The Sign of the Four Part 5 (1/2)
Chapter IX
A Break in the Chain
It was late in the afternoon before I woke, strengthened and refreshed Sherlock Holmes still sat exactly as I had left him, save that he had laid aside his violin and was deep in a book He looked across at me, as I stirred, and I noticed that his face was dark and troubled
”You have slept soundly,” he said ”I feared that our talk would wake you”
”I heard nothing,” I answered ”Have you had fresh news, then?”
”Unfortunately, no I confess that I a definite by this tiins has just been up to report He says that no trace can be found of the launch It is a provoking check, for every hour is of i? I aht's outing”
”No, we can do nothing We can only wait If we go ourselves, the ht come in our absence, and delay be caused You can do what you will, but I uard”
”Then I shall run over to Camberwell and call upon Mrs Cecil Forrester She asked me to, yesterday”
”On Mrs Cecil Forrester?” asked Holmes, with the twinkle of a smile in his eyes
”Well, of course Miss Morstan too They were anxious to hear what happened”
”I would not tell them too much,” said Holmes ”Women are never to be entirely trusted,--not the best of theue over this atrocious sentiment ”I shall be back in an hour or two,” I reht! Good luck! But, I say, if you are crossing the river you may as well return Toby, for I don't think it is at all likely that we shall have any use for hily, and left hin, at the old naturalist's in Pinchin Lane At Caht's adventures, but very eager to hear the news Mrs Forrester, too, was full of curiosity I told the, however, the h I spoke of Mr Sholto's death, I said nothing of the exact manner and h to startle and amaze them
”It is a romance!” cried Mrs Forrester ”An injured lady, half a ed ruffian They take the place of the conventional dragon or wicked earl”
”And two knight-errants to the rescue,” added Miss Morstan, with a bright glance at me
”Why, Mary, your fortune depends upon the issue of this search I don't think that you are nearly excited enough Just iine what it must be to be so rich, and to have the world at your feet!”
It sent a little thrill of joy to n of elation at the prospect On the contrary, she gave a toss of her proud head, as though the matter were one in which she took small interest
”It is for Mr Thaddeus Sholto that I a else is of any consequence; but I think that he has behaved hout It is our duty to clear hi before I left Camberwell, and quite dark by the time I reached home My companion's book and pipe lay by his chair, but he had disappeared I looked about in the hope of seeing a note, but there was none
”I suppose that Mr Sherlock Holone out,” I said to Mrs Hudson as she caone to his roo her voice into an impressive whisper, ”I am afraid for his health?”
”Why so, Mrs Hudson?”
”Well, he's that strange, sir After you was gone he walked and he walked, up and down, and up and down, until I eary of the sound of his footstep Then I heard hi, and every ti out he came on the stairhead, with 'What is that, Mrs Hudson?' And now he has sla away the sa to be ill, sir I ventured to say so medicine, but he turned on ot out of the room”
”I don't think that you have any cause to be uneasy, Mrs Hudson,” I answered ”I have seen him like this before He has some small matter upon his htly to our worthy landlady, but I was ht I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread, and kne his keen spirit was chafing against this involuntary inaction
At breakfast-tiard, with a little fleck of feverish color upon either cheek
”You are knocking yourself up, old ht”
”No, I could not sleep,” he answered ”This infernal proble me It is too much to be balked by so petty an obstacle, when all else had been overcoet no news I have set other agencies at work, and used every means at my disposal The whole river has been searched on either side, but there is no news, nor has Mrs Smith heard of her husband I shall come to the conclusion soon that they have scuttled the craft But there are objections to that”
”Or that Mrs S scent”
”No, I think that may be dismissed I had inquiries made, and there is a launch of that description”
”Could it have gone up the river?”
”I have considered that possibility too, and there is a search-party ork up as far as Richmond If no news coo for the men rather than the boat But surely, surely, we shall hear so”
We did not, however Not a word caencies There were articles in edy They all appeared to be rather hostile to the unfortunate Thaddeus Sholto No fresh details were to be found, however, in any of the day I walked over to Ca to report our ill success to the ladies, and on my return I found Holmes dejected and somewhat morose He would hardly reply toin an abstruse che of retorts and distilling of vapors, ending at last in a smell which fairly droveI could hear the clinking of his test-tubes which told ed in his malodorous experiment
In the early daith a start, and was surprised to find hi by my bedside, clad in a rude sailor dress with a pea-jacket, and a coarse red scarf round his neck
”I a it over in my , at all events”
”Surely I can come with you, then?” said I
”No; you can be much more useful if you will reo, for it is quite on the cards that soins was despondent about it last night I want you to open all notes and telegrament if any news should come Can I rely upon you?”
”Most certainly”
”I am afraid that you will not be able to wire to me, for I can hardly tell yet where I one so very long I shall have news of so of hi the Standard, however, I found that there was a fresh allusion to the business ”With reference to the Upper Norwood tragedy,” it remarked, ”we have reason to believe that the matter proinally supposed Fresh evidence has shown that it is quite impossible that Mr Thaddeus Sholto could have been in any way concerned in the matter He and the housekeeper, Mrs Bernstone, were both released yesterday evening It is believed, however, that the police have a clue as to the real culprits, and that it is being prosecuted by Mr Athelney Jones, of Scotland Yard, with all his well-known energy and sagacity Further arrests may be expected at any ht I ”Friend Sholto is safe, at any rate I wonder what the fresh clue h it seems to be a stereotyped form whenever the police have made a blunder”
I tossed the paper down upon the table, but at that ony column It ran in this way: ”Lost--Whereas Mordecai Smith, boatman, and his son, Jim, left S in the steam launch Aurora, black with two red stripes, funnel black with a white band, the suive information to Mrs Smith, at Smith's Wharf, or at 221b Baker Street, as to the whereabouts of the said Mordecai Smith and the launch Aurora”
This was clearly Holh to prove that It struck itives without their seeing in ithusband
It was a long day Every time that a knock cained that it was either Hol or an answer to his advertisehts would wander off to our strange quest and to the ill-assorted and villainous pair ere pursuing Could there be, I wondered, soht he be suffering froe self-deception? Was it not possible that his nimble and speculative mind had built up this wild theory upon faulty pre; and yet the keenest reasoner ht, to fall into error through the over-refineic,--his preference for a subtle and bizarre explanation when a plainer and more commonplace one lay ready to his hand Yet, on the other hand, I had myself seen the evidence, and I had heard the reasons for his deductions When I looked back on the long chain of curious circu in the sauise from myself that even if Holmes's explanation were incorrect the true theory
At three o'clock in the afternoon there was a loud peal at the bell, an authoritative voice in the hall, and, to my surprise, no less a person than Mr Athelney Jones was shown up to me Very different was he, however, from the brusque and masterful professor of common sense who had taken over the case so confidently at Upper Norwood His expression was downcast, and his bearing ood-day,” said he ”Mr Sherlock Holmes is out, I understand”
”Yes, and I cannot be sure when he will be back But perhaps you would care to wait Take that chair and try one of these cigars”
”Thank you; I don'this face with a red bandanna handkerchief
”And a whiskey-and-soda?”