The Adventure of the Red Circle Read online

assumesa more sinister aspect as we proceed. This much we can say: that itis no ordinary love escapade. You saw the woman's face at the sign ofdanger. We have heard, too, of the attack upon the landlord, which wasundoubtedly meant for the lodger. These alarms, and the desperate needfor secrecy, argue that the matter is one of life or death. The attackupon Mr. Warren further shows that the enemy, whoever they are, arethemselves not aware of the substitution of the female lodger for themale. It is very curious and complex, Watson."

  "Why should you go further in it? What have you to gain from it?"

  "What, indeed? It is art for art's sake, Watson. I suppose when youdoctored you found yourself studying cases without thought of a fee?"

  "For my education, Holmes."

  "Education never ends, Watson. It is a series of lessons with thegreatest for the last. This is an instructive case. There is neithermoney nor credit in it, and yet one would wish to tidy it up. Whendusk comes we should find ourselves one stage advanced in ourinvestigation."

  When we returned to Mrs. Warren's rooms, the gloom of a London winterevening had thickened into one gray curtain, a dead monotone of colour,broken only by the sharp yellow squares of the windows and the blurredhaloes of the gas-lamps. As we peered from the darkened sitting-roomof the lodging-house, one more dim light glimmered high up through theobscurity.

  "Someone is moving in that room," said Holmes in a whisper, his gauntand eager face thrust forward to the window-pane. "Yes, I can see hisshadow. There he is again! He has a candle in his hand. Now he ispeering across. He wants to be sure that she is on the lookout. Nowhe begins to flash. Take the message also, Watson, that we may checkeach other. A single flash--that is A, surely. Now, then. How manydid you make it? Twenty. So did I. That should mean T. AT--that'sintelligible enough. Another T. Surely this is the beginning of asecond word. Now, then--TENTA. Dead stop. That can't be all, Watson?ATTENTA gives no sense. Nor is it any better as three words AT, TEN,TA, unless T. A. are a person's initials. There it goes again! What'sthat? ATTE--why, it is the same message over again. Curious, Watson,very curious. Now he is off once more! AT--why he is repeating it forthe third time. ATTENTA three times! How often will he repeat it?No, that seems to be the finish. He has withdrawn from the window.What do you make of it, Watson?"

  "A cipher message, Holmes."

  My companion gave a sudden chuckle of comprehension. "And not a veryobscure cipher, Watson," said he. "Why, of course, it is Italian! TheA means that it is addressed to a woman. 'Beware! Beware! Beware!'How's that, Watson?

  "I believe you have hit it."

  "Not a doubt of it. It is a very urgent message, thrice repeated tomake it more so. But beware of what? Wait a bit, he is coming to thewindow once more."

  Again we saw the dim silhouette of a crouching man and the whisk of thesmall flame across the window as the signals were renewed. They camemore rapidly than before--so rapid that it was hard to follow them.

  "PERICOLO--pericolo--eh, what's that, Watson? 'Danger,' isn't it?Yes, by Jove, it's a danger signal. There he goes again! PERI.Halloa, what on earth--"

  The light had suddenly gone out, the glimmering square of window haddisappeared, and the third floor formed a dark band round the loftybuilding, with its tiers of shining casements. That last warning cryhad been suddenly cut short. How, and by whom? The same thoughtoccurred on the instant to us both. Holmes sprang up from where hecrouched by the window.

  "This is serious, Watson," he cried. "There is some devilry goingforward! Why should such a message stop in such a way? I should putScotland Yard in touch with this business--and yet, it is too pressingfor us to leave."

  "Shall I go for the police?"

  "We must define the situation a little more clearly. It may bear somemore innocent interpretation. Come, Watson, let us go across ourselvesand see what we can make of it."

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