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  〃I shall try not to miss anything of importance。 The one

unpleasant thing about the house; which struck me at once; was the

appearance and conduct of the servants。 There are only two; a man

and his wife。 Toller; for that is his name; is a rough; uncouth man;

with grizzled hair and whiskers; and a perpetual smell of drink。 Twice

since I have been with them he has been quite drunk; and yet Mr。

Rucastle seemed to take no notice of it。 His wife is a very tall and

strong woman with a sour face; as silent as Mrs。 Rucastle and much

less amiable。 They are a most unpleasant couple; but fortunately I

spend most of my time in the nursery and my own room; which are next

to each other in one corner of the building。

  〃For two days after my arrival at the Copper Beeches my life was

very quiet; on the third; Mrs。 Rucastle came down just after breakfast

and whispered something to her husband。

  〃'Oh; yes;' said he; turning to me; 'we are very much obliged to

you; Miss Hunter; for falling in with our whims so far as to cut

your hair。 I assure you that it has not detracted in the tiniest

iota from your appearance。 We shall now see how the electric…blue

dress will become you。 You will find it laid out upon the bed in

your room; and if you would be so good as to put it on we should

both be extremely obliged。'

  〃The dress which I found waiting for me was of a peculiar shade of

blue。 It was of excellent material; a sort of beige but it bore

unmistakable signs of having been worn before。 It could not have

been a better fit if I had been measured for it。 Both Mr。 and Mrs。

Rucastle expressed a delight at the look of it; which seemed quite

exaggerated in its vehemence。 They were waiting for me in the

drawing…room; which is a very large room; stretching along the

entire front of the house; with three long windows reaching down to

the floor。 A chair had been placed close to the central window; with

its back turned towards it。 In this I was asked to sit; and then Mr。

Rucastle; walking up and down on the other side of the room; began

to tell me a series of the funniest stories that I have ever

listened to。 You cannot imagine how comical he was; and I laughed

until I was quite weary。 Mrs。 Rucastle; however; who has evidently

no sense of humour; never so much as smiled; but sat with her hands in

her lap; and a sad; anxious look upon her face。 After an hour or so;

Mr。 Rucastle suddenly remarked that it was time to commence the duties

of the day; and that I might change my dress and go to little Edward

in the nursery。

  〃Two days later this same performance was gone through under exactly

similar circumstances。 Again I changed my dress; again I sat in the

window; and again I laughed very heartily at the funny stories of

which my employer had an immense repertoire; and which he told

inimitably。 Then he handed me a yellow…backed novel; and moving my

chair a little sideways; that my own shadow might not fall upon the

page; he begged me to read aloud to him。 I read for about ten minutes;

beginning in the heart of a chapter; and then suddenly; in the

middle of a sentence; he ordered me to cease and to change my dress。

  〃You can easily imagine; Mr。 Holmes; how curious I became as to what

the meaning of this extraordinary performance could possibly be。

They were always very careful; I observed; to turn my face away from

the window; so that I became consumed with the desire to see what

was going on behind my back。 At first it seemed to be impossible;

but I soon devised a means。 My hand…mirror had been broken; so a happy

thought seized me; and I concealed a piece of the glass in my

handkerchief。 On the next occasion; in the midst of my laughter; I put

my handkerchief up to my eyes; and was able with a little management

to see all that there was behind me。 I confess that I was

disappointed。 There was nothing。 At least that was my first

impression。 At the second glance; however; I perceived that there

was a man standing in the Southampton Road; a small bearded man in a

gray suit; who seemed to be looking in my direction。 The road is an

important highway; and there are usually people there。 This man;

however; was leaning against the railings which bordered our field and

was looking earnestly up。 I lowered my handkerchief and glanced at

Mrs。 Rucastle to find her eyes fixed upon me with a most searching

gaze。 She said nothing; but I am convinced that she had divined that I

had a mirror in my hand and had seen what was behind me。 She rose at

once。

  〃'Jephro;' said she; 'there is an impertinent fellow upon the road

there who stares up at Miss Hunter。'

  〃'No friend of yours; Miss Hunter?' he asked。

  〃'No; I know no one in these parts。'

  〃'Dear me! How very impertinent! Kindly turn round and motion to him

to go away。'

  〃'Surely it would be better to take no notice。'

  〃'No; no; we should have him loitering here always。 Kindly turn

round and wave him away like that。'

  〃I did as I was told; and at the same instant Mrs。 Rucastle drew

down the blind。 That was a week ago; and from that time I have not sat

again in the window; nor have I worn the blue dress; nor seen the

man in the road。〃

  〃Pray continue;〃 said Holmes。 〃Your narrative promises to be a

most interesting one。〃

  〃You will find it rather disconnected; I fear; and there may prove

to be little relation between the different incidents of which I

speak。 On the very first day that I was at the Copper Beeches; Mr。

Rucastle took me to a small outhouse which stands near the kitchen

door。 As we approached it I heard the sharp rattling of a chain; and

the sound as of a large animal moving about。

  〃Look in here!〃 said Mr。 Rucastle; showing me a slit between two

planks。 〃Is he not a beauty?〃

  〃I looked through and was conscious of two glowing eyes; and of a

vague figure huddled up in the darkness。

  〃Don't be frightened;〃 said my employer; laughing at the start which

I had given。 〃It's only Carlo; my mastiff。 I call him mine; but really

old Toller; my groom; is the only man who can do anything with him。 We

feed him once a day; and not too much then; so that he is always as

keen as mustard。 Toller lets him loose every night; and God help the

trespasser whom he lays his fangs upon。 For goodness' sake don't you

ever on any pretext set your foot over the threshold at night; for

it's as much as your life is worth。〃

  〃The warning was no idle one; for two nights later I happened to

look out of my bedroom window about two o'clock in the morning。 It was

a beautiful moonlight night; and the lawn in front of the house was

silvered over and almost as bright as day。 I was standing; rapt in the

peaceful beauty of the scene; when I was aware that something was

moving under the shadow of the copper beeches。 As it emerged into

the moonshine I saw what it was。 It was a giant dog; as large as a

calf; tawny tinted; with hanging jowl; black muzzle; and huge

projecting bones。 It walked slowly across the lawn and vanished into

the shadow upon the other side。 That dreadful sentinel sent a chill to

my heart which I do not think that any burglar could have done。

  〃And now I have a very strange experience to tell you。 I had; as you

know; cut off my hair in London; and I had placed it in a great coil

at the bottom of my trunk。 One evening; after the child was in bed;

I began to amuse myself by examining the furniture of my room and by

rearranging my own little things。 There was an old chest of drawers in

the room; the two upper ones empty and open; the lower one locked。 I

had filled the first two with my linen; and as I had still much to

pack away I was naturally annoyed at not having the use of the third

drawer。 It struck me that it might have been fastened by a mere

oversight; so I took out my bunch of keys and tried to open it。 The

very first key fitted to perfection; and I drew the drawer open。 There

was only one thing in it; but I am sure that you would never guess

what it was。 It was my coil of hair。

  〃I took it up and examined it。 It was of the same peculiar tint; and

the same thickness。 But then the impossibility of the thing obtruded

itself upon me。 How could my hair have been locked in the drawer? With

trembling hands I undid my trunk; turned out the contents; and drew

from the bottom my own hair。 I laid the two tresses together; and I

assure you that they were identical。 Was it not extraordinary?

Puzzle as I would; I could make nothing at all of what it meant。 I

returned the strange hair to the drawer; and I said nothing of the

matter to the Rucastles as I felt that I had put myself in the wrong

by opening a drawer which they had locked。

  〃I am naturally observant; as you may have remarked; Mr。 Holmes; and

I soon had a pretty good plan of the whole house in my head。 There was

one wing; however; which appeared not to be inhabited at all。 A door

which faced that which led into the quarters of the Tollers opened

into this suite; but it was invariably locked。 One day; however; as

I ascended the stair; I met Mr。 Rucastle coming out through this door;

his keys in his han

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