The Return of Sherlock Holmes Part 13 (1/2)
”I wanted inforone too far?”
”It was abusiness, Escott, by na, and I have talked with her Good heavens, those talks! However, I have got all I wanted I know Milverton's house as I know the paled his shoulders
”You can't help it, my dear Watson You must play your cards as best you can when such a stake is on the table However, I rejoice to say that I have a hated rival, ill certainly cut ht it is!”
”You like this weather?”
”It suits ht”
I had a catching of the breath, and my skin went cold at the words, which were slowly uttered in a tone of concentrated resolution As a flash of lightning in the night shows up in an instant every detail of a wild landscape, so at one glance I seemed to see every possible result of such an action--the detection, the capture, the honoured career ending in irreparable failure and disgrace,at the mercy of the odious Milverton
”For heaven's sake, Hol,” I cried
”My dear fellow, I have given it every consideration I aetic and, indeed, so dangerous a course, if any other were possible Let us look at the matter clearly and fairly I suppose that you will adh technically crile his house is no more than to forcibly take his pocketbook--an action in which you were prepared to aid me”
I turned it over in myas our object is to take no articles save those which are used for an illegal purpose”
Exactly Since it is morally justifiable, I have only to consider the question of personal risk Surely a gentleman should not lay much stress upon this, when a lady is in most desperate need of his help?”
”You will be in such a false position”
”Well, that is part of the risk There is no other possible way of regaining these letters The unfortunate lady has not the money, and there are none of her people in whorace, and unless we can get the letters to-night, this villain will be as good as his word and will bring about her ruin I must, therefore, abandon my client to her fate or I must play this last card Between ourselves, Watson, it's a sporting duel between this fellow Milverton and es, but ht it to a finish”
”Well, I don't like it, but I suppose it must be,” said I ”When do we start?”
”You are not coive you my word of honour-- and I never broke it in ht to the police-station and give you away, unless you let me share this adventure with you”
”You can't help me”
”How do you know that? You can't tell what may happen Anyway, my resolution is taken Other people besides you have self-respect, and even reputations”
Holmes had looked annoyed, but his brow cleared, and he clapped me on the shoulder
”Well, well, my dear fellow, be it so We have shared this sa if we ended by sharing the sa to you that I have always had an idea that I would have hly efficient criminal This is the chance of my lifetime in that direction See here!” He took a neat little leather case out of a drawer, and opening it he exhibited a nu instru kit, with nickel-plated jelass-cutter, adaptable keys, and every modern improvement which the march of civilization de is in order Have you a pair of silent shoes?”
”I have rubber-soled tennis shoes”
”Excellent! And a mask?”
”I can make a couple out of black silk”
”I can see that you have a strong, natural turn for this sort of thing Very good, do you make the masks We shall have some cold supper before we start It is now nine-thirty At eleven we shall drive as far as Church Row It is a quarter of an hour's walk froht Milverton is a heavy sleeper, and retires punctually at ten-thirty With any luck we should be back here by tith the Lady Eva's letters in my pocket”
Holht appear to be two theatre-goers homeward bound In Oxford Street we picked up a hansom and drove to an address in Hareat coats buttoned up, for it was bitterly cold, and the wind seee of the heath
”It's a business that needs delicate treatment,” said Holmes ”These documents are contained in a safe in the fellow's study, and the study is the ante-room of his bed-chamber On the other hand, like all these stout, little atha--that's my fiancee--says it is a joke in the servants' hall that it's impossible to wake the master He has a secretary who is devoted to his interests, and never budges froht Then he has a beast of a dog which roas, and she locks the brute up so as to give rounds Through the gate--now to the right aht put on our ht in any of the s, and everything is working splendidly”
With our black silk face-coverings, which turned us into two of the loo one side of it, lined by several s and two doors
”That's his bedrooht into the study It would suit us best, but it is bolted as well as locked, and we should reenhouse which opens into the drawing-room”
The place was locked, but Hollass and turned the key from the inside An instant afterwards he had closed the door behind us, and we had become felons in the eyes of the law The thick, warrance of exotic plants took us by the throat He seized my hand in the darkness and led ainst our faces Hol in the dark Still holding uely conscious that we had entered a large roo before He felt his way a the furniture, opened another door, and closed it behind us Putting outfroe We passed along it and Holht-hand side So into hed when I realized that it was the cat A fire was burning in this new rooain the air was heavy with tobacco smoke Holmes entered on tiptoe, waited for ently closed the door We were in Milverton's study, and a portiere at the farther side showed the entrance to his bedrooood fire, and the rooleam of an electric switch, but it was unnecessary, even if it had been safe, to turn it on At one side of the fireplace was a heavy curtain which covered the bay e had seen from outside On the other side was the door which communicated with the veranda A desk stood in the centre, with a turning-chair of shi+ning red leather Opposite was a large bookcase, with a marble bust of Athene on the top In the corner, between the bookcase and the wall, there stood a tall, green safe, the firelight flashi+ng back from the polished brass knobs upon its face Holmes stole across and looked at it Then he crept to the door of the bedroo intently No sound came from within Meanwhile it had struck h the outer door, so I examined it To my amazement, it was neither locked nor bolted I touched Holmes on the arm, and he turned his masked face in that direction I saw him start, and he was evidently as surprised as I
”I don't like it,” he whispered, putting his lips to my very ear ”I can't quite make it out Anyhoe have no ti?”
”Yes, stand by the door If you hear anyone coet away as we cah the door if our job is done, or hide behind thesecurtains if it is not Do you understand?”
I nodded, and stood by the door My first feeling of fear had passed away, and I thrilled noith a keener zest than I had ever enjoyed ere the defenders of the law instead of its defiers The high object of our mission, the consciousness that it was unselfish and chivalrous, the villainous character of our opponent, all added to the sporting interest of the adventure Far froers With a glow of ad his case of instru his tool with the caleon who perfor of safes was a particular hobby with hiave hion which held in itsup the cuffs of his dress-coat--he had placed his overcoat on a chair--Holmes laid out two drills, a jemmy, and several skeleton keys I stood at the centre door with ency, though, indeed, ue as to what I should do if ere interrupted For half an hour, Hol down one tool, picking up another, handling each with the strength and delicacy of the trainedopen, and inside I had a glimpse of a number of paper packets, each tied, sealed, and inscribed Holmes picked one out, but it was as hard to read by the flickering fire, and he drew out his little dark lantern, for it was too dangerous, with Milverton in the next rooht Suddenly I saw hi the door of the safe to, picked up his coat, stuffed his tools into the pockets, and darted behind thecurtain,me to do the same
It was only when I had joined him there that I heard what had alarmed his quicker senses There was a noise somewhere within the house A door slammed in the distance Then a confused, dull murmur broke itself into theThey were in the passage outside the room They paused at the door The door opened There was a sharp snick as the electric light was turned on The door closed once ar was borne to our nostrils Then the footsteps continued backward and forward, backward and forward, within a few yards of us Finally there was a creak from a chair, and the footsteps ceased Then a key clicked in a lock, and I heard the rustle of papers
So far I had not dared to look out, but now I gently parted the division of the curtains in front of h Froainst ht in front of us, and almost within our reach, was the broad, rounded back of Milverton It was evident that we had entirely miscalculated his movements, that he had never been to his bedroo or billiard roo of the house, the s of which we had not seen His broad, grizzled head, with its shi+ning patch of baldness, was in the i far back in the red leather chair, his legs outstretched, a long, black cigar projecting at an angle fro jacket, claret-coloured, with a black velvet collar In his hand he held a long, legal docu rings of tobacco smoke from his lips as he did so There was no pro and his comfortable attitude
I felt Hol shake, as if to say that the situation ithin his powers, and that he was easy in his mind I was not sure whether he had seen as only too obvious from my position, that the door of the safe was iht at any moment observe it In idity of his gaze, that it had caught his eye, I would at once spring out, throw reat coat over his head, pinion him, and leave the rest to Holuidly interested by the papers in his hand, and page after page was turned as he followed the arguht, when he has finished the docuo to his room, but before he had reached the end of either, there cahts into quite another channel
Several times I had observed that Milverton looked at his watch, and once he had risen and sat down again, with a gesture of iht have an appointe an hour never occurred to me until a faint sound reached my ears from the veranda outside Milverton dropped his papers and sat rigid in his chair The sound was repeated, and then there caentle tap at the door Milverton rose and opened it
”Well,” said he, curtly, ”you are nearly half an hour late”
So this was the explanation of the unlocked door and of the nocturnal vigil of Milverton There was the gentle rustle of a woman's dress I had closed the slit between the curtains as Milverton's face had turned in our direction, but now I ventured very carefully to open it onceat an insolent angle frolare of the electric light, there stood a tall, slim, dark woman, a veil over her face, a mantle drawn round her chin Her breath caure was quivering with strong eood night's rest, my dear I hope you'll prove worth it You couldn't come any other time--eh?”
The woman shook her head
”Well, if you couldn't you couldn't If the Countess is a hard et level with her now Bless the girl, what are you shi+vering about? That's right Pull yourself together Now, let us get down to business” He took a notebook from the drawer of his desk ”You say that you have five letters which compromise the Countess d'Albert You want to sell theood It only remains to fix a price I should want to inspect the letters, of course If they are really good specimens--Great heavens, is it you?”
The woman, without a word, had raised her veil and dropped the mantle from her chin It was a dark, handsome, clear-cut face which confronted Milverton--a face with a curved nose, strong, dark eyebrows shading hard, glittering eyes, and a straight, thin-lipped erous smile
”It is I,” she said, ”the wohed, but fear vibrated in his voice ”You were so very obstinate,” said he ”Why did you drive me to such extremities? I assure you I wouldn't hurt a fly of my own accord, but every man has his business, and as I to do? I put the price ithin your means You would not pay”