'I must go now,' said Miss Stoner. 'But I feel much happier, now
that I have told you about my troubles. Goodbye.' She pulled her
veil over her face and left the room.
Holmes leant back in his chair.
'Well, Watson,' he said, 'this matter is very strange.'
'I don't understand it,' I said. 'Helen Stoner's sister, Julia, was
alone in her bedroom. Nobody could get in or out. So how did
she die?'
'And what about the whistle in the night?' said Holmes. 'And
the dying woman's words about the "speckled band"?'
'I don't know,' I said. 'Perhaps the band of gypsies . . .'
Suddenly the door of our room was thrown open and a man
appeared. He was so large that his body almost filled the doorway.
His face was red and his eyes were cruel.
The man stared at Holmes. Then he looked at me.
'Which of you is Holmes?' he asked rudely.
'That's my name,' answered my friend quietly.
'Well, I'm Dr Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran,' said the
man. 'I know my stepdaughter's been here. I followed her. What
has she been saying to you?'
Holmes was not afraid of the large man. He was not going to
tell Dr Roylott anything about Helen Stoner's visit. So he said
politely, 'The weather is a little cold just now, isn't it?'
'Answer my question!' shouted Dr Roylott angrily. 'What
has my stepdaughter been saying to you? I've heard about
you, Holmes. You're a busybody. You interfere in other people's
lives. Well, keep out of my life. I'm a dangerous man.
Look!'
A poker was lying beside the fire. It was made of iron and was
very heavy. Dr Roylott stepped forward and picked it up. He bent
the poker with his huge hands. Then he threw it back into the
fireplace.
'I'm warning you, Holmes. Keep out of my life!' he said again.
Then he left the room.