Itwasempty。
　　Butitwasonlyforamomentthatwewereatfault。
　　Atonecorner，thecornernearesttheroomwhichwehadleft，therewasaseconddoor。Holmessprangtoitandpulleditopen。Acoatandwaistcoatwerelyingonthefloor，andfromahookbehindthedoor，withhisownbracesroundhisneck，washangingthemanagingdirectoroftheFranco-MidlandHardwareCompany。Hiskneesweredrawnup，hisheadhungatadreadfulangletohisbody，andtheclatterofhisheelsagainstthedoormadethenoisewhichhadbrokeninuponourconversation。InaninstantIhadcaughthimroundthewaist，andheldhimupwhileHolmesandPycroftuntiedtheelasticbandswhichhaddisappearedbetweenthelividcreasesofskin。Thenwecarriedhimintotheotherroom，wherehelaywithaclay-coloredface，puffinghispurplelipsinandoutwitheverybreath——adreadfulwreckofallthathehadbeenbutfiveminutesbefore。”Whatdoyouthinkofhim，Watson?”askedHolmes。
　　Istoopedoverhimandexaminedhim。Hispulewasfeebleandintermittent，buthisbreathinggrewlonger，andtherewasalittleshiveringofhiseyelids，whichshowedathinwhiteslitofballbeneath。”Ithasbeentouchandgowithhim，”saidI，”buthe’lllivenow。Justopenthatwindow，andhandmethewatercarafe。”Iundidhiscollar，pouredthecoldwateroverhisface，andraisedandsankhisarmsuntilhedrewalong，naturalbreath。”It’sonlyaquestionoftimenow，”saidI，asIturnedawayfromhim。
　　Holmesstoodbythetable，withhishandsdeepinhistrouser’spocketsandhischinuponhisbreast。”Isupposeweoughttocallthepoliceinnow，”saidhe。”AndyetIconfessthatI’dliketogivethemacompletecasewhentheycome。””It’sablessedmysterytome，”criedPycroft，scratchinghishead。”Whatevertheywantedtobringmeallthewayupherefor，andthen——””Pooh！Allthatisclearenough，”saidHolmesimpatiently。”Itisthislastsuddenmove。””Youunderstandtherest，then?””Ithinkthatitisfairlyobvious。Whatdoyousay，Watson?”
　　Ishruggedmyshoulders。”ImustconfessthatIamoutofmydepths，”saidI。”Ohsurelyifyouconsidertheeventsatfirsttheycanonlypointtooneconclusion。””Whatdoyoumakeofthem?””Well，thewholethinghingesupontwopoints。ThefirstisthemakingofPycroftwriteadeclarationbywhichheenteredtheserviceofthispreposterouscompany。Doyounotseehowverysuggestivethatis?””IamafraidImissthepoint。””Well，whydidtheywanthimtodoit?Notasabusinessmatter，forthesearrangementsareusuallyverbal，andtherewasnoearthlybusinessreasonwhythisshouldbeanexception。Don’tyousee，myyoungfriend，thattheywereveryanxioustoobtainaspecimenofyourhandwriting，andhadnootherwayofdoingit?””Andwhy?””Quiteso。Why?Whenweanswerthatwehavemadesomeprogresswithourlittleproblem。Why?Therecanbeonlyoneadequatereason。Someonewantedtolearntoimitateyourwriting，andhadtoprocureaspecimenofitfirst。Andnowifwepassontothesecondpointwefindthateachthrowslightupontheother。ThatpointistherequestmadebyPinnerthatyoushouldnotresignyourplace，butshouldleavethemanagerofthisimportantbusinessinthefullexpectationthataMr。HallPycroft，whomhehadneverseen，wasabouttoentertheofficeupontheMondaymorning。””MyGod！”criedourclient，”whatablindbeetleI
　　havebeen！””Nowyouseethepointaboutthehandwriting。Supposethatsomeoneturnedupinyourplacewhowroteacompletelydifferenthandfromthatinwhichyouhadappliedforthevacancy，ofcoursethegamewouldhavebeenup。Butintheintervaltheroguehadlearnedtoimitateyou，andhispositionwasthereforesecure，asIpresumethatnobodyintheofficehadeverseteyesuponyou。””Notasoul，”groanedHallPycroft。”Verygood。Ofcourseitwasoftheutmostimportancetopreventyoufromthinkingbetterofit，andalsotokeepyoufromcomingintocontactwithanyonewhomighttellyouthatyourdoublewasatworkinMawson’soffice。Thereforetheygaveyouahandsomeadvanceonyoursalary，andranyouofftotheMidlands，wheretheygaveyouenoughworktodotopreventyourgoingtoLondon，whereyoumighthavebursttheirlittlegameup。Thatisallplainenough。””Butwhyshouldthismanpretendtobehiswonbrother?””Well，thatisprettyclearalso。Thereareevidentlyonlytwooftheminit。Theotherispersonatingyouattheoffice。Thisoneactedasyourengager，andthenfoundthathecouldnotfindyouanemployerwithoutadmittingathirdpersonintohisplot。Thathewasmostunwillingtodo。Hechangedhisappearanceasfarashecould，andtrustedthatthelikeness，whichyoucouldnotfailtoobserve，wouldbeputdowntoafamilyresemblance。Butforthehappychanceofthegoldstuffing，yoursuspicionswouldprobablyneverhavebeenaroused。”
　　HallPycroftshookhisclinchedhandsintheair。”GoodLord！”hecried，”whileIhavebeenfooledinthisway，whathasthisotherHallPycroftbeendoingatMawson’s?Whatshouldwedo，Mr。Holmes?Tellmewhattodo。””WemustwiretoMawson’s。””TheyshutattwelveonSaturdays。””Nevermind。Theremaybesomedoor-keeperorattendant——””Ahyes，theykeepapermanentguardthereonaccountofthevalueofthesecuritiesthattheyhold。I
　　rememberhearingittalkedofintheCity。””Verygood；weshallwiretohim，andseeifalliswell，andifaclerkofyournameisworkingthere。
　　Thatisclearenough；butwhatisnotsocleariswhyatsightofusoneoftheroguesshouldinstantlywalkoutoftheroomandhanghimself。””Thepaper！”croakedavoicebehindus。Themanwassittingup，blanchedandghastly，withreturningreasoninhiseyes，andhandswhichrubbednervouslyatthebroadredbandwhichstillencircledhisthroat。”Thepaper！Ofcourse！”yelledHolmes，inaparoxysmofexcitement。”IdiotthatIwas！Ithoughtsomustofourvisitthatthepaperneverenteredmyheadforaninstant。Tobesure，thesecretmustbethere。”
　　Heflatteneditoutuponthetable，andacryoftriumphburstfromhislips。”Lookatthis，Watson，”
　　hecried。”ItisaLondonpaper，anearlyeditionoftheEveningStandard。Hereiswhatwewant。Lookattheheadlines：’CrimeintheCity。MurderatMawson&
　　Williams’s。GiganticattemptedRobbery。CaptureoftheCriminal。’Here，Watson，weareallequallyanxioustohearit，sokindlyreaditaloudtous。”
　　Itappearedfromitspositioninthepapertohavebeentheoneeventofimportanceintown，andtheaccountofitraninthisway：”Adesperateattemptatrobbery，culminatinginthedeathofonemanandthecaptureofthecriminal，occurredthisafternoonintheCity。ForsometimebackMawson&Williams，thefamousfinancialhouse，havebeentheguardiansofsecuritieswhichamountintheaggregatetoasumofconsiderablyoveramillionsterling。Soconsciouswasthemanageroftheresponsibilitywhichdevolveduponhiminconsequenceofthegreatinterestsatstakethatsafesoftheverylatestconstructionhavebeenemployed，andanarmedwatchmanhasbeenleftdayandnightinthebuilding。
　　ItappearsthatlastweekanewclerknamedHallPycroftwasengagedbythefirm。ThispersonappearstohavebeennoneotherthatBeddington，thefamousforgerandcracksman，who，withhisbrother，hadonlyrecentlyemergedfromafiveyears’spellofpenalservitude。Bysomemean，whicharenotyetclear，hesucceededinwining，underafalsename，thisofficialpositionintheoffice，whichheutilizedinordertoobtainmouldingofvariouslocks，andathoroughknowledgeofthepositionofthestrongroomandthesafes。”ItiscustomaryatMawson’sfortheclerkstoleaveatmiddayonSaturday。SergeantTuson，oftheCityPolice，wassomewhatsurprised，thereforetoseeagentlemanwithacarpetbagcomedownthestepsattwentyminutespastone。Hissuspicionsbeingaroused，thesergeantfollowedtheman，andwiththeaidofConstablePollacksucceeded，afteramostdesperateresistance，inarrestinghim。Itwasatonceclearthatadaringandgiganticrobberyhadbeencommitted。Nearlyahundredthousandpounds’worthofAmericanrailwaybonds，withalargeamountofscripinminesandothercompanies，wasdiscoveredinthebag。Onexaminingthepremisesthebodyoftheunfortunatewatchmanwasfounddoubledupandthrustintothelargestofthesafes，whereitwouldnothavebeendiscovereduntilMondaymorninghaditnotbeenforthepromptactionofSergeantTuson。Theman’sskullhadbeenshatteredbyablowfromapokerdeliveredfrombehind。TherecouldbenodoubtthatBeddingtonhadobtainedentrancebypretendingthathehadleftsomethingbehindhim，andhavingmurderedthewatchman，rapidlyrifledthelargesafe，andthenmadeoffwithhisbooty。Hisbrother，whousuallyworkswithhim，hasnotappearedinthisjobasfarascanatpresentbeascertained，althoughthepolicearemakingenergeticinquiriesastohiswhereabouts。””Well，wemaysavethepolicesomelittletroubleinthatdirection，”saidHolmes，glancingatthehaggardfigurehuddledupbythewindow。”Humannatureisastrangemixture，Watson。Youseethatevenavillainandmurderercaninspiresuchaffectionthathisbrotherturnstosuicidewhenhelearnsthathisneckisforfeited。However，wehavenochoiceastoouraction。ThedoctorandIwillremainonguard，Mr。
　　Pycroft，ifyouwillhavethekindnesstostepoutforthepolice。”