espaceandcorrespondwithGordon’spictureoverthere.”
“Youhavefollowedmewonderfully!”Iexclaimed.
“SofarIcouldhardlyhavegoneastray.ButnowyourthoughtswentbacktoBeecher,andyoulookedhardacrossasifyouwerestudyingthecharacterinhisfeatures.Thenyoureyesceasedtopucker,butyoucontinuedtolookacross,andyourfacewasthoughtful.YouwererecallingtheincidentsofBeecher’scareer.IwaswellawarethatyoucouldnotdothiswithoutthinkingofthemissionwhichheundertookonbehalfoftheNorthatthetimeoftheCivilWar,forIrememberyourexpressingyourpassionateindignationatthewayinwhichhewasreceivedbythemoreturbulentofourpeople.YoufeltsostronglyaboutitthatIknewyoucouldnotthinkofBeecherwithoutthinkingofthatalso.WhenamomentlaterIsawyoureyeswanderawayfromthepicture,IsuspectedthatyourmindhadnowturnedtotheCivilWar,andwhenIobservedthatyourlipsset,youreyessparkled,andyourhandsclenchedIwaspositivethatyouwereindeedthinkingofthegallantrywhichwasshownbybothsidesinthatdesperatestruggle.Butthen,again,yourfacegrewsadderyoushookyourhead.Youweredwellinguponthesadnessandhorroranduselesswasteoflife.Yourhandstoletowardsyourownoldwoundandasmilequiveredonyourlips,whichshowedmethattheridiculoussideofthismethodofsettlinginternationalquestionshadforceditselfuponyourmind.AtthispointIagreedwithyouthatitwaspreposterousandwasgladtofindthatallmydeductionshadbeencorrect.”
“Absolutely!”saidI.“Andnowthatyouhaveexplainedit,IconfessthatIamasamazedasbefore.”
“Itwasverysuperficial,mydearWatson,Iassureyou.Ishouldnothaveintrudedituponyourattentionhadyounotshownsomeincredulitytheotherday.ButIhaveinmyhandsherealittleproblemwhichmayprovetobemoredifficultofsolutionthanmysmallessayinthoughtreading.HaveyouobservedinthepaperashortparagraphreferringtotheremarkablecontentsofapacketsentthroughtheposttoMissCushing,ofCrossStreet,Croydon?”
“No,Isawnothing.”
“Ah!thenyoumusthaveoverlookedit.Justtossitovertome.Hereitis,underthefinancialcolumn.Perhapsyouwouldbegoodenoughtoreaditaloud.”
Ipickedupthepaperwhichhehadthrownbacktomeandreadtheparagraphindicated.Itwasheaded,“AGruesomePacket.”
“MissSusanCushing,livingatCrossStreet,Croydon,hasbeenmadethevictimofwhatmustberegardedasapeculiarlyrevoltingpracticaljokeunlesssomemoresinistermeaningshouldprovetobeattachedtotheincident.Attwoo’clockyesterdayafternoonasmallpacket,wrappedinbrownpaper,washandedinbythepostman.Acardboardboxwasinside,whichwasfilledwithcoarsesalt.Onemptyingthis,MissCushingwashorrifiedtofindtwohumanears,apparentlyquitefreshlysevered.TheboxhadbeensentbyparcelpostfromBelfastuponthemorningbefore.Thereisnoindicationastothesender,andthematteristhemoremysteriousasMissCushing,whoisamaidenladyoffifty,hasledamostretiredlife,andhassofewacquaintancesorcorrespondentsthatitisarareeventforhertoreceiveanythingthroughthepost.Someyearsago,however,whensheresidedatPenge,sheletapartmentsinherhousetothreeyoungmedicalstudents,whomshewasobligedtogetridofonaccountoftheirnoisyandirregularhabits.ThepoliceareofopinionthatthisoutragemayhavebeenperpetrateduponMissCushingbytheseyouths,whoowedheragrudgeandwhohopedtofrightenherbysendinghertheserelicsofthedissecting-rooms.SomeprobabilityislenttothetheorybythefactthatoneofthesestudentscamefromthenorthofIreland,and,tothebestofMissCushing’sbelief,fromBelfast.Inthemeantime,thematterisbeingactivelyinvestigated,Mr.Lestrade,oneoftheverysmartestofourdetectiveofficers,beinginchargeofthecase.”
“SomuchfortheDailyChronicle,”saidHolmesasIfinishedreading.“NowforourfriendLestrade.Ihadanotefromhimthismorning,inwhichhesays:‘Ithinkthatthiscaseisverymuchinyourline.Wehaveeveryhopeofclearingthematterup,butwefindalittledifficultyingettinganythingtoworkupon.Wehave,ofcourse,wiredtotheBelfastpost-office,butalargenumberofparcelswerehandedinuponthatday,andtheyhavenomeansofidentifyingthisparticularone,orofrememberingthesender.Theboxisahalf-pound