Part 1 (2/2)

'Were ityourself'

'Your reasoning has so far been utterly straightforward in every respect,' I said 'But it does not explain how you knew that hts had turned towards theive me if I say that you are to me as an open book, my dear Watson, and that with everyyour tea, I noticed your eye drift towards the newspaper on the table right beside you You glanced at the headline and then reached out and turned it face down Why? It was perhaps the report on the train crash at Norton Fitzwarren a feeeks ago that disturbed you The first findings of the investigation into the deaths of ten passengers were published today and it was, of course, the last thing you would wish to read just after leaving your wife at a station'

'That did indeed rereed 'But the sickness of the child?'

'From the newspaper, your attention turned to the patch of carpet beside the desk and I distinctly saw you smile to yourself It was there, of course, that you once kept yourand it was surely that association that reminded you of the reason for your wife's visit'

'This is all guesswork, Holmes,' I insisted 'You say Holborn Viaduct, for example It could have been any station in London

'You know that I deplore guesswork It is sometimes necessary to connect points of evidence with the use of i Mrs Forrester lives in Caular departures froical starting point, even if you had not obligedyour own suitcase by the door Fro, I can clearly see a label froe Office attached to the handle'

'And the rest of it?

'The fact that you have lost your e of black polish on the side of your left cuff clearly indicates both You cleaned your own shoes and you did so rather carelessly Moreover, in your haste, you forgot your gloves-'

'Mrs Hudson took loves'

'In which case, e shook hands, ould yours have been so cold? No, Watson, your entire bearing speaks of disorganisation and disarray'

'Everything you say is right,' I admitted 'But one last mystery, Holmes How can you be so sure that my wife missed her train?'

'As soon as you arrived, I noticed a strong scent of coffee on your clothes Why would you be drinking coffee i to me for tea? The inference is that you missed your train and were forced to stay with your wife for longer than you had intended You stowed your case at the left luggage office and ith her to a coffee house Might it have been Lockhart's? I'ood'

There was a short silence and then I burst into laughter 'Well, Holmes,' I said 'I can see that I had no reason to worry about your health You are as remarkable as ever'

'It was quite eleesture of one hand 'But perhaps soreater interest now approaches Unless I ah, Mrs Hudson ca in aan entrance on the London stage He was for collar and white bow tie with a black cloak around his shoulders, waistcoat, gloves and patent leather shoes In one hand he held a pair of white gloves and in the other a rosealking stick with a silver tip and handle His dark hair was surprisingly long, sweeping back over a high forehead and he had neither beard nor ated to be truly handsoe, I would have said, would have been in the mid-thirties and yet the seriousness of his de himself here, made him appear older He reminded me at once of some of the patients who had consulted me; the ones who had refused to believe they were unwell until their syravely ill Our visitor stood before us with equal reluctance He waited in the doorway, looking anxiously around him, while Mrs Hudson handed Holmes his card

'Mr Carstairs,' Holivein this mannerunexpected and unannounced' He had a clipped, rather dry way of speaking His eyes still did not quitehere at all I live in Wireen, and have coner I have just come from my club where I met with my accountant, a man I have known for many years and whom I now consider a friend When I told hi, the sense of oppression that ismy life so daed me to consult you By coincidence, ht froive you entleman?' Our visitor turned to me

'Dr John Watson He isyou have to say to me can be uttered in his presence'

'Very well My name, as you see, is Edmund Carstairs and I aallery, Carstairs and Finch on Albemarle Street, which has been in business now for six years We specialise in the works of the great masters, mainly from the end of last century and the early years of this present one: Gainsborough, Reynolds, Constable and Turner Their paintings will be fahest prices Only this week I sold two Van dyke portraits to a private client for the sum of 25,000 Our business is a successful one and we have flourished, even with soin all the streets around us Over the years we have built for ourselves a reputation for sobriety and reliability Our clients include manyin some of the finest mansions in the country'

'Your partner, Mr Finch?'

'Tobias Finch is rather older than reement between us it is that he is more cautious and conservative than I For exa in from the continent I refer to the painters who have becoas Only a week ago I was offered a seaside scene by pissaro which I thought to be quite delightful and full of colour My partner, alas, took the opposite view He insists that such works are little h it is indeed the case that soe, I cannot persuade hientleallery and that, for now, is e shall remain'

Holo I realised that I was being watched Ridgeway Hall, which is the name of my home, stands on one side of a narrow lane, with a cluster of almshouses sohbours We are surrounded by co rooreen It was here, on a Tuesday s apart and his arms folded and I was struck at once by his extraordinary stillness He was too far away for me to be able to see hiner He earing a long frock coat with padded shoulders of a cut that was lish Indeed, I was in Auess I would say it was froinated What struck me most forcefully, however, for reasons that I will shortly explain, was that he was also wearing a hat, a flat cap of the sort that is sometimes called a cheesecutter

'It was this and the way that he stood there that first attracted my attention and so unnerved me If he had been a scarecrow, I swear he could not have been , swept by the breeze across the common, but he didn't seem to notice it His eyes were fixed on myI can tell you that they were very dark and that they seeazed at hier, then went down to breakfast However, before I ate, I sent the scullery boy out to see if the man was still there He was not The boy reported back that the green was eular occurrence,' Holeway Hall is, I aht well have found it merited his examination'

'And so I told myself But a few days later, I saw him a second time On this occasion, I was in London My wife and I had just come out of the theatre we'd been to the Savoy and there he was, on the other side of the road, wearing the saht not have noticed hi and with the crowds passing round on either side of hi river I'h he had chosen a position in the full glow of a street lamp, it had thrown a shadow across his face and acted like a veil Though perhaps that was his intent'

'But you were sure it was the same man?'

'There could be no doubt of it'

'Did your wife see hi anyand we left at once'

'This is ,' Holmes remarked 'The behaviour of this e green and beneath a street la every effort to be seen And yet he makes no attempt to approach you'

'He did approach me,' Carstairs replied 'The very next day, in fact, when I returned early to the house My friend, Finch, was in the gallery, cataloguing a collection of drawings and etchings by Samuel Scott He had no need of s I arrived back at Ridgeway Hall shortly before three o'clock and it was just as well that I did, for there was the rogue, approaching my front door I called out to hian to run towards me and I was sure that he was about to strikestick to protect myself But his ht up to me and for the first time I saw his face: thin lips, dark brown eyes and a livid scar on his right cheek, the result of a recent bullet wound He had been drinking spirits I could smell them on his breath He didn't utter a word to me but instead lifted a note into the air and pressed it into my hand Then, before I could stop him, he ran off'

'And the note?' Holmes asked

'I have it here'

The art dealer produced a square of paper, folded into four, and handed it to Hollass, if you please, Watson' As I handed hilass, he turned to Carstairs 'There was no envelope?'

'No'

'I find that of the greatest significance But let us see '

There were just six words written in block capitals on the page

ST MARY'S CHURCH TOMORROW MID-DAY

'The paper is English,' Holmes remarked 'Even if the visitor was not You notice that he writes in capitals, Watson What do you suggest his purpose ,' I said

'It is possible Although since the man had never written to Mr Carstairs, and is perhaps unlikely to write to hi would have been of no consequence Was the e folded when it was handed to you, Mr Carstairs?'