第12章

“Youwillexcusethismask，“continuedourstrangevisitor。“Theaugustpersonwhoemploysmewisheshisagenttobeunknowntoyou，andImayconfessatoncethatthetitlebywhichIhavejustcalledmyselfisnotexactlymyown。“

“Iwasawareofit，“saidHolmes，dryly。

“Thecircumstancesareofgreatdelicacy，andeveryprecautionhastobetakentoquenchwhatmightgrowtobeanimmensescandal，andseriouslycompromiseoneofthereigningfamiliesofEurope。Tospeakplainly，thematterimplicatesthegreatHouseofOrmstein，hereditarykingsofBohemia。“

“Iwasalsoawareofthat，“murmuredHolmes，settlinghimselfdowninhisarmchair，andclosinghiseyes。

Ourvisitorglancedwithsomeapparentsurpriseatthelanguid，loungingfigureofthemanwhohadbeen，nodoubt，depictedtohimasthemostincisivereasonerandmostenergeticagentinEurope。

Holmesslowlyreopenedhiseyesandlookedimpatientlyathisgiganticclient。

“Ifyourmajestywouldcondescendtostateyourcase，“heremarked，“Ishouldbebetterabletoadviseyou。“

Themansprungfromhischair，andpacedupanddowntheroominuncontrollableagitation。Then，withagestureofdesperation，hetorethemaskfromhisfaceandhurleditupontheground。

“Youareright，“hecried，“Iamtheking。WhyshouldIattempttoconcealit？“

“Why，indeed？“murmuredHolmes。“YourmajestyhadnotspokenbeforeIwasawarethatIwasaddressingWilhelmGottsreichSigismondvonOrmstein，GrandDukeofCassel-Felstein，andhereditaryKingofBohemia。“

“Butyoucanunderstand，“saidourstrangevisitor，sittingdownoncemoreandpassinghishandoverhishigh，whiteforehead，“youcanunderstandthatIamnotaccustomedtodoingsuchbusinessinmyownperson。YetthematterwassodelicatethatIcouldnotconfideittoanagentwithoutputtingmyselfinhispower。IhavecomeincognitofromPragueforthepurposeofconsultingyou。“

“Then，prayconsult，“saidHolmes，shuttinghiseyesoncemore。

“Thefactsarebrieflythese:Somefiveyearsago，duringalengthyvisittoWarsaw，Imadetheacquaintanceofthewell-knownadventuressIreneAdler。Thenameisnodoubtfamiliartoyou。“

“Kindlylookherupinmyindex，doctor，“murmuredHolmes，withoutopeninghiseyes。Formanyyearshehadadoptedasystemfordocketingallparagraphsconcerningmenandthings，sothatitwasdifficulttonameasubjectorapersononwhichhecouldnotatoncefurnishinformation。InthiscaseIfoundherbiographysandwichedinbetweenthatofaHebrewrabbiandthatofastaffcommanderwhohadwrittenamonographuponthedeep-seafishes。

“Letmesee！“saidHolmes。“Hum！BorninNewJerseyintheyear1858。Contralto——hum！LaScala——hum！PrimadonnaImperialOperaofWarsaw——yes！Retiredfromoperaticstage——ha！LivinginLondon——quiteso！Yourmajesty，asIunderstand，becameentangledwiththisyoungperson，wrotehersomecompromisingletters，andisnowdesirousofgettingthoselettersback。“

“Preciselyso。Buthow——“

“Wasthereasecretmarriage？“

“None。“

“Nolegalpapersorcertificates？“

“None。“

“ThenIfailtofollowyourmajesty。Ifthisyoungpersonshouldproduceherlettersforblackmailingorotherpurposes，howisshetoprovetheirauthenticity？“

“Thereisthewriting。“

“Pooh-pooh！Forgery。“

“Myprivatenotepaper。“

“Stolen。“

“Myownseal。“

“Imitated。“

“Myphotograph。“

“Bought。“

“Wewerebothinthephotograph。“

“Oh，dear！Thatisverybad。Yourmajestyhasindeedcommittedanindiscretion。“

“Iwasmad——insane。“

“Youhavecompromisedyourselfseriously。“

“Iwasonlycrownprincethen。Iwasyoung。Iambutthirtynow。“

“Itmustberecovered。“

“Wehavetriedandfailed。“

“Yourmajestymustpay。Itmustbebought。“

“Shewillnotsell。“

“Stolen，then。“

“Fiveattemptshavebeenmade。Twiceburglarsinmypayransackedherhouse。Oncewedivertedherluggagewhenshetraveled。Twiceshehasbeenwaylaid。Therehasbeennoresult。“

“Nosignofit？“

“Absolutelynone。“

Holmeslaughed。“Itisquiteaprettylittleproblem，“saidhe。

“Butaveryseriousonetome，“returnedtheking，reproachfully。

“Very，indeed。Andwhatdoessheproposetodowiththephotograph？“

“Toruinme。“

“Buthow？“

“Iamabouttobemarried。“

“SoIhaveheard。“

“ToClotildeLothmanvonSaxe-Meiningen，seconddaughteroftheKingofScandinavia。Youmayknowthestrictprinciplesofherfamily。Sheisherselftheverysoulofdelicacy。Ashadowofadoubtastomyconductwouldbringthemattertoanend。“

“AndIreneAdler？“

“Threatenstosendthemthephotograph。Andshewilldoit。I

knowthatshewilldoit。Youdonotknowher，butshehasasoulofsteel。Shehasthefaceofthemostbeautifulofwomenandthemindofthemostresoluteofmen。RatherthanIshouldmarryanotherwoman，therearenolengthstowhichshewouldnotgo——

none。“

“Youaresureshehasnotsentityet？“

“Iamsure。“

“Andwhy？“

“Becauseshehassaidthatshewouldsenditonthedaywhenthebetrothalwaspubliclyproclaimed。ThatwillbenextMonday。“

“Oh，thenwehavethreedaysyet，“saidHolmes，withayawn。“Thatisveryfortunate，asIhaveoneortwomattersofimportancetolookintojustatpresent。Yourmajestywill，ofcourse，stayinLondonforthepresent？“

“Certainly。YouwillfindmeattheLangham，underthenameoftheCountvonKramm。“

“ThenIshalldropyoualinetoletyouknowhowweprogress。“

“Praydoso；Ishallbeallanxiety。“

“Then，astomoney？“

“Youhavecarteblanche。“

“Absolutely？“

“ItellyouthatIwouldgiveoneoftheprovincesofmykingdomtohavethatphotograph。“

“Andforpresentexpenses？“

Thekingtookaheavychamois-leatherbagfromunderhiscloak，andlaiditonthetable。

“Therearethreehundredpoundsingold，andsevenhundredinnotes，“hesaid。

Holmesscribbledareceiptuponasheetofhisnotebook，andhandedittohim。

“Andmademoiselle’saddress？“heasked。

“IsBrionyLodge，SerpentineAvenue，St。John’sWood。“

Holmestookanoteofit。“Oneotherquestion，“saidhe，thoughtfully。“Wasthephotographacabinet？“

“Itwas。“