Themaeredwasastrangeandimpressivefigure。Hisslow,limpingstepandbowedshavetheappearaude,ahishard,deep-lined,craggyfeatures,andhisenormouslimbsshowedthatheossessedofunusualstrengthofbodyandofcharacter。Histangledbeard,grizzledhair,andoutstanding,droopingeyebrowsbiogiveanairofdignityaohisappearahisfacewasofae,whilehislipsandtheersofhisnostrilsweretihashadeofblue。Itwaseataglahewasinthegripofsomedeadlyandicdisease。
"Praysitdownonthesofa,"saidHolmesgently。"Youhadmy;
"Yes,thelodge-keeperbroughtitup。Yousaidthatyouwishedtoseemeheretoavoidsdal。"
"IthoughtpeoplewouldtalkifIwenttotheHall。"
"Andwhydidyouwishtoseeme?"Helookedaypanionwithdespairinhiswearyeyes,asthoughhisquestionwasalreadyanswered。
"Yes,"saidHolmes,ahelookratherthanthewords。"Itisso。IknowallaboutMcCarthy。"
Theoldmansankhisfahishands。"Godhelpme!"hecried。"ButIwouldheyoungmaiveyoumywordthatIokenoutifitwentagainsthimattheAssizes。"
"Iamgladtohearyousayso,"saidHolmesgravely。
"Iokennowhaditnotbeenfirl。Itwouldbreakherheart。。。itwillbreakherheartwheIamarrested。"
"Itmay,"saidHolmes。
"What?"
"Iamnooffit。Iuhatitwasyhterwhorequiredmypresencehere,andIamaheris。YoungMcCarthymustbegotoff,however。"
"Iamadyingman,"saidoldTur;Ihavehaddiabetesforyears。MydoctorsaysitisaquestioherIshallliveamoIwouldratherdieundermyownroofthaninagaol。"
Holmesroseandsatdowablewithhispeninhishandandabundleofpaperbeforehim。"Justtellusthetruth,"hesaid。"Ishalljotdows。Youwillsignit,andWatsohenIcouldproduceyouratthelastextremitytosaveyoungMcCarthy。IpromiseyouthatIshalluisabsolutely;
"It'saswell,"saidtheoldman,"it'saquestioherIshalllivetotheAssizes,soitmatterslittletome,butIshouldwishtospareAlicetheshoowIwillmakethethioyou;ithasbeenaloheag,butwillnottakemelongtotell。
"Youdidn'tknowthisdeadman,McCarthy。Hewasadeviliellyouthat。Godkeepyououtoftheclutchesofsuashe。Hisgriphasbeewentyyears,andhehasblastedmylife。I'lltellyoufirsthowIcametobeinhispower。
"Itwasintheearly60'satthediggings。Iwasayoung,hot-bloodedandreckless,readytoturnmyhandatanything;Igotamongbadpanions,tooktodrink,hadnoluckwithmyclaim,tooktothebush,andinawordbecamewhatyouwouldcallhwayrobber。Thereweresixofus,andwehadawild,freelifeofit,stigupastationfromtimetthewagoothediggings。BlackJackofBallaratwastheunder,andourpartyisstillrememberedintheyastheBallaratGang。
"OnedayagoldedownfromBallarattoMelbourne,andwelayinwaitforitahereweresixtroopersandsixofus,soitwasag,butweemptiedfouroftheirsaddlesatthefirstvolley。Threeofourboyswerekilled,however,befotthesutmypistoltotheheadofthewagon-driver,whowasthisverymanMcCarthy。IwishtotheLordthatIhadshothimthen,butIsparedhim,thoughIsawhiswickedlittleeyesfixedohoughtoremembereveryfeature。iththegold,becamewealthymen,andmadeourwaylandwithoutbeihereIpartedfrommyoldpalsaosettledowntoaquietaablelife。Iboughtthisestate,whicedtobei,amyselftodoalittlegoodwithmymoomakeupforthewayinwhichIhadear。Imarried,too,andthoughmywifediedyoumemydearlittleAliwheababyherweehaoleadmedhtpathasnothingelsehadeverdone。Inaword,Iturnedoveranewleafanddidmybesttomakeupforthepast。AllwasgoingwellwhenMcCarthylaidhisgripuponme。
"Ihadgoownabouta,ahimiwithhardlyacoattohisbackoraboottohisfoot。
"'Hereweare,Jack,'sayshe,tou;'we'llbeasgoodasafamilytoyou。There'stwoofus,meandmyson,andyouhavethekeepingofus。Ifyoudon't。。。it'safine,law-abidingtryisEngland,andthere'saloliwithinhail。'
"Well,dowothewesttry,therewasnoshakingthemoff,aheyhavelivedrentfreeolandeversiherewasforme,nopeaetfulurnwhereIwould,therewashisg,grimyelboorseasAlicegrewup,forhesoonsawIwasmoreafraidmypastthanofthepolice。Whateverhewahave,awasIgavehimwithoutquestion,land,moilatlastheaskedathingwhichIotgive。HeaskedforAlice。
"Hisson,yousee,hadgrownup,andsohadmygirl,andasIwasknowntobeiseemedafihathisladshouldstepintothewholeproperty。ButthereIwasfirm。IwouldnothavehisixedwithmiIhadahelad,buthisbloodwasinhim,andthatwasenough。Istoodfirm。McCarthythreatened。Ibravedhimtodohiseretomeetatthepoolmidwaybetweenourhousestotalkitover。
"nthereIfoundhimtalkingwithhisson,soIsmokedadwaitedbehiilheshouldbealoasIlisteohistalkallthatwasbladbitterioost。Hewasurginghisshterwithaslittleregardforwhatshemightthinkasifshewereaslutfromoffthestreets。ItdrovememadtothinkthatIandallthatIheldmostdearshouldbeinthepowerofsuasthis。otsnapthebond?Iwasalreadyadyingaeman。Thoughindandfairlystrongoflimb,Ikmyownfatewassealed。Butmymemoryandmygirl!BothcouldbesavedifIcouldbutsilefoulto,MrHolmes。Iwoulddoitagain。DeeplyasIhavesinned,Ihaveledalifeofmartyrdomtoato。ButthatmygirlshouldbeehesamemesheswhichheldmewasmorethanIcouldsuffer。Istruckhimdownwithionthanifhehadbeensomefoulandve。Hiscrybroughtba;butIhadgaihecoverofthewood,thoughIwasfobacktofetchthecloakedinmyflight。Thatisthetruestentlemen,ofallthatoccurred。"
"Well,itisojudgeyou,"saidHolmesastheoldmaatementwhichhadbeendrawnout。"Ipraythatwemayosuchatemptation。"
"Ipraynot,sir。Andwhatdoyouiodo?"
"Inviewofyourhealth,nothing。YouareyourselfawarethatyouwillsoooanswerforyourdeedatahighertheAssizes。Iwillkeepyour,andifMcCarthyisnedIshallbeforcedtouseit。Ifnot,itshallneverbeseenbymortaleye;a,whetheryoubealiveordead,shallbesafewithus。"
"Farewell,then,"saidtheoldmansolemnly。"Yourowhbeds,whentheye,willbetheeasierforthethoughtofthepeacewhichyouhavegiveandshakinginallhisgiaumbledslowlyfromtheroom。
"Godhelpus!"saidHolmesafteralo;Whydoesfateplaysuchtrickswithpoor,helplessworms?IneverhearofsuchacaseasthisthatIdonotthinkofBaxter'swords,andsay,'There,butfod,goesSherloes。'"
&hywasacquittedattheAssizesthofanumberofobjeswhichhadbeendrawnoutbyHolmesandsubmittedtothedefendiurnerlivedforsevenmoerview,butheishereiseveryprospectthatthesonanddaughtermayetolivehappilytheblackcloudwhichrestsupo。