Helen Stoner, a young woman who lived with her stepfather Dr. Roylott, visited Sherlock Holmes seeking his assistance with a case. When her mother passed away, she left £2,000 to Dr. Roylott on the condition that Helen and her twin sister Julia reside with him. In the event of their marriages, they would each receive £500 annually. Julia was engaged to be married, but she passed away within two weeks of the wedding date. Her final words to her sister were, "It's the band, the speckled band."