The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Part 48 (1/2)
He walked swiftly round froe one which looked from the hall onto the stable lane
This he opened and made a very careful exa lens ”Noe shall go upstairs,”
said he at last
The banker's dressing-roorey carpet, a large bureau, and a long mirror
Holmes went to the bureau first and looked hard at the lock
”Which key was used to open it?” he asked
”That which my son himself indicated--that of the cupboard of the lumber-room”
”Have you it here?”
”That is it on the dressing-table”
Sherlock Holmes took it up and opened the bureau
”It is a noiseless lock,” said he ”It is no wonder that it did not wake you This case, I presume, contains the coronet Weout the diadenificent specimen of the jeweller's art, and the thirty-six stones were the finest that I have ever seen At one side of the coronet was a cracked edge, where a corner holding three gems had been torn away
”Now, Mr Holder,” said Holmes, ”here is the corner which corresponds to that which has been so unfortunately lost Might I beg that you will break it off”
The banker recoiled in horror ”I should not drea,”
said he
”Then I will” Holth upon it, but without result ”I feel it give a little,” said he; ”but, though I aers, it would take me all my time to break it An ordinary man could not do it Nohat do you think would happen if I did break it, Mr Holder? There would be a noise like a pistol shot Do you tell me that all this happened within a few yards of your bed and that you heard nothing of it?”
”I do not knohat to think It is all dark to o What do you think, Miss Holder?”
”I confess that I still share my uncle's perplexity”
”Your son had no shoes or slippers on when you saw hi on save only his trousers and shi+rt”
”Thank you We have certainly been favoured with extraordinary luck during this inquiry, and it will be entirely our own fault if we do not succeed in clearing the matter up With your perations outside”
He went alone, at his own request, for he explained that any unnecessary footht make his taskat last with his feet heavy with snow and his features as inscrutable as ever
”I think that I have seen now all that there is to see, Mr
Holder,” said he; ”I can serve you best by returning to ems, Mr Holmes Where are they?”