The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Part 40 (1/2)
”Tell ineer, ”is Dr Becher a Ger, sharp nose?”
The station-lishman, and there isn't a man in the parish who has a better-lined waistcoat But he has a gentle with hiner, and he looks as if a little good Berkshi+re beef would do him no harm”
The station-master had not finished his speech before ere all hastening in the direction of the fire The road topped a low hill, and there was a great widespread ashed building in front of us, spouting fire at every chink and hile in the garden in front three fire-engines were vainly striving to keep the flames under
”That's it!” cried Hatherley, in intense exciteravel-drive, and there are the rose-bushes where I lay That secondis the one that I jumped from”
”Well, at least,” said Hole upon them There can be no question that it was your oil-lamp which, when it was crushed in the press, set fire to the wooden walls, though no doubt they were too excited in the chase after you to observe it at the time Now keep your eyes open in this crowd for your friends of last night, though I very ood hundred miles off by now”
And Holmes' fears came to be realised, for from that day to this no word has ever been heard either of the beautiful wolish several people and so rapidly in the direction of Reading, but there all traces of the fugitives disappeared, and even Holenuity failed ever to discover the least clue as to their whereabouts
The fireements which they had found within, and stilla newly severed human thumb upon a -sill of the second floor
About sunset, however, their efforts were at last successful, and they subdued the flames, but not before the roof had fallen in, and the whole place been reduced to such absolute ruin that, save so, not a trace remained of the machinery which had cost our unfortunate acquaintance so dearly Large masses of nickel and of tin were discovered stored in an out-house, but no coins were to be found, which may have explained the presence of those bulky boxes which have been already referred to
How our hydraulic engineer had been conveyed froht have remained forever a mystery were it not for the soft mould, which told us a very plain tale He had evidently been carried down by two persons, one of whoe ones On the whole, it wasless bold or less murderous than his companion, had assisted the woer
”Well,” said our engineer ruefully as we took our seats to return once more to London, ”it has been a pretty business for uinea fee, and what have I gained?”
”Experience,” said Hol ”Indirectly it may be of value, you know; you have only to put it into words to gain the reputation of being excellent company for the remainder of your existence”
X THE ADVENTURE OF THE nobLE BACHELOR
The Lord St Si ceased to be a subject of interest in those exalted circles in which the unfortunate bridegroom moves Fresh scandals have eclipsed it, and their ossips away from this four-year-old drama As I have reason to believe, however, that the full facts have never been revealed to the general public, and asthe matter up, I feel that no memoir of him would be complete without some little sketch of this remarkable episode
It was a feeeks beforerooms with Holmes in Baker Street, that he came home fro for him I had remained indoors all day, for the weather had taken a sudden turn to rain, with high autuht back in one of n throbbed with dull persistence
With s upon another, I had surrounded myself with a cloud of newspapers until at last, saturated with the news of the day, I tossed thee crest andlazily who my friend's noble correspondent could be
”Here is a very fashi+onable epistle,” I re letters, if I reer and a tide-waiter”
”Yes, my correspondence has certainly the char, ”and the hu This looks like one of those unwelcome social summonses which call upon a man either to be bored or to lie”
He broke the seal and glanced over the contents
”Oh, co of interest, after all”
”Not social, then?”
”No, distinctly professional”
”And froland”