“Iwasconfinedtothehousebyaseverechillforthreedayslast
week。Ithought，however，thatIhadcastoffeverytraceofit。”
“Soyouhave。Youlookremarkablyrobust。”
“How，then，didyouknowofit？“
“Mydearfellow，youknowmymethods。”
“Youdeducedit，then？“
“Certainly。”
“Andfromwhat？“
“Fromyourslippers。”
Iglanceddownatthenewpatent-leatherswhichIwaswearing。
“Howonearth-“Ibegan，butHolmesansweredmyquestionbeforeit
wasasked。
“Yourslippersarenew，“hesaid。“Youcouldnothavehadthem
morethanafewweeks。Thesoleswhichyouareatthismoment
presentingtomeareslightlyscorched。ForamomentIthoughtthey
mighthavegotwetandbeenburnedinthedrying。Butnearthe
instepthereisasmallcircularwaferofpaperwiththeshopman”s
hieroglyphicsuponit。Dampwouldofcoursehaveremovedthis。You
had，then，beensittingwithyourfeetoutstretchedtothefire，which
amanwouldhardlydoeveninsowetaJuneasthisifhewerein
hisfullhealth。”
LikeallHolmes”sreasoningthethingseemedsimplicityitself
whenitwasonceexplained。Hereadthethoughtuponmyfeatures，
andhissmilehadatingeofbitterness。
“IamafraidthatIrathergivemyselfawaywhenIexplain，“said
he。“Resultswithoutcausesaremuchmoreimpressive。Youarereadyto
cometoBirmingham，then？“
“Certainly。Whatisthecase？“
“Youshallhearitallinthetrain。Myclientisoutsideina
four-wheeler。Canyoucomeatonce？“
“Inaninstant。”Iscribbledanotetomyneighbour，rushedupstairs
toexplainthemattertomywife，andjoinedHolmesuponthedoorstep。
“Yourneighbourisadoctor，“saidhe，noddingatthebrassplate。
“Yes，heboughtapracticeasIdid。”
“Anold-establishedone？“
“Justthesameasmine。Bothhavebeeneversincethehouseswere
built。”
“Ah！thenyougotholdofthebestofthetwo。”
“IthinkIdid。Buthowdoyouknow？“
“Bythesteps，myboy。Yoursarewornthreeinchesdeeperthan
his。Butthisgentlemaninthecabismyclient，Mr。HallPycroft。
Allowmetointroduceyoutohim。Whipyourhorseup，cabby，forwe
haveonlyjusttimetocatchourtrain。”
ThemanwhomIfoundmyselffacingwasawell-built，
fresh-complexionedyoungfellow，withafrank，honestfaceanda
slight，crisp，yellowmoustache。Heworeaveryshinytop-hatanda
neatsuitofsoberblack，whichmadehimlookwhathewas-asmart
youngCityman，oftheclasswhohavebeenlabelledcockneys，but
whogiveusourcrackvolunteerregiments，andwhoturnoutmore
fineathletesandsportsmenthananybodyofmenintheseislands。His
round，ruddyfacewasnaturallyfullofcheeriness，butthecornersof
hismouthseemedtometobepulleddowninahalf-comicaldistress。
Itwasnot，however，untilwewereinafirst-classcarriageand
wellstarteduponourjourneytoBirminghamthatIwasabletolearn
whatthetroublewaswhichhaddrivenhimtoSherlockHolmes。
“Wehaveaclearrunhereofseventyminutes，“Holmesremarked。“I
wantyou，Mr。HallPycroft，totellmyfriendyourveryinteresting
experienceexactlyasyouhavetoldittome，orwithmoredetailif
possible。Itwillbeofusetometohearthesuccessionofevents
again。Itisacase，Watson，whichmayprovetohavesomethingin
it，ormayprovetohavenothing，butwhich，atleast，presentsthose：
unusualandoutrefeatureswhichareasdeartoyouastheyaretome。
Now，Mr。PycroftIshallnotinterruptyouagain。”
Ouryoungcompanionlookedatmewithatwinkleinhiseye。
“Theworstofthestoryis，“saidhe，“thatIshowmyselfupassuch
aconfoundedfool。Ofcourseitmayworkoutallright，andIdon”t
seethatIcouldhavedoneotherwise；butifIhavelostmycriband
getnothinginexchangeIshallfeelwhatsoftJohnnyIhavebeen。I”m
notverygoodattellingastory，Dr。Watson，butitislikethiswith
me：
“IusedtohaveabilletatCoxon&Woodhouse”s，ofDraper
Gardens，buttheywereletinearlyinthespringthroughthe
Venezuelanloan，asnodoubtyouremember，andcameanastycropper。I
havebeenwiththemfiveyears，andoldCoxongavemearippinggood
testimonialwhenthesmashcame，butofcourseweclerkswereall
turnedadrift，thetwenty-sevenofus。Itriedhereandtriedthere，
buttherewerelotsofotherchapsonthesamelayasmyself，andit
wasaperfectfrostforalongtime。Ihadbeentakingthreepounds
aweekatCoxon”s，andIhadsavedaboutseventyofthem，butIsoon
workedmywaythroughthatandoutattheotherend。Iwasfairlyat
theendofmytetheratlastandcouldhardlyfindthestampsto
answertheadvertisementsortheenvelopestostickthemto。Ihad
wornoutmybootspaddlingupofficestairs，andIseemedjustas
farfromgettingabilletasever。
“AtlastIsawavacancyatMawson&Williams”s，thegreat
stock-brokingfirminLombardStreet。IdaresayE。C。isnotmuch
inyourline，butIcantellyouthatthisisabouttherichest
houseinLondon。Theadvertisementwastobeansweredbyletter
only。Isentinmytestimonialandapplication，butwithoutthe
leasthopeofgettingit。Backcameananswerbyreturn，sayingthat
ifIwouldappearnextMondayImighttakeovermynewdutiesatonce，
providedthatmyappearancewassatisfactory。Nooneknowshowthese
thingsareworked。Somepeoplesaythatthemanagerjustplungeshis
handintotheheapandtakesthefirstthatcomes。Anyhowitwasmy
inningsthattime，andIdon”teverwishtofeelbetterpleased。The
screwwasapoundaweekrise，andthedutiesjustaboutthesameas
atCoxon”s。
“AndnowIcometothequeerpartofthebusiness。Iwasindiggings
outHampsteadway，17Potter”sTerrace。Well，Iwassittingdoinga
smokethatveryeveningafterIhadbeenpromisedtheappointment，
whenupcamemylandladywithacardwhichhad”ArthurPinner，
FinancialAgent”printeduponit。Ihadneverheardthenamebefore
andcouldnotimaginewhathewantedwithme，butofcourseIasked
hertoshowhimup。Inhewalked，amiddle-sized，dark-haired，
dark-eyed，black-beardedman，withatouchofthesheenyabouthis
nose。Hehadabriskkindofwaywithhimandspokesharply，likea
manwhoknewthevalueoftime。
“”Mr。HallPycroft，Ibelieve？”saidhe。
“”Yes，sir”Ianswered，pushingachairtowardshim。
“”LatelyengagedatCoxon&Woodhouse”s？”
“”Yes，sir。”
“”AndnowonthestaffofMawson”s。”
“”Quiteso。”
“”Well”saidhe，”thefactisthatIhaveheardsomereally
extraordinarystoriesaboutyourfinancialability。Youremember
Parker，whousedtobeCoxon”smanager。Hecanneversayenough
aboutit。”
“OfcourseIwaspleasedtohearthis。Ihadalwaysbeenpretty
sharpintheoffice，butIhadneverdreamedthatIwastalkedabout
intheCityinthisfashion。
“”Youhaveagoodmemory？”saidhe。
“”Prettyfair”Iansweredmodestly。
“”Haveyoukeptintouchwiththemarketwhileyouhavebeenout
ofwork？”heasked。
“”Yes。Ireadthestock-exchangelisteverymorning。”
“”Nowthatshowsrealapplication！”hecried。”Thatisthewayto
prosper！Youwon”tmindmytestingyou，willyou？Letmesee。How
areAyrshires？”
“”Ahundredandsixandaquartertoahundredandfiveand
seven-eighths。”
“”AndNewZealandconsolidated？”
“”Ahundredandfour。”
“”AndBritishBrokenHills？”
“”Seventoseven-and-six。”
“”Wonderful！”hecriedwithhishandsup。”Thisquitefitsinwith
allthatIhadheard。Myboy，myboy，youareverymuchtoogoodtobe
aclerkatMawson”s！”
“Thisoutburstratherastonishedme，asyoucanthink。”Well”
saidI，”otherpeopledon”tthinkquitesomuchofmeasyouseemto
do，Mr。Pinner。Ihadahardenoughfighttogetthisberth，andI
amverygladtohaveit。”
“”Poohman；youshouldsoaraboveit。Youarenotinyourtrue
sphere。Now，I”lltellyouhowitstandswithme。WhatIhavetooffer
islittleenoughwhenmeasuredbyyourability，butwhencomparedwith
Mawson”sit”slighttodark。Letmesee。WhendoyougotoMawson”s？”
“”OnMonday。”
“”Ha，ha！IthinkIwouldriskalittlesportingflutterthatyou
don”tgothereatall。”
“”NotgotoMawson”s？”
“”No，sir。Bythatdayyouwillbethebusinessmanagerofthe
Franco-MidlandHardwareCompany，Limited，withahundredand
thirty-fourbranchesinthetownsandvillagesofFrance，notcounting
oneinBrusselsandoneinSanRemo。”
“Thistookmybreathaway。”Ineverheardofit”saidI。
“”Verylikelynot。Ithasbeenkeptveryquiet，forthecapital
wasallprivatelysubscribed，andit”stoogoodathingtoletthe
publicinto。Mybrother，HarryPinner，ispromoter，andjoinsthe
boardafterallotmentasmanagingdirector。HeknewIwasinthe
swimdownhereandaskedmetopickupagoodmancheap。Ayoung，
pushingmanwithplentyofsnapabouthim。Parkerspokeofyou，and
thatbroughtmehereto-night。Wecanonlyofferyouabeggarlyfive
hundredtostartwith。”
“”Fivehundredayear！”Ishouted。
“”Onlythatatthebeginning；butyouaretohaveanover-riding
commissionofonepercentonallbusinessdonebyyouragents，and
youmaytakemywordforitthatthiswillcometomorethanyour
salary。”
“”ButIknownothingabouthardware。”
“”Tut，myboy，youknowaboutfigures。”
“Myheadbuzzed，andIcouldhardlysitstillinmychair。But
suddenlyalittlechillofdoubtcameuponme。
“”Imustbefrankwithyou”saidI。”Mawsononlygivesmetwo
hundred，butMawsonissafe。Now，really，Iknowsolittleabout
yourcompanythat-”
“”Ah，smart，smart！”hecriedinakindofecstasyofdelight。”Youaretheverymanforus。Youarenottobetalkedover，andquite
right，too。Now，here”sanoteforahundredpounds，andifyou
thinkthatwecandobusinessyoumayjustslipitintoyourpocketas
anadvanceuponyoursalary。”
“”Thatisveryhandsome”saidI。WhenshouldItakeovermynew
duties？”
“”BeinBirminghamatone”saidhe。”Ihaveanoteinmypocket
herewhichyouwilltaketomybrother。Youwillfindhimat126B
CorporationStreet，wherethetemporaryofficesofthecompanyare
situated。Ofcoursehemustconfirmyourengagement，butbetween
ourselvesitwillbeallright。”
“”Really，Ihardlyknowhowtoexpressmygratitude，Mr。Pinner”
saidI。
“”Notatall，myboy。Youhaveonlygotyourdeserts。Thereare
oneortwosmallthings-mereformalities-whichImustarrangewith
you。youhaveabitofpaperbesideyouthere。Kindlywriteuponit“I
amperfectlywillingtoactasbusinessmanagertothe
Franco-MidlandHardwareCompany，Limited，ataminimumsalaryof
L500。””
“Ididasheasked，andheputthepaperinhispocket。
“”Thereisoneotherdetail”saidhe。”Whatdoyouintendtodo
aboutMawson”s？”
“IhadforgottenallaboutMawson”sinmyjoy。”I”llwriteand
resign”saidI。
“”PreciselywhatIdon”twantyoutodo。Ihadarowoveryouwith
Mawson”smanager。Ihadgoneuptoaskhimaboutyou，andhewas
veryoffensive；accusedmeofcoaxingyouawayfromtheserviceofthe
firm，andthatsortofthing。AtlastIfairlylostmytemper。“Ifyou
wantgoodmenyoushouldpaythemagoodprice，“saidI。
“”“Hewouldratherhaveoursmallpricethanyourbigone，“saidhe。
“”“I”lllayyouafiver，“saidI，“thatwhenhehasmyoffer
you”llneversomuchashearfromhimagain。”
“”“Done！“saidhe。“Wepickedhimoutofthegutter，andhewon”t
leaveussoeasily。”Thosewerehisverywords。”
“”Theimpudentscoundrel！”Icried。”I”veneversomuchasseen
himinmylife。WhyshouldIconsiderhiminanyway？Ishall
certainlynotwriteifyouwouldratherIdidn”t。”
“”Good！That”sapromise”saidhe，risingfromhischair。”Well，
I”mdelightedtohavegotsogoodamanformybrother。Here”syour
advanceofahundredpounds，andhereistheletter。Makeanoteof
theaddress，126BCorporationStreet，andrememberthatoneo”clock
to-morrowisyourappointment。Good-night，andmayyouhaveaHthe
fortunethatyoudeserve！”
“That”sjustaboutallthatpassedbetweenus，asnearasIcan
remember。Youcanimagine，Dr。Watson，howpleasedIwasatsuchan
extraordinarybitofgoodfortune。Isatuphalfthenighthugging
myselfoverit，andnextdayIwasofftoBinatrainthatwouldtake
meinplentytimeformyappointment。Itookmythingstoahotelin
NewStreet，andthenImademywaytotheaddresswhichhadbeengiven
me。
“Itwasaquarterofanhourbeforemytime，butIthoughtthat
wouldmakenodifference。126Bwasapassagebetweentwolarge
shops，whichledtoawindingstonestair，fromwhichtherewere
manyflats，letasofficestocompaniesorprofessionalmen。Thenames
oftheoccupantswerepaintedatthebottomonthewall，buttherewas
nosuchnameastheFranco-MidlandHardwareCompany，Limited。I
stoodforafewminuteswithmyheartinmyboots，wonderingwhether
thewholethingwasanelaboratehoaxornot，whenupcameamanand
addressedme。HewasverylikethechapIhadseenthenightbefore，
thesamefigureandvoice，buthewasclean-shavenandhishairwas
lighter。
“”AreyouMr。HallPycroft？”heasked。
“”Yes”saidI。
“”Oh！Iwasexpectingyou，butyouareatriflebeforeyourtime。
Ihadanotefrommybrotherthismorninginwhichhesangyour
praisesveryloudly。”
“”Iwasjustlookingfortheofficeswhenyoucame。”
“”Wehavenotgotournameupyet，forweonlysecuredthese
temporarypremiseslastweek。Comeupwithme，andwewilltalkthe
matterover。”
“Ifollowedhimtothetopofaveryloftystair，andthere，right
undertheslates，wereacoupleofempty，dustylittlerooms，
uncarpetedanduncurtained，intowhichheledme。Ihadthoughtofa
greatofficewithshiningtablesandrowsofclerks，suchasIwas
usedto，andIdaresayIstaredratherstraightatthetwodealchairs
andonelittletable，whichwithaledgerandawaste-paperbasket，
madeupthewholefurniture。
“”Don”tbedisheartened，Mr。Pycroft”saidmynewacquaintance，
seeingthelengthofmyface。”Romewasnotbuiltinaday，andwe
havelotsofmoneyatourbacks，thoughwedon”tcutmuchdashyet
inoffices。Praysitdown，andletmehaveyourletter。”
“Igaveittohim，andhereaditoververycarefully。
“”YouseemtohavemadeavastimpressionuponmybrotherArthur”
saidhe，”andIknowthatheisaprettyshrewdjudge。Heswearsby
London，youknow；andIbyBirmingham；butthistimeIshallfollow
hisadvice。Prayconsideryourselfdefinitelyengaged。”
“”Whataremyduties？”Iasked。
“”YouwilleventuallymanagethegreatdepotinParis，whichwill
pourafloodofEnglishcrockeryintotheshopsofahundredand
thirty-fouragentsinFrance。Thepurchasewillbecompletedina
week，andmeanwhileyouwillremaininBandmakeyourselfuseful。”
“”How？”
“Foranswer，hetookabigredbookoutofadrawer。
“”ThisisadirectoryofParis”saidhe，”withthetradesafter
thenamesofthepeople。Iwantyoutotakeithomewithyou，andto
markoffallthehardwaresellers，withtheiraddresses。Itwouldbe
ofthegreatestusetometohavethem。”
“”Surely，thereareclassifiedlists？”Isuggested。
“”Notreliableones。Theirsystemisdifferentfromours。Stickat
it，andletmehavethelistsbyMonday，attwelve。Good-day，Mr。
Pycroft。Ifyoucontinuetoshowzealandintelligenceyouwillfind
thecompanyagoodmaster。”
“Iwentbacktothehotelwiththebigbookundermyarm，andwith
veryconflictingfeelingsinmybreast。Ontheonehand，Iwas
definitelyengagedandhadahundredpoundsinmypocket，onthe
other，thelookoftheoffices，theabsenceofnameonthewall，and
otherofthepointswhichwouldstrikeabusinessmanhadleftabad
impressionastothepositionofmyemployers。However，comewhat
might，Ihadmymoney，soIsettleddowntomytask。AllSundayI
waskepthardatwork，andyetbyMondayIhadonlygotasfarasH。I
wentroundtomyemployer，foundhiminthesamedismantledkindof
room，andwastoldtokeepatituntilWednesday，andthencomeagain。
OnWednesdayitwasstillunfinished，soIhammeredawayuntil
Friday-thatis，yesterday。ThenIbroughtitroundtoMr。Harry
Pinner。
“”Thankyouverymuch”saidhe，”IfearthatIunderratedthe
difficultyofthetask。Thislistwillbeofverymaterial
assistancetome。”
“”Ittooksometime”saidI。
“”Andnow”saidhe，”Iwantyoutomakealistofthefurniture
shops，fortheyallsellcrockery。”
“”Verygood。”
“”Andyoucancomeupto-morroweveningatsevenandletmeknowhow
youaregettingon。Don”toverworkyourself。Acoupleofhoursat
Day”sMusicHallintheeveningwoulddoyounoharmafteryour
labours。”Helaughedashespoke，andIsawwithathrillthathis
secondtoothupontheleft-handsidehadbeenverybadlystuffed
withgold。”
SherlockHolmesrubbedhishandswithdelight，andIstaredwith
astonishmentatourclient。
“Youmaywelllooksurprised，Dr。Watson，butitisthisway，“said
he：“WhenIwasspeakingtotheotherchapinLondon，atthetimethat
helaughedatmynotgoingtoMawson”s。Ihappenedtonoticethat
histoothwasstuffedinthisveryidenticalfashion。Theglintofthe
goldineachcasecaughtmyeye，yousee。WhenIputthatwiththe
voiceandfigurebeingthesame，andonlythosethingsalteredwhich
mightbechangedbyarazororawig，Icouldnotdoubtthatitwas
thesameman。Ofcourseyouexpecttwobrotherstobealike，butnot
thattheyshouldhavethesametoothstaffedinthesameway。Hebowed
meout，andIfoundmyselfinthestreet，hardlyknowingwhetherIwas
onmyheadormyheels。BackIwenttomyhotel，putmyheadina
basinofcoldwater，andtriedtothinkitout。Whyhadhesentme
fromLondontoBirmingham？Whyhadhegottherebeforeme？Andwhyhad
hewrittenaletterfromhimselftohimself？Itwasaltogethertoo
muchforme，andIcouldmakenosenseofit。Andthensuddenlyit
struckmethatwhatwasdarktomemightbeverylighttoMr。Sherlock
Holmes。Ihadjusttimetogetuptotownbythenighttraintosee
himthismorning，andtobringyoubothbackwithmetoBirmingham。”
Therewasapauseafterthestock-broker”sclerkhadconcludedhis
surprisingexperience。ThenSherlockHolmescockedhiseyeatme，
leaningbackonthecushionswithapleasedandyetcriticalface，
likeaconnoisseurwhohasjusttakenhisfirstsipofacomet
vintage。
“Ratherfine，Watson，isitnot？“saidhe。“Therearepointsinit
whichpleaseme。Ithinkthatyouwillagreewithmethataninterview
withMr。ArthurHarryPinnerinthetemporaryofficesofthe
Franco-MidlandHardwareCompany，limited，wouldbearather
interestingexperienceforbothofus。”
“Buthowcanwedoit？“Iasked。
“Oh，easilyenough，“saidHallPycroftcheerily。“Youaretwo
friendsofminewhoareinwantofabillet，andwhatcouldbemore
naturalthanthatIshouldbringyoubothroundtothemanaging
director？“
“Quiteso，ofcourse，“saidHolmes。“Ishouldliketohavealookat
thegentlemanandseeifIcanmakeanythingofhislittlegame。
Whatqualitieshaveyou，myfriend，whichwouldmakeyourservices
sovaluable？Orisitpossiblethat-“Hebeganbitinghisnailsand
staringblanklyoutofthewindow，andwehardlydrewanotherword
fromhimuntilwewereinNewStreet。
Atseveno”clockthateveningwewerewalking，thethreeofus，down
CorporationStreettothecompany”soffices。
“Itisnouseourbeingatallbeforeourtime，“saidourclient。
“Heonlycomestheretoseeme，apparently，fortheplaceis
deserteduptotheveryhourhenames。”
“Thatissuggestive，“remarkedHolmes。
“ByJove，Itoldyouso！“criedtheclerk。“That”shewalking
aheadofusthere“
Hepointedtoasmallish，dark，well-dressedmanwhowasbustling
alongtheothersideoftheroad。Aswewatchedhimhelookedacross
ataboywhowasbawlingoutthelatesteditionoftheevening
paper，and，runningoveramongthecabsandbusses，heboughtonefrom
him。Then，clutchingitinhishand，hevanishedthroughadoorway。
“Therehegoes！”criedHallPycroft。Thesearethecompany”soffices
intowhichhehasgone。Comewithme，andI”llfixitupaseasily
aspossible。”
Followinghislead，weascendedfivestories，untilwefound
ourselvesoutsideahalf-openeddoor，atwhichourclienttapped。A
voicewithinbadeusenter，andweenteredabare，unfurnishedroom
suchasHallPycrofthaddescribed。Atthesingletablesattheman
whomwehadseeninthestreet，withhiseveningpaperspreadoutin
frontofhim，andashelookedupatusitseemedtomethatIhad
neverlookeduponafacewhichboresuchmarksofgrief，andof
somethingbeyondgrief-ofahorrorsuchascomestofewmenina
lifetime。Hisbrowglistenedwithperspiration，hischeekswereofthe
dull，deadwhiteofafish”sbelly，andhiseyeswerewildand
staring。Helookedathisclerkasthoughhefailedtorecognize
him，andIcouldseebytheastonishmentdepicteduponourconductor”s
facethatthiswasbynomeanstheusualappearanceofhisemployer。
“Youlookill，Mr。Pinner！“heexclaimed。
“Yes，Iamnotverywell，“answeredtheother，makingobvious
effortstopullhimselftogetherandlickinghisdrylipsbeforehe
spoke。“Whoarethesegentlemenwhomyouhavebroughtwithyou？。”
“OneisMr。Harris，ofBermondsey，andtheotherisMr。Price，of
thistown，“saidourclerkglibly。“Theyarefriendsofmineand
gentlemenofexperience，buttheyhavebeenoutofaplaceforsome
littletime，andtheyhopedthatperhapsyoumightfindanopeningfor
theminthecompany”semployment。”
“Verypossibly！verypossibly！“criedMr。Pinnerwithaghastly
smile。“Yes，Ihavenodoubtthatweshallbeabletodosomethingfor
you。Whatisyourparticularline，Mr。Harris？“
“Iamanaccountant，“saidHolmes。
“Ah，yes，weshallwantsomethingofthesort。Andyou，Mr。Price？“
“Aclerk，“saidI。
“Ihaveeveryhopethatthecompanymayaccommodateyou。Iwill
letyouknowaboutitassoonaswecometoanyconclusion。Andnow
Ibegthatyouwillgo。ForGod”ssakeleavemetomyself！“
Theselastwordswereshotoutofhim，asthoughtheconstraint
whichhewasevidentlysettinguponhimselfhadsuddenlyandutterly
burstasunder。HolmesandIglancedateachother，andHallPycroft
tookasteptowardsthetable。
“Youforget，Mr。Pinner，thatIamherebyappointmenttoreceive
somedirectionsfromyou，“saidhe。
“Certainly，Mr。Pycroft，certainly，“theotherresumedinacalmer
tone。“Youmaywaithereamomentandthereisnoreasonwhyyour
friendsshouldnotwaitwithyou。Iwillbeentirelyatyourservice
inthreeminutes，ifImighttrespassuponyourpatiencesofar。”He
rosewithaverycourteousair，and，bowingtous，hepassedout
throughadooratthefartherendoftheroom，whichheclosed
behindhim。
“Whatnow？“whisperedHolmes。“Ishegivingustheslip？“
“Impossible”answeredPycroft。
“Whyso？“
“Thatdoorleadsintoaninnerroom。”
“Thereisnoexit？“
“None。”
“Isitfurnished？“
“Itwasemptyyesterday。”
“Thenwhatonearthcanhebedoing？ThereissomethingwhichI
don”tunderstandinthismatter。Ifeveramanwasthreepartsmad
withterror，thatman”snameisPinner。Whatcanhaveputthe
shiversonhim？“
“Hesuspectsthatwearedetectives，“Isuggested。
“That”sit，“criedPycroft。
Holmesshookhishead。“Hedidnotturnpale。Hewaspalewhenwe
enteredtheroom，“saidhe。“Itisjustpossiblethat-“
Hiswordswereinterruptedbyasharprat-tatfromthedirection
oftheinnerdoor。
“Whatthedeuceisheknockingathisowndoorfor？“criedthe
clerk。
Againandmuchloudercametherat-tat-tat。Weallgazedexpectantly
atthecloseddoor。GlancingatHolmes，Isawhisfaceturnrigid，and
heleanedforwardinintenseexcitement。Thensuddenlycamealow
guggling，garglingsound，andabriskdrumminguponwoodwork。Holmes
sprangfranticallyacrosstheroomandpushedatthedoor。Itwas
fastenedontheinnerside。Followinghisexample，wethrew
ourselvesuponitwithallourweight。Onehingesnapped，thenthe
other，anddowncamethedoorwithacrash。Rushingoverit，we
foundourselvesintheinnerroom。Itwasempty。
Butitwasonlyforamomentthatwewereatfault。Atonecorner，
thecornernearesttheroomwhichwehadleft，therewasasecond
door。Holmessprangtoitandpulleditopen。Acoatandwaistcoat
werelyingonthefloor，andfromahookbehindthedoor，withhisown
bracesroundhisneck，washangingthemanagingdirectorofthe
Franco-MidlandHardwareCompany。Hiskneesweredrawnup，hishead
hungatadreadfulangletohisbody，andtheclatterofhisheels
againstthedoormadethenoisewhichhadbrokeninuponour
conversation。InaninstantIhadcaughthimroundthewaistand
heldhimupwhileHolmesandPycroftuntiedtheelasticbandswhich
haddisappearedbetweenthelividcreasesofskin。Thenwecarriedhim
intotheotherroom，wherehelaywithaclay-colouredface，puffing
hispurplelipsinandoutwitheverybreath-adreadfulwreckofall
thathehadbeenbutfiveminutesbefore。
“Whatdoyouthinkofhim，Watson？“askedHolmes。
Istoopedoverhimandexaminedhim。Hispulsewasfeebleand
intermittent，buthisbreathinggrewlonger，andtherewasalittle
shiveringofhiseyelids，whichshowedathinwhiteslitofball
beneath。
“Ithasbeentouchandgowithhim，“saidI，“buthe”lllivenow。
Justopenthatwindow，andhandmethewatercarafe。”Iundidhis
collar，pouredthecoldwateroverhisface，andraisedandsankhis
armsuntilhedrewalong，naturalbreath。“It”sonlyaquestionof
timenow，“saidIasIturnedawayfromhim。
Holmesstoodbythetable，withhishandsdeepinhistrousers”
pocketsandhischinuponhisbreast。
“Isupposeweoughttocallthepoliceinnow，“saidhe。“Andyet
IconfessthatI”dliketogivethemacompletecasewhentheycome。”
“It”sablessedmysterytome，“criedPycroft，scratchinghis
head。“Whatevertheywantedtobringmeallthewayupherefor，and
then-“
“Pooh！Allthatisclearenough，“saidHolmesimpatiently。“Itis
thislastsuddenmove。”
“Youunderstandtherest，then？“
“Ithinkthatitisfairlyobvious。Whatdoyousay，Watson？“
Ishruggedmyshoulders。“ImustconfessthatIamoutofmy
depths，“saidI。
“Oh，surelyifyouconsidertheeventsatfirsttheycanonly
pointtooneconclusion。”
“Whatdoyoumakeofthem？“
“Well，thewholethinghingesupontwopoints。Thefirstisthe
makingofPycroftwriteadeclarationbywhichheenteredthe
serviceofthispreposterouscompany。Doyounotseehowvery
suggestivethatis？“
“IamafraidImissthepoint。”
“Well，whydidtheywanthimtodoit？Notasabusinessmatter，for
thesearrangementsareusuallyverbal，andtherewasnoearthly
businessreasonwhythisshouldbeanexception。Don”tyousee，my
youngfriend，thattheywereveryanxioustoobtainaspecimenofyour
handwriting，andhadnootherwayofdoingit？”
“Andwhy？“
“Quiteso。Why？Whenweanswerthatwehavemadesomeprogress
withourlittleproblem。Why？Therecanbeonlyoneadequatereason。
Someonewantedtolearntoimitateyourwritingandhadtoprocurea
specimenofitfirst。Andnowifwepassontothesecondpointwe
findthateachthrowslightupontheother。Thatpointisthe
requestmadebyPinnerthatyoushouldnotresignyourplace，but
shouldleavethemanagerofthisimportantbusinessinthefull
expectationthataMr。HallPycroft，whomhehadneverseen，wasabout
toentertheofficeupontheMondaymorning。”
“MyGod！“criedourclient，“whatablindbeetleIhavebeen！“
“Nowyouseethepointaboutthehandwriting。Supposethatsomeone
turnedupinyourplacewhowroteacompletelydifferenthandfrom
thatinwhichyouhadappliedforthevacancy，ofcoursethegame
wouldhavebeenup。Butintheintervaltheroguehadlearnedto
imitateyou，andhispositionwasthereforesecure，asIpresume
thatnobodyintheofficehadeverseteyesuponyou。”
“Notasoul，“groanedHallPycroft。
“Verygood。Ofcourseitwasoftheutmostimportancetopreventyou
fromthinkingbetterofit，andalsotokeepyoufromcominginto
contactwithanyonewhomighttellyouthatyourdoublewasatworkin
Mawson”soffice。Thereforetheygaveyouahandsomeadvanceonyour
salary，andranyouofftotheMidlands，wheretheygaveyouenough
worktodotopreventyourgoingtoLondon，whereyoumighthaveburst
theirlittlegameup。Thatisallplainenough。”
“Butwhyshouldthismanpretendtobehisownbrother？“
“Well，thatisprettyclearalso。Thereareevidentlyonlytwoof
theminit。Theotherisimpersonatingyouattheoffice。Thisone
actedasyourengager，andthenfoundthathecouldnotfindyouan
employerwithoutadmittingathirdpersonintohisplot。Thathewas
mostunwillingtodo。Hechangedhisappearanceasfarashecould，
andtrustedthatthelikeness，whichyoucouldnotfailtoobserve，
wouldbeputdowntoafamilyresemblance。Butforthehappychanceof
thegoldstuffing，yoursuspicionswouldprobablyneverhavebeen
aroused。”
HallPycroftshookhisclenchedhandsintheair。“GoodLord！“he
cried“whileIhavebeenfooledinthisway，whathasthisother
HallPycroftbeendoingatMawson”s？Whatshouldwedo，Mr。Holmes？
Tellmewhattodo。”
“WemustwiretoMawson”s。”
“TheyshutattwelveonSaturdays。”
“Nevermind。Theremaybesomedoor-keeperorattendant-“
“Ah，yes，theykeepapermanentguardthereonaccountofthe
valueofthesecuritiesthattheyhold。Irememberhearingittalked
ofintheCity。”
“Verygood，weshallwiretohimandseeifalliswell，andifa
clerkofyournameisworkingthere。Thatisclearenough，butwhatis
notsocleariswhyatsightofusoneoftheroguesshould
instantlywalkoutoftheroomandhanghimself。”
“Thepaper！“croakedavoicebehindus。Themanwassittingup，
blanchedandghastly，withreturningreasoninhiseyes，andhands
whichrubbednervouslyatthebroadredbandwhichstillencircledhis
throat。
“Thepaper！Ofcourse！“yelledHolmesinaparoxysmofexcitement。
“IdiotthatIwas！Ithoughtsomuchofourvisitthatthepapernever
enteredmyheadforaninstant。Tobesure，thesecretmustlie
there。”Heflatteneditoutuponthetable，andacryoftriumphburst
fromhislips。“Lookatthis，Watson，“hecried。”ItisaLondon
paper，anearlyeditionoftheEveningStandard。Hereiswhatwewant。
Lookattheheadlines：”CrimeintheCity。MurderatMawson&
Williams”s。GiganticAttemptedRobbery。CaptureoftheCriminal。”
Here，Watson，weareallequallyanxioustohearit，sokindlyreadit
aloudtous。”
Itappearedfromitspositioninthepapertohavebeentheone
eventofimportanceintown，andtheaccountofitraninthisway：
“Adesperateattemptatrobbery，culminatinginthedeathofoneman
andthecaptureofthecriminal，occurredthisafternooninthe
City。ForsometimebackMawson&Williams，thefamousfinancial
house，havebeentheguardiansofsecuritieswhichamountinthe
aggregatetoasumofconsiderablyoveramillionsterling。So
consciouswasthemanageroftheresponsibilitywhichdevolvedupon
himinconsequenceofthegreatinterestsatstakethatsafesofthe
verylatestconstructionhavebeenemployed，andanarmedwatchmanhas
beenleftdayandnightinthebuilding。Itappearsthatlastweeka
newclerknamedHallPycroftwasengagedbythefirm。Thisperson
appearstohavebeennoneotherthanBeddington，thefamousforgerand
cracksman，who，withhisbrother，hasonlyrecentlyemergedfroma
fiveyears”spellofpenalservitude。Bysomemeans，whicharenotyet
clear，hesucceededinwinning，underafalsename，thisofficial
positionintheoffice，whichheutilizedinordertoobtainmouldings
ofvariouslocks，andathoroughknowledgeofthepositionofthe
strongroomandthesafes。
“ItiscustomaryatMawson”sfortheclerkstoleaveatmiddayon
Saturday。SergeantTuson，oftheCitypolice，wassomewhat
surprised，therefore，toseeagentlemanwithacarpet-bagcomedown
thestepsattwentyminutespastone。Hissuspicionsbeingaroused，
thesergeantfollowedtheman，andwiththeaidofConstablePollock
succeeded，afteramostdesperateresistance，inarrestinghim。Itwas
atonceclearthatadaringandgiganticrobberyhadbeencommitted。
Nearlyahundredthousandpounds”worthofAmericanrailwaybonds，
withalargeamountofscripinminesandothercompanies，was
discoveredinthebag。Onexaminingthepremisesthebodyofthe
unfortunatewatchmanwasfounddoubledupandthrustintothe
largestofthesafes，whereitwouldnothavebeendiscovereduntil
MondaymorninghaditnotbeenforthepromptactionofSergeant
Tuson。Theman”sskullhadbeenshatteredbyablowfromapoker
deliveredfrombehind。TherecouldbenodoubtthatBeddingtonhad
obtainedentrancepretendingthathehadleftsomethingbehindhim，
andhavingmurderedthewatchman，rapidlyrifledthelargesafe，and
thenmadeoffwithhisbooty。Hisbrother，whousuallyworkswithhim，
hasnotappearedinthisjobasfarascanatpresentbe
ascertained，althoughthepolicearemakingenergeticinquiriesas
tohiswhereabouts。”
“Well，wemaysavethepolicesomelittletroubleinthat
direction，“saidHolmes，glancingatthehaggardfigurehuddledup
bythewindow。“Humannatureisastrangemixture，Watson。Yousee
thatevenavillainandmurderercaninspiresuchaffectionthathis
brotherturnstosuicidewhenhelearnsthathisneckisforfeited。
However，wehavenochoiceastoouraction。ThedoctorandIwill
remainonguard，Mr。Pycroft，ifyouwillhavethekindnesstostep
outforthepolice。”
THEEND。
1893
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEYELLOWFACE
bySirArthurConanDoyle
[Inpublishingtheseshortsketchesbaseduponthenumerouscasesin
whichmycompanion”ssingulargiftshavemadeusthelistenersto，and
eventuallytheactorsin，somestrangedrama，itisonlynatural
thatIshoulddwellratheruponhissuccessesthanuponhis
failures。Andthisnotsomuchforthesakeofhisreputation-for，
indeed，itwaswhenhewasathiswit”sendthathisenergyandhis
versatilityweremostadmirable-butbecausewherehefailedit
happenedtoooftenthatnooneelsesucceeded，andthatthetalewas
leftforeverwithoutaconclusion。Nowandagain，however，it
chancedthatevenwhenheerredthetruthwasstilldiscovered。Ihave
notedofsomehalf-dozencasesofthekind；theadventureofthe
MusgraveRitualandthatwhichIamabouttorecountarethetwowhich
presentthestrongestfeaturesofinterest。]
SherlockHolmeswasamanwhoseldomtookexerciseforexercise”s
sake。Fewmenwerecapableofgreatermusculareffort，andhewas
undoubtedlyoneofthefinestboxersofhisweightthatIhaveever
seen；buthelookeduponaimlessbodilyexertionasawasteofenergy，
andheseldombestirredhimselfsavewheretherewassomeprofessional
objecttobeserved。Thenhewasabsolutelyuntiringand
indefatigable。Thatheshouldhavekepthimselfintrainingundersuch
circumstancesisremarkable，buthisdietwasusuallyofthe
sparest，andhishabitsweresimpletothevergeofausterity。Save
fortheoccasionaluseofcocaine，hehadnovices，andheonlyturned
tothedrugasaprotestagainstthemonotonyofexistencewhen
caseswerescantyandthepapersuninteresting。
Onedayinearlyspringhehadsofarrelaxedastogoforawalk
withmeinthePark，wherethefirstfaintshootsofgreenwere
breakingoutupontheelms，andthestickyspear-headsofthe
chestnutswerejustbeginningtoburstintotheirfivefoldleaves。For
twohourswerambledabouttogether，insilenceforthemostpart，
asbefitstwomenwhoknoweachotherintimately。Itwasnearlyfive
beforewewerebackinBakerStreetoncemore。
“Begpardon，sir，“saidourpage-boyasheopenedthedoor。“There”s
beenagentlemanhereaskingforyou，sir。”
Holmesglancedreproachfullyatme。“Somuchforafternoonwalks！“
saidhe。
“Hasthisgentlemangone，then？“
“Yes，sir。”
“Didn”tyouaskhimin？“
“Yes，sir，hecamein。”
“Howlongdidhewait？“
“Halfanhour，sir。Hewasaveryrestlessgentleman，sir，a-walkin”
anda-stampin”allthetimehewashere。Iwaswaitin”outsidethe
door，sir，andIcouldhearhim。Atlastheoutsintothepassage，and
hecries，”Isthatmannevergoin”tocome？”Thosewerehisvery
words，sir。”You”llonlyneedtowaitalittlelonger”saysI。”ThenI”llwaitintheopenair，forIfeelhalfchoked”sayshe。”I”llbebackbeforelong。”Andwiththatheupsandheouts，and
allIcouldsaywouldn”tholdhimback。”
“Well，well，youdidyourbest，“saidHolmesaswewalkedintoour
room。“It”sveryannoying，though，Watson。Iwasbadlyinneedofa
case，andthislooks，fromtheman”simpatience，asifitwereof
importance。Hullo！that”snotyourpipeonthetable。Hemusthave
lefthisbehindhim。Aniceoldbrierwithagoodlongstemofwhat
thetobacconistscallamber。Iwonderhowmanyrealamber
mouthpiecesthereareinLondon？Somepeoplethinkthataflyinitis
asign。Well，hemusthavebeendisturbedinhismindtoleavea
pipebehindhimwhichheevidentlyvalueshighly。”
“Howdoyouknowthathevaluesithighly？“Iasked。
“Well，Ishouldputtheoriginalcostofthepipeatsevenand
sixpence。Nowithas，yousee，beentwicemended，onceinthewooden
stemandonceintheamber。Eachofthesemends，done，asyouobserve，
withsilverbands，musthavecostmorethanthepipedidoriginally。
Themanmustvaluethepipehighlywhenhepreferstopatchitup
ratherthanbuyanewonewiththesamemoney。”
“Anythingelse？“Iasked，forHolmeswasturningthepipeaboutin
hishandandstaringatitinhispeculiarpensiveway。
Hehelditupandtappedonitwithhislong，thinforefinger，as
aprofessormightwhowaslecturingonabone。
“Pipesareoccasionallyofextraordinaryinterest，“saidhe。
“Nothinghasmoreindividuality，saveperhapswatchesandbootlaces。
Theindicationshere，however，areneitherverymarkednorvery
important。Theownerisobviouslyamuscularman，left-handed，withan
excellentsetofteeth，carelessinhishabits，andwithnoneedto
practiseeconomy。”
Myfriendthrewouttheinformationinaveryoffhandway，butIsaw
thathecockedhiseyeatmetoseeifIhadfollowedhisreasoning。
“Youthinkamanmustbewell-to-doifhesmokesaseven-shilling
pipe？“saidI。
“ThisisGrosvenormixtureateightpenceanounce，“Holmesanswered，
knockingalittleoutonhispalm。“Ashemightgetanexcellentsmoke
forhalftheprice，hehasnoneedtopractiseeconomy。”
“Andtheotherpoints？“
“Hehasbeeninthehabitoflightinghispipeatlampsand
gas-jets。Youcanseethatitisquitecharredalldownoneside。Of
courseamatchcouldnothavedonethat。Whyshouldamanholdamatch
tothesideofhispipe？Butyoucannotlightitatalampwithout
gettingthebowlcharred。Anditisallontherightsideofthepipe。
FromthatIgatherthatheisaleft-handedman。Youholdyourown
Pipetothelampandseehownaturallyyou，beingright-handed，hold
theleftsidetotheflame。Youmightdoitoncetheotherway，but
notasaconstancy。Thishasalwaysbeenheldso。Thenhehasbitten
throughhisamber。Ittakesamuscular，energeticfellow，andonewith
agoodsetofteeth，todothat。ButifIamnotmistakenIhearhim
uponthestair，soweshallhavesomethingmoreinterestingthanhis
pipetostudy。”
Aninstantlaterourdooropened，andatallyoungmanenteredthe
room。Hewaswellbutquietlydressedinadarkgraysuitand
carriedabrownwideawakeinhishand。Ishouldhaveputhimatabout
thirty，thoughhewasreallysomeyearsolder。
“Ibegyourpardon，“saidhewithsomeembarrassment，“IsupposeI
shouldhaveknocked。Yes，ofcourseIshouldhaveknocked。Thefactis
thatIamalittleupset，andyoumustputitalldowntothat。”He
passedhishandoverhisforeheadlikeamanwhoishalfdazed，and
thenfellratherthansatdownuponachair。
“Icanseethatyouhavenotsleptforanightortwo，“said
Holmesinhiseasy，genialway。“Thattriesaman”snervesmorethan
work，andmoreeventhanpleasure。MayIaskhowIcanhelpyou？“
“Iwantedyouradvice，sir。Idon”tknowwhattodo，andmywhole
lifeseemstohavegonetopieces。”
“Youwishtoemploymeasaconsultingdetective？“
Notthatonly。Iwantyouropinionasajudiciousman-asamanof
theworld。IwanttoknowwhatIoughttodonext。IhopetoGod
you”llbeabletotellme。”
Hespokeinlittle，sharp，jerkyoutbursts，anditseemedtomethat
tospeakatallwasverypainfultohim，andthathiswillallthrough
wasoverridinghisinclinations。
“It”saverydelicatething，“saidhe。“Onedoesnotliketospeak
ofone”sdomesticaffairstostrangers。Itseemsdreadfultodiscuss
theconductofone”swifewithtwomenwhomIhaveneverseen
before。It”shorribletohavetodoit。ButI”vegottotheendof
mytether，andImusthaveadvice。”
“MydearMr。GrantMunro”beganHolmes。
Ourvisitorsprangfromhischair。“What！“hecried，“youknowmy
name？“
“Ifyouwishtopreserveyourincognito，“saidHolmes，smiling，“I
wouldsuggestthatyouceasetowriteyournameupontheliningof
yourhat，orelsethatyouturnthecrowntowardsthepersonwhom
youareaddressing。IwasabouttosaythatmyfriendandIhave
listenedtoagoodmanystrangesecretsinthisroom，andthatwehave
hadthegoodfortunetobringpeacetomanytroubledsouls。Itrust
thatwemaydoasmuchforyou。MightIbegyou，astimemayprove
tobeofimportance，tofurnishmewiththefactsofyourcasewithout
furtherdelay？“
Ourvisitoragainpassedhishandoverhisforehead，asifhe
founditbitterlyhard。FromeverygestureandexpressionIcould
seethathewasareservedselfcontainedman，withadashofpride
inhisnature，morelikelytohidehiswoundsthantoexposethem。
Thensuddenly，withafiercegestureofhisclosedhand，likeone
whothrowsreservetothewinds，hebegan：
“Thefactsarethese，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe。“Iamamarriedman
andhavebeensoforthreeyears。DuringthattimemywifeandI
havelovedeachotherasfondlyandlivedashappilyasanytwothat
everwerejoined。Wehavenothadadifference，notone，inthoughtor
wordordeed。Andnow，sincelastMonday，therehassuddenlysprungup
abarrierbetweenus，andIfindthatthereissomethinginherlife
andinherthoughtsofwhichIknowaslittleasifshewerethewoman
whobrushesbymeinthestreet。Weareestranged，andIwantto
knowwhy。
“NowthereisonethingthatIwanttoimpressuponyoubeforeI
goanyfurther，Mr。Holmes。Effielovesme。Don”tlettherebeany
mistakeaboutthat。Shelovesmewithherwholeheartandsoul，and
nevermorethannow。Iknowit。Ifeelit。Idon”twanttoargueabout
that。Amancantelleasilyenoughwhenawomanloveshim。Butthere”s
thissecretbetweenus，andwecanneverbethesameuntilitis
cleared。”
“Kindlyletmehavethefacts，Mr。Munro，“saidHolmeswithsome
impatience。
“I”lltellyouwhatIknowaboutEffie”shistory。Shewasawidow
whenImetherfirst，thoughquiteyoung-onlytwenty-five。Hername
thenwasMrs。Hebron。ShewentouttoAmericawhenshewasyoungand
livedinthetownofAtlanta，whereshemarriedthisHebron，whowasa
lawyerwithagoodpractice。Theyhadonechild，buttheyellow
feverbrokeoutbadlyintheplace，andbothhusbandandchilddiedof
it。Ihaveseenhisdeathcertificate。ThissickenedherofAmerica，
andshecamebacktolivewithamaidenauntatPinner，in
Middlesex。Imaymentionthatherhusbandhadlefthercomfortably
off，andthatshehadacapitalofaboutfourthousandfivehundred
pounds，whichhadbeensowellinvestedbyhimthatitreturnedan
averageofsevenpercent。ShehadonlybeensixmonthsatPinnerwhen
Imether；wefellinlovewitheachother，andwemarriedafewweeks
afterwards。
“Iamahopmerchantmyself，andasIhaveanincomeofsevenor
eighthundred，wefoundourselvescomfortablyoffandtookanice
eighty-pound-a-yearvillaatNorbury。Ourlittleplacewasvery
countrified，consideringthatitissoclosetotown。Wehadaninn
andtwohousesalittleaboveus，andasinglecottageattheother
sideofthefieldwhichfacesus，andexceptthosetherewereno
housesuntilyougothalfwaytothestation。Mybusinesstookme
intotownatcertainseasons，butinsummerIhadlesstodo，andthen
inourcountryhomemywifeandIwerejustashappyascouldbe
wished。Itellyouthatthereneverwasashadowbetweenusuntilthis
accursedaffairbegan。
“There”sonethingIoughttotellyoubeforeIgofurther。When
wemarried，mywifemadeoverallherpropertytome-ratheragainstmy
will，forIsawhowawkwarditwouldbeifmybusinessaffairswent
wrong。However，shewouldhaveitso，anditwasdone。Well，aboutsix
weeksagoshecametome。
“”Jack”saidshe，”whenyoutookmymoneyyousaidthatifeverI
wantedanyIwastoaskyouforit。”
“”Certainly”saidI。”It”sallyourown。”
“”Well”saidshe，”Iwantahundredpounds。”
“Iwasabitstaggeredatthis，forIhadimagineditwassimplya
newdressorsomethingofthekindthatshewasafter。
“”Whatonearthfor？”Iasked。
“”Oh”saidsheinherplayfulway，”Yousaidthatyouwereonly
mybanker，andbankersneveraskquestions，youknow。”
“”Ifyoureallymeanit，ofcourseyoushallhavethemoney”said
I。
“”Oh，yes，Ireallymeanit。”
“”Andyouwon”ttellmewhatyouwantitfor？”
“”Someday，perhaps，butnotjustatpresent，Jack。”
“SoIhadtobecontentwiththat，thoughitwasthefirsttimethat
therehadeverbeenanysecretbetweenus。Igaveheracheck，andI
neverthoughtanymoreofthematter。Itmayhavenothingtodowith
whatcameafterwards，butIthoughtitonlyrighttomentionit。
“Well，Itoldyoujustnowthatthereisacottagenotfarfrom
ourhouse。Thereisjustafieldbetweenus，buttoreachityou
havetogoalongtheroadandthenturndownalane。Justbeyonditis
anicelittlegroveofScotchfirs，andIusedtobeveryfondof
strollingdownthere，fortreesarealwaysaneighbourlykindof
thing。Thecottagehadbeenstandingemptythiseightmonths，andit
wasapity，foritwasaprettytwo-storiedplace，withan
old-fashionedporchandahoneysuckleaboutit。Ihavestoodmanya
timeandthoughtwhataneatlittlehomesteaditwouldmake。
“Well，lastMondayeveningIwastakingastrolldownthatway
whenImetanemptyvancomingupthelaneandsawapileofcarpets
andthingslyingaboutonthegrass-plotbesidetheporch。Itwas
clearthatthecottagehadatlastbeenlet。Iwalkedpastit，and
thenstopping，asanidlemanmight，Iranmyeyeoveritandwondered
whatsortoffolktheywerewhohadcometolivesonearus。Andas
IlookedIsuddenlybecameawarethatafacewaswatchingmeoutof
oneoftheupperwindows。
“Idon”tknowwhattherewasaboutthatface，Mr。Holmes，butit
seemedtosendachillrightdownmyback。Iwassomelittleway
off，sothatIcouldnotmakeoutthefeatures，buttherewas
somethingunnaturalandinhumanabouttheface。Thatwasthe
impressionthatIhad，andImovedquicklyforwardtogetanearer
viewofthepersonwhowaswatchingme。ButasIdidsotheface
suddenlydisappeared，sosuddenlythatitseemedtohavebeen
pluckedawayintothedarknessoftheroom。Istoodforfiveminutes
thinkingthebusinessoverandtryingtoanalyzemyimpressions。I
couldnottellifthefacewasthatofamanorawoman。Ithadbeen
toofarfrommeforthat。Butitscolourwaswhathadimpressedme
most。Itwasofalividchalkywhite，andwithsomethingsetandrigid
aboutitwhichwasshockinglyunnatural。SodisturbedwasIthatI
determinedtoseealittlemoreofthenewinmatesofthecottage。I
approachedandknockedatthedoor，whichwasinstantlyopenedbya
tall，gauntwomanwithaharsh，forbiddingface。