No. 8 The Adventure of the Crooked Man by Arthur Conan Doyle
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the crooked man

by Arthur Conan Doyle

one summer night, a few_months after my marriage, i_was seated by my own hearth smoking a last pipe and nodding over a novel, for_my day's work had_been an exhausting one . my wife had already gone upstairs, and_the sound of_the locking of_the hall door some_time before told me that_the servants had also retired .I had risen from my seat and was knocking out the ashes of_my pipe when I suddenly heard the clang of_the bell .

I looked at_the clock . it_was a quarter to twelve . this could_not_be a visitor at so late an hour .a patient, evidently, and possibly an all- night sitting . with a wry face I went out into_the hall and opened the door . to my astonishment it_was Sherlock Holmes who stood upon my step .

"Ah, Watson," said he, "I hoped that I might_not_be too late to catch you ."

" my dear fellow, pray come in ."

" you look surprised, and no wonder ! relieved, too, I fancy ! hum ! you still smoke the Arcadia mixture of your bachelor days then ! there's no mistaking that fluffy ash upon your coat . it's easy to_tell that you_have_been accustomed to wear a uniform, Watson . you'll never pass as a pure- bred civilian as long as_you keep that habit of carrying your handkerchief in your sleeve . could you put me up tonight ? "

" with pleasure ."

" you told me that you had bachelor quarters for_one, and I_see that you_have no gentleman visitor at present . your hat- stand proclaims as_much ."

" I_shall_be delighted if_you_will stay ."

" thank_you .I'll fill the vacant Peg then . sorry to_see that you've had the British workman in_the house . he's a token of evil . not the drains, I_hope ? "

" no, the gas ."

"Ah ! he has left two nail-marks from_his boot upon your linoleum just where the light strikes it . no, thank_you, I had some supper at Waterloo, but I'll smoke a pipe with_you with pleasure ."

I handed him my pouch, and he seated himself opposite to_me and smoked for some_time in silence . i_was well aware that nothing but business of importance would_have brought him to_me at such an hour, so I waited patiently until he_should come round to_it .

" I_see that you_are professionally rather busy just now," said he, glancing very keenly across at me .

" yes, I've had a busy day," I answered ." it may seem very foolish in your eyes," I added, " but really I don't know how you deduced it ."

Holmes chuckled to himself .

" I_have the advantage of knowing your habits, my dear Watson," said he ." when your round is a short one you walk, and when it_is a long one you use a hansom . as I perceive that your boots, although used, are by no means dirty, I_cannot doubt that you_are at present busy enough to justify the hansom ."

" excellent ! " I cried .

" elementary," said he ." it_is one of_those instances where the reasoner can produce an effect which seems remarkable to_his neighbour, because the latter has missed the one little point which_is the basis of_the deduction . the same may_be said, my dear fellow, for_the effect of some_of_these little sketches of your, which_is entirely meretricious, depending as it does upon your retaining in your own hands some factors in_the problem which are never imparted to_the reader . now, at present I_am in_the position of_these same readers, for I hold in_this hand several threads of one_of_the strangest cases which ever perplexed a man's brain, and yet I lack the one_or_two which are needful to complete my theory . but I'll have them, Watson, I'll have them ! " his eyes kindled and a slight flush sprang into his thin cheeks . for an instant only . when I glanced again his face had resumed that red- Indian composure which had made so_many regard him as a machine rather than a man .

" the problem presents features of interest," said he ." I_may even say exceptional features of interest . I_have already looked into_the matter, and_have come, as i_think, within sight of_my solution . if_you_could accompany me in_that last step you_might_be of considerable service to_me ."

" i_should_be delighted ."

" could you go as far as Aldershot to- morrow ? "

" I_have no_doubt Jackson would take my practice ."

" very_good . i_want to start by_the 11 .10 from Waterloo ."

" that_would give_me time ."

" then, if you_are_not too sleepy, i_will give_you a sketch of what has happened, and of what remains to_be_done ."

" i_was sleepy before_you came . I_am quite wakeful now ."

" i_will compress the story as far as may_be_done without omitting anything vital to_the case . it_is conceivable that you_may even have read some account of_the matter . it_is_the supposed murder of colonel Barclay, of_the royal Munsters, at Aldershot, which I_am investigating ."

" I_have heard nothing of it ."

" it has_not excited much attention yet, except locally . the facts are only two days old . briefly they_are these:

" the royal Munsters is, as_you_know, one_of_the_most famous Irish regiments in_the British army . it did wonders both in_the Crimea and_the mutiny, and has since_that_time distinguished itself upon every possible occasion . it_was commanded up_to Monday night by James Barclay, a gallant veteran, who started as a full private, was raised to commissioned rank for_his bravery at_the_time of_the mutiny, and so lived to command the regiment in_which he had once carried a musket .

" colonel Barclay had married at_the_time when he_was a sergeant, and_his wife, whose maiden name was miss Nancy Devoy, was_the daughter of a former colour- sergeant in_the same corps . there_was, therefore, as can_be imagined, some little social friction when_the young couple ( for they were still young) found themselves in their new surroundings . they appear, however, to_have quickly adapted themselves, and Mrs Barclay has always, I understand, been as popular with_the ladies of_the regiment as her husband was with_his brother officers . I_may add that she was a woman of great beauty, and_that even now, when she has_been married for upwards of thirty years, she_is still of astriking and queenly appearance .

" colonel Barclay's family life appears to_have_been auniformly happy one . major Murphy, to_whom I owe most of_my facts, assures me that he has never heard of any misunderstanding between_the pair . on_the whole, he thinks that Barclay's devotion to_his wife was greater than his wife's to Barclay . he_was acutely uneasy if he were absent from her for a day . she, on_the other hand, though devoted and faithful, was less obtrusively affectionate . but they were regarded in_the regiment as_the very model of a middle- aged couple . there_was absolutely nothing in their mutual relations to_prepare people for_the tragedy which_was to_follow .

" colonel Barclay himself seems to have_had some singular traits in_his character . he_was adashing, jovial old solder in_his usual mood, but there were occasions on_which he_seemed to show himself capable of considerable violence and vindictiveness . this side of_his nature, however, appears never to_have_been turned towards his wife . another fact, which had struck major Murphy and three out of five of_the other officers with_whom I conversed, was_the singular sort of depression which came upon him at times . as_the major expressed it, the smile had often been struck from_his mouth, as_if by some invisible hand, when he has_been joining the gayeties and chaff of_the mess- table . for days on end, when_the mood was on him, he has_been sunk in_the deepest gloom . this and a certain tinge of superstition were the only unusual traits in_his character which his brother officers had observed . the latter peculiarity took the form of a dislike to being left alone, especially after dark . this puerile feature in a nature which_was conspicuously manly had often given rise to comment and conjecture .

" the first battalion of_the royal Munsters ( which_is the old 117th) has_been stationed at Aldershot for_some_years . the married officers live out of barracks, and_the colonel has during all this_time occupied a villa called Lachine, about half a mile from_the north camp . the house stands in its own grounds, but the west side of it_is_not more than thirty yards from_the high- road .a coachman and two maids form the staff of servants . these with their master and mistress were the sole occupants of Lachine, for_the Barclays had no children, nor was_it usual for_them to_have resident visitors .

" now for_the events at Lachine between nine and ten on_the evening of last Monday ."

" Mrs Barclay was, it appears, a member of_the Roman catholic church, and had interested herself very_much in_the establishment of_the guild of St . George, which_was formed in connection with_the watt street chapel for_the_purpose of supplying the poor with cast- off clothing .ameeting of_the guild had_been held that evening at eight, and Mrs Barclay had hurried over her dinner in_order_to_be present at it . when leaving the house she was heard by_the coachman to_make some commonplace remark to her husband, and to assure him that she_would be back before very long . she then called for miss Morrison, a young lady who lives in_the next villa, and_the two went off together to_their meeting . it lasted forty minutes, and at a quarter- past nine Mrs Barclay returned home, having left miss Morrison at her door as she passed .

" there_is a room which_is used as a morning- room at Lachine . this faces the road and opens by a large glass folding- door on to_the lawn . the lawn is thirty yards across, and_is only divided from_the highway by a low wall with an iron rail above it . it_was into_this room that Mrs Barclay went upon her return . the blinds were_not down, for_the room was seldom used in_the evening, but Mrs Barclay herself lit the lamp and then rang the bell, asking Jane Stewart, the house- maid, to bring her a cup of tea, which_was quite contrary to her usual habits . the colonel had_been sitting in_the dining- room, but hearing that his wife had returned he joined her in_the morning- room . the coachman saw him cross the hall and enter it . he_was never seen again alive .

" the tea which had_been ordered was brought up at_the end of ten minutes; but the maid, as she approached the door, was surprised to hear the voices of her master and mistress in furious altercation . she knocked without receiving any answer, and even turned the handle, but only to_find that_the door was locked upon_the inside . naturally enough she ran down to_tell the cook, and_the two women with_the coachman came up into_the hall and listened to_the dispute which_was still raging . they all agreed that only two voices were to_be heard, those of Barclay and of_his wife .Barclay's remarks were subdued and abrupt, so_that none_of_them were audible to_the listeners . the lady's, on_the other hand, were most bitter, and when she raised her voice could_be plainly heard .' you coward ! ' she repeated over and over again .' what can_be_done now ? what can_be_done now ? give_me back my life . i_will never so_much as breathe the same air with_you again ! you coward ! you coward ! ' those were scraps of her conversation, ending in a sudden dreadful cry in_the man's voice, with a crash, and apiercing scream from_the woman .Convinced that some tragedy had occurred, the coachman rushed to_the door and strove to force it, while scream after scream issued from within . he_was unable, however, to_make his way in, and_the maids were too distracted with fear to_be of any assistance to him .a sudden thought struck him, however, and he ran through_the hall door and round to_the lawn upon_which the long French windows open . one side of_the window was open, which I understand was quite usual in_the summer- time, and he passed without difficulty into_the room . his mistress had ceased to scream and was stretched insensible upon a couch, while with_his feet tilted over the side of an arm- chair, and_his head upon_the ground near the corner of_the fender, was lying the unfortunate soldier stone dead in a pool of_his own blood .

" naturally, the coachman's first thought, on finding that he_could do nothing for_his master, was to open the door . but here an unexpected and singular difficulty presented itself . the key was not in_the inner side of_the door, nor could he find it anywhere in_the room . he went out again, therefore, through_the window, and having obtained the help of a policeman and of a medical man, he returned . the lady, against whom naturally the strongest suspicion rested, was removed to her room, still in a state of insensibility . the colonel's body was then placed upon_the sofa, and a careful examination made of_the scene of_the tragedy .

" the injury from_which the unfortunate veteran was suffering was found to_be a jagged cut some two inches long at_the back part of_his head, which had evidently been caused by a violent blow from a blunt weapon . nor was_it difficult to guess what that weapon may have_been . upon_the floor, close to_the body, was lying a singular club of hard carved wood with a bone handle . the colonel possessed a varied collection of weapons brought from_the different countries in_which he had fought, and it_is conjectured by_the police that his club was among his trophies . the servants deny having seen it before, but among_the numerous

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