“Whichsurelyherestoredtotheirowner？“
“Mydearfellow，thereliestheproblem。Itistruethat`For
Mrs。HenryBaker”wasprinteduponasmallcardwhichwastiedto
thebird”sleftleg，anditisalsotruethattheinitials`H。B。”
arelegibleupontheliningofthishat；butastherearesome
thousandsofBakers，andsomehundredsofHenryBakersinthis
cityofours，itisnoteasytorestorelostpropertytoanyone
ofthem。”“What，then，didPetersondo？“
“HebroughtroundbothhatandgoosetomeonChristmas
morning，knowingthateventhesmallestproblemsareofinterest
tome。Thegooseweretaineduntilthismorning，whentherewere
signsthat，inspiteoftheslightfrost，itwouldbewellthatit
shouldbeeatenwithoutunnecessarydelay。Itsfinderhascarried
itoff，therefore，tofulfiltheultimatedestinyofagoose，
whileIcontinuetoretainthehatoftheunknowngentlemanwho
losthisChristmasdinner。”“Didhenotadvertise？““No。”“Then，whatcluecouldyouhaveastohisidentity？““Onlyasmuchaswecandeduce。”“Fromhishat？““Precisely。”
“Butyouarejoking。Whatcanyougatherfromthisold
batteredfelt？“
“Hereismylens。Youknowmymethods。Whatcanyougather
yourselfastotheindividualityofthemanwhohaswornthis
article？“
Itookthetatteredobjectinmyhandsandturneditover
ratherruefully。Itwasaveryordinaryblackhatoftheusual
roundshape，hardandmuchtheworseforwear。Thelininghad
beenofredsilk，butwasagooddealdiscoloured。Therewasno
maker”sname；but，asHolmeshadremarkcd，theinitials“H。B。”
werescrawledupononeside。Itwaspiercedinthebrimfora
hat-securer，buttheelasticwasmissing。Fortherest，itwas
cracked，exceedinglydusty，andspottedinseveralplaces，
althoughthereseemedtohavebeensomeattempttohidethe
discolouredpatchesbysmearingthemwithink。“Icanseenothing，“saidI，handingitbacktomyfriend。
“Onthecontrary，Watson，youcanseeeverything。Youfail，
however，toreasonfromwhatyousee。Youaretootimidin
drawingyourinferences。”
“Then，praytellmewhatitisthatyoucaninferfromthis
hat？“
Hepickeditupandgazedatitinthepeculiarintrospective
fashionwhichwascharacteristicofhim。“Itisperhapsless
suggestivethanitmighthavebeen，“heremarked，“andyetthere
areafewinferenceswhichareverydistinct，andafewothers
whichrepresentatleastastrongbalanceofprobability。That
themanwashighlyintellectualisofcourseobviousupontheface
ofit，andalsothathewasfairlywell-to-dowithinthelast
threeyears，althoughhehasnowfallenuponevildays。Hehad
foresight，buthaslessnowthanformerly，pointingtoamoral
retrogression，which，whentakenwiththedeclineofhisfortunes，
seemstoindicatesomeevilinfluence，probablydrink，atwork
uponhim。Thismayaccountalsofortheobviousfactthathis
wifehasceasedtolovehim。”“MydearHolmes！“
“Hehas，however，retainedsomedegreeofself-respect，“he
continued，disregardingmyremonstrance。“Heisamanwholeadsa
sedentarylife，goesoutlittle，isoutoftrainingentirely，is
middle-aged，hasgrizzledhairwhichhehashadcutwithinthe
lastfewdays，andwhichheanointswithlime-cream。Theseare
themorepatentfactswhicharetobededucedfromhishat。Also，
bytheway，thatitisextremelyimprobablethathehasgaslaid
oninhishouse。”“Youarecertainlyjoking，Holmes。”
“Notintheleast。Isitpossiblethatevennow，whenIgive
youtheseresults，youareunabletoseehowtheyareattained？“
“IhavenodoubtthatIamverystupid，butImustconfess
thatIamunabletofollowyou。Forexample，howdidyoudeduce
thatthismanwasintellectual？“
ForanswerHolmesclappedthehatuponhishead。Itcame
rightovertheforeheadandsettleduponthebridgeofhisnose。
“Itisaquestionofcubiccapacity，“saidhe；“amanwithso
largeabrainmusthavesomethinginit。”“Thedeclineofhisfortunes，then？“
“Thishatisthreeyearsold。Theseflatbrimscurledatthe
edgecameinthen。Itisahatoftheverybestquality。Lookat
thebandofribbedsilkandtheexcellentlining。Ifthisman
couldaffordtobuysoexpensiveahatthreeyearsago，andhas
hadnohatsince，thenhehasassuredlygonedownintheworld。”
“Well，thatisclearenough，certainly。Buthowaboutthe
foresightandthemoralretrogression？“
SherlockHolmeslaughed。“Hereistheforesight，“saidhe，
puttinghisfingeruponthelittlediscandloopofthe
hat-securer。“Theyareneversolduponhats。Ifthismanordered
one，itisasignofacertainamountofforesight，sincehewent
outofhiswaytotakethisprecautionagainstthewind。But
sinceweseethathehasbrokentheelasticandhasnottroubled
toreplaceit，itisobviousthathehaslessforesightnowthan
formerly，whichisadistinctproofofaweakeningnature。Onthe
otherhand，hehasendeavouredtoconcealsomeofthesestains
uponthefeltbydaubingthemwithink，whichisasignthathe
hasnotentirelylosthisself-respect。”“Yourreasoningiscertainlyplausible。”
“Thefurtherpoints，thatheismiddle-aged，thathishairis
grizzled，thatithasbeenrecentlycut，andthatheuses
lime-cream，arealltobegatheredfromacloseexaminationofthe
lowerpartofthelining。Thelensdisclosesalargenumberof
hair-ends，cleancutbythescissorsofthebarber。Theyall
appeartobeadhesive，andthereisadistinctodourof
lime-cream。Thisdust，youwillobserve，isnotthegritty，gray
dustofthestreetbutthefluffybrowndustofthehouse，showing
thatithasbeenhungupindoorsmostofthetime；whilethemarks
ofmoistureupontheinsideareproofpositivethatthewearer
perspiredveryfreely，andcouldtherefore，hardlybeinthebest
oftraining。”“Buthiswife——yousaidthatshehadceasedtolovehim。”
“Thishathasnotbeenbrushedforweeks。WhenIseeyou，my
dearWatson，withaweek”saccumulationofdustuponyourhat，and
whenyourwifeallowsyoutogooutinsuchastate，Ishallfear
thatyoualsohavebeenunfortunateenoughtoloseyourwife”s
affection。”“Buthemightbeabachelor。”
“Nay，hewasbringinghomethegooseasapeace-offeringto
hiswife。Rememberthecarduponthebird”sleg。”
“Youhaveananswertoeverything。Buthowonearthdoyou
deducethatthegasisnotlaidoninhishouse？“
“Onetallowstain，oreventwo，mightcomebychance；butwhen
Iseenolessthanfive，Ithinkthattherecanbelittledoubt
thattheindividualmustbebroughtintofrequentcontactwith
burningtallow——walksupstairsatnightprobablywithhishatin
onehandandagutteringcandleintheother。Anyhow，henever
gottallow-stainsfromagas-jet。Areyousatisfied？“
“Well，itisveryingenious，“saidI，laughing；“butsince，as
yousaidjustnow，therehasbeennocrimecommitted，andnoharm
donesavethelossofagoose，allthisseemstoberatherawaste
ofenergy。”
SherlockHolmeshadopenedhismouthtoreply，whenthedoor
flewopen，andPeterson，thecommissionaire，rushedintothe
apartmentwithflushedcheeksandthefaceofamanwhoisdazed
withastonishment。“Thegoose，Mr。Holmes！Thegoose，sir！“hegasped。
“Eh？Whatofit，then？Hasitreturnedtolifeandflapped
offthroughthekitchenwindow？“Holmestwistedhimselfround
uponthesofatogetafairerviewoftheman”sexcitedface。
“Seehere，sir！Seewhatmywifefoundinitscrop！“Heheld
outhishandanddisplayeduponthecentreofthepalma
brilliantlyscintillatingbluestone，rathersmallerthanabean
insize，butofsuchpurityandradiancethatittwinkledlikean
electricpointinthedarkhollowofhishand。
SherlockHolmessatupwithawhistle。“ByJove，Peterson！“
saidhe，“thisistreasuretroveindeed。Isupposeyouknowwhat
youhavegot？“
“Adiamond，sir？Apreciousstone。Itcutsintoglassas
thoughitwereputty。”“It”smorethanapreciousstone。Itisthepreciousstone。”“NottheCountessofMorcar”sbluecarbuncle！“Iejaculated。
“Preciselyso。Ioughttoknowitssizeandshape，seeing
thatIhavereadtheadvertisementaboutitinTheTimeseveryday
lately。Itisabsolutelyunique，anditsvaluecanonlybe
conjectured，buttherewardofferedof1000poundsiscertainlynot
withinatwentiethpartofthemarketprice。”
“Athousandpounds！GreatLordofmercy！“Thecommissionaire
plumpeddownintoachairandstaredfromonetotheotherofus。
“Thatisthereward，andIhavereasontoknowthatthereare
sentimentalconsiderationsinthebackgroundwhichwouldinduce
theCountesstopartwithhalfherfortuneifshecouldbut
recoverthegem。”
“Itwaslost，ifIrememberaright，attheHotel
Cosmopolitan，“Iremarked。
“Preciselyso，onDecember22d，justfivedaysago。John
Horner，aplumber，wasaccusedofhavingabstracteditfromthe
lady”sjewel-case。Theevidenceagainsthimwassostrongthat
thecasehasbeenreferredtotheAssizes。Ihavesomeaccountof
thematterhere，Ibelieve。”Herummagedamidhisnewspapers，
glancingoverthedates，untilatlasthesmoothedoneout，
doubleditover，andreadthefollowingparagraph：
“HotelCosmopolitanJewelRobbery。JohnHorner，26，
plumber，wasbroughtupuponthechargeofhavinguponthe22d
inst。，abstractedfromthejewel-caseoftheCountessof
Morcarthevaluablegemknownasthebluecarbuncle。James
Ryder，upper-attendantatthehotel，gavehisevidencetothe
effectthathehadshownHomeruptothedressing-roomofthe
CountessofMorcaruponthedayoftherobberyinorderthat
hemightsolderthesecondbarofthegrate，whichwasloose。
HehadremainedwithHornersomelittletime，buthadfinally
beencalledaway。Onreturning，hefoundthatHornerhad
disappeared，thatthebureauhadbeenforcedopen，andthat
thesmallmoroccocasketinwhich，asitafterwards
transpired，theCountesswasaccustomedtokeepherjewel，was
lyingemptyuponthedressing-table。Ryderinstantlygavethe
alarm，andHomerwasarrestedthesameevening；butthestone
couldnotbefoundeitheruponhispersonorinhisrooms。
CatherineCusack，maidtotheCountess，deposedtohaving
heardRyder”scryofdismayondiscoveringtherobbery，andto
havingrushedintotheroom，whereshefoundmattersas
describedbythelastwitness。InspectorBradstreet，B
division，gaveevidenceastothearrestofHomer，who
struggledfrantically，andprotestedhisinnocenceinthe
strongestterms。Evidenceofapreviousconvictionfor
robberyhavingbeengivenagainsttheprisoner，themagistrate
refusedtodealsummarilywiththeoffence，butreferreditto
theAssizes。Homer，whohadshownsignsofintenseemotion
duringtheproceedings，faintedawayattheconclusionandwas
carriedoutofcourt。
“Hum！Somuchforthepolice-court，“saidHolmes
thoughtfully，tossingasidethepaper。“Thequestionforusnow
tosolveisthesequenceofeventsleadingfromarifled
jewel-caseatoneendtothecropofagooseinTottenhamCourt
Roadattheother。Yousee，Watson，ourlittledeductionshave
suddenlyassumedamuchmoreimportantandlessinnocentaspect。
Hereisthestone；thestonecamefromthegoose，andthegoose
camefromMr。HenryBaker，thegentlemanwiththebadhatandall
theothercharacteristicswithwhichIhaveboredyou。Sonowwe
mustsetourselvesveryseriouslytofindingthisgentlemanand
ascertainingwhatparthehasplayedinthislittlemystery。To
dothis，wemusttrythesimplestmeansfirst，andtheselie
undoubtedlyinanadvertisementinalltheeveningpapers。If
thisfail，Ishallhaverecoursetoothermethods。”“Whatwillyousay？““Givemeapencilandthatslipofpaper。Now，then：
“FoundatthecornerofGoodgeStreet，agooseandablack
felthat。Mr。HenryBakercanhavethesamebyapplyingat
6：30thiseveningat221B，BakerStreet。Thatisclearandconcise。”“Very。Butwillheseeit？“
“Well，heissuretokeepaneyeonthepapers，since，toa
poorman，thelosswasaheavyone。Hewasclearlysoscaredby
hismischanceinbreakingthewindowandbytheapproachof
Petersonthathethoughtofnothingbutflight，butsincethenhe
musthavebitterlyregrettedtheimpulsewhichcausedhimtodrop
hisbird。Then，again，theintroductionofhisnamewillcause
himtoseeit，foreveryonewhoknowshimwilldirecthis
attentiontoit。Hereyouare，Peterson，rundowntothe
advertisingagencyandhavethisputintheeveningpapers。”“Inwhich，sir？“
“Oh，intheGlobe，Star，PallMall，St。James”s，EveningNews
Standard，Echo，andanyothersthatoccurtoyou。”“Verywell，sir。Andthisstone？“
“Ah，yes，Ishallkeepthestone。Thankyou。And，Isay，
Peterson，justbuyagooseonyourwaybackandleaveitherewith
me，forwemusthaveonetogivetothisgentlemaninplaceofthe
onewhichyourfamilyisnowdevouring。”
Whenthecommissionairehadgone，Holmestookupthestoneand
helditagainstthelight。“It”sabonnything，“saidhe。“Just
seehowitglintsandsparkles。Ofcourseitisanucleusand
focusofcrime。Everygoodstoneis。Theyarethedevil”spet
baits。Inthelargerandolderjewelseveryfacetmaystandfora
bloodydeed。Thisstoneisnotyettwentyyearsold。Itwas
foundinthebanksoftheAmoyRiverinsouthernChinaandis
remarkableinhavingeverycharacteristicofthecarbuncle，save
thatitisblueinshadeinsteadofrubyred。Inspiteofits
youth，ithasalreadyasinisterhistory。Therehavebeentwo
murders，avitriol-throwing，asuicide，andseveralrobberies
broughtaboutforthesakeofthisforty-grainweightof
crystallizedcharcoal。Whowouldthinkthatsoprettyatoywould
beapurueyortothegallowsandtheprison？I”lllockitupin
mystrongboxnowanddropalinetotheCountesstosaythatwe
haveit。”“DoyouthinkthatthismanHornerisinnocent？““Icannottell。”
“Well，then，doyouimaginethatthisotherone，HenryBaker，
hadanythingtodowiththematter？“
“Itis，Ithink，muchmorelikelythatHenryBakerisan
absolutelyinnocentman，whohadnoideathatthebirdwhichhe
wascarryingwasofconsiderablymorevaluethanifitweremade
ofsolidgold。That，however，Ishalldeterminebyaverysimple
testifwehaveananswertoouradvertisement。”“Andyoucandonothinguntilthen？““Nothing。”
“InthatcaseIshallcontinuemyprofessionalround。ButI
shallcomebackintheeveningatthehouryouhavementioned，for
Ishouldliketoseethesolutionofsotangledabusiness。”
“Verygladtoseeyou。Idineatseven。Thereisawoodcock，
Ibelieve。Bytheway，inviewofrecentoccurrences，perhapsI
oughttoaskMrs。Hudsontoexamineitscrop。”
Ihadbeendelayedatacase，anditwasalittleafter
half-pastsixwhenIfoundmyselfinBakerStreetoncemore。AsI
approachedthehouseIsawatallmaninaScotchbonnetwitha
coatwhichwasbuttoneduptohischinwaitingoutsideinthe
brightsemicirclewhichwasthrownfromthefanlight。JustasI
arrivedthedoorwasopened，andwewereshownuptogetherto
Holmes”sroom。
“Mr。HenryBaker，Ibelieve，“saidhe，risingfromhis
armchairandgreetinghisvisitorwiththeeasyairofgeniality
whichhecouldsoreadilyassume。“Praytakethischairbythe
fire，Mr。Baker。Itisacoldnight，andIobservethatyour
circulationismoreadaptedforsummerthanforwinter。Ah，
Watson，youhavejustcomeattherighttime。Isthatyourhat，
Mr。Baker？““Yes，sir，thatisundoubtedlymyhat。”
Hewasalargemanwithroundedshoulders，amassivehead，and
abroad，intelligentface，slopingdowntoapointedbeardof
grizzledbrown。Atouchofredinnoseandcheeks，withaslight
tremorofhisextendedhand，recalledHolmes”ssurmiseastohis
habits。Hisrustyblackfrock-coatwasbuttonedrightupin
front，withthecollarturnedup，andhislankwristsprotruded
fromhissleeveswithoutasignofcufforshirt。Hespokeina
slowstaccatofashion，choosinghiswordswithcare，andgavethe
impressiongenerallyofamanoflearningandletterswhohadhad
ill-usageatthehandsoffortune。
“Wehaveretainedthesethingsforsomedays，“saidHolmes，
“becauseweexpectedtoseeanadvertisementfromyougivingyour
address。Iamatalosstoknownowwhyyoudidnotadvertise。”
Ourvisitorgavearathershamefacedlaugh。“Shillingshave
notbeensoplentifulwithmeastheyoncewere，“heremarked。“I
hadnodoubtthatthegangofroughswhoassaultedmehadcarried
offbothmyhatandthebird。Ididnotcaretospendmoremoney
inahopelessattemptatrecoveringthem。”
“Verynaturally。Bytheway，aboutthebird，wewere
compelledtoeatit。”
“Toeatit！“Ourvisitorhalfrosefromhischairinhis
excitement。
“Yes，itwouldhavebeenofnousetoanyonehadwenotdone
so。ButIpresumethatthisothergooseuponthesideboard，which
isaboutthesameweightandperfectlyfresh，willansweryour
purposeequallywell？“
“Oh，certainly，certainly，“answeredMr。Bakerwithasighof
relief。
“Ofcourse，westillhavethefeathers，legs，crop，andsoon
ofyourownbird，soifyouwish”
Themanburstintoaheartylaugh。“Theymightbeusefulto
measrelicsofmyadventure，“saidhe，“butbeyondthatIcan
hardlyseewhatusethedisjectamembraofmylateacquaintance
aregoingtobetome。No，sir，Ithinkthat，withyour
permission，Iwillconfinemyattentionstotheexcellentbird
whichIperceiveuponthesideboard。”
SherlockHolmesglancedsharplyacrossatmewithaslight
shrugofhisshoulders。
“Thereisyourhat，then，andthereyourbird，“saidhe。“By
theway，woulditboreyoutotellmewhereyougottheotherone
from？Iamsomewhatofafowlfancier，andIhaveseldomseena
bettergrowngoose。”
“Certainly，sir，“saidBaker，whohadrisenandtuckedhis
newlygainedpropertyunderhisarm。“Thereareafewofuswho
frequenttheAlphaInn，neartheMuseum——wearetobefoundinthe
Museumitselfduringtheday，youunderstand。Thisyearourgood
host，Windigatebyname，institutedagooseclub，bywhich，on
considerationofsomefewpenceeveryweek，wewereeachto
receiveabirdatChristmas。Mypenceweredulypaid，andthe
restisfamiliartoyou。Iammuchindebtedtoyou，sir，fora
Scotchbonnetisfittedneithertomyyearsnormygravity。”With
acomicalpomposityofmannerhebowedsolemnlytobothofusand
strodeoffuponhisway。
“SomuchforMr。HenryBaker，“saidHolmeswhenhehadclosed
thedoorbehindhim。“Itisquitecertainthatheknowsnothing
whateveraboutthematter。Areyouhungry，Watson？““Notparticularly。”
“ThenIsuggestthatweturnourdinnerintoasupperand
followupthiscluewhileitisstillhot。”“Byallmeans。”
Itwasabitternight，sowedrewonourulstersandwrapped
cravatsaboutourthroats。Outside，thestarswereshiningcoldly
inacloudlesssky，andthebreathofthepassers-byblewoutinto
smokelikesomanypistolshots。Ourfootfallsrangoutcrisply
andloudlyasweswungthroughthedoctors”quarter，Wimpole
Street，HarleyStreet，andsothroughWigmoreStreetintoOxford
Street。InaquarterofanhourwewereinBloomsburyatthe
AlphaInn，whichisasmallpublic-houseatthecornerofoneof
thestreetswhichrunsdownintoHolborn。Holmespushedopenthe
dooroftheprivatebarandorderedtwoglassesofbeerfromthe
ruddy-faced，white-apronedlandlord。
“Yourbeershouldbeexcellentifitisasgoodasyour
geese，“saidhe。“Mygeese！“Themanseemedsurprised。
“Yes。IwasspeakingonlyhalfanhouragotoMr。Henry
Baker，whowasamemberofyourgooseclub。”“Ah！yes，Isee。Butyousee，sir，them”snotourgeese。”“Indeed！Whose，then？““Well，IgotthetwodozenfromasalesmaninCoventGarden。”“Indeed？Iknowsomeofthem。Whichwasit？““Breckinridgeishisname。”
“Ah！Idon”tknowhim。Well，here”syourgoodhealth，
landlord，andprosperitytoyourhouse。Good-night。”
“NowforMr。Breckinridge，“hecontinued，buttoninguphis
coataswecameoutintothefrostyair。“Remember，Watson，that
thoughwehavesohomelyathingasagooseatoneendofthis
chain，wehaveattheotheramanwhowillcertainlygetseven
years”penalservitudeunlesswecanestablishhisinnocence。It
ispossiblethatourinquirymaybutconfirmhisguilt；but，in
anycase，wehavealineofinvestigationwhichhasbeenmissedby
thepolice，andwhichasingularchancehasplacedinourhands。
Letusfollowitouttothebitterend。Facestothesouth，then，
andquickmarch！“
WepassedacrossHolborn，downEndellStreet，andsothrougha
zigzagofslumstoCoventGardenMarket。Oneofthelargest
stallsborethenameofBreckinridgeuponit，andtheproprietor，
ahorsy-lookingman，withasharpfaceandtrimside-whiskers，was
helpingaboytoputuptheshutters。“Good-evening。It”sacoldnight“”saidHolmes。
Thesalesmannoddedandshotaquestioningglanceatmy
companion。
“Soldoutofgeese，Isee，“continuedHolmes，pointingatthe
bareslabsofmarble。“Letyouhavefivehundredto-morrowmorning。”“Thatsnogood。”“Well，therearesomeonthestallwiththegas-flare。”“Ah，butIwasrecommendedtoyou。”“Whoby？““ThelandlordoftheAlpha。”“Oh，yes；Isenthimacoupleofdozen。”“Finebirdstheywere，too。Nowwheredidyougetthemfrom？“
Tomysurprisethequestionprovokedaburstofangerfromthe
salesman。
“Now，then，mister，“saidhe，withhisheadcockedandhis
armsakimbo，“whatareyoudrivingat？Let”shaveitstraight，
now。”
“Itisstraightenough。Ishouldliketoknowwhosoldyou
thegeesewhichyousuppliedtotheAlpha。”“Well，then，Ishan”ttellyou。Sonow！“
“Oh，itisamatterofnoimportance；butIdon”tknowwhyyou
shouldbesowarmoversuchatrifle。”
“Warm！You”dbeaswarm，maybe，ifyouwereaspesteredasI
am。WhenIpaygoodmoneyforagoodarticlethereshouldbean
endofthebusiness；butit”s`Wherearethegeese？”and`Whodid
yousellthegeeseto？”and`Whatwillyoutakeforthegeese？”
Onewouldthinktheyweretheonlygeeseintheworld，tohearthe
fussthatismadeoverthem。”
“Well，Ihavenoconnectionwithanyotherpeoplewhohave
beenmakinginquiries，“saidHolmescarelessly。“Ifyouwon”t
tellusthebetisoff，thatisall。ButI”malwaysreadytoback
myopiniononamatteroffowls，andIhaveafiveronitthatthe
birdIateiscountrybred。”
“Well，then，you”velostyourfiver，forit”stownbred，“
snappedthesalesman。“It”snothingofthekind。”“Isayitis。”“Idon”tbelieveit。”
“D”youthinkyouknowmoreaboutfowlsthanI，whohave
handledthemeversinceIwasanipper？Itellyou，allthose
birdsthatwenttotheAlphaweretownbred。”“You”llneverpersuademetobelievethat。”“Willyoubet，then？“
“It”smerelytakingyourmoney，forIknowthatIamright。
ButI”llhaveasovereignonwithyou，justtoteachyounottobe
obstinate。”
Thesalesmanchuckledgrimly。“Bringmethebooks，Bill，“
saidhe。
Thesmallboybroughtroundasmallthinvolumeandagreat
greasy-backedone，layingthemouttogetherbeneaththehanging
lamp。
“Nowthen，Mr。Cocksure，“saidthesalesman，“IthoughtthatI
wasoutofgeese，butbeforeIfinishyou”llfindthatthereis
stilloneleftinmyshop。Youseethislittlebook？““Well？“
“That”sthelistofthefolkfromwhomIbuy。D”yousee？
Well，then，hereonthispagearethecountryfolk，andthe
numbersaftertheirnamesarewheretheiraccountsareinthebig
ledger。Now，then！Youseethisotherpageinredink？Well，
thatisalistofmytownsuppliers。Now，lookatthatthird
name。Justreaditouttome。”“Mrs。Oakshott，117，BrixtonRoad——249，“readHolmes。“Quiteso。Nowturnthatupintheledger。”
Holmesturnedtothepageindicated。“Hereyouare，`Mrs。
Oakshott，117，BrixtonRoad，eggandpoultrysupplier。”““Now，then，what”sthelastentry？““`December22d。Twenty-fourgeeseat7s。6d。”““Quiteso。Thereyouare。Andunderneath？““`SoldtoMr。WindigateoftheAlpha，at12s。”““Whathaveyoutosaynow？“
SherlockHolmeslookeddeeplychagrined。Hedrewasovereign
fromhispocketandthrewitdownupontheslab，turningawaywith
theairofamanwhosedisgustistoodeepforwords。Afewyards
offhestoppedunderalamp-postandlaughedinthehearty，
noiselessfashionwhichwaspeculiartohim。
“Whenyouseeamanwithwhiskersofthatcutandthe`Pink”un”protrudingoutofhispocket，youcanalwaysdrawhimbya
bet，“saidhe。“IdaresaythatifIhadput100poundsdowninfrontof
him，thatmanwouldnothavegivenmesuchcompleteinformationas
wasdrawnfromhimbytheideathathewasdoingmeonawager。
Well，Watson，weare，Ifancy，nearingtheendofourquest，and
theonlypointwhichremainstobedeterminediswhetherweshould
goontothisMrs。Oakshottto-night，orwhetherweshould
reserveitforto-morrow。Itisclearfromwhatthatsurlyfellow
saidthatthereareothersbesidesourselveswhoareanxiousabout
thematter，andIshould”
Hisremarksweresuddenlycutshortbyaloudhubbubwhich
brokeoutfromthestallwhichwehadjustleft。Turningroundwe
sawalittlerat-facedfellowstandinginthecentreofthecircle
ofyellowlightwhichwasthrownbytheswinginglamp，while
Breckinridge，thesalesman，framedinthedoorofhisstall，was
shakinghisfistsfiercelyatthecringingfigure。
“I”vehadenoughofyouandyourgeese，“heshouted。“Iwish
youwereallatthedeviltogether。Ifyoucomepesteringmeany
morewithyoursillytalkI”llsetthedogatyou。YoubringMrs。
OakshotthereandI”llanswerher，butwhathaveyoutodowith
it？DidIbuythegeeseoffyou？“
“No；butoneofthemwasmineallthesame，“whinedthelittle
man。“Well，then，askMrs。Oakshottforit。”“Shetoldmetoaskyou。”
“Well，youcanasktheKingofProosia，forallIcare。I”ve
hadenoughofit。Getoutofthis！“Herushedfiercelyforward，
andtheinquirerflittedawayintothedarkness。
“Ha！thismaysaveusavisittoBrixtonRoad，“whispered
Holmes。“Comewithme，andwewillseewhatistobemadeofthis
fellow。”Stridingthroughthescatteredknotsofpeoplewho
loungedroundtheflaringstalls，mycompanionspeedilyovertook
thelittlemanandtouchedhimupontheshoulder。Hesprang
round，andIcouldseeinthegas-lightthateveryvestigeof
colourhadbeendrivenfromhisface。
“Whoareyou，then？Whatdoyouwant？“heaskedina
quaveringvoice。
“Youwillexcuseme，“saidHolmesblandly，“butIcouldnot
helpoverhearingthequestionswhichyouputtothesalesmanjust
now。IthinkthatIcouldbeofassistancetoyou。”
“You？Whoareyou？Howcouldyouknowanythingofthe
matter？“
“MynameisSherlockHolmes。Itismybusinesstoknowwhat
otherpeopledon”tknow。”“Butyoucanknownothingofthis？“
“Excuseme，Iknoweverythingofit。Youareendeavouringto
tracesomegeesewhichweresoldbyMrs。Oakshott，ofBrixton
Road，toasalesmannamedBreckinridge，byhiminturntoMr。
Windigate，oftheAlpha，andbyhimtohisclub，ofwhichMr。
HenryBakerisamember。”
“Oh，sir，youaretheverymanwhomIhavelongedtomeet，“
criedthelittlefellowwithoutstretchedhandsandquivering
fingers。“IcanhardlyexplaintoyouhowinterestedIaminthis
matter。”
SherlockHolmeshailedafour-wheelerwhichwaspassing。“In
thatcasewehadbetterdiscussitinacosyroomratherthanin
thiswind-sweptmarket-place，“saidhe。“Butpraytellme，before
wegofarther，whoitisthatIhavethepleasureofassisting。”
Themanhesitatedforaninstant。“MynameisJohnRobinson，“
heansweredwithasidelongglance。
“No，no；therealname，“saidHolmessweetly。“Itisalways
awkwarddoingbusinesswithanalias。”
Aflushsprangtothewhitecheeksofthestranger。“Well，
then，“saidhe，“myrealnameisJamesRyder。”
“Preciselyso。HeadattendantattheHotelCosmopolitan。
Praystepintothecab，andIshallsoonbeabletotellyou
everythingwhichyouwouldwishtoknow。”
Thelittlemanstoodglancingfromonetotheotherofuswith
half-frightened，half-hopefuleyes，asonewhoisnotsurewhether
heisonthevergeofawindfallorofacatastrophe。Thenhe
steppedintothecab，andinhalfanhourwewerebackinthe
sitting-roomatBakerStreet。Nothinghadbeensaidduringour
drive，butthehigh，thinbreathingofournewcompanion，andthe
claspingsandunclaspingsofhishands，spokeofthenervous
tensionwithinhim。
“Hereweare！“saidHolmescheerilyaswefiledintotheroom。
“Thefirelooksveryseasonableinthisweather。Youlookcold，
Mr。Ryder。Praytakethebasket-chair。Iwilljustputonmy
slippersbeforewesettlethislittlematterofyours。Now，then！
Youwanttoknowwhatbecameofthosegeese？““Yes，sir。”
“Orrather，Ifancy，ofthatgoose。Itwasonebird，I
imagine，inwhichyouwereinterested——white，withablackbar
acrossthetail。”
Ryderquiveredwithemotion。“Oh，sir，“hecried，“canyou
tellmewhereitwentto？““Itcamehere。”“Here？“
“Yes，andamostremarkablebirditproved。Idon”twonder
thatyoushouldtakeaninterestinit。Itlaidaneggafterit
wasdead——thebonniest，brightestlittleblueeggthateverwas
seen。Ihaveithereinmymuseum。”
Ourvisitorstaggeredtohisfeetandclutchedthemantelpiece
withhisrighthand。Holmesunlockedhisstrong-boxandheldup
thebluecarbuncle，whichshoneoutlikeastar，withacold，
brilliant，many-pointedradiance。Ryderstoodglaringwitha
drawnface，uncertainwhethertoclaimortodisownit。
“Thegame”sup，Ryder，“saidHolmesquietly。“Holdup，man，
oryou”llbeintothefire！Givehimanarmbackintohischair，
Watson。He”snotgotbloodenoughtogoinforfelonywith
impunity。Givehimadashofbrandy。So！Nowhelooksalittle
morehuman。Whatashrimpitis，tobesure！“
Foramomenthehadstaggeredandnearlyfallen，butthe
brandybroughtatingeofcolourintohischeeks，andhesat
staringwithfrightenedeyesathisaccuser。
“Ihavealmosteverylinkinmyhands，andalltheproofs
whichIcouldpossiblyneed，sothereislittlewhichyouneed
tellme。Still，thatlittlemayaswellbecleareduptomakethe
casecomplete。Youhadheard，Ryder，ofthisbluestoneofthe
CountessofMorcar”s？“
“ItwasCatherineCusackwhotoldmeofit，“saidheina
cracklingvoice。
“Isee——herladyship”swaiting-maid。Well，thetemptationof
suddenwealthsoeasilyacquiredwastoomuchforyou，asithas
beenforbettermenbeforeyou；butyouwerenotveryscrupulous
inthemeansyouused。Itseemstome，Ryder，thatthereisthe
makingofaveryprettyvillaininyou。Youknewthatthisman
Horner，theplumber，hadbeenconcernedinsomesuchmatter
before，andthatsuspicionwouldrestthemorereadilyuponhim。
Whatdidyoudo，then？Youmadesomesmalljobinmylady”s
room——youandyourconfederateCusack——andyoumanagedthathe
shouldbethemansentfor。Then，whenhehadleft，yourifled
thejewel-case，raisedthealarm，andhadthisunfortunateman
arrested。Youthen”
Ryderthrewhimselfdownsuddenlyupontherugandclutchedat
mycompanion”sknees。“ForGod”ssake，havemercy！“heshrieked。
“Thinkofmyfather！ofmymother！Itwouldbreaktheirhearts。
Ineverwentwrongbefore！Ineverwillagain。Iswearit。I”ll
swearitonaBible。Oh，don”tbringitintocourt！ForChrist”s
sake，don”t！“
“Getbackintoyourchair！“saidHolmessternly。“Itisvery
welltocringeandcrawlnow，butyouthoughtlittleenoughof
thispoorHornerinthedockforacrimeofwhichheknew
nothing。”
“Iwillfly，Mr。Holmes。Iwillleavethecountry，sir。Then
thechargeagainsthimwillbreakdown。”
“Hum！Wewilltalkaboutthat。Andnowletushearatrue
accountofthenextact。Howcamethestoneintothegoose，and
howcamethegooseintotheopenmarket？Tellusthetruth，for
thereliesyouronlyhopeofsafety。”
Ryderpassedhistongueoverhisparchedlips。“Iwilltell
youitjustasithappened，sir，“saidhe。“WhenHornerhadbeen
arrested，itseemedtomethatitwouldbebestformetogetaway
withthestoneatonce，forIdidnotknowatwhatmomentthe
policemightnottakeitintotheirheadstosearchmeandmy
room。Therewasnoplaceaboutthehotelwhereitwouldbesafe。
Iwentout，asifonsomecommission，andImadeformysister”s
house。ShehadmarriedamannamedOakshott，andlivedinBrixton
Road，whereshefattenedfowlsforthemarket。Allthewaythere
everymanImetseemedtometobeapolicemanoradetective；
and，forallthatitwasacoldnight，thesweatwaspouringdown
myfacebeforeIcametotheBrixtonRoad。Mysisteraskedme
whatwasthematter，andwhyIwassopale；butItoldherthatI
hadbeenupsetbythejewelrobberyatthehotel。ThenIwent
intothebackyardandsmokedapipe，andwonderedwhatitwould
bebesttodo。
“IhadafriendoncecalledMaudsley，whowenttothebad，and
hasjustbeenservinghistimeinPentonvilIe。Onedayhehadmet
me，andfellintotalkaboutthewaysofthieves，andhowthey
couldgetridofwhattheystole。Iknewthathewouldbetrueto
me，forIknewoneortwothingsabouthim；soImadeupmymind
togorightontoKilburn，wherehelived，andtakehimintomy
confidence。Hewouldshowmehowtoturnthestoneintomoney。
Buthowtogettohiminsafety？IthoughtoftheagoniesIhad
gonethroughincomingfromthehotel。Imightatanymomentbe
seizedandsearched，andtherewouldbethestoneinmywaistcoat
pocket。Iwasleaningagainstthewallatthetimeandlookingat
thegeesewhichwerewaddlingaboutroundmyfeet，andsuddenlyan
ideacameintomyheadwhichshowedmehowIcouldbeatthebest
detectivethateverlived。
“MysisterhadtoldmesomeweeksbeforethatImighthavethe
pickofhergeeseforaChristmaspresent，andIknewthatshewas
alwaysasgoodasherword。Iwouldtakemygoosenow，andinit
IwouldcarrymystonetoKilburn。Therewasalittleshedinthe
yard，andbehindthisIdroveoneofthebirds——afinebigone，
white，withabarredtail。Icaughtit，and，pryingitsbill
open，Ithrustthestonedownitsthroatasfarasmyfingercould
reach。Thebirdgaveagulp，andIfeltthestonepassalongits
gulletanddownintoitscrop。Butthecreatureflappedand
struggled，andoutcamemysistertoknowwhatwasthematter。As
Iturnedtospeaktoherthebrutebrokelooseandflutteredoff
amongtheothers。“`Whateverwereyoudoingwiththatbird，Jem？”saysshe。
“`Well”saidI，`yousaidyou”dgivemeoneforChristmas，
andIwasfeelingwhichwasthefattest。”
“`Oh”saysshe，`we”vesetyoursasideforyou——Jem”sbird，
wecallit。It”sthebigwhiteoneoveryonder。There”s
twenty-sixofthem，whichmakesoneforyou，andoneforus，and
twodozenforthemarket。”
“`Thankyou，Maggie”saysI；`butifitisallthesameto
you，I”dratherhavethatoneIwashandlingjustnow。”
“`Theotherisagoodthreepoundheavier”saidshe，`andwe
fatteneditexpresslyforyou。”
“`Nevermind。I”llhavetheother，andI”lltakeitnow”
saidI。
“`Oh，justasyoulike”saidshe，alittlehuffed。`Whichis
ityouwant，then？”
“`Thatwhiteonewiththebarredtail，rightinthemiddleof
theflock。”`Oh，verywell。Killitandtakeitwithyou。”
“Well，Ididwhatshesaid，Mr。Holmes，andIcarriedthebird
allthewaytoKilburn。ItoldmypalwhatIhaddone，forhewas
amanthatitwaseasytotellathinglikethatto。Helaughed
untilhechoked，andwegotaknifeandopenedthegoose。My
heartturnedtowater，fortherewasnosignofthestone，andI
knewthatsometerriblemistakehadoccurred。Ileftthebird，
rushedbacktomysister”s，andhurriedintothebackyard。There
wasnotabirdtobeseenthere。“`Wherearetheyall，Maggie？”Icried。“`Gonetothedealer”s，Jem。”“`Whichdealer”s？”“`Breckinridge，ofCoventGarden。”
“`Butwasthereanotherwithabarredtail？”Iasked，`the
sameastheoneIchose？”
“`Yes，Jem；thereweretwobarred-tailedones，andIcould
nevertellthemapart。”
“Well，then，ofcourseIsawitall，andIranoffashardas
myfeetwouldcarrymetothismanBreckinridge；buthehadsold
thelotatonce，andnotonewordwouldhetellmeastowhere
theyhadgone。Youheardhimyourselvesto-night。Well，hehas
alwaysansweredmelikethat。MysisterthinksthatIamgoing
mad。SometimesIthinkthatIammyself。Andnow——andnowIam
myselfabrandedthief，withouteverhavingtouchedthewealthfor
whichIsoldmycharacter。Godhelpme！Godhelpme！“Heburst
intoconvulsivesobbing，withhisfaceburiedinhishands。
Therewasalongsilence，brokenonlybyhisheavybreathing，
andbythemeasuredtappingofSherlockHolmes”sfinger-tipsupon
theedgeofthetable。Thenmyfriendroseandthrewopenthe
door。“Getout！“saidhe。“What，sir！Oh，Heavenblessyou！““Nomorewords。Getout！“
Andnomorewordswereneeded。Therewasarush，aclatter
uponthestairs，thebangofadoor，andthecrisprattleof
runningfootfallsfromthestreet。
“Afterall，Watson，“saidHolmes，reachinguphishandforhis
claypipe，“Iamnotretainedbythepolicetosupplytheir
deficiencies。IfHornerwereindangeritwouldbeanotherthing；
butthisfellowwillnotappearagainsthim，andthecasemust
collapse。IsupposethatIamcommutingafelony，butitisjust
possiblethatIamsavingasoul。Thisfellowwillnotgowrong
again；heistooterriblyfrightened。Sendhimtojailnow，and
youmakehimajail-birdforlife。Besides，itistheseasonof
forgiveness。Chancehasputinourwayamostsingularand
whimsicalproblem，anditssolutionisitsownreward。Ifyou
willhavethegoodnesstotouchthebell，Doctor，wewillbegin
anotherinvestigation，inwhich，alsoabirdwillbethechief
feature。”。
1908
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEBRUCE-PARTINGTONPLAN
bySirArthurConanDoyle
InthethirdweekofNovember，intheyear1895，adenseyellowfog
settleddownuponLondon。FromtheMondaytotheThursdayIdoubt
whetheritwaseverpossiblefromourwindowsinBakerStreettosee
theloomoftheoppositehouses。ThefirstdayHolmeshadspentin
cross-indexinghishugebookofreferences。Thesecondandthirdhad
beenpatientlyoccupieduponasubjectwhichhehadrecentlymade
hishobby-themusicoftheMiddleAges。Butwhen，forthefourth
time，afterpushingbackourchairsfrombreakfastwesawthe
greasy，heavybrownswirlstilldriftingpastusandcondensingin
oilydropsuponthewindow-panes，mycomrade”simpatientandactive
naturecouldendurethisdrabexistencenolonger。Hepacedrestlessly
aboutoursitting-roominafeverofsuppressedenergy，bitinghis
nails，tappingthefurniture，andchafingagainstinaction。
“Nothingofinterestinthepaper，Watson？“hesaid。
Iwasawarethatbyanythingofinterest，Holmesmeantanythingof
criminalinterest。Therewasthenewsofarevolution，ofapossible
war，andofanimpendingchangeofgovernment；butthesedidnot
comewithinthehorizonofmycompanion。Icouldseenothing
recordedintheshapeofcrimewhichwasnotcommonplaceandfutile。
Holmesgroanedandresumedhisrestlessmeanderings。
“TheLondoncriminaliscertainlyadullfellow，“saidheinthe
querulousvoiceofthesportsmanwhosegamehasfailedhim。“Look
outofthiswindow，Watson。Seehowthefiguresloomup，aredimly
seen，andthenblendoncemoreintothecloud-bank。Thethieforthe
murderercouldroamLondononsuchadayasthetigerdoesthejungle，
unseenuntilhepounces，andthenevidentonlytohisvictim。”
“Therehave，“saidI，“beennumerouspettythefts。”
Holmessnortedhiscontempt。
“Thisgreatandsombrestageissetforsomethingmoreworthythan
that，“saidhe。“ItisfortunateforthiscommunitythatIamnota
criminal。”
“Itis，indeed！“saidIheartily。
“SupposethatIwereBrooksorWoodhouse，oranyofthefiftymen
whohavegoodreasonfortakingmylife，howlongcouldIsurvive
againstmyownpursuit？Asummons，abogusappointment，andall
wouldbeover。Itiswelltheydon”thavedaysoffogintheLatin
countries-thecountriesofassassination。ByJove！herecomes
somethingatlasttobreakourdeadmonotony。”
Itwasthemaidwithatelegram。Holmestoreitopenandburstout
laughing。
“Well，well！Whatnext？“saidhe。“BrotherMycroftiscominground。”
“Whynot？“Iasked。
“Whynot？Itisasifyoumetatram-carcomingdownacountrylane。
Mycrofthashisrailsandherunsonthem。HisPallMalllodgings，the
DiogenesClub，Whitehall-thatishiscycle。Once，andonlyonce，he
hasbeenhere。Whatupheavalcanpossiblyhavederailedhim？“
“Doeshenotexplain？“
Holmeshandedmehisbrother”stelegram。
MustseeyouoverCadoganWest。Comingatonce。
MYCROFT。
“CadoganWest？Ihaveheardthename。”
“Itrecallsnothingtomymind。ButthatMycroftshouldbreakoutin
thiserraticfashion！Aplanetmightaswellleaveitsorbit。Bythe
way，doyouknowwhatMycroftis？“
Ihadsomevaguerecollectionofanexplanationatthetimeofthe
AdventureoftheGreekInterpreter。
“YoutoldmethathehadsomesmallofficeundertheBritish
government。”
Holmeschuckled。
“Ididnotknowyouquitesowellinthosedays。Onehastobe
discreetwhenonetalksofhighmattersofstate。Youarerightin
thinkingthatheisundertheBritishgovernment。Youwouldalsobe
rightinasenseifyousaidthatoccasionallyheistheBritish
government。”
“MydearHolmes！“
“IthoughtImightsurpriseyou。Mycroftdrawsfourhundredand
fiftypoundsayear，remainsasubordinate，hasnoambitionsofany
kind，willreceiveneitherhonournortitle，butremainsthemost
indispensablemaninthecountry。”
“Buthow？“
“Well，hispositionisunique。Hehasmadeitforhimself。Therehas
neverbeenanythinglikeitbefore，norwillbeagain。Hehasthe
tidiestandmostorderlybrain，withthegreatestcapacityforstoring
facts，ofanymanliving。ThesamegreatpowerswhichIhaveturnedto
thedetectionofcrimehehasusedforthisparticularbusiness。The
conclusionsofeverydepartmentarepassedtohim，andheisthe
centralexchange，theclearing-house，whichmakesoutthebalance。All
othermenarespecialists，buthisspecialismisomniscience。We
willsupposethataministerneedsinformationastoapointwhich
involvestheNavy，India，Canadaandthebimetallicquestion；hecould
gethisseparateadvicesfromvariousdepartmentsuponeach，but
onlyMycroftcanfocusthemall，andsayoffhandhoweachfactorwould
affecttheother。Theybeganbyusinghimasashort-cut，a
convenience；nowhehasmadehimselfanessential。Inthatgreatbrain
ofhiseverythingispigeon-holedandcanbehandedoutinaninstant。
Againandagainhiswordhasdecidedthenationalpolicy。Helives
init。Hethinksofnothingelsesavewhen，asanintellectual
exercise，heunbendsifIcalluponhimandaskhimtoadvisemeon
oneofmylittleproblems。ButJupiterisdescendingto-day。Whaton
earthcanitmean？WhoisCadoganWest，andwhatishetoMycroft？“
“Ihaveit，“Icried，andplungedamongthelitterofpapersupon
thesofa。“Yes，yes，hereheis，sureenough！CadoganWestwasthe
youngmanwhowasfounddeadontheUndergroundonTuesdaymorning。”
Holmessatupatattention，hispipehalfwaytohislips。
“Thismustbeserious，Watson。Adeathwhichhascausedmybrother
toalterhishabitscanbenoordinaryone。Whatintheworldcanhe
havetodowithit？ThecasewasfeaturelessasIrememberit。The
youngmanhadapparentlyfallenoutofthetrainandkilledhimself。
Hehadnotbeenrobbed，andtherewasnoparticularreasonto
suspectviolence。Isthatnotso？“
“Therehasbeenaninquest“saidI，“andagoodmanyfreshfacts
havecomeout。Lookedatmoreclosely，Ishouldcertainlysaythat
itwasacuriouscase。”
“Judgingbyitseffectuponmybrother，Ishouldthinkitmustbe
amostextraordinaryone。”Hesnuggleddowninhisarmchair。“Now，
Watson，letushavethefacts。”
“Theman”snamewasArthurCadoganWest。Hewastwenty-sevenyears
ofage，unmarried，andaclerkatWoolwichArsenal。”
“Governmentemploy。BeholdthelinkwithBrotherMycroft！“
“HeleftWoolwichsuddenlyonMondaynight。Waslastseenbyhis
fiancee，MissVioletWestbury，whomheleftabruptlyinthefog
about7：30thatevening。Therewasnoquarrelbetweenthemandshecan
givenomotiveforhisaction。Thenextthingheardofhimwaswhen
hisdeadbodywasdiscoveredbyaplate-layernamedMason，just
outsideAldgateStationontheUndergroundsysteminLondon。”
“When？“
“ThebodywasfoundatsixontheTuesdaymorning。Itwaslyingwide
ofthemetalsuponthelefthandofthetrackasonegoeseastward，at
apointclosetothestation，wherethelineemergesfromthetunnel
inwhichitruns。Theheadwasbadlycrushed-aninjurywhichmight
wellhavebeencausedbyafallfromthetrain。Thebodycouldonly
havecomeonthelineinthatway。Haditbeencarrieddownfromany
neighbouringstreet，itmusthavepassedthestationbarriers，wherea
collectorisalwaysstanding。Thispointseemsabsolutelycertain。”
“Verygood。Thecaseisdefiniteenough。Theman，deadoralive，
eitherfellorwasprecipitatedfromatrain。Somuchisclearto
me。Continue。”
“Thetrainswhichtraversethelinesofrailbesidewhichthebody
wasfoundarethosewhichrunfromwesttoeast，somebeingpurely
Metropolitan，andsomefromWillesdenandoutlyingjunctions。Itcan
bestatedforcertainthatthisyoungman，whenhemethisdeath，
wastravellinginthisdirectionatsomelatehourofthenight，but
atwhatpointheenteredthetrainitisimpossibletostate。”
“Histicket，ofcourse，wouldshowthat。”
“Therewasnoticketinhispockets。”
“Noticket！Dearme，Watson，thisisreallyverysingular。According
tomyexperienceitisnotpossibletoreachtheplatformofa
Metropolitantrainwithoutexhibitingone”sticket。Presumably，
then，theyoungmanhadone。Wasittakenfromhiminordertoconceal
thestationfromwhichhecame？Itispossible。Ordidhedropitin
thecarriage？Thatalsoispossible。Butthepointisofcurious
interest。Iunderstandthattherewasnosignofrobbery？“
“Apparentlynot。Thereisalisthereofhispossessions。His
pursecontainedtwopoundsfifteen。Hehadalsoacheck-bookonthe
WoolwichbranchoftheCapitalandCountiesBank。Throughthishis
identitywasestablished。Therewerealsotwodress-circleticketsfor
theWoolwichTheatre，datedforthatveryevening。Alsoasmallpacket
oftechnicalpapers。”
Holmesgaveanexclamationofsatisfaction。
“Therewehaveitatlast，Watson！Britishgovernment-Woolwich。
Arsenal-technicalpapers-BrotherMycroft，thechainiscomplete。But
herehecomes，ifIamnotmistaken，tospeakforhimself。”
AmomentlaterthetallandportlyformofMycroftHolmeswas
usheredintotheroom。Heavilybuiltandmassive，therewasa
suggestionofuncouthphysicalinertiainthefigure，butabovethis
unwieldyframetherewasperchedaheadsomasterfulinitsbrow，so
alertinitssteel-gray，deep-seteyes，sofirminitslips，andso
subtleinitsplayofexpression，thatafterthefirstglanceone
forgotthegrossbodyandrememberedonlythedominantmind。
AthisheelscameouroldfriendLestrade，ofScotlandYard-thin
andaustere。Thegravityofboththeirfacesforetoldsomeweighty
quest。Thedetectiveshookhandswithoutaword。MycroftHolmes
struggledoutofhisovercoatandsubsidedintoanarmchair。