Sherlock Holmes Complete Works 1

Chapter 65 Adventure History 25
"How amusing that he confounded me with a State detective! My only hope now is that our little friend will not be tortured by being carelessly followed by this brute. Well, Watson, I will go to the doctor after dinner." Society, and I hope to find some details there that will assist us in the case."

Just before one o'clock, Holmes returned, holding a piece of blue paper in his hand, on which he wrote some notes and figures.

"I looked at the will of the late wife," he said, "and I worked out all the investments listed in the will to make sure it made sense. A little less than £750. Due to the current fall in the price of agricultural products, it will not exceed £250. But each daughter has the right to claim £[-] a month from it when she is married. Obviously, if both ladies are married, This leaves little income, and even a man's embarrassment if he marries. The morning's work, at least, proves that he has very strong motives to prevent this from happening. Watson, we must Hurry up, especially since the old man already knows we're interested in his business. I'll be very obliged to you, if you keep your revolver in your pocket, it will be very useful to sir who can twist the poker into a knot Yes. I think this thing will become as essential as a toothbrush.”

At Waterloo we caught a train for Leatherhead.On arriving we hired a cab, and my companion sat in the front of the cab, his hat drawn down over his eyes, and his head sunk on his breast, lost in thought.But he suddenly raised his head, patted my shoulder, and pointed to the grass opposite.

"There, do you see that," he said.

There was a field there, rising up a moderate slope, and at the highest point a dense jungle.Among the trees there was a very old mansion.

"Stokell?" he said.

"Yes, sir, the house belongs to Dr. Grimsby Roylott," said the coachman.

"That's where we're going. It seems to be under construction," said Holmes.

"But there is the village," said the coachman, pointing to a cluster of roofs on the left, "and if you want to go to the house, it will be nearer this way: step over the steps on either side of the fence, and follow the path in the field. The path goes on and on. It's the path that the lady is walking, you see."

"I think that person may be Miss Stoner," said Holmes, shading the sun with his hands, as he looked at her carefully. "Yes, I think your suggestion is very good, let's go like this."

We paid the fare and got out of the carriage.

As we came up the steps, Holmes said: "We had better pretend to be the architects here, or those who are here on business. Good afternoon, Miss Stoner, you see, we have come at the appointed time." ?”

The client whom we had met in the morning rushed forward to meet us, showing a happy expression. "I have been anxiously awaiting your arrival," she said, shaking our hands. "Dr. Roylott is in town, and I don't think he will be back before evening."

"But I am very glad that we have made the acquaintance of the doctor." Holmes gave a general account of what had happened.Miss Stoner's whole face and lips turned pale as she listened to Holmes' narration.

"Oh, my God!" she cried. "So, he's been following me."

"It seems so."

"He is so cunning, I feel under his control all the time, what will he say when he comes back?"

"He may find someone more cunning than he is stalking him. He must protect himself. If he is particularly violent, then we will send you to your Aunt Harrow's house. But now we have to hurry up and check those houses."

This is a mansion made of gray stones, the central part stands high, and there are side buildings on both sides. The windows of one side room have been broken and blocked with wooden boards, and part of the roof has collapsed, but, right The first row of houses is relatively new, and the curtains hang down on the windows, everything shows that this is where the family lives.But when we arrived, no workers were found.Holmes walked up and down the lawn, examining the outsides of the windows carefully.

"I think this is your old bedroom. The one next to the main house belonged to Dr. Roylott, and the one in the middle is your dead sister's room."

"Yes. But now I sleep in the middle one."

"It may be that the house is in need of repairs. The gables, by the way, don't seem so necessary right away."

"I think so too, it's just an excuse to get me out of my room."

"Ah, that's very telling. You said that the other side of the room with the narrow window is a passage leading to the doors of three rooms. There should be windows in it, too?"

"Yes, but those little windows are so narrow that no one can get in at all."

"If you both lock your doors at night, I don't think it's possible to get into your rooms from that side. Go back to your rooms, please, and close the shutters."

Miss Stoner did as Holmes instructed.Holmes inspected the open window with special care, and tried in every possible way, but was unable to open the shutter.Not even a crack to pry open the shutters with a knife in.Then he examined the hinge carefully with a magnifying glass, but the hinge was firmly set in the solid stone wall. "Well!" said he, puzzled, "there must be something wrong with my reasoning. No one can get in if these shutters are bolted. Let us go inside, then, and see if we can find some clues." , so as to help us figure out the truth of the matter."

Through a small side door, it leads to the aisle, and the doors of the three bedrooms all face this aisle.As there was no need to examine the third room, we immediately went to the second bedroom, the one in which Miss Stoner's sister died. In one corner of the room stood a chest of drawers and a narrow The bed is placed in the other corner, and there is a dresser to the left of the window.Add two wicker chairs, and a square rug in the middle of the floor.Holmes sat silently on a chair in the corner, his eyes moving up and down, left and right.He observes very carefully, every detail and every corner in the room cannot escape his eyes.

Finally, he asked, "Where does this bell go?" pointing to a thick bell-cord hanging beside the bed, the end of which hung over the pillow.

"Oh, it leads to the butler's room."

"Seems like it's newer than the rest of the stuff."

"Yes, it was just installed a year or two ago."

"Do you think your sister asked for this to be fitted?"

"No, I've never heard of her using it. We always fetch what we need ourselves."

"Yeah, it's really unnecessary. Excuse me, I want to spend a little more time figuring out this floor." With his magnifying glass in hand, he inspected the cracks between the planks very carefully.Likewise, such an examination was made of the panels in the room.Then, coming to the bed, he stared at the bell-rope for a while, then up and down the wall.Give the bell rope a final tug.

"Why! Is this bell-rope just for show?" he said.

"Is it quiet at all?"

"Yes, there is no string attached to it at all, the cord is attached to a hook above the vent hole."

"I never noticed that."

"Strange!" murmured Holmes, holding the bell cord in his hand. "There are two very peculiar points which differ from the other rooms. For example, how stupid the man was when he built this house to open the air-holes. To the next room, which he could have opened out into the open."

"This is something that has just been done recently," said the young lady.

"Did it come with the bell's drawstring?" asked Holmes.

"Yes, several places were changed that time."

"These designs have very interesting properties—a dead bell and a dead vent. If you agree, Miss Stoner, I'd like to search your stepfather's room over there."

Dr. Roylott's room was larger than his stepdaughter's, but it was just as modestly furnished. All that could be seen was a camp bed, a small wooden bookshelf full of books, an armchair beside the bed, and a There is also an ordinary wooden chair, a round table and an iron safe.Holmes walked carefully round the room, examining everything in it with care.

"What's in here?" He patted the safe and asked.

"It's my stepfather's business papers."

"Oh? Have you seen what's inside?"

"Only saw it once, and it was years ago. I just remember it was full of paper."

"Could it be a cat in it?"

"No. Your idea is too weird!"

"Here, look at this!" He picked up a small saucer of milk on top of the safe.

"No, I don't have a cat at home, but I do have a cheetah and a baboon."

"Ah, by the way, a cheetah is about the same as a big cat. But I dare say, a plate of milk may not be enough to feed a leopard. There is one more thing I have to figure out." He squatted on the ordinary wooden chair Come over and check it carefully.

"Thanks, that's basically it." He said and put the magnifying glass back in his pocket. "Hey, here's something very interesting."

He saw a small dog whip hanging by the bed.

"What do you think of that thing, Watson?"

"I don't understand why such an ordinary rope should be tied with a knot?"

"Perhaps it is not surprising that this is a very wicked world, if a man so clever should use his brains to commit crimes. Miss Stoner, I think I have enough observations. If I allow it, I think Walk outside on the lawn."

Never before had I seen Holmes leave the scene of his investigation with such a stern countenance, with such a gloomy expression.We walked up and down the lawn, Miss Stoner and I neither wanting nor daring to interrupt his train of thought until he himself recovered from his contemplation.

"Miss Stoner," he said, "it is especially important now that you do exactly what I tell you to do."

"Okay, I will do as you tell me."

"The matter is very serious, don't hesitate at all, whether you can obey my words will directly determine your fate."

"I will obey your orders."

"Then my friend and I must spend the night in your room."

Miss Stoner and I both looked at him in amazement.

"Let me explain. You see, is that the inn in the village?"

"Yes, that's the Crown Inn."

"Great, can you see your window from there?"

"Yes."

"When your stepfather comes back, you're going to feign a headache and shut yourself in your room. Then, after he's gone to bed for the night, you're going to open the shutters on that window, unhook the window, and put a lamp there , as a signal to us. Then you quietly go back to the room you used to live in. Although the house is under repair, I believe you can still stay there overnight."

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with that."

"Then we'll take care of the rest."

"But what do you think should be done?"

"We spent the night in your bedroom mainly to investigate what the whistle was about."

"I believe you, Mr. Holmes, have an idea," said Miss Stoner, pulling my companion by the sleeve.

"Probably so."

"So, please tell me, how did my sister die?"

"I'll let you know when I have more definite evidence."

"But you should at least let me know if the idea that she died of sudden shock is correct."

(End of this chapter)