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"The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist" is one of the Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Scottish author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the fourth story in the cycle known as The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
| "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist" | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sir Arthur Conan Doyle |
| Series | The Return of Sherlock Holmes |
| Publication date | 1903 |
|
Client(s) Villian(s) |
Violet Smith Williamson and Woodley |
| Set in | 1895 |
Plot
Sherlock Holmes is contacted by Miss Violet Smith of Farnham, Surrey about an unusual turn in her and her mother's lives. Violets father has recently died, and left his wife and daughter rather poor. However, a noticed appeared in the newspaper not much later inquiring as to their whereabouts. Answering it, they meet Mr. Carruthers and Mr. Woodley, formerly a pleasant enough man, but the latter churl and a bully. They had come from South Africa where they had known Violet's uncle Ralph Smith, who had also died in poverty and apparently wanted to see that his relatives were provided for. This struck Violet as odd, since she and her family had not heard a word from Uncle Ralph since he went to South Africa 25 years ago. Carruthers and Woodley explained that before dying, Ralph had heard from his brother's death and felt responsible for his survivors' welfare.
Carruthers began by offering Violet a job as a live-in music teacher for his ten-year-old daughter for £100 a year, about twice the going rate. She accepted after Carruthers said she could visit her mother on weekends. That went well until Mr. Woodley came to stay for a week. He made the most oafish, clumsiest romantic advances and boasted that if Violet would marry him, she would have a life of luxury. He even grabbed her and demanded a kiss, precipitating expulsion by the host, Carruthers. Violet had not seen Woodley since. The specific thing that has brought Violet to seek Sherlock Holmes' services, however, is the strange man who has been following her on his bicycle as she cycles to and from the railway station for her weekend visits with her mother. The strange man always keeps his distance (about 200 yards or 183 m) behind her and then disappears without a trace, never letting her near him, and always along the same lonely stretch of road. Violet does not recognise him, but he has a black beard. Holmes asks her about her admirers, other than Woodley, if he can be styled as such, she can only think of Mr. Carruthers, who, although a perfect gentleman a times, seems attracted to her. After Violet leaves, Holmes observes that it is odd that a household would pay £100 a year for a music teacher but be to cheap to pay for a horse and trap. He sends Dr. Watson to surrey to see what he can find out. This turns out to virtually nothing, except to establish that the lady's story is true, and that the mystery man comes out of and returns back to a local house, Charlington Hall. Holmes upbraids Dr. Watson for his lackluster results. They also receive a letter from Violet that evening saying that Carruthers has proposed to her, but she had to refuse since she is already engaged to Cyril Morton, an electrical engineer, in Coventry.
Holmes goes to Surrey himself, and unvolves himself in a fight in a local pub for his troubles; when he returns and tells Watson what happened, he actually considers his experience in Surrey to be hilarious. It seems that Mr. Woodley has been in the taproom at the pub and heard his name mentioned in conversation. He comes out and demands to know who Holmes is and what he wants. The discussion leads to violence, where Holmes gains the upper hand. The inkeeper merely mentioned that Woodley is a regular weekend guest at Charlington Hall, which is rented by Williamson, who, rumor has it, is a clergyman.
Holmes returns to 221B Baker Street with his face somewhat marred, and another letter arrives from Violet, saying that her situation has become impossible owing to Mr. Carruthers proposals, and Mr. Woodley's reappearance. She is quitting. Holmes knows that some intrigue is afoot, and he tells Watson that they must get themselves to Surrey to see that Violet makes it to the station. Carruthers has at last acquired a trap, and she need not ride her bicycle this time.
Through a failure to realise that Violet might take an eariler train than usual, Holmes discovers that he is too late to meet Violet. The trap comes along the road, but by the time it does, no one is in it. Violet has been abducted. Holmes and Watson board the empty trap in an attempt to go after the kidnappers. The come face-to-face with the mysterious cyclist, who pulls a revolver on them. However, both parties quickly realise that they are on the same side; both have Violet's welfare in mind. The cyclist declares that the abductors are Woodley and Williamson. He evidently knows something of the intrigue.
The group first find an unconscious groom, who was driving the trap, in the bushes, and then they find all three persons that they have been seeking on the Charlington Hall grounds, with the apparently disgraced clerdyman performing a wedding ceremony between the other two. The bride is somewhat unwilling, judging from the gag over her mouth. Woodley's boast of having married Violet leads Carruthers, the mysterious cyclist, to pull out his revolver and shoot Woodley, wounding him.
The intrigue does indeed involve Uncle Ralph in South Africa. He was dying when Carruthers and Woodley left; far from being penniless at this death, it is revealed that in reality, Uncle Ralph had amassed a large fortune. As he was illiterate, he would surely die intestate, and therefore Violet would inherithis wealth as Ralph's next of kin. The two crooks made their way to England, in the hopes that one of them would get to marry Violet — Woodley won the chance in a card game on the ship — and they had had to draw Williamson into the plot, promising him a share of the lucre. The plan went arwy when first, Woodley proved to be a brute, and next, Carruthers fell in love with Violet, and thereafter wanted nothing to do with his former colleagues. He took to disguising himself and following her as she rode her bicycle past Charlington Hall, where he knew Woodley and Williamson might be lying in wait for her.
Heavy penalties await Woodley and Williamson, but Carruthers only gets a few months due to Woodley's less-than-savory reputation. Holmes reassures Carruthers the "marriage" perfomed by Williamson was void.
Trivia
- The first version of this story was refused by the editor of the Strand Magazine because Holmes was not very involved in the plot.
- Conan Doyle was not very pleased with this story and believed that the first three stories of The Return of Sherlock Holmes ("The Adventure of the Empty House", "The Adventure of the Norwood Builder", and "The Adventure of the Dancing Men") were better than this story.
- The Granada TV version with Jeremy Brett was relatively faithful to the origial story; however, it has a comic relief ending when Sherlock Holmes' chemical experiment causes the flat to fill up with smoke, bringing the fire brigade to the scene! (The chemical experiment-sans smoke-is from "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty".)
- "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist" is one of the few examples in British literature of bride kidnapping.
See Also
Complete Story Text
- Story Text: The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist