"Yes."
"Is there a cellar with a good strong lock?"
"Yes, the wine-cellar."
"You seem to me to have acted all through this matter like a verybrave and sensible girl, Miss Hunter. Do you think that you couldperform one more feat? I should not ask it of you if I did notthink you a quite exceptional woman."
"I will try. What is it?"
"We shall be at the Copper Beeches by seven o'clock, my friendand I. The Rucastles will be gone by that time, and Toller will,we hope, be incapable. There only remains Mrs. Toller, who mightgive the alarm. If you could send her into the cellar on someerrand, and then turn the key upon her, you would facilitatematters immensely."
"I will do it."
"Excellent! We shall then look thoroughly into the affair. Ofcourse there is only one feasible explanation. You have beenbrought there to personate someone, and the real person isimprisoned in this chamber. That is obvious. As to who thisprisoner is, I have no doubt that it is the daughter, Miss AliceRucastle, if I remember right, who was said to have gone toAmerica. You were chosen, doubtless, as resembling her in height,figure, and the colour of your hair. Hers had been cut off, verypossibly in some illness through which she has passed, and so, ofcourse, yours had to be sacrificed also. By a curious chance youcame upon her tresses. The man in the road was undoubtedly somefriend of hers--possibly her fiance--and no doubt, as you worethe girl's dress and were so like her, he was convinced from yourlaughter, whenever he saw you, and afterwards from your gesture,that Miss Rucastle was perfectly happy, and that she no longerdesired his attentions. The dog is let loose at night to preventhim from endeavouring to communicate with her. So much is fairlyclear. The most serious point in the case is the disposition ofthe child."
"What on earth has that to do with it?" I ejaculated.
"My dear Watson, you as a medical man are continually gaininglight as to the tendencies of a child by the study of theparents. Don't you see that the converse is equally valid. I havefrequently gained my first real insight into the character ofparents by studying their children. This child's disposition isabnormally cruel, merely for cruelty's sake, and whether hederives this from his smiling father, as I should suspect, orfrom his mother, it bodes evil for the poor girl who is in theirpower."
"I am sure that you are right, Mr. Holmes," cried our client. "Athousand things come back to me which make me certain that youhave hit it. Oh, let us lose not an instant in bringing help tothis poor creature."
"We must be circumspect, for we are dealing with a very cunningman. We can do nothing until seven o'clock. At that hour we shallbe with you, and it will not be long before we solve themystery."
We were as good as our word, for it was just seven when wereached the Copper Beeches, having put up our trap at a waysidepublic-house. The group of trees, with their dark leaves shininglike burnished metal in the light of the setting sun, weresufficient to mark the house even had Miss Hunter not beenstanding smiling on the door-step.
"Have you managed it?" asked Holmes.
A loud thudding noise came from somewhere downstairs. "That isMrs. Toller in the cellar," said she. "Her husband lies snoringon the kitchen rug. Here are his keys, which are the duplicatesof Mr. Rucastle's."
"You have done well indeed!" cried Holmes with enthusiasm. "Nowlead the way, and we shall soon see the end of this blackbusiness."
We passed up the stair, unlocked the door, followed on down apassage, and found ourselves in front of the barricade which MissHunter had described. Holmes cut the cord and removed thetransverse bar. Then he tried the various keys in the lock, butwithout success. No sound came from within, and at the silenceHolmes' face clouded over.
"I trust that we are not too late," said he. "I think, MissHunter, that we had better go in without you. Now, Watson, putyour shoulder to it, and we shall see whether we cannot make ourway in."
It was an old rickety door and gave at once before our unitedstrength. Together we rushed into the room. It was empty. Therewas no furniture save a little pallet bed, a small table, and abasketful of linen. The skylight above was open, and the prisonergone.
"There has been some villainy here," said Holmes; "this beautyhas guessed Miss Hunter's intentions and has carried his victimoff."
"But how?"
"Through the skylight. We shall soon see how he managed it." Heswung himself up onto the roof. "Ah, yes," he cried, "here's theend of a long light ladder against the eaves. That is how he didit."
"But it is impossible," said Miss Hunter; "the ladder was notthere when the Rucastles went away."
"He has come back and done it. I tell you that he is a clever anddangerous man. I should not be very much surprised if this werehe whose step I hear now upon the stair. I think, Watson, that itwould be as well for you to have your pistol ready."
The words were hardly out of his mouth before a man appeared atthe door of the room, a very fat and burly man, with a heavystick in his hand. Miss Hunter screamed and shrunk against thewall at the sight of him, but Sherlock Holmes sprang forward andconfronted him.
"You villain!" said he, "where's your daughter?"
The fat man cast his eyes round, and then up at the openskylight.
"It is for me to ask you that," he shrieked, "you thieves! Spiesand thieves! I have caught you, have I? You are in my power. I'llserve you!" He turned and clattered down the stairs as hard as hecould go.
"He's gone for the dog!" cried Miss Hunter.
"I have my revolver," said I.