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"Eglow, Eglonitz--here we are, Egria. It is in a German-speaking `
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country--in Bohemia, not far from Carlsbad. 'Remarkable as being `
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the scene of the death of Wallenstein, and for its numerous `
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glass-factories and paper-mills.' Ha, ha, my boy, what do you `
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make of that?" His eyes sparkled, and he sent up a great blue `
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triumphant cloud from his cigarette. `
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`
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"The paper was made in Bohemia," I said. `
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`
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"Precisely. And the man who wrote the note is a German. Do you `
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note the peculiar construction of the sentence--'This account of `
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you we have from all quarters received.' A Frenchman or Russian `
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could not have written that. It is the German who is so `
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uncourteous to his verbs. It only remains, therefore, to discover `
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what is wanted by this German who writes upon Bohemian paper and `
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prefers wearing a mask to showing his face. And here he comes, if `
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I am not mistaken, to resolve all our doubts." `
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`
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As he spoke there was the sharp sound of horses' hoofs and `
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grating wheels against the curb, followed by a sharp pull at the `
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bell. Holmes whistled. `
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`
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"A pair, by the sound," said he. "Yes," he continued, glancing `
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out of the window. "A nice little brougham and a pair of `
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beauties. A hundred and fifty guineas apiece. There's money in `
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this case, Watson, if there is nothing else." `
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`
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"I think that I had better go, Holmes." `
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`
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"Not a bit, Doctor. Stay where you are. I am lost without my `
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Boswell. And this promises to be interesting. It would be a pity `
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to miss it." `
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`
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"But your client--" `
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`
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"Never mind him. I may want your help, and so may he. Here he `
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comes. Sit down in that armchair, Doctor, and give us your best `
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attention." `
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`
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A slow and heavy step, which had been heard upon the stairs and `
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in the passage, paused immediately outside the door. Then there `
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was a loud and authoritative tap. `
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"Come in!" said Holmes. `
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A man entered who could hardly have been less than six feet six `
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inches in height, with the chest and limbs of a Hercules. His `
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dress was rich with a richness which would, in England, be looked `
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upon as akin to bad taste. Heavy bands of astrakhan were slashed `
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across the sleeves and fronts of his double-breasted coat, while `
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the deep blue cloak which was thrown over his shoulders was lined `
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with flame-coloured silk and secured at the neck with a brooch `
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which consisted of a single flaming beryl. Boots which extended `
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halfway up his calves, and which were trimmed at the tops with `
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rich brown fur, completed the impression of barbaric opulence `
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which was suggested by his whole appearance. He carried a `
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broad-brimmed hat in his hand, while he wore across the upper `
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part of his face, extending down past the cheekbones, a black `
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vizard mask, which he had apparently adjusted that very moment, `
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for his hand was still raised to it as he entered. From the lower `
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part of the face he appeared to be a man of strong character, `
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with a thick, hanging lip, and a long, straight chin suggestive `
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of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy. `
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`
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"You had my note?" he asked with a deep harsh voice and a `
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strongly marked German accent. "I told you that I would call." He `
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looked from one to the other of us, as if uncertain which to `
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address. `
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"Pray take a seat," said Holmes. "This is my friend and `
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colleague, Dr. Watson, who is occasionally good enough to help me `
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in my cases. Whom have I the honour to address?" `
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`
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"You may address me as the Count Von Kramm, a Bohemian nobleman. `
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I understand that this gentleman, your friend, is a man of honour `
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and discretion, whom I may trust with a matter of the most `
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extreme importance. If not, I should much prefer to communicate `
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with you alone." `
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`
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I rose to go, but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me `
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back into my chair. "It is both, or none," said he. "You may say `
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before this gentleman anything which you may say to me." `
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`
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The Count shrugged his broad shoulders. "Then I must begin," said `
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he, "by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years; at `
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the end of that time the matter will be of no importance. At `
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present it is not too much to say that it is of such weight it `
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may have an influence upon European history." `
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"I promise," said Holmes. `
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"And I." `
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"You will excuse this mask," continued our strange visitor. "The `
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august person who employs me wishes his agent to be unknown to `
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you, and I may confess at once that the title by which I have `
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just called myself is not exactly my own." `
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"I was aware of it," said Holmes dryly. `
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`
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"The circumstances are of great delicacy, and every precaution `
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has to be taken to quench what might grow to be an immense `
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scandal and seriously compromise one of the reigning families of `
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Europe. To speak plainly, the matter implicates the great House `
`
of Ormstein, hereditary kings of Bohemia." `
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"I was also aware of that," murmured Holmes, settling himself `
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down in his armchair and closing his eyes. `
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`
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Our visitor glanced with some apparent surprise at the languid, `
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lounging figure of the man who had been no doubt depicted to him `
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as the most incisive reasoner and most energetic agent in Europe. `
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Holmes slowly reopened his eyes and looked impatiently at his `
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gigantic client. `
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`
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"If your Majesty would condescend to state your case," he `
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remarked, "I should be better able to advise you." `
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`
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The man sprang from his chair and paced up and down the room in `
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uncontrollable agitation. Then, with a gesture of desperation, he `
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tore the mask from his face and hurled it upon the ground. "You `
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are right," he cried; "I am the King. Why should I attempt to `
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conceal it?" `
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`
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"Why, indeed?" murmured Holmes. "Your Majesty had not spoken `
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before I was aware that I was addressing Wilhelm Gottsreich `
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Sigismond von Ormstein, Grand Duke of Cassel-Felstein, and `
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hereditary King of Bohemia." `
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"But you can understand," said our strange visitor, sitting down `
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once more and passing his hand over his high white forehead, "you `
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can understand that I am not accustomed to doing such business in `
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my own person. Yet the matter was so delicate that I could not `
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confide it to an agent without putting myself in his power. I `
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have come incognito from Prague for the purpose of consulting `
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you." `
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`
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"Then, pray consult," said Holmes, shutting his eyes once more. `
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`
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"The facts are briefly these: 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." `
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`
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"Kindly look her up in my index, Doctor," murmured Holmes without `
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opening his eyes. For many years he had adopted a system of `
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docketing all paragraphs concerning men and things, so that it `
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was difficult to name a subject or a person on which he could not `
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at once furnish information. In this case I found her biography `
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sandwiched in between that of a Hebrew rabbi and that of a `
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staff-commander who had written a monograph upon the deep-sea `
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fishes. `
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`
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"Let me see!" said Holmes. "Hum! Born in New Jersey in the year `
`
1858. Contralto--hum! La Scala, hum! Prima donna Imperial Opera `
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of Warsaw--yes! Retired from operatic stage--ha! Living in `
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London--quite so! Your Majesty, as I understand, became entangled `
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with this young person, wrote her some compromising letters, and `
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is now desirous of getting those letters back." `
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`
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"Precisely so. But how--" `
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`
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"Was there a secret marriage?" `
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`
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"None." `
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"No legal papers or certificates?" `
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"None." `
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"Then I fail to follow your Majesty. If this young person should `
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produce her letters for blackmailing or other purposes, how is `
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she to prove their authenticity?" `
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`
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"There is the writing." `
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"Pooh, pooh! Forgery." `
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"My private note-paper." `
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"Stolen." `
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"My own seal." `
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"Imitated." `
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"My photograph." `
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"Bought." `
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`
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"We were both in the photograph." `
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"Oh, dear! That is very bad! Your Majesty has indeed committed an `
`
indiscretion." `
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`
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"I was mad--insane." `
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`
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"You have compromised yourself seriously." `
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`
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"I was only Crown Prince then. I was young. I am but thirty now." `
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"It must be recovered." `
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