Adventures of sherlock holmes (ePub) by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-06-13T16:00:00+00:00

T

A

B

C

he

dventure of the lue arbuncle

“But his wife—you said that she had ceased to

“Not the Countess of Morcar’s blue carbuncle!”

love him.”

I ejaculated.

“This hat has not been brushed for weeks.

“Precisely so. I ought to know its size and shape,

When I see you, my dear Watson, with a week’s ac-

seeing that I have read the advertisement about

cumulation of dust upon your hat, and when your

every day lately. It is absolutely

The Times

it in

unique, and its value can only be conjectured, but

wife allows you to go out in such a state, I shall

£

fear that you also have been unfortunate enough to

the reward offered of

is certainly not within

1000

lose your wife’s affection.”

a twentieth part of the market price.”

“But he might be a bachelor.”

“A thousand pounds! Great Lord of mercy!”

The commissionaire plumped down into a chair

“Nay, he was bringing home the goose as a

and stared from one to the other of us.

peace-offering to his wife. Remember the card upon

“That is the reward, and I have reason to know

the bird’s leg.”

that there are sentimental considerations in the

“You have an answer to everything. But how on

background which would induce the Countess to

earth do you deduce that the gas is not laid on in

part with half her fortune if she could but recover

his house?”

the gem.”

“One tallow stain, or even two, might come by

“It was lost, if I remember aright, at the Hotel

chance; but when I see no less than five, I think

Cosmopolitan,” I remarked.

that there can be little doubt that the individual

must be brought into frequent contact with burn-

“Precisely so, on December

nd, just five days

22

ago. John Horner, a plumber, was accused of hav-

ing tallow—walks upstairs at night probably with

ing abstracted it from the lady’s jewel-case. The

his hat in one hand and a guttering candle in the

other. Anyhow, he never got tallow-stains from a

evidence against him was so strong that the case

has been referred to the Assizes. I have some ac-

gas-jet. Are you satisfied?”

count of the matter here, I believe.” He rummaged

“Well, it is very ingenious,” said I, laughing;

amid his newspapers, glancing over the dates, until

“but since, as you said just now, there has been no

at last he smoothed one out, doubled it over, and

crime committed, and no harm done save the loss

read the following paragraph:

of a goose, all this seems to be rather a waste of

“Hotel Cosmopolitan Jewel Robbery. John

energy.”

26

Horner,

, plumber, was brought up upon

Sherlock Holmes had opened his mouth to re-

22

the charge of having upon the

nd inst.

ply, when the door flew open, and Peterson, the

abstracted from the jewel-case of the Count-

commissionaire, rushed into the apartment with

ess of Morcar the valuable gem known as

flushed cheeks and the face of a man who is dazed

the blue carbuncle. James Ryder, upper-

with astonishment.

attendant at the hotel, gave his evidence

“The goose, Mr. Holmes! The goose, sir!” he

to the effect that he had shown Horner

gasped.

up to the dressing-room of the Countess

“Eh? What of it, then? Has it returned to

of Morcar upon the day of the robbery in

order that he might solder the second bar

life and flapped off through the kitchen window?”

of the grate, which was loose.

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