eranddiarymayimplicatesomeofthefirstmenintheSouth,andthattheremaybemanywhowillnotsleepeasyatnightuntilitisrecovered.”
“Thenthepagewehaveseen—”
“Issuchaswemightexpect.Itran,ifIrememberright,‘sentthepipstoA,B,andC’—thatis,sentthesociety’swarningtothem.ThentherearesuccessiveentriesthatAandBcleared,orleftthecountry,andfinallythatCwasvisited,with,Ifear,asinisterresultforC.Well,Ithink,Doctor,thatwemayletsomelightintothisdarkplace,andIbelievethattheonlychanceyoungOpenshawhasinthemeantimeistodowhatIhavetoldhim.Thereisnothingmoretobesaidortobedoneto-night,sohandmeovermyviolinandletustrytoforgetforhalfanhourthemiserableweatherandthestillmoremiserablewaysofourfellowmen.”
Ithadclearedinthemorning,andthesunwasshiningwithasubduedbrightnessthroughthedimveilwhichhangsoverthegreatcity.SherlockHolmeswasalreadyatbreakfastwhenIcamedown.
“Youwillexcusemefornotwaitingforyou,”saidhe“Ihave,Iforesee,averybusydaybeforemeinlookingintothiscaseofyoungOpenshaw’s.”
“Whatstepswillyoutake?”Iasked.
“Itwillverymuchdependupontheresultsofmyfirstinquiries.ImayhavetogodowntoHorsham,afterall.”
“Youwillnotgotherefirst?”
“No,IshallcommencewiththeCity.Justringthebellandthemaidwillbringupyourcoffee.”
AsIwaited,Iliftedtheunopenednewspaperfromthetableandglancedmyeyeoverit.Itresteduponaheadingwhichsentachilltomyheart.
“Holmes,”Icried,“youaretoolate.”
“Ah!”saidhe,layingdownhiscup,“Ifearedasmuch.Howwasitdone?”Hespokecalmly,butIcouldseethathewasdeeplymoved.
“MyeyecaughtthenameofOpenshaw,andtheheading‘TragedyNearWaterlooBridge.’Hereistheaccount:
“‘BetweennineandtenlastnightPolice-ConstableCook,oftheHDivision,ondutynearWaterlooBridge,heardacryforhelpandasplashinthewater.Thenight,however,wasextremelydarkandstormy,sothat,inspiteofthehelpofseveralpassers-by,itwasquiteimpossibletoeffectarescue.Thealarm,however,wasgiven,and,bytheaidofthewater-police,thebodywaseventuallyrecovered.Itprovedtobethatofayounggentlemanwhosename,asitappearsfromanenvelopewhichwasfoundinhispocket,wasJohnOpenshaw,andwhoseresidenceisnearHorsham.ItisconjecturedthathemayhavebeenhurryingdowntocatchthelasttrainfromWaterlooStation,andthatinhishasteandtheextremedarknesshemissedhispathandwalkedovertheedgeofoneofthesmalllanding-placesforriversteamboats.Thebodyexhibitednotracesofviolence,andtherecanbenodoubtthatthedeceasedhadbeenthevictimofanunfortunateaccident,whichshouldhavetheeffectofcallingtheattentionoftheauthoritiestotheconditionoftheriversidelanding-stages.’”
Wesatinsilenceforsomeminutes,HolmesmoredepressedandshakenthanIhadeverseenhim.
“Thathurtsmypride,Watson,”hesaidatlast.“Itisapettyfeeling,nodoubt,butithurtsmypride.Itbecomesapersonalmatterwithmenow,and,ifGodsendsmehealth,Ishallsetmyhanduponthisgang.Thatheshouldcometomeforhelp,andthatIshouldsendhimawaytohisdeath—!”Hesprangfromhischairandpacedabouttheroominuncontrollableagitation,withaflushuponhissallowcheeksandanervousclaspingandunclaspingofhislongthinhands.
“Theymustbecunningdevils,”heexclaimedatlast.“Howcouldtheyhavedecoyedhimdownthere?TheEmbankmentisnotonthedirectlinetothestation.Thebridge,nodoubt,wastoocrowded,evenonsuchanight,fortheirpurpose.Well,Watson,weshallseewhowillwininthelongrun.Iamgoingoutnow!”
“Tothepolice?”
“NoIshallbemyownpolice.WhenIhavespunthewebtheymaytaketheflies,butnot