Sherlock Holmes: A Drama in Four Acts Part 11

There is a large operating chair with high back, cushions, etc. Music for curtain, which stops an instant before rise.

DR. WATSON is seated behind his desk and MRS. SMEEDLEY, a seedy-looking middle-aged woman, is seated in the chair next to the desk with a medicine bottle in her hand.

WATSON: Be careful to make no mistake about the medicine. If she’s no better to-morrow I’ll call. You will let me know, of course.

MRS. SMEEDLEY: Oh yes, indeed I will. Good evening, sir. 

WATSON: Good night, Mrs. Smeedley.

(MRS. SMEEDLEY goes out. Sound of door closing heard after she is off.  Pause. The doctor turns to his desk, and ringing bell, busies himself with papers.)

(Enter PARSONS—a servant.)

Parsons!

(PARSONS comes a little towards WATSON.)

(Lower voice.) That woman who just left — do you know her? 

PARSONS (trying to recollect): I can’t say as I recollect  ‘avin’ seen ‘er before. Was there anything—?

WATSON: Oh no! Acted a little strange, that’s all. I thought I saw her looking about the hall before she went out.

PARSONS: Yes sir, she did give a look. I saw that myself, sir.

WATSON (after an instant’s thought): Oh well — I dare say it was nothing. Is there anyone waiting, Parsons? 

PARSONS: There’s one person in the waiting-room, sir — a gentleman.

WATSON (looks at watch): I’ll see him, but I’ve only a short time left. If any more come you must send them over to Doctor Anstruther.  I spoke to him this afternoon about taking my cases. I have an important appointment at nine.

PARSONS:  Very well, sir. Then you’ll see this gentleman, sir?

WATSON: Yes.

(PARSONS goes out. Short pause. WATSON busy at desk. PARSONS opens door and shows in SID PRINCE. He comes in a little way and pauses. PARSONS all through this Act closes the door after his exit, or after showing anyone in. WATSON looks up.)

PRINCE (speaking in the most dreadful husky whisper): Good evenin’, sir!

WATSON: Good evening. (Indicating chair.) Pray be seated.

PRINCE (same voice all through): Thanks, I don’t mind if I do. (Coughs, then sits in chair near desk.)

WATSON (looking at him with professional interest): What seems to be the trouble?

PRINCE:  Throat, sir. (Indicating his throat to assist in making himself understood.) Most dreadful sore throat.

WATSON: Sore throat, eh? (Glancing about for an instrument.)

PRINCE:  Well, I should think it is. It’s the most ‘arrowing thing I ever ‘ad! It pains me that much to swallow that I —

WATSON: Hurts you to swallow, does it? (Finding and picking up an instrument on the desk.)

PRINCE:  Indeed it does. Why, I can ‘ardly get a bit of food down.

(WATSON rises and goes to cabinet, pushes gas burner out into position and lights it.)

WATSON: Just step this way a moment, please. (PRINCE rises and goes up to WATSON, who adjusts reflector over eye, etc. He has an instrument in his hand which he wipes with a napkin.) Now, mouth open — wide as possible. (PRINCE opens mouth andWATSON places tongue holder on his tongue.) That’s it. (Picks up dentist’s  mirror and warms it over gas burner.)

PRINCE (WATSON is about to examine throat when PRINCE sees instrument and is a trifle alarmed): Eh!

(Business of  WATSON putting in tongue holder and looking down PRINCES throat — looking carefully this way and that)

WATSON: Say “Ah!”

PRINCE (husky voice): Ah! (Steps away and places handkerchief to mouth as if the attempt to say Ah! hurt him)

(WATSON discontinues, and takes instrument out of PRINCE’S mouth.)

WATSON (a slight incredulity in his manner): Where do you feel this pain?

PRINCE (indicating with his finger): Just about there, doctor. Inside about there.

WATSON: That’s singular. I don’t find anything wrong. (gas burner back to usual position — and placing instrument on cabinet.)

PRINCE:  You may not foind anything wrong, but I feel it wrong. If you would only give me something to take away this awful agony.

WATSON: That’s nothing. It’ll pass away in a few hours. (Reflectively.) Singular thing it would have affected your voice in this way. Well, I’ll give you a gargle — it may help you a little.

PRINCE: Yes — if you only would, doctor.

(WATSON goes into surgery PRINCE watching him like a cat. Music. Dramatic agitato, very pp. WATSON does not close the door of the room, but pushes it part way so that it is open about a foot. PRINCE moves toward door, watching WATSONthrough it.  Stops near door. Seems to watch for his chance, for he suddenly turns and goes quickly down and runs up blinds of both windows and moves back quickly, watching WATSON through the door again. Seeing that he still has time to spare, he goes to centre door and opens it, looking and listening off. Distant sound of a when door is open which stops when it is closed.PRINCE quickly turns back and goes off a little way at centre door, leaving it open so that he is seen peering up above and listening. Turns to come back, but just at the door he sees WATSON coming on and stops.  WATSON suddenly enters and seesPRINCE in centre door and stops, with a bottle in his hand, and looks at PRINCE.)

(Music stops.)

WATSON: What are you doing there?

PRINCE:  Why, nothing at all, doctor. I felt such a draught on the back o’ my neck, don’t yer know, that I opened the door to see where it came from!

(WATSON goes down and rings bell on his desk, placing bottle on papers. Pause. Enter PARSONS.)

WATSON: Parsons, show this man the shortest way to the street door and close the door after him.

PRINCE:  But, doctor, ye don’t understand.

WATSON: I understand quite enough. Good evening.

PRINCE:  Yer know, the draught plays hell with my throat, sir — and seems to affect my —

WATSON: Good evening. (He sits and pays no further attention to PRINCE.)

PARSONS:  This way, sir, if you please.

PRINCE:  I consider that you’ve treated me damned outrageous, that’s wot I do, and ye won’t hear the last of this very soon.

PARSONS (approaching him): Come, none o’ that now. (Takes PRINCE by the arm.)

PRINCE (as he walks toward door with PARSONS, turns head back and speaks over his shoulder, shouting out in his natural voice): Yer call yerself a doctor an’ treats sick people as comes to see yer this ‘ere way. (Goes out with PARSONS and continues talking until slam of door outside.) Yer call yerself a doctor! A bloomin’ foine doctor you are! (Etc.)

(PARSONS has forced PRINCE out by the arm during foregoing speech. Door closes after PRINCE. Sound of outside door closing follows shortly. WATSON, after short pause, looks round room, not observing that window shades are up. He rings bell. Enter PARSONS)

WATSON (rises and gathers up a few things as if to go): I shall be at Mr. Holmes’s in Baker Street. If there’s anything special, you’ll know where to send for me. The appointment was for nine. (Looks at watch.) It’s fifteen minutes past eight now —I’m going to walk over.

PARSONS: Very well, sir.

(Bell of outside door rings. PARSONS looks at WATSON, who shakes his head.)

WATSON: No. I won’t see any more to-night. They must go to Doctor Anstruther.

PARSONS:  Yes, sir. (He starts towards door to answer bell.)

(WATSON looks and sees blinds up.)

WATSON: Parsons! (PARSONS turns.) Why aren’t those blinds down?

PARSONS:  They was down a few minutes ago, sir!

WATSON:  That’s strange! Well, you’d better pull them down now.

PARSONS:  Yes, sir.

(Bell rings twice as PARSONS pulls second blind down. He goes out to answer bell. Pause. Then enter PARSONS in a peculiar manner.)

If you please, sir, it isn’t a patient at all, sir.

WATSON: Well, what is it?

PARSONS:  A lady sir — (WATSON looks up) — and she wants to see you most particular, sir!

WATSON: What does she want to see me about? 

PARSONS: She didn’t say sir.  Only she said it was of the hutmost himportance to ‘er, if you could see ‘er, sir.

WATSON: Is she there in the hall?

PARSONS: Yes sir.

WATSON:  Very well — I was going to walk for the exercise — I can take a cab.

PARSONS:  Then you’ll see the lady, sir.

WATSON: Yes. (PARSONS turns to go. WATSON continues his preparations.) And call a cab for me at the same time — have it wait.

PARSONS:  Yes, sir. 

(PARSONS goes out. Pause. PARSONS appears, ushering in a lady — and goes when she has entered. Enter MADGE LARRABEE.  Her manner is entirely different from that of the former scenes. She is an impetuous gushing society lady with trouble on her mind)

MADGE (as she comes in): Ah! Doctor — it’s awfully good of you to see me. I know what a busy man you must be but I’m in such trouble — oh, it’s really too dreadful — You’ll excuse my troubling you in this way, won’t you?

WATSON: Don’t speak of it, madam.

MADGE:  Oh, thank you so much! For it did look frightful my coming in like this — but I’m not alone — oh no! — I left my maid in the cab — I’m Mrs. H. de Witte Seaton — (Trying to find card-case.) Dear me — I didn’t bring my card-case — or if I did I lost it.

WATSON:  Don’t trouble about a card, Mrs. Seaton. (With gesture to indicate chair.)

MADGE:  Oh, thank you. (Sitting as she continues to talk.) You don’t know what I’ve been through this evening — trying to find some one who could tell me what to do. (WATSON sits in chair at desk.) It’s something that’s happened, doctor — it has just simply happened — I know that it wasn’t his fault! I know it!

WATSON: Whose fault?

MADGE:  My brother’s — my poor, dear, youngest brother — he couldn’t have done such a thing, he simply couldn’t and —

WATSON: Such a thing as what, Mrs. Seaton?

MADGE:  As to take the plans of our defences at Gibraltar from the Admiralty Offices. They think he stole them, doctor — and they’ve arrested him for it — you see, he works there. He was the only one who knew about them in the whole office — because they trusted him so. He was to make copies and — Oh, doctor, it’s really too dreadful! (Overcome, she takes out her handkerchief and wipes her eyes. This must all be perfectly natural, and not in the least particular overdone.)

WATSON:  I’m very sorry, Mrs. Seaton — 

MADGE (mixed up with sobs): Oh, thank you so much! They said you were Mr. Holmes’s friend — several people told me that, several — they advised me to ask you where I could find him — and everything depends on it, doctor — everything.

WATSON: Holmes, of course. He’s just the one you want.

MADGE:  That’s it! He’s just the one — and there’s hardly any time left! They’ll take my poor brother away to prison to-morrow! (Shows signs of breaking down again.)

WATSON: There, there, Mrs. Seaton — pray control yourself. 

MADGE (choking down sobs): Now what would you advise me to do?

WATSON: I’d go to Mr. Holmes at once.

MADGE: But I’ve been. I’ve been and he wasn’t there!

WATSON: You went to his house?

MADGE: Yes — in Baker Street. That’s why I came to you! They said he might be here!

WATSON: No — he isn’t here! (Turns away slightly)

(MADGE looks deeply discouraged)

MADGE: But don’t you expect him some time this evening? 

WATSON: No (Shaking head) There’s no possibility of his coming — so far as I know.

MADGE: But couldnt you get him to come? (Pause) It would be such a great favour to me — I’m almost worn out with going about — and with this dreadful anxiety! If you could get word to him — (sees that WATSON is looking at her strangely and sharply) — to come.

(Brief pause)

WATSON (rising — rather hard voice): I could not get him to come madam. And I beg you to excuse me I am going out myself — (looks at watch) — on urgent business. (Rings bell.)

MADGE (rising) Oh certainly! Don t let me detain you! And you think I had better call at his house again?

WATSON (coldly): That will be the wisest thing to do.

MADGE: Oh, thank you so much. (Extends her hand.) You don t know how you’ve encouraged me!

(WATSON withdraws his hand as he still looks at her.  Enter PARSONS He stands at door)

Well — good night doctor