"It'saswell,"saidtheoldman,"it'saquestionwhetherIshalllivetotheAssizes, soitmatterslittletome, ;ithasbeenalongtimeintheacting, butwillnottakemelongtotell.
"Youdidn'tknowthisdeadman, , andhehasblastedmylife.I'lltellyoufirsthowIcametobeinhispower.
"Itwasintheearly60', hot-bloodedandreckless, readytoturnmyhandatanything;Igotamongbadcompanions, tooktodrink, hadnoluckwithmyclaim, tooktothebush, , andwehadawild, freelifeofit, stickingupastationfromtimetotime, , andourpartyisstillrememberedinthecolonyastheBallaratGang.
"OnedayagoldconvoycamedownfromBallarattoMelbourne, , soitwasaclosething, , however, -driver, , butIsparedhim, thoughIsawhiswickedlittleeyesfixedonmyface, , becamewealthymen, , whichchancedtobeinthemarket, andIsetmyselftodoalittlegoodwithmymoney, , too, , .
"Ihadgoneuptotownaboutaninvestment, andImethiminRegentStreetwithhardlyacoattohisbackoraboottohisfoot.
"'Hereweare, Jack,'sayshe, touchingmeonthearm;'we''stwoofus, meandmyson, 't...it'safine, law-abidingcountryisEngland, andthere'salwaysapolicemanwithinhail.'
"Well, downtheycametothewestcountry, therewasnoshakingthemoff, , nopeace, noforgetfulness;turnwhereIwould, therewashiscunning, , , andwhateveritwasIgavehimwithoutquestion, land, money, houses, .
"Hisson, yousee, hadgrownup, andsohadmygirl, andasIwasknowntobeinweakhealth, ;notthatIhadanydisliketothelad, buthisbloodwasinhim, .
"WhenIwentdownthereIfoundhimtalkingwithhisson, ?, !, , ;butIhadgainedthecoverofthewood, , gentlemen, ofallthatoccurred."
"Well, itisnotformetojudgeyou,"saidHolmesastheoldmansignedthestatementwhichhadbeendrawnout."Ipraythatwemayneverbeexposedtosuchatemptation."
"Ipraynot, ?"
"Inviewofyourhealth, , , itshallneverbeseenbymortaleye;andyoursecret, whetheryoubealiveordead, shallbesafewithus."
"Farewell, then,"saidtheoldmansolemnly."Yourowndeathbeds, whentheycome, willbetheeasierforthethoughtofthepeacewhichyouhavegiventomine."Totteringandshakinginallhisgiantframe, hestumbledslowlyfromtheroom.
"Godhelpus!"saidHolmesafteralongsilence."Whydoesfateplaysuchtrickswithpoor, helplessworms?IneverhearofsuchacaseasthisthatIdonotthinkofBaxter'swords, andsay,'There, butforthegraceofGod, goesSherlockHolmes.'"
, butheisnowdead;andthereiseveryprospectthatthesonanddaughtermaycometolivehappilytogetherinignoranceoftheblackcloudwhichrestsupontheirpast.
