“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
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
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
Born in New Jersey in the year 1858
Prima donna Imperial Opera of Warsaw—yes
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
Your Majesty has indeed committed an
indiscretion.”

“I was mad—insane.”

“You have compromised yourself seriously.”

“I was only Crown Prince then
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
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
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
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
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
“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
“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.”


II
At three o’clock precisely I was at Baker Street, but Holmes had not
yet returned
The landlady informed me that he had left the house
shortly after eight o’clock in the morning
I sat down beside the fire,
however, with the intention of awaiting him, however long he might be
So accustomed was I to his invariable success that the very
possibility of his failing had ceased to enter into my head
It was close upon four before the door opened, and a drunken-looking
groom, ill-kempt and side-whiskered, with an inflamed face and
disreputable clothes, walked into the room
Accustomed as I was to my
friend’s amazing powers in the use of disguises, I had to look three
times before I was certain that it was indeed he
