我婚後那一年的七月實在令人難忘，因為我有幸與歇洛剋·福爾摩斯一起偵破了三起重大案件，研究了他的思想方法。我在日記中記載的案件標題是：《第二塊血跡》、《海軍協定》和《疲倦的船長》。但其中的第一個案件事關重大，並且牽連到王國許多顯貴，以致多年不能公之於衆。然而，在福爾摩斯經手的案件中，再沒有比該案更能清楚地顯出他的分析方法的價值和給合作人留下更加深刻的印象的了。我至今還保留着一份幾乎一字不差的談話記錄，這是福爾摩斯嚮巴黎警署的杜布剋先生和格但斯剋的著名的專傢弗裏茨·馮沃爾鮑敘述案情的談話。他們兩位曾在此案上枉費過許多精力，結果證明他們所搞的都是一些枝節的問題。但恐怕要到下一世紀該案才能發表。因此我現在打算把日記中記的第二個案件發表出來，這件案子在一段時間內也事關國傢的重大利益，其中一些案情更突出了它獨特的性質。
　　 在學生時代，我同一位名叫珀西·費爾普斯的少年交往甚密。他差不多和我同年，但卻比我高兩級。他才華出衆，獲得過學校頒發的一切奬勵，由於成績出色，結業時獲得了奬學金，進入劍橋大學繼續深造。我記得，他頗有幾傢貴戚，甚至我們都還在孩提相處時，就聽說過他舅舅是霍爾德赫斯特勳爵，一位著名的保守黨政客。這些貴戚並未使他在學校撈到好處。相反，我們在運動場上到處捉弄他，用玩具鐵環碰他的小腿骨，並引以為樂。不過他走上社會以後，那情形就不同了。我模模糊糊地聽說他憑着自己的才能和有權勢的親戚，在外交部謀得一個美差，以後我就完全把他淡忘了，直到接到下面這封信纔又想起他來：
　　 沃金　布裏爾布雷
　　 我親愛的華生：我毫不懷疑你能回憶起“蝌蚪”費爾普斯來，那時我在五年級，你在三年級。可能你也曾聽到我憑藉舅父的力量，在外交部弄到一個美差，很受信任和尊敬。但一件可怕的禍事從天而降，它毀了我的前程。
　　 沒有必要把這可怕事件的詳情寫給你。如果你答應我的請求，那麽我就可以把這一切口述給你聽。我患神經錯亂已經九個星期了，現在剛剛恢復，依然十分虛弱。你看是不是能邀請你的朋友福爾摩斯先生前來看我？儘管當局對我說：對此事再也無能為力了，但我仍願聽聽福爾摩斯先生對本案的意見。請你邀他前來，盡量快來。我生活在驚恐不安之中，度日如年。請你嚮他說明，我之所以沒有及時嚮他請教，並非是我不欽佩他的才能，而是因為我大禍臨頭神志不清。現在我頭腦已恢復正常，但怕舊病復發，不敢多想這件事。我至今非常虛弱，你可以看得出來，我衹好口述，由人代筆。請務必邀請福爾摩斯先生前來。
　　 你的老校友珀西·費爾普斯
　　 我看到這封信很受震動，他反復呼籲邀請福爾摩斯，令人憐憫。我深受感動，即使這事再睏難，我也要設法去辦。不過我當然知道福爾摩斯很愛他的技藝，衹要他的委托人相信他，他總是隨時樂意助人。我的妻子和我的一致意見是：立即把此事告訴福爾摩斯，一分鐘也不應耽誤。於是，早餐後不到一小時，我就又回到了貝剋街的老住處。
　　 福爾摩斯身穿睡衣坐在靠墻的桌旁，聚精會神地做化學試驗。一個麯綫形大蒸餾瓶，在本生燈紅紅的火焰上猛烈地沸騰着，蒸餾水滴入一個容積為兩升的量具中。我走進來時，我的朋友連頭也沒擡，我看出他的試驗一定很重要，便坐在扶手椅上等着。他看看這個瓶子，查查那個瓶子，用玻璃吸管從每個瓶子裏吸出幾滴液體，然後拿出一試管溶液放到桌上。他右手拿着一張石蕊試紙。
　　 “你來得正是時候，華生，”福爾摩斯說道，“如果這張紙仍然呈藍色，就一切正常。如果它變成了紅色，那溶液就能致人於死地。”他把紙浸入試管，立即變成了深暗而污濁的紅色。“嘿！果然不出我所料！”他高喊道，“華生，我馬上就可以聽你吩咐了。你可以在波斯拖鞋裏拿到煙葉。”他轉身走嚮書桌，潦草地寫了幾份電報，把它們交給了小聽差，然後坐到我對面的椅子上，麯起雙膝，雙手緊抱住瘦長的小腿。
　　 “一件平淡無奇的兇殺案，”福爾摩斯說道，“我想，你給我帶來的案子會有趣得多。華生，你是沒有麻煩事不來的，出了什麽事呢？”
　　 我把信遞給他，他全神貫註地讀起來。
　　 “這信沒有嚮我們說明多少情況，對不對？”福爾摩斯把信交還給我時說道。
　　 “幾乎沒說明什麽。”我說道。
　　 “不過筆跡倒很值得註意呢。”
　　 “不過這筆跡不是他的。”
　　 “確實如此，那是女人寫的。”
　　 “一定是男人寫的，”我大聲說道。
　　 “不，是女人寫的，而且是一個具有不平常性格的女人。
　　 你看，重要的是，從調查一開始，我們就知道，你的委托人和一個人有密切關係，那個人，無論從哪方面看，都具有與衆不同的性格。這件案子現在已經使我發生了興趣。如果你樂意的話，我們可以馬上動身前往沃金，去看看那位遭遇此種不幸的外交官，和照他的口述代寫這封信的女人。”
　　 我們很幸運，正好在滑鐵盧車站趕上早班火車，不到一小時，我們已來到了沃金的冷杉和石南樹叢中。原來，布裏爾布雷是一所大宅邸，孤零零地座落在一片遼闊的土地上，從車站徒步而行，衹有幾分鐘的路程。我們遞進了名片，被帶到一間擺設雅緻的客廳裏，過了幾分鐘，一個相當壯實的人非常殷勤地接待了我們。他的年齡雖已接近四十歲，但雙頰紅潤，目光歡快，仍然給人一種爽直無邪的頑童的印象。
　　 “我十分歡迎你們前來，”他和我們握了握手說道，“珀西整整一早晨都在打聽你們的消息。啊，我那可憐的老朋友，他是不放過一根救命稻草的！他的父母要我來迎候你們，因為他們一提到這件事就覺得非常痛苦。”
　　 “我們還不知道案子的詳情，”福爾摩斯說道，“我看你不是他們傢裏的人吧。”
　　 我們的新相識表情驚奇，他低頭看了一下，開始大笑了起來。
　　 “當然你是看到我項鏈墜上的姓名花押字首‘ＪＨ’了。”他說道，“我一時還以為你有什麽絶招呢。我叫約瑟夫·哈裏森，因為珀西就要和我的妹妹安妮結婚，我至少也算是他的一個姻親吧。你們可以在珀西室內見到我妹妹，兩個月來她不辭辛苦地照料他。或許我們最好現在就進去，我知道珀西是多麽急於見到你們。”
　　 我們要去的珀西的房間同會客室在一層樓上。這房間佈置得既象起居室，又象臥室，滿堂優雅地擺着鮮花。一位面如土色、身體衰弱的年輕人躺在長沙發上。沙發靠近窗戶，濃郁的花香和初夏宜人的空氣從開着的窗戶飄進來。一個女人坐在他身旁，我們進屋時，她站起身來。
　　 “要我離開嗎，珀西？”她問道。
　　 珀西抓住她的手不讓她走。
　　 “你好！華生，”珀西親熱地說道，“我見你留着鬍須，幾乎認不出你了。我敢說你也不保準能認識我了。我猜，這位就是你那大名鼎鼎的朋友歇洛剋·福爾摩斯先生吧？”
　　 我三言兩語給他們介紹了一番，兩人一同坐下。那個壯實的中年人離開了我們，可是他妹妹的手被病人拉着，衹好留在室內。她是一個異常惹人註目的女子，身材略嫌矮胖，顯得有些不勻稱，但她有美麗的橄欖色面容，一雙烏黑的意大利人的大眼睛，一頭烏雲般的黑發。在她那豔麗的容貌相形之下，她伴侶那蒼白的面孔越發顯得衰弱而憔悴。
　　 “我不願浪費你們的時間，”珀西從沙發上坐起來說道，“所以要開門見山地講這件事。我是一個快樂而有成就的人，福爾摩斯先生，而且就要結婚了。可是一件突如其來的大禍毀掉了我一生的前程。
　　 “華生可能已經告訴過你了，我在外交部供職，通過我舅父霍爾德赫斯特勳爵的關係，我很快將升任要職了。我舅父擔任本屆政府的外交大臣，他交給我一些重要任務，我總是辦得很好，終於贏得了他對我才能和機智的充分信任。
　　 “大約十個星期以前，更確切地說是在五月二十三日，他把我叫到他的私人辦公室裏，先是稱贊我工作幹得很出色，然後告訴我，要我執行一件新的重要任務。
　　 “他從寫字檯裏拿出一個灰色的紙捲說道：‘這是英國和意大利簽定的秘密協定的原本，很遺憾，報上已經透露出一些傳聞。最重要的是，不能再有任何消息透漏出去。法國和大使館正不惜花費巨款來探聽這些文件的內容。若不是非常需要一份抄本，我絶不會從我的寫字檯裏把它拿出來。你辦公室裏有保險櫃嗎？’
　　 “‘有的，先生。’
　　 “‘那麽，把協定拿去鎖到你的保險櫃裏。但我應當叮囑你：你可以在別人下班後自己呆在辦公室裏，以便從容不迫地抄寫副本，而不用擔心被別人偷看。抄好後再把原件和抄本鎖到保險櫃裏，明天早晨一起交給我本人。’
　　 “我拿了這份文件，就……”
　　 “對不起，請稍停一下，”福爾摩斯說道，“談這話時衹有你們兩人在場嗎？”
　　 “一點不錯。”
　　 “在一個大房間裏？”
　　 “有三十英尺見方。”
　　 “談話是在房中間嗎？”
　　 “對，差不多在中間。”
　　 “說話聲音不高嗎？”
　　 “我舅父說話聲音嚮來很低，我幾乎沒有說話。”
　　 “謝謝你，”福爾摩斯閉上雙眼，說道，“請繼續講吧。”
　　 “我完全照他的吩咐做了，等待其他幾個職員離開。衹有一個叫做查爾斯·戈羅特的還有一點公事沒有辦完。於是我就出去吃晚餐，讓他自己留在辦公室裏。我回來時，他已經走了。我急於把我這件公事趕出來，因為我知道約瑟夫——
　　 剛纔你們見過的哈裏森先生——正在城裏，要乘十一點鐘火車到沃金去，我也想盡可能趕上這趟火車。
　　 “我一看這份協定，立即發覺它確實極端重要，舅父的話絲毫也不誇張。不需細看，我就可以說，它規定了大不列顛王國對三國同盟的立場，同時它也預定了一旦法國海軍在地中海對意大利海軍占完全優勢時，英國要采取的對策。協定涉及的問題純屬海軍方面的。協定最後是協商雙方高級官員的簽署。我草草看過之後，就坐下來動手抄寫。
　　 “這份文件很長，用法文寫成，包括二十六項條文。我盡可能快抄，可是到九點鐘纔抄了九條，看來，我想趕十一點火車是沒有希望了。由於整日勞累加上晚餐沒有吃好，我感到昏昏欲睡，頭腦麻木，心想喝杯咖啡清醒清醒頭腦。樓下有一個小門房，整夜都有一個看門人守在那裏，按慣例給每一個加夜班的職員用酒精燈燒咖啡。所以，我就按鈴召喚他。
　　 “使我驚奇的是，應召而來的是一個女人，一個身材高大、面容粗俗的老婆子，係着一條圍裙。她解釋說：她是看門人的妻子，在這裏作雜役，我就叫她去煮咖啡。
　　 “我又抄了兩條，愈發感到昏昏欲睡，便站起身來，在屋內踱來踱去，伸展一下雙腿。咖啡還不見送來，我想知道原因是什麽，便打開門，順走廊走過去看。從我抄寫文件的房間出來就是一條筆直的走廊，光綫昏暗，是我辦公室唯一的出口。走廊盡頭有一條轉彎的樓梯，看門人的小門房就在樓梯下面的過道旁。樓梯的中間有一個小平臺，另有一條走廊通到這個平臺，與樓梯在平臺處呈丁字形。這第二條走廊盡頭有一段樓梯通嚮旁門，專供僕役使用，也是職員們從查爾斯街走進本樓的捷徑。這就是那個地方的略圖。”
　　 “謝謝你，我認為我完全聽懂你所說的事了，”歇洛剋·福爾摩斯說道。
　　 “請您註意，說到最重要的地方了。我走下樓梯，進入大廳，發現看門人正在門房裏酣睡，咖啡壺在酒精燈上滾滾沸騰，咖啡都溢到地板上了，我拿下壺，滅掉酒精燈，伸手正要去搖醒那個仍在酣睡的人，突然間他頭頂上鈴聲大振，他一下子就驚醒過來。
　　 “‘費爾普斯先生！’他睏惑不解地望着我說道。
　　 “‘我來看看咖啡是不是煮好了。’
　　 “‘我正在煮着，不覺就睡着了。先生，’他望着我，又擡頭望着仍在顫動着的電鈴，臉上露出更加驚奇的神色。
　　 “‘既然你在這裏，先生，那麽誰在按鈴呢？’他問道。
　　 “‘按鈴！’我叫道，‘按什麽鈴？’
　　 “‘這是在你辦公房間按的電鈴。’“我的心頓時象被一隻冰冷的手揪住一樣，這麽說，是有人在我的辦公室裏了，而我那份千金難買的協定就放在桌子上。我發瘋似地跑上樓梯奔嚮走廊，走廊裏空無一人，福爾摩斯先生。屋內也沒有人。一切都和我離開時一模一樣，衹是交我保管的那份文件原本，被人從我的桌上拿走了，衹剩下抄本。”
　　 福爾摩斯筆直地坐在椅上，揉搓着雙手。我看得出這件案子引起了他的興趣。“請原諒，那時你怎麽辦了呢？”他低語道。
　　 “我立即想到盜賊一定是從旁門上樓的。他要是從正門上樓，那我準會碰上他了。”
　　 “你相信，他不會一直藏在室內，或是藏在走廊裏嗎？你不是說走廊燈光很暗嗎？”
　　 “這是絶對不可能的。無論是室內，還是走廊，連一隻老鼠也藏不住的。根本沒有藏身之處。”
　　 “謝謝你，請往下說吧。”
　　 “看門人見我大驚失色，知道出了什麽可怕的事，就跟着我上樓來。我們兩人順走廊奔嚮通往查爾斯街的陡峭的樓梯，樓底下的旁門關着，沒有上鎖。我們推開門，衝了出去。我記得很清楚下樓時聽到鄰近的鐘敲了三下，正是九點三刻。”
　　 “這一點非常重要。”福爾摩斯一邊說一邊在他的襯衫袖口上記了下來。
　　 “這一夜天色漆黑，下着毛毛細雨，查爾斯街空無一人，可是，街盡頭的白廳路上卻象平常一樣，車輛行人絡繹不絶。
　　 我們連帽子也沒戴，就沿人行道跑過去，在右手拐角處，看到一個站在那裏。
　　 “‘出了盜竊案，’我氣喘籲籲地說道，‘一份極為重要的文件被人從外交部偷走了。有人從這條路過去嗎？’
　　 “‘我在這裏剛站了一刻鐘，先生，’說道，‘這段時間衹有一個人經過，是一個高個子老婦人，披着一條佩茲利披巾。’
　　 “‘哎，那是我妻子，’看門人高聲喊道，‘沒有別的人過去嗎？’
　　 “‘一個人也沒有了。’
　　 “‘這麽說，這個小偷一定是從左拐角逃走了，’這個傢夥扯着我的袖子喊道。
　　 “可是我並不相信，而他企圖把我引開，反而增加了我的懷疑。
　　 “‘那個女人是嚮哪邊走的？’
　　 “‘我不知道，先生，我衹註意到她走過去，可是我毫無理由去註視她。她似乎很匆忙。’
　　 “‘這有多長時間了？’
　　 “‘啊，沒有幾分鐘。’
　　 “‘不到五分鐘嗎？’
　　 “‘對，不過五分鐘。’
　　 “‘你不過是在浪費時間，先生，現在每分鐘都很重要，’看門人高聲喊道，‘請相信我，這事和我的老婆絶不相幹，快到這條街的左端去吧。好，你不去我去。’說着，他就嚮左方跑去了。
　　 “可是我一下子追上去，扯住他的衣袖。
　　 “‘你住在哪裏？’我問道。
　　 “‘我住在布裏剋斯頓的艾維巷十六號，’他回答道，‘可是你不要使自己被假綫索迷住，費爾普斯先生。我們到這條街的左端去看能不能打聽到什麽。’“我想，照他的意見辦也沒有什麽壞處，我們兩人和急忙趕過去，衹見街上車水馬竜，人來人往，個個都想在這陰雨之夜早些回到安身之處，沒有一個閑人能告訴我們誰曾經走過。
　　 “於是我們又返回外交部，把樓梯和走廊搜查一遍，可是毫無結果。通往辦公室的走廊上鋪着一種米色漆布，一有腳印就很容易發現。我們檢查得非常仔細，可是連一點腳印的痕跡也沒有找到。”
　　 “那天晚上一直在下雨嗎？”
　　 “大約從七點鐘開始下的雨。”
　　 “那麽，那個女人大約在九點鐘左右進到室內，穿着帶泥的靴子，怎麽能沒有留下腳印呢？”
　　 “我很高興你指出這一點。那時我也想到了。這個雜役女工有個習慣，就是在看門人房裏脫掉靴子，換上布拖鞋。”
　　 “明白了。那麽說，雖然當晚下着雨，卻沒有發現腳印，對嗎？這一連串事件的確非常重要。下一步你們又是怎麽做的呢？”
　　 “我們也把房間檢查了一遍。這房間不可能有暗門，窗戶離地面足有三十英尺。兩扇窗戶都從裏面插上插銷了。地板上鋪着地毯，不可能有地道門，天花板是普通白灰刷的。我敢拿性命擔保，無論是誰偷了我的文件，他衹能從房門逃跑。”
　　 “壁爐的情況怎麽樣呢？”
　　 “那裏沒有壁爐，衹有一個火爐。電鈴正在我寫字檯的右首。誰要按鈴都必須到我寫字檯右首去按。可是為什麽罪犯要去按鈴呢？這是一個最難解釋的疑團。”
　　 “這件事確實非同尋常。你們的下一步措施是什麽呢？我想，你們檢查過房間，看看那位不速之客有沒有留下什麽痕跡，象煙蒂、失落的手套、發夾或其它什麽小東西，是嗎？”
　　 “沒有這一類東西。”
　　 “沒有聞到什麽氣味嗎？”
　　 “唉，我們沒有想到這一點。”
　　 “啊，在調查這樣的案件時，即使有一點煙草氣味對我們也是很有價值的。”
　　 “我一嚮不吸煙，我想，衹要屋裏有一點煙味，我就會聞出來的。可是那裏一點煙味也沒有。唯一確鑿的事實就是看門人的妻子，那個叫坦蓋太太的女人，是從那地方慌忙走出來的，看門人對這件事實也無法解釋，他衹是說他妻子平常就是在這個時間回傢。和我一致認為，如果文件確實在那個女人手裏，那我們最好趁她沒把文件脫手就把她抓住。
　　 “這時蘇格蘭場已接到警報，偵探福布斯先生立即趕來，全力以赴地接過了這件案子。我們租了一輛雙輪雙座馬車，半小時就到了看門人告訴我們的地點。一個年輕女子開了門，她是坦蓋太太的長女。她母親還沒回來，她把我們讓進前廳等候。
　　 “十分鐘以後，有人敲門。這時我們犯了一個嚴重的錯誤，對這一點我衹能責怪自己。這就是我們沒有親自開門，而是讓那個姑娘去開。我們聽到她說，‘媽媽，傢裏來了兩個人，正等着要見你。’接着我們就聽到一陣腳步聲急促地走進過道。福布斯猛然把門推開，我們兩個人跑進後屋也就是廚房，可是那女人搶先走了進去。她帶着敵意望着我們，後來，突然認出了我，臉上浮現出一種十分詫異的表情。
　　 “‘怎麽，這不是部裏的費爾普斯先生麽！’她大聲說道。
　　 “‘喂，喂，你把我們當作什麽人了？為什麽躲開我們？’我的同伴問道。
　　 “‘我以為你們是舊貨商呢，’她說道，‘我們和一個商人有糾葛。’
　　 “‘這理由是不十分充足的，’福布斯回答道，‘我們有根據認為你從外交部拿走了一份重要文件，然後跑到這裏處理它。你必須隨我們一起到蘇格蘭場去接受搜查。’
　　 “她提出，進行抵抗，都徒勞無益。我們叫來了一輛四輪馬車，三個人都坐進去。臨走以前，我們先檢查了這間廚房，尤其是廚房裏的爐火，看看她是否在她一個人到這兒的時候把文件扔進火裏。然而，沒有一點碎屑或灰燼的痕跡。我們一到蘇格蘭場，立即把她交給女搜查員。我非常焦急，好不容易纔等到女檢查員送來了報告，可是報告說文件毫無蹤影。
　　 “這時，我纔開始意識到我的處境可怕到了極點，迄今為止，我衹顧行動，根本沒顧上思考。我一直深信可以很快找到那份協定，因此我根本不敢想如果找不到，後果如何。可是現在既已一籌莫展，我就有空來考慮自己的處境了。這實在太可怕了。華生可能已告訴你，我在學校時，是一個膽怯而敏感的孩子。我的性格就是這樣。我想到我舅父和他內閣裏的同僚，想到我給他帶來的恥辱，給我自己和親友帶來的恥辱，我個人成為這個非常離奇的意外事件的犧牲品，又算得了什麽呢？重要的是外交利益事關重大，絶不允許出一點意外事故的。我算毀了，毫無希望地可恥地毀了。我不知道我做了些什麽。我想我一定是當衆大鬧了一場。我衹模模糊糊地記得當時有一些同事圍着我，盡力安慰我。有一個同事陪我一起乘車到滑鐵盧，把我送上去沃金的火車。我相信，當時如果不是我的鄰居費裏爾醫生也乘這次火車同行，那麽那位同事會一直把我送到傢的。這位醫生對我照顧得非常周到，也確實多虧他這樣照顧我，因為我在車站就已昏厥過一次，在我到傢之前幾乎成了一個語無倫次的瘋子。
　　 “你可以想象，當醫生按鈴把我傢裏人從睡夢中驚醒，他們看到我這副樣子時的情景。可憐的安妮和我母親幾乎肝腸寸斷。費裏爾醫生剛剛在車站聽偵探講過事情的由來，便把經過對我傢人講了一遍，但無濟於事。誰都很清楚，我的病不是一時半會就能治好的，所以約瑟夫就匆忙地搬出了這間心愛的臥室，把它改成了我的病房。福爾摩斯先生，我在這裏已經躺了九個多星期，不省人事，腦神經極度錯亂，要不是哈裏森小姐在這裏，還有醫生的關心，我就是現在也不能和你們講話。安妮小姐白天照看我，另雇一位護士晚上守護我，因為在我神經病發作時，我什麽事都能做出來。我的頭腦逐漸清醒過來，不過衹是最近三天，我的記憶力纔完全恢復。有時我甚至希望它不恢復纔好呢。我辦的第一件事就是給經手這件案子的福布斯先生發去一封電報。他來到這裏，嚮我說明，雖然用盡一切辦法，卻找不到任何綫索；運用各種手段檢查了看門人和他的妻子，也未能把事情弄清楚。於是警方又把懷疑目標落到年輕的戈羅特身上，讀者當還記得，戈羅特就是那天晚上下班以後在辦公室裏逗留過很長時間的那個人。他實際上衹有兩點可疑：一點是他走得晚，另一點是他的法國姓名。可是，事實是，在他走以前，我還沒有開始抄那份協定；他的祖先是鬍格諾派教徒血統，但他在習慣和感情上，象你我一樣，是英國人的。無論怎麽說，也找不出什麽確實的根據把他牽連進去。於是這件案子到此就停下來。福爾摩斯先生，我把最後的希望完全寄托在你身上了。如果你使我失望的話，那麽我的榮譽和地位都將永遠斷送了。”
　　 由於談話過久，感到疲乏，病人便斜靠在墊子上，這時護士給他倒了一杯鎮靜劑。福爾摩斯頭嚮後仰，雙目微閉，坐在那裏默默不語，在一個陌生的人看來，似乎是無精打彩的樣子，不過我知道這表示他正在非常緊張地思索着。
　　 “你講得很明白，”他終於說道，“我需要問的問題已經不多了。但是，有一個最重要的問題還要弄明白。你告訴過什麽人你要執行這一項特殊任務嗎？”
　　 “一個人也沒告訴過。”
　　 “比方說，這裏的哈裏森小姐你也沒有告訴嗎？”
　　 “沒有。在我接受命令和執行任務這段時間裏，我沒有回沃金來。”
　　 “你的親友裏沒有一個人碰巧去看你嗎？”
　　 “沒有。”
　　 “你的親友中有人知道你辦公室的路徑嗎？”
　　 “啊，是的，那裏的路徑我都告訴過他們。”
　　 “當然，如果你沒有對任何人講過有關協定的事，那麽這些詢問就沒有必要了。”
　　 “我什麽也沒講過。”
　　 “你對看門人瞭解嗎？”
　　 “我衹知道他原來是一個老兵。”
　　 “是哪一團的？”
　　 “啊，我聽說，是科爾斯特裏姆警衛隊的。”
　　 “謝謝你。我相信，我能從福布斯那裏得知詳情。官方非常善於搜集事實，可是他們卻不是經常能利用這些事實。啊，玫瑰花這東西多麽可愛啊！”
　　 他走過長沙發，到開着的窗前，伸手扶起一根低垂着的玫瑰花枝，欣賞着嬌緑豔紅的花團。在我看來，這還是他性格中一個新的方面，因為我以前還從未見過他對自然物表現出強烈的愛好。
　　 “天下事沒有比宗教更需要推理法的了。”他把背斜靠着百葉窗，說道，“推理法可能被推理學者們逐步樹立為一門精密的學科。按照推理法，據我看來，我們對上帝仁慈的最高信仰，就是寄托於鮮花之中。因為一切其它的東西：我們的本領，我們的願望，我們的食物，這一切首先都是為了生存的需要。而這種花朵就迥然不同了。它的香氣和它的色澤都是生命的點綴，而不是生存的條件。衹有仁慈才能産生這些不凡的品格。所以我再說一遍，人類在鮮花中寄托着巨大的希望。”
　　 珀西·費爾普斯和他的護理人在福爾摩斯論證時望着他，臉上流露出驚奇和極度失望的神色。福爾摩斯手中拿着玫瑰花陷入沉思，這樣過了幾分鐘，那位年輕的女子打破了沉寂。
　　 “你看出解决這一疑團的希望了嗎？福爾摩斯先生，”她用有點刺耳的聲音問道。
　　 “啊，這個疑團！”福爾摩斯一愣，纔又回到現實生活中來，回答道，“嗯，如果否認這件案子復雜而又難解，那是愚蠢的。不過我可以答應你們，我要深入調查這件事，並把我所瞭解的一切情況告訴你們。”
　　 “你看出什麽綫索了嗎？”
　　 “你已經給我提供了七個綫索，不過我當然必須先檢驗一番，才能斷定它們的價值。”
　　 “你懷疑哪一個人嗎？”
　　 “我懷疑我自己。”
　　 “什麽？！”
　　 “懷疑我的結論做得太快。”
　　 “那就回倫敦去檢驗你的結論吧。”
　　 “你的建議非常妙，哈裏森小姐，”福爾摩斯站起身來說道，“我想，華生，我們不能再有更好的辦法了。費爾普斯先生，你不要抱過高的奢望。這件事是非常撲朔迷離的。”
　　 “我焦急萬分地等着再和你見面。”這位外交人員大聲說道。
　　 “好，雖然未必能帶給你什麽好消息，明天我還是乘這班車來看你。”
　　 “願上帝保佑你成功，”我們的委托人高聲叫道，“我知道正在采取措施，這就給了我新生的力量。順便說一下，我接到霍爾德赫斯特勳爵的一封信。”
　　 “啊！他說了些什麽？”
　　 “他表示冷淡，但並不嚴厲。我斷定是因為我重病在身他纔沒有苛責我。他反復說事關絶密，又說除非我恢復了健康，有機會補救我的過失，我的前程——當然他是指我被革職——是無法輓回的。”
　　 “啊，這是合情合理而又考慮周到的，”福爾摩斯說道，“走啊，華生，我們在城裏還有一整天的工作要做呢。”
　　 約瑟夫·哈裏森先生用馬車把我們送到火車站，我們很快搭上了去樸次茅斯的火車。福爾摩斯沉浸於深思之中，一直緘默無言，直到我們過了剋拉彭樞紐站，纔張口說話：“無論走哪條鐵路綫進倫敦，都能居高臨下地看到這樣一些房子，這真是一件令人非常高興的事。”
　　 我以為他是在說笑話，因為這景色實在不堪入目，可是他立即解釋道：“你看那一片孤立的大房子，它們矗立於青石之上，就象鉛灰色海洋中的磚瓦之島一般。”
　　 “那是一些寄宿學校。”
　　 “那是燈塔，我的夥計！未來的燈塔！每一座燈塔裏都裝滿千百顆光輝燦爛的小種子，將來英國在他們這一代將更加明智富強，我想，費爾普斯這個人不會飲酒吧？”
　　 “我想他不會飲酒。”
　　 “我也這樣想，可是我們應該把一切可能都預料到。這可憐的人已陷入水深火熱之中，問題是我們有沒有能力救他上岸。你認為哈裏森小姐怎麽樣？”
　　 “她是一個性格剛強的姑娘。”
　　 “對，可她是一個好人，不然就是我看錯了。她和她的哥哥是諾森伯蘭附近一個鐵器製造商的僅有的兩個孩子。去鼕旅行時，費爾普斯與她訂了婚，她哥哥陪同她前來和費爾普斯傢裏人見面。正好出了這件不幸的事，她便留下來照顧未婚夫，她的哥哥約瑟夫·哈裏森發覺這裏相當舒適，便也留下來。你看，我已經做了一些單獨的調查。不過今天一天，我必須進行調查工作。”
　　 “我的醫務……”我開始說道。
　　 “啊，若是你覺得你的那些業務比我這案件更重要……”
　　 福爾摩斯有些尖刻地說道。
　　 “我是想說我的醫務不妨耽擱一兩天，因為這是一年裏最清淡的時候。”
　　 “太好了，”福爾摩斯說道，他又恢復了高興的心情，“那我們就一起來研究這件案子吧。我想應該從訪問福布斯入手。
　　 他大概能講出我們所要的一切細節，然後我們就知道，從哪一方面來破案。”
　　 “你是說，你已經有綫索了？”
　　 “對，我們已經有幾個綫索了，不過衹有經過進一步調查，才能檢驗它的價值。沒有犯罪動機的案件是最難查辦的。但這件案子並非沒有犯罪動機。什麽人能從中得到好處呢？法國大使、大使、那位可以把該協定出賣給其中一個大使的人、還有霍爾德赫斯特勳爵。”
　　 “霍爾德赫斯特勳爵！”
　　 “對，可以想象一個傢出於需要，可以毫不後悔地藉機銷毀這樣一份文件。”
　　 “霍爾德赫斯特勳爵不是一個有光榮履歷的內閣大臣嗎？”
　　 “這是可能的，我們也不能忽視這一點。我們今天就去拜訪這位高貴的勳爵，看看他能不能告訴我們一些情況，同時，我已經在進行調查了。”
　　 “已經進行了？”
　　 “對，我從沃金車站給倫敦各傢晚報都發了一份電報。每傢晚報都將刊登這樣一份廣告。”
　　 福爾摩斯交給我一張紙，這紙是從日記本上撕下來的，上面用鉛筆寫着：
　　 五月二十三日晚九點三刻，在查爾斯街外交部門口或附近，從一輛馬車上下來一位乘客，知者請將馬車號碼告知貝剋街２２１號乙，賞金十鎊。
　　 “你確信那個盜賊是乘馬車來的嗎？”
　　 “即使不是也無妨。假使費爾普斯說得不錯，無論辦公室或走廊都沒有藏身之地，那麽，那個人一定是從外面進來的。
　　 而如果他在這樣陰雨的夜晚從外面進來，走後幾分鐘就進行檢查，也沒有發現漆布上留有濕漉漉的腳印，那麽，他非常可能是乘車來的。對，我想我們可以十分肯定地推斷，他是乘馬車來的。”
　　 “這聽起來似乎有道理。”
　　 “這是我說的一個綫索。它可以使我們得出某種結論。當然，還有那鈴聲，這是本案最特殊的一點。為什麽要按鈴呢？是不是那個盜賊出於虛張聲勢？要不就是有人和盜賊一起進來，故意按鈴以防止盜賊行竊。或者是出於無意的？或者是……”他重新陷入方纔那種緊張的思索之中，我對他的心情是頗為瞭解的，他一定是突然又想到了一些新的可能性。
　　 我們到達終點站時，已經三點二十分了，在小飯館匆忙吃過午餐，立即趕往蘇格蘭場。因為福爾摩斯已經給福布斯打過電報，所以他正迎候我們。這人五短身材，獐頭鼠目，態度尖酸刻薄，毫不友好。特別是他聽說了我們的來意以後，對我們更加冷淡。
　　 “在這以前，我已經聽說過你的方法，福爾摩斯先生，”他尖酸刻薄地說道，“你很樂意利用警方供給你的一切情報，然後你自己設法去結案，讓警方丟臉。”
　　 “恰恰相反，”福爾摩斯說道，“在我過去破獲的五十三件案子裏，衹有四件案子署過我的名，而警方在四十九件案子裏獲得了全部榮譽。我不責怪你，因為你不瞭解這個情況，因為你年輕，沒有經驗。可是如果你想在你的新職業中求得上進，那你最好和我合作而不要反對我。”
　　 “我非常願意聽你指點一二，”這位偵探改變了態度說道，“到目前為止我從辦案中的確還沒有獲得過榮譽呢。”
　　 “你采取過什麽措施呢？”
　　 “一直在盯看門人坦蓋的梢，但他離開警衛隊時名聲很好，我們也找不到什麽嫌疑。不過他妻子是一個壞傢夥，我想，她對這件事知道很多，並不象她表面上裝的那樣。”
　　 “你跟蹤過她嗎？”
　　 “我們派了一個女偵探跟蹤她。坦蓋太太好飲酒，女偵探就趁她高興陪她飲酒，可是從她身上一無所獲。”
　　 “我聽說有一些舊貨商到過她傢？”
　　 “是的，可是她已償清了欠他們的債務。”
　　 “這筆錢是從哪裏來的呢？”
　　 “一切都正常。看門人剛領到年金，但他們卻不象手頭寬裕的樣子。”
　　 “那天晚上費爾普斯先生按鈴要咖啡，她上去應承，對這一點她怎麽解釋呢？”
　　 “她說，她丈夫非常疲憊，她願替他代勞。”
　　 “對，過了一會就發現他睡在椅子上，這當然符合情況了。
　　 那麽說，除了這女人的品行不好以外，再沒有任何別的罪證了。你沒有問她，那天晚上她為什麽那麽匆忙離去嗎？連都註意到她那慌張的神情了。”
　　 “她那天已經比平常晚了，所以急於趕回傢去。”
　　 “你有沒有給她指出來，你和費爾普斯先生至少比她晚動身二十分鐘，卻比她早到？”
　　 “她解釋說，這是因為雙輪雙座馬車比公共馬車快。”
　　 “她有沒有說清楚，為什麽到傢以後，她跑進後廚房去？”
　　 “她說，因為她的錢放在後廚房裏，要取出來付給舊貨商。”
　　 “她對每件事都作了答復。你有沒有問她，在她離開現場時，可曾遇到或是看見什麽人在查爾斯街上徘徊？”
　　 “除了她誰也沒有看見。”
　　 “好，看來你對她盤問得很徹底。你還采取了一些什麽措施呢？”
　　 “這九個星期一直在監視職員戈羅特，但毫無結果。我們也找不出他有什麽嫌疑。”
　　 “還有什麽？”
　　 “啊，我們已無事可做，因為一點證據也沒有。”
　　 “你考慮沒有電鈴為什麽會響呢？”
　　 “啊，我必須承認，這可把我難住了。不管他是誰，也算是夠大膽的了，不僅來了，而且還敢發出警報。”
　　 “是的，這確實是件怪事。謝謝你告訴我們這些情況。如果我要你去抓這個人，我會通知你的。華生，走吧。”
　　 “我們現在到哪裏去呢？”我們離開警廳時，我問他。
　　 “去走訪霍爾德赫斯特勳爵，這位內閣大臣和未來的英國總理。”
　　 很幸運，我們趕到唐寧街時，霍爾德赫斯特勳爵還在辦公室。福爾摩斯遞進名片，我們立即被召見了。這位內閣大臣按舊式禮節接待了我們，把我們讓到放在壁爐兩旁豪華的安樂椅上，他站在我們中間的地毯上。此人身材修長、削瘦，輪廓分明，面容親切，捲麯的頭髮過早地變成灰白色，顯得異常氣宇不凡，果然是一位顯貴的貴族。
　　 “久聞你的大名，福爾摩斯先生，”他滿面笑容地說道，“當然，我不能對你們的來意裝做不知。因為本部僅有一件事能引起你的關註。可否問問你是受誰委托前來辦理這件案子的？”
　　 “受珀西·費爾普斯先生之托，”福爾摩斯答道。
　　 “啊，我那不幸的外甥！你當然明白，由於我們有親屬關係，我不能對他有絲毫包庇。我擔心這件意外事故對他的前途非常不利。”
　　 “可是如果找到這份文件呢？”
　　 “啊，那當然就是另一回事了。”
　　 “我有一兩個問題想問問你，霍爾德赫斯特勳爵。”
　　 “我很高興盡我所知奉告。”
　　 “你就是在這間辦公室裏吩咐抄寫文件的嗎？”
　　 “是這樣。”
　　 “就是說你們的談話很難被偷聽吧？”
　　 “毫無偷聽的可能。”
　　 “你是否對任何人提到過，你打算叫人抄寫這份協定？”
　　 “從來沒有。”
　　 “你肯定這點嗎？”
　　 “絶對肯定。”
　　 “好，既然你從來沒說過，費爾普斯也從來沒說過，並且再沒有別人知道這件事，那麽，盜賊來到辦公室就純屬偶然的了。他看到這是個機會，便順手偷走了文件。”
　　 這位內閣大臣笑了。
　　 “你說的已經不在我的能力範圍以內了。”霍爾德赫斯特勳爵說道。
　　 福爾摩斯沉思片刻。“還有另外極為重要的一點，我想和你商討一下，”他說道，“據我所知，你擔心這一協定的詳情一經傳出，就會帶來極其嚴重的後果。”
　　 這位內閣大臣富有表情的臉上掠過一絲陰影，說道：“當然會有極其嚴重的後果。”
　　 “已經産生嚴重後果了嗎？”
　　 “還沒有。”
　　 “如果這份協定已經落到，比如說法國或外交部手中，你認為你能聽到音信嗎？”
　　 “我一定能聽到，”霍爾德赫斯特面色不快地說道。
　　 “這麽說，既然將近十個星期已經過去，一直沒有聽到消息，這就有根據設想，由於某種原因，協定還沒有落到法、俄外交部手中。”
　　 霍爾德赫斯特勳爵聳聳雙肩。
　　 “福爾摩斯先生，我們很難設想，盜賊偷走這份協定衹是為了裝進櫃子，或是把它挂起來。”
　　 “或許他是在等待高價出售。”
　　 “如果他要再稍等一些日子，那文件就根本一文不值了。因為再過幾個月，這份協定就不成其為秘密了。”
　　 “這一點非常重要，”福爾摩斯說道，“當然，還可以設想，盜賊突然病倒了……”
　　 “比如說，得了神經失常，是嗎？”內閣大臣迅速掃了福爾摩斯一眼，問道。
　　 “我並沒有這樣說，”福爾摩斯冷靜地說道，“現在，霍爾德赫斯特勳爵，我們已經耽擱了你很多寶貴的時間，我們要嚮你告辭了。”
　　 “祝你成功地查出罪犯，不管他是誰。”這位貴族把我們送出門外，嚮我們點頭說道。
　　 “他是一個傑出的人，”我們走到白廳街時，福爾摩斯說道，“不過他要保住他的官職，還要作一場鬥爭纔行。他遠不富有，可是開銷頗大。你當然註意到了他的長統靴子已經換過鞋底了。現在，華生，我不再多耽誤你的正經工作。除非我那份尋找馬車的廣告有了回音，今天我就無事可作了。不過，如果你明天能和我一起乘昨天坐過的那一班車到沃金去，我還是感激不盡的。”
　　 第二天早晨我如約見到了他，一同乘火車到沃金去。他說，他的廣告毫無回音，而這件案子也毫無頭緒。他說話時，盡力把面孔綳得象印第安人一樣呆板，因此我不能從他面容上判斷出他對這件案子的現狀究竟是否滿意。我記得，他談到貝蒂榮測量法［貝蒂榮（１８５３—１９１４）：法國資産階級刑事偵察學家，曾提出所謂“人身測定法”，即根據年齡、比較骨骼、結合攝影和指紋等方法鑒別罪犯，被稱為“貝蒂榮測量法”。——譯者註］，他對這位法國學者非常贊賞。
　　 我們的委托人依然由他那位忠心的護理人精心照料，但看起來比以前好多了。我們一進門，他就毫不費力地從沙發上站起身來歡迎我們。
　　 “有消息嗎？”他迫不及待地問道。
　　 “正象我所預料的，我未能帶來好消息。”福爾摩斯說道，“我見到了福布斯，也見到了你的舅父，然而調查了一兩個可能發現一些問題的綫索。”
　　 “那麽說，你還沒有失去信心？”
　　 “當然沒有。”
　　 “上帝保佑你！聽到你這樣說真叫人高興，”哈裏森小姐高聲說道，“衹要我們不失去勇氣和耐性，就一定能查個水落石出。”
　　 “你對我們沒有講多少，可是我們卻可以告訴你更多的情況。”費爾普斯重新坐到沙發上說道。
　　 “我希望你弄到了重要情況。”
　　 “是的，昨晚我又遇到一件險事，的確是一件嚴重的事。”
　　 他說時表情非常嚴肅，雙眼露出近乎恐怖的神色。“你可知道，”他說道，“我開始相信，我已不知不覺地成為一個罪惡陰謀的中心，而他們的目標不僅是我的榮譽，而且還有我的生命。”
　　 “啊！”福爾摩斯叫道。
　　 “這似乎是難以置信的，因為就我所知，我在世上並沒有一個仇敵。可是從昨晚的經歷看來，我衹能得出有人要謀殺我的結論。”
　　 “請講給我們聽一聽。”
　　 “你知道，昨晚是我頭一夜沒叫人在房內護理我，自己一人獨睡。我感覺非常好，覺得自己可以不需護理了。不過我夜晚還是點着燈。啊，大約凌晨兩點鐘，我正睡意矇矓，突然被一陣輕微的聲響驚醒。那聲音就象老鼠嚙咬木板的聲音一樣。於是我躺着靜聽了一陣，以為就是老鼠。後來聲音越來越大，突然從窗上傳來一陣刺耳的金屬摩擦聲。我驚異地坐起來，確切無疑地明白了這是怎麽回事。頭一陣聲音是有人從兩扇窗戶縫隙間插進工具撬窗戶的聲音，第二陣是拉開窗閂的聲音。
　　 “接着聲音平息了十分鐘左右，好象那人在等着瞧，這些聲響是不是把我驚醒了。接着我又聽到輕輕的吱吱聲，窗戶被慢慢打開了。因為我的神經已經不象往常一樣，我再也忍不住了，便從床上跳起來，猛然拉開百葉窗。一個人正蹲伏在窗旁。轉眼之間他就逃跑了，我沒能看清他是誰，因為他頭上戴着蒙面布，把面孔的下半部都蒙住了。我衹能肯定一件事，那就是他手中拿着兇器。我看是一把長刀。在他轉身逃跑時，我清楚地看到刀光閃閃。”
　　 “這非常重要，”福爾摩斯說道，“請問你後來怎麽辦了？”
　　 “我要是身體硬朗一點兒，那一定要翻窗去追他。可是那時我衹能按鈴把全家人叫醒。這就耽誤了一點時間，因為這鈴裝在廚房裏，而僕人們又都睡在樓上。不過，我大聲喊叫，叫來了約瑟夫，他又把其他人叫醒。約瑟夫和馬夫在窗外花圃上發現了腳印，可是近來天氣異常乾燥，他們跟蹤追查到草地，就再也找不到腳印了。然而，位於路邊的木柵欄上，有一個地方有一些痕跡，他們告訴我說，好象有人從那兒翻過去，在翻越時把欄桿尖都碰斷了。因為我想我最好先聽取你的意見，所以還沒有告訴本地。”
　　 我們的委托人講述的這段經歷，顯然在歇洛剋·福爾摩斯身上産生了特別的作用。他從椅上站起來，抑製不住內心的激動，在室內踱來踱去。
　　 “真是禍不單行，”費爾普斯笑着說道，雖然這件險事顯然使他有些受驚了。
　　 “你確實擔着一份兒風險呢，”福爾摩斯說道，“你看能不能和我一起到宅院四周去散散步？”
　　 “啊，可以，我願意曬曬太陽。約瑟夫也一起去吧。”
　　 “我也去，”哈裏森小姐說道。
　　 “恐怕你還是不去為好，”福爾摩斯搖頭說道，“我想我必須請你就留在這裏。”
　　 姑娘怏怏不樂地坐回原來的位置，而她哥哥則加入我們的行列中，於是我們四人一同出了門。我們走過草坪來到這位年輕外交傢的窗外。正如他所講的那樣，花圃上的確有一些痕跡，可是已非常模糊不清無法辨認了。福爾摩斯俯身看了一會兒，接着就聳聳肩站起身來。
　　 “我看誰也不能從這些痕跡上發現多少情況，”他說道，“我們到宅子四周走走看看盜賊為什麽偏偏選中了這所房屋。
　　 照我看來，這間客廳和餐室的大窗戶應該對他更有力。”
　　 “可是那些窗戶從大路上可以看得很清楚，”約瑟夫·哈裏森先生提醒說。
　　 “啊，對，當然了。可是這裏有一道門，他完全可以從這裏試一試。這道門是幹什麽用的？”
　　 “這是供商人進出的側門。夜晚當然是鎖上的。”
　　 “以前你受過象這樣的驚嚇嗎？”
　　 “從來沒有，”我們的委托人說道。
　　 “你房子裏有金銀餐具或其它招引盜賊的東西嗎？”
　　 “沒有什麽貴重的東西。”
　　 福爾摩斯雙手插進衣袋，以一種從未有過的疏忽大意的神情，在房屋周圍遛來遛去。
　　 “順便說一下，”福爾摩斯對約瑟夫·哈裏森說道，“聽說你發現一處地方，那個人從那兒翻越過柵欄。讓我們去看看！”
　　 這個矮胖的中年人把我們引到一處，那地方有一根木欄桿的尖被人碰斷了。一小段木片還在耷拉着。福爾摩斯把它折斷，註意地查看着。
　　 “你認為這是昨天夜晚碰斷的嗎？這痕跡看來很陳舊，對吧？”
　　 “啊，可能是這樣。”
　　 “這兒也沒有從柵欄跳到外邊去的腳印。不，我看在這兒找不到什麽綫索，還是回臥室去商量商量吧。”
　　 珀西·費爾普斯被未來的姻兄攙扶着，走得非常慢。福爾摩斯和我急速穿過草坪，回到臥室裏開着的窗前，那兩人還遠遠落在後面。
　　 “哈裏森小姐，”福爾摩斯非常嚴肅地說道，“你一定要整天守在這裏不動。發生任何事情你也不要離開這裏。這是極端重要的。”
　　 “福爾摩斯先生，如果你要我這樣作，我一定照辦，”姑娘驚奇地說道。
　　 “在你去睡覺前，請從外面把屋門鎖上，自己拿着鑰匙。請答應我照這樣去做。”
　　 “可是珀西呢？”
　　 “他要和我們一起去倫敦。”
　　 “那我留在這裏嗎？”
　　 “這是為了他的原故。你可以給他幫很大的忙。快點！快答應吧！”
　　 她很快點了點頭，表示應允，這時那兩個人剛好走進屋來。
　　 “你為什麽愁眉苦臉地坐在這裏，安妮？”她哥哥高聲喊道，“出去曬曬太陽吧！”
　　 “不，謝謝你，約瑟夫。我有點頭痛，這間屋子挺涼爽，正合我意。”
　　 “你現在有什麽打算，福爾摩斯先生？”我們的委托人問道。
　　 “啊，我們不能因為調查這件小事而失去主要調查目標。
　　 如果你能和我們一起到倫敦去，那對我的幫助就很大了。”
　　 “馬上就走嗎？”
　　 “對，你方便的話，越快越好，一小時內怎樣？”
　　 “我感到身體非常硬朗了，我真能助你一臂之力嗎？”
　　 “非常可能。”
　　 “大概你要我今晚住在倫敦吧？”
　　 “我正打算建議你這樣做。”
　　 “那麽，如果我那位夜中之友再來拜訪我，他就會撲空了。
　　 福爾摩斯先生，我們一切聽你吩咐，你一定要告訴我們你打算怎麽辦。或許你想讓約瑟夫和我們一起去，以便照顧我？”
　　 “啊，不必了，你知道我的朋友華生是醫生，他會照顧你的。如果你答應這麽辦，那我們就在這裏吃午餐，飯後三人一同進城。”
　　 一切都照他的建議安排停當，衹有哈裏森小姐按照福爾摩斯的意見，找個藉口留在這間臥室裏。我想象不出我的朋友究竟耍的什麽花招，莫不是他想讓那位姑娘離開費爾普斯？
　　 費爾普斯正因為已經恢復了健康並期望參加行動，高高興興地和我們一起在餐室進午餐。但是，福爾摩斯還有一件更使我們大為吃驚的事，因為他在陪同我們到車站並送我們上車以後，不慌不忙地聲明說，他不打算離開沃金了。
　　 “在我走以前，有一兩件小事我要弄清楚。”他說道，“費爾普斯先生，你不在這裏，在某種程度上反而對我更有利。華生，你們到倫敦以後，你一定答應我，立即和我們的朋友一同乘車到貝剋街去，一直等到我再見到你們為止。好在你們兩人是老同學，一定有許多事可以談的。今晚費爾普斯先生可以住在我那間臥室裏。我明天早晨乘八點鐘的火車到滑鐵盧車站，趕得上和你們一起進早餐。”
　　 “可是我們在倫敦進行調查的事怎麽辦呢？”費爾普斯沮喪地問道。
　　 “我們明天可以做這些事。我想我現在留在這裏正是十分必要的。”
　　 “你回布裏爾布雷去後可以告訴他們說，我想明天晚上回去，”我們的火車剛要離開月臺時，費爾普斯喊道。
　　 “我不一定回布裏爾布雷去，”福爾摩斯答道，在我們的火車離站時，他嚮我們高高興興地揮手致意。
　　 費爾普斯和我一路上都在談論這件事，可是誰也不能對他這個新行動想出一個令人滿意的理由來。
　　 “我猜想，他是想找出昨夜盜竊案的綫索，如果真有盜賊的話。至於我自己，我决不相信那是一個普通的盜賊。”
　　 “那麽，你自己的意見是什麽呢？”
　　 “老實說，不管你是否把它歸結為我的神經脆弱，可是我相信，在我周圍正進行着某種隱秘的陰謀，並且由於某種我不能理解的原因，這些陰謀傢想謀害我的性命。這聽起來似乎有些誇張和荒謬，可是請考慮一下事實吧！為什麽盜賊竟想撬開無物可盜的臥室的窗戶？他又為什麽手中拿着長刀呢？”
　　 “你肯定那不是撬門用的撬棍嗎？”
　　 “啊，不，是一把刀。我很清楚地看到刀光一閃。”
　　 “可是究竟為什麽會懷有那樣深的仇恨來襲擊你呢？”
　　 “啊，問題就在這裏了。”
　　 “好，如果福爾摩斯也這樣看，那麽這就可以說明他采取這一行動的原因。對嗎？假設你的想法是對的，他能抓住那個昨夜威脅過你的人，那他就嚮找到偷海軍協定的人這個目標前進了一大步。若設想你有兩個仇人。一個偷了你的東西，另一個來威脅你的生命，那未免太荒謬可笑了。”
　　 “可是福爾摩斯說他不回布裏爾布雷去。”
　　 “我瞭解他不是一天半天了，”我說道，“我還從來沒見過他沒有充分理由就去做什麽事情。”說到這裏，我們便轉入了其他話題。
　　 可是這一天把我弄得疲憊不堪。費爾普斯久病之後依然虛弱，他所遭遇的不幸更加使他易於激怒，緊張不安。我盡力講一些我在阿富汗、在印度的往事，講一些社會問題，講一些能給他消愁解悶的事，來使他開心，但都無濟於事。他總是念念不忘那份丟失的協定，他驚異着，猜測着，思索着，想知道福爾摩斯正在做什麽，霍爾德赫斯特勳爵正在采取什麽措施，明天早晨我們會聽到什麽消息。夜色深沉之後，他由激動變得痛苦異常。
　　 “你非常信賴福爾摩斯嗎？”
　　 “我親眼見他辦了許多出色的案子。”
　　 “可是他還從未偵破過象這樣毫無頭緒的案子吧？”
　　 “啊，不，我知道他解决過比你這件案子綫索還少的案子。”
　　 “但不是關係如此重大的案子吧？”
　　 “這我倒不清楚。但我確實知道，他曾為歐洲三傢王室辦過極其重要的案子。”
　　 “不過你很瞭解他，華生。他是一個如此不可思議的人物，我永遠也不知如何去理解他。你認為他有希望成功嗎？你認為他打算偵破這件案子嗎？”
　　 “他什麽也沒說。”
　　 “這不是一個好兆頭。”
　　 “恰恰相反。我曾經註意到，他失去綫索的時候總是說失去了綫索。在他查到一點綫索而又沒有十分把握的時候，他就特別沉默寡言。現在，我親愛的朋友，為這事使自己心神不安，絲毫於事無益，我勸你快上床安睡，明天早上不管消息好壞，都能精神飽滿地去處理。”
　　 我終於說服我的同伴接受了我的勸告，但我從他激動的神態看出，他是沒有希望安睡的。確實，他的情緒也影響了我，我自己也在床上輾轉了半夜，不能入睡，仔細盤算這個奇怪的問題，作了無數的推論，一個比一個不能成立。福爾摩斯為什麽留在沃金呢？為什麽他要哈裏森小姐整天留在病房裏呢？為什麽他那麽小心謹慎，不讓布裏爾布雷的人知道他打算留在他們附近呢？我絞盡腦汁竭力尋找符合這一切事實的解答，最後纔漸漸入睡。
　　 我一覺醒來，已經七點鐘了，便立即起身到費爾普斯房裏，發現他容顔憔悴，一定是徹夜未眠。他第一句話就問福爾摩斯是否已經回來。
　　 “他既然答應來，”我說道，“就一定會準時來的。”
　　 我的話果然不錯，八點剛過，一輛馬車疾馳到門前，我的朋友從車上跳下來。我們站在窗前，看到他左手纏着綳帶，面色嚴肅而蒼白。他走進宅內，過了一會纔來到樓上。
　　 “他似乎精疲力盡了，”費爾普斯喊道。
　　 我不得不承認他說得對。“畢竟，”我說道，“這件案子的綫索可能還是在城裏。”
　　 費爾普斯了一聲。
　　 “我不知道這是怎麽回事，”他說道，“可是我對他回來抱有那麽多的希望。不過他的手昨天並沒有象這樣纏着。這究竟是怎麽回事呢？”
　　 “福爾摩斯，你沒有受傷嗎？”我的朋友走進屋內時，我問道。
　　 “唉，這不過是由於我手腳笨拙，擦傷了點皮，”他一面點頭嚮我們問候，一面回答道，“費爾普斯先生，你這件案子，同我過去查辦過的所有案子相比，確實是最隱秘的了。”
　　 “我怕你對這案子是力不從心了。”
　　 “這是一次十分奇異的經歷。”
　　 “你手上的綳帶就說明你曾經歷過險，”我說道，“你能不能告訴我們發生了什麽事？”
　　 “等吃過早餐再說吧，我親愛的華生。別忘了今天早晨我從薩裏趕了三十英裏路。大概，我那份尋找馬車的廣告還沒有着落吧？好了，好了，我們不能指望一切都順利。”
　　 餐桌已經準備好了，我剛要按鈴，赫德森太太就把茶點和咖啡送來了。幾分鐘以後，她又送上三份早餐，我們一齊就坐，福爾摩斯狼吞虎咽地吃起來，我好奇地望着，費爾普斯悶悶不樂，垂頭喪氣。
　　 “赫德森太太很善於應急，”福爾摩斯把一盤咖喱雞的蓋子打開說道，“她會做的菜有限，可是象蘇格蘭女人一樣，這份早餐想得很妙。華生，你那是什麽菜？”
　　 “一份火腿蛋，”我答道。
　　 “太好了！費爾普斯先生，你喜歡吃什麽，咖喱雞還是火腿蛋？要不然，就請你吃你自己那一份吧。”
　　 “謝謝你，我什麽也吃不下去，”費爾普斯說道。
　　 “啊，來吧！請吃一點你面前那一份。”
　　 “謝謝你，我確實不想吃。”
　　 “好，那麽，”福爾摩斯調皮地眨了眨眼，說道，“我想你不會拒絶我的好意吧。”
　　 費爾普斯打開蓋子，他剛一打開，突然發出一聲尖叫，面色象菜盤一樣蒼白，坐在那裏呆呆地望着盤內。原來盤內放着一個藍灰色小紙捲。他一把抓起來，雙眼直愣愣地看着，然後把那紙捲按在胸前，高興得尖聲喊叫，在室內如癡如狂地手舞足蹈起來，然後倒在一張扶手椅中，由於過分激動而軟弱不堪，筋疲力盡。我們衹好給他灌了一點白蘭地，使他不至昏厥過去。
　　 “好啦！好啦！”福爾摩斯輕輕拍着費爾普斯的肩膀，安慰他說，“象這樣突然把它放到你面前，實在是太糟糕了，不過華生會告訴你，我總是忍不住想把事情做得帶點戲劇性。”
　　 費爾普斯抓着福爾摩斯的手吻個不停。
　　 “上帝保佑你！”他大聲喊道，“你輓救了我的榮譽。”
　　 “好啦，你知道，這也關係着我自己的榮譽，”福爾摩斯說道，“我應該請你放心，我辦案失敗，和你受托失信一樣，都是不愉快的。”
　　 費爾普斯把這份珍貴文件揣進他上衣裏面貼身的口袋。
　　 “我雖不想再打擾你吃早餐，可是我是渴望知道你是怎樣把它弄到手，在哪裏找到的。”
　　 歇洛剋·福爾摩斯喝完一杯咖啡，又把火腿蛋吃完，然後站起身來，點上煙斗，安然坐到椅子上。
　　 “我講講我先做了些什麽，後來又是如何着手去做的。”福爾摩斯說道，“從車站和你們分手後，我就悠然自得地徒步而行，經過優美的薩裏風景區，來到一個名叫裏普利的小村落，在小客店裏吃過茶點，然後灌滿水壺，口袋裏裝了一塊夾心面包，做好了一切準備。我一直等到傍晚，纔又返回沃金，當我來到布裏爾布雷旁邊的公路時，已是黃昏時分了。
　　 “嗯，我一直等到公路上渺無人跡——我想，那條公路上行人從來不太多的——於是我爬過柵欄，來到屋後宅地。”
　　 “那大門日夜都是開着的啊，”費爾普斯突然喊道。
　　 “不錯，可是我特別喜愛這麽幹。我選擇了長着三棵樅樹的地方，在這些樅樹掩蔽下，我走了過去，屋子裏沒有一個人能看到我。我蹲伏在旁邊的灌木叢中，從一棵樹匍匐前進到另一棵——我褲子膝蓋破成這樣就是證明，一直爬到你臥室窗戶對過的那叢杜鵑花旁邊。我在那兒蹲下來，等候事情的發展。
　　 “你房裏的窗簾還沒有放下，我可以望見哈裏森小姐坐在桌旁看書。她合上書關牢百葉窗退出臥室時，已是十點一刻了。
　　 “我聽到她關門，清楚地聽到她用鑰匙鎖門的聲音。”
　　 “鑰匙？”費爾普斯突然喊道。
　　 “對，我事先吩咐過哈裏森小姐，在她就寢時，從你的臥室外面把門鎖上，並且親自拿着鑰匙。她一絲不苟地執行了我的各項命令，肯定說，要是沒有她的合作，你就不會找到你上衣口袋中的那份文件了，後來她走開了，燈也熄了，我依舊蹲在杜鵑花叢中。
　　 “夜色晴朗，但守候起來仍然是令人厭煩的。當然，那種激動的心情，就如同漁人躺在河邊守候魚群一樣。不過，時間等得非常久，華生，幾乎就象你我在查究‘斑點帶子案’那個小問題時，在那間死氣沉沉的屋子裏等候的時間一樣長。沃金教堂的鐘聲一刻鐘一刻鐘地響過去，我不止一次地想，也許不會發生什麽事了。可是，終於在凌晨兩點鐘左右，我突然聽到拉開門閂和鑰匙轉動的響聲。頃刻間，供僕役出入的門開了，約瑟夫·哈裏林先生在月光下走了出來。”
　　 “約瑟夫？！”費爾普斯突然喊道。
　　 “他光着頭，可是肩上披着一件黑鬥篷，以便在遇到緊急情況時，他可以立即把臉蒙上。他躡手躡腳地走到墻壁陰影下，接近窗戶，將一把長薄片刀插入窗框，撥開窗閂。然後他撬開窗戶，又把刀子插進百葉窗縫中，把百葉窗打開了。
　　 “我從藏身的地方可以看清室內情況和他的一舉一動。他點燃壁爐臺上的兩支蠟燭，動手捲起門旁地毯的一角。一會兒彎腰取下一塊小方木板，那是供管子工修理煤氣管道接頭時用的。這塊木板蓋着丁字形煤氣管接頭，有條管子通往樓下廚房，是給廚房供煤氣用的。約瑟夫從這隱蔽之處取出一小捲紙來，把木板重新蓋好，又把地毯鋪平，吹熄了蠟燭，因為我正站在窗外守候他，他一下子撞進我懷裏。
　　 “啊，約瑟夫先生比我想象的還要兇惡得多！他拿刀嚮我撲來，我不得不再次抓住他，在我占上風之前，我指節上讓刀劃傷了。在我們結束搏鬥之後，他由於僅能用一隻眼看人，看起來象個兇犯，可是他聽了我的勸告，把文件交了出來。我拿到文件，便放他走了。不過我今早給福布斯發了一份電報，把詳情都告訴他了。如果他動作麻利，能抓住他要捉的人，那就太好了。可是如果象我預料的那樣，他趕到那裏人已經逃走了，呃，那政府還巴不得呢。我想，首先，霍爾德赫斯特勳爵，其次，珀西·費爾普斯先生都寧願這件案子不經違警罪法庭審理纔好呢。”
　　 “我的天啊！”我們的委托人道，“請告訴我，難道在我極其痛苦的十個星期中，這份失竊文件始終和我一起在那間屋子裏嗎？”
　　 “正是這樣。”
　　 “那麽約瑟夫！約瑟夫是一個惡棍和盜賊了！”
　　 “嗨！恐怕約瑟夫是一個比他外表看來更陰險、更危險的人物。從他今早對我所說的話來看，我推測他在股票交易中虧了血本，為了轉轉運氣，什麽壞事都準備去幹。作為一個極端自私的人，一碰到機會，他既不顧他妹妹的幸福，也不考慮你的名譽。”
　　 珀西·費爾普斯坐回他的椅中。“我的頭都昏了，”他說道，“你的話使我更加暈頭轉嚮。”
　　 “你這件案子最主要的睏難，”福爾摩斯說教似地指出道，“就在於綫索太多。極重要的綫索被毫不相幹的跡象遮掩住了。我們面前的事實非常多，衹能從中選擇必要的，按順序把它們串起來，以便重視這一連串怪事的各個環節。我開始對約瑟夫産生懷疑的根據是，你曾打算在失竊的那天晚上和他一起回傢，我很自然想到他必然會來找你，因為他對外交部很熟悉，又是順路。後來我聽你說有人急於潛入那間臥室。
　　 我想，衹有約瑟夫纔可能把東在那間臥室裏——你對我們說過你那天和醫生一起回到臥室時，是怎樣讓約瑟夫搬出臥室的——到那時我的懷疑就變成了肯定。特別是頭一夜沒有人陪你住，就有人企圖潛入室內，這說明這位不速之客對房內的情況很熟悉。”
　　 “我是多麽有眼無珠啊！”
　　 “我查明這件案子的事實經過是這樣的：約瑟夫·哈裏森從通嚮查爾斯街的那個旁門走進外交部，因為他熟悉路，所以在你離開辦公室時，他直接闖進去，發現那裏一個人也沒有，立刻按起電鈴來，正在按鈴時，一眼看到桌上的文件。一瞥之間，他覺得他面前是一個很好的機會，可以得到一份極有價值的國傢文件，他一下子把它揣到口袋裏揚長而去。正如你所回憶的那樣，過了幾分鐘打盹剛醒的看門人才提醒你註意鈴聲，這一點時間是足夠盜賊逃跑的了。
　　 “他乘第一班車回到沃金，檢查了贓物，肯定它極為珍貴，便把那份協定藏到他認為非常安全的地方，企圖一兩天內取出，送到法國大使館或他認為可以出高價的任何地方。可是你突然返回傢中。他措手不及，就從那間臥室搬了出來。
　　 從那時以後，屋裏一直至少有兩個人在，使他再也無法拿出他的珍寶。這種情況簡直使他急得發瘋。不過他終於看到了機會。他設法潛入室內，可是你沒有睡熟，挫敗了他的計劃。
　　 你可能還記得，那天晚上你沒有服用平常吃的那種藥。”
　　 “我記得。”
　　 “我想，他一定在那藥裏做了手腳，因此他相信你一定會毫無知覺了。當然，我知道，不管什麽時候，衹要他覺得能毫無危險地重新再幹，那他還是要再去試試的。你離開臥室自然是他求之不得的機會。我讓哈裏森小姐整天待在屋裏，為的是使他不能趁我們不在時先下手。我一方面使他誤認為沒有危險，一方面，正如剛纔說過的，監視着臥室內的動靜。我早就知道文件十之是藏在臥室裏，但我不願拆開所有的地板和壁腳去搜尋它。我讓他自己從隱藏之處拿出來，我就省了許多麻煩。還有什麽地方我沒有講清楚的嗎？”
　　 “第一次他本來可以從門裏進去，為什麽偏要撬窗戶呢？”
　　 我問道。
　　 “從門裏進他得繞過七間臥室，另一方面，他從窗戶卻可以毫不費力地跳進草坪。還有什麽問題嗎？”
　　 “你不認為，”費爾普斯問道，“他有什麽行兇的企圖嗎？
　　 那把刀子衹能作兇器用啊。”
　　 “可能是這樣，”福爾摩斯聳聳雙肩回答道，“我衹能肯定地說，約瑟夫·哈裏林先生絶對不是一個肯發善心的君子。”

　　"How about the fireplace?"
　　
　　"They use none. There is a stove. The bell-rope hangs from the wire just to the right of my desk. Whoever rang it must have come right up to the desk to do it. But why should any criminal wish to ring the bell? It is a most insoluble mystery."
　　
　　"Certainly the incident was unusual. What were your next steps? You examined the room, I presume, to see if the intruder had left any traces--any cigar-end or dropped glove or hairpin or other trifle?"
　　
　　"There was nothing of the sort."
　　
　　"No smell?"
　　
　　"Well, we never thought of that."
　　
　　"Ah, a scent of tobacco would have been worth a great deal to us in such an investigation."
　　
　　"I never smoke myself, so I think I should have observed it if there had been any smell of tobacco. There was absolutely no clue of any kind. The only tangible fact was that the commissionnaire's wife--Mrs. Tangey was the name--had hurried out of the place. He could give no explanation save that it was about the time when the woman always went home. The policeman and I agreed that our best plan would be to seize the woman before she could get rid of the papers, presuming that she had them.
　　
　　"The alarm had reached Scotland Yard by this time, and Mr. Forbes, the detective, came round at once and took up the case with a great deal of energy. We hired a hansom, and in half an hour we were at the address which had been given to us. A young woman opened the door, who proved to be Mrs. Tangey's eldest daughter. Her mother had not come back yet, and we were shown into the front room to wait.
　　
　　"About ten minutes later a knock came at the door, and here we made the one serious mistake for which I blame myself. Instead of opening the door ourselves, we allowed the girl to do so. We heard her say, 'Mother, there are two men in the house waiting to see you,' and an instant afterwards we heard the patter of feet rushing down the passage. Forbes flung open the door, and we both ran into the back room or kitchen, but the woman had got there before us. She stared at us with defiant eyes, and then, suddenly recognizing me, an expression of absolute astonishment came over her face.
　　
　　"'Why, if it isn't Mr. Phelps, of the office!' she cried.
　　
　　"'Come, come, who did you think we were when you ran away from us?' asked my companion.
　　
　　"'I thought you were the brokers,' said she, 'we have had some trouble with a tradesman.'
　　
　　"'That's not quite good enough,' answered Forbes. 'We have reason to believe that you have taken a paper of importance from the Foreign Office, and that you ran in here to dispose of it. You must come back with us to Scotland Yard to be searched.'
　　
　　"It was in vain that she protested and resisted. A four-wheeler was brought, and we all three drove back in it. We had first made an examination of the kitchen, and especially of the kitchen fire, to see whether she might have made away with the papers during the instant that she was alone. There were no signs, however, of any ashes or scraps. When we reached Scotland Yard she was handed over at once to the female searcher. I waited in an agony of suspense until she came back with her report. There were no signs of the papers.
　　
　　"Then for the first time the horror of my situation came in its full force. Hitherto I had been acting, and action had numbed thought. I had been so confident of regaining the treaty at once that I had not dared to think of what would be the consequence if I failed to do so. But now there was nothing more to be done, and I had leisure to realize my position. It was horrible. Watson there would tell you that I was a nervous, sensitive boy at school. It is my nature. I thought of my uncle and of his colleagues in the Cabinet, of the shame which I had brought upon him, upon myself, upon every one connected with me. What though I was the victim of an extraordinary accident? No allowance is made for accidents where diplomatic interests are at stake. I was ruined, shamefully, hopelessly ruined. I don't know what I did. I fancy I must have made a scene. I have a dim recollection of a group of officials who crowded round me, endeavoring to soothe me. One of them drove down with me to Waterloo, and saw me into the Woking train. I believe that he would have come all the way had it not been that Dr. Ferrier, who lives near me, was going down by that very train. The doctor most kindly took charge of me, and it was well he did so, for I had a fit in the station, and before we reached home I was practically a raving maniac.
　　
　　"You can imagine the state of things here when they were roused from their beds by the doctor's ringing and found me in this condition. Poor Annie here and my mother were broken-hearted. Dr. Ferrier had just heard enough from the detective at the station to be able to give an idea of what had happened, and his story did not mend matters. It was evident to all that I was in for a long illness, so Joseph was bundled out of this cheery bedroom, and it was turned into a sick-room for me. Here I have lain, Mr. Holmes, for over nine weeks, unconscious, and raving with brain-fever. If it had not been for Miss Harrison here and for the doctor's care I should not be speaking to you now. She has nursed me by day and a hired nurse has looked after me by night, for in my mad fits I was capable of anything. Slowly my reason has cleared, but it is only during the last three days that my memory has quite returned. Sometimes I wish that it never had. The first thing that I did was to wire to Mr. Forbes, who had the case in hand. He came out, and assures me that, though everything has been done, no trace of a clue has been discovered. The commissionnaire and his wife have been examined in every way without any light being thrown upon the matter. The suspicions of the police then rested upon young Gorot, who, as you may remember, stayed over time in the office that night. His remaining behind and his French name were really the only two points which could suggest suspicion; but, as a matter of fact, I did not begin work until he had gone, and his people are of Huguenot extraction, but as English in sympathy and tradition as you and I are. Nothing was found to implicate him in any way, and there the matter dropped. I turn to you, Mr. Holmes, as absolutely my last hope. If you fail me, then my honor as well as my position are forever forfeited."
　　
　　The invalid sank back upon his cushions, tired out by this long recital, while his nurse poured him out a glass of some stimulating medicine. Holmes sat silently, with his head thrown back and his eyes closed, in an attitude which might seem listless to a stranger, but which I knew betokened the most intense self-absorption.
　　
　　"You statement has been so explicit," said he at last, "that you have really left me very few questions to ask. There is one of the very utmost importance, however. Did you tell any one that you had this special task to perform?"
　　
　　"No one."
　　
　　"Not Miss Harrison here, for example?"
　　
　　"No. I had not been back to Woking between getting the order and executing the commission."
　　
　　"And none of your people had by chance been to see you?"
　　
　　"None."
　　
　　"Did any of them know their way about in the office?"
　　
　　"Oh, yes, all of them had been shown over it."
　　
　　"Still, of course, if you said nothing to any one about the treaty these inquiries are irrelevant."
　　
　　"I said nothing."
　　
　　"Do you know anything of the commissionnaire?"
　　
　　"Nothing except that he is an old soldier."
　　
　　"What regiment?"
　　
　　"Oh, I have heard--Coldstream Guards."
　　
　　"Thank you. I have no doubt I can get details from Forbes. The authorities are excellent at amassing facts, though they do not always use them to advantage. What a lovely thing a rose is!"
　　
　　He walked past the couch to the open window, and held up the drooping stalk of a moss-rose, looking down at the dainty blend of crimson and green. It was a new phase of his character to me, for I had never before seen him show any keen interest in natural objects.
　　
　　"There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion," said he, leaning with his back against the shutters. "It can be built up as an exact science by the reasoner. Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers."
　　
　　Percy Phelps and his nurse looked at Holmes during this demonstration with surprise and a good deal of disappointment written upon their faces. He had fallen into a reverie, with the moss-rose between his fingers. It had lasted some minutes before the young lady broke in upon it.
　　
　　"Do you see any prospect of solving this mystery, Mr. Holmes?" she asked, with a touch of asperity in her voice.
　　
　　"Oh, the mystery!" he answered, coming back with a start to the realities of life. "Well, it would be absurd to deny that the case is a very abstruse and complicated one, but I can promise you that I will look into the matter and let you know any points which may strike me."
　　
　　"Do you see any clue?"
　　
　　"You have furnished me with seven, but, of course, I must test them before I can pronounce upon their value."
　　
　　"You suspect some one?"
　　
　　"I suspect myself."
　　
　　"What!"
　　
　　"Of coming to conclusions too rapidly."
　　
　　"Then go to London and test your conclusions."
　　
　　"Your advice is very excellent, Miss Harrison," said Holmes, rising. "I think, Watson, we cannot do better. Do not allow yourself to indulge in false hopes, Mr. Phelps. The affair is a very tangled one."
　　
　　"I shall be in a fever until I see you again," cried the diplomatist.
　　
　　"Well, I'll come out be the same train to-morrow, though it's more than likely that my report will be a negative one."
　　
　　"God bless you for promising to come," cried our client. "It gives me fresh life to know that something is being done. By the way, I have had a letter from Lord Holdhurst."
　　
　　"Ha! What did he say?"
　　
　　"He was cold, but not harsh. I dare say my severe illness prevented him from being that. He repeated that the matter was of the utmost importance, and added that no steps would be taken about my future--by which he means, of course, my dismissal--until my health was restored and I had an opportunity of repairing my misfortune."
　　
　　"Well, that was reasonable and considerate," said Holmes. "Come, Watson, for we have a good day's work before us in town."
　　
　　Mr. Joseph Harrison drove us down to the station, and we were soon whirling up in a Portsmouth train. Holmes was sunk in profound thought, and hardly opened his mouth until we had passed Clapham Junction.
　　
　　"It's a very cheery thing to come into London by any of these lines which run high, and allow you to look down upon the houses like this."
　　
　　I thought he was joking, for the view was sordid enough, but he soon explained himself.
　　
　　"Look at those big, isolated clumps of building rising up above the slates, like brick islands in a lead-colored sea."
　　
　　"The board-schools."
　　
　　"Light-houses, my boy! Beacons of the future! Capsules with hundreds of bright little seeds in each, out of which will spring the wise, better England of the future. I suppose that man Phelps does not drink?"
　　
　　"I should not think so."
　　
　　"Nor should I, but we are bound to take every possibility into account. The poor devil has certainly got himself into very deep water, and it's a question whether we shall ever be able to get him ashore. What did you think of Miss Harrison?"
　　
　　"A girl of strong character."
　　
　　"Yes, but she is a good sort, or I am mistaken. She and her brother are the only children of an iron-master somewhere up Northumberland way. He got engaged to her when traveling last winter, and she came down to be introduced to his people, with her brother as escort. Then came the smash, and she stayed on to nurse her lover, while brother Joseph, finding himself pretty snug, stayed on too. I've been making a few independent inquiries, you see. But to-day must be a day of inquiries."
　　
　　"My practice--" I began.
　　
　　"Oh, if you find your own cases more interesting than mine--" said Holmes, with some asperity.
　　
　　"I was going to say that my practice could get along very well for a day or two, since it is the slackest time in the year."
　　
　　"Excellent," said he, recovering his good-humor. "Then we'll look into this matter together. I think that we should begin by seeing Forbes. He can probably tell us all the details we want until we know from what side the case is to be approached."
　　
　　"You said you had a clue?"
　　
　　"Well, we have several, but we can only test their value by further inquiry. The most difficult crime to track is the one which is purposeless. Now this is not purposeless. Who is it who profits by it? There is the French ambassador, there is the Russian, there is whoever might sell it to either of these, and there is Lord Holdhurst."
　　
　　"Lord Holdhurst!"
　　
　　"Well, it is just conceivable that a statesman might find himself in a position where he was not sorry to have such a document accidentally destroyed."
　　
　　"Not a statesman with the honorable record of Lord Holdhurst?"
　　
　　"It is a possibility and we cannot afford to disregard it. We shall see the noble lord to-day and find out if he can tell us anything. Meanwhile I have already set inquiries on foot."
　　
　　"Already?"
　　
　　"Yes, I sent wires from Woking station to every evening paper in London. This advertisement will appear in each of them."
　　
　　He handed over a sheet torn from a note-book. On it was scribbled in pencil: "L10 reward. The number of the cab which dropped a fare at or about the door of the Foreign Office in Charles Street at quarter to ten in the evening of May 23d. Apply 221 B, Baker Street."
　　
　　"You are confident that the thief came in a cab?"
　　
　　"If not, there is no harm done. But if Mr. Phelps is correct in stating that there is no hiding-place either in the room or the corridors, then the person must have come from outside. If he came from outside on so wet a night, and yet left no trace of damp upon the linoleum, which was examined within a few minutes of his passing, then it is exceeding probable that he came in a cab. Yes, I think that we may safely deduce a cab."
　　
　　"It sounds plausible."
　　
　　"That is one of the clues of which I spoke. It may lead us to something. And then, of course, there is the bell--which is the most distinctive feature of the case. Why should the bell ring? Was it the thief who did it out of bravado? Or was it some one who was with the thief who did it in order to prevent the crime? Or was it an accident? Or was it--?" He sank back into the state of intense and silent thought from which he had emerged; but it seemed to me, accustomed as I was to his every mood, that some new possibility had dawned suddenly upon him.
　　
　　It was twenty past three when we reached our terminus, and after a hasty luncheon at the buffet we pushed on at once to Scotland Yard. Holmes had already wired to Forbes, and we found him waiting to receive us--a small, foxy man with a sharp but by no means amiable expression. He was decidedly frigid in his manner to us, especially when he heard the errand upon which we had come.
　　
　　"I've heard of your methods before now, Mr. Holmes," said he, tartly. "You are ready enough to use all the information that the police can lay at your disposal, and then you try to finish the case yourself and bring discredit on them."
　　
　　"On the contrary," said Holmes, "out of my last fifty-three cases my name has only appeared in four, and the police have had all the credit in forty-nine. I don't blame you for not knowing this, for you are young and inexperienced, but if you wish to get on in your new duties you will work with me and not against me."
　　
　　"I'd be very glad of a hint or two," said the detective, changing his manner. "I've certainly had no credit from the case so far."
　　
　　"What steps have you taken?"
　　
　　"Tangey, the commissionnaire, has been shadowed. He left the Guards with a good character and we can find nothing against him. His wife is a bad lot, though. I fancy she knows more about this than appears."
　　
　　"Have you shadowed her?"
　　
　　"We have set one of our women on to her. Mrs. Tangey drinks, and our woman has been with her twice when she was well on, but she could get nothing out of her."
　　
　　"I understand that they have had brokers in the house?"
　　
　　"Yes, but they were paid off."
　　
　　"Where did the money come from?"
　　
　　"That was all right. His pension was due. They have not shown any sign of being in funds."
　　
　　"What explanation did she give of having answered the bell when Mr. Phelps rang for the coffee?"
　　
　　"She said that he husband was very tired and she wished to relieve him."
　　
　　"Well, certainly that would agree with his being found a little later asleep in his chair. There is nothing against them then but the woman's character. Did you ask her why she hurried away that night? Her haste attracted the attention of the police constable."
　　
　　"She was later than usual and wanted to get home."
　　
　　"Did you point out to her that you and Mr. Phelps, who started at least twenty minutes after her, got home before her?"
　　
　　"She explains that by the difference between a 'bus and a hansom."
　　
　　"Did she make it clear why, on reaching her house, she ran into the back kitchen?"
　　
　　"Because she had the money there with which to pay off the brokers."
　　
　　"She has at least an answer for everything. Did you ask her whether in leaving she met any one or saw any one loitering about Charles Street?"
　　
　　"She saw no one but the constable."
　　
　　"Well, you seem to have cross-examined her pretty thoroughly. What else have you done?"
　　
　　"The clerk Gorot has been shadowed all these nine weeks, but without result. We can show nothing against him."
　　
　　"Anything else?"
　　
　　"Well, we have nothing else to go upon--no evidence of any kind."
　　
　　"Have you formed a theory about how that bell rang?"
　　
　　"Well, I must confess that it beats me. It was a cool hand, whoever it was, to go and give the alarm like that."
　　
　　"Yes, it was queer thing to do. Many thanks to you for what you have told me. If I can put the man into your hands you shall hear from me. Come along, Watson."
　　
　　"Where are we going to now?" I asked, as we left the office.
　　
　　"We are now going to interview Lord Holdhurst, the cabinet minister and future premier of England."
　　
　　We were fortunate in finding that Lord Holdhurst was still in his chambers in Downing Street, and on Holmes sending in his card we were instantly shown up. The statesman received us with that old-fashioned courtesy for which he is remarkable, and seated us on the two luxuriant lounges on either side of the fireplace. Standing on the rug between us, with his slight, tall figure, his sharp features, thoughtful face, and curling hair prematurely tinged with gray, he seemed to represent that not too common type, a nobleman who is in truth noble.
　　
　　"Your name is very familiar to me, Mr. Holmes," said he, smiling. "And, of course, I cannot pretend to be ignorant of the object of your visit. There has only been one occurrence in these offices which could call for your attention. In whose interest are you acting, may I ask?"
　　
　　"In that of Mr. Percy Phelps," answered Holmes.
　　
　　"Ah, my unfortunate nephew! You can understand that our kinship makes it the more impossible for me to screen him in any way. I fear that the incident must have a very prejudicial effect upon his career."
　　
　　"But if the document is found?"
　　
　　"Ah, that, of course, would be different."
　　
　　"I had one or two questions which I wished to ask you, Lord Holdhurst."
　　
　　"I shall be happy to give you any information in my power."
　　
　　"Was it in this room that you gave your instructions as to the copying of the document?"
　　
　　"It was."
　　
　　"Then you could hardly have been overheard?"
　　
　　"It is out of the question."
　　
　　"Did you ever mention to any one that it was your intention to give any one the treaty to be copied?"
　　
　　"Never."
　　
　　"You are certain of that?"
　　
　　"Absolutely."
　　
　　"Well, since you never said so, and Mr. Phelps never said so, and nobody else knew anything of the matter, then the thief's presence in the room was purely accidental. He saw his chance and he took it."
　　
　　The statesman smiled. "You take me out of my province there," said he.
　　
　　Holmes considered for a moment. "There is another very important point which I wish to discuss with you," said he. "You feared, as I understand, that very grave results might follow from the details of this treaty becoming known."
　　
　　A shadow passed over the expressive face of the statesman. "Very grave results indeed."
　　
　　"Any have they occurred?"
　　
　　"Not yet."
　　
　　"If the treaty had reached, let us say, the French or Russian Foreign Office, you would expect to hear of it?"
　　
　　"I should," said Lord Holdhurst, with a wry face.
　　
　　"Since nearly ten weeks have elapsed, then, and nothing has been heard, it is not unfair to suppose that for some reason the treaty has not reached them."
　　
　　Lord Holdhurst shrugged his shoulders.
　　
　　"We can hardly suppose, Mr. Holmes, that the thief took the treaty in order to frame it and hang it up."
　　
　　"Perhaps he is waiting for a better price."
　　
　　"If he waits a little longer he will get no price at all. The treaty will cease to be secret in a few months."
　　
　　"That is most important," said Holmes. "Of course, it is a possible supposition that the thief has had a sudden illness--"
　　
　　"An attack of brain-fever, for example?" asked the statesman, flashing a swift glance at him.
　　
　　"I did not say so," said Holmes, imperturbably. "And now, Lord Holdhurst, we have already taken up too much of your valuable time, and we shall wish you good-day."
　　
　　"Every success to your investigation, be the criminal who it may," answered the nobleman, as he bowed us out the door.
　　
　　"He's a fine fellow," said Holmes, as we came out into Whitehall. "But he has a struggle to keep up his position. He is far from rich and has many calls. You noticed, of course, that his boots had been resoled. Now, Watson, I won't detain you from your legitimate work any longer. I shall do nothing more to-day, unless I have an answer to my cab advertisement. But I should be extremely obliged to you if you would come down with me to Woking to-morrow, by the same train which we took yesterday."
　　
　　I met him accordingly next morning and we traveled down to Woking together. He had had no answer to his advertisement, he said, and no fresh light had been thrown upon the case. He had, when he so willed it, the utter immobility of countenance of a red Indian, and I could not gather from his appearance whether he was satisfied or not with the position of the case. His conversation, I remember, was about the Bertillon system of measurements, and he expressed his enthusiastic admiration of the French savant.
　　
　　We found our client still under the charge of his devoted nurse, but looking considerably better than before. He rose from the sofa and greeted us without difficulty when we entered.
　　
　　"Any news?" he asked, eagerly.
　　
　　"My report, as I expected, is a negative one," said Holmes. "I have seen Forbes, and I have seen your uncle, and I have set one or two trains of inquiry upon foot which may lead to something."
　　
　　"You have not lost heart, then?"
　　
　　"By no means."
　　
　　"God bless you for saying that!" cried Miss Harrison. "If we keep our courage and our patience the truth must come out."
　　
　　"We have more to tell you than you have for us," said Phelps, reseating himself upon the couch.
　　
　　"I hoped you might have something."
　　
　　"Yes, we have had an adventure during the night, and one which might have proved to be a serious one." His expression grew very grave as he spoke, and a look of something akin to fear sprang up in his eyes. "Do you know," said he, "that I begin to believe that I am the unconscious centre of some monstrous conspiracy, and that my life is aimed at as well as my honor?"
　　
　　"Ah!" cried Holmes.
　　
　　"It sounds incredible, for I have not, as far as I know, an enemy in the world. Yet from last night's experience I can come to no other conclusion."
　　
　　"Pray let me hear it."
　　
　　"You must know that last night was the very first night that I have ever slept without a nurse in the room. I was so much better that I thought I could dispense with one. I had a night-light burning, however. Well, about two in the morning I had sunk into a light sleep when I was suddenly aroused by a slight noise. It was like the sound which a mouse makes when it is gnawing a plank, and I lay listening to it for some time under the impression that it must come from that cause. Then it grew louder, and suddenly there came from the window a sharp metallic snick. I sat up in amazement. There could be no doubt what the sounds were now. The first ones had been caused by some one forcing an instrument through the slit between the sashes, and the second by the catch being pressed back.
　　
　　"There was a pause then for about ten minutes, as if the person were waiting to see whether the noise had awakened me. Then I heard a gentle creaking as the window was very slowly opened. I could stand it no longer, for my nerves are not what they used to be. I sprang out of bed and flung open the shutters. A man was crouching at the window. I could see little of him, for he was gone like a flash. He was wrapped in some sort of cloak which came across the lower part of his face. One thing only I am sure of, and that is that he had some weapon in his hand. It looked to me like a long knife. I distinctly saw the gleam of it as he turned to run."
　　
　　"This is most interesting," said Holmes. "Pray what did you do then?"
　　
　　"I should have followed him through the open window if I had been stronger. As it was, I rang the bell and roused the house. It took me some little time, for the bell rings in the kitchen and the servants all sleep upstairs. I shouted, however, and that brought Joseph down, and he roused the others. Joseph and the groom found marks on the bed outside the window, but the weather has been so dry lately that they found it hopeless to follow the trail across the grass. There's a place, however, on the wooden fence which skirts the road which shows signs, they tell me, as if some one had got over, and had snapped the top of the rail in doing so. I have said nothing to the local police yet, for I thought I had best have your opinion first."
　　
　　This tale of our client's appeared to have an extraordinary effect upon Sherlock Holmes. He rose from his chair and paced about the room in uncontrollable excitement.
　　
　　"Misfortunes never come single," said Phelps, smiling, though it was evident that his adventure had somewhat shaken him.
　　
　　"You have certainly had your share," said Holmes. "Do you think you could walk round the house with me?"
　　
　　"Oh, yes, I should like a little sunshine. Joseph will come, too."
　　
　　"And I also," said Miss Harrison.
　　
　　"I am afraid not," said Holmes, shaking his head. "I think I must ask you to remain sitting exactly where you are."
　　
　　The young lady resumed her seat with an air of displeasure. Her brother, however, had joined us and we set off all four together. We passed round the lawn to the outside of the young diplomatist's window. There were, as he had said, marks upon the bed, but they were hopelessly blurred and vague. Holmes stopped over them for an instant, and then rose shrugging his shoulders.
　　
　　"I don't think any one could make much of this," said he. "Let us go round the house and see why this particular room was chosen by the burglar. I should have thought those larger windows of the drawing-room and dining-room would have had more attractions for him."
　　
　　"They are more visible from the road," suggested Mr. Joseph Harrison.
　　
　　"Ah, yes, of course. There is a door here which he might have attempted. What is it for?"
　　
　　"It is the side entrance for trades-people. Of course it is locked at night."
　　
　　"Have you ever had an alarm like this before?"
　　
　　"Never," said our client.
　　
　　"Do you keep plate in the house, or anything to attract burglars?"
　　
　　"Nothing of value."
　　
　　Holmes strolled round the house with his hands in his pockets and a negligent air which was unusual with him.
　　
　　"By the way," said he to Joseph Harrison, "you found some place, I understand, where the fellow scaled the fence. Let us have a look at that!"
　　
　　The plump young man led us to a spot where the top of one of the wooden rails had been cracked. A small fragment of the wood was hanging down. Holmes pulled it off and examined it critically.
　　
　　"Do you think that was done last night? It looks rather old, does it not?"
　　
　　"Well, possibly so."
　　
　　"There are no marks of any one jumping down upon the other side. No, I fancy we shall get no help here. Let us go back to the bedroom and talk the matter over."
　　
　　Percy Phelps was walking very slowly, leaning upon the arm of his future brother-in-law. Holmes walked swiftly across the lawn, and we were at the open window of the bedroom long before the others came up.
　　
　　"Miss Harrison," said Holmes, speaking with the utmost intensity of manner, "you must stay where you are all day. Let nothing prevent you from staying where you are all day. It is of the utmost importance."
　　
　　"Certainly, if you wish it, Mr. Holmes," said the girl in astonishment.
　　
　　"When you go to bed lock the door of this room on the outside and keep the key. Promise to do this."
　　
　　"But Percy?"
　　
　　"He will come to London with us."
　　
　　"And am I to remain here?"
　　
　　"It is for his sake. You can serve him. Quick! Promise!"
　　
　　She gave a quick nod of assent just as the other two came up.
　　
　　"Why do you sit moping there, Annie?" cried her brother. "Come out into the sunshine!"
　　
　　"No, thank you, Joseph. I have a slight headache and this room is deliciously cool and soothing."
　　
　　"What do you propose now, Mr. Holmes?" asked our client.
　　
　　"Well, in investigating this minor affair we must not lose sight of our main inquiry. It would be a very great help to me if you would come up to London with us."
　　
　　"At once?"
　　
　　"Well, as soon as you conveniently can. Say in an hour."
　　
　　"I feel quite strong enough, if I can really be of any help."
　　
　　"The greatest possible."
　　
　　"Perhaps you would like me to stay there to-night?"
　　
　　"I was just going to propose it."
　　
　　"Then, if my friend of the night comes to revisit me, he will find the bird flown. We are all in your hands, Mr. Holmes, and you must tell us exactly what you would like done. Perhaps you would prefer that Joseph came with us so as to look after me?"
　　
　　"Oh, no; my friend Watson is a medical man, you know, and he'll look after you. We'll have our lunch here, if you will permit us, and then we shall all three set off for town together."
　　
　　It was arranged as he suggested, though Miss Harrison excused herself from leaving the bedroom, in accordance with Holmes's suggestion. What the object of my friend's manoeuvres was I could not conceive, unless it were to keep the lady away from Phelps, who, rejoiced by his returning health and by the prospect of action, lunched with us in the dining-room. Holmes had a still more startling surprise for us, however, for, after accompanying us down to the station and seeing us into our carriage, he calmly announced that he had no intention of leaving Woking.
　　
　　"There are one or two small points which I should desire to clear up before I go," said he. "Your absence, Mr. Phelps, will in some ways rather assist me. Watson, when you reach London you would oblige me by driving at once to Baker Street with our friend here, and remaining with him until I see you again. It is fortunate that you are old school-fellows, as you must have much to talk over. Mr. Phelps can have the spare bedroom to-night, and I will be with you in time for breakfast, for there is a train which will take me into Waterloo at eight."
　　
　　"But how about our investigation in London?" asked Phelps, ruefully.
　　
　　"We can do that to-morrow. I think that just at present I can be of more immediate use here."
　　
　　"You might tell them at Briarbrae that I hope to be back to-morrow night," cried Phelps, as we began to move from the platform.
　　
　　"I hardly expect to go back to Briarbrae," answered Holmes, and waved his hand to us cheerily as we shot out from the station.
　　
　　Phelps and I talked it over on our journey, but neither of us could devise a satisfactory reason for this new development.
　　
　　"I suppose he wants to find out some clue as to the burglary last night, if a burglar it was. For myself, I don't believe it was an ordinary thief."
　　
　　"What is your own idea, then?"
　　
　　"Upon my word, you may put it down to my weak nerves or not, but I believe there is some deep political intrigue going on around me, and that for some reason that passes my understanding my life is aimed at by the conspirators. It sounds high-flown and absurd, but consider the facts! Why should a thief try to break in at a bedroom window, where there could be no hope of any plunder, and why should he come with a long knife in his hand?"
　　
　　"You are sure it was not a house-breaker's jimmy?"
　　
　　"Oh, no, it was a knife. I saw the flash of the blade quite distinctly."
　　
　　"But why on earth should you be pursued with such animosity?"
　　
　　"Ah, that is the question."
　　
　　"Well, if Holmes takes the same view, that would account for his action, would it not? Presuming that your theory is correct, if he can lay his hands upon the man who threatened you last night he will have gone a long way towards finding who took the naval treaty. It is absurd to suppose that you have two enemies, one of whom robs you, while the other threatens your life."
　　
　　"But Holmes said that he was not going to Briarbrae."
　　
　　"I have known him for some time," said I, "but I never knew him do anything yet without a very good reason," and with that our conversation drifted off on to other topics.
　　
　　But it was a weary day for me. Phelps was still weak after his long illness, and his misfortune made him querulous and nervous. In vain I endeavored to interest him in Afghanistan, in India, in social questions, in anything which might take his mind out of the groove. He would always come back to his lost treaty, wondering, guessing, speculating, as to what Holmes was doing, what steps Lord Holdhurst was taking, what news we should have in the morning. As the evening wore on his excitement became quite painful.
　　
　　"You have implicit faith in Holmes?" he asked.
　　
　　"I have seen him do some remarkable things."
　　
　　"But he never brought light into anything quite so dark as this?"
　　
　　"Oh, yes; I have known him solve questions which presented fewer clues than yours."
　　
　　"But not where such large interests are at stake?"
　　
　　"I don't know that. To my certain knowledge he has acted on behalf of three of the reigning houses of Europe in very vital matters."
　　
　　"But you know him well, Watson. He is such an inscrutable fellow that I never quite know what to make of him. Do you think he is hopeful? Do you think he expects to make a success of it?"
　　
　　"He has said nothing."
　　
　　"That is a bad sign."
　　
　　"On the contrary, I have noticed that when he is off the trail he generally says so. It is when he is on a scent and is not quite absolutely sure yet that it is the right one that he is most taciturn. Now, my dear fellow, we can't help matters by making ourselves nervous about them, so let me implore you to go to bed and so be fresh for whatever may await us to-morrow."
　　
　　I was able at last to persuade my companion to take my advice, though I knew from his excited manner that there was not much hope of sleep for him. Indeed, his mood was infectious, for I lay tossing half the night myself, brooding over this strange problem, and inventing a hundred theories, each of which was more impossible than the last. Why had Holmes remained at Woking? Why had he asked Miss Harrison to remain in the sick-room all day? Why had he been so careful not to inform the people at Briarbrae that he intended to remain near them? I cudgelled my brains until I fell asleep in the endeavor to find some explanation which would cover all these facts.
　　
　　It was seven o'clock when I awoke, and I set off at once for Phelps's room, to find him haggard and spent after a sleepless night. His first question was whether Holmes had arrived yet.
　　
　　"He'll be here when he promised," said I, "and not an instant sooner or later."
　　
　　And my words were true, for shortly after eight a hansom dashed up to the door and our friend got out of it. Standing in the window we saw that his left hand was swathed in a bandage and that his face was very grim and pale. He entered the house, but it was some little time before he came upstairs.
　　
　　"He looks like a beaten man," cried Phelps.
　　
　　I was forced to confess that he was right. "After all," said I, "the clue of the matter lies probably here in town."
　　
　　Phelps gave a groan.
　　
　　"I don't know how it is," said he, "but I had hoped for so much from his return. But surely his hand was not tied up like that yesterday. What can be the matter?"
　　
　　"You are not wounded, Holmes?" I asked, as my friend entered the room.
　　
　　"Tut, it is only a scratch through my own clumsiness," he answered, nodding his good-mornings to us. "This case of yours, Mr. Phelps, is certainly one of the darkest which I have ever investigated."
　　
　　"I feared that you would find it beyond you."
　　
　　"It has been a most remarkable experience."
　　
　　"That bandage tells of adventures," said I. "Won't you tell us what has happened?"
　　
　　"After breakfast, my dear Watson. Remember that I have breathed thirty miles of Surrey air this morning. I suppose that there has been no answer from my cabman advertisement? Well, well, we cannot expect to score every time."
　　
　　The table was all laid, and just as I was about to ring Mrs. Hudson entered with the tea and coffee. A few minutes later she brought in three covers, and we all drew up to the table, Holmes ravenous, I curious, and Phelps in the gloomiest state of depression.
　　
　　"Mrs. Hudson has risen to the occasion," said Holmes, uncovering a dish of curried chicken. "Her cuisine is a little limited, but she has as good an idea of breakfast as a Scotch-woman. What have you here, Watson?"
　　
　　"Ham and eggs," I answered.
　　
　　"Good! What are you going to take, Mr. Phelps--curried fowl or eggs, or will you help yourself?"
　　
　　"Thank you. I can eat nothing," said Phelps.
　　
　　"Oh, come! Try the dish before you."
　　
　　"Thank you, I would really rather not."
　　
　　"Well, then," said Holmes, with a mischievous twinkle, "I suppose that you have no objection to helping me?"
　　
　　Phelps raised the cover, and as he did so he uttered a scream, and sat there staring with a face as white as the plate upon which he looked. Across the centre of it was lying a little cylinder of blue-gray paper. He caught it up, devoured it with his eyes, and then danced madly about the room, pressing it to his bosom and shrieking out in his delight. Then he fell back into an arm-chair so limp and exhausted with his own emotions that we had to pour brandy down his throat to keep him from fainting.
　　
　　"There! there!" said Holmes, soothing, patting him upon the shoulder. "It was too bad to spring it on you like this, but Watson here will tell you that I never can resist a touch of the dramatic."
　　
　　Phelps seized his hand and kissed it. "God bless you!" he cried. "You have saved my honor."
　　
　　"Well, my own was at stake, you know," said Holmes. "I assure you it is just as hateful to me to fail in a case as it can be to you to blunder over a commission."
　　
　　Phelps thrust away the precious document into the innermost pocket of his coat.
　　
　　"I have not the heart to interrupt your breakfast any further, and yet I am dying to know how you got it and where it was."
　　
　　Sherlock Holmes swallowed a cup of coffee, and turned his attention to the ham and eggs. Then he rose, lit his pipe, and settled himself down into his chair.
　　
　　"I'll tell you what I did first, and how I came to do it afterwards," said he. "After leaving you at the station I went for a charming walk through some admirable Surrey scenery to a pretty little village called Ripley, where I had my tea at an inn, and took the precaution of filling my flask and of putting a paper of sandwiches in my pocket. There I remained until evening, when I set off for Woking again, and found myself in the high-road outside Briarbrae just after sunset.
　　
　　"Well, I waited until the road was clear--it is never a very frequented one at any time, I fancy--and then I clambered over the fence into the grounds."
　　
　　"Surely the gate was open!" ejaculated Phelps.
　　
　　"Yes, but I have a peculiar taste in these matters. I chose the place where the three fir-trees stand, and behind their screen I got over without the least chance of any one in the house being able to see me. I crouched down among the bushes on the other side, and crawled from one to the other--witness the disreputable state of my trouser knees--until I had reached the clump of rhododendrons just opposite to your bedroom window. There I squatted down and awaited developments.
　　
　　"The blind was not down in your room, and I could see Miss Harrison sitting there reading by the table. It was quarter-past ten when she closed her book, fastened the shutters, and retired.
　　
　　"I heard her shut the door, and felt quite sure that she had turned the key in the lock."
　　
　　"The key!" ejaculated Phelps.
　　
　　"Yes; I had given Miss Harrison instructions to lock the door on the outside and take the key with her when she went to bed. She carried out every one of my injunctions to the letter, and certainly without her cooperation you would not have that paper in you coat-pocket. She departed then and the lights went out, and I was left squatting in the rhododendron-bush.
　　
　　"The night was fine, but still it was a very weary vigil. Of course it has the sort of excitement about it that the sportsman feels when he lies beside the water-course and waits for the big game. It was very long, though--almost as long, Watson, as when you and I waited in that deadly room when we looked into the little problem of the Speckled Band. There was a church-clock down at Woking which struck the quarters, and I thought more than once that it had stopped. At last however about two in the morning, I suddenly heard the gentle sound of a bolt being pushed back and the creaking of a key. A moment later the servants' door was opened, and Mr. Joseph Harrison stepped out into the moonlight."
　　
　　"Joseph!" ejaculated Phelps.
　　
　　"He was bare-headed, but he had a black coat thrown over his shoulder so that he could conceal his face in an instant if there were any alarm. He walked on tiptoe under the shadow of the wall, and when he reached the window he worked a long-bladed knife through the sash and pushed back the catch. Then he flung open the window, and putting his knife through the crack in the shutters, he thrust the bar up and swung them open.
　　
　　"From where I lay I had a perfect view of the inside of the room and of every one of his movements. He lit the two candles which stood upon the mantelpiece, and then he proceeded to turn back the corner of the carpet in the neighborhood of the door. Presently he stopped and picked out a square piece of board, such as is usually left to enable plumbers to get at the joints of the gas-pipes. This one covered, as a matter of fact, the T joint which gives off the pipe which supplies the kitchen underneath. Out of this hiding-place he drew that little cylinder of paper, pushed down the board, rearranged the carpet, blew out the candles, and walked straight into my arms as I stood waiting for him outside the window.
　　
　　"Well, he has rather more viciousness than I gave him credit for, has Master Joseph. He flew at me with his knife, and I had to grasp him twice, and got a cut over the knuckles, before I had the upper hand of him. He looked murder out of the only eye he could see with when we had finished, but he listened to reason and gave up the papers. Having got them I let my man go, but I wired full particulars to Forbes this morning. If he is quick enough to catch his bird, well and good. But if, as I shrewdly suspect, he finds the nest empty before he gets there, why, all the better for the government. I fancy that Lord Holdhurst for one, and Mr. Percy Phelps for another, would very much rather that the affair never got as far as a police-court.
　　
　　"My God!" gasped our client. "Do you tell me that during these long ten weeks of agony the stolen papers were within the very room with me all the time?"
　　
　　"So it was."
　　
　　"And Joseph! Joseph a villain and a thief!"
　　
　　"Hum! I am afraid Joseph's character is a rather deeper and more dangerous one than one might judge from his appearance. From what I have heard from him this morning, I gather that he has lost heavily in dabbling with stocks, and that he is ready to do anything on earth to better his fortunes. Being an absolutely selfish man, when a chance presented itself he did not allow either his sister's happiness or your reputation to hold his hand."
　　
　　Percy Phelps sank back in his chair. "My head whirls," said he. "Your words have dazed me."
　　
　　"The principal difficulty in your case," remarked Holmes, in his didactic fashion, "lay in the fact of there being too much evidence. What was vital was overlaid and hidden by what was irrelevant. Of all the facts which were presented to us we had to pick just those which we deemed to be essential, and then piece them together in their order, so as to reconstruct this very remarkable chain of events. I had already begun to suspect Joseph, from the fact that you had intended to travel home with him that night, and that therefore it was a likely enough thing that he should call for you, knowing the Foreign Office well, upon his way. When I heard that some one had been so anxious to get into the bedroom, in which no one but Joseph could have concealed anything--you told us in your narrative how you had turned Joseph out when you arrived with the doctor--my suspicions all changed to certainties, especially as the attempt was made on the first night upon which the nurse was absent, showing that the intruder was well acquainted with the ways of the house."
　　
　　"How blind I have been!"
　　
　　"The facts of the case, as far as I have worked them out, are these: this Joseph Harrison entered the office through the Charles Street door, and knowing his way he walked straight into your room the instant after you left it. Finding no one there he promptly rang the bell, and at the instant that he did so his eyes caught the paper upon the table. A glance showed him that chance had put in his way a State document of immense value, and in an instant he had thrust it into his pocket and was gone. A few minutes elapsed, as you remember, before the sleepy commissionnaire drew your attention to the bell, and those were just enough to give the thief time to make his escape.
　　
　　"He made his way to Woking by the first train, and having examined his booty and assured himself that it really was of immense value, he had concealed it in what he thought was a very safe place, with the intention of taking it out again in a day or two, and carrying it to the French embassy, or wherever he thought that a long price was to be had. Then came your sudden return. He, without a moment's warning, was bundled out of his room, and from that time onward there were always at least two of you there to prevent him from regaining his treasure. The situation to him must have been a maddening one. But at last he thought he saw his chance. He tried to steal in, but was baffled by your wakefulness. You remember that you did not take your usual draught that night."
　　
　　"I remember."
　　
　　"I fancy that he had taken steps to make that draught efficacious, and that he quite relied upon your being unconscious. Of course, I understood that he would repeat the attempt whenever it could be done with safety. Your leaving the room gave him the chance he wanted. I kept Miss Harrison in it all day so that he might not anticipate us. Then, having given him the idea that the coast was clear, I kept guard as I have described. I already knew that the papers were probably in the room, but I had no desire to rip up all the planking and skirting in search of them. I let him take them, therefore, from the hiding-place, and so saved myself an infinity of trouble. Is there any other point which I can make clear?"
　　
　　"Why did he try the window on the first occasion," I asked, "when he might have entered by the door?"
　　
　　"In reaching the door he would have to pass seven bedrooms. On the other hand, he could get out on to the lawn with ease. Anything else?"
　　
　　"You do not think," asked Phelps, "that he had any murderous intention? The knife was only meant as a tool."
　　
　　"It may be so," answered Holmes, shrugging his shoulders. "I can only say for certain that Mr. Joseph Harrison is a gentleman to whose mercy I should be extremely unwilling to trust."