one from walking in.
"now i will give you the evidence of susan tarlton, who is
the only person who can say anything positive about the
matter. it was in the forenoon, between eleven and twelve.
she was engaged at the moment in hanging some curtains in
the upstairs front bedroom. professor coram was still in
bed, for when the weather is bad he seldom rises before
midday. the housekeeper was busied with some work in the
back of the house. willoughby smith had been in his
bedroom, which he uses as a sitting-room; but the maid heard
him at that moment pass along the passage and descend to the
study immediately below her. she did not see him, but she
says that she could not be mistaken in his quick, firm
tread. she did not hear the study door close, but a minute
or so later there was a dreadful cry in the room below. it
was a wild, hoarse scream, so strange and unnatural that it
might have come either from a man or a woman. at the same
instant there was a heavy thud, which shook the old house,
and then all was silence. the maid stood petrified for a
moment, and then, recovering her courage, she ran
downstairs. the study door was shut, and she opened it.
inside young mr. willoughby smith was stretched upon the
floor. at first she could see no injury, but as she tried
to raise him she saw that blood was pouring from the
underside of his neck. it was pierced by a very small but
very deep wound, which had divided the carotid artery. the
instrument with which the injury had been inflicted lay upon
the carpet beside him. it was one of those small
sealing-wax knives to be found on old-fashioned
writing-tables, with an ivory handle and a stiff blade.
it was part of the fittings of the professor's own desk.
"at first the maid thought that young smith was already
dead, but on pouring some water from the carafe over his
forehead he opened his eyes for an instant. 'the
professor,' he murmured -- 'it was she.' the maid is
prepared to swear that those were the exact words. he tried
desperately to say something else, and he held his right
hand up in the air. then he fell back dead.
"in the meantime the housekeeper had also arrived upon the
scene, but she was just too late to catch the young man's
dying words. leaving susan with the body, she hurried to
the professor's room. he was sitting up in bed horribly
agitated, for he had heard enough to convince him that
something terrible had occurred. mrs. marker is prepared to
swear that the professor was still in his night-clothes,
and, indeed, it was impossible for him to dress without the
help of mortimer, whose orders were to come at twelve
o'clock. the professor declares that he heard the distant
cry, but that he knows nothing more. he can give no
explanation of the young man's last words, 'the professor --
it was she,' but imagines that they were the outcome of
delirium. he believes that willoughby smith had not an
enemy in the world, and can give no reason for the crime.
his first action was to send mortimer the gardener for the
local police. a little later the chief constable sent for me.
nothing was moved before i got there, and strict orders were
given that no one should walk upon the paths leading to the
house. it was a splendid chance of putting your theories
into practice, mr. sherlock holmes. there was really nothing
wanting."
"except mr. sherlock holmes," said my companion, with a
somewhat bitter smile. "well, let us hear about it. what
sort of job did you make of it?"
"i must ask you first, mr. holmes, to glance at this rough
plan, which will give you a general idea of the position of
the professor's study and the various points of the case.
it will help you in following my investigation."
he unfolded the rough chart, which i here reproduce, and he
laid it across holmes's knee. i rose, and, standing behind
holmes, i studied it over his shoulder.
{graphic}
"it is very rough, of course, and it only deals with the
points which seem to me to be essential. all the rest you
will see later for yourself. now, first of all, presuming
that the assassin entered the house, how did he or she come
in? undoubtedly by the garden path and the back door, from
which there is direct access to the study. any other way
would have been exceedingly complicated. the escape must
have also been made along that line, for of the two other
exits from the room one was blocked by susan as she ran
downstairs and the other leads straight to the professor's
bedroom. i therefore directed my attention at once to the
garden path, which was saturated with recent rain and would
certainly show any footmarks.
"my examination showed me that i was dealing with a cautious
and expert criminal. no footmarks were to be found on the
path. there could be no question, however, that someone had
passed
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