ALICE (suspicious again): Won’t get the chance. Then there is something else.
LARRABEE: Something else! (Turning to her.) Why, you see me here myself, don’t you? I’m going to talk to him on a little business. How could I do him any harm?
ALICE (advancing): Where are those men who came up here?
LARRABEE: What men?
ALICE: Three villainous looking men — I saw them go in at the street door —
LARRABEE: Oh — those men. They went up the other stairway. (Pointing over shoulder.) You can see them in the next building — if you look out of this window. (Indicating window.)
(ALICE at once goes rapidly toward the window and making a hesitating pause near table as she sees LARRABEE crossing above her but moving on again quickly LARRABEE at same time crosses well up stage, keeping his eye on ALICE as she moves towards the window and tries to look out, but finding she cannot she turns at once to LARRABEE. He is standing near door.)
(Music. Melodramatic. Danger. Keep down. pp Agitato)
(Hold this an instant where they stand looking at one another, ALICE beginning to see she has been trapped.)
ALICE (starting toward door): I’ll look in the passage-way, if you please.
LARRABEE (taking one step down before door, quietly): Yes — but I don’t please.
ALICE (stops before him): You wouldn’t dare to keep me here.
LARRABEE: I might dare — but I won’t. You’d be in the way.
ALICE: Where are those men?
LARRABEE: Stay where you are and you’ll see them very soon.
(LARRABEE goes to door and blows whistle as quietly as possible. Short pause. No footsteps heard, as the men move noiselessly. Enter CRAIGIN, McTAGUE and LEARY, appearing suddenly noiselessly. They stand looking in some astonishment at ALICE.)
(Music stops.)
ALICE: I knew it. (Moving back a step, seeing from this that they are going to attack Holmes.) Ah! (Under breath. After pause she turns and hurries to window, trying to look out or give an alarm. Then runs to cupboard door. LARRABEE watching her movements. Desperately.) You’re going to do him some harm.
LARRABEE: Oh no, it’s only a little joke — at his expense.
ALICE (moving toward him a little): You wanted the letters, the package I had in the safe! I’ll get it for you. Let me go and I’ll bring it here — or whatever you tell me — (LARRABEE sneers meaningly.)
I’ll give you my word not to say anything to anyone — not to him — not to the policemen — not anyone!
LARRABEE (without moving): You needn’t take the trouble to get it — but you can tell me where it is — and you’ll have to be quick about it too —
ALICE: Yes — if you’ll promise not to go on with this.
LARRABEE: Of course! That’s understood.
ALICE (excitedly): You promise!
LARRABEE: Certainly I promise. Now where is it?
ALICE: Just outside my bedroom window — just outside on the left, fastened between the shutter and the wall — you can easily find it.
LARRABEE: Yes — I can easily find it.
ALICE: Now tell them — tell them to go.
LARRABEE (going down to men): Tie her up so she can’t make a noise. Keep her out there until we have Holmes in here, and then let O’Hagan keep her in his cab. She mustn’t get back to the house
— not till I’ve been there.
(ALICE listens dazed, astonished.)
CRAIGIN (speaks low): Go an’ get a hold, Leary. Hand me a piece of that rope.
(McTAGUE brings rope from under his coat. Business of getting rapidly ready to gag and tie ALICE. Much time must not be spent on this; quick, business-like. McTAGUE takes handkerchief from pocket to use as gag.)
LARRABEE (taking a step or two down before ALICE so as to attract her attention front): Now then, my pretty bird — (ALICE begins to move back in alarm and looking at LARRABEE.)
ALICE: You said — you said if I told you —
LARRABEE: Well — we haven’t done him any harm yet, have we?
(LEARY is moving quietly round behind her.)
ALICE: Then send them away.
LARRABEE: Certainly. Go away now, boys, there’s no more work for you to-night.
ALICE (looking at them terrified): They don’t obey you. They are —
(LEARY seizes her. She screams and resists, but CRAIGIN and McTAGUE come at once, so that she is quickly subdued and gagged with handkerchief, etc., and her hands tied. As the Struggle takes place, men work up to near cupboard with ALICE. LARRABEE also eagerly watching them tie ALICE up. This is not prolonged more than is absolutely necessary. Just as they finish, a shrill whistle is heard in distance outside at back, as if from street far below. All stop — listening — picture.)
CRAIGIN: Now out of the door with her — (Starting to door)
(The prolonged shrill whistle is heard again)
LARRABEE: By God, he’s here.
CRAIGIN: What!
LARRABEE: That’s Sid Prince, I put him on the watch.
CRAIGIN: We won’t have time to get her out.
LARRABEE: Shut her in there (Pointing to cupboard)
LEARY: Yes — that’ll do.
CRAIGIN: In with her.
(LEARY and CRAIGIN, almost on the word, take her to cup board. McTAGUE goes and keeps watch at door.)
(As he holds ALICE.) Open that door! Open that door!
(LEARY goes and opens cupboard door. As LEARY leaves she breaks away from CRAIGIN and gets almost to right when CRAIGIN catches her again. As he takes hold of her she faints, and he throws her into cupboard in a helpless condition. LEARY closes cupboard door and they stand before it.)
LEARY (still at cupboard door. Others have turned so as to avoid suspicion if Holmes comes in on them): There ain’t no lock on this ‘ere door.
LARRABEE: No lock!
LEARY: No.
LARRABEE: Drive something in.
CRAIGIN: Here, this knife. (Hands LEARY a large clasp-knife, opened ready.)
LARRABEE: A knife won’t hold it.
CRAIGIN: Yes, it will. Drive it in strong.
(LEARY drives blade in door frame with all his force)
LEARY: ‘E’ll have to find us ‘ere.
CRAIGIN: Yes — and he won’t either — we’ll go on and do ‘im up. (Going to door)
LARRABEE: No, you won’t.
(Men stop. Pause.)
I’ll see him first, if you please.
(CRAIGIN and LARRABEE facing each other savagely an instant well down stage.)
McTAGUE: Them was orders, Craigin.
LEARY: So it was.
McTAGUE: There might be time to get back in the passage. (He listens at door and cautiously looks off — turns back into room.) They ain’t got up one flight yet.
LEARY: Quick then. (Moving toward door.)
(McTAGUE, LEARY and CRAIGIN go out. Door does not close. LARRABEE glances at door anxiously. Makes a quick dash up to it, and forces knife in with all his strength. Quickly pulls off coat and hat, throwing them on boxes, and sits quietly chewing an end of cigar. Enter SHERLOCK HOLMES at door, walking easily as though on some ordinary business.)
(Stop music.)
HOLMES (seeing the apartment with a glance as he enters and Pausing, disappointed. His little laugh, with no smile): How the devil is it that you crooks always manage to hit on the same places for your scoundrelly business? (Chuckles of amusement.) Well! I certainly thought, after all this driving about in a closed cab you’d show me something new.
LARRABEE (looking up nonchalantly): Seen it before, have you?
HOLMES (standing still): Well, I should think so! (Moves easily about recalling dear old times.) I nabbed a friend of yours in this place while he was trying to drop himself out of that window. Ned Colvin, the cracksman.
LARRABEE: Colvin. I never heard of him before.
HOLMES: No? Ha! ha! Well, you certainly never heard of him after. A brace of counterfeiters used these regal chambers in the spring of ‘90.
One of them hid in the cupboard. We pulled him out by the heels.
LARRABEE (trying to get in on the nonchalance): Ah! Did you? And the other?
HOLMES: The other? He was more fortunate.
LARRABEE: Ah — he got away, I suppose.
HOLMES: Yes, he got away. We took his remains out through that door to the street. (Indicating door.)
LARRABEE: Quite interesting. (Drawled a little — looks at end of his cigar.)
(HOLMES is looking about.)
Times have changed since then.
(HOLMES darts a lightning glance at LARRABEE. Instantly easy again and glancing about as before.)
HOLMES (dropping down near LARRABEE): So they have, Mr. Larrabee — so they have. (A little confidentially.) Then it was only cracksmen, counterfeiters, and petty swindlers of various kinds — Now — (Pause, looking at LARRABEE.)
(LARRABEE turns and looks at HOLMES.)
LARRABEE: Well? What now?
HOLMES: Well — (Mysteriously.) Between you and me, Larrabee — we’ve heard some not altogether agreeable rumors; rumours of some pretty shady work not far from here — a murder or two of a very peculiar kind — and I’ve always had a suspicion — (Stops. Sniffs very delicately. Motionless pause. Nods ominously to LARRABEE, who is looking about, and gets over towards window. When within reach he runs his hand lightly along the frame) My surmise was correct — it is.
LARRABEE (turning to HOLMES) It is what?
HOLMES: Caulked.
LARRABEE: What does that signify to us?
HOLMES: Nothing to us, Mr. Larrabee, nothing to us, but it might signify a good deal to some poor devil who’s been caught in this trap.
LARRABEE: Well if it’s nothing to us suppose we leave it and get to business. My time is limited.
HOLMES: Quite so, of course. I should have realised that reflections could not possibly appeal to you. But it so happens I take a deep interest in anything that pertains to what are known as the criminal classes and this same interest makes me rather curious to know — (looking straight at LARRABEE, who looks up at him) — how you happened to select such a singularly gruesome place for an ordinary business transaction.
LARRABEE (looking at HOLMES across the table): I selected this places Mr. Holmes, because I thought you might not be disposed to take such liberties here as you practised in my own house last night.
HOLMES: Quite so, quite so. (Looks innocently at LARRABEE.) But why not?
(They look at one another an instant.)
LARRABEE: (significantly): You might not feel quite so much at home.
HOLMES: Oh — ha! (A little laugh.) You’ve made a singular miscalculation. I feel perfectly at home, Mr. Larrabee! Perfectly! (He seats himself at table in languid and leisurely manner, takes cigar from pocket and lights it.)
LARRABEE (looks at him an instant): Well, I’m very glad to hear it.
(LARRABEE now takes out the counterfeit package of papers, etc., and tosses it on the table before them. HOLMES looks on floor slightly by light of match, unobserved by LARRABEE.)
Here is the little packet which is the object of this meeting. (He glances at HOLMES to see effect of its production.)
(HOLMES looks at it calmly as he smokes.)
I haven’t opened it yet, but Miss Faulkner tells me everything is there.
HOLMES: Then there is no need of opening it, Mr. Larrabee.
LARRABEE: Oh, well — I want to see you satisfied.
HOLMES: That is precisely the condition in which you now behold me. Miss Faulkner is a truthful young lady. Her word is sufficient.
LARRABEE: Very well. Now what shall we say, Mr. Holmes? (Pause.) Of course, we want a pretty large price for this. Miss Faulkner is giving up everything. She would not be satisfied unless the result justified it.
HOLMES (pointedly): Suppose, Mr. Larrabee, that as Miss Faulkner knows nothing whatever about this affair, we omit her name from the discussion.
(Slight pause of two seconds.)
LARRABEE: Who told you she doesn’t know?
HOLMES: You did. Every look, tone, gesture — everything you have said and done since I have been in this room has informed me that she has never consented to this transaction. It is a little speculation of your own. (Tapping his fingers on end of table.)
LARRABEE: Ha! (Sneer.) I suppose you think you can read me like a book.
HOLMES: No — like a primer.
LARRABEE: Well, let that pass. How much’ll you give?
HOLMES: A thousand pounds.
LARRABEE: I couldn’t take it.
HOLMES: What do you ask?
LARRABEE: Five thousand.
HOLMES (shakes head): I couldn’t give it.
LARRABEE: Very well — (Rises.) We’ve had all this trouble for nothing. (As if about to put up the packet.)
HOLMES (leaning back in chair and remonstrating): Oh — don’t say that, Mr. Larrabee! To me the occasion has been doubly interesting. I have not only had the pleasure of meeting you again but I have also availed myself of the opportunity of making observations regarding this place which may not come amiss.
(LARRABEE looks at HOLMES contemptuously. He places chair under table.)
LARRABEE: Why, I’ve been offered four thousand for this little —
HOLMES: Why didn’t you take it?
LARRABEE: Because I intend to get more.
HOLMES: That’s too bad.
LARRABEE: If they offered four thousand they’ll give five.
HOLMES: They won’t give anything.
LARRABEE: Why not?
HOLMES: They’ve turned the case over to me.
LARRABEE: Will you give three thousand?
HOLMES (rising): Mr. Larrabee, strange as it may appear, my time is limited as well as yours. I have brought with me the sum of One thousand pounds, which is all that I wish to pay. If it is your desire to sell at this figure kindly appraise me of the fact at once. If not, permit me to wish you a very good evening.
(Pause. LARRABEE looks at him.)
LARRABEE (after the pause glances nervously round once, fearing he heard something): Go on! (Tosses packet on table.) You can have them. It’s too small a matter to haggle over.
(HOLMES reseats himself at once, back of table, and takes wallet from his pocket, from which he produces a bunch of bank notes. LARRABEE stands watching him with glittering eye. HOLMES counts out ten one hundred pound notes and lays the remainder of the notes on the table with elbow on them, while he counts the first over again.)
(Sneeringly.) Oh — I thought you said you had brought just a thousand.
HOLMES (not looking up; counting the notes): I did. This is it.
LARRABEE: You brought a trifle more, I see.
HOLMES (counting notes): Quite so. I didn’t say I hadn’t brought any more.
LARRABEE: Ha! (Sneers.) You can do your little tricks when it comes to it, can’t you?
HOLMES: It depends on who I’m dealing with. (Hands LARRABEE one thousand pounds in notes.)
(LARRABEE takes money and keeps a close watch at same time on the remaining pile of notes lying at HOLMES’ left. HOLMES, after handing the notes to LARRABEE, lays cigar he was smoking on the table, picks up packet which he puts in his pocket with his right hand, and is almost at the same time reaching with his left hand for the notes he placed upon the table when LARRABEE makes a Sudden lunge and snatches the pile of bank notes, jumping back On the instant. HOLMES springs to his feet at the same time.)
Now I’ve got you where I want you, Jim Larrabee! You’ve been so cunning and so cautious and so wise, we couldn’t find a thing to hold you for — but this little slip will get you in for robbery —
LARRABEE: Oh! You’ll have me in, will you? (Short sneering laugh.) What are your views about being able to get away from here yourself?
HOLMES: I do not anticipate any particular difficulty.
LARRABEE (significantly): Perhaps you’ll change your mind about that.
HOLMES: Whether I change my mind or not, I certain
ly shall leave this place, and your arrest will shortly follow.
LARRABEE: My arrest? Ha, ha! Robbery, eh — Why, even if you got away from here you haven’t got a witness. Not a witness to your name.
Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated) Page 937