adoccurred.
“ThetwoMcCarthyswereseenafterthetimewhenWilliamCrowder,thegame-keeper,lostsightofthem.TheBoscombePoolisthicklywoodedround,withjustafringeofgrassandofreedsroundtheedge.Agirloffourteen,PatienceMoran,whoisthedaughterofthelodge-keeperoftheBoscombeValleyestate,wasinoneofthewoodspickingflowers.Shestatesthatwhileshewasthereshesaw,attheborderofthewoodandclosebythelake,Mr.McCarthyandhisson,andthattheyappearedtobehavingaviolentquarrel.SheheardMr.McCarthytheelderusingverystronglanguagetohisson,andshesawthelatterraiseuphishandasiftostrikehisfather.ShewassofrightenedbytheirviolencethatsheranawayandtoldhermotherwhenshereachedhomethatshehadleftthetwoMcCarthysquarrellingnearBoscombePool,andthatshewasafraidthattheyweregoingtofight.ShehadhardlysaidthewordswhenyoungMr.McCarthycamerunninguptothelodgetosaythathehadfoundhisfatherdeadinthewood,andtoaskforthehelpofthelodge-keeper.Hewasmuchexcited,withouteitherhisgunorhishat,andhisrighthandandsleevewereobservedtobestainedwithfreshblood.Onfollowinghimtheyfoundthedeadbodystretchedoutuponthegrassbesidethepool.Theheadhadbeenbeateninbyrepeatedblowsofsomeheavyandbluntweapon.Theinjuriesweresuchasmightverywellhavebeeninflictedbythebutt-endofhisson’sgun,whichwasfoundlyingonthegrasswithinafewpacesofthebody.Underthesecircumstancestheyoungmanwasinstantlyarrested,andaverdictof‘wilfulmurder’havingbeenreturnedattheinquestonTuesday,hewasonWednesdaybroughtbeforethemagistratesatRoss,whohavereferredthecasetothenextAssizes.Thosearethemainfactsofthecaseastheycameoutbeforethecoronerandthepolice-court.”
“Icouldhardlyimagineamoredamningcase,”Iremarked.“Ifevercircumstantialevidencepointedtoacriminalitdoessohere.”
“Circumstantialevidenceisaverytrickything,”answeredHolmesthoughtfully.“Itmayseemtopointverystraighttoonething,butifyoushiftyourownpointofviewalittle,youmayfinditpointinginanequallyuncompromisingmannertosomethingentirelydifferent.Itmustbeconfessed,however,thatthecaselooksexceedinglygraveagainsttheyoungman,anditisverypossiblethatheisindeedtheculprit.Thereareseveralpeopleintheneighbourhood,however,andamongthemMissTurner,thedaughteroftheneighbouringlandowner,whobelieveinhisinnocence,andwhohaveretainedLestrade,whomyoumayrecollectinconnectionwiththeStudyinScarlet,toworkoutthecaseinhisinterest.Lestrade,beingratherpuzzled,hasreferredthecasetome,andhenceitisthattwomiddle-agedgentlemenareflyingwestwardatfiftymilesanhourinsteadofquietlydigestingtheirbreakfastsathome.”
“Iamafraid,”saidI,“thatthefactsaresoobviousthatyouwillfindlittlecredittobegainedoutofthiscase.”
“Thereisnothingmoredeceptivethananobviousfact,”heanswered,laughing.“Besides,wemaychancetohituponsomeotherobviousfactswhichmayhavebeenbynomeansobvioustoMr.Lestrade.YouknowmetoowelltothinkthatIamboastingwhenIsaythatIshalleitherconfirmordestroyhistheorybymeanswhichheisquiteincapableofemploying,orevenofunderstanding.Totakethefirstexampletohand,Iveryclearlyperceivethatinyourbedroomthewindowisupontheright-handside,andyetIquestionwhetherMr.Lestradewouldhavenotedevensoself-evidentathingasthat.”
“Howonearth—”
“Mydearfellow,Iknowyouwell.Iknowthemilitaryneatnesswhichcharacterisesyou.Youshaveeverymorning,andinthisseasonyoushavebythesunlightbutsinceyourshavingislessandlesscompleteaswegetfartherbackontheleftside,untilitbecomespositivelyslovenlyaswegetroundtheangleofthejaw,itissurelyveryclearthatthatsideislessilluminatedthantheother.Icouldnotimagineamanofyourhabitslookingathimselfinanequallightandbeingsatisfiedwithsucharesult.Ionlyquotethisasatrivialexampleofobservationandinference.Thereinliesmymétier,anditisjustpossiblethatitmaybeofsomeserviceintheinvestigationwhichliesbeforeus.Thereareoneortwominorpointswhichwerebroughtoutintheinquest,andwhichareworthconsidering.”
“Whatarethey?”
“Itappearsthathisarrestdidnottakeplaceatonce,butafterthereturntoHatherleyFarm.Ontheinspectorofconstabularyinforminghimthathewasaprisoner,heremarkedthathewasnotsurprisedtohearit,andthatitwasnomorethanhisdeserts.Thisobservationofhishadthenaturaleffectofremovinganytracesofdoubtwhichmighthaveremainedinthemindsofthecoroner’sjury.”
“Itwasaconfession,”Iejaculated.
“No,foritwasfollowedbyaprotestationofinnocence.”
“Comingonthetopofsuchadamningseriesofevents,itwasatleastamostsuspiciousremark.”