so dazed that he could not be made to
understand that we were anything but doctors who had
been sent to his assistance. holmes was endeavouring
to utter a few words of consolation, and to explain
the alarm which had been caused to his friends by his
sudden disappearance, when there was a step upon the
stairs, and there was the heavy, stern, questioning
face of dr. armstrong at the door.
"so, gentlemen," said he, "you have attained your end,
and have certainly chosen a particularly delicate
moment for your intrusion. i would not brawl in the
presence of death, but i can assure you that if i were
a younger man your monstrous conduct would not pass
with impunity."
"excuse me, dr. armstrong, i think we are a little at
cross-purposes," said my friend, with dignity. "if
you could step downstairs with us we may each be able
to give some light to the other upon this miserable
affair."
a minute later the grim doctor and ourselves were in
the sitting-room below.
"well, sir?" said he.
"i wish you to understand, in the first place, that i
am not employed by lord mount-james, and that my
sympathies in this matter are entirely against that
nobleman. when a man is lost it is my duty to
ascertain his fate, but having done so the matter ends
so far as i am concerned; and so long as there is
nothing criminal, i am much more anxious to hush up
private scandals than to give them publicity. if, as
i imagine, there is no breach of the law in this
matter, you can absolutely depend upon my discretion
and my co-operation in keeping the facts out of the
papers."
dr. armstrong took a quick step forward and wrung
holmes by the hand.
"you are a good fellow," said he. "i had misjudged
you. i thank heaven that my compunction at leaving
poor staunton all alone in this plight caused me to
turn my carriage back, and so to make your
acquaintance. knowing as much as you do, the
situation is very easily explained. a year ago
godfrey staunton lodged in london for a time, and
became passionately attached to his landlady's
daughter, whom he married. she was as good as she was
beautiful, and as intelligent as she was good. no man
need be ashamed of such a wife. but godfrey was the
heir to this crabbed old nobleman, and it was quite
certain that the news of his marriage would have been
the end of his inheritance. i knew the lad well, and
i loved him for his many excellent qualities. i did
all i could to help him to keep things straight. we
did our very best to keep the thing from everyone, for
when once such a whisper gets about it is not long
before everyone has heard it. thanks to this lonely
cottage and his own discretion, godfrey has up to now
succeeded. their secret was known to no one save to
me and to one excellent servant who has at present
gone for assistance to trumpington. but at last there
came a terrible blow in the shape of dangerous illness
to his wife. it was consumption of the most virulent
kind. the poor boy was half crazed with grief, and
yet he had to go to london to play this match, for he
could not get out of it without explanations which
would expose his secret. i tried to cheer him up by a
wire, and he sent me one in reply imploring me to do
all i could. this was the telegram which you appear
in some inexplicable way to have seen. i did not tell
him how urgent the danger was, for i knew that he
could do no good here, but i sent the truth to the
girl's father, and he very injudiciously communicated
it to godfrey. the result was that he came straight
away in a state bordering on frenzy, and has remained
in the same state, kneeling at the end of her bed,
until this morning death put an end to her sufferings.
that is all, mr. holmes, and i am sure that i can rely
upon your discretion and that of your friend."
holmes grasped the doctor's hand.
"come, watson," said he, and we passed from that house
of grief into the pale sunlight of the winter day.
{----------------------------------------------------}
{---------------- end of text -----------------------}
{----------------------------------------------------}
{-------------- textual notes -----------------------}
{1} {"'varsity": the single-quote is backwards}
{2} {"_detour_": the e has a forward (/) accent}
{------------- end textual notes --------------------}
{----------------------------------------------------}
{abbe, rev 4, 1/17/96 rms, 4th proofing}
{source: the strand magazine, 28 (sept. 1904)}
{etext prepared by roger squires rsquires@nmia.com}
{braces ({}) in the text indicate textual end-notes}
{underscores (_) in the text indicate italics}
xii. -- the adventure of the abbey grange.
it was on a bitterly cold and frosty morning during the winter of
'97 that i was awakened by a tugging at my shoulder. it was
holmes. the candle in his hand sho
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