Tragedy at Ravensthorpe · Chapter
XV: Sir Clinton’s Solution explained
Sir Clinton Driffield reveals his solution to the theft and murder, explaining how the criminals stole replicas instead of the real medallions as part of a larger scheme, and how he used the split between the confederates to catch them.
What happens
Sir Clinton Driffield reveals his solution to the theft and murder, explaining how the criminals stole replicas instead of the real medallions as part of a larger scheme, and how he used the split between the confederates to catch them. He details the substitution plan, the role of Foss, and the subsequent burglary attempt, while confirming the arrest of the murderer.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The entire solution hinges on the criminals exploiting assumptions and appearances, such as the fake statue and the substitution of replicas for real medallions.
Greed and Criminal Motivation
The crime is driven by the immense value of the Leonardo medallions and the criminals' desire to sell them to a secret collector.
Crime and Investigation
Sir Clinton details the investigative reasoning, evidence gathering, and the plan to catch the criminals in the act.
Characters to notice
- Sir Clinton Driffield
Presents his full solution to the crime, explaining the logic behind the theft of replicas and the subsequent events.
- Inspector Armadale
Confirms details of the case, provides the five medallions, and inwardly comments on Sir Clinton's truthfulness.
- Joan Chacewater
Offers whisky and soda to Sir Clinton and the Inspector, and interjects ironically when Sir Clinton mentions her involvement.
- Mr. Foss
Revealed as the inside man who planned to substitute replicas for the real medallions, and was later murdered by Marden.
- Una Rainhill
Expresses fear and demands to know if the murderer is still in the house.
- Michael Clifton
Present among the listeners as Sir Clinton explains the case.
Key passages
“If you cast your minds back to the case as it presented itself to us on the night of the masked ball, you’ll recall one point which undoubtedly seemed out of the common.”
Think back to the night of the masked ball and the unusual aspect of the crime.
Sir Clinton directs attention to the bizarre point that the thieves stole replicas instead of the valuable originals.
“If they’d taken the real medallions that night, with all the fuss that was made, then you Ravensthorpe people would have known at once that the true Leonardos had gone; and, naturally, with the theft of them dated to a minute, the risk was considerable.”
Stealing the real medallions immediately would have alerted everyone and increased the risk of capture.
Explains why the criminals first stole the replicas as part of a longer-term plan.
“He went across, deliberately slipped—he was an artist in detail, evidently—smashed against the glass of one of the cases, cut his hand, and then he felt fairly secure.”
Marden intentionally cut his hand on broken glass to explain away any blood on his clothes.
Describes Marden's cover-up after murdering Foss.