1264 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
“ I have seen your son, and I am convinced that for some reasonof your own you are concealing him from the world. I have noidea what your motives are in cutting him off in this fashion, butam sure that he is no longer a free agent. I warn you, ColonelEmsworth, that until I am assured as to the safety and wellbeingof my friend I shall never desist in my efforts to get to thebottom of the mystery, and I shall certainly not allow myself to beintimidated by anything which you may say or do.’
“The old fellow looked diabolical, and I really thought he wasabout to attack me. I have said that he was a gaunt, fierce oldgiant, and though I am no weakling I might have been hard put toto hold my own against him. However, after a long glare of ragehe turned upon his heel and walked out of the room. For my part,took the appointed train in the morning, with the full intentionof coming straight to you and asking for your advice and assistanceat the appointment for which I had already written.”
Such was the problem which my visitor laid before me. Itpresented, as the astute reader will have already perceived, fewdifficulties in its solution, for a very limited choice of alternativesmust get to the root of the matter. Still, elementary as it was, therewere points of interest and novelty about it which may excusemy placing it upon record. I now proceeded, using my familiarmethod of logical analysis, to narrow down the possible solutions.
“The servants,” I asked; “how many were in the house?”
“To the best of my belief there were only the old butler and hiswife. They seemed to live in the simplest fashion.”
“There was no servant, then, in the detached house?”
“None, unless the little man with the beard acted as such. Heseemed, however, to be quite a superior person.”
“That seems very suggestive. Had you any indication that foodwas conveyed from the one house to the other?”
“Now that you mention it, I did see old Ralph carrying a basketdown the garden walk and going in the direction of this house.
The idea of food did not occur to me at the moment.”
“Did you make any local inquiries?”
“Yes, I did. I spoke to the station-master and also to theinnkeeper in the village. I simply asked if they knew anythingof my old comrade, Godfrey Emsworth. Both of them assuredme that he had gone for a voyage round the world. He had comehome and then had almost at once started off again. The story wasevidently universally accepted.”
“You said nothing of your suspicions?”
“Nothing.”
“That was very wise. The matter should certainly be inquiredinto. I will go back with you to Tuxbury Old Park.”
The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes 1265
“To-day?”
It happened that at the moment I was clearing up the casewhich my friend Watson has described as that of the AbbeySchool, in which the Duke of Greyminster was so deeply involved.
I had also a commission from the Sultan of Turkey which calledfor immediate action, as political consequences of the gravestkind might arise from its neglect. Therefore it was not until thebeginning of the next week, as my diary records, that I was ableto start forth on my mission to Bedfordshire in company with Mr.
James M. Dodd. As we drove to Euston we picked up a grave andtacitum gentleman of iron-gray aspect, with whom I had made thenecessary arrangements.
“This is an old friend,” said I to Dodd. “It is possible that hispresence may be entirely unnecessary, and, on the other hand,it may be essential. It is not necessary at the present stage to gofurther into the matter.”
The narratives of Watson have accustomed the reader, nodoubt, to the fact that I do not waste words or disclose mythoughts while a case is actually under consideration. Doddseemed surprised, but nothing more was said, and the three of uscontinued our journey together. In the train I asked Dodd onemore question which I wished our companion to hear.
“You say that you saw your friend’s face quite clearly at thewindow, so clearly that you are sure of his identity?”
“I have no doubt about it whatever. His nose was pressedagainst the glass. The lamplight shone full upon him.”
“It could not have been someone resembling him?”
“No, no, it was he.”
“But you say he was changed?”
“Only in colour. His face was—how shall I describe it? —it wasof a fish-belly whiteness. It was bleached.”
“Was it equally pale all over?”
“I think not. It was his brow which I saw so clearly as it waspressed against the window.”
“Did you call to him?”
“I was too startled and horrified for the moment. Then Ipursued him, as I have told you, but without result.”
My case was practically complete, and there was only one smallincident needed to round it off. When, after a considerable drive,we arrived at the strange old rambling house which my clienthad described, it was Ralph, the elderly butler, who opened thedoor. I had requisitioned the carriage for the day and had askedmy elderly friend to remain within it unless we should summonhim. Ralph, a little wrinkled old fellow, was in the conventionalcostume of black coat and pepper-and-salt trousers, with only one1266 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
curious variant. He wore brown leather gloves, which at sight ofus he instantly shuffled off, laying them down on the hall-tableas we passed in. I have, as my friend Watson may have remarked,an abnormally acute set of senses, and a faint but incisive scentwas apparent. It seemed to centre on the hall table. I turned,placed my hat there, knocked it off, stooped to pick it up, andcontrived to bring my nose within a foot of the gloves. Yes, it wasundoubtedly from them that the curious tarry odour was oozing.
passed on into the study with my case complete. Alas, that Ishould have to show my hand so when I tell my own story! It wasby concealing such links in the chain that Watson was enabled toproduce his meretricious finales.