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26 The Norwood Builder from The Return of Sherlock H · Sherlock Holmes

0:01
Speaker 1: The adventure of the Norwood Builder. From the point of
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Speaker 1: view of the criminal expert, said mister Sherlock Holmes, London
0:12
Speaker 1: has become a singularly uninteresting city since the death of
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Speaker 1: the late lamented Professor Moriarty. I can hardly think that
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Speaker 1: you would find many decent citizens to agree with you,
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Speaker 1: I answered, well, well, I must not be selfish, said
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Speaker 1: he with a smile, as he pushed back his chair
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Speaker 1: from the breakfast table. The community is certainly the gainer,
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Speaker 1: and no one the loser, save the poor out of
0:37
Speaker 1: work specialist whose occupation has gone with that man in
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Speaker 1: the field. One's morning paper presented infinite possibilities. Often it
0:47
Speaker 1: was only the smallest trace, Watson, the faintest indication, and
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Speaker 1: yet it was enough to tell me that the great
0:53
Speaker 1: malignant brain was there. As the gentlest tremors of the
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Speaker 1: edges of the web reminded one of the foul spider
1:00
Speaker 1: which lurks in the center. Petty thefts, wanton assaults, purposeless
1:05
Speaker 1: outrage to the man who held the clue. All could
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Speaker 1: be worked into one connected whole to the scientific student
1:14
Speaker 1: of the higher criminal world. No capital in Europe offered
1:18
Speaker 1: the advantages which London then possessed, But now he shrugged
1:23
Speaker 1: his shoulders in humorous deprecation of the state of things
1:27
Speaker 1: which he had himself done so much to produce. At
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Speaker 1: the time of which I speak, Homes had been back
1:33
Speaker 1: for some months, and I, at his request, had sold
1:37
Speaker 1: my practice and returned to share the old quarters in
1:40
Speaker 1: Baker Street. A young doctor named Werner had purchased my
1:44
Speaker 1: small Kensington practice and given, with astonishingly little demur the
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Speaker 1: highest price that I ventured to ask, an incident which
1:52
Speaker 1: only explained itself some years later, when I found that
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Speaker 1: Werner was a distant relation of Homes, and that it
1:59
Speaker 1: was my friend who had really found the money. Our
2:03
Speaker 1: months of partnership had not been so uneventful as he
2:06
Speaker 1: had stated, for I find, on looking over my notes
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Speaker 1: that this period includes the case of the papers of
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Speaker 1: ex President Murillo, and also the shocking affair of the
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Speaker 1: Dutch steamship Friesland, which so nearly cost us both our lives.
2:22
Speaker 1: His cold and proud nature was always averse, however, from
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Speaker 1: anything in the shape of public applause, and he bound me,
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Speaker 1: in the most stringent terms, to say no further word
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Speaker 1: of himself, his methods, or his successes, a prohibition which,
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Speaker 1: as I have explained, has only now been removed. Mister
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Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes was leaning back in his chair after his
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Speaker 1: whimsical protest, and was unfolding his morning paper in a
2:49
Speaker 1: leisurely fashion when our attention was arrested by a tremendous
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Speaker 1: ring at the bell, followed immediately by a hollow, drumming sound,
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Speaker 1: as if someone were beating on the outer door with
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Speaker 1: his fist. As it opened, there came a tumultuous rush
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Speaker 1: into the hall. Rapid feet clattered up the stairs, and
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Speaker 1: an instant later, a wild eyed and frantic young man, pale,
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Speaker 1: disheveled and palpitating, burst into the room. He looked from
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Speaker 1: one to the other of us, and under our gaze
3:19
Speaker 1: of inquiry, he became conscious that some apology was needed
3:22
Speaker 1: for this unceremonious entry. I'm sorry, mister Holmes, he cried,
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Speaker 1: You mustn't blame me. I am nearly mad, mister Holmes.
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Speaker 1: I am the unhappy John Hector mac farlane. He made
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Speaker 1: the announcement as if the name alone would explain both
3:37
Speaker 1: his visit and its manner. But I could see by
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Speaker 1: my companion's unresponsive face that it meant no more to
3:43
Speaker 1: him than to me have a cigarette, mister mac Farland said,
3:47
Speaker 1: he pushing his case across. I am sure that with
3:50
Speaker 1: your symptoms, my friend doctor Watson here would prescribe a sedative.
3:56
Speaker 1: The weather has been so very warm these last few days.
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Speaker 1: If you feel a little more composed, I should be
4:03
Speaker 1: glad if you would sit down in that chair and
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Speaker 1: tell us, very slowly and quietly, who you are and
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Speaker 1: what it is that you want. You mentioned your name
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Speaker 1: as if I should recognize it, but I assure you
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Speaker 1: that beyond the obvious facts that you are a bachelor,
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Speaker 1: a solicitor, a freemason, and an asthmatic, I know nothing
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Speaker 1: whatever about you. Familiar as I was with my friend's methods,
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Speaker 1: it was not difficult for me to follow his deductions
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Speaker 1: and to observe the untidiness of attire, the sheaf of
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Speaker 1: legal papers, the watch charm, and the breathing which had
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Speaker 1: prompted them. Our client, however, stared in amazement. Yes I
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Speaker 1: am all that, mister Holmes, And in addition, I am
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Speaker 1: the most unfortunate man at this moment in London. For
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Speaker 1: heaven's sake, don't abandon me, mister Holmes. If they come
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Speaker 1: to arrest me before I've finished my story, make them
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Speaker 1: give me time so that I may tell you the
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Speaker 1: whole truth. I could go to jail happy if I
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Speaker 1: I knew that you were working for me. Outside arrest,
5:03
Speaker 1: you said, Holmes, this is really most grative, most interesting.
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Speaker 1: On what charge do you expect to be arrested? Upon
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Speaker 1: the charge of murdering mister Jonas Oldacre of Lower Norwood.
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Speaker 1: My companion's expressive face showed a sympathy which was not
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Speaker 1: I am afraid, entirely unmixed with satisfaction. Dear me, he said.
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Speaker 1: It was only this moment at breakfast that I was
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Speaker 1: saying to my friend doctor Watson, that sensational cases had
5:31
Speaker 1: disappeared out of our papers. Our visitor stretched forward a
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Speaker 1: quivering hand and picked up the Daily Telegraph, which still
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Speaker 1: lay upon Holmes's knee. If you had looked at it, sir,
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Speaker 1: you would have seen at a glance what the errand
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Speaker 1: is on which I have come to you this morning.
5:50
Speaker 1: I feel as if my name and my misfortune must
5:53
Speaker 1: be in every man's mouth. He turned it over to
5:56
Speaker 1: expose the central page. Here it is, and with your permission,
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Speaker 1: I will read it to you. Listen to this, mister Holmes.
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Speaker 1: The headlines are mysterious affair at Lower Norward, disappearance of
6:10
Speaker 1: a well known builder, suspicion of murder and arson. A
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Speaker 1: clue to the criminal. That is the clue which they
6:17
Speaker 1: are already following, mister Holmes, and I know that it
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Speaker 1: leads infallibly to me. I have been followed from London
6:25
Speaker 1: Bridge Station, and I am sure that they are only
6:28
Speaker 1: waiting for the warrant to arrest me. It will break
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Speaker 1: my mother's heart. It will break her heart. He wrung
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Speaker 1: his hands in an agony of apprehension, and swayed backward
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Speaker 1: and forward in his chair. I looked with interest upon
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Speaker 1: this man who was accused of being the perpetrator of
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Speaker 1: a crime of violence. He was flaxen haired and handsome
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Speaker 1: in a washed out negative fashion, with frightened blue eyes
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Speaker 1: and a clean shaven face with a weak, sensitive mouth.
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Speaker 1: His age may have been about twenty. His dress and
7:01
Speaker 1: bearing that of a gentleman. From the pocket of his
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Speaker 1: light summer overcoat protruded the bundle of endorsed papers which
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Speaker 1: proclaimed his profession. We must use what time we have,
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Speaker 1: said Holmes, Watson, would you have the kindness to take
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Speaker 1: the paper and to read the paragraph in question. Underneath
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Speaker 1: the vigorous headlines which our client had quoted, I read
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Speaker 1: the following suggestive narrative. Late last night or early this morning,
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Speaker 1: an incident occurred at lower northward which points it is
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Speaker 1: feared to a serious crime. Mister Jonas Oldacre is a
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Speaker 1: well known resident of that suburb, where he has carried
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Speaker 1: on his business as a builder for many years. Mister
7:43
Speaker 1: Oldacre is a bachelor fifty two years of age, and
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Speaker 1: lives in deep Dean House at the sidinum end of
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Speaker 1: the road of that name. He has had the reputation
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Speaker 1: of being a man of eccentric habits, secretive and retiring.
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Speaker 1: For some years. He has practically withdrawn from the business
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Speaker 1: in which he is said to have massed considerable wealth.
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Speaker 1: A small timber yard still exists, however, at the back
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Speaker 1: of the house, and last night about twelve o'clock, an
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Speaker 1: alarm was given that one of the stacks was on fire.
8:16
Speaker 1: The engines were soon upon the spot, but the dry
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Speaker 1: wood burned with great fury, and it was impossible to
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Speaker 1: arrest the conflagration until the stack had been entirely consumed.
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Speaker 1: Up to this point, the incident bore the appearance of
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Speaker 1: an ordinary accident, but fresh indication seemed to point to
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Speaker 1: serious crime. Surprise was expressed at the absence of the
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Speaker 1: Master of the establishment from the scene of the fire,
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Speaker 1: and an inquiry followed which showed that he had disappeared
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Speaker 1: from the house. An examination of his room revealed that
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Speaker 1: the bed had not been slept in, that a safe
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Speaker 1: which stood in it was open, that a number of
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Speaker 1: important papers were scattered about the room, and finally that
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Speaker 1: there were signs of a murderous struggle, slight traces of
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Speaker 1: blood being found within the room, and an open walking
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Speaker 1: stick which also showed stains of blood upon the handle.
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Speaker 1: It is known that mister Jonas Oldacre had received a
9:14
Speaker 1: late visitor in his bedroom upon that night, and the
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Speaker 1: stick found has been identified as the property of this person,
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Speaker 1: who is a young London solicitor named John Hector mac farlane,
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Speaker 1: junior partner of Graham and mc farlane of four hundred
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Speaker 1: and twenty six Gresham Buildings, e c. The police believe
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Speaker 1: that they have evidence in their possession which supplies a
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Speaker 1: very convincing motive for the crime, and altogether it cannot
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Speaker 1: be doubted that sensational developments will follow later. It is rumored,
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Speaker 1: as we go to press that mister John Hector mac
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Speaker 1: farlane has actually been arrested on the charge of the
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Speaker 1: murder of mister Jonas Oldacre. It is at least certain
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Speaker 1: that a warrant has been issued. There have been further
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Speaker 1: and sinister developments in the investigation at Norwood. Besides the
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Speaker 1: signs of a struggle in the room of the unfortunate builder,
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Speaker 1: it is now known that the French windows of his bedroom,
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Speaker 1: which is on the ground floor, were found to be open,
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Speaker 1: though there were marks as if some bulky object had
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Speaker 1: been dragged across to the wood pile. And finally it
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Speaker 1: is asserted that charred remains have been found among the
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Speaker 1: charcoal ashes of the fire. The police theory is that
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Speaker 1: a most sensational crime has been committed, that the victim
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Speaker 1: was clubbed to death in his own bedroom, his papers rifled,
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Speaker 1: and his dead body dragged across to the woodstack, which
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Speaker 1: was then ignited so as to hide all traces of
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Speaker 1: the crime. The conduct of the criminal investigation has been
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Speaker 1: left in the experienced hands of Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard,
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Speaker 1: who is following up the clues with his accustomed energy
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Speaker 1: and sagacity. Block Holmes listened with closed eyes and finger
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Speaker 1: tips together to this remarkable account. The case has certainly
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Speaker 1: some points of interest, said he in his languid fashion.
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Speaker 1: May I ask, in the first place, mister mac Farland,
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Speaker 1: how it is that you are still at liberty, since
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Speaker 1: there appears to be enough evidence to justify your arrest.
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Speaker 1: I live at Torrington Lodge, Blackheath, with my parents, mister Holmes,
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Speaker 1: but last night, having to do business very late with
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Speaker 1: mister Jonas Oldacre, I stayed at an hotel in Norwood
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Speaker 1: and came to my business from there. I knew nothing
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Speaker 1: of this affair until I was in the train when
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Speaker 1: I read what you have just heard. I at once
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Speaker 1: saw the horrible danger of my position, and I hurried
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Speaker 1: to put the case into your hands. I have no
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Speaker 1: doubt that I should have been arrested, either at my
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Speaker 1: city office or at my home. A man followed me
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Speaker 1: from London Bridge station, and I have no doubt, Great Heaven,
11:55
Speaker 1: what is that? It was a clang of the bell,
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Speaker 1: followed instantly by heavy steps upon the stair. A moment later,
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Speaker 1: our old friend Lestrade appeared in the doorway, over his shoulder.
12:08
Speaker 1: I caught a glimpse of one or two uniformed policemen outside.
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Speaker 1: Mister John Hector mac Farland, said Lestrade. Our unfortunate client
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Speaker 1: rose with a ghastly face. I arrest you for the
12:21
Speaker 1: wilful murder of mister Jonas Oldacre of Lower Norwood. Mister
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Speaker 1: mac Farland turned to us with a gesture of despair,
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Speaker 1: and sank into his chair once more, like one who
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Speaker 1: is crushed. One moment, Lestrade said Holmes. Half an hour
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Speaker 1: more or less can make no difference to you, and
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Speaker 1: the gentleman was about to give us an account of
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Speaker 1: this very interesting affair, which might aid us in clearing
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Speaker 1: it up. I think there will be no difficulty in
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Speaker 1: clearing it up, said Lestrade grimly, none the less, with
12:51
Speaker 1: your permission, I should be much interested to hear his account. Well,
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Speaker 1: mister Holmes, it is difficult for me to refuse you anything,
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Speaker 1: for you have been of use to the force once
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Speaker 1: or twice in the past, and we owe you a
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Speaker 1: good turn at Scotland Yard, said Lestrade. At the same time,
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Speaker 1: I must remain with my prisoner, and I am bound
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Speaker 1: to warn him that anything he may say will appear
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Speaker 1: in evidence against him. I wish nothing better, said our client.
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Speaker 1: All I ask is that you should hear and recognize
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Speaker 1: the absolute truth. Lestrade looked at his watch. I'll give
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Speaker 1: you half an hour, said he. I must explain first,
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Speaker 1: said mac Farlan, that I knew nothing of mister Jonas Oldacre.
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Speaker 1: His name was familiar to me for many years ago.
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Speaker 1: My parents were acquainted with him, but they drifted apart.
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Speaker 1: I was very much surprised therefore, when yesterday, about three
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Speaker 1: o'clock in the afternoon, he walked into my office in
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Speaker 1: the city. But I was still more astonished when he
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Speaker 1: told me the object of his visit. He had in
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Speaker 1: his hand several sheets of a note book covered with
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Speaker 1: scribbled writing. Here they are, and he laid them on
14:01
Speaker 1: my table. Here is my will, said he. I want you,
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Speaker 1: mister mac farland, to cast it into proper legal shape.
14:09
Speaker 1: I will sit here while you do so. I set
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Speaker 1: myself to copy it, and you can imagine my astonishment
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Speaker 1: when I found that, with some reservations, he had left
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Speaker 1: all his property to me. He was a strange, little
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Speaker 1: ferret like man with white eyelashes, and when I looked
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Speaker 1: up at him, I found his keen, gray eyes fixed
14:30
Speaker 1: upon me with an amused expression. I could hardly believe
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Speaker 1: my own as I read the terms of the will,
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Speaker 1: But he exclaimed that he was a bachelor with hardly
14:40
Speaker 1: any living relation, that he had known my parents in
14:43
Speaker 1: his youth, and that he had always heard of me
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Speaker 1: as a very deserving young man, and was assured that
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Speaker 1: his money would be in worthy hands. Of course, I
14:53
Speaker 1: could only stammer out my thanks. The will was duly finished, signed,
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Speaker 1: do and witnessed by my clerk. This is it on
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Speaker 1: the blue paper, and these slips, as I have explained,
15:05
Speaker 1: are the rough draft. Mister Jonas Oldacre then informed me
15:10
Speaker 1: that there were a number of documents building, leases, title deeds, mortgages,
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Speaker 1: scrip and so forth, which it was necessary that I
15:17
Speaker 1: should see and understand. He said that his mind would
15:21
Speaker 1: not be easy until the whole thing was settled, and
15:24
Speaker 1: he begged me to come out to his house at
15:26
Speaker 1: Norwood that night, bringing the will with me, and to
15:29
Speaker 1: arrange matters. Remember, my boy, not one word to your
15:33
Speaker 1: parents about the affair until everything is settled. We will
15:37
Speaker 1: keep it as a little surprise for them. He was
15:40
Speaker 1: very insistent upon this point, and made me promise it faithfully.
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Speaker 1: You can imagine, mister Holmes, that I was not in
15:47
Speaker 1: a humor to refuse him anything that he might ask.
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Speaker 1: He was my benefactor, and all my desire was to
15:53
Speaker 1: carry out his wishes in every particular. I sent a
15:57
Speaker 1: telegram home therefore, to say that I had important business
16:00
Speaker 1: is on hand, and that it was impossible for me
16:03
Speaker 1: to say how late I might be. Mister Oldacre had
16:06
Speaker 1: told me that he would like me to have supper
16:08
Speaker 1: with him at nine, as he might not be home
16:11
Speaker 1: before that hour. I had some difficulty in finding his house, however,
16:16
Speaker 1: and it was nearly half past before I reached it.
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Speaker 1: I found him one moment, said Holmes, who opened the
16:23
Speaker 1: door a middle aged woman who was I suppose his housekeeper.
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Speaker 1: And it was she, I presume, who mentioned your name exactly,
16:33
Speaker 1: said mac farlan. Pray proceed. Mac Farlan wiped his damp
16:37
Speaker 1: brow and then continued his narrative. I was shown by
16:41
Speaker 1: this woman into a sitting room, where a frugal supper
16:44
Speaker 1: was laid out. Afterwards, mister Jonas Oldacre led me into
16:48
Speaker 1: his bedroom, in which there stood a heavy save. This
16:52
Speaker 1: he opened and took out a mass of documents which
16:55
Speaker 1: we went over together. It was between eleven and twelve
16:59
Speaker 1: when we finished. He remarked that we must not disturb
17:02
Speaker 1: the housekeeper. He showed me out through his own French window,
17:06
Speaker 1: which had been open all this time. Was the blind down,
17:11
Speaker 1: asked Holmes. I will not be sure, but I believe
17:14
Speaker 1: that it was only half down. Yes, I remember how
17:18
Speaker 1: he pulled it up in order to swing open the window.
17:21
Speaker 1: I could not find my stick, and he said, never mind,
17:24
Speaker 1: my boy. I shall see a good deal of you now,
17:26
Speaker 1: I hope, and I will keep your stick until you
17:28
Speaker 1: come back to claim it. I left him there, the
17:32
Speaker 1: safe open and the papers made up in packets upon
17:35
Speaker 1: the table. It was so late that I could not
17:38
Speaker 1: get back to black Heath, so I spent the night
17:41
Speaker 1: at the Annerley Arms, and I knew nothing more until
17:45
Speaker 1: I read of this horrible affair in the morning. Anything
17:48
Speaker 1: more that you would like to ask, mister Holmes, said Lestrade,
17:52
Speaker 1: whose eyebrows had gone up once or twice during this
17:55
Speaker 1: remarkable explanation. Not until I have been to black Heath.
17:59
Speaker 1: You mean to Norwood, said Lestrade. Oh, yes, no doubt,
18:03
Speaker 1: that is what I must have meant, said Holmes, with
18:05
Speaker 1: his enigmatical smile. Lestrade had learned, by more experiences than
18:10
Speaker 1: he would care to acknowledge, that that brain could cut
18:14
Speaker 1: through that which was impenetrable to him. I saw him
18:17
Speaker 1: look curiously at my companion. I think I should like
18:21
Speaker 1: to have a word with you. Presently, mister Sherlock Holmes
18:23
Speaker 1: said he. Now, mister mac Farland, two of my constables
18:27
Speaker 1: are at the door, and there is a four wheeler waiting.
18:30
Speaker 1: The wretched young man arose, and, with a last beseeching
18:33
Speaker 1: glance at us, walked from the room. The officers conducted
18:38
Speaker 1: him to the cab, but Lestrade remained. Holmes had picked
18:42
Speaker 1: up the pages which formed the rough draft of the will,
18:45
Speaker 1: and was looking at them with the keenest interest upon
18:48
Speaker 1: his face. There are some points about that document, Lestrade,
18:52
Speaker 1: Are there not? Said he? Pushing them over. The official
18:56
Speaker 1: looked at them with a puzzled expression. I can read
18:59
Speaker 1: the foot verst few lines, and these in the middle
19:02
Speaker 1: of the second page, earned one or two at the end.
19:05
Speaker 1: These are as clear as print, said he. But the
19:09
Speaker 1: writing in between is very bad, and there are three
19:12
Speaker 1: places where I cannot read it at all. What do
19:15
Speaker 1: you make of that? Said Holmes? Well what do you
19:19
Speaker 1: make of it? That it was written in a train?
19:22
Speaker 1: The good writing represents stations, the bad writing movement, and
19:26
Speaker 1: the very bad writing passing over points. A scientific expert
19:31
Speaker 1: would pronounce at once that this was drawn up on
19:34
Speaker 1: a suburban line, since nowhere save in the immediate vicinity
19:39
Speaker 1: of a great city, could there be so quick a
19:42
Speaker 1: succession of points. Granting that this whole journey was occupied
19:46
Speaker 1: in drawing up the will, then the train was an express,
19:51
Speaker 1: only stopping once between Norwood and London Bridge. Lestrade began
19:56
Speaker 1: to laugh, You are too many for me when you
19:59
Speaker 1: begin to get on your clear is mister Holmes said he,
20:02
Speaker 1: how does this bear on the case. Well, it corroborates
20:06
Speaker 1: the young man's story to the extent that the will
20:09
Speaker 1: was drawn up by Jonas Oldacre in his journey yesterday.
20:13
Speaker 1: It is curious, is it not that a man should
20:16
Speaker 1: draw up so important a document in so haphazard a fashion.
20:21
Speaker 1: It suggests that he did not think it was going
20:23
Speaker 1: to be of much practical importance. If a man drew
20:27
Speaker 1: up a will which he did not intend ever to
20:29
Speaker 1: be effective, he might do it so well. He drew
20:34
Speaker 1: up his own death warrant at the same time, said Lestrade.
20:39
Speaker 1: Oh you think so, don't you. Well, it is quite possible,
20:44
Speaker 1: But the case is not clear to me yet not clear. Well,
20:48
Speaker 1: if that isn't clear, what could be clear? Here is
20:52
Speaker 1: a young man who learns suddenly that if a certain
20:54
Speaker 1: older man dies, he will succeed to a fortune. What
20:59
Speaker 1: does he do? Nothing to any one, but he arranges
21:03
Speaker 1: that he shall go out, on some pretext to see
21:05
Speaker 1: his client that night. He waits until the only other
21:08
Speaker 1: person in the house is in bed, and then, in
21:11
Speaker 1: the solitude of the man's room, he murders him, burns
21:15
Speaker 1: his body in the woodpile, and departs to a neighboring hotel.
21:19
Speaker 1: The blood stains in the room and also on the stick,
21:22
Speaker 1: are very slight. It is probable that he imagined his
21:25
Speaker 1: crime to be a bloodless one, and hoped that if
21:29
Speaker 1: the body were consumed, it would hide all traces of
21:31
Speaker 1: the method of his death, traces which for some reason
21:35
Speaker 1: must have pointed to him. Is not all this obvious.
21:40
Speaker 1: It strikes me, my good Lestrade, as being just a
21:42
Speaker 1: trifle too obvious, said Holmes. You do not add imagination
21:47
Speaker 1: to your other great qualities, But if you could one
21:50
Speaker 1: moment put yourself in the place of this young man.
21:53
Speaker 1: Would you choose the very night after the will had
21:56
Speaker 1: been made to commit your crime? Would it not seem
21:59
Speaker 1: danger jurious to you to make so very close a
22:02
Speaker 1: relation between the two incidents. Again, would you choose an
22:05
Speaker 1: occasion when you are known to be in the house,
22:08
Speaker 1: when a servant has let you in? And finally, would
22:11
Speaker 1: you take the great pains to conceal the body and
22:14
Speaker 1: yet leave your own stick as a sign that you
22:17
Speaker 1: were the criminal? Confess lestrade, that all this is very
22:21
Speaker 1: unlikely as to the state, mister Holmes. You know as
22:24
Speaker 1: well as I do, that a criminal is often flurried
22:27
Speaker 1: and does such things which a cool man would avoid.
22:31
Speaker 1: He was very likely afraid to go back to the room.
22:34
Speaker 1: Give me another theory that would fit the fact. I
22:38
Speaker 1: could very easily give you half a dozen, said Holmes. Here,
22:41
Speaker 1: for example, is a very possible and even probable one.
22:45
Speaker 1: I make you a free present of it. The older
22:49
Speaker 1: man is showing documents which are of evident value. A
22:52
Speaker 1: passing tramp seized them through the window, the blind of
22:56
Speaker 1: which is only half down. Exit the solicitor to the tramp.
23:01
Speaker 1: He seizes a stick which he observes there kills Uldacre
23:05
Speaker 1: and departs after burning the body. Why should the tramp
23:10
Speaker 1: burn the body? For the matter of that, why should
23:12
Speaker 1: MacFarlane to hide some evidence? Possibly the tramp wanted to
23:17
Speaker 1: hide that any murder at all had been committed. And
23:21
Speaker 1: why did the tramp take nothing because they were papers
23:24
Speaker 1: that he could not negotiate. Lestrade shook his head, though
23:29
Speaker 1: it seemed to me that his manner was less absolutely
23:32
Speaker 1: assured than before. Well, mister Sherlock Holmes, you may look
23:36
Speaker 1: for your tramp, and while you are finding him, we
23:38
Speaker 1: will hold on to our man. The future will show
23:42
Speaker 1: which is right. Just notice this point, mister Holmes, that
23:46
Speaker 1: so far as we know, none of the papers were removed,
23:49
Speaker 1: and that the prisoner is the one man in the
23:51
Speaker 1: world who had no reason for removing them, since he
23:55
Speaker 1: was the heir at law and would come into them
23:57
Speaker 1: in any case. My friend seemed struck by this remark.
24:03
Speaker 1: I don't mean to deny that the evidence is in
24:05
Speaker 1: some ways very strongly in favor of your theory, said he.
24:09
Speaker 1: I only wish to point out that there are other
24:12
Speaker 1: theories possible. As you say, the future will decide. Good morning,
24:18
Speaker 1: I dare say that in the course of the day
24:19
Speaker 1: I shall drop in at Norwood and see how you
24:22
Speaker 1: are getting on. When the detective departed, my friend rose
24:28
Speaker 1: and made his preparations for the day's work with the
24:31
Speaker 1: alert air of a man who has a congenial task
24:34
Speaker 1: before him. My first movement, Watson said he as he
24:38
Speaker 1: bustled into his frock coat, must, as I said, be
24:41
Speaker 1: in the direction of black Heath, and why not Norwood?
24:46
Speaker 1: Because we have in this case one singular incident coming
24:49
Speaker 1: close to the heels of another singular incident. The police
24:54
Speaker 1: are making the mistake of concentrating their attention upon the second,
24:58
Speaker 1: because it happens to be the one one which is
25:00
Speaker 1: actually criminal. But it is evident to me that the
25:04
Speaker 1: logical way to approach the case is to begin by
25:07
Speaker 1: trying to throw some light upon the first incident. The
25:10
Speaker 1: curious will, so suddenly made, and to so unexpected an air,
25:16
Speaker 1: it may do something to simplify what followed. No, my
25:19
Speaker 1: dear fellow, I don't think you can help me. There
25:22
Speaker 1: is no prospect of danger, or I should not dream
25:25
Speaker 1: of stirring out without you. I trust that when I
25:28
Speaker 1: see you in the evening, I will be able to
25:30
Speaker 1: report that I have been able to do something for
25:33
Speaker 1: this unfortunate youngster who has thrown himself upon my protection.
25:39
Speaker 1: It was late when my friend returned, and I could see,
25:42
Speaker 1: by a glance at his haggard and anxious face, that
25:45
Speaker 1: the high hopes with which he had started had not
25:47
Speaker 1: been fulfilled. For an hour he droned away upon his violin,
25:52
Speaker 1: endeavoring to soothe his own ruffled spirit. At last he
25:56
Speaker 1: flung down the instrument and plunged into a detailed decay
26:00
Speaker 1: of his misadventures. It's all going wrong, Watson, all as
26:04
Speaker 1: wrong as it can go. I kept a bold face
26:08
Speaker 1: before Lestrade, But upon my soul, I believe that for
26:10
Speaker 1: once the fellow is on the right track and we
26:13
Speaker 1: are on the wrong. All my instincts are one way,
26:16
Speaker 1: and all the facts of the other. And I much
26:19
Speaker 1: fear that British juries have not yet attained that pitch
26:23
Speaker 1: of intelligence when they will give the preference to my
26:26
Speaker 1: theories over Lestrade's facts. Did you go to black Heath, yes, Watson,
26:33
Speaker 1: I went there, and I found very quickly that the
26:35
Speaker 1: late lamented Oldacre was a pretty considerable blackguard. The father
26:40
Speaker 1: was away in search of his son, the mother was
26:43
Speaker 1: at home, a little, fluffy, blue eyed person in a
26:47
Speaker 1: tremor of fear and indignation. Of course, she would not
26:51
Speaker 1: admit even the possibility of his guilt, but she would
26:55
Speaker 1: not express either surprise or regret over the fate of Oldacre.
27:00
Speaker 1: On the contrary, she spoke of him with such bitterness
27:03
Speaker 1: that she was unconsciously considerably strengthening the case of the police. For,
27:07
Speaker 1: of course, if her son had heard her speak of
27:10
Speaker 1: the man in this fashion, it would predispose him towards
27:13
Speaker 1: hatred and violence. He was more like a malignant and
27:17
Speaker 1: cunning ape than a human being, said she, And he
27:21
Speaker 1: always was, ever since he was a young man. You
27:24
Speaker 1: knew him at that time, said I, yes, I knew
27:28
Speaker 1: him well. In fact, he was an old suitor of mine.
27:31
Speaker 1: Thank Heaven that I had the sense to turn away
27:33
Speaker 1: from him and to marry a better, if poorer man.
27:37
Speaker 1: I was engaged to him, mister Holmes, when I heard
27:40
Speaker 1: a shocking story of how he had turned a cat
27:42
Speaker 1: loose in an aviary, and I was so horrified at
27:45
Speaker 1: his brutal cruelty that I would have nothing more to
27:48
Speaker 1: do with him. She rummaged in a bureau, and presently
27:53
Speaker 1: she produced a photograph of a woman shamefully defaced and
27:56
Speaker 1: mutilated with a knife. That is my own photo, Grau,
28:00
Speaker 1: She said. He sent it to me in that state
28:04
Speaker 1: with his curse upon my wedding morning. Well, said I,
28:09
Speaker 1: at least he has forgiven you now, since he has
28:12
Speaker 1: left all his property to your son. Neither my son
28:15
Speaker 1: nor I want anything from Jonas Oldacre, dead or alive.
28:18
Speaker 1: She cried with a proper spirit. There is a god
28:22
Speaker 1: in heaven, mister Holmes, and that same God who has
28:25
Speaker 1: punished that wicked man, will show in his own good
28:28
Speaker 1: time that my son's hands are guiltless of his blood. Well.
28:33
Speaker 1: I tried one or two leads, but could get at
28:36
Speaker 1: nothing which would help our hypothesis, and several points which
28:39
Speaker 1: would make against it. I gave it up at last,
28:43
Speaker 1: and off I went to Norwood. This place, deep Dean House,
28:48
Speaker 1: is a big modern villa of staring brick, standing back
28:52
Speaker 1: in his own grounds, with a laurel clumped lawn in
28:55
Speaker 1: front of it. To the right, and some distance back
28:58
Speaker 1: from the road was the timberyard which had been the
29:01
Speaker 1: scene of the fire. Here's a rough plan on a
29:04
Speaker 1: leaf of my notebook. This window on the left is
29:07
Speaker 1: the one which opens into Oldacre's room. You can look
29:11
Speaker 1: into it from the road. You see. That is about
29:14
Speaker 1: the only bit of consolation I have had today. Lestrade
29:17
Speaker 1: was not there, but his head Constable did the honors.
29:21
Speaker 1: They had just found a great treasure trove. They had
29:25
Speaker 1: spent the morning raking among the ashes of the burned woodpile,
29:29
Speaker 1: and beside the charred organic remains, they had secured several
29:33
Speaker 1: discolored metal discs. I examined them with care, and there
29:38
Speaker 1: was no doubt that they were trouser buttons. I even
29:42
Speaker 1: distinguished that one of them was marked with the name
29:44
Speaker 1: of Highams, who was Oldacre's tailor. I then worked the
29:49
Speaker 1: lawn very carefully for signs and traces, but this drought
29:53
Speaker 1: has made everything as hard as iron. Nothing was to
29:57
Speaker 1: be seen save that some body or bundle had been
30:01
Speaker 1: dragged through a low privet hedge, which is in a
30:04
Speaker 1: line with the wood pile. All that, of course, fits
30:07
Speaker 1: in with the official theory. I crawled about the lawn
30:11
Speaker 1: with an august sun on my back, but I got
30:14
Speaker 1: up at the end of an hour no wiser than before.
30:18
Speaker 1: Well after this fiasco, I went into the bedroom and
30:21
Speaker 1: examined that also the blood stains were very slight, mere
30:26
Speaker 1: smears and discolorations, but undoubtedly fresh. The stick had been removed,
30:33
Speaker 1: but there also the marks were slight. There is no
30:36
Speaker 1: doubt about the stick belonging to our client. He admits it.
30:41
Speaker 1: Footmarks of both men could be made out on the carpet,
30:44
Speaker 1: but none of any third person, which again is a
30:47
Speaker 1: trick for the other side. They were piling up their
30:51
Speaker 1: score all the time, and we were at a standstill.
30:55
Speaker 1: Only one little gleam of hope did I get, and
30:58
Speaker 1: yet it amounted to nothing. I examined the contents of
31:01
Speaker 1: the safe, most of which had been taken out and
31:04
Speaker 1: left on the table. The papers had been made up
31:07
Speaker 1: into sealed envelopes, one or two of which had been
31:10
Speaker 1: opened by the police. They were not, so far as
31:13
Speaker 1: I could judge, of any great value. Nor did the
31:17
Speaker 1: bank book show that mister Oldacre was in such very
31:20
Speaker 1: affluent circumstances. But it seemed to me that all the
31:23
Speaker 1: papers were not there. There were allusions to some deeds,
31:28
Speaker 1: possibly the more valuable, which I could not find. This,
31:32
Speaker 1: of course, if we could definitely prove it would turn
31:35
Speaker 1: Lestrade's argument against himself, For who would steal a thing
31:39
Speaker 1: if he knew that he would shortly inherit it. Finally,
31:44
Speaker 1: having drawn every other cover and picked up no scent,
31:48
Speaker 1: I tried my luck with the housekeeper. Missus Lexington is
31:52
Speaker 1: her name, A little, dark, silent person with suspicious and
31:57
Speaker 1: side long eyes. She could tell us some thing if
32:00
Speaker 1: she would. I'm convinced of it. But she was as
32:03
Speaker 1: close as wax. Yes. She had led mister mac farland
32:07
Speaker 1: in at half past nine. She wished her hand had
32:10
Speaker 1: withered before she had done so. She had gone to
32:13
Speaker 1: bed at half past ten. Her room was at the
32:16
Speaker 1: other end of the house, and she could hear nothing
32:18
Speaker 1: of what had passed. Mister mac Farland had left his
32:22
Speaker 1: hat and, to the best of her belief, his stick
32:26
Speaker 1: in the hall. She had been awakened by the alarm
32:29
Speaker 1: of fire. Her poor dear master had certainly been murdered.
32:35
Speaker 1: Had he any enemies, Well, every man had enemies, but
32:39
Speaker 1: mister Oldacre kept himself very much to himself and only
32:42
Speaker 1: met people in the way of business. She had seen
32:45
Speaker 1: the buttons and was sure that they belonged to the
32:47
Speaker 1: clothes which he had worn last night. The wood pile
32:51
Speaker 1: was very dry, for it had not rained for a month.
32:55
Speaker 1: It burned like tinder, and by the time she reached
32:59
Speaker 1: the spot nothing could be seen but flames. She and
33:03
Speaker 1: all the firemen smelled the burned flesh from inside it.
33:07
Speaker 1: She knew nothing of the papers, nor of mister Oldacre's
33:10
Speaker 1: private affairs. So, my dear Watson, there's my report of
33:15
Speaker 1: a failure. And yet, and yet he clenched his thin
33:22
Speaker 1: hands in a paroxysm of conviction. I know it's all wrong.
33:26
Speaker 1: I feel it in my bones. There is something that
33:29
Speaker 1: has not come out, and that housekeeper knows it. There
33:34
Speaker 1: was a sort of sulky defiance in her eyes, which
33:36
Speaker 1: only goes with guilty knowledge. However, there's no good talking
33:41
Speaker 1: any more about it, Watson. But unless some lucky chance
33:45
Speaker 1: comes our way, I fear that the Norwood disappearance case
33:49
Speaker 1: will not figure in that chronicle of our successes, which
33:52
Speaker 1: I foresee that a patient public will sooner or later
33:55
Speaker 1: have to endure. Surely said either man's appearance would go
34:00
Speaker 1: so far with any jury, That is a dangerous argument,
34:03
Speaker 1: My dear Watson. You remember that terrible murderer Bert Stevens,
34:08
Speaker 1: who wanted us to get him off in eighty seven.
34:11
Speaker 1: Was there ever a more mild mannered Sunday school young man.
34:15
Speaker 1: It is true, unless we succeed in establishing an alternative theory,
34:21
Speaker 1: this man is lost. You can hardly find a flaw
34:24
Speaker 1: in the case which can now be presented against him,
34:27
Speaker 1: and all further investigation has served to strengthen it. By
34:31
Speaker 1: the way, there is one curious little point about those papers,
34:34
Speaker 1: which may serve us as the starting point for an inquiry.
34:38
Speaker 1: On looking over the bank book, I found that the
34:41
Speaker 1: low state of the balance was principally due to large
34:44
Speaker 1: checks which have been made out during the last year
34:47
Speaker 1: to mister Cornelia's. I confess that I should be interested
34:51
Speaker 1: to know who this mister Cornelius may be, with whom
34:54
Speaker 1: a retired builder has such very large transactions. Is it
34:58
Speaker 1: possible that he has had had a hand in the affair?
35:02
Speaker 1: Cornelius might be a broker, But we have found no
35:05
Speaker 1: script to correspond with these large payments. Failing any other indication,
35:11
Speaker 1: my researches must now take the direction of an inquiry
35:14
Speaker 1: at the bank for the gentleman who has cashed these checks.
35:18
Speaker 1: But I fear, my dear fellow, that our case will
35:20
Speaker 1: end in gloriously By lestrade hanging our client, which will
35:25
Speaker 1: certainly be a triumph for Scotland Yard. I do not
35:29
Speaker 1: know how far Sherlock Holmes took any sleep that night,
35:33
Speaker 1: but when I came down to breakfast, I found him
35:35
Speaker 1: pale and harassed. His bright eyes the brighter for the
35:39
Speaker 1: dark shadows round them. The carpet round his chair was
35:43
Speaker 1: littered with cigarette ends and with the early editions of
35:46
Speaker 1: the morning papers. An open telegram lay upon the table.
35:52
Speaker 1: What do you think of this, Watson, he asked, tossing
35:54
Speaker 1: it across. It was from Norwood and ran as follows
35:59
Speaker 1: important fresh evidence to hand. Mac Farland's guilt definitely established.
36:04
Speaker 1: Advise you to abandon case, Lestrade. This sounds serious, said I.
36:10
Speaker 1: It is Lestrade's little cockerdoodle of victory. Holmes answered with
36:15
Speaker 1: a bitter smile. And yet it may be premature to
36:18
Speaker 1: abandon the case. After all, important fresh evidence is a
36:22
Speaker 1: two edged thing and may possibly cut in a very
36:25
Speaker 1: different direction to that which Lestrade imagines. Take your breakfast, Watson,
36:30
Speaker 1: and we will go out together and see what we
36:32
Speaker 1: can do. I feel as if I shall need your
36:35
Speaker 1: company and your moral support to day. My friend had
36:39
Speaker 1: no breakfast himself, for it was one of his peculiarities,
36:42
Speaker 1: that in his more intense moments, he would permit himself
36:46
Speaker 1: no food, And I have known him presume upon his
36:49
Speaker 1: iron strength until he has fainted from pure inanition. At present,
36:54
Speaker 1: I cannot spare energy and nerve force for digestion, he
36:58
Speaker 1: would say, in answer to my medical remonstrances. I was
37:02
Speaker 1: not surprised therefore, when this morning he left his untouched
37:06
Speaker 1: meal behind him and started with me for Norwood. A
37:10
Speaker 1: crowd of morbid sightseers was still gathered round deep Dean House,
37:15
Speaker 1: which was just such a suburban villa as I had
37:17
Speaker 1: pictured within the gates. Lestrade met us, his face flushed
37:21
Speaker 1: with victory, his manner grossly triumphant. Well, mister Holmes, have
37:27
Speaker 1: you proved us to be wrong? Yet? Have you found
37:30
Speaker 1: your tramp? He cried? I have formed no conclusion whatever,
37:35
Speaker 1: my companion answered. But we formed ours yesterday, and now
37:39
Speaker 1: it proves to be correct. So you must acknowledge that
37:42
Speaker 1: we have been a little in front of you this time.
37:44
Speaker 1: Mister Holmes, you certainly have the air of something unusual
37:48
Speaker 1: having occurred, said Holmes. L'strade laughed loudly. You don't like
37:53
Speaker 1: being beaten any more than the rest of us do,
37:56
Speaker 1: said he. A man can't expect always to have it
37:59
Speaker 1: his own way, can he? Doctor Watson? Step this way
38:02
Speaker 1: if you please, gentlemen, and I think I can convince
38:04
Speaker 1: you once for all that it was John mac farland
38:06
Speaker 1: who did this crime. He led us through the passage
38:10
Speaker 1: and out into a dark hall beyond. This is where
38:13
Speaker 1: young mc farland must have come out to get his
38:15
Speaker 1: hat after the crime was done. Said he. Now look
38:18
Speaker 1: at this with dramatic suddenness. He struck a match and
38:23
Speaker 1: by its light exposed a stain of blood upon the
38:26
Speaker 1: whitewashed wall. As he held the match nearer, I saw
38:30
Speaker 1: that it was more than a stain. It was the
38:33
Speaker 1: well marked print of a thumb. Look at that with
38:36
Speaker 1: your magnifying glass, mister Holmes, Yes, I am doing so.
38:40
Speaker 1: You are aware that no two thumb marks are alike.
38:43
Speaker 1: I have heard something of the kind. Well, then, will
38:46
Speaker 1: you please compare that print with this wax impression of
38:49
Speaker 1: young mac Farland's right thumb, taken by my orders this morning.
38:54
Speaker 1: As he held the waxen print close to the blood stain,
38:57
Speaker 1: it did not take a magnifying glass to see that
38:59
Speaker 1: the who were undoubtedly from the same thumb. It was
39:03
Speaker 1: evident to me that our unfortunate client was lost. That
39:07
Speaker 1: is final, said Lestrade. Yes, that is final. I involuntarily echoed,
39:15
Speaker 1: It is final, said Holmes. Something in his tone caught
39:20
Speaker 1: my ear, and I turned to look at him. An
39:23
Speaker 1: extraordinary change had come over his face. It was writhing
39:27
Speaker 1: with inward merriment. His two eyes were shining like stars.
39:32
Speaker 1: It seemed to me that he was making desperate efforts
39:35
Speaker 1: to restrain a convulsive attack of laughter. Dear me, dear me,
39:39
Speaker 1: he said at last. Well, now, who would have thought it?
39:43
Speaker 1: And how deceptive appearances may be. To be sure, such
39:46
Speaker 1: a nice young man to look at. It is a
39:49
Speaker 1: lesson to us not to trust our own judgment, is
39:51
Speaker 1: it not, Lestrade? Yes, some of us are a little
39:54
Speaker 1: too much inclined to be cock Sure, mister Holmes, said Lestrade.
39:59
Speaker 1: The man's in lens was maddening, but we could not
40:02
Speaker 1: resent it. What a providential thing that this young man
40:06
Speaker 1: should press his right thumb against the wall in taking
40:09
Speaker 1: his hat from the peg. Such a very natural action, too,
40:13
Speaker 1: if you come to think of it. Holmes was outwardly calm,
40:17
Speaker 1: but his whole body gave a wriggle of suppressed excitement,
40:20
Speaker 1: as he spoke by the Wailss Traad who made this
40:24
Speaker 1: remarkable discovery. It was the housekeeper, missus Lexington, who drew
40:29
Speaker 1: the night constable's attention to it. Where was the night constable?
40:34
Speaker 1: He remained on guard in the bedroom where the crime
40:37
Speaker 1: was committed, so as to see that nothing was touched.
40:41
Speaker 1: But why didn't the police see this mark yesterday? Well,
40:44
Speaker 1: we had no particular reason to make a careful examination
40:47
Speaker 1: at the hall. Besides, it's not in a very prominent place,
40:51
Speaker 1: as you see. No, no, of course not. I suppose
40:55
Speaker 1: there is no doubt that the mark was there yesterday.
41:00
Speaker 1: Lestrade looked at Holmes as if he thought he was
41:02
Speaker 1: going out of his mind. I confess that I was
41:05
Speaker 1: myself surprised, both at his hilarious manner and at his
41:09
Speaker 1: rather wild observation. I don't know whether you think that
41:12
Speaker 1: mac farland came out of jail in the dead of
41:15
Speaker 1: night in order to strengthen the evidence against himself, said Lestrade.
41:20
Speaker 1: I leave it to any expert in the world whether
41:23
Speaker 1: that is not the mark of his thumb. It is
41:26
Speaker 1: unquestionably the mark of his thumb. There. That's enough, said Lestrade.
41:31
Speaker 1: I am a practical man, mister Holmes, and when I've
41:34
Speaker 1: got my evidence, I come to my conclusions. If you
41:37
Speaker 1: have anything to say, you will find me writing my report.
41:39
Speaker 1: In the sitting room, Holmes had recovered his equanimity, though
41:44
Speaker 1: I still seemed to detect gleams of amusement in his expression.
41:49
Speaker 1: Dear me, this is a very sad development, Watson, is
41:52
Speaker 1: it not, said he? And yet there are singular points
41:56
Speaker 1: about it which hold out some hopes for our client.
42:00
Speaker 1: I am delighted to hear it, said I heartily. I
42:03
Speaker 1: was afraid it was all up with him. I would
42:06
Speaker 1: hardly go so far as to say that, my dear Watson.
42:09
Speaker 1: The fact is that there is one really serious floor
42:12
Speaker 1: in this evidence to which our friend attaches so much importance. Indeed, Holmes,
42:18
Speaker 1: what is it only this that I know that that
42:22
Speaker 1: mark was not there when I examined the hall yesterday?
42:27
Speaker 1: And now, Watson, let us have a little stroll round
42:30
Speaker 1: in the sunshine. With a confused brain, but with a
42:35
Speaker 1: heart into which some warmth of hope was returning. I
42:38
Speaker 1: accompanied my friend in a walk round the garden. Holmes
42:42
Speaker 1: took each face of the house in turn, and examined
42:45
Speaker 1: it with great interest. He then led the way inside
42:49
Speaker 1: and went over the whole building, from basement to attic.
42:52
Speaker 1: Most of the rooms were unfurnished, but none the less
42:55
Speaker 1: Holmes inspected them all minutely. Finally, on the top corridor or,
43:00
Speaker 1: which ran outside three untenanted bedrooms, he again was seized
43:04
Speaker 1: with a spasm of merriment. There are really some very
43:08
Speaker 1: unique features about this case, Watson said he. I think
43:11
Speaker 1: it is time now that we took our friend Lestrade
43:13
Speaker 1: into our confidence. He has had his little smile at
43:16
Speaker 1: our expense, and perhaps we may do as much by
43:19
Speaker 1: him if my reading of this problem proves to be correct. Yes, yes,
43:24
Speaker 1: I think I see how we should approach it. The
43:28
Speaker 1: Scotland Yard Inspector was still writing in the parlor when
43:32
Speaker 1: Holmes interrupted him. I understand that you were writing a
43:36
Speaker 1: report of this case, said he, so I am. Don't
43:40
Speaker 1: you think it may be a little premature. I can't
43:42
Speaker 1: help thinking that your evidence is not complete. Lestrade knew
43:47
Speaker 1: my friend too well to disregard his words. He laid
43:51
Speaker 1: down his pen and looked curiously at him. What do
43:54
Speaker 1: you mean, mister Holmes, Only that there is an important
43:57
Speaker 1: witness whom you have not seen. Can you produce him?
44:02
Speaker 1: I think I can then do so. I will do
44:05
Speaker 1: my best. How many constables have you? There are three
44:09
Speaker 1: within call? Excellent, said Holmes. May I ask if they
44:13
Speaker 1: are all large, able bodied men with powerful voices. I
44:17
Speaker 1: have no doubt they are, though I fail to see
44:19
Speaker 1: what their voices have to do with it. Perhaps I
44:22
Speaker 1: can help you to see that, and one or two
44:24
Speaker 1: other things as well, said Holmes. Kindly summon your men
44:29
Speaker 1: and I will try. Five minutes later, three policemen had
44:34
Speaker 1: assembled in the hall in the outhouse. You will find
44:38
Speaker 1: a considerable quantity of straw, said Holmes. I will ask
44:42
Speaker 1: you to carry in two bundles of it. I think
44:44
Speaker 1: it will be of the greatest assistance in producing the
44:47
Speaker 1: witness whom I require. Thank you very much. I believe
44:51
Speaker 1: you have some matches in your pocket Watson. Now, mister Lestrade,
44:55
Speaker 1: I will ask you all to accompany me to the
44:56
Speaker 1: top landing. As I have said, there was a broad
45:00
Speaker 1: corridor there which ran outside three empty bedrooms. At one
45:06
Speaker 1: end of the corridor, we were all marshaled by Sherlock Holmes,
45:10
Speaker 1: the constables grinning, and Lestrade staring at my friend with amazement, expectation,
45:16
Speaker 1: and derision, chasing each other across his features. Holmes stood
45:20
Speaker 1: before us with the air of a conjurer who is
45:23
Speaker 1: performing a trick. Would you kindly send one of your
45:26
Speaker 1: constables for two buckets of water. Put the straw on
45:30
Speaker 1: the floor here, free from the wall on either side.
45:34
Speaker 1: Now I think that we are all ready. Lestrade's face
45:38
Speaker 1: had begun to grow red and angry. I don't know
45:41
Speaker 1: whether you're playing a game with us, mister Sherlock, Holmes
45:44
Speaker 1: said he If you know anything, you can surely say
45:47
Speaker 1: it without all this tomfoolery. I assure you, my good Lestrade,
45:51
Speaker 1: that I have an excellent reason for everything that I do.
45:55
Speaker 1: You may possibly remember that you chaffed me a little
45:58
Speaker 1: some hours ago when the sun one seemed on your
46:01
Speaker 1: side of the hedge, So you must not grudge me
46:03
Speaker 1: a little pomp and ceremony. Now, might I ask you, Watson,
46:07
Speaker 1: to open that window and then to put a match
46:10
Speaker 1: to the edge of the straw. I did so, and,
46:14
Speaker 1: driven by the draft, a coil of gray smoke swirled
46:18
Speaker 1: down the corridor, while the dry straw crackled and flamed.
46:23
Speaker 1: Now we must see if we can find this witness
46:25
Speaker 1: for you, lestrade, Might I ask you all to join
46:29
Speaker 1: in the cry of fire now? Then one, two, three, fire,
46:35
Speaker 1: We all yelled, thank you, I will trouble you once again. Fire,
46:41
Speaker 1: just once more, gentlemen, and altogether fire. The shout must
46:47
Speaker 1: have rung over norwood. It had hardly died away when
46:51
Speaker 1: an amazing thing happened. A door suddenly flew open out
46:55
Speaker 1: of what appeared to be solid wall at the end
46:58
Speaker 1: of the corridor, and a little wizened man darted out
47:01
Speaker 1: of it like a rabbit out of its burrow. Capital,
47:06
Speaker 1: said Holmes, calmly, Watson, a bucket of water over the straw.
47:11
Speaker 1: That will do, Lestrade, Allow me to present you with
47:14
Speaker 1: your principal missing witness, mister Jonas Oldacre. The detective stared
47:21
Speaker 1: at the newcomer with blank amazement. The latter was blinking
47:25
Speaker 1: in the bright light of the corridor and peering at
47:28
Speaker 1: us and at the smoldering fire. It was an odious face, crafty, vicious, malignant,
47:35
Speaker 1: with shifty light, gray eyes and white lashes. What's this, then,
47:39
Speaker 1: said Lestrade, at last, what have you been doing all
47:42
Speaker 1: this time? Eh? Oldacre gave an uneasy laugh, shrinking back
47:47
Speaker 1: from the furious red face of the angry detective. I
47:51
Speaker 1: have done no harm, no harm. You've done your best
47:55
Speaker 1: to get an innocent man hanged. If it wasn't for
47:59
Speaker 1: this gentleman here, I'm not sure that you would not
48:01
Speaker 1: have succeeded. The wretched creature began to whimper. I am sure, sir,
48:06
Speaker 1: it was only my practical joke. Oh a joke, was it.
48:10
Speaker 1: You won't find the laugh on your side. I promise
48:12
Speaker 1: you take him down and keep him in the sitting
48:15
Speaker 1: room till I come, mister Holmes, he continued, when they
48:19
Speaker 1: had gone. I could not speak before the constables, but
48:23
Speaker 1: I don't mind saying in the presence of doctor Watson,
48:26
Speaker 1: but this is the brightest thing that you have done yet,
48:29
Speaker 1: though it is a mystery to me how you did it.
48:32
Speaker 1: You have saved an innocent man's life, and you have
48:35
Speaker 1: prevented a very grave scandal which would have ruined my
48:38
Speaker 1: reputation in the force. Holmes smiled and clapped Lestrade upon
48:43
Speaker 1: the shoulder. Instead of being ruined, my good sir, you
48:47
Speaker 1: will find that your reputation has been enormously enhanced. Just
48:51
Speaker 1: make a few alterations in that report which you were writing,
48:54
Speaker 1: and they will understand how hard it is to throw
48:57
Speaker 1: dust in the eyes of Inspector Lestrade. And you don't
49:01
Speaker 1: want your name to appear not at all. The work
49:04
Speaker 1: is its own reward. Perhaps I shall get the credit
49:07
Speaker 1: also at some distant day, when I permit my zealous
49:11
Speaker 1: historian to lay out his full scap once more. Eh Watson, Well,
49:16
Speaker 1: now let us see where this rat has been lurking.
49:20
Speaker 1: A laugh and plaster partition had been run across the passage,
49:24
Speaker 1: six feet from the end, with a door cunningly concealed
49:27
Speaker 1: in it. It was lit within by slits under the eaves.
49:32
Speaker 1: A few articles of furniture and a supply of food
49:36
Speaker 1: and water were within, together with a number of books
49:39
Speaker 1: and papers. There's the advantage of being a builder, said
49:43
Speaker 1: Holmes as we came out. He was able to fix
49:46
Speaker 1: up his own little hiding place without any confederate, save,
49:50
Speaker 1: of course, that precious housekeeper of his, whom I should
49:53
Speaker 1: lose no time in adding to your bag, Lestrade. I'll
49:57
Speaker 1: take your advice, But how did you know of this place,
50:00
Speaker 1: mister Holmes? I made up my mind that the fellow
50:04
Speaker 1: was in hiding in the house when I paced one
50:07
Speaker 1: corridor and found it six feet shorter than the corresponding
50:11
Speaker 1: one below. It was pretty clear where he was. I
50:15
Speaker 1: thought he had not the nerve to lie quiet before
50:18
Speaker 1: an alarm of fire. We could of course have gone
50:21
Speaker 1: in and taken him, but it amused me to make
50:24
Speaker 1: him reveal himself. Besides, I owed you a little mystification
50:28
Speaker 1: Lestrade for your chaff in the morning. Well, sir, you
50:32
Speaker 1: certainly got equal with me on that. But how in
50:35
Speaker 1: the world did you know that he was in the
50:37
Speaker 1: house at all? The thumb marked lestrade? You said it
50:41
Speaker 1: was final, and so it was. In a very different sense.
50:46
Speaker 1: I knew it had not been there the day before.
50:49
Speaker 1: I pay a good deal of attention to matters of detail,
50:52
Speaker 1: as you may have observed, and I had examined the
50:55
Speaker 1: hall and were sure that the wall was clear. Therefore
50:59
Speaker 1: it had been got on during the night. But how
51:04
Speaker 1: very simply when those packets were sealed up, Jonas Oldacre
51:08
Speaker 1: got MacFarland to secure one of the seals by putting
51:11
Speaker 1: his thumb upon the soft wax. It would be done
51:14
Speaker 1: so quickly and so naturally that I dare say the
51:16
Speaker 1: young man himself has no recollection of it. Very likely
51:20
Speaker 1: it just so happened, and old Acre had himself no
51:24
Speaker 1: notion of the use. He would put it to brooding
51:27
Speaker 1: over the case in that den of his it suddenly
51:29
Speaker 1: struck him what absolutely damning evidence he could make against
51:32
Speaker 1: mc farlan by using that thumb mark. It was the
51:36
Speaker 1: simplest thing in the world for him to take a
51:38
Speaker 1: wax impression from the seal, to moisten it in as
51:41
Speaker 1: much blood as he could get from a pin prick,
51:44
Speaker 1: and to put the mark upon the wall during the night,
51:47
Speaker 1: either with his own hand or with that of his housekeeper.
51:51
Speaker 1: If you examine among those documents which he took with
51:54
Speaker 1: him into his retreat, I will lay you a wager
51:57
Speaker 1: that you find the seal with the thumb mark upon it. Wonderful,
52:01
Speaker 1: said Lestrade. Wonderful. It's all as clear as crystal as
52:05
Speaker 1: you put it. But what is the object of this
52:08
Speaker 1: deep deception, mister Holmes. It was amusing to me to
52:13
Speaker 1: see how the detective's overbearing manner had changed suddenly to
52:17
Speaker 1: that of a child asking questions of its teacher. Well,
52:21
Speaker 1: I don't think that is very hard to explain. A
52:24
Speaker 1: very deep, malicious, vindictive person is the gentleman who is
52:27
Speaker 1: now waiting us downstairs. You know that he was once
52:30
Speaker 1: refused by mac Farland's mother. You don't. I told you
52:34
Speaker 1: that you should go to Blackheath first, and nor would afterwards. Well,
52:38
Speaker 1: this injury, as he would consider it, has rankled in
52:42
Speaker 1: his wicked, scheming brain, and all his life he has
52:45
Speaker 1: longed for vengeance, but never seen his chance. During the
52:49
Speaker 1: last year or two, things have gone against him, secret speculation,
52:53
Speaker 1: I think, and he finds himself in a bad way.
52:56
Speaker 1: He determines to swindle his creditors, and for this purpose
52:59
Speaker 1: he pays large checks to a certain mister Cornelius, who
53:03
Speaker 1: is I imagine himself under another name. I have not
53:07
Speaker 1: traced these checks yet, but I have no doubt that
53:10
Speaker 1: they were banked under that name at some provincial town
53:13
Speaker 1: where Old Acre, from time to time led a double existence.
53:18
Speaker 1: He intended to change his name altogether, draw this money,
53:21
Speaker 1: and vanish, starting life again elsewhere. Well, that's likely enough.
53:28
Speaker 1: It would strike him that in disappearing he might throw
53:32
Speaker 1: all pursuit off his track, and at the same time
53:35
Speaker 1: have an ample and crushing revenge upon his old sweetheart.
53:39
Speaker 1: If he could give the impression that he had been
53:41
Speaker 1: murdered by her, only child. It was a masterpiece of villainy,
53:46
Speaker 1: and he carried it out like a master. The idea
53:49
Speaker 1: of the will, which would give an obvious motive for
53:52
Speaker 1: the crime, the secret visit unknown to his own parents,
53:56
Speaker 1: the retention of the stick, the blood and the animal remains,
54:00
Speaker 1: and buttons in the woodpile, all were admirable. It was
54:04
Speaker 1: a net from which it seemed to me a few
54:06
Speaker 1: hours ago that there was no possible escape. But he
54:10
Speaker 1: had not that supreme gift of the artist, the knowledge
54:13
Speaker 1: of when to stop. He wished to improve that which
54:17
Speaker 1: was already perfect, to draw the rope tighter yet round
54:20
Speaker 1: the neck of his unfortunate victim, And so he ruined all.
54:26
Speaker 1: Let us descend, lestrade. There are just one or two
54:29
Speaker 1: questions that I would ask him. The malignant creature was
54:33
Speaker 1: seated in his own parlor, with a policeman upon each
54:36
Speaker 1: side of him. It was a good joke, my good sir,
54:40
Speaker 1: A practical joke, nothing more, he whined incessantly. I assure you, sir,
54:45
Speaker 1: that I simply concealed myself in order to see the
54:48
Speaker 1: effect of my disappearance. And I am sure that you
54:50
Speaker 1: would not be so unjust as to imagine that I
54:53
Speaker 1: would have allowed any harm to befall poor young mister
54:56
Speaker 1: mac Farland. That's for a jury to decide, said lestrade. Anyhow,
55:02
Speaker 1: we shall have you on a charge of conspiracy, if
55:05
Speaker 1: not for attempted murder, and you'll probably find that your
55:08
Speaker 1: creditors will impound the banking account of mister Cornelius, said Holmes.
55:14
Speaker 1: The little man started and turned his malignant eyes upon
55:17
Speaker 1: my friend. I'll have to thank you for a good deal,
55:21
Speaker 1: said he. Perhaps I'll pay my debt some day, Holmes
55:27
Speaker 1: smiled indulgently. I fancy that for some few years you
55:31
Speaker 1: will find your time very fully occupied, said he. By
55:36
Speaker 1: the way, what was it you put into the wood
55:37
Speaker 1: pile besides your old trousers? A dead dog, or rabbits
55:42
Speaker 1: or what? You won't tell me, dear me, how very
55:46
Speaker 1: unkind of you? Well? Well, I dare say that a
55:49
Speaker 1: couple of rabbits would account both for the blood and
55:51
Speaker 1: for the charred ashes. If ever you write an account, Watson,
55:56
Speaker 1: you can make rabbits serve your turn. Wo