Sherlock Holmes: A Drama in Four Acts Part 6

Music stops, just as lights up.

SHERLOCK HOLMES is discovered on the floor before the fire. He is in a dressing-gown and slippers and has his pipe.HOLMES leans against the chesterfield. A violin is upon the chesterfield, and the bow near it, as if recently laid down. Other things Scattered about him. He sits smoking awhile in deep thought. Enter BILLY, the boy page, or buttons. He comes down to back of table.

BILLY: Mrs. ‘Udson’s compliments, sir, an’ she wants to know if she can see you?

HOLMES (without moving, looking into fire thoughtfully): Where is Mrs. Hudson?

BILLY:  Downstairs in the back kitchen, sir.

HOLMES:  My compliments and I don’t think she can — from where she is.

BILLY:  She’ll be very sorry, sir.

HOLMES: Our regret will be mutual.

(BILLY hesitates.)

BILLY:  She says it was terribly important, sir, as she wants to know what you’ll have for your breakfast in the mornin’.

HOLMES: Same.

(Slight pause.)

BILLY:  Same as when, sir?

HOLMES:  This morning.

BILLY:  You didn’t ‘ave nothing, sir — you wasn’t ‘ere.

HOLMES: Quite so — I won’t be here tomorrow.

BILLY:  Yes, sir. Was that all, sir?

HOLMES: Quite so.

BILLY:  Thank you, sir.

(BILLY goes out. After long pause bell rings off. Enter BILLY.)

It’s Doctor Watson, sir. You told me as I could always show ‘im up.

HOLMES: Well! I should think so. (Rises and meets WATSON.)

BILLY:  Yes, sir, thank you, sir. Dr. Watson, sir!

(Enter DR. WATSON. BILLY, grinning with pleasure as he passes in, goes out at once.)

HOLMES (extending left hand to WATSON): Ah, Watson, dear fellow.

WATSON (going to HOLMES and taking his hand): How are you, Holmes?

HOLMES: I’m delighted to see you, my dear fellow, perfectly delighted, upon my word — but — I’m sorry to observe that your wife has left you in this way.

WATSON (laughing): She has gone on a little visit. (Puts hat on chair between bookcases.) But how did you know?

HOLMES (goes to laboratory table and puts spirit lamp out, then turns up lamp on table. All lights up): How do I know?  Now, Watson, how absurd for you to ask me such a question as that. How do I know anything? (Comes down a little way. Gives a very little sniff an instant, smelling something.) How do I know that you’ve opened a consulting room and resumed the practice of medicine without letting me hear a word about it? How do I know that you’ve been getting yourself very wet lately? That you have an extremely careless servant girl — and that you’ve moved your dressing-table to the other side of your room?

WATSON (turning and looking at HOLMES in astonishment):  Holmes, if you’d lived a few centuries ago, they’d have burned you alive. (Sits.)

HOLMES:  Such a conflagration would have saved no considerable trouble and expense. (Strolls over to near fire.)

WATSON: Tell me, how did you know all that?

HOLMES (pointing): Too simple to talk about. (Pointing at WATSON’S shoe.) Scratches and clumsy cuts — on the side of shoe there just where the fire strikes it, somebody scraped away crusted mud — and did it badly — badly. There’s your wet feet and careless servant all on one foot. Face badly shaved on one side — used to be on left — light must have come from other side — couldn’t well move your window — must have moved your dressing-table. (Goes to mantel and gets cocaine, etc.)

WATSON: Yes, by Jove! But my medical practice — I don’t see how you — 

HOLMES (glancing up grieved): Now, Watson! How perfectly absurd of you to come marching in here, fairly reeking with the odour of iodoform, and with the black mark of nitrate of silver on the inner side of your right forefinger and ask me how I know — 

WATSON (interrupting with a laugh): Ha! ha! of course. But how the deuce did you know my wife was away and — 

HOLMES (breaking in): Where the deuce is your second Waistcoat button, and what the deuce is yesterday’s boutonniere doing in to-day’s lapel — and why the deuce do you wear the expression of a — 

WATSON (toying with a cigarette and laughing): Ha, ha, ha! 

HOLMES: Ho! (Sneer.) Elementary! The child’s play of deduction!

(HOLMES has a neat morocco case and a phial in hand, which he brings to the table and lays carefully upon it. As WATSONsees HOLMES with the open case he looks restless and apparently 
annoyed at what HOLMES is about to do, throwing cigarette on table. HOLMES opens the case and takes therefrom a hypodermic syringe, carefully adjusting the needle. Fills from phial. Then back left cuff of shirt a little. Pauses, looks at arm or wrist a moment. Inserts needle. Presses piston home.)

(Music. A weird bar or two — keeping on a strange pulsation on one note for cocaine business. Begin as HOLMES fills syringe.)

(WATSON has watched him with an expression of deep anxiety but with effort to restrain himself from speaking.) 

WATSON (as HOLMES puts needle in case again. Finally speaks.)  Which is it to-day? Cocaine or morphine or —

HOLMES: Cocaine, my dear fellow. I’m back to my old love.  A seven per cent. solution. (Offering syringe and phial.) Woud you like to try some?

WATSON (emphatically — rise) Certainly not.

HOLMES (as if surprised): Oh! I’m sorry!

WATSON: I have no wish to break my system down before time.

(Pause.)

HOLMES: Quite right, my dear Watson — quite right — but, see, my time has come. (Goes to mantel and replaces case thereon. Throws himself languidly into chesterfield and leans back in luxurious enjoyment of the drug.)

WATSON (goes to table, resting hand on upper corner, looking at HOLMES seriously): Holmes, for months I have seen you use these deadly drugs — in ever-increasing doses. When they lay hold of you there is no end. It must go on, and on — until the finish.

HOLMES (lying back dreamily): So must you go on and on eating your breakfast — until the finish.

WATSON (approaches HOLMES): Breakfast is food. These are poisons — slow but certain. They involve tissue changes of a most serious nature.

HOLMES: Just what I want. I’m bored to death with my present tissues, and I’m trying to get a brand-new lot.

WATSON (going near HOLMES — putting hand on HOLMES' shoulder) Ah Holmes — I am trying to save you.

HOLMES (earnest at once — places right hand on WATSON’S arm): You can’t do it, old fellow — so don’t waste your time.

(Music stops.)

(They look at one another an instant. WATSON sees cigarette on table—picks it up and sits.)

Watson, to change the subject a little. In the enthusiasm which has prompted you to chronicle and — if you will excuse my saying so, to somewhat embellish — a few of my little — adventures, you have occasionally committed the error — or indiscretion — of giving them a certain tinge of romance which struck me as being a trifle out of place. Something like working an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid. I merely refer to this in case you should see fit at some future time — to chronicle the most important and far-reaching case in my career — one upon which I have laboured for nearly fourteen months, and which is now rapidly approaching a singularly diverting climax — the case of Professor Robert Moriarty.

WATSON: Moriarty! I don’t remember ever having heard of the fellow.

HOLMES: The Napoleon of crime. The Napoleon! Sitting motionless like an ugly venomous spider in the centre of his web — but that web having a thousand radiations and the spider knowing every quiver of every one of them.

WATSON: Really! This is very interesting. (Turns chair facing HOLMES.)

HOLMES: Ah — but the real interest will come when the Professor begins to realize his position — which he cannot fail to do shortly. By ten o’clock to-morrow night the time will be ripe for the arrests. Then the greatest criminal trial of the century … the clearing up of over forty mysteries … and the rope for every one.

WATSON: Good! What will he do when he sees that you have him?

HOLMES: Do? He will do me the honour, my dear Watson, of turning every resource of his wonderful organization of criminals to the one purpose of my destruction.

WATSON: Why, Holmes, this is a dangerous thing. (Rises.)

HOLMES: Dear Watson, it’s perfectly delightful! It saves me any number of doses of those deadly drugs upon which you occasionally favour me with your medical views! My whole life is spent in a series of frantic endeavours to escape from the dreary common places of existence! For a brief period I escape! You should congratulate me!

WATSON: But you could escape them without such serious risks! Your other cases have not been so dangerous, and they were even more interesting. Now, the one you spoke of — the last time I saw you — the recovery of those damaging letters and gifts from a young girl who — 

(HOLMES suddenly rises — stands motionless. WATSON looks at him surprised. Brief pause. Then WATSON sits in arm-chair.)

A most peculiar affair as I remember it. You were going to try an experiment of making her betray their hiding-place by an alarm of fire in her own house — and after that —

HOLMES: Precisely — after that.

(Pause.)

WATSON: Didn’t the plan succeed?

HOLMES: Yes — as far as I’ve gone.

WATSON: You got Forman into the house as butler?

HOLMES (nods): Forman was in as butler.

WATSON: And upon your signal he overturned a lamp in the kitchen— (HOLMES moves up and down) —scattered the smoke balls and gave an alarm of fire?

(HOLMES nods and mutters “Yes” under his breath)

And the young lady — did she — 

HOLMES (turning and interrupting): Yes, she did, Watson.  (Going down near him as if he had recovered himself) The young  lady did.  It all transpired precisely as planned.  I took the packet of papers from its hiding-place — and as I told you I would handed it back to Miss Faulkner.

WATSON: But you never told me why you proposed to hand it back.

HOLMES For a very simple reason my dear Watson That would have been theft for me to take it. The contents of the packet were the absolute property of the young lady.

WATSON: What did you gain by this? 

HOLMES: Her confidence, and so far as I was able to secure it, her regard. As it was impossible for me to take possession of the letters, photographs and jewellery in that packet without her consent, my only alternative is to obtain that consent — to induce her to give it to me of her own free will. Its return to her after I had laid hands on it was the first move in this direction. The second will depend entirely upon what transpires to-day. I expect Forman here to report in half an hour.

(Light hurried footsteps outside. Short quick knock at door and enter TÉRÉSE in great haste and excitement. WATSON rises and turns and faces her near table. HOLMES turns towards fire-place.)

TÉRÉSE:  I beg you to pardon me, sir, ze boy he say to come right up as soon as I come.

HOLMES: Quite right! quite right!

TÉRÉSE:  Ah! I fear me zere is trouble — Messieurs — ze butlair— you assesstant — ze one who sent me to you —

HOLMES: Forman? (Turning to her.)

TÉRÉSE: Heem! Forman. Zere ees somesing done to heem! I fear to go down to see.

HOLMES: Down where?

(WATSON watches.)

TÉRÉSE:  Ze down. (Gesture.) Ze cellaire of zat house. Eet ees a dreadful place. He deed not come back. He went down — he deed not return. (Business of anguish.)

(HOLMES goes to table — rings bell and takes revolver from drawer and slides it into his hip pocket, at same time unfastening dressing-gown.)

HOLMES (during business): Who sent him down?

TÉRÉSE:  M’sjeur of ze house, M’sieur Chetwood.

HOLMES: Larrabee?

TÉRESE:  Yes.

HOLMES (during business): Has he been down there long?

TÉRÉSE:  No — for I soon suspect — ze dreadful noise was heard. Oh — (covers face) — ze noise! Ze noise!

HOLMES: What noise? (Goes to her and seizes her arm.)

TÉRÉSE:  Ze noise!

HOLMES: Try to be calm and answer me. What did it sound like?

TÉRÉSE:  Ze dreadful cry of a man who eez struck down by a deadly seeng.

(Enter BILLY)

HOLMES:  Billy! Coat — boots, and order a cab — quick! (Back again to table, takes a second revolver out.)

BILLY (darting off at door) Yes, sir.

HOLMES (to TÉRÉSE) Did anyone follow him down?

(BILLY is back in a second.)

TÉRÉSE:  I did not see.

HOLMES:  Don’t wait. The cab.

(BILLY shoots off having placed coat over chesterfield and boots on floor)

Take this Watson and come with me. (Handing WATSON a revolver. WATSON advances a step to meet HOLMES and takes revolver.)

TÉRÉSE:  I had not better go also? 

HOLMES: No … Wait here! (Ready to go. About to take off dressing gown)

(Hurried footsteps heard outside)

(Pause.) Ha! I hear Forman coming now.

(Enter FORMAN.)

TÉRÉSE (seeing FORMAN — under her breath) Ah! (Backing a little)