“Itwasverysweetofyoutocome。Now，youmusthavesomewine
andwater，andsitherecomfortablyandtellusallaboutit。Or
shouldyouratherthatIsentJamesofftobed？“
“Oh，no，no！Iwantthedoctor”sadviceandhelp，too。It”sabout
Isa。Hehasnotbeenhomefortwodays。Iamsofrightenedabouthim！“
Itwasnotthefirsttimethatshehadspokentousofherhusband”s
trouble，tomeasadoctor，tomywifeasanoldfriendandschool
companion。Wesoothedandcomfortedherbysuchwordsaswecould
find。Didsheknowwhereherhusbandwas？Wasitpossiblethatwe
couldbringhimbacktoher？
Itseemsthatitwas。Shehadthesurestinformationthatoflatehe
had，whenthefitwasonhim，madeuseofanopiumdeninthefarthest
eastoftheCity。Hithertohisorgieshadalwaysbeenconfinedto
oneday，andhehadcomeback，twitchingandshattered，inthe
evening。Butnowthespellhadbeenuponhimeight-andfortyhours，
andhelaythere，doubtlessamongthedregsofthedocks，breathingin
thepoisonorsleepingofftheeffects。Therehewastobefound，
shewassureofit，attheBarofGold，inUpperSwandamLane。But
whatwasshetodo？Howcouldshe，ayoungandtimidwoman，makeher
wayintosuchaplaceandpluckherhusbandoutfromamongthe
ruffianswhosurroundedhim？
Therewasthecase，andofcoursetherewasbutonewayoutofit。
MightInotescorthertothisplace？Andthen，asasecondthought，
whyshouldshecomeatall？IwasIsaWhitney”smedicaladviser，and
assuchIhadinfluenceoverhim。IcouldmanageitbetterifIwere
alone。IpromisedheronmywordthatIwouldsendhimhomeinacab
withintwohoursifhewereindeedattheaddresswhichshehad
givenme。AndsointenminutesIhadleftmyarmchairandcheery
sitting-roombehindme，andwasspeedingeastwardinahansomona
strangeerrand，asitseemedtomeatthetime，thoughthefutureonly
couldshowhowstrangeitwastobe。
Buttherewasnogreatdifficultyinthefirststageofmy
adventure。UpperSwandamLaneisavilealleylurkingbehindthe
highwharveswhichlinethenorthsideoftherivertotheeastof
LondonBridge。Betweenaslop-shopandagin-shop，approachedbya
steepflightofstepsleadingdowntoablackgaplikethemouthof
acave，IfoundthedenofwhichIwasinsearch。Orderingmycabto
wait，Ipasseddownthesteps，wornhollowinthecentrebythe
ceaselesstreadofdrunkenfeetandbythelightofaflickering
oillampabovethedoorIfoundthelatchandmademywayintoa
long，lowroom，thickandheavywiththebrownopiumsmoke，and
terracedwithwoodenberths，liketheforecastleofanemigrantship。
Throughthegloomonecoulddimlycatchaglimpseofbodieslyingin
strangefantasticposes，bowedshoulders，bentknees，headsthrown
back，andchinspointingupward，withhereandthereadark，
lack-lustreeyeturneduponthenewcomer。Outoftheblackshadows
thereglimmeredlittleredcirclesoflight，nowbright，nowfaint，as
theburningpoisonwaxedorwanedinthebowlsofthemetalpipes。The
mostlaysilent，butsomemutteredtothemselves，andotherstalked
togetherinastrange，low，monotonousvoice，theirconversation
comingingushes，andthensuddenlytailingoffintosilence，each
mumblingouthisownthoughtsandpayinglittleheedtothewordsof
hisneighbour。Atthefartherendwasasmallbrazierofburning
charcoal，besidewhichonathree-leggedwoodenstooltheresata
tall，thinoldman，withhisjawrestinguponhistwofists，andhis
elbowsuponhisknees，staringintothefire。
AsIentered，asallowMalayattendanthadhurriedupwithapipe
formeandasupplyofthedrug，beckoningmetoanemptyberth。
“Thankyou。Ihavenotcometostay，“saidI。“Thereisafriend
ofminehere，Mr。IsaWhitney，andIwishtospeakwithhim。”
Therewasamovementandanexclamationfrommyright，andpeering
throughthegloomIsawWhitney，pale，haggard，andunkemptstaring
outatme。
“MyGod！It”sWatson，“saidhe。Hewasinapitiablestateof
reaction，witheverynerveinatwitter。“Isay，Watson，what
o”clockisit？“
“Nearlyeleven。”
“Ofwhatday？”
“OfFriday，June19th。”
“Goodheavens！IthoughtitwasWednesday。ItisWednesday。What
d”youwanttofrightenthechapfor？“Hesankhisfaceontohisarms
andbegantosobinahightreblekey。
“ItellyouthatitisFriday，man。Yourwifehasbeenwaiting
thistwodaysforyou。Youshouldbeashamedofyourself！“
“SoIam。Butyou”vegotmixed，Watson，forIhaveonlybeenhere
afewhours，threepipes，fourpipes-Iforgethowmany。ButI”llgo
homewithyou。Iwouldn”tfrightenKate-poorlittleKate。Givemeyour
hand！Haveyouacab？“
“Yes，Ihaveonewaiting。”
“ThenIshallgoinit。ButImustowesomething。FindwhatIowe，
Watson。Iamalloffcolour。Icandonothingformyself。”
Iwalkeddownthenarrowpassagebetweenthedoublerowofsleepers，
holdingmybreathtokeepoutthevile，stupefyingfumesofthe
drug，andlookingaboutforthemanager。AsIpassedthetallman
whosatbythebrazierIfeltasuddenpluckatmyskirt，andalow
voicewhispered，“Walkpastme，andthenlookbackatme。”Thewords
fellquitedistinctlyuponmyear。Iglanceddown。Theycouldonly
havecomefromtheoldmanatmyside，andyethesatnowas
absorbedasever，verythin，verywrinkled，bentwithage，anopium
pipedanglingdownfrombetweenhisknees，asthoughithaddroppedin
sheerlassitudefromhisfingers。Itooktwostepsforwardand
lookedback。Ittookallmyself-controltopreventmefrombreaking
outintoacryofastonishment。Hehadturnedhisbacksothatnone
couldseehimbutI。Hisformhadfilledout，hiswrinkleswere
gone，thedulleyeshadregainedtheirfire，andthere，sittingbythe
fireandgrinningatmysurprise，wasnoneotherthanSherlockHolmes。
Hemadeaslightmotiontometoapproachhim，andinstantly，ashe
turnedhisfacehalfroundtothecompanyoncemore，subsidedintoa
doddering，loose-lippedsenility。
“Holmes！“Iwhispered，“whatonearthareyoudoinginthisden？“
“Aslowasyoucan，“heanswered；“Ihaveexcellentears。Ifyou
wouldhavethegreatkindnesstogetridofthatsottishfriendof
yoursIshouldbeexceedinglygladtohavealittletalkwithyou。”
“Ihaveacaboutside。”
“Thenpraysendhimhomeinit。Youmaysafelytrusthim，forhe
appearstobetoolimptogetintoanymischief。Ishouldrecommend
youalsotosendanotebythecabmantoyourwifetosaythatyou
havethrowninyourlotwithme。Ifyouwillwaitoutside，Ishall
bewithyouinfiveminutes。”
ItwasdifficulttorefuseanyofSherlockHolmes”srequests，for
theywerealwayssoexceedinglydefinite，andputforwardwithsuch
aquietairofmastery。Ifelt，however，thatwhenWhitneywasonce
confinedinthecabmymissionwaspracticallyaccomplished；andfor
therest，Icouldnotwishanythingbetterthantobeassociated
withmyfriendinoneofthosesingularadventureswhichwerethe
normalconditionofhisexistence。InafewminutesIhadwrittenmy
note，paidWhitney”sbill，ledhimouttothecab，andseenhimdriven
throughthedarkness。Inaveryshorttimeadecrepitfigurehad
emergedfromtheopiumden，andIwaswalkingdownthestreetwith
SherlockHolmes。Fortwostreetsheshuffledalongwithabentback
andanuncertainfoot。Then，glancingquicklyround，hestraightened
himselfoutandburstintoaheartyfitoflaughter。
“Isuppose，Watson，“saidhe，“thatyouimaginethatIhaveadded
opiumsmokingtococaineinjections，andalltheotherlittle
weaknessesonwhichyouhavefavouredmewithyourmedicalviews。”
“Iwascertainlysurprisedtofindyouthere。”
“ButnotmoresothanItofindyou。”
“Icametofindafriend。”
“AndItofindanenemy。”
“Anenemy？“
“Yes；oneofmynaturalenemies，or，shallIsay，mynaturalprey。
Briefly，Watson，Iaminthemidstofaveryremarkableinquiry，andI
havehopedtofindaclueintheincoherentramblingsofthesesots，
asIhavedonebeforenow。HadIbeenrecognizedinthatdenmylife
wouldnothavebeenworthanhour”spurchase；forIhaveusedit
beforenowformyownpurposes，andtherascallylascarwhorunsit
hassworntohavevengeanceuponme。Thereisatrap-dooratthe
backofthatbuilding，nearthecornerofPaul”sWharf，whichcould
tellsomestrangetalesofwhathaspassedthroughituponthe
moonlessnights。”
“What！Youdonotmeanbodies？“
“Ay，bodies，Watson。WeshouldberichmenifwehadL1000forevery
poordevilwhohasbeendonetodeathinthatden。Itisthevilest
murder-traponthewholeriverside，andIfearthatNevilleSt。
Clairhasentereditnevertoleaveitmore。Butourtrapshouldbe
here。”Heputhistwoforefingersbetweenhisteethandwhistled
shrilly-asignalwhichwasansweredbyasimilarwhistlefromthe
distance，followedshortlybytherattleofwheelsandtheclinkof
horses”hoofs。
“Now，Watson，“saidHolmes，asatalldog-cartdashedupthroughthe
gloom，throwingouttwogoldentunnelsofyellowlightfromitsside
lanterns。“You”llcomewithme，won”tyou？“
“IfIcanbeofuse。”
“Oh，atrustycomradeisalwaysofuse；andachroniclerstill
moreso。MyroomatTheCedarsisadouble-beddedone。”
“TheCedars？“
“Yes；thatisMr。St。Clair”shouse。IamstayingtherewhileI
conducttheinquiry。”
“Whereisit，then？“
“NearLee，inKent。Wehaveaseven-miledrivebeforeus。”
“ButIamallinthedark。”
“Ofcourseyouare。You”llknowallaboutitpresently。Jumpup
here。Allright，John；weshallnotneedyou。Here”shalfacrown。
Lookoutformeto-morrow，abouteleven。Giveherhead。Solong，
then！“
Heflickedthehorsewithhiswhip，andwedashedawaythroughthe
endlesssuccessionofsombreanddesertedstreets，whichwidened
gradually，untilwewereflyingacrossabroadbalustradedbridge，
withthemurkyriverflowingsluggishlybeneathus。Beyondlayanother
dullwildernessofbricksandmortar，itssilencebrokenonlybythe
heavy，regularfootfallofthepoliceman，orthesongsandshoutsof
somebelatedpartyofrevellers。Adullwrackwasdriftingslowly
acrossthesky，andastarortwotwinkleddimlyhereandthere
throughtheriftsoftheclouds”Holmesdroveinsilence，withhis
headsunkuponhisbreast，andtheairofamanwhoislostin
thought，whileIsatbesidehim，curioustolearnwhatthisnew
questmightbewhichseemedtotaxhispowerssosorely，andyet
afraidtobreakinuponthecurrentofhisthoughts。Wehaddriven
severalmiles，andwerebeginningtogettothefringeofthebelt
ofsuburbanvillas，whenheshookhimself，shruggedhisshoulders，and
lituphispipewiththeairofamanwhohassatisfiedhimselfthat
heisactingforthebest。
“Youhaveagrandgiftofsilence，Watson，“saidhe。“Itmakesyou
quiteinvaluableasacompanion。”Ponmyword，itisagreatthingfor
metohavesomeonetotalkto，formyownthoughtsarenot
over-pleasant。IwaswonderingwhatIshouldsaytothisdearlittle
womanto-nightwhenshemeetsmeatthedoor。”
“YouforgetthatIknownothingaboutit。”
“Ishalljusthavetimetotellyouthefactsofthecasebefore
wegettoLee。Itseemsabsurdlysimple，andyetsomehow，Icanget
nothingtogoupon。There”splentyofthread，nodoubt，butIcan”t
gettheendofitintomyhand。Now，I”llstatethecaseclearlyand
conciselytoyou，Watson，andmaybeyoucanseeasparkwhereallis
darktome。”
“Proceedthen。”
“Someyearsago-tobedefinite，inMay，1884-therecametoLeea
gentleman，NevilleSt。Clairbyname，whoappearedtohaveplentyof
money。HetookalargeVilla，laidoutthegroundsverynicely，and
livedgenerallyingoodstyle。Bydegreeshemadefriendsinthe
neighbourhood，andin1887hemarriedthedaughterofalocal
brewer，bywhomhenowhastwochildren。Hehadnooccupation，butwas
interestedinseveralcompaniesandwentintotownasaruleinthe
morning，returningbythe5：14fromCannonStreeteverynight。Mr。St。
Clairisnowthirtysevenyearsofage，isamanoftemperate
habits，agoodhusband，averyaffectionatefather，andamanwhois
popularwithallwhoknowhim。Imayaddthathiswholedebtsatthe
presentmoment，asfaraswehavebeenabletoascertain，amountto
L8810s。，whilehehasL220standingtohiscreditintheCapital
andCountiesBank。Thereisnoreason，therefore，tothinkthat
moneytroubleshavebeenweighinguponhismind。
“LastMondayMr。NevilleSt。Clairwentintotownratherearlier
thanusual，remarkingbeforehestartedthathehadtwoimportant
commissionstoperform，andthathewouldbringhislittleboyhome
aboxofbricks。Now，bythemerestchance，hiswifereceiveda
telegramuponthissameMonday，veryshortlyafterhisdeparture，to
theeffectthatasmallparcelofconsiderablevaluewhichshehad
beenexpectingwaswaitingforherattheofficesoftheAberdeen
ShippingCompany。Now，ifyouarewellupinyourLondon，youwill
knowthattheofficeofthecompanyisinFresnoStreet，which
branchesoutofUpperSwandamLane，whereyoufoundmeto-night。
Mrs。St。Clairhadherlunch，startedfortheCity，didsomeshopping，
proceededtothecompany”soffice，gotherpacket，andfoundherself
atexactly4：35walkingthroughSwandamLaneonherwaybacktothe
station。Haveyoufollowedmesofar？“
“Itisveryclear。”
“Ifyouremember，Mondaywasanexceedinglyhotday，andMrs。St。
Clairwalkedslowly，glancingaboutinthehopeofseeingacab，as
shedidnotliketheneighbourhoodinwhichshefoundherself。While
shewaswalkinginthiswaydownSwandamLane，shesuddenlyheardan
ejaculationorcry，andwasstruckcoldtoseeherhusbandlooking
downatherand，asitseemedtoher，beckoningtoherfroma
second-floorwindow。Thewindowwasopen，andshedistinctlysawhis
face，whichshedescribesasbeingterriblyagitated。Hewavedhis
handsfranticallytoher，andthenvanishedfromthewindowso
suddenlythatitseemedtoherthathehadbeenpluckedbackbysome
irresistibleforcefrombehind。Onesingularpointwhichstruckher
quickfeminineeyewasthatalthoughheworesomedarkcoat，suchas
hehadstartedtotownin，hehadonneithercollarnornecktie。
“Convincedthatsomethingwasamisswithhim，sherusheddownthe
steps-forthehousewasnoneotherthantheopiumdeninwhichyou
foundmeto-night-andrunningthroughthefrontroomsheattemptedto
ascendthestairswhichledtothefirstfloor。Atthefootofthe
stairs，however，shemetthislascarscoundrelofwhomIhave
spoken，whothrustherbackand，aidedbyaDane，whoactsas
assistantthere，pushedheroutintothestreet。Filledwiththe
mostmaddeningdoubtsandfears，sherusheddownthelaneand，byrare
good-fortune，metinFresnoStreetanumberofconstableswithan
inspector，allontheirwaytotheirbeat。Theinspectorandtwomen
accompaniedherback，andinspiteofthecontinuedresistanceof
theproprietor，theymadetheirwaytotheroominwhichMr。St。Clair
hadlastbeenseen。Therewasnosignofhimthere。Infact，inthe
wholeofthatfloortherewasnoonetobefoundsaveacrippled
wretchofhideousaspect，who，itseems，madehishomethere。Both
heandthelascarstoutlysworethatnooneelsehadbeeninthefront
roomduringtheafternoon。Sodeterminedwastheirdenialthatthe
inspectorwasstaggered，andhadalmostcometobelievethatMrs。
St。Clairhadbeendeludedwhen，withacry，shesprangatasmall
dealboxwhichlayuponthetableandtorethelidfromit。Out
therefellacascadeofchildren”sbricks。Itwasthetoywhichhehad
promisedtobringhome。
“Thisdiscovery，andtheevidentconfusionwhichthecrippleshowed，
madetheinspectorrealizethatthematterwasserious。Theroomswere
carefullyexamined，andresultsallpointedtoanabominablecrime。
Thefrontroomwasplainlyfurnishedasasitting-roomandledinto
asmallbedroom，whichlookedoutuponthebackofoneofthewharves。
Betweenthewharfandthebedroomwindowisanarrowstrip，whichis
dryatlowtidebutiscoveredathightidewithatleastfouranda
halffeetofwater。Thebedroomwindowwasabroadoneandopenedfrom
below。Onexaminationtracesofbloodweretobeseenuponthe
window-sill，andseveralscattereddropswerevisibleuponthe
woodenfloorofthebedroom。Thrustawaybehindacurtaininthefront
roomwerealltheclothesofMr。NevilleSt。Clair，withtheexception
ofhiscoat。Hisboots，hissocks，hishat，andhiswatch-allwere
there。Therewerenosignsofviolenceuponanyofthesegarments，and
therewerenoothertracesofMr。NevilleSt。Clair。Outofthewindow
hemustapparentlyhavegone，fornootherexitcouldbediscovered，
andtheominousbloodstainsuponthesillgavelittlepromisethat
hecouldsavehimselfbyswimming，forthetidewasatitsvery
highestatthemomentofthetragedy。
“Andnowastothevillainswhoseemedtobeimmediately
implicatedinthematter。Thelascarwasknowntobeamanofthe
vilestantecedents，butas，byMrs。St。Clair”sstory，hewasknownto
havebeenatthefootofthestairwithinaveryfewsecondsofher
husband”sappearanceatthewindow，hecouldhardlyhavebeenmore
thananaccessorytothecrime。Hisdefensewasoneofabsolute
ignorance，andheprotestedthathehadnoknowledgeastothe
doingsofHughBoone，hislodger，andthathecouldnotaccountinany
wayforthepresenceofthemissinggentleman”sclothes。
“Somuchforthelascarmanager。Nowforthesinistercripplewho
livesuponthesecondflooroftheopiumden，andwhowascertainly
thelasthumanbeingwhoseeyesresteduponNevilleSt。Clair。His
nameisHughBoone，andhishideousfaceisonewhichisfamiliarto
everymanwhogoesmuchtotheCity。Heisaprofessionalbeggar，
thoughinordertoavoidthepoliceregulationshepretendstoasmall
tradeinwaxvestas。SomelittledistancedownThreadneedleStreet，
upontheleft-handside，thereis，asyoumayhaveremarked，asmall
angleinthewall。Hereitisthatthiscreaturetakeshisdailyseat，
crosslegged，withhistinystockofmatchesonhislap，andasheisa
piteousspectacleasmallrainofcharitydescendsintothegreasy
leathercapwhichliesuponthepavementbesidehim。Ihavewatched
thefellowmorethanoncebeforeeverIthoughtofmakinghis
professionalacquaintance，andIhavebeensurprisedattheharvest
whichhehasreapedinashorttime。Hisappearance，yousee，isso
remarkablethatnoonecanpasshimwithoutobservinghim。Ashock
oforangehair，apalefacedisfiguredbyahorriblescar，which，by
itscontraction，hasturneduptheouteredgeofhisupperlip，a
bulldogchin，andapairofverypenetratingdarkeyes，which
presentasingularcontrasttothecolourofhishair，allmarkhim
outfromamidthecommoncrowdofmendicants，andso，too，doeshis
wit，forheiseverreadywithareplytoanypieceofchaffwhichmay
bethrownathimbythepassers-by。Thisisthemanwhomwenow
learntohavebeenthelodgerattheopiumden，andtohavebeenthe
lastmantoseethegentlemanofwhomweareinquest。”
“Butacripple！“saidI。“Whatcouldhehavedonesingle-handed
againstamanintheprimeoflife？“
“Heisacrippleinthesensethathewalkswithalimp；butin
otherrespectsheappearstobeapowerfulandwell-nurturedman。
Surelyyourmedicalexperiencewouldtellyou，Watson，thatweakness
inonelimbisoftencompensatedforbyexceptionalstrengthinthe
others。”
“Praycontinueyournarrative。”
“Mrs。St。Clairhadfaintedatthesightoftheblooduponthe
window，andshewasescortedhomeinacabbythepolice，asher
presencecouldbeofnohelptothemintheirinvestigations。
InspectorBarton，whohadchargeofthecase，madeaverycareful
examinationofthepremises，butwithoutfindinganythingwhich
threwanylightuponthematter。Onemistakehadbeenmadeinnot
arrestingBooneinstantly，ashewasallowedsomefewminutesduring
whichhemighthavecommunicatedwithhisfriendthelascar，but
thisfaultwassoonremedied，andhewasseizedandsearched，
withoutanythingbeingfoundwhichcouldincriminatehim。There
were，itistrue，someblood-stainsuponhisrightshirt-sleeve，but
hepointedtohisring-finger，whichhadbeencutnearthenail，and
explainedthatthebleedingcamefromthere，addingthathehadbeen
tothewindownotlongbefore，andthatthestainswhichhadbeen
observedtherecamedoubtlessfromthesamesource。Hedenied
strenuouslyhavingeverseenMr。NevilleSt。Clairandsworethat
thepresenceoftheclothesinhisroomwasasmuchamysterytohim
astothepolice。AstoMrs。St。Clair”sassertionthatshehad
actuallyseenherhusbandatthewindow，hedeclaredthatshemust
havebeeneithermadordreaming。Hewasremoved，loudlyprotesting，
tothepolice-station，whiletheinspectorremaineduponthe
premisesinthehopethattheebbingtidemightaffordsomefresh
clue。
“Anditdid，thoughtheyhardlyfounduponthemud-bankwhatthey
hadfearedtofind。ItwasNevilleSt。Clair”scoat，andnotNeville
St。Clair，whichlayuncoveredasthetidereceded。Andwhatdoyou
thinktheyfoundinthepockets？“
“Icannotimagine。”
“No，Idon”tthinkyouwouldguess。Everypocketstuffedwith
penniesandhalfpennies-421penniesand270half-pennies。Itwasno
wonderthatithadnotbeensweptawaybythetide。Butahumanbody
isadifferentmatter。Thereisafierceeddybetweenthewharfand
thehouse。Itseemedlikelyenoughthattheweightedcoathadremained
whenthestrippedbodyhadbeensuckedawayintotheriver。”
“ButIunderstandthatalltheotherclotheswerefoundintheroom。
Wouldthebodybedressedinacoatalone？“
“No，sir，butthefactsmightbemetspeciouslyenough。Supposethat
thismanBoonehadthrustNevilleSt。Clairthroughthewindow，
thereisnohumaneyewhichcouldhaveseenthedeed。Whatwouldhedo
then？Itwouldofcourseinstantlystrikehimthathemustgetrid
ofthetell-talegarments。Hewouldseizethecoat，then，andbein
theactofthrowingitout，whenitwouldoccurtohimthatitwould
swimandnotsink。Hehaslittletime，forhehasheardthescuffle
downstairswhenthewifetriedtoforceherwayup，andperhapshehas
alreadyheardfromhislascarconfederatethatthepolicearehurrying
upthestreet。Thereisnotaninstanttobelost。Herushestosome
secrethoard，wherehehasaccumulatedthefruitsofhisbeggary，
andhestuffsallthecoinsuponwhichhecanlayhishandsintothe
pocketstomakesureofthecoatssinking。Hethrowsitout，andwould
havedonethesamewiththeothergarmentshadnotheheardtherush
ofstepsbelow，andonlyjusthadtimetoclosethewindowwhenthe
policeappeared。”
“Itcertainlysoundsfeasible。”
“Well，wewilltakeitasaworkinghypothesisforwantofabetter。
Boone，asIhavetoldyou，wasarrestedandtakentothestation，
butitcouldnotbeshownthattherehadeverbeforebeenanything
againsthim。Hehadforyearsbeenknownasaprofessionalbeggar，but
hislifeappearedtohavebeenaveryquietandinnocentone。There
thematterstandsatpresent，andthequestionswhichhavetobe
solved-whatNevilleSt。Clairwasdoingintheopiumden，what
happenedtohimwhenthere，whereishenow，andwhatHughBoonehad
todowithhisdisappearance-areallasfarfromasolutionas
ever。IconfessthatIcannotrecallanycasewithinmyexperience
whichlookedatthefirstglancesosimpleandyetwhichpresented
suchdifficulties。”
WhileSherlockHolmeshadbeendetailingthissingularseriesof
events，wehadbeenwhirlingthroughtheoutskirtsofthegreattown
untilthelaststragglinghouseshadbeenleftbehind，andwe
rattledalongwithacountryhedgeuponeithersideofus。justas
hefinished，however，wedrovethroughtwoscatteredvillages，wherea
fewlightsstillglimmeredinthewindows。
“WeareontheoutskirtsofLee，“saidmycompanion。“Wehave
touchedonthreeEnglishcountiesinourshortdrive，startingin
Middlesex，passingoveranangleofSurrey，andendinginKent。See
thatlightamongthetrees？ThatisTheCedars，andbesidethatlamp
sitsawomanwhoseanxiousearshavealready，Ihavelittledoubt，
caughttheclinkofourhorse”sfeet。”
“ButwhyareyounotconductingthecasefromBakerStreet？“I
asked。
“Becausetherearemanyinquirieswhichmustbemadeouthere。
Mrs。St。Clairhasmostkindlyputtworoomsatmydisposal，andyou
mayrestassuredthatshewillhavenothingbutawelcomeformy
friendandcolleague。Ihatetomeether，Watson，whenIhaveno
newsofherhusband。Hereweare。Whoa，there，whoa！“
Wehadpulledupinfrontofalargevillawhichstoodwithinits
owngrounds。Astable-boyhadrunouttothehorse”shead，and
springingdownIfollowedHolmesupthesmall，windinggravel-drive
whichledtothehouse。Asweapproached，thedoorflewopen，anda
littleblondewomanstoodintheopening”cladinsomesortoflight
mousselinedesoie，withatouchoffluffypinkchiffonatherneck
andwrists。Shestoodwithherfigureoutlinedagainstthefloodof
light，onehanduponthedoor，onehalf-raisedinhereagerness，her
bodyslightlybent，herheadandfaceprotruded，witheagereyesand
partedlips，astandingquestion。
“Well？“shecried，“Well？“Andthen，seeingthatthereweretwoof
us，shegaveacryofhopewhichsankintoagroanasshesawthat
mycompanionshookhisheadandshruggedhisshoulders。
“Nogoodnews？“
“None。”
“Nobad？“
“No。”
“ThankGodforthat。Butcomein。Youmustbeweary，foryouhave
hadalongday。”
“Thisismyfriend，Dr。Watson。Hehasbeenofmostvitaluseto
meinseveralofmycases，andaluckychancehasmadeitpossiblefor
metobringhimoutandassociatehimwiththisinvestigation。”
“Iamdelightedtoseeyou，“saidshe，pressingmyhandwarmly。“You
will，Iamsure，forgiveanythingthatmaybewantinginour
arrangements，whenyouconsidertheblowwhichhascomesosuddenly
uponus。”
“Mydearmadam，“saidI，“Iamanoldcampaigner，andifIwere
notIcanverywellseethatnoapologyisneeded。IfIcanbeof
anyassistance，eithertoyouortomyfriendhere，Ishallbe
indeedhappy。”
“Now，Mr。SherlockHolmes，“saidtheladyasweenteredawelllit
dining-room，uponthetableofwhichacoldsupperhadbeenlaid
out，“Ishouldverymuchliketoaskyouoneortwoplainquestions，
towhichIbegthatyouwillgiveaplainanswer。”
“Certainly，madam。”
“Donottroubleaboutmyfeelings。Iamnothysterical，norgivento
fainting。Isimplywishtohearyourreal，realopinion。”
“Uponwhatpoint？“
“Inyourheartofhearts，doyouthinkthatNevilleisalive？“
SherlockHolmesseemedtobeembarrassedbythequestion。
“Frankly，now！“sherepeated，standingupontherugandlookingkeenly
downathimasheleanedbackinabasket-chair。
“Frankly，then，madam，Idonot。”
“Youthinkthatheisdead？“
“Ido。”
“Murdered？“
“Idon”tsaythat。Perhaps。”
“Andonwhatdaydidhemeethisdeath？“
“OnMonday。”
“Thenperhaps，Mr。Holmes，youwillbegoodenoughtoexplainhowit
isthatIhavereceivedaletterfromhimto-day。”
SherlockHolmessprangoutofhischairasifhehadbeen
galvanized。
“What！“heroared。
“Yes，to-day。”Shestoodsmiling，holdingupalittleslipof
paperintheair。
“MayIseeit？“
“”Certainly。”
Hesnatcheditfromherinhiseagerness，andsmoothingitout
uponthetablehedrewoverthelampandexamineditintently。Ihad
leftmychairandwasgazingatitoverhisshoulder。Theenvelopewas
averycoarseoneandwasstampedwiththeGravesendpostmarkandwith
thedateofthatveryday，orratherofthedaybefore，foritwas
considerablyaftermidnight。
“Coarsewriting，“murmuredHolmes。“Surelythisisnotyour
husband”swriting，madam。”
“No，buttheenclosureis。”
“Iperceivealsothatwhoeveraddressedtheenvelopehadtogoand
inquireastotheaddress。”
“Howcanyoutellthat？“
“Thename，yousee，isinperfectlyblackink，whichhasdried
itself。Therestisofthegrayishcolour，whichshowsthat
blotting-paperhasbeenused。Ifithadbeenwrittenstraightoff，and
thenblotted，nonewouldbeofadeepblackshade。Thismanhas
writtenthename，andtherehasthenbeenapausebeforehewrote
theaddress，whichcanonlymeanthathewasnotfamiliarwithit。
Itis，ofcourse，atrifle，butthereisnothingsoimportantas
trifles。Letusnowseetheletter。Ha！Therehasbeenanenclosure
here！“
“Yes，therewasaring。Hissignet-ring。”
“Andyouaresurethatthisisyourhusband”shand？“
“Oneofhishands。”
“One？“
“Hishandwhenhewrotehurriedly。Itisveryunlikehisusual
writing，andyetIknowitwell。”
“Dearestdonotbefrightened。Allwillcomewell。Thereisahuge
errorwhichitmaytakesomelittletimetorectify。Waitin
patience。”
“NEVILLE。
Writteninpenciluponthefly-leafofabook，octavosize，no
water-mark。Hum！Postedto-dayinGravesendbyamanwithadirty
thumb。Ha！Andtheflaphasbeengummed，ifIamnotverymuchin
error，byapersonwhohadbeenchewingtobacco。Andyouhavenodoubt
thatitisyourhusband”shand，madam？“
“None。Nevillewrotethosewords。”
“Andtheywerepostedto-dayatGravesend。Well，Mrs。St。Clair，the
cloudslighten，thoughIshouldnotventuretosaythatthedanger
isover。”
“Buthemustbealive，Mr。Holmes。”
“Unlessthisisacleverforgerytoputusonthewrongscent。The
ring，afterall，provesnothing。Itmayhavebeentakenfromhim。”
“No，no；itis，itishisveryownwriting！“
“Verywell。Itmay，however，havebeenwrittenonMondayandonly
postedto-day。”
“Thatispossible。”
“Ifso，muchmayhavehappenedbetween。”
“Oh，youmustnotdiscourageme，Mr。Holmes。Iknowthatalliswell
withhim。ThereissokeenasympathybetweenusthatIshouldknowif
evilcameuponhim。OntheverydaythatIsawhimlasthecuthimself
inthebedroom，andyetIinthedining-roomrushedupstairsinstantly
withtheutmostcertaintythatsomethinghadhappened。Doyouthink
thatIwouldrespondtosuchatrifleandyetbeignorantofhis
death？“
“Ihaveseentoomuchnottoknowthattheimpressionofawomanmay
bemorevaluablethantheconclusionofananalyticalreasoner。Andin
thisletteryoucertainlyhaveaverystrongpieceofevidenceto
corroborateyourview。Butifyourhusbandisaliveandableto
writeletters，whyshouldheremainawayfromyou？“
“Icannotimagine。Itisunthinkable。”
“AndonMondayhemadenoremarksbeforeleavingyou？“
“No。”
“AndyouweresurprisedtoseehiminSwandamLane？“
“Verymuchso。”
“Wasthewindowopen？“
“Yes。”
“Thenhemighthavecalledtoyou？“
“Hemight。”
“Heonly，asIunderstand，gaveaninarticulatecry？“
“Yes。”
“Acallforhelp，youthought？“
“Yes。Hewavedhishands。”
“Butitmighthavebeenacryofsurprise。Astonishmentatthe
unexpectedsightofyoumightcausehimtothrowuphishands？“
“Itispossible。”
“Andyouthoughthewaspulledback？“
“Hedisappearedsosuddenly。”
“Hemighthaveleapedback。Youdidnotseeanyoneelseinthe
room？“
“No，butthishorriblemanconfessedtohavingbeenthere，andthe
lascarwasatthefootofthestairs。”
“Quiteso。Yourhusband，asfarasyoucouldsee，hadhisordinary
clotheson？“
“Butwithouthiscollarortie。Idistinctlysawhisbarethroat。”
“HadheeverspokenofSwandamLane？“
“Never。”
“Hadheevershowedanysignsofhavingtakenopium？“
“Never。”
“Thankyou，Mrs。St。Clair。Thosearetheprincipalpointsabout
whichIwishedtobeabsolutelyclear。Weshallnowhavealittle
supperandthenretire，forwemayhaveaverybusydayto-morrow。”
Alargeandcomfortabledouble-beddedroom。hadbeenplacedatour
disposal，andIwasquicklybetweenthesheets，forIwasweary
aftermynightofadventure。SherlockHolmeswasaman，however，
who，whenhehadanunsolvedproblemuponhismind，wouldgofordays，
andevenforaweek，withoutrest，turningitover，rearranginghis
facts，lookingatitfromeverypointofviewuntilhehadeither
fathomeditorconvincedhimselfthathisdatawereinsufficient。It
wassoonevidenttomethathewasnowpreparingforanall-night
sitting。Hetookoffhiscoatandwaistcoat，putonalargeblue
dressing-gown，andthenwanderedabouttheroomcollectingpillows
fromhisbedandcushionsfromthesofaandarmchairs。Withthesehe
constructedasortofEasterndivan，uponwhichheperchedhimself
cross-legged，withanounceofshagtobaccoandaboxofmatches
laidoutinfrontofhim。InthedimlightofthelampIsawhim
sittingthere，anoldbriarpipebetweenhislips，hiseyesfixed
vacantlyuponthecorneroftheceiling，thebluesmokecurlingup
fromhim，silent，motionless，withthelightshininguponhis
strong-setaqualinefeatures。SohesatasIdroppedofftosleep，
andsohesatwhenasuddenejaculationcausedmetowakeup，andI
foundthesummersunshiningintotheapartmentThepipewasstill
betweenhislips，thesmokestillcurledupward，andtheroomwas
fullofadensetobaccohaze，butnothingremainedoftheheapof
shagwhichIhadseenuponthepreviousnight。
“Awake，Watson？“heasked。
“Yes。”
“Gameforamorningdrive？“
“Certainly。”
“Thendress。Nooneisstirringyet，butIknowwherethestable-boy
sleeps，andweshallsoonhavethetrapout。”Hechuckledtohimself
ashespoke，hiseyestwinkled，andheseemedadifferentmantothe
sombrethinkerofthepreviousnight。
AsIdressedIglancedatmywatch。Itwasnowonderthatnoonewas
stirring。Itwastwenty-fiveminutespastfour。Ihadhardly
finishedwhenHolmesreturnedwiththenewsthattheboywasputting
inthehorse。
“Iwanttotestalittletheoryofmine，“saidhe，pullingonhis
boots。“Ithink，Watson，thatyouarenowstandinginthepresence
ofoneofthemostabsolutefoolsinEurope。Ideservetobekicked
fromheretoCharingCross。ButIthinkIhavethekeyoftheaffair
now。”
“Andwhereisit？“Iasked，smiling。
“Inthebathroom，“heanswered。“Oh，yes，Iamnotjoking，“he
continued，seeingmylookofincredulity。“Ihavejustbeenthere，and
Ihavetakenitout，andIhavegotitinthebag。Comeon，myboy，
andweshallseewhetheritwillnotfitthelock。”
Wemadeourwaydownstairsasquietlyaspossible，andoutinto
thebrightmorningsunshine。Intheroadstoodourhorseandtrap，
withthehalf-cladstableboywaitingatthehead。Webothsprangin，
andawaywedasheddowntheLondonRoad。Afewcountrycartswere
stirring，bearinginvegetablestothemetropolis，butmetropolis，but
thelinesofvillasoneithersidewereassilentandlifelessassome
cityinadream。
“Ithasbeeninsomepointsasingularcase，“saidHolmes，
flickingthehorseonintoagallop。“IconfessthatIhavebeenas
blindasamole，butitisbettertolearnwisdomlatethanneverto
learnitatall。”
Intowntheearliestriserswerejustbeginningtolooksleepily
fromtheirwindowsaswedrovethroughthestreetsoftheSurreyside，
PassingdowntheWaterlooBridgeRoadwecrossedovertheriver，and
dashingupWellingtonStreetwheeledsharplytotherightandfound
ourselvesinBowStreet。SherlockHolmeswaswellknowntothe
force，andthetwoconstablesatthedoorsalutedhim。Oneofthem
heldthehorse”sheadwhiletheotherledusin。
“Whoisonduty？“askedHolmes。
“InspectorBradstreet，sir。”
“Ah，Bradstreet，howareyou？“Atall，stoutofficialhadcome
downthestoneflaggedpassage，inapeakedcapandfroggedjacket。
“Iwishtohaveaquietwordwithyou，Bradstreet。”
“Certainly，Mr。Holmes。Stepintomyroomhere。”
Itwasasmall，office-likeroom，withahugeledgeruponthetable，
andatelephoneprojectingfromthewall。Theinspectorsatdownat
hisdesk。
“WhatcanIdoforyou，Mr。Holmes？“
“Icalledaboutthatbeggarman，Boone-theonewhowaschargedwith
beingconcernedinthedisappearanceofMr。NevilleSt。Clair，of
Lee。”
“Yes。Hewasbroughtupandremandedforfurtherinquiries。”
“SoIheard。Youhavehimhere？“
“Inthecells。”
“Ishequiet？“
“Oh，hegivesnotrouble。Butheisadirtyscoundrel。”
“Dirty？“
“Yes，itisallwecandotomakehimwashhishands，andhisface
isasblackasatinker”s。Well，whenoncehiscasehasbeen
settled，hewillhavearegularprisonbath；andIthink，ifyousaw
him，youwouldagreewithmethatheneededit。”
“Ishouldliketoseehimverymuch。”
“Wouldyou？Thatiseasilydone。Comethisway。Youcanleaveyour
bag。”
“No，IthinkthatI”lltakeit。”
“Verygood。Comethisway，ifyouplease。”Heledusdownapassage，
openedabarreddoor，passeddownawindingstair，andbroughtustoa
whitewashedcorridorwithalineofdoorsoneachside。
“Thethirdontherightishis，“saidtheinspector。“Hereitis！“
Hequietlyshotbackapanelintheupperpartofthedoorandglanced
through。
“Heisasleep，“saidhe。“Youcanseehimverywell。”
Webothputoureyestothegrating。Theprisonerlaywithhis
facetowardsus，inaverydeepsleep，breathingslowlyandheavily。
Hewasamiddle-sizedman，coarselycladasbecamehiscalling，witha
colouredshirtprotrudingthroughtherentinhistatteredcoat。He
was，astheinspectorhadsaid，extremelydirty，butthegrimewhich
coveredhisfacecouldnotconcealitsrepulsiveugliness。Abroad
whealfromanoldscarranrightacrossitfromeyetochin，andby
itscontractionhadturneduponesideoftheupperlip，sothatthree
teethwereexposedinaperpetualsnarl。Ashockofverybrightred
hairgrewlowoverhiseyesandforehead。
“He”sabeauty，isn”the？“saidtheinspector。
“Hecertainlyneedsawash，“remarkedHolmes。“Ihadanideathathe
might，andItookthelibertyofbringingthetoolswithme。”He
openedtheGladstonebagashespoke，andtookout，tomy
astonishment，averylargebath-sponge。
“He！he！Youareafunnyone，“chuckledtheinspector。
“Now，ifyouwillhavethegreatgoodnesstoopenthatdoorvery
quietly，wewillsoonmakehimcutamuchmorerespectablefigure“
“Well，Idon”tknowwhynot，“saidtheinspector。“Hedoesn”tlooka
credittotheBowStreetcells，doeshe？“Heslippedhiskeyinto
thelock，andweallveryquietlyenteredthecell。Thesleeperhalf
turned，andthensettleddownoncemoreintoadeepslumber。Holmes
stoopedtothewater-jug，moistenedhissponge，andthenrubbedit
twicevigorouslyacrossanddowntheprisoner”sface。
“Letmeintroduceyou，“heshouted，“toMr。NevilleSt。Clair，of
Lee，inthecountyofKent。”
NeverinmylifehaveIseensuchasight。Theman”sfacepeeledoff
underthespongelikethebarkfromatree。Gonewasthecoarse
browntint！Gone，too，wasthehorridscarwhichhadseameditacross，
andthetwistedlipwhichhadgiventherepulsivesneertotheface！A
twitchbroughtawaythetangledredhair，andthere，sittingupinhis
bed，wasapale，sad-faced，refined-lookingman，black-hairedand
smooth-skinned，rubbinghiseyesandstaringabouthimwithsleepy
bewilderment。Thensuddenlyrealizingtheexposure，hebrokeintoa
screamandthrewhimselfdownwithhisfacetothepillow。
“Greatheavens！“criedtheinspector，“itis，indeed，themissing
man。Iknowhimfromthephotograph。”
Theprisonerturnedwiththereckless；airofamanwhoabandons
himselftohisdestiny。“Beitso，“saidhe。“Andpray，whatamI
chargedwith？“
“WithmakingawaywithMr。NevilleSt-Oh，come，youcan”tbe
chargedwiththatunlesstheymakeacaseofattemptedsuicideofit，“
saidtheinspectorwithagrin。“Well，Ihavebeentwenty-seven
yearsintheforce，butthisreallytakesthecake。”
“IfIamMr。NevilleSt。Clair，thenitisobviousthatnocrimehas
beencommitted，andthat，therefore，Iamillegallydetained。”
“Nocrime，butaverygreaterrorhasbeencommitted，“said
Holmes。“Youwouldhavedonebettertohavetrustedyourwife。”
“Itwasnotthewife；itwasthechildren，“groanedtheprisoner。
“Godhelpme，Iwouldnothavethemashamedoftheirfather。MyGod！
Whatanexposure！WhatcanIdo？“
SherlockHolmessatdownbesidehimonthecouchandpattedhim
kindlyontheshoulder。
“Ifyouleaveittoacourtoflawtoclearthematterup，“saidhe，
“ofcourseyoucanhardlyavoidpublicity。Ontheotherhand，ifyou
convincethepoliceauthoritiesthatthereisnopossiblecaseagainst
you。，Idonotknowthatthereisanyreasonthatthedetailsshould
findtheirwayintothepapers。InspectorBradstreetwould，Iamsure，
makenotesuponanythingwhichyoumighttellusandsubmititto
theproperauthorities。Thecasewouldthennevergointocourtat
all。”
“Godblessyou！“criedtheprisonerpassionately。“Iwouldhave
enduredimprisonment，ay，evenexecution，ratherthanhaveleftmy
miserablesecretasafamilyblottomychildren。
“Youarethefirstwhohaveeverheardmystory。Myfatherwasa
school-masterinChesterfield，whereIreceivedanexcellent
education。Itravelledinmyyouth，tooktothestage，andfinally
becameareporteronaneveningpaperinLondon。Onedaymyeditor
wishedtohaveaseriesofarticlesuponbegginginthemetropolis，
andIvolunteeredtosupplythem。Therewasthepointfromwhichall
myadventuresstarted。Itwasonlybytryingbeggingasanamateur
thatIcouldgetthefactsuponwhichtobasemyarticles。Whenan
actorIhad，ofcourselearnedallthesecretsofmakingup，andhad
beenfamousinthegreen-roomformyskill。Itookadvantagenowofmy
attainments。Ipaintedmyface，andtomakemyselfaspitiableas
possibleImadeagoodscarandfixedonesideofmylipinatwistby
theaidofasmallslipofflesh-colouredplaster。Thenwithared
headofhair，andanappropriatedress，Itookmystationinthe
businesspartofthecity，ostensiblyasamatch-sellerbutreally
asabeggar。ForsevenhoursIpliedmytrade，andwhenIreturned
homeintheeveningIfoundtomysurprisethatIhadreceivednoless
than26s。4d。
“Iwrotemyarticlesandthoughtlittlemoreofthematteruntil，
sometimelater，Ibackedabillforafriendandhadawritserved
uponmeforL25。Iwasatmywit”sendwheretogetthemoney，buta
suddenideacametome。Ibeggedafortnight”sgracefromthe
creditor，askedforaholidayfrommyemployers，andspentthetimein
beggingintheCityundermydisguise。IntendaysIhadthemoneyand
hadpaidthedebt。
“Well，youcanimaginehowharditwastosettledowntoarduous
workatL2aweekwhenIknewthatIcouldearnasmuchinadayby
smearingmyfacewithalittlepaint，layingmycapontheground，and
sittingstill。Itwasalongfightbetweenmyprideandthemoney，but
thedollarswonatlast，andIthrewupreportingandsatdayafter
dayinthecornerwhichIhadfirstchosen，inspiringpitybymy
ghastlyfaceandfillingmypocketswithcoppers。Onlyonemanknewmy
secret。HewasthekeeperofalowdeninwhichIusedtolodgein
SwandamLane，whereIcouldeverymorningemergeasasqualidbeggar
andintheeveningstransformmyselfintoawell-dressedmanabout
town。Thisfellow，alascar，waswellpaidbymeforhisrooms，so
thatIknewthatmysecretwassafeinhispossession。
“Well，verysoonIfoundthatIwassavingconsiderablesumsof
money。IdonotmeanthatanybeggarinthestreetsofLondoncould
earnL700ayear-whichislessthanmyaveragetakings-butIhad
exceptionaladvantagesinmypowerofmakingup，andalsoina
facilityofrepartee，whichimprovedbypracticeandmademequitea
recognizedcharacterintheCity。Alldayastreamofpennies，
variedbysilver，pouredinuponme，anditwasaverybaddayin
whichIfailedtotakeL2。
“AsIgrewricherIgrewmoreambitious，tookahouseinthe
country，andeventuallymarried，withoutanyonehavingasuspicion
astomyrealoccupation。MydearwifeknewthatIhadbusinessinthe
City。Shelittleknewwhat。
“LastMondayIhadfinishedforthedayandwasdressinginmy
roomabovetheopiumdenwhenIlookedoutofmywindowandsaw，tomy
horrorandastonishmentthatmywifewasstandinginthestreet，
withhereyesfixedfulluponme。Igaveacryofsurprise，threwup
myarmstocovermyface，and，rushingtomyconfidantthelascar，
entreatedhimtopreventanyonefromcominguptome。Iheardher
voicedownstairs，butIknewthatshecouldnotascend。SwiftlyI
threwoffmyclothes，pulledonthoseofabeggar，andputonmy
pigmentsandwig。Evenawife”seyescouldnotpiercesocompletea
disguise。Butthenitoccurredtomethattheremightbeasearchin
theroom，andthattheclothesmightbetrayme。Ithrewopenthe
window，reopeningbymyviolenceasmallcutwhichIhadinflicted
uponmyselfinthebedroomthatmorning。ThenIseizedmycoat，
whichwasweightedbythecopperswhichIhadjusttransferredtoit
fromtheleatherbaginwhichIcarriedmytakings。Ihurleditoutof
thewindow，anditdisappearedintotheThames。Theotherclothes
wouldhavefollowed，butatthatmomenttherewasarushofconstables
upthestair，andafewminutesafterIfound，rather，Iconfess，to
myrelief，thatinsteadofbeingidentifiedasMr。NevilleSt。
Clair，Iwasarrestedashismurderer。
“Idonotknowthatthereisanythingelseformetoexplain。I
wasdeterminedtopreservemydisguiseaslongaspossible，and
hencemypreferenceforadirtyface。Knowingthatmywifewouldbe
terriblyanxious，Islippedoffmyringandconfidedittothe
lascaratamomentwhennoconstablewaswatchingme，togetherwith
ahurriedscrawl，tellingherthatshehadnocausetofear。”
“Thatnoteonlyreachedheryesterday，“saidHolmes。
“GoodGod！Whataweekshemusthavespent！“
“Thepolicehavewatchedthislascar，“saidInspectorBradstreet，
“andIcanquiteunderstandthathemightfinditdifficulttopost
aletterunobserved。Probablyhehandedittosomesailorcustomer
ofhis，whoforgotallaboutitforsomedays。”
“Thatwasit，“saidHolmes，noddingapprovingly，“Ihavenodoubtof
it。Buthaveyouneverbeenprosecutedforbegging？“
“Manytimes；butwhatwasafinetome？“
“Itmuststophere，however，“saidBradstreet。“Ifthepoliceareto
hushthisthingup，theremustbenomoreofHughBoone。”
“Ihaveswornitbythemostsolemnoathswhichamancantake。”
“InthatcaseIthinkthatitisprobablethatnofurthersteps
maybetaken。Butifyouarefoundagain，thenallmustcomeout。Iam
sure，Mr。Holmes，thatweareverymuchindebtedtoyouforhaving
clearedthematterup。IwishIknewhowyoureachyourresults。”
“Ireachedthisone，“saidmyfriend，“bysittinguponfive
pillowsandconsuminganounceofshag。Ithink，Watson，thatifwe
drivetoBakerStreetweshalljustbeintimeforbreakfast。”-
THEEND。
1893
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEMUSGRAVERITUAL
bySirArthurConanDoyle
Ananomalywhichoftenstruckmeinthecharacterofmyfriend
SherlockHolmeswasthat，althoughinhismethodsofthoughthewas
theneatestandmostmethodicalofmankind，andalthoughalsohe
affectedacertainquietprimnessofdress，hewasnonethelessin
hispersonalhabitsoneofthemostuntidymenthateverdrovea
fellow-lodgertodistraction。NotthatIamintheleast
conventionalinthatrespectmyself。Therough-and-tumbleworkin
Afghanistan，comingonthetopofnaturalBohemianismof
disposition，hasmademerathermorelaxthanbefitsamedicalman。
Butwithmethereisalimit，andwhenIfindamanwhokeepshis
cigarsinthecoal-scuttle，histobaccointhetoeendofaPersian
slipper，andhisunansweredcorrespondencetransfixedbya
jack-knifeintotheverycentreofhiswoodenmantelpiece，thenI
begintogivemyselfvirtuousairs。Ihavealwaysheld，too，that
pistolpracticeshouldbedistinctlyanopen-airpastime；andwhen
Holmes，inoneofhisqueerhumours，wouldsitinanarmchairwithhis
hair-triggerandahundredBoxercartridgesandproceedtoadornthe
oppositewallwithapatrioticV。R。doneinbullet-pocks，Ifelt
stronglythatneithertheatmospherenortheappearanceofourroom
wasimprovedbyit。
Ourchamberswerealwaysfullofchemicalsandofcriminalrelics
whichhadawayofwanderingintounlikelypositions，andofturning
upinthebutter-dishorinevenlessdesirableplaces。Buthispapers
weremygreatcrux。Hehadahorrorofdestroyingdocuments，
especiallythosewhichwereconnectedwithhispastcases，andyet
itwasonlyonceineveryyearortwothathewouldmusterenergyto
docketandarrangethem；for，asIhavementionedsomewhereinthese
incoherentmemoirs，theoutburstsofpassionateenergywhenhe
performedtheremarkablefeatswithwhichhisnameisassociated
werefollowedbyreactionsoflethargyduringwhichhewouldlieabout
withhisviolinandhisbooks，hardlymovingsavefromthesofatothe
table。Thusmonthaftermonthhispapersaccumulateduntilevery
corneroftheroomwasstackedwithbundlesofmanuscriptwhichwere
onnoaccounttobeburned，andwhichcouldnotbeputawaysaveby
theirowner。Onewinter”snight，aswesattogetherbythefire，I
venturedtosuggesttohimthat，ashehadfinishedpastingextracts
intohiscommonplacebook，hemightemploythenexttwohoursin
makingourroomalittlemorehabitable。Hecouldnotdenythejustice
ofmyrequest，sowitharatherruefulfacehewentofftohis
bedroom，fromwhichhereturnedpresentlypullingalargetinbox
behindhim。Thisheplacedinthemiddleofthefloor，and，
squattingdownuponastoolinfrontofit，hethrewbackthelid。I
couldseethatitwasalreadyathirdfullofbundlesofpapertiedup
withredtapeintoseparatepackages。
“Therearecasesenoughhere，Watson，“saidhe，lookingatmewith
mischievouseyes。“IthinkthatifyouknewallthatIhadinthisbox
youwouldaskmetopullsomeoutinsteadofputtingothersin。”
“Thesearetherecordsofyourearlywork，then？“Iasked。“Ihave
oftenwishedthatIhadnotesofthosecases。”
“Yes，myboy，thesewerealldoneprematurelybeforemybiographer
hadcometoglorifyme。”Heliftedbundleafterbundleinatender，
caressingsortofway。
“Theyarenotallsuccesses，Watson，“saidhe。“Buttherearesome
prettylittleproblemsamongthem。Here”stherecordoftheTarleton
murders，andthecaseofVamberry，thewinemerchant，andthe
adventureoftheoldRussianwoman，andthesingularaffairofthe
aluminumcrutch，aswellasafullaccountofRicolettiofthe
club-foot，andhisabominablewife。Andhere-ah，now，thisreallyis
somethingalittlerecherche。”