The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-12
your Grace, I'll trouble you for that

/ Never shall | forget the Duke S ap-
1 pearance as he sprang up and claWed
| with his hands, like one who is sinking
| into an abyss. Then, with an extraor-
binary effort Of his aristocratic self
command he sat down and sank his
| face in his hands. 1T was some min
utes before he spoke.
How much do you known" ne ask
ed at last, without raising his head.
II saw you together last night.
Does anyone else besides your
friend know"
II have spoken to no one"
The Duke took pen in his CULVER
ing fingers and opened the cheque-
book.
Il shall be as good as my word, Mr..
Holmes. / am about to write your
cheque, however unwelcome the infor-
| nation you have gained may be to me.
When the offer was first made, I
| little thought the turn which events
might take. But you and your friend
arc men of discretion, Mr.. Holmes.
II hardly understand your Grace. :"
II must put it plainly Mr. Holmes.
| If only you two know of this Incident,
there is no reason why it should go
any farther. I think twelve thousand
pounds is the sum that owe you, is 1t
not"
But Holmes smiled and shook his
head.
II fear, your Grace, that matters can
hardly be arranged so easily. There is
the death of the schoolmaster to be ac-
counted for"
but James knew nothing of that
You cannot hold him responsible for
that 1t was the work of this brutal
ruffian whom he had the misfortune
to employ"
II must take the view, your Grace,
h 11~lxe III
crime he is morally guilty of any
other crime which may spring from
it."
Morally, Mr.. Holmes. No doubt
you are right. But surely not in the
eyes of the law. A man can not be con-
demned for murder at which he was
not present, and which he loathes and
abhors as much as you do. The instant
that he heard of it he made complete
confession to me, so filled was he with
horror and remorse. He lost not
an hour in breaking entirely with the
murderer Oh, Mr.. Holmes, you must
save him-you must save him. / tell
you that you must save him! Ihe
Duke had dropped the last attempt at
self-command, and was pacing the
room with a convulsed face and with
his clenched hands waving in the air.
At last he mastered himself, and sat
down once more at his desk. Il appre-
ciate your conduct in coming here be-
fore you spoke TO any one else, said
he. AT least we may take counsel
how far we can minimize this hideous
scandal
Exactly" said Holmes. 81 think
your Grace, that this can only be done
by absolute frankness between us.
am disposed to help your Grace to the
best of my ability, but in order to do
so, / must understand to the last detail
how the matter stands. / realize that
your words applied to Mr.. James Will
der, and that he is not the murderer"
mo. the murderer has escaped
Sherlock Holmes smiled demurely.
"Your Grace can hardly have heard
of any small reputation which I pos
sess, or you would not imagine that
it is so easy to escape me. Mr.. Reuben
Hayes was arrested at Chesterfield, on
my information, at eleven o'clock last
night / had q telegram from the head
of the local police before | left the
school this morning"
/ The Duke leaned bake in his chair
and stared with amaZement at my
friend
you seem to have powers that are
htardly human, said he. 80 Reuben
Hayes is taken? / am right glad to
hear it. if it will not react upon the
fate of James,"
your secretary"
mo, sir, my son.
1t was Holmes turn to look as
tonished.
Il confess that this is entirely new
to me, your Grace. / must beg you to
be more explicit"
II will conceal nothing from you. I
agree with you that complete frank
ness. however painful it may be to me.
is the best policy in this desperate sit
uation to which James folly and
jealousy have reduced us. When / was
a very young man, Mr.. Holmes, / loved
with such a love as comes only once in
a lifetime. / offered the lady mar
riage, but she refused on the grounds
that such a match might mar my ca
reer. Had she lived, would certainly
never have married anyone else. She
died. and left this one child, whom for
her sake / have cherished and cared
for. | could not acknowledge the pa
ternity to the world, but / gave him the
best of educations, and since he came
to manhood / have kept him near my
person. He surprised my secret, and
has presumed ever since upon the
claim which he has upon me, and upon
his power of provoking a scandal
which would be abhorrent to me. His
presence had something to do with the
unhappy issue of my marriage. Above
all, he hated my young legitimate heir
from the first with persistent hatred.
You may we'll ask me why, under the
circumstances, ] still kept James under
my roof I answer that it was because
could see his mothers face in his,
and that for her dear sake there was
no end of my long-suffering. All her
pretty ways too-there was not one of
them which he could not suggest and
bring back to my memory. I could
not send him away. But / feared SO
much lest he should do Arthur-that
is, Lord Saltire-a mischief, that
dispatched him for safety to DR..
Huxtable's school.
James came in contact with this
fellow Hayes, because the man was q
tenant of mine, and James acted as
agent. The fellow was a rascal from
the beginning, but, in some extraordi-
nary way, James became intimate with
him. He had always taste for low
company. When James determined to
kidnap Lord Satire, it was of this
mans service that he availed himself
You remember that I wrote to Arthur
upon that last day. Well James OPEN
ed the letter and inserted a note ask
ing Arthur to meet him in little