The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes

ears, I asked his leave to reveal the following narrative. So it was that at last I obtained

of the Northumberland Avenue establishment there is an isolated corner where two couches lie side by side, and it was on these that we lay upon September 3, 1902, the day when my narrative begins. I had asked h

a matter of life or death,” said he as he handed me

ub and dated the evening b

that the matter upon which he desires to consult Mr. Holmes is very delicate and also very important. He trusts, therefore, tha

atson,” said Holmes as I returned the paper

ame is a househol

he papers. You may remember his negotiations with Sir George Lewis over the Hammerford Will case. He is a man of the world with a natu

ur

will be so g

l be ho

:30. Until then we can put

r that large, bluff, honest personality, that broad, cleanshaven face, and, above all, that pleasant, mellow voice. Frankness shone from his gray Irish eyes, and good humour played round his mobile, smiling lips. His lucent top-hat, his dark f

be very necessary, for we are dealing on this occasion, Mr. Holmes, with a man to whom violence is famili

t you smoke? Then you will excuse me if I light my pipe. If your man is more dangerous than the late Professo

er heard of

he Austrian

augh. “There is no getting past you, Mr. Holmes! Wond

nd the suspicious death of a witness that saved him! I am as sure that he killed his wife when the socalled ‘accident’ happened in the Splugen Pass as if I had seen him do it. I knew, also, that he

, Mr. Holmes, to see a dreadful event, an atrocious situation, preparing itself before your eyes, to clearly understan

haps

e with the client in who

you were merely an intermed

in no way dragged into the matter. His motives are, to the last degree, honourable and chivalrous, but he prefers to remain unknown. I need

at one end of my cases, but to have it at both ends is too

His large, sensitive face was darke

ilemma for I am perfectly certain that you would be proud to take over the case if I could give you the fa

it is understood that I

irst place, you have no doubt

yber fame? Yes, I

hed, a wonder-woman in every way. It is this daughter, this lovely, innoc

has some hold

extraordinarily handsome, with a most fascinating manner, a gentle voice and that air of romance and mystery whic

meet a lady of the standing

ady, and with such effect that he has completely and absolutely won her heart. To say that she loves him hardly expresses it. She dotes upon him, she is obsessed by him. Outside of him there is nothing on earth. She will no

about the Aus

t life, but always in such a way as to make himself out to be an innocent

tently let out the name of your clien

fidgeted i

e this Austrian. My client however is an old friend, one who has known the General intimately for many years and taken a paternal interest in this young girl since she wore short frocks. He cannot see this tragedy consummated without some attempt to stop it. There is nothing in which Scotland Yard can act. It was his own suggestion that you

e a whimsi

that your problem interests me, and that I shall be prepa

t in case of emergency, there is a

still smiling, with the open

present add

en fortunate in some rather shady speculations and is a rich

home at

es

me, can you give me any furth

fair got noised about and he had to leave. He collects books and pictures. He is a man with a considerable artistic sid

no mean artist. I could quote many more. Well, Sir James, you will inform your client that I am turning my mind upon Baron Gruner

thought that it seemed to me that he had forgotten my pr

n, any views

had better see the

prevail? And yet there is something in the suggestion if all else fails. But I think we

. Finally he repented and allied himself to Holmes, acting as his agent in the huge criminal underworld of London and obtaining information which often proved to be of vital importance. Had Johnson been a “nark” of the police he would soon have been exposed, but as he dealt with cases which never came directly into the courts, h

business of my own, but I met him by appointment that evening at Simpson’s, where, sitting at a small table in the

the darker recesses of the underworld, for it is down there, amid

already known, why should any fresh disco

s to the male. Murder might be condoned or explained, and yet s

arked t

man. I like to meet him eye to eye and read for myself the stuff that he is made of. When I had giv

recogn

one of your fashionable consultants, and poisonous as a cobra. He has breeding in him — a real aristocrat of crime with a superficial sugg

he was

s. His greeting was characteristic. ‘I rather thought I should see you sooner or later, Mr. Holmes,’ said he. ‘You have been

cqui

is not a case in which you can possibly succeed. You will have barren work, to say n

u as man to man. No one wants to rake up your past and make you unduly uncomfortable. It is over, and you are now in smooth waters, but if you persist in this marriage you will raise up a swarm of powerful enemies who will never

the short antennae of an insect. These quivered with amuseme

ay a hand with no cards in it. I don’t think anyone could do it better, but it is rather path

you

y incidents in my past life. I also told her that certain wicked and designing persons — I hope you recognize yourself — would come to her and tell her these things, and I warned her how to treat them. You have heard of post-hypnotic suggestion. Mr. Holmes ‘ Well you

ook my leave with as much cold dignity as I could summon

’ said he, ‘did you know L

s,’ s

know what

some Apaches in the Montmartre

s only a week before. Don’t do it, Mr. Holmes; it’s not a lucky thing to do. Several hav

, Watson. You are

ow seems

lusterer, but this is the sort of ma

oes it really matter i

. Besides, the client! Well, well, we need not discuss that. When you have finished your co

It seems that he had dived down into what was peculiarly his kingdom, and beside him on the settee was a brand which he had brought up in the shape of a slim, flame-

an introduction. “What she don’t know — well, there, she’ll speak for her

hinwell. We’re old mates, Porky, you and I. But, by cripes! there is another who ought to be down in

her we have your good

ur visitor with fierce energy. There was an intensity of hatred in her white

delbert Gruner made me. If I could pull him down!” She clutched frantically with her han

ow the matt

rry her this time. You want to stop it. Well, you surely know enough about this devi

madly in love. She has been told

out the

es

he must hav

em all down

y proofs before

you help

If I stood before her and

you d

I? Woul

her most of his sins and had pardon from her, a

h.’ It wasn’t hot air, either. But I took little notice — you see, I loved him myself at that time. Whatever he did went with me, same as with this poor fool! There was just one thing that shook me. Yes, by cripes! if it had not been for his poiso

was it

tails, everything about them. It was a beastly book — a book no man, even if he had come from the gutter, could have put together. But it was Adelbert Gruner’s book all the same. ‘Souls I

re i

re he kept it then. He’s a precise, tidy cat of a man in many of his ways, so maybe it

n the study,

s match this time. The outer study is the one with the Chinese crockery in it — big glass cupboard between the windo

afraid of

look after himself. There’s a burglar alarm at night. Besides, what is

ed voice of the expert. “No fence wants stuff o

consider in the meanwhile whether your suggestion of seeing this lady personally may not be arranged. I a

and I’ve got all I‘ve worked for — in the mud with my foot on his cursed face. That’s my price. I‘m with you

gged his shoulders when I asked him what luck he had had in his interview. Then he told the story, which I would

eral phoned that all was ready, and the fiery Miss W. turned up according to schedule, so that at half-past five a cab deposited us outside 104 Berkeley Square, where the old soldier resides — one of those awful gray London castl

-world beauty of some fanatic whose thoughts are set on high. I have seen such faces in the pictures of the old masters of the Middle Ages. How a beastman could have laid his vile paws upon s

’s advent rather amazed her, I think, but she waved us into our respective chairs like a reverend abbess receiving two

, as I understand, to malign my fiance, Baron Gruner. It is only by my father’s request that I see you at all,

position of the woman who only wakes to a man’s character after she is his wife — a woman who has to submit to be caressed by bloody hands and lecherous lips. I spared her nothing — the shame, the fear, the agony, the hopelessness of it all. All my hot words could not bring one tinge

ht their slanders before me. Possibly you mean well, though I learn that you are a paid agent who would have been equally willing to act for the Baron as against him. But in any case I wish you to understand once for all that I love him and that he loves me, and that the opinion of all the wor

in like a whirlwind. If ever you saw flame

kely to be a grave, and maybe that’s the best. I tell you, you foolish woman, if you marry this man he’ll be the death of you. It may be a broken heart or it may be a broken neck, but he’ll have you one way or the other. It‘s not out of love for you I’m speaking. I don‘t

or all that I am aware of three passages in my fiance’s life in which he became entangled with de

med my companion. ‘You fo

’ said the icy voice. ‘I have obeyed my father’s wish in seeing yo

th rage. In a cold way I felt pretty furious myself, Watson, for there was something indescribably annoying in the calm aloofness and supreme self-complaisance of the woman whom we were trying to save. So now once again you know exactly how we stand, and it is

ch I stood when my eyes fell upon the placard, and a pang of horror passed through my very soul. It was between the Grand Hotel and Charing Cross Station, where a

US ATTA

OCK H

t a paper, of the remonstrance of the man, whom I had not paid, and, finally, of standing in

e Royal. The attack was made by two men armed with sticks, and Mr. Holmes was beaten about the head and body, receiving injuries which the doctors describe as most serious. He was carried to Charing Cross Hospital and afterwards insisted upon being taken to his rooms in Baker Street. The miscreants who

d sprung into a hansom and was on my way to Baker Street. I found Sir Leslie

ble bruises. Several stitches have been necessary. Morphine has been injected and qui

whisper. The blind was three-quarters down, but one ray of sunlight slanted through and struck the bandaged head o

cared,” he muttered in a very weak

God for

know. I took most of them on my guard. It

t damned fellow who set them on. I’ll go and

repared. We may be sure of that. Wait a little. I have my plans. The first thing is to exaggerate my injuries. They’ll come to

Leslie

all see the worst side of

hing

after her now. They know, of course, that she was with me in the case. If they dared

now. Anyt

obacco-slipper. Right! Come in each m

ke Miss Winter to a quiet suburb and see t

and his determined will were working wonders. He was recovering fast, and I had suspicions at times that he was really finding himself faster than he pretended even to me. There was a curious secretive streak in the man which led to many dramatic effect

to my friend. It was simply that among the passengers on the Cunard boat Ruritania, starting from Liverpool on Friday, was the Baron Adelbert Gruner, who had some important financial business to settle in the

ts to put himself out of danger’s way. But he won‘t, Watson! By the

to be use

wenty-four hours in an intens

alked down Baker Street, revolving in my head how on earth I was to carry out so strange an order. Finally I drove to the London Library

nterval for rest, and all next morning, I was sucking in knowledge and committing names to memory. There I learned of the hall-marks of the great artist-decorators, of the mystery of cyclical dates, the marks of the Hung-wu and the beauties of the Yung-lo, the writings of Tang-ying, and the glories of the pr

“if one believed the

n which I intended to convey. And now,

I have t

p an intelligent conver

ieve I

t little box from

pped in some fine Eastern silk. This he unfolded, and disclosed

assed through Christie’s. A complete set of this would be worth a king‘s ransom — in fact, it is doubtful if ther

I to do

which was printed: “Dr. Hill

advance that you are about to call, and you will say that you are bringing him a specimen of an absolutely unique set of Ming china. You may as well be a medical man, since that is a part

t pr

wn wares. This saucer was got for me by Sir James, and comes, I understand, from the collection

t that the set should b

Suggest Christie or Sotheby. Your delicacy

he won’t

ally on this subject, on which he is an acknowledged authority. Sit down, Watson, and I wi

sseur. A district messenger was duly dispatched with it. On the same evening, with the preciou

t gravelled square adorned with statues. The place had been built by a South African gold king in the days of the great boom, and the long, low house with the turrets at the corners, though an architectur

tween the windows and which contained part of his Chinese collec

d to add to them. This little Tang specimen, which dates from the seventh century, would probably interest you. I

over the lamp, for it was growing dark, and set himself to examine it. As he did so

ible fascination for women. His hair and moustache were raven black, the latter short, pointed, and carefully waxed. His features were regular and pleasing, save only his straight, thin-lipped mouth. If ever I saw a murderer’s mouth it was there — a cruel, hard gash in the face, compressed, inexorab

at I should not have heard of such magnificent specimens. I only know of one in England to match this, and it is certain

I asked with as careless

ine, and, as to the value, I am con

ally wishes to know all about the transaction. That the piece is genuine is certain. I have no doubts at all about that. But

e you against any

n up the question as to wha

s would an

whole transaction strik

ve given you the first offer as I understood that you were a

ou I was a

ou had written a bo

u read t

N

or with a very valuable piece in your collection, and yet you have never troubled to consult the one b

y man. I am a do

ows it up, whatever his other pursuits may be. Y

I

omes more and more suspicious. I would ask you what do you know of the Emperor Shomu and how do you associate him with the Shoso-in

my chair in si

ed as if I were a schoolboy. My knowledge on these subjects may be second only to your ow

from his eyes. They suddenly glared. There was

re playing upon me. The fellow is dying I hear, so he sends his tools to keep watch upon me. You’ve

pected me from the first; certainly this cross-examination had shown him the truth; but it was clear that I could not hope to deceive

!” and dashed into

ide it, looking like some terrible ghost, his head gin with bloody bandages, his face drawn and white, stood Sherlock Holmes. The next instant he was throug

Baron uttered a horrible cry — a yell which will always ring in my memory. He clapped his two hands to his face and rushed round the room, beati

d’s sake, wate

turned that awful face to the light of the lamp. The vitriol was eating into it everywhere and dripping from the ears and the chin. One eye was already white and glazed. The other was red and inflame

rushed out on to the lawn, but it was dark and it had begun to rain. Between his screams the victim raged and raved against the avenger. “It was th

at me. I could have wept over the ruin had I not remembered very clearly the vile life which had led up to so hideous a change. It was loathsome to feel the pawing of his burning hands, and I was relieved when his family surgeon, closely followed by a specialist, came to relieve me of my char

from his injuries, even his iron nerves had been shocked by the events of the

in enough,” he added, taking up a brown volume from the table. “Here is the book the woman talked of. If this will n

his lov

at was all to the good. I would have waited a little longer, but his visit to America forced my hand. He would never have left so compromising a document behind him. Therefore we had to act at once. Burglary at night is impossible. He takes precautions. But there was a chance in the evening if I could only be sure that his attention was engaged. That was where you and your blue saucer came in.

ed I came

h for me to get the book, though not long enough for an unob

revious summons. He listened with the deepest at

these injuries are as terrible as Dr. Watson describes, then surely our purpose of

shook h

r. No, no. It is his moral side, not his physical, which we have to destroy. That book will bring her

ng in, gave a hurried order to the cockaded coachman, and drove swiftly away. He flung his overcoat half out of the window to cover the armorial bearings upon

is,” I cried, bursting with my

an,” said Holmes, holding up a restraining han

ed it. Or it is more probable that so delicate a task was entrusted to the

eedings against Miss Kitty Winter on the grave charge of vitriol-throwing. Such extenuating circumstances came out in the trial that the sentence, as will be remembered was the lowest that was possible for such an offence. S