“He sleeps at the end of the passage and would have to passmy door in order to reach the staircase. It was a really terrifyingexperience， Mr. Holmes. I think that I am as strong-nerved asmy neighbours， but I was shaken by what I saw. The passagewas dark save that one window halfway along it threw a patch oflight. I could see that something was coming along the passage，something dark and crouching. Then suddenly it emerged into thelight， and I saw that it was he. He was crawling， Mr. Holmes—crawling！ He was not quite on his hands and knees. I shouldrather say on his hands and feet， with his face sunk between hishands. Yet he seemed to move with ease. I was so paralyzed bythe sight that it was not until he had reached my door that I wasable to step forward and ask if I could assist him. His answer wasextraordinary. He sprang up， spat out some atrocious word at me，and hurried on past me， and down the staircase. I waited aboutfor an hour， but he did not come back. It must have been daylightbefore he regained his room.”
The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes 1351
“Well， Watson， what make you of that？” asked Holmes with theair of the pathologist who presents a rare specimen.
“Lumbago， possibly. I have known a severe attack make a manwalk in just such a way， and nothing would be more trying to thetemper.”
“Good， Watson！ You always keep us flat-footed on the ground.
But we can hardly accept lumbago， since he was able to standerect in a moment.”
“He was never better in health，” said Bennett. “In fact， he isstronger than I have known him for years. But there are the facts，Mr. Holmes. It is not a case in which we can consult the police，and yet we are utterly at our wit’s end as to what to do， and we feelin some strange way that we are drifting towards disaster. Edith—Miss Presbury—feels as I do， that we cannot wait passively anylonger.”
“It is certainly a very curious and suggestive case. What do youthink， Watson？”
“Speaking as a medical man，” said I， “it appears to be a case foran alienist. The old gentleman’s cerebral processes were disturbedby the love affair. He made a journey abroad in the hope ofbreaking himself of the passion. His letters and the box may beconnected with some other private transaction—a loan， perhaps，or share certificates， which are in the box.”
“And the wolfhound no doubt disapproved of the financialbargain. No， no， Watson， there is more in it than this. Now， I canonly suggest——”
What Sherlock Holmes was about to suggest will never beknown， for at this moment the door opened and a young lady wasshown into the room. As she appeared Mr. Bennett sprang up witha cry and ran forward with his hands out to meet those which shehad herself outstretched.
“Edith， dear！ Nothing the matter， I hope？”
“I felt I must follow you. Oh， Jack， I have been so dreadfullyfrightened！ It is awful to be there alone.”
“Mr. Holmes， this is the young lady I spoke of. This is myfiancée.”
“We were gradually coming to that conclusion， were we not，Watson？” Holmes answered with a smile. “I take it， Miss Presbury，that there is some fresh development in the case， and that youthought we should know？”
Our new visitor， a bright， handsome girl of a conventionalEnglish type， smiled back at Holmes as she seated herself besideMr. Bennett.
“When I found Mr. Bennett had left his hotel I thought Ishould probably find him here. Of course， he had told me that he1352 The Complete Sherlock Holmes would consult you. But， oh， Mr. Holmes， can you do nothing formy poor father？”
“I have hopes， Miss Presbury， but the case is still obscure.
Perhaps what you have to say may throw some fresh light upon it.”
“It was last night， Mr. Holmes. He had been very strange all day.
am sure that there are times when he has no recollection of whathe does. He lives as in a strange dream. Yesterday was such a day.
It was not my father with whom I lived. His outward shell wasthere， but it was not really he.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“I was awakened in the night by the dog barking most furiously.
Poor Roy， he is chained now near the stable. I may say that Ialways sleep with my door locked； for， as Jack—as Mr. Bennett—will tell you， we all have a feeling of impending danger. My roomon the second floor. It happened that the blind was up in mywindow， and there was bright moonlight outside. As I lay withmy eyes fixed upon the square of light， listening to the frenziedbarkings of the dog， I was amazed to see my father’s face lookingin at me. Mr. Holmes， I nearly died of surprise and horror. Therewas pressed against the windowpane， and one hand seemed tobe raised as if to push up the window. If that window had opened，think I should have gone mad. It was no delusion， Mr. Holmes.
Don’t deceive yourself by thinking so. I dare say it was twentyseconds or so that I lay paralyzed and watched the face. Then itvanished， but I could not—I could not spring out of bed and lookout after it. I lay cold and shivering till morning. At breakfasthe was sharp and fierce in manner， and made no allusion to theadventure of the night. Neither did I， but I gave an excuse forcoming to town—and here I am.”
Holmes looked thoroughly surprised at Miss Presburys narrative.
“My dear young lady， you say that your room is on the secondfloor. Is there a long ladder in the garden？”
“No， Mr. Holmes， that is the amazing part of it. There is nopossible way of reaching the window—and yet he was there.”
“The date being September 5th，” said Holmes. “That certainlycomplicates matters.”
It was the young lady’s turn to look surprised. “This is thesecond time that you have alluded to the date， Mr. Holmes，” saidBennett. “Is it possible that it has any bearing upon the case？”
“It is possible—very possible—and yet I have not my fullmaterial at present.”
“Possibly you are thinking of the connection between insanityand phases of the moon？”
“No， I assure you. It was quite a different line of thought.
Possibly you can leave your notebook with me.