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The Naval Treaty - The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

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  Speaker 1: Adventure ten in the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir
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  Speaker 1: Arthur Conan Doyle. This LibriVox recording is in the public
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  Speaker 1: domain Adventure ten The Naval Treaty, Part one. The July,
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  Speaker 1: which immediately succeeded my marriage, was made memorable by three
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  Speaker 1: cases of interest in which I had the privilege of
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  Speaker 1: being associated with Sherlock Holmes and of studying his methods.
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  Speaker 1: I find them recorded in my notes under the headings
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  Speaker 1: of the Adventure of the Second Stain, the Adventure of
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  Speaker 1: the Naval Treaty, and the Adventure of the Tired Captain.
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  Speaker 1: The first of these, however, deals with interest of such
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  Speaker 1: importance and implicates so many of the first families in
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  Speaker 1: the Kingdom that for many years it will be impossible
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  Speaker 1: to make it public. No case, however, in which Holmes
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  Speaker 1: was engaged, has ever illustrated the value of his analytical
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  Speaker 1: methods so clearly, or has impressed those who were associated
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  Speaker 1: with him so deeply. I still retain an almost verbatim
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  Speaker 1: report of the interview in which he demonstrated the true
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  Speaker 1: facts of the case to Monsieur de Bugue of the
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  Speaker 1: Paris Police and Fritz von Waltbaum, the well known specialist
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  Speaker 1: of Dancy, both of whom had wasted their energies upon
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  Speaker 1: what proved to be side issues. The new century will
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  Speaker 1: have come, however, before the story can be safely told. Meanwhile,
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  Speaker 1: I pass on to the second on my list, which
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  Speaker 1: promised also at one time to be of national importance,
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  Speaker 1: and was marked by several incidents which give it a
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  Speaker 1: quite unique character. During my school days I had been
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  Speaker 1: intimately associated with a lad named Percy Phelps, who was
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  Speaker 1: of much the same age as myself, though he was
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  Speaker 1: two classes ahead of me. He was a very brilliant
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  Speaker 1: boy and carried away every prize which the school had
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  Speaker 1: to offer. Finished his exploits by winning a scholarship which
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  Speaker 1: sent him on to continue his triumphant career at Cambridge.
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  Speaker 1: He was, i remember, extremely well connected, and even when
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  Speaker 1: we were all little boys together we knew that his
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  Speaker 1: mother's brother was Lord Holthurst, the great Conservative politician. This
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  Speaker 1: gaudy relationship did him little good at school. On the contrary,
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  Speaker 1: it seemed rather a piquant thing to us to chevy
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  Speaker 1: him about the playground and hit him over the shins
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  Speaker 1: with a wicket. But it was another thing when he
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  Speaker 1: came out into the world. I heard vaguely that his
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  Speaker 1: abilities and the influences which he commanded had won him
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  Speaker 1: a good position at the Foreign Office, And then he
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  Speaker 1: passed completely out of my mind until the following letter
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  Speaker 1: recalled his existence. Briar Bray Woking, My dear Watson, I
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  Speaker 1: have no doubt that you can remember Tadpole Phelps, who
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  Speaker 1: was in the fifth form when you were in the third.
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  Speaker 1: It is possible even that you may have heard that
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  Speaker 1: through my uncle's infant duance, I obtained a good appointment
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  Speaker 1: at the Foreign Office, and that I was in a
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  Speaker 1: situation of trust and honor until a horrible misfortune came
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  Speaker 1: suddenly to blast my career. There is no use writing
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  Speaker 1: of the details of that dreadful event. In the event
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  Speaker 1: of your acceding to my request, it is probable that
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  Speaker 1: I shall have to narrate them to you. I have
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  Speaker 1: only just recovered from nine weeks of brain fever, and
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  Speaker 1: am still exceedingly weak. Do you think that you could
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  Speaker 1: bring your friend mister Holmes down to see me. I
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  Speaker 1: should like to have his opinion of the case. Though
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  Speaker 1: the authorities assure me that nothing more can be done,
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  Speaker 1: Do try to bring him down and as soon as possible.
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  Speaker 1: Every minute seems an hour while I live in this
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  Speaker 1: state of horrible suspense. Assure him that if I have
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  Speaker 1: not asked his advice sooner, it was not because I
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  Speaker 1: did not appreciate his talents, but because I have been
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  Speaker 1: off my head ever since the blow fell. Now I
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  Speaker 1: am clear again, though I dare not think of it
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  Speaker 1: too much for fear of a relapse, I am still
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  Speaker 1: so weak that I have to write, as you see
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  Speaker 1: by dictating, do try to bring him your old schoolfellow,
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  Speaker 1: Percy Phelps. There was something that touched me as I
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  Speaker 1: read this letter, something pitiable in the reiterated appeals to
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  Speaker 1: bring Holmes. So moved was I that, even had it
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  Speaker 1: been a difficult matter, I should have tried it. But
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  Speaker 1: of course I knew well that Holmes loved his art,
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  Speaker 1: so that he was ever as ready to bring his
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  Speaker 1: aid as his client could be to receive it. My
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  Speaker 1: wife agreed with me that not a moment should be
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  Speaker 1: lost in laying the matter before him, and so within
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  Speaker 1: an hour of breakfast time, I found myself back once
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  Speaker 1: more in the old rooms in Baker Street. Holmes was
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  Speaker 1: seated at his side table, clad in his dressing gown
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  Speaker 1: and working hard over a chemical investigation, A large curved
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  Speaker 1: retort boiling furiously in the bluish flame of a Bunsen burner,
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  Speaker 1: and the distilled drops were condensing into a two liter measure.
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  Speaker 1: My friend hardly glanced up as I entered, and I,
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  Speaker 1: seeing that his investigation must be of importance, seated myself
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  Speaker 1: in an arm chair and waited. He dipped into this
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  Speaker 1: bottle or that, drawing out a few drops of each
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  Speaker 1: with his glass pipette, and finally brought a test tube
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  Speaker 1: containing a solution over to the table. In his right
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  Speaker 1: hand he held a slip of lipless paper. You come
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  Speaker 1: at a crisis, Watson said he. If this paper remains blue,
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  Speaker 1: all is well. If it turns red, it means a
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  Speaker 1: man's life. He dipped it into the test tube, and
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  Speaker 1: it flushed at once into a dull, dirty crimson. Hum
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  Speaker 1: I thought as much, He cried, I will be at
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  Speaker 1: your service in an instant, Watson, you will find tobacco
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  Speaker 1: in the persian slipper. He turned to his desk and
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  Speaker 1: scriveled off several telegrams, which were handed over to the
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  Speaker 1: page boy. Then he threw himself down into the chair opposite,
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  Speaker 1: and drew up his knees until his fingers clasped round
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  Speaker 1: his long, thin shins. A very commonplace little murder, said he,
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  Speaker 1: you've got something better. I fancy you are the stormy
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  Speaker 1: petrol of crime. Watson. What is it? I handed him
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  Speaker 1: the letter, which he read with the most concentrated attention.
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  Speaker 1: It does not tell us very much, does it, he remarked,
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  Speaker 1: as he handed it back to me. Hardly anything. And
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  Speaker 1: yet the writing is of interest. But the writing is
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  Speaker 1: not his own. Precisely it is a woman's a man, surely,
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  Speaker 1: I cried, No, a woman's, and a woman of rare character.
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  Speaker 1: You see at the commencement of an investigation, it is
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  Speaker 1: something to know that your client is in close contact
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  Speaker 1: with some one who, who, for good or evil, has
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  Speaker 1: an exceptional nature. My interest is already awakened in the case.
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  Speaker 1: If you are ready, we will start at once for
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  Speaker 1: Woking and see this diplomatist who is in such evil case,
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  Speaker 1: and the lady to whom he dictates his letter. We
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  Speaker 1: were fortunate enough to catch an early train at Waterloo,
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  Speaker 1: and in a little under an hour we found ourselves
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  Speaker 1: among the fir woods and the heather of Woking Briarbray
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  Speaker 1: proved to be a large detached house standing in extensive
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  Speaker 1: grounds within a few minutes walk of the station. On
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  Speaker 1: sending in our cards, we were shown into an elegantly
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  Speaker 1: appointed drawing room, where we were joined in a few
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  Speaker 1: minutes by a rather stout man who received us with
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  Speaker 1: much hospitality. His age may have been nearer forty than thirty,
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  Speaker 1: but his cheeks were so ruddy and his eyes so
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  Speaker 1: merry that he still conveyed the impression of a plump
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  Speaker 1: and mischievous boy. I am solar that you've come, said he,
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  Speaker 1: shaking our hands with effusion. Percy has been inquiring for
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  Speaker 1: you all morning. Ah, poor old chap he clings to
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  Speaker 1: any straw. His father and his mother asked me to
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  Speaker 1: see you, for the mere mention of the subject is
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  Speaker 1: very painful to them. We have no details yet, observed Holmes.
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  Speaker 1: I perceive that you are not yourself a member of
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  Speaker 1: the family. Our acquaintance looked surprised, and then, glancing down,
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  Speaker 1: he began to laugh. Of course you saw the j
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  Speaker 1: H monogram on my locket, said he. For a moment
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  Speaker 1: I thought you had done something clever. Joseph Harrison is
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  Speaker 1: my name, and as Percy is to marry my sister Annie,
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  Speaker 1: I shall at least be a relation by marriage. You
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  Speaker 1: will find my sister in his room, for she has
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  Speaker 1: nursed him hand and foot this two months back. Perhaps
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  Speaker 1: we'd better go in at once, for I know how
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  Speaker 1: impatient he is. The chamber in which we were shown
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  Speaker 1: was on the same floor as the drawing room. It
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  Speaker 1: was furnished partly as a sitting and partly as a bedroom,
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  Speaker 1: with flowers arranged daintily in every nook and corner. A
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  Speaker 1: young man, very pale and worn, was lying upon a
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  Speaker 1: sofa near the open window, through which came the rich
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  Speaker 1: scent of the garden and the balmy summer air. A
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  Speaker 1: woman was sitting beside him, who rose as we entered.
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  Speaker 1: Shall I leave Percy, she asked. He clutched her hand
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  Speaker 1: to detain her. How are you, Watson said he cordially.
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  Speaker 1: I should never have known you under that mustache, and
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  Speaker 1: I dare say you would not be prepared to swear
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  Speaker 1: to me. This I presume is your celebrated friend, mister
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  Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes. I introduced him in a few words, and
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  Speaker 1: we both sat down. The stout young man had left
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  Speaker 1: us but his sister still remained with her hand in
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  Speaker 1: that of the invalid. She was a striking looking woman,
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  Speaker 1: a little short and thick for symmetry, but with a
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  Speaker 1: beautiful olive complexion, large dark Italian eyes, and a wealth
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  Speaker 1: of deep black hair. Her rich tints made the white
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  Speaker 1: face of her companion the more worn and haggard by
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  Speaker 1: the contrast. I won't waste your time, said he, raising
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  Speaker 1: himself upon the sofa. I'll plunge into the matter without
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  Speaker 1: further preamble. I was a happy and successful man, mister Holmes,
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  Speaker 1: and on the eve of being married, when a sudden
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  Speaker 1: and dreadful misfortune wrecked all my prospects in life. I was,
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  Speaker 1: as Watson may have told you, in the Foreign Office,
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  Speaker 1: and through the influences of my uncle, Lord Holthurst, I
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  Speaker 1: rose rapidly to a responsible position when my uncle became
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  Speaker 1: Foreign Minister in this administration. He gave me several missions
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  Speaker 1: of trust, and as I always brought them to a
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  Speaker 1: successful conclusion, he came at last to have the utmost
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  Speaker 1: confidence in my ability and tact. Nearly ten weeks ago,
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  Speaker 1: to be more accurate, on the twenty third of May,
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  Speaker 1: he called me into his private room and after complimenting
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  Speaker 1: me on the good work which I had done, he
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  Speaker 1: informed me that he had a new commission of trust
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  Speaker 1: for me to execute. This said he, taking a gray
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  Speaker 1: roll of paper from his bureau, is the original of
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  Speaker 1: that secret treaty between England and Italy, of which I
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  Speaker 1: regret to say some rumors have already got into the
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  Speaker 1: public press. It is of enormous importance that nothing further
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  Speaker 1: should leak out. The French or the Russian embassy would
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  Speaker 1: pay an immense sum to learn the contents of these papers.
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  Speaker 1: I should not leave my bureau were it not that
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  Speaker 1: it is absolutely necessary to have them copied. You have
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  Speaker 1: a desk in your office, yes, sir, Then take the
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  Speaker 1: treaty and lock it up there. I shall give directions
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  Speaker 1: that you may remain behind when the others go, so
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  Speaker 1: that you may copy it at your leisure without fear
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  Speaker 1: of being overlooked. When you have finished, relock both the
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  Speaker 1: original and the draft in the desk, and hand them
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  Speaker 1: over to me personally to morrow morning. I took the papers,
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  Speaker 1: and excuse me, an instant, said Holmes, Were you alone
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  Speaker 1: during this conversation? Absolutely in a large room thirty feet
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  Speaker 1: each way in the center yes about it, and speaking low.
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  Speaker 1: My uncle's voice is always remarkably low. I hardly spoke
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  Speaker 1: at all. Thank you, said Holmes, shutting his eyes. Pray
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  Speaker 1: go on. I did exactly what he indicated, and waited
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  Speaker 1: until the other clerks had departed. One of them in
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  Speaker 1: my room, Charles Gorro, had some arrears of work to
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  Speaker 1: make up, so I left him there and went out
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  Speaker 1: to dine. When I returned, he was gone. I was
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  Speaker 1: anxious to hurry my work, for I knew that Joseph,
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  Speaker 1: the mister Harrison whom you saw just now, was in town,
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  Speaker 1: and that he would travel down to Woking by the
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  Speaker 1: eleven o'clock train, and I wanted, if possible, to catch it.
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  Speaker 1: When I came to examine the treaty, I saw at
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  Speaker 1: once that it was of such importance that my uncle
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  Speaker 1: had been guilty of no exaggeration in what he had said.
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  Speaker 1: Without going into details, I may say that it defined
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  Speaker 1: the position of Great Britain towards the Triple Alliance, and
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  Speaker 1: foreshadowed the policy which this country would pursue in the
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  Speaker 1: event of a French fleet gaining a complete ascendency over
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  Speaker 1: that of Italy in the Mediterranean. The questions treated in
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  Speaker 1: it were purely naval. At the end were the signatures
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  Speaker 1: of the high dignitaries who had signed it. I glanced
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  Speaker 1: my eyes over it, and then set down to make
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  Speaker 1: my task of copying. It was a long document, written
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  Speaker 1: in the French language and containing twenty six separate articles.
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  Speaker 1: I copied as quickly as I could, but at nine
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  Speaker 1: o'clock I had only done nine articles, and it seemed
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  Speaker 1: hopeless for me to attempt to catch my train. I
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  Speaker 1: was feeling drowsy and stupid, partly from my dinner and
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  Speaker 1: also from the effects of a long day's work. A
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  Speaker 1: cup of coffee would clear my brain. A commissionaire remains
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  Speaker 1: all night in a little lodge at the foot of
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  Speaker 1: the stairs, and is in the habit of making coffee
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  Speaker 1: at his spirit lamp for any of the officials who
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  Speaker 1: may be working over time. I rang the bell therefore
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  Speaker 1: to summon him. To my surprise, it was a woman
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  Speaker 1: who answered the summons, a large, coarse faced, elderly woman
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  Speaker 1: in an apron She explained that she was the commissionaire's
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  Speaker 1: wife who did the charring, and I gave her the
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  Speaker 1: order for the coffee. I wrote two more articles, and then,
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  Speaker 1: feeling more drowsy than ever. I rose and walked up
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  Speaker 1: and down the room to stretch my legs. My coffee
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  Speaker 1: had not yet come, and I wondered what the cause
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  Speaker 1: of the delay could be opening the door. I started
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  Speaker 1: down the corridor to find out. There was a straight passage,
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  Speaker 1: dimly lighted, which led from the room in which I
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  Speaker 1: had been working, and was the only exit from it.
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  Speaker 1: It ended in a curving staircase with the Commissionaire's lodge
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  Speaker 1: in the passage at the bottom. Half Way down the
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  Speaker 1: staircase is a small landing with another passage running into
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  Speaker 1: it at right angles. This second one leads by means
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  Speaker 1: of a second small stair to a side door used
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  Speaker 1: by servants and also as a short cut by clerk's
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  Speaker 1: when coming from Charles Street. Here is a rough chart
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  Speaker 1: of the place. Thank you, I think that I quite
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  Speaker 1: follow you, said Sherlock Holmes. It is of the utmost
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  Speaker 1: importance that you should notice this point. I went down
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  Speaker 1: the stairs and into the hall, where I found the
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  Speaker 1: Commissionaire fast asleep in his box, with the kettle boiling
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  Speaker 1: furiously upon the spirit lamp. I took off the kettle
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  Speaker 1: and blew out the lamp for the water was spurting
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  Speaker 1: over the floor. Then I put out my hand and
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  Speaker 1: was about to shake the man, who was still sleeping soundly,
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  Speaker 1: when a bell over his head rang loudly, and he
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  Speaker 1: woke with a start. Mister Phelps, sir, said, he looking
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  Speaker 1: at me in bewilderment. I came down to see if
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  Speaker 1: my coffee was ready. I was boiling the kettle when
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  Speaker 1: I fell asleep, Sir. He looked at me, and then
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  Speaker 1: up at the still quivering bell, with an ever growing
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  Speaker 1: astonishment upon his face. If you was here, sir, then
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  Speaker 1: who rang the bell? He asked the bell? I cried,
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  Speaker 1: what bell is it? It's the bell of the room
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  Speaker 1: you were working in. A cold hand seemed to close
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  Speaker 1: round my heart. Some one then was in that room
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  Speaker 1: where my precious treaty lay upon the table. I ran
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  Speaker 1: frantically up the stair and along the passage. There was
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  Speaker 1: no one in the corridors, mister Holmes, there was no
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  Speaker 1: one in the room. All was exactly as I left it,
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  Speaker 1: save only that the papers which had been committed to
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  Speaker 1: my care had been taken from the desk on which
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  Speaker 1: they lay. The copy was there, and the original was gone.
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  Speaker 1: Holmes sat up in his chair and rubbed his hands.
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  Speaker 1: I could see that the problem was entirely to his heart. Pray,
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  Speaker 1: what did you do? Then, he murmured. I recognized in
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  Speaker 1: an instant that the thief must have come up the
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  Speaker 1: stairs from the side door. Of course I must have
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  Speaker 1: met him if he had come the other way. You
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  Speaker 1: were satisfied that he could not have been concealed in
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  Speaker 1: the room all the time, or in the corridor, which
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  Speaker 1: you have just described as dimly lighted. It is absolutely
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  Speaker 1: impossible a rat could not conceal himself, either in the
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  Speaker 1: room or the corridor. There is no cover at all.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you. Pray proceed. The Commissionaire, seeing by my pale
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  Speaker 1: face that something was to be feared, had followed me upstairs.
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  Speaker 1: Now we both rushed along the corridor and down the
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  Speaker 1: steep steps which led to Charles Street. The door at
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  Speaker 1: the bottom was closed but unlocked. We flung it open
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  Speaker 1: and rushed out. I can distinctly remember that as we
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  Speaker 1: did so, there came three chimes from a neighboring clock.
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: It was quarter to ten. That is of enormous importance,
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: said Holmes, making a note upon his shirt cuff. The
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  Speaker 1: night was very dark, and a thin warm rain was falling.
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  Speaker 1: There was no one in Charles Street, but a great
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  Speaker 1: traffic was going on as usual in Whitehall. At the extremity,
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: we rushed along the pavement, bareheaded as we were, and
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: at the far corner we found a policeman standing. A
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  Speaker 1: robbery has been committed, I gasped. A document of immense
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  Speaker 1: value has been stolen from the Foreign Office. Has anyone
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  Speaker 1: passed this way? I've been standing here for a quarter
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  Speaker 1: of an hour, Sir said he. Only one person has
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: passed during that time, a woman, tall and elderly with
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  Speaker 1: a Paisley shawl. Ah, that is only my wife, cried
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  Speaker 1: the commissionaire. As no one else passed, no one, then
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  Speaker 1: it must be the other way that the thief took,
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: cried the fellow, tugging at my sleeve. But I was
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  Speaker 1: not satisfied, and the attempt which he made to draw
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  Speaker 1: me away increased my suspicions. Which way did the woman go?
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  Speaker 1: I cried? I don't know, Sir. I noticed her pass,
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  Speaker 1: but I no special reason for watching her. She seemed
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  Speaker 1: to be in hurry. How long ago was it? Oh,
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  Speaker 1: not very many minutes, within the last five well, it
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  Speaker 1: could not be more than five you are only wasting
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  Speaker 1: your time, sir, and every minute now as of importance,
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  Speaker 1: cried the commissionaire. Take my word for it that my
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  Speaker 1: old woman has nothing to do with it, and come
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: down to the other end of the street. Well, if
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: you won't, I will. And with that he rushed off
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: in the other direction. But I was after him in
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: an instant and caught him by the sleeve. Where do
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: you live, said I sixteen ivylying Brixton, he answered, But
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: don't let yourself be drawn away upon a false scent,
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: mister Phelps, come to the other end of the street
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: and let us see if we can hear of anything.
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: Nothing was to be lost by following his advice with
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: the policemen. We both hurried down, but only to find
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: the street full of traffic, many people coming and going,
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: but all only too eager to get to a place
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: of safety. Upon so wet a night, there was no
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: lounger who could tell us who had passed. Then we
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: returned to the office and searched the stairs and the
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: passage without result. The corridor which led to the room
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: was laid down with a kind of creamy linoleum, which
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: shows an impression very easily We examined it very carefully,
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: but found no outline of any footmark. Had it been
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: raining all evening since about seven? How is it then
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: that the woman who came into the room about nine
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: left no traces with her muddy boots. I am glad
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: you raised that point. It occurred to me at the time.
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: The charwomen are in the habit of taking off their
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: boots at the Commissionaire's office and putting on list slippers.
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: That is very clear there were no marks then, though
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: the night was a wet one. The chain of events
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: is certainly one of extraordinary interest. What did you do next?
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: Exam in the room? Also, there is no possibility of
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: a secret door, and the windows are quite thirty feet
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: from the ground. Both of them were fastened on the inside.
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: The carpet prevents any possibility of a trap door, and
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: the ceiling is of the ordinary whitewashed kind. I will
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: pledge my life that whoever stole my papers could only
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: have come through the door. How about the fireplace they
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: use none. There is a stove. The bell rope hangs
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: from the wire just to the right of my desk.
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: Whoever rang it must have come right up to the desk.
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: To do it. But why should any criminal wish to
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: ring the bell? It is a most insoluble mystery. Certainly,
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: the incident was unusual. What were your next steps? You
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: examined the room, I presume to see if the intruder
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: had left any traces, any cigar end or dropped glove
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: or hairpin or other trifle. There was nothing of the sort.
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: No smell. Well, we never thought of that. Ah ascent
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: of tobacco would have been worth a great deal to
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: us in such an investigation. I never smoke myself, so
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: I think I should have observed if there had been
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: any smell of tobacco. There was absolutely no clue of
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: any kind. The only tangible fact was that the Commissionaire's wife,
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: Missus Tangy was the name, had hurried out of the place.
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: He could give no explanation, say that it was about
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: the time when the woman always went home. The policeman
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: and I agreed that our best plan would be to
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: seize the woman before she could get rid of the papers,
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: presuming that she had them. The alarm had reached Scotland
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: Yard by this time, and mister Forbes, the detective, came
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: round at once and took up the case. With a
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: great deal of energy. We hired a hansom, and in
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: half an hour we were at the address which had
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: been given to us. A young woman opened the door
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: who proved to be Missus Tangy's eldest daughter. Her mother
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: had not come back yet, and we were shown into
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: the front room to wait. About ten minutes later a
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: knock came at the door, and here we made the
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: one serious mistake for which I blame myself. Instead of
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: opening the door ourselves, we allowed the girl to do so.
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: We heard her say, mother, there are two men in
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: the house waiting to see you. And an instant afterwards
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: we heard the patter of feet rushing down the passage.
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: Forbes flung open the door and we both ran into
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: the back room or kitchen, but the woman had got
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: there before us. She stared at us with defiant eyes,
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: and then, suddenly recognizing me, an expression of absolute astonishment
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: came over her face. Why if it isn't mister Phelps
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: of the office, she cried, Come, come, Who did ye
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: think we were when you ran away from us? Asked
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: my companion, Ah, I thought you were the brokers, said she.
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: We've had some trouble with a tradesman. That's not quite
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: good enough, answered Forbes. We have reason to believe that
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: you have taken a paper of importance from the Foreign Office,
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: and that you ran in here to dispose of it.
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: He must come back with us to Scotland Yard to
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: be searched. It was in vain that she protested and resisted.
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: A four wheeler was brought and we all three drove
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: back in it. We had first made an examination of
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: the kitchen, and especially of the kitchen fire, to see
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: whether she might have made away with the papers during
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: the instant that she was alone. There were no signs, however,
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: of any ashes or scraps. When we reached Scotland Yard,
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: she was handed over at once to the female searcher.
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: I waited in an agony of suspense until she came
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: back with her report. There were no signs of the papers. Then,
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: for the first time, the horror of my situation came
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: in its full force. Hitherto I had been acting, and
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: action had none thought. I had been so confident of
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: regaining the treaty at once that I had not dared
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: to think of what would be the consequence if I
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: failed to do so. But now there was nothing more
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: to be done, and I had leisure to realize my position.
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: It was horrible. Watson there would tell you that I
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: was a nervous, sensitive boy at school. It is my nature.
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: I thought of my uncle and of his colleagues in
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: the cabinet, of the shame which I had brought upon him,
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: upon myself, upon every one connected with me. What though
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: I was the victim of an extraordinary accident, no allowance
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: is made for accidents where diplomatic interests are at stake.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: I was ruined, shamefully, hopelessly ruined. I don't know what
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: I did. I fancy I must have made a scene.
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: I have a dim recollection of a group of officials
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: who crowded round me, endeavoring to soothe me. One of
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: them drove down with me to Waterloo and saw me
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: into the Woking train. I believed that he would have
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: come all the way had it not been that doctor Ferrier,
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: who lives near me, was going down by that very train.
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: The doctor most kindly took charge of me, and it
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: was well he did so, for I had a fit
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: in the station, and before we reached home I was
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: practically a raving maniac. You can imagine the state of
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: things here when they were roused from their beds by
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: the doctor's ringing and found me in this condition. Poor
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: Annie here and my mother were broken hearted. Doctor Ferrier
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: had just heard enough from the detective at the station
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: to be able to give an idea of what had happened,
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: and his story did not mend matters. It was evident
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: to all that I I was in for a long illness.
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: So Joseph was bundled out of this cheery bedroom and
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: it was turned into a sick room for me. Here
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: I have lain mister Holmes for over nine weeks, unconscious
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: and raving with brain fever. If it had not been
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: for missus Harrison here and for the doctor's care, I
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: should not be speaking to you now. She has nursed
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: me by day, and a hired nurse has looked after
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: me by night, For in my mad fits I was
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: capable of anything. Slowly my reason has cleared, but it
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: is only during the last three days that my memory
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: has quite returned. Sometimes I wish that it never had.
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: The first thing that I did was to wire to
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: mister Forbes, who had the case in hand. He came
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: out and assures me that though everything has been done,
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: no trace of a clue has been discovered. The Commissionaire
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: and his wife have been examined in every way without
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: any light being thrown upon the matter. The suspicions of
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: the police then rested upon young Goro, who, as you
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: may remember, stayed over time in the office that night.
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: His remaining behind and his French name were really the
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: only two points which could suggest suspicion. But as a
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: matter of fact, I did not begin work until he
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: had gone, and his people are of Huguenot extraction. But
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: as English in sympathy and tradition as you and I are,
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: nothing was found to implicate him in any way, and
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: there the matter dropped. I turned to you, mister Holmes,
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: as absolutely my last hope. If you fail me, then
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: my honor, as well as my position, are forever forfeited.
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: The invalid sank back upon his cushions, tired out by
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: this long recital, while his nurse poured him out a
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: glass of some stimulating medicine. Holmes sat silently, with his
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: head thrown back and his eyes closed, in an attitude
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: which might seem listless to a stranger, but which I
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: knew betokened the most intense self absorption. Your statement has
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: been so explicit, said he at last, that you have
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: really left me very few questions to ask. There is
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: one of the very utmost importance. However, did you tell
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: any one that you had this special task to perform?
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: No one, not Miss Harrison here for example. No, I
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: had not been back to Woking between getting the order
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: and executing the commission and none of your people had
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: by chance been to see you. None. Did any of
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: them know their way about in the office. Oh? Yes,
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: all of them had been shown over it. Still, of course,
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: if you said nothing to any one about the treaty,
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: these inquiries are irrelevant. I said nothing. Do you know
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: anything of the commissionaire? Nothing except that he is an
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: old soldier? What regiment? Oh? I have heard cold Stream Guards?
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: Thank you. I have no doubt I can get details
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: from Forbes. The authorities are excellent at amassing facts, though
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: they do not always use them to advantage. What a
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: lovely thing a roses. He walked past the couch to
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: the open window and held up the drooping stalk of
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: a moss rose, looking down at the dainty blend of
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: crimson and green. It was a new phase of his
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: character to me, for I'd never seen him show any
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: keen interest in natural objects. There is nothing in which
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: deduction is so necessary as in religion, said he, leaning
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: with his back against the shutters. It can be built
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: up as an exact science by the reasoner. Our highest
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires,
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: our food are all really necessary for our existence in
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras.
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: And so I say again that we have much to
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: hope from the flowers. Percy Phelps and his nurse looked
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: at Holmes during this demonstration with surprise and a good
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: deal of disappointment written upon their faces. He had fallen
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: into a reverie with the moss rose between his fingers.
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: It had lasted some minutes before the young lady broke
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: in upon it. Do you see any prospect of solving
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: this mystery, mister Holmes, she asked, with a touch of
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: asperity in her voice. Oh the mystery, he answered, coming
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: back with a start to the realities of life. Well,
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: it would be absurd to deny that the case is
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: a very abstruse and complicated one. But I can promise
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: you that I will look into the matter and let
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: you know any points which may strike me. Do you
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: see any clue? You have furnished me with seven But
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: of course I must test them before I can pronounce
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: upon their value. You suspect some one, I suspect myself.
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: What of coming to conclusions too rapidly? Then go to
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: London and test your conclusions. Your advice is very excellent,
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: Miss Harrison, said Holmes, rising, I think Watson, we cannot
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: do better. Do not allow yourself to indulge in false hopes,
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: mister Phelps. The affair is a very tangled one. I
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: shall be in a fever until I see you again,
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: cried the diplomatist. Well, i'll come out by the same
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: train to morrow, though it's more than likely that my
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: report will be a negative one. God bless you for
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: promising to come, cried our client. It gives me fresh
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: life to know that something is being done by the way.
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: I have had a letter from Lord Holthurst. Ha what
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: did he say? He was cold, but not harsh, I
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: daresay my severe illness prevented him from being that. He
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: repeated that the matter was of the utmost importance, and
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: added that no steps would be taken about my future,
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: by which he means, of course, my dismissal until my
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: health was restored and I had an opportunity of repairing
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: my misfortune. Well that was reasonable and considerate, said Holmes.
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: Come Watson, for we have a good day's work before
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: us in town. Mister Joseph Harrison drove us down to
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: the station, and we were soon whirling up in a
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: Portsmouth train. Holmes was sunk in profound thought and hardly
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: opened his mouth until we had passed Clapham Junction. It's
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: a very cheery thing to come into London by any
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: of these lines, which run high and allow you to
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: look down upon the houses like this. I thought he
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: was joking, for the view was sore, but he soon
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: explained himself. Look at those big, isolated clumps of building
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: rising up above the slates, like brick islands in a
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: lead colored sea. The board schools, lighthouses, my boy, beacons
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: of the future, capsules with hundreds of bright little seeds
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: in each, out of which will spring the wise better
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: England of the future. I suppose that man Phelps does
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: not drink. I should not think so, nor should I,
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: but we are bound to take every possibility into account.
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: The poor devil has certainly got himself into very deep water,
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: and it's a question whether we shall ever be able
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: to get him ashore. What did you think of miss Harrison?
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: A girl of strong character? Yes, but she is a
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: good sort, or I am mistaken. She and her brother
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: are the only children of an iron master somewhere up
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: Northumberland Way. He got engaged to her when traveling last winter,
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: when she came down to be introduced to his people,
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: with her brother as escort. Then came the smash, and
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: she stayed on to nurse her lover, while brother Joseph,
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: finding himself pretty snug, stayed on too. I've been making
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: a few independent inquiries, you see, but to day must
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: be a day of inquiries my practice, I began. Oh,
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: if you find your own cases more interesting than mine,
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: said Holmes with some asperity. I was going to say
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: that my practice could get along very well for a
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: day or two, since it is the slackest time in
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: the year. Excellent, said he, recovering his good humor. Then
• 36:40
  Speaker 1: we'll look into this matter together. I think that we
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: should begin by seeing Forbes. He can probably tell us
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: all the details we want, until we know from what
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: side the case is to be approached. You said he
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: had a clue. Well, we have several, but we can
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: only test their value by further inquiry. The most difficult
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: crime to track is the one which is purposeless. Now
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: this is not purposeless. Who is it? Who profits by it?
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: There is the French ambassador, there is the Russian. There
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: is whoever might sell it to either of these? And
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: there is Lord Holdhurst. Lord Holdhurst, Well, it is just
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: conceivable that a statesman might find himself in a position
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: where he was not sorry to have such a document
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: accidentally destroyed, not a statesman with the honorable record of
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: Lord Holthurst. It is a possibility, and we cannot afford
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: to disregard it. We shall see the noble Lord to
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: day and find out if he can tell us anything. Meanwhile,
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: I have already set inquiries on foot already. Yes, I
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: sent wires from Woking Station to every evening paper in London.
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: This advertisement will appear in each of them. He handed
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: over a sheet from a notebook on it was scribbled
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: in pencil ten pounds reward the number of the cab
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: which dropped a fair at or about the door of
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: the Foreign Office in Charles Street at quarter to ten
• 38:13
  Speaker 1: in the evening of May twenty third. Apply to twenty
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: one B Baker Street. You're confident that the thief came
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: in a cab. If not, there is no harm done.
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: But if mister Phelps is correct in stating that there
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: is no hiding place, either in the room or the corridors,
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: then the person must have come from outside. If he
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: came from outside on so wet a night, and yet
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: left no trace of damp upon the linoleum, which was
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: examined within a few minutes of his passing, then it
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: is exceeding probable that he came in a cab. Yes,
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: I think that we may safely deduce a cab. It
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: sounds plausible. That is one of the clues of which
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: I spoke. It may lead us to something. And then,
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: of course there is the bell, which is the most
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: distinctive feature of the case. Why should the bell ring?
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: Was it the thief who did it out of Bravado
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: or was it someone who was with the thief who
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: did it in order to prevent the crime? Or was
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: it an accident? Or was it He sank back into
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: the state of intense and silent thought from which he
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: had emerged. But it seemed to me, accustomed as I was,
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: to his every mood, that some new possibility had dawned
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: suddenly upon him. Part two. It was twenty past three
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: when we reached our terminus, and after a hasty luncheon
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: at the buffet, we pushed on at once to Scotland Yard.
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: Holmes had already wired to Forbes, and we found him
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: waiting to receive us, A small, foxy man with a
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: sharp but by no means amiable expression. He was decidedly
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: frigid in his manner to us, especially when he heard
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: the errand upon which we had come your methods before. Now,
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: mister Olmes said he tartly, you are ready enough to
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: use all the information that the police can lay at
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: your disposal, and then you try to finish the case
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: yourself and bring discredit on him. On the contrary, said Holmes,
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: out of my last fifty three cases, my name has
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: only appeared in four, and the police have had all
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: the credit. In forty nine. I don't blame you for
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: not knowing this, for you are young and inexperienced. But
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: if you wish to get on in your new duties,
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: you will work with me and not against me. I'll
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: be very glad of a hint or two, said the detective,
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: changing his manner. I have certainly had no credit from
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: the case so far. What steps have you taken? Tangy?
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: The commissionaire has been shadowed. He left the guards with
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: a good character and we can find nothing against him.
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: His wife is a bad lot, though I fancy she
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: knows more about this than appears. Have you shadowed her?
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: We have set one of our women to her. Missus
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: Tangy drinks and our woman has been with her twice
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: when she was well on, but she could get nothing
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: out of her. I understand that they have brokers in
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: the house, yes, but they were paid off. Where did
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: the money come from? And that was all right? His
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: pension was due. They have not shown any sign of
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: being in funds. What explanation did she give of having
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: answered the bell when mister Phelps rang for the coffee?
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: She said that her husband was very tired and she
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: wished to relieve him. Well, certainly that would agree with
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: his being found a little later asleep in his chair.
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: There is nothing against them then, but the woman's character.
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: Did you ask her why she hurried away that night?
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: Her haste attracted the attention of the police Constable, She
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: was lighter than usual and wanted to go home. Did
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: you point out to her that you and mister Phelps,
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: who started at least twenty minutes after her, got home
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: before her. She explains that by the difference between a
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: bus and a handsom. Did she make it clear why,
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: on reaching her house she ran into the back kitchen
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: because she had the money there with which to pay
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: off the brokers. She has at least an answer for everything.
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: Did you ask her whether in leaving she met anyone
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: or saw anyone loitering about Charles Street? She saw no
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: one but the constable. Well, you seem to have cross
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: examined her pretty thoroughly. What else have you done? The
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: clerk Goro has been shadowed all these nine weeks, but
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: without result we can show nothing against him. Anything else. Well,
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: we have nothing else to go upon, no evidence of
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: any kind. Have you formed a theory about how that
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: bell rang? Well, I must confess that it beats me
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: it was a cool land whoever it was to go
• 42:53
  Speaker 1: and give the alarm like that, Yes, it was a
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: queer thing to do. Many thanks to you for what
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: you've told me. If I can put the man into
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: your hands, you shall hear from me. Come along, Watson,
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: where are we going to now, I asked as we
• 43:08
  Speaker 1: left the office. We are now going to interview Lord Holthurst,
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: the Cabinet Minister and future Premiere of England. We were
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: fortunate in finding that Lord Holthurst was still in his
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: chambers in Downing Street, and on Holmes sending in his card,
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: we were instantly shown up. The Statesman received us with
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: that old fashioned courtesy for which he is remarkable, and
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: seated us on the two luxuriant loungers on either side
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: of the fireplace, standing on the rug between us. With
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: his slight, tall figure, his sharp features, thoughtful face, and
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: curling hair prematurely tinged with gray, he seemed to represent
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: that not too common type, a nobleman who is, in
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: truth noble. Your name is very familiar to me, mister Holmes,
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: said he smiling, And of course I cannot pretend to
• 43:59
  Speaker 1: be ignorant of the object of your visit. There has
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: only been one occurrence in these offices which could call
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: for your attention. In Whose interest are you acting? May
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: I ask? In that of mister Percy. Phelps answered Holmes, Ah,
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: my unfortunate nephew. You can understand that our kinship makes
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: it the more impossible for me to screen him in
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: any way. I fear that the incident must have a
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: very prejudicial effect upon his career. But if the document
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: is found, Ah, that of course would be different. I
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: had one or two questions which I wish to ask you,
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: Lord Holthurst. I shall be happy to give you any
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: information in my power. Was it in this room that
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: you gave your instructions as to the copying of the document?
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: It was then you could hardly have been overheard. It
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: is out of the question. Did you ever mention to
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: any one that is was your intention to give any
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: one the treaty to be copied? Never? You are certain
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: of that absolutely well. Since you never said so, and
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: mister Phelps never said so, and nobody else knew anything
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: of the matter, then the thief's presence in the room
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: was purely accidental. He saw his chance and he took it.
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: The statesman smiled, you take me out of my province there,
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: said he. Holmes considered for a moment. There is another
• 45:32
  Speaker 1: very important point which I wished to discuss with you,
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: said he. You feared, as I understand, that very grave
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: results might follow from the details of this treaty becoming known.
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: A shadow passed over the expressive face of the statesman.
• 45:47
  Speaker 1: Very grave results, indeed, and have they occurred? Not yet?
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: If the treaty had reached let us say, the French
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: or Russian Foreign Office, you would expect to hear of it,
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: I should, said Lord Holthurst, with a wry face. Since
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: nearly ten weeks have elapsed then and nothing has been heard.
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: It is not unfair to suppose that, for some reason,
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: the treaty has not reached them. Lord Holthurst shrugged his shoulders.
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: We can hardly suppose, mister Holmes, that the thief took
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: the treaty in order to frame it and hang it up.
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: Perhaps he's waiting for a better price. If he waits
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: a little longer, he will get no price at all.
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: The treaty will cease to be secret in a few months.
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: That is most important, said Holmes. Of course, it is
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: a possible supposition that the thief has had a sudden illness,
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: an attack of brain fever, for example, asked the Statesman,
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: flashing a swift glance at him. I did not say so,
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: said Holmes, imperturbably. And now, Lord Holthurst, we have already
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: taken up too much of your valuable time, and we
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: shall wish you good day. Every success to your investigation.
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: Be the criminal who it may, answered the nobleman, as
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: he bowed us out the door. He is a fine fellow,
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: said Holmes, as we came out into Whitehall. But he
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: has a struggle to keep up his position. He is
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: far from rich and has many calls. You noticed, of course,
• 47:24
  Speaker 1: that his boots had been resold. Now, Watson, I won't
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: detain you from your legitimate work any longer. I shall
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: do nothing more to day unless I have an answer
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: to my cab advertisement. But I should be extremely obliged
• 47:37
  Speaker 1: to you if you would come down with me to
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: Woking tomorrow by the same train which we took yesterday.
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: I met him accordingly next morning, and we traveled down
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: to Woking together. He had had no answer to his advertisement,
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: he said, and no fresh light had been thrown upon
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: the case. He had when he so willed it the
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: utter immobility of countenance of a red inn, and I
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: could not gather from his appearance whether he was satisfied
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: or not with the position of the case. His conversation,
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: I remember, was about the Berthilent system of measurements, and
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: he expressed his enthusiastic admiration of the French savant. We
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: found our clients, still under the charge of his devoted nurse,
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: but looking considerably better than before. He rose from the
• 48:23
  Speaker 1: sofa and greeted us without difficulty. When we entered, any news,
• 48:28
  Speaker 1: he asked eagerly. My report, as I expected, is a
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: negative one, said Holmes. I have seen Forbes, and I
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: have seen your uncle, and I have set one or
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: two trains of inquiry upon foot which may lead to something.
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: You have not lost heart, then, by no means, God
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: bless you for saying that, cried Miss Harrison. If we
• 48:50
  Speaker 1: keep our courage and our patience, the truth must come out.
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: We have more to tell you than you have for us,
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: said Phelps, reseating himself upon the couch. I hoped you
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: might have something. Yes, we have had an adventure during
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: the night, and one which might have proved to be
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: a serious one. His expression grew very grave as he spoke,
• 49:12
  Speaker 1: and the look of something akin to fear sprang up
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: in his eyes. Do you know, said he that I
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: begin to believe that I am the unconscious center of
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: some monstrous conspiracy, and that my life is aimed at
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: as well as my honor. Ah cried Holmes. It sounds incredible,
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: for I have not, as far as I know, an
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: enemy in the world. Yet from last night's experience, I
• 49:35
  Speaker 1: can come to no other conclusion. Pray, let me hear it.
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: You must know that last night was the very first
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: night that I have ever slept without a nurse in
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: the room. I was so much better that I thought
• 49:48
  Speaker 1: I could dispense with one. I had a night light burning. However,
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: well about two in the morning, I had sunk into
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: a light sleep when I was suddenly aroused by a
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: slight noise. It was like the sound which a mouse
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: makes when it is gnawing a plank, and I lay
• 50:04
  Speaker 1: listening to it for some time, under the impression that
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: it must come from that cause. Then it grew louder,
• 50:12
  Speaker 1: and suddenly there came from the window a sharp, metallic snick.
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: I sat up in amazement. There could be no doubt
• 50:20
  Speaker 1: what the sounds were now. The first ones had been
• 50:23
  Speaker 1: caused by some one forcing an instrument through the slit
• 50:26
  Speaker 1: between the sashes, and the second by the catch being
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: pressed back. There was a pause then, for about ten minutes,
• 50:35
  Speaker 1: as if the person were waiting to see whether the
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: noise had awakened me. Then I heard a gentle creaking
• 50:41
  Speaker 1: as the window was very slowly opened. I could stand
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: it no longer, for my nerves are not what they
• 50:47
  Speaker 1: used to be. I sprang out of bed and flung
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: open the shutters. A man was crouching at the window.
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: I could see little of him, for he was gone
• 50:56
  Speaker 1: like a flash. He was wrapped in some sort of
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: cloth which came across the lower part of his face.
• 51:03
  Speaker 1: One thing only I am sure of, and that is
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: he had some weapon in his hand. It looked to
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: me like a long knife. I distinctly saw the gleam
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: of it as he turned to run. This is most interesting,
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: said Holmes, Pray, What did you do? Then? I should
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: have followed him through the open window if I'd been
• 51:23
  Speaker 1: stronger as it was, I rang the bell and roused
• 51:27
  Speaker 1: the house. It took me some little time for the
• 51:30
  Speaker 1: bell rings in the kitchen, and the servants all asleep upstairs.
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: I shouted, however, and that brought Joseph down, and he
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: roused the others. Joseph and the groom found marks on
• 51:42
  Speaker 1: the bed outside the window. But the weather has been
• 51:44
  Speaker 1: so dry lately that they found it hopeless to follow
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: the trail across the grass. There's a place, however, on
• 51:51
  Speaker 1: the wooden fence which skirts the road, which shows signs,
• 51:55
  Speaker 1: they tell me, as if some one had got over
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: and had snapped the top of the rail in doing so.
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: I have said nothing to the local police yet, for
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: I thought i'd best have your opinion first. This tale
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: of our clients appeared to have an extraordinary effect upon
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes. He rose from his chair and paced about
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: the room in uncontrollable excitement. Misfortunes never come, single, said Phelps, smiling,
• 52:22
  Speaker 1: though it was evident that his adventure had somewhat shaken him.
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: You have certainly had your share, said Holmes. Do you
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: think you could walk round the house with me? Oh? Yes,
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: I should like a little sunshine. Joseph will come too,
• 52:37
  Speaker 1: and I also said miss Harrison. I am afraid not,
• 52:41
  Speaker 1: said Holmes, shaking his head. I think I must ask
• 52:45
  Speaker 1: you to remain sitting exactly where you are. The young
• 52:48
  Speaker 1: lady resumed her seat with an air of displeasure. Her brother, however,
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: had joined us, and we set off, all four together.
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: We passed round the lawn to the outside of the
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: young diplomatist's window. They were, as he had said, marks
• 53:03
  Speaker 1: upon the bed, but they were hopelessly blurred and vague.
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: Holmes stooped over them for an instant and then rose,
• 53:10
  Speaker 1: shrugging his shoulders. I don't think any one could make
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: much of this, said he. Let us go round the
• 53:17
  Speaker 1: house and see why this particular room was chosen by
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: the burglar. I should have thought those larger windows of
• 53:24
  Speaker 1: the drawing room and dining room would have had more
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: attractions for him. They are more visible from the road,
• 53:31
  Speaker 1: suggested mister Joseph Harrison. Ah. Yes, of course there is
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: a door here which he might have attempted. What is
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: it for? It is a side entrance for tradespeople. Of
• 53:43
  Speaker 1: course it is locked at night. Have you ever had
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: an alarm like this before? Never, said our client. Do
• 53:50
  Speaker 1: you keep plate in the house or anything to attract burglars?
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: Nothing of value? Holmes strolled round the house with his
• 53:58
  Speaker 1: hands in his pockets, and a negligent air, which was
• 54:01
  Speaker 1: unusual with him. By the way, said he to Joseph Harrison.
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: You found some place I understand where the fellows scaled
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: the fence. Let us have a look at it. The
• 54:13
  Speaker 1: plump young man led us to a spot where the
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: top of one of the wooden rails had been cracked.
• 54:19
  Speaker 1: A small fragment of the wood was hanging down. Holmes
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: pulled it off and examined it critically. Do you think
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: that was done last night? It looks rather old, does
• 54:30
  Speaker 1: it not? Well? Possibly so, there are no marks of
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: any one jumping down upon the other side. No, I
• 54:39
  Speaker 1: fancy we shall get no help here. Let us go
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: back to the bedroom and talk the matter over. Percy
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: Phelps was walking very slowly, leaning upon the arm of
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: his future brother in law. Holmes walked swiftly across the lawn,
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: and we were at the open window of the bedroom
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: long before the others came. Miss Harrison, said Holmes, speaking
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: with the utmost intensity of manner. You must stay where
• 55:03
  Speaker 1: you are all day. Let nothing prevent you from staying
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: where you are all day. It is of the utmost importance,
• 55:10
  Speaker 1: certainly if you wish it, mister Holmes, said the girl
• 55:13
  Speaker 1: in astonishment. When you go to bed, lock the door
• 55:17
  Speaker 1: of this room on the outside and keep the key.
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: Promise to do this, But Percy, he will come to
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: London with us, and am I to remain here? It
• 55:30
  Speaker 1: is for his sake. You can serve him quick promise.
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: She gave a quick nod of assent, just as the
• 55:36
  Speaker 1: other two came up. Why do you sit moping there,
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: Annie cried her brother. Come out into the sunshine. No,
• 55:44
  Speaker 1: thank you, Joseph. I have a slight headache, and this
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: room is deliciously cool and soothing. What do you propose now,
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: mister Holmes asked our client. Well, in investigating this minor affair,
• 55:58
  Speaker 1: we must not lose sight of our MANINGQ. It would
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: be a very great help to me if you would
• 56:03
  Speaker 1: come up to London with us at once, well, as
• 56:07
  Speaker 1: soon as you conveniently can say in an hour. I
• 56:11
  Speaker 1: feel quite strong enough if I can really be of
• 56:14
  Speaker 1: any help the greatest possible. Perhaps you would like me
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: to stay there tonight. I was just going to propose it. Then,
• 56:23
  Speaker 1: if my friend of the night comes to revisit me,
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: he will find the bird flown. We are all in
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: your hands, mister Holmes, and you must tell us exactly
• 56:32
  Speaker 1: what you would like done. Perhaps you would prefer that
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: Joseph came with us so as to look after me.
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: Oh no, my friend Watson is a medical man, you know,
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: and he'll look after you. We'll have our lunch here
• 56:44
  Speaker 1: if you will permit us, and then we shall all
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: three set off for town together. It was arranged as
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: he suggested, though Miss Harrison excused herself from leaving the
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: bedroom in accordance with Holmes's suggestion, what the object of
• 56:58
  Speaker 1: my friend's maneuvers was. I could not go unless it
• 57:01
  Speaker 1: were to keep the lady away from Phelps, who, rejoiced
• 57:04
  Speaker 1: by his returning health and by the prospect of action,
• 57:08
  Speaker 1: lunched with us in the dining room. Holmes had a
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: still more startling surprise for us, however, for after accompanying
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: us down to the station and seeing us into our carriage,
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: he calmly announced that he had no intention of leaving Woking.
• 57:24
  Speaker 1: There are one or two small points which I should
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: desire to clear up before I go, said he. Your absence,
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: mister Phelps will in some ways rather assist me. Watson
• 57:33
  Speaker 1: when you reach London, you would oblige me by driving
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: at once to bake a street with our friend here,
• 57:39
  Speaker 1: and remaining with him until I see you again. It
• 57:42
  Speaker 1: is fortunate that you are old schoolfellows, as you must
• 57:46
  Speaker 1: have much to talk over. Mister Phelps. Can have the
• 57:49
  Speaker 1: spare bedroom to night, and I will be with you
• 57:52
  Speaker 1: in time for breakfast, for there is a train which
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: will take me into Waterloo at eight. But how about
• 57:58
  Speaker 1: our investigation in London, asked Phelps ruefully. We can do
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: that to morrow. I think that just at present I
• 58:05
  Speaker 1: can be of more immediate use here. You might tell
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: them at Briarbray that I hope to be back to
• 58:11
  Speaker 1: morrow night, cried Phelps, as we began to move from
• 58:14
  Speaker 1: the platform. I hardly expect to go back to Briarbray,
• 58:18
  Speaker 1: answered Holmes, and waved his hand to us cheerily as
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: we shut out from the station. Phelps and I talked
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: it over on our journey, but neither of us could
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: devise a satisfactory reason for this new development. I suppose
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: he wants to find out some clue as to the
• 58:35
  Speaker 1: burglary last night. If a burglar, it was for myself,
• 58:39
  Speaker 1: I don't believe it was an ordinary thief. What is
• 58:42
  Speaker 1: your own idea? Then upon my word, you may put
• 58:46
  Speaker 1: it down to my weak nerves or not. But I
• 58:49
  Speaker 1: believe there is some deep political intrigue going on around me,
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: and that, for some reason that passes my understanding, my
• 58:56
  Speaker 1: life is aimed at by the conspirators. It sounds high
• 58:59
  Speaker 1: flown and absurd, but consider the facts. Why should a
• 59:03
  Speaker 1: thief try to break in at a bedroom window where
• 59:06
  Speaker 1: there could be no hope of any plunder? And why
• 59:09
  Speaker 1: should he come with a long knife in his hand?
• 59:12
  Speaker 1: You're sure it was not a housebreaker's Jimmy, Oh no,
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: it was a knife. I saw the flash of the
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: blade quite distinctly. But why on earth should you be
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: pursued with such animosity? Ah, that is the question. Well,
• 59:28
  Speaker 1: if Holmes takes the same view, that would account for
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: his action, would it not? Presuming that your theory is correct,
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: if he can lay his hands upon the man who
• 59:35
  Speaker 1: threatened you last night, he will have gone a long
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: way toward finding who took the naval treaty. Tis absurd
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: to suppose that you have two enemies, one of whom
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: robs you while the other threatens your life. But Holmes
• 59:47
  Speaker 1: said that he was not going to Briarbray. I have
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: known him for some time, said I, but I never
• 59:53
  Speaker 1: know him to do anything yet without a very good reason.
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: And with that our conversation drifted off on to other topics.
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: But it was a weary day for me. Phelps was
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: still weak after his long illness, and his misfortune made
• 1:00:07
  Speaker 1: him querulous and nervous in vain. I endeavored to interest
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: him in Afghanistan, in India, in social questions, in anything
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: which might take his mind out of the groove. He
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: would always come back to his lost treaty, wondering, guessing,
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 1: speculating as to what Holmes was doing, what steps Lord
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 1: Holthurst was taking, what news we should have in the morning.
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: As the evening wore on, his excitement became quite painful.
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 1: You have implicit faith in homes, he asked. I have
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: seen him do some remarkable things, but he never brought
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 1: light into anything quite so dark as this. Oh. Yes,
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: I have known him solve questions which presented fewer clues
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: than yours, but not where such large interests are at stake.
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: I don't know that, to my certain knowledge, he has
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: acted on behalf of three of the reigning houses of Europe.
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 1: In very vital matters. But you know him well, Watson.
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 1: He is such an inscrutable fellow that I never quite
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 1: know what to make of him. Do you think he
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 1: is hopeful? Do you think he expects to make a
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: success of it? He has said nothing that is a
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: bad sign. On the contrary, I have noticed that when
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 1: he is off the trail he generally says. So. It
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: is when he is on ascent and is not quite
• 1:01:22
  Speaker 1: absolutely sure yet that it is the right one that
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 1: he is most taciturn. Now, my dear fellow, we can't
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 1: help matters by making ourselves nervous about them. So let
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 1: me implore you to go to bed and so be
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: fresh for whatever may await us to morrow. I was
• 1:01:38
  Speaker 1: able at last to persuade my companion to take my advice,
• 1:01:42
  Speaker 1: though I knew from his excited manner that there was
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: not much hope of sleep for him. Indeed, his mood
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: was infectious. For I lay tossing half the night myself,
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 1: brooding over this strange problem, and inventing a hundred theories,
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 1: each of which was more impossible than the last. Why
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: at homes and at Woking? Why had he asked Miss
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 1: Harrison to remain in the sick room all day. Why
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 1: had he been so careful not to inform the people
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: at Briarbray that he intended to remain near them. I
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 1: cudgeled my brains until I fell asleep in the endeavor
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: to find some explanation which would cover all these facts.
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 1: It was seven o'clock when I awoke, and I set
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: off at once for Phelps's room to find him haggard
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 1: and spent after a sleepless night. His first question was
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: where the homes had arrived. Yet he'll be here when
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: he promised, said I, and not an instant sooner or later.
• 1:02:35
  Speaker 1: And my words were true, for shortly after eight a
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 1: hansom dashed up to the door, and our friend got
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: out of it. Standing in the window, we saw that
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: his left hand was swathed in a bandage, and that
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 1: his face was very grim and pale. He entered the house,
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 1: but it was some little time before he came upstairs.
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 1: He looks like a beaten man, cried Phelps. I was
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: forced to confess that he was right after all, said I.
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 1: The clue of the matter lies probably here in town.
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: Phelps gave a groan. I don't know how it is
• 1:03:08
  Speaker 1: said he. But I had hoped for so much from
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 1: his return. But surely his hand was not tied up
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 1: like that yesterday. What can be the matter? You are
• 1:03:17
  Speaker 1: not wounded, Holmes, I asked, as my friend entered the room. Tut,
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 1: it is only a scratch through my own clumsiness, he answered,
• 1:03:25
  Speaker 1: nodding his good mornings to us. This case of yours,
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 1: mister Phelps, is certainly one of the darkest which I
• 1:03:31
  Speaker 1: have ever investigated. I feared that you would find it
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: beyond you. It has been a most remarkable experience that
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 1: bandage tells adventures, said, I won't you tell us what
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 1: has happened after breakfast, My dear Watson, remember that I
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: have breathed thirty miles of surry air this morning. I
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 1: suppose that there has been no answer from my cabman advertisement. Well, well,
• 1:03:55
  Speaker 1: we cannot expect to score every time. The table was
• 1:03:58
  Speaker 1: all laid, and just as I was about to ring,
• 1:04:01
  Speaker 1: missus Hudson entered with the tea and coffee. A few
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 1: minutes later she brought in three covers, and we all
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: drew up to the table. Holmes ravenous, I curious, and Phelps,
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 1: in the gloomiest state of depression. Missus Hudson has risen
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 1: to the occasion, said Holmes, uncovering a dish of curried chicken.
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 1: Her cuisine is a little limited, but she has as
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 1: good an idea of breakfast as a scotchwoman. What have
• 1:04:27
  Speaker 1: you here, Watson? Have an eggs? I answered? Good? What
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 1: are you going to take, mister Phelps, curried fowl or eggs?
• 1:04:35
  Speaker 1: Or will you help yourself? Thank you? I can eat nothing,
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 1: said Phelps. Oh, come try the dish before you. Thank you.
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 1: I would really rather not, well, then, said Holmes, with
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 1: a mischievous twinkle. I suppose that you have no objection
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 1: to helping me. Phelps raised the cover, and as he
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: did so, he uttered a scream, and sat there staring
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: with a face as white as a plate upon which
• 1:05:00
  Speaker 1: he looked. Across the center of it was lying a
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 1: little cylinder of blue gray paper. He caught it up,
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 1: devoured it with his eyes, and then danced madly about
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 1: the room, pressing it to his bosom and shrieking out
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: in his delight. Then he fell back into an arm chair,
• 1:05:17
  Speaker 1: so limp and exhausted with his own emotions that we
• 1:05:20
  Speaker 1: had to pour brandy down his throat to keep him
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 1: from fainting. There there, said Holmes, soothing, patting him upon
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 1: the shoulder. It was too bad to spring it on
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 1: you like this, But Watson here will tell you that
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: I never can resist a touch of the dramatic. Phelps
• 1:05:37
  Speaker 1: seized his hand and kissed it. God bless you, he cried,
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 1: You have saved my honor. Well, my own was at stake,
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 1: you know, said Holmes. I assure you it is just
• 1:05:47
  Speaker 1: as hateful to me to fail in a case as
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: it can be to you to blunder over a commission.
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 1: Phelps thrust away the precious document into the innermost pocket
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 1: of his coat. I have not the heart to enter
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 1: up your breakfast any further, and yet I am dying
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 1: to know how you got it and where it was.
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes swallowed a cup of coffee and turned his
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: attention to the Hammond eggs. Then he rose, lit his pipe,
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 1: and settled himself down into his chair. I'll tell you
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 1: what I did first, and how I came to do
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 1: it afterwards, said he, After leaving her at the station,
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: I went for a charming walk through some admirable Surrey
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 1: scenery to a pretty little village called Ripley, where I
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: had my tea at an inn, and took the precaution
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: of filling my flask and of putting a paper of
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 1: sandwiches in my pocket. There I remained until evening, when
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 1: I set off for Woking again, and found myself in
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 1: the high road outside Briarbray just after sunset. Well, I
• 1:06:45
  Speaker 1: waited until the road was clear, tis never a very
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: frequent one at any time I fancy, and then I
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 1: clambered over the fence into the grounds. Surely the gate
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 1: was open, ejaculated phelps, Yes, but I have a peculiar
• 1:06:59
  Speaker 1: taste in these matters. I chose the place where the
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 1: three fir trees stand, and behind their screen I got
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 1: over without the least chance of any one in the
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: house being able to see me. I crouched down among
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: the bushes on the other side and crawled from one
• 1:07:15
  Speaker 1: to the other, witnessed the distributable state of my trousines
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 1: until I had reached the clump of rhododendrons just opposite
• 1:07:22
  Speaker 1: to your bedroom window. There I squatted down and awaited developments.
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 1: The blind was not down in your room, and I
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 1: could see Miss Harrison sitting there reading by the table.
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 1: It was quarter past ten when she closed her book,
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 1: fastened the shutters, and retired. I heard her shut the
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 1: door and felt quite sure that she had turned the
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 1: key in the lock. The key ejaculated, Phelps. Yes, I
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 1: had given miss Harrison instructions to lock the door on
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 1: the outside and take the key with her when she
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 1: went to bed. She carried out every one of my
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: injunctions to the letter, and certainly without her co operation
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 1: you would not have that paper in your coat pocket.
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 1: She departed then, and the lights went out, and I
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 1: was left squatting in the rhododendron bush. The night was fine,
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: but still it was a very weary vigil. Of course,
• 1:08:18
  Speaker 1: it has the sort of excitement about it that the
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 1: sportsman feels when he lies beside the water course and
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 1: waits for the big game. It was very long, though
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 1: almost as long, Watson, as when you and I waited
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 1: in that deadly room when we looked into the little
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 1: problem of the speckled band. There was a church clock
• 1:08:37
  Speaker 1: down at Woking which struck the quarters, and I thought
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 1: more than once that it had stopped at last. However,
• 1:08:45
  Speaker 1: about two in the morning, I suddenly heard the gentle
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 1: sound of a bolt being pushed back, and the creaking
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: of a key. A moment later, the servant's door was
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 1: opened and mister Joseph Harrison stepped out into the moonlight.
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: Joseph ejaculated phelps. He was bare headed, but he had
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 1: a black coat thrown over his shoulder, so that he
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 1: could conceal his face in an instant if there were
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: any alarm. He walked on tiptoe under the shadow of
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: the wall, and when he reached the window, he worked
• 1:09:17
  Speaker 1: a long bladed knife through the sash and pushed back
• 1:09:21
  Speaker 1: the catch. Then he flung open the window, and, putting
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 1: his knife through the crack in the shutters, he thrust
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 1: the bar up and swung them open. From where I lay,
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 1: I had a perfect view of the inside of the
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: room and of every one of his movements. He lit
• 1:09:37
  Speaker 1: the two candles which stood upon the mantelpiece, and then
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 1: he proceeded to turn back the corner of the carpet
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 1: in the neighborhood of the door. Presently, he stopped and
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 1: picked out a square piece of board, such as is
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 1: usually left to enable plumbers to get at the joints
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 1: of the gas pipes. This one covered, as a matter
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 1: of fact, the tea joint which gives off the pipe
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 1: which supply lies the kitchen underneath. Out of this hiding place,
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 1: he drew that little cylinder of paper, pushed down the board,
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 1: rearranged the carpet, blew out the candles, and walked straight
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 1: into my arms as I stood waiting for him outside
• 1:10:15
  Speaker 1: the window. Well, he has rather more viciousness than I
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 1: gave him credit for. As Master Joseph. He flew at
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 1: me with his knife, and I had to grasp him
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 1: twice and got a cut over the knuckles before I
• 1:10:29
  Speaker 1: had the upper hand of him. He looked murder out
• 1:10:32
  Speaker 1: of the only eye he could see with when we
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: had finished, but he listened to reason and gave up
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 1: the papers, having got them. I let my man go,
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: but I wired full particulars to Forbes this morning. If
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: he is quick enough to catch his bird, well and good.
• 1:10:47
  Speaker 1: But if as I shrewdly suspect, he finds the nest
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: empty before he gets there, why all the better for
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: the government. I fancy that Lord Holthurst, for one, and
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 1: mister Percy Phelps for another, would very much rather that
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 1: the affair never got as far as a police court.
• 1:11:05
  Speaker 1: My God gasped our client. Do you tell me that
• 1:11:08
  Speaker 1: during these long ten weeks of agony the stolen papers
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 1: were within the very room with me all the time.
• 1:11:14
  Speaker 1: So it was, and Joseph, Joseph a villain and a thief. Hum,
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: I am afraid Joseph's character is a rather deeper and
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 1: more dangerous one than one might judge from his appearance.
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 1: From what I have heard from him this morning, I
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 1: gather that he has lost heavily in dabbling with stocks,
• 1:11:34
  Speaker 1: and that he is ready to do anything on earth
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 1: to better his fortunes, being an absolutely selfish man. When
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: a chance presented itself, he did not allow either his
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: sister's happiness or your reputation to hold his hand. Percy
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 1: Phelps sank back in his chair. My head whirls, said he,
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 1: Your words have dazed me. The principal difficulty in your case,
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: remarked Holmes, in his didactic fashion, lay in the fact
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 1: there being too much evidence. What was vital was overlaid
• 1:12:06
  Speaker 1: and hidden by what was irrelevant. Of all the facts
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: which were presented to us, we had to pick just
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: those which we deemed to be essential, and then piece
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: them together in their order, so as to reconstruct this
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: very remarkable chain of events. I had already begun to
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 1: suspect Joseph from the fact that you had intended to
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: travel home with him that night, and that therefore it
• 1:12:29
  Speaker 1: was a likely enough thing that he should call for you,
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: knowing the Foreign Office well upon his way. When I
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 1: heard that some one had been so anxious to get
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 1: into the bedroom in which no one but Joseph could
• 1:12:41
  Speaker 1: have concealed anything, you told us in your narrative how
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 1: you had turned Joseph out when you arrived with the doctor.
• 1:12:48
  Speaker 1: My suspicions all changed to certainties, especially as the attempt
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: was made on the first night upon which the nurse
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 1: was absent, showing that the intruder was well acquainted with
• 1:12:58
  Speaker 1: the ways of the house. How blind I have been.
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: The facts of the case, as far as I have
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 1: worked them out, are these this. Joseph Harrison entered the
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 1: office through the Charles Street door, and knowing his way,
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: he walked straight into your room the instant after you
• 1:13:15
  Speaker 1: left it. Finding no one there, he promptly rang the bell,
• 1:13:20
  Speaker 1: and at the instant that he did so, his eyes
• 1:13:23
  Speaker 1: caught the paper upon the table. A glance showed him
• 1:13:27
  Speaker 1: that chance had put in his way a state document
• 1:13:29
  Speaker 1: of immense value, and in an instant he had thrust
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 1: it into his pocket and was gone. A few minutes elapsed,
• 1:13:37
  Speaker 1: as you remember before the sleepy Commissionaire drew your attention
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 1: to the bell, and those were just enough to give
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 1: the thief time to make his escape. He made his
• 1:13:46
  Speaker 1: way to Woking by the first train, and, having examined
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: his booty and assured himself that it really was of
• 1:13:53
  Speaker 1: immense value, he had concealed it in what he thought
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 1: was a very safe place, with the intention of taking
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: it out again in a day or two and carrying
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: it to the French embassy or wherever he thought that
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 1: a long price was to be had. Then came your
• 1:14:08
  Speaker 1: sudden return. He, without a moment's warning, was bundled out
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 1: of his room, and from that time onward there were
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 1: always at least two of you there to prevent him
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 1: from regaining his treasure. The situation to him must have
• 1:14:22
  Speaker 1: been a maddening one, but at last he thought he
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 1: saw his chance. He tried to steal in, but was
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 1: baffled by your wakefulness. You remember that you did not
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 1: take your usual draft that night. I remember I fancy
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 1: that he had taken steps to make that draft efficacious,
• 1:14:40
  Speaker 1: and that he quite relied upon you being unconscious. Of course,
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 1: I understood that he would repeat the attempt whenever it
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 1: could be done with safety. Your leaving the room gave
• 1:14:50
  Speaker 1: him the chance he wanted. I kept Miss Harrison in
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 1: it all day so that he might not anticipate us. Then,
• 1:14:58
  Speaker 1: having given him the idea that the coast was clear,
• 1:15:01
  Speaker 1: I kept guard. As I have described. I already knew
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 1: that the papers were probably in the room, but I
• 1:15:07
  Speaker 1: had no desire to rip up all the planking and
• 1:15:09
  Speaker 1: skirting in search of them. I let him take them, therefore,
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 1: from the hiding place, and so saved myself an infinity
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 1: of trouble. Is there any other point which I can
• 1:15:19
  Speaker 1: make clear? Why did he try the wind on the
• 1:15:23
  Speaker 1: first occasion? I asked, when he might have entered by
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: the door. In reaching the door, he would have to
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: pass seven bedrooms. On the other hand, he could get
• 1:15:34
  Speaker 1: out onto the lawn with ease. Anything else, you do
• 1:15:37
  Speaker 1: not think, asked Phelps, that he had any murderous intention.
• 1:15:42
  Speaker 1: The knife was only meant as a tool. It may
• 1:15:45
  Speaker 1: be so, answered Holmes, shrugging his shoulders. I can only
• 1:15:49
  Speaker 1: say for certain that mister Joseph Harrison is a gentleman
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 1: to whose mercy I should be extremely unwilling to trust.
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 1: End of the Naval Treaty Hey