Show e HERLOCK Adventure of the Beryl Coronet 01 I I jj By y Sir A Conan Doyle Do le I n lU HOLMES said I as I stood one II morning In our looking down the th street here her Is a madman coming along He seems rather sad that his relatives should allow him jj to com corns out Alone My friend rose lOM lazily lastly from his arm armchair armChair chair and stood with hie hili ht hands In the pock ls ot of hi his dressing dring dr gown own looking over my shoulder It was wa a bright crisp February morning and the snow of ot the day before still lay deep upon the ground shimmering in tha th wintry sun Bun Down the center of Baker street it had been ploughed into a brown crumbly band by the traffic but at either side and on the edges edge of or the footpaths it still liLy lay as a white as when It fell tE t iI The gray pave ment had hd cleaned and scraped sc ped but was still sUll dangerously slippery so that there were fewer passengers than usual Indeed from the tho direction of or the Metropolitan station no one was coming omIng save the single gentleman gentlemen whose who eccentric conduct had drawn my attention He was a man of ot about 50 tall port ly and imposing with a It massive strongly marked face and a command ing lug figure He lie was dressed In a som bre yet et rich style in black bluck frock coat shining hat neat brown bron gaiters and well wall cut pearl gray trousers Yet his actions were in absurd ab urd contrast to the dignity of his dress dreu and features fe for tor h he was w running hard with occasional springs prIng such auch as a a n weary lear man gives who is l little accustomed to set any tax upon his hili hI legs As he ran he jerked his hands up and down wag his head hoad and writhed his face Into the most extraordinary contor tiong tion What on earth can be the matter malter with him I asked He is le looking J I up P at the numbers of the houses noues 1 ll I believe that he is l coming here aid id Holmes rubbing his hili hands Here Hore Yes Yea I rather think he is l coming to consult commIt me iso I think that I recognize the th e symptoms HA f Y Did I not tell teU you As h he spoke the te theman theman 1 man putting puffing and blowing rushed at atour atour t our door and pulled at our bell baIl until ft l l the whole house houle resounded with the th I clanging I t A tow few moments later he h was in our room still putting puffing still gesticulating but with so a fixed a look of grief and despair In his hil eyes that our smiles were turned In an instant to Horror and pity For a while ho he could not get his words out but swayed sed his body and plucked at his hair like one who has been Iwen ben driven to the extreme limits of or his hii reason Then suddenly spring p ing to his feet tet he ho beat bet his hie hil head hed against t 1 1 the wall al with wih such uch force that we both rushed upon him and tore him away way a f to the center of the room rm Sherlock Holmes Holme pushed him down into an easy chair and sitting beside belde him patted his hand and and with wih him him in the easy esy soothing lothing tones h h he knew so well vell wel how to employ You have have come to me to tell tel your story sto have you yo not said aid he You are fatigued with wih your 00 haste hute Pray Pry wait wai until you have recover and aud then I t shaH hl h i be b most rYe happy olf to look lok C into any problem which hl you may y submit to me meThe meu methe The man u sat fur for a R minute or more 1 with Mith a heaving chest cheat ehe fighting against hu his hl emotion Then he passed his lila batI p h J e r Ms kli brow br set B se his hl J tint and turned ture his hS face toward us usNo usNo usNo he No doubt you think me mad md said saidI Id I see so that you have had some great gret trouble responded Holmes God Go knows I havea have a trouble which is enough to unseat my reason ren so s sud sudden sudden sudden den and so 1 terrible is I It Public dis disgrace disgrace grace grce I might ml ht have fac although althou h I Iam Iam Iam am a man whose who character has never neve I yet jet et borne brne a I stain Private also als is the lot of every ev r man but the two coming together In so s frightful a form have hae been enough to shake my nu tery ery eo soul aul Besides Beide it i is not I alone The very vory noblest noblet in the land Jand may my suf suffer suffer fer unless some way wy be b found out of this horrible affair Pray Pry compose yourself sir si said sid saidA 1 A Holmes Holn and let me have ha a clear el ac account 4 count of who you are and what hat it i is that las has befallen you ou My h name answered our visitor is probably familiar to your our earST ear I Iam I Iam am nm Alexander Holder Hohler of the banking I firm ot of Holder Stevenson of ot Thread needle t The rhe name lame was a as indeed inde well wel known to tous 1 14 us U as belonging belonging to the senior partner r I in 11 the second largest larget private banking I concern in the city of London What i could have happened then th n to bring one of ot the foremost citizens of Lon Len London Ln Lendon Ii don to this most mot pitiable pass p We waited wate all al curiosity until with an another another other effort he lie braced himself to tell tel his story I feel that time is of value saW said ai IK he 3 that is ii why I hastened her here when the police poUce inspector suggested that I I should secure your cooperation It came to Baker street by th Under Underground r ground and hurried from there on 0 foot 10 for tor the cabs cab go 1 slowly lowly through thru h the That is why I was so B out of ot breath for I am ant a man who tak s svery I Ivery very little exercise exe I feel tel better now nw and I will wi put the tact before rore you as a shortly shorty and yet et as u clearly clealy as a I can canI It I is li of o course coune welt well el known knon to you that in a successful banking institution Institution tion ton as a much depends upon our bing being I able to find remunerative investments for our OUI funds as upon our increasing our connection and an the number of at our depositors One of ot our most Jt lucrative means mens of laying out money is in the te j shape of or loans Jons where the security is unimpeachable We have done doe a rood good I Ideal deal In this direction during the last few tew years and there are many noble families amle to whom we have advanced large sums sum upon the security of ot their I I pictures picture libraries or plate Yesterday morning moring I was wu seated Ht in I Imy my office at the bank when a card car was was brought in to me mt by one of the clerks derk I started when I say saw sw the tite name ne for tor It was WItS that tat of none oter than well l perhaps even eVe to you I had bet better bt better ter say oy no flO more than than that it i was a name which is a a household word wor air a over the earth one of the highest n blest most exalted names name in I was overwhelmed by the honor hono anti and Kd attempted when he entered to say s so s nut hut he plunged at once into business 1 lh ith the tho air of or a man mn w wh wishes o he to t hurry burr quickly through a 1 disagreeable task ta I tk Mr Holder HoI said sid he I have ha been Informed that you are in the habit of or advancing money I The Th firm does dO so s when the security J itt ity is good god I answered I I It I is absolutely abs essential to me guld suld he that I should have at once i I could of ot course cour borrow so trifling a sum pm ten times over from rm my friends but I much prefer preer to make makei It a n matter of business and to carry carryout crry carryout i out that business myself ms lt In my mi po position o you OLin can c readily redU understand that tt ft it I is unwise to t place ones one self under unde obligations For how Ions 10 nay may my I J ask sk k do you want Ut this U ls gum Sm I asked ake yu U I Next Ne t Ma Y I have a large sum due ta ma aim an I 1 shall then most certainly er rai Rat you OU with ih whatever rt t you ou think it i right to charge But if it is Vt ti essential to I me that tat the money should be paid at atone once one I 1 should be happy haDY to advance it without further parley Darley from myown my town private purse said I were it not that the strain would be rather more than it I could bear If I on the other hand handI I am to do it i in the name nam of or the firm then in Justice to my partner I must insist that even In your case every overy businesslike on en precaution should be tak taken onI I I 1 should uld much prefer to have It I eo so 0 said he be raising up a square black morocco moroco case which he had laid beside beide his chair You have doubtless heard herd of or ot the Beryl Ber l Coronet I One of the most precious posses pOises possessions possessions of the empire said sid I Precisely He opened the case and I there Imbedded in soft velvet lay the magnificent piece of Jewelry which he had named name There are enormous said he and the price of the gold chasing is i incalculable The lowest lowet estimate would put the worth of the tho coronet at double the sum Bm which I have asked I Iam Iam Iam am prepared to leave it i with wih you as my I took the precious case into my hands hand and looked In some perplexity from It to my illustrious client clent I You doubt its is value he asked Not at all 1 I only doubt I The propriety of my m leaving it I You may ry set your mind at rest ret about that tl I should hoUld not dream of doing so were it i not absolutely certain that I should bo be able in four days to reclaim It It I Is hi a pure matter of form Is I the I security sufficient Ample i You understand Mr Holder that I am giving you a strong stong proof of the confidence which I have In you found founded ed ad e upon all al that I have havo hand h 1 of you ou ouI I rely upon you not only to be DC discreet and to t refrain from all ul gossip upon the thc thE matter but hut above all al to t preserve this coronet cornet with every possible precaution precaution tion ton because beus I need not say that a great public scandal would be caused If any harm ham were to befall It it Any Injury to It i would be almost as a serious as its it complete loss for there thero are no beryl beryle berli in the world to t match these thee and andi It would i be impossible to replace them themI I leave leve It i with lh you ou however with wit every confidence and I shall call cal for it itin itin itin in person parson on Monday morning Seeing that my m client clent was anxious to leave leve I said said no more but calling for my cashier I ordered him to pa pay over fifty 1000 notes note When I was alone once more however with the I precious ease case c e lying upon the table in I front of at me I could not but think with wih some misgivings of the Immense re responsibility which it i entailed upon me There could be b no doubt that as it i was possession a horrible scandal would ensue enlie if any misfortune should occur to it i I already regretted haYing having I ever consented to take charge of It It I However it i was WJ too to late hate lae to alter the th 1 matter now so 1 I locked locke It i up In my private safe and turned once more to tomy tomy tomy my work wo k When evening came I felt that it would be he an imprudence to leave so I precious a thing ting In the office behind me m Bankers D sates safes had been forced forN d I J before now and an why hy should not mine be b If I so 1 how 10 be the tho position in which I should find myself I I I determined deter I therefore that that for the thenet Q net f Tew l w days aS I would always carry the case cage c e backward and an forward with tUh withie me Ie 20 J o that tbt it I might never be he really out dut of ot my reach With Wih this intention I called a cab and drove out to my houi house at Streatham carrying the Jewel with me m I did not breathe freely un until til tl I had taken it i upstairs and locked it i in the bureau of oC my m dressing dresing room And hAnd now no a word as to my house household household household hold Mr Holmes for I wish you OU to thoroughly understand the situation My Iy groom rom and my page pe sleep out of ot the house and may ma be b set aside alto alo I have three maid servants servant who have hae been with wih me a number of years year and whose absolute reliability is quite quit above suspicion Another Lucy Parr the second waiting maid has only been ben In my service a few months months She came with wih an excellent character however and ad has always awas given me sat satisfaction She Is a very pretty girl and has ha attracted admirers who have haye oc occasionally hung about the time place That Thatis is the only drawback which we have found to her but e believe beleve her to be bea a thoroughly thorough good god girl In every way a aSo So much for the servants My y fam family famIly ily Iy itself is 1 so small that it i will vIll wi not take me rne long to describe it i I am a widower and have han an only son Mn Arthur He has been a disappointment nt to me Mr fr Holmes Holmesa Holm a grievous disappoint disappointment di meat ment I have hv no n doubt that I am sin my myself myself self It to blame People tell tel me that I have spoiled pUe him Very Ver likely I have When my m dear dr wife ire died die I felt fel that he lie was wag all aU I had to love I could not bear b r rt to t see se the smile ilk fade even for a mo moment m moment ment from frets fro his Il hi face fae I have never de denied de denied nied nie him a wish Perhaps it i would hive have h e been better for both of us u had I 1 Ibn been sterner but I meant ment it i for the best t b It I tI was wu naturally my 1 Intention that he lie should succeed 81 me in my business busine but lie b was wa not of a business turn tutu He was wild wayward and to speak the truth I could not mait trust him in the handling of large larre sums of f money When he was wan wa young youn he lie became a member of or oran an n aristocratic club and there there having charming manners he was wa soon sn the intimate of a number of ot men with long iong long purses urH and expensive habits habl He learned lerne to pla pia heavily at cards and to squander money on the turf until he had again apin and ad again to come to me and implore me to give him an ad advance advance advance vance upon his hl allowance that he might settle his h debts debt of honor He tried more than Uan once to break brek away from the dangerous company which he was keeping but each ech time the Ute in u ence enee ent of ot Ida h friend miend Sir Sit George Gerge Burnwell Burmel was wa enough enoh to draw drw him back again alain And Indeed Ide I could not wonder that such a aan roan as Sir George Gerge Burnwell should hould gain an Influence In over him for he a frequently brought him to my mt myhue m hue hoe ho and I have found myself that 1 I ld Jd hardly resist re lit the fascination of f He i Is older than Arthur tan 81 of ot the world to his fingertips fn one who wh hag baa been ben everywhere seen san everything a brilliant talker and a ama ama ama ma not great grat personal beauty Yet when si think of him in cold blood far tar faraway away from fro the glamour of his pros pres presence pre I ence I am convinced from his cynical speech and the look lok which I have caught cau ht m In t his hi eyes that he be Is I one who should be deeply deely distrusted So I think and so 1 too thinks think my little Mary Mar who has a womans guide In Insight Inal Insight sight al ht into character And d now there te is i only she to be de do described scribed She Is my niece ut v brother died five years MrS Tind nd left lefther lof lefther her hr alone aone in tn the time world worl go he and have looked unon ff ever since as my daughter Sh 1 sunbeam in my house sweet lo lov beautiful a wonderful manager d housekeeper h ou yet as tender and qu gentle gente as asa asA asa a woman could b b be p js Is i my right hand had I do not know |