old　woman　has　nothing　to　do　with　it　and　come　down　to　the　other　end
  of　the　street。　Well；　if　you　won't；　I　will。'　And　with　that　he　rashed
  off　in　the　other　direction。
  〃'But　I　was　after　him　in　an　instant　and　caught　him　by　the　sleeve。
  〃'Where　do　you　live？'　said　I。
  〃'16　Ivy　Lane；　Brixton；'　he　answered。　'But　don't　let　yourself　be
  drawn　away　upon　a　false　scent；　Mr。　Phelps。　Come　to　the　other　end　of
  the　street　and　let　us　see　if　we　can　hear　of　anything。'
  〃Nothing　was　to　be　lost　by　following　his　advice。　With　the
  policeman　we　both　hurried　down；　but　only　to　find　the　street　full　of
  traffic；　many　people　coming　and　going；　but　all　only　too　eager　to　get
  to　a　place　of　safety　upon　so　wet　a　night。　There　was　no　lounger　who
  could　tell　us　who　had　passed。
  〃Then　we　returned　to　the　office　and　searched　the　stairs　and　the
  passage　without　result。　The　corridor　which　led　to　the　room　was　laid
  down　with　a　kind　of　creamy　linoleum　which　shows　an　impression　very
  easily。　We　examined　it　very　carefully；　but　found　no　outline　of　any
  footmark。〃
  〃Had　it　been　raining　all　evening？〃
  〃Since　about　seven。〃
  〃How　is　it；　then；　that　the　woman　who　came　into　the　room　about　nine
  left　no　traces　with　her　muddy　boots？〃
  〃I　am　glad　you　raised　the　point。　It　occurred　to　me　at　the　time。
  The　charwomen　are　in　the　habit　of　taking　off　their　boots　at　the
  commissionaire's　office；　and　putting　on　list　slippers。〃
  〃That　is　very　clear。　There　were　no　marks　then；　though　the　night
  was　a　wet　one？　The　chain　of　events　is　certainly　one　of　extraordinary
  interest。　What　did　you　do　next？〃
  〃We　examined　the　room　also。　There　is　no　possibility　of　a　secret
  door；　and　the　windows　are　quite　thirty　feet　from　the　ground。　Both　of
  them　were　fastened　on　the　inside。　The　carpet　prevents　any
  possibility　of　a　trapdoor；　and　the　ceiling　is　of　the　ordinary
  whitewashed　kind。　I　will　pledge　my　life　that　whoever　stole　my　papers
  could　only　have　come　through　the　door。〃
  〃How　about　the　fireplace？〃
  〃They　use　none。　There　is　a　stove。　The　bell…rope　hangs　from　the
  wire　just　to　the　right　of　my　desk。　Whoever　rang　it　must　have　come
  right　up　to　the　desk　to　do　it。　But　why　should　any　criminal　wish　to
  ring　the　bell？　It　is　a　most　insoluble　mystery。〃
  〃Certainly　the　incident　was　unusual。　What　were　your　next　steps？
  You　examined　the　room；　I　presume；　to　see　if　the　intruder　had　left
  any　traces…any　cigar…end　or　dropped　glove　or　hairpin　or　other　trifle？〃
  〃There　was　nothing　of　the　sort。〃
  〃No　smell？〃
  〃Well；　we　never　thought　of　that。〃
  〃Ah；　a　scent　of　tobacco　would　have　been　worth　a　great　deal　to　us
  in　such　an　investigation。〃
  〃I　never　smoke　myself；　so　I　think　I　should　have　observed　it　if　there
  had　been　any　smell　of　tobacco。　There　was　absolutely　no　clue　of　any
  kind。　The　only　tangible　fact　was　that　the　commissionaire's　wife…Mrs。
  Tangey　was　the　name…had　hurried　out　of　the　place。　He　could　give　no
  explanation　save　that　it　was　about　the　time　when　the　woman　always　went
  home。　The　policeman　and　I　agreed　that　our　best　plan　would　be　to
  seize　the　woman　before　she　could　get　rid　of　the　papers；　presuming　that
  she　had　them。
  〃The　alarm　had　reached　Scotland　Yard　by　this　time；　and　Mr。　Forbes；
  the　detective；　came　round　at　once　and　took　up　the　case　with　a　great
  deal　of　energy。　We　hired　a　hansom；　and　in　half　an　hour　we　were　at
  the　address　which　had　been　given　to　us。　A　young　woman　opened　the　door；
  who　proved　to　be　Mrs。　Tangey's　eldest　daughter。　Her　mother　had　not
  come　back　yet；　and　we　were　shown　into　the　front　room　to　wait。
  〃About　ten　minutes　later　a　knock　came　at　the　door；　and　here　we
  made　the　one　serious　mistake　for　which　I　blame　myself。　Instead　of
  opening　the　door　ourselves；　we　allowed　the　girl　to　do　so。　We　heard　her
  say；　'Mother；　there　are　two　men　in　the　house　waiting　to　see　you；'
  and　an　instant　afterwards　we　heard　the　patter　of　feet　rushing　down　the
  passage。　Forbes　flung　open　the　door；　and　we　both　ran　into　the　back
  room　or　kitchen；　but　the　woman　had　got　there　before　us。　She　stared
  at　us　with　defiant　eyes；　and　then；　suddenly　recognizing　me；　an
  expression　of　absolute　astonishment　came　over　her　face。
  〃'Why；　if　it　isn't　Mr。　Phelps；　of　the　office！'　she　cried。
  〃'Come；　come；　who　did　you　think　we　were　when　you　ran　away　from
  us？'　asked　my　companion。
  〃'I　thought　you　were　the　brokers；'　said　she；　'we　have　had　some
  trouble　with　a　tradesman。'
  〃'That's　not　quite　good　enough；'　answered　Forbes。　'We　have　reason　to
  believe　that　you　have　taken　a　paper　of　importance　from　the　Foreign
  Office；　and　that　you　ran　in　here　to　dispose　of　it。　You　must　come
  back　with　us　to　Scotland　Yard　to　be　searched。'
  〃It　was　in　vain　that　she　protested　and　resisted。　A　four…wheeler
  was　brought；　and　we　all　three　drove　back　in　it。　We　had　first　made　an
  examination　of　the　kitchen；　and　especially　of　the　kitchen　fire；　to　see
  whether　she　might　have　made　away　with　the　papers　during　the　instant
  that　she　was　alone。　There　were　no　signs；　however；　of　any　ashes　or
  scraps。　When　we　reached　Scotland　Yard　she　was　handed　over　at　once　to
  the　female　searcher。　I　waited　in　an　agony　of　suspense　until　she　came
  back　with　her　report。　There　were　no　signs　of　the　papers。
  〃Then　for　the　first　time　the　horror　of　my　situation　came　in　its　full
  force。　Hitherto　I　had　been　acting；　and　action　had　numbed　thought。　I
  had　been　so　confident　of　regaining　the　treaty　at　once　that　I　had　not
  dared　to　think　of　what　would　be　the　consequence　if　I　failed　to　do
  so。　But　now　there　was　nothing　more　to　be　done；　and　I　had　leisure　to
  realize　my　position。　It　was　horrible。　Watson　there　would　tell　you　that
  I　was　a　nervous；　sensitive　boy　at　school。　It　is　my　nature。　I　thought
  of　my　uncle　and　of　his　colleagues　in　the　Cabinet；　of　the　shame　which　I
  had　brought　upon　him；　upon　myself；　upon　everyone　connected　with　me。
  What　though　I　was　the　victim　of　an　extraordinary　accident？　No
  allowance　is　made　for　accidents　where　diplomatic　interests　are　at
  stake。　I　was　ruined；　shamefully；　hopelessly　ruined。　I　don't　know
  what　I　did。　I　fancy　I　must　have　made　a　scene。　I　have　a　dim
  recollection　of　a　group　of　officials　who　crowded　round　me；
  endeavouring　to　soothe　me。　One　of　them　drove　down　with　me　to　Waterloo；
  and　saw　me　into　the　Woking　train。　I　believe　that　he　would　have　come
  all　the　way　had　it　not　been　that　Dr。　Ferrier；　who　lives　near　me；　was
  going　down　by　that　very　train。　The　doctor　most　kindly　took　charge　of
  me；　and　it　was　well　he　did　so；　for　I　had　a　fit　in　the　station；　and
  before　we　reached　home　I　was　practically　a　raving　maniac。
  〃You　can　imagine　the　state　of　things　here　when　they　were　roused　from
  their　beds　by　the　doctor's　ringing　and　found　me　in　this　condition。
  Poor　Annie　here　and　my　mother　were　broken…hearted。　Dr。　Ferrier　had
  just　heard　enough　from　the　detective　at　the　station　to　be　able　to　give
  an　idea　of　what　had　happened；　and　his　story　did　not　mend　matters。　It
  was　evident　to　all　that　I　was　in　for　a　long　illness；　so　Joseph　was
  bundled　out　of　this　cheery　bedroom；　and　it　was　turned　into　a　sick…room
  for　me。　Here　I　have　lain；　Mr。　Holmes；　for　over　nine　weeks；
  unconscious；　and　raving　with　brain…fever。　If　it　had　not　been　for
  Miss　Harrison　here　and　for　the　doctor's　care；　I　should　not　be　speaking
  to　you　now。　She　has　nursed　me　by　day　and　a　hired　nurse　has　looked
  after　me　by　night；　for　in　my　mad　fits　I　was　capable　of　anything。
  Slowly　my　reason　has　cleared；　but　it　is　only　during　the　last　three
  days　that　my　memory　has　quite　returned。　Sometimes　I　wish　that　it　never
  had。　The　first　thing　that　I　did　was　to　wire　to　Mr。　Forbes；　who　had　the
  case　in　hand。　He　came　out；　and　assures　me　that；　though　everything
  has　been　done；　no　trace　of　a　clue　has　been　discovered。　The
  commissionaire　and　his　wife　have　been　examined　in　every　way　without
  any　light　being　thrown　upon　the　matter。　The　suspicions　of　the　police
  then　rested　upon　young　Gorot；　who；　as　you　may　remember；　stayed
  over…time　in　the　office　that　night。　His　remaining　behind　and　his
  French　name　were　really　the　only　two　points　which　could　suggest
  suspicion；　but；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　I　did　not　begin　work　until　he　had
  gone；　and　his　people　are　of　Huguenot　extraction；　but　as　English　in
  sympathy　and　tradition　as　you　and　I　are。　Nothing　was　found　to
  implicate　him　in　any　way；　and　there　the　matter　dropped。　I　turn　to　you；
  Mr。　Holmes；　as　absolutely　my　last　hope。　If　you　fail　me；　then　my　honour
  as　well　as　my　position　are　forever　forfeited。〃
  The　invalid　sank　back　upon　his　cushions；　tired　out　by　this　long
  recital；　while　his　nurse　poured　him　out　a　glass　of　some　stimulating
  medicine。　Holmes　sat　silently；　with　his　head　thrown　back　and　his
  eyes　closed；　in　an　attitude　which　might　seem　listless　to　a　stranger；
  but　which　I　knew　betokened　the　most　intense　self…absorption。
  〃Your　statement　has　been　so　explicit；〃　said　he　at　last；　〃that　you
  have　really　left　me　very　few　questions　to　ask。　There　is　one　of　the
  very　utmost　importance；　however。　Did　you　tell　anyone　that　you　had　this
  special　task　to　perform？〃
  〃No　one。〃
  〃Not　Miss　Harrison　here；　for　example？〃
  〃No。　I　had　not　been　back　to　Woking　between　getting　the　order　and
  executing　the　commission。〃
  〃And　none　of　your　people　had　by