A Scandal in Bohemia: Chapter 1, part 13

ju ˈhæb maɪ ˈnəʊt i ˈɑːst | wɪð ə ˈdiːp ˈhɑːʃ ˈvɔɪs | ən ə ˈstrɒŋli ˈmɑːk ˈʤɜːmən ˈæksn̩t || aɪ ˈtəʊlʤu ðət aɪɡ ˈkɔːl || hi ˈlʊk frəm ˈwʌn tə ði ˈʌðər əv əs | əz ˈɪf ʌnˈsɜːtn̩ | ˈwɪʧ tu əˈdres

ˈpreɪ ˈteɪk ə ˈsiːt ˈsed ˈhəʊmz || ˈðɪs ɪz maɪ ˈfrend əŋ ˈkɒliːɡ | ˈdɒktə ˈwɒtsn̩ | huz əˈkeɪʒn̩li ˈɡʊd ɪˈnʌf | tə ˈhelp mi ɪm maɪ ˈkeɪsɪz || ˈhuːm əv aɪ ði ˈɒnə tu əˈdres

ju meɪ əˈdres mi | əz ðə ˈkaʊnt ˈvɒŋ ˈkræm | ə bəˈhiːmiən ˈnəʊbl̩mən || aɪ ˈʌndəˈstænd | ðət ˈðɪs ˈʤentl̩mən | jɔː ˈfrend | ɪz ə ˈmæn əv ˈɒnər ən dɪˈskreʃn̩ | hum aɪ meɪ ˈtrʌst | wɪð ə ˈmætər ə ðə ˈməʊst ɪkˈstriːm ɪmˈpɔːtn̩s || ˈɪf ˈnɒt | aɪ ʃəb ˈmʌʧ prɪˈfɜː | tə kəˈmjuːnəkeɪt wɪð ju əˈləʊn

aɪ ˈrəʊz tə ˈɡəʊ | bət ˈhəʊmz ˈkɔːp mi baɪ ðə ˈrɪst | əm ˈpʊʃ mi ˈbæk ɪntə maɪ ˈʧeə || ɪts ˈbəʊθ ɔː ˈnʌn ˈsed ˈhiː || ju meɪ ˈseɪ bɪˈfɔː ˈðɪs ˈʤentl̩mən | ˈeniθɪŋ wɪʧ ju meɪ ˈseɪ tə ˈmi

ðə ˈkaʊnt ˈʃrʌɡd ɪz ˈbrɔːd ˈʃəʊldəz || ˈðen aɪ məs bɪˈɡɪn ˈsed ˈhiː | baɪ ˈbaɪndɪŋ ju ˈbəʊθ | tu ˈæbsəluːt ˈsiːkrəsi | fə ˈtuː ˈjɪəz ||

aɪ ˈprɒmɪs ˈsed ˈhəʊmz

ənd ˈaɪ

“You had my note?” he asked with a deep harsh voice and a strongly marked German accent. “I told you that I would call.” He looked from one to the other of us, as if uncertain which to address.

“Pray take a seat,” said Holmes. “This is my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, who is occasionally good enough to help me in my cases. Whom have I the honour to address?”

“You may address me as the Count Von Kramm, a Bohemian nobleman. I understand that this gentleman, your friend, is a man of honour and discretion, whom I may trust with a matter of the most extreme importance. If not, I should much prefer to communicate with you alone.”

I rose to go, but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me back into my chair. “It is both, or none,” said he. “You may say before this gentleman anything which you may say to me.”

The Count shrugged his broad shoulders. “Then I must begin,” said he, “by binding you both to absolute secrecy for two years; at the end of that time the matter will be of no importance. At present it is not too much to say that it is of such weight it may have an influence upon European history.”

“I promise,” said Holmes.

“And I.”