endeavouring to conceal his irrepressible yawns.

"sorry to keep you waiting, mr. holmes. i can see that you are

bored to death with the whole affair. well, he has confessed, all

right. come in here, macpherson. let these gentlemen hear of

your most inexcusable conduct."

the big constable, very hot and penitent, sidled into the room.

"i meant no harm, sir, i'm sure. the young woman came to the door

last evening -- mistook the house, she did. and then we got

talking. it's lonesome, when you're on duty here all day."

"well, what happened then?"

"she wanted to see where the crime was done -- had read about it

in the papers, she said. she was a very respectable, well-spoken

young woman, sir, and i saw no harm in letting her have a peep.

when she saw that mark on the carpet, down she dropped on the

floor, and lay as if she were dead. i ran to the back and got

some water, but i could not bring her to. then i went round the

corner to the ivy plant for some brandy, and by the time i had

brought it back the young woman had recovered and was off --

ashamed of herself, i dare say, and dared not face me."

"how about moving that drugget?"

"well, sir, it was a bit rumpled, certainly, when i came back. you

see, she fell on it, and it lies on a polished floor with nothing

to keep it in place. i straightened it out afterwards."

"it's a lesson to you that you can't deceive me, constable

macpherson," said lestrade, with dignity. "no doubt you thought

that your breach of duty could never be discovered, and yet a mere

glance at that drugget was enough to convince me that someone had

been admitted to the room. it's lucky for you, my man, that

nothing is missing, or you would find yourself in queer street.

i'm sorry to have called you down over such a petty business, mr.

holmes, but i thought the point of the second stain not

corresponding with the first would interest you."

"certainly, it was most interesting. has this woman only been

here once, constable?"

"yes, sir, only once."

"who was she?"

"don't know the name, sir. was answering an advertisement about

type-writing, and came to the wrong number -- very pleasant,

genteel young woman, sir."

"tall? handsome?"

"yes, sir; she was a well-grown young woman. i suppose you might

say she was handsome. perhaps some would say she was very

handsome. 'oh, officer, do let me have a peep!' says she. she

had pretty, coaxing ways, as you might say, and i thought there

was no harm in letting her just put her head through the door."

"how was she dressed?"

"quiet, sir -- a long mantle down to her feet."

"what time was it?"

"it was just growing dusk at the time. they were lighting the

lamps as i came back with the brandy."

"very good," said holmes. "come, watson, i think that we have

more important work elsewhere."

as we left the house lestrade remained in the front room, while

the repentant constable opened the door to let us out. holmes

turned on the step and held up something in his hand. the

constable stared intently.

"good lord, sir!" he cried, with amazement on his face. holmes

put his finger on his lips, replaced his hand in his

breast-pocket, and burst out laughing as we turned down the

street. "excellent!" said he. "come, friend watson, the curtain

rings up for the last act. you will be relieved to hear that

there will be no war, that the right honourable trelawney hope

will suffer no set-back in his brilliant career, that the

indiscreet sovereign will receive no punishment for his

indiscretion, that the prime minister will have no european

complication to deal with, and that with a little tact and

management upon our part nobody will be a penny the worse for what

might have been a very ugly incident."

my mind filled with admiration for this extraordinary man.

"you have solved it!" i cried.

"hardly that, watson. there are some points which are as dark as

ever. but we have so much that it will be our own fault if we

cannot get the rest. we will go straight to whitehall terrace and

bring the matter to a head."

when we arrived at the residence of the european secretary it was

for lady hilda trelawney hope that sherlock holmes inquired. we

were shown into the morning-room.

"mr. holmes!" said the lady, and her face was pink with her

indignation, "this is surely most unfair and ungenerous upon your

part. i desired, as i have explained, to keep my visit to you a

secret, lest my husband should think that i was intruding into his

affairs. and yet you compromise me by coming here and so showing

that there are business relations between us."

"unfortunately, madam, i had no possible alternative. i have been

commissioned to recover this immensely important paper. i must

therefore ask you, madam, to be kind enough to place it in my

hands."

the lady sprang to her