[00:00.13] Chapter four, The Rescue.
[00:04.90] "I ran to my room," Violet continued.
[00:09.70] "Everything seemed horrible: the house, the servants, the Rucastles, even the child.
[00:18.64] I used my afternoon off to walk into the village and send the telegram.
[00:25.20] This morning, I slipped out of the house while the Rucastles were out.
[00:30.83] Toller was completely drunk, and Mrs. Toller was in the kitchen garden."
[00:36.72] She paused and looked at Holmes.
[00:40.99] "I am so glad to see you here.
[00:44.63] I know there is something wrong, but I cannot work out what it can be."
[00:52.24] "We shall soon unravel this," Holmes said, rising and pacing up and down the room.
[01:00.53] "Is there a cellar with a strong lock?"
[01:06.31] "Why, yes," she said, "the wine cellar."
[01:11.78] "You have been a brave and sensible girl.
[01:18.08] Can you do one more thing before we arrive?"
[01:23.89] "I will try."
[01:27.91] "Get Mrs. Toller to go to the cellar for some reason, close and lock the door."
[01:37.34] "I will do it!"
[01:39.68] "Excellent.
[01:42.09] You are a quite exceptional woman.
[01:47.04] We shall follow in 40 minutes.
[01:51.68] The only explanation is that you have been brought to Copper Beeches to impersonate someone.
[02:01.22] That person must be the daughter, Alice Rucastle.
[02:07.11] I fear that she is locked in the room which you discovered.
[02:13.91] How dreadful!
[02:16.72] But why?" asked Violet.
[02:22.04] "The man in the road, the one you saw, must be her sweetheart, perhaps her fiancé.
[02:32.64] You were brought there to show that Alice was alive and happy.
[02:37.76] You even waved him away, which they hoped would be enough to convince him that you no longer wished to see him.
[02:49.00] But, I ask again, why go to such extremes?"
[02:56.52] "That," said Holmes, "is what we shall find out."
[03:05.97] 40 minutes later, we arrived at Copper Beeches.
[03:11.36] Violet Hunter was waiting on the steps as we approached.
[03:17.48] "Have you managed it?" asked Holmes.
[03:23.47] A loud thudding came from somewhere downstairs.
[03:28.93] "It is Mrs. Toller in the cellar," Violet said.
[03:34.39] "Her husband is snoring on the kitchen rug.
[03:38.94] Here are his keys."
[03:41.87] "You have done well indeed!" cried Holmes with enthusiasm.
[03:47.88] "Now lead us to the room."
[03:51.62] We went up the stairs, unlocked the door, and walked down the passage.
[03:58.67] We came to the padlock door.
[04:02.69] "Try your shoulder against it, Watson," said Holmes.
[04:09.47] The door gave way easily, and together we entered the room.
[04:15.49] It was empty.
[04:17.80] All we saw was a simple bed, a small table, and a basket of clothes.
[04:27.03] "Look," said Violet.
[04:30.98] Above, in the ceiling, was a skylight.
[04:36.30] It was open.
[04:39.11] The prisoner was gone.
[04:45.22] With my help, Holmes made his way up through the skylight.
[04:51.76] "Yes," he called.
[04:55.24] "There is a ladder over there."
[04:58.54] He dropped back into the room.
[05:02.95] "Someone is coming," he whispered.
[05:07.25] "Watson, have your pistol ready."
[05:14.94] A fat, burly man appeared in the doorway with a heavy stick in his hand.
[05:22.57] Violet screamed and held onto my arm.
[05:27.04] Holmes strode up to him.
[05:31.05] "You villain, where is your daughter?"
[05:36.52] Rucastle's eyes were wide.
[05:39.87] He looked round and then saw the open skylight.
[05:44.92] "It is for you to tell me that, you thieves!
[05:49.69] Just wait!"
[05:52.86] He ran off down the passage.
[05:57.71] "He's gone for the hound!" cried Violet.
[06:02.71] "I have my revolver," I said.
[06:08.84] We rushed along the passage and down the stairs.
[06:13.06] We reached the hall.
[06:17.53] Suddenly we heard a dreadful barking noise.
[06:22.77] Then there was a scream of agony.
[06:28.36] An old man with a red face and shaking limbs staggered into the room.
[06:36.37] It was Toller.
[06:39.63] "My God!" he cried.
[06:46.08] "Someone has loosed the dog.
[06:51.18] It has not been fed for two days.
[06:56.71] Quick, or it will be too late!"
[07:03.56] We rushed out and round the side of the house.
[07:08.14] There we saw the huge, hungry brute, its black muzzle buried in Rucastle's throat.
[07:17.61] The man writhed and screamed on the ground.
[07:23.08] Pistol in hand, I ran closer and blew out its brains.
[07:29.38] As it fell over, its teeth were still locked onto the flesh of Rucastle's neck.
[07:40.04] The facts of the case were finally put together from Toller and his wife.
[07:47.25] Holmes explained on the train back to London.
[07:52.74] Alice Rucastle had money of her own, but was happy to let her father handle her affairs.
[08:02.74] All was well until Alice fell in love with a naval officer.
[08:09.94] Rucastle knew that if she married, he would lose Alice's money.
[08:18.26] So he locked her in the east wing and employed Violet to get rid of him."
[08:25.89] "Exactly.
[08:28.85] An extreme plan, but Rucastle is an extreme man with a cruel temper like his son.
[08:37.85] But the seaman did not go away.
[08:41.43] He too worked out what was going on.
[08:46.98] He bribed Mrs. Toller and gave old Mr. Toller as much rum as he could drink.
[08:55.24] Then he brought the ladder and rescued the maiden, just like in the fairy tale."
[09:05.58] "Exactly, Watson.
[09:09.85] And it was good to be on hand when Rucastle returned, who can tell what he would have done to Miss Hunter when he found that Alice had gone."
[09:22.99] Rucastle lived, but he was from then on a sick man, kept alive by his devoted, sad wife.
[09:34.22] Alice Rucastle and her sailor were married.
[09:39.98] Violet Hunter is now the head of a school in Warsaw, where I believe she has made a most successful career.