The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Part 25 (2/2)
”In the cells”
”Is he quiet?”
”Oh, he gives no trouble But he is a dirty scoundrel”
”Dirty?”
”Yes, it is all we can do to make him wash his hands, and his face is as black as a tinker's Well, when once his case has been settled, he will have a regular prison bath; and I think, if you saw hiree with me that he needed it”
”I should like to see him very much”
”Would you? That is easily done Co”
”No, I think that I'll take it”
”Very good Coe, opened a barred door, passed doinding stair, and brought us to a ashed corridor with a line of doors on each side
”The third on the right is his,” said the inspector ”Here it is!” He quietly shot back a panel in the upper part of the door and glanced through
”He is asleep,” said he ”You can see hi The prisoner lay with his face towards us, in a very deep sleep, breathing slowly and heavily He was a , with a coloured shi+rt protruding through the rent in his tattered coat He was, as the inspector had said, extreriliness A broad wheal froht across it from eye to chin, and by its contraction had turned up one side of the upper lip, so that three teeth were exposed in a perpetual snarl A shock of very bright red hair gre over his eyes and forehead
”He's a beauty, isn't he?” said the inspector
”He certainly needs a wash,” reht, and I took the liberty of bringing the tools withas he spoke, and took out, to e
”He! he! You are a funny one,” chuckled the inspector
”Now, if you will have the great goodness to open that door very quietly, ill soon ure”
”Well, I don't knohy not,” said the inspector ”He doesn't look a credit to the Bow Street cells, does he?” He slipped his key into the lock, and we all very quietly entered the cell The sleeper half turned, and then settled down once , orously across and down the prisoner's face
”Let me introduce you,” he shouted, ”to Mr Neville St Clair, of Lee, in the county of Kent”
Never in ht The e like the bark from a tree Gone was the coarse brown tint! Gone, too, was the horrid scar which had seaiven the repulsive sneer to the face! A twitch brought away the tangled red hair, and there, sitting up in his bed, was a pale, sad-faced, refined-lookinghis eyes and staring about hi the exposure, he broke into a scream and threw himself doith his face to the pillow
”Great heavens!” cried the inspector, ”it is, indeed, the raph”
The prisoner turned with the reckless air of a man who abandons himself to his destiny ”Be it so,” said he ”And pray what a aith Mr Neville St-- Oh, coed with that unless they make a case of atterin ”Well, I have been twenty-seven years in the force, but this really takes the cake”
”If I am Mr Neville St Clair, then it is obvious that no crially detained”