1891
SHERLOCK HOLMES
THE SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
1
To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have ldom heard
him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclips and
predominates the whole of her x. It was not that he felt any emotion
akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly,
were abhorrent to his cold, preci but admirably balanced mind. He
was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and obrving machine
that the world has en, but as a lover he would have placed himlf
in a fal position. He never spoke of the softer passions, save
with a gibe and a sneer. They were admirable things for the
obrver- excellent for drawing the veil from men's motives and
actions. But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into
his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a
distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental
results. Grit in a nsitive instrument, or a crack in one of his
own high-power lens, would not be more disturbing than a strong
emotion in a nature such as his. And yet there was but one woman to
him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and
questionable memory.
I had en little of Holmes lately. My marriage had drifted us
away from each other. My own complete happiness, and the
home-centred interests which ri up around the man who first finds
himlf master of his own establishment, were sufficient to absorb all
斑马的脑袋my attention, while Holmes, who loathed every form of society with his
whole Bohemian soul, remained in our lodgings in Baker Street,
buried among his old books, and alternating from week to week
between cocaine and ambition, the drowsiness of the drug, and the
fierce energy of his own keen nature. He was still, as ever, deeply
attracted by the study of crime, and occupied his immen faculties
and extraordinary powers of obrvation in following out tho
clues, and clearing up tho mysteries which had been abandoned as
hopeless by the official police. From time to time I heard some
vague account of his doings: of his summons to Odessa in the ca of
the Trepoff murder, of his clearing up of the singular tragedy of
the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee, and finally of the mission which
he had accomplished so delicately and successfully for the reigning
family of Holland. Beyond the signs of his activity, however,
which I merely shared with all the readers of the daily press, I
knew little of my former friend and companion.
One night- it was on the twentieth of March, 1888- I was returning
from a journey to a patient (for I had now returned to civil
practice), when my way led me through Baker Street. As I pasd the
well-remembered door, whic
h must always be associated in my mind
with my wooing, and with the dark incidents of the Study in Scarlet, I
was ized with a keen desire to e Holmes again, and to know how
he was employing his extraordinary powers. His rooms were
brilliantly lit, and, even as I looked up, I saw his tall, spare
figure pass twice in a dark silhouette against the blind. He was
pacing the room swiftly, eagerly, with his head sunk upon his chest
and his hands clasped behind him. To me, who knew his every mood and
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habit, his attitude and manner told their own story. He was at work
三月七号again. He had rin out of his drug-created dreams and was hot upon
the scent of some new problem. I rang the bell and was shown up to the
chamber which had formerly been in part my own.
His manner was not effusive. It ldom was; but he was glad, I
think, to e me. With hardly a word spoken, but with a kindly eye, he
waved me to an armchair, threw across his ca of cigars, and
indicated a spirit ca and a gasogene in the corner. Then he stood
before the fire and looked me over in his singular introspective
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fashion.
"Wedlock suits you," he remarked. "I think, Watson, that you have
put on ven and a half pounds since I saw you."
"Seven!" I answered.
"Indeed, I should have thought a little more. just a trifle more,
I fancy, Watson. And in practice again, I obrve. You did not tell me
that you intended to go into harness."
"Then, how do you know?'
"I e it, I deduce it. How do I know that you have been getting
yourlf very wet lately, and that you have a most clumsy and careless
rvant girl?"
"My dear Holmes," said I, "this is too much. You would certainly
have been burned, had you lived a few centuries ago. It is true that I
had a country walk on Thursday and came home in a dreadful mess, but
as I have changed my clothes I can't imagine how you deduce it. As
to Mary Jane, she is incorrigible, and my wife has given her notice;
but there, again, I fail to e how you work it out."
He chuckled to himlf and rubbed his long, nervous hands together.
"It is simplicity itlf," said he; "my eyes tell me that on the
inside of your left shoe, just where the firelight strikes it, the
leather is scored by six almost parallel cuts. Obviously they have
been caud by someone who has very carelessly scraped round the edges
of the sole in order to remove crusted mud from it. Hence, you e, my
double deduction that you had been out in vile weather, and that you
had a particularly malignant boot-slitting specimen of the London
slavey. As to your practice, if a gentleman walks into my rooms
smelling of iodoform, with a black mark of nitrate of silver upon
his right forefinger, and a bulge on the right side of his top-hat
to show where he has creted his stethoscope, I must be dull, indeed,
if I do not pronounce him to be an active member of the medical
profession."
I could not help
laughing at the ea with which he explained his
process of deduction. "When I hear you give your reasons," I remarked,
"the thing always appears to me to be so ridiculously simple that I
could easily do it mylf, though at each successive instance of
your reasoning I am baffled until you explain your process And yet I
believe that my eyes are as good as yours."
"Quite so," he answered, lighting a cigarette, and throwing
himlf down into an armchair. "You e, but you do not obrve. The
distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently en the
steps which lead up from the hall to this room."
"Frequently."
"How often?"
"Well, some hundreds of times."
"Then how many are there?"
"How many? I don't know."
"Quite so! You have not obrved. And yet you have en. That is
just my point. Now, I know that there are venteen steps, becau I
have both en and obrved. By the way, since you are interested in
the little problems, and since you are good enough to chronicle
one or two of my trifling experiences, you may be interested in this."
He threw over a sheet of thick, pink-tinted note-paper which had
been lying open upon the table. "It came by the last post," said he.
"Read it aloud."
The note was undated, and without either signature or address.
"There will call upon you to-night, at a quarter to eight o'clock
[it said], a gentleman who desires to consult you upon a matter of the
very deepest moment. Your recent rvices to one of the royal hous
of Europe have shown that you are one who may safely be trusted with
matters which are of an importance which can hardly be exaggerated.
This account of you we have from all quarters received. Be in your
chamber then at that hour, and do not take it amiss if your visitor
wear a mask.
"This is indeed a mystery," I remarked. "What do you imagine that it
means?"
"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before
one has data. Innsibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories,
instead of theories to suit facts. But the note itlf. What do you
deduce from it?"
I carefully examined the writing, and the paper upon which it was
written.
"The man who wrote it was presumably well to do," I remarked,
endeavouring to imitate my companion's process. "Such paper could
not be bought under half a crown a packet. It is peculiarly strong and
stiff."
"Peculiar- that is the very word," said Holmes. "It is not an
English paper at all. Hold it up to the light."
I did so, and saw a large `E' with a small `g', a `P,' and a large
`G' with a small `t' woven into the texture of the paper.
"What do you make of that?" asked Holmes.
"The name of the maker, no doubt; or his monogram, rather."
"Not at all. The `G' with the small `t' stands for `Gellschaft,'
which is the German for `Company.' It is a customary contraction
like our `Co.' `P,' of cour, stands for
`Papier.' Now for the
`Eg.' Let us glance at our Continental Gazetteer." He took down a
heavy brown volume from his shelves. "Eglow, Eglonitz- here we are,
Egria. It is in a German-speaking country- in Bohemia, not far from
Carlsbad. `Remarkable as being the scene of the death of
Wallenstein, and for its numerous glass-factories and paper-mills.'
Ha, ha, my boy, what do you make of that?' His eyes sparkled, and he
nt up a great blue triumphant cloud from his cigarette.
"The paper was made in Bohemia," I said.
"Precily. And the man who wrote the note is a German. Do you
note the peculiar construction of the ntence- `This account of you
we have from all quarters received.' A Frenchman or Russian could
not have written that. It is the German who is so uncourteous to his
verbs. It only remains, therefore, to discover what is wanted by
this German who writes upon Bohemian paper and prefers wearing a
mask to showing his face. And here he comes, if I am not mistaken,
to resolve all our doubts."
As he spoke there was the sharp sound of hors' hoofs and grating
wheels against the curb, followed by a sharp pull at the bell.
Holmes whistled.
"A pair, by the sound," said he. "Yes," he continued, glancing out
of the window. "A nice little brougham and a pair of beauties. A
hundred and fifty guineas apiece. There's money in this ca,
Watson, if there is nothing el."
"I think that I had better go, Holmes."
"Not a bit, Doctor. Stay where you are. I am lost without my
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Boswell. And this promis to be interesting. It would be a pity to
miss it."
"But your client-"
"Never mind him. I may want your help, and so may he. Here he comes.
Sit down in that armchair, Doctor, and give us your best attention."
A slow and heavy step, which had been heard upon the stairs and in
the passage, paud immediately outside the door. Then there was a
loud and authoritative tap.
"Come in!" said Holmes.
A man entered who could hardly have been less than six feet six
inches in height, with the chest and limbs of a Hercules. His dress
was rich with a richness which would, in England, he looked upon as
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akin to bad taste. Heavy bands of astrakhan were slashed across the
sleeves and fronts of his double-breasted coat, while the deep blue
cloak which was thrown over his shoulders was lined with
flame-coloured silk and cured at the neck with a brooch which
consisted of a single flaming beryl. Boots which extended halfway up
his calves, and which were trimmed at the tops with rich brown fur,
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completed the impression of barbaric opulence which was suggested by
his whole appearance. He carried a broad-brimmed hat in his hand,
while he wore across the upper part of his face, extending down past
the cheekbones, a black vizard mask, which he had apparently
adjusted that very moment, for his hand was still raid to it as he
entered. From the lower part of the face he
appeared to be a man of
strong character, with a thick, hanging lip, and a long, straight chin
suggestive of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy.
"You had my note?" he asked with a deep harsh voice and a strongly
marked German accent. "I told you that I would call." He looked from
one to the other of us, as if uncertain which to address.
"Pray take a at," said Holmes. "This is my friend and colleague,
Dr. Watson, who is occasionally good enough to help me in my cas.
Whom have I the honour to address?"
"You may address me as the Count Von Kramm, a Bohemian nobleman. I
understand that this gentleman, your friend, is a man of honour and
discretion, whom I may trust with a matter of the most extreme
importance. If not, I should much prefer to communicate with you
alone."
I ro to go, but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me back
into my chair. "It is both, or none," said he. "You may say before
this gentleman anything which you may say to me."
The Count shrugged his broad shoulders. "Then I must begin," said
he, "by binding you both to absolute crecy for two years; at the end
of that time the matter will be of no importance. At prent it is not
too much to say that it is of such weight it may have an influence
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upon European history."
"I promi," said Holmes.
"And I."
"You will excu this mask," continued our strange visitor. "The
august person who employs me wishes his agent to be unknown to you,
and I may confess at once that the title by which I have just called
mylf is not exactly my own."
"I was aware of it," said Holmes drily.
"The circumstances are of great delicacy, and every precaution has
to be taken to quench what might grow to be an immen scandal and
riously compromi one of the reigning families of Europe. To
speak plainly, the matter implicates the great Hou of Ormstein,
hereditary kings of Bohemia."
"I was also aware of that," murmured Holmes, ttling himlf down
in his armchair and closing his eyes.
Our visitor glanced with some apparent surpri at the languid,
lounging figure of the man who had been no doubt depicted to him as
the most incisive reasoner and most energetic agent in Europe.
Holmes slowly reopened his eyes and looked impatiently at his gigantic
client.
"If your Majesty would condescend to state your ca," he
remarked, "I should be better able to advi you."
The man sprang from his chair and paced up and down the room in
uncontrollable agitation. Then, with a gesture of desperation, he tore
the mask from his face and hurled it upon the ground. "You are right,"
he cried; "I am the King. Why should I attempt to conceal it?"
"Why, indeed?" murmured Holmes. "Your Majesty had not spoken
before I was aware that I was addressing Wilhelm Gottsreich
Sigismond von Ormstein, Grand Duke of Casl-Felstein, and
hereditary King of Bohemia."
"But you can understand,
" said our strange visitor, sitting down
once more and passing his hand over his high white forehead, "you
can understand that I am not accustomed to doing such business in my
own person. Yet the matter was so delicate that I could not confide it
to an agent without putting mylf in his power. I have come incognito
from Prague for the purpo of consulting you."
"Then, pray consult," said Holmes, shutting his eyes once more.
"The facts are briefly the: Some five years ago, during a
lengthy visit to Warsaw, I made the acquaintance of the well-known
adventuress, Irene Adler. The name is no doubt familiar to you."
"Kindly look her up in my index, Doctor," murmured Holmes without
opening his eyes. For many years he had adopted a system of
docketing all paragraphs concerning men and things, so that it was
difficult to name a subject or a person on which he could not at
once furnish information. In this ca I found her biography
sandwiched in between that of a Hebrew rabbi and that of a
staff-commander who had written a monograph upon the deep-a fishes.
"Let me e!" said Holmes. "Hum! Born in New Jery in the year
1858. Contralto- hum! La Scala, hum! Prima donna Imperial Opera of
Warsaw- yes! Retired from operatic stage- ha! Living in London-
quite so! Your Majesty, as I understand, became entangled with this
young person, wrote her some compromising letters, and is now desirous
of getting tho letters back."
"Precily so. But how-"
"Was there a cret marriage?"
"None."
"No legal papers or certificates?"
"None."
"Then I fail to follow your Majesty. If this young person should
produce her letters for blackmailing or other purpos, how is she
to prove their authenticity?"
"There is the writing."
"Pooh, pooh! Forgery."
"My private note-paper."
"Stolen."
"My own al."
"Imitated."
"My photograph."
"Bought."
"We were both in the photograph."
"Oh dear! That is very bad! Your Majesty has indeed committed an
indiscretion."
"I was mad- insane."
"You have compromid yourlf riously."
"I was only Crown Prince then. I was young. I am but thirty now."
"It must be recovered."
"We have tried and failed."
"Your Majesty must pay. It must be bought."
"She will not ll."
"Stolen, then."
"Five attempts have been made. Twice burglars in my pay ransacked
her hou. Once we diverted her luggage when she travelled. Twice
she has been waylaid. There has been no result."
"No sign of it?"
"Absolutely none."
Holmes laughed. "It is quite a pretty little problem," said he.
"But a very rious one to me," returned the King reproachfully.
"Very, indeed. And what does she propo to do with the photograph?"
"To ruin me."
"But how?"
"I am about to be married."
"So I have heard."
"To Clotilde Lothman von Saxe-Meningen, cond daughter of the
King of Scandinavia. You may
