Iask,inthefirstplace,Mr.McFarlane,howitisthatyouarestillatliberty,sincethereappearstobeenoughevidencetojustifyyourarrest?”
“IliveatTorringtonLodge,Blackheath,withmyparents,Mr.Holmes,butlastnight,havingtodobusinessverylatewithMr.JonasOldacre,IstayedatanhotelinNorwood,andcametomybusinessfromthere.IknewnothingofthisaffairuntilIwasinthetrain,whenIreadwhatyouhavejustheard.Iatoncesawthehorribledangerofmyposition,andIhurriedtoputthecaseintoyourhands.IhavenodoubtthatIshouldhavebeenarrestedeitheratmycityofficeoratmyhome.AmanfollowedmefromLondonBridgeStation,andIhavenodoubt—Greatheaven!whatisthat?”
Itwasaclangofthebell,followedinstantlybyheavystepsuponthestair.Amomentlater,ouroldfriendLestradeappearedinthedoorway.OverhisshoulderIcaughtaglimpseofoneortwouniformedpolicemenoutside.
“Mr.JohnHectorMcFarlane?”saidLestrade.
Ourunfortunateclientrosewithaghastlyface.
“IarrestyouforthewilfulmurderofMr.JonasOldacre,ofLowerNorwood.”
McFarlaneturnedtouswithagestureofdespair,andsankintohischaironcemorelikeonewhoiscrushed.
“Onemoment,Lestrade,”saidHolmes.“Halfanhourmoreorlesscanmakenodifferencetoyou,andthegentlemanwasabouttogiveusanaccountofthisveryinterestingaffair,whichmightaidusinclearingitup.”
“Ithinktherewillbenodifficultyinclearingitup,”saidLestrade,grimly.
“Nonetheless,withyourpermission,Ishouldbemuchinterestedtohearhisaccount.”
“Well,Mr.Holmes,itisdifficultformetorefuseyouanything,foryouhavebeenofusetotheforceonceortwiceinthepast,andweoweyouagoodturnatScotlandYard,”saidLestrade.“AtthesametimeImustremainwithmyprisoner,andIamboundtowarnhimthatanythinghemaysaywillappearinevidenceagainsthim.”
“Iwishnothingbetter,”saidourclient.“AllIaskisthatyoushouldhearandrecognizetheabsolutetruth.”
Lestradelookedathiswatch.“I’llgiveyouhalfanhour,”saidhe.
“Imustexplainfirst,”saidMcFarlane,“thatIknewnothingofMr.JonasOldacre.Hisnamewasfamiliartome,formanyyearsagomyparentswereacquaintedwithhim,buttheydriftedapart.Iwasverymuchsurprisedtherefore,whenyesterday,aboutthreeo’clockintheafternoon,hewalkedintomyofficeinthecity.ButIwasstillmoreastonishedwhenhetoldmetheobjectofhisvisit.Hehadinhishandseveralsheetsofanotebook,coveredwithscribbledwriting—heretheyare—andhelaidthemonmytable.
“‘Hereismywill,’saidhe.‘Iwantyou,Mr.McFarlane,tocastitintoproperlegalshape.Iwillsitherewhileyoudoso.’
“Isetmyselftocopyit,andyoucanimaginemyastonishmentwhenIfoundthat,withsomereservations,hehadleftallhispropertytome.Hewasastrangelittleferret-likeman,withwhiteeyelashes,andwhenIlookedupathimIfoundhiskeengreyeyesfixeduponmewithanamusedexpression.IcouldhardlybelievemyownasIreadthetermsofthewillbutheexplainedthathewasabachelorwithhardlyanylivingrelation,thathehadknownmyparentsinhisyouth,andthathehadalwaysheardofmeasaverydeservingyoungman,andwasassuredthathismoneywouldbeinworthyhands.Ofcourse,Icouldonlystammeroutmythanks.Thewillwasdulyfinished,signed,andwitnessedbymyclerk.Thisisitonthebluepaper,andtheseslips,asIhaveexplained,aretheroughdraft.Mr.JonasOldacretheninformedmethattherewereanumberofdocuments—buildingleases,title-deeds,mortgages,scrip,andsoforth—whichitwasnecessarythatIshouldseeandunderstand.Hesaidthathismindwouldnotbeeasyuntilthewholethingwassettled,andhebeggedmetocomeouttohishouseatNorwoodthatnight,bringingthewillwithme,andtoarrangematters.‘Remember,myboy,notonewordtoyourparentsabouttheaffairuntileverythingissettled.Wewillkeepitasalittlesurpriseforthem.’Hewasveryinsistentuponthispoint,andmademepromiseitfaithfully.
“Youcanimagine,Mr.Holmes,thatIwasnotinahumourtorefusehimanythingthathemightask.Hewasmybenefactor,andallmydesirewastocarryouthiswishesineveryparticular.Isentatelegramhome,therefore,tosaythatIhadimportantbusinessonhand,andthatitwasimpossibleformetosayhowlateImightbe.Mr.Oldacrehadtoldmethathewouldlikemetohavesupperwithhimatnine,ashemightnotbehomebeforethathour.Ihadsomedifficultyinfindinghishouse,however,anditwasnearlyhalf-pastbeforeIreachedit.Ifoundhim——”
“Onemoment!”saidHolmes.“Whoopenedthedoor?”
“Amiddle-agedwoman,whowas,Isuppose,hishousekeeper.”
“Anditwasshe,Ipresume,whomentionedyourname?”
“Exactly,”saidMcFarlane.
“Prayproceed.”
McFarlanewipedhisdampbrow,andthencontinuedhisnarrative:
“Iwas