The Return of Sherlock Holmes Part 25 (1/2)
As we left the house Lestrade remained in the front room, while the repentant constable opened the door to let us out Hol in his hand The constable stared intently
”Good Lord, sir!” he cried, with aer on his lips, replaced his hand in his breast pocket, and burst out laughing as we turned down the street ”Excellent!” said he ”Cos up for the last act You will be relieved to hear that there will be no war, that the Right Honourable Trelawney Hope will suffer no setback in his brilliant career, that the indiscreet Sovereign will receive no punishment for his indiscretion, that the Prime Minister will have no Europe an coement upon our part nobody will be a penny the worse for what ly incident”
My mind filled with admiration for this extraordinary man
”You have solved it!” I cried
”Hardly that, Watson There are some points which are as dark as ever But we have so et the rest We will go straight to Whitehall Terrace and bring the matter to a head”
When we arrived at the residence of the European Secretary it was for Lady Hilda Trelawney Hope that Sherlock Hol-room
”Mr Holnation ”This is surely enerous upon your part I desired, as I have explained, to keep my visit to you a secret, lestinto his affairs And yet you co that there are business relations between us”
”Unfortunately, madam, I had no possible alternative I have been commissioned to recover this immensely important paper I h to place it into her feet, with the colour all dashed in an instant froht that she would faint Then with a grand effort she rallied fronation chased every other expression from her features
”You--you insult me, Mr Holmes”
”Come, come, madam, it is useless Give up the letter”
She darted to the bell
”The butler shall show you out”
”Do not ring, Lady Hilda If you do, then all my earnest efforts to avoid a scandal will be frustrated Give up the letter and all will be set right If you ith ainst randly defiant, a queenly figure, her eyes fixed upon his as if she would read his very soul Her hand was on the bell, but she had forborne to ring it
”You are trying to frighten , Mr Holmes, to co What is it that you know?”
”Pray sit down, madam You will hurt yourself there if you fall I will not speak until you sit down Thank you”
”I give you five h, Lady Hilda I know of your visit to Eduardo Lucas, of your giving hienious return to the rooht, and of the -place under the carpet”
She stared at hiulped twice before she could speak
”You are mad, Mr Holmes--you are mad!” she cried, at last
He drew a small piece of cardboard from his pocket It was the face of a woman cut out of a portrait
”I have carried this because I thought it nized it”
She gave a gasp, and her head dropped back in the chair
”Come, Lady Hilda You have the letter Thetrouble to you My duty ends when I have returned the lost letter to your husband Take my advice and be frank with e was admirable Even now she would not own defeat
”I tell you again, Mr Holmes, that you are under some absurd illusion”
Holmes rose from his chair
”I am sorry for you, Lady Hilda I have done my best for you I can see that it is all in vain”
He rang the bell The butler entered
”Is Mr Trelawney Hope at home?”
”He will be holanced at his watch
”Still a quarter of an hour,” said he ”Very good, I shall wait”
The butler had hardly closed the door behind him when Lady Hilda was down on her knees at Holmes's feet, her hands outstretched, her beautiful face upturned and ith her tears
”Oh, spare me, Mr Holmes! Spare me!” she pleaded, in a frenzy of supplication ”For heaven's sake, don't tell hi one shadow on his life, and this I knoould break his noble heart”
Holmes raised the lady ”I am thankful, madam, that you have come to your senses even at this last moment! There is not an instant to lose Where is the letter?”
She darted across to a writing-desk, unlocked it, and drew out a long blue envelope
”Here it is, Mr Holmes Would to heaven I had never seen it!”
”How can we return it?” Holmes muttered ”Quick, quick, we must think of some way! Where is the despatch-box?”
”Still in his bedroo it here!” A moment later she had appeared with a red flat box in her hand
”How did you open it before? You have a duplicate key? Yes, of course you have Open it!”
From out of her bosom Lady Hilda had drawn a small key The box flew open It was stuffed with papers Holmes thrust the blue envelope deep down into the heart of them, between the leaves of some other document The box was shut, locked, and returned to the bedroom
”Noe are ready for hi far to screen you, Lady Hilda In return you will spend the ti of this extraordinary affair”
”Mr Hol,” cried the lady ”Oh, Mr Holave him a moment of sorrow! There is no woman in all London who loves her husband as I do, and yet if he kne I have acted--how I have been coive et or pardon a lapse in another Help me, Mr Holmes! My happiness, his happiness, our very lives are at stake!”