"What about the wine-glasses?"
"Can you see them in your mind's eye?"
"I see them clearly."
"We are told that three men drank from them. Does that strike you aslikely?"
"Why not? There was wine in each glass."
"Exactly; but there was bees-wing only in one glass. You must havenoticed that fact. What does that suggest to your mind?"
"The last glass filled would be most likely to contain bees-wing."
"Not at all. The bottle was full of it, and it is inconceivable thatthe first two glasses were clear and the third heavily charged with it.There are two possible explanations, and only two. One is that after thesecond glass was filled the bottle was violently agitated, and so thethird glass received the bees-wing. That does not appear probable. No,no; I am
sure that I am right."
"What, then, do you suppose?"
"That only two glasses were used, and that the dregs of both were pouredinto a third glass, so as to give the false impression that three peoplehad been here. In that way all the bees-wing would be in the last glass,would it not? Yes, I am convinced that this is so. But if I have hitupon the true explanation of this one small phenomenon, then inan instant the case rises from the commonplace to the exceedinglyremarkable, for it can only mean that Lady Brackenstall and her maidhave deliberately lied to us, that not one word of their story is to bebelieved, that they have some very strong reason for covering the realcriminal, and that we must construct our case for ourselves without anyhelp from them. That is the mission which now lies before us, and here,Watson, is the Chislehurst train."
The household of the Abbey Grange were much surprised at our return, butSherlock Holmes, finding that Stanley Hopkins had gone off to report tohead-quarters, took possession of the dining-room, locked the door uponthe inside, and devoted himself for two hours to one of those minuteand laborious investigations which formed the solid basis on which hisbrilliant edifices of deduction were reared. Seated in a corner like aninterested student who observes the demonstration of his professor,I followed every step of that remarkable research. The window, thecurtains, the carpet, the chair, the rope--each in turn was minutelyexamined and duly pondered. The body of the unfortunate baronet had beenremoved, but all else remained as we had seen it in the morning. Then,to my astonishment, Holmes climbed up on to the massive mantelpiece. Farabove his head hung the few inches of red cord which were still attachedto the wire. For a long time he gazed upward at it, and then in anattempt to get nearer to it he rested his knee upon a wooden bracket onthe wall. This brought his hand within a few inches of the broken end ofthe rope, but it was not this so much as the bracket itself which seemedto engage his attention. Finally he sprang down with an ejaculation ofsatisfaction.
"It's all right, Watson," said he. "We have got our case--one of themost remarkable in our collection. But, dear me, how slow-witted I havebeen, and how nearly I have committed the blunder of my lifetime! Now, Ithink that with a few missing links my chain is almost complete."
"You have got your men?"
"Man, Watson, man. Only one, but a very formidable person. Strong as alion--witness the blow that bent that poker. Six foot three in height,active as a squirrel, dexterous with his fingers; finally, remarkablyquick-witted, for this whole ingenious story is of his concoction. Yes,Watson, we have come upon the handiwork of a very remarkable individual.And yet in that bell-rope he has given us a clue which should not haveleft us a doubt."
"Where was the clue?"
"Well, if you were to pull down a bell-rope, Watson, where would youexpect it to break? Surely at the spot where it is attached to the wire.Why should it break three inches from the top as this one has done?"
"Because it is frayed there?"
"Exactly. This end, which we can examine, is frayed. He was cunningenough to do that with his knife. But the other end is not frayed. Youcould not observe that from here, but if you were on the mantelpiece youwould see that it is cut clean off without any mark of fraying whatever.You can reconstruct what occurred. The man needed the rope. He would nottear it down for fear of giving the alarm by ringing the bell. What didhe do? He sprang up on the mantelpiece, could not quite reach it, puthis knee on the bracket--you will see the impression in the dust--and sogot his knife to bear upon the cord. I could not reach the place by atleast three inches, from which I infer that he is at least three inchesa bigger man than I. Look at that mark upon the seat of the oaken chair!What is it?"
"Blood."
"Undoubtedly it is blood. This alone puts the lady's story out of court.If she were seated on the chair when the crime was done, how comesthat mark? No, no; she was placed in the chair AFTER the death of herhusband. I'll wager that the black dress shows a corresponding mark tothis. We have not yet met our Waterloo, Watson, but this is our Marengo,for it begins in defeat and ends in victory. I should like now to have afew words with the nurse Theresa. We must be wary for awhile, if we areto get the information which we want."
She was an interesting person, this stern Australian nurse. Taciturn,suspicious, ungracious, it took some time before Holmes's pleasantmanner and frank acceptance of all that she said thawed her into acorresponding amiability. She did not attempt to conceal her hatred forher late employer.
"Yes, sir, it is true that he threw the decanter at me. I heard him callmy mistress a name, and I told him that he would not dare to speak so ifher brother had been there. Then it was that he threw it at me. He mighthave thrown a dozen if he had but left my bonny bird alone. He was forever ill-treating her, and she too proud to complain. She will not eventell me all that he has done to her. She never told me of those marks onher arm that you saw this morning, but I know very well that they comefrom a stab with a hat-pin. The sly fiend--Heaven forgive me that Ishould speak of him so, now that he is dead, but a fiend he was ifever one walked the earth. He was all honey when first we met him, onlyeighteen months ago, and we both feel as if it were eighteen years. Shehad only just arrived in London. Yes, it was her first voyage--she hadnever been from home before. He won her with his title and his moneyand his false London ways. If she made a mistake she has paid for it,if ever a woman did. What month did we meet him? Well, I tell you it wasjust after we arrived. We arrived in June, and it was July. They weremarried in January of last year. Yes, she is down in the morning-roomagain, and I have no doubt she will see you, but you must not ask toomuch of her, for she has gone through all that flesh and blood willstand."
Lady Brackenstall was reclining on the same couch, but looked brighterthan before. The maid had entered with us, and began once more to fomentthe bruise upon her mistress's brow.
"I hope," said the lady, "that you have not come to cross-examine meagain?"
"No," Holmes answered, in his gentlest voice, "I will not cause you anyunnecessary trouble, Lady Brackenstall, and my whole desire is to makethings easy for you, for I am convinced that you are a much-tried woman.If you will treat me as a friend and trust me you may find that I willjustify your trust."
"What do you want me to do?"
"To tell me the truth."
"Mr. Holmes!"
"No, no, Lady Brackenstall, it is no use. You may have heard of anylittle reputation which I possess. I will stake it all on the fact thatyour story is an absolute fabrication."