“In accordance with the scheme which we had formed in orderto test our theories” [“the ‘we’ is rather fine, Watson, is it not?”] “Iwent down to the Albert Dock yesterday at 6 p.m., and boardedthe S.S. May Day, belonging to the Liverpool, Dublin, and LondonSteam Packet Company. On inquiry, I found that there was asteward on board of the name of James Browner and that he hadacted during the voyage in such an extraordinary manner thatthe captain had been compelled to relieve him of his duties. Ondescending to his berth, I found him seated upon a chest with hishead sunk upon his hands, rocking himself to and fro. He is a big,powerful chap, clean-shaven, and very swarthy—something likeAldrige, who helped us in the bogus laundry affair. He jumped upwhen he heard my business, and I had my whistle to my lips to call acouple of river police, who were round the corner, but he seemed tohave no heart in him, and he held out his hands quietly enough forthe darbies. We brought him along to the cells, and his box as well,for we thought there might be something incriminating; but, bara big sharp knife such as most sailors have, we got nothing for ourtrouble. However, we find that we shall want no more evidence, foron being brought before the inspector at the station he asked leaveto make a statement, which was, of course, taken down, just as hemade it, by our shorthand man. We had three copies typewritten,one of which I enclose. The affair proves, as I always thought itwould, to be an extremely simple one, but I am obliged to you forassisting me in my investigation. With kind regards,“Yours very truly,
“G. Lestrade.
“Hum! The investigation really was a very simple one,” remarkedHolmes, “but I don’t think it struck him in that light when hefirst called us in. However, let us see what Jim Browner has tosay for himself. This is his statement as made before InspectorMontgomery at the Shadwell Police Station, and it has theadvantage of being verbatim.”
“ ‘Have I anything to say? Yes, I have a deal to say. I have tomake a clean breast of it all. You can hang me, or you can leave mealone. I don’t care a plug which you do. I tell you I’ve not shut aneye in sleep since I did it, and I don’t believe I ever will again untilI get past all waking. Sometimes it’s his face, but most generallyit’s hers. I’m never without one or the other before me. He looksfrowning and black-like, but she has a kind o’ surprise upon herface. Ay, the white lamb, she might well be surprised when sheread death on a face that had seldom looked anything but loveupon her before.
“ ‘But it was Sarah’s fault, and may the curse of a broken manput a blight on her and set the blood rotting in her veins! It’s notthat I want to clear myself. I know that I went back to drink, likethe beast that I was. But she would have forgiven me; she wouldhave stuck as close to me as a rope to a block if that woman hadnever darkened our door. For Sarah Cushing loved me—that’s theroot of the business—she loved me until all her love turned topoisonous hate when she knew that I thought more of my wife’sfootmark in the mud than I did of her whole body and soul.
“ ‘There were three sisters altogether. The old one was just agood woman, the second was a devil, and the third was an angel.
Sarah was thirty-three, and Mary was twenty-nine when I married.
We were just as happy as the day was long when we set up housetogether, and in all Liverpool there was no better woman than myMary. And then we asked Sarah up for a week, and the week grewinto a month, and one thing led to another, until she was just oneof ourselves.
“ ‘I was blue ribbon at that time, and we were putting a littlemoney by, and all was as bright as a new dollar. My God, whoeverwould have thought that it could have come to this? Whoeverwould have dreamed it?
“ ‘I used to be home for the week-ends very often, andsometimes if the ship were held back for cargo I would have awhole week at a time, and in this way I saw a deal of my sister-inlaw,Sarah. She was a fine tall woman, black and quick and fierce,with a proud way of carrying her head, and a glint from her eyelike a spark from a flint. But when little Mary was there I hadnever a thought of her, and that I swear as I hope for God’s mercy.
“ ‘It had seemed to me sometimes that she liked to be alonewith me, or to coax me out for a walk with her, but I had neverthought anything of that. But one evening my eyes were opened.
I had come up from the ship and found my wife out, but Sarah athome. “Where’s Mary?” I asked. “Oh, she has gone to pay someaccounts.” I was impatient and paced up and down the room.
“Can’t you be happy for five minutes without Mary, Jim?” says she.
“It’s a bad compliment to me that you can’t be contented withmy society for so short a time.” “That’s all right, my lass,” said I,putting out my hand towards her in a kindly way, but she had it inboth hers in an instant, and they burned as if they were in a fever.
I looked into her eyes and I read it all there. There was no needfor her to speak, nor for me either. I frowned and drew my handaway. Then she stood by my side in silence for a bit, and then putup her hand and patted me on the shoulder. “Steady old Jim!” saidshe, and with a kind o’ mocking laugh, she ran out of the room.
“ ‘Well, from that time Sarah hated me with her whole heart andsoul, and she is a woman who can hate, too. I was a fool to let hergo on biding with us—a besotted fool—but I never said a wordto Mary, for I knew it would grieve her. Things went on much asbefore, but after a time I began to find that there was a bit of achange in Mary herself. She had always been so trusting and soinnocent, but now she became queer and suspicious, wanting toknow where I had been and what I had been doing, and whom myletters were from, and what I had in my pockets, and a thousandsuch follies. Day by day she grew queerer and more irritable, andwe had ceaseless rows about nothing. I was fairly puzzled by it all.
