按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Carlsbad。 ‘Remarkable as being the scene of the death of
Wallenstein； and for its numerous glass…factories and paper…mills。'
Ha； ha； my boy； what do you make of that？' His eyes sparkled； and he
sent up a great blue triumphant cloud from his cigarette。
〃The paper was made in Bohemia；〃 I said。
〃Precisely。 And the man who wrote the note is a German。 Do you
note the peculiar construction of the sentence… ‘This account of you
we have from all quarters received。' A Frenchman or Russian could
not have written that。 It is the German who is so uncourteous to his
verbs。 It only remains； therefore； to discover what is wanted by
this German who writes upon Bohemian paper and prefers wearing a
mask to showing his face。 And here he comes； if I am not mistaken；
to resolve all our doubts。〃
As he spoke there was the sharp sound of horses' hoofs and grating
wheels against the curb； followed by a sharp pull at the bell。
Holmes whistled。
〃A pair； by the sound；〃 said he。 〃Yes；〃 he continued； glancing out
of the window。 〃A nice little brougham and a pair of beauties。 A
hundred and fifty guineas apiece。 There's money in this case；
Watson； if there is nothing else。〃
〃I think that I had better go； Holmes。〃
〃Not a bit； Doctor。 Stay where you are。 I am lost without my
Boswell。 And this promises to be interesting。 It would be a pity to
miss it。〃
〃But your client…〃
〃Never mind him。 I may want your help； and so may he。 Here he comes。
Sit down in that armchair； Doctor； and give us your best attention。〃
A slow and heavy step； which had been heard upon the stairs and in
the passage； paused immediately outside the door。 Then there was a
loud and authoritative tap。
〃Come in！〃 said Holmes。
A man entered who could hardly have been less than six feet six
inches in height； with the chest and limbs of a Hercules。 His dress
was rich with a richness which would； in England； he looked upon as
akin to bad taste。 Heavy bands of astrakhan were slashed across the
sleeves and fronts of his double…breasted coat； while the deep blue
cloak which was thrown over his shoulders was lined with
flame…coloured silk and secured at the neck with a brooch which
consisted of a single flaming beryl。 Boots which extended halfway up
his calves； and which were trimmed at the tops with rich brown fur；
completed the impression of barbaric opulence which was suggested by
his whole appearance。 He carried a broad…brimmed hat in his hand；
while he wore across the upper part of his face； extending down past
the cheekbones； a black vizard mask； which he had apparently
adjusted that very moment； for his hand was still raised to it as he
entered。 From the lower part of the face he appeared to be a man of
strong character； with a thick； hanging lip； and a long； straight chin
suggestive of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy。
〃You had my note？〃 he asked with a deep harsh voice and a strongly
marked German accent。 〃I told you that I would call。〃 He looked from
one to the other of us； as if uncertain which to address。
〃Pray take a seat；〃 said Holmes。 〃This is my friend and colleague；
Dr。 Watson； who is occasionally good enough to help me in my cases。
Whom have I the honour to address？〃
〃You may address me as the Count Von Kramm； a Bohemian nobleman。 I
understand that this gentleman； your friend； is a man of honour and
discretion； whom I may trust with a matter of the most extreme
importance。 If not； I should much prefer to communicate with you
alone。〃
I rose to go； but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me back
into my chair。 〃It is both； or none；〃 said he。 〃You may say before
this gentleman anything which you may say to me。〃
The Count shrugged his broad shoulders。 〃Then I must begin；〃 said
he； 〃by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years； at the end
of that time the matter will be of no importance。 At present it is not
too much to say that it is of such weight it may have an influence
upon European history。〃
〃I promise；〃 said Holmes。
〃And I。〃
〃You will excuse this mask；〃 continued our strange visitor。 〃The
august person who employs me wishes his agent to be unknown to you；
and I may confess at once that the title by which I have just called
myself is not exactly my own。〃
〃I was aware of it；〃 said Holmes drily。
〃The circumstances are of great delicacy； and every precaution has
to be taken to quench what might grow to be an immense scandal and
seriously compromise one of the reigning families of Europe。 To
speak plainly； the matter implicates the great House of Ormstein；
hereditary kings of Bohemia。〃
〃I was also aware of that；〃 murmured Holmes； settling himself down
in his armchair and closing his eyes。
Our visitor glanced with some apparent surprise at the languid；
lounging figure of the man who had been no doubt depicted to him as
the most incisive reasoner and most energetic agent in Europe。
Holmes slowly reopened his eyes and looked impatiently at his gigantic
client。
〃If your Majesty would condescend to state your case；〃 he
remarked； 〃I should be better able to advise you。〃
The man sprang from his chair and paced up and down the room in
uncontrollable agitation。 Then； with a gesture of desperation； he tore
the mask from his face and hurled it upon the ground。 〃You are right；〃
he cried； 〃I am the King。 Why should I attempt to conceal it？〃
〃Why； indeed？〃 murmured Holmes。 〃Your Majesty had not spoken
before I was aware that I was addressing Wilhelm Gottsreich
Sigismond von Ormstein； Grand Duke of Cassel…Felstein； and
hereditary King of Bohemia。〃
〃But you can understand；〃 said our strange visitor； sitting down
once more and passing his hand over his high white forehead； 〃you
can understand that I am not accustomed to doing such business in my
own person。 Yet the matter was so delicate that I could not confide it
to an agent without putting myself in his power。 I have come incognito
from Prague for the purpose of consulting you。〃
〃Then； pray consult；〃 said Holmes； shutting his eyes once more。
〃The facts are briefly these： Some five years ago； during a
lengthy visit to Warsaw； I made the acquaintance of the well…known
adventuress； Irene Adler。 The name is no doubt familiar to you。〃
〃Kindly look her up in my index； Doctor；〃 murmured Holmes without
opening his eyes。 For many years he had adopted a system of
docketing all paragraphs concerning men and things； so that it was
difficult to name a subject or a person on which he could not at
once furnish information。 In this case I found her biography
sandwiched in between that of a Hebrew rabbi and that of a
staff…commander who had written a monograph upon the deep…sea fishes。
〃Let me see！〃 said Holmes。 〃Hum！ Born in New Jersey in the year
1858。 Contralto… hum！ La Scala； hum！ Prima donna Imperial Opera of
Warsaw… yes！ Retired from operatic stage… ha！ Living in London…
quite so！ Your Majesty； as I understand； became entangled with this
young person； wrote her some compromising letters； and is now desirous
of getting those letters back。〃
〃Precisely so。 But how…〃
〃Was there a secret marriage？〃
〃None。〃
〃No legal papers or certificates？〃
〃None。〃
〃Then I fail to follow your Majesty。 If this young person should
produce her letters for blackmailing or other purposes； how is she
to prove their authenticity？〃
〃There is the writing。〃
〃Pooh； pooh！ Forgery。〃
〃My private note…paper。〃
〃Stolen。〃
〃My own seal。〃
〃Imitated。〃
〃My photograph。〃
〃Bought。〃
〃We were both in the photograph。〃
〃Oh dear！ That is very bad！ Your Majesty has indeed committed an
indiscretion。〃
〃I was mad… insane。〃
〃You have compromised yourself seriously。〃
〃I was only Crown Prince then。 I was young。 I am but thirty now。〃
〃It must be recovered。〃
〃We have tried and failed。〃
〃Your Majesty must pay。 It must be bought。〃
〃She will not sell。〃
〃Stolen； then。〃
〃Five attempts have been made。 Twice burglars in my pay ransacked
her house。 Once we diverted her luggage when she travelled。 Twice
she has been waylaid。 There has been no result。〃
〃No sign of it？〃
〃Absolutely none。〃
Holmes laughed。 〃It is quite a pretty little problem；〃 said he。
〃But a very serious one to me；〃 returned the King reproachfully。
〃Very； indeed。 And what does she propose to do with the photograph？〃
〃To ruin me。〃
〃But how？〃
〃I am about to be married。〃
〃So I have heard。〃
〃To Clotilde Lothman von Saxe…Meningen； second daughter of the
King of Scandinavia。 You may know the strict principles of her family。
She is herself the very soul of delicacy。 A shadow of a doubt as to my
conduct would bring the matter to an end。〃
〃And Irene Adler？〃
〃Threatens to send them the photograph。 And she will do it。 I know
that she will do it。 You do not know her； but she has a soul of steel。
She has the face of the most beautiful of women； and the mind of the
most resolute of men。 Rather than I should marry another woman；
there are no lengths to which she would not go… none。〃
〃You are sure that she