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The Dancing Men (2)
'l'm not very good at telling stories,' said Mr Cubitt. 'But first, I want to explain something.
'I'm not rich, but I come from a very old and well-known family. My family has lived at Ridling Thorpe Manor, in Norfolk, for nearly five hundred years.'
'Last year, while I was visiting London, I met an American lady called Elsie Patrick. Elsie and I became friends and soon fell in love. I didn't know anything about Elsie's family or her past life. But I decided to ask her to marry me.
'The day before our wedding, Elsie spoke to me. I've had some very sad things happen to m e in my past life, Hilton. I've done nothing wrong, but I
wish to forget my past. Please promise me you will never ask me anything about it. If you are unable to make this promise, then please go back to Norfolk and leave me."
'So I promised Elsie I would never ask her anything about her past life. We've been married for a year now and we've been very happy. During all this time, I've kept my promise. But one day, about a month ago, my wife received a letter from America - I saw the American stamp . She read the letter and her face turned white. Then she threw the letter in the fire...
'She said nothing, but from that time, there's been a look of fear on her face.
'Mr Holmes, my wife is a very good woman.l'm sure she has not done anything wrong in her past life.
'But Elsie knowsI1 am very proud of my family. My family's long history is very important to me. She would never do anything to upset me.
Perhaps that's the reason she's afraid to tell me her troubles.'
'Please go on,' said Holmes.
'Well,' continued Mr Cubítt, 'yesterday morning, a strange thíng happened. I found this piece of paper lying on the sundial in the garden. At first, I thought it was a child's drawing.
'But when I showed the paper to Elsie, she fainted. Since then, she has seemed like someone in a dream, and there is terror in her eyes.
'I didn't know what to do. If I took the paper to the police, they would laugh at me. So I came to you . M r Holmes, please help me. l'm not rich, but I'll spend all my money to protect my wife from danger.'
I was sorry for Mr Cubitt. He was a good man and I saw that he loved his wife very much.
Holmes did not speak for some time.
'Mr Cubitt, don' t you think,' he said at last, 'you should ask your wife to tell you everything?'
'But I promised Elsie I would never ask her about her past,' replied Hilton Cubitt. 'If she wants to tell me something, she will. But I will not ask her
to tell me.'
'I'll be pleased to help you,' said Holmes. 'I believe there is a meaning in the pictures of the dancing men.But I need more information before I can say what it is. Go back to Norfolk. If there are any more pictures of dancing men, make a copy of them for me. If anything important happens, l'll come to Norfolk at once.'
(to be continued)
(to be continued)
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