第10章

“What！where？“shoutedMr。Windibank，turningwhitetohislips，andglancingabouthimlikearatinatrap。

“Oh，itwon’tdo——reallyitwon’t，“saidHolmes，suavely。“Thereisnopossiblegettingoutofit，Mr。Windibank。Itisquitetootransparent，anditwasaverybadcomplimentwhenyousaidthatitwasimpossibleformetosolvesosimpleaquestion。That’sright！

Sitdown，andletustalkitover。“

Ourvisitorcollapsedintoachair，withaghastlyface，andaglitterofmoistureonhisbrow。“It——it’snotactionable，“hestammered。

“Iamverymuchafraidthatitisnot；butbetweenourselves，Windibank，itwasascruel，andselfish，andheartlessatrickinapettywayasevercamebeforeme。Now，letmejustrunoverthecourseofevents，andyouwillcontradictmeifIgowrong。“

Themansathuddledupinhischair，withhisheadsunkuponhisbreast，likeonewhoisutterlycrushed。Holmesstuckhisfeetuponthecornerofthemantelpiece，and，leaningbackwithhishandsinhispockets，begantalking，rathertohimself，asitseemed，thantous。

“Themanmarriedawomanverymucholderthanhimselfforhermoney，“saidhe，“andheenjoyedtheuseofthemoneyofthedaughteraslongasshelivedwiththem。Itwasaconsiderablesum，forpeopleintheirposition，andthelossofitwouldhavemadeaseriousdifference。Itwasworthanefforttopreserveit。

Thedaughterwasofagood，amiabledisposition，butaffectionateandwarmheartedinherways，sothatitwasevidentthatwithherfairpersonaladvantages，andherlittleincome，shewouldnotbeallowedtoremainsinglelong。Nowhermarriagewouldmean，ofcourse，thelossofahundredayear，sowhatdoesherstepfatherdotopreventit？Hetakestheobviouscourseofkeepingherathome，andforbiddinghertoseekthecompanyofpeopleofherownage。Butsoonhefoundthatthatwouldnotanswerforever。Shebecamerestive，insisteduponherrights，andfinallyannouncedherpositiveintentionofgoingtoacertainball。Whatdoeshercleverstepfatherdothen？Heconceivesanideamorecreditabletohisheadthantohisheart。Withtheconnivanceandassistanceofhiswife，hedisguisedhimself，coveredthosekeeneyeswithtintedglasses，maskedthefacewithamustacheandapairofbushywhiskers，sunkthatclearvoiceintoaninsinuatingwhisper，anddoublysecureonaccountofthegirl’sshortsight，heappearsasMr。HosmerAngel，andkeepsoffotherloversbymakinglovehimself。“

“Itwasonlyajokeatfirst，“groanedourvisitor。“Weneverthoughtthatshewouldhavebeensocarriedaway。“

“Verylikelynot。Howeverthatmaybe，theyoungladywasverydecidedlycarriedaway，andhavingquitemadeuphermindthatherstepfatherwasinFrance，thesuspicionoftreacheryneverforaninstantenteredhermind。Shewasflatteredbythegentleman’sattentions，andtheeffectwasincreasedbytheloudlyexpressedadmirationofhermother。ThenMr。Angelbegantocall，foritwasobviousthatthemattershouldbepushedasfarasifwouldgo，ifarealeffectweretobeproduced。Thereweremeetings，andanengagement，whichwouldfinallysecurethegirl’saffectionsfromturningtowardanyoneelse。Butthedeceptioncouldnotbekeptupforever。ThesepretendedjourneystoFrancewererathercumbrous。

Thethingtodowasclearlytobringthebusinesstoanendinsuchadramaticmannerthatitwouldleaveapermanentimpressionupontheyounglady’smind，andpreventherfromlookinguponanyothersuitorforsometimetocome。HencethosevowsoffidelityexacteduponaTestament，andhencealsotheallusionstoapossibilityofsomethinghappeningontheverymorningofthewedding。JamesWindibankwishedMissSutherlandtobesoboundtoHosmerAngel，andsouncertainastohisfate，thatfortenyearstocome，atanyrate，shewouldnotlistentoanotherman。Asfarasthechurchdoorhebroughther，andthen，ashecouldgonofarther，heconvenientlyvanishedawaybytheoldtrickofsteppinginatonedoorofafour-wheelerandoutattheother。Ithinkthatthatwasthechainofevents，Mr。Windibank！“

OurvisitorhadrecoveredsomethingofhisassurancewhileHolmeshadbeentalking，andherosefromhischairnowwithacoldsneeruponhispaleface。

“Itmaybeso，oritmaynot，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe；“butifyouaresoverysharpyououghttobesharpenoughtoknowthatitisyouwhoarebreakingthelawnow，andnotme。Ihavedonenothingactionablefromthefirst，butaslongasyoukeepthatdoorlockedyoulayyourselfopentoanactionforassaultandillegalconstraint。“

“Thelawcannot，asyousay，touchyou，“saidHolmes，unlockingandthrowingopenthedoor，“yetthereneverwasamanwhodeservedpunishmentmore。Iftheyoungladyhasabrotherorafriend，heoughttolayawhipacrossyourshoulders。ByJove！“hecontinued，flushingupatthesightofthebittersneerupontheman’sface，“itisnotpartofmydutiestomyclient，buthere’sahuntingcrophandy，andIthinkIshalljusttreatmyselfto——“Hetooktwoswiftstepstothewhip，butbeforehecouldgraspittherewasawildclatterofstepsuponthestairs，theheavyhalldoorbanged，andfromthewindowwecouldseeMr。JamesWindibankrunningatthetopofhisspeeddowntheroad。

“There’sacold-bloodedscoundrel！“saidHolmes，laughingashethrewhimselfdownintohischaironcemore。“Thatfellowwillrisefromcrimetocrimeuntilhedoessomethingverybadandendsonagallows。Thecasehas，insomerespects，beennotentirelydevoidofinterest。“

“Icannotnowentirelyseeallthestepsofyourreasoning，“I

remarked。

“Well，ofcourseitwasobviousfromthefirstthatthisMr。HosmerAngelmusthavesomestrongobjectforhiscuriousconduct，anditwasequallyclearthattheonlymanwhoreallyprofitedbytheincident，asfaraswecouldsee，wasthestepfather。Thenthefactthatthetwomenwerenevertogether，butthattheonealwaysappearedwhentheotherwasaway，wassuggestive。Sowerethetintedspectaclesandthecuriousvoice，whichbothhintedatadisguise，asdidthebushywhiskers。Mysuspicionswereallconfirmedbyhispeculiaractionintypewritinghissignature，which，ofcourse，inferredthathishandwritingwassofamiliartoherthatshewouldrecognizeeventhesmallestsampleofit。Youseealltheseisolatedfacts，togetherwithmanyminorones，allpointedinthesamedirection。“

“Andhowdidyouverifythem？“

“Havingoncespottedmyman，itwaseasytogetcorroboration。I

knewthefirmforwhichthismanworked。Havingtakentheprinteddescription，Ieliminatedeverythingfromitwhichcouldbetheresultofadisguise，——thewhiskers，theglasses，thevoice，——andI

sentittothefirmwitharequestthattheywouldinformmewhetheritansweredtothedescriptionofanyoftheirtravelers。

Ihadalreadynoticedthepeculiaritiesofthetypewriter，andI

wrotetothemanhimselfathisbusinessaddress，askinghimifhewouldcomehere。AsIexpected，hisreplywastypewritten，andrevealedthesametrivialbutcharacteristicdefects。ThesamepostbroughtmealetterfromWesthouse&Marbank，ofFenchurchStreet，tosaythatthedescriptiontalliedineveryrespectwiththatoftheiremployee，JamesWindibank。Voilatout！“

“AndMissSutherland？“

“IfItellhershewillnotbelieveme。YoumayremembertheoldPersiansaying，’Thereisdangerforhimwhotakeththetigercub，anddangeralsoforwhososnatchethadelusionfromawoman。’

ThereisasmuchsenseinHafizasinHorace，andasmuchknowledgeoftheworld。“

AScandalinBohemiaI

ToSherlockHolmessheisalwaysTHEwoman。Ihaveseldomheardhimmentionherunderanyothername。Inhiseyessheeclipsesandpredominatesthewholeofhersex。ItwasnotthathefeltanyemotionakintoloveforIreneAdler。Allemotions，andthatoneparticularly，wereabhorrenttohiscold，precisebutadmirablybalancedmind。Hewas，Itakeit，themostperfectreasoningandobservingmachinethattheworldhasseen；butasalover，hewouldhaveplacedhimselfinafalseposition。Heneverspokeofthesofterpassions，savewithagibeandasneer。Theywereadmirablethingsfortheobserver——excellentfordrawingtheveilfrommen’smotivesandactions。Butforthetrainedreasonertoadmitsuchintrusionsintohisowndelicateandfinelyadjustedtemperamentwastointroduceadistractingfactorwhichmightthrowadoubtuponallhismentalresults。Gritinasensitiveinstrument，oracrackinoneofhisownhigh-powerlenses，wouldnotbemoredisturbingthatastrongemotioninanaturesuchashis。Andyettherewasbutonewomantohim，andthatwomanwasthelateIreneAdler，ofdubiousandquestionablememory。

IhadseenlittleofHolmeslately。Mymarriagehaddriftedusawayfromeachother。Myowncompletehappiness，andthehome-

centeredinterestswhichriseuparoundthemanwhofirstfindshimselfmasterofhisownestablishment，weresufficienttoabsorballmyattention；whileHolmes，wholoathedeveryformofsocietywithhiswholeBohemiansoul，remainedinourlodgingsinBakerStreet，buriedamonghisoldbooks，andalternatingfromweektoweekbetweencocaineandambition，thedrowsinessofthedrugandthefierceenergyofhisownkeennature。Hewasstill，asever，deeplyattractedbythestudyofcrime，andoccupiedhisimmensefacultiesandextraordinarypowersofobservationinfollowingoutthoseclews，andclearingupthosemysteries，whichhadbeenabandonedashopelessbytheofficialpolice。FromtimetotimeI

heardsomevagueaccountofhisdoings；ofhissummonstoOdessainthecaseoftheTrepoffmurder，ofhisclearingupofthesingulartragedyoftheAtkinsonbrothersatTrincomalee，andfinallyofthemissionwhichhehadaccomplishedsodelicatelyandsuccessfullyforthereigningfamilyofHolland。Beyondthesesignsofhisactivity，however，whichImerelysharedwithallthereadersofthedailypress，Iknewlittleofmyformerfriendandcompanion。

Onenight——itwasonthe20thofMarch，1888——Iwasreturningfromajourneytoapatient(forIhadnowreturnedtocivilpractice)，whenmywayledmethroughBakerStreet。AsIpassedthewell-

remembereddoor，whichmustalwaysbeassociatedinmymindwithmywooing，andwiththedarkincidentsoftheStudyinScarlet，IwasseizedwithakeendesiretoseeHolmesagain，andtoknowhowhewasemployinghisextraordinarypowers。Hisroomswerebrilliantlylighted，andevenasIlookedup，Isawhistall，sparefigurepasstwiceinadarksilhouetteagainsttheblind。Hewaspacingtheroomswiftly，eagerly，withhisheadsunkuponhischest，andhishandsclaspedbehindhim。Tome，whoknewhiseverymoodandhabit，hisattitudeandmannertoldtheirownstory。Hewasatworkagain。Hehadrisenoutofhisdrug-createddreams，andwashotuponthescentofsomenewproblem。Irangthebell，andwasshownuptothechamberwhichhadformerlybeeninpartmyown。