you see。 That is about the only bit of consolation I have had
to…day。 Lestrade was not there； but his head constable did the
honours。 They had just found a great treasure trove。 They had spent
the morning raking among the ashes of the burned wood…pile； and
besides the charred organic remains they had secured several
discoloured metal discs。 I examined them with care； and there was no
doubt that they were trouser buttons。 I even distinguished that one of
them was marked with the name of ‘Hyams；' who was Oldacres tailor。 I
then worked the lawn very carefully for signs and traces； but this
drought has made everything as hard as iron。 Nothing was to be seen
save that some body or bundle had been dragged through a low privet
hedge which is in a line with the wood…pile。 All that； of course； fits
in with the official theory。 I crawled about the lawn with an August
sun on my back； but I got up at the end of an hour no wiser than
before。
〃Well； after this fiasco I went into the bedroom and examined that
also。 The blood…stains were very slight； mere smears and
discolourations； but undoubtedly fresh。 The stick had been removed；
but there also the marks were slight。 There is no doubt about the
stick belonging to our client。 He admits it。 Footmarks of both men
could be made out on the carpet； but none of any third person； which
again is a trick for the other side。 They were piling up their score
all the time and we were at a standstill。
〃Only one little gleam of hope did I get… and yet it amounted to
nothing。 I examined the contents of the safe； most of which had been
taken out and left on the table。 The papers had been made up into
sealed envelopes； one or two of which had been opened by the police。
They were not； so far as I could judge； of any great value； nor did
the bank…book show that Mr。 Oldacre was in such very affluent
circumstances。 But it seemed to me that all the papers were not there。
There were allusions to some deeds… possibly the more valuable…
which I could not find。 This； of course； if we could definitely
prove it； would turn Lestrade's argument against himself； for who
would steal a thing if he knew that he would shortly inherit it？
〃Finally； having drawn every other cover and picked up no scent； I
tried my luck with the housekeeper。 Mrs。 Lesington is her name… a
little； dark； silent person； with suspicious and sidelong eyes。 She
could tell us something if she would… I am convinced of it。 But she
was as close as wax。 Yes； she had let Mr。 McFarlane in at halfpast
nine。 She wished her hand had withered before she had done so。 She had
gone to bed at half…past ten。 Her room was at the other end of the
house； and she could hear nothing of what had passed。 Mr。 McFarlane
had left his hat； and to the best of her had been awakened by the
alarm of fire。 Her poor； dear master had certainly been murdered。
Had he any enemies？ Well； every man had enemies； but Mr。 Oldacre
kept himself very much to himself； and only met people in the way of
business。 She had seen the buttons； and was sure that they had
belonged to the clothes which he had worn last night。 The wood…pile
was very dry； for it had not rained for a month。 It burned like
tinder； and by the time she reached the spot； nothing could be seen
but flames。 She and all the firemen smelled the burned flesh from
inside it。 She knew nothing of the papers； nor of Mr。 Oldacre's
private affairs。
〃So； my dear Watson； there's my report of a failure。 And yet… and
yet…〃 he clenched his thin hands in a paroxysm of conviction… 〃I
know it's all wrong。 I feel it in my bones。 There is something that
has not come out； and that housekeeper knows it。 There was a sort of
sulky defiance in her eyes； which only goes with guilty knowledge。
However； there's no good talking any more about it； Watson； but unless
some lucky chance comes our way I fear that the Norwood
Disappearance Case will not figure in that chronicle of our
successes which I foresee that a patient public will sooner or later
have to endure。〃
〃Surely；〃 said I； 〃the man's appearance would go far with any jury？〃
〃That is a dangerous argument my dear Watson。 You remember that
terrible murderer； Bert Stevens； who wanted us to get him off in
'87？ Was there ever a more mild…mannered； Sunday…school young man？〃
〃It is true。〃
〃Unless we succeed in establishing an alternative theory； this man
is lost。 You can hardly find a flaw in the case which can now be
presented against him； and all further investigation has served to
strengthen it。 By the way； there is one curious little point about
those papers which may serve us as the starting…point for an
inquiry。 On looking over the bank…book I found that the low state of
the balance was principally due to large checks which have been made
out during the last year to Mr。 Cornelius。 I confess that I should
be interested to know who this Mr。 Cornelius may be with whom a
retired builder has had such very large transactions。 Is it possible
that he has had a hand in the affair？ Cornelius might be a broker； but
we have found no scrip to correspond with these large payments。
Failing any other indication； my researches must now take the
direction of an inquiry at the bank for the gentleman who has cashed
these checks。 But I fear； my dear fellow； that our case will end
ingloriously by Lestrade hanging our client； which will certainly be a
triumph for Scotland Yard。〃
I do not know how far Sherlock Holmes took any sleep that night； but
when I came down to breakfast I found him pale and harassed； his
bright eyes the brighter for the dark shadows round them。 The carpet
round his chair was littered with cigarette…ends and with the early
editions of the morning papers。 An open telegram lay upon the table。
〃What do you think of this； Watson？〃 he asked； tossing it across。
It was from Norwood； and ran as follows：
Important fresh evidence to hand。 McFarlane's guilt definitely
established。 Advise you to abandon case。
LESTRADE。
〃This sounds serious；〃 said I。
〃It is Lestrade's little cock…a…doodle of victory；〃 Holmes answered；
with a bitter smile。 〃And yet it may be premature to abandon the case。
After all； important fresh evidence is a two…edged thing； and may
possibly cut in a very different direction to that which Lestrade
imagines。 Take your breakfast； Watson； and we will go out together and
see what we can do。 I feel as if I shall need your company and your
moral support today。〃
My friend had no breakfast himself； for it was one of his
peculiarities that in his more intense moments he would permit himself
no food； and I have known him presume upon his iron strength until
he has fainted from pure inanition。 〃At present I cannot spare
energy and nerve force for digestion；〃 he would say in answer to my
medical remonstrances。 I was not surprised； therefore； when this
morning he left his untouched meal behind him； and started with me for
Norwood。 A crowd of morbid sightseers were still gathered round Deep
Dene House； which was just such a suburban villa as I had pictured。
Within the gates Lestrade met us； his face flushed with victory； his
manner grossly triumphant。
〃Well； Mr。 Holmes； have you proved us to be wrong yet？ Have you
found your tramp？〃 he cried。
〃I have formed no conclusion whatever；〃 my companion answered。
〃But we formed ours yesterday； and now it proves to be correct； so
you must acknowledge that we have been a little in front of you this
time； Mr。 Holmes。〃
〃You certainly have the air of something unusual having occurred；〃
said Holmes。
Lestrade laughed loudly。
〃You don't like being beaten any more than the rest of us do；〃
said he。 〃A man can't expect always to have it his own way； can he；
Dr。 Watson？ Step this way； if you please； gentlemen； and I think I can
convince you once for all that it was John McFarlane who did this
crime。〃
He led us through the passage and out into a dark hall beyond。
〃This is where young McFarlane must have come out to get his hat
after the crime was done；〃 said he。 〃Now look at this。〃 With
dramatic suddenness he struck a match； and by its light exposed a
stain of blood upon the whitewashed wall。 As he held the match nearer；
I saw that it was more than a stain。 It was the well…marked print of a
thumb。
〃Look at that with your magnifying glass； Mr。 Holmes。〃
〃Yes； I am doing so。〃
〃You are aware that no two thumb…marks are alike？〃
〃I have heard something of the kind。〃
〃Well； then； will you please compare that print with this wax
impression of young McFarlane's right 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 chang