"Oh." "Oh, my dear." "My dearest." "I warned you, I said do not go to near the edge." "Why did you push me Baron?" "Dear wife, you're dreaming." "No." "Dying." "Oh, my darling." "Anything stirring Holmes?" "I know no more than this." "There may be some fatty self-important fool, it may be a matter of life or death." "Mmm, you grant this interview?" "I've already confirmed it." "Do you know anything of the man?" "Only that the name Colonel Sir James Damery is a household word in society." "I can tell you a little bit more than that." "He has rather the reputation for arranging delicate matters which are to be kept out of the papers." "He's a man of the world with a natural turn for diplomacy." "And then, therefore to hope it is not a false scent, that he has some real need of our assistance." "Our?" "If you'll be so good Watson." "I shall be honoured." "Then until four-thirty o'clock we can put the matter out of our heads." "Mr. Holmes, we are dealing on this occasion with the most dangerous man in Europe." "I've had several opponents to whom that flattering term has been applied." "A man to whom violence is familiar and who will literally stick at nothing." "Don't you smoke?" "Excuse my pipe." "But if your man is more dangerous than the late Professor Moriarty, he's indeed worth meeting." "May I ask his name?" "Have you ever heard of Baron Gruner?" "The Austrian murderer?" "So you've already sized him up as a murderer?" "It is our business to follow the details of Continental crime." "I'm sure that he killed his wife when that so called accident happened at the Splugen Pass as if I'd seen him do it." "Just as I am certain that he disposed the only witness, that innocent shepherd boy." "Baron Gruner is now in England." "Residing near Kingston I'm informed?" "That is so." "Might I also suppose you will have heard of General Merville?" "Kyber Pass fame." "Indeed." "General Merville has a daughter, Violet." "Young, rich, accomplished, a wonder woman in every way." "It is she an innocent, we are endeavouring to save from the clutches of this fiend." "He has some hold over her?" "The strongest of all where women are concerned, Mr. Holmes." "Ah, love." "Exactly." "In marrying you, my darling all my past sins shall be absolved." "These aren't sins you've told me of." "These are slanders." "My angel." "You were seduced, as are all great men." "Yet I am determined you shall know my history, every part of it." "Thus shall I come to the altar purified in soul and spirit and worthy at last of your love?" "Just six weeks." "Oh Adelbert." "I cannot pretend my past is without stain." "No man born in poverty who has created his own fortune can say that and speak the truth, oh, no." "I have been forced to many a ruthless act, my dear." "Where shall I begin?" "To observe, Mr. Holmes, an atrocious event, preparing itself before your very eyes and yet be powerless to avert it." "Could anyone, any human being be placed in a more trying position?" "Perhaps not." "Well then you will sympathise with the client in whose interest I am acting." "I did not understand that you were merely an intermediary, who is the principal?" "I beg of you not to press that question." "His name cannot be dragged into this matter." "His motives are to the last degree honourable but he prefers to remain unknown." "I need not say that your fees will be assured, Mr. Holmes." "And you will be allowed a free hand." "Surely the actual name of your client is immaterial." "I must decline to act, Sir James, I'm sorry." "I'm accustomed to having mystery at one end of my cases but to have it at both ends is too confusing." "No." "You place me in the most serious dilemma." "Dare I say, Mr. Holmes, you hardly realise the affect of your own action." "I have given my word not to reveal the identity of my client." "May I at the least lay all I can before you?" "It is understood." "I commit myself to nothing." "But of course, yes, yes." "A perfect likeness." "Who painted it?" "Hans of Innsbruck, a descendant of Claus the sculptor, famous for his bronzes such as this." "I shall commission Hans to attempt your likeness, my precious." "I love this room." "It breathes of you." "What's this?" "Your diary?" "No, no, it is, it is my commonplace book." "In it I record things I've seen, read, admired, occasionally perhaps, a thought or two of my own." "But it's locked." "It is a little part of me, besides a servant might pry." "One day, perhaps, we shall look at it together." "No, I respect your privacy, my darling." "We must all keep something of our own, however much else we share." "You are perfect." "You must teach me about porcelain, Adelbert." "I shall." "Collecting is such a pleasure such a delight, it is a passion with me just as you are, my precious." "The villain has attached himself to a lady with such effect that he has completely and absolutely won her heart." "She will not hear one word against him." "To sum up, she proposes to marry him next month." "As she of age and has a will of iron that's hard to know how to prevent her." "Does the infatuated young woman know of the Swiss episode?" "The cunning devil has told her every unsavoury scandal of his past life but always in such a way as to make himself out to be the innocent martyr." "She accepts his version and will listen to no one, not even her fathers." "Dear me, Sir James, have you not- inadvertently let out the name of your client?" "The General?" "Oh no, Dr. Watson, that strong soldier has been utterly demoralised by this incident." "Mrs. Hudson." "You rang, sir?" "Will you deliver this to the butcher's boy around the corner?" "That young rascal with the funny eye?" "The other is invaluable so is his bicycle." "Sir." "How may I keep in touch with you, Sir James?" "You accept my commission?" "Let us just say that your problem interests me." "The Carlton Club will find me." "And the Baron's exact address in Kingston?" "Vernon Lodge, the large house, he's a rich man." "Speculators when successful frequently are, Sir James." "What further information can you give us about the man?" "He has expensive tastes." "Collects books, pictures." "Oh, and Chinese pottery." "He's a recognised authority, written a book upon the subject." "Well, Sir James, you may tell your client that I'm turning my attention towards Baron Gruner." "I have no doubt, Mr. Holmes, you can easily trace my client." "But I must ask you as a point of honour to refrain from doing so." "Do not, I beg you, break in upon his incognito." "I think I can safely promise that." "Thank you." "Dr. Watson." "You're wasting your time, Watson." "Now the career of General Merville might well give us a pointer as to our client." "He's clearly illustrious." "But did you not hear, Sir James?" "His request was to you, Holmes." "But that is shameful, Watson, shameful besides our minds should be more gainfully employed, desist." "Any views?" "Have you none?" "Not yet." "Beyond the one I've already acted upon." "The butcher's boy." "More discreet than any telegraph." "Well, I shall think you better see the young lady yourself." "Start with her." "Well, if her poor broken down father cannot move her, how can I, a complete stranger prevail?" "Well, if all else fails." "Perhaps." "But first, the underworld." "For it is among the dark roots of crime that we must hunt for Gruner's secrets." "You've sent for Shinwell Johnson." "I have but one insight, that Miss Merville might well condone murder" "yet some smaller affair that might..." "We shall see." "They have engaged the very best." "Show him in." "Mr. Sherlock Holmes, sir." "I rather thought I should see you sooner or later, Mr. Holmes." "You've been retained no doubt by General Merville to prevent my marriage with his daughter, Violet?" "That is so, is it not?" "Let me advise you very strongly, Mr. Holmes, to draw off at once." "Draw off?" "My dear man, you'll only ruin your well-deserved reputation." "This is not a case in which you can possibly hope to succeed, draw off sir." "It is curious but that is the very advice that I've come to give you." "Let me put it to you man to man." "If you persist in this marriage, you will raise such a swarm of powerful enemies," "England would be too hot to hold you." "Surely you will be wiser to draw off." "Excuse my amusement, Mr. Holmes, but it really is very funny seeing you trying to play a hand with no cards in it" "Not a colour card there, sir, nothing but the smallest of the small." "So you think." "So I know, sir, so I know." "Let me make the thing clear to you." "You consider your hand so strong that you could afford to show it?" "Certainly, since it becomes plain that in this instance you are clearly out of your depth, Mr. Holmes." "Could it be that your capabilities have been subject to hyperbole?" "Your hand, show it." "Won't you sit down?" "I think I shan't." "Please yourself." "Well, sir, it happens I have been fortunate enough" "to win the entire affection of Miss Merville." "This in spite of the fact that I have informed her clearly of all the unhappy incidents in my past." "I have warned her that certain designing persons would come to her." "I hope you recognise yourself in this and would tell her of these things." "I have instructed her how to treat them." "She is well prepared for you." "She will no doubt give you an appointment and she will listen." "It will be to no avail, however." "If you wish to speak, now is your moment." "No." "This is not the moment." "Oh, by the way, Mr. Holmes, did you know the French Agent Labrun?" "Of course." "So you know what befell him?" "He was beaten in the Lament District of Paris and crippled for life." "Quite so." "By an odd coincidence, he had been inquiring into my affairs." "Don't do it, Mr. Holmes, it's not a lucky thing." "My last word to you is you go your way, let me go mine." "Mind you Gruner, because if you aspire to be accepted into English Society you'll do well to remove the band from your Havana before lighting it otherwise you'll be put down for a bounder." "Mrs. Hudson, has Holmes returned?" "Not yet, sir, but there are two visitors waiting." "Thank you, Mrs. Hudson." "Why Johnson." "Evening, Doctor, Mr. Holmes sent word to me." "I know, Johnson, I know." "And I brought Kit here..." "Mrs. Hudson, that's when I was delayed at the museum and then the traffic, an omnibus overturned on Great Russell Street, two dead a horse had to be put down." "Gentlemen forgive me," "I was absorbed by the mysteries of me, I quite forgotten the hour, madam." "This is Miss Winter, Mr. Holmes," "Kitty we call her and what she don't know about Gruner." "Of course, please." "Well, Kitty can speak for herself." "Anyway I put me hand right on her within an hour of your message, sir." "I'm easy to find." "Hell, London gets me every time, same address goes for Porky." "Porky, is that your nom-de-guerre Johnson?" "You have never revealed that." "Porky, well." "We're old mates, Porky and me." "But there's someone who ought to be down in a lower hell than us and that's the man you're after, Mr. Holmes." "I gather we have your good wishes, Miss Winter?" "If I can help put him where he belongs," "I'm yours to the rattle, sir." "Do you know what he intends, how the matter stands?" "Porky tells me he's after some other poor fool only this time he wants to marry her and you want to stop it?" "Yes." "Surely you know enough about this devil to prevent any decent girl in her senses wanting to have anything to do with him." "But she's not in her senses, Miss Winter, she's madly in love and she has been told all about it." "She cares for nothing." "Told about the murder of his wife?" "Yes." "My lord, she must have a nerve." "She has." "Can't you lay proofs before her?" "Can you help us do so?" "I am proof." "Living proof." "If I was to stand before her and tell her how he used me." "Would you do this?" "Would I, would I not." "It might be worth the trying." "Oh he didn't tell her all, sir." "All?" "He collected me, he collects women." "I was an artist's model a respectable artist's model." "Of course, you sat for that painting in his study." "You've been to Kingston then you'll have seen all his crocks." "Women and china, they're his twin passions." "Gruner commissioned that painting, and afterwards... and after... well, let's just say I can never work again." "Never." "I am exceedingly obliged to you, Miss Winter, we shall indeed interview you and Miss Merville together." "My client will compensate you most liberally." "Oh, none of that, Mr. Holmes." "I'm not out for money." "Just let me see this man in the mud, in the mud with my foot in his face, that's my price." "From Kingston." "Thank you, Mrs. Hudson, no reply." "Shall we dine?" "This is a death threat, Holmes." "Did you expect anything less from Baron Gruner?" "Holmes, have a care." "Oh, Watson, come along." "We must eat." "Come on girl." "They ain't following no more." "Don't you believe it." "Yeah, what'd I say?" "Now you stand over there, Kitty, there's a good girl." "Right, who's first, you or you?" "Amateurs, they've done no time, don't know nothing come on girl." "There's two persons wish to see you sir." "Persons?" "I couldn't in honesty term them gentlemen, sir." "I'll come." "Was he armed?" "No, sir," "Go through to the kitchens, clean yourselves up and clear out." "I have agreed to this visit out of respect for my father, Mr. Holmes, rather than for you." "My fiancé assures me you are no longer what you were, a spent force." "And you, Miss Winter, surely you must also be superfluous." "Our intentions are the best." "We are here to aid you." "Really?" "When you call to malign my fiancé?" "I am not renowned Miss Merville, for the warmth of my affections but I can appreciate them in others." "Had I a daughter," "I should I hope feel for you as the General does, nor is our concern without foundation." "There, the slander begins." "No, I do not readily call upon anyone to beg or to plead but in Baron Gruner, please, I never speak idly." "You've chosen not only unwisely but dangerously." "Marry him, Miss Merville, and I assure you with all the knowledge I have of the criminal mentality, you will be in mortal danger," "just as the former baroness was, she too was infatuated and paid the fatal price, her life for a fortune." "That's a lie." "You are of course aware that the Splugen Pass where your predecessor died runs between Italy and Switzerland?" "What does the geography matter?" "A great deal." "When you plan to hurl a helpless woman off a cliff in one country to break her neck in another." "But it was an accident." "Then why did the shepherd boy who saw the baroness fall die of arsenical poison?" "His murderess whom Gruner had seduced confessed at her trial that he'd obliged her to administer the fatal substance or risk disfigurement for life by oil of vitriol." "Those are the facts, Miss Merville, I beg you, picture the awful situation you will find yourself in, if you only wake to your fiancé's true character after you have married him." "I have listened to you with patience, Mr. Holmes." "I am aware my fiancé has had a stormy life in which he has incurred most unjust aspersions." "Possibly you mean well though I learn you are a paid agent." "But in any case I love Baron Gruner and he loves me." "You have told me this young lady's name and that there is a reason for her presence." "I'll say there is." "And what exactly are you, Miss Winter?" "Me, I'll tell you." "I'll tell you what I am." "I was his mistress that's who, one of a hundred more." "He's tempted, he used, ruined and thrown aside, as he will you too." "Please." "You marry this man it'll be the death of you." "It may be a broken heart or a broken neck but he'll have you." "Oh really." "You may think yourself different." "Thank you, Kitty, you've made yourself admirably clear." "I'm aware of three occasions in my fiancé's life when he has become entangled with designing women." "And I'm assured by him of his hearty repentance." "Him?" "Repent?" "And only three?" "Oh, you fool, you stupid fool." "Mr. Holmes," "I have obeyed my father's wish in seeing you but I'm not compelled to listen to the slanderous ravings..." "Ravings?" "Ravings!" "Oh my god," "I'll show you." "Look." "You see that?" "And here, oil of vitriol." "He did it." "Oh, yes, he did it, your fiancé." "That's a lie." "It's a lie." "Thank you, Kitty." "You can tell the Baron that I shall not rest until I bring him to justice." "Miss Winter." "Why Kitty, why?" "No please." "Why did Gruner treat you so?" "Because..." "no, I can't tell you, Mr. Holmes." "You must at this instant." "You said that he collects women, what did you mean by that?" "It's a book he has." "A book?" "Brown leather with a lock and his coat of arms in gold on it." "No, I can't speak of it." "He keeps a record of his women?" "We're all in there." "Photographs, names, details, everything about us." "He tried to make me read it while he- oh, no, I can't." "And when you refused?" "He went berserk." "He ran out of the room." "I was trying to dress, he come back in with this bottle." "I was half-naked, and he threw it straight at me." "Where is this book?" "I don't know." "Think." "No, no." "In the study in the bedroom?" "It's more than a year since I was there." "Than you can remember Kitty think." "In the study," "back of the bureau." "Thank you, Kitty, thank you." "Miss Winter's scars could not move Miss Merville?" "She was shocked but recovered instantly." "Good heavens, it seems inhuman." "I confess that part of me could wish her joy with Gruner." "Abandon her to her fate after all this?" "When I compare Miss Merville with Kitty whose spirit is as fine as her body is blemished, yes." "You wouldn't withdraw from the case?" "Have no fear, Watson," "My disgust with Miss Merville counts as nothing against my determination to foil Gruner, but one thing irks me," "that I've not paid more regard to Kitty's deportment when we first met, the manner in which she dressed her hair." "Huh, it's late." "We must be gone." "I've got a mountain of work to do at the surgery Holmes so I'll see you in the morning." "Until tomorrow then." "All right, Sherlock Holmes, let's be having you." "Ah and I can guess to whom I owe this pleasure." "Read all about it." "Murderous attack on Sherlock Holmes." "Read all about it." "Murderous attack on Sherlock Holmes." "Read all about it." "Read all about it." "Murderous attack on Sherlock Holmes." "It's all right, Watson, don't look so scared." "You mustn't talk." "Nonsense, I need to." "What can I do, Holmes?" "Of course it was that damned Austrian." "Give me the word and I'm go and thrash the hide off him." "Good old Watson, no, no, no, no." "Was it the same pair that attacked Johnson and Miss Winter?" "One may have been, the other I doubt it." "But..." "We must send a note to Johnson." "Tell him to find a quiet suburb for Kitty," "She should stay there until the danger has passed." "And then, then we must exaggerate my injuries." "There's no need for that." "Even so we must lay it on thick for the press." "I might not live the week out, concussion, delirium, I don't care what would you like?" "They must receive the gravest bulletins." "Anything more?" "Yes." "Put my pipe on the table and the tobacco slip." "You must rest not smoke." "Very well, Doctor." "Oh my dearest, every day you become more precious to me." "What is it?" "It's just that... must you really go to America?" "Oh, my darling, it's only a short trip, I have important financial business, certain interests to regulate in Chicago but I shall be back so soon, in the twinkle of an eye." "The late editions, sir." "Thank you." "Have you seen the papers?" "That poor man Holmes, he sinks daily." "I'm afraid you cannot expect me to have very much sympathy with Mr. Holmes and his misfortune." "Mmm, encephalitis has set in." "Have you seen the news?" "No." "Gruner sails for America on the Ruratania on Friday." "News hits hard." "Friday, that means he sails from Liverpool not from Southampton." "That little rascal means to get away from us, but he won't," "By the Lord Harry he won't." "Watson, I need you to do something for me." "I'm here to be used." "Then spend the next 24 hours in an intensive study of Chinese pottery." "Hung Wu, 1368-1390, 1368-1390..." "He's sleeping now, sir." "That would be the morphine." "You won't let the lamp smoke, will you?" "No, no, no, you locked up below?" "I did that a while back, there's murderous folk about." "True, true." "Don't drive yourself too hard, sir, you'll be good for nothing in the morning." "No, I shan't be long." "Dr. Hill Barton, 369 Half Moon Street Mayfair West, who's this?" "You." "Me?" "That is your name this evening, Dr. Hill Barton." "It is?" "Yes, and you'll call upon Baron Gruner about half past eight," "He'll be disengaged." "I sent a note telling him that you'll call." "Also, that you're bringing this." "It is the real eggshell of the Ming Dynasty." "The complete set would be worth a king's ransom." "You are a collector." "The set has come your way." "You've heard of the Baron's interest and an investor is selling at a price." "What price?" "We will not exaggerate if you say it would hardly matched in the world." "Sir James got it for me." "It comes from a collection of his client." "Or I could say that it should be valued by an expert." "Oh, Watson, you scintillate today." "I suggest Sotheby's or Christie." "You're certain he'll see me?" "Oh, yes, it's the collection mania in its most acute form." "One last question, Holmes." "Why have you made me a broker in antiques?" "To gain time, the opportunity to acquire the set such as this may persuade the Baron to postpone his visit to the United States." "Now I understand." "Elementary psychology, Watson?" "Kingston please driver." "Very fine." "Very fine indeed." "And you say you have a set to correspond?" "I know of only one in England to match it." "Would it be indiscreet of me if I were to ask how you obtained this?" "Does it really matter?" "Of course it matters with precious objects such as these provenance is all." "Well you can see the piece is genuine." "As to the value I'm perfectly content to take an expert's assessment." "I had supposed you were an expert, Dr. Hill Barton." "I meant an independent assessment." "Of course." "I have some recently acquired pieces of celadon." "You might care to view?" "By all means." "Please." "It's flawless." "Typical 12th Century Sung, I'd say, wouldn't you?" "You're right." "And this?" "That's an excellent example, Ching Dynasty I should say... circa 265 A.D." "Precisely." "And these?" "Typical of celadon, would you say?" "Give me time, give me time." "I am giving you time, sir." "Quite so." "I should also be interested in your views on the marks of the Hung Wu." "Marks of the Hung Wu?" "That's a vexed question." "Vexed question indeed, sir." "There are no marks on the genuine Hung Wu." "This is intolerable, sir," "I came here to do you a favour, not to be examined as if I were a schoolboy." "You came here to spy." "Not so." "You may have found it easy to inveigle your way in here upon false pretences but by god sir, you shall find it harder to get out." "Raise your hands above your head, Dr. Watson." "What's that?" "Holmes, you." "Don't move." "I shall shoot you through the head rather than the heart" "and inform the police." "I mistook you for a common burglar." "That is a role that I've played before with some success." "Without any doubt, sir, this will be your last time." "Baron!" "Kitty!" "Be done by your debt." "Doctor, doctor, help me, help me." "Telephone the Baron's physician." "Ah, Sir James forgive me for summoning you at this late hour but there's no time to be lost." "You must have this before Scotland Yard bumbles in." "Scotland Yard?" "Baron Gruner's bound to laid a complaint against us," "Watson as an impostor, myself as a burglar, we were both." "I diverted Gruner's attention while Holmes procured that." "You must show it to Miss Merville, she will find herself one among a hundred." "The account of what sports." "Baron Gruner enjoyed with his female victims may have perhaps at last open Miss Merville's eyes." "You've done wonders, Holmes, wonders." "Except for Kitty Winter." "Watson explain, I must rest." "Miss Winter is a former mistress of Gruner's, she followed me to Kingston, concealed about her was a flask of vitriol." "Which she unleashed upon Gruner." "Severely damaging his right hand and parts of his face." "He will be disfigured for life." "But surely if these injuries are as terrible as you described them then our purpose is sufficiently gained..." "She'd love him the more as a disfigured martyr, no." "It is his moral side not his physical which we have to destroy." "That book will bring her down to earth and I knew nothing else that could." "It's in his own handwriting, she cannot get past it." "Neither my client nor myself can thank you enough, Holmes." "Should either Miss Winter or even you yourself." "Be incommoded by the police, do not hesitate to telephone me." "Thank you, Sir James but to tell the truth," "I rarely if ever find myself inconvenienced by Scotland Yard." "Good night." "I would like to thank you too, Watson." "Thank you, Sir James." "Oh, by the way..." "Ming dish." "By jove yes." "Worth a king's ransom I understand." "Holmes." "Holmes, I've discovered the identity of our client." "It's none other than the..." "A loyal friend and a chivalrous gentleman, let that now and forever be enough for us."