# The Naval Treaty explained — The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

> Chapter companion for The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.

## What happens

Dr. Watson receives a letter from his old schoolfellow Percy Phelps, who has suffered a nervous breakdown after a mysterious misfortune at the Foreign Office. Watson brings Sherlock Holmes to Woking, where Phelps reveals that he was entrusted with copying a secret treaty between England and Italy, but the document disappeared from his office under strange circumstances.

## Themes in this chapter

### Secrecy and Deception

The disappearance of the secret naval treaty underscores the theme of secrecy and the potential for betrayal in high-stakes diplomatic affairs.

### Friendship and Loyalty

Watson's willingness to help his old schoolfellow and the devotion of Miss Harrison to Phelps highlight loyalty and friendship.

### Reason and Deduction

Holmes's analytical methods are showcased as he begins to deduce details from the letter and the circumstances of the case.

## Character check-ins

### Sherlock Holmes

Holmes is engaged in a chemical experiment when Watson arrives, and quickly deduces details about the case from Phelps's dictated letter.

### Dr. Watson

Watson receives a letter from his old schoolfellow Percy Phelps and brings Holmes to investigate the case.

### Percy Phelps

A brilliant former schoolmate of Watson, now a Foreign Office clerk who has suffered a breakdown after losing a secret treaty.

### Joseph Harrison

The brother of Phelps's fiancée, who greets Holmes and Watson at Briarbrae and explains his connection to the family.

### Miss Harrison

Phelps's devoted fiancée, who has nursed him during his illness and remains by his side during the interview.

### Lord Holdhurst

Phelps's influential uncle, the Foreign Minister, who entrusted him with the secret treaty.

## Key lines

> You come at a crisis, Watson. If this paper remains blue, all is well. If it turns red, it means a man’s life.

Holmes tells Watson that the result of his chemical test will determine whether a man lives or dies.

_Holmes's dramatic chemical experiment illustrates his intense focus and the high stakes of his work._

> It does not tell us very much, does it? Hardly anything. And yet the writing is of interest. Precisely. It is a woman’s.

Holmes observes that the letter reveals little, but notes that the handwriting belongs to a woman of strong character.

_Holmes's keen observation of the dictated letter shows his deductive skill from the very start._

> I won’t waste your time. I’ll plunge into the matter without further preamble. I was a happy and successful man, Mr. Holmes, and on the eve of being married, when a sudden and dreadful misfortune wrecked all my prospects in life.

Phelps directly begins his story, explaining that he was prosperous and about to marry when a disaster ruined everything.

_Phelps's urgency and distress set the tone for the mystery surrounding the lost treaty._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_memoirs_of_sherlock_holmes_se/chapters/the-naval-treaty
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_memoirs_of_sherlock_holmes_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_memoirs_of_sherlock_holmes_se/chapters