The short story commences with Dr Watson visiting his old
friend Sherlock Holmes in their old rooms at 221B Baker Street. Since the Sign of Four, Watson
has moved out of their shared rooms, having married Mary Morstan, the client of
the previous adventure.
Watson though finds that Holmes has kept himself occupied
with a series of cases, and a letter from another prospective client promises
another case is soon to be on hand; and Watson is soon drawn into the case.
When the client arrives, he introduces himself as the
Count von Kramm, but despite the wearing of a mask, Holmes easily identifies
von Kramm as actually being the King of Bohemia; and after being sworn to
secrecy, Holmes and Watson listens to the king’s problem.
The king is engaged to be married, but previously the
king had had a relationship with an American opera singer called Irene Adler.
The possibility of the relationship being revealed, and the ensuing scandal, is
threatening the forthcoming marriage. Adler it seems has threatened to send a
photograph of her and the king together to the press.
Previous attempts to retrieve the photo, including
burglary, have failed to locate the photo, and so as a last resort the king
wishes to hire Holmes to retrieve it. The king pays Holmes a retainer of £1000,
a huge sum of about twenty times the average annual wage.
Holmes sets to work immediately and having visited the
home of Irene Adler, in disguise, that the singer is now in a relationship with
a gentleman by the name of Godfrey Norton. It is a serious relationship, and
Holmes sees the pair being married in the Church of Saint Monica; indeed Holmes
has to act as witness for the marriage.
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