The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax* by Arthur Conan Doyle
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or to_keep within_the four corners of_the law . you_can drive off, cabby . now, Watson, we'll just take our luck together, as we_have occasionally done in_the_past ."

he had rung loudly at_the door of a great dark house in_the centre of Poultney square . it_was opened immediately, and_the figure of a tall woman was outlined against the dim-lit hall .

" well, what do_you_want ? " she asked sharply, peering at us through_the darkness .

" i_want to_speak to Dr .Shlessinger," said Holmes .

" there_is no such person here," she answered, and tried to close the door, but Holmes had jammed it with_his foot .

" well, i_want_to_see the man who lives here, whatever he_may call himself," said Holmes firmly .

she hesitated . then she threw open the door ." well, come in ! " said she ." my husband is_not afraid to_face any man in_the_world ." she closed the door behind us and showed us into asitting- room on_the right side of_the hall, turning up the gas as she left us ." Mr Peters will_be with_you in an instant," she said .

her words were literally true, for we had hardly time to look around the dusty and moth- eaten apartment in_which we_found ourselves before_the door opened and a big, clean-shaven bald- headed man stepped lightly into_the room . he had a large red face, with pendulous cheeks, and a general air of superficial benevolence which_was marred by a cruel, vicious mouth .

" there_is surely some mistake here, gentlemen," he_said in an unctuous, make- everything- easy voice ."I fancy that you_have_been misdirected . possibly if_you tried farther down the street-"

" that_will do; we_have no time to waste," said my companion firmly ." you_are Henry Peters, of Adelaide, late the Rev .Dr .Shlessinger, of Baden and South_America . I_am as sure of_that as_that my own name is Sherlock Holmes ."

Peters, as i_will now call him, started and stared hard at his formidable pursuer ."I guess your_name does_not frighten me, Mr Holmes," said he coolly ." when a man's conscience is easy you_can't rattle him . what_is your business in my house ? "

" i_want to_know what you have_done with_the lady Frances Carfax, whom you brought away with_you from Baden ."

"I'd be very_glad if_you_could tell me where that lady may_be," Peters answered coolly ."I've a bill against her for nearly a hundred pounds, and nothing to show for_it but a couple of trumpery pendants that_the dealer would hardly look at . she attached herself to Mrs Peters and me at Baden- it_is a fact that i_was using another name at_the_time- and she stuck on to_us until we came to London .I paid her bill and her ticket . once in London, she gave_us the slip, and, as I_say, left these out- of- date jewels to_pay her bills . you find her, Mr Holmes, and I'm your debtor ."

"I mean to_find her," said Sherlock Holmes ."I'm going through_this house till I_do find her ."

" where is your warrant ? "

Holmes half drew a revolver from_his pocket ." this_will have to_serve till a better one comes ."

" why, you_are a common burglar ."

" so you_might describe me," said Holmes cheerfully ." my companion is also a dangerous ruffian . and together we_are going through your house ."

our opponent opened the door .

" fetch a policeman, Annie ! " said he . there_was a whisk of feminine skirts down the passage, and_the hall door was opened and shut .

" our time is limited, Watson," said Holmes ." if_you try to stop us, Peters, you_will most certainly get hurt . where is_that coffin which_was brought into your house ? "

" what do_you_want with_the coffin ? it_is in use . there_is a body in_it ."

" I_must see that body ."

" never with my consent ."

" then without it ." with a quick movement Holmes pushed the fellow to one side and passed into_the hall .a door half opened stood immediately before_us . we entered . it was_the dining- room . on_the table, under a half-lit chandelier, the coffin was lying .Holmes turned up the gas and raised the lid . deep down in_the recesses of_the coffin lay an emaciated figure . the glare from_the lights above beat down upon an aged and withered face . by no possible process of cruelty, starvation, or disease could this wornout wreck be the still beautiful lady Frances .Holmes's face showed his amazement and also his relief .

" thank god ! " he muttered ." it's someone else ."

"Ah, you've blundered badly for once, Mr Sherlock Holmes," said Peters, who had followed us into_the room .

" who is_this dead woman ? "

" well, if_you really must know, she_is an old nurse of_my wife's, rose spender by name, whom we_found in_the Brixton workhouse infirmary . we brought her round here, called in Dr .Horsom, of 13 Firbank Villas- mind you take_the address, Mr Holmes- and had her carefully tended, as Christian folk should . on_the third day she died- certificate says senile decay- but that's only the doctor's opinion, and of_course you_know better . we ordered her funeral to_be carried out by Stimson and Co ., of_the Kennington road, who_will bury her at eight o'clock to- morrow morning . can_you pick any hole in_that, Mr Holmes ? you've made a silly blunder, and you_may as_well own up to_it .I'd give something for a photograph of your gaping, staring face when_you pulled aside that lid expecting to_see the lady Frances Carfax and only found a poor old woman of ninety ."

Holmes's expression was as impassive as ever under the jeers of_his antagonist, but his clenched hands betrayed his acute annoyance .

" I_am going through your house," said he .

" are_you, though ! " cried Peters as a woman's voice and heavy steps sounded in_the passage ." we'll soon see about_that . this_way, officers, if_you please . these men have forced their way into my house, and I_cannot get rid of_them . help me to_put them out ."

a sergeant and a constable stood in_the doorway .Holmes drew his card from_his case .

" this_is my name and address . this_is my friend, Dr .Watson ."

" bless you, sir, we_know you very_well," said the sergeant, " but you_can't stay here without a warrant ."

" of_course not .I quite understand that ."

" arrest him ! " cried Peters .

" we_know where to lay our hands on_this gentleman if he_is wanted," said the sergeant majestically, " but you'll have to_go, Mr Holmes ."

" yes, Watson, we_shall_have to_go ."

a minute later we were in_the street once more .Holmes as cool as ever, but i_was hot with anger and humiliation . the sergeant had followed us .

" sorry, Mr Holmes, but that's the law ."

" exactly, sergeant, you_could_not do otherwise ."

"I expect there_was good reason for your presence there . if_there_is anything I_can do-"

" it's amissing lady, sergeant, and i_think she_is in_that house .I expect a warrant presently ."

" then I'll keep my eye on_the parties, Mr Holmes . if anything comes along, i_will surely let you_know ."

it_was only nine o'clock, and we were off full cry upon_the trail at once . first we drove to Brixton workhouse infirmary, where we_found that_it_was indeed the truth that a charitable couple had called some days before, that_they had claimed an imbecile old woman as a former servant, and that_they had obtained permission to_take her away with_them . no surprise was expressed at_the news that she had since died .

the doctor was our next goal . he had_been called in, had found the woman dying of pure senility, had actually seen her pass away, and had signed the certificate in due form ."I assure you that everything was perfectly normal and there_was no room for foul play in_the matter," said he . nothing in_the house had struck him as suspicious save that for people of_their class it_was remarkable that_they should_have no servant . so_far and no farther went the doctor .

finally we_found our way to Scotland yard . there had_been difficulties of procedure in regard to_the warrant . some delay was inevitable . the magistrate's signature might_not_be obtained until next morning . if Holmes would call about nine he_could go down with Lestrade and_see it acted upon . so ended the day, save that near midnight our friend, the sergeant, called to_say that he had seen flickering lights here and there in_the windows of_the great dark house, but that no one had left it and none had entered . we_could but pray for patience and wait for_the morrow .

Sherlock Holmes was too irritable for conversation and too restless for sleep .I left him smoking hard, with_his heavy, dark brows knotted together, and_his long, nervous fingers tapping upon_the arms of_his chair, as he turned over in_his mind every possible solution of_the mystery . several_times in_the course of_the night I heard him prowling about_the house . finally, just after I had_been called in_the morning, he rushed into my room . he_was in_his dressing- gown, but his pale, hollow- eyed face told me that his night had_been a sleepless one .

" what time was_the funeral ? Eight, was_it not ? " he asked eagerly ." well, it_is 7:30 now . good heavens, Watson, what has become of any brains that god has_given me ? quick, man, quick ! it's life or death- a hundred chances on death to one on life .I'll never forgive myself, never, if_we_are too late ! "

Five minutes had_not passed before we were flying in a hansom down baker street . but even so it_was twenty-five to eight as_we passed big Ben, and eight struck as_we tore down the Brixton road . but others were late as_well as_we .Ten minutes after_the hour the hearse was still standing at_the door of_the house, and even as our foaming horse came to a halt the coffin, supported by three men, appeared on_the threshold .Holmes darted forward and barred their way .

" take it back ! " he cried, laying his hand on_the breast of_the foremost ." take it back this instant ! "

" what the devil do_you_mean ? once again I ask_you, where is your warrant ? " shouted the furious Peters, his big red face glaring over the farther end of_the coffin .

" the warrant is on its way . this coffin shall remain in_the house until it comes ."

the authority in Holmes's voice had its effect upon_the bearers .Peters had suddenly vanished into_the house, and_they obeyed these new orders ." quick, Watson, quick ! here_is a screw- driver ! " he shouted as_the coffin was replaced upon_the table ." here's one for_you, my man ! a sovereign if_the lid comes off in a minute ! ask no questions- work away ! that's good ! another ! and another ! now pull all together ! it's giving ! it's giving ! Ah, that does it at last ."

with a united effort we tore off the coffin-lid . as we_did so there came from_the inside astupefying and overpowering smell of chloroform .a body lay within, its head ill wreathed in cotton- wool, which had_been soaked in_the narcotic .Holmes plucked it off and disclosed the statuesque face of a handsome and spiritual woman of middle age . in an instant he had passed his arm round the figure and raised her to asitting position .

" is she gone, Watson ? is_there a spark left ? surely we_are_not too late ! "

for half an hour it seemed that we were . what with actual suffocation, and what with_the poisonous fumes of_the chloroform, the lady Frances seemed to_have passed the last point of recall . and then, at last, with artificial respiration, with injected ether, with every device that science could suggest, some flutter of life, some quiver of_the eyelids, some dimming of a mirror, spoke of_the slowly returning life .a cab had driven up, and Holmes, parting the blind, looked out at it ." here_is Lestrade with_his warrant," said he ." he_will_find that his birds have flown . and here," he added as a heavy step hurried along the passage, " is someone who has a better right to nurse this lady than we_have . good morning, Mr green; i_think that_the sooner we_can move the lady Frances the better . meanwhile, the funeral may proceed, and_the poor old woman who still lies in_that coffin may go to her last resting- place alone ."

" should you care to add the case to your annals, my dear Watson," said Holmes that evening, " it can only be as an example of_that temporary eclipse to_which even the best- balanced mind may_be exposed . such slips are common to all mortals, and_the greatest is he who_can recognize and repair them . to_this modified credit I_may, perhaps, make some claim . my night was haunted by_the thought that somewhere aclue, a strange sentence, a curious observation, had come under my notice and had_been too easily dismissed . then, suddenly, in_the gray of_the morning, the words came back to_me . it was_the remark of_the undertaker's wife, as reported by Philip green . she had said, ' it should_be there before now . it took longer, being out_of_the ordinary .' it was_the coffin of_which she spoke . it had_been out_of_the ordinary . that could only mean that_it had_been made to some special measurement . but why ? why ? then in an instant I remembered the deep sides, and_the little wasted figure at_the bottom . why so large a coffin for so small a body ? to leave room for another body . both would_be buried under the one certificate . it had all been so clear, if only my own sight had_not_been dimmed . at eight the lady Frances would_be buried . our one chance was to stop the coffin before it left the house .

" it_was a desperate chance that we_might find her alive, but it_was a chance, as_the result showed . these people had never, to my knowledge, done a murder . they_might shrink from actual violence at_the last . they_could bury her with no sign of how she met her end, and even if she were exhumed there_was a chance for_them .I hoped that such considerations might prevail with_them . you_can reconstruct the scene well enough . you saw the horrible den upstairs, where the poor lady had_been kept so_long . they rushed in and overpowered her with their chloroform, carried her down, poured more into_the coffin to insure against her waking, and then screwed down the lid .a clever device, Watson . it_is new to_me in_the annals of crime . if our ex- missionary friends escape the clutches of Lestrade, I_shall expect to hear of some brilliant incidents in their future career ."

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