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8 The Speckled Band from The Adventures of Sherlock · Sherlock Holmes

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Speaker 1: The speckled band. In glancing over the notes of these
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Speaker 1: seventy odd cases in which I have, during the last
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Speaker 1: eight years studied the methods of my friend Sherlock Holmes,
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Speaker 1: I find many tragic, some comic, a large number merely strange,
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Speaker 1: but none commonplace for working as he did, rather for
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Speaker 1: the love of his art than for the acquirement of wealth.
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Speaker 1: He refused to associate himself with any investigation which did
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Speaker 1: not tend towards the unusual and even the fantastic. Of
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Speaker 1: all these varied cases, however, I cannot recall any which
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Speaker 1: presented more singular features than that which was associated with
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Speaker 1: the well known Surrey family of the Roylots of Stoke, Moran.
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Speaker 1: The events in question occurred in the early days of
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Speaker 1: my association with Homes, when we were sharing rooms as
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Speaker 1: bachelors in Baker Street. It is possible that I might
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Speaker 1: have placed them upon record before, but the promise of
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Speaker 1: secrecy was made at the time from which I have
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Speaker 1: only been freed during the last month by the untimely
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Speaker 1: death of the lady to whom the pledge was given.
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Speaker 1: It is perhaps as well that the facts should now
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Speaker 1: come to light, for I have reasons to know that
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Speaker 1: there are widespread rumors as to the death of doctor
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Speaker 1: grimesby Roylot, which tend to make the matter even more
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Speaker 1: terrible than the truth. It was early in April in
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Speaker 1: the year eighty three that I woke one morning to
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Speaker 1: find Sherlock Holmes standing fully dressed by the side of
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Speaker 1: my bed. He was a late riser as a rule,
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Speaker 1: and as the clock on the mantelpiece showed me that
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Speaker 1: it was only a quarter past seven, I blinked up
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Speaker 1: at him in some surprise and perhaps just a little resentment,
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Speaker 1: for I was myself regular in my habits. Very sorry
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Speaker 1: to knock you up, Watson said he, but it's the
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Speaker 1: common lot this morning. Missus Hudson has been knocked up,
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Speaker 1: she retorted upon me, and I on you. What is
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Speaker 1: it then? A fire? No, a client. It seems that
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Speaker 1: a young lady has arrived in a considerable state of excitement,
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Speaker 1: who insists, upon seeing me she is waiting now in
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Speaker 1: the sitting room. Now, when young ladies wander about the
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Speaker 1: metropolis at this hour of the morning and knock sleepy
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Speaker 1: people up out of their beds, I presume that it
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Speaker 1: is something very pressing which they have to communicate should
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Speaker 1: it prove to be an interesting case, you would, I
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Speaker 1: am sure wish to follow it from the outset. I
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Speaker 1: thought at any rate that I should call you and
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Speaker 1: give you the chance, My dear fellow, I would not
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Speaker 1: miss it for anything. I had no keener pleasure than
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Speaker 1: in following Homes in his professional investigations, and in admiring
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Speaker 1: the rapid deductions, as swift as intuitions, and yet always
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Speaker 1: founded on a logical basis with which he unraveled the
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Speaker 1: problems which were submitted to him. I rapidly threw on
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Speaker 1: my clothes and was ready in a few minutes to
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Speaker 1: accompany my friend down to the sitting room. A lady
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Speaker 1: dressed in black and heavily veiled, who had been sitting
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Speaker 1: in the window, rose as we entered. Good morning, Madam,
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Speaker 1: said Holmes cheerily. My name is Sherlock Holmes. This is
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Speaker 1: my intimate friend and associate doctor Watson, before whom you
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Speaker 1: can speak freely as before myself. Ha. I am glad
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Speaker 1: to see that missus Hudson has had the good sense
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Speaker 1: to light the fire. Pray draw up to it, and
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Speaker 1: I shall order you a cup of hot coffee, for
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Speaker 1: I observe that you are shivering. It is not the
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Speaker 1: cold which makes me shiver, said the woman, in a
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Speaker 1: low voice, changing her seat, as requested, What then it
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Speaker 1: is fear, mister Holmes, it is terror. She raised her
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Speaker 1: veil as she spoke, and we could see that she
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Speaker 1: was indeed in a pitiable state of agitation, her face
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Speaker 1: all drawn and gray, with restless, frightened eyes like those
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Speaker 1: of some hunted animal. Her features and figure were those
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Speaker 1: of a woman of thirty, but her hair was shot
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Speaker 1: with premature gray, and her expression was weary and haggard.
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Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes ran her over with one of his quick,
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Speaker 1: all comprehensive glances. You must not fear, said he soothingly,
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Speaker 1: bending forward and patting her forearm. We shall soon set
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Speaker 1: matters right. I have no doubt you have come in
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Speaker 1: by train this morning. I see you know me then no,
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Speaker 1: but I observe the second half of a return ticket
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Speaker 1: in the palm of your left glove. You must have
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Speaker 1: started early, and yet you had a good drive in
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Speaker 1: a dog cart along heavy roads before you reached the station.
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Speaker 1: The lady gave a violent start and stared in bewilderment
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Speaker 1: at my companion. There is no mystery, my dear madam,
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Speaker 1: said he smiling. The left arm of your jacket is
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Speaker 1: spattered with mud in no less than seven places. The
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Speaker 1: marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a
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Speaker 1: dog cart which throws up mud in that way, and
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Speaker 1: then only when you sit on the left hand side
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Speaker 1: of the driver. Whatever your reasons may be, you are
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Speaker 1: perfectly correct, said she. I started from home before six
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Speaker 1: re to Leatherhead twenty past, and came in by the
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Speaker 1: first train to Waterloo. Sir, I can stand this strain
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Speaker 1: no longer. I shall go mad if it continues. I
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Speaker 1: have no one to turn to, none save only one
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Speaker 1: who cares for me, and he, poor fellow, can be
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Speaker 1: of little aid. I have heard of you, mister Holmes.
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Speaker 1: I have heard of you from Missus farinage, whom you
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Speaker 1: helped in the hour of her sore need. It was
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Speaker 1: from her that I had your address. Oh, sir, do
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Speaker 1: you not think that you could help me too, and
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Speaker 1: at least throw a little light through the dense darkness
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Speaker 1: which surrounds me. At present, it is out of my
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Speaker 1: power to reward you for your services. But in a
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Speaker 1: month or two I shall be married, with the control
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Speaker 1: of my own income, and then at least you shall
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Speaker 1: not find me ungrateful. Holmes turned to his desk, and,
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Speaker 1: unlocking it, drew out a small case book, which he consulted. Farinage.
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Speaker 1: Said he Ah, yes, I recall the case. It was
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Speaker 1: concerned with an opal Tiara. I think it was before
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Speaker 1: your time, Watson. I can only say, madam, that I
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Speaker 1: shall be happy to devote the same care to your
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Speaker 1: case as I did to that of your friend. As
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Speaker 1: to reward, my profession is its reward. But you are
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Speaker 1: at liberty to defray whatever expenses I may be put
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Speaker 1: to at the time which suits you best. And now
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Speaker 1: I beg that you will lay before us everything that
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Speaker 1: may help us informing an opinion upon the matter. Alas
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Speaker 1: replied our visitor, the very horror of my situation lies
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Speaker 1: in the fact that my fears are so vague, and
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Speaker 1: my suspicions depend so entirely upon small points which might
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Speaker 1: seem trivial to another, that even he to whom of
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Speaker 1: all others I have a right to look for help
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Speaker 1: and advice, looks upon all that I tell him about
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Speaker 1: it as the fancies of a nervous woman. He does
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Speaker 1: not say so, but I can read it from his
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Speaker 1: soothing answers and averted eyes. But I have heard, mister Holmes,
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Speaker 1: that you can see deeply into the manifold wickedness of
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Speaker 1: the human heart. You may advise me how to walk
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Speaker 1: amid the dangers which encompass me. I am all attention, madam.
7:02
Speaker 1: My name is Helen Stoner, and I am living with
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Speaker 1: my step father, who is the last survivor of one
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Speaker 1: of the oldest Saxon families in England, the roy Lots
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Speaker 1: of Stoke, Moran, on the western border of Surrey. Holmes
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Speaker 1: nodded his head. The name is familiar to me, said he.
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Speaker 1: The family was at one time among the richest in England,
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Speaker 1: and the estate extended over the borders into Berkshire in
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Speaker 1: the north and Hampshire in the west. In the last century, however,
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Speaker 1: four successive heirs were of a dissolute and wasteful disposition,
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Speaker 1: and the family ruin was eventually completed by a gambler
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Speaker 1: in the days of the regency. Nothing was left save
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Speaker 1: a few acres of ground and the two hundred year
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Speaker 1: old house, which is itself crushed under a heavy mortgage.
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Speaker 1: The last squire dragged out his existence there, living the
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Speaker 1: horrible life of an aristocrat pauper, but his only son,
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Speaker 1: my stepfather, Seeing that he must adapt himself to the
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Speaker 1: new conditions, obtained an advance from a relative which enabled
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Speaker 1: him to take a medical degree, and went out to Calcutta, where,
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Speaker 1: by his professional skill and force of character, he established
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Speaker 1: a large practice. In a fit of anger, however, caused
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Speaker 1: by some robberies which had been perpetrated in the house,
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Speaker 1: he beat his native butler to death and narrowly escaped
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Speaker 1: to capital sentence. As it was, he suffered a long
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Speaker 1: term of imprisonment, and afterwards returned to England a morose
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Speaker 1: and disappointed man. When doctor roylott was in India, he
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Speaker 1: married my mother, Missus Stoner, the young widow of Major
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Speaker 1: General Stoner of the Bengal Artillery. My sister Julia and
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Speaker 1: I were twins, and we were only two years old
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Speaker 1: at the time of my mother's remarriage. She had a
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Speaker 1: considerable sum of money, not less than a thousand a year,
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Speaker 1: and this she bequeathed to Doctor Roylottie entirely, whilst we
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Speaker 1: resided with him, with a provision that a certain annual
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Speaker 1: sum should be allowed to each of us in the
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Speaker 1: event of our marriage Shortly after our return to England,
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Speaker 1: my mother died. She was killed eight years ago in
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Speaker 1: a railway accident near Crewe. Doctor Roylott then abandoned his
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Speaker 1: attempts to establish himself in practice in London and took
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Speaker 1: us to live with him in the ancestral house at Stoke, Moran.
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Speaker 1: The money which my mother had left was enough for
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Speaker 1: all our wants, and there seemed no obstacle to our happiness.
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Speaker 1: But a terrible change came over our step father about
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Speaker 1: this time. Instead of our making friends and exchanging visits
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Speaker 1: with our neighbors, who had at first been overjoyed to
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Speaker 1: see a roy loot of Stoke Moran back in the
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Speaker 1: old family seat, he shut himself up in his house
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Speaker 1: and seldom came out, save to indulge in ferocious quarrels
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Speaker 1: with whoever might cross his path. Violence of temper approaching
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Speaker 1: to me. The mania has been hereditary in the men
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Speaker 1: of the family, and in my stepfather's case it had,
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Speaker 1: I believe, been intensified by his long residence in the tropics.
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Speaker 1: A series of disgraceful brawls took place, two of which
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Speaker 1: ended in the police court, until at last he became
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Speaker 1: the terror of the village, and the folks would fly
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Speaker 1: at his approach, for he is a man of immense
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Speaker 1: strength and absolutely uncontrollable. In his anger. Last week he
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Speaker 1: hurled the local blacksmith over a parapet into a stream.
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Speaker 1: And it was only by paying over all the money
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Speaker 1: that I could gather that I was able to avert
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Speaker 1: another public exposure. He had no friends at all save
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Speaker 1: the wandering gypsies, and he would give these vagabonds leave
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Speaker 1: to encamp upon the few acres of bramble covered land
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Speaker 1: which represent the family estate, and would accept in return
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Speaker 1: the hospitality of their tents, wandering away with them, sometimes
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Speaker 1: for weeks on end, as a passion, also for Indian animals,
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Speaker 1: which are sent over to him by a correspondent. And
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Speaker 1: he has at this moment a cheetah and a baboon,
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Speaker 1: which wander freely over his grounds and are feared by
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Speaker 1: the villagers almost as much as their master. You can
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Speaker 1: imagine from what I say that my poor sister Julia
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Speaker 1: and I had no great pleasure in our lives. No
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Speaker 1: servant would stay with us, and for a long time
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Speaker 1: we did all the work of the house. She was
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Speaker 1: but thirty at the time of her death, and yet
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Speaker 1: her hair had already begun to whiten, even as mine has.
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Speaker 1: Your sister is dead. Then, she died just two years ago,
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Speaker 1: and it is of her death that I wish to
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Speaker 1: speak to you. You can understand that living the life
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Speaker 1: which I have described, we were little likely to see
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Speaker 1: any one of our own age and position. We had, however,
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Speaker 1: an aunt, my mother's maiden sister, Miss Honoria Westvale, who
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Speaker 1: lives near Harrow, and we were occasionally allowed to pay
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Speaker 1: short visits at this lady's house. Julia went there at
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Speaker 1: Christmas two years ago and met there a half pay
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Speaker 1: major of Marines, to whom she became engaged. My stepfather
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Speaker 1: learnt of the engagement when my sister returned, and offered
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Speaker 1: no objection to the marriage. But within a fortnight of
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Speaker 1: the day which had been fixed for the wedding, the
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Speaker 1: terrible event occurred which has deprived me of my only companion.
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Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes had been leaning back in his chair with
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Speaker 1: his eyes closed and his head sunk in a cushion,
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Speaker 1: but he half opened his lids now and glanced across
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Speaker 1: at his visitor. Pray be precise as to the details,
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Speaker 1: said he. It is easy for me to be so,
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Speaker 1: for every event of that dreadful time is seared into
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Speaker 1: my memory. The manor houses, as I have already said,
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Speaker 1: very old, and only one wing is now inhabited. The
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Speaker 1: bedrooms in this wing are on the ground floor, the
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Speaker 1: sitting rooms being in the central block of the buildings.
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Speaker 1: Of these bedrooms, the first is doctor Roylott's, the second
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Speaker 1: my sisters, and the third my own. There is no
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Speaker 1: communication between them, but they all open out into the
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Speaker 1: same corridor. Do I make myself plain perfectly? So? The
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Speaker 1: windows of the three rooms open out upon the lawn.
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Speaker 1: That fateful night, Doctor Roylett had gone to his room early,
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Speaker 1: though we knew that he had not retired to rest,
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Speaker 1: for my sister was troubled by the smell of the
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Speaker 1: strong Indian cigars, which it was his custom to smoke.
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Speaker 1: She left her room therefore, and came into mine, where
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Speaker 1: she sat for some time, chatting about her approaching wedding.
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Speaker 1: At eleven o'clock she rose to leave me, but she
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Speaker 1: paused at the door and looked back. Tell me, Helen,
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Speaker 1: said she, have you ever heard any one whistle in
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Speaker 1: the dead of night? Never said I. I suppose that
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Speaker 1: you could not possibly whistle yourself in your sleep? Certainly not?
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Speaker 1: But why, because during the last few nights I have always,
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Speaker 1: about three in the morning, heard a low, clear whistle.
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Speaker 1: I am a light sleeper, and it has awakened me.
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Speaker 1: I cannot tell where it came from, perhaps from the
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Speaker 1: next room, perhaps from the lawn. I thought that I
14:15
Speaker 1: would just ask you whether you had heard it. No,
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Speaker 1: I have not. It must be those wretched gypsies in
14:21
Speaker 1: the plantation, very likely. And yet if it were on
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Speaker 1: the lawn, I wonder that you did not hear it. Also, Ah,
14:29
Speaker 1: but I sleep more heavily than you. Well, it is
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Speaker 1: of no great consequence at any rate. She smiled back
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Speaker 1: at me, closed my door, and a few moments later
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Speaker 1: I heard her key turn in the lock. Indeed, said Holmes,
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Speaker 1: was it your custom always to lock yourselves in at night? Always?
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Speaker 1: And why? I think that I mentioned to you that
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Speaker 1: the doctor kept a cheater and a baboon. We had
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Speaker 1: no feeling of security unless our doors were locked. Quite so,
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Speaker 1: pray proceed with your statement. I could not sleep that night.
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Speaker 1: A vague feeling of impending misfortune impressed me. My sister
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Speaker 1: and I you will recollect, were twins and you know
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Speaker 1: how subtle are the links which bind two souls which
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Speaker 1: are so closely allied. It was a wild night. The
15:15
Speaker 1: wind was howling outside, and the rain was beating and
15:18
Speaker 1: splashing against the windows. Suddenly, amidst all the hubbub of
15:22
Speaker 1: the gale, there burst forth the wild scream of a
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Speaker 1: terrified woman. I knew that it was my sister's voice.
15:29
Speaker 1: I sprang from my bed, wrapped a shawl round me,
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Speaker 1: and rushed into the corridor. As I opened my door,
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Speaker 1: I seemed to hear a low whistle such as my
15:37
Speaker 1: sister described, and a few moments later a clanging sound,
15:41
Speaker 1: as if a mass of metal had fallen. As I
15:45
Speaker 1: ran down the passage, my sister's door was unlocked and
15:48
Speaker 1: revolved slowly upon its hinges. I stared at it, horror stricken,
15:53
Speaker 1: not knowing what was about to issue from it. By
15:56
Speaker 1: the light of the corridor lamp, I saw my sister
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Speaker 1: appear at the opening, her face blanched with terror, her
16:02
Speaker 1: hands groping for help, her whole figure swaying to and
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Speaker 1: fro like that of a drunkard. I ran to her
16:08
Speaker 1: and threw my arms round her, but at that moment
16:11
Speaker 1: her knees seemed to give way, and she fell to
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Speaker 1: the ground. She writhed as one who is in terrible pain,
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Speaker 1: and her limbs were dreadfully convulsed. At first I thought
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Speaker 1: that she had not recognized me, But as I bent
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Speaker 1: over her, she suddenly shrieked out in a voice which
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Speaker 1: I shall never forget. Oh, my God, Helen. It was
16:30
Speaker 1: the band, the speckled band. There was something else which
16:35
Speaker 1: she would fain have said, and she stabbed with her
16:37
Speaker 1: finger into the air in the direction of the doctor's room.
16:41
Speaker 1: But a fresh convulsion seized her and choked her words.
16:45
Speaker 1: I rushed out, calling loudly for my step father, and
16:48
Speaker 1: I met him hastening from his room in his dressing gown.
16:52
Speaker 1: When he reached my sister's side, she was unconscious, and
16:55
Speaker 1: though he poured brandy down her throat and sent for
16:57
Speaker 1: medical aid in the village, all efforts were in vain,
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Speaker 1: for she slowly sank and died without having recovered her consciousness.
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Speaker 1: Such was the dreadful end of my beloved sister. One
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Speaker 1: moment said Holmes, are you sure about this whistle and
17:14
Speaker 1: metallic sound? Could you swear to it? That is what
17:18
Speaker 1: the county coroner asked me at the inquiry. It is
17:21
Speaker 1: my strong impression that I heard it, and yet among
17:24
Speaker 1: the crash of the gale and the creaking of an
17:26
Speaker 1: old house, I may possibly have been deceived. Was your
17:31
Speaker 1: sister dressed? No, she was in her night dress. In
17:35
Speaker 1: her right hand was found the child's stump of a match,
17:38
Speaker 1: and in her left a match box, showing that she
17:41
Speaker 1: had struck a light and looked about her when the
17:43
Speaker 1: alarm took place. That is important and what conclusion did
17:48
Speaker 1: the coroner come to. He investigated the case with great
17:52
Speaker 1: care for Doctor Roylett's conduct has long been notorious in
17:55
Speaker 1: the county, but he was unable to find any satisfactory
17:59
Speaker 1: cause of death. My evidence showed that the door had
18:02
Speaker 1: been fastened upon the inner side, and the windows were
18:06
Speaker 1: blocked by old fashioned shutters with broad iron bars, which
18:09
Speaker 1: were secured every night. The walls were carefully sounded and
18:14
Speaker 1: were shown to be quite solid or round, and the
18:17
Speaker 1: flooring was also thoroughly examined, with the same result. The
18:21
Speaker 1: chimney is wide, but is barred up by four large staples.
18:25
Speaker 1: It is certain, therefore, that my sister was quite alone
18:28
Speaker 1: when she met her end. Besides, there were no marks
18:31
Speaker 1: of any violence upon her. How about poison? The doctors
18:35
Speaker 1: examined her for it, but without success. What do you
18:39
Speaker 1: think that this unfortunate lady died of? Then? It is
18:42
Speaker 1: my belief that she died of pure fear and nervous shock.
18:46
Speaker 1: Though what it was which frightened her I cannot imagine.
18:50
Speaker 1: Were there gypsies in the plantation at the time, Yes,
18:53
Speaker 1: there are nearly always some there. Ah, And what did
18:57
Speaker 1: you gather from this allusion to a bad and is
19:01
Speaker 1: speckled band. Sometimes I have thought that it was merely
19:05
Speaker 1: the wild talk of delirium, Sometimes that it may have
19:08
Speaker 1: referred to some band of people, perhaps to these very
19:12
Speaker 1: gypsies in the plantation. I do not know whether these
19:16
Speaker 1: spotted handkerchiefs which so many of them wear over their heads,
19:19
Speaker 1: might have suggested the strange adjective which she used. Holmes
19:24
Speaker 1: shook his head like a man who is far from
19:26
Speaker 1: being satisfied. These are very deep waters, said he pray,
19:32
Speaker 1: go on with your narrative. Two years have passed since then,
19:37
Speaker 1: and my life has been until lately lonelier than ever.
19:41
Speaker 1: A month ago. However, a dear friend whom I have
19:44
Speaker 1: known for many years has done me the honor to
19:46
Speaker 1: ask my hand in marriage. His name is Armitage, Percy Armitage,
19:52
Speaker 1: the second son of mister Armitage of Crane Water, near Reading.
19:56
Speaker 1: My stepfather has offered no opposition to the match, and
20:00
Speaker 1: we are to be married in the course of the spring.
20:03
Speaker 1: Two days ago some repairs were started in the west
20:06
Speaker 1: wing of the building, and my bedroom wall has been pierced,
20:10
Speaker 1: so that I have had to move into the chamber
20:12
Speaker 1: in which my sister died, and to sleep in the
20:15
Speaker 1: very bed in which she slept. Imagine then, my thrill
20:19
Speaker 1: of terror when last night, as I lay awake, thinking
20:22
Speaker 1: over her terrible fate, I suddenly heard in the silence
20:25
Speaker 1: of the night the low whistle, which had been the
20:27
Speaker 1: herald of her own death. I sprang up and lit
20:31
Speaker 1: the lamp, but nothing was to be seen in the room.
20:34
Speaker 1: I was too shaken to go to bed again, however,
20:36
Speaker 1: so I dressed, and as soon as it was daylight,
20:39
Speaker 1: I slipped down, got a dog cart at the Crown Inn,
20:42
Speaker 1: which is opposite, and drove to Leatherhead. From whence I
20:46
Speaker 1: have come on this morning with the one object of
20:48
Speaker 1: seeing you and asking your advice. You have done wisely,
20:53
Speaker 1: said my friend. But have you told me all? Yes, all,
20:58
Speaker 1: miss Roylott, you have not. You are screening your stepfather.
21:03
Speaker 1: Why what do you mean for answer? Holmes pushed back
21:06
Speaker 1: the frill of black lace which fringed the hand that
21:09
Speaker 1: lay upon our visitor's knee. Five little livid spots, the
21:14
Speaker 1: marks of four fingers and a thumb were printed upon
21:17
Speaker 1: the white wrist. You have been cruelly used, said Holmes.
21:22
Speaker 1: The lady colored deeply and covered over her injured wrist.
21:26
Speaker 1: He is a hard man, she said, and perhaps he
21:29
Speaker 1: hardly knows his own strength. There was a long silence,
21:33
Speaker 1: during which Holmes leaned his chin upon his hands and
21:35
Speaker 1: stared into the crackling fire. This is a very deep business,
21:40
Speaker 1: he said, at last. There are a thousand details which
21:44
Speaker 1: I should desire to know before I decide upon our
21:46
Speaker 1: course of action. Yet we have not a moment to lose.
21:50
Speaker 1: If we were to come to Stoke Moran to day,
21:53
Speaker 1: would it be possible for us to see over these
21:55
Speaker 1: rooms without the knowledge of your stepfather? As it happens,
21:58
Speaker 1: he spoke of coming into time to day upon some
22:01
Speaker 1: most important business. It is probable that he will be
22:04
Speaker 1: away all day, and that there would be nothing to
22:07
Speaker 1: disturb you. We have a housekeeper now, but she is
22:11
Speaker 1: old and foolish, and I could easily get her out
22:14
Speaker 1: of the way. Excellent, You are not averse to this trip, Watson?
22:19
Speaker 1: By no means, then we shall both come. What are
22:23
Speaker 1: you going to do yourself? I have one or two
22:25
Speaker 1: things which I would wish to do now that I
22:27
Speaker 1: am in town. But I shall return by the twelve
22:30
Speaker 1: o'clock train, so as to be there in time for
22:32
Speaker 1: your coming, and you may expect us early in the afternoon.
22:37
Speaker 1: I have myself some small business matters to attend to.
22:40
Speaker 1: Will you not wait and breakfast? No, I must go.
22:44
Speaker 1: My heart is lightened already since I have confided my
22:46
Speaker 1: trouble to you. I shall look forward to seeing you
22:49
Speaker 1: again this afternoon. She dropped her thick black veil over
22:53
Speaker 1: her face and glided from the room. And what do
22:58
Speaker 1: you think of it all, Watson us s Sherlock Holmes,
23:01
Speaker 1: leaning back in his chair. It seems to me to
23:03
Speaker 1: be a most dark and sinister business. Dark enough and
23:06
Speaker 1: sinister enough. Yet, if the lady is correct in saying
23:10
Speaker 1: that the floor and walls are sound, and that the door,
23:14
Speaker 1: window and chimney are impassable. Then her sister must have
23:18
Speaker 1: been undoubtedly alone when she met her mysterious end. What
23:22
Speaker 1: becomes then, of these nocturnal whistles, and what of the
23:25
Speaker 1: very peculiar words of the dying woman? I cannot think
23:30
Speaker 1: when you combine the ideas of whistles at night, the
23:33
Speaker 1: presence of a band of gypsies who are on intimate
23:36
Speaker 1: terms with this old doctor, the fact we have every
23:39
Speaker 1: reason to believe that the doctor has an interest in
23:42
Speaker 1: preventing his step daughter's marriage, the dying allusion to a band,
23:47
Speaker 1: and finally, the fact that miss Helen Stoner heard a
23:50
Speaker 1: metallic clang which might have been caused by one of
23:53
Speaker 1: those metal bars which secured the shutters falling back into
23:57
Speaker 1: their place. I think there is good ground to think
24:00
Speaker 1: that the mystery may be cleared along those lines. But
24:05
Speaker 1: what then did the gypsies do? I cannot imagine. I
24:09
Speaker 1: see many objections to any such a theory, and so
24:12
Speaker 1: do I. It is precisely for that reason that we
24:15
Speaker 1: are going to Stoke Moran this day. I want to
24:18
Speaker 1: see whether the objections are fatal, or if they may
24:21
Speaker 1: be explained away. But what in the name of the
24:24
Speaker 1: devil the ejaculation had been drawn from my companion by
24:28
Speaker 1: the fact that our door had been suddenly dashed open,
24:32
Speaker 1: and that a huge man framed himself in the aperture.
24:36
Speaker 1: His costume was a peculiar mixture of the professional and
24:39
Speaker 1: of the agricultural, having a black top hat, a long
24:43
Speaker 1: frock coat, and a pair of high gaiters, with a
24:46
Speaker 1: hunting crop swinging in his hand. So tall was he
24:50
Speaker 1: that his hat actually brushed the crossbar of the doorway,
24:53
Speaker 1: and his breadth seemed to span it across from side
24:56
Speaker 1: to side. A large face seared with a thousand wrinkles,
25:00
Speaker 1: burned yellow with the sun and marked with every evil passion,
25:04
Speaker 1: was turned from one to the other of us, while
25:07
Speaker 1: his deep set, bile shot eyes and the high, thin,
25:10
Speaker 1: fleshless nose gave him somewhat the resemblance to a fierce
25:14
Speaker 1: old bird of prey. Which of you is? Holmes asked
25:18
Speaker 1: this apparition. My name, sir, But you have the advantage
25:21
Speaker 1: of me, said my companion quietly. I am Doctor grimesby
25:26
Speaker 1: Roylot of Stoke, Moran. Indeed, doctor, said Holmes, blandly, pray
25:31
Speaker 1: take a seat. I will do nothing of the kind.
25:34
Speaker 1: My stepdaughter has been here. I have traced her. What
25:37
Speaker 1: has she been saying to you? It is a little
25:39
Speaker 1: cold for the time of year, said Holmes. What has
25:42
Speaker 1: she been saying to you? Screamed the old man furiously.
25:47
Speaker 1: But I have heard that the crocuses promise well, continued
25:50
Speaker 1: my companion, imperturbably. Ah you put me off, do you,
25:54
Speaker 1: said our new visitor, taking a step forward and shaking
25:58
Speaker 1: his hunting crop. I know you, yes, scoundrel, I've heard
26:01
Speaker 1: of you before. You are Holmes, the meddler, my friend,
26:04
Speaker 1: smiled Holmes, the busy buddy. His smile broadened, Holmes, the
26:10
Speaker 1: Scotland yard jack in office. Holmes chuckled heartily. Your conversation
26:16
Speaker 1: is most entertaining, said he. When you go out, close
26:20
Speaker 1: the door, for there is a decided draft. I will
26:24
Speaker 1: go when I have had my say. Don't you dare
26:26
Speaker 1: to meddle with my affairs. I know that miss Stoner
26:29
Speaker 1: has been here. I traced her. I am a dangerous
26:33
Speaker 1: man to fall foul of. See here, he stepped swiftly forward,
26:39
Speaker 1: seized the poker and bent it into a curve with
26:42
Speaker 1: his huge brown hands. See that you'll keep yourself out
26:46
Speaker 1: of my grip. He snarled, and hurling the twisted poker
26:50
Speaker 1: into the fireplace, he strode out of the room. He
26:53
Speaker 1: seems a very amiable person, said Holmes, laughing. I am
26:57
Speaker 1: not quite so bulky. But if he had remained, I
27:01
Speaker 1: might have shown him that my grip was not much
27:03
Speaker 1: more feeble than his own. As he spoke, he picked
27:07
Speaker 1: up the steel poker and with a sudden effort, straightened
27:10
Speaker 1: it out again. Fancy his having the insolence to confound
27:14
Speaker 1: me with the official detective force. This incident gives zest
27:19
Speaker 1: to our investigation, however, and I only trust that our
27:23
Speaker 1: little friend will not suffer from her imprudence in allowing
27:26
Speaker 1: this brute to trace her. And now, Watson, we shall
27:30
Speaker 1: order breakfast, and afterwards I shall walk down to Doctor's Commons,
27:34
Speaker 1: where I hope to get some datail which may help
27:37
Speaker 1: us in this matter. It was nearly one o'clock when
27:42
Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes returned from his excursion. He held in his
27:45
Speaker 1: hand a sheet of blue paper scrawled over with notes
27:48
Speaker 1: and figures. I have seen the will of the deceased wife,
27:52
Speaker 1: said he to determine its exact meaning. I have been
27:56
Speaker 1: obliged to work out the present prices of the investments
27:59
Speaker 1: with which it is concerned. The total income, which at
28:03
Speaker 1: the time of the wife's death was little short of
28:05
Speaker 1: one thousand, one hundred pounds, is now, through the fall
28:08
Speaker 1: in agricultural prices, not more than seven hundred and fifty pounds.
28:13
Speaker 1: Each daughter can claim an income of two hundred and
28:15
Speaker 1: fifty pounds in case of marriage. It is evident therefore,
28:19
Speaker 1: that if both girls had married, this beauty would have
28:23
Speaker 1: had a mere pittance, while even one of them would
28:26
Speaker 1: cripple him to a serious extent. My morning's work has
28:29
Speaker 1: not been wasted, since it has proved that he has
28:32
Speaker 1: the very strongest motives for standing in the way of
28:35
Speaker 1: anything of the sort. And now, Watson, this is too
28:38
Speaker 1: serious for dawdling, especially as the old man is aware
28:42
Speaker 1: that we are interesting ourselves in his affairs. So if
28:45
Speaker 1: you are ready, we shall call a cab and drive
28:48
Speaker 1: to Waterloo. I should be very much obliged if you
28:51
Speaker 1: would slip your revolver into your pocket. And Eli's number
28:55
Speaker 1: two is an excellent argument with gentlemen who can twist
28:59
Speaker 1: steel pokers into knots. That and tooth brush are I
29:03
Speaker 1: think all that we need at Waterloo? We were fortunate
29:08
Speaker 1: in catching a train for Leatherhead, where we hired a
29:11
Speaker 1: trap the station inn, and drove for four or five
29:14
Speaker 1: miles through the lovely Surrey lanes. It was a perfect day,
29:18
Speaker 1: with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in
29:20
Speaker 1: the heaven. The trees and wayside hedges were just throwing
29:24
Speaker 1: out their green shoots, and the air was full of
29:26
Speaker 1: the pleasant smell of the moist earth. To me, at least,
29:30
Speaker 1: there was a strange contrast between the sweet promise of
29:32
Speaker 1: the spring and this sinister quest upon which we were engaged.
29:37
Speaker 1: My companion sat in the front of the trap, his
29:40
Speaker 1: arms folded, his hat pulled down over his eyes, and
29:43
Speaker 1: his chin sunk upon his breast, buried in the deepest thought. Suddenly, however,
29:48
Speaker 1: he started, tapped me on the shoulder and pointed over
29:51
Speaker 1: the meadows. Look there, said he, a heavy timbered park
29:55
Speaker 1: stretched up in a gentle slope, thickened into a grove
29:59
Speaker 1: at the highest from amidst the branches, there jutted out
30:03
Speaker 1: the gray gables and high roof tree of a very
30:06
Speaker 1: old mansion. Stoke Moran said he, yes, sir, that be
30:11
Speaker 1: the house of Doctor grimesby Roylot remarked the driver. There
30:15
Speaker 1: is some building going on over there, said Holmes. That
30:18
Speaker 1: is where we are going. There's the village, said the driver,
30:23
Speaker 1: pointing to a cluster of roofs some distance to the left.
30:26
Speaker 1: But if you want to get to the house, you'll
30:28
Speaker 1: find it shorter to go over this stile, and sold
30:30
Speaker 1: by the footpath over the fields. There. It is where
30:34
Speaker 1: the lady is walking, and the lady I fancy is
30:37
Speaker 1: miss Stoner, observed Holmes, shading his eyes. Yes, I think
30:41
Speaker 1: we had better do as you suggest. We got off,
30:45
Speaker 1: paid our fare, and the trap rattled back on its
30:48
Speaker 1: way to Leatherhead. I thought it as well, said Holmes,
30:51
Speaker 1: as we climbed the stile, that this fellow should think
30:54
Speaker 1: we had come here as architects or on some definite business.
30:58
Speaker 1: It may stop his gossip. Good afternoon, miss Stoner. You
31:02
Speaker 1: see that we have been as good as our word.
31:05
Speaker 1: Our client of the morning had hurried forward to meet
31:07
Speaker 1: us with a face which spoke her joy. I have
31:10
Speaker 1: been waiting so eagerly for you, she cried, shaking hands
31:13
Speaker 1: with us warmly. All has turned out splendidly. Doctor Roylett
31:17
Speaker 1: has gone to town, and it is unlikely that he
31:19
Speaker 1: will be back before evening. We have had the pleasure
31:22
Speaker 1: of making the doctor's acquaintance, said Holmes, and in a
31:26
Speaker 1: few words he sketched out what had occurred. Miss Stoner
31:29
Speaker 1: turned white to the lips as she listened. Good Heavens,
31:32
Speaker 1: she cried, he has followed me. Then, so it appears
31:36
Speaker 1: he is so cunning that I never know when I
31:38
Speaker 1: am safe from him? What will he say when he returns?
31:43
Speaker 1: He must guard himself, for he may find that there
31:45
Speaker 1: is some one more cunning than himself upon his track.
31:49
Speaker 1: You must lock yourself from him to night. If he
31:51
Speaker 1: is violent, we shall take you away to your aunt's
31:54
Speaker 1: at Harrow. Now we must make the best use of
31:57
Speaker 1: our time, so kindly take us at once to the
31:59
Speaker 1: rooms which we are to examine. The building was of
32:03
Speaker 1: gray lichen blotched stone, with a high central portion and
32:08
Speaker 1: two curving wings, like the claws of a crab, thrown
32:11
Speaker 1: out on each side. In one of these wings, the
32:14
Speaker 1: windows were broken and blocked with wooden boards, while the
32:17
Speaker 1: roof was partly caved in a picture of ruin. The
32:21
Speaker 1: central portion was in little better repair, but the right
32:25
Speaker 1: hand block was comparatively modern, and the blinds in the windows,
32:29
Speaker 1: with the blue smoke curling up from the chimneys, showed
32:32
Speaker 1: that this was where the family resided. Some scaffolding had
32:35
Speaker 1: been erected against the end wall, and the stone work
32:38
Speaker 1: had been broken into, but there were no signs of
32:41
Speaker 1: any workmen at the moment of our visit. Homes walked
32:45
Speaker 1: slowly up and down the ill trimmed lawn and examined
32:48
Speaker 1: with deeper tension the outsides of the windows. This, I
32:52
Speaker 1: take it belongs to the room in which you used
32:54
Speaker 1: to sleep, the center one to your sisters, and the
32:57
Speaker 1: one next to the main building to doctor royd Lot's chamber.
33:01
Speaker 1: Exactly so. But I am now sleeping in the middle one,
33:05
Speaker 1: pending the alterations. As I understand by the way, there
33:09
Speaker 1: does not seem to be any very pressing need for
33:11
Speaker 1: repairs at that end wall. There were none. I believe
33:15
Speaker 1: that it was an excuse to move me from my room. Ah,
33:18
Speaker 1: that is suggestive. Now on the other side of this
33:21
Speaker 1: narrow wing runs the corridor from which these three rooms open.
33:25
Speaker 1: There are windows in it, of course, yes, but very
33:29
Speaker 1: small ones, too narrow for anyone to pass through. As
33:33
Speaker 1: you both locked your doors at night, your rooms were
33:35
Speaker 1: unapproachable from that side. Now, would you have the kindness
33:39
Speaker 1: to go into your room and to buy your shutters.
33:42
Speaker 1: Miss Stoner did so, and homes after a careful examination
33:45
Speaker 1: through the open window, endeavored in every way to force
33:48
Speaker 1: the shutter open, but without success. There was no slit
33:53
Speaker 1: through which a knife could be passed to raise the bar. Then,
33:57
Speaker 1: with his lens he tested the hinges, but they were
34:00
Speaker 1: of solid iron, built firmly into the massive masonry. Hum said,
34:05
Speaker 1: he scratching his chin in some perplexity. My theory certainly
34:09
Speaker 1: presents some difficulties. No one could pass these shutters if
34:13
Speaker 1: they were bolted. Well, we shall see if the inside
34:16
Speaker 1: throws any light upon the matter. A small side door
34:21
Speaker 1: led into the whitewashed corridor from which the three bedrooms opened.
34:25
Speaker 1: Holmes refused to examine the third chamber, so we passed
34:28
Speaker 1: at once to the second, that in which miss Stoner
34:32
Speaker 1: was now sleeping, and in which her sister had met
34:35
Speaker 1: her fate. It was a homely little room, with a
34:39
Speaker 1: low ceiling and a gaping fireplace, after the fashion of
34:42
Speaker 1: old country houses. A brown chest of drawers stood in
34:45
Speaker 1: one corner, a narrow, white counterpaned bed in another. And
34:50
Speaker 1: a dressing table on the left hand side of the window.
34:53
Speaker 1: These articles, with two small wicker work chairs, made up
34:56
Speaker 1: all the furniture in the room save for a square
34:59
Speaker 1: ofilton carpet in the center. The boards round and the
35:04
Speaker 1: paneling of the walls were brown, worm eaten oak, so
35:08
Speaker 1: old and discolored that it may have dated from the
35:10
Speaker 1: original building of the house. Holmes drew one of the
35:14
Speaker 1: chairs into a corner and sat silent while his eyes
35:18
Speaker 1: traveled round and round and up and down, taking in
35:22
Speaker 1: every detail of the apartment. Where does that bell communicate with?
35:28
Speaker 1: He asked at last, pointing to a thick bell rope
35:31
Speaker 1: which hung down beside the bed, the tassel actually lying
35:34
Speaker 1: upon the pillow. It goes to the housekeeper's room. It
35:38
Speaker 1: looks newer than the other things. Yes, it was only
35:41
Speaker 1: put there a couple of years ago. Your sister asked
35:44
Speaker 1: for it, I suppose, No, I never heard of her
35:48
Speaker 1: using it. We used always to get what we wanted
35:51
Speaker 1: for ourselves. Indeed, it seems unnecessary to put so nice
35:56
Speaker 1: a bell pool there. You will excuse me for a
35:59
Speaker 1: few minutes while I sat by myself as to this floor.
36:03
Speaker 1: He threw himself down upon his face with his lens
36:05
Speaker 1: in his hand, and crawled swiftly backwards and forwards, examining
36:09
Speaker 1: minuclear cracks between the boards. Then he did the same
36:13
Speaker 1: with the woodwork with which the chamber was paneled. Finally
36:17
Speaker 1: he walked over to the bed and spent some time
36:19
Speaker 1: in staring at it and running his eye up and
36:22
Speaker 1: down the wall. Finally he took the bell rope in
36:25
Speaker 1: his hand and gave it a brisk tug. Why it's
36:28
Speaker 1: a dummy, said he won't it ring. No, it is
36:32
Speaker 1: not even attached to a wire. This is very interesting.
36:36
Speaker 1: You can see now that it is fastened to a
36:38
Speaker 1: hook just above where the little opening of the ventilator is.
36:42
Speaker 1: How very absurd I never noticed that before, very strange,
36:48
Speaker 1: muttered Holmes, pulling at the rope. There are one or
36:51
Speaker 1: two very singular points about this room. For example, what
36:55
Speaker 1: a fool a builder must be to open a ventilator
36:57
Speaker 1: into another room when with the same trouble he might
37:01
Speaker 1: have communicated with the outside air. That is also quite modern,
37:06
Speaker 1: said the lady, done about the same time as the
37:09
Speaker 1: bell rope, remarked Holmes. Yes, there were several little changes
37:13
Speaker 1: carried out about that time. They seem to have been
37:16
Speaker 1: of a most interesting character. Dummy bell ropes and ventilators
37:20
Speaker 1: which do not ventilate. With your permission, miss Stoner, we
37:24
Speaker 1: shall now carry our researches into the inner apartment. Doctor
37:29
Speaker 1: Grimesby Roylott's chamber was larger than that of his stepdaughter,
37:33
Speaker 1: but was plainly furnished. A camp bed, a small wooden
37:38
Speaker 1: shelf full of books, mostly of a technical character, an
37:42
Speaker 1: arm chair beside the bed, a plain wooden chair against
37:45
Speaker 1: the wall, a round table, and a large iron safe
37:50
Speaker 1: were the principal things which met the eye. Holmes walked
37:54
Speaker 1: slowly round and examined each and all of them with
37:56
Speaker 1: the keenest interest. What's in here, he asked, tapping the safe.
38:01
Speaker 1: My stepfather's business papers. Oh you have seen inside then,
38:06
Speaker 1: only once, some years ago. I remember that it was
38:09
Speaker 1: full of papers. There isn't a cat in it, for example, No,
38:15
Speaker 1: what a strange idea. Well look at this. He took
38:19
Speaker 1: up a small saucer of milk, which stood on the
38:21
Speaker 1: top of it. No, we don't keep a cat, but
38:25
Speaker 1: there is a cheater and a baboon. Ah. Yes, of course,
38:29
Speaker 1: Well a cheater is just a big cat, and yet
38:32
Speaker 1: a saucer of milk does not go very far in
38:35
Speaker 1: satisfying its wants. I dare say there is one point
38:38
Speaker 1: which I should wish to determine. He squatted down in
38:42
Speaker 1: front of the wooden chair and examined the seat of
38:45
Speaker 1: it with the greatest attention. Thank you, that is quite settled,
38:49
Speaker 1: said he, rising and putting his lens in his pocket. Hello,
38:53
Speaker 1: here is something interesting. The object which had caught his
38:56
Speaker 1: eye was a small dog lash hung upon one corner
38:59
Speaker 1: of the bed. The lash, however, was curled upon itself
39:04
Speaker 1: and tied so as to make a loop of whipcord.
39:07
Speaker 1: What do you make of that, Watson? It's a common
39:10
Speaker 1: enough lash, but I don't know why it should be tied.
39:14
Speaker 1: That is not quite so common, is it, ah me.
39:17
Speaker 1: It's a wicked world, and when a clever man turns
39:20
Speaker 1: his brain to crime, it is the worst of all.
39:24
Speaker 1: I think that I have seen enough now, miss Stoner,
39:25
Speaker 1: and with your permission, we shall walk out upon the lawn.
39:30
Speaker 1: I had never seen my friend's face so grim, or
39:32
Speaker 1: his brow so dark as it was when we turn
39:35
Speaker 1: from the scene of this investigation. We had walked several
39:39
Speaker 1: times up and down the lawn, neither Miss Stoner nor
39:41
Speaker 1: myself liking to break in upon his thoughts before he
39:44
Speaker 1: roused himself from his reverie. It is very essential, miss Stoner,
39:48
Speaker 1: said he that you should absolutely follow my advice in
39:52
Speaker 1: every respect. I shall most certainly do so. The matter
39:56
Speaker 1: is too serious for any hesitation. Your life may depend
39:59
Speaker 1: upon on your compliance. I assure you that I am
40:02
Speaker 1: in your hands. In the first place. Both my friend
40:06
Speaker 1: and I must spend the night in your room. Both
40:09
Speaker 1: Miss Stoner and I gazed at him in astonishment. Yes,
40:12
Speaker 1: it must be so. Let me explain. I believe that
40:16
Speaker 1: that is the village in over there. Yes, that is
40:19
Speaker 1: the crown. Very good, your windows would be visible from there. Certainly,
40:25
Speaker 1: you must confine yourself to your room on pretense of
40:28
Speaker 1: a headache when your stepfather comes back. Then, when you
40:32
Speaker 1: hear him retire for the night, you must open the
40:34
Speaker 1: shutters of your window, undo the husp, put your lamp
40:37
Speaker 1: there as a signal to us, and then withdraw with
40:40
Speaker 1: everything which you are likely to want into the room
40:43
Speaker 1: which you used to occupy. I have no doubt that,
40:46
Speaker 1: in spite of the repairs, you could manage there for
40:49
Speaker 1: one night. Oh, yes, easily. The rest you will leave
40:52
Speaker 1: in our hands, But what will you do? We shall
40:56
Speaker 1: spend the night in your room, and we shall investigate
40:59
Speaker 1: the cause of this which has disturbed you. I believe,
41:03
Speaker 1: mister Holmes, that you have already made up your mind,
41:05
Speaker 1: said Miss Stoner, laying her hand upon my companion's sleeve.
41:09
Speaker 1: Perhaps I have, then, for pity's sake, tell me what
41:13
Speaker 1: was the cause of my sister's death. I should prefer
41:16
Speaker 1: to have clearer proofs before I speak. You can at
41:19
Speaker 1: least tell me whether my own thought is correct, and
41:22
Speaker 1: if she died from sudden fright, No, I do not
41:25
Speaker 1: think so. I think that there was probably some more
41:27
Speaker 1: tangible cause. And now Miss Stoner, we must leave you,
41:32
Speaker 1: for if doctor Roylart returned and saw us, our journey
41:35
Speaker 1: would be in vain. Good Bye, and be brave, for
41:39
Speaker 1: if you will do what I have told you, you
41:41
Speaker 1: may rest assured that we shall soon drive away the
41:43
Speaker 1: dangers that threaten you. Sherlock Holmes and I had no
41:49
Speaker 1: difficulty in engaging a bedroom and sitting room at the
41:52
Speaker 1: Crown Inn. They were on the upper floor, and from
41:56
Speaker 1: our window we could command a view of the avenue
41:58
Speaker 1: gate and of the inhabited wing of Stoke Moran Manor House.
42:03
Speaker 1: At dusk we saw Doctor grimesby roylot drive past, his
42:07
Speaker 1: huge form looming up beside the little figure of the
42:10
Speaker 1: lad who drove him. The boy had some slight difficulty
42:13
Speaker 1: in undoing the heavy iron gates, and we heard the
42:17
Speaker 1: horse roar of the doctor's voice, and saw the fury
42:20
Speaker 1: with which he shook his clenched fists at him. The
42:23
Speaker 1: trap drove on, and a few minutes later we saw
42:26
Speaker 1: a sudden light spring up among the trees as the
42:29
Speaker 1: lamp was lit in one of the sitting rooms. Do
42:32
Speaker 1: you know Watson? Said Holmes, as we sat together in
42:35
Speaker 1: the gathering darkness. I have really some scruples as to
42:39
Speaker 1: taking you to night. There is a distinct element of danger.
42:43
Speaker 1: Can I be of assistance? Your presence might be invaluable?
42:47
Speaker 1: Then I shall certainly come. It is very kind of
42:50
Speaker 1: you you speak of danger. You have evidently seen more
42:54
Speaker 1: in these rooms than was visible to me. No, but
42:56
Speaker 1: I fancy that I may have deduced a little more.
43:00
Speaker 1: I imagine that you saw all that I did. I
43:03
Speaker 1: saw nothing remarkable save the bell rope. And what purpose
43:07
Speaker 1: that could answer, I confess, is more than I can
43:09
Speaker 1: imagine you saw the ventilator too. Yes, but I do
43:14
Speaker 1: not think that it is a very unusual thing to
43:16
Speaker 1: have a small opening between two rooms. It was so
43:20
Speaker 1: small that a rat could hardly pass through. I knew
43:23
Speaker 1: that we should find a ventilator before ever we came
43:25
Speaker 1: to Stoke Moran, My dear Holmes, Oh, yes, I did
43:30
Speaker 1: you remember in her statement she said that her sister
43:33
Speaker 1: could smell doctor Roylot's cigar. Now, of course that suggests
43:37
Speaker 1: at once that there must be a communication between the
43:40
Speaker 1: two rooms. It could only be a small one, or
43:43
Speaker 1: it would have been remarked upon at the coroner's inquiry.
43:47
Speaker 1: I deduced a ventilator. But what harm can there be
43:51
Speaker 1: in that? Well? There is at least a curious coincidence
43:55
Speaker 1: of dates. A ventilator is made, a cord is hung,
43:59
Speaker 1: and a lady who sleeps in the bed dies. Does
44:02
Speaker 1: not that strike you? I cannot as yet see any connection.
44:06
Speaker 1: Did you observe anything very peculiar about that bed? No,
44:11
Speaker 1: it was clamped to the floor. Did you ever see
44:13
Speaker 1: a bed fastened like that before? I cannot say that
44:17
Speaker 1: I have. The lady could not move her bed. It
44:21
Speaker 1: must always be in the same relative position to the
44:24
Speaker 1: ventilator and to the rope, for so we may call it,
44:27
Speaker 1: since it was clearly never meant for a bell pull, Holmes,
44:31
Speaker 1: I cried, I seem to see dimly what you are
44:33
Speaker 1: hitting at. We are only just in time to prevent
44:36
Speaker 1: some subtle and horrible crime. Subtle enough and horrible enough.
44:42
Speaker 1: When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first
44:45
Speaker 1: of criminals. He has nerve, and he has knowledge. Palmer
44:51
Speaker 1: and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession. This
44:55
Speaker 1: man strikes even deeper. But I think, Watson, that we
44:58
Speaker 1: shall be able to strike evin deeper still. But we
45:02
Speaker 1: shall have horrors enough before the night is over. For
45:05
Speaker 1: goodness sake, let us have a quiet pipe and turn
45:08
Speaker 1: our minds for a few hours to something more cheerful.
45:15
Speaker 1: About nine o'clock the light among the trees was extinguished,
45:19
Speaker 1: and all was dark in the direction of the manor house.
45:23
Speaker 1: Two hours passed slowly away, and then suddenly, just at
45:26
Speaker 1: the stroke of eleven, a single bright light shone out
45:29
Speaker 1: right in front of us. That is our signal, said Holmes,
45:32
Speaker 1: springing to his feet. It comes from the middle window.
45:36
Speaker 1: As we passed out, he exchanged a few words with
45:38
Speaker 1: the landlord, explaining that we were going on a late
45:41
Speaker 1: visit to an acquaintance, and that it was possible that
45:44
Speaker 1: we might spend the night there. A moment later we
45:48
Speaker 1: were out on the dark road, a chill wind blowing
45:50
Speaker 1: in our faces, and one yellow light twinkling in front
45:53
Speaker 1: of us through the gloom to guide us on our
45:55
Speaker 1: somber errand there was little difficulty in entering the grounds,
46:00
Speaker 1: for unrepaired breeches gaped in the old park wall. Making
46:04
Speaker 1: our way among the trees, we reached the lawn, crossed it,
46:07
Speaker 1: and were about to enter through the window, when out
46:10
Speaker 1: from a clump of laurel bushes, there darted what seemed
46:13
Speaker 1: to be a hideous and distorted child, who threw itself
46:16
Speaker 1: on the grass with writhing limbs, and then ran swiftly
46:19
Speaker 1: across the lawn into the darkness. My god, I whispered,
46:22
Speaker 1: did you see it? Holmes was for a minute as
46:25
Speaker 1: startled as I. His hand closed like a vice upon
46:29
Speaker 1: my wrist in his agitation. Then he broke into a
46:32
Speaker 1: low laugh and put his lips to my ear. It
46:35
Speaker 1: is a nice household, he murmured. That is the baboon.
46:41
Speaker 1: I had forgotten the strange pets which the doctor affected.
46:45
Speaker 1: There was a cheetah too, Perhaps we might find it
46:49
Speaker 1: upon our shoulders at any moment. I confess that I
46:53
Speaker 1: felt easier in my mind when, after following Holmes's example
46:56
Speaker 1: and slipping off my shoes, I found myself inside the bedroom.
47:01
Speaker 1: My companion noiselessly closed the shutters, moved the lamp on
47:05
Speaker 1: to the table, and cast his eyes round the room.
47:09
Speaker 1: All was as we had seen it in the daytime. Then,
47:13
Speaker 1: creeping up to me and making a trumpet of his hand,
47:16
Speaker 1: he whispered into my ear again, so gently that it
47:19
Speaker 1: was all that I could do to distinguish the words.
47:22
Speaker 1: The least sound would be fatal to our plans. I
47:27
Speaker 1: nodded to show that I had heard. We must sit
47:30
Speaker 1: without a light. He would see it through the ventilator.
47:35
Speaker 1: I noded again, Do not go to sleep. Your very
47:39
Speaker 1: life may depend upon it. Have your pistol ready in
47:42
Speaker 1: case we should need it. I will sit on the
47:45
Speaker 1: side of the bed and you in the chair. I
47:48
Speaker 1: took out my revolver and laid it on the corner
47:50
Speaker 1: of the table. Holmes had brought up a long, thin cane,
47:55
Speaker 1: and this he placed upon the bed beside him. By it,
47:59
Speaker 1: he laid the box of men and the stump of
48:01
Speaker 1: a candle. Then he turned down the lamp, and we
48:05
Speaker 1: were left in darkness. How shall I ever forget that
48:10
Speaker 1: dreadful vigil. I could not hear a sound, not even
48:15
Speaker 1: the drawing of a breath, and yet I knew that
48:17
Speaker 1: my companion sat open eyed, within a few feet of me,
48:20
Speaker 1: in the same state of nervous tension in which I
48:23
Speaker 1: was myself. The shutters cut off the least ray of light,
48:28
Speaker 1: and we waited in absolute darkness. From outside came the
48:32
Speaker 1: occasional cry of a night bird, and once at our
48:36
Speaker 1: very window, a long, drawn cat like wine, which told
48:41
Speaker 1: us that the cheatah was indeed at lippity. Far away,
48:45
Speaker 1: we could hear the deep tones of the parish clock,
48:47
Speaker 1: which boomed out every quarter of an hour. How long
48:51
Speaker 1: they seemed those quarters twelve o'clock and one, and two
48:58
Speaker 1: and three. And still we sat, waiting silently for whatever
49:03
Speaker 1: might befall. Suddenly there was a momentary gleam of a
49:08
Speaker 1: light up in the direction of the ventilator, which vanished immediately,
49:12
Speaker 1: but was succeeded by a strong smell of burning oil
49:15
Speaker 1: and heated metal. Some one in the next room had
49:19
Speaker 1: lit a dark lantern. I heard a gentle sound of movement,
49:23
Speaker 1: and then all was silent once more, though the smell
49:26
Speaker 1: grew stronger. For half an hour I sat with straining ears.
49:32
Speaker 1: Then suddenly another sound became audible, a very gentle, soothing sound,
49:37
Speaker 1: like that of a small jet of steam escaping continually
49:40
Speaker 1: from a kettle. The instant that we heard it, Home
49:43
Speaker 1: sprang from the bed, struck a match, and lashed furiously
49:47
Speaker 1: with his cane at the bell. Pull You see it, Watson,
49:50
Speaker 1: he yelled, you see it, But I saw nothing. At
49:55
Speaker 1: the moment when Home struck the light, I heard a low,
49:57
Speaker 1: clear whistle, but the sudden glare flashing into my weary
50:01
Speaker 1: eyes made it impossible for me to tell what it
50:03
Speaker 1: was at which my friend lashed so savagely. I could, however,
50:07
Speaker 1: see that his face was deadly, pale and filled with
50:10
Speaker 1: horror and loathing. He had ceased to strike and was
50:14
Speaker 1: gazing up at the ventilator, when suddenly there broke from
50:18
Speaker 1: the silence of the night the most horrible cry to
50:21
Speaker 1: which I have ever listened. It swelled up louder and louder,
50:25
Speaker 1: a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger, all
50:28
Speaker 1: mingled in the one dreadful shriek. They say that away
50:32
Speaker 1: down in the village, and even in the distant parsonage,
50:35
Speaker 1: that cry raised the sleepers from their beds. It struck
50:39
Speaker 1: cold to our hearts, and I stood gazing at homes
50:42
Speaker 1: and he at me, until the last echoes of it
50:45
Speaker 1: had died away into the silence from which it rose.
50:49
Speaker 1: What can it mean, I gasped. It means that it
50:53
Speaker 1: is all over, Holmes answered, and perhaps after all it
50:58
Speaker 1: is for the best. Take your pistol and we shall
51:01
Speaker 1: enter doctor Roylott's room. With a grave face, he lit
51:05
Speaker 1: the lamp and led the way down the corridor. Twice.
51:08
Speaker 1: He struck at the chamber door without any reply from within.
51:12
Speaker 1: Then he turned the handle and entered. I at his
51:14
Speaker 1: heels with the cocked pistol in my hand. It was
51:19
Speaker 1: a singular sight which met our eyes. On the table
51:22
Speaker 1: stood a dark lantern with the shutter half open, throwing
51:25
Speaker 1: a brilliant beam of light upon the iron safe, the
51:28
Speaker 1: door of which was ajar. Beside this table, on the
51:32
Speaker 1: wooden chair sat Doctor Grimesby Roylot, clad in a long
51:36
Speaker 1: gray dressing gown. His bare ankles protruding beneath, and his
51:40
Speaker 1: feet thrust into red heel less Turkish slippers. Across his
51:45
Speaker 1: lap lay the short stalk with the long lash, which
51:49
Speaker 1: we had noticed during the day. His chin was cocked upward,
51:53
Speaker 1: and his eyes were fixed in a dreadful, rigid stare
51:56
Speaker 1: at the corner of the ceiling. Round his he had
52:01
Speaker 1: a peculiar yellow band with brownish speckles, which seemed to
52:05
Speaker 1: be bound tightly round his head. As we entered, he
52:09
Speaker 1: made neither sound nor motion. The band, the speckled band,
52:15
Speaker 1: whispered Holmes. I took a step forward. In an instant,
52:20
Speaker 1: his strange head gear began to move, and there reared
52:23
Speaker 1: itself from among his hair, the squat, diamond shaped head
52:27
Speaker 1: and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent. It was a
52:31
Speaker 1: swamp adder, cried Holmes, the deadliest snake in India. He
52:36
Speaker 1: has died within ten seconds of being bitten. Violence does,
52:40
Speaker 1: in truth recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls
52:44
Speaker 1: into the pit which he digs for another. Let us
52:48
Speaker 1: thrust this creature back into its den, and we can
52:51
Speaker 1: then remove miss Stoner to some place of shelter and
52:54
Speaker 1: let the county police know what has happened. As he spoke,
52:57
Speaker 1: he drew the dog whip swiftly from the dead man's lap,
53:00
Speaker 1: and throwing the noose round the reptile's neck, he drew
53:04
Speaker 1: it from its horrid perch, and, carrying it at arm's length,
53:08
Speaker 1: threw it into the iron safe, which he closed upon it.
53:13
Speaker 1: Such are the true facts of the death of doctor
53:15
Speaker 1: grimesby Roylot of Stoke, Moran. It is not necessary that
53:20
Speaker 1: I should prolong a narrative which has already run to
53:23
Speaker 1: too great a length by telling how we broke the
53:26
Speaker 1: sad news to the terrified girl, how we conveyed her
53:29
Speaker 1: by the morning train to the care of her good
53:31
Speaker 1: aunt at Harrow, of how the slow process of official
53:35
Speaker 1: inquiry came to the conclusion that the doctor met his
53:38
Speaker 1: fate while indiscreetly playing with a dangerous pet. The little
53:44
Speaker 1: which I had yet to learn of the case was
53:46
Speaker 1: told me by Sherlock Holmes as we traveled back next day.
53:51
Speaker 1: I had said, he come to an entirely erroneous conclusion,
53:55
Speaker 1: which shows my dear Watson, how dangerous it always is
53:58
Speaker 1: to reason from insufficient data. The presence of the gypsies
54:02
Speaker 1: and the use of the word band, which was used
54:05
Speaker 1: by the poor girl, no doubt, to explain the appearance
54:08
Speaker 1: which she had caught a horrid glimpse of by the
54:10
Speaker 1: light of her match, was sufficient to put me upon
54:13
Speaker 1: an entirely wrong scent. I can only claim the merit
54:16
Speaker 1: that I instantly reconsidered my position when, however, it became
54:19
Speaker 1: clear to me that whatever danger threatened an occupant of
54:22
Speaker 1: the room could not come either from the window or
54:25
Speaker 1: the door. My attention was speedily drawn, as I have
54:30
Speaker 1: already remarked to you, to this ventilator and to the
54:33
Speaker 1: bell rope which hung down to the bed. The discovery
54:37
Speaker 1: that this was a dummy, and that the bed was
54:39
Speaker 1: clamped to the floor instantly gave rise to the suspicion
54:42
Speaker 1: that the rope was there as a bridge for something
54:45
Speaker 1: passing through the hole and coming to the bed. The
54:49
Speaker 1: idea of a snake instantly occurred to me, and when
54:53
Speaker 1: I coupled it with my knowledge that the doctor was
54:55
Speaker 1: furnished with a supply of creatures from India, I felt
54:59
Speaker 1: that I was proper on the right track. The idea
55:02
Speaker 1: of using a form of poison which could not possibly
55:05
Speaker 1: be discovered by any chemical test was just such a
55:08
Speaker 1: one as would occur to a clever and ruthless man
55:11
Speaker 1: who had had an Eastern training. The rapidity with which
55:15
Speaker 1: such a poison would take effect would also, from his
55:18
Speaker 1: point of view, be an advantage. It would be a
55:21
Speaker 1: sharp eyed coroner, indeed, who could distinguish the two little
55:24
Speaker 1: dark punctures which would show where the poison fangs had
55:27
Speaker 1: done their work. Then I thought of the whistle. Of course,
55:32
Speaker 1: he must recall the snake before the morning light revealed
55:35
Speaker 1: it to the victim. He had trained it, probably by
55:39
Speaker 1: the use of milk, which we saw, to return to
55:42
Speaker 1: him when summoned. He would put it through the ventilator
55:45
Speaker 1: at the hour that he thought best, with the certainty
55:48
Speaker 1: that it would crawl down the rope and land on
55:51
Speaker 1: the bed. It might or might not bite the occupant.
55:55
Speaker 1: Perhaps she might escape every night for a week, but
55:59
Speaker 1: sooner or later she must fall a victim. I had
56:02
Speaker 1: come to these conclusions before ever I had entered his room.
56:06
Speaker 1: An inspection of his chair showed me that he had
56:08
Speaker 1: been in the habit of standing on it, which of
56:11
Speaker 1: course would be necessary in order that he should reach
56:14
Speaker 1: the ventilator. The sight of the safe the saucer of
56:18
Speaker 1: milk and the loop of the whipcord were enough to
56:21
Speaker 1: finally dispel any doubts which may have remained. The metallic
56:25
Speaker 1: clang heard by Miss Stoner was obviously caused by her
56:29
Speaker 1: father hastily closing the door of his safe upon its
56:32
Speaker 1: terrible occupant. Having once made up my mind, you know
56:36
Speaker 1: the steps which I took in order to put the
56:38
Speaker 1: matter to the proof. I heard the creature hiss, as
56:42
Speaker 1: I have no doubt that you did also, and I
56:44
Speaker 1: instantly lit the light and attacked it, with the result
56:48
Speaker 1: of driving it through the ventilator, and also with the
56:51
Speaker 1: result of causing it to turn upon its master. At
56:54
Speaker 1: the other side. Some of the blows of my cane
56:57
Speaker 1: came home and roused its snakish temper, so that it
57:01
Speaker 1: flew upon the first person it saw. In this way,
57:04
Speaker 1: I am no doubt indirectly responsible for doctor grimesby Roylott's death,
57:09
Speaker 1: and I cannot say that it is likely to weigh
57:11
Speaker 1: very heavily upon my conscience.