The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plan* by Arthur Conan Doyle
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surprise .

" you_can write me down an ass this_time, Watson," said he ." this_was not the bird that i_was looking for ."

" who_is he ? " asked Mycroft eagerly .

" the younger brother of_the late sir James Walter, the head of_the submarine department . yes, yes; I_see the fall of_the cards . he_is coming to . i_think that you had best leave his examination to_me ."

we had carried the prostrate body to_the sofa . now our prisoner sat up, looked round him with a horror- stricken face, and passed his hand over his forehead, like one who_cannot believe his own senses .

" what_is this ? " he asked ." I_came here to visit Mr Oberstein ."

" everything is known, colonel Walter," said Holmes ." how an English gentleman could behave in_such_a_manner is beyond my comprehension . but your whole correspondence and relations with Oberstein are within our knowledge . so also are the circumstances connected with_the death of young Cadogan west . let me advise you to gain at_least the small credit for repentance and confession, since there_are still some details which we_can only learn from your lips ."

the man groaned and sank his face in_his hands . we waited, but he_was silent .

" I_can assure you," said Holmes, " that every essential is already known . we_know that you were pressed for money; that you took an impress of_the keys which your brother held; and_that you entered into a correspondence with Oberstein, who answered your letters through_the advertisement columns of_the daily telegraph . we_are aware that you went down to_the office in_the fog on Monday night, but that you were seen and followed by young Cadogan west, who had probably some previous reason to suspect you . he_saw your theft, but could_not give the alarm, as it_was just possible that you were taking the papers to your brother in London . leaving all his private concerns, like the good citizen that he_was, he followed you closely in_the fog and kept at your heels until you reached this very house . there he intervened, and then it_was, colonel Walter, that to treason you added the more terrible crime of murder ."

" I_did_not ! I_did_not ! before god I swear that I_did_not ! " cried our wretched prisoner .

" tell us, then, how Cadogan west met his end before_you laid him upon_the roof of a railway carriage ."

" i_will .I swear to_you that i_will . I_did the rest .I confess it . it_was just as_you say .a stock exchange debt had to_be paid .I needed the money badly .Oberstein offered me five thousand . it_was to save myself from ruin . but as_to murder, I_am as innocent as_you ."

" what happened, then ? "

" he had his suspicions before, and he followed me as_you describe .I never knew it until i_was at_the very door . it_was thick fog, and one could_not_see three yards .I had given two taps and Oberstein had come to_the door . the young man rushed up and demanded to_know what we were about to_do with_the papers .Oberstein had a short life- preserver . he always carried it with_him . as west forced his way after us into_the house Oberstein struck him on_the head . the blow was a fatal one . he_was dead within five minutes . there he lay in_the hall, and we were at our wit's end what to_do . then Oberstein had this idea about_the trains which halted under his back window . but first he examined the papers which I had brought . he_said that three of_them were essential, and_that he_must keep them .' you_cannot keep them,' said I .' there_will_be a dreadful row at Woolwich if_they_are_not returned .' ' I_must keep them,' said he, ' for they_are so technical that_it_is impossible in_the time to_make copies .' ' then they_must all go back together tonight,' said I . he thought for a little, and then he cried out that he had it .' three i_will keep,' said he .' the others we_will stuff into_the pocket of_this young man . when he_is found the whole business will assuredly be put to_his account .I could_see no other way out of it, so we_did as he suggested . we waited half an hour at_the window before a train stopped . it_was so thick that nothing could_be seen, and we had no difficulty in lowering west's body on to_the train . that was_the end of_the matter so_far as i_was concerned ."

" and your brother ? "

" he_said nothing, but he had caught me once with_his keys, and i_think that he suspected . I_read in_his eves that he suspected . as_you_know, he never held up his head again ."

there_was silence in_the room . it_was broken by Mycroft Holmes .

" can_you not make reparation ? it would ease your conscience, and possibly your punishment ."

" what reparation can I make ? "

" where is Oberstein with_the papers ? "

" I_do_not know ."

" did he give_you no address ? "

" he_said that letters to_the hotel du Louvre, Paris, would eventually reach him ."

" then reparation is still within your power," said Sherlock Holmes .

" i_will do anything I_can .I owe this fellow no particular good- will . he has_been my ruin and my downfall .

" here are paper and pen . sit at_this desk and write to my dictation . direct the envelope to_the address given . that_is right . now the letter: dear_Sir:

with regard to our transaction, you_will no_doubt have observed by now that one essential detail is missing . I_have atracing which will make it complete . this has involved me in extra trouble, however, and I_must ask_you for a further advance of five hundred pounds . i_will_not trust it to_the post, nor will I take anything but gold or notes . i_would come to_you abroad, but it would excite remark if I left the country at present . therefore I_shall expect to meet you in_the smoking- room of_the Charing cross hotel at noon on Saturday . remember that only English notes, or gold, will_be taken . that_will do very_well . I_shall_be very_much surprised if_it does_not fetch our man ."

and it did ! it_is a matter of history- that secret history of a nation which_is often, so_much more intimate and interesting than its public chronicles- that Oberstein, eager to complete the coup of_his lifetime, came to_the lure and was safely engulfed for fifteen years in a British prison . in_his trunk were found the invaluable Bruce-Partington plans, which he had put up for auction in all the naval centres of Europe .

colonel Walter died in prison towards the end of_the second year of_his sentence . as_to Holmes, he returned refreshed to_his monograph upon_the Polyphonic Motets of Lassus, which_has since been printed for private circulation, and_is said by experts to_be the last word upon_the_subject . some weeks afterwards I learned incidentally that my friend spent a day at Windsor, whence he returned with aremarkably fine emerald tie- pin . when I asked him if he had bought it, he answered that_it_was a present from a certain gracious lady in whose interests he had once been fortunate enough to carry out a small commission . he_said no more; but I fancy that I_could guess at_that lady's August name, and I_have little doubt that_the emerald pin will forever recall to my friend's memory the adventure of_the Bruce-Partington plans .

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