peachable.Wehavedoneagooddealinthisdirectionduringthelastfewyears,andtherearemanynoblefamiliestowhomwehaveadvancedlargesumsuponthesecurityoftheirpictures,libraries,orplate.
“YesterdaymorningIwasseatedinmyofficeatthebankwhenacardwasbroughtintomebyoneoftheclerks.IstartedwhenIsawthename,foritwasthatofnoneotherthan—well,perhapseventoyouIhadbettersaynomorethanthatitwasanamewhichisahouseholdwordallovertheearth—oneofthehighest,noblest,mostexaltednamesinEngland.Iwasoverwhelmedbythehonourandattempted,whenheentered,tosayso,butheplungedatonceintobusinesswiththeairofamanwhowishestohurryquicklythroughadisagreeabletask.
“‘Mr.Holder,’saidhe,‘Ihavebeeninformedthatyouareinthehabitofadvancingmoney.’
“‘Thefirmdoessowhenthesecurityisgood.’Ianswered.
“‘Itisabsolutelyessentialtome,’saidhe,‘thatIshouldhave￡50,000atonce.Icould,ofcourse,borrowsotriflingasumtentimesoverfrommyfriends,butImuchprefertomakeitamatterofbusinessandtocarryoutthatbusinessmyself.Inmypositionyoucanreadilyunderstandthatitisunwisetoplaceone’sselfunderobligations.’
“‘Forhowlong,mayIask,doyouwantthissum?’Iasked.
“‘NextMondayIhavealargesumduetome,andIshallthenmostcertainlyrepaywhatyouadvance,withwhateverinterestyouthinkitrighttocharge.Butitisveryessentialtomethatthemoneyshouldbepaidatonce.’
“‘Ishouldbehappytoadvanceitwithoutfurtherparleyfrommyownprivatepurse,’saidI,‘wereitnotthatthestrainwouldberathermorethanitcouldbear.If,ontheotherhand,Iamtodoitinthenameofthefirm,theninjusticetomypartnerImustinsistthat,eveninyourcase,everybusinesslikeprecautionshouldbetaken.’
“‘Ishouldmuchprefertohaveitso,’saidhe,raisingupasquare,blackmoroccocasewhichhehadlaidbesidehischair.‘YouhavedoubtlessheardoftheBerylCoronet?’
“‘Oneofthemostpreciouspublicpossessionsoftheempire,’saidI.
“‘Precisely.’Heopenedthecase,andthere,imbeddedinsoft,flesh-colouredvelvet,laythemagnificentpieceofjewellerywhichhehadnamed.‘Therearethirty-nineenormousberyls,’saidhe,‘andthepriceofthegoldchasingisincalculable.ThelowestestimatewouldputtheworthofthecoronetatdoublethesumwhichIhaveasked.Iampreparedtoleaveitwithyouasmysecurity.’
“Itookthepreciouscaseintomyhandsandlookedinsomeperplexityfromittomyillustriousclient.
“‘Youdoubtitsvalue?’heasked.
“‘Notatall.Ionlydoubt—’
“‘Theproprietyofmyleavingit.Youmaysetyourmindatrestaboutthat.IshouldnotdreamofdoingsowereitnotabsolutelycertainthatIshouldbeableinfourdaystoreclaimit.Itisapurematterofform.Isthesecuritysufficient?’
“‘Ample.’
“‘Youunderstand,Mr.Holder,thatIamgivingyouastrongproofoftheconfidencewhichIhaveinyou,foundeduponallthatIhaveheardofyou.Irelyuponyounotonlytobediscreetandtorefrainfromallgossipuponthematterbut,aboveall,topreservethiscoronetwitheverypossibleprecautionbecauseIneednotsaythatagreatpublicscandalwouldbecausedifanyharmweretobefallit.Anyinjurytoitwouldbealmostasseriousasitscompleteloss,fortherearenoberylsintheworldtomatchthese,anditwouldbeimpossibletoreplacethem.Ileaveitwithyou,however,witheveryconfidence,andIshallcallforitinpersononMondaymorning.’
“Seeingthatmyclientwasanxioustoleave,Isaidnomorebut,callingformycashier,Iorderedhimtopayoverfifty￡1000notes.WhenIwasaloneoncemore,however,withthepreciouscaselyinguponthetableinfrontofme,Icouldnotbutthinkwithsomemisgivingsoftheimmenseresponsibilitywhichitentaileduponme.Therecouldbenodoubtthat,asitwasanationalpossession,ahorriblescandalwouldensueifanymisfortuneshouldoccurtoit.Ialreadyregrettedhavingeverconsentedtotakechargeofit.However,itwastoolatetoalterthematternow,soIlockeditupinmyprivatesafeandturnedoncemoretomywork.
“WheneveningcameIfeltthatitwouldbeanimprudencetoleavesopreciousathingintheofficebehindme.Bankers’safeshadbeenforcedbeforenow,andwhyshouldnotminebe?Ifso,howterriblewouldbethepositioninwhichIshouldfindmyself!Idetermined,therefore,thatforthenextfewdaysIwouldalwayscarrythecasebackwardandforwardwithme,sothatitmightneverbereallyoutofmyreach.Withthisintention,IcalledacabanddroveouttomyhouseatStreatham,carryingthejewelwithme.IdidnotbreathefreelyuntilIhadtakenitupstairsandlockeditinthebureauofmydressing-room.
“Andnowawordastomyhousehold,Mr.Holmes,forIwishyoutothoroughlyunderstandthesituation.Mygroomandmypagesleepoutofthehouse,andmaybesetasidealtogether.Ihaveth