The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Part 17 (1/2)
”I never smoke myself, so I think I should have observed it if there had been any smell of tobacco There was absolutely no clue of any kind The only tangible fact was that the coey was the naive no explanation save that it was about the tireed that our best plan would be to seize the wo that she had them
”The alarm had reached Scotland Yard by this time, and Mr Forbes, the detective, careat deal of energy We hired a hansoiven to us A young woey's eldest daughter Her mother had not come back yet, and ere shown into the front room to wait
”About ten minutes later a knock came at the door, and here we made the one seriousthe door ourselves, we allowed the girl to do so We heard her say, 'Mother, there are twoto see you,' and an instant afterwards we heard the patter of feet rushi+ng down the passage Forbes flung open the door, and we both ran into the back rooot there before us She stared at us with defiant eyes, and then, suddenly recognizing me, an expression of absolute astonishment came over her face
”'Why, if it isn't Mr Phelps, of the office!' she cried
”'Come, come, who did you think hen you ran away froht you were the brokers,' said she, 'we have had soood enough,' answered Forbes 'We have reason to believe that you have taken a paper of in Office, and that you ran in here to dispose of it You must come back with us to Scotland Yard to be searched'
”It was in vain that she protested and resisted A four-wheeler was brought, and we all three drove back in it We had first made an examination of the kitchen, and especially of the kitchen fire, to see whether shethe instant that she was alone There were no signs, however, of any ashes or scraps When we reached Scotland Yard she was handed over at once to the feony of suspense until she cans of the papers
”Then for the first time the horror of my situation ca, and action had nu the treaty at once that I had not dared to think of ould be the consequence if I failed to do so But now there was nothing more to be done, and I had leisure to realize my position It was horrible Watson there would tell you that I was a nervous, sensitive boy at school It is ues in the Cabinet, of the shaht upon hih I was the victim of an extraordinary accident? No allowance is made for accidents where diplomatic interests are at stake I was ruined, shamefully, hopelessly ruined I don't knohat I did I fancy I roup of officials who crowded roundto soothe me One of the train I believe that he would have come all the way had it not been that Dr Ferrier, who lives neardown by that very train The doctor e of me, and it ell he did so, for I had a fit in the station, and before we reached hoine the state of things here when they were roused fro and found me in this condition Poor Annie here and my h froive an idea of what had happened, and his story did notillness, so Joseph was bundled out of this cheery bedroom, and it was turned into a sick-room for me Here I have lain, Mr Hol with brain-fever If it had not been for Miss Harrison here and for the doctor's care I should not be speaking to you now She has nursed ht, for inSlowlythe last three days that my memory has quite returned So that I did was to wire to Mr Forbes, who had the case in hand He ca has been done, no trace of a clue has been discovered The commissionnaire and his wife have been exa thrown upon theGorot, who, as you ht His re behind and his French naest suspicion; but, as a one, and his people are of Huguenot extraction, but as English in sy was found to implicate him in any way, and there the matter dropped I turn to you, Mr Holmes, as absolutely my last hope If you fail me, then my honor as well as my position are forever forfeited”
The invalid sank back upon his cushi+ons, tired out by this long recital, while his nurse poured hi medicine Holmes sat silently, with his head thrown back and his eyes closed, in an attitude which er, but which I knew betokened the most intense self-absorption
”You statement has been so explicit,” said he at last, ”that you have really left me very few questions to ask There is one of the very utmost importance, however Did you tell any one that you had this special task to perform?”
”No one”
”Not Miss Harrison here, for exaetting the order and executing the commission”
”And none of your people had by chance been to see you?”
”None”
”Did any of them know their way about in the office?”
”Oh, yes, all of them had been shown over it”
”Still, of course, if you said nothing to any one about the treaty these inquiries are irrelevant”
”I said nothing”
”Do you know anything of the co except that he is an old soldier”
”What regiment?”
”Oh, I have heard--Coldstreaet details fro facts, though they do not always use the a rose is!”
He walked past the couch to the open , and held up the drooping stalk of a reen It was a new phase of his character to me, for I had never before seen him show any keen interest in natural objects
”There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion,” said he, leaning with his back against the shutters ”It can be built up as an exact science by the reasoner Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence sees, our powers our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance But this rose is an extra Its smell and its color are an eoodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers”
Percy Phelps and his nurse looked at Holood deal of disappointment written upon their faces He had fallen into a reverie, with the ers It had lasted so lady broke in upon it
”Do you see any prospect of solving this mystery, Mr Holmes?” she asked, with a touch of asperity in her voice
”Oh, theback with a start to the realities of life ”Well, it would be absurd to deny that the case is a very abstruse and complicated one, but I can promise you that I will look into the matter and let you know any points which may strike me”
”Do you see any clue?”
”You have furnished me with seven, but, of course, I must test them before I can pronounce upon their value”
”You suspect some one?”
”I suspectto conclusions too rapidly”
”Then go to London and test your conclusions”
”Your advice is very excellent, Miss Harrison,” said Hol ”I think, Watson, we cannot do better Do not allow yourself to indulge in false hopes, Mr Phelps The affair is a very tangled one”
”I shall be in a fever until I see you again,” cried the diplomatist
”Well, I'll coh it's ative one”
”God bless you for proivesdone By the way, I have had a letter from Lord Holdhurst”
”Ha! What did he say?”
”He was cold, but not harsh I dare saythat He repeated that the matter was of the utmost importance, and added that no steps would be taken about my future--by which he means, of course, my dismissal--untilmy misfortune”
”Well, that was reasonable and considerate,” said Holood day's work before us in town”
Mr Joseph Harrison drove us down to the station, and ere soon whirling up in a Portsht, and hardly opened his mouth until we had passed Clapha to coh, and allow you to look down upon the houses like this”
I thought he was joking, for the vieas sordid enough, but he soon explained hi rising up above the slates, like brick islands in a lead-colored sea”
”The board-schools”