The strong, masterful personality of Holmes dominated thetragic scene, and all were equally puppets in his hands. Williamsonand Carruthers found themselves carrying the wounded Woodleyinto the house, and I gave my arm to the frightened girl. Theinjured man was laid on his bed, and at Holmes’s request Iexamined him. I carried my report to where he sat in the oldtapestry-hung dining-room with his two prisoners before him.
“He will live,” said I.
“What!” cried Carruthers, springing out of his chair. “I’ll goupstairs and finish him first. Do you tell me that that angel, is tobe tied to Roaring Jack Woodley for life?”
“You need not concern yourself about that,” said Holmes.
“There are two very good reasons why she should, under nocircumstances, be his wife. In the first place, we are very safe inquestioning Mr. Williamson’s right to solemnize a marriage.”
“I have been ordained,” cried the old rascal.
“And also unfrocked.”
“Once a clergyman, always a clergyman.”
“I think not. How about the license?”
“We had a license for the marriage. I have it here in my pocket.”
“Then you got it by trick. But, in any case a forced marriageis no marriage, but it is a very serious felony, as you will discoverbefore you have finished. You’ll have time to think the point outduring the next ten years or so, unless I am mistaken. As to you,Carruthers, you would have done better to keep your pistol inyour pocket.”
“I begin to think so, Mr. Holmes, but when I thought of all theprecaution I had taken to shield this girl—for I loved her, Mr.
Holmes, and it is the only time that ever I knew what love was—itfairly drove me mad to think that she was in the power of thegreatest brute and bully in South Africa—a man whose name is aholy terror from Kimberley to Johannesburg. Why, Mr. Holmes,you’ll hardly believe it, but ever since that girl has been in myemployment I never once let her go past this house, where I knewthe rascals were lurking, without following her on my bicycle, justto see that she came to no harm. I kept my distance from her,and I wore a beard, so that she should not recognize me, for sheis a good and high-spirited girl, and she wouldn’t have stayed inmy employment long if she had thought that I was following herabout the country roads.”
“Why didn’t you tell her of her danger?”
“Because then, again, she would have left me, and I couldn’tbear to face that. Even if she couldn’t love me, it was a great dealto me just to see her dainty form about the house, and to hear thesound of her voice.”
“Well,” said I, “you call that love, Mr. Carruthers, but I shouldcall it selfishness.”
“Maybe the two things go together. Anyhow, I couldn’t let hergo. Besides, with this crowd about, it was well that she shouldhave someone near to look after her. Then, when the cable came, Iknew they were bound to make a move.”
“What cable?”
Carruthers took a telegram from his pocket “That’s it,” said he.
It was short and concise:
The old man is dead.
“Hum!” said Holmes. “I think I see how things worked, and Ican understand how this message would, as you say, bring them toa head. But while you wait, you might tell me what you can.”
The old reprobate with the surplice burst into a volley of badlanguage.
“By heaven!” said he, “if you squeal on us, Bob Carruthers, I’llserve you as you served Jack Woodley. You can bleat about the girlto your heart’s content, for that’s your own affair, but if you roundon your pals to this plain-clothes copper, it will be the worst day’swork that ever you did.”
“Your reverence need not be excited,” said Holmes, lightinga cigarette. “The case is clear enough against you, and all I askis a few details for my private curiosity. However, if there’s anydifficulty in your telling me, I’ll do the talking, and then you willsee how far you have a chance of holding back your secrets. In thefirst place, three of you came from South Africa on this game—you Williamson, you Carruthers, and Woodley.”
“Lie number one,” said the old man; “I never saw either of themuntil two months ago, and I have never been in Africa in my life, soyou can put that in your pipe and smoke it, Mr. Busybody Holmes!”
“What he says is true,” said Carruthers.
“Well, well, two of you came over. His reverence is our ownhomemade article. You had known Ralph Smith in South Africa.
You had reason to believe he would not live long. You found outthat his niece would inherit his fortune. How’s that—eh?”
Carruthers nodded and Williamson swore.
“She was next of kin, no doubt, and you were aware that the oldfellow would make no will.”
“Couldn’t read or write,” said Carruthers.
“So you came over, the two of you, and hunted up the girl. Theidea was that one of you was to marry her, and the other have ashare of the plunder. For some reason, Woodley was chosen as thehusband. Why was that?”
“We played cards for her on the voyage. He won.”
“I see. You got the young lady into your service, and thereWoodley was to do the courting. She recognized the drunkenbrute that he was, and would have nothing to do with him.
Meanwhile, your arrangement was rather upset by the fact thatyou had yourself fallen in love with the lady. You could no longerbear the idea of this ruffian owning her?”
“No, by George, I couldn’t!”
“There was a quarrel between you. He left you in a rage, andbegan to make his own plans independently of you.”
