”InthatofMr。PercyPhelps，”answeredHolmes。”Ah，myunfortunatenephew！Youcanunderstandthatourkinshipmakesitthemoreimpossibleformetoscreenhiminanyway。Ifearthattheincidentmusthaveaveryprejudicialeffectuponhiscareer。””Butifthedocumentiffound?””Ah，that，ofcourse，wouldbedifferent。””IhadoneortwoquestionswhichIwishedtoaskyou，LordHoldhurst。””Ishallbehappytogiveyouanyinformationinmypower。””Wasitinthisroomthatyougaveyourinstructionsastothecopyingofthedocument?””Itwas。””Thenyoucouldhardlyhavebeenoverheard?””Itisoutofthequestion。””Didyouevermentiontoanyonethatitwasyourintentiontogiveanyonethetreatytobecopied?””Never。””Youarecertainofthat?””Absolutely。””Well，sinceyouneversaidso，andMr。Phelpsneversaidso，andnobodyelseknewanythingofthematter，thenthethief’spresenceintheroomwaspurelyaccidental。Hesawhischanceandhetookit。”Thestatesmansmiled。”Youtakemeoutofmyprovincethere，”saidhe。
Holmesconsideredforamoment。”ThereisanotherveryimportantpointwhichIwishtodiscusswithyou，”saidhe。”Youfeared，asIunderstand，thatverygraveresultsmightfollowfromthedetailsofthistreatybecomingknown。”
Ashadowpassedovertheexpressivefaceofthestatesman。”Verygraveresultsindeed。””Anyhavetheyoccurred?””Notyet。””Ifthetreatyhadreached，letussay，theFrenchorRussianForeignOffice，youwouldexpecttohearofit?””Ishould，”saidLordHoldhurst，withawryface。”Sincenearlytenweekshaveelapsed，then，andnothinghasbeenheard，itisnotunfairtosupposethatforsomereasonthetreatyhasnotreachedthem。”
LordHoldhurstshruggedhisshoulders。”Wecanhardlysuppose，Mr。Holmes，thatthethieftookthetreatyinordertoframeitandhangitup。””Perhapsheiswaitingforabetterprice。””Ifhewaitsalittlelongerhewillgetnopriceatall。Thetreatywillceasetobesecretinafewmonths。””Thatismostimportant，”saidHolmes。”Ofcourse，itisapossiblesuppositionthatthethiefhashadasuddenillness——””Anattackofbrain-fever，forexample?”askedthestatesman，flashingaswiftglanceathim。”Ididnotsayso，”saidHolmes，imperturbably。”Andnow，LordHoldhurst，wehavealreadytakenuptoomuchofyourvaluabletime，andweshallwishyougood-day。””Everysuccesstoyourinvestigation，bethecriminalwhoitmay，”answeredthenobleman，ashebowedusoutthedoor。”He’safinefellow，”saidHolmes，aswecameoutintoWhitehall。”Buthehasastruggletokeepuphisposition。Heisfarfromrichandhasmanycalls。
Younoticed，ofcourse，thathisbootshadbeenresoled。Now，Watson，Iwon’tdetainyoufromyourlegitimateworkanylonger。Ishalldonothingmoreto-day，unlessIhaveananswertomycabadvertisement。ButIshouldbeextremelyobligedtoyouifyouwouldcomedownwithmetoWokingto-morrow，bythesametrainwhichwetookyesterday。”
ImethimaccordinglynextmorningandwetraveleddowntoWokingtogether。Hehadhadnoanswertohisadvertisement，hesaid，andnofreshlighthadbeenthrownuponthecase。Hehad，whenhesowilledit，theutterimmobilityofcountenanceofaredIndian，andIcouldnotgatherfromhisappearancewhetherhewassatisfiedornotwiththepositionofthecase。
Hisconversation，Iremember，wasabouttheBertillonsystemofmeasurements，andheexpressedhisenthusiasticadmirationoftheFrenchsavant。
Wefoundourclientstillunderthechargeofhisdevotednurse，butlookingconsiderablybetterthanbefore。Herosefromthesofaandgreeteduswithoutdifficultywhenweentered。”Anynews?”heasked，eagerly。”Myreport，asIexpected，isanegativeone，”saidHolmes。”IhaveseenForbes，andIhaveseenyouruncle，andIhavesetoneortwotrainsofinquiryuponfootwhichmayleadtosomething。””Youhavenotlostheart，then?””Bynomeans。””Godblessyouforsayingthat！”criedMissHarrison。”Ifwekeepourcourageandourpatiencethetruthmustcomeout。””Wehavemoretotellyouthanyouhaveforus，”saidPhelps，reseatinghimselfuponthecouch。”Ihopedyoumighthavesomething。””Yes，wehavehadanadventureduringthenight，andonewhichmighthaveprovedtobeaseriousone。”Hisexpressiongrewverygraveashespoke，andalookofsomethingakintofearsprangupinhiseyes。”Doyouknow，”saidhe，”thatIbegintobelievethatIamtheunconsciouscentreofsomemonstrousconspiracy，andthatmylifeisaimedataswellasmyhonor?””Ah！”criedHolmes。”Itsoundsincredible，forIhavenot，asfarasI
know，anenemyintheworld。Yetfromlastnight’sexperienceIcancometonootherconclusion。””Prayletmehearit。””YoumustknowthatlastnightwastheveryfirstnightthatIhaveeversleptwithoutanurseintheroom。IwassomuchbetterthatIthoughtIcoulddispensewithone。Ihadanight-lightburning，however。Well，abouttwointhemorningIhadsunkintoalightsleepwhenIwassuddenlyarousedbyaslightnoise。Itwaslikethesoundwhichamousemakeswhenitisgnawingaplank，andIlaylisteningtoitforsometimeundertheimpressionthatitmustcomefromthatcause。Thenitgrewlouder，andsuddenlytherecamefromthewindowasharpmetallicsnick。Isatupinamazement。Therecouldbenodoubtwhatthesoundswerenow。Thefirstoneshadbeencausedbysomeoneforcinganinstrumentthroughtheslitbetweenthesashes，andthesecondbythecatchbeingpressedback。”Therewasapausethenforabouttenminutes，asifthepersonwerewaitingtoseewhetherthenoisehadawakenedme。ThenIheardagentlecreakingasthewindowwasveryslowlyopened。Icouldstanditnolonger，formynervesarenotwhattheyusedtobe。I
sprangoutofbedandflungopentheshutters。Amanwascrouchingatthewindow。Icouldseelittleofhim，forhewasgonelikeaflash。Hewaswrappedinsomesortofcloakwhichcameacrossthelowerpartofhisface。OnethingonlyIamsureof，andthatisthathehadsomeweaponinhishand。Itlookedtomelikealongknife。Idistinctlysawthegleamofitasheturnedtorun。””Thisismostinteresting，”saidHolmes。”Praywhatdidyoudothen?””IshouldhavefollowedhimthroughtheopenwindowifIhadbeenstronger。Asitwas，Irangthebellandrousedthehouse。Ittookmesomelittletime，forthebellringsinthekitchenandtheservantsallsleepupstairs。Ishouted，however，andthatbroughtJosephdown，andherousedtheothers。Josephandthegroomfoundmarksonthebedoutsidethewindow，buttheweatherhasbeensodrylatelythattheyfoundithopelesstofollowthetrailacrossthegrass。
There’saplace，however，onthewoodenfencewhichskirtstheroadwhichshowssigns，theytellme，asifsomeonehadgotover，andhadsnappedthetopoftherailindoingso。Ihavesaidnothingtothelocalpoliceyet，forIthoughtIhadbesthaveyouropinionfirst。”
Thistaleofourclient’sappearedtohaveanextraordinaryeffectuponSherlockHolmes。Herosefromhischairandpacedabouttheroominuncontrollableexcitement。”Misfortunesnevercomesingle，”saidPhelps，smiling，thoughitwasevidentthathisadventurehadsomewhatshakenhim。”Youhavecertainlyhadyourshare，”saidHolmes。”Doyouthinkyoucouldwalkroundthehousewithme?””Oh，yes，Ishouldlikealittlesunshine。Josephwillcome，too。””AndIalso，”saidMissHarrison。”Iamafraidnot，”saidHolmes，shakinghishead。”I
thinkImustaskyoutoremainsittingexactlywhereyouare。”