en you. he left you in a rage,
and began to make his own plans independently of you."
"it strikes me, williamson, there isn't very much that we
can tell this gentleman," cried carruthers, with a bitter
laugh. "yes, we quarreled, and he knocked me down. i am
level with him on that, anyhow. then i lost sight of him.
that was when he picked up with this cast padre here.
i found that they had set up house-keeping together at this
place on the line that she had to pass for the station.
i kept my eye on her after that, for i knew there was some
devilry in the wind. i saw them from time to time, for i
was anxious to know what they were after. two days ago
woodley came up to my house with this cable, which showed
that ralph smith was dead. he asked me if i would stand by
the bargain. i said i would not. he asked me if i would
marry the girl myself and give him a share. i said i would
willingly do so, but that she would not have me. he said,
'let us get her married first, and after a week or two she
may see things a bit different.' i said i would have
nothing to do with violence. so he went off cursing, like
the foul-mouthed blackguard that he was, and swearing that
he would have her yet. she was leaving me this week-end,
and i had got a trap to take her to the station, but i was
so uneasy in my mind that i followed her on my bicycle.
she had got a start, however, and before i could catch her
the mischief was done. the first thing i knew about it was
when i saw you two gentlemen driving back in her dog-cart."
holmes rose and tossed the end of his cigarette into the
grate. "i have been very obtuse, watson," said he. "when
in your report you said that you had seen the cyclist as
you thought arrange his necktie in the shrubbery, that
alone should have told me all. however, we may
congratulate ourselves upon a curious and in some respects
a unique case. i perceive three of the county constabulary
in the drive, and i am glad to see that the little ostler
is able to keep pace with them; so it is likely that
neither he nor the interesting bridegroom will be
permanently damaged by their morning's adventures.
i think, watson, that in your medical capacity you might wait
upon miss smith and tell her that if she is sufficiently
recovered we shall be happy to escort her to her mother's
home. if she is not quite convalescent you will find that
a hint that we were about to telegraph to a young
electrician in the midlands would probably complete the
cure. as to you, mr. carruthers, i think that you have
done what you could to make amends for your share in an
evil plot. there is my card, sir, and if my evidence can
be of help to you in your trial it shall be at your disposal."
in the whirl of our incessant activity it has often been
difficult for me, as the reader has probably observed, to
round off my narratives, and to give those final details
which the curious might expect. each case has been the
prelude to another, and the crisis once over the actors
have passed for ever out of our busy lives. i find,
however, a short note at the end of my manuscripts dealing
with this case, in which i have put it upon record that
miss violet smith did indeed inherit a large fortune,
and that she is now the wife of cyril morton, the senior
partner of morton & kennedy, the famous westminster
electricians. williamson and woodley were both tried for
abduction and assault, the former getting seven years and
the latter ten. of the fate of carruthers i have no
record, but i am sure that his assault was not viewed very
gravely by the court, since woodley had the reputation of
being a most dangerous ruffian, and i think that a few
months were sufficient to satisfy the demands of justice.
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{------------------ textual notes ----------------------}
{1} {_menage_: there is a forward (/) accent over the first e.}
{---------------- end textual notes --------------------}
{-------------------------------------------------------}
{prio, rev 4, 1/17/96 rms, 4th proofing}
{source: the strand magazine, 27 (feb. 1904)}
{etext prepared by roger squires rsquires@nmia.com}
{braces({}) in the text indicate textual end-notes}
{underscores (_) in the text indicate italics}
v. -- the adventure of the priory school.
we have had some dramatic entrances and exits upon our
small stage at baker street, but i cannot recollect
anything more sudden and startling than the first
appearance of dr. thorneycroft huxtable, m.a., ph.d., etc.
his card, which seemed too small to carry the weight
of his academic distinctions, preceded him by a few seconds,
and then he entered himself -- so large, so pompous, and so
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