The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

methods. I find them recorded in my notes under the headings of “The Adventure of the Second Stain,” “The Adventure of the Naval Treaty,” and “The Adventure of the Tired Captain.” The

ch he demonstrated the true facts of the case to Monsieur Dubugue of the Paris police, and Fritz von Waldbaum, the well-known specialist of Dantzig, both of whom had wasted their energies upon what proved to be side-issues. The new century w

iumphant career at Cambridge. He was, I remember, extremely well connected, and even when we were all little boys together we knew that his mother’s brother was Lord Holdhurst, the great conservative politician. This gaudy relationship did him little good at school. On the contrary, it seemed rather a piquant thing to us to chevy him a

rae, W

AR WA

ossible even that you may have heard that through my uncle’s influence I obtained a good appointment at the Foreign O

nd Mr. Holmes down to see me? I should like to have his opinion of the case, though the authorities assure me that nothing more can be done. Do try to bring him down, and as soon as possible. Every minute seems an hour while I live in this state of horrible suspense. Assure him that if I have

to br

d schoo

Y PH

I should have tried it, but of course I knew well that Holmes loved his art, so that he was ever as ready to bring his aid as his client could be to receive it. My wife agreed

tilled drops were condensing into a two-litre measure. My friend hardly glanced up as I entered, and I, seeing that his investigation must be of importance, seated myself in an armchair and waited. He dipp

ll, dirty crimson. “Hum! I thought as much!” he cried. “I will be at your service in an instant, Watson. You will find tobacco in the Persian slipper.” He turned to his desk and scribbled

You’ve got something better, I fancy. You are

which he read with the mo

uch, does it?” he remarked

y anyt

writing is

iting is no

y. It is

surely,

is in close contact with someone who, for good or evil, has an exceptional nature. My interest is already awakened in the case. If you ar

ding in extensive grounds within a few minutes’ walk of the station. On sending in our cards we were shown into an elegantly appointed drawing-room, where we were joined in a few minutes by a rather stout man

n inquiring for you all morning. Ah, poor old chap, he clings to any straw! His father and

ed Holmes. “I perceive that you are

rprised, and then, glancin

is my name, and as Percy is to marry my sister Annie I shall at least be a relation by marriage. You will find my sister in his r

droom, with flowers arranged daintily in every nook and corner. A young man, very pale and worn, was lying upon a sofa near the open w

ave, Percy?

ould never have known you under that moustache, and I daresay you would not be prep

of the invalid. She was a striking-looking woman, a little short and thick for symmetry, but with a beautiful olive complexion, large, dark,

atter without further preamble. I was a happy and successful man, Mr. Holmes, and on the e

ly to a responsible position. When my uncle became foreign minister in this administration he gave me several missions of trust

ed me into his private room, and, after complimenting me on the good work which I

have already got into the public press. It is of enormous importance that nothing further should leak out. The French or the Russian embassy would pay an immense sum

s, s

hers go, so that you may copy it at your leisure without fear of being overlooked. When you have finished,

the pape

id Holmes. “Were you alone

olut

large

feet e

he ce

abou

peakin

lways remarkably low.

olmes, shutting his

make up, so I left him there and went out to dine. When I returned he was gone. I was anxious to hurry my work, for I knew that Joseph — the Mr. Har

osition of Great Britain towards the Triple Alliance, and foreshadowed the policy which this country would pursue in the event of the French fleet gaining a complete ascendency over that of Italy in the Me

ss for me to attempt to catch my train. I was feeling drowsy and stupid, partly from my dinner and also from the effects of a long day’s work. A cup of coffee would clear my brain. A commissionaire remains

faced, elderly woman, in an apron. She explained that she was the commissi

out. There was a straight passage, dimly lighted, which led from the room in which I had been working, and was the only exit from it. It ended in a curving staircase, with the commissionaire’s lodge in the passage at the bottom. Halfway down this staircase is a

at I quite follow you,

in his box, with the kettle boiling furiously upon the spirit-lamp. I took off the kettle and blew out the lamp, for the water was spurting over the flo

said he, looking a

o see if my cof

He looked at me and then up at the still quivering

sir, then who rang

I cried. ‘Wha

of the room you

stair and along the passage. There was no one in the corridors, Mr. Holmes. There was no one in the room. All was exactly as I left it, save only

I could see that the problem was entirely to hi

ve come up the stairs from the side door. Of cours

ncealed in the room all the time, or in the corrid

not conceal himself either in the room or

ou. Pray

corridor and down the steep steps which led to Charles Street. The door at the bottom was closed but unlocked. We flung it open and

tance,” said Holmes, makin

et, but a great traffic was going on, as usual, in Whitehall, at the extremity. We rushed alo

ocument of immense value has been stolen from t

sir,’ said he, ‘only one person has passed during that

,’ cried the commissionair

o o

that the thief took,’ cried th

e attempts which he made to draw

id the woman

s, but I had no special reason for wat

ong ago

very man

the las

uld not be mo

aire; ‘take my word for it that my old woman has nothing to do with it and come down to the other

in an instant and cau

o you liv

be drawn away upon a false scent, Mr. Phelps. Come to the othe

y to find the street full of traffic, many people coming and going, but all only too eager to get

corridor which led to the room was laid down with a kind of creamy linoleum which shows an i

n raining a

about

ho came into the room about nine l

e. The charwomen are in the habit of taking off their boots a

the night was a wet one? The chain of events is certain

und. Both of them were fastened on the inside. The carpet prevents any possibility of a trapdoor, and the ceiling is of

ut the f

ight of my desk. Whoever rang it must have come right up to the desk to do it. Bu

examined the room, I presume, to see if the intruder had left any

nothing o

sm

ever though

have been worth a great deal t

was that the commissionaire’s wife — Mrs. Tangey was the name — had hurried out of the place. He could give no explanation save that it was about the time when the w

t deal of energy. We hired a hansom, and in half an hour we were at the address which had been given to us. A young woman opened the

her say, ‘Mother, there are two men in the house waiting to see you,’ and an instant afterwards we heard the patter of feet rushing down the passage. Forbes flung open the door, and we both ran in

Mr. Phelps, of the

nk we were when you ran away

ers,’ said she, ‘we have had

you have taken a paper of importance from the Foreign Office, and that you ran in

f the kitchen fire, to see whether she might have made away with the papers during the instant that she was alone. There were no signs, however, of any ashes or scraps. When we

t school. It is my nature. I thought of my uncle and of his colleagues in the Cabinet, of the shame which I had brought upon him, upon myself, upon everyone connected with me. What though I was the victim of an extraordinary accident? No allowance is made for accidents where diplomatic interests are at stake. I was ruined, shamefully, hopelessly ruined. I don’t know what I did. I fancy I must have made a scene. I have a dim recollection of

ere and for the doctor’s care. I should not be speaking to you now. She has nursed me by day and a hired nurse has looked after me by night, for in my mad fits I was capable of anything. Slowly my reason has cleared, but it is only during the last three days that my memory has quite returned. Sometimes I wish that it never had. The first thing that I did was to wire to Mr. Forbes, who had the case in hand. He came out, and assures me that, though everything has been done, no trace of a clue has been discovered. The commissionaire and his wife have been examined in every way without any light being thrown upon th

ass of some stimulating medicine. Holmes sat silently, with his head thrown back and his eyes closed, in an

y left me very few questions to ask. There is one of the very utmost importa

on

rrison here,

king between getting the order

people had by chan

on

know their way ab

f them had been

othing to anyone about the treat

id no

ything of the c

t that he is a

regi

eard — Goldst

authorities are excellent at amassing facts, though they do n

se, looking down at the dainty blend of crimson and green. It was a new phase of his ch

nce of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this

d deal of disappointment written upon their faces. He had fallen into a reverie, with the mos

his mystery, Mr. Holmes?” she asked w

t would be absurd to deny that the case is a very abstruse and complicated one, but I can p

see an

but of course I must test them befo

spect s

pect m

ha

conclusions

don and test yo

“I think, Watson, we cannot do better. Do not allow yourself to in

until I see you again,”

to-morrow, though it‘s more than likely

“It gives me fresh life to know that something is being d

at did

matter was of the utmost importance, and added that no steps would be taken about my future — by which he mean

te,” said Holmes. “Come, Watson, for we

whirling up in a Portsmouth train. Holmes was sunk in profound thou

by any of these lines which run high and all

the view was sordid enough, b

uildings rising up above the slates, lik

oard-s

of bright little seeds in each, out of which will spring the wiser, b

d not th

devil has certainly got himself into very deep water, and it’s a question wheth

f strong

when travelling last winter, and she came down to be introduced to his people, with her brother as escort. Then came the smash, and she stayed on to nurse her love

tice —”

more interesting than mine —”

d get along very well for a day or two, s

r together. I think that we should begin by seeing Forbes. He can probably tell us

d you ha

s the one which is purposeless. Now this is not purposeless. Who is it who profits by it? There is the French am

Hold

ht find himself in a position where he was not sor

the honourable recor

shall see the noble lord to-day and find out if he can tell

rea

o every evening paper in London. This ad

rn from a notebook. On it

or about the door of the Foreign Office in Charles Street at qua

nt that the thie

the person must have come from outside. If he came from outside on so wet a night, and yet left no trace of damp upon the linoleum, which was ex

nds pla

ring? Was it the thief who did it out of bravado? Or was it someone who was with the thief who did it in order to prevent the crime? Or was it an accident? Or was it —?” He sank back in

d Yard. Holmes had already wired to Forbes, and we found him waiting to receive us — a small, foxy man with a sharp but by no m

ready enough to use all the information that the police can lay at your dispos

he police have had all the credit in forty-nine. I don’t blame you for not knowing this, for you are young

he detective, changing his manner. “I’ve ce

ps have y

ith a good character, and we can find nothing against him. His wife

u shadow

drinks, and our woman has been with her twice when sh

they have had bro

they were

the money

on was due. They have not show

f having answered the bell when

nd was very tired and sh

ir. There is nothing against them then but the woman’s character. Did you ask her why s

han usual and wa

Mr. Phelps, who started at least twenty

the difference betwe

on reaching her house, she

oney there with which

d you ask her whether in leaving she met anyon

one but th

-examined her pretty thorough

ll these nine weeks, but without res

hing

else to go upon — no

ny theory about ho

e. It was a cool hand whoever it was,

for what you have told me. If I can put the man into

to now?” I asked a

rd Holdhurst, the cabinet ministe

with that old-fashioned courtesy for which he is remarkable and seated us on the two luxuriant lounges on either side of the fireplace. Standing on the rug between us, with his sli

etend to be ignorant of the object of your visit. There has only been one occurrence in thes

Percy Phelps,”

s it the more impossible for me to screen him in any way. I fear tha

e document

course, would

ions which I wished to

o give you any info

gave your instructions as to

wa

d hardly have

t of the

hat it was your intention to give

ev

certain

olut

obody else knew anything of the matter, then the thief’s presence i

You take me out of my p

I wish to discuss with you,” said he. “You feared, as I understand, that ve

essive face of the statesman.

e they o

t y

ay, the French or Russian Foreign Of

Lord Holdhurst

hing has been heard, it is not unfair to suppose th

st shrugged

, that the thief took the treaty i

waiting for a

get no price at all. The treaty wil

Of course, it is a possible supposition

example?” asked the statesman,

ow Lord Holdhurst, we have already taken up too much

the criminal who it may,” answered the

of course, that his boots had been resoled. Now, Watson, I won’t detain you from your legitimate work any longer. I shall do nothing more to-day unless I have an an

he case. He had, when he so willed it, the utter immobility of countenance of a red Indian, and I could not gather from his appearance whether he was satisfied or not wit

rse, but looking considerably better than before. He rose fr

?” he ask

ave seen Forbes, and I have seen your uncle, and I have set one

not lost h

no m

iss Harrison. “If we keep our courage an

you have for us,” said Phelps,

u might hav

very grave as he spoke, and a look of something akin to fear sprang up in his eyes. “Do you know,” said he, “that I begin t

cried

I know, an enemy in the world. Yet from last nigh

et me h

t sleep when I was suddenly aroused by a slight noise. It was like the sound which a mouse makes when it is gnawing a plank, and I lay listening to it for some time under the impression that it must come from that cause. Then it grew louder, and suddenly there c

or my nerves are not what they used to be. I sprang out of bed and flung open the shutters. A man was crouching at the window. I could see little of him, for he was gone like a flash. He was wrapped in some sort of cl

ng,” said Holmes. “Pray

that brought Joseph down, and he roused the others. Joseph and the groom found marks on the bed outside the window, but the weather has been so dry lately that they found it hopeless to follow the trail across the grass. There’s a place, however,

nary effect upon Sherlock Holmes. He rose from his chai

elps, smiling, though it was evident tha

,” said Holmes. “Do you think you

e a little sunshine. J

,” said Mis

g his head. “I think I must ask you to

her. We passed round the lawn to the outside of the young diplomatist’s window. There were, as he had said, marks upon the be

see why this particular room was chosen by the burglar. I should have thought those larg

from the road,” suggest

a door here which he might h

for trades-people. Of cou

had an alarm li

said ou

the house, or anything

ng of

his hands in his pockets and a negl

found some place, I understand, where the fello

e wooden rails had been cracked. A small fragment of the wood w

one last night? It looks

possi

ther side. No, I fancy we shall get no help here. Let

ture brother-in-law. Holmes walked swiftly across the lawn, and we w

manner, you must stay where you are all day. Let nothing prevent you

it, Mr. Holmes,” said th

of this room on the outside and

Per

me to Londo

I to rem

e. You can serve h

of assent just as t

, Annie?” cried her brother.

slight headache and this room i

se now, Mr. Holmes

lose sight of our main inquiry. It would be a very gre

on

you conveniently c

enough, if I can re

atest po

d like me to stay

going to p

We are all in your hands, Mr. Holmes, and you must tell us exactly what you would l

ll look after you. We’ll have our lunch here, if you will per

ld not conceive, unless it were to keep the lady away from Phelps, who, rejoiced by his returning health and by the prospect of action, lunched with us in the dining-room. Holmes had a st

n you would oblige me by driving at once to Baker Street with our friend here, and remaining with him until I see you again. It is fortunate that you are old school-fellows, as you mu

estigation in London?”

ink that just at present I can

ope to be back to-morrow night,” cried Phe

answered Holmes, and waved his hand to us

ey, but neither of us could devise a sat

the burglary last night, if a burglar it was. For

our own id

some reason that passes my understanding my life is aimed at by the conspirators. It sounds high-flown and absurd, but consider the facts! Why sho

was not a house

I saw the flash of the

ould you be pursued

is the q

if he can lay his hands upon the man who threatened you last night he will have gone a long way towards finding who took the

that he was not g

ew him do anything yet without a very good reason,” and w

ghanistan, in India, in social questions, in anything which might take his mind out of the groove. He would always come back to his lost treaty, wondering, guessing, specul

cit faith in Ho

im do some rem

light into anything

solve questions which prese

uch large intere

he has acted on behalf of three of the reign

ow that I never quite know what to make of him. Do you think h

said n

s a bad

quite absolutely sure yet that it is the right one that he is most taciturn. Now, my dear fellow, we can’t help matters by m

brooding over this strange problem and inventing a hundred theories, each of which was more impossible than the last. Why had Holmes remained at Woking? Why had he asked Miss Harrison to remain in the sick-room all day?

Phelps’s room to find him haggard and spent after a sleepless

mised,” said I, “and not a

ut of it. Standing in the window we saw that his left hand was swathed in a bandage and that his fa

a beaten man,

ght. “After all,” said I, “the clue of

gave

r so much from his return. But surely his hand was not

olmes?” I asked as my f

d, nodding his good-morning to us. “This case of yours, Mr. Phelp

you would find

most remarkab

ntures,” said I. “Won’t you

s of Surrey air this morning. I suppose that there has been no answer from

ea and coffee. A few minutes later she brought in three covers, and we all drew up to

of curried chicken. “Her cuisine is a little limited, but she has as g

eggs,” I

e, Mr. Phelps — curried fowl or

can eat nothin

ry the dish

would really

schievous twinkle, “I suppose that

lying a little cylinder of blue-gray paper. He caught it up, devoured it with his eyes, and then danced madly about the room, pressing it to his bosom and shrieking o

lder. “It was too bad to spring it on you like this, but Watson h

sed it. “God bless you!” he cr

assure you it is just as hateful to me to fail in a c

cious document into the in

reakfast any further, and yet I am dying

his attention to the ham and eggs. Then he rose, li

ble Surrey scenery to a pretty little village called Ripley, where I had my tea at an inn and took the precaution of filling my flask and of putting a paper of

ver a very frequented one at any time, I fancy — an

e was open!” ej

ce of anyone in the house being able to see me. I crouched down among the bushes on the other side and crawled from one to the other — witness the disreputable

ison sitting there reading by the table. It was quarter-past te

d felt quite sure that she ha

” ejacula

ed. She carried out every one of my injunctions to the letter, and certainly without her cooperation you would not have t

ong, Watson, as when you and I waited in that deadly room when we looked into the little problem of the Speckled Band. There was a church-clock down at Woking which struck the quarters, and I thought more than once that it had stopped

ejaculat

. He walked on tiptoe under the shadow of the wall, and when he reached the window he worked a long-bladed knife through the sash and pushed ba

the door. Presently he stooped and picked out a square piece of board, such as is usually left to enable plumbers to get at the joints of the gas-pipes. This one covered, as a matter of fact, the T joint which gives off the pipe which supp

e he could see with when we had finished, but he listened to reason and gave up the papers. Having got them I let my man go, but I wired full particulars to Forbes this morning. If he is quick enough to catch his bird, well and good. But if, as I sh

uring these long ten weeks of agony the stolen pape

it w

oseph a villai

m him this morning, I gather that he has lost heavily in dabbling with stocks, and that he is ready to do anything on earth to better his fortunes.

chair. “My head whirls,” said

construct this very remarkable chain of events. I had already begun to suspect Joseph from the fact that you had intended to travel home with him that night, and that therefore it was a likely enough thing that he should call for you, knowing the Foreign Office well, upon his way. When I heard that someone had been so anxious to get into the bedroom, in

nd I hav

. Finding no one there he promptly rang the bell, and at the instant that he did so his eyes caught the paper upon the table. A glance showed him that chance had put in his way a State document of immense value, and in an ins

carrying it to the French embassy, or wherever he thought that a long price was to be had. Then came your sudden return. He, without a moment’s warning, was bundled out of his room, and from that time onward there were always at least two of you there to preve

emem

gave him the chance he wanted. I kept Miss Harrison in it all day so that he might not anticipate us. Then, having given him the idea that the coast was clear, I kept guard as I have described. I already knew that the papers were probably

first occasion,” I asked, “when

ven bedrooms. On the other hand, he could get

hat he had any murderous intention?

nly say for certain that Mr. Joseph Harrison is a gentleman to who