I.A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA

animmediatedeparture,andsonecessitateverypromptandenergeticmeasuresonmypart.Atthechurchdoor,however,theyseparated,hedrivingbacktotheTemple,andshetoherownhouse.‘Ishalldriveoutintheparkatfiveasusual,’shesaidasshelefthim.Iheardnomore.Theydroveawayindifferentdirections,andIwentofftomakemyownarrangements.” “Whichare?” “Somecoldbeefandaglassofbeer,”heanswered,ringingthebell.“Ihavebeentoobusytothinkoffood,andIamlikelytobebusierstillthisevening.Bytheway,Doctor,Ishallwantyourco-operation.” “Ishallbedelighted.” “Youdon’tmindbreakingthelaw?” “Notintheleast.” “Norrunningachanceofarrest?” “Notinagoodcause.” “Oh,thecauseisexcellent!” “ThenIamyourman.” “IwassurethatImightrelyonyou.” “Butwhatisityouwish?” “WhenMrs.TurnerhasbroughtinthetrayIwillmakeitcleartoyou.Now,”hesaidasheturnedhungrilyonthesimplefarethatourlandladyhadprovided,“ImustdiscussitwhileIeat,forIhavenotmuchtime.Itisnearlyfivenow.Intwohourswemustbeonthesceneofaction.MissIrene,orMadame,rather,returnsfromherdriveatseven.WemustbeatBrionyLodgetomeether.” “Andwhatthen?” “Youmustleavethattome.Ihavealreadyarrangedwhatistooccur.ThereisonlyonepointonwhichImustinsist.Youmustnotinterfere,comewhatmay.Youunderstand?” “Iamtobeneutral?” “Todonothingwhatever.Therewillprobablybesomesmallunpleasantness.Donotjoininit.Itwillendinmybeingconveyedintothehouse.Fourorfiveminutesafterwardsthesitting-roomwindowwillopen.Youaretostationyourselfclosetothatopenwindow.” “Yes.” “Youaretowatchme,forIwillbevisibletoyou.” “Yes.” “AndwhenIraisemyhand—so—youwillthrowintotheroomwhatIgiveyoutothrow,andwill,atthesametime,raisethecryoffire.Youquitefollowme?” “Entirely.” “Itisnothingveryformidable,”hesaid,takingalongcigar-shapedrollfromhispocket.“Itisanordinaryplumber’ssmoke-rocket,fittedwithacapateitherendtomakeitself-lighting.Yourtaskisconfinedtothat.Whenyouraiseyourcryoffire,itwillbetakenupbyquiteanumberofpeople.Youmaythenwalktotheendofthestreet,andIwillrejoinyouintenminutes.IhopethatIhavemademyselfclear?” “Iamtoremainneutral,togetnearthewindow,towatchyou,andatthesignaltothrowinthisobject,thentoraisethecryoffire,andtowaityouatthecornerofthestreet.” “Precisely.” “Thenyoumayentirelyrelyonme.” “Thatisexcellent.Ithink,perhaps,itisalmosttimethatIprepareforthenewroleIhavetoplay.” Hedisappearedintohisbedroomandreturnedinafewminutesinthecharacterofanamiableandsimple-mindedNonconformistclergyman.Hisbroadblackhat,hisbaggytrousers,hiswhitetie,hissympatheticsmile,andgenerallookofpeeringandbenevolentcuriosityweresuchasMr.JohnHarealonecouldhaveequalled.ItwasnotmerelythatHolmeschangedhiscostume.Hisexpression,hismanner,hisverysoulseemedtovarywitheveryfreshpartthatheassumed.Thestagelostafineactor,evenassciencelostanacutereasoner,whenhebecameaspecialistincrime. ItwasaquarterpastsixwhenweleftBakerStreet,anditstillwantedtenminutestothehourwhenwefoundourselvesinSerpentineAvenue.Itwasalreadydusk,andthelampswerejustbeinglightedaswepacedupanddowninfrontofBrionyLodge,waitingforthecomingofitsoccupant.ThehousewasjustsuchasIhadpictureditfromSherlockHolmes’succinctdescription,butthelocalityappearedtobelessprivatethanIexpected.Onthecontrary,forasmallstreetinaquietneighbourhood,itwasremarkablyanimated.Therewasagroupofshabbilydressedmensmokingandlaughinginacorner,ascissors-grinderwithhiswheel,twoguardsmenwhowereflirtingwithanurse-girl,andseveralwell-dressedyoungmenwhowereloungingupanddownwithcigarsintheirmouths. “Yousee,”remarkedHolmes,aswepacedtoandfroinfrontofthehouse,“thismarriagerathersimplifiesmatters.Thephotographbecomesadouble-edgedweaponnow.ThechancesarethatshewouldbeasaversetoitsbeingseenbyMr.GodfreyNorton,asourclientistoitscomingtotheeyesofhisprincess.Nowthequestionis,Wherearewetofindthephotograph?” “Where,indeed?” “Itismostunlikelythatshecarriesitaboutwithher.Itiscabinetsize.Toolargeforeasyconcealmentaboutawoman’sdress.SheknowsthattheKingiscapableofhavingherwaylaidandsearched.Twoattemptsofthesorthavealreadybeenmade.Wemaytakeit,then,thatshedoesnotcarryitaboutwithher.” “Where,then?” “Herbankerorherlawyer.Thereisthatdoublepossibility.ButIaminclinedtothinkneither.Womenarenaturallysecretive,andtheyliketodotheirownsecreting.Whyshouldshehanditovertoanyoneelse?Shecouldtrustherownguardianship,butshecouldnottellwhatindirectorpoliticalinfluencemightbebroughttobearuponabusinessman.Besides,rememberthatshehadresolvedtouseitwithinafewdays.Itmustbewhereshecanlayherhandsuponit.Itmustbeinherownhouse.” “Butithastwicebeenburgled.” “Pshaw!Theydidnotknowhowtolook.” “Buthowwillyoulook?” “Iwillnotlook.” “Whatthen?” “Iwillgethertoshowme.” “Butshewillrefuse.” “Shewillnotbeableto.ButIheartherumbleofwheels.Itishercarriage.Nowcarryoutmyorderstotheletter.” Ashespokethegleamofthesidelightsofacarriagecameroundthecurveoftheavenue.ItwasasmartlittlelandauwhichrattleduptothedoorofBrionyLodge.Asitpulledup,oneoftheloafingmenatthecornerdashedforwardtoopenthedoorinthehopeofearningacopper,butwaselbowedawaybyanotherloafer,whohadrushedupwiththesameintention.Afiercequarrelbrokeout,whichwasincreasedbythetwoguardsmen,whotooksideswithoneoftheloungers,andbythescissors-grinder,whowasequallyhotupontheotherside.Ablowwasstruck,andinaninstantthelady,whohadsteppedfromhercarriage,wasthecentreofalittleknotofflushedandstrugglingmen,whostrucksavagelyateachotherwiththeirfistsandsticks.Holmesdashedintothecrowdtoprotecttheladybut,justashereachedher,hegaveacryanddroppedtotheground,withthebloodrunningfreelydownhisface.Athisfalltheguardsmentooktotheirheelsinonedirectionandtheloungersintheother,whileanumberofbetterdressedpeople,whohadwatchedthescufflewithouttakingpartinit,crowdedintohelptheladyandtoattendtotheinjuredman.IreneAdler,asIwillstillcallher,hadhurriedupthestepsbutshestoodatthetopwithhersuperbfigureoutlinedagainstthelightsofthehall,lookingbackintothestreet. “Isthepoorgentlemanmuchhurt?”sheasked. “Heisdead,”criedseveralvoices. “No,no,there’slifeinhim!”shoutedanother.“Buthe’llbegonebeforeyoucangethimtohospital.” “He’sabravefellow,”saidawoman.“Theywouldhavehadthelady’spurseandwatchifithadn’tbeenforhim.Theywereagang,andaroughone,too.Ah,he’sbreathingnow.” “Hecan’tlieinthestreet.Maywebringhimin,marm?” “Surely.Bringhimintothesitting-room.Thereisacomfortablesofa.Thisway,please!” SlowlyandsolemnlyhewasborneintoBrionyLodgeandlaidoutintheprincipalroom,whileIstillobservedtheproceedingsfrommypostbythewindow.Thelampshadbeenlit,buttheblindshadnotbeendrawn,sothatIcouldseeHolmesashelayuponthecouch.Idonotknowwhetherhewasseizedwithcompunctionatthatmomentfortheparthewasplaying,butIknowthatIneverfeltmoreheartilyashamedofmyselfinmylifethanwhenIsawthebeautifulcreatureagainstwhomIwasconspiring,orthegraceandkindlinesswithwhichshewaitedupontheinjuredman.AndyetitwouldbetheblackesttreacherytoHolmestodrawbacknowfromthepartwhichhehadintrustedtome.Ihardenedmyheart,andtookthesmoke-rocketfromundermyulster.Afterall,Ithought,wearenotinjuringher.Wearebutpreventingherfrominjuringanother. Holmeshadsatupuponthecouch,andIsawhimmotionlikeamanwhoisinneedofair.Amaidrushedacrossandthrewopenthewindow.AtthesameinstantIsawhimraisehishandandatthesignalItossedmyrocketintotheroomwithacryof“Fire!”Thewordwasnosooneroutofmymouththanthewholecrowdofspectators,welldressedandill—gentlemen,ostlers,andservantmaids—joinedinageneralshriekof“Fire!”Thickcloudsofsmokecurledthroughtheroomandoutattheopenwindow.Icaughtaglimpseofrushingfigures,andamomentlaterthevoiceofHolmesfromwithinassuringthemthatitwasafalsealarm.SlippingthroughtheshoutingcrowdImademywaytothecornerofthestreet,andintenminuteswasrejoicedtofindmyfriend’sarminmine,andtogetawayfromthesceneofuproar.HewalkedswiftlyandinsilenceforsomefewminutesuntilwehadturneddownoneofthequietstreetswhichleadtowardstheEdgewareRoa