II

“My name is Helen Stoner, and I am living with my stepfather, who is the last of one of the oldest families in England, the Roylotts of Stoke Moran.

“The family was at one time among the richest in England, but at present only a few acres of land and an old house are left. The last squire lived the horrible life of a poor aristocrat; but his only son, my stepfather took a medical degree and went to India, where, by his professional skill and his force of character, he established a large practice. In a fit of anger, however, he beat his native servant to death and went to prison. After that he returned to England a gloomy and disappointed man.

“When Dr. Roylott was in India he married my mother, Mrs. Stoner, the young widow. My sister Julia and I were twins, and we were only two years old at the time of my mother’s second marriage. She had a considerable sum of money and all this she left to Dr. Roylott while we lived with him, but a certain sum should be paid to each of us every year in the event of our marriage. After our return to England my mother died – she was killed eight years ago in a railway accident. Dr. Roylott then left London and took us to live with him in the old house at Stoke Moran. The money which my mother had left was enough for all our wants, and it seemed we could be happy.

“But a terrible change occurred to our stepfather at this time. Instead of making friends with our neighbours, who at first were happy to see a Roylott back in Stoke Moran, he shut himself up in his house. When he seldom came out, he started quarrels with anyone whom he met. A number of horrible quarrels occurred, two of which ended in the court, until at last he became the terror of the village, and the people hid at his approach, for he is a man of great strength in his terrible fits of anger.

“He has no friends at all except gypsies, and he allows them to stay in the park near the house. He loves also Indian animals, and he has at this moment a cheetah and a baboon, which go freely over the park and are feared by the people of the village almost as much as their master.

“You can imagine from what I say that my poor sister Julia and I had no great pleasure in our lives. No servant stayed with us, and for a long time we did all the work of the house. She was thirty at the time of her death, but her hair was turning gray like mine.”

“Your sister is dead, then?”

“She died two years ago, and it is of her death that I wish to speak to you. You can understand that, living the life which I have described, we saw very few people. We had, however, an aunt, who we were allowed to visit. Julia went there at Christmas two years ago, and met there a young officer, to whom she became engaged. My stepfather learned of the engagement when my sister returned and did not say anything against the marriage; but two weeks before the wedding, the terrible event occurred and I lost my only companion.”

Sherlock Holmes had been sitting in his chair with his eyes closed, but now he glanced at his visitor.

“Please give us all the details,” said he.

“It is easy for me to do so, for I remember every event of that time. The house is, as I have already said, very old, and only the bedrooms are on the ground floor. Of these bedrooms the first is Dr. Roylott’s, the second is my sister’s, and the third is my own. There are no doors between them, but they all open out into the same corridor.

“The windows of the three rooms open out upon the park. That fatal night Dr. Roylott had gone to his room early, though we knew that he had not gone to bed, for my sister was troubled by the smell of the strong Indian cigars which he smoked. She left her room, therefore, and came into mine, where she sat for some time, talking about her approaching wedding. At eleven o’clock she rose to leave me, but she paused at the door and looked back.

“ ‘Tell me, Helen,’ said she, ‘have you ever heard anyone whistle at night?’

“ ‘Never. But why?’ said I.

“ ‘Because during the last few nights I have always, about three in the morning, heard a low, clear whistle. I cannot tell where it came from – perhaps from the next room, perhaps from the park. I thought that I would ask you whether you had heard it.’

‘No, I have not. It must be those gypsies in the park.’

“ ‘Very likely. And if it were in the park, it is strange that you did not hear it also.’

“ ‘Ah, but I do not hear anything when I am asleep.’

She smiled back at me, closed my door, and a few moments later I heard her key turn in the lock.”

“Did you always lock yourselves in at night?” asked Holmes.

“Always.”

“And why?”

“I think that I said that the doctor kept a cheetah and a baboon. We had no feeling of security if our doors were not locked.”

“I see. But forgive me for interrupting you. Please continue your story.”

Exercises

1. Answer the questions:

1. What did you learn about the Roylotts of Stoke Moran?

2. Why did Dr. Roylott return to England from India a gloomy and disappointed man?

3. How did it happen that Dr. Roylott lived in Stoke Moran with his two stepdaughters?

4. Who else lived in the house?

5. What were the relations between Dr. Roylott and other people in the village?

6. Why weren’t Julia and Helen happy?

7. How did it happen that Julia became engaged to be married?

8. What did you learn about the house where Julia’s tragic death occurred?

9. What did the sisters speak about before Julia’s death?

10. Why did the sisters lock their bedrooms?

Think and say

1. Was Dr. Roylott a good doctor? Would you like him to be your family doctor? Why do you think so?

2. Was it easy for the sisters to marry? Why do you think so?

2. Find the following phrases in the text and reproduce situations from the text with them. Give Russian equivalents.

1. to be left

2. to leave smth to smb

3. to make friends with smb

4. to be / become engaged to smb

engagement (to smb)

5. to open out on / upon / into

3. Paraphrase the underlined parts of the sentences so as to use the phrases above.

1. Tony is a very sociable boy, he can become the friend of anybody.

2. How long before the wedding did they agree to get married?

3. It was only after his aunt’s death that Robert learned he would get her house after her death.

4. After he paid all his debts, no more money remained.

5. Their room faces the park, so they have a very nice view.

6. Have you heard that John has broken off his agreement to marry June? – I didn’t even know that they agreed to marry.

7. After Miss Stoner’s sister died, she remained alone with her stepfather.

4. Complete the sentences with phrases above in the correct form.

1. Susan doesn’t want her bedroom… the sea. She says the noise of the sea won’t let her sleep.

2. There were a lot of shops in the street a few years ago. But only two… The others have been closed.

3. I didn’t know that Alex and Anne… to be married.

4. When Bob came to a new school, he wanted… his new classmates.

5. Peter’s father… him his gold watch, and Peter always wears it.

6. Walter gave Alice an… ring. They are to be married next month.

7. After her children married, Mrs Sykes… alone in her big house.

III

“I could not sleep that night. I had a vague feeling that something bad was coming. It was a wild night. The wind was very strong outside, and the rain was beating against the windows. Suddenly, there was a wild scream of a terrified woman. I knew that it was my sister’s voice. I got out of my bed, and rushed into the corridor. As I opened my door I seemed to hear a low whistle, such as my sister described, and a few moments later a strange sound, as if metal had fallen. As I ran down the corridor, my sister’s door was unlocked, and opened slowly. By the light of the corridor-lamp I saw my sister appear in the doorway, her face pale with terror, she could hardly stand. I ran to her and threw my arms round her, but at that moment she fell to the ground. She seemed to be in terrible pain. As I bent over her she suddenly cried out in a voice which I shall never forget, ‘Oh, my God! Helen! It was the band! The speckled band!’ There was something else which she wanted to say, and she pointed her finger at the door of the doctor’s room, but she could not speak. I called loudly for my stepfather, and I saw him running from his room. When he reached my sister’s side she was unconscious, and though he sent for a doctor from the village, she died without having recovered her consciousness.”

“One moment,” said Holmes, “are you sure about this whistle and metallic sound?”

“That was what the police asked me. I believe I heard it, but I may have made a mistake.”

“Was your sister dressed?”

“No, she was in her night-dress. In her right hand wе found a burnt match, and in her left a match-box.”

“It shows that she struck a light and looked about her when she heard a noise. That is important. And what conclusions did the police come to?”

“They investigated the case with great care, for Dr. Roylott had a very bad reputation, but they were unable to find any satisfactory cause of death. The door was locked on the inside, and the windows were blocked. The walls and the floor were examined, with no result. It is clear, therefore, that my sister was alone when she met her end. Besides, there were no marks of any violence upon her.”

“How about poison?”

“The doctors examined her for it, but without any result.”

“What do you think your sister died of, then?”

“I believe she died of fear and nervous shock, though what frightened her I cannot imagine.”

“Were there gypsies in the park at the time?”

“Yes, there are nearly always some there.”

“Ah, and what did you think of her last words – a speckled band?”

“Sometimes I have thought that she spoke of some band of people, perhaps of the gypsies in the park. So many of them wear the speckled handkerchiefs over their heads.”

Holmes shook his head like a man who was not satisfied.

“Two years have passed since then, and my life has been lonelier than ever. A month ago, however, a dear friend, whom I have known for many years, asked my hand in marriage. His name is Armitage – Percy Armitage. My stepfather has nothing against the marriage, and we are to be married in spring. Two days ago some repairs were started in the house, and I had to move into the room in which my sister died, and to sleep in the bed in which she slept. Imagine, then, terror when last night I suddenly heard the low whistle which my sister had heard before her death. I got up and lit the lamp, but saw nothing unusual in the room. I was too frightened to go to bed again, however, so I dressed, and as soon as it was daylight I left the house, got a dog-cart and drove to the station, from where I have come on this morning to see you and to ask your advice.”

“You have done well,” said my friend. “But have you told me all?”

“Yes, all.”

“Miss Roylott, you have not.”

“Why, what do you mean?”

For answer Holmes took her hand that lay upon our visitor’s knee. The marks of a very strong hand were printed on it.

“Your stepfather has been cruel to you,” said Holmes.

“He is a hard man,” she said, “and perhaps he hardly knows his own strength.”

There was a long silence, during which Holmes looked into the fire.

“This is a very deep business,” he said at last. “There are a thousand details which I should like to know before I decide what to do. We have not a moment to lose. If we come to Stoke Moran to-day, would it be possible for us to see these rooms without the knowledge of your stepfather?”

“He spoke of going to town to-day upon some most important business. It is probable that he will be away all day. We have a housekeeper now, but she is old and foolish.”

“Perfect. You are not against this trip, Watson?”

“No, I am not.”

“Then we shall both come. What are you going to do yourself?”

“I have one or two things to do now in town. But I shall return by the twelve o’clock train, and I shall be there in time for your coming.”