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[SPEAKER_00]: Hello and welcome to the Sherlock Holmes Bedtime Stories podcast.

[SPEAKER_00]: Each episode is a section from a classic Sherlock Holmes story with relaxing music to help you fall asleep.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for joining us this evening.

[SPEAKER_00]: Now it's time to relax.

[SPEAKER_00]: Let your body fall into a comfortable position in your bed and drift gently into a state of total relaxation with tonight's story.

[SPEAKER_00]: the adventure of Charles Augustus Milvitan.

[SPEAKER_00]: Part two.

[SPEAKER_00]: Homes and I put on our dress clothes so that we might appear to be too theater-goers home would bound.

[SPEAKER_00]: In Oxford Street we picked up a handsome and drove to an address in Hampstead.

[SPEAKER_00]: Here we paid off our cab and with our great coats buttoned up for it was bitterly cold and the wind seemed to blow through us.

[SPEAKER_00]: we walked along the edge of the heath.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a business that needs delicate treatments at homes.

[SPEAKER_00]: These documents are contained in a safe in the fellow's study, and the study is the anti-room of his bed chamber.

[SPEAKER_00]: On the other hand, like all these stout little men who do themselves well, he is a plethoraic sleeper.

[SPEAKER_00]: Agatha, that's my fiance, says it is a joke in the servants' hall that it's impossible [SPEAKER_00]: He has a secretary who is devoted to his interest and never budges from the study all day.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's why we are going at night.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then he has a beast of a dog which roams the garden.

[SPEAKER_00]: I met Agatha late the last two evenings and she locks the broot up so as to give me a clear run.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is the house this big one in its own grounds through the gate now to the right among the laurels.

[SPEAKER_00]: We might put on our masks here, I think.

[SPEAKER_00]: You see, there is not a glimmer of light in any of the windows and everything is working splendidly.

[SPEAKER_00]: With our black silk face coverings which turned us into two of the most traculent figures in London, we stole up to the silent gloomy house.

[SPEAKER_00]: a sort of tiled veranda extended a long one side of it, lined by several windows and two doors.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's his bedroom, homes whispered.

[SPEAKER_00]: This door opens straight into the study.

[SPEAKER_00]: It would suit us best, but it is bolted as well as locked, and we should make too much noise getting in.

[SPEAKER_00]: Come round here.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's a greenhouse which opens into the drawing room.

[SPEAKER_00]: The place was locked, but homes removed a circle of glass and turned the key from the inside.

[SPEAKER_00]: An instant afterwards he had closed the door behind us, and we had become felons in the eyes of the law.

[SPEAKER_00]: The thick, warm air of the conservatory and the rich, choking fragrance of exotic plants took us by the throat.

[SPEAKER_00]: He seized my hand in the darkness and led me swiftly past banks of shrubs which brushed against our faces.

[SPEAKER_00]: Holmes had remarkable powers, carefully cultivated of seeing in the dark.

[SPEAKER_00]: Still holding my hand in one of his, he opened a door, and I was vaguely conscious that we had entered a large room in which a cigar had been smoked not long before.

[SPEAKER_00]: He felt his way among the furniture opened another door and closed it behind us.

[SPEAKER_00]: Putting out my hand, I felt several coats hanging from the wall, and I understood that I [SPEAKER_00]: We passed along it and Holmes very gently opened a door upon the right-hand side.

[SPEAKER_00]: Something rushed out at us and my heart sprang into my mouth but I could have laughed when I realised that it was the cat.

[SPEAKER_00]: A fire was burning in this new room and again the air was heavy with tobacco smoke.

[SPEAKER_00]: Holmes entered on tiptoe, waited for me to follow and then very gently close the door.

[SPEAKER_00]: We were in Milverton's study and a porthy air at the father's side showed the entrance to his bedroom.

[SPEAKER_00]: It was a good fire and the room was illuminated by it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Near the door I saw the gleam of an electric switch, but it was unnecessary even if it had been safe to turn it on.

[SPEAKER_00]: At one side of the fireplace was a heavy curtain which covered the bay window we had seen from outside.

[SPEAKER_00]: On the other side was the door which communicated with the veranda.

[SPEAKER_00]: A desk stood in the center with a turning chair of shining red leather.

[SPEAKER_00]: Opposite was a large bookcase with a marbled bust of a theme on the top.

[SPEAKER_00]: In the corner between the bookcase and the wall, they stood a tall, green, safe.

[SPEAKER_00]: The firelight flashing back from the polished brass knobs upon its face.

[SPEAKER_00]: Holmes stole a cross and looked at it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then he crept to the door of the bedroom and stood with slanting head listening intently.

[SPEAKER_00]: No sound came from within.

[SPEAKER_00]: Meanwhile it had struck me that it would be wise to secure our retreat through the outer door, so I examined it.

[SPEAKER_00]: To my amazement it was neither locked nor bolted.

[SPEAKER_00]: I touched homes on the arm and he turned his masked face in that direction.

[SPEAKER_00]: I saw him start and he was evidently a surprised as I.

I don't like it.

[SPEAKER_00]: He whispered, putting his lips to my very ear.

[SPEAKER_00]: I can't quite make it out anyhow, we have no time to lose.

[SPEAKER_00]: Can I do anything?

[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, stand by the door.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you hear anyone come, bolt it on the inside, and we can get away as we came.

[SPEAKER_00]: If they come the other way, we can get through the door if our job is done, or hide behind these window curtains if it is not.

[SPEAKER_00]: Do you understand?

[SPEAKER_00]: I nodded and stood by the door.

[SPEAKER_00]: My first feeling of fear had passed away, and I thrilled now with a keener zest than I had ever enjoyed when we were the defenders of the law instead of its defires.

[SPEAKER_00]: The high object of our mission, the consciousness that it was unselfish and chivalrous, the villainous character of our opponent, all added to the sporting interest of the adventure.

[SPEAKER_00]: Far from feeling guilty, I rejoiced and exalted in our dangers.

[SPEAKER_00]: With a glow of admiration, I watched homes unrolling his case of instruments and choosing his tool with the calm, scientific accuracy of a surgeon who performs a delicate operation.

[SPEAKER_00]: I knew that the opening of safes was a particular hobby with him, and I understood the joy which it gave him to be confronted with this green and gold monster, the dragon which held in its more the reputations of many fair ladies.

[SPEAKER_00]: turning up the cuffs of his dress coat, he had placed his overcoat on a chair, homes laid out two drills, a gemmy, and several skeleton keys.

[SPEAKER_00]: I stood at the centre door with my eyes glancing at each of the others, ready for any emergency, though indeed my plans were somewhat vague as to what I should do if we were interrupted.

[SPEAKER_00]: For half an hour homes worked with concentrated energy, laying down one tool, picking up another, handling each with the strength and delicacy of the trained mechanic.

[SPEAKER_00]: Finally I heard a click, the broad green door swung open, and inside I had a glimpse of a number of paper packets, each tied, sealed, and inscribed.

[SPEAKER_00]: Holmes picked one out, but it was as hard to read by the flickering fire, and he drew out his little dark lantern for it was too dangerous with Milvitan in the next room to switch on the electric light.

[SPEAKER_00]: Suddenly, I saw him halt, listen intently, and then in an instant he had swung the door of the safe too, picked up his coat, stuffed his tools into the pockets and darted behind the window curtain, motioning me to do the same.

[SPEAKER_00]: It was only when I had joined him there that I heard what had alarmed his quick ascences.

[SPEAKER_00]: There was a noise somewhere within the house.

[SPEAKER_00]: A door slammed in the distance.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then a confused, dull murmur broke itself into the measured thud of heavy footsteps rapidly approaching.

[SPEAKER_00]: They were in the passage outside the room.

[SPEAKER_00]: They paused at the door.

[SPEAKER_00]: The door opened.

[SPEAKER_00]: There was a sharp snick as the electric light was turned on.

[SPEAKER_00]: The door closed once more, and the pungent wreak of a strong cigar was born to our nostrils.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then the footsteps continued backward and forward, backward and forward, within a few yards of us.

[SPEAKER_00]: Finally, there was a creek from a chair, and the footsteps ceased.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then a key clicked in a lock and I heard the rustle of papers, [SPEAKER_00]: So far, I had not dared to look out, but now I gently parted the division of the curtains in front of me and peeped through.

[SPEAKER_00]: From the pressure of Holmes' shoulder against mine, I knew that he was sharing my observations.

[SPEAKER_00]: Right in front of us and almost within our reach was the broad rounded back of Milvater.

[SPEAKER_00]: It was evident that we had entirely miscalculated his movements, that he had never been to his bedroom.

[SPEAKER_00]: but that he had been sitting up in some smoking or billiard room in the father wing of the house, the windows of which we had not seen.

[SPEAKER_00]: His broad, grizzled head, with its shining patch of baldness, was in the immediate foreground of our vision.

[SPEAKER_00]: He was leaning far back in the red leather chair, his legs outstretched, a long black cigar projecting at an angle from his mouth.

[SPEAKER_00]: He wore a semi-military smoking jacket, Clare it colored, with a black velvet collar.

[SPEAKER_00]: In his hand, he held a long legal document which he was reading in an indolent fashion, blowing rings of tobacco smoke from his lips as he did so.

[SPEAKER_00]: There was no promise of a speedy departure in his composed bearing and his comfortable attitude.

[SPEAKER_00]: I felt Holmes' hands steal into mine and give me a reassuring shake, as if to say that the situation was within his powers, and that he was easy in his mind.

[SPEAKER_00]: I was not sure whether he had seen what was only two obvious from my position, that the door of the safe was imperfectly closed and that Milvitan might at any moment observe it.

[SPEAKER_00]: In my own mind I had determined that if I were sure, from the rigidity of his gaze, that it had caught his eye.

[SPEAKER_00]: I would at once spring out, throw my great coat over his head, pinion him and leave the rest to homes.

[SPEAKER_00]: But Milva to never looked up.

[SPEAKER_00]: He was languidly interested by the papers in his hand, and page after page was turned as he followed the argument of the lawyer.

[SPEAKER_00]: At least I thought when he has finished the document and the cigar he will go to his room, but before he had reached the end of either, there came a remarkable development which turned our thoughts into quite another channel.

[SPEAKER_00]: Several times I'd observed that Milvitan looked at his watch and once he had risen and sat down again with a gesture of impatience.

[SPEAKER_00]: The idea, however, that he might have an appointment at so strange an hour, never occurred to me until a faint sound reached my ears from the veranda outside.

[SPEAKER_00]: Milvitan dropped his papers and sat rigid in his chair.

[SPEAKER_00]: The sound was repeated and then there came a gentle tap of the door.

[SPEAKER_00]: Milvitan rose and opened it.

[SPEAKER_00]: So this was the explanation of the unlocked door and of the nocturnal vigil of Milvitan.

[SPEAKER_00]: There was the gentle rustle of a woman's dress.

[SPEAKER_00]: I had closed the slit between the curtains as Milvitan's face had turned in our direction, but now I've ventured very carefully to open it once more.

[SPEAKER_00]: He had resumed his seat, the cigar still projecting at an incident angle from the corner of his mouth.

[SPEAKER_00]: In front of him, in the full glare of the electric light, there stood a tall, slim, dark woman avail over her face, a mantle drawn round her chin.

[SPEAKER_00]: Her breath came quick and fast, and every inch of the light figure was quivering with strong emotion.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, said Milvitton.

[SPEAKER_00]: You made me lose a good night's rest, my dear.

[SPEAKER_00]: I hope you'll prove worth it.

[SPEAKER_00]: You couldn't come any other time, eh?

[SPEAKER_00]: the woman shook her head.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well if you couldn't, you couldn't.

[SPEAKER_00]: If the countess is a hard mistress, you have your chance to get level with her now.

[SPEAKER_00]: Bless the girl, what are you shivering about?

[SPEAKER_00]: That's right.

[SPEAKER_00]: Pull yourself together.

[SPEAKER_00]: Now, let us get down to business.

[SPEAKER_00]: He took a notebook from the drawer of his desk.

[SPEAKER_00]: You say that you have five letters, which [SPEAKER_00]: You want to sell them.

[SPEAKER_00]: I want to buy them.

[SPEAKER_00]: So far so good.

[SPEAKER_00]: It only remains to fix a price.

[SPEAKER_00]: I should want to inspect the letters of course if they are really good specimens.

[SPEAKER_00]: Great heavens, is it you?

[SPEAKER_00]: The woman without a word had raised her veil and dropped the mantle from her chin.

[SPEAKER_00]: It was a dark, handsome, clear-cut face which confronted Milverton, a face with a curved nose, strong, dark eyebrows shading hard, glittering eyes, and a straight thin-lipped mouth set in a dangerous smile.

[SPEAKER_00]: It is I, she said, the woman whose life you have ruined.

[SPEAKER_00]: Milverton laughed but fear vibrated in his voice.

[SPEAKER_00]: you were so very obstinate," said he.

[SPEAKER_00]: "'Why did you drive me to such extremities?

[SPEAKER_00]: I assure you I wouldn't hurt a fly of my own accord, but every man has his business and what was I to do?

[SPEAKER_00]: I put the price well within your means, you would not pay." [SPEAKER_00]: So, you sent the letters to my husband and he, the noblest gentleman that ever lived a man whose boots I was never worthy to lace, he broke his gallant heart and died.

[SPEAKER_00]: You remember that last night, when I came through that door I begged and prayed you for mercy and you laughed in my face as you are trying to laugh now.

[SPEAKER_00]: Only your coward heart cannot keep your lips from twitching.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, you never thought to see me here again, but it was that night which taught me how I could meet you face-to-face and alone.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well Charles Milverton, what have you to say?

[SPEAKER_00]: don't imagine that you can bully me, said he rising to his feet.

[SPEAKER_00]: I have only to raise my voice and I could call my servants and have you arrested, but I will make a allowance for your natural anger.

[SPEAKER_00]: Leave the room at once as you came and I will say no more.

[SPEAKER_00]: The woman stood with her hand buried in her bosom and the same deadly smile on her thin lips.

[SPEAKER_00]: You will ruin no more lives as you have ruined mine.

[SPEAKER_00]: You will ring no more hearts as you wrung mine.

[SPEAKER_00]: I will free the world of a poisonous thing.

[SPEAKER_00]: Take that, you hound, and that, and that, and that.

[SPEAKER_00]: She had drawn a little gleaming revolver and emptied barrel after barrel into Milvittens' body.

[SPEAKER_00]: The muzzle within two feet of his shirt front.

[SPEAKER_00]: He shrank away, and then fell forward upon the table, coughing furiously and clawing among the papers.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then he staggered to his feet, received another shot and rolled upon the floor.

[SPEAKER_00]: You've done me, he cried, and lay still.

[SPEAKER_00]: The woman looked at him intently and ground her heel into his upturned face.

[SPEAKER_00]: She looked again, but there was no sound or movement.

[SPEAKER_00]: I heard a sharp rustle, the night air blew into the heated room, and the avenger was gone.

[SPEAKER_00]: No interference upon our part could have saved the man from his fate, but as the woman poured bullet after bullet into Milvitton's shrinking body I was about to spring out, when I felt Holmes' cold, strong grasp upon my wrist.

[SPEAKER_00]: I understood the whole argument of that firm restraining grip.

[SPEAKER_00]: that it was no affair of ours, the justice had overtaken a villain that we had our own duties and our own objects, which were not to be lost sight of.

[SPEAKER_00]: But hardly had the woman rushed from the room when homes with swift silent steps, was over at the other door.

[SPEAKER_00]: He turned the key in the lock.

[SPEAKER_00]: At the same instant, we heard voices in the house and the sound of hurrying feet.

[SPEAKER_00]: the revolver shots had roused the household.

[SPEAKER_00]: With perfect coolness homes slipped across to the safe, filled his two arms with bundles of letters and poured them all into the fire.

[SPEAKER_00]: Again and again he did it until the safe was empty.

[SPEAKER_00]: Someone turned the handle and beat up on the outside of the door.

[SPEAKER_00]: Homes looked swiftly round.

[SPEAKER_00]: The letter which had been the messenger of death for Milvert and Leigh all modeled with his blood upon the table, Holmes tossed it in among the blazing papers, then he drew the key from the outer door past through after me and locked it on the outside.

[SPEAKER_00]: This way Watson said he, we can scale the garden wall in this direction.

[SPEAKER_00]: Looking back, the huge house was one blaze of light.

[SPEAKER_00]: The front door was open and figures were rushing down the drive.

[SPEAKER_00]: The whole garden was alive with people and one fellow raised a view hello as we emerge from the veranda and followed hard at our heels.

[SPEAKER_00]: Homes seem to know the grounds perfectly.

[SPEAKER_00]: And he threaded his way swiftly among a plantation of small trees I close at his heels, and our foremost pursuer panting behind us.

[SPEAKER_00]: It was a six-foot wall which barred our path, but he sprang to the top and over.

[SPEAKER_00]: As I did the same, I felt the hand of the man behind me grab at my ankle, but I kicked myself free and scrambled over a grass-struined coping, [SPEAKER_00]: I fell upon my face amongst some bushes, but homes had me on my feet in an instant, and together we dashed away across the huge expanse of hamstered Heath.

[SPEAKER_00]: We had run two miles I suppose before homes had last halted and listened intently.

[SPEAKER_00]: All was absolute silence behind us.

[SPEAKER_00]: We had shaken off our pursuers and was safe.

[SPEAKER_00]: we had breakfasted and were smoking our morning pipe on the day after the remarkable experience which I have recorded, where Mr.

Lestrade of Scotland Yard, very solemn and impressive, was ushered into our modest sitting room.

[SPEAKER_00]: Good morning Mr.

Holmes said he, good morning.

[SPEAKER_00]: May I ask if you are very busy just now?

[SPEAKER_00]: Not too busy to listen to you.

[SPEAKER_00]: I thought that perhaps if you had nothing particular on hand, you might care to assist us in a most remarkable case which occurred only last night at Hampstead.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dear me, said Holmes, what was that?

[SPEAKER_00]: A murder, a most dramatic and remarkable murder.

[SPEAKER_00]: I know how keen you are upon these things, and I would take it as a great favor if you would step down to Apple Door Towers and give us the benefit of your advice.

[SPEAKER_00]: It is no ordinary crime.

[SPEAKER_00]: We have had our eyes upon this Mr.

Milvitan for some time, and between ourselves he was a bit of a villain.

[SPEAKER_00]: He is known to have held papers which he used for blackmailing purposes.

[SPEAKER_00]: These papers have all been burned by the murderers.

[SPEAKER_00]: No article of value was taken, as it is probable that the criminals were men of good position, whose sole object was to prevent social exposure.

[SPEAKER_00]: Criminals, said Holmes, plural.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, there were two of them.

[SPEAKER_00]: They were as nearly as possible captured red handed.

[SPEAKER_00]: We have their foot marks, we have their description.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's 10 to 1 that we trace them.

[SPEAKER_00]: The first fellow was a bit too active, but the second was caught by the under gardener and only got away after a struggle.

[SPEAKER_00]: He was a middle-sized, strongly built man, square jaw, thick neck, moustache, a mask over his eyes.

[SPEAKER_00]: But that's rather vague," said Sherlock Holmes.

[SPEAKER_00]: "'My, it might be a description of Watson.' [SPEAKER_00]: "'It's true,' said the inspector with amusement.

[SPEAKER_00]: "'It might be a description of Watson.' [SPEAKER_00]: "'Well, I'm afraid I can't help you, Lestrade,' said Holmes.

[SPEAKER_00]: The fact is that I knew this fellow Milvitan, that I considered him one of the most dangerous men in London, and that I think there are certain crimes which the law cannot touch, and which therefore to some extent justify private revenge.

[SPEAKER_00]: No, it's no use arguing.

[SPEAKER_00]: I have made up my mind.

[SPEAKER_00]: My sympathies are with the criminals rather than with the victim, and I will not handle this case.

[SPEAKER_00]: Holmes had not said one word to me about the tragedy which we had witnessed, but I observed all the morning that he was in his most thoughtful mood, and he gave me the impression from his vacant eyes and his abstracted manner of a man who was striving to recall something to his memory.

[SPEAKER_00]: We were in the middle of our lunch when he suddenly sprang to his feet.

[SPEAKER_00]: By Jove Watson, I've got it, he cried, take your hat, come with me.

[SPEAKER_00]: He hurried at his top speed down Baker Street in a long Oxford street, until we had almost reached Regent Circus.

[SPEAKER_00]: Here on the left hand, their stands are shop-window filled with photographs of the celebrities and beauties of the day.

[SPEAKER_00]: Homes his eyes fixed themselves upon one of them, and following his gaze I saw the picture of a regal and stately lady in court dress, with a high diamond tiara upon her noble [SPEAKER_00]: I looked at that delicately curved nose at the marked eyebrows at the straight mouth and the strong little chin beneath it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then I caught my breath as I read the time on a title of the Great Nobleman and statesman whose wife she had been.

[SPEAKER_00]: My eyes met those of homes and he put his finger to his lips as we turned away from the window.

[UNKNOWN]: you [UNKNOWN]: Thank you very much.

[UNKNOWN]: Thank you.

[UNKNOWN]: you [UNKNOWN]: Thank you.

[UNKNOWN]: Thank you very much.

[UNKNOWN]: Thank you.