No. 5 The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire by Arthur Conan Doyle
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have_not_been long with_us . one stablehand, Michael, who sleeps in_the house . my wife, myself, my boy jack, baby, Dolores, and Mrs mason . that_is all ."

"I gather that you_did_not know your wife well at_the_time of your marriage ? "

"I had only known her a few weeks ."

" how long had this maid Dolores been with her ? "

" some_years ."

" then your wife's character would really be better known by Dolores than by_you ? "

" yes, you_may say so ."

Holmes made a note .

"I fancy," said he, " that I_may_be of more use at Lamberley than here . it_is eminently a case for personal investigation . if_the lady remains in her room, our presence could_not annoy or inconvenience her . of_course, we_would stay at_the inn ."

Ferguson gave a gesture of relief .

" it_is what I hoped, Mr Holmes . there_is an excellent train at two from Victoria if_you_could come ."

" of_course we_could come . there_is a lull at present . I_can give_you my undivided energies .Watson, of_course, comes with_us . but there_are one_or_two points upon_which i_wish to_be very sure before I start . this unhappy lady, as I understand it, has appeared to assault both the children, her own baby and your little son ? "

" that_is so ."

" but the assaults take different forms, do they not ? she has beaten your son ."

" once with a stick and once very savagely with her hands ."

" did she give no explanation why she struck him ? "

" none save that she hated him . again and again she said so ."

" well, that_is_not unknown among stepmothers .a posthumous jealousy, we_will say . is_the lady jealous by nature ? "

" yes, she_is very jealous -- jealous with all the strength of her fiery tropical love ."

" but the boy -- he_is fifteen, I understand, and probably very developed in mind, since his body has_been circumscribed in action . did he give_you no explanation of_these assaults ? "

" no, he declared there_was no reason ."

" were they good friends at other times ? "

" no, there_was never any love between_them ."

" yet you say he_is affectionate ? "

" never in_the_world could there be so devoted a son . my life is his life . he_is absorbed in what I_say or do ."

once again Holmes made a note . for some_time he sat lost in thought .

" no_doubt you and_the boy were great comrades before this second marriage . you were thrown very close together, were you not ? "

" very_much so ."

" and_the boy, having so affectionate a nature, was devoted, no_doubt, to_the memory of_his mother ? "

" most devoted ."

" he_would certainly seem_to_be a most interesting lad . there_is one other point about these assaults . were the strange attacks upon_the baby and_the assaults upon yow son at_the same period ? "

" in_the first case it_was so . it_was as_if some frenzy had seized her, and she had vented her rage upon both . in_the second case it_was only jack who suffered .Mrs mason had no complaint to_make about_the baby ."

" that certainly complicates matters ."

"I don't quite follow you, Mr Holmes ."

" possibly not . one forms provisional theories and waits for time or fuller knowledge to explode them .a bad habit, Mr Ferguson, but human nature is weak . I_fear that your old friend here has_given an exaggerated view of_my scientific methods . however, i_will only say at_the present stage that your problem does_not appear to_me to_be insoluble, and_that you_may expect to_find us at Victoria at two o'clock ."

it_was evening of a dull, foggy November day when, having left our bags at_the Chequers, Lamberley, we drove through_the Sussex clay of a long winding lane and finally reached the isolated and ancient farmhouse in_which Ferguson dwelt . it_was a large, straggling building, very old in_the centre, very new at_the wings with towering Tudor chimneys and a lichen- spotted, high- pitched roof of Horsham slabs . the doorsteps were worn into curves, and_the ancient tiles which lined the porch were marked with_the rebus of a cheese and a man after_the original builder . within, the ceilings were corrugated with heavy oaken beams, and_the uneven floors sagged into sharp curves . an odour of age and decay pervaded the whole crumbling building .

there_was one very large central room into which Ferguson led us . here, in a huge old- fashioned fireplace with an iron screen behind it dated 1670, there blazed and spluttered a splendid log fire .

the room, as I gazed round, was a most singular mixture of dates and of places . the half-panelled walls may well have belonged to_the original yeoman farmer of_the seventeenth century . they were ornamented, however, on_the lower part by a line of well- chosen modern water-colours; while above, where yellow plaster took the place of oak, there_was hung a fine collection of south American utensils and weapons, which had_been brought, no_doubt, by_the Peruvian lady upstairs .Holmes rose, with_that quick curiosity which sprang from_his eager mind, and examined them with some care . he returned with_his eyes full of thought .

"Hullo ! " he cried ."Hullo ! "

a spaniel had lain in a basket in_the corner . it came slowly forward towards its master, walking with difficulty . its hind legs moved irregularly and its tail was on_the ground . it licked Ferguson's hand .

" what_is it, Mr Holmes ? "

" the dog . what's the matter with it ? "

" that's what puzzled the vet .a sort of paralysis . spinal meningitis, he thought . but it_is passing . he'll be all right soon -- won't you, Carlo ? "

a shiver of assent passed through_the drooping tail . the dog's mournful eyes passed from one of us to_the other . he_knew that we were discussing his case .

" did it come on suddenly ? "

" in a single night ."

" how long_ago ? "

" it may have_been four months_ago ."

" very remarkable . very suggestive ."

" what do you_see in_it, Mr Holmes ? "

"A confirmation of what I had already thought ."

" for god's sake, what do_you_think, Mr Holmes ? it may_be amere intellectual puzzle to_you, but it_is life and death to_me ! my wife a would- be murderer -- my child in constant danger ! Don't play with me, Mr Holmes . it_is too terribly serious ."

the big Rugby three- quarter was trembling all over .Holmes put his hand soothingly upon his arm .

" I_fear that_there_is pain for_you, Mr Ferguson, whatever the solution may_be," said he ." i_would spare you all I_can .I cannot_say more for_the instant, but before I leave this house I_hope I_may_have something definite ."

" please god you_may ! if_you_will excuse me, gentlemen, i_will go up_to my wife's room and_see if there_has_been any change ."

he_was away some minutes, during which Holmes resumed his examination of_the curiosities upon_the wall . when our host returned it_was clear from_his downcast face that he had made no progress . he brought with_him a tall, slim, brown- faced girl .

" the tea is ready, Dolores," said Ferguson ." see that your mistress has everything she_can wish ."

" she verra ill," cried the girl, looking with indignant eyes at her master ." she no ask for food . she verra ill . she need doctor .I frightened stay alone with her without doctor ."

Ferguson looked at me with a question in_his eyes .

" i_should_be so glad if I_could_be of use ."

" would your mistress see Dr .Watson ? "

"I take him .I no ask leave . she needs doctor ."

" then I'll come with_you at once ."

I followed the girl, who was quivering with strong emotion, up the staircase and down an ancient corridor . at_the end was an iron-clamped and massive door . it struck me as I looked at it that if Ferguson tried to force his way to_his wife he_would find it no easy matter . the girl drew a key from her pocket, and_the heavy oaken planks creaked upon their old hinges .I passed in and she swiftly followed, fastening the door behind her .

on_the bed a woman was lying who was clearly in a high fever . she was only half conscious, but as I entered she raised a pair of frightened but beautiful eyes and glared at me in apprehension .Seeing a stranger, she appeared to_be relieved and sank back with a sigh upon_the pillow .I stepped up_to her with a few reassuring words, and she lay still while i_took her pulse and temperature . both were high, and yet my impression was_that the condition was rather that of mental and nervous excitement than of any actual seizure .

" she lie like that one day, two day .I 'fraid she die," said the girl .

the woman turned her flushed and handsome face towards me .

" where is my husband ? "

" he_is below and would wish to_see you ."

" i_will_not see him . i_will_not see him ." then she seemed to wander off into delirium ."A fiend ! a fiend ! Oh, what shall I_do with_this devil ? "

" can I help_you in any_way ? "

" no . no one can help . it_is finished . all is destroyed . do what i_will, all is destroyed ."

the woman must_have some strange delusion .I could_not_see honest Bob Ferguson in_the character of fiend or devil .

"Madame," I_said, " your husband loves you dearly . he_is deeply grieved at_this happening ."

again she turned on me those glorious eyes .

" he loves me . yes . but do I not love him ? do I not love him even to sacrifice myself rather than break his dear heart ? that_is how I love him . and yet he_could think of me -- he_could speak of me so ."

" he_is full of grief, but he_cannot understand ."

" no, he_cannot understand . but he_should trust ."

" will_you not see him ? " I suggested .

" no, no, I_cannot forget those terrible words nor the look upon his face . i_will_not see him . go now . you_can do nothing for_me . tell him only one_thing . i_want my child . I_have a right to my child . that_is_the only message I_can send_him ." she turned her face to_the wall and would say no more .

I returned to_the room downstairs, where Ferguson and Holmes still sat by_the fire . Ferguson listened moodily to my account of_the interview .

" how can I send her the child ? " he_said ." how do I_know what strange impulse might come upon her ? how can I ever forget how she rose from beside it with its blood upon her lips ? " he shuddered at_the recollection ." the child is safe with Mrs mason, and there he_must remain ."

a smart maid, the only modern thing which we had seen in_the house, had brought in some tea . as she was serving it the door opened and a youth entered the room . he_was a remarkable lad, pale- faced and fair-haired, with excitable light blue eyes which blazed into a sudden flame of emotion and joy as_they rested upon his father . he rushed forward and threw his arms round his neck with_the abandon of aloving girl .

"Oh, daddy," he cried, " I_did_not know that you were due yet .I should_have_been here to meet you .Oh, I_am so glad_to_see you ! "

Ferguson gently disengaged himself from_the embrace with some little show of embarrassment .

" dear old chap," said he, patting the flaxen head with a very tender hand ." I_came early because my friends, Mr Holmes and Dr .Watson, have_been persuaded to_come down and spend an evening with_us ."

" is_that Mr Holmes, the detective ? "

" yes ."

the youth looked at us with a very penetrating and, as it seemed to_me, unfriendly gaze .

" what about_your other child, Mr Ferguson ? " asked Holmes ." might we make_the acquaintance of_the baby ? "

" ask Mrs mason to bring baby down," said Ferguson . the boy went off with a curious, shambling gait which told my surgical eyes that he_was suffering from a weak spine . presently he returned, and behind him came a tall, gaunt woman bearing in her arms a very beautiful child, dark- eyed, golden-haired, a wonderful mixture of_the Saxon and_the Latin . Ferguson was evidently devoted to_it, for he_took it into his arms and fondled it most tenderly .

" fancy anyone having the heart to hurt him," he muttered as he glanced down at_the small, angry red pucker upon_the cherub throat .

it_was at_this moment that I chanced to glance at Holmes and saw a most singular intentness in_his expression . his face was as set as_if it had_been carved out of old ivory, and_his eyes, which had glanced for a moment at father and child, were now fixed with eager curiosity upon something at_the other side of_the room .Following his gaze I_could only guess that he_was looking out through_the window at_the melancholy, dripping garden . it_is true that a shutter had half closed outside and obstructed the view, but none the less it_was certainly at_the window that Holmes was fixing his concentrated attention . then he smiled, and_his eyes came back to_the baby . on its chubby neck there_was this small puckered mark . without speaking, Holmes examined it with care . finally he shook one_of_the dimpled fists which waved in front of him .

" good-bye, little man . you have_made a strange

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