Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated) (1062 page)

LARRABEE
:  Something else! (
Turning to her.
) Why, you see me here myself, don’t you? I’m going to talk to him on a little business. How could I do him any harm?

ALICE
(
advancing
): Where are those men who came up here?

LARRABEE
:  What men?

ALICE
:  Three villainous looking men — I saw them go in at the street door —

LARRABEE
:  Oh — those men. They went up the other stairway. (
Pointing over shoulder
.) You can see them in the next building — if you look out of this window. (
Indicating window
.)

(
ALICE
at once goes rapidly toward the window and making a hesitating pause near table as she sees
LARRABEE
crossing above her but moving on again quickly
LARRABEE
at same time crosses well up stage, keeping his eye on
ALICE
as she moves towards the window and tries to look out, but finding she cannot she turns at once to
LARRABEE
. He is standing near door
.)

(
Music. Melodramatic. Danger. Keep down. pp Agitato
)

(
Hold this an instant where they stand looking at one another, ALICE beginning to see she has been trapped
.)

ALICE
(
starting toward door
): I’ll look in the passage-way, if you please.

LARRABEE
(
taking one step down before door, quietly
): Yes — but I don’t please.

ALICE
(
stops before him
): You wouldn’t dare to keep me here.

LARRABEE
:  I might dare — but I won’t. You’d be in the way.

ALICE
: Where are those men?

LARRABEE
:  Stay where you are and you’ll see them very soon.

(
LARRABEE
goes to door and blows whistle as quietly as possible.  Short pause. No footsteps heard, as the men move noiselessly.  Enter
CRAIGIN
,
McTAGUE
and
LEARY
, appearing suddenly noiselessly. They stand looking in some astonishment at
ALICE
.)

(
Music stops
.)

ALICE
:  I knew it. (
Moving back a step, seeing from this that they are going to attack Holmes
.) Ah! (
Under breath. After pause she turns and hurries to window, trying to look out or give an alarm. Then runs to cupboard door.
LARRABEE
watching her movements. Desperately
.) You’re going to do him some harm.

LARRABEE
:  Oh no, it’s only a little joke — at his expense.

ALICE
(
moving toward him a little
): You wanted the letters, the package I had in the safe! I’ll get it for you. Let me go and I’ll bring it here — or whatever you tell me — (LARRABEE
sneers meaningly
.)

I’ll give you my word not to say anything to anyone — not to him — not to the policemen — not anyone!

LARRABEE
(
without moving
): You needn’t take the trouble to get it — but you can tell me where it is — and you’ll have to be quick about it too —

ALICE
:  Yes — if you’ll promise not to go on with this.

LARRABEE
:  Of course! That’s understood.

ALICE
(
excitedly
): You promise!

LARRABEE
:  Certainly I promise. Now where is it?

ALICE
:  Just outside my bedroom window — just outside on the left, fastened between the shutter and the wall — you can easily find it.

LARRABEE
:  Yes — I can easily find it.

ALICE
:  Now tell them — tell them to go.

LARRABEE
(
going down to men
): Tie her up so she can’t make a noise. Keep her out there until we have Holmes in here, and then let O’Hagan keep her in his cab. She mustn’t get back to the house

 
— not till I’ve been there.

(
ALICE
listens dazed, astonished
.)

CRAIGIN
(
speaks low
): Go an’ get a hold, Leary. Hand me a piece of that rope.

(
McTAGUE
brings rope from under his coat. Business of getting rapidly ready to gag and tie ALICE. Much time must not be spent on this; quick, business-like.
McTAGUE
takes handkerchief from pocket to use as gag
.)

LARRABEE
(
taking a step or two down before
ALICE
so as to attract her attention front):
Now then, my pretty bird —
(
ALICE
begins to move back in alarm and looking at
LARRABEE
.)

ALICE
:  You said — you said if I told you —

LARRABEE
:  Well — we haven’t done him any harm yet, have we?

(
LEARY
is moving quietly round behind her
.)

ALICE
:  Then send them away.

LARRABEE
:  Certainly. Go away now, boys, there’s no more work for you to-night.

ALICE
(
looking at them terrified
): They don’t obey you. They are —

(
LEARY
seizes her. She screams and resists, but
CRAIGIN
and
McTAGUE
come at once, so that she is quickly subdued and gagged with handkerchief, etc., and her hands tied. As the Struggle takes place, men work up to near cupboard with
ALICE
. 
LARRABEE
also eagerly watching them tie
ALICE
up. This is not  prolonged more than is absolutely necessary. Just as they finish, a shrill whistle is heard in distance outside at back, as if from street far below. All stop — listening — picture
.)

CRAIGIN
: Now out of the door with her — (
Starting to door
)

(
The prolonged shrill whistle is heard again
)

LARRABEE
:  By God, he’s here.

CRAIGIN
:  What!

LARRABEE
:  That’s Sid Prince, I put him on the watch.

CRAIGIN
:  We won’t have time to get her out.

LARRABEE
: Shut her in there (
Pointing to cupboard
)

LEARY
:  Yes — that’ll do.

CRAIGIN
: In with her.

(
LEARY
and
CRAIGIN
, almost on the word, take her to cup board. 
McTAGUE
goes and keeps watch at door
.)

(
As he holds
ALICE
.) Open that door! Open that door!

(
LEARY
goes and opens cupboard door. As
LEARY
leaves she breaks away from
CRAIGIN
and gets almost to right when
CRAIGIN
catches her again. As he takes hold of her she faints, and he throws her into cupboard in a helpless condition.
LEARY
closes cupboard door and they stand before it
.)

LEARY
(
still at cupboard door. Others have turned so as to avoid suspicion if Holmes comes in on them
): There ain’t no lock on this ‘ere door.

LARRABEE
:  No lock!

LEARY
:  No.

LARRABEE
:  Drive something in.

CRAIGIN
: Here, this knife. (
Hands
LEARY
a large clasp-knife, opened ready
.)

LARRABEE
:  A knife won’t hold it.

CRAIGIN
: Yes, it will. Drive it in strong.

(
LEARY
drives blade in door frame with all his force
)

LEARY
:  ‘E’ll have to find us ‘ere.

CRAIGIN
:  Yes — and he won’t either — we’ll go on and do ‘im up. (
Going to door
)

LARRABEE
:  No, you won’t.

(
Men stop. Pause
.)

I’ll see him first, if you please.

(
CRAIGIN
and
LARRABEE
facing each other savagely an instant well down stage.
)

McTAGUE
:  Them was orders, Craigin.

LEARY
:  So it was.

McTAGUE
:  There might be time to get back in the passage. (
He listens at door and cautiously looks off — turns back into room
.) They ain’t got up one flight yet.

LEARY
:  Quick then. (
Moving toward door
.)

(
McTAGUE
,
LEARY
and
CRAIGIN
go out. Door does not close.
LARRABEE
glances at door anxiously. Makes a quick dash up to it, and forces knife in with all his strength. Quickly pulls off coat and hat, throwing them on boxes, and sits quietly chewing an end of cigar. Enter
SHERLOCK
HOLMES
at door, walking easily as though on some ordinary business
.)

(
Stop music.
)

HOLMES
(
seeing the apartment with a glance as he enters and Pausing, disappointed. His little laugh, with no smile
): How the devil is it that you crooks always manage to hit on the same places for your scoundrelly business? (
Chuckles of amusement
.) Well! I certainly thought, after all this driving about in a closed cab you’d show me something new.

LARRABEE
(
looking up nonchalantly
): Seen it before, have you?

HOLMES
(
standing still
): Well, I should think so! (
Moves easily about recalling dear old times
.) I nabbed a friend of yours in this place while he was trying to drop himself out of that window. Ned Colvin, the cracksman.

LARRABEE
: Colvin. I never heard of him before.

HOLMES
: No? Ha! ha! Well, you certainly never heard of him after. A brace of counterfeiters used these regal chambers in the spring of ‘90. One of them hid in the cupboard. We pulled him out by the heels.

LARRABEE
(
trying to get in on the nonchalance
): Ah! Did you? And the other?

HOLMES
:  The other? He was more fortunate.

LARRABEE
:  Ah — he got away, I suppose.

HOLMES
: Yes, he got away. We took his remains out through that door to the street. (
Indicating door
.)

LARRABEE
: Quite interesting. (
Drawled a little — looks at end of his cigar
.)

(
HOLMES
is looking about.
)

Times have changed since then.

(
HOLMES
darts a lightning glance at
LARRABEE
. Instantly easy again and glancing about as before
.)