第14章

“Itismostunlikelythatshecarriesitaboutwithher。Itiscabinetsize。Toolargeforeasyconcealmentaboutawoman’sdress。Sheknowsthatthekingiscapableofhavingherwaylaidandsearched。Twoattemptsofthesorthavealreadybeenmade。Wemaytakeit，then，thatshedoesnotcarryitaboutwithher。“ “Where，then？“ “Herbankerorherlawyer。Thereisthatdoublepossibility。ButIaminclinedtothinkneither。Womenarenaturallysecretive，andtheyliketodotheirownsecreting。Whyshouldshehanditovertoanyoneelse？Shecouldtrustherownguardianship，butshecouldnottellwhatindirectorpoliticalinfluencemightbebroughttobearuponabusinessman。Besides，rememberthatshehadresolvedtouseitwithinafewdays。Itmustbewhereshecanlayherhandsuponit。Itmustbeinherownhouse。“ “Butithastwicebeenburglarized。“ “Pshaw！Theydidnotknowhowtolook。“ “Buthowwillyoulook？“ “Iwillnotlook。“ “Whatthen？“ “Iwillgethertoshowme。“ “Butshewillrefuse。“ “Shewillnotbeableto。ButIheartherumbleofwheels。Itishercarriage。Nowcarryoutmyorderstotheletter。“ Ashespoke，thegleamofthesidelightsofacarriagecameroundthecurveoftheavenue。ItwasasmartlittlelandauwhichrattleduptothedoorofBrionyLodge。Asitpulleduponeoftheloafingmenatthecornerdashedforwardtoopenthedoorinthehopeofearningacopper，butwaselbowedawaybyanotherloaferwhohadrushedupwiththesameintention。Afiercequarrelbrokeoutwhichwasincreasedbythetwoguardsmen，whotooksideswithoneoftheloungers，andbythescissorsgrinder，whowasequallyhotupontheotherside。Ablowwasstruck，andinaninstantthelady，whohadsteppedfromhercarriage，wasthecenterofalittleknotofstrugglingmenwhostrucksavagelyateachotherwiththeirfistsandsticks。Holmesdashedintothecrowdtoprotectthelady；but，justashereachedher，hegaveacryanddroppedtotheground，withthebloodrunningfreelydownhisface。Athisfalltheguardsmentooktotheirheelsinonedirectionandtheloungersintheother，whileanumberofbetter-dressedpeoplewhohadwatchedthescufflewithouttakingpartinitcrowdedintohelptheladyandtoattendtotheinjuredman。IreneAdler，asIwillstillcallher，hadhurriedupthesteps；butshestoodatthetop，withhersuperbfigureoutlinedagainstthelightsoftheball，lookingbackintothestreet。 “Isthepoorgentlemanmuchhurt？“sheasked。 “Heisdead，“criedseveralvoices。 “No，no，there’slifeinhim，“shoutedanother。“Buthe’llbegonebeforeyoucangethimtothehospital。“ “He’sabravefellow，“saidawoman。“Theywouldhavehadthelady’spurseandwatchifithadn’tbeenforhim。Theywereagang，andaroughone，too。Ah！he’sbreathingnow。“ “Hecan’tlieinthestreet。Maywebringhimin，marm？“ “Surely。Bringhimintothesittingroom。Thereisacomfortablesofa。Thisway，please。“SlowlyandsolemnlyhewasborneintoBrionyLodge，andlaidoutintheprincipalroom，whileIstillobservedtheproceedingsfrommypostbythewindow。Thelampshadbeenlighted，buttheblindshadnotbeendrawn，sothatIcouldseeHolmesashelayuponthecouch。Idonotknowwhetherhewasseizedwithcompunctionatthatmomentfortheparthewasplaying，butIknowthatIneverfeltmoreheartilyashamedofmyselfinmylifethanwhenIsawthebeautifulcreatureagainstwhomIwasconspiring，orthegraceandkindlinesswithwhichshewaitedupontheinjuredman。AndyetitwouldbetheblackesttreacherytoHolmestodrawbacknowfromthepartwhichhehadintrustedtome。 Ihardenedmyheart，andtookthesmoke-rocketfromundermyulster。Afterall，Ithought，wearenotinjuringher。Wearebutpreventingherfrominjuringanother。 Holmeshadsatuponthecouch，andIsawhimmotionlikeamanwhoisinneedofair。Amaidrushedacrossandthrewopenthewindow。 AtthesameinstantIsawhimraisehishand，andatthesignalI tossedmyrocketintotheroomwithacryof“Fire！“Thewordwasnosooneroutofmymouththanthewholecrowdofspectators，welldressedandill——gentlemen，hostlers，andservantmaids——joinedinageneralshriekof“Fire！“Thickcloudsofsmokecurledthroughtheroom，andoutattheopenwindow。Icaughtaglimpseofrushingfigures，andamomentlaterthevoiceofHolmesfromwithinassuringthemthatitwasafalsealarm。Slippingthroughtheshoutingcrowd，Imademywaytothecornerofthestreet，andintenminuteswasrejoicedtofindmyfriend’sarminmine，andtogetawayfromthesceneofuproar。Hewalkedswiftlyandinsilenceforsomefewminutes，untilwehadturneddownoneofthequietstreetswhichledtowardtheEdgewareRoad。 “Youdiditverynicely，doctor，“heremarked。“Nothingcouldhavebeenbetter。Itisallright。“ “Youhavethephotograph？“ “Iknowwhereitis。“ “Andhowdidyoufindout？“ “Sheshowedme，asItoldyouthatshewould。“ “Iamstillinthedark。“ “Idonotwishtomakeamystery，“saidhe，laughing。“Thematterwasperfectlysimple。You，ofcourse，sawthateveryoneinthestreetwasanaccomplice。Theywereallengagedfortheevening。“ “Iguessedasmuch。“ “Then，whentherowbrokeout，Ihadalittlemoistredpaintinthepalmofmyhand。Irushedforward，felldown，clappedmyhandtomyface，andbecameapiteousspectacle。Itisanoldtrick。“ “ThatalsoIcouldfathom。“ “Thentheycarriedmein。Shewasboundtohavemein。Whatelsecouldshedo？Andintohersittingroom，whichwastheveryroomwhichIsuspected。Itlaybetweenthatandherbedroom，andIwasdeterminedtoseewhich。Theylaidmeonacouch，Imotionedforair，theywerecompelledtoopenthewindow，andyouhadyourchance。“ “Howdidthathelpyou？“ “Itwasall-important。Whenawomanthinksthatherhouseisonfire，herinstinctisatoncetorushtothethingwhichshevaluesmost。Itisaperfectlyoverpoweringimpulse，andIhavemorethanoncetakenadvantageofit。InthecaseoftheDarlingtonSubstitutionScandalitwasofusetome，andalsointheArnsworthCastlebusiness。Amarriedwomangrabsatherbaby——anunmarriedonereachesforherjewelbox。Nowitwascleartomethatourladyofto-dayhadnothinginthehousemoreprecioustoherthanwhatweareinquestof。Shewouldrushtosecureit。Thealarmoffirewasadmirablydone。Thesmokeandshoutingwereenoughtoshakenervesofsteel。Sherespondedbeautifully。Thephotographisinarecessbehindaslidingpaneljustabovetherightbell- pull。Shewasthereinaninstant，andIcaughtaglimpseofitasshedrewitout。WhenIcriedoutthatitwasafalsealarm，shereplacedit，glancedattherocket，rushedfromtheroom，andI havenotseenhersince。Irose，and，makingmyexcuses，escapedfromthehouse。Ihesitatedwhethertoattempttosecurethephotographatonce；butthecoachmanhadcomein，andashewaswatchingmenarrowly，itseemedsafertowait。Alittleover- precipitancemayruinall。“ “Andnow？“Iasked。 “Ourquestispracticallyfinished。Ishallcallwiththekingto- morrow，andwithyou，ifyoucaretocomewithus。Wewillbeshownintothesittingroomtowaitforthelady，butitisprobablethatwhenshecomesshemayfindneitherusnorthephotograph。Itmightbeasatisfactiontohismajestytoregainitwithhisownhands。“ “Andwhenwillyoucall？“ “Ateightinthemorning。Shewillnotbeup，sothatweshallhaveaclearfield。Besides，wemustbeprompt，forthismarriagemaymeanacompletechangeinherlifeandhabits。Imustwiretothekingwithoutdelay。“ WehadreachedBakerStreet，andhadstoppedatthedoor。Hewassearchinghispocketsforthekey，whensomeonepassingsaid: “Goodnight，MisterSherlockHolmes。“ Therewereseveralpeopleonthepavementatthetime，butthegreetingappearedtocomefromaslimyouthinanulsterwhohadhurriedby。 “I’veheardthatvoicebefore，“saidHolmes，staringdownthedimlylightedstreet。“Now，Iwonderwhothedeucethatcouldhavebeen？“ III IsleptatBakerStreetthatnight，andwewereengageduponourtoastandcoffeeinthemorning，whentheKingofBohemiarushedintotheroom。 “Youhavereallygotit？“hecried，graspingSherlockHolmesbyeithershoulder，andlookingeagerlyintohisface。 “Notyet。“ “Butyouhavehopes？“ “Ihavehopes。“ “Thencome。Iamallimpatiencetobegone。“ “Wemusthaveacab。“ “No，mybroughamiswaiting。“ “Thenthatwillsimplifymatters。“Wedescended，andstartedoffoncemoreforBrionyLodge。 “IreneAdlerismarried，“remarkedHolmes。 “Married！When？“ “Yesterday。“ “Buttowhom？“ “ToanEnglishlawyernamedNorton。“ “Butshecouldnotlovehim。“ “Iaminhopesthatshedoes。“ “Andwhyinhopes？“ “Becauseitwouldspareyourmajestyallfearoffutureannoyance。 Iftheladylovesherhusband，shedoesnotloveyourmajesty。Ifshedoesnotloveyourmajesty，thereisnoreasonwhysheshouldinterferewithyourmajesty’splan。“ “Itistrue。Andyet——Well，Iwishshehadbeenofmyownstation。Whataqueenshewouldhavemade！“Herelapsedintoamoodysilence，whichwasnotbrokenuntilwedrewupinSerpentineAvenue。 ThedoorofBrionyLodgewasopen，andanelderlywomanstooduponthesteps。Shewatcheduswithasardoniceyeaswesteppedfromthebrougham。 “Mr。SherlockHolmes，Ibelieve？“saidshe。 “IamMr。Holmes，“answeredmycompanion，lookingatherwithaquestioningandratherstartledgaze。 “Indeed！Mymistresstoldmethatyouwerelikelytocall。Sheleftthismorning，withherhusband，bythe5:15trainfromCharingCross，fortheContinent。“ “What！“SherlockHolmesstaggeredback，whitewithchagrinandsurprise。 “DoyoumeanthatshehasleftEngland？“ “Nevertoreturn。“ “Andthepapers？“askedthekinghoarsely。“Allislost！“ “Weshallsee。“Hepushedpasttheservant，andrushedintothedrawing-room，followedbythekingandmyself。Thefurniturewasscatteredaboutineverydirection，withdismantledshelves，andopendrawers，asiftheladyhadhurriedlyransackedthembeforeherflight。Holmesrushedatthebell-pull，torebackasmallslidingshutter，andplunginginhishand，pulledoutaphotographandaletter。ThephotographwasofIreneAdlerherselfineveningdress；theletterwassuperscribedto“SherlockHolmes，Esq。Tobelefttillcalledfor。“Myfriendtoreitopen，andweallthreereadittogether。Itwasdatedatmidnightoftheprecedingnight，andraninthisway: “MYDEARMR。SHERLOCKHOLMES，——Youreallydiditverywell。Youtookmeincompletely。Untilafterthealarmofthefire，Ihadnotasuspicion。Butthen，whenIfoundhowIhadbetrayedmyself，Ibegantothink。Ihadbeenwarnedagainstyoumonthsago。Ihadbeentoldthatifthekingemployedanagent，itwouldcertainlybeyou。Andyouraddresshadbeengivenme。Yet，withallthis，youmademerevealwhatyouwantedtoknow。EvenafterIbecamesuspicious，Ifoundithardtothinkevilofsuchadear，kindoldclergyman。But，youknow，Ihavebeentrainedasanactressmyself。Malecostumeisnothingnewtome。Ioftentakeadvantageofthefreedomwhichitgives。IsentJohn，thecoachman，towatchyou，ranupstairs，gotintomywalkingclothes，asIcallthem，andcamedownjustasyoudeparted。