DarqueDante/test2 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 74
the stairs I saw Mary herself at the side window of the hall, which
she closed and fastened as I approached.

"'Tell me, dad,' said she, looking, I thought, a little disturbed,
'did you give Lucy, the maid, leave to go out to-night?'

"'Certainly not.'

"'She came in just now by the back door. I have no doubt that she has
only been to the side gate to see someone, but I think that it is
hardly safe and should be stopped.'

"'You must speak to her in the morning, or I will if you prefer it.
Are you sure that everything is fastened?'

"'Quite sure, dad.'

"'Then, good-night.' I kissed her and went up to my bedroom again,
where I was soon asleep.

"I am endeavouring to tell you everything, Mr. Holmes, which may have
any bearing upon the case, but I beg that you will question me upon
any point which I do not make clear."

"On the contrary, your statement is singularly lucid."

"I come to a part of my story now in which I should wish to be
particularly so. I am not a very heavy sleeper, and the anxiety in my
mind tended, no doubt, to make me even less so than usual. About two
in the morning, then, I was awakened by some sound in the house. It
had ceased ere I was wide awake, but it had left an impression behind
it as though a window had gently closed somewhere. I lay listening
with all my ears. Suddenly, to my horror, there was a distinct sound
of footsteps moving softly in the next room. I slipped out of bed,
all palpitating with fear, and peeped round the corner of my
dressing-room door.

"'Arthur!' I screamed, 'you villain! you thief! How dare you touch
that coronet?'

"The gas was half up, as I had left it, and my unhappy boy, dressed
only in his shirt and trousers, was standing beside the light,
holding the coronet in his hands. He appeared to be wrenching at it,
or bending it with all his strength. At my cry he dropped it from his
grasp and turned as pale as death. I snatched it up and examined it.
One of the gold corners, with three of the beryls in it, was missing.

"'You blackguard!' I shouted, beside myself with rage. 'You have
destroyed it! You have dishonoured me forever! Where are the jewels
which you have stolen?'

"'Stolen!' he cried.

"'Yes, thief!' I roared, shaking him by the shoulder.

"'There are none missing. There cannot be any missing,' said he.

"'There are three missing. And you know where they are. Must I call
you a liar as well as a thief? Did I not see you trying to tear off
another piece?'

"'You have called me names enough,' said he, 'I will not stand it any
longer. I shall not say another word about this business, since you
have chosen to insult me. I will leave your house in the morning and
make my own way in the world.'

"'You shall leave it in the hands of the police!' I cried half-mad
with grief and rage. 'I shall have this matter probed to the bottom.'

"'You shall learn nothing from me,' said he with a passion such as I
should not have thought was in his nature. 'If you choose to call the
police, let the police find what they can.'

"By this time the whole house was astir, for I had raised my voice in
my anger. Mary was the first to rush into my room, and, at the sight
of the coronet and of Arthur's face, she read the whole story and,
with a scream, fell down senseless on the ground. I sent the
house-maid for the police and put the investigation into their hands
at once. When the inspector and a constable entered the house,
Arthur, who had stood sullenly with his arms folded, asked me whether
it was my intention to charge him with theft. I answered that it had
ceased to be a private matter, but had become a public one, since the
ruined coronet was national property. I was determined that the law
should have its way in everything.

"'At least,' said he, 'you will not have me arrested at once. It
would be to your advantage as well as mine if I might leave the house
for five minutes.'

"'That you may get away, or perhaps that you may conceal what you
have stolen,' said I. And then, realising the dreadful position in
which I was placed, I implored him to remember that not only my
honour but that of one who was far greater than I was at stake; and
that he threatened to raise a scandal which would convulse the
nation. He might avert it all if he would but tell me what he had
done with the three missing stones.

"'You may as well face the matter,' said I; 'you have been caught in
the act, and no confession could make your guilt more heinous. If you
but make such reparation as is in your power, by telling us where the

the stairs I saw Mary herself at the side window of the hall, which

she closed and fastened as I approached.

"'Tell me, dad,' said she, looking, I thought, a little disturbed,

'did you give Lucy, the maid, leave to go out to-night?'

"'Certainly not.'

"'She came in just now by the back door. I have no doubt that she has

only been to the side gate to see someone, but I think that it is

hardly safe and should be stopped.'

"'You must speak to her in the morning, or I will if you prefer it.

Are you sure that everything is fastened?'

"'Quite sure, dad.'

"'Then, good-night.' I kissed her and went up to my bedroom again,

where I was soon asleep.

"I am endeavouring to tell you everything, Mr. Holmes, which may have

any bearing upon the case, but I beg that you will question me upon

any point which I do not make clear."

"On the contrary, your statement is singularly lucid."

"I come to a part of my story now in which I should wish to be

particularly so. I am not a very heavy sleeper, and the anxiety in my

mind tended, no doubt, to make me even less so than usual. About two

in the morning, then, I was awakened by some sound in the house. It

had ceased ere I was wide awake, but it had left an impression behind

it as though a window had gently closed somewhere. I lay listening

with all my ears. Suddenly, to my horror, there was a distinct sound

of footsteps moving softly in the next room. I slipped out of bed,

all palpitating with fear, and peeped round the corner of my

dressing-room door.

"'Arthur!' I screamed, 'you villain! you thief! How dare you touch

that coronet?'

"The gas was half up, as I had left it, and my unhappy boy, dressed

only in his shirt and trousers, was standing beside the light,

holding the coronet in his hands. He appeared to be wrenching at it,

or bending it with all his strength. At my cry he dropped it from his

grasp and turned as pale as death. I snatched it up and examined it.

One of the gold corners, with three of the beryls in it, was missing.

"'You blackguard!' I shouted, beside myself with rage. 'You have

destroyed it! You have dishonoured me forever! Where are the jewels

which you have stolen?'

"'Stolen!' he cried.

"'Yes, thief!' I roared, shaking him by the shoulder.

"'There are none missing. There cannot be any missing,' said he.

"'There are three missing. And you know where they are. Must I call

you a liar as well as a thief? Did I not see you trying to tear off

another piece?'

"'You have called me names enough,' said he, 'I will not stand it any

longer. I shall not say another word about this business, since you

have chosen to insult me. I will leave your house in the morning and

make my own way in the world.'

"'You shall leave it in the hands of the police!' I cried half-mad

with grief and rage. 'I shall have this matter probed to the bottom.'

"'You shall learn nothing from me,' said he with a passion such as I

should not have thought was in his nature. 'If you choose to call the

police, let the police find what they can.'

"By this time the whole house was astir, for I had raised my voice in

my anger. Mary was the first to rush into my room, and, at the sight

of the coronet and of Arthur's face, she read the whole story and,

with a scream, fell down senseless on the ground. I sent the

house-maid for the police and put the investigation into their hands

at once. When the inspector and a constable entered the house,

Arthur, who had stood sullenly with his arms folded, asked me whether

it was my intention to charge him with theft. I answered that it had

ceased to be a private matter, but had become a public one, since the

ruined coronet was national property. I was determined that the law

should have its way in everything.

"'At least,' said he, 'you will not have me arrested at once. It

would be to your advantage as well as mine if I might leave the house

for five minutes.'

"'That you may get away, or perhaps that you may conceal what you

have stolen,' said I. And then, realising the dreadful position in

which I was placed, I implored him to remember that not only my

honour but that of one who was far greater than I was at stake; and

that he threatened to raise a scandal which would convulse the

nation. He might avert it all if he would but tell me what he had

done with the three missing stones.

"'You may as well face the matter,' said I; 'you have been caught in

the act, and no confession could make your guilt more heinous. If you

but make such reparation as is in your power, by telling us where the