XI.THE ADVENTURE OF THE BERYL CORONET

asmadeatoncenotonlyofhispersonbutofhisroomandofeveryportionofthehousewherehecouldpossiblyhaveconcealedthegemsbutnotraceofthemcouldbefound,norwouldthewretchedboyopenhismouthforallourpersuasionsandourthreats.Thismorninghewasremovedtoacell,andI,aftergoingthroughallthepoliceformalities,havehurriedroundtoyoutoimploreyoutouseyourskillinunravellingthematter.Thepolicehaveopenlyconfessedthattheycanatpresentmakenothingofit.Youmaygotoanyexpensewhichyouthinknecessary.Ihavealreadyofferedarewardof￡1000.MyGod,whatshallIdo!Ihavelostmyhonour,mygems,andmysoninonenight.Oh,whatshallIdo!” Heputahandoneithersideofhisheadandrockedhimselftoandfro,droningtohimselflikeachildwhosegriefhasgotbeyondwords. SherlockHolmessatsilentforsomefewminutes,withhisbrowsknittedandhiseyesfixeduponthefire. “Doyoureceivemuchcompany?”heasked. “NonesavemypartnerwithhisfamilyandanoccasionalfriendofArthur’s.SirGeorgeBurnwellhasbeenseveraltimeslately.Nooneelse,Ithink.” “Doyougooutmuchinsociety?” “Arthurdoes.MaryandIstayathome.Weneitherofuscareforit.” “Thatisunusualinayounggirl.” “Sheisofaquietnature.Besides,sheisnotsoveryyoung.Sheisfour-and-twenty.” “Thismatter,fromwhatyousay,seemstohavebeenashocktoheralso.” “Terrible!SheisevenmoreaffectedthanI.” “Youhaveneitherofyouanydoubtastoyourson’sguilt?” “HowcanwehavewhenIsawhimwithmyowneyeswiththecoronetinhishands.” “Ihardlyconsiderthataconclusiveproof.Wastheremainderofthecoronetatallinjured?” “Yes,itwastwisted.” “Doyounotthink,then,thathemighthavebeentryingtostraightenit?” “Godblessyou!Youaredoingwhatyoucanforhimandforme.Butitistooheavyatask.Whatwashedoingthereatall?Ifhispurposewereinnocent,whydidhenotsayso?” “Precisely.Andifitwereguilty,whydidhenotinventalie?Hissilenceappearstometocutbothways.Thereareseveralsingularpointsaboutthecase.Whatdidthepolicethinkofthenoisewhichawokeyoufromyoursleep?” “TheyconsideredthatitmightbecausedbyArthur’sclosinghisbedroomdoor.” “Alikelystory!Asifamanbentonfelonywouldslamhisdoorsoastowakeahousehold.Whatdidtheysay,then,ofthedisappearanceofthesegems?” “Theyarestillsoundingtheplankingandprobingthefurnitureinthehopeoffindingthem.” “Havetheythoughtoflookingoutsidethehouse?” “Yes,theyhaveshownextraordinaryenergy.Thewholegardenhasalreadybeenminutelyexamined.” “Now,mydearsir,”saidHolmes,“isitnotobvioustoyounowthatthismatterreallystrikesverymuchdeeperthaneitheryouorthepolicewereatfirstinclinedtothink?Itappearedtoyoutobeasimplecasetomeitseemsexceedinglycomplex.Considerwhatisinvolvedbyyourtheory.Yousupposethatyoursoncamedownfromhisbed,went,atgreatrisk,toyourdressing-room,openedyourbureau,tookoutyourcoronet,brokeoffbymainforceasmallportionofit,wentofftosomeotherplace,concealedthreegemsoutofthethirty-nine,withsuchskillthatnobodycanfindthem,andthenreturnedwiththeotherthirty-sixintotheroominwhichheexposedhimselftothegreatestdangerofbeingdiscovered.Iaskyounow,issuchatheorytenable?” “Butwhatotheristhere?”criedthebankerwithagestureofdespair.“Ifhismotiveswereinnocent,whydoeshenotexplainthem?” “Itisourtasktofindthatout,”repliedHolmes“sonow,ifyouplease,Mr.Holder,wewillsetoffforStreathamtogether,anddevoteanhourtoglancingalittlemorecloselyintodetails.” Myfriendinsisteduponmyaccompanyingthemintheirexpedition,whichIwaseagerenoughtodo,formycuriosityandsympathyweredeeplystirredbythestorytowhichwehadlistened.Iconfessthattheguiltofthebanker’ssonappearedtometobeasobviousasitdidtohisunhappyfather,butstillIhadsuchfaithinHolmes’judgmentthatIfeltthattheremustbesomegroundsforhopeaslongashewasdissatisfiedwiththeacceptedexplanation.Hehardlyspokeawordthewholewayouttothesouthernsuburb,butsatwithhischinuponhisbreastandhishatdrawnoverhiseyes,sunkinthedeepestthought.Ourclientappearedtohavetakenfreshheartatthelittleglimpseofhopewhichhadbeenpresentedtohim,andheevenbrokeintoadesultorychatwithmeoverhisbusinessaffairs.AshortrailwayjourneyandashorterwalkbroughtustoFairbank,themodestresidenceofthegreatfinancier. Fairbankwasagood-sizedsquarehouseofwhitestone,standingbackalittlefromtheroad.Adoublecarriage-sweep,withasnow-cladlawn,stretcheddowninfronttotwolargeirongateswhichclosedtheentrance.Ontherightsidewasasmallwoodenthicket,whichledintoanarrowpathbetweentwoneathedgesstretchingfromtheroadtothekitchendoor,andformingthetradesmen’sentrance.Ontheleftranalanewhichledtothestables,andwasnotitselfwithinthegroundsatall,beingapublic,thoughlittleused,thoroughfare.Holmesleftusstandingatthedoorandwalkedslowlyallroundthehouse,acrossthefront,downthetradesmen’spath,andsoroundbythegardenbehindintothestablelane.SolongwashethatMr.HolderandIwentintothedining-roomandwaitedbythefireuntilheshouldreturn.Weweresittingthereinsilencewhenthedooropenedandayoungladycamein.Shewasratherabovethemiddleheight,slim,withdarkhairandeyes,whichseemedthedarkeragainsttheabsolutepallorofherskin.IdonotthinkthatIhaveeverseensuchdeadlypalenessinawoman’sface.Herlips,too,werebloodless,buthereyeswereflushedwithcrying.Asshesweptsilentlyintotheroomsheimpressedmewithagreatersenseofgriefthanthebankerhaddoneinthemorning,anditwasthemorestrikinginherasshewasevidentlyawomanofstrongcharacter,withimmensecapacityforself-restraint.Disregardingmypresence,shewentstraighttoheruncleandpassedherhandoverhisheadwithasweetwomanlycaress. “YouhavegivenordersthatArthurshouldbeliberated,haveyounot,dad?”sheasked. “No,no,mygirl,themattermustbeprobedtothebottom.” “ButIamsosurethatheisinnocent.Youknowwhatwoman’sinstinctsare.Iknowthathehasdonenoharmandthatyouwillbesorryforhavingactedsoharshly.” “Whyishesilent,then,ifheisinnocent?” “Whoknows?Perhapsbecausehewassoangrythatyoushouldsuspecthim.” “HowcouldIhelpsuspectinghim,whenIactuallysawhimwiththecoronetinhishand?” “Oh,buthehadonlypickedituptolookatit.Oh,do,dotakemywordforitthatheisinnocent.Letthematterdropandsaynomore.ItissodreadfultothinkofourdearArthurinprison!” “Ishallneverletitdropuntilthegemsarefound—never,Mary!YouraffectionforArthurblindsyouastotheawfulconsequencestome.Farfromhushingthethingup,IhavebroughtagentlemandownfromLondontoinquiremoredeeplyintoit.” “Thisgentleman?”sheasked,facingroundtome. “No,hisfriend.Hewishedustoleavehimalone.Heisroundinthestablelanenow.” “Thestablelane?”Sheraisedherdarkeyebrows.“Whatcanhehopetofindthere?Ah!this,Isuppose,ishe.Itrust,sir,thatyouwillsucceedinproving,whatIfeelsureisthetruth,thatmycousinArthurisinnocentofthiscrime.” “Ifullyshareyouropinion,andItrust,withyou,thatwemayproveit,”returnedHolmes,goingbacktothemattoknockthesnowfromhisshoes.“IbelieveIhavethehonourofaddressingMissMaryHolder.MightIaskyouaquestionortwo?” “Praydo,sir,ifitmayhelptoclearthishorribleaffairup.” “Youheardnothingyourselflastnight?” “Nothing,untilmyuncleherebegantospeakloudly.Iheardthat,andIcamedown.” “Youshutupthewindowsanddoorsthenightbefore.Didyoufastenallthewindows?” “Yes.” “Weretheyallfastenedthismorning?” “Yes.” “Youhaveamaidwhohasasweetheart?Ithinkthatyouremarkedtoyourunclelastnightthatshehadbeenouttoseehim?” “Yes,andshewasthegirlwhowaitedinthedrawing-room,andwhomayhavehearduncle’sremarksaboutthecoronet.” “Isee.Youinferthatshemayhavegoneouttotellhersweetheart,andthatthetwomayhaveplannedtherobbery.” “Butwhatisthegoodofallthesevaguetheories,”criedthebankerimpatiently,“whenIhavetoldyouthatIsawArthurwiththecoronetinhishands?” “Waitalittle,Mr.Holder.Wemustcomebacktothat.Aboutthisgirl,MissHolder.Yousawherreturnbythekitchendoor,Ipresume?” “YeswhenIwenttoseeifthedoorwasfastenedforthenightImetherslippingin.Isawtheman,too,inthegloom.” “Doyouknowhim?” “Oh,yes!heisthegreengrocerwhobringsourvegetablesround.HisnameisFrancisProsper.” “Hestood,”saidHolmes,“totheleftofthedoor—thatistosay,fartherupthepaththanisnecessarytoreachthedoor?” “Yes,hedid.” “Andheisamanwithawoodenleg?” Somethinglikefearsprangupintheyounglady’sexpressiveblackeyes.“Why,youarelikeamagician,”saidshe.“Howdoyouknowthat?”Shesmiled,buttherewasnoansweringsmileinHolmes’thin,eagerface. “Ishouldbeverygladnowtogoupstairs,”saidhe.“Ishallprobablywishtogoovertheoutsideofthehouseagain.PerhapsIhadbettertakealookatthelowerwindowsbeforeIgoup.” Hewalkedswiftlyroundfromonetotheother,pausingonlyatthelargeonewhichlookedfromthehallontothestablelane.Thisheopenedandmadeaverycarefulexaminationofthesillwithhispowerfulmagnifyinglens.“Nowweshallgoupstairs,”saidheatlast. Thebanker’sdressing-roomwasaplainlyfurnishedlittlechamber,withagreycarpet,alar