Sherlock Holmes - The Copper Beeches

It was a cold morning in early spring, and Sherlock Holmes and I sat after breakfast by the fire in our living room at Baker Street in London. Sherlock Holmes was silent all morning, reading the advertisements in all the newspapers. He was upset about his recent cases.

He gave me a letter he had got that morning. It was from Montague Avenue and the date was from the evening before. It said:

'Dear Mr. Holmes,

I would like to ask you about a job I was offered. I would like your advice about taking a job as a tutor. I shall call at half-past ten tomorrow morning with my father.

Yours sincerely,

Violet Hunter'

"Do you know the young lady?' I asked.

"No."

"It is 10.30 now."

"Yes, and she's ringing the doorbell."

The door opened and a young lady entered the room with her father. She was plainly but neatly dressed, with a bright, quick face, and she walked quickly.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," she said, as my friend stood up to welcome her, "but something strange has happened to me, and I need some advice.”

"Sit down, Miss Hunter. I'm happy to help you.”

"I was a tutor for five years with the same family," she said, "but two months ago the father got a job in Canada, and took his children with him. I tried to find a new post but without success. I had very little money and I started to get worried.

"There is a famous job agency for tutors and I used to call once a week to see if there were any jobs. The manager is Miss Stoper. She sits in her own little office and the ladies who are looking for employment wait outside. She calls them into her room one at a time and sees if she can find a suitable job for them.

"Well, when I called last week, I went into the little office as usual, but Miss Stoper was not alone. A fat man with a smiling face and with a pair of glasses was with her. As I came in, he jumped in his chair and turned quickly to Miss Stoper.

" 'That will do,' he said, 'I couldn't ask for anything better.'

"He seemed quite happy and rubbed his hands together. He was a very comfortable-looking man.

" 'You are looking for a job, miss?' he asked.

" 'Yes, sir.'

" 'As a tutor?'

" 'Yes, sir.'

" 'And what salary are you asking for?'

" 'I had four pounds a month in my last job.'

" 'Oh!' he cried, throwing his fat hands into the air. 'How could anyone offer so little to a well-qualified young lady?'

" 'I'm not so well-qualified,' I said.

" 'Oh!' he cried. ‘Your salary with me will begin at 100 pounds a year.'

"To me, as I was so poor, this seemed wonderful.

" 'I would also like to give you half your salary before you start working,' he said, ‘so you can buy clothes and pay for your train ticket.'

"I was very pleased, and thought he was a very kind man. However, there was something strange about this job that made me want to know more about it before I said yes.

" 'May I ask where you live, sir?' I said.

 "'In the country. The house is called ‘Copper Beeches'. It's in the loveliest countryside and is the dearest old country-house.'

" 'And I'd like to know my duties, sir.'

" 'One child who's six years old.'

" 'My only duty is to take care of a single child?' I asked.

" 'No, no, not only that,' he cried. 'Your duty will also be to obey my wife, as long as what she asks is reasonable. Isn't that easy?'

" 'I'll be happy to.'

"‘Good. But can you obey my wife in the clothes she asks you to wear, for example? We're people who like fashion. If we ask you to wear any dress that we give you, will that be acceptable?'

" 'No,' I said, very shocked at his words.

" 'Or to sit here, or sit there, would that be alright?'

" 'Oh, no.'

" 'Or to cut your hair very short before you come to us?'

"I couldn't believe it. I couldn't dream of cutting my hair.

"‘That's impossible,' I said.

"‘I am afraid that it's necessary' he said, with a dark look in his face. 'It's something that my wife requires, and it must be obeyed. You won't cut your hair?'

" 'No, sir, I really could not,' I answered firmly.

" 'Ah, that's a pity because you really would be great for the job. In that case, Miss Stoper, I must speak with a few more ladies who might be interested.'

"Miss Stoper sat busy with her papers, without saying a word, but she looked at me, very annoyed.

" 'Do you want your name to be kept in the agency's register?' she asked.

"‘Yes please, Miss Stoper.'

" 'Why, when you don't accept a good job like this one?' she said. She rang a bell and I left.

"Well, Mr. Holmes, when I got back home I began to ask myself if I had made the right choice. After all, if these people were strange, they were at least ready to pay me very well. Very few tutors in England get 100 pounds a year. Besides, why was long hair so important? Many people look better with short hair. The next day, I began to think that I had made a mistake, and by the day after I was sure. I had almost decided to call Miss Stoper and ask if the job was still open when I received this letter from the gentleman in Miss Stoper's office. I have it here and I will read it to you:

" 'Dear Miss Hunter,

" 'Miss Stoper has given me your address and I am writing to ask you if you have changed your decision. My wife would really like you to come. We are ready to give 120 pounds a year. My wife likes the colour blue and would like you to wear a blue dress indoors in the morning. We will give you a dress.

" 'However, I must still insist you cut your hair, and I hope that the extra salary may help to pay for your loss. Your duties with my child are very light. Please try to come and I will meet you with my family at The Copper Beeches.

" 'Let me know your train.

" 'Thank you,

" 'James Castle'

"That's the letter, Mr. Holmes, and I have decided to accept the job. I thought, however, that before I leave, I'd like to ask you what you think.”

"Ah, I don't have enough information. I can't say. Do you have an opinion?”

"Well, there seems to be only one solution. Mr. Castle seemed a very kind man. Maybe his wife is strange and he tries to keep her happy.”

"That is possible but it doesn't seem to be a nice place for a young lady."

"But the money, Mr. Holmes, the money!"

"Well, yes, of course the pay is good – too good. That is what worries me. Why should they give you 120 pounds a year, when they could find another person for 40? There must be a reason."

"I told you about this, so that if I need help in the future, you could help me.”

"Oh, that's fine. I'm glad to help. I think that your situation is the most interesting one I've heard about for months. Please contact me at any time if you're in trouble, and I'll come to help you.”

"That's good enough for me." She stood up, more relaxed after he said that. "I will write to Mr. Castle immediately. I'll cut my hair tonight and travel to Copper Beeches tomorrow."

She thanked us and left with her father.

Holmes then said to me, "I think that we'll hear from this nice young woman very soon."

A few days later, she sent a telegram that we received late one night. The message said:

‘Please be at the Black Swan Hotel at Copper Beeches at midday tomorrow. Please come!'

By eleven o'clock the next day we were on the train. Holmes and I talked about the young lady's situation. We decided that she was still safe because she was coming to meet us in town. She was waiting for us at the hotel near the train station with her father.

We sat down at a table and ate lunch with her.

"I'm so happy that you've come," she said. "It's very kind of you both. I don't know what I should do. I need your advice.”

"Tell us what's happened."

"First, I must say that I haven't been treated badly by Mr. and Mrs. Castle. But I cannot understand them, and I feel uncomfortable about some things."

"Tell us more."

"They have very strange behaviour. When I first arrived, Mr. Castle met me with his family and drove me to their home. The countryside is beautiful but the house is not. It looks very old and is damaged. There are woods on three sides and a field on the fourth.

"Mrs. Castle did not seem strange. She loved both her husband and her little son. She watched them carefully and tried to make them as happy as possible. He was also kind to her and they seemed to be happy together. But the woman seemed sad as well. She'd often look like she was thinking hard, with the saddest look on her face. I've seen her crying and sometimes thought that it's the way her child behaves that's made her this way, because I've never met so spoiled a child. He's small for his age, with a head that's too large. He likes hurting small animals.

"Mr. Castle has a daughter from his first marriage called Alice, but she's gone to live in America. I've heard that she did not get on with her stepmother.

"The unpleasant thing about the house, which I noticed immediately, was the servants, a man and his wife. Toller – that is his name – is a rough, dirty man, with long hair and a beard, and very lazy. His wife is a very tall and strong woman with an unhappy face, as silent as Mrs. Castle but unfriendly. They're an unhappy couple.

"On the third day, they gave me the blue dress I had to wear. It was made of excellent material, but I could see that it was not a new dress. It fit perfectly, like it was made for me. Mr. and Mrs. Castle were happy to see it.

"They were waiting for me in a very large room at the front of the house with three long windows that went down to the floor. There was a chair by the middle window. They asked me to sit and then Mr. Castle began to tell me the funniest stories I've ever heard. I laughed until I was tired.

"Mrs. Castle, however, didn't smile once, but had a sad, worried look on her face. After an hour or so, Mr. Castle suddenly said that it was time to start my work for the day and that I must change my dress and go to see Edward, their son, in his room.

"The next day, we did the same thing again. Again I changed my dress, sat in front of the window, and I laughed at the funny stories that Mr. Castle told. Then he gave me a book and asked me to read to him. I read for about ten minutes and then, suddenly, in the middle of a sentence, he told me to stop and change my dress.

"I became very curious about what all this meant. They were always very careful to turn the chair away from the window, and I wanted to know why! I broke a mirror and hid a piece of the glass in my handkerchief. The next time as I laughed I put my handkerchief up to my eyes, and looked behind me. I saw a man standing in the road, a small man with a beard in a suit, who was looking at me. I glanced at Mrs. Castle and she was looking at me. She didn't say anything, but I think that she knew I had a mirror in my hand. She stood up at once.

" 'James,' she said, 'there is a man on the road staring at Miss Hunter.'

"‘Do you know him, Miss Hunter?' he asked.

" 'No, I don't know anyone here.'

"‘How rude! Tell him to go away!'

"‘Isn't it better to ignore him?'

" 'No, no, he'll come back all the time. Turn around and wave him away.'

"I did what he said, and at the same time Mrs. Castle closed the curtains. That was a week ago, and I haven't sat by the window since then, nor worn the blue dress, nor seen the man.”

"Please continue,” said Holmes

"Well, on the first day I arrived, Mr. Castle took me to a small room outside the kitchen door. As we came close to it, I heard a chain and a large animal moving."

"'It's Carlo, my dog,' said Mr. Castle. ‘I call him mine, but really Toller, my servant, is the only man who can control him. Toller lets him out every night to protect the house. Never go out at night!'

"Two nights later I looked out of my bedroom window about two o'clock in the morning. It was a beautiful moonlit night, and the garden in front of the house was almost as bright as day. I saw something moving in the shadows. As it came into the moonlight I saw what it was. It was a dog with a huge mouth. It walked slowly across the garden and disappeared into the shadow on the other side. I felt very afraid.

"And now I have something strange to tell you. I cut off my hair in London, and I put it at the bottom of my bag. One evening, after the child was in bed, I began to look at the furniture in my room and unpack my things. There was an old cupboard in the room: the two top drawers were empty and open but the lowest one was locked. I filled the first two with some of my things but still had many things to put away. I was annoyed that the last drawer was locked. I thought it might be by accident, so I took out my keys and tried to open it. The first key worked and I opened the drawer. There was only one thing in it, but I am sure that you can never guess what it was. It was my hair!

"I picked it up and looked closely at it. It was the same colour as mine and the same length. But then I realized it was impossible. How could my hair be locked in this drawer?

"I opened my bag, took everything out and pulled out my hair which was at the bottom. I put the two of them together, and they were exactly the same. I was very confused.

"I returned the strange hair to the drawer and I said nothing about it to The Castles because I felt it was wrong to open a drawer that was locked.

"I soon got to know the house, but found there was one part of it that was always locked. I asked Mr. Castle about it and he told me that it was a dark room for developing photographs. He looked suspicious and annoyed when he told me this.

"Well, Mr. Holmes, from the moment that I understood that there was something about those rooms that I shouldn't know, I just wanted to know more! I began to look for the chance to go to the locked door that led to these rooms.

"Yesterday evening I had the chance.  When I came upstairs there was the key in the door. I knew Toller was tired and had left it open by accident. Mr. and Mrs. Castle were both downstairs, and the child was with them, so that I had a chance to go in. I turned the key in the lock, opened the door, and went inside.

"There was a little empty hall in front of me, with three doors in a line. The first and third were open. They led into old empty rooms, with two windows in one and one in the other.

"The middle door was closed and locked. I could see a little light from below the door. As I stood there looking at the door and wondering what secret it had, I suddenly heard the sound of steps in the room, and saw a shadow under the door. I suddenly became afraid and I turned and ran fast.

"I hurried down the hall, through the door, and ran into Mr. Castle, who was waiting outside.

" 'So,' he said, smiling, 'it was you, then. If you ever come to this place again' – here the smile turned into a look of anger, - 'I'll throw you to the dog.'

"I was so frightened that I don't know what I did. I ran past him into my room. I remember nothing until I found myself lying on my bed shaking. Then I thought of you, Mr. Holmes. I could not live there any longer without some advice. I was frightened of the house, of the man, of the woman, of the servants, even the child.

"Now I have told you all my adventures, Mr. Holmes, and please tell me what they mean and what I should do."

Holmes and I had listened to this amazing story. My friend stood up now and walked up and down the room, his hands in his pocket.

"Is Toller asleep?" he asked.

"Yes. I heard his wife tell Mrs. Castle that she couldn't wake him up."

"That's good. And the Castles go out tonight?"

"Yes."

"Is there a basement with a good strong lock?"

"Yes, there is.”

"You have behaved like a very brave and sensible girl, Miss Hunter. Can you do one more thing?"

"I'll try. What is it?"

"We'll be at the house by seven o'clock. The Castles will have gone by that time and Toller will, we hope, be asleep. That only leaves Mrs. Toller. If you send her into the basement to get something and then lock the door, it will make our job easier.

"I'll do it."

"Excellent! Of course there's only one explanation. You've been brought there to be someone else and the real person is locked in that room. This prisoner is, I have no doubt, the daughter, Miss Alice Castle, who is not really in America. You were chosen by Mr. Castle because you are the same height and have the same figure, and the colour of your hair must be the same. Hers was cut off, maybe in some illness, and so, of course, you had to cut yours too. By accident you found her hair. The man in the road was possibly her fiancé and because you wore the girl's dress and were so like her, he was convinced from your laughter, whenever he saw you, that Miss Castle was happy, and she no longer needed him. The most serious point is the child's behaviour."

"Why is that important?" I asked.

"My dear Watson, you, as a doctor, know that you can learn a lot about people from their children. I have often learnt about parents by studying their children. This child's behaviour is very cruel, and I believe he gets this from his father. That means that the poor girl locked up could be in trouble.”

"I'm sure that you are right, Mr. Holmes," said Miss Hunter.

"We must be careful because this is a very dangerous man. We must wait until seven o'clock. At that time we'll be with you, and soon we will solve the mystery."

At seven we arrived at the front of the house. Miss Hunter was standing there smiling.

"Have you locked her in the basement?" asked Holmes.

A loud noise came from somewhere downstairs.

"That's Mrs. Toller in the basement," she said. "Her husband's asleep. Here are his keys, which are the same as Castle's."

"You've done well!" cried Holmes happily. "Now we will soon end this mystery.”

We went up the stairs, unlocked the door and found ourselves in front of the door which Miss Hunter had described. Holmes tried the keys in the lock but without success. No sound came from inside.

"I think that we're in time," he said. "I think, Miss Hunter, we should go in without you. Now, Watson, let's break the door open and let's see what's going on in here.”

It was an old door and it opened easily when we both ran against it. Together we rushed into the room. It was empty. There was no furniture except a little bed, a small table, and some clothes but the prisoner was gone. There was a ladder against the window outside.

"Something bad has happened here," said Holmes; "Someone has guessed we were coming and has taken the prisoner away, probably Mr. Castle. It's probably him I hear coming up the stairs now. I think, Watson, that you should have your pistol ready."

Immediately, a man appeared at the door, a very fat man, with a heavy stick in his hand. Miss Hunter screamed and Sherlock Holmes came towards him.

"Where is your daughter?"

The fat man looked around.

"It's for me to ask you that," he said, "you thieves!”

He turned and ran down the stairs as fast as he could.

"He's going for the dog!" cried Miss Hunter.

"I have my pistol," I said

"Close the front door!" cried Holmes, and we all rushed down the stairs together. When we reached the hall, we heard the dog, and then a man's scream. An older man with a red face came out at a side door.

"Oh no!" he cried. "Someone has let the dog out. It hasn't eaten for two days. Quick or it'll be too late!"

Holmes and I rushed around the house, with Toller behind us. There was the huge hungry dog, its big face at Castle's throat, while he screamed on the ground. Running up, I took the stick Mr. Castle had dropped and hit the dog's head as hard as I could.

It fell. We carried Mr. Castle into the house. He was still alive but very seriously injured. We laid him on the sofa and told Toller to get his wife. I did what I could to help him. We were all standing round him when the door opened and a tall woman entered the room.

"Mrs. Toller!" cried Miss Hunter.

"Yes, miss. Mr. Castle let me out when he came back. Ah, miss, it's a pity you didn't let me know what you were planning."

"Ha!" said Holmes, looking at her. "It's clear that Mrs. Toller knows more about this than anyone else."

"Yes, sir, I do, and I'm ready to tell you what I know."

"Then sit down, and let's hear it because there are many things that I still don't understand."

"I'll soon make it clear," she said, "If there's police business in this, you'll remember that I was the one that was your friend and that I was Miss Alice's friend too.

"Miss Alice was never happy at home from the time that her father married again but it never really became bad for her until she got engaged to Mr. Fowler. As far as I know, Miss Alice had the right to some of her father's money, but she was so quiet and patient that she never said a word about it. Mr. Castle knew he was safe with her, but when there was a chance of a husband, who would ask for all that was hers, then her father thought it was time to stop it. He wanted her to sign a paper, so that married or single, he could use her money. When she refused, he kept on troubling her about it until she got very sick and for six weeks she was near death. Then she got better at last, but with her beautiful hair cut off. However, her fiancé didn't leave her.”

"Ah," said Holmes, "I think I understand now. So Mr. Castle locked her in this room?”

"Yes, sir."

"And brought Miss Hunter down here to get rid of her fiancé.

"That's right, sir."

"But Mr. Fowler wouldn't give up and spoke with you to help him?”

"Mr. Fowler was a very kind gentleman,” said Mrs. Toller.

"So you got a ladder ready at the moment when Mr. Castle had gone out."

"You're right, sir, and Mr. Fowler got Miss Alice out of the room."

"We are sorry, Mrs. Toller," said Holmes, "because you've helped us to understand everything now. And here comes the doctor and Mrs. Castle. I think, Watson, we must take Miss Hunter back to her home."

And so the mystery was solved.

Mr. Castle lived but was a broken man, alive only because of the care of his good wife. They still live with their old servants, who probably know so much of Castle's past life that he must keep them. Mr. Fowler and Miss Alice Castle were married the next day after she escaped her room and he now has a good job. Miss Violet Hunter is now the principal of a private school, where she is very successful.