The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

he affected a certain quiet primness of dress, he was none the less in his personal habits one of the most untidy men that ever drove a fellow-lodger to distraction. Not that I am in the leas

his wooden mantelpiece, then I begin to give myself virtuous airs. I have always held, too, that pistol practice should be distinctly an open-air pastime; and when Holmes, in one of his queer humours, would sit in an armchair wi

when he performed the remarkable feats with which his name is associated were followed by reactions of lethargy during which he would lie about with his violin and his books, hardly moving save from the sofa to the table. Thus month after month his papers accumulated until every corner of the room was stacked with bundles of manuscript which were on no account to be burned, and which could not be put away save by their owner. One winter’s night, as we sat together by the fire, I ventured to suggest to him that, as he had

mischievous eyes. “I think that if you knew all that I had in this

work, then?” I asked. “I have often w

said he. “But there are some pretty little problems among them. Here’s the record of the Tarleton murders, and the case of Vamberry, the wine merchant, and the adventure of the old Russian woman

such as children’s toys are kept in. From within he produced a crumpled piece of paper, an old-fashi

make of this lot?” he asked

curious c

at hangs round it will strike y

s have a his

that they

you mean

the edge of the table. Then he reseated himself in his chair

I have left to remind me of the

had never been able to gather the details. “I should be

should add this case to your annals, for there are points in it which make it quite unique in the criminal records of this or, I believe, of an

has become known far and wide, and when I am generally recognized both by the public and by the official force as being a final court of appeal in doubtful cases. Even when you knew me first, at the time of the affair which you have commemorat

re efficient. Now and again cases came in my way, principally through the introduction of old fellow-students, for during my last years at the university there was a good deal of talk there about myself and my methods. The third of the

d, with languid and yet courtly manners. He was indeed a scion of one of the very oldest families in the kingdom though his branch was a cadet one which had separated from the northern Musgraves some time in the sixteenth century and had established itself in western Sussex, where the Manor House of Hurlstone is perhaps the oldest inhabited building in the county. Somethin

e Street. He had changed little, was dressed like a young man of fashion — he was always a bi

Musgrave?’ I asked after we

e of course had the Hurlstone estate to manage, and as I am member for my district as well, my life has been a busy

I have taken to l

e. We have had some very strange doings at Hurlstone, and the police have been able to thr

een panting during all those months of inaction seemed to have come within my reach. In my inmost hea

have the det

site to me and lit the cigarette

ce and takes a good deal of looking after. I preserve, too, and in the pheasant months I usually have a house-party, so that it would not do to be sho

ousehold. He was a well-grown, handsome man, with a splendid forehead, and though he has been with us for twenty years he cannot be more than forty now. With his personal advantages and his extraordinary gifts — for he can speak several languages and play nearly

o we were in hopes that he was about to settle down again, for he became engaged to Rachel Howells, our second housemaid; but he has thrown her over since then and taken up with Janet Tregellis, the daughter of the head game-keeper. Rachel — who is a very good girl, but of an excitable Welsh temper

his ruin, for it seems to have led to an insatiable curiosity about things which did not in the least concern

of strong cafe’ noir after my dinner. After struggling against it until two in the morning, I felt that it was quite hopeless, so I rose and lit the candle with the

ridor. I saw a glimmer of light coming from the open door of the library. I had myself extinguished the lamp and closed the door before coming to bed. Naturally my first thought was of burglar. The corridors at Hurls

t which sufficed to show me that he was fully dressed. Suddenly, as I looked, he rose from his chair, and, walking over to a bureau at the side, he unlocked it and drew out one of the drawers. From this he took a paper, and, returning to his seat, he flattened it out beside the taper on the edge of the table and began to study it w

the trust which we have reposed in yo

y surprise it was nothing of any importance at all, but simply a copy of the questions and answers in the singular old observance called the Musgrave Ritual. It is a sort of ceremony peculiar to our family, which each Musgr

e back to the paper

ment, however: I relocked the bureau, using the key which Brunton had left, and I had turned

ould kill me. My blood will be on your head, sir — it will, indeed — if you drive me to despair. If you cannot keep me after what has passed, then for God’s sake let

owever, as you have been a long time in the family, I have no wish to bring public disgrace upon you.

in a despairing voice. “A fortn

u may consider yourself to have

breast, like a broken man, while I put

disgrace. On the third morning, however, he did not appear, as was his custom, after breakfast to receive my instructions for the day. As I left the dining-room I happened to meet Ra

said. “Come back to your d

e an expression that I began to s

enough, Mr. Mus

ed. “You must stop work now, and when you go d

er is gone,

! Gone

bing, while I made inquiries about Brunton. There was no doubt about it that he had disappeared. His bed had not been slept in, he had been seen by no one since he had retired to his room the night before, and yet it was difficult to see how he could have left the house, as both windows and doors were fo

y room and cellar without discovering the least sign of the missing man. It was incredible to me that he could have gone away leaving all his property behind him, and yet where could he be? I called in the local police, but witho

in the early morning to find the bed empty, the window open, and no signs of the invalid. I was instantly aroused, and, with the two footmen, started off at once in search of the missing girl. It was not difficult to tell the direction which she had taken, for, starting from under her window, we cou

inen bag which contained within it a mass of old rusted, and discoloured metal and several dull coloured pieces of pebble or glass. This strange find was all that we could get from the mere, and, although we ma

gone. The maid had loved the butler, but had afterwards had cause to hate him. She was of Welsh blood, fiery and passionate. She had been terribly excited immediately after his disappearance. She had flung into the lake a bag containing s

this butler of yours thought it worth his while to

it has at least the saving grace of antiquity to excuse it. I have a copy

strange catechism to which each Musgrave had to submit when he came to

se wa

who is

hall ha

ho wil

was th

r the

was the

er th

as it s

e and by five, south by two and by two

all we gi

that i

ould we

sake of

f the seventeenth century,’ remarked Musgrave. ‘I am afraid, howev

the solution of the one may prove to be the solution of the other. You will excuse me, Musgrave, if I say that your but

grave. ‘The paper seems to me to

cy that Brunton took the same view. He had probably

ible. We took no

asion. He had, as I understand, some sort of map or chart which he was compari

to do with this old family custom of ou

hat,’ said I; ‘with your permission we will take the first train dow

which the other has developed. Over the low, heavy-lintelled door, in the centre of this old part, is chiselled the date, 1607, but experts are agreed that the beams and stonework are really much older than this. The enormously thick walls and tiny windows of this part had in the last century dri

would lead me to the truth concerning both the butler Brunton and the maid Howells. To that then I turned all my energies. Why should this servant be so anxious to master this old formula? Evident

air way towards finding what the secret was which the old Musgraves had thought it necessary to embalm in so curious a fashion. There were two guides given us to start with, an oak and an elm. As to t

r Ritual was drawn up,’ s

t in all probability,’ he answered.

of my fixed

any old elm

onder, but it was struck by lightning te

ee where it

h,

re no oth

s, but plent

ike to see w

ntering the house, to the scar on the lawn where the elm had stood. It was nearly

ible to find out how hig

it at once. It wa

to know it?’ I a

try, it always took the shape of measuring heights. When I w

ck. My data were coming more quickl

did your butler ever a

o my mind,’ he answered, ‘Brunton did ask me about the height of the tre

it would lie just above the topmost branches of the old oak. One condition mentioned in the Ritual would then be fulfilled. And the shadow of the elm must mean the farther end

ficult, Holmes, when the

which I tied this long string with a knot at each yard. Then I took two lengths of a fishing-rod, which came to just six feet, and I went back with my client to where the

of course be the line of the other. I measured out the distance, which brought me almost to the wall of the house, and I thrust a peg into the spot. You can imagine my exultation, W

the wall of the house, and again I marked my spot with a peg. Then I carefully paced off five to the east and two to the south. It brought me to the very thres

e old, foot-worn gray stones with which it was paved were firmly cemented together, and had certainly not been moved for many a long year. Brunton had not been at work here. I tapped upon the floor, but it sounded the same all

ed. ‘You have omitte

but now, of course, I saw at once that I was wro

the house. Down her

n which stood on a barrel in the corner. In an instant it was obvious that we had at last c

r, were now piled at the sides, so as to leave a clear space in the middle. In this space lay a large and h

muffler. I have seen it on him and could swea

n the cravat. I could only move it slightly, and it was with the aid of one of the constables that I succeeded at last in carrying

is curious old-fashioned key projecting from the lock. It was furred outside by a thick layer of dust, and damp and worms had eaten through the wood, so that a crop of livid fu

ch side of it. The attitude had drawn all the stagnant blood to the face, and no man could have recognized that distorted liver-coloured countenance; but his height, his dress, and his hair were all sufficient to show my client, when we had drawn the body up, that it was indeed his missing

was apparently as far as ever from knowing what it was which the family had concealed with such elaborate precautions. It is true that I had thrown a light upon the fate of Brunton, but now I had to a

valuable was concealed. He had spotted the place. He found that the stone which covered it was just too heavy for a man to move unaided. What would he do next? He could not get help from outside, even if he had someone whom he could trust, without the unbarring of doors and considerable risk of detection. It was better, if he could, to have his helpmate inside the house. But whom could he ask? This girl had been devoted

the floor. Almost at once I came upon what I expected. One piece, about three feet in length, had a very marked indentation at one end, while several were flattened at the sides as if they had been compressed by some considerable weight. Evidently, as they had dragged the stone up, they had thrust the chunks of wood

e hole, and that one was Brunton. The girl must have waited above. Brunton then unlocked the box, han

stone had shut Brunton into what had become his sepulchre? Had she only been guilty of silence as to his fate? Or had some sudden blow from her hand dashed the support away and sent the slab crashing down into its place? Be that as it might, I seemed to see that woman’s

hat had been in the box? What had she done with that? Of course, it must have been the old metal and pebbles which my cli

matter out. Musgrave still stood with a very pale fac

olding out the few which had been in the box; ‘you

able meaning of the first two questions of the Ritual broke suddenly upo

r the metal was almost black and the stones lustreless and dull. I rubbed one of them on my sleeve, however, and it glowed afterwards like a sp

th of the king, and that when they at last fled they probably left many of their most precious

nent cavalier and the right-hand man of Charle

ted. I must congratulate you on coming into the possession, though in rather a tragic manner, of a

hen?’ he gasped

an the ancient crown of

e cr

on of Charles. Then, “Who shall have it?” “He who will come.” That was Charles the Second, whose advent was already forese

came it in

to him the whole long chain of surmise and of proof which I had constructed. The twilight h

et his crown when he returned?’ asked Musgra

ecret died in the interval, and by some oversight left this guide to his descendant without explaining the meaning of it. From that day to this it

pay before they were allowed to retain it. I am sure that if you mentioned my name they would be happy to show it to you. Of the woman nothing was ever he