en you. he left you in a rage,

and began to make his own plans independently of you."

"it strikes me, williamson, there isn't very much that we

can tell this gentleman," cried carruthers, with a bitter

laugh. "yes, we quarreled, and he knocked me down. i am

level with him on that, anyhow. then i lost sight of him.

that was when he picked up with this cast padre here.

i found that they had set up house-keeping together at this

place on the line that she had to pass for the station.

i kept my eye on her after that, for i knew there was some

devilry in the wind. i saw them from time to time, for i

was anxious to know what they were after. two days ago

woodley came up to my house with this cable, which showed

that ralph smith was dead. he asked me if i would stand by

the bargain. i said i would not. he asked me if i would

marry the girl myself and give him a share. i said i would

willingly do so, but that she would not have me. he said,

'let us get her married first, and after a week or two she

may see things a bit different.' i said i would have

nothing to do with violence. so he went off cursing, like

the foul-mouthed blackguard that he was, and swearing that

he would have her yet. she was leaving me this week-end,

and i had got a trap to take her to the station, but i was

so uneasy in my mind that i followed her on my bicycle.

she had got a start, however, and before i could catch her

the mischief was done. the first thing i knew about it was

when i saw you two gentlemen driving back in her dog-cart."

holmes rose and tossed the end of his cigarette into the

grate. "i have been very obtuse, watson," said he. "when

in your report you said that you had seen the cyclist as

you thought arrange his necktie in the shrubbery, that

alone should have told me all. however, we may

congratulate ourselves upon a curious and in some respects

a unique case. i perceive three of the county constabulary

in the drive, and i am glad to see that the little ostler

is able to keep pace with them; so it is likely that

neither he nor the interesting bridegroom will be

permanently damaged by their morning's adventures.

i think, watson, that in your medical capacity you might wait

upon miss smith and tell her that if she is sufficiently

recovered we shall be happy to escort her to her mother's

home. if she is not quite convalescent you will find that

a hint that we were about to telegraph to a young

electrician in the midlands would probably complete the

cure. as to you, mr. carruthers, i think that you have

done what you could to make amends for your share in an

evil plot. there is my card, sir, and if my evidence can

be of help to you in your trial it shall be at your disposal."

in the whirl of our incessant activity it has often been

difficult for me, as the reader has probably observed, to

round off my narratives, and to give those final details

which the curious might expect. each case has been the

prelude to another, and the crisis once over the actors

have passed for ever out of our busy lives. i find,

however, a short note at the end of my manuscripts dealing

with this case, in which i have put it upon record that

miss violet smith did indeed inherit a large fortune,

and that she is now the wife of cyril morton, the senior

partner of morton & kennedy, the famous westminster

electricians. williamson and woodley were both tried for

abduction and assault, the former getting seven years and

the latter ten. of the fate of carruthers i have no

record, but i am sure that his assault was not viewed very

gravely by the court, since woodley had the reputation of

being a most dangerous ruffian, and i think that a few

months were sufficient to satisfy the demands of justice.

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{------------------ textual notes ----------------------}

{1} {_menage_: there is a forward (/) accent over the first e.}

{---------------- end textual notes --------------------}

{-------------------------------------------------------}

{prio, rev 4, 1/17/96 rms, 4th proofing}

{source: the strand magazine, 27 (feb. 1904)}

{etext prepared by roger squires rsquires@nmia.com}

{braces({}) in the text indicate textual end-notes}

{underscores (_) in the text indicate italics}

v. -- the adventure of the priory school.

we have had some dramatic entrances and exits upon our

small stage at baker street, but i cannot recollect

anything more sudden and startling than the first

appearance of dr. thorneycroft huxtable, m.a., ph.d., etc.

his card, which seemed too small to carry the weight

of his academic distinctions, preceded him by a few seconds,

and then he entered himself -- so large, so pompous, and so