No. 2 The Adventure of the Norwood Builder by Arthur Conan Doyle
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title-deeds, mortgages, scrip, and so forth -- which it_was necessary that I should_see and understand . he_said that his mind would_not_be easy until the whole thing was settled, and he begged me to_come out to_his house at Norwood that night, bringing the will with me, and to arrange matters .` remember, my boy, not one word to your parents about_the affair until everything is settled . we_will keep it as a little surprise for_them .' he_was very insistent upon_this point, and made me promise it faithfully .

" you_can imagine, Mr Holmes, that i_was not in ahumour to refuse him anything that he might ask . he_was my benefactor, and all my desire was to carry out his wishes in every particular . I_sent a telegram home, therefore, to_say that I had important business on hand, and that_it_was impossible for_me to_say how late I_might_be .Mr Oldacre had told me that he_would like me to_have supper with_him at nine, as he_might_not be home before_that hour .I had some difficulty in finding his house, however, and it_was nearly half- past before I reached it . I_found him ---"

" one moment ! " said Holmes ." who opened the door ? "

"A middle- aged woman, who was, I suppose, his housekeeper ."

" and it_was she, I presume, who mentioned your_name ? "

" exactly," said McFarlane .

" pray proceed ."

McFarlane wiped his damp brow and then continued his narrative:--

" i_was shown by_this woman into asitting- room, where a frugal supper was laid out .Afterwards Mr Jonas Oldacre led me into his bedroom, in_which there stood a heavy safe . this he opened and took out a mass of documents, which we went over together . it_was between eleven and twelve when we finished . he remarked that we_must not disturb the housekeeper . he showed me out through his own French window, which had_been open all this_time ."

" was_the blind down ? " asked Holmes .

" i_will_not_be sure, but I believe that_it_was only half down . yes, I remember how he pulled it up in_order to swing open the window . I_could_not find my stick, and he_said, ` never mind, my boy; I_shall see a good_deal of you now, I_hope, and_I_will keep your stick until you come back to claim it .' I left him there, the safe open, and_the papers made up in packets upon_the table . it_was so late that I_could_not get back to Blackheath, so I spent the night at_the Anerley Arms, and I_knew nothing more until I_read of_this horrible affair in_the morning ."

" anything more that you_would like to ask, Mr Holmes ? " said Lestrade, whose eyebrows had gone up once_or_twice during this remarkable explanation .

" not until I_have_been to Blackheath ."

" you mean to Norwood," said Lestrade .

"Oh, yes; no_doubt that_is what I_must_have meant," said Holmes, with_his enigmatical smile .Lestrade had learned by more experiences than he_would care to acknowledge that that razor- like brain could cut through_that which_was impenetrable to him . I_saw him look curiously at my companion .

" i_think i_should like to_have a word with_you presently, Mr Sherlock Holmes," said he ." now, Mr McFarlane, two of_my constables are at_the door and there_is afour-wheeler waiting ." the wretched young man arose, and with a last beseeching glance at us walked from_the room . the officers conducted him to_the cab, but Lestrade remained .

Holmes had picked up the pages which formed the rough draft of_the will, and was looking at them with_the keenest interest upon his face .

" there_are some points about_that document, Lestrade, are there not ? " said he, pushing them over .

the official looked at them with a puzzled expression .

" I_can read the first few lines, and these in_the middle of_the second page, and one_or_two at_the end . those are as clear as print," said he; " but the writing in between is very bad, and there_are three places where I_cannot read it at all ."

" what do_you make of_that ? " said Holmes .

" well, what do_you make of it ? "

" that_it_was written in a train; the good writing represents stations, the bad writing movement, and_the very bad writing passing over points .a scientific expert would pronounce at once that_this was drawn up on a suburban line, since nowhere save in_the immediate vicinity of a great city could there be so quick a succession of points .Granting that his whole journey was occupied in drawing up the will, then the train was an express, only stopping once between Norwood and London bridge ."

Lestrade began to laugh .

" you_are too many for_me when_you begin to_get on_your theories, Mr Holmes," said he ." how does this bear on_the case ? "

" well, it corroborates the young man's story to_the extent that_the will was drawn up by Jonas Oldacre in_his journey yesterday . it_is curious -- is_it not ? -- that a man should draw up so important a document in so haphazard a fashion . it suggests that he_did_not think it_was going to_be of much practical importance . if a man drew up a will which he_did_not intend ever to_be effective he might do_it so ."

" well, he drew up his own death- warrant at_the same time," said Lestrade .

"Oh, you_think so ? "

"Don't you ? "

" well, it_is quite possible; but the case is_not clear to_me yet ."

" not clear ? well, if_that isn't clear, what could_be clear ? here_is a young man who learns suddenly that if a certain older man dies he_will succeed to a fortune . what does he do ? he_says nothing to anyone, but he arranges that he shall go out on some pretext to_see his client that night; he waits until the only other person in_the house is in bed, and then in_the solitude of a man's room he murders him, Burns his body in_the wood- pile, and departs to aneighbouring hotel . the blood-stains in_the room and also on_the stick are very slight . it_is probable that he imagined his crime to_be a bloodless one, and hoped that if_the body were consumed it would hide all traces of_the method of_his death -- traces which for some reason must_have pointed to him . is all this not obvious ? "

" it strikes me, my good Lestrade, as being just a trifle too obvious," said Holmes ." you_do_not add imagination to your other great qualities; but if_you_could for_one moment put yourself in_the place of_this young man, would you choose the very night after_the will had_been made to commit your crime ? would it not seem dangerous to_you to_make so very close a relation between_the two incidents ? again, would you choose an occasion when_you_are known to_be in_the house, when a servant has let you in ? and, finally, would you take_the great pains to conceal the body and yet leave your own stick as a sign that you were the criminal ? confess, Lestrade, that all this_is very unlikely ."

" as_to_the stick, Mr Holmes, you_know as_well as I do_that a criminal is often flurried and does things which a cool man would avoid . he_was very likely afraid to_go back to_the room . give_me another theory that_would fit the facts ."

" I_could very easily give_you half-a- dozen," said Holmes ." here, for example, is a very possible and even probable one .I make you a free present of it . the older man is showing documents which are of evident value .apassing tramp sees them through_the window, the blind of which_is only half down . exit the solicitor . enter the tramp ! he seizes a stick, which he observes there, kills Oldacre, and departs after burning the body ."

" why should the tramp burn the body ? "

" for_the matter of_that why should McFarlane ? "

" to hide some evidence ."

" possibly the tramp wanted to hide that any murder at all had_been committed ."

" and why did the tramp take nothing ? "

" because they were papers that he_could_not negotiate ."

Lestrade shook his head, though it seemed to_me that his manner was less absolutely assured than before .

" well, Mr Sherlock Holmes, you_may look for your tramp, and while you_are finding him we_will hold on to our man . the future will show which_is right . just notice this point, Mr Holmes: that so_far as we_know none_of_the papers were removed, and_that the prisoner is_the one man in_the_world who had no reason for removing them, since he_was heir- at- law and would come into them in any case ."

my friend seemed struck by_this remark .

"I don't mean to deny that_the evidence is in some ways very strongly in favour of your theory," said he ."I only wish to point out that_there_are other theories possible . as_you say, the future will decide . good morning ! I dare say that in_the course of_the day I_shall drop in at Norwood and_see how you_are getting on ."

when_the detective departed my friend rose and made his preparations for_the day's work with_the alert air of a man who has a congenial task before him .

" my first movement, Watson," said he, as he bustled into his frock- coat, " must, as I_said, be in_the direction of Blackheath ."

" and why_not Norwood ? "

" because we_have in this_case one singular incident coming close to_the heels of another singular incident . the police are making the mistake of concentrating their attention upon_the second, because it happens to_be the one which_is actually criminal . but it_is evident to_me that_the logical way to approach the case is to_begin by trying to throw some light upon_the first incident -- the curious will, so suddenly made, and to so unexpected an heir . it may do something to simplify what followed . no, my dear fellow, I don't think you_can help me . there_is no prospect of danger, or I should_not dream of stirring out without you .I trust that when I_see you in_the evening i_will_be_able to report that I_have_been_able to_do something for_this unfortunate youngster who has thrown himself upon my protection ."

it_was late when my friend returned, and I could_see by a glance at his haggard and anxious face that_the high hopes with_which he had started had_not_been fulfilled . for an hour he droned away upon his violin, endeavouring to soothe his own ruffled spirits . at last he flung down the instrument and plunged into a detailed account of_his misadventures .

" it's all going wrong, Watson -- all as wrong as it can go .I kept a bold face before Lestrade, but, upon my soul, I believe that for once the fellow is on_the right track and we_are on_the wrong . all my instincts are one_way and all the facts are the other, and I much fear that British juries have_not_yet attained that pitch of intelligence when they_will give the preference to my theories over Lestrade's facts ."

" did you go to Blackheath ? "

" yes, Watson, I went there, and I_found very quickly that_the late lamented Oldacre was a pretty considerable black- guard . the father was away in search of_his son . the mother was at home -- a little, fluffy, blue- eyed person, in a tremor of fear and indignation . of_course, she_would not admit even the possibility of_his guilt . but she_would not express either surprise or regret over the fate of Oldacre . on_the contrary, she spoke of him with_such bitterness that she was unconsciously considerably strengthening the case of_the police, for, of_course, if her son had heard her speak of_the man in_this fashion it would predispose him towards hatred and violence .` he_was more like a malignant and cunning ape than a human being,' said she, ` and he always was, ever_since he_was a young man .'

"` you_knew him at_that_time ? ' said I .

"` yes, I_knew him well; in_fact, he_was an old suitor of_mine . thank heaven that I had the sense to_turn away from_him and to marry a better, if a poorer, man . i_was engaged to him, Mr Holmes, when I heard ashocking story of how he had turned acat loose in an aviary, and i_was so horrified at his brutal cruelty that i_would_have nothing more to_do with_him .' she rummaged in a bureau, and presently she produced a photograph of a woman, shamefully defaced and mutilated with a knife .` that_is my own photograph,' she said .` he sent it to_me in_that state, with_his curse, upon my wedding morning .'

"` well,' said I, ` at_least he has forgiven you now, since he has left all his property to your son .'

"` neither my son nor i_want anything from Jonas Oldacre, dead or alive,' she cried, with a proper spirit .` there_is a god in heaven, Mr Holmes, and_that same god who has punished that wicked man will show in_his own good_time that my son's hands are guiltless of_his blood .'

" well, I tried one_or_two leads, but could get at nothing which would help our hypothesis, and several points which would make against it . I_gave it up at last and off I went to Norwood .

" this place, deep Dene house, is a big modern villa of staring brick, standing back in its own grounds, with a laurel-clumped lawn in front of it . to_the right and some distance back from_the road was_the timber- yard which had_been the scene of_the fire . here's a rough plan on a leaf of_my note- book . this window on_the left is_the one which opens into Oldacre's room . you_can look into_it from_the road, you_see . that_is about_the only bit of

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