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1"I could not sleep that night. A vague feeling of impending misfortune impressed me. My sister and I, you will
2recollect, were twins, and you know how subtle are the links which bind two souls which are so closely allied. It was a
3wild night. The wind was howling outside, and the rain was beating and splashing against the windows. Suddenly, amid all
4the hubbub of the gale, there burst forth the wild scream of a terrified woman. I knew that it was my sister's voice. I
5sprang from my bed, wrapped a shawl round me, and rushed into the corridor. As I opened my door I seemed to hear a low
6whistle, such as my sister described, and a few moments later a clanging sound, as if a mass of metal had fallen. As I
7ran down the passage, my sister's door was unlocked, and revolved slowly upon its hinges. I stared at it
8horror-stricken, not knowing what was about to issue from it. By the light of the corridor-lamp I saw my sister appear
9at the opening, her face blanched with terror, her hands groping for help, her whole figure swaying to and fro like that
10of a drunkard. I ran to her and threw my arms round her, but at that moment her knees seemed to give way and she fell to
11the ground. She writhed as one who is in terrible pain, and her limbs were dreadfully convulsed. At first I thought that
12she had not recognised me, but as I bent over her she suddenly shrieked out in a voice which I shall never forget, 'Oh,
13my God! Helen! It was the band! The speckled band!' There was something else which she would fain have said, and she
14stabbed with her finger into the air in the direction of the Doctor's room, but a fresh convulsion seized her and choked
15her words. I rushed out, calling loudly for my stepfather, and I met him hastening from his room in his dressing-gown.
16When he reached my sister's side she was unconscious, and though he poured brandy down her throat and sent for medical
17aid from the village, all efforts were in vain, for she slowly sank and died without having recovered her consciousness.
18Such was the dreadful end of my beloved sister." "One moment," said Holmes, "are you sure about this whistle and
19metallic sound? Could you swear to it?" "That was what the county coroner asked me at the inquiry. It is my strong
20impression that I heard it, and yet, among the crash of the gale and the creaking of an old house, I may possibly have
21been deceived." "Was your sister dressed?" "No, she was in her night-dress. In her right hand was found the charred
22stump of a match, and in her left a match-box." "Showing that she had struck a light and looked about her when the alarm
23took place. That is important. And what conclusions did the coroner come to?" "He investigated the case with great care,
24for Dr. Roylott's conduct had long been notorious in the county, but he was unable to find any satisfactory cause of
25death. My evidence showed that the door had been fastened upon the inner side, and the windows were blocked by
26old-fashioned shutters with broad iron bars, which were secured every night. The walls were carefully sounded, and were
27shown to be quite solid all round, and the flooring was also thoroughly examined, with the same result. The chimney is
28wide, but is barred up by four large staples. It is certain, therefore, that my sister was quite alone when she met her
29end. Besides, there were no marks of any violence upon her." "How about poison?" "The doctors examined her for it, but
30without success." "What do you think that this unfortunate lady died of, then?" "It is my belief that she died of pure
31fear and nervous shock, though what it was that frightened her I cannot imagine." "Were there gipsies in the plantation
32at the time?" "Yes, there are nearly always some there." "Ah, and what did you gather from this allusion to a band--a
33speckled band?" "Sometimes I have thought that it was merely the wild talk of delirium, sometimes that it may have
34referred to some band of people, perhaps to these very gipsies in the plantation. I do not know whether the spotted
35handkerchiefs which so many of them wear over their heads might have suggested the strange adjective which she used."
36Holmes shook his head like a man who is far from being satisfied. "These are very deep waters," said he; "pray go on
37with your narrative." "Two years have passed since then, and my life has been until lately lonelier than ever. A month
38ago, however, a dear friend, whom I have known for many years, has done me the honour to ask my hand in marriage. His
39name is Armitage--Percy Armitage--the second son of Mr. Armitage, of Crane Water, near Reading. My stepfather has
40offered no opposition to the match, and we are to be married in the course of the spring. Two days ago some repairs were
41started in the west wing of the building, and my bedroom wall has been pierced, so that I have had to move into the
42chamber in which my sister died, and to sleep in the very bed in which she slept. Imagine, then, my thrill of terror
43when last night, as I lay awake, thinking over her terrible fate, I suddenly heard in the silence of the night the low
44whistle which had been the herald of her own death. I sprang up and lit the lamp, but nothing was to be seen in the
45room. I was too shaken to go to bed again, however, so I dressed, and as soon as it was daylight I slipped down, got a
46dog-cart at the Crown Inn, which is opposite, and drove to Leatherhead, from whence I have come on this morning with the
47one object of seeing you and asking your advice." "You have done wisely," said my friend. "But have you told me all?"
48"Yes, all." "Miss Roylott, you have not. You are screening your stepfather." "Why, what do you mean?" For answer Holmes
49pushed back the frill of black lace which fringed the hand that lay upon our visitor's knee. Five little livid spots,
50the marks of four fingers and a thumb, were printed upon the white wrist. "You have been cruelly used," said Holmes. The
51lady coloured deeply and covered over her injured wrist. "He is a hard man," she said, "and perhaps he hardly knows his
52own strength." There was a long silence, during which Holmes leaned his chin upon his hands and stared into the
53crackling fire. "This is a very deep business," he said at last. "There are a thousand details which I should desire to
54know before I decide upon our course of action. Yet we have not a moment to lose. If we were to come to Stoke Moran
55to-day, would it be possible for us to see over these rooms without the knowledge of your stepfather?" "As it happens,
56he spoke of coming into town to-day upon some most important business. It is probable that he will be away all day, and
57that there would be nothing to disturb you. We have a housekeeper now, but she is old and foolish, and I could easily
58get her out of the way." "Excellent. You are not averse to this trip, Watson?" "By no means." "Then we shall both come.
59What are you going to do yourself?" "I have one or two things which I would wish to do now that I am in town. But I
60shall return by the twelve o'clock train, so as to be there in time for your coming." "And you may expect us early in
61the afternoon. I have myself some small business matters to attend to. Will you not wait and breakfast?" "No, I must go.
62My heart is lightened already since I have confided my trouble to you. I shall look forward to seeing you again this
63afternoon." She dropped her thick black veil over her face and glided from the room. "And what do you think of it all,
64Watson?" asked Sherlock Holmes, leaning back in his chair. "It seems to me to be a most dark and sinister business."
65"Dark enough and sinister enough." "Yet if the lady is correct in saying that the flooring and walls are sound, and that
66the door, window, and chimney are impassable, then her sister must have been undoubtedly alone when she met her
67mysterious end." "What becomes, then, of these nocturnal whistles, and what of the very peculiar words of the dying
68woman?" "I cannot think."
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