there are a sufficient number of exceptions
to prevent me from being dogmatic or from insisting upon
this point in my description. my own face is a narrow one,
and yet i find that i cannot get my eyes into the centre, or
near the centre, of these glasses. therefore the lady's
eyes are set very near to the sides of the nose. you will
perceive, watson, that the glasses are concave and of
unusual strength. a lady whose vision has been so extremely
contracted all her life is sure to have the physical
characteristics of such vision, which are seen in the
forehead, the eyelids, and the shoulders."
"yes," i said, "i can follow each of your arguments. i
confess, however, that i am unable to understand how you
arrive at the double visit to the optician."
holmes took the glasses into his hand.
"you will perceive," he said, "that the clips are lined with
tiny bands of cork to soften the pressure upon the nose.
one of these is discoloured and worn to some slight extent,
but the other is new. evidently one has fallen off and been
replaced. i should judge that the older of them has not
been there more than a few months. they exactly correspond,
so i gather that the lady went back to the same
establishment for the second."
"by george, it's marvellous!" cried hopkins, in an ecstasy
of admiration. "to think that i had all that evidence in my
hand and never knew it! i had intended, however, to go the
round of the london opticians."
"of course you would. meanwhile, have you anything more to
tell us about the case?"
"nothing, mr. holmes. i think that you know as much as i do
now -- probably more. we have had inquiries made as to any
stranger seen on the country roads or at the railway
station. we have heard of none. what beats me is the utter
want of all object in the crime. not a ghost of a motive
can anyone suggest."
"ah! there i am not in a position to help you. but i
suppose you want us to come out to-morrow?"
"if it is not asking too much, mr. holmes. there's a train
from charing cross to chatham at six in the morning, and we
should be at yoxley old place between eight and nine."
"then we shall take it. your case has certainly some
features of great interest, and i shall be delighted to look
into it. well, it's nearly one, and we had best get a few
hours' sleep. i dare say you can manage all right on the
sofa in front of the fire. i'll light my spirit-lamp and
give you a cup of coffee before we start."
the gale had blown itself out next day, but it was a bitter
morning when we started upon our journey. we saw the cold
winter sun rise over the dreary marshes of the thames and
the long, sullen reaches of the river, which i shall ever
associate with our pursuit of the andaman islander in the
earlier days of our career. after a long and weary journey
we alighted at a small station some miles from chatham.
while a horse was being put into a trap at the local inn we
snatched a hurried breakfast, and so we were all ready for
business when we at last arrived at yoxley old place. a
constable met us at the garden gate.
"well, wilson, any news?"
"no, sir, nothing."
"no reports of any stranger seen?"
"no, sir. down at the station they are certain that no
stranger either came or went yesterday."
"have you had inquiries made at inns and lodgings?"
"yes, sir; there is no one that we cannot account for."
"well, it's only a reasonable walk to chatham. anyone might
stay there, or take a train without being observed. this is
the garden path of which i spoke, mr. holmes. i'll pledge
my word there was no mark on it yesterday."
"on which side were the marks on the grass?"
"this side, sir. this narrow margin of grass between the
path and the flower-bed. i can't see the traces now, but
they were clear to me then."
"yes, yes; someone has passed along," said holmes, stooping
over the grass border. "our lady must have picked her steps
carefully, must she not, since on the one side she would
leave a track on the path, and on the other an even clearer
one on the soft bed?"
"yes, sir, she must have been a cool hand."
i saw an intent look pass over holmes's face.
"you say that she must have come back this way?"
"yes, sir; there is no other."
"on this strip of grass?"
"certainly, mr. holmes."
"hum! it was a very remarkable performance -- very
remarkable. well, i think we have exhausted the path. let
us go farther. this garden door is usually kept open, i
suppose? then this visitor had nothing to do but to walk
in. the idea of murder was not in her mind, or she would
have provided herself with some sort of weapon, instead of
having to pick this knife off the writing-table. she
advanced along this corridor, leaving no traces upon the
cocoanut matting. then she found herself in this study.
how long was she
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