y,Ihavebeenreadingashortbutclearandinterestingaccountoftheoldbuilding,purchasableatthemodestsumofonepennyfromthelocaltobacconist.”
HereHolmesdrewasmalltract,embellishedwitharudeengravingoftheancientManorHouse,fromhiswaistcoatpocket.
“Itimmenselyaddstothezestofaninvestigation,mydearMr.Mac,whenoneisinconscioussympathywiththehistoricalatmosphereofone'ssurroundings.Don'tlooksoimpatientforIassureyouthatevensobaldanaccountasthisraisessomesortofpictureofthepastinone'smind.Permitmetogiveyouasample.'ErectedinthefifthyearofthereignofJamesI,andstandinguponthesiteofamucholderbuilding,theManorHouseofBirlstonepresentsoneofthefinestsurvivingexamplesofthemoatedJacobeanresidence—'”
“Youaremakingfoolsofus,Mr.Holmes!”
“Tut,tut,Mr.Mac!—thefirstsignoftemperIhavedetectedinyou.Well,Iwon'treaditverbatim,sinceyoufeelsostronglyuponthesubject.ButwhenItellyouthatthereissomeaccountofthetakingoftheplacebyaparliamentarycolonelin1644,oftheconcealmentofCharlesforseveraldaysinthecourseoftheCivilWar,andfinallyofavisittherebythesecondGeorge,youwilladmitthattherearevariousassociationsofinterestconnectedwiththisancienthouse.”
“Idon'tdoubtit,Mr.Holmesbutthatisnobusinessofours.”
“Isitnot?Isitnot?Breadthofview,mydearMr.Mac,isoneoftheessentialsofourprofession.Theinterplayofideasandtheobliqueusesofknowledgeareoftenofextraordinaryinterest.Youwillexcusetheseremarksfromonewho,thoughamereconnoisseurofcrime,isstillratherolderandperhapsmoreexperiencedthanyourself.”
“I'mthefirsttoadmitthat,”saidthedetectiveheartily.“Yougettoyourpoint,Iadmitbutyouhavesuchadeucedround-the-cornerwayofdoingit.”
“Well,well,I'lldroppasthistoryandgetdowntopresent-dayfacts.Icalledlastnight,asIhavealreadysaid,attheManorHouse.IdidnotseeeitherBarkerorMrs.Douglas.IsawnonecessitytodisturbthembutIwaspleasedtohearthattheladywasnotvisiblypiningandthatshehadpartakenofanexcellentdinner.MyvisitwasspeciallymadetothegoodMr.Ames,withwhomIexchangedsomeamiabilities,whichculminatedinhisallowingme,withoutreferencetoanyoneelse,tositaloneforatimeinthestudy.”
“What!Withthat?”Iejaculated.
“No,no,everythingisnowinorder.Yougavepermissionforthat,Mr.Mac,asIaminformed.Theroomwasinitsnormalstate,andinitIpassedaninstructivequarterofanhour.”
“Whatwereyoudoing?”
“Well,nottomakeamysteryofsosimpleamatter,Iwaslookingforthemissingdumb-bell.Ithasalwaysbulkedratherlargeinmyestimateofthecase.Iendedbyfindingit.”
“Where?”
“Ah,therewecometotheedgeoftheunexplored.Letmegoalittlefurther,averylittlefurther,andIwillpromisethatyoushallshareeverythingthatIknow.”
“Well,we'reboundtotak