AsIpassedthecornerwhichleadsfromBentinckStreetontotheWelbeckStreetcrossingatwo-horsevanfuriouslydrivenwhizzedroundandwasonmelikeaflash。Isprangforthefoot-pathandsavedmyselfbythefractionofasecond。ThevandashedroundbyMaryleboneLaneandwasgoneinaninstant。Ikepttothepavementafterthat，Watson，butasIwalkeddownVereStreetabrickcamedownfromtheroofofoneofthehouses，andwasshatteredtofragmentsatmyfeet。
　　Icalledthepoliceandhadtheplaceexamined。Therewereslatesandbrickspiledupontheroofpreparatorytosomerepairs，andtheywouldhavemebelievethatthewindhadtoppledoveroneofthese。
　　OfcourseIknewbetter，butIcouldprovenothing。I
　　tookacabafterthatandreachedmybrother’sroomsinPallMall，whereIspenttheday。NowIhavecomeroundtoyou，andonmywayIwasattackedbyaroughwithabludgeon。Iknockedhimdown，andthepolicehavehimincustody；butIcantellyouwiththemostabsoluteconfidencethatnopossibleconnectionwilleverbetracedbetweenthegentlemanuponwhosefrontteethIhavebarkedmyknucklesandtheretiringmathematicalcoach，whois，Idaresay，workingoutproblemsuponablack-boardtenmilesaway。Youwillnotwonder，Watson，thatmyfirstactonenteringyourroomswastocloseyourshutters，andthatIhavebeencompelledtoaskyourpermissiontoleavethehousebysomelessconspicuousexitthanthefrontdoor。”
　　Ihadoftenadmiredmyfriend’scourage，butnevermorethannow，ashesatquietlycheckingoffaseriesofincidentswhichmusthavecombinedtomakeupadayofhorror。”Youwillspendthenighthere?”Isaid。”No，myfriend，youmightfindmeadangerousguest。
　　Ihavemyplanslaid，andallwillbewell。Mattershavegonesofarnowthattheycanmovewithoutmyhelpasfarasthearrestgoes，thoughmypresenceisnecessaryforaconviction。Itisobvious，therefore，thatIcannotdobetterthangetawayforthefewdayswhichremainbeforethepoliceareatlibertytoact。
　　Itwouldbeagreatpleasuretome，therefore，ifyoucouldcomeontotheContinentwithme。””Thepracticeisquiet，”saidI，”andIhaveanaccommodatingneighbor。Ishouldbegladtocome。””Andtostartto-morrowmorning?””Ifnecessary。””Ohyes，itismostnecessary。Thentheseareyourinstructions，andIbeg，mydearWatson，thatyouwillobeythemtotheletter，foryouarenowplayingadouble-handedgamewithmeagainstthecleverestrogueandthemostpowerfulsyndicateofcriminalsinEurope。Nowlisten！YouwilldespatchwhateverluggageyouintendtotakebyatrustymessengerunaddressedtoVictoriato-night。Inthemorningyouwillsendforahansom，desiringyourmantotakeneitherthefirstnorthesecondwhichmaypresentitself。Intothishansomyouwilljump，andyouwilldrivetotheStrandendoftheLowtherArcade，handlingtheaddresstothecabmanuponaslipofpaper，witharequestthathewillnotthrowitaway。
　　Haveyourfareready，andtheinstantthatyourcabstops，dashthroughtheArcade，timingyourselftoreachtheothersideataquarter-pastnine。Youwillfindasmallbroughamwaitingclosetothecurb，drivenbyafellowwithaheavyblackcloaktippedatthecollarwithred。Intothisyouwillstep，andyouwillreachVictoriaintimefortheContinentalexpress。””WhereshallImeetyou?””Atthestation。Thesecondfirst-classcarriagefromthefrontwillbereservedforus。””Thecarriageisourrendezvous，then?””Yes。”
　　ItwasinvainthatIaskedHolmestoremainfortheevening。Itwasevidenttomethathethoughhemightbringtroubletotheroofhewasunder，andthatthatwasthemotivewhichimpelledhimtogo。Withafewhurriedwordsastoourplansforthemorrowheroseandcameoutwithmeintothegarden，clamberingoverthewallwhichleadsintoMortimerStreet，andimmediatelywhistlingforahansom，inwhichIheardhimdriveaway。
　　InthemorningIobeyedHolmes’sinjunctionstotheletter。Ahansomwasprocuredwithsuchprecautionaswouldpreventitsbeingonewhichwasplacedreadyforus，andIdroveimmediatelyafterbreakfasttotheLowtherArcade，throughwhichIhurriedatthetopofmyspeed。Abroughamwaswaitingwithaverymassivedriverwrappedinadarkcloak，who，theinstantthatIhadsteppedin，whippedupthehorseandrattledofftoVictoriaStation。Onmyalightingthereheturnedthecarriage，anddashedawayagainwithoutsomuchasalookinmydirection。
　　Sofarallhadgoneadmirably。Myluggagewaswaitingforme，andIhadnodifficultyinfindingthecarriagewhichHolmeshadindicated，thelesssoasitwastheonlyoneinthetrainwhichwasmarked”Engaged。”Myonlysourceofanxietynowwasthenon-appearanceofHolmes。Thestationclockmarkedonlysevenminutesfromthetimewhenwewereduetostart。InvainIsearchedamongthegroupsoftravellersandleave-takersforthelittlefigureofmyfriend。Therewasnosignofhim。IspentafewminutesinassistingavenerableItalianpriest，whowasendeavoringtomakeaporterunderstand，inhisbrokenEnglish，thathisluggagewastobebookedthroughtoParis。Then，havingtakenanotherlookround，Ireturnedtomycarriage，whereIfoundthattheporter，inspiteoftheticket，hadgivenmemydecrepitItalianfriendasatravelingcompanion。Itwasuselessformetoexplaintohimthathispresencewasanintrusion，formyItalianwasevenmorelimitedthanhisEnglish，soIshruggedmyshouldersresignedly，andcontinuedtolookoutanxiouslyformyfriend。Achilloffearhadcomeoverme，asI
　　thoughtthathisabsencemightmeanthatsomeblowhadfallenduringthenight。Alreadythedoorshadallbeenshutandthewhistleblown，when——”MydearWatson，”saidavoice，”youhavenotevencondescendedtosaygood-morning。”
　　Iturnedinuncontrollableastonishment。Theagedecclesiastichadturnedhisfacetowardsme。Foraninstantthewrinklesweresmoothedaway，thenosedrewawayfromthechin，thelowerlipceasedtoprotrudeandthemouthtomumble，thedulleyesregainedtheirfire，thedroopingfigureexpanded。Thenextthewholeframecollapsedagain，andHolmeshadgoneasquicklyashehadcome。”Goodheavens！”Icried；”howyoustartledme！””Everyprecautionisstillnecessary，”hewhispered。”Ihavereasontothinkthattheyarehotuponourtrail。Ah，thereisMoriartyhimself。”
　　ThetrainhadalreadybeguntomoveasHolmesspoke。
　　Glancingback，Isawatallmanpushinghiswayfuriouslythroughthecrowd，andwavinghishandasifhedesiredtohavethetrainstopped。Itwastoolate，however，forwewererapidlygatheringmomentum，andaninstantlaterhadshotclearofthestation。”Withallourprecautions，youseethatwehavecutitratherfine，”saidHolmes，laughing。Herose，andthrowingofftheblackcassockandhatwhichhadformedhisdisguise，hepackedthemawayinahand-bag。”Haveyouseenthemorningpaper，Watson?””No。””Youhaven’t’seenaboutBakerStreet，then?””BakerStreet?””Theysetfiretoourroomslastnight。Nogreatharmwasdone。””Goodheavens，Holmes！thisisintolerable。””Theymusthavelostmytrackcompletelyaftertheirbludgeon-manwasarrested。OtherwisetheycouldnothaveimaginedthatIhadreturnedtomyrooms。Theyhaveevidentlytakentheprecautionofwatchingyou，however，andthatiswhathasbroughtMoriartytoVictoria。Youcouldnothavemadeanyslipincoming?””Ididexactlywhatyouadvised。””Didyoufindyourbrougham?””Yes，itwaswaiting。””Didyourecognizeyourcoachman?””No。””ItwasmybrotherMycroft。Itisanadvantagetogetaboutinsuchacasewithouttakingamercenaryintoyourconfidence。ButwemustplantwhatwearetodoaboutMoriartynow。””Asthisisanexpress，andastheboatrunsinconnectionwithit，Ishouldthinkwehaveshakenhimoffveryeffectively。””MydearWatson，youevidentlydidnotrealizemymeaningwhenIsaidthatthismanmaybetakenasbeingquiteonthesameintellectualplaneasmyself。
　　YoudonotimaginethatifIwerethepursuerIshouldallowmyselftobebaffledbysoslightanobstacle。
　　Why，then，shouldyouthinksomeanlyofhim?””Whatwillhedo?””WhatIshoulddo?””Whatwouldyoudo，then?””Engageaspecial。””Butitmustbelate。””Bynomeans。ThistrainstopsatCanterbury；andthereisalwaysatleastaquarterofanhour’sdelayattheboat。Hewillcatchusthere。”