The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

visitors had left us, "because it serves to show very clearly how

  simple the explanation may be of an affair which at first sight

  seems to be almost inexplicable. Nothing could be more natural

  than the sequence of events as narrated by this lady, and nothing

  stranger than the result when viewed, for instance by Mr.

  Lestrade, of Scotland Yard."

  "You were not yourself at fault at all, then?"

  "From the first, two facts were very obvious to me, the one that

  the lady had been quite willing to undergo the wedding ceremony,

  the other that she had repented of it within a few minutes of

  returning home. Obviously something had occurred during the

  morning, then, to cause her to change her mind. What could that

  something be? She could not have spoken to anyone when she was

  out, for she had been in the company of the bridegroom. Had she

  seen someone, then? If she had, it must be someone from America

  because she had spent so short a time in this country that she

  could hardly have allowed anyone to acquire so deep an influence

  over her that the mere sight of him would induce her to change

  her plans so completely. You see we have already arrived, by a

  process of exclusion, at the idea that she might have seen an

  American. Then who could this American be, and why should he

  possess so much influence over her? It might be a lover; it might

  be a husband. Her young womanhood had, I knew, been spent in

  rough scenes and under strange conditions. So far I had got

  before I ever heard Lord St. Simon's narrative. When he told us

  of a man in a pew, of the change in the bride's manner, of so

  transparent a device for obtaining a note as the dropping of a

  bouquet, of her resort to her confidential maid, and of her very

  significant allusion to claim-jumping--which in miners' parlance

  means taking possession of that which another person has a prior

  claim to--the whole situation became absolutely clear. She had

  gone off with a man, and the man was either a lover or was a

  previous husband--the chances being in favor of the latter."

  "And how in the world did you find them?"

  "It might have been difficult, but friend Lestrade held

  information in his hands the value of which he did not himself

  know. The initials were, of course, of the highest importance,

  but more valuable still was it to know that within a week he had

  settled his bill at one of the most select London hotels."

  "How did you deduce the select?"

  "By the select prices. Eight shillings for a bed and eight-pence

  for a glass of sherry pointed to one of the most expensive

  hotels. There are not many in London which charge at that rate.

  In the second one which I visited in Northumberland Avenue, I

  learned by an inspection of the book that Francis H. Moulton, an

  American gentleman, had left only the day before, and on looking

  over the entries against him, I came upon the very items which I

  had seen in the duplicate bill. His letters were to be forwarded

  to 226 Gordon Square; so thither I travelled, and being fortunate

  enough to find the loving couple at home, I ventured to give them

  some paternal advice and to point out to them that it would be

  better in every way that they should make their position a little

  clearer both to the general public and to Lord St. Simon in

  particular. I invited them to meet him here, and, as you see, I

  made him keep the appointment."

  "But with no very good result," I remarked. "His conduct was

  certainly not very gracious."

  "Ah, Watson," said Holmes, smiling, "perhaps you would not be

  very gracious either, if, after all the trouble of wooing and

  wedding, you found yourself deprived in an instant of wife and of

  fortune. I think that we may judge Lord St. Simon very mercifully

  and thank our stars that we are never likely to find ourselves in

  the same position. Draw your chair up and hand me my violin, for

  the only problem we have still to solve is how to while away

  these bleak autumnal evenings."

  ADVENTURE XI. THE ADVENTURE OF THE BERYL CORONET

  "Holmes," said I as I stood one morning in our bow-window looking

  down the street, "here is a madman coming along. It seems rather

  sad that his relatives should allow him to come out alone."

  My friend rose lazily from his armchair and stood with his hands

  in the pockets of his dressing-gown, looking over my shoulder. It

  was a bright, crisp February morning, and the snow of the day

  before still lay deep upon the ground, shimmering brightly in the

  wintry sun. Down the centre of Baker Street it had been ploughed

  into a brown crumbly band by the traffic, but at either side and

  on the heaped-up edges of the foot-paths it still lay as white as

  when it fell. The gray pavement had been cleaned and scraped, but

  was still dangerously slippery, so that there were fewer

  passengers than usual. Indeed, from the direction of the

  Metropolitan Station no one was coming save the single gentleman

  whose eccentric conduct had drawn my attention.

  He was a man of about fifty, tall, portly, and imposing, with a

  massive, strongly marked face and a commanding figure. He was

  dressed in a sombre yet rich style, in black frock-coat, shining

  hat, neat brown gaiters, and well-cut pearl-gray trousers. Yet

  his actions were in absurd contrast to the dignity of his dress

  and features, for he was running hard, with occasional little

  springs, such as a weary man gives who is little accustomed to

  set any tax upon his legs. As he ran he jerked his hands up and

  down, waggled his head, and writhed his face into the most

  extraordinary contortions.

  "What on earth can be the matter with him?" I asked. "He is

  looking up at the numbers of the houses."

  "I believe that he is coming here," said Holmes, rubbing his

  hands.

  "Here?"

  "Yes; I rather think he is coming to consult me professionally. I

  think that I recognize the symptoms. Ha! did I not tell you?" As

  he spoke, the man, puffing and blowing, rushed at our door and

  pulled at our bell until the whole house resounded with the

  clanging.

  A few moments later he was in our room, still puffing, still

  gesticulating, but with so fixed a look of grief and despair in

  his eyes that our smiles were turned in an instant to horror and

  pity. For a while he could not get his words out, but swayed his

  body and plucked at his hair like one who has been driven to the

  extreme limits of his reason. Then, suddenly springing to his

  feet, he beat his head against the wall with such force that we

  both rushed upon him and tore him away to the centre of the room.

  Sherlock Holmes pushed him down into the easy-chair and, sitting

  beside him, patted his hand and chatted with him in the easy,

  soothing tones which he knew so well how to employ.

  "You have come to me to tell your story, have you not?" said he.

  "You are fatigued with your haste. Pray wait until you have

  recovered yourself, and then I shall be most happy to look into

 
any little problem which you may submit to me."

  The man sat for a minute or more with a heaving chest, fighting

  against his emotion. Then he passed his handkerchief over his

  brow, set his lips tight, and turned his face towards us.

  "No doubt you think me mad?" said he.

  "I see that you have had some great trouble," responded Holmes.

  "God knows I have!--a trouble which is enough to unseat my

  reason, so sudden and so terrible is it. Public disgrace I might

  have faced, although I am a man whose character has never yet

  borne a stain. Private affliction also is the lot of every man;

  but the two coming together, and in so frightful a form, have

  been enough to shake my very soul. Besides, it is not I alone.

  The very noblest in the land may suffer unless some way be found

  out of this horrible affair."

  "Pray compose yourself, sir," said Holmes, "and let me have a

  clear account of who you are and what it is that has befallen

  you."

  "My name," answered our visitor, "is probably familiar to your

  ears. I am Alexander Holder, of the banking firm of Holder &

  Stevenson, of Threadneedle Street."

  The name was indeed well known to us as belonging to the senior

  partner in the second largest private banking concern in the City

  of London. What could have happened, then, to bring one of the

  foremost citizens of London to this most pitiable pass? We

  waited, all curiosity, until with another effort he braced

  himself to tell his story.

  "I feel that time is of value," said he; "that is why I hastened

  here when the police inspector suggested that I should secure

  your cooperation. I came to Baker Street by the Underground and

  hurried from there on foot, for the cabs go slowly through this

  snow. That is why I was so out of breath, for I am a man who

  takes very little exercise. I feel better now, and I will put the

  facts before you as shortly and yet as clearly as I can.

  "It is, of course, well known to you that in a successful banking

  business as much depends upon our being able to find remunerative

  investments for our funds as upon our increasing our connection

  and the number of our depositors. One of our most lucrative means

  of laying out money is in the shape of loans, where the security

  is unimpeachable. We have done a good deal in this direction

  during the last few years, and there are many noble families to

  whom we have advanced large sums upon the security of their

  pictures, libraries, or plate.

  "Yesterday morning I was seated in my office at the bank when a

  card was brought in to me by one of the clerks. I started when I

  saw the name, for it was that of none other than--well, perhaps

  even to you I had better say no more than that it was a name

  which is a household word all over the earth--one of the highest,

  noblest, most exalted names in England. I was overwhelmed by the

  honor and attempted, when he entered, to say so, but he plunged

  at once into business with the air of a man who wishes to hurry

  quickly through a disagreeable task.

  "'Mr. Holder,' said he, 'I have been informed that you are in the

  habit of advancing money.'

  "'The firm does so when the security is good.' I answered.

  "'It is absolutely essential to me,' said he, 'that I should have

  50,000 pounds at once. I could, of course, borrow so trifling a

  sum ten times over from my friends, but I much prefer to make it

  a matter of business and to carry out that business myself. In my

  position you can readily understand that it is unwise to place

  one's self under obligations.'

  "'For how long, may I ask, do you want this sum?' I asked.

  "'Next Monday I have a large sum due to me, and I shall then most

  certainly repay what you advance, with whatever interest you

  think it right to charge. But it is very essential to me that the

  money should be paid at once.'

  "'I should be happy to advance it without further parley from my

  own private purse,' said I, 'were it not that the strain would be

  rather more than it could bear. If, on the other hand, I am to do

  it in the name of the firm, then in justice to my partner I must

  insist that, even in your case, every businesslike precaution

  should be taken.'

  "'I should much prefer to have it so,' said he, raising up a

  square, black morocco case which he had laid beside his chair.

  'You have doubtless heard of the Beryl Coronet?'

  "'One of the most precious public possessions of the empire,'

  said I.

  "'Precisely.' He opened the case, and there, imbedded in soft,

  flesh-colored velvet, lay the magnificent piece of jewellery

  which he had named. 'There are thirty-nine enormous beryls,' said

  he, 'and the price of the gold chasing is incalculable. The

  lowest estimate would put the worth of the coronet at double the

  sum which I have asked. I am prepared to leave it with you as my

  security.'

  "I took the precious case into my hands and looked in some

  perplexity from it to my illustrious client.

  "'You doubt its value?' he asked.

  "'Not at all. I only doubt --'

  "'The propriety of my leaving it. You may set your mind at rest

  about that. I should not dream of doing so were it not absolutely

  certain that I should be able in four days to reclaim it. It is a

  pure matter of form. Is the security sufficient?'

  "'Ample.'

  "'You understand, Mr. Holder, that I am giving you a strong proof

  of the confidence which I have in you, founded upon all that I

  have heard of you. I rely upon you not only to be discreet and to

  refrain from all gossip upon the matter but, above all, to

  preserve this coronet with every possible precaution because I

  need not say that a great public scandal would be caused if any

  harm were to befall it. Any injury to it would be almost as

  serious as its complete loss, for there are no beryls in the

  world to match these, and it would be impossible to replace them.

  I leave it with you, however, with every confidence, and I shall

  call for it in person on Monday morning.'

  "Seeing that my client was anxious to leave, I said no more but,

  calling for my cashier, I ordered him to pay over fifty 1000

  pound notes. When I was alone once more, however, with the

  precious case lying upon the table in front of me, I could not

  but think with some misgivings of the immense responsibility

  which it entailed upon me. There could be no doubt that, as it

  was a national possession, a horrible scandal would ensue if any

  misfortune should occur to it. I already regretted having ever

  consented to take charge of it. However, it was too late to alter

  the matter now, so I locked it up in my private safe and turned

  once more to my work.

  "When evening came I felt that it would be an imprudence to leave

  so precious a thing in the office behind me. Bankers' safes had

  been forced before now, and why should not mine be? If so, how

  terrible would be the position in which I should find myself! I

  determined, therefo
re, that for the next few days I would always

  carry the case backward and forward with me, so that it might

  never be really out of my reach. With this intention, I called a

  cab and drove out to my house at Streatham, carrying the jewel

  with me. I did not breathe freely until I had taken it upstairs

  and locked it in the bureau of my dressing-room.

  "And now a word as to my household, Mr. Holmes, for I wish you to

  thoroughly understand the situation. My groom and my page sleep

  out of the house, and may be set aside altogether. I have three

  maid-servants who have been with me a number of years and whose

  absolute reliability is quite above suspicion. Another, Lucy

  Parr, the second waiting-maid, has only been in my service a few

  months. She came with an excellent character, however, and has

  always given me satisfaction. She is a very pretty girl and has

  attracted admirers who have occasionally hung about the place.

  That is the only drawback which we have found to her, but we

  believe her to be a thoroughly good girl in every way.

  "So much for the servants. My family itself is so small that it

  will not take me long to describe it. I am a widower and have an

  only son, Arthur. He has been a disappointment to me, Mr.

  Holmes-- a grievous disappointment. I have no doubt that I am

  myself to blame. People tell me that I have spoiled him. Very

  likely I have. When my dear wife died I felt that he was all I

  had to love. I could not bear to see the smile fade even for a

  moment from his face. I have never denied him a wish. Perhaps it

  would have been better for both of us had I been sterner, but I

  meant it for the best.

  "It was naturally my intention that he should succeed me in my

  business, but he was not of a business turn. He was wild,

  wayward, and, to speak the truth, I could not trust him in the

  handling of large sums of money. When he was young he became a

  member of an aristocratic club, and there, having charming

  manners, he was soon the intimate of a number of men with long

  purses and expensive habits. He learned to play heavily at cards

  and to squander money on the turf, until he had again and again

  to come to me and implore me to give him an advance upon his

  allowance, that he might settle his debts of honor. He tried

  more than once to break away from the dangerous company which he

  was keeping, but each time the influence of his friend, Sir

  George Burnwell, was enough to draw him back again.

  "And, indeed, I could not wonder that such a man as Sir George

  Burnwell should gain an influence over him, for he has frequently

  brought him to my house, and I have found myself that I could

  hardly resist the fascination of his manner. He is older than

  Arthur, a man of the world to his finger-tips, one who had been

  everywhere, seen everything, a brilliant talker, and a man of

  great personal beauty. Yet when I think of him in cold blood, far

  away from the glamour of his presence, I am convinced from his

  cynical speech and the look which I have caught in his eyes that

  he is one who should be deeply distrusted. So I think, and so,

  too, thinks my little Mary, who has a woman's quick insight into

  character.

  "And now there is only she to be described. She is my niece; but

  when my brother died five years ago and left her alone in the

  world I adopted her, and have looked upon her ever since as my

  daughter. She is a sunbeam in my house--sweet, loving, beautiful,

  a wonderful manager and housekeeper, yet as tender and quiet and

  gentle as a woman could be. She is my right hand. I do not know

  what I could do without her. In only one matter has she ever gone

  against my wishes. Twice my boy has asked her to marry him, for

  he loves her devotedly, but each time she has refused him. I

  think that if anyone could have drawn him into the right path it

  would have been she, and that his marriage might have changed his

  whole life; but now, alas! it is too late--forever too late!

  "Now, Mr. Holmes, you know the people who live under my roof, and