expel me from this practice.'
'I can assure you that I have no reason whatsoever to believe that my client's motives are in any wise dishonourable. He simply seeks the truth.'
'So you admit that Dowling is your client! He has engaged your services behind my back to spy on me! By God, sir, this is intolerable!'
He took a step forward and for a moment I believed that he was about to strike my friend. I tensed and so did Holmes, but then Abergavenny paused and uttered a hollow laugh.
'You will have to forgive me, gentlemen. For a moment I was about to cast legal caution to the wind.' He gave Holmes a hard look. 'I remembered in the nick of time my professional training – and also the fact that you once fought with McMurdo. Besides, fisticuffs will solve nothing. I would simply say this to you – a few errors at work, even an instance of professional negligence, none of these matters justifies the campaign of persecution to which I am currently being subjected. There is nothing worthy of your talents here, Mr Holmes. Good day, gentlemen.'
With that, he turned on his heel and left the room. For a little while the two of us sat there in silence, Holmes stroking his jaw reflectively.
'What do you make of that?' I demanded at last.
'I recognize the symptoms of over-work,' my friend said softly. 'Curiouser and curiouser.'
The door opened again, this time to admit Matthew Dowling. His face had crumpled in dismay.
'Mr Holmes, I think I may have achieved the worst of all worlds. John Abergavenny has just given me verbal notice to terminate our partnership with immediate effect. He said that since I preferred to believe gossip to his word of honour, the bond of trust between us had been irreparably damaged. He said he would finish the relationship between us himself rather than wait for me to do so on spurious grounds.'
'Did he tell you where he was bound?'
Dowling shook his head. 'He has rooms above the tailor in Lamb's Conduit Street, but I suspect that his first recourse may be to a den of infamy. I dread the thought that he might take some precipitate action at a time when he is clearly very disturbed.'
He took a deep breath and made a visible effort to collect his thoughts. 'Thank you for your time, Mr Holmes. This unfortunate outcome is not your fault. You will, of course, let me have a note of your fees in early course.'
'You regard my investigation as concluded?'
'With respect, I do not see what else you can do.'
'Does it not intrigue you that, for no obvious reason, your partner's behaviour should have changed so suddenly and in such a deleterious fashion?'
'It dismays me, but I do not know what else I can do. I cannot see rhyme or reason in it.'
'Precisely. I still have the distinct impression that in this case, all the cards are yet to be put on the table. I would like to speak to the court usher you mentioned and also to your partner's brother, Hugh. Would you be willing to write me a note of introduction to the man Stewart?'
Dowling readily agreed to Holmes's request, although he was plainly unconvinced that any good would come of further
enquiries. We walked directly to the Law Courts in the Strand and were able after a short wait to see Stewart and hear about his encounter with Abergavenny at Blackfriars Bridge.
'Do you believe he meant to kill himself?' Holmes asked bluntly.
'I hesitate to say as much,' said Stewart with care. He was a desiccated fellow, as dry and dusty as a tome of Blackstone's
law reports. 'I can add nothing more to the conversation I had with Mr Dowling, save to make the obvious point that I would not have troubled him with an account of the incident had I not thought it a matter which needed to be drawn to his attention as senior partner of an eminently respectable firm.'
We could glean nothing more from him and made our way at once to the Temple. Holmes had expressed surprise when
Dowling said we might be likeliest to find Hugh Abergavenny at his old chambers in King's Bench Walk. 'I understood that he had long since ceased to practise at the Bar?'
'That is correct, but he told me he has continued to haunt the place where he first made his reputation. 'The legal world is
a source of the best stories in the world,' he said, 'If one knows where to look. I found many of my neatest plots within the four walls of my old pupil master's room'.'
The clerk's office was awash with papers and pink ribbon and I wondered how many of the briefs to counsel spread casually upon the floor contained material suitable for adaptation into tales of villainy and derring-do. Dowling's guess proved to be
accurate and within a couple of minutes a boy was directing us in to a small room at the back of the building.
Hugh Abergavenny had the same beaky nose and build as his brother, but his hair was darker and thinning. I estimated that he was perhaps ten years older than John. He stood up behind a small roll-top desk on which lay a manuscript and came forward to greet us. It was clear from his expression that he was startled by our arrival, but there was no denying the handsomeness of his greeting as he stretched out his hand in welcome. I noticed that his cuffs were frayed, confirmation if it were needed that these days he regarded himself as a writer rather than an advocate.
'Mr Sherlock Holmes! This is a rare honour. I have long devoured your exploits and admired the facility with which Dr Watson here writes them up for publication.'
'With some embellishment, I should make clear,' Holmes said amiably. 'I cannot deny that at times my colleague exaggerates my achievements in the interest of telling a good story.'
'As a novelist, I cannot imagine a worthier aim or a better fault.'
Holmes indicated the papers on the desk. 'Your current work-in-progress?'
Abergavenny hesitated for a moment before a slow grin spread across his face. 'Your legendary powers do not let you down, Mr Holmes. Yes, this is my latest novel. I put it into the hands of my literary agent this very week.'
'Splendid!' I cried. 'I am one of your most faithful readers and it is far too long since you published
The author smiled but shook his head. 'I am afraid that Alec was getting a little long in the tooth, which is why I felt the need to try something different. You are too polite to say that my last novel did not set your pulse racing, but the critics were not so diplomatic. The reason for my silence since then is that I have been endeavouring to come up with a story that would keep them, as well as my publishers, happy. It is difficult for a man to judge his own work, but I think I can promise that neither they nor you will be disappointed by
'I am delighted to hear it,' I said, unable to resist a covetous look at the sheets on the desk. 'May I say also, that if by some chance you were willing to let me have an early opportunity to satisfy my hunger for your work, I would be forever in your debt.'
He laughed rather nervously and said, 'Well, like most authors I am rather superstitious and it is not my normal practice to show my work to third parties until it has finally been accepted for publication. Your words are very kind, though, and I am not immune to compliments, especially from such a quarter. I would be willing to loan you the first chapter for, say, twenty four hours if you wish to see whether it whets your appetite.'
'You are most generous!' I said as he gathered a dozen sheets together and passed them to me.
'It is a pleasure to have such a celebrated reader. I await your verdict with bated breath. In the meantime, gentlemen, to what do I owe the privilege of this visit?'
As Holmes outlined the sequence of events that had brought us to the chambers, the smile faded from Hugh Abergavenny's face. He kept shaking his head and when he heard of the incident on Blackfriars Bridge he muttered, 'Oh no.' By the time Holmes had recounted our brief meeting with John at the office in Essex Street, it was clear that Hugh was deeply moved.
