TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. TITELBLATT

2. IMPRESSUM

3. I. A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA

4. II. THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE

5. III. A CASE OF IDENTITY

6. IV. THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY

7. V. THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS

8. VI. THE MAN WITH THE TWISTED LIP

9. VII. THE ADVENTURE OF THE BLUE CARBUNCLE

10. VIII. THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND

11. IX. THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENGINEER’S THUMB

12. X. THE ADVENTURE OF THE NOBLE BACHELOR

13. XI. THE ADVENTURE OF THE BERYL CORONET

14. XII. THE ADVENTURE OF THE COPPER BEECHES

15. THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (ENGLISCH)

Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / Die Abenteuer von Sherlock Holmes
Zweisprachige Ausgabe
Übersetzt von Alice und Karl Heinz Berger

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I. A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA

I. EIN SKANDAL IN BOHEMIA

I

TO Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name.

Für Sherlock Holmes ist sie die Frau geblieben. Selten habe ich gehört, daß er sie unter irgendeiner anderen Bezeichnung erwähnte.

In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex.

In seinen Augen beherrscht sie ihr ganzes Geschlecht und stellt es in den Schatten.

It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler.

Dabei war es nicht so, als hätte er etwas wie Liebe für Irene Adler empfunden.

All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind.

Alle Gefühle, und dieses im besonderen, waren seinem kühlen, präzisen, aber bewundernswert ausgewogenen Verstand zuwider.

He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen,

Er war nach meiner Meinung die perfekteste Denk- und Beobachtungsmaschine, die die Welt je gesehen hat;

but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position.

aber als Liebhaber wäre er fehl am Platz gewesen.

He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer.

Er sprach nie von den sanfteren Leidenschaften als mit Spott und Hohn.

They were admirable things for the observer — excellent for drawing the veil from men’s motives and actions.

Sie waren für ihn, den Beobachter, eine ausgezeichnete Sache, die sich hervorragend eignete, den Schleier über den Motiven und Taten der Menschen zu lüften.

But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor

Aber zuzulassen, daß sie sich in sein vornehmes und wohlgeformtes Wesen mischten, bedeutete für ihn, den geübten Denker, einen verwirrenden Faktor einzuführen,

which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results.

der Zweifel an den Ergebnissen seines Denkens nach sich gezogen hätte.

Grit in a sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses,

Sand in einem hochempfindlichen Gerät oder ein Sprung im Glas einer seiner äußerst starken Lupen

would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a nature such as his.

wäre nicht störender gewesen als eine heftige Empfindung in einer Natur, wie die seine es war.

And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory.

Und so gab es nur eine Frau für ihn, und das war die verstorbene Irene Adler, zweifelhaften und fragwürdigen Angedenkens.

I had seen little of Holmes lately. My marriage had drifted us away from each other.

Ich hatte Holmes in der letzten Zeit wenig zu Gesicht bekommen. Meine Heirat hatte uns auseinandergebracht.

My own complete happiness, and the home-centred interests

Mein vollständiges Glück und die aufs Heim beschränkten Interessen,

which rise up around the man who first finds himself master of his own establishment, were sufficient to absorb all my attention,

die rings um einen Mann sprießen, der zum ersten Mal Herr eines eigenen Hauswesens ist, nahmen all meine Aufmerksamkeit in Anspruch,

while Holmes, who loathed every form of society with his whole Bohemian soul,

während Holmes, der jede Form der Geselligkeit aus den Tiefen seiner Boheme-Seele verabscheute,

remained in our lodgings in Baker Street, buried among his old books,

in unserer Wohnung in der Baker Street blieb, vergraben in seinen alten Büchern,

and alternating from week to week between cocaine and ambition, the drowsiness of the drug, and the fierce energy of his own keen nature.

und Woche um Woche von Kokain zu Ehrgeiz wechselte, von der Betäubung durch die Droge zu der wilden Tatkraft, die seine ureigene Natur war.

He was still, as ever, deeply attracted by the study of crime,

Er fühlte sich noch wie je vom Studium des Verbrechens aufs äußerste angezogen

and occupied his immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in following out those clues,

und widmete seine unerhörten Fähigkeiten und seine außergewöhnliche Beobachtungsgabe dem Verfolgen der Spuren

and clearing up those mysteries which had been abandoned as hopeless by the official police.

und der Klärung der Geheimnisse, die von der Polizei als hoffnungslos aufgegeben worden waren.

From time to time I heard some vague account of his doings: of his summons to Odessa in the case of the Trepoff murder,

Von Zeit zu Zeit hörte ich irgendeinen vagen Bericht über sein Tun: von seiner Berufung nach Odessa im Fall des Trepow-Mords,

of his clearing up of the singular tragedy of the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee, and finally of the mission

von der Klärung der einmaligen Tragödie der Brüder Atkinson in Trincomalee durch ihn und schließlich von der Aufgabe,

which he had accomplished so delicately and successfully for the reigning family of Holland.

die er so behutsam und erfolgreich im Auftrag der königlichen Familie von Holland löste.

Beyond these signs of his activity, however, which I merely shared with all the readers of the daily press,

Außer diesen Zeichen für seine Aktivität, die ich wie alle Leser den Tageszeitungen entnahm,

I knew little of my former friend and companion.

wußte ich wenig von meinem früheren Freund und Gefährten.

One night — it was on the twentieth of March, 1888 — I was returning from a journey to a patient

Eines Abends – es war der 20. März 1888 – kam ich von einem Besuch bei einem Patienten zurück

(for I had now returned to civil practice), when my way led me through Baker Street.

(denn ich hatte meinen Praxisbetrieb wieder aufgenommen), und mein Weg führte mich durch die Baker Street.

As I passed the well-remembered door, which must always be associated in my mind with my wooing, and with the dark incidents of the Study in Scarlet,

Als ich an der mir wohlbekannten Tür vorüberging, die in meiner Erinnerung immer mit meiner Bräutigamszeit und den dunklen Vorfällen, die ich in ›Späte Rache‹ wiedergab, verbunden sein wird,

I was seized with a keen desire to see Holmes again, and to know how he was employing his extraordinary powers.

ergriff mich der drängende Wunsch, Holmes wiederzusehen und in Erfahrung zu bringen, wie er seine außergewöhnlichen Fähigkeiten einsetzte.

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.

Seine Zimmer waren hell erleuchtet, und als ich emporsah, erblickte ich seine große dünne Gestalt zweimal als dunklen Umriß hinter der Gardine.

He was pacing the room swiftly, eagerly, with his head sunk upon his chest and his hands clasped behind him.

Er hastete unaufhörlich hin und her, den Kopf auf die Brust gesenkt und die Arme auf dem Rücken verschränkt.

To me, who knew his every mood and habit, his attitude and manner told their own story.

Mir, der ich jede seiner Stimmungen und Gewohnheiten kannte, erzählten seine Haltung und das Benehmen ihre eigene Geschichte.

He was at work again. He had risen out of his drug-created dreams and was hot upon the scent of some new problem.

Er war wieder an der Arbeit. Er war aus seinen Drogenträumen erwacht und verspürte nun Heißhunger auf einen neuen Fall.

I rang the bell and was shown up to the chamber which had formerly been in part my own.

Ich zog die Glocke und wurde nach oben gewiesen, in das Zimmer, das ich früher selber mit bewohnt hatte.

His manner was not effusive. It seldom was; but he was glad, I think, to see me.

Sein Benehmen war nicht überschwenglich. Das gab es bei ihm selten; aber ich glaube, er war froh, mich zu sehen.

With hardly a word spoken, but with a kindly eye, he waved me to an armchair,

Er sprach kaum ein Wort, wies mir aber mit freundlichem Blick einen Sessel,

threw across his case of cigars, and indicated a spirit case and a gasogene in the corner.

warf mir seine Zigarrenkiste zu und deutete auf seinen Alkoholvorrat und einen Syphon in der Ecke.

Then he stood before the fire and looked me over in his singular introspective fashion.

Er stand vorm Feuer und musterte mich in seiner prüfenden Art.

“Wedlock suits you,” he remarked. “I think, Watson, that you have put on seven and a half pounds since I saw you.”

»Die Ehe bekommt Ihnen«, bemerkte er. »Mir scheint, Watson, Sie haben seit dem letztenmal siebeneinhalb Pfund zugelegt.«

“Seven!” I answered.

»Sieben«, antwortete ich.

“Indeed, I should have thought a little more. Just a trifle more, I fancy, Watson.

»Wirklich, ich hätte ein bißchen höher geschätzt. Nur ein ganz kleines bißchen, glaube ich, Watson.

And in practice again, I observe. You did not tell me that you intended to go into harness.”

Und Sie praktizieren wieder, wie ich feststellen kann. Sie haben mir nichts davon gesagt, daß Sie wieder im Geschirr gehen.«

“Then, how do you know?”

»Woher wissen Sie es denn?«

“I see it, I deduce it. How do I know that you have been getting yourself very wet lately, and that you have a most clumsy and careless servant girl?”

»Ich sehe es, ich schlußfolgere es. Woher wüßte ich sonst, daß Sie vor kurzem erst sehr naß geworden sind und daß Sie ein äußerst ungeschicktes und nachlässiges Dienstmädchen haben.«

“My dear Holmes,” said I, “this is too much. You would certainly have been burned, had you lived a few centuries ago.

»Mein lieber Holmes«, sagte ich, »das ist zuviel. Sie wären sicherlich verbrannt worden, hätten Sie ein paar Jahrhunderte früher gelebt.

It is true that I had a country walk on Thursday and came home in a dreadful mess,

Es stimmt, daß ich am Donnerstag einen Spaziergang über Land gemacht habe und in einem schrecklichen Zustand nach Hause gekommen bin;

but as I have changed my clothes I can’t imagine how you deduce it.

aber da ich die Kleider gewechselt habe, kann ich mir nicht vorstellen, wie Sie darauf schließen.

As to Mary Jane, she is incorrigible, and my wife has given her notice, but there, again, I fail to see how you work it out.”

Und was Mary Jane angeht: Sie ist unverbesserlich, und meine Frau hat ihr gekündigt. Aber wieder weiß ich nicht, wie Sie das herausbekommen haben.«

He chuckled to himself and rubbed his long, nervous hands together.

Er lachte in sich hinein und rieb sich die langen nervösen Hände.

“It is simplicity itself,” said he; “my eyes tell me that on the inside of your left shoe,

»Nichts ist einfacher als das«, sagte er. »Meine Augen sagen mir, daß auf der Innenseite Ihres linken Schuhs dort,

just where the firelight strikes it, the leather is scored by six almost parallel cuts.

wo das Licht des Feuers ihn streift, sieben fast parallele Schnitte eingekerbt sind.

Obviously they have been caused by someone who has very carelessly scraped round the edges of the sole in order to remove crusted mud from it.

Offensichtlich sind die Schnitte von jemandem verursacht worden, der sehr unvorsichtig den Sohlenrand abgekratzt hat, um getrockneten Schlamm zu entfernen.

Hence, you see, my double deduction that you had been out in vile weather,

Daher, mein Lieber, meine zweifache Schlußfolgerung, daß Sie erstens in schlechtes Wetter geraten sind

and that you had a particularly malignant boot-slitting specimen of the London slavey.

und daß Sie zweitens ein besonders bösartiges, schuhzerschneidendes Exemplar aus der Londoner Dienerschaft hatten.

As to your practice, if a gentleman walks into my rooms smelling of iodoform,

Und was Ihre Praxis angeht: Wenn ein Herr ins Zimmer kommt und nach Jodoform riecht,

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 secreted his stethoscope,

einen schwarzen Fleck vom Silbernitrat am rechten Zeigefinger hat und seitlich am Hut eine Beule, die verrät, wo er sein Stethoskop untergebracht hat,

I must be dull, indeed, if I do not pronounce him to be an active member of the medical profession.”

müßte ich wirklich dumm sein, wenn ich ihn nicht als ein praktizierendes Mitglied der ärztlichen Zunft ansprechen würde.«

I could not help laughing at the ease with which he explained his process of deduction.

Ich mußte über die Leichtigkeit lachen, mit der er den Prozeß seiner Schlußfolgerung erklärte.

“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 myself,

»Wenn Sie das Ergebnis Ihrer Beobachtungen vortragen«, bemerkte ich, »dann erscheint mir die Sache so lächerlich einfach, daß ich selber hätte darauf kommen können,

though at each successive instance of your reasoning I am baffled until you explain your process.

aber ich bin jedesmal verblüfft, wenn Sie mich dann den Gang Ihrer Beweisführung hören lassen.

And yet I believe that my eyes are as good as yours.”

Und doch glaube ich, daß meine Augen so gut sind wie die Ihren.«

“Quite so,” he answered, lighting a cigarette, and throwing himself down into an armchair.

»Ganz recht«, antwortete er, zündete sich eine Zigarette an und warf sich in einen Sessel.

“You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.

»Sie sehen, aber Sie beobachten nicht. Der Unterschied liegt klar zutage.

For example, you have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room.”

Zum Beispiel haben Sie doch häufig die Stufen gesehen, die von der Halle herauf in dieses Zimmer führen.«

“Frequently.”

»Ja, häufig.«

“How often?”

»Wie oft?«

“Well, some hundreds of times.”

»Nun, einige hundert Male.«

“Then how many are there?”

»Wie viele sind es denn?«

“How many? I don’t know.”

»Wie viele? Ich weiß es nicht.«

“Quite so! You have not observed. And yet you have seen. That is just my point.

»Das ist es! Sie haben nicht beobachtet. Und doch haben Sie gesehen. Darauf kommt es an.

Now, I know that there are seventeen steps, because I have both seen and observed.

Nun, ich weiß, daß es siebzehn Stufen sind, weil ich gesehen und beobachtet habe.

By the way, since you are interested in these little problems,

Übrigens: Da Sie sich für solche kleinen Probleme erwärmen

and since you are good enough to chronicle one or two of my trifling experiences, you may be interested in this.”

und da Sie so freundlich waren, über eine oder zwei meiner unbedeutenden Erfahrungen zu berichten, könnten Sie sich möglicherweise hierfür interessieren.«

He threw over a sheet of thick, pink-tinted notepaper which had been lying open upon the table.

Er reichte mir ein Blatt schweren, rosafarbenen Briefpapiers, das offen auf dem Tisch gelegen hatte.

“It came by the last post,” said he. “Read it aloud.”

»Es ist mit der letzten Post gekommen«, sagte er. »Lesen Sie laut.«

The note was undated, and without either signature or address.

Der Brief war undatiert, hatte weder Unterschrift noch Adresse.

“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.

›Heute abend Viertel vor acht‹, stand da, ›wird ein Herr bei Ihnen vorsprechen, der in einer Sache von äußerster Wichtigkeit Ihren Rat einholen möchte.

Your recent services to one of the royal houses of Europe have shown

Ihre neulich einem der Königshäuser Europas geleisteten Dienste haben erwiesen,

that you are one who may safely be trusted with matters which are of an importance which can hardly be exaggerated.

daß man Ihnen bedenkenlos Angelegenheiten anvertrauen kann, deren Wichtigkeit nicht hoch genug anzusetzen ist.

This account of you we have from all quarters received.

Dieser Ihr Ruf wurde uns von allen Seiten bestätigt.

Be in your chamber then at that hour, and do not take it amiss if your visitor wear a mask.”

Seien Sie zu der angegebenen Zeit in Ihrem Zimmer und nehmen Sie keinen Anstoß daran, wenn Ihr Besucher eine Maske trägt.‹

“This is indeed a mystery,” I remarked. “What do you imagine that it means?”

»Das ist wahrlich geheimnisvoll«, bemerkte ich. »Was, glauben Sie, mag das bedeuten?«

“I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data.

»Ich habe noch keine Prämissen. Es ist ein schwerer Fehler, wenn man theoretisiert, ohne Prämissen zu haben.

Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. But the note itself. What do you deduce from it?”

Unmerklich fängt man dann nämlich an, Tatsachen zurechtzubiegen, sie Theorien anzupassen, statt die Theorien nach Tatsachen zu bilden. Aber zum Brief. Was schließen Sie aus ihm?«

I carefully examined the writing, and the paper upon which it was written.

Sorgsam prüfte ich die Schrift und das Papier, auf dem sie stand.

“The man who wrote it was presumably well to do,” I remarked, endeavouring to imitate my companion’s processes.

»Der Mann, der das geschrieben hat, ist vermutlich wohlhabend«, bemerkte ich, bestrebt, das Vorgehen meines Freundes nachzuahmen.

“Such paper could not be bought under half a crown a packet. It is peculiarly strong and stiff.”

»Papier der Art kann man nicht unter einer halben Krone je Bogen kaufen. Es ist eigentümlich stark und steif.«

“Peculiar — that is the very word,” said Holmes. “It is not an English paper at all. Hold it up to the light.”

»Eigentümlich – das ist das treffende Wort«, sagte Holmes. »Es ist ganz bestimmt kein englisches Papier. Halten Sie es gegen das Licht.«

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.

Das tat ich und sah ein großes E mit einem kleinen g, ein P und ein großes G mit einem kleinen t in die Struktur des Papiers eingelassen.

“What do you make of that?” asked Holmes.

»Was halten Sie davon?« fragte Holmes.

“The name of the maker, no doubt; or his monogram, rather.”

»Zweifellos der Name des Herstellers, oder doch sein Firmenzeichen.«

“Not at all. The ‘G’ with the small ‘t’ stands for ‘Gesellschaft,’ which is the German for ‘Company.’

»Nichts dergleichen. Das G mit dem kleinen t steht für Gesellschaft, das deutsche Wort für ›Company‹.

It is a customary contraction like our ‘Co.’ ‘P,’ of course, stands for ‘Papier.’ Now for the ‘Eg.’

Es ist die gebräuchliche Abkürzung unseres ›Co.‹. P steht natürlich für ›Papier‹. Nun zum ›Eg‹.

Let us glance at our Continental Gazetteer.” He took down a heavy brown volume from his shelves.

Sehen wir in unser geographisches Lexikon vom Kontinent.« Er nahm einen schweren braunen Band aus dem Regal.

“Eglow, Eglonitz — here we are, Egria. It is in a German-speaking country — in Bohemia, not far from Carlsbad.

»Eglow, Eglonitz – hier haben wir es, Eger. Das liegt im deutschsprachigen Gebiet – in Böhmen, nicht weit von Karlsbad.

‘Remarkable as being the scene of the death of Wallenstein, and for its numerous glass-factories and paper-mills.’

›Bemerkenswert als Schauplatz der Ermordung Wallensteins und wegen der zahlreichen Glasfabriken und Papiermühlen.‹

Ha, ha, my boy, what do you make of that?” His eyes sparkled, and he sent up a great blue triumphant cloud from his cigarette.

Haha, mein Junge, was meinen Sie dazu?« Seine Augen funkelten, und er ließ aus seiner Zigarette eine große blaue Triumphwolke aufsteigen.

“The paper was made in Bohemia,” I said.

»Das Papier ist in Bohemia hergestellt worden«, sagte ich.

“Precisely. And the man who wrote the note is a German.

»Genau. Und der Mann, der den Brief geschrieben hat, ist Deutscher.

Do you note the peculiar construction of the sentence — ‘This account of you we have from all quarters received.’

Ist Ihnen der eigentümliche Satzbau aufgefallen … ›Dieser Ihr Ruf wurde uns von allen Seiten bestätigt …‹.

A Frenchman or Russian could not have written that. It is the German who is so uncourteous to his verbs.

Ein Franzose oder ein Russe kann das nicht geschrieben haben. Nur der Deutsche geht so unhöflich mit seinen Verben um.

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.

So bleibt lediglich übrig, herauszufinden, was dieser Deutsche will, der auf böhmischem Papier schreibt und es vorzieht, eine Maske zu tragen, statt sein Gesicht zu zeigen.

And here he comes, if I am not mistaken, to resolve all our doubts.”

Und hier kommt er, wenn ich nicht irre, um alle unsere Zweifel zu zerstreuen.«

As he spoke there was the sharp sound of horses’ hoofs and grating wheels against the curb, followed by a sharp pull at the bell. Holmes whistled.

Während er noch sprach, war das harte Geräusch von Pferdehufen und ein Mahlen von Rädern gegen den Bordstein zu hören. Darauf folgte ein heftiger Zug an der Hausglocke. Holmes pfiff.

“A pair, by the sound,” said he. “Yes,” he continued, glancing out of the window. “A nice little brougham and a pair of beauties.

»Ein Gespann, wie es sich anhört«, sagte er. »Ja«, fuhr er fort, nachdem er einen Blick aus dem Fenster geworfen hatte, »ein kleiner netter Brougham und zwei prächtige Pferde.

A hundred and fifty guineas apiece. There’s money in this case, Watson, if there is nothing else.”

Jedes einhundertundfünfzig Guineas wert. Wenn schon nichts anderes, dann steckt Geld in der Geschichte, Watson.«

“I think that I had better go, Holmes.”

»Ich glaube, ich gehe besser, Holmes.«

“Not a bit, Doctor. Stay where you are. I am lost without my Boswell.

»Aber nicht doch, Doktor. Bleiben Sie, wo Sie sind. Ohne meinen Boswell bin ich verloren.

And this promises to be interesting. It would be a pity to miss it.”

Und die Sache verspricht interessant zu werden. Es wäre ein Jammer, sie zu verpassen.«

“But your client —”

»Aber Ihr Klient …«

“Never mind him. I may want your help, and so may he.

»Kümmern Sie sich nicht um ihn. Möglicherweise brauche ich Ihre Hilfe, und er vielleicht auch.

Here he comes. Sit down in that armchair, Doctor, and give us your best attention.”

Da kommt er schon. Setzen Sie sich in den Sessel dort und schenken Sie uns Ihre ganze Aufmerksamkeit.«

A slow and heavy step, which had been heard upon the stairs and in the passage, paused immediately outside the door.

Ein langsamer, schwerer Schritt, den wir schon von der Treppe und vom Korridor gehört hatten, hielt unmittelbar vor der Tür.

Then there was a loud and authoritative tap.

Es folgte lautes, herrisches Klopfen.

“Come in!” said Holmes.

»Herein!« sagte 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.

Ein Mann, der kaum weniger als sechs Fuß und sechs Inches groß war und die Brust und die Gliedmaßen eines Herkules besaß, betrat das Zimmer.

His dress was rich with a richness which would, in England, be looked upon as akin to bad taste.

Seine Kleidung war prunkvoll, von einer Pracht, die man in England bereits für etwas ansieht, das schlechtem Geschmack sehr nahe kommt.

Heavy bands of astrakhan were slashed across the sleeves and fronts of his double-breasted coat,

Die Vorderteile und die Manschetten seiner zweireihigen Jacke waren breit mit Astrachanpelz besetzt,

while the deep blue cloak which was thrown over his shoulders was lined with flame-coloured silk

und der über die Schultern geworfene tiefblaue, mit flammendfarbener Seide gefütterte Umhang

and secured at the neck with a brooch which consisted of a single flaming beryl.

wurde am Hals mit einer Brosche zusammengehalten, die aus einem einzigen feurigen Beryll bestand.

Boots which extended halfway up his calves, and which were trimmed at the tops with rich brown fur,

Stiefel, die bis zur halben Wade reichten und am oberen Rand mit dichtem braunem Pelz eingefaßt waren,

completed the impression of barbaric opulence which was suggested by his whole appearance.

vervollständigten den Eindruck barbarischen Reichtums, den die ganze Erscheinung aufdrängte.

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,

Der Besucher trug in der Hand einen breitrandigen Hut und über dem oberen Teil des Gesichts bis auf die Backenknochen eine schwarze Maske,

which he had apparently adjusted that very moment, for his hand was still raised to it as he entered.

die er vermutlich soeben erst aufgesetzt hatte, denn er nestelte noch beim Eintreten an ihr herum.

From the lower part of the face he appeared to be a man of strong character,

Dem unteren Teil des Gesichts nach zu schließen, schien er ein Mann von starkem Charakter,

with a thick, hanging lip, and a long, straight chin suggestive of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy.

mit einer dicken hängenden Unterlippe und einem langen kräftigen Kinn, das eine Entschlossenheit andeutete, die an Eigensinn grenzte.

“You had my note?” he asked with a deep harsh voice and a strongly marked German accent.

»Haben Sie meinen Brief erhalten?« fragte er mit einer tiefen rauhen Stimme in stark ausgeprägtem deutschem Akzent.

“I told you that I would call.” He looked from one to the other of us, as if uncertain which to address.

»Ich habe Sie wissen lassen, daß ich Sie besuchen würde.« Er sah zwischen Holmes und mir hin und her, unsicher, wen er ansprechen sollte.

“Pray take a seat,” said Holmes.

»Bitte, nehmen Sie Platz«, sagte Holmes.

“This is my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, who is occasionally good enough to help me in my cases. Whom have I the honour to address?”

»Das ist mein Freund und Kollege Dr. Watson, der manchmal so freundlich ist, mir bei meinen Fällen zu helfen. Mit wem habe ich die Ehre?«

“You may address me as the Count Von Kramm, a Bohemian nobleman.

»Sie können mich als Grafen von Kramm anreden, einen Adligen aus Bohemia.

I understand that this gentleman, your friend, is a man of honour and discretion,

Ich halte diesen Herrn, Ihren Freund, für einen Mann von Ehre und Diskretion,

whom I may trust with a matter of the most extreme importance. If not, I should much prefer to communicate with you alone.”

dem ich in einer Angelegenheit von äußerster Wichtigkeit vertrauen kann. Anders würde ich es vorziehen, mit Ihnen allein zu tun zu haben.«

I rose to go, but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me back into my chair.

Ich erhob mich, um zu gehen, aber Holmes faßte mich am Handgelenk und schob mich in den Sessel zurück.

“It is both, or none,” said he. “You may say before this gentleman anything which you may say to me.”

»Entweder mit beiden oder mit keinem«, sagte er. »Vor diesem Herrn können Sie alles äußern, was Sie mir sagen wollen.«

The Count shrugged his broad shoulders. “Then I must begin,” said he, “by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years;

Der Graf zuckte die breiten Schultern. »Dann muß ich damit beginnen«, sagte er, »Sie beide auf zwei Jahre zu absolutem Stillschweigen zu verpflichten;

at the end of that time the matter will be of no importance.

nach Ablauf dieser Zeit wird die Angelegenheit unwichtig geworden sein.

At present it is not too much to say that it is of such weight it may have an influence upon European history.”

Für jetzt ist es nicht zuviel gesagt, wenn ich behaupte, sie hat ein solches Gewicht, daß sie Einfluß auf die europäische Geschichte nehmen könnte.«

“I promise,” said Holmes.

»Ich bin einverstanden«, sagte Holmes.

“And I.”

»Ich auch.«

“You will excuse this mask,” continued our strange visitor.

»Sie werden die Maske entschuldigen«, fuhr unser Besucher fort.

“The august person who employs me wishes his agent to be unknown to you,

»Die erlauchte Person, die mich beauftragt hat, wünscht, daß ihr Agent Ihnen unbekannt bleibt,

and I may confess at once that the title by which I have just called myself is not exactly my own.”

und ich kann Ihnen auch gleich gestehen, daß der Titel, unter dem ich mich vorstellte, nicht ganz der ist, den ich trage.«

“I was aware of it,” said Holmes dryly.

»Das habe ich erwartet«, sagte Holmes trocken.

“The circumstances are of great delicacy, and every precaution has to be taken to quench what might grow to be an immense scandal

»Die Umstände sind sehr delikat, und keine Vorsichtsmaßregel darf außer acht gelassen werden, damit nicht womöglich ein unerhörter Skandal entsteht,

and seriously compromise one of the reigning families of Europe.

der zu einer ernstlichen Kompromittierung einer der ersten Herrscherfamilien Europas führen könnte.

To speak plainly, the matter implicates the great House of Ormstein, hereditary kings of Bohemia.”

Um es klar zu sagen: Die Sache betrifft das berühmte Haus von Ormstein, der Erbkönige von Bohemia.«

“I was also aware of that,” murmured Holmes, settling himself down in his armchair and closing his eyes.

»Auch das habe ich erwartet«, murmelte Holmes, ließ sich in seinen Sessel nieder und schloß die Augen.

Our visitor glanced with some apparent surprise at the languid, lounging figure of the man

Unser Besucher blickte in offensichtlichem Staunen auf die schlaff dasitzende Gestalt des Mannes,

who had been no doubt depicted to him as the most incisive reasoner and most energetic agent in Europe.

der ihm zweifellos als der schärfste Denker und tatkräftigste Agent von ganz Europa beschrieben worden war.

Holmes slowly reopened his eyes and looked impatiently at his gigantic client.

Holmes schlug die Augen wieder auf und sah seinen hünenhaften Klienten ungeduldig an.

“If your Majesty would condescend to state your case,” he remarked, “I should be better able to advise you.”

»Wenn Eure Majestät sich herablassen würden, Ihren Fall vorzutragen«, bemerkte er, »wäre ich besser in der Lage, Rat zu erteilen.«

The man sprang from his chair and paced up and down the room in uncontrollable agitation.

Der Mann sprang vom Stuhl und durchmaß das Zimmer in unkontrollierter Erregung.

Then, with a gesture of desperation, he tore the mask from his face and hurled it upon the ground.

Dann, mit einer Geste der Verzweiflung, riß er sich die Maske vom Gesicht und warf sie zu Boden.

“You are right,” he cried; “I am the King. Why should I attempt to conceal it?”

»Sie haben recht«, rief er, »ich bin der König. Warum sollte ich versuchen, es zu verbergen?«

“Why, indeed?” murmured Holmes. “Your Majesty had not spoken before I was aware that I was addressing Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond von Ormstein,

»Ja, warum eigentlich?« murmelte Holmes. »Eure Majestät hatten noch kein Wort gesprochen, als mir schon bewußt war, daß ich es mit Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond von Ormstein,

Grand Duke of Cassel-Felstein, and hereditary King of Bohemia.”

Großherzog von Cassel-Falstein und erblichem König von Bohemia zu tun habe.«

“But you can understand,” said our strange visitor, sitting down once more and passing his hand over his high white forehead,

»Aber Sie werden wohl verstehen«, sagte unser seltsamer Besucher, setzte sich wieder und strich mit der Hand über die hohe weiße Stirn,

“you can understand that I am not accustomed to doing such business in my own person.

»Sie werden verstehen, daß ich nicht gewohnt bin, solche Geschäfte persönlich zu erledigen.

Yet the matter was so delicate that I could not confide it to an agent without putting myself in his power.

Aber dieses ist so heikel, daß ich es keinem Mittelsmann anvertrauen konnte, ohne mich in seine Macht zu begeben.

I have come incognito from Prague for the purpose of consulting you.”

Ich bin inkognito von Prag gekommen, um mich mit Ihnen zu beraten.«

“Then, pray consult,” said Holmes, shutting his eyes once more.

»Dann, bitte, beraten Sie sich«, sagte Holmes und schloß wieder die Augen.

“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.

»Die Tatsachen sind kurz die: Vor ungefähr fünf Jahren, während einer längeren Reise nach Warschau, lernte ich die bekannte Abenteurerin Irene Adler kennen.

The name is no doubt familiar to you.”

Der Name wird Ihnen zweifellos etwas sagen.«

“Kindly look her up in my index, Doctor,” murmured Holmes without opening his eyes.

»Bitte, Doktor, sehen Sie in meinem Verzeichnis nach«, murmelte Holmes, ohne die Augen zu öffnen.

For many years he had adopted a system of docketing all paragraphs concerning men and things,

Seit vielen Jahren besaß er ein umfangreiches Dokumentationssystem für alle Artikel, die Menschen und Dinge betrafen,

so that it was difficult to name a subject or a person on which he could not at once furnish information.

so daß es schwierig war, einen Gegenstand oder eine Person zu nennen, über die er sich nicht sofort zu informieren vermochte.

In this case 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-sea fishes.

In diesem Fall fand ich das Gewünschte zwischen der Biographie eines Rabbi und der eines Stabsoffiziers, welcher eine Monographie über Tiefseefische geschrieben hatte.

“Let me see!” said Holmes. “Hum! Born in New Jersey in the year 1858. Contralto — hum! La Scala, hum!

»Mal sehen«, sagte Holmes. »Hm! Geboren in New Jersey, 1858. Altistin – hm. La Scala, hm!

Prima donna Imperial Opera of Warsaw — yes! Retired from operatic stage — ha! Living in London — quite so!

Primadonna an der kaiserlichen Oper zu Warschau – ja! Von der Opernbühne zurückgezogen – ha! Lebt in London – so, so!

Your Majesty, as I understand, became entangled with this young person,

Eure Majestät haben sich also, wie ich es verstehe, mit dieser jungen Person eingelassen,

wrote her some compromising letters, and is now desirous of getting those letters back.”

haben ihr einige kompromittierende Briefe geschrieben und sind nun begierig, diese Briefe zurückzubekommen.«

“Precisely so. But how —”

»Genau so. Aber wie …«

“Was there a secret marriage?”

»Gab es eine heimliche Heirat?«

“None.”

»Keine.«

“No legal papers or certificates?”

»Gesetzliche Papiere oder Urkunden?«

“None.”

»Keine.«

“Then I fail to follow your Majesty.

»Dann verstehe ich Eure Majestät nicht.

If this young person should produce her letters for blackmailing or other purposes, how is she to prove their authenticity?”

Wenn die junge Person die Briefe für Erpressungen oder Ähnliches verwendet, wie sollte sie ihre Echtheit beweisen können?«

“There is the writing.”

»Aber es gibt da doch die Handschrift.«

“Pooh, pooh! Forgery.”

»Pah, pah! Fälschung.«

“My private note-paper.”

»Und mein privates Briefpapier.«

“Stolen.”

»Gestohlen.«

“My own seal.”

»Und mein Siegel.«

“Imitated.”

»Nachgemacht.«

“My photograph.”

»Meine Fotografie.«

“Bought.”

»Gekauft.«

“We were both in the photograph.”

»Wir sind beide auf der Fotografie.«

“Oh, dear! That is very bad! Your Majesty has indeed committed an indiscretion.”

»Oh! Das ist sehr schlimm! Eure Majestät haben wirklich eine Unbedachtsamkeit begangen.«

“I was mad — insane.”

»Ich war von Sinnen – verrückt.«

“You have compromised yourself seriously.”

»Sie haben sich ernstlich kompromittiert.«

“I was only Crown Prince then. I was young. I am but thirty now.”

»Ich war damals noch Kronprinz. Ich war jung. Ich bin jetzt erst dreißig.«

“It must be recovered.”

»Wir müssen das Bild zurückbekommen.«

“We have tried and failed.”

»Wir haben es versucht, es ist fehlgeschlagen.«

“Your Majesty must pay. It must be bought.”

»Eure Majestät müssen zahlen. Es muß gekauft werden.«

“She will not sell.”

»Sie will nicht verkaufen.«

“Stolen, then.”

»Dann muß es gestohlen werden.«

“Five attempts have been made. Twice burglars in my pay ransacked her house.

»Fünfmal ist das versucht worden. Zweimal haben Einbrecher, die ich bezahlte, ihr Haus durchsucht.

Once we diverted her luggage when she travelled. Twice she has been waylaid. There has been no result.”

Einmal haben wir ihr Gepäck auseinandergenommen, als sie auf Reisen war. Zweimal wurde ihr aufgelauert. Ohne Erfolg.«

“No sign of it?”

»Nicht der geringste?«

“Absolutely none.”

»Nichts.«

Holmes laughed. “It is quite a pretty little problem,” said he.

Holmes lachte. »Das ist wirklich ein nettes kleines Problem«, sagte er.

“But a very serious one to me,” returned the King reproachfully.

»Aber für mich ein sehr ernstes«, entgegnete der König vorwurfsvoll.

“Very, indeed. And what does she propose to do with the photograph?”

»In der Tat sehr ernst. Und was hat sie mit der Fotografie vor?«

“To ruin me.”

»Sie will mich ruinieren.«

“But how?”

»Aber wie?«

“I am about to be married.”

»Ich stehe vor der Hochzeit.«

“So I have heard.”

»Das hörte ich.«

“To Clotilde Lothman von Saxe-Meningen, second daughter of the King of Scandinavia.

»Mit Clotilde Lothmann von Saxe-Meningen, der zweiten Tochter des Königs von Scandinavia.

You may know the strict principles of her family. She is herself the very soul of delicacy.

Sie werden vielleicht von den strengen Prinzipien der Familie erfahren haben. Sie selber ist die Feinfühligkeit in Person.

A shadow of a doubt as to my conduct would bring the matter to an end.”

Der Schatten eines Zweifels an meinem Vorleben würde die Verbindung enden lassen.«

“And Irene Adler?”

»Und Irene Adler?«

“Threatens to send them the photograph. And she will do it. I know that she will do it.

»Droht, ihnen die Fotografie zu schicken. Und sie wird es tun. Ich weiß, daß sie es tun wird.

You do not know her, but she has a soul of steel. She has the face of the most beautiful of women, and the mind of the most resolute of men.

Sie kennen sie nicht, sie hat eine Seele von Stahl. Sie hat das schönste Frauengesicht und den entschlossensten Manneswillen.

Rather than I should marry another woman, there are no lengths to which she would not go — none.”

Wenn ich eine andere Frau heiraten sollte, es gäbe nichts, das sie unversucht lassen würde – nichts.«

“You are sure that she has not sent it yet?”

»Sind Sie sicher, daß sie das Bild noch nicht abgesandt hat?«

“I am sure.”

»Ich bin sicher.«

“And why?”

»Und warum?«

“Because she has said that she would send it on the day when the betrothal was publicly proclaimed. That will be next Monday.”

»Weil sie gesagt hat, sie würde es an dem Tage schicken, an dem meine Verlobung öffentlich verkündet wird. Das geschieht am nächsten Montag.«

“Oh, then we have three days yet,” said Holmes with a yawn.

»Oh, dann bleiben uns drei Tage«, sagte Holmes mit einem Gähnen.

“That is very fortunate, as I have one or two matters of importance to look into just at present.

»Das trifft sich glücklich, weil ich momentan noch zwei, drei wichtige Sachen habe, um die ich mich kümmern muß.

Your Majesty will, of course, stay in London for the present?”

Eure Majestät werden doch wohl vorerst in London bleiben?«

“Certainly. You will find me at the Langham under the name of the Count Von Kramm.”

»Gewiß. Sie können mich im ›Langham‹ erreichen, unter dem Namen des Grafen von Kramm.«

“Then I shall drop you a line to let you know how we progress.”

»Dann werde ich Ihnen Nachricht geben, um Sie ins Bild zu setzen, wie wir vorankommen.«

“Pray do so. I shall be all anxiety.”

»Bitte, tun Sie das. Ich bin voller Unruhe.«

“Then, as to money?”

»Und wie steht es mit dem Geld?«

“You have carte blanche.”

»Sie haben carte blanche.«

“Absolutely?”

»Absolut?«

“I tell you that I would give one of the provinces of my kingdom to have that photograph.”

»Ich würde eine Provinz meines Königreiches geben, um an die Fotografie heranzukommen.«

“And for present expenses?”

»Und was ist mit den laufenden Ausgaben?«

The King took a heavy chamois leather bag from under his cloak and laid it on the table.

Der König zog einen schweren Beutel aus Sämischleder unter dem Umhang hervor und legte ihn auf den Tisch.

“There are three hundred pounds in gold and seven hundred in notes,” he said.

»Hier sind dreihundert Pfund in Gold und siebenhundert in Banknoten«, sagte er.

Holmes scribbled a receipt upon a sheet of his note-book and handed it to him.

Holmes kritzelte eine Quittung auf ein Blatt seines Notizbuchs und gab sie ihm.

“And Mademoiselle’s address?” he asked.

»Und die Adresse von Demoiselle?« fragte er.

“Is Briony Lodge, Serpentine Avenue, St. John’s Wood.”

»Briony Lodge, Serpentine Avenue, St. John’s Wood.«

Holmes took a note of it. “One other question,” said he. “Was the photograph a cabinet?”

Holmes schrieb es auf. »Noch eine Frage«, sagte er. »Hat die Fotografie Kabinettformat?«

“It was.”

»Ja.«

“Then, good-night, your Majesty, and I trust that we shall soon have some good news for you.

»Dann also gute Nacht, Eure Majestät. Ich bin sicher, daß wir bald einige gute Nachrichten für Sie haben werden.

And good-night, Watson,” he added, as the wheels of the royal brougham rolled down the street.

Und gute Nacht, Watson«, fügte er hinzu, als die Räder des königlichen Brougham die Straße hinunterrollten.

“If you will be good enough to call to-morrow afternoon at three o’clock I should like to chat this little matter over with you.”

»Wenn Sie so gut sein wollten, morgen nachmittag um drei Uhr vorbeizukommen, würde ich mich gern über diese Kleinigkeit mit Ihnen unterhalten.«

I. A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA

I

TO Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. 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, precise but admirably balanced mind. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position. He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer. They were admirable things for the observer — 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 sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses, 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 seen little of Holmes lately. My marriage had drifted us away from each other. My own complete happiness, and the home-centred interests which rise up around the man who first finds himself master of his own establishment, were sufficient to absorb all 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 immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in following out those clues, and clearing up those 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 case 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 these 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 passed the well-remembered door, which must always be associated in my mind with my wooing, and with the dark incidents of the Study in Scarlet, I was seized with a keen desire to see 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 habit, his attitude and manner told their own story. He was at work again. He had risen 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 seldom was; but he was glad, I think, to see me. With hardly a word spoken, but with a kindly eye, he waved me to an armchair, threw across his case of cigars, and indicated a spirit case and a gasogene in the corner. Then he stood before the fire and looked me over in his singular introspective fashion.

“Wedlock suits you,” he remarked. “I think, Watson, that you have put on seven 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 observe. You did not tell me that you intended to go into harness.”

“Then, how do you know?”

“I see it, I deduce it. How do I know that you have been getting yourself very wet lately, and that you have a most clumsy and careless servant 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 see how you work it out.”

He chuckled to himself and rubbed his long, nervous hands together.

“It is simplicity itself,” 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 caused by someone who has very carelessly scraped round the edges of the sole in order to remove crusted mud from it. Hence, you see, 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 secreted 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 ease 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 myself, 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 himself down into an armchair. “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently seen 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 observed. And yet you have seen. That is just my point. Now, I know that there are seventeen steps, because I have both seen and observed. By the way, since you are interested in these 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 notepaper 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 services to one of the royal houses 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 theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. But the note itself. 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 processes. “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 ‘Gesellschaft,’ which is the German for ‘Company.’ It is a customary contraction like our ‘Co.’ ‘P,’ of course, 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 sent up a great blue triumphant cloud from his cigarette.

“The paper was made in Bohemia,” I said.

“Precisely. And the man who wrote the note is a German. Do you note the peculiar construction of the sentence — ‘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 horses’ 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 case, Watson, if there is nothing else.”

“I think that I had better go, Holmes.”

“Not a bit, Doctor. Stay where you are. I am lost without my Boswell. And this promises 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, paused 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, be looked upon as 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 secured 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, 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 raised 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 seat,” said Holmes. “This is my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, who is occasionally good enough to help me in my cases. 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 rose 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 secrecy for two years; at the end of that time the matter will be of no importance. At present it is not too much to say that it is of such weight it may have an influence upon European history.”

“I promise,” said Holmes.

“And I.”

“You will excuse 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 myself is not exactly my own.”

“I was aware of it,” said Holmes dryly.

“The circumstances are of great delicacy, and every precaution has to be taken to quench what might grow to be an immense scandal and seriously compromise one of the reigning families of Europe. To speak plainly, the matter implicates the great House of Ormstein, hereditary kings of Bohemia.”

“I was also aware of that,” murmured Holmes, settling himself down in his armchair and closing his eyes.

Our visitor glanced with some apparent surprise 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 case,” he remarked, “I should be better able to advise 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 Cassel-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 myself in his power. I have come incognito from Prague for the purpose of consulting you.”

“Then, pray consult,” said Holmes, shutting his eyes once more.

“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.”

“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 case 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-sea fishes.

“Let me see!” said Holmes. “Hum! Born in New Jersey 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 those letters back.”

“Precisely so. But how —”

“Was there a secret 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 purposes, how is she to prove their authenticity?”

“There is the writing.”

“Pooh, pooh! Forgery.”

“My private note-paper.”

“Stolen.”

“My own seal.”

“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 compromised yourself seriously.”

“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 sell.”

“Stolen, then.”

“Five attempts have been made. Twice burglars in my pay ransacked her house. 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 serious one to me,” returned the King reproachfully.

“Very, indeed. And what does she propose 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, second daughter of the King of Scandinavia. You may know the strict principles of her family. She is herself the very soul of delicacy. A shadow of a doubt as to my conduct would bring the matter to an end.”

“And Irene Adler?”

“Threatens to send them the photograph. And she will do it. I know that she will do it. You do not know her, but she has a soul of steel. She has the face of the most beautiful of women, and the mind of the most resolute of men. Rather than I should marry another woman, there are no lengths to which she would not go — none.”

“You are sure that she has not sent it yet?”

“I am sure.”

“And why?”

“Because she has said that she would send it on the day when the betrothal was publicly proclaimed. That will be next Monday.”

“Oh, then we have three days yet,” said Holmes with a yawn. “That is very fortunate, as I have one or two matters of importance to look into just at present. Your Majesty will, of course, stay in London for the present?”

“Certainly. You will find me at the Langham under the name of the Count Von Kramm.”

“Then I shall drop you a line to let you know how we progress.”

“Pray do so. I shall be all anxiety.”

“Then, as to money?”

“You have carte blanche.”

“Absolutely?”

“I tell you that I would give one of the provinces of my kingdom to have that photograph.”

“And for present expenses?”

The King took a heavy chamois leather bag from under his cloak and laid it on the table.

“There are three hundred pounds in gold and seven hundred in notes,” he said.

Holmes scribbled a receipt upon a sheet of his note-book and handed it to him.

“And Mademoiselle’s address?” he asked.

“Is Briony Lodge, Serpentine Avenue, St. John’s Wood.”

Holmes took a note of it. “One other question,” said he. “Was the photograph a cabinet?”

“It was.”

“Then, good-night, your Majesty, and I trust that we shall soon have some good news for you. And good-night, Watson,” he added, as the wheels of the royal brougham rolled down the street. “If you will be good enough to call to-morrow afternoon at three o’clock I should like to chat this little matter over with you.”