Part 20 (1/2)
”Yes”
”And when I raise ive you to throw, and will, at the same time, raise the cry of fire You quite followvery forar-shaped roll from his pocket ”It is an ordinary plumber's smoke-rocket,bn fitted with a cap at either end toYour task is confined to that When you raise your cry of fire, it will be taken up by quite a number of people You may then walk to the end of the street, and I will rejoin you in ten minutes I hope that I have made myself clear?” fitted with a cap at either end toYour task is confined to that When you raise your cry of fire, it will be taken up by quite a number of people You may then walk to the end of the street, and I will rejoin you in ten minutes I hope that I have et near the , to watch you, and at the signal to throw in this object, then to raise the cry of fire, and to wait you at the corner of the street”
”Precisely”
”Then you may entirely rely on me”
”That is excellent I think, perhaps, it is almost time that I prepare for the new role I have to play”
He disappeared into his bedroom and returned in a few minutes in the character of an ayy trousers, his white tie, his sy and benevolent curiosity were such as Mr John Harebo alone could have equalled It was not ed his costume His expression, his manner, his very soul seee lost a fine actor, even as science lost an acute reasoner, when he became a specialist in crime alone could have equalled It was not ed his costume His expression, his manner, his very soul seee lost a fine actor, even as science lost an acute reasoner, when he became a specialist in crime
It was a quarter past six e left Baker Street, and it still wanted ten minutes to the hour e found ourselves in Serpentine Avenue It was already dusk, and the lahted as we paced up and down in front of Briony Lodge, waiting for the co of its occupant The house was just such as I had pictured it from Sherlock Holmes's succinct description, but the locality appeared to be less private than I expected On the contrary, for a shbourhood, it was reroup of shabbily dressed rinder with his wheel, two guardsirl, and several well-dressed young ars in their mouths
”You see,” remarked Holmes, as we paced to and fro in front of the house, ”this raph becoed weapon now The chances are that she would be as averse to its being seen by Mr Godfrey Norton, as our client is to its co to the eyes of his princess Now the question is, Where are we to find the photograph?”
”Where, indeed?”
”It is most unlikely that she carries it about with her It is cabinet size Too large for easy conceal is capable of having her waylaid and searched Two attempts of the sort have already been made We may take it, then, that she does not carry it about with her”
”Where, then?”
”Her banker or her lawyer There is that double possibility But I am inclined to think neither Women are naturally secretive, and they like to do their own secreting Why should she hand it over to anyone else? She could trust her own guardianshi+p, but she could not tell what indirect or political influence ht to bear upon a business man Besides, remember that she had resolved to use it within a few days It must be where she can lay her hands upon it It led”
”Pshaw! They did not kno to look”
”But hoill you look?”
”I will not look”
”What then?”
”I will get her to show me”
”But she will refuse”
”She will not be able to But I hear the rue Now carry out leae came round the curve of the avenue It was a se As it pulled up, one of the loafing men at the corner dashed forward to open the door in the hope of earning a copper, but was elboay by another loafer, who had rushed up with the same intention A fierce quarrel broke out, which was increased by the two guardsers, and by the scissors-grinder, as equally hot upon the other side A bloas struck, and in an instant the lady, who had stepped froe, was the centre of a little knot of flushed and struggling ely at each other with their fists and sticks Holmes dashed into the crowd to protect the lady; but just as he reached her he gave a cry and dropped to the ground, with the blood running freely down his face At his fall the guardsers in the other, while a number of better-dressed people, who had watched the scuffle without taking part in it, crowded in to help the lady and to attend to the injured man Irene Adler, as I will still call her, had hurried up the steps; but she stood at the top with her superb figure outlined against the lights of the hail, looking back into the street
”Is the poor gentleman much hurt?” she asked
”He is dead,” cried several voices
”No, no, there's life in hiet him to hospital”
”He's a brave fellow,” said a woman ”They would have had the lady's purse and watch if it hadn't been for hi now”
”He can't lie in the street May we bring hi room There is a comfortable sofa This way, please!”
Slowly and solee and laid out in the principal roos from my post by theThe lamps had been lit, but the blinds had not been drawn, so that I could see Holmes as he lay upon the couch I do not knohether he was seized with co, but I know that I never felt more heartily ashamed of ainst whorace and kindliness hich she waited upon the injured man And yet it would be the blackest treachery to Holmes to draw back now from the part which he had intrusted to me I hardened my heart, and took the sht, we are not injuring her We are but preventing her fro another
Holmes had sat up upon the couch, and I saw him motion like a man who is in need of air A maid rushed across and threw open theAt the sanal I tossed my rocket into the room with a cry of ”Fire!” The as no sooner out of my mouth than the whole crowd of spectators, well dressed and ill-gentleeneral shriek of ”Fire!” Thick clouds of sh the rooliures, and athe crowd I made my way to the corner of the street, and in ten et away from the scene of uproar He walked swiftly and in silence for some few minutes until we had turned down one of the quiet streets which lead towards the Edgeware Road
”You did it very nicely, Doctor,” he reht”
”You have the photograph?”
”I knohere it is”
”And how did you find out?”
”She showed me, as I told you she would”
”I am still in the dark”
”I do not wish to”The matter was perfectly simple You, of course, saw that everyone in the street was an accouessed as much”
”Then, when the row broke out, I had a little moist red paint in the palm of my hand I rushed forward, fell down, clapped my hand to my face, and became a piteous spectacle It is an old trick”
”That also I could fathom”
”Then they carried me in She was bound to have -room, which was the very room which I suspected It lay between that and her bedroom, and I was determined to see which They laid me on a couch, I motioned for air, they were compelled to open the , and you had your chance”
”How did that help you?”
”It was all-important When a woman thinks that her house is on fire, her instinct is at once to rush to the thing which she valuesie of it In the case of the Darlington substitution scandal it was of use to me, and also in the Arnsworth Castle business A rabs at her baby; an unmarried one reaches for her jewel-box Noas clear toin the house more precious to her than e are in quest of She would rush to secure it The alar were enough to shake nerves of steel She responded beautifully The photograph is in a recess behind a sliding panel just above the right bell-pull She was there in an instant, and I caught a glimpse of it as she half-drew it out When I cried out that it was a false alarlanced at the rocket, rushed fro my excuses, escaped from the house I hesitated whether to atteraph at once; but the coach me narrowly it seemed safer to wait A little over-precipitance may ruin all”
”And now?” I asked
”Our quest is practically finished I shall call with the King to-morrow, and with you, if you care to co-room to wait for the lady; but it is probable that when she coht be a satisfaction to his Majesty to regain it with his own hands”
”And ill you call?”