ItwaslateintheafternoonbeforeIwoke,strengthenedandrefreshed.SherlockHolmesstillsatexactlyasIhadlefthim,savethathehadlaidasidehisviolinandwasdeepinabook.Helookedacrossatme,asIstirred,andInoticedthathisfacewasdarkandtroubled.
“Youhavesleptsoundly,”hesaid.“Ifearedthatourtalkwouldwakeyou.”
“Iheardnothing,”Ianswered.“Haveyouhadfreshnews,then?”
“Unfortunately,no.IconfessthatIamsurprisedanddisappointed.Iexpectedsomethingdefinitebythistime.Wigginshasjustbeenuptoreport.Hesaysthatnotracecanbefoundofthelaunch.Itisaprovokingcheck,foreveryhourisofimportance.”
“CanIdoanything?Iamperfectlyfreshnow,andquitereadyforanothernight’souting.”
“No,wecandonothing.Wecanonlywait.Ifwegoourselves,themessagemightcomeinourabsence,anddelaybecaused.Youcandowhatyouwill,butImustremainonguard.”
“ThenIshallrunovertoCamberwellandcalluponMrs.CecilForrester.Sheaskedmeto,yesterday.”
“OnMrs.CecilForrester?”askedHolmes,withthetwinkleofasmileinhiseyes.
“Well,ofcourseMissMorstantoo.Theywereanxioustohearwhathappened.”
“Iwouldnottellthemtoomuch,”saidHolmes.“Womenarenevertobeentirelytrusted,—notthebestofthem.”
Ididnotpausetoargueoverthisatrocioussentiment.“Ishallbebackinanhourortwo,”Iremarked.
“Allright!Goodluck!But,Isay,ifyouarecrossingtheriveryoumayaswellreturnToby,forIdon’tthinkitisatalllikelythatweshallhaveanyuseforhimnow.”
Itookourmongrelaccordingly,andlefthim,togetherwithahalf-sovereign,attheoldnaturalist’sinPinchinLane.AtCamberwellIfoundMissMorstanalittlewearyafterhernight’sadventures,butveryeagertohearthenews.Mrs.Forrester,too,wasfullofcuriosity.Itoldthemallthatwehaddone,suppressing,however,themoredreadfulpartsofthetragedy.Thus,althoughIspokeofMr.Sholto’sdeath,Isaidnothingoftheexactmannerandmethodofit.Withallmyomissions,however,therewasenoughtostartleandamazethem.
“Itisaromance!”criedMrs.Forrester.“Aninjuredlady,halfamillionintreasure,ablackcannibal,andawooden-leggedruffian.Theytaketheplaceoftheconventionaldragonorwickedearl.”
“Andtwoknight-errants