"Why, what do you mean?"
For answer Holmes pushed back the frill of black lace whichfringed the hand that lay upon our visitor's knee. Five littlelivid spots, the marks of four fingers and a thumb, were printedupon the white wrist.
"You have been cruelly used," said Holmes.
The lady coloured deeply and covered over her injured wrist. "Heis a hard man," she said, "and perhaps he hardly knows his ownstrength."
There was a long silence, during which Holmes leaned his chinupon his hands and stared into the crackling fire.
"This is a very deep business," he said at last. "There are athousand details which I should desire to know before I decideupon our course of action. Yet we have not a moment to lose. Ifwe were to come to Stoke Moran to-day, would it be possible forus to see over these rooms without the knowledge of yourstepfather?"
"As it happens, he spoke of coming into town to-day upon somemost important business. It is probable that he will be away allday, and that there would be nothing to disturb you. We have ahousekeeper now, but she is old and foolish, and I could easilyget her out of the way."
"Excellent. You are not averse to this trip, Watson?"
"By no means."
"Then we shall both come. What are you going to do yourself?"
"I have one or two things which I would wish to do now that I amin town. But I shall return by the twelve o'clock train, so as tobe there in time for your coming."
"And you may expect us early in the afternoon. I have myself somesmall business matters to attend to. Will you not wait andbreakfast?"
"No, I must go. My heart is lightened already since I haveconfided my trouble to you. I shall look forward to seeing youagain this afternoon." She dropped her thick black veil over herface and glided from the room.
"And what do you think of it all, Watson?" asked Sherlock Holmes,leaning back in his chair.
"It seems to me to be a most dark and sinister business."
"Dark enough and sinister enough."
"Yet if the lady is correct in saying that the flooring and wallsare sound, and that the door, window, and chimney are impassable,then her sister must have been undoubtedly alone when she met hermysterious end."
"What becomes, then, of these nocturnal whistles, and what of thevery peculiar words of the dying woman?"
"I cannot think."
"When you combine the ideas of whistles at night, the presence ofa band of gipsies who are on intimate terms with this old doctor,the fact that we have every reason to believe that the doctor hasan interest in preventing his stepdaughter's marriage, the dyingallusion to a band, and, finally, the fact that Miss Helen Stonerheard a metallic clang, which might have been caused by one ofthose metal bars that secured the shutters falling back into itsplace, I think that there is good ground to think that themystery may be cleared along those lines."
"But what, then, did the gipsies do?"
"I cannot imagine."
"I see many objections to any such theory."
"And so do I. It is precisely for that reason that we are goingto Stoke Moran this day. I want to see whether the objections arefatal, or if they may be explained away. But what in the name ofthe devil!"
The ejaculation had been drawn from my companion by the fact thatour door had been suddenly dashed open, and that a huge man hadframed himself in the aperture. His costume was a peculiarmixture of the professional and of the agricultural, having ablack top-hat, a long frock-coat, and a pair of high gaiters,with a hunting-crop swinging in his hand. So tall was he that hishat actually brushed the cross bar of the doorway, and hisbreadth seemed to span it across from side to side. A large face,seared with a thousand wrinkles, burned yellow with the sun, andmarked with every evil passion, was turned from one to the otherof us, while his deep-set, bile-shot eyes, and his high, thin,fleshless nose, gave him somewhat the resemblance to a fierce oldbird of prey.
"Which of you is Holmes?" asked this apparition.
"My name, sir; but you have the advantage of me," said mycompanion quietly.
"I am Dr. Grimesby Roylott, of Stoke Moran."
"Indeed, Doctor," said Holmes blandly. "Pray take a seat."
"I will do nothing of the kind. My stepdaughter has been here. Ihave traced her. What has she been saying to you?"