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2. The speckled band.

CHAPTER I

One morning in April 1883, my friend Sherlock Holmes woke me up at a very early hour.

We were living in the same flat at that time. I was surprised because he never got up before

ten o 'clock, but it was only a quarter past seven then. A young lady has just come to

see me, Holmes said. She is in the sitting -room. She needs my help immediately. She is in a

very bad condition. I would like you to come to the sitting -room and hear her story too.

I may need your help. So I got dressed quickly and went into the sitting -room. The young lady

was dressed in black and had a black veil over her face. The room was warm, but she was

shivering. Would you like some coffee? Holmes asked. You seem to be cold. No. Thank

you, she answered. I am not cold, but I am very scared. I am afraid someone will kill

me. She lifted her veil as she said these. Her face was pale and she looked very frightened.

She was a young lady, but her hair was graying. My name is Helen Stoner, she said. I live

in the country. I came to London on the six o 'clock train and then hired a carriage to

come here. I am in big trouble, but I can't explain it to anyone. Only you can help me,

Mr. Holmes. I have heard about you from Mrs. Farantash. She told me how good you are in

your business. So I got your address from her. Oh, I remember her case. I found her stolen

emerald necklace. I would like to help you, too. Please tell me the problem, said Holmes

very kindly. I live with my stepfather, Dr. Raylot. His family was once very rich and famous

in England. But later, before he was born, they lost all their money and land. They only had

a house in the country. We live in one part of that huge 200 -year -old house now. You see,

my stepfather lived a very poor life when he was young. Later, with the help of a rich

relative, he went to India and studied to be a doctor. There he met my mother and married

her. My sister and I were very little then, and we were living in Bengal. Our father was

a general in the army. He died in a battle and left my mother a lot of money. Our income

was a thousand pounds a year. Dr. Raylot married your mother for her money, I suppose,

Holmes said. I think so, but my mother loved him. We returned to England some time after

their marriage. Eight years ago, my mother died in a train accident, and my stepfather

got all her money. But he agreed to pay me and my sister 250 pounds every year if we got

married.

Hmm. Tell me more about this man, Miss Stoner, Holmes said. I must know all the facts about

him. So, after my mother's death, he became a rich, powerful man. He became very cruel

and violent at the same time. He stopped seeing his friends. He never went out. He quarreled

with everyone in the house and in the village. He injured several villagers because he is

very strong. All the villagers are afraid of him now. They run away when they see him.

He can't control his anger. Just last week, he got angry at a villager and threw him into

the stream. He is friendly only with the gypsy vagrants. He allows them to wander around

and camp on our land. Holmes was listening carefully. So, those gypsies are his only friends.

Is that right? He asked. Yes. And he is also kind to his exotic animals. Someone in India

has sent him a few wild animals. Right now, for example, there is a cheetah and a baboon

wandering on our land. People are afraid to come near our house. The maids were afraid

of Roylot's animals, so they all left us. My sister and I had to do everything in that

place.

Where is your sister now, asked Holmes? Oh, poor Julia is dead. She was my twin sister.

She died two years ago. That's why I need your help. Julia and I often visited our relatives

in London. There, she met a nice gentleman. He wanted to marry her. My stepfather did not

object to it, and they got engaged. Suddenly, two weeks before their wedding day, she died.

She was thirty years old then. We still don't know the cause of her death.

Please tell me the details, said Holmes. How did she die? Oh, I never forget that terrible

night. Our bedrooms are all on the ground floor of the house and next to each other. The first

one is Dr. Roylot's. And the third one is mine. The one in the middle was Julia's.

These rooms all opened to the corridor, and the windows all opened out to the lawn at the back.

That night, Dr. Roylot went to his room very early, but perhaps he didn't sleep at once.

Two hours after he left the sitting room, Julia and I went to our bedrooms. But Julia couldn't

sleep because Dr. Roylot's strong cigarette smoke was coming to her room, and it was disturbing her.

So, she came into my room and we chatted for some time.

When she was going back to her room at around eleven, she stopped at the door and said,

tell me, Helen, do you ever hear a whistle in the middle of the night?

No, never, I answered. But I thought it was a strange question.

Do you think anyone can whistle while they are sleeping was her next question? And I said,

I didn't think so. Then, she said she often heard a whistle at around three o 'clock.

She thought it came from the next room, or from the lawn. Perhaps it is the whistle of one of the

gypsies, but I don't hear it because I sleep more heavily than you do, I told her.

Then, Julia went to her own room. I locked my door after she left. And, in a few seconds,

I heard the turning of the key in her lock. At this point, Holmes stopped the young woman and asked,

did you always lock yourselves in at night? Yes, always, because we were afraid of the cheetah

and the baboon. We didn't feel safe, answered Helen's donor.

Then she went on with her story. I couldn't sleep after Julia left my room that night

because there was a terrible wind outside, and the rain was beating against the windows.

Suddenly, I heard a loud, wild scream. It was my sister's voice. I jumped out of bed and rushed

into the corridor. Suddenly, I heard a low whistle and then a clanging sound. I thought

a metal thing fell onto the floor. My sister's door was unlocked.

I opened it, and Julia was standing there. Her face was white, and she was swinging back and forth.

I put my arms around her, but she fell down and did not move.

I thought she was dead, but she suddenly cried out, oh my God, Helen, it was the band, the speckled

her finger up in the direction of our stepfather's room. He heard the noise and tried to help Julia

too, but we couldn't do anything. My poor sister was dead.

One moment, Miss Stoner, are you sure you heard a whistle and a metallic sound while you were running

to Julia's room? Holmes asked. The police asked me the same question too. I heard these sounds,

but maybe I was wrong, Helen said.

What did the police think? Asked Holmes.

They investigated the case carefully, but they couldn't find anything, said Helen.

The gypsies wear speckled bands or scarves around their necks, but Julia's door was tightly locked,

and there were iron bars on the window. So it was impossible for a gypsy to enter,

and doctors examined her body and found no poison in it. I think she died of fear and panic.

What do you think, Mr. Holmes? Holmes scratched his head, thinking,

it's hard for me to say anything at this moment, he said. I need to do some research. Now,

tell me what happened after your sister died. After her death, I was very depressed and felt very

lonely, she said. Then she went on. Luckily, two months ago, a very nice gentleman asked me to

marry him. He is an old friend. His name is Percy Armitage. I have known him for many years.

I accepted his proposal, and my stepfather had no objection. We are getting married next month.

That's very nice, Holmes said. So, why are you so scared? Why do you think someone will kill you?

Who exactly are you afraid of? Two days ago, I had to move to Julia's room. There is some

repair work in the house. My bedroom wall was damaged during the repair work, so the workers

will mend that wall. Of course, sleeping in my sister's bed made me remember the terrible

night of her death. Last night, while I was thinking about it again, I heard a whistle too.

I lit my lamp and sat until daylight. Then, I quickly left the house and went to the station

to catch the early train here. Please, Mr. Holmes, you must do something. I don't want to die like my

sister. I must examine her room before I find a solution, said Holmes. I will come to your house

today. Dr. Roylot must not know it. Do you think it is possible?

Yes, he is going to London today for some business.

He won't be home until dinner, said Helen, and I'll send the old housekeeper away when you come.

All right then, said Holmes. I have some things to do this morning, but I'll be there early

in the afternoon together with Dr. Watson. I need his help. Thank you so much, Mr. Holmes.

Now I must set off for home.