The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
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also are the circumstances connected with the deathof young Cadogan West. Let me advise you to gain at least the smallcredit for repentance and confession, since there are still somedetails which we can only learn from your lips."
The man groaned and sank his face in his hands. We waited, but he wassilent.
"I can assure you," said Holmes, "that every essential is alreadyknown. We know that you were pressed for money; that you took animpress of the keys which your brother held; and that you entered intoa correspondence with Oberstein, who answered your letters through theadvertisement columns of the Daily Telegraph. We are aware that youwent down to the office in the fog on Monday night, but that you wereseen and followed by young Cadogan West, who had probably some previousreason to suspect you. He saw your theft, but could not give thealarm, as it was just possible that you were taking the papers to yourbrother in London. Leaving all his private concerns, like the goodcitizen that he was, he followed you closely in the fog and kept atyour heels until you reached this very house. There he intervened, andthen it was, Colonel Walter, that to treason you added the moreterrible crime of murder."
"I did not! I did not! Before God I swear that I did not!" cried ourwretched prisoner.
"Tell us, then, how Cadogan West met his end before you laid him uponthe roof of a railway carriage."
"I will. I swear to you that I will. I did the rest. I confess it.It was just as you say. A Stock Exchange debt had to be paid. Ineeded the money badly. Oberstein offered me five thousand. It was tosave myself from ruin. But as to murder, I am as innocent as you."
"What happened, then?"
"He had his suspicions before, and he followed me as you describe. Inever knew it until I was at the very door. It was thick fog, and onecould not see three yards. I had given two taps and Oberstein had cometo the door. The young man rushed up and demanded to know what we wereabout to do with the papers. Oberstein had a short life-preserver. Healways carried it with him. As West forced his way after us into thehouse Oberstein struck him on the head. The blow was a fatal one. Hewas dead within five minutes. There he lay in the hall, and we were atour wit's end what to do. Then Oberstein had this idea about thetrains which halted under his back window. But first he examined thepapers which I had brought. He said that three of them were essential,and that he must keep them. 'You cannot keep them,' said I. 'Therewill be a dreadful row at Woolwich if they are not returned.' 'I mustkeep them,' said he, 'for they are so technical that it is impossiblein the time to make copies.' 'Then they must all go back togetherto-night,' said I. He thought for a little, and then he cried out thathe had it. 'Three I will keep,' said he. 'The others we will stuffinto the pocket of this young man. When he is found the whole businesswill assuredly be put to his account.' I could see no other way out ofit, so we did as he suggested. We waited half an hour at the windowbefore a train stopped. It was so thick that nothing could be seen,and we had no difficulty in lowering West's body on to the train. Thatwas the end of the matter so far as I was concerned."
"And your brother?"
"He said nothing, but he had caught me once with his keys, and I thinkthat he suspected. I read in his eyes that he suspected. As you know,he never held up his head again."
There was silence in the room. It was broken by Mycroft Holmes.
"Can you not make reparation? It would ease your conscience, andpossibly your punishment."
"What reparation can I make?"
"Where is Oberstein with the papers?"
"I do not know."
"Did he give you no address?"
"He said that letters to the Hotel du Louvre, Paris, would eventuallyreach him."
"Then reparation is still within your power," said Sherlock Holmes.
"I will do anything I can. I owe this fellow no particular good-will.He has been my ruin and my downfall."
"Here are paper and pen. Sit at this desk and write to my dictation.Direct the envelope to the address given. That is right. Now theletter:
"Dear Sir:
"With regard to our transaction, you will no doubt have observed by nowthat one essential detail is missing. I have a tracing which will makeit complete. This has involved me in extra trouble, however, and Imust ask you for a further advance of five hundred pounds. I will nottrust it to the post, nor will I take anything but gold or notes. Iwould come to you abroad, but it would excite remark if I left thecountry at present. Therefore I shall expect to meet you in thesmoking-room of the Charing Cross Hotel at noon on Saturday. Rememberthat only English notes, or gold, will be taken.
"That will do very well. I shall be very much surprised if it does notfetch our man."
And it did! It is a matter of history--that secret history of a nationwhich is often so much more intimate and interesting than its publicchronicles--that Oberstein, eager to complete the coup of his lifetime,came to the lure and was safely engulfed for fifteen years in a Britishprison. In his trunk were found the invaluable Bruce-Partington plans,which he had put up for auction in all the naval centres of Europe.
Colonel Walter died in prison towards the end of the second year of hissentence. As to Holmes, he returned refreshed to his monograph uponthe Polyphonic Motets of Lassus, which has since been printed forprivate circulation, and is said by experts to be the last word uponthe subject. Some weeks afterwards I learned incidentally that myfriend spent a day at Windsor, whence he returned with a remarkablyfine emerald tie-pin. When I asked him if he had bought it, heanswered that it was a present from a certain gracious lady in whoseinterests he had once been fortunate enough to carry out a smallcommission. He said no more; but I fancy that I could guess at thatlady's august name, and I have little doubt that the emerald pin willforever recall to my friend's memory the adventure of theBruce-Partington plans.