The Crown of Diamonds Chapter

1

One morning Mr Alexander H older , head of the Bank of H older and Stevcnson ofThreadneedle Street in London, was sitting in his office. A bank officer came to say tha t a visitor wished to see him. Mr Holder was surprised to hea r the visitor's name; it was a very famous onc, known all over the world- onc of the highest and most noble names in England. 'Show him in at once,' said Mr Holder. 'Don't keep him waiting.' The man who came into the room seemed to be in a hurry, and rather anxious. 'Mr Holder!' he said. ') am told that you often lend* money.' 'Th e bank w ill do that to people of hol1our,' said Alexander Holder. ' It is most important that I should have fifty thousand pounds at once.' 'For how long, may I ask, do you want this amount?' 'I shall be able to give you the money back next week, but I m ust payout this fifty thousand at once.' 'Can you leave with me something of value, to keep until yo u bring back the money?' said Holder, , 'Yes. That is what I expected to do. Perhaps YOll have heard of the Crown of Diamon ds?' 'One of the most precious public possessions ill the country? Certainly I have.' The visitor opened a case which he carried. [nsid e there lay the most beautiful piece of jewellery. 'There are 39 'huge diamonds,' he said. 'And the gold

"

37

in which the precious stones arc set is too va luab le to put a price on. This crown is worth do uble the money which I am asking yOll to lend m e, an d I w ill leave it \yith yo u. ' Mr Holder picked up the cro wl1. He looked at the man who gave it to him doubtfull y. ' You think it has no value?' said th e ma n . 'Not at all. I only doubt - - ' 'A h, yo u think it is not mine, and I should not offer it to yo u. Well, I would certainly not do so if 1 were not sure that I shall be able to ask you for it in four days' time, when r am able to repay you the mo ney. All I ask is that this matter may be kept secret, and that you take care of the crown. T here would be great trouble if any harm came to it.' Mr Holder called for his bank officer and ordered hi m to payout the fift y tho usand poun ds in no tes. When his visi tor had gone, Alexander Holder looked at the crown , and began to wish that he had not agreed to keep it . But it was too late to change his mind , so he lock ed it up carefull y until he had fini shed his day's work. C hapter

2

At the en d of che day, he decided that it was not wise to leave it at the bank. H e thought he would carry the case with hi m for the next few da ys, so that it would always be within his reach at home o r at the bank. 50 he went hom e to 5treatham , carrying th e Crown of Diamonds with him. When he arrived, he took the case upstairs to his priva te sitting room and locked it safel y away. In the house at 5treatham Mr H older had his son Arthur and a young girl nam ed Mary, who was the daughter of his dead brother. There were two m en

38 servants, wh o did no t sleep in the h Ollse, and three women servants who had beell there for m an y years. Anoth er, Lue y Parr , w as new . She had com e onl y a few month s before, bur she bro ught letters to show th at her character was excellent, and she worked w eO. Sh e was a very pretty g irl , and more than o nc man ca ll ed to sec her, but she seemed a good girl in every wa y. His son Arthur was the onl y on c in the house who caused Mr Holder an y trouble. 'P eople tell m e I ha ve spoi led him ,' Alexander said to himself. 'Perhaps I have. Wh en m y wife died he was alII had to love.' Arthur did not w ant to work in his father 's bank. He enj oyed an easy life among ri ch fri ends. Watchin g horse racin g was his fav ourite o ccupati on. )--I.is fri ends were rich. and so he spent more money than his fath er gave him , and he often owed mon ey. Sir George Burnwell was th e fri end whom Anhur saw most of, and he often came to the house at Streatham. H e seemed a pleasant feUo w , with good looks and nice manners, but Alexander Ho lder did no t trust him. Mary, his brother's daughter, was the one person in his hOllse w ho always pleased him. Sh e was sw eet , loving and beautiful , and as tender and quiet and gentle as a w o m an should be. ' I don 't know wh at I wou ld do with out her,' he was fond of saying. Arthur loved her and wanted to marry her, but she refused him . Holder often tho ught if she married his . son, he mi ght becom e a changed character.

,

39 C/laprcr 3

T hat evening the snu ll fami ly were havin g co ffee in the si tt.i ng roo m , brought in by Luey Parr. When she left the roo m , Holder said , ' W hat a day I' ve had! I've had a m ost anxiOllS tim e, an d I've brought ho me wi th m e a m ost precio Lls crow n. I ha ve to loo k :.ftcr it until ne xt week. It's too valuable to leave at th e bank, so I must keep it w ith m e for these few da ys.' ' Where have you put it ?' asked ArthuL ' In m y sitting roo m upstairs, locked awa y.' ' Well , I hope th ieves do n' t break in to night,' said Arth ur. ' May w e see it ?' said M ary. 'No , YOll had better not . I want to leave it w here it is,'

an swered Holder. That nigh t Arthur fo llo wed his fat her to his room. ' Look , fa ther,' he said , 'can you let m e have £200.' ' No , I ca n 't, ' said his father an gri ly. 'I' ve been fa r too generolls w ith you in m oney matters.' 'Yo u have been very kind ,' said Arthur , 'b ut I must have the m oney, or ' won 't be able to fa ce m y fri ends aga1l1 .' ' I don 't think ,flal would matter! ' ' All right, but you don 't want m e to b ring sham e o n your nam e,' sa id Arch ur. " /tIll sf have the money, and if YO ll won 't !et me ha ve it , I must try to fin d it so m ewhere else.' 'Th is is th e th ird time latel y tha t yo u have asked m e. You shall not have anoth er penn y,' H o lder sho uted. Arthur left the roo m without sayin g ano ther word . H o lder decided to go found the hOllse and m ake Sll fe that every doo r and w indow was locked . As he cam e do w nstairs, he saw Mar y:lt a side win dow in the ha ll . She closed it quickly, and Holder noti ced

40

that she looked a little anxious. 'Tell me; f.1.ther,' she said, 'did you give Lucy Parr permission to go o ut tOni ght?' 'Certainly not.' 'She ca m e in j ust now .' ' W ell, I will speak to her in the morning. Arc you quite sure that every thing is locked ?' 'Quite sure, father.' 'Th en goodnight.' He kissed her and went to his bedroo m and was soon asleep.

Chapter 4 Aboll t twO o 'clock in the mornin g, Holder was suddenl y awake. H e heard a sO llnd in the ho use. H e listened , bu t there seem ed to be nothin g . T hen , again , he heard a small noise, footsteps moving abollt in his sitting room. Quietly he gOt tip and went there. Then- 'Arthur! You thief! How dare YO ll touch the crown! ' Arthur, dressed only in shirt and trousers, was standing near a light ho lding the precious crown in his hands. H e seem ed to be trying to bend it. At his father's words, he dropped it, and turned ver y pale. Ho lder picked it up and examined it. One of th e gold corners, with three of the diamonds, was not on it. It was m issing. 'You evi l boy !' sho uted H older fiercely. 'You have destroyed it! Yo u ha ve brought sham e 011 m e [or ever ! Where are the jewels you have stolen ?' 'Stolen! ' cried Arthur. ' Yes, you thief! My own son a thief!' Ho lder's voice was 'full of gr ief. 'But there are none missing, they canno t be m issing ,' Arthur w hispered.

41

'There arc three missing. And you know where they are. Must I caU you a liar as well as a thi ef? I saw you, m yself, tryin g to tcar off another piece.' Arth ur said, 'You have ca lled ine enough bad names. 1 shall n Ot say ano ther word. I'll leave your house in the mo rning and you need never see me again. > 'Yo u shall leave in the hands of ch e police !' cried H o lder, half mad with grief and anger. 'I won't tell you an ything. If you call the po lice, let them find w hat they can.' B y this eime, ever yone in the house was awakened by the noise of th e angry voices. Mary was the first to rush into the room , and at the sight of the crown and Arthur's face, she fainted and fell on the floor . The police were sent for at once. When they arrived , Arthu r said to his f.-nhef, 'Do yO ll intend to ask the police to take me away?' 'It is a public matter; the crown belongs to the country. We can 't keep it a family matter. The law must act.' 'A t Icast,' said Arthur, 'lct me leave the house for five minutes. Tt would help both of us-please believe me.' 'Then you could run away, or hide what you have stolen,' said H older. 'Tell me what you have done with th e diamonds, and I can still save you fro m dishonour. Yo u have been caught w ith the crown. You are g uilty. But tell me where the diamonds are, and I will forgiv e you.' 'Keep your fo rgiveness for those who ask for it! ' H older found it hard to believe that it was his son w ho spoke to hi m like tlus. B ut all he could do now was to let the police take Arthur. A search was made at once-of ever y part o f the ho use, and ever yone in j t~ but nothing was fOlm d.

.p The poli ce were puzzled, and d id not know what to

do. ' My advice re YOll, si r,' said the officer in charge, 'is to go to M r Shcrlock Hol mcs. who lives in Baker Street. He is a great detective, and this is the sor t of case he has often helped th e police with.' 'Yes. I believe you arc right, ' said poor Holder. 'Of course I have heard of him. He is f.'Ull OUS. I will do that, earl y in the mom ing. ' Chapler 5

' Hoi mes,' I said, as 1 stood look ing down the road , 'here is a madman comin g along. It seems rather sad tha t he is allowed to come o ut alone.' My friend rose lazi ly from his chair and stood looking over my shoulder. It was a bright cold morning. T he

snow of the day before lay deep on the ground. O ne gentlem an was co m ing along the road. He was a m an of about fifty years old, well dressed in expensive clothes. As my rea ders will have guessed , it was AJexander Holder. But his beha viour did not suit his looks, for he was run ning hard , and as he ran he waved his arms u p and down, shook his head, and made mad faces. ' What on earth is the matter with hi m ?' I asked. ' I believe he is coming here. my dear Watson .' said Hohnes, rubbing his ha nds. ' Here ?' 'Ha 1 Didn't I say so?' As he spoke, the man rushed at our door and pu lled at our bell, making a great noise. A few m inutes later he was in the room. There wa s such a fi xed look of grief and sorrow in his eyes chac wc were fill ed with pi ty. For a ti me he could not speak. Sherlock J lo lmes pu shed hi m down into a chair, and

43

talked to him gentl y. ' You 've co me to tell m e your story , haven 't you ?' he said. ' You ha ve hurried too fast and have tired yourself You must rest until yo u feel better, and I shall be most happ y to help you.' Th e m all sat for a minute. Then he passed his handk erchi ef over his fa ce, and turned towards us. 'No doubt YOll think I am mad ?' he said. ' I see that you have some great troubl e,' answ ered H o lmes. 'God knows J have ! A trouble that is indeed enough to send me mad , so sudden and terri ble it was . Publj c dishonour I am willing to bear, but that is Ilot all- no ind eed! And it is not I alone. The most noble in the land w ill suffer too . ul1.less I can fmd an answer to this terribl e problem.' ' Calm yourself, sir ,' said Holmcs, 'and let m e have a clear explanation of who YOll are.' And so Mr Alexander H o lder told Sherlock Hohn es his sad story j ust as the readers have read it for themselves. Wh en he had finished , he said , 'M y son was taken to the police sta tion this morning, and I have hurried to YO ll to beg you to help me clear this mystery. What shall I do? I have lost my honour, my j ewels, and my son in on e night. Oh, what shall I do ?' Shcrlock Holm es sat silent fo r som e minutes. Chapter 6

'D o many fri ends come to your house?' Holmcs asked. 'Very few. A fri end of my son Arthur, a man nam cd Sir George BUTIlwell, has been several tim cs. No onc else, J thin k. ' ' Well. do yo u go oue much ?'

44 'Arthur does. Mary and I scay at home.' 'That is not usua l for a youn g girl.' 'S he is a q uiet giLl. Not so ver y young. She is twenty-

foUl:.' 'This matter has hurt her too?' 'T erribly. I think she feels worse than I do .' 'Then both of you believe that your SO il is guilty? ' ' I saw him m yself, with the crown in his hands.' ' I don't think that proves an ything . You say the crown was bent?' ·Y es.' 'P erhaps he was trying to m ake it straight again ?' 'God bless you! You are trying hard to help him , and m e. But it is too difficult. Wh at was he doing there? And ifhe was not guilty, why didn 't he say so?' 'Exactl y . And if he was guilty, why didn 't he m ake up a lie? Why did he keep silent ? There :\,rc several puzzlin g points abo ut this case. What did the police thin k about the noise that woke you?' 'They thought it m ight be Arthur closing his bedroom door.' 'T hat isn' t likely. He wo uldn't make any noise ifhe was a thief. The diamonds that have disappeared -what arc the police doing abo llt those?' 'They are looking everywhere-under the floorsin the furni ture- hoping to find them in the house.' 'Have they thought oflooking ou tside the house?' ' Yes. Everyw here. All the ga rd en has been examined.' 'No w , m y dear sir,' said H olmcs, 'don 't you see that this m atter is nOt nearl y so simple as you and the police th ink ? You suppose that your son came down fro m his bed, went to your sitting room , found the crown, broke off a piece of it, then went so mewhe re to hide this piece-so cleverly in deed tha t no one can find it-and then return ed to the room, putting himself in great

45

danger of being discovered. I ask you: do you think thi s idea has any sense 7' ·.I3ut what other is there 7' cried the banker. ' If he isn 't guilty, why doesn't he explain ?' ' It is our task to find that out,' rep lied Holmes. 'So now, if you please, Mr H o ld er, J should like ro go wi th yOll co your hOllse in Strcatham, and see things for m yself.' H olmes asked me to go with them. I was eager to do that because I was ver y curio us to see w hat H ol m es would do . I must say that it sounded to m e as if the son, Arthur, w as guilty . .l3ut I have such faith in Sherlock H olmcs'sjudgcmcnt, tha t I was sure th ere must be som e hope for th e boy , and another explana tion for the missing diamonds . Mr Ho lder was glad to have the small hope that H olmes gave him .

C/Japter 7 T he house in Streatham , called Fairbank , was a ho use of good size, set right awa y from the road. A wide carriageway led from the gate to the house, and on the right side there was a narrow path between twO rows of bushes, leading from the road to the kitchen door. Snow covered the garden . H olmes walked slowly all round the hOllse, across th e froBt , down the small kitchen path , and through the garden to a la ne at the back . Mr Holder took m e indoors, where we sat waitin g for H olm es. After a time the door opened and a young lady came In. I don 't think I have ever seen sllch a pale face. H er lips too, had 110 colour, but her eyes were red with crying. She took no notice of me, but went straigh t to her uncle.

'Yo u've givcn orders that Anhur should be set frec. haven'tyoll ?' . ' No, no, Mary. The poli ce must be satisfied that he is nOt guilty.' 'But "m sure he has done nothing. I know he has done no harm , and I know you' ll be sorry for acting without careful thought .' 'Wh y is he silent, then , ifhc didn't steal me diamonds?' ' Who knows? Perhaps he was very angry beca use you didn 't {rust him .' ' Out I saw him with the crown in his hand!' ' It is so terrible to think of our dear Arthur in prison.' 'Mary. until the diamonds 3rc found, I shall not give up. J ha ve brought a gentleman from London to look more deepl y into the matter.' 'This gentleman?' she asked . lookjng at mc. ' No. His fri end . He wishes us to leave him alone. Hc is in the stable lane now.' 'The lane? What can he hope to find there?'

47 Chapter 8

Holmcs came into the room. ' ) beli eve you must be Miss Mar y H older. M ay I ask you o nc o r two question s ?' 'Please do, sir, ifit may help to clear th e puzzle.' 'You heard no thing last night ?' 'Nothing , uncil l heard m y uncle shouting .' 'Did you fasten aU the w in dows?' ' '(cs.' 'And w ere th ey fastened this morning ?' ' Yes,' ' You ha ve a maid who has a man friend. I think you told your uncle that she went out last ni ght.' ' Yes, and she was the girl who brought coffee to us last ni ght. She may have h eard m y uncle ta lking about the crown,' ' I sec. You think she ma y have gone Out, and the two of them planned to steal the crown. Did you sce her return by the kitchen door ?' 'Yes. When I w ent to lock the door, she was coming in . and I saw the man, too , j ust outside.' ' Do you know him?' 'Qh yes . He is the man w ho brings our meat round. His nam e is Francis Prosper. ' ' He stood ,' said Holmes, ' to the left of the door?' ' Yes, he did .' ' And he is a man with a wooden leg?' Fear showed in Mary's e yes . 'You're like a magician! ' she said . 'H ow do you kno w that ?' She smiled, but there w as no smile 011 Holmes's thin eager fa ce. 'I think I would like to look at the windo ws on the ground fl oor, and then go upstairs to see rOllnd there.' H e walk ed quickly from window to window, stopping at the large one which looked from the hall to

the stable lane. He open ed it and examin ed th e who le of it very ca refully. 'Now let's go upstai rs,' he said at last. In the banker's sitting roo m , he went first to the case where th e crow n was. He looked hard at the lock. He opened the case and took Otl t th e crown. The edge was bem and cracked where the corner was torn a\-vay. 'No w, M r Ho lder,' said Holm es, 'wi ll yotl try to break off the o ther corner of the crown?' The ban ker looked astonished. ' 1 certain ly won't try,' he said. 'T hen I wi ll. ' Holmes suddenly tried with all his strength to brea k th e corn er off, bur with no result. " feel it move a little,' he sa id , ' bur I ca n't break it although I'm very strong in the fingers. I don't think anyone could. If I did break it, Mr Holder, there would be a noise like a pistol shot. Wouldn 't you have hea rd it? You weren' t far away.' ' I don't know what to think ,' said Hol der. 'What do you thillk , M iss Holder?' ' ) am j ust as puzzl ed as my uncle.' ' Yo ur son had no shoes o n w hen you saw him ?' ' No. Just his shirt and trousers.' 'Thank you. W ell , I think the ma tter can be cleared up quite easily, if you are going to help mc, Mr Holder. Now, I'll go outside aga in .' C hapter 9

He went alone, explaining that any ex tra foo tmarks migh t make his task more d iffi cult. W hen he ca me ba ck, about an hour bter, his feet were heavy with snow, but he had no thi ng much to say. " think I have done all I can here. I shall return hom e now .'

' But the diam onds, Mr Hol mcs. W here nrt lll l'Y?' 'I don't know.' The bankcr looked miserab lc. ' I shalln cvc r ~cc t1ll' IH again! ' he cried. 'And my son ? Ca n you give me !l il y hope ?' 'My o pinion has no t changed.' 'Then what ?' 'You must be prepared to let me spend a brge :1 1ll0 Ull t of mo ney fo r you. Then if you come and sce mc ae lil y hOLlse tOmorrow , 1 shall be happy to tell yo u what I hnvC' found ou t.' And Mr Holder had to be satisfied with those wo rds. 1 could see that Holmes bad made up his mind abo( lt the case, but I could only dimly imagine what he was th inki ng. He would nOt ta lk to me abo ut it on o ur W:1y home. As soon as we reached Baker Street, hc hurried to hi s r OOI11. He appeared again in a few mi nmcs, dressed as a common beggar. With an old coat, his collar turned lip. and old shoes, his disguise was perfect. ' I think that this sho uld do. I wish that you could co me with mc, Watson, but I do not think it would be wise. 1 ho p~ to be back in a few hours.' 1 was finishing my tca wben he returned. He lookcd very sa tisfied, and was swing in g an old shoe in his hand. H e threw it into a corner , and took a CLIp of tea. ' I ha ven' t finished yet. I'm going om again in a minute.' ' W here to? ' ' Oh, the other side of London. I may be late, so don 't wait for mc.' 'Are you having any !uck?' I asked, hoping he would tell me so mething. ' Yes, I think so. I have been back to $ereaeham, but I didn 't go to Fa irbank again. le is a most interesting

50

case. I must change back to my own clothes now.' And off he went again. C hapter

10

I don't know wha t time he came hack, as J went to bed long before he return ed. When I cam e in to breakfast in the morning, there he was wi th a cup of coffee in onc hand and the newspaper in the other. H e was quite fresh . Just then our banker came into the room. H e looked very ill and tired. ' I don't know w ha t I have done to deserve this terrible had luck,' he sajd. 'Onl y two days ago I was a happy man without a carc in the world. But not now. Mary has deserted me.'

'Deserted you?' 'Yes. H er bed this morning had nOt been slept in. H er room was empty, and a notc was left for m e on the hall table.' H e gave the nOte to Holmes. H olmes read: Dear Uncle. I feel that all your troubles are my fault, and perhaps if! had acted differen tl y, you would have had no trouble. I can't stay in your house with this thought in my mind, so I must leave you for ever. Don't worry about me. M y future is provided for. Please don't look for me. In life or death 1 am Ever your loving, Mary 'Wha t can she mea n ?' asked H o lder. 'I don't know, sir , bm I think it is a very good thing tbat she has gone away . I beli eve that soon you will see the end of your troubles.' 'Ha! You say so! Have you heard something?' 'Would YOll be prepared to pa y one thousand pounds

51 for each of the diam onds?' Ho lmes asked q uietly. ' I've brought ten tho usand with me.' ' N o . Three thousand w ill do, and I would like the money now .'

Chapter

11

Wh en th e banker had given H olm es the money, the great detective took o ut o f his pocket a little piece of gold with three diamonds in it and put it on the table. Wi th a cry o f j oy Holder picked it up. ' You have it ! I am saved! 1 am saved! ' 'There is one o th er thing yo u ow e, M r Holder,' said H olmcs rath er sharp ly. 'O we!' sa id Holder, feelin g for his money again. 'T ell me how much, and I will pay it.' ' N o, not money, and not to m e, but to your noble son , to say how sorry you are that you doub ted him. H e kept silent to save the one he lo ved.' 'Then it was no t Anhur who took them? You are sure of it ! Th en let us hurry to him at once, and let hi m kno w the truth .' ' He knows it alread y. I went to sce him. Hc woul d no t tell me what had happened, so I told him .' ' For heaven's sake tell me, then. What is this mystery ?' ' First of all, I must tell you som ethin g that will hurt you very much. Your Mary and Sir George Burnwell have run away together.' ' M y Mary? Impossible !' ' It is cenain . Yo u and yo ur son did n ot kno w the bad character of the man you let in to yo ur ho usc. H e is a man w itho ut heart or goodness . She beli eved him when he told her that he loved her, as he has told man y a poo r girl before. She used to see him every evening.' ' I can no t, I w iU not believe id ' cried the ban ker. His

52 fa ce was pa le. ' I m ust tell yo u wha t happened when the diam on ds were taken,' sjid Ho lm es. 'Wh en yo u went to bed , M ary cam e to the ha ll. She opened the big windo w there, an d talked to Sir Gcorge L3 u rn welJ , w ho w as oll tside. I sa w his fo o tm ark s in the

snow, and clearl y he was there for quite a lon g ti m e : the sno w w as pressed down hard . When he beard about th e cro wn from M ar y, be ordered her to get it and brin g it to h im . r'1ll sure she loves you well , but he had a strong power over her. Just then she saw you co m ing do wnstairs again ; she closed the w indo w quickl y, and told yo u about the serva nt outside-w hich W;:'I S true.' I-:I ol m es w ell( o n. ' Your son Arthu f w ent to bed after seein g yo u, bu t he didn 't sleep . beca use of his qua rrel w ith yo u. T hen , in the m.iddle o f the night he heard som eo ne go quietl y past hi s door. He looked out and w as ver y surprised to see Mary going in to you r sinin g roo m. He dressed, and waited in the dark, watching. ' W hen Ma ry cam e out of th e roo m carrying th e precio us crown , he could hardly beli eve his eyes . H e fo llowed her softl y. She went downsta irs to the hall again , o pen ed the win do w, and handed the crown to so m eone outside. Then she closed the w indow and hurri ed back to her roo m.' Sherlock Hol mes looked at Holder. ' What could he do ?' he asked . ' He lo ved Mary . Bue he m ust stop the crim e. H e rushed do w n, opened the wi ndow and sprang out into the snow , where he could see a fi g ure of a m an in the moonlight. It was Sir George Burnwell . H e caught him and fo ug ht with hi m , and cut him over the eye. Then the crown broke, and Arthur had it in his hands. He ran back, closed the window and went to your sittin g roo m. H e was tr ying to straighten the cro wn when you came in and found him there.'

53

' Is it possiblc?' whispered the banker. ' You ITI:lde him angry. You called him a thief, wh en he thought he deserved your thanks, and he decided not to tell YO ll the truth.' 'So thac was why Mary faimed when she sa w the crown l' cried Mr Holder. 'Oh! What a blind foo l I am 1 And when Artbur asked to go o ut fo r fi ve minutes, he wanted to go and fmd th e mi ssing piece. How cruel I was to him l' H olmes said , 'Of course when I went into the garden, I saw the footprints in the snow . [ sa w Arthur's footmark s without shoes 0 11. I saw the place where the snow was cut up by the fight, and I saw a few drops of blood, so I knew I was right. Sir Geo rge BurnwcU's foot marks went to th e end o f th e lane and the blood drops showed too.' ' But how d id you fll1d out that it was Sir Gcorgc?' C hapler 12

' You told me that you did not have man y fri ends who came to your ho use. I temembered YOll told me Sir Geo rge was the o nly one. I kn ew his name. I kn ew he was a bad man. M y guess was right. I wen t to his house today as a beggar, and asked his servant for so me old clothes. What luck! He gave me so me shoes, still wet, that his master had thrown out that day. H e also told me that Sir Georgc had a cur over his eye. When I took the shoes to Strea tham , I fo und they fitted th e footmarks o utside the w indow of the hall. 'Now, I had a difficult task. I had to get th e d iamonds from him! ' I chan ged out m y begga r's clothes and then I went to sce Sir George. At first he would tell me nothing . But when he saw that I knew everything, he

or

54

took up a heavy stick and came towards me. I pointed a pisto l at his head before he could strik e. He decided to be sensible then. I told him that I would give him three thousand pounds as a price for the diamonds, and promised him he would hear no m o re about the m atter. 'T hen I went w ith the good news to your son Arthur, and at last got co bed at 2 o'clock in the morning. A really hard da y's work I think !' 'A day w hich has saved England from a great public sham e,' said the banker, and he rose from his chair. 'S ir , I can' t find the words to thank you. I have hea rd of you r work , but YOll arc indeed a greater detective than people ha ve told me. I must go at once no w and ask my dea r son to forgive me. As fo r Ma ry, m y heart is sad , but evcn you cannot tcll me where sh e is.' 'I think we may be sure,' sai d Holmes, 'that she is w herever Si r George Burnwell is. And that, poor girl, will be her punishment.'

55 Questiotls

The Speckled Band Chnpltr

2.

Who tdls this s[Qry? Where did Sherlock Holmcs live?

1

What was the lady dressed in? When did she leave home?

I

Chnpler 2 Chapfer J

I What wu the bdy's name? T o what country did the doctor go?

1

Chdpltr 4

t Who were the doctor's friend5? What was the name of Hdcn's sister? How old was she when she died? " On which Hoor were the bedrooms: S Why couldn'tJulia deep? 6 What noise didJulia hear in the night? l

Chapter .5

I Why couldn't He!en sleep? What made He1en rush inm the passage? What did Julia say before she died ? " What did Hden think her sister died of? 5 Which room did He1cn have to go to? 6 Where did she run to as soon as there was daylight? l

Chapler 6

I What did Holmcs sce on Helcn 's arm? Why would the docm r not be at home ?- Because .. , 3 What did Holmcs ask Wauon?

1

Chapter 7

t What did Watson think Dr R oylott Illight do? Who came to see Holmes? 3 Why did he visit Holmcs?- Became he knew "",

1

Chap ln 8

AI what liIne did Sherlock Holmes re!Urn? How long ago did the doctor's wife di e? 3 What must Watson lake with him to Stoke Moran? t

2.

Chaplu 9

Which bedroom did they look at firS!? Where must they look for the guilty onc? What looked new inJnlia"s room? " Why wouldn't Ihe bell ring? 2.

Chapler 10 I What did He1en's life depend on? 2. \\,'here did Holmes say he would spend the night?

r

56 What must Helen put at her w indow? 4 What would happen if Dr Roylott returned too soon? 5 Why didn 't H olmes want Watson to go with him? Chapter

11

I 2

Chapter

12

At what tim e did Holmes and Watson see a li ght ? Why did they have to sit in darkn ess? Why must they not go to sleep ?

Ho w often did the ch urch clock strike? What did Watson hear;> What was round the doctor's head ;> 4 What did Watson do when the snake mo ved ? I

2

Chapter

13

I 2

Who called for help ? Where did the doctor keep the snake? What made the snake angry?

The Five Orange Pips Chapter

1

What was in Elias's letter ? What did John's uncle bring downstairs? Who was Mr Openshaw's lawyer? 4 What could John see in the lcicked room? I

2

Chapter

2

I 2

Chapter 3

Who did John send for? What was all around the fire? What did Elias advise John to do ?

Where did John find his uncle? How deep was the water? 3 John did not believe Elias killed himself. Why? 4 Where did John and his father decide to live? 5 What did they find in the locked room? I

2

Chapter 4

What did John see lying on his father's plate? Where did the letter come from? What did John 's father forbid him to do? 4 What was the message that John got? I

2

Chapter 5

I 2

Chapter 6

Who was the new owner of the house? Why did John still live in the same house? Who did his friend tell him to go to?

Where was Dr Watson's wife? What did Holmes and Watson hear? Who came to visit Holmes? 4 In how many cases had Holmes failed? 5 What did Holmes tell John to do? I

2

57 Chapter 7

What did John take from his pocket? What was the postmark on the letter? What did John show Holmes? 4 Why did John thank Holmes? I

2

Chapter 8

What did Holmes think of this case? Why did Elias wish to be alone all th e time? Where was the first letter from? 4 Did the letter come by steamship or sailing ship? 5 Where did John's letter co me from? 6 What do the letters K K K mean? I

2

Chapter 9

I

2

Chapter

10

What news did W atson see in the paper? How did they know it was John who was drowned? What did Holmes decide to do?

What did Holmes bring in with him? Who did he address the letter to? Ho w many Americans were there in the Lone Star? 4 Who will be waiting for th e Americans in Savannah? 5 What happened to the Lone Star? I

2

The Crown of Diamonds Chapter

1

What was Mr Holder? Why must the visitor not be kept waiting? 3 How much money did the visitor want? 4 What was in the case? How soon would he give the money b ack? I

2

Chapter

2

Why did Mr Holder take the crown home with him? What did Arthur like doing most? Who came often to the house in Streatham? 4 Who did Arthur love? I

2

Chapter 3

I

2

Chapter 4

Who brought the coffee? Who did Holder show the crown to ? What did Arthur ask for?

Why did Holder wake in the night? Who did he find in his sitting room? How many diamonds were missing ? 4 Who heard the angry voices? 5 What did Holder let the police do? 6 Where did the police sea rch? I

2

58 Chapter 5

Who did Watson see coming down the road? It was cold outside. What was on the ground? Where was the man going? 4 Where did Holmes push Holder? I

2

Chapter 6

Which members of the family usually stayed at home? The crown was bent. What was Arthur perhaps trying to do? Where did the police look for the diamonds? 4 Where did Holmes want to go? I

2

Chapter 7

What was the name of the house in Streatham? Where did Watson and Mr Holder wait fo;Holmes? Who looked as if she had been crying? 4 Why was Arthur angry? I

2

Chapter 8

What was the first question Holmes asked Mary? What did Mary tell her uncle? Who was the friend of Lucy Parr? 4 Which window did Holmes look at very carefully? I

2

Chapter 9

What did Holmes have on his feet? Did Holmes know where the diamonds were? When was Holder to come and see Holmes? 4 What was Holmes disguised as? 5 Why couldn't Watson go with him? 6 What did Holmes throw in a corner? I

2

Chapter

Who began breakfast fmt? Who looked ill and tired? What did Mary leave for her uncle? 4 What did Mary ask her uncle not to do?

10 I

2

Chapter

11

I 2

4 5 6 7 8 Chapter

12

What did Holmes take out of his pocket? Holder owed something else. What ? How did Arthur already know the truth? What had Mary done? What did George Burnwell tell Mary to do? What did Arthur see Mary doing? Why was Arthur angry? When Holmes went into the garden, what did he see?

What did Holmes know about Sir George Burnwell? What did the servant give Holmes? Who had a cut over his eye? 4 How did Holmes stop him? What did Holmes give Sir George for the diamonds? I

2