I was living in my own rooms in Queen Anne Street at the time,but I was round at Baker Street before the time named. Sharpto the half-hour, Colonel Sir James Damery was announced. It ishardly necessary to describe him, for many will remember thatlarge, bluff, honest personality, that broad, clean-shaven face, and,above all, that pleasant, mellow voice. Frankness shone from hisgray Irish eyes, and good humour played round his mobile, smilinglips. His lucent top-hat, his dark frock-coat, indeed, every detail,from the pearl pin in the black satin cravat to the lavender spatsover the varnished shoes, spoke of the meticulous care in dress forwhich he was famous. The big, masterful aristocrat dominated thelittle room.
“Of course, I was prepared to find Dr. Watson,” he remarkedwith a courteous bow. “His collaboration may be very necessary,for we are dealing on this occasion, Mr. Holmes, with a man towhom violence is familiar and who will, literally, stick at nothing. Ishould say that there is no more dangerous man in Europe.”
“I have had several opponents to whom that flattering termhas been applied,” said Holmes with a smile. “Don’t you smoke?
Then you will excuse me if I light my pipe. If your man is moredangerous than the late Professor Moriarty, or than the livingColonel Sebastian Moran, then he is indeed worth meeting. May Iask his name?”
“Have you ever heard of Baron Gruner?”
“You mean the Austrian murderer?”
Colonel Damery threw up his kid-gloved hands with a laugh.
“There is no getting past you, Mr. Holmes! Wonderful! So youhave already sized him up as a murderer?”
“It is my business to follow the details of Continental crime.
Who could possibly have read what happened at Prague and haveany doubts as to the man’s guilt! It was a purely technical legalpoint and the suspicious death of a witness that saved him! I am assure that he killed his wife when the so-called ‘accident’ happenedin the Splugen Pass as if I had seen him do it. I knew, also, that hehad come to England and had a presentiment that sooner or laterhe would find me some work to do. Well, what has Baron Grunerbeen up to? I presume it is not this old tragedy which has come upagain?”
“No, it is more serious than that. To revenge crime is important,but to prevent it is more so. It is a terrible thing, Mr. Holmes, tosee a dreadful event, an atrocious situation, preparing itself beforeyour eyes, to clearly understand whither it will lead and yet to beutterly unable to avert it. Can a human being be placed in a moretrying position?”
“Perhaps not.”
“Then you will sympathize with the client in whose interests Iam acting.”
“I did not understand that you were merely an intermediary.
Who is the principal?”
“Mr. Holmes, I must beg you not to press that question. It isimportant that I should be able to assure him that his honouredname has been in no way dragged into the matter. His motives are,to the last degree, honourable and chivalrous, but he prefers toremain unknown. I need not say that your fees will be assured andthat you will be given a perfectly free hand. Surely the actual nameof your client is immaterial?”
“I am sorry,” said Holmes. “I am accustomed to have mystery atone end of my cases, but to have it at both ends is too confusing. Ifear, Sir James, that I must decline to act.”
Our visitor was greatly disturbed. His large, sensitive face wasdarkened with emotion and disappointment.
“You hardly realize the effect of your own action, Mr. Holmes,”
said he. “You place me in a most serious dilemma for I amperfectly certain that you would be proud to take over the caseif I could give you the facts, and yet a promise forbids me fromrevealing them all. May I, at least, lay all that I can before you?”
“By all means, so long as it is understood that I commit myselfto nothing.”
“That is understood. In the first place, you have no doubt heardof General de Merville?”
“De Merville of Khyber fame? Yes, I have heard of him.”
“He has a daughter, Violet de Merville, young, rich, beautiful,accomplished, a wonder-woman in every way. It is this daughter,this lovely, innocent girl, whom we are endeavouring to save fromthe clutches of a fiend.”
“Baron Gruner has some hold over her, then?”
“The strongest of all holds where a woman is concerned—thehold of love. The fellow is, as you may have heard, extraordinarilyhandsome, with a most fascinating manner, a gentle voice and thatair of romance and mystery which means so much to a woman. Heis said to have the whole sex at his mercy and to have made ampleuse of the fact.”
“But how came such a man to meet a lady of the standing ofMiss Violet de Merville?”
“It was on a Mediterranean yachting voyage. The company,though select, paid their own passages. No doubt the promotershardly realized the Baron’s true character until it was too late. Thevillain attached himself to the lady, and with such effect that hehas completely and absolutely won her heart. To say that she loveshim hardly expresses it. She dotes upon him, she is obsessed byhim. Outside of him there is nothing on earth. She will not hearone word against him. Everything has been done to cure her of hermadness, but in vain. To sum up, she proposes to marry him nextmonth. As she is of age and has a will of iron, it is hard to knowhow to prevent her.”
“Does she know about the Austrian episode?”
“The cunning devil has told her every unsavoury public scandalof his past life, but always in such a way as to make himself out tobe an innocent martyr. She absolutely accepts his version and willlisten to no other.”
“Dear me! But surely you have inadvertently let out the name ofyour client? It is no doubt General de Merville.”
Our visitor fidgeted in his chair.