”Andthepractice?””Idomyneighbor’swhenhegoes。Heisalwaysreadytoworkoffthedebt。””Ha！Nothingcouldbebetter，”saidHolmes，leaningbackinhischairandlookingkeenlyatmefromunderhishalfclosedlids。”Iperceivethatyouhavebeenunwelllately。Summercoldsarealwaysalittletrying。””Iwasconfinedtothehousebyaseverchillforthreedayslastweek。Ithought，however，thatIhadcastoffeverytraceofit。””Soyouhave。Youlookremarkablyrobust。””How，then，didyouknowofit?””Mydearfellow，youknowmymethods。””Youdeducedit，then?””Certainly。””Andfromwhat?””Fromyourslippers。”IglanceddownatthenewpatentleatherswhichIwaswearing。”Howonearth——”Ibegan，butHolmesansweredmyquestionbeforeitwasasked。”Yourslippersarenew，”hesaid。”Youcouldnothavehadthemmorethanafewweeks。Thesoleswhichyouareatthismomentpresentingtomeareslightlyscorched。ForamomentIthoughttheymighthavegotwetandbeenburnedinthedrying。Butneartheinstepthereisasmallcircularwaferofpaperwiththeshopman’shieroglyphicsuponit。Dampwouldofcoursehaveremovedthis。Youhad，then，beensittingwithourfeetoutstretchedtothefire，whichamanwouldhardlydoeveninsowetaJuneasthisifhewereinhisfullhealth。”
　　LikeallHolmes’sreasoningthethingseemedsimplicityitselfwhenitwasonceexplained。Hereadthethoughtuponmyfeatures，andhissmilehadatingeofbitterness。”IamafraidthatIrathergivemyselfawaywhenI
　　explain，”saidhe。”Resultswithoutcausesaremuchmoreimpressive。YouarereadytocometoBirmingham，then?””Certainly。Whatisthecase?””Youshallhearitallinthetrain。Myclientisoutsideinafour-wheeler。Canyoucomeatonce?””Inaninstant。”Iscribbledanotetomyneighbor，rushedupstairstoexplainthemattertomywife，andjoinedHolmesuponthedoor-step。”Yourneighborisadoctor，”saidhe，noddingatthebrassplate。”Yes；heboughtapracticeasIdid。””Anold-establishedone?””Justthesameasmine。Bothhavebeeneversincethehouseswerebuilt。””Ah！Thenyougotholdofthebestofthetwo。””IthinkIdid。Buthowdoyouknow?””Bythesteps，myboy。Yoursarewornthreeinchesdeeperthanhis。Butthisgentlemaninthecabismyclient，Mr。HallPycroft。Allowmetointroduceyoutohim。Whipyourhorseup，cabby，forwehaveonlyjusttimetocatchourtrain。”
　　ThemanwhomIfoundmyselffacingwasawellbuilt，fresh-complexionedyoungfellow，withafrank，honestfaceandaslight，crisp，yellowmustache。Heworeaveryshinytophatandaneatsuitofsoberblack，whichmadehimlookwhathewas——asmartyoungCityman，oftheclasswhohavebeenlabeledcockneys，butwhogiveusourcrackvolunteerregiments，andwhoturnoutmorefineathletesandsportsmenthananybodyofmenintheseislands。Hisround，ruddyfacewasnaturallyfullofcheeriness，butthecornersofhismouthseemedtometobepulleddowninahalf-comicaldistress。Itwasnot，however，untilwewereallinafirst-classcarriageandwellstarteduponourjourneytoBirminghamthatIwasabletolearnwhatthetroublewaswhichhaddrivenhimtoSherlockHolmes。”Wehaveaclearrunhereofseventyminutes，”Holmesremarked。”Iwantyou，Mr。HallPycroft，totellmyfriendyourveryinterestingexperienceexactlyasyouhavetoldittome，orwithmoredetailifpossible。
　　Itwillbeofusetometohearthesuccessionofeventsagain。Itisacase，Watson，whichmayprovetohavesomethinginit，ormayprovetohavenothing，butwhich，atleast，presentsthoseunusualandoutr?
　　featureswhichareasdeartoyouastheyaretome。
　　Now，Mr。Pycroft，Ishallnotinterruptyouagain。”
　　Ouryoungcompanionlookedatmewithatwinkleinhiseye。
　　Theworstofthestoryis，saidhe，thatIshowmyselfupassuchaconfoundedfool。Ofcourseitmayworkoutallright，andIdon’tseethatIcouldhavedoneotherwise；butifIhavelostmycribandgetnothinginexchangeIshallfeelwhatasoftJohnnieIhavebeen。I’mnotverygoodattellingastory，Dr。
　　Watson，butitislikethiswithme”
　　IusedtohaveabilletatCoxon&Woodhouse’s，ofDraper’sGardens，buttheywereletinearlyinthespringthroughtheVenezuelanloan，asnodoubtyouremember，andcameanastycropper。Ihadbeenwiththemfiveyears，andoldCoxongavemearippinggoodtestimonialwhenthesmashcame，butofcourseweclerkswereallturnedadrift，thetwenty-sevenofus。
　　Itriedhereandtriedthere，buttherewerelotsofotherchapsonthesamelayasmyself，anditwasaperfectfrostforalongtime。IhadbeentakingthreepoundsaweekatCoxon’s，andIhadsavedaboutseventyofthem，butIsoonworkedmywaythroughthatandoutattheotherend。Iwasfairlyattheendofmytetheratlast，andcouldhardlyfindthestampstoanswertheadvertisementsortheenvelopestostickthemto。Ihadwornoutmybootspaddlingupofficestairs，andIseemedjustasfarfromgettingabilletasever。
　　AtlastIsawavacancyatMawson&Williams’s，thegreatstock-brokingfirminLombardStreet。IdaresayE。C。Isnotmuchinyourline，butIcantellyouthatthisisabouttherichesthouseinLondon。Theadvertisementwastobeansweredbyletteronly。I
　　sentinmytestimonialandapplication，butwithouttheleasthopeofgettingit。Backcameananswerbyreturn，sayingthatifIwouldappearnextMondayI
　　mighttakeovermynewdutiesatonce，providedthatmyappearancewassatisfactory。Nooneknowshowthesethingsareworked。Somepeoplesaythatthemanagerjustplungeshishandintotheheapandtakesthefirstthatcomes。Anyhowitwasmyinningsthattime，andIdon’teverwishtofeelbetterpleased。
　　Thescrewwasapoundaweekrise，andthedutiesjustaboutthesameasatCoxon’s。
　　AndnowIcometothequeerpartofthebusiness。I
　　wasindiggingsoutHampsteadway，17Potter’sTerrace。Well，IwassittingdoingasmokethatveryeveningafterIhadbeenpromisedtheappointment，whenupcamemylandladywithacardwhichhad”ArthurPinner，FinancialAgent，”printeduponit。Ihadneverheardthenamebeforeandcouldnotimaginewhathewantedwithme；but，ofcourse，Iaskedhertoshowhimup。Inhewalked，amiddle-sized，dark-haired，dark-eyed，black-beardedman，withatouchoftheSheenyabouthisnose。Hehadabriskkindofwaywithhimandspokesharply，likeamanwhoknewthevalueoftime。”Mr。HallPycroft，Ibelieve?”saidhe。”Yes，sir，”Ianswered，pushingachairtowardshim。”LatelyengagedatCoxon&Woodhouse’s?””Yes，sir。””AndnowonthestaffofMawson’s。””Quiteso。””Well，”saidhe，”thefactisthatIhaveheardsomereallyextraordinarystoriesaboutyourfinancialability。YourememberParker，whousedtobeCoxon’smanager?Hecanneversayenoughaboutit。”
　　OfcourseIwaspleasedtohearthis。Ihadalwaysbeenprettysharpintheoffice，butIhadneverdreamedthatIwastalkedaboutintheCityinthisfashion。”Youhaveagoodmemory?”saidhe。”Prettyfair，”Ianswered，modestly。”Haveyoukeptintouchwiththemarketwhileyouhavebeenoutofwork?”heasked。”Yes。Ireadthestockexchangelisteverymorning。””Nowthatshowsrealapplication！”hecried。”Thatisthewaytoprosper！Youwon’tmindmytestingyou，willyou?Letmesee。HowareAyrshires?””Ahundredandsixandaquartertoahundredandfiveandseven-eighths。””AndNewZealandconsolidated?””Ahundredandfour。””AndBritishBrokenHills?””Seventoseven-and-six。””Wonderful！”hecried，withhishandsup。”ThisquitefitsinwithallthatIhadheard。Myboy，myboy，youareverymuchtoogoodtobeaclerkatMawson’s！”