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remained with her hand in that of the invalid。 She
was a striking…looking woman； a little short and thick
for symmetry； but with a beautiful olive complexion；
large； dark； Italian eyes； and a wealth of deep black
hair。 Her rich tints made the white face of her
companion the more worn and haggard by the contrast。
〃I won't waste your time；〃 said he； raising himself
upon the sofa。 〃I'll plunge into the matter without
further preamble。 I was a happy and successful man；
Mr。 Holmes； and on the eve of being married； when a
sudden and dreadful misfortune wrecked all my
prospects in life。
〃I was； as Watson may have told you； in the Foreign
Office； and through the influences of my uncle； Lord
Holdhurst； I rose rapidly to a responsible position。
When my uncle became foreign minister in this
administration he gave me several missions of trust；
and as I always brought them to a successful
conclusion； he came at last to have the utmost
confidence in my ability and tact。
〃Nearly ten weeks agoto be more accurate； on the 23d
of Mayhe called me into his private room； and； after
complimenting me on the good work which I had done； he
informed me that he had a new commission of trust for
me to execute。
〃'This；' said he； taking a gray roll of paper from his
bureau； 'is the original of that secret treaty between
England and Italy of which； I regret to say； some
rumors have already got into the public press。 It is
of enormous importance that nothing further should
leak out。 The French or the Russian embassy would pay
an immense sum to learn the contents of these papers。
They should not leave my bureau were it not that it is
absolutely necessary to have them copied。 You have a
desk in your office？〃
〃'Yes； sir。'
〃'Then take the treaty and lock it up there。 I shall
give directions that you may remain behind when the
others go； so that you may copy it at your leisure
without fear of being overlooked。 When you have
finished； relock both the original and the draft in
the desk； and hand them over to me personally
to…morrow morning。'
〃I took the papers and〃
〃Excuse me an instant；〃 said Holmes。 〃Were you alone
during this conversation？〃
〃Absolutely。〃
〃In a large room？〃
〃Thirty feet each way。〃
〃In the centre？〃
〃Yes； about it。〃
〃And speaking low？〃
〃My uncle's voice is always remarkably low。 I hardly
spoke at all。〃
〃Thank you；〃 said Holmes； shutting his eyes； 〃pray go
on。〃
〃I did exactly what he indicated； and waited until the
other clerks had departed。 One of them in my room；
Charles Gorot； had some arrears of work to make up； so
I left him there and went out to dine。 When I
returned he was gone。 I was anxious to hurry my work；
for I knew that Josephthe Mr。 Harrison whom you saw
just nowwas in town； and that he would travel down
to Woking by the eleven…o'clock train； and I wanted if
possible to catch it。
〃When I came to examine the treaty I saw at once that
it was of such importance that my uncle had been
guilty of no exaggeration in what he had said。
Without going into details； I may say that it defined
the position of Great Britain towards the Triple
Alliance； and fore…shadowed the policy which this
country would pursue in the event of the French fleet
gaining a complete ascendancy over that of Italy in
the Mediterranean。 The questions treated in it were
purely naval。 At the end were the signatures of the
high dignitaries who had signed it。 I glanced my eyes
over it； and then settled down to my task of copying。
〃It was a long document； written in the French
language； and containing twenty…six separate articles。
I copied as quickly as I could； but at nine o'clock I
had only done nine articles； and it seemed hopeless
for me to attempt to catch my train。 I was feeling
drowsy and stupid； partly from my dinner and also from
the effects of a long day's work。 A cup of coffee
would clear my brain。 A commissionnaire remains all
night in a little lodge at the foot of the stairs； and
is in the habit of making coffee at his spirit…lamp
for any of the officials who may be working over time。
I rang the bell； therefore； to summon him。
〃To my surprise； it was a woman who answered the
summons； a large； coarse…faced； elderly woman； in an
apron。 She explained that she was the
commissionnaire's wife； who did the charing； and I
gave her the order for the coffee。
〃I wrote two more articles and then； feeling more
drowsy than ever； I rose and walked up and down the
room to stretch my legs。 My coffee had not yet come；
and I wondered what was the cause of the delay could
be。 Opening the door； I started down the corridor to
find out。 There was a straight passage； dimly
lighted； which led from the room in which I had been
working； and was the only exit from it。 It ended in a
curving staircase； with the commissionnaire's lodge in
the passage at the bottom。 Half way down this
staircase is a small landing； with another passage
running into it at right angles。 This second one
leads by means of a second small stair to a side door；
used by servants； and also as a short cut by clerks
when coming from Charles Street。 Here is a rough
chart of the place。〃
〃Thank you。 I think that I quite follow you；〃 said
Sherlock Holmes。
〃It is of the utmost importance that you should notice
this point。 I went down the stairs and into the hall；
where I found the commissionnaire fast asleep in his
box； with the kettle boiling furiously upon the
spirit…lamp。 I took off the kettle and blew out the
lamp； for the water was spurting over the floor。 Then
I put out my hand and was about to shake the man； who
was still sleeping soundly； when a bell over his head
rang loudly； and he woke with a start。
〃'Mr。 Phelps； sir！' said he； looking at me in
bewilderment。
〃'I came down to see if my coffee was ready。'
〃'I was boiling the kettle when I fell asleep； sir。'
He looked at me and then up at the still quivering
bell with an ever…growing astonishment upon his face。
〃'If you was here； sir； then who rang the bell？' he
asked。
〃'The bell！' I cried。 'What bell is it？'
〃'It's the bell of the room you were working in。'
〃A cold hand seemed to close round my heart。 Some
one； then； was in that room where my precious treaty
lay upon the table。 I ran frantically up the stair
and along the passage。 There was no one in the
corridors； Mr。 Holmes。 There was no one in the room。
All was exactly as I left it； save only that the
papers which had been committed to my care had been
taken from the desk on which they lay。 The copy was
there； and the original was gone。〃
Holmes sat up in his chair and rubbed his hands。 I
could see that the problem was entirely to his heart。
〃Pray； what did you do then？〃 he murmured。
〃I recognized in an instant that the thief must have
come up the stairs from the side door。 Of course I
must have met him if he had come the other way。〃
〃You were satisfied that he could not have been
concealed in the room all the time； or in the corridor
which you have just described as dimly lighted？〃
〃It is absolutely impossible。 A rat could not conceal
himself either in the room or the corridor。 There is
no cover at all。〃
〃Thank you。 Pray proceed。〃
〃The commissionnaire； seeing by my pale face that
something was to be feared； had followed me upstairs。
Now we both rushed along the corridor and down the
steep steps which led to Charles Street。 The door at
the bottom was closed； but unlocked。 We flung it open
and rushed out。 I can distinctly remember that as we
did so there came three chines from a neighboring
clock。 It was quarter to ten。〃
〃That is of enormous importance；〃 said Holmes； making
a note upon his shirt…cuff。
〃The night was very dark； and a thin； warm rain was
falling。 There was no one in Charles Street； but a
great traffic was going on； as usual； in Whitehall； at
the extremity。 We rushed along the pavement；
bare…headed as we were； and at the far corner we found
a policeman standing。
〃'A robbery has been committed；' I gasped。 'A
document of immense value has been stolen from the
Foreign Office。 Has any one passed this way？'
〃'I have been standing here for a quarter of an hour；
sir；' said he； 'only one person has passed during that
timea woman； tall and elderly； with a Paisley
shawl。'
〃'Ah； that is only my wife；' cried the
commissionnaire； 'has no one else passed？'
〃'No one。'
〃'Then it must be the other way that the thief took；'
cried the fellow； tugging at my sleeve。
〃'But I was not satisfied； and the attempts which he
made to draw me away increased my suspicions。
〃'Which way did the woman go？' I cried。
〃'I don't know； sir。 I noticed her pass； but I had no