The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Part 14 (2/2)
”Precisely What do you make of the other?”
The two men had stopped opposite theSons of billiards which I could see in one of them The other was a very ses under his arm
”An old soldier, I perceive,” said Sherlock
”And very recently discharged,” remarked the brother
”Served in India, I see”
”And a non-commissioned officer”
”Royal Artillery, I fancy,” said Sherlock
”And a er”
”But with a child”
”Children, , ”this is a little too much”
”Surely,” answered Hol, expression of authority, and sunbaked skin, is a soldier, isfro is shown by his still wearing his ammunition boots, as they are called,” observed Mycroft
”He had not the cavalry stride, yet he wore his hat on one side, as is shown by the lighter skin of that side of his brow His weight is against his being a sapper He is in the artillery”
”Then, of course, his co shows that he has lost so looks as though it were his wife He has been buying things for children, you perceive There is a rattle, which shows that one of the The wife probably died in childbed The fact that he has a picture-book under his arht of”
I began to understand what my friend meant when he said that his brother possessed even keener faculties that he did hilanced across at me and smiled Mycroft took snuff frorains froe, red silk handkerchief
”By the way, Sherlock,” said he, ”I have had soular probley to follow it up save in a very inco speculation If you would care to hear the facts--”
”My dear Mycroft, I should be delighted”
The brother scribbled a note upon a leaf of his pocket-book, and, ringing the bell, he handed it to the waiter
”I have asked Mr Melas to step across,” said he ”He lodges on the floor above ht acquaintance with him, which led him to come to me in his perplexity Mr Melas is a Greek by extraction, as I understand, and he is a re partly as interpreter in the law courts and partly by acting as guide to any wealthy Orientals who may visit the Northumberland Avenue hotels I think I will leave him to tell his very remarkable experience in his own fashi+on”
A few minutes later ere joined by a short, stout man whose olive face and coal-black hair proclaih his speech was that of an educated Englisherly with Sherlock Holmes, and his dark eyes sparkled with pleasure when he understood that the specialist was anxious to hear his story
”I do not believe that the police creditvoice ”Just because they have never heard of it before, they think that such a thing cannot be But I know that I shall never be easy in my mind until I knohat has beco-plaster upon his face”
”I am all attention,” said Sherlock Hol,” said Mr Melas ”Well then, it was Monday night--only two days ago, you understand--that all this happened I ahbor there has told you I interpret all languages--or nearly all--but as I am a Greek by birth and with a Grecian naue that I am principally associated For many years I have been the chief Greek interpreter in London, and my name is very well known in the hotels
”It happens not unfrequently that I aet into difficulties, or by travelers who arrive late and wish ht when a Mr Lati man, came up to my roo at the door A Greek friend had come to see hi but his own tongue, the services of an interpreter were indispensable He gave me to understand that his house was soton, and he see me rapidly into the cab e had descended to the street
”I say into the cab, but I soon becae in which I found myself It was certainly race to London, and the fittings, though frayed, were of rich quality Mr Latih Charing Cross and up the Shaftesbury Avenue We had come out upon Oxford Street and I had ventured soton, when my words were arrested by the extraordinary conduct ofa eon loaded with lead fro it backward and forward several tith Then he placed it without a word upon the seat beside hi done this, he drew up the s on each side, and I found to my astonishment that they were covered with paper so as to prevent h them
”'I am sorry to cut off your view, Mr Melas,' said he 'The fact is that I have no intention that you should see what the place is to which we are driving It ht possibly be inconvenient to ain'
”As you can iine, I was utterly taken aback by such an address My co fellow, and, apart frohtest chance in a struggle with him
”'This is very extraordinary conduct, Mr Lati is quite illegal'
”'It is somewhat of a liberty, no doubt,' said he, 'but we'll make it up to you I ht you atteainstyou to remember that no one knohere you are, and that, whether you are in this carriage or in my house, you are equally inway of saying the what on earth could be his reason for kidnapping ht be, it was perfectly clear that there was no possible use in ht befall
”For nearly two hours we drove withoutSometimes the rattle of the stones told of a paved causeway, and at others our sested asphalt; but, save by this variation in sound, there was nothing at all which could in the reuess as to where ere The paper over each as iht, and a blue curtain was drawn across the glass work in front It was a quarter-past seven e left Pall Mall, and my watch showed me that it was ten minutes to nine e at last came to a standstill My coli above it As I was hurried fro open, and I found ue impression of a lawn and trees on each side of rounds, however, or bona-fide country was more than I could possibly venture to say
”There was a colored gas-lamp inside which was turned so low that I could see little save that the hall was of soht I could make out that the person who had opened the door was a sed lint of the light showed lasses
”'Is this Mr Melas, Harold?' said he
”'Yes'
”'Well done, well done! No ill-will, Mr Melas, I hope, but we could not get on without you If you deal fair with us you'll not regret it, but if you try any tricks, God help you!' He spoke in a nervous, jerky fashi+on, and with little giggling laughs in between, but somehow he impressed me with fear more than the other
”'What do you ith entle us, and to let us have the answers But say no gle again--'you had better never have been born'
”As he spoke he opened a door and showed the way into a rooain the only light was afforded by a single lae, and the way in which my feet sank into the carpet as I stepped across it told h white marble mantel-piece, and what seemed to be a suit of japanese armor at one side of it There was a chair just under the lamp, and the elderly er had left us, but he suddenly returned through another door, leading with hioho ht which enables me to see him more clearly I was thrilled with horror at his appearance He was deadly pale and terribly e, brilliant eyes of a th But what shocked ns of physical weakness was that his face was grotesquely criss-crossed with sticking-plaster, and that one large pad of it was fastened over his mouth
”'Have you the slate, Harold?' cried the olderfell rather than sat down into a chair 'Are his hands loose? Now, then, give him the pencil You are to ask the questions, Mr Melas, and he rite the answers Ask hin the papers?'
”The man's eyes flashed fire
”'Never!' he wrote in Greek upon the slate
”'On no condition?' I asked, at the bidding of our tyrant
”'Only if I see her married in gled in his venomous way
”'You knohat awaits you, then?'
”'I care nothing for myself'