“Myresearches！“
“Hencethehealth-givingexpeditiontoLausanne。YouknowthatI
cannotpossiblyleaveLondonwhileoldAbrahamsisinsuchmortal
terrorofhislife。Besides，ongeneralprinciplesitisbestthatI
shouldnotleavethecountry。ScotlandYardfeelslonelywithoutme，
anditcausesanunhealthyexcitementamongthecriminalclasses。
Go，then，mydearWatson，andifmyhumblecounselcaneverbe
valuedatsoextravagantarateastwopenceaword，itwaitsyour
disposalnightanddayattheendoftheContinentalwire。”
TwodayslaterfoundmeattheHotelNationalatLausanne，whereI
receivedeverycourtesyatthehandsofM。Moser，thewell-known
manager。LadyFrances，asheinformedme，hadstayedthereforseveral
weeks。Shehadbeenmuchlikedbyallwhomether。Heragewasnot
morethanforty。Shewasstillhandsomeandboreeverysignof
havinginheryouthbeenaverylovelywoman。M。Moserknewnothingof
anyvaluablejewellery，butithadbeenremarkedbytheservants
thattheheavytrunkinthelady”sbedroomwasalwaysscrupulously
locked。MarieDevine，themaid，wasaspopularashermistress。She
wasactuallyengagedtooneoftheheadwaitersinthehotel，and
therewasnodifficultyingettingheraddress。Itwas11Ruede
Trajan，Montpellier。AllthisIjotteddownandfeltthatHolmes
himselfcouldnothavebeenmoreadroitincollectinghisfacts。
Onlyonecornerstillremainedintheshadow。NolightwhichI
possessedcouldclearupthecauseforthelady”ssuddendeparture。
ShewasveryhappyatLausanne。Therewaseveryreasontobelievethat
sheintendedtoremainfortheseasoninherluxuriousrooms
overlookingthelake。Andyetshehadleftatasingleday”snotice，
whichinvolvedherintheuselesspaymentofaweek”srent。OnlyJules
Vibart，theloverofthemaid，hadanysuggestiontooffer。He
connectedthesuddendeparturewiththevisittothehoteladayor
twobeforeofatall，dark，beardedman。”Unsavage-unveritable
savage！”criedJulesVibart。Themanhadroomssomewhereinthe
town。HehadbeenseentalkingearnestlytoMadameonthepromenadeby
thelake。Thenhehadcalled。Shehadrefusedtoseehim。Hewas
English，butofhisnametherewasnorecord。Madamehadleftthe
placeimmediatelyafterwards。JulesVibart，and，whatwasofmore
importance，JulesVibart”ssweetheart，thoughtthatthiscallandthis
departurewerecauseandeffect。OnlyonethingJuleswouldnot
discuss。ThatwasthereasonwhyMariehadlefthermistress。Of
thathecouldorwouldsaynothing。IfIwishedtoknow，Imustgo
toMontpellierandaskher。
Soendedthefirstchapterofmyinquiry。Thesecondwasdevoted
totheplacewhichLadyFrancesCarfaxhadsoughtwhensheleft
Lausanne。Concerningthistherehadbeensomesecrecy，whichconfirmed
theideathatshehadgonewiththeintentionofthrowingsomeone
offhertrack。Otherwisewhyshouldnotherluggagehavebeenopenly
labelledforBaden？BothsheanditreachedtheRhenishspabysome
circuitousroute。ThismuchIgatheredfromthemanagerofCook”s
localoffice。SotoBadenIwent，afterdispatchingtoHolmesan
accountofallmyproceedingsandreceivinginreplyatelegramof
half-humorouscommendation。
AtBadenthetrackwasnotdifficulttofollow。LadyFranceshad
stayedattheEnglischerHofforafortnight。Whilethereshehadmade
theacquaintanceofaDr。Shlessingerandhiswife，amissionary
fromSouthAmerica。Likemostlonelyladies，LadyFrancesfoundher
comfortandoccupationinreligion。Dr。Shlessinger”sremarkable
personality，hiswhole-hearteddevotion，andthefactthathewas
recoveringfromadiseasecontractedintheexerciseofhis
apostolicdutiesaffectedherdeeply。ShehadhelpedMrs。
Shlessingerinthenursingoftheconvalescentsaint。Hespenthis
day，asthemanagerdescribedittome，uponalounge-chaironthe
veranda，withanattendantladyuponeithersideofhim。Hewas
preparingamapoftheHolyLand，withspecialreferencetothe
kingdomoftheMidianites，uponwhichhewaswritingamonograph。
Finally，havingimprovedmuchinhealth，heandhiswifehad
returnedtoLondon，andLadyFranceshadstartedthitherintheir
company。Thiswasjustthreeweeksbefore，andthemanagerhadheard
nothingsince。Astothemaid，Marie，shehadgoneoffsomedays
beforehandinfloodsoftears，afterinformingtheothermaidsthat
shewasleavingserviceforever。Dr。Shlessingerhadpaidthebill
ofthewholepartybeforehisdeparture。
“Bytheway，“saidthelandlordinconclusion，“youarenottheonly
friendofLadyFrancesCarfaxwhoisinquiringafterherjustnow。
Onlyaweekorsoagowehadamanwhereuponthesameerrand。”
“Didhegiveaname？“Iasked。
“None；buthewasanEnglishman，thoughofanunusualtype。”
“Asavage？“saidI，linkingmyfactsafterthefashionofmy
illustriousfriend。
“Exactly。Thatdescribeshimverywell。Heisabulky，bearded，
sunburnedfellow，wholooksasifhewouldbemoreathomeina
farmersinnthaninafashionablehotel。Ahard，fierceman，I
shouldthink，andonewhomIshouldbesorrytooffend。”
Alreadythemysterybegantodefineitself，asfiguresgrow
clearerwiththeliftingofafog。Herewasthisgoodandpiouslady
pursuedfromplacetoplacebyasinisterandunrelentingfigure。
Shefearedhim，orshewouldnothavefledfromLausanne。Hehadstill
followed。Soonerorlaterhewouldovertakeher。Hadhealready
overtakenher？Wasthatthesecretofhercontinuedsilence？Couldthe
goodpeoplewhowerehercompanionsnotscreenherfromhisviolence
orhisblackmail？Whathorriblepurpose，whatdeepdesign，lay
behindthislongpursuit？TherewastheproblemwhichIhadtosolve。
ToHolmesIwroteshowinghowrapidlyandsurelyIhadgotdownto
therootsofthematter。InreplyIhadatelegramaskingfora
descriptionofDr。Shlessinger”sleftear。Holmes”sideasofhumour
arestrangeandoccasionally，offensive，soItooknonoticeofhis
ill-timedjest-indeed，IhadalreadyreachedMontpellierinmy
pursuitofthemaid，Marie，beforehismessagecame。
Ihadnodifficultyinfindingtheex-servantandinlearningall
thatshecouldtellme。Shewasadevotedcreature，whohadonly
lefthermistressbecauseshewassurethatshewasingoodhands，and
becauseherownapproachingmarriagemadeaseparationinevitablein
anycase。Hermistresshad，assheconfessedwithdistress，shownsome
irritabilityoftempertowardsherduringtheirstayinBaden，andhad
evenquestionedheronceasifshehadsuspicionsofherhonesty，
andthishadmadethepartingeasierthanitwouldotherwisehave
been。LadyFranceshadgivenherfiftypoundsasawedding-present。
Likeme，Marieviewedwithdeepdistrustthestrangerwhohaddriven
hermistressfromLausanne。Withherowneyesshehadseenhimseize
thelady”swristwithgreatviolenceonthepublicpromenadebythe
lake，Hewasafierceandterribleman。Shebelievedthatitwasout
ofdreadofhimthatLadyFranceshadacceptedtheescortofthe
ShlessingerstoLondon。ShehadneverspokentoMarieaboutit，but
manylittlesignshadconvincedthemaidthathermistresslivedin
astateofcontinualnervousapprehension。Sofarshehadgotinher
narrative，whensuddenlyshesprangfromherchairandherfacewas
convulsedwithsurpriseandfear。“See！“shecried。“Themiscreant
followsstill！ThereistheverymanofwhomIspeak。”
Throughtheopensitting-roomwindowIsawahuge，swarthyman
withabristlingblackbeardwalkingslowlydownthecentreofthe
streetandstaringeagerlyatthenumbersofthehouses。Itwas
clearthat，likemyself，hewasonthetrackofthemaid。Acting
upontheimpulseofthemoment，Irushedoutandaccostedhim。
“YouareanEnglishman，“Isaid。
“WhatifIam？“heaskedwithamostvillainousscowl。
“MayIaskwhatyournameis？“
“No，youmaynot，“saidhewithdecision。
Thesituationwasawkward，butthemostdirectwayisoftenthe
best。
“WhereistheLadyFrancesCarfax？“Iasked。
Hestaredatmeinamazement。
“Whathaveyoudonewithher？Whyhaveyoupursuedher？Iinsist
uponananswer！“saidI。
Thefellowgaveabellowofangerandspranguponmelikeatiger。I
haveheldmyowninmanyastruggle，butthemanhadagripofiron
andthefuryofafiend。Hishandwasonmythroatandmysenses
werenearlygonebeforeanunshavenFrenchouvrierinablueblouse
dartedoutfromacabaretopposite，withacudgelinhishand，and
struckmyassailantasharpcrackovertheforearm，whichmadehim
leavegohishold。Hestoodforaninstantfumingwithrageand
uncertainwhetherheshouldnotrenewhisattack。Then，withasnarl
ofanger，heleftmeandenteredthecottagefromwhichIhadjust
come。Iturnedtothankmypreserver，whostoodbesidemeinthe
roadway。
“Well，Watson，“saidhe，“averyprettyhashyouhavemadeofit！
IratherthinkyouhadbettercomebackwithmetoLondonbythenight
express。”
Anhourafterwards，SherlockHolmes，inhisusualgarbandstyle，
wasseatedinmyprivateroomatthehotel。Hisexplanationofhis
suddenandopportuneappearancewassimplicityitself，for，finding
thathecouldgetawayfromLondon，hedeterminedtoheadmeoffat
thenextobviouspointofmytravels。Inthedisguiseofa
workingmanhehadsatinthecabaretwaitingformyappearance。
“Andasingularlyconsistentinvestigationyouhavemade，mydear
Watson，“saidhe。“Icannotatthemomentrecallanypossible
blunderwhichyouhaveomitted。Thetotaleffectofyourproceeding
hasbeentogivethealarmeverywhereandyettodiscovernothing。”
“Perhapsyouwouldhavedonenobetter，“Iansweredbitterly。
“Thereisno”perhaps”aboutit。Ihavedonebetter。Hereisthe
Hon。PhilipGreen，whoisafellow-lodgerwithyouinthishotel，
andwemayfindhimthestarting-pointforamoresuccessful
investigation。”
Acardhadcomeuponasalver，anditwasfollowedbythesame
beardedruffianwhohadattackedmeinthestreet。Hestartedwhen
hesawme。
“Whatisthis，Mr。Holmes？“heasked。“IhadyournoteandIhave
come。Butwhathasthismantodowiththematter？“
Thisismyoldfriendandassociate，Dr。Watson，whoishelpingus
inthisaffair。”
Thestrangerheldoutahuge，sunburnedhand，withafewwordsof
apology。
“IhopeIdidn”tharmyou。WhenyouaccusedmeofhurtingherIlost
mygripofmyself。Indeed，I”mnotresponsibleinthesedays。My
nervesarelikelivewires。Butthissituationisbeyondme。WhatI
wanttoknow，inthefirstplace，Mr。Holmes，is，howintheworldyou
cametohearofmyexistenceatall。”
“IamintouchwithMissDobney，LadyFrances”sgoverness。”
“OldSusanDobneywiththemobcap！Irememberherwell。”
“Andsheremembersyou。Itwasinthedaysbefore-beforeyou
founditbettertogotoSouthAfrica。”
“Ah，Iseeyouknowmywholestory。Ineedhidenothingfromyou。
Isweartoyou，Mr。Holmes，thatthereneverwasinthisworldaman
wholovedawomanwithamorewholeheartedlovethanIhadfor
Frances。Iwasawildyoungster，Iknow-notworsethanothersofmy
class。Buthermindwaspureassnow。Shecouldnotbearashadowof
coarseness。So，whenshecametohearofthingsthatIhaddone，she
wouldhavenomoretosaytome。Andyetshelovedme-thatisthe
wonderofit！-lovedmewellenoughtoremainsingleallhersainted
daysjustformysakealone。WhentheyearshadpassedandIhad
mademymoneyatBarbertonIthoughtperhapsIcouldseekherout
andsoftenher。Ihadheardthatshewasstillunmarried。Ifound
heratLausanneandtriedallIknew。Sheweakened，Ithink，buther
willwasstrong，andwhennextIcalledshehadleftthetown。I
tracedhertoBaden，andthenafteratimeheardthathermaidwas
here。I”maroughfellow，freshfromaroughlife，andwhenDr。Watson
spoketomeashedidIlostholdofmyselfforamoment。Butfor
God”ssaketellmewhathasbecomeoftheLadyFrances。”
“Thatisforustofindout，“saidSherlockHolmeswithpeculiar
gravity。“WhatisyourLondonaddress，Mr。Green？“
“TheLanghamHotelwillfindme。”
“ThenmayIrecommendthatyoureturnthereandbeonhandincaseI
shouldwantyou？Ihavenodesiretoencouragefalsehopes，butyou
mayrestassuredthatallthatcanbedonewillbedoneforthesafety
ofLadyFrances。Icansaynomorefortheinstant。Iwillleaveyou
thiscardsothatyoumaybeabletokeepintouchwithus。Now，
Watson，ifyouwillpackyourbagIwillcabletoMrs。Hudsonto
makeoneofherbesteffortsfortwohungrytravellersat7：30
to-morrow。”
AtelegramwasawaitinguswhenwereachedourBakerStreetrooms，
whichHolmesreadwithanexclamationofinterestandthrewacross
tome。“Jaggedortorn，“wasthemessage，andtheplaceoforigin，
Baden。
“Whatisthis？“Iasked。
“Itiseverything，“Holmesanswered。“Youmayremembermy
seeminglyirrelevantquestionastothisclericalgentleman”sleft
ear。Youdidnotanswerit。”
“IhadleftBadenandcouldnotinquire。”
“Exactly。ForthisreasonIsentaduplicatetothemanagerofthe
EnglischerHof，whoseanswerlieshere。”
“Whatdoesitshow？“
“Itshows，mydearWatson，thatwearedealingwithanexceptionally
astuteanddangerousman。TheRev。Dr。Shlessinger，missionaryfrom
SouthAmerica，isnoneotherthanHolyPeters，oneofthemost
unscrupulousrascalsthatAustraliahaseverevolved-andfora
youngcountryithasturnedoutsomeveryfinishedtypes。His
particularspecialtyisthebeguilingoflonelyladiesbyplayingupon
theirreligiousfeelings，andhisso-calledwife，anEnglishwoman
namedFraser，isaworthyhelpmate。Thenatureofhistactics
suggestedhisidentitytome，andthisphysicalpeculiarity-hewas
badlybitteninasaloon-fightatAdelaidein”89-confirmedmy
suspicion。Thispoorladyisinthehandsofamostinfernalcouple，
whowillstickatnothing，Watson。Thatsheisalreadydeadisa
verylikelysupposition。Ifnot，sheisundoubtedlyinsomesortof
confinementandunabletowritetoMissDobneyorherotherfriends。
ItisalwayspossiblethatsheneverreachedLondon，orthatshehas
passedthroughit，buttheformerisimprobable，as，withtheirsystem
ofregistration，itisnoteasyforforeignerstoplaytrickswiththe
Continentalpolice；andthelatterisalsounlikely，astheserogues
couldnothopetofindanyotherplacewhereitwouldbeaseasyto
keepapersonunderrestraint。Allmyinstinctstellmethatsheisin
London，butaswehaveatpresentnopossiblemeansoftelling
where，wecanonlytaketheobvioussteps，eatourdinner，andpossess
oursoulsinpatience。LaterintheeveningIwillstrolldownand
haveawordwithfriendLestradeatScotlandYard。”
ButneithertheofficialpolicenorHolmes”sownsmallbutvery
efficientorganizationsufficedtoclearawaythemystery。Amidthe
crowdedmillionsofLondonthethreepersonswesoughtwereas
completelyobliteratedasiftheyhadneverlived。Advertisementswere
tried，andfailed。Clueswerefollowed，andledtonothing。Every
criminalresortwhichShlessingermightfrequentwasdrawninvain。
Hisoldassociateswerewatched，buttheykeptclearofhim。And
thensuddenly，afteraweekofhelplessnesssuspensetherecamea
flashoflight。Asilver-and-brilliantpendantofoldSpanishdesign
hadbeenpawnedatBovington”s，inWestminsterRoad。Thepawnerwas
alarge，clean-shavenmanofclericalappearance。Hisnameandaddress
weredemonstrablyfalse。Theearhadescapednotice，butthe
descriptionwassurelythatofShlessinger。
ThreetimeshadourbeardedfriendfromtheLanghamcalledfornews-
thethirdtimewithinanhourofthisfreshdevelopment。Hisclothes
weregettinglooseronhisgreatbody。Heseemedtobewiltingawayin
hisanxiety。“Ifyouwillonlygivemesomethingtodo！“washis
constantwail。AtlastHolmescouldobligehim。
“Hehasbegun，topawnthejewels。Weshouldgethimnow。”
“ButdoesthismeanthatanyharmhasbefallentheLadyFrances？“
Holmesshookhisheadverygravely。
“Supposingthattheyhaveheldherprisoneruptonow，itisclear
thattheycannotletherloosewithouttheirowndestruction。We
mustpreparefortheworst。”
“WhatcanIdo？“
“Thesepeopledonotknowyoubysight？“
“No。”
“Itispossiblethathewillgotosomeotherpawnbrokerinthe
future。Inthatcase，wemustbeginagain。Ontheotherhand，hehas
hadafairpriceandnoquestionsasked，soifheisinneedof
ready-moneyhewillprobablycomebacktoBovington”s。Iwillgiveyou
anotetothem，andtheywillletyouwaitintheshop。Ifthe
fellowcomesyouwillfollowhimhome。Butnoindiscretion，and，above
all，noviolence。Iputyouonyourhonourthatyouwilltakeno
stepwithoutmyknowledgeandconsent。”
FortwodaystheHon。PhilipGreenhewas，Imaymention，theson
ofthefamousadmiralofthatnamewhocommandedtheSeaofAzoffleet
intheCrimeanWarbroughtusnonews。Ontheeveningofthethirdhe
rushedintooursitting-room，pale，trembling，witheverymuscleof
hispowerfulframequiveringwithexcitement。
“Wehavehim！Wehavehim！“hecried。
Hewasincoherentinhisagitation。Holmessoothedhimwithafew
wordsandthrusthimintoanarmchair。
“Come，now，giveustheorderofevents，“saidhe。
“Shecameonlyanhourago。Itwasthewife，thistime，butthe
pendantshebroughtwasthefellowoftheother，Sheisatall，pale
woman，withferreteyes。”
“Thatisthelady，“saidHolmes。
“ShelefttheofficeandIfollowedher。Shewalkedupthe
KenningtonRoad，andIkeptbehindher。Presentlyshewentintoa
shop。Mr。Holmes，itwasanundertaker”s。”
Mycompanionstarted。“Well？“heaskedinthatvibrantvoicewhich
toldofthefierysoulbehindthecoldgrayface。
“Shewastalkingtothewomanbehindthecounter。Ienteredaswell。”Itislate”Iheardhersay，orwordstothateffect。Thewoman
wasexcusingherself。”Itshouldbetherebeforenow”sheanswered。”Ittooklonger，beingoutoftheordinary。”Theybothstoppedand
lookedatme，soIaskedsomequestionandthenlefttheshop。”
“Youdidexcellentlywell。Whathappenednext？“
“Thewomancameout，butIhadhidmyselfinadoorway。Her
suspicionshadbeenaroused，Ithink，forshelookedroundher。Then
shecalledacabandgotin。Iwasluckyenoughtogetanotherand
sotofollowher。ShegotdownatlastatNo。36，PoultneySquare，
Brixton。Idrovepast，leftmycabatthecornerofthesquare，and
watchedthehouse。”
“Didyouseeanyone？“
“Thewindowswereallindarknesssaveoneonthelowerfloor。The
blindwasdown，andIcouldnotseein。Iwasstandingthere，
wonderingwhatIshoulddonext，whenacoveredvandroveupwith
twomeninit。Theydescended，tooksomethingoutofthevan，and
carrieditupthestepstothehalldoor。Mr。Holmes，itwasa
coffin。”
“Ah！“
“ForaninstantIwasonthepointofrushingin。Thedoorhad
beenopenedtoadmitthemenandtheirburden。Itwasthewomanwho
hadopenedit。ButasIstoodthereshecaughtaglimpseofme，and
Ithinkthatsherecognizedme。Isawherstart，andshehastily
closedthedoor。Irememberedmypromisetoyou，andhereIam。”
“Youhavedoneexcellentwork，“saidHolmesscribblingafewwords
uponahalf-sheetofpaper。“Wecandonothinglegalwithouta
warrant，andyoucanservethecausebestbytakingthisnotedown
totheauthoritiesandgettingone。Theremaybesomedifficulty，
butIshouldthinkthatthesaleofthejewelleryshouldbe
sufficient。Lestradewillseetoalldetails。”
“Buttheymaymurderherinthemeanwhile。Whatcouldthecoffin
mean，andforwhomcoulditbebutforher？“
“Wewilldoallthatcanbedone，Mr。Green。Notamomentwillbe
lost。Leaveitinourhands。Now，Watson，“headdedasourclient
hurriedaway，“hewillsettheregularforcesonthemove。Weare，
asusual，theirregulars，andwemusttakeourownlineofaction。The
situationstrikesmeassodesperatethatthemostextrememeasures
arejustified。NotamomentistobelostingettingtoPoultney
Square。
“Letustrytoreconstructthesituation，“saidheaswedrove
swiftlypasttheHousesofParliamentandoverWestminsterBridge。
“ThesevillainshavecoaxedthisunhappyladytoLondon，afterfirst
alienatingherfromherfaithfulmaid。Ifshehaswrittenany
letterstheyhavebeenintercepted。Throughsomeconfederatetheyhave
engagedafurnishedhouse。Onceinsideit，theyhavemadehera
prisoner，andtheyhavebecomepossessedofthevaluablejewellery
whichhasbeentheirobjectfromthefirst。Alreadytheyhavebegunto
sellpartofit，whichseemssafeenoughtothem，sincetheyhaveno
reasontothinkthatanyoneisinterestedinthelady”sfate。Whenshe
isreleasedshewill，ofcourse，denouncethem。Therefore，shemust
notbereleased。Buttheycannotkeepherunderlockandkey
forever。Somurderistheironlysolution。”
“Thatseemsveryclear。”
“Nowwewilltakeanotherlineofreasoning。Whenyoufollowtwo
separatechainsofthought，Watson，youwillfindsomepointof
intersectionwhichshouldapproximatetothetruth。Wewillstartnow，
notfromtheladybutfromthecoffinandarguebackward。That
incidentproves，Ifear，beyondalldoubtthattheladyisdead。It
pointsalsotoanorthodoxburialwithproperaccompanimentofmedical
certificateandofficialsanction。Hadtheladybeenobviously
murdered，theywouldhaveburiedherinaholeinthebackgarden。But
hereallisopenandregular。Whatdoesthatmean？Surelythatthey
havedonehertodeathinsomewaywhichhasdeceivedthedoctorand
simulatedanaturalend-poisoning，perhaps。Andyethowstrange
thattheyshouldeverletadoctorapproachherunlesshewerea
confederate，whichishardlyacredibleproposition。”
“Couldtheyhaveforgedamedicalcertificate？“
“Dangerous，Watson，verydangerous。No，Ihardlyseethemdoing
that。Pullup，cabby！Thisisevidentlytheundertaker”s，forwe
havejustpassedthepawnbroker”s。Wouldyougoin，Watson？Your
appearanceinspiresconfidence。AskwhathourthePoultneySquare
funeraltakesplaceto-morrow。”
Thewomanintheshopansweredmewithouthesitationthatitwas
tobeateighto”clockinthemorning。“Yousee，Watson，nomystery；
everythingaboveboard！Insomewaythelegalformshaveundoubtedly
beencompliedwith，andtheythinkthattheyhavelittletofear。
Well，there”snothingforitnowbutadirectfrontalattack。Are
youarmed？“
“Mystick！“
“Well，well，weshallbestrongenough。”Thriceishearmedwhohath
hisquarreljust。”Wesimplycan”taffordtowaitforthepoliceorto
keepwithinthefourcornersofthelaw。Youcandriveoff，cabby。
Now，Watson，we”lljusttakeourlucktogether，aswehave
occasionallydoneinthepast。”
Hehadrungloudlyatthedoorofagreatdarkhouseinthecentre
ofPoultneySquare。Itwasopenedimmediately，andthefigureofa
tallwomanwasoutlinedagainstthedim-lithall。
“Well，whatdoyouwant？“sheaskedsharply，peeringatusthrough
thedarkness。
“IwanttospeaktoDr。Shlessinger，“saidHolmes。
“Thereisnosuchpersonhere，“sheanswered，andtriedtoclosethe
door，butHolmeshadjammeditwithhisfoot。
“Well，Iwanttoseethemanwholiveshere，whateverhemaycall
himself，“saidHolmesfirmly。
Shehesitated。Thenshethrewopenthedoor。“Well，comein！“said
she。“Myhusbandisnotafraidtofaceanymanintheworld。”She
closedthedoorbehindusandshowedusintoasitting-roomonthe
rightsideofthehall，turningupthegasassheleftus。“Mr。Peters
willbewithyouinaninstant，“shesaid。
Herwordswereliterallytrue，forwehadhardlytimetolookaround
thedustyandmoth-eatenapartmentinwhichwefoundourselves
beforethedooropenedandabig，clean-shavenbald-headedmanstepped
lightlyintotheroom。Hehadalargeredface，withpendulouscheeks，
andageneralairofsuperficialbenevolencewhichwasmarredbya
cruel，viciousmouth。
“Thereissurelysomemistakehere，gentlemen，“hesaidinan
unctuous，make-everything-easyvoice。“Ifancythatyouhavebeen
misdirected。Possiblyifyoutriedfartherdownthestreet-“
“Thatwilldo；wehavenotimetowaste，“saidmycompanion
firmly。“YouareHenryPeters，ofAdelaide，latetheRev。Dr。
Shlessinger，ofBadenandSouthAmerica。Iamassureofthatas
thatmyownnameisSherlockHolmes。”
Peters，asIwillnowcallhim，startedandstaredhardathis
formidablepursuer。“Iguessyournamedoesnotfrightenme，Mr。
Holmes，“saidhecoolly。“Whenaman”sconscienceiseasyyoucan”t
rattlehim。Whatisyourbusinessinmyhouse？“
“IwanttoknowwhatyouhavedonewiththeLadyFrancesCarfax，
whomyoubroughtawaywithyoufromBaden。”
“I”dbeverygladifyoucouldtellmewherethatladymaybe，“
Petersansweredcoolly。“I”veabillagainstherfornearlya
hundredpounds，andnothingtoshowforitbutacoupleoftrumpery
pendantsthatthedealerwouldhardlylookat。Sheattachedherselfto
Mrs。PetersandmeatBaden-itisafactthatIwasusinganother
nameatthetime-andshestuckontousuntilwecametoLondon。I
paidherbillandherticket。OnceinLondon，shegaveustheslip，
and，asIsay，lefttheseout-of-datejewelstopayherbills。You
findher，Mr。Holmes，andI”myourdebtor。”
“Imeantofindher，“saidSherlockHolmes。“I”mgoingthrough
thishousetillIdofindher。”
“Whereisyourwarrant？“
Holmeshalfdrewarevolverfromhispocket。“Thiswillhaveto
servetillabetteronecomes。”
“Why，youareacommonburglar。”
“Soyoumightdescribeme，“saidHolmescheerfully。“Mycompanionis
alsoadangerousruffian。Andtogetherwearegoingthroughyour
house。”
Ouropponentopenedthedoor。
“Fetchapoliceman，Annie！“saidhe。Therewasawhiskoffeminine
skirtsdownthepassage，andthehalldoorwasopenedandshut。
“Ourtimeislimited，Watson，“saidHolmes。“Ifyoutrytostop
us，Peters，youwillmostcertainlygethurt。Whereisthatcoffin
whichwasbroughtintoyourhouse？“
“Whatdoyouwantwiththecoffin？Itisinuse。Thereisabody
init。”
“Imustseethatbody。”
“Neverwithmyconsent。”
“Thenwithoutit。”WithaquickmovementHolmespushedthefellowto
onesideandpassedintothehall。Adoorhalfopenedstood
immediatelybeforeus。Weentered。Itwasthedining-room。Onthe
table，underahalf-litchandelier，thecoffinwaslying。Holmes
turnedupthegasandraisedthelid。Deepdownintherecessesofthe
coffinlayanemaciatedfigure。Theglarefromthelightsabovebeat
downuponanagedandwitheredface。Bynopossibleprocessof
cruelty，starvation，ordiseasecouldthiswornoutwreckbethe
stillbeautifulLadyFrances。Holmes”sfaceshowedhisamazementand
alsohisrelief。
“ThankGod！“hemuttered。“It”ssomeoneelse。”
“Ah，you”veblunderedbadlyforonce，Mr。SherlockHolmes，“said
Peters，whohadfollowedusintotheroom。
“Whoisthisdeadwoman？“
“Well，ifyoureallymustknow，sheisanoldnurseofmywife”s，
RoseSpenderbyname，whomwefoundintheBrixtonWorkhouse
Infirmary。Webroughtherroundhere，calledinDr。Horsom，of13
FirbankVillas-mindyoutaketheaddress，Mr。Holmes-andhadher
carefullytended，asChristianfolkshould。Onthethirddayshedied-
certificatesaysseniledecay-butthat”sonlythedoctor”sopinion，
andofcourseyouknowbetter。Weorderedherfuneraltobecarried
outbyStimsonandCo。，oftheKenningtonRoad，whowillburyherat
eighto”clockto-morrowmorning。Canyoupickanyholeinthat，Mr。
Holmes？You”vemadeasillyblunder，andyoumayaswellownuptoit。
I”dgivesomethingforaphotographofyourgaping，staringface
whenyoupulledasidethatlidexpectingtoseetheLadyFrances
Carfaxandonlyfoundapooroldwomanofninety。”
Holmes”sexpressionwasasimpassiveaseverunderthejeersof
hisantagonist，buthisclenchedhandsbetrayedhisacuteannoyance。
“Iamgoingthroughyourhouse，“saidhe。
“Areyou，though！“criedPetersasawoman”svoiceandheavysteps
soundedinthepassage。“We”llsoonseeaboutthat。Thisway，
officers，ifyouplease。Thesemenhaveforcedtheirwayintomy
house，andIcannotgetridofthem。Helpmetoputthemout。”
Asergeantandaconstablestoodinthedoorway。Holmesdrewhis
cardfromhiscase。
“Thisismynameandaddress。Thisismyfriend，Dr。Watson。”
“Blessyou，sir，weknowyouverywell，“saidthesergeant，“butyou
can”tstayherewithoutawarrant。”
“Ofcoursenot。Iquiteunderstandthat。”
“Arresthim！“criedPeters。
“Weknowwheretolayourhandsonthisgentlemanifheis
wanted，“saidthesergeantmajestically，“butyou”llhavetogo，Mr。
Holmes。”
“Yes，Watson，weshallhavetogo。”
Aminutelaterwewereinthestreetoncemore。Holmesascoolas
ever，butIwashotwithangerandhumiliation。Thesergeanthad
followedus。
“Sorry，Mr。Holmes，butthat”sthelaw。”
“Exactly，Sergeant，youcouldnotdootherwise。”
“Iexpecttherewasgoodreasonforyourpresencethere。Ifthereis
anythingIcando-“
“It”samissinglady，Sergeant，andIthinksheisinthathouse。
Iexpectawarrantpresently。”
“ThenI”llkeepmyeyeontheparties，Mr。Holmes。Ifanythingcomes
along，Iwillsurelyletyouknow。”
Itwasonlynineo”clock，andwewereofffullcryuponthetrailat
once。FirstwedrovetoBrixtonWorkhouseInfirmary，wherewefound
thatitwasindeedthetruththatacharitablecouplehadcalled
somedaysbefore，thattheyhadclaimedanimbecileoldwomanasa
formerservant，andthattheyhadobtainedpermissiontotakeheraway
withthem。Nosurprisewasexpressedatthenewsthatshehadsince
died。
Thedoctorwasournextgoal。Hehadbeencalledin，hadfoundthe
womandyingofpuresenility，hadactuallyseenherpassaway，andhad
signedthecertificateindueform。“Iassureyouthateverything
wasperfectlynormalandtherewasnoroomforfoulplayinthe
matter，“saidhe。Nothinginthehousehadstruckhimassuspicious
savethatforpeopleoftheirclassitwasremarkablethattheyshould
havenoservant。Sofarandnofartherwentthedoctor。
FinallywefoundourwaytoScotlandYard。Therehadbeen
difficultiesofprocedureinregardtothewarrant。Somedelaywas
inevitable。Themagistrate”ssignaturemightnotbeobtaineduntil
nextmorning。IfHolmeswouldcallaboutninehecouldgodownwith
Lestradeandseeitactedupon。Soendedtheday，savethatnear
midnightourfriend，thesergeant，calledtosaythathehadseen
flickeringlightshereandthereinthewindowsofthegreatdark
house，butthatnoonehadleftitandnonehadentered。Wecould
butprayforpatienceandwaitforthemorrow。
SherlockHolmeswastooirritableforconversationandtoo
restlessforsleep。Ilefthimsmokinghard，withhisheavy，dark
browsknottedtogether，andhislong，nervousfingerstappinguponthe
armsofhischair，asheturnedoverinhismindeverypossible
solutionofthemystery。SeveraltimesinthecourseofthenightI
heardhimprowlingaboutthehouse。Finally，justafterIhadbeen
calledinthemorning，herushedintomyroom。Hewasinhis
dressing-gown，buthispale，hollow-eyedfacetoldmethathisnight
hadbeenasleeplessone。
“Whattimewasthefuneral？Eight，wasitnot？“heaskedeagerly。
“Well，itis7：30now。Goodheavens，Watson，whathasbecomeofany
brainsthatGodhasgivenme？Quick，man，quick！It”slifeordeath-a
hundredchancesondeathtooneonlife。I”llneverforgivemyself，
never，ifwearetoolate！“
Fiveminuteshadnotpassedbeforewewereflyinginahansomdown
BakerStreet。Butevensoitwastwenty-fivetoeightaswepassedBig
Ben，andeightstruckaswetoredowntheBrixtonRoad。Butothers
werelateaswellaswe。Tenminutesafterthehourthehearsewas
stillstandingatthedoorofthehouse，andevenasourfoaminghorse
cametoahaltthecoffin，supportedbythreemen，appearedonthe
threshold。Holmesdartedforwardandbarredtheirway。
“Takeitback！“hecried，layinghishandonthebreastofthe
foremost。“Takeitbackthisinstant！“
“Whatthedevildoyoumean？OnceagainIaskyou，whereisyour
warrant？“shoutedthefuriousPeters，hisbigredfaceglaringover
thefartherendofthecoffin。
“Thewarrantisonitsway。Thiscoffinshallremaininthehouse
untilitcomes。”
TheauthorityinHolmes”svoicehaditseffectuponthebearers。
Petershadsuddenlyvanishedintothehouse，andtheyobeyedthesenew
orders。“Quick，Watson，quick！Hereisascrew-driver！“heshouted
asthecoffinwasreplaceduponthetable。“Here”soneforyou，my
man！Asovereignifthelidcomesoffinaminute！Asknoquestions-
workaway！That”sgood！Another！Andanother！Nowpullalltogether！
It”sgiving！It”sgiving！Ah，thatdoesitatlast。”
Withaunitedeffortwetoreoffthecoffin-lid。Aswedidso
therecamefromtheinsideastupefyingandoverpoweringsmellof
chloroform。Abodylaywithin，itsheadillwreathedincotton-wool，
whichhadbeensoakedinthenarcotic。Holmespluckeditoffand
disclosedthestatuesquefaceofahandsomeandspiritualwomanof
middleage。Inaninstanthehadpassedhisarmroundthefigureand
raisedhertoasittingposition。
“Isshegone，Watson？Isthereasparkleft？Surelywearenottoo
late！“
Forhalfanhouritseemedthatwewere。Whatwithactual
suffocation，andwhatwiththepoisonousfumesofthechloroform，
theLadyFrancesseemedtohavepassedthelastpointofrecall。And
then，atlast，withartificialrespiration，withinjectedether，
witheverydevicethatsciencecouldsuggest，someflutteroflife，
somequiveroftheeyelids，somedimmingofamirror，spokeofthe
slowlyreturninglife。Acabhaddrivenup，andHolmes，partingthe
blind，lookedoutatit。“HereisLestradewithhiswarrant，“saidhe。
“Hewillfindthathisbirdshaveflown。Andhere，“headdedasa
heavystephurriedalongthepassage，“issomeonewhohasabetter
righttonursethisladythanwehave。Goodmorning，Mr。Green；I
thinkthatthesoonerwecanmovetheLadyFrancesthebetter。
Meanwhile，thefuneralmayproceed，andthepooroldwomanwhostill
liesinthatcoffinmaygotoherlastresting-placealone。”
“Shouldyoucaretoaddthecasetoyourannals，mydearWatson，“
saidHolmesthatevening，“itcanonlybeasanexampleofthat
temporaryeclipsetowhicheventhebest-balancedmindmaybeexposed。
Suchslipsarecommontoallmortals，andthegreatestishewhocan
recognizeandrepairthem。TothismodifiedcreditImay，perhaps，
makesomeclaim。Mynightwashauntedbythethoughtthatsomewhere
aclue，astrangesentence，acuriousobservation，hadcomeundermy
noticeandhadbeentooeasilydismissed。Then，suddenly，inthe
grayofthemorning，thewordscamebacktome。Itwastheremarkof
theundertaker”swife，asreportedbyPhilipGreen。Shehadsaid，”Itshouldbetherebeforenow。Ittooklonger，beingoutofthe
ordinary。”Itwasthecoffinofwhichshespoke。Ithadbeenoutof
theordinary。Thatcouldonlymeanthatithadbeenmadetosome
specialmeasurement。Butwhy？Why？TheninaninstantIrememberedthe
deepsides，andthelittlewastedfigureatthebottom。Whysolargea
coffinforsosmallabody？Toleaveroomforanotherbody。Bothwould
beburiedundertheonecertificate。Ithadallbeensoclear，ifonly
myownsighthadnotbeendimmed。AteighttheLadyFranceswouldbe
buried。Ouronechancewastostopthecoffinbeforeitleftthe
house。
“Itwasadesperatechancethatwemightfindheralive，butit
wasachance，astheresultshowed。Thesepeoplehadnever，tomy
knowledge，doneamurder。Theymightshrinkfromactualviolenceat
thelast。Theycouldburyherwithnosignofhowshemetherend，and
evenifshewereexhumedtherewasachanceforthem。Ihopedthat
suchconsiderationsmightprevailwiththem。Youcanreconstructthe
scenewellenough。Yousawthehorribledenupstairs，wherethepoor
ladyhadbeenkeptsolong。Theyrushedinandoverpoweredherwith
theirchloroform，carriedherdown，pouredmoreintothecoffinto
insureagainstherwaking，andthenscreweddownthelid。Aclever
device，Watson。Itisnewtomeintheannalsofcrime。Ifour
ex-missionaryfriendsescapetheclutchesofLestrade，Ishall
expecttohearofsomebrilliantincidentsintheirfuturecareer。”-
THEEND。
1893
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEFINALPROBLEM
bySirArthurConanDoyle
ItiswithaheavyheartthatItakeupmypentowritethesethe
lastwordsinwhichIshalleverrecordthesingulargiftsbywhichmy
friendMr。SherlockHolmeswasdistinguished。Inanincoherentand，as
Ideeplyfeel，anentirelyinadequatefashion，Ihaveendeavouredto
givesomeaccountofmystrangeexperiencesinhiscompanyfromthe
chancewhichfirstbroughtustogetherattheperiodofthe”Study
inScarlet”uptothetimeofhisinterferenceinthematterofthe”NavalTreaty”-aninterferencewhichhadtheunquestionableeffect
ofpreventingaseriousinternationalcomplication。Itwasmy
intentiontohavestoppedthere，andtohavesaidnothingofthat
eventwhichhascreatedavoidinmylifewhichthelapseoftwoyears
hasdonelittletofill。Myhandhasbeenforced，however，bythe
recentlettersinwhichColonelJamesMoriartydefendsthememoryof
hisbrother，andIhavenochoicebuttolaythefactsbeforethe
publicexactlyastheyoccurred。Ialoneknowtheabsolutetruthof
thematter，andIamsatisfiedthatthetimehascomewhennogood
purposeistobeservedbyitssuppression。AsfarasIknow，there
havebeenonlythreeaccountsinthepublicpress：thatintheJournal
deGeneveonMay6th，1891，theReuter”sdispatchintheEnglish
papersonMay7th，andfinallytherecentletterstowhichIhave
alluded。Ofthesethefirstandsecondwereextremelycondensed，while
thelastis，asIshallnowshow，anabsoluteperversionofthefacts。
Itlieswithmetotellforthefirsttimewhatreallytookplace
betweenProfessorMoriartyandMr。SherlockHolmes。
Itmayberememberedthataftermymarriage，andmysubsequentstart
inprivatepractice，theveryintimaterelationswhichhadexisted
betweenHolmesandmyselfbecametosomeextentmodified。Hestill
cametomefromtimetotimewhenhedesiredacompanioninhis
investigations，buttheseoccasionsgrewmoreandmoreseldom，untilI
findthatintheyear1890therewereonlythreecasesofwhichI
retainanyrecord。Duringthewinterofthatyearandtheearlyspring
of1891，IsawinthepapersthathehadbeenengagedbytheFrench
governmentuponamatterofsupremeimportance，andIreceivedtwo
notesfromHolmes，datedfromNarbonneandfromNimes，fromwhichI
gatheredthathisstayinFrancewaslikelytobealongone。Itwas
withsomesurprise，therefore，thatIsawhimwalkintomy
consulting-roomupontheeveningofApril24th。Itstruckmethathe
waslookingevenpalerandthinnerthanusual。
“Yes，Ihavebeenusingmyselfuprathertoofreely，“heremarked，
inanswertomylookratherthantomywords；“Ihavebeenalittle
pressedoflate。Haveyouanyobjectiontomyclosingyourshutters？“
Theonlylightintheroomcamefromthelampuponthetableat
whichIhadbeenreading。Holmesedgedhiswayroundthewall，and，
flingingtheshutterstogether，heboltedthemsecurely。
“Youareafraidofsomething？“Iasked。
“Well，Iam。”
“Ofwhat？“
“Ofair-guns。”
“MydearHolmes，whatdoyoumean？“
“Ithinkthatyouknowmewellenough，Watson，tounderstandthat
Iambynomeansanervousman。Atthesametime，itisstupidity
ratherthancouragetorefusetorecognizedangerwhenitisclose
uponyou。MightItroubleyouforamatch？“Hedrewinthesmokeof
hiscigaretteasifthesoothinginfluencewasgratefultohim。
“Imustapologizeforcallingsolate，“saidhe，“andImustfurther
begyoutobesounconventionalastoallowmetoleaveyourhouse
presentlybyscramblingoveryourbackgardenwall。”
“Butwhatdoesitallmean？“Iasked。
Heheldouthishand，andIsawinthelightofthelampthattwoof
hisknuckleswereburstandbleeding。
“It”snotanairynothing，yousee，“saidhe，smiling。“Onthe
contrary，itissolidenoughforamantobreakhishandover。IsMrs。
Watsonin？“
“Sheisawayuponavisit。”
“IndeedYouarealone？“
“Quite。”
“Thenitmakesittheeasierformetoproposethatyoushould
comeawaywithmeforaweektotheContinent。”
“Where？“
“Oh，anywhere。It”sallthesametome。”
Therewassomethingverystrangeinallthis。ItwasnotHolmes”s
naturetotakeanaimlessholiday，andsomethingabouthispale，
wornfacetoldmethathisnerveswereattheirhighesttension。He
sawthequestioninmyeyes，and，puttinghisfinger-tipstogetherand
hiselbowsuponhisknees，heexplainedthesituation。
“YouhaveprobablyneverheardofProfessorMoriarty？“saidhe。
“Never。”
“Ay，there”sthegeniusandthewonderofthething“hecried。
“ThemanpervadesLondon，andnoonehasheardofhim。That”swhat
putshimonapinnacleintherecordsofcrime。ItellyouWatson，
inallseriousness，thatifIcouldbeatthatman，ifIcouldfree
societyofhim，Ishouldfeelthatmyowncareerhadreachedits
summit，andIshouldbepreparedtoturntosomemoreplacidlinein
life。Betweenourselves，therecentcasesinwhichIhavebeenof
assistancetotheroyalfamilyofScandinavia，andtotheFrench
republic，haveleftmeinsuchapositionthatIcouldcontinueto
liveinthequietfashionwhichismostcongenialtome，andto
concentratemyattentionuponmychemicalresearches。ButIcould
notrest，Watson，Icouldnotsitquietinmychair，ifIthoughtthat
suchamanasProfessorMoriartywerewalkingthestreetsofLondon
unchallenged。”
“Whathashedone，then？“
“Hiscareerhasbeenanextraordinaryone。Heisamanofgoodbirth
andexcellenteducation，endowedbynaturewithaphenomenal
mathematicalfaculty。Attheageoftwenty-onehewroteatreatise
uponthebinomialtheorem，whichhashadaEuropeanvogue。Onthe
strengthofithewonthemathematicalchairatoneofoursmaller
universities，andhad，toallappearances，amostbrilliantcareer
beforehim。Butthemanhadhereditarytendenciesofthemost
diabolicalkind。Acriminalstrainraninhisblood，which，insteadof
beingmodified，wasincreasedandrenderedinfinitelymoredangerous
byhisextraordinarymentalpowers。Darkrumoursgatheredroundhimin
theuniversitytown，andeventuallyhewascompelledtoresignhis
chairandtocomedowntoLondon，wherehesetupasanarmycoach。So
muchisknowntotheworld，butwhatIamtellingyounowiswhatI
havemyselfdiscovered。
“Asyouareaware，Watson，thereisnoonewhoknowsthehigher
criminalworldofLondonsowellasIdo。ForyearspastIhave
continuallybeenconsciousofsomepowerbehindthemalefactor，some
deeporganizingpowerwhichforeverstandsinthewayofthelaw，
andthrowsitsshieldoverthewrong-doer。Againandagainincasesof
themostvaryingsorts-forgerycases，robberies，murders-Ihavefelt
thepresenceofthisforce，andIhavededuceditsactioninmanyof
thoseundiscoveredcrimesinwhichIhavenotbeenpersonally
consulted。ForyearsIhaveendeavouredtobreakthroughtheveil
whichshroudedit，andatlastthetimecamewhenIseizedmythread
andfollowedit，untilitledme，afterathousandcunningwindings，
toex-ProfessorMoriarty，ofmathematicalcelebrity。
“HeistheNapoleonofcrime，Watson。Heistheorganizerofhalf
thatisevilandofnearlyallthatisundetectedinthisgreat
city。Heisagenius，aphilosopher，anabstractthinker。Hehasa
brainofthefirstorder。Hesitsmotionless，likeaspiderinthe
centreofitsweb，butthatwebhasathousandradiations，andhe
knowswelleveryquiverofeachofthem。HedoeslittlehimselfHe
onlyplans。Buthisagentsarenumerousandsplendidlyorganized。Is
thereacrimetobedoneapapertobeabstracted，wewillsay，a
housetoberifled，amantoberemovedthewordispassedtothe
professor，thematterisorganizedandcarriedout。Theagentmaybe
caught。Inthatcasemoneyisfoundforhisbailorhisdefence。But
thecentralpowerwhichusestheagentisnevercaught-neversomuch
assuspected。ThiswastheorganizationwhichIdeduced，Watson，and
whichIdevotedmywholeenergytoexposingandbreakingup。
“Buttheprofessorwasfencedroundwithsafeguardssocunningly
devisedthat，dowhatIwould，itseemedimpossibletogetevidence
whichwouldconvictinacourtoflaw。Youknowmypowers，mydear
Watson，andyetattheendofthreemonthsIwasforcedtoconfess
thatIhadatlastmetanantagonistwhowasmyintellectualequal。My
horrorathiscrimeswaslostinmyadmirationathisskill。Butat
lasthemadeatrip-onlyalittle，littletrip-butitwasmorethanhe
couldafford，whenIwassocloseuponhim。Ihadmychance，and，
startingfromthatpoint，Ihavewovenmynetroundhimuntilnowit
isallreadytoclose。Inthreedays-thatistosay，onMonday
next-matterswillberipe，andtheprofessor，withalltheprincipal
membersofhisgang，willbeinthehandsofthepolice。Thenwill
comethegreatestcriminaltrialofthecentury，theclearingupof
overfortymysteries，andtheropeforallofthem；butifwemove
atallprematurely，youunderstand，theymayslipoutofourhands
evenatthelastmoment。
“Now，ifIcouldhavedonethiswithouttheknowledgeofProfessor
Moriarty，allwouldhavebeenwell。Buthewastoowilyforthat。He
saweverystepwhichItooktodrawmytoilsroundhim。Againand
againhestrovetobreakaway，butIasoftenheadedhimoff。Itell
you，myfriend，thatifadetailedaccountofthatsilentcontest
couldbewritten，itwouldtakeitsplaceasthemostbrilliantbitof
thrust-and-parryworkinthehistoryofdetection。NeverhaveI
risentosuchaheight，andneverhaveIbeensohardpressedbyan
opponent。Hecutdeep，andyetIjustundercuthim。Thismorningthe
laststepsweretaken，andthreedaysonlywerewantedtocompletethe
business。Iwassittinginmyroomthinkingthematteroverwhenthe
dooropenedandProfessorMoriartystoodbeforeme。
“Mynervesarefairlyproof，Watson，butImustconfesstoastart
whenIsawtheverymanwhohadbeensomuchinmythoughtsstanding
thereonmythreshold。Hisappearancewasquitefamiliartome。He
isextremelytallandthin，hisforeheaddomesoutinawhitecurve，
andhistwoeyesaredeeplysunkeninhishead。Heisclean-shaven，
pale，andascetic-looking，retainingsomethingoftheprofessorinhis
features。Hisshouldersareroundedfrommuchstudy，andhisface
protrudesforwardandisforeverslowlyoscillatingfromsideto
sideinacuriouslyreptilianfashion。Hepeeredatmewithgreat
curiosityinhispuckeredeyes。
“”YouhavelessfrontaldevelopmentthanIshouldhaveexpected”
saidheatlast。”Itisadangeroushabittofingerloadedfirearmsin
thepocketofone”sdressing-gown。”
“ThefactisthatuponhisentranceIhadinstantlyrecognizedthe
extremepersonaldangerinwhichIlay。Theonlyconceivableescape
forhimlayinsilencingmytongue。InaninstantIhadslippedthe
revolverfromthedrawerintomypocketandwascoveringhimthrough
thecloth。AthisremarkIdrewtheweaponoutandlaiditcockedupon
thetable。Hestillsmiledandblinked，buttherewassomething
abouthiseyeswhichmademefeelverygladthatIhaditthere。
“”Youevidentlydon”tknowme”saidhe。
“”Onthecontrary”Ianswered，”IthinkitisfairlyevidentthatI
do。Praytakeachair。Icanspareyoufiveminutesifyouhave
anythingtosay。”
“”AllthatIhavetosayhasalreadycrossedyourmind”saidhe。
“”Thenpossiblymyanswerhascrossedyours”Ireplied。
“”Youstandfast？”
“”Absolutely。”
“Heclappedhishandintohispocket，andIraisedthepistolfrom
thetable。Buthemerelydrewoutamemorandum-bookinwhichhehad
scribbledsomedates。
“”YoucrossedmypathonthefourthofJanuary”saidhe。”Onthe
twenty-thirdyouincommodedme；bythemiddleofFebruaryIwas
seriouslyinconveniencedbyyou；attheendofMarchIwas
absolutelyhamperedinmyplans；andnow，atthecloseofApril，I
findmyselfplacedinsuchapositionthroughyourcontinual
persecutionthatIaminpositivedangeroflosingmyliberty。The
situationisbecominganimpossibleone。”
“”Haveyouanysuggestiontomake？”Iasked。
“”Youmustdropit，Mr。Holmes”saidhe，swayinghisfaceabout。”Youreallymust，youknow。”
“”AfterMonday”saidI。
“”Tut，tut！”saidhe。”Iamquitesurethatamanofyour
intelligencewillseethattherecanbebutoneoutcometothis
affair。Itisnecessarythatyoushouldwithdraw。Youhaveworked
thingsinsuchafashionthatwehaveonlyoneresourceleft。Ithas
beenanintellectualtreattometoseethewayinwhichyouhave
grappledwiththisaffair，andIsay，unaffectedly，thatitwouldbea
grieftometobeforcedtotakeanyextrememeasure。Yousmile，
sir，butIassureyouthatitreallywould。”
“”Dangerispartofmytrade”Iremarked。
“Thisisnotdanger”saidhe。”Itisinevitabledestruction。You
standinthewaynotmerelyofanindividualbutofamighty
organization，thefullextentofwhichyou，withallyour
cleverness，havebeenunabletorealize。Youmuststandclear，Mr。
Holmes，orbetroddenunderfoot。”
“”Iamafraid”saidI，rising，”thatinthepleasureofthis
conversationIamneglectingbusinessofimportancewhichawaitsme
elsewhere。”