”It’scharcoal，”hecried。”Giveittime。Itwillclear。”Peeringin，wecouldseethattheonlylightintheroomcamefromadullblueflamewhichflickeredfromasmallbrasstripodinthecentre。Itthrewalivid，unnaturalcircleuponthefloor，whileintheshadowsbeyondwesawthevagueloomoftwofigureswhichcrouchedagainstthewall。Fromtheopendoortherereekedahorriblepoisonousexhalationwhichsetusgaspingandcoughing。Holmesrushedtothetopofthestairstodrawinthefreshair，andthen，dashingintotheroom，hethrewupthewindowandhurledthebrazentripodoutintothegarden。”Wecanenterinaminute，”hegasped，dartingoutagain。”Whereisacandle?Idoubtifwecouldstrikeamatchinthatatmosphere。Holdthelightatthedoorandweshallgetthemout，Mycroft，now！”
　　Witharushwegottothepoisonedmenanddraggedthemoutintothewell-lithall。Bothofthemwereblue-lippedandinsensible，withswollen，congestedfacesandprotrudingeyes。Indeed，sodistortedweretheirfeaturesthat，saveforhisblackbeardandstoutfigure，wemighthavefailedtorecognizeinoneofthemtheGreekinterpreterwhohadpartedfromusonlyafewhoursbeforeattheDiogenesClub。Hishandsandfeetweresecurelystrappedtogether，andheboreoveroneeyethemarksofaviolentblow。Theother，whowassecuredinasimilarfashion，wasatallmaninthelaststageofemaciation，withseveralstripsofsticking-plasterarrangedinagrotesquepatternoverhisface。Hehadceasedtomoanaswelaidhimdown，andaglanceshowedmethatforhimatleastouraidhadcometoolate。Mr。Melas，however，stilllived，andinlessthananhour，withtheaidofammoniaandbrandyIhadthesatisfactionofseeinghimopenhiseyes，andofknowingthatmyhandhaddrawnhimbackfromthatdarkvalleyinwhichallpathsmeet。
　　Itwasasimplestorywhichhehadtotell，andonewhichdidbutconfirmourowndeductions。Hisvisitor，onenteringhisrooms，haddrawnalife-preserverfromhissleeve，andhadsoimpressedhimwiththefearofinstantandinevitabledeaththathehadkidnappedhimforthesecondtime。Indeed，itwasalmostmesmeric，theeffectwhichthisgigglingruffianhadproducedupontheunfortunatelinguist，forhecouldnotspeakofhimsavewithtremblinghandsandablanchedcheek。HehadbeentakenswiftlytoBeckenham，andhadactedasinterpreterinasecondinterview，evenmoredramaticthanthefirst，inwhichthetwoEnglishmenhadmenacedtheirprisonerwithinstantdeathifhedidnotcomplywiththeirdemands。
　　Finally，findinghimproofagainsteverythreat，theyhadhurledhimbackintohisprison，andafterreproachingMelaswithhistreachery，whichappearedfromthenewspaperadvertisement，theyhadstunnedhimwithablowfromastick，andherememberednothingmoreuntilhefoundusbendingoverhim。
　　AndthiswasthesingularcaseoftheGrecianInterpreter，theexplanationofwhichisstillinvolvedinsomemystery。Wewereabletofindout，bycommunicatingwiththegentlemanwhohadansweredtheadvertisement，thattheunfortunateyoungladycameofawealthyGrecianfamily，andthatshehadbeenonavisittosomefriendsinEngland。WhilethereshehadmetayoungmannamedHaroldLatimer，whohadacquiredanascendancyoverheandhadeventuallypersuadedhertoflywithhim。Herfriends，shockedattheevent，hadcontentedthemselveswithinformingherbrotheratAthens，andhadthenwashedtheirhandsofthematter。Thebrother，onhisarrivalinEngland，hadimprudentlyplacedhimselfinthepowerofLatimerandofhisassociate，whosenamewasWilsonKemp——thatthroughhisignoranceofthelanguagehewashelplessintheirhands，hadkepthimaprisoner，andhadendeavoredbycrueltyandstarvationtomakehimsignawayhisownandhissister’sproperty。Theyhadkepthiminthehousewithoutthegirl’sknowledge，andtheplasteroverthefacehadbeenforthepurposeofmakingrecognitiondifficultincasesheshouldevercatchaglimpseofhim。Herfeminineperception，however，hadinstantlyseenthroughthedisguisewhen，ontheoccasionoftheinterpreter’svisit，shehadseenhimforthefirsttime。Thepoorgirl，however，washerselfaprisoner，fortherewasnooneaboutthehouseexceptthemanwhoactedascoachman，andhiswife，bothofwhomweretoolsoftheconspirators。
　　Findingthattheirsecretwasout，andthattheirprisonerwasnottobecoerced，thetwovillainswiththegirlhadfledawayatafewhours’noticefromthefurnishedhousewhichtheyhadhired，havingfirst，astheythought，takenvengeancebothuponthemanwhohaddefiedandtheonewhohadbetrayedthem。
　　MonthsafterwardsacuriousnewspapercuttingreachedusfromBuda-Pesth。IttoldhowtwoEnglishmenwhohadbeentravelingwithawomanhadmetwithatragicend。Theyhadeachbeenstabbed，itseems，andtheHungarianpolicewereofopinionthattheyhadquarreledandhadinflictedmortalinjuriesuponeachother。Holmes，however，is，Ifancy，ofadifferentwayofthinking，andholdstothisdaythat，ifonecouldfindtheGreciangirl，onemightlearnhowthewrongsofherselfandherbrothercametobeavenged。
　　AdventureX
　　TheNavalTreatyTheJulywhichimmediatelysucceededmymarriagewasmadememorablebythreecasesofinterest，inwhichI
　　hadtheprivilegeofbeingassociatedwithSherlockHolmesandofstudyinghismethods。Ifindthemrecordedinmynotesundertheheadingsof”TheAdventureoftheSecondStain，””TheAdventureoftheNavalTreaty，”and”TheAdventureoftheTiredCaptain。”Thefirstofthese，however，dealswithinterestofsuchimportanceandimplicatessomanyofthefirstfamiliesinthekingdomthatformanyyearsitwillbeimpossibletomakeitpublic。Nocase，however，inwhichHolmeswasengagedhaseverillustratedthevalueofhisanalyticalmethodssoclearlyorhasimpressedthosewhowereassociatedwithhimsodeeply。IstillretainanalmostverbatimreportoftheinterviewinwhichhedemonstratedthetruefactsofthecasetoMonsieurDubugueoftheParispolice，andFritzvonWaldbaum，thewell-knownspecialistofDantzig，bothofwhomhadwastedtheirenergiesuponwhatprovedtobeside-issues。Thenewcenturywillhavecome，however，beforethestorycanbesafelytold。MeanwhileIpassontothesecondonmylist，whichpromisedalsoatonetimetobeofnationalimportance，andwasmarkedbyseveralincidentswhichgiveitaquiteuniquecharacter。
　　Duringmyschool-daysIhadbeenintimatelyassociatedwithaladnamedPercyPhelps，whowasofmuchthesameageasmyself，thoughhewastwoclassesaheadofme。Hewasaverybrilliantboy，andcarriedawayeveryprizewhichtheschoolhadtooffer，finishedhisexploitsbywinningascholarshipwhichsenthimontocontinuehistriumphantcareeratCambridge。Hewas，Iremember，extremelywellconnected，andevenwhenwewerealllittleboystogetherweknewthathismother’sbrotherwasLordHoldhurst，thegreatconservativepolitician。Thisgaudyrelationshipdidhimlittlegoodatschool。Onthecontrary，itseemedratherapiquantthingtoustochevyhimabouttheplaygroundandhithimovertheshinswithawicket。
　　Butitwasanotherthingwhenhecameoutintotheworld。IheardvaguelythathisabilitiesandtheinfluenceswhichhecommandedhadwonhimagoodpositionattheForeignOffice，andthenhepassedcompletelyoutofmyminduntilthefollowingletterrecalledhisexistence：
　　Briarbrae，Woking。
　　MydearWatson，——Ihavenodoubtthatyoucanremember”Tadpole”Phelps，whowasinthefifthformwhenyouwereinthethird。Itispossibleeventhatyoumayhaveheardthatthroughmyuncle’sinfluenceI
　　obtainedagoodappointmentattheForeignOffice，andthatIwasinasituationoftrustandhonoruntilahorriblemisfortunecamesuddenlytoblastmycareer。
　　Thereisnousewritingofthedetailsofthatdreadfulevent。IntheeventofyouraccedingtomyrequestitisprobablythatIshallhavetonarratethemtoyou。Ihaveonlyjustrecoveredfromnineweeksofbrain-fever，andamstillexceedinglyweak。
　　DoyouthinkthatyoucouldbringyourfriendMr。
　　Holmesdowntoseeme?Ishouldliketohavehisopinionofthecase，thoughtheauthoritiesassuremethatnothingmorecanbedone。Dotrytobringhimdown，andassoonaspossible。EveryminuteseemsanhourwhileIliveinthisstateofhorriblesuspense。
　　AssurehimthatifIhavenotaskedhisadvicesooneritwasnotbecauseIdidnotappreciatehistalents，butbecauseIhavebeenoffmyheadeversincetheblowfell。NowIamclearagain，thoughIdarenotthinkofittoomuchforfearofarelapse。IamstillsoweakthatIhavetowrite，asyousee，bydictating。
　　Dotrytobringhim。
　　Youroldschool-fellow，PercyPhelps。
　　TherewassomethingthattouchedmeasIreadthisletter，somethingpitiableinthereiteratedappealstobringHolmes。SomovedwasIthatevenhaditbeenadifficultmatterIshouldhavetriedit，butofcourseIknewwellthatHolmeslovedhisart，sothathewaseverasreadytobringhisaidashisclientcouldbetoreceiveit。Mywifeagreedwithmethatnotamomentshouldbelostinlayingthematterbeforehim，andsowithinanhourofbreakfast-timeI
　　foundmyselfbackoncemoreintheoldroomsinBakerStreet。
　　Holmeswasseatedathisside-tablecladinhisdressing-gown，andworkinghardoverachemicalinvestigation。AlargecurvedretortwasboilingfuriouslyinthebluishflameofaBunsenburner，andthedistilleddropswerecondensingintoatwo-litremeasure。MyfriendhardlyglancedupasIentered，andI，seeingthathisinvestigationmustbeofimportance，seatedmyselfinanarm-chairandwaited。
　　Hedippedintothisbottleorthat，drawingoutafewdropsofeachwithhisglasspipette，andfinallybroughtatest-tubecontainingasolutionovertothetable。Inhisrighthandheheldaslipoflitmus-paper。”Youcomeatacrisis，Watson，”saidhe。”Ifthispaperremainsblue，alliswell。Ifitturnsred，itmeansaman’slife。”Hedippeditintothetest-tubeanditflushedatonceintoadull，dirtycrimson。”Hum！Ithoughtasmuch！”hecried。”Iwillbeatyourserviceinaninstant，Watson。YouwillfindtobaccointhePersianslipper。”Heturnedtohisdeskandscribbledoffseveraltelegrams，whichwerehandedovertothepage-boy。Thenhethrewhimselfdownintothechairopposite，anddrewuphiskneesuntilhisfingersclaspedroundhislong，thinshins。”Averycommonplacelittlemurder，”saidhe。”You’vegotsomethingbetter，Ifancy。Youarethestormypetrelofcrime，Watson。Whatisit?”
　　Ihandedhimtheletter，whichhereadwiththemostconcentratedattention。”Itdoesnottellusverymuch，doesit?”heremarked，ashehandeditbacktome。”Hardlyanything。””Andyetthewritingisofinterest。”