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fairly clear。 The most serious point in the case is the disposition of

the child。〃

  〃What on earth has that to do with it?〃 I ejaculated。

  〃My dear Watson; you as a medical man are continually gaining

light as to the tendencies of a child by the study of the parents。

Don't you see that the converse is equally valid。 I have frequently

gained my first real insight into the character of parents by studying

their children。 This child's disposition is abnormally cruel; merely

for cruelty's sake; and whether he derives this from his smiling

father; as I should suspect; or from his mother; it bodes evil for the

poor girl who is in their power。〃

  〃I am sure that you are right Mr。 Holmes;〃 cried our client。 〃A

thousand things come back to me which make me certain that you have

hit it。 Oh; let us lose not an instant in bringing help to this poor

creature。〃

  〃We must be circumspect for we are dealing with a very cunning

man。 We can do nothing until seven o'clock。 At that hour we shall be

with you; and it will not be long before we solve the mystery。〃

  We were as good as our word; for it was just seven when we reached

the Copper Beeches; having put up our trap at a wayside

public…house。 The group of trees; with their dark leaves shining

like burnished metal in the light of the setting sun; were

sufficient to mark the house even had Miss Hunter not been standing

smiling on the door…step。

  〃Have you managed it?〃 asked Holmes。

  A loud thudding noise came from somewhere downstairs。 〃That is

Mrs。 Toller in the cellar;〃 said she。 〃Her husband lies snoring on the

kitchen rug。 Here are his keys; which are the duplicates of Mr。

Rucastle's。〃

  〃You have done well indeed!〃 cried Holmes with enthusiasm。 〃Now lead

the way; and we shall soon see the end of this black business。〃

  We passed up the stair; unlocked the door; followed on down a

passage; and found ourselves in front of the barricade which Miss

Hunter had described。 Holmes cut the cord and removed the transverse

bar。 Then he tried the various keys in the lock; but without

success。 No sound came from within; and at the silence Holmes's face

clouded over。

  〃I trust that we are not too late;〃 said he。 〃I think; Miss

Hunter; that we had better go in without you。 Now; Watson; put your

shoulder to it; and we shall see whether we cannot make our way in。〃

  It was an old rickety door and gave at once before our united

strength。 Together we rushed into the room。 It was empty。 There was no

furniture save a little pallet bed; a small table; and a basketful

of linen。 The skylight above was open; and the prisoner gone。

  〃There has been some villainy here;〃 said Holmes; 〃this beauty has

guessed Miss Hunter's intentions and has carried his victim off。〃

  〃But how?〃

  〃Through the skylight。 We shall soon see how he managed it。〃 He

swung himself up onto the roof。 〃Ah; yes;〃 he cried; 〃here's the end

of a long light ladder against the eaves。 That is how he did it。〃

  〃But it is impossible;〃 said Miss Hunter; 〃the ladder was not

there when the Rucastles went away。

  〃He has come back and done it。 I tell you that he is a clever and

dangerous man。 I should not be very much surprised if this were he

whose step I hear now upon the stair。 I think; Watson; that it would

be as well for you to have your pistol ready。〃

  The words were hardly out of his mouth before a man appeared at

the door of the room; a very fat and burly man; with a heavy stick

in his hand。 Miss Hunter screamed and shrunk against the wall at the

sight of him; but Sherlock Holmes sprang forward and confronted him。

  〃You villain!〃 said he; 〃where's your daughter?〃

  The fat man cast his eyes round; and then up at the open skylight。

  〃It is for me to ask you that;〃 he shrieked; 〃you thieves! Spies and

thieves! I have caught you; have I? You are in my power。 I'll serve

you!〃 He turned and clattered down the stairs as hard as he could go。

  〃He's gone for the dog!〃 cried Miss Hunter。

  〃I have my revolver;〃 said I。

  〃Better close the front door;〃 cried Holmes; and we all rushed

down the stairs together。 We had hardly reached the hall when we heard

the baying of a hound; and then a scream of agony; with a horrible

worrying sound which it was dreadful to listen to。 An elderly man with

a red face and shaking limbs came staggering out at a side door。

  〃My God〃 he cried。 〃Someone has loosed the dog。 He's not been fed

for two days。 Quick; quick; or we'll be too late!〃

  Holmes and I rushed out and round the angle of the house; with

Toller hurrying behind us。 There was the huge famished brute; its

black muzzle buried in Rucastle's throat; while he writhed and

screamed upon the ground。 Running up; I blew its brains out; and it

fell over with its keen white teeth still meeting in the great creases

of his neck。 With much labour we separated them and carried him;

living but horribly mangled; into the house。 We laid him upon the

drawing…room sofa; and having dispatched the sobered Toller to bear

the news to his wife; I did what I could to relieve his pain。 We

were all assembled round him when the door opened and a tall; gaunt

woman entered the room。

  〃Mrs。 Toller!〃 cried Miss Hunter。

  〃Yes; miss。 Mr。 Rucastle let me out when he came back before he went

up to you。 Ah; miss; it is a pity you didn't let me know what you were

planning; for I would have told you that your pains were wasted。〃

  〃Ha!〃 said Holmes; looking keenly at her。 〃It is clear that Mrs。

Toller knows more about this matter than anyone else。〃

  〃Yes; sir; I do; and I am ready enough to tell what I know。〃

  〃Then; pray; sit down; and let us hear it; for there are several

points on which I must confess that I am still in the dark。〃

  〃I will soon make it clear to you;〃 said she; 〃and I'd have done

so before now if I could ha' got out from the cellar。 If there's

police…court business over this; you'll remember that I was the one

that stood your friend; and that I was Miss Alice's friend too。

  〃She was never happy at home; Miss Alice wasn't; from the time

that her father married again。 She was slighted like and had no say in

anything; but it never really became bad for her until after she met

Mr。 Fowler at a friend's house。 As well as I could learn; Miss Alice

had rights of her own by will; but she was so quiet and patient; she

was; that she never said a word about them; but just left everything

in Mr。 Rucastle's hands。 He knew he was safe with her; but when

there was a chance of a husband coming forward; who would ask for

all that the law would give him; then her father thought it time to

put a stop on it。 He wanted her to sign a paper; so that whether she

married or not; he could use her money。 When she wouldn't do it; he

kept on worrying her until she got brain…fever; and for six weeks

was at death's door。 Then she got better at last; all worn to a

shadow; and with her beautiful hair cut off; but that didn't make no

change in her young man; and he stuck to her as true as man could be。〃

  〃Ah;〃 said Holmes; 〃I think that what you have been good enough to

tell us makes the matter fairly clear; and that I can deduce all

that remains。 Mr。 Rucastle then; I presume; took to this system of

imprisonment?〃

  〃Yes; sir。〃

  〃And brought Miss Hunter down from London in order to get rid of the

disagreeable persistence of Mr。 Fowler。〃

  〃That was it; sir。〃

  〃But Mr。 Fowler being a persevering man; as a good seaman should be;

blockaded the house; and having met you succeeded by certain

arguments; metallic or otherwise; in convincing you that your

interests were the same as his。〃

  〃Mr。 Fowler was a very kind…spoken; free…handed gentleman;〃 said

Mrs。 Toller serenely。

  〃And in this way he managed that your good man should have no want

of drink; and that a ladder should be ready at the moment when your

master had gone out。〃

  〃You have it; sir; just as it happened。〃

  〃I am sure we owe you an apology; Mrs。 Toller;〃 said Holmes; 〃for

you have certainly cleared up everything which puzzled us。 And here

comes the country surgeon and Mrs。 Rucastle; so I think; Watson;

that we had best escort Miss Hunter back to Winchester; as it seems to

me that our locus standi now is rather a questionable one。〃

  And thus was solved the mystery of the sinister house with the

copper beeches in front of the door。 Mr。 Rucastle survived; but was

always a broken man; kept alive solely through the care of his devoted

wife。 They still live with their old servants; who probably know so

much of Rucastle's past life that he finds it difficult to part from

them。 Mr。 Fowler and Miss Rucastle were married; by special license;

in Southampton the day after their flight; and he is now the holder of

a government appointment in the island of Mauritius。 As to Miss Violet

Hunter; my friend Holmes; rather to my disappointment; manifested no

further interest in her when once she had ceased to be the centre of

one of his problems; and she is now the head of a private school at

Walsall; where I believe that she has met with considerable success。

                    

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