No. 6 The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual by Arthur Conan Doyle
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in less_than an hour it would lie just above the topmost branches of_the old oak . one condition mentioned in_the ritual would then be fulfilled . and_the shadow of_the elm must mean the farther end of_the shadow, otherwise the trunk would_have_been chosen as_the guide .I had, then, to_find where the far end of_the shadow would fall when_the sun was just clear of_the oak ."

" that must_have been difficult, Holmes, when_the elm was no longer there ."

" well, at_least I_knew that if Brunton could do_it, I_could also . besides, there_was no real difficulty .I went with Musgrave to_his study and whittled myself this Peg, to_which I tied this long string with a knot at each yard . then i_took two lengths of afishing- rod, which came to just six feet, and I went back with my client to where the elm had_been . the sun was just grazing the top of_the oak .I fastened the rod on end, marked out the direction of_the shadow, and measured it . it_was nine feet in length .

" of_course the calculation now was a simple one . if a rod of six feet threw a shadow of nine, a tree of sixty-four feet would throw one of ninety-six, and_the line of_the one would of_course the line of_the other .I measured out the distance, which brought me almost to_the wall of_the house, and I thrust a Peg into_the spot . you_can imagine my exultation, Watson, when within two inches of_my Peg I_saw a conical depression in_the ground . I_knew that_it_was the mark made by Brunton in_his measurements, and_that i_was still upon his trail .

" from_this starting- point I proceeded to step, having first taken the cardinal points by my pocket- compass .Ten steps with each foot took me along parallel with_the wall of_the house, and again I marked my spot with a Peg . then I carefully paced off five to_the east and two to_the south . it brought me to_the very threshold of_the old door . two steps to_the west meant now that i_was to_go two paces down the stone-flagged passage, and this_was the place indicated by_the ritual .

" never have I_felt such a cold chill of disappointment, Watson . for a moment is seemed to_me that there_must_be some radical mistake in my calculations . the setting sun shone full upon_the passage floor, and I could_see that_the old, foot- worn grey stones with_which it_was paved were firmly cemented together, and had certainly not been moved for many a long year .Brunton had_not_been at work here .I tapped upon_the floor, but it sounded the same all over, and there_was no sign of any crack or crevice . but, Fortunately, Musgrave, who had begun to appreciate the meaning of_my proceedings, and who was now as excited as myself, took out his manuscript to_check my calculation .

"' and under,' he cried .' you_have omitted the " and under ."'

"I had thought that_it meant that we were to dig, but now, of_course, I_saw at once that i_was wrong .' there_is a cellar under this then ? ' I cried .

"' yes, and as old as_the house . down here, through_this door .'

" we went down awinding stone stair, and my companion, striking a match, lit a large lantern which stood on a barrel in_the corner . in an instant it_was obvious that we had at last come upon_the true place, and_that we had_not_been the only people to visit the spot recently .

" it had_been used for_the storage of wood, but the billets, which had evidently been littered over the floor, were now piled at_the sides, so as_to leave a clear space in_the middle . in_this space lay a large and heavy flagstone with a rusted iron ring in_the centre to_which a thick shepherd's- check muffler was attached .

"' by Jove ! ' cried my client .' that's Brunton's muffler . I_have_seen it on him, and could swear to_it . what has_the villain been doing here ? '

" at my suggestion a couple of_the county police were summoned to_be present, and I then endeavoured to raise the stone by pulling on_the cravat . I_could only move it slightly, and it_was with_the aid of one_of_the constables that I succeeded at last in carrying it to one side .a black hole yawned beneath into which we all peered, while Musgrave, kneeling at_the side, pushed down the lantern .

"A small chamber about seven feet deep and four feet square lay open to_us . at one side of this_was a squat, brass- bound wooden box, the lid of which_was hinged upwards, with_this curious old- fashioned key projecting from_the lock . it_was furred outside by a thick layer of dust, and damp and worms had eaten through_the wood, so_that a crop of livid fungi was growing on_the inside of it . several discs of metal, old coins apparently, such as I hold here, were scattered over the bottom of_the box, but it contained nothing else .

" at_the moment, however, we had no thought for_the old chest, for_our eyes were riveted upon that which crouched beside it . it was_the figure of a man, clad in a suit of black, who squatted down upon him hams with_his forehead sunk upon_the edge of_the box and_his two arms thrown out on each side of it . the attitude had drawn all the stagnant blood to_the face, and no man could_have recognised that distorted liver-coloured countenance; but his height, his dress, and_his hair were all sufficient to show my client, when we had drawn the body up, that_it_was indeed his missing butler . he had_been dead some days, but there_was no wound or bruise upon his person to show how he had met his dreadful end . when his body had_been carried from_the cellar we_found ourselves still confronted with a problem which_was almost as formidable as_that with_which we had started .

"I confess that so_far, Watson, I had_been disappointed in my investigation .I had reckoned upon solving the matter when once I had found the place referred to in_the ritual; but now i_was there, and was apparently as far as ever from knowing what it_was which the family had concealed with_such elaborate precautions . it_is true that I had thrown a light upon_the fate of Brunton, but now I had to ascertain how that fate had come upon him, and what part had_been played in_the matter by_the woman who had disappeared .I sat down upon a keg in_the corner and thought the whole matter carefully over .

" you_know my methods in_such cases, Watson .I put myself in_the man's place and, having first gauged his intelligence, I try to imagine how i_should myself have proceeded under the same circumstances . in this_case the matter was simplified by Brunton's intelligence being quite first- rate, so that_it_was unnecessary to_make any allowance for_the personal equation, as_the astronomers have dubbed it . he know that something valuable was concealed . he had spotted the place . he_found that_the stone which covered it_was just too heavy for a man to move unaided . what would he do next ? he_could_not get help from outside, even if he had some one whom he_could trust, without the unbarring of doors and considerable risk of detection . it_was better, if he_could, to_have his helpmate inside the house . but whom could he ask ? this girl had_been devoted to him .a man always finds it hard to realise that he_may_have finally lost a woman's love, however badly he_may_have treated her . he_would try by a few attentions to_make his peace with_the girl Howells, and then would engage her as his accomplice . together they_would come at night to_the cellar, and their united force would suffice to raise the stone . so_far I_could follow their actions as_if I had actually seen them .

" but for two of_them, and one a woman, it must_have been heavy work the raising of_that stone .a burly Sussex policeman and I had found it no light job . what would they_do to assist them ? probably what i_should_have done myself .I rose and examined carefully the different billets of wood which were scattered round the floor . almost at once I_came upon what I expected . one piece, about three feet in length, had a very marked indentation at one end, while several were flattened at_the sides as if_they had_been compressed by some considerable weight .Evidently, as_they had dragged the stone up they had thrust the chunks of wood into_the chink, until at last, when_the opening was large enough to crawl through, they_would hold it open by a billet placed lengthways, which might very_well become indented at_the lower end, since_the whole weight of_the stone would press it down on to_the edge of_this other slab . so_far i_was still on safe ground .

" and now how was I to_proceed to reconstruct this midnight drama ? clearly, only_one could fit into_the hole, and_that one was Brunton . the girl must_have waited above .Brunton then unlocked the box, handed up the contents presumably-- since they were_not to_be found-- and then-- and then what happened ?

" what smouldering fire of vengeance had suddenly sprung into flame in_this passionate Celtic woman's soul when she saw the man who had wronged her-- wronged her, perhaps, far more than we suspected-- in her power ? was_it a chance that_the wood had slipped, and_that the stone had shut Brunton into what had become his sepulchre ? had she only been guilty of silence as to_his fate ? or had some sudden blow from her hand dashed the support away and sent the slab crashing down into its place ? be that as it might, I seemed to_see that woman's figure still clutching at her treasure throve and flying wildly up the winding stair, with her ears ringing perhaps with_the muffled screams from behind her and with_the drumming of frenzied hands against the slab of stone which_was choking her faithless lover's life out .

" here was_the secret of her blanched face, her shaken nerves, her peals of hysterical laughter on_the next morning . but what had_been in_the box ? what had she done with_that ? of_course, it must_have been the old metal and pebbles which my client had dragged from_the mere . she had thrown them in there at_the first opportunity to remove the last trace of her crime .

" for twenty minutes I had sat motionless, thinking the matter out .Musgrave still stood with a very pale face, swinging his lantern and peering down into_the hole .

"' these are coins of Charles the first,' said he, holding out the few which had_been in_the box; ' you_see we were right in fixing our date for_the ritual .'

"' we_may find something else of Charles the first,' I cried, as_the probable meaning of_the first two question of_the ritual broke suddenly upon me .' let me see the contents of_the bag which you fished from_the mere .'

" we ascended to_his study, and he laid the debris before me . I_could understand his regarding it as of small importance when I looked at it, for_the metal was almost black and_the stones lustreless and dull .I rubbed one_of_them on my sleeve, however, and it glowed afterwards like a spark in_the dark hollow of_my hand . the metal work was in_the form of a double ring, but it had_been bent and twisted out of_its original shape .

"' you_must bear in mind,' said I, ' that_the royal party made head in England even after_the death of_the king, and_that when_they at last fled they probably left many of_their most precious possession buried behind them, with_the intention of returning for_them in more peaceful times .'

"' my ancestor, sir Ralph Musgrave, as a prominent cavalier and_the right- hand man of Charles the second in_his wanderings,' said my friend .

"'Ah, indeed ! ' I answered .' well now, i_think that really should give_us the last link that we wanted . I_must congratulate you on coming into_the possession, though in rather a tragic manner of a relic which_is of great intrinsic value, but of even greater importance as an historical curiosity .'

"' what_is it, then ? ' he gasped in astonishment .

"' it_is nothing less_than_the ancient crown of_the kings of England .'

"' the crown ! '

"' precisely . consider what the ritual says: how does it run ? " whose was_it ? " " his who_is gone ." that was after_the execution of Charles . then, " who shall_have it ? " " he who_will come ." that was Charles the second, whose advent was already foreseen . there can, i_think, be no_doubt that_this battered and shapeless diadem once encircled the brows of_the royal Stuarts .'

"' and how came it in_the pond ? '

"'Ah, that_is a question that_will take some_time to answer .' and with_that I sketched out to him the whole long chain of surmise and of proof which I had constructed . the twilight had closed in and_the moon was shining brightly in_the sky before my narrative was finished .

"' and how was_it then that Charles did_not get his crown when he returned ? ' asked Musgrave, pushing back the relic into its linen bag .

"'Ah, there you lay your finger upon_the one point which we_shall probably never be_able to clear up . it_is likely that_the Musgrave who held the secret died in_the interval, and by some oversight left this guide to_his descendant without explaining the meaning of it . from_that day to_this it_has_been handed down from father to son, until at last it came within reach of a man who tore its secret out of it and lost his life in_the venture .'

" and_that's the story of_the Musgrave ritual, Watson . they_have the crown down at Hurlstone-- though they had some legal bother and a considerable sum to_pay before_they were allowed to retain it . I_am_sure that if_you mentioned my name they_would_be happy to show it to_you . of_the woman nothing was ever heard, and_the probability is_that she got away out of England and carried herself and_the memory of her crime to some land beyond the seas ."

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