Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia, a Short Story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: summary

This short story depicts intrigue of upper class in 1890, King of Bohemia as Holmes’s client and a famous actress as a manipulative girl.

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia, a Short Story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: summary

Holmes was the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position. He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer. And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory. 

He was still deeply attracted by the study of crime, and occupied his immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in following out those clues, and clearing up those mysteries which had been abandoned as hopeless by the official police. He still lived in Baker Street. He was at work again.

The undated note just arrived, without signature and address. A gentleman desired to consult his case in Holmes’s chamber. He had stated the time, would be wearing a mask. The man who wrote it was presumably well-to-do. Watson recognized the paper was made in Bohemia (Today a region of the Czech Republic. But in 1880, Bohemia was in a German-speaking country and the region was occupied by German Confederation).

A man entered who could hardly have been less than six feet inches in height, with the chest and limbs of a Hercules. His dress was rich with a richness which would, in England, be looked upon as akin to bad taste. Boots which extended halfway up his calves, and which were trimmed the tops with rich brown fur, completed the impression of barbaric opulence which was suggested by his whole appearance. From the lower part of the face he appeared to be a man of strong character, with a thick, hanging lip, and a long, straight chin suggestive of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy.

Later Holmes acknowledged him as Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond von Ormstein, Grand Duke of Cassel-Felstein, hereditary King of Bohemia. And then then man in the mask introduced himself as King of Bohemia. He was undercover name as the Count Von Kramnn, a Bohemian nobleman.

He consulted about a famous actress, Irene Adler. She was a prima donna Imperial Opera of Warsaw. She just retired from operatic stage and lived in London. The king made the acquaintance of the well-known actress, Irene Adler five year ago. She was accused in stealing his seal. At that time he was only Crown Prince then. She had imitated their photographs, the King has worried those photograph would ruin his marriage. He was about to be married the second daughter of the King of Scandinavia. She was herself the very soul of delicacy. A shadow of a doubt as to his conduct would bring the matter to the end. The King was afraid Irene Adler would send the photograph as a threat.

Irene Adler had the face of the most beautiful women, and the mind of the most resolute of men. She lived quietly, sang at concerts, drove at five every day, and returned at seven sharp for dinner. Seldom went out at other times, except when she sang. Her only visitor was Mr. Godfrey Norton, of the Inner Temple. He was dark, handsome, and dashing. He was an English lawyer. Later the very next day, Holmes and Watson followed Irene Adler to a church. Watson had followed her to that church, and a surpliced clergyman, who seemed to be expostulating with them.

Watson was half-dragged up to the altar. It was all done in an instant, and there was gentleman thanking him on the side and the lady on the other, while the clergyman beamed on him in front. His lucky appearance saved the bridegroom from having to sally out into the streets in search of a best man. At the church door, however, they separated, he driving back to the Temple, and she to her own house. Adler has married to Godfrey Norton. The marriage rather simplified matters. The photograph became a double-edged weapon now. The chances were that she would be as averse to its being seen by Mr. Godfrey Norton, as Holmes’s client was to its coming to the eyes of his princess.

Holmes and Watson found themselves in Serpentine Avenue, Adler’s house. They believed she kept the photograph in her house. It was already dusk, and the lamps were just being lighted as they paced. The neighborhood appeared to be less private than he expected. On the contrary, for a small street in a quite neighborhood, it was remarkably animated. There was a group of shabbily dressed men smoking and laughing in a corner.

A blow was struck, and in an instant the lady, who had stepped from her carriage, was the centre of a little knot of flushed and struggling men, who struck savagely each other with their fist and sticks. Holmes dashed into the crowd to protect the lady, but he reached her he gave a cry and dropped to the ground, with the blood running freely down his face. They brought him to her house. Holmes had sat up upon the couch. He gave a signal then Watson tossed his rocket into the room with cried ‘fire’. But Holmes still did not have the photograph.

In the morning, the king of Bohemia rushed into Baker Street asked about the photograph. Holmes and Watson told him that Irene was married to an English lawyer. Then they headed to Irene’s house. An elderly woman, a maid with sardonic eye, welcomed them. Her mistress and her husband had left that morning. Holmes pushed the servant and rushed into the drawing-room, followed the King and Watson. The furniture was scattered about in every direction, with dismantled shelves and open drawers, as if the lady had hurried ransacked before her flight. The servant handed Holmes a letter and a photograph.

The photograph was Irene Adler herself in evening dress, the letter was super-scribed to Sherlock Holmes. In her letter she said she knew that the King had hired an agent. She also became suspicious on Watson as the clergyman. She had sent her man, named John, to watch Holmes. She loved her husband, and would do no harm to the King. She would not send the photograph to the princess. She kept it only to safeguard herself, and to preserve a weapon which he might take in the future. She left a photograph which King might care to possess.

*****

December 11, 2017

Sekapur Sirih

Dalam cerpen A Scandal in Bohemia ini, tokoh Holmes dan Watson diawali dengan kedatangan pesan misterius dan pada akhirnya klien di balik topeng. Baik tokoh baik dan jahat adalah orang terpandang yakni seorang raja dan gadis artis tersohor. Antagonis dalam Petualangan Sherlock Holmes kali ini tidaklah ekstrim, dan walau sempat bernada mengancam klien Holmes, tapi pada akhirnya tidak terbukti jahat, padahal Watson dan  Holmes sempat berakting dalam drama penyamaran agar bisa masuk ke dalam kehidupan dan rumah wanita itu. Artis cantik-cerdas mencium penyelidikan agen Holmes, ceritanya tetap menarik, apalagi mungkin di tahun 1880-an plot semacam ini tergolong luar biasa. 

Resume Terjemahan dalam Bahasa Indonesia: A Scandal in Bohemia, Cerpen dari Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Dr. Watson terlarut dalam kebahagiaan pernikahan dan praktek sehingga membuatnya jarang mampir dan berkunjung ke Jalan Baker menemui koleganya Holmes. Agen itu masih tinggal di sana, bekerja menangani kasus kejahatan yang tidak terpecahkan oleh polisi dan bahkan terabaikan. Namun hari itu, Watson menghampiri sahabat dan rekannya Sherlock Holmes. Sang agen masih rajin bekerja di tengah kebiasaan buruknya menikmati candu. Holmes tidak pernah membahas masalah wanita pada Watson, ia bersikap dingin dalam masalah itu. Seorang wanita cantik, artis ternama pernah membuatnya tergila-gila, Irene Adler. Wanita tersohor yang dikenal setiap orang menjadi bagian dari kasus yang ditanganinya.

Sepucuk pesan tiba di kantor Holmes, tanpa tanggal dan tanda tangan. Pesan yang misterius bagi Holmes dan Watson. Tulisannya sepertinya dari tangan seorang yang tidak biasa; kaya dan terpelajar. Watson menduga kertasnya buatan Bohemia. Dalam pesannya, seorang klien akan tiba pada jam yang ditentukan dan ia akan mengenakan topeng, agar Holmes dapat memakluminya.

Waktu yang ditentukan pun tiba, benarlah lelaki berperawakan tinggi dengan sepatu botnya tiba di Jalan Baker, kantor Holmes. Pakaiannya berbahan mahal, tapi selera pakaiannya masih di bawah selera orang London. Dari bibir yang menggantung di ujung topeng, menunjukkan lelaki itu berkarakter kuat dan tegas. Ia pun mengutarakan kasusnya. Holmes menebak-nebak siapa di balik topeng itu, lelaki itu akhirnya mengaku jika ia adalah Raja dari Bohemia. (Bohemia adalah sebuah wilayah Republik Czech masa ini, namun pada 1800 wilayah itu dikuasai Federasi Jerman, sehingga kala itu penduduknya berbahasa Jerman.) Dalam waktu singkat Holmes mengetahui namanya, sebelumnya ia sudah menduga penulis pesan pastilah orang penting.

Sekitar lima tahun lalu, saat ia masih muda dan berstatus Putra Mahkota, raja dekat dengan artis ternama Irene Adler, wanita tersohor berparas cantik luar biasa. Setiap orang mengetahui nama itu termasuk Holmes. Raja mencium sifat artis itu kurang baik, dan mengkuatirkannya wanita itu telah menyimpan foto mereka. Bahkan ia yakin Irene telah memalsukan foto mereka berdua. Dalam waktu dekat Raja akan menikahi putri kedua Raja Skandinavia. Calon istrinya itu dikenal sangat hati-hati, raja pun kuatir kalau Irene akan mengirimkan foto ancaman yang akan menghancurkan pernikahan raja.

Watson dan Holmes memulai penyidikan, mengikuti kegiatan sang artis saban hari. Artis kelahiran Amerika itu dulu sering berpentas di Warsaw dan telah memutuskan pensiun dan kini tinggal di London. Ia memiliki jadual yang hampir sama setiap hari, pagi hari sudah berangkat dari kediamannya dan menyanyi, sore hari pulang tepat sebelum makan malam. Hanya ada seoarng pria yang rutin mengunjunginya, bernama Godfrey Norton. Belakangan diketahui, pria tampan itu adalah pengacara kebangsaan Inggris. Mengikuti lebih lanjut, secara terpisah dan Godfrey dan Irene menuju sebuah gereja, rupanya keduanya didapati melangsungkan pernikahan. Watson menyusup dalam rombongan pendeta, berdiri menghadap altar. Ia separuh ditarik paksa ke altar dijadikan sebagai saksi pernikahan Irene dan Norton.

Pernikahan keduanya semakin membuat foto kian rumit. Bila ditemukan suami Irene akan semakin parah. Kedua agen itu berusaha mendapatkan foto itu. Mereka meyakini pastilah benda itu berada di rumah Irene. Lingkungan rumah Irene tidaklah seelite yang ia pikir, di depan rumah ada jalan kecil begitu ramai dipenuhi begundal. Beberapa orang berdiri dan berbincang sambil merokok malam itu, cukup ramai.

Mendadak sebuah mobil mengerem mendadak, dan sepasang lelaki berantam, berduel di tengah jalan dan hingga menghadang mobil ke arah wanita kaya yang turun dari dalam mobil. Holmes pun tiba-tiba berlari ke kerumunan, berniat menyelamatkan wanita itu. Ia belumur darah, Holmes pun dibawa dan dirawat di rumah wanita itu. Homes tengah duduk di sofa dalam rumah Irene, dekat jendela dan memberi isyarat pada Watson tengah berdiri di jalan raya. Watson pun melemparkan api dan berteriak ‘kebakaran’. Tapi sia-sia, Holmes tetap saja tidak berhasil menemukan foto.

Esok paginya, sang raja mendatangi Jalan Baker. Watson pun menceritakan pernikahan tersebut kepada kliennya, namun sang raja sulit percaya, karena Irene yang dikenalnya akan nekad mengancam pernikahannya. Ia meyakinkan raja bahwa Irene sudah menikahi seorang pengacara, berarti tidak mencintai sang raja lagi. Mereka bertiga bergegas menuju rumah Irene. 

Wanita licik itu dan suaminya telah pergi. Pembantu Irene, seorang wanita tua membukakan pintu dan memberi sepucuk surat dan foto. Dalam suratnya, Irene menyebutkan bahwa ia sadar telah dikuntiti oleh agen Holmes. Ia kecewa dan marah atas sikap raja yang mencurigainya, apalagi penyamaran Watson di gereja. Ia pun menyuruh anak buahnya bernama John memata-matai gerak-gerik Holmes dan Watson. 

Kali ini ia berujar tidak berminat menghancurkan raja, ia sudah bahagia, telah menemukan lelaki yang dicintai dan mencintainya, lebih dari raja. Foto itu ada padanya dan akan tetap menyimpannya, dijadikan senjata di kemudian hari bila diperlukan. Sehelai foto diri Irene dalam balutan gaun malam ditinggalkan untuk raja yang sudah menuduhnya, memberinya untaian kata mengejek. Bagi Holmes Irene Adler adalah wanita satu-satunya yang memikat.

*****

11 Desember 2017