thethreshold, whose very shadow would blast my soul. A freezing horrortook possession of me. I felt that my hair was rising, that my eyeswere protruding, that my mouth was opened, and my tongue like leather.The turmoil within my brain was such that something must surely snap.I tried to scream and was vaguely aware of some hoarse croak which wasmy own voice, but distant and detached from myself. At the same moment,in some effort of escape, I broke through that cloud of despair and hada glimpse of Holmes's face, white, rigid, and drawn with horror--thevery look which I had seen upon the features of the dead. It was thatvision which gave me an instant of sanity and of strength. I dashedfrom my chair, threw my arms round Holmes, and together we lurchedthrough the door, and an instant afterwards had thrown ourselves downupon the grass plot and were lying side by side, conscious only of theglorious sunshine which was bursting its way through the hellish cloudof terror which had girt us in. Slowly it rose from our souls like themists from a landscape until peace and reason had returned, and we weresitting upon the grass, wiping our clammy foreheads, and looking withapprehension at each other to mark the last traces of that terrificexperience which we had undergone.
"Upon my word, Watson!" said Holmes at last with an unsteady voice, "Iowe you both my thanks and an apology. It was an unjustifiableexperiment even for one's self, and doubly so for a friend. I amreally very sorry."
"You know," I answered with some emotion, for I have never seen so muchof Holmes's heart before, "that it is my greatest joy and privilege tohelp you."
He relapsed at once into the half-humorous, half-cynical vein which washis habitual attitude to those about him. "It would be superfluous todrive us mad, my dear Watson," said he. "A candid observer wouldcertainly declare that we were so already before we embarked upon sowild an experiment. I confess that I never imagined that the effectcould be so sudden and so severe." He dashed into the cottage, and,reappearing with the burning lamp held at full arm's length, he threwit among a bank of brambles. "We must give the room a little time toclear. I take it, Watson, that you have no longer a shadow of a doubtas to how these tragedies were produced?"
"None whatever."
"But the cause remains as obscure as before. Come into the arbour hereand let us discuss it together. That villainous stuff seems still tolinger round my throat. I think we must admit that all the evidencepoints to this man, Mortimer Tregennis, having been the criminal in thefirst tragedy, though he was the victim in the second one. We mustremember, in the first place, that there is some story of a familyquarrel, followed by a reconciliation. How bitter that quarrel mayhave been, or how hollow the reconciliation we cannot tell. When Ithink of Mortimer Tregennis, with the foxy face and the small shrewd,beady eyes behind the spectacles, he is not a man whom I should judgeto be of a particularly forgiving disposition. Well, in the next place,you will remember that this idea of someone moving in the garden, whichtook our attention for a moment from the real cause of the tragedy,emanated from him. He had a motive in misleading us. Finally, if hedid not throw the substance into the fire at the moment of leaving theroom, who did do so? The affair happened immediately after hisdeparture. Had anyone else come in, the family would certainly haverisen from the table. Besides, in peaceful Cornwall, visitors did notarrive after ten o'clock at night. We may take it, then, that all theevidence points to Mortimer Tregennis as the culprit."
"Then his own death was suicide!"
"Well, Watson, it is on the face of it a not impossible supposition.The man who had the guilt upon his soul of having brought such a fateupon his own family might well be driven by remorse to inflict it uponhimself. There are, however, some cogent reasons against it.Fortunately, there is one man in England who knows all about it, and Ihave made arrangements by which we shall hear the facts this afternoonfrom his own lips. Ah! he is a little before his time. Perhaps youwould kindly step this way, Dr. Leon Sterndale. We have been conducinga chemical experiment indoors which has left our little room hardly fitfor the reception of so distinguished a visitor."
I had heard the click of the garden gate, and now the majestic figureof the great African explorer appeared upon the path. He turned insome surprise towards the rustic arbour in which we sat.
"You sent for me, Mr. Holmes. I had your note about an hour ago, and Ihave come, though I really do not know why I should obey your summons."
"Perhaps we can clear the point up before we separate," said Holmes."Meanwhile, I am much obliged to you for your courteous acquiescence.You will excuse this informal reception in the open air, but my friendWatson and I have nearly furnished an additional chapter to what thepapers call the Cornish Horror, and we prefer a clear atmosphere forthe present. Perhaps, since the matters which we have to discuss willaffect you personally in a very intimate fashion, it is as well that weshould talk where there can be no eavesdropping."
The explorer took his cigar from his lips and gazed sternly at mycompanion.
"I am at a loss to know, sir," he said, "what you can have to speakabout which affects me personally in a very intimate fashion."
"The killing of Mortimer Tregennis," said Holmes.
For a moment I wished that I were armed. Sterndale's fierce faceturned to a dusky red, his eyes glared, and the knotted, passionateveins started out in his forehead, while he sprang forward withclenched hands towards my companion. Then he stopped, and with aviolent effort he resumed a cold, rigid calmness, which was, perhaps,more suggestive of danger than his hot-headed outburst.
"I have lived so long among savages and beyond the law," said he, "thatI have got into the way of being a law to myself. You would do well,Mr. Holmes, not to forget it, for I have no desire to do you an injury."
"Nor have I any desire to do you an injury, Dr. Sterndale. Surely theclearest proof of it is that, knowing what I know, I have sent for youand not for the police."
Sterndale sat down with a gasp, overawed for, perhaps, the first timein his adventurous life. There was a calm assurance of power inHolmes's manner which could not be withstood. Our visitor stammeredfor a moment, his great hands opening and shutting in his agitation.
"What do you mean?" he asked at last. "If this is bluff upon yourpart, Mr. Holmes, you have chosen a bad man for your experiment. Let ushave no more beating about the bush. What DO you mean?"
"I will tell you," said Holmes, "and the reason why I tell you is thatI hope frankness may beget frankness. What my next step may be willdepend entirely upon the nature of your own defence."
"My defence?"
"Yes, sir."
"My defence against what?"
"Against the charge of killing Mortimer Tregennis."
Sterndale mopped his forehead with his handkerchief. "Upon my word,you are getting on," said he. "Do all your successes depend upon thisprodigious power of bluff?"
"The bluff," said Holmes sternly, "is upon your side, Dr. LeonSterndale, and not upon mine. As a proof I will tell you some of thefacts upon which my conclusions are based. Of your return fromPlymouth, allowing much of your property to go on to Africa, I will saynothing save that it first informed me that you were one of the factorswhich had to be taken into account in reconstructing this drama--"
"I came back--"
"I have heard your reasons and regard them as unconvincing andinadequate. We will pass that. You came down here to ask me whom Isuspected. I refused to answer you. You then went to the vicarage,waited outside it for some time, and finally returned to your cottage."
"How do you know that?"
"I followed you."
"I saw no one."
"That is what you may expect to see when I follow you. You spent arestless night at your cottage, and you formed certain plans, which inthe early morning you proceeded to put into execution. Leaving yourdoor just as day was breaking, you filled your pocket with some reddishgravel that was lying heaped beside your gate."
Sterndale gave a violent start and looked at Holmes in amazement.
"You then walked swiftly for the mi
le which separated you from thevicarage. You were wearing, I may remark, the same pair of ribbedtennis shoes which are at the present moment upon your feet. At thevicarage you passed through the orchard and the side hedge, coming outunder the window of the lodger Tregennis. It was now daylight, but thehousehold was not yet stirring. You drew some of the gravel from yourpocket, and you threw it up at the window above you."
Sterndale sprang to his feet.
"I believe that you are the devil himself!" he cried.
Holmes smiled at the compliment. "It took two, or possibly three,handfuls before the lodger came to the window. You beckoned him tocome down. He dressed hurriedly and descended to his sitting-room.You