Sherlock Holmes - Shoscombe Old Place

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Sherlock Holmes – Shoscombe Old Place"

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Date: August 1, 2026
Main Cast (Radio Drama):

• Sherlock Holmes: Clive Medicine
• Dr. Watson: Michael Williams
• John Mason: Nicholas Le Prevo
• Sir Robert Norberton: Donald Pickering

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Episode Overview

This episode features a dramatized adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s final Sherlock Holmes short story, "Shoscombe Old Place." Holmes and Watson are drawn into the mysterious happenings at the Shoscombe estate, where sinister events surround the upcoming Derby, the erratic behavior of Sir Robert Norberton, and the fate of his sister, Lady Beatrice. Family intrigue, financial desperation, and clever detection drive this atmospheric tale set in the English countryside.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene & Initial Mystery

• The episode opens with a disturbed head trainer, John Mason, seeking Holmes’s help regarding the increasingly erratic Sir Robert Norberton and unexplained events at Shoscombe Old Place.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “First of all, I think that my employer, Sir Robert, has gone mad.”
      — John Mason [07:46]
• The mystery intensifies with the discovery of a charred human bone fragment in the furnace beneath Lady Beatrice’s room.
  • Holmes: “A charred fragment of bone… Where did you get it?” [00:44/15:55/16:04]
• Holmes and Watson discuss the implications, noting the “deep and murky” waters of the case.
  • Holmes: “These are deep waters, Mr. Mason, and rather murky.” [01:13/16:44]

Characters and Motives

• Sir Robert Norberton: Desperate to win the Derby with his horse, Shoscombe Prince, facing financial ruin, and reliant on his sister’s estate.
  • Dr. Watson describes him as:
    • “...the most daredevil rider in England. Second in the Grand National a few years back.” [05:04]
• Lady Beatrice: Sir Robert’s ailing, reclusive sister, suddenly estranged from her brother and her beloved horses and spaniels.
  • The family dynamic is deeply troubled; all household routines have changed.
    • “She’s scarcely seen about the house at all now and Sir Robert never goes nearer. ...She’s brooding and sulking. She’s drinking.” — John Mason [10:43]

Escalating Suspicion: The Crypt and Disguise

• Mason and butler Stevens witness Sir Robert’s secretive late-night meetings in the old crypt, said to be haunted by the “Black Folder,” and discover anonymous bones [12:19–15:02].
• Holmes and Watson construct a theory of murder and impersonation:
  • Holmes suggests:
    • “Suppose… Sir Robert has done away with his sister… He couldn’t fly the country until he’d realized his fortune. And that fortune could only be realized by winning the derby with Shoscombe Prince.” [22:04]
  • They suspect Lady Beatrice’s body may be hidden in the crypt and an impersonator is taking her place.
• The test: Holmes uses Beatrice’s spaniel to see if it recognizes the woman in the carriage. The dog reacts with terror, confirming their suspicions.
  • Holmes: “Dogs don’t make mistakes…” [24:57]

The Truth Revealed: Confrontation & Confession

• In the family crypt, Holmes and Watson unearth a coffin with a body—Sir Robert bursts in, leading to a dramatic confrontation.

  • Holmes: “Who is this within the coffin? What is this body doing here?” [30:13]
  • Sir Robert confesses:
    • His sister died of dropsy a week ago [33:13].
    • He sought to hide her death to prevent creditors from foreclosing, employing Mrs. Norlett (her maid) and her husband (an actor) to impersonate Lady Beatrice [33:36].
    • Beatrice’s remains were placed in the ancient crypt; old bones were burned in the furnace to hide evidence.
    • “If I win [the Derby], all is easy. If I lose, I dare not think of it.” — Sir Robert [32:34]

• Holmes gently condemns but shows understanding, agreeing to delay his report until after the race, showing rare compassion.

  • Holmes: “My report on these strange proceedings will fall on the Commissioner’s desk the day after the Derby... But have a care, Sir Robert. … The least word from me may influence the outcome for good or ill.” [37:19]

Resolution: The Derby and Justice

• The Derby is run; Shoscombe Prince wins, saving Sir Robert’s estate [42:11].
• Holmes promises to let the law take a lenient view after the race.
  • Holmes: “The worst you can expect will probably be a mild censure for delaying to register your sister’s decease.” [42:57]

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Holmes on the forensic clue:

  • “It's the upper condyle of a human femur.” — Dr. Watson [01:09/16:24]

• On Norberton’s character:

  • “...he's a daring and desperate man. He derives all his income from his sister. His sister's maid is his willing tool.” — Holmes [21:44]

• Holmes’s theory:

  • “Suppose it's merely a… hypothesis that Sir Robert has done away with his sister…” [22:04]
  • “Dogs don’t make mistakes.” [24:57]

• Sir Robert’s confession:

  • “My sister did die just a week ago.” [33:13]
  • “…I have wronged the dead.” [34:27]

• Holmes’s ethical verdict:

  • “Your conduct seems to me to be inexcusable, Sir Robert… The law must take its course… My report… will fall on the Commissioner’s desk the day after the Derby.” [34:42, 37:19]

• Finale:

  • “You have been most understanding.” — Sir Robert to Holmes [37:44]
  • “With £80,000 in my pocket, I shall be able to do better than that. And the first thing I shall do is to erect a suitable memorial to my dear sister…” [42:37]
  • “Now, Watson, I think we can take leave of these joyful scenes and return to the modest tranquility of 221B Baker Street.” — Holmes [43:13]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:32] Mystery introduced: Mason approaches Holmes
• [07:03] Mason describes household changes, suspicions about Robert
• [15:55] Forensic clue: human bone in the furnace
• [21:05] Holmes & Watson’s working theories
• [23:23] Plan to expose the imposter using Beatrice’s dog
• [29:31] In the crypt: discovery and confrontation
• [33:13] Sir Robert confesses
• [37:19] Holmes decides to delay police report
• [42:11] Derby victory and resolution
• [43:13] Holmes and Watson return to Baker Street

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Tone & Style

This dramatization captures the classic Holmesian blend of logical deduction, dry humor, and Victorian atmosphere.

• Holmes is incisive but not unkind, and Watson brings warmth and skepticism.
• The supporting cast, especially Sir Robert and Mason, is vividly portrayed, lending tension and pathos.

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Conclusion

"Shoscombe Old Place" is a sophisticated country house mystery filled with gothic touches, forensic clues, and Holmes’s unmatched deductive prowess. This radio adaptation faithfully conveys the suspense, complexity, and humanity of Conan Doyle’s tale—showcasing Holmes’s skill not only in detection but in measured compassion when justice and mercy must be weighed.

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Recommended for listeners who enjoy classic detective radio, psychological intrigue, and the moral dilemmas at the heart of Sherlock Holmes’s greatest cases.

Transcript

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[Sherlock Holmes]

It's all very intriguing. I'm not clear yet what you want me to do in this matter, Mr. Mason. Can't you make it more definite?

[John Mason]

Perhaps this will make it more definite, Mr. Holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Perhaps it will. Good Lord. A charred fragment of bone. Where did you get it?

[John Mason]

There's a central heating furnace in the cellar beneath Lady Beatrice's room. Harvey in the. He's one of the stable lads, has charge of it. He found the bone when he was raking the cinders this morning.

[Sherlock Holmes]

He didn't like the look of it. Nor do I. What do you make of it, Watson?

[Dr. Watson]

It's the upper condyle of a human femur.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Exactly what I thought. These are deep waters, Mr. Mason, and rather murky.

[Narrator]

Shoscombe old place by sir arthur conan doyle. Dramatized for radio by michael bakewell. With clive medicine as sherlock holmes and michael williams as Dr. John watson. And featuring nicholas le prevo as john mason and donald pickering as sir robert norberton. Shoscombe old place.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Glue.

[Dr. Watson]

What did he say?

[Sherlock Holmes]

It's glue, Watson.

[Dr. Watson]

Glue.

[Sherlock Holmes]

It's unquestionably glue. We'll take a look for the microscope.

[Dr. Watson]

You don't understand what you're talking about.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You see for yourself. Have a look at the scattered objects in the field.

[Dr. Watson]

You mean the black lines and the gray bits and the blobby things?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Blobby things? The black lines are threads from a tweed coat. The irregular gray masses are dust. There are epithelial scales on the left epithelium. Epithelial?

[Dr. Watson]

Epithelium. The cell tissue which invests the outer surface of the body and the mucous membranes connected with it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Or in plain English, dandruff. And the. The brown blobs, as you call them, are glue.

[Dr. Watson]

I'm happy to take your word for it. Is there actually a point to any of this, Holmes?

[Sherlock Holmes]

It's a very fine demonstration. You recall the St. Pancras case?

[Dr. Watson]

The policeman who was shot down outside

[Sherlock Holmes]

the buffet on platform 1? A cat was found beside his body. The man who was accused of the murder has persistently denied that it was his. But he's a picture maker and probably uses glue every day. The man's as good as hanged.

[Dr. Watson]

Is this one of your cases, Holmes?

[Sherlock Holmes]

No, goodness, no.

[Paul Freeman]

No.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Mary Bale of the Yard asked me to look into it. So since I ran down that coiner by the zinc and copper filings and the seam of his cuff, they've come to realize the importance of the microscope. Yes, it's a fascinating aid to detection. Oh, yes. What time is it, Watson?

[Dr. Watson]

A quarter past 11.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I'm expecting a client, but it's overdue. I believe, Watson, that you know something of racing.

[Dr. Watson]

I ought to. I paid for it with about half my war wound pension.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I knew I could rely on you. You shall be my handy guide to the turf.

[Dr. Watson]

I don't fool you?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Does the name Sir Robert Norberton mean anything to you?

[Dr. Watson]

I should say it does. He lives at Shoscombe Old Place.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You've been there?

[Dr. Watson]

My summer quarters were down there once.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Summer quarters?

[Dr. Watson]

When I was a medical student.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

Oh.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Tell me about Sir Robert Norberton. What manner of man is he?

[Dr. Watson]

He nearly came within your province once.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Within my province? How was that?

[Dr. Watson]

There was a most unsavoury type. Sam Brewer, the money lender.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The one who has premises in Curzon Street?

[Dr. Watson]

That's the fellow. It happened on Newmarket Heath. Norberton was already pretty deep in, but he asked for an extension of credit. Brewer refused him point blank. And he wasn't exactly discreet about it either. Norberton saw red and took a horsewhip to him. Brewer was lucky to get away with his life.

[Sherlock Holmes]

What a remarkable character. Does he often indulge himself in that fashion?

[Dr. Watson]

He has the name of being a very dangerous man. He's just about the most daredevil rider in England. Second in the Grand National a few years back.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, I remember it. The horse was there. What was his name? Patroclus. That's it.

[Josiah Barnes]

He's one of those men who's been

[Dr. Watson]

born out of his time. He should have been a buck in the days of the Regency. A boxer, an athlete, a plunger on the turf, a lover of fair ladies and by all accounts some queer street that he may never find his way back again.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Capital, Watson. A perfect thumbnail sketch. I already seem to know the man. Now, can you give me some idea of Shoscombe Old Place?

[Dr. Watson]

No, I can't tell you about the house. It's supposed to go back centuries, but for the past 20 years it's been the home of the Shoskin studio. The training quarters are there too.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And the head trainer is John Mason.

[Dr. Watson]

How do you know that?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Nothing surprising about my naming it Watson. I happen to have received a letter from him. But tell me more about Shoscombe. I seem to have struck a rich vein.

[Dr. Watson]

There are the Shoscombe spaniels, of course. You hear of them at every dog show. No, they're the most exclusive breed in England and the special pride of the lady of Shoscombe Old Place.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Sir Robert Norberton's wife, I presume. Good Lord.

[Dr. Watson]

Now, Robert has never married. Just as well, I should think, considering his prospects and his reputation. He lives with his widowed sister, Lady Beatrice Fulda.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You mean that she lives with him?

[Dr. Watson]

No, no, no, no, that's not what I meant at all. The house belonged to her late husband, Sir James Fulda. Her brother has no claims on it at all. His sister has only a life interest in the estate and it reverts to her husband's brother at her death. Meantime, she draws the rents every year.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ah, and brother Robert, I suppose, spends said rents?

[Dr. Watson]

That's about the size of it. He's a devil of a fellow. I must lead her a most uneasy life. Yet I have heard that she's devoted

[Sherlock Holmes]

to him and to the Shoscombe spaniel

[Dr. Watson]

and to the spaniels. Yes, but what is the trouble at Shoscomb?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ah, here, I expect, is the man who will enlighten us. Mr. John Mason.

[John Mason]

The same, Mr. Holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Kindly take a seat, Mr. Mason.

[John Mason]

Thank you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

This is my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson.

[John Mason]

Your servant, doctor.

[Dr. Watson]

Mr. Mason.

[John Mason]

You received my note, Mr. Holmes?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, I received it, but it explained nothing.

[John Mason]

It was too delicate a situation to put the details down on paper. Rather too complicated. I could only talk about it face to face.

[Sherlock Holmes]

So here we are, Mr. Mason, at your disposal. Pray proceed. Very well, Mr. Holmes.

[John Mason]

First of all, I think that my employer, Sir Robert, has gone mad.

[Dr. Watson]

This is Baker street, not Harley Street.

[Sherlock Holmes]

What makes you say, sir?

[John Mason]

Well, sir, when a man does one queer thing or two queer things, there may be a meaning to it. But when everything he does comes into that category, then you begin to wonder. I believe Shoscombe Prince and the Derby have turned his brain.

[Dr. Watson]

Shoscombe Prince is a coat.

[John Mason]

You're running the best in England, Doctor. I should know if anyone does. I've had my eye on him since he first got up on his legs. Now I'll be plain with you, for I know you're a gentleman of honor and won't go beyond this.

[Dr. Watson]

That goes without saying, Mr. Mason.

[John Mason]

Thank you, Doctor. Sir Robert has got to win the Derby. He's up to his neck in trouble and it's his last chance. Everything he could raise or borrow he's put on Shoscombe Prince and a fine Arts too. Oh, you can get 40s now. But it was nearer the hundred when he began to back him.

[Sherlock Holmes]

But how is that when you say that the horse is so good the

[John Mason]

public doesn't know how good he is? Ah, Sir Robert has been too clever for the toast. He's been taking the prince's half brother out for spins around the park. You can't tell them apart, but there are two lengths and a furlong between them when it comes to a gallop.

[Dr. Watson]

So Robert evidently knows what he's about.

[John Mason]

He thinks of nothing but the horse and the race. His whole life is on it. He's holding off the money lenders till then. If the Prince fails him, he's finished.

[Sherlock Holmes]

It seems rather a desperate gamble. Perfectly rational. So where does the madness come in?

[John Mason]

Why, Mr. Holmes, you only have to look at him. I don't believe that he's had a wink of sleep this past month. He's down at the stable at all hours, day and night. His eyes are wild, staring out of his head. And then there's his conduct towards Lady Beatrice.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ah, what is that?

[John Mason]

Sir Robert and his sister always used to be the best of friends, Mr. Holmes. They had the same tastes and she loved the horses as much as he did. Every day at the same hour she'd drive down to see them and above all she loved the prince. He would prick up his ears as soon as he heard the wheels on the gravel and he'd trot out each morning to her carriage to get his lump of sugar. But that's all over now.

[Dr. Watson]

Why?

[John Mason]

Well, she suddenly seems to have lost all interest in the horses. For a week now she is driven past the stables with never so much as a good morning.

[Dr. Watson]

You think there's been a quarrel?

[John Mason]

I'm certain of it. And a bitter, savage, spiteful quarrel at that. Why else should he give away her pet spirit spaniel that she loved as if it were her child? He gave it away only a few days ago. Sir Robert gave it to old Josiah Barnes that keeps the Green Dragon.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Where is this inn?

[John Mason]

Three miles off at Grendel.

[Sherlock Holmes]

That certainly does seem very strange.

[Dr. Watson]

How's Lady Beatrice taking it? Did she seem distressed?

[John Mason]

She's scarcely seen about the house at all now and Sir Robert never goes nearer. With her weak heart and her dropsy, she could never go far without him and he used to spend two hours every evening in her room. And well he might, for she's been a rare good friend to him.

[Dr. Watson]

And that's all over now.

[John Mason]

Yes, Doctor, she's taken it badly. She's brooding and sulking. She's drinking.

[Josiah Barnes]

Drinking like a fish.

[Sherlock Holmes]

What did she drink before the estrangement?

[John Mason]

Well, she was used to take her glass but now it's often a whole bottle of an evening.

[Dr. Watson]

Scarcely advisable in her condition.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You're certain of this, Stevens?

[John Mason]

The butler's told me. It's all changed, gentlemen, and there's something damn rotten about it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Tell me, Mr. Mason, who keeps her ladyship company?

[John Mason]

Well, there's her maid, Carrie Evans. She's been with her five years or

[Sherlock Holmes]

more and is no doubt devoted to her mistress.

[John Mason]

She's devoted enough, but I won't say to whom.

[Dr. Watson]

What on earth do you mean by that?

[John Mason]

I can't tell tales out of school, Doctor.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, we quite understand, Mr. Mason. Of course, the situation's clear enough. From Dr. Watson's description of Sir Robert I can realize that no woman is safe from him now. Do you think the quarrel between brother and sister may lie there?

[John Mason]

Well, it might do, so far as it goes.

[Dr. Watson]

So far as it goes it doesn't

[John Mason]

account for Sir Robert going off to the old crypt in the middle of the night. Nor does it help to explain who the man is that he meets there.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ah, tell us all about the old crypt.

[John Mason]

Well, you'll not get anyone to go there after twilight. It's a godforsaken place and known to be haunted.

[Dr. Watson]

The crypt is part of Shoscom old place, I take it?

[John Mason]

No, sir. It's about half a mile from the house. It was the old family burial chapel. All the folders have been laid to rest there for centuries. It's a ruin now and stands all alone in a park. And under the chapel there's a crypt. Some say it goes back to Saxon times as a dark, damp, creepy place, even by daylight.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And no one dares venture there after dark.

[John Mason]

There's a story that one of the ancestors of Lady Beatrice's late husband, they call him the Black Folder, walks every night in the dark of the moon.

[Sherlock Holmes]

But this Black Folder holds no terrors for Sir Robert, I take it?

[John Mason]

No, Mr. Holmes. It would take more than that to frighten him.

[Dr. Watson]

And what of this man he meets there by night?

[John Mason]

Well, Stevens the butler first suspected something was up just a few nights ago. He came over to the stables the following morning to tell me about.

[Stevens]

Must have been nearly midnight. It was raining hard as could scarcely have escaped your notice in of front, Mason. I saw him go out by the side door beneath the north tower.

[Sherlock Holmes]

That's his own affair surely. Perhaps he just slipped out to meet

[John Mason]

some fancy woman in the old crypt.

[Stevens]

Mind you, some people do have very peculiar tastes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

How can you be sure he was

[John Mason]

going to the old crypt?

[Stevens]

Sir Robert keeps a pair of field glasses by the library window where I could. I could follow the course of his lantern along the side of the walled garden and into the park. He must have given some kind of signal for there was an answering lantern flash from by the ruined chapel.

[John Mason]

What the devil can he be doing there?

[Stevens]

I can't imagine, Mr. Mason, but I mean to find out and I want you to help me.

[John Mason]

How do you mean?

[Stevens]

Come up to the house this evening. We'll have a bite to eat and I'll keep a wary eye on Sir Robert. If he sets off one of his midnight rambles again I want you to help me find out what he's up to.

[John Mason]

I had no wish to go, Mr. Holmes, but I didn't see how I could well refuse.

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[John Mason]

We hid in the bushes quaking like two bunny rabbits and watched the Robert meet the man by the ruined chapel.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Did he catch sight of the fellow's face?

[John Mason]

Well, we could see him quite clearly in the moonlight. There was no one I knew, haggard yellow face, mean dog I should say.

[Dr. Watson]

And what could they have been doing in the crypt?

[John Mason]

As to that, Dr. Stevens and I took a look round there yesterday morning. Sir Robert had gone up to London for the day.

[Stevens]

Hardly a pleasant place, is it Mr. Mason? I never did care for this kind of thing.

[John Mason]

Can't say I want to linger. Oh, nothing seems to have been disturbed.

[Stevens]

What about that piece of board in the corner?

[John Mason]

Nothing much I fancy.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh.

[Stevens]

Oh dear, how very nasty.

[John Mason]

It's part of a human skull, a few bits of bone.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You informed the police I suppose?

[John Mason]

Well sir, I thought it would hardly interest them. The bones may well have been 500 years old. They could have just fallen out of one of the ancient coffins. But I'm sure Mr. Pulfriman would never just stow them away in a corner like that.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And who is Mr. Pulframan?

[John Mason]

He's one of the vergers.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The church, sir.

[John Mason]

Chapel is his particular responsibility.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Now you say Sir Robert was away yesterday? Well, has he returned?

[John Mason]

We expect him back today.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And when was it he gave away his sister's dog?

[John Mason]

It was just a week ago today. The creature was howling outside the old well house and Sir Robert was in one of his tantrums that morning. He caught it up and I thought he would have killed it. He gave it to Sandy Bay na jockey and told her to take the dog to old Barnes at the Green Dragon for he never wished his see it again.

[Sherlock Holmes]

It's all very intriguing. I'm not clear yet what you want me to do in this matter, Mr. Mason. Can't you make it more. More definite?

[John Mason]

Perhaps this will make it more definite, Mr. Holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, perhaps it will. Good Lord. A charred fragment of bell. Where did you get it?

[John Mason]

There is a central heating furnace in a cellar underneath Lady Beatrice's room. It's been off for some time but Sir Robert complained of the cold and added on again. Harvey, he's one of the stable lads, has charge of it. He found the bone when he was raking the cinders this morning. He didn't like the look of it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Nor do I. What do you make of it, Watson?

[Dr. Watson]

It's the upper condyle of a human femur. Exactly what I thought.

[Sherlock Holmes]

When does the lad tend to the furnace?

[John Mason]

He makes it up every morning, leaves it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Then anyone could go there during the night.

[John Mason]

That's correct.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Can you enter it from outside?

[John Mason]

There's one door for me. Outside there's another which leads up by a stair to the passage by Lady Beatrice's room.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes. These are deep waters, Mr. Mason. Deep and rather murky. Now you say that Sir Robert was not at home last night?

[John Mason]

No, sir.

[Sherlock Holmes]

No. Then whoever was burning bones, it was not he. That would seem to be the case. I think we might take a look into this, Watson. You might perhaps make the. The Green Dragon her headquarters, huh?

[Dr. Watson]

And keep an eye on her ladyship's Spaniel.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Is there good fishing in that part of Berkshire?

[John Mason]

Well, sir, I've heard there are trout in the mill stream. There's pike in the whole lake.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, that's good enough. Watson and I, famous fisherman, are we not, Watson? Complete anglers, huh? It might be best if we don't see each other, Mr. Mason. But a note will reach us, and no doubt I could find you if I need to. You should address us in future at the Green Dragon. We should reach there tonight.

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

I'm sorry, gentlemen. I don't know what's come over.

[Josiah Barnes]

You've got our telegram, I take it? Oh, yes, sir.

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

I'll put you in the two rooms at the back overlooking the garden. Get out. What's the matter with you?

[John Mason]

I'll get the board to take your

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

bags up and your fishing tack. There's no mistaking what you've come here for, sir.

[Sherlock Holmes]

A famous place for trout, I believe that's what we've heard.

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

Well, not exactly here, sir. You would best try the verret.

[Dr. Watson]

The Verret?

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

It's about three miles out on the north side of the village, sir. You'll be bound to find trout there.

[Sherlock Holmes]

What about the hall lake and the chance of a pike?

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

Oh, that would never do, sir. You might happen to find yourself in the lake before you were thrown.

[Dr. Watson]

How is that, Mr. Barnes?

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

Well, it's Sir Robert, sir. He's terribly jealous of touts.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Do we look like touts?

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

Goodness, no, gentlemen. But Sir Robert is mighty suspicious of any stranger who comes within these parts. The whole lake's not a quarter of a mile from his training quarters. If he sees you there, he'll be after you, sure as fate. Ain't taking no chances. Sir Robert ain't.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Who is this Sir Robert?

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

Sir Robert Norberton. He has a horse centred for the the Derby.

[Dr. Watson]

And he fancies his chances, I take it?

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

Oh, yes, sir. We have all of us put our money on the horse. And Sir Roberts backed him with everything he possesses. I suppose you ain't by any chance on the turf yourself, sir?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Good Lord, no.

[Mr. Palfreyman]

Just two weary Londoners with the need

[Dr. Watson]

to put some good Berkshire air into their foggy lungs.

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

Well, you're in the right place for that. There's a deal of it lying about. But mind what I've told you about Sir Robert. He's a sort that strikes for first and speaks afterwards.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You think we're likely to come across him?

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

Well, not for a day or so, sir. He's gone up to London. But I don't want no trouble. If you two go straying about the park and he finds out that you've been putting up here just to keep clear of the park, if you please, gentlemen.

[Dr. Watson]

You need not concern yourself about that, Mr. Barnes. We certainly shall.

[Sherlock Holmes]

By the way, that was the most beautiful spaniel that made such a fuss when we arrived. Was it red?

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

L should say it was. It was. Sir Robert himself has gave it to me. That's why I have to keep it on a lead.

[Sherlock Holmes]

It would be off back to the

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

all in a jiffy if I gave it its head.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Would it indeed?

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

Well, if you'll forgive me gentlemen, I mustn't stay here gossiping. Just let me know if there's anything you want. As I say, the verit up by Ose end is the place to take a trouter to.

[Josiah Barnes]

We'll give it a try, Mr. Barnes. Thanks for your advice.

[Innkeeper (Mr. Barnes)]

If there's anything you require gentlemen, just ring the bell.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Thank you, Mr. Barnes. We're getting some cards in her hand, Watson. That's not an easy one to play. But we may see our way in a day or two. Since the robber's sit in London we might perhaps enter the sacred domain without fear of bodily assault. There are one or two points on which I'd like reassurance. You have a theory home? No, it's too soon for anything so substantial. But of this I am sure something happened a week ago which has cut deep into the heart of the Shoscombe household.

[Dr. Watson]

And what do you suppose that could be?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, we can only get at it from its effects. They seem to be of a curiously mixed character. But that should help us. It's only the colorless, uneventful case which is hopeless.

[Dr. Watson]

I don't quite follow you. What effects do you mean?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Consider the data, Watson. Sir Robert no longer visits his invalid sister. He gives away her favorite dog to the innkeeper. Her dog, Watson? Does that suggest nothing to you? Nothing but a brother's spite? Well, it might be so. Or. Well, there is an alternative.

[Dr. Watson]

What alternative?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Let's continue our review of the situation from the time that the quarrel began.

[Dr. Watson]

We don't know that there was a quarrel.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, for the sake of argument I suppose that there was. The lady keeps to her room, alters her habit, is not seen, save when she drives out in her carriage, refuses to stop at the stables to greet her favorite horse and apparently takes the drink. Yes, that covers the case, does it not?

[Dr. Watson]

Save for the business in the crypt.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, that's another line of thought. There are two. And I beg you, do not entangle them. No, no, no, no. Line A which concerns Lady Beatrice has a. Has a vaguely sinister flavor, has it not?

[Dr. Watson]

I can make nothing of it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Can you not? Well then let us take up line B which concerns Sir Robert. Now he's determined to win the Derby, he's in the hands of the moneylenders and may at any moment be sold up and and his racing stables seized by his creditors. He's a daring and desperate man. He derives all his income from his sister. His sister's maid is his willing tool. So far we seem to be on fairly secure ground, do we not?

[Dr. Watson]

But the crypt.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ah yes, the crypt. Let us suppose it's merely a scandalous supposition, a hypothesis put forward for argument's sake that Sir Robert has done away with his sister.

[Dr. Watson]

But my dear Holmes, that is out of the question.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Very possibly.

[Stevens]

What?

[Dr. Watson]

Sir Robert is a man of honorable

[Sherlock Holmes]

style, but you do occasionally find a carrion crow among the eagles. Let's for a moment argue upon this supposition. He couldn't fly the country until he'd realized his fortune. And that fortune could only be realized by winning the derby with Shoscombe Prince. Therefore he still has to stand his ground.

[Dr. Watson]

But how does he do that?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, to begin with he'd have to dispose of the body of his victim and he'd also have to find a substitute who would impersonate her with the maid as a confidant. That would not be impossible. His sister's body might be conveyed to the crypt, which is a place of evil reputation and seldom visited. And it might be secretly destroyed at night in the furnace, leaving behind it such evidence as we've already seen. What do you say to that, Watson?

[Dr. Watson]

Well, it is all possible, I suppose, if you grant the original monstrous supposition.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I think that there's a small experiment we may try tomorrow. Might throw some light on the matter. First of all, we need some good reason why we cannot go fishing. Something we've forgotten that could rule out the whole day.

[Dr. Watson]

We could have forgotten our spoonbait pass.

[Sherlock Holmes]

A spoonbait capital. And I think that I'll propose to Mr. Josiah Barnes that we take his highly bred black spaniel for a walk in the direction of Shoscombe Old Park. I can't say I care very much for the heraldic griffins on the gate.

[Dr. Watson]

Too ostentatious by heart.

[Sherlock Holmes]

We may trust the book boy at the inn. It's by this gate that Lady Beatrice takes her midday drive in her open barouche.

[Dr. Watson]

It's nearly 12 now.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The carriage will have to slow down while the gates are opened. When it comes through and before it gathers speed again, I want you, Watson, to stop the coachman with some question.

[Josiah Barnes]

Rather, I think that might be arranged. Ah, that must be them.

[Dr. Watson]

Now.

[Josiah Barnes]

What will you be doing?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Never mind about me. I'll stand behind this holly bush with the dog and see what I can see.

[Dr. Watson]

Very well.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ah, here they are. Lady Beatrice smothered in shaws, the veil over her face and a girl who looks no better than she should be by her side. The maid, I presume. The man's coming out to open the gates. Off you go, Watson. Good day, your ladyship.

[Josiah Barnes]

I say, coachman. I say,

[Dr. Watson]

can you tell me if

[Josiah Barnes]

Sir Robert is at Shoscombe Old Place?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Gently now, boy, gently now. Then go, go. Your missus.

[Coachman]

Get the horse away. Get it away. Get it off me. Drive on, man, drive on.

[Josiah Barnes]

Come here, boy.

[Paul Freeman]

Come here.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Come here,

[Spin Quest Player]

boy.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You thought it was your mistress, didn't you? Turned out to be a strange ranger, didn't you?

[Josiah Barnes]

Well then, are you satisfied?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Dogs don't make mistakes.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

But it was a man's voice.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Exactly, Watson. We've added one car to our hand, but it needs careful playing all the same.

[Josiah Barnes]

So how should we proceed?

[Sherlock Holmes]

First we shall take this highly perceptive creature back to the Green Dragon and then we shall miraculously discover that we brought our bait after all.

[Josiah Barnes]

But why should we want to do that?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Because I've arranged to meet our good friend Mr. Mason by the Mill Street. No, no, no, no, no.

[Josiah Barnes]

If you throw your line like that

[Dr. Watson]

you'll put the fear of God into

[Josiah Barnes]

every fish for half a mile.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Do I have to remind you that we're not here to fish?

[Josiah Barnes]

Since we are here, we may as

[Dr. Watson]

well try to keep up a decent appearance.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Cast your line lightly, Holmes. Lightly. Very well, Lightly I said.

[John Mason]

Good evening, gentlemen.

[Josiah Barnes]

Ah, good evening, Mr. Mason.

[John Mason]

I got your note, Mr. Holmes. It came as quickly as I could.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Mr. Robert returned?

[John Mason]

Not yet, but I've received word that he's expected tonight.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yeah, and there's no time to be lost. I'm skipping to the play.

[Spin Quest Player]

Yeah.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Will you take us there?

[John Mason]

I can't afford to do that, Mr. Holmes. At the moment he returns home he'll want to see me to get the latest news about Shoscombe Prince.

[Sherlock Holmes]

It'll take too long for us to root about the place on our own. Is there someone who knows the crypt well?

[John Mason]

Well, there's Mr. Palfreyman, the verger.

[Dr. Watson]

Can he be trusted not to tell Sir Robert?

[John Mason]

If you care to make it worth his while, Doctor, his duties here have given him a taste for things spiritual.

[Dr. Watson]

Whiskey?

[John Mason]

Gin, I believe. But what am I to say?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Your purpose is.

[John Mason]

Do I tell him who you are?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Inform him that Mr. Podmore and Dr. Gurney from the Society for Psychical Research have come to investigate the legend of the black folder and wish to examine his grave. That should give us sufficient cover, I think.

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[Mr. Palfreyman]

Have a care, gentlemen. The stair is steep and the treads are worn away.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Place smells violent.

[Mr. Palfreyman]

The dead don't smell sweet. There are nine centuries of them in this place. But you gentlemen must be accustomed to this kind of thing.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Every place seems to have its own aura. I feel that we're in the presence of some mysterious ebook.

[Josiah Barnes]

Coffins of lead, coffins of stone, coffins

[Dr. Watson]

of wood, all piled up on top of one another as if they were so much lumber.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Who can tell what strange causes and effects there may be beyond the veil? Kindly be our guide to this place, Mr. Popham. Who is buried here?

[Mr. Palfreyman]

Oh, I only wish I could tell you, Mr. Portmore. I know the recent ones, of course. Those from the 16th century onwards. They're all the wooden coffins stacked over there. The last Lord Calder, Lady Beatrice's husband, is the one on top.

[Josiah Barnes]

And the coffins of stone?

[Mr. Palfreyman]

Oh, some of them are said to go back before the conquest, but they contain nothing more than dust. Dust and a few scraps of bone.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Quite, quite.

[Dr. Watson]

And the.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The lead coffins here?

[Mr. Palfreyman]

Oh, they're mostly from medieval times.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And what can you tell me about the coffin there? The one that stands beside the stair?

[Mr. Palfreyman]

Oh, my God. May the Lord save us.

[Sherlock Holmes]

What's the matter, man?

[Mr. Palfreyman]

Well, it's never stood there before. Well, I staked my life on it, but it kind of moved itself. What is happening in this place?

[Sherlock Holmes]

That is precisely what Dr. Gurney and I are here to investigate. Now, Mr. Paltryman, it would be as well, I think, if you were to leave us.

[Mr. Palfreyman]

Oh, if that's what you wish, sir.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The test that we have to carry out will only be hampered by the presence of anyone not accustomed to our methods.

[Mr. Palfreyman]

But you will close the vault when you leave?

[Josiah Barnes]

Rest assured, Mr. Paltryman.

[Mr. Palfreyman]

And I'll leave you to it. Gentlemen.

[Josiah Barnes]

Thank you for all your help, Mr. Paulman.

[Mr. Palfreyman]

A pleasure, gentlemen, A pleasure.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Let's just make certain that he's really going away. Watson. There's a good fellow.

[Josiah Barnes]

Yes, he's walking off quite briskly.

[Dr. Watson]

Probably wants to get back to the bottle of gin we gave him.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Now then, it's time to lay the ghosts of Shoscombe Chapel. Let's take a closer look at the coffin by the stairs.

[Dr. Watson]

Stairs seemed to give Mr. Pman quite a fright.

[Sherlock Holmes]

It should have done. Look closely, Watson, at the edges of a coffin lid. Someone's cut along the whole line of it, secured by these two clamps. That should be an easy matter to open it up. You have the jimmy? In my pocket here now. Excellent. Now help me up with the lid. Good Lord. Who the devil are you?

[Josiah Barnes]

What do you think you're doing? What the hell are you doing on my property?

[John Mason]

Do you hear me?

[Josiah Barnes]

Who are you?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Sir Robert Norberton, I believe I have a question to ask you. Who is this within the coffin? What is this body doing here?

[Sir Robert Norberton]

How came you to know of this? What business is it of yours?

[Sherlock Holmes]

My name is Sherlock Holmes. Possibly it's familiar to you. In any case my business is that of every other good citizen to uphold the law. It seems to me that you have much to answer for before God.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

Mr. Holmes, I swear to you that it is not as it seems. Appearances are against me, I admit, but I could act no otherwise.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I should be happy to think so, but I fear your explanations must be for the police.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

Well, if it must be, it must be. Come up to the house with me and you can judge for yourself how the matter stands.

[Dr. Watson]

So what do you suppose Sir Robert means to do now?

[Sherlock Holmes]

To present us for the justification of his strange conduct? Watson, what else do you believe?

[Dr. Watson]

That he murdered his sister. That was Lady Beatrice in the coffin, I take it?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, most certainly.

[Dr. Watson]

As for his guilt, I prefer to

[Sherlock Holmes]

reserve my judgment till I've heard what

[Dr. Watson]

he has to say.

[Sherlock Holmes]

But mark my words, Sir Robert is a desperate man. He's prepared to take any course that will save him and I suspect that he would not stop short of murder.

[Mr. Norlett]

I refuse to be dragged into this.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

It has nothing to do with me.

[Mrs. Norlett]

If you know what's good for you, you'll do as the Robert says.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

For God's sake keep quiet both of you, until I've had my.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Who are these people, Sir Robert, and what have they to do with the case?

[Sir Robert Norberton]

They are Mr. And Mrs. Norlett. Mrs. Norlet, under a maiden name of Evans, has for some years been my sister's confidential maid.

[Mrs. Norlett]

Good evening, gentlemen.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Good evening. Evening.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

I've decided that my best, indeed my only course, is to explain the true position to you, Mr. Holmes. And these are the only two people on Earth who can substantiate what I say.

[Mr. Norlett]

I had nothing to do with it. It wasn't my idea.

[Mrs. Norlett]

Will you hold your tongue?

[Sir Robert Norberton]

I will take all the responsibility upon myself and all it. And you have nothing to fear.

[Mr. Norlett]

You've left it a bit late to tell me that.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

You've gone pretty deeply into my affairs, Mr. Holmes, or I should not have found you where I did. How the devil you came to me there I cannot imagine.

[Josiah Barnes]

You obviously know very little of my

[Dr. Watson]

colleague's reputation, Sir Robert.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I know that you're running a dark horse for the Derby, Sir Robert. And that you've staked everything upon it.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

I've staked my life upon it, Mr. Holmes. If I win, all is easy.

[Dr. Watson]

And if you lose?

[Sir Robert Norberton]

I dare not think of it. I cannot think of it.

[Sherlock Holmes]

We understand all that very well, Sir Robert.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

I am dependent upon my sister, Lady Beatrice for everything. For the estate, for the horses, for the very clothes on my back. But you must understand that her interest in the estate and in the ford of fortune is for her lifetime.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Only for her own lifetime. Yes.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

It has always been my greatest fear that if my sister were to die, my creditors would be onto the estate like a flock of vultures. Everything would be seized on my stables, my horses, everything. Well, Mr. Holmes, my sister did die

[Sherlock Holmes]

just a week ago. And you told no one.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

What could I do? I was faced with absolute ruin. If I could only stave things off for three weeks everything would be well. My sister's maid's husband. This man here is an actor.

[Mr. Norlett]

I told you I won't be dragged into this.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

It came into our head.

[Mr. Norlett]

I had nothing what ever to do with it. It wasn't my idea.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

It came into my head that he could for that short period impersonate my sister. It was but a case of appearing daily in the carriage.

[Mrs. Norlett]

No one else ever saw her, you see, except for me.

[Dr. Watson]

What was the cause of your sister's death, Sir Robert?

[Sir Robert Norberton]

She died of dropsy, Dr. Watson. She'd been suffering from it for years.

[Sherlock Holmes]

That will be a matter for the coroner to decide. So what did you do?

[Sir Robert Norberton]

The body could not remain here at Shoscombe on the first night in all that I carried it into the old well house which is now never used.

[Mr. Norlett]

He forced me into it. I had no wish to be part of your side.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

Unfortunately, her pet spaniel refused to leave her side and wailed so piteously that it was essential to get rid of it as quickly as possible.

[Dr. Watson]

And so you gave it to the landlord of the Green Dragon.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

There seems to be precious little that you two haven't discovered. After I disposed of the dog, we carried the body by night to the old folder crypt. There was no indignity or irreverence. I do not feel that I have wronged the dead.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Your conduct seems to me to be inexcusable, Sir Robert.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

It's easy to preach, Mr. Holmes.

[Josiah Barnes]

You shovel your poor sister away in

[Dr. Watson]

a stinking vault without ceremony.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

It is still consecrated ground, Doctor. And it seemed no dishonour to give her a temporary resting place in the coffin of one of her husband's ancestors.

[Mrs. Norlett]

May I say something?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, Mrs. Norlett.

[Mrs. Norlett]

I am certain that Lady Beatrice would have borne Sir Robert no ill will for what he has done. She would not have wished to see shame and ruin fall upon him. I know that she would have understood.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

Thank you, Carrie.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Continue your story, Sir Robert.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

We opened up one of the coffins and removed the contents.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The remains of Ralph de Faldo, I believe.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

It did not seem to me to matter much who it was. We placed my sister in the coffin as you discovered. As to the old relics which we had taken out, Norlett and I removed them and he burned them in the furnace beneath my sister's room.

[Mr. Norlett]

I was only doing what he told me to, Mr. And he promised to pay you handsomely.

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[Sherlock Holmes]

I have no doubt. But there is one flaw in your narrative, Sir Robert. Your bets on the race and therefore your hopes for the future would have held good even if your creditors had seized the estate.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

No, Mr. Holmes, the horse itself would be part of the estate. Shoscombe Prince would go along with everything else. What do my creditors care for my bets? As likely as not, they would not run the horse at all. My chief creditor is unhappily my most bitter enemy. A rascally fellow.

[Dr. Watson]

Sam Brewer, the man you took a horse with to on Newmarket Heath?

[Sir Robert Norberton]

The very same. Doctor. Do you suppose that he would try to save me?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, Sir Robert, this matter must of course be referred to the police. It was my duty to bring the facts to light and there I must leave it.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

But surely, Mr. Holmes, you must understand

[Sherlock Holmes]

the morality or decency of your own conduct. It's not for me to express an

[Sir Robert Norberton]

opinion but if this should get about before the Derby I shall be ruined.

[Mrs. Norlett]

Surely Mr. Holmes, you must see that the least hint of a scandal of this kind would be certain to make Sir Robert's creditors foreclose on him. Nothing can harm Lady Beatrice now and the poor wretch who was shovelled out of his grave has been dead for 500 years. Can you not hold your hand until after the race?

[Sherlock Holmes]

The law must take its course, Mrs. Norland. But it would give me no satisfaction to see Sir Robert ruined. My report on these strange proceedings will fall on the Commissioner's desk the day after the Derby. But have a care, Sir Robert, I am not unknown to the police. The least word from me may influence the outcome for good or ill.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

I have Learned my lesson, Mr. Holmes, and I am very grateful. You have been most understanding.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Then as it's nearly midnight I think, Watson, that we'll make our way back to our humble lodging. The outcome rests in the hands of fortune, Sir Robert.

[Josiah Barnes]

No, no, thank you.

[Street Vendor]

It bring you good luck, sir. Never fails. No, no, you'll regret it if you don't. Who knows what nasty fate might catch up with you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Go on, sir.

[Street Vendor]

Only a penny.

[Josiah Barnes]

Oh very well.

[Street Vendor]

Here, let me pin it to your coat. May fortune smile upon you, sir.

[Paul Freeman]

Doctor Watson,

[Josiah Barnes]

Dr. Waser, Mr. Mason.

[Paul Freeman]

Come to see the case through to the end and eh, nothing of the kind.

[Josiah Barnes]

I'll have you know Mr. Mason, that I particularly attended every derby for the last ten years.

[Paul Freeman]

Is Mr. Holmes here?

[Josiah Barnes]

No, no, it seems he had to attend a highly confidential meeting with a Turkish ambassador. What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be with Soft and Prince?

[Paul Freeman]

Oh, there's no need for me to worry Doctor, not with Sir Robert around. You won't let him out of his sight for 10 seconds. He's put everything he possesses on that horse and a good deal that he doesn't.

[Josiah Barnes]

He must be a very anxious man.

[Paul Freeman]

Well if he is he isn't letting it show. He's cool as a cucumber he is. Ever since you and Mr. Holmes had

[John Mason]

your little encounter with him in the

[Paul Freeman]

crypts he's been a changed man. Courteous, considerate.

[Josiah Barnes]

He has good reason to be. He was lucky to be let off the hook. Mind you, if that young woman hadn't put in a word for him.

[Paul Freeman]

What woman?

[Josiah Barnes]

Mrs. Norlett.

[Paul Freeman]

Mrs. Norlett. Oh, so that's the game now, is it?

[Josiah Barnes]

I don't follow you.

[Paul Freeman]

Well, I suppose he thinks that by passing her off as that fellow's wife, no one will raise an eyebrow. They're staying on at Shoscombe Old Place. She's still playing Carrie Evans. And he's Evans too. Her brother has been sponging off her for years.

[Josiah Barnes]

Not a very edifying specimen of humanity.

[Paul Freeman]

Well, I better be getting back to Shoskin Prince. Not long ago now.

[Josiah Barnes]

And Sir Robert's creditors, are they holding

[Paul Freeman]

off until the race is over? After all, it's in their interest if the Prince wins, they'll get their money back. So they'll be cheering him on with

[John Mason]

the rest of us.

[Josiah Barnes]

Good luck to you all, Mr. Mason.

[Paul Freeman]

Thank you, Doctor.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Hey, you look like a man who knows what's what.

[Josiah Barnes]

I beg your pardon?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Want a tip?

[Josiah Barnes]

A tip?

[Sherlock Holmes]

It's a sure thing.

[Josiah Barnes]

Look, just run along with. Kindly leave me alone.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You can stake your war wound pension on him.

[Josiah Barnes]

Good Lord.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Is that you, Holmes?

[Josiah Barnes]

I thought you were with the Turkish Emphatic.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I thought that my time might be better employed down here keeping a wary eye on Sir Robert, making sure that he plays the game.

[Josiah Barnes]

How do you mean?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, there are a hundred ways in which a man can influence the course of a race if he puts his mind to it. If by any chance Sir Robert does win this race, I want to be certain that he does so fairly and squarely. Hence, mighty scoi, it certainly took me in.

[Josiah Barnes]

And what have you found out?

[Sherlock Holmes]

That Sir Robert is the soul of honor. To test him, I even venture to put a little temptation in his way myself and suggested a few subtle ways by which the performance of some of his keenest rivals might be in.

[Josiah Barnes]

And how did he react?

[Sherlock Holmes]

I was lucky to escape the fate he once handed out. A Sam Brewer, the Norberton horse whip.

[Josiah Barnes]

The race is about to begin.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I must get rid of my little disguise. I'll see you half the race in the winner's enclosure.

[Coachman]

Come on, Sh and Prince. Come on, old boy, you can do it. That's it, enough. The rooms. Yes, come on, come on. Shut friends, come on.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, you lovely old knack. Well, Sir Robert, I could have wished for no other outcome. You've won. You deserve to win.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

I deserve nothing, Mr. Holmes. I was lucky to be able to run the horse at all.

[Josiah Barnes]

And now at last you can be

[Dr. Watson]

free of your creditors.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

With £80,000 in my pocket, I shall be able to do better than that. And the first thing I shall do is to erect a suitable memorial to

[Sherlock Holmes]

my Dear sister, you'll have to face an inquest before. That's a wonder. But I trust I'll be able to persuade the police and the coroner to take a lenient view of the matter.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

I cannot express my gratitude, Mr. Holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The worst you can expect will probably be a mild censure for delaying to register your sister's decease.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

And that's considerably better than I deserve. Goodbye, Mr. Holmes. Goodbye, doctor.

[Mr. Palfreyman]

Goodbye.

[Josiah Barnes]

Goodbye, Sir Robert, and congratulations. It was a fine race.

[Sir Robert Norberton]

Thank you, Doctor.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yourself. And now, Watson, I think we can take leave of these joyful scenes and return to the modest tranquility of 221B Baker Street.

[Josiah Barnes]

Yes, of course. There is one little thing to be cleared up before we leave.

[Sherlock Holmes]

What is that?

[Josiah Barnes]

I must collect my winning.

[Narrator]

In Shoscomb Old Place, Sherlock Holmes was played by Clive Medicine and Dr. Watson by Michael Williams with Nicholas Le Prevo as John Mason and Donald Pickering as A Robert Norberton. Paul Freeman was played by Desmond Llewellyn, Josiah Barnes by Jonathan Adams, Stevens by George Parsons, Carrie by Susanna Corbett, Norlett by Jonathan Keeble, and the Gypsy by Becky Hindley. Other parts were played by members of the cast. The violinist was Leonard Friedman. Shoscombe Old Place was dramatized for radio by Michael Bakewell and directed by Enid Williams.

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