Reading Help The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Ch.V-VIII

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` "Your reasoning is certainly plausible." `
` `
` "The further points, that he is middle-aged, that his hair is `
` grizzled, that it has been recently cut, and that he uses `
` lime-cream, are all to be gathered from a close examination of the `
` lower part of the lining. The lens discloses a large number of `
` hair-ends, clean cut by the scissors of the barber. They all `
` appear to be adhesive, and there is a distinct odour of `
` lime-cream. This dust, you will observe, is not the gritty, grey `
` dust of the street but the fluffy brown dust of the house, `
` showing that it has been hung up indoors most of the time, while `
` the marks of moisture upon the inside are proof positive that the `
` wearer perspired very freely, and could therefore, hardly be in `
` the best of training." `
` `
` "But his wife--you said that she had ceased to love him." `
` `
` "This hat has not been brushed for weeks. When I see you, my dear `
` Watson, with a week's accumulation of dust upon your hat, and `
` when your wife allows you to go out in such a state, I shall fear `
` that you also have been unfortunate enough to lose your wife's `
` affection." `
` `
` "But he might be a bachelor." `
` `
` "Nay, he was bringing home the goose as a peace-offering to his `
` wife. Remember the card upon the bird's leg." `
` `
` "You have an answer to everything. But how on earth do you deduce `
` that the gas is not laid on in his house?" `
` `
` "One tallow stain, or even two, might come by chance; but when I `
` see no less than five, I think that there can be little doubt `
` that the individual must be brought into frequent contact with `
` burning tallow--walks upstairs at night probably with his hat in `
` one hand and a guttering candle in the other. Anyhow, he never `
` got tallow-stains from a gas-jet. Are you satisfied?" `
` `
` "Well, it is very ingenious," said I, laughing; "but since, as `
` you said just now, there has been no crime committed, and no harm `
` done save the loss of a goose, all this seems to be rather a `
` waste of energy." `
` `
` Sherlock Holmes had opened his mouth to reply, when the door flew `
` open, and Peterson, the commissionaire, rushed into the apartment `
` with flushed cheeks and the face of a man who is dazed with `
` astonishment. `
` `
` "The goose, Mr. Holmes! The goose, sir!" he gasped. `
` `
` "Eh? What of it, then? Has it returned to life and flapped off `
` through the kitchen window?" Holmes twisted himself round upon `
` the sofa to get a fairer view of the man's excited face. `
` `
` "See here, sir! See what my wife found in its crop!" He held out `
` his hand and displayed upon the centre of the palm a brilliantly `
` scintillating blue stone, rather smaller than a bean in size, but `
` of such purity and radiance that it twinkled like an electric `
` point in the dark hollow of his hand. `
` `
` Sherlock Holmes sat up with a whistle. "By Jove, Peterson!" said `
` he, "this is treasure trove indeed. I suppose you know what you `
` have got?" `
` `
` "A diamond, sir? A precious stone. It cuts into glass as though `
` it were putty." `
` `
` "It's more than a precious stone. It is the precious stone." `
` `
` "Not the Countess of Morcar's blue carbuncle!" I ejaculated. `
` `
` "Precisely so. I ought to know its size and shape, seeing that I `
` have read the advertisement about it in The Times every day `
` lately. It is absolutely unique, and its value can only be `
` conjectured, but the reward offered of 1000 pounds is certainly `
` not within a twentieth part of the market price." `
` `
` "A thousand pounds! Great Lord of mercy!" The commissionaire `
` plumped down into a chair and stared from one to the other of us. `
` `
` "That is the reward, and I have reason to know that there are `
` sentimental considerations in the background which would induce `
` the Countess to part with half her fortune if she could but `
` recover the gem." `
` `
` "It was lost, if I remember aright, at the Hotel Cosmopolitan," I `
` remarked. `
` `
` "Precisely so, on December 22nd, just five days ago. John Horner, `
` a plumber, was accused of having abstracted it from the lady's `
` jewel-case. The evidence against him was so strong that the case `
` has been referred to the Assizes. I have some account of the `
` matter here, I believe." He rummaged amid his newspapers, `
` glancing over the dates, until at last he smoothed one out, `
` doubled it over, and read the following paragraph: `
` `
` "Hotel Cosmopolitan Jewel Robbery. John Horner, 26, plumber, was `
` brought up upon the charge of having upon the 22nd inst., `
` abstracted from the jewel-case of the Countess of Morcar the `
` valuable gem known as the blue carbuncle. James Ryder, `
` upper-attendant at the hotel, gave his evidence to the effect `
` that he had shown Horner up to the dressing-room of the Countess `
` of Morcar upon the day of the robbery in order that he might `
` solder the second bar of the grate, which was loose. He had `
` remained with Horner some little time, but had finally been `
` called away. On returning, he found that Horner had disappeared, `
` that the bureau had been forced open, and that the small morocco `
` casket in which, as it afterwards transpired, the Countess was `
` accustomed to keep her jewel, was lying empty upon the `
` dressing-table. Ryder instantly gave the alarm, and Horner was `
` arrested the same evening; but the stone could not be found `
` either upon his person or in his rooms. Catherine Cusack, maid to `
` the Countess, deposed to having heard Ryder's cry of dismay on `
` discovering the robbery, and to having rushed into the room, `
` where she found matters as described by the last witness. `
` Inspector Bradstreet, B division, gave evidence as to the arrest `
` of Horner, who struggled frantically, and protested his innocence `
` in the strongest terms. Evidence of a previous conviction for `
` robbery having been given against the prisoner, the magistrate `
` refused to deal summarily with the offence, but referred it to `
` the Assizes. Horner, who had shown signs of intense emotion `
` during the proceedings, fainted away at the conclusion and was `
` carried out of court." `
` `
` "Hum! So much for the police-court," said Holmes thoughtfully, `
` tossing aside the paper. "The question for us now to solve is the `
` sequence of events leading from a rifled jewel-case at one end to `
` the crop of a goose in Tottenham Court Road at the other. You `
` see, Watson, our little deductions have suddenly assumed a much `
` more important and less innocent aspect. Here is the stone; the `
` stone came from the goose, and the goose came from Mr. Henry `
` Baker, the gentleman with the bad hat and all the other `
` characteristics with which I have bored you. So now we must set `
` ourselves very seriously to finding this gentleman and `
` ascertaining what part he has played in this little mystery. To `
` do this, we must try the simplest means first, and these lie `
` undoubtedly in an advertisement in all the evening papers. If `
` this fail, I shall have recourse to other methods." `
` `
` "What will you say?" `
` `
` "Give me a pencil and that slip of paper. Now, then: 'Found at `
` the corner of Goodge Street, a goose and a black felt hat. Mr. `
` Henry Baker can have the same by applying at 6:30 this evening at `
` 221B, Baker Street.' That is clear and concise." `
` `
` "Very. But will he see it?" `
` `
` "Well, he is sure to keep an eye on the papers, since, to a poor `
` man, the loss was a heavy one. He was clearly so scared by his `
` mischance in breaking the window and by the approach of Peterson `
` that he thought of nothing but flight, but since then he must `
` have bitterly regretted the impulse which caused him to drop his `
` bird. Then, again, the introduction of his name will cause him to `
` see it, for everyone who knows him will direct his attention to `
` it. Here you are, Peterson, run down to the advertising agency `
` and have this put in the evening papers." `
` `
` "In which, sir?" `
` `
` "Oh, in the Globe, Star, Pall Mall, St. James's, Evening News, `
` Standard, Echo, and any others that occur to you." `
` `
` "Very well, sir. And this stone?" `
` `
` "Ah, yes, I shall keep the stone. Thank you. And, I say, `
` Peterson, just buy a goose on your way back and leave it here `
` with me, for we must have one to give to this gentleman in place `
` of the one which your family is now devouring." `
` `
` When the commissionaire had gone, Holmes took up the stone and `
` held it against the light. "It's a bonny thing," said he. "Just `
` see how it glints and sparkles. Of course it is a nucleus and `
` focus of crime. Every good stone is. They are the devil's pet `
` baits. In the larger and older jewels every facet may stand for a `
` bloody deed. This stone is not yet twenty years old. It was found `
` in the banks of the Amoy River in southern China and is remarkable `
` in having every characteristic of the carbuncle, save that it is `
` blue in shade instead of ruby red. In spite of its youth, it has `
` already a sinister history. There have been two murders, a `
` vitriol-throwing, a suicide, and several robberies brought about `
` for the sake of this forty-grain weight of crystallised charcoal. `
` Who would think that so pretty a toy would be a purveyor to the `
` gallows and the prison? I'll lock it up in my strong box now and `
` drop a line to the Countess to say that we have it." `
` `
` "Do you think that this man Horner is innocent?" `
` `
` "I cannot tell." `
` `
` "Well, then, do you imagine that this other one, Henry Baker, had `
` anything to do with the matter?" `
` `
` "It is, I think, much more likely that Henry Baker is an `
` absolutely innocent man, who had no idea that the bird which he `
` was carrying was of considerably more value than if it were made `
` of solid gold. That, however, I shall determine by a very simple `
` test if we have an answer to our advertisement." `
` `
` "And you can do nothing until then?" `
`