Here’stherecordoftheTarletonmurders，andthecaseofVamberry，thewinemerchant，andtheadventureoftheoldRussianwoman，andthesingularaffairofthealuminiumcrutch，aswellasafullaccountofRicolettioftheclub-foot，andhisabominablewife。
　　Andhere——ah，now，thisreallyissomethingalittlerecherch?”
　　Hedivedhisarmdowntothebottomofthechest，andbroughtupasmallwoodenboxwithaslidinglid，suchaschildren’stoysarekeptin。Fromwithinheproducedacrumpledpieceofpaper，andold-fashionedbrasskey，apegofwoodwithaballofstringattachedtoit，andthreerustyolddisksofmetal。”Well，myboy，whatdoyoumakeofthislot?”heasked，smilingatmyexpression。”Itisacuriouscollection。””Verycurious，andthestorythathangsrounditwillstrikeyouasbeingmorecuriousstill。””Theserelicshaveahistorythen?””Somuchsothattheyarehistory。””Whatdoyoumeanbythat?”
　　SherlockHolmespickedthemuponebyone，andlaidthemalongtheedgeofthetable。Thenrereseatedhimselfinhischairandlookedthemoverwithagleamofsatisfactioninhiseyes。”These，”saidhe，”areallthatIhavelefttoremindmeoftheadventureoftheMusgraveRitual。”
　　Ihadheardhimmentionthecasemorethanonce，thoughIhadneverbeenabletogatherthedetails。”Ishouldbesoglad，”saidI，”ifyouwouldgivemeanaccountofit。””Andleavethelitterasitis?”hecried，mischievously。”Yourtidinesswon’tbearmuchstrainafterall，Watson。ButIshouldbegladthatyoushouldaddthiscasetoyourannals，fortherearepointsinitwhichmakeitquiteuniqueinthecriminalrecordsofthisor，Ibelieve，ofanyothercountry。Acollectionofmytriflingachievementswouldcertainlybeincompletewhichcontainednoaccountofthisverysingularbusiness。”YoumayrememberhowtheaffairoftheGloriaScott，andmyconversationwiththeunhappymanwhosefateI
　　toldyouof，firstturnedmyattentioninthedirectionoftheprofessionwhichhasbecomemylife’swork。Youseemenowwhenmynamehasbecomeknownfarandwide，andwhenIamgenerallyrecognizedbothbythepublicandbytheofficialforceasbeingafinalcourtofappealindoubtfulcases。Evenwhenyouknewmefirst，atthetimeoftheaffairwhichyouhavecommemoratedin’AStudyinScarlet，’Ihadalreadyestablishedaconsiderable，thoughnotaverylucrative，connection。Youcanhardlyrealize，then，howdifficultIfounditatfirst，andhowlongIhadtowaitbeforeIsucceededinmakinganyheadway。”WhenIfirstcameuptoLondonIhadroomsinMontagueStreet，justroundthecornerfromtheBritishMuseum，andthereIwaited，fillinginmytooabundantleisuretimebystudyingallthosebranchesofsciencewhichmightmakememoreefficient。Nowandagaincasescameinmyway，principallythroughtheintroductionofoldfellow-students，forduringmylastyearsattheUniversitytherewasagooddealoftalkthereaboutmyselfandmymethods。ThethirdofthesecaseswasthatoftheMusgraveRitual，anditistotheinterestwhichwasarousedbythatsingularchainofevents，andthelargeissueswhichprovedtobeatstake，thatItracemyfirststridetowardstopositionwhichInowhold。”ReginaldMusgravehadbeeninthesamecollegeasmyself，andIhadsomeslightacquaintancewithhim。
　　Hewasnotgenerallypopularamongtheundergraduates，thoughitalwaysseemedtomethatwhatwassetdownaspridewasreallyanattempttocoverextremenaturaldiffidence。Inappearancehewasamanofexceedinglyaristocratictype，thin，high-nosed，andlarge-eyed，withlanguidandyetcourtlymanners。Hewasindeedascionofoneoftheveryoldestfamiliesinthekingdom，thoughhisbranchwasacadetonewhichhadseparatedfromthenorthernMusgravessometimeinthesixteenthcentury，andhadestablisheditselfinwesternSussex，wheretheManorHouseofHurlstoneisperhapstheoldestinhabitedbuildinginthecounty。Somethingofhisbirthplaceseemedtoclingtotheman，andIneverlookedathispale，keenfaceorthepoiseofhisheadwithoutassociatinghimwithgrayarchwaysandmullionedwindowsandallthevenerablewreckageofafeudalkeep。Onceortwicewedriftedintotalk，andIcanrememberthatmorethanonceheexpressedakeeninterestinmymethodsofobservationandinference。”ForfouryearsIhadseennothingofhimuntilonemorninghewalkedintomyroominMontagueStreet。Hehadchangedlittle，wasdressedlikeayoungmanoffashion——hewasalwaysabitofadandy——andpreservedthesamequiet，suavemannerwhichhadformerlydistinguishedhim。”’HowhasallgonewityouMusgrave?”Iasked，afterwehadcordiallyshakenhands。”’Youprobablyheardofmypoorfather’sdeath，’saidhe；’hewascarriedoffabouttwoyearsago。SincethenIhaveofcoursehadtheHurlstoneestatestomanage，andasIammemberformydistrictaswell，mylifehasbeenabusyone。ButIunderstand，Holmes，thatyouareturningtopracticalendsthosepowerswithwhichyouusedtoamazeus?””’Yes，’saidI，’Ihavetakentolivingbymywits。’”’Iamdelightedtohearit，foryouradviceatpresentwouldbeexceedinglyvaluabletome。WehavehadsomeverystrangedoingsatHurlstone，andthepolicehavebeenabletothrownolightuponthematter。Itisreallythemostextraordinaryandinexplicablebusiness。’”YoucanimaginewithwhateagernessIlistenedtohim，Watson，fortheverychanceforwhichIhadbeenpantingduringallthosemonthsofinactionseemedtohavecomewithinmyreach。InmyinmostheartI
　　believedthatIcouldsucceedwhereothersfailed，andnowIhadtheopportunitytotestmyself。”’Pray，letmehavethedetails，’Icried。”ReginaldMusgravesatdownoppositetome，andlitthecigarettewhichIhadpushedtowardshim。”’Youmustknow，’saidhe，’thatthoughIamabachelor，IhavetokeepupaconsiderablestaffofservantsatHurlstone，foritisaramblingoldplace，andtakesagooddealoflookingafter。Ipreserve，too，andinthepheasantmonthsIusuallyhaveahouse-party，sothatitwouldnotdotobeshort-handed。Altogetherthereareeightmaids，thecook，thebutler，twofootmen，andaboy。Thegardenandthestablesofcoursehaveaseparatestaff。”’OftheseservantstheonewhohadbeenlongestinourservicewasBruntonthebutler。Hewasayoungschool-masteroutofplacewhenhewasfirsttakenupbymyfather，buthewasamanofgreatenergyandcharacter，andhesoonbecamequiteinvaluableinthehousehold。Hewasawell-grown，handsomeman，withasplendidforehead，andthoughhehasbeenwithusfortwentyyearshecannotbemorethanfortynow。Withhispersonaladvantagesandhisextraordinarygifts——forhecanspeakseverallanguagesandplaynearlyeverymusicalinstrument——itiswonderfulthatheshouldhavebeensatisfiedsolonginsuchaposition，butIsupposethathewascomfortable，andlackedenergytomakeanychange。ThebutlerofHurlstoneisalwaysathingthatisrememberedbyallwhovisitus。”’Butthisparagonhasonefault。HeisabitofaDonJuan，andyoucanimaginethatforamanlikehimitisnotaverydifficultparttoplayinaquietcountrydistrict。Whenhewasmarrieditwasallright，butsincehehasbeenawidowerwehavehadnoendoftroublewithhim。AfewmonthsagowewereinhopesthathewasabouttosettledownagainforhebecameengagedtoRachelHowells，oursecondhouse-maid；buthehasthrownheroversincethenandtakenupwithJanetTregellis，thedaughteroftheheadgame-keeper。Rachel——whoisaverygoodgirl，butofanexcitableWelshtemperament——hadasharptouchofbrain-fever，andgoesaboutthehousenow——ordiduntilyesterday——likeablack-eyedshadowofherformerself。ThatwasourfirstdramaatHurlstone；
　　butasecondonecametodriveitfromourminds，anditwasprefacedbythedisgraceanddismissalofbutlerBrunton。”’Thiswashowitcameabout。Ihavesaidthatthemanwasintelligent，andthisveryintelligencehascausedhisruin，foritseemstohaveledtoaninsatiablecuriosityaboutthingswhichdidnotintheleastconcernhim。Ihadnoideaofthelengthstowhichthiswouldcarryhim，untilthemerestaccidentopenedmyeyestoit。”’Ihavesaidthatthehouseisaramblingone。Onedaylastweek——onThursdaynight，tobemoreexact——I
　　foundthatIcouldnotsleep，havingfoolishlytakenacupofstrongcaf?noiraftermydinner。Afterstrugglingagainstituntiltwointhemorning，Ifeltthatitwasquitehopeless，soIroseandlitthecandlewiththeintentionofcontinuinganovelwhichIwasreading。Thebook，however，hadbeenleftinthebilliard-room，soIpulledonmydressing-gownandstartedofftogetit。”’Inordertoreachthebilliard-roomIhadtodescendaflightofstairsandthentocrosstheheadofapassagewhichledtothelibraryandthegun-room。
　　Youcanimaginemysurprisewhen，asIlookeddownthiscorridor，Isawaglimmeroflightcomingfromtheopendoorofthelibrary。Ihadmyselfextinguishedthelampandclosedthedoorbeforecomingtobed。Naturallymyfirstthoughtwasofburglars。ThecorridorsatHurlstonehavetheirwallslargelydecoratedwithtrophiesofoldweapons。FromoneoftheseIpickedabattle-axe，andthen，leavingmycandlebehindme，Icreptontiptoedownthepassageandpeepedinattheopendoor。”’Brunton，thebutler，wasinthelibrary。Hewassitting，fullydressed，inaneasy-chair，withaslipofpaperwhichlookedlakeamapuponhisknee，andhisforeheadsunkforwarduponhishandindeepthought。Istooddumbwithastonishment，watchinghimfromthedarkness。Asmalltaperontheedgeofthetableshedafeeblelightwhichsufficedtoshowmethathewasfullydressed。Suddenly，asIlooked，herosefromhischair，andwalkingovertoabureauattheside，heunlockeditanddrewoutoneofthedrawers。Fromthishetookapaper，andreturningtohisseatheflatteneditoutbesidethetaperontheedgeofthetable，andbegantostudyitwithminuteattention。MyindignationatthiscalmexaminationofourfamilydocumentsovercamemesofarthatItookastepforward，andBrunton，lookingup，sawmestandinginthedoorway。Hesprangtohisfeet，hisfaceturnedlividwithfear，andhethrustintohisbreastthechart-likepaperwhichhehadbeenoriginallystudying。