The D’Arblay Mystery · Chapter
A Strange Misadventure explained
Stephen Gray recounts his strange fall into the canal after visiting Simon Bendelow.
What happens
Stephen Gray recounts his strange fall into the canal after visiting Simon Bendelow. Thorndyke reveals that the gold coin found on D'Arblay is an electrotype, not the original, and suggests D'Arblay may have been making copies for a dangerous client. Gray agrees to investigate D'Arblay's recent electrotype work.
Themes in this chapter
Forensic Science and Deduction
Thorndyke uses the electrotype discovery to deduce a motive and a new line of investigation.
Deception and Fraud
The gold coin is revealed to be a copy, suggesting a scheme involving stolen originals and forged replicas.
Danger and Protection
Gray is attacked on the towpath, highlighting the physical risks of the investigation.
Characters to notice
- Stephen Gray
Narrator and protagonist; falls into the canal and later discusses the electrotype coin with Thorndyke.
- Dr. Thorndyke
Reveals the coin is an electrotype and proposes a motive for D'Arblay's murder.
- Dr. Cornish
Gray's temporary colleague; present during the discussion of the canal incident.
- Julius D'Arblay
Deceased; his skill in electrotyping is now central to the investigation.
- Marion D'Arblay
Mentioned as the daughter; Gray visits her regularly at Highgate.
- Mr. Morris
Hoxton antique dealer; Thorndyke suspects he may be a fence.
Key passages
“That coin is not the original which was stolen. It is an electrotype in gold, made in two halves very neatly soldered together and carefully worked on the milled edge to hide the join.”
The coin found on D'Arblay is a cleverly made gold copy, not the stolen original.
Thorndyke reveals the coin's true nature, shifting the investigation toward forgery.
“Let us suppose that this man employed D'Arblay to make electrotype copies of certain unique objects with the intention of disposing of them to collectors.”
Thorndyke theorizes that D'Arblay was killed because he knew the identity of a client who had him copy stolen items.
This hypothesis provides a motive for the murder.
“But there was no one there. The shed was empty when I examined it, and there was not a soul in sight on the towpath.”
Gray insists the area was deserted when he fell into the canal, making the incident mysterious.
The attack seems to have come from nowhere, deepening the mystery.