Reading Help The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Ch.IX-XII
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too. `
` `
` "She was never happy at home, Miss Alice wasn't, from the time `
` that her father married again. She was slighted like and had no `
` say in anything, but it never really became bad for her until `
` after she met Mr. Fowler at a friend's house. As well as I could `
` learn, Miss Alice had rights of her own by will, but she was so `
` quiet and patient, she was, that she never said a word about them `
` but just left everything in Mr. Rucastle's hands. He knew he was `
` safe with her; but when there was a chance of a husband coming `
` forward, who would ask for all that the law would give him, then `
` her father thought it time to put a stop on it. He wanted her to `
` sign a paper, so that whether she married or not, he could use `
` her money. When she wouldn't do it, he kept on worrying her until `
` she got brain-fever, and for six weeks was at death's door. Then `
` she got better at last, all worn to a shadow, and with her `
` beautiful hair cut off; but that didn't make no change in her `
` young man, and he stuck to her as true as man could be." `
` `
` "Ah," said Holmes, "I think that what you have been good enough `
` to tell us makes the matter fairly clear, and that I can deduce `
` all that remains. Mr. Rucastle then, I presume, took to this `
` system of imprisonment?" `
` `
` "Yes, sir." `
` `
` "And brought Miss Hunter down from London in order to get rid of `
` the disagreeable persistence of Mr. Fowler." `
` `
` "That was it, sir." `
` `
` "But Mr. Fowler being a persevering man, as a good seaman should `
` be, blockaded the house, and having met you succeeded by certain `
` arguments, metallic or otherwise, in convincing you that your `
` interests were the same as his." `
` `
` "Mr. Fowler was a very kind-spoken, free-handed gentleman," said `
` Mrs. Toller serenely. `
` `
` "And in this way he managed that your good man should have no `
` want of drink, and that a ladder should be ready at the moment `
` when your master had gone out." `
` `
` "You have it, sir, just as it happened." `
` `
` "I am sure we owe you an apology, Mrs. Toller," said Holmes, "for `
` you have certainly cleared up everything which puzzled us. And `
` here comes the country surgeon and Mrs. Rucastle, so I think, `
` Watson, that we had best escort Miss Hunter back to Winchester, `
` as it seems to me that our locus standi now is rather a `
` questionable one." `
` `
` And thus was solved the mystery of the sinister house with the `
` copper beeches in front of the door. Mr. Rucastle survived, but `
` was always a broken man, kept alive solely through the care of `
` his devoted wife. They still live with their old servants, who `
` probably know so much of Rucastle's past life that he finds it `
` difficult to part from them. Mr. Fowler and Miss Rucastle were `
` married, by special license, in Southampton the day after their `
` flight, and he is now the holder of a government appointment in `
` the island of Mauritius. As to Miss Violet Hunter, my friend `
` Holmes, rather to my disappointment, manifested no further `
` interest in her when once she had ceased to be the centre of one `
` of his problems, and she is now the head of a private school at `
` Walsall, where I believe that she has met with considerable success. `
` `
` `
`
` `
` "She was never happy at home, Miss Alice wasn't, from the time `
` that her father married again. She was slighted like and had no `
` say in anything, but it never really became bad for her until `
` after she met Mr. Fowler at a friend's house. As well as I could `
` learn, Miss Alice had rights of her own by will, but she was so `
` quiet and patient, she was, that she never said a word about them `
` but just left everything in Mr. Rucastle's hands. He knew he was `
` safe with her; but when there was a chance of a husband coming `
` forward, who would ask for all that the law would give him, then `
` her father thought it time to put a stop on it. He wanted her to `
` sign a paper, so that whether she married or not, he could use `
` her money. When she wouldn't do it, he kept on worrying her until `
` she got brain-fever, and for six weeks was at death's door. Then `
` she got better at last, all worn to a shadow, and with her `
` beautiful hair cut off; but that didn't make no change in her `
` young man, and he stuck to her as true as man could be." `
` `
` "Ah," said Holmes, "I think that what you have been good enough `
` to tell us makes the matter fairly clear, and that I can deduce `
` all that remains. Mr. Rucastle then, I presume, took to this `
` system of imprisonment?" `
` `
` "Yes, sir." `
` `
` "And brought Miss Hunter down from London in order to get rid of `
` the disagreeable persistence of Mr. Fowler." `
` `
` "That was it, sir." `
` `
` "But Mr. Fowler being a persevering man, as a good seaman should `
` be, blockaded the house, and having met you succeeded by certain `
` arguments, metallic or otherwise, in convincing you that your `
` interests were the same as his." `
` `
` "Mr. Fowler was a very kind-spoken, free-handed gentleman," said `
` Mrs. Toller serenely. `
` `
` "And in this way he managed that your good man should have no `
` want of drink, and that a ladder should be ready at the moment `
` when your master had gone out." `
` `
` "You have it, sir, just as it happened." `
` `
` "I am sure we owe you an apology, Mrs. Toller," said Holmes, "for `
` you have certainly cleared up everything which puzzled us. And `
` here comes the country surgeon and Mrs. Rucastle, so I think, `
` Watson, that we had best escort Miss Hunter back to Winchester, `
` as it seems to me that our locus standi now is rather a `
` questionable one." `
` `
` And thus was solved the mystery of the sinister house with the `
` copper beeches in front of the door. Mr. Rucastle survived, but `
` was always a broken man, kept alive solely through the care of `
` his devoted wife. They still live with their old servants, who `
` probably know so much of Rucastle's past life that he finds it `
` difficult to part from them. Mr. Fowler and Miss Rucastle were `
` married, by special license, in Southampton the day after their `
` flight, and he is now the holder of a government appointment in `
` the island of Mauritius. As to Miss Violet Hunter, my friend `
` Holmes, rather to my disappointment, manifested no further `
` interest in her when once she had ceased to be the centre of one `
` of his problems, and she is now the head of a private school at `
` Walsall, where I believe that she has met with considerable success. `
` `
` `
`