spaper?SoyouhavebeentoCoombeTracey,haveyou?”
“Yes.”
“ToseeMrs.LauraLyons?”
“Exactly.”
“Welldone!Ourresearcheshaveevidentlybeenrunningonparallellines,andwhenweuniteourresultsIexpectweshallhaveafairlyfullknowledgeofthecase.”
“Well,Iamgladfrommyheartthatyouarehere,forindeedtheresponsibilityandthemysterywerebothbecomingtoomuchformynerves.Buthowinthenameofwonderdidyoucomehere,andwhathaveyoubeendoing?IthoughtthatyouwereinBakerStreetworkingoutthatcaseofblackmailing.”
“ThatwaswhatIwishedyoutothink.”
“Thenyouuseme,andyetdonottrustme!”Icriedwithsomebitterness.“IthinkthatIhavedeservedbetteratyourhands,Holmes.”
“Mydearfellow,youhavebeeninvaluabletomeinthisasinmanyothercases,andIbegthatyouwillforgivemeifIhaveseemedtoplayatrickuponyou.Intruth,itwaspartlyforyourownsakethatIdidit,anditwasmyappreciationofthedangerwhichyouranwhichledmetocomedownandexaminethematterformyself.HadIbeenwithSirHenryandyouitisconfidentthatmypointofviewwouldhavebeenthesameasyours,andmypresencewouldhavewarnedourveryformidableopponentstobeontheirguard.Asitis,IhavebeenabletogetaboutasIcouldnotpossiblyhavedonehadIbeenlivingintheHall,andIremainanunknownfactorinthebusiness,readytothrowinallmyweightatacriticalmoment.”
“Butwhykeepmeinthedark?”
“Foryoutoknowcouldnothavehelpedusandmightpossiblyhaveledtomydiscovery.Youwouldhavewishedtotellmesomething,orinyourkindnessyouwouldhavebroughtmeoutsomecomfortorother,andsoanunnecessaryriskwouldberun.IbroughtCartwrightdownwithme—yourememberthelittlechapattheexpressoffice—andhehasseenaftermysimplewants:aloafofbreadandacleancollar.Whatdoesmanwantmore?Hehasgivenmeanextrapairofeyesuponaveryactivepairoffeet,andbothhavebeeninvaluable.”
“Thenmyreportshaveallbeenwasted!”—MyvoicetrembledasIrecalledthepainsandthepridewithwhichIhadcomposedthem.
Holmestookabundleofpapersfromhispocket.
“Hereareyourreports,mydearfellow,andverywellthumbed,Iassureyou.Imadeexcellentarrangements,andtheyareonlydelayedonedayupontheirway.Imustcomplimentyouexceedinglyuponthezealandtheintelligencewhichyouhaveshownoveranextraordinarilydifficultcase.”
Iwasstillratherrawoverthedeceptionwhichhadbeenpractiseduponme,butt