Adventure XI. THE ADVENTURE OF THE BERYL CORONET

"Holmes," said I as I stood one morning in our bow-window looking down the street,

"here is a madman coming along. It seems rather sad that his relatives

should allow him to come out alone."

My friend rose lazily from his armchair and stood with his hands in the pockets of his

dressing-gown, looking over my shoulder.

It was a bright, crisp February morning, and the snow of the day before still lay

deep upon the ground, shimmering brightly in the wintry sun.

Down the centre of Baker Street it had been ploughed into a brown crumbly band by the

traffic, but at either side and on the heaped-up edges of the foot-paths it still

lay as white as when it fell.

The grey pavement had been cleaned and scraped, but was still dangerously

slippery, so that there were fewer passengers than usual.

Indeed, from the direction of the Metropolitan Station no one was coming save

the single gentleman whose eccentric conduct had drawn my attention.

He was a man of about fifty, tall, portly, and imposing, with a massive, strongly

marked face and a commanding figure.

He was dressed in a sombre yet rich style, in black frock-coat, shining hat, neat

brown gaiters, and well-cut pearl-grey trousers.

Yet his actions were in absurd contrast to the dignity of his dress and features, for

he was running hard, with occasional little springs, such as a weary man gives who is

little accustomed to set any tax upon his legs.

As he ran he jerked his hands up and down, waggled his head, and writhed his face into

the most extraordinary contortions.

"What on earth can be the matter with him?" I asked.

"He is looking up at the numbers of the houses."

"I believe that he is coming here," said Holmes, rubbing his hands.

"Here?" "Yes; I rather think he is coming to

consult me professionally.

I think that I recognise the symptoms. Ha! did I not tell you?"

As he spoke, the man, puffing and blowing, rushed at our door and pulled at our bell

until the whole house resounded with the clanging.

A few moments later he was in our room, still puffing, still gesticulating, but

with so fixed a look of grief and despair in his eyes that our smiles were turned in

an instant to horror and pity.

For a while he could not get his words out, but swayed his body and plucked at his hair

like one who has been driven to the extreme limits of his reason.

Then, suddenly springing to his feet, he beat his head against the wall with such

force that we both rushed upon him and tore him away to the centre of the room.

Sherlock Holmes pushed him down into the easy-chair and, sitting beside him, patted

his hand and chatted with him in the easy, soothing tones which he knew so well how to

employ.

"You have come to me to tell your story, have you not?" said he.

"You are fatigued with your haste.

Pray wait until you have recovered yourself, and then I shall be most happy to

look into any little problem which you may submit to me."

The man sat for a minute or more with a heaving chest, fighting against his

emotion.

Then he passed his handkerchief over his brow, set his lips tight, and turned his

face towards us. "No doubt you think me mad?" said he.

"I see that you have had some great trouble," responded Holmes.

"God knows I have!--a trouble which is enough to unseat my reason, so sudden and

so terrible is it.

Public disgrace I might have faced, although I am a man whose character has

never yet borne a stain.

Private affliction also is the lot of every man; but the two coming together, and in so

frightful a form, have been enough to shake my very soul.

Besides, it is not I alone.

The very noblest in the land may suffer unless some way be found out of this

horrible affair."

"Pray compose yourself, sir," said Holmes, "and let me have a clear account of who you

are and what it is that has befallen you." "My name," answered our visitor, "is

probably familiar to your ears.

I am Alexander Holder, of the banking firm of Holder & Stevenson, of Threadneedle

Street."

The name was indeed well known to us as belonging to the senior partner in the

second largest private banking concern in the City of London.

What could have happened, then, to bring one of the foremost citizens of London to

this most pitiable pass?

We waited, all curiosity, until with another effort he braced himself to tell

his story.

"I feel that time is of value," said he; "that is why I hastened here when the

police inspector suggested that I should secure your co-operation.

I came to Baker Street by the Underground and hurried from there on foot, for the

cabs go slowly through this snow. That is why I was so out of breath, for I

am a man who takes very little exercise.

I feel better now, and I will put the facts before you as shortly and yet as clearly as

I can.

"It is, of course, well known to you that in a successful banking business as much

depends upon our being able to find remunerative investments for our funds as

upon our increasing our connection and the number of our depositors.

One of our most lucrative means of laying out money is in the shape of loans, where

the security is unimpeachable.

We have done a good deal in this direction during the last few years, and there are

many noble families to whom we have advanced large sums upon the security of

their pictures, libraries, or plate.

"Yesterday morning I was seated in my office at the bank when a card was brought

in to me by one of the clerks.

I started when I saw the name, for it was that of none other than--well, perhaps even

to you I had better say no more than that it was a name which is a household word all

over the earth--one of the highest, noblest, most exalted names in England.

I was overwhelmed by the honour and attempted, when he entered, to say so, but

he plunged at once into business with the air of a man who wishes to hurry quickly

through a disagreeable task.

"'Mr. Holder,' said he, 'I have been informed that you are in the habit of

advancing money.' "'The firm does so when the security is

good.'

I answered. "'It is absolutely essential to me,' said

he, 'that I should have 50,000 pounds at once.

I could, of course, borrow so trifling a sum ten times over from my friends, but I

much prefer to make it a matter of business and to carry out that business myself.

In my position you can readily understand that it is unwise to place one's self under

obligations.' "'For how long, may I ask, do you want this

sum?'

I asked. "'Next Monday I have a large sum due to me,

and I shall then most certainly repay what you advance, with whatever interest you

think it right to charge.

But it is very essential to me that the money should be paid at once.'

"'I should be happy to advance it without further parley from my own private purse,'

said I, 'were it not that the strain would be rather more than it could bear.

If, on the other hand, I am to do it in the name of the firm, then in justice to my

partner I must insist that, even in your case, every businesslike precaution should

be taken.'

"'I should much prefer to have it so,' said he, raising up a square, black morocco case

which he had laid beside his chair. 'You have doubtless heard of the Beryl

Coronet?'

"'One of the most precious public possessions of the empire,' said I.

"'Precisely.'

He opened the case, and there, imbedded in soft, flesh-coloured velvet, lay the

magnificent piece of jewellery which he had named.

'There are thirty-nine enormous beryls,' said he, 'and the price of the gold chasing

is incalculable.

The lowest estimate would put the worth of the coronet at double the sum which I have

asked. I am prepared to leave it with you as my

security.'

"I took the precious case into my hands and looked in some perplexity from it to my

illustrious client. "'You doubt its value?' he asked.

"'Not at all.

I only doubt--' "'The propriety of my leaving it.

You may set your mind at rest about that.

I should not dream of doing so were it not absolutely certain that I should be able in

four days to reclaim it. It is a pure matter of form.

Is the security sufficient?'

"'Ample.' "'You understand, Mr. Holder, that I am

giving you a strong proof of the confidence which I have in you, founded upon all that

I have heard of you.

I rely upon you not only to be discreet and to refrain from all gossip upon the matter

but, above all, to preserve this coronet with every possible precaution because I

need not say that a great public scandal

would be caused if any harm were to befall it.

Any injury to it would be almost as serious as its complete loss, for there are no

beryls in the world to match these, and it would be impossible to replace them.

I leave it with you, however, with every confidence, and I shall call for it in

person on Monday morning.'

"Seeing that my client was anxious to leave, I said no more but, calling for my

cashier, I ordered him to pay over fifty 1000 pound notes.

When I was alone once more, however, with the precious case lying upon the table in

front of me, I could not but think with some misgivings of the immense

responsibility which it entailed upon me.

There could be no doubt that, as it was a national possession, a horrible scandal

would ensue if any misfortune should occur to it.

I already regretted having ever consented to take charge of it.

However, it was too late to alter the matter now, so I locked it up in my private

safe and turned once more to my work.

"When evening came I felt that it would be an imprudence to leave so precious a thing

in the office behind me. Bankers' safes had been forced before now,

and why should not mine be?

If so, how terrible would be the position in which I should find myself!

I determined, therefore, that for the next few days I would always carry the case

backward and forward with me, so that it might never be really out of my reach.

With this intention, I called a cab and drove out to my house at Streatham,

carrying the jewel with me.

I did not breathe freely until I had taken it upstairs and locked it in the bureau of

my dressing-room.

"And now a word as to my household, Mr. Holmes, for I wish you to thoroughly

understand the situation. My groom and my page sleep out of the

house, and may be set aside altogether.

I have three maid-servants who have been with me a number of years and whose

absolute reliability is quite above suspicion.

Another, Lucy Parr, the second waiting- maid, has only been in my service a few

months.

She came with an excellent character, however, and has always given me

satisfaction.

She is a very pretty girl and has attracted admirers who have occasionally hung about

the place.

That is the only drawback which we have found to her, but we believe her to be a

thoroughly good girl in every way. "So much for the servants.

My family itself is so small that it will not take me long to describe it.

I am a widower and have an only son, Arthur.

He has been a disappointment to me, Mr. Holmes--a grievous disappointment.

I have no doubt that I am myself to blame. People tell me that I have spoiled him.

Very likely I have.

When my dear wife died I felt that he was all I had to love.

I could not bear to see the smile fade even for a moment from his face.

I have never denied him a wish.

Perhaps it would have been better for both of us had I been sterner, but I meant it

for the best.

"It was naturally my intention that he should succeed me in my business, but he

was not of a business turn.

He was wild, wayward, and, to speak the truth, I could not trust him in the

handling of large sums of money.

When he was young he became a member of an aristocratic club, and there, having

charming manners, he was soon the intimate of a number of men with long purses and

expensive habits.

He learned to play heavily at cards and to squander money on the turf, until he had

again and again to come to me and implore me to give him an advance upon his

allowance, that he might settle his debts of honour.

He tried more than once to break away from the dangerous company which he was keeping,

but each time the influence of his friend, Sir George Burnwell, was enough to draw him

back again.

"And, indeed, I could not wonder that such a man as Sir George Burnwell should gain an