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Page 108
"'You will get down here, Mr. Melas,' said my
companion. 'I am sorry to leave you so far from your
house, but there is no alternative. Any attempt upon
your part to follow the carriage can only end in
injury to yourself.'
"He opened the door as he spoke, and I had hardly time
to spring out when the coachman lashed the horse and
the carriage rattled away. I looked around me in
astonishment. I was on some sort of a heathy common
mottled over with dark clumps of furze-bushes. Far
away stretched a line of houses, with a light here and
there in the upper windows. On the other side I saw
the red signal-lamps of a railway.
"The carriage which had brought me was already out of
sight. I stood gazing round and wondering where on
earth I might be, when I saw some one coming towards
me in the darkness. As he came up to me I made out
that he was a railway porter.
"'Can you tell me what place this is?' I asked.
"'Wandsworth Common,' said he.
"'Can I get a train into town?'
"'If you walk on a mile or so to Clapham Junction,'
said he, 'you'll just be in time for the last to
Victoria.'
"So that was the end of my adventure, Mr. Holmes. I
do not know where I was, nor whom I spoke with, nor
anything save what I have told you. But I know that
there is foul play going on, and I want to help that
unhappy man if I can. I told the whole story to Mr.
Mycroft Holmes next morning, and subsequently to the
police."
We all sat in silence for some little time after
listening to this extraordinary narrative. Then
Sherlock looked across at his brother.
"Any steps?" he asked.
Mycroft picked up the Daily News, which was lying on
the side-table.
"'Anybody supplying any information to the whereabouts
of a Greek gentleman named Paul Kratides, from Athens,
who is unable to speak English, will be rewarded. A
similar reward paid to any one giving information
about a Greek lady whose first name is Sophy. X
2473.' That was in all the dailies. No answer."
"How about the Greek Legation?"
"I have inquired. They know nothing."
"A wire to the head of the Athens police, then?"
"Sherlock has all the energy of the family," said
Mycroft, turning to me. "Well, you take the case up
by all means, and let me know if you do any good."
"Certainly," answered my friend, rising from his
chair. "I'll let you know, and Mr. Melas also. In
the meantime, Mr. Melas, I should certainly be on my
guard, if I were you, for of course they must know
through these advertisements that you have betrayed
them."
As we walked home together, Holmes stopped at a
telegraph office and sent off several wires.
"You see, Watson," he remarked, "our evening has been
by no means wasted. Some of my most interesting cases
have come to me in this way through Mycroft. The
problem which we have just listened to, although it
can admit of but one explanation, has still some
distinguishing features."
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