The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Part 4 (1/2)
”Is the poor gentleman much hurt?” she asked
”He is dead,” cried several voices
”No, no, there's life in hiet him to hospital”
”He's a brave fellow,” said a woman ”They would have had the lady's purse and watch if it hadn't been for hi now”
”He can't lie in the street May we bring hi-room There is a comfortable sofa This way, please!”
Slowly and solee and laid out in the principal roos from my post by theThe lamps had been lit, but the blinds had not been drawn, so that I could see Holmes as he lay upon the couch I do not knohether he was seized with co, but I know that I never felt more heartily ashamed of ainst whorace and kindliness hich she waited upon the injured man And yet it would be the blackest treachery to Holmes to draw back now from the part which he had intrusted to me I hardened my heart, and took the sht, we are not injuring her We are but preventing her fro another
Holmes had sat up upon the couch, and I saw him motion like a man who is in need of air A maid rushed across and threw open theAt the sanal I tossed my rocket into the room with a cry of ”Fire!” The as no sooner out of my mouth than the whole crowd of spectators, well dressed and ill--gentleeneral shriek of ”Fire!” Thick clouds of sh the rooliures, and atheh the shouting crowd I made my way to the corner of the street, and in ten et away from the scene of uproar
He walked swiftly and in silence for some few minutes until we had turned down one of the quiet streets which lead towards the Edgeware Road
”You did it very nicely, Doctor,” he reht”
”You have the photograph?”
”I knohere it is”
”And how did you find out?”
”She showed me, as I told you she would”
”I am still in the dark”
”I do not wish to”The matter was perfectly simple You, of course, saw that everyone in the street was an accouessed as much”
”Then, when the row broke out, I had a little moist red paint in the palm of my hand I rushed forward, fell down, clapped my hand to my face, and became a piteous spectacle It is an old trick”
”That also I could fathom”
”Then they carried me in She was bound to have -room, which was the very room which I suspected It lay between that and her bedroom, and I was determined to see which They laid me on a couch, I motioned for air, they were compelled to open the , and you had your chance”
”How did that help you?”
”It was all-important When a woman thinks that her house is on fire, her instinct is at once to rush to the thing which she valuesie of it In the case of the Darlington substitution scandal it was of use to me, and also in the Arnsworth Castle business A rabs at her baby; an unmarried one reaches for her jewel-box Noas clear toin the house more precious to her than e are in quest of She would rush to secure it
The alar were enough to shake nerves of steel She responded beautifully The photograph is in a recess behind a sliding panel just above the right bell-pull She was there in an instant, and I caught a glimpse of it as she half-drew it out When I cried out that it was a false alarlanced at the rocket, rushed fro my excuses, escaped from the house I hesitated whether to atteraph at once; but the coach me narrowly it seemed safer to wait A little over-precipitance may ruin all”
”And now?” I asked