in　that　of　the　invalid。　She　was　a　smug…looking　woman；　a　little　short
  and　thick　for　symmetry；　but　with　a　beautiful　olive　complexion；
  large；　dark；　Italian　eyes；　and　a　wealth　of　deep　black　hair。　Her　rich
  tints　made　the　white　face　of　her　companion　the　more　worn　and　haggard
  by　the　contrast。
  〃I　won't　waste　your　time；〃　said　he；　raising　himself　upon　the　sofa。
  〃I'll　plunge　into　the　matter　without　further　preamble。　I　was　a　happy
  and　successful　man；　Mr。　Holmes；　and　on　the　eve　of　being　married；
  when　a　sudden　and　dreadful　misfortune　wrecked　all　my　prospects　in
  life。
  〃I　was；　as　Watson　may　have　told　you；　in　the　Foreign　Office；　and
  through　the　influence　of　my　uncle；　Lord　Holdhurst；　I　rose　rapidly　to　a
  responsible　position。　When　my　uncle　became　foreign　minister　in　this
  administration　he　gave　me　several　missions　of　trust；　and　as　I　always
  brought　them　to　a　successful　conclusion；　he　came　at　last　to　have　the
  utmost　confidence　in　my　ability　and　tact。
  〃Nearly　ten　weeks　ago…to　be　more　accurate；　on　the　twenty…third　of
  May…he　called　me　into　his　private　room；　and；　after　complimenting　me　on
  the　good　work　which　I　had　done；　he　informed　me　that　he　had　a　new
  commission　of　trust　for　me　to　execute。
  〃'This；'　said　he；　taking　a　gray　roll　of　paper　from　his　bureau；　'is
  the　original　of　that　secret　treaty　between　England　and　Italy　of　which；
  I　regret　to　say；　some　rumours　have　already　got　into　the　public
  press。　It　is　of　enormous　importance　that　nothing　further　should　leak
  out。　The　French　or　the　Russian　embassy　would　pay　an　immense　sum　to
  learn　the　contents　of　these　papers。　They　should　not　leave　my　bureau
  were　it　not　that　it　is　absolutely　necessary　to　have　them　copied。　You
  have　a　desk　in　your　office？'
  〃'Yes；　sir。'
  〃'Then　take　the　treaty　and　lock　it　up　there。　I　shall　give　directions
  that　you　may　remain　behind　when　the　others　go；　so　that　you　may　copy　it
  at　your　leisure　without　fear　of　being　overlooked。　When　you　have
  finished；　relock　both　the　original　and　the　draft　in　the　desk；　and　hand
  them　over　to　me　personally　to…morrow　morning。'
  〃'I　took　the　papers　and…'
  〃Excuse　me　an　instant；〃　said　Holmes。　〃Were　you　alone　during　this
  conversation？〃
  〃Absolutely。〃
  〃'In　a　large　room？〃
  〃Thirty　feet　each　way。〃
  〃In　the　centre？〃
  〃Yes；　about　it。〃
  〃And　speaking　low？〃
  〃My　uncle's　voice　is　always　remarkably　low。　I　hardly　spoke　at　all。〃
  〃Thank　you；〃　said　Holmes；　shutting　his　eyes；　〃pray　go　on。〃
  〃I　did　exactly　what　he　indicated　and　waited　until　the　other　clerks
  had　departed。　One　of　them　in　my　room；　Charles　Gorot；　had　some
  arrears　of　work　to　make　up；　so　I　left　him　there　and　went　out　to
  dine。　When　I　returned　he　was　gone。　I　was　anxious　to　hurry　my　work；　for
  I　knew　that　Joseph…the　Mr。　Harrison　whom　you　saw　just　now…was　in　town；
  and　that　he　would　travel　down　to　Woking　by　the　eleven…o'clock　train；
  and　I　wanted　if　possible　to　catch　it。
  〃When　I　came　to　examine　the　treaty　I　saw　at　once　that　it　was　of　such
  importance　that　my　uncle　had　been　guilty　of　no　exaggeration　in　what　he
  said。　Without　going　into　details；　I　may　say　that　it　defined　the
  position　of　Great　Britain　towards　the　Triple　Alliance；　and
  foreshadowed　the　policy　which　this　country　would　pursue　in　the　event
  of　the　French　fleet　gaining　a　complete　ascendency　over　that　of　Italy
  in　the　Mediterranean。　The　questions　treated　in　it　were　purely　naval。
  At　the　end　were　the　signatures　of　the　high　dignitaries　who　had
  signed　it。　I　glanced　my　eyes　over　it；　and　then　settled　down　to　my　task
  of　copying。
  〃It　was　a　long　document；　written　in　the　French　language；　and
  containing　twenty　six　separate　articles。　I　copied　as　quickly　as　I
  could；　but　at　nine　o'clock　I　had　only　done　nine　articles；　and　it
  seemed　hopeless　for　me　to　attempt　to　catch　my　train。　I　was　feeling
  drowsy　and　stupid；　partly　from　my　dinner　and　also　from　the　effects
  of　a　long　day's　work。　A　cup　of　coffee　would　clear　my　brain。　A
  commissionaire　remains　all　night　in　a　little　lodge　at　the　foot　of
  the　stairs　and　is　in　the　habit　of　making　coffee　at　his　spirit…lamp　for
  any　of　the　officials　who　may　be　working　overtime。　I　rang　the　bell；
  therefore；　to　summon　him。
  〃To　my　surprise；　it　was　a　woman　who　answered　the　summons；　a　large；
  coarse　faced；　elderly　woman；　in　an　apron。　She　explained　that　she　was
  the　commissionaire's　wife；　who　did　the　charing；　and　I　gave　her　the
  order　for　the　coffee。
  〃I　wrote　two　more　articles；　and　then；　feeling　more　drowsy　than　ever；
  I　rose　and　walked　up　and　down　the　room　to　stretch　my　legs。　My　coffee
  had　not　yet　come；　and　I　wondered　what　the　cause　of　the　delay　could　be。
  Opening　the　door；　I　started　down　the　corridor　to　find　out。　There　was　a
  straight　passage；　dimly　lighted；　which　led　from　the　room　in　which　I
  had　been　working；　and　was　the　only　exit　from　it。　It　ended　in　a　curving
  staircase；　with　the　commissionaire's　lodge　in　the　passage　at　the
  bottom。　Halfway　down　this　staircase　is　a　small　landing；　with　another
  passage　running　into　it　at　right　angles。　This　second　one　leads　by
  means　of　a　second　small　stair　to　a　side　door；　used　by　servants；　and
  also　as　a　short　cut　by　clerks　when　coming　from　Charles　Street。　Here　is
  a　rough　chart　of　the　place。〃　（See　illustration。）
  〃Thank　you。　I　think　that　I　quite　follow　you；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes。
  〃It　is　of　the　utmost　importance　that　you　should　notice　this　point。　I
  went　down　the　stairs　and　into　the　hall；　where　I　found　the
  commissionaire　fast　asleep　in　his　box；　with　the　kettle　boiling
  furiously　upon　the　spirit…lamp。　I　took　off　the　kettle　and　blew　out　the
  lamp；　for　the　water　was　spurting　over　the　floor。　Then　I　put　out　my
  hand　and　was　about　to　shake　the　man；　who　was　still　sleeping　soundly；
  when　a　bell　over　his　head　rang　loudly；　and　he　woke　with　a　start。
  〃'Mr。　Phelps；　sir！'　said　he；　looking　at　me　in　bewilderment。
  〃'I　came　down　to　see　if　my　coffee　was　ready。'
  〃'I　was　boiling　the　kettle　when　I　fell　asleep；　sir。'　He　looked　at　me
  and　then　up　at　the　still　quivering　bell　with　an　ever…growing
  astonishment　upon　his　face。
  〃'If　you　was　here；　sir；　then　who　rang　the　bell？'　he　asked。
  〃'The　bell！'　I　cried。　'What　bell　is　it？'
  〃'It's　the　bell　of　the　room　you　were　working　in。'
  〃A　cold　hand　seemed　to　close　round　my　heart。　Someone；　then；　was　in
  that　room　where　my　precious　treaty　lay　upon　the　table。　I　ran
  frantically　up　the　stair　and　along　the　passage。　There　was　no　one　in
  the　corridors；　Mr。　Holmes。　There　was　no　one　in　the　room。　All　was
  exactly　as　I　left　it；　save　only　that　the　papers　which　had　been
  committed　to　my　care　had　been　taken　from　the　desk　on　which　they　lay。
  The　copy　was　there；　and　the　original　was　gone。〃
  Holmes　sat　up　in　his　chair　and　rubbed　his　hands。　I　could　see　that
  the　problem　was　entirely　to　his　heart。　〃Pray；　what　did　you　do　then？〃
  he　murmured。
  〃I　recognized　in　an　instant　that　the　thief　must　have　come　up　the
  stairs　from　the　side　door。　Of　course　I　must　have　met　him　if　he　had
  come　the　other　way。〃
  〃You　were　satisfied　that　he　could　not　have　been　concealed　in　the
  room　all　the　time；　or　in　the　corridor　which　you　have　just　described
  as　dimly　lighted？〃
  〃It　is　absolutely　impossible。　A　rat　could　not　conceal　himself　either
  in　the　room　or　the　corridor。　There　is　no　cover　at　all。〃
  〃Thank　you。　Pray　proceed。〃
  〃The　commissionaire；　seeing　by　my　pale　face　that　something　was　to　be
  feared；　had　followed　me　upstairs。　Now　we　both　rushed　along　the
  corridor　and　down　the　steep　steps　which　led　to　Charles　Street。　The
  door　at　the　bottom　was　closed　but　unlocked。　We　flung　it　open　and
  rushed　out。　I　can　distinctly　remember　that　as　we　did　so　there　came
  three　chimes　from　a　neighbouring　clock。　It　was　a　quarter　to　ten。〃
  〃That　is　of　enormous　importance；〃　said　Holmes；　making　a　note　upon
  his　shirt…cuff。
  〃The　night　was　very　dark；　and　a　thin；　warm　rain　was　falling。　There
  was　no　one　in　Charles　Street；　but　a　great　traffic　was　going　on；　as
  usual；　in　Whitehall；　at　the　extremity。　We　rushed　along　the　pavement；
  bare…headed　as　we　were；　and　at　the　far　corner　we　found　a　policeman
  standing。
  〃'A　robbery　has　been　committed；'　I　gasped。　'A　document　of　immense
  value　has　been　stolen　from　the　Foreign　Office。　Has　anyone　passed
  this　way？'
  〃'I　have　been　standing　here　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　sir；'　said　he；
  'only　one　person　has　passed　during　that　time…a　woman；　tall　and
  elderly；　with　a　Paisley　shawl。'
  〃'Ah；　that　is　only　my　wife；'　cried　the　commissionaire；　'has　no　one
  else　passed？'
  〃'No　one。'
  〃'Then　it　must　be　the　other　way　that　the　thief　took；'　cried　the
  fellow；　tugging　at　my　sleeve。
  〃But　I　was　not　satisfied；　and　the　attempts　which　he　made　to　draw
  me　away　increased　my　suspicions。
  〃'Which　way　did　the　woman　go？'　I　cried。
  〃'I　don't　know；　sir。　I　noticed　her　pass；　but　I　had　no　special　reason
  for　watching　her。　She　seemed　to　be　in　a　hurry。'
  〃'How　long　ago　was　it？'
  〃'Oh；　not　very　many　minutes。'
  〃'Within　the　last　five？'
  〃'Well；　it　could　not　have　been　more　than　five。'
  〃'You're　only　wasting　your　time；　sir；　and　every　minute　now　is　of
  importance；'　cried　the　commissionaire；　'take　my　word　for　it　that　my
  old　woman　has　nothing　to　do　with　it　and　come　down　to　the　other　end