DarqueDante/test2 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 74
"'Well, then, you know now. And if you ever put your foot over that
threshold again'--here in an instant the smile hardened into a grin
of rage, and he glared down at me with the face of a demon--'I'll
throw you to the mastiff.'

"I was so terrified that I do not know what I did. I suppose that I
must have rushed past him into my room. I remember nothing until I
found myself lying on my bed trembling all over. Then I thought of
you, Mr. Holmes. I could not live there longer without some advice. I
was frightened of the house, of the man, of the woman, of the
servants, even of the child. They were all horrible to me. If I could
only bring you down all would be well. Of course I might have fled
from the house, but my curiosity was almost as strong as my fears. My
mind was soon made up. I would send you a wire. I put on my hat and
cloak, went down to the office, which is about half a mile from the
house, and then returned, feeling very much easier. A horrible doubt
came into my mind as I approached the door lest the dog might be
loose, but I remembered that Toller had drunk himself into a state of
insensibility that evening, and I knew that he was the only one in
the household who had any influence with the savage creature, or who
would venture to set him free. I slipped in in safety and lay awake
half the night in my joy at the thought of seeing you. I had no
difficulty in getting leave to come into Winchester this morning, but
I must be back before three o'clock, for Mr. and Mrs. Rucastle are
going on a visit, and will be away all the evening, so that I must
look after the child. Now I have told you all my adventures, Mr.
Holmes, and I should be very glad if you could tell me what it all
means, and, above all, what I should do."

Holmes and I had listened spellbound to this extraordinary story. My
friend rose now and paced up and down the room, his hands in his
pockets, and an expression of the most profound gravity upon his
face.

"Is Toller still drunk?" he asked.

"Yes. I heard his wife tell Mrs. Rucastle that she could do nothing
with him."

"That is well. And the Rucastles go out to-night?"

"Yes."

"Is there a cellar with a good strong lock?"

"Yes, the wine-cellar."

"You seem to me to have acted all through this matter like a very
brave and sensible girl, Miss Hunter. Do you think that you could
perform one more feat? I should not ask it of you if I did not think
you a quite exceptional woman."

"I will try. What is it?"

"We shall be at the Copper Beeches by seven o'clock, my friend and I.
The Rucastles will be gone by that time, and Toller will, we hope, be
incapable. There only remains Mrs. Toller, who might give the alarm.
If you could send her into the cellar on some errand, and then turn
the key upon her, you would facilitate matters immensely."

"I will do it."

"Excellent! We shall then look thoroughly into the affair. Of course
there is only one feasible explanation. You have been brought there
to personate someone, and the real person is imprisoned in this
chamber. That is obvious. As to who this prisoner is, I have no doubt
that it is the daughter, Miss Alice Rucastle, if I remember right,
who was said to have gone to America. You were chosen, doubtless, as
resembling her in height, figure, and the colour of your hair. Hers
had been cut off, very possibly in some illness through which she has
passed, and so, of course, yours had to be sacrificed also. By a
curious chance you came upon her tresses. The man in the road was
undoubtedly some friend of hers--possibly her fiancé--and no doubt,
as you wore the girl's dress and were so like her, he was convinced
from your laughter, whenever he saw you, and afterwards from your
gesture, that Miss Rucastle was perfectly happy, and that she no
longer desired his attentions. The dog is let loose at night to
prevent him from endeavouring to communicate with her. So much is
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."

"'Well, then, you know now. And if you ever put your foot over that

threshold again'--here in an instant the smile hardened into a grin

of rage, and he glared down at me with the face of a demon--'I'll

throw you to the mastiff.'

"I was so terrified that I do not know what I did. I suppose that I

must have rushed past him into my room. I remember nothing until I

found myself lying on my bed trembling all over. Then I thought of

you, Mr. Holmes. I could not live there longer without some advice. I

was frightened of the house, of the man, of the woman, of the

servants, even of the child. They were all horrible to me. If I could

only bring you down all would be well. Of course I might have fled

from the house, but my curiosity was almost as strong as my fears. My

mind was soon made up. I would send you a wire. I put on my hat and

cloak, went down to the office, which is about half a mile from the

house, and then returned, feeling very much easier. A horrible doubt

came into my mind as I approached the door lest the dog might be

loose, but I remembered that Toller had drunk himself into a state of

insensibility that evening, and I knew that he was the only one in

the household who had any influence with the savage creature, or who

would venture to set him free. I slipped in in safety and lay awake

half the night in my joy at the thought of seeing you. I had no

difficulty in getting leave to come into Winchester this morning, but

I must be back before three o'clock, for Mr. and Mrs. Rucastle are

going on a visit, and will be away all the evening, so that I must

look after the child. Now I have told you all my adventures, Mr.

Holmes, and I should be very glad if you could tell me what it all

means, and, above all, what I should do."

Holmes and I had listened spellbound to this extraordinary story. My

friend rose now and paced up and down the room, his hands in his

pockets, and an expression of the most profound gravity upon his

face.

"Is Toller still drunk?" he asked.

"Yes. I heard his wife tell Mrs. Rucastle that she could do nothing

with him."

"That is well. And the Rucastles go out to-night?"

"Yes."

"Is there a cellar with a good strong lock?"

"Yes, the wine-cellar."

"You seem to me to have acted all through this matter like a very

brave and sensible girl, Miss Hunter. Do you think that you could

perform one more feat? I should not ask it of you if I did not think

you a quite exceptional woman."

"I will try. What is it?"

"We shall be at the Copper Beeches by seven o'clock, my friend and I.

The Rucastles will be gone by that time, and Toller will, we hope, be

incapable. There only remains Mrs. Toller, who might give the alarm.

If you could send her into the cellar on some errand, and then turn

the key upon her, you would facilitate matters immensely."

"I will do it."

"Excellent! We shall then look thoroughly into the affair. Of course

there is only one feasible explanation. You have been brought there

to personate someone, and the real person is imprisoned in this

chamber. That is obvious. As to who this prisoner is, I have no doubt

that it is the daughter, Miss Alice Rucastle, if I remember right,

who was said to have gone to America. You were chosen, doubtless, as

resembling her in height, figure, and the colour of your hair. Hers

had been cut off, very possibly in some illness through which she has

passed, and so, of course, yours had to be sacrificed also. By a

curious chance you came upon her tresses. The man in the road was

undoubtedly some friend of hers--possibly her fiancé--and no doubt,

as you wore the girl's dress and were so like her, he was convinced

from your laughter, whenever he saw you, and afterwards from your

gesture, that Miss Rucastle was perfectly happy, and that she no

longer desired his attentions. The dog is let loose at night to

prevent him from endeavouring to communicate with her. So much is

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."