For a moment, Lestrade and I sat in silence. Then, without thinking about it, we started to clap, just as if we had just seen a play come to a deamatic ending. Holmes's pale cheeks turned red. He bowed to us like a writer of a play receiving the applause of his audience. It was at times like this that for a moment he stopped being a human calculator, and showed that he was a human who loved admiration and applause. Although he did not like to be admired by the public, he could be deeply moved by wonder and praise from a friend.

'Yes, gentlemen', he said. 'This is the most famous pearl in the world. I have been making a chain of logic. I have been fortunate, and was able to follow the pearl from when it was lost from the Prince of Colonna's bedroom at the Dacre Hotel to now; when it has finished inside this, the last of the six busts of Napoleon which were manufactured by Gelder & Co., of Stepney. Lestrade will remember all the excitement caused by the disappearance of this valuable jewel. The London police were unable to find it. I was also asked about the case, but I could not give any help.'

'The Princess had an Italian maid. This maid was suspected of stealing the pearl. It was proved that she had a brother in London, but we could not find any other connection between them. The maid's name was Lucretia Venucci, and I am sure that this Pietro who was murdered two nights ago was her brother.'