No. 13 The Adventure of the Second Stain by Arthur Conan Doyle
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no set- back in_his brilliant career, that_the indiscreet sovereign will receive no punishment for_his indiscretion, that_the prime minister will_have no European complication to deal with, and_that with a little tact and management upon our part nobody will_be a penny the worse for what might_have_been a very ugly incident ."

my mind filled with admiration for_this extraordinary man .

" you_have solved it ! " I cried .

" hardly that, Watson . there_are some points which are as dark as ever . but we_have so_much that_it_will_be our own fault if_we_cannot get the rest . we_will go straight to Whitehall terrace and bring the matter to a head ."

when we arrived at_the residence of_the European secretary it_was for lady Hilda Trelawney hope_that Sherlock Holmes inquired . we were shown into_the morning- room .

" Mr Holmes ! " said the lady, and her face was pink with her indignation, " this_is surely most unfair and ungenerous upon your part .I desired, as I_have explained, to_keep my visit to_you a secret, lest my husband should think that i_was intruding into his affairs . and yet you compromise me by coming here and so showing that_there_are business relations between_us ."

" unfortunately, madam, I had no possible alternative . I_have_been commissioned to recover this immensely important paper . I_must therefore ask_you, madam, to_be kind enough to_place it in my hands ."

the lady sprang to her feet, with_the colour all dashed in an instant from her beautiful face . her eyes glazed -- she tottered -- i_thought that she_would faint . then with a grand effort she rallied from_the shock, and a supreme astonishment and indignation chased every_other expression from her features .

" you -- you insult me, Mr Holmes ."

" come, come, madam, it_is useless . give up the letter ."

she darted to_the bell .

" the butler shall show you out ."

" do_not ring, lady Hilda . if_you_do, then all my earnest efforts to avoid a scandal will_be frustrated . give up the letter and all will_be set right . if_you_will work with me I_can arrange everything . if_you work against me I_must expose you ."

she stood grandly defiant, a queenly figure, her eyes fixed upon his as_if she_would read his very soul . her hand was on_the bell, but she had forborne to ring it .

" you_are trying to frighten me . it_is_not a very manly thing, Mr Holmes, to_come here and browbeat a woman . you say that you_know something . what_is it that you_know ? "

" pray sit down, madam . you_will hurt yourself there if_you fall . i_will_not speak until you sit down . thank_you ."

"I give_you five minutes, Mr Holmes ."

" one is enough, lady Hilda . I_know of your visit to Eduardo Lucas, of your giving him this document, of your ingenious return to_the room last night, and of_the manner in_which_you took the letter from_the hiding- place under the carpet ."

she stared at him with an ashen face and gulped twice before she_could speak .

" you_are mad, Mr Holmes -- you_are mad ! " she cried, at last .

he drew a small piece of cardboard from_his pocket . it was_the face of a woman cut out of a portrait .

" I_have carried this because i_thought it might_be useful," said he ." the policeman has recognised it ."

she gave a gasp and her head dropped back in_the chair .

" come, lady Hilda . you_have the letter . the matter may still be adjusted . I_have no desire to bring trouble to_you . my duty ends when I_have returned the lost letter to your husband . take my advice and be frank with me; it_is your only chance ."

her courage was admirable . even now she_would not own defeat .

"I tell you again, Mr Holmes, that you_are under some absurd illusion ."

Holmes rose from_his chair .

" I_am sorry for_you, lady Hilda . I_have_done my best for_you; I_can_see that_it_is all in vain ."

he rang the bell . the butler entered .

" is Mr Trelawney hope at home ? "

" he_will_be home, sir, at a quarter to one ."

Holmes glanced at his watch .

" still a quarter of an hour," said he ." very_good, I_shall wait ."

the butler had hardly closed the door behind him when lady Hilda was down on her knees at Holmes's feet, her hands out- stretched, her beautiful face upturned and wet with her tears .

"Oh, spare me, Mr Holmes ! spare me ! " she pleaded, in a frenzy of supplication ." for heaven's sake, don't tell him ! I love him so ! i_would_not bring one shadow on_his life, and this I_know would break his noble heart ."

Holmes raised the lady ." I_am thankful, madam, that you_have come to your senses even at_this last moment ! there_is not an instant to lose . where is_the letter ? "

she darted across to awriting- desk, unlocked it, and drew out a long blue envelope .

" here it_is, Mr Holmes . would to heaven I had never seen it ! "

" how can we return it ? " Holmes muttered ." quick, quick, we_must think of some way ! where is_the despatch- box ? "

" still in_his bedroom ."

" what a stroke of luck ! quick, madam, bring it here ! "

a moment later she had appeared with a red flat box in her hand .

" how did you open it before ? you_have a duplicate key ? yes, of_course you_have . open it ! "

from out of her bosom lady Hilda had drawn a small key . the box flew open . it_was stuffed with papers .Holmes thrust the blue envelope deep down into_the heart of_them, between_the leaves of some other document . the box was shut, locked, and returned to_the bedroom .

" now we_are ready for him," said Holmes; " we_have still ten minutes . I_am going far to screen you, lady Hilda . in return you_will spend the time in telling me frankly the real meaning of_this extraordinary affair ."

" Mr Holmes, i_will tell you everything," cried the lady ."Oh, Mr Holmes, i_would cut off my right hand before I_gave him a moment of sorrow ! there_is no woman in all London who loves her husband as I_do, and yet if he_knew how I_have acted -- how I_have_been compelled to act -- he_would never forgive me . for_his own honour stands so high that he_could_not forget or pardon a lapse in another . help me, Mr Holmes ! my happiness, his happiness, our very lives are at stake ! "

" quick, madam, the time grows short ! "

" it_was a letter of_mine, Mr Holmes, an indiscreet letter written before my marriage -- a foolish letter, a letter of an impulsive, loving girl .I meant no harm, and yet he_would_have thought it criminal . had he read that letter his confidence would_have_been for ever destroyed . it_is years since i_wrote it .I had thought that_the whole matter was forgotten . then at last I heard from_this man, Lucas, that_it had passed into his hands, and_that he_would lay it before my husband .I implored his mercy . he_said that he_would return my letter if i_would bring him a certain document which he described in my husband's despatch- box . he had some spy in_the office who had told him of_its existence . he assured me that no harm could come to my husband . put yourself in my position, Mr Holmes ! what_was I to_do ? "

" take your husband into your confidence ."

" I_could_not, Mr Holmes, I_could_not ! on_the one side seemed certain ruin; on_the other, terrible as it seemed to_take my husband's paper, still in a matter of politics I_could_not understand the consequences, while in a matter of love and trust they were only too clear to_me . I_did it, Mr Holmes ! i_took an impression of_his key; this man Lucas furnished a duplicate .I opened his despatch- box, took the paper, and conveyed it to Godolphin street ."

" what happened there, madam ? "

"I tapped at_the door as agreed .Lucas opened it .I followed him into his room, leaving the hall door ajar behind me, for I feared to_be alone with_the man .I remember that there_was a woman outside as I entered . our business was soon done . he had my letter on_his desk; I handed him the document . he_gave me the letter . at_this instant there_was a sound at_the door . there were steps in_the passage .Lucas quickly turned back the drugget, thrust the document into some hiding- place there, and covered it over .

" what happened after_that is like some fearful dream . I_have a vision of a dark, frantic face, of a woman's voice, which screamed in French, ` my waiting is_not in vain . at last, at last I_have found you with her ! ' there_was a savage struggle . I_saw him with a chair in_his hand, a knife gleamed in hers .I rushed from_the horrible scene, ran from_the house, and only next morning in_the paper did I learn the dreadful result . that night i_was happy, for I had my letter, and I had_not seen yet what the future would bring .

" it was_the next morning that I realised that I had only exchanged one trouble for another . my husband's anguish at_the loss of_his paper went to my heart . I_could hardly prevent myself from there and then kneeling down at his feet and telling him what I had done . but that again would mean a confession of_the past . I_came to_you that morning in_order to understand the full enormity of_my offence . from_the instant that I grasped it my whole mind was turned to_the one thought of getting back my husband's paper . it must still be where Lucas had placed it, for it_was concealed before this dreadful woman entered the room . if_it had_not_been for her coming, I should_not have known where his hiding- place was . how was I to_get into_the room ? for two days I watched the place, but the door was never left open . last night I_made a last attempt . what I_did and how I succeeded, you_have already learned .I brought the paper back with me, and thought of destroying it since I could_see no way of returning it, without confessing my guilt to my husband .Heavens, I hear his step upon_the stair ! "

the European secretary burst excitedly into_the room .

" any news, Mr Holmes, any news ? " he cried .

" I_have some hopes ."

"Ah, thank heaven ! " his face became radiant ." the prime minister is lunching with me . may he share your hopes ? he has nerves of steel, and yet I_know that he has hardly slept since_this terrible event . Jacobs, will_you ask_the prime minister to_come up ? as to_you, dear, I_fear that_this_is a matter of politics . we_will join you in_a_few_minutes in_the dining- room ."

the prime minister's manner was subdued, but I could_see by_the gleam of_his eyes and_the twitchings of_his bony hands that he shared the excitement of_his young colleague .

"I understand that you_have something to report, Mr Holmes ? "

" purely negative as_yet," my friend answered ." I_have inquired at every point where it might_be, and I_am_sure that_there_is no danger to_be apprehended ."

" but that_is_not enough, Mr Holmes . we_cannot live for ever on_such a volcano . we_must_have something definite ."

" I_am in hopes of getting it . that_is why I_am here . the more i_think of_the matter the more convinced I_am that_the letter has never left this house ."

" Mr Holmes ! "

" if_it had it would certainly have_been public by now ."

" but why should anyone take it in_order to_keep it in_his house ? "

" I_am not convinced that anyone did take it ."

" then how could it leave the despatch- box ? "

" I_am not convinced that_it ever did leave the despatch- box ."

" Mr Holmes, this joking is very ill- timed . you_have my assurance that_it left the box ."

" have_you examined the box since Tuesday morning ? "

" no; it_was not necessary ."

" you_may conceivably have overlooked it ."

" impossible, I_say ."

" but I_am not convinced of it; I_have known such things to happen .I presume there_are other papers there . well, it may_have got mixed with_them ."

" it_was on_the top ."

" someone may_have shaken the box and displaced it ."

" no, no; I had everything out ."

" surely it_is easily decided, hope," said the premier ." let_us_have the despatch- box brought in ."

the secretary rang the bell .

" Jacobs, bring down my despatch- box . this_is a farcical waste of_time, but still, if nothing else will satisfy you, it shall be_done . thank_you, Jacobs; put it here . I_have always had the key on my watch- chain . here are the papers, you_see . letter from lord Merrow, report from sir Charles hardy, memorandum from Belgrade, note on_the Russo- German grain taxes, letter from Madrid, note from lord Flowers -- good heavens ! what_is this ? lord Bellinger ! lord Bellinger ! "

the premier snatched the blue envelope from_his hand .

" yes, it_is it -- and_the letter is intact . hope, I congratulate you ."

" thank_you ! thank_you ! what a weight from my heart . but this_is inconceivable -- impossible .Mr Holmes, you_are a wizard, a sorcerer ! how did you_know it_was there ? "

" because I_knew it_was nowhere else ."

" I_cannot believe my eyes ! " he ran wildly to_the door ." where is my wife ? I_must tell her that all is well . Hilda ! Hilda ! " we heard his voice on_the stairs .

the premier looked at Holmes with twinkling eyes .

" come, sir," said he ." there_is more in_this than meets the eye . how came the letter back in_the box ? "

Holmes turned away smiling from_the keen scrutiny of_those wonderful eyes .

" we also have our diplomatic secrets," said he, and picking up his hat he turned to_the door .

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