"You heard nothing yourself last night?"
"Nothing, until my uncle here began to speak loudly. I heard that,
and I came down."
"You shut up the windows and doors the night before. Did you fasten
all the windows?"
"Yes."
"Were they all fastened this morning?"
"Yes."
"You have a maid who has a sweetheart? I think that you remarked to
your uncle last night that she had been out to see him?"
"Yes, and she was the girl who waited in the drawing-room, and who
may have heard uncle's remarks about the coronet."
"I see. You infer that she may have gone out to tell her sweetheart,
and that the two may have planned the robbery."
"But what is the good of all these vague theories," cried the banker
impatiently, "when I have told you that I saw Arthur with the coronet
in his hands?"
"Wait a little, Mr. Holder. We must come back to that. About this
girl, Miss Holder. You saw her return by the kitchen door, I
presume?"
"Yes; when I went to see if the door was fastened for the night I met
her slipping in. I saw the man, too, in the gloom."
"Do you know him?"
"Oh, yes! he is the green-grocer who brings our vegetables round.
His name is Francis Prosper."
"He stood," said Holmes, "to the left of the door--that is to say,
farther up the path than is necessary to reach the door?"
"Yes, he did."
"And he is a man with a wooden leg?"
Something like fear sprang up in the young lady's expressive black
eyes. "Why, you are like a magician," said she. "How do you know
that?" She smiled, but there was no answering smile in Holmes' thin,
eager face.
"I should be very glad now to go upstairs," said he. "I shall
probably wish to go over the outside of the house again. Perhaps I
had better take a look at the lower windows before I go up."
He walked swiftly round from one to the other, pausing only at the
large one which looked from the hall onto the stable lane. This he
opened and made a very careful examination of the sill with his
powerful magnifying lens. "Now we shall go upstairs," said he at
last.
The banker's dressing-room was a plainly furnished little chamber,
with a grey carpet, a large bureau, and a long mirror. Holmes went to
the bureau first and looked hard at the lock.
"Which key was used to open it?" he asked.
"That which my son himself indicated--that of the cupboard of the
lumber-room."
"Have you it here?"
"That is it on the dressing-table."
Sherlock Holmes took it up and opened the bureau.
"It is a noiseless lock," said he. "It is no wonder that it did not
wake you. This case, I presume, contains the coronet. We must have a
look at it." He opened the case, and taking out the diadem he laid it
upon the table. It was a magnificent specimen of the jeweller's art,
and the thirty-six stones were the finest that I have ever seen. At
one side of the coronet was a cracked edge, where a corner holding
three gems had been torn away.
"Now, Mr. Holder," said Holmes, "here is the corner which corresponds
to that which has been so unfortunately lost. Might I beg that you
will break it off."
The banker recoiled in horror. "I should not dream of trying," said
he.
"Then I will." Holmes suddenly bent his strength upon it, but without
result. "I feel it give a little," said he; "but, though I am
exceptionally strong in the fingers, it would take me all my time to
break it. An ordinary man could not do it. Now, what do you think
would happen if I did break it, Mr. Holder? There would be a noise
like a pistol shot. Do you tell me that all this happened within a
few yards of your bed and that you heard nothing of it?"
"I do not know what to think. It is all dark to me."
"But perhaps it may grow lighter as we go. What do you think, Miss
Holder?"
"I confess that I still share my uncle's perplexity."
"Your son had no shoes or slippers on when you saw him?"
"He had nothing on save only his trousers and shirt."
"Thank you. We have certainly been favoured with extraordinary luck
during this inquiry, and it will be entirely our own fault if we do
not succeed in clearing the matter up. With your permission, Mr.
Holder, I shall now continue my investigations outside."
He went alone, at his own request, for he explained that any
unnecessary footmarks might make his task more difficult. For an hour
or more he was at work, returning at last with his feet heavy with
snow and his features as inscrutable as ever.
"I think that I have seen now all that there is to see, Mr. Holder,"
said he; "I can serve you best by returning to my rooms."
"But the gems, Mr. Holmes. Where are they?"
"I cannot tell."
The banker wrung his hands. "I shall never see them again!" he cried.
"And my son? You give me hopes?"
"My opinion is in no way altered."
"Then, for God's sake, what was this dark business which was acted in
my house last night?"
"If you can call upon me at my Baker Street rooms to-morrow morning
between nine and ten I shall be happy to do what I can to make it
clearer. I understand that you give me carte blanche to act for you,
provided only that I get back the gems, and that you place no limit
on the sum I may draw."
"I would give my fortune to have them back."
"Very good. I shall look into the matter between this and then.
Good-bye; it is just possible that I may have to come over here again
before evening."
It was obvious to me that my companion's mind was now made up about
the case, although what his conclusions were was more than I could
even dimly imagine. Several times during our homeward journey I
endeavoured to sound him upon the point, but he always glided away to
some other topic, until at last I gave it over in despair. It was not
yet three when we found ourselves in our rooms once more. He hurried
to his chamber and was down again in a few minutes dressed as a
common loafer. With his collar turned up, his shiny, seedy coat, his
red cravat, and his worn boots, he was a perfect sample of the class.
"I think that this should do," said he, glancing into the glass above
the fireplace. "I only wish that you could come with me, Watson, but
I fear that it won't do. I may be on the trail in this matter, or I
may be following a will-o'-the-wisp, but I shall soon know which it
is. I hope that I may be back in a few hours." He cut a slice of beef
from the joint upon the sideboard, sandwiched it between two rounds
of bread, and thrusting this rude meal into his pocket he started off
upon his expedition.
I had just finished my tea when he returned, evidently in excellent
spirits, swinging an old elastic-sided boot in his hand. He chucked
it down into a corner and helped himself to a cup of tea.
"I only looked in as I passed," said he. "I am going right on."
"Where to?"
"Oh, to the other side of the West End. It may be some time before I
get back. Don't wait up for me in case I should be late."
"How are you getting on?"
"Oh, so so. Nothing to complain of. I have been out to Streatham
since I saw you last, but I did not call at the house. It is a very
sweet little problem, and I would not have missed it for a good deal.
However, I must not sit gossiping here, but must get these
disreputable clothes off and return to my highly respectable self."
I could see by his manner that he had stronger reasons for
satisfaction than his words alone would imply. His eyes twinkled, and
there was even a touch of colour upon his sallow cheeks. He hastened
upstairs, and a few minutes later I heard the slam of the hall door,
which told me that he was off once more upon his congenial hunt.
I waited until midnight, but there was no sign of his return, so I
retired to my room. It was no uncommon thing for him to be away for
days and nights on end when he was hot upon a scent, so that his
lateness caused me no surprise. I do not know at what hour he came
in, but when I came down to breakfast in the morning there he was
with a cup of coffee in one hand and the paper in the other, as fresh
and trim as possible.
"You will excuse my beginning without you, Watson," said he, "but you
remember that our client has rather an early appointment this
morning."
"Why, it is after nine now," I answered. "I should not be surprised
if that were he. I thought I heard a ring."
It was, indeed, our friend the financier. I was shocked by the change
which had come over him, for his face which was naturally of a broad
and massive mould, was now pinched and fallen in, while his hair
seemed to me at least a shade whiter. He entered with a weariness and
lethargy which was even more painful than his violence of the morning
before, and he dropped heavily into the armchair which I pushed
forward for him.
"I do not know what I have done to be so severely tried," said he.
"Only two days ago I was a happy and prosperous man, without a care
in the world. Now I am left to a lonely and dishonoured age. One
sorrow comes close upon the heels of another. My niece, Mary, has
deserted me."
"Deserted you?"
"Yes. Her bed this morning had not been slept in, her room was empty,
and a note for me lay upon the hall table. I had said to her last
night, in sorrow and not in anger, that if she had married my boy all
might have been well with him. Perhaps it was thoughtless of me to
say so. It is to that remark that she refers in this note:
"'My dearest Uncle:
"'I feel that I have brought trouble upon you, and that if I had
acted differently this terrible misfortune might never have occurred.
I cannot, with this thought in my mind, ever again be happy under
your roof, and I feel that I must leave you forever. Do not worry
about my future, for that is provided for; and, above all, do not
search for me, for it will be fruitless labour and an ill-service to
me. In life or in death, I am ever
"'Your loving
"'Mary.'
"What could she mean by that note, Mr. Holmes? Do you think it points
to suicide?"
"No, no, nothing of the kind. It is perhaps the best possible
solution. I trust, Mr. Holder, that you are nearing the end of your
troubles."
"Ha! You say so! You have heard something, Mr. Holmes; you have
learned something! Where are the gems?"
"You would not think ?000 pounds apiece an excessive sum for them?"
"I would pay ten."
"That would be unnecessary. Three thousand will cover the matter. And
there is a little reward, I fancy. Have you your check-book? Here is
a pen. Better make it out for ?000."
With a dazed face the banker made out the required check. Holmes
walked over to his desk, took out a little triangular piece of gold
with three gems in it, and threw it down upon the table.
With a shriek of joy our client clutched it up.
"You have it!" he gasped. "I am saved! I am saved!"
The reaction of joy was as passionate as his grief had been, and he
hugged his recovered gems to his bosom.
"There is one other thing you owe, Mr. Holder," said Sherlock Holmes
rather sternly.
"Owe!" He caught up a pen. "Name the sum, and I will pay it."
"No, the debt is not to me. You owe a very humble apology to that
noble lad, your son, who has carried himself in this matter as I
should be proud to see my own son do, should I ever chance to have
one."
"Then it was not Arthur who took them?"
"I told you yesterday, and I repeat to-day, that it was not."
"You are sure of it! Then let us hurry to him at once to let him know
that the truth is known."
"He knows it already. When I had cleared it all up I had an interview
with him, and finding that he would not tell me the story, I told it
to him, on which he had to confess that I was right and to add the
very few details which were not yet quite clear to me. Your news of
this morning, however, may open his lips."
"For heaven's sake, tell me, then, what is this extraordinary
mystery!"
"I will do so, and I will show you the steps by which I reached it.
And let me say to you, first, that which it is hardest for me to say
and for you to hear: there has been an understanding between Sir
George Burnwell and your niece Mary. They have now fled together."
"My Mary? Impossible!"
"It is unfortunately more than possible; it is certain. Neither you
nor your son knew the true character of this man when you admitted
