Part 2

man jumped up from his chair, ‘What!’ he cried. ‘How do you know who I am?’ Then he pulled mask off his face and threw it on ground. ‘You are right. Why do I hide it? I am King. I am Wilhelm von Ormstein, King of Bohemia. I came to see you myself because I could not ask another person to tell my story. It must be secret. Do you understand?’
‘Very well. Go on,’ said Holmes. He closed his eyes and listened.
‘Five years ago I met woman called Irene Adler. We…’
‘Ah,’ said Holmes, ‘Irene Adler, born in 1850, singer, lives in London, very beautiful woman, I hear …’ He looked at King. ‘You and she … You loved her, for while, and then left her. But before you left her, you wrote her some letters perhaps. And now you want to get letters back.’
‘That’s right.’

‘Did you marry her?’
‘No.’
‘If she asks you for money and shows you letters, you can say that you didn’t write them.’
‘But Mr Holmes, she also has my photograph.’
‘You can say that you didn’t give her photograph.’
‘We were both in photograph.’
‘Oh dear. That was mistake, Your Majesty.’
‘I know. I was stupid… but I was very young!’
‘You must get photograph back. Can you steal it from her house?’
‘I have tried five times but my men couldn’t find it. What can I do?’
Holmes laughed. ‘This is very interesting. What does she plan to do with photograph?’

‘Soon I am going to marry Clotilde Lothman von Saxe-Meningen, daughter of King of Scandinavia. You know, of course, that we are two of most important royal families in Europe. Clotilde will never marry me if she learns that I have been … friend of Irene Adler. You do not know Irene Adler. She’s beautiful woman, but she can be as hard as man. She was angry when I left her, and so she doesn’t want me to marry another woman. I know that she will send photograph to Saxe-Meningen family, and then there will be terrible scandal. We must find photograph before she sends it!’
‘I am sure that we will find it,’ said Holmes. ‘You are, of course, staying in London? I will write to you to tell you what happens. And, money…?’

King put large heavy bag on table. ‘I must have that photograph,’ he said. ‘There is one thousand pounds here. If you need more, you must ask at once. money is not important.’
‘And young woman’s address?’ asked Holmes.
‘Briony Lodge, Serpentine Avenue, St John’s Wood, London.’
‘Good night, Your Majesty,’ said Holmes. ‘I hope to have some good news for you soon.’ King left, and Holmes turned to me. ‘And good night, Watson. Please come back tomorrow at three o’clock in afternoon.’