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Page 46
"I was, as you may think, Watson, horrified at this
unexpected news.
"'What has caused it?' I asked.
"'Ah, that is the point. Jump in and we can talk it
over while we drive. You remember that fellow who
came upon the evening before you left us?'
"'Perfectly.'
"'Do you know who it was that we let into the house
that day?'
"'I have no idea.'
"'It was the devil, Holmes,' he cried.
"I stared at him in astonishment.
"'Yes, it was the devil himself. We have not had a
peaceful hour since--not one. The governor has never
held up his head from that evening, and now the life
has been crushed out of him and his heart broken, all
through this accursed Hudson.'
"'What power had he, then?'
"'Ah, that is what I would give so much to know. The
kindly, charitable, good old governor--how could he
have fallen into the clutches of such a ruffian! But
I am so glad that you have come, Holmes. I trust very
much to your judgment and discretion, and I know that
you will advise me for the best.'
"We were dashing along the smooth white country road,
with the long stretch of the Broads in front of us
glimmering in the red light of the setting sun. From
a grove upon our left I could already see the high
chimneys and the flag-staff which marked the squire's
dwelling.
"'My father made the fellow gardener,' said my
companion, 'and then, as that did not satisfy him, he
was promoted to be butler. The house seemed to be at
his mercy, and he wandered about and did what he chose
in it. The maids complained of his drunken habits and
his vile language. The dad raised their wages all
round to recompense them for the annoyance. The
fellow would take the boat and my father's best gun
and treat himself to little shooting trips. And all
this with such a sneering, leering, insolent face that
I would have knocked him down twenty times over if he
had been a man of my own age. I tell you, Holmes, I
have had to keep a tight hold upon myself all this
time; and now I am asking myself whether, if I had let
myself go a little more, I might not have been a wiser
man.
"'Well, matters went from bad to worse with us, and
this animal Hudson became more and more intrusive,
until at last, on making some insolent reply to my
father in my presence one day, I took him by the
shoulders and turned him out of the room. He slunk
away with a livid face and two venomous eyes which
uttered more threats than his tongue could do. I
don't know what passed between the poor dad and him
after that, but the dad came to me next day and asked
me whether I would mind apologizing to Hudson. I
refused, as you can imagine, and asked my father how
he could allow such a wretch to take such liberties
with himself and his household.
"'"Ah, my boy," said he, "it is all very well to talk,
but you don't know how I am placed. But you shall
know, Victor. I'll see that you shall know, come what
may. You wouldn't believe harm of your poor old
father, would you, lad?" He was very much moved, and
shut himself up in the study all day, where I could
see through the window that he was writing busily.
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