bed and spent some time in staring at it and in running his eye up
and down the wall. Finally he took the bell-rope in his hand and gave
it a brisk tug.
"Why, it's a dummy," said he.
"Won't it ring?"
"No, it is not even attached to a wire. This is very interesting. You
can see now that it is fastened to a hook just above where the little
opening for the ventilator is."
"How very absurd! I never noticed that before."
"Very strange!" muttered Holmes, pulling at the rope. "There are one
or two very singular points about this room. For example, what a fool
a builder must be to open a ventilator into another room, when, with
the same trouble, he might have communicated with the outside air!"
"That is also quite modern," said the lady.
"Done about the same time as the bell-rope?" remarked Holmes.
"Yes, there were several little changes carried out about that time."
"They seem to have been of a most interesting character--dummy
bell-ropes, and ventilators which do not ventilate. With your
permission, Miss Stoner, we shall now carry our researches into the
inner apartment."
Dr. Grimesby Roylott's chamber was larger than that of his
step-daughter, but was as plainly furnished. A camp-bed, a small
wooden shelf full of books, mostly of a technical character, an
armchair beside the bed, a plain wooden chair against the wall, a
round table, and a large iron safe were the principal things which
met the eye. Holmes walked slowly round and examined each and all of
them with the keenest interest.
"What's in here?" he asked, tapping the safe.
"My stepfather's business papers."
"Oh! you have seen inside, then?"
"Only once, some years ago. I remember that it was full of papers."
"There isn't a cat in it, for example?"
"No. What a strange idea!"
"Well, look at this!" He took up a small saucer of milk which stood
on the top of it.
"No; we don't keep a cat. But there is a cheetah and a baboon."
"Ah, yes, of course! Well, a cheetah is just a big cat, and yet a
saucer of milk does not go very far in satisfying its wants, I
daresay. There is one point which I should wish to determine." He
squatted down in front of the wooden chair and examined the seat of
it with the greatest attention.
"Thank you. That is quite settled," said he, rising and putting his
lens in his pocket. "Hullo! Here is something interesting!"
The object which had caught his eye was a small dog lash hung on one
corner of the bed. The lash, however, was curled upon itself and tied
so as to make a loop of whipcord.
"What do you make of that, Watson?"
"It's a common enough lash. But I don't know why it should be tied."
"That is not quite so common, is it? Ah, me! it's a wicked world, and
when a clever man turns his brains to crime it is the worst of all. I
think that I have seen enough now, Miss Stoner, and with your
permission we shall walk out upon the lawn."
I had never seen my friend's face so grim or his brow so dark as it
was when we turned from the scene of this investigation. We had
walked several times up and down the lawn, neither Miss Stoner nor
myself liking to break in upon his thoughts before he roused himself
from his reverie.
"It is very essential, Miss Stoner," said he, "that you should
absolutely follow my advice in every respect."
"I shall most certainly do so."
"The matter is too serious for any hesitation. Your life may depend
upon your compliance."
"I assure you that I am in your hands."
"In the first place, both my friend and I must spend the night in
your room."
Both Miss Stoner and I gazed at him in astonishment.
"Yes, it must be so. Let me explain. I believe that that is the
village inn over there?"
"Yes, that is the Crown."
"Very good. Your windows would be visible from there?"
"Certainly."
"You must confine yourself to your room, on pretence of a headache,
when your stepfather comes back. Then when you hear him retire for
the night, you must open the shutters of your window, undo the hasp,
put your lamp there as a signal to us, and then withdraw quietly with
everything which you are likely to want into the room which you used
to occupy. I have no doubt that, in spite of the repairs, you could
manage there for one night."
"Oh, yes, easily."
"The rest you will leave in our hands."
"But what will you do?"
"We shall spend the night in your room, and we shall investigate the
cause of this noise which has disturbed you."
"I believe, Mr. Holmes, that you have already made up your mind,"
said Miss Stoner, laying her hand upon my companion's sleeve.
"Perhaps I have."
"Then, for pity's sake, tell me what was the cause of my sister's
death."
"I should prefer to have clearer proofs before I speak."
"You can at least tell me whether my own thought is correct, and if
she died from some sudden fright."
"No, I do not think so. I think that there was probably some more
tangible cause. And now, Miss Stoner, we must leave you for if Dr.
Roylott returned and saw us our journey would be in vain. Good-bye,
and be brave, for if you will do what I have told you, you may rest
assured that we shall soon drive away the dangers that threaten you."
Sherlock Holmes and I had no difficulty in engaging a bedroom and
sitting-room at the Crown Inn. They were on the upper floor, and from
our window we could command a view of the avenue gate, and of the
inhabited wing of Stoke Moran Manor House. At dusk we saw Dr.
Grimesby Roylott drive past, his huge form looming up beside the
little figure of the lad who drove him. The boy had some slight
difficulty in undoing the heavy iron gates, and we heard the hoarse
roar of the doctor's voice and saw the fury with which he shook his
clinched fists at him. The trap drove on, and a few minutes later we
saw a sudden light spring up among the trees as the lamp was lit in
one of the sitting-rooms.
"Do you know, Watson," said Holmes as we sat together in the
gathering darkness, "I have really some scruples as to taking you
to-night. There is a distinct element of danger."
"Can I be of assistance?"
"Your presence might be invaluable."
"Then I shall certainly come."
"It is very kind of you."
"You speak of danger. You have evidently seen more in these rooms
than was visible to me."
"No, but I fancy that I may have deduced a little more. I imagine
that you saw all that I did."
"I saw nothing remarkable save the bell-rope, and what purpose that
could answer I confess is more than I can imagine."
"You saw the ventilator, too?"
"Yes, but I do not think that it is such a very unusual thing to have
a small opening between two rooms. It was so small that a rat could
hardly pass through."
"I knew that we should find a ventilator before ever we came to Stoke
Moran."
"My dear Holmes!"
"Oh, yes, I did. You remember in her statement she said that her
sister could smell Dr. Roylott's cigar. Now, of course that suggested
at once that there must be a communication between the two rooms. It
could only be a small one, or it would have been remarked upon at the
coroner's inquiry. I deduced a ventilator."
"But what harm can there be in that?"
"Well, there is at least a curious coincidence of dates. A ventilator
is made, a cord is hung, and a lady who sleeps in the bed dies. Does
not that strike you?"
"I cannot as yet see any connection."
"Did you observe anything very peculiar about that bed?"
"No."
"It was clamped to the floor. Did you ever see a bed fastened like
that before?"
"I cannot say that I have."
"The lady could not move her bed. It must always be in the same
relative position to the ventilator and to the rope--or so we may
call it, since it was clearly never meant for a bell-pull."
"Holmes," I cried, "I seem to see dimly what you are hinting at. We
are only just in time to prevent some subtle and horrible crime."
"Subtle enough and horrible enough. When a doctor does go wrong he is
the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge. Palmer and
Pritchard were among the heads of their profession. This man strikes
even deeper, but I think, Watson, that we shall be able to strike
deeper still. But we shall have horrors enough before the night is
over; for goodness' sake let us have a quiet pipe and turn our minds
for a few hours to something more cheerful."
About nine o'clock the light among the trees was extinguished, and
all was dark in the direction of the Manor House. Two hours passed
slowly away, and then, suddenly, just at the stroke of eleven, a
single bright light shone out right in front of us.
"That is our signal," said Holmes, springing to his feet; "it comes
from the middle window."
As we passed out he exchanged a few words with the landlord,
explaining that we were going on a late visit to an acquaintance, and
that it was possible that we might spend the night there. A moment
later we were out on the dark road, a chill wind blowing in our
faces, and one yellow light twinkling in front of us through the
gloom to guide us on our sombre errand.
There was little difficulty in entering the grounds, for unrepaired
breaches gaped in the old park wall. Making our way among the trees,
we reached the lawn, crossed it, and were about to enter through the
window when out from a clump of laurel bushes there darted what
seemed to be a hideous and distorted child, who threw itself upon the
grass with writhing limbs and then ran swiftly across the lawn into
the darkness.
"My God!" I whispered; "did you see it?"
Holmes was for the moment as startled as I. His hand closed like a
vice upon my wrist in his agitation. Then he broke into a low laugh
and put his lips to my ear.
"It is a nice household," he murmured. "That is the baboon."
I had forgotten the strange pets which the doctor affected. There was
a cheetah, too; perhaps we might find it upon our shoulders at any
moment. I confess that I felt easier in my mind when, after following
Holmes' example and slipping off my shoes, I found myself inside the
bedroom. My companion noiselessly closed the shutters, moved the lamp
onto the table, and cast his eyes round the room. All was as we had
seen it in the daytime. Then creeping up to me and making a trumpet
of his hand, he whispered into my ear again so gently that it was all
that I could do to distinguish the words:
"The least sound would be fatal to our plans."
I nodded to show that I had heard.
"We must sit without light. He would see it through the ventilator."
I nodded again.
"Do not go asleep; your very life may depend upon it. Have your
pistol ready in case we should need it. I will sit on the side of the
bed, and you in that chair."
I took out my revolver and laid it on the corner of the table.
Holmes had brought up a long thin cane, and this he placed upon the
bed beside him. By it he laid the box of matches and the stump of a
candle. Then he turned down the lamp, and we were left in darkness.
How shall I ever forget that dreadful vigil? I could not hear a
sound, not even the drawing of a breath, and yet I knew that my
companion sat open-eyed, within a few feet of me, in the same state
of nervous tension in which I was myself. The shutters cut off the
least ray of light, and we waited in absolute darkness.
From outside came the occasional cry of a night-bird, and once at our
very window a long drawn catlike whine, which told us that the
cheetah was indeed at liberty. Far away we could hear the deep tones
of the parish clock, which boomed out every quarter of an hour. How
long they seemed, those quarters! Twelve struck, and one and two and
three, and still we sat waiting silently for whatever might befall.
Suddenly there was the momentary gleam of a light up in the direction
of the ventilator, which vanished immediately, but was succeeded by a
strong smell of burning oil and heated metal. Someone in the next
room had lit a dark-lantern. I heard a gentle sound of movement, and
then all was silent once more, though the smell grew stronger. For
half an hour I sat with straining ears. Then suddenly another sound
became audible--a very gentle, soothing sound, like that of a small
jet of steam escaping continually from a kettle. The instant that we
heard it, Holmes sprang from the bed, struck a match, and lashed
