Sunday, December 30, 2012

Sherlock Holmes - The Beryl Coronet


      It was a bright February morning in London.  The wintry sun made the snow lying on the ground glitter like diamonds.  There were hardly any people about on the roads.  On this particular morning, Dr Watson's eyes were drawn to a strange sight outside the window of the lodgings he shared with the great detective, Sherlock Holmes, at 221B Baker Street London.  A man was running with great speed, consternation writ large on his face.  He would stop in between to mop the sweat off his face and then continue his sprint.  The man seemed to be about fifty years old and was quite stout.  His face was strongly marked and he had an imposing figure.  He was well dressed but it was the way he ran that made him look eccentric.  For he ran with little hops in between as if he was not used to putting much pressure on his legs.  Also, as he ran, his hands kept making odd, jerky movements and his head waggled.  Strange contortions marked his visage.  Watson called to Holmes.  "Holmes, take a look at this.  A madman is on the loose."  Holmes came to the window and observed the man with great interest.  "It seems to me that we will soon have a visitor,"  he said drily.  Sure enough, the doorbell rang within a few seconds and a little later, the maid ushered in the man whom they had seen sprinting outside.  Still panting from his exertions, the man asked, looking from one man to the other, "Mr Holmes?" Holmes spoke.  "That is me."

      The man introduced himself as Mr Alexander Holder, a partner in a bank called Holder & Stevenson at Threadneedle Street.  It was the second largest bank in London.  It was quite obvious to Holmes and Watson that Mr Holder was in great distress.  They could read the grief and despair in his eyes and it filled them with pity.  Holmes said sympathetically, "Calm yourself, Mr Holder.  Rest a while and then tell me what business you have with me."  The man took a deep breath and said, "I have a problem, Mr Holmes.  And a very vexing problem it is indeed.  I went to the police but they told me that you are the man to solve it."  Holmes gestured towards a chair and the man sat down.  Holmes seated himself as well and leaned forward, curious to hear the man's story.  "Proceed, Mr Holder."  The man began.  "My bank lends money to people, Mr Holmes.  Yesterday morning, I had a visitor at my office.  He was a very important man.  I cannot reveal his name but I can tell you that it is one of the most exalted names in this country.  My visitor was in urgent need of money.  Fifty thousand pounds, to be precise.  He told me that he could borrow the amount from his well-placed friends but he did not want to incur any obligation because it was unwise for a man of his position.  I asked him when he would be able to repay the amount if I lent the money to him.  He replied that he would return it before the following Monday.  I would have given him the money from my own pocket but such a large amount was beyond my purse.  I asked him if he had any collateral to offer.

      The man took out a jewel case and opened it.  Inside the case was a very beautiful ornament.  He asked me if I had heard of the Beryl coronet.  I told him I had.  It is one of the most treasured public possessions of the British Empire and is rumoured to be very expensive.  Then he told me that the ornament was in fact the Beryl coronet.  It was this that he planned to offer as collateral.  He also  told me that the ornament was made of thirty-nine big beryl stones and the cost of the gold chase was beyond calculation.  The coronet was worth double the amount he wanted as loan.  My illustrious client assured me not to worry about the propriety of offering the coronet as security for he was fully confident of reclaiming it in four days.  After examining the jewel and quite satisfied as to its authenticity, I gave him the money he wanted.

      "The man then warned me to keep the coronet safely.  If it was damaged or any of the stones went missing, it would not be possible to repair it.  Besides it would cause a huge public scandal.  Then he left.  After he had gone I had grave doubts about the whole thing.  It was a big responsibility and if something happened to the coronet, my good name would be on the block as well.  Anyway it was too late to do anything about it.  In the evening, when the bank closed for the day, I went home.  I took the jewel case with the coronet home with me as I felt that it was safer.  I have two servants, a groom and a page, and both of them sleep outside the house.  I also have three maids who sleep inside.  They have been with me for many years and are quite trustworthy.  The second waiting-maid, Lucy Parr, joined my service a few months back and she came with good references.  The only problem with her is that she is very pretty and attracts a lot of unwanted male attention.  Apart from the servants and maids, my son Arthur and niece, Mary, also live with me.  My wife died long ago.

      "I must mention here, Mr Holmes, that my son is addicted to gambling.  He has been a great disappointment to me.  Perhaps it is all my fault.  For, after my wife died, I showered all my love on my only son.  I would indulge his every wish and command as I could not bear to see him sad.  But now I know that by doing so, I did him no favour.  He became wild and irresponsible and showed no interest in applying himself to my business.  Worse, he made friends with other rich and dissolute young men and acquired their expensive habits.  He began to pester me for money as he had fallen into debt.  He has a friend called Sir George Burnwell who is a bad influence on him.  He is also a gambler.  Burnwell has been to my house on many occasions and I have to admit that his charms are hard to resist for man and woman alike.  He is handsome, well-travelled, witty and a good conversationalist.  But I have also felt that he cannot be trusted.  As for my niece, my brother died five years ago and I took her into my home after his death.  She is like a daughter to me and a sweeter girl would be hard to find.  She manages our household and I simply don't know what I'd do without her.  My son in fact wanted to marry her and proposed to her twice but she refused him.  I am sure that she would have made an honest man out of him if she had married him.

      "But I am wandering from the main story.  To continue from where I left off, on reaching home, I told Arthur and Mary about the coronet.  Then I locked it up in the bureau in my room.  My son said jokingly that the bureau could be easily opened using any key.  I thought nothing of it and went off.  Later he came into my room and asked me for a loan of two hundred pounds which I refused outright.  He begged me saying that he would be disgraced.  On seeing that I was still adamant, he went away saying that he would have to try some other means of raising the money.  After a while, I decided to lock all the doors and windows myself.  Just then, I saw Mary.  She was locking the last window.  On seeing me she said that she had spotted the maid Lucy come in by the back door.  She thought that Lucy had been meeting some boyfriend and wanted me to put a stop to such goings-on.  I promised to look into it and retired to bed.

      "It must have been around two in the morning... I was woken up from sound sleep by an unusual noise.  It was like someone had closed a window somewhere.  Then I clearly heard the sound of footsteps in the next room.  Alarmed, I took a lamp and went to see what had made the noise.  A shocking sight met my eyes.  The bureau door was open and my son, Arthur, was standing by the bureau.  He had the coronet in his hands and seemed to be bending it forcefully.  I could not doubt the evidence of my eyes.  I concluded that Arthur had been trying to steal the coronet.  He was always needing money to pay off his gambling debts.  I shouted at him and called him a thief.  He panicked and the coronet fell from his hands.  I took it and found that one of the gold corners which had three beryls in it was missing.  I asked him where the beryls were and he insisted that he did not have them.  I railed at Arthur saying that he was not only a thief, he was also a liar.  I ordered him to return the stones to me as otherwise I would be dishonoured forever.  Then he told me that if I would allow him to go out for five minutes he would recover the broken piece.  But I didn't believe him.  I felt that he was planning to escape.  So I summoned the police who arrested him. But though they searched his person and the entire premises, they could not find the missing piece of the coronet.  I am sure that my son knows its whereabouts but he will not reveal it.  The police said that they are helpless and asked me to announce a reward which I did.  I have offered a thousand pounds to anyone who can help me recover the stones.  But I need to find them before a full-blown scandal erupts.  Won't you help me, Mr Holmes?"

      Holmes and Watson had been listening intently as Mr Holder recounted what had happened.  After the man finished his narration, Holmes sat quietly, his eyes closed.  He was lost in thought.  Mr Holder looked at him expectantly.  Suddenly Holmes opened his eyes and got to his feet with a lithe movement.  "Mr Holder, let us go to your house immediately.  I assure you that I will do all that I can to recover the lost piece of the coronet."  Then the three men left for Mr Holder's abode in the suburb of Streatham.  Once they passed through the gate of Mr Holder's house, Holmes took out his magnifying glass and began to look for clues.  Then he went off towards the stables where the horses were kept.  Meanwhile, Watson and Mr Holder went inside the house.  Holder's niece, Mary, was waiting for them.  She was looking very pale and even more distressed than her uncle.  On seeing Mr Holder, Mary asked him if he had done anything to set Arthur free.  But Mr Holder said that the matter was still under investigation.  Mary protested that Arthur could not have stolen the gems.  "Then why is he not more forthcoming about what happened?"  asked Mr Holder.  Mary again beseeched him to drop the matter but he replied that he could not afford to do so unless the gems were recovered.

      After some time, Holmes came in.  He asked Mary if she had heard anything suspicious the previous night.  She said that she hadn't  Holmes asked Mary several questions.  Mary told him that she had locked all the windows herself and they had remained locked until that morning.  She also informed Holmes that she suspected that the maid Lucy had something to do with the theft.  She had caught her talking to her boyfriend that night and he had probably returned late in the night to steal the coronet.  "What is Lucy's lover's name?" asked Holmes.  "Francis Prosper.  He runs a grocery shop," replied Mary.  "Does Mr Prosper have a wooden leg?" asked Holmes.  Mary looked astonished.  "Why, yes, he has.  But how do you know that, Mr Holmes?" Holmes smiled enigmatically and said, "It is my business to know such things, young lady."

      Next, Holmes went to Holder's room.  He inspected the bureau and then turned to Holder.  "Do you have the key to this bureau, Mr Holder?" Holder produced the key and Holmes opened the bureau.  There was no sound as the lock opened and Holmes made a note of it.  "So you are convinced that it was your son who opened the bureau and made off with the missing stones, Mr Holder?"  Holder nodded.  "Can I see the coronet?"  Holder took the jewel case out and opened it.  The Beryl coronet lay on its velvet bed in resplendent repose.  Of the original 36 stones, three were missing and a crack ran along one side of the coronet where it had been broken.  Holmes subjected the coronet to a close inspection.  He took it in both hands and tried to break it into two pieces.  But he failed to break it.  Holmes said, "Mr Holder, it is my opinion that your son is innocent.  If the jewel broke it would do so with a very loud and snapping sound.  From the beginning I had a feeling that your son was speaking the truth."  Mr Holder looked perplexed.  "But I saw him with the coronet in his hands.  What more proof do you need, Mr Holmes?"  Holmes smiled.  "Sometimes the eyes can deceive us, Mr Holder.  At such times, we must look beyond the obvious.  Otherwise the truth will elude us."  Mr Holder did not look convinced.  Holmes patted his shoulder and said comfortingly, "Don't worry.  I think I can prove to you that your son is innocent beyond a shadow of a doubt.  Just tell me one thing - was your son wearing his shoes when you accosted him?"  Mr Holder was silent for a moment as he tried to remember the events of the previous night.  Then he said, "No, Mr Holmes.  I distinctly remember that he was not wearing any shoes."  Holmes nodded as if Holder had confirmed something that he had already known.

      Asking all the others to remain inside the house, Holmes went out saying that he needed to carry out some more investigations.  They saw him going towards the garden.  An hour passed.  Holmes was busy in the garden bending and examining things which seemed to interest him.  The he came back and announced, "Mr Holder, I am going home now.  I think I have seen all that there is to be seen here.  Rest assured, your problem will be solved soon."  Mr Holder looked as if a huge burden had just lifted from his shoulders.  "Is there anything further for me to do? Will you be able to recover the missing piece?" he asked eagerly.  Holmes replied, "Present yourself at my house tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock, Mr Holder.  You will recover what you have lost but you may have to part with some money to get it back.  So be prepared."  Then Holmes and Watson took their leave.

      On the way back, Watson asked Holmes, "Did you mean what you said back there? Who do you think has the jewel?" Holmes looked pained.  "Watson, I thought you knew me better than that.  Have you ever known me to make a false promise?" Watson said hurriedly, "You have got me wrong.  I know you will deliver but I thought it was a bit premature to say that he will get the jewel so soon."  Holmes said thoughtfully, "My observations have never let me down.  I think I have a fairly good idea of who the culprit is.  But I don't wish to reveal my cards right now."  On reaching their lodgings, Holmes and Watson went to their respective rooms to mull over the day's happenings.

      After some time, Watson heard a knock on his door.  It was Holmes.  Watson was surprised to see that Holmes was in disguise.  He look like a loafer.  "I am going out for a while, Watson.  Don't wait up for me.  When I come back, I think I will have the missing pieces of the puzzle regarding the Beryl coronet," said Holmes.  "Good luck, Holmes," said Watson.  As the hours passed, Watson found himself growing more and more impatient.  He wondered what Holmes was up to.  He wished he had also gone along.  In the evening Holmes returned but he went out again saying that he had to tie up a few more loose ends.  Night fell.  Dinner time arrived but still there was no sign of Holmes.  Watson had dinner and sat in the study for some time reading a book.  But all his thoughts were on Holmes and his mysterious errand.  At last, sleep beckoned and Watson went to bed reluctantly.


The Adventure of The Beryl Coronet is a comic book published by Northstar & released on 5/1/1986
      In the morning, Watson went into the dining room and found Holmes there calmly having breakfast.  "Oh, there you are," said Watson.  "Well, how did it go?  Have you solved the mystery then?" asked Watson excitedly.  Holmes said mysteriously, "Wait and see."  He added,  "Mr Holder will arrive shortly."  After some time, the maid announced the arrival of Mr Holder.  It was nine o'clock.  Mr Holder came into the parlour.  He looked quite distraught.  "Mr Holmes," be began, "there has been an unexpected development."  Holmes raised his eyebrows in mute enquiry.  "It's Mary," Holder blurted out.  "She has vanished!"  Holmes did not seem the least surprised.  Watson had a feeling that in fact, Holmes had been expecting to hear some such thing.  Mr Holder explained that Mary had run away.  "I don't know why the foolish girl would do such a thing, Mr Holmes," he exclaimed.  "Yesterday, in my grief, I told her that if she had only married Arthur he would have been a changed man.  Perhaps she felt guilty about it.  At least that is what she seems to hint at in the note she left for me."

      Holmes took a puff on his pipe.  "Mr Holder, Mary's disappearance does not surprise me.  But leave that aside.  Let's discuss the missing piece of the coronet instead.  I have been able to locate the three missing stones and I can get them back for you.  But as I had said earlier, you will have to part with some money - four thousand pounds in all.  Are you willing?"  A look of immense relief washed over Mr Holder's face.  "Four thousand pounds is a trifling thing to get the stones back, Mr Holmes.  I will gladly pay the money.  My honour is at stake here."  "In that case, write out the cheque this very instant," said Holmes and dropped a packet into Holder's hands.  Holder opened it.  Inside the packet lay the missing piece of the Beryl coronet.  Mr Holder clutched Holmes' hands in gratitude.  "Thank god! Mr Holmes, I am forever indebted to you for this help.  You have saved my life from certain ignominy."  Holmes interrupted him.  "There is one other thing, Mr Holder.  You have recovered the stones but you seem to be unaware that you have done your son a grave injustice by falsely accusing him of the theft.  I can give you my word that Arthur had nothing to do with this sorry business."

      Mr Holder looked startled.  "If Arthur is innocent, then who is the thief?" he asked.  "Your niece, Mary!" said Holmes with a flourish.  Seeing the shocked expression on Holder's face, Holmes repeated, 'Yes, Mr Holder, don't contradict me.  It is indeed Mary who tried to steal the coronet.  Let me explain."  Holmes then revealed what had really happened.  "Mary was in love with Sir George Burnwell.  She was attracted to him the moment she set eyes on him.  But she doesn't know the true nature of this man who is a very dangerous character.  He is a villain of the first order and he lacks both a heart and a conscience.  But poor Mary obviously believed that he was really in love with her.  All that talk about the maid Lucy and her boyfriend was a red herring.  It was Mary who was talking to her lover, Burnwell.  Mary told Burnwell about the coronet and it was probably his idea to steal it.  He may have needed money to pay off his gambling debts and Mary could not resist her lover's pleas to help him, even if it meant getting her uncle in trouble.

      "That night, Mary waited until everyone was asleep and made her way to the bureau.  But one person heard some sound and woke up.  It was Arthur.  He saw Mary walking past his door in a stealthy manner in the dead of night and became curious to find out what she was up to.  So he followed her.  She entered your room, opened the bureau and took the coronet.  When she came out of the room Arthur saw the coronet in her hands.  But he did not raise an alarm then.  She went downstairs and he went after her.  Then he saw her opening the window and giving the coronet to Burnwell.  He managed to hide behind a curtain as she went past him to her room after closing the window.

      "Arthur did not accost Mary for he wanted to spare her the shame and dishonour that would inevitably follow.  But he also realized what a great misfortune it would be for you.  So, as soon as Mary had gone, he ran out of the house and managed to catch up with Sir George Burnwell.  They had an argument and Arthur tried to snatch the coronet from Burnwell.  In the tussle, the coronet broke into two pieces.  Sir George somehow succeeded in escaping and Arthur returned to the house with the damaged coronet.  He was in the act of putting it back in the bureau when you came upon him and accused him of theft.  He could have told you the truth but he didn't.  The reason is simple - he loved Mary very much and did not want her to be disgraced and earn your wrath.  Instead he asked you to let him go so that he could get the missing piece.  But you were not prepared to listen to him.  If you had allowed him to go out he would have retrieved the missing piece from Burnwell."

      Mr Holder was listening all this with a shocked and incredulous expression on his face.  Mr Holmes said, "I deduced what had happened from the footprints outside your house.  It helped that it had snowed the previous night.  The entire story was written on the snow.  I realised that Lucy and her boyfriend had stood talking just beyond the tradesmen's path.  The impression on the snow indicated a person with a wooden leg.  Prosper has a wooden leg.  Later, in the stable lane I saw two double lines of tracks.  One was made by a booted man and the other by a barefooted man.  The latter, I knew, was Arthur.  As I studied the tracks carefully, the events of the night before unfolded in my imagination.  The booted man had stood near the hall window for a long time.  Further down the lane, the snow was disturbed, indicating a struggle.  There were some drops of blood on the snow which told me that the booted man had been injured.  Someone had brought the coronet to the booted man as he waited outside the window.  But Arthur had seen the transaction and had pursued Mr Boots.  In the struggle the coronet was broken.  The missing piece was with Boots while Arthur managed to get hold of the coronet.  But who had taken it from the bureau?  From Arthur's silence I deduced that it had to be Mary.  He loved her and wanted to protect her secret.  My suspicions were confirmed when you told me that you had seen her standing at the window.  Besides, you also mentioned that she had fainted when she saw the coronet in Arthur's hands.

      "I also knew that Mary's lover could only be Burnwell.  You yourself told me that she hardly went out and few people other than Burnwell visited you at home.  To confirm his identity I went disguised as a loafer to his house.  I became friendly with his valet and he told me that Burnwell had been injured the previous night.  I gave the valet six shillings and bought a pair of Burnwell's old shoes.  Then I went to Streatham and matched the shoes with the footprints I had seen in the snow.  As a scandal had to be averted at any cost, I decided to see Burnwell and accost him with the truth.  At first he denied everything.  Then he tried to attack me.  But I was well prepared for his reaction.  Finally when I told him that some money would be given in exchange for the stones he became reasonable.  He gave me the address of the receiver who had the gems.  Money exchanged hands and the missing piece with the stones was recovered."

      Holmes also told Mr Holder that he had met Arthur and apprised him of what had happened.  Mr Holder was filled with remorse to think that he had wronged his son by falsely accusing him.  He thanked Holmes profusely for saving him and England from a huge scandal.  "Now I must see my dear boy and apologize to him," he told Holmes.  "But I wonder what became of Mary?  I suppose you will not be able to tell me where she is now."  Holmes smiled grimly.  "Well, I know in whose company she may be right now.  But I daresay, she may not enjoy it for long, knowing the man's character.  Something tells me that she will not go unpunished for her act of betrayal."  With that he sent a pensive Mr Holder on his way.

Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle  


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Sherlock Holmes - The Abbey Grange

Source: Bangalore (India), sales@grainfo.net, sales@anabooks.net
Published by: Gravity Infotainment, ISBN: 978-81-8394-325-3
Source Website: http://168.144.50.205/221bcollection/canon/abbe.htm 
Author: Sir  Arthur Conan Doyle


 Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure at the Abbey Grange<br>By: Sophie Rohrbach (Illustrator), Murray Shaw (Adapted By), M J Cosson (Adapted By)
PHOTO: Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure at the Abbey Grange
By: Sophie Rohrbach (Illustrator), Murray Shaw (Adapted By), M J Cosson (Adapted By)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9g5_CAdiy4VIr2enN1FvbmXGeMd0hGs6ksb6pi4ckHZEukRDLkCOxvBSrwqWcCUL7bt2xV_2s74CbnGjLJD0ZYYmFb8r4RWyKjYIQiGKQXCVtVz2czJxSTO7ZkMhcvkMWlT2ns1s13o/s1600/Lerner2-1.jpg
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http://comicbeeches.blogspot.sg/2011/04/on-case-with-holmes-and-watson.html
      On a cold, wintry morning in the year 1897, Dr Watson was lying fast asleep on his bed.  He shared his lodgings with Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective who had solved many puzzling cases that had perplexed the London police.  Though Watson was a medical practitioner he used to help Holmes with his work whenever time permitted it.  In fact, Holmes had found his help invaluable on many occasions.

      "Wake up, Watson! Wake up, for God's sake!"  cried a voice in Watson's ear.  Watson woke up with a start.  He found Holmes clutching his shoulder with a sense of urgency.  He looked very excited.  "Watson, rise and shine.  We have much work to do today.  Get dressed at once," he said.  "What is the matter?" asked Watson, groggily.  "I'll tell you later," said Holmes and went off.  Watson got ready quickly and joined Holmes.  Holmes told him that they were going on a journey.  They called a cab and Holmes asked the driver to take them to the railway station.  On reaching the station, they got into a train that was going to Kent and settled down.  Watson asked Holmes if he would like to tell him what was going on.


 Holmes and Watson are requested to assist with the investigation of a murder in the English countryside. When they arrive, the victim's wife claims they were simply the victims of a robbery gone bad, but Holmes soon has reason to doubt her story.
PHOTO: Holmes and Watson are requested to assist with the investigation of a murder in the English countryside. When they arrive, the victim's wife claims they were simply the victims of a robbery gone bad, but Holmes soon has reason to doubt her story.
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http://www.screened.com/the-abbey-grange/18-452809/

 
Holmes then took out a telegram from his pocket and said, "I received this today morning.  Let me read it out to you."  Then he began to read it:  "Abbey Grange, Marsham, Kent.  3:30 am.  My dear Holmes, I have a case here that promises to be very interesting.  I would be delighted if you could help me with it.  Other than letting the lady go, I shall ensure that everything is preserved as it is.  Please come as fast as you can for I cannot leave Sir Eustace here for long.  Yours faithfully, Stanley Hopkins."  Holmes finished reading and said, "Hopkins is well known to me.  All the seven cases he has asked me to assist him with were quite remarkable."

      After some time the train arrived in Kent.  They hired a cab and after a long ride that took them through narrow streets, found themselves before a gate.  The knocked on the gate and it was opened by a lodge keeper.  There was a long walkway leading to the house and the cab dropped them at the front door.  Stanley Hopkins was waiting for them and he welcomed them inside.  "Come in, Holmes.  Good thing you could make it at the earliest, the situation being what it is."  The he explained what the situation was.  "Sir Eustace Brackenstall is one of the richest men in the countryside.  He has been found murdered.  It is suspected that the three Randalls are behind it.  The are a gang of robbers, comprising a father and his two sons.  Sir Brackenstall was killed with a sharp blow from his own poker.  Lady Brackenstall has gone into shock and has not been of much use to us.  These are the facts."

      Holmes and Watson went off to examine the dining room.  Lady Brackenstall was sitting on a chair and Holmes went up to her.  She was a beautiful woman with golden hair and blue eyes.  Her name was Mary Fraser.  "I am very sorry about what has happened, Lady Brackenstall," he said sympathetically.  "But I need to talk to you about a few things."  Lady Brackenstall seemed very pale and weak.  She looked at Holmes and it was clear from her reluctant expression that she was in no frame of mind to be questioned.  "Can't it wait, Mr Holmes?  As you can see..." she stopped speaking and her eyes filled with unshed tears.  Holmes said gently, "Yes, I perfectly understand.  But, in waiting, precious clues may be lost and I am keen to avoid that."

      Lady Brackenstall smiled wanly and said that in that case, he could go ahead.  As she was speaking to Holmes the sleeve of her dress fell back.  She covered her hand quickly but not before Holmes had noticed some injuries on them.  "I see you have hurt yourself.  What happened?" asked Holmes.  But she replied that it had nothing to do with the unfortunate incident that had happened at the house, the previous night.  She explained, "Lord Brackenstall and I did not have an ideal marriage.  Even the neighbours will testify to that.  He was fond of drink and once he got drunk, it was impossible to be with him for anything more than an hour."  She told Holmes that it was a large house and the sleeping quarters of the servants were in the other section.  The central section housed the bedroom of herself and her husband.  She had a maid named Theresa who slept in the room above hers.  As the servants' rooms were in the new wing which was some distance away from theirs, they would not be able to hear any sounds from the Lord's room.  The robbers probably knew the layout of the house and so were aware of this.

      The lady went on, "Yesterday night, it was about 10:30 pm when the Lord retired to bed.  He fell asleep soon after.  I was not feeling sleepy so I remained downstairs reading a book.  My maid had retired to her room once her chores were over.  Around eleven, I put the book away and went around the house checking all the doors and windows as I usually do every night before I go to sleep.  I checked all the rooms and then I went into the dining room.  Here I saw that the long French window was open and there was a breeze coming in from outside.  Candle in hand, I went towards the window with the aim of closing it.  I drew back the curtain and got the shock of my life when I saw a man trying to enter through the window.  Behind him I saw two other men.  They seemed much younger than him and they were also trying to enter the room.

       "Before I could cry out the first man entered the room and caught my throat in a firm grip.  I struggled and he hit me on the head.  I fainted at once.  After some time I came to consciousness and found myself on this chair.  They had used the bell-rope, after tearing it down, to tie me to the chair.  My mouth too was gagged with a piece of cloth.  The rope was very tight and all my efforts to break loose came to naught.  And as I was gagged I couldn't cry out either.  Then I saw the Lord coming down the stairs.  He must have been woken up by some sound.  He was wearing his nightdress and he was holding a cudgel in his hand.  Seeing the robbers, he ran towards them, his cudgel raised, but they saw him and one of the robbers hit him hard with the poker.  The Lord fell down with a cry of pain.  He lay motionless on the floor and I was sure that the blow had killed him.  I fainted afresh at this horrible sight.

      "I don't know how long I was unconscious but when I woke up, I saw that the thieves had stolen all the silver that had been kept in the sideboard.  I saw them taking a wine bottle and opening it.  The had some wine and I noticed that the older man had a beard.  The two younger men did not have any hair on their faces.  After a while they left the house through the same window through which they had entered.  After they had gone, I struggled to free myself from the cloth which was used to gag me.  I took me fifteen minutes, I think.  Then I screamed for help.

      "My servant heard my screams and came running out of her room.  She untied the rope and then we called the police.  This is what happened."  Holmes then summoned the maid.  "Did you see the robbers, by any chance?" he asked her.  The maid replied, "I did see three men, from my bedroom window, sir.  They were standing near the gate yesterday night, but I didn't pay much heed.  But after half an hour had passed I heard my lady screaming and I came running downstairs.  The screams seemed to come from the dining room so I went there.  I was shocked to see the Lord lying on the floor in a pool of blood.  Oh, it was so horrible, I nearly fainted.  Then I saw my mistress tied to the chair and I untied her.  She is a brave woman, she is.  After she recovered a bit we called the police."  Holmes realised that the maid had nothing more to tell him.  So he hold her that she could leave and the maid left, leading her mistress by the hand to her room.

      Holmes asked Hopkins if the maid was a reliable woman.  Hopkins said that she had been with her mistress for many years and had been her nurse when she was a child.  Holmes took a closer look at the dining room.  It was a stately room with a high ceiling.  The French window was a prominent feature of the room.  There were three other windows in the room.  These were smaller and were on the other side.  Holmes noticed that the bell-rope was still fastened to the chair and its knots had not been tampered with.  The Lord's body was lying on the rug in front of the fireplace.  He looked like a strong man and seemed to be about forty years old.  He was clad in his nightdress as his wife had described.  His hands were clenched and they were raised above his head.  The cudgel that he had attempted to use against the robbers lay across them.  The poker that had been used to attack him lay beside the body.


Holmes examining the corpse

       The force of the blow had been so great that the poker had been twisted into a curve.  Holmes looked at the poker and commented, "No doubt, the elder Randall must have been a very strong man."  Hopkins nodded in assent.  "It is surprising that Lady Brackenstall was left unharmed.  Since she had seen them and could identify them, it would have been natural for them to kill her as well," observed Holmes.  Hopkins replied, "Maybe they thought she was dead.  She had become unconscious by then.  Or maybe they didn't want to kill a woman.  Even criminals have their scruples."

      Holmes was lost in thought for some moments.  Then he turned to Hopkins and asked, "What about the Lord? How is he, as a person?" Hopkins replied, "Oh, he was a good man alright but only when he was sober.  When he was drunk it was a different story.  Then he could be a real villain.  I have heard many stories about him.  Once he poured petrol on the lady's dog and set the poor animal on fire.  On another occasion he threw a decanter at the maid, Theresa.  He could be nasty when it suited him."  Holmes then went to the bell rope and studied it.  The he observed that when the bell rope had been pulled down, it must have rung in the kitchen.  Surely the sound would have woken up somebody.  "The kitchen is located at the very end of the house.  I don't think it is possible that anyone could have heard the sound.  Besides, they might have been asleep by then," said Hopkins.  But Holmes felt that the burglar may not have known about where the kitchen was located.  "What did they take from the house?" asked Holmes.  Hopkins said that many silver articles appeared to have been stolen.

      On the table were three wine glasses and a bottle.  Holmes asked Hopkins if they were the glasses and bottle that the robbers had drunk wine from.  Hopkins nodded.  Holmes examined the glasses and bottle carefully.  Holmes noticed that the bottle of wine had been opened using a corkscrew from a pocketknife.  Two of the glasses had some wine in them.  The third glass had wine and a little bedewing (cover or sprinkle with drops of water or other liquid) in it.  "Did Lady Brackenstall actually see the robbers drinking wine from these glasses?" asked Holmes.  Hopkins replied, "Yes, that is what she said."  Holmes looked satisfied and then told Hopkins that he was sure that the Randalls were behind the robbery and murder.  "Your work is cut out for you, Hopkins.  It looks like an open and shut case to me.  Good luck in nabbing the fellows.  I think I have seen all that there is to see here.  So I will take my leave, if you will permit me."  Hopkins thanked Holmes and Watson for coming and bid the two men goodbye.

      The two friends then took a cab to the railway station and caught a train back home.  Watson noticed that Holmes seemed very preoccupied.  As he did not want to disturb his friend's train of thought Watson amused himself by looking at the passing scenery from the window.  The train had covered half the distance to London when Holmes suddenly got up and told Watson that they had to get out at the next station.  So they got down and waited at the station to catch another train back to Kent.  Watson asked Holmes, "Do you mind telling me what this is all about?" Holmes replied, "I think I came to a hasty conclusion in this case, Watson.  The more I think about it the more things don't add up.  Now I feel that the story of the robbers was entirely concocted.  I have to get to the bottom of it.  It was the wind glasses that made me suspicious.  You see, the third glass contained bedewing (cover or sprinkle with drops of water or other liquid) because the contents of the first two glasses had been poured into it.  Which means that actually only two glasses were used.  The third glass is a smokescreen to lead us astray by creating an impression that three people were present.  I am quite certain that Lady Brackenstall and the maid were lying but I don't know the reason for it."  Watson was shocked.  "The whole thing looks very murky to me," he said.  "And if the lady was lying she certainly put up a good act.  It convinced everyone."  Holmes said that he was determined to find out the truth and that was why he was going back to the crime scene.

      Just then the train to Kent entered the station.  Holmes and Watson boarded the train and soon they were on their way to Kent.  On reaching the place, they took a cab to Lord Brackenstall's house.  They found that Hopkins had gone back to the police station to submit his report on the case.  Holmes went straight to the dining room and inspected it for two hours.  He noticed that there was a wooden bracket on the wall when he placed his knee upon it to reach the bell rope.  Then he got down and looked at the bracket closely.

      After a while he turned to Watson.  He had a pleased look on his face.  "Watson, I think I have solved the case.  The facts which escaped my notice earlier have come to light now.  It is a good thing we came back immediately or precious evidence may have been lost."  "Who do you think is the real culprit?" asked Watson.  "Right now I can say that a tall man who is well-built and physically very strong is the person behind the crime.  It is the bell-rope and the bracket which helped me to arrive at this conclusion.  The man had stood up but was unable to reach the bell-rope.  So he placed his leg on the bracket and cut the rope down with a blunt knife.  The rope had not been pulled down as Lady Brackenstall had said.  It had been cut three inches from the top.  The man's knee had left an impression on the dust which coated the bracket.  Besides the seat of the chair to which the lady had been bound had a drop of blood on it.  This was proof that she had not been sitting on the chair when the blow had fallen."  Holmes concluded his explanation by saying that the lady and her maid had obviously been lying.

      Holmes summoned the maid again and asked her to tell him about her late master.  She said that it was true that he had a nasty temper when drunk and he had in fact hurled a decanter at her, once.  "It was eighteen months back that my lady came to London.  It was in the month of June that she met the Lord.  He was quite taken with her and managed to charm her with his winning ways.  But after the marriage he began to reveal his true colours.  He started ill-treating my mistress.  Even I was not spared.  My mistress told me how he would take a hatpin and use it to puncture her arms.  Several of these marks are still visible on her arms.  Oh, he was a cruel man."

      Holmes then told the maid that he wanted to meet Lady Brackenstall.  The maid said she was resting.  But Holmes insisted that it was important and finally the maid went to convey his wish to her mistress.  After a while she reappeared and said that the lady was willing to meet him.  Holmes went into the lady's room.  She was sitting up in bed and it was clear that she had not fully recovered from the events of the night before.  "I am sorry to disturb you, Lady Brackenstall, but I need you to tell me something."  Lady Brackenstall looked at him apprehensively.  "Are you going to ask me more questions, Mr Holmes?"  she asked in a subdued voice which betrayed a tinge of fear and grief.  Holmes said gently, "I have only one question.  Why don't you tell me the truth about what happened yesterday night?"  The lady protested, "But I have already told you all that I know.  What more is there to tell?"  Holmes gave her a piercing look and asked again, "Are you sure that you have told me everything?"

      Lady Brackenstall said in an agitated voice, "There is really nothing more for me to say, Mr Holmes."  Holmes was about to say something but the maid interrupted him angrily.  "That is enough, Mr Holmes.  Can't you see that she has been affected deeply by the whole thing?  Please allow her to grieve in peace."  Holmes and Watson then left the room.  As they left the house they saw a small pond that had become frozen because of the cold weather.  An odd smile flitted about Holmes' lips when he noticed the pond.  He wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to the lodge keeper.  "Give this note to Inspector Hopkins at the earliest," he instructed.

      Holmes and Watson then returned to London.  On reaching London, they went to a shipping company.  Holmes sent in his calling card to the manager of the company, with the request that he wanted to meet him urgently.  Soon they found themselves face to face with the manager.  He greeted Holmes with great respect, saying that he had heard much about him.  Holmes spent some time with him asking several questions.  The manager told him that Miss Mary Fraser had come to London on a ship called the Rock of Gibraltar in the year 1895.  It had been a south Australian ship.  The crew of the ship was still the same except for the fact that the first officer, Jack Crocker, had been made the ship's captain.  He was a good and capable man and he would be commanding a new ship called The Bass Rock.  "Can you tell me something about Mr Crocker?" asked Holmes.  "Oh, he is an honest fellow alright, Mr Holmes.  But while on land he was a bit hot-headed, if you ask me.  Had a quick temper which needed to be kept in check for his own good," said the manager.  Holmes then thanked him for all his help and he and Watson took their leave of the manager. 

      It was early in the evening and Holmes and Watson were at their Baker Street lodgings when Inspector Hopkins paid them a visit.  They could see that Hopkins was very excited and was bursting with some important news.  "Holmes, I dredged the pond as you had said in the note.  And guess what I found?  All the stolen silver!"  Holmes smiled his all-knowing smile.  "It really confused me.  Why would the robbers dump the stolen silver in the pond?  And then I heard that the three Randalls had been arrested for a theft in New York.  Which rules them out in this case.  How can they be in two places at once?  The murder must have been committed by some others.  And if robbery was not the motive, what could it be?"  Holmes said drily, "Looks like we will have to approach the case from a fresh angle."  After discussing the case for some time, the inspector left, vowing to stitch up the case before long.

      Soon it was time for dinner.  As they were having dinner, Holmes told Watson that the case would be solved satisfactorily within a few minutes.  Just as they finished dinner, the door bell rang.  A little later, a man entered the parlour.  He had striking blue eyes and looked like a sailor.  He looked very nervous as he faced Holmes.  Holmes introduced him to Watson as Captain Crocker and asked the visitor to be seated.  The man asked Holmes abruptly, "I got your telegram, Mr Holmes.  What do you propose to do now?"  Holmes told him to relax and asked Watson to proffer him a cigar.  Watson did so and the man lit the cigar with a trembling hand.  Then Holmes told him to tell the whole truth about what had happened at Lord Brackenstall's house on the night of his murder. 
Watson, Holmes and Captain Crocker
      Captain Crocker was silent for a while and then began to speak.  "I don't wish to hide anything from you, Mr Holmes.  I met Mary Fraser on the ship Rock of Gibraltar.  I can tell you that it was love at first sight for me.  But Mary did not see me as more than a good friend.  She got off the ship at London and I never saw her after that.  But I was never able to forget her.  This time when I came to London, I decided to meet her.  I found out where she lived and went to see her.  I arrived at night and I was so impatient to meet her that I could not bear to wait till morning.  I saw an open window and was about to enter through the window when I saw her.  She saw me too and when I asked her how she was, she broke down.  She told me how her husband used to torture her and I could see that she was very miserable.  I was filled with rage.  She is such a sweet woman, Mr Holmes, and I couldn't bear to think of her being ill-treated in that fashion.  Just hen her husband came down the stairs, brandishing a cudgel.  On seeing us together, he began to rail and rant at Mary, calling her all kinds of vile names.  Then he hit her across the face.  I flew into a rage and took the poker to teach him a lesson."  The Lord hit him with the cudgel and the captain also struck him with the poker.  Unfortunately, the force of the blow had been so great that it had killed the Lord.  The maid had come running when she heard the lady's screams when the Lord hit her.  As the lady had fainted she had opened the wine bottle to revive her with some wine.

      "I would have owned up to everything but Mary did not want it.  So we made a plan to make it look like a robbery.  I tied her to the chair and dumped the silver in the pond.  Then I left for London.  This is the truth."  Holmes who had been listening carefully said, "When I saw the knots on the chair I knew that only a sailor could have made them.  I got your details from the shipping company and the rest was easy."  Then Captain Crocker asked Holmes what he intended to do now that he knew the truth.  Holmes decided to test his love for Mary.  So he said that if he did not inform the police about the truth, Lady Brackenstall would be arrested for the crime of murdering her husband.  "In that case, please call the police, Mr Holmes.  I cannot allow that to happen.  She is innocent," urged the captain.  He looked quite distraught.  Holmes realised that his love for Mary was true.  So he told the captain that he was just testing his love to see if it was genuine.  "I am convinced that your love for Lady Brackenstall is true, captain."  Then he said to Watson, "I am the judge and you are the jury.  Now tell me, do you find this man guilty?" Watson replied, "Not guilty, your Honour!" Holmes turned to Captain Crocker and said smiling, "There! You have been declared 'Not Guilty' by a court of law, captain.  I declare you a free man.  I also suggest that if you come back in a year's time, you might find Lady Brackenstall more willing to accept your proposal."  Captain Crocker thanked Holmes profusely and left saying that he would definitely propose to his lady love after a year.

      "One more case solved to everyone's satisfaction, eh, Watson?" asked Holmes.  "I doubt if Inspector Hopkins would feel the same way," replied Watson, with a chuckle. 

Author: Sir  Arthur Conan Doyle



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