第109章 The Adventure of the Second Stain(8)

I must therefore ask you, madam, to be kind enough to place it in my hands."The lady sprang to her feet, with the colour all dashed in an instant from her beautiful face.Her eyes glazed -- she tottered -- I thought that she would faint.Then with a grand effort she rallied from the shock, and a supreme astonishment and indignation chased every other expression from her features.

"You -- you insult me, Mr.Holmes."

"Come, come, madam, it is useless.Give up the letter."She darted to the bell.

"The butler shall show you out."

"Do not ring, Lady Hilda.If you do, then all my earnest efforts to avoid a scandal will be frustrated.Give up the letter and all will be set right.If you will work with me I can arrange everything.If you work against me I must expose you."She stood grandly defiant, a queenly figure, her eyes fixed upon his as if she would read his very soul.Her hand was on the bell, but she had forborne to ring it.

"You are trying to frighten me.It is not a very manly thing, Mr.Holmes, to come here and browbeat a woman.You say that you know something.What is it that you know?""Pray sit down, madam.You will hurt yourself there if you fall.

I will not speak until you sit down.Thank you.""I give you five minutes, Mr.Holmes."

"One is enough, Lady Hilda.I know of your visit to Eduardo Lucas, of your giving him this document, of your ingenious return to the room last night, and of the manner in which you took the letter from the hiding-place under the carpet."She stared at him with an ashen face and gulped twice before she could speak.

"You are mad, Mr.Holmes -- you are mad!" she cried, at last.

He drew a small piece of cardboard from his pocket.It was the face of a woman cut out of a portrait.

"I have carried this because I thought it might be useful,"said he."The policeman has recognised it."She gave a gasp and her head dropped back in the chair.

"Come, Lady Hilda.You have the letter.The matter may still be adjusted.I have no desire to bring trouble to you.

My duty ends when I have returned the lost letter to your husband.

Take my advice and be frank with me; it is your only chance."Her courage was admirable.Even now she would not own defeat.

"I tell you again, Mr.Holmes, that you are under some absurd illusion."Holmes rose from his chair.

"I am sorry for you, Lady Hilda.I have done my best for you;I can see that it is all in vain."

He rang the bell.The butler entered.

"Is Mr.Trelawney Hope at home?"

"He will be home, sir, at a quarter to one."Holmes glanced at his watch.

"Still a quarter of an hour," said he."Very good, I shall wait."The butler had hardly closed the door behind him when Lady Hilda was down on her knees at Holmes's feet, her hands out-stretched, her beautiful face upturned and wet with her tears.

"Oh, spare me, Mr.Holmes! Spare me!" she pleaded, in a frenzy of supplication."For Heaven's sake, don't tell him! I love him so! I would not bring one shadow on his life, and this Iknow would break his noble heart."

Holmes raised the lady."I am thankful, madam, that you have come to your senses even at this last moment! There is not an instant to lose.Where is the letter?"She darted across to a writing-desk, unlocked it, and drew out a long blue envelope.

"Here it is, Mr.Holmes.Would to Heaven I had never seen it!""How can we return it?" Holmes muttered."Quick, quick, we must think of some way! Where is the despatch-box?""Still in his bedroom."

"What a stroke of luck! Quick, madam, bring it here!"A moment later she had appeared with a red flat box in her hand.

"How did you open it before? You have a duplicate key?

Yes, of course you have.Open it!"

From out of her bosom Lady Hilda had drawn a small key.

The box flew open.It was stuffed with papers.Holmes thrust the blue envelope deep down into the heart of them, between the leaves of some other document.The box was shut, locked, and returned to the bedroom.

"Now we are ready for him," said Holmes; "we have still ten minutes.I am going far to screen you, Lady Hilda.In return you will spend the time in telling me frankly the real meaning of this extraordinary affair.""Mr.Holmes, I will tell you everything," cried the lady.

"Oh, Mr.Holmes, I would cut off my right hand before I gave him a moment of sorrow! There is no woman in all London who loves her husband as I do, and yet if he knew how I have acted -- how I have been compelled to act -- he would never forgive me.For his own honour stands so high that he could not forget or pardon a lapse in another.Help me, Mr.Holmes! My happiness, his happiness, our very lives are at stake!""Quick, madam, the time grows short!"

"It was a letter of mine, Mr.Holmes, an indiscreet letter written before my marriage -- a foolish letter, a letter of an impulsive, loving girl.I meant no harm, and yet he would have thought it criminal.Had he read that letter his confidence would have been for ever destroyed.It is years since I wrote it.

I had thought that the whole matter was forgotten.Then at last I heard from this man, Lucas, that it had passed into his hands, and that he would lay it before my husband.I implored his mercy.

He said that he would return my letter if I would bring him a certain document which he described in my husband's despatch-box.

He had some spy in the office who had told him of its existence.