Morris tribune., 1905-07-15
THE DUKE AND HIS SECRETARY.

absurd that we should not avail our
selves Of his services. Far from go
ing to the inn, Mr.. Holmes, 1 should
be pleased if you would come and stay
with me at Holdernesse Hail.
Il thank your grace. For the pur-
poses of my investigation [ think that
it would be wiser for me to remain at
the scene of the mystery"
Just as you like, Mr.. Holmes. Any
information which Mr.. Wilder or can
give you is, Of course, at your dispos-
al"
''It will probably be necessary for
me to see you at the hail." said
Holmes. Il would only ask you now,
sir, whether you have formed any ex-
PLANTATION in your own mind as to the
mysterious disappearance Of your
SOM?
mo, sir, have not"
Excuse me if l allude to that which
is painful to you, but 1 have no alter
native Do you think that the duchess
had anythi1s8&o do with the matter?'
The great minister showed percepti-
BILE hesitation.
Il do not think So" he said at last.
'"The other most obvious explanation
is that the child has been kidnapped, =,
for the purpose Of levying ransom.
You have not had any demand of the
sort?'
''No, SIR
Zone more question, your grace. l
understand that you wrote to your son
upon the day when this incident oc-
Cured"
''No; wrote upon the day before"
"Exactly. But he received it on that
dayY
eyes"
'Was there anything in your letter I
which might have unbalanced him or
induced him to take such a step?'
"No, sir; certainly not"
'Did you post that letter yourself?"
The nobleman's reply was interrupt
ed by his secretary, who broke in with !
some heat.
'FIis grace is not in the habit of post
ing letters himself" said he. ''This
letter was laid with others upon the
study table, and 1 myself put them in
the post bag"
"You are sure this one was among
them?"
eyes; 1 observed it."
"How many letters did your grace
write that dayT
Twenty or thirty. I have large
But surely this is
irrelevant"
''Not entirely" said Holmes.
"For my own part" the duke contin-
led, 81 have advised the police to turn
their attention to the south of France.
[ have already said that I do not be-
ieve that the duchess would encour-
lge so monstrous an action, but the
ad had the most wrong headed opin-
ons, and it is possible that he may
nave fed to her, aided and abetted by
his German. l think, Dr. Huxtable,
hat we will now return to the hail."
I could see that there were other
luestions which Holmes would have
Wished to put, but the nobleman's alb !
vas at an end. 1t was evident that
o his intensely aristocratic nature this
discussion of his intimate family af-
airs with a stranger was most abhor-
ent and that he feared lest every fresh
question would throw a fiercer light q
nto the discreetly shadowed corners Q
# his ducal history 8
When the nobleman and his secre- 8
ary had left, my friend flung himself t
It once with characteristic eagerness t
nto the investigation. T
The boys chamber was carefully ex- q
mined and yielded nothing save the I
.bsolute conviction that it was only {
trough the window that he could have 0
scaped. The German masters room
nd effects gave no further clew. In
lis case a trailer of ivy had given way |.
lnder his weight, and we saw by the b
ight of a lantern the mark on the
avn where his heels had come down. 1
That one dent in the short green grass
vas the only material witness left Of q
his inexplicable nocturnal fight. +
Sherlock Holmes left the house alone q
nd only returned after IL. He had G
btained large ordnance map of the
and this he BROUGHT into