Hismannerwasnoteffusive。Itseldomwas；buthewasglad，I
　　think，toseeme。Withhardlyawordspoken，butwithakindlyeye，hewavedmetoanarmchair，threwacrosshiscaseofcigars，andindicatedaspiritcaseandagasogeneinthecorner。Thenhestoodbeforethefire，andlookedmeoverinhissingularintrospectivefashion。
　　“Wedlocksuitsyou，“heremarked。“Ithink，Watson，thatyouhaveputonsevenandahalfpoundssinceIsawyou。“
　　“Seven，“Ianswered。
　　“Indeed，Ishouldhavethoughtalittlemore。Justatriflemore，Ifancy，Watson。Andinpracticeagain，Iobserve。Youdidnottellmethatyouintendedtogointoharness。“
　　“Thenhowdoyouknow？“
　　“Iseeit，Ideduceit。HowdoIknowthatyouhavebeengettingyourselfverywetlately，andthatyouhaveamostclumsyandcarelessservantgirl？“
　　“MydearHolmes，“saidI，“thisistoomuch。Youwouldcertainlyhavebeenburnedhadyoulivedafewcenturiesago。ItistruethatIhadacountrywalkonThursdayandcamehomeinadreadfulmess；butasIhavechangedmyclothes，Ican’timaginehowyoudeduceit。AstoMaryJane，sheisincorrigible，andmywifehasgivenhernotice；butthereagainIfailtoseehowyouworkitout。“
　　Hechuckledtohimselfandrubbedhislongnervoushandstogether。
　　“Itissimplicityitself，“saidhe，“myeyestellmethatontheinsideofyourleftshoe，justwherethefirelightstrikesit，theleatherisscoredbysixalmostparallelcuts。Obviouslytheyhavebeencausedbysomeonewhohasverycarelesslyscrapedroundtheedgesofthesoleinordertoremovecrustedmudfromit。Hence，yousee，mydoubledeductionthatyouhadbeenoutinvileweather，andthatyouhadaparticularlymalignantboot-slickingspecimenoftheLondonslavey。Astoyourpractice，ifagentlemanwalksintomyrooms，smellingofiodoform，withablackmarkofnitrateofsilveruponhisrightforefinger，andabulgeonthesideofhistophattoshowwherehehassecretedhisstethoscope，ImustbedullindeedifIdonotpronouncehimtobeanactivememberofthemedicalprofession。“
　　Icouldnothelplaughingattheeasewithwhichheexplainedhisprocessofdeduction。“WhenIhearyougiveyourreasons，“I
　　remarked，“thethingalwaysappearstomesoridiculouslysimplethatIcouldeasilydoitmyself，thoughateachsuccessiveinstanceofyourreasoningIambaffled，untilyouexplainyourprocess。Andyet，Ibelievethatmyeyesareasgoodasyours。“
　　“Quiteso，“heanswered，lightingacigarette，andthrowinghimselfdownintoanarmchair。“Yousee，butyoudonotobserve。Thedistinctionisclear。Forexample，youhavefrequentlyseenthestepswhichleadupfromthehalltothisroom。“
　　“Frequently。“
　　“Howoften？“
　　“Well，somehundredsoftimes。“
　　“Thenhowmanyarethere？“
　　“Howmany？Idon’tknow。“
　　“Quiteso！Youhavenotobserved。Andyetyouhaveseen。Thatisjustmypoint。Now，Iknowthereareseventeensteps，becauseI
　　havebothseenandobserved。Bytheway，sinceyouareinterestedintheselittleproblems，andsinceyouaregoodenoughtochronicleoneortwoofmytriflingexperiences，youmaybeinterestedinthis。“Hethrewoverasheetofthickpink-tintednotepaperwhichhadbeenlyingopenuponthetable。“Itcamebythelastpost，“saidhe。“Readitaloud。“
　　Thenotewasundated，andwithouteithersignatureoraddress。
　　“Therewillcalluponyouto-night，ataquartertoeighto’clock，“
　　itsaid，“agentlemanwhodesirestoconsultyouuponamatteroftheverydeepestmoment。YourrecentservicestooneoftheroyalhousesofEuropehaveshownthatyouareonewhomaysafelybetrustedwithmatterswhichareofanimportancewhichcanhardlybeexaggerated。Thisaccountofyouwehavefromallquartersreceived。Beinyourchamber，then，atthathour，anddonottakeitamissifyourvisitorwearsamask。“
　　“Thisisindeedamystery，“Iremarked。“Whatdoyouimaginethatitmeans？“
　　“Ihavenodatayet。Itisacapitalmistaketotheorizebeforeonehasdata。Insensiblyonebeginstotwistfactstosuittheories，insteadoftheoriestosuitfacts。Butthenoteitself——
　　whatdoyoudeducefromit？“
　　Icarefullyexaminedthewriting，andthepaperuponwhichitwaswritten。
　　“Themanwhowroteitwaspresumablywelltodo，“Iremarked，endeavoringtoimitatemycompanion’sprocesses。“Suchpapercouldnotbeboughtunderhalfacrownapacket。Itispeculiarlystrongandstiff。“
　　“Peculiar——thatistheveryword，“saidHolmes。“ItisnotanEnglishpaperatall。Holdituptothelight。“
　　Ididso，andsawalargeEwithasmallg，aPandalargeGwithasmalltwovenintothetextureofthepaper。
　　“Whatdoyoumakeofthat？“askedHolmes。
　　“Thenameofthemaker，nodoubt；orhismonogram，rather。“
　　“Notall。TheGwiththesmalltstandsfor’Gesellschaft，’whichistheGermanfor’Company。’Itisacustomarycontractionlikeour’Co。’P，ofcourse，standsfor’Papier。’NowfortheEg。Letusglanceatour’ContinentalGazetteer。“Hetookdownaheavybrownvolumefromhisshelves。“Eglow，Eglonitz——hereweare，Egria。ItisinaGerman-speakingcountry——inBohemia，notfarfromCarlsbad。’RemarkableasbeingthesceneofthedeathofWallenstein，andforitsnumerousglassfactoriesandpapermills。’
　　Ha！ha！myboy，whatdoyoumakeofthat？“Hiseyessparkled，andhesentupagreatbluetriumphantcloudfromhiscigarette。
　　“ThepaperwasmadeinBohemia，“Isaid。
　　“Precisely。AndthemanwhowrotethenoteisaGerman。Doyounotethepeculiarconstructionofthesentence——’Thisaccountofyouwehavefromallquartersreceived’？AFrenchmanorRussiancouldnothavewrittenthat。ItistheGermanwhoissouncourteoustohisverbs。Itonlyremains，therefore，todiscoverwhatiswantedbythisGermanwhowritesuponBohemianpaper，andpreferswearingamasktoshowinghisface。Andherehecomes，ifIamnotmistaken，toresolveallourdoubts。“
　　Ashespoketherewasthesharpsoundofhorses’hoofsandgratingwheelsagainstthecurb，followedbyasharppullatthebell。
　　Holmeswhistled。
　　“Apair，bythesound，“saidhe。“Yes，“hecontinued，glancingoutofthewindow。“Anicelittlebroughamandapairofbeauties。A
　　hundredandfiftyguineasapiece。There’smoneyinthiscase，Watson，ifthereisnothingelse。“
　　“IthinkIhadbettergo，Holmes。“
　　“Notabit，doctor。Staywhereyouare。IamlostwithoutmyBoswell。Andthispromisestobeinteresting。Itwouldbeapitytomissit。“
　　“Butyourclient——“
　　“Nevermindhim。Imaywantyourhelp，andsomayhe。Herehecomes。Sitdowninthatarmchair，doctor，andgiveusyourbestattention。“
　　Aslowandheavystep，whichhadbeenhearduponthestairsandinthepassage，pausedimmediatelyoutsidethedoor。Thentherewasaloudandauthoritativetap。
　　“Comein！“saidHolmes。
　　Amanenteredwhocouldhardlyhavebeenlessthansixfeetsixinchesinheight，withthechestandlimbsofaHercules。Hisdresswasrichwitharichnesswhichwould，inEngland，belookeduponasakintobadtaste。Heavybandsofastrakhanwereslashedacrossthesleevesandfrontofhisdouble-breastedcoat，whilethedeepbluecloakwhichwasthrownoverhisshoulderswaslinedwithflame-coloredsilk，andsecuredattheneckwithabroochwhichconsistedofasingleflamingberyl。Bootswhichextendedhalfwayuphiscalves，andwhichweretrimmedatthetopswithrichbrownfur，completedtheimpressionofbarbaricopulencewhichwassuggestedbyhiswholeappearance。Hecarriedabroad-brimmedhatinhishand，whileheworeacrosstheupperpartofhisface，extendingdownpastthecheek-bones，ablackvisardmask，whichhehadapparentlyadjustedthatverymoment，forhishandwasstillraisedtoitasheentered。Fromthelowerpartofthefaceheappearedtobeamanofstrongcharacter，withathick，hanginglip，andalong，straightchin，suggestiveofresolutionpushedtothelengthofobstinacy。
　　“Youhadmynote？“heasked，withadeep，harshvoiceandastronglymarkedGermanaccent。“ItoldyouthatIwouldcall。“Helookedfromonetotheotherofus，asifuncertainwhichtoaddress。
　　“Praytakeaseat，“saidHolmes。“Thisismyfriendandcolleague，DoctorWatson，whoisoccasionallygoodenoughtohelpmeinmycases。WhomhaveIthehonortoaddress？“
　　“YoumayaddressmeastheCountvonKramm，aBohemiannobleman。I
　　understandthatthisgentleman，yourfriend，isamanofhonoranddiscretion，whomImaytrustwithamatterofthemostextremeimportance。Ifnot，Ishouldmuchprefertocommunicatewithyoualone。“
　　Irosetogo，butHolmescaughtmebythewristandpushedmebackintomychair。“Itisboth，ornone，“saidhe。“Youmaysaybeforethisgentlemananythingwhichyoumaysaytome。“
　　Thecountshruggedhisbroadshoulders。“ThenImustbegin，“saidhe，“bybindingyoubothtoabsolutesecrecyfortwoyears；attheendofthattimethematterwillbeofnoimportance。AtpresentitisnottoomuchtosaythatitisofsuchweightthatitmayhaveaninfluenceuponEuropeanhistory。“
　　“Ipromise，“saidHolmes。
　　“AndI。“