Chapter 2 of the valley of fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
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Chapter 2 Sherlock Holmes discourses.
It was one of those dramatic moments for which my friend
existed. It would be an overstatement to
say that he was shocked or even excited by the amazing
announcement without having a tinge of Cruelty in his singular
composition. He was undoubtedly callous from
long overstimulation yet, if his emotions were dulled his
intellectual perceptions were exceedingly active there was no
Trace them. Of the horror which I had myself
felt at this Kurt declaration, but his face showed rather the
quiet and interested. Composure of the chemist who
sees the crystals falling into position from his over saturated
solution. Remarkable said, he remarkable.
You don't seem surprised interested.
Mr. Mack but hardly surprised, why should I be surprised I
receive an anonymous communication from a quarter
which I know to be important warning me that danger threatens
a certain person within an hour. I learned that this danger has
actually materialized and that the person is dead.
I'm interested, but as you observe, I am not surprised in a
few short sentences. He explain to the inspector, the
facts about the letter and the cipher McDonald's sat with his
chin on his hands and is great. Sandy eyebrows bunched into a
yellow tangle, it was going down to birlstone this morning said
he had come to ask you if you care to come with me.
You and your friend here. But from what you say, we might
perhaps be doing better work. Work in London.
I rather think not said Holmes. Hang it, all mr.
Holmes, cried the inspector, the papers will be full of the
bolster and mystery in a day or two.
But where's the mystery? If there's a man in London, who
prophesied the crime before ever it occurred, we all need to lay
our hands on that man. And the rest will follow.
No doubt, mr. Mack but how do you propose to
lay your hands on the so-called porlock?
McDonald turn over the letter which Holmes had handed him
posted in camberwell. That doesn't help us much name
you say as assumed not much to go on.
Certainly didn't you say that your sent him money twice and
how in notes to camberwell post office?
Did you ever trouble to see who called for them?
Know, the inspector looked surprised and a little shot, why
not? Because I always keep faith and
I had promised when he first wrote that, I would not try to
trace him. You think there's someone behind
him? I know there.
Is this professor that I've heard you mentioned.
Exactly. Inspector MacDonald smiled and
his eyelid quivered. As he glanced toward me, I won't
conceal from you. Mr. Holmes, but we think in the
CID that you have a wee bit of a bee in your Bonnet over this
professor, I made some inquiries myself about the matter.
He seems to be a very respectable learned and talented
sort of man. I'm glad you've got so far as to
recognize the talent, man. You can't, but recognize it
after. I heard your view, I made it my
business to see him. I had a chat with him on
eclipses how the talk got that way, I kind of think but he had
outer reflector Lantern and a globe and he made it all clear
in a minute. He lent me a book but I don't
mind saying that it was a bit above my head.
Though I had a good Aberdeen upbringing.
He'd have made a grand minister with his thin face and grey hair
and Solemn, like way of talking. When he put his hand on my
shoulder as we were part in. It was like a father's blessing
before you go out into the cold cruel world, Holmes chuckled and
rubbed his hands great. He said, great.
Tell me. Friend MacDonald, this pleasing
and touching interview was I suppose in the professor's
study. That's so a fine room.
Is it? Not very fine, very handsome,
indeed, mr. Holmes, you sat in front of his
writing desk, just so sun in your eyes and his face in the
shadow. Well, it was evening, but a mind
that the lamp was turned on my face.
It would be, did you happen to observe a picture over the
professor's head? I don't miss much mr.
Holmes, maybe I learned that from you.
Yes, I saw the picture a young woman with a head on our hands
peeping at you sideways. That painting was by
Jean-Baptiste Growers inspector endeavored to look interested.
Jean-Baptiste grows Holmes continued joining his fingertips
and leaning. Well, back in his chair was a
French artist who flourished between the years 1750 and 1850
elude of course, to his working career.
Modern criticism has more than endorsed the high opinion formed
of him by his contemporaries. The inspectors eyes grabs
tracted hadn't we better. He said we are doing so homes,
interrupted all the time saying, has a very direct and vital
bearing upon what you have called.
The birlstone mystery. In fact, it may in a sense be
called a very center of it. McDonald's smiled feebly and
looked appealingly to me. Your thoughts move a bit too
quick for me. Mr. Holmes, you leave out a link
or two and I can't get over the Gap.
What in the whole wide world can be the connection between this
dead painting, man and the affair at birlstone.
All knowledge comes useful to the detective remarked Holmes.
Even the trivial fact that in a year 1865 a picture by grows
entitled La Jeune fille Ilan. You fetched 1 million two
hundred thousand francs more than 40,000 pounds at the
portalis sale. May start a train of reflection
in your mind. It was clear that it did.
The inspector looked honestly interested.
I may remind you Holmes continued that the professor's
salary can be ascertained in several trustworthy books of
reference. It is seven hundred a year.
How could you buy quite? So how could he?
Hi, that's remarkable. So the inspector thoughtfully
talk away mr. Holmes, I'm just loving it.
It's fine. Holmes smiled.
He was always warmed by genuine admiration.
The characteristic of the real artist, What about birlstone?
He asked we've time yet. So the inspector glancing at his
watch, I have a cab at the door and it won't take us 20 minutes
to Victoria, but about this picture I thought you told me
once mr. Holmes, that you had never met
Professor Moriarty no I never have.
And how do you know about his rooms?
That's another matter. I have been three times in his
rooms twice, waiting for him under different protects and
leaving before he came once. Well, I can hardly tell about
the ones to an official detective.
It was on the last occasion that I took the liberty of running
over his papers. With the most unexpected
results, you found something compromising Absolutely nothing.
That was what amazed me. However, you have now seen the
point of the picture. It shows him to be a very
wealthy man. How did he acquire wealth?
He is unmarried, his younger, brother is a station master.
In the west of England. His chair is worth seven hundred
a year and he owns a grows. Well surely.
The inference is plain. You mean that is a great income
and if you must earn it in an illegal, Fashion.
Exactly. Of course, I have other reasons
for thinking so dozens of exiguous threads, which lead
vaguely up towards the center of the web where the poisonous
motionless creature is lurking. I only mention the grows because
it brings the matter within the range of your own observation.
Well, mr. Holmes, I admit that.
What you say is interesting, it's more than interesting, it's
just wonderful but let us have it a little clearer if you can.
Is it forgery coining burglary? Where does the money come from?
Have you ever read of Jonathon Wilde?
Well, the name has a familiar sound someone in a novel, was he
not? I don't take much stock of
detectives in novels Chaps at do things and never let you see how
they do them. That's just inspiration, not
business. Jonathon Wilde wasn't a
detective and he wasn't in a novel.
He was a master criminal and he lived last century 1750 or
thereabouts and he's no use to me.
I'm a practical man. Mr. Mack, the most practical
thing that you ever did in your life would be to shut yourself
up for three months and read 12 hours a day at the annals of
crime. Everything comes in circles,
even Sir, Moriarty. Jonathon Wilde was the hidden
force of the London, criminals to whom he sold his brains and
his organization on a 15% commission, the old wheel turns
and the same spoke comes up. It's all been done before.
And will be again, I'll tell you one or two things about Moriarty
which may interest you. You'll interest me right enough.
I happen to know who is the first link in his chain, a chain
with this Napoleon gone, wrong at one end and a hundred broken,
fighting men, pickpockets blackmailers and card sharp, as
at the other, with every sort of crime in between his chief of
staff, is Colonel, Sebastian Moran as aloof and guarded, and
inaccessible to the law as himself.
What do you think? He pays him.
I'd like to hear. Six thousand a year that's
paying for brains, you see the American Business principle.
I learned that detail quite by chance.
It's more than the Prime Minister gets that gives you an
idea of Moriarty's gains and of the scale on which he works.
Another point, I made it my business to hunt down some of
Moriarty's checks lately. Just common innocent checks that
he pays his household bills with they were drawn on six different
banks. Does that make any impression on
your mind? Queer, certainly.
But what you gather from it that he wanted no gossip about his
wealth. No single man should know what
he had. I have no doubt that he has 20
banking accounts, the bulk of his fortune abroad and Deutsche
Bank or the credi Leon are as likely as not sometime when you
have a year or two to spare. I commend to you the study of
Professor. Moriarty inspector MacDonald Had
grown steadily more impressed as the conversation proceeded.
He had lost himself in his interest.
Now, his practical Scotch intelligence, Back with a snap
to the matter in hand. He can keep anyhow said he
you've got a sidetracked with your interesting anecdotes mr.
Holmes what really counts is your remark that there is some
connection between the professor and the crime that you get from
the warning received through the man porlock?
Can we for our present practical needs get any further than that?
We may form some conception as to the motives of the crime it
is. As I gather from your original
remarks and inexplicable or at least an unexplained murder.
Now presuming that the source of the crime is as we suspected to
be, there might be two different motives in the first place.
I may tell you that Moriarty rules with a rod of iron over
his people. His discipline is tremendous.
There is only one punishment in his code.
It is death. Now we might suppose that this
murdered man this Douglas who's approaching fate was known by
one of the arch criminals. Subordinates had in some way
betrayed the chief his punishment, followed and would
be known to all if only to put the fear of death into them.
Well, that is one suggestion, mr.
Holmes, the other is that it has been engineered by Moriarty in
the ordinary course of business. Was there any I have not heard
if so, it would have cost me against the first hypothesis and
in favor of the second, Moriarty may have been engaged to
engineer it on a promise of part spoils.
Or he may have been paid so much down to manage it either as
possible, but whichever it may be.
Or if it's some third combination, it is down at
belston that we must seek the solution.
I know our man too well to suppose that he has left
anything up here which may lead us to Him then to birthstone, we
must go cried, McDonald jumping from his chair, my word.
It's later than I thought. I can give you gentlemen, five
minutes for Preparation and that is all and ample.
For us, both said, Holmes, as he sprang up and hastened to change
from his dressing gown to his coat while we are, on our way,
mr. Mac, I will ask you to be good
enough to tell me all about it. All about it, proved to be
disappointingly little and yet there was enough to assure us
that the case before us might, well be worthy of the experts
closest attention. He brightened and rubbed his
thin hands together as he listened to the meager.
But remarkable details a long series of sterile weeks, lay
behind us. And here at last, there was a
fitting object for those remarkable Powers which like all
special gifts become accustomed to their owner.
When they are not in use, That's razor brain blunted and rusted
with in action. Sherlock, Holmes, his eyes
glistened his pale cheeks took, a warmer Hugh.
And his whole eager face Shawn was an inward light, when the
call for work reached him leaning forward in the cab.
He listened intently to McDonald's short sketch of the
problem, which awaited US in Sussex.
The inspector was himself dependent as he explained to us
Upon A scribbled account forward to him by the milk, train in the
early hours of the morning. White Mason.
The local officer was a personal friend and hence.
McDonald had been notified much more promptly than his usual at
Scotland Yard when provincials need their assistance.
It is a very cold sent upon which the most Metropolitan
expert is generally asked to run.
Dear inspector MacDonald, said the letter which he read to us
official requisition for your services is in separate.
Enveloped this is for your private eye.
Why am I the what trained in The morning you can get for Bolston
and I will meet it or have it met if I am too occupied?
This case is a snorter. Don't waste a moment in getting
started. If you can bring mr.
Holmes, please do. So for he will find something
after his own heart, we would think the whole had been fixed
up for theatrical effect. If there wasn't a dead man in
the middle of it, my word. It is a snorter.
Your friend seems to be no fool remarked Holmes.
No sir. White Mason is a very live, man,
if I'm any judge. Well, have you anything more
only that he will give us every detail when we meet, then, how
did you get at mr. Douglas.
And the fact that he had been horribly murdered that was in
the enclosed official report. It didn't say horrible, that's
not a recognized official term. It gave the name, John.
Douglas mentioned that his injuries have been in the head
from the discharge of a shotgun. And it also mentioned the hour
of the alarm which was closed on to midnight last night.
It added that the case was undoubtedly one of murder.
But there no arrests have been made that the case was one,
which presented some very perplexing and extraordinary
features as absolutely. All we have at present mr.
Holmes Then with your permission, we will leave it at
that. Mr. Mack the temptation to form
premature theories. Upon insufficient data is the
bane of our profession. I can see only two things for
certain that present. A great brain in London and a
dead man in Sussex. It's the chain between that we
are going to trace. End of chapter 2.