“Well，Mr。Holmes，then。”
“Excellent！ButIassureyouyouaremistakenaboutmyalleged
agents。”
CountSylviuslaughedcontemptuously。
“Otherpeoplecanobserveaswellasyou。Yesterdaytherewasanold
sportingman。To-dayitwasanelderlywoman。Theyheldmeinviewall
day。”
“Really，sir，youcomplimentme。OldBaronDowsonsaidthenight
beforehewashangedthatinmycasewhatthelawhadgainedthestage
hadlost。Andnowyougivemylittleimpersonationsyourkindly
praise？“
“Itwasyou-youyourself？“
Holmesshruggedhisshoulders。“Youcanseeinthecornerthe
parasolwhichyousopolitelyhandedtomeintheMinoriesbefore
youbegantosuspect。”
“IfIhadknown，youmightnever-“
“Haveseenthishorriblehomeagain。Iwaswellawareofit。We
allhaveneglectedopportunitiestodeplore。Asithappens，youdid
notknow，sohereweare！“
TheCount”sknottedbrowsgatheredmoreheavilyoverhismenacing
eyes。“Whatyousayonlymakesthematterworse。Itwasnotyour
agentsbutyourplay-acting，busybodyself！Youadmitthatyouhave
doggedme。Why？“
“Comenow，Count。YouusedtoshootlionsinAlgeria。”
“Well？“
“Butwhy？“
“Why？Thesport-theexcitement-thedanger！“
“And，nodoubt，tofreethecountryfromapest？“
“Exactly！“
“Myreasonsinanutshell！“
TheCountsprangtohisfeet，andhishandinvoluntarilymoved
backtohiship-pocket。
“Sitdown，sir，sitdown！Therewasanother，morepractical，reason。
Iwantthatyellowdiamond！“
CountSylviuslaybackinhischairwithanevilsmile。
“Uponmyword！“saidhe。
“YouknewthatIwasafteryouforthat。Therealreasonwhyyouare
heretonightistofindouthowmuchIknowaboutthematterandhow
farmyremovalisabsolutelyessential。Well，Ishouldsaythat，
fromyourpointofview，itisabsolutelyessential，forIknowall
aboutit，saveonlyonething，whichyouareabouttotellme。”
“Oh，indeed！Andpray，whatisthismissingfact？“
“WheretheCrowndiamondnowis。”
TheCountlookedsharplyathiscompanion。“Oh，youwanttoknow
that，doyou？HowthedevilshouldIbeabletotellyouwhereitis？“
“Youcan，andyouwill。”
“Indeed！“
“Youcan”tbluffme，CountSylvius。”Holmes”seyes，ashegazedat
him，contractedandlighteneduntiltheywereliketwomenacingpoints
ofsteel。“Youareabsoluteplate-glass。Iseetotheverybackof
yourmind。”
“Then，ofcourse，youseewherethediamondis！“
Holmesclappedhishandswithamusement，andthenpointedaderisive
finger。“Thenyoudoknow。Youhaveadmittedit！“
“Iadmitnothing。”
“Now，Count，ifyouwillbereasonablewecandobusiness。Ifnot，
youwillgethurt。”
CountSylviusthrewuphiseyestotheceiling。“Andyoutalk
aboutbluff！“saidhe。
Holmeslookedathimthoughtfullylikeamasterchess-playerwho
meditateshiscrowningmove。Thenhethrewopenthetabledrawerand
drewoutasquatnotebook。
“DoyouknowwhatIkeepinthisbook？“
“No，sir，Idonot！“
“You！“
“Me！“
“Yes，sir，you！Youareallhere-everyactionofyourvileand
dangerouslife。”
“Damnyou，Holmes！“criedtheCountwithblazingeyes。“Thereare
limitstomypatience！“
“It”sallhere，Count。TherealfactsastothedeathofoldMrs。
Harold，wholeftyoutheBlymerestate，whichyousorapidlygambled
away。”
“Youaredreaming！“
“AndthecompletelifehistoryofMissMinnieWarrender。”
“Tut！Youwillmakenothingofthat！“
“Plentymorehere，Count。Hereistherobberyinthetrainde-luxe
totheRivieraonFebruary13，1892。Hereistheforgedcheckinthe
sameyearontheCreditLyonnais。”
“No；you”rewrongthere。”
“ThenIamrightontheothers！Now，Count，youareacard-player。
Whentheotherfellowhasallthetrumps，itsavestimetothrow
downyourhand。”
“Whathasallthistalktodowiththejewelofwhichyouspoke？“
“Gently，Count。Restrainthateagermind！Letmegettothepoints
inmyownhumdrumfashion。Ihaveallthisagainstyou；but，above
all，Ihaveaclearcaseagainstbothyouandyourfightingbullyin
thecaseoftheCrowndiamond。”
“Indeed！“
“IhavethecabmanwhotookyoutoWhitehallandthecabmanwho
broughtyouaway。Ihavethecommissionairewhosawyounearthecase。
IhaveIkeySanders，whorefusedtocutitupforyou。Ikeyhas
peached，andthegameisup。”
TheveinsstoodoutontheCount”sforehead。Hisdark，hairyhands
wereclenchedinaconvulsionofrestrainedemotion。Hetriedto
speak，butthewordswouldnotshapethemselves。
“That”sthehandIplayfrom，“saidHolmes。“Iputitallonthe
table。Butonecardismissing。It”sthekingofdiamonds。Idon”t
knowwherethestoneis。”
“Younevershallknow。”
“No？Now，bereasonable，Count。Considerthesituation。Youare
goingtobelockedupfortwentyyears。SoisSamMerton。Whatgood
areyougoingtogetoutofyourdiamond？Noneintheworld。Butif
youhanditover-well，I”llcompoundafelony。Wedon”twantyouor
Sam。Wewantthestone。Givethatup，andsofarasIamconcernedyou
cangofreesolongasyoubehaveyourselfinthefuture。Ifyou
makeanotherslip-well，itwillbethelast。Butthistimemy
commissionistogetthestone，notyou。”
“ButifIrefuse？“
“Why，then-alas！-itmustbeyouandnotthestone。”
Billyhadappearedinanswertoaring。
“Ithink，Count，thatitwouldbeaswelltohaveyourfriendSamat
thisconference。Afterall，hisinterestsshouldberepresented。
Billy，youwillseealargeanduglygentlemanoutsidethefrontdoor。
Askhimtocomeup。”
“Ifhewon”tcome，sir？“
“Noviolence，Billy。Don”tberoughwithhim。Ifyoutellhimthat
CountSylviuswantshimhewillcertainlycome。”
“Whatareyougoingtodonow？“askedtheCountasBilly
disappeared。
“MyfriendWatsonwaswithmejustnow。ItoldhimthatIhada
sharkandgudgeoninmynet；nowIamdrawingthenetanduptheycome
together。”
TheCounthadrisenfromhischair，andhishandwasbehindhis
back。Holmesheldsomethinghalfprotrudingfromthepocketofhis
dressing-gown。
“Youwon”tdieinyourbed，Holmes。”
“Ihaveoftenhadthesameidea。Doesitmatterverymuch？After
all，Count，yourownexitismorelikelytobeperpendicularthan
horizontal。Buttheseanticipationsofthefuturearemorbid。Why
notgiveourselvesuptotheunrestrainedenjoymentofthepresent？“
Asuddenwild-beastlightsprangupinthedark，menacingeyesof
themastercriminal。Holmes”sfigureseemedtogrowtallerashe
grewtenseandready。
“Itisnouseyourfingeringyourrevolver，myfriend，“hesaidina
quietvoice。Youknowperfectlywellthatyoudarenotuseit，evenif
Igaveyoutimetodrawit。Nasty，noisythings，revolvers，Count。
Bettersticktoair-guns。Ah！IthinkIhearthefairyfootstepof
yourestimablepartner。Goodday，Mr。Merton。Ratherdullinthe
street，isitnot？“
Theprize-fighter，aheavilybuiltyoungmanwithastupid，
obstinate，slab-sidedface，stoodawkwardlyatthedoor，lookingabout
himwithapuzzledexpression。Holmes”sdebonairmannerwasanew
experience，andthoughhevaguelyfeltthatitwashostile，hedidnot
knowhowtocounterit。Heturnedtohismoreastutecomradeforhelp。
“What”sthegamenow，Count？What”sthisfellowwant？What”sup？“
Hisvoicewasdeepandraucous。
TheCountshruggedhisshoulders，anditwasHolmeswhoanswered。
“IfImayputitinanutshell，Mr。Merton，Ishouldsayitwas
allup。”
Theboxerstilladdressedhisremarkstohisassociate。
“Isthiscovetryingtobefunny，orwhat？I”mnotinthefunnymood
myself。”
“No，Iexpectnot，“saidHolmes。“IthinkIcanpromiseyouthatyou
willfeelevenlesshumorousastheeveningadvances。Now，look
here，CountSylvius。I”mabusymanandIcan”twastetime。I”m
goingintothatbedroom。Praymakeyourselvesquiteathomeinmy
absence。Youcanexplaintoyourfriendhowthematterlieswithout
therestraintofmypresence。IshalltryovertheHoffman”Barcarole”
uponmyviolin。InfiveminutesIshallreturnforyourfinal
answer。Youquitegraspthealternative，doyounot？Shallwetake
you，orshallwehavethestone？“
Holmeswithdrew，pickinguphisviolinfromthecornerashepassed。
Afewmomentslaterthelong-drawn，wailingnotesofthatmost
hauntingoftunescamefaintlythroughthecloseddoorofthebedroom。
“Whatisit，then？“askedMertonanxiouslyashiscompanionturned
tohim。“Doesheknowaboutthestone？“
“Heknowsadamnedsighttoomuchaboutit。I”mnotsurethathe
doesn”tknowallaboutit。”
“GoodLord！“Theboxer”ssallowfaceturnedashadewhiter。
“IkeySandershassplitonus。”
“Hehas，hashe？I”lldohimdownathick”unforthatifIswing
forit。”
“Thatwon”thelpusmuch。We”vegottomakeupourmindswhatto
do。”
“Halfamo”，“saidtheboxer，lookingsuspiciouslyatthebedroom
door。“He”salearycovethatwantswatching。Isupposehe”snot
listening？“
“Howcanhebelisteningwiththatmusicgoing？“
“That”sright。Maybesomebody”sbehindacurtain。Toomany
curtainsinthisroom。”Ashelookedroundhesuddenlysawforthe
firsttimetheeffigyinthewindow，andstoodstaringandpointing，
tooamazedforwords。
“Tut！it”sonlyadummy，“saidtheCount。
“Afake，isit？Well，strikeme！MadameTussaudain”tinit。It”s
thelivingspitofhim，gownandall。Butthemcurtains，Count！“
“Oh，confoundthecurtains！Wearewastingourtime，andthereis
nonetoomuch。Hecanlagusoverthisstone。”
“Thedeucehecan！“
“Buthe”llletusslipifweonlytellhimwheretheswagis。”
“What！Giveitup？Giveupahundredthousandquid？“
“It”soneortheother。”
Mertonscratchedhisshort-croppedpate。
“He”saloneinthere。Let”sdohimin。Ifhislightwereoutwe
shouldhavenothingtofear。”
TheCountshookhishead。
“Heisarmedandready。Ifweshothimwecouldhardlygetawayina
placelikethis。Besides，it”slikelyenoughthatthepoliceknow
whateverevidencehehasgot。Hallo！Whatwasthat？“
Therewasavaguesoundwhichseemedtocomefromthewindow。Both
menspranground，butallwasquiet。Savefortheonestrangefigure
seatedinthechair，theroomwascertainlyempty。
“Somethinginthestreet，“saidMerton。“Nowlookhere，guv”nor，
you”vegotthebrains。Surelyyoucanthinkawayoutofit。If
sluggingisnousethenit”suptoyou。
“I”vefooledbettermenthanhe，“theCountanswered。“Thestone
ishereinmysecretpocket。Itakenochancesleavingitabout。It
canbeoutofEnglandto-nightandcutintofourpiecesinAmsterdam
beforeSunday。HeknowsnothingofVanSeddar。”
“IthoughtVanSeddarwasgoingnextweek。”
“Hewas。Butnowhemustgetoffbythenextboat。Oneorotherof
usmustsliproundwiththestonetoLimeStreetandtellhim。”
“Butthefalsebottomain”tready。”
“Well，hemusttakeitasitisandchanceit。There”snota
momenttolose。”Again，withthesenseofdangerwhichbecomesan
instinctwiththesportsman，hepausedandlookedhardatthe
window。Yes，itwassurelyfromthestreetthatthefaintsoundhad
come。
“AstoHolmes，“hecontinued，“wecanfoolhimeasilyenough。You
see，thedamnedfoolwon”tarrestusifhecangetthestone。Well，
we”llpromisehimthestone。We”llputhimonthewrongtrackabout
it，andbeforehefindsthatitisthewrongtrackitwillbein
Hollandandweoutofthecountry。”
“Thatsoundsgoodtome！“criedSamMertonwithagrin。
“YougoonandtelltheDutchmantogetamoveonhim。I”llseethis
suckerandfillhimupwithabogusconfession。I”lltellhimthatthe
stoneisinLiverpool。Confoundthatwhiningmusic；itgetsonmy
nerves！Bythetimehefindsitisn”tinLiverpoolitwillbein
quartersandweonthebluewater。Comebackhere，outofaline
withthatkeyhole。Hereisthestone。”
“Iwonderyoudarecarryit。”
“WherecouldIhaveitsafer？IfwecouldtakeitoutofWhitehall
someoneelsecouldsurelytakeitoutofmylodgings。”
“Let”shavealookatit。”
CountSylviuscastasomewhatunflatteringglanceathisassociate
anddisregardedtheunwashedhandwhichwasextendedtowardshim。
“What-d”yethinkI”mgoingtosnitchitoffyou？Seehere，
mister，I”mgettingabittiredofyourways。”
“Well，well，nooffence，Sam。Wecan”taffordtoquarrel。Come
overtothewindowifyouwanttoseethebeautyproperly。Nowholdit
tothelight！Here！“
“Thankyou！“
WithasinglespringHolmeshadleapedfromthedummy”schairand
hadgraspedthepreciousjewel。Hehelditnowinonehand，while
hisotherpointedarevolverattheCount”shead。Thetwovillains
staggeredbackinutteramazement。BeforetheyhadrecoveredHolmes
hadpressedtheelectricbell。
“Noviolence，gentlemen-noviolence，Ibegofyou！Considerthe
furniture！Itmustbeverycleartoyouthatyourpositionisan
impossibleone。Thepolicearewaitingbelow。”
TheCount”sbewildermentovermasteredhisrageandfear。
“Buthowthedeuce-？“hegasped。
“Yoursurpriseisverynatural。Youarenotawarethataseconddoor
frommybedroomleadsbehindthatcurtain。Ifanciedthatyoumust
haveheardmewhenIdisplacedthefigure，butluckwasonmyside。It
gavemeachanceoflisteningtoyourracyconversationwhichwould
havebeenpainfullyconstrainedhadyoubeenawareofmypresence。”
TheCountgaveagestureofresignation。
“Wegiveyoubest，Holmes。Ibelieveyouarethedevilhimself。”
“Notfarfromhim，atanyrate，“Holmesansweredwithapolite
smile。
SamMerton”sslowintellecthadonlygraduallyappreciatedthe
situation。Now，asthesoundofheavystepscamefromthestairs
outside，hebrokesilenceatlast。
“Afaircop！“saidhe。“But，Isay，whataboutthatbloomin”fiddle！
Ihearityet。”
“Tut，tut！“Holmesanswered。“Youareperfectlyright。Letit
play！Thesemoderngramophonesarearemarkableinvention。”
Therewasaninrushofpolice，thehandcuffsclickedandthe
criminalswereledtothewaitingcab。WatsonlingeredwithHolmes，
congratulatinghimuponthisfreshleafaddedtohislaurels。Once
moretheirconversationwasinterruptedbytheimperturbableBilly
withhiscard-tray。
“LordCantlemere，sir。”
“Showhimup，Billy。Thisistheeminentpeerwhorepresentsthe
veryhighestinterests，“saidHolmes。“Heisanexcellentandloyal
person，butratheroftheoldregime。Shallwemakehimunbend？Dare
weventureuponaslightliberty？Heknows，wemayconjecture，nothing
ofwhathasoccurred。”
Thedooropenedtoadmitathin，austerefigurewithahatchet
faceanddroopingmid-Victorianwhiskersofaglossyblacknesswhich
hardlycorrespondedwiththeroundedshouldersandfeeblegait。Holmes
advancedaffably，andshookanunresponsivehand。
“Howdoyoudo，LordCantlemere？Itischillyforthetimeof
year，butratherwarmindoors。MayItakeyourovercoat？“
“No，Ithankyou；Iwillnottakeitoff。”
Holmeslaidhishandinsistentlyuponthesleeve。
“Prayallowme！MyfriendDr。Watsonwouldassureyouthatthese
changesoftemperaturearemostinsidious。”
HisLordshipshookhimselffreewithsomeimpatience。
“Iamquitecomfortable，sir。Ihavenoneedtostay。Ihave
simplylookedintoknowhowyourself-appointedtaskwas
progressing。”
“Itisdifficult-verydifficult。”
“Ifearedthatyouwouldfinditso。”
Therewasadistinctsneerintheoldcourtier”swordsandmanner。
“Everymanfindshislimitations，Mr。Holmes，butatleastit
curesusoftheweaknessofself-satisfaction。”
“Yes，sir，Ihavebeenmuchperplexed。”
“Nodoubt。”
“Especiallyupononepoint。Possiblyyoucouldhelpmeuponit？“
“Youapplyformyadviceratherlateintheday。Ithoughtthat
youhadyourownall-sufficientmethods。Still，Iamreadytohelp
you。”
“Yousee，LordCantlemere，wecannodoubtframeacaseagainst
theactualthieves。”
“Whenyouhavecaughtthem。”
“Exactly。Butthequestionis-howshallweproceedagainstthe
receiver？“
“Isthisnotratherpremature？“
“Itisaswelltohaveourplansready。Now，whatwouldyouregard
asfinalevidenceagainstthereceiver？“
“Theactualpossessionofthestone。”
“Youwouldarresthimuponthat？“
“Mostundoubtedly。”
Holmesseldomlaughed，buthegotasnearitashisoldfriend
Watsoncouldremember。
“Inthatcase，mydearsir，Ishallbeunderthepainfulnecessity
ofadvisingyourarrest。”
LordCantlemerewasveryangry。Someoftheancientfires
flickeredupintohissallowchecks。
“Youtakeagreatliberty，Mr。Holmes。Infiftyyearsofofficial
lifeIcannotrecallsuchacase。Iamabusyman，sir，engagedupon
importantaffairs，andIhavenotimeortasteforfoolishjokes。I
maytellyoufrankly，sir，thatIhaveneverbeenabelieverinyour
powers，andthatIhavealwaysbeenoftheopinionthatthematterwas
farsaferinthehandsoftheregularpoliceforce。Yourconduct
confirmsallmyconclusions。Ihavethehonour，sir，towishyou
good-evening。”
Holmeshadswiftlychangedhispositionandwasbetweenthepeerand
thedoor。
“Onemoment，sir，“saidhe。“ToactuallygooffwiththeMazarin
stonewouldbeamoreseriousoffencethantobefoundintemporary
possessionofit。”
“Sir，thisisintolerable！Letmepass。”
“Putyourhandintheright-handpocketofyourovercoat。”
“Whatdoyoumean，sir？“
“Come-come，dowhatIask。”
Aninstantlatertheamazedpeerwasstanding，blinkingand
stammering，withthegreatyellowstoneonhisshakingpalm。
“What！What！Howisthis，Mr。Holmes？“
“Toobad，LordCantlemere，toobad！“criedHolmes。“Myoldfriend
herewilltellyouthatIhaveanimpishhabitofpracticaljoking。
AlsothatIcanneverresistadramaticsituation。Itooktheliberty-
theverygreatliberty，Iadmit-ofputtingthestoneintoyourpocket
atthebeginningofourinterview。”
Theoldpeerstaredfromthestonetothesmilingfacebeforehim。
“Sir，Iambewildered。But-yes-itisindeedtheMazarinstone。
Wearegreatlyyourdebtors，Mr。Holmes。Yoursenseofhumourmay，
asyouadmit，besomewhatperverted，anditsexhibitionremarkably
untimely，butatleastIwithdrawanyreflectionIhavemadeuponyour
amazingprofessionalpowers。Buthow-“
“Thecaseisbuthalffinished；thedetailscanwait。Nodoubt，Lord
Cantlemere，yourpleasureintellingofthissuccessfulresultin
theexaltedroletowhichyoureturnwillbesomesmallatonement
formypracticaljoke。Billy，youwillshowhisLordshipout，andtell
Mrs。HudsonthatIshouldbegladifshewouldsendupdinnerfor
twoassoonaspossible。”-
THEEND。
1904
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEMISSINGTHREE-QUARTER
bySirArthurConanDoyle
WewerefairlyaccustomedtoreceiveweirdtelegramsatBaker
Street，butIhaveaparticularrecollectionofonewhichreachedus
onagloomyFebruarymorning，somesevenoreightyearsago，and
gaveMr。SherlockHolmesapuzzledquarterofanhour。Itwas
addressedtohim，andranthus：
Pleaseawaitme。Terriblemisfortune。Rightwingthree-quarter
missing，indispensableto-morrow。
OVERTON。
“Strandpostmark，anddispatchedtenthirty-six，“saidHolmes，
readingitoverandover。“Mr。Overtonwasevidentlyconsiderably
excitedwhenhesentit，andsomewhatincoherentinconsequence。Well，
well，hewillbehere，Idaresay，bythetimeIhavelookedthrough
theTimes，andthenweshallknowallaboutit。Eventhemost
insignificantproblemwouldbewelcomeinthesestagnantdays。”
Thingshadindeedbeenveryslowwithus，andIhadlearnedtodread
suchperiodsofinaction，forIknewbyexperiencethatmycompanion”s
brainwassoabnormallyactivethatitwasdangeroustoleaveit
withoutmaterialuponwhichtowork。ForyearsIhadgradually
weanedhimfromthatdrugmaniawhichhadthreatenedoncetocheckhis
remarkablecareer。NowIknewthatunderordinaryconditionsheno
longercravedforthisartificialstimulus，butIwaswellaware
thatthefiendwasnotdeadbutsleeping，andIhaveknownthatthe
sleepwasalightoneandthewakingnearwheninperiodsof
idlenessIhaveseenthedrawnlookuponHolmes”sasceticface，and
thebroodingofhisdeep-setandinscrutableeyes。ThereforeIblessed
thisMr。Overtonwhoeverhemightbe，sincehehadcomewithhis
enigmaticmessagetobreakthatdangerouscalmwhichbroughtmore
periltomyfriendthanallthestormsofhistempestuouslife。
Aswehadexpected，thetelegramwassoonfollowedbyitssender，
andthecardofMr。CyrilOverton，TrinityCollege，Cambridge，
announcedthearrivalofanenormousyoungman，sixteenstoneofsolid
boneandmuscle，whospannedthedoorwaywithhisbroadshoulders，and
lookedfromoneofustotheotherwithacomelyfacewhichwas
haggardwithanxiety。
“Mr。SherlockHolmes？“
Mycompanionbowed。
“I”vebeendowntoScotlandYard，Mr。Holmes。IsawInspector
StanleyHopkins。Headvisedmetocometoyou。Hesaidthecase，so
farashecouldsee，wasmoreinyourlinethaninthatoftheregular
police。”
“Praysitdownandtellmewhatisthematter。”
“It”sawful，Mr。Holmes-simplyawfullIwondermyhairisn”t
gray。GodfreyStaunton-you”veheardofhim，ofcourse？He”ssimply
thehingethatthewholeteamturnson。I”drathersparetwofrom
thepack，andhaveGodfreyformythree-quarterline。Whetherit”s
passing，ortackling，ordribbling，there”snoonetotouchhim，and
then，he”sgotthehead，andcanholdusalltogether。WhatamIto
do？That”swhatIaskyou，Mr。Holmes。There”sMoorhouse，first
reserve，butheistrainedasahalf，andhealwaysedgesrightin
ontothescruminsteadofkeepingoutonthetouchline。He”safine
place-kick，it”strue，butthenhehasnojudgment，andhecan”t
sprintfornuts。Why，MortonorJohnson，theOxfordfliers，couldromp
roundhim。Stevensonisfastenough，buthecouldn”tdropfromthe
twenty-fiveline，andathree-quarterwhocan”teitherpuntordrop
isn”tworthaplaceforpacealone。No，Mr。Holmes，wearedoneunless
youcanhelpmetofindGodfreyStaunton。”
Myfriendhadlistenedwithamusedsurprisetothislongspeech，
whichwaspouredforthwithextraordinaryvigourandearnestness，
everypointbeingdrivenhomebytheslappingofabrawnyhandupon
thespeaker”sknee。WhenourvisitorwassilentHolmesstretchedout
hishandandtookdownletter“S“ofhiscommonplacebook。Foroncehe
duginvainintothatmineofvariedinformation。
“ThereisArthurH。Staunton，therisingyoungforger，“saidhe，
“andtherewasHenryStaunton，whomIhelpedtohang，butGodfrey
Stauntonisanewnametome。”
Itwasourvisitor”sturntolooksurprised。
“Why，Mr。Holmes，Ithoughtyouknewthings，“saidhe。“Isuppose，
then，ifyouhaveneverheardofGodfreyStaunton，youdon”tknow
CyrilOvertoneither？“
Holmesshookhisheadgoodhumouredly。
“GreatScott！“criedtheathlete。“Why，Iwasfirstreservefor
EnglandagainstWales，andI”veskipperedthe”Varsityallthis
year。Butthat”snothing！Ididn”tthinktherewasasoulinEngland
whodidn”tknowGodfreyStaunton，thecrackthree-quarter，
Cambridge，Blackheath，andfiveInternationals。GoodLord！Mr。Holmes，
wherehaveyoulived？“
Holmeslaughedattheyounggiant”snaiveastonishment。
“Youliveinadifferentworldtome，Mr。Overton-asweeterand
healthierone。Myramificationsstretchoutintomanysectionsof
society，butnever，Iamhappytosay，intoamateursport，whichis
thebestandsoundestthinginEngland。However，yourunexpectedvisit
thismorningshowsmethateveninthatworldoffreshairandfair
play，theremaybeworkformetodo。Sonow，mygoodsir，Ibegyou
tositdownandtotellme，slowlyandquietly，exactlywhatitis
thathasoccurred，andhowyoudesirethatIshouldhelpyou。”
YoungOverton”sfaceassumedthebotheredlookofthemanwhois
moreaccustomedtousinghismusclesthanhiswits，butbydegrees，
withmanyrepetitionsandobscuritieswhichImayomitfromhis
narrative，helaidhisstrangestorybeforeus。
“It”sthisway，Mr。Holmes。AsIhavesaid，Iamtheskipperof
theRuggerteamofCambridge”Varsity，andGodfreyStauntonismybest
man。To-morrowweplayOxford。Yesterdayweallcameup，andwe
settledatBentley”sprivatehotel。Atteno”clockIwentroundand
sawthatallthefellowshadgonetoroost，forIbelieveinstrict
trainingandplentyofsleeptokeepateamfit。Ihadawordortwo
withGodfreybeforeheturnedin。Heseemedtometobepaleand
bothered。Iaskedhimwhatwasthematter。Hesaidhewasallright-
justatouchofheadache。Ibadehimgood-nightandlefthim。Half
anhourlater，theportertellsmethataroughlookingmanwitha
beardcalledwithanoteforGodfrey。Hehadnotgonetobed，and
thenotewastakentohisroom。Godfreyreadit，andfellbackina
chairasifhehadbeenpole-axed。Theporterwassoscaredthathe
wasgoingtofetchme，butGodfreystoppedhim，hadadrinkof
water，andpulledhimselftogether。Thenhewentdownstairs，saida
fewwordstothemanwhowaswaitinginthehall，andthetwoof
themwentofftogether。Thelastthattheportersawofthem，they
werealmostrunningdownthestreetinthedirectionoftheStrand。
ThismorningGodfrey”sroomwasempty，hisbedhadneverbeenslept
in，andhisthingswerealljustasIhadseenthemthenight
before。Hehadgoneoffatamoment”snoticewiththisstranger，and
nowordhascomefromhimsince。Idon”tbelievehewillevercome
back。Hewasasportsman，wasGodfrey，downtohismarrow，andhe
wouldn”thavestoppedhistrainingandletinhisskipperifitwere
notforsomecausethatwastoostrongforhim。No：Ifeelasifhe
weregoneforgood，andweshouldneverseehimagain。”
SherlockHolmeslistenedwiththedeepestattentiontothissingular
narrative。
“Whatdidyoudo？“heasked。
“IwiredtoCambridgetolearnifanythinghadbeenheardofhim
there。Ihavehadananswer。Noonehasseenhim。”
“CouldhehavegotbacktoCambridge？“
“Yes，thereisalatetrain-quarter-pasteleven。”
“But，sofarasyoucanascertain，hedidnottakeit？“
“No，hehasnotbeenseen。”
“Whatdidyoudonext？“
“IwiredtoLordMount-James。”
“WhytoLordMount-James？“
“Godfreyisanorphan，andLordMount-Jamesishisnearestrelative-
hisuncle，Ibelieve。”
“Indeed。Thisthrowsnewlightuponthematter。LordMount-James
isoneoftherichestmeninEngland。”
“SoI”veheardGodfreysay。”
“Andyourfriendwascloselyrelated？“
“Yes，hewashisheir，andtheoldboyisnearlyeighty-cramfull
ofgout，too。Theysayhecouldchalkhisbilliard-cuewithhis
knuckles。HeneverallowedGodfreyashillinginhislife，forheis
anabsolutemiser，butitwillallcometohimrightenough。”
“HaveyouheardfromLordMount-James？“
“No。”
“WhatmotivecouldyourfriendhaveingoingtoLordMount-James？“
“Well，somethingwasworryinghimthenightbefore，andifitwasto
dowithmoneyitispossiblethathewouldmakeforhisnearest
relative，whohadsomuchofit，thoughfromallIhaveheardhewould
nothavemuchchanceofgettingit。Godfreywasnotfondoftheold
man。Hewouldnotgoifhecouldhelpit。”
“Well，wecansoondeterminethat。Ifyourfriendwasgoingtohis
relative，LordMount-James，youhavethentoexplainthevisitofthis
rough-lookingfellowatsolateanhour，andtheagitationthatwas
causedbyhiscoming。”
CyrilOvertonpressedhishandstohishead。“Icanmakenothing
ofit，“saidhe。
“Well，well，Ihaveaclearday，andIshallbehappytolookinto
thematter，“saidHolmes。“Ishouldstronglyrecommendyoutomake
yourpreparationsforyourmatchwithoutreferencetothisyoung
gentleman。Itmust，asyousay，havebeenanoverpoweringnecessity
whichtorehimawayinsuchafashion，andthesamenecessityis
likelytoholdhimaway。Letussteproundtogethertothehotel，
andseeiftheportercanthrowanyfreshlightuponthematter。”
SherlockHolmeswasapast-masterintheartofputtingahumble
witnessathisease，andverysoon，intheprivacyofGodfrey
Staunton”sabandonedroom，hehadextractedallthattheporterhadto
tell。Thevisitorofthenightbeforewasnotagentleman，neitherwas
heaworkingman。Hewassimplywhattheporterdescribedasa
“mediumlookingchap，“amanoffifty，beardgrizzled，paleface，
quietlydressed。Heseemedhimselftobeagitated。Theporterhad
observedhishandtremblingwhenhehadheldoutthenote。Godfrey
Stauntonhadcrammedthenoteintohispocket。Stauntonhadnotshaken
handswiththemaninthehall。Theyhadexchangedafewsentences，of
whichtheporterhadonlydistinguishedtheoneword“time。”Thenthey
hadhurriedoffinthemannerdescribed。Itwasjusthalf-pastten
bythehallclock。
“Letmesee，“saidHolmes，seatinghimselfonStaunton”sbed。“You
arethedayporter，areyounot？“
“Yes，sir，Igooffdutyateleven。”
“Thenightportersawnothing，Isuppose？“
“No，sir，onetheatrepartycameinlate。Nooneelse。”
“Wereyouondutyalldayyesterday？“
“Yes，sir。”
“DidyoutakeanymessagestoMr。Staunton？“
“Yes，sir，onetelegram。”
“Ah！that”sinteresting。Whato”clockwasthis？“
“Aboutsix。”
“WherewasMr。Stauntonwhenhereceivedit？“
“Hereinhisroom。”
“Wereyoupresentwhenheopenedit？“
“Yes，sir，Iwaitedtoseeiftherewasananswer。”
“Well，wasthere？“
“Yes，sir，hewroteananswer。”
“Didyoutakeit？“
“No，hetookithimself。”
“Buthewroteitinyourpresence。”“Yes，sir。Iwasstandingby
thedoor，andhewithhisbackturnedtothattable。Whenhehad
writtenit，hesaid：”Allright，porter，Iwilltakethismyself。”“
“Whatdidhewriteitwith？“
“Apen，sir。”
“Wasthetelegraphicformoneoftheseonthetable？“
“Yes，sir，itwasthetopone。”
Holmesrose。Takingtheforms，hecarriedthemovertothewindow
andcarefullyexaminedthatwhichwasuppermost。
“Itisapityhedidnotwriteinpencil，“saidhe，throwingthem
downagainwithashrugofdisappointment。“Asyouhavenodoubt
frequentlyobserved，Watson，theimpressionusuallygoesthrough-a
factwhichhasdissolvedmanyahappymarriage。However，Icanfindno
tracehere。Irejoice，however，toperceivethathewrotewitha
broad-pointedquillpen，andIcanhardlydoubtthatwewillfindsome
impressionuponthisblotting-pad。Ah，yes，surelythisisthevery
thing！“
Hetoreoffastripoftheblotting-paperandturnedtowardsus
thefollowinghieroglyphic：Seeillustration。
CyrilOvertonwasmuchexcited。“Holdittotheglass！“hecried。
“Thatisunnecessary，“saidHolmes。“Thepaperisthin，andthe
reversewillgivethemessage。Hereitis。”Heturneditover，and
weread：
Seeillustration。
“SothatisthetailendofthetelegramwhichGodfreyStaunton
dispatchedwithinafewhoursofhisdisappearance。Thereareatleast
sixwordsofthemessagewhichhaveescapedus；butwhatremains-”StandbyusforGod”ssake！”-provesthatthisyoungmansawa
formidabledangerwhichapproachedhim，andfromwhichsomeoneelse
couldprotecthim。”Us”markyou！Anotherpersonwasinvolved。Who
shoulditbebutthepale-faced，beardedman，whoseemedhimselfinso
nervousastate？What，then，istheconnectionbetweenGodfrey
Stauntonandthebeardedman？Andwhatisthethirdsourcefrom
whicheachofthemsoughtforhelpagainstpressingdanger？Our
inquiryhasalreadynarroweddowntothat。”
“Wehaveonlytofindtowhomthattelegramisaddressed，“I
suggested。
“Exactly，mydearWatson。Yourreflection，thoughprofound，had
alreadycrossedmymind。ButIdaresayitmayhavecometoyournotice
that，ifyouwalkintoapostofficeanddemandtoseethe
counterfoilofanotherman”smessage，theremaybesomedisinclination
onthepartoftheofficialstoobligeyou。Thereissomuchred
tapeinthesematters。However，Ihavenodoubtthatwithalittle
delicacyandfinessetheendmaybeattained。Meanwhile，Ishouldlike
inyourpresence，Mr。Overton，togothroughthesepaperswhichhave
beenleftuponthetable。”
Therewereanumberofletters，bills，andnotebooks，whichHolmes
turnedoverandexaminedwithquick，nervousfingersanddarting，
penetratingeyes。“Nothinghere，“hesaid，atlast。“Bytheway，I
supposeyourfriendwasahealthyyoungfellow-nothingamisswith
him？“
“Soundasabell。”
“Haveyoueverknownhimill？“
“Notaday。Hehasbeenlaidupwithahack，andonceheslippedhis
knee-cap，butthatwasnothing。”
“Perhapshewasnotsostrongasyousuppose。Ishouldthinkhe
mayhavehadsomesecrettrouble。Withyourassent，Iwillputone
ortwoofthesepapersinmypocket，incasetheyshouldbearuponour
futureinquiry。”
“Onemoment-onemoment！“criedaquerulousvoice，andwelooked
uptofindaqueerlittleoldman，jerkingandtwitchinginthe
doorway。Hewasdressedinrustyblack，withaverybroad-brimmed
top-hatandaloosewhitenecktie-thewholeeffectbeingthatofa
veryrusticparsonorofanundertaker”smute。Yet，inspiteofhis
shabbyandevenabsurdappearance，hisvoicehadasharpcrackle，
andhismanneraquickintensitywhichcommandedattention。
“Whoareyou，sir，andbywhatrightdoyoutouchthisgentleman”s
papers？“heasked。
“Iamaprivatedetective，andIamendeavouringtoexplainhis
disappearance。”
“Oh，youare，areyou？Andwhoinstructedyou，eh？“
“Thisgentleman，Mr。Staunton”sfriend，wasreferredtomeby
ScotlandYard。”
“Whoareyou，sir？“
“IamCyrilOverton。”
“Thenitisyouwhosentmeatelegram。MynameisLordMount-James。
IcameroundasquicklyastheBayswaterbuswouldbringme。Soyou
haveinstructedadetective？“
“Yes，sir。”
“Andareyoupreparedtomeetthecost？“
“Ihavenodoubt，sir，thatmyfriendGodfrey，whenwefindhim，
willbepreparedtodothat。”
“Butifheisneverfound，eh？Answermethat！“
“Inthatcase，nodoubthisfamily-“
“Nothingofthesort，sir！“screamedthelittleman。“Don”tlook
tomeforapenny-notapenny！Youunderstandthat，Mr。Detective！
Iamallthefamilythatthisyoungmanhasgot，andItellyouthatI
amnotresponsible。Ifhehasanyexpectationsitisduetothefact
thatIhaveneverwastedmoney，andIdonotproposetobegintodoso
now。Astothosepaperswithwhichyouaremakingsofree，Imay
tellyouthatincasethereshouldbeanythingofanyvalueamong
them，youwillbeheldstrictlytoaccountforwhatyoudowiththem。”
“Verygood，sir，“saidSherlockHolmes。“MayIask，inthe
meanwhile，whetheryouhaveyourselfanytheorytoaccountforthis
youngman”sdisappearance？“
“No，sir，Ihavenot。Heisbigenoughandoldenoughtolook
afterhimself，andifheissofoolishastolosehimself，I
entirelyrefusetoaccepttheresponsibilityofhuntingforhim。”
“Iquiteunderstandyourposition，“saidHolmes，witha
mischievoustwinkleinhiseyes。“Perhapsyoudon”tquiteunderstand
mine。GodfreyStauntonappearstohavebeenapoorman。Ifhehasbeen
kidnapped，itcouldnothavebeenforanythingwhichhehimself
possesses。Thefameofyourwealthhasgoneabroad，Lord
Mount-James，anditisentirelypossiblethatagangofthieveshave
securedyournephewinordertogainfromhimsomeinformationasto
yourhouse，yourhabits，andyourtreasure。”
Thefaceofourunpleasantlittlevisitorturnedaswhiteashis
neckcloth。
“Heavens，sir，whatanidea！Ineverthoughtofsuchvillainy！
Whatinhumanroguesthereareintheworld！ButGodfreyisafinelad-
astaunchlad。Nothingwouldinducehimtogivehisolduncleaway。
I”llhavetheplatemovedovertothebankthisevening。Inthe
meantimesparenopains，Mr。Detective！Ibegyoutoleavenostone
unturnedtobringhimsafelyback。Astomoney，well，sofarasa
fiverorevenatennergoesyoucanalwayslooktome。”
Eveninhischastenedframeofmind，thenoblemisercouldgiveus
noinformationwhichcouldhelpus，forheknewlittleofthe
privatelifeofhisnephew。Ouronlycluelayinthetruncated
telegram，andwithacopyofthisinhishandHolmessetforthtofind
asecondlinkforhischain。WehadshakenoffLordMount-James，and
Overtonhadgonetoconsultwiththeothermembersofhisteamover
themisfortunewhichhadbefallenthem。
Therewasatelegraph-officeatashortdistancefromthehotel。
Wehaltedoutsideit。
“It”sworthtrying，Watson，“saidHolmes。“Ofcourse，withawarrant
wecoulddemandtoseethecounterfoils，butwehavenotreached
thatstageyet。Idon”tsupposetheyrememberfacesinsobusya
place。Letusventureit。”
“Iamsorrytotroubleyou，“saidhe，inhisblandestmanner，tothe
youngwomanbehindthegrating；“thereissomesmallmistakeabouta
telegramIsentyesterday。Ihavehadnoanswer，andIverymuch
fearthatImusthaveomittedtoputmynameattheend。Couldyou
tellmeifthiswasso？“
Theyoungwomanturnedoverasheafofcounterfoils。
“Whato”clockwasit？“sheasked。
“Alittleaftersix。”
“Whomwasitto？“
Holmesputhisfingertohislipsandglancedatme。“Thelastwords
initwere”ForGod”ssake”“hewhispered，confidentially；“Iamvery
anxiousatgettingnoanswer。”
Theyoungwomanseparatedoneoftheforms。
“Thisisit。Thereisnoname，“saidshe，smoothingitoutupon
thecounter。
“Thenthat，ofcourse，accountsformygettingnoanswer，“said
Holmes。“Dearme，howverystupidofme，tobesure！Good-morning，
miss，andmanythanksforhavingrelievedmymind。”Hechuckledand
rubbedhishandswhenwefoundourselvesinthestreetoncemore。
“Well？“Iasked。
“Weprogress，mydearWatson，weprogress。Ihadsevendifferent
schemesforgettingaglimpseofthattelegram，butIcouldhardly
hopetosucceedtheveryfirsttime。”
“Andwhathaveyougained？“
“Astarting-pointforourinvestigation。”Hehailedacab。“King”s
CrossStation，“saidhe。
“Wehaveajourney，then？“
“Yes，IthinkwemustrundowntoCambridgetogether。Allthe
indicationsseemtometopointinthatdirection。”
“Tellme，“Iasked，aswerattledupGray”sInnRoad，“haveyou
anysuspicionyetastothecauseofthedisappearance？Idon”t
thinkthatamongallourcasesIhaveknownonewherethemotives
aremoreobscure。Surelyyoudon”treallyimaginethathemaybe
kidnappedinordertogiveinformationagainsthiswealthyuncle？“
“Iconfess，mydearWatson，thatthatdoesnotappealtomeasa
veryprobableexplanation。Itstruckme，however，asbeingtheone
whichwasmostlikelytointerestthatexceedinglyunpleasantold
person。”
“Itcertainlydidthat；butwhatareyouralternatives？“
“Icouldmentionseveral。Youmustadmitthatitiscuriousand
suggestivethatthisincidentshouldoccurontheeveofthis
importantmatch，andshouldinvolvetheonlymanwhosepresence
seemsessentialtothesuccessoftheside。Itmay，ofcourse，bea
coincidence，butitisinteresting。Amateursportisfreefrom
betting，butagooddealofoutsidebettinggoesonamongthe
public，anditispossiblethatitmightbeworthsomeone”swhileto
getataplayerastheruffiansoftheturfgetatarace-horse。There
isoneexplanation。Asecondveryobviousoneisthatthisyoungman
reallyistheheirofagreatproperty，howevermodesthismeansmay
atpresentbe，anditisnotimpossiblethataplottoholdhimfor
ransommightbeconcocted。”
“Thesetheoriestakenoaccountofthetelegram。”
“Quitetrue，Watson。Thetelegramstillremainstheonlysolidthing
withwhichwehavetodeal，andwemustnotpermitourattentionto
wanderawayfromit。Itistogainlightuponthepurposeofthis
telegramthatwearenowuponourwaytoCambridge。Thepathofour
investigationisatpresentobscure，butIshallbeverymuch
surprisedifbeforeeveningwehavenotcleareditup，ormadea
considerableadvancealongit。”
Itwasalreadydarkwhenwereachedtheolduniversitycity。
Holmestookacabatthestationandorderedthemantodrivetothe
houseofDr。LeslieArmstrong。Afewminuteslater，wehadstopped
atalargemansiononthebusiestthoroughfare。Wewereshownin，
andafteralongwaitwereatlastadmittedintothe
consulting-room，wherewefoundthedoctorseatedbehindhistable。
ItarguesthedegreeinwhichIhadlosttouchwithmyprofession
thatthenameofLeslieArmstrongwasunknowntome。NowIamaware
thatheisnotonlyoneoftheheadsofthemedicalschoolofthe
university，butathinkerofEuropeanreputationinmorethanone
branchofscience。Yetevenwithoutknowinghisbrilliantrecordone
couldnotfailtobeimpressedbyamereglanceattheman，the
square，massiveface，thebroodingeyesunderthethatchedbrows，
andthegranitemouldingoftheinflexiblejaw。Amanofdeep
character，amanwithanalertmind，grim，ascetic，self-contained，
formidable-soIreadDr。LeslieArmstrong。Heheldmyfriend”scard
inhishand，andhelookedupwithnoverypleasedexpressionuponhis
dourfeatures。
“Ihaveheardyourname，Mr。SherlockHolmes，andIamawareofyour
profession-oneofwhichIbynomeansapprove。”
“Inthat，Doctor，youwillfindyourselfinagreementwithevery
criminalinthecountry，“saidmyfriend，quietly。
“Sofarasyoureffortsaredirectedtowardsthesuppressionof
crime，sir，theymusthavethesupportofeveryreasonablememberof
thecommunity，thoughIcannotdoubtthattheofficialmachineryis
amplysufficientforthepurpose。Whereyourcallingismoreopento
criticismiswhenyoupryintothesecretsofprivateindividuals，
whenyourakeupfamilymatterswhicharebetterhidden，andwhen
youincidentallywastethetimeofmenwhoaremorebusythan
yourself。Atthepresentmoment，forexample，Ishouldbewritinga
treatiseinsteadofconversingwithyou。”
“Nodoubt，Doctor；andyettheconversationmayprovemoreimportant
thanthetreatise。Incidentally，Imaytellyouthatwearedoing
thereverseofwhatyouveryjustlyblame，andthatweare
endeavouringtopreventanythinglikepublicexposureofprivate
matterswhichmustnecessarilyfollowwhenoncethecaseisfairly
inthehandsoftheofficialpolice。Youmaylookuponmesimplyasan
irregularpioneer，whogoesinfrontoftheregularforcesofthe
country。IhavecometoaskyouaboutMr。GodfreyStaunton。”
“Whatabouthim？“
“Youknowhim，doyounot？““”Heisanintimatefriendofmine。”
“Youareawarethathehasdisappeared？“
“Ah，indeed！“Therewasnochangeofexpressionintherugged
featuresofthedoctor。
“Helefthishotellastnight-hehasnotbeenheardof。”
“Nodoubthewillreturn。”
“To-morrowisthe”Varsityfootballmatch。”
“Ihavenosympathywiththesechildishgames。Theyoungman”s
fateinterestsmedeeply，sinceIknowhimandlikehim。The
footballmatchdoesnotcomewithinmyhorizonatall。”
“Iclaimyoursympathy，then，inmyinvestigationofMr。
Staunton”sfate。Doyouknowwhereheis？“
“Certainlynot。”
“Youhavenotseenhimsinceyesterday？“
“No，Ihavenot。”
“WasMr。Stauntonahealthyman？“
“Absolutely。”
“Didyoueverknowhimill？“
“Never。”
Holmespoppedasheetofpaperbeforethedoctor”seyes。“Then
perhapsyouwillexplainthisreceiptedbillforthirteenguineas，
paidbyMr。GodfreyStauntonlastmonthtoDr。LeslieArmstrong，of
Cambridge。Ipickeditoutfromamongthepapersuponhisdesk。”
Thedoctorflushedwithanger。
“IdonotfeelthatthereisanyreasonwhyIshouldrenderan
explanationtoyou，Mr。Holmes。”
Holmesreplacedthebillinhisnotebook。“Ifyoupreferapublic
explanation，itmustcomesoonerorlater，“saidhe。“Ihavealready
toldyouthatIcanhushupthatwhichotherswillbeboundto
publish，andyouwouldreallybewisertotakemeintoyourcomplete
confidence。”
“Iknownothingaboutit。”
“DidyouhearfromMr。StauntoninLondon？“
“Certainlynot。”
“Dearme，dearme-thepostofficeagain！“Holmessighed，wearily。“A
mosturgenttelegramwasdispatchedtoyoufromLondonbyGodfrey
Stauntonatsixfifteenyesterdayevening-atelegramwhichis
undoubtedlyassociatedwithhisdisappearance-andyetyouhavenot
hadit。Itismostculpable。Ishallcertainlygodowntotheoffice
hereandregisteracomplaint。”
Dr。LeslieArmstrongsprangupfrombehindhisdesk，andhisdark
facewascrimsonwithfury。
“I”lltroubleyoutowalkoutofmyhouse，sir，“saidhe。“Youcan
tellyouremployer，LordMount-James，thatIdonotwishtohave
anythingtodoeitherwithhimorwithhisagents。No，sir-not
anotherword！“Herangthebellfuriously。“John，showthesegentlemen
out！“Apompousbutlerusheredusseverelytothedoor，andwefound
ourselvesinthestreet。Holmesburstoutlaughing。
“Dr。LeslieArmstrongiscertainlyamanofenergyandcharacter，“
saidhe。“Ihavenotseenamanwho，ifheturnshistalentsthatway，
wasmorecalculatedtofillthegapleftbytheillustrious
Moriarty。Andnow，mypoorWatson，hereweare，strandedand
friendlessinthisinhospitabletown，whichwecannotleavewithout
abandoningourcase。ThislittleinnjustoppositeArmstrong”shouse
issingularlyadaptedtoourneeds。Ifyouwouldengageafrontroom
andpurchasethenecessariesforthenight，Imayhavetimetomake
afewinquiries。”
Thesefewinquiriesproved，however，tobeamorelengthyproceeding
thanHolmeshadimagined，forhedidnotreturntotheinnuntil
nearlynineo”clock。Hewaspaleanddejected，stainedwithdust，
andexhaustedwithhungerandfatigue。Acoldsupperwasreadyupon
thetable，andwhenhisneedsweresatisfiedandhispipealighthe
wasreadytotakethathalfcomicandwhollyphilosophicviewwhich
wasnaturaltohimwhenhisaffairsweregoingawry。Thesoundof
carriagewheelscausedhimtoriseandglanceoutofthewindow。A
broughamandpairofgrays，undertheglareofagas-lamp，stood
beforethedoctor”sdoor。
“It”sbeenoutthreehours，“saidHolmes；“startedathalf-pastsix，
andhereitisbackagain。Thatgivesaradiusoftenortwelvemiles，
andhedoesitonce，orsometimestwice，aday。”
“Nounusualthingforadoctorinpractice。”
“ButArmstrongisnotreallyadoctorinpractice。Heisa
lecturerandaconsultant，buthedoesnotcareforgeneral
practice，whichdistractshimfromhisliterarywork。Why，then，
doeshemaketheselongjourneys，whichmustbeexceedinglyirksometo
him，andwhoisitthathevisits？“
“Hiscoachman-“
“MydearWatson，canyoudoubtthatitwastohimthatIfirst
applied？Idonotknowwhetheritcamefromhisowninnatedepravity
orfromthepromptingsofhismaster，buthewasrudeenoughtoset
adogatme。Neitherdognormanlikedthelookofmystick，
however，andthematterfellthrough。Relationswerestrainedafter
that，andfurtherinquiriesoutofthequestion。AllthatIhave
learnedIgotfromafriendlynativeintheyardofourowninn。It
washewhotoldmeofthedoctor”shabitsandofhisdailyjourney。At
thatinstant，togivepointtohiswords，thecarriagecameroundto
thedoor。”
“Couldyounotfollowit？“
“Excellent，Watson！Youarescintillatingthisevening。Theideadid
crossmymind。Thereis，asyoumayhaveobserved，abicycleshopnext
toourinn。IntothisIrushed，engagedabicycle，andwasabletoget
startedbeforethecarriagewasquiteoutofsight。Irapidlyovertook
it，andthen，keepingatadiscreetdistanceofahundredyardsorso，
Ifolloweditslightsuntilwewereclearofthetown。Wehadgotwell
outonthecountryroad，whenasomewhatmortifyingincidentoccurred。
Thecarriagestopped，thedoctoralighted，walkedswiftlybackto
whereIhadalsohalted，andtoldmeinanexcellentsardonic
fashionthathefearedtheroadwasnarrow，andthathehopedhis
carriagedidnotimpedethepassageofmybicycle。Nothingcould
havebeenmoreadmirablethanhiswayofputtingit。Iatoncerode
pastthecarriage，and，keepingtothemainroad，Iwentonfora
fewmiles，andthenhaltedinaconvenientplacetoseeifthe
carriagepassed。Therewasnosignofit，however，andsoitbecame
evidentthatithadturneddownoneofseveralsideroadswhichI
hadobserved。Irodeback，butagainsawnothingofthecarriage，
andnow，asyouperceive，ithasreturnedafterme。Ofcourse，Ihad
attheoutsetnoparticularreasontoconnectthesejourneyswith
thedisappearanceofGodfreyStaunton，andwasonlyinclinedto
investigatethemonthegeneralgroundsthateverythingwhichconcerns
Dr。Armstrongisatpresentofinteresttous，but，nowthatIfindhe
keepssokeenalook-outuponanyonewhomayfollowhimonthese
excursions，theaffairappearsmoreimportant，andIshallnotbe
satisfieduntilIhavemadethematterclear。”