yet, for i thought i had best have your opinion first.'

this tale of our client's appeared to have an extraordinary effect upon sherlockholmes. he rose from his chair and paced about the room in uncontrollableexcitement.

'misfortunes never come singly,' said phelps, smiling, though it was evident thathis adventure had somewhat shaken him.

'you have certainly had your share,' said holmes. 'do you think you could walkround the house with me?'

'oh, yes, i should like a little sunshine. joseph will come too?'

'and i also,' said miss harrison.

'i am afraid not,' said holmes, shaking his head. 'i think i must ask you to remainsitting exactly where you are.'

the young lady resumed her seat with an air of displeasure. her brother, however,had joined us, and we set off all four together. we passed round the lawn to theoutside of the young diplomatist's window. there were, as he had said, marks uponthe flower-bed, but they were hopelessly blurred and vague. holmes stooped overthem for an instant, and then rose, shrugging his shoulders.

'i don't think anyone could make much of this,' said he. 'let us go round the houseand see why this particular room was chosen by the burglar. i should have thoughtthose larger windows of the drawing-room and dining-room would have had moreattractions for him.'

'they are more visible from the road,' suggested mr. joseph harrison.

'ah, yes, of course. there is a door here which he might have attempted. what is itfor?'

'it is the side-entrance for tradespeople. of course, it is locked at night.'

'have you ever had an alarm like this before?'

'never,' said our client.

'do you keep plate in the house, or anything to attract burglars?'

'nothing of value.'

holmes strolled round the house with his hands in his pockets, and a negligent airwhich was unusual with him.

'by the way,' said he to joseph harrison, 'you found some place, i understand,where the fellow scaled the fence. let us have a look at that.'

the young man led us to a spot where the top of one of the wooden rails had beencracked. a small fragment of the wood was hanging down. holmes pulled it off andexamined it critically.

'do you think that was done last night? it looks rather old, does it not?'

'well, possibly so.'

'there are no marks of anyone jumping down upon the other side. no, i fancy weshall get no help here. let us go back to the bedroom and talk the matter over.'

percy phelps was walking very slowly, leaning upon the arm of his futurebrother-in-law. holmes walked swiftly across the lawn, and we were at the openwindow of the bedroom long before the others came up.

'miss harrison,' said holmes, speaking with the utmost intensity of manner, 'youmust stay where you are all day. let nothing prevent you from staying where you areall day. it is of most vital importance.'

'certainly, if you wish it, mr. holmes,' said the girl, in astonishment.

'when you go to bed lock the door of this room on the outside and keep the key.promise to do this.'

'but percy?'

'he will come to london with us.'

'and i am to remain here?'

'it is for his sake. you can serve him! quick! promise!'

she gave a nod of assent just as the other two came up.

'why do you sit moping there, annie?' cried her brother. 'come out into thesunshine!'

'no, thank you, joseph. i have a slight headache, and this room is deliciously cooland soothing.'

'what do you propose now, mr. holmes?' asked out client.

'well, in investigating this minor affair we must not lose sight of our main inquiry.it would be a very great help to me if you could come up to london with us.'

'at once?'

'well, as soon as you conveniently can. say in an hour.'

'i feel quite strong enough, if i can really be of any help.'

'the greatest possible.'

'perhaps you would like me to stay there to-night.'

'i was just going to propose it.'

'then if my friend of the night comes to revisit me, he will find the bird flown. weare all in your hands, mr. holmes, and you must tell us exactly what you would likedone. perhaps you would prefer that joseph came with us, so as to look after me?'

'oh, no; my friend watson is a medical man, you know, and he'll look after you.we'll have our lunch here, if you will permit us, and then we shall all three set off fortown together.'

it was arranged as he suggested, though miss harrison excused herself fromleaving the bedroom, in accordance with holmes's suggestion. what the object of myfriend's manoeuvres was i could not conceive, unless it were to keep the lady awayfrom phelps, who, rejoiced by his returning health and by the prospect of action,lunched with us in the dinning-room. holmes had a still more startling surprise for us,however, for after accompanying us down to the station and seeing us into ourcarriage, he calmly announced that he had no intention of leaving woking.

'there are one or two small p