so dazed that he could not be made to

understand that we were anything but doctors who had

been sent to his assistance. holmes was endeavouring

to utter a few words of consolation, and to explain

the alarm which had been caused to his friends by his

sudden disappearance, when there was a step upon the

stairs, and there was the heavy, stern, questioning

face of dr. armstrong at the door.

"so, gentlemen," said he, "you have attained your end,

and have certainly chosen a particularly delicate

moment for your intrusion. i would not brawl in the

presence of death, but i can assure you that if i were

a younger man your monstrous conduct would not pass

with impunity."

"excuse me, dr. armstrong, i think we are a little at

cross-purposes," said my friend, with dignity. "if

you could step downstairs with us we may each be able

to give some light to the other upon this miserable

affair."

a minute later the grim doctor and ourselves were in

the sitting-room below.

"well, sir?" said he.

"i wish you to understand, in the first place, that i

am not employed by lord mount-james, and that my

sympathies in this matter are entirely against that

nobleman. when a man is lost it is my duty to

ascertain his fate, but having done so the matter ends

so far as i am concerned; and so long as there is

nothing criminal, i am much more anxious to hush up

private scandals than to give them publicity. if, as

i imagine, there is no breach of the law in this

matter, you can absolutely depend upon my discretion

and my co-operation in keeping the facts out of the

papers."

dr. armstrong took a quick step forward and wrung

holmes by the hand.

"you are a good fellow," said he. "i had misjudged

you. i thank heaven that my compunction at leaving

poor staunton all alone in this plight caused me to

turn my carriage back, and so to make your

acquaintance. knowing as much as you do, the

situation is very easily explained. a year ago

godfrey staunton lodged in london for a time, and

became passionately attached to his landlady's

daughter, whom he married. she was as good as she was

beautiful, and as intelligent as she was good. no man

need be ashamed of such a wife. but godfrey was the

heir to this crabbed old nobleman, and it was quite

certain that the news of his marriage would have been

the end of his inheritance. i knew the lad well, and

i loved him for his many excellent qualities. i did

all i could to help him to keep things straight. we

did our very best to keep the thing from everyone, for

when once such a whisper gets about it is not long

before everyone has heard it. thanks to this lonely

cottage and his own discretion, godfrey has up to now

succeeded. their secret was known to no one save to

me and to one excellent servant who has at present

gone for assistance to trumpington. but at last there

came a terrible blow in the shape of dangerous illness

to his wife. it was consumption of the most virulent

kind. the poor boy was half crazed with grief, and

yet he had to go to london to play this match, for he

could not get out of it without explanations which

would expose his secret. i tried to cheer him up by a

wire, and he sent me one in reply imploring me to do

all i could. this was the telegram which you appear

in some inexplicable way to have seen. i did not tell

him how urgent the danger was, for i knew that he

could do no good here, but i sent the truth to the

girl's father, and he very injudiciously communicated

it to godfrey. the result was that he came straight

away in a state bordering on frenzy, and has remained

in the same state, kneeling at the end of her bed,

until this morning death put an end to her sufferings.

that is all, mr. holmes, and i am sure that i can rely

upon your discretion and that of your friend."

holmes grasped the doctor's hand.

"come, watson," said he, and we passed from that house

of grief into the pale sunlight of the winter day.

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

{---------------- end of text -----------------------}

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

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

{1} {"'varsity": the single-quote is backwards}

{2} {"_detour_": the e has a forward (/) accent}

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

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

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

{source: the strand magazine, 28 (sept. 1904)}

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

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

{underscores (_) in the text indicate italics}

xii. -- the adventure of the abbey grange.

it was on a bitterly cold and frosty morning during the winter of

'97 that i was awakened by a tugging at my shoulder. it was

holmes. the candle in his hand sho