had hurried up the steps; but she stood at the top with her superb figure outlined against the lights of the hall, looking back into the street.
âIs the poor gentleman much hurt?â she asked.
âHe is dead,â cried several voices.
âNo, no, thereâs life in him,â shouted another. âBut heâll be gone before you can get him to hospital.â
âHeâs a brave fellow,â said a woman. âThey would have had the ladyâs purse and watch if it hadnât been for him. They were a gang, and a rough one, too. Ah, heâs breathing now.â
âHe canât lie in the street. May we bring him in, marm?â
âSurely. Bring him into the sitting-room. There is a comfortable sofa. This way, please!â
Slowly and solemnly he was borne into Briony Lodge, and laid out in the principal room, while I still observed the proceedings from my post by the window. The lamps had been lit, but the blinds had not been drawn, so that I could see Holmes as he lay upon the couch. I do not know whether he was seized with compunction at that moment for the part he was playing, but I know that I never felt more heartily ashamed of myself in my life than when I saw the beautiful creature against whom I was conspiring, or the grace and kindliness with which she waited upon the injured man. And yet it would be the blackesttreachery to Holmes to draw back now from the part which he had entrusted to me. I hardened my heart and took the smoke rocket from under my ulster. After all, I thought, we are not injuring her. We are but preventing her from injuring another.
Holmes had sat up upon the couch, and I saw him motion like a man who is in want of air. A maid rushed across and threw open the window. At the same instant I saw him raise his hand, and at the signal I tossed my rocket into the room 41 with a cry of âFireâ. The word was no sooner out of my mouth than the whole crowd of spectators, well dressed and ill â gentlemen, ostlers, and servant maids â joined in a general shriek of âFireâ. Thick clouds of smoke curled into the room, and out at the open window. I caught a glimpse of rushing figures, and a moment later the voice of Holmes from within, assuring them that it was a false alarm. Slipping through the shouting crowd I made my way to the corner of the street, and in ten minutes was rejoiced to find my friendâs arm in mine, and to get away from the scene of the uproar. He walked swiftly and in silence for some few minutes, until we had turned down one of the quiet streets which lead towards the Edgware Road.
âYou did it very nicely, Doctor,â he remarked. âNothing could have been better. It is all right.â
âYou have the photograph!â
âI know where it is.â
âAnd how did you find out?â
âShe showed me, as I told you she would.â
âI am still in the dark.â
âI do not wish to make a mystery,â said he, laughing. âThe matter was perfectly simple. You, of course, saw that everyone in the street was an accomplice. They were all engaged for the evening.â
âI guessed as much.â
âThen, when the row broke out, I had a little moist red paint in the palm of my hand. I rushed forward, fell down, clapped my hand to my face, and became a piteous spectacle. It is an old trick.â
âThat also I could fathom.â
âThen they carried me in. She was bound to have me in. What else could she do? And into her sitting-room which was the very roomwhich I suspected. It lay between that and her bedroom, and I was determined to see which. They laid me on a couch, I motioned for air, they were compelled to open the window and you had your chance.â
âHow did that help you?â
âIt was all-important. When a woman thinks that her house is on fire, her instinct is at once to rush to the thing which she values most. It is a perfectly
Ann Voss Peterson, J.A. Konrath, Jack Kilborn