The Return of Sherlock Holmes

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THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMESA Collection of Holmes Adventuresby Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

formorefreeEBooks,visit:http://esnips.com/web/ebooks4uCONTENTS:TheAdventureOfTheEmptyHouseTheAdventureOfTheNorwoodBuilder TheAdventureOfTheDancingMenTheAdventureOfTheSolitaryCyclistTheAdventureOfThePriorySchoolTheAdventureOfBlackPeter TheAdventureOfCharlesAugustusMilvertonTheAdventureOfTheSixNapoleonsTheAdventureOfTheThreeStudentsTheAdventureOfTheGoldenPince-NezTheAdventureOfTheMissingThree-Quarter TheAdventureOfTheAbbeyGrangeTheAdventureOfTheSecondStainTHEADVENTUREOFTHEEMPTYHOUSEItwasinthespringoftheyear1894thatallLondonwasinterested,andthefashionableworlddismayed,bythemurderoftheHonourableRonaldAdairundermostunusualandinexplicablecircumstances.Thepublichasalreadylearnedthoseparticularsofthecrimewhichcameoutinthepoliceinvestigation,butagooddealwassuppresseduponthatoccasion,sincethecasefortheprosecutionwassooverwhelminglystrongthatitwasnotnecessarytobringforwardallthefacts.Onlynow,attheendofnearlytenyears,amIallowedtosupplythosemissinglinkswhichmakeupthewholeofthatremarkablechain.Thecrimewasofinterestinitself,butthatinterestwasasnothingtomecomparedtotheinconceivablesequel,whichaffordedmethegreatestshockandsurpriseofanyeventinmyadventurouslife.Evennow,afterthislonginterval,IfindmyselfthrillingasIthinkofit,andfeelingoncemorethatsuddenfloodofjoy,amazement,andincredulitywhichutterlysubmergedmymind.Letmesaytothatpublic,whichhasshownsomeinterestinthoseglimpseswhichIhaveoccasionallygiventhemofthethoughtsandactionsofaveryremarkableman,thattheyarenottoblamemeifIhavenotsharedmyknowledgewiththem,forIshouldhaveconsidereditmyfirstdutytodoso,hadInotbeenbarredbyapositiveprohibitionfromhisownlips,whichwasonlywithdrawnuponthethirdoflastmonth.

ItcanbeimaginedthatmycloseintimacywithSherlockHolmeshadinterestedmedeeplyincrime,andthatafterhisdisappearanceInever failedtoreadwithcarethevariousproblemswhichcamebeforethepublic.AndIevenattempted,morethanonce,formyownprivatesatisfaction,toemployhismethodsintheirsolution,thoughwithindifferentsuccess.Therewasnone,however,whichappealedtomelikethistragedyofRonaldAdair.AsIreadtheevidenceattheinquest,whichleduptoaverdictofwillfulmurderagainstsomepersonor personsunknown,IrealizedmoreclearlythanIhadeverdonethelosswhichthecommunityhadsustainedbythedeathofSherlockHolmes.Therewerepointsaboutthisstrangebusinesswhichwould,Iwassure,havespeciallyappealedtohim,andtheeffortsofthepolicewouldhavebeensupplemented,ormoreprobablyanticipated,bythetrainedobservationandthealertmindofthefirstcriminalagentinEurope.Allday,asIdroveuponmyround,Iturnedoverthecaseinmymindandfoundnoexplanationwhichappearedtometobeadequate.Attheriskoftellingatwice-toldtale,Iwillrecapitulatethefactsastheywereknowntothepublicattheconclusionoftheinquest.TheHonourableRonaldAdairwasthesecondsonoftheEarlofMaynooth,atthattimegovernorofoneoftheAustraliancolonies.Adair'smother hadreturnedfromAustraliatoundergotheoperationforcataract,andshe,hersonRonald,andherdaughterHildawerelivingtogetherat427ParkLane.Theyouthmovedinthebestsociety--had,sofaraswasknown,noenemiesandnoparticularvices.HehadbeenengagedtoMissEdithWoodley,ofCarstairs,buttheengagementhadbeenbrokenoffbymutualconsentsomemonthsbefore,andtherewasnosignthatithadleftanyveryprofoundfeelingbehindit.Fortherest{sic}theman'slifemovedinanarrowandconventionalcircle,forhishabitswerequietandhisnatureunemotional.Yetitwasuponthiseasy-goingyoungaristocratthatdeathcame,inmoststrangeandunexpectedform,betweenthehoursoftenandeleven-twentyonthenightofMarch30,1894.RonaldAdairwasfondofcards--playingcontinually,butneverforsuchstakesaswouldhurthim.HewasamemberoftheBaldwin,theCavendish,andtheBagatellecardclubs.Itwasshownthat,afterdinneronthedayofhisdeath,hehadplayedarubberofwhistatthelatterclub.Hehadalsoplayedthereintheafternoon.Theevidenceofthosewhohadplayedwithhim--Mr.Murray,SirJohnHardy,andColonelMoran--showedthatthegamewaswhist,andthattherewasafairlyequalfallofthecards.Adairmighthavelostfivepounds,butnotmore.Hisfortunewasaconsiderableone,andsuchalosscouldnotinanywayaffecthim.Hehadplayednearlyeverydayatonecluborother,buthewasacautiousplayer,andusuallyroseawinner.Itcameoutinevidencethat,inpartnershipwithColonelMoran,hehadactuallywonasmuchasfour hundredandtwentypoundsinasitting,someweeksbefore,fromGodfreyMilnerandLordBalmoral.Somuchforhisrecenthistoryasitcameoutattheinquest.Ontheeveningofthecrime,hereturnedfromtheclubexactlyatten.Hismotherandsisterwereoutspendingtheeveningwitharelation.Theservantdeposedthatsheheardhimenterthefrontroomonthesecondfloor,generallyusedashissitting-room.Shehadlitafirethere,andasitsmokedshehadopenedthewindow.Nosoundwasheardfromtheroomuntileleven-twenty,thehourofthereturnofLadyMaynoothandher daughter.Desiringtosaygood-night,sheattemptedtoenterherson'sroom.Thedoorwaslockedontheinside,andnoanswercouldbegottotheircriesandknocking.Helpwasobtained,andthedoorforced.Theunfortunateyoungmanwasfoundlyingnearthetable.Hisheadhadbeenhorriblymutilatedbyanexpandingrevolverbullet,butnoweaponofanysortwastobefoundintheroom.Onthetablelaytwobanknotesfor tenpoundseachandseventeenpoundsteninsilverandgold,themoneyarrangedinlittlepilesofvaryingamount.Thereweresomefiguresalsouponasheetofpaper,withthenamesofsomeclubfriendsoppositetothem,fromwhichitwasconjecturedthatbeforehisdeathhewasendeavouringtomakeouthislossesorwinningsatcards.

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Aminuteexaminationofthecircumstancesservedonlytomakethecasemorecomplex.Inthefirstplace,noreasoncouldbegivenwhytheyoungmanshouldhavefastenedthedoorupontheinside.Therewasthepossibilitythatthemurdererhaddonethis,andhadafterwardsescapedbythewindow.Thedropwasatleasttwentyfeet,however,andabedof crocusesinfullbloomlaybeneath.Neithertheflowersnortheearthshowedanysignofhavingbeendisturbed,norwerethereanymarksuponthenarrowstripofgrasswhichseparatedthehousefromtheroad.Apparently,therefore,itwastheyoungmanhimselfwhohadfastenedthedoor.Buthowdidhecomebyhisdeath?Noonecouldhaveclimbeduptothewindowwithoutleavingtraces.Supposeamanhadfiredthroughthewindow,hewouldindeedbearemarkableshotwhocouldwitharevolverinflictsodeadlyawound.Again,ParkLaneisafrequentedthoroughfare;thereisacabstandwithinahundredyardsofthehouse.Noonehadheardashot.Andyettherewasthedeadmanandtheretherevolverbullet,whichhadmushroomedout,assoft-nosedbulletswill,andsoinflictedawoundwhichmusthavecausedinstantaneousdeath.SuchwerethecircumstancesoftheParkLaneMystery,whichwerefurther complicatedbyentireabsenceofmotive,since,asIhavesaid,youngAdairwasnotknowntohaveanyenemy,andnoattempthadbeenmadetoremovethemoneyorvaluablesintheroom.AlldayIturnedthesefactsoverinmymind,endeavouringtohituponsometheorywhichcouldreconcilethemall,andtofindthatlineofleastresistancewhichmypoorfriendhaddeclaredtobethestarting-pointofeveryinvestigation.IconfessthatImadelittleprogress.IntheeveningIstrolledacrossthePark,andfoundmyself aboutsixo'clockattheOxfordStreetendofParkLane.Agroupof loafersuponthepavements,allstaringupataparticularwindow,directedmetothehousewhichIhadcometosee.Atall,thinmanwithcolouredglasses,whomIstronglysuspectedofbeingaplain-clothesdetective,waspointingoutsometheoryofhisown,whiletheotherscrowdedroundtolistentowhathesaid.IgotasnearhimasIcould,buthisobservationsseemedtometobeabsurd,soIwithdrewagaininsomedisgust.AsIdidsoIstruckagainstanelderly,deformedman,whohadbeenbehindme,andIknockeddownseveralbookswhichhewascarrying.IrememberthatasIpickedthemup,Iobservedthetitleofoneofthem,THEORIGINOFTREEWORSHIP,anditstruckmethatthefellowmustbesomepoorbibliophile,who,eitherasatradeorasahobby,wasacollectorofobscurevolumes.Iendeavouredtoapologizefortheaccident,butitwasevidentthatthesebookswhichIhadsounfortunatelymaltreatedwereverypreciousobjectsintheeyesoftheir owner.Withasnarlofcontemptheturneduponhisheel,andIsawhiscurvedbackandwhiteside-whiskersdisappearamongthethrong.MyobservationsofNo.427ParkLanedidlittletoclearuptheprobleminwhichIwasinterested.Thehousewasseparatedfromthestreetbyalowwallandrailing,thewholenotmorethanfivefeethigh.Itwasperfectlyeasy,therefore,foranyonetogetintothegarden,butthewindowwasentirelyinaccessible,sincetherewasnowaterpipeor anythingwhichcouldhelpthemostactivemantoclimbit.Morepuzzledthanever,IretracedmystepstoKensington.Ihadnotbeeninmystudyfiveminuteswhenthemaidenteredtosaythatapersondesiredtoseeme.Tomyastonishmentitwasnoneotherthanmystrangeoldbookcollector,hissharp,wizenedfacepeeringoutfromaframeofwhitehair,andhispreciousvolumes,adozenofthematleast,wedgedunder hisrightarm."You'resurprisedtoseeme,sir,"saidhe,inastrange,croakingvoice.IacknowledgedthatIwas."Well,I'veaconscience,sir,andwhenIchancedtoseeyougointothishouse,asIcamehobblingafteryou,Ithoughttomyself,I'lljuststepinandseethatkindgentleman,andtellhimthatifIwasabitgruffinmymannertherewasnotanyharmmeant,andthatIammuch

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