Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 26).djvu/503

Rh “I have heard something of the kind.”

“Well, then, will you please compare that print with this wax impression of young McFarlane’s night thumb, taken by my orders this morning ? ”

As he held the waxen print close to the blood-stain it did not take a magnifying glass to see that the two were undoubtedly from the same thumb. It was evident to me that our unfortunate client was lost.

“That is final,” said Lestrade.

“Yes, that is final,” I involuntarily echoed.

“ It is final,” said Holmes.

Something in his tone caught my ear, and I turned to look at him. An extraordinary change had come over his face. It was writhing with inward merriment. His two eyes were shining like stars. It seemed to me that he was making desperate efforts to restrain a convulsive attack of laughter.

“Dear me! Dear me!” he said at last. “Well, now, who would have thought it? And how deceptive appearances may be, to be sure ! Such a nice young man to look at ! It is a lesson to us not to trust our own judgment, is it not, Lestrade?”

“Yes, some of us are a little too much inclined to be cocksure, Mr. Holmes,” said Lestrade. The man’s insolence was maddening, but we could not resent it.

“ What a providential thing that this young man should press his right thumb against the wall in taking his hat from the peg! Such a very natural action, too, if you come to think of it.” Holmes was outwardly calm, but his whole body gave a wriggle of suppressed excitement as he spoke. “ By the way, Lestrade, who made this remarkable discovery?”

“ It was the housekeeper, Mrs. Lexington, who drew the night constable’s attention to it.”

“Where was the night constable?”

“ He remained on guard in the bedroom where the crime was committed, so as to see that nothing was touched.”

“ But why didn’t the police see this mark yesterday ?”

“ Well, we had no particular reason to make a careful examination of the hall. Besides, it's not in a very prominent place, as you see.”

“No, no, of course not. I suppose there is no doubt that the mark was there yesterday?”

Lestrade looked at Holmes as if he thought he was going out of his mind. I confess that I was myself surprised both at his hilarious manner and at his rather wild observation.

“ I don’t know whether you think that McFarlane came out of gaol in the dead of the night in order to strengthen the evidence against himself,” said Lestrade. “ I leave it to any expert in the world whether that is not the mark of his thumb.”

“ It is unquestionably the mark of his thumb.”

“There, that’s enough,” said Lestrade. “I am a practical man, Mr. Holmes, and when I have got my evidence I come to my conclusions. If you have anything to say you will find me writing my report in the sitting-room.”

Holmes had recovered his equanimity, though I still seemed to detect gleams of amusement in his expression.

“ Dear me, this is a very sad development, Watson, is it not?” said he. “ And yet there are singular points about it which hold out some hopes for our client.”

“ I am delighted to hear it,” said I, heartily. “I was afraid it was all up with him.”

“ I would hardly go so far as to say that, my dear Watson. The fact is that there is one really serious flaw in this evidence to which our friend attaches so much importance.”

“ Indeed, Holmes! What is it ? ”

“ Only this: that I know that that mark was not there when I examined the hall yesterday. And now, Watson, let us have a little stroll round in the sunshine.”

With a confused brain, but with a heart into which some warmth of hope was returning, I accompanied my friend in a walk round the garden. Holmes took each face of the house in turn and examined it with great interest. He then led the way inside and went over the whole building from basement to attics. Most of the rooms were unfurnished, but none the less Holmes inspected them all minutely. Finally, on the top corridor, which ran outside three untenanted bedrooms, he again was seized with a spasm of merriment.

“There are really some very unique features about this case, Watson,” said he. “I think it is time now that we took our friend Lestrade into our confidence. He has had his little smile at our expense, and perhaps we may do as much by him if my reading of this problem proves to be correct. Yes, yes; I think I see how we should approach it.”

The Scotland Yard inspector was still writing in the parlour when Holmes interrupted him.

“I understood that you were writing a report of this case,” said he.