Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated) (1057 page)

WATSON
: But you could escape them without such serious risks! Your other cases have not been so dangerous, and they were even more interesting. Now, the one you spoke of — the last time I saw you — the recovery of those damaging letters and gifts from a young girl who —

(
HOLMES
suddenly rises — stands motionless.
WATSON
looks at him surprised. Brief pause. Then
WATSON
sits in arm-chair
.)

A most peculiar affair as I remember it. You were going to try an experiment of making her betray their hiding-place by an alarm of fire in her own house — and after that —

HOLMES
: Precisely — after that.

(
Pause
.)

WATSON
: Didn’t the plan succeed?

HOLMES
: Yes — as far as I’ve gone.

WATSON
: You got Forman into the house as butler?

HOLMES
(
nods
): Forman was in as butler.

WATSON
: And upon your signal he overturned a lamp in the kitchen — (
HOLMES
moves up and down
) — scattered the smoke balls and gave an alarm of fire?

(
HOLMES
nods and mutters “Yes” under his breath
)

And the young lady — did she —

HOLMES
(
turning and interrupting
): Yes, she did, Watson.  (
Going down near him as if he had recovered himself
) The young  lady did.  It all transpired precisely as planned.  I took the packet of papers from its hiding-place — and as I told you I would handed it back to Miss Faulkner.

WATSON
: But you never told me why you proposed to hand it back.

HOLMES
For a very simple reason my dear Watson That would have been theft for me to take it. The contents of the packet were the absolute property of the young lady.

WATSON
: What did you gain by this?

HOLMES
: Her confidence, and so far as I was able to secure it, her regard. As it was impossible for me to take possession of the letters, photographs and jewellery in that packet without her consent, my only alternative is to obtain that consent — to induce her to give it to me of her own free will. Its return to her after I had laid hands on it was the first move in this direction. The second will depend entirely upon what transpires to-day. I expect Forman here to report in half an hour.

(
Light hurried footsteps outside. Short quick knock at door and enter
TÉRÉSE
in great haste and excitement.
WATSON
rises and turns and faces her near table.
HOLMES
turns towards fire-place
.)

TÉRÉSE
:  I beg you to pardon me, sir, ze boy he say to come right up as soon as I come.

HOLMES
: Quite right! quite right!

TÉRÉSE
:  Ah! I fear me zere is trouble — Messieurs — ze butlair — you assesstant — ze one who sent me to you —

HOLMES
: Forman? (
Turning to her
.)

TÉRÉSE
: Heem! Forman. Zere ees somesing done to heem! I fear to go down to see.

HOLMES
: Down where?

(
WATSON
watches
.)

TÉRÉSE
:  Ze down. (
Gesture
.) Ze cellaire of zat house. Eet ees a dreadful place. He deed not come back. He went down — he deed not return. (
Business of anguish
.)

(
HOLMES
goes to table — rings bell and takes revolver from drawer and slides it into his hip pocket, at same time unfastening dressing-gown.
)

HOLMES
(
during business
): Who sent him down?

TÉRÉSE
:  M’sjeur of ze house, M’sieur Chetwood.

HOLMES
: Larrabee?

TÉRESE
:  Yes.

HOLMES
(
during business
): Has he been down there long?

TÉRÉSE
:  No — for I soon suspect — ze dreadful noise was heard.
Oh — (
covers face
) — ze noise! Ze noise!

HOLMES
: What noise? (
Goes to her and seizes her arm
.)

TÉRÉSE
:  Ze noise!

HOLMES
: Try to be calm and answer me. What did it sound like?

TÉRÉSE
:  Ze dreadful cry of a man who eez struck down by a deadly seeng.

(
Enter
BILLY
)

HOLMES
:  Billy! Coat — boots, and order a cab — quick! (
Back again to table, takes a second revolver out
.)

BILLY
(
darting off at door
) Yes, sir.

HOLMES
(
to
TÉRÉSE
) Did anyone follow him down?

(
BILLY
is back in a second
.)

TÉRÉSE
:  I did not see.

HOLMES
:  Don’t wait. The cab.

(
BILLY
shoots off having placed coat over chesterfield and boots on floor
)

Take this Watson and come with me. (
Handing
WATSON
a revolver.
WATSON
advances a step to meet
HOLMES
and takes revolver
.)

TÉRÉSE
:  I had not better go also?

HOLMES
: No … Wait here! (
Ready to go. About to take off dressing gown
)

(
Hurried footsteps heard outside
)

(
Pause
.) Ha! I hear Forman coming now.

(
Enter
FORMAN
.)

TÉRÉSE
(
seeing
FORMAN
—
under her breath
) Ah! (
Backing a little
)

(
FORMAN
coming rapidly on is covered with black coal stains, and his clothing otherwise stained. He has a bad bruise on forehead. But he must not be made to look grotesque. There must be no suspicion of comedy about his entrance. Also he must not be torn, as
BILLY
is later in the scene. HOLMES just above table stops taking off his dressing gown, slips it back on shoulders again.
)

FORMAN
(
to
HOLMES
in an entirely matter of fact tone
): Nothing more last night, sir. After you left, Prince came in, they made a start for her room to get the package away, but I gave the three knocks with an axe on the floor beams as you directed, and they didn’t go any farther. This morning, a little after nine —

HOLMES
: One moment.

FORMAN
: Yes, sir?

HOLMES
(
quietly turns to
TÉRÉSE
): Mademoiselle — step into that room and rest yourself. (
Indicating bedroom door.
)

TÉRÉSE
(
who has been deeply interested in
FORMAN’S
report
):  Ah! (
Shaking head
.) I am not tired, Monsieur.

HOLMES
: Step in and walk about, then. I’ll let you know when you are required.

TÉRÉSE
(
after an instant’s pause sees it
): Oui, Monsieur. (
Goes out.
)

(
HOLMES
goes over and quickly closes the door after her — he then turns to
WATSON
, but remains at the door with right ear alert to catch any sound from within.
)

HOLMES
: Take a look at his head, Watson. (
Listens at door
.)

(
WATSON
at once goes to
FORMAN
.)

FORMAN
: It’s nothing at all.

HOLMES
: Take a look at his head, Watson.

WATSON
: An ugly bruise, but not dangerous. (
Examining head
.)

(
WATSON
goes quickly and stands near end of chesterfield facing around to
FORMAN
.)

HOLMES
:  Very well … At a little after nine, you say — (
HOLMES
has attention on door, where
TÉRÉSE
went off while listening to
FORMAN
— but not in such a marked way as to take the attention off from what he says, and after a few seconds sits on chesterfield
)

FORMAN
:  Yes, sir! (
Coming down a little
.) This morning a little after nine, Larrabee and his wife drove away and she returned about eleven without him. A little later, old Leuftner came and the two went to work in the library. I got a look at them from the outside and found they were making up a counterfeit of the Package we’re working for! You’ll have to watch for some sharp trick, sir.

HOLMES
: They’ll have to watch for the trick, my dear Forman.  And Larrabee what of him?

FORMAN
: He came back a little after three

HOLMES
: How did he seem?

FORMAN
: Under great excitement, sir.

HOLMES
: Any marked resentment towards you?

FORMAN
: I think there was, sir — though he tried not to show it.

HOLMES
: He has consulted some one outside. Was the Larrabee woman’s behaviour different also?

FORMAN
:  Now I come to think of it, she gave me an ugly look as she came in.

HOLMES
:  Ah, an ugly look. She was present at the consultation. They were advised to get you out of the way. He sent you into the cellar on some pretext. You were attacked in the dark by two men — possibly three — and received a bad blow from a sand club.  You managed to strike down one of your assailants with a stone or piece of timber and escaped from the others in the dark crawling out through a coal grating.

FORMAN
That’s what took place sir.

HOLMES
: They’ve taken in a partner, and a dangerous one at that. He not only directed this conspiracy against you, but he advised the making of the counterfeit package as well. Within a very short time I shall receive an offer from Larrabee to sell the package of letters. He will indicate that Miss Faulkner changed her mind, and has concluded to get what she can for them.  He will desire to meet me on the subject — and will then endeavour to sell me his bogus package for a large sum of money.  After that —

(
Enter
BILLY
with a letter
)

BILLY
:  Letter, sir! Most important letter, sir! (
After giving
HOLMES
letter, he stands waiting
.)

HOLMES
: Unless I am greatly mistaken — the said communication is at hand. (L
ightly waves letter across before face once getting the scent
.) It is. Read it, Watson, there’s a good fellow, my eyes — (
With a motion across eyes. Half smile.
) You know, cocaine — and all those things you like so much.

(
BILLY
goes with letter to
WATSON
.
WATSON
takes letter and up to lamp
.)