We ascended to Mr. Trelawny's room, where we found everything exactly as his daughter had described.
There came a ring at the house bell, and a minute later a man was shown into the room. A young man with aquiline features, keen grey eyes, and a forehead that stood out square and broad as that of a thinker. In his hand he had a black bag which he at once opened. Miss Trelawny introduced us: 'Doctor Winchester, Mr. Ross, Superintendent Dolan.' We bowed mutually, and he, without a moment's delay, began his work. We all waited, and eagerly watched him as he proceeded to dress the wound. As he went on he turned now and again to call the Superintendent's attention to some point about the wound, the latter proceeding to enter the fact at once in his notebook.
'See! several parallel cuts or scratches beginning on the left side of the wrist and in some places endangering the radial artery.
'These small wounds here, deep and jagged, seem as if made with a blunt instrument. This in particular would seem as if made with some kind of sharp wedge; the flesh round it seems torn as if with lateral pressure.'
Turning to Miss Trelawny he said presently:
'Do you think we might remove this bangle? It is not absolutely necessary, as it will fall lower on the wrist where it can hang loosely; but it might add to the patient's comfort later on.' The poor girl flushed deeply as she answered in a low voice:
'I do not know. I—I have only recently come to live with my Father; and I know so little of his life or his ideas that I fear I can hardly judge in such a matter. The Doctor, after a keen glance at her, said in a very kindly way:
'Forgive me! I did not know. But in any case you need not be distressed. It is not required at present to move it. Were it so I should do so at once on my own responsibility. If it be necessary later on, we can easily remove it with a file. Your Father doubtless has some object in keeping it as it is. See! there is a tiny key attached to it....' As he was speaking he stopped and bent lower, taking from my hand the candle which I held and lowering it till its light fell on the bangle. Then motioning me to hold the candle in the same position, he took from his pocket a magnifying-glass which he adjusted. When he had made a careful examination he stood up and handed the magnifying-glass to Dolan, saying as he did so:
'You had better examine it yourself. That is no ordinary bangle. The gold is wrought over triple steel links; see where it is worn away. It is manifestly not meant to be removed lightly; and it would need more than an ordinary file to do it.'
The Superintendent bent his great body; but not getting close enough that way knelt down by the sofa as the Doctor had done. He examined the bangle minutely, turning it slowly round so that no particle of it escaped observation. Then he stood up and handed the magnifying-glass to me. 'When you have examined it yourself,' he said, 'let the lady look at it if she will,' and he commenced to write at length in his notebook.
I made a simple alteration in his suggestion. I held out the glass toward Miss Trelawny, saying:
'Had you not better examine it first?' She drew back, slightly raising her hand in disclaimer, as she said impulsively:
'Oh no! Father would doubtless have shown it to me had he wished me to see it. I would not like to without his consent.' Then she added, doubtless fearing lest her delicacy of view should give offence to the rest of us:
'Of course it is right that you should see it. You have to examine and consider everything; and indeed—indeed I am grateful to you...'
She turned away; I could see that she was crying quietly. It was evident to me that even in the midst of her trouble and anxiety there was a chagrin that she knew so little of her father; and that her ignorance had to be shown at such a time and amongst so many strangers. That they were all men did not make the shame more easy to bear, though there was a certain relief in it. Trying to interpret her feelings I could not but think that she must have been glad that no woman's eyes—of understanding greater than man's—were upon her in that hour.
When I stood up from my examination, which verified to me that of the Doctor, the latter resumed his place beside the couch and went on with his ministrations. Superintendent Dolan said to me in a whisper:
'I think we are fortunate in our doctor!' I nodded, and was about to add something in praise of his acumen, when there came a low tapping at the door.
Chapter II
Strange Instructions
Superintendent Dolan went quietly to the door; by a sort of natural understanding he had taken possession of affairs in the room. The rest of us waited. He opened the door a little way; and then with a gesture of manifest relief threw it wide, and a young man stepped in. A young man clean-shaven, tall and slight; with an eagle face and bright, quick eyes that seemed to take in everything around him at a glance. As he came in, the Superintendent held out his hand; the two men shook hands warmly.
'I came at once, sir, the moment I got your message. I am glad I still have your confidence.'
'That you'll always have,' said the Superintendent heartily. 'I have not forgotten our old Bow Street days, and I never shall!' Then, without a word of preliminary, he began to tell everything he knew up to the moment of the newcomer's entry. Sergeant Daw asked a few questions—a very few—when it was necessary for his understanding of circumstances or the relative positions of persons; but as a rule Dolan, who knew his work thoroughly, forestalled every query, and explained all necessary matters as he went on. Sergeant Daw threw occasionally swift glances round him; now at one of us; now at the room or some part of it; now at the wounded man lying senseless on the sofa.
When the Superintendent had finished, the Sergeant turned to me and said:
'Perhaps you remember me, sir. I was with you in that Hoxton case.'
'I remember you very well,' I said as I held out my hand. The Superintendent spoke again:
'You understand, Sergeant Daw, that you are put in full charge of this case.'
'Under you I hope, sir,' he interrupted. The other shook his head and smiled as he said:
'It seems to me that this is a case that will take all a man's time and his brains. I have other work to do; but I shall be more than interested, and if I can help in any possible way I shall be glad to do so!'
'All right, sir,' said the other, accepting his responsibility with a sort of modified salute; straightway he began his investigation.
First he came over to the Doctor and, having learned his name and address, asked him to write a full report which he could use, and which he could refer to headquarters if necessary. Doctor Winchester bowed gravely as he promised. Then the Sergeant approached me and said sotto voce:
'I like the look of your doctor. I think we can work together!' Turning to Miss Trelawny he asked:
'Please let me know what you can of your Father; his ways of life, his history—in fact of anything of whatsoever kind which interests him, or in which he may be concerned.' I was about to interrupt to tell him what she had already said of her ignorance in all matters of her father and his ways, but her warning hand was raised to me pointedly and she spoke herself.
'Alas! I know little or nothing. Superintendent Dolan and Mr. Ross know already all I can say.'
'Well, ma'am, we must be content to do what we can,' said the officer genially. 'I'll begin by making a minute examination. You say that you were outside the door when you heard the noise?'
'I was in my room when I heard the queer sound—indeed it must have been the early part of whatever it was which woke me. I came out of my room at once. Father's door was shut, and I could see the whole landing and the upper slopes of the staircase. No one could have left by the door unknown to me, if that is what you mean!'
'That is just what I do mean, miss. If every one who knows anything will tell me as well as that, we shall soon get to the bottom of this.'
He then went over to the bed, looked at it carefully, and asked:
'Has the bed been touched?'
'Not to my knowledge,' said Miss Trelawny, 'but I shall ask Mrs. Grant—the housekeeper,' she added as she rang the bell. Mrs. Grant answered it in person. 'Come in,' said Miss Trelawny. 'These gentlemen want to know, Mrs. Grant, if the bed has been touched.'
