“I will do so myself,” said Holmes, “in order to show that I havethe events in their due order. The professor, Watson, is a man ofEuropean reputation. His life has been academic. There has neverbeen a breath of scandal. He is a widower with one daughter,Edith. He is, I gather, a man of very virile and positive, one mightalmost say combative, character. So the matter stood until a veryfew months ago.
“Then the current of his life was broken. He is sixty-one years ofage, but he became engaged to the daughter of Professor Morphy,his colleague in the chair of comparative anatomy. It was not, asunderstand, the reasoned courting of an elderly man but ratherthe passionate frenzy of youth, for no one could have shownhimself a more devoted lover. The lady, Alice Morphy, was a veryperfect girl both in mind and body, so that there was every excusefor the professor’s infatuation. None the less, it did not meet withfull approval in his own family.”
“We thought it rather excessive,” said our visitor.
“Exactly. Excessive and a little violent and unnatural. ProfessorPresbury was rich, however, and there was no objection upon thepart of the father. The daughter, however, had other views, andthere were already several candidates for her hand, who, if theywere less eligible from a worldly point of view, were at least moreof an age. The girl seemed to like the professor in spite of hiseccentricities. It was only age which stood in the way.
“About this time a little mystery suddenly clouded the normalroutine of the professor’s life. He did what he had never donebefore. He left home and gave no indication where he was going.
He was away a fortnight and returned looking rather travelworn.
He made no allusion to where he had been, although heThe Case Book of Sherlock Holmes 1349was usually the frankest of men. It chanced, however, that ourclient here, Mr. Bennett, received a letter from a fellow-student inPrague, who said that he was glad to have seen Professor Presburythere, although he had not been able to talk to him. Only in thisway did his own household learn where he had been.
“Now comes the point. From that time onward a curiouschange came over the professor. He became furtive and sly. Thosearound him had always the feeling that he was not the man thatthey had known, but that he was under some shadow which haddarkened his higher qualities. His intellect was not affected. Hislectures were as brilliant as ever. But always there was somethingnew, something sinister and unexpected. His daughter, who wasdevoted to him, tried again and again to resume the old relationsand to penetrate this mask which her father seemed to have puton. You, sir, as I understand, did the same—but all was in vain.
And now, Mr. Bennett, tell in your own words the incident of theletters.”
“You must understand, Dr. Watson, that the professor had nosecrets from me. If I were his son or his younger brother I couldnot have more completely enjoyed his confidence. As his secretaryI handled every paper which came to him, and I opened andsubdivided his letters. Shortly after his return all this was changed.
He told me that certain letters might come to him from Londonwhich would be marked by a cross under the stamp. These were tobe set aside for his own eyes only. I may say that several of thesedid pass through my hands, that they had the E. C. mark, and werein an illiterate handwriting. If he answered them at all the answersdid not pass through my hands nor into the letter-basket in whichour correspondence was collected.”
“And the box,” said Holmes.
“Ah, yes, the box. The professor brought back a little woodenbox from his travels. It was the one thing which suggested aContinental tour, for it was one of those quaint carved thingswhich one associates with Germany. This he placed in hisinstrument cupboard. One day, in looking for a canula, I tookup the box. To my surprise he was very angry, and reproved mein words which were quite savage for my curiosity. It was thefirst time such a thing had happened, and I was deeply hurt. Iendeavoured to explain that it was a mere accident that I hadtouched the box, but all the evening I was conscious that helooked at me harshly and that the incident was rankling in hismind.” Mr. Bennett drew a little diary book from his pocket. “Thatwas on July 2d,” said he.
“You are certainly an admirable witness,” said Holmes. “I mayneed some of these dates which you have noted.”
1350 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
“I learned method among other things from my great teacher.
From the time that I observed abnormality in his behaviour I feltthat it was my duty to study his case. Thus I have it here that itwas on that very day, July 2d, that Roy attacked the professor as hecame from his study into the hall. Again, on July 11th, there was ascene of the same sort, and then I have a note of yet another uponJuly 20th. After that we had to banish Roy to the stables. He was adear, affectionate animal—but I fear I weary you.”
Mr. Bennett spoke in a tone of reproach, for it was very clearthat Holmes was not listening. His face was rigid and his eyesgazed abstractedly at the ceiling. With an effort he recoveredhimself.
“Singular! Most singular!” he murmured. “These details werenew to me, Mr. Bennett. I think we have now fairly gone overthe old ground, have we not? But you spoke of some freshdevelopments.”
The pleasant, open face of our visitor clouded over, shadowedby some grim remembrance. “What I speak of occurred the nightbefore last,” said he. “I was lying awake about two in the morning,when I was aware of a dull muffled sound coming from thepassage. I opened my door and peeped out. I should explain thatthe professor sleeps at the end of the passage——”
“The date being——?” asked Holmes.
Our visitor was clearly annoyed at so irrelevant an interruption.
“I have said, sir, that it was the night before last—that is,September 4th.”
Holmes nodded and smiled.
“Pray continue,” said he.