ThelasttimeIwasatthattablehesatalonethereamongthosegreatmemories；buthewasasgayaseverIsawhim；hiswitsparkled，hishumorgleamed；thepoetictouchwasdeftandfirmasofold；theseriouscuriosity，theinstantsympathyremained。Tothewitnesshewaspathetic，buttohimselfhecouldonlyhavebeeninteresting，asthefigureofamansurviving，inanalienbutnotunfriendlypresent，thepastwhichheldsovastapartofallthathadconstitutedhim。Ifhehadthoughtofhimselfinthisway，itwouldhavebeenwithoutoneemotionofself—pity，suchasmoremaudlinsoulsindulge，butwithaloveofknowledgeandwisdomaskeenlyalertasinhisprime。
ForthreeprivilegedyearsIlivedallbutnext—doorneighborofDoctorHolmesinthatpartofBeaconStreetwhitherheremovedafterhelefthisoldhomeinCharlesStreet，andduringtheseyearsIsawhimratheroften。Wewerebothonthewaterside，whichmeanssomuchmorethanthewordssay，andourlibrarywindowscommandedthesamegeneralviewoftheCharlesripplingoutintotheCambridgemarshesandthesunsets，andcurvingeastwardunderLongBridge，throughshippingthatincreasedonwardtothesea。Hesaidthatyoucouldcountfourteentownsandvillagesinthecompassofthatview，withthethreeconspicuousmonumentsaccentingthedifferentattractionsofit:thetowerofMemorialHallatHarvard；theobeliskonBunkerHill；andinthecentreofthepicturethatbulkofTuftsCollegewhichhesaidheexpectedtogreethiseyesthefirstthingwhenheopenedthemintheotherworld。
Buttheprospect，thoughgenerallythesame，hadcertainpreciousdifferencesforeachofus，whichIhavenodoubthevaluedhimselfasmuchuponasIdid。Ihaveanotionthathefanciedtheseweretobeenjoyedbestinhislibrarythroughtwoovalpanesletintothebaythereapartfromthewindows，forhewasapttomakeyoucomeandlookoutofthemifyougottotalkingoftheviewbeforeyouleft。Inthispleasantstudyhelivedamongthebooks，whichseemedtomultiplyfromcasetocaseandshelftoshelf，andclimbfromfloortoceiling。Everythingwasinexquisiteorder，andthedeskwherehewrotewasasscrupulouslyneatasiftheslovendisarrayofmostauthors’deskswereimpossibletohim。
Hehadanumberofingeniouslittlecontrivancesforhelpinghiswork，whichhelikedtoshowyou；foratimearevolvingbook—caseatthecornerofhisdeskseemedtobehispet；andafterthatcamehisfountain—pen，whichheusedwithdueobservanceofitsfountainprinciple，thoughhewastolerantofmewhenIsaidIalwaysdippedmineintheinkstand；itwasameritinhiseyestouseafountainpeninanywise。Afteryouhadgoneovertheseobjectswithhim，andperhapstakenapeepatsomethinghewasexaminingthroughhismicroscope，hesatdownatonecornerofhishearth，andinvitedyoutoaneasychairattheother。Histalkwasalwaysconsiderateofyourwishtobeheard，butthepersonwhowishedtotalkwhenhecouldlistentoDoctorHolmeswashisownvictim，andalwaystheloser。Ifyouwerewelladvisedyoukeptyourselftothequestionandresponsewhichmanifestedyourinterestinwhathewassaying，andlethimtalkon，withhissweetsmile，andthathuskylaughhebrokesoftlyintoattimes。Perhapshewasnotverywellwhenyoucameinuponhim；thenhewouldnamehistrouble，withascientificzestandaccuracy，andpassquicklytoothermatters。AsI
havenoted，hewasinterestedinhimselfonlyontheuniversalside；andhelikedtofindhispeculiarityinyoubetterthantokeepithisown；