“But how about our investigation in London?” asked Phelps,ruefully.
“We can do that to-morrow. I think that just at present I can beof more immediate use here.”
“You might tell them at Briarbrae that I hope to be back tomorrownight,” cried Phelps, as we began to move from the platform.
“I hardly expect to go back to Briarbrae,” answered Holmes, andwaved his hand to us cheerily as we shot out from the station.
Phelps and I talked it over on our journey, but neither of uscould devise a satisfactory reason for this new development.
“I suppose he wants to find out some clue as to the burglarylast night, if a burglar it was. For myself, I don’t believe it was anordinary 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 aroundme, and that for some reason that passes my understanding my life828 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
aimed at by the conspirators. It sounds high-flown and absurd,but consider the facts! Why should a thief try to break in at abedroom 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 quitedistinctly.”
“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 forhis action, would it not? Presuming that your theory is correct, ifhe can lay his hands upon the man who threatened you last nighthe will have gone a long way towards finding who took the navaltreaty. It is absurd to suppose that you have two enemies, one ofwhom 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 knewhim do anything yet without a very good reason,” and with thatour conversation drifted off on to other topics.
But it was a weary day for me. Phelps was still weak after hislong illness, and his misfortune made him querulous and nervous.
In vain I endeavored to interest him in Afghanistan, in India, insocial questions, in anything which might take his mind out of thegroove. He would always come back to his lost treaty, wondering,guessing, speculating, as to what Holmes was doing, what stepsLord Holdhurst was taking, what news we should have in themorning. As the evening wore on his excitement became quitepainful.
“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 presentedfewer clues than yours.”
“But not where such large interests are at stake?”
“I don’t know that. To my certain knowledge he has acted onbehalf of three of the reigning houses of Europe in very vitalmatters.”
“But you know him well, Watson. He is such an inscrutablefellow that I never quite know what to make of him. Do you thinkhe 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 trailhe generally says so. It is when he is on a scent and is not quiteabsolutely sure yet that it is the right one that he is most taciturn.
Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes 829
Now, my dear fellow, we can’t help matters by making ourselvesnervous about them, so let me implore you to go to bed and so befresh 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 muchhope of sleep for him. Indeed, his mood was infectious, for I laytossing half the night myself, brooding over this strange problem,and inventing a hundred theories, each of which was moreimpossible than the last. Why had Holmes remained at Woking?
Why had he asked Miss Harrison to remain in the sick-roomall day? Why had he been so careful not to inform the people atBriarbrae that he intended to remain near them? I cudgelled mybrains until I fell asleep in the endeavor to find some explanationwhich would cover all these facts.
It was seven o’clock when I awoke, and I set off at once forPhelps’s room, to find him haggard and spent after a sleeplessnight. His first question was whether Holmes had arrived yet.
“He’ll be here when he promised,” said I, “and not an instantsooner or later.”
And my words were true, for shortly after eight a hansomdashed up to the door and our friend got out of it. Standing in thewindow we saw that his left hand was swathed in a bandage andthat his face was very grim and pale. He entered the house, but itwas 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, “theclue 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 muchfrom his return. But surely his hand was not tied up like thatyesterday. What can be the matter?”
“You are not wounded, Holmes?” I asked, as my friend enteredthe room.
“Tut, it is only a scratch through my own clumsiness,” heanswered, nodding his good-mornings to us. “This case of yours,Mr. Phelps, is certainly one of the darkest which I have everinvestigated.”
“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 uswhat has happened?”
“After breakfast, my dear Watson. Remember that I havebreathed thirty miles of Surrey air this morning. I suppose thatthere has been no answer from my cabman advertisement? Well,well, we cannot expect to score every time.”
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The table was all laid, and just as I was about to ring Mrs. Hudsonentered with the tea and coffee. A few minutes later she brought inthree covers, and we all drew up to the table, Holmes ravenous, Icurious, and Phelps in the gloomiest state of depression.