The Return of Sherlock Holmes Part 6 (2/2)
”What!” cried Carruthers, springing out of his chair ”I'll go upstairs and finish hiel, is to be tied to Roaring Jack Woodley for life?”
”You need not concern yourself about that,” said Holood reasons why she should, under no circumstances, be his wife In the first place, we are very safe in questioning Mr Williae”
”I have been ordained,” cried the old rascal
”And also unfrocked”
”Once a clergyyman”
”I think not How about the license?”
”We had a license for the ot it by trick But, in any case a forced e, but it is a very serious felony, as you will discover before you have finished You'll have ti the next ten years or so, unless I am mistaken As to you, Carruthers, you would have done better to keep your pistol in your pocket”
”I begin to think so, Mr Holht of all the precaution I had taken to shi+eld this girl--for I loved her, Mr Holmes, and it is the only time that ever I knehat love was-- it fairly drove reatest brute and bully in South Africa--aWhy, Mr Holirl has been in o past this house, where I knew the rascals were lurking, without following her on my bicycle, just to see that she came to no harm I kept my distance fronize irl, and she wouldn't have stayed inher about the country roads”
”Why didn't you tell her of her danger?”
”Because then, again, she would have left me, and I couldn't bear to face that Even if she couldn't love reat deal to me just to see her dainty form about the house, and to hear the sound of her voice”
”Well,” said I, ”you call that love, Mr Carruthers, but I should call it selfishness”
”Maybe the two things go together Anyhow, I couldn't let her go Besides, with this crowd about, it ell that she should have someone near to look after her Then, when the cable came, I knew they were bound to make a ram from his pocket ”That's it,” said he
It was short and concise: The old man is dead
”Hus worked, and I can understand how thistheht tell me what you can
The old reprobate with the surplice burst into a volley of bad language
”By heaven!” said he, ”if you squeal on us, Bob Carruthers, I'll serve you as you served Jack Woodley You can bleat about the girl to your heart's content, for that's your own affair, but if you round on your pals to this plain-clothes copper, it will be the worst day's work that ever you did”
”Your reverence need not be excited,” said Holainst you, and all I ask is a few details for my private curiosity However, if there's any difficulty in your telling , and then you will see how far you have a chance of holding back your secrets In the first place, three of you caame--you Williamson, you Carruthers, and Woodley”
”Lie number one,” said the old o, and I have never been in Africa in my life, so you can put that in your pipe and smoke it, Mr Busybody Holmes!”
”What he says is true,” said Carruthers
”Well, well, two of you came over His reverence is our own homemade article You had known Ralph Smith in South Africa You had reason to believe he would not live long You found out that his niece would inherit his fortune How's that--eh?”
Carruthers nodded and Williamson swore
”She was next of kin, no doubt, and you were aware that the old felloould make no will”
”Couldn't read or write,” said Carruthers
”So you cairl The idea was that one of you was to marry her, and the other have a share of the plunder For some reason, Woodley was chosen as the husband Why was that?”
”We played cards for her on the voyage He won”
”I see You got the young lady into your service, and there Woodley was to do the courting She recognized the drunken brute that he was, and would have nothing to do with hiement was rather upset by the fact that you had yourself fallen in love with the lady You could no longer bear the idea of this ruffian owning her?”
”No, by George, I couldn't!”
”There was a quarrel between you He left you in a rage, and began to make his own plans independently of you”
”It strikes entleh ”Yes, we quarreled, and he knocked ht of him That hen he picked up with this outcast padre here I found that they had set up housekeeping together at this place on the line that she had to pass for the station I kept my eye on her after that, for I knew there was some devilry in the wind I saw them from time to time, for I was anxious to knohat they were after Two days ago Woodley came up to my house with this cable, which showed that Ralph Sain I said I would not He asked ive hily do so, but that she would not have et her s a bit different' I said I would have nothing to do with violence So he went off cursing, like the foul- that he would have her yet She was leaving ot a trap to take her to the station, but I was so uneasy in ot a start, however, and before I could catch her, theI knew about it hen I saw you two gentle-cart”
Holrate ”I have been very obtuse, Watson,” said he ”When in your report you said that you had seen the cyclist as you thought arrange his necktie in the shrubbery, that alone should have told ratulate ourselves upon a curious and, in some respects, a unique case I perceive three of the county constabulary in the drive, and I alad to see that the little ostler is able to keep pace with theroo's adventures I think, Watson, that in your ht wait upon Miss Smith and tell her that if she is sufficiently recovered, we shall be happy to escort her to her mother's home If she is not quite convalescent you will find that a hint that ere about to telegraph to a young electrician in the Midlands would probably complete the cure As to you, Mr Carruthers, I think that you have done what you could to make amends for your share in an evil plot There is my card, sir, and if my evidence can be of help in your trial, it shall be at your disposal”
In the whirl of our incessant activity, it has often been difficult for me, as the reader has probably observed, to round off ive those final details which the curious ht expect Each case has been the prelude to another, and the crisis once over, the actors have passed for ever out of our busy lives I find, however, a short note at the end ofwith this case, in which I have put it upon record that Miss Violet Se fortune, and that she is now the wife of Cyril Morton, the senior partner of Morton & Kennedy, the famous Westminster electricians Williamson and Woodley were both tried for abduction and assault, the for seven years the latter ten Of the fate of Carruthers, I have no record, but I aravely by the court, since Woodley had the reputation of being a erous ruffian, and I think that a few, months were sufficient to satisfy the demands of justice
THE ADVENTURE OF THE PRIORY SCHOOL
We have had soe at Baker Street, but I cannot recollect anythingthan the first appearance of Thorneycroft Huxtable, MA, PhD, etc His card, which seeht of his academic distinctions, preceded hie, so ponified that he was the very embodiment of self-possession and solidity And yet his first action, when the door had closed behind hiainst the table, whence he slipped down upon the floor, and there was that ure prostrate and insensible upon our bearskin hearth-rug
We had sprung to our feet, and for a few moments we stared in silent ae, which told of some sudden and fatal storm far out on the ocean of life Then Holmes hurried with a cushi+on for his head, and I with brandy for his lips The heavy, white face was sea pouches under the closed eyes were leaden in colour, the loosechins were unshaven Collar and shi+rt bore the gri journey, and the hair bristled unkempt from the well-shaped head It was a sorely stricken man who lay before us
”What is it, Watson?” asked Holer and fatigue,” said I, with er on the thready pulse, where the stream of life trickled thin and sland,” said Hol it from the watch-pocket ”It is not twelve o'clock yet He has certainly been an early starter”
The puckered eyelids had begun to quiver, and now a pair of vacant gray eyes looked up at us An instant later the man had scraive this weakness, Mr Holht have a glass of milk and a biscuit, I have no doubt that I should be better I came personally, Mr Holmes, in order to insure that you would return with raency of the case”
”When you are quite restored----”