No. 7 The Adventure of the Thor Bridge by Arthur Conan Doyle
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upon - well, I_am here to_give it ."

" well, there_is just one point ."

" what_is it ? "

" what were the exact relations between you and miss Dunbar ? "

the gold king gave a violent start and half rose from_his chair . then his massive calm came back to him .

"I suppose you_are within your rights -- and maybe doing your duty -- in asking such a question, Mr Holmes ."

" we_will agree to suppose so," said Holmes .

" then I_can assure you that_our relations were entirely and always those of an employer towards a young lady whom he never conversed with, or ever saw, save when she was in_the company of_his children ."

Holmes rose from_his chair .

" I_am a rather busy man, Mr Gibson," said he, " and I_have no time or taste for aimless conversations . i_wish you goodmorning ."

our visitor had risen also, and_his great loose figure towered above Holmes . there_was an angry gleam from under those bristling brows and a tinge of colour in_the sallow cheeks .

" what the devil do_you_mean by_this, Mr Holmes ? do_you dismiss my case ? "

" well, Mr Gibson, at_least I dismiss you . i_should_have thought my words were plain ."

" plain enough, but what's at_the back of it ? Raising the price on me, or afraid to tackle it, or what ? I've a right to a plain answer ."

" well, perhaps you_have," said Holmes ."I'll give_you one . this_case is quite sufficiently complicated to start with without the further difficulty of false information ."

"Meaning that I lie ."

" well, i_was trying to express it as delicately as I_could, but if_you insist upon_the word i_will_not contradict you ."

I sprang to my feet, for_the expression upon_the millionaire's face was fiendish in its intensity, and he had raised his great knotted fist .Holmes smiled languidly and reached his hand out for_his pipe .

"Don't be noisy, Mr Gibson . I_find that after breakfast even the smallest argument is unsettling .I suggest_that a stroll in_the morning air and a little quiet thought will_be greatly to your advantage ."

with an effort the gold king mastered his fury . I_could_not but admire him, for by a supreme self- command he had turned in a minute from a hot flame of anger to a frigid and contemptuous indifference .

" well, it's your choice .I guess you_know how to run your own business . I_can't make you touch the case against your will . you've done yourself no good this_morning, Mr Holmes, for I_have broken stronger men than you . no man ever crossed me and was_the better for_it ."

" so_many have said so, and yet here I_am," said Holmes, smiling ." well, good- morning, Mr Gibson . you_have a good_deal yet to learn ."

our visitor made a noisy exit, but Holmes smoked in imperturbable silence with dreamy eyes fixed upon_the ceiling .

" any views, Watson ? " he asked at last .

" well, Holmes, I_must confess that when I consider that_this_is a man who_would certainly brush any obstacle from_his path, and when I remember that his wife may have_been an obstacle and an object of dislike, as_that man Bates plainly told us, it seems to_me --"

" exactly . and to_me also ."

" but what were his relations with_the governess, and how did you discover them ? "

" bluff, Watson, bluff ! when I considered the passionate, unconventional, unbusinesslike tone of_his letter and contrasted it with_his self- contained manner and appearance, it_was pretty clear that there_was some deep emotion which centred upon_the accused woman rather than upon_the victim . we've got to understand the exact relations of_those three people if_we_are to reach the truth . you saw the frontal attack which I_made upon him, and how imperturbably he received it . then I bluffed him by giving him the impression that i_was absolutely certain, when in reality i_was only extremely suspicious ."

" perhaps he_will come back ? "

" he_is sure to_come back . he_must come back . he_can't leave it where it_is .Ha ! isn't that a ring ? yes, there_is his footstep . well, Mr Gibson, i_was just saying to Dr .Watson that you were somewhat overdue ."

the gold king had reentered the room in a more chastened mood than he had left it . his wounded pride still showed in_his resentful eyes, but his common sense had shown him that he_must yield if he_would attain his end .

"I've been thinking it over, Mr Holmes, and I_feel that I_have_been hasty in taking your remarks amiss . you_are justified in getting down to_the facts, whatever they_may_be, and i_think the more of you for_it . I_can assure you, however, that_the relations between miss Dunbar and me don't really touch this_case ."

" that_is for_me to decide, is_it not ? "

" yes, I guess that_is so . you're like a surgeon who wants every symptom before he_can give his diagnosis ."

" exactly . that expresses it . and it_is only a patient who has an object in deceiving his surgeon who_would conceal the facts of_his case ."

" that_may_be so, but you_will admit, Mr Holmes, that most men would shy off a bit when_they are asked point- blank what their relations with a woman may_be -- if_there_is really some serious feeling in_the case .I guess most men have a little private reserve of_their own in some corner of_their souls where they don't welcome intruders . and you burst suddenly into_it . but the object excuses you, since it_was to_try and save her . well, the stakes are down and_the reserve open, and you_can explore where you_will . what_is it you_want ? "

" the truth ."

the gold king paused for a moment as one who marshals his thoughts . his grim, deep- lined face had become even sadder and more grave .

" I_can give it to_you in a very few words, Mr Holmes," said he at last ." there_are some things that_are painful as_well as difficult to_say, so I won't go deeper than is needful .I met my wife when i_was gold-hunting in Brazil .Maria pinto was_the daughter of a government official at Manaos, and she was very beautiful . i_was young and ardent in those days, but even now, as I look back with colder blood and a more critical eye, I_can_see that she was rare and wonderful in her beauty . it_was a deep rich nature, too, passionate, whole-hearted, tropical, ill- balanced, very different from_the American women whom I had known . well, to_make a long story short, I loved her and I married her . it_was only when_the romance had passed -- and it lingered for years -- that I realized that we had nothing -- absolutely nothing -- in common . my love faded . if hers had faded also it might_have_been easier . but you_know the wonderful way of women ! do what I_might, nothing could turn her from me . if I_have_been harsh to her, even brutal as some have said, it_has_been because I_knew that if I_could kill her love, or if_it turned to hate, it would_be easier for both of us . but nothing changed her . she adored me in those English woods as she had adored me twenty years_ago on_the banks of_the Amazon . do what I_might, she was as devoted as ever .

" then came miss grace Dunbar . she answered our advertisement and became governess to our two children . perhaps you_have seen her portrait in_the papers . the whole world has proclaimed that she also is a very beautiful woman . now, I make no pretence to_be more moral than my neighbours, and_I_will admit to_you that I_could_not live under the same roof with_such a woman and in daily contact with her without feeling a passionate regard for her . do_you blame me, Mr Holmes ? "

" I_do_not blame you for feeling it . i_should blame you if_you expressed it, since_this young lady was in a sense under your protection ."

" well, maybe so," said the millionaire, though for a moment the reproof had brought the old angry gleam into his eyes ."I'm not pretending to_be any better than I_am .I guess all my life I've been a man that reached out his hand for what he_wanted, and I never wanted anything more than_the love and possession of_that woman . i_told her so ."

"Oh, you_did, did you ? "

Holmes could look very formidable when he_was moved .

" I_said to her that if I_could marry her i_would, but that_it_was out of_my power . I_said that money was no object and_that all I_could do to_make her happy and comfortable would_be_done ."

" very generous, I_am_sure," said Holmes with a sneer .

" see here, Mr Holmes . I_came to_you on a question of evidence, not on a question of morals .I'm not asking for your criticism ."

" it_is only for_the young lady's sake that I touch your case at all," said Holmes sternly ."I don't know that anything she_is accused of is really worse than what you_have yourself admitted, that you_have tried to ruin adefenceless girl who was under your roof . some of you rich men have to_be taught that all the world cannot_be bribed into condoning your offences ."

to my surprise the gold king took the reproof with equanimity .

" that's how I_feel myself about_it now .I thank god that my plans did_not work out as I intended . she would_have none of it, and she wanted to leave the house instantly ."

" why did she not ? "

" well, in_the first place, others were dependent upon her, and it_was no light matter for her to let them all down by sacrificing her living . when I had sworn -- as I_did -- that she should never be molested ygain, she consented to remain . but there_was another reason . she knew the influence she had over me, and that_it_was stronger than any_other influence in_the_world . she wanted to use it for good ."

" how ? "

" well, she knew something of_my affairs . they_are large, Mr Holmes -- large beyond the belief of an ordinary man . I_can make or break -- and it_is usually break . it wasn't individuals only . it_was communities, cities, even nations . business is a hard game, and_the weak go to_the wall .I played the game for all it_was worth .I never squealed myself, and I never cared if_the other fellow squealed . but she saw it different .I guess she was right . she believed and said that a fortune for_one man that was more than he_needed should_not_be built on ten thousand ruined men who were left without the means of life . that was how she saw it, and I guess she_could see past the dollars to something that was more lasting . she found that I listened to what she said, and she believed she was serving the world by influencing my actions . so she stayed -- and then this came along ."

" can_you throw any light upon that ? "

the gold king paused for a minute or more, his head sunk in_his hands, lost in deep thought .

" it's very black against her . I_can't deny that . and women lead an inward life and may do things beyond the judgment of a man . at first i_was so rattled and taken aback that i_was ready to_think she had_been led away in some extraordinary fashion that was clean against her usual nature . one explanation came into my head . I_give it to_you, Mr Holmes, for what it_is worth . there_is no_doubt that my wife was bitterly jealous . there_is a soul- jealousy that_can_be as frantic as any body- jealousy, and though my wife had no cause -- and i_think she understood this -- for_the latter, she was aware that_this English girl exerted an influence upon my mind and my acts that she herself never had . it_was an influence for good, but that did_not mend the matter . she was crazy with hatred and_the heat of_the Amazon was always in her blood . she might_have planned to murder miss Dunbar -- or we_will say to threaten her with a gun and so frighten her into leaving us . then there might_have_been a scuffle and_the gun gone off and shot the woman who held it ."

" that possibility had already occurred to_me," said Holmes ." indeed, it_is_the only obvious alternative to deliberate murder ."

" but she utterly denies it ."

" well, that_is_not final -- is_it ? one can understand that a woman placed in so awful a position might hurry home still in her bewilderment holding the revolver . she might even throw it down among her clothes, hardly knowing what she was doing, and when it_was found she might try to lie her way out by a total denial, since all explanation was impossible . what_is against such a supposition ? "

" miss Dunbar herself ."

" well, perhaps ."

Holmes looked at his watch ." I_have no_doubt we_can get the necessary permits this_morning and reach Winchester by_the evening train . when I_have_seen this young lady it_is very possible that I_may_be of more use to_you in_the matter, though I_cannot promise that my conclusions will necessarily be such as you_desire ."

there_was some delay in_the official pass, and instead of reaching Winchester that day we went down to Thor place, the Hampshire estate of Mr Neil Gibson . he_did_not accompany us himself, but we had the address of sergeant Coventry, of_the local police, who had first examined into_the affair . he_was a tall, thin, cadaverous man, with a secretive and mysterious manner which conveyed the idea that he_knew or suspected a very great deal more than he dared say . he had a

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