Watson, have you not heard of the Criminal Law Amnendment Act?'
'Yes,' I said wearily, 'Miss D'Arcy told me of it this morning.'
Even in my sorry state, I could see that once again I had surprised him.
'Miss D'Arcy? So you discussed the subject in such detail? Oh, Watson...'
For a few moments as he sat in silence nervously fingering the dead pipe in his hands, his grey eyes fixed unseeing at a point a few inches above my left shoulder, I caught an expression on his face that I had never thought to see; an expression of indecision, of wistfulness, but above all, of hopelessness. My heart lurched at the softening of his features, but sank almost immediately at the finality of the expression that settled there. As soon as his vacant eyes focussed and met mine, he dropped his gaze. He made as if to speak, and then hesitated for several long moments. At length he said, very quietly:
'My dear fellow, there is nothing I can say or do that will not--there is nothing,' he repeated, 'to be done. This hideous new law is the blackmailer's charter--it has already been called so, I believe. It will cause untold suffering, both mental and physical, and will bring about the downfall of some of the most gifted and sensitive figures of our generation. I do not intend that either you or I should be among them.
'My poor Watson,' he repeated, seeing my face, 'I see that you understand what I am trying to say. I had hoped that it went without saying. In any case, let us hope that your trust in Miss D'Arcy is justified.'
'I am sure that it is,' I said forlornly. 'She went to so much trouble to--'I could not bring myself to say what she had advised me to do, so I said,'--to impress on me the need for discretion. After all, she is on--our side.'
Holmes gave me a sharp look. 'Miss D'Arcy is protected by her sex,' he said, with a trace of bitterness in his voice. 'She is immune from the penalties of the law. She can use blackmail to protect herself from blackmail, if necessary. I suppose,' he continued, his voice softening somewhat, 'that she is in the unique position to wreak revenge upon such pillars of society as are responsible for Section 11.'
He thought about this for a while, and gave a rueful chuckle. 'However,' he continued seriously, 'blackmail will always remain for me a most despicable and cowardly practice, no matter what the motives; and in this present instance, Miss D'Arcy has been hoist with her own petard, wouldn't you say? I think it is high time to bring this sordid affair to a close. A short interview with the lady in question should suffice, I think, followed by a brief visit to Lord Carstairs to return his letters. The rest of the explanations will be no concern of ours, thank heaven.
'Now, Watson, this time I go to Camberwell quite alone. I absolutely forbid you to stir from the house until I come back to collect you for dinner this evening. We might dine out, I thought? No better way to celebrate the successful conclusion of a case. I shall be back by six-thirty at the latest.'
I followed him with my eyes as he disappeared into his room and emerged a minute later impeccably dressed in frock coat and top hat. I could hardly believe he was no longer angry with me. I realised that he was trying to soften the blow of his knowledge of all that went without saying; a knowledge that left me somewhat numb and dazed. I found myself repeating Miss D'Arcy's words in my mind: '...He will never give you more than he gives you at present.' And it was true, and he had almost explained it. Except that he had never admitted to feeling anything for me in the first place. His self-control, as always, was absolute.
'Don't be too harsh with her, Holmes,' I said. I felt that he judged Miss D'Arcy less kindly than she deserved. 'She obviously had no idea whom she was blackmailing. She must be feeling bad enough.'
Holmes raised his eyebrows. 'Harsh, with my client? Of course not. This whole investigation was carried out on her behalf. The
'Yes,' I said wearily, 'Miss D'Arcy told me of it this morning.'
Even in my sorry state, I could see that once again I had surprised him.
'Miss D'Arcy? So you discussed the subject in such detail? Oh, Watson...'
For a few moments as he sat in silence nervously fingering the dead pipe in his hands, his grey eyes fixed unseeing at a point a few inches above my left shoulder, I caught an expression on his face that I had never thought to see; an expression of indecision, of wistfulness, but above all, of hopelessness. My heart lurched at the softening of his features, but sank almost immediately at the finality of the expression that settled there. As soon as his vacant eyes focussed and met mine, he dropped his gaze. He made as if to speak, and then hesitated for several long moments. At length he said, very quietly:
'My dear fellow, there is nothing I can say or do that will not--there is nothing,' he repeated, 'to be done. This hideous new law is the blackmailer's charter--it has already been called so, I believe. It will cause untold suffering, both mental and physical, and will bring about the downfall of some of the most gifted and sensitive figures of our generation. I do not intend that either you or I should be among them.
'My poor Watson,' he repeated, seeing my face, 'I see that you understand what I am trying to say. I had hoped that it went without saying. In any case, let us hope that your trust in Miss D'Arcy is justified.'
'I am sure that it is,' I said forlornly. 'She went to so much trouble to--'I could not bring myself to say what she had advised me to do, so I said,'--to impress on me the need for discretion. After all, she is on--our side.'
Holmes gave me a sharp look. 'Miss D'Arcy is protected by her sex,' he said, with a trace of bitterness in his voice. 'She is immune from the penalties of the law. She can use blackmail to protect herself from blackmail, if necessary. I suppose,' he continued, his voice softening somewhat, 'that she is in the unique position to wreak revenge upon such pillars of society as are responsible for Section 11.'
He thought about this for a while, and gave a rueful chuckle. 'However,' he continued seriously, 'blackmail will always remain for me a most despicable and cowardly practice, no matter what the motives; and in this present instance, Miss D'Arcy has been hoist with her own petard, wouldn't you say? I think it is high time to bring this sordid affair to a close. A short interview with the lady in question should suffice, I think, followed by a brief visit to Lord Carstairs to return his letters. The rest of the explanations will be no concern of ours, thank heaven.
'Now, Watson, this time I go to Camberwell quite alone. I absolutely forbid you to stir from the house until I come back to collect you for dinner this evening. We might dine out, I thought? No better way to celebrate the successful conclusion of a case. I shall be back by six-thirty at the latest.'
I followed him with my eyes as he disappeared into his room and emerged a minute later impeccably dressed in frock coat and top hat. I could hardly believe he was no longer angry with me. I realised that he was trying to soften the blow of his knowledge of all that went without saying; a knowledge that left me somewhat numb and dazed. I found myself repeating Miss D'Arcy's words in my mind: '...He will never give you more than he gives you at present.' And it was true, and he had almost explained it. Except that he had never admitted to feeling anything for me in the first place. His self-control, as always, was absolute.
'Don't be too harsh with her, Holmes,' I said. I felt that he judged Miss D'Arcy less kindly than she deserved. 'She obviously had no idea whom she was blackmailing. She must be feeling bad enough.'
Holmes raised his eyebrows. 'Harsh, with my client? Of course not. This whole investigation was carried out on her behalf. The
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