a fire-escape, I suppose.
I still had no time to think about what had happened, but hastily scrambled down after Holmes and the other man, who did not pause when once we had reached the street, but led the way at a run.
We passed through a grimy alley, a vile courtyard, and emerged on to a somewhat broader street, where the man who had been the main speaker paused. ‘We must not run here,’ he told us, ‘for it would arouse suspicion.’
For answer, Holmes pointed up the street to where a couple of policemen were running towards us. ‘It looks as if we must run,’ said he drily.
Our companion looked baffled for a moment, then turned on his heel, not running, but walking at a fast pace. Back through the courtyard we went, into the alley, but then we turned in a new direction, and plunged into a veritable maze of narrow lanes and squalid streets, keeping up a pace which soon tired me out. I was grateful when at last we slowed down somewhat, and seemed to be entering more respectable surroundings.
The speaker suddenly drew up in front of a decent enough looking carriage. ‘Please get inside, quickly,’ said he.
I confess that I hesitated, but Holmes showed not the slightest indecision. He climbed into the carriage at once, and I followed.
Our new-found friend climbed in last, and gave a peculiar double knock on the roof with his cane, as a signal to the coachman. Off we went at a good speed. I tried to look out of the window, but the blinds were down, and I had no idea as to where we might be heading. We certainly seemed to be taking no short cuts, for once or twice I fancied that we had gone around in a long loop – probably to confuse pursuers, or perhaps to confuse Holmes and myself, I suspected. Neither Holmes nor the erstwhile speaker – and I still had to think of him in those terms, or as ‘our new friend,’ or something of that kind, for he made not the least attempt to introduce himself – ventured on any conversation, and I kept silent as well.
At length we drew up. Our new friend got down and held the door open for us. ‘If you would be so kind,’ said he.
Holmes got down, and I followed. We were pretty clearly inside a kind of courtyard, for there were stables no great way off, while the side wall of a large house was not six feet from where we got out of the carriage. Our friend produced a key. ‘You must stay here until things have quietened down,’ he told us. He unlocked the door, then stood aside to let us in.
I confess that I would have hesitated, but Holmes did not. He led the way inside, and I followed him into a small and plainly furnished entrance hall, looking rather like a servants’ entrance, which I suppose it was, since we had entered by a side door. The gas jets were lit, but not turned up, and we stood there, not knowing what might happen, while the man whom I still called ‘the speaker,’ ludicrous though the appellation now was, for we had scarcely exchanged a half-dozen words since the excitement at the meeting, locked the door.
He put the key in his coat pocket, and when he turned to face us there was a revolver in his hand. ‘You will, I am sure, excuse an obvious precaution,’ he said. He turned up the light, and motioned towards the door. We went through into a long passage with a flight of stairs at the end.
‘If you would please to go upstairs,’ he said.
Holmes led the way upstairs.
‘You must stay here tonight,’ said our host, nodding at a door.
Holmes opened it, and went inside, and again I followed tamely enough. The lamps were lit in here, too, and showed a large and comfortably furnished bedroom.
‘There is a cloakroom through there,’ said our host, ‘but I am afraid you must miss your supper.’
Holmes bowed, and the man left us, locking the door after him. Holmes’s first act was to try the door, but it was immovable. Holmes then looked carefully round the room, although I still have no idea what he was looking for – certainly there
I still had no time to think about what had happened, but hastily scrambled down after Holmes and the other man, who did not pause when once we had reached the street, but led the way at a run.
We passed through a grimy alley, a vile courtyard, and emerged on to a somewhat broader street, where the man who had been the main speaker paused. ‘We must not run here,’ he told us, ‘for it would arouse suspicion.’
For answer, Holmes pointed up the street to where a couple of policemen were running towards us. ‘It looks as if we must run,’ said he drily.
Our companion looked baffled for a moment, then turned on his heel, not running, but walking at a fast pace. Back through the courtyard we went, into the alley, but then we turned in a new direction, and plunged into a veritable maze of narrow lanes and squalid streets, keeping up a pace which soon tired me out. I was grateful when at last we slowed down somewhat, and seemed to be entering more respectable surroundings.
The speaker suddenly drew up in front of a decent enough looking carriage. ‘Please get inside, quickly,’ said he.
I confess that I hesitated, but Holmes showed not the slightest indecision. He climbed into the carriage at once, and I followed.
Our new-found friend climbed in last, and gave a peculiar double knock on the roof with his cane, as a signal to the coachman. Off we went at a good speed. I tried to look out of the window, but the blinds were down, and I had no idea as to where we might be heading. We certainly seemed to be taking no short cuts, for once or twice I fancied that we had gone around in a long loop – probably to confuse pursuers, or perhaps to confuse Holmes and myself, I suspected. Neither Holmes nor the erstwhile speaker – and I still had to think of him in those terms, or as ‘our new friend,’ or something of that kind, for he made not the least attempt to introduce himself – ventured on any conversation, and I kept silent as well.
At length we drew up. Our new friend got down and held the door open for us. ‘If you would be so kind,’ said he.
Holmes got down, and I followed. We were pretty clearly inside a kind of courtyard, for there were stables no great way off, while the side wall of a large house was not six feet from where we got out of the carriage. Our friend produced a key. ‘You must stay here until things have quietened down,’ he told us. He unlocked the door, then stood aside to let us in.
I confess that I would have hesitated, but Holmes did not. He led the way inside, and I followed him into a small and plainly furnished entrance hall, looking rather like a servants’ entrance, which I suppose it was, since we had entered by a side door. The gas jets were lit, but not turned up, and we stood there, not knowing what might happen, while the man whom I still called ‘the speaker,’ ludicrous though the appellation now was, for we had scarcely exchanged a half-dozen words since the excitement at the meeting, locked the door.
He put the key in his coat pocket, and when he turned to face us there was a revolver in his hand. ‘You will, I am sure, excuse an obvious precaution,’ he said. He turned up the light, and motioned towards the door. We went through into a long passage with a flight of stairs at the end.
‘If you would please to go upstairs,’ he said.
Holmes led the way upstairs.
‘You must stay here tonight,’ said our host, nodding at a door.
Holmes opened it, and went inside, and again I followed tamely enough. The lamps were lit in here, too, and showed a large and comfortably furnished bedroom.
‘There is a cloakroom through there,’ said our host, ‘but I am afraid you must miss your supper.’
Holmes bowed, and the man left us, locking the door after him. Holmes’s first act was to try the door, but it was immovable. Holmes then looked carefully round the room, although I still have no idea what he was looking for – certainly there
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