long；　deep；　reedgirt　sheet　of　water。　Thor　Mere　it　is　called。　In　the
  mouth　of　the　bridge　lay　the　dead　woman。　Such　are　the　main　facts。　But
  here；　if　I　mistake　not；　is　our　client；　considerably　before　his　time。〃
  Billy　had　opened　the　door；　but　the　name　which　he　announced　was　an
  unexpected　one。　Mr。　Marlow　Bates　was　a　stranger　to　both　of　us。　He
  was　a　thin；　nervous　wisp　of　a　man　with　frightened　eyes　and　a
  twitching；　hesitating　manner…　a　man　whom　my　own　professional　eye　would
  judge　to　be　on　the　brink　of　an　absolute　nervous　breakdown。
  〃You　seem　agitated；　Mr。　Bates；〃　said　Holmes。　〃Pray　sit　down。　I
  fear　I　can　only　give　you　a　short　time；　for　I　have　an　appointment　at
  eleven。〃
  〃I　know　you　have；〃　our　visitor　gasped；　shooting　out　short
  sentences　like　a　man　who　is　out　of　breath；　〃Mr。　Gibson　is　coming。
  Mr。　Gibson　is　my　employer。　I　am　manager　of　his　estate。　Mr。　Holmes；
  he　is　a　villain…　an　infernal　villain。〃
  〃Strong　language；　Mr。　Bates。〃
  〃I　have　to　be　emphatic；　Mr。　Holmes；　for　the　time　is　so　limited。　I
  would　not　have　him　find　me　here　for　the　world。　He　is　almost　due　now。
  But　I　was　so　situated　that　I　could　not　come　earlier。　His　secretary；
  Mr。　Ferguson；　only　told　me　this　morning　of　his　appointment　with　you。〃
  〃And　you　are　his　manager？〃
  〃I　have　given　him　notice。　In　a　couple　of　weeks　I　shall　have　shaken
  off　his　accursed　slavery。　A　hard　man；　Mr。　Holmes；　hard　to　all　about
  him。　Those　public　charities　are　a　screen　to　cover　his　private
  iniquities。　But　his　wife　was　his　chief　victim。　He　was　brutal　to　her…
  yes；　sir；　brutal！　How　she　came　by　her　death　I　do　not　know；　but　I　am
  sure　that　he　had　made　her　life　a　misery　to　her。　She　was　a　creature
  of　the　tropics；　a　Brazilian　by　birth；　as　no　doubt　you　know。〃
  〃No；　it　had　escaped　me。〃
  〃Tropical　by　birth　and　tropical　by　nature。　A　child　of　the　sun　and　of
  passion。　She　had　loved　him　as　such　women　can　love；　but　when　her　own
  physical　charms　had　faded…　I　am　told　that　they　once　were　great…
  there　was　nothing　to　hold　him。　We　all　liked　her　and　felt　for　her　and
  hated　him　for　the　way　that　he　treated　her。　But　he　is　plausible　and
  cunning。　That　is　all　I　have　to　say　to　you。　Don't　take　him　at　his
  face　value。　There　is　more　behind。　Now　I'll　go。　No；　no；　don't　detain
  me！　He　is　almost　due。〃
  With　a　frightened　look　at　the　clock　our　strange　visitor　literally
  ran　to　the　door　and　disappeared。
  〃Well！　Well！〃　said　Holmes　after　an　interval　of　silence。　〃Mr。
  Gibson　seems　to　have　a　nice　loyal　household。　But　the　warning　is　a
  useful　one；　and　now　we　can　only　wait　till　the　man　himself　appears。〃
  Sharp　at　the　hour　we　heard　a　heavy　step　upon　the　stairs；　and　the
  famous　millionaire　was　shown　into　the　room。　As　I　looked　upon　him　I
  understood　not　only　the　fears　and　dislike　of　his　manager　but　also
  the　execrations　which　so　many　business　rivals　have　heaped　upon　his
  head。　If　I　were　a　sculptor　and　desired　to　idealize　the　successful
  man　of　affairs；　iron　of　nerve　and　leathery　of　conscience；　I　should
  choose　Mr。　Neil　Gibson　as　my　model。　His　tall；　gaunt；　craggy　figure　had
  a　suggestion　of　hunger　and　rapacity。　An　Abraham　Lincoln　keyed　to
  base　uses　instead　of　high　ones　would　give　some　idea　of　the　man。　His
  face　might　have　been　chiselled　in　granite；　hard…set；　craggy；
  remorseless；　with　deep　lines　upon　it；　the　sears　of　many　a　crisis。　Cold
  gray　eyes；　looking　shrewdly　out　from　under　bristling　brows；　surveyed
  us　each　in　turn。　He　bowed　in　perfunctory　fashion　as　Holmes　mentioned
  my　name；　and　then　with　a　masterful　air　of　possession　he　drew　a　chair
  up　to　my　companion　and　seated　himself　with　his　bony　knees　almost
  touching　him。
  〃Let　me　say　right　here；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　he　began；　〃that　money　is
  nothing　to　me　in　this　case。　You　can　burn　it　if　it's　any　use　in
  lighting　you　to　the　truth。　This　woman　is　innocent　and　this　woman　has
  to　be　cleared；　and　it's　up　to　you　to　do　it。　Name　your　figure！〃
  〃My　professional　charges　are　upon　a　fixed　scale；〃　said　Holmes
  coldly。　〃I　do　not　vary　them；　save　when　I　remit　them　altogether。〃
  〃Well；　if　dollars　make　no　difference　to　you；　think　of　the
  reputation。　If　you　pull　this　off　every　paper　in　England　and　America
  will　be　booming　you。　You'll　be　the　talk　of　two　continents。〃
  〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Gibson；　I　do　not　think　that　I　am　in　need　of　booming。
  It　may　surprise　you　to　know　that　I　prefer　to　work　anonymously；　and
  that　it　is　the　problem　itself　which　attracts　me。　But　we　are　wasting
  time。　Let　us　get　down　to　the　facts。〃
  〃I　think　that　you　will　find　all　the　main　ones　in　the　press
  reports。　I　don't　know　that　I　can　add　anything　which　will　help　you。　But
  if　there　is　anything　you　would　wish　more　light　upon…　well；　I　am　here
  to　give　it。〃
  〃Well；　there　is　just　one　point。〃
  〃What　is　it？〃
  〃What　were　the　exact　relations　between　you　and　Miss　Dunbar？〃
  The　Gold　King　gave　a　violent　start　and　half　rose　from　his　chair。
  Then　his　massive　calm　came　back　to　him。
  〃I　suppose　you　are　within　your　rights…　and　maybe　doing　your　duty…　in
  asking　such　a　question；　Mr。　Holmes。〃
  〃We　will　agree　to　suppose　so；〃　said　Holmes。
  〃Then　I　can　assure　you　that　our　relations　were　entirely　and　always
  those　of　an　employer　towards　a　young　lady　whom　he　never　conversed
  with；　or　ever　saw；　save　when　she　was　in　the　company　of　his　children。〃
  Holmes　rose　from　his　chair。
  〃I　am　a　rather　busy　man；　Mr。　Gibson；〃　said　he；　〃and　I　have　no　time
  or　taste　for　aimless　conversations。　I　wish　you　good…morning。〃
  Our　visitor　had　risen　also；　and　his　great　loose　figure　towered　above
  Holmes。　There　was　an　angry　gleam　from　under　those　bristling　brows
  and　a　tinge　of　colour　in　the　sallow　cheeks。
  〃What　the　devil　do　you　mean　by　this；　Mr。　Holmes？　Do　you　dismiss　my
  case？〃
  〃Well；　Mr。　Gibson；　at　least　I　dismiss　you。　I　should　have　thought
  my　words　were　plain。〃
  〃Plain　enough；　but　what's　at　the　back　of　it？　Raising　the　price　on
  me；　or　afraid　to　tackle　it；　or　what？　I've　a　right　to　a　plain　answer。〃
  〃Well；　perhaps　you　have；〃　said　Holmes。　〃I'll　give　you　one。　This　case
  is　quite　sufficiently　complicated　to　start　with　without　the　further
  difficulty　of　false　information。〃
  〃Meaning　that　I　lie。〃
  〃Well；　I　was　trying　to　express　it　as　delicately　as　I　could；　but　if
  you　insist　upon　the　word　I　will　not　contradict　you。〃
  I　sprang　to　my　feet；　for　the　expression　upon　the　millionaire's
  face　was　fiendish　in　its　intensity；　and　he　had　raised　his　great
  knotted　fist。　Holmes　smiled　languidly　and　reached　his　hand　out　for　his
  pipe。
  〃Don't　be　noisy；　Mr。　Gibson。　I　find　that　after　breakfast　even　the
  smallest　argument　is　unsettling。　I　suggest　that　a　stroll　in　the
  morning　air　and　a　little　quiet　thought　will　be　greatly　to　your
  advantage。〃
  With　an　effort　the　Gold　King　mastered　his　fury。　I　could　not　but
  admire　him；　for　by　a　supreme　self…command　he　had　turned　in　a　minute
  from　a　hot　flame　of　anger　to　a　frigid　and　contemptuous　indifference。
  〃Well；　it's　your　choice。　I　guess　you　know　how　to　run　your　own
  business。　I　can't　make　you　touch　the　case　against　your　will。　You've
  done　yourself　no　good　this　morning；　Mr。　Holmes；　for　I　have　broken
  stronger　men　than　you。　No　man　ever　crossed　me　and　was　the　better　for
  it。〃
  〃So　many　have　said　so；　and　yet　here　I　am；〃　said　Holmes；　smiling。
  〃Well；　good　morning；　Mr。　Gibson。　You　have　a　good　deal　yet　to　learn。〃
  Our　visitor　made　a　noisy　exit；　but　Holmes　smoked　in　imperturbable
  silence　with　dreamy　eyes　fixed　upon　the　ceiling。
  〃Any　views；　Watson？〃　he　asked　at　last。
  〃Well；　Holmes；　I　must　confess　that　when　I　consider　that　this　is　a
  man　who　would　certainly　brush　any　obstacle　from　his　path；　and　when　I
  remember　that　his　wife　may　have　been　an　obstacle　and　an　object　of
  dislike；　as　that　man　Bates　plainly　told　us；　it　seems　to　me…〃
  〃Exactly。　And　to　me　also。〃
  〃But　what　were　his　relations　with　the　governess；　and　how　did　you
  discover　them？〃
  〃Bluff；　Watson；　bluff！　When　I　considered　the　passionate；
  unconventional；　unbusinesslike　tone　of　his　letter　and　contrasted　it
  with　his　self…contained　manner　and　appearance；　it　was　pretty　clear
  that　there　was　some　deep　emotion　which　centred　upon　the　accused
  woman　rather　than　upon　the　victim。　We've　got　to　understand　the　exact
  relations　of　those　three　people　if　we　are　to　reach　the　truth。　You
  saw　the　frontal　attack　which　I　made　upon　him；　and　how　imperturbably　he
  received　it。　Then　I　bluffed　him　by　giving　him　the　impression　that　I
  was　absolutely　certain；　when　in　reality　I　was　only　extremely
  suspicious。〃
  〃Perhaps　he　will　come　back？〃
  〃He　is　sure　to　come　back。　He　must　come　back。　He　can't　leave　it　where
  it　is。　Ha！　isn't　that　a　ring？　Yes；　there　is　his　footstep。　Well；　Mr。
  Gibson；　I　was　just　saying　to　Dr。　Watson　that　you　were　somewhat
  overdue。〃
  The　Gold　King　had　reentered　the　room　in　a　more　chastened　mood　than
  he　had　left　it。　His　wounded　pride　still　showed　in　his　resentful
  eyes；　but　his　common　sense　had　shown　him　that　he　must　yield　if　he
  would　attain　his　end。
  〃I've　been　thinking　it　over；　Mr。　Holmes；　and　I　feel　that　I　have　been
  hasty　in　taking　your　remarks　amiss。　You　are　justified　in　getting
  down　to　the　facts；　whatever　they　may　be；　and　I　think　the　more　of　you
  for　it。　I　can　assure　you；　however；　that　the　relati