Re-Read: The Adventure of Charles Ausustus Milverton

[luthienberen]

The beginning of this case is suitably dramatic, with Watson drawing upon the curiosity of the reader by alluding to the sensitivity of the tale. Both the date and other facts must be repressed even years after the events. It makes one wonder how much of the story has been left out. Perhaps this was the inspiration for Granada's film length version, where the story was padded out?

I like how regularly in canon Holmes and Watson go out on rambles :) Here they return at 6pm on a cold, frosty winter’s evening to find Mr Milverton's calling card


It is telling how Holmes utters disgust at the card and responds to Watson’s query that Milverton is "the worst man in London".

Holmes' disgust at blackmailers is well displayed and his description of Milverton certainly leaves a horrible impression.

Clearly, being careful around the servants was paramount.

Watson’s protest that the fellow must be in reach of the law is a testament to how shocked he is, and naive compared to Holmes.

Holmes: "...but he is as cunning as the Evil One."

That in my opinion says it all.

Ah! Holmes refuses to shake hands! Milverton has made an enemy. Holmes' attempt to physically retrieve the letters in their rooms is desperate, but his faithful Watson tries to help. What follows after M. leaves is Holmes' disguise as a workman. Watson yet again is wonderfully patient and understanding until he is rewarded by Holmes revealing his plans.

However, Holmes' opening however is rather odd: "You would not call me a marrying man, Watson?"

"No, indeed!" Watson's reply is telling. It supports canon in that while Holmes is generally kind and compassionate to women, he feels no particular romantic love for them.

Even so, Watson is genuinely pleased to hear Holmes is engaged - reminiscent of when Watson thought he might be interested in Miss Violet in the Copper Beeches.

Watson's honour and defence of women is a lovely trait & speaks well of his character, for he defends even a maid in the household of C.A.M:

"Surely you have gone too far?" and "But the girl, Holmes?"

I appreciate sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures, but Holmes' dismissal in face of Watson’s concerns feels callous towards the poor maid and even Watson’s understandable upset.

Watson’s reaction to Holmes' declaration that he is to burgle M's house that night is dramatic and very Watson :). The exchange between Holmes and Watson justifying their actions is interesting and shows that neither man would undertake such a task without a sound moral justification: only taking the letters and a lady in need.

The best part is Watson’s calm: "When do we start?"

Holmes protest is amusing as is Watson promising to go to the police if Holmes leaves him behind. They both care for each other tremendously and canon really does reinforce this most of the time.

"...We have shared this same room for some years, and it would be amusing if we ended by sharing the same cell…"

Ah Holmes, I'm glad that you're cheerful of the prospect of sharing with Watson! Also, another affirmation of Holmes' affection for his dear Watson.

Holmes boasts that he would make "a highly efficient criminal" and indeed, this hardens back to the Greek Interpreter where Inspector Gregson noted how fortunate they were Holmes hadn't chosen that profession.

Once in M's conservatory Holmes "seized my [Watson’s] hand in the darkness and led me swiftly past banks of shrubs…"

Just a nice moment.

Skipping to the next dramatic scene finds Watson and Holmes hiding behind a curtain watching Milverton & his mysterious lady visitor. I like how Holmes comforts Watson by reassuringly shaking Watson’s hand, but even moreso how Watson is able to interpret Holmes' gesture: "..that he was easy in his mind".

Truly, a sign of how many years they have known each other.

The Lady's bold cry: "You will ruin no more lives as you have ruined mine. You will wring no more hearts as you wrung mine. I will free the world of a poisonous thing. Take that, you Hound -and that! -and that!..."

Sends shivers through me.

Holmes preventing Watson from interfering and reminding him of their own duty by a a strong grasp on his wrist is understandable and given the situation...what else could be done without revealing themselves to the police?

I do appreciate how Holmes destroys all the papers not just those of his client.

To end on a humorous note, is Lestrade's visit the next morning. Holmes lives up to his acting talents by his innocent replies! I like how Holmes refuses Lestrade's case frankly, but not unkindly.

We do also receive a rare description of Watson in Lestrade's account & reaffirmed by Holmes:

"...a middle-sized, strongly built man - square jaw, thick neck, moustache…"

The ending with Holmes realising who the Lady was, who confronted M. is intriguing. Definitely a hint of nobility.

Comments

[rachelindeed]

Thank you for this lovely write-up of the story! I especially love Watson in this one, I think it's one of his best. The dynamic that most fascinates me is the back-and-forth conversation where Holmes, not wanting to risk getting Watson into serious trouble, pretends that Watson is useless and that he would be of no help were he to come along. He sounds callous and dismissive, and he intends to, but we understand that it's an act he's putting on for the sake of protecting Watson. And then we get to see Watson refuse to believe that he has nothing to offer and instead stand up for himself, calmly but firmly emphasizing his own self-respect, his reputation as a gentleman, and his right to decide what risks are worth running for a good cause.

“You are not coming.”

“Then you are not going,” said I. “I give you my word of honour—and I never broke it in my life—that I will take a cab straight to the police-station and give you away, unless you let me share this adventure with you.”

“You can’t help me.”

“How do you know that? You can’t tell what may happen. Anyway, my resolution is taken. Other people besides you have self-respect, and even reputations.”

I love that! There's a sense of equality in their relationship there that can sometimes get lost in other stories because Watson so often and so trustingly defers to Holmes. And that's not a bad thing -- it's an admirable aspect of his loyalty, and he also has a clear-eyed understanding of the fact that Holmes is a genius and he is not -- but it makes for a very satisfying change of pace when Watson believes in himself enough to turn aside Holmes's efforts to protect and/or sideline him. And I appreciate that he's choosing to do this not only to help protect Holmes, but also because he genuinely thinks it's right and needs to be done for the sake of their unfortunate client.

It reminds me of a similar argument that the two of them have in "The Dying Detective," when Holmes pretends that he is virulently contagious and that Watson will endanger his own life if he comes near him, and Watson immediately replies: that consideration wouldn't affect me even in the case of a stranger, let alone in the case of a dear friend. So then Holmes has to adopt a more extreme ploy and disparage Watson's abilities, pretending that he thinks poorly of Watson's skill as a doctor, because he knows he can't let him actually examine him or else he'd detect the ruse. When Holmes belittles Watson's competence, Watson's response is to say 1) this only proves that you are not yourself and you need urgent care, 2) if you don't want my services then I will be happy to go and get you the best doctor in London, I know who the most eminent expert on this is and he's in town right now so there's no point trying to stop me, and furthermore 3) you can be my master everywhere else, but I will be your master in the sickroom.

I feel like cheering him on in moments like that! And I think it's clear that in his heart, Holmes feels like cheering for him in those moments, too. His response to Watson's insistence in this story is amused, affectionate, and I think rather proud.

[luthienberen]

Thank you rachelindeed! I agree with you, this story has Watson at one of his best moments. His unfaltering support for Holmes and determination to get his way when it counts are admirable.

Love how you summarised their exchange and how it encapsulates their relationship.🙂 It does also show how strong a moral compass Watson possesses.

Gosh yes! The Dying Detective scene is hurtful in one respect for what Holmes is saying, but Watson's handling of the situation has me cheering him on and I do think Holmes is equally delighted if frustrated his Watson will expose himself to danger.

Truly, both here and Detec. Holmes reveals how, while he enjoys and relies on his dear Watson, he also holds both his abilities in high regard (as a doctor and soldier) and his life. Risking Watson in some situations is too much for Holmes which does reflect well on Holmes' character & regard for Watson.🧐

Good thing Watson is stubborn when he needs to be!😉

[mightymads]

It's one of my favourite canon stories, and I wholly agree with you that it has the top grade domesticity and Holmes-Watson interaction. So, here Watson actually states that he alters dates, names, and so on in his published works. Which is a sensible thing to do for the sake of privacy and protection of their clients. I also tend to agree with Lenfilm on the point that this case took place before Reichenbach rather than after. Holmes says that he dealt with 50 murderers throughout his career, and that would have been a bit too little in 1899 (when some Holmes scholars place this story). Another piece of circumstantial evidence is that Holmes, when he changes into working class clothes, looks like "a rakish young workman". Had it been 1899, Holmes would have been about 45 which is closer to middle-aged than young.

So, suppose it was 1890. £2,000 in 1890 is £263,625 in 2021. Hella lot of money. There has been much discussion about the unfairness of social standards for men and women in the 19th century, how women were forbidden to have had any sort of life before getting married, even if it was some innocuous correspondence. There's a similar example in The Second Stain, for instance. Plus the social inequality, with a great gap between the rich and the working class. Servants had basically no rights and didn't join unions, so they could be easily mistreated while they often kept their masters' secrets. No wonder some would like to make money out of their knowledge.

Also, as I was re-reading this time, it occurred to me that perhaps it was "the impecunious young squire" who sold the letters to Milverton rather than a servant? What if he didn't return Eva's letters upon the announcement of her engagement? Perhaps he wanted money, perhaps revenge for being dumped for someone more rich and powerful, or maybe both? Who knows?

In this story Holmes is not much of a thinker, to be honest. He is more of a man of action. It was not his mental powers that saved the day, but his burgling skills. Almost a Raffles AU. Considering that CHAS was written in 1904, Raffles already existed, so ACD could have been easily inspired by this criminal Holmes AU his brother-in-law wrote. It was strange of Holmes to think that Milverton would bring the compromising letters to Baker Street. Then again, it was weird that Milverton had such a poor security system in his house. Only a high wall and a dog? Really? It's also worth mentioning that Milverton had a real-life prototype: Charles Augustus Howell, who was an art dealer, had a reputation of a blackmailer, and died under suspicious circumstances, his murderer(s) never being found.

But of course my favourite part is “you’re not coming”—“then you’re not going”, hand-holding in the dark and Watson being an absolute adrenaline junkie. This story is the epitome of ACD’s—and hence Watson’s—chivalrous views: doing something unlawful for the sake of the greater good, especially when damsels in distress are concerned, that epic simile of Milverton being a dragon holding in captivity fair ladies, glorious! And Watson’s humanity: he was about to jump out and protect Milverton, even though he despised the man.

The final comic relief part with Lestrade was superb too, I agree with you. The Lenfilm version is especially funny, with Watson throwing the tennis shoe into the fire and all.

There is, however, an alternative view on this story in the fandom. It seems to be coming from the BBC series. What if it was actually Holmes who did away with Milverton? At first I didn’t like to consider it, but now I think it would make a nice fic. As described in the canon, Holmes’s involvement in the case does very little: yes, he destroys the letters, but Milverton would have died anyway, even if Holmes hadn’t burgled the house. But if Holmes himself was the culprit, it totally changes the game. Holmes already made a morally questionable move in this story by fooling the poor maid Agatha. In COPP he didn’t regret in the least having caused the evil stepfather’s death, albeit indirectly. I also like how how Granada handled the case, showing that gay men were also targets of blackmail. Why did Holmes hate blackmailers so much? Perhaps someone he knew was a victim or maybe Holmes himself. What if there was no debutante Lady Eva at all? Say, Holmes and Watson were a couple, and Milverton showed up in their house to blackmail them because of some indiscretion they’d made. The scandal would have been colossal. It would have ruined both Holmes and Watson: a renowned detective and a successful doctor. They had no choice but to burgle his house for that piece of evidence, but Milverton caught them red-handed, and Holmes shot him. The more I think of it, the more possible it seems to me.

[luthienberen]

Great post mightymads! It is fascinating learning how Watson alters so many facts, but it does make sense as you say. Thanks for dating the story! I hadn't put the details in that context x Hmmm, I wonder then if M. was worse than Moriarty then for Holmes -perhaps eh?

I concur with you regarding the social inequalities for women then, it really does put The Second Stain in context in why the Lady was so willing to do what she did :( Servants had to hope they had good masters which is so risky. Class ruled over much but it is interesting how life was changing slowly then onwards.

Yowser, that's a LOT of money!

I wonder who the Squire was?

Ooo I didn't know there was a real life prototype...M. certainly could have done better, because surely even his arrogance would have realised people, driven desperate, will try anything? And did!

Oh agree with you on Watson :-) The epitome of a real gentleman.

Oh the Lenfilm scene had me laughing and amused!

Interesting re the fandom's scenarios on this plot!