"Why, it is after nine now," I answered. "I should not besurprised if that were he. I thought I heard a ring."
It was, indeed, our friend the financier. I was shocked by thechange which had come over him, for his face which was naturallyof a broad and massive mould, was now pinched and fallen in,while his hair seemed to me at least a shade whiter. He enteredwith a weariness and lethargy which was even more painful thanhis violence of the morning before, and he dropped heavily intothe armchair which I pushed forward for him.
"I do not know what I have done to be so severely tried," saidhe. "Only two days ago I was a happy and prosperous man, withouta care in the world. Now I am left to a lonely and dishonouredage. One sorrow comes close upon the heels of another. My niece,Mary, has deserted me."
"Deserted you?"
"Yes. Her bed this morning had not been slept in, her room wasempty, and a note for me lay upon the hall table. I had said toher last night, in sorrow and not in anger, that if she hadmarried my boy all might have been well with him. Perhaps it wasthoughtless of me to say so. It is to that remark that she refersin this note:
"'MY DEAREST UNCLE:--I feel that I have brought trouble upon you,and that if I had acted differently this terrible misfortunemight never have occurred. I cannot, with this thought in mymind, ever again be happy under your roof, and I feel that I mustleave you forever. Do not worry about my future, for that isprovided for; and, above all, do not search for me, for it willbe fruitless labour and an ill-service to me. In life or indeath, I am ever your loving,--MARY.'
"What could she mean by that note, Mr. Holmes? Do you think itpoints to suicide?"
"No, no, nothing of the kind. It is perhaps the best possiblesolution. I trust, Mr. Holder, that you are nearing the end ofyour troubles."
"Ha! You say so! You have heard something, Mr. Holmes; you havelearned something! Where are the gems?"
"You would not think 1000 pounds apiece an excessive sum forthem?"
"I would pay ten."
"That would be unnecessary. Three thousand will cover the matter.And there is a little reward, I fancy. Have you your check-book?Here is a pen. Better make it out for 4000 pounds."
With a dazed face the banker made out the required check. Holmeswalked over to his desk, took out a little triangular piece ofgold with three gems in it, and threw it down upon the table.
With a shriek of joy our client clutched it up.
"You have it!" he gasped. "I am saved! I am saved!"
The reaction of joy was as passionate as his grief had been, andhe hugged his recovered gems to his bosom.
"There is one other thing you owe, Mr. Holder," said SherlockHolmes rather sternly.
"Owe!" He caught up a pen. "Name the sum, and I will pay it."
"No, the debt is not to me. You owe a very humble apology to thatnoble lad, your son, who has carried himself in this matter as Ishould be proud to see my own son do, should I ever chance tohave one."
"Then it was not Arthur who took them?"
"I told you yesterday, and I repeat to-day, that it was not."
"You are sure of it! Then let us hurry to him at once to let himknow that the truth is known."
"He knows it already. When I had cleared it all up I had aninterview with him, and finding that he would not tell me thestory, I told it to him, on which he had to confess that I wasright and to add the very few details which were not yet quiteclear to me. Your news of this morning, however, may open hislips."
"For heaven's sake, tell me, then, what is this extraordinarymystery!"
"I will do so, and I will show you the steps by which I reachedit. And let me say to you, first, that which it is hardest for meto say and for you to hear: there has been an understandingbetween Sir George Burnwell and your niece Mary. They have nowfled together."
"My Mary? Impossible!"
"It is unfortunately more than possible; it is certain. Neitheryou nor your son knew the true character of this man when youadmitted him into your family circle. He is one of the mostdangerous men in England--a ruined gambler, an absolutelydesperate villain, a man without heart or conscience. Your nieceknew nothing of such men. When he breathed his vows to her, as hehad done to a hundred before her, she flattered herself that shealone had touched his heart. The devil knows best what he said,but at least she became his tool and was in the habit of seeinghim nearly every evening."
"I cannot, and I will not, believe it!" cried the banker with anashen face.
"I will tell you, then, what occurred in your house last night.Your niece, when you had, as she thought, gone to your room,slipped down and talked to her lover through the window whichleads into the stable lane. His footmarks had pressed rightthrough the snow, so long had he stood there. She told him of thecoronet. His wicked lust for gold kindled at the news, and hebent her to his will. I have no doubt that she loved you, butthere are women in whom the love of a lover extinguishes allother loves, and I think that she must have been one. She hadhardly listened to his instructions when she saw you comingdownstairs, on which she closed the window rapidly and told youabout one of the servants' escapade with her wooden-
legged lover,which was all perfectly true.