,yourroomswereunapproachablefromthatside.Now,wouldyouhavethekindnesstogointoyourroomandbaryourshutters?” MissStonerdidso,andHolmes,afteracarefulexaminationthroughtheopenwindow,endeavouredineverywaytoforcetheshutteropen,butwithoutsuccess.Therewasnoslitthroughwhichaknifecouldbepassedtoraisethebar.Thenwithhislensheteste