remained　with　her　hand　in　that　of　the　invalid。　　She
  was　a　striking…looking　woman；　a　little　short　and　thick
  for　symmetry；　but　with　a　beautiful　olive　complexion；
  large；　dark；　Italian　eyes；　and　a　wealth　of　deep　black
  hair。　　Her　rich　tints　made　the　white　face　of　her
  companion　the　more　worn　and　haggard　by　the　contrast。
  〃I　won't　waste　your　time；〃　said　he；　raising　himself
  upon　the　sofa。　　〃I'll　plunge　into　the　matter　without
  further　preamble。　　I　was　a　happy　and　successful　man；
  Mr。　Holmes；　and　on　the　eve　of　being　married；　when　a
  sudden　and　dreadful　misfortune　wrecked　all　my
  prospects　in　life。
  〃I　was；　as　Watson　may　have　told　you；　in　the　Foreign
  Office；　and　through　the　influences　of　my　uncle；　Lord
  Holdhurst；　I　rose　rapidly　to　a　responsible　position。
  When　my　uncle　became　foreign　minister　in　this
  administration　he　gave　me　several　missions　of　trust；
  and　as　I　always　brought　them　to　a　successful
  conclusion；　he　came　at　last　to　have　the　utmost
  confidence　in　my　ability　and　tact。
  〃Nearly　ten　weeks　agoto　be　more　accurate；　on　the　23d
  of　Mayhe　called　me　into　his　private　room；　and；　after
  complimenting　me　on　the　good　work　which　I　had　done；　he
  informed　me　that　he　had　a　new　commission　of　trust　for
  me　to　execute。
  〃'This；'　said　he；　taking　a　gray　roll　of　paper　from　his
  bureau；　'is　the　original　of　that　secret　treaty　between
  England　and　Italy　of　which；　I　regret　to　say；　some
  rumors　have　already　got　into　the　public　press。　　It　is
  of　enormous　importance　that　nothing　further　should
  leak　out。　　The　French　or　the　Russian　embassy　would　pay
  an　immense　sum　to　learn　the　contents　of　these　papers。
  They　should　not　leave　my　bureau　were　it　not　that　it　is
  absolutely　necessary　to　have　them　copied。　　You　have　a
  desk　in　your　office？〃
  〃'Yes；　sir。'
  〃'Then　take　the　treaty　and　lock　it　up　there。　　I　shall
  give　directions　that　you　may　remain　behind　when　the
  others　go；　so　that　you　may　copy　it　at　your　leisure
  without　fear　of　being　overlooked。　　When　you　have
  finished；　relock　both　the　original　and　the　draft　in
  the　desk；　and　hand　them　over　to　me　personally
  to…morrow　morning。'
  〃I　took　the　papers　and〃
  〃Excuse　me　an　instant；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃Were　you　alone
  during　this　conversation？〃
  〃Absolutely。〃
  〃In　a　large　room？〃
  〃Thirty　feet　each　way。〃
  〃In　the　centre？〃
  〃Yes；　about　it。〃
  〃And　speaking　low？〃
  〃My　uncle's　voice　is　always　remarkably　low。　　I　hardly
  spoke　at　all。〃
  〃Thank　you；〃　said　Holmes；　shutting　his　eyes；　〃pray　go
  on。〃
  〃I　did　exactly　what　he　indicated；　and　waited　until　the
  other　clerks　had　departed。　　One　of　them　in　my　room；
  Charles　Gorot；　had　some　arrears　of　work　to　make　up；　so
  I　left　him　there　and　went　out　to　dine。　　When　I
  returned　he　was　gone。　　I　was　anxious　to　hurry　my　work；
  for　I　knew　that　Josephthe　Mr。　Harrison　whom　you　saw
  just　nowwas　in　town；　and　that　he　would　travel　down
  to　Woking　by　the　eleven…o'clock　train；　and　I　wanted　if
  possible　to　catch　it。
  〃When　I　came　to　examine　the　treaty　I　saw　at　once　that
  it　was　of　such　importance　that　my　uncle　had　been
  guilty　of　no　exaggeration　in　what　he　had　said。
  Without　going　into　details；　I　may　say　that　it　defined
  the　position　of　Great　Britain　towards　the　Triple
  Alliance；　and　fore…shadowed　the　policy　which　this
  country　would　pursue　in　the　event　of　the　French　fleet
  gaining　a　complete　ascendancy　over　that　of　Italy　in
  the　Mediterranean。　　The　questions　treated　in　it　were
  purely　naval。　　At　the　end　were　the　signatures　of　the
  high　dignitaries　who　had　signed　it。　　I　glanced　my　eyes
  over　it；　and　then　settled　down　to　my　task　of　copying。
  〃It　was　a　long　document；　written　in　the　French
  language；　and　containing　twenty…six　separate　articles。
  I　copied　as　quickly　as　I　could；　but　at　nine　o'clock　I
  had　only　done　nine　articles；　and　it　seemed　hopeless
  for　me　to　attempt　to　catch　my　train。　　I　was　feeling
  drowsy　and　stupid；　partly　from　my　dinner　and　also　from
  the　effects　of　a　long　day's　work。　　A　cup　of　coffee
  would　clear　my　brain。　　A　commissionnaire　remains　all
  night　in　a　little　lodge　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs；　and
  is　in　the　habit　of　making　coffee　at　his　spirit…lamp
  for　any　of　the　officials　who　may　be　working　over　time。
  I　rang　the　bell；　therefore；　to　summon　him。
  〃To　my　surprise；　it　was　a　woman　who　answered　the
  summons；　a　large；　coarse…faced；　elderly　woman；　in　an
  apron。　　She　explained　that　she　was　the
  commissionnaire's　wife；　who　did　the　charing；　and　I
  gave　her　the　order　for　the　coffee。
  〃I　wrote　two　more　articles　and　then；　feeling　more
  drowsy　than　ever；　I　rose　and　walked　up　and　down　the
  room　to　stretch　my　legs。　　My　coffee　had　not　yet　come；
  and　I　wondered　what　was　the　cause　of　the　delay　could
  be。　　Opening　the　door；　I　started　down　the　corridor　to
  find　out。　　There　was　a　straight　passage；　dimly
  lighted；　which　led　from　the　room　in　which　I　had　been
  working；　and　was　the　only　exit　from　it。　　It　ended　in　a
  curving　staircase；　with　the　commissionnaire's　lodge　in
  the　passage　at　the　bottom。　　Half　way　down　this
  staircase　is　a　small　landing；　with　another　passage
  running　into　it　at　right　angles。　　This　second　one
  leads　by　means　of　a　second　small　stair　to　a　side　door；
  used　by　servants；　and　also　as　a　short　cut　by　clerks
  when　coming　from　Charles　Street。　　Here　is　a　rough
  chart　of　the　place。〃
  〃Thank　you。　　I　think　that　I　quite　follow　you；〃　said
  Sherlock　Holmes。
  〃It　is　of　the　utmost　importance　that　you　should　notice
  this　point。　　I　went　down　the　stairs　and　into　the　hall；
  where　I　found　the　commissionnaire　fast　asleep　in　his
  box；　with　the　kettle　boiling　furiously　upon　the
  spirit…lamp。　　I　took　off　the　kettle　and　blew　out　the
  lamp；　for　the　water　was　spurting　over　the　floor。　　Then
  I　put　out　my　hand　and　was　about　to　shake　the　man；　who
  was　still　sleeping　soundly；　when　a　bell　over　his　head
  rang　loudly；　and　he　woke　with　a　start。
  〃'Mr。　Phelps；　sir！'　said　he；　looking　at　me　in
  bewilderment。
  〃'I　came　down　to　see　if　my　coffee　was　ready。'
  〃'I　was　boiling　the　kettle　when　I　fell　asleep；　sir。'
  He　looked　at　me　and　then　up　at　the　still　quivering
  bell　with　an　ever…growing　astonishment　upon　his　face。
  〃'If　you　was　here；　sir；　then　who　rang　the　bell？'　he
  asked。
  〃'The　bell！'　I　cried。　　'What　bell　is　it？'
  〃'It's　the　bell　of　the　room　you　were　working　in。'
  〃A　cold　hand　seemed　to　close　round　my　heart。　　Some
  one；　then；　was　in　that　room　where　my　precious　treaty
  lay　upon　the　table。　　I　ran　frantically　up　the　stair
  and　along　the　passage。　　There　was　no　one　in　the
  corridors；　Mr。　Holmes。　　There　was　no　one　in　the　room。
  All　was　exactly　as　I　left　it；　save　only　that　the
  papers　which　had　been　committed　to　my　care　had　been
  taken　from　the　desk　on　which　they　lay。　　The　copy　was
  there；　and　the　original　was　gone。〃
  Holmes　sat　up　in　his　chair　and　rubbed　his　hands。　　I
  could　see　that　the　problem　was　entirely　to　his　heart。
  〃Pray；　what　did　you　do　then？〃　he　murmured。
  〃I　recognized　in　an　instant　that　the　thief　must　have
  come　up　the　stairs　from　the　side　door。　　Of　course　I
  must　have　met　him　if　he　had　come　the　other　way。〃
  〃You　were　satisfied　that　he　could　not　have　been
  concealed　in　the　room　all　the　time；　or　in　the　corridor
  which　you　have　just　described　as　dimly　lighted？〃
  〃It　is　absolutely　impossible。　　A　rat　could　not　conceal
  himself　either　in　the　room　or　the　corridor。　　There　is
  no　cover　at　all。〃
  〃Thank　you。　　Pray　proceed。〃
  〃The　commissionnaire；　seeing　by　my　pale　face　that
  something　was　to　be　feared；　had　followed　me　upstairs。
  Now　we　both　rushed　along　the　corridor　and　down　the
  steep　steps　which　led　to　Charles　Street。　　The　door　at
  the　bottom　was　closed；　but　unlocked。　　We　flung　it　open
  and　rushed　out。　　I　can　distinctly　remember　that　as　we
  did　so　there　came　three　chines　from　a　neighboring
  clock。　　It　was　quarter　to　ten。〃
  〃That　is　of　enormous　importance；〃　said　Holmes；　making
  a　note　upon　his　shirt…cuff。
  〃The　night　was　very　dark；　and　a　thin；　warm　rain　was
  falling。　　There　was　no　one　in　Charles　Street；　but　a
  great　traffic　was　going　on；　as　usual；　in　Whitehall；　at
  the　extremity。　　We　rushed　along　the　pavement；
  bare…headed　as　we　were；　and　at　the　far　corner　we　found
  a　policeman　standing。
  〃'A　robbery　has　been　committed；'　I　gasped。　　'A
  document　of　immense　value　has　been　stolen　from　the
  Foreign　Office。　　Has　any　one　passed　this　way？'
  〃'I　have　been　standing　here　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；
  sir；'　said　he；　'only　one　person　has　passed　during　that
  timea　woman；　tall　and　elderly；　with　a　Paisley
  shawl。'
  〃'Ah；　that　is　only　my　wife；'　cried　the
  commissionnaire；　'has　no　one　else　passed？'
  〃'No　one。'
  〃'Then　it　must　be　the　other　way　that　the　thief　took；'
  cried　the　fellow；　tugging　at　my　sleeve。
  〃'But　I　was　not　satisfied；　and　the　attempts　which　he
  made　to　draw　me　away　increased　my　suspicions。
  〃'Which　way　did　the　woman　go？'　I　cried。
  〃'I　don't　know；　sir。　　I　noticed　her　pass；　but　I　had　no