Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated)

by SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

  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. (Lightly waves letter across before face once getting the scent.) It is. Read it, Watson, there’s a go
od 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.)

  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.)

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