The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter

"The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes". The story was originally serialised in "Strand Magazine" in 1893.

This story introduces Holmes's elder brother Mycroft.

ynopsis

Mr. Melas, a Greek interpreter, tells a rather unnerving experience to Mycroft Holmes, who like his brother Sherlock Holmes, is remarkably endowed with powers of observation and deduction. Sherlock claims that his brother’s powers actually outstrip his own, but he is a lazy, apathetic character who rarely uses his powers to their full potential.

Melas was called upon one evening by a man named Harold Latimer to go to a house, supposedly in Kensington, to do some translation in a business matter. On the way there in Latimer’s coach, Melas noticed that the windows were papered over so that he could not see where he was. Latimer also produced a bludgeon, laying it beside him as an implied threat. Melas protested, saying that what Latimer was doing was unlawful. The kidnapper replied that he would make it up to Melas, but also threatened him with unspecified retribution should the evening’s business ever be made public.For two hours they rode, at last arriving at a house. It was dark, and Melas only got a general impression of a large lot as he was hustled out of the coach and into the house. The house itself was poorly lit, but Melas made out that it was quite big. In the room into which he was led by Latimer and another, nervous, giggling gentleman — whose name is later discovered to be Wilson Kemp — Melas noticed a deep-pile carpet, a high marble mantel, and a suit of Japanese armour.

Another man was brought into the room. He was thin and emaciated and had sticking plaster all over his face, notably a big piece sealing his mouth. Melas knew then that things were not right. Melas was sly enough to observe that his kidnappers were utterly ignorant of Greek, and used this to find out some information. While Latimer and his giggling companion had Melas translate demands that this man sign some papers, Melas added his own short questions to the dialogue. The man not only answered Latimer that he would never sign these papers, but he also answered Melas that his name was Kratides, that he had been in London for three weeks, that he had no idea what house he was in, and that his captors at the house were starving him. He wrote all his answers, unable as he was to speak through the sticking plaster.

Much could be inferred from Kratides’s answers to Latimer, too. Evidently, Latimer was trying to coerce Kratides into signing over property to him, and a woman was also involved. Latimer had warned Kratides that his obstinacy would do her no good.

Melas would have extracted the whole story from this stranger had the woman herself not burst in unexpectedly, but even that event furnished new information. She recognized Kratides as “Paul”, whereupon he managed to get the plaster off his mouth and he called her “Sophy”. They both behaved as though neither had expected to see the other.

Melas was ushered back into the coach for another interminable ride and was deposited far from his home on Wandsworth Common. He made it to Clapham Junction just in time for the last train to Victoria. He has now presented his story at the Diogenes Club to Mycroft, who asks his brother Sherlock to look into it.

An advertisement has already been placed begging the public for information. It yields a result. A Mr. Davenport knows the woman in question, and she is currently residing at the Myrtles, a house in Beckenham. Sherlock Holmes and his brother Mycroft, who received the message from Davenport, decide that they must go to Beckenham to see about this. Watson comes, too, and they decide to pick up Inspector Gregson, and Melas as well in case some translating needs to be done. They find, however, that he has already been picked up, by a nervous, giggling man brandishing a bludgeon. Holmes knows that this means trouble. Obviously the thugs know that Melas has betrayed them.

After the necessary legal procedures for securing a warrant have been completed, the group proceeds to Beckenham only to discover that the house, which indeed turns out to be as Melas has described, has been abandoned. Tracks advertise that a fully loaded coach has recently pulled out of the drive. Breaking in, they discover Melas and Kratides bound in a closed room where some charcoal has been lit to gas the two of them. Kratides is dead, but Melas recovers thanks to Watson's timely intervention.

Apparently, Kratides never signed any papers. It turns out that Sophy’s friends contacted Kratides, who was Sophy’s brother, in Greece to tell of what they thought was a bad situation for her with Latimer. He then came to England and wound up in Latimer’s power. He tried to force Kratides to sign over his sister’s property, and he refused absolutely.

All that is ever again heard of the thugs Latimer and Kemp is a news story from Hungary saying that they have both been stabbed to death. The official report says that it was a fight between the two of them, but perhaps Sophy has had her revenge on them, somehow having managed to bring their fate about.

Other media

The television adaptation starring Jeremy Brett departs from the source material to an extent unusual for that series. In it, Latimer and Kemp succeed in having Kratides sign over Sophy's property to Kemp. After leaving Kratides and Melas to die of sulfur poisoning, the two, along with Sophy, leave on a train bound for the European continent. However, Holmes, Watson, and Mycroft are able to board the train in pursuit. While the lethargic Mycroft rests, Holmes and Watson confront Latimer and Sophy in their compartment with Kemp absent. Holmes informs the unknowing Sophy that her brother is dead but she states that she is with Latimer by her own free will. When Latimer is hit with the realization that he is facing Sherlock Holmes and has left a witness alive, he attempts to leave the train by the compartment door but is struck by an oncoming train. Mycroft then proves his worth by identifying, disarming, and ultimately, apprehending Kemp. After Sophy and Kemp are taken away, Holmes comments on the cold heart of Sophy.

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