dthen,afteratime,hedidnotcomeinatall.Still,ofcourse,Ineverdaredtoleavetheroomforaninstant,forIwasnotsurewhenhemightcome,andthebilletwassuchagoodone,andsuitedmesowell,thatIwouldnotriskthelossofit.
“Eightweekspassedawaylikethis,andIhadwrittenaboutAbbotsandArcheryandArmourandArchitectureandAttica,andhopedwithdiligencethatImightgetontotheB’sbeforeverylong.Itcostmesomethinginfoolscap,andIhadprettynearlyfilledashelfwithmywritings.Andthensuddenlythewholebusinesscametoanend.”
“Toanend?”
“Yes,sir.Andnolaterthanthismorning.Iwenttomyworkasusualatteno’clock,butthedoorwasshutandlocked,withalittlesquareofcardboardhammeredontothemiddleofthepanelwithatack.Hereitis,andyoucanreadforyourself.”
Heheldupapieceofwhitecardboardaboutthesizeofasheetofnote-paper.Itreadinthisfashion:
“THERED-HEADEDLEAGUEISDISSOLVED.October9,1890.”
SherlockHolmesandIsurveyedthiscurtannouncementandtheruefulfacebehindit,untilthecomicalsideoftheaffairsocompletelyovertoppedeveryotherconsiderationthatwebothburstoutintoaroaroflaughter.
“Icannotseethatthereisanythingveryfunny,”criedourclient,flushinguptotherootsofhisflaminghead.“Ifyoucandonothingbetterthanlaughatme,Icangoelsewhere.”
“No,no,”criedHolmes,shovinghimbackintothechairfromwhichhehadhalfrisen.“Ireallywouldn’tmissyourcasefortheworld.Itismostrefreshinglyunusual.Butthereis,ifyouwillexcusemysayingso,somethingjustalittlefunnyaboutit.Praywhatstepsdidyoutakewhenyoufoundthecarduponthedoor?”
“Iwasstaggered,sir.Ididnotknowwhattodo.ThenIcalledattheofficesround,butnoneofthemseemedtoknowanythingaboutit.Finally,Iwenttothelandlord,whoisanaccountantlivingonthegroundfloor,andIaskedhimifhecouldtellmewhathadbecomeoftheRed-headedLeague.Hesaidthathehadneverheardofanysuchbody.ThenIaskedhimwhoMr.DuncanRosswas.Heansweredthatthenamewasnewtohim.
“‘Well,’saidI,‘thegentlemanatNo.4.’
“‘What,thered-headedman?’
“‘Yes.’
“‘Oh,’saidhe,‘hisnamewasWilliamMorris.Hewasasolicitorandwasusingmyroomasatemporaryconvenienceuntilhisnewpremiseswereready.Hemovedoutyesterday.’
“‘WherecouldIfindhim?’
“‘Oh,athisnewoffices.Hedidtellmetheaddress.Yes,17KingEdwardStreet,nearSt.Paul’s.’
“Istartedoff,Mr.Holmes,butwhenIgottothataddressitwasamanufactoryofartificialknee-caps,andnooneinithadeverheardofeitherMr.WilliamMorrisorMr.DuncanRoss.”
“Andwhatdidyoudothen?”askedHolmes.
“IwenthometoSaxe-CoburgSquare,andItooktheadviceofmyassistant.Buthecouldnothelpmeinanyway.HecouldonlysaythatifIwaitedIshouldhearbypost.Butthatwasnotquitegoodenough,Mr.Holmes.Ididnotwishtolosesuchaplacewithoutastruggle,so,asIhadheardthatyouweregoodenoughtogiveadvicetopoorfolkwhowereinneedofit,Icamerightawaytoyou.”
“Andyoudidverywisely,”saidHolmes.“Yourcaseisanexceedinglyremarkableone,andIshallbehappytolookintoit.FromwhatyouhavetoldmeIthinkthatitispossiblethatgraverissueshangfromitthanmightatfirstsightappear.”
“Graveenough!”saidMr.JabezWilson.“Why,Ihavelostfourpoundaweek.”
“Asfarasyouarepersonallyconcerned,”remarkedHolmes,“Idonotseethatyouhaveanygrievanceagainstthisextraordinaryleague.Onthecontrary,youare,asIunderstand,richerbysome￡30,tosaynothingoftheminuteknowledgewhichyouhavegainedoneverysubjectwhichcomesundertheletterA.Youhavelostnothingbythem.”
“No,sir.ButIwanttofindoutaboutthem,andwhotheyare,andwhattheirobjectwasinplayingthisprank—ifitwasaprank—uponme.Itwasaprettyexpensivejokeforthem,foritcostthemtwoandthirtypounds.”
“Weshallendeavourtoclearupthesepointsforyou.And,first,oneortwoquestions,Mr.Wilson.Thisassistantofyourswhofirstcalledyourattentiontotheadvertisement—howlonghadhebeenwithyou?”
“Aboutamonththen.”
“Howdidhecome?”
“Inanswertoanadvertisement.”
“Washetheonlyapplicant?”
“No,Ihadadozen.”
“Whydidyoupickhim?”
“Becausehewashandyandwouldcomecheap.”
“Athalfwages,infact.”
“Yes.”
“Whatishelike,thisVincentSpaulding?”
“Small,stout-built,veryquickinhisways,nohaironhisface,thoughhe’snotshortofthirty.Hasawhitesplashofaciduponhisforehead.”
Holmessatupinhischairinconsiderableexcitement.“Ithoughtasmuch,”saidhe.“Haveyoueverobservedthathisearsarepiercedforearrings?”
“Yes,sir.Hetoldmethata