own by will, but she was so quiet and patient, she was, that she never said a

word about them but just left everything in Mr. Rucastle’s hands. He knew

he was safe with her; but when there was a chance of a husband coming forward,

who would ask for all that the law would give him, then her father thought it

time to put a stop on it. He wanted her to sign a paper, so that whether she

married or not, he could use her money. When she wouldn’t do it, he kept

on worrying her until she got brain-fever, and for six weeks was at

death’s door. Then she got better at last, all worn to a shadow, and with

her beautiful hair cut off; but that didn’t make no change in her young

man, and he stuck to her as true as man could be.”


“Ah,” said Holmes, “I think that what you have been good

enough to tell us makes the matter fairly clear, and that I can deduce all that

remains. Mr. Rucastle then, I presume, took to this system of

imprisonment?”


“Yes, sir.”


“And brought Miss Hunter down from London in order to get rid of the

disagreeable persistence of Mr. Fowler.”


“That was it, sir.”


“But Mr. Fowler being a persevering man, as a good seaman should be,

blockaded the house, and having met you succeeded by certain arguments,

metallic or otherwise, in convincing you that your interests were the same as

his.”


“Mr. Fowler was a very kind-spoken, free-handed gentleman,” said

Mrs. Toller serenely.


“And in this way he managed that your good man should have no want of

drink, and that a ladder should be ready at the moment when your master had

gone out.”


“You have it, sir, just as it happened.”


“I am sure we owe you an apology, Mrs. Toller,” said Holmes,

“for you have certainly cleared up everything which puzzled us. And here

comes the country surgeon and Mrs. Rucastle, so I think, Watson, that we had

best escort Miss Hunter back to Winchester, as it seems to me that our locus

standi now is rather a questionable one.”