Sherlock Holmes and the Golden Bird

the lights did go out at 221B Baker Street.

17

More Light in Dark Places

181

The events had been tiring indeed and when I awoke the following morning, I was somewhat shocked at the late hour. Mrs. Hudson and Billy had returned by the time I found myself in the sitting room. Holmes had breakfasted and the smell of his strong shag was heavy in the room. The volume dealing with Jonathan Wild was on the desk and Holmes sat by the fireplace, his fingers steepled and his aquiline nose pressed against them. I tiptoed out of the room to acquaint our housekeeper of my presence and needs. When I returned, Holmes had not moved a muscle, but he suddenly looked up as though startled by my presence.

'Ah, Watson, you are the late-abed today.'

He sprang to his feet, crossing to the silver coffee urn.

'This should still be warm,' he said, 'and a cup will serve you well. Both of us in fact.'

Holmes seldom deigned to perform domestic duties but on this day he bustled around, pouring coffee, urging me to be seated and talking all the while.

'You have ordered breakfast, no doubt?'

I indicated that this was so.

'Splendid!'

I had not lived with Sherlock Holmes so long not to recognize the signs. He had come upon something and was quite delighted with himself and anxious to share his thoughts with his only confidant, me.

'Of course, I have been through the book. Badly written, but one section shows a spark of originality. The author, one Pierce by name, devotes a full chapter to the plans of Wild that never bore fruit. The schemes that the criminal did not or could not take action on. It is in this portion of the book that the only markings appear.'

Holmes was at the desk, leafing through the book taken from Barker's dwelling. 'Let me read this to you. 'Jonathan Wild was instrumental in a large number of jewel robberies but diamonds were his only passion.' '

Holmes's eyes rose from the page. 'This portion is bracketed. A more specific marking comes later.' He resumed reading: ' 'In 1828, Wild spent much time and a considerable amount of money planning a theft of the Sancy diamond, one of the crown jewels of France. The stone had come into the possession of Demindoff and Wild intended to possess it despite my protestations that the gem was too well-known to be sold and I knew that Wild would never consider cutting it.' '

As Holmes paused for a moment, I offered a comment.

'The author, Pierce, seems to have been quite an intimate of Jonathan Wild.'

'Or attempts to picture himself as such. His facts seem accurate. I do know that the Sancy was sold by Demidoff in 1865 for twenty thousand pounds. Or, at least, that is the story. I wonder if Wild actually did steal the stone!'

'Doesn't Pierce make mention of it?'

'Simply that the robbery did not go off as planned and Wild abandoned the idea. Here's the main point of interest: 'The one diamond that Wild really coveted was the Pasha of Egypt though he was never able to get his hands on it.' '

Holmes looked at me, his eyes alight.

'Barker drew a line through 'Pasha of Egypt.' '

'And when he died, that was the word that Lindquist heard: 'Pasha.' '

'Exactly. You can see my interest was immediately sparked.'

'But what has the Pasha of Egypt diamond to do with the Golden Bird?'

'What indeed? At one time I mentioned that the pursuit of the Bird would seem more reasonable if it were encrusted with precious gems. Suppose, Watson, instead of jewels on the outside, to give the object a far greater value, there was one jewel, a world-famous diamond, on the inside?'

Holmes's idea was certainly intriguing. 'Then all these thefts over a long period of time—they were not really after the Golden Bird but a diamond—the Pasha of Egypt.'

Holmes head was shaking slowly in a negative fashion.

'As I have stated on other occasions, it is a capital mistake to theorize in advance of the facts. One begins to twist facts to fit theories, instead of fitting theories to facts. We need facts now, 'Watson, and shall have to seek them from experts. I have dispatched a note to Orloff asking him to arrange a meeting with Edwin Streeter.'

'The name is unfamiliar to me.'

'The royal jeweler, ol' chap. Streeter wrote a book in '83: The Great Diamonds of the World. I rather fancy he knows the diamond field inside and out and might provide the information that will crystallize this whole matter.'

Holmes ran into a snag at this point since the royal jeweler was vacationing in the south of France at this time. However, Wakefield Orloff's intimate knowledge of comings and goings between England and the Continent came to the detective's aid. According to the security agent, Dr. Max Bauer of Germany was in England at the time and Orloff was able to arrange a meeting between the famous gem expert and Holmes.*

* It is interesting to note that Dr. Bauer later, in 1896, published a book called Precious Stones. It was translated and published in England around 1903 and is considered one of the most comprehensive studies of gems ever published.

Happily, the doctor was a follower of the exploits of my friend and was quite delighted to visit our chambers on Baker Street which gave me the opportunity of being present at a most fascinating exchange of information.

The professor had a round, jolly face topped with a profusion of unruly hair. He might have modeled for a character out of Pickwick Papers or perhaps a Bavarian toymaker. Orloff was not present, the doctor having come to our abode alone, for which Holmes thanked him warmly. Bauer stated that he was most happy to visit the world's greatest detective and to be able to meet the famous Doctor Watson. I decided that the doctor was a splendid chap indeed, and then Bauer and my friend got down to business.

'Ach, Mr. Holmes, you vill vant to talk about precious stones. Iss der any p'tickler vun vot intrigues you?'

'Diamonds, Doctor Bauer.'

'A big field. You haf a p'tikiler von in mind, perhaps?'

'I'm interested in several. What could you tell me about the Sancy diamond?'

'Ach, von of ze most vamous. All crown jewels are. Like many great diamonds, it came from India. Before becoming part of ze crown jewels of Fronce, it vas in your country, you know. It vas sold to Queen Elizabet 'round sixteen hundred und vent to Fronce vid Henrietta Maria, de qveen of Charles, first. Den it vent to Cardinal Mazarin as a pledge. The Cardinal vas qvite a diamond fancier und left ze Sancy und seventeen other large diamonds to Louis Fourteenth. In 1791, der vas an inventory of ze French crown jewels und Sancy vas valued at one million francs. During ze revolution it vas stolen along mitt ze Regent und vas not recovered. Den ze beauty showed up as ze property of ze Spanish crown und came into ze possession of Demidoff.'

'It was not stolen from him by any chance?' asked Holmes.

'Nein, ze Sancy hass returned to ze land of its birth. It is now ze broberty of ze Maharajah of Patiala. I saw ze stone ven it vas disblayed at ze Paris Exhibition.'

'I see,' said Holmes and I could see that he was writing off the Sancy diamond in his mind.

'Could you,' continued Holmes, 'acquaint me with some diamonds that are less famous?'

'All ze great diamonds are vamous but I see vat you are zearching for. Ze Nassak iss not so vell-known, dough it is better dan eighty-nine carats. It came from ze temple of Siva in India und vas acqvired in 1818 by der East India Company.'

Holmes appeared interested. 'Where is this stone now?'

'Right here in England, Mr. Holmes. Ze Nassak vas bought for seventy-two hundred pounds by der London jeweler, Emmanuek, und vas den sold to ze Duke of Vesminster und it has been in his family ever since. The Nassak iss large but you know it's not just der carats vat iss important. Ze Star of Este is a little less dan twenty-six carats