MortimerTregennisexplainedthatthenightwascoldanddamp。For
thatreason，afterhisarrival，thefirewaslit。“Whatareyou
goingtodonow，Mr。Holmes？“heasked。
Myfriendsmiledandlaidhishanduponmyarm。“Ithink，Watson，
thatIshallresumethatcourseoftobacco-poisoningwhichyouhaveso
oftenandsojustlycondemned，“saidhe。“Withyourpermission，
gentlemen，wewillnowreturntoourcottage，forIamnotaware
thatanynewfactorislikelytocometoournoticehere。Iwill
turnthefactsoverinmymind，Mr。Tregennis，andshouldanything
occurtomeIwillcertainlycommunicatewithyouandthevicar。In
themeantimeIwishyoubothgood-morning。”
ItwasnotuntillongafterwewerebackinPoldhuCottagethat
Holmesbrokehiscompleteandabsorbedsilence。Hesatcoiledinhis
armchair，hishaggardandasceticfacehardlyvisibleamidtheblue
swirlofhistobaccosmoke，hisblackbrowsdrawndown，hisforehead
contracted，hiseyesvacantandfaraway。Finallyhelaiddownhis
pipeandsprangtohisfeet。
“Itwon”tdo，Watson！“saidhewithalaugh。“Letuswalkalong
thecliffstogetherandsearchforflintarrows。Wearemorelikelyto
findthemthancluestothisproblem。Toletthebrainworkwithout
sufficientmaterialislikeracinganengine。Itracksitselfto
pieces。Theseaair，sunshine，andpatience，Watson-allelsewill
come。
“Now，letuscalmlydefineourposition，Watson，“hecontinuedaswe
skirtedthecliffstogether。“Letusgetafirmgripofthevery
littlewhichwedoknow，sothatwhenfreshfactsarisewemaybe
readytofitthemintotheirplaces。Itakeit，inthefirstplace，
thatneitherofusispreparedtoadmitdiabolicalintrusionsintothe
affairsofmen。Letusbeginbyrulingthatentirelyoutofourminds。
Verygood。Thereremainthreepersonswhohavebeengrievously
strickenbysomeconsciousorunconscioushumanagency。Thatisfirm
ground。Now，wheredidthisoccur？Evidently，assuminghisnarrative
tobetrue，itwasimmediatelyafterMr。MortimerTregennishadleft
theroom。Thatisaveryimportantpoint。Thepresumptionisthatit
waswithinafewminutesafterwards。Thecardsstilllayuponthe
table。Itwasalreadypasttheirusualhourforbed。Yettheyhad
notchangedtheirpositionorpushedbacktheirchairs。Irepeat，
then，thattheoccurrencewasimmediatelyafterhisdeparture，andnot
laterthaneleveno”clocklastnight。
“Ournextobviousstepistocheck，sofaraswecan，the
movementsofMortimerTregennisafterhelefttheroom。Inthis
thereisnodifficulty，andtheyseemtobeabovesuspicion。Knowing
mymethodsasyoudo，youwere，ofcourse，consciousofthesomewhat
clumsywater-potexpedientbywhichIobtainedaclearerimpressof
hisfootthanmightotherwisehavebeenpossible。Thewet，sandy
pathtookitadmirably。Lastnightwasalsowet，youwillremember，
anditwasnotdifficult-havingobtainedasampleprint-topick
outhistrackamongothersandtofollowhismovements。Heappears
tohavewalkedawayswiftlyinthedirectionofthevicarage。
“If，then，MortimerTregennisdisappearedfromthescene，andyet
someoutsidepersonaffectedthecardplayers，howcanwereconstruct
thatperson，andhowwassuchanimpressionofhorrorconveyed？Mrs。
Portermaybeeliminated。Sheisevidentlyharmless。Isthereany
evidencethatsomeonecreptuptothegardenwindowandinsomemanner
producedsoterrificaneffectthathedrovethosewhosawitoutof
theirsenses？Theonlysuggestioninthisdirectioncomesfrom
MortimerTregennishimself，whosaysthathisbrotherspokeaboutsome
movementinthegarden。Thatiscertainlyremarkable，asthenightwas
rainy，cloudy，anddark。Anyonewhohadthedesigntoalarmthese
peoplewouldbecompelledtoplacehisveryfaceagainsttheglass
beforehecouldbeseen。Thereisathree-footflower-borderoutside
thiswindow，butnoindicationofafootmark。Itisdifficultto
imagine，then，howanoutsidercouldhavemadesoterriblean
impressionuponthecompany，norhavewefoundanypossiblemotivefor
sostrangeandelaborateanattempt。Youperceiveourdifficulties，
Watson？“
“Theyareonlytooclear，“Iansweredwithconviction。
“Andyet，withalittlemorematerial，wemayprovethattheyare
notinsurmountable，“saidHolmes。“Ifancythatamongyourextensive
archives，Watson，youmayfindsomewhichwerenearlyasobscure。
Meanwhile，weshallputthecaseasideuntilmoreaccuratedataare
available，anddevotetherestofourmorningtothepursuitof
neolithicman。”
Imayhavecommenteduponmyfriend”spowerofmentaldetachment，
butneverhaveIwonderedatitmorethanuponthatspringmorning
inCornwallwhenfortwohourshediscourseduponcelts，arrowheads，
andshards，aslightlyasifnosinistermysterywerewaitingfor
hissolution。Itwasnotuntilwehadreturnedintheafternoontoour
cottagethatwefoundavisitorawaitingus，whosoonbroughtour
mindsbacktothematterinhand。Neitherofusneededtobetold
whothatvisitorwas。Thehugebody，thecraggyanddeeplyseamedface
withthefierceeyesandhawk-likenose，thegrizzledhairwhich
nearlybrushedourcottageceiling，thebeard-goldenatthefringes
andwhitenearthelips，saveforthenicotinestainfromhis
perpetualcigar-allthesewereaswellknowninLondonasin
Africa，andcouldonlybeassociatedwiththetremendouspersonality
ofDr。LeonSterndale，thegreatlion-hunterandexplorer。
Wehadheardofhispresenceinthedistrictandhadonceortwice
caughtsightofhistallfigureuponthemoorlandpaths。Hemadeno
advancestous，however，norwouldwehavedreamedofdoingsotohim，
asitwaswellknownthatitwashisloveofseclusionwhichcaused
himtospendthegreaterpartoftheintervalsbetweenhisjourneysin
asmallbungalowburiedinthelonelywoodofBeauchampArriance。
Here，amidhisbooksandhismaps，helivedanabsolutelylonelylife，
attendingtohisownsimplewantsandpayinglittleapparentheedto
theaffairsofhisneighbours。Itwasasurprisetome，therefore，
tohearhimaskingHolmesinaneagervoicewhetherhehadmadeany
advanceinhisreconstructionofthismysteriousepisode。“The
countypoliceareutterlyatfault，“saidhe，“butperhapsyour
widerexperiencehassuggestedsomeconceivableexplanation。Myonly
claimtobeingtakenintoyourconfidenceisthatduringmymany
residenceshereIhavecometoknowthisfamilyofTregennisvery
well-indeed，uponmyCornishmother”ssideIcouldcallthemcousins-
andtheirstrangefatehasnaturallybeenagreatshocktome。Imay
tellyouthatIhadgotasfarasPlymouthuponmywaytoAfrica，
butthenewsreachedmethismorning，andIcamestraightbackagain
tohelpintheinquiry。”
Holmesraisedhiseyebrows。
“Didyouloseyourboatthroughit？“
“Iwilltakethenext。”
“Dearme！thatisfriendshipindeed。”
“Itellyoutheywererelatives。”
“Quiteso-cousinsofyourmother。Wasyourbaggageaboardthe
ship？“
“Someofit，butthemainpartatthehotel。”
“Isee。Butsurelythiseventcouldnothavefounditswayinto
thePlymouthmorningpapers。”
“No，sir；Ihadatelegram。”
“MightIaskfromwhom？“
Ashadowpassedoverthegauntfaceoftheexplorer。
“Youareveryinquisitive，Mr。Holmes。”
“Itismybusiness。”
WithaneffortDr。Sterndalerecoveredhisruffledcomposure。
“Ihavenoobjectiontotellingyou，“hesaid。“ItwasMr。Roundhay，
thevicar，whosentmethetelegramwhichrecalledme。”
“Thankyou，“saidHolmes。“Imaysayinanswertoyouroriginal
questionthatIhavenotclearedmymindentirelyonthesubjectof
thiscase，butthatIhaveeveryhopeofreachingsomeconclusion。
Itwouldbeprematuretosaymore。”
“Perhapsyouwouldnotmindtellingmeifyoursuspicionspointin
anyparticulardirection？“
“No，Icanhardlyanswerthat。”
“ThenIhavewastedmytimeandneednotprolongmyvisit。”The
famousdoctorstrodeoutofourcottageinconsiderableill-humour，
andwithinfiveminutesHolmeshadfollowedhim。Isawhimnomore
untiltheevening，whenhereturnedwithaslowstepandhaggard
facewhichassuredmethathehadmadenogreatprogresswithhis
investigation。Heglancedatatelegramwhichawaitedhimandthrewit
intothegrate。
“FromthePlymouthhotel，Watson，“hesaid。“Ilearnedthenameof
itfromthevicar，andIwiredtomakecertainthatDr。Leon
Sterndale”saccountwastrue。Itappearsthathedidindeedspendlast
nightthere，andthathehasactuallyallowedsomeofhisbaggageto
goontoAfrica，whilehereturnedtobepresentatthis
investigation。Whatdoyoumakeofthat，Watson？“
“Heisdeeplyinterested。”
“Deeplyinterested-yes。Thereisathreadwherewhichwehavenot
yetgraspedandwhichmightleadusthroughthetangle。Cheerup，
Watson，forIamverysurethatourmaterialhasnotyetallcometo
hand。Whenitdoeswemaysoonleaveourdifficultiesbehindus。”
LittledidIthinkhowsoonthewordsofHolmeswouldberealized，
orhowstrangeandsinisterwouldbethatnewdevelopmentwhichopened
upanentirelyfreshlineofinvestigation。Iwasshavingatmywindow
inthemorningwhenIheardtherattleofhoofsand，lookingup，sawa
dog-cartcomingatagallopdowntheroad。Itpulledupatourdoor，
andourfriend，thevicar，sprangfromitandrushedupourgarden
path。Holmeswasalreadydressed，andwehasteneddowntomeethim。
Ourvisitorwassoexcitedthathecouldhardlyarticulate，butat
lastingaspsandburstshistragicstorycameoutofhim。
“Wearedevil-ridden，Mr。Holmes！Mypoorparishisdevil-ridden！“
hecried。“Satanhimselfislooseinit！Wearegivenoverintohis
hands！“Hedancedaboutinhisagitation，aludicrousobjectifit
werenotforhisashyfaceandstartledeyes。Finallyheshotout
histerriblenews。
“Mr。MortimerTregennisdiedduringthenight，andwithexactly
thesamesymptomsastherestofhisfamily。”
Holmessprangtohisfeet，allenergyinaninstant。
“Canyoufitusbothintoyourdog-cart？“
“Yes，Ican。”
“Then，Watson，wewillpostponeourbreakfast。Mr。Roundhay，we
areentirelyatyourdisposal。Hurry-hurry，beforethingsget
disarranged。”
Thelodgeroccupiedtworoomsatthevicarage，whichwereinan
anglebythemselves，theoneabovetheother。Belowwasalarge
sitting-room；above，hisbedroom。Theylookedoutuponacroquet
lawnwhichcameuptothewindows。Wehadarrivedbeforethedoctoror
thepolice，sothateverythingwasabsolutelyundisturbed。Letme
describeexactlythesceneaswesawituponthatmistyMarchmorning。
Itleftanimpressionwhichcanneverbeeffacedfrommymind。
Theatmosphereoftheroomwasofahorribleanddepressing
stuffiness。Theservantwhohadfirstenteredhadthrownupthe
window，oritwouldhavebeenevenmoreintolerable。Thismightpartly
beduetothefactthatalampstoodflaringandsmokingonthecentre
table。Besideitsatthedeadman，leaningbackinhischair，histhin
beardprojecting，hisspectaclespushedupontohisforehead，andhis
leandarkfaceturnedtowardsthewindowandtwistedintothesame
distortionofterrorwhichhadmarkedthefeaturesofhisdeadsister。
Hislimbswereconvulsedandhisfingerscontortedasthoughhehad
diedinaveryparoxysmoffear。Hewasfullyclothed，thoughthere
weresignsthathisdressinghadbeendoneinahurry。Wehad
alreadylearnedthathisbedhadbeensleptin，andthatthetragic
endhadcometohimintheearlymorning。
Onerealizedthered-hotenergywhichunderlayHolmes”sphlegmatic
exteriorwhenonesawthesuddenchangewhichcameoverhimfromthe
momentthatheenteredthefatalapartment。Inaninstanthewastense
andalert，hisevesshining，hisfaceset，hislimbsquiveringwith
eageractivity。Hewasoutonthelawn，inthroughthewindow，round
theroom，andupintothebedroom，foralltheworldlikeadashing
foxhounddrawingacover。Inthebedroomhemadearapidcastaround
andendedbythrowingopenthewindow，whichappearedtogivehimsome
freshcauseforexcitement，forheleanedoutofitwithloud
ejaculationsofinterestanddelight。Thenherusheddownthe
stairs，outthroughtheopenwindow，threwhimselfuponhisfaceon
thelawn，sprangupandintotheroomoncemore，allwiththeenergy
ofthehunterwhoisattheveryheelsofhisquarry。Thelamp，
whichwasanordinarystandard，heexaminedwithminutecare，making
certainmeasurementsuponitsbowl。Hecarefullyscrutinizedwith
hislensthetaleshieldwhichcoveredthetopofthechimneyand
scrapedoffsomeasheswhichadheredtoitsuppersurface，putting
someofthemintoanenvelope，whichheplacedinhispocketbook。
Finally，justasthedoctorandtheofficialpoliceputinan
appearance，hebeckonedtothevicarandweallthreewentoutupon
thelawn。
“Iamgladtosaythatmyinvestigationhasnotbeenentirely
barren，“heremarked。“Icannotremaintodiscussthematterwith
thepolice，butIshouldbeexceedinglyobliged，Mr。Roundhay，if
youwouldgivetheinspectormycomplimentsanddirecthisattention
tothebedroomwindowandtothesitting-roomlamp。Eachis
suggestive，andtogethertheyarealmostconclusive。Ifthepolice
woulddesirefurtherinformationIshallbehappytoseeanyofthem
atthecottage。Andnow，Watson，Ithinkthat，perhaps，weshallbe
betteremployedelsewhere。”
Itmaybethatthepoliceresentedtheintrusionofanamateur，or
thattheyimaginedthemselvestobeuponsomehopefullineof
investigation；butitiscertainthatweheardnothingfromthemfor
thenexttwodays。DuringthistimeHolmesspentsomeofhistime
smokinganddreaminginthecottage；butagreaterportionin
countrywalkswhichheundertookalone，returningaftermanyhours
withoutremarkastowherehehadbeen。Oneexperimentservedto
showmethelineofhisinvestigation。Hehadboughtalampwhich
wastheduplicateoftheonewhichhadburnedintheroomof
MortimerTregennisonthemorningofthetragedy。Thishefilled
withthesameoilasthatusedatthevicarage，andhecarefullytimed
theperiodwhichitwouldtaketobeexhausted。Anotherexperiment
whichhemadewasofamoreunpleasantnature，andonewhichIam
notlikelyevertoforget。
“Youwillremember，Watson，“heremarkedoneafternoon，“that
thereisasinglecommonpointofresemblanceinthevaryingreports
whichhavereachedus。Thisconcernstheeffectoftheatmosphereof
theroomineachcaseuponthosewhohadfirstenteredit。Youwill
recollectthatMortimerTregennis，indescribingtheepisodeofhis
lastvisittohisbrother”shouse，remarkedthatthedoctoron
enteringtheroomfellintoachair？Youhadforgotten？Well，Ican
answerforitthatitwasso。Now，youwillrememberalsothatMrs。
Porter，thehousekeeper，toldusthatsheherselffaintedupon
enteringtheroomandhadafterwardsopenedthewindow。Inthe
secondcase-thatofMortimerTregennishimself-youcannothave
forgottenthehorriblestuffinessoftheroomwhenwearrived，
thoughtheservanthadthrownopenthewindow。Thatservant，Ifound
uponinquiry，wassoillthatshehadgonetoherbed。Youwilladmit，
Watson，thatthesefactsareverysuggestive。Ineachcasethereis
evidenceofapoisonousatmosphere。Ineachcase，also，thereis
combustiongoingonintheroom-intheonecaseafire，inthe
otheralamp。Thefirewasneeded，butthelampwaslit-asa
comparisonoftheoilconsumedwillshow-longafteritwasbroad
daylight。Why？Surelybecausethereissomeconnectionbetweenthree
things-theburning，thestuffyatmosphere，and，finally，the
madnessordeathofthoseunfortunatepeople。Thatisclear，isit
not？“
“Itwouldappearso。”
“Atleastwemayacceptitasaworkinghypothesis。Wewillsuppose，
then，thatsomethingwasburnedineachcasewhichproducedan
atmospherecausingstrangetoxiceffects。Verygood。Inthefirst
instance-thatoftheTregennisfamily-thissubstancewasplacedin
thefire。Nowthewindowwasshut，butthefirewouldnaturally
carryfumestosomeextentupthechimney。Henceonewouldexpect
theeffectsofthepoisontobelessthaninthesecondcase，where
therewaslessescapeforthevapour。Theresultseemstoindicate
thatitwasso，sinceinthefirstcaseonlythewoman，whohad
presumablythemoresensitiveorganism，waskilled，theothers
exhibitingthattemporaryorpermanentlunacywhichisevidentlythe
firsteffectofthedrug。Inthesecondcasetheresultwas
complete。Thefacts，therefore，seemtobearoutthetheoryofa
poisonwhichworkedbycombustion。
“WiththistrainofreasoninginmyheadInaturallylookedaboutin
MortimerTregennis”sroomtofindsomeremainsofthissubstance。
Theobviousplacetolookwasthetalcshieldorsmoke-guardofthe
lamp。There，sureenough，Iperceivedanumberofflakyashes，and
roundtheedgesafringeofbrownishpowder，whichhadnotyetbeen
consumed。HalfofthisItook，asyousaw，andIplaceditinan
envelope。”
“Whyhalf，Holmes？“
“Itisnotforme，mydearWatson，tostandinthewayofthe
officialpoliceforce。IleavethemalltheevidencewhichIfound。
Thepoisonstillremaineduponthetalchadtheythewittofindit。
Now，Watson，wewilllightourlamp；wewill，however，takethe
precautiontoopenourwindowtoavoidtheprematuredeceaseoftwo
deservingmembersofsociety，andyouwillseatyourselfnearthat
openwindowinanarmchairunless，likeasensibleman，you
determinetohavenothingtodowiththeaffair。Oh，youwillseeit
out，willyou？IthoughtIknewmyWatson。ThischairIwillplace
oppositeyours，sothatwemaybethesamedistancefromthepoison
andfacetoface。Thedoorwewillleaveajar。Eachisnowina
positiontowatchtheotherandtobringtheexperimenttoanend
shouldthesymptomsseemalarming。Isthatallclear？Well，then，I
takeourpowder-orwhatremainsofit-fromtheenvelope，andIlay
itabovetheburninglamp。So！Now，Watson，letussitdownand
awaitdevelopments。”
Theywerenotlongincoming。Ihadhardlysettledinmychair
beforeIwasconsciousofathick，muskyodour，subtleandnauseous。
Attheveryfirstwhiffofitmybrainandmyimaginationwere
beyondallcontrol。Athick，blackcloudswirledbeforemyeyes，and
mymindtoldmethatinthiscloud，unseenasyet，butabouttospring
outuponmyappalledsenses，lurkedallthatwasvaguelyhorrible，all
thatwasmonstrousandinconceivablywickedintheuniverse。Vague
shapesswirledandswamamidthedarkcloud-bank，eachamenaceand
awarningofsomethingcoming，theadventofsomeunspeakable
dwelleruponthethreshold，whoseveryshadowwouldblastmysoul。A
freezinghorrortookpossessionofme。Ifeltthatmyhairwasrising，
thatmyeyeswereprotruding，thatmymouthwasopened，andmy
tonguelikeleather。Theturmoilwithinmybrainwassuchthat
somethingmustsurelysnap。Itriedtoscreamandwasvaguelyawareof
somehoarsecroakwhichwasmyownvoice，butdistantanddetached
frommyself。Atthesamemoment，insomeeffortofescape，Ibroke
throughthatcloudofdespairandhadaglimpseofHolmes”sface，
white，rigid，anddrawnwithhorror-theverylookwhichIhadseen
uponthefeaturesofthedead。Itwasthatvisionwhichgavemean
instantofsanityandofstrength。Idashedfrommychair，threwmy
armsroundHolmes，andtogetherwelurchedthroughthedoor，andan
instantafterwardshadthrownourselvesdownuponthegrassplotand
werelyingsidebyside，consciousonlyoftheglorioussunshinewhich
wasburstingitswaythroughthehellishcloudofterrorwhichhad
girtusin。Slowlyitrosefromoursoulslikethemistsfroma
landscapeuntilpeaceandreasonhadreturned，andweweresitting
uponthegrass，wipingourclammyforeheads，andlookingwith
apprehensionateachothertomarkthelasttracesofthatterrific
experiencewhichwehadundergone。
“Uponmyword，Watson！“saidHolmesatlastwithanunsteady
voice，“Ioweyoubothmythanksandanapology。Itwasan
unjustifiableexperimentevenforone”sself，anddoublysofora
friend。Iamreallyverysorry。”
“Youknow，“Iansweredwithsomeemotion，forIhadneverseenso
muchofHolmes”sheartbefore，“thatitismygreatestjoyand
privilegetohelpyou。”
Herelapsedatonceintothehalf-humorous，half-cynicalvein
whichwashishabitualattitudetothoseabouthim。“Itwouldbe
superfluoustodriveusmad，mydearWatson，“saidhe。“Acandid
observerwouldcertainlydeclarethatweweresoalreadybeforewe
embarkeduponsowildanexperiment。IconfessthatIneverimagined
thattheeffectcouldbesosuddenandsosevere。”Hedashedinto
thecottage，and，reappearingwiththeburninglampheldatfullarm”s
length，hethrewitamongabankofbrambles。“Wemustgivetherooma
littletimetoclear。Itakeit，Watson，thatyouhavenolongera
shadowofadoubtastohowthesetragedieswereproduced？“
“Nonewhatever。”
“Butthecauseremainsasobscureasbefore。Comeintothearbour
hereandletusdiscussittogether。Thatvillainousstuffseemsstill
tolingerroundmythroat。Ithinkwemustadmitthatalltheevidence
pointstothisman，MortimerTregennis，havingbeenthecriminalin
thefirsttragedy，thoughhewasthevictiminthesecondone。Wemust
remember，inthefirstplace，thatthereissomestoryofafamily
quarrel，followedbyareconciliation。Howbitterthatquarrelmay
havebeen，orhowhollowthereconciliationwecannottell。WhenI
thinkofMortimerTregennis，withthefoxyfaceandthesmall
shrewd，beadyeyesbehindthespectacles，heisnotamanwhomI
shouldjudgetobeofaparticularlyforgivingdisposition。Well，in
thenextplace，youwillrememberthatthisideaofsomeonemoving
inthegarden，whichtookourattentionforamomentfromthereal
causeofthetragedy，emanatedfromhim。Hehadamotiveinmisleading
us。Finally，ifhedidnotthrowthissubstanceintothefireatthe
momentofleavingtheroom，whodiddoso？Theaffairhappened
immediatelyafterhisdeparture。Hadanyoneelsecomein，thefamily
wouldcertainlyhaverisenfromthetable。Besides，inpeaceful
Cornwall，visitorsdonotarriveafterteno”clockatnight。Wemay
takeitthen，thatalltheevidencepointstoMortimerTregennisas
theculprit。”
“Thenhisowndeathwassuicide！“
“Well，Watson，itisonthefaceofitanotimpossiblesupposition。
Themanwhohadtheguiltuponhissoulofhavingbroughtsucha
fateuponhisownfamilymightwellbedrivenbyremorsetoinflictit
uponhimself。Thereare，however，somecogentreasonsagainstit。
Fortunately，thereisonemaninEnglandwhoknowsallaboutit，andI
havemadearrangementsbywhichweshallhearthefactsthisafternoon
fromhisownlips。Ah！heisalittlebeforehistime。Perhapsyou
wouldkindlystepthisway，Dr。LeonSterndale。Wehavebeen
conductingachemicalexperimentindoorswhichhasleftourlittle
roomhardlyfitforthereceptionofsodistinguishedavisitor。”
Ihadheardtheclickofthegardengate，andnowthemajestic
figureofthegreatAfricanexplorerappeareduponthepath。Heturned
insomesurprisetowardstherusticarbourinwhichwesat。
“Yousentforme，Mr。Holmes。Ihadyournoteaboutanhourago，and
Ihavecome，thoughIreallydonotknowwhyIshouldobeyyour
summons。”
“Perhapswecanclearthepointupbeforeweseparate，“saidHolmes。
“Meanwhile，Iammuchobligedtoyouforyourcourteous
acquiescence。Youwillexcusethisinformalreceptionintheopenair，
butmyfriendWatsonandIhavenearlyfurnishedanadditionalchapter
towhatthepaperscalltheCornishHorror，andwepreferaclear
atmosphereforthepresent。Perhaps，sincethematterswhichwehave
todiscusswillaffectyoupersonallyinaveryintimatefashion，it
isaswellthatweshouldtalkwheretherecanbenoeavesdropping。”
Theexplorertohiscigarfromhislipsandgazedsternlyatmy
companion。
“Iamatalosstoknow，sir，“hesaid，“whatyoucanhaveto
speakaboutwhichaffectsmepersonallyinaveryintimatefashion。”
“ThekillingofMortimerTregennis，“saidHolmes。
ForamomentIwishedthatIwerearmed。Sterndale”sfierceface
turnedtoaduskyred，hiseyesglared，andtheknotted，passionate
veinsstartedoutinhisforehead，whilehesprangforwardwith
clenchedhandstowardsmycompanion。Thenhestopped，andwitha
violenteffortheresumedacold，rigidcalmness，whichwas，
perhaps，moresuggestiveofdangerthanhishot-headedoutburst。
“Ihavelivedsolongamongsavagesandbeyondthelaw，“saidhe，
“thatIhavegotintothewayofbeingalawtomyself。Youwoulddo
well，Mr。Holmes，nottoforgetit，forIhavenodesiretodoyou
aninjury。”
“NorhaveIanydesiretodoyouaninjuryDr。Sterndale。Surelythe
clearestproofofitisthat，knowingwhatIknow，Ihavesentforyou
andnotforthepolice。”
Sterndalesatdownwithagasp，overawedfor，perhaps，thefirst
timeinhisadventurouslife。Therewasacalmassuranceofpowerin
Holmes”smannerwhichcouldnotbewithstood。Ourvisitorstammered
foramoment，hisgreathandsopeningandshuttinginhisagitation。
“Whatdoyoumean？“heaskedatlast。“Ifthisisbluffuponyour
part，Mr。Holmes，youhavechosenabadmanforyourexperiment。Let
ushavenomorebeatingaboutthebush。Whatdoyoumean？“
“Iwilltellyou，“saidHolmes，“andthereasonwhyItellyouis
thatIhopefranknessmaybegetfrankness。Whatthenextstepmaybe
willdependentirelyuponthenatureofyourowndefence。”
“Mydefence？“
“Yes，sir。”
“Mydefenceagainstwhat？“
“AgainstthechargeofkillingMortimerTregennis。”
Sterndalemoppedhisforeheadwithhishandkerchief。“Uponmy
word，youaregettingon，“saidhe。“Doallyoursuccessesdependupon
thisprodigiouspowerofbluff？“
“Thebluff，“saidHolmessternly，“isuponyourside，Dr。Leon
Sterndale，andnotuponmine。AsaproofIwilltellyousomeofthe
factsuponwhichmyconclusionsarebased。Ofyourreturnfrom
Plymouth，allowingmuchofyourpropertytogoontoAfrica，Iwill
saynothingsavethatitfirstinformedmethatyouwereoneofthe
factorswhichhadtobetakenintoaccountinreconstructingthis
drama-“
“Icameback-“
“Ihaveheardyourreasonsandregardthemasunconvincingand
inadequate。Wewillpassthat。YoucamedownheretoaskmewhomI
suspected。Irefusedtoansweryou。Youthenwenttothevicarage，
waitedoutsideitforsometime，andfinallyreturnedtoyour
cottage。”
“Howdoyouknowthat？“
“Ifollowedyou。”
“Isawnoone。”
“ThatiswhatyoumayexpecttoseewhenIfollowyou。Youspenta
restlessnightatyourcottage，andyouformedcertainplans，whichin
theearlymorningyouproceededtoputintoexecution。Leavingyour
doorjustasdaywasbreaking，youfilledyourpocketwithsome
reddishgravelthatwaslyingheapedbesideyourgate。”
SterndalegaveaviolentstartandlookedatHolmesinamazement。
“Youthenwalkedswiftlyforthemilewhichseparatedyoufromthe
vicarage。Youwerewearing，Imayremark，thesamepairofribbed
tennisshoeswhichareatthepresentmomentuponyourfeet。Atthe
vicarageyoupassedthroughtheorchardandthesidehedge，comingout
underthewindowofthelodgerTregennis。Itwasnowdaylight，butthe
householdwasnotyetstirring。Youdrewsomeofthegravelfrom
yourpocket，andyouthrewitupatthewindowaboveyou。”
Sterndalesprangtohisfeet。
“Ibelievethatyouarethedevilhimself！“hecried。
Holmessmiledatthecompliment。“Ittooktwo，orpossiblythree，
handfulsbeforethelodgercametothewindow。Youbeckonedhimto
comedown。Hedressedhurriedlyanddescendedtohissitting-room。You
enteredbythewindow。Therewasaninterview-ashortone-during
whichyouwalkedupanddowntheroom。Thenyoupassedoutand
closedthewindow，standingonthelawnoutsidesmokingacigarand
watchingwhatoccurred。Finally，afterthedeathofTregennis，you
withdrewasyouhadcome。Now，Dr。Sterndale，howdoyoujustify
suchconduct，andwhatarethemotivesforyouractions？Ifyou
prevaricateortriflewithme，Igiveyoumyassurancethatthematter
willpassoutofmyhandsforever。”
Ourvisitor”sfacehadturnedashengrayashelistenedtothewords
ofhisaccuser。Nowhesatforsometimeinthoughtwithhisfacesunk
inhishands。Thenwithasuddenimpulsivegesturehepluckeda
photographfromhisbreast-pocketandthrewitontherustictable
beforeus。
“ThatiswhyIhavedoneit，“saidhe。
Itshowedthebustandfaceofaverybeautifulwoman。Holmes
stoopedoverit。
“BrendaTregennis，“saidhe。
“Yes，BrendaTregennis，“repeatedourvisitor。“ForyearsIhave
lovedher。Foryearsshehaslovedme。Thereisthesecretofthat
Cornishseclusionwhichpeoplehavemarvelledat。Ithasbroughtme
closetotheonethingonearththatwasdeartome。Icouldnotmarry
her，forIhaveawifewhohasleftmeforyearsandyetwhom，by
thedeplorablelawsofEngland，Icouldnotdivorce。Foryears
Brendawaited。ForyearsIwaited。Andthisiswhatwehavewaited
for。”Aterriblesobshookhisgreatframe，andheclutchedhisthroat
underhisbrindledbeard。Thenwithanefforthemasteredhimself
andspokeon：
“Thevicarknew。Hewasinourconfidence。Hewouldtellyouthat
shewasanangeluponearth。ThatwaswhyhetelegraphedtomeandI
returned。WhatwasmybaggageorAfricatomewhenIlearnedthatsuch
afatehadcomeuponmydarling？Thereyouhavethemissingcluetomy
action，Mr。Holmes。”
“Proceed，“saidmyfriend。
Dr。Sterndaledrewfromhispocketapaperpacketandlaiditupon
thetable。Ontheoutsidewaswritten“Radixpedisdiaboli“withared
poisonlabelbeneathit。Hepushedittowardsme。“Iunderstandthat
youareadoctor，sir。Haveyoueverheardofthispreparation？“
“Devil”s-footroot！No，Ihaveneverheardofit。”
“Itisnoreflectionuponyourprofessionalknowledge，“saidhe，
“forIbelievethat，saveforonesampleinalaboratoryatBuda，
thereisnootherspecimeninEurope。Ithasnotyetfounditsway
eitherintothepharmacopoeiaorintotheliteratureoftoxicology。
Therootisshapedlikeafoot，halfhuman，halfgoatlike；hencethe
fancifulnamegivenbyabotanicalmissionary。Itisusedasanordeal
poisonbythemedicine-menincertaindistrictsofWestAfricaand
iskeptasasecretamongthem。ThisparticularspecimenIobtained
underveryextraordinarycircumstancesintheUbangicountry。”He
openedthepaperashespokeanddisclosedaheapofreddish-brown，
snuff-likepowder。
“Well，sir？“askedHolmessternly。
“Iamabouttotellyou，Mr。Holmes，allthatactuallyoccurred，for
youalreadyknowsomuchthatitisclearlytomyinterestthatyou
shouldknowall。Ihavealreadyexplainedtherelationshipinwhich
IstoodtotheTregennisfamily。ForthesakeofthesisterIwas
friendlywiththebrothers。Therewasafamilyquarrelaboutmoney
whichestrangedthismanMortimer，butitwassupposedtobemade
up，andIafterwardsmethimasIdidtheothers。Hewasasly，
subtle，schemingman，andseveralthingsarosewhichgavemea
suspicionofhim，butIhadnocauseforanypositivequarrel。
“Oneday，onlyacoupleofweeksago，hecamedowntomycottageand
IshowedhimsomeofmyAfricancuriosities。AmongotherthingsI
exhibitedthispowder，andItoldhimofitsstrangeproperties，how
itstimulatesthosebraincentreswhichcontroltheemotionoffear，
andhoweithermadnessordeathisthefateoftheunhappynative
whoissubjectedtotheordealbythepriestofhistribe。Itold
himalsohowpowerlessEuropeansciencewouldbetodetectit。How
hetookitIcannotsay，forIneverlefttheroom，butthereisno
doubtthatitwasthen，whileIwasopeningcabinetsandstoopingto
boxes，thathemanagedtoabstractsomeofthedevil”s-footroot。I
wellrememberhowhepliedmewithquestionsastotheamountand
thetimethatwasneededforitseffect，butIlittledreamedthat
hecouldhaveapersonalreasonforasking。
“Ithoughtnomoreofthematteruntilthevicar”stelegram
reachedmeatPlymouth。ThisvillainhadthoughtthatIwouldbeat
seabeforethenewscouldreachme，andthatIshouldbelostfor
yearsinAfrica。ButIreturnedatonce。Ofcourse，Icouldnotlisten
tothedetailswithoutfeelingassuredthatmypoisonhadbeenused。I
cameroundtoseeyouonthechancethatsomeotherexplanationhad
suggesteditselftoyou。Buttherecouldbenone。Iwasconvincedthat
MortimerTregenniswasthemurderer；thatforthesakeofmoney，and
withtheidea，perhaps，thatiftheothermembersofhisfamilywere
allinsanehewouldbethesoleguardianoftheirjointproperty，he
hadusedthedevil”s-footpowderuponthem，driventwoofthemout
oftheirsenses，andkilledhissisterBrenda，theonehumanbeing
whomIhaveeverlovedorwhohaseverlovedme。Therewashis
crime；whatwastobehispunishment？
“ShouldIappealtothelaw？Whereweremyproofs？Iknewthatthe
factsweretrue，butcouldIhelptomakeajuryofcountrymenbelieve
sofantasticastory？ImightorImightnot。ButIcouldnotafford
tofail。Mysoulcriedoutforrevenge。Ihavesaidtoyouonce
before，Mr。Holmes，thatIhavespentmuchofmylifeoutsidethelaw，
andthatIhavecomeatlasttobealawtomyself。Soitwasnow。I
determinedthatthefatewhichhehadgiventoothersshouldbeshared
byhimself。EitherthatorIwoulddojusticeuponhimwithmyown
hand。InallEnglandtherecanbenomanwhosetslessvalueupon
hisownlifethanIdoatthepresentmoment。
“NowIhavetoldyouall。Youhaveyourselfsuppliedtherest。I
did，asyousay，afterarestlessnight，setoffearlyfrommy
cottage。Iforesawthedifficultyofarousinghim，soIgathered
somegravelfromthepilewhichyouhavementioned，andIuseditto
throwuptohiswindow。Hecamedownandadmittedmethroughthe
windowofthesitting-room。Ilaidhisoffencebeforehim。Itold
himthatIhadcomebothasjudgeandexecutioner。Thewretchsank
intoachair，paralyzedatthesightofmyrevolver。Ilitthelamp，
putthepowderaboveit，andstoodoutsidethewindow，readyto
carryoutmythreattoshoothimshouldhetrytoleavetheroom。In
fiveminuteshedied。MyGod！howhedied！Butmyheartwasflint，for
heendurednothingwhichmyinnocentdarlinghadnotfeltbefore
him。Thereismystory，Mr。Holmes。Perhaps，ifyoulovedawoman，you
wouldhavedoneasmuchyourself。Atanyrate，Iaminyourhands。You
cantakewhatstepsyoulike。AsIhavealreadysaid，thereisno
manlivingwhocanfeardeathlessthanIdo。”
Holmessatforsomelittletimeinsilence。
“Whatwereyourplans？“heaskedatlast。
“IhadintendedtoburymyselfincentralAfrica。Myworkthereis
buthalffinished。”
“Goanddotheotherhalf，“saidHolmes。“Iatleast，amnot
preparedtopreventyou。”
Dr。Sterndaleraisedhisgiantfigure，bowedgravely，andwalked
fromthearbour。Holmeslithispipeandhandedmehispouch。
“Somefumeswhicharenotpoisonouswouldbeawelcomechange，“said
he。“Ithinkyoumustagree，Watson，thatitisnotacaseinwhichwe
arecalledupontointerfere。Ourinvestigationhasbeen
independent，andouractionshallbesoalso。Youwouldnotdenounce
theman？“
“Certainlynot，“Ianswered。
“Ihaveneverloved，Watson，butifIdidandifthewomanIloved
hadmetsuchanend，Imighthavedoneasourlawlesslion-hunter
hasdone。Whoknows？Well，Watson，Iwillnotoffendyourintelligence
byexplainingwhatisobvious。Thegraveluponthewindowsillwas，of
course，thestarting-pointofmyresearch。Itwasunlikeanythingin
thevicaragegarden。OnlywhenmyattentionhadbeendrawntoDr。
SterndaleandhiscottagedidIfinditscounterpart。Thelampshining
inbroaddaylightandtheremainsofpowderupontheshieldwere
successivelinksinafairlyobviouschain。Andnow，mydearWatson，I
thinkwemaydismissthematterfromourmindandgobackwithaclear
consciencetothestudyofthoseChaldeanrootswhicharesurelytobe
tracedintheCornishbranchofthegreatCelticspeech。”-
THEEND。
1913
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEDYINGDETECTIVE
bySirArthurConanDoyle
Mrs。Hudson，thelandladyofSherlockHolmes，wasalong-suffering
woman。Notonlywasherfirst-floorflatinvadedatallhoursby
throngsofsingularandoftenundesirablecharactersbuther
remarkablelodgershowedaneccentricityandirregularityinhis
lifewhichmusthavesorelytriedherpatience。Hisincredible
untidiness，hisaddictiontomusicatstrangehours，hisoccasional
revolverpracticewithindoors，hisweirdandoftenmalodorous
scientificexperiments，andtheatmosphereofviolenceanddanger
whichhungaroundhimmadehimtheveryworsttenantinLondon。Onthe
otherhand，hispaymentswereprincely。Ihavenodoubtthatthehouse
mighthavebeenpurchasedatthepricewhichHolmespaidforhisrooms
duringtheyearsthatIwaswithhim。
Thelandladystoodinthedeepestaweofhimandneverdaredto
interferewithhim，howeveroutrageoushisproceedingsmightseem。She
wasfondofhim，too，forhehadaremarkablegentlenessand
courtesyinhisdealingswithwomen。Hedislikedanddistrustedthe
sex，buthewasalwaysachivalrousopponent。Knowinghowgenuine
washerregardforhim，Ilistenedearnestlytoherstorywhenshe
cametomyroomsinthesecondyearofmymarriedlifeandtoldme
ofthesadconditiontowhichmypoorfriendwasreduced。
“He”sdying，Dr。Watson，“saidshe。“Forthreedayshehasbeen
sinking，andIdoubtifhewilllasttheday。Hewouldnotletme
getadoctor。ThismorningwhenIsawhisbonesstickingoutofhis
faceandhisgreatbrighteyeslookingatmeIcouldstandnomore
ofit。”Withyourleaveorwithoutit，Mr。Holmes，Iamgoingfora
doctorthisveryhour”saidI。”LetitbeWatson，then”saidhe。I
wouldn”twasteanhourincomingtohim，sir，oryoumaynotseehim
alive。”
IwashorrifiedforIhadheardnothingofhisillness。Ineednot
saythatIrushedformycoatandmyhat。AswedrovebackIaskedfor
thedetails。
“ThereislittleIcantellyou，sir。Hehasbeenworkingata
casedownatRotherhithe，inanalleyneartheriver，andhehas
broughtthisillnessbackwithhim。HetooktohisbedonWednesday
afternoonandhasnevermovedsince。Forthesethreedaysneitherfood
nordrinkhaspassedhislips。”
“GoodGod！Whydidyounotcallinadoctor？“
“Hewouldn”thaveit，sir。Youknowhowmasterfulheis。Ididn”t
daretodisobeyhim。Buthe”snotlongforthisworld，asyou”llsee
foryourselfthemomentthatyouseteyesonhim。”
Hewasindeedadeplorablespectacle。Inthedimlightofafoggy
Novemberdaythesickroomwasagloomyspot，butitwasthatgaunt，
wastedfacestaringatmefromthebedwhichsentachilltomyheart。
Hiseyeshadthebrightnessoffever，therewasahecticflushupon
eithercheek，anddarkcrustsclungtohislips；thethinhandsupon
thecoverlettwitchedincessantly，hisvoicewascroakingand
spasmodic。HelaylistlesslyasIenteredtheroom，butthesightof
mebroughtagleamofrecognitiontohiseyes。
“Well，Watson，weseemtohavefallenuponevildays，“saidhein
afeeblevoice，butwithsomethingofhisoldcarelessnessofmanner。
“Mydearfellow！“Icried，approachinghim。
“Standback！Standrightback！“saidhewiththesharpimperiousness
whichIhadassociatedonlywithmomentsofcrisis。“Ifyouapproach
me，Watson，Ishallorderyououtofthehouse。”
“Butwhy？“
“Becauseitismydesire。Isthatnotenough？“
Yes，Mrs。Hudsonwasright。Hewasmoremasterfulthanever。It
waspitiful，however，toseehisexhaustion。
“Ionlywishedtohelp，“Iexplained。
“Exactly！Youwillhelpbestbydoingwhatyouaretold。”
“Certainly，Holmes。”
Herelaxedtheausterityofhismanner。
“Youarenotangry？“heasked，gaspingforbreath。
Poordevil，howcouldIbeangrywhenIsawhimlyinginsucha
plightbeforeme？
“It”sforyourownsake，Watson，“hecroaked。
“Formysake？“
“Iknowwhatisthematterwithme。Itisacooliediseasefrom
Sumatra-athingthattheDutchknowmoreaboutthanwe，thoughthey
havemadelittleofituptodate。Onethingonlyiscertain。Itis
infalliblydeadly，anditishorriblycontagious。”
Hespokenowwithafeverishenergy，thelonghandstwitchingand
jerkingashemotionedmeaway。
“Contagiousbytouch，Watson-that”sit，bytouch。Keepyour
distanceandalliswell。”
“Goodheavens，Holmes！Doyousupposethatsuchaconsideration
weighswithmeforaninstant？Itwouldnotaffectmeinthecaseofa
stranger。Doyouimagineitwouldpreventmefromdoingmydutyto
sooldafriend？“
AgainIadvanced，butherepulsedmewithalookoffuriousanger。
“IfyouwillstandthereIwilltalk。Ifyoudonotyoumustleave
theroom。”
IhavesodeeparespectfortheextraordinaryqualitiesofHolmes
thatIhavealwaysdeferredtohiswishes，evenwhenIleast
understoodthem。Butnowallmyprofessionalinstinctswerearoused。
Lethimbemymasterelsewhere，Iatleastwashisinasickroom。
“Holmes，“saidI，“youarenotyourself。Asickmanisbuta
child，andsoIwilltreatyou。Whetheryoulikeitornot，Iwill
examineyoursymptomsandtreatyouforthem。”
Helookedatmewithvenomouseyes。
“IfIamtohaveadoctorwhetherIwillornot，letmeatleast
havesomeoneinwhomIhaveconfidence，“saidhe。
“Thenyouhavenoneinme？“
“Inyourfriendship，certainly。Butfactsarefacts，Watson，and，
afterall，youareonlyageneralpractitionerwithverylimited
experienceandmediocrequalifications。Itispainfultohavetosay
thesethings，butyouleavemenochoice。”
Iwasbitterlyhurt。
“Sucharemarkisunworthyofyou，Holmes。Itshowsmevery
clearlythestateofyourownnerves。Butifyouhavenoconfidencein
meIwouldnotintrudemyservices。LetmebringSirJasperMeekor
PenroseFisher，oranyofthebestmeninLondon。Butsomeoneyoumust
have，andthatisfinal。IfyouthinkthatIamgoingtostandhere
andseeyoudiewithouteitherhelpingyoumyselforbringinganyone
elsetohelpyou，thenyouhavemistakenyourman。”
“Youmeanwell，Watson，“saidthesickmanwithsomethingbetween
asobandagroan。“ShallIdemonstrateyourownignorance？Whatdo
youknow，pray，ofTapanulifever？Whatdoyouknowoftheblack
Formosacorruption？“
“Ihaveneverheardofeither。”
“Therearemanyproblemsofdisease，manystrangepathological
possibilities，intheEast，Watson。”Hepausedaftereachsentence
tocollecthisfailingstrength。“Ihavelearnedsomuchduringsome
recentresearcheswhichhaveamedico-criminalaspect。Itwasinthe
courseofthemthatIcontractedthiscomplaint。Youcandonothing。”
“Possiblynot。ButIhappentoknowthatDr。Ainstree，the
greatestlivingauthorityupontropicaldisease，isnowinLondon。All
remonstranceisuseless，Holmes，Iamgoingthisinstanttofetch
him。”Iturnedresolutelytothedoor。
NeverhaveIhadsuchashock！Inaninstant，withatiger-spring，
thedyingmanhadinterceptedme。Iheardthesharpsnapofa
twistedkey。Thenextmomenthehadstaggeredbacktohisbed，
exhaustedandpantingafterhisonetremendousoutflameofenergy。
“Youwon”ttakethekeyfrommebyforce，Watson，I”vegotyou，my
friend。Hereyouare，andhereyouwillstayuntilIwillotherwise。
ButI”llhumouryou。”Allthisinlittlegasps，withterrible
strugglesforbreathbetween“You”veonlymyowngoodatheart。Of
courseIknowthatverywell。Youshallhaveyourway，butgiveme
timetogetmystrength。Notnow，Watson，notnow。It”sfour
o”clock。Atsixyoucango。”
“Thisisinsanity，Holmes。”
“Onlytwohours，Watson。Ipromiseyouwillgoatsix。Areyou
contenttowait？“
“Iseemtohavenochoice。”
“Noneintheworld，Watson。Thankyou，Ineednohelpinarranging
theclothes。Youwillpleasekeepyourdistance。Now，Watson，thereis
oneotherconditionthatIwouldmake。Youwillseekhelp，notfrom
themanyoumention，butfromtheonethatIchoose。”
“Byallmeans。”
“Thefirstthreesensiblewordsthatyouhaveutteredsinceyou
enteredthisroom，Watson。Youwillfindsomebooksoverthere。Iam
somewhatexhausted；Iwonderhowabatteryfeelswhenitpours
electricityintoanon-conductor？Atsix，Watson，weresumeour
conversation。”
Butitwasdestinedtoberesumedlongbeforethathour，andin
circumstanceswhichgavemeashockhardlysecondtothatcausedby
hisspringingtothedoor。Ihadstoodforsomeminuteslookingatthe
silentfigureinthebed。Hisfacewasalmostcoveredbytheclothes
andheappearedtobeasleep。Then，unabletosettledownto
reading，Iwalkedslowlyroundtheroom，examiningthepicturesof
celebratedcriminalswithwhicheverywallwasadorned。Finally，inmy
aimlessperambulation，Icametothemantelpiece。Alitterofpipes，
tobacco-pouches，syringes，penknives，revolver-cartridges，andother
debriswasscatteredoverit。Inthemidstofthesewasasmall
blackandwhiteivoryboxwithaslidinglid。Itwasaneatlittle
thing，andIhadstretchedoutmyhandtoexamineitmoreclosely
when-
Itwasadreadfulcrythathegave-ayellwhichmighthavebeen
hearddownthestreet。Myskinwentcoldandmyhairbristledat
thathorriblescream。AsIturnedIcaughtaglimpseofaconvulsed
faceandfranticeyes。Istoodparalyzed，withthelittleboxinmy
hand。
“Putitdown！Down，thisinstant，Watson-thisinstant，Isay！“
Hisheadsankbackuponthepillowandhegaveadeepsighofrelief
asIreplacedtheboxuponthemantelpiece。“Ihatetohavemy
thingstouched，Watson。YouknowthatIhateit。Youfidgetme
beyondendurance。You，adoctor-youareenoughtodriveapatient
intoanasylum。Sitdown，man，andletmehavemyrest！“
Theincidentleftamostunpleasantimpressionuponmymind。The
violentandcauselessexcitement，followedbythisbrutalityof
speech，sofarremovedfromhisusualsuavity，showedmehowdeep
wasthedisorganizationofhismind。Ofallruins，thatofanoble
mindisthemostdeplorable。Isatinsilentdejectionuntilthe
stipulatedtimehadpassed。Heseemedtohavebeenwatchingthe
clockaswellasI，foritwashardlysixbeforehebegantotalkwith
thesamefeverishanimationasbefore。
“Now，Watson，“saidhe。“Haveyouanychangeinyourpocket？“
“Yes。”
“Anysilver？“
“Agooddeal。”
“Howmanyhalf-crowns？“
“Ihavefive。”
“Ah，toofew！Toofew！Howveryunfortunate，Watson！However，such
astheyareyoucanputtheminyourwatchpocket。Andalltherest
ofyourmoneyinyourlefttrouserpocket。Thankyou。Itwillbalance
yousomuchbetterlikethat。”
Thiswasravinginsanity。Heshuddered，andagainmadeasound
betweenacoughandasob。
“Youwillnowlightthegas，Watson，butyouwillbeverycareful
thatnotforoneinstantshallitbemorethanhalfon。Iimplore
youtobecareful，Watson。Thankyou，thatisexcellent。No，you
neednotdrawtheblind。Nowyouwillhavethekindnesstoplace
somelettersandpapersuponthistablewithinmyreach，Thankyou。
Nowsomeofthatlitterfromthemantelpiece。Excellent，Watson！There
isasugar-tongsthere。Kindlyraisethatsmallivoryboxwithits
assistance。Placeithereamongthepapers。Good！Youcannowgoand
fetchMr。CulvertonSmith，of13LowerBurkeStreet。”
Totellthetruth，mydesiretofetchadoctorhadsomewhat
weakened，forpoorHolmeswassoobviouslydeliriousthatitseemed
dangeroustoleavehim。However，hewasaseagernowtoconsultthe
personnamedashehadbeenobstinateinrefusing。
“Ineverheardthename，“saidI。
“Possiblynot，mygoodWatson。Itmaysurpriseyoutoknowthat
themanuponearthwhoisbestversedinthisdiseaseisnotamedical
man，butaplanter。Mr。CulvertonSmithisawell-knownresidentof
Sumatra，nowvisitingLondon。Anoutbreakofthediseaseuponhis
plantation，whichwasdistantfrommedicalaid，causedhimtostudyit
himself，withsomeratherfar-reachingconsequences。Heisavery
methodicalperson，andIdidnotdesireyoutostartbeforesix，
becauseIwaswellawarethatyouwouldnotfindhiminhisstudy。
Ifyoucouldpersuadehimtocomehereandgiveusthebenefitof
hisuniqueexperienceofthisdisease，theinvestigationofwhich
hasbeenhisdearesthobby，Icannotdoubtthathecouldhelpme。”
IgiveHolmes”sremarksasaconsecutivewholeandwillnot
attempttoindicatehowtheywereinterruptedbygaspingsforbreath
andthoseclutchingsofhishandswhichindicatedthepainfrom
whichhewassuffering。Hisappearancehadchangedfortheworse
duringthefewhoursthatIhadbeenwithhim。Thosehecticspotswere
morepronounced，theeyesshonemorebrightlyoutofdarkerhollows，
andacoldsweatglimmereduponhisbrow。Hestillretained，
however，thejauntygallantryofhisspeech。Tothelastgasphewould
alwaysbethemaster。
“Youwilltellhimexactlyhowyouhaveleftme，“saidhe。“Youwill
conveytheveryimpressionwhichisinyourownmind-adyingman-a
dyinganddeliriousman。Indeed，Icannotthinkwhythewholebedof
theoceanisnotonesolidmassofoysters，soprolificthe
creaturesseem。Ah，Iamwandering！Strangehowthebraincontrolsthe
brain！WhatwasIsaying，Watson？“
“MydirectionsforMr。CulvertonSmith。”
“Ah，yes，Iremember。Mylifedependsuponit。Pleadwithhim，
Watson。Thereisnogoodfeelingbetweenus。Hisnephew，Watson-Ihad
suspicionsoffoulplayandIallowedhimtoseeit。Theboydied
horribly。Hehasagrudgeagainstme。Youwillsoftenhim，Watson。Beg
him，prayhim，gethimherebyanymeans。Hecansaveme-onlyhe！“
“Iwillbringhiminacab，ifIhavetocarryhimdowntoit。”
“Youwilldonothingofthesort。Youwillpersuadehimtocome。And
thenyouwillreturninfrontofhim。Makeanyexcusesoasnotto
comewithhim。Don”tforget，Watson。Youwon”tfailme。Younever
didfailme。Nodoubttherearenaturalenemieswhichlimitthe
increaseofthecreatures。YouandI，Watson，wehavedoneourpart。
Shalltheworld，then，beoverrunbyoysters？No，no；horrible！You”ll
conveyallthatisinyourmind。”
Ilefthimfulloftheimageofthismagnificentintellect
babblinglikeafoolishchild。Hehadhandedmethekey，andwitha
happythoughtItookitwithmelestheshouldlockhimselfin。Mrs。
Hudsonwaswaiting，tremblingandweeping，inthepassage。Behindme
asIpassedfromtheflatIheardHolmes”shigh，thinvoiceinsome
deliriouschant。Below，asIstoodwhistlingforacab，amancame
onmethroughthefog。
“HowisMr。Holmes，sir？“heasked。
Itwasanoldacquaintance，InspectorMorton，ofScotlandYard，
dressedinunofficialtweeds。
“Heisveryill，“Ianswered。
Helookedatmeinamostsingularfashion。Haditnotbeentoo
fiendish，Icouldhaveimaginedthatthegleamofthefanlight
showedexultationinhisface。
“Iheardsomerumourofit，“saidhe。
Thecabhaddrivenup，andIlefthim。
LowerBurkeStreetprovedtobealineoffinehouseslyinginthe
vagueborderlandbetweenNottingHillandKensington。Theparticular
oneatwhichmycabmanpulleduphadanairofsmuganddemure
respectabilityinitsold-fashionedironrailings，itsmassive
folding-door，anditsshiningbrasswork。Allwasinkeepingwith，a
solemnbutlerwhoappearedframedinthepinkradianceofatinted
electriclightbehindhim。
“Yes，Mr。CulvertonSmithisin，Dr。Watson！Verygood，sir，I
willtakeupyourcard。”
MyhumblenameandtitledidnotappeartoimpressMr。Culverton
Smith。Throughthehalf-opendoorIheardahigh，petulant，
penetratingvoice。
“Whoisthisperson？Whatdoeshewant？Dearme，Staples，how
oftenhaveIsaidthatIam，nottobedisturbedinmyhoursof
study？“
Therecameagentleflowofsoothingexplanationfromthebutler。
“Well，Iwon”tseehim，Staples。Ican”thavemyworkinterrupted
likethis。Iamnotathome。Sayso。tellhimtocomeinthemorning
ifhereallymustseeme。”
Againthegentlemurmur。