"Yes, Mr. Holmes. The Randall gang were arrested in New York thismorning."
"Dear me, Hopkins! That is certainly rather against your theory thatthey committed a murder in Kent last night."
"It is fatal, Mr. Holmes, absolutely fatal. Still, there are other gangsof three besides the Randalls, or it may be some new gang of which thepolice have never heard."
"Quite so; it is perfectly possible. What, are you off?"
"Yes, Mr. Holmes; there is no rest for me until I have got to the bottomof the business. I suppose you have no hint to give me?"
"I have given you one."
"Which?"
"Well, I suggested a blind."
"But why, Mr. Holmes, why?"
"Ah, that's the question, of course. But I commend the idea to yourmind. You might possibly find that there was something in it. You won'tstop for dinner? Well, good-bye, and let us know how you get on."
Dinner was over and the table cleared before Holmes alluded to thematter again. He had lit his pipe and held his slippered feet to thecheerful blaze of the fire. Suddenly he looked at his watch.
"I expect developments, Watson."
"When?"
"Now--within a few minutes. I dare say you thought I acted rather badlyto Stanley Hopkins just now?"
"I trust your judgment."
"A very sensible reply, Watson. You must look at it this way: whatI know is unofficial; what he knows is official. I have the right toprivate judgment, but he has none. He must disclose all, or he is atraitor to his service. In a doubtful case I would not put him in sopainful a position, and so I reserve my information until my own mind isclear upon the matter."
"But when will that be?"
"The time has come. You will now be present at the last scene of aremarkable little drama."
There was a sound upon the stairs, and our door was opened to admit asfine a specimen of manhood as ever passed through it. He was a verytall young man, golden-moustached, blue-eyed, with a skin which had beenburned by tropical suns, and a springy step which showed that the hugeframe was as active as it was strong. He closed the door behind him, andthen he stood with clenched hands and heaving breast, choking down someovermastering emotion.
"Sit down, Captain Croker. You got my telegram?"
Our visitor sank into an arm-chair and looked from one to the other ofus with questioning eyes.
"I got your telegram, and I came at the hour you said. I heard that youhad been down to the office. There was no getting away from you. Let'shear the worst. What are you going to do with me? Arrest me? Speak out,man! You can't sit there and play with me like a cat with a mouse."
"Give him a cigar," said Holmes. "Bite on that, Captain Croker, anddon't let your nerves run away with you. I should not sit here smokingwith you if I thought that you were a common criminal, you may be sureof that. Be frank with me, and we may do some good. Play tricks with me,and I'll crush you."
"What do you wish me to do?"
"To give me a true account of all that happened at the Abbey Grange lastnight--a TRUE account, mind you, with nothing added and nothing takenoff. I know so much already that if you go one inch off the straightI'll blow this police whistle from my window and the affair goes out ofmy hands for ever."
The sailor thought for a little. Then he struck his leg with his great,sun-burned hand.
"I'll chance it," he cried. "I believe you are a man of your word, anda white man, and I'll tell you the whole story. But one thing I will sayfirst. So far as I am concerned I regret nothing and I fear nothing, andI would do it all again and be proud of the job. Curse the beast, ifhe had as many lives as a cat he would owe them all to me! But it'sthe lady, Mary--Mary Fraser--for never will I call her by that accursedname. When I think of getting her into trouble, I who would give my lifejust to bring one smile to her dear face, it's that that turns my soulinto water. And yet--and yet--what less could I do? I'll tell you mystory, gentlemen, and then I'll ask you as man to man what less could Ido.
"I must go back a bit. You seem to know everything, so I expect that youknow that I met her when she was a passenger and I was first officerof the ROCK OF GIBRALTAR. From the first day I met her she was the onlywoman to me. Every day of that voyage I loved her more, and many a timesince have I kneeled down in the darkness of the night watch and kissedthe deck of that ship because I knew her dear feet had trod it. She wasnever engaged to me. She treated me as fairly as ever a woman treateda man. I have no complaint to make. It was all love on my side, and allgood comradeship and friendship on hers. When we parted she was a freewoman, but I could never again be a free man.
"Next time I came back from se
a I heard of her marriage. Well, whyshouldn't she marry whom she liked? Title and money--who could carrythem better than she? She was born for all that is beautiful and dainty.I didn't grieve over her marriage. I was not such a selfish hound asthat. I just rejoiced that good luck had come her way, and that she hadnot thrown herself away on a penniless sailor. That's how I loved MaryFraser.