"I have been ordained," cried the old rascal.
"And also unfrocked."
"Once a clergyman, always a clergyman.
"
"I think not. How about the license?"
"We had a license for the marriage. I have it here in my pocket."
"Then you got it by a trick. But in any case a forced marriage is nomarriage, but it is a very serious felony, as you will discover beforeyou have finished. You'll have time to think the point out during thenext ten years or so, unless I am mistaken. As to you, Carruthers, youwould have done better to keep your pistol in your pocket."
"I begin to think so, Mr. Holmes; but when I thought of all theprecaution I had taken to shield this girl--for I loved her, Mr. Holmes,and it is the only time that ever I knew what love was--it fairly droveme mad to think that she was in the power of the greatest brute andbully in South Africa, a man whose name is a holy terror from Kimberleyto Johannesburg. Why, Mr. Holmes, you'll hardly believe it, but eversince that girl has been in my employment I never once let her go pastthis house, where I knew these rascals were lurking, without followingher on my bicycle just to see that she came to no harm. I kept mydistance from her, and I wore a beard so that she should not recogniseme, for she is a good and high-spirited girl, and she wouldn't havestayed in my employment long if she had thought that I was following herabout the country roads."
"Why didn't you tell her of her danger?"
"Because then, again, she would have left me, and I couldn't bear toface that. Even if she couldn't love me it was a great deal to me justto see her dainty form about the house, and to hear the sound of hervoice."
"Well," said I, "you call that love, Mr. Carruthers, but I should callit selfishness."
"Maybe the two things go together. Anyhow, I couldn't let her go.Besides, with this crowd about, it was well that she should have someonenear to look after her. Then when the cable came I knew they were boundto make a move."
"What cable?"
Carruthers took a telegram from his pocket.
"That's it," said he.
It was short and concise:--
"The old man is dead."
"Hum!" said Holmes. "I think I see how things worked, and I canunderstand how this message would, as you say, bring them to a head. Butwhile we wait you might tell me what you can."
The old reprobate with the surplice burst into a volley of bad language.
"By Heaven," said he, "if you squeal on us, Bob Carruthers, I'll serveyou as you served Jack Woodley. You can bleat about the girl to yourheart's content, for that's your own affair, but if you round on yourpals to this plain-clothes copper it will be the worst day's work thatever you did."
"Your reverence need not be excited," said Holmes, lighting a cigarette."The case is clear enough against you, and all I ask is a few detailsfor my private curiosity. However, if there's any difficulty in yourtelling me I'll do the talking, and then you will see how far you havea chance of holding back your secrets. In the first place, three of youcame from South Africa on this game--you Williamson, you Carruthers, andWoodley."
"Lie number one," said the old man; "I never saw either of them untiltwo months ago, and I have never been in Africa in my life, so you canput that in your pipe and smoke it, Mr. Busybody Holmes!"
"What he says is true," said Carruthers.
"Well, well, two of you came over. His reverence is our own home-madearticle. You had known Ralph Smith in South Africa. You had reasonto believe he would not live long. You found out that his niece wouldinherit his fortune. How's that--eh?"
Carruthers nodded and Williamson swore.
"She was next-of-kin, no doubt, and you were aware that the old fellowwould make no will."
"Couldn't read or write," said Carruthers.
"So you came over, the two of you, and hunted up the girl. The ideawas that one of you was to marry her and the other have a share of theplunder. For some reason Woodley was chosen as the husband. Why wasthat?"
"We played cards for her on the voyage. He won."
"I see. You got the young lady into your service, and there Woodley wasto do the courting. She recognised the drunken brute that he was, andwould have nothing to do with him. Meanwhile, your arrangement wasrather upset by the fact that you had yourself fallen in love with thelady. You could no longer bear the idea of this ruffian owning her."