The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 47 Four Signatures (31)
"And what about the whistle in the middle of the night, and the weird words her sister said as she died?"

"I can't think of it either."

Holmes said: "If we analyze all kinds of mysteries together, such as the whistle in the night, the gypsy, the fact that the doctor tried to prevent his stepdaughter from marrying, the words of the tape when the woman died, and the sound of metal falling to the ground heard by Miss Helen. —perhaps it was the sound of the shutter-bolt falling to the ground. I think it will be easy to solve the mystery by inferring from these circumstances."

I said, "What did those gypsies do?"

"I can't imagine either."

"I think the facts may be just the opposite of what we surmise."

"I think so too. That's why we're going to Stoke Moran today. I'm going to investigate for myself and see what the connection is with those mysteries." Having said this, Holmes suddenly added, "What the hell has happened to this man?" thing?"

Holmes said this because the door was suddenly knocked open, and a tall man blocked the door.He was dressed strangely, like a specialist or a farmer, with a tall black hat on his head, a long frock coat, knight's boots on his feet, and a hunting whip in his hand.He was so tall that his hat had touched the rail of the door, and his body filled the door.His face was broad and wrinkled, yellow and sunburnt, and fierce in features, with deep-set eyes and an aquiline nose that gave him the look of a fierce eagle.

He asked, "Which of you is Holmes?"

Holmes said calmly: "Sir, I am Holmes. Who are you?"

"I am Dr Grimsby Roylott of Stoke Moran."

Holmes said indifferently: "Doctor, please sit down."

He said: "Don't use this trick, I know my stepdaughter came to you just now, and I followed her. What did she say to you?"

"It's so cold," said Holmes.

He growled, "What did she say to you?"

Holmes still said calmly: "I heard that the daffodils are blooming very well this year."

The man stepped forward, waved the hunting whip in his hand and said, "Hmph! Are you trying to prevaricate me? I know you, I have heard of you a long time ago, and you are that nosy Holmes."

Holmes smiled slightly.

He added: "You're a nosy fellow."

Holmes laughed again.

Then he cursed angrily: "Holmes, you are nothing but a lackey of Scotland Yard."

Holmes stopped laughing, and said: "You are very humorous. Please close the door when you go out. It is very windy outside."

"Of course I'll leave after I finish speaking. How dare you meddle in my business. I know that Miss Stoner has been here before, and I followed her. I'm not easy to bully, look at this." He said quickly Walking quietly to the fire, he took up the iron tongs and bent them into a crooked shape with his broad, brown hands."If you like to meddle in your own business," he added, "you'll be like this tong." Then he threw the crooked tongs on the hearth, and strode out of the room.

"He appears to be a kind man," said Holmes, laughing. "If he stays a little longer, he will find that, though I am not as big as he is, I have no smaller hand." As he said, he took up the stick. The iron tongs, with a hard effort, restored it to its original shape. "This man dared to arbitrarily confuse me with an official detective. His temperament and behavior can be imagined. But his arrival has added interest to this case. I hope that woman will not be followed by him again. Well, Watson, let us now have breakfast. After dinner I shall go to the Wills Society, where I hope to obtain some information which may be of assistance to our case."

Towards one o'clock Holmes returned.In his hand he held a piece of blue paper with words written all over it.

He said: "I saw the will of the late wife. Her total income at the end of her life was about £750, which has now dropped to £250 due to the drop in farm prices. The will said that each Daughters get a dowry of £[-] when they marry. Obviously, if both daughters are married, the doctor will have very little income left. Even if one daughter is married, his income will be reduced a lot. So, Of course he doesn't want his daughter to marry. My morning's work was not in vain, and I'm sure he has a lot to do with it and wants to do something about it. But now he knows we're interested in his business Yes, there will inevitably be some precautions. So, without further ado, Watson, if you are ready, we can now drive to Waterloo. I would be very obliged if you would stash your revolver in your pocket , for it is the best tool against the man who can bend a pincer."

At Waterloo we were just in time for a train for Leatherhead.When we got there we hired a cab and drove five or six miles up the Surrey drive.The weather was fine and sunny then.The trees on the side of the road are just sprouting new buds, and there is a fresh earthy smell in the air.Holmes sat with his arms folded in the front of the carriage, his hat drawn down over his eyes, and his head bowed in thought.Suddenly, he raised his head and patted my shoulder, pointed to the lawn in the distance and said, "Look over there!"

In the dense woods on the hillside over there, a very old house with gray tile ridges was exposed.

"Have you reached Stoke Moran yet?" he said.

"Yes, sir. That's the house of Dr. Grimsby Roylott," said the coachman.

"That's where we're going," said Holmes.

The coachman pointed to the roofs on the left and said: "There is a village over there. If you want to go to the house, you can go over the steps on both sides of the fence and walk along the path. There is a lady walking that road." "

Holmes squinted his eyes into the distance and said, "I think that lady is Miss Stoner. Yes, we will go as you say."

We alighted, paid our fare, and the carriage drove off to Leatherhead.

When we had ascended the steps, Holmes said: "I would like the coachman to think of us as architects, or, better yet, as men of business, so that he will not have to say much to others. Good afternoon, Miss Stoner. We have come as promised." .”

At this time the woman hurried up to welcome us, smiled, shook hands with us warmly and said: "I have been looking forward to you for a long time. Everything is going well. Dr. Roylott has gone to the city. Will he be here before evening?" Will be back."

"We have already seen the doctor," said Holmes, and he gave her a brief account of our experience.When she heard this, her face and lips turned pale immediately, and she exclaimed, "My God! He actually followed me!"

"It seems so."

"He is so cunning, I feel controlled by him all the time. I don't know what he will say when he comes home."

"He will protect himself, because he may already know that someone more cunning than he is following him. Tonight you will lock the door and keep him out. If he behaves in any way, we can send you to your house." Aunt's house. Now we want to take this opportunity, please take us to each room to check immediately."

We followed her into the house. The stone walls of the house were covered with moss, higher in the middle, slightly lower on the sides, extending to the sides like scorpion pincers.The windows on the left side of the house were broken and boarded up, and the roof had sloped, giving it a dilapidated look.The middle of the house is also in disrepair, but the row of rooms on the right is still in good condition, the curtains are still in good condition, blue smoke is rising from the chimney, and it looks like a place where people live.There are some iron frames near the top of the wall, and the wall has been cut through, but we didn't see any workers when we arrived.Holmes walked across the poorly manicured lawn, examining the outsides of the windows with great care.

He pointed and said, "I think this is your bedroom, your sister's bedroom in the middle, and your stepfather's bedroom just past it."

"Yes, but now I'm sleeping in the middle room," she said.

"I know it was changed because of the repairs of the house. But the wall is fine, it seems that there is no need to rush to repair it?"

"I don't think it's necessary either. I think that must be his excuse for moving me out of my room."

"It's very possible what you said. Now the other side of the house is the corridor leading to the three bedrooms. Are there any windows?"

"There are windows, but they are very narrow and small, and people cannot pass through."

"Since you lock the door every night, it is impossible for others to enter your room from there. Now please go to your room and lock the door."

Miss Stoner did as he was told.Holmes examined the open window earnestly, and tried in vain to remove the iron bars of the shutters, not even a thin knife.Then he examined the hinges on the window with a magnifying glass, but the hinges were also strong.He rubbed his chin and said, "Huh? I'm having trouble with my reasoning. Let's see what clues are in the house."

A small side door gave access to a corridor with white walls, from which both bedrooms opened.Holmes and we went first into the second room, the room where Miss Stoner now lived, and where her sister died.The room was small, with a low ceiling, and an open fireplace.There was a brown cupboard in one corner of the room, a bed on the other side, a dresser to the left of the window, and two old chairs.These are all the furnishings in the room.There was an old-fashioned square rug in the middle of the room, and the walls and wall panels were of faded and wormholed oak.These boards must have been there when the house was built.Holmes sat down on a chair in the corner and looked around carefully with his eyes.

At last he pointed to a thick bell-string beside the bed, the end of which hung down just over the pillow.He asked, "Where does this bell go?"

"To the butler's room."

"This rope looks newer than everything else."

"Yes, it was only installed two years ago."

"Did your sister ask to install it?"

"No, I haven't heard that she used it. We get everything we need by ourselves."

"I don't think it is necessary to install a bell rope here. I am sorry, but I will take a moment to examine the floor." With this, Holmes prostrated himself on the ground, holding a magnifying glass in his hand, and moving back and forth, he examined the gaps between the floorboards very carefully. .Then he also made a careful inspection of the walls of the room.Finally, he went to the bed, looked at it for a long time, and looked up at the wall again.Then he took the bell-rope and gave it a hard tug.

He said: "Strange, this rope did not answer the bell."

"Isn't it ringing?"

He said, "It didn't ring, and it wasn't connected. That's funny. You can see now that the rope is attached to a hook just above a little air vent."

"What a pointless thing to do! I never noticed it before," she said.

Holmes pulled the rope again, and murmured to himself: "This is very strange. There are one or two peculiarities in this room. For example, the builders of the house are foolish enough to turn the ventilation holes into the adjoining room, and spend the same flowers on them. Just enough effort to get the vent to the outside."

"It's new, too," she said.

"It must have been installed at the same time as the bell-rope," said Holmes.

"Yes, the few minor changes in the interior were made at that time."

He said: "These things are worth studying--bell-cords without bells, vent-holes without air. Miss Stoner, if you will allow us, we will want to see your stepfather's room."

We then followed her to Dr. Roylott's bedroom, which was larger than his stepdaughter's, but also simply furnished.A camp bed, a bookshelf full of medical books, and an armchair by the bed.There is also an ordinary wooden chair, a round table and an iron safe against the wall.Holmes looked carefully at the contents of the room.

He touched the safe and asked, "What's in it?"

"It's the stepfather's file," she said.

"Have you looked inside?"

"Only saw it once, a few years ago. I remember it was full of papers and stuff."

"Isn't there a cat in here?" said Holmes.

"No, your thinking is really strange."

Holmes took a milk saucer from the safe and said: "Oh, please look at this."

"I don't have a cat, but I have a cheetah and a baboon," she said.

Holmes said: "Of course. A cheetah is about the size of a big cat, but this plate of milk will certainly not feed it. I have one more thing to confirm." After speaking, he squatted in front of the wooden chair, carefully carefully inspect the chair surface.

He stood up and put the magnifying glass in his pocket, and said, "Thank you, the problem is almost solved. Hey, here is another interesting thing."

What caught his attention was a dog whip hanging in the corner of the bed. The whip was coiled and tied into a loop with a rope.He asked me: "Watson, what do you think this thing is for?"

I said, "It's just an ordinary whip, but I don't know why it's tied."

"That was an unusual act. Well, in this wicked world, it would be too bad for a wise man to use his wits to mischief. I think I have checked. If you will allow me, Miss Stoner, , let's go for a walk on the lawn."

I have never seen Holmes leave the scene of the investigation with such a serious countenance.We walked up and down the lawn, and neither Miss Stoner nor I would interrupt his train of thought until he spoke.

He said: "Miss Stoner, this is a serious matter, and you must do as I tell you in all respects."

"I will do it."

He said: "This matter is very serious. There should be no hesitation. Your life depends on whether you listen to me or not."

"I promise to obey your orders."

"First of all, my friend and I are staying in your room tonight."

Miss Stoner and I looked at him in amazement at this.

He said, "Yes, it must be. I suppose that's the hotel in the village?"

"Yes, that's the Crown Hotel."

"Very well. Can you see your window from over there?"

"visible."

He said: "When your stepfather comes back tonight, you can pretend to have a headache and stay in your room. After he falls asleep at night, you will open your window and put the light by the window for us." Signal. Then you take the things you need and quietly go to the room you used. I think that although it is under renovation, it can barely stay for one night.”

"Yes, no problem."

"We can take care of other things."

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"We're going to spend the night in your bedroom and find out what you're hearing."

Miss Stoner pulled Holmes by the sleeve and said, "Mr. Holmes, I believe you have made up your mind."

"Maybe."

"Then please tell me the cause of my sister's death," she said.

"I hope to tell you when I have definite evidence."

"You can at least tell me whether my guess is correct, and whether she died of sudden fright."

"No, I don't think so. I think there may be some more specific reason. We must go now, Miss Stoner, because if Dr. Roylott sees us when he comes back, our actions will In vain. Farewell, and please be brave. If you will do as I say, you will know that we will soon relieve you of danger."

Holmes and I had no trouble securing a bedroom and a sitting-room at the Crown Hotel.The room is on the second floor, and we can see the gate of Stoke Moran Manor and the old houses there from the window.At dusk we saw Dr. Roylott drive by, sitting next to a small boy.In front of the old house, the car stopped.The footman was a little slow in opening the heavy iron door, and we heard the growl of the doctor, and saw him shake his fists angrily at the footman.After a while we saw light in the living room behind the bushes.

When night fell, Holmes said: "Watson, do you know that I hesitate to ask you to go with me tonight, because there is indeed a great danger hidden there."

"Can I help you?"

"You could be very useful there."

"Then, I must go with you."

"Thank you!"

"If you say there is danger, then you must see it better than me."

"No, but I may have deduced a little more. I think you see the same thing as I do."

"I see nothing of note but the bell-rope," said I, "and can't think of any use for it."

"You see that vent hole too?"

"Yes, but I don't think it's a very special thing to have a vent hole between two bedrooms, and it's so small that even a mouse wouldn't be able to get through it."

"Even before we went to the old house, I knew there was going to be a vent there," he said.

"Ah, my dear Holmes!"

"Yes, I know. You should recall that she said her sister could smell Dr. Roylott's cigars, which would suggest that there must be a passage between the two rooms. However, it may be small, or the coroner would find out So, I conclude it's an air vent."

"But what's the danger?"

"It was a coincidence, at least, that a vent hole was cut, and the bell-rope was fitted, and the lady who slept in that bed was killed. Doesn't that arouse suspicion?"

I said, "I still don't get it."

"Did you notice something special about that bed?"

"No."

"The bed was screwed to the floor. Have you ever seen a bed fixed like this before?" he said.

I suddenly understood, and said: "Holmes, I seem to understand what you mean. We are now going to stop some sinister crime."

He said: "Insidious enough. It's terrible when a doctor goes astray. He has both knowledge and courage. Palmer and Pritchard are among the best doctors. The man is inscrutable." .But, Watson, I think we will outsmart him. Terrible things are in store for us this night, but, hopefully, in a few hours' time our spirits will be happy."

Around nine o'clock, the lights of the old houses in the forest were all extinguished, and the manor was completely dark.Two hours later, at eleven o'clock, a light suddenly appeared in a room in front of us.

"That was the signal for us," said Holmes. "It came from the window of the middle room."

As we went out, we told the hotel owner that we were going to visit friends and that we might not be back tonight.Soon, we came to the dark street, the cold wind was blowing, and the dim light flickered in front of us, so we walked forward by the light.

(End of this chapter)