The Return of Sherlock Holmes Part 5 (2/2)
”In the country, I presume, from your complexion”
”Yes, sir, near Farnhahbourhood, and full of theassociations You remember, Watson, that it was near there that we took Archie Staer Now, Miss Violet, what has happened to you, near Farnhareat clearness and co curious statement: ”My father is dead, Mr Holmes He was James Smith, who conducted the orchestra at the old Imperial Theatre My mother and I were left without a relation in the world except one uncle, Ralph So, and we have never had a word from him since When father died, ere left very poor, but one day ere told that there was an advertise for our whereabouts You can iht that someone had left us a fortune We went at once to the lahose naentlemen, Mr Carruthers and Mr Woodley, ere home on a visit from South Africa They said that my uncle was a friend of theirs, that he had died so, and that he had asked them with his last breath to hunt up his relations, and see that they were in no want It seee to us that Uncle Ralph, who took no notice of us when he was alive, should be so careful to look after us when he was dead, but Mr Carruthers explained that the reason was that my uncle had just heard of the death of his brother, and so felt responsible for our fate”
”Excuse me,” said Holmes ”When was this interview?”
”Last Deceo”
”Pray proceed”
”Mr Woodley see eyes atman, with his hair plastered down on each side of his forehead I thought that he was perfectly hateful--and I was sure that Cyril would not wish me to know such a person”
”Oh, Cyril is his na lady blushed and laughed
”Yes, Mr Holineer, and we hope to be et talking about him? What I wished to say was that Mr Woodley was perfectly odious, but that Mr Carruthers, as a reeable He was a dark, sallow, clean-shaven, silent person, but he had polite manners and a pleasant s that ere very poor, he suggested that I should coed ten I said that I did not like to leave o home to her every week-end, and he offered me a hundred a year, which was certainly splendid pay So it ended by e, about six miles froed a lady housekeeper, a very respectable, elderly person, called Mrs Dixon, to look after his establish promised well Mr Carruthers was very kind and very ether Every week-end I went home to my mother in town
”The first flaw in my happiness was the arrival of the red-moustached Mr Woodley He came for a visit of a week, and oh! it seemed three months to me He was a dreadful person--a bully to everyone else, but toinfinitely worse He made odious love to me, boasted of his wealth, said that if I married him I could have the finest dia to do with him, he seized --and swore that he would not let o until I had kissed him Mr Carruthers came in and tore hi hi his face open That was the end of his visit, as you can iized to me next day, and assured ain I have not seen Mr Woodley since
”And now, Mr Hol which has caused me to ask your advice to-day You must know that every Saturday forenoon I ride on et the 12:22 to town The road froe is a lonely one, and at one spot it is particularly so, for it lies for over a ton Heath upon one side and the woods which lie round Charlington Hall upon the other You could not find a more lonely tract of road anywhere, and it is quite rare to h road near Crooksbury Hill Teeks ago I was passing this place, when I chanced to look back over my shoulder, and about two hundred yards behind ed man, with a short, dark beard I looked back before I reached Farnhaht no ine how surprised I was, Mr Holmes, when, on my return on the Monday, I saw the same man on the same stretch of road My astonishain, exactly as before, on the following Saturday and Monday He always kept his distance and did not molest me in any way, but still it certainly was very odd I mentioned it to Mr Carruthers, who seemed interested in what I said, and told me that he had ordered a horse and trap, so that in future I should not pass over these lonely roads without some companion
”The horse and trap were to have come this week, but for soain I had to cycle to the station That was thisYou can think that I looked out when I cah, was the man, exactly as he had been the teeks before He always kept so far from me that I could not clearly see his face, but it was certainly someone whom I did not know He was dressed in a dark suit with a cloth cap The only thing about his face that I could clearly see was his dark beard To-day I was not alarmed, but I was filled with curiosity, and I determined to find out who he was and what he wanted I slowed down ether, but he stopped also Then I laid a trap for hi of the road, and I pedalled very quickly round this, and then I stopped and waited I expected him to shoot round and pass me before he could stop But he never appeared Then I went back and looked round the corner I could see a mile of road, but he was not on it To make it the more extraordinary, there was no side road at this point dohich he could have gone”
Holmes chuckled and rubbed his hands ”This case certainly presents some features of its own,” said he ”Howthe corner and your discovery that the road was clear?”
”Two or three minutes”
”Then he could not have retreated down the road, and you say that there are no side roads?”
”None”
”Then he certainly took a footpath on one side or the other”
”It could not have been on the side of the heath, or I should have seen him”
”So, by the process of exclusion, we arrive at the fact that he ton Hall, which, as I understand, is situated in its own grounds on one side of the road Anything else?”
”Nothing, Mr Holmes, save that I was so perplexed that I felt I should not be happy until I had seen you and had your advice”
Holentleed?” he asked at last
”He is in the Midland Electrical Company, at Coventry”
”He would not pay you a surprise visit?”
”Oh, Mr Holmes! As if I should not know him!”
”Have you had any other admirers?”
”Several before I knew Cyril”
”And since?”
”There was this dreadful man, Woodley, if you can call him an admirer”
”No one else?”
Our fair client seemed a little confused
”Who was he?” asked Holmes
”Oh, it may be a mere fancy of mine; but it had seemed to reat deal of interest in ether I play his acco He is a perfect gentlerave ”What does he do for a living?”
”He is a rich es or horses?”
”Well, at least he is fairly well-to-do But he goes into the city two or three tiold shares”
”You will let me know any fresh development, Miss Smith I am very busy just now, but I will find time to make some inquiries into your case In thebut good news from you”
”It is part of the settled order of Nature that such a girl should have followers,” said Holmes, he pulled at his meditative pipe, ”but for choice not on bicycles in lonely country roads Some secretive lover, beyond all doubt But there are curious and suggestive details about the case, Watson”
”That he should appear only at that point?”
”Exactly Our first effort ton Hall Then, again, how about the connection between Carruthers and Woodley, since they appear to be men of such a different type? How ca up Ralph Se is it which pays double the overness but does not keep a horse, although six miles froo down?”
”No,intrigue, and I cannot break my other important research for the sake of it On Monday you will arrive early at Farnhaton Heath; you will observe these facts for yourself, and act as your own judg inquired as to the occupants of the Hall, you will come back to me and report And now, Watson, not another word of the -stones on which we et across to our solution”
We had ascertained from the lady that she went down upon the Monday by the train which leaves Waterloo at 9:50, so I started early and caught the 9:13 At Farnhaton Heath It was i lady's adventure, for the road runs between the open heath on one side and an old yew hedge upon the other, surrounding a park which is studded with ateway of lichen-studded stone, each side pillar sur heraldic ee drive I observed several points where there were gaps in the hedge and paths leading through thes all spoke of glooolden patches of flowering gorse, glea sunshi+ne Behind one of these cluateway of the Hall and a long stretch of the road upon either side It had been deserted when I left it, but now I saw a cyclist riding down it from the opposite direction to that in which I had come He was clad in a dark suit, and I saw that he had a black beard On reaching the end of the Charlington grounds, he sprang froe, disappearing from my view
A quarter of an hour passed, and then a second cyclist appeared This ti from the station I saw her look about her as she caed fro upon his cycle, and followed her In all the broad landscape those were the only ht upon herlow over his handle-bar with a curiously furtive suggestion in every movement She looked back at him and slowed her pace He slowed also She stopped He at once stopped, too, keeping two hundred yards behind her Her next movement was as unexpected as it was spirited She suddenly whisked her wheels round and dashed straight at him He was as quick as she, however, and darted off in desperate flight Presently she cahtily in the air, not deigning to take any further notice of her silent attendant He had turned also, and still kept his distance until the curve of the road hid theht