The Return of Sherlock Holmes Part 3 (1/2)
The detective stared at the newcoht light of the corridor, and peering at us and at the snant, with shi+fty, light-gray eyes and white lashes
”What's this, then?” said Lestrade, at last ”What have you been doing all this ti back frory detective
”I have done no haret an innocent entleman here, I am not sure that you would not have succeeded”
The wretched creature began to whimper
”I am sure, sir, it was only my practical joke”
”Oh! a joke, was it? You won't find the laugh on your side, I pro-rooone, ”I could not speak before the constables, but I don't , in the presence of Dr Watson, that this is the brightest thing that you have done yet, though it is a mystery to me how you did it You have saved an innocent rave scandal, which would have ruined my reputation in the Force”
Holmes smiled, and clapped Lestrade upon the shoulder
”Instead of being ruined, ood sir, you will find that your reputation has been enormously enhanced Just , and they will understand how hard it is to throw dust in the eyes of Inspector Lestrade”
”And you don't want your name to appear?”
”Not at all The work is its oard Perhaps I shall get the credit also at some distant day, when I permit my zealous historian to lay out his foolscap once more--eh, Watson? Well, now, let us see where this rat has been lurking”
A lath-and-plaster partition had been run across the passage six feet froly concealed in it It was lit within by slits under the eaves A few articles of furniture and a supply of food and water ithin, together with a nue of being a builder,” said Holmes, as we ca-place without any confederate--save, of course, that precious housekeeper of his, who, Lestrade”
”I'll take your advice But how did you know of this place, Mr Hol in the house When I paced one corridor and found it six feet shorter than the corresponding one below, it was pretty clear where he was I thought he had not the nerve to lie quiet before an alarone in and taken him, but it amused me to make him reveal himself Besides, I owed you a little ”
”Well, sir, you certainly got equal with me on that But how in the world did you know that he was in the house at all?”
”The thumb-mark, Lestrade You said it was final; and so it was, in a very different sense I knew it had not been there the day before I pay a good deal of attention to matters of detail, as you may have observed, and I had examined the hall, and was sure that the as clear Therefore, it had been put on during the night”
”But how?”
”Very siot McFarlane to secure one of the seals by putting his thumb upon the soft wax It would be done so quickly and so naturally, that I daresay the young man himself has no recollection of it Very likely it just so happened, and Oldacre had hi over the case in that den of his, it suddenly struck hiainst McFarlane by using that thu in the world for him to take a wax impression froet fro the night, either with his own hand or with that of his housekeeper If you exa those documents which he took with hier that you find the seal with the thumb-mark upon it”
”Wonderful!” said Lestrade ”Wonderful! It's all as clear as crystal, as you put it But what is the object of this deep deception, Mr Hol to ed suddenly to that of a child asking questions of its teacher
”Well, I don't think that is very hard to explain A very deep, entle us downstairs You know that he was once refused by McFarlane's o to Blackheath first and Norwood afterwards Well, this injury, as he would consider it, has rankled in his wicked, scheeance, but never seen his chance During the last year or two, things have gone against him-- secret speculation, I think--and he finds himself in a bad way He determines to swindle his creditors, and for this purpose he pays large checks to a certain Mr Cornelius, who is, I iine, himself under another name I have not traced these checks yet, but I have no doubt that they were banked under that name at some provincial tohere Oldacre froe his naain elsewhere”
”Well, that's likely enough”
”It would strike hiht throw all pursuit off his track, and at the sae upon his old sweetheart, if he could give the impression that he had been murdered by her only child It was a masterpiece of villainy, and he carried it out like a ive an obvious motive for the crime, the secret visit unknown to his own parents, the retention of the stick, the blood, and the animal remains and buttons in the wood-pile, all were admirable It was a net froo, that there was no possible escape But he had not that supree of when to stop He wished to ihter yet round the neck of his unfortunate victim--and so he ruined all Let us descend, Lestrade There are just one or two questions that I would ask hinant creature was seated in his own parlour, with a policeood sir--a practical joke, nothing more,” he whined incessantly ”I assure you, sir, that I simply concealed myself in order to see the effect of my disappearance, and I aine that I would have allowed any har Mr McFarlane”
”That's for a jury to decide,” said Lestrade ”Anyhoe shall have you on a charge of conspiracy, if not for attempted murder”
”And you'll probably find that your creditors will i account of Mr Cornelius,” said Holnant eyes upon ood deal,” said he ”Perhaps I'll pay ently
”I fancy that, for some few years, you will find your time very fully occupied,” said he ”By the as it you put into the wood-pile besides your old trousers? A dead dog, or rabbits, or what? You won't tell? Dear me, how very unkind of you! Well, well, I daresay that a couple of rabbits would account both for the blood and for the charred ashes If ever you write an account, Watson, you can make rabbits serve your turn”
THE ADVENTURE OF THE DANCING MEN
Hol, thin back curved over a che a particularly malodorous product His head was sunk upon his breast, and he looked froray plue and a black top-knot
”So, Watson,” said he, suddenly, ”you do not propose to invest in South African securities?”
I gave a start of astonishment Accustomed as I was to Holmes's curious faculties, this sudden intrusion into hts was utterly inexplicable
”How on earth do you know that?” I asked
He wheeled round upon his stool, with a stealeam of amusement in his deep-set eyes
”Now, Watson, confess yourself utterly taken aback,” said he
”I an a paper to that effect”
”Why?”
”Because in five minutes you will say that it is all so absurdly si of the kind”
”You see, an to lecture with the air of a professor addressing his class--”it is not really difficult to construct a series of inferences, each dependent upon its predecessor and each si so, one simply knocks out all the central inferences and presents one's audience with the starting-point and the conclusion, one h possibly a meretricious, effect Now, it was not really difficult, by an inspection of the groove between your left forefinger and thumb, to feel sure that you did NOT propose to invest your sold fields”
”I see no connection”
”Very likely not; but I can quickly show you a close connection Here are thelinks of the very sier and thuht 2 You put chalk there when you play billiards, to steady the cue 3 You never play billiards except with Thurston 4 You told o, that Thurston had an option on some South African property which would expire in a month, and which he desired you to share with him 5 Your check book is locked in my drawer, and you have not asked for the key 6 You do not propose to invest your money in this manner”
”How absurdly simple!” I cried
”Quite so!” said he, a little nettled ”Every problem becomes very childish when once it is explained to you Here is an unexplained one See what you can make of that, friend Watson” He tossed a sheet of paper upon the table, and turned once more to his chemical analysis