DOYLE, Arthur Conan - The Adventure of Abbey Grange

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SHERLOCK HOLMES – ADVENTURE OF ABBEY GRANGE

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Sherlock Holmes

The Adventure of Abbey Grange

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

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SHERLOCK HOLMES – ADVENTURE OF ABBEY GRANGE

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The Adventure of the Abbey Grange

It was on a bitterly cold night and frosty morning, towards the

end of the winter of '97, that I was awakened by a tugging at my

shoulder. It was Holmes. The candle in his hand shone upon his

eager, stooping face, and told me at a glance that something was

amiss.

"Come, Watson, come!" he cried. "The game is afoot. Not a

word! Into your clothes and come!"

Ten minutes later we were both in a cab, and rattling through the

silent streets on our way to Charing Cross Station. The first faint

winter's dawn was beginning to appear, and we could dimly see

the occasional figure of an early workman as he passed us, blurred

and indistinct in the opalescent London reek. Holmes nestled in

silence into his heavy coat, and I was glad to do the same, for

the air was most bitter, and neither of us had broken our fast.

It was not until we had consumed some hot tea at the station

and taken our places in the Kentish train that we were suffi-

ciently thawed, he to speak and I to listen. Holmes drew a note

from his pocket, and read aloud:

"Abbey Grange, Marsham, Kent,

3:30 A.M.

"MY DEAR MR. HOLMES:

I should be very glad of your immediate assistance in

what promises to be a most remarkable case. It is something

quite in your line. Except for releasing the lady I will see

that everything is kept exactly as I have found it, but I beg

you not to lose an instant, as it is difficult to leave Sir

Eustace there.

"Yours faithfully,

"STANLEY HOPKINS.

"Hopkins has called me in seven times, and on each occasion

his summons has been entirely justified," said Holmes. ''I fancy

that every one of his cases has found its way into your collec-

tion, and I must admit, Watson, that you have some power of

selection, which atones for much which I deplore in your narra-

tives. Your fatal habit of looking at everything from the point of

view of a story instead of as a scientific exercise has ruined what

might have been an instructive and even classical series of

demonstrations. You slur over work of the utmost finesse and

delicacy, in order to dwell upon sensational details which may

excite, but cannot possibly instruct, the reader."

SHERLOCK HOLMES – ADVENTURE OF ABBEY GRANGE

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"Why do you not write them yourself?" I said, with some

bitterness.

"I will, my dear Watson, I will. At present I am, as you

know, fairly busy, but I propose to devote my declining years to

the composition of a textbook, which shall focus the whole art of

detection into one volume. Our present research appears to be a

case of murder."

"You think this Sir Eustace is dead, then?"

"I should say so. Hopkins's writing shows considerable agita-

tion, and he is not an emotional man. Yes, I gather there has

been violence, and that the body is left for our inspection. A

mere suicide would not have caused him to send for me. As to

the release of the lady, it would appear that she has been locked

in her room during the tragedy. We are moving in high life,

Watson, crackling paper, 'E. B.' monogram, coat-of-arms, pic-

turesque address. I think that friend Hopkins will live up to his

reputation, and that we shall have an interesting morning. The

crime was committed before twelve last night."

"How can you possibly tell?"

"By an inspection of the trains, and by reckoning the time.

The local police had to be called in, they had to communicate

with Scotland Yard, Hopkins had to go out, and he in turn had to

send for me. All that makes a fair night's work. Well, here we

are at Chiselhurst Station, and we shall soon set our doubts at

rest. "

A drive of a couple of miles through narrow country lanes

brought us to a park gate, which was opened for us by an old

lodge-keeper, whose haggard face bore the reflection of some

great disaster. The avenue ran through a noble park, between

lines of ancient elms, and ended in a low, widespread house,

pillared in front after the fashion of Palladio. The central part

was evidently of a great age and shrouded in ivy, but the large

windows showed that modern changes had been carried out, and

one wing of the house appeared to be entirely new. The youthful

figure and alert, eager face of Inspector Stanley Hopkins con-

fronted us in the open doorway.

"I'm very glad you have come, Mr. Holmes. And you, too,

Dr. Watson. But, indeed, if I had my time over again, I should

not have troubled you, for since the lady has come to herself,

she has given so clear an account of the affair that there is not

much left for us to do. You remember that Lewisham gang of

burglars?"

"What, the three Randalls?"

"Exactly; the father and two sons. It's their work. I have not a

doubt of it. They did a job at Sydenham a fortnight ago and were

seen and described. Rather cool to do another so soon and so

SHERLOCK HOLMES – ADVENTURE OF ABBEY GRANGE

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near, but it is they, beyond all doubt. It's a hanging matter this

time."

"Sir Eustace is dead, then?"

"Yes, his head was knocked in with his own poker."

"Sir Eustace Brackenstall, the driver tells me."

"Exactly -- one of the richest men in Kent -- Lady Brackenstall

is in the morning-room. Poor lady, she has had a most dreadful

experience. She seemed half dead when I saw her first. I think

you had best see her and hear her account of the facts. Then we

will examine the dining-room together."

Lady Brackenstall was no ordinary person. Seldom have I

seen so graceful a figure, so womanly a presence, and so beauti-

ful a face. She was a blonde, golden-haired, blue-eyed, and

would no doubt have had the perfect complexion which goes

with such colouring, had not her recent experience left her drawn

and haggard. Her sufferings were physical as well as mental, for

over one eye rose a hideous, plum-coloured swelling, which her

maid, a tall, austere woman, was bathing assiduously with vine-

gar and water. The lady lay back exhausted upon a couch, but

her quick, observant gaze, as we entered the room, and the alert

expression of her beautiful features, showed that neither her wits

nor her courage had been shaken by her terrible experience. She

was enveloped in a loose dressing-gown of blue and silver, but a

black sequin-covered dinner-dress lay upon the couch beside her.

"I have told you all that happened, Mr. Hopkins," she said,

wearily. "Could you not repeat it for me? Well, if you think it

necessary, I will tell these gentlemen what occurTed. Have they

been in the dining-room yet?"

"I thought they had better hear your ladyship's story first."

"I shall be glad when you can arrange matters. It is horrible to

me to think of him still lying there." She shuddered and buried

her face in her hands. As she did so, the loose gown fell back

from her forearms. Holmes uttered an exclamation.

"You have other injuries, madam! What is this?" Two vivid

red spots stood out on one of the white, round limbs. She hastily

covered it.

"It is nothing. It has no connection with this hideous business

to-night. If you and your friend will sit down, I will tell you all I

can.

"I am the wife of Sir Eustace Brackenstall. I have been

married about a year. I suppose that it is no use my attempting to

conceal that our marriage has not been a happy one. I fear that

all our neighbours would tell you that, even if I were to attempt

to deny it. Perhaps the fault may be partly mine. I was brought

up in the freer, less conventional atmosphere of South Australia,

and this English life, with its proprieties and its primness, is not

SHERLOCK HOLMES – ADVENTURE OF ABBEY GRANGE

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congenial to me. But the main reason lies in the one fact, which

is notorious to everyone, and that is that Sir Eustace was a

confirmed drunkard. To be with such a man for an hour is

unpleasant. Can you imagine what it means for a sensitive and

high-spirited woman to be tied to him for day and night? It is a

sacrilege, a crime, a villainy to hold that such a marriage is

binding. I say that these monstrous laws of yours will bring a

curse upon the land -- God will not let such wickedness endure."

For an instant she sat up, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes

blazing from under the terrible mark upon her brow. Then the

strong, soothing hand of the austere maid drew her head down

on to the cushion, and the wild anger died away into passionate

sobbing. At last she continued:

"I will tell you about last night. You are aware, perhaps, that

in this house all the servants sleep in the modern wing. This

central block is made up of the dwelling-rooms, with the kitchen

behind and our bedroom above. My maid, Theresa, sleeps above

my room. There is no one else, and no sound could alarm those

who are in the farther wing. This must have been well known to

the robbers, or they would not have acted as they did.

"Sir Eustace retired about half-past ten. The servants had

already gone to their quarters. Only my maid was up, and she

had remained in her room at the top of the house until I needed

her services. I sat until after eleven in this room, absorbed in a

book. Then I walked round to see that all was right before I went

upstairs. It was my custom to do this myself, for, as I have

explained, Sir Eustace was not always to be trusted. I went into

the kitchen, the butler's pantry, the gun-room, the billiard-room,

the drawing-room, and finally the dining-room. As I approached the

window, which is covered with thick curtains, I suddenly felt

the wind blow upon my face and realized that it was open. I

flung the curtain aside and found myself face to face with a

broad-shouldered elderly man, who had just stepped into the

room. The window is a long French one, which really forms a

door leading to the lawn. I held my bedroom candle lit in my

hand, and, by its light, behind the first man I saw two others,

who were in the act of entering. I stepped back, but the fellow

was on me in an instant. He caught me first by the wrist and then

by the throat. I opened my mouth to scream, but he struck me a

savage blow with his fist over the eye, and felled me to the

ground. I must have been unconscious for a few minutes, for

when I came to myself, I found that they had torn down the

bell-rope, and had secured me tightly to the oaken chair which

stands at the head of the dining-table. I was so firmly bound that

I could not move, and a handkerchief round my mouth prevented

me from uttering a sound. It was at this instant that my unfortu-

SHERLOCK HOLMES – ADVENTURE OF ABBEY GRANGE

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nate husband entered the room. He had evidently heard some

suspicious sounds, and he came prepared for such a scene as he

found. He was dressed in nightshirt and trousers, with his fa-

vourite blackthorn cudgel in his hand. He rushed at the burglars,

but another -- it was an elderly man -- stooped, picked the poker

out of the grate and struck him a horrible blow as he passed. He

fell with a groan and never moved again. I fainted once more,

but again it could only have been for a very few minutes during

which I was insensible. When I opened my eyes I found that

they had collected the silver from the sideboard, and they had

drawn a bottle of wine which stood there. Each of them had a

glass in his hand. I have already told you, have I not, that one

was elderly, with a beard, and the others young, hairless lads.

They might have been a father with his two sons. They talked

together in whispers. Then they came over and made sure that I

was securely bound. Finally they withdrew, closing the window

after them. It was quite a quarter of an hour before I got my

mouth free. When I did so, my sceams brought the maid to my

assistance. The other servants were soon alarmed, and we sent

for the local police, who instantly communicated with London.

That is really all that I can tell you, gentlemen, and I trust that it

will not be necessary for me to go over so painful a story

again."

"Any questions, Mr. Holmes?" asked Hopkins.

"I will not impose any further tax upon Lady Brackenstall's

patience and time," said Holmes. "Before I go into the dining-

room, I should like to hear your experience." He looked at the

maid.

"I saw the men before ever they came into the house," said

she. "As I sat by my bedroom window I saw three men in the

moonlight down by the lodge gate yonder, but I thought nothing

of it at the time. It was more than an hour after that I heard my

mistress scream and down I ran, to find her, poor lamb, just as

she says, and him on the floor, with his blood and brains over

the room. It was enough to drive a woman out of her wits, tied

there, and her very dress spotted with him, but she never wanted

courage, did Miss Mary Fraser of Adelaide, and Lady Brack-

enstall of Abbey Grange hasn't learned new ways. You've ques-

tioned her long enough, you gentlemen, and now she is coming

to her own room, just with her old Theresa, to get the rest that

she badly needs."

With a motherly tenderness the gaunt woman put her arm

round her mistress and led her from the room.

"She has been with her all her life," said Hopkins. "Nursed

her as a baby, and came with her to England when they first left

Australia, eighteen months ago. Theresa Wright is her name, and

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