“Remember also the curious earnestness with which she assuredus that it was best for her husband that she should know all. Whatdid she mean by that? And you must have observed, Watson, howshe manoeuvred to have the light at her back. She did not wish usto read her expression.”
“Yes, she chose the one chair in the room.”
“And yet the motives of women are so inscrutable. You rememberthe woman at Margate whom I suspected for the same reason. Nopowder on her nose—that proved to be the correct solution. Howcan you build on such a quicksand? Their most trivial action maymean volumes, or their most extraordinary conduct may dependupon a hairpin or a curling tongs. Good-morning, Watson.”
“You are off?”
“Yes, I will while away the morning at Godolphin Street withour friends of the regular establishment. With Eduardo Lucas liesthe solution of our problem, though I must admit that I have notan inkling as to what form it may take. It is a capital mistake totheorize in advance of the facts. Do you stay on guard, my goodWatson, and receive any fresh visitors. I’ll join you at lunch if I amable.”
All that day and the next and the next Holmes was in a moodwhich his friends would call taciturn, and others morose. Heran out and ran in, smoked incessantly, played snatches on hisviolin, sank into reveries, devoured sandwiches at irregular hours,and hardly answered the casual questions which I put to him.
It was evident to me that things were not going well with himor his quest. He would say nothing of the case, and it was fromthe papers that I learned the particulars of the inquest, and thearrest with the subsequent release of John Mitton, the valet ofthe deceased. The coroner’s jury brought in the obvious WilfulMurder, but the parties remained as unknown as ever. No motivewas suggested. The room was full of articles of value, but nonehad been taken. The dead man’s papers had not been tamperedwith. They were carefully examined, and showed that he was akeen student of international politics, an indefatigable gossip, aremarkable linguist, and an untiring letter writer. He had been onintimate terms with the leading politicians of several countries.
But nothing sensational was discovered among the documentswhich filled his drawers. As to his relations with women, theyappeared to have been promiscuous but superficial. He had manyacquaintances among them, but few friends, and no one whom heloved. His habits were regular, his conduct inoffensive. His deathwas an absolute mystery and likely to remain so.
As to the arrest of John Mitton, the valet, it was a council ofdespair as an alternative to absolute inaction. But no case couldbe sustained against him. He had visited friends in Hammersmiththat night. The ALIBI was complete. It is true that he startedhome at an hour which should have brought him to Westminsterbefore the time when the crime was discovered, but his ownexplanation that he had walked part of the way seemed probableenough in view of the fineness of the night. He had actuallyarrived at twelve o’clock, and appeared to be overwhelmed bythe unexpected tragedy. He had always been on good terms withhis master. Several of the dead man’s possessions—notably asmall case of razors—had been found in the valet’s boxes, but heexplained that they had been presents from the deceased, andthe housekeeper was able to corroborate the story. Mitton hadbeen in Lucas’s employment for three years. It was noticeable thatLucas did not take Mitton on the Continent with him. Sometimeshe visited Paris for three months on end, but Mitton was left incharge of the Godolphin Street house. As to the housekeeper, shehad heard nothing on the night of the crime. If her master had avisitor he had himself admitted him.
So for three mornings the mystery remained, so far as I couldfollow it in the papers. If Holmes knew more, he kept his owncounsel, but, as he told me that Inspector Lestrade had taken himinto his confidence in the case, I knew that he was in close touchwith every development. Upon the fourth day there appeareda long telegram from Paris which seemed to solve the wholequestion.
A discovery has just been made by the Parisian police [said theDAILY TELEGRAPH] which raises the veil which hung round thetragic fate of Mr. Eduardo Lucas, who met his death by violencelast Monday night at Godolphin Street, Westminster. Our readerswill remember that the deceased gentleman was found stabbed inhis room, and that some suspicion attached to his valet, but thatthe case broke down on an ALIBI. Yesterday a lady, who has beenknown as Mme. Henri Fournaye, occupying a small villa in the RueAusterlitz, was reported to the authorities by her servants as beinginsane. An examination showed she had indeed developed maniaof a dangerous and permanent form. On inquiry, the police havediscovered that Mme. Henri Fournaye only returned from a journeyto London on Tuesday last, and there is evidence to connect herwith the crime at Westminster. A comparison of photographs hasproved conclusively that M. Henri Fournaye and Eduardo Lucaswere really one and the same person, and that the deceased hadfor some reason lived a double life in London and Paris. Mme.