ould express them. no, my dear watson, the two events are

connected -- _must_ be connected. it is for us to find the

connection."

"but now the official police must know all."

"not at all. they know all they see at godolphin street. they

know -- and shall know -- nothing of whitehall terrace. only _we_

know of both events, and can trace the relation between them.

there is one obvious point which would, in any case, have turned

my suspicions against lucas. godolphin street, westminster, is

only a few minutes' walk from whitehall terrace. the other secret

agents whom i have named live in the extreme west-end. it was

easier, therefore, for lucas than for the others to establish a

connection or receive a message from the european secretary's

household -- a small thing, and yet where events are compressed

into a few hours it may prove essential. halloa! what have we

here?"

mrs. hudson had appeared with a lady's card upon her salver.

holmes glanced at it, raised his eyebrows, and handed it over to

me.

"ask lady hilda trelawney hope if she will be kind enough to step

up," said he.

a moment later our modest apartment, already so distinguished that

morning, was further honoured by the entrance of the most lovely

woman in london. i had often heard of the beauty of the youngest

daughter of the duke of belminster, but no description of it, and

no contemplation of colourless photographs, had prepared me for

the subtle, delicate charm and the beautiful colouring of that

exquisite head. and yet as we saw it that autumn morning it was

not its beauty which would be the first thing to impress the

observer. the cheek was lovely, but it was paled with emotion;

the eyes were bright, but it was the brightness of fever; the

sensitive mouth was tight and drawn in an effort after

self-command. terror -- not beauty -- was what sprang first to

the eye as our fair visitor stood framed for an instant in the

open door.

"has my husband been here, mr. holmes?"

"yes, madam, he has been here."

"mr. holmes, i implore you not to tell him that i came here."

holmes bowed coldly, and motioned the lady to a chair.

"your ladyship places me in a very delicate position. i beg that

you will sit down and tell me what you desire; but i fear that i

cannot make any unconditional promise."

she swept across the room and seated herself with her back to the

window. it was a queenly presence -- tall, graceful, and

intensely womanly.

"mr. holmes," she said, and her white-gloved hands clasped and

unclasped as she spoke -- "i will speak frankly to you in the hope

that it may induce you to speak frankly in return. there is

complete confidence between my husband and me on all matters save

one. that one is politics. on this his lips are sealed. he

tells me nothing. now, i am aware that there was a most

deplorable occurrence in our house last night. i know that a

paper has disappeared. but because the matter is political my

husband refuses to take me into his complete confidence. now it

is essential -- essential, i say -- that i should thoroughly

understand it. you are the only other person, save only these

politicians, who knows the true facts. i beg you, then, mr.

holmes, to tell me exactly what has happened and what it will lead

to. tell me all, mr. holmes. let no regard for your client's

interests keep you silent, for i assure you that his interests, if

he would only see it, would be best served by taking me into his

complete confidence. what was this paper which was stolen?"

"madam, what you ask me is really impossible."

she groaned and sank her face in her hands.

"you must see that this is so, madam. if your husband thinks fit

to keep you in the dark over this matter, is it for me, who has

only learned the true facts under the pledge of professional

secrecy, to tell what he has withheld? it is not fair to ask it.

it is him whom you must ask."

"i have asked him. i come to you as a last resource. but without

your telling me anything definite, mr. holmes, you may do a great

service if you would enlighten me on one point."

"what is it, madam?"

"is my husband's political career likely to suffer through this

incident?"

"well, madam, unless it is set right it may certainly have a very

unfortunate effect."

"ah!" she drew in her breath sharply as one whose doubts are

resolved.

"one more question, mr. holmes. from an expression which my

husband dropped in the first shock of this disaster i understood

that terrible public consequences might arise from the loss of

this document."

"if he said so, i certainly cannot deny it."

"of what nature are they?"

"nay, madam, there again you ask me more than i can possibly

answer."

"then i will take up no more of your time. i cannot blame you,

mr. holmes, for having refused to speak more freely, and y