〃You　appear　to　have　been　very　prompt　and　business…like　in　all　that
  you　have　done。　Was　there　any　clue；　may　I　ask；　as　to　the　exact　hour
  that　the　man　met　his　death？〃
  〃He　had　been　there　since　one　o'clock。　There　was　rain　about　that
  time；　and　his　death　had　certainly　been　before　the　rain。〃
  〃But　that　is　perfectly　impossible；　Mr。　Baynes；〃　cried　our　client。
  〃His　voice　is　unmistakable。　I　could　swear　to　it　that　it　was　he　who
  addressed　me　in　my　bedroom　at　that　very　hour。〃
  〃Remarkable；　but　by　no　means　impossible；〃　said　Holmes；　smiling。
  〃You　have　a　clue？〃　asked　Gregson。
  〃On　the　face　of　it　the　case　is　not　a　very　complex　one；　though　it
  certainly　presents　some　novel　and　interesting　features。　A　further
  knowledge　of　facts　is　necessary　before　I　would　venture　to　give　a　final
  and　definite　opinion。　By　the　way；　Mr。　Baynes；　did　you　find　anything
  remarkable　besides　this　note　in　your　examination　of　the　house？〃
  The　detective　looked　at　my　friend　in　a　singular　way。
  〃There　were；〃　said　he；　〃one　or　two　very　remarkable　things。　Perhaps
  when　I　have　finished　at　the　police…station　you　would　care　to　come
  out　and　give　me　your　opinion　of　them。〃
  〃I　am　entirely　at　your　service；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes；　ringing　the
  bell。　〃You　will　show　these　gentlemen　out；　Mrs。　Hudson；　and　kindly　send
  the　boy　with　this　telegram。　He　is　to　pay　a　five…shilling　reply。〃
  We　sat　for　some　time　in　silence　after　our　visitors　had　left。
  Holmes　smoked　hard；　with　his　brows　drawn　down　over　his　keen　eyes；
  and　his　head　thrust　forward　in　the　eager　way　characteristic　of　the
  man。
  〃Well；　Watson；〃　he　asked；　turning　suddenly　upon　me；　〃What　do　you
  make　of　it？〃
  〃I　can　make　nothing　of　this　mystification　of　Scott　Eccles。〃
  〃But　the　crime？〃
  〃Well；　taken　with　the　disappearance　of　the　man's　companions；　I
  should　say　that　they　were　in　some　way　concerned　in　the　murder　and
  had　fled　from　justice。〃
  〃That　is　certainly　a　possible　point　of　view。　On　the　face　of　it　you
  must　admit；　however；　that　it　is　very　strange　that　his　two　servants
  should　have　been　in　a　conspiracy　against　him　and　should　have
  attacked　him　on　the　one　night　when　he　had　a　guest。　They　had　him
  alone　at　their　mercy　every　other　night　in　the　week。〃
  〃Then　why　did　they　fly？〃
  〃Quite　so。　Why　did　they　fly？　There　is　a　big　fact。　Another　big　fact
  is　the　remarkable　experience　of　our　client；　Scott　Eccles。　Now；　my　dear
  Watson；　is　it　beyond　the　limits　of　human　ingenuity　to　furnish　an
  explanation　which　would　cover　both　these　big　facts？　If　it　were　one
  which　would　also　admit　of　the　mysterious　note　with　its　very　curious
  phraseology；　why；　then　it　would　be　worth　accepting　as　a　temporary
  hypothesis。　If　the　fresh　facts　which　come　to　our　knowledge　all　fit
  themselves　into　the　scheme；　then　our　hypothesis　may　gradually　become　a
  solution。〃
  〃But　what　is　our　hypothesis？〃
  Holmes　leaned　back　in　his　chair　with　half…closed　eyes。
  〃You　must　admit　my　dear　Watson；　that　the　idea　of　a　joke　is
  impossible。　There　were　grave　events　afoot。　as　the　sequel　showed；　and
  the　coaxing　of　Scott　Eccles　to　Wisteria　Lodge　had　some　connection　with
  them。〃
  〃But　what　possible　connection？〃
  〃Let　us　take　it　link　by　link。　There　is；　on　the　face　of　it；　something
  unnatural　about　this　strange　and　sudden　friendship　between　the　young
  Spaniard　and　Scott　Eccles。　It　was　the　former　who　forced　the　pace。　He
  called　upon　Eccles　at　the　other　end　of　London　on　the　very　day　after　he
  first　met　him；　and　he　kept　in　close　touch　with　him　until　he　got　him
  down　to　Esher。　Now；　what　did　he　want　with　Eccles？　What　could　Eccles
  supply？　I　see　no　charm　in　the　man。　He　is　not　particularly　intelligent…
  not　a　man　likely　to　be　congenial　to　a　quick…witted　Latin。　Why；　then；
  was　he　picked　out　from　all　the　other　people　whom　Garcia　met　as
  particularly　suited　to　his　purpose？　Has　he　any　one　outstanding
  quality？　I　say　that　he　has。　He　is　the　very　type　of　conventional
  British　respectability；　and　the　very　man　as　a　witness　to　impress
  another　Briton。　You　saw　yourself　how　neither　of　the　inspectors　dreamed
  of　questioning　his　statement；　extraordinary　as　it　was。〃
  〃But　what　was　he　to　witness？〃
  〃Nothing；　as　things　turned　out；　but　everything　had　they　gone　another
  way。　That　is　how　I　read　the　matter。〃
  〃I　see；　he　might　have　proved　an　alibi。〃
  〃Exactly；　my　dear　Watson；　he　might　have　proved　an　alibi。　We　will
  suppose；　for　arguments　sake；　that　the　household　of　Wisteria　Lodge
  are　confederates　in　some　design。　The　attempt；　whatever　it　may　be；　is
  to　come　off；　we　will　say；　before　one　o'clock。　By　some　juggling　of
  the　clocks　it　is　quite　possible　that　they　may　have　got　Scott　Eccles　to
  bed　earlier　than　he　thought　but　in　any　case　it　is　likely　that　when
  Garcia　went　out　of　his　way　to　tell　him　that　it　was　one　it　was　really
  not　more　than　twelve。　If　Garcia　could　do　whatever　he　had　to　do　and
  be　back　by　the　hour　mentioned　he　had　evidently　a　powerful　reply　to　any
  accusation。　Here　was　this　irreproachable　Englishman　ready　to　swear
  in　any　court　of　law　that　the　accused　was　in　his　house　all　the　time。　It
  was　an　insurance　against　the　worst。〃
  〃Yes；　yes；　I　see　that。　But　how　about　the　disappearance　of　the
  others？〃
  〃I　have　not　all　my　facts　yet　but　I　do　not　think　there　are　any
  insuperable　difficulties。　Still；　it　is　an　error　to　argue　in　front　of
  your　data。　You　find　yourself　insensibly　twisting　them　round　to　fit
  your　theories。〃
  〃And　the　message？〃
  〃How　did　it　run？　'Our　own　colours；　green　and　white。'　Sounds　like
  racing。　'Green　open；　white　shut。'　that　is　clearly　a　signal。　'Main
  stair；　first　corridor；　seventh　right；　green　baize。'　This　is　an
  assignation。　We　may　find　a　jealous　husband　at　the　bottom　of　it　all。　It
  was　clearly　a　dangerous　quest。　She　would　not　have　said　'Godspeed'
  had　it　not　been　so。　'D'…　that　should　be　a　guide。〃
  〃The　man　was　a　Spaniard。　I　suggest　that　'D'　stands　for　Dolores；　a
  common　female　name　in　Spain。〃
  〃Good；　Watson；　very　good…　but　quite　inadmissible。　A　Spaniard　would
  write　to　a　Spaniard　in　Spanish。　The　writer　of　this　note　is　certainly
  English。　Well；　we　can　only　possess　our　souls　in　patience　until　this
  excellent　inspector　comes　back　for　us。　Meanwhile　we　can　thank　our
  lucky　fate　which　has　rescued　us　for　a　few　short　hours　from　the
  insufferable　fatigues　of　idleness。〃
  An　answer　had　arrived　to　Holmes's　telegram　before　our　Surrey　officer
  had　returned。　Holmes　read　it　and　was　about　to　place　it　in　his　notebook
  when　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　my　expectant　face。　He　tossed　it　across
  with　a　laugh。
  〃We　are　moving　in　exalted　circles；〃　said　he。
  The　telegram　was　a　list　of　names　and　addresses：
  Lord　Harringby；　The　Dingle；　Sir　George　Ffolliott；　Oxshott　Towers；
  Mr。　Hynes　Hynes；　J。　P。；　Purdey　Place；　Mr。　James　Baker　Williams；　Forton
  Old　Hall；　Mr。　Henderson；　High　Gable；　Rev。　Joshua　Stone；　Nether
  Walsling。
  〃This　is　a　very　obvious　way　of　limiting　our　field　of　operations；〃
  said　Holmes。　〃No　doubt　Baynes；　with　his　methodical　mind；　has　already
  adopted　some　similar　plan。〃
  〃I　don't　quite　understand。〃
  〃Well；　my　dear　fellow；　we　have　already　arrived　at　the　conclusion
  that　the　message　received　by　Garcia　at　dinner　was　an　appointment　or　an
  assignation。　Now；　if　the　obvious　reading　of　it　is　correct　and　in　order
  to　keep　this　tryst　one　has　to　ascend　a　main　stair　and　seek　the　seventh
  door　in　a　corridor；　it　is　perfectly　clear　that　the　house　is　a　very
  large　one。　It　is　equally　certain　that　this　house　cannot　be　more　than　a
  mile　or　two　from　Oxshott；　since　Garcia　was　walking　in　that　direction
  and　hoped；　according　to　my　reading　of　the　facts；　to　be　back　in
  Wisteria　Lodge　in　time　to　avail　himself　of　an　alibi；　which　would
  only　be　valid　up　to　one　o'clock。　As　the　number　of　large　houses　close
  to　Oxshott　must　be　limited；　I　adopted　the　obvious　method　of　sending　to
  the　agents　mentioned　by　Scott　Eccles　and　obtaining　a　list　of　them。
  Here　they　are　in　this　telegram；　and　the　other　end　of　our　tangled　skein
  must　lie　among　them。〃
  It　was　nearly　six　o'clock　before　we　found　ourselves　in　the　pretty
  Surrey　village　of　Esher；　with　Inspector　Baynes　as　our　companion。
  Holmes　and　I　had　taken　things　for　the　night；　and　found　comfortable
  quarters　at　the　Bull。　Finally　we　set　out　in　the　company　of　the
  detective　on　our　visit　to　Wisteria　Lodge。　It　was　a　cold；　dark　March
  evening；　with　a　sharp　wind　and　a　fine　rain　beating　upon　our　faces；　a
  fit　setting　for　the　wild　common　over　which　our　road　passed　and　the
  tragic　goal　to　which　it　led　us。
  2。　The　Tiger　of　San　Pedro
  A　cold　and　melancholy　walk　of　a　couple　of　miles　brought　us　to　a　high
  wooden　gate；　which　opened　into　a　gloomy　avenue　of　chestnuts。　The
  curved　and　shadowed　drive　led　us　to　a　low；　dark　house；　pitch…black
  against　a　slate…coloured　sky。　From　the　front　window　upon　the　left　of
  the　door　there　peeped　a　glimmer　of　a　feeble　light。
  〃There's　a　constable　in　possession；〃　said　Baynes。　〃I'll　knock　at　the
  window。〃　He　stepped　across　the　grass　plot　and　tapped　with　his　hand
  on　the　pane。　Through　the　fogged　glass　I　dimly　saw　a　man　spring　up　from
  a　chair　beside　the　fire；　and　heard　a　sharp　cry　from　within　the　room。
  An　instant　later　a　white…faced；　hard…breathing　policeman　had　opened