the adventure of the second stain-第2章

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bestow。〃

　　Sherlock　Holmes　rose　with　a　smile。

　　〃You　are　two　of　the　most　busy　men　in　the　country；〃　said　he；　〃and

in　my　own　small　way　I　have　also　a　good　many　calls　upon　me。　I　regret

exceedingly　that　I　cannot　help　you　in　this　matter；　and　any

continuation　of　this　interview　would　be　a　waste　of　time。〃

　　The　Premier　sprang　to　his　feet　with　that　quick；　fierce　gleam　of

his　deep…set　eyes　before　which　a　Cabinet　has　cowered。　〃I　am　not

accustomed；　sir；〃　he　began；　but　mastered　his　anger　and　resumed　his

seat。　For　a　minute　or　more　we　all　sat　in　silence。　Then　the　old

statesman　shrugged　his　shoulders。

　　〃We　must　accept　your　terms；　Mr。　Holmes。　No　doubt　you　are　right；

and　it　is　unreasonable　for　us　to　expect　you　to　act　unless　we　give

you　our　entire　confidence。〃

　　〃I　agree　with　you；〃　said　the　younger　statesman。

　　〃Then　I　will　tell　you；　relying　entirely　upon　your　honour　and　that　of

your　colleague；　Dr。　Watson。　I　may　appeal　to　your　patriotism　also；

for　I　could　not　imagine　a　greater　misfortune　for　the　country　than　that

this　affair　should　come　out。〃

　　〃You　may　safely　trust　us。〃

　　〃The　letter；　then；　is　from　a　certain　foreign　potentate　who　bas

been　ruffled　by　some　recent　Colonial　developments　of　this　country。

It　has　been　written　hurriedly　and　upon　his　own　responsibility

entirely。　Inquiries　have　shown　that　his　Ministers　know　nothing　of

the　matter。　At　the　same　time　it　is　couched　in　so　unfortunate　a　manner；

and　certain　phrases　in　it　are　of　so　provocative　a　character；　that

its　publication　would　undoubtedly　lead　to　a　most　dangerous　state　of

feeling　in　this　country。　There　would　be　such　a　ferment；　sir；　that　I　do

not　hesitate　to　say　that　within　a　week　of　the　publication　of　that

letter　this　country　would　be　involved　in　a　great　war。〃

　　Holmes　wrote　a　name　upon　a　slip　of　paper　and　handed　it　to　the

Premier。

　　〃Exactly。　It　was　he。　And　it　is　this　letter…　this　letter　which　may

well　mean　the　expenditure　of　a　thousand　millions　and　the　lives　of　a

hundred　thousand　men…　which　has　become　lost　in　this　unaccountable

fashion。〃

　　〃Have　you　informed　the　sender？〃

　　〃Yes；　sir；　a　cipher　telegram　has　been　despatched。〃

　　〃Perhaps　he　desires　the　publication　of　the　letter。〃

　　〃No；　sir；　we　have　strong　reason　to　believe　that　he　already

understands　that　he　has　acted　in　an　indiscreet　and　hot…headed

manner。　It　would　be　a　greater　blow　to　him　and　to　his　country　than　to

us　if　this　letter　were　to　come　out。〃

　　〃If　this　is　so；　whose　interest　is　it　that；　the　letter　should　come

out？　Why　should　anyone　desire　to　steal　it　or　to　publish　it？〃

　　〃There；　Mr。　Holmes；　you　take　me　into　regions　of　high　international

politics。　But　if　you　consider　the　European　situation　you　will　have

no　difficulty　in　perceiving　the　motive。　The　whole　of　Europe　is　an

armed　camp。　There　is　a　double　league　which　makes　a　fair　balance　of

military　power。　Great　Britain　holds　the　scales。　If　Britain　were　driven

into　war　with　one　confederacy；　it　would　assure　the　supremacy　of　the

other　confederacy；　whether　they　joined　in　the　war　or　not。　Do　you

follow？〃

　　〃Very　clearly。　It　is　then　the　interest　of　the　enemies　of　this

potentate　to　secure　and　publish　this　letter；　so　as　to　make　a　breach

between　his　country　and　ours？〃

　　〃Yes；　sir。〃

　　〃And　to　whom　would　this　document　be　sent　if　it　fell　into　the　hands

of　an　enemy？〃

　　〃To　any　of　the　great　Chancelleries　of　Europe。　It　is　probably

speeding　on　its　way　thither　at　the　present　instant　as　fast　as　steam

can　take　it。〃

　　Mr。　Trelawney　Hope　dropped　his　head　on　his　chest　and　groaned

aloud。　The　Premier　placed　his　hand　kindly　upon　his　shoulder。

　　〃It　is　your　misfortune；　my　dear　fellow。　No　one　can　blame　you。

There　is　no　precaution　which　you　have　neglected。　Now；　Mr。　Holmes；

you　are　in　full　possession　of　the　facts。　What　course　do　you

recommend？〃

　　Holmes　shook　his　head　mournfully。

　　〃You　think；　sir；　that　unless　this　document　is　recovered　there　will

be　war？〃

　　〃I　think　it　is　very　probable。〃

　　〃Then；　sir；　prepare　for　war。〃

　　〃That　is　a　hard　saying；　Mr。　Holmes。〃

　　〃Consider　the　facts；　sir。　It　is　inconceivable　that　it　was　taken

after　eleven…thirty　at　night；　since　I　understand　that　Mr。　Hope　and　his

wife　were　both　in　the　room　from　that　hour　until　the　loss　was　found

out。　It　was　taken；　then；　yesterday　evening　between　seven…thirty　and

eleven…thirty；　probably　near　the　earlier　hour；　since　whoever　took　it

evidently　knew　that　it　was　there　and　would　naturally　secure　it　as

early　as　possible。　Now；　sir；　if　a　document　of　this　importance　were

taken　at　that　hour；　where　can　it　be　now？　No　one　has　any　reason　to

retain　it。　It　has　been　passed　rapidly　on　to　those　who　need　it。　What

chance　have　we　now　to　overtake　or　even　to　trace　it？　It　is　beyond　our

reach。〃

　　The　Prime　Minister　rose　from　the　settee。

　　〃What　you　say　is　perfectly　logical；　Mr。　Holmes。　I　feel　that　the

matter　is　indeed　out　of　our　hands。〃

　　〃Let　us　presume；　for　argument's　sake；　that　the　document　was　taken　by

the　maid　or　by　the　valet…〃

　　〃They　are　both　old　and　tried　servants。〃

　　〃I　understand　you　to　say　that　your　room　is　on　the　second　floor；　that

there　is　no　entrance　from　without；　and　that　from　within　no　one　could

go　up　unobserved。　It　must；　then；　be　somebody　in　the　house　who　has

taken　it。　To　whom　would　the　thief　take　it？　To　one　of　several

international　spies　and　secret　agents；　whose　names　are　tolerably

familiar　to　me。　There　are　three　who　may　be　said　to　be　the　heads　of

their　profession。　I　will　begin　my　research　by　going　round　and

finding　if　each　of　them　is　at　his　post。　If　one　is　missing…

especially　if　he　has　disappeared　since　last　night…　we　will　have　some

indication　as　to　where　the　document　has　gone。〃

　　〃Why　should　he　be　missing？〃　asked　the　European　Secretary。　〃He

would　take　the　letter　to　an　Embassy　in　London；　as　likely　as　not。〃

　　〃I　fancy　not。　These　agents　work　independently；　and　their　relations

with　the　Embassies　are　often　strained。〃

　　The　Prime　Minister　nodded　his　acquiescence。

　　〃I　believe　you　are　right；　Mr。　Holmes。　He　would　take　so　valuable　a

prize　to　headquarters　with　his　own　hands。　I　think　that　your　course

of　action　is　an　excellent　one。　Meanwhile；　Hope；　we　cannot　neglect

all　our　other　duties　on　account　of　this　one　misfortune。　Should　there

be　any　fresh　developments　during　the　day　we　shall　communicate　with

you；　and　you　will　no　doubt　let　us　know　the　results　of　your　own

inquiries。〃

　　The　two　statesmen　bowed　and　walked　gravely　from　the　room。

　　When　our　illustrious　visitors　had　departed　Holmes　lit　his　pipe　in

silence　and　sat　for　some　time　lost　in　the　deepest　thought。　I　had

opened　the　morning　paper　and　was　immersed　in　a　sensational　crime　which

had　occurred　in　London　the　night　before；　when　my　friend　gave　an

exclamation；　sprang　to　his　feet；　and　laid　his　pipe　down　upon　the

mantelpiece。

　　〃Yes；〃　said　he；　〃there　is　no　better　way　of　approaching　it。　The

situation　is　desperate；　but　not　hopeless。　Even　now；　if　we　could　be

sure　which　of　them　has　taken　it；　it　is　just　possible　that　it　has　not

yet　passed　out　of　his　hands。　After　all；　it　is　a　question　of　money　with

these　fellows；　and　I　have　the　British　treasury　behind　me。　If　it's　on

the　market　I'll　buy　it…　if　it　means　another　penny　on　the　income…tax。

It　is　conceivable　that　the　fellow　might　hold　it　back　to　see　what

bids　come　from　this　side　before　he　tries　his　luck　on　the　other。

There　are　only　those　three　capable　of　playing　so　bold　a　game…　there

are　Oberstein；　La　Rothiere；　and　Eduardo　Lucas。　I　will　see　each　of

them。〃

　　I　glanced　at　my　morning　paper。

　　〃Is　that　Eduardo　Lucas　of　Godolphin　Street？〃

　　〃Yes。〃

　　〃You　will　not　see　him。〃

　　〃Why　not？〃

　　〃He　was　murdered　in　his　house　last　night。〃

　　My　friend　has　so　often　astonished　me　in　the　course　of　our　adventures

that　it　was　with　a　sense　of　exultation　that　I　realized　how

completely　I　had　astonished　him。　He　stared　in　amazement；　and　then

snatched　the　paper　from　my　hands。　This　was　the　paragraph　which　I　had

been　engaged　in　reading　when　he　rose　from　his　chair。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MURDER　IN　WESTMINSTER



　　A　crime　of　mysterious　character　was　committed　last　night　at　16

Godolphin　Street；　one　of　the　old…fashioned　and　secluded　rows　of

eig