Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated) (1064 page)

HOLMES
(
glances round
): Ah, Craigin — delighted to see you.

(
CRAIGIN
gives slight start
.)

And you too McTague. I infer from your presence here at this particular juncture that I am not dealing with Mr. Larrabee alone.

LARRABEE
: Your inference is quite correct, Mr. Holmes.

HOLMES
: It is not difficult to imagine who is at the bottom of such a conspiracy as this.

(
CRAIGIN
begins to steal across noiselessly.
McTAGUE
remains before door,
HOLMES
turns to
ALICE
again
.)

I hope you’re beginning to feel a little more yourself, Miss Faulkner — because we shall leave here very soon.

ALICE
(
who has been shrinking from the sight of
CRAIGIN
and
McTAGUE
): Oh yes — do let us go, Mr. Holmes.

CRAIGIN
(
low, deep voice, intense
): You’ll ‘ave to wait a bit, Mr. ‘Olmes. We ‘ave a little matter of business we’d like to talk over.

(
HOLMES
turning to
CRAIGIN
.)

(
Enter
LEARY
and glides up side in the shadow and begins to move towards
HOLMES
. In approaching from corner he glides behind door of cupboard as it stands open and from there down on
HOLMES
at cue. As
HOLMES
turns to
CRAIGIN
,
ALICE
leans against wall of cupboard
.)

HOLMES
: All right, Craigin, I’ll see you to-morrow morning in your cell at Bow Street.

CRAIGIN
(
threateningly
):  Werry sorry sir but I cawn’t wait till morning Its got to be settled to night.

HOLMES
(
looks at
CRAIGIN
an instant
): All right, Craigin, we’ll settle it to-night.

CRAIGIN
:  It’s so werry himportant, Mr. ‘Olmes — so werry important indeed that you’ll ‘ave to ‘tend to it now.

(
At this instant
ALICE
sees
LEARY
approaching rapidly from behind and screams.
HOLMES
turns, but
LEARY
is upon him at the same time. There is a very short struggle and
HOLMES
throws
LEARY
violently off, but
LEARY
has got
HOLMES’
revolver. As they struggle
ALICE
steps back to side of room up stage. A short deadly pause.
HOLMES
motionless, regarding the men.
ALICE’S
back against wall. After the pause
LEARY
begins to revive.
)

(
Low voice to
LEARY
.) ‘Ave you got his revolver?

LEARY
(
showing revolver
): ‘Ere it is. (
Getting slowly to his feet
.)

HOLMES
(
recognizing LEARY in the dim light
): Ah, Leary!  It is a pleasure indeed. It needed only your blithe personality to make the party complete. (
Sits and writes rapidly on pocket pad, pushing lamp away a little and picking up cigar which he had left on the table, and which he keeps in his mouth as he writes
.) There is only one other I could wish to welcome here, and that is the talented author of this midnight carnival. We shall have him however, by to-morrow night.

CRAIGIN
: Though ‘e ain’t ‘ere, Mr. ‘Olmes, ‘e gave me a message for yer. ‘E presented his koindest compliments wished yer a pleasant trip across.

HOLMES
(
writing — cigar in mouth
): That’s very kind of him, I’m sure. (
Writes
.)

LARRABEE
(
sneeringly
): You’re writing your will, I suppose?

HOLMES
(
writing — with quick glances at the rest
) No (
Shakes head
.) Only a brief description of one or two of you gentlemen for the police. We know the rest.

LEARY
:  And when will you give it ‘em, Mr. ‘Olmes?

HOLMES
(
writes
): In nine or nine and a half minutes, Leary.

LARRABEE
:  Oh, you expect to leave here in nine minutes, eh?

HOLMES
: No. (
Writing
.) In one. It will take me eight minutes to find a policeman. This is a dangerous neighbourhood.

LARRABEE
:  Well, when you’re ready to start, let us know.

HOLMES
(
rising and putting pad in pocket
): I’m ready (
Buttoning up coat
.)

(
CRAIGIN. McTAGUE
and
LEARY
suddenly brace themselves for action, and stand ready to make a run for
HOLMES
.
LARRABEE
also is ready to join in the struggle if necessary.
HOLMES
moves backward from table a little to
ALICE
— she drops down a step towards
HOLMES
)

CRAIGIN
: Wait a bit. You’d better listen to me, Mr. ‘Olmes. We’re going to tie yer down nice and tight to the top o’ that table.

HOLMES
: Well, by Jove! I don’t think you will, That’s my idea, you know.

CRAIGIN
: An’ you’ll save yourself a deal of trouble if ye submit quiet and easy like — because if ye don’t ye moight get knocked about a bit —

ALICE
(
under her breath
): Oh — Mr. Holmes! (
Coming closer to
HOLMES
.)

LARRABEE
(
to
ALICE
): Come away from him! Come over here if you don’t want to get hurt.

(
Love music
.)

HOLMES
(
to
ALICE
, without looking round, but reaching her with left hand
): My child, if you don’t want to get hurt, don’t leave me for a second.

(
ALICE
moves closer to
HOLMES
.)

LARRABEE
:  Aren’t you coming?

ALICE
(
breathlessly
): No!

CRAIGIN
: You’d better look out, Miss — he might get killed.

ALICE
:  Then you can kill me too.

(
HOLMES
makes a quick turn to her, with sudden exclamation under breath. For an instant only he looks in her face — then a quick turn back to
CRAIGIN
and men
.)

HOLMES
(
low voice — not taking eyes from men before him
): I’m afraid you don’t mean that, Miss Faulkner.

ALICE
:  Yes, I do.

HOLMES
(
eyes on men — though they shift about rapidly, but never toward
ALICE
): No. (
Shakes head a trifle
.) You would not say it — at another time or place.

ALICE
:  I would say it anywhere — always.

(
Music stops
.)

CRAIGIN
:  So you’ll ‘ave it out with us, eh?

HOLMES
:  Do you imagine for one moment, Craigin, that I won’t have it out with you?

CRAIGIN
: Well then — I’ll ‘ave to give you one — same as I did yer right-’and man this afternoon. (
Approaching
HOLMES
.)

HOLMES
(
to
ALICE
without turning — intense, rapid
): Ah!

(
CRAIGIN
stops dead
.)

You heard him say that. Same as he did my right-hand man this afternoon.

ALICE
(
under breath
): Yes! yes!

HOLMES
: Don’t forget that face. (
Pointing to
CRAIGIN
.) In three days I shall ask you to identify it in the prisoner’s dock.

CRAIGIN
(
enraged
): Ha! (
Turning away as if to hide his face
.)

HOLMES
(
very sharp — rapid
): Yes — and the rest of you with him. You surprise me, gentlemen — thinking you’re sure of anybody in this room, and never once taking the trouble to look at that window. If you wanted to make it perfectly safe, you should have had those missing bars put in.

(
HOLMES
whispers something to
ALICE
, indicating her to make for door.
)

(
Music till end of Act
.)

(
CRAIGIN
,
LEARY
,
McTAGUE
and
LARRABEE
make very slight move and say “Eh?” but instantly at tension again, and all motionless, ready to spring on
HOLMES
.
HOLMES
and
ALICE
motionless, facing them. This is held an instant.
)

LARRABEE
: Bars or no bars, you’re not going to get out of here as easy as you expect.

(
HOLMES
moves easily down near table
.)

HOLMES
: There are so many ways, Mr. Larrabee, I hardly know which to choose.

CRAIGIN
(
louder — advancing
): Well, you’d better choose quick — I can tell you that.

HOLMES
(
sudden — strong — sharp
): I’ll choose at once, Mr. Craigin — and my choice — (
quickly seizing chair
) — falls on this. (
On the word he brings the chair down upon the lamp frightful crash, extinguishing light instantly
.)

(
Every light out. Only the glow of
HOLMES’
cigar remains where he stands at the table. He at once begins to move toward window keeping cigar so that it will show to men and to front.
)

CRAIGIN
(
loud sharp voice to others
): Trace ‘im by the cigar. (
Moving at once toward window
.) Follow the cigar.

LARRABEE
: Look out. He’s going for the window.

(
LEARY
goes quickly to window.
McTAGUE
goes and is ready by safety lamp.
HOLMES
quickly fixes cigar in a crack or joint at side of window so that it is still seen — smash of the window glass is heard. Instantly glides across, well up stage, and down side to the door where he finds
ALICE
. On crash of window
CRAIGIN
and
LEARY
give quick shout of exclamation — they spring up stage toward the light of cigar — sound of quick scuffle and blows in darkness
.)

LARRABEE
: Get that light.

CRAIGIN
(
clear and distinct
): The safety lamp. Where is it?

(
Make this shout for lantern very strong and audible to front.
McTAGUE
kicks over box which concealed the safety lamp — lights up.
HOLMES
and
ALICE
at door.
ALICE
just going out
.)