“It was a letter of mine, Mr. Holmes, an indiscreet letter writtenbefore my marriage—a foolish letter, a letter of an impulsive,loving girl. I meant no harm, and yet he would have thought itcriminal. Had he read that letter his confidence would have beenforever destroyed. It is years since I wrote it. I had thought thatthe whole matter was forgotten. Then at last I heard from thisman, Lucas, that it had passed into his hands, and that he wouldlay it before my husband. I implored his mercy. He said that hewould return my letter if I would bring him a certain documentwhich he described in my husband’s despatch-box. He had somespy in the office who had told him of its existence. He assuredme that no harm could come to my husband. Put yourself in myposition, Mr. Holmes! What was I to do?”
“Take your husband into your confidence.”
“I could not, Mr. Holmes, I could not! On the one side seemedcertain ruin, on the other, terrible as it seemed to take my husband’spaper, still in a matter of politics I could not understand theconsequences, while in a matter of love and trust they were only tooclear to me. I did it, Mr. Holmes! I took an impression of his key.
This man, Lucas, furnished a duplicate. I opened his despatch-box,took the paper, and conveyed it to Godolphin Street.”
“What happened there, madam?”
“I tapped at the door as agreed. Lucas opened it. I followed himinto his room, leaving the hall door ajar behind me, for I fearedto be alone with the man. I remember that there was a womanoutside as I entered. Our business was soon done. He had myletter on his desk, I handed him the document. He gave me theletter. At this instant there was a sound at the door. There weresteps in the passage. Lucas quickly turned back the drugget, thrustthe document into some hiding-place there, and covered it over.
“What happened after that is like some fearful dream. I have avision of a dark, frantic face, of a woman’s voice, which screamedin French, ‘My waiting is not in vain. At last, at last I have foundyou with her!’ There was a savage struggle. I saw him with a chairin his hand, a knife gleamed in hers. I rushed from the horriblescene, ran from the house, and only next morning in the paper didI learn the dreadful result. That night I was happy, for I had myletter, and I had not seen yet what the future would bring.
“It was the next morning that I realized that I had onlyexchanged one trouble for another. My husband’s anguish at theloss of his paper went to my heart. I could hardly prevent myselffrom there and then kneeling down at his feet and telling himwhat I had done. But that again would mean a confession of thepast. I came to you that morning in order to understand the fullenormity of my offence. From the instant that I grasped it mywhole mind was turned to the one thought of getting back myhusband’s paper. It must still be where Lucas had placed it, for itwas concealed before this dreadful woman entered the room. If ithad not been for her coming, I should not have known where hishiding-place was. How was I to get into the room? For two days Iwatched the place, but the door was never left open. Last night Imade a last attempt. What I did and how I succeeded, you havealready learned. I brought the paper back with me, and thoughtof destroying it, since I could see no way of returning it withoutconfessing my guilt to my husband. Heavens, I hear his step uponthe stair!”
The European Secretary burst excitedly into the room. “Anynews, Mr. Holmes, any news?” he cried.
“I have some hopes.”
“Ah, thank heaven!” His face became radiant. “The PrimeMinister is lunching with me. May he share your hopes? He hasnerves of steel, and yet I know that he has hardly slept since thisterrible event. Jacobs, will you ask the Prime Minister to come up?
As to you, dear, I fear that this is a matter of politics. We will joinyou in a few minutes in the dining-room.”
The Prime Minister’s manner was subdued, but I could see bythe gleam of his eyes and the twitchings of his bony hands that heshared the excitement of his young colleague.
“I understand that you have something to report, Mr. Holmes?”
“Purely negative as yet,” my friend answered. “I have inquiredat every point where it might be, and I am sure that there is nodanger to be apprehended.”
“But that is not enough, Mr. Holmes. We cannot live forever onsuch a volcano. We must have something definite.”
“I am in hopes of getting it. That is why I am here. The more Ithink of the matter the more convinced I am that the letter hasnever left this house.”
“Mr. Holmes!”
“If it had it would certainly have been public by now.”
“But why should anyone take it in order to keep it in his house?”
“I am not convinced that anyone did take it.”
“Then how could it leave the despatch-box?”
“I am not convinced that it ever did leave the despatch-box.”
“Mr. Holmes, this joking is very ill-timed. You have my assurancethat it left the box.”
“Have you examined the box since Tuesday morning?”
“No. It was not necessary.”
“You may conceivably have overlooked it.”
“Impossible, I say.”
“But I am not convinced of it. I have known such things tohappen. I presume there are other papers there. Well, it may havegot mixed with them.”
“It was on the top.”
“Someone may have shaken the box and displaced it.”
“No, no, I had everything out.”
“Surely it is easily decided, Hope,” said the Premier. “Let ushave the despatch-box brought in.”
The Secretary rang the bell.
“Jacobs, bring down my despatch-box. This is a farcical wasteof time, but still, if nothing else will satisfy you, it shall be done.
Thank you, Jacobs, put it here. I have always had the key on mywatch-chain. Here are the papers, you see. Letter from LordMerrow, report from Sir Charles Hardy, memorandum fromBelgrade, note on the Russo-German grain taxes, letter fromMadrid, note from Lord Flowers——Good heavens! what is this?
Lord Bellinger! Lord Bellinger!”
The Premier snatched the blue envelope from his hand.
“Yes, it is it—and the letter is intact. Hope, I congratulate you.”
“Thank you! Thank you! What a weight from my heart. Butthis is inconceivable—impossible. Mr. Holmes, you are a wizard, asorcerer! How did you know it was there?”
“Because I knew it was nowhere else.”
“I cannot believe my eyes!” He ran wildly to the door. “Where ismy wife? I must tell her that all is well. Hilda! Hilda!” we heard hisvoice on the stairs.
The Premier looked at Holmes with twinkling eyes.
“Come, sir,” said he. “There is more in this than meets the eye.
How came the letter back in the box?”
Holmes turned away smiling from the keen scrutiny of thosewonderful eyes.
“We also have our diplomatic secrets,” said he and, picking uphis hat, he turned to the door.