Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated) (1054 page)

(
Stop music.
)

HOLMES
(
on seeing
ALICE
,
rises and puts book on mantel. After a brief pause, turns and comes down to
LARRABEE
): A short time since you displayed an acute anxiety to leave the room. Pray do not let me detain you or your wife — any longer.

(
The
LARRABEES
do not move. After a brief pause,
HOLMES
shrugs shoulders slightly and goes over to
ALICE
.
HOLMES
and
ALICE
regard each other a moment
.)

ALICE
:  This is Mr. Holmes?

HOLMES
:  Yes.

ALICE
:  You wished to see me?

HOLMES
:  Very much indeed, Miss Faulkner, but I am sorry to see — (
placing chair near her
) — you are far from well.

ALICE
(
a step.
LARRABEE
gives a quick glance across at her, threateningly, and a gesture of warning, but keeping it down)
: Oh no — (
Stops as she catches
LARRABEE’S
angry glance.
)

HOLMES
(
pausing as he is about to place chair, and looking at her
): No? (
Lets go of his chair.
) I beg your pardon — but — (
Goes to her and takes her hand delicately — looks at red marks on her wrist. Looking up at her.
) What does this mean?

ALICE
(
shrinking a little. Sees
LARRABEE’S
cruel glance
): Oh — nothing.

(
HOLMES
looks steadily at her an instant
.)

HOLMES
: Nothing?

ALICE
(
shaking head
): No!

HOLMES
: And the — (
pointing lightly
) — mark here on your neck. Plainly showing the clutch of a man’s fingers? (
Indicating a place on her neck where more marks appear.
) Does that mean nothing also?

(
Pause
.
ALICE
turns slightly away without answering
.)

(
Looking straight before him to front
.) It occurs to me that I would like to have an explanation of this … Possibly — (
turns slowly towards
LARRABEE
) — you can furnish one, Mr. Larrabee?

(
Pause
.)

LARRABEE
(
doggedly
): How should I know?

HOLMES
: It seems to have occurred in your house.

LARRABEE
(
advancing a little, becoming violently angry)
: What if it did? You’d better understand that it isn’t healthy for you or anyone else to interfere with my business.

HOLMES
(
quickly — incisively
): Ah! Then it is your business. We have that much at least.

(
LARRABEE
stops suddenly and holds himself in.
)

(
Turning to
ALICE
.) Pray be seated, Miss Faulkner. (
Placing chair as if not near enough
.)

(
ALICE
hesitates an instant — then decides to remain standing for the present.
LARRABEE
stands watching and listening to interview between
HOLMES
and
ALICE
.)

ALICE
: I don’t know who you are, Mr. Holmes, or why you are here.

HOLMES
:  I shall be very glad to explain. So far as the question of my identity is concerned, you have my name and address as well as the announcement of my profession upon the card, which I observe you still hold clasped tightly in the fingers of your left hand.

(
ALICE
at once looks at the card in her hand
.)

ALICE
(
a look at him
): A — detective! (
Sits on ottoman, looking at
HOLMES
.)

HOLMES
(
draws near her and sits
): Quite so. And my business is this. I have been consulted as to the possibility of obtaining from you certain letters and other things which are supposed to be in your possession, and which — I need not tell you — are the source of the greatest anxiety.

ALICE
(
her manner changing and no longer timid and shrinking
): It is quite true I have such letters, Mr. Holmes, but it will be impossible to get them from me; others — have tried — and failed.

HOLMES
:  What others have or have not done, while possibly instructive in certain directions, can in no way affect my conduct, Miss Faulkner. I have come to you frankly and directly, to beg you to pity and forgive.

ALICE
:  There are some things, Mr. Holmes, beyond pity — beyond forgiveness.

HOLMES
:  But there are other things that are not. (
ALICE
looks at him
.) I am able to assure you of the sincere penitence — the deep regret — of the one who inflicted the injury, and of his earnest desire to make — any reparation in his power.

ALICE
:  How can reparation be made to the dead?

HOLMES
:  How indeed! And for that very reason, whatever injury you yourself may be able to inflict by means of these things can be no reparation — no satisfaction — no indemnity to the one no longer here. You will be acting for the living — not the dead. For your own satisfaction, Miss Faulkner, your own gratification, your own revenge!

(
ALICE
starts slightly at the idea suggested and rises. Pause.
HOLMES
rises, moves his chair back a little, standing with his hand on it
.)

ALICE
(
stands a moment, very quiet low voice
): I know — from this and from other things that have happened — that a — a marriage is — contemplated.

HOLMES
:  It is quite true.

ALICE
:  I cannot give up what I intend to do, Mr. Holmes. There are other things beside revenge — there is punishment. If I am not able to communicate with the family — to which this man proposes to ally himself — in time to prevent such a thing — the punishment will come later — but you may be perfectly sure it will come. (
HOLMES
is about to speak. She motions him not to speak.
) There is nothing more to say!

(
HOLMES
gives a signal.
)

(
She looks at
HOLMES
an instant
.) Good night, Mr. Holmes. (
She turns and starts to go
.)

HOLMES
:  But my dear Miss Faulkner, before you —

(
A confused noise of shouting and terrified screams from below followed by sounds of people running up a stairway and through the halls.
)

HOLMES
: What’s that?

(
All stop and listen. Noise louder. Enter
FORMAN
,
breathless and white. At same time smoke pours in through archway.
)

FORMAN
(
gasping
): Mr. Chetwood! Mr. Chetwood!

MADGE
and
LARRABEE
: What is it?

(
HOLMES
keeps his eyes sharply on
ALICE
.
ALICE
stands back alarmed.
)

FORMAN
: The lamp — in the kitchen, sir! It fell off the table — an’ everything down there is blazin’, sir.

MADGE
: The house — is on fire! (
She gives a glance towards safe,  forgetting that the package is gone — but instantly recovers
.)

(
LARRABEE
hurriedly goes out,
MADGE
after him.
FORMAN
disappears. Noise of people running downstairs, etc.
ALICE
,
on cue “Blazin’, sir,” gives a scream and looks quickly at chair, at the same time making an involuntary start toward it.  She stops upon seeing
HOLMES
and stands. Noises grow less and die away outside and below
.)

HOLMES
:  Don’t alarm yourself, Miss Faulkner — (
slight shake of head
) — there is no fire.

ALICE
(
shows by tone that she fears something
): No fire! (
Stands,  dreading what may come
.)

HOLMES
:  The smoke was all arranged for by me. (
Slight pause)

ALICE
:  Arranged for? (
Looks at
HOLMES
.)

(
HOLMES
quickly moves to large upholstered chair which
ALICE
g
lanced at and made start towards a moment since
.)

What does it mean, Mr. Holmes?

(
HOLMES
feels rapidly over chair. Rips away upholstery.
ALICE
attempts to stop him — but is too late, and backs to piano almost in a fainting condition.
HOLMES
stands erect with a package in

hand
.)

HOLMES
:  That I wanted this package of letters, Miss Faulkner.

(
ALICE
stands looking at
HOLMES
speechless — motionless — meets
HOLMES’
gaze for a moment, and then covers her face with her hands, and very slight motion of convulsive sob or two
.
HOLMES
with a quick motion steps quickly in a business-like way to the seat where his coat, hat and cane are, and picks up coat, throwing it over his arm as if to go at once. As he is about to take his hat, he catches sight of
ALICE’S
face and stops dead where he is
.)

(
Music. Very pp. Scarcely audible.
)

(
HOLMES
stands looking at her, motionless. She soon looks up at him again, brushing hand across face as if to clear away any sign of crying. The tableau of the two looking at one another is held a moment or two.
HOLMES’
eyes leave her face and he looks down an instant. After a moment he lays his coat, hat and cane back on seat. Pauses an instant. Turns toward her.
)

HOLMES
(
low voice. Brief pause
): I won’t take them, Miss Faulkner. (
He looks down an instant. Her eyes are upon his face steadily
.) As you — (
still looking down
) — as you — very likely conjecture, the alarm of fire was only to make you betray their hiding-place — which you did … and I — availed myself of that betrayal — as you see. But now that I witness your great distress — I find that I cannot keep them — unless — (
looking up at her
) — you can possibly — change your mind and let me have them — of your own free will … (
He looks at her a moment. She shakes her head very slightly
.) I hardly supposed you could. (
Looks down a moment. Looks up.
) I will therefore — return it to you. (
Very slight pause, and he is about to start toward her as if to hand her the Package
.)

(
Sound of quick footsteps outside. Enter
LARRABEE
,
with a revolver in his hand, followed by
MADGE
.)

(
Stop music.
)

LARRABEE
:  So! You’ve got them, have you? And now, I suppose we’re going to see you walk out of the house with them. (
Handles revolver with meaning
.)

(
HOLMES
looks quietly at
LARRABEE
an instant.
)