A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
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then, turning to_me, ` i_will tell you all, sir . do_not imagine that my agitation on_behalf of_my son arises from any fear lest he_should_have had a hand in_this terrible affair . he_is utterly innocent of it . my dread is, however, that in your eyes and in_the eyes of others he_may appear to_be compromised . that however is surely impossible . his high character, his profession, his antecedents would all forbid it .'

"` your best way is to_make a clean breast of_the facts,' I answered .` depend upon it, if your son is innocent he_will_be none the worse .'

"` perhaps, Alice, you had better leave us together,' she said, and her daughter withdrew .` now, sir,' she continued, `I had no intention of telling you all this, but since my poor daughter has disclosed it I_have no alternative .Having once decided to_speak, i_will tell you all without omitting any particular .'

"` it_is your wisest course,' said I .

"` Mr Drebber has_been with_us nearly three weeks . he and_his secretary, Mr Stangerson, had_been travelling on_the continent .I noticed a" Copenhagen" label upon each of_their trunks, showing that that had_been their last stopping place .Stangerson was a quiet reserved man, but his employer, I_am sorry to_say, was far otherwise . he_was coarse in_his habits and brutish in_his ways . the very night of_his arrival he became very_much the worse for drink, and, indeed, after twelve o'clock in_the day he_could hardly ever be said to_be sober . his manners towards the maid-servants were disgustingly free and familiar . worst of all, he speedily assumed the same attitude towards my daughter, Alice, and spoke to her more than once in a way which, fortunately, she_is too innocent to understand . on one occasion he actually seized her in_his arms and embraced her -- an outrage which caused his own secretary to reproach him for_his unmanly conduct .'

"` but why did you stand all this,' I asked .`I suppose that you_can_get rid of your boarders when_you wish .'

" Mrs Charpentier blushed at my pertinent question .` would to god that I had given him notice on_the very day that he_came,' she said .` but it_was a sore temptation . they were paying a pound a day each -- fourteen pounds a week, and this_is_the slack season . I_am a widow, and my boy in_the navy has cost me much .I grudged to lose the money .I acted for_the best . this last was too_much, however, and I_gave him notice to leave on account of it . that was_the reason of_his going .'

"` well ? '

"` my heart grew light when I_saw him drive away . my son is on leave just now, but I_did_not tell him anything of all this, for_his temper is violent, and he_is passionately fond of_his sister . when I closed the door behind them a load seemed to_be lifted from my mind . alas, in less_than an hour there_was a ring at_the bell, and I learned that Mr Drebber had returned . he_was much excited, and evidently the worse for drink . he forced his way into_the room, where i_was sitting with my daughter, and made some incoherent remark about having missed his train . he then turned to Alice, and before my very face, proposed to her that she should fly with_him ." you_are of age," he_said, " and there_is no law to stop you . I_have money enough and to spare . never mind the old girl here, but come along with me now straight away . you shall live like a princess ." poor Alice was so frightened that she shrunk away from_him, but he caught her by_the wrist and endeavoured to draw her towards the door .I screamed, and at_that moment my son Arthur came into_the room . what happened then I_do_not know .I heard oaths and_the confused sounds of a scuffle . i_was too terrified to raise my head . when I_did look up I_saw Arthur standing in_the doorway laughing, with a stick in_his hand ."I don't think that fine fellow will trouble us again," he_said ." i_will just go after him and_see what he_does with himself ." with those words he_took his hat and started off down the street . the next morning we heard of Mr Drebber's mysterious death .'

" this statement came from Mrs Charpentier's lips with many gasps and pauses . at times she spoke so low that I_could hardly catch the words . I_made shorthand notes of all that she said, however, so_that there should_be no possibility of a mistake ."

" it's quite exciting," said Sherlock Holmes, with a yawn ." what happened next ? "

" when Mrs Charpentier paused," the detective continued, " I_saw that_the whole case hung upon one point .Fixing her with my eye in a way which I always found effective with women, I asked her at what hour her son returned .

"` I_do_not know,' she answered .

"` not know ? '

"` no; he has a latch- key, and he let himself in .'

"` after you went to bed ? '

"` yes .'

"` when did you go to bed ? '

"` about eleven .'

"` so your son was gone at_least two hours ? '

"` yes .'

"` possibly four or five ? '

"` yes .'

"` what_was he doing during that_time ? '

"` I_do_not know,' she answered, turning white to her very lips .

" of_course after_that there_was nothing more to_be_done . I_found out where lieutenant Charpentier was, took two officers with me, and arrested him . when I touched him on_the shoulder and warned him to_come quietly with_us, he answered us as bold as brass, `I suppose you_are arresting me for being concerned in_the death of_that scoundrel Drebber,' he_said . we had said nothing to him about_it, so_that his alluding to_it had a most suspicious aspect ."

" very," said Holmes .

" he still carried the heavy stick which the mother described him as having with_him when he followed Drebber . it_was a stout oak cudgel ."

" what_is your theory, then ? "

" well, my theory is_that he followed Drebber as far as_the Brixton road . when there, a fresh altercation arose between_them, in_the course of_which Drebber received a blow from_the stick, in_the pit of_the stomach, perhaps, which killed him without leaving any mark . the night was so wet that no one was about, so Charpentier dragged the body of_his victim into_the empty house . as_to_the candle, and_the blood, and_the writing on_the wall, and_the ring, they_may all be so_many tricks to throw the police on to_the wrong scent ."

" well done ! " said Holmes in an encouraging voice ." really, Gregson, you_are getting along . we_shall make something of you yet ."

"I flatter myself that I_have managed it rather neatly," the detective answered proudly ." the young man volunteered a statement, in_which he_said that after following Drebber some_time, the latter perceived him, and took a cab in_order to_get away from_him . on_his way home he met an old shipmate, and took a long walk with_him . on being asked where this old shipmate lived, he_was unable to_give any satisfactory reply . i_think the whole case fits together uncommonly well . what amuses me is to_think of Lestrade, who had started off upon_the wrong scent . I_am afraid he won't make much of {15} why, by Jove, here's the very man himself ! "

it_was indeed Lestrade, who had ascended the stairs while we were talking, and who now entered the room . the assurance and jauntiness which generally marked his demeanour and dress were, however, wanting . his face was disturbed and troubled, while his clothes were disarranged and untidy . he had evidently come with_the intention of consulting with Sherlock Holmes, for on perceiving his colleague he appeared to_be embarrassed and put out . he stood in_the centre of_the room, fumbling nervously with_his hat and uncertain what to_do ." this_is a most extraordinary case," he_said at last -- "a most incomprehensible affair ."

"Ah, you find it so, Mr Lestrade ! " cried Gregson, triumphantly ." i_thought you_would come to_that conclusion . have_you managed to_find the secretary, Mr Joseph Stangerson ? "

" the secretary, Mr Joseph Stangerson," said Lestrade gravely, " was murdered at Halliday's private hotel about six o'clock this_morning ."

chapter VII .

light in_the darkness .

the intelligence with_which Lestrade greeted us was so momentous and so unexpected, that we were all three fairly dumfoundered .Gregson sprang out of_his chair and upset the remainder of_his whiskey and water .I stared in silence at Sherlock Holmes, whose lips were compressed and_his brows drawn down over his eyes .

"Stangerson too ! " he muttered ." the plot thickens ."

" it_was quite thick enough before," grumbled Lestrade, taking a chair ."I seem to_have dropped into a sort of council of war ."

" are_you -- are_you sure of_this piece of intelligence ? " stammered Gregson .

" I_have just come from_his room," said Lestrade ."I was_the first to discover what had occurred ."

" we_have_been hearing Gregson's view of_the matter," Holmes observed ." would you mind letting_us know what you_have seen and done ? "

" I_have no objection," Lestrade answered, seating himself ."I freely confess that i_was of_the opinion that Stangerson was concerned in_the death of Drebber . this fresh development has shown me that i_was completely mistaken . full of_the one idea, I set myself to_find out what had become of_the secretary . they had_been seen together at Euston station about half- past eight on_the evening of_the third . at two in_the morning Drebber had_been found in_the Brixton road . the question which confronted me was to_find out how Stangerson had_been employed between 8 .30 and_the time of_the crime, and what had become of him afterwards .I telegraphed to Liverpool, giving a description of_the man, and warning them to_keep a watch upon_the American boats .I then set to work calling upon all the hotels and lodging-houses in_the vicinity of Euston . you_see, I argued that if Drebber and_his companion had become separated, the natural course for_the latter would_be to_put up somewhere in_the vicinity for_the night, and then to hang about_the station again next morning ."

" they_would_be likely to agree on some meeting- place beforehand," remarked Holmes .

" so it proved .I spent the whole of yesterday evening in making enquiries entirely without avail . this_morning I began very early, and at eight o'clock I reached Halliday's private hotel, in little George street . on my enquiry as_to whether aMr Stangerson was living there, they at once answered me in_the affirmative .

"` no_doubt you_are the gentleman whom he_was expecting,' they said .` he has_been waiting for a gentleman for two days .'

"` where is he now ? ' I asked .

"` he_is upstairs in bed . he_wished to_be called at nine .'

"` i_will go up and_see him at once,' I_said .

" it seemed to_me that my sudden appearance might shake his nerves and lead him to_say something unguarded . the Boots volunteered to show me the room: it_was on_the second floor, and there_was a small corridor leading up to_it . the Boots pointed out the door to_me, and was about to_go downstairs again when I_saw something that made me feel sickish, in_spite of_my twenty years' experience . from under the door there curled a little red ribbon of blood, which had meandered across the passage and formed a little pool along the skirting at_the other side . I_gave a cry, which brought the Boots back . he nearly fainted when he_saw it . the door was locked on_the inside, but we put our shoulders to_it, and knocked it in . the window of_the room was open, and beside the window, all huddled up, lay the body of a man in_his nightdress . he_was quite dead, and had_been for some_time, for_his limbs were rigid and cold . when we turned him over, the Boots recognized him at once as being the same gentleman who had engaged the room under the name of Joseph Stangerson . the cause of death was a deep stab in_the left side, which_must have penetrated the heart . and now comes the strangest part of_the affair . what do_you suppose was above the murdered man ? "

I_felt acreeping of_the flesh, and a presentiment of coming horror, even before Sherlock Holmes answered .

" the word RACHE, written in letters of blood," he_said .

" that was_it," said Lestrade, in an awe- struck voice; and we were all silent for a while .

there_was something so methodical and so incomprehensible about_the deeds of_this unknown assassin, that_it imparted a fresh ghastliness to_his crimes . my nerves, which were steady enough on_the field of battle tingled as i_thought of it .

" the man was seen," continued Lestrade ."A milk boy, passing on_his way to_the dairy, happened to walk down the lane which leads from_the mews at_the back of_the hotel . he noticed that a ladder, which usually lay there, was raised against one_of_the windows of_the second floor, which_was wide open . after passing, he looked back and saw a man descend the ladder . he_came down so quietly and openly that_the boy imagined him to_be some carpenter or joiner at work in_the hotel . he_took no particular notice of him, beyond thinking in_his own mind that_it_was early for him to_be at work . he has an impression that_the man was tall, had a reddish face, and was dressed in a long, brownish coat . he_must_have stayed in_the room some little time after_the murder, for we_found blood- stained water in_the basin, where he had washed his hands, and marks on_the sheets where he had deliberately wiped his knife ."

I glanced at Holmes on hearing the description of_the murderer, which tallied so exactly with_his own . there_was, however, no trace of exultation or satisfaction upon his face .

" did you find nothing in_the room which could furnish aclue to_the murderer ? " he asked .

" nothing .Stangerson had Drebber's purse in_his pocket, but it seems that_this was usual, as he_did all the paying . there_was eighty odd pounds

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