The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Part 25 (1/2)
”Had he ever spoken of Swandans of having taken opium?”
”Never”
”Thank you, Mrs St Clair Those are the principal points about which I wished to be absolutely clear We shall now have a little supper and then retire, for we e and comfortable double-bedded room had been placed at our disposal, and I was quickly between the sheets, for I eary after ht of adventure Sherlock Holmes was a man, however, hen he had an unsolved probleo for days, and even for a week, without rest, turning it over, rearranging his facts, looking at it from every point of view until he had either fathomed it or convinced himself that his data were insufficient It was soon evident toHe took off his coat and waistcoat, put on a large blue dressing-gown, and then wandered about the roo pillows from his bed and cushi+ons from the sofa and armchairs With these he constructed a sort of Eastern divan, upon which he perched hi tobacco and a box of ht of the la there, an old briar pipe between his lips, his eyes fixed vacantly upon the corner of the ceiling, the blue sht shi+ning upon his strong-set aquiline features So he sat as I dropped off to sleep, and so he sat when a sudden ejaculation causedinto the apartment The pipe was still between his lips, the smoke still curled upward, and the roo re which I had seen upon the previous night
”Awake, Watson?” he asked
”Yes”
”Ga drive?”
”Certainly”
”Then dress No one is stirring yet, but I knohere the stable-boy sleeps, and we shall soon have the trap out” He chuckled to himself as he spoke, his eyes twinkled, and he seeht
As I dressed I glanced atIt enty-five minutes past four I had hardly finished when Hol in the horse
”I want to test a little theory ofon his boots ”I think, Watson, that you are now standing in the presence of one of the most absolute fools in Europe I deserve to be kicked fro Cross But I think I have the key of the affair now”
”And where is it?” I asked, s
”In the bathroo,” he continued, seeing my look of incredulity ”I have just been there, and I have taken it out, and I have got it in this Gladstone bag Come on, my boy, and we shall see whether it will not fit the lock”
We made our way downstairs as quietly as possible, and out into the brightsunshi+ne In the road stood our horse and trap, with the half-clad stable-boy waiting at the head We both sprang in, and ae dashed down the London Road A few country carts were stirring, bearing in vegetables to the metropolis, but the lines of villas on either side were as silent and lifeless as soular case,” said Holallop ”I confess that I have been as blind as a mole, but it is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all”
In town the earliest risers were just beginning to look sleepily froh the streets of the Surrey side Passing down the Waterloo Bridge Road we crossed over the river, and dashi+ng up Wellington Street wheeled sharply to the right and found ourselves in Bow Street Sherlock Holmes ell known to the force, and the two constables at the door saluted him One of them held the horse's head while the other led us in
”Who is on duty?” asked Holmes
”Inspector Bradstreet, sir”
”Ah, Bradstreet, how are you?” A tall, stout official had coed jacket ”I wish to have a quiet ith you, Bradstreet”
”Certainly, Mr Holmes Step into e ledger upon the table, and a telephone projecting from the wall The inspector sat down at his desk
”What can I do for you, Mr Holar concerned in the disappearance of Mr Neville St
Clair, of Lee”
”Yes He was brought up and remanded for further inquiries”
”So I heard You have him here?”