m, and yet he would have thought it

criminal. had he read that letter his confidence would have been

for ever destroyed. it is years since i wrote it. i had thought

that the whole matter was forgotten. then at last i heard from

this man, lucas, that it had passed into his hands, and that he

would lay it before my husband. i implored his mercy. he said

that he would return my letter if i would bring him a certain

document which he described in my husband's despatch-box. he had

some spy in the office who had told him of its existence. he

assured me that no harm could come to my husband. put yourself in

my position, mr. holmes! what was i to do?"

"take your husband into your confidence."

"i could not, mr. holmes, i could not! on the one side seemed

certain ruin; on the other, terrible as it seemed to take my

husband's paper, still in a matter of politics i could not

understand the consequences, while in a matter of love and trust

they were only too clear to me. i did it, mr. holmes! i took an

impression of his key; this man lucas furnished a duplicate. i

opened his despatch-box, took the paper, and conveyed it to

godolphin street."

"what happened there, madam?"

"i tapped at the door as agreed. lucas opened it. i followed him

into his room, leaving the hall door ajar behind me, for i feared

to be alone with the man. i remember that there was a woman

outside as i entered. our business was soon done. he had my

letter on his desk; i handed him the document. he gave me the

letter. at this instant there was a sound at the door. there

were steps in the passage. lucas quickly turned back the drugget,

thrust the document into some hiding-place there, and covered it

over.

"what happened after that is like some fearful dream. i have a

vision of a dark, frantic face, of a woman's voice, which screamed

in french, 'my waiting is not in vain. at last, at last i have

found you with her!' there was a savage struggle. i saw him with

a chair in his hand, a knife gleamed in hers. i rushed from the

horrible scene, ran from the house, and only next morning in the

paper did i learn the dreadful result. that night i was happy,

for i had my letter, and i had not seen yet what the future would

bring.

"it was next morning that i realized that i had only exchanged one

trouble for another. my husband's anguish at the loss of his

paper went to my heart. i could hardly prevent myself from there

and then kneeling down at his feet and telling him what i had

done. but that again would mean a confession of the past. i came

to you that morning in order to understand the full enormity of my

offence. from the instant that i grasped it my whole mind was

turned to the one thought of getting back my husband's paper. it

must still be where lucas had placed it, for it was concealed

before this dreadful woman entered the room. if it had not been

for her coming, i should not have known where his hiding-place

was. how was i to get into the room? for two days i watched the

place, but the door was never left open. last night i made a last

attempt. what i did and how i succeeded, you have already

learned. i brought the paper back with me, and thought of

destroying it since i could see no way of returning it, without

confessing my guilt to my husband. heavens, i hear his step upon

the stair!"

the european secretary burst excitedly into the room.

"any news, mr. holmes, any news?" he cried.

"i have some hopes."

"ah, thank heaven!" his face became radiant. "the prime minister

is lunching with me. may he share your hopes? he has nerves of

steel, and yet i know that he has hardly slept since this terrible

event. jacobs, will you ask the prime minister to come up? as to

you, dear, i fear that this is a matter of politics. we will join

you in a few minutes in the dining-room."

the prime minister's manner was subdued, but i could see by the

gleam of his eyes and the twitchings of his bony hands that he

shared the excitement of his young colleague.

"i understand that you have something to report, mr. holmes?"

"purely negative as yet," my friend answered. "i have inquired at

every point where it might be, and i am sure that there is no

danger to be apprehended."

"but that is not enough, mr. holmes. we cannot live for ever on

such a volcano. we must have something definite."

"i am in hopes of getting it. that is why i am here. the more i

think of the matter the more convinced i am that the letter has

never left this house."

"mr. holmes!"

"if it had it would certainly have been public by now."

"but why should anyone take it in order to keep it in this house?"

"i am not convinced that anyone did take it."

"then how could it leave the despatch-box?"

"i am not convinced that it ever did leave the despatch-box."

"mr. holmes, this jokin