The Adventure of the Abbey Grange by Arthur Conan Doyle Part 2 of Stories of Troubled Marriages

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section five of Stories of Troubled Marriages. This is a
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Recording by Lynn Thompson, Stories of Troubled Marriages, Section five,

(00:21):
The Adventure of the Abbey Grange by Arthur Conan Doyle,
Part two. The household at the Abbey Grange were much
surprised at our return, but Sherlock Holmes, finding that Stanley
Hopkins had gone off to report to headquarters, took possession
of the dining room, locked the door upon the inside,
and devoted himself for two hours to one of the

(00:42):
most minute and laborious investigations which form the solid basis
on which his brilliant edifices of deduction were reared. Seated
in a corner, like an interested student who observes the
demonstration of his professor, I followed every step of that
remarkable research. The window, the curtains, the carpet, the chair,

(01:03):
the rope, Each in turn was minutely examined and duly pondered.
The body of the unfortunate baronet had been removed, and
all else remained as we had seen it in the morning. Finally,
to my astonishment, Holmes climbed up on to the massive
mantel piece. Far above his head hung the few inches
of red cord, which was still attached to the wire.

(01:26):
For a long time he gazed upward at it, and then,
in attempt to get nearer to it, he rested his
knee upon a wooden bracket on the wall. This brought
his hand within a few inches of the broken end
of the rope. But it was not this so much
as the bracket itself which seemed to engage his attention. Finally,
he sprang down with an ejaculation of satisfaction. It's all right,

(01:50):
Watson said he. We have got our case, one of
the most remarkable in our collection. But dear me, how
slow witted I have been, and how nearly I have
committed blunder of my lifetime. Now I think that, with
a few missing links, my chain is almost complete. You
have got your men, man, Watson, man only one, but

(02:11):
a very formidable person, strong as a lion, witnessed the
blow that bent that poker. Six foot three in height,
active as a squirrel, dexterous with his fingers. Finally, remarkably
quick quitted, for this whole ingenious story is of his concoction. Yes, Watson,
we have come upon the handiwork of a very remarkable individual.

(02:33):
And yet in that bell rope he has given us
a clue which should not have left us a doubt.
Where is that clue? Well, if you were to pull
down a bell rope, Watson, where would you expect it
to break? Surely at the spot where it is attached
to the wire. Why should it break three inches from
the top, as this one has done, because it is

(02:54):
fraid there exactly this end, which we can examine, is frayed.
He was cunning enough to do that with his knife.
But the other end is not frayed. You could not
observe that from here, But if you were on the
mantelpiece you would see that it is cut clean off
without any mark of fraying. Whatever you can reconstruct what occurred.

(03:17):
The man kneaded the rope. He would not tear it
down for fear of giving the alarm by ringing the bell.
What did he do? He sprang up on to the mantelpiece,
could not quite reach it. He put his knee on
the bracket. You will see the impression in the dust,
and so got his knife to bear upon the cord.
I could not reach the place by at least three inches,

(03:37):
from which I infer that he is at least three
inches a bigger man than I. Look at that mark
upon the seat of the oaken chair. What is it? Blood?
Undoubtedly it is blood. This alone puts the lady's story
out of court. If she were seated on the chair
when the crime was done, how comes that mark? No? No,
she was placed in the chair after the death of

(03:58):
her husband. I'll wager that the black dress shows a
corresponding mark to this. We have not yet met our
Waterloo Watson. But this is our Morengo, for it begins
in defeat and ends in victory. I should like now
to have a few words with the nurse Theresa. We
must be wary for a while if we are to
get the information which we want. She was an interesting person,

(04:22):
this stern Australian nurse, taciturn, suspicious, ungracious. It took some
time before Holmes's pleasant manner and frank acceptance of all
that she said thawed her into a corresponding amiability. She
did not attempt to conceal her hatred for her late employer. Yes, sir,
it is true that he threw the decanter at me.

(04:44):
I heard him call my mistress a name, and I
told him that he would not dare to speak. So
if her brother had been there, then it was that
he threw it at me. He might have thrown a
dozen if he had but left my bonny bird alone.
He was for ever ill treating her, and she too
proud to complain. She will not even tell me all
that he has done to her. She never told me

(05:04):
of those marks on her arm that you saw this evening,
But I know very well that they come from a
stab with a hatpin. The sly devil. God forgive me
that I should speak of him so now that he
is dead. But a devil he was, if ever one
walked the earth. He was all honey when we first
met him, only eighteen months ago, and we both feel

(05:25):
as if it were eighteen years. She had only just
arrived in London. Yes, it was her first voyage. She
had never been from home before. He won her with
his title and his money and his false London ways.
If she made a mistake, she has paid for it.
If ever a woman did what months did we meet him. Well,
I tell you it was just after we arrived. We

(05:47):
arrived in June, and it was July. They were married
in January of last year. Yes, she is down in
the morning room again, and I have no doubt she
will see you. But you must not ask too much
of her, for she had gone through all that flesh
and blood will stand. Lady Brackenstall was reclining on the
same couch, but looked brighter than before The maid had

(06:10):
entered with us, and began once more to ferment the
bruise upon her mistress's brow. I hope, said the lady,
that you have not come to cross examine me again. No,
Holmes answered in his gentlest voice. I will not cause
you any unnecessary trouble, Lady Brackenstall, and my whole desire
is to make things easy for you, for I am

(06:31):
convinced that you are a much tried woman. If you
will treat me as a friend and trust me, you
may find that I will justify your trust. What do
you want me to do to tell me the truth,
mister Holmes, No, No, Lady Brackenstall, it is no use.
You may have heard of any little reputation which I possess.

(06:52):
I will stake it all on the fact that your
story is an absolute fabrication. Mistress and maid were both
staring at home with pale faces and frightened eyes. You
are an impudent fellow, cried Teresa. Do you mean to
say that my mistress has told a lie? Holmes rose
from his chair. Have you nothing to tell me? I

(07:13):
have told you everything. Think once more, Lady Brackenstall. Would
it not be better to be frank? For an instant?
There was a hesitation in her beautiful face. Then some
new strong thought caused it to set like a mask.
I have told you all I know. Holmes took his

(07:34):
hat and shrugged his shoulders. I am sorry, he said,
and without another word, we left the room and the house.
There was a pond in the park, and to this
my friend led the way. It was frozen over, but
a single hole was left for the convenience of a
solitary swan. Holmes gazed at it, and then passed on
to the lodge gate. There he scribbled a short note

(07:56):
for Stanley Hopkins and left it with the lodge keeper.
It may be a hit or it may be a miss,
but we are bound to do something for friend Hopkins,
just to justify this second visit, said he. I will
not quite take him into my confidence yet. I think
our next scene of operations must be the shipping office
of the Adelaide Southampton line, which stands at the end

(08:18):
of pow Mau. If I remember right, there is a
second line of steamers which connect South Australia with England.
But we will draw the larger cover first. Holmes's card
sent in to the manager in short instant attention, and
he was not long in acquiring all the information he needed.
In June of ninety five, only one of their line

(08:40):
had reached a home port. It was the Rock of Gibraltar,
the largest and best boat. A reference to the passenger
list showed that Miss Fraser of Adelaide with her maid,
had made the voyage in her The boat was now
somewhere south of the Suiz Canal on her way to Australia.
Her officers were the same as in ninety with one exception.

(09:02):
The first officer, mister Jack Cocker, had been made a
captain and was to take charge of their new ship,
the bass Rock, sailing in two days time from Southampton.
He lived at Sydenham, but he was likely to be
in that morning for instructions if we cared to wait
for him. No, mister Holmes had no desire to see him,

(09:23):
but would be glad to know more about his record
and character. His record was magnificent. There was not an
officer in the fleet to touch him. As to his character.
He was reliable on duty, but a wild, desperate fellow
off the deck of his ship. Hot headed, excitable, but loyal,
honest and kind hearted. That was the pith of the

(09:44):
information with which Holmes left the office of the Adelaide
Southampton Company. Thence he drove to Scotland Yard, but instead
of entering, he sat in his cab with his brows
drawn down, lost in profound thought. Finally he drove round
to the and Cross Telegraph Office, sent off a message,
and then at last we made for Baker Street once more.

(10:07):
No I couldn't do it, Watson said he as we
re entered our room. Once that warrant was made out,
nothing on earth would save him once or twice. In
my career, I feel that I have done more real
harm by my discovery of the criminal than ever he
had done by his crime. I have learned caution now
and I had rather played tricks with the law of

(10:28):
England than with my own conscience. Let us know a
little more before we act. Before evening we had a
visit from Inspector Stanley Hopkins. Things were not going very
well with him. I believe that you are a wizard,
mister Holmes. I really do sometimes think that you have
powers that are not human. Now, how on earth could

(10:49):
you know that the stolen silver was at the bottom
of that pond? I didn't know it, but you told
me to examine it. You got it? Then, yes, I
got it. I'm very glad if I have helped you,
But you haven't helped me. You have made the affair
far more difficult. What sort of burglars are they who
steal silver and then throw it into the nearest pond.

(11:12):
It was certainly rather eccentric behavior. I was merely going
on the idea that if the silver had been taken
by persons who did not want it, who merely took
it for a blind as it were, then they would
naturally be anxious to get rid of it. But why
should such an idea cross your mind? Well, I thought
it was possible. When they came out through the French window,

(11:34):
there was the pond with one tempting little hole in
the ice right in front of their noses. Could there
be a better hiding place, Ah, a hiding place that
is better, cried Stanley Hopkins. Yes, yes, I see it
all now. It was early. There were folks upon the road.
They were afraid of being seen with the silver, so

(11:55):
they sank it in the pond, intending to return for
it when the coast was clear. Excellent, mister Hole. That
is better than your idea of a blind Quite so,
and you have got an admirable theory. I have no
doubt that my own ideas were quite wild, but you
must admit that they have ended in discovering the silver. Yes, sir, yes,

(12:16):
it was all you're doing. But I have had a
bad setback, a setback, yes, mister Holmes. The Randal gang
was arrested in New York this morning. Dear me, Hopkins,
that is certainly rather against your theory that they committed
a murdering Kent last night. It is fatal, mister Holmes,
absolutely fatal. Still, there are other gangs of three besides

(12:38):
their Randals, or it may be some new gang of
which the police has never heard. Quite so, tis perfectly possible.
What do you off, Yes, mister Holmes, there is no
rest for me until I have got to the bottom
of the business. I suppose you have no hint to
give me. I have given you one, which well, I suggested,

(12:59):
a blind But why, mister Holmes, Why Ah, that's the question,
of course. But I commend the idea to your mind.
You might possibly find that there was something in it.
You won't stop for dinner? Well, good bye, and let
us know how you get on. Dinner was over and
the table cleared before Holmes alluded to the matter again.

(13:22):
He had lit his pipe and held his slippered feet
to the cheerful blaze of the fire. Suddenly he looked
at his watch. I expect developments, Watson, when now within
a few minutes, I dare say you thought I acted
rather badly to Stanley Hopkins just now, I trust your judgment.
A very sensible reply, Watson. You must look at it

(13:45):
this way. What I know is unofficial, what he knows
is official. I have the right to private judgment, but
he has none. He must disclose all or he is
a traitor to his service. In a doubtful case, I
would not put him in so pain position, and so
I reserved my information until my own mind is clear
upon the matter. But when will that be? The time

(14:07):
has come. You will now be present for the last
scene of a remarkable little drama. There was a sound
upon the stairs, and our door was opened to admit
as fine a specimen of manhood as ever passed through it.
He was a very tall young man, golden mustached, blue eyed,
with a skin which had been burned by tropical suns,

(14:27):
and a springy step which showed that the huge frame
was as active as it was strong. He closed the
door behind him, and then he stood with clenched hands
and heaving breast, choking down some overmastering emotion. Sit down,
Captain Crocker, You got my telegram, Our visitor sank into
an arm chair and looked from one to the other

(14:50):
of us with questioning eyes. I got your telegram, and
I came at the hour you said. I heard that
you had been down to the office. There was no
getting away from you. Let's hear the worst what you're
going to do with me? Arress me, speak out. Man.
You can't sit there and play with me like a
cat with a mouse. Give him a cigar, said Holmes.

(15:10):
Bite on that, Captain Crocker, and don't let your nurse
run away with you. I should not sit here smoking
with you if I thought you were a common criminal.
You may be sure of that. Be frank with me,
and we may do some good play tricks with me,
and I'll crush you. What do you wish me to
do to give me a true account of all that
happened at the abbey Grange last night? A true account,

(15:33):
mind you, with nothing added and nothing taken off. I
know so much already that if you go one inch
off the strait, I'll blow this police whistle from my window,
and the affair goes out of my hands forever. The
sailor thought for a little. Then he struck his leg
with his great sunburned hand. I'll chance it, he cried.

(15:53):
I believe you are a man of your word and
a white man, and I'll tell you the whole story.
But one thing I will say first, so far as
I am concerned, I regret nothing, and I fear nothing,
and I would do it again and be proud of
the job. Damn the beast. If he has as many
lives as a cat, he would owe them all to me.
But it's the lady Mary Mary Fraser. For never will

(16:16):
I call her by that accursed name. When I think
of getting her into trouble. I who would give my
life just to bring one smile to her dear face.
It's that that turns my soul into water. And yet,
and yet, what less could I do? I'll tell you
my story, gentlemen, and then I'll ask you, as man

(16:37):
to man, what less could I do? I must go
back a bit. You seem to know everything, so I
expect that you know that I met her when she
was a passenger and I was first Officer of the
Rock of Gibraltar. From the first day I met her,
she was the only woman to me. Every day of
that voyage I loved her more, and many a time

(16:57):
since have I kneeled down in the darkness of the
night watch and kiss the deck of that ship, because
I knew her dear feet had trod it. She was
never engaged to me. She treated me as fairly as
ever a woman treated a man. I have no complaint
to make. It was all love on my side and
all good comradeship and friendship on hers. When we parted,

(17:19):
she was a free woman, but I could never again
be a free man. Next time I came back from sea,
I heard of her marriage. Well, why shouldn't she marry
whom she liked? Title and money, who could carry them
better than she? She was born for all that is
beautiful and dainty. I didn't grieve over her marriage. I
was not such a selfish hound as that. I just

(17:41):
rejoiced that good luck had come her way, and that
she had not thrown herself away on a penniless sailor.
That's how I loved Mary Fraser well. I never thought
to see her again. But last voyage I was promoted
and the new boat was not yet launch, so I
had to wait for a couple of months with my
people at Sydenham. One day, out in a country lane,

(18:03):
I met Teresa Wright, her old maid. She told me
all about her, about him, about everything I tell you, gentlemen.
It nearly drove me mad, this drunken hound, that he
should dare to raise his hand to her, whose boots
he was not worthy to lick. I met Teresa again,
and I met Mary herself, and met her again. Then

(18:26):
she would meet me no more. But the other day
I had a notice that I was to start on
my voyage within a week, and I determined that I
would see her once before I left. Teresa was always
my friend, for she loved Mary and hated this villain
almost as much as I did. From her, I learned
the ways of the house. Mary used to sit up

(18:46):
reading in her own little room downstairs. I crept round
there last night and scratched at the window. At first
she would not open it to me, But in her
heart I know that now she loves me, and she
could not leave me. In the frosty night, she whispered
to me to come round to the big front window,
and I found it open before me, so as to

(19:08):
let me into the dining room. Again, I heard from
her own lips things that made my blood boil, And
again I cursed this brute who mishandled the woman I loved. Well, gentlemen,
I was standing with her just inside the window, in
all innocence, as God is my judge, when he rushed
like a madman into the room, called her the violess,

(19:29):
name that a man could use to a woman, and
welted her across the face with the stick he had
in his hand. I had sprung for the poker, and
it was a fair fight between us. See here on
my arm where his first blow fell. Then it was
my turn, and I went through him as if he
had been a rotten pumpkin. Do you think I was sorry?

(19:52):
Not I It was his life or mine. But far
more than that, it was his life or hers. For
how could I leave her in the power of this madman?
That was how I killed him. Was I wrong? Well,
then what would either of you, gentlemen have done if
you had been in my position? She had screamed when

(20:14):
he struck her, and that brought old Teresa down from
the room above. There was a bottle of wine on
the sideboard, and I opened it and poured a little
between Mary's lips, for she was half dead with shock.
Then I took a drop myself. Teresa was as cool
as ice, and it was her plot as much as mine.
We must make it appear that burglars had done the thing.

(20:36):
Teresa kept on repeating our story to her mistress, while
I swarmed up and cut the rope of the bell.
Then I lashed her in her chair and frayed out
the end of the rope to make it look natural.
Else they would wonder how in the world the burglar
could have got up there to cut it. Then I
gathered up a few plates and pots of silver to

(20:56):
carry out the idea of the robbery, and there I
left them with orders to give the alarm. When I
had a quarter of an hour's start, I dropped the
silver into the pond and made off for Sydenham, feeling
that for once in my life I had done a
real good night's work. And that's the truth and the
whole truth, mister Holmes, if it cost me my neck.

(21:17):
Holmes smote for some time in silence. Then he crossed
the room and shook our visitor by the hand. That's
what I think, he said. I know every word is true,
for you have hardly said a word which I did
not know. No one but an acrobat or a sailor
could have got up to that bell rope from the bracket,
and no one but a sailor could have made the

(21:39):
knots with which the cord was fastened to the chair.
Only once had this lady been brought into contact with sailors,
and that was on her voyage, and it was some
one of her own class of life, since she was
trying hard to shield him, and so showing that she
loved him. You see how easy it was for me
to lay my hands upon you, when once I start

(22:00):
upon the right trail, I thought the police never could
have seen through our dodge. And the police haven't, nor
will they, to the best of my belief. Now look here,
Captain Crocker, this is a very serious matter. Though I
am willing to admit that you acted under the most
extreme provocation to which any man could have been subjected,
I am not sure that in defense of your own life,

(22:23):
your action will not be pronounced legitimate. However, that is
for a British jury to decide. Meanwhile, I have so
much sympathy for you that if you choose to disappear
in the next twenty four hours, I will promise you
that no one will hinder you, and then it will
all come out. Certainly it will come out the sailor

(22:44):
flushed with anger? What sort of proposal is that to
make a man? I know enough of law to understand
that Mary would be held as accomplice. Do you think
I would leave her alone to face the music while
I slunk away. No, sir, let them do their worst
upon me. But for Heaven's sake, mister Holmes, find some
way of keeping my poor Mary out of the courts.

(23:07):
Holmes for a second time held out his hand to
the sailor. I was only testing you, and you ring
true every time. Well, it is a great responsibility that
I take upon myself. But I have given Hopkins an
excellent hint, and if he can't avail himself of it,
I can do no more. See here, Captain Crocker will
do this in you form of law. You are the prisoner, Watson.

(23:32):
You are a British jury, and I never met a
man who was more eminently fitted to represent one. I
am the judge. Now, gentlemen of the jury, you have
heard the evidence. Do you find the prisoner guilty or
not guilty? Not guilty, my lord, said I Fox popular
vox day. You are acquitted, Captain Crocker. So long as

(23:53):
the law does not find some other victim, you are
safe from me. Come back to this lady in a year,
and may her future and yours justify us in the
judgment which we have pronounced this night. End of Section
five