Latest / Sherlock Holmes / 2 The Red-Headed League from The Adventures of Sherl

Transcript

2 The Red-Headed League from The Adventures of Sherl · Sherlock Holmes

0:00
Speaker 1: The Red Headed League by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I
0:06
Speaker 1: had called upon my friend mister Sherlock Holmes one day
0:09
Speaker 1: in the autumn of last year, and found him in
0:12
Speaker 1: deep conversation with a very stout, florid faced, elderly gentleman
0:17
Speaker 1: with fiery red hair, with an apology for my intrusion.
0:22
Speaker 1: I was about to withdraw when Holmes pulled me abruptly
0:25
Speaker 1: into the room and closed the door behind me. You
0:29
Speaker 1: could not possibly have come at a better time, my
0:31
Speaker 1: dear Watson, he said cordially. I was afraid that you
0:35
Speaker 1: were engaged, so I am very much so then I
0:38
Speaker 1: can wait in the next room. Not at all this gentleman,
0:42
Speaker 1: mister Wilson has been my partner and helper in many
0:45
Speaker 1: of my most successful cases, and I have no doubt
0:48
Speaker 1: that he will be of the utmost use to me
0:50
Speaker 1: in yours. Also. The stout gentleman half rose from his
0:55
Speaker 1: chair and gave a bob of greeting with a quick
0:58
Speaker 1: little questioning glance from her his small, fat encircled eyes.
1:03
Speaker 1: Try the settee, said Holmes, relapsing into his arm chair
1:07
Speaker 1: and pulling his finger tips together, as was his custom
1:10
Speaker 1: when in judicial moods. I know, my dear Watson, that
1:14
Speaker 1: you share my love of all that is bizarre and
1:17
Speaker 1: outside the conventions and humdrum routine of every day life.
1:21
Speaker 1: You have shown your relish for it by the enthusiasm
1:24
Speaker 1: which has promoted you to a chronicle. And if you
1:27
Speaker 1: will excuse my saying so somewhat to embellish so many
1:31
Speaker 1: of my own little adventures, your cases have indeed been
1:34
Speaker 1: of the greatest interest to me. I observed. You will
1:38
Speaker 1: remember that I remarked the other day, just before we
1:41
Speaker 1: went into the very simple problem presented by Miss Mary Sutherland,
1:44
Speaker 1: that for strange effects and extraordinary combinations, we must go
1:48
Speaker 1: to life itself, which is always far more daring than
1:52
Speaker 1: any effort of the imagination, A proposition which I took
1:56
Speaker 1: the liberty of doubting you did, doctor, But none the less,
1:59
Speaker 1: you must come round to me, I view, for otherwise
2:01
Speaker 1: I shall keep piling fact upon fact on you until
2:04
Speaker 1: your reason breaks down under them and acknowledges me to
2:07
Speaker 1: be right. Now, mister Jabez Wilson here has been good
2:11
Speaker 1: enough to call upon me this morning and to begin
2:13
Speaker 1: a narrative which promises to be one of the most singular,
2:17
Speaker 1: which I have listened to for some time. You have
2:20
Speaker 1: heard me remark that the strangest and most unique things
2:24
Speaker 1: are very often connected not only with the larger but
2:28
Speaker 1: with the smaller crimes, and occasionally, indeed, where there is
2:31
Speaker 1: room for doubt whether any positive crime has been committed.
2:35
Speaker 1: As far as I have heard, it is impossible for
2:38
Speaker 1: me to say whether the present case is an instance
2:40
Speaker 1: of crime or not. But the course of events is
2:43
Speaker 1: certainly among the most singular that I have ever listened to. Perhaps,
2:47
Speaker 1: mister Wilson, you would have great kindness to recommence your narrative.
2:51
Speaker 1: I ask you not merely because my friend doctor Watson
2:54
Speaker 1: has not heard the opening part, but also because the
2:57
Speaker 1: peculiar nature of the story makes me anxious to have
3:00
Speaker 1: every possible detail from your lips. As a rule, when
3:04
Speaker 1: I have heard some slight indication of the course of events,
3:08
Speaker 1: I am able to guide myself by the thousands of
3:10
Speaker 1: other similar cases which occur to my memory. In the
3:14
Speaker 1: present instance, I am forced to admit that the facts are,
3:18
Speaker 1: to the best of my belief unique. The portly client
3:23
Speaker 1: puffed out his chest with an appearance of some little pride,
3:26
Speaker 1: and pulled a dirty and wrinkled newspaper from the inside
3:29
Speaker 1: pocket of his greatcoat, as he glanced down the advertisement
3:33
Speaker 1: column with his head thrust forward and the paper flattened
3:37
Speaker 1: out upon his knee. I took a good look at
3:39
Speaker 1: the man, and endeavored, after the fashion of my companion,
3:43
Speaker 1: to read the indications which might be presented by his
3:46
Speaker 1: dress or appearance. I did not gain very much. However,
3:50
Speaker 1: by my inspection, our visitor bore every mark of being
3:54
Speaker 1: an average commonplace British tradesman, a beast, pompous and low.
4:01
Speaker 1: He wore rather baggy gray shepherd's checked trousers, a not
4:05
Speaker 1: over clean black frock coat unbuttoned in the front, and
4:08
Speaker 1: a drab waistcoat with a heavy brassy alb chain and
4:13
Speaker 1: a square pierced bit of metal dangling down as an ornament.
4:18
Speaker 1: A frayed top hat and a faded brown overcoat with
4:21
Speaker 1: a wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside him. Altogether,
4:25
Speaker 1: look as I would, there was nothing remarkable about the man,
4:29
Speaker 1: save his blazing red head and the expression of extreme
4:33
Speaker 1: chagrin and discontent upon his features. Sherlock Holmes's quick eye
4:39
Speaker 1: took in my occupation, and he shook his head with
4:41
Speaker 1: a smile as he noticed my questioning glances. Beyond the
4:46
Speaker 1: obvious facts that he has at some time done manual labor,
4:50
Speaker 1: that he takes snuff, that he is a freemason, that
4:52
Speaker 1: he has been in China, and that he has done
4:55
Speaker 1: a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else.
4:59
Speaker 1: Mister jabbez Wilson started up in his chair with his
5:02
Speaker 1: forefinger upon the paper, but his eyes upon my companion.
5:07
Speaker 1: How in the name of good fortune did you know
5:09
Speaker 1: all that, mister Holmes, He asked, How did you know,
5:12
Speaker 1: for example, that I did manual labor. It's as true
5:15
Speaker 1: as gospel, and I began as a ship's carpenter your hands,
5:19
Speaker 1: my dear sir, your right hand is quite a size
5:22
Speaker 1: larger than your left. You have worked with it, and
5:24
Speaker 1: the muscles are more developed. Well. The snuff, then, and
5:29
Speaker 1: the freemasonry. I won't insult your intelligence by telling you
5:33
Speaker 1: how I read that, especially as rather against the strict
5:37
Speaker 1: rules of your order, you use an ark and compass
5:40
Speaker 1: breastpin Ah. Of course I forgot that, But the writing,
5:46
Speaker 1: what else can be indicated by that right cuff so
5:49
Speaker 1: very shiny for five inches, and the left one with
5:52
Speaker 1: the smooth patch near the elbow where you rest it
5:55
Speaker 1: upon the desk. Well, but China, the fish which you
6:01
Speaker 1: have tattooed immediately above your right wrist could only have
6:04
Speaker 1: been done in China. I have made a small study
6:07
Speaker 1: of to two marks, and have even contributed to the
6:10
Speaker 1: literature of the subject. That trick of staining the fish's
6:14
Speaker 1: scales of a delicate pink is quite peculiar to China. When,
6:19
Speaker 1: in addition, I see a Chinese coin hanging from your
6:22
Speaker 1: watch chain, the matter becomes even more simple. Mister Jabbez
6:26
Speaker 1: Wilson laughed heavily. Well, I never said he. I thought
6:31
Speaker 1: at first you'd done something clever. But I say that
6:34
Speaker 1: there was nothing in it. After all, I begin to think, Watson,
6:38
Speaker 1: said Holmes, that I make a mistake in explaining omni
6:42
Speaker 1: ignotum pro magnifico. You know, and my poor little reputation,
6:46
Speaker 1: such as it is, will suffer shipwreck if I am
6:49
Speaker 1: so candid. Can you not find the advertisement, mister Wilson, Yes,
6:54
Speaker 1: I have got it now, he answered, with his thick
6:57
Speaker 1: red finger planted half way down the column. Here it is,
7:00
Speaker 1: this is what began it all. You just read it
7:03
Speaker 1: for yourself. Sir. I took the paper from him and
7:07
Speaker 1: read as follows to the Red Headed League, on account
7:12
Speaker 1: of the bequest of the late Ezekiah Hopkins of Lebanon,
7:16
Speaker 1: penn U s A. There is now another vacancy open
7:20
Speaker 1: which entitles a member of the League to a salary
7:24
Speaker 1: of four pounds a week for purely nominal services. All
7:28
Speaker 1: Red Headed men who are sound in body and mind
7:32
Speaker 1: and above the age of twenty one years are eligible,
7:35
Speaker 1: applying person on Monday at eleven o'clock to Duncan Ross
7:39
Speaker 1: at the offices of the League, seven Popes Court, Fleet Street.
7:44
Speaker 1: What on earth does this mean? I ejaculated after I
7:47
Speaker 1: had twice read over the extraordinary announcement. Holmes chuckled and
7:52
Speaker 1: wriggled in his chair, as was his habit when in
7:55
Speaker 1: high spirits. It is a little off the beaten track,
7:58
Speaker 1: isn't it? Said he? And now, mister Wilson, off you
8:01
Speaker 1: go at scratch and tell us all about yourself, your household,
8:05
Speaker 1: and the effect which this advertisement had upon your fortunes.
8:09
Speaker 1: You will first make a note doctor of the paper
8:11
Speaker 1: and the date. It is, the Morning Chronicle of April
8:14
Speaker 1: the twenty seventh, eighteen ninety Just two months ago. Very
8:18
Speaker 1: good now, mister Wilson. Well, it is just as I've
8:22
Speaker 1: been telling you, mister Sherlock Holmes, said Jabez Wilson, mopping
8:26
Speaker 1: his forehead. I have a small pawnbroker's business at Coburg
8:30
Speaker 1: Square near the city. It's not a very large affair,
8:34
Speaker 1: and of late years it has not done more than
8:36
Speaker 1: just give me a living. I used to be able
8:38
Speaker 1: to keep two assistants, but now I only keep one,
8:41
Speaker 1: and I would have a job to pay him, but
8:43
Speaker 1: that he is willing to come for half wages so
8:46
Speaker 1: as to learn the business. What is the name of
8:48
Speaker 1: this obliging youth, asked Sherlock Holmes. His name is Vincent Spalding,
8:54
Speaker 1: and is not such a youth either. It's hard to
8:56
Speaker 1: say his age. I should not wish a smarter assistant,
8:59
Speaker 1: mister Holmes, and I know very well that he could
9:01
Speaker 1: better himself and earn twice what I am able to
9:04
Speaker 1: give him. But after all, if he's satisfied, why should
9:07
Speaker 1: I put ideas in? He said? Why? Indeed, you seem
9:11
Speaker 1: most fortunate in having an employer who comes under the
9:14
Speaker 1: full market price. It is not a common experience among
9:17
Speaker 1: employers in this age. I don't know that your assistant
9:20
Speaker 1: is not as remarkable as your advertisement. Oh he has
9:24
Speaker 1: his faults too, said mister Wilson. Never was such a
9:27
Speaker 1: fellow for photography, snapping away with a camera when he
9:30
Speaker 1: ought to be improving his mind, and then diving down
9:33
Speaker 1: into the cellar like a rabbit into its hole to
9:36
Speaker 1: develop his pictures. That's his main fault. But on the
9:39
Speaker 1: whole he's a good worker. There's no vice in him.
9:43
Speaker 1: He is still with you, I presume, yes, sir. He
9:46
Speaker 1: and a girl of fourteen who does a bit of
9:48
Speaker 1: simple cooking, keeps the place clean. That's all I have
9:51
Speaker 1: in the house, for I'm a widower and never had
9:53
Speaker 1: any family. We live very quietly, sir, the three of us,
9:57
Speaker 1: and we keep a roof over our heads and pay
9:59
Speaker 1: our Yet if we do nothing more. The first thing
10:03
Speaker 1: that put us out was that advertisement spolding. He came
10:06
Speaker 1: down into the office just this day, eight weeks with
10:09
Speaker 1: this very paper in his hand, and he says, I
10:12
Speaker 1: wish to the Lord, mister Wilson, that I was a
10:14
Speaker 1: red headed man. Why that, I asks, Why? Says he,
10:18
Speaker 1: here's another vacancy on the league of the red headed Men.
10:22
Speaker 1: It's worth quite a little fortune to any man who
10:25
Speaker 1: gets it. And I understand that there are more vacancies
10:28
Speaker 1: than there are men, so that the trustees are at
10:31
Speaker 1: their wits end what to do with the money. If
10:34
Speaker 1: my hair would only change color, he is a nice
10:37
Speaker 1: little crib all ready for me to step into. Why
10:41
Speaker 1: what is it, then, I asked? You, See, mister Holmes,
10:44
Speaker 1: I am a very stay at home man, and as
10:47
Speaker 1: my business came to me instead of my having to
10:50
Speaker 1: go to wit I was often weeks on end without
10:52
Speaker 1: putting my foot over the door mat. In that way,
10:55
Speaker 1: I didn't know much of what was going on outside,
10:58
Speaker 1: and I was always glad of a bit of new
11:01
Speaker 1: Have you never heard of the League of the Red
11:03
Speaker 1: Headed Men? He asked, with his eyes open. Never. Why
11:08
Speaker 1: I wonder at that? For you are eligible yourself for
11:11
Speaker 1: one of the vacancies. And what are they worth? I asked, Oh,
11:15
Speaker 1: merely a couple of hundred a year. But the work
11:18
Speaker 1: is slight and it need not interfere much with one's
11:21
Speaker 1: other occupations. Well, you can easily think that that made
11:25
Speaker 1: me prick up my ears, for the business has not
11:27
Speaker 1: been over good for some years, and an extra couple
11:30
Speaker 1: of hundred would have been very anti. Tell me all
11:33
Speaker 1: about it, said I. Well, said he, showing me the advertisement.
11:37
Speaker 1: You can see for yourself that the league has a vacancy,
11:41
Speaker 1: and there is the address where you should apply for particulars.
11:45
Speaker 1: As far as I can make out, the league was
11:47
Speaker 1: founded by an American millionaire, Ezekiah Hopkins, who was very
11:52
Speaker 1: peculiar in his ways. He was himself red headed, and
11:55
Speaker 1: he had a great sympathy for all red headed men.
11:58
Speaker 1: So when he died, it was found that he had
12:00
Speaker 1: left his enormous fortune in the hands of trustees, with
12:04
Speaker 1: instructions to apply the interest to providing of easy berths
12:08
Speaker 1: to men whose areas of that color. From all I
12:12
Speaker 1: hear it is splendid pay and very little to do.
12:15
Speaker 1: But said Ei, there would be millions of red headed
12:18
Speaker 1: men who would apply, Not so many as you might think,
12:21
Speaker 1: he answered, You see, it is really confined to Londoners
12:24
Speaker 1: and to grown men. This American had started from London
12:28
Speaker 1: when he was young, and he wanted to do the
12:30
Speaker 1: old town a good turn. Then again, I have heard
12:34
Speaker 1: it is no use your applying if your hair is
12:36
Speaker 1: light red or dark red, or anything but real, bright blazing,
12:41
Speaker 1: fiery red. Now if you care to apply, mister Wilson,
12:45
Speaker 1: you would just walk in. But perhaps it would hardly
12:49
Speaker 1: be worth your while to put yourself out of the
12:51
Speaker 1: way for the sake of a few hundred pounds. Now
12:55
Speaker 1: it is a fact, gentlemen, as you may see for yourselves,
12:58
Speaker 1: that my hair is of a very full and rich tint.
13:02
Speaker 1: So that it seemed to me that if there was
13:04
Speaker 1: to be any competition in the matter, I stood as
13:07
Speaker 1: good a chance as any man that I have ever met.
13:11
Speaker 1: Vincent Spolding seemed to know so much about it that
13:14
Speaker 1: I thought he might prove useful. So I just ordered
13:17
Speaker 1: him to put up the shutters for the day and
13:19
Speaker 1: to come right away with me. He was very willing
13:22
Speaker 1: to have a holiday, so we shut the business up
13:25
Speaker 1: and started off with the address that was given us
13:27
Speaker 1: in the advertisement. I never hoped to see such a
13:31
Speaker 1: sight as that again, mister Holmes, from north, southeast and west,
13:35
Speaker 1: every man who had a shade of red in his
13:38
Speaker 1: hair had tramped into the city to answer the advertisement.
13:41
Speaker 1: Fleet Street was choked with red headed folk, and Pope's
13:44
Speaker 1: court looked like a Costa's orange bearer. I should not
13:48
Speaker 1: have thought there were so many in the whole country
13:50
Speaker 1: as were brought together by that single advertisement. Every shade
13:54
Speaker 1: of color they were straw, lemon, orange, brick. Irish setter
13:57
Speaker 1: liver Clay Spolding said, there were not many who had
14:02
Speaker 1: the real vivid, flame colored tint. When I saw how
14:06
Speaker 1: many were waiting, I would have given up in despair.
14:09
Speaker 1: But Spolding he would not hear of it. How he
14:12
Speaker 1: did it I could not imagine. But he pushed and
14:14
Speaker 1: pulled and butted until he got me through the crowd
14:17
Speaker 1: and right up to the steps which led to the office.
14:20
Speaker 1: There was a double stream upon the stairs, some going
14:23
Speaker 1: up in hope and some coming back dejected. But we
14:25
Speaker 1: waged in as well as we could, and soon found
14:28
Speaker 1: ourselves in the office. Your experience has been a most
14:32
Speaker 1: entertaining one, remarked Holmes, as his client paused and refreshed
14:36
Speaker 1: his memory with a huge pinch of snuff. Pray, continue
14:39
Speaker 1: your interesting statement. There was nothing in the office but
14:44
Speaker 1: a couple of wooden chairs and a deal table, behind
14:47
Speaker 1: which sat a man with a head that was even
14:50
Speaker 1: redder than mine. He said a few words to each
14:53
Speaker 1: candidate as he came up, and then he always managed
14:56
Speaker 1: to find some fault in them, which would disqualify them.
15:01
Speaker 1: Getting a vacancy did not seem to be a very
15:03
Speaker 1: easy matter after all. However, when our turn came, the
15:07
Speaker 1: little man was more favorable to me than to any
15:10
Speaker 1: of the others, and he closed the door as we entered,
15:14
Speaker 1: so that he might have a private word with us.
15:16
Speaker 1: This is mister Jabez Wilson, said my assistant, and he
15:19
Speaker 1: is willing to fill a vacancy in the league, and
15:23
Speaker 1: he is admirably suited for it. The other answered, he
15:27
Speaker 1: has every requirement. I cannot recall when I've seen anything
15:31
Speaker 1: so fine. He took a step backwards, cocked his head
15:35
Speaker 1: on one side, and gazed at my hair until I
15:38
Speaker 1: felt quite bashful. Then suddenly plunged forward, wrung my hand,
15:44
Speaker 1: and congratulated me on my success. It would be injustice
15:48
Speaker 1: to hesitate, said he. You will, however, I am sure,
15:52
Speaker 1: excuse me for taking an obvious precaution. With that, he
15:56
Speaker 1: seized my hair in both his hands and tugged until
16:00
Speaker 1: I yelled with pain. There is water in your eyes,
16:03
Speaker 1: said he as he released me. I perceive that all
16:06
Speaker 1: is as it should be, but we have to be careful,
16:10
Speaker 1: for we have twice been deceived by weeks, and once
16:12
Speaker 1: by paint I could tell you tales of cobbler's wax,
16:16
Speaker 1: which will disgust you with human nature. He stepped over
16:21
Speaker 1: to the window and shouted through it at the top
16:23
Speaker 1: of his voice that the vacancy was filled. A groan
16:27
Speaker 1: of disappointment came up from below, and the folk all
16:30
Speaker 1: trooped away in different directions, until there was not a
16:33
Speaker 1: red head to be seen except my own and that
16:36
Speaker 1: of the manager. My name said, He is mister Duncan Ross,
16:41
Speaker 1: and I am myself one of the pensioners upon that
16:43
Speaker 1: fund left by our noble benefactor. Are you a married man,
16:47
Speaker 1: mister Wilson, of you any family? I answered that I
16:50
Speaker 1: had not. His face fell immediately, dear me, he said, gravely,
16:55
Speaker 1: that is very serious. Indeed, I'm sorry to hear you
16:58
Speaker 1: say that the fund was, of course for the propagation
17:01
Speaker 1: and spread of the red heads, as well as for
17:04
Speaker 1: their maintenance. It is exceedingly unfortunate that you should be
17:08
Speaker 1: a bachelor. My face lengthened at this, mister Olmes, for
17:11
Speaker 1: I thought that I was not to have the vacancy
17:13
Speaker 1: after all. But after thinking it over for a few minutes,
17:17
Speaker 1: he said that it would be all right in the
17:20
Speaker 1: case of another, said he. The objection might be fatal,
17:24
Speaker 1: but we must stretch a point in favor of a
17:27
Speaker 1: man with such a head of hair as yours. When
17:29
Speaker 1: shall you be able to enter upon your new duties. Well,
17:33
Speaker 1: it is a little awkward, for I have a business already,
17:36
Speaker 1: said I. Oh, never mind about that, mister Wilson, said
17:39
Speaker 1: Vincent Spalding. I shall be able to look after that
17:41
Speaker 1: for you. What would be the hours, I asked? Ten
17:45
Speaker 1: to two. Now a pawnbroker's business is mostly done of
17:50
Speaker 1: an evening, mister Olmes, especially Thursday and Friday evening, which
17:53
Speaker 1: is just before payday. So it would suit me very
17:56
Speaker 1: well to earn a little in the mornings. Besides that
18:00
Speaker 1: my assistant was a good man, and that you would
18:02
Speaker 1: see to anything that turned up. That would suit me
18:05
Speaker 1: very well, said I. And the pay it's four pounds
18:08
Speaker 1: a week, and the work is purely nominal. What do
18:13
Speaker 1: you call purely nominal? Well, you have to be in
18:18
Speaker 1: the office, or at least in the building the old time.
18:21
Speaker 1: If you leave, you forfeit your whole position forever. The
18:25
Speaker 1: will is very clear upon that point. You don't comply
18:28
Speaker 1: with the conditions. If you budge from the office during
18:30
Speaker 1: that time, it's only four hours a day, and I
18:33
Speaker 1: should not think of leaving, said I. No excuse will avail,
18:38
Speaker 1: said mister duncan Ross, neither sickness, nor business nor anything else.
18:42
Speaker 1: There you must stay or you lose your billet. And
18:45
Speaker 1: the work is to copy out the Encyclopedia Britannica. There
18:51
Speaker 1: is the first volume of it in that press. You
18:55
Speaker 1: must find your own ink, pens and blotting paper. But
18:58
Speaker 1: we provide this table and sh yeah, will you be
19:01
Speaker 1: ready tomorrow? Certainly, I answered, Then goodbye, mister Jabbis Wilson,
19:07
Speaker 1: and let me congratulate you once more on the important
19:10
Speaker 1: position which you've been fortunate enough to gain. He bowed
19:14
Speaker 1: me out of the room, and I went home with
19:16
Speaker 1: my assistant, hardly knowing what to say or do. I
19:19
Speaker 1: was so pleased at my own good fortune. Well, I
19:23
Speaker 1: thought over the matter all day, and by evening I
19:26
Speaker 1: was in low spirits again, for I had quite persuaded
19:29
Speaker 1: myself that the whole affair must be some great hoax
19:32
Speaker 1: or fraud, though what its object might be I could
19:35
Speaker 1: not imagine. It seemed altogether past belief that anyone could
19:39
Speaker 1: make such a will, or that they would pay such
19:41
Speaker 1: a sum for doing anything so simple as copying out
19:44
Speaker 1: the Encyclopedia Britannica. Vincent Spalding did what he could to
19:48
Speaker 1: cheer me up, but by bedtime I'd reasoned myself out
19:52
Speaker 1: of the whole thing. However, in the morning I determined
19:56
Speaker 1: to have a look at it anyhow so I bought
19:58
Speaker 1: a penny bottle of ink, and with a quill and
20:00
Speaker 1: seven sheets of false cap paper, I started off for
20:03
Speaker 1: Pope's court. Well. To my surprise and delight, everything was
20:07
Speaker 1: as right as possible. The table was set out ready
20:10
Speaker 1: for me, and mister Duncan Ross was there to see
20:12
Speaker 1: that I got fairly to work. He started me off
20:15
Speaker 1: upon the letter A, and then he left me, but
20:19
Speaker 1: he would drop in from time to time to see
20:20
Speaker 1: that all was right with me. At two o'clock he
20:23
Speaker 1: bade me good day, complimented me upon the amount that
20:26
Speaker 1: I had written, and locked the door of the office
20:29
Speaker 1: after me. This went on day after day, mister Olmes,
20:33
Speaker 1: and on Saturday the manager came in and planked down
20:35
Speaker 1: four golden sovereigns for my week's work. It was the
20:39
Speaker 1: same next week, and the same the week after. Every
20:42
Speaker 1: morning I was there at ten, and every afternoon I
20:45
Speaker 1: left at two. By degrees, mister Duncan Ross took to
20:49
Speaker 1: coming in only once of a morning, and then after
20:52
Speaker 1: a time he did not come in at all. Still,
20:55
Speaker 1: of course, I never dared to leave the room for
20:57
Speaker 1: an instant, for I was not sure when he might come.
21:00
Speaker 1: And a billet was such a good one and suited
21:03
Speaker 1: me so well that I would not risk the loss
21:05
Speaker 1: of it. Eight weeks passed away like this, and I
21:10
Speaker 1: had written about abbots, an archery, an armor, and architecture
21:14
Speaker 1: and attica, and hoped with diligence that I might get
21:17
Speaker 1: on the bees before very long. It cost me something
21:20
Speaker 1: in force cap and I had pretty nearly filled a
21:23
Speaker 1: shelf with my writings. And then suddenly the whole business
21:27
Speaker 1: came to an end, to an end, yes, sir, and
21:31
Speaker 1: no later than this morning. I went to my workers
21:34
Speaker 1: usual at ten o'clock. But the door was shut and
21:37
Speaker 1: locked with a little square of cardboard hammered onto the
21:40
Speaker 1: middle of the panel. With attack, here it is, and
21:43
Speaker 1: you can read for yourself. He held up a piece
21:46
Speaker 1: of white cardboard about the size of a sheet of notepaper.
21:50
Speaker 1: It read in this fashion, The Red Headed League is dissolved.
21:55
Speaker 1: October ninth, eighteen ninety Sherlock home and I surveyed this
22:01
Speaker 1: curt announcement and the rueful face behind it, until the
22:05
Speaker 1: comical side of the affair so completely overtopped every other
22:09
Speaker 1: consideration that we both burst into a roar of laughter.
22:13
Speaker 1: I cannot see that there is anything very funny, cried
22:16
Speaker 1: our client, flushing up to the roots of his flaming head.
22:19
Speaker 1: If you can do nothing better than laugh at me,
22:21
Speaker 1: I can go elsewhere. No no, cried Holmes, shoving him
22:25
Speaker 1: back into the chair from which he had half risen.
22:27
Speaker 1: I really wouldn't miss your case for the world. It
22:29
Speaker 1: is most refreshingly unusual. But there is, if you will
22:33
Speaker 1: excuse me saying so something just a little funny about it.
22:37
Speaker 1: Pray what steps did you take when you found a
22:39
Speaker 1: card upon the door? I was staggered, Sir. I did
22:42
Speaker 1: not know what to do. Then I called at the
22:44
Speaker 1: offices round, but none of them seemed to know anything
22:47
Speaker 1: about it. Finally I went to the landlord, who isn't
22:50
Speaker 1: a countain living on the ground floor, and I asked
22:53
Speaker 1: him if he could tell me what had become of
22:55
Speaker 1: the Red Headed League. He said that he had never
22:58
Speaker 1: heard of any search body. Then I asked him who
23:01
Speaker 1: mister Duncan Ross was. He answered that the name was
23:04
Speaker 1: new to him. Well, said either, gentleman at number four?
23:08
Speaker 1: What the red headed man? Yes, oh, said he. His
23:12
Speaker 1: name was William Morris. He was a solicitor and was
23:16
Speaker 1: using my room as a temporary convenience until his new
23:19
Speaker 1: premises were ready. He moved out yesterday. Where could I
23:23
Speaker 1: find him? I wured his new offices. He did tell
23:26
Speaker 1: me the address, yes, at seventeen King Edward Street, near
23:30
Speaker 1: Saint Paul's. I started off, mister Holmes. But when I
23:34
Speaker 1: got to that address, it was a manufactory of artificial
23:37
Speaker 1: knee caps, and no one in it had ever heard
23:40
Speaker 1: of either mister William Morris or mister Duncan Ross. And
23:44
Speaker 1: what did you do, then, asked Holmes. I went home
23:47
Speaker 1: to Saxe Coburg Square and I took the advice of
23:50
Speaker 1: my assistant, but he could not help me in any way.
23:54
Speaker 1: He could only say that if I waited, I should
23:56
Speaker 1: hear my post. But that was not quite good enough,
23:58
Speaker 1: mister Holmes. I did not wish to lose such a
24:01
Speaker 1: place without a struggle. So as I had heard that
24:04
Speaker 1: you were good enough to give advice to poor folk
24:06
Speaker 1: who were in need of it, I came right away
24:08
Speaker 1: to you, and you did very wisely, said Holmes. Your
24:12
Speaker 1: case is an exceedingly remarkable one, and I shall be
24:15
Speaker 1: happy to look into it. From what you have told me,
24:18
Speaker 1: I think that it is possible that graver issues hang
24:21
Speaker 1: from it than might at first sight a peer. Grave enough,
24:26
Speaker 1: said mister Jabez Wilson. Why I have lost four pounds
24:29
Speaker 1: a week? As far as you are personally concerned, remarked Holmes,
24:34
Speaker 1: I do not see that you have any grievance against
24:36
Speaker 1: this extraordinary league. On the contrary, you are, as I understand,
24:40
Speaker 1: richer by some thirty pounds, to say nothing of the
24:43
Speaker 1: minute knowledge which you have gained on every subject which
24:46
Speaker 1: comes under letter A. You have lost nothing by them, no, sir,
24:50
Speaker 1: But I want to find out about them and who
24:52
Speaker 1: they are, and what their object was in playing this prank.
24:55
Speaker 1: If it was a prank upon me, it was a
24:57
Speaker 1: pretty expensive joke for them, for it them two and
25:00
Speaker 1: thirty pounds. We shall endeavor to clear up these points
25:04
Speaker 1: for you, And first one or two questions, mister Wilson,
25:07
Speaker 1: This assistant of yours who first called your attention to
25:10
Speaker 1: the advertisement? How long had he been with you? About
25:13
Speaker 1: a month? Then? How did he come in answer to
25:16
Speaker 1: an advertisement? Was he the only applicant? No? I had
25:21
Speaker 1: a dozen? Why did you pick him? Because he was
25:24
Speaker 1: andy and would come cheap at half wages? In fact? Yes,
25:29
Speaker 1: what is he like? This? Vincent Spalding? Small stout, built,
25:32
Speaker 1: very quick in his ways, no hair on his face,
25:34
Speaker 1: so he's not sure of thirty as a white splash
25:38
Speaker 1: of acid upon his forehead. Holmes sat up in his
25:41
Speaker 1: chair in considerable excitement. I thought as much, said he.
25:44
Speaker 1: Have you ever observed that his ears are pierced for
25:47
Speaker 1: ear rings? Yes, sir, he told me that a gipsy
25:49
Speaker 1: had done it for him when he was a lad. Hum,
25:52
Speaker 1: said Holmes, sinking back in deep thought. He is still
25:56
Speaker 1: with you? Oh, yes, sir, I've only just left him.
25:59
Speaker 1: And has your business been attended to in your absence?
26:03
Speaker 1: Nothing to complain of, sir. There is never very much
26:05
Speaker 1: to do of a morning. That will do, mister Wilson.
26:08
Speaker 1: I shall be happy to give an opinion upon the
26:10
Speaker 1: subject in the course of a day or two. To
26:12
Speaker 1: day is Saturday, and I hope that by Monday we
26:14
Speaker 1: may come to a conclusion. Well, Watson, said Holmes, when
26:19
Speaker 1: our visitor had left us, What do you make of
26:23
Speaker 1: it all? I make nothing of it, I answered, frankly.
26:27
Speaker 1: It is a most mysterious business. As a rule, said Holmes,
26:32
Speaker 1: the more bizarre thing is the less mysterious it proves
26:34
Speaker 1: to be. It is your commonplace featureless crimes, which are
26:38
Speaker 1: really puzzling, just as a commonplace face is the most
26:41
Speaker 1: difficult to identify. But I must be prompt over this matter.
26:46
Speaker 1: What are you going to do? Then? I asked to smoke?
26:49
Speaker 1: He answered, it is quite a three pipe problem. And
26:54
Speaker 1: I beg that you won't speak to me for fifty minutes.
26:57
Speaker 1: He curled himself up in his chair, with his thin
27:00
Speaker 1: knees drawn up to his hawk like nose, and there
27:03
Speaker 1: he sat with his eyes closed and his black clay
27:05
Speaker 1: pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange bird.
27:10
Speaker 1: I had come to the conclusion that he had dropped asleep,
27:13
Speaker 1: and indeed was nodding myself, when he suddenly sprang out
27:17
Speaker 1: of his chair with the gesture of a man who
27:19
Speaker 1: had made up his mind, and put his pipe down
27:22
Speaker 1: upon the mantelpiece Sarasati plays at the Saint James Hall
27:26
Speaker 1: this afternoon. He remarked, what do you think, Watson, Could
27:30
Speaker 1: your patients spare you for a few hours. I have
27:33
Speaker 1: nothing to do to day. My practice is never very absorbing.
27:37
Speaker 1: Then put on your hat and come. I am going
27:40
Speaker 1: through the city first, and we can have some lunch
27:42
Speaker 1: on the way. I observe that there is a good
27:45
Speaker 1: deal of German music on the program, which is rather
27:48
Speaker 1: more to my taste than Italian or French. It is
27:51
Speaker 1: introspective and I want to introspect. Come along. We traveled
27:57
Speaker 1: by the underground as far as Aldersgate, and a short
28:00
Speaker 1: walk took us to Saxe Coburg Square, the scene of
28:03
Speaker 1: the singular story which we had listened to in the morning.
28:07
Speaker 1: It was a poky, little shabby, genteel place where four
28:11
Speaker 1: lines of dingy two storied brick houses looked out into
28:14
Speaker 1: a small, railed in enclosure, where a lawn of weedy
28:18
Speaker 1: grass and a few clumps of faded laurel bushes made
28:21
Speaker 1: a hard fight against a smoke laden and uncongenial atmosphere.
28:25
Speaker 1: Three gilt balls and a brown board with Jabez Wilson
28:29
Speaker 1: in white letters. Upon a corner house announced the place
28:32
Speaker 1: where our red headed client carried on his business. Sherlock
28:37
Speaker 1: Holmb stopped in front of it with his head on
28:39
Speaker 1: one side, and looked it all over, with his eyes
28:41
Speaker 1: shining brightly between puckered lids. Then he walked slowly up
28:46
Speaker 1: the street and then down again to the corner, still
28:49
Speaker 1: looking keenly at the houses. Finally he returned to the pawnbrokers, and,
28:54
Speaker 1: having thumped vigorously on the pavement with his stick two
28:56
Speaker 1: or three times, he went up to the door and knocked.
29:00
Speaker 1: It was instantly opened by a bright looking, clean shaven
29:03
Speaker 1: young fellow, who asked him to step in. Thank you,
29:06
Speaker 1: said Holmes. I only wish to ask you how you
29:09
Speaker 1: would go from here to the strand third right, fourth left,
29:13
Speaker 1: answered the assistant, promptly closing the door. Smart fellow that
29:17
Speaker 1: observed Holmes as we walked away. He is, in my judgment,
29:21
Speaker 1: the fourth smartest man in London, and for daring, I
29:25
Speaker 1: am not sure that he has not a claim to
29:26
Speaker 1: be third. I have known something of him before, evidently,
29:31
Speaker 1: said I. Mister Wilson's assistant counts for a good deal
29:34
Speaker 1: in this mystery of the red headed league. I am
29:37
Speaker 1: sure that you inquired your way merely in order that
29:40
Speaker 1: you might see him, not him? What then, the knees
29:44
Speaker 1: of his trousers? And what did you say? What I
29:48
Speaker 1: expected to see? Why did you beat the pavement? My
29:52
Speaker 1: dear doctor, This is a time of observation, not for talk.
29:56
Speaker 1: We are spies in an enemy's country. We know something
29:59
Speaker 1: of Saxe co Burg Square. Let us now explore the
30:02
Speaker 1: paths which lie behind it. The road in which we
30:06
Speaker 1: found ourselves as we turned round the corner from the
30:09
Speaker 1: retired Saxe Coburg Square presented as great a contrast to
30:13
Speaker 1: it as the front of a picture does the bag.
30:16
Speaker 1: It was one of the main arteries which convey the
30:18
Speaker 1: traffic of the city to the north and west. The
30:21
Speaker 1: roadway was blocked with the immense stream of commerce flowing
30:24
Speaker 1: in a double tide inwards and outwards, while the footpaths
30:28
Speaker 1: were black with the hurrying swarm of pedestrians. It was
30:32
Speaker 1: difficult to realize, as we looked at the line of
30:34
Speaker 1: fine shops and stately business premises, that they really are
30:37
Speaker 1: butted on the other side upon the faded and stagnant
30:40
Speaker 1: square which we had just quitted. Let me see, said Holmes,
30:44
Speaker 1: standing at the corner and glancing along the line. I
30:48
Speaker 1: should like just to remember the order of the houses here.
30:52
Speaker 1: It is a hobby of mine to have exact knowledge
30:54
Speaker 1: of London. There is Mortimer's, the Tobacconist, the little newspaper shop,
30:59
Speaker 1: the Coburg branch of the City and Suburban Bank, the
31:03
Speaker 1: vegetarian restaurant, and McFarlane's carriage building depot that carries us
31:09
Speaker 1: right on to the other block. And now, doctor, we've
31:13
Speaker 1: done our work, so it's time we had some play,
31:16
Speaker 1: a sandwich and a cup of coffee, and then off
31:18
Speaker 1: to vialin Land, where all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony,
31:22
Speaker 1: and there are no red headed clients to vex us
31:25
Speaker 1: with their conundrums. My friend was an enthusiastic musician, being
31:31
Speaker 1: himself not only a very capable performer, but a composer
31:34
Speaker 1: of no ordinary merit. All the afternoon he sat in
31:38
Speaker 1: the stalls, wrapped in the most perfect happiness, gently waving
31:42
Speaker 1: his long, thin fingers in time to the music, while
31:45
Speaker 1: his gently smiling face and his languid, dreamy eyes were
31:49
Speaker 1: as unlike those of homes the sleuth hound homes the relentless,
31:53
Speaker 1: keen witted, ready handed, criminal agent, as it was possible
31:57
Speaker 1: to conceive in his single regular character. The dual nature
32:02
Speaker 1: alternately asserted itself, and his extreme exactness and astuteness represented,
32:08
Speaker 1: as I have often thought, the reaction against the poetic
32:11
Speaker 1: and contemplative mood which occasionally predominated in him. The swing
32:16
Speaker 1: of his nature took him from extreme languor to devouring energy,
32:21
Speaker 1: And as I knew well, he was never so truly
32:24
Speaker 1: formidable as when for days on end he had been
32:26
Speaker 1: lounging in his armchair amid his improvisations and his black
32:30
Speaker 1: letter editions. Then it was that the lust of the
32:34
Speaker 1: chase would suddenly come upon him, and that his brilliant
32:37
Speaker 1: reasoning power would rise to the level of intuition, until
32:41
Speaker 1: those who were unacquainted with his methods would look askance
32:44
Speaker 1: at him as on a man whose knowledge was not
32:47
Speaker 1: that of other mortals. When I saw him that afternoon,
32:52
Speaker 1: so enwrapped in the music at Saint James's Hall, I
32:56
Speaker 1: felt that an evil time might be coming upon those
32:59
Speaker 1: whom he had seen set himself to hunt down. You
33:03
Speaker 1: want to go home, no doubt, doctor, he remarked, as
33:06
Speaker 1: we emerged yes, it would be as well, and I
33:09
Speaker 1: have some business to do which will take some hours.
33:12
Speaker 1: This business at Cobourg's Square is serious. Why serious? A
33:17
Speaker 1: considerable crime is in contemplation. I have every reason to
33:21
Speaker 1: believe that we shall be in time to stop it.
33:24
Speaker 1: But to day being Saturday, rather complicates matters. I shall
33:28
Speaker 1: want your help to night. At what time ten will
33:31
Speaker 1: be early enough. I shall be at Baker Street at
33:34
Speaker 1: ten very well, And I say, doctor, there may be
33:38
Speaker 1: some little danger, so kindly put your army revolver in
33:42
Speaker 1: your pocket. He waved his hand, turned on his heel,
33:47
Speaker 1: and disappeared in an instant among the crowd. I trust
33:52
Speaker 1: that I am not more dense than my neighbors. But
33:54
Speaker 1: I was always oppressed with a sense of my own
33:56
Speaker 1: stupidity in my dealings with Sherlock Holmes. Here I had
34:00
Speaker 1: heard what he had heard, I had seen what he
34:03
Speaker 1: had seen, and yet from his words it was evident
34:06
Speaker 1: that he saw clearly not only what had happened, but
34:09
Speaker 1: what was about to happen, While to me the whole
34:12
Speaker 1: business was still confused and grotesque. As I drove home
34:16
Speaker 1: to my house in Kensington, I thought over it all
34:20
Speaker 1: from the extraordinary story of the red headed copier of
34:23
Speaker 1: the Encyclopedia, down to the visit to Saxe Coburg Square
34:27
Speaker 1: and the ominous words with which he had parted from me.
34:31
Speaker 1: What was this nocturnal expedition and why should I go? Armed?
34:37
Speaker 1: Where were we going? And what were we to do?
34:40
Speaker 1: I had the hint from Homes that this smooth faced
34:43
Speaker 1: pawnbroker's assistant was a formidable man, a man who might
34:47
Speaker 1: play a deep game. I tried to puzzle it out,
34:51
Speaker 1: but gave up in despair and set the matter aside
34:54
Speaker 1: until night should bring an explanation. It was a quarter
34:58
Speaker 1: past nine when I started from home and made my
35:00
Speaker 1: way across the park and so through Oxford Street to
35:03
Speaker 1: Baker Street. Two Hansoms were standing at the door, and
35:07
Speaker 1: as I entered the passage, I heard the sound of
35:09
Speaker 1: voices from above. On entering his room, I found Holmes
35:13
Speaker 1: in animated conversation with two men, one of whom I
35:16
Speaker 1: recognized as Peter Jones, the official police agent, while the
35:21
Speaker 1: other was a long, thin, sad faced man with a
35:24
Speaker 1: very shiny hat and oppressively respectable frock coat. Ha Our
35:30
Speaker 1: party is complete, said Holmes, buttoning up his pea jacket
35:34
Speaker 1: and taking his heavy hunting crop from the rag Watson.
35:38
Speaker 1: I think you know, mister Jones of Scotland Yard. Let
35:41
Speaker 1: me introduce you to mister Merriweather, who is to be
35:44
Speaker 1: our companion in to night's adventure. We're hunting in couples again, doctor.
35:49
Speaker 1: You see, said Jones in his consequential way. Our friend
35:54
Speaker 1: here is a wonderful man for starting at chase. All
35:57
Speaker 1: he wants is an old dog to help him do
35:59
Speaker 1: the running down. I hope a wild goose may not
36:03
Speaker 1: prove to be the end of our chase, observed mister
36:06
Speaker 1: Merriweather gloomily. You may place considerable confidence in mister Holmes, Sir,
36:12
Speaker 1: said the police agent loftily. He has his own little methods,
36:16
Speaker 1: which are, if he won't mind me saying so, just
36:19
Speaker 1: a little too theoretical and fantastic. But he has the
36:23
Speaker 1: makings of a detective in him. It is not too
36:26
Speaker 1: much to say that once or twice, as in that
36:28
Speaker 1: business of the chalto murder and the agra treasure, he
36:32
Speaker 1: has been more nearly correct than the official force. Oh
36:37
Speaker 1: if you say so, mister Jones, it is all right,
36:40
Speaker 1: said the stranger with deference. Still, I confess that I
36:43
Speaker 1: miss my rubber. It is the first Saturday night for
36:46
Speaker 1: seven and twenty years that I have not had my rubber.
36:50
Speaker 1: I think you will find, said Sherlock Holmes, that you
36:53
Speaker 1: will play for a higher stake to night than you
36:55
Speaker 1: have ever done yet, and that the play will be
36:58
Speaker 1: more exciting. For you, mister Merriwether, the stake will be
37:02
Speaker 1: some thirty thousand pounds, and for you, Jones, it will
37:05
Speaker 1: be the man upon whom you wish to lay your hands,
37:09
Speaker 1: John Clay, the murderer, thief, smasher and forger. He's a
37:14
Speaker 1: young man, mister Merriweather, but he is at the head
37:17
Speaker 1: of his profession, and I would rather have my bracelets
37:20
Speaker 1: on him than on any criminal in London. He is
37:24
Speaker 1: a remarkable man, is young John Clay. His grandfather was
37:28
Speaker 1: a royal duke, and he himself has been to Eton
37:31
Speaker 1: and Oxford. His brain is as cunning as his fingers,
37:35
Speaker 1: and though we meet signs of him at every turn,
37:37
Speaker 1: we never know where to find the man himself. Your
37:40
Speaker 1: crack a crib in Scotland one week and be raising
37:43
Speaker 1: money to build an orphanage in Cornwall the next. I've
37:47
Speaker 1: been on his tracks for years and have never set
37:49
Speaker 1: eyes on him yet. I hope that I may have
37:52
Speaker 1: the pleasure of introducing you to night. I've had one
37:55
Speaker 1: or two little turns also with mister John Clay, and
37:57
Speaker 1: I agree with you that he is at the head
38:00
Speaker 1: of his profession. It is past ten, however, and quite
38:03
Speaker 1: time we started. If you two will take the first hansom,
38:06
Speaker 1: Watson and I will follow in the second. Sherlock Holmes
38:10
Speaker 1: was not very communicative during the long drive, and lay
38:13
Speaker 1: back in the cab, humming the tunes which we had
38:16
Speaker 1: heard in the afternoon. We rattled through an endless labyrinth
38:20
Speaker 1: of gas lit streets until we emerged into Farringdon Street.
38:24
Speaker 1: We are close there now, my friend remarked. This fellow
38:28
Speaker 1: Merriweather is a bank director and personally interested in the matter.
38:32
Speaker 1: I thought it as well to have Jones with us. Also,
38:34
Speaker 1: he is not a bad fellow. Though an absolute imbecile
38:37
Speaker 1: in his profession, he has one positive virtue. He is
38:41
Speaker 1: as brave as a bulldog and as tenacious as a
38:44
Speaker 1: lobster if he gets his claws upon anyone. Here we are,
38:48
Speaker 1: and they are waiting for us. We had reached the
38:51
Speaker 1: same crowded thoroughfare in which we had found ourselves in
38:54
Speaker 1: the morning. Our cabs were dismissed, and following the guidance
38:58
Speaker 1: of mister Merriweather, we us down a narrow passage and
39:01
Speaker 1: through a side door which he opened for us. Within
39:04
Speaker 1: there was a small corridor which ended in a very
39:06
Speaker 1: massive iron gate. This also was opened, and led down
39:10
Speaker 1: a flight of winding stone steps, which terminated at another
39:14
Speaker 1: formidable gait. Mister Merriweather stopped to light a lantern, and
39:19
Speaker 1: then conducted us down a dark, earth smelling passage, and
39:22
Speaker 1: so after opening a third door into a huge vault
39:26
Speaker 1: or cellar, which was piled all round with crates and
39:29
Speaker 1: massive boxes. You are not very vulnerable from above, Holmes remarked,
39:35
Speaker 1: as he held up the lantern and gazed about him.
39:39
Speaker 1: Nor from below, said mister Merriweather, striking his stick upon
39:42
Speaker 1: the flags which lined the floor. Why dear me, it
39:46
Speaker 1: sounds quite hollow, he remarked, looking up in surprise. I
39:51
Speaker 1: must really ask you to be a little more quiet,
39:54
Speaker 1: said Holmes severely. You have already imperiled the whole success
39:57
Speaker 1: of our expedition. Might I I beg that you would
40:00
Speaker 1: have the goodness to sit down upon one of those
40:02
Speaker 1: boxes and not to interfere. The solemn Mister Merriweather perched
40:07
Speaker 1: himself upon a crate, with a very injured expression upon
40:10
Speaker 1: his face, while Holmes fell upon his knees upon the floor,
40:15
Speaker 1: and with the lantern and a magnifying glass, began to
40:18
Speaker 1: examine minutely the cracks between the stones. A few seconds
40:23
Speaker 1: later sufficed to satisfy him, for he sprang to his
40:26
Speaker 1: feet again and put his glass in his pocket. We
40:30
Speaker 1: have at least an hour before us, he remarked, for
40:33
Speaker 1: they can hardly take any steps until the good pawnbroker
40:36
Speaker 1: is safely in bed. Then they will not lose a minute,
40:39
Speaker 1: for the sooner they do their work, the longer time
40:41
Speaker 1: they will have for their escape. We are at present, doctor,
40:45
Speaker 1: as no doubt you have divined in the cellar of
40:48
Speaker 1: the city branch of one of the principal London banks.
40:52
Speaker 1: Mister Merriweather is the chairman of directors, and he will
40:56
Speaker 1: explain to you that there are reasons why the more
40:58
Speaker 1: daring criminals of London should take a considerable interest in
41:02
Speaker 1: this cellar. At present it is our French gold, whispered
41:06
Speaker 1: the director. We have had several warnings that an attempt
41:10
Speaker 1: might be made upon it your French gold. Yes, we
41:15
Speaker 1: had occasion some months ago to strengthen our resources, and
41:19
Speaker 1: borrowed for that purpose thirty thousand napoleons from the Bank
41:23
Speaker 1: of France. It has become known that we have never
41:26
Speaker 1: had occasion to unpack the money, and that it is
41:29
Speaker 1: still lying in our cellar. The crate upon which I
41:33
Speaker 1: sit contains two thousand napoleons packed between layers of lead foil.
41:38
Speaker 1: Our reserve of bullion is much larger at present than
41:41
Speaker 1: is usually kept in a single branch office. And the
41:44
Speaker 1: directors have had misgivings upon the subject, which were very
41:48
Speaker 1: well justified observed homes. And now it is time that
41:52
Speaker 1: we arranged our little plans. I expect that within an
41:55
Speaker 1: hour matters will come to a head. In the meantime,
41:58
Speaker 1: mister Merriwether, we must put the screen over that dark
42:01
Speaker 1: lantern and sit in the dark. I'm afraid so I
42:06
Speaker 1: had brought a pack of cards in my pocket, and
42:08
Speaker 1: I thought that as we were a PARTI carree, you
42:12
Speaker 1: might have your rubber after all. But I see that
42:15
Speaker 1: the enemy's preparations have gone so far that we cannot
42:18
Speaker 1: risk the presence of a light and first of all,
42:21
Speaker 1: we must choose our positions. These are daring men, and
42:24
Speaker 1: though we shall take them at a disadvantage, they may
42:27
Speaker 1: do us some harm unless we are careful. I shall
42:30
Speaker 1: stand behind this crate, and do you conceal yourself behind
42:33
Speaker 1: those then, when I flash a light upon them, close
42:37
Speaker 1: in swiftly. If they fire, Watson have no compunction about
42:41
Speaker 1: shooting them down. I placed my revolver cocked upon the
42:45
Speaker 1: top of the wooden case behind which I crouched. Holmes
42:49
Speaker 1: shot the slide across the front of his lantern and
42:51
Speaker 1: left us in pitch darkness, such an absolute darkness as
42:56
Speaker 1: I have never before experienced. The smell of hot metal
43:01
Speaker 1: remained to assure us that the light was still there,
43:04
Speaker 1: ready to flash out at a moment's notice. To me,
43:08
Speaker 1: with my nerves worked up to a pitch of expectancy,
43:10
Speaker 1: there was something depressing and subduing in the sudden gloom
43:14
Speaker 1: and in the cold, dank air of the vault. They
43:17
Speaker 1: have but one retreat, whispered Holmes. That is back through
43:21
Speaker 1: the house into Saxe Coburg Square. I hope that you
43:25
Speaker 1: have done what I asked you, Jones. I have an
43:28
Speaker 1: inspector and two officers waiting at the front door. Then
43:31
Speaker 1: we have stopped all the holes, and now we must
43:34
Speaker 1: be silent and wait. What a time it seemed from
43:40
Speaker 1: comparing notes afterwards, it was but an hour and a quarter.
43:44
Speaker 1: Yet it appeared to me that the night must have
43:46
Speaker 1: almost gone, and the dawn be breaking above us. My
43:50
Speaker 1: limbs were weary and stiff, for I feared to change
43:54
Speaker 1: my position. Yet my nerves were worked up to the
43:57
Speaker 1: highest pitch of tension, and my hearing was so acute
44:01
Speaker 1: that I could not only hear the gentle breathing of
44:03
Speaker 1: my companions, but I could distinguish the deeper, heavier in
44:07
Speaker 1: breadth of the bulky jones from the thin sighing note
44:10
Speaker 1: of the bank director. From my position, I could look
44:15
Speaker 1: over the case in the direction of the floor. Suddenly
44:19
Speaker 1: my eyes caught the glint of a light. At first
44:22
Speaker 1: it was but a lurid spark upon the stone pavement.
44:26
Speaker 1: Then it lengthened out until it became a yellow line.
44:29
Speaker 1: And then, without any warning or sound, a gash seemed
44:32
Speaker 1: to open, and a hand appeared, a white or most
44:35
Speaker 1: womanly hand, which felt about in the center of the
44:39
Speaker 1: little area of light. For a moment or more, the
44:42
Speaker 1: hand with its writhing fingers, protruded out of the floor.
44:46
Speaker 1: Then it was withdrawn as suddenly as it appeared, and
44:50
Speaker 1: all was dark again, save the single lurid spark which
44:53
Speaker 1: marked a chink between the stones. Its disappearance, however, was
44:58
Speaker 1: but momentary. The rending tearing sound. One of the broad
45:02
Speaker 1: white stones turned over upon its side and left a square,
45:05
Speaker 1: gaping hole, through which streamed the light of a lantern.
45:10
Speaker 1: Over the edge there peeped a clean cut, boyish face
45:13
Speaker 1: which looked keenly about it, and then, with a hand
45:17
Speaker 1: on either side of the aperture, drew itself shoulder high
45:20
Speaker 1: and waist high, until one knee rested upon the edge.
45:24
Speaker 1: In another instant he stood at the side of the
45:26
Speaker 1: hole and was hauling after him a companion, lithe and
45:30
Speaker 1: small like himself, with a pale face and a shock
45:33
Speaker 1: of very red hair. It's all clear, he whispered, have
45:37
Speaker 1: you the chisel and the bags, Great Scott, jump, Archie jump,
45:41
Speaker 1: and I'll swing for it. Sherlock Holmes had sprung out
45:45
Speaker 1: and seized the intruder by the collar. The other dived
45:48
Speaker 1: down the hole, and I heard the sound of rending
45:51
Speaker 1: cloth as Joones clutched at his skirts. The light flashed
45:55
Speaker 1: upon the barrel of a revolver, but Holmes's hunting crop
45:58
Speaker 1: came down on the man's wrist, and the pistol clinked
46:00
Speaker 1: upon the stone floor. It's no use, John Clay, said Holmes, blandly,
46:05
Speaker 1: you have no chance at all. So I see the
46:08
Speaker 1: other answered with the utmost coolness. I fancy that my
46:12
Speaker 1: pal is all right, though I see that you have
46:14
Speaker 1: got his coat tails. There are three men waiting for
46:18
Speaker 1: him at the door, said Holmes. Oh, indeed, you seem
46:22
Speaker 1: to have done the thing very completely. I must compliment you,
46:25
Speaker 1: and I you, Holmes answered, Your red headed idea was
46:30
Speaker 1: very new and effective. You'll see your pal again presently,
46:34
Speaker 1: said Jones. He's quicker at climbing down owls than I am.
46:38
Speaker 1: Just hold out while I fix the derbies. I beg
46:41
Speaker 1: that you will not touch me with your filthy hands,
46:44
Speaker 1: remarked our prisoner, as the handcuffs clattered upon his wrists.
46:48
Speaker 1: You may not be aware that I have royal blood
46:50
Speaker 1: in my veins. Have the goodness also when you address me,
46:53
Speaker 1: always to say sir, and please all right, said Jones
46:57
Speaker 1: with a stare and a snigger. Well, wuld you please,
47:00
Speaker 1: sir march upstairs where we can get a cab to
47:04
Speaker 1: carry your highness to the police station. That is better,
47:07
Speaker 1: said John Clay serenely. He made a sweeping bow to
47:11
Speaker 1: the three of us and walked quietly off in the
47:13
Speaker 1: custody of the detective. Really, mister Holmes, said mister Merriwether,
47:19
Speaker 1: as we followed them from the cellar. I do not
47:21
Speaker 1: know how the bank can thank you or repay you.
47:24
Speaker 1: There is no doubt that you have detected and defeated
47:26
Speaker 1: in the most complete manner, one of the most determined
47:29
Speaker 1: attempts at bank robbery that have ever come within my experience.
47:33
Speaker 1: I have had one or two little scores of my
47:35
Speaker 1: own to settle with, mister John Clay, said Holmes. I
47:39
Speaker 1: have been at some small expense over this matter, which
47:41
Speaker 1: I shall expect the bank to refund. But beyond that
47:45
Speaker 1: I am amply repaid by having had an experience which
47:48
Speaker 1: is in many ways unique, and by hearing the very
47:51
Speaker 1: remarkable narrative of the red headed league. You see Watson,
47:58
Speaker 1: he explained in the early hour of the morning, as
48:01
Speaker 1: we sat over a glass of whiskey and soda in
48:03
Speaker 1: Baker Street, it was perfectly obvious from the first that
48:06
Speaker 1: the only possible object of this rather fantastic business of
48:10
Speaker 1: the advertisement of the league and the copying of the encyclopedia,
48:14
Speaker 1: must be to get this not over bright pawnbroker out
48:17
Speaker 1: of the way for a number of hours every day.
48:20
Speaker 1: It was a curious way of managing it, but really
48:23
Speaker 1: it would be difficult to suggest a better The method
48:26
Speaker 1: was no doubt suggested to Clay's ingenious mind by the
48:29
Speaker 1: color of his accomplice's hair. The four pounds a week
48:33
Speaker 1: was a lure which must draw him. And what was
48:36
Speaker 1: it to them who were playing for thousands? They put
48:39
Speaker 1: in the advertisement. One rogue has the temporary office, the
48:44
Speaker 1: other rogue incites the man to apply for it, and
48:47
Speaker 1: together they managed to secure his absence every morning in
48:49
Speaker 1: the week. From the time that I heard of the
48:52
Speaker 1: assistant having come for half wages, it was obvious to
48:55
Speaker 1: me that he had some strong motive for securing the situation.
49:00
Speaker 1: But how could you guess what the motive was? Had
49:03
Speaker 1: there been women in the house, I should have suspected
49:05
Speaker 1: a mere vulgar intrigue, That, however, was out of the question.
49:10
Speaker 1: The man's business was a small one, and there was
49:13
Speaker 1: nothing in his house which could account for such elaborate
49:15
Speaker 1: preparations and such an expenditure as they were at It
49:20
Speaker 1: must then be something out of the house. What could
49:23
Speaker 1: it be? I thought of the assistant's fondness for photography
49:26
Speaker 1: and his trick of vanishing into the cellar the cellar.
49:31
Speaker 1: There was the end of this tangled clue. Then I
49:35
Speaker 1: made inquiries as to this mysterious assistant and found that
49:39
Speaker 1: I had to deal with one of the coolest and
49:41
Speaker 1: most daring criminals in London. He was doing something in
49:45
Speaker 1: the cellar, something which took many hours a day, four
49:49
Speaker 1: months on end. What could it be? Once more, I
49:53
Speaker 1: could think of nothing save that he was running a
49:55
Speaker 1: tunnel to some other building. So far I had got
50:00
Speaker 1: When we went to visit the scene of action, I
50:03
Speaker 1: surprised you by beating upon the pavement with my stick.
50:06
Speaker 1: I was ascertaining whether the cellar stretched out in front
50:10
Speaker 1: or behind. It was not in front. Then I rang
50:14
Speaker 1: the bell, and as I hoped, the assistant answered it.
50:18
Speaker 1: We have had some skirmishes, but we had never set
50:20
Speaker 1: eyes on each other before. I hardly looked at his face.
50:25
Speaker 1: His knees were what I wished to see. You must
50:28
Speaker 1: yourself have remarked how worn, wrinkled and stained they were.
50:32
Speaker 1: They spoke of those hours of burrowing. The only remaining
50:36
Speaker 1: point was what they were burrowing for. I walked round
50:40
Speaker 1: the corner, saw that the City and Suburban Bank abutted
50:43
Speaker 1: on our friend's premises, and felt that I had solved
50:46
Speaker 1: my problem. When you drove home after the concert, I
50:50
Speaker 1: called upon Scotland Yard and upon the chairman of the
50:53
Speaker 1: bank directors, with the result that you have seen. And
50:57
Speaker 1: how could you tell that they would make their attempt
50:59
Speaker 1: to night? I asked, Well, when they closed their league offices,
51:03
Speaker 1: that was a sign that they cared no longer about
51:06
Speaker 1: mister Jabez Wilson's presence. In other words, that they had
51:10
Speaker 1: completed their tunnel, but it was essential that they should
51:14
Speaker 1: use it soon, as it might be discovered or the
51:18
Speaker 1: bullion might be removed. Saturday would suit them better than
51:22
Speaker 1: any other day, as it would give them two days
51:24
Speaker 1: for their escape. For all these reasons, I expected them
51:28
Speaker 1: to come to night. You've reasoned it out beautifully, I exclaimed,
51:33
Speaker 1: in unfeigned admiration. It is so long a chain, and
51:38
Speaker 1: yet every link rings true. It saved me from Ennui,
51:44
Speaker 1: he answered, yawning, alas I already feel it closing in
51:48
Speaker 1: upon me. My life is spent in one long effort
51:51
Speaker 1: to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems
51:55
Speaker 1: helped me to do so, And you are a benefactor
51:59
Speaker 1: of the race, said he shrugged his shoulders. Well, perhaps,
52:03
Speaker 1: after all, it is of some little use, he remarked,
52:07
Speaker 1: l'me Serrien Levres sitou. As Gustave Flaubert wrote to George
52:12
Speaker 1: Sande