“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。“