The Adventure of the Red Circle
By
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
PART I
"Well, Mrs. Warren, I cannot see that you have any particular cause foruneasiness, nor do I understand why I, whose time is of some value,should interfere in the matter. I really have other things to engageme." So spoke Sherlock Holmes and turned back to the great scrapbookin which he was arranging and indexing some of his recent material.
But the landlady had the pertinacity and also the cunning of her sex.She held her ground firmly.
"You arranged an affair for a lodger of mine last year," she said--"Mr.Fairdale Hobbs."
"Ah, yes--a simple matter."
"But he would never cease talking of it--your kindness, sir, and theway in which you brought light into the darkness. I remembered hiswords when I was in doubt and darkness myself. I know you could if youonly would."
Holmes was accessible upon the side of flattery, and also, to do himjustice, upon the side of kindliness. The two forces made him lay downhis gum-brush with a sigh of resignation and push back his chair.
"Well, well, Mrs. Warren, let us hear about it, then. You don't objectto tobacco, I take it? Thank you, Watson--the matches! You are uneasy,as I understand, because your new lodger remains in his rooms and youcannot see him. Why, bless you, Mrs. Warren, if I were your lodger youoften would not see me for weeks on end."
"No doubt, sir; but this is different. It frightens me, Mr. Holmes. Ican't sleep for fright. To hear his quick step moving here and movingthere from early morning to late at night, and yet never to catch somuch as a glimpse of him--it's more than I can stand. My husband is asnervous over it as I am, but he is out at his work all day, while I getno rest from it. What is he hiding for? What has he done? Except forthe girl, I am all alone in the house with him, and it's more than mynerves can stand."
Holmes leaned forward and laid his long, thin fingers upon the woman'sshoulder. He had an almost hypnotic power of soothing when he wished.The scared look faded from her eyes, and her agitated features smoothedinto their usual commonplace. She sat down in the chair which he hadindicated.
"If I take it up I must understand every detail," said he. "Take timeto consider. The smallest point may be the most essential. You saythat the man came ten days ago and paid you for a fortnight's board andlodging?"
"He asked my terms, sir. I said fifty shillings a week. There is asmall sitting-room and bedroom, and all complete, at the top of thehouse."
"Well?"
"He said, 'I'll pay you five pounds a week if I can have it on my ownterms.' I'm a poor woman, sir, and Mr. Warren earns little, and themoney meant much to me. He took out a ten-pound note, and he held itout to me then and there. 'You can have the same every fortnight for along time to come if you keep the terms,' he said. 'If not, I'll haveno more to do with you.'
"What were the terms?"
"Well, sir, they were that he was to have a key of the house. That wasall right. Lodgers often have them. Also, that he was to be leftentirely to himself and never, upon any excuse, to be disturbed."
"Nothing wonderful in that, surely?"
"Not in reason, sir. But this is out of all reason. He has been therefor ten days, and neither Mr. Warren, nor I, nor the girl has once seteyes upon him