No. 1 The Adventure of the Illustrious Client by Arthur Conan Doyle
Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]
she .' the effect upon my mind is exactly as predicted . I_am aware that Adelbert, that my fiance, has had a stormy life in_which he has incurred bitter hatreds and most unjust aspersions . you_are only the last of a series who_have brought their slanders before me . possibly you mean well, though I learn that you_are a paid agent who_would_have_been equally willing to act for_the baron as against him . but in any case i_wish you to understand once for all that I love him and_that he loves me, and_that the opinion of all the world is no more to_me than_the twitter of_those birds outside the window . if his noble nature has ever for an instant fallen, it may_be that I_have_been specially sent to raise it to its true and lofty level . I_am not clear' -- here she turned eyes upon my companion -- ' who this young lady may_be .'

" i_was about to answer when_the girl broke in like a whirlwind . if ever you saw flame and ice face_to_face, it_was those two women .

" 'I'll tell you who I_am,' she cried, springing out of her chair, her mouth all twisted with passion -- ' I_am his last mistress . I_am one of a hundred that he has tempted and used and ruined and thrown into_the refuse heap, as he will_you also . your refuse heap is more likely to_be a grave, and maybe that's the best .I tell you, you foolish woman, if_you marry this man he'll be the death of you . it may_be a broken heart or it may_be a broken neck, but he'll have_you one_way or the other . it's not out of love for_you I'm speaking .I don't care a tinker's curse whether you live or die . it's out of hate for him and to spite him and to_get back on him for what he_did to_me . but it's all the same, and you needn't look at me like that, my fine lady, for you_may_be lower than I_am before_you_are through with it .'

" ' i_should prefer not to discuss such matters,' said miss de Merville coldly .' let me say once for all that I_am aware of three passages in my fiance's life in_which he became entangled with designing women, and_that I_am assured of_his hearty repentance for any evil that he_may_have done .'

" ' three passages ! ' screamed my companion .' you fool ! you unutterable fool ! '

" ' Mr Holmes, I beg that you_will bring this interview to an end,' said the icy voice .' I_have obeyed my father's wish in seeing you, but I_am not compelled to listen to_the ravings of_this person .'

" with an oath miss winter darted forward, and if I had_not caught her wrist she would_have clutched this maddening woman by_the hair .I dragged her towards the door and was lucky to_get her back into_the cab without a public scene, for she was beside herself with rage . in a cold way I_felt pretty furious myself, Watson, for there_was something indescribably annoying in_the calm aloofness and supreme self- complaisance of_the woman whom we were trying to save . so now once again you_know exactly how we stand, and it_is clear that I_must plan some fresh opening move, for_this gambit won't work .I'll keep in touch with_you, Watson, for_it is more than likely that you_will_have your part to play, though it_is just possible that_the next move may lie with_them rather than with_us ."

and it did . their blow fell -- or his blow rather, for never could I believe that_the lady was privy to_it . i_think I_could show you the very paving- stone upon_which I stood when my eyes fell upon_the placard, and a pang of horror passed through my very soul . it_was between_the grand hotel and Charing cross station, where a one-legged news-vender displayed his evening papers . the date was just two days after_the last conversation . there, black upon yellow, was_the terrible news- sheet:

murderous attack upon SHERLOCK HOLMES

i_think I stood stunned for some moments . then I_have a confused recollection of snatching at a paper . of_the remonstrance of_the man, whom I had_not paid, and, finally, of standing in_the doorway of a chemist's shop while I turned up the fateful paragraph . this_was how it ran:

we learn with regret that Mr Sherlock Holmes, the well- known private detective, was_the victim this_morning of a murderous assault which_has left him in a precarious position . there_are no exact details to hand, but the event seems to_have occurred about twelve o'clock in regent street, outside the cafe royal . the attack was_made by two men armed with sticks, and Mr Holmes was beaten about_the head and body, receiving injuries which the doctors describe as most serious . he_was carried to Charing cross hospital and afterwards insisted upon being taken to_his rooms in baker street . the miscreants who attacked him appear to_have_been respectably dressed men, who escaped from_the bystanders by passing through_the cafe royal and out into glasshouse street behind it . no_doubt they belonged to_that criminal fraternity which_has so often had occasion to bewail the activity and ingenuity of_the injured man .

I_need not say that my eyes had hardly glanced over the paragraph before I had sprung into a hansom and was on my way to baker street . I_found sir Leslie Oakshott, the famous surgeon, in_the hall and_his brougham waiting at_the curb .

" no immediate danger," was his report ." two lacerated scalp wounds and some considerable bruises . several stitches have_been necessary . morphine has_been injected and quiet is essential, but an interview of a few_minutes would_not_be absolutely forbidden ."

with_this permission I stole into_the darkened room . the sufferer was wide awake, and I heard my name in a hoarse whisper . the blind was three-quarters down, but one ray of sunlight slanted through and struck the bandaged head of_the injured man .a crimson patch had soaked through_the white linen compress .I sat beside him and bent my head .

" all right, Watson .Don't look so scared," he muttered in a very weak voice ." it's not as bad as it seems ."

" thank god for_that ! "

"I'm a bit of a single- stick expert . as_you_know . i_took most of_them on my guard . it was_the second man that was too_much for_me ."

" what can I_do, Holmes ? of_course, it was_that damned fellow who set them on .I'll go and thrash the hide off him if_you_give the word ."

" good old Watson ! no, we_can do nothing there unless the police lay their hands on_the men . but their get- away had_been well prepared . we may_be_sure of_that . wait a little . I_have my plans . the first thing is to exaggerate my injuries . they'll come to_you for news . put it on thick, Watson . lucky if I live the week out concussion delirium -- what you like ! you_can't overdo it ."

" but sir Leslie Oakshott ? "

"Oh, he's all right . he shall see the worst side of me .I'll look after_that ."

" anything else ? "

" yes . tell Shinwell Johnson to_get that girl out_of_the way . those beauties will_be after her now . they know, of_course, that she was with me in_the case . if_they dared to_do me in it_is_not likely they_will neglect her . that_is urgent . do_it to- night ."

"I'll go now . anything more ? "

" put my pipe on_the table -- and_the tobacco- slipper . right ! come in each_morning and we_will plan our campaign ."

I arranged with Johnson that evening to_take miss winter to a quiet suburb and_see that she lay low until the danger was past .

for six days the public were under the impression that Holmes was at_the door of death . the bulletins were very grave and there were sinister paragraphs in_the papers . my continual visits assured me that_it_was not so bad as_that . his wiry constitution and_his determined will were working wonders . he_was recovering fast, and I had suspicions at times that he_was really finding himself faster than he pretended even to_me . there_was a curious secretive streak in_the man which led to many dramatic effects, but left even his closest friend guessing as_to what his exact plans might_be . he pushed to an extreme the axiom that_the only safe plotter was he who plotted alone . i_was nearer him than anyone else, and yet i_was always conscious of_the gap between .

on_the seventh day the stitches were taken out, in_spite of_which there_was a report of erysipelas in_the evening papers . the same evening papers had an announcement which i_was bound, sick or well, to carry to my friend . it_was simply that among_the passengers on_the Cunard boat Ruritania, starting from Liverpool on Friday, was_the baron Adelbert Gruner, who had some important financial business to settle in_the States before his impending wedding to miss violet de Merville, only daughter of, etc ., etc .Holmes listened to_the news with a cold, concentrated look upon his pale face, which told me that_it hit him hard .

" Friday ! " he cried ." only three clear days .I believe the rascal wants to_put himself out of danger's way . but he won't, Watson ! by_the lord Harry, he won't ! now, Watson, i_want you to_do something for_me ."

" I_am here to_be used, Holmes ."

" well, then, spend the next twenty-four hours in an intensive study of Chinese pottery ."

he_gave no explanations and I asked for none . by long experience I had learned the wisdom of obedience . but when I had left his room I walked down baker street, revolving in my head how on earth i_was to carry out so strange an order . finally I drove to_the London library in St .James's square, put the matter to my friend Lomax, the sublibrarian, and departed to my rooms with a goodly volume under my arm .

it_is said that_the barrister who crams up a case with_such care that he_can examine an expert witness upon_the Monday has forgotten all his forced knowledge before_the Saturday . certainly I should_not like now to pose as an authority upon ceramics . and yet all that evening, and all that night with a short interval for rest, and all next morning, i_was sucking in knowledge and committing names to memory . there I learned of_the hall-marks of_the great artist-decorators, of_the mystery of cyclical dates, the marks of_the Hung-wu and_the beauties of_the Yung-lo, the writings of tang-ying, and_the glories of_the primitive period of_the Sung and_the Yuan . i_was charged with all this_information when I called upon Holmes next evening . he_was out of bed now, though you_would_not_have guessed it from_the published reports, and he sat with_his much-bandaged head resting upon his hand in_the depth of_his favourite armchair .

" why, Holmes," I_said, " if one believed the papers, you_are dying ."

" that," said he, " is_the very impression which I intended to convey . and now, Watson, have_you learned your lessons ? "

" at_least I_have_tried to ."

" good . you_could keep up an intelligent conversation on_the_subject ? "

"I believe I_could ."

" then hand me that little box from_the mantelpiece ."

he opened the lid and took out a small object most carefully wrapped in some fine eastern silk . this he unfolded, and disclosed a delicate little saucer of_the most beautiful deep- blue colour .

" it needs careful handling, Watson . this_is_the real egg- shell pottery of_the Ming dynasty . no finer piece ever passed through Christie's .a complete set of this_would_be worth a king's ransom -- in_fact, it_is doubtful if_there_is a complete set outside the imperial palace of Peking . the sight of this_would drive a real connoisseur wild ."

" what am I to_do with it ? "

Holmes handed me a card upon_which was printed: "Dr . hill Barton, 369 half moon street ."

" that_is your_name for_the evening, Watson . you_will call upon baron Gruner . I_know something of_his habits, and at half- past eight he_would probably be disengaged .a note will tell him in advance that you_are about to_call, and you_will say that you_are bringing him a specimen of an absolutely unique set of Ming china . you_may as_well be a medical man, since that_is a part which_you_can play without duplicity . you_are a collector this set has_come your way, you_have heard of_the baron's interest in_the subject, and you_are_not averse to selling at a price ."

" what price ? "

" well asked, Watson . you_would certainly fall down badly if_you_did_not know the value of your own wares . this saucer was got for_me by sir James, and comes, I understand, from_the collection of_his client . you_will_not exaggerate if_you say that_it could hardly be matched in_the_world ."

" I_could perhaps suggest_that the set should_be valued by an expert ."

" excellent, Watson ! you scintillate to- day . suggest Christie or Sotheby . your delicacy prevents your putting a price for_yourself ."

" but if he won't see me ? "

"Oh, yes, he_will_see you . he has_the collection mania in its most acute form -- and especially on_this subject, on_which he_is an acknowledged authority . sit down, Watson, and_I_will dictate the letter . no answer needed . you_will merely say that you_are coming, and why ."

it_was an admirable document, short, courteous, and stimulating to_the curiosity of_the connoisseur .a district messenger was duly dispatched with it . on_the same evening, with_the precious saucer in my hand and_the card of Dr . hill Barton in my pocket, I set off on my own adventure .

the beautiful house and grounds indicated that baron Gruner was, as sir James had said, a man of considerable wealth .a long winding drive, with banks of rare shrubs on either side, opened out into a great gravelled square adorned with statues . the place had_been built by a south African gold king in_the days of_the great boom, and_the long, low house with_the turrets at_the corners, though an architectural nightmare, was imposing in its size and solidity .a butler,

Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]