The Adventure of The Illustrious Client - Pt 1

"It can't hurt now," was Mr. Sherlock Holmes's comment when, for the

tenth time in as many years, I asked his leave to reveal the following

narrative. So it was that at last I obtained permission to put on

record what was, in some ways, the supreme moment of my friend's

career.

Both Holmes and I had a weakness for the Turkish bath. It was over a

smoke in the pleasant lassitude of the drying-room that I have found

him less reticent and more human than anywhere else. On the upper floor

of the Northumberland Avenue establishment there is an isolated corner

where two couches lie side by side, and it was on these that we lay

upon September 3, 1902, the day when my narrative begins. I had asked

him whether anything was stirring, and for answer he had shot his long,

thin, nervous arm out of the sheets which enveloped him and had drawn

an envelope from the inside pocket of the coat which hung beside him.

"It may be some fussy, self-important fool; it may be a matter of life

or death," said he as he handed me the note. "I know no more than this

message tells me."

It was from the Carlton Club and dated the evening before. This is what

I read:

Sir James Damery presents his compliments to Mr. Sherlock Holmes and

will call upon him at 4:30 to-morrow. Sir James begs to say that the

matter upon which he desires to consult Mr. Holmes is very delicate and

also very important. He trusts, therefore, that Mr. Holmes will make every

effort to grant this interview, and that he will confirm it over the

telephone to the Carlton Club.

"I need not say that I have confirmed it, Watson," said Holmes as I

returned the paper. "Do you know anything of this man Damery?"

"Only that this name is a household word in society."

"Well, I can tell you a little more than that. He has rather a

reputation for arranging delicate matters which are to be kept out of

the papers. You may remember his negotiations with Sir George Lewis

over the Hammerford Will case. He is a man of the world with a natural

turn for diplomacy. I am bound, therefore, to hope that it is not a

false scent and that he has some real need for our assistance."

"Our?"

"Well, if you will be so good, Watson."

"I shall be honoured."

"Then you have the hour--4:30. Until then we can put the matter out

of our heads."

I was living in my own rooms in Queen Anne Street at the time, but I

was round at Baker Street before the time named. Sharp to the

half-hour, Colonel Sir James Damery was announced. It is hardly

necessary to describe him, for many will remember that large, bluff,

honest personality, that broad, cleanshaven face, and, above all, that

pleasant, mellow voice. Frankness shone from his gray Irish eyes, and

good humour played round his mobile, smiling lips. His lucent top-hat,

his dark frock-coat, indeed, every detail, from the pearl pin in the

black satin cravat to the lavender spats over the varnished shoes,

spoke of the meticulous care in dress for which he was famous. The big,

masterful aristocrat dominated the little room.

"Of course, I was prepared to find Dr. Watson," he remarked with a

courteous bow. "His collaboration may be very necessary, for we are

dealing on this occasion, Mr. Holmes, with a man to whom violence is

familiar and who will, literally, stick at nothing. I should say that

there is no more dangerous man in Europe."

"I have had several opponents to whom that flattering term has been

applied," said Holmes with a smile. "Don't you smoke? Then you will

excuse me if I light my pipe. If your man is more dangerous than the

late Professor Moriarty, or than the living Colonel Sebastian Moran,

then he is indeed worth meeting. May I ask his name?"

"Have you ever heard of Baron Gruner?"

"You mean the Austrian murderer?"

Colonel Damery threw up his kid-gloved hands with a laugh. "There is no

getting past you, Mr. Holmes! Wonderful! So you have already sized him

up as a murderer?"

"It is my business to follow the details of Continental crime. Who

could possibly have read what happened at Prague and have any doubts as

to the man's guilt! It was a purely technical legal point and the

suspicious death of a witness that saved him! I am as sure that he

killed his wife when the socalled 'accident' happened in the Splugen

Pass as if I had seen him do it. I knew, also, that he had come to

England and had a presentiment that sooner or later he would find me

some work to do. Well, what has Baron Gruner been up to? I presume it

is not this old tragedy which has come up again?"

"No, it is more serious than that. To revenge crime is important, but

to prevent it is more so. It is a terrible thing, Mr. Holmes, to see a

dreadful event, an atrocious situation, preparing itself before your

eyes, to clearly understand whither it will lead and yet to be utterly

unable to avert it. Can a human being be placed in a more trying

position?"

"Then you will sympathize with the client in whose interests I am

acting."

"I did not understand that you were merely an intermediary. Who is the

principal?"

"Mr. Holmes, I must beg you not to press that question. It is important

that I should be able to assure him that his honoured name has been in

no way dragged into the matter. His motives are, to the last degree,

honourable and chivalrous, but he prefers to remain unknown. I need not

say that your fees will be assured and that you will be given a

perfectly free hand. Surely the actual name of your client is

immaterial?"

"I am sorry," said Holmes. "I am accustomed to have mystery at one end

of my cases, but to have it at both ends is too confusing. I fear, Sir

James, that I must decline to act."

Our visitor was greatly disturbed. His large, sensitive face was

darkened with emotion and disappointment.

"You hardly realize the effect of your own action, Mr. Holmes," said

he. "You place me in a most serious dilemma for I am perfectly certain

that you would be proud to take over the case if I could give you the

facts, and yet a promise forbids me from revealing them all. May I, at

least, lay all that I can before you?"

"By all means, so long as it is understood that I commit myself to

nothing."

"That is understood. In the first place, you have no doubt heard of

General de Merville?"

"De Merville of Khyber fame? Yes, I have heard of him."

"He has a daughter, Violet de Merville, young, rich, beautiful,

accomplished, a wonder-woman in every way. It is this daughter, this

lovely, innocent girl, whom we are endeavouring to save from the

clutches of a fiend."

But it would not be

true. De Merville is a broken man. The strong soldier has been utterly

demoralized by this incident. He has lost the nerve which never failed

him on the battlefield and has become a weak, doddering old man,

utterly incapable of contending with a brilliant, forceful rascal like

this Austrian. My client however is an old friend, one who has known

the General intimately for many years and taken a paternal interest in

this young girl since she wore short frocks. He cannot see this tragedy

consummated without some attempt to stop it. There is nothing in which

Scotland Yard can act. It was his own suggestion that you should be

called in, but it was, as I have said, on the express stipulation that

he should not be personally involved in the matter. I have no doubt,

Mr. Holmes, with your great powers you could easily trace my client

back through me, but I must ask you, as a point of honour, to refrain

from doing so, and not to break in upon his incognito."

Holmes gave a whimsical smile.

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