Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated) (1058 page)

WATSON
(
opens letter and reads
): “Dear Sir.”

(
After
WATSON
is at lamp,
FORMAN
waits.
)

HOLMES
: Who — thus — addresses me? (
Slides further on to chesterfield, supporting head on pillows
.)

WATSON
(
glances at signature
): “James Larrabee.”

HOLMES
(
whimsically
): What a surprise! And what has James to say this evening?

WATSON
: “Dear Sir.”

HOLMES
: I hope he won’t say that again.

WATSON
: “I have the honour to inform you that Miss Faulkner has changed her mind regarding the letters, etc., which you wish to obtain, and has decided to dispose of them for a monetary consideration. She has placed them in my hands for this purpose, and if you are in a position to offer a good round sum, and to pay it down at once in cash, the entire lot is yours. If you wish to negotiate, however, it must be to-night, at the house of a friend of mine, in the city. At eleven o’clock you will be at the Guards’ Monument at the foot of Waterloo Place. You will see a cab with wooden shutters to the windows. Enter it and the driver will bring you to my friend’s house. If you have the cab followed, or try any other underhand trick, you won’t get what you want. Let me know your decision. Yours truly, James Larrabee.”

(
HOLMES
during the reading of the letter begins to write something in a perfectly leisurely way. The light of the fire is upon him, shining across the room — on his left — as he writes
.)

HOLMES
: Now see if I have the points. To-night, eleven o’clock — Guards’ Monument — cab with wooden shutters. No one to come with me. No one to follow cab — or I don’t get what I want.

WATSON
: Quite right.

HOLMES
: Ah!

WATSON
: But this cab with the wooden shutters. (
Coming down and placing letter on table.
)

HOLMES
: A little device to keep me from seeing where I am driven. Billy!

BILLY
(
going to
HOLMES
at once
): Yes, sir.

HOLMES
(
reaching out letter to
BILLY
back of him without looking
): Who brought it?

BILLY
:  It was a woman, sir.

HOLMES
(
slight dead stop as he is handing letter
): Ah — old young? (
He does not look round for these questions, but faces the was front or nearly so
)

BILLY
: Werry old sir.

HOLMES
: In a cab?

BILLY
: Yes, sir.

HOLMES
: Seen the driver before?

BILLY
: Yes sir — but I cant think where.

HOLMES
(
rising
): Hand this over to the old lady — apologize for the delay and look at the driver again.

BILLY
(
takes letter
): Yes sir. (
Goes out
)

WATSON
: My dear Holmes — you did not say you would go?

HOLMES
Certainly I did.

WATSON
But it is the counterfeit.

HOLMES
(
moves towards bedroom door
) The counterfeit is what I want.

WATSON
:  Why so?

HOLMES
(
turning to
WATSON
an instant)
Because with it I shall obtain the original (
Turns and speaks off at door.
) Mademoiselle! (
Turns back
)

WATSON
: But this fellow means mischief.

(
Enter
TÉRESE
She comes into and stands a little way inside the room
)

HOLMES
(
facing
WATSON
— touching himself lightly
): This fellow means the same.

(
As
HOLMES
turns away to
TÉRÉSE
,
WATSON
crosses and stands with back to fire
)

(
To
TÉRÉSE
) Be so good Mademoiselle as to listen to every word. To-night at twelve o’clock I meet Mr. Larrabee and purchase from him the false bundle of letters to which you just now heard us refer, as you were listening at the keyhole of the door.

TÉRÉSE
(
slightly confused but staring blankly
) Oui, Monsieur.

HOLMES
: I wish Miss Faulkner to know at once that I propose to buy this package to night.

TÉRÉSE
: I will tell her, Monsieur.

HOLMES
:  That is my wish. But do not tell her that I know this packet and its contents to be counterfeit. She is to suppose that I think I am buying the genuine.

TÉRÉSE
:  Oui, Monsieur, je comprends.
When you purchase you think you have the real.

HOLMES
: Precisely. (
Motions her up to door and moving towards door with her
.) One thing more. Tomorrow evening I shall want you to accompany her to this place, here. Sir Edward Leighton and Count von Stalburg will be here to receive the package from me. However, you will receive further instructions as to this in the morning.

TÉRÉSE
:  Oui, Monsieur. (
Turns and goes out at once
.)

HOLMES
:  Forman.

FORMAN
:  Yes, sir.

HOLMES
:  Change to your beggar disguise No. 14 and go through every place in the Riverside District. Don’t stop till you get a clue to this new partner of the Larrabees. I must have that. (
Turns away towards
WATSON
.) I must have that.

FORMAN
: Very well, sir. (
Just about to go.
)

(
Enter
BILLY
.)

BILLY
:  If you please, sir, there’s a man a-waitin’ at the street door — and ‘e says ‘e must speak to Mr. Forman, sir, as quick as ‘e can.

(
HOLMES
— who was moving — stops suddenly and stands motionless — eyes front. Pause
.)

(
Music. Danger. Melodramatic. Very low. Agitato. B String.
)

HOLMES
(
after a pause
): We’d better have a look at that man, Billy, show him up.

BILLY
:  ‘E can’t come up, sir—’e’s a-watchin’ a man in the Street. ‘E says ‘e’s from Scotland Yard.

FORMAN
(
going toward door
): I’d better see what it is, sir.

HOLMES
: No!

(
FORMAN
stops. Pause. Music heard throughout this pause, but without swelling forte in the least.
HOLMES
stands motionless a moment
)

Well — (
a motion indicating
FORMAN
to go
) — take a look at first. Be ready for anything.

FORMAN
: Trust me for that, sir. (
Goes out
.)

HOLMES
: Billy, see what he does.

BILLY
: Yes, sir.

(
HOLMES
stands an instant thinking
)

WATSON
: This is becoming interesting.

(
HOLMES
does not reply He goes up to near door and listens then moves to window and glances down to street then turns goes down to table
)

Look here Holmes you’ve been so kind as to give me a half look into this case —

HOLMES
(
looking up at him
): What case?

WATSON
: This strange case of — Miss —

HOLMES
: Quite so. One moment my dear fellow (
Rings bell.
)

(
After slight wait enter
BILLY
)

Mr. Forman — is he there still?

BILLY
:  No, sir—’e’s gone. (
Second’s pause
.)

HOLMES
: That’s all.

BILLY
: Yes sir. Thank you sir. (
Goes out
)

(
Music stops
)

HOLMES
: As you were saying, Watson. (
Eyes front
.) strange case — of — (
Stops but does not change position.  As if listening or thinking
)

WATSON
: Of Miss Faulkner.

HOLMES
(
abandoning further anxiety and giving attention to
WATSON
): Precisely. This strange case of Miss Faulkner. (
Eyes down an instant as he recalls it
)

WATSON
: You’ve given me some idea of it. Now don’t you it would be only fair to let me have the rest?

(
HOLMES
looks at him
)

HOLMES
:  What shall I tell you?

WATSON
: Tell me what you propose to do with that counterfeit  package — which you are going to risk your life to obtain.

(
HOLMES
looks at
WATSON
an instant before speaking
.)

HOLMES
: I intend, with the aid of the counterfeit, to make her willingly hand me the genuine. I shall accomplish this by a piece of trickery and deceit of which I am heartily ashamed — and which I would never have undertaken if I — if I had known her — as I do now (
Looks to the front absently
.) It’s too bad. She’s — she’s rather a nice girl, Watson. (
Goes over to mantel and gets a pipe
.)

WATSON
(
following
HOLMES
with his eyes
): Nice girl, is she?

(
HOLMES
nods “Yes” to
WATSON
. Brief pause. He turns with pipe in hands and glances towards
WATSON
, then down
.)

Then you think that possibly —

(
Enter
BILLY
quickly.
)

BILLY
:  I beg pardon, sir, Mr. Forman’s just sent over from the chemist’s on the corner to say ‘is ‘ead is a-painin’ ‘im a bit, an’ would Dr. Watson —

(
WATSON
, on hearing his name, turns and looks in direction of
BILLY
)

 
— kindly step over and get ‘im something to put on it.

WATSON
(
moving at once towards door
): Yes — certainly — I’ll go at once. (
Picking up hat off chair
.) That’s singular. (
Stands puzzled.
) It didn’t look like anything serious. (
At door
.) I’ll be back in a minute, Holmes. (
Goes out.
)

(
HOLMES
says nothing
.)

HOLMES
: Billy.

BILLY
:  Yes, sir.

HOLMES
:  Who brought that message from Forman?