Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated) (1065 page)

HOLMES
(
turning at door and pointing to window
): You’ll find that cigar in a crevice by the window.

(
All start towards
HOLMES
with exclamations, oaths, etc. He makes quick exit with
ALICE
and slams door after him. Sounds of heavy bolts outside sliding quickly into place, and heavy bars dropping into position.
CRAIGIN
,
McTAGUE
and
LEARY
rush against door and make violent efforts to open it. After the first excited effort they turn quickly back. As
McTAGUE
crosses he throws safely lamp on table.
LARRABEE
, who has stopped near when he saw door closed, turns front with a look of hatred on his face and mad with rage
.)

CURTAIN

ACT I
V

Doctor Watson’s Consulting Room, Kensington.

The following evening.

The place is London.

SCENE. —
DR
.
WATSON’S
house in Kensington. The consulting room. Oak panelling. Solid furniture. Wide double-doors opening to the hall and street door. Door communicating with doctor’s inner medicine room. Another door, center, opens to private hallway of house. The windows are supposed to open at side of house upon an area which faces the street. These windows have shades or blinds on rollers which can quickly be drawn down. At the opening of the Act they are down, so that no one could see into the room from the street.

There is a large operating chair with high back, cushions, etc. Music for curtain, which stops an instant before rise.

DR
.
WATSON
is seated behind his desk and
MRS
.
SMEEDLEY
, a seedy-looking middle-aged woman, is seated in the chair next to the desk with a medicine bottle in her hand.

WATSON
: Be careful to make no mistake about the medicine. If she’s no better to-morrow I’ll call. You will let me know, of course.

MRS. SMEEDLEY
: Oh yes, indeed I will. Good evening, sir.

WATSON
: Good night, Mrs. Smeedley.

(
MRS. SMEEDLEY
goes out. Sound of door closing heard after she is off.  Pause. The doctor turns to his desk, and ringing bell, busies himself with papers
.)

(
Enter
PARSONS — a
servant
.)

Parsons!

(
PARSONS
comes a little towards
WATSON
.)

(
Lower voice
.) That woman who just left — do you know her?

PARSONS
(
trying to recollect
): I can’t say as I recollect  ‘avin’ seen ‘er before. Was there anything — ?

WATSON
: Oh no! Acted a little strange, that’s all. I thought I saw her looking about the hall before she went out.

PARSONS
: Yes sir, she did give a look. I saw that myself, sir.

WATSON
(
after an instant’s thought
): Oh well — I dare say it was nothing. Is there anyone waiting, Parsons?

PARSONS
: There’s one person in the waiting-room, sir — a gentleman.

WATSON
(
looks at watch
): I’ll see him, but I’ve only a short time left. If any more come you must send them over to Doctor Anstruther.  I spoke to him this afternoon about taking my cases. I have an important appointment at nine.

PARSONS
:  Very well, sir. Then you’ll see this gentleman, sir?

WATSON
: Yes.

(
PARSONS
goes out. Short pause.
WATSON
busy at desk.
PARSONS
opens door and shows in
SID PRINCE
. He comes in a little way and pauses.
PARSONS
all through this Act closes the door after his exit, or after showing anyone in.
WATSON
looks up.
)

PRINCE
(
speaking in the most dreadful husky whisper
): Good evenin’, sir!

WATSON
: Good evening. (
Indicating chair
.) Pray be seated.

PRINCE
(
same voice all through
): Thanks, I don’t mind if I do. (
Coughs, then sits in chair near desk
.)

WATSON
(looking at him with professional interest): What seems to be the trouble?

PRINCE
:  Throat, sir. (
Indicating his throat to assist in making himself understood
.) Most dreadful sore throat.

WATSON
: Sore throat, eh? (
Glancing about for an instrument
.)

PRINCE
:  Well, I should think it is. It’s the most ‘arrowing thing I ever ‘ad! It pains me that much to swallow that I —

WATSON
: Hurts you to swallow, does it? (
Finding and picking up an instrument on the desk
.)

PRINCE
:  Indeed it does. Why, I can ‘ardly get a bit of food down.

(
WATSON
rises and goes to cabinet, pushes gas burner out into position and lights it
.)

WATSON
: Just step this way a moment, please. (
PRINCE
rises and goes up to
WATSON
, who adjusts reflector over eye, etc. He has an instrument in his hand which he wipes with a napkin
.) Now, mouth open — wide as possible. (
PRINCE
opens mouth and
WATSON
places tongue holder on his tongue.
) That’s it. (
Picks up dentist’s  mirror and warms it over gas burner.
)

PRINCE
(
WATSON
is about to examine throat when
PRINCE
sees instrument and is a trifle alarmed
): Eh!

(
Business of 
WATSON
putting in tongue holder and looking down
PRINCES
throat — looking carefully this way and that
)

WATSON
: Say “Ah!”

PRINCE
(
husky voice
): Ah! (
Steps away and places handkerchief to mouth as if the attempt to say Ah! hurt him
)

(
WATSON
discontinues, and takes instrument out of
PRINCE’S
mouth
.)

WATSON
(
a slight incredulity in his manner
): Where do you feel this pain?

PRINCE
(
indicating with his finger
): Just about there, doctor. Inside about there.

WATSON
: That’s singular. I don’t find anything wrong. (
gas burner back to usual position — and placing instrument on cabinet
.)

PRINCE
:  You may not foind anything wrong, but I feel it wrong. If you would only give me something to take away this awful agony.

WATSON
: That’s nothing. It’ll pass away in a few hours. (
Reflectively
.) Singular thing it would have affected your voice in this way. Well, I’ll give you a gargle — it may help you a little.

PRINCE
: Yes — if you only would, doctor.

(
WATSON
goes into surgery
PRINCE
watching him like a cat. Music. Dramatic agitato, very pp.
WATSON
does not close the door of the room, but pushes it part way so that it is open about a foot.
PRINCE
moves toward door, watching
WATSON
through it.  Stops near door. Seems to watch for his chance, for he suddenly turns and goes quickly down and runs up blinds of both windows and moves back quickly, watching
WATSON
through the door again. Seeing that he still has time to spare, he goes to centre door and opens it, looking and listening off. Distant sound of a when door is open which stops when it is closed.
PRINCE
quickly turns back and goes off a little way at centre door, leaving it open so that he is seen peering up above and listening. Turns to come back, but just at the door he sees
WATSON
coming on and stops. 
WATSON
suddenly enters and sees
PRINCE
in centre door and stops, with a bottle in his hand, and looks at
PRINCE
.)

(
Music stops
.)

WATSON
: What are you doing there?

PRINCE
:  Why, nothing at all, doctor. I felt such a draught on the back o’ my neck, don’t yer know, that I opened the door to see where it came from!

(
WATSON
goes down and rings bell on his desk, placing bottle on papers. Pause. Enter
PARSONS
.)

WATSON
: Parsons, show this man the shortest way to the street door and close the door after him.

PRINCE
:  But, doctor, ye don’t understand.

WATSON
: I understand quite enough. Good evening.

PRINCE
:  Yer know, the draught plays hell with my throat, sir — and seems to affect my —

WATSON
: Good evening. (
He sits and pays no further attention to
PRINCE
.)

PARSONS
:  This way, sir, if you please.

PRINCE
:  I consider that you’ve treated me damned outrageous, that’s wot I do, and ye won’t hear the last of this very soon.

PARSONS
(
approaching him
): Come, none o’ that now. (
Takes
PRINCE
by the arm
.)

PRINCE
(
as he walks toward door with
PARSONS
, turns head back and speaks over his shoulder, shouting out in his natural voice
): Yer call yerself a doctor an’ treats sick people as comes to see yer this ‘ere way. (
Goes out with
PARSONS
and continues talking until slam of door outside
.) Yer call yerself a doctor! A bloomin’ foine doctor you are! (
Etc
.)

(
PARSONS
has forced
PRINCE
out by the arm during foregoing speech. Door closes after PRINCE. Sound of outside door closing follows shortly.
WATSON
, after short pause, looks round room, not observing that window shades are up. He rings bell. Enter
PARSONS
)

WATSON
(
rises and gathers up a few things as if to go
): I shall be at Mr. Holmes’s in Baker Street. If there’s anything special, you’ll know where to send for me. The appointment was for nine. (
Looks at watch
.) It’s fifteen minutes past eight now — I’m going to walk over.

PARSONS
: Very well, sir.

(
Bell of outside door rings.
PARSONS
looks at
WATSON
, who shakes his head
.)

WATSON
: No. I won’t see any more to-night. They must go to Doctor Anstruther.

PARSONS
:  Yes, sir. (
He starts towards door to answer bell
.)

(
WATSON
looks and sees blinds up
.)

WATSON
: Parsons! (
PARSONS
turns
.) Why aren’t those blinds down?

PARSONS
:  They was down a few minutes ago, sir!

WATSON
:  That’s strange! Well, you’d better pull them down now.

PARSONS
:  Yes, sir.

(
Bell rings twice as
PARSONS
pulls second blind down. He goes out to answer bell. Pause. Then enter
PARSONS
in a peculiar manner
.)

If you please, sir, it isn’t a patient at all, sir.

WATSON
: Well, what is it?

PARSONS
:  A lady sir — (
WATSON
looks up
) — and she wants to see you most particular, sir!

WATSON
: What does she want to see me about?