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YDS Publishing, Simplified Readers, Level A -2, Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

1.

A Scandal in Bohemia Chapter 1

One evening in late March 1888, I was going home after a visit to one of my patients.

My journey took me along Baker Street.

Before I got married, I shared a flat with Sherlock Holmes on this street.

He was a famous detective.

He investigated difficult crimes when the police couldn't solve them.

As I was passing by his door, I stopped and looked up at his windows.

The light in the sitting room was on. He was probably working on a difficult case again.

I had a sudden wish to see him.

I rang the bell and the landlady took me to his flat. I felt happy to be in my old flat again.

Holmes was pleased to see me and made me sit down in an armchair by the fireplace.

He gave me a cigar and stood before the fireplace, smoking his pipe.

We haven't seen each other for a long time, he said.

You look good. You have put on some weight, I think.

Yes, I have. But only three kilos, I said.

Really? I think it's a little more than that, he said with a laugh.

I am glad you came, Watson. I need your opinion on something.

Then he walked to the table and picked up a thick sheet of pink colored note.

He gave it to me and said, this came in the last post today. Read it aloud.

I looked at the note. There was no date, no signature, and no address on it.

It said, you will have a secret visitor tonight, at a quarter to eight.

A gentleman needs your help with a very important matter.

We know you have helped royal families in Europe several times,

so we trust you with secret matters.

Please be in your flat at that hour, and please do not be offended

if the visitor is wearing a mask.

How mysterious, I said. Do you understand what it means?

At the moment, I don't know any facts, Holmes said.

What do you think about the paper?

The paper? Hmm, let me see, I said.

I examined the paper and said, this is expensive paper, so the letter is from a rich person.

I think the paper was made in a foreign country.

Yes, I looked at it in the light. The paper was made in Bohemia, Holmes said.

At that moment, we heard the sound of a horse carriage outside.

My visitor has arrived, said Holmes, and looked out the window.

He whistled and said, oh, an expensive carriage, with a pair of beautiful horses.

There is money in this case, Watson.

Well, your visitor is here, Holmes. I should leave now, I said.

Oh, no, I want you to stay. I may need your help, said Holmes.

Then there was a knock at the door, and Holmes opened the door.

The visitor was a tall, heavily built gentleman, with a thick mustache.

He was wearing very expensive, but ugly clothes.

His shiny boots were up to his knees.

His coat had gold buttons, and there were fur bands on its sleeves.

And he had a silk cloak over his shoulders.

There was a black mask over his face.

You received the note, I believe, he said, in a heavy German accent.

He was looking at both Holmes and me as he said this.

He didn't know which one of us was the detective.

Holmes asked him to sit down and then said, this is my friend, Dr. Watson.

He helps me with some cases.

Oh, so I can trust you both, the gentleman said.

You can call me Count von Kram.

I am from Bohemia. I need your help with a very delicate matter.

But you must both agree to keep it a secret.

Holmes and I said, yes, I do, at the same time.

Then the gentleman went on.

An important man has sent me here to talk to you.

I am wearing a mask because he does not want you to see my face.

You can prevent a big scandal in Europe if you help him.

Without your help, one of the royal families in Europe will be in big trouble.

The matter is about the famous house of Ormstein, kings of Bohemia.

If your majesty tells me about the matter, I will gladly help you, Holmes said.

The man was surprised. He stood up from his chair and took the mask off.

He threw it down and said, yes, I am the king.

I should not lie to you. I am Wilhelm von Ormstein, king of Bohemia.

I came from Prague to talk to you myself.

I couldn't ask anyone else to talk to you about my secret problem.

Then please, tell me your story. I'm listening, said Holmes calmly.

The king began to tell his story.

Five years ago, during my visit to Warsaw, I met a very beautiful young woman.

Her name is Irene Adler.

Irene Adler, the famous beautiful American opera singer, Holmes cried out in surprise.

She lives in London now, I hear.

So your majesty, I think I understand the problem.

You were in love with this young woman, but you left her.

You sent her some letters before you left her, and now you want to get them back.

Exactly, said the king. But how do you know all this?

It isn't so hard to guess, replied Holmes and asked, did you marry her?

She was expecting me to marry her, but I didn't, replied the king.

Why do you worry then? If she threatens you with those letters, or if she uses them for any other purpose,

she cannot prove that you wrote them, Holmes said.

But the handwriting is mine, said the king sadly, and I wrote them on my personal note paper.

I used my own seal too.

Well, you can say someone stole your note paper, copied your handwriting and your seal, Holmes explained.

Oh, but she also has a photograph of her and me together.

Oh, that is very bad, your majesty, said Holmes.

I was very young at that time, and I was very reckless. I was just a prince.

You must get that photograph back, said Holmes. You can buy it from her.

I offered her a lot of money for it, but she won't sell it, the king said.

What about stealing it? You can send a thief to her house.

Oh, I have tried that too. My men broke in her house and tried to steal it.

They tried five different times, but they couldn't find it.

So, she is hiding it in a very safe place, said Holmes. She probably has a bad plan.

What does she want to do with it? Do you know?

Yes, she wants to ruin me, answered the king.

I am going to marry the Scandinavian king's younger daughter, Clotilda Lothman von Saxe Meningen.

We will have our wedding soon. We both belong to the biggest royal families in Europe, you know.

But Clotilda will not marry me if she hears about Irene Adler.

I know. Royal families have strict principles.

And Irene Adler threatens to send the picture to Clotilda's family.

I am sure she will do that, explain the king. This will be a scandal in Europe.

Irene is a very beautiful woman, but she can be very mean.

She hates me and she is very angry at me because I left her. She can do anything to prevent this marriage.

She has not sent the photograph to them yet, has she, asked Holmes?

No, she hasn't. I am sure.

Why are you so sure, asked Holmes? Because she will send it next Monday. She has told me so herself.

Clotilda and I are getting engaged on Monday. That is why. That means we have three days.

We must be very quick, said Holmes and asked.

Will your Majesty stay in London in the next three days?

Certainly. You can find me at the Langham Hotel.

I am using the name Count von Kram.

I will send you a note when something happens, said Holmes and added,

and now, about the money. But before Holmes finished his sentence, the king said,

the money is not a problem for me. I will pay you as much money as you want.

Just make sure that you get the photograph. Then he took out a heavy leather bag from under his cloak and put it on the table.

In this bag you will find 300 pounds in gold and 700 pounds in bank notes.

You can use it for the expenses in this business, he told Holmes.

When you give me the photograph, I will pay you whatever you ask for.

Holmes wrote a receipt on a sheet from his notebook and gave it to the king.

Then he said, can I please have Irene Adler's address, your Majesty?

Yes, of course. It is Brian E. Lodge, Serpentine Avenue, St. John's Wood, London, answered the king, and Holmes wrote it down.

Good night, your Majesty. I hope to give you good news very soon, Holmes said as the king was leaving.

When the king left, Holmes turned to me. Good night to you too, Watson. Please be here at 3 o 'clock tomorrow afternoon.