第14章
“Itismostunlikelythatshecarriesitaboutwithher。Itiscabinetsize。Toolargeforeasyconcealmentaboutawoman’sdress。Sheknowsthatthekingiscapableofhavingherwaylaidandsearched。Twoattemptsofthesorthavealreadybeenmade。Wemaytakeit，then，thatshedoesnotcarryitaboutwithher。“
“Where，then？“
“Herbankerorherlawyer。Thereisthatdoublepossibility。ButIaminclinedtothinkneither。Womenarenaturallysecretive，andtheyliketodotheirownsecreting。Whyshouldshehanditovertoanyoneelse？Shecouldtrustherownguardianship，butshecouldnottellwhatindirectorpoliticalinfluencemightbebroughttobearuponabusinessman。Besides，rememberthatshehadresolvedtouseitwithinafewdays。Itmustbewhereshecanlayherhandsuponit。Itmustbeinherownhouse。“
“Butithastwicebeenburglarized。“
“Pshaw！Theydidnotknowhowtolook。“
“Buthowwillyoulook？“
“Iwillnotlook。“
“Whatthen？“
“Iwillgethertoshowme。“
“Butshewillrefuse。“
“Shewillnotbeableto。ButIheartherumbleofwheels。Itishercarriage。Nowcarryoutmyorderstotheletter。“
Ashespoke，thegleamofthesidelightsofacarriagecameroundthecurveoftheavenue。ItwasasmartlittlelandauwhichrattleduptothedoorofBrionyLodge。Asitpulleduponeoftheloafingmenatthecornerdashedforwardtoopenthedoorinthehopeofearningacopper，butwaselbowedawaybyanotherloaferwhohadrushedupwiththesameintention。Afiercequarrelbrokeoutwhichwasincreasedbythetwoguardsmen，whotooksideswithoneoftheloungers，andbythescissorsgrinder，whowasequallyhotupontheotherside。Ablowwasstruck，andinaninstantthelady，whohadsteppedfromhercarriage，wasthecenterofalittleknotofstrugglingmenwhostrucksavagelyateachotherwiththeirfistsandsticks。Holmesdashedintothecrowdtoprotectthelady；but，justashereachedher，hegaveacryanddroppedtotheground，withthebloodrunningfreelydownhisface。Athisfalltheguardsmentooktotheirheelsinonedirectionandtheloungersintheother，whileanumberofbetter-dressedpeoplewhohadwatchedthescufflewithouttakingpartinitcrowdedintohelptheladyandtoattendtotheinjuredman。IreneAdler，asIwillstillcallher，hadhurriedupthesteps；butshestoodatthetop，withhersuperbfigureoutlinedagainstthelightsoftheball，lookingbackintothestreet。
“Isthepoorgentlemanmuchhurt？“sheasked。
“Heisdead，“criedseveralvoices。
“No，no，there’slifeinhim，“shoutedanother。“Buthe’llbegonebeforeyoucangethimtothehospital。“
“He’sabravefellow，“saidawoman。“Theywouldhavehadthelady’spurseandwatchifithadn’tbeenforhim。Theywereagang，andaroughone，too。Ah！he’sbreathingnow。“
“Hecan’tlieinthestreet。Maywebringhimin，marm？“
“Surely。Bringhimintothesittingroom。Thereisacomfortablesofa。Thisway，please。“SlowlyandsolemnlyhewasborneintoBrionyLodge，andlaidoutintheprincipalroom，whileIstillobservedtheproceedingsfrommypostbythewindow。Thelampshadbeenlighted，buttheblindshadnotbeendrawn，sothatIcouldseeHolmesashelayuponthecouch。Idonotknowwhetherhewasseizedwithcompunctionatthatmomentfortheparthewasplaying，butIknowthatIneverfeltmoreheartilyashamedofmyselfinmylifethanwhenIsawthebeautifulcreatureagainstwhomIwasconspiring，orthegraceandkindlinesswithwhichshewaitedupontheinjuredman。AndyetitwouldbetheblackesttreacherytoHolmestodrawbacknowfromthepartwhichhehadintrustedtome。
Ihardenedmyheart，andtookthesmoke-rocketfromundermyulster。Afterall，Ithought，wearenotinjuringher。Wearebutpreventingherfrominjuringanother。
Holmeshadsatuponthecouch，andIsawhimmotionlikeamanwhoisinneedofair。Amaidrushedacrossandthrewopenthewindow。
AtthesameinstantIsawhimraisehishand，andatthesignalI
tossedmyrocketintotheroomwithacryof“Fire！“Thewordwasnosooneroutofmymouththanthewholecrowdofspectators，welldressedandill——gentlemen，hostlers，andservantmaids——joinedinageneralshriekof“Fire！“Thickcloudsofsmokecurledthroughtheroom，andoutattheopenwindow。Icaughtaglimpseofrushingfigures，andamomentlaterthevoiceofHolmesfromwithinassuringthemthatitwasafalsealarm。Slippingthroughtheshoutingcrowd，Imademywaytothecornerofthestreet，andintenminuteswasrejoicedtofindmyfriend’sarminmine，andtogetawayfromthesceneofuproar。Hewalkedswiftlyandinsilenceforsomefewminutes，untilwehadturneddownoneofthequietstreetswhichledtowardtheEdgewareRoad。
“Youdiditverynicely，doctor，“heremarked。“Nothingcouldhavebeenbetter。Itisallright。“
“Youhavethephotograph？“
“Iknowwhereitis。“
“Andhowdidyoufindout？“
“Sheshowedme，asItoldyouthatshewould。“
“Iamstillinthedark。“
“Idonotwishtomakeamystery，“saidhe，laughing。“Thematterwasperfectlysimple。You，ofcourse，sawthateveryoneinthestreetwasanaccomplice。Theywereallengagedfortheevening。“
“Iguessedasmuch。“
“Then，whentherowbrokeout，Ihadalittlemoistredpaintinthepalmofmyhand。Irushedforward，felldown，clappedmyhandtomyface，andbecameapiteousspectacle。Itisanoldtrick。“
“ThatalsoIcouldfathom。“
“Thentheycarriedmein。Shewasboundtohavemein。Whatelsecouldshedo？Andintohersittingroom，whichwastheveryroomwhichIsuspected。Itlaybetweenthatandherbedroom，andIwasdeterminedtoseewhich。Theylaidmeonacouch，Imotionedforair，theywerecompelledtoopenthewindow，andyouhadyourchance。“
“Howdidthathelpyou？“
“Itwasall-important。Whenawomanthinksthatherhouseisonfire，herinstinctisatoncetorushtothethingwhichshevaluesmost。Itisaperfectlyoverpoweringimpulse，andIhavemorethanoncetakenadvantageofit。InthecaseoftheDarlingtonSubstitutionScandalitwasofusetome，andalsointheArnsworthCastlebusiness。Amarriedwomangrabsatherbaby——anunmarriedonereachesforherjewelbox。Nowitwascleartomethatourladyofto-dayhadnothinginthehousemoreprecioustoherthanwhatweareinquestof。Shewouldrushtosecureit。Thealarmoffirewasadmirablydone。Thesmokeandshoutingwereenoughtoshakenervesofsteel。Sherespondedbeautifully。Thephotographisinarecessbehindaslidingpaneljustabovetherightbell-
pull。Shewasthereinaninstant，andIcaughtaglimpseofitasshedrewitout。WhenIcriedoutthatitwasafalsealarm，shereplacedit，glancedattherocket，rushedfromtheroom，andI
havenotseenhersince。Irose，and，makingmyexcuses，escapedfromthehouse。Ihesitatedwhethertoattempttosecurethephotographatonce；butthecoachmanhadcomein，andashewaswatchingmenarrowly，itseemedsafertowait。Alittleover-
precipitancemayruinall。“
“Andnow？“Iasked。
“Ourquestispracticallyfinished。Ishallcallwiththekingto-
morrow，andwithyou，ifyoucaretocomewithus。Wewillbeshownintothesittingroomtowaitforthelady，butitisprobablethatwhenshecomesshemayfindneitherusnorthephotograph。Itmightbeasatisfactiontohismajestytoregainitwithhisownhands。“
“Andwhenwillyoucall？“
“Ateightinthemorning。Shewillnotbeup，sothatweshallhaveaclearfield。Besides，wemustbeprompt，forthismarriagemaymeanacompletechangeinherlifeandhabits。Imustwiretothekingwithoutdelay。“
WehadreachedBakerStreet，andhadstoppedatthedoor。Hewassearchinghispocketsforthekey，whensomeonepassingsaid:
“Goodnight，MisterSherlockHolmes。“
Therewereseveralpeopleonthepavementatthetime，butthegreetingappearedtocomefromaslimyouthinanulsterwhohadhurriedby。
“I’veheardthatvoicebefore，“saidHolmes，staringdownthedimlylightedstreet。“Now，Iwonderwhothedeucethatcouldhavebeen？“
III
IsleptatBakerStreetthatnight，andwewereengageduponourtoastandcoffeeinthemorning，whentheKingofBohemiarushedintotheroom。
“Youhavereallygotit？“hecried，graspingSherlockHolmesbyeithershoulder，andlookingeagerlyintohisface。
“Notyet。“
“Butyouhavehopes？“
“Ihavehopes。“
“Thencome。Iamallimpatiencetobegone。“
“Wemusthaveacab。“
“No，mybroughamiswaiting。“
“Thenthatwillsimplifymatters。“Wedescended，andstartedoffoncemoreforBrionyLodge。
“IreneAdlerismarried，“remarkedHolmes。
“Married！When？“
“Yesterday。“
“Buttowhom？“
“ToanEnglishlawyernamedNorton。“
“Butshecouldnotlovehim。“
“Iaminhopesthatshedoes。“
“Andwhyinhopes？“
“Becauseitwouldspareyourmajestyallfearoffutureannoyance。
Iftheladylovesherhusband，shedoesnotloveyourmajesty。Ifshedoesnotloveyourmajesty，thereisnoreasonwhysheshouldinterferewithyourmajesty’splan。“
“Itistrue。Andyet——Well，Iwishshehadbeenofmyownstation。Whataqueenshewouldhavemade！“Herelapsedintoamoodysilence，whichwasnotbrokenuntilwedrewupinSerpentineAvenue。
ThedoorofBrionyLodgewasopen，andanelderlywomanstooduponthesteps。Shewatcheduswithasardoniceyeaswesteppedfromthebrougham。
“Mr。SherlockHolmes，Ibelieve？“saidshe。
“IamMr。Holmes，“answeredmycompanion，lookingatherwithaquestioningandratherstartledgaze。
“Indeed！Mymistresstoldmethatyouwerelikelytocall。Sheleftthismorning，withherhusband，bythe5:15trainfromCharingCross，fortheContinent。“
“What！“SherlockHolmesstaggeredback，whitewithchagrinandsurprise。
“DoyoumeanthatshehasleftEngland？“
“Nevertoreturn。“
“Andthepapers？“askedthekinghoarsely。“Allislost！“
“Weshallsee。“Hepushedpasttheservant，andrushedintothedrawing-room，followedbythekingandmyself。Thefurniturewasscatteredaboutineverydirection，withdismantledshelves，andopendrawers，asiftheladyhadhurriedlyransackedthembeforeherflight。Holmesrushedatthebell-pull，torebackasmallslidingshutter，andplunginginhishand，pulledoutaphotographandaletter。ThephotographwasofIreneAdlerherselfineveningdress；theletterwassuperscribedto“SherlockHolmes，Esq。Tobelefttillcalledfor。“Myfriendtoreitopen，andweallthreereadittogether。Itwasdatedatmidnightoftheprecedingnight，andraninthisway:
“MYDEARMR。SHERLOCKHOLMES，——Youreallydiditverywell。Youtookmeincompletely。Untilafterthealarmofthefire，Ihadnotasuspicion。Butthen，whenIfoundhowIhadbetrayedmyself，Ibegantothink。Ihadbeenwarnedagainstyoumonthsago。Ihadbeentoldthatifthekingemployedanagent，itwouldcertainlybeyou。Andyouraddresshadbeengivenme。Yet，withallthis，youmademerevealwhatyouwantedtoknow。EvenafterIbecamesuspicious，Ifoundithardtothinkevilofsuchadear，kindoldclergyman。But，youknow，Ihavebeentrainedasanactressmyself。Malecostumeisnothingnewtome。Ioftentakeadvantageofthefreedomwhichitgives。IsentJohn，thecoachman，towatchyou，ranupstairs，gotintomywalkingclothes，asIcallthem，andcamedownjustasyoudeparted。