I thought of my uncle and of his colleagues in the Cabinet, of the shame whichI had brought upon him, upon myself, upon everyone connected with me. Whatthought I was the victim of an extraordinary accident? No allowance is made foraccidents where diplomatic interests are at stake. I was ruined; shamefully, hopelesslyruined. I don't know what I did. I fancy I must have made a scene. I have a dimrecollection of a group of officials who crowded round me endeavouring to soothe me.One of them drove down with me to Waterloo and saw me into the Woking train. Ibelieve that he would have come all the way had it not been that Dr. Ferrier, who livesnear me, was going down by that very train. The doctor most kindly took charge ofme, and it was well he did so, for I had a fit in the station, and before we reachedhome I was practically a raving maniac.
　　'You can imagine the state of things here when they were roused from their beds bythe doctor's ringing, and found me in this condition. Poor Annie here and my motherwere broken-hearted. Dr. Ferrier had just heard enough from the detective at thestation to be able to give an idea of what had happened, and his story did not mendmatters. It was evident to all that I was in for a long illness, so Joseph was bundled outof this cheery bedroom, and it was turned into a sickroom for me. Here I have lain, Mr.Holmes, for over nine weeks, unconscious, and raving with brain fever. If it had notbeen for Miss Harrison here and for the doctor's care I should not be speaking to younow. she has nursed me by day, and a hired nurse has looked after me by night, for inmy mad fits I was capable of anything. Slowly my reason has cleared, but it is onlyduring the last three days that my memory has quite returned. Sometimes I wish that itnever had. The first thing I did was to wire to Mr. Forbes, who had the case in hand.He came out and assured me that, though everything has been done, no trace of a cluehas been discovered. The commissionaire and his wife have been examined in everyway without any light being thrown upon the matter. The suspicions of the police thenrested upon young Gorot, who, as you may remember, stayed overtime in the officethat night. His remaining behind and his French name were really the only two pointswhich could suggest suspicion; but as a matter of fact, I did not begin work until hehad gone, and his people are of Huguenot extraction, but as English in sympathy andtradition as you and I are. Nothing was found to implicate him in any way, and therethe matter dropped. I turn to you, Mr. Holmes, as absolutely my last hope. If you failme, then my honour as well as my position are for ever forfeited.'
　　The invalid sank back upon his cushions, tired out by this long recital, while hisnurse poured him out a glass of some stimulating medicine. Holmes sat silently withhis head thrown back and his eyes closed in an attitude which might seem listless to astranger, but which I knew betokened the most intense absorption.
　　'Your statement has been so explicit,' said he at last, 'that you have really left mevery few questions to ask. There is one of the very utmost importance, however. Didyou tell anyone that you had this special task to perform?'
　　'No one.'
　　'Not Miss Harrison here, for example?'
　　'No. I had not been back to Woking between getting the order and executing thecommission.'
　　'And none of your people had by chance been to see you?'
　　'None.'
　　'Did any of them know their way about in the office?'
　　'Oh, yes; all of them had been shown over it.'
　　'Still, of course, if you said nothing to anyone about the treaty, these inquiries areirrelevant.'
　　'I said nothing.'
　　'Do you know anything that he is an old soldier.'
　　'What regiment?'
　　'Oh, I have heard—Coldstream Guards.'
　　'Thank you. I have no doubt I can get details from Forbes. The authorities areexcellent at amassing facts, though they do not always use them to advantage. What alovely thing a rose is!'
　　he walked past the couch to the open window, and held up the drooping stalk of amoss rose, looking down at the dainty blend of crimson and green. It was a new phaseof his character to me, for I had never before seen him show any keen interest innatural objects.
　　'There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion,' said he, leaningwith his back against the shutters. 'It can be built up as an exact science by thereasoner. Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest inthe flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are really necessaryfor our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its colourare an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which givesextras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.'
　　Percy Phelps and his nurse looked at Holmes during this demonstration withsurprise and a good deal of disappointment written upon their faces. He had falleninto a reverie, with the moss rose between his fingers. It had lasted some minutesbefore the young lady broke in upon it.
　　'Do you see any prospect of solving this mystery, Mr. Holmes?' she asked, with atouch of asperity in her voice.
　　'Oh, the mystery!' he answered, coming back with a start to the realities of life.'Well, it would be absurd to deny that the case is a very abstruse and complicated one;but I can promise you that I will look into the matter and let you know any pointswhich may strike me.'
　　'Do you see any clue?'
　　'You have furnished me with seven, but of course I must test them before I canpronounce upon their value.'
　　'You suspect someone?'
　　'I suspect myself—'
　　'What?'
　　'Of coming to conclusion too rapidly.'
　　'Then go to London and test your conclusions.'
　　'Your advice is very excellent, Miss Harrison,' said Holmes, rising. 'I think,Watson, we cannot do better. Do not allow yourself to indulge in false hopes, Mr.Phelps. The affair is a very tangled one.'
　　'I shall be in a fever until I see you again,' cried the diplomatist.
　　'Well, I'll come out by the same train to-morrow, though it's more than likely thatmy report will be a negative one.