hastheverystrongestmotivesforstandinginthewayofanythingofthesort.Andnow,Watson,thisistooseriousfordawdling,especiallyastheoldmanisawarethatweareinterestingourselvesinhisaffairssoifyouareready,weshallcallacabanddrivetoWaterloo.Ishouldbeverymuchobligedifyouwouldslipyourrevolverintoyourpocket.AnEley’sNo.2isanexcellentargumentwithgentlemenwhocantwiststeelpokersintoknots.Thatandatooth-brushare,Ithink,allthatweneed.”
AtWaterloowewerefortunateincatchingatrainforLeatherhead,wherewehiredatrapatthestationinnanddroveforfourorfivemilesthroughthelovelySurreylanes.Itwasaperfectday,withabrightsunandafewfleecycloudsintheheavens.Thetreesandwaysidehedgeswerejustthrowingouttheirfirstgreenshoots,andtheairwasfullofthepleasantsmellofthemoistearth.Tomeatleasttherewasastrangecontrastbetweenthesweetpromiseofthespringandthissinisterquestuponwhichwewereengaged.Mycompanionsatinthefrontofthetrap,hisarmsfolded,hishatpulleddownoverhiseyes,andhischinsunkuponhisbreast,buriedinthedeepestthought.Suddenly,however,hestarted,tappedmeontheshoulder,andpointedoverthemeadows.
“Lookthere!”saidhe.
Aheavilytimberedparkstretchedupinagentleslope,thickeningintoagroveatthehighestpoint.Fromamidthebranchestherejuttedoutthegreygablesandhighroof-treeofaveryoldmansion.
“StokeMoran?”saidhe.
“Yes,sir,thatbethehouseofDr.GrimesbyRoylott,”remarkedthedriver.
“Thereissomebuildinggoingonthere,”saidHolmes“thatiswherewearegoing.”
“There’sthevillage,”saidthedriver,pointingtoaclusterofroofssomedistancetotheleft“butifyouwanttogettothehouse,you’llfinditshortertogetoverthisstile,andsobythefootpathoverthefields.Thereitis,wheretheladyiswalking.”
“Andthelady,Ifancy,isMissStoner,”observedHolmes,shadinghiseyes.“Yes,Ithinkwehadbetterdoasyousuggest.”
Wegotoff,paidourfare,andthetraprattledbackonitswaytoLeatherhead.
“Ithoughtitaswell,”saidHolmesasweclimbedthestile,“thatthisfellowshouldthinkwehadcomehereasarchitects,oronsomedefinitebusiness.Itmaystophisgossip.Good-afternoon,MissStoner.Youseethatwehavebeenasgoodasourword.”
Ourclientofthemorninghadhurriedforwardtomeetuswithafacewhichspokeherjoy.“Ihavebeenwaitingsoeagerlyforyou,”shecried,shakinghandswithuswarmly.“Allhasturnedoutsplendidly.Dr.Roylotthasgonetotown,anditisunlikelythathewillbebackbeforeevening.”
“WehavehadthepleasureofmakingtheDoctor’sacquaintance,”saidHolmes,andinafewwordshesketchedoutwhathadoccurred.MissStonerturnedwhitetothelipsasshelistened.
“Goodheavens!”shecried,“hehasfollowedme,then.”
“Soitappears.”
“HeissocunningthatIneverknowwhenIamsafefromhim.Whatwillhesaywhenhereturns?”
“Hemustguardhimself,forhemayfindthatthereissomeonemorecunningthanhimselfuponhistrack.Youmustlockyourselfupfromhimto-night.Ifheisviolent,weshalltakeyouawaytoyouraunt’satHarrow.Now,wemustmakethebestuseofourtime,sokindlytakeusatoncetotheroomswhichwearetoexamine.”
Thebuildingwasofgrey,lichen-blotchedstone,withahighcentralportionandtwocurvingwings,liketheclawsofacrab,thrownoutoneachside.Inoneofthesewingsthewindowswerebrokenandblockedwithwoodenboards,whiletheroofwaspartlycavedin,apictureofruin.Thecentralportionwasinlittlebetterrepair,buttheright-handblockwascomparativelymodern,andtheblindsinthewindows,withthebluesmokecurlingupfromthechimneys,showedthatthiswaswherethefamilyresided.Somescaffoldinghadbeenerectedagainsttheendwall,andthestone-workhadbeenbrokeninto,buttherewerenosignsofanyworkmenatthemomentofourvisit.Holmeswalkedslowlyupanddowntheill-trimmedlawnandexaminedwithdeepattentiontheoutsidesofthewindows.
“This,Itakeit,belongstotheroominwhichyouusedtosleep,thecentreonetoyoursister’s,andtheonenexttothemainbuildingtoDr.Roylott’schamber?”
“Exactlyso.ButIamnowsleepinginthemiddleone.”
“Pendingthealterations,asIunderstand.Bytheway,theredoesnotseemtobeanyverypressingneedforrepairsatthatendwall.”
“Therewerenone.Ibelievethatitwasanexcusetomovemefrommyroom.”
“Ah!thatissuggestive.Now,ontheothersideofthisnarrowwingrunsthecorridorfromwhichthesethreeroomsopen.Therearewindowsinit,ofcourse?”
“Yes,butverysmallones.Toonarrowforanyonetopassthrough.”
“Asyoubothlockedyourdoorsatnight,yourroomswereunapproachablefromthatside.Now,wouldyouhavethekindnesstogointoyourroomandbaryourshutters?”
MissStonerdidso,andHolmes,afteracarefulexaminationthroughtheopenwindow,endeavouredineverywaytoforcetheshutteropen,butwithoutsuccess.Therewasnoslitthroughwhichaknifecouldbepassedtoraisethebar.Thenwithhislensheteste