The Valley of Fear Part 6 (1/2)
Chapter 7
--The Solution
Next , after breakfast, we found Inspector MacDonald and White Mason seated in close consultation in the seant On the table in front of thera Three had been placed on one side
”Still on the track of the elusive bicyclist?” Holmes asked cheerfully ”What is the latest news of the ruffian?”
MacDonald pointed ruefully to his heap of correspondence
”He is at present reported froham, Southampton, Derby, East Ham, Richmond, and fourteen other places In three of them--East Haainst him, and he has actually been arrested The country seeitives with yellow coats”
”Dear me!” said Holmes sympathetically ”Now, Mr Mac and you, Mr White Mason, I wish to give you a very earnest piece of advice When I went into this case with you I bargained, as you will no doubt remember, that I should not present you with half-proved theories, but that I should retain and work out my own ideas until I had satisfied myself that they were correct For this reason I a you all that is in aaies upon a profitless task Therefore I a, and my advice to you is summed up in three words--abandon the case”
MacDonald and White Mason stared in aue
”You consider it hopeless!” cried the inspector
”I consider your case to be hopeless I do not consider that it is hopeless to arrive at the truth”
”But this cyclist He is not an invention We have his description, his valise, his bicycle The fellow et him?”
”Yes, yes, no doubt he is soet hiies in East Ham or Liverpool I am sure that we can find so back It's hardly fair of you, Mr Holmes” The inspector was annoyed
”You know my methods of work, Mr Mac But I will hold it back for the shortest time possible I only wish to verify my details in one hich can very readily be done, and then Imy results entirely at your service I owe you too much to act otherwise; for in all ular and interesting study”
”This is clean beyond e Wells last night, and you were in general agreeive you a completely new idea of the case?”
”Well, since you ask ht at the Manor House”
”Well, what happened?”
”Ah, I can only give you a very general answer to that for thea short but clear and interesting account of the old building, purchasable at the modest sum of one penny from the local tobacconist”
Here Hol of the ancient Manor House, from his waistcoat pocket
”It iation, my dear Mr Mac, when one is in conscious sys Don't look so impatient; for I assure you that even so bald an account as this raises soive you a san of Ja, the Manor House of Birlstone presents one of the finest surviving examples of thefools of us, Mr Holn of temper I have detected in you Well, I won't read it verbatily upon the subject But when I tell you that there is so of the place by a parliamentary colonel in 1644, of the concealment of Charles for several days in the course of the Civil War, and finally of a visit there by the second George, you will admit that there are various associations of interest connected with this ancient house”
”I don't doubt it, Mr Holmes; but that is no business of ours”
”Is it not? Is it not? Breadth of view, my dear Mr Mac, is one of the essentials of our profession The interplay of ideas and the oblique uses of knowledge are often of extraordinary interest You will excuse these reh a mere connoisseur of crime, is still rather older and perhaps more experienced than yourself”
”I'm the first to adet to your point, I ad it”
”Well, well, I'll drop past history and get down to present-day facts I called last night, as I have already said, at the Manor House I did not see either Barker or Mrs Douglas I saw no necessity to disturb them; but I was pleased to hear that the lady was not visibly pining and that she had partaken of an excellent dinner My visit was specially ed so me, without reference to anyone else, to sit alone for a time in the study”
”What! With that?” I ejaculated
”No, no, everything is now in order You gave permission for that, Mr Mac, as I am informed The room was in its normal state, and in it I passed an instructive quarter of an hour”
”What were you doing?”
”Well, not tofor the e init”
”Where?”
”Ah, there we coo a little further, a very little further, and I will pro that I know”
”Well, we're bound to take you on your own ter us to abandon the case--why in the naoodness should we abandon the case?”
”For the siot the first idea what it is that you are investigating”
”We are investigating the las of Birlstone Manor”
”Yes, yes, so you are But don't trouble to trace the entleman upon the bicycle I assure you that it won't help you”
”Then what do you suggest that we do?”
”I will tell you exactly what to do, if you will do it”
”Well, I'm bound to say I've always found you had reason behind all your queer ways I'll do what you advise”
”And you, Mr White Mason?”
The country detective looked helplessly from one to the other Holood enough for the inspector, it is good enough for me,” he said at last
”Capital!” said Holmes ”Well, then, I should recommend a nice, cheery country walk for both of you They tell e over the Weald are very reot at sonorance of the country prevents , tired but happy--”
”Man, this is getting past a joke!” cried MacDonald, rising angrily from his chair
”Well, well, spend the day as you like,” said Hol hio where you will, but meet me here before dusk without fail--without fail, Mr Mac”