“”ButIwasafterhiminaninstantandcaughthimbythesleeve。
“”Wheredoyoulive？”saidI。
“”16IvyLane，Brixton”heanswered。”Butdon”tletyourselfbe
drawnawayuponafalsescent，Mr。Phelps。Cometotheotherendof
thestreetandletusseeifwecanhearofanything。”
“Nothingwastobelostbyfollowinghisadvice。Withthe
policemanwebothhurrieddown，butonlytofindthestreetfullof
traffic，manypeoplecomingandgoing，butallonlytooeagertoget
toaplaceofsafetyuponsowetanight。Therewasnoloungerwho
couldtelluswhohadpassed。
“Thenwereturnedtotheofficeandsearchedthestairsandthe
passagewithoutresult。Thecorridorwhichledtotheroomwaslaid
downwithakindofcreamylinoleumwhichshowsanimpressionvery
easily。Weexamineditverycarefully，butfoundnooutlineofany
footmark。”
“Haditbeenrainingallevening？“
“Sinceaboutseven。”
“Howisit，then，thatthewomanwhocameintotheroomaboutnine
leftnotraceswithhermuddyboots？“
“Iamgladyouraisedthepoint。Itoccurredtomeatthetime。
Thecharwomenareinthehabitoftakingofftheirbootsatthe
commissionaire”soffice，andputtingonlistslippers。”
“Thatisveryclear。Therewerenomarksthen，thoughthenight
wasawetone？Thechainofeventsiscertainlyoneofextraordinary
interest。Whatdidyoudonext？“
“Weexaminedtheroomalso。Thereisnopossibilityofasecret
door，andthewindowsarequitethirtyfeetfromtheground。Bothof
themwerefastenedontheinside。Thecarpetpreventsany
possibilityofatrapdoor，andtheceilingisoftheordinary
whitewashedkind。Iwillpledgemylifethatwhoeverstolemypapers
couldonlyhavecomethroughthedoor。”
“Howaboutthefireplace？“
“Theyusenone。Thereisastove。Thebell-ropehangsfromthe
wirejusttotherightofmydesk。Whoeverrangitmusthavecome
rightuptothedesktodoit。Butwhyshouldanycriminalwishto
ringthebell？Itisamostinsolublemystery。”
“Certainlytheincidentwasunusual。Whatwereyournextsteps？
Youexaminedtheroom，Ipresume，toseeiftheintruderhadleft
anytraces-anycigar-endordroppedgloveorhairpinorothertrifle？“
“Therewasnothingofthesort。”
“Nosmell？“
“Well，weneverthoughtofthat。”
“Ah，ascentoftobaccowouldhavebeenworthagreatdealtous
insuchaninvestigation。”
“Ineversmokemyself，soIthinkIshouldhaveobserveditifthere
hadbeenanysmelloftobacco。Therewasabsolutelynoclueofany
kind。Theonlytangiblefactwasthatthecommissionaire”swife-Mrs。
Tangeywasthename-hadhurriedoutoftheplace。Hecouldgiveno
explanationsavethatitwasaboutthetimewhenthewomanalwayswent
home。ThepolicemanandIagreedthatourbestplanwouldbeto
seizethewomanbeforeshecouldgetridofthepapers，presumingthat
shehadthem。
“ThealarmhadreachedScotlandYardbythistime，andMr。Forbes，
thedetective，cameroundatonceandtookupthecasewithagreat
dealofenergy。Wehiredahansom，andinhalfanhourwewereat
theaddresswhichhadbeengiventous。Ayoungwomanopenedthedoor，
whoprovedtobeMrs。Tangey”seldestdaughter。Hermotherhadnot
comebackyet，andwewereshownintothefrontroomtowait。
“Abouttenminuteslateraknockcameatthedoor，andherewe
madetheoneseriousmistakeforwhichIblamemyself。Insteadof
openingthedoorourselves，weallowedthegirltodoso。Weheardher
say，”Mother，therearetwomeninthehousewaitingtoseeyou”
andaninstantafterwardsweheardthepatteroffeetrushingdownthe
passage。Forbesflungopenthedoor，andwebothranintotheback
roomorkitchen，butthewomanhadgottherebeforeus。Shestared
atuswithdefianteyes，andthen，suddenlyrecognizingme，an
expressionofabsoluteastonishmentcameoverherface。
“”Why，ifitisn”tMr。Phelps，oftheoffice！”shecried。
“”Come，come，whodidyouthinkwewerewhenyouranawayfrom
us？”askedmycompanion。
“”Ithoughtyouwerethebrokers”saidshe，”wehavehadsome
troublewithatradesman。”
“”That”snotquitegoodenough”answeredForbes。”Wehavereasonto
believethatyouhavetakenapaperofimportancefromtheForeign
Office，andthatyouraninheretodisposeofit。Youmustcome
backwithustoScotlandYardtobesearched。”
“Itwasinvainthatsheprotestedandresisted。Afour-wheeler
wasbrought，andweallthreedrovebackinit。Wehadfirstmadean
examinationofthekitchen，andespeciallyofthekitchenfire，tosee
whethershemighthavemadeawaywiththepapersduringtheinstant
thatshewasalone。Therewerenosigns，however，ofanyashesor
scraps。WhenwereachedScotlandYardshewashandedoveratonceto
thefemalesearcher。Iwaitedinanagonyofsuspenseuntilshecame
backwithherreport。Therewerenosignsofthepapers。
“Thenforthefirsttimethehorrorofmysituationcameinitsfull
force。HithertoIhadbeenacting，andactionhadnumbedthought。I
hadbeensoconfidentofregainingthetreatyatoncethatIhadnot
daredtothinkofwhatwouldbetheconsequenceifIfailedtodo
so。Butnowtherewasnothingmoretobedone，andIhadleisureto
realizemyposition。Itwashorrible。Watsontherewouldtellyouthat
Iwasanervous，sensitiveboyatschool。Itismynature。Ithought
ofmyuncleandofhiscolleaguesintheCabinet，oftheshamewhichI
hadbroughtuponhim，uponmyself，uponeveryoneconnectedwithme。
WhatthoughIwasthevictimofanextraordinaryaccident？No
allowanceismadeforaccidentswherediplomaticinterestsareat
stake。Iwasruined，shamefully，hopelesslyruined。Idon”tknow
whatIdid。IfancyImusthavemadeascene。Ihaveadim
recollectionofagroupofofficialswhocrowdedroundme，
endeavouringtosootheme。OneofthemdrovedownwithmetoWaterloo，
andsawmeintotheWokingtrain。Ibelievethathewouldhavecome
allthewayhaditnotbeenthatDr。Ferrier，wholivesnearme，was
goingdownbythatverytrain。Thedoctormostkindlytookchargeof
me，anditwaswellhedidso，forIhadafitinthestation，and
beforewereachedhomeIwaspracticallyaravingmaniac。
“Youcanimaginethestateofthingsherewhentheywererousedfrom
theirbedsbythedoctor”sringingandfoundmeinthiscondition。
PoorAnniehereandmymotherwerebroken-hearted。Dr。Ferrierhad
justheardenoughfromthedetectiveatthestationtobeabletogive
anideaofwhathadhappened，andhisstorydidnotmendmatters。It
wasevidenttoallthatIwasinforalongillness，soJosephwas
bundledoutofthischeerybedroom，anditwasturnedintoasick-room
forme。HereIhavelain，Mr。Holmes，forovernineweeks，
unconscious，andravingwithbrain-fever。Ifithadnotbeenfor
MissHarrisonhereandforthedoctor”scare，Ishouldnotbespeaking
toyounow。Shehasnursedmebydayandahirednursehaslooked
aftermebynight，forinmymadfitsIwascapableofanything。
Slowlymyreasonhascleared，butitisonlyduringthelastthree
daysthatmymemoryhasquitereturned。SometimesIwishthatitnever
had。ThefirstthingthatIdidwastowiretoMr。Forbes，whohadthe
caseinhand。Hecameout，andassuresmethat，thougheverything
hasbeendone，notraceofacluehasbeendiscovered。The
commissionaireandhiswifehavebeenexaminedineverywaywithout
anylightbeingthrownuponthematter。Thesuspicionsofthepolice
thenresteduponyoungGorot，who，asyoumayremember，stayed
over-timeintheofficethatnight。Hisremainingbehindandhis
Frenchnamewerereallytheonlytwopointswhichcouldsuggest
suspicion；but，asamatteroffact，Ididnotbeginworkuntilhehad
gone，andhispeopleareofHuguenotextraction，butasEnglishin
sympathyandtraditionasyouandIare。Nothingwasfoundto
implicatehiminanyway，andtherethematterdropped。Iturntoyou，
Mr。Holmes，asabsolutelymylasthope。Ifyoufailme，thenmyhonour
aswellasmypositionareforeverforfeited。”
Theinvalidsankbackuponhiscushions，tiredoutbythislong
recital，whilehisnursepouredhimoutaglassofsomestimulating
medicine。Holmessatsilently，withhisheadthrownbackandhis
eyesclosed，inanattitudewhichmightseemlistlesstoastranger，
butwhichIknewbetokenedthemostintenseself-absorption。
“Yourstatementhasbeensoexplicit，“saidheatlast，“thatyou
havereallyleftmeveryfewquestionstoask。Thereisoneofthe
veryutmostimportance，however。Didyoutellanyonethatyouhadthis
specialtasktoperform？“
“Noone。”
“NotMissHarrisonhere，forexample？“
“No。IhadnotbeenbacktoWokingbetweengettingtheorderand
executingthecommission。”
“Andnoneofyourpeoplehadbychancebeentoseeyou？“
“None。”
“Didanyofthemknowtheirwayaboutintheoffice？“
“Oh，yes，allofthemhadbeenshownoverit。”
“Still，ofcourse，ifyousaidnothingtoanyoneaboutthetreaty
theseinquiriesareirrelevant。”
“Isaidnothing。”
“Doyouknowanythingofthecommissionaire？“
“Nothingexceptthatheisanoldsoldier。”
“Whatregiment？“
“Oh，Ihaveheard-ColdstreamGuards。”
“Thankyou。IhavenodoubtIcangetdetailsfromForbes。The
authoritiesareexcellentatamassingfacts，thoughtheydonotalways
usethemtoadvantage。Whatalovelythingaroseis！“
Hewalkedpastthecouchtotheopenwindowandheldupthedrooping
stalkofamoss-rose，lookingdownatthedaintyblendofcrimson
andgreen。Itwasanewphaseofhischaractertome，forIhad
neverbeforeseenhimshowanykeeninterestinnaturalobjects。
“Thereisnothinginwhichdeductionissonecessaryasin
religion，“saidhe，leaningwithhisbackagainsttheshutters。“It
canbebuiltupasanexactsciencebythereasoner。Ourhighest
assuranceofthegoodnessofProvidenceseemstometorestinthe
flowers。Allotherthings，ourpowers，ourdesires，ourfood，are
allreallynecessaryforourexistenceinthefirstinstance。Butthis
roseisanextra。Itssmellanditscolourareanembellishmentof
life，notaconditionofit。Itisonlygoodnesswhichgivesextras，
andsoIsayagainthatwehavemuchtohopefromtheflowers。”
PercyPhelpsandhisnurselookedatHolmesduringthis
demonstrationwithsurpriseandagooddealofdisappointment
writtenupontheirfaces。Hehadfallenintoareverie，withthe
moss-rosebetweenhisfingers。Ithadlastedsomeminutesbeforethe
youngladybrokeinuponit。
“Doyouseeanyprospectofsolvingthismystery，Mr。Holmes？“she
askedwithatouchofasperityinhervoice。
“Oh，themystery！“heanswered，comingbackwithastarttothe
realitiesoflife。“Well，itwouldbeabsurdtodenythatthecase
isaveryabstruseandcomplicatedone，butIcanpromiseyouthatI
willlookintothematterandletyouknowanypointswhichmaystrike
me。”
“Doyouseeanyclue？“
“Youhavefurnishedmewithseven，butofcourseImusttestthem
beforeIcanpronounceupontheirvalue。”
“Yoususpectsomeone？“
“Isuspectmyself。”
“What！“
“Ofcomingtoconclusionstoorapidly。”
“ThengotoLondonandtestyourconclusions。”
“Youradviceisveryexcellent，MissHarrison，“saidHolmes，rising。
“Ithink，Watson，wecannotdobetter。Donotallowyourselfto
indulgeinfalsehopes，Mr。Phelps。Theaffairisaverytangledone。”
“IshallbeinafeveruntilIseeyouagain，“criedthe
diplomatist。
“Well，I”llcomeoutbythesametrainto-morrow，thoughit”smore
thanlikelythatmyreportwillbeanegativeone。”
“Godblessyouforpromisingtocome，“criedourclient。“Itgives
mefreshlifetoknowthatsomethingisbeingdone。Bytheway，Ihave
hadaletterfromLordHoldhurst。”
“Ha！whatdidhesay？”
“Hewascold，butnotharsh。Idaresaymysevereillness
preventedhimfrombeingthat。Herepeatedthatthematterwasof
theutmostimportance，andaddedthatnostepswouldbetakenaboutmy
future-bywhichhemeans，ofcourse，mydismissal-untilmyhealth
wasrestoredandIhadanopportunityofrepairingmymisfortune。”
“Well，thatwasreasonableandconsiderate，“saidHolmes。“Come，
Watson，forwehaveagoodday”sworkbeforeusintown。”
Mr。JosephHarrisondroveusdowntothestation，andweweresoon
whirlingupinaPortsmouthtrain。Holmeswassunkinprofoundthought
andhardlyopenedhismouthuntilwehadpassedClaphamJunction。
“It”saverycheerythingtocomeintoLondonbyanyofthese
lineswhichrunhighandallowyoutolookdownuponthehouseslike
this。”
Ithoughthewasjoking，fortheviewwassordidenough，buthesoon
explainedhimself。
“Lookatthosebig，isolatedclumpsofbuildingsrisingupabovethe
slates，likebrickislandsinalead-colouredsea。”
“Theboard-schools。”
“Light-houses，myboy！Beaconsofthefuture！Capsuleswithhundreds
ofbrightlittleseedsineach，outofwhichwillspringthewiser，
betterEnglandofthefuture。IsupposethatmanPhelpsdoesnot
drink？“
“Ishouldnotthinkso。”
“NorshouldI，butweareboundtotakeeverypossibilityinto
account。Thepoordevilhascertainlygothimselfintoverydeep
water，andit”saquestionwhetherweshalleverbeabletogethim
ashore。WhatdoyouthinkofMissHarrison？“
“Agirlofstrongcharacter。”
“Yes，butsheisagoodsort，orIammistaken。Sheandher
brotheraretheonlychildrenofaniron-mastersomewhereup
Northumberlandway。Hegotengagedtoherwhentravellinglastwinter，
andshecamedowntobeintroducedtohispeople，withherbrother
asescort。Thencamethesmash，andshestayedontonurseher
lover，whilebrotherJoseph，findinghimselfprettysnug，stayedon，
too。I”vebeenmakingafewindependentinquiries，yousee。Butto-day
mustbeadayofinquiries。”
“Mypractice-“Ibegan。
“Oh，ifyoufindyourowncasesmoreinterestingthanmine-“said
Holmeswithsomeasperity。
“Iwasgoingtosaythatmypracticecouldgetalongverywellfora
dayortwo，sinceitistheslackesttimeintheyear。”
“Excellent，“saidhe，recoveringhisgood-humour。“Thenwe”lllook
intothismattertogether。Ithinkthatweshouldbeginbyseeing
Forbes。Hecanprobablytellusallthedetailswewantuntilwe
knowfromwhatsidethecaseistobeapproached。”
“Yousaidyouhadaclue？“
“Well，wehaveseveral，butwecanonlytesttheirvalueby
furtherinquiry。Themostdifficultcrimetotrackistheonewhichis
purposeless。Nowthisisnotpurposeless。Whoisitwhoprofitsbyit？
ThereistheFrenchambassador，thereistheRussian，thereiswhoever
mightsellittoeitherofthese，andthereisLordHoldhurst。”
“LordHoldhurst！“
“Well，itisjustconceivablethatastatesmanmightfindhimselfin
apositionwherehewasnotsorrytohavesuchadocumentaccidentally
destroyed。”
“NotastatesmanwiththehonourablerecordofLordHoldhurst？“
“Itisapossibilityandwecannotaffordtodisregardit。We
shallseethenoblelordto-dayandfindoutifhecantellus
anything。MeanwhileIhavealreadysetinquiriesonfoot。”
“Already？“
“Yes，IsentwiresfromWokingstationtoeveryeveningpaperin
London。Thisadvertisementwillappearineachofthem。”
Hehandedoverasheettornfromanotebook。Onitwasscribbledin
pencil：
L10reward。Thenumberofthecabwhichdroppedafareatorabout
thedooroftheForeignOfficeinCharlesStreetatquartertoten
intheeveningofMay23rd。Apply221B，BakerStreet。
“Youareconfidentthatthethiefcameinacab？“
“Ifnot，thereisnoharmdone。ButifMr。Phelpsiscorrectin
statingthatthereisnohiding-placeeitherintheroomorthe
corridors，thenthepersonmusthavecomefromoutside。Ifhecame
fromoutsideonsowetanight，andyetleftnotraceofdampuponthe
linoleum，whichwasexaminedwithinafewminutesofhispassing，then
itisexceedinglyprobablethathecameinacab。Yes，Ithinkthatwe
maysafelydeduceacab。”
“Itsoundsplausible。”
“ThatisoneofthecluesofwhichIspoke。Itmayleadusto
something。Andthen，ofcourse，thereisthebell-whichisthemost
distinctivefeatureofthecase。Whyshouldthebellring？Wasit
thethiefwhodiditoutofbravado？Orwasitsomeonewhowaswith
thethiefwhodiditinordertopreventthecrime？Orwasitan
accident？Orwasit-？“Hesankbackintothestateofintenseand
silentthoughtfromwhichhehademerged；butitseemedtome，
accustomedasIwastohiseverymood，thatsomenewpossibilityhad
dawnedsuddenlyuponhim。
Itwastwentypastthreewhenwereachedourterminus，andaftera
hastyluncheonatthebuffetwepushedonatoncetoScotlandYard。
HolmeshadalreadywiredtoForbes，andwefoundhimwaitingto
receiveus-asmall，foxymanwithasharpbutbynomeansamiable
expression。Hewasdecidedlyfrigidinhismannertous，especially
whenheheardtheerranduponwhichwehadcome。
“I”veheardofyourmethodsbeforenow，Mr。Holmes，“saidhetartly。
“Youarereadyenoughtousealltheinformationthatthepolicecan
layatyourdisposal，andthenyoutrytofinishthecaseyourselfand
bringdiscreditonthem。”
“Onthecontrary，“saidHolmes，“outofmylastfifty-threecasesmy
namehasonlyappearedinfour，andthepolicehavehadallthecredit
inforty-nine。Idon”tblameyoufornotknowingthis，foryouare
youngandinexperienced，butifyouwishtogetoninyournew
dutiesyouwillworkwithmeandnotagainstme。”
“I”dbeverygladofahintortwo，“saidthedetective，changing
hismanner。“I”vecertainlyhadnocreditfromthecasesofar。”
“Whatstepshaveyoutaken？“
“Tangey，thecommissionaire，hasbeenshadowed。HelefttheGuards
withagoodcharacter，andwecanfindnothingagainsthim。Hiswife
isabadlot，though。Ifancysheknowsmoreaboutthisthanappears。”
“Haveyoushadowedher？“
“Wehavesetoneofourwomenontoher。Mrs。Tangeydrinks，andour
womanhasbeenwithhertwicewhenshewaswellon，butshecould
getnothingoutofher。”
“Iunderstandthattheyhavehadbrokersinthehouse？“
“Yes，buttheywerepaidoff。”
“Wheredidthemoneycomefrom？“
“Thatwasallright。Hispensionwasdue。Theyhavenotshownany
signofbeinginfunds。”
“Whatexplanationdidshegiveofhavingansweredthebellwhen
Mr。Phelpsrangforthecoffee？“
“Shesaidthatherhusbandwasverytiredandshewishedto
relievehim。”
“Well，certainlythatwouldagreewithhisbeingfoundalittle
laterasleepinhischair。Thereisnothingagainstthemthenbut
thewoman”scharacter。Didyouaskherwhyshehurriedawaythat
night？Herhasteattractedtheattentionofthepoliceconstable。”
“Shewaslaterthanusualandwantedtogethome。”
“DidyoupointouttoherthatyouandMr。Phelps，whostartedat
leasttwentyminutesafterher，gothomebeforeher？“
“Sheexplainsthatbythedifferencebetweenabusandahansom。”
“Didshemakeitclearwhy，onreachingherhouse，sheraninto
thebackkitchen？“
“Becauseshehadthemoneytherewithwhichtopayoffthebrokers。”
“Shehasatleastananswerforeverything。Didyouaskher
whetherinleavingshemetanyoneorsawanyoneloiteringabout
CharlesStreet？“
“Shesawnoonebuttheconstable。”
“Well，youseemtohavecross-examinedherprettythoroughly。What
elsehaveyoudone？“
“TheclerkGorothasbeenshadowedallthesenineweeks，butwithout
result。Wecanshownothingagainsthim。”
“Anythingelse？“
“Well，wehavenothingelsetogoupon-noevidenceofanykind。”
“Haveyouformedanytheoryabouthowthatbellrang？“
“Well，Imustconfessthatitbeatsme。Itwasacoolhand，
whoeveritwas，togoandgivethealarmlikethat。”
“Yes，itwasaqueerthingtodo。Manythankstoyouforwhatyou
havetoldme。IfIcanputthemanintoyourhandsyoushallhearfrom
me。ComealongWatson。”
“Wherearewegoingtonow？“Iaskedaswelefttheoffice。
“WearenowgoingtointerviewLordHoldhurst，thecabinet
ministerandfuturepremierofEngland。”
WewerefortunateinfindingthatLordHoldhurstwasstillinhis
chambersinDowningStreet，andonHolmessendinginhiscardwe
wereinstantlyshownup。Thestatesmanreceiveduswiththat
old-fashionedcourtesyforwhichheisremarkableandseatedusonthe
twoluxuriantloungesoneithersideofthefireplace。Standingonthe
rugbetweenus，withhisslight，tallfigure，hissharpfeatures，
thoughtfulface，andcurlinghairprematurelytingedwithgray，he
seemedtorepresentthatnottoocommontype，anoblemanwhoisin
truthnoble。
“Yournameisveryfamiliartome，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe，smiling。
“AndofcourseIcannotpretendtobeignorantoftheobjectofyour
visit。Therehasonlybeenoneoccurrenceintheseofficeswhichcould
callforyourattention。Inwhoseinterestareyouacting，mayIask？“
“InthatofMr。PercyPhelps，“answeredHolmes。
“Ah，myunfortunatenephew！Youcanunderstandthatourkinship
makesitthemoreimpossibleformetoscreenhiminanyway。Ifear
thattheincidentmusthaveaveryprejudicialeffectuponhis
career。”
“Butifthedocumentisfound？“
“Ah，that，ofcourse，wouldbedifferent。”
“IhadoneortwoquestionswhichIwishedtoaskyou，Lord
Holdhurst。”
“Ishallbehappytogiveyouanyinformationinmypower。”
“Wasitinthisroomthatyougaveyourinstructionsastothe
copyingofthedocument？“
“Itwas。”
“Thenyoucouldhardlyhavebeenoverheard？“
“Itisoutofthequestion。”
“Didyouevermentiontoanyonethatitwasyourintentiontogive
anyonethetreatytobecopied？“
“Never。”
“Youarecertainofthat？“
“Absolutely。”
“Well，sinceyouneversaidso，andMr。Phelpsneversaidso，and
nobodyelseknewanythingofthematter，thenthethief”spresence
intheroomwaspurelyaccidental。Hesawhischanceandhetookit。”
Thestatesmansmiled。“Youtakemeoutofmyprovincethere，“said
he。
Holmesconsideredforamoment。“Thereisanotherveryimportant
pointwhichIwishtodiscusswithyou，“saidhe。“Youfeared，asI
understand，thatverygraveresultsmightfollowfromthedetailsof
thistreatybecomingknown。”
Ashadowpassedovertheexpressivefaceofthestatesman。“Very
graveresultsindeed。”
“Andhavetheyoccurred？“
“Notyet。”
“Ifthetreatyhadreached，letussay，theFrenchorRussian
ForeignOffice，youwouldexpecttohearofit？“
“Ishould，“saidLordHoldhurstwithawryface。
“Sincenearlytenweekshaveelapsed，then，andnothinghasbeen
heard，itisnotunfairtosupposethatforsomereasonthetreatyhas
notreachedthem。”
LordHoldhurstshruggedhisshoulders。
“Wecanhardlysuppose，Mr。Holmes，thatthethieftookthetreaty
inordertoframeitandhangitup。”
“Perhapsheiswaitingforabetterprice。”
“Ifhewaitsalittlelongerhewillgetnopriceatall。Thetreaty
willceasetobesecretinafewmonths。”
“Thatismostimportant，“saidHolmes。“Ofcourse，itisa
possiblesuppositionthatthethiefhashadasuddenillness-“
“Anattackofbrain-fever，forexample？“askedthestatesman，
flashingaswiftglanceathim。
“Ididnotsayso，“saidHolmesimperturbably。“Andnow，Lord
Holdhurst，wehavealreadytakenuptoomuchofyourvaluabletime，
andweshallwishyougood-day。”
“Everysuccesstoyourinvestigation，bethecriminalwhoitmay，“
answeredthenoblemanashebowedusoutatthedoor。
“He”safinefellow，“saidHolmesaswecameoutintoWhitehall。
“Buthehasastruggletokeepuphisposition。Heisfarfromrich
andhasmanycalls。Younoticed，ofthathisbootshadbeenresoled。
Now，Watson，Iwon”tdetainyoufromyourlegitimateworkany
longer。Ishalldonothingmoreto-dayunlessIhaveananswertomy
cabadvertisement。ButIshouldbeextremelyobligedtoyouifyou
wouldcomedownwithmetoWokingto-morrowbythesametrainwhichwe
tookyesterday。”
ImethimaccordinglynextmorningandwetravelleddowntoWoking
together。Hehadhadnoanswertohisadvertisement，hesaid，andno
freshlighthadbeenthrownuponthecase。Hehad，whenhesowilled
it，theutterimmobilityofcountenanceofaredIndian，andIcould
notgatherfromhisappearancewhetherhewassatisfiedornotwith
thepositionofthecase。Hisconversation，Iremember，wasabout
theBertillonsystemofmeasurements，andheexpressedhis
enthusiasticadmirationoftheFrenchsavant。
Wefoundourclientstillunderthechargeofhisdevotednurse，but
lookingconsiderablybetterthanbefore。Herosefromthesofaand
greeteduswithoutdifficultywhenweentered。
“Anynews？“heaskedeagerly。
“Myreport，asIexpected，isanegativeone，“saidHolmes。“I
haveseenForbes，andIhaveseenyouruncle，andIhavesetoneor
twotrainsofinquiryuponfootwhichmayleadtosomething。”
“Youhavenotlostheart，then？“
“Bynomeans。”
“Godblessyouforsayingthat！“criedMissHarrison。“Ifwekeep
ourcourageandourpatiencethetruthmustcomeout。”
“Wehavemoretotellyouthanyouhaveforus，“saidPhelps，
reseatinghimselfuponthecouch。
“Ihopedyoumighthavesomething。”
“Yes，wehavehadanadventureduringthenight，andonewhichmight
haveprovedtobeaseriousone。”Hisexpressiongrewverygraveashe
spoke，andalookofsomethingakintofearsprangupinhiseyes。“Do
youknow，“saidhe，“thatIbegintobelievethatIamtheunconscious
centreofsomemonstrousconspiracy，andthatmylifeisaimedatas
wellasmyhonour？“
“Ah！“criedHolmes。
“Itsoundsincredible，forIhavenot，asfarasIknow，anenemyin
theworld。Yetfromlastnight”sexperienceIcancometonoother
conclusion。”
“Prayletmehearit。”
“YoumustknowthatlastnightwastheveryfirstnightthatI
haveeversleptwithoutanurseintheroom。Iwassomuchbetterthat
IthoughIcoulddispensewithone。Ihadanight-lightburning，
however。Well，abouttwointhemorningIhadsunkintoalight
sleepwhenIwassuddenlyarousedbyaslightnoise。Itwaslikethe
soundwhichamousemakeswhenitisgnawingaplank，andIlay
listeningtoitforsometimeundertheimpressionthatitmustcome
fromthatcause。Thenitgrewlouder，andsuddenlytherecamefromthe
windowasharpmetallicsnick。Isatupinamazement。Therecouldbe
nodoubtwhatthesoundswerenow。Thefirstoneshadbeencausedby
someoneforcinganinstrumentthroughtheslitbetweenthesashes，and
thesecondbythecatchbeingpressedback。
“Therewasapausethenforabouttenminutes，asiftheperson
werewaitingtoseewhetherthenoisehadawakenedme。ThenIheard
agentlecreakingasthewindowwasveryslowlyopened。Icould
standitnolonger，formynervesarenotwhattheyusedtobe。I
sprangoutofbedandflungopentheshutters。Amanwascrouching
atthewindow。Icouldseelittleofhim，forhewasgonelikea
flash。Hewaswrappedinsomesortofcloakwhichcameacrossthe
lowerpartofhisface。OnethingonlyIamsureof，andthatis
thathehadsomeweaponinhishand。Itlookedtomelikealong
knife。Idistinctlysawthegleamofitasheturnedtorun。”
“Thisismostinteresting，“saidHolmes。“Praywhatdidyoudo
then？“
“IshouldhavefollowedhimthroughtheopenwindowifIhadbeen
stronger。Asitwas，Irangthebellandrousedthehouse。Ittook
somelittletime，forthebellringsinthekitchenandtheservants
allsleepupstairs。Ishouted，however，andthatbroughtJoseph
down，andherousedtheothers。Josephandthegroomfoundmarkson
thebedoutsidethewindow，buttheweatherhasbeensodrylately
thattheyfoundithopelesstofollowthetrailacrossthegrass。
There”saplace，however，onthewoodenfencewhichskirtstheroad
whichshowssigns，theytellme，asifsomeonehadgotover，andhad
snappedthetopoftherailindoingso。Ihavesaidnothingtothe
localpoliceyet，forIthoughtIhadbesthaveyouropinionfirst。”
Thistaleofourclient”sappearedtohaveanextraordinaryeffect
uponSherlockHolmes。Herosefromhischairandpacedaboutthe
roominuncontrollableexcitement。
“Misfortunesnevercomesingle，“saidPhelps，smiling，thoughitwas
evidentthathisadventurehadsomewhatshakenhim。
“Youhavecertainlyhadyourshare，“saidHolmes。“Doyouthink
youcouldwalkroundthehousewithme？“
“Oh，yes，Ishouldlikealittlesunshine。Josephwillcome，too。”
“AndIalso，“saidMissHarrison。
“Iamafraidnot，“saidHolmes，shakinghishead。“IthinkImust
askyoutoremainsittingexactlywhereyouare。”
Theyoungladyresumedherseatwithanairofdispleasure。Her
brother，however，hadjoinedusandwesetoffallfourtogether。We
passedroundthelawntotheoutsideoftheyoungdiplomatist”s
window。Therewere，ashehadsaid，marksuponthebed，butthey
werehopelesslyblurredandvague。Holmesstoopedoverthemforan
instant，andthenroseshrugginghisshoulders。
“Idon”tthinkanyonecouldmakemuchofthis，“saidhe。“Letus
goroundthehouseandseewhythisparticularroomwaschosenby
theburglar。Ishouldhavethoughtthoselargerwindowsofthe
drawing-roomanddining-roomwouldhavehadmoreattractionsforhim。”
“Theyaremorevisiblefromtheroad，“suggestedMr。Joseph
Harrison。
“Ah，yes，ofcourse。Thereisadoorherewhichhemighthave
attempted。Whatisitfor？“
“Itisthesideentrancefortrades-people。Ofcourseitislocked
atnight。”
“Haveyoueverhadanalarmlikethisbefore？“
“Never，“saidourclient。
“Doyoukeepplateinthehouse，oranythingtoattractburglars？“
“Nothingofvalue。”
Holmesstrolledroundthehousewithhishandsinhispocketsand
anegligentairwhichwasunusualwithhim。
“Bytheway，“saidhetoJosephHarrison，“youfoundsomeplace，I
understand，wherethefellowscaledthefence。Letushavealookat
that！“
Theplumpyoungmanledustoaspotwherethetopofoneofthe
woodenrailshadbeencracked。Asmallfragmentofthewoodwas
hangingdown。Holmespulleditoffandexamineditcritically。
“Doyouthinkthatwasdonelastnight？Itlooksratherold，doesit
not？“
“Well，possiblyso。”
“Therearenomarksofanyonejumpingdownupontheotherside。
No，Ifancyweshallgetnohelphere。Letusgobacktothebedroom
andtalkthematterover。”
PercyPhelpswaswalkingveryslowly，leaninguponthearmofhis
futurebrother-in-law。Holmeswalkedswiftlyacrossthelawn，andwe
wereattheopenwindowofthebedroomlongbeforetheotherscameup。
“MissHarrison，“saidHolmes，speakingwiththeutmostintensity
ofmanner，“youmuststaywhereyouareallday。Letnothingprevent
youfromstayingwhereyouareallday。Itisoftheutmost
importance。”
“Certainly，ifyouwishit，Mr。Holmes，“saidthegirlin
astonishment。
“Whenyougotobedlockthedoorofthisroomontheoutsideand
keepthekey。Promisetodothis。”
“ButPercy？“
“HewillcometoLondonwithus。”
“AndamItoremainhere？“
“Itisforhissake。Youcanservehim。Quick！Promise！“
Shegaveaquicknodofassentjustastheothertwocameup。
“Whydoyousitmopingthere，Annie？“criedherbrother。“Comeout
intothesunshine！“
“No，thankyou，Joseph。Ihaveaslightheadacheandthisroomis
deliciouslycoolandsoothing。”
“Whatdoyouproposenow，Mr。Holmes？“askedourclient。
“Well，ininvestigatingthisminoraffairwemustnotlosesight
ofourmaininquiry。Itwouldbeaverygreathelptomeifyou
wouldcomeuptoLondonwithus。”
“Atonce？“
“Well，assoonasyouconvenientlycan。Sayinanhour。”
“Ifeelquitestrongenough，ifIcanreallybeofanyhelp。”
“Thegreatestpossible。”
“Perhapsyouwouldlikemetostaythereto-night？“
“Iwasjustgoingtoproposeit。”
“Then，ifmyfriendofthenightcomestorevisitme，hewillfind
thebirdflown。Weareallinyourhands，Mr。Holmes，andyoumust
tellusexactlywhatyouwouldlikedone。Perhapsyouwouldprefer
thatJosephcamewithussoastolookafterme？“
“Oh，no，myfriendWatsonisamedicalman，youknow，andhe”lllook
afteryou。We”llhaveourlunchhere，ifyouwillpermitus，and
thenweshallallthreesetofffortowntogether。”
Itwasarrangedashesuggested，thoughMissHarrisonexcused
herselffromleavingthebedroom，inaccordancewithHolmes”s
suggestion。Whattheobjectofmyfriend”smaneuvreswasIcouldnot
conceive，unlessitweretokeeptheladyawayfromPhelps，who，
rejoicedbyhisreturninghealthandbytheprospectofaction，
lunchedwithusinthedining-room。Holmeshadastillmore
startlingsurpriseforus，however，for，afteraccompanyingusdownto
thestationandseeingusintoourcarriage，hecalmlyannounced
thathehadnointentionofleavingWoking。
“ThereareoneortwosmallpointswhichIshoulddesiretoclearup
beforeIgo，“saidhe。“Yourabsence，Mr。Phelps，willinsomeways
ratherassistme。Watson，whenyoureachLondonyouwouldobligemeby
drivingatoncetoBakerStreetwithourfriendhere，andremaining
withhimuntilIseeyouagain。Itisfortunatethatyouareold
school-fellows，asyoumusthavemuchtotalkover。Mr。Phelpscan
havethesparebedroomto-night，andIwillbewithyouintimefor
breakfast，forthereisatrainwhichwilltakemeintoWaterlooat
eight。”
“ButhowaboutourinvestigationinLondon？“askedPhelpsruefully。
“Wecandothatto-morrow。IthinkthatjustatpresentIcanbe
ofmoreimmediateusehere。”
“YoumighttellthematBriarbraethatIhopetobebackto-morrow
night，“criedPhelps，aswebegantomovefromtheplatform。
“IhardlyexpecttogobacktoBriarbrae，“answeredHolmes，and
wavedhishandtouscheerilyasweshotoutfromthestation。
PhelpsandItalkeditoveronourjourney，butneitherofus
coulddeviseasatisfactoryreasonforthisnewdevelopment。
“Isupposehewantstofindoutsomecluesastotheburglarylast
night，ifaburglaritwas。Formyself，Idon”tbelieveitwasan
ordinarythief。”
“Whatisyourownidea，then？“
“Uponmyword，youmayputitdowntomyweaknervesornot，butI
believethereissomedeeppoliticalintriguegoingonaroundme，
andthatforsomereasonthatpassesmyunderstandingmylifeisaimed
atbytheconspirators。Itsoundshigh-flownandabsurd，but
considerthefacts！Whyshouldathieftrytobreakinatabedroom
windowwheretherecouldbenohopeofanyplunder，andwhyshould
hecomewithalongknifeinhishand？“
“Youaresureitwasnotahouse-breaker”sjimmy？“
“Oh，no，itwasaknife。Isawtheflashofthebladequite
distinctly。”
“Butwhyonearthshouldyoubepursuedwithsuchanimosity？“
“Ah，thatisthequestion。”
“Well，ifHolmestakesthesameview，thatwouldaccountforhis
action，woulditnot？Presumingthatyourtheoryiscorrect，ifhecan
layhishandsuponthemanwhothreatenedyoulastnighthewill
havegonealongwaytowardsfindingwhotookthenavaltreaty。It
isabsurdtosupposethatyouhavetwoenemies，oneofwhomrobs
you，whiletheotherthreatensyourlife。”
“ButHolmessaidthathewasnotgoingtoBriarbrae。”
“Ihaveknownhimforsometime，“saidI，“butIneverknewhimdo
anythingyetwithoutaverygoodreason，“andwiththatour
conversationdriftedoffontoothertopics。
Butitwasawearydayforme。Phelpswasstillweakafterhis
longillness，andhismisfortunesmadehimquerulousandnervous。In
vainIendeavouredtointeresthiminAfghanistan，inIndia，insocial
questions，inanythingwhichmighttakehismindoutofthegroove。He
wouldalwayscomebacktohislosttreaty，wondering，guessing，
speculatingastowhatHolmeswasdoing，whatstepsLordHoldhurstwas
taking，whatnewsweshouldhaveinthemorning。Astheeveningwore
onhisexcitementbecamequitepainful。
“YouhaveimplicitfaithinHolmes？“heasked。
“Ihaveseenhimdosomeremarkablethings。”
“Butheneverbroughtlightintoanythingquitesodarkasthis？“
“Oh，yes，Ihaveknownhimsolvequestionswhichpresentedfewer
cluesthanyours。”
“Butnotwheresuchlargeinterestsareatstake？“
“Idon”tknowthat。Tomycertainknowledgehehasactedonbehalf
ofthreeofthereigninghousesofEuropeinveryvitalmatters。”
“Butyouknowhimwell，Watson。Heissuchaninscrutablefellow
thatIneverquiteknowwhattomakeofhim。Doyouthinkheis
hopeful？Doyouthinkheexpectstomakeasuccessofit？“
“Hehassaidnothing。”
“Thatisabadsign。”
“Onthecontrary。Ihavenoticedthatwhenheisoffthetrailhe
generallysaysso。Itiswhenheisonascentandisnotquite
absolutelysureyetthatitistherightonethatheismosttaciturn。
Now，mydearfellow，wecan”thelpmattersbymakingourselvesnervous
aboutthem，soletmeimploreyoutogotobedandsobefreshfor
whatevermayawaitusto-morrow。”
Iwasableatlasttopersuademycompaniontotakemyadvice，
thoughIknewfromhisexcitedmannerthattherewasnotmuchhope
ofsleepforhim。Indeed，hismoodwasinfectious，forIlaytossing
halfthenightmyself，broodingoverthisstrangeproblemand
inventingahundredtheories，eachofwhichwasmoreimpossiblethan
thelast。WhyhadHolmesremainedatWoking？WhyhadheaskedMiss
Harrisontoremaininthesick-roomallday？Whyhadhebeenso
carefulnottoinformthepeopleatBriarbraethatheintendedto
remainnearthem？IcudgelledmybrainsuntilIfellasleepinthe
endeavourtofindsomeexplanationwhichwouldcoverallthesefacts。
Itwasseveno”clockwhenIawoke，andIsetoffatoncefor
Phelps”sroomtofindhimhaggardandspentafterasleeplessnight。
HisfirstquestionwaswhetherHolmeshadarrivedyet。
“He”llbeherewhenhepromised，“saidI，“andnotaninstantsooner
orlater。”
Andmywordsweretrue，forshortlyaftereightahansomdashedup
tothedoorandourfriendgotoutofit。Standinginthewindowwe
sawthathislefthandwasswathedinabandageandthathisface
wasverygrimandpale。Heenteredthehouse，butitwassomelittle
timebeforehecameupstairs。
“Helookslikeabeatenman，“criedPhelps。
Iwasforcedtoconfessthathewasright。“Afterall，“saidI，“the
clueofthematterliesprobablyhereintown。”
Phelpsgaveagroan。
“Idon”tknowhowitis，“saidhe，“butIhadhopedforsomuchfrom
hisreturn。Butsurelyhishandwasnottieduplikethatyesterday。
Whatcanbethematter？“
“Youarenotwounded，Holmes？“Iaskedasmyfriendenteredthe
room。
“Tut，itisonlyascratchthroughmyownclumsiness，“he
answered，noddinghisgood-morningtous。“Thiscaseofyours，Mr。
Phelps，iscertainlyoneofthedarkestwhichIhaveever
investigated。”
“Ifearedthatyouwouldfinditbeyondyou。”
“Ithasbeenamostremarkableexperience。”
“Thatbandagetellsofadventures，“saidI。“Won”tyoutellus
whathashappened？“
“Afterbreakfast，mydearWatson。RememberthatIhavebreathed
thirtymilesofSurreyairthismorning。Isupposethattherehasbeen
noanswerfrommycabmanadvertisement？Well，well，wecannotexpect
toscoreeverytime。”
Thetablewasalllaid，andjustasIwasabouttoringMrs。
Hudsonenteredwiththeteaandcoffee。Afewminuteslatershe
broughtinthreecovers，andwealldrewuptothetable，Holmes
ravenous，Icurious，andPhelpsinthegloomieststateofdepression。
“Mrs。Hudsonhasrisentotheoccasion，“saidHolmes，uncoveringa
dishofcurriedchicken。“Hercuisineisalittlelimited，butshehas
asgoodanideaofbreakfastasaScotchwoman。Whathaveyouthere，
Watson？“
“Hamandeggs，“Ianswered。
“Good！Whatareyougoingtotake，Mr。Phelps-curriedfowlor
eggs，orwillyouhelpyourself？“
“Thankyou。Icaneatnothing，“saidPhelps。
“Oh，come！Trythedishbeforeyou。”
“Thankyou，Iwouldreallyrathernot。”
“Well，then，“saidHolmeswithamischievoustwinkle，“Isuppose
thatyouhavenoobjectiontohelpingme？“
Phelpsraisedthecover，andashedidsoheutteredascreamand
sattherestaringwithafaceaswhiteastheplateuponwhichhe
looked。Acrossthecentreofitwaslyingalittlecylinderof
blue-graypaper。Hecaughtitup，devoureditwithhiseyes，and
thendancedmadlyabouttheroom，pressingittohisbosomand
shriekingoutinhisdelight。Thenhefellbackintoanarmchair，so
limpandexhaustedwithhisownemotionsthatwehadtopourbrandy
downhisthroattokeephimfromfainting。
“There！there！“saidHolmessoothingly，pattinghimuponthe
shoulder。“Itwastoobadtospringitonyoulikethis，butWatson
herewilltellyouthatInevercanresistatouchofthedramatic。”
Phelpsseizedhishandandkissedit。“Godblessyou！“hecried。
“Youhavesavedmyhonour。”
“Well，myownwasatstake，youknow，“saidHolmes。“Iassureyouit
isjustashatefultometofailinacaseasitcanbetoyouto
blunderoveracommission。”
Phelpsthrustawaythepreciousdocumentintotheinnermostpocket
ofhiscoat。
“Ihavenotthehearttointerruptyourbreakfastanyfurther，and
yetIamdyingtoknowhowyougotitandwhereitwas。”
SherlockHolmesswallowedacupofcoffeeandturnedhisattention
tothehamandeggs。Thenherose，lithispipe，andsettledhimself
downintohischair。
“I”lltellyouwhatIdidfirst，andhowIcametodoit
afterwards，“saidhe。“AfterleavingyouatthestationIwentfora
charmingwalkthroughsomeadmirableSurreyscenerytoaprettylittle
villagecalledRipley，whereIhadmyteaataninnandtookthe
precautionoffillingmyflaskandofputtingapaperofsandwichesin
mypocket。ThereIremaineduntilevening，whenIsetoffforWoking
againandfoundmyselfinthehighroadoutsideBriarbraejustafter
sunset。
“Well，Iwaiteduntiltheroadwasclear-itisneveravery
frequentedoneatanytime，Ifancy-andthenIclamberedoverthe
fenceintothegrounds。”
“Surelythegatewasopen！”ejaculatedPhelps。
“Yes，butIhaveapeculiartasteinthesematters。Ichosethe
placewherethethreefir-treesstand，andbehindtheirscreenIgot
overwithouttheleastchanceofanyoneinthehousebeingabletosee
me。Icroucheddownamongthebushesontheothersideandcrawled
fromonetotheother-witnessthedisreputablestateofmytrouser
knees-untilIhadreachedtheclumpofrhododendronsjustopposite
toyourbedroomwindow。ThereIsquatteddownandawaited
developments。
“Theblindwasnotdowninyourroom，andIcouldseeMiss
Harrisonsittingtherereadingbythetable。Itwasquarter-pastten
whensheclosedherbook，fastenedtheshutters，andretired。
“Iheardhershutthedoorandfeltquitesurethatshehadturned
thekeyinthelock。”
“Thekey！“ejaculatedPhelps。
“Yes，IhadgivenMissHarrisoninstructionstolockthedooronthe
outsideandtakethekeywithherwhenshewenttobed。Shecarried
outeveryoneofmyinjunctionstotheletter，andcertainlywithout
hercooperationyouwouldnothavethatpaperinyourcoat-pocket。She
departedthenandthelightswentout，andIwasleftsquattinginthe
rhododendron-bush。
“Thenightwasfine，butstillitwasaverywearyvigil。Of
courseithasthesortofexcitementaboutitthatthesportsmanfeels
whenheliesbesidethewatercourseandwaitsforthebiggame。It
wasverylong，though-almostaslong，Watson，aswhenyouandIwaited
inthatdeadlyroomwhenwelookedintothelittleproblemofthe
SpeckledBand。Therewasachurch-clockdownatWokingwhichstruck
thequarters，andIthoughtmorethanoncethatithadstopped。At
last，however，abouttwointhemorning，Isuddenlyheardthegentle
soundofaboltbeingpushedbackandthecreakingofakey。A
momentlatertheservants”doorwasopened，andMr。JosephHarrison
steppedoutintothemoonlight。”
“Joseph！“ejaculatedPhelps。
“Hewasbare-headed，buthehadablackcloakthrownoverhis
shoulder，sothathecouldconcealhisfaceinaninstantifthere
wereanyalarm。Hewalkedontiptoeundertheshadowofthewall，
andwhenhereachedthewindowheworkedalong-bladedknifethrough
thesashandpushedbackthecatch。Thenheflungopenthewindow，and
puttinghisknifethroughthecrackintheshutters，hethrustthebar
upandswungthemopen。
“FromwhereIlayIhadaperfectviewoftheinsideoftheroomand
ofeveryoneofhismovements。Helitthetwocandleswhichstoodupon
themantelpiece，andthenheproceededtoturnbackthecornerof
thecarpetintheneighbourhoodofthedoor。Presentlyhestooped
andpickedoutasquarepieceofboard，suchasisusuallyleftto
enableplumberstogetatthejointsofthegas-pipes。Thisone
covered，asamatteroffact，theTjointwhichgivesoffthepipe
whichsuppliesthekitchenunderneath。Outofthishiding-placehe
drewthatlittlecylinderofpaper，pusheddowntheboard，
rearrangedthecarpet，blewoutthecandles，andwalkedstraight
intomyarmsasIstoodwaitingforhimoutsidethewindow。
“Well，hehasrathermoreviciousnessthanIgavehimcreditfor，
hasMasterJoseph。Heflewatmewithhisknife，andIhadtograsp
himtwice，andgotacutovertheknuckles，beforeIhadtheupper
handofhim。Helookedmurderoutoftheonlyeyehecouldseewith
whenwehadfinished，buthelistenedtoreasonandgaveupthe
papers。HavinggotthemIletmymango，butIwiredfull
particularstoForbesthismorning。Ifheisquickenoughtocatchhis
bird，wellandgood。Butif，asIshrewdlysuspect，hefindsthe
nestemptybeforehegetsthere，why，allthebetterforthe
government。IfancythatLordHoldhurst，forone，andMr。PercyPhelps
foranother，wouldverymuchratherthattheaffairnevergotasfar
asapolice-court。”
“MyGod！“gaspedourclient。“Doyoutellmethatduringthese
longtenweeksofagonythestolenpaperswerewithintheveryroom
withmeallthetime？“
“Soitwas。”
“AndJoseph！Josephavillainandathief！“
“Hum！IamafraidJoseph”scharacterisaratherdeeperandmore
dangerousonethanonemightjudgefromhisappearance。FromwhatI
haveheardfromhimthismorning，Igatherthathehaslostheavilyin
dabblingwithstocks，andthatheisreadytodoanythingonearth
tobetterhisfortunes。Beinganabsolutelyselfishman，whenachance
presentsitselfhedidnotalloweitherhissister”shappinessoryour
reputationtoholdhishand。”
PercyPhelpssankbackinhischair。“Myheadwhirls，“saidhe。
“Yourwordshavedazedme。”
“Theprincipaldifficultyinyourcase，“remarkedHolmesinhis
didacticfashion，“layinthefactoftherebeingtoomuchevidence。
Whatwasvitalwasoverlaidandhiddenbywhatwasirrelevant。Of
allthefactswhichwerepresentedtouswehadtopickjustthose
whichwedeemedtobeessential，andthenpiecethemtogetherintheir
order，soastoreconstructthisveryremarkablechainofevents。I
hadalreadybeguntosuspectJosephfromthefactthatyouhad
intendedtotravelhomewithhimthatnight，andthatthereforeitwas
alikelyenoughthingthatheshouldcallforyou，knowingtheForeign
Officewell，uponhisway。WhenIheardthatsomeonehadbeenso
anxioustogetintothebedroom，inwhichnoonebutJosephcouldhave
concealedanything-youtoldusinyournarrativehowyouhadturned
Josephoutwhenyouarrivedwiththedoctor-mysuspicionsall
changedtocertainties，especiallyastheattemptwasmadeonthe
firstnightuponwhichthenursewasabsent，showingthattheintruder
waswellacquaintedwiththewaysofthehouse。”
“HowblindIhavebeen！“
“Thefactsofthecase，asfarasIhaveworkedthemout，arethese：
ThisJosephHarrisonenteredtheofficethroughtheCharlesStreet
door，andknowinghiswayhewalkedstraightintoyourroomthe
instantafteryouleftit。Findingnoonetherehepromptlyrangthe
bell，andattheinstantthathedidsohiseyescaughtthepaperupon
thetable。Aglanceshowedhimthatchancehadputinhiswaya
Statedocumentofimmensevalue，andinaninstanthehadthrustit
intohispocketandwasgone。Afewminuteselapsed，asyou
remember，beforethesleepycommissionairedrewyourattentionto
thebell，andthosewerejustenoughtogivethethieftimetomake
hisescape。
“HemadehiswaytoWokingbythefirsttrain，and，having
examinedhisbootyandassuredhimselfthatitreallywasofimmense
value，hehadconcealeditinwhathethoughtwasaverysafeplace，
withtheintentionoftakingitoutagaininadayortwo，and
carryingittotheFrenchembassy，orwhereverhethoughtthata
longpricewastobehad。Thencameyoursuddenreturn。He，without
amoment”swarning，wasbundledoutofhisroom，andfromthattime
onwardtherewerealwaysatleasttwoofyoutheretopreventhimfrom
regaininghistreasure。Thesituationtohimmusthavebeena
maddeningone。Butatlasthethoughthesawhischance。Hetriedto
stealin，butwasbaffledbyyourwakefulness。Youmayrememberthat
youdidnottakeyourusualdraughtthatnight。”
“Iremember。”
“Ifancythathehadtakenstepstomakethatdraughtefficacious，
andthathequiterelieduponyourbeingunconscious。Ofcourse，I
understoodthathewouldrepeattheattemptwheneveritcouldbe
donewithsafety。Yourleavingtheroomgavehimthechancehewanted。
IkeptMissHarrisoninitalldaysothathemightnotanticipateus。
Then，havinggivenhimtheideathatthecoastwasclear，Ikeptguard
asIhavedescribed。Ialreadyknewthatthepaperswereprobablyin
theroom，butIhadnodesiretoripupalltheplankingand
skirtinginsearchofthem。Ilethimtakethem，therefore，fromthe
hiding-place，andsosavedmyselfaninfinityoftrouble。Isthereany
otherpointwhichIcanmakeclear？“
“Whydidhetrythewindowonthefirstoccasion，“Iasked，“whenhe
mighthaveenteredbythedoor？“
“Inreachingthedoorhewouldhavetopasssevenbedrooms。Onthe
otherhand，hecouldgetoutontothelawnwithcase。Anythingelse？“
“Youdonotthink，“askedPhelps，“thathehadanymurderous
intention？Theknifewasonlymeantasatool。”
“Itmaybeso，“answeredHolmes，shrugginghisshoulders。“Ican
onlysayforcertainthatMr。JosephHarrisonisagentlemanto
whosemercyIshouldbeextremelyunwillingtotrust。”
THEEND