“Read it aloud.”

The note was undated, and without either signature or address
“There will call upon you to-night, at a quarter to eight o’clock,” it
said, “a gentleman who desires to consult you upon a matter of the very
deepest moment
Your recent services to one of the royal houses of
Europe have shown that you are one who may safely be trusted with
matters which are of an importance which can hardly be exaggerated
This account of you we have from all quarters received
Be in your
chamber then at that hour, and do not take it amiss if your visitor
wear a mask.”

“This is indeed a mystery,” I remarked
“What do you imagine that it
means?”

“I have no data yet
It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has
data
Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of
theories to suit facts
What do you deduce from
it?”

I carefully examined the writing, and the paper upon which it was
written
“The man who wrote it was presumably well to do,” I remarked,
endeavouring to imitate my companion’s processes
“Such paper could not
be bought under half a crown a packet
It is peculiarly strong and
stiff.”

“Peculiar—that is the very word,” said Holmes
“It is not an English
paper at all
Hold it up to the light.”

I did so, and saw a large “E” with a small “g,” a “P,” and a large “G”
with a small “t” woven into the texture of the paper
“What do you make of that?” asked Holmes
“The name of the maker, no doubt; or his monogram, rather.”

“Not at all
“Eglow, Eglonitz—here we are, Egria
It is in a
German-speaking country—in Bohemia, not far from Carlsbad
“The paper was made in Bohemia,” I said
And the man who wrote the note is a German
Do you note the
peculiar construction of the sentence—‘This account of you we have from
all quarters received.’ A Frenchman or Russian could not have written
that
It is the German who is so uncourteous to his verbs
It only
remains, therefore, to discover what is wanted by this German who
writes upon Bohemian paper and prefers wearing a mask to showing his
face
And here he comes, if I am not mistaken, to resolve all our
doubts.”

As he spoke there was the sharp sound of horses’ hoofs and grating
wheels against the curb, followed by a sharp pull at the bell
“A pair, by the sound,” said he
“Yes,” he continued, glancing out of
the window
“A nice little brougham and a pair of beauties
A hundred
and fifty guineas apiece
There’s money in this case, Watson, if there
is nothing else.”

“I think that I had better go, Holmes.”

“Not a bit, Doctor
And this promises to be interesting
It would be a pity to miss it.”

“But your client—”

“Never mind him
I may want your help, and so may he
Sit down in that armchair, Doctor, and give us your best attention.”

A slow and heavy step, which had been heard upon the stairs and in the
passage, paused immediately outside the door
Then there was a loud and
authoritative tap
A man entered who could hardly have been less than six feet six inches
in height, with the chest and limbs of a Hercules
His dress was rich
with a richness which would, in England, be looked upon as akin to bad
taste
Boots which extended halfway up his calves, and which were
trimmed at the tops with rich brown fur, completed the impression of
barbaric opulence which was suggested by his whole appearance
From the lower part of the face
he appeared to be a man of strong character, with a thick, hanging lip,
and a long, straight chin suggestive of resolution pushed to the length
of obstinacy
“You had my note?” he asked with a deep harsh voice and a strongly
marked German accent
“I told you that I would call.” He looked from
one to the other of us, as if uncertain which to address
“Pray take a seat,” said Holmes
“This is my friend and colleague, Dr
Watson, who is occasionally good enough to help me in my cases
Whom
have I the honour to address?”

“You may address me as the Count Von Kramm, a Bohemian nobleman
I
understand that this gentleman, your friend, is a man of honour and
discretion, whom I may trust with a matter of the most extreme
importance
If not, I should much prefer to communicate with you
alone.”

I rose to go, but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me back into
my chair
“You may say before this
gentleman anything which you may say to me.”

The Count shrugged his broad shoulders
“Then I must begin,” said he,
“by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years; at the end of
that time the matter will be of no importance
At present it is not too
much to say that it is of such weight it may have an influence upon
European history.”

“I promise,” said Holmes
“And I.”

“You will excuse this mask,” continued our strange visitor