Sidney Paget, “Her face blanched with terror,” The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes (1892)

Helen Stoner stands outside her twin sister Julia's bedroom

Sidney Paget’s illustration “Her face blanched with terror” was first published in 1892 for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes. The illustration can be found in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” the eighth short story and tenth overall story in the Sherlock Holmes series. Originally published in London, England in February 1892 by Strand Magazine, the story follows Helen Stoner, a young woman and soon-to-be bride, as she seeks the aid of Sherlock Holmes after suspecting her stepfather may attempt to kill her. There a total of nine illustrations, solely created by Sidney Paget (b.1860 – d.1908), in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”. Paget created 594 illustrations for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s works between 1891 and 1904; 356 illustrations for 38 Sherlock Holmes stories and 238 illustrations for non-detective stories. The illustration used for the purpose of this gallery image is a photographic reproduction of a watercolour. This vignette depicts the moment Helen rushed to her twin sister Julia’s aid after hearing her terrified scream; the passage states that “By the light of the corridor-lamp I saw my sister appear at the opening, her face blanched with terror, her hands groping for help, her whole figure swaying to and fro like that of a drunkard” (Doyle p.188). This passage and illustration recount the moments leading up to Julia Stoner’s death, which happened two years prior to Helen seeking the aid of Holmes and Watson. The illustration serves as a freeze-frame still in the retelling of Julia’s death which reveals important details that validate Helen’s concern for her own wellbeing. The low whistle she hears while exiting her room and Julia’s insistence on pointing towards their stepfather’s bedroom are bread crumbs in the trail leading to Sir Grimesby Roylott’s conviction.