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visit to Warsaw, I made the acquaintance of the well-known adventuress,
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Irene Adler. The name is no doubt familiar to you.
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“Kindly look her up in my index, Doctor, murmured Holmes without
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opening his eyes. For many years he had adopted a system of docketing
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all paragraphs concerning men and things, so that it was difficult to
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name a subject or a person on which he could not at once furnish
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information. In this case I found her biography sandwiched in between
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that of a Hebrew rabbi and that of a staff-commander who had written a
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monograph upon the deep-sea fishes.
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“Let me see! said Holmes. “Hum! Born in New Jersey in the year 1858.
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Contralto—hum! La Scala, hum! Prima donna Imperial Opera of Warsaw—yes!
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Retired from operatic stage—ha! Living in London—quite so! Your
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Majesty, as I understand, became entangled with this young person,
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wrote her some compromising letters, and is now desirous of getting
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those letters back.
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“Precisely so. But how—
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“Was there a secret marriage?
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“None.
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“No legal papers or certificates?
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“None.
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“Then I fail to follow your Majesty. If this young person should
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produce her letters for blackmailing or other purposes, how is she to
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prove their authenticity?
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“There is the writing.
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“Pooh, pooh! Forgery.
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“My private note-paper.
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“Stolen.
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“My own seal.
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“Imitated.
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“My photograph.
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“Bought.
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“We were both in the photograph.
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“Oh, dear! That is very bad! Your Majesty has indeed committed an
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indiscretion.
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“I was mad—insane.
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“You have compromised yourself seriously.
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“I was only Crown Prince then. I was young. I am but thirty now.
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“It must be recovered.
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“We have tried and failed.
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“Your Majesty must pay. It must be bought.
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“She will not sell.
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“Stolen, then.
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“Five attempts have been made. Twice burglars in my pay ransacked her
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house. Once we diverted her luggage when she travelled. Twice she has
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been waylaid. There has been no result.
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“No sign of it?
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“Absolutely none.
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Holmes laughed. “It is quite a pretty little problem, said he.
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“But a very serious one to me, returned the King reproachfully.
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“Very, indeed. And what does she propose to do with the photograph?
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“To ruin me.
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“But how?
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“I am about to be married.
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“So I have heard.
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“To Clotilde Lothman von Saxe-Meningen, second daughter of the King of
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Scandinavia. You may know the strict principles of her family. She is
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herself the very soul of delicacy. A shadow of a doubt as to my conduct
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would bring the matter to an end.
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“And Irene Adler?
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“Threatens to send them the photograph. And she will do it. I know that
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she will do it. You do not know her, but she has a soul of steel. She
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