“Absolutely.”
“Well, since you never said so, and Mr. Phelps never said so, andnobody else knew anything of the matter, then the thief’s presencein the room was purely accidental. He saw his chance and he tookit.”
The statesman smiled. “You take me out of my province there,”
said he.
Holmes considered for a moment. “There is another veryimportant point which I wish to discuss with you,” said he. “YouMemoirs of Sherlock Holmes 823
feared, as I understand, that very grave results might follow fromthe details of this treaty becoming known.”
A shadow passed over the expressive face of the statesman. “Verygrave results indeed.”
“Any have they occurred?”
“Not yet.”
“If the treaty had reached, let us say, the French or RussianForeign 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 hasbeen heard, it is not unfair to suppose that for some reason thetreaty has not reached them.”
Lord Holdhurst shrugged his shoulders.
“We can hardly suppose, Mr. Holmes, that the thief took thetreaty 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 treatywill cease to be secret in a few months.”
“That is most important,” said Holmes. “Of course, it is apossible 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, LordHoldhurst, we have already taken up too much of your valuabletime, and we shall wish you good-day.”
“Every success to your investigation, be the criminal who itmay,” 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 richand has many calls. You noticed, of course, that his boots had beenresoled. Now, Watson, I won’t detain you from your legitimatework any longer. I shall do nothing more to-day, unless I havean answer to my cab advertisement. But I should be extremelyobliged to you if you would come down with me to Woking tomorrow,by the same train which we took yesterday.”
I met him accordingly next morning and we traveled down toWoking together. He had had no answer to his advertisement,he said, and no fresh light had been thrown upon the case. Hehad, when he so willed it, the utter immobility of countenanceof a red Indian, and I could not gather from his appearancewhether he was satisfied or not with the position of the case.
His conversation, I remember, was about the Bertillon system ofmeasurements, and he expressed his enthusiastic admiration ofthe French savant.
We found our client still under the charge of his devoted nurse,824 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
but looking considerably better than before. He rose from thesofa and greeted us without difficulty when we entered.
“Any news?” he asked, eagerly.
“My report, as I expected, is a negative one,” said Holmes. “Ihave seen Forbes, and I have seen your uncle, and I have set oneor 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 wekeep 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 whichmight have proved to be a serious one.” His expression grew verygrave as he spoke, and a look of something akin to fear sprang upin his eyes. “Do you know,” said he, “that I begin to believe thatam the unconscious centre of some monstrous conspiracy, andthat 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 enemyin the world. Yet from last night’s experience I can come to noother conclusion.”
“Pray let me hear it.”
“You must know that last night was the very first night that Ihave ever slept without a nurse in the room. I was so much betterthat I thought I could dispense with one. I had a night-lightburning, however. Well, about two in the morning I had sunk intolight sleep when I was suddenly aroused by a slight noise. It waslike the sound which a mouse makes when it is gnawing a plank,and I lay listening to it for some time under the impression thatmust come from that cause. Then it grew louder, and suddenlythere came from the window a sharp metallic snick. I sat up inamazement. There could be no doubt what the sounds were now.
The first ones had been caused by some one forcing an instrumentthrough the slit between the sashes, and the second by the catchbeing pressed back.
“There was a pause then for about ten minutes, as if the personwere waiting to see whether the noise had awakened me. Then Iheard a gentle creaking as the window was very slowly opened. Icould stand it no longer, for my nerves are not what they used tobe. I sprang out of bed and flung open the shutters. A man wascrouching at the window. I could see little of him, for he was gonelike a flash. He was wrapped in some sort of cloak which cameacross the lower part of his face. One thing only I am sure of, andMemoirs of Sherlock Holmes 825
that is that he had some weapon in his hand. It looked to me like along knife. I distinctly saw the gleam of it as he turned to run.”
“This is most interesting,” said Holmes. “Pray what did you dothen?”