At last, by a sudden
impulse, just as our train was crawling out of a suburban station,
he sprang on to the platform and pulled me out after him.
"Excuse me, my dear fellow," said he, as we watched the rear
carriages of our train disappearing round a curve; "I am sorry
to make you the victim of what may seem a mere whim, but on my
life, Watson, I simply CAN'T leave that case in this condition.
Every instinct that I possess cries out against it.
It's wrong -- it's all wrong -- I'll swear that it's wrong.
And yet the lady's story was complete, the maid's corroboration
was sufficient, the detail was fairly exact. What have I to put
against that? Three wine-glasses, that is all. But if I had
not taken things for granted, if I had examined everything with
care which I would have shown had we approached the case DE NOVO
and had no cut-and-dried story to warp my mind, would I not then
have found something more definite to go upon? Of course I should.
Sit down on this bench, Watson, until a train for Chislehurst
arrives, and allow me to lay the evidence before you, imploring
you in the first instance to dismiss from your mind the idea that
anything which the maid or her mistress may have said must
necessarily be true.
Pages:
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477