I noticed a Copenhagen label upon each of their trunks, showingthat that had been their last stopping place. Stangerson was aquiet, reserved man, but his employer, I am sorry to say, was farotherwise. He was coarse in his habits and brutish in his ways. Thevery night of his arrival he became very much the worse for drink,and, indeed, after twelve o’clock in the day he could hardly everbe said to be sober. His manners towards the maid-servants weredisgustingly free and familiar. Worst of all, he speedily assumedthe same attitude towards my daughter, Alice, and spoke to hermore than once in a way which, fortunately, she is too innocentto understand. On one occasion he actually seized her in his armsand embraced her—an outrage which caused his own secretary toreproach him for his unmanly conduct.’
“ ‘But why did you stand all this?’ I asked. ‘I suppose that youcan get rid of your boarders when you wish.’
“Mrs. Charpentier blushed at my pertinent question. ‘Would toGod that I had given him notice on the very day that he came,’
she said. ‘But it was a sore temptation. They were paying a pounda day each—fourteen pounds a week, and this is the slack season. Iam a widow, and my boy in the Navy has cost me much. I grudgedto lose the money. I acted for the best. This last was too much,however, and I gave him notice to leave on account of it. That wasthe reason of his going.’
“ ‘Well?’
“ ‘My heart grew light when I saw him drive away. My son is onleave just now, but I did not tell him anything of all this, for histemper is violent, and he is passionately fond of his sister. When Iclosed the door behind them a load seemed to be lifted from mymind. Alas, in less than an hour there was a ring at the bell, and Ilearned that Mr. Drebber had returned. He was much excited, andevidently the worse for drink. He forced his way into the room,where I was sitting with my daughter, and made some incoherentremark about having missed his train. He then turned to Alice,and before my very face, proposed to her that she should fly withhim. “You are of age,” he said, “and there is no law to stop you. Ihave money enough and to spare. Never mind the old girl here,but come along with me now straight away. You shall live like aprincess.” Poor Alice was so frightened that she shrunk away fromhim, but he caught her by the wrist and endeavoured to draw hertowards the door. I screamed, and at that moment my son Arthurcame into the room. What happened then I do not know. I heardoaths and the confused sounds of a scuffle. I was too terrified toraise my head. When I did look up I saw Arthur standing in thedoorway laughing, with a stick in his hand. “I don’t think that finefellow will trouble us again,” he said. “I will just go after him andsee what he does with himself.” With those words he took his hatand started off down the street. The next morning we heard of Mr.
Drebber’s mysterious death.’
“This statement came from Mrs. Charpentier’s lips with manygasps and pauses. At times she spoke so low that I could hardlycatch the words. I made shorthand notes of all that she said,however, so that there should be no possibility of a mistake.”
“It’s quite exciting,” said Sherlock Holmes, with a yawn. “Whathappened next?”
“When Mrs. Charpentier paused,” the detective continued, “Isaw that the whole case hung upon one point. Fixing her with myeye in a way which I always found effective with women, I askedher at what hour her son returned.
“ ‘I do not know,’ she answered.
“ ‘Not know?’
“ ‘No; he has a latchkey, and he let himself in.’
“ ‘After you went to bed?’
“ ‘Yes.’
“ ‘When did you go to bed?’
“ ‘About eleven.’
“ ‘So your son was gone at least two hours?’
“ ‘Yes.’
“ ‘Possibly four or five?’
“ ‘Yes.’
“ ‘What was he doing during that time?’
“ ‘I do not know,’ she answered, turning white to her very lips.
“Of course after that there was nothing more to be done. I foundout where Lieutenant Charpentier was, took two officers with me,and arrested him. When I touched him on the shoulder and warnedhim to come quietly with us, he answered us as bold as brass, ‘Isuppose you are arresting me for being concerned in the death of thatscoundrel Drebber,’ he said. We had said nothing to him about it, sothat his alluding to it had a most suspicious aspect.”
“Very,” said Holmes.
“He still carried the heavy stick which the mother describedhim as having with him when he followed Drebber. It was a stoutoak cudgel.”
“What is your theory, then?”
“Well, my theory is that he followed Drebber as far as theBrixton Road. When there, a fresh altercation arose betweenthem, in the course of which Drebber received a blow from thestick, in the pit of the stomach perhaps, which killed him withoutleaving any mark. The night was so wet that no one was about, soCharpentier dragged the body of his victim into the empty house.
As to the candle, and the blood, and the writing on the wall, andthe ring, they may all be so many tricks to throw the police on tothe wrong scent.”
“Well done!” said Holmes in an encouraging voice. “Really,Gregson, you are getting along. We shall make something of youyet.”
“I flatter myself that I have managed it rather neatly,” thedetective answered, proudly. “The young man volunteered astatement, in which he said that after following Drebber sometime, the latter perceived him, and took a cab in order to get awayfrom him. On his way home he met an old shipmate, and took along walk with him. On being asked where this old shipmate lived,he was unable to give any satisfactory reply. I think the whole casefits together uncommonly well. What amuses me is to think ofLestrade, who had started off upon the wrong scent. I am afraid hewon’t make much of it. Why, by Jove, here’s the very man himself!”