September 29, 2023 • 59 mins
"The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet" follows Alexander Holder, who entrusts a valuable coronet to his care. The coronet is stolen, and Holder's son is suspected. Holmes investigates, uncovering the son's misguided attempt to impress a woman by borrowing the coronet. However, her unscrupulous fiancé damages it while attempting to steal the gems. Holmes retrieves most of the missing stones but exposes the fiancé's deceitful nature. The story concludes with partial recovery of the coronet and lessons about trust, family, and the consequences of misplaced trust in pursuit of affection.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Adventure eleven of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This LibriVox
recording is in the public domain and is read by
Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Adventure eleven the Adventure
of the Burl Coronet, Holmes said, I, as I stood
(00:26):
one morning in our bow window looking down the street,
here is a madman coming along. It seems rather sad
that his relatives should allow him to come out alone.
My friend rose lazily from his arm chair and stood
with his hands in the pockets of his dressing gown,
looking over my shoulder. It was a bright, crisp February morning,
(00:47):
and the snow of the day before still lay deep
upon the ground, shimmering brightly in the wintry sun. Down
the center of Baker Street, it had been plowed into
a brown, crumbly band by the traffic, but at either side,
and on the heaped up edges of the footpaths, it
still lay as white as when it fell. The gray
pavement had been cleaned and scraped, but was still dangerously slippery,
(01:11):
so that there were fewer passengers than usual indeed, from
the direction of the Metropolitan station, no one was coming
save the single gentleman whose eccentric conduct had drawn my attention.
He was a man of about fifty tall, portly and imposing,
with a massive, strongly marked face and a commanding figure.
(01:33):
He was dressed in a somber yet rich style, in
black frock coat, shining hat, neat brown gaiters, and well
cut pearl gray trousers. Yet his actions were in absurd
contrast to the dignity of his dress and features, for
he was running hard with occasional little springs, such as
a weary man gives who is little accustomed to set
(01:55):
any tax upon his legs. As he ran, he jerked
his hands up and down, waggled his head, and writhed
his face into the most extraordinary contortions. What on earth
can be the matter with him? I asked? He is
looking up at the numbers of the houses. I believe
that he is coming here, said Holmes, rubbing his hands here. Yes,
(02:21):
I rather think he is coming to consult me professionally.
I think that I recognized the symptoms. Ha, did I
not tell you? As he spoke, the man, puffing and blowing,
rushed at our door and pulled at our bell until
the whole house resounded with the clanging. A few moments
later he was in our room, still puffing, still gesticulating,
(02:44):
but with so fixed a look of grief and despair
in his eyes that our smiles were turned in an
instant to horror and pity. For a while, he could
not get his words out, but swayed his body and
plucked at his hair, like one who has been driven
to the extreme limits of his reason. Then, suddenly springing
to his feet, he beat his head against the wall
(03:06):
with such force that we both rushed upon him and
tore him away to the center of the room. Sherlock
Holmes pushed him down into the easy chair, and, sitting
beside him, patted his hand and chatted with him in
the easy, soothing tones which he knew so well how
to employ. You have come to tell me your story,
(03:27):
have you not, said? He? You are fatigued with your haste. Pray,
wait until you have recovered yourself, and then I shall
be most happy to look into any little problem which
you may submit to me. The man sat for a
minute or more with a heaving chest, fighting against his emotion.
Then he passed his handkerchief over his brow, set his
(03:49):
lips tight, and turned his face towards us. No doubt
you think me mad, said he. I see that you
have had some great trouble, responded Holmes, God knows I
have a trouble which is enough to unseat my reason.
So sudden and so terrible is it public disgrace I
(04:12):
might have faced. Although I am a man whose character
has never yet borne a stain. Private affliction also is
the lot of every man. But the two, coming together
and in so frightful a form, have been enough to
shake my very soul. Besides, it is not I alone.
The very noblest in the land may suffer unless some
(04:34):
way be found out of this horrible affair. Pray, compose yourself, sir,
said Holmes, and let me have a clear account of
who you are and what it is that has befallen you.
My name, answered our visitor, is probably familiar to your ears.
I am Alexander Holder of the banking firm of Holder
(04:57):
and Stevenson of Threadneedle Street. The name was indeed well
known to us, as belonging to the senior partner in
the second largest private banking concern in the city of London.
What could have happened then, to bring one of the
foremost citizens of London to this most pitiable pass. We
waited all curiosity, until with another effort, he braced himself
(05:21):
to tell his story. I feel that time is of value,
said he. That is why I hastened here. When the
police inspector suggested that I should secure your cooperation. I
came to Baker Street by the underground and hurried from
there on foot, for the cabs go slowly through the snow.
(05:42):
That is why I was so out of breath, For
I am a man who takes very little exercise. I
feel better now, and I will put the facts before
you as shortly and yet as clearly as I can.
It is of course well known to you that in
a successful banking business, as much depends upon our being
(06:04):
able to find remunerative investments for our funds, as upon
our increasing our connection and the number of our depositors.
One of our most lucrative means of laying out money
is in the shape of loans, where the security is unimpeachable.
We have done a good deal in this direction during
the last few years, and there are many noble families
(06:27):
to whom we have advanced large sums upon the security
of their pictures, libraries or plate. Yesterday morning, I was
seated in my office at the bank when a card
was brought in to me by one of the clerks.
I started when I saw the name, for it was
that of none other than well, perhaps even to you.
(06:48):
I had better say no more than that. It was
a name which is a household word all over the earth,
one of the highest, noblest, most exalted names in England.
I was overwhelmed by the honor, and attempted when he
entered to say so, but he plunged it once into
business with the air of a man who wishes to
(07:09):
hurry quickly through a disagreeable task. Mister Holder said he,
I have been informed that you are in the habit
of advancing money. The firm does so when the security
is good. I answered, it is absolutely essential to me,
said he, that I should have fifty thousand pounds at once.
(07:32):
I could, of course borrow so trifling a sum ten
times over from my friends, but I am much preferred
to make it a matter of business, and to carry
out that business myself. In my position, you can readily
understand that it is unwise to place oneself under obligations
for how long may I ask? Do you want this sum?
(07:54):
I asked next Monday. I have a large sum due
to me, and I shall then I most certainly repay
what you advance, with whatever interest you think it right
to charge. But it is very essential to me that
the money should be paid at once. I should be
happy to advance it without further parley from my own
(08:15):
private purse, said I. Were it not that the strain
would be rather more than it could bear. If, on
the other hand, I am to do it in the
name of the firm, then in justice to my partner,
I must insist that, even in your case, every business
like precaution should be taken. I should much prefer to
(08:37):
have it, so, said he, raising up a square black
Morocco case which he had laid beside his chair. You
have doubtless heard of the burl coronet, one of the
most precious public possessions of the Empire, said I precisely.
He opened the case, and there, embedded in soft flesh
(08:59):
colored velvet lay the magnificent piece of jewelry which he
had named. There are thirty nine enormous burls, said he,
and the price of the gold chasing is incalculable. The
lowest estimate would put the worth of the coronet at
double the sum which I have asked. I am prepared
to leave it with you as my security. I took
(09:21):
the precious case into my hands and looked in some
perplexity from it to my illustrious client. You doubt its value,
he asked, Not at all. I only doubt the propriety
of my leaving it. You may set your mind at
rest about that. I should not dream of doing so
(09:42):
were it not absolutely certain that I should be able
in four days to reclaim it. It is a pure
matter of form. Is the security sufficient ample? You understand,
mister holder, that I am giving you a strong proof
of the confidence which I have you founded upon all
that I have heard of you. I rely upon you
(10:05):
not only to be discreet and to refrain from all
gossip upon the matter, but above all to preserve this
coronet with every possible precaution, because I need not say
that a great public scandal would be caused if any
harm were to befall it. Any injury to it would
be almost as serious as its complete loss, For there
(10:26):
are no burrels in the world to match these, and
it would be impossible to replace them. I leave it
with you, however, with every confidence, and I shall call
for it in person on Monday morning. Seeing that my
client was anxious to leave, I said no more, but
calling for my cashier, I ordered him to pay over
(10:47):
fifty one thousand pound notes. When I was alone once more, however,
with a precious case lying upon the table in front
of me, I could not but think with some misgivings,
of the immense responsibility which it entailed upon me. There
could be no doubt that, as it was a national possession,
(11:07):
a horrible scandal would ensue if any misfortune should occur
to it. I already regretted, having ever consented to take
charge of it. However, it was too late to alter
the matter now, so I locked it up in my
private safe and turned once more to my work. When
evening came, I felt that it would be an imprudence
(11:28):
to leave so precious a thing in the office behind me.
Banker's safes have been forced before now, and why should
not mine be. If so, how terrible would be the
position in which I should find myself. I determined therefore
that for the next few days I would always carry
the case backward and forward with me, so that it
(11:49):
might never be really out of my reach. With this intention,
I called a cab and drove out to my house
at Streatham, carrying the jewel with me. I did not
breathe freedom until I had taken it upstairs and locked
it in the bureau of my dressing room. And now
a word as to my household, mister Holmes, for I
wish you to thoroughly understand the situation. My groom and
(12:13):
my page sleep out of the house and may be
set aside. Altogether. I have three maid servants who have
been with me a number of years, and whose absolute
reliability is quite above suspicion. Another, Lucy Parr, the second
waiting maid, has only been in my service a few months.
She came with an excellent character, however, and has always
(12:36):
given me satisfaction. She is a very pretty girl and
has attracted admirers who have occasionally hung about the place.
That is the only drawback which we have found to her.
But we believe her to be a thoroughly good girl
in every way. So much for the servants. My family
itself is so small that it will not take me
(12:57):
long to describe it. I am a wi her and
have an only son, Arthur. He has been a disappointment
to me, mister Holmes, a grievous disappointment. I have no
doubt that I am myself to blame. People tell me
that I have spoiled him. Very likely I have. When
my dear wife died, I felt that he was all
(13:18):
I had to love. I could not bear to see
the smile fade, even for a moment, from his face.
I have never denied him a wish. Perhaps it would
have been better for both of us had I been sterner,
but I meant it for the best. It was naturally
my intention that he should succeed me in my business.
(13:38):
But he was not of a business turn. He was wild, wayward,
and to speak the truth, I could not trust him
in the handling of large sums of money. When he
was young, he became a member of an aristocratic club,
and there, having charming manners, he was soon the intimate
of a number of men with long purses and expensive
(13:59):
have He learned to play heavily at cards and to
squander money on the turf until he had to gain,
and agained to come to me and implore me to
give him an advance upon his allowance, that he might
settle his debts of honor. He tried more than once
to break away from the dangerous company which he was keeping,
(14:19):
but each time the influence of his friend, Sir George
Burnwell was enough to draw him back again. And indeed
I could not wonder that such a man as Sir
George Burnwell should gain an influence over him, for he
has frequently brought him to my house, and I have
found myself that I could hardly resist the fascination of
(14:40):
his manner. He is older than Arthur, a man of
the world to his finger tips, one who has been everywhere,
seen everything, a brilliant talker, and a man of great
personal beauty. Yet when I think of him in cold Blood,
far away from the glamor of his presence, I am convinced,
(15:00):
from his cynical speech and the look which I have
caught in his eyes, that he is one who should
be deeply distrusted. So I think, and so too thinks
my little Mary, who has a woman's quick insight into character.
And now there is only she to be described. She
is my niece. But when my brother died five years ago,
(15:22):
and left her alone in the world. I adopted her
and have looked upon her ever since as my daughter.
She is a sunbeam in my house, sweet, loving, beautiful,
a wonderful manager and housekeeper, yet as tender and quiet
and gentle as a woman could be. She is my
right hand I do not know what I could do
(15:44):
without her. In only one matter has she ever gone
against my wishes. Twice my boy has asked her to
marry him, for he loves her devotedly, but each time
she has refused him. I think that if anyone could
have drawn him into the right path, it would have
been she, and that his marriage might have changed his
whole life. But now, alas it is too late, forever
(16:08):
too late. Now, mister Holmes, you know the people who
live under my roof, and I shall continue with my
miserable story. When we were taking coffee in the drawing
room that night after dinner, I told Arthur and Marry
my experience and of the precious treasure which we had
under our roof, suppressing only the name of my client,
(16:31):
Lucy Parr, who had brought in the coffee. Had I
am sure left the room, but I cannot swear that
the door was closed. Mary and Arthur were much interested
and wished to see the famous coronet, but I thought
it better not to disturb it. Where have you put it,
asked Arthur in my own bureau. Well, I hope to
(16:54):
goodness the house won't be burgled during the night, said he.
It is locked up. I answered, Oh, any old key
will fit that bureau. When I was a youngster, I
have opened it myself with the key of the box
room cupboard. He often had a wild way of talking,
so that I thought little of what he said. He
(17:15):
followed me to my room. However, that night with a
very grave face. Look here, Dad, said he, with his
eyes cast down. Can you let me have two hundred pounds? No?
I cannot, I answered sharply. I have been far too
generous with you in money matters. You have been very kind,
(17:36):
said he. But I must have this money or else
I can never show my face inside the club again.
And a very good thing too, I cried, yes, But
you would not have me leave it. A dishonored man
said he. I could not bear the disgrace. I must
raise the money in some way, and if you will
not let me have it, then I must try other means.
(18:01):
I was very angry, for this was the third demand
during the month. You shall not have a farthing from me,
I cried, on which he bowed and left the room
without another word. When he was gone, I unlocked my bureau,
made sure that my treasure was safe, and locked it again.
Then I started to go round the house to see
(18:22):
that all was secure, a duty which I usually leave
to marry, but which I thought it well to perform myself.
That night. As I came down the stairs, I saw
Mary herself at the side window of the hall, which
she closed and fastened as I approached, tell me, Dad
said she looking, I thought a little disturbed. Did you
(18:43):
give Lucy the maid leave to go out to night?
Certainly not. She came in just now by the back door.
I have no doubt that she has only been to
the side gate to see someone. But I think that
it is hardly safe and should be stopped. You must
speak to her in the morning, or I will if
you prefer it. Are you sure that everything is fastened?
(19:06):
Quite sure? Dad? Then good night. I kissed her and
went up to my bedroom again, where I was soon asleep.
I am endeavoring to tell you everything, mister holmes which
may have any bearing upon the case. But I beg
that you will question me upon any point which I
do not make clear. On the contrary, your statement is
(19:28):
singularly lucid. I come to a part of my story
now in which I should wish to be particularly so.
I am not a very heavy sleeper, and the anxiety
in my mind tended, no doubt to make me even
less so than usual. About two in the morning, then
I was awakened by some sound in the house. It
(19:50):
had ceased ere I was wide awake, but it had
left an impression behind it, as though a window had
gently closed somewhere. I lay listening with all my ear. Suddenly,
to my horror, there was a distinct sound of footsteps
moving softly in the next room. I slipped out of bed,
all palpitating with fear, and peeped round the corner of
(20:12):
my dressing room door. Arthur. I screamed, you villain, you thief,
how dare you touch that coronet? The gas was half
up as I had left it, and my unhappy boy,
dressed only in his shirt and trousers, was standing beside
the light, holding the coronet in his hands. He appeared
(20:33):
to be wrenching at it or bending it with all
his strength. At my cry, he dropped it from his
grasp and turned as pale as death. I snatched it
up and examined it. One of the gold corners with
three of the burrels in it was missing, you, blackard,
I shouted beside myself with rage. You have destroyed it.
(20:54):
You have dishonored me forever. Where are the jewels which
you have stolen? Stolen? He cried, Yes, thief, I roared,
shaking him by the shoulder. There are none missing. There
cannot be any missing, said he. There are three missing,
and you know where they are. Must I call you
(21:15):
a liar as well as a thief. Did I not
see you trying to tear off another piece? You have
called me names? Enough, said he. I will not stand
it any longer. I shall not say another word about
this business. Since you have chosen to insult me. I
will leave your house in the morning and make my
own way in the world. You shall leave it in
(21:36):
the hands of the police, I cried, half mad with
grief and rage. I shall have this matter probed to
the bottom. You shall learn nothing from me, said he.
With a passion such as I should not have thought
was in his nature. If you choose to call the police,
let the police find what they can. By this time
(21:57):
the whole house was astir for I had raised my
voice in my anger. Mary was the first to rush
into my room, and at the sight of the coronet
and of Arthur's face, she read the whole story, and
with a scream, fell down senseless on the ground. I
sent the housemaid for the police and put the investigation
(22:17):
into their hands at once. When the inspector and a
constable entered the house, Arthur, who had stood sullenly with
his arms folded, asked me whether it was my intention
to charge him with theft. I answered that it had
ceased to be a private matter, but had become a
public one, since the ruined coronet was national property. I
(22:39):
was determined that the law should have its way in
everything at least, said he. You will not have me
arrested at once. It would be to your advantage as
well as mine if I might leave the house for
five minutes, that you may get away, and perhaps that
you may conceal what you have stolen, said I, And then,
(23:00):
realizing the dreadful position in which I was placed, I
implored him to remember that not only my honor, but
that of one who was far greater than I, was
at stake, and that he threatened to raise a scandal
which would convulse the nation. He might avert it all
if he would but tell me what he had done
with the three missing stones. You may as well face
(23:22):
the matter, said I. You have been caught in the act,
and no confession could make your guilt more Highness. If
you but make such reparation as is in your power
by telling us where the birls are, all shall be
forgiven and forgotten. Keep your forgiveness for those who ask
for it, he answered, turning away from me with a sneer.
(23:45):
I saw that he was too hardened for any words
of mine to influence him. There was but one way
for it. I called in the inspector and gave him
into custody. A search was made at once, not only
of his person, but of his room, and of every
portion of the house where he could possibly have concealed
the gems. But no trace of them could be found,
(24:07):
Nor would the wretched boy open his mouth. For all
our persuasions and our threats. This morning he was removed
to a cell and I, after going through all the
police formalities, have hurried round to you to implore you
to use your skill in unraveling the matter. The police
have openly confessed that they can at present make nothing
(24:27):
of it. You may go to any expense which you
think necessary. I have already offered a reward of one
thousand pounds. My god, what shall I do? I have
lost my honor, my gems, and my son in one night.
Oh what shall I do? He put a hand on
either side of his head and rocked himself to and fro,
(24:50):
droning to himself like a child whose grief has got
beyond words. Sherlock Holm sat silent for some few minutes,
with his brows knitted and his eyes fixed upon the fire.
Do you receive much company? He asked, None save my
partner with his family, and an occasional friend of Arthur's,
(25:12):
Sir George Burnwell, has been several times lately, no one else,
I think. Do you go out much in society? Arthur?
Does Mary and I stay at home? We neither of
us care for it. That is unusual in a young girl.
She is of a quiet nature. Besides, she is not
(25:33):
so very young. She is four and twenty. This matter,
from what you say, seems to have been a shock
to her also terrible. She is even more affected than I.
You have neither of you any doubt as to your
son's guilt. How can we have? When I saw him
with my own eyes, with the coronet in his hands,
(25:57):
I hardly consider that a conclusive proof. Was the remainder
of the coronet at all injured? Yes, it was twisted.
Do you not think then that he might have been
trying to straighten it? God bless you. You are doing
what you can for him and for me, But it
is too heavy a task. What was he doing there
(26:18):
at all? If his purpose were innocent, why did he
not say so precisely? And if it were guilty, why
did he not invent a lie? His silence appears to
me to cut both ways. There are several singular points
about the case. What did the police think of the
noise which awoke you from your sleep? They considered that
(26:42):
it might be caused by Arthur's closing his bedroom door,
a likely story, as if a man bent on felony
would slam his door so as to wake a household.
What did they say, then, of the disappearance of these gems.
They are still sounding the planking and probing the furniture
in the hope of finding them. Have they thought of
(27:03):
looking outside the house? Yes, they have shown extraordinary energy.
The whole garden has already been minutely examined. Now, my
dear sir, said Holmes, is it not obvious to you
now that this matter really strikes very much deeper than
either you or the police were at first inclined to think.
(27:25):
It appeared to you to be a simple case. To me,
it seems exceedingly complex. Consider what is involved by your theory.
You suppose that your son came down from his bed,
went at great risk to your dressing room, opened your bureau,
took out your coronet, broke off by main force a
(27:46):
small portion of it, went to some other place, concealed
three gems out of the thirty nine with such skill
that nobody can find them, and then returned with the
other thirty six into the room in which he exposed
himself to the greatest danger of being discovered. I ask
you now, is such a theory tenable? But what other
(28:08):
is there? Cried the banker, with a gesture of despair.
If his motives were innocent, why does he not explain them.
It is our task to find that out, replied Holmes.
So now, if you please, mister Holder, we will set
off for Streatham together and devote an hour to glancing
a little more closely into details. My friend insisted upon
(28:33):
my accompanying them and their expedition, which I was eager
enough to do, for my curiosity and sympathy were deeply
stirred by the story to which we had listened. I
confess that the guilt of the banker's son appeared to
me to be as obvious as it did to his
unhappy father. But still I had such faith in Holmes's
judgment that I felt there must be some grounds for
(28:55):
hope as long as he was dissatisfied with the accepted explanation.
He hardly spoke a word the whole way out to
the southern suburb, but sat with his chin upon his
breast and his hat drawn over his eyes, sunk in
the deepest thought. Our Clyde appeared to have taken fresh
heart at the little glimpse of hope which had been
presented to him, and he even broke into a desultory
(29:19):
chat with me over his business affairs. A short railway
journey and a shorter walk brought us to Fairbank, the
modest residence of the great financier. Fairbank was a good
sized square house of white stone, standing back a little
from the road. A double carriage sweep with a snow
clad lawn stretched down in front to two large iron
(29:42):
gates which closed the entrance. On the right side was
a small wooden thicket which led into a narrow path
between two neat hedges, stretching from the road to the
kitchen door and forming the tradesman's entrance. On the left
ran a lane which led to the stables, and was
not itself within the grounds at all, being a public
(30:04):
though little used thoroughfare. Holmes left us standing at the
door and walked slowly all round the house, across the front,
down the tradesman's path, and so round by the garden
behind into the stable lane. So long was he that
mister Holder and I went into the dining room and
waited by the fire until he should return. We were
(30:26):
sitting there in silence when the door opened and a
young lady came in. She was rather above the middle height, slim,
with dark hair and eyes which seemed the darker against
the absolute pallor of her skin. I do not think
that I have ever seen such deadly paleness in a
woman's face. Her lips, too, were bloodless, but her eyes
(30:48):
were flushed with crying. As she swept silently into the room,
she impressed me with a greater sense of grief than
the banker had done in the morning, And it was
the more striking in her as she was evidently a
woman of strong character with immense capacity for self restraint.
Disregarding my presence, she went straight to her uncle and
(31:09):
passed her hand over his head with a sweet womanly caress.
You have given orders that Arthur should be liberated, have
you not, Dad? She asked, No, No, my girl, The
matter must be probed to the bottom. But I am
so sure that he is innocent. You know what woman's
instincts are. I know that he has done no harm,
(31:32):
and that you will be sorry for having acted so harshly.
Why is he silent then, if he is innocent? Who knows?
Perhaps because he was so angry that you should suspect him.
How could I help suspecting him when I actually saw
him with the coronet in his hand. Oh, but he
(31:52):
had only picked it up to look at it. Oh,
do do take my word for it that he is innocent.
Let the matter drop and say no more. It is
so dreadful to think of our dear Arthur in prison.
I shall never let it drop until the gems are found.
Never marry. Your affection for Arthur blinds you as to
(32:14):
the awful consequences to me. Far from hushing the thing up,
I have brought a gentleman down from London to inquire
more deeply into it. This gentleman, she asked, facing round
to me. No, his friend. He wished us to leave
him alone. He is round in the stable lane. Now
(32:36):
the stable lane, she raised her dark eyebrows. What can
he hope to find there? Ah, this I suppose is he.
I trust, sir, that you will succeed in proving what
I feel sure is the truth that my cousin Arthur
is innocent of this crime. I fully share your opinion,
(32:58):
and I trust with you that we may prove it,
returned Holmes, going back to the mat to knock the
snow from his shoes. I believe I had the honor
of addressing Miss Mary Holder. Might I ask you a
question or two? Prayed, do sir, if it may help
to clear this horrible affair up. You heard nothing yourself
(33:19):
last night, nothing until my uncle here began to speak loudly.
I heard that, and I came down. You shut up
the windows and doors the night before? Did you fasten
all the windows? Yes? Were they all fastened this morning? Yes?
You have a maid who has a sweetheart. I think
(33:42):
that you remarked to your uncle last night that she
had been out to see him. Yes, and she was
the girl who waited in the drawing room, and who
may have heard Uncle's remarks about the coronet. I see
you infer that she may have gone out to tell
her sweetheart, and that the two you may have planned
the robbery. But what is the good of all these
(34:04):
vague theories, cried the banker impatiently, when I have told
you that I saw Arthur with a coronet in his hands.
Wait a little, mister Holder, We must come back to that.
About this girl, Miss Holder, you saw her return by
the kitchen door, I presume yes. When I went to
see if the door was fastened for the night, I
(34:27):
met her slipping in. I saw the man too, in
the gloom. Do you know him? Oh? Yes, he is
the greengrocer who brings our vegetables round. His name is
Francis Prosper. He stood, said Holmes, to the left of
the door, that is to say, farther up the path
(34:47):
than is necessary to reach the door. Yes he did,
and he is a man with a wooden leg. Something
like fear sprang up in the young lady's expressive black eye.
Why you are like a magician, said she. How do
you know that? She smiled, but there was no answering
(35:10):
smile in Holmes's thin, eager face. I should be very
glad now to go upstairs, said he. I shall probably
wish to go over the outside of the house again.
Perhaps I had better take a look at the lower
windows before I go up. He walked swiftly round from
one to the other, pausing only at the large one,
(35:31):
which looked from the hall onto the stable lane. This
he opened and made a very careful examination of the
sill with his powerful magnifying lens. Now we shall go upstairs,
said he. At last, the banker's dressing room was a
plainly furnished little chamber with a gray carpet, a large bureau,
and a long mirror. Holmes went to the bureau first,
(35:54):
and looked hard at the lock which key was used
to open it. He asked that which my son himself
indicated that of the cover of the lumber room. Have
you it here? That is it on the dressing table,
Sherlock Holmes took it up and opened a bureau. It
(36:14):
is a noiseless lock, said he. It is no wonder
that it did not wake you. This case, I presume
contains the coronet. We must have a look at it.
He opened the case, and taking out the diadem, he
laid it upon the table. It was a magnificent specimen
of the jeweler's art, and the thirty six stones were
(36:35):
the finest that I have ever seen. At one side
of the coronet was a cracked edge, where a corner
holding three gems had been torn away. Now, mister Holder,
said Holmes, here is the corner which corresponds to that
which has been so unfortunately lost. Might I beg that
you will break it off? The banker recoiled in horror.
(36:59):
I should not dream of trying, said he. Then I will.
Holmes immediately bent his strength upon it, but without result.
I feel it give a little, said he. But though
I am exceptionally strong in the fingers. It would take
all my time to break it. An ordinary man could
(37:19):
not do it. Now, what do you think would happen
if I did break it, mister Holder? There would be
a noise like a pistol shot. Do you tell me
that all this happened within a few yards of your
bed and that you heard nothing of it? I do
not know what to think. It is all dark to me,
(37:40):
but perhaps it may grow lighter as we go. What
do you think, miss Holder? I confess that I still
share my uncle's perplexity. Your son had no shoes or
slippers on when you saw him. He had nothing on
save only his trousers and shirt. Thank you. We have
(38:00):
certainly been favored with extraordinary luck during this inquiry, and
it will be entirely our own fault if we do
not succeed in clearing the matter up. With your permission,
mister Holder, I shall now continue my investigations outside. He
went alone, at his own request, for he explained that
any unnecessary footmarks might make his task more difficult. For
(38:24):
an hour or more he was at work, returning at
last with his feet heavy with snow and his features
as inscrutable as ever. I think that I have seen
now all that there is to see. Mister Holder said he.
I can serve you best by returning to my rooms.
But the gems, mister Holmes, where are they? I cannot tell.
(38:49):
The banker wrung his hands. I shall never see them again,
he cried. And my son, you give me hopes. My
opinion is in no way altered. Then, for God's sake,
what was this dark business which was acted in my
house last night? If you can call upon me at
(39:09):
my Baker Street rooms tomorrow morning between nine and ten,
I shall be happy to do what I can to
make it clearer. I understand that you will give me
carte blanche to act for you, provided only that I
get back the gems, and that you place no limit
on the sum I may draw. I would give my
fortune to have them back. Very good. I shall look
(39:33):
into the matter between this and then good bye. It
is just possible that I may have to come over
here again. Before evening. It was obvious to me that
my companion's mind was now made up about the case.
Although what his conclusions were was more than I could
even dimly imagine. Several times during our homeward journey I
(39:55):
endeavored to sound him upon the point, but he always
glided away to some other top, until at last I
gave it over in despair. It was not yet three
when we found ourselves in our rooms once more. He
hurried to his chamber and was down again in a
few minutes. Dressed as a common loafer, with his collar
turned up, his shiny seedy coat, his red cravat, and
(40:18):
his worn boots, he was a perfect sample of the class.
I think that this should do, said he, glancing into
the glass above the fireplace. I only wish that you
would come with me, Watson, but I fear that it
won't do. I may be on the trail in this matter,
or I may be following a will o the wisp,
(40:39):
but I shall soon know which it is. I hope
that I may be back in a few hours. He
cut a slice of bread from the joint upon the sideboard,
sandwiched it between two rounds of bread, and thrusting this
rude meal into his pocket, he started off upon his expedition.
I had just finished my tea when he returned, evidently
(40:59):
in excellent spirits. Swinging an old elastic scited boot in
his hand, he chucked it down into a corner and
helped himself to a cup of tea. I only looked
in as I passed, said he I'm going right on
where to oh, to the other side of the west end.
It may be some time before I get back. Don't
(41:22):
wait up for me in case I should be late.
How are you getting on? Oh? So so nothing to
complain of. I have been out to Streatham since I
saw you last, but I did not call at the house.
It is a very sweet little problem, and it would
not have missed it for a good deal. However, I
must not sit gossiping here, but must get these disreputable
(41:44):
clothes off and return to my highly respectable self. I
could see by his manner that he had stronger reasons
for satisfaction than his words alone would imply. His eyes twinkled,
and there was even a touch of color upon his
sallow cheeks. He hastened up stick, and a few minutes
later I heard the slam of the hall door, which
told me that he was off once more upon his
(42:06):
congenial hunt. I waited until midnight, but there was no
sign of his return, so I retired to my room.
It was no uncommon thing for him to be away
for days and nights on end, when he was hot
upon a set, so that his lateness caused me no surprise.
I do not know at what hour he came in,
but when I came down to breakfast in the morning,
(42:28):
there he was, with a cup of coffee in one
hand and the paper in the other, as fresh and
trim as possible. You will excuse my beginning without you, Watson,
said he. But you remember that our client has rather
an early appointment this morning. Why it is after nine now,
I answered, I should not be surprised if that were he,
(42:50):
I thought I heard a ring. It was indeed, our friend,
the financier. I was shocked by the change which had
come over him, for his face, which was naturally of
a broad and massive mold, was now pinched and fallen in,
while his hair seemed to me at least a shade whiter.
He entered with a weariness and lethargy which was even
(43:11):
more painful than his violence of the morning before, and
he dropped heavily into the arm chair, which I pushed
forward for him. I do not know what I have
done to be so severely tried, said he. Only two
days ago I was a happy and prosperous man without
a care in the world. Now I am left to
(43:31):
a lonely and dishonored age. One sorrow comes close upon
the heels of another. My niece Mary has deserted me,
deserted you. Yes, her bed this morning had not been
slept in. Her room was empty, and a note for
me lay upon the hall table. I had said to
(43:51):
her last night, in sorrow and not in anger, that
if she had married my boy, all might have been
well with him. Perhaps it was thoughtless of me to
say so. It is to that remark that she refers
in this note. My dearest uncle, I feel that I
have brought trouble upon you, and that if I had
acted differently, this terrible misfortune might never have occurred. I cannot,
(44:16):
with this thought in my mind ever again be happy
under your roof, and I feel that I must leave
you forever. Do not worry about my future, for that
is provided for. And above all, do not search for me,
for it will be fruitless labor and an ill service
to me in life or in death. I am, ever,
(44:37):
your loving Mary. What could she mean by that note,
mister Holmes, Do you think it points to suicide? No? No, nothing,
of the kind. It is perhaps the best possible solution.
I trust, mister Holder, that you are nearing the end
of your troubles. Huh, you say so. You have heard something,
(44:59):
mister Holmes, you have learned something. Where are the gems?
You would not think a thousand pounds apiece an excessive
sum for them? I would pay ten. That would be unnecessary.
Three thousand will cover the matter. And there is a
little reward. I fancy have you your check book? Here
(45:20):
is a pen. Better make it out for four thousand pounds.
With a dazed face, the banker made out the required check.
Holmes walked over to his desk, took out a little
triangular piece of gold with three gems in it, and
threw it down upon the table. With a shriek of joy.
Our client clutched it up. You have it, he gasped.
(45:42):
I am saved, I am saved. The reaction of joy
was as passionate as his grief had been, and he
hugged his recovered gems to his bosom. There is one
other thing you owe, mister Holder, said Sherlock Holmes, rather sternly. Oh,
he caught up a pen. Name the sum, and I
(46:03):
will pay it. No, the debt is not to me.
You owe a very humble apology to that noble lad,
your son, who has carried himself in this matter, as
I should be proud to see my own son do,
should I ever chance to have one. Then it was
not Arthur who took them. I told you yesterday, and
(46:25):
I repeat to day that it was not. You are
sure of it, then let us hurry to him at
once to let him know that the truth is known.
He knows it already. When I had cleared it all up,
I had an interview with him, and, finding that he
would not tell me the story, I told it to him,
on which he had to confess that I was right,
(46:46):
and to add the very few details which were not
yet quite clear to me. Your news of this morning, however,
may open his lips, for Heaven's sake. Tell me, then,
what is this extraordinary mystery? I will do so, and
I will show you the steps by which I reached it.
And let me say to you first that which is
(47:07):
hardest for me to say and for you to hear.
There has been an understanding between Sir George Burnwell and
your niece Mary. They have now fled together. My Mary, impossible.
It is unfortunately more than possible. It is certain neither
you nor your son knew the true character of this
(47:29):
man when you admitted him into your family circle. He
is one of the most dangerous men in England, a
ruined gambler, an absolutely desperate villain, a man without heart
or conscience. Your niece knew nothing of such men. When
he breathed his vows to her, as he had done
to a hundred before her, she flattered herself that she
(47:51):
alone had touched his heart. The devil knows best what
he said, but at least she became his tool, and
was in the habit of seeing him nearly every evening.
I cannot and I will not believe it, cried the
banker with an ashen face. I will tell you then,
what occurred in your house last night. Your niece, when
(48:13):
you had, as she thought, gone to your room, slipped
down and talked to her lover through the window which
leads into the stable lane. His foot barks had pressed
right through the snow, so long had he stood there.
She told him of the coronet. His wicked lust for
gold kindled at the news, and he bent her to
his will. I have no doubt that she loved you.
(48:35):
But there are women in whom the love of a
lover extinguishes all other loves, and I think that she
must have been one. She had hardly listened to his
instructions when she saw you coming downstairs, on which she
closed the window rapidly and told you about one of
the servant's escapades with her wooden legged lover, which was
all perfectly true. Your boy Arthur went to bed after
(48:59):
his ita with you, but he slept badly on account
of his uneasiness about his club debts. In the middle
of the night, he heard a soft tread pass his door,
so he rose, and, looking out, was surprised to see
his cousin walking very stealthily along the passage, until she
disappeared into your dressing room. Petrified with astonishment, the lad
(49:22):
slipped on some clothes and waited there in the dark
to see what would come of this strange affair. Presently
she emerged from the room again, and in the light
of the passage lamp, your son saw that she carried
the precious coronet in her hands. She passed down the stairs,
and he, thrilling with horror, ran along and slipped behind
(49:42):
the curtain near your door, whence he could see what
passed in the hall beneath He saw her stealthily open
the window, hand out the coronet to some one in
the gloom, and then closing it once more, hurry back
to her room, passing quite close to where he stood,
hid behind the curtain. As long as she was on
the scene, he could not take any action without a
(50:04):
horrible exposure of the woman whom he loved. But the
instant that she was gone, he realized how crushing a
misfortune this would be for you, and how all important
it was to set it right. He rushed down, just
as he was in his bare feet, opened the window,
sprang out into the snow, and ran down the lane,
(50:24):
where he could see a dark figure in the moonlight.
Sir George Burnwell tried to get away, but Arthur caught him,
and there was a struggle between them, your lad tugging
at one side of the coronet and his opponent at
the other. In the scuffle, your son struck Sir George
and cut him over the eye. Then something suddenly snapped,
(50:45):
and your son, finding that he had the coronet in
his hands, rushed back, closed the window, ascended to your room,
and had just observed that the coronet had been twisted
in the struggle, and was endeavoring to straighten it when
you appeared upon the scene, Is it possible, gasped the banker.
(51:06):
You then roused his anger by calling him names at
a moment when he felt that he had deserved your
warmest thanks. He could not explain the true state of
affairs without betraying one who certainly deserved little enough consideration
at his hands. He took the more chivalrous view, however,
and preserved her secret. And that was why she shrieked
(51:27):
and fainted when she saw the coronet, cried mister Holder,
Oh my god, what a blind fool I have been,
And his asking to be allowed to go out for
five minutes. The dear fellow wanted to see if the
missing piece were at the scene of the struggle. How
cruelly I have misjudged him. When I arrived at the house,
(51:49):
continued Holmes, I at once went very carefully round it
to observe if there were any traces in the snow
which might help me. I knew that none had fallen
since the evening before, and also that there had been
a strong frost to preserve impressions. I passed along the
tradesman's path, but found it all trampled down and indistinguishable.
(52:12):
Just beyond it, however, at the far side of the
kitchen door, a woman had stood and talked with a
man whose round impressions on one side showed that he
had a wooden leg. I could even tell that they
had been disturbed, for the woman had run back swiftly
to the door, as was shown by the deep toe
and light heel marks, while wooden leg had waited a
(52:34):
little and then had gone away. I thought at the
time that this might be the maid and HER's sweetheart,
of whom you had already spoken to me. An inquiry
showed it was so. I passed round the garden without
seeing anything more than random tracks, which I took to
be the police. But when I got into the stable lane,
(52:54):
a very long and complex story was written in the
snow in front of me. There where was a double
line of tracks of a booted man, and a second
double line, which I saw with delight, belonged to a
man with naked feet. I was at once convinced from
what you had told me, that the latter was your son.
The first had walked both ways, but the other had
(53:16):
run swiftly, and as his tread was marked in places
over the depression of the boot, it was obvious that
he had passed after the other. I followed them up
and found they led to the hall window, where boots
had worn all the snow away. While waiting, then I
walked to the other end, which was a hundred yards
(53:36):
or more down the lane. I saw where boots had
faced round, where the snow was cut up as though
there had been a struggle, and finally where a few
drops of blood had fallen to show me that I
was not mistaken. Boots had then run down the lane,
and another little smudge of blood showed that it was
he who had been hurt. When he came to the
(53:57):
high road. At the other end, I found that the
payment had been cleared, so there was an end to
that clue. On entering the house, however, I examined, as
you remember, the sill and framework at the hall window
with my lens, and I could at once see that
some one had passed out. I could distinguish the outline
of an instep where the wet foot had been placed.
(54:20):
In coming in. I was then beginning to be able
to form an opinion as to what had occurred. A
man had waited outside the window. Some one had brought
the gems. The deed had been overseen by your son.
He had pursued the thief, had struggled with him. They
had each tugged at the coronet, their united strength, causing
(54:41):
injuries which neither alone could have effected. He had returned
with the prize, but had left a fragment in the
grasp of his opponent. So far I was clear. The
question now was who was the man and who was
it brought him the coronet. It is an old maxim
of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains,
(55:03):
however improbable, must be the truth. Now I knew that
it was not you who had brought it down, so
there only remained your niece and the maids. But if
it were the maids, why should your son allow himself
to be accused in their place? There could be no
possible reason, as he loved his cousin. However, there was
(55:25):
an excellent explanation why he should retain her secret, the
more so as the secret was a disgraceful one. When
I remembered that you had seen her at that window,
and how she had fainted on seeing the coronet again.
My conjecture became a certainty. And who could it be?
Who was her confederate? A lover? Evidently? For who else
(55:48):
could outweigh the love and gratitude which she must feel
to you. I knew that you went out little, and
that your circle of friends was a very limited one.
But among them was Sir George Burnwell. I had heard
of him before as being a man of evil reputation
among women. It must have been he who wore those
boots and retained the missing gems. Even though he knew
(56:11):
that Arthur had discovered him, he might still flatter himself
that he was safe, For the lad could not say
a word without compromising his own family. Well, your own
good sense will suggest what measures I took. Next. I
went in the shape of a loafer to sue George's house,
managed to pick up an acquaintance with his valet, learned
(56:33):
that his master had cut his head the night before,
and finally, at the expense of six shillings, made all
sure by buying a pair of his cast off shoes.
With these I journeyed down to Streatham and saw that
they exactly fitted the tracks. I saw an ill dressed
vagabond in the lane yesterday evening, said mister Holder. Precisely
(56:57):
it was I. I found that I had my man,
so I came home and changed my clothes. It was
a delicate part which I had to play then, for
I saw that a prosecution must be avoided to avert scandal.
And I knew that so astute a villain would see
that our hands were tied in the matter. I went
and saw him. At first, of course, he denied everything,
(57:20):
But when I gave him every particular that had occurred,
he tried to bluster and took down a life preserver
from the wall. I knew my man, however, and I
clapped a pistol to his head before he could strike.
Then he became a little more reasonable. I told him
that we would give him a price for the stones.
He held one thousand pounds apiece. That brought out the
(57:43):
first signs of grief that he had shown. Why dash
it all? Said he I've let them go at six
hundred for the three. I soon managed to get the
address of the receiver who had them on, promising him
that there would be no prosecution off I set to him,
and after much chaffering, I got our stones at one
(58:04):
thousand pounds apiece. Then I looked in upon your son,
told him that all was right, and eventually got to
my bed about two o'clock, after what I may call
a really hard day's work, a day which has saved
England from a great public scandal, said the banker, rising, Sir,
(58:24):
I cannot find words to thank you, but you shall
not find me ungrateful for what you have done. Your
skill has indeed exceeded all that I have heard of it.
And now I must fly to my dear boy to
apologize to him for the wrong which I have done him.
And as to what you tell me of poor Mary,
it goes to my very heart not even your skill
(58:47):
can inform me where she is. Now. I think that
we may safely say, returned Holmes, that she is wherever
Sir George Burnwell is. It is equally certain too, that
whatever her sins are, they will soon receive a more
than sufficient punishment. End of Adventure eleven
Adventure eleven of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This LibriVox
recording is in the public domain and is read by
Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Adventure eleven the Adventure
of the Burl Coronet, Holmes said, I, as I stood
(00:26):
one morning in our bow window looking down the street,
here is a madman coming along. It seems rather sad
that his relatives should allow him to come out alone.
My friend rose lazily from his arm chair and stood
with his hands in the pockets of his dressing gown,
looking over my shoulder. It was a bright, crisp February morning,
(00:47):
and the snow of the day before still lay deep
upon the ground, shimmering brightly in the wintry sun. Down
the center of Baker Street, it had been plowed into
a brown, crumbly band by the traffic, but at either side,
and on the heaped up edges of the footpaths, it
still lay as white as when it fell. The gray
pavement had been cleaned and scraped, but was still dangerously slippery,
(01:11):
so that there were fewer passengers than usual indeed, from
the direction of the Metropolitan station, no one was coming
save the single gentleman whose eccentric conduct had drawn my attention.
He was a man of about fifty tall, portly and imposing,
with a massive, strongly marked face and a commanding figure.
(01:33):
He was dressed in a somber yet rich style, in
black frock coat, shining hat, neat brown gaiters, and well
cut pearl gray trousers. Yet his actions were in absurd
contrast to the dignity of his dress and features, for
he was running hard with occasional little springs, such as
a weary man gives who is little accustomed to set
(01:55):
any tax upon his legs. As he ran, he jerked
his hands up and down, waggled his head, and writhed
his face into the most extraordinary contortions. What on earth
can be the matter with him? I asked? He is
looking up at the numbers of the houses. I believe
that he is coming here, said Holmes, rubbing his hands here. Yes,
(02:21):
I rather think he is coming to consult me professionally.
I think that I recognized the symptoms. Ha, did I
not tell you? As he spoke, the man, puffing and blowing,
rushed at our door and pulled at our bell until
the whole house resounded with the clanging. A few moments
later he was in our room, still puffing, still gesticulating,
(02:44):
but with so fixed a look of grief and despair
in his eyes that our smiles were turned in an
instant to horror and pity. For a while, he could
not get his words out, but swayed his body and
plucked at his hair, like one who has been driven
to the extreme limits of his reason. Then, suddenly springing
to his feet, he beat his head against the wall
(03:06):
with such force that we both rushed upon him and
tore him away to the center of the room. Sherlock
Holmes pushed him down into the easy chair, and, sitting
beside him, patted his hand and chatted with him in
the easy, soothing tones which he knew so well how
to employ. You have come to tell me your story,
(03:27):
have you not, said? He? You are fatigued with your haste. Pray,
wait until you have recovered yourself, and then I shall
be most happy to look into any little problem which
you may submit to me. The man sat for a
minute or more with a heaving chest, fighting against his emotion.
Then he passed his handkerchief over his brow, set his
(03:49):
lips tight, and turned his face towards us. No doubt
you think me mad, said he. I see that you
have had some great trouble, responded Holmes, God knows I
have a trouble which is enough to unseat my reason.
So sudden and so terrible is it public disgrace I
(04:12):
might have faced. Although I am a man whose character
has never yet borne a stain. Private affliction also is
the lot of every man. But the two, coming together
and in so frightful a form, have been enough to
shake my very soul. Besides, it is not I alone.
The very noblest in the land may suffer unless some
(04:34):
way be found out of this horrible affair. Pray, compose yourself, sir,
said Holmes, and let me have a clear account of
who you are and what it is that has befallen you.
My name, answered our visitor, is probably familiar to your ears.
I am Alexander Holder of the banking firm of Holder
(04:57):
and Stevenson of Threadneedle Street. The name was indeed well
known to us, as belonging to the senior partner in
the second largest private banking concern in the city of London.
What could have happened then, to bring one of the
foremost citizens of London to this most pitiable pass. We
waited all curiosity, until with another effort, he braced himself
(05:21):
to tell his story. I feel that time is of value,
said he. That is why I hastened here. When the
police inspector suggested that I should secure your cooperation. I
came to Baker Street by the underground and hurried from
there on foot, for the cabs go slowly through the snow.
(05:42):
That is why I was so out of breath, For
I am a man who takes very little exercise. I
feel better now, and I will put the facts before
you as shortly and yet as clearly as I can.
It is of course well known to you that in
a successful banking business, as much depends upon our being
(06:04):
able to find remunerative investments for our funds, as upon
our increasing our connection and the number of our depositors.
One of our most lucrative means of laying out money
is in the shape of loans, where the security is unimpeachable.
We have done a good deal in this direction during
the last few years, and there are many noble families
(06:27):
to whom we have advanced large sums upon the security
of their pictures, libraries or plate. Yesterday morning, I was
seated in my office at the bank when a card
was brought in to me by one of the clerks.
I started when I saw the name, for it was
that of none other than well, perhaps even to you.
(06:48):
I had better say no more than that. It was
a name which is a household word all over the earth,
one of the highest, noblest, most exalted names in England.
I was overwhelmed by the honor, and attempted when he
entered to say so, but he plunged it once into
business with the air of a man who wishes to
(07:09):
hurry quickly through a disagreeable task. Mister Holder said he,
I have been informed that you are in the habit
of advancing money. The firm does so when the security
is good. I answered, it is absolutely essential to me,
said he, that I should have fifty thousand pounds at once.
(07:32):
I could, of course borrow so trifling a sum ten
times over from my friends, but I am much preferred
to make it a matter of business, and to carry
out that business myself. In my position, you can readily
understand that it is unwise to place oneself under obligations
for how long may I ask? Do you want this sum?
(07:54):
I asked next Monday. I have a large sum due
to me, and I shall then I most certainly repay
what you advance, with whatever interest you think it right
to charge. But it is very essential to me that
the money should be paid at once. I should be
happy to advance it without further parley from my own
(08:15):
private purse, said I. Were it not that the strain
would be rather more than it could bear. If, on
the other hand, I am to do it in the
name of the firm, then in justice to my partner,
I must insist that, even in your case, every business
like precaution should be taken. I should much prefer to
(08:37):
have it, so, said he, raising up a square black
Morocco case which he had laid beside his chair. You
have doubtless heard of the burl coronet, one of the
most precious public possessions of the Empire, said I precisely.
He opened the case, and there, embedded in soft flesh
(08:59):
colored velvet lay the magnificent piece of jewelry which he
had named. There are thirty nine enormous burls, said he,
and the price of the gold chasing is incalculable. The
lowest estimate would put the worth of the coronet at
double the sum which I have asked. I am prepared
to leave it with you as my security. I took
(09:21):
the precious case into my hands and looked in some
perplexity from it to my illustrious client. You doubt its value,
he asked, Not at all. I only doubt the propriety
of my leaving it. You may set your mind at
rest about that. I should not dream of doing so
(09:42):
were it not absolutely certain that I should be able
in four days to reclaim it. It is a pure
matter of form. Is the security sufficient ample? You understand,
mister holder, that I am giving you a strong proof
of the confidence which I have you founded upon all
that I have heard of you. I rely upon you
(10:05):
not only to be discreet and to refrain from all
gossip upon the matter, but above all to preserve this
coronet with every possible precaution, because I need not say
that a great public scandal would be caused if any
harm were to befall it. Any injury to it would
be almost as serious as its complete loss, For there
(10:26):
are no burrels in the world to match these, and
it would be impossible to replace them. I leave it
with you, however, with every confidence, and I shall call
for it in person on Monday morning. Seeing that my
client was anxious to leave, I said no more, but
calling for my cashier, I ordered him to pay over
(10:47):
fifty one thousand pound notes. When I was alone once more, however,
with a precious case lying upon the table in front
of me, I could not but think with some misgivings,
of the immense responsibility which it entailed upon me. There
could be no doubt that, as it was a national possession,
(11:07):
a horrible scandal would ensue if any misfortune should occur
to it. I already regretted, having ever consented to take
charge of it. However, it was too late to alter
the matter now, so I locked it up in my
private safe and turned once more to my work. When
evening came, I felt that it would be an imprudence
(11:28):
to leave so precious a thing in the office behind me.
Banker's safes have been forced before now, and why should
not mine be. If so, how terrible would be the
position in which I should find myself. I determined therefore
that for the next few days I would always carry
the case backward and forward with me, so that it
(11:49):
might never be really out of my reach. With this intention,
I called a cab and drove out to my house
at Streatham, carrying the jewel with me. I did not
breathe freedom until I had taken it upstairs and locked
it in the bureau of my dressing room. And now
a word as to my household, mister Holmes, for I
wish you to thoroughly understand the situation. My groom and
(12:13):
my page sleep out of the house and may be
set aside. Altogether. I have three maid servants who have
been with me a number of years, and whose absolute
reliability is quite above suspicion. Another, Lucy Parr, the second
waiting maid, has only been in my service a few months.
She came with an excellent character, however, and has always
(12:36):
given me satisfaction. She is a very pretty girl and
has attracted admirers who have occasionally hung about the place.
That is the only drawback which we have found to her.
But we believe her to be a thoroughly good girl
in every way. So much for the servants. My family
itself is so small that it will not take me
(12:57):
long to describe it. I am a wi her and
have an only son, Arthur. He has been a disappointment
to me, mister Holmes, a grievous disappointment. I have no
doubt that I am myself to blame. People tell me
that I have spoiled him. Very likely I have. When
my dear wife died, I felt that he was all
(13:18):
I had to love. I could not bear to see
the smile fade, even for a moment, from his face.
I have never denied him a wish. Perhaps it would
have been better for both of us had I been sterner,
but I meant it for the best. It was naturally
my intention that he should succeed me in my business.
(13:38):
But he was not of a business turn. He was wild, wayward,
and to speak the truth, I could not trust him
in the handling of large sums of money. When he
was young, he became a member of an aristocratic club,
and there, having charming manners, he was soon the intimate
of a number of men with long purses and expensive
(13:59):
have He learned to play heavily at cards and to
squander money on the turf until he had to gain,
and agained to come to me and implore me to
give him an advance upon his allowance, that he might
settle his debts of honor. He tried more than once
to break away from the dangerous company which he was keeping,
(14:19):
but each time the influence of his friend, Sir George
Burnwell was enough to draw him back again. And indeed
I could not wonder that such a man as Sir
George Burnwell should gain an influence over him, for he
has frequently brought him to my house, and I have
found myself that I could hardly resist the fascination of
(14:40):
his manner. He is older than Arthur, a man of
the world to his finger tips, one who has been everywhere,
seen everything, a brilliant talker, and a man of great
personal beauty. Yet when I think of him in cold Blood,
far away from the glamor of his presence, I am convinced,
(15:00):
from his cynical speech and the look which I have
caught in his eyes, that he is one who should
be deeply distrusted. So I think, and so too thinks
my little Mary, who has a woman's quick insight into character.
And now there is only she to be described. She
is my niece. But when my brother died five years ago,
(15:22):
and left her alone in the world. I adopted her
and have looked upon her ever since as my daughter.
She is a sunbeam in my house, sweet, loving, beautiful,
a wonderful manager and housekeeper, yet as tender and quiet
and gentle as a woman could be. She is my
right hand I do not know what I could do
(15:44):
without her. In only one matter has she ever gone
against my wishes. Twice my boy has asked her to
marry him, for he loves her devotedly, but each time
she has refused him. I think that if anyone could
have drawn him into the right path, it would have
been she, and that his marriage might have changed his
whole life. But now, alas it is too late, forever
(16:08):
too late. Now, mister Holmes, you know the people who
live under my roof, and I shall continue with my
miserable story. When we were taking coffee in the drawing
room that night after dinner, I told Arthur and Marry
my experience and of the precious treasure which we had
under our roof, suppressing only the name of my client,
(16:31):
Lucy Parr, who had brought in the coffee. Had I
am sure left the room, but I cannot swear that
the door was closed. Mary and Arthur were much interested
and wished to see the famous coronet, but I thought
it better not to disturb it. Where have you put it,
asked Arthur in my own bureau. Well, I hope to
(16:54):
goodness the house won't be burgled during the night, said he.
It is locked up. I answered, Oh, any old key
will fit that bureau. When I was a youngster, I
have opened it myself with the key of the box
room cupboard. He often had a wild way of talking,
so that I thought little of what he said. He
(17:15):
followed me to my room. However, that night with a
very grave face. Look here, Dad, said he, with his
eyes cast down. Can you let me have two hundred pounds? No?
I cannot, I answered sharply. I have been far too
generous with you in money matters. You have been very kind,
(17:36):
said he. But I must have this money or else
I can never show my face inside the club again.
And a very good thing too, I cried, yes, But
you would not have me leave it. A dishonored man
said he. I could not bear the disgrace. I must
raise the money in some way, and if you will
not let me have it, then I must try other means.
(18:01):
I was very angry, for this was the third demand
during the month. You shall not have a farthing from me,
I cried, on which he bowed and left the room
without another word. When he was gone, I unlocked my bureau,
made sure that my treasure was safe, and locked it again.
Then I started to go round the house to see
(18:22):
that all was secure, a duty which I usually leave
to marry, but which I thought it well to perform myself.
That night. As I came down the stairs, I saw
Mary herself at the side window of the hall, which
she closed and fastened as I approached, tell me, Dad
said she looking, I thought a little disturbed. Did you
(18:43):
give Lucy the maid leave to go out to night?
Certainly not. She came in just now by the back door.
I have no doubt that she has only been to
the side gate to see someone. But I think that
it is hardly safe and should be stopped. You must
speak to her in the morning, or I will if
you prefer it. Are you sure that everything is fastened?
(19:06):
Quite sure? Dad? Then good night. I kissed her and
went up to my bedroom again, where I was soon asleep.
I am endeavoring to tell you everything, mister holmes which
may have any bearing upon the case. But I beg
that you will question me upon any point which I
do not make clear. On the contrary, your statement is
(19:28):
singularly lucid. I come to a part of my story
now in which I should wish to be particularly so.
I am not a very heavy sleeper, and the anxiety
in my mind tended, no doubt to make me even
less so than usual. About two in the morning, then
I was awakened by some sound in the house. It
(19:50):
had ceased ere I was wide awake, but it had
left an impression behind it, as though a window had
gently closed somewhere. I lay listening with all my ear. Suddenly,
to my horror, there was a distinct sound of footsteps
moving softly in the next room. I slipped out of bed,
all palpitating with fear, and peeped round the corner of
(20:12):
my dressing room door. Arthur. I screamed, you villain, you thief,
how dare you touch that coronet? The gas was half
up as I had left it, and my unhappy boy,
dressed only in his shirt and trousers, was standing beside
the light, holding the coronet in his hands. He appeared
(20:33):
to be wrenching at it or bending it with all
his strength. At my cry, he dropped it from his
grasp and turned as pale as death. I snatched it
up and examined it. One of the gold corners with
three of the burrels in it was missing, you, blackard,
I shouted beside myself with rage. You have destroyed it.
(20:54):
You have dishonored me forever. Where are the jewels which
you have stolen? Stolen? He cried, Yes, thief, I roared,
shaking him by the shoulder. There are none missing. There
cannot be any missing, said he. There are three missing,
and you know where they are. Must I call you
(21:15):
a liar as well as a thief. Did I not
see you trying to tear off another piece? You have
called me names? Enough, said he. I will not stand
it any longer. I shall not say another word about
this business. Since you have chosen to insult me. I
will leave your house in the morning and make my
own way in the world. You shall leave it in
(21:36):
the hands of the police, I cried, half mad with
grief and rage. I shall have this matter probed to
the bottom. You shall learn nothing from me, said he.
With a passion such as I should not have thought
was in his nature. If you choose to call the police,
let the police find what they can. By this time
(21:57):
the whole house was astir for I had raised my
voice in my anger. Mary was the first to rush
into my room, and at the sight of the coronet
and of Arthur's face, she read the whole story, and
with a scream, fell down senseless on the ground. I
sent the housemaid for the police and put the investigation
(22:17):
into their hands at once. When the inspector and a
constable entered the house, Arthur, who had stood sullenly with
his arms folded, asked me whether it was my intention
to charge him with theft. I answered that it had
ceased to be a private matter, but had become a
public one, since the ruined coronet was national property. I
(22:39):
was determined that the law should have its way in
everything at least, said he. You will not have me
arrested at once. It would be to your advantage as
well as mine if I might leave the house for
five minutes, that you may get away, and perhaps that
you may conceal what you have stolen, said I, And then,
(23:00):
realizing the dreadful position in which I was placed, I
implored him to remember that not only my honor, but
that of one who was far greater than I, was
at stake, and that he threatened to raise a scandal
which would convulse the nation. He might avert it all
if he would but tell me what he had done
with the three missing stones. You may as well face
(23:22):
the matter, said I. You have been caught in the act,
and no confession could make your guilt more Highness. If
you but make such reparation as is in your power
by telling us where the birls are, all shall be
forgiven and forgotten. Keep your forgiveness for those who ask
for it, he answered, turning away from me with a sneer.
(23:45):
I saw that he was too hardened for any words
of mine to influence him. There was but one way
for it. I called in the inspector and gave him
into custody. A search was made at once, not only
of his person, but of his room, and of every
portion of the house where he could possibly have concealed
the gems. But no trace of them could be found,
(24:07):
Nor would the wretched boy open his mouth. For all
our persuasions and our threats. This morning he was removed
to a cell and I, after going through all the
police formalities, have hurried round to you to implore you
to use your skill in unraveling the matter. The police
have openly confessed that they can at present make nothing
(24:27):
of it. You may go to any expense which you
think necessary. I have already offered a reward of one
thousand pounds. My god, what shall I do? I have
lost my honor, my gems, and my son in one night.
Oh what shall I do? He put a hand on
either side of his head and rocked himself to and fro,
(24:50):
droning to himself like a child whose grief has got
beyond words. Sherlock Holm sat silent for some few minutes,
with his brows knitted and his eyes fixed upon the fire.
Do you receive much company? He asked, None save my
partner with his family, and an occasional friend of Arthur's,
(25:12):
Sir George Burnwell, has been several times lately, no one else,
I think. Do you go out much in society? Arthur?
Does Mary and I stay at home? We neither of
us care for it. That is unusual in a young girl.
She is of a quiet nature. Besides, she is not
(25:33):
so very young. She is four and twenty. This matter,
from what you say, seems to have been a shock
to her also terrible. She is even more affected than I.
You have neither of you any doubt as to your
son's guilt. How can we have? When I saw him
with my own eyes, with the coronet in his hands,
(25:57):
I hardly consider that a conclusive proof. Was the remainder
of the coronet at all injured? Yes, it was twisted.
Do you not think then that he might have been
trying to straighten it? God bless you. You are doing
what you can for him and for me, But it
is too heavy a task. What was he doing there
(26:18):
at all? If his purpose were innocent, why did he
not say so precisely? And if it were guilty, why
did he not invent a lie? His silence appears to
me to cut both ways. There are several singular points
about the case. What did the police think of the
noise which awoke you from your sleep? They considered that
(26:42):
it might be caused by Arthur's closing his bedroom door,
a likely story, as if a man bent on felony
would slam his door so as to wake a household.
What did they say, then, of the disappearance of these gems.
They are still sounding the planking and probing the furniture
in the hope of finding them. Have they thought of
(27:03):
looking outside the house? Yes, they have shown extraordinary energy.
The whole garden has already been minutely examined. Now, my
dear sir, said Holmes, is it not obvious to you
now that this matter really strikes very much deeper than
either you or the police were at first inclined to think.
(27:25):
It appeared to you to be a simple case. To me,
it seems exceedingly complex. Consider what is involved by your theory.
You suppose that your son came down from his bed,
went at great risk to your dressing room, opened your bureau,
took out your coronet, broke off by main force a
(27:46):
small portion of it, went to some other place, concealed
three gems out of the thirty nine with such skill
that nobody can find them, and then returned with the
other thirty six into the room in which he exposed
himself to the greatest danger of being discovered. I ask
you now, is such a theory tenable? But what other
(28:08):
is there? Cried the banker, with a gesture of despair.
If his motives were innocent, why does he not explain them.
It is our task to find that out, replied Holmes.
So now, if you please, mister Holder, we will set
off for Streatham together and devote an hour to glancing
a little more closely into details. My friend insisted upon
(28:33):
my accompanying them and their expedition, which I was eager
enough to do, for my curiosity and sympathy were deeply
stirred by the story to which we had listened. I
confess that the guilt of the banker's son appeared to
me to be as obvious as it did to his
unhappy father. But still I had such faith in Holmes's
judgment that I felt there must be some grounds for
(28:55):
hope as long as he was dissatisfied with the accepted explanation.
He hardly spoke a word the whole way out to
the southern suburb, but sat with his chin upon his
breast and his hat drawn over his eyes, sunk in
the deepest thought. Our Clyde appeared to have taken fresh
heart at the little glimpse of hope which had been
presented to him, and he even broke into a desultory
(29:19):
chat with me over his business affairs. A short railway
journey and a shorter walk brought us to Fairbank, the
modest residence of the great financier. Fairbank was a good
sized square house of white stone, standing back a little
from the road. A double carriage sweep with a snow
clad lawn stretched down in front to two large iron
(29:42):
gates which closed the entrance. On the right side was
a small wooden thicket which led into a narrow path
between two neat hedges, stretching from the road to the
kitchen door and forming the tradesman's entrance. On the left
ran a lane which led to the stables, and was
not itself within the grounds at all, being a public
(30:04):
though little used thoroughfare. Holmes left us standing at the
door and walked slowly all round the house, across the front,
down the tradesman's path, and so round by the garden
behind into the stable lane. So long was he that
mister Holder and I went into the dining room and
waited by the fire until he should return. We were
(30:26):
sitting there in silence when the door opened and a
young lady came in. She was rather above the middle height, slim,
with dark hair and eyes which seemed the darker against
the absolute pallor of her skin. I do not think
that I have ever seen such deadly paleness in a
woman's face. Her lips, too, were bloodless, but her eyes
(30:48):
were flushed with crying. As she swept silently into the room,
she impressed me with a greater sense of grief than
the banker had done in the morning, And it was
the more striking in her as she was evidently a
woman of strong character with immense capacity for self restraint.
Disregarding my presence, she went straight to her uncle and
(31:09):
passed her hand over his head with a sweet womanly caress.
You have given orders that Arthur should be liberated, have
you not, Dad? She asked, No, No, my girl, The
matter must be probed to the bottom. But I am
so sure that he is innocent. You know what woman's
instincts are. I know that he has done no harm,
(31:32):
and that you will be sorry for having acted so harshly.
Why is he silent then, if he is innocent? Who knows?
Perhaps because he was so angry that you should suspect him.
How could I help suspecting him when I actually saw
him with the coronet in his hand. Oh, but he
(31:52):
had only picked it up to look at it. Oh,
do do take my word for it that he is innocent.
Let the matter drop and say no more. It is
so dreadful to think of our dear Arthur in prison.
I shall never let it drop until the gems are found.
Never marry. Your affection for Arthur blinds you as to
(32:14):
the awful consequences to me. Far from hushing the thing up,
I have brought a gentleman down from London to inquire
more deeply into it. This gentleman, she asked, facing round
to me. No, his friend. He wished us to leave
him alone. He is round in the stable lane. Now
(32:36):
the stable lane, she raised her dark eyebrows. What can
he hope to find there? Ah, this I suppose is he.
I trust, sir, that you will succeed in proving what
I feel sure is the truth that my cousin Arthur
is innocent of this crime. I fully share your opinion,
(32:58):
and I trust with you that we may prove it,
returned Holmes, going back to the mat to knock the
snow from his shoes. I believe I had the honor
of addressing Miss Mary Holder. Might I ask you a
question or two? Prayed, do sir, if it may help
to clear this horrible affair up. You heard nothing yourself
(33:19):
last night, nothing until my uncle here began to speak loudly.
I heard that, and I came down. You shut up
the windows and doors the night before? Did you fasten
all the windows? Yes? Were they all fastened this morning? Yes?
You have a maid who has a sweetheart. I think
(33:42):
that you remarked to your uncle last night that she
had been out to see him. Yes, and she was
the girl who waited in the drawing room, and who
may have heard Uncle's remarks about the coronet. I see
you infer that she may have gone out to tell
her sweetheart, and that the two you may have planned
the robbery. But what is the good of all these
(34:04):
vague theories, cried the banker impatiently, when I have told
you that I saw Arthur with a coronet in his hands.
Wait a little, mister Holder, We must come back to that.
About this girl, Miss Holder, you saw her return by
the kitchen door, I presume yes. When I went to
see if the door was fastened for the night, I
(34:27):
met her slipping in. I saw the man too, in
the gloom. Do you know him? Oh? Yes, he is
the greengrocer who brings our vegetables round. His name is
Francis Prosper. He stood, said Holmes, to the left of
the door, that is to say, farther up the path
(34:47):
than is necessary to reach the door. Yes he did,
and he is a man with a wooden leg. Something
like fear sprang up in the young lady's expressive black eye.
Why you are like a magician, said she. How do
you know that? She smiled, but there was no answering
(35:10):
smile in Holmes's thin, eager face. I should be very
glad now to go upstairs, said he. I shall probably
wish to go over the outside of the house again.
Perhaps I had better take a look at the lower
windows before I go up. He walked swiftly round from
one to the other, pausing only at the large one,
(35:31):
which looked from the hall onto the stable lane. This
he opened and made a very careful examination of the
sill with his powerful magnifying lens. Now we shall go upstairs,
said he. At last, the banker's dressing room was a
plainly furnished little chamber with a gray carpet, a large bureau,
and a long mirror. Holmes went to the bureau first,
(35:54):
and looked hard at the lock which key was used
to open it. He asked that which my son himself
indicated that of the cover of the lumber room. Have
you it here? That is it on the dressing table,
Sherlock Holmes took it up and opened a bureau. It
(36:14):
is a noiseless lock, said he. It is no wonder
that it did not wake you. This case, I presume
contains the coronet. We must have a look at it.
He opened the case, and taking out the diadem, he
laid it upon the table. It was a magnificent specimen
of the jeweler's art, and the thirty six stones were
(36:35):
the finest that I have ever seen. At one side
of the coronet was a cracked edge, where a corner
holding three gems had been torn away. Now, mister Holder,
said Holmes, here is the corner which corresponds to that
which has been so unfortunately lost. Might I beg that
you will break it off? The banker recoiled in horror.
(36:59):
I should not dream of trying, said he. Then I will.
Holmes immediately bent his strength upon it, but without result.
I feel it give a little, said he. But though
I am exceptionally strong in the fingers. It would take
all my time to break it. An ordinary man could
(37:19):
not do it. Now, what do you think would happen
if I did break it, mister Holder? There would be
a noise like a pistol shot. Do you tell me
that all this happened within a few yards of your
bed and that you heard nothing of it? I do
not know what to think. It is all dark to me,
(37:40):
but perhaps it may grow lighter as we go. What
do you think, miss Holder? I confess that I still
share my uncle's perplexity. Your son had no shoes or
slippers on when you saw him. He had nothing on
save only his trousers and shirt. Thank you. We have
(38:00):
certainly been favored with extraordinary luck during this inquiry, and
it will be entirely our own fault if we do
not succeed in clearing the matter up. With your permission,
mister Holder, I shall now continue my investigations outside. He
went alone, at his own request, for he explained that
any unnecessary footmarks might make his task more difficult. For
(38:24):
an hour or more he was at work, returning at
last with his feet heavy with snow and his features
as inscrutable as ever. I think that I have seen
now all that there is to see. Mister Holder said he.
I can serve you best by returning to my rooms.
But the gems, mister Holmes, where are they? I cannot tell.
(38:49):
The banker wrung his hands. I shall never see them again,
he cried. And my son, you give me hopes. My
opinion is in no way altered. Then, for God's sake,
what was this dark business which was acted in my
house last night? If you can call upon me at
(39:09):
my Baker Street rooms tomorrow morning between nine and ten,
I shall be happy to do what I can to
make it clearer. I understand that you will give me
carte blanche to act for you, provided only that I
get back the gems, and that you place no limit
on the sum I may draw. I would give my
fortune to have them back. Very good. I shall look
(39:33):
into the matter between this and then good bye. It
is just possible that I may have to come over
here again. Before evening. It was obvious to me that
my companion's mind was now made up about the case.
Although what his conclusions were was more than I could
even dimly imagine. Several times during our homeward journey I
(39:55):
endeavored to sound him upon the point, but he always
glided away to some other top, until at last I
gave it over in despair. It was not yet three
when we found ourselves in our rooms once more. He
hurried to his chamber and was down again in a
few minutes. Dressed as a common loafer, with his collar
turned up, his shiny seedy coat, his red cravat, and
(40:18):
his worn boots, he was a perfect sample of the class.
I think that this should do, said he, glancing into
the glass above the fireplace. I only wish that you
would come with me, Watson, but I fear that it
won't do. I may be on the trail in this matter,
or I may be following a will o the wisp,
(40:39):
but I shall soon know which it is. I hope
that I may be back in a few hours. He
cut a slice of bread from the joint upon the sideboard,
sandwiched it between two rounds of bread, and thrusting this
rude meal into his pocket, he started off upon his expedition.
I had just finished my tea when he returned, evidently
(40:59):
in excellent spirits. Swinging an old elastic scited boot in
his hand, he chucked it down into a corner and
helped himself to a cup of tea. I only looked
in as I passed, said he I'm going right on
where to oh, to the other side of the west end.
It may be some time before I get back. Don't
(41:22):
wait up for me in case I should be late.
How are you getting on? Oh? So so nothing to
complain of. I have been out to Streatham since I
saw you last, but I did not call at the house.
It is a very sweet little problem, and it would
not have missed it for a good deal. However, I
must not sit gossiping here, but must get these disreputable
(41:44):
clothes off and return to my highly respectable self. I
could see by his manner that he had stronger reasons
for satisfaction than his words alone would imply. His eyes twinkled,
and there was even a touch of color upon his
sallow cheeks. He hastened up stick, and a few minutes
later I heard the slam of the hall door, which
told me that he was off once more upon his
(42:06):
congenial hunt. I waited until midnight, but there was no
sign of his return, so I retired to my room.
It was no uncommon thing for him to be away
for days and nights on end, when he was hot
upon a set, so that his lateness caused me no surprise.
I do not know at what hour he came in,
but when I came down to breakfast in the morning,
(42:28):
there he was, with a cup of coffee in one
hand and the paper in the other, as fresh and
trim as possible. You will excuse my beginning without you, Watson,
said he. But you remember that our client has rather
an early appointment this morning. Why it is after nine now,
I answered, I should not be surprised if that were he,
(42:50):
I thought I heard a ring. It was indeed, our friend,
the financier. I was shocked by the change which had
come over him, for his face, which was naturally of
a broad and massive mold, was now pinched and fallen in,
while his hair seemed to me at least a shade whiter.
He entered with a weariness and lethargy which was even
(43:11):
more painful than his violence of the morning before, and
he dropped heavily into the arm chair, which I pushed
forward for him. I do not know what I have
done to be so severely tried, said he. Only two
days ago I was a happy and prosperous man without
a care in the world. Now I am left to
(43:31):
a lonely and dishonored age. One sorrow comes close upon
the heels of another. My niece Mary has deserted me,
deserted you. Yes, her bed this morning had not been
slept in. Her room was empty, and a note for
me lay upon the hall table. I had said to
(43:51):
her last night, in sorrow and not in anger, that
if she had married my boy, all might have been
well with him. Perhaps it was thoughtless of me to
say so. It is to that remark that she refers
in this note. My dearest uncle, I feel that I
have brought trouble upon you, and that if I had
acted differently, this terrible misfortune might never have occurred. I cannot,
(44:16):
with this thought in my mind ever again be happy
under your roof, and I feel that I must leave
you forever. Do not worry about my future, for that
is provided for. And above all, do not search for me,
for it will be fruitless labor and an ill service
to me in life or in death. I am, ever,
(44:37):
your loving Mary. What could she mean by that note,
mister Holmes, Do you think it points to suicide? No? No, nothing,
of the kind. It is perhaps the best possible solution.
I trust, mister Holder, that you are nearing the end
of your troubles. Huh, you say so. You have heard something,
(44:59):
mister Holmes, you have learned something. Where are the gems?
You would not think a thousand pounds apiece an excessive
sum for them? I would pay ten. That would be unnecessary.
Three thousand will cover the matter. And there is a
little reward. I fancy have you your check book? Here
(45:20):
is a pen. Better make it out for four thousand pounds.
With a dazed face, the banker made out the required check.
Holmes walked over to his desk, took out a little
triangular piece of gold with three gems in it, and
threw it down upon the table. With a shriek of joy.
Our client clutched it up. You have it, he gasped.
(45:42):
I am saved, I am saved. The reaction of joy
was as passionate as his grief had been, and he
hugged his recovered gems to his bosom. There is one
other thing you owe, mister Holder, said Sherlock Holmes, rather sternly. Oh,
he caught up a pen. Name the sum, and I
(46:03):
will pay it. No, the debt is not to me.
You owe a very humble apology to that noble lad,
your son, who has carried himself in this matter, as
I should be proud to see my own son do,
should I ever chance to have one. Then it was
not Arthur who took them. I told you yesterday, and
(46:25):
I repeat to day that it was not. You are
sure of it, then let us hurry to him at
once to let him know that the truth is known.
He knows it already. When I had cleared it all up,
I had an interview with him, and, finding that he
would not tell me the story, I told it to him,
on which he had to confess that I was right,
(46:46):
and to add the very few details which were not
yet quite clear to me. Your news of this morning, however,
may open his lips, for Heaven's sake. Tell me, then,
what is this extraordinary mystery? I will do so, and
I will show you the steps by which I reached it.
And let me say to you first that which is
(47:07):
hardest for me to say and for you to hear.
There has been an understanding between Sir George Burnwell and
your niece Mary. They have now fled together. My Mary, impossible.
It is unfortunately more than possible. It is certain neither
you nor your son knew the true character of this
(47:29):
man when you admitted him into your family circle. He
is one of the most dangerous men in England, a
ruined gambler, an absolutely desperate villain, a man without heart
or conscience. Your niece knew nothing of such men. When
he breathed his vows to her, as he had done
to a hundred before her, she flattered herself that she
(47:51):
alone had touched his heart. The devil knows best what
he said, but at least she became his tool, and
was in the habit of seeing him nearly every evening.
I cannot and I will not believe it, cried the
banker with an ashen face. I will tell you then,
what occurred in your house last night. Your niece, when
(48:13):
you had, as she thought, gone to your room, slipped
down and talked to her lover through the window which
leads into the stable lane. His foot barks had pressed
right through the snow, so long had he stood there.
She told him of the coronet. His wicked lust for
gold kindled at the news, and he bent her to
his will. I have no doubt that she loved you.
(48:35):
But there are women in whom the love of a
lover extinguishes all other loves, and I think that she
must have been one. She had hardly listened to his
instructions when she saw you coming downstairs, on which she
closed the window rapidly and told you about one of
the servant's escapades with her wooden legged lover, which was
all perfectly true. Your boy Arthur went to bed after
(48:59):
his ita with you, but he slept badly on account
of his uneasiness about his club debts. In the middle
of the night, he heard a soft tread pass his door,
so he rose, and, looking out, was surprised to see
his cousin walking very stealthily along the passage, until she
disappeared into your dressing room. Petrified with astonishment, the lad
(49:22):
slipped on some clothes and waited there in the dark
to see what would come of this strange affair. Presently
she emerged from the room again, and in the light
of the passage lamp, your son saw that she carried
the precious coronet in her hands. She passed down the stairs,
and he, thrilling with horror, ran along and slipped behind
(49:42):
the curtain near your door, whence he could see what
passed in the hall beneath He saw her stealthily open
the window, hand out the coronet to some one in
the gloom, and then closing it once more, hurry back
to her room, passing quite close to where he stood,
hid behind the curtain. As long as she was on
the scene, he could not take any action without a
(50:04):
horrible exposure of the woman whom he loved. But the
instant that she was gone, he realized how crushing a
misfortune this would be for you, and how all important
it was to set it right. He rushed down, just
as he was in his bare feet, opened the window,
sprang out into the snow, and ran down the lane,
(50:24):
where he could see a dark figure in the moonlight.
Sir George Burnwell tried to get away, but Arthur caught him,
and there was a struggle between them, your lad tugging
at one side of the coronet and his opponent at
the other. In the scuffle, your son struck Sir George
and cut him over the eye. Then something suddenly snapped,
(50:45):
and your son, finding that he had the coronet in
his hands, rushed back, closed the window, ascended to your room,
and had just observed that the coronet had been twisted
in the struggle, and was endeavoring to straighten it when
you appeared upon the scene, Is it possible, gasped the banker.
(51:06):
You then roused his anger by calling him names at
a moment when he felt that he had deserved your
warmest thanks. He could not explain the true state of
affairs without betraying one who certainly deserved little enough consideration
at his hands. He took the more chivalrous view, however,
and preserved her secret. And that was why she shrieked
(51:27):
and fainted when she saw the coronet, cried mister Holder,
Oh my god, what a blind fool I have been,
And his asking to be allowed to go out for
five minutes. The dear fellow wanted to see if the
missing piece were at the scene of the struggle. How
cruelly I have misjudged him. When I arrived at the house,
(51:49):
continued Holmes, I at once went very carefully round it
to observe if there were any traces in the snow
which might help me. I knew that none had fallen
since the evening before, and also that there had been
a strong frost to preserve impressions. I passed along the
tradesman's path, but found it all trampled down and indistinguishable.
(52:12):
Just beyond it, however, at the far side of the
kitchen door, a woman had stood and talked with a
man whose round impressions on one side showed that he
had a wooden leg. I could even tell that they
had been disturbed, for the woman had run back swiftly
to the door, as was shown by the deep toe
and light heel marks, while wooden leg had waited a
(52:34):
little and then had gone away. I thought at the
time that this might be the maid and HER's sweetheart,
of whom you had already spoken to me. An inquiry
showed it was so. I passed round the garden without
seeing anything more than random tracks, which I took to
be the police. But when I got into the stable lane,
(52:54):
a very long and complex story was written in the
snow in front of me. There where was a double
line of tracks of a booted man, and a second
double line, which I saw with delight, belonged to a
man with naked feet. I was at once convinced from
what you had told me, that the latter was your son.
The first had walked both ways, but the other had
(53:16):
run swiftly, and as his tread was marked in places
over the depression of the boot, it was obvious that
he had passed after the other. I followed them up
and found they led to the hall window, where boots
had worn all the snow away. While waiting, then I
walked to the other end, which was a hundred yards
(53:36):
or more down the lane. I saw where boots had
faced round, where the snow was cut up as though
there had been a struggle, and finally where a few
drops of blood had fallen to show me that I
was not mistaken. Boots had then run down the lane,
and another little smudge of blood showed that it was
he who had been hurt. When he came to the
(53:57):
high road. At the other end, I found that the
payment had been cleared, so there was an end to
that clue. On entering the house, however, I examined, as
you remember, the sill and framework at the hall window
with my lens, and I could at once see that
some one had passed out. I could distinguish the outline
of an instep where the wet foot had been placed.
(54:20):
In coming in. I was then beginning to be able
to form an opinion as to what had occurred. A
man had waited outside the window. Some one had brought
the gems. The deed had been overseen by your son.
He had pursued the thief, had struggled with him. They
had each tugged at the coronet, their united strength, causing
(54:41):
injuries which neither alone could have effected. He had returned
with the prize, but had left a fragment in the
grasp of his opponent. So far I was clear. The
question now was who was the man and who was
it brought him the coronet. It is an old maxim
of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains,
(55:03):
however improbable, must be the truth. Now I knew that
it was not you who had brought it down, so
there only remained your niece and the maids. But if
it were the maids, why should your son allow himself
to be accused in their place? There could be no
possible reason, as he loved his cousin. However, there was
(55:25):
an excellent explanation why he should retain her secret, the
more so as the secret was a disgraceful one. When
I remembered that you had seen her at that window,
and how she had fainted on seeing the coronet again.
My conjecture became a certainty. And who could it be?
Who was her confederate? A lover? Evidently? For who else
(55:48):
could outweigh the love and gratitude which she must feel
to you. I knew that you went out little, and
that your circle of friends was a very limited one.
But among them was Sir George Burnwell. I had heard
of him before as being a man of evil reputation
among women. It must have been he who wore those
boots and retained the missing gems. Even though he knew
(56:11):
that Arthur had discovered him, he might still flatter himself
that he was safe, For the lad could not say
a word without compromising his own family. Well, your own
good sense will suggest what measures I took. Next. I
went in the shape of a loafer to sue George's house,
managed to pick up an acquaintance with his valet, learned
(56:33):
that his master had cut his head the night before,
and finally, at the expense of six shillings, made all
sure by buying a pair of his cast off shoes.
With these I journeyed down to Streatham and saw that
they exactly fitted the tracks. I saw an ill dressed
vagabond in the lane yesterday evening, said mister Holder. Precisely
(56:57):
it was I. I found that I had my man,
so I came home and changed my clothes. It was
a delicate part which I had to play then, for
I saw that a prosecution must be avoided to avert scandal.
And I knew that so astute a villain would see
that our hands were tied in the matter. I went
and saw him. At first, of course, he denied everything,
(57:20):
But when I gave him every particular that had occurred,
he tried to bluster and took down a life preserver
from the wall. I knew my man, however, and I
clapped a pistol to his head before he could strike.
Then he became a little more reasonable. I told him
that we would give him a price for the stones.
He held one thousand pounds apiece. That brought out the
(57:43):
first signs of grief that he had shown. Why dash
it all? Said he I've let them go at six
hundred for the three. I soon managed to get the
address of the receiver who had them on, promising him
that there would be no prosecution off I set to him,
and after much chaffering, I got our stones at one
(58:04):
thousand pounds apiece. Then I looked in upon your son,
told him that all was right, and eventually got to
my bed about two o'clock, after what I may call
a really hard day's work, a day which has saved
England from a great public scandal, said the banker, rising, Sir,
(58:24):
I cannot find words to thank you, but you shall
not find me ungrateful for what you have done. Your
skill has indeed exceeded all that I have heard of it.
And now I must fly to my dear boy to
apologize to him for the wrong which I have done him.
And as to what you tell me of poor Mary,
it goes to my very heart not even your skill
(58:47):
can inform me where she is. Now. I think that
we may safely say, returned Holmes, that she is wherever
Sir George Burnwell is. It is equally certain too, that
whatever her sins are, they will soon receive a more
than sufficient punishment. End of Adventure eleven
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.