manwhogoesmuchtotheCity.Heisaprofessionalbeggar,thoughinordertoavoidthepoliceregulationshepretendstoasmalltradeinwaxvestas.SomelittledistancedownThreadneedleStreet,upontheleft-handside,thereis,asyoumayhaveremarked,asmallangleinthewall.Hereitisthatthiscreaturetakeshisdailyseat,cross-leggedwithhistinystockofmatchesonhislap,andasheisapiteousspectacleasmallrainofcharitydescendsintothegreasyleathercapwhichliesuponthepavementbesidehim.IhavewatchedthefellowmorethanoncebeforeeverIthoughtofmakinghisprofessionalacquaintance,andIhavebeensurprisedattheharvestwhichhehasreapedinashorttime.Hisappearance,yousee,issoremarkablethatnoonecanpasshimwithoutobservinghim.Ashockoforangehair,apalefacedisfiguredbyahorriblescar,which,byitscontraction,hasturneduptheouteredgeofhisupperlip,abulldogchin,andapairofverypenetratingdarkeyes,whichpresentasingularcontrasttothecolourofhishair,allmarkhimoutfromamidthecommoncrowdofmendicantsandso,too,doeshiswit,forheiseverreadywithareplytoanypieceofchaffwhichmaybethrownathimbythepassers-by.Thisisthemanwhomwenowlearntohavebeenthelodgerattheopiumden,andtohavebeenthelastmantoseethegentlemanofwhomweareinquest.”
“Butacripple!”saidI.“Whatcouldhehavedonesingle-handedagainstamanintheprimeoflife?”
“Heisacrippleinthesensethathewalkswithalimpbutinotherrespectsheappearstobeapowerfulandwell-nurturedman.Surelyyourmedicalexperiencewouldtellyou,Watson,thatweaknessinonelimbisoftencompensatedforbyexceptionalstrengthintheothers.”
“Praycontinueyournarrative.”
“Mrs.St.Clairhadfaintedatthesightoftheblooduponthewindow,andshewasescortedhomeinacabbythepolice,asherpresencecouldbeofnohelptothemintheirinvestigations.InspectorBarton,whohadchargeofthecase,madeaverycarefulexaminationofthepremises,butwithoutfindinganythingwhichthrewanylightuponthematter.OnemistakehadbeenmadeinnotarrestingBooneinstantly,ashewasallowedsomefewminutesduringwhichhemighthavecommunicatedwithhisfriendtheLascar,butthisfaultwassoonremedied,andhewasseizedandsearched,withoutanythingbeingfoundwhichcouldincriminatehim.Therewere,itistrue,someblood-stainsuponhisrightshirt-sleeve,buthepointedtohisring-finger,whichhadbeencutnearthenail,andexplainedthatthebleedingcamefromthere,addingthathehadbeentothewindownotlongbefore,andthatthestainswhichhadbeenobservedtherecamedoubtlessfromthesamesource.HedeniedstrenuouslyhavingeverseenMr.NevilleSt.Clairandsworethatthepresenceoftheclothesinhisroomwasasmuchamysterytohimastothepolice.AstoMrs.St.Clair’sassertionthatshehadactuallyseenherhusbandatthewindow,hedeclaredthatshemusthavebeeneithermadordreaming.Hewasremoved,loudlyprotesting,tothepolice-station,whiletheinspectorremaineduponthepremisesinthehopethattheebbingtidemightaffordsomefreshclue.
“Anditdid,thoughtheyhardlyfounduponthemud-bankwhattheyhadfearedtofind.ItwasNevilleSt.Clair’scoat,andnotNevilleSt.Clair,whichlayuncoveredasthetidereceded.Andwhatdoyouthinktheyfoundinthepockets?”
“Icannotimagine.”
“No,Idon’tthinkyouwouldguess.Everypocketstuffedwithpenniesandhalf-pennies—421penniesand270half-pennies.Itwasnowonderthatithadnotbeensweptawaybythetide.Butahumanbodyisadifferentmatter.Thereisafierceeddybetweenthewharfandthehouse.Itseemedlikelyenoughthattheweightedcoathadremainedwhenthestrippedbodyhadbeensuckedawayintotheriver.”
“ButIunderstandthatalltheotherclotheswerefoundintheroom.Wouldthebodybedressedinacoatalone?”
“No,sir,butthefactsmightbemetspeciouslyenough.SupposethatthismanBoonehadthrustNevilleSt.Clairthroughthewindow,thereisnohumaneyewhichcouldhaveseenthedeed.Whatwouldhedothen?Itwouldofcourseinstantlystrikehimthathemustgetridofthetell-talegarments.Hewouldseizethecoat,then,andbeintheactofthrowingitout,whenitwouldoccurtohimthatitwouldswimandnotsink.Hehaslittletime,forhehasheardthescuffledownstairswhenthewifetriedtoforceherwayup,andperhapshehasalreadyheardfromhisLascarconfederatethatthepolicearehurryingupthestreet.Thereisnotaninstanttobelost.Herushestosomesecrethoard,wherehehasaccumulatedthefruitsofhisbeggary,andhestuffsallthecoinsuponwhichhecanlayhishandsintothepocketstomakesureofthecoat’ssinking.Hethrowsitout,andwouldhavedonethes