a scandal in bohemia-第3章

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of　getting　those　letters　back。〃

　　〃Precisely　so。　But　how…〃

　　〃Was　there　a　secret　marriage？〃

　　〃None。〃

　　〃No　legal　papers　or　certificates？〃

　　〃None。〃

　　〃Then　I　fail　to　follow　your　Majesty。　If　this　young　person　should

produce　her　letters　for　blackmailing　or　other　purposes；　how　is　she

to　prove　their　authenticity？〃

　　〃There　is　the　writing。〃

　　〃Pooh；　pooh！　Forgery。〃

　　〃My　private　note…paper。〃

　　〃Stolen。〃

　　〃My　own　seal。〃

　　〃Imitated。〃

　　〃My　photograph。〃

　　〃Bought。〃

　　〃We　were　both　in　the　photograph。〃

　　〃Oh　dear！　That　is　very　bad！　Your　Majesty　has　indeed　committed　an

indiscretion。〃

　　〃I　was　mad…　insane。〃

　　〃You　have　compromised　yourself　seriously。〃

　　〃I　was　only　Crown　Prince　then。　I　was　young。　I　am　but　thirty　now。〃

　　〃It　must　be　recovered。〃

　　〃We　have　tried　and　failed。〃

　　〃Your　Majesty　must　pay。　It　must　be　bought。〃

　　〃She　will　not　sell。〃

　　〃Stolen；　then。〃

　　〃Five　attempts　have　been　made。　Twice　burglars　in　my　pay　ransacked

her　house。　Once　we　diverted　her　luggage　when　she　travelled。　Twice

she　has　been　waylaid。　There　has　been　no　result。〃

　　〃No　sign　of　it？〃

　　〃Absolutely　none。〃

　　Holmes　laughed。　〃It　is　quite　a　pretty　little　problem；〃　said　he。

　　〃But　a　very　serious　one　to　me；〃　returned　the　King　reproachfully。

　　〃Very；　indeed。　And　what　does　she　propose　to　do　with　the　photograph？〃

　　〃To　ruin　me。〃

　　〃But　how？〃

　　〃I　am　about　to　be　married。〃

　　〃So　I　have　heard。〃

　　〃To　Clotilde　Lothman　von　Saxe…Meningen；　second　daughter　of　the

King　of　Scandinavia。　You　may　know　the　strict　principles　of　her　family。

She　is　herself　the　very　soul　of　delicacy。　A　shadow　of　a　doubt　as　to　my

conduct　would　bring　the　matter　to　an　end。〃

　　〃And　Irene　Adler？〃

　　〃Threatens　to　send　them　the　photograph。　And　she　will　do　it。　I　know

that　she　will　do　it。　You　do　not　know　her；　but　she　has　a　soul　of　steel。

She　has　the　face　of　the　most　beautiful　of　women；　and　the　mind　of　the

most　resolute　of　men。　Rather　than　I　should　marry　another　woman；

there　are　no　lengths　to　which　she　would　not　go…　none。〃

　　〃You　are　sure　that　she　has　not　sent　it　yet？〃

　　〃I　am　sure。〃

　　〃And　why？〃

　　〃Because　she　has　said　that　she　would　send　it　on　the　day　when　the

betrothal　was　publicly　proclaimed。　That　will　be　next　Monday。〃

　　〃Oh；　then　we　have　three　days　yet；〃　said　Holmes　with　a　yawn。　〃That　is

very　fortunate；　as　I　have　one　or　two　matters　of　importance　to　look

into　just　at　present。　Your　Majesty　will；　of　course；　stay　in　London　for

the　present？〃

　　〃Certainly。　You　will　find　me　at　the　Langham　under　the　name　of　the

Count　Von　Kramm。〃

　　〃Then　I　shall　drop　you　a　line　to　let　you　know　how　we　progress。〃

　　〃Pray　do　so。　I　shall　be　all　anxiety。〃

　　〃Then；　as　to　money？〃

　　〃You　have　carte　blanche。〃

　　〃Absolutely？〃

　　〃I　tell　you　that　I　would　give　one　of　the　provinces　of　my　kingdom

to　have　that　photograph。〃

　　〃And　for　present　expenses？〃

　　The　King　took　a　heavy　chamois　leather　bag　from　under　his　cloak　and

laid　it　on　the　table。

　　〃There　are　three　hundred　pounds　in　gold　and　seven　hundred　in　notes；〃

he　said。

　　Holmes　scribbled　a　receipt　upon　a　sheet　of　his　note…book　and

handed　it　to　him。

　　〃And　Mademoiselle's　address？〃　he　asked。

　　〃Is　Briony　Lodge；　Serpentine　Avenue；　St。　John's　Wood。〃

　　Holmes　took　a　note　of　it。　〃One　other　question；〃　said　he。　〃Was　the

photograph　a　cabinet？〃

　　〃It　was。〃

　　〃Then；　good…night；　your　Majesty；　and　I　trust　that　we　shall　soon　have

some　good　news　for　you。　And　good…night；　Watson；〃　he　added；　as　the

wheels　of　the　royal　brougham　rolled　down　the　street。　〃If　you　will　be

good　enough　to　call　to…morrow　afternoon　at　three　o'clock　I　should　like

to　chat　this　little　matter　over　with　you。〃

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　　At　three　o'clock　precisely　I　was　at　Baker　Street；　but　Holmes　had　not

yet　returned。　The　landlady　informed　me　that　he　had　left　the　house

shortly　after　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning。　I　sat　down　beside　the

fire；　however；　with　the　intention　of　awaiting　him；　however　long　he

might　be。　I　was　already　deeply　interested　in　his　inquiry；　for；

though　it　was　surrounded　by　none　of　the　grim　and　strange　features

which　were　associated　with　the　two　crimes　which　I　have　already

recorded；　still；　the　nature　of　the　case　and　the　exalted　station　of　his

client　gave　it　a　character　of　its　own。　Indeed；　apart　from　the　nature

of　the　investigation　which　my　friend　had　on　hand；　there　was

something　in　his　masterly　grasp　of　a　situation；　and　his　keen；　incisive

reasoning；　which　made　it　a　pleasure　to　me　to　study　his　system　of　work；

and　to　follow　the　quick；　subtle　methods　by　which　he　disentangled　the

most　inextricable　mysteries。　So　accustomed　was　I　to　his　invariable

success　that　the　very　possibility　of　his　failing　had　ceased　to　enter

into　my　head。

　　It　was　close　upon　four　before　the　door　opened；　and　a　drunken…looking

groom；　ill…kempt　and　side…whiskered；　with　an　inflamed　face　and

disreputable　clothes；　walked　into　the　room。　Accustomed　as　I　was　to

my　friend's　amazing　powers　in　the　use　of　disguises；　I　had　to　look

three　times　before　I　was　certain　that　it　was　indeed　he。　With　a　nod

he　vanished　into　the　bedroom；　whence　he　emerged　in　five　minutes

tweed…suited　and　respectable；　as　of　old。　Putting　his　hands　into　his

pockets；　he　stretched　out　his　legs　in　front　of　the　fire　and　laughed

heartily　for　some　minutes。

　　〃Well；　really！〃　he　cried；　and　then　he　choked　and　laughed　again　until

he　was　obliged　to　lie　back；　limp　and　helpless；　in　the　chair。

　　〃What　is　it？〃

　　〃It's　quite　too　funny。　I　am　sure　you　could　never　guess　how　I

employed　my　morning；　or　what　I　ended　by　doing。〃

　　〃I　can't　imagine。　I　suppose　that　you　have　been　watching　the

habits；　and　perhaps　the　house；　of　Miss　Irene　Adler。〃

　　〃Quite　so；　but　the　sequel　was　rather　unusual。　I　will　tell　you；

however。　I　left　the　house　a　little　after　eight　o'clock　this　morning　in

the　character　of　a　groom　out　of　work。　There　is　a　wonderful　sympathy

and　freemasonry　among　horsy　men。　Be　one　of　them；　and　you　will　know　all

that　there　is　to　know。　I　soon　found　Briony　Lodge。　It　is　a　bijou　villa；

with　a　garden　at　the　back；　but　built　out　in　front　right　up　to　the

road；　two　stories。　Chubb　lock　to　the　door。　Large　sitting…room　on　the

right　side；　well　furnished；　with　long　windows　almost　to　the　floor；　and

those　preposterous　English　window　fasteners　which　a　child　could

open。　Behind　there　was　nothing　remarkable；　save　that　the　passage

window　could　be　reached　from　the　top　of　the　coach…house。　I　walked

round　it　and　examined　it　closely　from　every　point　of　view；　but　without

noting　anything　else　of　interest。

　　〃I　then　lounged　down　the　street　and　found；　as　I　expected；　that　there

was　a　mews　in　a　lane　which　runs　down　by　one　wall　of　the　garden。　I　lent

the　ostlers　a　hand　in　rubbing　down　their　horses；　and　received　in

exchange　twopence；　a　glass　of　half　and　half；　two　fills　of　shag

tobacco；　and　as　much　information　as　I　could　desire　about　Miss　Adler；

to　say　nothing　of　half　a　dozen　other　people　in　the　neighbourhood　in

whom　I　was　not　in　the　least　interested；　but　whose　biographies　I　was

compelled　to　listen　to。〃

　　〃And　what　of　Irene　Adler？〃　I　asked。

　　〃Oh；　she　has　turned　all　the　men's　heads　down　in　that　part。　She　is

the　daintiest　thing　under　a　bonnet　on　this　planet。　So　say　the

Serpentine…mews；　to　a　man。　She　lives　quietly；　sings　at　concerts；

drives　out　at　five　every　day；　and　returns　at　seven　sharp　for　dinner。

Seldom　goes　out　at　other　times；　except　when　she　sings。　Has　only　one

male　visitor；　but　a　good　deal　of　him。　He　is　dark；　handsome；　and

dashing；　never　calls　less　than　once　a　day；　and　often　twice。　He　is　a

Mr。　Godfrey　Norton；　of　the　Inner　Temple。　See　the　advantages　of　a

cabman　as　a　confidant。　they　had　driven　him　home　a　dozen　times　from

Serpentine…mews；　and　knew　all　about　him。　When　I　had　listened　to　all

they　had　to　tell；　I　began　to　walk　up　and　down　near　Briony　Lodge　once

more；　and　to　think　over　my　plan　of　campaign。

　　〃This　Godfrey　Norton　was　evidently　an　important　factor　in　the

matter。　He　was　a　lawyer。　That　sounded　ominous。　What　was　the　relation

between　them；　and　what　the　object　of　his　repeated　visits？　Was　she

his　client；　his　friend；　or　his　mistress？　If　the　former；　she　had

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