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1"I shall be at Baker Street at ten." "Very well. And, I say, Doctor, there may be some little danger, so kindly put your
2army revolver in your pocket." He waved his hand, turned on his heel, and disappeared in an instant among the crowd. I
3trust that I am not more dense than my neighbours, but I was always oppressed with a sense of my own stupidity in my
4dealings with Sherlock Holmes. Here I had heard what he had heard, I had seen what he had seen, and yet from his words
5it was evident that he saw clearly not only what had happened but what was about to happen, while to me the whole
6business was still confused and grotesque. As I drove home to my house in Kensington I thought over it all, from the
7extraordinary story of the red-headed copier of the Encyclopædia down to the visit to Saxe-Coburg Square, and the
8ominous words with which he had parted from me. What was this nocturnal expedition, and why should I go armed? Where
9were we going, and what were we to do? I had the hint from Holmes that this smooth-faced pawnbroker's assistant was a
10formidable man--a man who might play a deep game. I tried to puzzle it out, but gave it up in despair and set the matter
11aside until night should bring an explanation. It was a quarter-past nine when I started from home and made my way
12across the Park, and so through Oxford Street to Baker Street. Two hansoms were standing at the door, and as I entered
13the passage I heard the sound of voices from above. On entering his room, I found Holmes in animated conversation with
14two men, one of whom I recognised as Peter Jones, the official police agent, while the other was a long, thin, sad-faced
15man, with a very shiny hat and oppressively respectable frock-coat. "Ha! Our party is complete," said Holmes, buttoning
16up his pea-jacket and taking his heavy hunting crop from the rack. "Watson, I think you know Mr. Jones, of Scotland
17Yard? Let me introduce you to Mr. Merryweather, who is to be our companion in to-night's adventure." "We're hunting in
18couples again, Doctor, you see," said Jones in his consequential way. "Our friend here is a wonderful man for starting a
19chase. All he wants is an old dog to help him to do the running down." "I hope a wild goose may not prove to be the end
20of our chase," observed Mr. Merryweather gloomily. "You may place considerable confidence in Mr. Holmes, sir," said the
21police agent loftily. "He has his own little methods, which are, if he won't mind my saying so, just a little too
22theoretical and fantastic, but he has the makings of a detective in him. It is not too much to say that once or twice,
23as in that business of the Sholto murder and the Agra treasure, he has been more nearly correct than the official
24force." "Oh, if you say so, Mr. Jones, it is all right," said the stranger with deference. "Still, I confess that I miss
25my rubber. It is the first Saturday night for seven-and-twenty years that I have not had my rubber." "I think you will
26find," said Sherlock Holmes, "that you will play for a higher stake to-night than you have ever done yet, and that the
27play will be more exciting. For you, Mr. Merryweather, the stake will be some £ 30,000; and for you, Jones, it will be
28the man upon whom you wish to lay your hands." "John Clay, the murderer, thief, smasher, and forger. He's a young man,
29Mr. Merryweather, but he is at the head of his profession, and I would rather have my bracelets on him than on any
30criminal in London. He's a remarkable man, is young John Clay. His grandfather was a royal duke, and he himself has been
31to Eton and Oxford. His brain is as cunning as his fingers, and though we meet signs of him at every turn, we never know
32where to find the man himself. He'll crack a crib in Scotland one week, and be raising money to build an orphanage in
33Cornwall the next. I've been on his track for years and have never set eyes on him yet." "I hope that I may have the
34pleasure of introducing you to-night. I've had one or two little turns also with Mr. John Clay, and I agree with you
35that he is at the head of his profession. It is past ten, however, and quite time that we started. If you two will take
36the first hansom, Watson and I will follow in the second." Sherlock Holmes was not very communicative during the long
37drive and lay back in the cab humming the tunes which he had heard in the afternoon. We rattled through an endless
38labyrinth of gas-lit streets until we emerged into Farrington Street. "We are close there now," my friend remarked.
39"This fellow Merryweather is a bank director, and personally interested in the matter. I thought it as well to have
40Jones with us also. He is not a bad fellow, though an absolute imbecile in his profession. He has one positive virtue.
41He is as brave as a bulldog and as tenacious as a lobster if he gets his claws upon anyone. Here we are, and they are
42waiting for us." We had reached the same crowded thoroughfare in which we had found ourselves in the morning. Our cabs
43were dismissed, and, following the guidance of Mr. Merryweather, we passed down a narrow passage and through a side
44door, which he opened for us. Within there was a small corridor, which ended in a very massive iron gate. This also was
45opened, and led down a flight of winding stone steps, which terminated at another formidable gate. Mr. Merryweather
46stopped to light a lantern, and then conducted us down a dark, earth-smelling passage, and so, after opening a third
47door, into a huge vault or cellar, which was piled all round with crates and massive boxes. "You are not very vulnerable
48from above," Holmes remarked as he held up the lantern and gazed about him. "Nor from below," said Mr. Merryweather,
49striking his stick upon the flags which lined the floor. "Why, dear me, it sounds quite hollow!" he remarked, looking up
50in surprise. "I must really ask you to be a little more quiet!" said Holmes severely. "You have already imperilled the
51whole success of our expedition. Might I beg that you would have the goodness to sit down upon one of those boxes, and
52not to interfere?" The solemn Mr. Merryweather perched himself upon a crate, with a very injured expression upon his
53face, while Holmes fell upon his knees upon the floor and, with the lantern and a magnifying lens, began to examine
54minutely the cracks between the stones. A few seconds sufficed to satisfy him, for he sprang to his feet again and put
55his glass in his pocket. "We have at least an hour before us," he remarked, "for they can hardly take any steps until
56the good pawnbroker is safely in bed. Then they will not lose a minute, for the sooner they do their work the longer
57time they will have for their escape. We are at present, Doctor--as no doubt you have divined--in the cellar of the City
58branch of one of the principal London banks. Mr. Merryweather is the chairman of directors, and he will explain to you
59that there are reasons why the more daring criminals of London should take a considerable interest in this cellar at
60present." "It is our French gold," whispered the director. "We have had several warnings that an attempt might be made
61upon it." "Your French gold?" "Yes. We had occasion some months ago to strengthen our resources and borrowed for that
62purpose 30,000 napoleons from the Bank of France. It has become known that we have never had occasion to unpack the
63money, and that it is still lying in our cellar. The crate upon which I sit contains 2,000 napoleons packed between
64layers of lead foil. Our reserve of bullion is much larger at present than is usually kept in a single branch office,
65and the directors have had misgivings upon the subject." "Which were very well justified," observed Holmes. "And now it
66is time that we arranged our little plans. I expect that within an hour matters will come to a head. In the meantime Mr.
67Merryweather, we must put the screen over that dark lantern." "And sit in the dark?"
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