Speaker 1: The Reigate puzzle. It was some time before the health
Speaker 1: of my friend mister Sherlock Holmes recovered from the strain
Speaker 1: caused by his immense exertions in the spring of eighty seven.
Speaker 1: The whole question of the Netherlands Sumatra Company and of
Speaker 1: the colossal schemes of Baron Maupetaus are too recent in
Speaker 1: the minds of the public, and are too intimately concerned
Speaker 1: with politics and finance to be fitting subjects for this
Speaker 1: series of sketches. They led, however, in an indirect fashion,
Speaker 1: to a singular and complex problem, which gave my friend
Speaker 1: an opportunity of demonstrating the value of a fresh weapon
Speaker 1: among the many with which he waged his lifelong battle
Speaker 1: against crime. On referring to my notes, I see that
Speaker 1: it was upon the fourteenth of April that I received
Speaker 1: a telegram from Lyons which informed me that Holmes was
Speaker 1: lying ill in the Hotel Dulon. Within twenty four hours
Speaker 1: I was in his sick room and was relieved to
Speaker 1: find that there was nothing formidable in his symptoms. Even
Speaker 1: his iron constitution, however, had broken down under the strain
Speaker 1: of an investigation which had extended over two months, during
Speaker 1: which period he had never worked less than fifteen hours
Speaker 1: a day and had more than once, as he assured me,
Speaker 1: kept to his task for five days at a stretch.
Speaker 1: Even the triumphant issue of his labors could not save
Speaker 1: him from reaction. After so terrible an exertion, and at
Speaker 1: a time when Europe was ringing with his name, and
Speaker 1: when his room was literally ankled deep with congratulatory telegrams,
Speaker 1: I found him a prey to the blackest depression. Even
Speaker 1: the knowledge that he had succeeded where the police of
Speaker 1: three countries had failed, and that he had outmaneuvered at
Speaker 1: every point the most accomplished swindler in Europe was insufficient
Speaker 1: to rouse him from his nervous prostration. Three days later
Speaker 1: we were back in Baker Street together, but it was
Speaker 1: evident that my friend would be more much the better
Speaker 1: for a change, and the thought of a week of
Speaker 1: springtime in the country was full of attractions to me. Also,
Speaker 1: my old friend, Colonel Hayter, who had come under my
Speaker 1: professional care in Afghanistan, had now taken a house near
Speaker 1: Reigate in Surrey, and had frequently asked me to come
Speaker 1: down to him upon a visit. On the last occasion
Speaker 1: he had remarked that if my friend would only come
Speaker 1: with me, he would be glad to extend his hospitality
Speaker 1: to him. Also, a little diplomacy was needed, but when
Speaker 1: Holmes understood that the establishment was a bachelor one, and
Speaker 1: that he would be allowed the fullest freedom, he fell
Speaker 1: in with my plans, and a week after our return
Speaker 1: from Lyon, we were under the colonel's roof. Hater was
Speaker 1: a fine old soldier who had seen much of the world,
Speaker 1: and he soon found, as I had expected, that Holmes
Speaker 1: and he had much in common. On the evening of
Speaker 1: our arrival, we were sitting in the colonel's gun room
Speaker 1: after dinner, homes stretched upon the sofa while and I
Speaker 1: looked over his little armory of Eastern weapons. By the way,
Speaker 1: said he suddenly, I think I'll take one of these
Speaker 1: pistols upstairs with me in case we have an alarm.
Speaker 1: An alarm, said I. Yes, we have had a scare
Speaker 1: in this part lately. Old Acton, who is one of
Speaker 1: our county magnates, had his house broken into last Monday.
Speaker 1: No great damage done, but the fellows are still at large.
Speaker 1: No clue, asked Holmes, cocking his eye at the colonel.
Speaker 1: None as yet, but the affair is a petty one,
Speaker 1: one of our little country crimes, which must seem too
Speaker 1: small for your attention, mister Holmes, after this great international affair.
Speaker 1: Holmes waved away the compliment, though his smile showed that
Speaker 1: it had pleased him. Was there any feature of interest?
Speaker 1: I fancy not. The thieves ransacked the library and got
Speaker 1: very little for their pains. The whole place was turned
Speaker 1: upside down, draws burst open, and presses ransacked, with the
Speaker 1: result that an odd volume of Pope's homer, two plaited candlesticks,
Speaker 1: an ivory letter weight, a small oak barometer, and a
Speaker 1: ball of twine are all that have vanished. What an
Speaker 1: extraordinary assortment, I exclaimed. Oh, the fellows evidently grabbed hold
Speaker 1: of everything they could get. Holmes grunted from the sofa.
Speaker 1: The county police ought to make something of that, said he.
Speaker 1: Why it is surely obvious that, but I held up
Speaker 1: a warning finger. You are here for a rest, my
Speaker 1: dear fellow. For Heaven's sake, don't get started on a
Speaker 1: new problem when your nerves are all in shreds. Holmes
Speaker 1: shrugged his shoulders with a glance of comic resignation. Towards
Speaker 1: the Colonel, and the talk drifted away into less dangerous channels.
Speaker 1: It was destined, however, that all my professional caution should
Speaker 1: be wasted, for next morning. The problem obtruded itself upon
Speaker 1: us in such a way that it was in possible
Speaker 1: to ignore it, and our country visit took a turn
Speaker 1: which neither of us could have anticipated. We were at
Speaker 1: breakfast when the colonel's butler rushed in with all his
Speaker 1: propriety shaken out of him. Have you heard the news, sir?
Speaker 1: He gasped at the Cunningham, Sir, Burglary, cried the Colonel
Speaker 1: with his coffee cup in mid air murder. The Colonel,
Speaker 1: whistled by jove, said he who's killed? Then? The j
Speaker 1: P or his son, nor either, Sir? It was William,
Speaker 1: the coachman shot through the art, Sir, and never spoke again.
Speaker 1: Who shot him?
Speaker 2: Then?
Speaker 1: The burglar?
Speaker 2: Sir?
Speaker 1: He was off like a shot and got clean away.
Speaker 1: He just broke in at the pantry window when William
Speaker 1: came on him and met his end in saving his
Speaker 1: master's property. What time it was late last night, sir?
Speaker 1: Somewhere about twelve ah. Then we'll step over afterwards, said
Speaker 1: the Colonel coolly, settling down to his breakfast again. It's
Speaker 1: a barish business, he added, when the butler had gone.
Speaker 1: He's our leading man about here is old Cunningham, a
Speaker 1: very decent fellow too. He'll be cut up over this,
Speaker 1: for the man has been in his service for years
Speaker 1: and was a good servant. It's evidently the same villains
Speaker 1: who broke into Acton's and stole that very singular collection,
Speaker 1: said Holmes, thoughtfully, precisely hum. It may prove the simplest
Speaker 1: matter in the world, but all the same, at first glance,
Speaker 1: this is just a little curious, is it not. A
Speaker 1: gang of burglars acting in the country might be expected
Speaker 1: to vary the scene of their operations, and not to
Speaker 1: crack two cribs in the same district within a few days.
Speaker 1: When you spoke last night of taking precautions, I remember
Speaker 1: that it passed through my mind that this was probably
Speaker 1: the last parish in England to which the thief or
Speaker 1: thiefs would be likely to turn their attention, which shows
Speaker 1: that I have still much to learn. I fancy it's
Speaker 1: some local practitioner, said the Colonel. In that case, of course,
Speaker 1: Acton's and Cunningham's are just the places he would go for,
Speaker 1: since they are far the largest about here and richest.
Speaker 1: Well they ought to be, but they've had a lawsuit
Speaker 1: for some years which has sucked the blood out of
Speaker 1: both of them. I fancy old Acton has some claim
Speaker 1: on half of Cunningham's estate, and the lawyers have been
Speaker 1: at it with both hands. If it's a local villain,
Speaker 1: there should not be much difficulty in running him down,
Speaker 1: said Holmes with a yawn. All right, Watson, I don't
Speaker 1: intend to meddle, Inspector, Forester, Sir, said the butler, throwing
Speaker 1: open the door. The official, a smart, keen faced young fellow,
Speaker 1: stepped into the room. Good morning, Colonel, said he. I
Speaker 1: hope I don't intry rude, but we hear that mister
Speaker 1: Holmes of Baker Street is here. The colonel waved his
Speaker 1: hand towards my friend, and the inspector bowed. We thought
Speaker 1: that perhaps you would care to step across, mister Holmes.
Speaker 1: The fates are against you, Watson said, he laughing. We
Speaker 1: were chatting about the matter when you came in, Inspector.
Speaker 1: Perhaps you can let us have a few details. As
Speaker 1: he leaned back in his chair in the familiar attitude.
Speaker 1: I knew that the case was hopeless. We had no
Speaker 1: clue in the acton affair, but here we have plenty
Speaker 1: to go on, and there's no doubt it is the
Speaker 1: same party. In each case. The man was seen, Ah, yes, sir,
Speaker 1: but he was off like a deer. After the shot
Speaker 1: that killed Poul William Kerwin was fired. Mister Cunningham saw
Speaker 1: him from the bedroom window, and mister Alec Cunningham saw
Speaker 1: him from the back passage. It was quarter to twelve
Speaker 1: when the alarm broke out. Mister Cunningham had just got
Speaker 1: into bed and mister Alec was smoking a pipe in
Speaker 1: his dressing gown. They heard William the coachman, calling for help,
Speaker 1: and mister Alec ran down to see what was the matter.
Speaker 1: The back door was open, and as he came to
Speaker 1: the foot of the stairs he saw two men wrestling
Speaker 1: together outside. One of them fired a shot, the other dropped,
Speaker 1: and the murderer rushed across the garden and over the hedge.
Speaker 1: Mister Cunningham, looking out of his bedroom, saw the fellow
Speaker 1: as he gained the road, but lost sight of him
Speaker 1: at once. Mister Alick stopped to see if he could
Speaker 1: help the dying man, and so the villain got clean away.
Speaker 1: Beyond the fact that he was a middle sized man
Speaker 1: and dressed in some dark stuff. We have no personal clue,
Speaker 1: but we're making energetic inquiries, and if he is a stranger,
Speaker 1: we shall soon find him out. What was this William
Speaker 1: doing there? Did he say anything before he died? Not
Speaker 1: a word. He lives at the lodge with his mother,
Speaker 1: and as he was a very faithful fellow, we imagined
Speaker 1: that he walked up to the house with the intention
Speaker 1: of seeing that all was right there. Of course, this
Speaker 1: acton business has put every one on their guard. The
Speaker 1: robber must have just burst open the door. The lock
Speaker 1: has been forced when William came upon him. Did William
Speaker 1: say anything to his mother before going out? She is
Speaker 1: very old and deaf, and we can get no information
Speaker 1: from her. The shock has made her half witted, but
Speaker 1: I understand that she was never very bright. There is
Speaker 1: one very important circumstance, however. Look at this. He took
Speaker 1: a small piece of torn paper from a note book
Speaker 1: and spread it out upon his knee. This was found
Speaker 1: between the finger and thumb of the dead man. It
Speaker 1: appears to be a fragment torn from a larger sheet.
Speaker 1: You will observe that they, how are mentioned upon it
Speaker 1: is the very time at which the poor fellow met
Speaker 1: his fate. You see that his murderer might have torn
Speaker 1: the rest of the sheet from him, or he might
Speaker 1: have taken this fragment from the murderer. It reads almost
Speaker 1: as though it were an appointment. Holmes took up the
Speaker 1: scrap of paper and facsimile of which is here produced
Speaker 1: d at quarter to twelve. Learn what may be presuming
Speaker 1: that is an appointment, continued the inspector. It is of
Speaker 1: course a conceivable theory that this William Kerwin, though he
Speaker 1: had the reputation of being an honest man, may have
Speaker 1: been in league with the thief. He may have met
Speaker 1: him there, may even have helped him to break in
Speaker 1: the door, and then they may have fallen out between themselves.
Speaker 1: This writing is of extraordinary interest, said Holmes, who had
Speaker 1: been examining it with intense concentration. These are much deeper
Speaker 1: waters than I had thought. He sank his head upon
Speaker 1: his hands, while the inspector smiled at the effect which
Speaker 1: his case had had upon the famous London specialist. Your
Speaker 1: last remark, said Holmes, presently, as to the possibility of
Speaker 1: there being an understanding between the burglar and the servant,
Speaker 1: and this being a note of appointment from one to
Speaker 1: the other is an ingenious and not entirely impossible supposition.
Speaker 1: But this writing opens up. He sank his head into
Speaker 1: his hands again and remained for some minutes in the
Speaker 1: deepest thought. When he raised his face again, I was
Speaker 1: surprised to see that his cheek was tinged with color,
Speaker 1: and his eyes as bright as before his illness. He
Speaker 1: sprang to his feet with all his old energy. I'll
Speaker 1: tell you what, said he I should like to have
Speaker 1: a quiet little glance into the details of this case.
Speaker 1: There is something in it which fascinates me extremely. If
Speaker 1: you will permit me, Colonel, I will leave my friend
Speaker 1: Watson and you and I will step around with the
Speaker 1: inspector to test the truth of one or two little
Speaker 1: fancies of mine. I will be with you again in
Speaker 1: half an hour. An hour and a half had elapsed
Speaker 1: before the inspector returned alone. Mister Holmes is walking up
Speaker 1: and down in the field outside, said he. He wants
Speaker 1: us all four to go up to the house together
Speaker 1: to mister Cunningham's Yes, sir, what for the inspector shrugged
Speaker 1: his shoulders. I don't quite know, sir, between ourselves, but
Speaker 1: I think mister Olmes had not quite got over his
Speaker 1: illness yet. He's been behaving very queerly, and he's very
Speaker 1: much excited. I don't think you need alarm yourself, said I.
Speaker 1: I have usually found that there was method in his madness.
Speaker 1: Some folks might say there was madness in his method,
Speaker 1: muttered the inspector. But he's all on fire, the start, Colonel,
Speaker 1: So we'd best go out, if you're ready. We found
Speaker 1: Holmes pacing up and down in the field, his chin
Speaker 1: sunk upon his breast and his hands thrust into his
Speaker 1: trousers pockets. The matter grows in interest, said he Watson.
Speaker 1: Your country trip has been a distinct success. I've had
Speaker 1: a charming morning. You've been up to the scene of
Speaker 1: the crime, I unders stand, said the colonel. Yes, the
Speaker 1: inspector and I have made quite a little reconnaissance together.
Speaker 2: Any success.
Speaker 1: Well, we've seen some very interesting things. I'll tell you
Speaker 1: what we did as we walk. First of all, we
Speaker 1: saw the body of this unfortunate man. He certainly died
Speaker 1: from a revolver wound, as reported. Had you doubted it. Then, oh,
Speaker 1: it is as well to test everything. Our inspection was
Speaker 1: not wasted. We then had an interview with mister Cunningham
Speaker 1: and his son, who were able to point out the
Speaker 1: exact spot where the murderer had broken through the garden
Speaker 1: hedge in his flight. That was of great interest. Naturally,
Speaker 1: then we had a look at this poor fellow's mother.
Speaker 1: We could get no information from her, however, as she
Speaker 1: is very old and feeble. And what is the result
Speaker 1: of your investigations the conviction that the crime is a
Speaker 1: very peculiar one. Perhaps our visit now may do something
Speaker 1: to make it less obs I think that we are
Speaker 1: both agreed, Inspector, that the fragment of paper in the
Speaker 1: dead man's hand, bearing as it does in the very
Speaker 1: hour of his death written upon it, is of extreme importance.
Speaker 1: It should give a clue, mister Olmes. It does give
Speaker 1: a clue whoever wrote that note was the man who
Speaker 1: brought William Kerwin out of his bed at that hour?
Speaker 1: But where is the rest of that sheet of paper?
Speaker 1: I examined the ground carefully in the hope of finding it,
Speaker 1: said the inspector. It was torn out of the dead
Speaker 1: man's hand. Why was some one so anxious to get
Speaker 1: possession of it because it incriminated him, and what would
Speaker 1: he do with it? Thrust it into his pocket, most
Speaker 1: likely never noticing that a corner of it had been
Speaker 1: left in the grip of the corpse. If we could
Speaker 1: get the rest of that sheet, it is obvious that
Speaker 1: we should have gone a long way towards solving the mystery. Yes,
Speaker 1: but how can we get at the criminal's pocket before
Speaker 1: we catched a criminal? Well, well, it was worth thinking over.
Speaker 1: Then there is another obvious point. The note was sent
Speaker 1: to William. The man who wrote it could not have
Speaker 1: taken it otherwise, of course he might have delivered his
Speaker 1: own message by word of mouth. Who brought the note then?
Speaker 1: Or did it come through the post? I have my inquiries,
Speaker 1: said the inspector. William received a letter by the afternoon
Speaker 1: post yesterday. The envelope was destroyed by him. Excellent, cried Holmes,
Speaker 1: clapping the inspector on the back. You've seen the postman.
Speaker 1: It is a pleasure to work with you. Well, here
Speaker 1: is a lodge, and if you will come up, colonel,
Speaker 1: I will show you the scene of the crime. We
Speaker 1: passed the pretty cottage where the murdered man had lived,
Speaker 1: and walked up an oak lined avenue to the fine
Speaker 1: old Queen Anne house, which bears the date of Malplaquet
Speaker 1: upon the lintel of the door. Holmes and the inspector
Speaker 1: led us round it until we came to the gate,
Speaker 1: which is separated by a stretch of garden from the
Speaker 1: hedge which lines the road. A constable was standing at
Speaker 1: the kitchen door. Throw the door open, officer, said Holmes.
Speaker 1: Now it was on these stairs that young mister Cunningham
Speaker 1: stood and saw the two men struggling just where we are.
Speaker 1: Old mister Cunningham was at that window, the second on
Speaker 1: the left, and he saw the fellow get away just
Speaker 1: to the left of that bush. Then mister Alec ran
Speaker 1: out and knelt beside the wounded man. The ground is
Speaker 1: very hard, you see, and there are no marks to
Speaker 1: guide us. As he spoke, two men came down to
Speaker 1: the garden path from round the angle of the house.
Speaker 1: The one was an elderly man with a strong, deep lined,
Speaker 1: heavy eyed face, the other a dashing young fellow, whose bright,
Speaker 1: smiling expression and showy dress were in strange contrast with
Speaker 1: the business which had brought us there. Still at it,
Speaker 1: then said he to Holmes. I thought you Londoners were
Speaker 1: never at fault. You don't seem to disove very quick
Speaker 1: after all. Ah, you must give us a little time,
Speaker 1: said Holmes. Good humoredly, you'll want it, said young Alec Cunningham.
Speaker 1: Why I don't see that we have any clue at all?
Speaker 1: There's only one, answered the inspector. We thought that if
Speaker 1: we could only find good heavens, mister Holmes, what is
Speaker 1: the matter. My poor friend's face had suddenly assumed the
Speaker 1: most dreadful expression, His eyes rolled upwards, his features writhed
Speaker 1: in agony, and with a suppressed groan, he dropped on
Speaker 1: his face upon the ground. Horrified at the suddenness and
Speaker 1: severity of the attack. We carried him into the kitchen,
Speaker 1: where he lay back in a large chair and breathed
Speaker 1: heavily for some minutes. Finally, with a shame faced apology
Speaker 1: for his weakness, he rose once more. Watson would tell
Speaker 1: you that I have only just recovered from a severe illness,
Speaker 1: he explained, I am liable to these sudden nervous attacks.
Speaker 1: Shall I send you home in my trap? Asked old Cunningham. Well,
Speaker 1: since I am here, there is one point on which
Speaker 1: I should like to feel sure we can very easily
Speaker 1: verify it. What was it? Well, it seems to me
Speaker 1: that it is just possible that the arrival of this
Speaker 1: poor fellow William was not before, but after the entrance
Speaker 1: of the burglar into the house. You appear to take
Speaker 1: it for granted that although the door was forced, the
Speaker 1: robber never got in. I fancy that is quite obvious,
Speaker 1: said mister Cunningham gravely. Why my son, Alec had not
Speaker 1: yet gone to bed, and you would certainly have heard
Speaker 1: any one moving about. Where was he sitting? I was
Speaker 1: smoking in my dressing room. Which window is that? The
Speaker 1: last on the left, next to my father's? Both of
Speaker 1: your lamps were lit. Of course, undoubtedly there are some
Speaker 1: very singular points here, said Holmes, smiling. Is it not
Speaker 1: extraordinary that a burglar, and a burglar who had had
Speaker 1: some previous experience, should deliberately break into a house at
Speaker 1: a time when he could see from the lights that
Speaker 1: two of the family were still afoot He must have
Speaker 1: been a cool hand. Well. Of course, if the case
Speaker 1: were not an odd one, we should not have been
Speaker 1: driven to ask you for an explanation, said young mister Alec.
Speaker 1: But as to your ideas that the man has robbed
Speaker 1: the house before William tackled him. I think it a
Speaker 1: most absurd notion, wouldn't we have found the place disarranged
Speaker 1: and missed the things which he had taken. It depends
Speaker 1: on what the things were, said Holmes. You must remember
Speaker 1: that we are dealing with a burglar who is a
Speaker 1: very peculiar fellow, and who appears to work on lines
Speaker 1: of his own. Look, for example at the queer lot
Speaker 1: of things which he took from Acton's What was it?
Speaker 1: A ball of string, a letter? Wait, and I don't
Speaker 1: know what other osen ends. Well, we are quite in
Speaker 1: your hands, mister Holmes, said old Cunningham. Anything which you
Speaker 1: or the inspector may suggest will most certainly be done.
Speaker 1: In the first place, said Holmes, I should like you
Speaker 1: to offer a reward coming from yourself, for the officials
Speaker 1: may take a little time before they would agree upon
Speaker 1: the sum, and these things cannot be done too promptly.
Speaker 1: I have jotted down the form here, if you would
Speaker 1: not mind signing it. Fifty pounds is quite enough. I
Speaker 1: thought I would willingly give you five hundred.
Speaker 2: Said the j P.
Speaker 1: Taking the slip of paper and the pencil which Holmes
Speaker 1: handed to him. This is not quite correct, however, he added,
Speaker 1: glancing over the document. I wrote it rather hurriedly.
Speaker 2: You see, you begin where a is at about a
Speaker 2: quarter to one on Tuesday morning, and attempt was made,
Speaker 2: and so on it was at a quarter to twelve.
Speaker 1: As a matter of fact. I was pained at the mistake,
Speaker 1: for I knew how keenly Homes would feel any slip
Speaker 1: of the kind. It was his speciality to be accurate
Speaker 1: as to fact. But his recent illness had shaken him,
Speaker 1: and this one little incident was enough to show me
Speaker 1: that he was still far from being himself. He was
Speaker 1: obviously embarrassed for an instant while the inspector raised his
Speaker 1: eyebrows and Alec Cunningham burst into a laugh. The old
Speaker 1: gentleman corrected the mistake, however, and handed the paper back
Speaker 1: to Holmes. Get it printed as soon as possible. He said,
Speaker 1: I think your idea is an excellent one. Holmes put
Speaker 1: the slip of paper carefully away into his pocket book,
Speaker 1: and now said he it really would be a good
Speaker 1: thing that we should all go over the house together
Speaker 1: and make certain that this rather erratic burglar did not,
Speaker 1: after all carry anything away with him. Before entering, Holmes
Speaker 1: made an examination of the door which had been forced.
Speaker 1: It was evident that a chisel or strong knife had
Speaker 1: been thrust in and the lock forced back with it.
Speaker 1: We could see the marks in the wood where it
Speaker 1: had been pushed in. You don't use bars, then, he asked.
Speaker 2: We have never found it necessary.
Speaker 1: You don't keep a dog, yes, but he is chained
Speaker 1: on the other side of the house. When do your
Speaker 1: servants go to bed about ten? I understand that William
Speaker 1: was usually in bed also at that hour. Yes, it
Speaker 1: is singular that on this particular night he should have
Speaker 1: been up. Now I should be very glad if you
Speaker 1: had have the kindness to show us over the house,
Speaker 1: mister Cunningham. A stone flagged passage with the kitchens branching
Speaker 1: away from it, led by a wooden staircase directly to
Speaker 1: the first floor of the house. It came out upon
Speaker 1: the landing opposite to a second and more ornamental stare,
Speaker 1: which came up from the front hall. Out of this
Speaker 1: landing opened the drawing room and several bedrooms, including those
Speaker 1: of mister Cunningham and his son. Holmes walked slowly, taking
Speaker 1: keen note of the architecture of the house. I could
Speaker 1: tell from his expression that he was on a hot scent,
Speaker 1: and yet I could not in the least imagine in
Speaker 1: what direction his inferences were leading him. My good sir,
Speaker 1: said mister Cunningham, with some impatience, This is surely very unnecessary.
Speaker 1: That is my room at the end of the stairs,
Speaker 1: and my sons is the one beyond it. I leave
Speaker 1: it to your judgment whether it was possible for the
Speaker 1: thief to have come up here without disturbing us. You
Speaker 1: must try round and get on a fresh scent. I fancy,
Speaker 1: said the son, with a rather malicious smile. Still, I
Speaker 1: must ask you to humor me a little further. I
Speaker 1: should like, for example, to see how far the windows
Speaker 1: of the bedrooms command the front. This, I understand is
Speaker 1: your son's room. He pushed open the door, and that,
Speaker 1: my presume, is the dressing room in which he sat
Speaker 1: smoking when the alarm was given. Where does the window
Speaker 1: of that look out to He stepped across the bedroom,
Speaker 1: pushed open the door, and glanced around the other chamber.
Speaker 1: I hope that you are satisfied now, said mister Cunningham, tartly.
Speaker 1: Thank you. I think I have seen all that I wished. Then,
Speaker 1: if it is really necessary, we can go into my room.
Speaker 1: If it is not too much trouble. The j P
Speaker 1: shrugged his shoulders and led the way into his own chamber,
Speaker 1: which was a plainly furnished and commonplace room. As we
Speaker 1: moved across it in the direction of the window, Holmes
Speaker 1: fell back until he and I were the last of
Speaker 1: the group. Near the foot of the bed stood a
Speaker 1: dish of oranges and a carafe of water. As we
Speaker 1: passed it, Holmes, to my unutterable astonishment, leaned over in
Speaker 1: front of me and deliberately knocked the whole thing over.
Speaker 1: The glass smashed into a thousand pieces, and the fruit
Speaker 1: rolled about into every corner of the room. You've done
Speaker 1: it now, Watson said, he coolly, A pretty mess you've
Speaker 1: made of the carpet. I stooped in some confusion, and
Speaker 1: began to pick up the fruit, understanding for some reason
Speaker 1: my companion desired me to take the blame upon myself.
Speaker 1: The others did the same and set the table on
Speaker 1: its legs again. Hullo, cried the inspector. Where's he's got to?
Speaker 1: Holmes had disappeared. Wait here an instant, said young Alec Cunningham,
Speaker 1: a fellow is off his head in my opinion. Come
Speaker 1: with me, father, and see where he has got to.
Speaker 1: They rushed out of the room, leaving the inspector, the colonel,
Speaker 1: and me staring at each other. Puon my word, I'm
Speaker 1: inclined to agree with Master Alick, said the official. It
Speaker 1: may be the of his illness, but it seems to
Speaker 1: me that his words were cut short by a sudden
Speaker 1: scream of help, help, murder. With a thrill, I recognized
Speaker 1: the voice of that of my friend. I rushed madly
Speaker 1: from the room on to the landing. The cries, which
Speaker 1: had sunk down into a hoarse, inarticulate shouting, came from
Speaker 1: the room which we had first visited. I dashed in
Speaker 1: and on into the dressing room beyond the two Cunninghams
Speaker 1: were bending over the prostrate figure of Sherlock Holmes, the
Speaker 1: younger clutching his throat with both hands, while the elder
Speaker 1: seemed to be twisting one of his wrists. In an instant,
Speaker 1: the three of us had torn them away from him,
Speaker 1: and Holmes staggered to his feet, very pale and evidently
Speaker 1: greatly exhausted. Arrest these men inspector. He gasped, on what charge,
Speaker 1: that of murdering their coachman William Kerwin. The inspector stared
Speaker 1: about him in bewilderment. Oh, come down to Holmes, said
Speaker 1: he at last, Ah, I'm sure you don't really mean
Speaker 1: to tut man. Look at their faces, cried Holmes curtly.
Speaker 1: Never certainly have I seen a plainer confession of guilt
Speaker 1: upon human countenances. The older man seemed numbed and dazed,
Speaker 1: with a heavy sullen expression upon his strongly marked face.
Speaker 1: The sun, on the other hand, had dropped all that jaunty,
Speaker 1: dashing style which had characterized him, and the ferocity of
Speaker 1: a dangerous wild beast gleamed in his dark eyes and
Speaker 1: distorted his handsome features. The inspector said nothing, but stepping
Speaker 1: to the door, he blew his whistle. Two of his
Speaker 1: constables came at the call. I've no alternative, mister Cunningham
Speaker 1: said he. I trust that this may all prove to
Speaker 1: be an absurd mistake, but you can see that. Ah,
Speaker 1: would you drop it? He struck out with his hand,
Speaker 1: and a revolver, which the younger man was in the
Speaker 1: act of cocking, clattered down upon the floor. Keep that,
Speaker 1: said Holmes, quietly, putting his foot upon it. You will
Speaker 1: find it useful at the trial. But this is what
Speaker 1: we really wanted. He held up a little crumpled piece
Speaker 1: of paper. The remainder of the sheet, cried the inspector. Precisely,
Speaker 1: and where was it? Where I was sure it must be.
Speaker 1: I'll make the whole matter clear to you presently. I think, Colonel,
Speaker 1: that you and Watson might return now, and I will
Speaker 1: be with you again in an hour at the furthest.
Speaker 1: The inspector and I must have a word with the prisoners,
Speaker 1: but you will certainly see me back at luncheon time.
Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes was as good as his word, for about
Speaker 1: one o'clock he rejoined us in the colonel's smoking room.
Speaker 1: He was accompanied by a little elderly gentleman who was
Speaker 1: introduced to me as the mister Acton, whose house had
Speaker 1: been the scene of the original burglary. I wish mister
Speaker 1: Acton to be present while I demonstrated this small matter
Speaker 1: to you, said Holmes, for it is natural that he
Speaker 1: should take a keen interest in the details. I am afraid,
Speaker 1: my dear colonel, that you must regret the hour that
Speaker 1: you took in such a stormy petrol as I am.
Speaker 1: On the contrary, answered the colonel warmly. I consider it
Speaker 1: the greatest privilege to have been permitted to study your
Speaker 1: methods of working. I confess that they quite surpass my expectations,
Speaker 1: and I am utterly unable to account for your result.
Speaker 1: I have not yet seen the vestige of a clue.
Speaker 1: I am afraid that my explanation may disillusion you, but
Speaker 1: it has always been my habit to hide none of
Speaker 1: my methods, either from my friend Watson, or from any
Speaker 1: one who might take an intelligent interest in them. But first,
Speaker 1: as I am rather shaken by the knocking about which
Speaker 1: I had in the dressing room, I think that I
Speaker 1: shall help myself to a dash of your brandy. Colonel,
Speaker 1: my strength had been rather tired of late. I trust
Speaker 1: that you are no more of those nervous attacks. Sherlock
Speaker 1: Holmes laughed heartily. Ha, we will come to that in
Speaker 1: its turn, said he. I will lay an account of
Speaker 1: the case before you in its due order, showing you
Speaker 1: the various points which guided me in my decision. Pray
Speaker 1: interrupt me if there is any inference which is not
Speaker 1: perfectly clear to you it is of the highest importance
Speaker 1: in the art of detection to be able to recognize
Speaker 1: out of a number of facts which are incidental and
Speaker 1: which vital. Otherwise your energy and attention must be dissipated
Speaker 1: instead of being concentrated. Now, in this case, there was
Speaker 1: not the slightest doubt in my mind from the first
Speaker 1: that the key of the whole matter must be looked
Speaker 1: for in the scrap of paper in the dead man's hand.
Speaker 1: Before going to this, I would draw your attention to
Speaker 1: the fact that if Alec Cunningham's narrative was correct, and
Speaker 1: if the assailant, after shooting William Kerwin had instantly fled,
Speaker 1: then it obviously could not be he who tore the
Speaker 1: paper the dead man's hand. But if it was not he,
Speaker 1: it must have been Alec Cunningham himself, for by the
Speaker 1: time that the old man had descended, several servants were
Speaker 1: upon the scene. The point is a simple one, but
Speaker 1: the inspector had overlooked it because he had started with
Speaker 1: the supposition that these County magnates had had nothing to
Speaker 1: do with the matter. Now I make a point of
Speaker 1: never having any prejudices, and of following docile wherever fact
Speaker 1: may lead me. And so in the very first stage
Speaker 1: of the investigation, I found myself looking a little askance
Speaker 1: at the part which had been played by mister Alec Cunningham.
Speaker 1: And now I made a very careful examination of the
Speaker 1: corner of paper which the inspector had submitted to us.
Speaker 1: It was at once clear to me that it formed
Speaker 1: part of a very remarkable document. Here it is. Do
Speaker 1: you not now observe something very suggestive about it? It
Speaker 1: has a very irregular look, said the colonel. My dear Sir,
Speaker 1: cried Holmes. There cannot be the least doubt in the
Speaker 1: world that it has been written by two persons doing
Speaker 1: alternate words. When I draw your attention to the strong
Speaker 1: tease of at and two and ask you to compare
Speaker 1: them with the weak ones of quarter and twelve, you
Speaker 1: will instantly recognize the fact a very brief analysis of
Speaker 1: these four words would enable you to say with the
Speaker 1: utmost confidence that the learn and the maybe are written
Speaker 1: in the stronger hand, and that the what in the weaker.
Speaker 1: By jove, it is as clear as day, cried the colonel.
Speaker 1: Why on earth should two men write a letter in
Speaker 1: such a fashion. Obviously the business was a bad one,
Speaker 1: and one of the men who distrusted the other was
Speaker 1: determined that whatever was done, each should have an equal
Speaker 1: hand in it. Now, of the two men, it is
Speaker 1: clear that the one who wrote the AT and two
Speaker 1: was the ringleader. Do you get at that we might
Speaker 1: deduce it from the mere character of the one hand
Speaker 1: as compared with the other, But we have more assured
Speaker 1: reasons than that for supposing it. If you examine this
Speaker 1: scrap with attention, you will come to the conclusion that
Speaker 1: the man with the stronger hand wrote all his words first,
Speaker 1: leaving blanks for the other to fill up. These blanks
Speaker 1: were not always sufficient, and you can see that the
Speaker 1: second man had a squeeze to fit his quarter in
Speaker 1: between the AT and the two, showing that the latter
Speaker 1: was already written. The man who wrote all his words
Speaker 1: first is undoubtedly the man who planned the affair. Excellent,
Speaker 1: cried mister Acton, But very superficial, said Holmes. We come now, however,
Speaker 1: to a point which is of importance. You may not
Speaker 1: be aware that the deduction of a man's age from
Speaker 1: his writing is one which has been brought to considerable
Speaker 1: accuracy by experts. In normal cases, one can place a
Speaker 1: man in his true decade. With toleran confidence. I say
Speaker 1: normal cases, because ill health and physical weakness reproduce the
Speaker 1: signs of old age, even when the invalid is a youth.
Speaker 1: In this case, looking at the bold, strong hand of
Speaker 1: the one and the rather broken back to appearance of
Speaker 1: the other, which still retains its legibility, although the teas
Speaker 1: have begun to lose their crossing, we can say that
Speaker 1: the one was a young man and the other was
Speaker 1: advanced in years, without being positively decrepit. Excellent, cried mister Acton. Again.
Speaker 1: There is a further point, however, which is subtler and
Speaker 1: of greater interest. There is something in common between these hands.
Speaker 1: They belong to men who are blood relatives. It may
Speaker 1: be most obvious to you in the Greek ease, but
Speaker 1: to me there are many small points which indicate the
Speaker 1: same thing. I have no doubt at all that a
Speaker 1: family mannerism can be traced in these two specimens of writing.
Speaker 1: I am only, of course, giving you the leading results
Speaker 1: now of my examination of the paper. There were twenty
Speaker 1: three other deductions which would be of more interest to
Speaker 1: experts than to you. They all tend to deepen the
Speaker 1: impression upon my mind that the Cunninghams father and son
Speaker 1: had written this letter. Having got so far, my next
Speaker 1: step was, of course, to examine into the details of
Speaker 1: the crime, and to see how far they would help us.
Speaker 1: I went up to the house with the inspector and
Speaker 1: saw all that was to be seen. The wound upon
Speaker 1: the dead man was, as I was able to determine
Speaker 1: with absolute confidence, fired from a revolver at the distance
Speaker 1: of something over four yards. There was no powder blackening
Speaker 1: on the clothes. Evidently, therefore Alec Cunningham had lied when
Speaker 1: he said that the two men were struggling when the
Speaker 1: shot was fired. Again, both father and son agreed as
Speaker 1: to the place where the man escaped into the road.
Speaker 1: At that point, however, as it happens, there is a
Speaker 1: broadish ditch moist at the bottom. As there were no
Speaker 1: indications of boot marks about this ditch, I was absolutely
Speaker 1: sure not only that the Cunninghams had again lied, but
Speaker 1: that there had never been any unknown man upon the
Speaker 1: scene at all. And now I have to consider the
Speaker 1: motive of this singular crime. To get at this, I endeavored,
Speaker 1: first of all to solve the reason of the original
Speaker 1: burglary at mister Acton's I understood from something which the
Speaker 1: Colonel told us, that a law suit had been going
Speaker 1: on between you, mister Acton, and the Cunninghams. Of course,
Speaker 1: it instantly occurred to me that they had broken into
Speaker 1: your library with the intention of getting at some document
Speaker 1: which might be of importance in the case. Precisely so,
Speaker 1: said mister Acton. There can be no possible doubt as
Speaker 1: to their intentions. I have the clearest claim upon half
Speaker 1: of their present estate, and if they could have found
Speaker 1: a single paper, which fortunately was in the strong box
Speaker 1: of my solicitors, they would undoubtedly have crippled our case.
Speaker 1: There you are, said Holmes, smiling. It was a dangerous,
Speaker 1: reckless attempt in which I seemed to trace the influence
Speaker 1: of young Alick. Having found nothing, they tried to divert
Speaker 1: suspicion by making it appear to be an ordinary burglary,
Speaker 1: to which end they carried off whatever they could lay
Speaker 1: their hands upon. That is all clear enough, But there
Speaker 1: was much that was still obscure. What I wanted, above
Speaker 1: all was to get the missing part of that note.
Speaker 1: I was certain that Alec had torn it out of
Speaker 1: the dead man's hand, and almost certain that he must
Speaker 1: have thrust it into the pocket of his dressing gown.
Speaker 1: Where else could he have put it? The only question
Speaker 1: was whether it was still there. It was worth an
Speaker 1: effort to find out, and for that object we all
Speaker 1: went up to the house. The Cunninghams joined us, as
Speaker 1: you doubtless remember, outside the kitchen door. It was, of course,
Speaker 1: of the very first import shaughtance that they should not
Speaker 1: be reminded of the existence of this paper, otherwise they
Speaker 1: would naturally destroy it without delay. The Inspector was about
Speaker 1: to tell them the importance which we attached to it,
Speaker 1: when by the luckiest chance in the world, I tumbled
Speaker 1: down in a sort of fit, and so changed the conversation.
Speaker 1: Good Heavens, cried the colonel, laughing, do you mean to
Speaker 1: say all our sympathy was wasted and you'll fit an
Speaker 1: imposture speaking professionally. It was admirably done, cried I, looking
Speaker 1: in amazement at this man who was forever confounding me
Speaker 1: with some new phase of his astuteness. It is an
Speaker 1: art which is often useful, said he. When I recovered
Speaker 1: I managed, by a device which had perhaps some little
Speaker 1: merit of ingenuity, to get old Cunningham to write the
Speaker 1: word twelve, so that I might compare it with the
Speaker 1: twelve upon the paper. Oh what an ass I have been,
Speaker 1: I exclaimed. I could see that you were commiserating me
Speaker 1: over my weakness, said Holmes, laughing, I was sorry to
Speaker 1: cause you the sympathetic pain which I know that you felt.
Speaker 1: We then went upstairs together, and having entered the room
Speaker 1: and seen the dressing gown hanging up behind the door,
Speaker 1: I contrived by upsetting a table to engage their attention
Speaker 1: for the moment, and slipped back to examine the pockets.
Speaker 1: I had hardly got the paper, however, which was as
Speaker 1: I had expected in one of them, when the two
Speaker 1: Cunninghams were on me, and would I verily believe have
Speaker 1: murdered me then and there but for your prompt and
Speaker 1: friendly aid. As it is, I feel that young man's
Speaker 1: grip on my throat now, and the father has twisted
Speaker 1: my wrist round in the effort to get the paper
Speaker 1: out of my hand. They saw that I must know
Speaker 1: all about it, you see, and the sudden change from
Speaker 1: absolute security to complete despair made them perfectly desperate. I
Speaker 1: had a little talk with old Cunningham afterwards as to
Speaker 1: the motive of the crime, he was tractable enough, though
Speaker 1: his son was a perfect demon, ready to blow out
Speaker 1: his own or anybody else's brains if he could have
Speaker 1: got to his revolver. When Cunningham saw that the case
Speaker 1: against him was so strong, he lost all heart and
Speaker 1: made a clean breast of everything. It seems that William
Speaker 1: had secretly followed his two masters on the night when
Speaker 1: they made their raid upon mister Acton's, and having thus
Speaker 1: got them into his power, proceeded under threats of exposure
Speaker 1: to levy blackmail upon them. Mister Alick, however, was a
Speaker 1: dangerous man to play games of that sort with. It
Speaker 1: was a stroke of positive genius on his part to
Speaker 1: see in the burglary scare which was convulsing the countryside,
Speaker 1: an opportunity of plausibly getting rid of the man whom
Speaker 1: he feared. William was decoyed up and shot. And had
Speaker 1: they only got the whole of the note and paid
Speaker 1: a little more attention to detail in the accessories, it
Speaker 1: is very possible that suspicion might never have been aroused.
Speaker 1: And a note I asked Sherlock Holmes placed the subjoined
Speaker 1: paper before us, if you will only come around to
Speaker 1: the east gate it will very much surprise you and
Speaker 1: be of the greatest service to you and also to
Speaker 1: Annie Morrison. But say nothing to anyone upon the matter.
Speaker 1: It is very much the sort of thing that I expected,
Speaker 1: said he. Of course, we do not yet know what
Speaker 1: the relations may have been between Alec Cunningham, William Kerwin
Speaker 1: and Annie Morrison. The result shows that the trap was
Speaker 1: skillfully baited. I am sure that you cannot fail to
Speaker 1: be delighted with the traces of heredity shown in the
Speaker 1: peas and in the Tales of the Ges. The absence
Speaker 1: of the ie dots in the old Man's writing is
Speaker 1: also more characteristic Watson. I think our quiet rest in
Speaker 1: the country has been a distinct success, and I shall
Speaker 1: certainly return much invigorated to Baker Street to morrow. End
Speaker 1: of the reigate. It's puzzle