ItwasablazinghotdayinAugust。BakerStreetwaslikeanoven，
andtheglareofthesunlightupontheyellowbrickworkofthehouse
acrosstheroadwaspainfultotheeye。Itwashardtobelievethat
thesewerethesamewallswhichloomedsogloomilythroughthefogsof
winter。Ourblindswerehalf-drawn，andHolmeslaycurleduponthe
sofa，readingandre-readingaletterwhichhehadreceivedbythe
morningpost。Formyself，mytermofserviceinIndiahadtrainedme
tostandheatbetterthancold，andathermometeratninetywasno
hardship。Butthemorningpaperwasuninteresting。Parliamenthad
risen。Everybodywasoutoftown，andIyearnedforthegladesof
theNewForestortheshingleofSouthsea。Adepletedbankaccounthad
causedmetopostponemyholiday，andastomycompanion，neither
thecountrynortheseapresentedtheslightestattractiontohim。
Helovedtolieintheverycentreoffivemillionsofpeople，with
hisfilamentsstretchingoutandrunningthroughthem，responsiveto
everylittlerumourorsuspicionofunsolvedcrime。Appreciationof
naturefoundnoplaceamonghismanygifts，andhisonlychangewas
whenheturnedhismindfromtheevil-doerofthetowntotrackdown
hisbrotherofthecountry。
FindingthatHolmeswastooabsorbedforconversationIhadtossed
asidethebarrenpaper，andleaningbackinmychairIfellintoa
brownstudy。Suddenlymycompanion”svoicebrokeinuponmythoughts：
“Youareright，Watson，“saidhe。“Itdoesseemamost
preposterouswayofsettlingadispute。”
“Mostpreposterous！“Iexclaimed，andthensuddenlyrealizinghowhe
hadechoedtheinmostthoughtofmysoul，Isatupinmychairand
staredathiminblankamazement。
“Whatisthis，Holmes？“Icried。“ThisisbeyondanythingwhichI
couldhaveimagined。”
Helaughedheartilyatmyperplexity。
“Youremember，“saidhe，“thatsomelittletimeagowhenIread
youthepassageinoneofPoe”ssketchesinwhichaclosereasoner
followstheunspokenthoughtsofhiscompanion，youwereinclinedto
treatthematterasameretour-de-forceoftheauthor。Onmy
remarkingthatIwasconstantlyinthehabitofdoingthesamething
youexpressedincredulity。”
“Oh，no！“
“Perhapsnotwithyourtongue，mydearWatson，butcertainlywith
youreyebrows。SowhenIsawyouthrowdownyourpaperandenter
uponatrainofthought，Iwasveryhappytohavetheopportunityof
readingitoff，andeventuallyofbreakingintoit，asaproofthat
Ihadbeeninrapportwithyou。”
ButIwasstillfarfromsatisfied。“Intheexamplewhichyouread
tome，“saidI，“thereasonerdrewhisconclusionsfromtheactionsof
themanwhomheobserved。IfIrememberright，hestumbledoveraheap
ofstones，lookedupatthestars，andsoon。ButIhavebeenseated
quietlyinmychair，andwhatcluescanIhavegivenyou？“
“Youdoyourselfaninjustice。Thefeaturesaregiventomanas
themeansbywhichheshallexpresshisemotions，andyoursare
faithfulservants。”
“Doyoumeantosaythatyoureadmytrainofthoughtsfrommy
features？“
“Yourfeaturesandespeciallyyoureyes。Perhapsyoucannotyourself
recallhowyourreveriecommenced？“
“No，Icannot。”
“ThenIwilltellyou。Afterthrowingdownyourpaper，whichwasthe
actionwhichdrewmyattentiontoyou，yousatforhalfaminute
withavacantexpression。Thenyoureyesfixedthemselvesuponyour
newlyframedpictureofGeneralGordon，andIsawbythealterationin
yourfacethatatrainofthoughthadbeenstarted。Butitdidnot
leadveryfar。Youreyesflashedacrosstotheunframedportraitof
HenryWardBeecherwhichstandsuponthetopofyourbooks。Thenyou
glancedupatthewall，andofcourseyourmeaningwasobvious。You
werethinkingthatiftheportraitwereframeditwouldjustcover
thatbarespaceandcorrespondwithGordon”spictureoverthere。”
“Youhavefollowedmewonderfully！“Iexclaimed。
“SofarIcouldhardlyhavegoneastray。Butnowyourthoughts
wentbacktoBeecher，andyoulookedhardacrossasifyouwere
studyingthecharacterinhisfeatures。Thenyoureyesceasedto
pucker，butyoucontinuedtolookacross，andyourfacewas
thoughtful。YouwererecallingtheincidentsofBeecher”scareer。I
waswellawarethatyoucouldnotdothiswithoutthinkingofthe
missionwhichheundertookonbehalfoftheNorthatthetimeofthe
CivilWar，forIrememberyourexpressingyourpassionate
indignationatthewayinwhichhewasreceivedbythemore
turbulentofourpeople。YoufeltsostronglyaboutitthatIknewyou
couldnotthinkofBeecherwithoutthinkingofthatalso。Whena
momentlaterIsawyoureyeswanderawayfromthepicture，Isuspected
thatyourmindhadnowturnedtotheCivilWar，andwhenIobserved
thatyourlipsset，youreyessparkled，andyourhandsclenchedI
waspositivethatyouwereindeedthinkingofthegallantrywhich
wasshownbybothsidesinthatdesperatestruggle。Butthen，again，
yourfacegrewsadder；youshookyourhead。Youweredwellinguponthe
sadnessandhorroranduselesswasteoflife。Yourhandstole
towardsyourownoldwoundandasmilequiveredonyourlips，which
showedmethattheridiculoussideofthismethodofsettling
internationalquestionshadforceditselfuponyourmind。Atthis
pointIagreedwithyouthatitwaspreposterousandwasgladto
findthatallmydeductionshadbeencorrect。”
“Absolutely！“saidI。“Andnowthatyouhaveexplainedit，Iconfess
thatIamasamazedasbefore。”
“Itwasverysuperficial，mydearWatson，Iassureyou。Ishouldnot
haveintrudedituponyourattentionhadyounotshownsome
incredulitytheotherday。ButIhaveinmyhandsherealittle
problemwhichmayprovetobemoredifficultofsolutionthanmysmall
essayinthoughtreading。Haveyouobservedinthepaperashort
paragraphreferringtotheremarkablecontentsofapacketsent
throughtheposttoMissCushing，ofCrossStreetCroydon？“
“No，Isawnothing。”
“Ah！thenyoumusthaveoverlookedit。Justtossitovertome。Here
itis，underthefinancialcolumn。Perhapsyouwouldbegoodenoughto
readitaloud。”
Ipickedupthepaperwhichhehadthrownbacktomeandreadthe
paragraphindicated。Itwasheaded，“AGruesomePacket。”
“MissSusanCushing，livingatCrossStreet，Croydon，hasbeenmade
thevictimofwhatmustberegardedasapeculiarlyrevolting
practicaljokeunlesssomemoresinistermeaningshouldprovetobe
attachedtotheincident。Attwoo”clockyesterdayafternoonasmall
packet，wrappedinbrownpaper，washandedinbythepostman。A
cardboardboxwasinside，whichwasfilledwithcoarsesalt。On
emptyingthis，MissCushingwashorrifiedtofindtwohumanears，
apparentlyquitefreshlysevered。Theboxhadbeensentbyparcelpost
fromBelfastuponthemorningbefore。Thereisnoindicationastothe
sender，andthematteristhemoremysteriousasMissCushing，who
isamaidenladyoffifty，hasledamostretiredlife，andhassofew
acquaintancesorcorrespondentsthatitisarareeventforherto
receiveanythingthroughthepost。Someyearsago，however，whenshe
residedatPenge，sheletapartmentsinherhousetothreeyoung
medicalstudents，whomshewasobligedtogetridofonaccountof
theirnoisyandirregularhabits。Thepoliceareofopinionthat
thisoutragemayhavebeenperpetrateduponMissCushingbythese
youths，whoowedheragrudgeandwhohopedtofrightenherbysending
hertheserelicsofthedissecting-rooms。Someprobabilityislent
tothetheorybythefactthatoneofthesestudentscamefromthe
northofIreland，and，tothebestofMissCushing”sbelief，from
Belfast。Inthemeantime，thematterisbeingactivelyinvestigated，
Mr。Lestrade，oneoftheverysmartestofourdetectiveofficers，
beinginchargeofthecase。”
“SomuchfortheDailyChronicle，“saidHolmesasIfinished
reading。“NowforourfriendLestrade。Ihadanotefromhimthis
morning，inwhichhesays：
“Ithinkthatthiscaseisverymuchinyourline。Wehaveevery
hopeofclearingthematterup，butwefindalittledifficultyin
gettinganythingtoworkupon。Wehave，ofcourse，wiredtothe
Belfastpost-office，butalargenumberofparcelswerehandedinupon
thatday，andtheyhavenomeansofidentifyingthisparticularone，
orofrememberingthesender。Theboxisahalf-poundboxof
honeydewtobaccoanddoesnothelpusinanyway。Themedical
studenttheorystillappearstometobethemostfeasible，butifyou
shouldhaveafewhourstospareIshouldbeveryhappytoseeyouout
here。Ishallbeeitheratthehouseorinthepolice-stationallday。
Whatsayyou，Watson？Canyourisesuperiortotheheatandrundown
toCroydonwithmeontheoffchanceofacaseforyourannals？“
“Iwaslongingforsomethingtodo。”
“Youshallhaveitthen。Ringforourbootsandtellthemtoordera
cab。I”llbebackinamomentwhenIhavechangedmydressing-gownand
filledmycigar-case。”
Ashowerofrainfellwhilewewereinthetrain，andtheheatwas
farlessoppressiveinCroydonthanintown。Holmeshadsentona
wire，sothatLestrade，aswiry，asdapper，andasferret-likeas
ever，waswaitingforusatthestation。Awalkoffiveminutestook
ustoCrossStreet，whereMissCushingresided。
Itwasaverylongstreetoftwo-storybrickhouses，neatand
prim，withwhitenedstonesteps，andlittlegroupsofapronedwomen
gossipingatthedoors。Halfwaydown，Lestradestoppedandtappedata
door，whichwasopenedbyasmallservantgirl。MissCushingwas
sittinginthefrontroom，intowhichwewereushered。Shewasa
placid-facedwoman，withlarge，gentleeyes，andgrizzledhaircurving
downoverhertemplesoneachside。Aworkedantimacassarlayuponher
lapandabasketofcolouredsilksstooduponastoolbesideher。
“Theyareintheouthouse，thosedreadfulthings，“saidsheas
Lestradeentered。Iwishthatyouwouldtakethemawayaltogether。”
“SoIshall，MissCushing。Ionlykeptthemhereuntilmyfriend，
Mr。Holmes，shouldhaveseentheminyourpresence。”
“Whyinmypresence，sir？“
“Incasehewishedtoaskanyquestions。”
“WhatistheuseofaskingmequestionswhenItellyouIknow
nothingwhateveraboutit？“
“Quiteso，madam，“saidHolmesinhissoothingway。“Ihavenodoubt
thatyouhavebeenannoyedmorethanenoughalreadyoverthis
business。”
“Indeed，Ihave，sir。Iamaquietwomanandlivearetiredlife。It
issomethingnewformetoseemynameinthepapersandtofindthe
policeinmyhouse。Iwon”thavethosethingsinhere，Mr。Lestrade。
Ifyouwishtoseethemyoumustgototheouthouse。”
Itwasasmallshedinthenarrowgardenwhichranbehindthehouse。
Lestradewentinandbroughtoutayellowcardboardbox，witha
pieceofbrownpaperandsomestring。Therewasabenchattheend
ofthepath，andweallsatdownwhileHolmesexamined，onebyone，
thearticleswhichLestradehadhandedtohim。
“Thestringisexceedinglyinteresting，“heremarked，holdingit
uptothelightandsniffingatit。“Whatdoyoumakeofthis
string，Lestrade？“
“Ithasbeentarred。”
“Precisely。Itisapieceoftarredtwine。Youhavealso，no
doubt，remarkedthatMissCushinghascutthecordwithascissors，as
canbeseenbythedoublefrayoneachside。Thisisofimportance。”
“Icannotseetheimportance，“saidLestrade。
“Theimportanceliesinthefactthattheknotisleftintact，and
thatthisknotisofapeculiarcharacter。”
“Itisveryneatlytied。Ihadalreadymadeanotetothateffect“
saidLestradecomplacently。
“Somuchforthestring，then，“saidHolmes，smiling，“nowforthe
boxwrapper。Brownpaper，withadistinctsmellofcoffee。Whatdid
younotobserveit？Ithinktherecanbenodoubtofit。Address
printedinratherstragglingcharacters：”MissS。Cushing，Cross
Street，Croydon。”Donewithabroad-pointedpen，probablyaJandwith
veryinferiorink。Theword”Croydon”hasbeenoriginallyspelledwith
an”i”whichhasbeenchangedto”y。”Theparcelwasdirected，
then，byaman-theprintingisdistinctlymasculine-oflimited
educationandunacquaintedwiththetownofCroydon。Sofar，so
good！Theboxisayellow，half-poundhoneydewbox，withnothing
distinctivesavetwothumbmarksattheleftbottomcorner。Itis
filledwithroughsaltofthequalityusedforpreservinghidesand
otherofthecoarsercommercialpurposes。Andembeddedinitarethese
verysingularenclosures。”
Hetookoutthetwoearsashespoke，andlayingaboardacross
hiskneeheexaminedthemminutely，whileLestradeandI，bending
forwardoneachsideofhim，glancedalternatelyatthesedreadful
relicsandatthethoughtful，eagerfaceofourcompanion。Finally
hereturnedthemtotheboxoncemoreandsatforawhileindeep
meditation。
“Youhaveobserved，ofcourse，“saidheatlast，“thattheears
arenotapair。”
“Yes，Ihavenoticedthat。Butifthiswerethepracticaljokeof
somestudentsfromthedissecting-rooms，itwouldbeaseasyfor
themtosendtwooddearsasapair。
“Precisely。Butthisisnotapracticaljoke。”
“Youaresureofit？“
“Thepresumptionisstronglyagainstit。Bodiesinthe
dissecting-roomsareinjectedwithpreservativefluid。Theseearsbear
nosignsofthis。Theyarefresh，too。Theyhavebeencutoffwitha
bluntinstrument，whichwouldhardlyhappenifastudenthaddone
it。Again，carbolicorrectifiedspiritswouldbethepreservatives
whichwouldsuggestthemselvestothemedicalmind，certainlynot
roughsalt。Irepeatthatthereisnopracticaljokehere，butthatwe
areinvestigatingaseriouscrime。”
AvaguethrillranthroughmeasIlistenedtomycompanion”s
wordsandsawthesterngravitywhichhadhardenedhisfeatures。
Thisbrutalpreliminaryseemedtoshadowforthsomestrangeand
inexplicablehorrorinthebackground。Lestrade，however，shookhis
headlikeamanwhoisonlyhalfconvinced。
“Thereareobjectionstothejoketheory，nodoubt“saidhe，“but
therearemuchstrongerreasonsagainsttheother。Weknowthatthis
womanhasledamostquietandrespectablelifeatPengeandhere
forthelasttwentyyears。Shehashardlybeenawayfromherhome
foradayduringthattime。Whyonearth，then，shouldanycriminal
sendhertheproofsofhisguilt，especiallyas，unlesssheisa
mostconsummateactress，sheunderstandsquiteaslittleofthematter
aswedo？“
“Thatistheproblemwhichwehavetosolve，“Holmesanswered，
“andformypartIshallsetaboutitbypresumingthatmyreasoning
iscorrectandthatadoublemurderhasbeencommitted。Oneofthese
earsisawoman”s，small，finelyformed，andpiercedforanearring。
Theotherisaman”s，sun-burned，discoloured，andalsopiercedforan
earring。Thesetwopeoplearepresumablydead，orweshouldhaveheard
theirstorybeforenow。To-dayisFriday。Thepacketwaspostedon
Thursdaymorning。Thetragedy，then，occurredonWednesdayorTuesday，
orearlier。Ifthetwopeopleweremurdered，whobuttheirmurderer
wouldhavesentthissignofhisworktoMissCushing？Wemaytake
itthatthesenderofthepacketisthemanwhomwewant。Buthe
musthavesomestrongreasonforsendingMissCushingthispacket。
Whatreasonthen？Itmusthavebeentotellherthatthedeedwas
done！ortopainher，perhaps。Butinthatcasesheknowswhoitis。
Doessheknow？Idoubtit。Ifsheknew，whyshouldshecallthepolice
in？Shemighthaveburiedtheears，andnoonewouldhavebeenthe
wiser。Thatiswhatshewouldhavedoneifshehadwishedtoshield
thecriminal。Butifshedoesnotwishtoshieldhimshewouldgive
hisname。Thereisatangleherewhichneedsstraighteningout。”He
hadbeentalkinginahigh，quickvoice，staringblanklyupoverthe
gardenfence，butnowhesprangbrisklytohisfeetandwalkedtowards
thehouse。
“IhaveafewquestionstoaskMissCushing，“saidhe。
“InthatcaseImayleaveyouhere“saidLestrade，“forIhave
anothersmallbusinessonhand。IthinkthatIhavenothingfurtherto
learnfromMissCushing。Youwillfindmeatthepolice-station。”
“Weshalllookinonourwaytothetrain，“answeredHolmes。A
momentlaterheandIwerebackinthefrontroom，wheretheimpassive
ladywasstillquietlyworkingawayatherantimacassar。Sheputit
downonherlapasweenteredandlookedatuswithherfrank，
searchingblueeyes。
“Iamconvinced，sir，“shesaid，“thatthismatterisamistake，and
thattheparcelwasnevermeantformeatall。Ihavesaidthis
severaltimestothegentlemanfromScotlandYard，buthesimply
laughsatme。Ihavenotanenemyintheworld，asfarasIknow，so
whyshouldanyoneplaymesuchatrick？“
“Iamcomingtobeofthesameopinion，MissCushing，“said
Holmes，takingaseatbesideher。“Ithinkthatitismorethan
probable-“hepaused，andIwassurprised，onglancingroundtosee
thathewasstaringwithsingularintentnessatthelady”sprofile。
Surpriseandsatisfactionwerebothforaninstanttobereaduponhis
eagerface，thoughwhensheglancedroundtofindoutthecauseofhis
silencehehadbecomeasdemureasever。Istaredhardmyselfather
flat，grizzledhair，hertrimcap，herlittlegiltearrings，her
placidfeatures；butIcouldseenothingwhichcouldaccountformy
companion”sevidentexcitement。
“Therewereoneortwoquestions-“
“Oh，Iamwearyofquestions！“criedMissCushingimpatiently。
“Youhavetwosisters，Ibelieve。”
“Howcouldyouknowthat？“
“IobservedtheveryinstantthatIenteredtheroomthatyouhavea
portraitgroupofthreeladiesuponthemantelpiece，oneofwhomis
undoubtedlyyourself，whiletheothersaresoexceedinglylikeyou
thattherecouldbenodoubtoftherelationship。”
“Yes，youarequiteright。Thosearemysisters，SarahandMary。”
“AndhereatmyelbowisanotherportraittakenatLiverpool，of
youryoungersister，inthecompanyofamanwhoappearstobea
stewardbyhisuniform。Iobservethatshewasunmarriedatthetime。”
“Youareveryquickatobserving。”
“Thatismytrade。”
“Well，youarequiteright。ButshewasmarriedtoMr。Brownerafew
daysafterwards。HewasontheSouthAmericanlinewhenthatwas
taken，buthewassofondofherthathecouldn”tabidetoleaveher
forsolong，andhegotintotheLiverpoolandLondonboats。”
“Ah，theConqueror，perhaps？“
“No，theMayDay，whenlastIheard。Jimcamedownheretoseeme
once。Thatwasbeforehebrokethepledge，butafterwardshewould
alwaystakedrinkwhenhewasashore，andalittledrinkwouldsend
himstark，staringmad。Ah！itwasabaddaythateverhetookaglass
inhishandagain。Firsthedroppedme，thenhequarrelledwithSarah，
andnowthatMaryhasstoppedwritingwedon”tknowhowthingsare
goingwiththem。”
ItwasevidentthatMissCushinghadcomeuponasubjectonwhich
shefeltverydeeply。Likemostpeoplewholeadalonelylife，shewas
shyatfirst，butendedbybecomingextremelycommunicative。She
toldusmanydetailsaboutherbrother-in-lawthesteward，andthen
wanderingoffonthesubjectofherformerlodgers，themedical
students，shegaveusalongaccountoftheirdelinquencies，with
theirnamesandthoseoftheirhospitals。Holmeslistened
attentivelytoeverything，throwinginaquestionfromtimetotime。
“Aboutyoursecondsister，Sarah，“saidhe。“Iwonder，sinceyouare
bothmaidenladies，thatyoudonotkeephousetogether。”
“Ah！youdon”tknowSarah”stemperoryouwouldwondernomore。I
trieditwhenIcametoCroydon，andwekeptonuntilabouttwomonths
ago，whenwehadtopart。Idon”twanttosayawordagainstmyown
sister，butshewasalwaysmeddlesomeandhardtoplease，wasSarah。”
“YousaythatshequarrelledwithyourLiverpoolrelations。”
“Yes，andtheywerethebestoffriendsatonetime。Why，shewent
uptheretoliveinordertobenearthem。Andnowshehasnoword
hardenoughforJimBrowner。Thelastsixmonthsthatshewashereshe
wouldspeakofnothingbuthisdrinkingandhisways。Hehadcaught
hermeddling，Isuspect，andgivenherabitofhismind，andthatwas
thestartofit。”
“Thankyou，MissCushing，“saidHolmes，risingandbowing。“Your
sisterSarahlives，Ithinkyousaid，atNewStreet，Wallington？
Good-bye，andIamverysorrythatyouhavebeentroubledovera
casewithwhich，asyousay，youhavenothingwhatevertodo。”
Therewasacabpassingaswecameout，andHolmeshailedit。
“HowfartoWallington？“heasked。
“Onlyaboutamile，sir。”
“Verygood。jumpin，Watson。Wemuststrikewhiletheironishot。
Simpleasthecaseis，therehavebeenoneortwoveryinstructive
detailsinconnectionwithit。Justpullupatatelegraphofficeas
youpass，cabby。”
Holmessentoffashortwireandfortherestofthedrivelay
backinthecab，withhishattiltedoverhisnosetokeepthesun
fromhisface。Ourdriverpulledupatahousewhichwasnotunlike
theonewhichwehadjustquitted。Mycompanionorderedhimtowait，
andhadhishandupontheknocker，whenthedooropenedandagrave
younggentlemaninblack，withaveryshinyhat，appearedonthestep。
“IsMissCushingathome？“askedHolmes。
“MissSarahCushingisextremelyill，“saidhe。“Shehasbeen
sufferingsinceyesterdayfrombrainsymptomsofgreatseverity。As
hermedicaladviser，Icannotpossiblytaketheresponsibilityof
allowinganyonetoseeher。Ishouldrecommendyoutocallagainin
tendays。”Hedrewonhisgloves，closedthedoor，andmarchedoff
downthestreet。
“Well，ifwecan”twecan”t，“saidHolmes，cheerfully。
“Perhapsshecouldnotorwouldnothavetoldyoumuch。”
“Ididnotwishhertotellmeanything。Ionlywantedtolookat
her。However，IthinkthatIhavegotallthatIwant。Driveusto
somedecenthotel，cabby，wherewemayhavesomelunch，andafterwards
weshalldropdownuponfriendLestradeatthepolice-station。”
Wehadapleasantlittlemealtogether，duringwhichHolmeswould
talkaboutnothingbutviolins，narratingwithgreatexultationhowhe
hadpurchasedhisownStradivarius，whichwasworthatleastfive
hundredguineas，ataJewbroker”sinTottenhamCourtRoadfor
fifty-fiveshillings。ThisledhimtoPaganini，andwesatforanhour
overabottleofclaretwhilehetoldmeanecdoteafteranecdoteof
thatextraordinaryman。Theafternoonwasfaradvancedandthehot
glarehadsoftenedintoamellowglowbeforewefoundourselvesatthe
police-station。Lestradewaswaitingforusatthedoor。
“Atelegramforyou，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe。
“Ha！Itistheanswer！“Hetoreitopen，glancedhiseyesoverit，
andcrumpleditintohispocket。“That”sallright“saidhe。
“Haveyoufoundoutanything？“
“Ihavefoundouteverything！“
“What！“Lestradestaredathiminamazement。“Youarejoking。”
“Iwasnevermoreseriousinmylife。Ashockingcrimehasbeen
committed，andIthinkIhavenowlaidbareeverydetailofit。”
“Andthecriminal？“
Holmesscribbledafewwordsuponthebackofoneofhisvisiting
cardsandthrewitovertoLestrade。
“Thatisthename，“hesaid。“Youcannoteffectanarrestuntil
to-morrownightattheearliest。Ishouldpreferthatyoudonot
mentionmynameatallinconnectionwiththecase，asIchooseto
beonlyassociatedwiththosecrimeswhichpresentsomedifficulty
intheirsolution。Comeon，Watson。”Westrodeofftogethertothe
station，leavingLestradestillstaringwithadelightedfaceatthe
cardwhichHolmeshadthrownhim。
“Thecase，“saidSherlockHolmesaswechattedoverourcigars
thatnightinourroomsatBakerStreet，“isonewhere，asinthe
investigationswhichyouhavechronicledunderthenamesof”AStudy
inScarlet”andof”TheSignofFour”wehavebeencompelledto
reasonbackwardfromeffectstocauses。IhavewrittentoLestrade
askinghimtosupplyuswiththedetailswhicharenowwanting，and
whichhewillonlygetafterhehassecuredhisman。Thathemaybe
safelytrustedtodo，foralthoughheisabsolutelydevoidof
reason，heisastenaciousasabulldogwhenheonceunderstands
whathehastodo，and，indeed，itisjustthistenacitywhichhas
broughthimtothetopatScotlandYard。”
“Yourcaseisnotcomplete，then？“Iasked。
“Itisfairlycompleteinessentials。Weknowwhotheauthorof
therevoltingbusinessis，althoughoneofthevictimsstillescapes
us。Ofcourse，youhaveformedyourownconclusions。”
“IpresumethatthisJimBrowner，thestewardofaLiverpoolboat，
isthemanwhomyoususpect？“
“Oh！itismorethanasuspicion。”
“AndyetIcannotseeanythingsaveveryvagueindications。”
“Onthecontrary，tomymindnothingcouldbemoreclear。Letmerun
overtheprincipalsteps。Weapproachedthecase，youremember，with
anabsolutelyblankmind，whichisalwaysanadvantage。Wehad
formednotheories。Weweresimplytheretoobserveandtodraw
inferencesfromourobservations。Whatdidweseefirst？Averyplacid
andrespectablelady，whoseemedquiteinnocentofanysecret，anda
portraitwhichshowedmethatshehadtwoyoungersisters。It
instantlyflashedacrossmymindthattheboxmighthavebeenmeant
foroneofthese。Isettheideaasideasonewhichcouldbedisproved
orconfirmedatourleisure。Thenwewenttothegarden，asyou
remember，andwesawtheverysingularcontentsofthelittleyellow
box。
“Thestringwasofthequalitywhichisusedbysailmakersaboard
ship，andatonceawhiffoftheseawasperceptibleinour
investigation。WhenIobservedthattheknotwasonewhichis
popularwithsailors，thattheparcelhadbeenpostedataport，and
thatthemaleearwaspiercedforanearringwhichissomuchmore
commonamongsailorsthanlandsmen，Iwasquitecertainthatanthe
actorsinthetragedyweretobefoundamongourseafaringclasses。
“WhenIcametoexaminetheaddressofthepacketIobservedthatit
wastoMissS。Cushing。Now，theoldestsisterwould，ofcourse，be
MissCushing，andalthoughherinitialwas”S”itmightbelongto
oneoftheothersaswell。Inthatcaseweshouldhavetocommenceour
investigationfromafreshbasisaltogether。Ithereforewentintothe
housewiththeintentionofclearingupthispoint。Iwasaboutto
assureMissCushingthatIwasconvincedthatamistakehadbeen
madewhenyoumayrememberthatIcamesuddenlytoastop。Thefact
wasthatIhadjustseensomethingwhichfilledmewithsurpriseand
atthesametimenarrowedthefieldofourinquiryimmensely。
“Asamedicalman，youareaware，Watson，thatthereisnopartof
thebodywhichvariessomuchasthehumanear。Eachearisasa
rulequitedistinctiveanddiffersfromallotherones。Inlast
yearsAnthropologicalJournalyouwillfindtwoshortmonographs
frommypenuponthesubject。Ihad，therefore，examinedtheearsin
theboxwiththeeyesofanexpertandhadcarefullynotedtheir
anatomicalpeculiarities。Imaginemysurprise，then，whenonlooking
atMissCushingIperceivedthatherearcorrespondedexactlywiththe
femaleearwhichIhadjustinspected。Thematterwasentirely
beyondcoincidence。Therewasthesameshorteningofthepinna，the
samebroadcurveoftheupperlobe，thesameconvolutionofthe
innercartilage。Inallessentialsitwasthesameear。
“OfcourseIatoncesawtheenormousimportanceoftheobservation。
Itwasevidentthatthevictimwasabloodrelation，andprobablya
verycloseone。Ibegantotalktoheraboutherfamily，andyou
rememberthatsheatoncegaveussomeexceedinglyvaluabledetails。
“Inthefirstplace，hersistersnamewasSarah，andheraddresshad
untilrecentlybeenthesame，sothatitwasquiteobvioushowthe
mistakehadoccurredandforwhomthepacketwasmeant。Thenwe
heardofthissteward，marriedtothethirdsister，andlearnedthat
hehadatonetimebeensointimatewithMissSarahthatshehad
actuallygoneuptoLiverpooltobeneartheBrowners，butaquarrel
hadafterwardsdividedthem。Thisquarrelhadputastoptoall
communicationsforsomemonths，sothatifBrownerhadoccasionto
addressapackettoMissSarah，hewouldundoubtedlyhavedonesoto
heroldaddress。
“Andnowthematterhadbeguntostraightenitselfout
wonderfully。Wehadlearnedoftheexistenceofthissteward，an
impulsiveman，ofstrongpassions-yourememberthathethrewup
whatmusthavebeenaverysuperiorberthinordertobenearertohis
wife-subject，too，tooccasionalfitsofharddrinking。Wehadreason
tobelievethathiswifehadbeenmurdered，andthataman-presumably
aseafaringman-hadbeenmurderedatthesametime。Jealousy，of
course，atoncesuggestsitselfasthemotiveforthecrime。Andwhy
shouldtheseproofsofthedeedbesenttoMissSarahCushing？
ProbablybecauseduringherresidenceinLiverpoolshehadsomehand
inbringingabouttheeventswhichledtothetragedy。Youwill
observethatthislineofboatscallsatBelfastDublin，and
Waterford；sothat，presumingthatBrownerhadcommittedthedeed
andhadembarkedatonceuponhissteamer，theMayDay，Belfast
wouldbethefirstplaceatwhichhecouldposthisterriblepacket。
“Asecondsolutionwasatthisstageobviouslypossible，and
althoughIthoughtitexceedinglyunlikely，Iwasdeterminedto
elucidateitbeforegoingfurther。Anunsuccessfullovermighthave
killedMr。andMrs。Browner，andthemaleearmighthavebelongedto
thehusband。Thereweremanygraveobjectionstothistheory，butit
wasconceivable。IthereforesentoffatelegramtomyfriendAlgar，
oftheLiverpoolforce，andaskedhimtofindoutifMrs。Brownerwere
athome，andifBrownerhaddepartedintheMayDay。Thenwewenton
toWallingtontovisitMissSarah。
“Iwascurious，inthefirstplace，toseehowfarthefamilyear
hadbeenreproducedinher。Then，ofcourse，shemightgiveusvery
importantinformation，butIwasnotsanguinethatshewould。Shemust
haveheardofthebusinessthedaybefore，sinceallCroydonwas
ringingwithit，andshealonecouldhaveunderstoodforwhomthe
packetwasmeant。Ifshehadbeenwillingtohelpjusticeshewould
probablyhavecommunicatedwiththepolicealready。However，itwas
clearlyourdutytoseeher，sowewent。Wefoundthatthenewsofthe
arrivalofthepacket-forherillnessdatedfromthattime-had
suchaneffectuponherastobringonbrainfever。Itwasclearer
thaneverthatsheunderstooditsfullsignificance，butequallyclear
thatweshouldhavetowaitsometimeforanyassistancefromher。
“However，wewerereallyindependentofherhelp。Ouranswerswere
waitingforusatthepolice-station，whereIhaddirectedAlgarto
sendthem。Nothingcouldbemoreconclusive。Mrs。Browner”shouse
hadbeenclosedformorethanthreedays，andtheneighbourswereof
opinionthatshehadgonesouthtoseeherrelatives。Ithadbeen
ascertainedattheshippingofficesthatBrownerhadleftaboardof
theMayDay，andIcalculatethatsheisdueintheThamestomorrow
night。Whenhearriveshewillbemetbytheobtusebutresolute
Lestrade，andIhavenodoubtthatweshallhaveallourdetails
filledin。”
SherlockHolmeswasnotdisappointedinhisexpectations。Twodays
laterhereceivedabulkyenvelope，whichcontainedashortnote
fromthedetective，andatypewrittendocumentwhichcoveredseveral
pagesoffoolscap。
“Lestradehasgothimallright，“saidHolmes，glancingupatme。
“Perhapsitwouldinterestyoutohearwhathesays。
MyDearHolmes：
“Inaccordancewiththeschemewhichwehadformedinorderto
testourtheories“[“the”we”isratherfine，Watson，isitnot？“]
“IwentdowntotheAlbertDockyesterdayat6P。M。，andboardedthe
S。S。MayDay，belongingtotheLiverpool，Dublin，andLondonSteam
PacketCompany。Oninquiry，Ifoundthattherewasastewardon
boardofthenameofJamesBrownerandthathehadactedduringthe
voyageinsuchanextraordinarymannerthatthecaptainhadbeen
compelledtorelievehimofhisduties。Ondescendingtohisberth，
Ifoundhimseateduponachestwithhisheadsunkuponhishands，
rockinghimselftoandfro。Heisabig，powerfulchap，
clean-shaven，andveryswarthy-somethinglikeAldridge，whohelpedus
intheboguslaundryaffair。Hejumpedupwhenheheardmybusiness，
andIhadmywhistletomylipstocallacoupleofriverpolice，
whowereroundthecorner，butheseemedtohavenoheartinhim，
andheheldouthishandsquietlyenoughforthedarbies。Webrought
himalongtothecells，andhisboxaswellforwethoughttheremight
besomethingincriminating；but，barabigsharpknifesuchasmost
sailorshave，wegotnothingforourtrouble。However，wefindthatwe
shallwantnomoreevidence，foronbeingbroughtbeforetheinspector
atthestationheaskedleavetomakeastatementwhichwas，of
course，takendown，justashemadeit，byourshorthandman。Wehad
threecopiestypewritten，oneofwhichIenclose。Theaffairproves，
asIalwaysthoughtitwould，tobeanextremelysimpleone，butI
amobligedtoyouforassistingmeinmyinvestigation。Withkind
regards，
“Yoursverytruly，
“G。LESTRADE。
“Hum！Theinvestigationreallywasaverysimpleone，“remarked
Holmes，“butIdon”tthinkitstruckhiminthatlightwhenhefirst
calledusin。However，letusseewhatJimBrownerhastosayfor
himself。ThisishisstatementasmadebeforeInspectorMontgomery
attheShadwellPoliceStation，andithastheadvantageofbeing
verbatim。”
“”HaveIanythingtosay？Yes，Ihaveadealtosay。Ihaveto
makeacleanbreastofitall。Youcanhangme，oryoucanleaveme
alone。Idon”tcareaplugwhichyoudo。ItellyouI”venotshutan
eyeinsleepsinceIdidit，andIdon”tbelieveIeverwillagain
untilIgetpastallwaking。Sometimesit”shisface，butmost
generallyit”shers。I”mneverwithoutoneortheotherbeforeme。
Helooksfrowningandblack-like，butshehasakindo”surprise
uponherface。Ay，thewhitelamb，shemightwellbesurprisedwhen
shereaddeathonafacethathadseldomlookedanythingbutloveupon
herbefore。
“”ButitwasSarah”sfaultandmaythecurseofabrokenmanputa
blightonherandsetthebloodrottinginherveins！It”snotthat
Iwanttoclearmyself。IknowthatIwentbacktodrink，likethe
beastthatIwas。Butshewouldhaveforgivenme；shewouldhavestuck
asclosetomeasaropetoablockifthatwomanhadneverdarkened
ourdoor。ForSarahCushinglovedme-that”stherootofthebusiness-
shelovedmeuntilallherloveturnedtopoisonoushatewhensheknew
thatIthoughtmoreofmywife”sfootmarkinthemudthanIdidofher
wholebodyandsoul。
“”Therewerethreesistersaltogether。Theoldonewasjustagood
woman，thesecondwasadevil，andthethirdwasanangel。Sarahwas
thirty-three，andMarywastwenty-ninewhenImarried。Wewerejustas
happyasthedaywaslongwhenwesetuphousetogether，andinall
LiverpooltherewasnobetterwomanthanmyMary。Andthenweasked
Sarahupforaweek，andtheweekgrewintoamonth，andonethingled
toanother，untilshewasjustoneofourselves。
“”Iwasblueribbonatthattime，andwewereputtingalittlemoney
by，andallwasasbrightasanewdollar。MyGod，whoeverwould
havethoughtthatitcouldhavecometothis？Whoeverwouldhave
dreamedit？
“”Iusedtobehomefortheweek-endsveryoften，andsometimesif
theshipwereheldbackforcargoIwouldhaveawholeweekatatime，
andinthiswayIsawadealofmysister-in-law，Sarah。Shewasa
finetallwoman，blackandquickandfierce，withaproudwayof
carryingherhead，andaglintfromhereyelikeasparkfromaflint。
ButwhenlittleMarywasthereIhadneverathoughtofher，and
thatIswearasIhopeforGod”smercy。
“”Ithadseemedtomesometimesthatshelikedtobealonewith
me，ortocoaxmeoutforawalkwithher，butIhadneverthought
anythingofthat。Butoneeveningmyeyeswereopened。Ihadcomeup
fromtheshipandfoundmywifeout，butSarahathome。“Where”s
Mary？“Iasked。“Oh，shehasgonetopaysomeaccounts。”Iwas
impatientandpacedupanddowntheroom。“Can”tyoubehappyforfive
minuteswithoutMary，Jim？“saysshe。“It”sabadcomplimenttome
thatyoucan”tbecontentedwithmysocietyforsoshortatime。”
“That”sallright，mylass，“saidI，puttingoutmyhandtowardsher
inakindlyway，butshehaditinbothhersinaninstant，andthey
burnedasiftheywereinafever。IlookedintohereyesandIread
itallthere。Therewasnoneedforhertospeak，norformeeither。I
frownedanddrewmyhandaway。Thenshestoodbymysideinsilence
forabit，andthenputupherhandandpattedmeontheshoulder。
“SteadyoldJim！“saidshe，andwithakindo”mockinglaugh，she
runoutoftheroom。
“Well，fromthattimeSarahhatedmewithherwholeheartand
soul，andsheisawomanwhocanhate，too。Iwasafooltolethergo
onbidingwithus-abesottedfool-butIneversaidawordtoMary，
forIknewitwouldgrieveher。Thingswentonmuchasbefore，but
afteratimeIbegantofindthattherewasabitofachangein
Maryherself。Shehadalwaysbeensotrustingandsoinnocent，butnow
shebecamequeerandsuspicious，wantingtoknowwhereIhadbeen
andwhatIhadbeendoing，andwhommyletterswerefrom，andwhatI
hadinmypockets，andathousandsuchfollies。Daybydayshegrew
queererandmoreirritable，andwehadceaselessrowsaboutnothing。I
wasfairlypuzzledbyitall。Sarahavoidedmenow，butsheandMary
werejustinseparable。Icanseenowhowshewasplottingandscheming
andpoisoningmywife”smindagainstme，butIwassuchablindbeetle
thatIcouldnotunderstanditatthetime。ThenIbrokemyblue
ribbonandbegantodrinkagain，butIthinkIshouldnothavedoneit
ifMaryhadbeenthesameasever。Shehadsomereasontobedisgusted
withmenow，andthegapbetweenusbegantobewiderandwider。And
thenthisAlecFairbairnchippedin，andthingsbecameathousand
timesblacker。
“”ItwastoseeSarahthathecametomyhousefirst，butsoonit
wastoseeus，forhewasamanwithwinningways，andhemadefriends
whereverhewent。Hewasadashing，swaggeringchap，smartandcurled，
whohadseenhalftheworldandcouldtalkofwhathehadseen。Hewas
goodcompany，Iwon”tdenyit，andhehadwonderfulpolitewayswith
himforasailorman，sothatIthinktheremusthavebeenatimewhen
heknewmoreofthepoopthantheforecastle。Foramonthhewasin
andoutofmyhouse，andneveroncediditcrossmymindthatharm
mightcomeofhissofttrickyways。Andthenatlastsomethingmademe
suspectandfromthatdaymypeacewasgoneforever。
“”Itwasonlyalittlething，too。Ihadcomeintotheparlour
unexpected，andasIwalkedinatthedoorIsawalightofwelcomeon
mywife”sface。Butasshesawwhoitwasitfadedagain，andshe
turnedawaywithalookofdisappointment。Thatwasenoughforme。
TherewasnoonebutAlecFairbairnwhosestepshecouldhavemistaken
formine。IfIcouldhaveseenhimthenIshouldhavekilledhim，
forIhavealwaysbeenlikeamadmanwhenmytempergetsloose。Mary
sawthedevil”slightinmyeyes，andsheranforwardwithherhands
onmysleeve。“Don”tJim，don”t！“saysshe。“Where”sSarah？“I
asked。“Inthekitchen，“saysshe。“Sarah，“saysIasIwentin，“this
manFairbairnisnevertodarkenmydooragain。”“Whynot？“says
she。“BecauseIorderit。”“Oh！“saysshe，“ifmyfriendsarenotgood
enoughforthishouse，thenIamnotgoodenoughforiteither。”
“Youcandowhatyoulike，“saysI，“butifFairbairnshowshisface
hereagainI”llsendyouoneofhisearsforakeepsake。”Shewas
frightenedbymyface，Ithink，forsheneveransweredaword，andthe
sameeveningsheleftmyhouse。
“”Well，Idon”tknownowwhetheritwaspuredevilryonthepart
ofthiswoman，orwhethershethoughtthatshecouldturnmeagainst
mywifebyencouraginghertomisbehave。Anyway，shetookahousejust
twostreetsoffandletlodgingstosailors。Fairbairnusedtostay
there，andMarywouldgoroundtohaveteawithhersisterandhim。
HowoftenshewentIdon”tknow，butIfollowedheroneday，andas
IbrokeinatthedoorFairbairngotawayoverthebackgardenwall，
likethecowardlyskunkthathewas。IsworetomywifethatIwould
killherifIfoundherinhiscompanyagain，andIledherback
withme，sobbingandtrembling，andaswhiteasapieceofpaper。
Therewasnotraceoflovebetweenusanylonger。Icouldseethatshe
hatedmeandfearedme，andwhenthethoughtofitdrovemeto
drink，thenshedespisedmeaswell。
“”Well，SarahfoundthatshecouldnotmakealivinginLiverpool，
soshewentback，asIunderstand，tolivewithhersisterinCroydon，
andthingsjoggedonmuchthesameaseverathome。Andthencamethis
lastweekandallthemiseryandruin。
“”Itwasinthisway。WehadgoneontheMayDayforaround
voyageofsevendays，butahogsheadgotlooseandstartedoneof
ourplates，sothatwehadtoputbackintoportfortwelvehours。I
lefttheshipandcamehome，thinkingwhatasurpriseitwouldbe
formywife，andhopingthatmaybeshewouldbegladtoseemeso
soon。ThethoughtwasinmyheadasIturnedintomyownstreetandat
thatmomentacabpassedme，andthereshewas，sittingbythesideof
Fairbairn，thetwochattingandlaughing，withneverathoughtfor
measIstoodwatchingthemfromthefootpath。
“”Itellyou，andIgiveyoumywordforit，thatfromthatmomentI
wasnotmyownmaster，anditisalllikeadimdreamwhenIlookback
onit。Ihadbeendrinkinghardoflate，andthetwothingstogether
fairlyturnedmybrain。There”ssomethingthrobbinginmyheadnow，
likeadocker”shammer，butthatmorningIseemedtohaveall
Niagarawhizzingandbuzzinginmyears。
“”Well，Itooktomyheels，andIranafterthecab。Ihadaheavy
oakstickinmyhand，andItellyouIsawredfromthefirst，but
asIranIgotcunning，too，andhungbackalittletoseethem
withoutbeingseen。Theypulledupsoonattherailwaystation。
Therewasagoodcrowdroundthebooking-office，soIgotquite
closetothemwithoutbeingseen。TheytookticketsforNew
Brighton。SodidI，butIgotinthreecarriagesbehindthem。When
wereachedittheywalkedalongtheParade，andIwasnevermore
thanahundredyardsfromthem。AtlastIsawthemhireaboatand
startforarow，foritwasaveryhotday，andtheythought，no
doubt，thatitwouldbecooleronthewater。
“Itwasjustasiftheyhadbeengivenintomyhands。Therewasa
bitofahaze，andyoucouldnotseemorethanafewhundredyards。
Ihiredaboatformyself，andIpulledafterthem。Icouldseethe
bluroftheircraft，buttheyweregoingnearlyasfastasI，andthey
musthavebeenalongmilefromtheshorebeforeIcaughtthemup。The
hazewaslikeacurtainallroundus，andtherewerewethreeinthe
middleofit。MyGod，shallIeverforgettheirfaceswhentheysaw
whowasintheboatthatwasclosinginuponthem？Shescreamedout。
Hesworelikeamadmanandjabbedatmewithanoar，forhemust
haveseendeathinmyeyes。Igotpastitandgotoneinwithmystick
thatcrushedhisheadlikeanegg。Iwouldhavesparedher，perhaps，
forallmymadness，butshethrewherarmsroundhim，cryingoutto
him，andcallinghim“Alec。”Istruckagain，andshelaystretched
besidehim。Iwaslikeawildbeastthenthathadtastedblood。If
Sarahhadbeenthere，bytheLord，sheshouldhavejoinedthem。I
pulledoutmyknife，and-well，there！I”vesaidenough。Itgaveme
akindofsavagejoywhenIthoughthowSarahwouldfeelwhenshe
hadsuchsignofwhathermeddlinghadbroughtabout。ThenItied
thebodiesintotheboat，stoveaplank，andstoodbyuntiltheyhad
sunk。Iknewverywellthattheownerwouldthinkthattheyhadlost
theirbearingsandhaddriftedoffouttosea。Icleanedmyselfup，
gotbacktoland，andjoinedmyshipwithoutasoulhavingasuspicion
ofwhathadpassed。ThatnightImadeupthepacketforSarahCushing，
andnextdayIsentitfromBelfast。
“”Thereyouhavethewholetruthofit。Youcanhangme，ordo
whatyoulikewithme，butyoucannotpunishmeasIhavebeen
punishedalready。IcannotshutmyeyesbutIseethosetwofaces
staringatme-staringatmeastheystaredwhenmyboatbrokethrough
thehaze。Ikilledthemquick，buttheyarekillingmeslow；andif
IhaveanothernightofitIshallbeeither，madordeadbefore
morning。Youwon”tputmealoneintoacell，sir？Forpity”ssake
don”t，andmayyoubetreatedinyourdayofagonyasyoutreatme
now。”
“WhatisthemeaningofitWatson？，saidHolmessolemnlyashe
laiddownthepaper。“Whatobjectisservedbythiscircleofmisery
andviolenceandfear？Itmusttendtosomeend，orelseour
universeisruledbychance，whichisunthinkable。Butwhatend？There
isthegreatstandingperennialproblemtowhichhumanreasonisas
farfromananswerasever。”-
THEEND。
1892
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHECOPPERBEECHES
bySirArthurConanDoyle
TheAdventureoftheCopperBeeches
“Tothemanwholovesartforitsownsake，“remarkedSherlock
Holmes，tossingasidetheadvertisementsheetoftheDaily
Telegraph，“itisfrequentlyinitsleastimportantandlowliest
manifestationsthatthekeenestpleasureistobederived。Itis
pleasanttometoobserve，Watson，thatyouhavesofargraspedthis
truththatintheselittlerecordsofourcaseswhichyouhavebeen
goodenoughtodrawup，and，Iamboundtosay，occasionallyto
embellish，youhavegivenprominencenotsomuchtothemanycauses
celebresandsensationaltrialsinwhichIhavefiguredbutrather
tothoseincidentswhichmayhavebeentrivialinthemselves，but
whichhavegivenroomforthosefacultiesofdeductionandof
logicalsynthesiswhichIhavemademyspecialprovince。”
“Andyet，“saidI，smiling，“Icannotquiteholdmyselfabsolved
fromthechargeofsensationalismwhichhasbeenurgedagainstmy
records。”
“Youhaveerred，perhaps，“heobserved，takingupaglowingcinder
withthetongsandlightingwithitthelongcherry-woodpipewhich
waswonttoreplacehisclaywhenhewasinadisputatiousratherthan
ameditativemood-“youhaveerredperhapsinattemptingtoput
colourandlifeintoeachofyourstatementsinsteadofconfining
yourselftothetaskofplacinguponrecordthatseverereasoningfrom
causetoeffectwhichisreallytheonlynotablefeatureaboutthe
thing。”
“ItseemstomethatIhavedoneyoufulljusticeinthematter，“
Iremarkedwithsomecoldness，forIwasrepelledbytheegotismwhich
Ihadmorethanonceobservedtobeastrongfactorinmyfriend”s
singularcharacter。
“No，itisnotselfishnessorconceit，“saidhe，answering，aswas
hiswont，mythoughtsratherthanmywords。“IfIclaimfulljustice
formyart，itisbecauseitisanimpersonalthing-athingbeyond
myself。Crimeiscommon。Logicisrare。Thereforeitisuponthelogic
ratherthanuponthecrimethatyoushoulddwell。Youhavedegraded
whatshouldhavebeenacourseoflecturesintoaseriesoftales。”
Itwasacoldmorningoftheearlyspring，andwesatafter
breakfastoneithersideofacheeryfireintheoldroomatBaker
Street。Athickfogrolleddownbetweenthelinesofdun-coloured
houses，andtheopposingwindowsloomedlikedark，shapelessblurs
throughtheheavyyellowwreaths。Ourgaswaslitandshoneonthe
whiteclothandglimmerofchinaandmetal，forthetablehadnotbeen
clearedyet。SherlockHolmeshadbeensilentallthemorning，
dippingcontinuouslyintotheadvertisementcolumnsofasuccessionof
papersuntilatlast，havingapparentlygivenuphissearch，hehad
emergedinnoverysweettempertolecturemeuponmyliterary
shortcomings。
“Atthesametime，“heremarkedafterapause，duringwhichhehad
satpuffingathislongpipeandgazingdownintothefire，“youcan
hardlybeopentoachargeofsensationalism，foroutofthesecases
whichyouhavebeensokindastointerestyourselfin，afair
proportiondonottreatofcrime，initslegalsense，atall。The
smallmatterinwhichIendeavouredtohelptheKingofBohemia，the
singularexperienceofMissMarySutherland，theproblemconnected
withthemanwiththetwistedlip，andtheincidentofthenoble
bachelor，wereallmatterswhichareoutsidethepaleofthelaw。
Butinavoidingthesensational，Ifearthatyoumayhavebordered
onthetrivial。”
“Theendmayhavebeenso，“Ianswered，“butthemethodsIholdto
havebeennovelandofinterest。”
“Pshaw，mydearfellow，whatdothepublic，thegreatunobservant
public，whocouldhardlytellaweaverbyhistoothoracompositorby
hisleftthumb，careaboutthefinershadesofanalysisanddeduction！
But，indeed，ifyouaretrivial，Icannotblameyou，forthedaysof
thegreatcasesarepast。Man，oratleastcriminalman，haslost
allenterpriseandoriginality。Astomyownlittlepractice，itseems
tobedegeneratingintoanagencyforrecoveringlostleadpencilsand
givingadvicetoyoungladiesfromboarding-schools。IthinkthatI
havetouchedbottomatlast，however。ThisnoteIhadthismorning
marksmyzero-point，Ifancy。Readit！“Hetossedacrumpledletter
acrosstome。
ItwasdatedfromMontaguePlaceupontheprecedingevening，andran
thus：
DEARMR。HOLMES：
IamveryanxioustoconsultyouastowhetherIshouldorshould
notacceptasituationwhichhasbeenofferedtomeasgoverness。I
shallcallathalf-pasttento-morrowifIdonotinconvenienceyou。
Yoursfaithfully，
VIOLETHUNTER。
“Doyouknowtheyounglady？“Iasked。
“NotI。”
“Itishalf-pasttennow。”
“Yes，andIhavenodoubtthatisherring。”
“Itmayturnouttobeofmoreinterestthanyouthink。Youremember
thattheaffairofthebluecarbuncle，whichappearedtobeamere
whimatfirst，developedintoaseriousinvestigation。Itmaybesoin
thiscase，also。”
“Well，letushopeso。Butourdoubtswillverysoonbesolved，
forhere，unlessIammuchmistaken，isthepersoninquestion。”
Ashespokethedooropenedandayoungladyenteredtheroom。She
wasplainlybutneatlydressed，withabright，quickface，freckled
likeaplover”segg，andwiththebriskmannerofawomanwhohas
hadherownwaytomakeintheworld。
“Youwillexcusemytroublingyou，Iamsure，“saidshe，asmy
companionrosetogreether，“butIhavehadaverystrange
experience，andasIhavenoparentsorrelationsofanysortfrom
whomIcouldaskadvice，Ithoughtthatperhapsyouwouldbekind
enoughtotellmewhatIshoulddo。”
“Praytakeaseat，MissHunter。Ishallbehappytodoanythingthat
Icantoserveyou。”
IcouldseethatHolmeswasfavourablyimpressedbythemannerand
speechofhisnewclient。Helookedheroverinhissearchingfashion，
andthencomposedhimself，withhislidsdroopingandhis
finger-tipstogether，tolistentoherstory。
“Ihavebeenagovernessforfiveyears，“saidshe，“inthefamily
ofColonelSpenceMunro，buttwomonthsagothecolonelreceivedan
appointmentatHalifax，inNovaScotia，andtookhischildrenover
toAmericawithhim，sothatIfoundmyselfwithoutasituation。I
advertised，andIansweredadvertisements，butwithoutsuccess。At
lastthelittlemoneywhichIhadsavedbegantorunshort，andI
wasatmywit”sendastowhatIshoulddo。
“Thereisawell-knownagencyforgovernessesintheWestEndcalled
Westaway”s，andthereIusedtocallaboutonceaweekinordertosee
whetheranythinghadturnedupwhichmightsuitme。Westawaywasthe
nameofthefounderofthebusiness，butitisreallymanagedby
MissStoper。Shesitsinherownlittleoffice，andtheladieswhoare
seekingemploymentwaitinananteroom，andarethenshowninoneby
one，whensheconsultsherledgersandseeswhethershehasanything
whichwouldsuitthem。
“Well，whenIcalledlastweekIwasshownintothelittleofficeas
usual，butfoundthatMissStoperwasnotalone。Aprodigiously
stoutmanwithaverysmilingfaceandagreatheavychinwhichrolled
downinfolduponfoldoverhisthroatsatatherelbowwithapairof
glassesonhisnose，lookingveryearnestlyattheladieswhoentered。
AsIcameinhegavequiteajumpinhischairandturnedquicklyto
MissStoper。
“”Thatwilldo”saidhe；”Icouldnotaskforanythingbetter。
Capital！capital！”
Heseemedquiteenthusiasticandrubbedhishandstogetherinthe
mostgenialfashion。Hewassuchacomfortable-lookingmanthatitwas
quiteapleasuretolookathim。
“”Youarelookingforasituation，miss？”heasked。
“”Yes，sir。”
“”Asgoverness？”
“”Yes，sir。”
“”Andwhatsalarydoyouask？”
“”IhadL4amonthinmylastplacewithColonelSpenceMunro。”
“”Oh，tut，tut！sweating-ranksweating！”hecried，throwinghis
fathandsoutintotheairlikeamanwhoisinaboilingpassion。”Howcouldanyoneoffersopitifulasumtoaladywithsuch
attractionsandaccomplishments？”
“”Myaccomplishments，sir，maybelessthanyouimagine”saidI。”A
littleFrench，alittleGerman，music，anddrawing-”
“”Tut，tut！”hecried。”Thisisallquitebesidethequestion。The
pointis，haveyouorhaveyounotthebearinganddeportmentofa
lady？Thereitisinanutshell。Ifyouhavenot，youarenotfitted
fortherearingofachildwhomaysomedayplayaconsiderablepart
inthehistoryofthecountry。Butifyouhave，why，then，howcould
anygentlemanaskyoutocondescendtoacceptanythingunderthethree
figures？Yoursalarywithme，madam，wouldcommenceatL100ayear。”
“Youmayimagine，Mr。Holmes，thattome，destituteasIwas，such
anofferseemedalmosttoogoodtobetrue。Thegentleman，however，
seeingperhapsthelookofincredulityuponmyface，openeda
pocket-bookandtookoutanote。