“Show him up， Billy. This is the eminent peer who representsthe very highest interests，” said Holmes. “He is an excellent andloyal person， but rather of the old régime. Shall we make himunbend？ Dare we venture upon a slight liberty？ He knows， we mayconjecture， nothing of what has occurred.”
The door opened to admit a thin， austere figure with a hatchetface and drooping mid-Victorian whiskers of a glossy blacknesswhich hardly corresponded with the rounded shoulders and feeblegait. Holmes advanced affably， and shook an unresponsive hand.
“How do you do， Lord Cantlemere？ It is chilly for the time ofyear， but rather warm indoors. May I take your overcoat？”
“No， I thank you； I will not take it off.”
Holmes laid his hand insistently upon the sleeve.
“Pray allow me！ My friend Dr. Watson would assure you thatthese changes of temperature are most insidious.”
His Lordship shook himself free with some impatience.
“I am quite comfortable， sir. I have no need to stay. I havesimply looked in to know how your self-appointed task wasprogressing.”
“It is difficult—very difficult.”
“I feared that you would find it so.”
There was a distinct sneer in the old courtier’s words andmanner.
“Every man finds his limitations， Mr. Holmes， but at least itcures us of the weakness of self-satisfaction.”
1284 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
“Yes， sir， I have been much perplexed.”
“No doubt.”
“Especially upon one point. Possibly you could help me upon it？”
“You apply for my advice rather late in the day. I thought thatyou had your own all-sufficient methods. Still， I am ready to helpyou.”
“You see， Lord Cantlemere， we can no doubt frame a caseagainst the actual thieves.”
“When you have caught them.”
“Exactly. But the question is—how shall we proceed against thereceiver？”
“Is this not rather premature？”
“It is as well to have our plans ready. Now， what would youregard as final evidence against the receiver？”
“The actual possession of the stone.”
“You would arrest him upon that？”
“Most undoubtedly.”
Holmes seldom laughed， but he got as near it as his old friendWatson could remember.
“In that case， my dear sir， I shall be under the painful necessityof advising your arrest.”
Lord Cantlemere was very angry. Some of the ancient firesflickered up into his sallow cheeks.
“You take a great liberty， Mr. Holmes. In fifty years of officiallife I cannot recall such a case. I am a busy man， sir engaged uponimportant affairs， and I have no time or taste for foolish jokes. Imay tell you frankly， sir， that I have never been a believer in yourpowers， and that I have always been of the opinion that the matterwas far safer in the hands of the regular police force. Your conductconfirms all my conclusions. I have the honour， sir， to wish yougood-evening.”
Holmes had swiftly changed his position and was between thepeer and the door.
“One moment， sir，” said he. “To actually go off with the Mazarinstone would be a more serious offence than to be found intemporary possession of it.”
“Sir， this is intolerable！ Let me pass.”
“Put your hand in the right-hand pocket of your overcoat.”
“What do you mean， sir？”
“Come—come， do what I ask.”
An instant later the amazed peer was standing， blinking andstammering， with the great yellow stone on his shaking palm.
“What！ What！ How is this， Mr. Holmes？”
“Too bad， Lord Cantlemere， too bad！” cried Holmes. “My oldfriend here will tell you that I have an impish habit of practicalThe Case Book of Sherlock Holmes 1285
joking. Also that I can never resist a dramatic situation. I took theliberty—the very great liberty， I admit—of putting the stone intoyour pocket at the beginning of our interview.”
The old peer stared from the stone to the smiling face beforehim.
“Sir， I am bewildered. But—yes—it is indeed the Mazarin stone.
We are greatly your debtors， Mr. Holmes. Your sense of humourmay， as you admit， be somewhat perverted， and its exhibitionremarkably untimely， but at least I withdraw any reflection I havemade upon your amazing professional powers. But how ——”
“The case is but half finished； the details can wait. No doubt，Lord Cantlemere， your pleasure in telling of this successful resultin the exalted circle to which you return will be some smallatonement for my practical joke. Billy， you will show his Lordshipout， and tell Mrs. Hudson that I should be glad if she would sendup dinner for two as soon as possible.”
The Adventure of the Three Gables
I don’t think that any of my adventures with Mr. SherlockHolmes opened quite so abruptly， or so dramatically， as thatwhich I associate with The Three Gables. I had not seen Holmesfor some days and had no idea of the new channel into whichhis activities had been directed. He was in a chatty mood thatmorning， however， and had just settled me into the well-worn lowarmchair on one side of the fire， while he had curled down withhis pipe in his mouth upon the opposite chair， when our visitorarrived. If I had said that a mad bull had arrived it would give aclearer impression of what occurred.
The door had flown open and a huge negro had burst into theroom. He would have been a comic figure if he had not beenterrific， for he was dressed in a very loud gray check suit with aflowing salmon-coloured tie. His broad face and flattened nosewere thrust forward， as his sullen dark eyes， with a smoulderinggleam of malice in them， turned from one of us to the other.
“Which of you gen’l’men is Masser Holmes？” he asked.
Holmes raised his pipe with a languid smile.
“Oh！ it’s you， is it？” said our visitor， coming with an unpleasant，stealthy step round the angle of the table. “See here， MasserHolmes， you keep your hands out of other folks’ business. Leavefolks to manage their own affairs. Got that， Masser Holmes？”
“Keep on talking，” said Holmes. “It’s fine.”
“Oh！ it’s fine， is it？” growled the savage. “It won’t be so damnfine if I have to trim you up a bit. I’ve handled your kind before1286 The Complete Sherlock Holmesnow， and they didn’t look fine when I was through with them.Look at that， Masser Holmes！”