Reading Help The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Ch.I-IV
`
` "'How far from the body?' `
` `
` "'A dozen yards or so.' `
` `
` "'And how far from the edge of the wood?' `
` `
` "'About the same.' `
` `
` "'Then if it was removed it was while you were within a dozen `
` yards of it?' `
` `
` "'Yes, but with my back towards it.' `
` `
` "This concluded the examination of the witness." `
` `
` "I see," said I as I glanced down the column, "that the coroner `
` in his concluding remarks was rather severe upon young McCarthy. `
` He calls attention, and with reason, to the discrepancy about his `
` father having signalled to him before seeing him, also to his `
` refusal to give details of his conversation with his father, and `
` his singular account of his father's dying words. They are all, `
` as he remarks, very much against the son." `
` `
` Holmes laughed softly to himself and stretched himself out upon `
` the cushioned seat. "Both you and the coroner have been at some `
` pains," said he, "to single out the very strongest points in the `
` young man's favour. Don't you see that you alternately give him `
` credit for having too much imagination and too little? Too `
` little, if he could not invent a cause of quarrel which would `
` give him the sympathy of the jury; too much, if he evolved from `
` his own inner consciousness anything so outr� as a dying `
` reference to a rat, and the incident of the vanishing cloth. No, `
` sir, I shall approach this case from the point of view that what `
` this young man says is true, and we shall see whither that `
` hypothesis will lead us. And now here is my pocket Petrarch, and `
` not another word shall I say of this case until we are on the `
` scene of action. We lunch at Swindon, and I see that we shall be `
` there in twenty minutes." `
` `
` It was nearly four o'clock when we at last, after passing through `
` the beautiful Stroud Valley, and over the broad gleaming Severn, `
` found ourselves at the pretty little country-town of Ross. A `
` lean, ferret-like man, furtive and sly-looking, was waiting for `
` us upon the platform. In spite of the light brown dustcoat and `
` leather-leggings which he wore in deference to his rustic `
` surroundings, I had no difficulty in recognising Lestrade, of `
` Scotland Yard. With him we drove to the Hereford Arms where a `
` room had already been engaged for us. `
` `
` "I have ordered a carriage," said Lestrade as we sat over a cup `
` of tea. "I knew your energetic nature, and that you would not be `
` happy until you had been on the scene of the crime." `
` `
` "It was very nice and complimentary of you," Holmes answered. "It `
` is entirely a question of barometric pressure." `
` `
` Lestrade looked startled. "I do not quite follow," he said. `
` `
` "How is the glass? Twenty-nine, I see. No wind, and not a cloud `
` in the sky. I have a caseful of cigarettes here which need `
` smoking, and the sofa is very much superior to the usual country `
` hotel abomination. I do not think that it is probable that I `
` shall use the carriage to-night." `
` `
` Lestrade laughed indulgently. "You have, no doubt, already formed `
` your conclusions from the newspapers," he said. "The case is as `
` plain as a pikestaff, and the more one goes into it the plainer `
` it becomes. Still, of course, one can't refuse a lady, and such a `
` very positive one, too. She has heard of you, and would have your `
` opinion, though I repeatedly told her that there was nothing `
` which you could do which I had not already done. Why, bless my `
` soul! here is her carriage at the door." `
` `
` He had hardly spoken before there rushed into the room one of the `
` most lovely young women that I have ever seen in my life. Her `
` violet eyes shining, her lips parted, a pink flush upon her `
` cheeks, all thought of her natural reserve lost in her `
` overpowering excitement and concern. `
` `
` "Oh, Mr. Sherlock Holmes!" she cried, glancing from one to the `
` other of us, and finally, with a woman's quick intuition, `
` fastening upon my companion, "I am so glad that you have come. I `
` have driven down to tell you so. I know that James didn't do it. `
` I know it, and I want you to start upon your work knowing it, `
` too. Never let yourself doubt upon that point. We have known each `
` other since we were little children, and I know his faults as no `
` one else does; but he is too tender-hearted to hurt a fly. Such a `
` charge is absurd to anyone who really knows him." `
` `
` "I hope we may clear him, Miss Turner," said Sherlock Holmes. `
` "You may rely upon my doing all that I can." `
` `
` "But you have read the evidence. You have formed some conclusion? `
` Do you not see some loophole, some flaw? Do you not yourself `
` think that he is innocent?" `
` `
` "I think that it is very probable." `
` `
` "There, now!" she cried, throwing back her head and looking `
` defiantly at Lestrade. "You hear! He gives me hopes." `
` `
` Lestrade shrugged his shoulders. "I am afraid that my colleague `
` has been a little quick in forming his conclusions," he said. `
` `
` "But he is right. Oh! I know that he is right. James never did `
` it. And about his quarrel with his father, I am sure that the `
` reason why he would not speak about it to the coroner was because `
` I was concerned in it." `
` `
` "In what way?" asked Holmes. `
` `
` "It is no time for me to hide anything. James and his father had `
` many disagreements about me. Mr. McCarthy was very anxious that `
` there should be a marriage between us. James and I have always `
` loved each other as brother and sister; but of course he is young `
` and has seen very little of life yet, and--and--well, he `
` naturally did not wish to do anything like that yet. So there `
` were quarrels, and this, I am sure, was one of them." `
` `
` "And your father?" asked Holmes. "Was he in favour of such a `
` union?" `
` `
` "No, he was averse to it also. No one but Mr. McCarthy was in `
` favour of it." A quick blush passed over her fresh young face as `
` Holmes shot one of his keen, questioning glances at her. `
` `
` "Thank you for this information," said he. "May I see your father `
` if I call to-morrow?" `
` `
` "I am afraid the doctor won't allow it." `
` `
` "The doctor?" `
` `
` "Yes, have you not heard? Poor father has never been strong for `
` years back, but this has broken him down completely. He has taken `
` to his bed, and Dr. Willows says that he is a wreck and that his `
` nervous system is shattered. Mr. McCarthy was the only man alive `
` who had known dad in the old days in Victoria." `
` `
` "Ha! In Victoria! That is important." `
` `
` "Yes, at the mines." `
` `
` "Quite so; at the gold-mines, where, as I understand, Mr. Turner `
` made his money." `
` `
` "Yes, certainly." `
` `
` "Thank you, Miss Turner. You have been of material assistance to `
` me." `
` `
` "You will tell me if you have any news to-morrow. No doubt you `
` will go to the prison to see James. Oh, if you do, Mr. Holmes, do `
` tell him that I know him to be innocent." `
` `
` "I will, Miss Turner." `
` `
` "I must go home now, for dad is very ill, and he misses me so if `
` I leave him. Good-bye, and God help you in your undertaking." She `
` hurried from the room as impulsively as she had entered, and we `
` heard the wheels of her carriage rattle off down the street. `
` `
` "I am ashamed of you, Holmes," said Lestrade with dignity after a `
` few minutes' silence. "Why should you raise up hopes which you `
` are bound to disappoint? I am not over-tender of heart, but I `
` call it cruel." `
` `
` "I think that I see my way to clearing James McCarthy," said `
` Holmes. "Have you an order to see him in prison?" `
` `
` "Yes, but only for you and me." `
` `
` "Then I shall reconsider my resolution about going out. We have `
` still time to take a train to Hereford and see him to-night?" `
` `
` "Ample." `
` `
` "Then let us do so. Watson, I fear that you will find it very `
` slow, but I shall only be away a couple of hours." `
` `
` I walked down to the station with them, and then wandered through `
` the streets of the little town, finally returning to the hotel, `
` where I lay upon the sofa and tried to interest myself in a `
` yellow-backed novel. The puny plot of the story was so thin, `
` however, when compared to the deep mystery through which we were `
` groping, and I found my attention wander so continually from the `
` action to the fact, that I at last flung it across the room and `
` gave myself up entirely to a consideration of the events of the `
` day. Supposing that this unhappy young man's story were `
` absolutely true, then what hellish thing, what absolutely `
` unforeseen and extraordinary calamity could have occurred between `
` the time when he parted from his father, and the moment when, `
` drawn back by his screams, he rushed into the glade? It was `
` something terrible and deadly. What could it be? Might not the `
` nature of the injuries reveal something to my medical instincts? `
` I rang the bell and called for the weekly county paper, which `
` contained a verbatim account of the inquest. In the surgeon's `
` deposition it was stated that the posterior third of the left `
` parietal bone and the left half of the occipital bone had been `
` shattered by a heavy blow from a blunt weapon. I marked the spot `
`
` "'How far from the body?' `
` `
` "'A dozen yards or so.' `
` `
` "'And how far from the edge of the wood?' `
` `
` "'About the same.' `
` `
` "'Then if it was removed it was while you were within a dozen `
` yards of it?' `
` `
` "'Yes, but with my back towards it.' `
` `
` "This concluded the examination of the witness." `
` `
` "I see," said I as I glanced down the column, "that the coroner `
` in his concluding remarks was rather severe upon young McCarthy. `
` He calls attention, and with reason, to the discrepancy about his `
` father having signalled to him before seeing him, also to his `
` refusal to give details of his conversation with his father, and `
` his singular account of his father's dying words. They are all, `
` as he remarks, very much against the son." `
` `
` Holmes laughed softly to himself and stretched himself out upon `
` the cushioned seat. "Both you and the coroner have been at some `
` pains," said he, "to single out the very strongest points in the `
` young man's favour. Don't you see that you alternately give him `
` credit for having too much imagination and too little? Too `
` little, if he could not invent a cause of quarrel which would `
` give him the sympathy of the jury; too much, if he evolved from `
` his own inner consciousness anything so outr� as a dying `
` reference to a rat, and the incident of the vanishing cloth. No, `
` sir, I shall approach this case from the point of view that what `
` this young man says is true, and we shall see whither that `
` hypothesis will lead us. And now here is my pocket Petrarch, and `
` not another word shall I say of this case until we are on the `
` scene of action. We lunch at Swindon, and I see that we shall be `
` there in twenty minutes." `
` `
` It was nearly four o'clock when we at last, after passing through `
` the beautiful Stroud Valley, and over the broad gleaming Severn, `
` found ourselves at the pretty little country-town of Ross. A `
` lean, ferret-like man, furtive and sly-looking, was waiting for `
` us upon the platform. In spite of the light brown dustcoat and `
` leather-leggings which he wore in deference to his rustic `
` surroundings, I had no difficulty in recognising Lestrade, of `
` Scotland Yard. With him we drove to the Hereford Arms where a `
` room had already been engaged for us. `
` `
` "I have ordered a carriage," said Lestrade as we sat over a cup `
` of tea. "I knew your energetic nature, and that you would not be `
` happy until you had been on the scene of the crime." `
` `
` "It was very nice and complimentary of you," Holmes answered. "It `
` is entirely a question of barometric pressure." `
` `
` Lestrade looked startled. "I do not quite follow," he said. `
` `
` "How is the glass? Twenty-nine, I see. No wind, and not a cloud `
` in the sky. I have a caseful of cigarettes here which need `
` smoking, and the sofa is very much superior to the usual country `
` hotel abomination. I do not think that it is probable that I `
` shall use the carriage to-night." `
` `
` Lestrade laughed indulgently. "You have, no doubt, already formed `
` your conclusions from the newspapers," he said. "The case is as `
` plain as a pikestaff, and the more one goes into it the plainer `
` it becomes. Still, of course, one can't refuse a lady, and such a `
` very positive one, too. She has heard of you, and would have your `
` opinion, though I repeatedly told her that there was nothing `
` which you could do which I had not already done. Why, bless my `
` soul! here is her carriage at the door." `
` `
` He had hardly spoken before there rushed into the room one of the `
` most lovely young women that I have ever seen in my life. Her `
` violet eyes shining, her lips parted, a pink flush upon her `
` cheeks, all thought of her natural reserve lost in her `
` overpowering excitement and concern. `
` `
` "Oh, Mr. Sherlock Holmes!" she cried, glancing from one to the `
` other of us, and finally, with a woman's quick intuition, `
` fastening upon my companion, "I am so glad that you have come. I `
` have driven down to tell you so. I know that James didn't do it. `
` I know it, and I want you to start upon your work knowing it, `
` too. Never let yourself doubt upon that point. We have known each `
` other since we were little children, and I know his faults as no `
` one else does; but he is too tender-hearted to hurt a fly. Such a `
` charge is absurd to anyone who really knows him." `
` `
` "I hope we may clear him, Miss Turner," said Sherlock Holmes. `
` "You may rely upon my doing all that I can." `
` `
` "But you have read the evidence. You have formed some conclusion? `
` Do you not see some loophole, some flaw? Do you not yourself `
` think that he is innocent?" `
` `
` "I think that it is very probable." `
` `
` "There, now!" she cried, throwing back her head and looking `
` defiantly at Lestrade. "You hear! He gives me hopes." `
` `
` Lestrade shrugged his shoulders. "I am afraid that my colleague `
` has been a little quick in forming his conclusions," he said. `
` `
` "But he is right. Oh! I know that he is right. James never did `
` it. And about his quarrel with his father, I am sure that the `
` reason why he would not speak about it to the coroner was because `
` I was concerned in it." `
` `
` "In what way?" asked Holmes. `
` `
` "It is no time for me to hide anything. James and his father had `
` many disagreements about me. Mr. McCarthy was very anxious that `
` there should be a marriage between us. James and I have always `
` loved each other as brother and sister; but of course he is young `
` and has seen very little of life yet, and--and--well, he `
` naturally did not wish to do anything like that yet. So there `
` were quarrels, and this, I am sure, was one of them." `
` `
` "And your father?" asked Holmes. "Was he in favour of such a `
` union?" `
` `
` "No, he was averse to it also. No one but Mr. McCarthy was in `
` favour of it." A quick blush passed over her fresh young face as `
` Holmes shot one of his keen, questioning glances at her. `
` `
` "Thank you for this information," said he. "May I see your father `
` if I call to-morrow?" `
` `
` "I am afraid the doctor won't allow it." `
` `
` "The doctor?" `
` `
` "Yes, have you not heard? Poor father has never been strong for `
` years back, but this has broken him down completely. He has taken `
` to his bed, and Dr. Willows says that he is a wreck and that his `
` nervous system is shattered. Mr. McCarthy was the only man alive `
` who had known dad in the old days in Victoria." `
` `
` "Ha! In Victoria! That is important." `
` `
` "Yes, at the mines." `
` `
` "Quite so; at the gold-mines, where, as I understand, Mr. Turner `
` made his money." `
` `
` "Yes, certainly." `
` `
` "Thank you, Miss Turner. You have been of material assistance to `
` me." `
` `
` "You will tell me if you have any news to-morrow. No doubt you `
` will go to the prison to see James. Oh, if you do, Mr. Holmes, do `
` tell him that I know him to be innocent." `
` `
` "I will, Miss Turner." `
` `
` "I must go home now, for dad is very ill, and he misses me so if `
` I leave him. Good-bye, and God help you in your undertaking." She `
` hurried from the room as impulsively as she had entered, and we `
` heard the wheels of her carriage rattle off down the street. `
` `
` "I am ashamed of you, Holmes," said Lestrade with dignity after a `
` few minutes' silence. "Why should you raise up hopes which you `
` are bound to disappoint? I am not over-tender of heart, but I `
` call it cruel." `
` `
` "I think that I see my way to clearing James McCarthy," said `
` Holmes. "Have you an order to see him in prison?" `
` `
` "Yes, but only for you and me." `
` `
` "Then I shall reconsider my resolution about going out. We have `
` still time to take a train to Hereford and see him to-night?" `
` `
` "Ample." `
` `
` "Then let us do so. Watson, I fear that you will find it very `
` slow, but I shall only be away a couple of hours." `
` `
` I walked down to the station with them, and then wandered through `
` the streets of the little town, finally returning to the hotel, `
` where I lay upon the sofa and tried to interest myself in a `
` yellow-backed novel. The puny plot of the story was so thin, `
` however, when compared to the deep mystery through which we were `
` groping, and I found my attention wander so continually from the `
` action to the fact, that I at last flung it across the room and `
` gave myself up entirely to a consideration of the events of the `
` day. Supposing that this unhappy young man's story were `
` absolutely true, then what hellish thing, what absolutely `
` unforeseen and extraordinary calamity could have occurred between `
` the time when he parted from his father, and the moment when, `
` drawn back by his screams, he rushed into the glade? It was `
` something terrible and deadly. What could it be? Might not the `
` nature of the injuries reveal something to my medical instincts? `
` I rang the bell and called for the weekly county paper, which `
` contained a verbatim account of the inquest. In the surgeon's `
` deposition it was stated that the posterior third of the left `
` parietal bone and the left half of the occipital bone had been `
` shattered by a heavy blow from a blunt weapon. I marked the spot `
`