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retired to his room the night before； and yet it was difficult to
see how he could have left the house； as both windows and doors were
found to be fastened in the morning。 His clothes； his watch； and
even his money were in his room； but the black suit which he usually
wore was missing。 His slippers； too； were gone； but his boots were
left behind。 Where then could butler Brunton have gone in the night
and what could have become of him now？
〃'Of course we searched the house from cellar to garret； but there
was no trace of him。 It is； as I have said； a labyrinth of an old
house； especially the original wing； which is now practically
uninhabited； but we ransacked every room and cellar without
discovering the least sign of the missing man。 It was incredible to me
that he could have gone away leaving all his property behind him；
and yet where could he be？ I called in the local police； but without
success。 Rain had fallen on the night before； and we examined the lawn
and the paths all round the house； but in vain。 Matters were in this
state； when a new development quite drew our attention away from the
original mystery。
〃'For two days Rachel Howells had been so ill； sometimes
delirious； sometimes hysterical； that a nurse had been employed to sit
up with her at night。 On the third night after Brunton's
disappearance； the nurse； finding her patient sleeping nicely； had
dropped into a nap in the armchair； when she woke in the early morning
to find the bed empty； the window open； and no signs of the invalid。 I
was instantly aroused； and； with the two footmen； started off at
once in search of the missing girl。 It was not difficult to tell the
direction which she had taken； for； starting from under her window； we
could follow her footmarks easily across the lawn to the edge of the
mere； where they vanished close to the gravel path which leads out
of the grounds。 The lake there is eight feet deep； and you can imagine
our feelings when we saw that the trail of the poor demented girl came
to an end at the edge of it。
〃'Of course； we had the drags at once and set to work to recover the
remains； but no trace of the body could we find。 On the other hand； we
brought to the surface an object of a most unexpected kind。 It was a
linen bag which contained within it a mass of old rusted and
discoloured metal and several dull…coloured pieces of pebble or glass。
This strange find was all that we could get from the mere； and；
although we made every possible search and inquiry yesterday； we
know nothing of the fate either of Rachel Howells or of Richard
Brunton。 The county police are at their wit's end； and I have come
up to you as a last resource。'
〃You can imagine； Watson； with what eagerness I listened to this
extraordinary sequence of events； and endeavoured to piece them
together； and to devise some common thread upon which they might all
hang。 The butler was gone。 The maid was gone。 The maid had loved the
butler； but had afterwards had cause to hate him。 She was of Welsh
blood； fiery and passionate。 She had been terribly excited immediately
after his disappearance。 She had flung into the lake a bag
containing some curious contents。 These were all factors which had
to be taken into consideration； and yet none of them got quite to
the heart of the matter。 What was the starting…point of this chain
of events？ There lay the end of this tangled line。
〃'I must see that paper； Musgrave；' said I； 'which this butler of
yours thought it worth his while to consult； even at the risk of the
loss of his place。'
〃'It is rather an absurd business； this ritual of ours；' he
answered。 'But it has at least the saving grace of antiquity to excuse
it。 I have a copy of the questions and answers here if you care to run
your eye over them。'
〃He handed me the very paper which I have here； Watson； and this
is the strange catechism to which each Musgrave had to submit when
he came to man's estate。 I will read you the questions and answers
as they stand。
〃'Whose was it？'
〃'His who is gone。'
〃'Who shall have
〃'He who will come。'
〃'Where was the sun？'
〃'Over the oak。'
〃'Where was the shadow？'
〃'Under the elm。'
〃'How was it stepped？'
〃'North by ten and by ten； east by five and by five； south by two
and by two； west by one and by one； and so under。'
〃'What shall we give for it？'
〃'All that is ours。'
〃'Why should we give it？'
〃'For the sake of the trust。'
〃'The original has no date； but is in the spelling of the middle
of the seventeenth century；' remarked Musgrave。 'I am afraid； however；
that it can be of little help to you in solving this mystery。'
〃'At least；' said I； 'it gives us another mystery； and one which
is even more interesting than the first。 It may be that the solution
of the one may prove to be the solution of the other。 You will
excuse me； Musgrave； if I say that your butler appears to me to have
been a very clever man； and to have had a clearer insight than ten
generations of his masters。'
〃'I hardly follow you；' said Musgrave。 'The paper seems to me to
be of no practical importance。'
〃'But to me it seems immensely practical； and I fancy that Brunton
took the same view。 He had probably seen it before that night on which
you caught him。'
〃'It is very possible。 We took no pains to hide it。'
〃'He simply wished； I should imagine； to refresh his memory upon
that last occasion。 He had； as I understand； some sort of map or chart
which he was comparing with the manuscript； and which he thrust into
his pocket when you appeared。'
〃'That is true。 But what could he have to do with this old family
custom of ours； and what does this rigimarole mean？'
〃'I don't think that we should have much difficulty in determining
that；' said I； 'with your permission we will take the first train down
to Sussex and go a little more deeply into the matter upon the spot。'
〃The same afternoon saw us both at Hurlstone。 Possibly you have seen
pictures and read descriptions of the famous old building； so I will
confine my account of it to saying that it is built in the shape of an
L； the long arm being the more modern portion； and the shorter the
ancient nucleus from which the other has developed。 Over the low；
heavy…lintelled door； in the centre of this old part； is chiselled the
date； 1607； but experts are agreed that the beams and stonework are
really much older than this。 The enormously thick walls and tiny
windows of this part had in the last century driven the family into
building the new wing； and the old one was used now as a storehouse
and a cellar； when it was used at all。 A splendid park with fine old
timber surrounds the house； and the lake； to which my client had
referred； lay close to the avenue； about two hundred yards from the
building。
〃I was already firmly convinced； Watson； that there were not three
separate mysteries here； but one only； and that if I could read the
Musgrave Ritual aright I should hold in my hand the clue which would
lead me to the truth concerning both the butler Brunton and the maid
Howells。 To that then I turned all my energies。 Why should this
servant be so anxious to master this old formula？ Evidently because he
saw something in it which had escaped all those generations of country
squires； and from which he expected some personal advantage。 What
was it then； and how had it affected his fate？
〃It was perfectly obvious to me； on reading the Ritual； that the
measurements must refer to some spot to which the rest of the document
alluded； and that if we could find that spot we should be in a fair
way towards finding what the secret was which the old Musgraves had
thought it necessary to embalm in so curious a fashion。 There were two
guides given us to start with； an oak and an elm。 As to the oak
there could be no question at all。 Right in front of the house； upon
the lefthand side of the drive； there stood a patriarch among oaks；
one of the most magnificent trees that I have ever seen。
〃'That was there when your Ritual was drawn up；' said I as we
drove past it。
〃'It was there at the Norman Conquest in all probability；' he
answered。 'It has a girth of twenty…three feet。'
〃Here was one of my fixed points secured。
〃'Have you any old elms？' I asked。
〃'There used to be a very old one over yonder； but it was struck
by lightning ten years ago； and we cut down the stump。'
〃'You can see where it used to be？'
〃‘Oh yes。'
〃‘There are no other elms？'
〃'No old ones； but plenty of beeches。'
〃'I should like to see where it grew。'
〃We had driven up in a dog…cart； and my client led me away at
once； without our entering the house； to the scar on the lawn where
the elm had stood。 It was nearly midway between the oak and the house。
My investigation seemed to be progressing。
〃'I suppose it is impossible to find out how high the elm was？' I
asked。
〃'I can give you it at once。 It was sixty…four feet。'
〃'How do you come to know it？' I asked in surprise。
〃'When my old tutor used to give me an exercise in tr