RubyGems - git-scribe - Versions diffs - 0.0.4 → 0.0.5 - Mend

git-scribe 0.0.4 → 0.0.5

Files changed (151) hide show

data/.gitignore +1 -0
data/Rakefile +31 -0
data/SPEC.asciidoc +126 -0
data/TODO.txt +29 -0
data/bin/git-scribe +2 -1
data/docbook-xsl/.CatalogManager.properties.example +61 -0
data/docbook-xsl/.urilist +1 -0
data/git-scribe.gemspec +32 -0
data/lib/git-scribe.rb +21 -315
data/lib/git-scribe/check.rb +60 -0
data/lib/git-scribe/cli.rb +84 -0
data/lib/git-scribe/generate.rb +222 -0
data/lib/git-scribe/init.rb +16 -0
data/lib/git-scribe/version.rb +3 -0
data/template/.gitignore +1 -0
data/template/.gitscribe +5 -0
data/test/check_test.rb +12 -0
data/test/gen_test.rb +78 -0
data/test/init_test.rb +36 -0
data/test/test_helper.rb +44 -0
metadata +49 -161
data/example/book/big.asc +0 -5604
data/example/book/holmes.asc +0 -12983
data/example/output/META-INF/container.xml +0 -6
data/example/output/OEBPS/ar01s02.html +0 -15
data/example/output/OEBPS/ar01s03.html +0 -3
data/example/output/OEBPS/content.opf +0 -21
data/example/output/OEBPS/index.html +0 -5
data/example/output/OEBPS/toc.ncx +0 -37
data/example/output/a_case_of_identity.html +0 -725
data/example/output/a_example_appendix.html +0 -63
data/example/output/a_migration_notes.html +0 -95
data/example/output/apa.html +0 -20
data/example/output/apb.html +0 -6
data/example/output/apc.html +0 -24
data/example/output/apd.html +0 -30
data/example/output/ape.html +0 -26
data/example/output/apf.html +0 -9
data/example/output/apg.html +0 -42
data/example/output/aph.html +0 -89
data/example/output/ar01s02.html +0 -12
data/example/output/ar01s03.html +0 -34
data/example/output/ar01s04.html +0 -77
data/example/output/ar01s05.html +0 -272
data/example/output/ar01s06.html +0 -35
data/example/output/ar01s07.html +0 -105
data/example/output/ar01s08.html +0 -33
data/example/output/ar01s09.html +0 -12
data/example/output/ar01s10.html +0 -14
data/example/output/ar01s11.html +0 -34
data/example/output/ar01s12.html +0 -63
data/example/output/ar01s13.html +0 -156
data/example/output/ar01s14.html +0 -330
data/example/output/ar01s15.html +0 -22
data/example/output/ar01s16.html +0 -27
data/example/output/ar01s17.html +0 -94
data/example/output/ar01s18.html +0 -359
data/example/output/ar01s19.html +0 -373
data/example/output/ar01s20.html +0 -27
data/example/output/ar01s21.html +0 -33
data/example/output/ar01s22.html +0 -351
data/example/output/ar01s23.html +0 -21
data/example/output/ar01s24.html +0 -69
data/example/output/ar01s25.html +0 -60
data/example/output/ar01s26.html +0 -217
data/example/output/ar01s27.html +0 -88
data/example/output/ar01s28.html +0 -237
data/example/output/ar01s29.html +0 -68
data/example/output/ar01s30.html +0 -154
data/example/output/ar01s31.html +0 -6
data/example/output/ar01s32.html +0 -22
data/example/output/ar01s33.html +0 -209
data/example/output/asciidoc_backends.html +0 -190
data/example/output/asciidoc_document_types.html +0 -131
data/example/output/attribute_entries.html +0 -185
data/example/output/attribute_lists.html +0 -157
data/example/output/attribute_references.html +0 -414
data/example/output/attributelist_element.html +0 -143
data/example/output/b_packager_notes.html +0 -68
data/example/output/bi01.html +0 -18
data/example/output/big.asc +0 -5604
data/example/output/block_element_definitions.html +0 -448
data/example/output/block_titles.html +0 -83
data/example/output/blockid_element.html +0 -80
data/example/output/book.asc +0 -5604
data/example/output/book.epub +0 -0
data/example/output/book.fo +0 -3788
data/example/output/book.html +0 -8793
data/example/output/book.xml +0 -8265
data/example/output/c_asciidoc_safe_mode.html +0 -105
data/example/output/callouts.html +0 -214
data/example/output/catalog +0 -10
data/example/output/colophon.html +0 -397
data/example/output/configuration_files.html +0 -672
data/example/output/converting_docbook_to_other_file_formats.html +0 -324
data/example/output/d_using_asciidoc_with_non-english_languages.html +0 -107
data/example/output/delimited_blocks.html +0 -455
data/example/output/document_attributes.html +0 -95
data/example/output/document_processing.html +0 -116
data/example/output/document_structure.html +0 -493
data/example/output/e_vim_syntax_highlighter.html +0 -111
data/example/output/example_bibliography.html +0 -82
data/example/output/example_colophon.html +0 -58
data/example/output/example_glossary.html +0 -73
data/example/output/example_index.html +0 -108
data/example/output/f_attribute_options.html +0 -129
data/example/output/filters.html +0 -179
data/example/output/footnotes.html +0 -103
data/example/output/g_diagnostics.html +0 -148
data/example/output/generating_plain_text_files.html +0 -68
data/example/output/getting_started.html +0 -87
data/example/output/glossary.html +0 -95
data/example/output/go01.html +0 -24
data/example/output/h_backend_attributes.html +0 -308
data/example/output/help_commands.html +0 -96
data/example/output/holmes.asc +0 -12983
data/example/output/image/octocat_professor.png +0 -0
data/example/output/include/hello.c +0 -10
data/example/output/index.html +0 -656
data/example/output/indexes.html +0 -104
data/example/output/intrinsic_attributes.html +0 -165
data/example/output/ix01.html +0 -3
data/example/output/lists.html +0 -666
data/example/output/macros.html +0 -737
data/example/output/manpage_documents.html +0 -124
data/example/output/master.css +0 -281
data/example/output/mathematical_formulas.html +0 -125
data/example/output/page.html +0 -60
data/example/output/paragraphs.html +0 -192
data/example/output/pr01.html +0 -3
data/example/output/source_code_highlighting.html +0 -59
data/example/output/stylesheets/handbookish-quirks.css +0 -0
data/example/output/stylesheets/handbookish.css +0 -233
data/example/output/tables.html +0 -797
data/example/output/text_formatting.html +0 -273
data/example/output/the_adventure_of_the_beryl_coronet.html +0 -968
data/example/output/the_adventure_of_the_blue_carbuncle.html +0 -825
data/example/output/the_adventure_of_the_copper_beeches.html +0 -998
data/example/output/the_adventure_of_the_engineer_s_thumb.html +0 -851
data/example/output/the_adventure_of_the_noble_bachelor.html +0 -861
data/example/output/the_adventure_of_the_speckled_band.html +0 -1015
data/example/output/the_boscombe_valley_mystery.html +0 -974
data/example/output/the_first_chapter.html +0 -110
data/example/output/the_five_orange_pips.html +0 -776
data/example/output/the_man_with_the_twisted_lip.html +0 -946
data/example/output/the_red-headed_league.html +0 -950
data/example/output/the_second_chapter.html +0 -95
data/example/output/the_third_chapter.html +0 -58
data/example/output/tips_and_tricks.html +0 -452
data/example/output/title.html +0 -120
data/example/output/titles.html +0 -126

data/example/output/text_formatting.html DELETED Viewed

@@ -1,273 +0,0 @@
-<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
-<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
-  <head>
-    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
-    <link rel="stylesheet" href="master.css" type="text/css" />
-    <title>Text Formatting</title>
-  </head>
-  <body>
-    <div class="nav" id="navheader">
-    <table width="100%">
-      <tr><td width="33%" align="left">
-         <a href="document_processing.html">Prev</a><br/>
-         Document Processing
-      </td><td width="33%" align="center">
-         <a href="index.html">Home</a><br/>
-         <strong>AsciiDoc User Guide</strong>
-      </td><td width="33%" align="right">
-          <a href="titles.html">Next</a><br/>
-          Titles
-      </td></tr>
-    </table>
-    </div>
-    <hr/>
-    <div class="content">
-      <div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both">
-<a id="_text_formatting"></a>Text Formatting</h2></div></div></div>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
-<a id="X51"></a>Quoted Text</h3></div></div></div>
-<p>Words and phrases can be formatted by enclosing inline text with
-quote characters:</p>
-<div class="variablelist"><dl>
-<dt><span class="term">
-<span class="emphasis"><em>Emphasized text</em></span>
-</span></dt>
-<dd>
-        Word phrases 'enclosed in single quote characters' (acute
-        accents) or _underline characters_ are emphasized.
-</dd>
-<dt><span class="term">
-<span class="strong"><strong>Strong text</strong></span>
-</span></dt>
-<dd>
-        Word phrases *enclosed in asterisk characters* are rendered
-        in a strong font (usually bold).
-</dd>
-<dt><span class="term">
-<a id="X81"></a><code class="literal">Monospaced text</code>
-</span></dt>
-<dd>
-        Word phrases +enclosed in plus characters+ are rendered in a
-        monospaced font.  Word phrases `enclosed in backtick
-        characters` (grave accents) are also rendered in a monospaced
-        font but in this case the enclosed text is rendered literally
-        and is not subject to further expansion (see <a class="link" href="macros.html#X80">inline         literal</a>).
-</dd>
-<dt><span class="term">
-‘Single quoted text’
-</span></dt>
-<dd>
-        Phrases enclosed with a `single grave accent to the left and
-        a single acute accent to the right' are rendered in single
-        quotation marks.
-</dd>
-<dt><span class="term">
-“Double quoted text”
-</span></dt>
-<dd>
-        Phrases enclosed with ``two grave accents to the left and
-        two acute accents to the right'' are rendered in quotation
-        marks.
-</dd>
-<dt><span class="term">
-Unquoted text
-</span></dt>
-<dd>
-        Placing #hashes around text# does nothing, it is a mechanism
-        to allow inline attributes to be applied to otherwise
-        unformatted text.
-</dd>
-</dl></div>
-<p>New quote types can be defined by editing asciidoc(1) configuration
-files. See the <a class="link" href="configuration_files.html" title="Configuration Files">Configuration Files</a> section for details.</p>
-<div class="itemizedlist">
-<p class="title"><b>Quoted text behavior</b></p>
-<ul type="disc">
-<li>
-Quoting cannot be overlapped.
-</li>
-<li>
-Different quoting types can be nested.
-</li>
-<li>
-To suppress quoted text formatting place a backslash character
-  immediately in front of the leading quote character(s). In the case
-  of ambiguity between escaped and non-escaped text you will need to
-  escape both leading and trailing quotes, in the case of
-  multi-character quotes you may even need to escape individual
-  characters.
-</li>
-</ul>
-</div>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title">
-<a id="X96"></a>Quoted text attributes</h4></div></div></div>
-<p>Quoted text can be prefixed with an <a class="link" href="attribute_lists.html" title="Attribute Lists">attribute list</a>.  The first
-positional attribute is translated by AsciiDoc to an HTML <span class="emphasis"><em>span</em></span>
-element <span class="emphasis"><em>class</em></span> attribute or a DocBook <span class="emphasis"><em>phrase</em></span> element <span class="emphasis"><em>role</em></span>
-attribute.</p>
-<p>DocBook XSL Stylesheets translate DocBook <span class="emphasis"><em>phrase</em></span> elements with
-<span class="emphasis"><em>role</em></span> attributes to corresponding HTML <span class="emphasis"><em>span</em></span> elements with the same
-<span class="emphasis"><em>class</em></span> attributes; CSS can then be used
-<a class="ulink" href="http://www.sagehill.net/docbookxsl/UsingCSS.html" target="_top">to style the
-generated HTML</a>.</p>
-<p>Thus CSS styling can be applied to both DocBook and AsciiDoc generated
-HTML outputs from the same AsciiDoc source.  You can also specify
-multiple class names separated by spaces. Examples:</p>
-<pre class="literallayout">[red]#obvious#
-[big red yellowback]*very obvious*</pre>
-<p>The following CSS rules for <span class="emphasis"><em>big</em></span>, <span class="emphasis"><em>red</em></span> and <span class="emphasis"><em>yellowback</em></span> class names
-could be used to style HTML outputs generated from the previous
-examples:</p>
-<pre class="literallayout">span.big { font-size: 2em; }
-span.red { color: #e3372e; }
-span.yellowback { background: #faf519; }</pre>
-</div>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title">
-<a id="X52"></a>Constrained and Unconstrained Quotes</h4></div></div></div>
-<p>There are actually two types of quotes:</p>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h5 class="title">
-<a id="_constrained_quotes"></a>Constrained quotes</h5></div></div></div>
-<p>Quoted must be bounded by white space or commonly adjoining
-punctuation characters. These are the most commonly used type of
-quote.</p>
-</div>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h5 class="title">
-<a id="_unconstrained_quotes"></a>Unconstrained quotes</h5></div></div></div>
-<p>Unconstrained quotes have no boundary constraints and can be placed
-anywhere within inline text. For consistency and to make them easier
-to remember unconstrained quotes are double-ups of the <code class="literal">_</code>, <code class="literal">*</code>, <code class="literal">+</code>
-and <code class="literal">#</code> constrained quotes:</p>
-<pre class="literallayout">__unconstrained emphasized text__
-**unconstrained strong text**
-++unconstrained monospaced text++
-##unconstrained unquoted text##</pre>
-<p>The following example emboldens the letter F:</p>
-<pre class="literallayout">**F**ile Open...</pre>
-</div>
-</div>
-</div>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
-<a id="_superscripts_and_subscripts"></a>Superscripts and Subscripts</h3></div></div></div>
-<p>Put ^carets on either^ side of the text to be superscripted, put
-~tildes on either side~ of text to be subscripted.  For example, the
-following line:</p>
-<pre class="literallayout">e^&amp;#960;i^+1 = 0. H~2~O and x^10^. Some ^super text^
-and ~some sub text~</pre>
-<p>Is rendered like:</p>
-<p>e<sup>πi</sup>+1 = 0. H<sub>2</sub>O and x<sup>10</sup>. Some <sup>super text</sup>
-and <sub>some sub text</sub></p>
-<p>Superscripts and subscripts are implemented as <a class="link" href="text_formatting.html#X52" title="Constrained and Unconstrained Quotes">unconstrained quotes</a> and they can be escaped with a leading backslash and prefixed
-with with an attribute list.</p>
-</div>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
-<a id="_line_breaks"></a>Line Breaks</h3></div></div></div>
-<p>A plus character preceded by at least one space character at the end
-of a non-blank line forces a line break. It generates a line break
-(<code class="literal">br</code>) tag for HTML outputs and a custom XML <code class="literal">asciidoc-br</code> processing
-instruction for DocBook outputs. The <code class="literal">asciidoc-br</code> processing
-instruction is handled by <a class="link" href="converting_docbook_to_other_file_formats.html#X43" title="a2x Toolchain Wrapper">a2x(1)</a>.</p>
-</div>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
-<a id="_page_breaks"></a>Page Breaks</h3></div></div></div>
-<p>A line of three or more less-than (<code class="literal">&lt;&lt;&lt;</code>) characters will generate a
-hard page break in DocBook and printed HTML outputs.  It uses the CSS
-<code class="literal">page-break-after</code> property for HTML outputs and a custom XML
-<code class="literal">asciidoc-pagebreak</code> processing instruction for DocBook outputs. The
-<code class="literal">asciidoc-pagebreak</code> processing instruction is handled by
-<a class="link" href="converting_docbook_to_other_file_formats.html#X43" title="a2x Toolchain Wrapper">a2x(1)</a>. Hard page breaks are sometimes handy but as a general
-rule you should let your page processor generate page breaks for you.</p>
-</div>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
-<a id="_rulers"></a>Rulers</h3></div></div></div>
-<p>A line of three or more apostrophe characters will generate a ruler
-line.  It generates a ruler (<code class="literal">hr</code>) tag for HTML outputs and a custom
-XML <code class="literal">asciidoc-hr</code> processing instruction for DocBook outputs. The
-<code class="literal">asciidoc-hr</code> processing instruction is handled by <a class="link" href="converting_docbook_to_other_file_formats.html#X43" title="a2x Toolchain Wrapper">a2x(1)</a>.</p>
-</div>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
-<a id="_tabs"></a>Tabs</h3></div></div></div>
-<p>By default tab characters input files will translated to 8 spaces. Tab
-expansion is set with the <span class="emphasis"><em>tabsize</em></span> entry in the configuration file
-<code class="literal">[miscellaneous]</code> section and can be overridden in included files by
-setting a <span class="emphasis"><em>tabsize</em></span> attribute in the <code class="literal">include</code> macro’s attribute list.
-For example:</p>
-<pre class="literallayout">include::addendum.txt[tabsize=2]</pre>
-<p>The tab size can also be set using the attribute command-line option,
-for example <code class="literal">--attribute tabsize=4</code></p>
-</div>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
-<a id="_replacements"></a>Replacements</h3></div></div></div>
-<p>The following replacements are defined in the default AsciiDoc
-configuration:</p>
-<pre class="literallayout">(C) copyright, (TM) trademark, (R) registered trademark,
--- em dash, ... ellipsis, -&gt; right arrow, &lt;- left arrow, =&gt; right
-double arrow, &lt;= left double arrow.</pre>
-<p>Which are rendered as:</p>
-<p>© copyright, ™ trademark, ® registered trademark, — em dash, … ellipsis, → right arrow, ← left arrow, ⇒ right
-double arrow, ⇐ left double arrow.</p>
-<p>You can also include arbitrary entity references in the AsciiDoc
-source. Examples:</p>
-<pre class="literallayout">&amp;#x278a; &amp;#182;</pre>
-<p>renders:</p>
-<p>➊ ¶</p>
-<p>To render a replacement literally escape it with a leading back-slash.</p>
-<p>The <a class="link" href="configuration_files.html" title="Configuration Files">Configuration Files</a> section explains how to configure your
-own replacements.</p>
-</div>
-<div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
-<a id="_special_words"></a>Special Words</h3></div></div></div>
-<p>Words defined in <code class="literal">[specialwords]</code> configuration file sections are
-automatically marked up without having to be explicitly notated.</p>
-<p>The <a class="link" href="configuration_files.html" title="Configuration Files">Configuration Files</a> section explains how to add and replace
-special words.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-    </div>
-    <hr/>
-    <div class="nav" id="navfooter">
-    <table width="100%">
-      <tr><td width="33%" align="left">
-         <a href="document_processing.html">Prev</a><br/>
-         Document Processing
-      </td><td width="33%" align="center">
-         <a href="index.html">Home</a><br/>
-         AsciiDoc User Guide
-      </td><td width="33%" align="right">
-          <a href="titles.html">Next</a><br/>
-          Titles
-      </td></tr>
-    </table>
-    </div>
-  </body>
-</html>

data/example/output/the_adventure_of_the_beryl_coronet.html DELETED Viewed

@@ -1,968 +0,0 @@
-<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
-<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
-  <head>
-    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
-    <link rel="stylesheet" href="master.css" type="text/css" />
-    <title>The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet</title>
-  </head>
-  <body>
-    <div class="nav" id="navheader">
-    <table width="100%">
-      <tr><td width="33%" align="left">
-         <a href="the_adventure_of_the_noble_bachelor.html">Prev</a><br/>
-         The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
-      </td><td width="33%" align="center">
-         <a href="index.html">Home</a><br/>
-         <strong>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</strong>
-      </td><td width="33%" align="right">
-          <a href="the_adventure_of_the_copper_beeches.html">Next</a><br/>
-          The Adventure of the Copper Beeches
-      </td></tr>
-    </table>
-    </div>
-    <hr/>
-    <div class="content">
-      <div class="section" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
-<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both">
-<a id="_the_adventure_of_the_beryl_coronet"></a>The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet</h2></div></div></div>
-<p>"Holmes," said I as I stood one morning in our bow-window looking
-down the street, "here is a madman coming along. It seems rather
-sad that his relatives should allow him to come out alone."</p>
-<p>My friend rose lazily from his armchair and stood with his hands
-in the pockets of his dressing-gown, looking over my shoulder. It
-was a bright, crisp February morning, and the snow of the day
-before still lay deep upon the ground, shimmering brightly in the
-wintry sun. Down the centre of Baker Street it had been ploughed
-into a brown crumbly band by the traffic, but at either side and
-on the heaped-up edges of the foot-paths it still lay as white as
-when it fell. The grey pavement had been cleaned and scraped, but
-was still dangerously slippery, so that there were fewer
-passengers than usual. Indeed, from the direction of the
-Metropolitan Station no one was coming save the single gentleman
-whose eccentric conduct had drawn my attention.</p>
-<p>He was a man of about fifty, tall, portly, and imposing, with a
-massive, strongly marked face and a commanding figure. He was
-dressed in a sombre yet rich style, in black frock-coat, shining
-hat, neat brown gaiters, and well-cut pearl-grey trousers. Yet
-his actions were in absurd contrast to the dignity of his dress
-and features, for he was running hard, with occasional little
-springs, such as a weary man gives who is little accustomed to
-set any tax upon his legs. As he ran he jerked his hands up and
-down, waggled his head, and writhed his face into the most
-extraordinary contortions.</p>
-<p>"What on earth can be the matter with him?" I asked. "He is
-looking up at the numbers of the houses."</p>
-<p>"I believe that he is coming here," said Holmes, rubbing his
-hands.</p>
-<p>"Here?"</p>
-<p>"Yes; I rather think he is coming to consult me professionally. I
-think that I recognise the symptoms. Ha! did I not tell you?" As
-he spoke, the man, puffing and blowing, rushed at our door and
-pulled at our bell until the whole house resounded with the
-clanging.</p>
-<p>A few moments later he was in our room, still puffing, still
-gesticulating, but with so fixed a look of grief and despair in
-his eyes that our smiles were turned in an instant to horror and
-pity. For a while he could not get his words out, but swayed his
-body and plucked at his hair like one who has been driven to the
-extreme limits of his reason. Then, suddenly springing to his
-feet, he beat his head against the wall with such force that we
-both rushed upon him and tore him away to the centre of the room.
-Sherlock Holmes pushed him down into the easy-chair and, sitting
-beside him, patted his hand and chatted with him in the easy,
-soothing tones which he knew so well how to employ.</p>
-<p>"You have come to me to tell your story, have you not?" said he.
-"You are fatigued with your haste. Pray wait until you have
-recovered yourself, and then I shall be most happy to look into
-any little problem which you may submit to me."</p>
-<p>The man sat for a minute or more with a heaving chest, fighting
-against his emotion. Then he passed his handkerchief over his
-brow, set his lips tight, and turned his face towards us.</p>
-<p>"No doubt you think me mad?" said he.</p>
-<p>"I see that you have had some great trouble," responded Holmes.</p>
-<p>"God knows I have!--a trouble which is enough to unseat my
-reason, so sudden and so terrible is it. Public disgrace I might
-have faced, although I am a man whose character has never yet
-borne a stain. Private affliction also is the lot of every man;
-but the two coming together, and in so frightful a form, have
-been enough to shake my very soul. Besides, it is not I alone.
-The very noblest in the land may suffer unless some way be found
-out of this horrible affair."</p>
-<p>"Pray compose yourself, sir," said Holmes, "and let me have a
-clear account of who you are and what it is that has befallen
-you."</p>
-<p>"My name," answered our visitor, "is probably familiar to your
-ears. I am Alexander Holder, of the banking firm of Holder &amp;
-Stevenson, of Threadneedle Street."</p>
-<p>The name was indeed well known to us as belonging to the senior
-partner in the second largest private banking concern in the City
-of London. What could have happened, then, to bring one of the
-foremost citizens of London to this most pitiable pass? We
-waited, all curiosity, until with another effort he braced
-himself to tell his story.</p>
-<p>"I feel that time is of value," said he; "that is why I hastened
-here when the police inspector suggested that I should secure
-your co-operation. I came to Baker Street by the Underground and
-hurried from there on foot, for the cabs go slowly through this
-snow. That is why I was so out of breath, for I am a man who
-takes very little exercise. I feel better now, and I will put the
-facts before you as shortly and yet as clearly as I can.</p>
-<p>"It is, of course, well known to you that in a successful banking
-business as much depends upon our being able to find remunerative
-investments for our funds as upon our increasing our connection
-and the number of our depositors. One of our most lucrative means
-of laying out money is in the shape of loans, where the security
-is unimpeachable. We have done a good deal in this direction
-during the last few years, and there are many noble families to
-whom we have advanced large sums upon the security of their
-pictures, libraries, or plate.</p>
-<p>"Yesterday morning I was seated in my office at the bank when a
-card was brought in to me by one of the clerks. I started when I
-saw the name, for it was that of none other than—well, perhaps
-even to you I had better say no more than that it was a name
-which is a household word all over the earth—one of the highest,
-noblest, most exalted names in England. I was overwhelmed by the
-honour and attempted, when he entered, to say so, but he plunged
-at once into business with the air of a man who wishes to hurry
-quickly through a disagreeable task.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Mr. Holder,</em></span> said he, <span class="emphasis"><em>I have been informed that you are in the
-habit of advancing money.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>The firm does so when the security is good.</em></span> I answered.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>It is absolutely essential to me,</em></span> said he, <span class="emphasis"><em>that I should have
-50,000 pounds at once. I could, of course, borrow so trifling a
-sum ten times over from my friends, but I much prefer to make it
-a matter of business and to carry out that business myself. In my
-position you can readily understand that it is unwise to place
-one’s self under obligations.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>For how long, may I ask, do you want this sum?</em></span> I asked.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Next Monday I have a large sum due to me, and I shall then most
-certainly repay what you advance, with whatever interest you
-think it right to charge. But it is very essential to me that the
-money should be paid at once.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>I should be happy to advance it without further parley from my
-own private purse,</em></span> said I, <span class="emphasis"><em>were it not that the strain would be
-rather more than it could bear. If, on the other hand, I am to do
-it in the name of the firm, then in justice to my partner I must
-insist that, even in your case, every businesslike precaution
-should be taken.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>I should much prefer to have it so,</em></span> said he, raising up a
-square, black morocco case which he had laid beside his chair.
-<span class="emphasis"><em>You have doubtless heard of the Beryl Coronet?</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>One of the most precious public possessions of the empire,</em></span>
-said I.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Precisely.</em></span> He opened the case, and there, imbedded in soft,
-flesh-coloured velvet, lay the magnificent piece of jewellery
-which he had named. <span class="emphasis"><em>There are thirty-nine enormous beryls,</em></span> said
-he, <span class="emphasis"><em>and the price of the gold chasing is incalculable. The
-lowest estimate would put the worth of the coronet at double the
-sum which I have asked. I am prepared to leave it with you as my
-security.</em></span></p>
-<p>"I took the precious case into my hands and looked in some
-perplexity from it to my illustrious client.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>You doubt its value?</em></span> he asked.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Not at all. I only doubt--</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>The propriety of my leaving it. You may set your mind at rest
-about that. I should not dream of doing so were it not absolutely
-certain that I should be able in four days to reclaim it. It is a
-pure matter of form. Is the security sufficient?</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Ample.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>You understand, Mr. Holder, that I am giving you a strong proof
-of the confidence which I have in you, founded upon all that I
-have heard of you. I rely upon you not only to be discreet and to
-refrain from all gossip upon the matter but, above all, to
-preserve this coronet with every possible precaution because I
-need not say that a great public scandal would be caused if any
-harm were to befall it. Any injury to it would be almost as
-serious as its complete loss, for there are no beryls in the
-world to match these, and it would be impossible to replace them.
-I leave it with you, however, with every confidence, and I shall
-call for it in person on Monday morning.</em></span></p>
-<p>"Seeing that my client was anxious to leave, I said no more but,
-calling for my cashier, I ordered him to pay over fifty 1000
-pound notes. When I was alone once more, however, with the
-precious case lying upon the table in front of me, I could not
-but think with some misgivings of the immense responsibility
-which it entailed upon me. There could be no doubt that, as it
-was a national possession, a horrible scandal would ensue if any
-misfortune should occur to it. I already regretted having ever
-consented to take charge of it. However, it was too late to alter
-the matter now, so I locked it up in my private safe and turned
-once more to my work.</p>
-<p>"When evening came I felt that it would be an imprudence to leave
-so precious a thing in the office behind me. Bankers' safes had
-been forced before now, and why should not mine be? If so, how
-terrible would be the position in which I should find myself! I
-determined, therefore, that for the next few days I would always
-carry the case backward and forward with me, so that it might
-never be really out of my reach. With this intention, I called a
-cab and drove out to my house at Streatham, carrying the jewel
-with me. I did not breathe freely until I had taken it upstairs
-and locked it in the bureau of my dressing-room.</p>
-<p>"And now a word as to my household, Mr. Holmes, for I wish you to
-thoroughly understand the situation. My groom and my page sleep
-out of the house, and may be set aside altogether. I have three
-maid-servants who have been with me a number of years and whose
-absolute reliability is quite above suspicion. Another, Lucy
-Parr, the second waiting-maid, has only been in my service a few
-months. She came with an excellent character, however, and has
-always given me satisfaction. She is a very pretty girl and has
-attracted admirers who have occasionally hung about the place.
-That is the only drawback which we have found to her, but we
-believe her to be a thoroughly good girl in every way.</p>
-<p>"So much for the servants. My family itself is so small that it
-will not take me long to describe it. I am a widower and have an
-only son, Arthur. He has been a disappointment to me, Mr.
-Holmes—a grievous disappointment. I have no doubt that I am
-myself to blame. People tell me that I have spoiled him. Very
-likely I have. When my dear wife died I felt that he was all I
-had to love. I could not bear to see the smile fade even for a
-moment from his face. I have never denied him a wish. Perhaps it
-would have been better for both of us had I been sterner, but I
-meant it for the best.</p>
-<p>"It was naturally my intention that he should succeed me in my
-business, but he was not of a business turn. He was wild,
-wayward, and, to speak the truth, I could not trust him in the
-handling of large sums of money. When he was young he became a
-member of an aristocratic club, and there, having charming
-manners, he was soon the intimate of a number of men with long
-purses and expensive habits. He learned to play heavily at cards
-and to squander money on the turf, until he had again and again
-to come to me and implore me to give him an advance upon his
-allowance, that he might settle his debts of honour. He tried
-more than once to break away from the dangerous company which he
-was keeping, but each time the influence of his friend, Sir
-George Burnwell, was enough to draw him back again.</p>
-<p>"And, indeed, I could not wonder that such a man as Sir George
-Burnwell should gain an influence over him, for he has frequently
-brought him to my house, and I have found myself that I could
-hardly resist the fascination of his manner. He is older than
-Arthur, a man of the world to his finger-tips, one who had been
-everywhere, seen everything, a brilliant talker, and a man of
-great personal beauty. Yet when I think of him in cold blood, far
-away from the glamour of his presence, I am convinced from his
-cynical speech and the look which I have caught in his eyes that
-he is one who should be deeply distrusted. So I think, and so,
-too, thinks my little Mary, who has a woman’s quick insight into
-character.</p>
-<p>"And now there is only she to be described. She is my niece; but
-when my brother died five years ago and left her alone in the
-world I adopted her, and have looked upon her ever since as my
-daughter. She is a sunbeam in my house—sweet, loving, beautiful,
-a wonderful manager and housekeeper, yet as tender and quiet and
-gentle as a woman could be. She is my right hand. I do not know
-what I could do without her. In only one matter has she ever gone
-against my wishes. Twice my boy has asked her to marry him, for
-he loves her devotedly, but each time she has refused him. I
-think that if anyone could have drawn him into the right path it
-would have been she, and that his marriage might have changed his
-whole life; but now, alas! it is too late—forever too late!</p>
-<p>"Now, Mr. Holmes, you know the people who live under my roof, and
-I shall continue with my miserable story.</p>
-<p>"When we were taking coffee in the drawing-room that night after
-dinner, I told Arthur and Mary my experience, and of the precious
-treasure which we had under our roof, suppressing only the name
-of my client. Lucy Parr, who had brought in the coffee, had, I am
-sure, left the room; but I cannot swear that the door was closed.
-Mary and Arthur were much interested and wished to see the famous
-coronet, but I thought it better not to disturb it.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Where have you put it?</em></span> asked Arthur.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>In my own bureau.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Well, I hope to goodness the house won’t be burgled during the
-night.</em></span> said he.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>It is locked up,</em></span> I answered.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Oh, any old key will fit that bureau. When I was a youngster I
-have opened it myself with the key of the box-room cupboard.</em></span></p>
-<p>"He often had a wild way of talking, so that I thought little of
-what he said. He followed me to my room, however, that night with
-a very grave face.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Look here, dad,</em></span> said he with his eyes cast down, <span class="emphasis"><em>can you let
-me have 200 pounds?</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>No, I cannot!</em></span> I answered sharply. <span class="emphasis"><em>I have been far too
-generous with you in money matters.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>You have been very kind,</em></span> said he, <span class="emphasis"><em>but I must have this money,
-or else I can never show my face inside the club again.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>And a very good thing, too!</em></span> I cried.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Yes, but you would not have me leave it a dishonoured man,</em></span>
-said he. <span class="emphasis"><em>I could not bear the disgrace. I must raise the money
-in some way, and if you will not let me have it, then I must try
-other means.</em></span></p>
-<p>"I was very angry, for this was the third demand during the
-month. <span class="emphasis"><em>You shall not have a farthing from me,</em></span> I cried, on which
-he bowed and left the room without another word.</p>
-<p>"When he was gone I unlocked my bureau, made sure that my
-treasure was safe, and locked it again. Then I started to go
-round the house to see that all was secure—a duty which I
-usually leave to Mary but which I thought it well to perform
-myself that night. As I came down the stairs I saw Mary herself
-at the side window of the hall, which she closed and fastened as
-I approached.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Tell me, dad,</em></span> said she, looking, I thought, a little
-disturbed, <span class="emphasis"><em>did you give Lucy, the maid, leave to go out
-to-night?</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Certainly not.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>She came in just now by the back door. I have no doubt that she
-has only been to the side gate to see someone, but I think that
-it is hardly safe and should be stopped.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>You must speak to her in the morning, or I will if you prefer
-it. Are you sure that everything is fastened?</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Quite sure, dad.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Then, good-night.</em></span> I kissed her and went up to my bedroom
-again, where I was soon asleep.</p>
-<p>"I am endeavouring to tell you everything, Mr. Holmes, which may
-have any bearing upon the case, but I beg that you will question
-me upon any point which I do not make clear."</p>
-<p>"On the contrary, your statement is singularly lucid."</p>
-<p>"I come to a part of my story now in which I should wish to be
-particularly so. I am not a very heavy sleeper, and the anxiety
-in my mind tended, no doubt, to make me even less so than usual.
-About two in the morning, then, I was awakened by some sound in
-the house. It had ceased ere I was wide awake, but it had left an
-impression behind it as though a window had gently closed
-somewhere. I lay listening with all my ears. Suddenly, to my
-horror, there was a distinct sound of footsteps moving softly in
-the next room. I slipped out of bed, all palpitating with fear,
-and peeped round the corner of my dressing-room door.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Arthur!</em></span> I screamed, <span class="emphasis"><em>you villain! you thief! How dare you
-touch that coronet?</em></span></p>
-<p>"The gas was half up, as I had left it, and my unhappy boy,
-dressed only in his shirt and trousers, was standing beside the
-light, holding the coronet in his hands. He appeared to be
-wrenching at it, or bending it with all his strength. At my cry
-he dropped it from his grasp and turned as pale as death. I
-snatched it up and examined it. One of the gold corners, with
-three of the beryls in it, was missing.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>You blackguard!</em></span> I shouted, beside myself with rage. <span class="emphasis"><em>You have
-destroyed it! You have dishonoured me forever! Where are the
-jewels which you have stolen?</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Stolen!</em></span> he cried.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Yes, thief!</em></span> I roared, shaking him by the shoulder.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>There are none missing. There cannot be any missing,</em></span> said he.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>There are three missing. And you know where they are. Must I
-call you a liar as well as a thief? Did I not see you trying to
-tear off another piece?</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>You have called me names enough,</em></span> said he, <span class="emphasis"><em>I will not stand it
-any longer. I shall not say another word about this business,
-since you have chosen to insult me. I will leave your house in
-the morning and make my own way in the world.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>You shall leave it in the hands of the police!</em></span> I cried
-half-mad with grief and rage. <span class="emphasis"><em>I shall have this matter probed to
-the bottom.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>You shall learn nothing from me,</em></span> said he with a passion such
-as I should not have thought was in his nature. <span class="emphasis"><em>If you choose to
-call the police, let the police find what they can.</em></span></p>
-<p>"By this time the whole house was astir, for I had raised my
-voice in my anger. Mary was the first to rush into my room, and,
-at the sight of the coronet and of Arthur’s face, she read the
-whole story and, with a scream, fell down senseless on the
-ground. I sent the house-maid for the police and put the
-investigation into their hands at once. When the inspector and a
-constable entered the house, Arthur, who had stood sullenly with
-his arms folded, asked me whether it was my intention to charge
-him with theft. I answered that it had ceased to be a private
-matter, but had become a public one, since the ruined coronet was
-national property. I was determined that the law should have its
-way in everything.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>At least,</em></span> said he, <span class="emphasis"><em>you will not have me arrested at once. It
-would be to your advantage as well as mine if I might leave the
-house for five minutes.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>That you may get away, or perhaps that you may conceal what you
-have stolen,</em></span> said I. And then, realising the dreadful position
-in which I was placed, I implored him to remember that not only
-my honour but that of one who was far greater than I was at
-stake; and that he threatened to raise a scandal which would
-convulse the nation. He might avert it all if he would but tell
-me what he had done with the three missing stones.</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>You may as well face the matter,</em></span> said I; <span class="emphasis"><em>you have been caught
-in the act, and no confession could make your guilt more heinous.
-If you but make such reparation as is in your power, by telling
-us where the beryls are, all shall be forgiven and forgotten.</em></span></p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>Keep your forgiveness for those who ask for it,</em></span> he answered,
-turning away from me with a sneer. I saw that he was too hardened
-for any words of mine to influence him. There was but one way for
-it. I called in the inspector and gave him into custody. A search
-was made at once not only of his person but of his room and of
-every portion of the house where he could possibly have concealed
-the gems; but no trace of them could be found, nor would the
-wretched boy open his mouth for all our persuasions and our
-threats. This morning he was removed to a cell, and I, after
-going through all the police formalities, have hurried round to
-you to implore you to use your skill in unravelling the matter.
-The police have openly confessed that they can at present make
-nothing of it. You may go to any expense which you think
-necessary. I have already offered a reward of 1000 pounds. My
-God, what shall I do! I have lost my honour, my gems, and my son
-in one night. Oh, what shall I do!"</p>
-<p>He put a hand on either side of his head and rocked himself to
-and fro, droning to himself like a child whose grief has got
-beyond words.</p>
-<p>Sherlock Holmes sat silent for some few minutes, with his brows
-knitted and his eyes fixed upon the fire.</p>
-<p>"Do you receive much company?" he asked.</p>
-<p>"None save my partner with his family and an occasional friend of
-Arthur’s. Sir George Burnwell has been several times lately. No
-one else, I think."</p>
-<p>"Do you go out much in society?"</p>
-<p>"Arthur does. Mary and I stay at home. We neither of us care for
-it."</p>
-<p>"That is unusual in a young girl."</p>
-<p>"She is of a quiet nature. Besides, she is not so very young. She
-is four-and-twenty."</p>
-<p>"This matter, from what you say, seems to have been a shock to
-her also."</p>
-<p>"Terrible! She is even more affected than I."</p>
-<p>"You have neither of you any doubt as to your son’s guilt?"</p>
-<p>"How can we have when I saw him with my own eyes with the coronet
-in his hands."</p>
-<p>"I hardly consider that a conclusive proof. Was the remainder of
-the coronet at all injured?"</p>
-<p>"Yes, it was twisted."</p>
-<p>"Do you not think, then, that he might have been trying to
-straighten it?"</p>
-<p>"God bless you! You are doing what you can for him and for me.
-But it is too heavy a task. What was he doing there at all? If
-his purpose were innocent, why did he not say so?"</p>
-<p>"Precisely. And if it were guilty, why did he not invent a lie?
-His silence appears to me to cut both ways. There are several
-singular points about the case. What did the police think of the
-noise which awoke you from your sleep?"</p>
-<p>"They considered that it might be caused by Arthur’s closing his
-bedroom door."</p>
-<p>"A likely story! As if a man bent on felony would slam his door
-so as to wake a household. What did they say, then, of the
-disappearance of these gems?"</p>
-<p>"They are still sounding the planking and probing the furniture
-in the hope of finding them."</p>
-<p>"Have they thought of looking outside the house?"</p>
-<p>"Yes, they have shown extraordinary energy. The whole garden has
-already been minutely examined."</p>
-<p>"Now, my dear sir," said Holmes. "is it not obvious to you now
-that this matter really strikes very much deeper than either you
-or the police were at first inclined to think? It appeared to you
-to be a simple case; to me it seems exceedingly complex. Consider
-what is involved by your theory. You suppose that your son came
-down from his bed, went, at great risk, to your dressing-room,
-opened your bureau, took out your coronet, broke off by main
-force a small portion of it, went off to some other place,
-concealed three gems out of the thirty-nine, with such skill that
-nobody can find them, and then returned with the other thirty-six
-into the room in which he exposed himself to the greatest danger
-of being discovered. I ask you now, is such a theory tenable?"</p>
-<p>"But what other is there?" cried the banker with a gesture of
-despair. "If his motives were innocent, why does he not explain
-them?"</p>
-<p>"It is our task to find that out," replied Holmes; "so now, if
-you please, Mr. Holder, we will set off for Streatham together,
-and devote an hour to glancing a little more closely into
-details."</p>
-<p>My friend insisted upon my accompanying them in their expedition,
-which I was eager enough to do, for my curiosity and sympathy
-were deeply stirred by the story to which we had listened. I
-confess that the guilt of the banker’s son appeared to me to be
-as obvious as it did to his unhappy father, but still I had such
-faith in Holmes' judgment that I felt that there must be some
-grounds for hope as long as he was dissatisfied with the accepted
-explanation. He hardly spoke a word the whole way out to the
-southern suburb, but sat with his chin upon his breast and his
-hat drawn over his eyes, sunk in the deepest thought. Our client
-appeared to have taken fresh heart at the little glimpse of hope
-which had been presented to him, and he even broke into a
-desultory chat with me over his business affairs. A short railway
-journey and a shorter walk brought us to Fairbank, the modest
-residence of the great financier.</p>
-<p>Fairbank was a good-sized square house of white stone, standing
-back a little from the road. A double carriage-sweep, with a
-snow-clad lawn, stretched down in front to two large iron gates
-which closed the entrance. On the right side was a small wooden
-thicket, which led into a narrow path between two neat hedges
-stretching from the road to the kitchen door, and forming the
-tradesmen’s entrance. On the left ran a lane which led to the
-stables, and was not itself within the grounds at all, being a
-public, though little used, thoroughfare. Holmes left us standing
-at the door and walked slowly all round the house, across the
-front, down the tradesmen’s path, and so round by the garden
-behind into the stable lane. So long was he that Mr. Holder and I
-went into the dining-room and waited by the fire until he should
-return. We were sitting there in silence when the door opened and
-a young lady came in. She was rather above the middle height,
-slim, with dark hair and eyes, which seemed the darker against
-the absolute pallor of her skin. I do not think that I have ever
-seen such deadly paleness in a woman’s face. Her lips, too, were
-bloodless, but her eyes were flushed with crying. As she swept
-silently into the room she impressed me with a greater sense of
-grief than the banker had done in the morning, and it was the
-more striking in her as she was evidently a woman of strong
-character, with immense capacity for self-restraint. Disregarding
-my presence, she went straight to her uncle and passed her hand
-over his head with a sweet womanly caress.</p>
-<p>"You have given orders that Arthur should be liberated, have you
-not, dad?" she asked.</p>
-<p>"No, no, my girl, the matter must be probed to the bottom."</p>
-<p>"But I am so sure that he is innocent. You know what woman’s
-instincts are. I know that he has done no harm and that you will
-be sorry for having acted so harshly."</p>
-<p>"Why is he silent, then, if he is innocent?"</p>
-<p>"Who knows? Perhaps because he was so angry that you should
-suspect him."</p>
-<p>"How could I help suspecting him, when I actually saw him with
-the coronet in his hand?"</p>
-<p>"Oh, but he had only picked it up to look at it. Oh, do, do take
-my word for it that he is innocent. Let the matter drop and say
-no more. It is so dreadful to think of our dear Arthur in
-prison!"</p>
-<p>"I shall never let it drop until the gems are found—never, Mary!
-Your affection for Arthur blinds you as to the awful consequences
-to me. Far from hushing the thing up, I have brought a gentleman
-down from London to inquire more deeply into it."</p>
-<p>"This gentleman?" she asked, facing round to me.</p>
-<p>"No, his friend. He wished us to leave him alone. He is round in
-the stable lane now."</p>
-<p>"The stable lane?" She raised her dark eyebrows. "What can he
-hope to find there? Ah! this, I suppose, is he. I trust, sir,
-that you will succeed in proving, what I feel sure is the truth,
-that my cousin Arthur is innocent of this crime."</p>
-<p>"I fully share your opinion, and I trust, with you, that we may
-prove it," returned Holmes, going back to the mat to knock the
-snow from his shoes. "I believe I have the honour of addressing
-Miss Mary Holder. Might I ask you a question or two?"</p>
-<p>"Pray do, sir, if it may help to clear this horrible affair up."</p>
-<p>"You heard nothing yourself last night?"</p>
-<p>"Nothing, until my uncle here began to speak loudly. I heard
-that, and I came down."</p>
-<p>"You shut up the windows and doors the night before. Did you
-fasten all the windows?"</p>
-<p>"Yes."</p>
-<p>"Were they all fastened this morning?"</p>
-<p>"Yes."</p>
-<p>"You have a maid who has a sweetheart? I think that you remarked
-to your uncle last night that she had been out to see him?"</p>
-<p>"Yes, and she was the girl who waited in the drawing-room, and
-who may have heard uncle’s remarks about the coronet."</p>
-<p>"I see. You infer that she may have gone out to tell her
-sweetheart, and that the two may have planned the robbery."</p>
-<p>"But what is the good of all these vague theories," cried the
-banker impatiently, "when I have told you that I saw Arthur with
-the coronet in his hands?"</p>
-<p>"Wait a little, Mr. Holder. We must come back to that. About this
-girl, Miss Holder. You saw her return by the kitchen door, I
-presume?"</p>
-<p>"Yes; when I went to see if the door was fastened for the night I
-met her slipping in. I saw the man, too, in the gloom."</p>
-<p>"Do you know him?"</p>
-<p>"Oh, yes! he is the green-grocer who brings our vegetables round.
-His name is Francis Prosper."</p>
-<p>"He stood," said Holmes, "to the left of the door—that is to
-say, farther up the path than is necessary to reach the door?"</p>
-<p>"Yes, he did."</p>
-<p>"And he is a man with a wooden leg?"</p>
-<p>Something like fear sprang up in the young lady’s expressive
-black eyes. "Why, you are like a magician," said she. "How do you
-know that?" She smiled, but there was no answering smile in
-Holmes' thin, eager face.</p>
-<p>"I should be very glad now to go upstairs," said he. "I shall
-probably wish to go over the outside of the house again. Perhaps
-I had better take a look at the lower windows before I go up."</p>
-<p>He walked swiftly round from one to the other, pausing only at
-the large one which looked from the hall onto the stable lane.
-This he opened and made a very careful examination of the sill
-with his powerful magnifying lens. "Now we shall go upstairs,"
-said he at last.</p>
-<p>The banker’s dressing-room was a plainly furnished little
-chamber, with a grey carpet, a large bureau, and a long mirror.
-Holmes went to the bureau first and looked hard at the lock.</p>
-<p>"Which key was used to open it?" he asked.</p>
-<p>"That which my son himself indicated—that of the cupboard of the
-lumber-room."</p>
-<p>"Have you it here?"</p>
-<p>"That is it on the dressing-table."</p>
-<p>Sherlock Holmes took it up and opened the bureau.</p>
-<p>"It is a noiseless lock," said he. "It is no wonder that it did
-not wake you. This case, I presume, contains the coronet. We must
-have a look at it." He opened the case, and taking out the diadem
-he laid it upon the table. It was a magnificent specimen of the
-jeweller’s art, and the thirty-six stones were the finest that I
-have ever seen. At one side of the coronet was a cracked edge,
-where a corner holding three gems had been torn away.</p>
-<p>"Now, Mr. Holder," said Holmes, "here is the corner which
-corresponds to that which has been so unfortunately lost. Might I
-beg that you will break it off."</p>
-<p>The banker recoiled in horror. "I should not dream of trying,"
-said he.</p>
-<p>"Then I will." Holmes suddenly bent his strength upon it, but
-without result. "I feel it give a little," said he; "but, though
-I am exceptionally strong in the fingers, it would take me all my
-time to break it. An ordinary man could not do it. Now, what do
-you think would happen if I did break it, Mr. Holder? There would
-be a noise like a pistol shot. Do you tell me that all this
-happened within a few yards of your bed and that you heard
-nothing of it?"</p>
-<p>"I do not know what to think. It is all dark to me."</p>
-<p>"But perhaps it may grow lighter as we go. What do you think,
-Miss Holder?"</p>
-<p>"I confess that I still share my uncle’s perplexity."</p>
-<p>"Your son had no shoes or slippers on when you saw him?"</p>
-<p>"He had nothing on save only his trousers and shirt."</p>
-<p>"Thank you. We have certainly been favoured with extraordinary
-luck during this inquiry, and it will be entirely our own fault
-if we do not succeed in clearing the matter up. With your
-permission, Mr. Holder, I shall now continue my investigations
-outside."</p>
-<p>He went alone, at his own request, for he explained that any
-unnecessary footmarks might make his task more difficult. For an
-hour or more he was at work, returning at last with his feet
-heavy with snow and his features as inscrutable as ever.</p>
-<p>"I think that I have seen now all that there is to see, Mr.
-Holder," said he; "I can serve you best by returning to my
-rooms."</p>
-<p>"But the gems, Mr. Holmes. Where are they?"</p>
-<p>"I cannot tell."</p>
-<p>The banker wrung his hands. "I shall never see them again!" he
-cried. "And my son? You give me hopes?"</p>
-<p>"My opinion is in no way altered."</p>
-<p>"Then, for God’s sake, what was this dark business which was
-acted in my house last night?"</p>
-<p>"If you can call upon me at my Baker Street rooms to-morrow
-morning between nine and ten I shall be happy to do what I can to
-make it clearer. I understand that you give me carte blanche to
-act for you, provided only that I get back the gems, and that you
-place no limit on the sum I may draw."</p>
-<p>"I would give my fortune to have them back."</p>
-<p>"Very good. I shall look into the matter between this and then.
-Good-bye; it is just possible that I may have to come over here
-again before evening."</p>
-<p>It was obvious to me that my companion’s mind was now made up
-about the case, although what his conclusions were was more than
-I could even dimly imagine. Several times during our homeward
-journey I endeavoured to sound him upon the point, but he always
-glided away to some other topic, until at last I gave it over in
-despair. It was not yet three when we found ourselves in our
-rooms once more. He hurried to his chamber and was down again in
-a few minutes dressed as a common loafer. With his collar turned
-up, his shiny, seedy coat, his red cravat, and his worn boots, he
-was a perfect sample of the class.</p>
-<p>"I think that this should do," said he, glancing into the glass
-above the fireplace. "I only wish that you could come with me,
-Watson, but I fear that it won’t do. I may be on the trail in
-this matter, or I may be following a will-o'-the-wisp, but I
-shall soon know which it is. I hope that I may be back in a few
-hours." He cut a slice of beef from the joint upon the sideboard,
-sandwiched it between two rounds of bread, and thrusting this
-rude meal into his pocket he started off upon his expedition.</p>
-<p>I had just finished my tea when he returned, evidently in
-excellent spirits, swinging an old elastic-sided boot in his
-hand. He chucked it down into a corner and helped himself to a
-cup of tea.</p>
-<p>"I only looked in as I passed," said he. "I am going right on."</p>
-<p>"Where to?"</p>
-<p>"Oh, to the other side of the West End. It may be some time
-before I get back. Don’t wait up for me in case I should be
-late."</p>
-<p>"How are you getting on?"</p>
-<p>"Oh, so so. Nothing to complain of. I have been out to Streatham
-since I saw you last, but I did not call at the house. It is a
-very sweet little problem, and I would not have missed it for a
-good deal. However, I must not sit gossiping here, but must get
-these disreputable clothes off and return to my highly
-respectable self."</p>
-<p>I could see by his manner that he had stronger reasons for
-satisfaction than his words alone would imply. His eyes twinkled,
-and there was even a touch of colour upon his sallow cheeks. He
-hastened upstairs, and a few minutes later I heard the slam of
-the hall door, which told me that he was off once more upon his
-congenial hunt.</p>
-<p>I waited until midnight, but there was no sign of his return, so
-I retired to my room. It was no uncommon thing for him to be away
-for days and nights on end when he was hot upon a scent, so that
-his lateness caused me no surprise. I do not know at what hour he
-came in, but when I came down to breakfast in the morning there
-he was with a cup of coffee in one hand and the paper in the
-other, as fresh and trim as possible.</p>
-<p>"You will excuse my beginning without you, Watson," said he, "but
-you remember that our client has rather an early appointment this
-morning."</p>
-<p>"Why, it is after nine now," I answered. "I should not be
-surprised if that were he. I thought I heard a ring."</p>
-<p>It was, indeed, our friend the financier. I was shocked by the
-change which had come over him, for his face which was naturally
-of a broad and massive mould, was now pinched and fallen in,
-while his hair seemed to me at least a shade whiter. He entered
-with a weariness and lethargy which was even more painful than
-his violence of the morning before, and he dropped heavily into
-the armchair which I pushed forward for him.</p>
-<p>"I do not know what I have done to be so severely tried," said
-he. "Only two days ago I was a happy and prosperous man, without
-a care in the world. Now I am left to a lonely and dishonoured
-age. One sorrow comes close upon the heels of another. My niece,
-Mary, has deserted me."</p>
-<p>"Deserted you?"</p>
-<p>"Yes. Her bed this morning had not been slept in, her room was
-empty, and a note for me lay upon the hall table. I had said to
-her last night, in sorrow and not in anger, that if she had
-married my boy all might have been well with him. Perhaps it was
-thoughtless of me to say so. It is to that remark that she refers
-in this note:</p>
-<p>"<span class="emphasis"><em>MY DEAREST UNCLE:--I feel that I have brought trouble upon you,
-and that if I had acted differently this terrible misfortune
-might never have occurred. I cannot, with this thought in my
-mind, ever again be happy under your roof, and I feel that I must
-leave you forever. Do not worry about my future, for that is
-provided for; and, above all, do not search for me, for it will
-be fruitless labour and an ill-service to me. In life or in
-death, I am ever your loving,--MARY.</em></span></p>
-<p>"What could she mean by that note, Mr. Holmes? Do you think it
-points to suicide?"</p>
-<p>"No, no, nothing of the kind. It is perhaps the best possible
-solution. I trust, Mr. Holder, that you are nearing the end of
-your troubles."</p>
-<p>"Ha! You say so! You have heard something, Mr. Holmes; you have
-learned something! Where are the gems?"</p>
-<p>"You would not think 1000 pounds apiece an excessive sum for
-them?"</p>
-<p>"I would pay ten."</p>
-<p>"That would be unnecessary. Three thousand will cover the matter.
-And there is a little reward, I fancy. Have you your check-book?
-Here is a pen. Better make it out for 4000 pounds."</p>
-<p>With a dazed face the banker made out the required check. Holmes
-walked over to his desk, took out a little triangular piece of
-gold with three gems in it, and threw it down upon the table.</p>
-<p>With a shriek of joy our client clutched it up.</p>
-<p>"You have it!" he gasped. "I am saved! I am saved!"</p>
-<p>The reaction of joy was as passionate as his grief had been, and
-he hugged his recovered gems to his bosom.</p>
-<p>"There is one other thing you owe, Mr. Holder," said Sherlock
-Holmes rather sternly.</p>
-<p>"Owe!" He caught up a pen. "Name the sum, and I will pay it."</p>
-<p>"No, the debt is not to me. You owe a very humble apology to that
-noble lad, your son, who has carried himself in this matter as I
-should be proud to see my own son do, should I ever chance to
-have one."</p>
-<p>"Then it was not Arthur who took them?"</p>
-<p>"I told you yesterday, and I repeat to-day, that it was not."</p>
-<p>"You are sure of it! Then let us hurry to him at once to let him
-know that the truth is known."</p>
-<p>"He knows it already. When I had cleared it all up I had an
-interview with him, and finding that he would not tell me the
-story, I told it to him, on which he had to confess that I was
-right and to add the very few details which were not yet quite
-clear to me. Your news of this morning, however, may open his
-lips."</p>
-<p>"For heaven’s sake, tell me, then, what is this extraordinary
-mystery!"</p>
-<p>"I will do so, and I will show you the steps by which I reached
-it. And let me say to you, first, that which it is hardest for me
-to say and for you to hear: there has been an understanding
-between Sir George Burnwell and your niece Mary. They have now
-fled together."</p>
-<p>"My Mary? Impossible!"</p>
-<p>"It is unfortunately more than possible; it is certain. Neither
-you nor your son knew the true character of this man when you
-admitted him into your family circle. He is one of the most
-dangerous men in England—a ruined gambler, an absolutely
-desperate villain, a man without heart or conscience. Your niece
-knew nothing of such men. When he breathed his vows to her, as he
-had done to a hundred before her, she flattered herself that she
-alone had touched his heart. The devil knows best what he said,
-but at least she became his tool and was in the habit of seeing
-him nearly every evening."</p>
-<p>"I cannot, and I will not, believe it!" cried the banker with an
-ashen face.</p>
-<p>"I will tell you, then, what occurred in your house last night.
-Your niece, when you had, as she thought, gone to your room,
-slipped down and talked to her lover through the window which
-leads into the stable lane. His footmarks had pressed right
-through the snow, so long had he stood there. She told him of the
-coronet. His wicked lust for gold kindled at the news, and he
-bent her to his will. I have no doubt that she loved you, but
-there are women in whom the love of a lover extinguishes all
-other loves, and I think that she must have been one. She had
-hardly listened to his instructions when she saw you coming
-downstairs, on which she closed the window rapidly and told you
-about one of the servants' escapade with her wooden-legged lover,
-which was all perfectly true.</p>
-<p>"Your boy, Arthur, went to bed after his interview with you but
-he slept badly on account of his uneasiness about his club debts.
-In the middle of the night he heard a soft tread pass his door,
-so he rose and, looking out, was surprised to see his cousin
-walking very stealthily along the passage until she disappeared
-into your dressing-room. Petrified with astonishment, the lad
-slipped on some clothes and waited there in the dark to see what
-would come of this strange affair. Presently she emerged from the
-room again, and in the light of the passage-lamp your son saw
-that she carried the precious coronet in her hands. She passed
-down the stairs, and he, thrilling with horror, ran along and
-slipped behind the curtain near your door, whence he could see
-what passed in the hall beneath. He saw her stealthily open the
-window, hand out the coronet to someone in the gloom, and then
-closing it once more hurry back to her room, passing quite close
-to where he stood hid behind the curtain.</p>
-<p>"As long as she was on the scene he could not take any action
-without a horrible exposure of the woman whom he loved. But the
-instant that she was gone he realised how crushing a misfortune
-this would be for you, and how all-important it was to set it
-right. He rushed down, just as he was, in his bare feet, opened
-the window, sprang out into the snow, and ran down the lane,
-where he could see a dark figure in the moonlight. Sir George
-Burnwell tried to get away, but Arthur caught him, and there was
-a struggle between them, your lad tugging at one side of the
-coronet, and his opponent at the other. In the scuffle, your son
-struck Sir George and cut him over the eye. Then something
-suddenly snapped, and your son, finding that he had the coronet
-in his hands, rushed back, closed the window, ascended to your
-room, and had just observed that the coronet had been twisted in
-the struggle and was endeavouring to straighten it when you
-appeared upon the scene."</p>
-<p>"Is it possible?" gasped the banker.</p>
-<p>"You then roused his anger by calling him names at a moment when
-he felt that he had deserved your warmest thanks. He could not
-explain the true state of affairs without betraying one who
-certainly deserved little enough consideration at his hands. He
-took the more chivalrous view, however, and preserved her
-secret."</p>
-<p>"And that was why she shrieked and fainted when she saw the
-coronet," cried Mr. Holder. "Oh, my God! what a blind fool I have
-been! And his asking to be allowed to go out for five minutes!
-The dear fellow wanted to see if the missing piece were at the
-scene of the struggle. How cruelly I have misjudged him!"</p>
-<p>"When I arrived at the house," continued Holmes, "I at once went
-very carefully round it to observe if there were any traces in
-the snow which might help me. I knew that none had fallen since
-the evening before, and also that there had been a strong frost
-to preserve impressions. I passed along the tradesmen’s path, but
-found it all trampled down and indistinguishable. Just beyond it,
-however, at the far side of the kitchen door, a woman had stood
-and talked with a man, whose round impressions on one side showed
-that he had a wooden leg. I could even tell that they had been
-disturbed, for the woman had run back swiftly to the door, as was
-shown by the deep toe and light heel marks, while Wooden-leg had
-waited a little, and then had gone away. I thought at the time
-that this might be the maid and her sweetheart, of whom you had
-already spoken to me, and inquiry showed it was so. I passed
-round the garden without seeing anything more than random tracks,
-which I took to be the police; but when I got into the stable
-lane a very long and complex story was written in the snow in
-front of me.</p>
-<p>"There was a double line of tracks of a booted man, and a second
-double line which I saw with delight belonged to a man with naked
-feet. I was at once convinced from what you had told me that the
-latter was your son. The first had walked both ways, but the
-other had run swiftly, and as his tread was marked in places over
-the depression of the boot, it was obvious that he had passed
-after the other. I followed them up and found they led to the
-hall window, where Boots had worn all the snow away while
-waiting. Then I walked to the other end, which was a hundred
-yards or more down the lane. I saw where Boots had faced round,
-where the snow was cut up as though there had been a struggle,
-and, finally, where a few drops of blood had fallen, to show me
-that I was not mistaken. Boots had then run down the lane, and
-another little smudge of blood showed that it was he who had been
-hurt. When he came to the highroad at the other end, I found that
-the pavement had been cleared, so there was an end to that clue.</p>
-<p>"On entering the house, however, I examined, as you remember, the
-sill and framework of the hall window with my lens, and I could
-at once see that someone had passed out. I could distinguish the
-outline of an instep where the wet foot had been placed in coming
-in. I was then beginning to be able to form an opinion as to what
-had occurred. A man had waited outside the window; someone had
-brought the gems; the deed had been overseen by your son; he had
-pursued the thief; had struggled with him; they had each tugged
-at the coronet, their united strength causing injuries which
-neither alone could have effected. He had returned with the
-prize, but had left a fragment in the grasp of his opponent. So
-far I was clear. The question now was, who was the man and who
-was it brought him the coronet?</p>
-<p>"It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the
-impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the
-truth. Now, I knew that it was not you who had brought it down,
-so there only remained your niece and the maids. But if it were
-the maids, why should your son allow himself to be accused in
-their place? There could be no possible reason. As he loved his
-cousin, however, there was an excellent explanation why he should
-retain her secret—the more so as the secret was a disgraceful
-one. When I remembered that you had seen her at that window, and
-how she had fainted on seeing the coronet again, my conjecture
-became a certainty.</p>
-<p>"And who could it be who was her confederate? A lover evidently,
-for who else could outweigh the love and gratitude which she must
-feel to you? I knew that you went out little, and that your
-circle of friends was a very limited one. But among them was Sir
-George Burnwell. I had heard of him before as being a man of evil
-reputation among women. It must have been he who wore those boots
-and retained the missing gems. Even though he knew that Arthur
-had discovered him, he might still flatter himself that he was
-safe, for the lad could not say a word without compromising his
-own family.</p>
-<p>"Well, your own good sense will suggest what measures I took
-next. I went in the shape of a loafer to Sir George’s house,
-managed to pick up an acquaintance with his valet, learned that
-his master had cut his head the night before, and, finally, at
-the expense of six shillings, made all sure by buying a pair of
-his cast-off shoes. With these I journeyed down to Streatham and
-saw that they exactly fitted the tracks."</p>
-<p>"I saw an ill-dressed vagabond in the lane yesterday evening,"
-said Mr. Holder.</p>
-<p>"Precisely. It was I. I found that I had my man, so I came home
-and changed my clothes. It was a delicate part which I had to
-play then, for I saw that a prosecution must be avoided to avert
-scandal, and I knew that so astute a villain would see that our
-hands were tied in the matter. I went and saw him. At first, of
-course, he denied everything. But when I gave him every
-particular that had occurred, he tried to bluster and took down a
-life-preserver from the wall. I knew my man, however, and I
-clapped a pistol to his head before he could strike. Then he
-became a little more reasonable. I told him that we would give
-him a price for the stones he held—1000 pounds apiece. That
-brought out the first signs of grief that he had shown. <span class="emphasis"><em>Why,
-dash it all!</em></span> said he, <span class="emphasis"><em>I’ve let them go at six hundred for the
-three!</em></span> I soon managed to get the address of the receiver who had
-them, on promising him that there would be no prosecution. Off I
-set to him, and after much chaffering I got our stones at 1000
-pounds apiece. Then I looked in upon your son, told him that all
-was right, and eventually got to my bed about two o’clock, after
-what I may call a really hard day’s work."</p>
-<p>"A day which has saved England from a great public scandal," said
-the banker, rising. "Sir, I cannot find words to thank you, but
-you shall not find me ungrateful for what you have done. Your
-skill has indeed exceeded all that I have heard of it. And now I
-must fly to my dear boy to apologise to him for the wrong which I
-have done him. As to what you tell me of poor Mary, it goes to my
-very heart. Not even your skill can inform me where she is now."</p>
-<p>"I think that we may safely say," returned Holmes, "that she is
-wherever Sir George Burnwell is. It is equally certain, too, that
-whatever her sins are, they will soon receive a more than
-sufficient punishment."</p>
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