No. 11 The Adventure of Beryl Coronet by Arthur Conan Doyle
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an excessive sum for_them ? "

" i_would pay ten ."

" that_would_be unnecessary . three thousand will cover the matter . and there_is a little reward, I fancy . have_you your check- book ? here_is a pen . better make it out for 4000 pounds ."

with adazed face the banker made out the required check .Holmes walked over to_his desk, took out a little triangular piece of gold with three gems in_it, and threw it down upon_the table .

with a shriek of joy our client clutched it up .

" you_have it ! " he gasped ." I_am saved ! I_am saved ! "

the reaction of joy was as passionate as his grief had_been, and he hugged his recovered gems to_his bosom .

" there_is one other thing you owe, Mr holder," said Sherlock Holmes rather sternly .

" owe ! " he caught up a pen ." name the sum, and_I_will pay it ."

" no, the debt is_not to_me . you owe a very humble apology to_that noble lad, your son, who has carried himself in_this_matter as i_should_be proud to_see my own son do, should I ever chance to_have one ."

" then it_was not Arthur who took them ? "

" i_told you yesterday, and I repeat to- day, that_it_was not ."

" you_are_sure of it ! then let_us hurry to him at once to let him know that_the truth is known ."

" he_knows it already . when I had cleared it all up I had an interview with_him, and finding that he_would_not tell me the story, i_told it to him, on_which he had to confess that i_was right and to add the very few details which were_not yet quite clear to_me . your news of this_morning, however, may open his lips ."

" for heaven's sake, tell me, then, what_is this extraordinary mystery ! "

" i_will do_so, and_I_will show you the steps by_which I reached it . and let me say to_you, first, that which it_is hardest for_me to_say and for_you to hear: there_has_been an understanding between sir George Burnwell and your niece Mary . they_have now fled together ."

" my Mary ? impossible ! "

" it_is unfortunately more than possible; it_is certain . neither you nor your son knew the true character of_this man when_you admitted him into your family circle . he_is one_of_the_most dangerous men in England--a ruined gambler, an absolutely desperate villain, a man without heart or conscience . your niece knew nothing of_such men . when he breathed his vows to her, as he had done to a hundred before her, she flattered herself that she alone had touched his heart . the devil knows best what he_said, but at_least she became his tool and was in_the habit of seeing him nearly every evening ."

" I_cannot, and i_will_not, believe it ! " cried the banker with an ashen face .

" i_will tell you, then, what occurred in your house last night . your niece, when_you had, as she thought, gone to your room . slipped down and talked to her lover through_the window which leads into_the stable lane . his footmarks had pressed right through_the snow, so_long had he stood there . she told him of_the coronet . his wicked lust for gold kindled at_the news, and he bent her to_his will . I_have no_doubt that she loved you, but there_are women in whom the love of a lover extinguishes all other loves, and i_think that she must_have been one . she had hardly listened to_his instructions when she saw you coming downstairs, on_which she closed the window rapidly and told you about one_of_the servants' escapade with her wooden-legged lover, which_was all perfectly true .

" your boy, Arthur, went to bed after his interview with_you but he slept badly on account of_his uneasiness about his club debts . in_the middle of_the night he heard a soft tread pass his door, so he rose and, looking out, was surprised to_see his cousin walking very stealthily along the passage until she disappeared into your dressing- room .Petrified with astonishment . the lad slipped on some clothes and waited there in_the dark to_see what would come of_this strange affair . presently she emerged from_the room again, and in_the light of_the passage- lamp your son saw that she carried the precious coronet in her hands . she passed down the stairs, and he, thrilling with horror, ran along and slipped behind the curtain near your door, whence he could_see what passed in_the hall beneath . he_saw her stealthily open the window, hand out the coronet to someone in_the gloom, and then closing it once more hurry back to her room, passing quite close to where he stood hid behind the curtain .

" as long as she was on_the scene he_could_not take any action without a horrible exposure of_the woman whom he loved . but the instant that she was gone he realised how crushing a misfortune this_would_be for_you, and how all- important it_was to set it right . he rushed down, just as he_was, in_his bare feet, opened the window, sprang out into_the snow, and ran down the lane, where he could_see a dark figure in_the moonlight . sir George Burnwell tried to_get away, but Arthur caught him, and there_was a struggle between_them, your lad tugging at one side of_the coronet, and_his opponent at_the other . in_the scuffle, your son struck sir George and cut him over the eye . then something suddenly snapped, and your son, finding that he had the coronet in_his hands, rushed back, closed the window, ascended to your room, and had just observed that_the coronet had_been twisted in_the struggle and was endeavouring to straighten it when_you appeared upon_the scene ."

" is_it possible ? " gasped the banker .

" you then roused his anger by calling him names at a moment when he_felt that he had deserved your warmest thanks . he_could_not explain the true state of affairs without betraying one who certainly deserved little enough consideration at his hands . he_took the more chivalrous view, however, and preserved her secret ."

" and_that was why she shrieked and fainted when she saw the coronet," cried Mr holder ."Oh, my god ! what a blind fool I_have_been ! and_his asking to_be allowed to_go out for five minutes ! the dear fellow wanted to_see if_the missing piece were at_the scene of_the struggle . how cruelly I_have misjudged him ! '

" when I arrived at_the house," continued Holmes, "I at once went very carefully round it to observe if there were any traces in_the snow which might help me . I_knew that none had fallen since_the evening before, and also that there had_been a strong frost to preserve impressions .I passed along the tradesmen's path, but found it all trampled down and indistinguishable . just beyond it, however, at_the far side of_the kitchen door, a woman had stood and talked with a man, whose round impressions on one side showed that he had a wooden leg . I_could even tell that_they had_been disturbed, for_the woman had run back swiftly to_the door, as was shown by_the deep toe and light heel marks, while wooden- leg had waited a little, and then had gone away . i_thought at_the_time that_this might_be the maid and her sweetheart, of whom you had already spoken to_me, and inquiry showed it_was so .I passed round the garden without seeing anything more than random tracks, which i_took to_be the police; but when I got into_the stable lane a very long and complex story was written in_the snow in front of me .

" there_was a double line of tracks of a booted man, and a second double line which I_saw with delight belonged to a man with naked feet . i_was at once convinced from what you had told me that_the latter was your son . the first had walked both ways, but the other had run swiftly, and as his tread was marked in places over the depression of_the boot, it_was obvious that he had passed after_the other .I followed them up and found they led to_the hall window, where Boots had worn all the snow away while waiting . then I walked to_the other end, which_was a hundred yards or more down the lane . I_saw where Boots had faced round, where the snow was cut up as_though there had_been a struggle, and, finally, where a few drops of blood had fallen, to show me that i_was not mistaken .Boots had then run down the lane, and another little smudge of blood showed that_it_was he who had_been hurt . when he_came to_the highroad at_the other end, I_found that_the pavement had_been cleared, so there_was an end to_that clew .

" on entering the house, however, I examined, as_you remember, the sill and framework of_the hall window with my lens, and I_could at once see that someone had passed out . I_could distinguish the outline of an instep where the wet foot had_been placed in coming in . i_was then beginning to_be_able to_form an opinion as_to what had occurred .a man had waited outside the window; someone had brought the gems; the deed had_been overseen by your son; he had pursued the thief; had struggled with_him; they had each tugged at_the coronet, their united strength causing injuries which neither alone could_have effected . he had returned with_the prize, but had left a fragment in_the grasp of_his opponent . so_far i_was clear . the question now was, who was_the man and who was_it brought him the coronet ?

" it_is an old maxim of_mine that when_you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must_be the truth . now, I_knew that_it_was not you who had brought it down, so there only remained your niece and_the maids . but if_it were the maids, why should your son allow himself to_be accused in their place ? there could_be no possible reason . as he loved his cousin, however, there_was an excellent explanation why he_should retain her secret-- the more so as_the secret was a disgraceful one . when I remembered that you had seen her at_that window, and how she had fainted on seeing the coronet again, my conjecture became a certainty .

" and who_could it be who was her confederate ? a lover evidently, for who else could outweigh the love and gratitude which she_must feel to_you ? I_knew that you went out little, and_that your circle of friends was a very limited one . but among them was sir George Burnwell .I had heard of him before as being a man of evil reputation among women . it must_have been he who wore those boots and retained the missing gems . even though he_knew that Arthur had discovered him, he might still flatter himself that he_was safe, for_the lad could_not_say a word without compromising his own family .

" well, your own good sense will suggest what measures i_took next .I went in_the shape of a loafer to sir George's house, managed to pick up an acquaintance with_his valet, learned that his master had cut his head the night before, and, finally, at_the expense of six shillings, made all sure by buying a pair of_his cast- off shoes . with_these I journeyed down to Streatham and saw that_they exactly fitted the tracks ."

" I_saw an ill- dressed vagabond in_the lane yesterday evening," said Mr holder .

" precisely . it_was I . I_found that I had my man, so I_came home and changed my clothes . it_was a delicate part which I had to play then, for I_saw that a prosecution must_be avoided to avert scandal, and I_knew that so astute a villain would see that_our hands were tied in_the matter .I went and saw him . at first, of_course, he denied everything . but when I_gave him every particular that had occurred, he tried to bluster and took down a life- preserver from_the wall . I_knew my man, however, and I clapped a pistol to_his head before he_could strike . then he became a little more reasonable . i_told him that we_would give him a price for_the stones he held 1000 pounds apiece . that brought out the first signs of grief that he had shown .' why, dash it all ! ' said he, 'I've let them go at six hundred for_the three ! ' I soon managed to_get the address of_the receiver who had them, on promising him that there would_be no prosecution . off I set to him, and after much chaffering I got our stones at 1000 pounds apiece . then I looked in upon your son, told him that all was right, and eventually got to my bed about two o'clock, after what I_may call a really hard day's work ."

"A day which_has saved England from a great public scandal," said the banker, rising ." sir, I_cannot find words to_thank_you, but you shall_not find me ungrateful for what you have_done . your skill has indeed exceeded all that I_have heard of it . and now I_must fly to my dear boy to apologise to him for_the wrong which I_have_done him . as_to what you tell me of poor Mary, it goes to my very heart . not even your skill can inform me where she_is now ."

" i_think that we_may safely say," returned Holmes, " that she_is wherever sir George Burnwell is . it_is equally certain, too, that whatever her sins are, they_will soon receive a more than sufficient punishment ."

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