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〃You appear to have been very prompt and business…like in all that
you have done。 Was there any clue； may I ask； as to the exact hour
that the man met his death？〃
〃He had been there since one o'clock。 There was rain about that
time； and his death had certainly been before the rain。〃
〃But that is perfectly impossible； Mr。 Baynes；〃 cried our client。
〃His voice is unmistakable。 I could swear to it that it was he who
addressed me in my bedroom at that very hour。〃
〃Remarkable； but by no means impossible；〃 said Holmes； smiling。
〃You have a clue？〃 asked Gregson。
〃On the face of it the case is not a very complex one； though it
certainly presents some novel and interesting features。 A further
knowledge of facts is necessary before I would venture to give a final
and definite opinion。 By the way； Mr。 Baynes； did you find anything
remarkable besides this note in your examination of the house？〃
The detective looked at my friend in a singular way。
〃There were；〃 said he； 〃one or two very remarkable things。 Perhaps
when I have finished at the police…station you would care to come
out and give me your opinion of them。〃
〃I am entirely at your service；〃 said Sherlock Holmes； ringing the
bell。 〃You will show these gentlemen out； Mrs。 Hudson； and kindly send
the boy with this telegram。 He is to pay a five…shilling reply。〃
We sat for some time in silence after our visitors had left。
Holmes smoked hard； with his brows drawn down over his keen eyes；
and his head thrust forward in the eager way characteristic of the
man。
〃Well； Watson；〃 he asked； turning suddenly upon me； 〃What do you
make of it？〃
〃I can make nothing of this mystification of Scott Eccles。〃
〃But the crime？〃
〃Well； taken with the disappearance of the man's companions； I
should say that they were in some way concerned in the murder and
had fled from justice。〃
〃That is certainly a possible point of view。 On the face of it you
must admit； however； that it is very strange that his two servants
should have been in a conspiracy against him and should have
attacked him on the one night when he had a guest。 They had him
alone at their mercy every other night in the week。〃
〃Then why did they fly？〃
〃Quite so。 Why did they fly？ There is a big fact。 Another big fact
is the remarkable experience of our client； Scott Eccles。 Now； my dear
Watson； is it beyond the limits of human ingenuity to furnish an
explanation which would cover both these big facts？ If it were one
which would also admit of the mysterious note with its very curious
phraseology； why； then it would be worth accepting as a temporary
hypothesis。 If the fresh facts which come to our knowledge all fit
themselves into the scheme； then our hypothesis may gradually become a
solution。〃
〃But what is our hypothesis？〃
Holmes leaned back in his chair with half…closed eyes。
〃You must admit my dear Watson； that the idea of a joke is
impossible。 There were grave events afoot。 as the sequel showed； and
the coaxing of Scott Eccles to Wisteria Lodge had some connection with
them。〃
〃But what possible connection？〃
〃Let us take it link by link。 There is； on the face of it； something
unnatural about this strange and sudden friendship between the young
Spaniard and Scott Eccles。 It was the former who forced the pace。 He
called upon Eccles at the other end of London on the very day after he
first met him； and he kept in close touch with him until he got him
down to Esher。 Now； what did he want with Eccles？ What could Eccles
supply？ I see no charm in the man。 He is not particularly intelligent…
not a man likely to be congenial to a quick…witted Latin。 Why； then；
was he picked out from all the other people whom Garcia met as
particularly suited to his purpose？ Has he any one outstanding
quality？ I say that he has。 He is the very type of conventional
British respectability； and the very man as a witness to impress
another Briton。 You saw yourself how neither of the inspectors dreamed
of questioning his statement； extraordinary as it was。〃
〃But what was he to witness？〃
〃Nothing； as things turned out； but everything had they gone another
way。 That is how I read the matter。〃
〃I see； he might have proved an alibi。〃
〃Exactly； my dear Watson； he might have proved an alibi。 We will
suppose； for arguments sake； that the household of Wisteria Lodge
are confederates in some design。 The attempt； whatever it may be； is
to come off； we will say； before one o'clock。 By some juggling of
the clocks it is quite possible that they may have got Scott Eccles to
bed earlier than he thought but in any case it is likely that when
Garcia went out of his way to tell him that it was one it was really
not more than twelve。 If Garcia could do whatever he had to do and
be back by the hour mentioned he had evidently a powerful reply to any
accusation。 Here was this irreproachable Englishman ready to swear
in any court of law that the accused was in his house all the time。 It
was an insurance against the worst。〃
〃Yes； yes； I see that。 But how about the disappearance of the
others？〃
〃I have not all my facts yet but I do not think there are any
insuperable difficulties。 Still； it is an error to argue in front of
your data。 You find yourself insensibly twisting them round to fit
your theories。〃
〃And the message？〃
〃How did it run？ 'Our own colours； green and white。' Sounds like
racing。 'Green open； white shut。' that is clearly a signal。 'Main
stair； first corridor； seventh right； green baize。' This is an
assignation。 We may find a jealous husband at the bottom of it all。 It
was clearly a dangerous quest。 She would not have said 'Godspeed'
had it not been so。 'D'… that should be a guide。〃
〃The man was a Spaniard。 I suggest that 'D' stands for Dolores； a
common female name in Spain。〃
〃Good； Watson； very good… but quite inadmissible。 A Spaniard would
write to a Spaniard in Spanish。 The writer of this note is certainly
English。 Well； we can only possess our souls in patience until this
excellent inspector comes back for us。 Meanwhile we can thank our
lucky fate which has rescued us for a few short hours from the
insufferable fatigues of idleness。〃
An answer had arrived to Holmes's telegram before our Surrey officer
had returned。 Holmes read it and was about to place it in his notebook
when he caught a glimpse of my expectant face。 He tossed it across
with a laugh。
〃We are moving in exalted circles；〃 said he。
The telegram was a list of names and addresses：
Lord Harringby； The Dingle； Sir George Ffolliott； Oxshott Towers；
Mr。 Hynes Hynes； J。 P。； Purdey Place； Mr。 James Baker Williams； Forton
Old Hall； Mr。 Henderson； High Gable； Rev。 Joshua Stone； Nether
Walsling。
〃This is a very obvious way of limiting our field of operations；〃
said Holmes。 〃No doubt Baynes； with his methodical mind； has already
adopted some similar plan。〃
〃I don't quite understand。〃
〃Well； my dear fellow； we have already arrived at the conclusion
that the message received by Garcia at dinner was an appointment or an
assignation。 Now； if the obvious reading of it is correct and in order
to keep this tryst one has to ascend a main stair and seek the seventh
door in a corridor； it is perfectly clear that the house is a very
large one。 It is equally certain that this house cannot be more than a
mile or two from Oxshott； since Garcia was walking in that direction
and hoped； according to my reading of the facts； to be back in
Wisteria Lodge in time to avail himself of an alibi； which would
only be valid up to one o'clock。 As the number of large houses close
to Oxshott must be limited； I adopted the obvious method of sending to
the agents mentioned by Scott Eccles and obtaining a list of them。
Here they are in this telegram； and the other end of our tangled skein
must lie among them。〃
It was nearly six o'clock before we found ourselves in the pretty
Surrey village of Esher； with Inspector Baynes as our companion。
Holmes and I had taken things for the night； and found comfortable
quarters at the Bull。 Finally we set out in the company of the
detective on our visit to Wisteria Lodge。 It was a cold； dark March
evening； with a sharp wind and a fine rain beating upon our faces； a
fit setting for the wild common over which our road passed and the
tragic goal to which it led us。
2。 The Tiger of San Pedro
A cold and melancholy walk of a couple of miles brought us to a high
wooden gate； which opened into a gloomy avenue of chestnuts。 The
curved and shadowed drive led us to a low； dark house； pitch…black
against a slate…coloured sky。 From the front window upon the left of
the door there peeped a glimmer of a feeble light。
〃There's a constable in possession；〃 said Baynes。 〃I'll knock at the
window。〃 He stepped across the grass plot and tapped with his hand
on the pane。 Through the fogged glass I dimly saw a man spring up from
a chair beside the fire； and heard a sharp cry from within the room。
An instant later a white…faced； hard…breathing policeman had opened