第12章

“Youwillexcusethismask，“continuedourstrangevisitor。“Theaugustpersonwhoemploysmewisheshisagenttobeunknowntoyou，andImayconfessatoncethatthetitlebywhichIhavejustcalledmyselfisnotexactlymyown。“ “Iwasawareofit，“saidHolmes，dryly。 “Thecircumstancesareofgreatdelicacy，andeveryprecautionhastobetakentoquenchwhatmightgrowtobeanimmensescandal，andseriouslycompromiseoneofthereigningfamiliesofEurope。Tospeakplainly，thematterimplicatesthegreatHouseofOrmstein，hereditarykingsofBohemia。“ “Iwasalsoawareofthat，“murmuredHolmes，settlinghimselfdowninhisarmchair，andclosinghiseyes。 Ourvisitorglancedwithsomeapparentsurpriseatthelanguid，loungingfigureofthemanwhohadbeen，nodoubt，depictedtohimasthemostincisivereasonerandmostenergeticagentinEurope。 Holmesslowlyreopenedhiseyesandlookedimpatientlyathisgiganticclient。 “Ifyourmajestywouldcondescendtostateyourcase，“heremarked，“Ishouldbebetterabletoadviseyou。“ Themansprungfromhischair，andpacedupanddowntheroominuncontrollableagitation。Then，withagestureofdesperation，hetorethemaskfromhisfaceandhurleditupontheground。 “Youareright，“hecried，“Iamtheking。WhyshouldIattempttoconcealit？“ “Why，indeed？“murmuredHolmes。“YourmajestyhadnotspokenbeforeIwasawarethatIwasaddressingWilhelmGottsreichSigismondvonOrmstein，GrandDukeofCassel-Felstein，andhereditaryKingofBohemia。“ “Butyoucanunderstand，“saidourstrangevisitor，sittingdownoncemoreandpassinghishandoverhishigh，whiteforehead，“youcanunderstandthatIamnotaccustomedtodoingsuchbusinessinmyownperson。YetthematterwassodelicatethatIcouldnotconfideittoanagentwithoutputtingmyselfinhispower。IhavecomeincognitofromPragueforthepurposeofconsultingyou。“ “Then，prayconsult，“saidHolmes，shuttinghiseyesoncemore。 “Thefactsarebrieflythese:Somefiveyearsago，duringalengthyvisittoWarsaw，Imadetheacquaintanceofthewell-knownadventuressIreneAdler。Thenameisnodoubtfamiliartoyou。“ “Kindlylookherupinmyindex，doctor，“murmuredHolmes，withoutopeninghiseyes。Formanyyearshehadadoptedasystemfordocketingallparagraphsconcerningmenandthings，sothatitwasdifficulttonameasubjectorapersononwhichhecouldnotatoncefurnishinformation。InthiscaseIfoundherbiographysandwichedinbetweenthatofaHebrewrabbiandthatofastaffcommanderwhohadwrittenamonographuponthedeep-seafishes。 “Letmesee！“saidHolmes。“Hum！BorninNewJerseyintheyear1858。Contralto——hum！LaScala——hum！PrimadonnaImperialOperaofWarsaw——yes！Retiredfromoperaticstage——ha！LivinginLondon——quiteso！Yourmajesty，asIunderstand，becameentangledwiththisyoungperson，wrotehersomecompromisingletters，andisnowdesirousofgettingthoselettersback。“ “Preciselyso。Buthow——“ “Wasthereasecretmarriage？“ “None。“ “Nolegalpapersorcertificates？“ “None。“ “ThenIfailtofollowyourmajesty。Ifthisyoungpersonshouldproduceherlettersforblackmailingorotherpurposes，howisshetoprovetheirauthenticity？“ “Thereisthewriting。“ “Pooh-pooh！Forgery。“ “Myprivatenotepaper。“ “Stolen。“ “Myownseal。“ “Imitated。“ “Myphotograph。“ “Bought。“ “Wewerebothinthephotograph。“ “Oh，dear！Thatisverybad。Yourmajestyhasindeedcommittedanindiscretion。“ “Iwasmad——insane。“ “Youhavecompromisedyourselfseriously。“ “Iwasonlycrownprincethen。Iwasyoung。Iambutthirtynow。“ “Itmustberecovered。“ “Wehavetriedandfailed。“ “Yourmajestymustpay。Itmustbebought。“ “Shewillnotsell。“ “Stolen，then。“ “Fiveattemptshavebeenmade。Twiceburglarsinmypayransackedherhouse。Oncewedivertedherluggagewhenshetraveled。Twiceshehasbeenwaylaid。Therehasbeennoresult。“ “Nosignofit？“ “Absolutelynone。“ Holmeslaughed。“Itisquiteaprettylittleproblem，“saidhe。 “Butaveryseriousonetome，“returnedtheking，reproachfully。 “Very，indeed。Andwhatdoessheproposetodowiththephotograph？“ “Toruinme。“ “Buthow？“ “Iamabouttobemarried。“ “SoIhaveheard。“ “ToClotildeLothmanvonSaxe-Meiningen，seconddaughteroftheKingofScandinavia。Youmayknowthestrictprinciplesofherfamily。Sheisherselftheverysoulofdelicacy。Ashadowofadoubtastomyconductwouldbringthemattertoanend。“ “AndIreneAdler？“ “Threatenstosendthemthephotograph。Andshewilldoit。I knowthatshewilldoit。Youdonotknowher，butshehasasoulofsteel。Shehasthefaceofthemostbeautifulofwomenandthemindofthemostresoluteofmen。RatherthanIshouldmarryanotherwoman，therearenolengthstowhichshewouldnotgo—— none。“ “Youaresureshehasnotsentityet？“ “Iamsure。“ “Andwhy？“ “Becauseshehassaidthatshewouldsenditonthedaywhenthebetrothalwaspubliclyproclaimed。ThatwillbenextMonday。“ “Oh，thenwehavethreedaysyet，“saidHolmes，withayawn。“Thatisveryfortunate，asIhaveoneortwomattersofimportancetolookintojustatpresent。Yourmajestywill，ofcourse，stayinLondonforthepresent？“ “Certainly。YouwillfindmeattheLangham，underthenameoftheCountvonKramm。“ “ThenIshalldropyoualinetoletyouknowhowweprogress。“ “Praydoso；Ishallbeallanxiety。“ “Then，astomoney？“ “Youhavecarteblanche。“ “Absolutely？“ “ItellyouthatIwouldgiveoneoftheprovincesofmykingdomtohavethatphotograph。“ “Andforpresentexpenses？“ Thekingtookaheavychamois-leatherbagfromunderhiscloak，andlaiditonthetable。 “Therearethreehundredpoundsingold，andsevenhundredinnotes，“hesaid。 Holmesscribbledareceiptuponasheetofhisnotebook，andhandedittohim。 “Andmademoiselle’saddress？“heasked。 “IsBrionyLodge，SerpentineAvenue，St。John’sWood。“ Holmestookanoteofit。“Oneotherquestion，“saidhe，thoughtfully。“Wasthephotographacabinet？“ “Itwas。“