The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone
Encyclopedia
"The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone", 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 Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes
.
It is notable for being the one of only two Arthur Conan Doyle Holmes stories, aside from a couple of humorous vignettes, to be written in third person. The other is "His Last Bow
". "The Mazarin Stone" was written this way because it was adapted from a stage play, "The Crown Diamond", in which Watson hardly appeared. Its adaptation from the theatre also explains why the action in this story is confined to one room.
In the original play, the villain was Holmes's enemy Colonel Sebastian Moran of "The Adventure of the Empty House
" infamy, not Count Negretto Sylvius.
Watson arrives at 221B Baker Street
to find Holmes in bed at seven in the evening while Billy the page explains that Holmes has been hot on the trail of a missing jewel, a Crown diamond
no less, worth about £100,000. He has been disguised as a jobless workman, and even as an old woman while pursuing the thief across London
. He has also not been eating, believing that hunger sharpens his wits. The Prime Minister
and the Home Secretary
have been to see Holmes, along with Lord Cantlemere, who is apparently no great fan of Sherlock Holmes and no believer in his deductive powers. He is opposed to engaging Holmes to recover the precious gem.
Also in the room is a wax dummy, a remarkable effigy of Sherlock Holmes, seated in a chair near the window. Holmes soon emerges from his bedroom and explains that the dummy is a decoy designed to fool a would-be gunman, much as was done in "The Adventure of the Empty House
", to which Watson alludes. Holmes, it would seem, is fully expecting an attempt on his life that very evening, and he even has Watson write down the murderer's name and address, just in case the attempt is successful: the murderer — and also the jewel thief — is Count
Negretto Sylvius of 136 Moorside Gardens, NW
(not a real address).
Moments later, Billy comes in with none other than Count Negretto Sylvius's card. He has arrived. Holmes has hardly expected this. The count has also brought his dimwitted henchman with him, Sam Merton, a boxer
, who can be seen out the window.
Holmes gives Watson a written message, tells him to give it to Youghal of the CID
, and ushers him out the back way over his objections at Holmes's exposing himself to such danger. Holmes tells Watson to come back with the police. Meanwhile he will try to find out from the count the one piece of information that has thus far eluded him: the stone's whereabouts.
Holmes is not in the room when Sylvius enters. The count sees the effigy and, mistaking it for Holmes, is about to stave its head in with his cane just as Holmes, having entered the room, speaks. The count's intentions are clear enough, and they are just as Holmes suspected.
Sylvius demands to know why Holmes's agents have been following him. Holmes explains first that it was he himself, in disguise, who had been his shadow; and likens his crimefighting activities to the Count's lion
-hunting
in Algeria
— the danger is exhilarating, and it rids the country of a pest.
Holmes then proceeds to make his own purpose plain and tells the count that he wants to know where the Mazarin Stone is. Holmes even boasts that the count will tell him. At first, the count denies that he even knows, but Holmes tricks him into revealing that he does. He also outlines the evidence which he has amassed against the count for this theft, and other crimes.
Both men are armed. The count is sitting on his revolver
, and Holmes fingers one in his dressing-gown pocket.
Holmes skillfully gets Sylvius to agree to call Sam Merton up to the room. Until now Merton has been keeping watch outside. Holmes tells the two thugs to consider their positions: they can go to prison for 20 years if Holmes does not find the Mazarin Stone, or else they can reveal its hiding place and go free. Meanwhile, Holmes withdraws once more to his bedroom with his violin
and soon the strains of the Barcarolle from the Tales of Hoffmann emanate from Holmes's room.
Left to themselves, the thieves discuss Holmes's offer, and are disturbed only by a soft noise apparently coming from somewhere out in the street. During the course of their discussion as to what their next move ought to be, Sylvius reveals to his confederate that he is carrying the Mazarin Stone in a secret pocket. He takes it out to show him. Bringing it over near the window, where the dummy is, to get a better look at it, Sylvius and Merton are astonished when the waxen figure turns round, snatches the diamond, and points a revolver at them. It is Holmes. He has reached the alcove in the bow window through a second door which leads behind the curtain. Merton cannot understand why he can still hear the violin playing. Holmes explains that it is a Gramophone
. It is also clear now that the soft noise was made when Holmes removed the dummy.
Watson arrives at 221B with the police in tow. Sylvius and Merton are arrested. Soon after, the sceptical Cantlemere shows up at Holmes's rooms, and Holmes plays a practical joke on him by slipping the Mazarin Stone into his overcoat pocket, humorously suggesting that Cantlemere is the fence. Cantlemere does not appreciate Holmes's sense of humour, but he is forced to admit that he has been wrong about the detective's abilities.
". The most noticeable change being that Holmes does not feature except in the prologue and final scene (actor Jeremy Brett
was away due to illness). It is Mycroft Holmes (Charles Gray
) who takes up the case of the stolen diamond, while Watson is retained to look into the Garrideb mystery.
This is one of four stories claimed to be forged "drivel" by author Nicholas Meyer
, in the 1974 novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. (The other three are also from The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes
.)
The name of the main villain in the Robert Downey Jr.
2009 film Sherlock Holmes
, Lord Blackwood, is derived from the name Count Negretto Sylvius (Negretto is Italian for 'Black' and Sylvius is Latin for 'Woods')
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
, is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes is the final collection of Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Originally published in 1927, it contains stories published between 1921 and 1927....
.
It is notable for being the one of only two Arthur Conan Doyle Holmes stories, aside from a couple of humorous vignettes, to be written in third person. The other is "His Last Bow
His Last Bow (story)
"His Last Bow" is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Scottish author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and one of seven collected in the anthology His Last Bow. Unlike most other Holmes stories which are written from the point of view of Dr...
". "The Mazarin Stone" was written this way because it was adapted from a stage play, "The Crown Diamond", in which Watson hardly appeared. Its adaptation from the theatre also explains why the action in this story is confined to one room.
In the original play, the villain was Holmes's enemy Colonel Sebastian Moran of "The Adventure of the Empty House
The Adventure of the Empty House
"The Adventure of the Empty House", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as The Return of Sherlock Holmes. Public pressure forced Conan Doyle to bring the sleuth back to life, and explain his...
" infamy, not Count Negretto Sylvius.
Synopsis
221B Baker Street
221B Baker Street is the London address of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, created by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In the United Kingdom, postal addresses with a number followed by a letter may indicate a separate address within a larger, often residential building...
to find Holmes in bed at seven in the evening while Billy the page explains that Holmes has been hot on the trail of a missing jewel, a Crown diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
no less, worth about £100,000. He has been disguised as a jobless workman, and even as an old woman while pursuing the thief across London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He has also not been eating, believing that hunger sharpens his wits. The Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
and the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
have been to see Holmes, along with Lord Cantlemere, who is apparently no great fan of Sherlock Holmes and no believer in his deductive powers. He is opposed to engaging Holmes to recover the precious gem.
Also in the room is a wax dummy, a remarkable effigy of Sherlock Holmes, seated in a chair near the window. Holmes soon emerges from his bedroom and explains that the dummy is a decoy designed to fool a would-be gunman, much as was done in "The Adventure of the Empty House
The Adventure of the Empty House
"The Adventure of the Empty House", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as The Return of Sherlock Holmes. Public pressure forced Conan Doyle to bring the sleuth back to life, and explain his...
", to which Watson alludes. Holmes, it would seem, is fully expecting an attempt on his life that very evening, and he even has Watson write down the murderer's name and address, just in case the attempt is successful: the murderer — and also the jewel thief — is Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Negretto Sylvius of 136 Moorside Gardens, NW
NW postcode area
The NW postcode area, also known as the London NW postcode area, is a group of postcode districts covering part of northwest London, England...
(not a real address).
Moments later, Billy comes in with none other than Count Negretto Sylvius's card. He has arrived. Holmes has hardly expected this. The count has also brought his dimwitted henchman with him, Sam Merton, a boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, who can be seen out the window.
Holmes gives Watson a written message, tells him to give it to Youghal of the CID
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
, and ushers him out the back way over his objections at Holmes's exposing himself to such danger. Holmes tells Watson to come back with the police. Meanwhile he will try to find out from the count the one piece of information that has thus far eluded him: the stone's whereabouts.
Holmes is not in the room when Sylvius enters. The count sees the effigy and, mistaking it for Holmes, is about to stave its head in with his cane just as Holmes, having entered the room, speaks. The count's intentions are clear enough, and they are just as Holmes suspected.
Sylvius demands to know why Holmes's agents have been following him. Holmes explains first that it was he himself, in disguise, who had been his shadow; and likens his crimefighting activities to the Count's lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
-hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
— the danger is exhilarating, and it rids the country of a pest.
Holmes then proceeds to make his own purpose plain and tells the count that he wants to know where the Mazarin Stone is. Holmes even boasts that the count will tell him. At first, the count denies that he even knows, but Holmes tricks him into revealing that he does. He also outlines the evidence which he has amassed against the count for this theft, and other crimes.
Both men are armed. The count is sitting on his revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
, and Holmes fingers one in his dressing-gown pocket.
Holmes skillfully gets Sylvius to agree to call Sam Merton up to the room. Until now Merton has been keeping watch outside. Holmes tells the two thugs to consider their positions: they can go to prison for 20 years if Holmes does not find the Mazarin Stone, or else they can reveal its hiding place and go free. Meanwhile, Holmes withdraws once more to his bedroom with his violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and soon the strains of the Barcarolle from the Tales of Hoffmann emanate from Holmes's room.
Left to themselves, the thieves discuss Holmes's offer, and are disturbed only by a soft noise apparently coming from somewhere out in the street. During the course of their discussion as to what their next move ought to be, Sylvius reveals to his confederate that he is carrying the Mazarin Stone in a secret pocket. He takes it out to show him. Bringing it over near the window, where the dummy is, to get a better look at it, Sylvius and Merton are astonished when the waxen figure turns round, snatches the diamond, and points a revolver at them. It is Holmes. He has reached the alcove in the bow window through a second door which leads behind the curtain. Merton cannot understand why he can still hear the violin playing. Holmes explains that it is a Gramophone
Gramophone
Gramophone might refer to:English term for U.S. English "phonograph", the first device for recording and replaying sound. The two names were originally those used by rival manufacturers.* Gramophone record, a disc shaped analogue sound recording medium...
. It is also clear now that the soft noise was made when Holmes removed the dummy.
Watson arrives at 221B with the police in tow. Sylvius and Merton are arrested. Soon after, the sceptical Cantlemere shows up at Holmes's rooms, and Holmes plays a practical joke on him by slipping the Mazarin Stone into his overcoat pocket, humorously suggesting that Cantlemere is the fence. Cantlemere does not appreciate Holmes's sense of humour, but he is forced to admit that he has been wrong about the detective's abilities.
Media
This story was heavily rewritten for Granada Television's Sherlock Holmes series. It was merged with another story, "The Adventure of the Three GarridebsThe Adventure of the Three Garridebs
"The Adventure of the Three Garridebs", 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 Case Book of Sherlock Holmes....
". The most noticeable change being that Holmes does not feature except in the prologue and final scene (actor Jeremy Brett
Jeremy Brett
Jeremy Brett , born Peter Jeremy William Huggins, was an English actor, most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in four Granada TV series.-Early life:...
was away due to illness). It is Mycroft Holmes (Charles Gray
Charles Gray (actor)
Charles Gray was an English actor who was well-known for roles including the arch-villain Blofeld in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, Sherlock Holmes' brother Mycroft Holmes in the Granada television series, and as The Criminologist in the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show in...
) who takes up the case of the stolen diamond, while Watson is retained to look into the Garrideb mystery.
This is one of four stories claimed to be forged "drivel" by author Nicholas Meyer
Nicholas Meyer
Nicholas Meyer is an American screenwriter, producer, director and novelist, known best for his best-selling novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, and for directing the films Time After Time, two of the Star Trek feature film series, and the 1983 television movie The Day After.Meyer graduated from...
, in the 1974 novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. (The other three are also from The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes is the final collection of Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Originally published in 1927, it contains stories published between 1921 and 1927....
.)
The name of the main villain in the Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert John Downey, Jr. is an American actor. Downey made his screen debut in 1970 at the age of five when he appeared in his father's film Pound, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s he had roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the...
2009 film Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)
Sherlock Holmes is a 2009 action-mystery film based on the character of the same name created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film was directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin. The screenplay by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon...
, Lord Blackwood, is derived from the name Count Negretto Sylvius (Negretto is Italian for 'Black' and Sylvius is Latin for 'Woods')