Holmes went out for the morning, but he came back at
lunch-time. We then went by train into the country,
and took a taxi to Dr Roylott's house. 'You see,' said
Holmes to me, 'our dangerous friend Roylott needs the
girls' money, because he only has £750 a year from his
dead wife. I found that out this morning. But the
The Speckled Band 7
gipsies, the whistle, the band - they are more difficult
to understand, but I think I have an answer.'
When we arrived, Helen Stoner showed us the three
bedrooms. We saw her room first.
'Why are they mending your bedroom wall?' asked
Holmes. 'There's nothing wrong with it.'
'You're right,' she said. 'I think it was a plan to
move me into my sister's room.'
'Yes,' said Holmes. We went into Julia's room, and
Holmes looked at the windows carefully.
'Nobody could come in from outside,' he said. Then
he looked round the room. 'Why is that bell-rope
there, just over the bed?'
'My stepfather put it there two years ago. It's for
calling a servant, but Julia and I never used it because