“What！where？“shoutedMr。Windibank，turningwhitetohislips，andglancingabouthimlikearatinatrap。
　　“Oh，itwon’tdo——reallyitwon’t，“saidHolmes，suavely。“Thereisnopossiblegettingoutofit，Mr。Windibank。Itisquitetootransparent，anditwasaverybadcomplimentwhenyousaidthatitwasimpossibleformetosolvesosimpleaquestion。That’sright！
　　Sitdown，andletustalkitover。“
　　Ourvisitorcollapsedintoachair，withaghastlyface，andaglitterofmoistureonhisbrow。“It——it’snotactionable，“hestammered。
　　“Iamverymuchafraidthatitisnot；butbetweenourselves，Windibank，itwasascruel，andselfish，andheartlessatrickinapettywayasevercamebeforeme。Now，letmejustrunoverthecourseofevents，andyouwillcontradictmeifIgowrong。“
　　Themansathuddledupinhischair，withhisheadsunkuponhisbreast，likeonewhoisutterlycrushed。Holmesstuckhisfeetuponthecornerofthemantelpiece，and，leaningbackwithhishandsinhispockets，begantalking，rathertohimself，asitseemed，thantous。
　　“Themanmarriedawomanverymucholderthanhimselfforhermoney，“saidhe，“andheenjoyedtheuseofthemoneyofthedaughteraslongasshelivedwiththem。Itwasaconsiderablesum，forpeopleintheirposition，andthelossofitwouldhavemadeaseriousdifference。Itwasworthanefforttopreserveit。
　　Thedaughterwasofagood，amiabledisposition，butaffectionateandwarmheartedinherways，sothatitwasevidentthatwithherfairpersonaladvantages，andherlittleincome，shewouldnotbeallowedtoremainsinglelong。Nowhermarriagewouldmean，ofcourse，thelossofahundredayear，sowhatdoesherstepfatherdotopreventit？Hetakestheobviouscourseofkeepingherathome，andforbiddinghertoseekthecompanyofpeopleofherownage。Butsoonhefoundthatthatwouldnotanswerforever。Shebecamerestive，insisteduponherrights，andfinallyannouncedherpositiveintentionofgoingtoacertainball。Whatdoeshercleverstepfatherdothen？Heconceivesanideamorecreditabletohisheadthantohisheart。Withtheconnivanceandassistanceofhiswife，hedisguisedhimself，coveredthosekeeneyeswithtintedglasses，maskedthefacewithamustacheandapairofbushywhiskers，sunkthatclearvoiceintoaninsinuatingwhisper，anddoublysecureonaccountofthegirl’sshortsight，heappearsasMr。HosmerAngel，andkeepsoffotherloversbymakinglovehimself。“
　　“Itwasonlyajokeatfirst，“groanedourvisitor。“Weneverthoughtthatshewouldhavebeensocarriedaway。“
　　“Verylikelynot。Howeverthatmaybe，theyoungladywasverydecidedlycarriedaway，andhavingquitemadeuphermindthatherstepfatherwasinFrance，thesuspicionoftreacheryneverforaninstantenteredhermind。Shewasflatteredbythegentleman’sattentions，andtheeffectwasincreasedbytheloudlyexpressedadmirationofhermother。ThenMr。Angelbegantocall，foritwasobviousthatthemattershouldbepushedasfarasifwouldgo，ifarealeffectweretobeproduced。Thereweremeetings，andanengagement，whichwouldfinallysecurethegirl’saffectionsfromturningtowardanyoneelse。Butthedeceptioncouldnotbekeptupforever。ThesepretendedjourneystoFrancewererathercumbrous。
　　Thethingtodowasclearlytobringthebusinesstoanendinsuchadramaticmannerthatitwouldleaveapermanentimpressionupontheyounglady’smind，andpreventherfromlookinguponanyothersuitorforsometimetocome。HencethosevowsoffidelityexacteduponaTestament，andhencealsotheallusionstoapossibilityofsomethinghappeningontheverymorningofthewedding。JamesWindibankwishedMissSutherlandtobesoboundtoHosmerAngel，andsouncertainastohisfate，thatfortenyearstocome，atanyrate，shewouldnotlistentoanotherman。Asfarasthechurchdoorhebroughther，andthen，ashecouldgonofarther，heconvenientlyvanishedawaybytheoldtrickofsteppinginatonedoorofafour-wheelerandoutattheother。Ithinkthatthatwasthechainofevents，Mr。Windibank！“
　　OurvisitorhadrecoveredsomethingofhisassurancewhileHolmeshadbeentalking，andherosefromhischairnowwithacoldsneeruponhispaleface。
　　“Itmaybeso，oritmaynot，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe；“butifyouaresoverysharpyououghttobesharpenoughtoknowthatitisyouwhoarebreakingthelawnow，andnotme。Ihavedonenothingactionablefromthefirst，butaslongasyoukeepthatdoorlockedyoulayyourselfopentoanactionforassaultandillegalconstraint。“
　　“Thelawcannot，asyousay，touchyou，“saidHolmes，unlockingandthrowingopenthedoor，“yetthereneverwasamanwhodeservedpunishmentmore。Iftheyoungladyhasabrotherorafriend，heoughttolayawhipacrossyourshoulders。ByJove！“hecontinued，flushingupatthesightofthebittersneerupontheman’sface，“itisnotpartofmydutiestomyclient，buthere’sahuntingcrophandy，andIthinkIshalljusttreatmyselfto——“Hetooktwoswiftstepstothewhip，butbeforehecouldgraspittherewasawildclatterofstepsuponthestairs，theheavyhalldoorbanged，andfromthewindowwecouldseeMr。JamesWindibankrunningatthetopofhisspeeddowntheroad。
　　“There’sacold-bloodedscoundrel！“saidHolmes，laughingashethrewhimselfdownintohischaironcemore。“Thatfellowwillrisefromcrimetocrimeuntilhedoessomethingverybadandendsonagallows。Thecasehas，insomerespects，beennotentirelydevoidofinterest。“
　　“Icannotnowentirelyseeallthestepsofyourreasoning，“I
　　remarked。
　　“Well，ofcourseitwasobviousfromthefirstthatthisMr。HosmerAngelmusthavesomestrongobjectforhiscuriousconduct，anditwasequallyclearthattheonlymanwhoreallyprofitedbytheincident，asfaraswecouldsee，wasthestepfather。Thenthefactthatthetwomenwerenevertogether，butthattheonealwaysappearedwhentheotherwasaway，wassuggestive。Sowerethetintedspectaclesandthecuriousvoice，whichbothhintedatadisguise，asdidthebushywhiskers。Mysuspicionswereallconfirmedbyhispeculiaractionintypewritinghissignature，which，ofcourse，inferredthathishandwritingwassofamiliartoherthatshewouldrecognizeeventhesmallestsampleofit。Youseealltheseisolatedfacts，togetherwithmanyminorones，allpointedinthesamedirection。“
　　“Andhowdidyouverifythem？“
　　“Havingoncespottedmyman，itwaseasytogetcorroboration。I
　　knewthefirmforwhichthismanworked。Havingtakentheprinteddescription，Ieliminatedeverythingfromitwhichcouldbetheresultofadisguise，——thewhiskers，theglasses，thevoice，——andI
　　sentittothefirmwitharequestthattheywouldinformmewhetheritansweredtothedescriptionofanyoftheirtravelers。
　　Ihadalreadynoticedthepeculiaritiesofthetypewriter，andI
　　wrotetothemanhimselfathisbusinessaddress，askinghimifhewouldcomehere。AsIexpected，hisreplywastypewritten，andrevealedthesametrivialbutcharacteristicdefects。ThesamepostbroughtmealetterfromWesthouse&Marbank，ofFenchurchStreet，tosaythatthedescriptiontalliedineveryrespectwiththatoftheiremployee，JamesWindibank。Voilatout！“
　　“AndMissSutherland？“
　　“IfItellhershewillnotbelieveme。YoumayremembertheoldPersiansaying，’Thereisdangerforhimwhotakeththetigercub，anddangeralsoforwhososnatchethadelusionfromawoman。’
　　ThereisasmuchsenseinHafizasinHorace，andasmuchknowledgeoftheworld。“
　　AScandalinBohemiaI
　　ToSherlockHolmessheisalwaysTHEwoman。Ihaveseldomheardhimmentionherunderanyothername。Inhiseyessheeclipsesandpredominatesthewholeofhersex。ItwasnotthathefeltanyemotionakintoloveforIreneAdler。Allemotions，andthatoneparticularly，wereabhorrenttohiscold，precisebutadmirablybalancedmind。Hewas，Itakeit，themostperfectreasoningandobservingmachinethattheworldhasseen；butasalover，hewouldhaveplacedhimselfinafalseposition。Heneverspokeofthesofterpassions，savewithagibeandasneer。Theywereadmirablethingsfortheobserver——excellentfordrawingtheveilfrommen’smotivesandactions。Butforthetrainedreasonertoadmitsuchintrusionsintohisowndelicateandfinelyadjustedtemperamentwastointroduceadistractingfactorwhichmightthrowadoubtuponallhismentalresults。Gritinasensitiveinstrument，oracrackinoneofhisownhigh-powerlenses，wouldnotbemoredisturbingthatastrongemotioninanaturesuchashis。Andyettherewasbutonewomantohim，andthatwomanwasthelateIreneAdler，ofdubiousandquestionablememory。
　　IhadseenlittleofHolmeslately。Mymarriagehaddriftedusawayfromeachother。Myowncompletehappiness，andthehome-
　　centeredinterestswhichriseuparoundthemanwhofirstfindshimselfmasterofhisownestablishment，weresufficienttoabsorballmyattention；whileHolmes，wholoathedeveryformofsocietywithhiswholeBohemiansoul，remainedinourlodgingsinBakerStreet，buriedamonghisoldbooks，andalternatingfromweektoweekbetweencocaineandambition，thedrowsinessofthedrugandthefierceenergyofhisownkeennature。Hewasstill，asever，deeplyattractedbythestudyofcrime，andoccupiedhisimmensefacultiesandextraordinarypowersofobservationinfollowingoutthoseclews，andclearingupthosemysteries，whichhadbeenabandonedashopelessbytheofficialpolice。FromtimetotimeI
　　heardsomevagueaccountofhisdoings；ofhissummonstoOdessainthecaseoftheTrepoffmurder，ofhisclearingupofthesingulartragedyoftheAtkinsonbrothersatTrincomalee，andfinallyofthemissionwhichhehadaccomplishedsodelicatelyandsuccessfullyforthereigningfamilyofHolland。Beyondthesesignsofhisactivity，however，whichImerelysharedwithallthereadersofthedailypress，Iknewlittleofmyformerfriendandcompanion。
　　Onenight——itwasonthe20thofMarch，1888——IwasreturningfromajourneytoapatientforIhadnowreturnedtocivilpractice，whenmywayledmethroughBakerStreet。AsIpassedthewell-
　　remembereddoor，whichmustalwaysbeassociatedinmymindwithmywooing，andwiththedarkincidentsoftheStudyinScarlet，IwasseizedwithakeendesiretoseeHolmesagain，andtoknowhowhewasemployinghisextraordinarypowers。Hisroomswerebrilliantlylighted，andevenasIlookedup，Isawhistall，sparefigurepasstwiceinadarksilhouetteagainsttheblind。Hewaspacingtheroomswiftly，eagerly，withhisheadsunkuponhischest，andhishandsclaspedbehindhim。Tome，whoknewhiseverymoodandhabit，hisattitudeandmannertoldtheirownstory。Hewasatworkagain。Hehadrisenoutofhisdrug-createddreams，andwashotuponthescentofsomenewproblem。Irangthebell，andwasshownuptothechamberwhichhadformerlybeeninpartmyown。