May 15, 2025 • 59 mins
Dive into the final volume of Arthur Conan Doyles detective stories, where he bids a heartfelt farewell to his most renowned creation - Sherlock Holmes. These eclectic tales span different stages of Holmess life, including his retirement, and are narrated from varying perspectives, including Watson, Holmes, and an omnipotent narrator. While many stories showcase Holmess famed deductive reasoning, others highlight lesser-known aspects of his character, such as his compassion, empathy, and sense of humor. His rapport with Dr. Watson, while occasionally blunt, is marked by kindness, affection, and professional respect, painting a portrait of a profound and intricate friendship that captivates readers. (Summary by T. A. Copeland).
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Section seven of the Case Book of Sherlock Holmes by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This LibriVox according is in the
public domain, read by Thomas Copeland, Story seven, the Problem
of thor Bridge. Somewhere in the vaults of the Bank
of Cox and Company at Charing Cross, there is a
travel worn and battered tin dispatch box with my name
(00:24):
John H. Watson, m D. Late Indian Army painted on
the lid. It is crammed with papers, nearly all of
which are records of cases to illustrate the curious problems
which mister Sherlock Holmes had at various times to examine.
Some and not the least interesting, were complete failures, and
(00:44):
as such will hardly bear narrating, since no final explanation
is forthcoming. A problem without a solution may interest the student,
but can hardly fail to annoy the casual reader. Among
these unfinished tales is that of mister James Phillimore, who,
stepping back into his own house to get his umbrella,
(01:05):
was never more seen in this world. No less remarkable
is that of the cutter Alisha, which sailed one spring
morning into a small patch of mist, from where she
never again emerged, nor was anything further ever heard of
herself and her crew. The third case worthy of note
is that of Isidora Persano, the well known journalist and duellist,
(01:28):
who was found stark, staring mad, with the match box
in front of him, which contained a remarkable worm, said
to be unknown to science. Apart from these unfathomed cases,
there are some which involve the secrets of private families,
to an extent which would mean consternation in many exalted
quarters if it were thought possible that they might find
(01:50):
their way into print. I need not say that such
a breach of confidence is unthinkable, and that these records
will be separated and destroyed now that my friend has
time to turn his energies to the matter. There remain
a considerable residue of cases of greater or less interest,
which I might have edited before, had it not feared
(02:10):
to give the public a surfeit which might react upon
the reputation of the man whom, above all others I revere.
In some I was myself concerned and can speak as
an eye witness, while in others I was either not
present or played so small a part that they could
only be told as by a third person. The following
narrative is drawn from my own experience. It was a
(02:33):
wild morning in October, and I observed, as I was
dressing how the last remaining leaves were being whirled from
the solitary plane tree which graces the yard behind our house.
I descended to breakfast, prepared to find my companion in
depressed spirits, for like all great artists, he was easily
impressed by his surroundings. On the contrary, I found that
(02:56):
he had nearly finished his meal, and that his mood
was particularly bright and joyous, with a somewhat sinister cheerfulness,
which was characteristic of his lighter moments. You have a case, Holmes,
I remarked. The faculty of deduction is certainly contagious. Watson,
he answered, it has enabled you to probe my secret. Yes,
(03:19):
I have a case. After a month of trivialities and stagnation,
the wheels move once more. Might I share it? There
is little to share, but we may discuss it when
you have consumed the two hard boiled eggs with which
our new cook has favored us. Their condition may not
be unconnected with the copy of the family Herald, which
(03:40):
I observed yesterday upon the hall table. Even so trivial
a matter as cooking an egg demands an attention which
is conscious of the passage of time and incompatible with
the love romance in that excellent periodical. A quarter of
an hour later, the table had been cleared and we
were face to face. He had drawn a letter from
(04:01):
his pocket. You have heard of Neil Gibson, the gold King,
he said, You mean the American senator. Well, he was
once senator for some western state, but is better known
as the greatest gold mining magnate in the world. Yes,
I know him. He has surely lived in England for
some time. His name is very familiar. Yes, he bought
(04:25):
a considerable estate in Hampshire some five years ago. Possibly
you have already heard of the tragic end of his wife.
Of course I remember it now. That is why the
name is familiar. But I really know nothing of the details.
Holmes waved his hand towards some papers on a chair.
(04:46):
I had no idea that the case was coming my way,
or I should have had my extracts ready, said he.
The fact is that the problem, though exceedingly sensational, appeared
to present no difficulty. The interest sting personality of the
accused does not obscure the clearness of the evidence. That
was the view taken by the coroner's jury and also
(05:08):
in the police court proceedings. It is now referred to
the Assizes at Winchester. I fear it is a thankless business.
I can discover facts, Watson, but I cannot change them
unless some entirely new and unexpected ones come to light.
I do not see what my client can hope for
your client. Ah, I forgot. I had not told you
(05:30):
I am getting into your involved habit, Watson, of telling
a story backwards, you had best read this first. The
letter which he handed to me, written in a bold,
masterful hand, ran as follows Clarridge's Hotel, October third, Dear
mister Sherlock Holmes, I can't see the best woman God
ever made go to her death without doing all that
(05:52):
is possible to save her. I can't explain things, I
can't even try to explain them. But I know beyond
all doubt that Miss Dunbar is innocent. You know the facts.
Who doesn't. It has been the gossip of the country
and never a voice raised for her. It's the damned
injustice of it all that makes me crazy. That woman
(06:13):
has a heart that wouldn't let her kill a fly. Well,
I'll come at eleven tomorrow and see if you can
get some ray of light in the dark. Maybe I
have a clue and don't know it anyhow, All I know,
and all I have and all I am are for
your use, if only you can save her. If ever
(06:33):
in your life you showed your powers, put them now
into this case, Yours faithfully, j Neil Gibson. There you
have it, said Sherlock Holmes, knocking out the ashes of
his after breakfast pipe and slowly refilling it. That is
the gentleman, I await as to the story. You have
hardly time to master all these papers, so I must
(06:57):
give it to you in a nutshell if you were
to take an intelligence and interest in the proceedings. This
man is the greatest financial power in the world, and
a man, as I understand, of most violent and formidable character.
He married a wife, the victim of this tragedy, of
whom I know nothing save that she was past her prime,
which was the more unfortunate, as a very attractive governess
(07:20):
superintended the education of two young children. These are the
three people concerned, and the scene is a grand old
manor house, the center of an historical English estate. Then,
as to the tragedy, the wife was found in the grounds,
nearly half a mile from the house, late at night,
clad in her dinner dress, with a shawl over her
(07:42):
shoulders and a revolver bullet through her brain. No weapon
was found near her, and there was no local clue
as to the murder, no weapon near her. Watson mark
that the crime seems to have been committed late in
the evening, and the body was found by a gamekeeper
about eleven o'clock, when it was examined by the police
(08:02):
and by a doctor before being carried up to the house.
Is this too condensed or can you follow it? Clearly?
It is all very clear. But why suspect the governess? Well,
in the first place, there is some very direct evidence.
A revolver with one discharged chamber and a caliber which
corresponded with the bullet, was found on the floor of
(08:25):
her wardrobe. His eyes fixed and he repeated in broken
words on the floor of her wardrobe. Then he sank
into silence, and I saw that some train of thought
had been set moving, which I should be foolish to interrupt. Suddenly,
with a start, he emerged into brisk life once more. Yes, Watson,
(08:47):
it was found pretty damning, eh so the two juries thought.
Then the dead woman had a note upon her making
an appointment at that very place, and signed by the governess.
How's that? Finally there is the motive. Senator Gibson is
an attractive person if his wife dies, who more likely
(09:10):
to succeed her than the young lady who had already,
by all accounts, received pressing invitations from her employer love, fortune, power,
all depending upon one middle aged life ugly Watson, very ugly, Yes, indeed, Holmes.
Nor could she prove an alibi. On the contrary, she
(09:32):
had to admit that she was down near Thorpe Bridge
that was the scene of the tragedy, about that hour.
She couldn't deny it, for some passing villager had seen
her there. That really seems final. And yet Watson, and
yet this bridge, a single broad span of stone with
balustraded sides, carries the drive over the narrowest part of
(09:56):
a long, deep reed girt sheet of water thor Mere.
It is called in the mouth of the bridge lay
the dead woman. Such are the main facts, but here
for mistake, not as our client considerably before his time.
Billy had opened the door, but the name which he
announced was an unexpected one. Mister Marlowe Bates was a
(10:18):
stranger to both of us. He was a thin, nervous
wisp of a man with frightened eyes and a twitching,
hesitating manner, a man whom my own professional eye would
judge to be on the brink of an absolute nervous breakdown.
You seem agitated, mister Bates, said, Holmes, Pray, sit down,
I fear I can only give you a short time,
(10:39):
for I have an appointment at eleven. I know you
have our visitor, gasped, shooting out short sentences like a
man who is out of breath. Mister Gibson is coming.
Mister Gibson is my employer. I am manager of his estate.
Mister Holmes, he is a villain, an infernal villain. Strong language,
mister Bayes. I have to be emphatic, mister Holmes, for
(11:02):
the time is so limited. I would not have him
find me here for the world. He is almost due now,
But I was so situated that I could not come earlier.
His secretary, mister Ferguson, only told me this morning of
his appointment with you, and you are his manager. I
have given him notice. In a couple of weeks, I
shall have shaken off as accursed slavery. A hard man,
(11:25):
mister Holmes. Hard to all about him. Those public charities
are a screen to cover his private iniquities. But his
wife was his chief victim. He was brutal to her, yes, sir, brutal.
How she came by her death, I do not know,
but I am sure that he had made her life
a misery to her. She was a creature of the
tropics of Brazilian by birth, as no doubt you know, no,
(11:49):
it had escaped me, Tropical by birth and tropical by nature,
a child of the son and of passion. She had
loved him as such women can love. But when her
own physic charms had faded, I am told that they
once were great, there was nothing to hold him. We
all liked her and felt for her, and hated him
for the way that he treated her. But he is
(12:11):
plausible and cunning. That is all I have to say
to you. Don't take him at his face value. There
is more behind now I'll go, no, no, don't detain me.
He is almost due with a frightened look at the clock.
Our strange visitor literally ran to the door and disappeared.
Well well, said Holmes, after an interval of silence. Mister
(12:32):
Gibson seems to have a nice, loyal household. But the
warning is a useful one, and now we can only
wait till the man himself appears. Sharp at the hour,
we heard a heavy step upon the stairs, and the
famous millionaire was shown into the room. As I looked
upon him, I understood not only the fears and dislike
of his manager, but also the execrations which so many
(12:56):
business rivals have heaped upon his head. If I were
sculptor and desired to idealize the successful man of affairs,
iron of nerve and leathery of conscience, I should choose
mister Neil Gibson as my model. His tall, gaunt, craggy
figure had a suggestion of hunger and rapacity, and Abraham
(13:17):
Lincoln keyed to base uses instead of high ones, would
give some idea of the man. His face might have
been chiseled in granite, hard set, craggy, remorseless, with deep
lines upon it, the scars of many a crisis. Cold
gray eyes looking shrewdly out from under bristling brows, surveyed
(13:38):
us each in turn. He bowed in perfunctory fashion as
Holmes mentioned my name, and then, with a masterful air
of possession, he drew a chair up to my companion
and seated himself with his bony knees almost touching him.
Let me say right here, mister Holmes, he began, that
money is nothing to me in this case. You can
(14:00):
burn it if it's any use in lighting you to
the truth. This woman is innocent, and this woman has
to be cleared, and it's up to you to do it.
Name your figure. My professional charges are upon a fixed scale,
said Holmes coldly. I do not vary them, save when
I remit them altogether. Well, if dollars make no difference
(14:21):
to you, think of the reputation. If you pull this off,
every paper in England and America will be booming you.
You'll be the talk of two continents. Thank you, mister Gibson.
I do not think that I am in need of booming.
It may surprise you to know that I prefer to
work anonymously, and that it is the problem itself which
attracts me. But we are wasting time. Let us get
(14:45):
down to the facts. I think that you will find
all the main ones in the press reports. I don't
know that I can add anything which will help you,
but if there is anything you would wish more light upon,
well I am here to give it. Well, there is
just one point. What is it? What were the exact
(15:06):
relations between you and miss Dunbar. The gold king gave
a violent start and half rose from his chair. Then
his massive calm came back to him. I suppose you
are within your rights and maybe doing your duty and
asking such a question. Mister Holmes. We will agree to suppose, so,
(15:27):
said Holmes. Then I can assure you that our relations
were entirely and always those of an employer towards a
young lady whom he never conversed with or ever saw,
save when she was in the company of his children.
Holmes rose from his chair. I am a rather busy man,
mister Gibson said he and I have no time or
(15:48):
taste for aimless conversations. I wish you good morning. Our
visitor had risen also, and his great loose figure towered
above Holmes. There was an angry gleam from under those
bristling brows. And a tinge of color in the sallow cheeks.
What the devil you mean by this, mister Holmes, Do
you dismiss my case? Well, mister Gibson, at least I
(16:11):
dismiss you. I should have thought my words were plain,
plain enough. But what's at the back of it raising
the price on me? Or afraid to tackle it? Or
what I have a right to a plain answer? Well,
perhaps you have said, Holmes, I'll give you one. This
case is quite sufficiently complicated to start with, without the
(16:32):
further difficulty of false information, meaning that I lie well.
I was trying to express it as delicately as I could.
But if you insist upon the word, I will not
contradict you. I sprang to my feet, for the expression
upon the millionaire's face was fiendish in its intensity, and
(16:52):
he had raised his great knotted fist. Holmes smiled languidly
and reached his hand out for his pipe. Don't be noisy,
mister Gibson. I find that after breakfast, even the smallest
argument is unsettling. I suggest that a stroll in the
morning air and a little quiet thought will be greatly
to your advantage. With an effort, the gold King mastered
(17:16):
his fury. I could not but admire him, for by
a supreme self command, he had turned in a minute
from a hot flame of anger to a frigid and
contemptuous indifference. Well it's your choice. I guess you know
how to run your own business. I can't make you
touch the case against your will. You've done yourself no
(17:37):
good this morning, mister Holmes, For I have broken stronger
men than you. No man ever crossed me and was
the better for it. So many have said so, and
yet here I am, said Holmes, smiling, Well, good morning,
mister Gibson. You have a good deal yet to learn.
Our visitor made a noisy exit, but Holmes smoked in
(17:59):
imper terbable silence, with dreamy eyes fixed upon the ceiling.
Any views, Watson, he asked at last, Well, Holmes, I
must confess that when I consider that this is a
man who would certainly brush any obstacle from his path,
and when I remember that his wife may have been
an obstacle and an object of dislike, as that man
(18:22):
Bates plainly told us, it seems to me exactly, and
to me also, But what were his relations with the governess,
And how did you discover them. Bluff, Watson, bluff. When
I considered the passionate, unconventional, unbusinesslike tone of his letter
and contrasted it with his self contained manner and appearance,
(18:46):
it was pretty clear that there was some deep emotion
which centered upon the accused woman rather than upon the victim.
We've got to understand the exact relations of those three
people if we are to reach the truth. You saw
the frontal attack which I made upon him, and how
imperturbably he received it. Then I bluffed him by giving
(19:07):
him the impression that I was absolutely certain, when in
reality I was only extremely suspicious. Perhaps he will come back.
He is sure to come back. He must come back.
He can't leave it where it is. Ha isn't that
a ring? Yes? There is his footstep. Well, mister Gibson,
(19:29):
I was just saying to doctor Watson that you were
somewhat overdue. The gold King had re entered the room
in a more chastened mood than he had left it.
His wounded pride still showed in his resentful eyes, but
his common sense had shown him that he must yield
if he would attain his end. I've been thinking it over,
mister Holmes, and I feel that I have been hasty
(19:52):
in taking your remarks, Amiss. You are justified in getting
down to the facts, whatever they may be, and I
I think the more of you for it. I can
assure you, however, that the relations between miss Dunbar and
me don't really touch this case. That is for me
to decide, is it not. Yes, I guess that is so.
(20:15):
You are like a surgeon who wants every symptom before
he can give his diagnosis exactly that expresses it. And
it is only a patient who has an object in
deceiving his surgeon who would conceal the facts of his case.
That may be so. But you will admit, mister Holmes,
that most men would shy off a bit when they
(20:37):
are asked point blank what their relations with a woman
may be, if there is really some serious feeling in
the case. I guess most men have a little private
reserve of their own, in some corner of their souls
where they don't welcome intruders. And you burst suddenly into it.
But the object excuses you, since it was to try
(20:59):
and savor. Well, the stakes are down and the reserve open,
and you can explore where you will. What is it?
You want the truth. The gold King paused for a moment,
as one who marshals his thoughts, his grim, deep lined
face had become even sadder and more grave. I can
(21:20):
give it to you in a very few words, mister Holmes,
he said at last. There are some things that are
painful as well as difficult to say, so I won't
go deeper than is needful. I met my wife when
I was gold hunting in Brazil. Maria Pinto was the
daughter of a government official in Mannos, and she was
(21:42):
very beautiful. I was young and ardent in those days,
but even now, as I look back, with colder blood
and a more critical eye, I can see that she
was rare and wonderful in a beauty. It was a deep,
rich nature, too passionate, whole hearted, tropical, ill balanced, very
(22:03):
different from the American women whom I had known well.
To make a long story short, I loved her and
I married her. It was only when the romance had passed,
and it lingered for years, that I realized that we
had nothing, absolutely nothing in common. My love faded. If
(22:24):
hers had faded also, it might have been easier. But
you know, the wonderful way of women do what I might.
Nothing could turn her from me. If I have been
harsh to her, even brutal, as some have said, it
has been because I knew that if I could kill
her love, or if it turned to hate, it would
(22:44):
be easier for both of us. But nothing changed her.
She adored me in those English woods as she had
adored me twenty years ago on the banks of the Amazon.
Do what I might. She was as devoted as ever.
And then came miss Grace Dunbar. She answered our advertisement
(23:05):
and became governess to our two children. Perhaps you have
seen her portrait in the papers. The whole world has
proclaimed that she also is a very beautiful woman. Now
I make no pretense to be more moral than my neighbors,
and I will admit to you that I could not
(23:25):
live under the same roof with such a woman, and
in daily contact with her, without feeling a passionate regard
for her. Do you blame me, mister Holmes, I do
not blame you for feeling it. I should blame you
if you expressed it, since this young lady was in
a sense under your protection. Well maybe, so said the millionnaire,
(23:48):
though for a moment the reproof had brought the old,
angry gleam into his eyes. I am not pretending to
be any better than I am. I guess all my
life I have been a man that reached out his
hand for what he wanted, and I never wanted anything
more than the love and possession of that woman. I
told her, so, oh you did, did you? Holmes could
(24:13):
look very formidable when he was moved. I said to
her that I could marry her. I would, but that
it was out of my power. I said that money
was no object, and that all I could do to
make her happy and comfortable would be done very generous,
I am sure, said Holmes with a sneer. See here,
(24:35):
mister Holmes, I came to you on a question of evidence,
not on a question of morals. I am not asking
for your criticism. It is only for the young lady's
sake that I touch your case at all, said Holmes sternly.
I don't know that anything she is accused of is
really worse than what you have yourself admitted that you
have tried to ruin a defenseless girl who was under
(24:58):
your roof. Some of you rich men have to be
taught that all the world cannot be bribed into condoning
your offenses. To my surprise, the gold King took the
reproof with equanimity. That's how I feel myself about it now.
I thank god that my plans did not work out
as I intended. She would have none of it, and
(25:21):
she wanted to leave the house instantly. Why did she
not well in the first place? Others were repentant upon her,
and it was no light matter for her to let
them all down by sacrificing her living. When I had sworn,
as I did, that she should never be molested again.
(25:41):
She consented to remain. But there was another reason. She
knew the influence she had over me, and that it
was stronger than any other influence in the world. She
wanted to use it for good. Oh well, well she
knew something of my affairs. They are large, mister Holmes,
(26:04):
large beyond the relief of an ordinary man. I can
make or break, and it is usually break. It wasn't
individuals only, it was communities, cities, even nations. Business is
a hard game, and the week go to the wall.
I played the game for all it was worth. I
(26:25):
never squealed myself, and I never cared if the other
fellow squealed. But she saw it different. I guess she
was right. She believed and said that a fortune for
one man that was more than he needed should not
be built on ten thousand ruined men who were left
without the means of life. That is how she saw it,
(26:49):
and I guess she could see past the dollars to
something that was more lasting. She found that. I listened
to what she said, and she believed she was serving
the world by influencing my actions. So she stayed. And
then this came along. Can you throw any light upon that?
(27:11):
The gold king paused for a minute or more, his
head sunk in his hands, lost in deep thought. It's
very black against her. I can't deny that. And women
lead an inward life and may do things beyond the
judgment of a man. At first, I was so rattled
and taken aback that I was ready to think she
(27:33):
had been led away in some extraordinary fashion that was
clean against her usual nature. One explanation came into my head.
I give it to you, mister Holmes, for what it
is worth. There is no doubt that my wife was
bitterly jealous. There is a soul jealousy that can be
as frantic as any body jealousy, and though my wife
(27:55):
had no cause, and I think she understood this for
the latter, she was aware that this English girl exerted
an influence upon my mind and my acts that she
herself never had. It was an influence for good, but
that did not mend the matter. She was crazy with hatred,
and the heat of the Amazon was always in her blood.
(28:17):
She might have planned to murder miss Dunbar, or, we
will say, to threaten her with a gun and so
frighten her into leaving us. Then there might have been
a scuffle and the gun gone off and shot the
woman who held it. That possibility had already occurred to me,
said Holmes. Indeed, it is the only obvious alternative to
(28:39):
deliberate murder. But she utterly denies it. Well, that is
my final is it? One can understand that a woman
placed in so awful a position might hurry home, still
in her bewilderment, holding the revolver. She might even throw
it down among her clothes, hardly knowing what she was doing,
(28:59):
and when it was found, she might try to lie
her way out by a total denial, since all explanation
was impossible. What is against such a supposition Miss Dunbar herself. Well,
perhaps Holmes looked at his watch. I have no doubt
we can get the necessary permits this morning to reach
(29:19):
Winchester by the evening train. When I have seen this
young lady, it is very possible that I may be
of more use to you in the matter, though I
cannot promise that my conclusions will necessarily be such as
you desire. There was some delay in the official pass,
and instead of reaching Winchester that day, we went down
to Thor Place, the Hampshire estate of mister Neil Gibson.
(29:43):
He did not accompany us himself, but we had the
address of Sergeant Coventry of the local police, who had
first examined into the affair. He was a tall, thin,
cadaverous man with a secretive and mysterious manner which conveyed
the idea that he knew or suspected of it very
great deal more than he dared say. He had a
trick too, of suddenly sinking his voice to a whisper,
(30:06):
as if he had come upon something of vital importance,
though the information was usually commonplace enough. Behind these tricks
of manner, he soon showed himself to be a decent,
honest fellow who was not too proud to admit that
he was out of his depth, and would welcome any help. Anyhow,
I'd rather have you than Scotland Yard, mister Holmes said he.
(30:29):
If the yard gets called into a case, then the
local loses all credit for success and may be blamed
for failure. Now you play straight, so I've heard, I
need not appear in the matter at all, said Holmes,
to the evident relief of our melancholy acquaintance. If I
can clear it up, I don't ask to have my
name mentioned. Well, that's very handsome of you. I am sure,
(30:53):
and your friend doctor Watson can be trusted. I know now,
mister Holmes. As we walk down to the place, there
is one question I should like to ask you. I'd
breathe it to no soul but you. He looked round
as though he hardly dare utter the words. Don't you
think there might be a case against mister Neil Gibson himself.
(31:16):
I have been considering that you've not seen miss Dunbar.
She is a wonderful, fine woman in every way. He
may well have wished his wife out of the road.
And these Americans are readier with pistols than our folk are.
It was his pistol, you know, was that clearly made out? Yes, sir,
(31:38):
it was one of a pair that he had. One
of a pair. Where's the other? Well, the gentleman has
a lot of firearms of one sort and another. We
never quite matched that particular pistol, but the box was
made for two. If it was one of a pair,
you should surely be able to match it. Well, we
(31:58):
have them all laid out at the house. If you
would care to look them over later. Perhaps I think
we will walk down together and have a look at
the scene of the tragedy. This conversation had taken place
in the little front room of Sergeant Coventry's humble cottage,
which served as the local police station. A walk of
(32:18):
half a mile or so across a wind swept heath,
all golden bronze with the fading ferns, brought us to
a side gate opening into the grounds of the Thorplace estate.
A path led us through the pheasant preserves, and then
from a clearing we saw the widespread half timbered house,
half Tudor and half Georgian upon the crest of the hill.
(32:40):
Beside us there was a long, reedy pool constricted in
the center, where the main carriage drive passed over a
stone bridge, but swelling into small lakes on either side.
Our guide paused at the mouth of this bridge, and
he pointed to the ground that was where missus Gibson's
body lay. I marked it by that stone. I understand
(33:01):
that you were there before it was moved. Yes, they
sent for me at once. Who did mister Gibson himself
the moment the alarm was given and he had rushed
down with others from the house. He insisted that nothing
should be moved until the police should arrive. That was sensible.
I gathered from the newspaper report that the shot was
(33:23):
fired from close quarters, Yes, sir, very close near the
right temple, just behind it. Sir. How did the body
lie on the back, sir? No trace of a struggle,
no marks, no weapon. The short note from miss Dunbar
was clutched in her left hand, clutched do you say yes, sir?
(33:44):
We could hardly open the fingers. That is of great importance.
It excludes the idea that any one could have placed
the note there after death in order to furnish a
false clue dear me. The note, as I remember, was
quite short. I will be at Thorbridge at nine o'clock,
g Dunbar. Was that not so? Yes, sir? Did miss
(34:09):
Dunbar admit writing it? Yes? Sir? What was her explanation?
Her defense was reserved for the assizes. She would say nothing.
The problem is certainly a very interesting one. The point
of the letter is very obscure, is it not, well, sir,
said the guide. It seemed, if I may be so
(34:31):
bold as to say so, the only really clear point
in the whole case. Holmes shook his head, granting that
the letter is genuine and was really written. It was
certainly received some time before, say, one hour or two.
Why then, was this lady still clasping it in her
left hand? Why should she carry it so carefully? She
(34:54):
did not need to refer to it in the interview?
Does it not seem remarkable? Well, sir, as you put it,
perhaps it does. I think I should like to sit
quietly for a few minutes and think it out. He
seated himself upon the stone ledge of the bridge, and
I could see his quick gray eyes darting their questioning
(35:16):
glances in every direction. Suddenly he sprang up again and
ran across to the opposite parapet, whipped his lens from
his pocket and began to examine the stone work. This
is curious, said he. Yes, sir, we saw the chip
on the ledge. I expect it's been done by some
passer by. The stone work was gray, but at this
(35:39):
one point it showed white for a space not larger
than a sixpence. When examined closely, one could see that
the surface was chipped, as by a sharp blow. It
took some violence to do that, said Holmes, thoughtfully. With
his cane, he struck the ledge several times without leaving
a mark. Yes, it was a hard knock in a
(36:02):
curious place too. It was not from above but from below.
For you see that it is on the lower edge
of the parapet, But it is at least fifteen feet
from the body. Yes, it is fifteen feet from the body.
It may have nothing to do with the matter, but
it is a point worth noting. I do not think
(36:24):
that we have anything more to learn here. There were
no footsteps, you say the ground was iron hard, sir,
there were no traces at all. Then we can go.
We will go up to the house first and look
over these weapons of which you speak. Then we shall
get on to Winchester, for I should desire to see
(36:45):
Miss Dunbar before we go farther. Mister Neil Gibson had
not returned from town, but we saw in the house
the neurotic mister Bates, who had called upon us in
the morning. He showed us, with a sinister relish, the
formidable array of firearms, of various shapes and sizes, which
his employer had accumulated in the course of an adventurous life.
(37:06):
Mister Gibson has his enemies, as any one would expect
to know him and his methods. Said he. He sleeps
with a loaded revolver in the drawer beside his bed.
He is a man of violence, sir, and there are
times when all of us are afraid of him. I
am sure that the poor lady who is past was
often terrified. Did you ever witness physical violence towards her? No,
(37:31):
I cannot say that, but I have heard hard words
which were nearly as bad words of cold cutting contempt
even before the servants. A millionaire does not seem to
shine in private life, remarked Holmes, as we made our
way to the station. Well Watson. We have come on
a good many facts, some of the new ones, and
(37:52):
yet I seem some way from my conclusion. In spite
of the very evident dislike which mister Bates has to employer,
I gather from him that when the alarm came, he
was undoubtedly in his library. Dinner was over at eight thirty,
and all was normal up till then. It is true
that the alarm was somewhat late in the evening, but
(38:14):
the tragedy certainly occurred about the hour named in the note.
There is no evidence at all that mister Gibson had
been out of doors since his return from town at
five o'clock. On the other hand, Missus Dunbar, as I
understand it, admits that she had made an appointment to
meet Missus Gibson at the bridge. Beyond this, she would
say nothing, as her lawyer had advised her to reserve
(38:37):
her defense. We have several very vital questions to ask
that young lady, and my mind will not be easy
until we have seen her. I must confess that the
case would seem to me to be very black against
her if it were not for one thing. And what
is that, Holmes. The finding of the pistol in her wardrobe.
(39:00):
Dear me, Holmes, I cried. That seemed to me the
most damning incident of all. Not so, Watson. It had
struck me, even at my first perfunctory reading, as very strange.
And now that I am in closer touch with the case,
it is my only firm ground for hope. We must
look for consistency where there is a want of it.
(39:21):
We must suspect deception. I hardly follow you well. Now, Watson.
Suppose for a moment that we visualize you in the
character of a woman who, in a cold, premeditated fashion,
is about to get rid of rival. You have planned it,
A note has been written, the victim has come, You
have your weapon. The crime is done. It has been
(39:44):
workmanlike and complete. Do you tell me that after carrying
out so crafty a crime, you would now ruin your
reputation as a criminal by forgetting to fling your weapon
into those adjacent reed beds, which would forever cover it.
But you must needs carry it carefully home and put
it in your own wardrobe, the very first place that
(40:05):
would be searched. Your best friends would hardly call you
a schemer, Watson. And yet I could not picture you
doing anything so crude as that in the excitement of
the moment. No, no, Watson, I will not admit that
it is possible. Where a crime is coolly premeditated, then
the means of covering it are coolly premeditated. Also. I
(40:27):
hope therefore that we are in the presence of a
serious misconception. But there is so much to explain. Well,
we shall set about explaining it. When once your point
of view is changed, the very thing which was so
damning becomes a clue to the truth. For example, there
is this revolver Miss Dunbar disclaims all knowledge of it.
(40:51):
On our new theory, she is piquing truth when she
says so, therefore it was placed in her wardrobe? Who
placed it there? Some one who wished to incriminate her?
Was not that person the actual criminal. You see how
we come at once upon a most fruitful line of inquiry.
(41:12):
We were compelled to spend the night at Winchester, as
the formalities had not yet been completed. But next morning,
in the company of mister Joyce Cummings, the rising barrister
who was entrusted with the defense, we were allowed to
see the young lady in her cell. I had expected
from all that we had heard to see a beautiful woman,
but I can never forget the effect which Miss Dunbar
(41:34):
produced upon me. It was no wonder that even the
masterful millionaire had found in her something more powerful than himself,
something which could control and guide him. One felt, too,
as one looked at that strong, clear cut and yet
sensitive face, that even should she be capable of some
impetuous deed, none the less there was an innate nobility
(41:57):
of character which would make her influence always for the good.
She was a brunette, tall, with a noble figure and
commanding presence, but her dark eyes had in them the appealing,
helpless expression of the hunted creature who feels the net
surround it but can see no way out from the toils. Now,
(42:18):
as she realized the presence and the help of my
famous friend, there came a touch of color in her
wan cheeks, and a light of hope began to glimmer
in the glance which she turned upon us. Perhaps mister
Neil Gibson has told you something of what occurred between us,
she asked in a low, agitated voice. Yes, Holmes answered,
(42:38):
you need not pain yourself by entering into that part
of the story. After seeing you, I am prepared to
accept mister Gibson's statement, both as to the influence which
you had over him and as to the innocence of
your relations with him. But why was the whole situation
not put out in court? It seemed to me incredible
(42:59):
that such a charge could be sustained. I thought that
if we waited, the whole thing must clear itself up
without our being compelled to enter into painful details of
the inner life of the family. But I understand that
far from clearing it has become even more serious. My
dear young lady, cried Holmes earnestly. I beg you to
(43:21):
have no illusions upon the point. Mister Cummings here would
assure you that all the cards are at present against us,
and that we must do everything that is possible if
we are to win. Clear it would be a cruel
deception to pretend that you are not in very great danger.
Give me all the help you can then, to get
at the truth. I will conceal nothing. Tell us then,
(43:46):
of your true relations with mister Gibson's wife. She hated me,
mister Holmes. She hated me with all the fervor of
her tropical nature. She was a woman who would do
nothing by halves, and the measure of her love for
her husband was the measure also of her hatred for me.
It is probable that she misunderstood our relations. I would
(44:09):
not wish to wrong her, But she loved so vividly
in a physical sense that she could hardly understand the
mental and even spiritual tie which held her husband to me.
Or imagine that it was only my desire to influence
his power to good ends which kept me under his roof.
I can see now that I was wrong. Nothing could
(44:29):
justify me in remaining where I was the cause of unhappiness.
And yet it is certain that the unhappiness would have
remained even if I had left the house. Now, Miss
Dunbar said Holmes, I beg you to tell us exactly
what occurred that evening. I can tell you the truth
so far as I know it, mister Holmes. But I
am in a position to prove nothing. And there are points,
(44:53):
the most vital points, which I can neither explain, nor
can I imagine any explanation. If you will find the facts,
perhaps others may find the explanation. With regard then to
my presence at Thorbridge that night, I received a note
from missus Gibson. In the morning. It lay on the
table in the school room, and it may have been
(45:15):
left there by her own hand. It implored me to
see her there after dinner. Said she had something important
to say to me, and asked me to leave an
answer on the sun dial in the garden, as she
desired no one to be in our confidence. I saw
no reason for such secrecy, but I did as she asked,
accepting the appointment. She asked me to destroy her note
(45:39):
and I burned it in the school room. Great she
was very much afraid of her husband, who treated her
with a harshness for which I frequently reproached him. And
I could only imagine that she acted in this way
because she did not wish him to know of our interview.
Yet she kept your reply very carefully. Yes, I was
surprised to hear that she had it in her hand
(46:01):
when she died. Well, what happened then? I went down
as I had promised. When I reached the bridge, she
was waiting for me. Never did I realize to that
moment how this poor creature hated me. She was like
a mad woman. Indeed, I think she was a mad woman,
subtly mad, with the deep power of deception which insane
(46:23):
people may have. How else could she have met me
with unconcern every day and yet had so raging a
hatred of me in her heart. I will not say
what she said. She poured her whole wild fury out
in burning and horrible words. I did not even answer.
I could not. It was dreadful to see her. I
put my hands to my ears and rushed away. When
(46:45):
I left her, she was standing still, shrieking out her
curses at me in the mouth of the bridge, where
she was afterwards found within a few yards from the spot.
And yet, presuming that she met her death shortly after
you left her, you heard no shot. No, I heard nothing.
(47:06):
But indeed, mister Holmes, I was so agitated and horrified
by this terrible outbreak that I rushed to get back
to the peace of my own room, and I was
incapable of noticing anything which happened. You say that you
returned to your room. Did you leave it again before
next morning? Yes, When the alarm came and the poor
creature had met her death, I ran out with the others.
(47:29):
Did you see mister Gibson. Yes, he had just returned
from the bridge when I saw him. He had sent
for the doctor and the police. Did he seem to
you much perturbed? Mister Gibson is a very strong, self
contained man. I do not think that he would ever
show his emotions on the surface, But I, who knew
(47:51):
him so well, could see that he was deeply concerned.
Then we come to the all important point. This pistol
that was found in your room. Had you ever seen
it before? Never, I swear it. When was it found
next morning when the police made their search among your clothes? Yes,
(48:13):
on the floor of my wardrobe, under my dresses. You
could not guess how long it had been there. It
had not been there the morning before. How do you know?
Because I tidied out the wardrobe. That is final. Then
some one came into your room and placed the pistol
there in order to inculpate you. It must have been so,
(48:36):
and when it could only have been at meal time
or else at the hours when I would be in
the schoolroom with the children as you were when you
got the note. Yes, from that time onwards for the
whole morning. Thank you, Miss Dunbar. Is there any other
point which could help me in the investigation? I can
(48:58):
think of none. There was some sign of violence on
the stone work of the bridge, a perfectly fresh chip
just opposite the body. Could you suggest any possible explanation
of that? Surely it must be a mere coincidence. Curious,
Miss Dunbar, very curious. Why should it appear at the
(49:19):
very time of the tragedy, and why at that very place?
But what could have caused it? Only great violence could
have such an effect. Holmes did not answer. His pale,
eager face had suddenly assumed that tense, far away expression
which I had learned to associate with the supreme manifestations
(49:40):
of his genius. So evident was the crisis in his
mind that none of us dared to speak. And we sat,
Barrister Prisoner and myself watching him in a concentrated and
absorbed silence. Suddenly he sprang from his chair, vibrating with
nervous energy and the pressing need for action. Come, Watson, Come,
(50:02):
he cried, What is it, mister Holmes? Never mind, my
dear lady. You will hear from me, mister Cummings, with
the help of the God of Justice, I will give
you a case which will make England ring. You will
get news by to morrow, Miss Dunbar, and meanwhile, take
my assurance that the clouds are lifting, and that I
have every hope that the light of truth is breaking through.
(50:27):
It was not a long journey from Winchester to thor Place,
but it was long to me in my impatience, while
for Holmes it was evident that it seemed endless, for
in his nervous restlessness, he could not sit still, but
paced the carriage or drummed with his long, sensitive fingers
upon the cushions beside him. Suddenly, however, as we neared
(50:49):
our destination, he seated himself opposite to me, who we
had a first class carriage to ourselves, and laying a
hand upon each of my knees, he looked into my
eyes with the peculiarly mischievous gaze which was characteristic of
his more imp like moods. Watson said, he I have
some recollection that you go armed upon these excursions of ours.
(51:13):
It was as well for him that I did so,
for he took little care for his own safety when
his mind was once absorbed by a problem, so that
more than once my revolver had been a good friend
in need. I reminded him of the fact. Yes, yes,
I am a little absent minded in such matters. But
have you your revolver on you? I produced it from
(51:34):
my hip pocket, A short, handy but very serviceable little weapon.
He undid the catch, shook out the cartridges and examined
it with care. It's heavy, remarkably heavy, said he, yes,
it is a solid bit of work. He mused over
it for a minute. Do you know, Watson said he.
(51:55):
I believe your revolver is going to have a very
intimate connection with the miss which we are investigating. My
dear Holmes, you are joking, know, Watson, I am very serious.
There is a test before us. If the test comes off,
all will be clear, and the test will depend upon
the conduct of this little weapon. One cartridge out now,
(52:19):
we will replace the other five and put on the
safety catch, so that increases the weight and makes it
a better reproduction. I had no glimmer of what was
in his mind, nor did he enlighten me, but sat
lost in thought until we pulled up in the Little
Hampshire station. We secured a ramshackle trap and in a
(52:42):
quarter of an hour were at the house of our
confidential friend. The sergeant a clue, mister Holmes, what is it?
It all depends upon the behavior of doctor Watson's revolver,
said my friend. Here it is now, Officer, can you
give me ten yards of string? The village shop provided
a ball of stout twine. I think that this is
(53:05):
all we will need, said Holmes. Now, if you please,
we will get off on what I hope is the
last stage of our journey. The sun was setting and
turning the rolling Hampshire moor into a wonderful autumnal panorama.
The sergeant, with many critical and incredulous glances which showed
his deep doubts of the sanity of my companion, lurched
(53:27):
along beside us. As we approached the scene of the crime.
I could see that my friend, under all his habitual coolness,
was in truth deeply agitated. Yes, he said, in answer
to my remark, you have seen me miss my mark
before Watson. I have an instinct for such things, and
yet it has sometimes played me false. It seemed a
(53:48):
certainty when first it flashed across my mind in the
cell at Winchester. But one drawback of an active mind
is that one can always conceive alternative explanations which would
make our sent a false one. And yet, and yet, well, Watson,
we can but try. As he walked, he had firmly
(54:08):
tied one end of the string to the handle of
the revolver. We had now reached the scene of the tragedy.
With great care, he marked out, under the guidance of
the policeman, the exact spot where the body had been stretched.
He then hunted among the heather and ferns until he
found a considerable stone. This he secured to the other
(54:29):
end of his line of string, and he hung it
over the parapet of the bridge, so that it swung
clear above the water. He then stood on the fatal spot,
some distance from the edge of the bridge, with my
revolver in his hand, the string being taught between the
weapon and the heavy stone on the farther side. Now
(54:50):
for it, he cried at the words. He raised the
pistol to his head, and then let go his grip.
In an instant it had been and whisked away by
the weight of the stone, had struck with a sharp
crack against the parapet, and had vanished over the side
into the water. It had hardly gone before Holmes was
(55:11):
kneeling beside the stone work, and a joyous cry showed
that he had found what he expected. Was there ever
a more exact demonstration? He cried, See, Watson, your revolver
has solved the problem. As he spoke, he pointed to
a second chip of the exact size and shape of
(55:31):
the first, which had appeared on the under side of
the stone balustrade. We'll stay at the inn to night,
he continued, as he rose and faced the astonished sergeant.
You will, of course get a grappling hook, and you
will easily restore my friend's revolver. You will also find
beside it the revolver string and weight with which this
(55:52):
vindictive woman attempted to disguise her own crime and to
fasten a charge of murder upon an innocent victim. You
can let mister Gibson know that I will see him
in the morning, when steps can be taken for Miss
Dunbar's vindication. Late that evening, as we sat together smoking
our pipes in the village inn, Holmes gave me a
(56:13):
brief review of what had passed. I fear, Watson, said
he that you will not improve any reputation which I
may have acquired by adding the case of the Thorbridge
mystery at your Annal's. I have been sluggish in mind
and wanting in that mixture of imagination and reality which
is the basis of my art. I confess that the
(56:33):
chip in the stone work was a sufficient clue to
suggest the true solution, and that I blame myself for
not having attained it sooner. It must be admitted that
the workings of this unhappy woman's mind were deep and subtle,
so that it was no very simple matter to unravel
her plot. I do not think that in our adventures
(56:54):
we have ever come across a stranger example of what
perverted love can bring about. Whether Miss Dunbar was her
rival in a physical or in a merely mental sense,
seems to have been equally unforgivable in her eyes. No doubt,
she blamed this innocent lady for all those harsh dealings
and unkind words with which her husband tried to repel
(57:15):
her to demonstrative affection. Her first resolution was to end
her own life. Her second was to do it in
such a way as to involve her victim in a
fate which was worse far than any sudden death could be.
We can follow the various steps quite clearly, and they
show a remarkable subtlety of mind. A note was extracted
(57:38):
very cleverly from Miss Dunbar, which would make it appear
that she had chosen the scene of the crime in
her anxiety that it should be discovered. She somewhat overdid
it by holding it in her hand to the last.
This alone should have excited my suspicions earlier than it did.
Then she took one of her husband's revolvers. There was,
(57:59):
as you saw, an arsenal in the house, and kept
it for her own use. A similar one she concealed
that morning in Miss Dunbar's wardrobe. After discharging one barrel,
which she could easily do in the woods without attracting attention,
she then went down to the bridge where she had
contrived this exceedingly ingenious method for getting rid of her weapon.
(58:21):
When Miss Dunbar appeared, she used her last breath in
pouring out her hatred, and then, when she was out
of hearing, carried out her terrible purpose. Every link is
now in its place, and the chain is complete. The
papers may ask why the mirror was not dragged in
the first instance, but it is easy to be wise
(58:42):
after the event, and in any case, the expanse of
a reed filled lake is no easy matter to drag
unless you have a clear perception of what you are
looking for and where Well, Watson, we have helped a
remarkable woman and also a formidable man. Should they when
the future join their forces, as seems not unlikely, the
(59:03):
financial world may find that mister Neil Gibson has learned
something in that school room of sorrow where our earthly
lessons are taught. End of the problem of thor Bridge
Section seven of the Case Book of Sherlock Holmes by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This LibriVox according is in the
public domain, read by Thomas Copeland, Story seven, the Problem
of thor Bridge. Somewhere in the vaults of the Bank
of Cox and Company at Charing Cross, there is a
travel worn and battered tin dispatch box with my name
(00:24):
John H. Watson, m D. Late Indian Army painted on
the lid. It is crammed with papers, nearly all of
which are records of cases to illustrate the curious problems
which mister Sherlock Holmes had at various times to examine.
Some and not the least interesting, were complete failures, and
(00:44):
as such will hardly bear narrating, since no final explanation
is forthcoming. A problem without a solution may interest the student,
but can hardly fail to annoy the casual reader. Among
these unfinished tales is that of mister James Phillimore, who,
stepping back into his own house to get his umbrella,
(01:05):
was never more seen in this world. No less remarkable
is that of the cutter Alisha, which sailed one spring
morning into a small patch of mist, from where she
never again emerged, nor was anything further ever heard of
herself and her crew. The third case worthy of note
is that of Isidora Persano, the well known journalist and duellist,
(01:28):
who was found stark, staring mad, with the match box
in front of him, which contained a remarkable worm, said
to be unknown to science. Apart from these unfathomed cases,
there are some which involve the secrets of private families,
to an extent which would mean consternation in many exalted
quarters if it were thought possible that they might find
(01:50):
their way into print. I need not say that such
a breach of confidence is unthinkable, and that these records
will be separated and destroyed now that my friend has
time to turn his energies to the matter. There remain
a considerable residue of cases of greater or less interest,
which I might have edited before, had it not feared
(02:10):
to give the public a surfeit which might react upon
the reputation of the man whom, above all others I revere.
In some I was myself concerned and can speak as
an eye witness, while in others I was either not
present or played so small a part that they could
only be told as by a third person. The following
narrative is drawn from my own experience. It was a
(02:33):
wild morning in October, and I observed, as I was
dressing how the last remaining leaves were being whirled from
the solitary plane tree which graces the yard behind our house.
I descended to breakfast, prepared to find my companion in
depressed spirits, for like all great artists, he was easily
impressed by his surroundings. On the contrary, I found that
(02:56):
he had nearly finished his meal, and that his mood
was particularly bright and joyous, with a somewhat sinister cheerfulness,
which was characteristic of his lighter moments. You have a case, Holmes,
I remarked. The faculty of deduction is certainly contagious. Watson,
he answered, it has enabled you to probe my secret. Yes,
(03:19):
I have a case. After a month of trivialities and stagnation,
the wheels move once more. Might I share it? There
is little to share, but we may discuss it when
you have consumed the two hard boiled eggs with which
our new cook has favored us. Their condition may not
be unconnected with the copy of the family Herald, which
(03:40):
I observed yesterday upon the hall table. Even so trivial
a matter as cooking an egg demands an attention which
is conscious of the passage of time and incompatible with
the love romance in that excellent periodical. A quarter of
an hour later, the table had been cleared and we
were face to face. He had drawn a letter from
(04:01):
his pocket. You have heard of Neil Gibson, the gold King,
he said, You mean the American senator. Well, he was
once senator for some western state, but is better known
as the greatest gold mining magnate in the world. Yes,
I know him. He has surely lived in England for
some time. His name is very familiar. Yes, he bought
(04:25):
a considerable estate in Hampshire some five years ago. Possibly
you have already heard of the tragic end of his wife.
Of course I remember it now. That is why the
name is familiar. But I really know nothing of the details.
Holmes waved his hand towards some papers on a chair.
(04:46):
I had no idea that the case was coming my way,
or I should have had my extracts ready, said he.
The fact is that the problem, though exceedingly sensational, appeared
to present no difficulty. The interest sting personality of the
accused does not obscure the clearness of the evidence. That
was the view taken by the coroner's jury and also
(05:08):
in the police court proceedings. It is now referred to
the Assizes at Winchester. I fear it is a thankless business.
I can discover facts, Watson, but I cannot change them
unless some entirely new and unexpected ones come to light.
I do not see what my client can hope for
your client. Ah, I forgot. I had not told you
(05:30):
I am getting into your involved habit, Watson, of telling
a story backwards, you had best read this first. The
letter which he handed to me, written in a bold,
masterful hand, ran as follows Clarridge's Hotel, October third, Dear
mister Sherlock Holmes, I can't see the best woman God
ever made go to her death without doing all that
(05:52):
is possible to save her. I can't explain things, I
can't even try to explain them. But I know beyond
all doubt that Miss Dunbar is innocent. You know the facts.
Who doesn't. It has been the gossip of the country
and never a voice raised for her. It's the damned
injustice of it all that makes me crazy. That woman
(06:13):
has a heart that wouldn't let her kill a fly. Well,
I'll come at eleven tomorrow and see if you can
get some ray of light in the dark. Maybe I
have a clue and don't know it anyhow, All I know,
and all I have and all I am are for
your use, if only you can save her. If ever
(06:33):
in your life you showed your powers, put them now
into this case, Yours faithfully, j Neil Gibson. There you
have it, said Sherlock Holmes, knocking out the ashes of
his after breakfast pipe and slowly refilling it. That is
the gentleman, I await as to the story. You have
hardly time to master all these papers, so I must
(06:57):
give it to you in a nutshell if you were
to take an intelligence and interest in the proceedings. This
man is the greatest financial power in the world, and
a man, as I understand, of most violent and formidable character.
He married a wife, the victim of this tragedy, of
whom I know nothing save that she was past her prime,
which was the more unfortunate, as a very attractive governess
(07:20):
superintended the education of two young children. These are the
three people concerned, and the scene is a grand old
manor house, the center of an historical English estate. Then,
as to the tragedy, the wife was found in the grounds,
nearly half a mile from the house, late at night,
clad in her dinner dress, with a shawl over her
(07:42):
shoulders and a revolver bullet through her brain. No weapon
was found near her, and there was no local clue
as to the murder, no weapon near her. Watson mark
that the crime seems to have been committed late in
the evening, and the body was found by a gamekeeper
about eleven o'clock, when it was examined by the police
(08:02):
and by a doctor before being carried up to the house.
Is this too condensed or can you follow it? Clearly?
It is all very clear. But why suspect the governess? Well,
in the first place, there is some very direct evidence.
A revolver with one discharged chamber and a caliber which
corresponded with the bullet, was found on the floor of
(08:25):
her wardrobe. His eyes fixed and he repeated in broken
words on the floor of her wardrobe. Then he sank
into silence, and I saw that some train of thought
had been set moving, which I should be foolish to interrupt. Suddenly,
with a start, he emerged into brisk life once more. Yes, Watson,
(08:47):
it was found pretty damning, eh so the two juries thought.
Then the dead woman had a note upon her making
an appointment at that very place, and signed by the governess.
How's that? Finally there is the motive. Senator Gibson is
an attractive person if his wife dies, who more likely
(09:10):
to succeed her than the young lady who had already,
by all accounts, received pressing invitations from her employer love, fortune, power,
all depending upon one middle aged life ugly Watson, very ugly, Yes, indeed, Holmes.
Nor could she prove an alibi. On the contrary, she
(09:32):
had to admit that she was down near Thorpe Bridge
that was the scene of the tragedy, about that hour.
She couldn't deny it, for some passing villager had seen
her there. That really seems final. And yet Watson, and
yet this bridge, a single broad span of stone with
balustraded sides, carries the drive over the narrowest part of
(09:56):
a long, deep reed girt sheet of water thor Mere.
It is called in the mouth of the bridge lay
the dead woman. Such are the main facts, but here
for mistake, not as our client considerably before his time.
Billy had opened the door, but the name which he
announced was an unexpected one. Mister Marlowe Bates was a
(10:18):
stranger to both of us. He was a thin, nervous
wisp of a man with frightened eyes and a twitching,
hesitating manner, a man whom my own professional eye would
judge to be on the brink of an absolute nervous breakdown.
You seem agitated, mister Bates, said, Holmes, Pray, sit down,
I fear I can only give you a short time,
(10:39):
for I have an appointment at eleven. I know you
have our visitor, gasped, shooting out short sentences like a
man who is out of breath. Mister Gibson is coming.
Mister Gibson is my employer. I am manager of his estate.
Mister Holmes, he is a villain, an infernal villain. Strong language,
mister Bayes. I have to be emphatic, mister Holmes, for
(11:02):
the time is so limited. I would not have him
find me here for the world. He is almost due now,
But I was so situated that I could not come earlier.
His secretary, mister Ferguson, only told me this morning of
his appointment with you, and you are his manager. I
have given him notice. In a couple of weeks, I
shall have shaken off as accursed slavery. A hard man,
(11:25):
mister Holmes. Hard to all about him. Those public charities
are a screen to cover his private iniquities. But his
wife was his chief victim. He was brutal to her, yes, sir, brutal.
How she came by her death, I do not know,
but I am sure that he had made her life
a misery to her. She was a creature of the
tropics of Brazilian by birth, as no doubt you know, no,
(11:49):
it had escaped me, Tropical by birth and tropical by nature,
a child of the son and of passion. She had
loved him as such women can love. But when her
own physic charms had faded, I am told that they
once were great, there was nothing to hold him. We
all liked her and felt for her, and hated him
for the way that he treated her. But he is
(12:11):
plausible and cunning. That is all I have to say
to you. Don't take him at his face value. There
is more behind now I'll go, no, no, don't detain me.
He is almost due with a frightened look at the clock.
Our strange visitor literally ran to the door and disappeared.
Well well, said Holmes, after an interval of silence. Mister
(12:32):
Gibson seems to have a nice, loyal household. But the
warning is a useful one, and now we can only
wait till the man himself appears. Sharp at the hour,
we heard a heavy step upon the stairs, and the
famous millionaire was shown into the room. As I looked
upon him, I understood not only the fears and dislike
of his manager, but also the execrations which so many
(12:56):
business rivals have heaped upon his head. If I were
sculptor and desired to idealize the successful man of affairs,
iron of nerve and leathery of conscience, I should choose
mister Neil Gibson as my model. His tall, gaunt, craggy
figure had a suggestion of hunger and rapacity, and Abraham
(13:17):
Lincoln keyed to base uses instead of high ones, would
give some idea of the man. His face might have
been chiseled in granite, hard set, craggy, remorseless, with deep
lines upon it, the scars of many a crisis. Cold
gray eyes looking shrewdly out from under bristling brows, surveyed
(13:38):
us each in turn. He bowed in perfunctory fashion as
Holmes mentioned my name, and then, with a masterful air
of possession, he drew a chair up to my companion
and seated himself with his bony knees almost touching him.
Let me say right here, mister Holmes, he began, that
money is nothing to me in this case. You can
(14:00):
burn it if it's any use in lighting you to
the truth. This woman is innocent, and this woman has
to be cleared, and it's up to you to do it.
Name your figure. My professional charges are upon a fixed scale,
said Holmes coldly. I do not vary them, save when
I remit them altogether. Well, if dollars make no difference
(14:21):
to you, think of the reputation. If you pull this off,
every paper in England and America will be booming you.
You'll be the talk of two continents. Thank you, mister Gibson.
I do not think that I am in need of booming.
It may surprise you to know that I prefer to
work anonymously, and that it is the problem itself which
attracts me. But we are wasting time. Let us get
(14:45):
down to the facts. I think that you will find
all the main ones in the press reports. I don't
know that I can add anything which will help you,
but if there is anything you would wish more light upon,
well I am here to give it. Well, there is
just one point. What is it? What were the exact
(15:06):
relations between you and miss Dunbar. The gold king gave
a violent start and half rose from his chair. Then
his massive calm came back to him. I suppose you
are within your rights and maybe doing your duty and
asking such a question. Mister Holmes. We will agree to suppose, so,
(15:27):
said Holmes. Then I can assure you that our relations
were entirely and always those of an employer towards a
young lady whom he never conversed with or ever saw,
save when she was in the company of his children.
Holmes rose from his chair. I am a rather busy man,
mister Gibson said he and I have no time or
(15:48):
taste for aimless conversations. I wish you good morning. Our
visitor had risen also, and his great loose figure towered
above Holmes. There was an angry gleam from under those
bristling brows. And a tinge of color in the sallow cheeks.
What the devil you mean by this, mister Holmes, Do
you dismiss my case? Well, mister Gibson, at least I
(16:11):
dismiss you. I should have thought my words were plain,
plain enough. But what's at the back of it raising
the price on me? Or afraid to tackle it? Or
what I have a right to a plain answer? Well,
perhaps you have said, Holmes, I'll give you one. This
case is quite sufficiently complicated to start with, without the
(16:32):
further difficulty of false information, meaning that I lie well.
I was trying to express it as delicately as I could.
But if you insist upon the word, I will not
contradict you. I sprang to my feet, for the expression
upon the millionaire's face was fiendish in its intensity, and
(16:52):
he had raised his great knotted fist. Holmes smiled languidly
and reached his hand out for his pipe. Don't be noisy,
mister Gibson. I find that after breakfast, even the smallest
argument is unsettling. I suggest that a stroll in the
morning air and a little quiet thought will be greatly
to your advantage. With an effort, the gold King mastered
(17:16):
his fury. I could not but admire him, for by
a supreme self command, he had turned in a minute
from a hot flame of anger to a frigid and
contemptuous indifference. Well it's your choice. I guess you know
how to run your own business. I can't make you
touch the case against your will. You've done yourself no
(17:37):
good this morning, mister Holmes, For I have broken stronger
men than you. No man ever crossed me and was
the better for it. So many have said so, and
yet here I am, said Holmes, smiling, Well, good morning,
mister Gibson. You have a good deal yet to learn.
Our visitor made a noisy exit, but Holmes smoked in
(17:59):
imper terbable silence, with dreamy eyes fixed upon the ceiling.
Any views, Watson, he asked at last, Well, Holmes, I
must confess that when I consider that this is a
man who would certainly brush any obstacle from his path,
and when I remember that his wife may have been
an obstacle and an object of dislike, as that man
(18:22):
Bates plainly told us, it seems to me exactly, and
to me also, But what were his relations with the governess,
And how did you discover them. Bluff, Watson, bluff. When
I considered the passionate, unconventional, unbusinesslike tone of his letter
and contrasted it with his self contained manner and appearance,
(18:46):
it was pretty clear that there was some deep emotion
which centered upon the accused woman rather than upon the victim.
We've got to understand the exact relations of those three
people if we are to reach the truth. You saw
the frontal attack which I made upon him, and how
imperturbably he received it. Then I bluffed him by giving
(19:07):
him the impression that I was absolutely certain, when in
reality I was only extremely suspicious. Perhaps he will come back.
He is sure to come back. He must come back.
He can't leave it where it is. Ha isn't that
a ring? Yes? There is his footstep. Well, mister Gibson,
(19:29):
I was just saying to doctor Watson that you were
somewhat overdue. The gold King had re entered the room
in a more chastened mood than he had left it.
His wounded pride still showed in his resentful eyes, but
his common sense had shown him that he must yield
if he would attain his end. I've been thinking it over,
mister Holmes, and I feel that I have been hasty
(19:52):
in taking your remarks, Amiss. You are justified in getting
down to the facts, whatever they may be, and I
I think the more of you for it. I can
assure you, however, that the relations between miss Dunbar and
me don't really touch this case. That is for me
to decide, is it not. Yes, I guess that is so.
(20:15):
You are like a surgeon who wants every symptom before
he can give his diagnosis exactly that expresses it. And
it is only a patient who has an object in
deceiving his surgeon who would conceal the facts of his case.
That may be so. But you will admit, mister Holmes,
that most men would shy off a bit when they
(20:37):
are asked point blank what their relations with a woman
may be, if there is really some serious feeling in
the case. I guess most men have a little private
reserve of their own, in some corner of their souls
where they don't welcome intruders. And you burst suddenly into it.
But the object excuses you, since it was to try
(20:59):
and savor. Well, the stakes are down and the reserve open,
and you can explore where you will. What is it?
You want the truth. The gold King paused for a moment,
as one who marshals his thoughts, his grim, deep lined
face had become even sadder and more grave. I can
(21:20):
give it to you in a very few words, mister Holmes,
he said at last. There are some things that are
painful as well as difficult to say, so I won't
go deeper than is needful. I met my wife when
I was gold hunting in Brazil. Maria Pinto was the
daughter of a government official in Mannos, and she was
(21:42):
very beautiful. I was young and ardent in those days,
but even now, as I look back, with colder blood
and a more critical eye, I can see that she
was rare and wonderful in a beauty. It was a deep,
rich nature, too passionate, whole hearted, tropical, ill balanced, very
(22:03):
different from the American women whom I had known well.
To make a long story short, I loved her and
I married her. It was only when the romance had passed,
and it lingered for years, that I realized that we
had nothing, absolutely nothing in common. My love faded. If
(22:24):
hers had faded also, it might have been easier. But
you know, the wonderful way of women do what I might.
Nothing could turn her from me. If I have been
harsh to her, even brutal, as some have said, it
has been because I knew that if I could kill
her love, or if it turned to hate, it would
(22:44):
be easier for both of us. But nothing changed her.
She adored me in those English woods as she had
adored me twenty years ago on the banks of the Amazon.
Do what I might. She was as devoted as ever.
And then came miss Grace Dunbar. She answered our advertisement
(23:05):
and became governess to our two children. Perhaps you have
seen her portrait in the papers. The whole world has
proclaimed that she also is a very beautiful woman. Now
I make no pretense to be more moral than my neighbors,
and I will admit to you that I could not
(23:25):
live under the same roof with such a woman, and
in daily contact with her, without feeling a passionate regard
for her. Do you blame me, mister Holmes, I do
not blame you for feeling it. I should blame you
if you expressed it, since this young lady was in
a sense under your protection. Well maybe, so said the millionnaire,
(23:48):
though for a moment the reproof had brought the old,
angry gleam into his eyes. I am not pretending to
be any better than I am. I guess all my
life I have been a man that reached out his
hand for what he wanted, and I never wanted anything
more than the love and possession of that woman. I
told her, so, oh you did, did you? Holmes could
(24:13):
look very formidable when he was moved. I said to
her that I could marry her. I would, but that
it was out of my power. I said that money
was no object, and that all I could do to
make her happy and comfortable would be done very generous,
I am sure, said Holmes with a sneer. See here,
(24:35):
mister Holmes, I came to you on a question of evidence,
not on a question of morals. I am not asking
for your criticism. It is only for the young lady's
sake that I touch your case at all, said Holmes sternly.
I don't know that anything she is accused of is
really worse than what you have yourself admitted that you
have tried to ruin a defenseless girl who was under
(24:58):
your roof. Some of you rich men have to be
taught that all the world cannot be bribed into condoning
your offenses. To my surprise, the gold King took the
reproof with equanimity. That's how I feel myself about it now.
I thank god that my plans did not work out
as I intended. She would have none of it, and
(25:21):
she wanted to leave the house instantly. Why did she
not well in the first place? Others were repentant upon her,
and it was no light matter for her to let
them all down by sacrificing her living. When I had sworn,
as I did, that she should never be molested again.
(25:41):
She consented to remain. But there was another reason. She
knew the influence she had over me, and that it
was stronger than any other influence in the world. She
wanted to use it for good. Oh well, well she
knew something of my affairs. They are large, mister Holmes,
(26:04):
large beyond the relief of an ordinary man. I can
make or break, and it is usually break. It wasn't
individuals only, it was communities, cities, even nations. Business is
a hard game, and the week go to the wall.
I played the game for all it was worth. I
(26:25):
never squealed myself, and I never cared if the other
fellow squealed. But she saw it different. I guess she
was right. She believed and said that a fortune for
one man that was more than he needed should not
be built on ten thousand ruined men who were left
without the means of life. That is how she saw it,
(26:49):
and I guess she could see past the dollars to
something that was more lasting. She found that. I listened
to what she said, and she believed she was serving
the world by influencing my actions. So she stayed. And
then this came along. Can you throw any light upon that?
(27:11):
The gold king paused for a minute or more, his
head sunk in his hands, lost in deep thought. It's
very black against her. I can't deny that. And women
lead an inward life and may do things beyond the
judgment of a man. At first, I was so rattled
and taken aback that I was ready to think she
(27:33):
had been led away in some extraordinary fashion that was
clean against her usual nature. One explanation came into my head.
I give it to you, mister Holmes, for what it
is worth. There is no doubt that my wife was
bitterly jealous. There is a soul jealousy that can be
as frantic as any body jealousy, and though my wife
(27:55):
had no cause, and I think she understood this for
the latter, she was aware that this English girl exerted
an influence upon my mind and my acts that she
herself never had. It was an influence for good, but
that did not mend the matter. She was crazy with hatred,
and the heat of the Amazon was always in her blood.
(28:17):
She might have planned to murder miss Dunbar, or, we
will say, to threaten her with a gun and so
frighten her into leaving us. Then there might have been
a scuffle and the gun gone off and shot the
woman who held it. That possibility had already occurred to me,
said Holmes. Indeed, it is the only obvious alternative to
(28:39):
deliberate murder. But she utterly denies it. Well, that is
my final is it? One can understand that a woman
placed in so awful a position might hurry home, still
in her bewilderment, holding the revolver. She might even throw
it down among her clothes, hardly knowing what she was doing,
(28:59):
and when it was found, she might try to lie
her way out by a total denial, since all explanation
was impossible. What is against such a supposition Miss Dunbar herself. Well,
perhaps Holmes looked at his watch. I have no doubt
we can get the necessary permits this morning to reach
(29:19):
Winchester by the evening train. When I have seen this
young lady, it is very possible that I may be
of more use to you in the matter, though I
cannot promise that my conclusions will necessarily be such as
you desire. There was some delay in the official pass,
and instead of reaching Winchester that day, we went down
to Thor Place, the Hampshire estate of mister Neil Gibson.
(29:43):
He did not accompany us himself, but we had the
address of Sergeant Coventry of the local police, who had
first examined into the affair. He was a tall, thin,
cadaverous man with a secretive and mysterious manner which conveyed
the idea that he knew or suspected of it very
great deal more than he dared say. He had a
trick too, of suddenly sinking his voice to a whisper,
(30:06):
as if he had come upon something of vital importance,
though the information was usually commonplace enough. Behind these tricks
of manner, he soon showed himself to be a decent,
honest fellow who was not too proud to admit that
he was out of his depth, and would welcome any help. Anyhow,
I'd rather have you than Scotland Yard, mister Holmes said he.
(30:29):
If the yard gets called into a case, then the
local loses all credit for success and may be blamed
for failure. Now you play straight, so I've heard, I
need not appear in the matter at all, said Holmes,
to the evident relief of our melancholy acquaintance. If I
can clear it up, I don't ask to have my
name mentioned. Well, that's very handsome of you. I am sure,
(30:53):
and your friend doctor Watson can be trusted. I know now,
mister Holmes. As we walk down to the place, there
is one question I should like to ask you. I'd
breathe it to no soul but you. He looked round
as though he hardly dare utter the words. Don't you
think there might be a case against mister Neil Gibson himself.
(31:16):
I have been considering that you've not seen miss Dunbar.
She is a wonderful, fine woman in every way. He
may well have wished his wife out of the road.
And these Americans are readier with pistols than our folk are.
It was his pistol, you know, was that clearly made out? Yes, sir,
(31:38):
it was one of a pair that he had. One
of a pair. Where's the other? Well, the gentleman has
a lot of firearms of one sort and another. We
never quite matched that particular pistol, but the box was
made for two. If it was one of a pair,
you should surely be able to match it. Well, we
(31:58):
have them all laid out at the house. If you
would care to look them over later. Perhaps I think
we will walk down together and have a look at
the scene of the tragedy. This conversation had taken place
in the little front room of Sergeant Coventry's humble cottage,
which served as the local police station. A walk of
(32:18):
half a mile or so across a wind swept heath,
all golden bronze with the fading ferns, brought us to
a side gate opening into the grounds of the Thorplace estate.
A path led us through the pheasant preserves, and then
from a clearing we saw the widespread half timbered house,
half Tudor and half Georgian upon the crest of the hill.
(32:40):
Beside us there was a long, reedy pool constricted in
the center, where the main carriage drive passed over a
stone bridge, but swelling into small lakes on either side.
Our guide paused at the mouth of this bridge, and
he pointed to the ground that was where missus Gibson's
body lay. I marked it by that stone. I understand
(33:01):
that you were there before it was moved. Yes, they
sent for me at once. Who did mister Gibson himself
the moment the alarm was given and he had rushed
down with others from the house. He insisted that nothing
should be moved until the police should arrive. That was sensible.
I gathered from the newspaper report that the shot was
(33:23):
fired from close quarters, Yes, sir, very close near the
right temple, just behind it. Sir. How did the body
lie on the back, sir? No trace of a struggle,
no marks, no weapon. The short note from miss Dunbar
was clutched in her left hand, clutched do you say yes, sir?
(33:44):
We could hardly open the fingers. That is of great importance.
It excludes the idea that any one could have placed
the note there after death in order to furnish a
false clue dear me. The note, as I remember, was
quite short. I will be at Thorbridge at nine o'clock,
g Dunbar. Was that not so? Yes, sir? Did miss
(34:09):
Dunbar admit writing it? Yes? Sir? What was her explanation?
Her defense was reserved for the assizes. She would say nothing.
The problem is certainly a very interesting one. The point
of the letter is very obscure, is it not, well, sir,
said the guide. It seemed, if I may be so
(34:31):
bold as to say so, the only really clear point
in the whole case. Holmes shook his head, granting that
the letter is genuine and was really written. It was
certainly received some time before, say, one hour or two.
Why then, was this lady still clasping it in her
left hand? Why should she carry it so carefully? She
(34:54):
did not need to refer to it in the interview?
Does it not seem remarkable? Well, sir, as you put it,
perhaps it does. I think I should like to sit
quietly for a few minutes and think it out. He
seated himself upon the stone ledge of the bridge, and
I could see his quick gray eyes darting their questioning
(35:16):
glances in every direction. Suddenly he sprang up again and
ran across to the opposite parapet, whipped his lens from
his pocket and began to examine the stone work. This
is curious, said he. Yes, sir, we saw the chip
on the ledge. I expect it's been done by some
passer by. The stone work was gray, but at this
(35:39):
one point it showed white for a space not larger
than a sixpence. When examined closely, one could see that
the surface was chipped, as by a sharp blow. It
took some violence to do that, said Holmes, thoughtfully. With
his cane, he struck the ledge several times without leaving
a mark. Yes, it was a hard knock in a
(36:02):
curious place too. It was not from above but from below.
For you see that it is on the lower edge
of the parapet, But it is at least fifteen feet
from the body. Yes, it is fifteen feet from the body.
It may have nothing to do with the matter, but
it is a point worth noting. I do not think
(36:24):
that we have anything more to learn here. There were
no footsteps, you say the ground was iron hard, sir,
there were no traces at all. Then we can go.
We will go up to the house first and look
over these weapons of which you speak. Then we shall
get on to Winchester, for I should desire to see
(36:45):
Miss Dunbar before we go farther. Mister Neil Gibson had
not returned from town, but we saw in the house
the neurotic mister Bates, who had called upon us in
the morning. He showed us, with a sinister relish, the
formidable array of firearms, of various shapes and sizes, which
his employer had accumulated in the course of an adventurous life.
(37:06):
Mister Gibson has his enemies, as any one would expect
to know him and his methods. Said he. He sleeps
with a loaded revolver in the drawer beside his bed.
He is a man of violence, sir, and there are
times when all of us are afraid of him. I
am sure that the poor lady who is past was
often terrified. Did you ever witness physical violence towards her? No,
(37:31):
I cannot say that, but I have heard hard words
which were nearly as bad words of cold cutting contempt
even before the servants. A millionaire does not seem to
shine in private life, remarked Holmes, as we made our
way to the station. Well Watson. We have come on
a good many facts, some of the new ones, and
(37:52):
yet I seem some way from my conclusion. In spite
of the very evident dislike which mister Bates has to employer,
I gather from him that when the alarm came, he
was undoubtedly in his library. Dinner was over at eight thirty,
and all was normal up till then. It is true
that the alarm was somewhat late in the evening, but
(38:14):
the tragedy certainly occurred about the hour named in the note.
There is no evidence at all that mister Gibson had
been out of doors since his return from town at
five o'clock. On the other hand, Missus Dunbar, as I
understand it, admits that she had made an appointment to
meet Missus Gibson at the bridge. Beyond this, she would
say nothing, as her lawyer had advised her to reserve
(38:37):
her defense. We have several very vital questions to ask
that young lady, and my mind will not be easy
until we have seen her. I must confess that the
case would seem to me to be very black against
her if it were not for one thing. And what
is that, Holmes. The finding of the pistol in her wardrobe.
(39:00):
Dear me, Holmes, I cried. That seemed to me the
most damning incident of all. Not so, Watson. It had
struck me, even at my first perfunctory reading, as very strange.
And now that I am in closer touch with the case,
it is my only firm ground for hope. We must
look for consistency where there is a want of it.
(39:21):
We must suspect deception. I hardly follow you well. Now, Watson.
Suppose for a moment that we visualize you in the
character of a woman who, in a cold, premeditated fashion,
is about to get rid of rival. You have planned it,
A note has been written, the victim has come, You
have your weapon. The crime is done. It has been
(39:44):
workmanlike and complete. Do you tell me that after carrying
out so crafty a crime, you would now ruin your
reputation as a criminal by forgetting to fling your weapon
into those adjacent reed beds, which would forever cover it.
But you must needs carry it carefully home and put
it in your own wardrobe, the very first place that
(40:05):
would be searched. Your best friends would hardly call you
a schemer, Watson. And yet I could not picture you
doing anything so crude as that in the excitement of
the moment. No, no, Watson, I will not admit that
it is possible. Where a crime is coolly premeditated, then
the means of covering it are coolly premeditated. Also. I
(40:27):
hope therefore that we are in the presence of a
serious misconception. But there is so much to explain. Well,
we shall set about explaining it. When once your point
of view is changed, the very thing which was so
damning becomes a clue to the truth. For example, there
is this revolver Miss Dunbar disclaims all knowledge of it.
(40:51):
On our new theory, she is piquing truth when she
says so, therefore it was placed in her wardrobe? Who
placed it there? Some one who wished to incriminate her?
Was not that person the actual criminal. You see how
we come at once upon a most fruitful line of inquiry.
(41:12):
We were compelled to spend the night at Winchester, as
the formalities had not yet been completed. But next morning,
in the company of mister Joyce Cummings, the rising barrister
who was entrusted with the defense, we were allowed to
see the young lady in her cell. I had expected
from all that we had heard to see a beautiful woman,
but I can never forget the effect which Miss Dunbar
(41:34):
produced upon me. It was no wonder that even the
masterful millionaire had found in her something more powerful than himself,
something which could control and guide him. One felt, too,
as one looked at that strong, clear cut and yet
sensitive face, that even should she be capable of some
impetuous deed, none the less there was an innate nobility
(41:57):
of character which would make her influence always for the good.
She was a brunette, tall, with a noble figure and
commanding presence, but her dark eyes had in them the appealing,
helpless expression of the hunted creature who feels the net
surround it but can see no way out from the toils. Now,
(42:18):
as she realized the presence and the help of my
famous friend, there came a touch of color in her
wan cheeks, and a light of hope began to glimmer
in the glance which she turned upon us. Perhaps mister
Neil Gibson has told you something of what occurred between us,
she asked in a low, agitated voice. Yes, Holmes answered,
(42:38):
you need not pain yourself by entering into that part
of the story. After seeing you, I am prepared to
accept mister Gibson's statement, both as to the influence which
you had over him and as to the innocence of
your relations with him. But why was the whole situation
not put out in court? It seemed to me incredible
(42:59):
that such a charge could be sustained. I thought that
if we waited, the whole thing must clear itself up
without our being compelled to enter into painful details of
the inner life of the family. But I understand that
far from clearing it has become even more serious. My
dear young lady, cried Holmes earnestly. I beg you to
(43:21):
have no illusions upon the point. Mister Cummings here would
assure you that all the cards are at present against us,
and that we must do everything that is possible if
we are to win. Clear it would be a cruel
deception to pretend that you are not in very great danger.
Give me all the help you can then, to get
at the truth. I will conceal nothing. Tell us then,
(43:46):
of your true relations with mister Gibson's wife. She hated me,
mister Holmes. She hated me with all the fervor of
her tropical nature. She was a woman who would do
nothing by halves, and the measure of her love for
her husband was the measure also of her hatred for me.
It is probable that she misunderstood our relations. I would
(44:09):
not wish to wrong her, But she loved so vividly
in a physical sense that she could hardly understand the
mental and even spiritual tie which held her husband to me.
Or imagine that it was only my desire to influence
his power to good ends which kept me under his roof.
I can see now that I was wrong. Nothing could
(44:29):
justify me in remaining where I was the cause of unhappiness.
And yet it is certain that the unhappiness would have
remained even if I had left the house. Now, Miss
Dunbar said Holmes, I beg you to tell us exactly
what occurred that evening. I can tell you the truth
so far as I know it, mister Holmes. But I
am in a position to prove nothing. And there are points,
(44:53):
the most vital points, which I can neither explain, nor
can I imagine any explanation. If you will find the facts,
perhaps others may find the explanation. With regard then to
my presence at Thorbridge that night, I received a note
from missus Gibson. In the morning. It lay on the
table in the school room, and it may have been
(45:15):
left there by her own hand. It implored me to
see her there after dinner. Said she had something important
to say to me, and asked me to leave an
answer on the sun dial in the garden, as she
desired no one to be in our confidence. I saw
no reason for such secrecy, but I did as she asked,
accepting the appointment. She asked me to destroy her note
(45:39):
and I burned it in the school room. Great she
was very much afraid of her husband, who treated her
with a harshness for which I frequently reproached him. And
I could only imagine that she acted in this way
because she did not wish him to know of our interview.
Yet she kept your reply very carefully. Yes, I was
surprised to hear that she had it in her hand
(46:01):
when she died. Well, what happened then? I went down
as I had promised. When I reached the bridge, she
was waiting for me. Never did I realize to that
moment how this poor creature hated me. She was like
a mad woman. Indeed, I think she was a mad woman,
subtly mad, with the deep power of deception which insane
(46:23):
people may have. How else could she have met me
with unconcern every day and yet had so raging a
hatred of me in her heart. I will not say
what she said. She poured her whole wild fury out
in burning and horrible words. I did not even answer.
I could not. It was dreadful to see her. I
put my hands to my ears and rushed away. When
(46:45):
I left her, she was standing still, shrieking out her
curses at me in the mouth of the bridge, where
she was afterwards found within a few yards from the spot.
And yet, presuming that she met her death shortly after
you left her, you heard no shot. No, I heard nothing.
(47:06):
But indeed, mister Holmes, I was so agitated and horrified
by this terrible outbreak that I rushed to get back
to the peace of my own room, and I was
incapable of noticing anything which happened. You say that you
returned to your room. Did you leave it again before
next morning? Yes, When the alarm came and the poor
creature had met her death, I ran out with the others.
(47:29):
Did you see mister Gibson. Yes, he had just returned
from the bridge when I saw him. He had sent
for the doctor and the police. Did he seem to
you much perturbed? Mister Gibson is a very strong, self
contained man. I do not think that he would ever
show his emotions on the surface, But I, who knew
(47:51):
him so well, could see that he was deeply concerned.
Then we come to the all important point. This pistol
that was found in your room. Had you ever seen
it before? Never, I swear it. When was it found
next morning when the police made their search among your clothes? Yes,
(48:13):
on the floor of my wardrobe, under my dresses. You
could not guess how long it had been there. It
had not been there the morning before. How do you know?
Because I tidied out the wardrobe. That is final. Then
some one came into your room and placed the pistol
there in order to inculpate you. It must have been so,
(48:36):
and when it could only have been at meal time
or else at the hours when I would be in
the schoolroom with the children as you were when you
got the note. Yes, from that time onwards for the
whole morning. Thank you, Miss Dunbar. Is there any other
point which could help me in the investigation? I can
(48:58):
think of none. There was some sign of violence on
the stone work of the bridge, a perfectly fresh chip
just opposite the body. Could you suggest any possible explanation
of that? Surely it must be a mere coincidence. Curious,
Miss Dunbar, very curious. Why should it appear at the
(49:19):
very time of the tragedy, and why at that very place?
But what could have caused it? Only great violence could
have such an effect. Holmes did not answer. His pale,
eager face had suddenly assumed that tense, far away expression
which I had learned to associate with the supreme manifestations
(49:40):
of his genius. So evident was the crisis in his
mind that none of us dared to speak. And we sat,
Barrister Prisoner and myself watching him in a concentrated and
absorbed silence. Suddenly he sprang from his chair, vibrating with
nervous energy and the pressing need for action. Come, Watson, Come,
(50:02):
he cried, What is it, mister Holmes? Never mind, my
dear lady. You will hear from me, mister Cummings, with
the help of the God of Justice, I will give
you a case which will make England ring. You will
get news by to morrow, Miss Dunbar, and meanwhile, take
my assurance that the clouds are lifting, and that I
have every hope that the light of truth is breaking through.
(50:27):
It was not a long journey from Winchester to thor Place,
but it was long to me in my impatience, while
for Holmes it was evident that it seemed endless, for
in his nervous restlessness, he could not sit still, but
paced the carriage or drummed with his long, sensitive fingers
upon the cushions beside him. Suddenly, however, as we neared
(50:49):
our destination, he seated himself opposite to me, who we
had a first class carriage to ourselves, and laying a
hand upon each of my knees, he looked into my
eyes with the peculiarly mischievous gaze which was characteristic of
his more imp like moods. Watson said, he I have
some recollection that you go armed upon these excursions of ours.
(51:13):
It was as well for him that I did so,
for he took little care for his own safety when
his mind was once absorbed by a problem, so that
more than once my revolver had been a good friend
in need. I reminded him of the fact. Yes, yes,
I am a little absent minded in such matters. But
have you your revolver on you? I produced it from
(51:34):
my hip pocket, A short, handy but very serviceable little weapon.
He undid the catch, shook out the cartridges and examined
it with care. It's heavy, remarkably heavy, said he, yes,
it is a solid bit of work. He mused over
it for a minute. Do you know, Watson said he.
(51:55):
I believe your revolver is going to have a very
intimate connection with the miss which we are investigating. My
dear Holmes, you are joking, know, Watson, I am very serious.
There is a test before us. If the test comes off,
all will be clear, and the test will depend upon
the conduct of this little weapon. One cartridge out now,
(52:19):
we will replace the other five and put on the
safety catch, so that increases the weight and makes it
a better reproduction. I had no glimmer of what was
in his mind, nor did he enlighten me, but sat
lost in thought until we pulled up in the Little
Hampshire station. We secured a ramshackle trap and in a
(52:42):
quarter of an hour were at the house of our
confidential friend. The sergeant a clue, mister Holmes, what is it?
It all depends upon the behavior of doctor Watson's revolver,
said my friend. Here it is now, Officer, can you
give me ten yards of string? The village shop provided
a ball of stout twine. I think that this is
(53:05):
all we will need, said Holmes. Now, if you please,
we will get off on what I hope is the
last stage of our journey. The sun was setting and
turning the rolling Hampshire moor into a wonderful autumnal panorama.
The sergeant, with many critical and incredulous glances which showed
his deep doubts of the sanity of my companion, lurched
(53:27):
along beside us. As we approached the scene of the crime.
I could see that my friend, under all his habitual coolness,
was in truth deeply agitated. Yes, he said, in answer
to my remark, you have seen me miss my mark
before Watson. I have an instinct for such things, and
yet it has sometimes played me false. It seemed a
(53:48):
certainty when first it flashed across my mind in the
cell at Winchester. But one drawback of an active mind
is that one can always conceive alternative explanations which would
make our sent a false one. And yet, and yet, well, Watson,
we can but try. As he walked, he had firmly
(54:08):
tied one end of the string to the handle of
the revolver. We had now reached the scene of the tragedy.
With great care, he marked out, under the guidance of
the policeman, the exact spot where the body had been stretched.
He then hunted among the heather and ferns until he
found a considerable stone. This he secured to the other
(54:29):
end of his line of string, and he hung it
over the parapet of the bridge, so that it swung
clear above the water. He then stood on the fatal spot,
some distance from the edge of the bridge, with my
revolver in his hand, the string being taught between the
weapon and the heavy stone on the farther side. Now
(54:50):
for it, he cried at the words. He raised the
pistol to his head, and then let go his grip.
In an instant it had been and whisked away by
the weight of the stone, had struck with a sharp
crack against the parapet, and had vanished over the side
into the water. It had hardly gone before Holmes was
(55:11):
kneeling beside the stone work, and a joyous cry showed
that he had found what he expected. Was there ever
a more exact demonstration? He cried, See, Watson, your revolver
has solved the problem. As he spoke, he pointed to
a second chip of the exact size and shape of
(55:31):
the first, which had appeared on the under side of
the stone balustrade. We'll stay at the inn to night,
he continued, as he rose and faced the astonished sergeant.
You will, of course get a grappling hook, and you
will easily restore my friend's revolver. You will also find
beside it the revolver string and weight with which this
(55:52):
vindictive woman attempted to disguise her own crime and to
fasten a charge of murder upon an innocent victim. You
can let mister Gibson know that I will see him
in the morning, when steps can be taken for Miss
Dunbar's vindication. Late that evening, as we sat together smoking
our pipes in the village inn, Holmes gave me a
(56:13):
brief review of what had passed. I fear, Watson, said
he that you will not improve any reputation which I
may have acquired by adding the case of the Thorbridge
mystery at your Annal's. I have been sluggish in mind
and wanting in that mixture of imagination and reality which
is the basis of my art. I confess that the
(56:33):
chip in the stone work was a sufficient clue to
suggest the true solution, and that I blame myself for
not having attained it sooner. It must be admitted that
the workings of this unhappy woman's mind were deep and subtle,
so that it was no very simple matter to unravel
her plot. I do not think that in our adventures
(56:54):
we have ever come across a stranger example of what
perverted love can bring about. Whether Miss Dunbar was her
rival in a physical or in a merely mental sense,
seems to have been equally unforgivable in her eyes. No doubt,
she blamed this innocent lady for all those harsh dealings
and unkind words with which her husband tried to repel
(57:15):
her to demonstrative affection. Her first resolution was to end
her own life. Her second was to do it in
such a way as to involve her victim in a
fate which was worse far than any sudden death could be.
We can follow the various steps quite clearly, and they
show a remarkable subtlety of mind. A note was extracted
(57:38):
very cleverly from Miss Dunbar, which would make it appear
that she had chosen the scene of the crime in
her anxiety that it should be discovered. She somewhat overdid
it by holding it in her hand to the last.
This alone should have excited my suspicions earlier than it did.
Then she took one of her husband's revolvers. There was,
(57:59):
as you saw, an arsenal in the house, and kept
it for her own use. A similar one she concealed
that morning in Miss Dunbar's wardrobe. After discharging one barrel,
which she could easily do in the woods without attracting attention,
she then went down to the bridge where she had
contrived this exceedingly ingenious method for getting rid of her weapon.
(58:21):
When Miss Dunbar appeared, she used her last breath in
pouring out her hatred, and then, when she was out
of hearing, carried out her terrible purpose. Every link is
now in its place, and the chain is complete. The
papers may ask why the mirror was not dragged in
the first instance, but it is easy to be wise
(58:42):
after the event, and in any case, the expanse of
a reed filled lake is no easy matter to drag
unless you have a clear perception of what you are
looking for and where Well, Watson, we have helped a
remarkable woman and also a formidable man. Should they when
the future join their forces, as seems not unlikely, the
(59:03):
financial world may find that mister Neil Gibson has learned
something in that school room of sorrow where our earthly
lessons are taught. End of the problem of thor Bridge
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2
Season Two Out Now! Law & Order: Criminal Justice System tells the real stories behind the landmark cases that have shaped how the most dangerous and influential criminals in America are prosecuted. In its second season, the series tackles the threat of terrorism in the United States. From the rise of extremist political groups in the 60s to domestic lone wolves in the modern day, we explore how organizations like the FBI and Joint Terrorism Take Force have evolved to fight back against a multitude of terrorist threats.