Part 13 (1/2)
”And I,” said Holmes, ”shall see what I can learn from Mrs Bernstone and from the Indian servant, who, Mr Thaddeus tells reat Jones's methods and listen to his not too delicate sarcasewohnt dass die Menschen verhohnen was sie nicht verstehen ' 'an ”Goethe is always pithy”
CHAPTER 7
The Episode of the Barrel The police had brought a cab with them, and in this I escorted Miss Morstan back to her hoelic fashi+on of wo as there was soht and placid by the side of the frightened housekeeper In the cab, however, she first turned faint and then burst into a passion of weeping-so sorely had she been tried by the adventures of the night She has told ht uessed the struggle within my breast, or the effort of self-restraint which held me back My sympathies and arden I felt that years of the conventionalities of life could not teach me to know her sweet, brave nature as had this one day of strange experiences Yet there were two thoughts which sealed the words of affection upon my lips She eak and helpless, shaken in e to obtrude love upon her at such a time Worse still, she was rich If Holmes's researches were successful, she would be an heiress Was it fair, was it honourable, that a half-pay surgeon should take such advantage of an intiht she not look upon ar fortune-seeker? I could not bear to risk that such a thought should cross her ra treasure intervened like an impassable barrier between us
It was nearly two o'clock e reached Mrs Cecil Forrester's The servants had retired hours ago, but Mrs Forrester had been so interested by the strange e which Miss Morstan had received that she had sat up in the hope of her return She opened the door herself, a ave me joy to see how tenderly her arm stole round the other's waist and how reeted her She was clearly no mere paid dependant but an honoured friend I was introduced, and Mrs Forrester earnestly begged me to step in and tell her our adventures I explained, however, the importance of ress which we lance back, and I still seeing figures, the half-opened door, the hall-light shi+ning through stained glass, the baro to catch even that passing glilish home in the midst of the wild, dark business which had absorbed us
And the ht of what had happened, the wilder and darker it grew I reviewed the whole extraordinary sequence of events as I rattled on through the silent, gas-lit streets There was the original problem: that at least was pretty clear now The death of Captain Morstan, the sending of the pearls, the advertiseht upon all those events They had only led us, however, to a deeper and far icMorstan's baggage, the strange scene at Major Sholto's death, the rediscovery of the treasure immediately followed by the ular accompaniments to the crime, the footsteps, the re with those upon Captain Morstan's chart-here was indeed a labyrinth in which a ht well despair of ever finding the clue
Pinchin Lane was a row of shabby, two-storied brick houses in the lower quarter of Lambeth I had to knock for some time at No 3 before I could lint of a candle behind the blind, and a face looked out at the upper
”Go on, you drunken vagabond,” said the face ”If you kick up any s upon you”
”If you'll let one out, it's just what I have come for,” said I
”Go on!” yelled the voice ”So help , and I'll drop it on your 'ead if you don't hook it!”
”But I want a dog,” I cried
”I won't be argued with!” shouted Mr Sheroes the wiper”
”Mr Sherlock Holical effect, for theinstantly slammed down, and within a minute the door was unbarred and open Mr Sher shoulders, a stringy neck, and blue-tinted glasses
”A friend of Mr Sherlock is alelcoer, for he bites Ah, naughty, naughty; would you take a nip at the gentleman?” This to a stoat which thrust its wicked head and red eyes between the bars of its cage ”Don't s, so I gives it the run o' the room, for it keeps the beetles down You must not uyed at by the children, and there's many a one just comes down this lane to knock me up What was it that Mr Sherlock Hol of yours”
”Ah! that would be Toby”
”Yes, Toby was the name”
”Toby lives at No 7 on the left here”
Hethe queer aniathered round hiht I could see di down at us from every cranny and corner Even the rafters above our heads were lined by sole to the other as our voices disturbed their slu-haired, lop-eared creature, half spaniel and half lurcher,ao brown and white in colour, with a very cluait It accepted, after soar which the old naturalist handed tothus sealed an alliance, it followedme It had just struck three on the Palace clock when I found hter McMurdo had, I found, been arrested as an accessory, and both he and Mr Sholto had been uarded the narrow gate, but they allowedthe detective's naait It accepted, after soar which the old naturalist handed tothus sealed an alliance, it followedme It had just struck three on the Palace clock when I found hter McMurdo had, I found, been arrested as an accessory, and both he and Mr Sholto had been uarded the narrow gate, but they allowedthe detective's na on the doorstep with his hands in his pockets, s his pipe
”Ah, you have hione We have had an iy since you left He has arrested not only friend Thaddeus but the gatekeeper, the housekeeper, and the Indian servant We have the place to ourselves but for a sergeant upstairs Leave the dog here and come up”
We tied Toby to the hall table and reascended the stairs The room was as we had left it, save that a sheet had been draped over the central figure A weary-looking police-sergeant reclined in the corner
”Lend eant,” said my companion ”Now tie this bit of cord roundit in front of s Just you carry the And dip my handkerchief into the creosote That will do Now coeant,” said my companion ”Now tie this bit of cord roundit in front of s Just you carry the And dip my handkerchief into the creosote That will do Now coarret with h the hole Holht once more upon the footsteps in the dust
”I wish you particularly to notice these foot noteworthy about the,” I said, ”to a child or a sh Is there nothing else?”
”They appear to be much as other footmarks”
”Not at all Look here! This is the print of a right foot in the dust Now I make one with my naked foot beside it What is the chief difference?”
”Your toes are all craether The other print has each toe distinctly divided”
”Quite so That is the point Bear that in mind Noould you kindly step over to that flap- and se of the ork? I shall stay over here, as I have this handkerchief in my hand”
I did as he directed and was instantly conscious of a strong tarry s out If you you can trace him, I should think that Toby will have no difficulty Now run downstairs, loose the dog, and look out for Blondin” can trace him, I should think that Toby will have no difficulty Now run downstairs, loose the dog, and look out for Blondin”aq By the tirounds Sherlock Holloorht of him behind a stack of chimneys, but he presently reappeared and then vanished once more upon the opposite side When I made my way round there I found him seated at one of the corner eaves
”That you, Watson?” he cried
”Yes”
”This is the place What is that black thing down there?”
”A water-barrel”
”Top on it?”
”Yes”
”No sign of a ladder?”
”No”
”Confound the fellow! It's a ht to be able to come dohere he could clioes, anyhow”
There was a scuffling of feet, and the lantern began to coht spring he came on to the barrel, and from there to the earth
”It was easy to follow his and boots ”Tiles were loosened the whole way along, and in his hurry he had dropped this It confirnosis, as you doctors express it”
The object which he held up to rasses and with a fedry beads strung round it In shape and size it was not unlike a cigarette-case Inside were half a dozen spines of dark wood, sharp at one end and rounded at the other, like that which had struck Bartholos,” said he ”Look out that you don't prick yourself I'hted to have them, for the chances are that they are all he has There is the less fear of you orI would sooner face a Martini bullet,ar e, Watson?” e, Watson?”
”Certainly,” I answered