“Amostannoyingbusiness，Sherlock，“saidhe。“Iextremely
dislikealteringmyhabits，butthepowersthatbewouldtakeno
denial。InthepresentstateofSiamitismostawkwardthatI
shouldbeawayfromtheoffice。Butitisarealcrisis。Ihave
neverseenthePrimeMinistersoupset。AstotheAdmiralty-itis
buzzinglikeanoverturnedbee-hive。Haveyoureadupthecase？“
“Wehavejustdoneso。Whatwerethetechnicalpapers？“
“Ah，there”sthepoint！Fortunately，ithasnotcomeout。The
presswouldbefuriousifitdid。Thepaperswhichthiswretchedyouth
hadinhispocketweretheplansoftheBruce-Partingtonsubmarine。”
MycroftHolmesspokewithasolemnitywhichshowedhissenseof
theimportanceofthesubject。HisbrotherandIsatexpectant。
“Surelyyouhaveheardofit？Ithoughteveryonehadheardofit。”
“Onlyasaname。”
“Itsimportancecanhardlybeexaggerated。Ithasbeenthemost
jealouslyguardedofallgovernmentsecrets。Youmaytakeitfromme
thatnavalwarfarebecomesimpossiblewithintheradiusofa
Bruce-Partington”soperation。Twoyearsagoaverylargesumwas
smuggledthroughtheEstimatesandwasexpendedinacquiringa
monopolyoftheinvention。Everyefforthasbeenmadetokeepthe
secret。Theplans，whichareexceedinglyintricate，comprisingsome
thirtyseparatepatents，eachessentialtotheworkingofthewhole，
arekeptinanelaboratesafeinaconfidentialofficeadjoiningthe
arsenal，withburglar-proofdoorsandwindows。Undernoconceivable
circumstancesweretheplanstobetakenfromtheoffice。Ifthechief
constructoroftheNavydesiredtoconsultthem，evenhewasforcedto
gototheWoolwichofficeforthepurpose。Andyetherewefindthem
inthepocketofadeadjuniorclerkintheheartofLondon。Froman
officialpointofviewit”ssimplyawful。”
“Butyouhaverecoveredthem？“
“No，Sherlock，no！That”sthepinch。Wehavenot。Tenpaperswere
takenfromWoolwich。TherewereseveninthepocketofCadoganWest。
Thethreemostessentialaregone-stolen，vanished。Youmustdrop
everything，Sherlock。Nevermindyourusualpettypuzzlesofthe
police-court。It”savitalinternationalproblemthatyouhaveto
solve。WhydidCadoganWesttakethepapers，wherearethemissing
ones，howdidhedie，howcamehisbodywhereitwasfound，howcan
theevilbesetright？Findananswertoallthesequestions，and
youwillhavedonegoodserviceforyourcountry。”
“Whydoyounotsolveityourself，Mycroft？Youcanseeasfaras
I。”
“Possibly，Sherlock。Butitisaquestionofgettingdetails。Give
meyourdetails，andfromanarmchairIwillreturnyouanexcellent
expertopinion。Buttorunhereandrunthere，tocross-question
railwayguards，andlieonmyfacewithalenstomyeye-itisnotmy
metier。No，youaretheonemanwhocanclearthematterup。Ifyou
haveafancytoseeyournameinthenexthonourslist-“
Myfriendsmiledandshookhishead。
“Iplaythegameforthegame”sownsake，“saidhe。“Buttheproblem
certainlypresentssomepointsofinterest，andIshallbevery
pleasedtolookintoit。Somemorefacts，please。”
“Ihavejotteddownthemoreessentialonesuponthissheetof
paper，togetherwithafewaddresseswhichyouwillfindofservice。
Theactualofficialguardianofthepapersisthefamousgovernment
expert，SirJamesWalter，whosedecorationsandsub-titlesfilltwo
linesofabookofreference。Hehasgrowngrayintheservice，isa
gentleman，afavouredguestinthemostexaltedhouses，and，above
all，amanwhosepatriotismisbeyondsuspicion。Heisoneoftwo
whohaveakeyofthesafe。Imayaddthatthepaperswereundoubtedly
intheofficeduringworkinghoursonMonday，andthatSirJames
leftforLondonaboutthreeo”clocktakinghiskeywithhim。Hewasat
thehouseofAdmiralSinclairatBarclaySquareduringthewholeof
theeveningwhenthisincidentoccurred。”
“Hasthefactbeenverified？“
“Yes；hisbrother，ColonelValentineWalter，hastestifiedtohis
departurefromWoolwich，andAdmiralSinclairtohisarrivalin
London；soSirJamesisnolongeradirectfactorintheproblem。”
“Whowastheothermanwithakey？“
“Theseniorclerkanddraughtsman，Mr。SidneyJohnson。Heisaman
offorty，married，withfivechildren。Heisasilent，moroseman，but
hehas，onthewhole，anexcellentrecordinthepublicservice。Heis
unpopularwithhiscolleagues，butahardworker。Accordingtohisown
account，corroboratedonlybythewordofhiswife，hewasathomethe
wholeofMondayeveningafterofficehours，andhiskeyhasneverleft
thewatch-chainuponwhichithangs。”
“TellusaboutCadoganWest。”
“Hehasbeentenyearsintheserviceandhasdonegoodwork。Hehas
thereputationofbeinghot-headedandimpetuous，butastraight，
honestman。Wehavenothingagainsthim。HewasnextSidneyJohnsonin
theoffice。Hisdutiesbroughthimintodaily，personalcontactwith
theplans。Nooneelsehadthehandlingofthem。”
“Wholockedtheplansupthatnight？“
“Mr。SidneyJohnson，theseniorclerk。”
“Well，itissurelyperfectlyclearwhotookthemaway。Theyare
actuallyfounduponthepersonofthisjuniorclerk，CadoganWest。
Thatseemsfinal，doesitnot？“
“Itdoes，Sherlock，andyetitleavessomuchunexplained。Inthe
firstplace，whydidhetakethem？“
“Ipresumetheywereofvalue？“
“Hecouldhavegotseveralthousandsforthemveryeasily。”
“CanyousuggestanypossiblemotivefortakingthepaperstoLondon
excepttosellthem？“
“No，Icannot。”
“Thenwemusttakethatasourworkinghypothesis。YoungWesttook
thepapers。Nowthiscouldonlybedonebyhavingafalsekey-“
“Severalfalsekeys。Hehadtoopenthebuildingandtheroom。”
“Hehad，then，severalfalsekeys。HetookthepaperstoLondonto
sellthesecret，intending，nodoubt，tohavetheplansthemselves
backinthesafenextmorningbeforetheyweremissed。WhileinLondon
onthistreasonablemissionhemethisend。”
“How？“
“WewillsupposethathewastravellingbacktoWoolwichwhenhewas
killedandthrownoutofthecompartment。”
“Aldgate，wherethebodywasfound，isconsiderablypastthestation
forLondonBridge，whichwouldbehisroutetoWoolwich。”
“Manycircumstancescouldbeimaginedunderwhichhewouldpass
LondonBridge。Therewassomeoneinthecarriage，forexample，with
whomhewashavinganabsorbinginterview。Thisinterviewledtoa
violentsceneinwhichhelosthislife。Possiblyhetriedtoleave
thecarriage，felloutontheline，andsomethisend。Theother
closedthedoor。Therewasathickfog，andnothingcouldbeseen。”
“Nobetterexplanationcanbegivenwithourpresentknowledge；
andyetconsider，Sherlock，howmuchyouleaveuntouched。Wewill
suppose，forargument”ssake，thatyoungCadoganWesthaddetermined
toconveythesepaperstoLondon。Hewouldnaturallyhavemadean
appointmentwiththeforeignagentandkepthiseveningclear。Instead
ofthathetooktwoticketsforthetheatre，escortedhisfiance
halfwaythere，andthensuddenlydisappeared。”
“Ablind，“saidLestrade，whohadsatlisteningwithsomeimpatience
totheconversation。
“Averysingularone。ThatisobjectionNo。1。ObjectionNo。2。：
WewillsupposethathereachesLondonandseestheforeignagent。
Hemustbringbackthepapersbeforemorningorthelosswillbe
discovered。Hetookawayten。Onlysevenwereinhispocket。What
hadbecomeoftheotherthree？Hecertainlywouldnotleavethemof
hisownfreewill。Then，again，whereisthepriceofhistreason？One
wouldhaveexpectedtofindalargesumofmoneyinhispocket。”
“Itseemstomeperfectlyclear，“saidLestrade。“Ihavenodoubtat
allastowhatoccurred。Hetookthepaperstosellthem。Hesawthe
agent。Theycouldnotagreeastoprice。Hestartedhomeagain，but
theagentwentwithhim。Inthetraintheagentmurderedhim，tookthe
moreessentialpapers，andthrewhisbodyfrom，thecarriage。That
wouldaccountforeverything，woulditnot？“
“Whyhadhenoticket？“
“Theticketwouldhaveshownwhichstationwasnearesttheagent”s
house。Thereforehetookitfromthemurderedman”spocket。”
“Good，Lestrade，verygood，“saidHolmes。“Yourtheoryholds
together。Butifthisistrue，thenthecaseisatanend。Onthe
onehand，thetraitorisdead。Ontheother，theplansofthe
Bruce-PartingtonsubmarinearepresumablyalreadyontheContinent。
Whatisthereforustodo？“
“Toact，Sherlock-toact！“criedMycroft，springingtohisfeet。
“Allmyinstinctsareagainstthisexplanation。Useyourpowers！Goto
thesceneofthecrime！Seethepeopleconcerned！Leavenostone
unturned！Inallyourcareeryouhaveneverhadsogreatachanceof
servingyourcountry。”
“Well，well！“saidHolmes，shrugginghisshoulders。“Come，Watson！
Andyou，Lestrade，couldyoufavouruswithyourcompanyforanhour
ortwo？WewillbeginourinvestigationbyavisittoAldgateStation。
Good-bye，Mycroft。Ishallletyouhaveareportbeforeevening，butI
warnyouinadvancethatyouhavelittletoexpect。”
AnhourlaterHolmes，LestradeandIstoodupontheUnderground
railroadatthepointwhereitemergesfromthetunnelimmediately
beforeAldgateStation。Acourteousred-facedoldgentleman
representedtherailwaycompany。
“Thisiswheretheyoungman”sbodylay，“saidhe，indicatingaspot
aboutthreefeetfromthemetals。“Itcouldnothavefallenfrom
above，forthese，asyousee，areallblankwalls。Therefore，itcould
onlyhavecomefromatrain，andthattrain，sofaraswecantrace
it，musthavepassedaboutmidnightonMonday。”
“Havethecarriagesbeenexaminedforanysignofviolence？“
“Therearenosuchsigns，andnotickethasbeenfound。”
“Norecordofadoorbeingfoundopen？“
“None。”
“Wehavehadsomefreshevidencethismorning，“saidLestrade。“A
passengerwhopassedAldgateinanordinaryMetropolitantrainabout
11：40onMondaynightdeclaresthatheheardaheavythud，asofa
bodystrikingtheline，justbeforethetrainreachedthestation。
Therewasdensefog，however，andnothingcouldbeseen。Hemadeno
reportofitatthetime。Why，whateveristhematterwithMr。
Holmes？“
Myfriendwasstandingwithanexpressionofstrainedintensityupon
hisface，staringattherailwaymetalswheretheycurvedoutofthe
tunnel。Aldgateisajunction，andtherewasanetworkofpoints。On
thesehiseager，questioningeyeswerefixed，andIsawonhiskeen，
alertfacethattighteningofthelips，thatquiverofthenostrils，
andconcentrationoftheheavy，tuftedbrowswhichIknewsowell。
“Points，“hemuttered；“thepoints。”
“Whatofit？Whatdoyoumean？“
“Isupposetherearenogreatnumberofpointsonasystemsuchas
this？“
“No；thereareveryfew。”
“Andacurve，too。Points，andacurve。ByJove！ifitwereonly
so。”
“Whatisit，Mr。Holmes？Haveyouaclue？“
“Anidea-anindication，nomore。Butthecasecertainlygrowsin
interest。Unique，perfectlyunique，andyetwhynot？Idonotsee
anyindicationsofbleedingontheline。”
“Therewerehardlyany。”
“ButIunderstandthattherewasaconsiderablewound。”
“Thebonewascrushed，buttherewasnogreatexternalinjury。”
“Andyetonewouldhaveexpectedsomebleeding。Woulditbepossible
formetoinspectthetrainwhichcontainedthepassengerwhoheard
thethudofafallinthefog？“
“Ifearnot，Mr。Holmes。Thetrainhasbeenbrokenupbeforenow，
andthecarriagesredistributed。”
“Icanassureyou，Mr。Holmes，“saidLestrade，“thatevery
carriagehasbeencarefullyexamined。Isawtoitmyself。”
Itwasoneofmyfriend”smostobviousweaknessesthathewas
impatientwithlessalertintelligencesthanhisown。
“Verylikely，“saidhe，turningaway。“Asithappens，itwasnotthe
carriageswhichIdesiredtoexamine。Watson，wehavedoneallwe
canhere。Weneednottroubleyouanyfurther，Mr。Lestrade。Ithink
ourinvestigationsmustnowcarryustoWoolwich。”
AtLondonBridge，Holmeswroteatelegramtohisbrother，whichhe
handedtomebeforedispatchingit。Itranthus：
Seesomelightinthedarkness，butitmaypossiblyflickerout。
Meanwhile，pleasesendbymessenger，toawaitreturnatBaker
Street，acompletelistofallforeignspiesorinternationalagents
knowntobeinEngland，withfulladdress。
SHERLOCK。
“Thatshouldbehelpful，Watson，“heremarkedaswetookourseats
intheWoolwichtrain。“WecertainlyoweBrotherMycroftadebtfor
havingintroducedustowhatpromisestobeareallyveryremarkable
case。”
Hiseagerfacestillworethatexpressionofintenseandhigh-strung
energy，whichshowedmethatsomenovelandsuggestivecircumstance
hadopenedupastimulatinglineofthought。Seethefoxhoundwith
hangingcarsanddroopingtailasitlollsaboutthekennels，and
compareitwiththesamehoundas，withgleamingeyesandstraining
muscles，itrunsuponabreast-highscent-suchwasthechangein
Holmessincethemorning。Hewasadifferentmanfromthelimpand
loungingfigureinthemouse-coloureddressing-gownwhohadprowledso
restlesslyonlyafewhoursbeforeroundthefog-girtroom。
“Thereismaterialhere。Thereisscope，“saidhe。“Iamdullindeed
nottohaveunderstooditspossibilities。”
“Evennowtheyaredarktome。”
“Theendisdarktomealso，butIhaveholdofoneideawhichmay
leadusfar。Themanmethisdeathelsewhere，andhisbodywason
theroofofacarriage。”
“Ontheroof！“
“Remarkable，isitnot？Butconsiderthefacts。Isita
coincidencethatitisfoundattheverypointwherethetrainpitches
andswaysasitcomesroundonthepoints？Isnotthattheplacewhere
anobjectupontheroofmightbeexpectedtofalloff？Thepoints
wouldaffectnoobjectinsidethetrain。Eitherthebodyfellfromthe
roof，oraverycuriouscoincidencehasoccurred。Butnowconsiderthe
questionoftheblood。Ofcourse，therewasnobleedingonthelineif
thebodyhadbledelsewhere。Eachfactissuggestiveinitself。
Togethertheyhaveacumulativeforce。”
“Andtheticket，too！“Icried。
“Exactly。Wecouldnotexplaintheabsenceofaticket。Thiswould
explainit。Everythingfitstogether。”
“Butsupposeitwereso，wearestillasfaraseverfrom
unravellingthemysteryofhisdeath。Indeed，itbecomesnotsimpler
butstranger。”
“Perhaps，“saidHolmesthoughtfully，“perhaps。”Herelapsedintoa
silentreverie，whichlasteduntiltheslowtraindrewupatlastin
WoolwichStation。TherehecalledacabanddrewMycroft”spaper
fromhispocket。
“Wehavequitealittleroundofafternooncallstomake，“said
he。“IthinkthatSirJamesWalterclaimsourfirstattention。”
Thehouseofthefamousofficialwasafinevillawithgreenlawns
stretchingdowntotheThames。Aswereacheditthefogwaslifting，
andathin，waterysunshinewasbreakingthrough。Abutleranswered
ourring。
“SirJames，sir！“saidhewithsolemnface。“SirJamesdiedthis
morning。”
“Goodheavens！“criedHolmesinamazement。“Howdidhedie？“
“Perhapsyouwouldcaretostepin，sir，andseehisbrother，
ColonelValentine？“
“Yes，wehadbestdoso。”
Wewereusheredintoadim-litdrawing-room，whereaninstant
laterwewerejoinedbyaverytall，handsome，light-beardedmanof
fifty，theyoungerbrotherofthedeadscientist。Hiswildeyes，
stainedcheeks，andunkempthairallspokeofthesuddenblowwhich
hadfallenuponthehousehold。Hewashardlyarticulateashespokeof
it。
“Itwasthishorriblescandal，“saidhe。“Mybrother，SirJames，was
amanofverysensitivehonour，andhecouldnotsurvivesuchan
affair。Itbrokehisheart。Hewasalwayssoproudoftheefficiency
ofhisdepartment，andthiswasacrushingblow。”
“Wehadhopedthathemighthavegivenussomeindicationswhich
wouldhavehelpedustoclearthematterup。”
“Iassureyouthatitwasallamysterytohimasitistoyouand
toallofus。Hehadalreadyputallhisknowledgeatthedisposal
ofthepolice。NaturallyhehadnodoubtthatCadoganWestwasguilty。
Butalltherestwasinconceivable。”
“Youcannotthrowanynewlightupontheaffair？“
“IknownothingmyselfsavewhatIhavereadorheard。Ihaveno
desiretobediscourteous，butyoucanunderstand，Mr。Holmes，thatwe
aremuchdisturbedatpresent，andImustaskyoutohastenthis
interviewtoanend。”
“Thisisindeedanunexpecteddevelopment，“saidmyfriendwhenwe
hadregainedthecab。“Iwonderifthedeathwasnatural，orwhether
thepooroldfellowkilledhimself！Ifthelatter，mayitbetaken
assomesignofself-reproachfordutyneglected？Wemustleavethat
questiontothefuture。NowweshallturntotheCadoganWests。”
Asmallbutwell-kepthouseintheoutskirtsofthetownsheltered
thebereavedmother。Theoldladywastoodazedwithgrieftobeof
anyusetous，butathersidewasawhite-facedyounglady，who
introducedherselfasMissVioletWestbury，thefianceeofthedead
man，andthelasttoseehimuponthatfatalnight。
“Icannotexplainit，Mr。Holmes，“shesaid。“Ihavenotshutaneye
sincethetragedy，thinking，thinking，thinking，nightandday，what
thetruemeaningofitcanbe。Arthurwasthemostsingle-minded，
chivalrous，patrioticmanuponearth。Hewouldhavecuthisrighthand
offbeforehewouldsellaStatesecretconfidedtohiskeeping。Itis
absurd，impossible，preposteroustoanyonewhoknewhim。”
“Butthefacts，MissWestbury？“
“Yes，yes；IadmitIcannotexplainthem。”
“Washeinanywantofmoney？“
“No；hisneedswereverysimpleandhissalaryample。Hehadsaveda
fewhundreds，andweweretomarryattheNewYear。”
“Nosignsofanymentalexcitement？Come，MissWestbury，be
absolutelyfrankwithus。”
Thequickeyeofmycompanionhadnotedsomechangeinhermanner。
Shecolouredandhesitated。
“Yes，“shesaidatlast，“Ihadafeelingthattherewassomething
onhismind。”
“Forlong？“
“Onlyforthelastweekorso。Hewasthoughtfulandworried。OnceI
pressedhimaboutit。Headmittedthattherewassomething，andthat
itwasconcernedwithhisofficiallife。”Itistooseriousforme
tospeakabout，eventoyou”saidhe。Icouldgetnothingmore。”
Holmeslookedgrave。
“Goon，MissWestbury。Evenifitseemstotellagainsthim，go
on。Wecannotsaywhatitmayleadto，“
“Indeed，Ihavenothingmoretotell。Onceortwiceitseemedto
methathewasonthepointoftellingmesomething。Hespokeone
eveningoftheimportanceofthesecret，andIhavesome
recollectionthathesaidthatnodoubtforeignspieswouldpaya
greatdealtohaveit。”
Myfriend”sfacegrewgraverstill。
“Anythingelse？“
“Hesaidthatwewereslackaboutsuchmatters-thatitwouldbe
easyforatraitortogettheplans。”
“Wasitonlyrecentlythathemadesuchremarks？“
“Yes，quiterecently。”
“Nowtellusofthatlastevening。”
“Weweretogotothetheatre。Thefogwassothickthatacabwas
useless。Wewalked，andourwaytookusclosetotheoffice。
Suddenlyhedartedawayintothefog。”
“Withoutaword？“
“Hegaveanexclamation；thatwasall。Iwaitedbuthenever
returned。ThenIwalkedhome。Nextmorning，aftertheofficeopened，
theycametoinquire。Abouttwelveo”clockweheardtheterriblenews。
Oh，Mr。Holmes，ifyoucouldonly，onlysavehishonour！Itwasso
muchtohim。”
Holmesshookhisheadsadly。
“Come，Watson，“saidhe，“ourwayslieelsewhere。Ournextstation
mustbetheofficefromwhichthepapersweretaken。
“Itwasblackenoughbeforeagainstthisyoungman，butour
inquiriesmakeitblacker，“heremarkedasthecablumberedoff。
“Hiscomingmarriagegivesamotiveforthecrime。Henaturallywanted
money。Theideawasinhishead，sincehespokeaboutit。Henearly
madethegirlanaccompliceinthetreasonbytellingherhisplans。
Itisallverybad。”
“Butsurely，Holmes，charactergoesforsomething？Then，again，
whyshouldheleavethegirlinthestreetanddartawaytocommita
felony？“
“Exactly！Therearecertainlyobjections。Butitisaformidable
casewhichtheyhavetomeet。”
Mr。SidneyJohnson，theseniorclerk，metusattheofficeand
receiveduswiththatrespectwhichmycompanion”scardalways
commanded。Hewasathin，gruff，bespectacledmanofmiddleage，his
cheekshaggard，andhishandstwitchingfromthenervousstrainto
whichhehadbeensubjected。
“Itisbad，Mr。Holmes，verybad！Haveyouheardofthedeathofthe
chief？“
“Wehavejustcomefromhishouse。”
“Theplaceisdisorganized。Thechiefdead，CadoganWestdead，our
papersstolen。Andyet，whenweclosedourdooronMondayevening，
wewereasefficientanofficeasanyinthegovernmentservice。
GoodGod，it”sdreadfultothinkoffThatWest，ofallmen，should
havedonesuchathing！“
“Youaresureofhisguilt，then？“
“Icanseenootherwayoutofit。AndyetIwouldhavetrusted
himasItrustmyself。”
“AtwhathourwastheofficeclosedonMonday？“
“Atfive。”
“Didyoucloseit？“
“Iamalwaysthelastmanout。”
“Whereweretheplans？“
“Inthatsafe。Iputthemtheremyself。”
“Istherenowatchmantothebuilding？“
“Thereis，buthehasotherdepartmentstolookafteraswell。Heis
anoldsoldierandamosttrustworthyman。Hesawnothingthat
evening。Ofcoursethefogwasverythick。”
“SupposethatCadoganWestwishedtomakehiswayintothe
buildingafterhours；hewouldneedthreekeys，wouldhenot，before
hecouldreachthepapers？“
“Yes，hewould。Thekeyoftheouterdoor，thekeyoftheoffice，
andthekeyofthesafe。”
“OnlySirJamesWalterandyouhadthosekeys？“
“Ihadnokeysofthedoors-onlyofthesafe。”
“WasSirJamesamanwhowasorderlyinhishabits？“
“Yes，Ithinkhewas。Iknowthatsofarasthosethreekeysare
concernedhekeptthemonthesamering。Ihaveoftenseenthem
there。”
“AndthatringwentwithhimtoLondon？“
“Hesaidso。”
“Andyourkeyneverleftyourpossession？“
“Never。”
“ThenWest，ifheistheculprit，musthavehadaduplicate。Andyet
nonewerefounduponhisbody。Oneotherpoint：ifaclerkinthis
officedesiredtoselltheplans，woulditnotbesimplertocopy
theplansforhimselfthantotaketheoriginals，aswasactually
done？“
“Itwouldtakeconsiderabletechnicalknowledgetocopytheplansin
aneffectiveway。”
“ButIsupposeeitherSirJames，oryou，orWesthadthat
technicalknowledge？“
“Nodoubtwehad，butIbegyouwon”ttrytodragmeintothe
matter，Mr。Holmes。Whatistheuseofourspeculatinginthisway
whentheoriginalplanswereactuallyfoundonWest？“
“Well，itiscertainlysingularthatheshouldruntheriskof
takingoriginalsifhecouldsafelyhavetakencopies，whichwould
haveequallyservedhisturn。”
“Singular，nodoubt-andyethedidso。”
“Everyinquiryinthiscaserevealssomethinginexplicable。Now
therearethreepapersstillmissing。Theyare，asIunderstand，the
vitalones。”
“Yes，thatisso。”
“Doyoumeantosaythatanyoneholdingthesethreepapers，and
withoutthesevenothers，couldconstructaBruce-Partington
submarine？“
“IreportedtothateffecttotheAdmiralty。Butto-dayIhave
beenoverthedrawingsagain，andIamnotsosureofit。Thedouble
valveswiththeautomaticself-adjustingslotsaredrawninoneofthe
paperswhichhavebeenreturned。Untiltheforeignershadinvented
thatforthemselvestheycouldnotmaketheboat。Ofcoursetheymight
soongetoverthedifficulty。”
“Butthethreemissingdrawingsarethemostimportant？“
“Undoubtedly。”
“Ithink，withyourpermission，Iwillnowtakeastrollroundthe
premises。IdonotrecallanyotherquestionwhichIdesiredtoask。”
Heexaminedthelockofthesafe，thedooroftheroom，and
finallytheironshuttersofthewindow。Itwasonlywhenwewereon
thelawnoutsidethathisinterestwasstronglyexcited。Therewasa
laurelbushoutsidethewindow，andseveralofthebranchesboresigns
ofhavingbeentwistedorsnapped。Heexaminedthemcarefullywithhis
lens，andthensomedimandvaguemarksupontheearthbeneath。
Finallyheaskedthechiefclerktoclosetheironshutters，andhe
pointedouttomethattheyhardlymetinthecentre，andthatit
wouldbepossibleforanyoneoutsidetoseewhatwasgoingonwithin
theroom。
“Theindicationsareruinedbythethreedays”delay。Theymay
meansomethingornothing。Well，Watson，Idonotthinkthat
Woolwichcanhelpusfurther。Itisasmallcropwhichwehave
gathered。LetusseeifwecandobetterinLondon。”
YetweaddedonemoresheaftoourharvestbeforeweleftWoolwich
Station。Theclerkintheticketofficewasabletosaywith
confidencethathesawCadoganWest-whomheknewwellbysight-
upontheMondaynight，andthathewenttoLondonbythe8：15to
LondonBridge。Hewasaloneandtookasinglethird-classticket。
Theclerkwasstruckatthetimebyhisexcitedandnervousmanner。So
shakywashethathecouldhardlypickuphischange，andtheclerk
hadhelpedhimwithit。Areferencetothetimetableshowedthatthe
8：15wasthefirsttrainwhichitwaspossibleforWesttotake
afterhehadlefttheladyabout7：30。
“Letusreconstruct，Watson，“saidHolmesafterhalfanhourof
silence。“Iamnotawarethatinallourjointresearcheswehaveever
hadacasewhichwasmoredifficulttogetat。Everyfreshadvance
whichwemakeonlyrevealsafreshridgebeyond。Andyetwehave
surelymadesomeappreciableprogress。
“TheeffectofourinquiriesatWoolwichhasinthemainbeen
againstyoungCadoganWest；buttheindicationsatthewindowwould
lendthemselvestoamorefavourablehypothesis。Letussuppose，for
example，thathehadbeenapproachedbysomeforeignagent。Itmight
havebeendoneundersuchpledgesaswouldhavepreventedhimfrom
speakingofit，andyetwouldhaveaffectedhisthoughtsinthe
directionindicatedbyhisremarkstohisfiancee。Verygood。We
willnowsupposethatashewenttothetheatrewiththeyoungladyhe
suddenly，inthefog，caughtaglimpseofthissameagentgoinginthe
directionoftheoffice。Hewasanimpetuousman，quickinhis
decisions。Everythinggavewaytohisduty。Hefollowedtheman，
reachedthewindow，sawtheabstractionofthedocuments，and
pursuedthethief。Inthiswaywegetovertheobjectionthatnoone
wouldtakeoriginalswhenhecouldmakecopies。Thisoutsiderhadto
takeoriginals。Sofaritholdstogether。”
“Whatisthenextstep？“
“Thenwecomeintodifficulties。Onewouldimaginethatundersuch
circumstancesthefirstactofyoungCadoganWestwouldbetoseize
thevillainandraisethealarm。Whydidhenotdoso？Couldithave
beenanofficialsuperiorwhotookthepapers？Thatwouldexplain
West”sconduct。OrcouldthechiefhavegivenWesttheslipinthe
fog，andWeststartedatoncetoLondontoheadhimofffromhisown
rooms，presumingthatheknewwheretheroomswere？Thecallmusthave
beenverypressing，sincehelefthisgirlstandinginthefogand
madenoefforttocommunicatewithher。Ourscentrunscoldhere，
andthereisavastgapbetweeneitherhypothesisandthelayingof
West”sbody，withsevenpapersinhispocket，ontheroofofa
Metropolitantrain。Myinstinctnowistoworkfromtheotherend。
IfMycrofthasgivenusthelistofaddresseswemaybeabletopick
ourmanandfollowtwotracksinsteadofone。”
Surelyenough，anoteawaitedusatBakerStreet。Agovernment
messengerhadbroughtitpost-haste。Holmesglancedatitandthrewit
overtome。
“Therearenumeroussmallfry，butfewwhowouldhandlesobigan
affair。TheonlymenworthconsideringareAdolphMeyer，of13Great
GeorgeStreet，Westminster；LouisLaRothiere，ofCampdenMansions，
NottingHill；andHugoOberstein，13CaulfieldGardens，Kensington。
ThelatterwasknowntobeintownonMondayandisnowreportedas
havingleft。Gladtohearyouhaveseensomelight。TheCabinetawaits
yourfinalreportwiththeutmostanxiety。Urgentrepresentationshave
arrivedfromtheveryhighestquarter。ThewholeforceoftheStateis
atyourbackifyoushouldneedit。
MYCROFT。
“I”mafraid，“saidHolmes，smiling，“thatallthequeen”shorsesand
allthequeen”smencannotavailinthismatter。”Hehadspreadout
hisbigmapofLondonandleanedeagerlyoverit。“Well，well，“said
hepresentlywithanexclamationofsatisfaction，“thingsare
turningalittleinourdirectionatlast。Why，Watson，Ido
honestlybelievethatwearegoingtopullitoff，afterall。”He
slappedmeontheshoulderwithasuddenburstofhilarity，“Iam
goingoutnow。Itisonlyareconnaissance。Iwilldonothing
seriouswithoutmytrustedcomradeandbiographeratmyelbow。Do
youstayhere，andtheoddsarethatyouwillseemeagaininan
hourortwo。Iftimehangsheavygetfoolscapandapen，andbegin
yournarrativeofhowwesavedtheState。”
Ifeltsomereflectionofhiselationinmyownmind，forIknew
wellthathewouldnotdepartsofarfromhisusualausterityof
demeanourunlesstherewasgoodcauseforexultation。Allthelong
NovembereveningIwaited，filledwithimpatienceforhisreturn。At
last，shortlyafternineo”clock，therearrivedamessengerwitha
note：
AmdiningatGoldini”sRestaurant，GloucesterRoad，Kensington。
Pleasecomeatonceandjoinmethere。Bringwithyouajemmy，a
darklantern，achisel，andarevolver。
S。H。
Itwasaniceequipmentforarespectablecitizentocarrythrough
thedim，fog-drapedstreets。Istowedthemalldiscreetlyawayinmy
overcoatanddrovestraighttotheaddressgiven。Theresatmy
friendatalittleroundtablenearthedoorofthegarishItalian
restaurant。
“Haveyouhadsomethingtoeat？Thenjoinmeinacoffeeand
curacao。Tryoneoftheproprietor”scigars。Theyarelesspoisonous
thanonewouldexpect。Haveyouthetools？“
“Theyarehere，inmyovercoat。”
“Excellent。LetmegiveyouashortsketchofwhatIhavedone，with
someindicationofwhatweareabouttodo。Nowitmustbeevident
toyou，Watson，thatthisyoungman”sbodywasplacedontheroofof
thetrain。ThatwasclearfromtheinstantthatIdeterminedthe
factthatitwasfromtheroof，andnotfromacarriage，thathehad
fallen。”
“Coulditnothavebeendroppedfromabridge？“
“Ishouldsayitwasimpossible。Ifyouexaminetheroofsyouwill
findthattheyareslightlyrounded，andthereisnorailinground
them。Therefore，wecansayforcertainthatyoungCadoganWestwas
placedonit。”
“Howcouldhebeplacedthere？“
“Thatwasthequestionwhichwehadtoanswer。Thereisonlyone
possibleway。YouareawarethattheUndergroundrunsclearoftunnels
atsomepointsintheWestEnd。IhadavaguememorythatasIhave
travelledbyitIhaveoccasionallyseenwindowsjustabovemyhead。
Now，supposethatatrainhaltedundersuchawindow，wouldtherebe
anydifficultyinlayingabodyupontheroof？“
“Itseemsmostimprobable。”
“Wemustfallbackupontheoldaxiomthatwhenallother
contingenciesfail，whateverremains，howeverimprobable，mustbe
thetruth。Hereallothercontingencieshavefailed。WhenIfoundthat
theleadinginternationalagent，whohadjustleftLondon，livedin
arowofhouseswhichabuttedupontheUnderground，Iwassopleased
thatyouwerealittleastonishedatmysuddenfrivolity。”
“Oh，thatwasit，wasit？“
“Yes，thatwasit。Mr。HugoOberstein，Of13CaulfieldGardens，
hadbecomemyobjective。IbeganmyoperationsatGloucesterRoad
Station，whereaveryhelpfulofficialwalkedwithmealongthe
trackandallowedmetosatisfymyselfnotonlythattheback-stair
windowsofCaulfieldGardensopenonthelinebuttheevenmore
essentialfactthat，owingtotheintersectionofoneofthelarger
railways，theUndergroundtrainsarefrequentlyheldmotionlessfor
someminutesatthatveryspot。”
“Splendid，Holmes！Youhavegotit！“
“Sofar-sofar，Watson。Weadvance，butthegoalisafar。Well，
havingseenthebackofCaulfieldGardens，Ivisitedthefrontand
satisfiedmyselfthatthebirdwasindeedflown。Itisa
considerablehouse，unfurnished，sofarasIcouldjudge，intheupper
rooms。Obersteinlivedtherewithasinglevalet，whowasprobablya
confederateentirelyinhisconfidence。Wemustbearinmindthat
ObersteinhasgonetotheContinenttodisposeofhisbooty，butnot
withanyideaofflight；forhehadnoreasontofearawarrant，and
theideaofanamateurdomiciliaryvisitwouldcertainlyneveroccur
tohim。Yetthatispreciselywhatweareabouttomake。”
“Couldwenotgetawarrantandlegalizeit？“
“Hardlyontheevidence。”
“Whatcanwehopetodo？“
“Wecannottellwhatcorrespondencemaybethere。”
“Idon”tlikeit，Holmes。”
“Mydearfellow，youshallkeepwatchinthestreet。I”lldothe
criminalpart。It”snotatimetostickattrifles。ThinkofMycroft”s
note，oftheAdmiralty，theCabinet，theexaltedpersonwhowaits
fornews。Weareboundtogo。”
Myanswerwastorisefromthetable。
“Youareright，Holmes。Weareboundtogo。”
Hesprangupandshookmebythehand。
“Iknewyouwouldnotshrinkatthelast，“saidhe，andforamoment
IsawsomethinginhiseyeswhichwasnearertotendernessthanI
hadeverseen。Thenextinstanthewashismasterful，practicalself
oncemore。
“Itisnearlyhalfamile，butthereisnohurry。Letuswalk，“said
he。“Don”tdroptheinstruments，Ibeg。Yourarrestasasuspicious
characterwouldbeamostunfortunatecomplication。”
CaulfieldGardenswasonofthoselinesofflat-facedpillared，
andporticoedhouseswhicharesoprominentaproductofthemiddle
VictorianepochintheWestEndofLondon。Nextdoorthereappearedto
beachildren”sparty，forthemerrybuzzofyoungvoicesandthe
clatterofapianoresoundedthroughthenight。Thefogstillhung
aboutandscreeneduswithitsfriendlyshade。Holmeshadlithis
lanternandflashedituponthemassivedoor。
“Thisisaseriousproposition，“saidhe。“Itiscertainlyboltedas
wellaslocked。Wewoulddobetterinthearea。Thereisan
excellentarchwaydownyonderincaseatoozealouspolicemanshould
intrude。Givemeahand，Watson，andI”lldothesameforyou。”
Aminutelaterwewerebothinthearea。Hardlyhadwereachedthe
darkshadowsbeforethestepofthepolicemanwasheardinthefog
above。Asitssoftrhythmdiedaway，Holmessettoworkuponthelower
door。Isawhimstoopandstrainuntilwithasharpcrashitflew
open。Wesprangthroughintothedarkpassage，closingtheareadoor
behindus。Holmesledthewayupthecurving，uncarpetedstair。His
littlefanofyellowlightshoneuponalowwindow。
“Hereweare，Watson-thismustbetheone。”Hethrewitopen，and
ashedidsotherewasalow，harshmurmur，growingsteadilyintoa
loudroarasatraindashedpastusinthedarkness。Holmesswept
hislightalongthewindow-sill。Itwasthicklycoatedwithsoot
fromthepassingengines，buttheblacksurfacewasblurredandrubbed
inplaces。
“Youcanseewheretheyrestedthebody。Halloa，Watson！whatis
this？Therecanbenodoubtthatitisabloodmark。”Hewas
pointingtofaintdiscolourationsalongthewoodworkofthewindow。
“Hereitisonthestoneofthestairalso。Thedemonstrationis
complete。Letusstayhereuntilatrainstops。”
Wehadnotlongtowait。Theverynexttrainroaredfromthe
tunnelasbefore，butslowedintheopen，andthen，withacreakingof
brakes，pulledupimmediatelybeneathus。Itwasnotfourfeetfrom
thewindow-ledgetotheroofofthecarriages。Holmessoftlyclosed
thewindow。
“Sofarwearejustified，“saidhe。“Whatdoyouthinkofit，
Watson？“
“Amasterpiece。Youhaveneverrisentoagreaterheight。”
“Icannotagreewithyouthere。FromthemomentthatIconceivedthe
ideaofthebodybeingupontheroof，whichsurelywasnotavery
abstruseone，alltherestwasinevitable。Ifitwerenotforthe
graveinterestsinvolvedtheaffairuptothispointwouldbe
insignificant。Ourdifficultiesarestillbeforeus。Butperhapswe
mayfindsomethingherewhichmayhelpus。”
Wehadascendedthekitchenstairandenteredthesuiteofrooms
uponthefirstfloor。Onewasadining-room，severelyfurnishedand
containingnothingofinterest。Asecondwasabedroom，whichalso
drewblank。Theremainingroomappearedmorepromisingandmy
companionsettleddowntoasystematicexamination。Itwaslittered
withbooksandpapers，andwasevidentlyusedasastudy。Swiftly
andmethodicallyHolmesturnedoverthecontentsofdrawerafter
drawerandcupboardaftercupboard，butnogleamofsuccesscameto
brightenhisaustereface。Attheendofanhourhewasnofurther
thanwhenhestarted。
“Thecunningdoghascoveredhistracks，“saidhe。“Hehasleft
nothingtoincriminatehim。Hisdangerouscorrespondencehasbeen
destroyedorremoved。Thisisourlastchance。”
Itwasasmalltincash-boxwhichstooduponthewriting-desk。
Holmesprieditopenwithhischisel。Severalrollsofpaperwere
within，coveredwithfiguresandcalculations，withoutanynoteto
showtowhattheyreferred。Therecurringwords，”waterpressure”
and”pressuretothesquareinch”suggestedsomepossiblerelation
toasubmarine。Holmestossedthemallimpatientlyaside。Thereonly
remainedanenvelopewithsomesmallnewspaperslipsinsideit。He
shookthemoutonthetable，andatonceIsawbyhiseagerface
thathishopeshadbeenraised。
“What”sthis，Watson？Eh？What”sthis？Recordofaseriesof
messagesintheadvertisementsofapaper。DailyTelegraphagony
columnbytheprintandpaper。Right-handtopcornerofapage。No
dates-butmessagesarrangethemselves。Thismustbethefirst：
“Hopedtohearsooner。Termsagreedto。Writefullytoaddressgiven
oncard。“PIERROT。“Nextcomes：
“Toocomplexfordescription。Musthavefullreport。Stuffawaits
youwhengoodsdelivered。“PIERROT。“Thencomes：
“Matterpresses。Mustwithdrawofferunlesscontractcompleted。Make
appointmentbyletter。Willconfirmbyadvertisement。
“PIERROT。“Finally：
“Mondaynightafternine。Twotaps。Onlyourselves。Donotbeso
suspicious。Paymentinhardcashwhengoodsdelivered。
“PIERROT。
“Afairlycompleterecord，Watson！Ifwecouldonlygetattheman
attheotherend！“Hesatlostinthought，tappinghisfingerson
thetable。Finallyhesprangtohisfeet。
“Well，perhapsitwon”tbesodifficult，afterall。Thereisnothing
moretobedonehere，Watson。Ithinkwemightdriveroundtothe
officesoftheDailyTelegraph，andsobringagoodday”sworktoa
conclusion。”
MycroftHolmesandLestradehadcomeroundbyappointmentafter
breakfastnextdayandSherlockHolmeshadrecountedtothemour
proceedingsofthedaybefore。Theprofessionalshookhisheadover
ourconfessedburglary。
“Wecan”tdothesethingsintheforce，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe。“No
wonderyougetresultsthatarebeyondus。Butsomeofthesedays
you”llgotoofar，andyou”llfindyourselfandyourfriendin
trouble。”
“ForEngland，homeandbeauty-eh，Watson？Martyrsonthealtarof
ourcountry。Butwhatdoyouthinkofit，Mycroft？“
“Excellent，Sherlock！Admirable！Butwhatusewillyoumakeofit？“
HolmespickeduptheDailyTelegraphwhichlayuponthetable。
“HaveyouseenPierrot”sadvertisementto-day？“
“What？Anotherone？“
“Yes，hereitis：
“To-night。Samehour。Sameplace。Twotaps。Mostvitally
important。Yourownsafetyatstake。
“PIERROT。
“ByGeorge！“criedLestrade。“Ifheanswersthatwe”vegothim！“
“ThatwasmyideawhenIputitin。Ithinkifyoucouldbothmake
itconvenienttocomewithusabouteighto”clocktoCaulfieldGardens
wemightpossiblygetalittlenearertoasolution。”
OneofthemostremarkablecharacteristicsofSherlockHolmeswas
hispowerofthrowinghisbrainoutofactionandswitchingallhis
thoughtsontolighterthingswheneverhehadconvincedhimselfthat
hecouldnolongerworktoadvantage。Irememberthatduringthewhole
ofthatmemorabledayhelosthimselfinamonographwhichhehad
undertakenuponthePolyphonicMotetsofLassus。FormyownpartIhad
noneofthispowerofdetachment，andtheday，inconsequence，
appearedtobeinterminable。Thegreatnationalimportanceofthe
issue，thesuspenseinhighquarters，thedirectnatureofthe
experimentwhichweweretrying-allcombinedtoworkuponmynerve。
Itwasarelieftomewhenatlast，afteralightdinner，wesetout
uponourexpedition。LestradeandMycroftmetusbyappointmentatthe
outsideofGloucesterRoadStation。TheareadoorofOberstein”shouse
hadbeenleftopenthenightbefore，anditwasnecessaryforme，as
MycroftHolmesabsolutelyandindignantlydeclinedtoclimbthe
railings，topassinandopenthehalldoor。Bynineo”clockwewere
allseatedinthestudy，waitingpatientlyforourman。
Anhourpassedandyetanother。Whenelevenstruck，themeasured
beatofthegreatchurchclockseemedtosoundthedirgeofourhopes。
LestradeandMycroftwerefidgetingintheirseatsandlookingtwicea
minuteattheirwatches。Holmessatsilentandcomposed，hiseyelids
halfshut，buteverysenseonthealert。Heraisedhisheadwitha
suddenjerk。
“Heiscoming，“saidhe。
Therehadbeenafurtivesteppastthedoor。Nowitreturned。We
heardashufflingsoundoutside，andthentwosharptapswiththe
knocker。Holmesrose，motioningtoustoremainseated。Thegasinthe
hallwasamerepointoflight。Heopenedtheouterdoor，andthen
asadarkfigureslippedpasthimheclosedandfastenedit。“This
way！“weheardhimsay，andamomentlaterourmanstoodbeforeus。
Holmeshadfollowedhimclosely，andasthemanturnedwithacryof
surpriseandalarmhecaughthimbythecollarandthrewhimbackinto
theroom。Beforeourprisonerhadrecoveredhisbalancethedoorwas
shutandHolmesstandingwithhisbackagainstit。Themanglared
roundhim，staggered，andfellsenselessuponthefloor。Withthe
shock，hisbroad-brimmedhatflewfromhishead，hiscravatslipped
downfromhislips，andtherewerethelonglightbeardandthe
soft，handsomedelicatefeaturesofColonelValentineWalter。
Holmesgaveawhistleofsurprise。
“Youcanwritemedownanassthistime，Watson，“saidhe。“Thiswas
notthebirdthatIwaslookingfor。”
“Whoishe？“askedMycrofteagerly。
“TheyoungerbrotherofthelateSirJamesWalter，theheadofthe
SubmarineDepartment。Yes，yes；Iseethefallofthecards。Heis
comingto。Ithinkthatyouhadbestleavehisexaminationtome。”
Wehadcarriedtheprostratebodytothesofa。Nowourprisoner
satup，lookedroundhimwithahorror-strickenface，andpassedhis
handoverhisforehead，likeonewhocannotbelievehisownsenses。
“Whatisthis？“heasked。“IcameheretovisitMr。Oberstein。”
“Everythingisknown，ColonelWalter，“saidHolmes。“Howan
Englishgentlemancouldbehaveinsuchamannerisbeyondmy
comprehension。Butyourwholecorrespondenceandrelationswith
Obersteinarewithinourknowledge。Soalsoarethecircumstances
connectedwiththedeathofyoungCadoganWest。Letmeadviseyouto
gainatleastthesmallcreditforrepentanceandconfession，since
therearestillsomedetailswhichwecanonlylearnfromyourlips。”
Themangroanedandsankhisfaceinhishands。Wewaited，buthe
wassilent。
“Icanassureyou，“saidHolmes，“thateveryessentialisalready
known。Weknowthatyouwerepressedformoney；thatyoutookan
impressofthekeyswhichyourbrotherheld；andthatyouenteredinto
acorrespondencewithOberstein，whoansweredyourlettersthroughthe
advertisementcolumnsoftheDailyTelegraph。Weareawarethatyou
wentdowntotheofficeinthefogonMondaynight，butthatyou
wereseenandfollowedbyyoungCadoganWest，whohadprobablysome
previousreasontosuspectyou。Hesawyourtheft，butcouldnot
givethealarm，asitwasjustpossiblethatyouweretakingthe
paperstoyourbrotherinLondon。Leavingallhisprivateconcerns，
likethegoodcitizenthathewas，hefollowedyoucloselyinthe
fogandkeptatyourheelsuntilyoureachedthisveryhouse。Therehe
intervened，andthenitwas，ColonelWalter，thattotreasonyouadded
themoreterriblecrimeofmurder。”
“Ididnot！Ididnot！BeforeGodIswearthatIdidnot！“criedour
wretchedprisoner。
“Tellus，then，howCadoganWestmethisendbeforeyoulaidhim
upontheroofofarailwaycarriage。”
“Iwill。IsweartoyouthatIwill。Ididtherest。Iconfessit。
Itwasjustasyousay。AStockExchangedebthadtobepaid。Ineeded
themoneybadly。Obersteinofferedmefivethousand。Itwastosave
myselffromruin。Butastomurder，Iamasinnocentasyou。”
“Whathappened，then？“
“Hehadhissuspicionsbefore，andhefollowedmeasyoudescribe。I
neverknewituntilIwasattheverydoor。Itwasthickfog，and
onecouldnotseethreeyards。IhadgiventwotapsandOberstein
hadcometothedoor。Theyoungmanrushedupanddemandedtoknow
whatwewereabouttodowiththepapers。Obersteinhadashort
life-preserver。Healwayscarrieditwithhim。AsWestforcedhis
wayafterusintothehouseObersteinstruckhimonthehead。Theblow
wasafatalone。Hewasdeadwithinfiveminutes。Therehelayin
thehall，andwewereatourwit”sendwhattodo。ThenOberstein
hadthisideaaboutthetrainswhichhaltedunderhisbackwindow。But
firstheexaminedthepaperswhichIhadbrought。Hesaidthatthree
ofthemwereessential，andthathemustkeepthem。”Youcannotkeep
them”saidI。”TherewillbeadreadfulrowatWoolwichiftheyare
notreturned。””Imustkeepthem”saidhe，”fortheyaresotechnical
thatitisimpossibleinthetimetomakecopies。””Thentheymustall
gobacktogethertonight”saidI。Hethoughtforalittle，andthen
hecriedoutthathehadit。”ThreeIwillkeep”saidhe。”Theothers
wewillstuffintothepocketofthisyoungman。Whenheisfound
thewholebusinesswillassuredlybeputtohisaccount。Icouldsee
nootherwayoutofit，sowedidashesuggested。Wewaitedhalfan
houratthewindowbeforeatrainstopped。Itwassothickthat
nothingcouldbeseen，andwehadnodifficultyinloweringWest”s
bodyontothetrain。ThatwastheendofthemattersofarasIwas
concerned。”
“Andyourbrother？“
“Hesaidnothing，buthehadcaughtmeoncewithhiskeys，andI
thinkthathesuspected。Ireadinhisevesthathesuspected。As
youknow，heneverhelduphisheadagain。”
Therewassilenceintheroom。ItwasbrokenbyMycroftHolmes。
“Canyounotmakereparation？Itwouldeaseyourconscience，and
possiblyyourpunishment。”
“WhatreparationcanImake？“
“WhereisObersteinwiththepapers？“
“Idonotknow。”
“Didhegiveyounoaddress？“
“HesaidthatletterstotheHotelduLouvre，Paris，would
eventuallyreachhim。”
“Thenreparationisstillwithinyourpower，“saidSherlockHolmes。
“IwilldoanythingIcan。Iowethisfellownoparticular
good-will。Hehasbeenmyruinandmydownfall。
“Herearepaperandpen。Sitatthisdeskandwritetomydictation。
Directtheenvelopetotheaddressgiven。Thatisright。Nowthe
letter：
DearSir：
Withregardtoourtransaction，youwillnodoubthaveobservedby
nowthatoneessentialdetailismissing。Ihaveatracingwhich
willmakeitcomplete。Thishasinvolvedmeinextratrouble，however，
andImustaskyouforafurtheradvanceoffivehundredpounds。I
willnottrustittothepost，norwillItakeanythingbutgoldor
notes。Iwouldcometoyouabroad，butitwouldexciteremarkifI
leftthecountryatpresent。ThereforeIshallexpecttomeetyouin
thesmoking-roomoftheCharingCrossHotelatnoononSaturday。
RememberthatonlyEnglishnotes，orgold，willbetaken。
Thatwilldoverywell。Ishallbeverymuchsurprisedifitdoes
notfetchourman。”
Anditdid！Itisamatterofhistory-thatsecrethistoryofa
nationwhichisoften，somuchmoreintimateandinterestingthan
itspublicchronicles-thatOberstein，eagertocompletethecoupof
hislifetime，cametothelureandwassafelyengulfedforfifteen
yearsinaBritishprison。Inhistrunkwerefoundtheinvaluable
Bruce-Partingtonplans，whichhehadputupforauctioninallthe
navalcentresofEurope。
ColonelWalterdiedinprisontowardstheendofthesecondyear
ofhissentence。AstoHolmes，hereturnedrefreshedtohis
monographuponthePolyphonicMotetsofLassus，whichhassincebeen
printedforprivatecirculation，andissaidbyexpertstobethelast
worduponthesubject。SomeweeksafterwardsIlearnedincidentally
thatmyfriendspentadayatWindsor，whencehereturnedwitha
remarkablyfineemeraldtie-pin。WhenIaskedhimifhehadboughtit，
heansweredthatitwasapresentfromacertaingraciousladyin
whoseinterestshehadoncebeenfortunateenoughtocarryoutasmall
commission。Hesaidnomore；butIfancythatIcouldguessatthat
lady”saugustname，andIhavelittledoubtthattheemeraldpin
willforeverrecalltomyfriend”smemorytheadventureofthe
Bruce-Partingtonplans-
THEEND。
1893
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHECARDBOARDBOX
bySirArthurConanDoyle
Inchoosingafewtypicalcaseswhichillustratetheremarkable
mentalqualitiesofmyfriend，SherlockHolmes，Ihaveendeavoured，as
faraspossible，toselectthosewhichpresentedtheminimumof
sensationalism，whileofferingafairfieldforhistalents。Itis，
however，unfortunatelyimpossibleentirelytoseparatethesensational
fromthecriminal，andachroniclerisleftinthedilemmathathe
musteithersacrificedetailswhichareessentialtohisstatementand
sogiveafalseimpressionoftheproblem，orhemustusematterwhich
chance，andnotchoice，hasprovidedhimwith。Withthisshortpreface
Ishallturntomynotesofwhatprovedtobeastrange，thougha
peculiarlyterrible，chainofevents。