The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plan* by Arthur Conan Doyle
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the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes the adventure of_the Bruce-Partington plan Arthur Conan Doyle

1908

in_the third week of November, in_the year 1895, a dense yellow fog settled down upon London . from_the Monday to_the Thursday I_doubt whether it_was ever possible from_our windows in baker street to_see the loom of_the opposite houses . the first day Holmes had spent in cross-indexing his huge book of references . the second and third had_been patiently occupied upon a subject which he had recently made his hobby- the music of_the middle Ages . but when, for_the fourth time, after pushing back our chairs from breakfast we saw the greasy, heavy brown swirl still drifting past us and condensing in oily drops upon_the window-panes, my comrade's impatient and active nature could endure this drab existence no longer . he paced restlessly about our sitting- room in a fever of suppressed energy, biting his nails, tapping the furniture, and chafing against inaction .

" nothing of interest in_the paper, Watson ? " he_said .

i_was aware that by anything of interest, Holmes meant anything of criminal interest . there_was the news of a revolution, of a possible war, and of an impending change of government; but these did_not come within_the horizon of_my companion .I could_see nothing recorded in_the shape of crime which_was not commonplace and futile .Holmes groaned and resumed his restless meanderings .

" the London criminal is certainly a dull fellow," said he in_the querulous voice of_the sportsman whose game has failed him ." look out of_this window, Watson . see how the figures loom up, are dimly seen, and then blend once more into_the cloud- bank . the thief or the murderer could roam London on_such a day as_the tiger does the jungle, unseen until he pounces, and then evident only to_his victim ."

" there_have," said I, " been numerous petty thefts ."

Holmes snorted his contempt .

" this great and sombre stage is set for something more worthy than that," said he ." it_is fortunate for_this community that I_am not a criminal ."

" it_is, indeed ! " said I heartily .

" suppose that I were Brooks or Woodhouse, or any of_the fifty men who_have good reason for taking my life, how long could I survive against my own pursuit ? asummons, a bogus appointment, and all would_be over . it_is well they don't have days of fog in_the Latin countries- the countries of assassination . by Jove ! here comes something at last to break our dead monotony ."

it was_the maid with a telegram .Holmes tore it open and burst out laughing .

" well, well ! what next ? " said he ." brother Mycroft is coming round ."

" why_not ? " I asked .

" why_not ? it_is as if_you met a tram- car coming down a country lane .Mycroft has his rails and he runs on them . his pall mall lodgings, the Diogenes club, Whitehall- that_is his cycle . once, and only once, he has_been here . what upheaval can possibly have derailed him ? "

"Does he not explain ? "

Holmes handed me his brother's telegram .

must see you over Cadogan west .Coming at once .

MYCROFT .

"Cadogan west ? I_have heard the name ."

" it recalls nothing to my mind . but that Mycroft should break out in_this erratic fashion ! a planet might as_well leave its orbit . by_the_way, do_you_know what Mycroft is ? "

I had some vague recollection of an explanation at_the_time of_the adventure of_the Greek interpreter .

" you told me that he had some small office under the British government ."

Holmes chuckled .

" I_did_not know you quite so_well in those days . one has_to be discreet when one talks of high matters of state . you_are right in thinking that he_is under the British government . you_would also be right in a sense if_you said that occasionally he is_the British government ."

" my dear Holmes ! "

" i_thought I_might surprise you .Mycroft draws four hundred and fifty pounds a year, remains a subordinate, has no ambitions of any kind, will receive neither honour nor title, but remains the most indispensable man in_the country ."

" but how ? "

" well, his position is unique . he has_made it for himself . there has never been anything like it before, nor will_be again . he has_the tidiest and most orderly brain, with_the greatest capacity for storing facts, of any man living . the same great powers which I_have turned to_the detection of crime he has used for_this particular business . the conclusions of every department are passed to him, and he is_the central exchange, the clearing- house, which makes out the balance . all other men are specialists, but his specialism is omniscience . we_will suppose that a minister needs information as_to a point which involves the navy, India, Canada and_the bimetallic question; he_could get his separate advices from various departments upon each, but only Mycroft can focus them all, and say offhand how each factor would affect the other . they began by using him as a short- cut, a convenience; now he has_made himself an essential . in_that great brain of_his everything is pigeon-holed and can_be handed out in an instant . again and again his word has decided the national policy . he lives in_it . he thinks of nothing else save when, as an intellectual exercise, he unbends if I call upon him and ask him to advise me on one of_my little problems . but Jupiter is descending to- day . what on earth can it mean ? who_is Cadogan west, and what_is he to Mycroft ? "

" I_have it," I cried, and plunged among_the litter of papers upon_the sofa ." yes, yes, here he_is, sure enough ! Cadogan west was_the young man who was found dead on_the underground on Tuesday morning ."

Holmes sat up at attention, his pipe halfway to_his lips .

" this must_be serious, Watson .a death which_has caused my brother to alter his habits can_be no ordinary one . what in_the_world can he have to_do with it ? the case was featureless as I remember it . the young man had apparently fallen out_of_the train and killed himself . he had_not_been robbed, and there_was no particular reason to suspect violence . is_that not so ? "

" there_has_been an inquest" said I, " and a good_many fresh facts have come out . looked at more closely, i_should certainly say that_it_was a curious case ."

"Judging by its effect upon my brother, i_should think it must_be a most extraordinary one ." he snuggled down in_his armchair ." now, Watson, let_us_have the facts ."

" the man's name was Arthur Cadogan west . he_was twenty-seven years_of_age, unmarried, and a clerk at Woolwich arsenal ."

" government employ . behold the link with brother Mycroft ! "

" he left Woolwich suddenly on Monday night . was last seen by his fiancee, miss violet Westbury, whom he left abruptly in_the fog about 7:30 that evening . there_was no quarrel between_them and she_can give no motive for_his action . the next thing heard of him was when his dead body was discovered by a plate- layer named mason, just outside Aldgate station on_the underground system in London ."

" when ? "

" the body was found at six on_the Tuesday morning . it_was lying wide of_the metals upon_the left_hand of_the track as one goes eastward, at a point close to_the station, where the line emerges from_the tunnel in_which it runs . the head was badly crushed- an injury which might well have_been caused by a fall from_the train . the body could only have come on_the line in_that way . had it been carried down from any neighbouring street, it must_have passed the station barriers, where a collector is always standing . this point seems absolutely certain ."

" very_good . the case is definite enough . the man, dead or alive, either fell or was precipitated from a train . so_much is clear to_me . continue ."

" the trains which traverse the lines of rail beside which the body was found are those which run from west to east, some being purely metropolitan, and some from Willesden and outlying junctions . it can_be stated for certain that_this young man, when he met his death, was travelling in_this direction at some late hour of_the night, but at what point he entered the train it_is impossible to state ."

" his ticket, of_course, would show that ."

" there_was no ticket in_his pockets ."

" no ticket ! dear me, Watson, this_is really very singular .According to my experience it_is_not possible to reach the platform of a metropolitan train without exhibiting one's ticket .Presumably, then, the young man had one . was_it taken from_him in_order to conceal the station from_which he_came ? it_is possible . or did he drop it in_the carriage ? that also is possible . but the point is of curious interest .I understand that there_was no sign of robbery ? "

"Apparently not . there_is a list here of_his possessions . his purse contained two pounds fifteen . he had also a check- book on_the Woolwich branch of_the capital and Counties bank . through_this his identity was established . there were also two dress- circle tickets for_the Woolwich Theatre, dated for_that very evening . also a small packet of technical papers ."

Holmes gave an exclamation of satisfaction .

" there we_have it at last, Watson ! British government- Woolwich . arsenal- technical papers- brother Mycroft, the chain is complete . but here he comes, if I_am not mistaken, to_speak for himself ."

a moment later the tall and portly form of Mycroft Holmes was ushered into_the room . heavily built and massive, there_was a suggestion of uncouth physical inertia in_the figure, but above this unwieldy frame there_was perched a head so masterful in its brow, so alert in its steel- gray, deep- set eyes, so firm in its lips, and so subtle in its play of expression, that after_the first glance one forgot the gross body and remembered only the dominant mind .

at his heels came our old friend Lestrade, of Scotland yard- thin and austere . the gravity of both their faces foretold some weighty quest . the detective shook hands without a word .Mycroft Holmes struggled out of_his overcoat and subsided into an armchair .

"A most annoying business, Sherlock," said he ."I extremely dislike altering my habits, but the powers that be would take no denial . in_the present state of Siam it_is most awkward that i_should_be away from_the office . but it_is a real crisis . I_have never seen the prime minister so upset . as_to_the admiralty- it_is buzzing like an overturned bee- hive . have_you read up the case ? "

" we_have just done so . what were the technical papers ? "

"Ah, there's the point ! Fortunately, it has_not come out . the press would_be furious if_it did . the papers which this wretched youth had in_his pocket were the plans of_the Bruce-Partington submarine ."

Mycroft Holmes spoke with a solemnity which showed his sense of_the importance of_the subject . his brother and I sat expectant .

" surely you_have heard of it ? i_thought everyone had heard of it ."

" only as a name ."

" its importance can hardly be exaggerated . it_has_been the most jealously guarded of all government secrets . you_may take it from me that naval warfare becomes impossible within_the radius of aBruce-Partington's operation . two years_ago a very large sum was smuggled through_the Estimates and was expended in acquiring a monopoly of_the invention . every effort has_been made to_keep the secret . the plans, which are exceedingly intricate, comprising some thirty separate patents, each essential to_the working of_the whole, are kept in an elaborate safe in a confidential office adjoining the arsenal, with burglar- proof doors and windows . under no conceivable circumstances were the plans to_be taken from_the office . if_the chief constructor of_the navy desired to consult them, even he_was forced to_go to_the Woolwich office for_the_purpose . and yet here we_find them in_the pocket of a dead junior clerk in_the heart of London . from an official point of view it's simply awful ."

" but you_have recovered them ? "

" no, Sherlock, no ! that's the pinch . we_have_not .Ten papers were taken from Woolwich . there were seven in_the pocket of Cadogan west . the three most essential are gone- stolen, vanished . you_must drop everything, Sherlock . never mind your usual petty puzzles of_the police- court . it's a vital international problem that you_have to solve . why did Cadogan west take_the papers, where are the missing ones, how did he die, how came his body where it_was found, how can the evil be set right ? find an answer to all these questions, and you_will_have done good service for your country ."

" why do_you not solve it yourself, Mycroft ? you_can see as far as I ."

" possibly, Sherlock . but it_is a question of getting details . give_me your details, and from an armchair i_will return you an excellent expert opinion . but to run here and run there, to cross- question railway guards, and lie on my face with a lens to my eye- it_is_not my metier . no, you_are the one man who_can clear the matter up . if_you_have a fancy to_see your_name in_the next honours list-"

my friend smiled and shook his head .

"I play the game for_the game's own sake," said he ." but the problem certainly presents some points of interest, and I_shall_be very pleased to look into_it . some more facts, please ."

" I_have jotted down the more essential ones upon_this sheet of paper, together with a few addresses which you_will_find of service . the actual

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