The Adventure of the Speckled Band
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The Adventure of the Speckled Band Arthur Conan Doyle This text is provided to you “as-is” without any warranty. No warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, are made to you as to the text or any medium it may be on, including but not limited to warranties of merchantablity or fitness for a particular purpose. This text was formatted from various free ASCII and HTML variants. See http://sherlock-holm.esfor an electronic form of this text and additional information about it. This text comes from the collection’s version 3.1. n glancing over my notes of the seventy admiring the rapid deductions, as swift as intu- odd cases in which I have during the itions, and yet always founded on a logical basis last eight years studied the methods of with which he unravelled the problems which were O my friend Sherlock Holmes, I find many submitted to him. I rapidly threw on my clothes tragic, some comic, a large number merely strange, and was ready in a few minutes to accompany my but none commonplace; for, working as he did friend down to the sitting-room. A lady dressed in rather for the love of his art than for the acquire- black and heavily veiled, who had been sitting in ment of wealth, he refused to associate himself with the window, rose as we entered. any investigation which did not tend towards the “Good-morning, madam,” said Holmes cheerily. unusual, and even the fantastic. Of all these varied “My name is Sherlock Holmes. This is my intimate cases, however, I cannot recall any which presented friend and associate, Dr. Watson, before whom you more singular features than that which was asso- can speak as freely as before myself. Ha! I am glad ciated with the well-known Surrey family of the to see that Mrs. Hudson has had the good sense to Roylotts of Stoke Moran. The events in question light the fire. Pray draw up to it, and I shall order occurred in the early days of my association with you a cup of hot coffee, for I observe that you are Holmes, when we were sharing rooms as bachelors shivering.” in Baker Street. It is possible that I might have “It is not cold which makes me shiver,” said placed them upon record before, but a promise of the woman in a low voice, changing her seat as secrecy was made at the time, from which I have requested. only been freed during the last month by the un- timely death of the lady to whom the pledge was “What, then?” given. It is perhaps as well that the facts should “It is fear, Mr. Holmes. It is terror.” She raised now come to light, for I have reasons to know that her veil as she spoke, and we could see that she there are widespread rumours as to the death of Dr. was indeed in a pitiable state of agitation, her face Grimesby Roylott which tend to make the matter all drawn and grey, with restless frightened eyes, even more terrible than the truth. like those of some hunted animal. Her features It was early in April in the year ’83 that I woke and figure were those of a woman of thirty, but her one morning to find Sherlock Holmes standing, hair was shot with premature grey, and her expres- fully dressed, by the side of my bed. He was a late sion was weary and haggard. Sherlock Holmes ran riser, as a rule, and as the clock on the mantelpiece her over with one of his quick, all-comprehensive showed me that it was only a quarter-past seven, I glances. blinked up at him in some surprise, and perhaps “You must not fear,” said he soothingly, bend- just a little resentment, for I was myself regular in ing forward and patting her forearm. “We shall my habits. soon set matters right, I have no doubt. You have “Very sorry to knock you up, Watson,” said he, come in by train this morning, I see.” “but it’s the common lot this morning. Mrs. Hud- “You know me, then?” son has been knocked up, she retorted upon me, “No, but I observe the second half of a return and I on you.” ticket in the palm of your left glove. You must have “What is it, then—a fire?” started early, and yet you had a good drive in a “No; a client. It seems that a young lady has dog-cart, along heavy roads, before you reached arrived in a considerable state of excitement, who the station.” insists upon seeing me. She is waiting now in the The lady gave a violent start and stared in be- sitting-room. Now, when young ladies wander wilderment at my companion. about the metropolis at this hour of the morning, “There is no mystery, my dear madam,” said and knock sleepy people up out of their beds, I he, smiling. “The left arm of your jacket is spat- presume that it is something very pressing which tered with mud in no less than seven places. The they have to communicate. Should it prove to be marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save an interesting case, you would, I am sure, wish to a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way, and follow it from the outset. I thought, at any rate, then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the that I should call you and give you the chance.” driver.” “My dear fellow, I would not miss it for any- “Whatever your reasons may be, you are per- thing.” fectly correct,” said she. “I started from home be- I had no keener pleasure than in following fore six, reached Leatherhead at twenty past, and Holmes in his professional investigations, and in came in by the first train to Waterloo. Sir, I can 1 stand this strain no longer; I shall go mad if it con- was left save a few acres of ground, and the two- tinues. I have no one to turn to—none, save only hundred-year-old house, which is itself crushed one, who cares for me, and he, poor fellow, can under a heavy mortgage. The last squire dragged be of little aid. I have heard of you, Mr. Holmes; I out his existence there, living the horrible life of an have heard of you from Mrs. Farintosh, whom you aristocratic pauper; but his only son, my stepfather, helped in the hour of her sore need. It was from her seeing that he must adapt himself to the new con- that I had your address. Oh, sir, do you not think ditions, obtained an advance from a relative, which that you could help me, too, and at least throw a enabled him to take a medical degree and went out little light through the dense darkness which sur- to Calcutta, where, by his professional skill and his rounds me? At present it is out of my power to force of character, he established a large practice. reward you for your services, but in a month or six In a fit of anger, however, caused by some robberies weeks I shall be married, with the control of my which had been perpetrated in the house, he beat own income, and then at least you shall not find his native butler to death and narrowly escaped me ungrateful.” a capital sentence. As it was, he suffered a long Holmes turned to his desk and, unlocking it, term of imprisonment and afterwards returned to drew out a small case-book, which he consulted. England a morose and disappointed man. “When Dr. Roylott was in India he married my “Farintosh,” said he. “Ah yes, I recall the case; mother, Mrs. Stoner, the young widow of Major- it was concerned with an opal tiara. I think it was General Stoner, of the Bengal Artillery. My sister before your time, Watson. I can only say, madam, Julia and I were twins, and we were only two years that I shall be happy to devote the same care to old at the time of my mother’s re-marriage. She had your case as I did to that of your friend. As to a considerable sum of money—not less than £1000 reward, my profession is its own reward; but you a year—and this she bequeathed to Dr. Roylott en- are at liberty to defray whatever expenses I may be tirely while we resided with him, with a provision put to, at the time which suits you best. And now I that a certain annual sum should be allowed to each beg that you will lay before us everything that may of us in the event of our marriage. Shortly after help us in forming an opinion upon the matter.” our return to England my mother died—she was “Alas!” replied our visitor, “the very horror of killed eight years ago in a railway accident near my situation lies in the fact that my fears are so Crewe. Dr. Roylott then abandoned his attempts to vague, and my suspicions depend so entirely upon establish himself in practice in London and took us small points, which might seem trivial to another, to live with him in the old ancestral house at Stoke that even he to whom of all others I have a right to Moran. The money which my mother had left was look for help and advice looks upon all that I tell enough for all our wants, and there seemed to be him about it as the fancies of a nervous woman.