It was already dark when we reached it. A card was lying on thehall table, and the butler whispered something to his master, whoturned to us with agitation in every heavy feature.
“The Duke is here,” said he. “The Duke and Mr. Wilder are inthe study. Come, gentlemen, and I will introduce you.”
I was, of course, familiar with the pictures of the famousstatesman, but the man himself was very different from hisrepresentation. He was a tall and stately person, scrupulouslydressed, with a drawn, thin face, and a nose which was grotesquelycurved and long. His complexion was of a dead pallor, whichwas more startling by contrast with a long, dwindling beard ofvivid red, which flowed down over his white waistcoat with hiswatch-chain gleaming through its fringe. Such was the statelypresence who looked stonily at us from the centre of Dr. Huxtable’shearthrug. Beside him stood a very young man, whom I understoodto be Wilder, the private secretary. He was small, nervous, alert withintelligent light-blue eyes and mobile features. It was he who atonce, in an incisive and positive tone, opened the conversation.
“I called this morning, Dr. Huxtable, too late to prevent youfrom starting for London. I learned that your object was to inviteMr. Sherlock Holmes to undertake the conduct of this case. HisGrace is surprised, Dr. Huxtable, that you should have taken sucha step without consulting him.”
“When I learned that the police had failed——”
“His Grace is by no means convinced that the police havefailed.”
“But surely, Mr. Wilder——”
“You are well aware, Dr. Huxtable, that his Grace is particularlyanxious to avoid all public scandal. He prefers to take as fewpeople as possible into his confidence.”
“The matter can be easily remedied,” said the brow-beatendoctor; “Mr. Sherlock Holmes can return to London by themorning train.”
“Hardly that, Doctor, hardly that,” said Holmes, in his blandestvoice. “This northern air is invigorating and pleasant, so I proposeto spend a few days upon your moors, and to occupy my mindas best I may. Whether I have the shelter of your roof or of thevillage inn is, of course, for you to decide.”
I could see that the unfortunate doctor was in the last stage ofindecision, from which he was rescued by the deep, sonorous voiceof the red-bearded Duke, which boomed out like a dinner-gong.
“I agree with Mr. Wilder, Dr. Huxtable, that you would havedone wisely to consult me. But since Mr. Holmes has already beentaken into your confidence, it would indeed be absurd that weshould not avail ourselves of his services. Far from going to theinn, Mr. Holmes, I should be pleased if you would come and staywith me at Holdernesse Hall.”
“I thank your Grace. For the purposes of my investigation, Ithink that it would be wiser for me to remain at the scene of themystery.”
“Just as you like, Mr. Holmes. Any information which Mr.
Wilder or I can give you is, of course, at your disposal.”
“It will probably be necessary for me to see you at the Hall,”
said Holmes. “I would only ask you now, sir, whether you haveformed any explanation in your own mind as to the mysteriousdisappearance of your son?”
“No sir I have not.”
“Excuse me if I allude to that which is painful to you, but I haveno alternative. Do you think that the Duchess had anything to dowith the matter?”
The great minister showed perceptible hesitation.
“I do not think so,” he said, at last.
“The other most obvious explanation is that the child has beenkidnapped for the purpose of levying ransom. You have not hadany demand of the sort?”
“No, sir.”
“One more question, your Grace. I understand that you wroteto your son upon the day when this incident occurred.”
“No, I wrote upon the day before.”
“Exactly. But he received it on that day?”
“Yes.”
“Was there anything in your letter which might have unbalancedhim or induced him to take such a step?”
“No, sir, certainly not.”
“Did you post that letter yourself?”
The nobleman’s reply was interrupted by his secretary, whobroke in with some heat.
“His Grace is not in the habit of posting letters himself,” saidhe. “This letter was laid with others upon the study table, and Imyself put them in the post-bag.”
“You are sure this one was among them?”
“Yes, I observed it.”
“How many letters did your Grace write that day?”
“Twenty or thirty. I have a large correspondence. But surely thisis somewhat irrelevant?”
“Not entirely,” said Holmes.
“For my own part,” the Duke continued, “I have advised thepolice to turn their attention to the south of France. I have alreadysaid that I do not believe that the Duchess would encourage somonstrous an action, but the lad had the most wrong-headedopinions, and it is possible that he may have fled to her, aided andabetted by this German. I think, Dr. Huxtable, that we will nowreturn to the Hall.”
I could see that there were other questions which Holmeswould have wished to put, but the nobleman’s abrupt mannershowed that the interview was at an end. It was evident that to hisintensely aristocratic nature this discussion of his intimate familyaffairs with a stranger was most abhorrent, and that he feared lestevery fresh question would throw a fiercer light into the discreetlyshadowed corners of his ducal history.
When the nobleman and his secretary had left, my friendflung himself at once with characteristic eagerness into theinvestigation.
The boy’s chamber was carefully examined, and yielded nothingsave the absolute conviction that it was only through the windowthat he could have escaped. The German master’s room andeffects gave no further clue. In his case a trailer of ivy had givenway under his weight, and we saw by the light of a lantern themark on the lawn where his heels had come down. That one dintin the short, green grass was the only material witness left of thisinexplicable nocturnal flight.
