"'Very likely. And yet if it were on the lawn, I wonder that youdid not hear it also.'
"'Ah, but I sleep more heavily than you.'
"'Well, it is of no great consequence, at any rate.' She smiledback at me, closed my door, and a few moments later I heard herkey turn in the lock."
"Indeed," said Holmes. "Was it your custom always to lockyourselves in at night?"
"Always."
"And why?"
"I think that I mentioned to you that the doctor kept a cheetahand a baboon. We had no feeling of security unless our doors werelocked."
"Quite so. Pray proceed with your statement."
"I could not sleep that night. A vague feeling of impendingmisfortune impressed me. My sister and I, you will recollect,were twins, and you know how subtle are the links which bind twosouls which are so closely allied. It was a wild night. The windwas howling outside, and the rain was beating and splashingagainst the windows. Suddenly, amid all the hubbub of the gale,there burst forth the wild scream of a terrified woman. I knewthat it was my sister's voice. I sprang from my bed, wrapped ashawl round me, and rushed into the corridor. As I opened my doorI seemed to hear a low whistle, such as my sister described, anda few moments later a clanging sound, as if a mass of metal hadfallen. As I ran down the passage, my sister's door was unlocked,and revolved slowly upon its hinges. I stared at ithorror-stricken, not knowing what was about to issue from it. Bythe light of the corridor-lamp I saw my sister appear at theopening, her face blanched with terror, her hands groping forhelp, her whole figure swaying to and fro like that of adrunkard. I ran to her and threw my arms round her, but at thatmoment her knees seemed to give way and she fell to the ground.She writhed as one who is in terrible pain, and her limbs weredreadfully convulsed. At first I thought that she had notrecognised me, but as I bent over her she suddenly shrieked outin a voice which I shall never forget, 'Oh, my God! Helen! It wasthe band! The speckled band!' There was something else which shewould fain have said, and she stabbed with her finger into theair in the direction of the doctor's room, but a fresh convulsionseized her and choked her words. I rushed out, calling loudly formy stepfather, and I met him hastening from his room in hisdressing-gown. When he reached my sister's side she wasunconscious, and though he poured brandy down her throat and sentfor medical aid from the village, all efforts were in vain, forshe slowly sank and died without having recovered herconsciousness. Such was the dreadful end of my beloved sister."
"One moment," said Holmes, "are you sure about this whistle andmetallic sound? Could you swear to it?"
"That was what the county coroner asked me at the inquiry. It ismy strong impression that I heard it, and yet, among the crash ofthe gale and the creaking of an old house, I may possibly havebeen deceived."
"Was your sister dressed?"
"No, she was in her night-dress. In her right hand was found thecharred stump of a match, and in her left a match-box."
"Showing that she had struck a light and looked about her whenthe alarm took place. That is important. And what conclusions didthe coroner come to?"
"He investigated the case with great care, for Dr. Roylott'sconduct had long been notorious in the county, but he was unableto find any satisfactory cause of death. My evidence showed thatthe door had been fastened upon the inner side, and the windowswere blocked by old-fashioned shutters with broad iron bars,which were secured every night. The walls were carefully sounded,and were shown to be quite solid all round, and the flooring wasalso thoroughly examined, with the same result. The chimney iswide, but is barred up by four l
arge staples. It is certain,therefore, that my sister was quite alone when she met her end.Besides, there were no marks of any violence upon her."
"How about poison?"
"The doctors examined her for it, but without success."
"What do you think that this unfortunate lady died of, then?"
"It is my belief that she died of pure fear and nervous shock,though what it was that frightened her I cannot imagine."
"Were there gipsies in the plantation at the time?"
"Yes, there are nearly always some there."
"Ah, and what did you gather from this allusion to a band--aspeckled band?"
"Sometimes I have thought that it was merely the wild talk ofdelirium, sometimes that it may have referred to some band ofpeople, perhaps to these very gipsies in the plantation. I do notknow whether the spotted handkerchiefs which so many of them wearover their heads might have suggested the strange adjective whichshe used."
Holmes shook his head like a man who is far from being satisfied.
"These are very deep waters," said he; "pray go on with yournarrative."
"Two years have passed since then, and my life has been untillately lonelier than ever. A month ago, however, a dear friend,whom I have known for many years, has done me the honour to askmy hand in marriage. His name is Armitage--Percy Armitage--thesecond son of Mr. Armitage, of Crane Water, near Reading. Mystepfather has offered no opposition to the match, and we are tobe married in the course of the spring. Two days ago some repairswere started in the west wing of the building, and my bedroomwall has been pierced, so that I have had to move into thechamber in which my sister died, and to sleep in the very bed inwhich she slept. Imagine, then, my thrill of terror when lastnight, as I lay awake, thinking over her terrible fate, Isuddenly heard in the silence of the night the low whistle whichhad been the herald of her own death. I sprang up and lit thelamp, but nothing was to be seen in the room. I was too shaken togo to bed again, however, so I dressed, and as soon as it wasdaylight I slipped down, got a dog-cart at the Crown Inn, whichis opposite, and drove to Leatherhead, from whence I have come onthis morning with the one object of seeing you and asking youradvice."
"You have done wisely," said my friend. "But have you told meall?"
"Yes, all."
"Miss Roylott, you have not. You are screening your stepfather."