The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Part 53 (1/2)
”'Only that?' said he, looking at me keenly
”'Why, what did you think?' I asked
”'Why do you think that I lock this door?'
”'I am sure that I do not know'
”'It is to keep people out who have no business there Do you see?' He was still s in the most amiable manner
”'I am sure if I had known--'
”'Well, then, you kno And if you ever put your foot over that threshold again'--here in an instant the slared down at me with the face of a demon--'I'll throw you to the mastiff'
”I was so terrified that I do not knohat I did I suppose that Iuntil I found ht of you, Mr Holer without sohtened of the house, of the man, of the woman, of the servants, even of the child They were all horrible toyou down all would be well Of course I ht have fled fro as my fears My mind was soon made up I would send you a wire I put on my hat and cloak, went down to the office, which is about half avery much easier A horrible doubt caht be loose, but I remembered that Toller had drunk hi, and I knew that he was the only one in the household who had any influence with the savage creature, or ould venture to set hiht inyou
I had no difficulty in getting leave to co, but I must be back before three o'clock, for Mr and Mrs Rucastle are going on a visit, and will be away all the evening, so that I must look after the child Now I have told you all lad if you could tell me what it all means, and, above all, what I should do”
Holmes and I had listened spellbound to this extraordinary story
My friend rose now and paced up and down the room, his hands in his pockets, and an expression of the ravity upon his face
”Is Toller still drunk?” he asked
”Yes I heard his wife tell Mrs Rucastle that she could do nothing with hiht?”
”Yes”
”Is there a cellar with a good strong lock?”
”Yes, the wine-cellar”
”You seeh this irl, Miss Hunter Do you think that you could perform one more feat? I should not ask it of you if I did not think you a quite exceptional woman”
”I will try What is it?”
”We shall be at the Copper Beeches by seven o'clock, one by that time, and Toller will, we hope, be incapable There only reive the alarm If you could send her into the cellar on some errand, and then turn the key upon her, you would facilitate matters immensely”
”I will do it”
”Excellent! We shall then look thoroughly into the affair Of course there is only one feasible explanation You have been brought there to personate someone, and the real person is imprisoned in this chamber That is obvious As to who this prisoner is, I have no doubt that it is the daughter, Miss Alice Rucastle, if I reone to Aht, figure, and the colour of your hair Hers had been cut off, very possibly in soh which she has passed, and so, of course, yours had to be sacrificed also By a curious chance you came upon her tresses The man in the road was undoubtedly some friend of hers--possibly her fiance--and no doubt, as you wore the girl's dress and were so like her, he was convinced frohter, whenever he saw you, and afterwards froesture, that Miss Rucastle was perfectly happy, and that she no longer desired his attentions The dog is let loose at night to prevent hi to communicate with her So much is fairly clear The most serious point in the case is the disposition of the child”
”What on earth has that to do with it?” I ejaculated