XII.THE ADVENTURE OF THE COPPER BEECHES

gofachain,andthesoundasofalargeanimalmovingabout. “‘Lookinhere!’saidMr.Rucastle,showingmeaslitbetweentwoplanks.‘Ishenotabeauty?’ “Ilookedthroughandwasconsciousoftwoglowingeyes,andofavaguefigurehuddledupinthedarkness. “‘Don’tbefrightened,’saidmyemployer,laughingatthestartwhichIhadgiven.‘It’sonlyCarlo,mymastiff.Icallhimmine,butreallyoldToller,mygroom,istheonlymanwhocandoanythingwithhim.Wefeedhimonceaday,andnottoomuchthen,sothatheisalwaysaskeenasmustard.Tollerletshimlooseeverynight,andGodhelpthetrespasserwhomhelayshisfangsupon.Forgoodness’sakedon’tyoueveronanypretextsetyourfootoverthethresholdatnight,forit’sasmuchasyourlifeisworth.’ “Thewarningwasnoidleone,fortwonightslaterIhappenedtolookoutofmybedroomwindowabouttwoo’clockinthemorning.Itwasabeautifulmoonlightnight,andthelawninfrontofthehousewassilveredoverandalmostasbrightasday.Iwasstanding,raptinthepeacefulbeautyofthescene,whenIwasawarethatsomethingwasmovingundertheshadowofthecopperbeeches.AsitemergedintothemoonshineIsawwhatitwas.Itwasagiantdog,aslargeasacalf,tawnytinted,withhangingjowl,blackmuzzle,andhugeprojectingbones.Itwalkedslowlyacrossthelawnandvanishedintotheshadowupontheotherside.ThatdreadfulsentinelsentachilltomyheartwhichIdonotthinkthatanyburglarcouldhavedone. “AndnowIhaveaverystrangeexperiencetotellyou.Ihad,asyouknow,cutoffmyhairinLondon,andIhadplaceditinagreatcoilatthebottomofmytrunk.Oneevening,afterthechildwasinbed,Ibegantoamusemyselfbyexaminingthefurnitureofmyroomandbyrearrangingmyownlittlethings.Therewasanoldchestofdrawersintheroom,thetwoupperonesemptyandopen,theloweronelocked.Ihadfilledthefirsttwowithmylinen,andasIhadstillmuchtopackawayIwasnaturallyannoyedatnothavingtheuseofthethirddrawer.Itstruckmethatitmighthavebeenfastenedbyamereoversight,soItookoutmybunchofkeysandtriedtoopenit.Theveryfirstkeyfittedtoperfection,andIdrewthedraweropen.Therewasonlyonethinginit,butIamsurethatyouwouldneverguesswhatitwas.Itwasmycoilofhair. “Itookitupandexaminedit.Itwasofthesamepeculiartint,andthesamethickness.Butthentheimpossibilityofthethingobtrudeditselfuponme.Howcouldmyhairhavebeenlockedinthedrawer?WithtremblinghandsIundidmytrunk,turnedoutthecontents,anddrewfromthebottommyownhair.Ilaidthetwotressestogether,andIassureyouthattheywereidentical.Wasitnotextraordinary?PuzzleasIwould,Icouldmakenothingatallofwhatitmeant.Ireturnedthestrangehairtothedrawer,andIsaidnothingofthemattertotheRucastlesasIfeltthatIhadputmyselfinthewrongbyopeningadrawerwhichtheyhadlocked. “Iamnaturallyobservant,asyoumayhaveremarked,Mr.Holmes,andIsoonhadaprettygoodplanofthewholehouseinmyhead.Therewasonewing,however,whichappearednottobeinhabitedatall.AdoorwhichfacedthatwhichledintothequartersoftheTollersopenedintothissuite,butitwasinvariablylocked.Oneday,however,asIascendedthestair,ImetMr.Rucastlecomingoutthroughthisdoor,hiskeysinhishand,andalookonhisfacewhichmadehimaverydifferentpersontotheround,jovialmantowhomIwasaccustomed.Hischeekswerered,hisbrowwasallcrinkledwithanger,andtheveinsstoodoutathistempleswithpassion.Helockedthedoorandhurriedpastmewithoutawordoralook. “Thisarousedmycuriosity,sowhenIwentoutforawalkinthegroundswithmycharge,IstrolledroundtothesidefromwhichIcouldseethewindowsofthispartofthehouse.Therewerefouroftheminarow,threeofwhichweresimplydirty,whilethefourthwasshutteredup.Theywereevidentlyalldeserted.AsIstrolledupanddown,glancingatthemoccasionally,Mr.Rucastlecameouttome,lookingasmerryandjovialasever. “‘Ah!’saidhe,‘youmustnotthinkmerudeifIpassedyouwithoutaword,mydearyounglady.Iwaspreoccupiedwithbusinessmatters.’ “IassuredhimthatIwasnotoffended.‘Bytheway,’saidI,‘youseemtohavequiteasuiteofspareroomsupthere,andoneofthemhastheshuttersup.’ “Helookedsurprisedand,asitseemedtome,alittlestartledatmyremark. “‘Photographyisoneofmyhobbies,’saidhe.‘Ihavemademydarkroomupthere.But,dearme!whatanobservantyoungladywehavecomeupon.Whowouldhavebelievedit?Whowouldhaveeverbelievedit?’Hespokeinajestingtone,buttherewasnojestinhiseyesashelookedatme.Ireadsuspicionthereandannoyance,butnojest. “Well,Mr.Holmes,fromthemomentthatIunderstoodthattherewassomethingaboutthatsuiteofroomswhichIwasnottoknow,Iwasallonfiretogooverthem.Itwasnotmerecuriosity,thoughIhavemyshareofthat.Itwasmoreafeelingofduty—afeelingthatsomegoodmightcomefrommypenetratingtothisplace.Theytalkofwoman’sinstinctperhapsitwaswoman’sinstinctwhichgavemethatfeeling.Atanyrate,itwasthere,andIwaskeenlyonthelookoutforanychancetopasstheforbiddendoor. “Itwasonlyyesterdaythatthechancecame.Imaytellyouthat,besidesMr.Rucastle,bothTollerandhiswifefindsomethingtodointhesedesertedrooms,andIoncesawhimcarryingalargeblacklinenbagwithhimthroughthedoor.Recentlyhehasbeendrinkinghard,andyesterdayeveninghewasverydrunkandwhenIcameupstairstherewasthekeyinthedoor.Ihavenodoubtatallthathehadleftitthere.Mr.andMrs.Rucastlewerebothdownstairs,andthechildwaswiththem,sothatIhadanadmirableopportunity.Iturnedthekeygentlyinthelock,openedthedoor,andslippedthrough. “Therewasalittlepassageinfrontofme,unpaperedanduncarpeted,whichturnedatarightangleatthefartherend.Roundthiscornerwerethreedoorsinaline,thefirstandthirdofwhichwereopen.Theyeachledintoanemptyroom,dustyandcheerless,withtwowindowsintheoneandoneintheother,sothickwithdirtthattheeveninglightglimmereddimlythroughthem.Thecentredoorwasclosed,andacrosstheoutsideofithadbeenfastenedoneofthebroadbarsofanironbed,padlockedatoneendtoaringinthewall,andfastenedattheotherwithstoutcord.Thedooritselfwaslockedaswell,andthekeywasnotthere.Thisbarricadeddoorcorrespondedclearlywiththeshutteredwindowoutside,andyetIcouldseebytheglimmerfrombeneathitthattheroomwasnotindarkness.Evidentlytherewasaskylightwhichletinlightfromabove.AsIstoodinthepassagegazingatthesinisterdoorandwonderingwhatsecretitmightveil,Isuddenlyheardthesoundofstepswithintheroomandsawashadowpassbackwardandforwardagainstthelittleslitofdimlightwhichshoneoutfromunderthedoor.Amad,unreasoningterrorroseupinmeatthesight,Mr.Holmes.Myoverstrungnervesfailedmesuddenly,andIturnedandran—ranasthoughsomedreadfulhandwerebehindmeclutchingattheskirtofmydress.Irusheddownthepassage,throughthedoor,andstraightintothearmsofMr.Rucastle,whowaswaitingoutside. “‘So,’saidhe,smiling,‘itwasyou,then.IthoughtthatitmustbewhenIsawthedooropen.’ “‘Oh,Iamsofrightened!’Ipanted. “‘Mydearyounglady!mydearyounglady!’—youcannotthinkhowcaressingandsoothinghismannerwas—‘andwhathasfrightenedyou,mydearyounglady?’ “Buthisvoicewasjustalittletoocoaxing.Heoverdidit.Iwaskeenlyonmyguardagainsthim. “‘Iwasfoolishenoughtogointotheemptywing,’Ianswered.‘ButitissolonelyandeerieinthisdimlightthatIwasfrightenedandranoutagain.Oh,itissodreadfullystillinthere!’ “‘Onlythat?’saidhe,lookingatmekeenly. “‘Why,whatdidyouthink?’Iasked. “‘WhydoyouthinkthatIlockthisdoor?’ “‘IamsurethatIdonotknow.’ “‘Itistokeeppeopleoutwhohavenobusinessthere.Doyousee?’Hewasstillsmilinginthemostamiablemanner. “‘IamsureifIhadknown—’ “‘Well,then,youknownow.Andifyoueverputyourfootoverthatthresholdagain’—hereinaninstantthesmilehardenedintoagrinofrage,andheglareddownatmewiththefaceofademon—‘I’llthrowyoutothemastiff.’ “IwassoterrifiedthatIdonotknowwhatIdid.IsupposethatImusthaverushedpasthimintomyroom.IremembernothinguntilIfoundmyselflyingonmybedtremblingallover.ThenIthoughtofyou,Mr.Holmes.Icouldnotlivetherelongerwithoutsomeadvice.Iwasfrightenedofthehouse,oftheman,ofthewoman,oftheservants,evenofthechild.Theywereallhorribletome.IfIcouldonlybringyoudownallwouldbewell.OfcourseImighthavefledfromthehouse,butmycuriositywasalmostasstrongasmyfears.Mymindwassoonmadeup.Iwouldsendyouawire.Iputonmyhatandcloak,wentdowntotheoffice,whichisabouthalfamilefromthehouse,andthenreturned,feelingverymucheasier.AhorribledoubtcameintomymindasIapproachedthedoorlestthedogmightbeloose,butIrememberedthatTollerhaddrunkhimselfintoastateofinsensibilitythatevening,andIknewthathewastheonlyoneinthehouseholdwhohadanyinfluencewiththesavagecreature,orwhowouldventuretosethimfree.Islippedininsafetyandlayawakehalfthenightinmyjoyatthethoughtofseeingyou.IhadnodifficultyingettingleavetocomeintoWinchesterthismorning,butImustbebackbeforethreeo’clock,forMr.andMrs.Rucastlearegoingonavisit,andwillbeawayalltheevening,sothatImustlookafterthechild.NowIhavetoldyouallmyadventures,Mr.Holmes,andIshouldbeverygladifyoucouldtellmewhatitallmeans,and,aboveall,whatIshoulddo.” HolmesandIhadlistenedspellboundtothisextraordinarystory.Myfriendrosenowandpacedupanddowntheroom,hishandsinhispockets,andanexpressionofthemostprofoundgravityuponhisface. “IsTollerstilldrunk?”heasked. “Yes.IheardhiswifetellMrs.Rucastlethatshecoulddonothingwithhim.” “Thatiswell.AndtheRucastlesgooutto-night?” “Yes.” “Isthereacellarwithagoodstronglock?” “Yes,thewine-cellar.” “Youseemtometohaveactedallthroughthismatterlikeaverybraveandsensiblegi