culty upon the sofa and was staring with a strange mixture of amazement and hatred at his captor.
“I shall get level with you, Altamont,” he said, speaking with slow deliberation, “if it takes me all my life I shall get level with you!”
“The old sweet song,” said Holmes. “How often have I heard it in days gone by. It was a favourite ditty of the late lamented Professor Moriarty. Colonel Sebastian Moran has also been known to warble it. And yet I live and keep bees upon the South Downs.”
“Curse you, you double traitor!” cried the German, straining against his bonds and glaring murder from his furious eyes.
“No, no, it is not so bad as that,” said Holmes, smiling. “As my speech surely shows you, Mr. Altamont of Chicago had no existence in fact. I used him and he is gone.”
“Then who are you?”
“It is really immaterial who I am, but since the matter seems to interest you, Mr. Von Bork, I may say that this is not my first acquaintance with the members of your family. I have done a good deal of business in Germany in the past and my name is probably familiar to you.”
“I would wish to know it,” said the Prussian grimly.
“It was I who brought about the separation between Irene Adler and the late King of Bohemia when your cousin Heinrich was the Im-
