ou on

your side will not, i am sure, think the worse of me because i

desire, even against his will, to share my husband's anxieties.

once more i beg that you will say nothing of my visit." she

looked back at us from the door, and i had a last impression of

that beautiful haunted face, the startled eyes, and the drawn

mouth. then she was gone.

"now, watson, the fair sex is your department," said holmes, with

a smile, when the dwindling frou-frou of skirts had ended in the

slam of the front door. "what was the fair lady's game? what did

she really want?"

"surely her own statement is clear and her anxiety very natural."

"hum! think of her appearance, watson -- her manner, her

suppressed excitement, her restlessness, her tenacity in asking

questions. remember that she comes of a caste who do not lightly

show emotion."

"she was certainly much moved."

"remember also the curious earnestness with which she assured us

that it was best for her husband that she should know all. what

did she mean by that? and you must have observed, watson, how she

manoeuvred {1} to have the light at her back. she did not wish us to

read her expression."

"yes; she chose the one chair in the room."

"and yet the motives of women are so inscrutable. you remember

the woman at margate whom i suspected for the same reason. no

powder on her nose -- that proved to be the correct solution. how

can you build on such a quicksand? their most trivial action may

mean volumes, or their most extraordinary conduct may depend upon

a hairpin or a curling-tongs. good morning, watson."

"you are off?"

"yes; i will wile away the morning at godolphin street with our

friends of the regular establishment. with eduardo lucas lies the

solution of our problem, though i must admit that i have not an

inkling as to what form it may take. it is a capital mistake to

theorize in advance of the facts. do you stay on guard, my good

watson, and receive any fresh visitors. i'll join you at lunch if

i am able."

all that day and the next and the next holmes was in a mood which

his friends would call taciturn, and others morose. he ran out

and ran in, smoked incessantly, played snatches on his violin,

sank into reveries, devoured sandwiches at irregular hours, and

hardly answered the casual questions which i put to him. it was

evident to me that things were not going well with him or his

quest. he would say nothing of the case, and it was from the

papers that i learned the particulars of the inquest, and the

arrest with the subsequent release of john mitton, the valet of

the deceased. the coroner's jury brought in the obvious "wilful

murder," but the parties remained as unknown as ever. no motive

was suggested. the room was full of articles of value, but none

had been taken. the dead man's papers had not been tampered with.

they were carefully examined, and showed that he was a keen

student of international politics, an indefatigable gossip, a

remarkable linguist, and an untiring letter-writer. he had been

on intimate terms with the leading politicians of several

countries. but nothing sensational was discovered among the

documents which filled his drawers. as to his relations with

women, they appeared to have been promiscuous but superficial. he

had many acquaintances among them, but few friends, and no one

whom he loved. his habits were regular, his conduct inoffensive.

his death was an absolute mystery, and likely to remain so.

as to the arrest of john mitton, the valet, it was a counsel of

despair as an alternative to absolute inaction. but no case could

be sustained against him. he had visited friends in hammersmith

that night. the _alibi_ was complete. it is true that he started

home at an hour which should have brought him to westminster

before the time when the crime was discovered, but his own

explanation that he had walked part of the way seemed probable

enough in view of the fineness of the night. he had actually

arrived at twelve o'clock, and appeared to be overwhelmed by the

unexpected tragedy. he had always been on good terms with his

master. several of the dead man's possessions -- notably a small

case of razors -- had been found in the valet's boxes, but he

explained that they had been presents from the deceased, and the

housekeeper was able to corroborate the story. mitton had been in

lucas's employment for three years. it was noticeable that lucas

did not take mitton on the continent with him. sometimes he

visited paris for three months on end, but mitton was left in

charge of the godolphin street house. as to the housekeeper, she

had heard nothing on the night of the crime. if her master had a

visitor he had himself admitted him.

so for three mornings the mystery remained, so far as i could

follow it in the papers. if holmes knew more he ke