He was a fine creature, this man of the old English soil—simple,straight, and gentle, with his great, earnest blue eyes and broad,comely face. His love for his wife and his trust in her shone inhis features. Holmes had listened to his story with the utmostattention, and now he sat for some time in silent thought.
“Don’t you think, Mr. Cubitt,” said he, at last, “that your bestplan would be to make a direct appeal to your wife, and to ask herto share her secret with you?”
Hilton Cubitt shook his massive head.
“A promise is a promise, Mr. Holmes. If Elsie wished to tell meshe would. If not, it is not for me to force her confidence. But Iam justified in taking my own line—and I will.”
“Then I will help you with all my heart. In the first place, haveyou heard of any strangers being seen in your neighbourhood?”
“No.”
“I presume that it is a very quiet place. Any fresh face wouldcause comment?”
“In the immediate neighbourhood, yes. But we have severalsmall watering-places not very far away. And the farmers take inlodgers.”
“These hieroglyphics have evidently a meaning. If it is a purelyarbitrary one, it may be impossible for us to solve it. If, on theother hand, it is systematic, I have no doubt that we shall getto the bottom of it. But this particular sample is so short thatI can do nothing, and the facts which you have brought me areso indefinite that we have no basis for an investigation. I wouldsuggest that you return to Norfolk, that you keep a keen lookout,and that you take an exact copy of any fresh dancing men whichmay appear. It is a thousand pities that we have not a reproductionof those which were done in chalk upon the window-sill. Makea discreet inquiry also as to any strangers in the neighbourhood.
When you have collected some fresh evidence, come to me again.
That is the best advice which I can give you, Mr. Hilton Cubitt. Ifthere are any pressing fresh developments, I shall be always readyto run down and see you in your Norfolk home.”
The interview left Sherlock Holmes very thoughtful, and severaltimes in the next few days I saw him take his slip of paper fromhis notebook and look long and earnestly at the curious figuresinscribed upon it. He made no allusion to the affair, however, untilone afternoon a fortnight or so later. I was going out when hecalled me back.
“You had better stay here, Watson.”
“Why?”
“Because I had a wire from Hilton Cubitt this morning. Youremember Hilton Cubitt, of the dancing men? He was to reachLiverpool Street at one-twenty. He may be here at any moment. Igather from his wire that there have been some new incidents ofimportance.”
We had not long to wait, for our Norfolk squire came straightfrom the station as fast as a hansom could bring him. He waslooking worried and depressed, with tired eyes and a lined forehead.
“It’s getting on my nerves, this business, Mr. Holmes,” said he,as he sank, like a wearied man, into an armchair. “It’s bad enoughto feel that you are surrounded by unseen, unknown folk, whohave some kind of design upon you, but when, in addition tothat, you know that it is just killing your wife by inches, then itbecomes as much as flesh and blood can endure. She’s wearingaway under it—just wearing away before my eyes.”
“Has she said anything yet?”
“No, Mr. Holmes, she has not. And yet there have been timeswhen the poor girl has wanted to speak, and yet could not quitebring herself to take the plunge. I have tried to help her, but Idaresay I did it clumsily, and scared her from it. She has spokenabout my old family, and our reputation in the county, and ourpride in our unsullied honour, and I always felt it was leading tothe point, but somehow it turned off before we got there.”
“But you have found out something for yourself?”
“A good deal, Mr. Holmes. I have several fresh dancing-menpictures for you to examine, and, what is more important, I haveseen the fellow.”
“What, the man who draws them?”
“Yes, I saw him at his work. But I will tell you everything inorder. When I got back after my visit to you, the very first thing Isaw next morning was a fresh crop of dancing men. They had beendrawn in chalk upon the black wooden door of the tool-house,which stands beside the lawn in full view of the front windows. Itook an exact copy, and here it is.” He unfolded a paper and laid itupon the table. Here is a copy of the hieroglyphics:
“Excellent!” said Holmes. “Excellent! Pray continue.”
“When I had taken the copy, I rubbed out the marks, but, twomornings later, a fresh inscription had appeared. I have a copy ofit here:”
Holmes rubbed his hands and chuckled with delight.
“Our material is rapidly accumulating,” said he.
“Three days later a message was left scrawled upon paper, andplaced under a pebble upon the sundial. Here it is. The charactersare, as you see, exactly the same as the last one. After that Idetermined to lie in wait, so I got out my revolver and I sat up inmy study, which overlooks the lawn and garden. About two in themorning I was seated by the window, all being dark save for themoonlight outside, when I heard steps behind me, and there wasmy wife in her dressing-gown. She implored me to come to bed. Itold her frankly that I wished to see who it was who played suchabsurd tricks upon us. She answered that it was some senselesspractical joke, and that I should not take any notice of it.
“ ‘If it really annoys you, Hilton, we might go and travel, you andI, and so avoid this nuisance.’
“ ‘What, be driven out of our own house by a practical joker?’
said I. ‘Why, we should have the whole county laughing at us.’
“ ‘Well, come to bed,’ said she, ‘and we can discuss it in themorning.’
“Suddenly, as she spoke, I saw her white face grow whiter yetin the moonlight, and her hand tightened upon my shoulder.