the naval treaty-第3章

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as　dimly　lighted？〃

　　〃It　is　absolutely　impossible。　A　rat　could　not　conceal　himself　either

in　the　room　or　the　corridor。　There　is　no　cover　at　all。〃

　　〃Thank　you。　Pray　proceed。〃

　　〃The　commissionaire；　seeing　by　my　pale　face　that　something　was　to　be

feared；　had　followed　me　upstairs。　Now　we　both　rushed　along　the

corridor　and　down　the　steep　steps　which　led　to　Charles　Street。　The

door　at　the　bottom　was　closed　but　unlocked。　We　flung　it　open　and

rushed　out。　I　can　distinctly　remember　that　as　we　did　so　there　came

three　chimes　from　a　neighbouring　clock。　It　was　a　quarter　to　ten。〃

　　〃That　is　of　enormous　importance；〃　said　Holmes；　making　a　note　upon

his　shirt…cuff。

　　〃The　night　was　very　dark；　and　a　thin；　warm　rain　was　falling。　There

was　no　one　in　Charles　Street；　but　a　great　traffic　was　going　on；　as

usual；　in　Whitehall；　at　the　extremity。　We　rushed　along　the　pavement；

bare…headed　as　we　were；　and　at　the　far　corner　we　found　a　policeman

standing。

　　〃'A　robbery　has　been　committed；'　I　gasped。　'A　document　of　immense

value　has　been　stolen　from　the　Foreign　Office。　Has　anyone　passed

this　way？'

　　〃'I　have　been　standing　here　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　sir；'　said　he；

'only　one　person　has　passed　during　that　time…a　woman；　tall　and

elderly；　with　a　Paisley　shawl。'

　　〃'Ah；　that　is　only　my　wife；'　cried　the　commissionaire；　'has　no　one

else　passed？'

　　〃'No　one。'

　　〃'Then　it　must　be　the　other　way　that　the　thief　took；'　cried　the

fellow；　tugging　at　my　sleeve。

　　〃But　I　was　not　satisfied；　and　the　attempts　which　he　made　to　draw

me　away　increased　my　suspicions。

　　〃'Which　way　did　the　woman　go？'　I　cried。

　　〃'I　don't　know；　sir。　I　noticed　her　pass；　but　I　had　no　special　reason

for　watching　her。　She　seemed　to　be　in　a　hurry。'

　　〃'How　long　ago　was　it？'

　　〃'Oh；　not　very　many　minutes。'

　　〃'Within　the　last　five？'

　　〃'Well；　it　could　not　have　been　more　than　five。'

　　〃'You're　only　wasting　your　time；　sir；　and　every　minute　now　is　of

importance；'　cried　the　commissionaire；　'take　my　word　for　it　that　my

old　woman　has　nothing　to　do　with　it　and　come　down　to　the　other　end

of　the　street。　Well；　if　you　won't；　I　will。'　And　with　that　he　rashed

off　in　the　other　direction。

　　〃'But　I　was　after　him　in　an　instant　and　caught　him　by　the　sleeve。

　　〃'Where　do　you　live？'　said　I。

　　〃'16　Ivy　Lane；　Brixton；'　he　answered。　'But　don't　let　yourself　be

drawn　away　upon　a　false　scent；　Mr。　Phelps。　Come　to　the　other　end　of

the　street　and　let　us　see　if　we　can　hear　of　anything。'

　　〃Nothing　was　to　be　lost　by　following　his　advice。　With　the

policeman　we　both　hurried　down；　but　only　to　find　the　street　full　of

traffic；　many　people　coming　and　going；　but　all　only　too　eager　to　get

to　a　place　of　safety　upon　so　wet　a　night。　There　was　no　lounger　who

could　tell　us　who　had　passed。

　　〃Then　we　returned　to　the　office　and　searched　the　stairs　and　the

passage　without　result。　The　corridor　which　led　to　the　room　was　laid

down　with　a　kind　of　creamy　linoleum　which　shows　an　impression　very

easily。　We　examined　it　very　carefully；　but　found　no　outline　of　any

footmark。〃

　　〃Had　it　been　raining　all　evening？〃

　　〃Since　about　seven。〃

　　〃How　is　it；　then；　that　the　woman　who　came　into　the　room　about　nine

left　no　traces　with　her　muddy　boots？〃

　　〃I　am　glad　you　raised　the　point。　It　occurred　to　me　at　the　time。

The　charwomen　are　in　the　habit　of　taking　off　their　boots　at　the

commissionaire's　office；　and　putting　on　list　slippers。〃

　　〃That　is　very　clear。　There　were　no　marks　then；　though　the　night

was　a　wet　one？　The　chain　of　events　is　certainly　one　of　extraordinary

interest。　What　did　you　do　next？〃

　　〃We　examined　the　room　also。　There　is　no　possibility　of　a　secret

door；　and　the　windows　are　quite　thirty　feet　from　the　ground。　Both　of

them　were　fastened　on　the　inside。　The　carpet　prevents　any

possibility　of　a　trapdoor；　and　the　ceiling　is　of　the　ordinary

whitewashed　kind。　I　will　pledge　my　life　that　whoever　stole　my　papers

could　only　have　come　through　the　door。〃

　　〃How　about　the　fireplace？〃

　　〃They　use　none。　There　is　a　stove。　The　bell…rope　hangs　from　the

wire　just　to　the　right　of　my　desk。　Whoever　rang　it　must　have　come

right　up　to　the　desk　to　do　it。　But　why　should　any　criminal　wish　to

ring　the　bell？　It　is　a　most　insoluble　mystery。〃

　　〃Certainly　the　incident　was　unusual。　What　were　your　next　steps？

You　examined　the　room；　I　presume；　to　see　if　the　intruder　had　left

any　traces…any　cigar…end　or　dropped　glove　or　hairpin　or　other　trifle？〃

　　〃There　was　nothing　of　the　sort。〃

　　〃No　smell？〃

　　〃Well；　we　never　thought　of　that。〃

　　〃Ah；　a　scent　of　tobacco　would　have　been　worth　a　great　deal　to　us

in　such　an　investigation。〃

　　〃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　commissionaire's　wife…Mrs。

Tangey　was　the　name…had　hurried　out　of　the　place。　He　could　give　no

explanation　save　that　it　was　about　the　time　when　the　woman　always　went

home。　The　policeman　and　I　agreed　that　our　best　plan　would　be　to

seize　the　woman　before　she　could　get　rid　of　the　papers；　presuming　that

she　had　them。

　　〃The　alarm　had　reached　Scotland　Yard　by　this　time；　and　Mr。　Forbes；

the　detective；　came　round　at　once　and　took　up　the　case　with　a　great

deal　of　energy。　We　hired　a　hansom；　and　in　half　an　hour　we　were　at

the　address　which　had　been　given　to　us。　A　young　woman　opened　the　door；

who　proved　to　be　Mrs。　Tangey's　eldest　daughter。　Her　mother　had　not

come　back　yet；　and　we　were　shown　into　the　front　room　to　wait。

　　〃About　ten　minutes　later　a　knock　came　at　the　door；　and　here　we

made　the　one　serious　mistake　for　which　I　blame　myself。　Instead　of

opening　the　door　ourselves；　we　allowed　the　girl　to　do　so。　We　heard　her

say；　'Mother；　there　are　two　men　in　the　house　waiting　to　see　you；'

and　an　instant　afterwards　we　heard　the　patter　of　feet　rushing　down　the

passage。　Forbes　flung　open　the　door；　and　we　both　ran　into　the　back

room　or　kitchen；　but　the　woman　had　got　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　we　were　when　you　ran　away　from

us？'　asked　my　companion。

　　〃'I　thought　you　were　the　brokers；'　said　she；　'we　have　had　some

trouble　with　a　tradesman。'

　　〃'That's　not　quite　good　enough；'　answered　Forbes。　'We　have　reason　to

believe　that　you　have　taken　a　paper　of　importance　from　the　Foreign

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　she　might　have　made　away　with　the　papers　during　the　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　female　searcher。　I　waited　in　an　agony　of　suspense　until　she　came

back　with　her　report。　There　were　no　signs　of　the　papers。

　　〃Then　for　the　first　time　the　horror　of　my　situation　came　in　its　full

force。　Hitherto　I　had　been　acting；　and　action　had　numbed　thought。　I

had　been　so　confident　of　regaining　the　treaty　at　once　that　I　had　not

dared　to　think　of　what　would　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　my　nature。　I　thought

of　my　uncle　and　of　his　colleagues　in　the　Cabinet；　of　the　shame　which　I

had　brought　upon　him；　upon　myself；　upon　everyone　connected　with　me。

What　though　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　know

what　I　did。　I　fancy　I　must　have　made　a　scene。　I　have　a　dim

recollection　of　a　group　of　officials　who　crowded　round　me；

endeavouring　to　soothe