The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge* by Arthur Conan Doyle
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the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes the adventure of wisteria lodge Arthur Conan Doyle

1908

1 . the singular experience of Mr John Scott Eccles

I_find it recorded in my notebook that_it_was a bleak and windy day, towards the end of march in_the year 1892 .Holmes had received a telegram while we sat at our lunch, and he had scribbled a reply . he_made no remark, but the matter remained in_his thoughts, for he stood in front of_the fire afterwards with a thoughtful face, smoking his pipe, and casting an occasional glance at_the message . suddenly he turned upon me with a mischievous twinkle in_his eyes .

"I suppose, Watson, we_must look upon you as a man of letters," said he ." how do_you define the word ' grotesque' ? "

" strange- remarkable," I suggested .

he shook his head at my definition .

" there_is surely something more than that," said he; " some underlying suggestion of_the tragic and_the terrible . if_you cast your mind back to some_of_those narratives with_which you_have afflicted a long-suffering public, you_will recognize how often the grotesque has deepened into_the criminal . think of_that little affair of_the red- headed men . that was grotesque enough in_the outset and yet it ended in a desperate attempt at robbery . or, again, there_was that most grotesque affair of_the five orange pips, which led straight to a murderous conspiracy . the word puts me on_the alert ."

" have_you it there ? " I asked .

he read the telegram aloud .

" have just had most incredible and grotesque experience . may I consult you ? "

"SCOTT ECCLES,

" post- office, Charing cross ."

" man or woman ? " I asked .

"Oh, man, of_course . no woman would ever send a reply- paid telegram . she would_have come ."

" will_you see him ? "

" my dear Watson, you_know how bored I_have_been since we locked up colonel Carruthers . my mind is like aracing engine, tearing itself to pieces because it_is_not connected up with_the work for_which it_was built . life is commonplace; the papers are sterile; audacity and romance seem to_have passed forever from_the criminal world . can_you ask me, then, whether I_am ready to look into any new problem, however trivial it may prove ? but here, unless I_am mistaken, is our client ."

a measured step was heard upon_the stairs, and a moment later a stout, tall, gray- whiskered and solemnly respectable person was ushered into_the room . his life history was written in_his heavy features and pompous manner . from_his spats to_his gold-rimmed spectacles he_was a conservative, a churchman, a good citizen, orthodox and conventional to_the last degree . but some amazing experience had disturbed his native composure and left its traces in_his bristling hair, his flushed, angry cheeks, and_his flurried, excited manner . he plunged instantly into his business .

" I_have_had a most singular and unpleasant experience, Mr Holmes," said he ." never in my life have I been placed in_such a situation . it_is most improper- most outrageous . I_must insist upon some explanation ." he swelled and puffed in_his anger .

" pray sit down, Mr Scott Eccles," said Holmes in asoothing voice ." may I ask, in_the first place, why you came to_me at all ? "

" well, sir, it did_not appear to_be a matter which concerned the police, and yet, when_you have heard the facts, you_must admit that I_could_not leave it where it_was . private detectives are a class with_whom I_have absolutely no sympathy, but none the less, having heard your_name-"

" quite so . but, in_the second place, why did you not come at once ? "

" what do_you_mean ? "

Holmes glanced at his watch .

" it_is a quarter- past two," he_said ." your telegram was dispatched about one . but no one can glance at your toilet and attire without seeing that your disturbance dates from_the moment of your waking ."

our client smoothed down his unbrushed hair and felt his unshaven chin .

" you_are right, Mr Holmes .I never gave a thought to my toilet . i_was only too glad to_get out of_such a house . but I_have_been running round making inquiries before I_came to_you .I went to_the house agents, you_know, and_they said that Mr Garcia's rent was paid up all right and_that everything was in_order at wisteria lodge ."

" come, come, sir," said Holmes, laughing ." you_are like my friend, Dr .Watson, who has a bad habit of telling his stories wrong end foremost . please arrange your thoughts and let me know, in their due sequence, exactly what those events are which_have sent you out unbrushed and unkempt, with dress boots and waistcoat buttoned awry, in search of advice and assistance ."

our client looked down with a rueful face at his own unconventional appearance .

"I'm sure it must look very bad, Mr Holmes, and I_am not aware that in my whole life such a thing has ever happened before . but i_will tell you the whole queer business, and when I_have_done so you_will admit I_am_sure, that there_has_been enough to excuse me ."

but his narrative was nipped in_the bud . there_was a bustle outside, and Mrs Hudson opened the door to usher in two robust and official- looking individuals, one of whom was well known to_us as inspector Gregson of Scotland yard, an energetic, gallant and, within his limitations, a capable officer . he shook hands with Holmes and introduced his comrade as inspector Baynes, of_the surrey constabulary .

" we_are hunting together, Mr Holmes, and_our trail lay in_this direction ." he turned his bulldog eyes upon our visitor ." are_you Mr John Scott Eccles, of Popham house, Lee ? "

" I_am ."

" we_have_been following you about all the morning ." " you traced him through_the telegram, no_doubt," said Holmes .

exactly, Mr Holmes . we picked up the scent at Charing cross post- office and came on here ."

" but why do_you follow me ? what do_you_want ? "

" we_wish a statement, Mr Scott Eccles, as_to_the events which led up_to_the death last night of Mr Aloysius Garcia, of wisteria lodge, near Esher ."

our client had sat up with staring eyes and every tinge of colour struck from_his astonished face .

" dead ? did you say he_was dead ? "

" yes, sir, he_is dead ."

" but how ? an accident ? "

" murder, if ever there_was one upon earth ."

" good god ! this_is awful ! you don't mean- you don't mean that I_am suspected ? "

"A letter of yours was found in_the dead man's pocket, and we_know by_it that you had planned to_pass last night at his house ."

" so I_did ."

"Oh, you_did, did you ? "

out came the official notebook .

" wait a bit Gregson," said Sherlock Holmes ." all you_desire is a plain statement is_it not ? "

" and it_is my duty to warn Mr Scott Eccles that_it may_be used against him ."

" Mr Eccles was going to_tell us about_it when_you entered the room . i_think, Watson, a brandy and soda would do him no harm . now, sir, I suggest_that you take no notice of_this addition to your audience, and_that you proceed with your narrative exactly as_you_would_have done had you never been interrupted ."

our visitor had gulped off the brandy and_the colour had returned to_his face . with a dubious glance at_the inspector's notebook, he plunged at once into his extraordinary statement .

" I_am a bachelor," said he, " and being of a sociable turn I cultivate a large number of friends . among_these are the family of a retired brewer called Melville, living at Albemarle mansion, Kensington . it_was at his table that I met some weeks_ago a young fellow named Garcia . he_was, I understood, of Spanish descent and connected in some way with_the embassy . he spoke perfect English, was pleasing in_his manners, and as good- looking a man as ever I_saw in my life .

" in some way we struck up quite a friendship, this young fellow and I . he_seemed to_take a fancy to_me from_the first, and within two days of_our meeting he_came to_see me at Lee . one_thing led to another, and it ended in_his inviting me out to_spend a few_days at his house, wisteria lodge, between Esher and Oxshott . yesterday evening I went to Esher to fulfil this engagement .

" he had described his household to_me before I went there . he lived with a faithful servant, a countryman of_his own, who looked after all his needs . this fellow could speak English and did his housekeeping for him . then there_was a wonderful cook, he_said, a half- breed whom he had picked up in_his travels, who_could serve an excellent dinner .I remember that he remarked what a queer household it_was to_find in_the heart of surrey, and_that I agreed with_him, though it has proved a good_deal queerer than i_thought .

"I drove to_the place- about two miles on_the south side of Esher . the house was a fair- sized one, standing back from_the road, with acurving drive which_was banked with high evergreen shrubs . it_was an old, tumble- down building in a crazy state of disrepair . when_the trap pulled up on_the grass- grown drive in front of_the blotched and weather- stained door, I had doubts as_to my wisdom in visiting a man whom I_knew so slightly . he opened the door himself, however, and greeted me with a great show of cordiality . i_was handed over to_the manservant a melancholy, swarthy individual, who led the way, my bag in_his hand, to my bedroom . the whole place was depressing . our dinner was tete-a-tete, and though my host did his best to_be entertaining, his thoughts seemed to continually wander, and he talked so vaguely and wildly that I_could hardly understand him . he continually drummed his fingers on_the table, gnawed his nails, and gave other signs of nervous impatience . the dinner itself was neither well served nor well cooked, and_the gloomy presence of_the taciturn servant did_not help to enliven us . I_can assure you that many_times in_the course of_the evening I wished that I_could invent some excuse which would take me back to Lee .

" one_thing comes back to my memory which_may have abearing upon_the business that you two gentlemen are investigating . i_thought nothing of it at_the_time . near the end of dinner a note was handed in by_the servant .I noticed that after my host had read it he_seemed even more distrait and strange than before . he_gave up all pretence at conversation and sat smoking endless cigarettes, lost in_his own thoughts, but he_made no remark as_to_the contents . about eleven i_was glad to_go to bed . some_time later Garcia looked in at my door- the room was dark at_the_time- and asked me if I had rung . I_said that I had_not . he apologized for having disturbed me so late, saying that_it_was nearly one o'clock .I dropped off after_this and slept soundly all night .

" and now I come to_the amazing part of_my tale . when I woke it_was broad daylight .I glanced at my watch, and_the time was nearly nine .I had particularly asked to_be called at eight, so i_was very_much astonished at_this forgetfulness .I sprang up and rang for_the servant . there_was no response .I rang again and again, with_the same result . then I_came to_the conclusion that_the bell was out of order .I huddled on my clothes and hurried downstairs in an exceedingly bad temper to order some hot water . you_can imagine my surprise when I_found that there_was no one there .I shouted in_the hall . there_was no answer . then I ran from room to room . all were deserted . my host had shown me which_was his bedroom the night before, so I knocked at_the door . no reply .I turned the handle and walked in . the room was empty, and_the bed had never been slept in . he had gone with_the rest . the foreign host, the foreign footman, the foreign cook, all had vanished in_the night ! that was_the end of_my visit to wisteria lodge ."

Sherlock Holmes was rubbing his hands and chuckling as he added this bizarre incident to_his collection of strange episodes .

" your experience is, so_far as I_know, perfectly unique ! " said he ." may I ask, sir, what you_did then ? "

" i_was furious . my first idea was_that I had_been the victim of some absurd practical joke .I packed my things, banged the hall door behind me, and set off for Esher, with my bag in my hand .I called at Allan Brothers', the chief land agents in_the village, and found that_it_was from_this firm that_the villa had_been rented . it struck me that_the whole proceeding could hardly be for_the_purpose of making a fool of me, and_that the main object must_be to_get out_of_the rent . it_is late in march, so quarter- day is at hand . but this theory would_not work . the agent was obliged to_me for_my warning, but told me that_the rent had_been paid in advance . then I_made my way to town and called at_the Spanish embassy . the man was unknown there . after_this I went to_see Melville, at whose house I had first met Garcia, but I_found that he really knew rather less about him than I_did . finally when I got your reply to my wire I_came out to_you, since I gather that you_are a person who gives advice in difficult cases . but now, Mr inspector, I understand, from what you said when_you entered the room, that you_can carry the story on, and_that some tragedy has occurred . I_can assure you that every word I_have said is_the truth, and_that outside of what I_have told you, I_know absolutely nothing about_the fate of_this man . my

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