VIII.THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND
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dthehinges,buttheywereofsolidiron,builtfirmlyintothemassivemasonry.“Hum!”saidhe,scratchinghischininsomeperplexity,“mytheorycertainlypresentssomedifficulties.Noonecouldpasstheseshuttersiftheywerebolted.Well,weshallseeiftheinsidethrowsanylightuponthematter.”
Asmallsidedoorledintothewhitewashedcorridorfromwhichthethreebedroomsopened.Holmesrefusedtoexaminethethirdchamber,sowepassedatoncetothesecond,thatinwhichMissStonerwasnowsleeping,andinwhichhersisterhadmetwithherfate.Itwasahomelylittleroom,withalowceilingandagapingfireplace,afterthefashionofoldcountry-houses.Abrownchestofdrawersstoodinonecorner,anarrowwhite-counterpanedbedinanother,andadressing-tableontheleft-handsideofthewindow.Thesearticles,withtwosmallwicker-workchairs,madeupallthefurnitureintheroomsaveforasquareofWiltoncarpetinthecentre.Theboardsroundandthepanellingofthewallswereofbrown,worm-eatenoak,sooldanddiscolouredthatitmayhavedatedfromtheoriginalbuildingofthehouse.Holmesdrewoneofthechairsintoacornerandsatsilent,whilehiseyestravelledroundandroundandupanddown,takingineverydetailoftheapartment.
“Wheredoesthatbellcommunicatewith?”heaskedatlastpointingtoathickbell-ropewhichhungdownbesidethebed,thetasselactuallylyinguponthepillow.
“Itgoestothehousekeeper’sroom.”
“Itlooksnewerthantheotherthings?”
“Yes,itwasonlyputthereacoupleofyearsago.”
“Yoursisteraskedforit,Isuppose?”
“No,Ineverheardofherusingit.Weusedalwaystogetwhatwewantedforourselves.”
“Indeed,itseemedunnecessarytoputsoniceabell-pullthere.YouwillexcusemeforafewminuteswhileIsatisfymyselfastothisfloor.”Hethrewhimselfdownuponhisfacewithhislensinhishandandcrawledswiftlybackwardandforward,examiningminutelythecracksbetweentheboards.Thenhedidthesamewiththewood-workwithwhichthechamberwaspanelled.Finallyhewalkedovertothebedandspentsometimeinstaringatitandinrunninghiseyeupanddownthewall.Finallyhetookthebell-ropeinhishandandgaveitabrisktug.
“Why,it’sadummy,”saidhe.
“Won’titring?”
“No,itisnotevenattachedtoawire.Thisisveryinteresting.Youcanseenowthatitisfastenedtoahookjustabovewherethelittleopeningfortheventilatoris.”
“Howveryabsurd!Inevernoticedthatbefore.”
“Verystrange!”mutteredHolmes,pullingattherope.“Thereareoneortwoverysingularpointsaboutthisroom.Forexample,whatafoolabuildermustbetoopenaventilatorintoanotherroom,when,withthesametrouble,hemighthavecommunicatedwiththeoutsideair!”
“Thatisalsoquitemodern,”saidthelady.
“Doneaboutthesametimeasthebell-rope?”remarkedHolmes.
“Yes,therewereseverallittlechangescarriedoutaboutthattime.”
“Theyseemtohavebeenofamostinterestingcharacter—dummybell-ropes,andventilatorswhichdonotventilate.Withyourpermission,MissStoner,weshallnowcarryourresearchesintotheinnerapartment.”
Dr.GrimesbyRoylott’schamberwaslargerthanthatofhisstep-daughter,butwasasplainlyfurnished.Acamp-bed,asmallwoodenshelffullofbooks,mostlyofatechnicalcharacter,anarmchairbesidethebed,aplainwoodenchairagainstthewall,aroundtable,andalargeironsafeweretheprincipalthingswhichmettheeye.Holmeswalkedslowlyroundandexaminedeachandallofthemwiththekeenestinterest.
“What’sinhere?”heasked,tappingthesafe.
“Mystepfather’sbusinesspapers.”
“Oh!youhaveseeninside,then?”
“Onlyonce,someyearsago.Irememberthatitwasfullofpapers.”
“Thereisn’tacatinit,forexample?”
“No.Whatastrangeidea!”
“Well,lookatthis!”Hetookupasmallsaucerofmilkwhichstoodonthetopofit.
“Nowedon’tkeepacat.Butthereisacheetahandababoon.”
“Ah,yes,ofcourse!Well,acheetahisjustabigcat,andyetasaucerofmilkdoesnotgoveryfarinsatisfyingitswants,Idaresay.ThereisonepointwhichIshouldwishtodetermine.”Hesquatteddowninfrontofthewoodenchairandexaminedtheseatofitwiththegreatestattention.
“Thankyou.Thatisquitesettled,”saidhe,risingandputtinghislensinhispocket.“Hullo!Hereissomethinginteresting!”
Theobjectwhichhadcaughthiseyewasasmalldoglashhungononecornerofthebed.Thelash,however,wascurleduponitselfandtiedsoastomakealoopofwhipcord.
“Whatdoyoumakeofthat,Watson?”
“It’sacommonenoughlash.ButIdon’tknowwhyitshouldbetied.”
“Thatisnotquitesocommon,isit?Ah,me!it’sawickedworld,andwhenaclevermanturnshisbrainstocrimeitistheworstofall.IthinkthatIhaveseenenoughnow,MissStoner,andwithyourpermissionweshallwalkoutuponthelawn.”
Ihadneverseenmyfriend’sfacesogrimorhisbrowsodarkasitwaswhenweturnedfromthesceneofthisinvestigation.Wehadwalkedseveraltimesupanddownthelawn,neitherMissStonernormyselflikingtobreakinuponhisthoughtsbeforeherousedhimselffromhisreverie.
“Itisveryessential,MissStoner,”saidhe,“thatyoushouldabsolutelyfollowmyadviceineveryrespect.”
“Ishallmostcertainlydoso.”
“Thematteristooseriousforanyhesitation.Yourlifemaydependuponyourcompliance.”
“IassureyouthatIaminyourhands.”
“Inthefirstplace,bothmyfriendandImustspendthenightinyourroom.”
BothMissStonerandIgazedathiminastonishment.
“Yes,itmustbeso.Letmeexplain.Ibelievethatthatisthevillageinnoverthere?”
“Yes,thatistheCrown.”
“Verygood.Yourwindowswouldbevisiblefromthere?”
“Certainly.”
“Youmustconfineyourselftoyourroom,onpretenceofaheadache,whenyourstepfathercomesback.Thenwhenyouhearhimretireforthenight,youmustopentheshuttersofyourwindow,undothehasp,putyourlampthereasasignaltous,andthenwithdrawquietlywitheverythingwhichyouarelikelytowantintotheroomwhichyouusedtooccupy.Ihavenodoubtthat,inspiteoftherepairs,youcouldmanagethereforonenight.”
“Oh,yes,easily.”
“Therestyouwillleaveinourhands.”
“Butwhatwillyoudo?”
“Weshallspendthenightinyourroom,andweshallinvestigatethecauseofthisnoisewhichhasdisturbedyou.”
“Ibelieve,Mr.Holmes,thatyouhavealreadymadeupyourmind,”saidMissStoner,layingherhanduponmycompanion’ssleeve.
“PerhapsIhave.”
“Then,forpity’ssake,tellmewhatwasthecauseofmysister’sdeath.”
“IshouldprefertohaveclearerproofsbeforeIspeak.”
“Youcanatleasttellmewhethermyownthoughtiscorrect,andifshediedfromsomesuddenfright.”
“No,Idonotthinkso.Ithinkthattherewasprobablysomemoretangiblecause.Andnow,MissStoner,wemustleaveyouforifDr.Roylottreturnedandsawusourjourneywouldbeinvain.Good-bye,andbebrave,forifyouwilldowhatIhavetoldyou,youmayrestassuredthatweshallsoondriveawaythedangersthatthreatenyou.”
SherlockHolmesandIhadnodifficultyinengagingabedroomandsitting-roomattheCrownInn.Theywereontheupperfloor,andfromourwindowwecouldcommandaviewoftheavenuegate,andoftheinhabitedwingofStokeMoranManorHouse.AtduskwesawDr.GrimesbyRoylottdrivepast,hishugeformloomingupbesidethelittlefigureoftheladwhodrovehim.Theboyhadsomeslightdifficultyinundoingtheheavyirongates,andweheardthehoarseroaroftheDoctor’svoiceandsawthefurywithwhichheshookhisclinchedfistsathim.Thetrapdroveon,andafewminuteslaterwesawasuddenlightspringupamongthetreesasthelampwaslitinoneofthesitting-rooms.
“Doyouknow,Watson,”saidHolmesaswesattogetherinthegatheringdarkness,“Ihavereallysomescruplesastotakingyouto-night.Thereisadistinctelementofdanger.”
“CanIbeofassistance?”
“Yourpresencemightbeinvaluable.”
“ThenIshallcertainlycome.”
“Itisverykindofyou.”
“Youspeakofdanger.Youhaveevidentlyseenmoreintheseroomsthanwasvisibletome.”
“No,butIfancythatImayhavededucedalittlemore.IimaginethatyousawallthatIdid.”
“Isawnothingremarkablesavethebell-rope,andwhatpurposethatcouldanswerIconfessismorethanIcanimagine.”
“Yousawtheventilator,too?”
“Yes,butIdonotthinkthatitissuchaveryunusualthingtohaveasmallopeningbetweentworooms.Itwassosmallthataratcouldhardlypassthrough.”
“IknewthatweshouldfindaventilatorbeforeeverwecametoStokeMoran.”
“MydearHolmes!”
“Oh,yes,Idid.YourememberinherstatementshesaidthathersistercouldsmellDr.Roylott’scigar.Now,ofcoursethatsuggestedatoncethattheremustbeacommunicationbetweenthetworooms.Itcouldonlybeasmallone,oritwouldhavebeenremarkeduponatthecoroner’sinquiry.Ideducedaventilator.”
“Butwhatharmcantherebeinthat?”
“Well,thereisatleastacuriouscoincidenceofdates.Aventilatorismade,acordishung,andaladywhosleepsinthebeddies.Doesnotthatstrikeyou?”
“Icannotasyetseeanyconnection.”
“Didyouobserveanythingverypeculiaraboutthatbed?”
“No.”
“Itwasclampedtothefloor.Didyoueverseeabedfastenedlikethatbefore?”
“IcannotsaythatIhave.”
“Theladycouldnotmoveherbed.Itmustalwaysbeinthesamerelativepositiontotheventilatorandtotherope—orsowemaycallit,sinceitwasclearlynevermeantforabell-pull.”
“Holmes,”Icried,“Iseemtoseedimlywhatyouarehintingat.Weareonlyjustintimetopreventsomesubtleandhorriblecrime.”
“Subtleenoughandhorribleenough.Whenadoctordoesgowrongheisthefirstofcriminals.Hehasnerveandhehasknowledge.PalmerandPritchardwereamongtheheadsoftheirprofession.Thismanstrikesevendeeper,butIthink,Watson,thatweshallbeabletostrikedeeperstill.Butweshallhavehorrorsenoughbeforethenightisoverforgoodness’sakeletushaveaquietpipeandturnourmindsforafewhourstosomethingmorecheerful.”
Aboutnineo’clockthelightamongthetreeswasextinguished,andallwasdarkinthedirec