"I must have a peep through that, Watson. If you bend your back andsupport yourself upon the wall, I think that I can manage."
An instant later his feet were on my shoulders. But he was hardly upbefore he was down again.
"Come, my friend," said he, "our day's work has been quite long enough.I think that we have gathered all that we can. It's a long walk to theschool, and the sooner we get started the better."
He hardly opened his lips during that weary trudge across the moor, norwould he enter the school when he reached it, but went on to MackletonStation, whence he could send some telegrams. Late at night I heard himconsoling Dr. Huxtable, prostrated by the tragedy of his master's death,and later still he entered my room as alert and vigorous as he had beenwhen he started in the morning. "All goes well, my friend," said he. "Ipromise that before to-morrow evening we shall have reached the solutionof the mystery."
At eleven o'clock next morning my friend and I were walking up thefamous yew avenue of Holdernesse Hall. We were ushered through themagnificent Elizabethan doorway and into his Grace's study. There wefound Mr. James Wilder, demure and courtly, but with some trace of thatwild terror of the night before still lurking in his furtive eyes and inhis twitching features.
"You have come to see his Grace? I am sorry; but the fact is that theDuke is far from well. He has been very much upset by the tragic news.We received a telegram from Dr. Huxtable yesterday afternoon, which toldus of your discovery."
"I must see the Duke, Mr. Wilder."
"But he is in his room."
"Then I must go to his room."
"I believe he is in his bed."
"I will see him there."
Holmes's cold and inexorable manner showed the secretary that it wasuseless to argue with him.
"Very good, Mr. Holmes; I will tell him that you are here."
After half an hour's delay the great nobleman appeared. His face wasmore cadaverous than ever, his shoulders had rounded, and he seemed tome to be an altogether older man than he had been the morning before. Hegreeted us with a stately courtesy and seated himself at his desk, hisred beard streaming down on to the table.
"Well, Mr. Holmes?" said he.
But my friend's eyes were fixed upon the secretary, who stood by hismaster's chair.
"I think, your Grace, that I could speak more freely in Mr. Wilder'sabsence."
The man turned a shade paler and cast a malignant glance at Holmes.
"If your Grace wishes----"
"Yes, yes; you had better go. Now, Mr. Holmes, what have you to say?"
My friend waited until the door had closed behind the retreatingsecretary.
"The fact is, your Grace," said he, "that my colleague, Dr. Watson, andmyself had an assurance from Dr. Huxtable that a reward had been offeredin this case. I should like to have this confirmed from your own lips."
"Certainly, Mr. Holmes."
"It amounted, if I am correctly informed, to five thousand pounds toanyone who will tell you where your son is?"
"Exactly."
"And another thousand to the man who will name the person or persons whokeep him in custody?"
"Exactly."
"Under the latter heading is included, no doubt, not only those whomay have taken him away, but also those who conspire to keep him in hispresent position?"
"Yes, yes," cried the Duke, impatiently. "If you do your work well,Mr. Sherlock Holmes, you will have no reason to complain of niggardlytreatment."
My friend rubbed his thin hands together with an appearance of aviditywhich was a surprise to me, who knew his frugal tastes.