Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by
Speaker 1: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Adventure number seven, the Adventure of
Speaker 1: the Blue Carbuncle. I had called upon my friend Sherlock
Speaker 1: Holmes upon the second morning after Christmas, with the intention
Speaker 1: of wishing him the compliments of the season. He was
Speaker 1: lounging upon the sofa in a purple dressing gown, a
Speaker 1: pipe rack within his reach upon the right, and a
Speaker 1: pile of crumpled morning papers, evidently newly studied near at hand.
Speaker 1: Beside the couch was a wooden chair, and on the
Speaker 1: angle of the back hung a very seedy and disreputable,
Speaker 1: hard felt hat, much the worse for wear and cracked
Speaker 1: in several places. A lins and a four SIPs lying
Speaker 1: upon the seat of the chair suggested that the hat
Speaker 1: had been suspended in this manner for the purpose of examination.
Speaker 1: You are engaged, said I, perhaps I interrupt you not
Speaker 1: at all. I am glad to have a friend with
Speaker 1: whom I can discuss my results. The matter is a
Speaker 1: perfectly trivial one. He jerked his thumb in the direction
Speaker 1: of the old hat. But there are points in connection
Speaker 1: with it which are not entirely devoid of interest and
Speaker 1: even of instruction. I seated myself in his arm chair
Speaker 1: and warmed my hands before his crackling fire, for a
Speaker 1: sharp frost had set in, and the windows were thick
Speaker 1: with the ice crystals, I suppose. I remarked that homely
Speaker 1: as it looks, this thing has some deadly story linked
Speaker 1: on to it. That it is the clue which will
Speaker 1: guide you in the solution of some mystery and the
Speaker 1: punishment of some crime. No, no, no crime, said Sherlock Holmes, laughing,
Speaker 1: Only one of those whimsical little incidents which will happen
Speaker 1: when you have four million human beings all jostling each
Speaker 1: other within the space of a few square miles. Amid
Speaker 1: the action and reaction of so dense a swarm of humanity,
Speaker 1: every possible combination of events may be expected to take place,
Speaker 1: and many a little problem will be presented, which may
Speaker 1: be striking and bizarre without being criminal. We have already
Speaker 1: had experience of such, so much so I remarked that
Speaker 1: of the last six cases which I have added to
Speaker 1: my notes three have been entirely free of any illegal crime.
Speaker 1: Precisely you allude to my attempt to recover the Irene
Speaker 1: Adler papers, to the singular case of Miss Mary Sutherland,
Speaker 1: and to the adventure of the man with a twisted lip. Well,
Speaker 1: I have no doubt that this small matter will fall
Speaker 1: into the same innocent category. You know, Peterson the Commissionaire. Yes,
Speaker 1: it is to him that this trophy belongs. It is
Speaker 1: his hat. No, no, he found it. Its owner is unknown.
Speaker 1: I beg that you will look upon it not as
Speaker 1: a battered billy cock, but as an intellectual problem. And first,
Speaker 1: as to how it came here. It arrived upon Christmas
Speaker 1: morning in company with a good fat goose, which is
Speaker 1: I have no doubt roasting at this moment in front
Speaker 1: of Peterson's the facts of these. About four o'clock on
Speaker 1: Christmas morning, Peterson, who as you know, is a very
Speaker 1: honest fellow, was returning from some small jollification, and was
Speaker 1: making his way homeward down Tottenham Court Road. In front
Speaker 1: of him he saw in the gaslight a tallish man
Speaker 1: walking with a slight stagger and carrying a white goose
Speaker 1: slung over his shoulder. As he reached the corner of
Speaker 1: Good Street, a row broke out between this stranger and
Speaker 1: a little knot of ruffs. One of the latter knocked
Speaker 1: off the man's hat, on which he raised his stick
Speaker 1: to defend himself, and swinging it over his head, smashed
Speaker 1: the shop window behind him. Peterson had rushed forward to
Speaker 1: protect the stranger from his assailants, but the man, shocked
Speaker 1: at having broken the window and seeing an official looking
Speaker 1: person in uniform rushing towards him, dropped his goose, took
Speaker 1: to his heels, and vanished amid the labyrinth of small
Speaker 1: streets which lie at the back of Tottenham Court Road.
Speaker 1: The Roffs had also fled at the appearance of Peterson,
Speaker 1: so that he was left in possession of the field
Speaker 1: of battle, and also of the spoils of victory in
Speaker 1: the shape of this battered hat and a most unimpeachable
Speaker 1: Christmas goose, which surely he restored to their owner, My
Speaker 1: dear fellow, there lies the problem. It is true that
Speaker 1: for missus Henry Baker was printed upon a small card
Speaker 1: which had been tied to the bird's left leg. And
Speaker 1: it is also true that the initials H. B. Are
Speaker 1: legible upon the lining of this hat. But as there
Speaker 1: are some thousands of bakers and some hundreds of Henry
Speaker 1: bakers in this city of ours, it's not easy to
Speaker 1: restore lost property to any one of them. What then
Speaker 1: did Peterson do? He brought round both hat and goose
Speaker 1: to me on Christmas morning, knowing that even the smallest
Speaker 1: problems are of interest to me. The goose re retained
Speaker 1: until this morning, when there were signs that, in spite
Speaker 1: of the slight frost, it would be well that it
Speaker 1: should be eaten without unnecessary delay. Its finder has carried
Speaker 1: it off, therefore to fulfill the ultimate destiny of a goose,
Speaker 1: while I continue to retain the hat of the unknown
Speaker 1: gentleman who lost his Christmas dinner? Did he not advertise? No? Then?
Speaker 1: What clue could you have as to his identity? Only
Speaker 1: as much as we can deduce from his hat precisely?
Speaker 1: But you are joking? What can you gather from this old,
Speaker 1: battered felt Here is my lens, You know my methods.
Speaker 1: What can you gather yourself as to the individuality of
Speaker 1: the man who has worn this article? I took the
Speaker 1: tattered object in my hands and turned it over rather ruefully.
Speaker 1: It was a very ordinary black hat, of the usual
Speaker 1: round shape, hard and much the worse for wear. The
Speaker 1: lining had been of red silk, but was a good
Speaker 1: deal discolored. There was no maker's name, but as Holmes
Speaker 1: had remarked, the initials H B were scrawled upon one side.
Speaker 1: It was pierced in the brim for a hat secure,
Speaker 1: but the elastic was missing for the rest. It was cracked,
Speaker 1: exceedingly dusty, and spotted in several places, although there seemed
Speaker 1: to have been some attempt hide the discolored patches by
Speaker 1: smearing them with ink. I can see nothing, said I,
Speaker 1: handing it back to my friend. On the contrary, Watson,
Speaker 1: you can see everything. You fail, however, to reason from
Speaker 1: what you see. You are too timid in drawing your inferences. Then, pray,
Speaker 1: tell me what it is that you can infer from
Speaker 1: this hat. He picked it up and gazed at it
Speaker 1: in the peculiar introspective fashion which was characteristic of him.
Speaker 1: It is perhaps less suggestive than it might have been,
Speaker 1: he remarked. And yet there are a few inferences which
Speaker 1: are very distinct, and a few others which represent at
Speaker 1: least a small balance of probability that the man was
Speaker 1: highly intellectual, is of course obvious upon the face of it,
Speaker 1: and also that he was fairly well to do within
Speaker 1: the last three years, although he has now fallen upon
Speaker 1: evil days. He had foresight, but has less now than formerly,
Speaker 1: pointing to a moral retrogression, which, when taken with the
Speaker 1: decline of his fortune, seems to indicate some evil inflatus,
Speaker 1: probably drink at work upon him. This may account also
Speaker 1: for the obvious fact that his wife has ceased to
Speaker 1: love him, My dear Holmes, He has, however, retained some
Speaker 1: degree of self respect, he continued, disregarding my remonstrance. He
Speaker 1: is a man who leads a sedentary life, goes out little,
Speaker 1: is out of training, entirely, is middle aged, has grizzled hair,
Speaker 1: which he has had cut within the last few days,
Speaker 1: and which he annoints with lime cream. These are the
Speaker 1: more patent facts which may be deduced from his hat.
Speaker 1: Also by the way that it is extremely improbable that
Speaker 1: he has had gas laid on in his house. You
Speaker 1: are certainly joking, Holmes. I'm the least. Is it possible that,
Speaker 1: even now, when I gave you these results, you are
Speaker 1: unable to see how they are attained, I have no
Speaker 1: doubt that I am very stupid, but I must confess
Speaker 1: that I am unable to follow you. For example, how
Speaker 1: did you deduce that this man was intellectual? For answer,
Speaker 1: Holmes clapped the hat upon his head. It came right
Speaker 1: over the fourhead and settled upon the bridge of his nose.
Speaker 1: It is a question of cubic capacity, said he. A
Speaker 1: man with so large a brain must have something in
Speaker 1: it the decline in his fortunes. Then this hat is
Speaker 1: three years old. These flat brims, curled at the edge,
Speaker 1: came in. Then it is a hat of the very
Speaker 1: best quality. Look at the band of ribbed silk and
Speaker 1: the excellent lining. If this man could afford to buy
Speaker 1: so expensive a hat three years ago and has had
Speaker 1: no hat since then, he has assuredly gone down in
Speaker 1: the world. Well, that is clear enough, certainly, But how
Speaker 1: about the foresight and the moral retrogression, Sherlock Holmes laughed.
Speaker 1: Here is the foresight, said he, putting his finger upon
Speaker 1: the little disc and loop of the hat. Secure they
Speaker 1: are never sold upon hats. If this man ordered one,
Speaker 1: it is a sign of a certain amount of foresight,
Speaker 1: since he went out of his way to take this
Speaker 1: precaution against the wind. But since we see that he
Speaker 1: has broken the elastic and is not troubled to replace it,
Speaker 1: it is obvious that he has less foresight now than formerly,
Speaker 1: which is a distinct proof of a weakening nature. On
Speaker 1: the other hand, he has endeavored to conceal some of
Speaker 1: these stains upon the felt by daubing them with ink,
Speaker 1: which is a sign that he has not entirely lost
Speaker 1: his self respect. Your reasoning is certainly plausible. The further
Speaker 1: points that he is middle aged, that his hair is grizzled,
Speaker 1: that it has been recently cut, and that he uses
Speaker 1: lime cream are all to be gathered From a close
Speaker 1: examination of the lower part of the lining. The lens
Speaker 1: discloses a large number of hair ends, clean cut by
Speaker 1: the scissors of the barber. They all appear to be adhesive,
Speaker 1: and there is a distinct odor of lime cream. This dust,
Speaker 1: as you will observe, is not the gritty gray dust
Speaker 1: of the street, but the fluffy brown dust of the house,
Speaker 1: showing that it has been hung up indoors most of
Speaker 1: the time, while the marks of moisture upon the inside
Speaker 1: are proved positive that the wearer perspired very freely and
Speaker 1: could therefore hardly be in the best of training. But
Speaker 1: his wife, you said that she had ceased to love him.
Speaker 1: This hat has not been brushed for weeks. When I
Speaker 1: see you, my dear Watson, with a week's accumulation of
Speaker 1: dust upon your hat, and when your wife allows you
Speaker 1: to go out in such a state, I shall fear
Speaker 1: that you also have been unfortunate enough to lose your
Speaker 1: wife's suffection. But he might be a bachelor. Nay, he
Speaker 1: was bringing home the goose as a peace offering to
Speaker 1: his wife. Remember the card upon the bird's leg. You
Speaker 1: have an answer for everything. But how on earth do
Speaker 1: you deduce that the gas is not laid on in
Speaker 1: his house? One tallow stain or even two might come
Speaker 1: by chance, But when I see no less than five,
Speaker 1: I think that there can be little doubt that the
Speaker 1: individual must be brought into frequent contact with burning tallow
Speaker 1: walks upstairs at night, probably with his hat in one
Speaker 1: hand and a guttering candle in the other. Anyhow, he
Speaker 1: never got tallow stains from a gas jet. Are you satisfied? Well,
Speaker 1: it is very ingenious, said I, laughing. But since as
Speaker 1: you said just now, there has been no crime committed,
Speaker 1: and no harm done the loss of a goose. All
Speaker 1: this seems to be rather a waste of energy. Sherlock
Speaker 1: Holmes had opened his mouth to reply when the door
Speaker 1: flew open, and Peterson, the Commissionaire, rushed into the apartment
Speaker 1: with flushed cheeks and the face of a man who
Speaker 1: is dazed with astonishment. The goose, Mister Holmes, the goose, sir,
Speaker 1: He gasped, Eh, what of it? Then, as it returned
Speaker 1: to life and flapped off through the kitchen window, Holmes
Speaker 1: twisted himself round upon the sofa to get a fairer
Speaker 1: view of the man's excited face. See here, sir, see
Speaker 1: what my wife found in its crop. He held out
Speaker 1: his hand and displayed upon the center of the palm
Speaker 1: a brilliantly scintillating blue stone, rather smaller than a bean
Speaker 1: in size, but of such purity and radiance that it
Speaker 1: twinkled like an electric point in the dark hollow of
Speaker 1: his hand. Sherlock Holmes sat up with a whistle. By jove,
Speaker 1: Peterson said he this is a treasure trove. Indeed, I
Speaker 1: suppose you know what you've got? A diamond, sir, A
Speaker 1: precious stone. It cuts into glasses, though it were putty.
Speaker 1: It's more than a precious stone. It's the precious stone,
Speaker 1: not the Countess of Morcar's blue carbuncle. I ejaculated precisely so.
Speaker 1: I ought to know its size and shape, seeing that
Speaker 1: I have read the advertisement about it in the Times
Speaker 1: every day lately. It is absolutely unique, and its value
Speaker 1: can only be conjectured. But the reward offered of a
Speaker 1: thousand pounds is certainly not within a twentieth part of
Speaker 1: the market price. A thousand pounds, Great Lord a mercy,
Speaker 1: the Commissionaire plumped down into a chair and stared from
Speaker 1: one to the other of us. That is the reward.
Speaker 1: And I have reason to know that there are sentimental
Speaker 1: considerations in the background which could induce the Countess to
Speaker 1: part with half her fortune if she could just recover
Speaker 1: the gem it was lost, if I remember aright at
Speaker 1: the Hotel Cosmopolitan, I remarked precisely so. On the twenty
Speaker 1: second of December, just five days ago, John Horner, a plumber,
Speaker 1: was accused of having abstracted it from the lady's jewel case.
Speaker 1: The evidence against him was so strong that the case
Speaker 1: has been referred to the Assizes. I have some account
Speaker 1: of the matter here. I believe. He rummaged amid his newspapers,
Speaker 1: glancing over the dates, until at last he smoothed one out,
Speaker 1: doubled it over, and read the following paragraph. Hotel Cosmopolitan
Speaker 1: Jewel Robbery. John Horner, twenty six Plumber was brought up
Speaker 1: upon the charge of having, upon the twenty second instant,
Speaker 1: abstracted from the jewel case of the Countess of Morcar,
Speaker 1: the valuable gem known as the blue Carbuncle. James Ryder,
Speaker 1: upper attendant at the hotel, gave his evidence to the
Speaker 1: effect that he had shown Horner up to the dressing
Speaker 1: room of the Countess of Morcar upon the day of
Speaker 1: the robbery, in order that he might solder the second
Speaker 1: bar of the grate, which was loose. He had remained
Speaker 1: with Horner some little time, but had finally been called away.
Speaker 1: On returning, he found that Horner had disappeared, that the
Speaker 1: bureau had been forced open, and that the small Morocco casket,
Speaker 1: in which, as it afterwards transpired, the Countess was accustomed
Speaker 1: to keep her jewel, was lying empty upon the dressing table.
Speaker 1: Rider instantly gave the alarm, and Horner was arrested the
Speaker 1: same evening, but the stone could not be found either
Speaker 1: upon his person or in his rooms. Catherine Cusack made
Speaker 1: of the Countess deposed to having heard writer's cry of
Speaker 1: dismay on discovering the robbery, and to having rushed into
Speaker 1: the room where she found matters as described by the
Speaker 1: last witness. Inspector Bradstreet, b Division gave evidence as to
Speaker 1: the arrest of Horner, who struggled frantically and protested his
Speaker 1: innocence in the strongest terms. Evidence of a previous conviction
Speaker 1: for robbery having been given against the prisoner. The magistrate
Speaker 1: refused to deal summarily with the offense, but referred it
Speaker 1: to the assizes. Horner, who had shown signs of intense
Speaker 1: emotion during the proceedings, fainted away at the conclusion and
Speaker 1: was carried out of court. HM so much for the
Speaker 1: police court, said Holmes, thoughtfully, tossing aside the paper. The
Speaker 1: question for us now to solve is the sequence of
Speaker 1: events leading from a rifle old jewel case at one end,
Speaker 1: to the crop of a goose in Tottenhancourt Road at
Speaker 1: the other. You see, Watson, our little deductions have suddenly
Speaker 1: assumed a much more important and less innocent aspect. Here
Speaker 1: is the stone, the stone came from the goose, and
Speaker 1: the goose came from mister Henry Baker, the gentleman with
Speaker 1: a bad hat, and all the other characteristics with which
Speaker 1: I have bored you. So now we must set ourselves
Speaker 1: very seriously to finding this gentleman and ascertaining what part
Speaker 1: he has played in this little mystery. To do this,
Speaker 1: we must try the simplest means first, and these lie
Speaker 1: undoubtedly in an advertisement in all the evening papers. If
Speaker 1: this fail, I have recourse to other methods. What will
Speaker 1: you say, give me a pencil in that slip of
Speaker 1: paper now then found at the corner of Good Street,
Speaker 1: a goose and a black felt hat. Mister Henry Baker
Speaker 1: can have the same by applying at six thirty this
Speaker 1: evening at two twenty one B Baker Street. That's clear
Speaker 1: and concise, very, But will he see it well? He
Speaker 1: is sure to keep an eye on the papers, since
Speaker 1: to a poor man the loss was a heavy one.
Speaker 1: He was clearly so scared by his mischance in breaking
Speaker 1: the window and by the approach of Peterson, that he
Speaker 1: thought of nothing but flight. But since then he must
Speaker 1: have bitterly regretted the impulse which caused him to drop
Speaker 1: his bird, and then again the introduction of his name
Speaker 1: will cause him to see it, for every one who
Speaker 1: knows him will direct his attention to it. Here you are, Peterson,
Speaker 1: run down to the advertising agency and have this put
Speaker 1: in the evening papers in which sir oh in the Globe, Star,
Speaker 1: pall Mall Saint James Evening News, Standard, Echo, and any
Speaker 1: others that occur. To you very well, sir, and this stone.
Speaker 1: Ah yes, I shall keep the stone, thank you, And
Speaker 1: I say, Peterson, just buy a goose on your way
Speaker 1: back and leave it here with me, for we must
Speaker 1: have one to give to this gentleman in place of
Speaker 1: the one which your family is now devouring. When the
Speaker 1: commissionaire had gone, Holmes took up the stone and held
Speaker 1: it against the light. It's a bonny thing, said he,
Speaker 1: just see how it glints and sparkles. Of course, it
Speaker 1: is a nucleus and focus of crime. Every good stone is.
Speaker 1: They are the devil's pet baits. In the larger and
Speaker 1: older jewels, every facet may stand for a bloody deed.
Speaker 1: This stone is not yet twenty years old. It was
Speaker 1: found in the banks of the Amoy River in southern
Speaker 1: China and is remarkable in having every characteristic of the carbuncle,
Speaker 1: save that it is blue in shade instead of ruby red.
Speaker 1: In spite of its youth, it is already a sinister history.
Speaker 1: There have been two murders, a vitril throwing, a suicide,
Speaker 1: and several robberies brought about for the sake of this
Speaker 1: forty grain weight of crystallized charcoal. Who would ever think
Speaker 1: that so pretty a toy could be a purveyor of
Speaker 1: the gallows in the prison. I'll lock it up in
Speaker 1: my strong box now and drop a line to the
Speaker 1: Countess to say that we have it. Do you think
Speaker 1: that this man Horner is innocent? I cannot tell. Well,
Speaker 1: then do you imagine that this other one, Henry Baker,
Speaker 1: had anything to do with the matter? It is I
Speaker 1: think much more like that. Henry Baker is an absolutely
Speaker 1: innocent man who had no idea that the bird which
Speaker 1: he was carrying was of considerable more value than if
Speaker 1: it were made of solid gold. That, however, I shall
Speaker 1: determine by a very simple test, if we have an
Speaker 1: answer to our advertisement, and you can do nothing till,
Speaker 1: then nothing. In that case, I shall continue my professional round,
Speaker 1: but I shall come back in the evening at the
Speaker 1: hour you have mentioned, for I would like to see
Speaker 1: the solution of so tangled a business. Very glad to
Speaker 1: have you, I dine at seven. There is a woodcock,
Speaker 1: I believe, by the way, in view of recent occurrences,
Speaker 1: perhaps I ought to ask missus Hudson to examine its crop.
Speaker 1: I had been delayed a case, and it was a
Speaker 1: little after half past six when I found myself in
Speaker 1: Baker Street once more. As I approached the house, I
Speaker 1: saw a tall man in a Scotch bonnet with a
Speaker 1: coat which was buttoned up to his chin, waiting outside
Speaker 1: in the bright semicircle which was thrown from the fan light.
Speaker 1: Just as I arrived, the door was opened and we
Speaker 1: were shown up together to Holmes's room. Mister Henry Baker,
Speaker 1: I believe, said he rising from his arm chair and
Speaker 1: greeting his visitor with the easy air of geniality which
Speaker 1: he could so readily assume. Pray, take this chair by
Speaker 1: the fire, Mister Baker's a cold night, and I observe
Speaker 1: that your circulation is more adapted for summer than for winter.
Speaker 1: Ah Watson, you have just come at the right time.
Speaker 1: Is that your hat? Mister Baker yes, sir, that is
Speaker 1: undoubtedly my hat. He was a large man, with rounded shoulders,
Speaker 1: a massive head, and a broad, intelligent face sloping down
Speaker 1: to a pointed beard of grizzled brown, a touch of
Speaker 1: red in nose and cheeks, with a slight trimmer in
Speaker 1: his extended hand. Recalled Holmes's surmise as to his habits.
Speaker 1: His rusty brown frock coat was buttoned right up in front,
Speaker 1: with the collar turned up, and his lank wrists protruded
Speaker 1: from his sleeves without a sign of cuff or shirt.
Speaker 1: He spoke in a slow, staccato fashion, choosing his words
Speaker 1: with care, and gave the impression generally of a man
Speaker 1: of learning and letters who had had ill usage at
Speaker 1: the hands of fortune. We have retained these things for
Speaker 1: some days, said Holmes, because we expected to see an
Speaker 1: advertisement from you giving your address. I am at a
Speaker 1: loss to know now why you did not advertise. Our
Speaker 1: visitor gave a rather shamefaced laugh. Shillings have not been
Speaker 1: so plentiful with me as they once were, he remarked.
Speaker 1: I had no doubt that the gang of ruffs who
Speaker 1: assaulted me had carried off both my hat and the bird.
Speaker 1: I did not care to spend more money in a
Speaker 1: hopeless attempt to recover them. Very naturally, by the way,
Speaker 1: about the bird, we were compelled to eat it? To
Speaker 1: eat it, our visitor half rose from his chair in
Speaker 1: his excitement. Yes, it would have been no use to
Speaker 1: anyone had we not done so. But I presume that
Speaker 1: this other goose upon the sideboard, which is about the
Speaker 1: same weight and perfectly fresh, will answer your purpose equally well.
Speaker 1: Oh certainly certainly, answered mister Baker, with a sigh of relief.
Speaker 1: Of course, we still have the feathers, legs, crop and
Speaker 1: so on of your own bird. So if you wish,
Speaker 1: the man burst into a heart hearty laugh, they might
Speaker 1: be useful to me as relics of my adventure, said he.
Speaker 1: But beyond that, I can hardly see what use the
Speaker 1: dejective member of my late acquaintance are going to be
Speaker 1: to me. No, sir, I think that, with your permission,
Speaker 1: I will confine my attentions to the excellent bird which
Speaker 1: I perceive upon the sideboard. Sherlock Holmes glanced sharply across
Speaker 1: at me with a slight shrug of his shoulders. There
Speaker 1: is your hat, then, and there your bird, said he.
Speaker 1: By the way. What it bore you to tell me
Speaker 1: where you got the other one from. I am somewhat
Speaker 1: of a foul fancier, and I have seldom seen a
Speaker 1: better grown goose. Certainly, sir, said Baker, who had risen
Speaker 1: and tucked his newly gained property under his arm. There
Speaker 1: are a few of us who frequently alpha nne near
Speaker 1: the museum. We are to be found in the museum
Speaker 1: itself during the day. You understand. This year our good host,
Speaker 1: Windygate by name, instituted a goose club, by which, on
Speaker 1: consideration of some few pence every week, we were each
Speaker 1: to receive a bird at Christmas. My pence were duly paid,
Speaker 1: and the rest is familiar to you. I am much
Speaker 1: indebted to you, sir, for a Scotch bonnet is fitted
Speaker 1: neither to my years nor my gravity. With a comical
Speaker 1: pomposity of manner, he bowed solemnly to both of us,
Speaker 1: and strode off upon his way. So much for mister
Speaker 1: Henry Baker, said Holmes, when he had closed the door
Speaker 1: behind him. It is quite certain that he knows nothing
Speaker 1: whatever about the matter. Are you hungry, Watson not particularly? Then?
Speaker 1: I suggest that we turn our dinner into a supper
Speaker 1: and follow up this clue while it is still hot. Yes,
Speaker 1: by all means, it was a bitter night, so we
Speaker 1: drew on our ulsters and wrapped cravats around our throats. Outside,
Speaker 1: the stars were shining coldly in a cloudless sky, and
Speaker 1: the breath of the passers by blew out into smoke
Speaker 1: like so many pistol shots. Our footfalls rang out crisply
Speaker 1: and loudly as we swung through the Doctor's Quarter, Wimpole Street,
Speaker 1: Harley Street, and so through Wigmore Street into Oxford Street.
Speaker 1: In a quarter of an hour we were in Bloomsbury
Speaker 1: at the Alpha Inn, which is a small public house
Speaker 1: at the corner of one of the streets that runs
Speaker 1: down into Holborn. Holmes pushed open the door of the
Speaker 1: private bar and ordered two glasses of beer from the
Speaker 1: ruddy faced, white aproned landlord. Your beer should be excellent,
Speaker 1: if it is as good as your geese, said he
Speaker 1: my geese. The man seemed surprised. Yes, I was speaking
Speaker 1: only half an hour ago to mister Henry Baker, who
Speaker 1: was a member of your Goose club. Ah, yes, I see,
Speaker 1: but you see, sir, them's not our geese. Indeed, who's then? Well,
Speaker 1: I got the two dozen from a salesman in Covent Garden.
Speaker 1: Indeed I know some of them. Which one was it?
Speaker 1: Breckinridge is his name? Ah? I don't know him. Well,
Speaker 1: here's your good health, landlord, and prosperity to your house.
Speaker 1: Good night now for mister Breckinridge. He continued buttoning up
Speaker 1: his coat as we came into the frosty air. Remember Watson,
Speaker 1: that though we have so homely a thing as a
Speaker 1: goose at one end of this chain, we we have
Speaker 1: at the other a man who will certainly get seven
Speaker 1: years penal servitude unless we can establish his innocence. It
Speaker 1: is possible that our inquiry may but confirm his guilt.
Speaker 1: But in any case we have a line of investigation
Speaker 1: which has been missed by the police, and which a
Speaker 1: singular chance has placed into our hands. Let us follow
Speaker 1: it out to the bitter end faces to the south. Then,
Speaker 1: and quick march we passed across Holborn, down Dull Street,
Speaker 1: and so through a zigzag of slums to Covent Garden Market.
Speaker 1: One of the largest stalls bore the name of Breckenridge
Speaker 1: upon it, and the proprietor, a horsey looking man with
Speaker 1: a sharp face and trim side whiskers, was helping a
Speaker 1: boy to put up the shutters. Good evening, it's a
Speaker 1: cold night, said Holmes. The salesman nodded and shot a
Speaker 1: questioning glance at my companion. Sold out of geese, I see,
Speaker 1: continued Holmes, pointing at the bare slabs of marble, that
Speaker 1: you have five hundred tomorrow morning. That's no good. Well,
Speaker 1: there are some on the stall with the gas flare. Ah,
Speaker 1: but I was committed to you who by the landlord
Speaker 1: of the Alpha? Oh? Yes, I sent him a couple
Speaker 1: of dozen fine birds. They were too Now where did
Speaker 1: you get them from? To my surprise, the question provoked
Speaker 1: a burst of anger from the salesman. Now, then, mister
Speaker 1: said he, with his head cocked and his arms akimbo,
Speaker 1: what are you driving at? Let's have it straight now,
Speaker 1: it's straight enough. I should like to know who sold
Speaker 1: you the geese which you supplied to the Alpha. Well,
Speaker 1: then I shan't tell you so now, Oh, it's a
Speaker 1: matter of no importance. But I don't know why you
Speaker 1: should be so warm over such a trifle. Warm you'd
Speaker 1: be as warm maybe if you were pestered as I am.
Speaker 1: When I pay good money for a good article, there
Speaker 1: should be an end of the business. But it's where
Speaker 1: the geese? And who did you sell the geese to?
Speaker 1: And what will you take for the geese? One would
Speaker 1: think they are the only geese in the world to
Speaker 1: hear the fuss that's made over them. Well, I have
Speaker 1: no connection with any other people who have been making inquiries,
Speaker 1: said Holmes carelessly. If you won't tell us bets off,
Speaker 1: that's all. But I'm always ready to back my opinion
Speaker 1: on a matter of fowls. And I have a fiver
Speaker 1: on it that the bird I ate is country bread.
Speaker 1: Well then you've lost your fiver before. It's town bread,
Speaker 1: snapped the salesman. It's nothing of the kind I say
Speaker 1: it is. I don't believe it. Do you think you
Speaker 1: know more about fowls than I, who have handled them
Speaker 1: ever since I was a nipper. I tell you all
Speaker 1: those birds that went to the Alpha were town bread.
Speaker 1: You'll never persuade me to believe that, will you. Bet,
Speaker 1: then it's merely taking your money for I know that
Speaker 1: I am right, but I'll have a sovereign on with you,
Speaker 1: just to teach you not to be obstinate. The salesman
Speaker 1: chuckled grimly. Bring me the books, bill, said he. The
Speaker 1: small boy brought round a small, thin volume and a
Speaker 1: great greasy backed one, laying them out together beneath the
Speaker 1: hanging light. Now, then, mister cocksure, said the salesman. I
Speaker 1: thought that I was out of geese, but before I finish,
Speaker 1: you'll find that there's still one left in my shop.
Speaker 1: You see this book, well, that's the list of the
Speaker 1: folk from whom I buy. Do you see? Well, then
Speaker 1: here on this page of the country folk, and the
Speaker 1: numbers after the names are where their accounts are in
Speaker 1: the big ledger. Now then you see this other page
Speaker 1: in red ink, Well that's a list of my town suppliers.
Speaker 1: Now look at that third name. Just read it out
Speaker 1: to me, missus Oakshot one seventeen, Brixton Road, two forty nine,
Speaker 1: Red Holmes. Quite so, now turn that up in the ledger.
Speaker 1: Holmes turned to the page indicated There you are, missus
Speaker 1: Oakshot one seventeen Brixton Road, Egg and Poultry supplier. Now
Speaker 1: then what's the last entry, December twenty second, twenty four
Speaker 1: geese at seven shillings sixpence. Quite so, there you are,
Speaker 1: and underneath sold to mister Windygate of the Alpha at
Speaker 1: twelve shillings. What do you have to say now? Sherlock
Speaker 1: Holmes looked deeply chagrined. He drew a sovereign from his
Speaker 1: pocket and threw it down upon the slab, turning away
Speaker 1: with the air of a man whose disgust is too
Speaker 1: deep for words. A few yards off he stopped under
Speaker 1: a lamp post and laughed in the hearty, noiseless fashion
Speaker 1: which was peculiar to him. When you see a man
Speaker 1: with whiskers of that cut and the pink un protruding
Speaker 1: out of his pocket, you can always draw him by
Speaker 1: a bet, said he. I dare say that if I
Speaker 1: had put a hundred pounds down in front of him,
Speaker 1: that man would not have given me such complete information
Speaker 1: as was drawn from him by the idea that he
Speaker 1: was doing me on a wager. Well, Watson, we are
Speaker 1: I fancy nearing the end of our quest, and the
Speaker 1: only point which remains to be determined is whether we
Speaker 1: should go on to this missus Oakshot tonight or whether
Speaker 1: we should reserve it for tomorrow. It is clear from
Speaker 1: what that surly fellow said that there are others besides ourselves,
Speaker 1: who are anxious about this matter, and I should. His
Speaker 1: remarks were suddenly cut short by a loud hubbub which
Speaker 1: broke out from the stall which we had just left.
Speaker 1: Turning round, we saw a little rat faced fellow standing
Speaker 1: in the center of the circle of yellow light which
Speaker 1: was thrown by the swinging lamp, while Breckinridge, the salesman,
Speaker 1: framed in the door of his stall, was shaking his
Speaker 1: fists fiercely at the cringing figure. I've got enough of
Speaker 1: you and your geese, he shouted. I wish you were
Speaker 1: all at the Devil together. If you come pestering me
Speaker 1: any more with your silly talk, I'll set the dog
Speaker 1: at you. You bring Missus Oakshot here and I'll answer
Speaker 1: to her. But what do you have to do with it?
Speaker 1: Did I buy the geese off you? No, but one
Speaker 1: of them was mine all the same, whined the little man. Well,
Speaker 1: then ask missus Oakshot for it. She told me to
Speaker 1: ask you. Well, you can ask the King of Prussia
Speaker 1: for all I care. I've had enough of it. Get
Speaker 1: out o this, he rushed fiercely forward, and the inquirer
Speaker 1: flitted away into the darkness. Huh this may save us
Speaker 1: a visit to Brixton Road, whispered Holmes. Come with me
Speaker 1: and we will see what is to be made of
Speaker 1: this fellow. Striding through the scattered knots of people who
Speaker 1: lounged round the flaring stalls. My companion speedily overtook the
Speaker 1: little man and touched him upon the shoulder. He sprang round,
Speaker 1: and I could see, in the gas slight that every
Speaker 1: vestige of color had been driven from his face. Who
Speaker 1: are you then? What do you want? He asked in
Speaker 1: a quavering voice. You will excuse me, said Sherlock Holmes, blandly,
Speaker 1: But I could not help overhearing the questions which you
Speaker 1: put to the salesman. Just now, I think that I
Speaker 1: could be of assistance to you. You who are you?
Speaker 1: How could you know anything of the matter. My name
Speaker 1: is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what
Speaker 1: other people don't know. But you can know nothing of this.
Speaker 1: Excuse me, I know everything of it. You are endeavoring
Speaker 1: to trace some geese which were sold by missus Oakshot
Speaker 1: of Brixton Road to a salesman named Breckinridge, by him
Speaker 1: in turn to mister Windygate of the Alpha and by
Speaker 1: him to his club, of which mister Henry Baker is
Speaker 1: a member. Oh, sir, you are the very man whom
Speaker 1: I have longed to meet, cried the little fellow, with
Speaker 1: outstretched arms and quivering fingers. I can hardly explain to
Speaker 1: you how interested I am in this matter. Sherlock Holmes
Speaker 1: hailed a four wheeler which was passing. In that case,
Speaker 1: we had better discuss it in a cozy room rather
Speaker 1: than in this wind swept market place, said he. But
Speaker 1: pray tell me before we go further. Who is it
Speaker 1: that I have the pleasure of assisting? The man hesitated
Speaker 1: for an instant. My name is John Robinson, he answered,
Speaker 1: with a sidelong glance. No, no, the real name, said
Speaker 1: Holmes sweetly. It is always awkward doing business with an alias.
Speaker 1: A flush sprang to the white cheeks of the stranger. Well, then,
Speaker 1: said he, My real name is James Ryder. Precisely so,
Speaker 1: head attendant of the Hotel Cosmopolitan. Pray step into the
Speaker 1: cab and I shall soon be able to tell you
Speaker 1: everything which you would wish to know. The little man
Speaker 1: stood glancing from one to the other of us with
Speaker 1: half frightened, half hopeful eyes, as one who is not
Speaker 1: sure whether he is on the verge of a windfall
Speaker 1: or a catastrophe. Then he stepped into the cab, and
Speaker 1: in half an hour we were back in the sitting
Speaker 1: room at Baker Street. Nothing had been said during our drive,
Speaker 1: but the high, thin brie of our new companion, in
Speaker 1: the claspings and unclaspings of his hands, spoke of the
Speaker 1: nervous tension within him. Here we are, said Holmes cheerily,
Speaker 1: as we filed into the room. The fire looks very
Speaker 1: seasonable in this weather. You look cold, mister Rider. Pray
Speaker 1: take the basket chair. I will just put on my
Speaker 1: slippers before we settle this little matter of yours. Now,
Speaker 1: then you want to know what became of those geese, yes, sir,
Speaker 1: Or rather I fancy of that goose. It was one bird,
Speaker 1: I imagine in which you were interested, white with a
Speaker 1: black bar across the tail. Rider quivered with emotion. Oh, sir,
Speaker 1: he cried, Can you tell me where it went to?
Speaker 1: It came here here? Yes, and a most remarkable bird
Speaker 1: it proved. I don't wonder that you should take an
Speaker 1: interest in it. It laid an egg after it was dead,
Speaker 1: the bonniest, brightest, little blue egg that ever was seen.
Speaker 1: I have it here in my museum our visitors. Staggered
Speaker 1: to his feet and clutched the mantelpiece with his right hand.
Speaker 1: Holmes unlocked his strong box and held up the blue carbuncle,
Speaker 1: which shone out like a star with a cold, brilliant
Speaker 1: many pointed radiance. Rider stood glaring with a drawn face,
Speaker 1: uncertain whether to claim or to disown it. The game's up, Rider,
Speaker 1: said Holmes, quietly, Hold up, mannor you'll be into the fire.
Speaker 1: Give him an arm back into his chair, Watson, he's
Speaker 1: not got blood enough to go in for felony with impunity.
Speaker 1: Give him a dash of brandy, so now he looks
Speaker 1: a little more human. What a shrimp it is, to
Speaker 1: be sure. For a moment he had staggered and nearly fallen,
Speaker 1: But the brandy brought a tinge of color into his cheeks,
Speaker 1: and he sat staring with frightened eyes at his accuser.
Speaker 1: I have almost every link in my hands, and all
Speaker 1: the proofs which I could possibly need, so there is
Speaker 1: little which you need. Tell me still, that little may
Speaker 1: as well be cleared up to make your case complete.
Speaker 1: You had heard Rider of this blue stone of the
Speaker 1: Countess of more cars. It was kath Ring Cusack who
Speaker 1: told me of it, said he, in a crackling voice.
Speaker 1: I see her ladyship's waiting maid. Well, the temptation of
Speaker 1: sudden wealth, so easily acquired was too much for you,
Speaker 1: as it has been for better men before you. But
Speaker 1: you were not very scrupulous, and the means you used
Speaker 1: it seems to me writer that there is the making
Speaker 1: of a very pretty villain in you. You knew that
Speaker 1: this man Horner the plumber, had been concerned in some
Speaker 1: such matter before, and that suspicion would rest more readily
Speaker 1: upon him. What did you do? Then? You made some
Speaker 1: small job in my lady's room, you and your confederate Cusack,
Speaker 1: and you managed that he should be the man sent for.
Speaker 1: And then when he had left, you rifled the jewel case,
Speaker 1: raised the alarm, and had this unfortunate man arrested you.
Speaker 1: Then Rider threw himself down suddenly upon the rug and
Speaker 1: clutched at my companion's knees. For God's sake, have mercy,
Speaker 1: he shrieked. Think of my father, of my mother. It
Speaker 1: would break their hearts. I never went wrong before, I
Speaker 1: never will again. I swear it. I swear it on
Speaker 1: a bi Oh, don't bring it into court. For Christ's sake,
Speaker 1: don't get back into your chair, said Holmes sternly. It
Speaker 1: is very well to cringe and crawl now, but you
Speaker 1: thought little enough of this poor Horner in the dock
Speaker 1: for a crime of which he knew nothing. I I
Speaker 1: will fly, mister Holmes. I will leave the country, sir.
Speaker 1: Then the charge against him will break down. HM. We
Speaker 1: will talk about that. And now let us hear a
Speaker 1: true account of the next act. How came the stone
Speaker 1: into the goose, and how came the goose into the
Speaker 1: open market? Tell us the truth, for there lies your
Speaker 1: only hope and safety. Rider passed his tongue over his
Speaker 1: parched lips. I will tell you it just as it happened, sir,
Speaker 1: said he. When Horner had been arrested, it seemed to
Speaker 1: me that it would be best for me to get
Speaker 1: away with the stone at once, for I did not
Speaker 1: know at what moment the police might not take it
Speaker 1: into their heads to search me and my room. There
Speaker 1: was no place about the hotel where it would be safe.
Speaker 1: I made out, as if on some commission, and I
Speaker 1: made for my sister's house. She had married a man
Speaker 1: named Oakshot and lived in Brixton Road, where she fattened
Speaker 1: fowls for the market. All the way there, every man
Speaker 1: I met seemed to me to be a policeman or
Speaker 1: a detective. And for all that it was a cold night,
Speaker 1: the sweat was pouring down my face. Before I came
Speaker 1: to the Brixton Road. My sister asked me what was
Speaker 1: the matter and why I was so pale, But I
Speaker 1: told her that I had been upset by the jewel
Speaker 1: robbery at the hotel. Then I went back into the
Speaker 1: back yard and smoked a pipe and wondered what would
Speaker 1: be the best to do. I had a friend once
Speaker 1: called Maudsley, who went to the bad and had just
Speaker 1: been serving his time in Pentonville. One day he had
Speaker 1: met me and fallen to talk about the way of
Speaker 1: thieves and how they could get rid of what they stole.
Speaker 1: I knew that he would be true to me, for
Speaker 1: I knew one or two things about him. So I
Speaker 1: made up my mind to go right on to Kilburn,
Speaker 1: where he lived, and take him into my confidence. He
Speaker 1: would show me how to turn the stone into money,
Speaker 1: but how to get to him in safety? I thought
Speaker 1: of the agonies I had gone through and coming from
Speaker 1: the hotel, I might at any moment be seized and searched,
Speaker 1: and there would be the stone in my waistcoat pocket.
Speaker 1: I was leaning against the wall at the time and
Speaker 1: looking at the geese which were waddling about round my feet,
Speaker 1: and suddenly an idea came into my head which showed
Speaker 1: me how I could beat the best detective that ever lived.
Speaker 1: My sister had told me some weeks before that I
Speaker 1: might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present,
Speaker 1: and I knew that she was always as good as
Speaker 1: her word. I could take my goose now, and in
Speaker 1: it I would carry my stone to Kilburn. There was
Speaker 1: a little shed in the yard, and behind this I
Speaker 1: drove one of the birds, a fine, big one, white
Speaker 1: with a barred tail. I caught it and prising its
Speaker 1: bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as
Speaker 1: far as my finger could reach. The bird gave a gulp,
Speaker 1: and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and
Speaker 1: down into its crop. But the creature flapped and struggled,
Speaker 1: and out came my sister to know what was the matter.
Speaker 1: As I turned to speak to her, the brute broke
Speaker 1: loose and fluttered off among the others. Whatever were you
Speaker 1: doing with that bird, Jem, says she, well, said I.
Speaker 1: You said you'd give me one for Christmas, and I
Speaker 1: was feeling which was the fattest, Oh, says she. We've
Speaker 1: set yours aside for you, Jem's bird. We call it.
Speaker 1: It's the big white one over yonder. There's twenty six
Speaker 1: of them, which makes one for you and one for us,
Speaker 1: and two dozen for the market. Thank you, Maggie, says I.
Speaker 1: But if it's all the same to you, I'd rather
Speaker 1: have that one I was handling just now. The other
Speaker 1: is a good three pounds heavier, said she, And we've
Speaker 1: fattened it expressly for you. Never mind, I'll have the other,
Speaker 1: and I'll take it now, said I. Oh, just as
Speaker 1: you like, said she a little huffed. Which is it
Speaker 1: you want, then, that white one with the barred tail
Speaker 1: right in the middle of the flock, Oh, very well,
Speaker 1: kill it and take it with you. Well. I did
Speaker 1: what she had, said, mister Holmes, and I carried the
Speaker 1: bird all the way to Kilburn. I told my pal
Speaker 1: what I had done for he was a man that
Speaker 1: it was easy to tell a thing like that too,
Speaker 1: he laughed. Until he choked, and we got a knife
Speaker 1: and opened the goose. My heart turned to water, for
Speaker 1: there was no sign of the stone, and I knew
Speaker 1: that some terrible mistake had occurred. I left the bird,
Speaker 1: rushed back to my sisters, and hurried into the back yard.
Speaker 1: There was not a bird to be seen there. Where
Speaker 1: are they all, Maggie, I cried, gone to the dealers, Jim,
Speaker 1: which dealers Breckinridge of Covent Garden? But was there another
Speaker 1: with a barred taale? I asked, the same as the
Speaker 1: one I chose. Yes, Jim, there were two barred tailed ones,
Speaker 1: and I could never tell them apart. Well, then, of
Speaker 1: course I saw it all, and I ran off as
Speaker 1: hard as my feet would carry me to this man Breckinridge.
Speaker 1: But he had sold the lot at once, and not
Speaker 1: one word would he tell me as to where they
Speaker 1: had gone. You hurt him yourselves to night. Well he
Speaker 1: has always answered me like that. My sister thinks that
Speaker 1: I am going mad. Sometimes I think that I am
Speaker 1: myself and now and now I am myself a branded thief,
Speaker 1: without ever having touched the wealth for which I sold
Speaker 1: my character. God help me, God help me. He burst
Speaker 1: into convulsive sobbing, with his face buried in his hands.
Speaker 1: There was a long silence, broken only by his heavy
Speaker 1: breathing and by the measured tapping of Sherlock Holmes's finger
Speaker 1: tips upon the edge of the table. Then my friend
Speaker 1: rose and threw open the door. Get out, said he what, sir,
Speaker 1: Oh Heaven bless you. No more words? Get out, And
Speaker 1: no more words were needed. There was a rush, a
Speaker 1: clatter upon the stairs, the bang of a door, and
Speaker 1: the crisp rattle of running footfalls from the street. After all, Watson,
Speaker 1: said Holmes, reaching up his hand for his clay pipe.
Speaker 1: I am not retained by the police to supply their deficiencies.
Speaker 1: If Horner were in danger, it would be another thing.
Speaker 1: But this fellow will not appear against him, and the
Speaker 1: case must collapse. I suppose that I am commuting a felony,
Speaker 1: but it is just possible that I am saving a soul.
Speaker 1: This fellow will not go wrong again. He is too
Speaker 1: terribly frightened. Send him to Gale now, and you make
Speaker 1: him a gale bird for life. Beside guides, it's the
Speaker 1: season of forgiveness. Chance has put in our way a
Speaker 1: most singular and whimsical problem and its solution is its
Speaker 1: own reward. If you will have the goodness to touch
Speaker 1: the bell doctor, we will begin another investigation, in which
Speaker 1: also a bird will be the chief feature. End of
Speaker 1: the adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.