“Why,indeed?”murmuredHolmes.“YourMajestyhadnotspokenbeforeIwasawarethatIwasaddressingWilhelmGottsreichSigismondvonOrmstein,GrandDukeofCassel-Felstein,andhereditaryKingofBohemia.”
“Butyoucanunderstand,”saidourstrangevisitor,sittingdownoncemoreandpassinghishandoverhishighwhiteforehead,“youcanunderstandthatIamnotaccustomedtodoingsuchbusinessinmyownperson.YetthematterwassodelicatethatIcouldnotconfideittoanagentwithoutputtingmyselfinhispower.IhavecomeincognitofromPragueforthepurposeofconsultingyou.”
“Then,prayconsult,”saidHolmes,shuttinghiseyesoncemore.
“Thefactsarebrieflythese:Somefiveyearsago,duringalengthyvisittoWarsaw,Imadetheacquaintanceofthewell-knownadventuress,IreneAdler.Thenameisnodoubtfamiliartoyou.”
“Kindlylookherupinmyindex,Doctor,”murmuredHolmeswithoutopeninghiseyes.Formanyyearshehadadoptedasystemofdocketingallparagraphsconcerningmenandthings,sothatitwasdifficulttonameasubjectorapersononwhichhecouldnotatoncefurnishinformation.InthiscaseIfoundherbiographysandwichedinbetweenthatofaHebrewrabbiandthatofastaff-commanderwhohadwrittenamonographuponthedeep-seafishes.
“Letmesee!”saidHolmes.“Hum!BorninNewJerseyintheyear1858.Contralto—hum!LaScala,hum!PrimadonnaImperialOperaofWarsaw—yes!Retiredfromoperaticstage—ha!LivinginLondon—quiteso!YourMajesty,asIunderstand,becameentangledwiththisyoungperson,wrotehersomecompromisingletters,andisnowdesirousofgettingthoselettersback.”
“Preciselyso.Buthow—”
“Wasthereasecretmarriage?”
“None.”
“Nolegalpapersorcertificates?”
“None.”
“ThenIfailtofollowyourMajesty.Ifthisyoungpersonshouldproduceherlettersforblackmailingorotherpurposes,howisshetoprovetheirauthenticity?”
“Thereisthewriting.”
“Pooh,pooh!Forgery.”
“Myprivatenote-paper.”
“Stolen.”
“Myownseal.”
“Imitated.”
“Myphotograph.”
“Bought.”
“Wewerebothinthephotograph.”
“Oh,dear!Thatisverybad!YourMajestyhasindeedcommittedanindiscretion.”
“Iwasmad—insane.”
“Youhavecompromisedyourselfseriously.”
“IwasonlyCrownPrincethen.Iwasyoung.Iambutthirtynow.”
“Itmustberecovered.”
“Wehavetriedandfailed.”
“YourMajestymustpay.Itmustbebought.”
“Shewillnotsell.”
“Stolen,then.”
“Fiveattemptshavebeenmade.Twiceburglarsinmypayransackedherhouse.Oncewedivertedherluggagewhenshetravelled.Twiceshehasbeenwaylaid.Therehasbeennoresult.”
“Nosignofit?”
“Absolutelynone.”
Holmeslaughed.“Itisquiteaprettylittleproblem,”saidhe.
“Butaveryseriousonetome,”returnedtheKingreproachfully.
“Very,indeed.Andwhatdoessheproposetodowiththephotograph?”
“Toruinme.”
“Buthow?”
“Iamabouttobemarried.”
“SoIhaveheard.”
“ToClotildeLothmanvonSaxe-Meningen,seconddaughteroftheKingofScandinavia.Youmayknowthestrictprinciplesofherfamily.Sheisherselftheverysoulofdelicacy.Ashadowofadoubtastomyconductwouldbringthemattertoanend.”
“AndIreneAdler?”
“Threatenstosendthemthephotograph.Andshewilldoit.Iknowthatshewilldoit.Youdonotknowher,butshehasasoulofsteel.Shehasthefaceofthemostbeautifulofwomen,andthemindofthemostresoluteofmen.RatherthanIshouldmarryanotherwoman,therearenolengthstowhichshewouldnotgo—none.”
“Youaresurethatshehasnotsentityet?”
“Iamsure.”
“Andwhy?”
“Becauseshehassaidthatshewouldsenditonthedaywhenthebetrothalwaspubliclyproclaimed.ThatwillbenextMonday.”
“Oh,thenwehavethreedaysyet,”saidHolmeswithayawn.“Thatisveryfortunate,asIhaveoneortwomattersofimportancetolookintojustatpresent.YourMajestywill,ofcourse,stayinLondonforthepresent?”
“Certainly.YouwillfindmeattheLanghamunderthenameoftheCountVonKramm.”
“ThenIshalldropyoualinetoletyouknowhowweprogress.”
“Praydoso.Ishallbeallanxiety.”
“Then,astomoney?”
“Youhavecarteblanche.”
“Absolutely?”
“ItellyouthatIwouldgiveoneoftheprovincesofmykingdomtohavethatphotograph.”
“Andforpresentexpenses?”
TheKingtookaheavychamoisleatherbagfromunderhiscloakandlaiditonthetable.