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Page 127
"Any news?" he asked, eagerly.
"My report, as I expected, is a negative one," said
Holmes. "I have seen Forbes, and I have seen your
uncle, and I have set one or two trains of inquiry
upon foot which may lead to something."
"You have not lost heart, then?"
"By no means."
"God bless you for saying that!" cried Miss Harrison.
"If we keep our courage and our patience the truth
must come out."
"We have more to tell you than you have for us," said
Phelps, reseating himself upon the couch.
"I hoped you might have something."
"Yes, we have had an adventure during the night, and
one which might have proved to be a serious one." His
expression grew very grave as he spoke, and a look of
something akin to fear sprang up in his eyes. "Do you
know," said he, "that I begin to believe that I am the
unconscious centre of some monstrous conspiracy, and
that my life is aimed at as well as my honor?"
"Ah!" cried Holmes.
"It sounds incredible, for I have not, as far as I
know, an enemy in the world. Yet from last night's
experience I can come to no other conclusion."
"Pray let me hear it."
"You must know that last night was the very first
night that I have ever slept without a nurse in the
room. I was so much better that I thought I could
dispense with one. I had a night-light burning,
however. Well, about two in the morning I had sunk
into a light sleep when I was suddenly aroused by a
slight noise. It was like the sound which a mouse
makes when it is gnawing a plank, and I lay listening
to it for some time under the impression that it must
come from that cause. Then it grew louder, and
suddenly there came from the window a sharp metallic
snick. I sat up in amazement. There could be no
doubt what the sounds were now. The first ones had
been caused by some one forcing an instrument through
the slit between the sashes, and the second by the
catch being pressed back.
"There was a pause then for about ten minutes, as if
the person were waiting to see whether the noise had
awakened me. Then I heard a gentle creaking as the
window was very slowly opened. I could stand it no
longer, for my nerves are not what they used to be. I
sprang out of bed and flung open the shutters. A man
was crouching at the window. I could see little of
him, for he was gone like a flash. He was wrapped in
some sort of cloak which came across the lower part of
his face. One thing only I am sure of, and that is
that he had some weapon in his hand. It looked to me
like a long knife. I distinctly saw the gleam of it
as he turned to run."
"This is most interesting," said Holmes. "Pray what
did you do then?"
"I should have followed him through the open window if
I had been stronger. As it was, I rang the bell and
roused the house. It took me some little time, for
the bell rings in the kitchen and the servants all
sleep upstairs. I shouted, however, and that brought
Joseph down, and he roused the others. Joseph and the
groom found marks on the bed outside the window, but
the weather has been so dry lately that they found it
hopeless to follow the trail across the grass.
There's a place, however, on the wooden fence which
skirts the road which shows signs, they tell me, as if
some one had got over, and had snapped the top of the
rail in doing so. I have said nothing to the local
police yet, for I thought I had best have your opinion
first."
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