No. 13 The Adventure of the Second Stain by Arthur Conan Doyle
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of_course you_have .Open it ! "

From out of her bosom Lady Hilda had drawn asmall 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 amoment 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 alapse in another .Help me, Mr Holmes ! My happiness, his happiness, our very lives are at stake ! "

"Quick, madam, the time grows short ! "

" it_was aletter of_mine, Mr Holmes, an indiscreet letter written before my marriage -- afoolish letter, aletter 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 acertain 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 amatter of politics I_could_not understand the consequences, while in amatter 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 aduplicate .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 awoman 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 asound 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 avision of adark, frantic face, of awoman's voice, which screamed in French, `My waiting is_not in vain .At last, at last I_have found you with her ! ' there_was asavage struggle . I_saw him with achair in_his hand, aknife 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 aconfession 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 alast 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 amatter 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 avolcano . 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 afarcical 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 aweight from my heart .But this_is inconceivable -- impossible .Mr Holmes, you_are awizard, asorcerer ! 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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