Sherlock Holmes smiled demurely.

　　"Your Grace can hardly have heard of any small reputation which Ipossess, or you would not imagine that it is so easy to escape me. Mr.Reuben Hayes was arrested at Chesterfield, on my information, ateleven o'clock last night. I had a telegram from the head of the localpolice before I left the school this morning."

　　The Duke leaned back in his chair and stared with amazement at myfriend.

　　"You seem to have powers that are hardly human," said he. "So ReubenHayes is taken? I am right glad to hear it, if it will not reactupon the fate of James."

　　"Your secretary?"

　　"No, sir, my son."

　　It was Holmes's turn to look astonished.

　　"I confess that this is entirely new to me, your Grace. I must begyou to be more explicit."

　　"I will conceal nothing from you. I agree with you that completefrankness, however painful it may be to me, is the best policy in thisdesperate situation to which James's folly and jealousy have reducedus. When I was a very young man, Mr. Holmes, I loved with such alove as comes only once in a lifetime. I offered the lady marriage,but she refused it on the grounds that such a match might mar mycareer. Had she lived, I would certainly never have married anyoneelse. She died, and left this one child, whom for her sake I havecherished and cared for. I could not acknowledge the paternity tothe world, but I gave him the best of educations, and since he came tomanhood I have kept him near my person. He surprised my secret, andhas presumed ever since upon the claim which he has upon me, andupon his power of provoking a scandal which would be abhorrent tome. His presence had something to do with the unhappy issue of mymarriage. Above all, he hated my young legitimate heir from thefirst with a persistent hatred. You may well ask me why, under thesecircumstances, I still kept James under my roof. I answer that itwas because I could see his mother's face in his, and that for herdear sake there was no end to my long-suffering. All her pretty waystoo- there was not one of them which he could not suggest and bringback to my memory. I could not send him away. But I feared so muchlest he should do Arthur- that is, Lord Saltire- a mischief, that Idispatched him for safety to Dr. Huxtable's school.