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23 The Naval Treaty from The Memoirs of Sherlock Hol · Sherlock Holmes

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  Speaker 1: The Adventure of the Naval Treaty. The July, which immediately
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  Speaker 1: succeeded my marriage, was made memorable by three cases of
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  Speaker 1: interest in which I had the privilege of being associated
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  Speaker 1: with Sherlock Holmes and of studying his methods. I find
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  Speaker 1: them recorded in my notes under the headings of the
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  Speaker 1: Adventure of the Second Stain, the Adventure of the Naval Treaty,
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  Speaker 1: and the Adventure of the Tired Captain. The first of these, however,
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  Speaker 1: deals with interests of such importance and implicate so many
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  Speaker 1: of the first families in the Kingdom, that for many
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  Speaker 1: years it will be impossible to make it public. No case, however,
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  Speaker 1: in which Holmes was ever engaged, has illustrated the value
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  Speaker 1: of his analytical methods so clearly, or has impressed those
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: who were associated with him so deeply. I still retain
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  Speaker 1: an almost verbatim report of the interview in which he
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  Speaker 1: demonstrated the true facts of the case to Monsieur Dubouch
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  Speaker 1: of the Paris Police and Fritz von Waldbaum, the well
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  Speaker 1: known specialist of Danzig, both of whom had wasted their
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  Speaker 1: energies upon what proved to be side issues. The new
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  Speaker 1: century will have come, however, before the story can be
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  Speaker 1: safely told. Meanwhile, I must pass on to the second
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: upon my list, which promised also at one time to
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: be of national importance, and was marked by several incidents
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: which gave it a quite unique character. During my school
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  Speaker 1: days I had been intimately associated with a lad named
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  Speaker 1: Percy Phelps, who was of much the same age as myself,
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  Speaker 1: though he was two classes ahead of me. He was
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  Speaker 1: a very brilliant boy and carried away every prize which
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  Speaker 1: the school had to offer, finishing his exploits by winning
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  Speaker 1: a scholarship which sent him on to continue his triumphant
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: career at Cambridge. He was, I remember, extremely well connected,
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  Speaker 1: and even when we were all little boys together, we
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  Speaker 1: knew that his mother's brother was Lord Holdhurst, the great
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: Conservative politician. This gaudy relationship did him little good at school.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: On the contrary, it seemed rather a pequann thing to
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  Speaker 1: us to chevy him about the playground and hit him
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  Speaker 1: over the shins with a wicket. But it was another
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: thing when he came out into the world. I heard
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: vaguely that his abilities and the influence which he commanded
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: had won him a good position at the Foreign Office,
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: and then he passed completely out of my mind until
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: the following letter recalled his existence. Briar Bray Woking, My
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  Speaker 1: dear Watson, I have no doubt that you can remember
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: Tadpole Phelps, who was in the fifth form when you
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: were in the third. It is possible even that you
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  Speaker 1: may have heard that through my uncle's influence, I obtained
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: a good appointment at the Foreign Office, and that I
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: was in a situation of trust and honor until a
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: horrible misfortune came suddenly to blast my career. There is
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  Speaker 1: no use writing the details of that dreadful event. In
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: the event of your acceding to my request, it is
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: possible that I shall have to narrate them to you.
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: I've only just recovered from nine weeks of brain fever
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: and am still exceedingly weak. Do you think that you
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  Speaker 1: could bring your friend mister Holmes down to see me.
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  Speaker 1: I should like to have his opinion of the case.
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  Speaker 1: Though 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: horrible suspense, assure him that if I have not asked
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  Speaker 1: his advice sooner, it was not because I did not
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  Speaker 1: appreciate his talents, but because I have been off my
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: head ever since the blow fell. Now I am clear again,
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: though I dare not think of it too much for
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  Speaker 1: fear of a relapse. I'm still so weak that I
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  Speaker 1: have to write, as you see, by dictating to try
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  Speaker 1: and bring him your old schoolfellow, Percy Phelps. There was
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  Speaker 1: something that touched me as I read this letter, something
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  Speaker 1: pitiable in the reiterated appeals to bring Holmes. So moved
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  Speaker 1: was I that even if it had been a difficult matter,
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  Speaker 1: I should have tried it. But of course I knew
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  Speaker 1: well that Holmes loved his art, so that he was
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  Speaker 1: ever as ready to bring his aid as his client
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  Speaker 1: could be to receive it. My wife agreed with me
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  Speaker 1: that not a moment should be lost in laying the
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  Speaker 1: matter before him, and so within an hour of breakfast time,
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  Speaker 1: I found myself back once more in the old rooms
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  Speaker 1: in Baker Street. Holmes was seated at his side table,
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  Speaker 1: clad in his dressing gown, and working hard over a
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  Speaker 1: chemical investigation. A large curved retort was boiling furiously in
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  Speaker 1: the bluish flame of a Bunsen burner, and the distilled
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: drops were condensing in a two liter measure. My friend
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  Speaker 1: hardly glanced up as I entered, and I, seeing that
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  Speaker 1: his investigation must be of importance, seated myself in an
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  Speaker 1: arm chair and waited. He dipped into this bottle or that,
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  Speaker 1: drawing out a few drops of each with his glass pipette,
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  Speaker 1: and finally brought a test tube containing a solution over
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  Speaker 1: to the table. In his right hand he had a
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  Speaker 1: slip of litmus paper. You come at a crisis, Watson,
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  Speaker 1: said he. If this paper remains blue, all is well.
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: If it turns red, it means a man's life. He
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: dipped it into the test tube, and it flushed at
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  Speaker 1: once into a dull, dirty crimson. Hum I thought as much,
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: he cried, I will be at your service in one instant, Watson,
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: you will find tobacco in the Persian slipper. He turned
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  Speaker 1: to his desk and scribbled off several telegrams, which were
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  Speaker 1: handed over to the page boy. Then he threw himself
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  Speaker 1: down in the chair opposite and drew up his knees
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  Speaker 1: until his fingers clasped round his long, thin shins. A
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  Speaker 1: very commonplace little murder, said he, you've got something better.
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  Speaker 1: I fancy you are the stormy petrel of crime. Watson?
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  Speaker 1: What is it? I handed him the letter, which he
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  Speaker 1: read with the most concentrated attention. It does not tell
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  Speaker 1: us very much, does it, he remarked, as he handed
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  Speaker 1: it back to me, Hardly anything. And yet the writing
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: is of interest. But the writing is not his own. Precisely,
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  Speaker 1: it is a woman's a man's, surely, I cried, no,
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  Speaker 1: a woman's, and a woman of rare character. You see
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: at the commencement of an investigation, it is something to
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  Speaker 1: know that your client is in close contact with someone who,
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  Speaker 1: for good or evil, has an exceptional nature. My interest
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  Speaker 1: is already awakened in the case. If you are ready,
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  Speaker 1: we will start at once for Woking and see this
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  Speaker 1: diplomatist who is in such evil case, and the lady
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  Speaker 1: to whom he dictates his letters. We were fortunate enough
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  Speaker 1: to catch an early train at Waterloo, and in a
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  Speaker 1: little under an hour we found ourselves among the fir
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  Speaker 1: woods and the heather of Woking. Briar Bray proved to
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  Speaker 1: be a large detached house standing in extensive grounds, within
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  Speaker 1: a few minutes walk of the station. On sending in
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  Speaker 1: our cards, we were shown into an elegantly appointed drawing room,
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  Speaker 1: where we were joined in a few minutes by a
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  Speaker 1: rather stout man who received us with much hospitality. His
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: age may have been nearer forty than thirty, but his
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  Speaker 1: cheeks were so ruddy and his eyes so merry that
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: he conveyed the impression of a plump and mischievous boy.
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  Speaker 1: I am so glad that you have 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 the morning. Our poor old chap he clings
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  Speaker 1: to any straw. His father and 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 had no details yet,
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: observed Holmes. I perceive that you are not yourself a
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  Speaker 1: member of the family. Our acquaintance looked surprised, and then,
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: glancing down, he began to laugh. Of course, you saw
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  Speaker 1: the j H monogram on my locket, said he. For
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  Speaker 1: a moment I thought you had done something clever. Joseph
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  Speaker 1: Harrison is my name, and as Percy is to marry
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  Speaker 1: my sister Annie, I shall at least be a relation
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  Speaker 1: by marriage. You will find my sister in his room,
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  Speaker 1: for she has nursed him hand and foot these two
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  Speaker 1: months back. Perhaps we had better go in at once,
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  Speaker 1: for I know how impatient he is. The chamber into
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  Speaker 1: which we were shown was on the same floor as
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  Speaker 1: the drawing room. It was furnished partly as a sitting
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  Speaker 1: and partly as a bedroom, with flowers arranged daintily in
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  Speaker 1: every nook and corner. A young man, very pale and worn,
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  Speaker 1: was lying upon a sofa near the open window, through
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  Speaker 1: which came the rich scent of the garden and the
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  Speaker 1: balmy summer air. A woman was sitting beside him and
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  Speaker 1: rose as we entered. Shall I leave, Percy, she asked.
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  Speaker 1: He clutched her hand to detain her. How are you,
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  Speaker 1: Watson said he cordially. I should never have known you
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  Speaker 1: under that mustache, and I dare say you would not
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  Speaker 1: be prepared to swear to me. This, I presume is
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  Speaker 1: your celebrated friend, mister Sherlock Holmes. I introduced him in
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  Speaker 1: a few words, and we both sat down. The stout
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  Speaker 1: young man had left us, but his sister still remained,
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  Speaker 1: with her hand in that of the invalid. She was
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: a striking looking woman, a little short and thick for symmetry,
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: but with a beautiful olive complexion, large dark Italian eyes,
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  Speaker 1: and a wealth of deep black hair. A rich tints
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  Speaker 1: made the white face of her companion the more worn
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  Speaker 1: and haggard by the contrast. I won't waste your time,
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  Speaker 1: said he, raising himself upon the sofa. I'll plunge into
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  Speaker 1: the matter without further preamble. I was a happy and
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  Speaker 1: successful man, mister Holmes, and on the eve of being married,
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  Speaker 1: when a sudden and dreadful misfortune wrecked all my prospects
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  Speaker 1: in life. I was, as Watson may have told you,
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  Speaker 1: in the Foreign Office, and through the influence of my uncle,
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  Speaker 1: Lord Holthurst, I rose rapidly to a responsible position. When
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  Speaker 1: my uncle became Foreign Minister in this administration, he gave
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  Speaker 1: me several missions of trust, and as I always brought
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  Speaker 1: them to a successful conclusion, he came at last to
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  Speaker 1: have the utmost confidence in my ability and tact. Nearly
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: ten weeks ago, to be more accurate, on the twenty
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  Speaker 1: third of May, he called me into his private room, and,
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: after complimenting me upon the good work which I had done,
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: informed me that he had a new mission 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
• 11:12
  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
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: should leak out. The French or Russian embassies would pay
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: an immense sum to learn the contents of these papers.
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  Speaker 1: They 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 were 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 tomorrow morning. I took the papers,
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  Speaker 1: and excuse me an instant, said Holmes. Were you alone
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: during this conversation? Absolutely in a large room thirty feet
• 12:05
  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 had indicated, and
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: waited until the other clerks had departed. One of them
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: in my room, Charles Gorro, had some arrears of work
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: to make up, so I left him there and went
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: out to dine. When I returned, he was gone. I
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  Speaker 1: was anxious to hurry my work, for I knew that Joseph,
• 12:41
  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.
• 12:51
  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
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: foreshadowed the policy which this country would pursue in the
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  Speaker 1: event of the French fleet gaining a complete ascendency over
• 13:14
  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 settled down to my
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: task of copying. It was a long document, written in
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  Speaker 1: the French language and containing nearly twenty six separate articles.
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: I copied as quickly as I could, but at nine
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: o'clock I had only done nine articles, and it seemed
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: hopeless for me to attempt to catch my train. I
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: was feeling drowsy and stupid, partly from my dinner and
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: also from the effects of a long day's work. A
• 13:54
  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
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: may be working over time. I rang the bell therefore
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: to summon him. To my surprise, it was a woman
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: who answered the summons, a large, coarse faced, elderly woman
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: in an apron She explained that she was the commissionaire's
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: wife who did the charring, and I gave her the
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: order for the coffee. I wrote two more articles, and then,
• 14:28
  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
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: had not yet come, and I wondered what the cause
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: of the delay. Could be opening the door. I started
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: down the corridor to find out there was a straight passage,
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: dimly lit, which led from the room in which I
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: had been working, and was the only exit from it.
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: It ended in a curving staircase, with the Commissionaire's lodge
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: in the passage at the bottom. Halfway down this staircase
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: is a small land with another passage running into it
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: at right angles. This second one leads by means of
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: a second small stair to a side door used by
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: servants and also as a short cut by clerk's when
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: coming from Charles Street. Here is a rough chart of
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: the place. Thank you, I think that I quite follow you,
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: said Sherlock Holmes. It is of the utmost importance that
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: you should notice this point. I went down the stairs
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: and into the hall, where I found the Commissionaire fast
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: asleep in his box, with the kettle boiling furiously upon
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: the spirit lamp, for the water was spurting over the floor.
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: I had put out my hand and was about to
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: shake the man, who was still sleeping soundly, when a
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: bell over his head rang loudly and he woke with
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: a start. Mister Phelps, Sir, said, he looking at me
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: in bewilderment. I came down to see if my coffee
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: was ready. I was boiling the kettle when I fell asleep. Sir.
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: He looked at me, and then up at the still
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: quivering bell, with an ever growing astonishment upon his face.
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: If you was here, sir, then who rang the bell?
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: He asked the bell? I said, what bell is it?
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: It's the bell of the room you were working in.
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: A cold hand seemed to close round my heart. Someone then,
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: was in that room where my precious treaty lay upon
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: the table. I ran frantically up the stairs and along
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: the passage. There was no one in the corridor, mister Holmes,
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: there was no one in the room. All was exactly
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: as I left it, save only that the papers committed
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: to my care had been taken from the desk on
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: which they lay. The copy was there, and the original
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: was gone. Home sat up in his chair and rubbed
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: his hands. I could see that the problem was entirely
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: to his heart. Pray, what did you do? Then, he murmured.
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: I recognized in an instant that the thief must have
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: come up the stairs from the side door. Of course,
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: I must have met him. If he had come the
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: other way, you were satisfied that he could not have
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: been concealed in the room all the time, or in
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: the corridor, which you have just described as dimly lighted.
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: It is absolutely impossible a rat could not conceal himself
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: either in the room or the corridor. There is no
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: cover at all. Thank you, pray proceed. The Commissionaire, seeing
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: by my pale face that something was to be feared,
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: had followed me upstairs. Now we both rushed along the
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: corridor and down the steep steps which led to Charles Street.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: The door at the bottom was closed but unlocked. We
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: flung it open and rushed out. I can distinctly remember
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: that as we did so, there came three chimes from
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: a neighboring church. It was a quarter to ten. That
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: is of enormous importance, said Holmes, making a note upon
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: his shirt cuff. The night was very dark and a thin,
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: warm rain was falling. There was no one in Charles Street,
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: but a great traffic was going on as usual in Whitehall.
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: Out the extremity. We rushed along the pavement, bare headed
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: as we were, and at the far corner we found
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: a policeman standing. A robbery has been committed, I gasped,
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: A document of immense value has been stolen from the
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: Foreign Office. Has anyone passed this way? I've been standing
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: here for a quarter of an hour, sir said he.
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: Only one person has passed during that time, a woman,
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: tall and elderly with a Paisley shawl. Ah, that is
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: only my wife, cried the commissionaire. Has no one else passed? No? On,
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: then it must be the other way that the thief took,
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: cried the fellow, tugging at my sleeve. But I was
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: not satisfied, and the attempts which he made to draw
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: me away increased my suspicions. Which way did the woman go?
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: I cried? I don't know, Sir. I noticed her past,
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: but I had no special reason for watching her. She
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: seemed to be in a hurry. How long ago was it, Ah,
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: not very many minutes, within the last five. Well, it
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: could not be more than five. You're only wasting your time, sir,
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: and every minute now is of importance, cried the commissionaire.
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: Take my word for it that my old woman has
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: nothing to do with it, and come down to the
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: other end of the street. Well, if you won't, I will.
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: And with that he rushed off in the other direction,
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: but I was after him in an instant and caught
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: him by the sleeve. Where do you live, said I,
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: number sixteen Ivy Lane, Brixton. He answered, but don't let
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: yourself be drawn away upon a false scent. Mister Phelps,
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: come to the other end of the street and let
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: us see if we can hear of anythin Nothing was
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: to be lost By following his advice with the policeman,
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: we both hurried down, but only to find the street
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: full of traffic, many people coming and going, but all
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: only too eager to get to a place of safety.
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: Upon so wet a night, there was no lounger who
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: could tell us who had passed. Then we returned to
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: the office and searched the stairs and the passage without result.
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: The corridor which led to the room was laid down
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: with a kind of creamy linoleum which shows an impression
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: very easily. We examined it very carefully, but found no
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: outline of any footmark. Had it been raining all the
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: evening since about seven? How is it then that the
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: woman who came into the room about nine left no
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: traces with her muddy boots. I'm glad you raised the point.
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: It occurred to me at the time. The charwomen are
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: in the habit of taking off their boots at the
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: Commissionaire's office and putting on list slippers. That is very clear.
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: There were no marks then, though the night was a
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: wet one. The chain of events is certainly one of
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: extraordinary interest. What did you do next? We examined and
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: the room also, there was no possibility of a secret door,
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: and the windows are quite thirty feet from the ground.
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: Both of them were fastened on the inside. The carpet
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: prevents any possibility of a trap door, and the ceiling
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: is of the ordinary whitewashed kind. I will pledge my
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: life that whoever stole my papers could only have come
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: through the door. How about the fireplace they use none.
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: There is a stove. The bell rope hangs from the
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: wire just to the right of my desk. Whoever rang
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: it must have come right up to the desk to
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: do it. But why should any criminal wish to ring
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: the bell? It is a most insoluble mystery. Certainly the
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: incident was unusual. What were your next steps? You examined
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: the room, I presume to see if the intruder had
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: left any traces inn ease, cigar end or dropped glove
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: or hairpin or other trifle. There was nothing of the sort.
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: No smell. Well, we never thought of that. Ah, A
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: scent of tobacco would have been worth a great deal
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: to us in such an investigation. I never smoked myself,
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: so I think I should have observed it if there
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: had been any smell of tobacco. There was absolutely no
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: clue of any kind. The only tangible fact was that
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: the Commissionaire's wife, missus Tanji was the name, had hurried
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: out of the place. He could give no explanation save
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: that it was about the time when the woman always
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: went home. The policeman and I agreed that our best
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: plan would be to seize the woman before she could
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: get rid of the papers, presuming that she had them.
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: The alarm had reached Scotland Yard by this time, and
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: mister Forbes, the detective, came round at once and took
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: up the case with a great deal of energy. We
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: hired a handsome man. In half an hour we were
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: at the address which had been given to us. A
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: young woman opened the door who proved to be Missus
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: Tanji's eldest daughter. Her mother had not come back yet,
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: and we were shown into the front room to wait.
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: About ten minutes later a knock came at the door,
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: and here we made the one serious mistake for which
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: I blamed myself. Instead of opening the door ourselves, we
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: allowed the girl to do so. We heard her say, mother,
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: there are two men in the house waiting to see you,
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: And an instant afterwards we heard the patter of feet
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: rushing down the passage. Forbes flung open the door and
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: we both ran into the back room or kitchen, but
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: the woman had got there before us. She stared at
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: us with defiant eyes, and then, suddenly recognizing me, an
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: expression of absolute astonishment came over her face. Why if
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: it isn't mister Phelps of the Office, she cried, Come, Come,
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: Who do you think we were when you ran away
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: from us? Asked my companion, I thought you were the brokers,
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: said she. We've had some trouble with a tradesman. That's
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: not quite good enough, answered Forbes. We have reason to
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: believe that you have taken a paper of importance from
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: the Foreign Office, and that you ran in ear to
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: dispose of it. You must come back with us to Scotland.
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: Yard to be searched. It was in vain that she
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: protested and resisted before Wheeler was brought and we all
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: three drove back in it. We had first made an
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: examination of the kitchen, and especially of the kitchen fire,
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: to see whether she might have made away with the
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: papers during the instant that she was alone. There were
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: no signs, however, of any ashes or scraps. When we
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: reached Scotland Yard, she was handed over at once to
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: the female searcher. I waited in an agony of suspense
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: until she came back with her report. There were no
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: signs of the papers. Then, for the first time, the
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: horror of my situation came in its full force upon me.
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: Hitherto I had been acting, and action had numbed thought.
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: I had been so confident of regaining the treaty at
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: once that I had not dared to think of what
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: would be the consequence if I failed to do so.
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: But now there was nothing more to be done, and
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: I had leisure to realize my position. It was horrible.
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: Watson there would tell you that I was a nervous,
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: sensitive boy at school. It is my nature. I thought
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: of my uncle and of his colleagues, in the cabinet
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: of the shame which I had brought upon him, upon myself,
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: upon every one connected with me. What though I was
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: the victim of an extraordinary accident, no allowances made for
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: accidents where diplomatic interests are at stake. I was ruined, shamefully,
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: hopelessly ruined. I don't know what I did. I fancy
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: I must have made a scene. I have a dim
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: recollection of a group of officials who crowded round me,
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: endeavoring to soothe me. One of them drove down with
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: me to Waterloo and saw me into the Woking train.
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: I believe that he would have come all the way
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: had it not been that doctor Ferrier, who lives near me,
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: was going down by that very train. The doctor most
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: kindly took charge of me, and it was well he
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: did so, where I had a fit in the station,
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: and before we reached home I was practically a raving maniac.
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: You can imagine the state of things here when they
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: were roused from their beds by the doctor's ringing and
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: found me in this condition. Poor Annie here and my
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: mother were broken hearted. Doctor Ferrier had just heard enough
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: from the detective at the station to be able to
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: give an idea of what had happened, and his story
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: did not mend matters. It was evident to all that
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: I was in for a long illness. So Joseph was
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: bundled out of this cheery bedroom and it was turned
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: into a sick room for me. Here I have lain
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: Holmes for over nine weeks, unconscious and raving with brain fever.
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: If it had not been for Miss Harrison here and
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: for the doctor's care, I should not be speaking to
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: you now. She has nursed me by day, and a
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: hired nurse has looked after me by night, For in
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: my mad fits I was capable of anything. Slowly my
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: reason has cleared, but it is only during the last
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: three days that my memory has quite returned. Sometimes I
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: wish that it never had. The first thing I did
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: was to wire mister Forbes, who had the case in hand.
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: He came out and assured me that though everything has
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: been done, no trace of a clue has been discovered.
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: The Commissionaire and his wife have been examined in every
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: way without any light being thrown upon the matter. The
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: suspicions of the police then rested upon young Goro, who,
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: as you may remember, stayed overtime in the old office
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: that night. His remaining behind and his French name were
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: really the only two points which could suggest suspicion. But
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: as a matter of fact, I did not begin work
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: until he had gone, and his people are of Huguenot extraction.
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: But as English in sympathy and tradition as you and
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: I are, nothing was found to implicate him in any way,
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: And there the matter dropped. I turned to you, mister Holmes,
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: as absolutely my last hope. If you fail me, then
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: my honor, as well as my position, are forever forfeited.
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: The invalid sank back upon his cushions, tired out by
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: this long recital, while his nurse poured him out a
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: glass of some stimulating medicine. Holmes sat silently, with his
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: head thrown back and his eyes closed, in an attitude
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: which might seem listless to a stranger, but which I
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: knew betokened the most intense absorption. Your statement has been
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: so explicit, said he at last, that you have really
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: left me very few questions to ask. There is one
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: of the very utmost importance, however, did you tell any
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: one that you had this special task to perform? No one,
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: not Miss Harrison here for example. No, I had not
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: been back to Woking between getting the order and executing
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: the commission, and none of your people had by chance
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: been to see you. None did any of them know
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: their way about in the office. Oh? Yes, all of
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: them had been shown over it. Still, of course, if
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: you said nothing to any one about the treaty, these
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: inquiries are irrelevant. I said nothing. Do you know anything
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: of the commissionaire? Nothing except that he is an old soldier?
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: What regiment? Oh, I have heard and in coldstream guards?
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: Thank you. I have no doubt I can get details
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: from Forbes. The authorities are excellent at amassing facts, though
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: they do not always use them to advantage. What a
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: lovely thing a rose is. He walked past the couch
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: to the open window and held up the drooping stalk
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: of a moss rose, looking down at the dainty blend
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: of crimson and green. It was a new phase of
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: his character to me, for I had never before seen
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: him show any keen interest in natural objects. There is
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion,
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: said he, leaning with his back against the shutters. It
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: can be built up as an exact science by the
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: reasoner our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: to me to rest in the flowers. All other things,
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: our powers, our desires, our face, food, are really necessary
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: for our existence in the first instance. But this rose
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: is an extra. Its smell and its color are an
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: only goodness which gives extras. And so I say again
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: that we have much to hope from the flowers. Percy
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: Phelps and his nurse looked at Holmes during this demonstration
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: with surprise and a good deal of disappointment written upon
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: their faces. He had fallen into a reverie with the
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: moss rose between his fingers. It had lasted some minutes
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: before the young lady broke in upon it. Do you
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: see any prospect of solving this mystery, mister Holmes, she asked,
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: with a touch of asperity in her voice. Oh the mystery,
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: he answered, coming back with a start to the realities
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: of life. Well, it would be absurd to deny that
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: the case is a very abstruse and complicated one. But
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: I can promise you that I will look into the
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: matter and let you know any points which may strike me.
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: Do you see any clue. You have furnished me with seven,
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: but of course I must test them before I can
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: pronounce upon their value. You suspect someone, I suspect myself.
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: What of coming to conclusions too rapidly? Then go to
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: London and test your conclusions. Your advice is very excellent,
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: Miss Harrison, said Holmes, rising, I think Watson, we cannot
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: do better. Do not allow yourself to indulge in false hopes,
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: mister Phelps. The affair is a very tangled one. I
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: shall be in a fever until I see you again,
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: cried the diplomatist. Well i'll come out by the same
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: train tomorrow, though it's more than likely that my report
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: will be a negative one. God bless you for promising
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: to come, cried our client. It gives me a fresh
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: life to know that something is being done by the way.
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: I have had a letter from Lord Holthurst. Ha What
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: did he say? He was cold, but not harsh. I
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: dare say my severe illness prevented him from being that.
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: He repeated that the matter was of the utmost importance,
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: and added that no steps would be taken about my future,
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: by which he means, of course, my dismissal until my
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: health was restored, and I had an opportunity of repairing
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: my misfortune. Well that was reasonable and considerate, said Holmes. Come, Watson,
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: for we have a good day's work before us in town.
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: Mister Joseph Harrison drove us down to the station, and
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: we were soon whirling up in a Portsmouth train. Holmes
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: was sunk in profound thought, and hardly opened his mouth
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: until we had passed Clapham Junction. It's a very cheering
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: thing to come into London by any of these lines,
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: which run high and allow you to look down the
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: houses like this. I thought he was joking, for the
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: view was sordid enough, but he soon explained himself. Look
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: at those big, isolated clumps of building rising above the slates,
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: like brick islands in a lead colored sea. The board schools, lighthouses,
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: my boy, beacons of the future, capsules with hundreds of
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: bright little seeds in each, out of which will spring
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: the wiser, better England of the future. I suppose that
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: man Phelps does not drink. I should not think so,
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: nor should I, but we are bound to take every
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: possibility into account. The poor devil has certainly got himself
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: into very deep water. And it's a question whether we
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: shall ever be able to get him ashore. What do
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: you think of miss Harrison? A girl of strong character? Yes,
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: but she is a good sort, or I am mistaken.
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: She and her brother are the only children of an
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: iron master somewhere up Northumberland Way Phelps. God engaged to
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: her when traveling last winter, and she came down to
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: be introduced to his people, with her brother as escort.
• 35:11
  Speaker 1: Then came the smash, and she stayed on to nurse
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: her lover, while brother Joseph, finding himself pretty snug, stayed
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: on too. I've been making a few independent inquiries, you see,
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: but today must be a day of inquiries my practice,
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: I began. Oh, if you find your own cases more
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: interesting than mine, said Holmes with some asperity. I was
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: going to say that my practice could get along very
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: well for a day or two, since it is the
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: slackest time in the year. Excellent, said he, recovering his
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: good humor. Then we'll look into this matter together. I
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: think that we should begin by seeing Forbes. He can
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: probably tell us all the details we want until we
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: know from what side the case is to be approached.
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: You said you had a clue well, we have said,
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: but we can only test their value by further inquiry.
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: The most difficult crime to track is the one which
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: is purposeless. Now this is not purposeless. Who is it
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: that profits by it? There is the French ambassador, there
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: is the Russian. There is whoever might sell it to
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: either of these, And there is Lord Holdhurst. Lord Holdhurst, Well,
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: it is just conceivable that a statesman might find himself
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: in a position where he was not sorry to have
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: such a document accidentally destroyed. Not a statesman with the
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: honorable record of Lord Holdhurst. It is a possibility, and
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: we cannot afford to disregard it. We shall see the
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: noble Lord today and find out if he can tell
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: us anything. Meanwhile, I have already set inquiries upon foot. Already. Yes,
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: I sent wires from working station to every evening paper
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: in London. This advertisement will appear in each of them.
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: He handed over a sheet torn from the notebook. On
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: it was scribbled in pencil ten pounds reward the number
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: of the cab which dropped a fair at or about
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: the door of the Foreign Office in Charles Street at
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: a quarter to ten in the evening of May the
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: twenty third. Applied two hundred and twenty one B. Baker Street.
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: You're confident that the thief came in a cab. If not,
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: there is no harm done. But if mister Phelps is
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: correct in stating that there is no hiding place, either
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: in the room or the corridors, then the person must
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: have come from outside. If he came from outside on
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: so wet a night, and yet left no trace of
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: damp upon the linoleum, which was examined within a few
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: minutes of his passing, then it is exceedingly probable that
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: he came in a cab. Yes, I think that we
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: may safely deduce a cab. It sounds plausible. That is
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: one of the clues of which I spoke. It may
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: lead us to something. And then, of course there is
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: the bell, which is the most distinctive feature of the case.
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: Why should the bell ring? Was it the thief that
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: did it out of bravado, or was it someone who
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: was with the thief who did it in order to
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: prevent the crime? Or was it an accident? Or was
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: it he sank back into the state of intense and
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: silent thought from which he had emerged. But it seemed
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: to me accustomed as I was to his every mood
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: that some new possibility had dawned suddenly upon him. It
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: was twenty past three when we reached our terminus, and
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: after a hasty luncheon at the buffet, we pushed on
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: at once to Scotland Yard. Holmes had already wired to Forbes,
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: and we found him waiting to receive us. A small,
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: foxy man with a sharp but by no means amiable expression.
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: He was decidedly frigid in his manner to us, especially
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: when he heard the errand upon which we had come.
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: I've heard of your methods before, now, mister Hows, said
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: he tartly, you are ready enough to use all the
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: information that the police can lay at your disposal, and
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: then you try to finish the case yourself and bring
• 39:09
  Speaker 1: discredit upon them. On the contrary, said Holmes. Out of
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: my last fifty three cases, my name has only appeared
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: in four, and the police have had all the credit
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: in forty nine. I don't blame you for not knowing this,
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: for you are young and inexperienced. But if you wish
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: to get on in your new duties, you will work
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: with me and not against me. I'd be very glad
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: of a hint or two, said the detective, changing his manner.
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: I've certainly had no credit from the case so far.
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: What steps have you taken, Tangi? The commissionaire has been shadowed.
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: He left the guards with a good character and we
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: can find nothing against him. His wife is a bad lot,
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: though I fancy she knows more about this than appears.
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: Have you shadowed her? We have sert one of our
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: women on to her, Missus Tangi, and now a woman
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: has been with her twice when she was well on,
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: but she could get nothing out of her. I understand
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: that they have had brokers in the house. Yes, but
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: they were paid off. Where did the money come from?
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: That was all right? His pension was due. They have
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: not shown any sign of being in funds. What explanation
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: did she give of having answered the bell when mister
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: Phelps rang for the coffee? She said that her husband
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: was very tired and she wished to relieve him. Well,
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: certainly that would agree with his being found a little
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: later asleep in his chair. There is nothing against them, then,
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: but the woman's character. Did you ask her why she
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: hurried away that night? Her haste attracted the attention of
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: the police. Constable, She was later than usual and wanted
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: to get home. Did you point out to her that
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: you and mister Phelps, who started at least twenty minutes
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: after her, got home before her. She explains that the
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: difference between a bus and a hansom. Did she make
• 41:03
  Speaker 1: it clear why on reaching her house she ran into
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: the back kitchen because she had the money there with
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: which to pay off the brokers. She has at least
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: an answer for everything. Did you ask her whether in
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: leaving she met anyone or saw anyone loitering about Charles Street?
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: She saw no one but the Constable. Well, you seem
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: to have cross examined her pretty thoroughly. What else have
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: you done? The clerk Goro has been shadowed all these
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: nine weeks, but without result we can show nothing against him.
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: Anything else. Well, we have nothing else to go upon,
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: no evidence of any kind. Have you formed any theory
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: about how that bell rang? Well? I must confess that
• 41:47
  Speaker 1: it beats me. It was a cool hand, whoever it was,
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: to go and give the alarm like that. Yes, it
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: was a queer thing to do. Many thanks to you
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: for what you have told me. If I can put
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: the man into your hands, you shall hear from me.
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: Come along, Watson, where are we going to now, I
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: asked as we left the office. We are now going
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: to interview Lord Holthurst, the Cabinet Minister and future Premiere
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: of England. We were fortunate in finding that Lord Holthurst
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: was still in his chambers at Downing Street, and on
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: Holmes sending in his card, we were instantly shown up.
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: The Statesman received us with that old fashioned courtesy for
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: which he is remarkable, and seated us on the two
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: luxurious easy chairs on either side of the fireplace, standing
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: on the rug between us. With his slight, tall figure,
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: his sharp featured, thoughtful face, and his curling hair prematurely
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: tinged with gray, he seemed to represent that not too
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: common type, a nobleman who is, in truth noble. Your
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: name is very familiar to me, mister Holmes, said he smiling.
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: Of course, I cannot pretend to be ignorant of the
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: object of your visit. There has only been one occurrence
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: in these offices which could call for your attention. In
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: Whose interest are you acting, may I ask? In that
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: of mister Percy. Phelps answered Holmes, Ah, my unfortunate nephew,
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: You can understand that our kinship makes it the more
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: impossible for me to screen him in any way. I
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: fear that the incident must have a very prejudicial effect
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: upon his career. But if the document is found, ah,
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: that of course would be different. I had one or
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: two questions which I wish to ask you, Lord Holthurst.
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: I shall be happy to give you any information in
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: my power. Was it in this room that you gave
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: your instructions as to the copying of the document? It
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: was then you could hardly have been overheard. It is
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: out of the question. Did you ever mention to anyone
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: that it was your intention to give out the treaty
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: to be copied? Never? You are certain of that absolutely well,
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: Since you never said so, and mister Phelps never said so,
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: and nobody else knew anything of the matter, then the
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: thief's presence in the room was purely accidental. He saw
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: his chance, and he took it. The statesman smiled, you
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: take me out of my province there, said he. Holmes
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: considered for a moment, there is another very important point
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: which I wished to discuss with you, said he. You feared,
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: as I understand, that very grave results might follow from
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: the details of this treaty becoming known. A shadow passed
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: over the expressive face of the Statesman. Very grave results, indeed,
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: and have they occurred? Not yet? If the treaty had
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: reached let us say, the French or Russian Foreign Office,
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: you would expect to hear of it, I should, said
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: Lord Holdhurst with a wry face. Since nearly ten weeks
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: of a lapse then, and nothing has been heard. It
• 45:02
  Speaker 1: is not unfair to suppose that, for some reason the
• 45:05
  Speaker 1: treaty has not reached them. Lord Holthurst shrugged his shoulders.
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: We can hardly suppose, mister Holmes, that the thief took
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: the treaty in order to frame it and hang it up.
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: Perhaps he is waiting for a better price. If he
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: waits a little longer, he will get no price at all.
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: The treaty will cease to be a secret in a
• 45:25
  Speaker 1: few months. That is most important, said Holmes. Of course,
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: it is a possible supposition that the thief has had
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: a sudden illness, an attack of brain fever, for example,
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: asked the Statesman, flashing a swift glance at him. I
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: did not say so, said Holmes, imperturbably. And now, Lord Holthurst,
• 45:46
  Speaker 1: we have already taken up too much of your valuable time,
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: and we shall wish you good day, every success to
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: your investigation be the criminal who it may, answered the nobleman,
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: as he bowed us out at the door. He's a
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: fine fellow, said Holmes, as we came out into Whitehall.
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: But he has a struggle to keep up his position.
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: He is far from rich and has many calls. You noticed,
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: of course, that his boots had been resold. Now, Watson,
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: I won't detain you from your legitimate work any longer.
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: I shall do nothing more to day unless I have
• 46:20
  Speaker 1: an answer to my cab advertisement. But I should be
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: extremely obliged to you if you would come down with
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: me to Woking tomorrow by the same train which we
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: took to day. I met him accordingly next morning, and
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: we traveled down to Woking together. He had had no
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: answer to his advertisement, he said, and no fresh light
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: had been thrown upon the case he had when he
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: so willed it. The utter immobility of countenance of a
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: red Indian. And I could not gather from his appearance
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: whether he was satisfied or not with the position of
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: the case. His conversation, I remember, was about the Bertillon
• 46:59
  Speaker 1: system of measurements, and he expressed his enthusiastic admiration of
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: the French savant. We found our client, still under the
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: charge of his devoted nurse, but looking considerably better than before.
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: He rose from the sofa and greeted us without difficulty.
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: When we entered, any news, he asked eagerly, My report,
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: as I expected, is a negative one, said Holmes. I
• 47:25
  Speaker 1: have seen Forbes, and I have seen your uncle, and
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: I have set one or two trains of inquiry upon
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: foot which may lead to something. You have not lost heart. Then,
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: by no means, God bless you for saying that, cried
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: Miss Harrison. If we keep our courage and our patience,
• 47:41
  Speaker 1: the truth must come out. We have more to tell
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: you than you have for us, said Phelps, reseating himself
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: upon the couch. I hoped you might have something. Yes,
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: we have had an adventure during the night, and one
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: which might have proved to be a serious one. His
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: expression grew very grave as he spoke, and a look
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: of something akin to fear sprang up in his eyes.
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: Do you know, said he that I begin to believe
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: that I am the unconscious center of some monstrous conspiracy
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: and that my life is aimed at as well as
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: my honor, Ah cried Holmes. It sounds incredible, for I
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: have not, as far as I know, an enemy in
• 48:23
  Speaker 1: the world. Yet from last night's experience I can come
• 48:28
  Speaker 1: to no other conclusion. Pray, let me hear it. You
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: must know that last night was the very first night
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: that I have ever slept without a nurse in the room.
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: I was so much better that I thought I could
• 48:40
  Speaker 1: dispense with one. I had a night light burning. However,
• 48:46
  Speaker 1: well about two in the morning, I had sunk into
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: a light sleep when I was suddenly aroused by a
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: slight noise. It was like the sound which a mouse
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: makes when it is gnawing a plank, and I lay
• 48:58
  Speaker 1: listening to it for some time, under the impression that
• 49:02
  Speaker 1: it must come from that cause. Then it grew louder,
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: and suddenly there came from the window a sharp, metallic snick.
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: I sat up in amazement. There could be no doubt
• 49:13
  Speaker 1: what the sounds were. Now. The faint ones had been
• 49:16
  Speaker 1: caused by someone forcing an instrument through the slit between
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: the sashes, and the second by the catch being pressed back.
• 49:25
  Speaker 1: There was a pause then for about ten minutes, as
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: if the person were waiting to see whether the noise
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: had awoken me. Then I heard a gentle creaking as
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: the window was very slowly opened. I could stand it
• 49:38
  Speaker 1: no longer, for my nerves are not what they used
• 49:41
  Speaker 1: to be. I sprang out of bed and flung open
• 49:43
  Speaker 1: the shutters. A man was crouching at the window. I
• 49:48
  Speaker 1: could see little of him, for he was gone like
• 49:50
  Speaker 1: a flash. He was wrapped in some sort of cloak
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: which came across the lower part of his face. One
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: thing only I am sure of, and that is that
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: he he had some weapon in his hand. Looked to
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: me like a long knife. I distinctly saw the gleam
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: of it as he turned to run. This is most interesting,
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: said Holmes. Pray, what did you do? Then? I should
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: have followed him through the open window, if I had
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: been stronger as it was, I rang the bell and
• 50:20
  Speaker 1: roused the house. It took me some little time, for
• 50:23
  Speaker 1: the bell rings in the kitchen, and the servants all
• 50:26
  Speaker 1: sleep upstairs. I shouted, however, and that brought Joseph down,
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: and he roused the others. Joseph and the groom found
• 50:35
  Speaker 1: marks on the flower bed outside the window. But the
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: weather has been so dry lately that they found it
• 50:41
  Speaker 1: hopeless to follow the trail across the grass. There's a place, however,
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: on the wooden fence which skirts the road, which shows signs,
• 50:48
  Speaker 1: they'd tell me as if someone had got over and
• 50:51
  Speaker 1: had snapped the top of the rail in doing so.
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: I have said nothing to the local police yet, for
• 50:58
  Speaker 1: I thought I had best have your opinion, for this
• 51:01
  Speaker 1: tale of our clients appeared to have an extraordinary effect
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: upon Sherlock Holmes. He rose from his chair and paced
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: about the room in incontrollable excitement. Misfortunes never come, singly,
• 51:15
  Speaker 1: said Phelps, smiling, though it was evident that his adventure
• 51:19
  Speaker 1: had somewhat shaken him. You have certainly had your share,
• 51:23
  Speaker 1: said Holmes. Do you think you could walk round the
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: house with me? Oh? Yes, I should like a little sunshine.
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: Joseph will come too, and I also, said miss Harrison.
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: I am afraid not, said Holmes, shaking his head. I
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: think I must ask you to remain sitting exactly where
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: you are. The young lady resumed her seat with an
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: air of displeasure. Her brother, however, had joined us, and
• 51:51
  Speaker 1: we set off, all four together. We passed round the
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: lawn to the outside of the young diplomatist's window. There were,
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: as he had said, marks upon the flower bed, but
• 52:02
  Speaker 1: they were hopelessly blurred and vague. Holmes stood over them
• 52:06
  Speaker 1: for an instant and then rose, shrugging his shoulders. I
• 52:10
  Speaker 1: don't think any one could make much of this, said he.
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: Let us go round the house and see why this
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: particular room was chosen by the burglar. I should have
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: thought those larger windows of the drawing room and dining
• 52:21
  Speaker 1: room would have had more attractions for him. They are
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: more visible from the road, suggested mister Joseph Harrison. Ah. Yes,
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: of course there is a door here which he might
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: have attempted. What is it for? It is the side
• 52:35
  Speaker 1: entrance for tradespeople. Of course it is locked at night.
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: Have you ever had an alarm like this before? Never,
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: said our client. Do you keep plate in the house
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: or anything to attract burglars? Nothing of value? Holmes strode
• 52:52
  Speaker 1: round the house with his hands in his pockets and
• 52:55
  Speaker 1: a negligent air, which was unusual with him. By the way,
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: said he to Joseph Harrison. You found some place I
• 53:03
  Speaker 1: understand where the fellow scaled the fence. Let us have
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: a look at that. The plump young man led us
• 53:11
  Speaker 1: to a spot where the top of one of the
• 53:13
  Speaker 1: wooden rails had been cracked. A small fragment of the
• 53:18
  Speaker 1: wood was hanging down. Holmes pulled it off and examined
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: it critically. Do you think that was done last night?
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: It looks rather old, does it not? Well? Possibly so?
• 53:31
  Speaker 1: There are no marks of anyone jumping down upon the
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: other side. No, I fancy we shall get no help here.
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: Let us go back to the bedroom and talk the
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: matter over. Percy Phelps was walking very slowly, leaning upon
• 53:46
  Speaker 1: the arm of his future brother in law. Holmes walked
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: swiftly across the lawn, and we were at the open
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: window of the bedroom long before the others came up.
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: Miss Harrison, said Holmes, speaking with the utmost intensity of manner.
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: You must stay where you are all day. Let nothing
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: prevent you from staying where you are all day. It
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: is of most vital importance, certainly if you wish it,
• 54:10
  Speaker 1: mister Holmes, said the girl, in astonishment. When you go
• 54:14
  Speaker 1: to bed, lock the door of this room on the
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: outside and keep the key. Promise to do this, But Percy,
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: he will come to London with us, and I am
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: to remain here. It is for his sake. You can
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: serve him quick promise. She gave a nod of assent
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: just as the other two came up. Why do you
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: sit moping there? Annie cried her brother. Come out into
• 54:38
  Speaker 1: the sunshine. No, thank you, Joseph. I have a slight headache,
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: and this room is deliciously cool and soothing. What do
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: you propose now, mister Holmes, asked our client. Well, in
• 54:50
  Speaker 1: investigating this minor affair, we must not lose sight of
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: our main inquiry. It would be a very great help
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: to me if he would come to London with us
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: at once, well, as soon as you conveniently can say
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: in an hour. I feel quite strong enough if I
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: can really be of any help the greatest possible. Perhaps
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: you would like me to stay there tonight. I was
• 55:12
  Speaker 1: just going to propose it. Then if my friend of
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: the night comes to revisit me, he will find the
• 55:18
  Speaker 1: bird flown. We're all in your hands, mister Holmes, and
• 55:22
  Speaker 1: you must tell us exactly what you would like done.
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: Perhaps you would prefer that Joseph came with us so
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: as to look after me. Oh no, my friend Watson
• 55:31
  Speaker 1: is a medical man, you know. And here look after you.
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: We'll have our lunch here if you'll permit us, and
• 55:37
  Speaker 1: then we shall all three set off for town together.
• 55:41
  Speaker 1: It was arranged as he suggested, though Miss Harrison excused
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: herself from leaving the bedroom in accordance with Holmes's suggestion.
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: What the object of my friend's maneuvers was I could
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: not conceive unless it were to keep the lady away
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: from Phelps, who, rejoiced by his returning health and by
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: the prospect of action, lunched with us in the dining room.
• 56:04
  Speaker 1: Holmes had a still more startling surprise for us, however,
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: for after accompanying us down to the station and seeing
• 56:11
  Speaker 1: us into our carriage, he calmly announced that he had
• 56:14
  Speaker 1: no intention of leaving Woking. There are one or two
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: small points which I should desire to clear up before
• 56:20
  Speaker 1: I go, said he. Your absence, mister Phelps, will in
• 56:24
  Speaker 1: some ways rather assist me Watson, when you reach London.
• 56:28
  Speaker 1: You would oblige me by driving at once to Baker
• 56:31
  Speaker 1: Street with our friend here, and remaining with him until
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: I see you again. It is fortunate that you are
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: old schoolfellows, as you must have much to talk over.
• 56:40
  Speaker 1: Mister Phelps can have the spare bedroom to night, and
• 56:42
  Speaker 1: I shall be with you in time for breakfast. Or
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: there is a train which will take me into Waterloo
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: at eight. But how about our investigation in London, asked
• 56:52
  Speaker 1: Phelps ruefully. We can do that tomorrow. I think that
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: just at present I can be of more immediate use here.
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: You might tell them at Briarbray that I hope to
• 57:01
  Speaker 1: be back tomorrow night, cried Phelps, as we began to
• 57:05
  Speaker 1: move from the platform. I hardly expect to go back
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: to Briarbray, answered Holmes, and waved to us cheerily as
• 57:13
  Speaker 1: we shot out from the station. Phelps and I talked
• 57:17
  Speaker 1: it over on our journey, but neither of us could
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: devise a satisfactory reason for this new development. I suppose
• 57:24
  Speaker 1: he wants to find out some clue as to the
• 57:26
  Speaker 1: burglary last night. If a burglary, it was for myself.
• 57:30
  Speaker 1: I don't believe it was an ordinary thief. What is
• 57:33
  Speaker 1: your own idea? Then? Upon my word? You may put
• 57:37
  Speaker 1: it down to my weak nerves or not. But I
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: believe there is some deep political intrigue going on around me,
• 57:44
  Speaker 1: and that for some reason that passes my understanding, my
• 57:48
  Speaker 1: life is aimed at by the conspirators. It sounds high
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: flown and absurd, But consider the facts. Why should a
• 57:55
  Speaker 1: thief try to break in at a bedroom window where
• 57:59
  Speaker 1: there could be no hope of any plunder? And why
• 58:02
  Speaker 1: should he come with a long knife in his hand?
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: You are sure it was not a housebreaker's jemmy, Oh no,
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: it was a knife. I saw the flash of the
• 58:12
  Speaker 1: blade quite distinctly. But why on earth should you be
• 58:15
  Speaker 1: pursued with such animosity? Ah, that is the question. Well,
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: if Holmes takes the same view, that would account for
• 58:23
  Speaker 1: his action, would it not? Presuming that your theory is correct,
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: if he can lay his hands upon the man who
• 58:30
  Speaker 1: threatened you last night, he will have gone a long
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: way towards finding who took the naval treaty. It is
• 58:36
  Speaker 1: absurd to suppose that you have two enemies, one of
• 58:39
  Speaker 1: whom robs you, while the other threatens your life. But
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: mister Holmes said that he was not going to Briarbray.
• 58:46
  Speaker 1: I have known him for some time, said I, but
• 58:49
  Speaker 1: I never knew him do anything yet without a very
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: good reason. And with that our conversation drifted off into
• 58:56
  Speaker 1: other topics. But it was a weary day for me. Me.
• 59:01
  Speaker 1: Phelps was still weak after his long illness, and his
• 59:04
  Speaker 1: misfortunes made him querulous and nervous in vain. I endeavored
• 59:09
  Speaker 1: to interest him in Afghanistan, in India, in social questions,
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: in anything which might take his mind out of the groove.
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: He would always come back to his lost treaty, wondering, guessing,
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: speculating as to what Holmes was doing, what steps Lord
• 59:25
  Speaker 1: Holthurst was taking, what news we should have in the morning.
• 59:29
  Speaker 1: As the evening wore on, his excitement became quite painful.
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: You have implicit faith in Holmes, he asked. I have
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: seen him do some remarkable things, but he never brought
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: light into anything quite so dark as this. Oh yes,
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: I have known himself questions which presented fewer clues than yours,
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: But not where such large interests are at stake. I
• 59:52
  Speaker 1: don't know that, to my certain knowledge, he has acted
• 59:55
  Speaker 1: on behalf of three of the reigning houses of Europe
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: in very vital matters. But you know him well, Watson.
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: He is such an inscrutable fellow that I never quite
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 1: know what to make of him. Do you think he
• 1:00:07
  Speaker 1: is hopeful? Do you think that he expects to make
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 1: a success of it. He has said nothing that is
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 1: a bad sign. On the contrary, I have noted that
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: when he is off the trail he generally says. So.
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 1: It is when he is on ascent and is not
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 1: quite absolutely sure yet that it is the right one
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 1: that he is most taciturn. Now, my dear fellow, we
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: can't help matters by making ourselves nervous about them. So
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: let me implore you to go to bed and so
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 1: be fresh for whatever may await us tomorrow. I was
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 1: able at last to persuade my companion to take my advice,
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: though I knew from his excited manner that there was
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: not much hope of sleep for him. Indeed, his mood
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 1: was infectious. For I lay tossing half the night, myself,
• 1:00:56
  Speaker 1: brooding over this strange problem, and inventing a hundred theories,
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: each of which was more impossible than the last. Why
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 1: had Holmes remained at Woking? Why had he asked Miss
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 1: Harrison to stay in the sick room all day? Why
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 1: had he been so careful not to inform the people
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: at Briarbray that he intended to remain near them. I
• 1:01:18
  Speaker 1: cudgeled my brains until I fell asleep in the endeavor
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 1: to find some explanation which could cover all these facts.
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 1: It was seven o'clock when I awoke, and I set
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 1: off at once for Phelps's room to find him haggard
• 1:01:33
  Speaker 1: and spent after a sleepless night. His first question was
• 1:01:37
  Speaker 1: whether Holmes had arrived yet. He'll be here when he promised,
• 1:01:41
  Speaker 1: said I, and not an instant sooner or later. And
• 1:01:46
  Speaker 1: my words were true, for shortly after eight a hansom
• 1:01:49
  Speaker 1: dashed up to the door, and our friend got out
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 1: of it. Standing in the window, we saw that his
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 1: left hand was swathed in a bandage, and that his
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: face was very grim and pale. He entered the house,
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 1: but it was some little time before he came upstairs.
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: He looks like a beaten man, cried Phelps. I was
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: forced to confess that he was right after all, said I.
• 1:02:16
  Speaker 1: The clue of the matter lies probably here in town.
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 1: Phelps gave a groan. I don't know how it is,
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 1: said he. But I had hoped for so much from
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: his return. But surely his hand was not tied up
• 1:02:30
  Speaker 1: like that yesterday. What can be the matter? You are
• 1:02:35
  Speaker 1: not wounded, Holmes, I asked, as my friend entered the room. Tut,
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 1: it is only a scratch through my own clumsiness, he answered,
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: nodding his good morning to us. This case of yours,
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 1: mister Phelps, is certainly one of the darkest which I
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 1: have ever investigated. I feared that you would find it
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: beyond you. It has been a most remarkable experience. That
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: bandage tells of adventures, said, I won't you tell us
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 1: what has happened after breakfast, my dear Watson, Remember that
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: I have breathed thirty miles of surry air this morning.
• 1:03:08
  Speaker 1: I suppose there has been no answer to my cabman advertisement. Well, well,
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 1: we cannot expect to score every time. The table was
• 1:03:17
  Speaker 1: all laid, and just as I was about to ring,
• 1:03:20
  Speaker 1: Missus Hudson entered with the tea and coffee. A few
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 1: minutes later she brought in the covers, and we all
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 1: drew up to the table. Holmes ravenous, I curious, and
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 1: Phelps in the gloomiest state of depression. Missus Hudson has
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: risen to the occasion, said Holmes, uncovering a dish of
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 1: curried chicken. Her cuisine is a little limited, but she
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 1: has as good an idea of breakfast as a scotchwoman.
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: What have you there, Watson hamond eggs? I answered, good.
• 1:03:52
  Speaker 1: What are you going to take, mister Phelps, curried fowl
• 1:03:55
  Speaker 1: or eggs? Or will you help yourself? Thank you? I
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 1: said Phelps. Oh, come try the dish before you. Thank you.
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 1: I would really rather not well, then, said Holmes, with
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 1: a mischievous twinkle. I suppose that you have no objection
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 1: to helping me. Phelps raised the cover, and as he
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 1: did so, he uttered a scream, and sat there staring
• 1:04:22
  Speaker 1: with a face as white as the plate upon which
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 1: he looked. Across the center of it was lying a
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: little cylinder of blue gray paper. He caught it up,
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: devoured it with his eyes, and then danced madly about
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: the room, pressing it to his bosom and shrieking out
• 1:04:40
  Speaker 1: in his delight. Then he fell back into an armchair,
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 1: so limp and exhausted with his own emotions that we
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 1: had to pour brandy down his throat to keep him
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 1: from fainting. There there, said Holmes, soothingly, patting him upon
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: the shoulder. It was too bad to spring it on
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: you like this, But what here will tell you that
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 1: I never can resist a touch of the dramatic Phelps
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 1: seized his hand and kissed it. God bless you, he cried,
• 1:05:09
  Speaker 1: you have saved my honor. Well, my own was at stake,
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 1: you know, said Holmes. I assure you it is just
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: as hateful to me to fail in a case as
• 1:05:19
  Speaker 1: it can be to you to blunder over a commission.
• 1:05:23
  Speaker 1: Phelps thrust away the precious document into the innermost pocket
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 1: of his coat. I have not the heart to interrupt
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 1: your breakfast any further, and yet I am dying to
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: know how you got it and where it was. Sherlock
• 1:05:37
  Speaker 1: Holmes swallowed a cup of coffee and turned his attention
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 1: to the Hammond eggs. Then he rose, lit his pipe
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 1: and settled himself down into his chair. I'll tell you
• 1:05:47
  Speaker 1: what I did first, and how I came to do
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: it afterwards, said he. After leaving you at the station,
• 1:05:54
  Speaker 1: I went for a charming walk through some admirable Surry
• 1:05:58
  Speaker 1: scenery to a pretty little villa called Ripley, where I
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 1: had my tea at an inn, and took the precaution
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 1: of filling my flask and putting a paper of sandwiches
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: in my pocket. There I remained until evening, when I
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 1: set off for Woking again. And found myself in the
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 1: high road outside Briar Braid, just after sunset. Well, I
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 1: waited until the road was clear. It is never a
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: very frequented one at any time I fancy, and then
• 1:06:26
  Speaker 1: I clambered over the fence into the grounds. Surely the
• 1:06:29
  Speaker 1: gate was open, ejaculated Phelps, Yes, but I have a
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 1: peculiar taste in these matters. I chose the place where
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: the three fir trees stand, and behind their screen, I
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 1: got over without the least chance of anyone in the
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: house being able to see me. I crouched down among
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 1: the bushes on the other side and crawled from one
• 1:06:49
  Speaker 1: to the other. Witnessed the disreputable state of my trouser
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 1: knees until I had reached the clump of rhododendrons just
• 1:06:56
  Speaker 1: opposite to your bedroom window. There I squatted down and
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 1: awaited developments. The blind was not down in your room,
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: and I could see Miss Harrison sitting there reading by
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 1: the table. It was a quarter past ten when she
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 1: closed her book, fastened the shutters, and retired. I heard
• 1:07:15
  Speaker 1: her shut the door, and felt quite sure that she
• 1:07:17
  Speaker 1: had turned the key in the lock. The key, ejaculated Philips. Yes,
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: I had given miss Harrison instructions to lock the door
• 1:07:25
  Speaker 1: on the outside and take the key with her when
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 1: she went to bed. She carried out every one of
• 1:07:31
  Speaker 1: my injunctions to the letter, and certainly without her co
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: operation you would not have that paper in your coat pocket.
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 1: She departed. Then the lights went out, and I was
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: left squatting in the rhododendron bush. The night was fine,
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: but still it was a very weary vigil. Of course,
• 1:07:51
  Speaker 1: it has the sort of excitement about it that the
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 1: sportsman feels when he lies beside the water course and
• 1:07:57
  Speaker 1: waits for the big game. It was very long, though
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 1: almost as long, Watson, as when you and I waited
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 1: in that deadly room when we looked into the little
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 1: problem of the speckled band. There was a church clock
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: down at Woking which struck the quarters, and I thought
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: more than once that it had stopped at last. However,
• 1:08:18
  Speaker 1: about two in the morning, I suddenly heard the gentle
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 1: sound of a bolt being pushed back and the creaking
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 1: of a key. A moment later, the servant's door was opened,
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 1: and mister Joseph Harrison stepped out into the moonlight. Joseph ejaculated, Phelps.
• 1:08:37
  Speaker 1: He was bare headed, but he had a black cloak
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 1: thrown over his shoulder, so that he could conceal his
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: face in an instant if there were any alarm. He
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 1: walked on tiptoe under the shadow of the wall, and
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: when he reached the window, he worked a long bladed
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 1: knife through the sash and pushed back the catch. Then
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 1: he flung open the window, and, putting his knife through
• 1:09:01
  Speaker 1: the crack in the shutters, he thrust the bar up
• 1:09:04
  Speaker 1: and swung them open. From where I lay, I had
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 1: a perfect view of the inside of the room and
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: of every one of his movements. He lit the two
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: candles which stand upon the mantel piece, and then he
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 1: proceeded to turn back the corner of the carpet in
• 1:09:20
  Speaker 1: the neighborhood of the door. Presently, he stooped and picked
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 1: out a square piece of board, such as is usually
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 1: left to enable plumbers to get at the joints of
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: the gas pipes. This one covered, as a matter of fact,
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: the tea joint which gives off the pipe which supplies
• 1:09:37
  Speaker 1: the kitchen underneath. Out of this hiding place he drew
• 1:09:41
  Speaker 1: that little cylinder of paper, pushed down the board, rearranged
• 1:09:45
  Speaker 1: the carpet, blew out the candles and walked straight into
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 1: my arms as I stood waiting for him outside the window. Well,
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 1: he has rather more viciousness than I gave him credit for.
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 1: As Master Joseph. He flew at me with his knife,
• 1:09:58
  Speaker 1: and I had to grass him to twice and got
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 1: a cut over the knuckles before I had the upper
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 1: hand of him. He looked murder out of the only
• 1:10:07
  Speaker 1: eye he could see with when we had finished, but
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 1: he listened to reason and gave up the papers having
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 1: got them. I let my man go, but I wired
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: full particulars to Forbes this morning. If he is quick
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 1: enough to catch his bird, well and good. But if,
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 1: as I shrewdly suspect, he finds the nest empty before
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: he gets there, why all the better for the government.
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 1: I fancy that Lord Holdhurst, for one, and mister Percy
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: Phelps for another, would very much rather that the affair
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 1: never got so far as a police court. My God,
• 1:10:42
  Speaker 1: gasped our client. Do you tell me that during these
• 1:10:46
  Speaker 1: long ten weeks of agony the stolen papers were within
• 1:10:49
  Speaker 1: the very room with me all the time. So it was,
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 1: and Joseph, Joseph, a villain and a thief. Hmm, I'm
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: afraid Joseph's character is a rather deeper and more dangerous
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 1: one than one might judge from his appearance. From what
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: I have heard from him this morning, I gather that
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 1: he has lost heavily in dabbling with stocks, and that
• 1:11:10
  Speaker 1: he is ready to do anything on earth to better
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 1: his fortunes. Being an absolutely selfish man. When a chance
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 1: presented itself, he did not allow either his sister's happiness
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: or your reputation to hold his hand. Percy Phelps sank
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 1: back in his chair. My head whirls, said he, Your
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 1: words have dazed me. The principal difficulty in your case,
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 1: remarked Holmes, in his didactic fashion, lay in the fact
• 1:11:39
  Speaker 1: of there being too much evidence. What was vital was
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: overlaid and hidden by what was irrelevant. Of all the
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 1: facts which were presented to us, we had to pick
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: just those which we deemed to be essential, and then
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 1: piece them together in their order, so as to reconstruct
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: this very remarkable chain of events. I had already begun
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 1: to suspect Joseph from the fact that you had intended
• 1:12:06
  Speaker 1: to travel home with him that night, and that therefore
• 1:12:09
  Speaker 1: it was a likely enough thing that he should call
• 1:12:11
  Speaker 1: for you, knowing the Foreign Office well upon his way.
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: When I heard that someone had been so anxious to
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: get into the bedroom in which no one but Joseph
• 1:12:21
  Speaker 1: could have concealed anything, you told us in your narrative
• 1:12:25
  Speaker 1: how you would turn Joseph out when you arrived with
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 1: the doctor. My suspicions all changed, too, certainties, especially as
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: the attempt was made on the first night upon which
• 1:12:35
  Speaker 1: the nurse was absent, showing that the Intrudeau was well
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 1: acquainted with the ways of the house. How blind I
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 1: have been. The facts of the case, as far as
• 1:12:45
  Speaker 1: I have worked them out, are these this? Joseph Harrison
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: entered the office through the Charles Street door, and knowing
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 1: his way, he walked straight into your room the instant
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 1: after you left it. Finding no way there, he promptly
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 1: rang the bell, and at the instant that he did so,
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 1: his eyes caught the paper upon the table. A glance
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 1: showed him the chance had put in his way a
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: state document of immense value, and in a flash he
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: had thrust it into his pocket and was gone. A
• 1:13:20
  Speaker 1: few minutes elapsed, as you remember, before the sleepy commissionaire
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: drew your attention to the bell, and those were just
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: enough to give the thief time to make his escape.
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: He made his way to Woking by the first train, and,
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 1: having examined his booty and assured himself that it really
• 1:13:39
  Speaker 1: was of immense value, he concealed it in what he
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 1: thought was a very safe place, with the intention of
• 1:13:46
  Speaker 1: taking it out again in a day or two and
• 1:13:48
  Speaker 1: carrying it to the French embassy or wherever he thought
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 1: that a long price was to be had. Then came
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 1: your sudden return. He, without a moment's warning, was bundled
• 1:14:00
  Speaker 1: out of his room, and from that time onwards there
• 1:14:04
  Speaker 1: were always at least two of you there to prevent
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: him from regaining his treasure. The situation to him must
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: have been a maddening one, but at last he thought
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 1: he saw his chance. He tried to steal in, but
• 1:14:17
  Speaker 1: was baffled by your wakefulness. You may remember that you
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 1: did not take your usual draft that night. I remember
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 1: I fancied that he had taken steps to make that
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 1: draft efficacious, and that he quite relied upon your being unconscious.
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 1: Of course, I understood that he would repeat the attempt
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 1: whenever it could be done with safety. Your leaving the
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 1: room gave him the chance. He wanted. I kept miss
• 1:14:42
  Speaker 1: Harrison in it all day, so that he might not
• 1:14:45
  Speaker 1: anticipate us. Then, having given him the idea that the
• 1:14:49
  Speaker 1: coast was clear, I kept guard. As I have described.
• 1:14:53
  Speaker 1: I already knew that the papers were probably in the room,
• 1:14:57
  Speaker 1: but I had no desire to rip up all the
• 1:14:59
  Speaker 1: pla and skirting in search of them. I let him
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 1: take them, therefore, from the hiding place, and so saved
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 1: myself an infinity of trouble. Is there any other point
• 1:15:11
  Speaker 1: which I can make clear? Why did he try the
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 1: window on the first occasion? I asked, when he might
• 1:15:17
  Speaker 1: have entered by the door. In reaching the door, he
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 1: would have to pass seven bedrooms. On the other hand,
• 1:15:23
  Speaker 1: he could get out onto the lawn with ease. Anything else,
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: you do not think, asked Phelps, that he had any
• 1:15:33
  Speaker 1: murderous intention. The knife was only meant as a tool.
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 1: It may be so, answered Holmes, shrugging his shoulders. I
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: can only say for certain that mister Joseph Harrison is
• 1:15:47
  Speaker 1: a gentleman to whose mercy I should be extremely unwilling
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 1: to trust. That is the end of the adventure of
• 1:15:59
  Speaker 1: the Naval Treaty. From the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 1: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, read by Greg Wagland for Magpie
• 1:16:09
  Speaker 1: Audio twenty sixteen.