n next morning, and her husband meets her, as he has told us, as
she comes out. She promises him then not to go there again, but two days
afterwards the hope of getting rid of those dreadful neighbors was too
strong for her, and she made another attempt, taking down with her the
photograph which had probably been demanded from her. In the midst of
this interview the maid rushed in to say that the master had come home,
on which the wife, knowing that he would come straight down to the
cottage, hurried the inmates out at the back door, into the grove of
fir-trees, probably, which was mentioned as standing near. In this way
he found the place deserted. I shall be very much surprised, however, if
it is still so when he reconnoitres it this evening. What do you think
of my theory?"

"It is all surmise."

"But at least it covers all the facts. When new facts come to our
knowledge which cannot be covered by it, it will be time enough to
reconsider it. We can do nothing more until we have a message from our
friend at Norbury."

But we had not a very long time to wait for that. It came just as we had
finished our tea. "The cottage is still tenanted," it said. "Have seen
the face again at the window. Will meet the seven o'clock train, and
will take no steps until you arrive."

He was waiting on the platform when we stepped out, and we could see in
the light of the station lamps that he was very pale, and quivering with
agitation.

"They are still there, Mr. Holmes," said he, laying his hand hard upon
my friend's sleeve. "I saw lights in the cottage as I came down. We
shall settle it now once and for all."

"What is your plan, then?" asked Holmes, as he walked down the dark
tree-lined road.

"I am going to force my way in and see for myself who is in the house. I
wish you both to be there as witnesses."

"You are quite determined to do this, in spite of your wife's warning
that it is better that you should not solve the mystery?"

"Yes, I am determined."

"Well, I think that you are in the right. Any truth is better than
indefinite doubt. We had better go up at once. Of course, legally, we
are putting ourselves hopelessly in the wrong; but I think that it is
worth it."

It was a very dark night, and a thin rain began to fall as we turned
from the high road into a narrow lane, deeply rutted, with hedges on
either side. Mr. Grant Munro pushed impatiently forward, however, and we
stumbled after him as best we could.