Sherlock Holmes complete collection by sir arthur conan doyle

The Hound of the Baskervilles Chapter 5 THREE BROKEN THREADS

SHERLOCK HOLMES had, in a very remarkable degree, the power ofdetaching his mind at will. For two hours the strange business in whichwe had been involved appeared to be forgotten, and he was entirelyabsorbed in the pictures of the modern Belgian masters. He would talk ofnothing but art, of which he had the crudest ideas, from our leaving thegallery until we found ourselves at the Northumberland Hotel."Sir Henry Baskerville is upstairs expecting you," said the clerk. "Heasked me to show you up at once when you came.""Have you any objection to my looking at your register?" said Holmes."Not in the least."The book showed that two names had been added after that ofBaskerville. One was Theophilus Johnson and family, of Newcastle; theother Mrs. Oldmore and maid, of High Lodge, Alton."Surely that must be the same Johnson whom I used to know," saidHolmes to the porter. "A lawyer, is he not, gray-headed, and walks with alimp?""No, sir, this is Mr. Johnson, the coal-owner, a very active gentleman,not older than yourself.""Surely you are mistaken about his trade?""No, sir! he has used this hotel for many years, and he is very wellknown to us.""Ah, that settles it. Mrs. Oldmore, too; I seem to remember the name.Excuse my curiosity, but often in calling upon one friend one findsanother.""She is an invalid lady, sir. Her husband was once mayor of Gloucester.She always comes to us when she is in town.""Thank you; I am afraid I cannot claim her acquaintance. We haveestablished a most important fact by these questions, Watson," hecontinued in a low voice as we went upstairs together. "We know nowthat the people who are so interested in our friend have not settled downin his own hotel. That means that while they are, as we have seen, veryanxious to watch him, they are equally anxious that he should not seethem. Now, this is a most suggestive fact.""What does it suggest?"[693] "It suggests-halloa, my dear fellow, what on earth is the matter?"As we came round the top of the stairs we had run up against Sir HenryBaskerville himself. His face was flushed with anger, and he held an oldand dusty boot in one of his hands. So furious was he that he was hardlyarticulate, and when he did speak it was in a much broader and more Western dialect than any which we had heard from him in the morning."Seems to me they are playing me for a sucker in this hotel," he cried."They'll find they've started in to monkey with the wrong man unlessthey are careful. By thunder, if that chap can't find my missing boot therewill be trouble. I can take a joke with the best, Mr. Holmes, but they'vegot a bit over the mark this time.""Still looking for your boot?""Yes, sir, and mean to find it.""But, surely, you said that it was a new brown boot?""So it was, sir. And now it's an old black one.""What! you don't mean to say- -?""That's just what I do mean to say. I only had three pairs in the world-the new brown, the old black, and the patent leathers, which I amwearing. Last night they took one of my brown ones, and to-day theyhave sneaked one of the black. Well, have you got it? Speak out, man,and don't stand staring!"An agitated German waiter had appeared upon the scene."No, sir; I have made inquiry all over the hotel, but I can hear no wordof it.""Well, either that boot comes back before sundown or I'll see themanager and tell him that I go right straight out of this hotel.""It shall be found, sir-I promise you that if you will have a littlepatience it will be found.""Mind it is, for it's the last thing of mine that I'll lose in this den ofthieves. Well, well, Mr. Holmes, you'll excuse my troubling you about such a trifle- -""I think it's well worth troubling about.""Why, you look very serious over it.""How do you explain it?""I just don't attempt to explain it. It seems the very maddest, queerestthing that ever happened to me.""The queerest perhaps- -" said Holmes thoughtfully."What do you make of it yourself?""Well, I don't profess to understand it yet. This case of yours is verycomplex, Sir Henry. When taken in conjunction with your uncle's death Iam not sure that of all the five hundred cases of capital importance whichI have handled there is one which cuts so deep. But we hold severalthreads in our hands, and the odds are that one or other of them guides usto the truth. We may waste time in following the wrong one, but sooner orlater we must come upon the right."We had a pleasant luncheon in which little was said of the businesswhich had brought us together. It was in the private sitting-room to whichwe afterwards repaired that Holmes asked Baskerville what were hisintentions."To go to Baskerville Hall.""And when?""At the end of the week.""On the whole," said Holmes, "I think that your decision is a wise one.I have ample evidence that you are being dogged in London, and amid themillions of this great city it is difficult to discover who these people are orwhat their object can be. [694] If their intentions are evil they might doyou a mischief, and we should be powerless to prevent it. You did notknow, Dr. Mortimer, that you were followed this morning from myhouse?"Dr. Mortimer started violently."Followed! By whom?""That, unfortunately, is what I cannot tell you. Have you among yourneighbours or acquaintances on Dartmoor any man with a black, fullbeard?""No-or, let me see-why, yes. Barrymore, Sir Charles's butler, is a manwith a full, black beard.""Ha! Where is Barrymore?""He is in charge of the Hall.""We had best ascertain if he is really there, or if by any possibility hemight be in London.""How can you do that?""Give me a telegraph form. 'Is all ready for Sir Henry?' That will do.Address to Mr. Barrymore, Baskerville Hall. What is the nearesttelegraph-office? Grimpen. Very good, we will send a second wire to thepostmaster, Grimpen: 'Telegram to Mr. Barrymore to be delivered intohis own hand. If absent, please return wire to Sir Henry Baskerville,Northumberland Hotel.' That should let us know before evening whetherBarrymore is at his post in Devonshire or not.""That's so," said Baskerville. "By the way, Dr. Mortimer, who is this Barrymore, anyhow?""He is the son of the old caretaker, who is dead. They have looked afterthe Hall for four generations now. So far as I know, he and his wife are asrespectable a couple as any in the county.""At the same time," said Baskerville, "it's clear enough that so long asthere are none of the family at the Hall these people have a mighty finehome and nothing to do.""That is true.""Did Barrymore profit at all by Sir Charles's will?" asked Holmes."He and his wife had five hundred pounds each.""Ha! Did they know that they would receive this?""Yes; Sir Charles was very fond of talking about the provisions of hiswill.""That is very interesting.""I hope," said Dr. Mortimer, "that you do not look with suspicious eyesupon everyone who received a legacy from Sir Charles, for I also had athousand pounds left to me.""Indeed! And anyone else?""There were many insignificant sums to individuals, and a largenumber of public charities. The residue all went to Sir Henry.""And how much was the residue?""Seven hundred and forty thousand pounds."Holmes raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I had no idea that so gigantica sum was involved," said he."Sir Charles had the reputation of being rich, but we did not know howvery rich he was until we came to examine his securities. The total valueof the estate was close on to a million.""Dear me! It is a stake for which a man might well play a desperategame. And one more question, Dr. Mortimer. Supposing that anythinghappened to our [695] young friend here-you will forgive the unpleasanthypothesis!-who would inherit the estate?""Since Rodger Baskerville, Sir Charles's younger brother, diedunmarried, the estate would descend to the Desmonds, who are distantcousins. James Desmond is an elderly clergyman in Westmoreland.""Thank you. These details are all of great interest. Have you met Mr.James Desmond?""Yes; he once came down to visit Sir Charles. He is a man of venerableappearance and of saintly life. I remember that he refused to accept anysettlement from Sir Charles, though he pressed it upon him.""And this man of simple tastes would be the heir to Sir Charles'sthousands.""He would be the heir to the estate because that is entailed. He wouldalso be the heir to the money unless it were willed otherwise by thepresent owner, who can, of course, do what he likes with it.""And have you made your will, Sir Henry?""No, Mr. Holmes, I have not. I've had no time, for it was onlyyesterday that I learned how matters stood. But in any case I feel that themoney should go with the title and estate. That was my poor uncle's idea.How is the owner going to restore the glories of the Baskervilles if he has not money enough to keep up the property? House, land, and dollars mustgo together.""Quite so. Well, Sir Henry, I am of one mind with you as to theadvisability of your going down to Devonshire without delay. There isonly one provision which I must make. You certainly must not go alone.""Dr. Mortimer returns with me.""But Dr. Mortimer has his practice to attend to, and his house is milesaway from yours. With all the good will in the world he may be unable tohelp you. No, Sir Henry, you must take with you someone, a trusty man,who will be always by your side.""Is it possible that you could come yourself, Mr. Holmes?""If matters came to a crisis I should endeavour to be present in person;but you can understand that, with my extensive consulting practice andwith the constant appeals which reach me from many quarters, it isimpossible for me to be absent from London for an indefinite time. At thepresent instant one of the most revered names in England is beingbesmirched by a blackmailer, and only I can stop a disastrous scandal.You will see how impossible it is for me to go to Dartmoor.""Whom would you recommend, then?"Holmes laid his hand upon my arm."If my friend would undertake it there is no man who is better worthhaving at your side when you are in a tight place. No one can say so moreconfidently than I."The proposition took me completely by surprise, but before I had timeto answer, Baskerville seized me by the hand and wrung it heartily."Well, now, that is real kind of you, Dr. Watson," said he. "You seehow it is with me, and you know just as much about the matter as I do. Ifyou will come down to Baskerville Hall and see me through I'll neverforget it." The promise of adventure had always a fascination for me, and I wascomplimented by the words of Holmes and by the eagerness with whichthe baronet hailed me as a companion.[696] "I will come, with pleasure," said I. "I do not know how I couldemploy my time better.""And you will report very carefully to me," said Holmes. "When acrisis comes, as it will do, I will direct how you shall act. I suppose thatby Saturday all might be ready?""Would that suit Dr. Watson?""Perfectly.""Then on Saturday, unless you hear to the contrary, we shall meet at theten-thirty train from Paddington."We had risen to depart when Baskerville gave a cry of triumph, anddiving into one of the corners of the room he drew a brown boot fromunder a cabinet."My missing boot!" he cried."May all our difficulties vanish as easily!" said Sherlock Holmes."But it is a very singular thing," Dr. Mortimer remarked. "I searchedthis room carefully before lunch.""And so did I," said Baskerville. "Every inch of it.""There was certainly no boot in it then.""In that case the waiter must have placed it there while we werelunching."The German was sent for but professed to know nothing of the matter,nor could any inquiry clear it up. Another item had been added to thatconstant and apparently purposeless series of small mysteries which hadsucceeded each other so rapidly. Setting aside the whole grim story of SirCharles's death, we had a line of inexplicable incidents all within thelimits of two days, which included the receipt of the printed letter, theblack-bearded spy in the hansom, the loss of the new brown boot, the lossof the old black boot, and now the return of the new brown boot. Holmessat in silence in the cab as we drove back to Baker Street, and I knewfrom his drawn brows and keen face that his mind, like my own, was busyin endeavouring to frame some scheme into which all these strange andapparently disconnected episodes could be fitted. All afternoon and lateinto the evening he sat lost in tobacco and thought.Just before dinner two telegrams were handed in. The first ran:Have just heard that Barrymore is at the Hall.BASKERVILLE.The second:Visited twenty-three hotels as directed, but sorry to reportunable to trace cut sheet of Times.CARTWRIGHT."There go two of my threads, Watson. There is nothing morestimulating than a case where everything goes against you. We must cast round for another scent.""We have still the cabman who drove the spy.""Exactly. I have wired to get his name and address from the OfficialRegistry. I should not be surprised if this were an answer to my question."The ring at the bell proved to be something even more satisfactory thanan answer, however, for the door opened and a rough-looking fellowentered who was evidently the man himself."I got a message from the head office that a gent at this address hadbeen inquiring for No. 2704," said he. "I've driven my cab this sevenyears and never a word of complaint. I came here straight from the Yardto ask you to your face what you had against me."[697] "I have nothing in the world against you, my good man," saidHolmes. "On the contrary, I have half a sovereign for you if you will giveme a clear answer to my questions.""Well, I've had a good day and no mistake," said the cabman with agrin. "What was it you wanted to ask, sir?""First of all your name and address, in case I want you again.""John Clayton, 3 Turpey Street, the Borough. My cab is out ofShipley's Yard, near Waterloo Station."Sherlock Holmes made a note of it."Now, Clayton, tell me all about the fare who came and watched thishouse at ten o'clock this morning and afterwards followed the twogentlemen down Regent Street."The man looked surprised and a little embarrassed. "Why, there's nogood my telling you things, for you seem to know as much as I doalready," said he. "The truth is that the gentleman told me that he was adetective and that I was to say nothing about him to anyone." "My good fellow, this is a very serious business, and you may findyourself in a pretty bad position if you try to hide anything from me. Yousay that your fare told you that he was a detective?""Yes, he did.""When did he say this?""When he left me.""Did he say anything more?""He mentioned his name."Holmes cast a swift glance of triumph at me. "Oh, he mentioned hisname, did he? That was imprudent. What was the name that hementioned?""His name," said the cabman, "was Mr. Sherlock Holmes."Never have I seen my friend more completely taken aback than by thecabman's reply. For an instant he sat in silent amazement. Then he burstinto a hearty laugh."A touch, Watson-an undeniable touch!" said he. "I feel a foil as quickand supple as my own. He got home upon me very prettily that time. Sohis name was Sherlock Holmes, was it?""Yes, sir, that was the gentleman's name.""Excellent! Tell me where you picked him up and all that occurred.""He hailed me at half-past nine in Trafalgar Square. He said that he wasa detective, and he offered me two guineas if I would do exactly what hewanted all day and ask no questions. I was glad enough to agree. First wedrove down to the Northumberland Hotel and waited there until twogentlemen came out and took a cab from the rank. We followed their cabuntil it pulled up somewhere near here.""This very door," said Holmes."Well, I couldn't be sure of that, but I dare say my fare knew all aboutit. We pulled up halfway down the street and waited an hour and a half.Then the two gentlemen passed us, walking, and we followed down BakerStreet and along- -""I know," said Holmes."Until we got three-quarters down Regent Street. Then my gentlemanthrew up the trap, and he cried that I should drive right away to WaterlooStation as hard as I could go. I whipped up the mare and we were thereunder the ten minutes. [698] Then he paid up his two guineas, like a goodone, and away he went into the station. Only just as he was leaving heturned round and he said: 'It might interest you to know that you havebeen driving Mr. Sherlock Holmes.' That's how I come to know thename.""I see. And you saw no more of him?""Not after he went into the station.""And how would you describe Mr. Sherlock Holmes?"The cabman scratched his head. "Well, he wasn't altogether such aneasy gentleman to describe. I'd put him at forty years of age, and he wasof a middle height, two or three inches shorter than you, sir. He wasdressed like a toff, and he had a black beard, cut square at the end, and apale face. I don't know as I could say more than that.""Colour of his eyes?" "No, I can't say that.""Nothing more that you can remember?""No, sir; nothing.""Well, then, here is your half-sovereign. There's another one waitingfor you if you can bring any more information. Good-night!""Good-night, sir, and thank you!"John Clayton departed chuckling, and Holmes turned to me with ashrug of his shoulders and a rueful smile."Snap goes our third thread, and we end where we began," said he."The cunning rascal! He knew our number, knew that Sir HenryBaskerville had consulted me, spotted who I was in Regent Street,conjectured that I had got the number of the cab and would lay my handson the driver, and so sent back this audacious message. I tell you, Watson,this time we have got a foeman who is worthy of our steel. I've beencheckmated in London. I can only wish you better luck in Devonshire.But I'm not easy in my mind about it.""About what?""About sending you. It's an ugly business, Watson, an ugly, dangerousbusiness, and the more I see of it the less I like it. Yes, my dear fellow,you may laugh, but I give you my word that I shall be very glad to haveyou back safe and sound in Baker Street once more."