Speaker 1: The adventure of the Reigate Squire. It was some time
Speaker 1: before the health of my friend mister Sherlock Holmes recovered
Speaker 1: from the strain caused by his immense exertions in the
Speaker 1: spring of eighty seven. The whole question of the Netherlands
Speaker 1: Sumatra Company and of the colossal schemes of Baron mopetwe
Speaker 1: are too recent in the minds of the public, and
Speaker 1: too intimately concerned with politics and finance to be a
Speaker 1: fitting subject for this series of sketches. It led, however,
Speaker 1: in an indirect fashion, to a singular and complex problem,
Speaker 1: which gave my friend an opportunity of demonstrating the value
Speaker 1: of a fresh weapon among the many with which he
Speaker 1: waged his lifelong battle against crime. On referring to my notes,
Speaker 1: I see that it was on the fourteenth of April
Speaker 1: that I received a telegram from from Lyons which informed
Speaker 1: me that Holmes was lying ill in the Hotel Dulan.
Speaker 1: Within twenty four hours I was in his sickroom and
Speaker 1: was relieved to find that there was nothing formidable in
Speaker 1: his symptoms. His iron constitution, however, had broken down under
Speaker 1: the strain of an investigation which had extended over two
Speaker 1: months during which period he had never worked less than
Speaker 1: fifteen hours a day and had more than once, as
Speaker 1: he assured me, kept to his task for five days
Speaker 1: at a stretch. The triumphant issue of his labors could
Speaker 1: not save him from reaction. After so terrible an exertion,
Speaker 1: and at a time when Europe was ringing with his name,
Speaker 1: and when his room was literally ankle 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 pot and the most accomplished swindler in Europe were
Speaker 1: insufficient to rouse him from his nervous prostration. Three days
Speaker 1: later we were back in Baker Street together, but it
Speaker 1: was evident that my friend would be 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 would 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. Was a
Speaker 1: 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 plenty in common. On the evening of
Speaker 1: our arrival, we were sitting in the colonel's gun room
Speaker 1: after dinner. Holmes stretched upon the sofa while Hayter and
Speaker 1: I looked over his little armory of firearms by the way,
Speaker 1: said he suddenly, I'll take one of these pistols upstairs
Speaker 1: with me in case we have an alarm. An alarm,
Speaker 1: said I. Yes, we've had a scare in this part lately.
Speaker 1: Old Acton, who is one of our county magnets, had
Speaker 1: his house broken into last Monday. No great damage done,
Speaker 1: but the fellows are still at large. No clue, asked Holmes,
Speaker 1: cocking his eye at the colonel manne as yet, But
Speaker 1: the affair is a petty one, one of our little
Speaker 1: country crimes, which must seem too small for your attention,
Speaker 1: mister Holmes, after this great international affair. Holmes waved away
Speaker 1: the compliment, though his smile showed that it had pleased him.
Speaker 1: Was there any feature of interest? I fancy not. The
Speaker 1: thieves ransacked the library and got very little for their pains.
Speaker 1: The whole place was turned upside down, draws burst open,
Speaker 1: and presses round sacked, with the result that an odd
Speaker 1: volume of Pope's homer, two plated candlesticks, an ivory letter weight,
Speaker 1: a small oak barometer, and a ball of twine are
Speaker 1: all that have vanished. What an extraordinary assortment, I exclaimed. Oh,
Speaker 1: the fellows evidently grabbed hold of anything they could get.
Speaker 1: Holmes grunted from the sofa. The county police ought to
Speaker 1: make something of that, said he. Why it is surely
Speaker 1: obvious that, but I held up a warning finger. You
Speaker 1: are here for a rest, my dear fellow. For Heaven's sake,
Speaker 1: don't get started on a new problem when your nerves
Speaker 1: are all in shreds. Holmes shrugged his shoulders with a
Speaker 1: glance of comic resignation. Towards the Colonel, and the talk
Speaker 1: drifted away into less dangerous channels. It was destined, however,
Speaker 1: that all my professional caution should be wasted, for next morning.
Speaker 1: The problem obtruded itself upon us in such a way
Speaker 1: that it was impossible to ignore it, and our country
Speaker 1: visit took a turn which neither of us could have anticipated.
Speaker 1: We were at breakfast when the colonel's butler rushed in
Speaker 1: with all his propriety shaken out of him. Have you
Speaker 1: heard the new sir? He gasped at the Cunningham, Sir, Burglary,
Speaker 1: cried the Colonel with his coffee cup in mid air murder.
Speaker 1: The colonel whistled, pie jove, said he who's killed? Then?
Speaker 1: The j p or his son? Neither, Sir. It was William,
Speaker 1: the coachman, shot through the heart, Sir, and never spoke again.
Speaker 1: Who shot him? Then? The burglar? Sir? He was off
Speaker 1: like a shot and got clean away. It just broke
Speaker 1: in at the pantry window when William came on him
Speaker 1: and met his end in saving his master's property. What
Speaker 1: time it was last night, sir? Somewhere about twelve ah.
Speaker 1: Then we'll step over presently, said the Colonel, coolly settling
Speaker 1: down to his breakfast again. It's a baddish business, he added,
Speaker 1: when the butler had gone. He's our leading squire about
Speaker 1: here is old Cunningham, and a very decent fellow too.
Speaker 1: He'll be cut up over this, for the man has
Speaker 1: been in his service for years and was a good servant.
Speaker 1: It's evidently the same villains who broke into Acton's and
Speaker 1: stole that very singular collection, said Holmes, thoughtfully, precisely hum
Speaker 1: it may prove the simplest matter in the world, but
Speaker 1: all the same, at first glance, this is just a
Speaker 1: little curious, is it not. A gang of burglars acting
Speaker 1: in the country might be expected to vary the scene
Speaker 1: of their operations, and not to crack two cribs in
Speaker 1: the same district within a few days. When you spoke
Speaker 1: last night of taking precautions, I remember that passed through
Speaker 1: my mind that this was probably the last parish in
Speaker 1: England to which the thief or thieves would be likely
Speaker 1: to turn their attention, Which shows that I still have
Speaker 1: much to learn. I fancy it some local practitioner, said
Speaker 1: the colonel. In that case, of course, Acton's and Cunningham's
Speaker 1: are just the places he would go for, since they
Speaker 1: are far the largest about here and richest. Well they
Speaker 1: ought to be, but they've had a law suit for
Speaker 1: some years which has sucked the blood out of both
Speaker 1: of them. I fancy old Acton has some claim on
Speaker 1: half Cunningham's estate, and the lawyers have been at it
Speaker 1: with both hands. If it's a local villain, there should
Speaker 1: not be much difficulty in running him down, said Holmes
Speaker 1: with a yawn. All right, Watson, I don't intend to meddle, Inspector, Forester, Sir,
Speaker 1: said the butler, throwing open the door. The official, a smart,
Speaker 1: keen faced young fellow, stepped into the room. Good morning, Colonel,
Speaker 1: said he. I hope I don't intrude, but we hear
Speaker 1: that mister Holmes of Baker Street is here. The colonel
Speaker 1: waved his hand towards my friend, and the inspector bowed.
Speaker 1: We thought that perhaps you would care to step across,
Speaker 1: mister Holmes. The fates are against you, Watson said, he laughing.
Speaker 1: We 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 poor William Kerwan was fired. Mister Cunningham saw
Speaker 1: him from the bedroom window, and mister Alick Cunningham saw
Speaker 1: him from the back passage. It was a quarter to
Speaker 1: twelve when the alarm broke out. Mister Cunningham had just
Speaker 1: got into bed and mister Alick was smoking a pipe
Speaker 1: in his dressing gown. They both heard William the coachman
Speaker 1: calling for help, and mister Alick he ran down to
Speaker 1: see what was the matter. The back door was open,
Speaker 1: and as he came to the foot of the stairs
Speaker 1: he saw two men wrestling together outside. One of them
Speaker 1: fired a shot, the other dropped, and the murderer rushed
Speaker 1: across the garden and over the hedge. Mister Cunningham, looking
Speaker 1: out of his bedroom window, saw the fellow as he
Speaker 1: gained the road, but lost sight of him at once.
Speaker 1: Mister Alick stopped to see if he could help the
Speaker 1: dying man, and so the villain got clean away. Beyond
Speaker 1: the fact that he was a middle sized man and
Speaker 1: dressed in some dark stuff, we have no personal clue,
Speaker 1: but we are making energetic inquiries, and if he is
Speaker 1: a stranger, we shall soon find him out. What was
Speaker 1: this William doing there? Did he say anything before he died?
Speaker 1: Not a word? He lives at the lodge with his mother,
Speaker 1: and as he was a very faithful fellow, we imagine
Speaker 1: that he walked up to the house with the intention
Speaker 1: of seeing that all was right there. Of course, these
Speaker 1: act and business has put everyone 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 notebook and
Speaker 1: spread it out upon his knee. This was found between
Speaker 1: the finger and thumb of the dead man. It appears
Speaker 1: to be a fragment torn from a larger sheet. You
Speaker 1: will observe that the hour mentioned upon it is the
Speaker 1: very time at which the poor fellow met his fate.
Speaker 1: You see that his murderer might have torn the rest
Speaker 1: of the sheet from him, or he might have taken
Speaker 1: this fragment from the murderer. It reads almost as though
Speaker 1: it was an appointment. Holmes took up the scrap of paper,
Speaker 1: a facsimile of which is here reproduced at quarter to twelve.
Speaker 1: Learn what may be presuming that is an appointment, continued
Speaker 1: the inspector. It is of course a conceivable theory that
Speaker 1: this William Kerwin, although he had the reputation of being
Speaker 1: an honest man, may have been in league with the thief.
Speaker 1: He may have met him there, may even have helped
Speaker 1: him to break in the door, and then they may
Speaker 1: have fallen out between themselves. This writing is of extraordinary interest,
Speaker 1: said Holmes, who had been examining it with intense concentration.
Speaker 1: These are much deeper waters than I have thought. He
Speaker 1: sank his head upon his hands, while the inspector smiled
Speaker 1: at the effect which his case had had upon the
Speaker 1: famous London specialist. Your life, remark, said Holmes, presently, as
Speaker 1: to the possibility of there being an understanding between the
Speaker 1: burglar and the servant, and this being a note of
Speaker 1: appointment from one to the other is an ingenious and
Speaker 1: not entirely an impossible supposition. But this writing opens up.
Speaker 1: He sank his head into his hands again, and remained
Speaker 1: for some minutes in the deepest thought. When he raised
Speaker 1: his face, I was surprised to see that his cheek
Speaker 1: was tinged with color, and his eyes as bright as
Speaker 1: before his illness. He sprang to his feet with all
Speaker 1: his old energy. I'll tell you what, said he I
Speaker 1: should like to have a quiet little glance into the
Speaker 1: details of this case. There is something in it which
Speaker 1: fascinates me extremely. If you will permit me, Colonel, I
Speaker 1: will leave my friend Watson and you and I will
Speaker 1: step round with the inspector to test the truth of
Speaker 1: one or two little fancies of mine. I will be
Speaker 1: with you again in half an hour. An hour and
Speaker 1: a half had elapsed before the inspector returned alone. Mister
Speaker 1: Holmes is walking up and down in the field outside,
Speaker 1: said he. He wants us all four to go up
Speaker 1: to the house together to mister Cunningham's. Yes, sir, what
Speaker 1: for the inspector shrugged his shoulders. I don't quite know, sir.
Speaker 1: Between ourselves, I think mister Holmes has not quite got
Speaker 1: over his illness yet. He's been behaving very queerly, and
Speaker 1: he is very much excited. I don't think you need
Speaker 1: alarm yourself, said I. I have usually found that there
Speaker 1: was method in his madness. Some folk might say there
Speaker 1: was madness in his method, muttered the inspector. But he's
Speaker 1: all on fire to start, Colonel, so we had best
Speaker 1: go out, if you're ready. We found homes pacing up
Speaker 1: and down in the field, his chin sunk upon his breast,
Speaker 1: and his hands thrust into his trouser pocket. The matter
Speaker 1: grows in interest, said he Watson. Your country trip has
Speaker 1: been a distinct success. I have had a charming morning.
Speaker 1: You have been up to the scene of the crime,
Speaker 1: I understand, said the Colonel. Yes, the inspector and I
Speaker 1: have made quite a little reconnaissance together. Any success. Well,
Speaker 1: we have 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 and feeble. And what is the
Speaker 1: result of your investigations the conviction that the crime is
Speaker 1: a very peculiar one. Perhaps our visit now may do
Speaker 1: something to make it less obscure. I think that we
Speaker 1: are both agreed, Inspector, that the fragment of paper in
Speaker 1: the dead man's hand, bearing as it does the very
Speaker 1: hour of his death written upon it, is of extreme importance.
Speaker 1: It should give a clue, mister Holmes. 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 someone so anxious to get possession
Speaker 1: of it because it incriminated him, and what would he
Speaker 1: do with it? Thrust it into his pocket, most likely,
Speaker 1: never noticing that a corner of it had been left
Speaker 1: in the grip of the corpse. If we could get
Speaker 1: the rest of that sheet, it is obvious that we
Speaker 1: 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 catch the 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 made 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 the 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 Malplaquey
Speaker 1: upon the lintel of the door. Holmes and the inspector
Speaker 1: led us round it until we came to the side 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 those 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. So did the sun.
Speaker 1: They are both sure of it on account of the bush.
Speaker 1: Then mister Alick ran out and knelt beside the wounded man.
Speaker 1: The ground is very hard, you see, and there are
Speaker 1: no marks to guide us. As he spoke, two men
Speaker 1: came down the garden path from round the angle of
Speaker 1: the house. The one was an elderly man with a strong,
Speaker 1: deep lined, heavy eyed the other a dashing young fellow,
Speaker 1: whose bright, smiling expression and showy dress were in strange
Speaker 1: contrast with the business which had brought us there still
Speaker 1: at it, then, said he to Holmes. I thought you
Speaker 1: Londoners were never at fault. You don't seem to be
Speaker 1: so very quick after all. Ah, you must give us
Speaker 1: a little time, said Holmes. Good humoredly, you'll want it,
Speaker 1: said young Alec Cunningham. Why I don't see that we
Speaker 1: have any clue at all. There's only one, answered the inspector.
Speaker 1: We thought that if we could only find good heavens,
Speaker 1: mister Holmes, what is the matter. My poor friend's face
Speaker 1: had suddenly assumed the most dreadful expression, His eyes rolled upwards,
Speaker 1: his features writhed in agony, and with a suppressed groan,
Speaker 1: he dropped on his face upon the ground, Horrified at
Speaker 1: the suddenness and severity of the attack. We carried him
Speaker 1: into the kitchen, where he lay back in a large
Speaker 1: chair and breathed heavily for some minutes. Finally, with a
Speaker 1: shamefaced apology for his weakness, he rose once more. Watson
Speaker 1: would tell you that I have only just recovered from
Speaker 1: a severe illness, he explained, I am liable to these
Speaker 1: sudden nervous attacks. Shall I send you home in my trap?
Speaker 1: Asked old Cunningham. Well, since I'm here. There is one
Speaker 1: point on which I should like to feel sure we
Speaker 1: can very easily verify it. What is it? Well, it
Speaker 1: seems to me that it is just possible that the
Speaker 1: arrival of this poor fellow William was not before, but
Speaker 1: after the entrance of the burglar into the house. You
Speaker 1: appear to take it for granted that although the door
Speaker 1: was forced, the robber never got in. I fancy that
Speaker 1: is quite obvious, said mister Cunningham, gravely. Why my son
Speaker 1: Alec had not yet gone to bed, and he would
Speaker 1: certainly have heard any one moving about. Where was his
Speaker 1: sitt I was sitting smoking in my dressing room. Which
Speaker 1: window is that? The last on the left next my father's?
Speaker 1: Both your lamps were lit. Of course, undoubtedly there are
Speaker 1: some very singular points here, said Holmes, smiling. Is it
Speaker 1: not extraordinary that a burglar, and a burglar who had
Speaker 1: had some previous experience, should deliberately break into a house
Speaker 1: at a time when he could see from the lights
Speaker 1: that two of the family were still afoot He must
Speaker 1: have been a cool hound. Well, of course, if the
Speaker 1: case were not an odd one, we should not have
Speaker 1: been driven to ask you for an explanation said mister Alick.
Speaker 1: But as to your idea that the man had robbed
Speaker 1: the house before William tackled him, I think it a
Speaker 1: most absurd notion. Shouldn'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 weight, and I don't
Speaker 1: know what other odds and ends. Well, we are quite
Speaker 1: in your hands, mister Holmes, said Old Cunningham. Anything which
Speaker 1: you 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 was quite enough. I
Speaker 1: thought I would willingly give five hundred, 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. You see,
Speaker 1: you begin whereas at about a quarter to one on
Speaker 1: Tuesday morning an attempt was made, and so on it
Speaker 1: was at a quarter to twelve. As a matter of fact,
Speaker 1: I was pained at the mistake, for I knew how
Speaker 1: keenly Holmes would feel any slip of the kind. It
Speaker 1: was his speciality to be accurate as to fact. But
Speaker 1: his recent illness had shaken him, and this one little
Speaker 1: incident was enough to show me that he was still
Speaker 1: far from being himself. He was obviously embarrassed for an
Speaker 1: instant while the inspector raised his eyebrows and Alec Cunningham
Speaker 1: burst into a laugh. The old gentleman corrected the mistake, however,
Speaker 1: and handed the paper back to Holmes. Get it printed
Speaker 1: as soon as possible. He said, I think your idea
Speaker 1: is an excellent one. Holmes put the slip of paper
Speaker 1: carefully away in his pocket book, and now said he
Speaker 1: it would really be a good thing that we should
Speaker 1: all go over the house together and make certain that
Speaker 1: this rather erratic burglar did not, after all, carry anything
Speaker 1: away with him. Before entering, Holmes made an examination of
Speaker 1: the door which had been forced. It was evident that
Speaker 1: a chisel or strong knife had been thrust in and
Speaker 1: the lock forced back with it. We could see the
Speaker 1: marks in the wood where it had been pushed in.
Speaker 1: You don't use bars, then, he asked, We have never
Speaker 1: found it necessary. You don't keep a dog, yes, but
Speaker 1: he is chained on the other side of the house.
Speaker 1: When do the servants go to bed about ten? I
Speaker 1: understand that William was usually in bed also at that hour. Yes,
Speaker 1: it is singular that on this particular night he should
Speaker 1: have been up. Now I should be very glad if
Speaker 1: you would 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, more ornamental stair which
Speaker 1: led up from the front hall. Out of this landing
Speaker 1: opened the drawing room and several bedrooms, including those of
Speaker 1: mister Cunningham and his son. Holmes walked slowly taking keen
Speaker 1: note of the architecture of the house. I could tell
Speaker 1: 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 Pierre without disturbingness. You must
Speaker 1: try round and get on a fresh scent. I fancy,
Speaker 1: said the son, with a rather malicious SMI still I
Speaker 1: ask you to humor me a little further. I should like,
Speaker 1: for example, to see how far the windows of the
Speaker 1: bedrooms command the front. This, I understand is your son's room.
Speaker 1: He pushed open the door, and that I presume is
Speaker 1: the dressing room in which he sat smoking when the
Speaker 1: alarm was given. Where does the window of that look
Speaker 1: out to? He stepped across the bedroom, pushed open the door,
Speaker 1: and glanced round the other chamber. I hope you are
Speaker 1: satisfied now, said mister Cunningham, testily, thank you. I think
Speaker 1: I have seen all that I wished. Then, if it
Speaker 1: is really necessary, we can go into my room. If
Speaker 1: it is not too much trouble. The JP shrugged his
Speaker 1: shoulders and led the way into his own chamber, which
Speaker 1: was a plainly furnished and commonplace room. As we moved
Speaker 1: across it in the direction of the window, Holmes fell
Speaker 1: back until he and I were the last of the group.
Speaker 1: The foot of the bed was a small square table,
Speaker 1: on which stood a dish of oranges and a caraff
Speaker 1: of water. As we passed it, Holmes, to my unutterable astonishment,
Speaker 1: leaned over in front of me and deliberately knocked the
Speaker 1: whole thing over. The glass smashed into a thousand pieces,
Speaker 1: and the fruit rolled about into every corner of the room.
Speaker 1: You've done it, now, Watson said, he coolly. A pretty
Speaker 1: mess you've made of the carpet. I stopped in some confusion,
Speaker 1: and began to pick up the fruit, understanding that for
Speaker 1: some reason my companion desired me to take the blame
Speaker 1: upon myself. The others did the same and set the
Speaker 1: table on its legs again. Hello, cried the inspector. Where's
Speaker 1: he got to? Holmes had disappeared. Wait here an instant,
Speaker 1: said young Alec Cunningham. The fellow is off his head,
Speaker 1: in my opinion, Come with me, father, and see where
Speaker 1: he has got to. They rushed out of the room,
Speaker 1: leaving the inspector, the colonel, and me staring at each other.
Speaker 1: On my word, I am inclined to agree with mister Alick,
Speaker 1: said the official. It may be the effect of this illness,
Speaker 1: but it seems to me that his words were cut
Speaker 1: short by a sudden scream of help, help, murder with
Speaker 1: a thrill. I recognized the voice as that of my friend.
Speaker 1: I rushed madly from the room on to the landing.
Speaker 1: The cries, which had sunk down into a hoarse, inarticulate shouting,
Speaker 1: came from the room which we had first visited. I
Speaker 1: dashed in and on into the dressing room beyond the
Speaker 1: two Cunninghams were bending over the prostrate figure of Sherlock Holmes,
Speaker 1: the younger clutching his throat with both hands, while the
Speaker 1: elder seemed to be twisting one of his wrists. In
Speaker 1: an instant, the three of us had torn them away
Speaker 1: from him, and Holmes staggered to his feet, very pale
Speaker 1: and evidently greatly exhausted arrest these men, inspector, he gasped,
Speaker 1: on what charge, that of murdering their coachman, William Kerwin.
Speaker 1: The inspector stared about him in bewilderment. Oh come now,
Speaker 1: mister Holmes, said he at last, I am sure you
Speaker 1: don't really mean to cut man. Look at their faces,
Speaker 1: cried Holmes curtly. Never certainly have I seen a plainer
Speaker 1: confession of guilt upon human countenances. The older man seemed
Speaker 1: numbed and dazed, with a heavy sullen expression upon his
Speaker 1: strongly marked face. The sun, on the other hand, had
Speaker 1: dropped all that jaunty, dashing style which had characterized him,
Speaker 1: and the ferocity of a dangerous wild beast gleamed in
Speaker 1: his dark eyes and distorted his handsome features. The inspector
Speaker 1: said nothing, but stepping to the door, he blew his whistle.
Speaker 1: Two of his constables came at the call. I have
Speaker 1: no alternative, mister Cunningham said he. I trust that this
Speaker 1: may all prove to be an absurd mistake, but you
Speaker 1: can see that, ah, would you drop it? He struck
Speaker 1: out with his hand and a revolver, which the younger
Speaker 1: man was in the act of cocking clattered down upon
Speaker 1: the floor. Keep that, said Holmes, quickly putting his foot
Speaker 1: upon it. You will find it useful at the trial.
Speaker 1: But this is what we really wanted. He held up
Speaker 1: a little crumpled piece of paper. The remainder of the sheet,
Speaker 1: cried the inspector. Precisely, and where was it? Where I
Speaker 1: was sure it must be. I'll make the whole matter
Speaker 1: clear to you presently. I think, Colonel, that you and
Speaker 1: Watson might return now, and I will be with you
Speaker 1: again in an hour at the furthest. The inspector and
Speaker 1: I must have a word with the prisoners, but you
Speaker 1: will certainly see me back at luncheon time. Sherlock Holmes
Speaker 1: was as good as his word, for about one o'clock
Speaker 1: he rejoined us in the colonel's smoking room. He was
Speaker 1: accompanied by a little elderly gentleman who was introduced to
Speaker 1: me as the mister Acton, whose house had been the
Speaker 1: scene of the original burglary. I wished mister Acton to
Speaker 1: be present while I demonstrated this small matter to you,
Speaker 1: said Holmes, for it is natural that he should take
Speaker 1: a keen interest in the details. I am afraid, my
Speaker 1: dear colonel, that you must regret the hour that you
Speaker 1: took in such a stormy petrol as I am. On
Speaker 1: the contrary, answered the colonel warmly, I consider it the
Speaker 1: greatest privilege to have been permitted to study your methods
Speaker 1: of working. I confess that they quite surpassed my expectations,
Speaker 1: and that 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 disillusionize 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, I think that I shall
Speaker 1: help myself to a dash of your brandy. Colonel. My
Speaker 1: strength has been rather tried of late. I trust you
Speaker 1: have no more of those nervous attacks. Sherlock Holmes laughed heartily.
Speaker 1: We will come to that in its turn, said he.
Speaker 1: I will lay an account of the case before you
Speaker 1: in its due order, showing you the various points which
Speaker 1: guided me in my decision. Pray interrupt me if there
Speaker 1: is any inference which is not perfectly clear to you.
Speaker 1: It is of the highest importance in the art of
Speaker 1: detection to be able to recognize out of a number
Speaker 1: of facts which are incidental and which are vital. Otherwise
Speaker 1: your energy and attention must be dissipated instead of being concentrated. Now,
Speaker 1: in this case, there was not the slightest doubt in
Speaker 1: my mind from the first that the key of the
Speaker 1: whole matter must be looked for in the scrap of
Speaker 1: paper in the dead man's hand. Before going into this
Speaker 1: I would draw your attention to the fact that if
Speaker 1: if Alec Cunningham's narrative were correct, and if the assailant,
Speaker 1: after shooting William Kerwin had instantly fled, then it obviously
Speaker 1: could not be he who tore the paper from the
Speaker 1: dead man's hand. But if it was not he, it
Speaker 1: must have been Alec Cunningham himself, for by the time
Speaker 1: that the old man had descended, several servants were upon
Speaker 1: the scene. The point is a simple one, but the
Speaker 1: inspector had overlooked it because he had started with the
Speaker 1: supposition that these county magnates had nothing to do with
Speaker 1: the matter. Now I make a point of never having
Speaker 1: any prejudices and a following docilely wherever fact may lead me.
Speaker 1: And so in the very first stage of the investigation,
Speaker 1: I found myself looking a little skance at the part
Speaker 1: which had been played by mister Alec Cunningham. And now
Speaker 1: I made a very careful examination of the corner of
Speaker 1: paper which the inspector had submitted to us. It was
Speaker 1: at once clear to me that it formed part of
Speaker 1: a very remarkable document. Here it is. Do you not
Speaker 1: now observe something very suggestive about it? It has a
Speaker 1: very irregular look, said the Colonel. My dear sir, cried Holmes.
Speaker 1: There cannot be the least doubt in the world that
Speaker 1: it has been written by two persons doing alternate words.
Speaker 1: When I draw your attention to the strong tease of
Speaker 1: at and two and ask you to compare them with
Speaker 1: the weak ones of quarter and twelve, you will instantly
Speaker 1: recognize the fact a very brief analysis of those four
Speaker 1: words would enable you to say with the utmost confidence
Speaker 1: that the learn and maybe are written in the stronger
Speaker 1: hand and the what in the weaker. By jove, it's
Speaker 1: as clear as day, cried the colonel. Why on nurse
Speaker 1: should two men write a letter in such a fashion.
Speaker 1: Obviously the business was a bad one, and one of
Speaker 1: the men who distrusted the eye was determined that whatever
Speaker 1: was done, each should have an equal hand in it. Now,
Speaker 1: of the two men, it is clear that the one
Speaker 1: who wrote the AT and two was the ringleader. How
Speaker 1: do you get at that? We might deduce it from
Speaker 1: the mere character of the one hand as compared with
Speaker 1: the other. But we have more assured reasons than that
Speaker 1: for supposing it. If you examine this scrap with attention,
Speaker 1: you will come to the conclusion that the man with
Speaker 1: the stronger hand wrote all his words first, leaving blanks
Speaker 1: for the other to fill up. These blanks were not
Speaker 1: always sufficient, and you can see that the second man
Speaker 1: had a squeeze to fit his quarter in between the
Speaker 1: AT and the two, showing that the latter were already written.
Speaker 1: The man who wrote all his words first is undoubtedly
Speaker 1: the man who planned this affair. Excellent, cried mister Acton,
Speaker 1: But very superficial, said Holmes. We come now, however, to
Speaker 1: a point which is a importance. You may not be
Speaker 1: aware that the deduction of a man's age from his
Speaker 1: writing is one which has been brought to considerable accuracy
Speaker 1: by experts. In normal cases, one can place a man
Speaker 1: in his true decade with tolerable confidence. I say normal cases,
Speaker 1: because ill health and physical weakness reproduce the signs of
Speaker 1: old age, even when the invalid is a youth. In
Speaker 1: this case, looking at the bold, strong hand of the
Speaker 1: one and the rather broken back to appearance of the other,
Speaker 1: which still retains its legibility, although the teas have begun
Speaker 1: to lose their crossings, we can say that the one
Speaker 1: was a young man and the other was advanced in
Speaker 1: 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 e ease,
Speaker 1: but to me there are many small points which indicate
Speaker 1: the same thing. I have no doubt at all that
Speaker 1: a family mannerism can be traced in these two specimens
Speaker 1: of writing. I'm only, of course, giving you the leading
Speaker 1: results now of my examination of the paper. There were
Speaker 1: twenty three other deductions which would be of more interest
Speaker 1: to experts than to you. They all tended to deepen
Speaker 1: the impression upon my mind that the Cunningham's father and
Speaker 1: son had written this letter. Having got so far, my
Speaker 1: next step was, of course, to examine into the details
Speaker 1: of the crime, and to see how far they would
Speaker 1: help us. I went up to the house with the
Speaker 1: inspector and saw all that was to be seen. The
Speaker 1: wound upon the dead man was, as I was able
Speaker 1: to determine with absolute confidence, caused by a shot from
Speaker 1: a revolver fired at the distance of something over four yards.
Speaker 1: There was no powder blackening on the clothes. Evidently, therefore
Speaker 1: Alec Cunningham had lied when he said that the two
Speaker 1: men were struggling when the shot was fired. Again, both
Speaker 1: father and son agreed as to the place where the
Speaker 1: man escaped into the road. At that point, however, as
Speaker 1: it happens, there is a broadish ditch moist at the bottom.
Speaker 1: As there were no indications of bootmarks about this ditch,
Speaker 1: I was absolutely sure, not only that the Cunninghams had
Speaker 1: again lied, but that there had never been any unknown
Speaker 1: man upon the scene at all. And now I had
Speaker 1: to consider the motive of this singular crime. To get
Speaker 1: at this, I endeavored first of all to solve the
Speaker 1: reason of the original burglary At mister Acton's I understood
Speaker 1: from something which the Colonel telled us that a lawsuit
Speaker 1: had been going on between you, mister Acton, and the Cunninghams.
Speaker 1: Of course, it instantly occurred to me that they had
Speaker 1: broken into your library with the intention of getting at
Speaker 1: some document which might be of importance in the case.
Speaker 1: Precisely so, said mister Acton. There can be no possible
Speaker 1: doubt to their intentions. I have the clearest claim upon
Speaker 1: half 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. It is all clear enough that 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 Alick Haud 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
Speaker 1: course of the very first importance 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, you mean to say
Speaker 1: all our sympathy was wasted, and your fit and imposture,
Speaker 1: speaking professionally, it was admirably done, cried I, looking in
Speaker 1: amazement at this man who was forever confounding me with
Speaker 1: some new phase of his astuteness. It is an art
Speaker 1: which is often useful, said he. When I recovered I
Speaker 1: managed by a device which had perhaps some little merit
Speaker 1: of ingenuity to get old Cunningham to write the word
Speaker 1: twelve so that I might compare it with the twelve
Speaker 1: upon the paper. Oh what an ass I have been,
Speaker 1: I exclaimed. I could see that you were commiserating with
Speaker 1: me over my weakness, said Holmes, laughing. I was sorry
Speaker 1: to cause you the sympathetic pain which I know that
Speaker 1: you felt. We then went upstairs together, and having entered
Speaker 1: the room and seen the dressing gown hanging up behind
Speaker 1: the door, I contrived by upsetting a table to engage
Speaker 1: their attention for the moment, and slipped back to examine
Speaker 1: the pockets. I had hardly got the paper, however, which
Speaker 1: was as I had expected in one of them, when
Speaker 1: the two Cunninghams were on me, and would I verily
Speaker 1: believe have murdered me then and there but for your
Speaker 1: prompt and friendly aid. As it is, I feel that
Speaker 1: young man's grip on my throat now, and the father
Speaker 1: has twisted my wrist round in the effort to get
Speaker 1: the paper out of my hand. They saw that I
Speaker 1: must know all about it. You see, the sudden change
Speaker 1: from absolute security to complete despair made them perfectly desperate.
Speaker 1: I had a little talk with Old Cunningham afterwards. As
Speaker 1: to the motive of the crime. He was tractable enough,
Speaker 1: though his son was a perfect demon, ready to blow
Speaker 1: out his own or anybody else's brains if he could
Speaker 1: have got to his revolver. When Cunningham saw that the
Speaker 1: case against him was so strong, he lost all heart
Speaker 1: and made a clean breast of everything. It seems that
Speaker 1: William had secretly followed his two masters on the night
Speaker 1: when they made their raid upon mister Acton's, and having
Speaker 1: thus 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 their accessories, it
Speaker 1: is very possible that suspicion might never have been aroused,
Speaker 1: and the note, I asked Sherlock Holmes placed the subjoined
Speaker 1: paper before us. If you will only come round at
Speaker 1: quarter to twelve to the east Gate, you will learn
Speaker 1: what will very much surprise you, and maybe be of
Speaker 1: the greatest service to you and also to Annie Morrison.
Speaker 1: But say nothing to any one upon the matter. It
Speaker 1: 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 I darts in the old Man's writing is
Speaker 1: also most 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. That
Speaker 1: is the end of the Adventure of the Ryegate Squire.
Speaker 1: From the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
Speaker 1: read by Greg Wagland for Magpie Audio twenty sixteen.