er for years.
"yes, mr. holmes, it is as you say, sir. he does smoke
something terrible. all day and sometimes all night, sir.
i've seen that room of a morning -- well, sir, you'd have
thought it was a london fog. poor young mr. smith, he was a
smoker also, but not as bad as the professor. his health --
well, i don't know that it's better nor worse for the
smoking."
"ah!" said holmes, "but it kills the appetite."
"well, i don't know about that, sir."
"i suppose the professor eats hardly anything?"
"well, he is variable. i'll say that for him."
"i'll wager he took no breakfast this morning, and won't
face his lunch after all the cigarettes i saw him consume."
"well, you're out there, sir, as it happens, for he ate a
remarkable big breakfast this morning. i don't know when
i've known him make a better one, and he's ordered a good
dish of cutlets for his lunch. i'm surprised myself, for
since i came into that room yesterday and saw young mr.
smith lying there on the floor i couldn't bear to look at
food. well, it takes all sorts to make a world, and the
professor hasn't let it take his appetite away."
we loitered the morning away in the garden. stanley hopkins
had gone down to the village to look into some rumours of a
strange woman who had been seen by some children on the
chatham road the previous morning. as to my friend, all his
usual energy seemed to have deserted him. i had never known
him handle a case in such a half-hearted fashion. even the
news brought back by hopkins that he had found the children
and that they had undoubtedly seen a woman exactly
corresponding with holmes's description, and wearing either
spectacles or eye-glasses, failed to rouse any sign of keen
interest. he was more attentive when susan, who waited upon
us at lunch, volunteered the information that she believed
mr. smith had been out for a walk yesterday morning, and
that he had only returned half an hour before the tragedy
occurred. i could not myself see the bearing of this
incident, but i clearly perceived that holmes was weaving it
into the general scheme which he had formed in his brain.
suddenly he sprang from his chair and glanced at his watch.
"two o'clock, gentlemen," said he. "we must go up and have
it out with our friend the professor."
the old man had just finished his lunch, and certainly his
empty dish bore evidence to the good appetite with which his
housekeeper had credited him. he was, indeed, a weird
figure as he turned his white mane and his glowing eyes
towards us. the eternal cigarette smouldered in his mouth.
he had been dressed and was seated in an arm-chair by the
fire.
"well, mr. holmes, have you solved this mystery yet?" he
shoved the large tin of cigarettes which stood on a table
beside him towards my companion. holmes stretched out his
hand at the same moment, and between them they tipped the
box over the edge. for a minute or two we were all on our
knees retrieving stray cigarettes from impossible places.
when we rose again i observed that holmes's eyes were
shining and his cheeks tinged with colour. only at a crisis
have i seen those battle-signals flying.
"yes," said he, "i have solved it."
stanley hopkins and i stared in amazement. something like a
sneer quivered over the gaunt features of the old professor.
"indeed! in the garden?"
"no, here."
"here! when?"
"this instant."
"you are surely joking, mr. sherlock holmes. you compel me
to tell you that this is too serious a matter to be treated
in such a fashion."
"i have forged and tested every link of my chain, professor
coram, and i am sure that it is sound. what your motives
are or what exact part you play in this strange business i
am not yet able to say. in a few minutes i shall probably
hear it from your own lips. meanwhile i will reconstruct
what is past for your benefit, so that you may know the
information which i still require.
"a lady yesterday entered your study. she came with the
intention of possessing herself of certain documents which
were in your bureau. she had a key of her own. i have had
an opportunity of examining yours, and i do not find that
slight discoloration which the scratch made upon the varnish
would have produced. you were not an accessory, therefore,
and she came, so far as i can read the evidence, without
your knowledge to rob you."
the professor blew a cloud from his lips. "this is most
interesting and instructive," said he. "have you no more to
add? surely, having traced this lady so far, you can also
say what has become of her."
"i will endeavour to do so. in the first place she was
seized by your secretary, and stabbed him in order to
escape. this catastrophe i am inclined to regard as an
unhappy accident, for i am convinced that the lady had no
intention of inflicting so g
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