" ," our visitor gasped, shooting out short sentences like man out of breath " Mr Gibson is coming Mr Gibson is my employer manager estate Mr Holmes, villain -- an infernal villain "

"Strong language, Mr Bates "

" emphatic, Mr Holmes, is so limited have him find me here world almost due now But so situated that come earlier His secretary, Mr Ferguson, only told me appointment "

"And his manager ? "

" him notice In couple of weeks shaken off his accursed slavery hard man, Mr Holmes, hard to all about him Those public charities are screen his private iniquities But his wife was his chief victim brutal to her -- yes, sir, brutal ! How she came by her death know, but that he had made her life misery to her She was creature tropics, Brazilian by birth, as "

"No, it had escaped me "

"Tropical by birth and tropical by nature child sun and of passion She had loved him as such women can love, but when her own physical charms had faded -- told once were great -- nothing to hold him We all liked her and felt for her and hated him way that he treated her But plausible and cunning all Don't take him at his face value more behind Now I'll go No, no, don't detain me ! almost due "

With frightened look clock our strange visitor literally ran door and disappeared

"Well ! Well ! " said Holmes after an interval of silence " Mr Gibson seems nice loyal household But the warning is useful one, and now only wait till the man himself appears "

Sharp hour we heard heavy step stairs, famous millionaire was shown room As I looked upon him I understood the fears and dislike manager but also the execrations which business rivals have heaped upon his head If I were sculptor and desired to idealize the successful man of affairs, iron of nerve and leathery of conscience, choose Mr Neil Gibson as my model His tall, gaunt, craggy figure had suggestion of hunger and rapacity An Abraham Lincoln keyed to base uses instead of high ones would give some idea man His face chiselled in granite, hard-set, craggy, remorseless, with deep lines upon it, the scars of many crisis Cold gray eyes, looking shrewdly out from under bristling brows, surveyed us each in turn He bowed in perfunctory fashion as Holmes mentioned my name, and then with masterful air of possession he drew chair my companion and seated himself bony knees almost touching him

"Let me say right here, Mr Holmes," he began, "that money is nothing in burn it 's any use in lighting you truth This woman is innocent and this woman be cleared, and it's up Name your figure ! "

"My professional charges are upon fixed scale," said Holmes coldly " vary them, save when I remit them altogether "

"Well, if dollars make no difference , think reputation pull this off every paper in England and America booming you You'll be the talk of two continents "

" , Mr Gibson, that in need of booming It may surprise you that I prefer to work anonymously, and the problem itself which attracts me But wasting time get down facts "

" that all the main ones press reports I don't know that add anything which will But anything wish more light upon -well, here it "

"Well, just one point "

" it ? "

"What were the exact relations between you and Miss Dunbar ? "

The Gold King gave violent start and half rose chair Then his massive calm came back to him

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

" agree to suppose so," said Holmes

"Then assure you relations were entirely and always those of an employer towards young lady whom he never conversed with, or ever saw, save when she was company children "

Holmes rose chair

" rather busy man, Mr Gibson," said he, "and no time or taste for aimless conversations you goodmorning "

Our visitor had risen also, great loose figure towered above Holmes an angry gleam from under those bristling brows and tinge of colour sallow cheeks

"What the devil , Mr Holmes ? dismiss my case ? "

"Well, Mr Gibson, I dismiss you thought my words were plain "

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

"Well, perhaps ," said Holmes "I'll one is quite sufficiently complicated to start with without the further difficulty of false information "

"Meaning that I lie "

"Well, trying to express it as delicately as , but insist word contradict you "

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

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

With an effort the Gold King mastered his fury but admire him, for by supreme self-command he had turned in minute from hot flame of anger to frigid and contemptuous indifference

"Well, it's your choice I guess how to run your own business 't make you touch the case against your will You've done yourself no good , Mr Holmes, for broken stronger men than you No man ever crossed me and better "

" have said so, and yet here ," said Holmes, smiling "Well, good-morning, Mr Gibson yet to learn "

Our visitor made noisy exit, but Holmes smoked in imperturbable silence with dreamy eyes fixed ceiling

"Any views, Watson ? " he asked at last

"Well, Holmes, confess that when I consider man certainly brush any obstacle path, and when I remember that his wife may an obstacle and an object of dislike, man Bates plainly told us, it seems --"

"Exactly And also "

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

"Bluff, Watson, bluff ! When I considered the passionate, unconventional, unbusinesslike tone letter and contrasted it self-contained manner and appearance, pretty clear that some deep emotion which centred accused woman rather than victim We've got to understand the exact relations three people to reach the truth You saw the frontal attack which upon him, and how imperturbably he received it Then I bluffed him by giving him the impression that absolutely certain, when in reality only extremely suspicious "

"Perhaps come back ? "

" sure back come back 't leave it where Ha ! isn't that ring ? Yes, his footstep Well, Mr Gibson, just saying to Dr Watson that you were somewhat overdue "

The Gold King had reentered the room in more chastened mood than he had left it His wounded pride still showed resentful eyes, but his common sense had shown him that yield if attain his end