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mantelpiece；　as　it　may　help　me　in　my　inquiries。〃



〃But　you　have　told　us　nothing！〃　cried　the　doctor。



〃Oh；　there　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　the　sequence　of

events；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃There　were　three　of　them　in

it：　　the　young　man；　the　old　man；　and　a　third；　to　whose

identity　I　have　no　clue。　　The　first　two；　I　need　hardly

remark；　are　the　same　who　masqueraded　as　the　Russian

count　and　his　son；　so　we　can　give　a　very　full

description　of　them。　　They　were　admitted　by　a

confederate　inside　the　house。　　If　I　might　offer　you　a

word　of　advice；　Inspector；　it　would　be　to　arrest　the

page；　who；　as　I　understand；　has　only　recently　come

into　your　service；　Doctor。〃



〃The　young　imp　cannot　be　found；〃　said　Dr。　Trevelyan；

〃the　maid　and　the　cook　have　just　been　searching　for

him。〃



Holmes　shrugged　his　shoulders。



〃He　has　played　a　not　unimportant　part　in　this　drama；〃

said　he。　　〃The　three　men　having　ascended　the　stairs；

which　they　did　on　tiptoe；　the　elder　man　first；　the

younger　man　second；　and　the　unknown　man　in　the　rear〃



〃My　dear　Holmes！〃　I　ejaculated。



〃Oh；　there　could　be　no　question　as　to　the

superimposing　of　the　footmarks。　　I　had　the　advantage

of　learning　which　was　which　last　night。　　They

ascended；　then；　to　Mr。　Blessington's　room；　the　door　of

which　they　found　to　be　locked。　　With　the　help　of　a

wire；　however；　they　forced　round　the　key。　　Even

without　the　lens　you　will　perceive；　by　the　scratches

on　this　ward；　where　the　pressure　was　applied。



〃On　entering　the　room　their　first　proceeding　must　have

been　to　gag　Mr。　Blessington。　　He　may　have　been　asleep；

or　he　may　have　been　so　paralyzed　with　terror　as　to

have　been　unable　to　cry　out。　　These　walls　are　thick；

and　it　is　conceivable　that　his　shriek；　if　he　had　time

to　utter　one；　was　unheard。



〃Having　secured　him；　it　is　evident　to　me　that　a

consultation　of　some　sort　was　held。　　Probably　it　was

something　in　the　nature　of　a　judicial　proceeding。　　It

must　have　lasted　for　some　time；　for　it　was　then　that

these　cigars　were　smoke。　　The　older　man　sat　in　that

wicker　chair；　it　was　he　who　used　the　cigar…holder。　

The　younger　man　sat　over　yonder；　he　knocked　his　ash

off　against　the　chest　of　drawers。　　The　third　fellow

paced　up　and　down。　　Blessington；　I　think；　sat　upright

in　the　bed；　but　of　that　I　cannot　be　absolutely

certain。



〃Well；　it　ended　by　their　taking　Blessington　and

hanging　him。　　The　matter　was　so　prearranged　that　it　is

my　belief　that　they　brought　with　them　some　sort　of

block　or　pulley　which　might　serve　as　a　gallows。　　That

screw…driver　and　those　screws　were；　as　I　conceive；　for

fixing　it　up。　　Seeing　the　hook；　however　they　naturally

saved　themselves　the　trouble。　　Having　finished　their

work　they　made　off；　and　the　door　was　barred　behind

them　by　their　confederate。〃



We　had　all　listened　with　the　deepest　interest　to　this

sketch　of　the　night's　doings；　which　Holmes　had　deduced

from　signs　so　subtle　and　minute　that；　even　when　he　had

pointed　them　out　to　us；　we　could　scarcely　follow　him

in　his　reasoning。　　The　inspector　hurried　away　on　the

instant　to　make　inquiries　about　the　page；　while　Holmes

and　I　returned　to　Baker　Street　for　breakfast。



〃I'll　be　back　by　three；〃　said　he；　when　we　had　finished

our　meal。　　〃Both　the　inspector　and　the　doctor　will

meet　me　here　at　that　hour；　and　I　hope　by　that　time　to

have　cleared　up　any　little　obscurity　which　the　case

may　still　present。〃





Our　visitors　arrived　at　the　appointed　time；　but　it　was

a　quarter　to　four　before　my　friend　put　in　an

appearance。　　From　his　expression　as　he　entered；

however；　I　could　see　that　all　had　gone　well　with　him。



〃Any　news；　Inspector？〃



〃We　have　got　the　boy；　sir。〃



〃Excellent；　and　I　have　got　the　men。〃



〃You　have　got　them！〃　we　cried；　all　three。



〃Well；　at　least　I　have　got　their　identity。　　This

so…called　Blessington　is；　as　I　expected；　well　known　at

headquarters；　and　so　are　his　assailants。　　Their　names

are　Biddle；　Hayward；　and　Moffat。〃



〃The　Worthingdon　bank　gang；〃　cried　the　inspector。



〃Precisely；〃　said　Holmes。



〃Then　Blessington　must　have　been　Sutton。〃



〃Exactly；〃　said　Holmes。



〃Why；　that　makes　it　as　clear　as　crystal；〃　said　the

inspector。



But　Trevelyan　and　I　looked　at　each　other　in

bewilderment。



〃You　must　surely　remember　the　great　Worthingdon　bank

business；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃Five　men　were　in　itthese

four　and　a　fifth　called　Cartwright。　　Tobin；　the

care…taker；　was　murdered；　and　the　thieves　got　away

with　seven　thousand　pounds。　　This　was　in　1875。　　They

were　all　five　arrested；　but　the　evidence　against　them

was　by　no　means　conclusive。　　This　Blessington　or

Sutton；　who　was　the　worst　of　the　gang；　turned

informer。　　On　his　evidence　Cartwright　was　hanged　and

the　other　three　got　fifteen　years　apiece。　　When　they

got　out　the　other　day；　which　was　some　years　before

their　full　term；　they　set　themselves；　as　you　perceive；

to　hunt　down　the　traitor　and　to　avenge　the　death　of

their　comrade　upon　him。　　Twice　they　tried　to　get　at

him　and　failed；　a　third　time；　you　see；　it　came　off。　

Is　there　anything　further　which　I　can　explain；　Dr。

Trevelyan？〃



〃I　think　you　have　made　it　all　remarkable　clear；〃　said

the　doctor。　　〃No　doubt　the　day　on　which　he　was

perturbed　was　the　day　when　he　had　seen　of　their

release　in　the　newspapers。〃



〃Quite　so。　　His　talk　about　a　burglary　was　the　merest

blind。〃



〃But　why　could　he　not　tell　you　this？〃



〃Well；　my　dear　sir；　knowing　the　vindictive　character

of　his　old　associates；　he　was　trying　to　hide　his　own

identity　from　everybody　as　long　as　he　could。　　His

secret　was　a　shameful　one；　and　he　could　not　bring

himself　to　divulge　it。　　However；　wretch　as　he　was；　he

was　still　living　under　the　shield　of　British　law；　and

I　have　no　doubt；　Inspector；　that　you　will　see　that；

though　that　shield　may　fail　to　guard；　the　sword　of

justice　is　still　there　to　avenge。〃





Such　were　the　singular　circumstances　in　connection

with　the　Resident　Patient　and　the　Brook　Street　Doctor。　

From　that　night　nothing　has　been　seen　of　the　three

murderers　by　the　police；　and　it　is　surmised　at

Scotland　Yard　that　they　were　among　the　passengers　of

the　ill…fated　steamer　Norah　Creina；　which　was　lost

some　years　ago　with　all　hands　upon　the　Portuguese

coast；　some　leagues　to　the　north　of　Oporto。　　The

proceedings　against　the　page　broke　down　for　want　of

evidence；　and　the　Brook　Street　Mystery；　as　it　was

called；　has　never　until　now　been　fully　dealt　with　in

any　public　print。