”Perhapsnotwithyourtongue，mydearWatson，butcertainlywithyoureyebrows。SowhenIsawyouthrowdownyourpaperandenteruponatrainofthought，Iwasveryhappytohavetheopportunityofreadingitoff，andeventuallyofbreakingintoit，asaproofthatIhadbeeninrapportwithyou。”
ButIwasstillfarfromsatisfied。”Intheexamplewhichyoureadtome，”saidI，”thereasonerdrewhisconclusionsfromtheactionsofthemanwhomheobserved。IfIrememberright，hestumbledoveraheapofstones，lookedupatthestars，andsoon。
ButIhavebeenseatedquietlyinmychair，andwhatclewscanIhavegivenyou?””Youdoyourselfaninjustice。Thefeaturesaregiventomanasthemeansbywhichheshallexpresshisemotions，andyoursarefaithfulservants。””Doyoumeantosaythatyoureadmytrainofthoughtsfrommyfeatures?””Yourfeatures，andespeciallyyoureyes。Perhapsyoucannotyourselfrecallhowyourreveriecommenced?””No，Icannot。””ThenIwilltellyou。Afterthrowingdownyourpaper，whichwastheactionwhichdrewmyattentiontoyou，yousatforhalfaminutewithavacantexpression。Thenyoureyesfixedthemselvesuponyournewly-framedpictureofGeneralGordon，andIsawbythealterationinyourfacethatatrainofthoughthadbeenstarted。Butitdidnotleadveryfar。YoureyesturnedacrosstotheunframedportraitofHenryWardBeecherwhichstandsuponthetopofyourbooks。
Youthenglancedupatthewall，andofcourseyourmeaningwasobvious。YouwerethinkingthatiftheportraitwereframeditwouldjustcoverthatbarespaceandcorrespondwithGordon’spictureoverthere。””Youhavefollowedmewonderfully！”Iexclaimed。”SofarIcouldhardlyhavegoneastray。ButnowyourthoughtswentbacktoBeecher，andyoulookedhardacrossasifyouwerestudyingthecharacterinhisfeatures。Thenyoureyesceasedtopucker，butyoucontinuedtolookacross，andyourfacewasthoughtful。YouwererecallingtheincidentsofBeecher’scareer。IwaswellawarethatyoucouldnotdothiswithoutthinkingofthemissionwhichheundertookonbehalfoftheNorthatthetimeoftheCivilWar，forIrememberyouexpressingyourpassionateindignationatthewayinwhichhewasreceivedbythemoreturbulentofourpeople。YoufeltsostronglyaboutitthatIknewyoucouldnotthinkofBeecherwithoutthinkingofthatalso。WhenamomentlaterIsawyoureyeswanderawayfromthepicture，IsuspectedthatyourmindhadnowturnedtotheCivilWar，andwhenIobservedthatyourlipsset，youreyessparkled，andyourhandsclinched，Iwaspositivethatyouwereindeedthinkingofthegallantrywhichwasshownbybothsidesinthatdesperatestruggle。Butthen，again，yourfacegrewsadder；youshookyourhead。Youweredwellinguponthesadnessandhorroranduselesswasteoflife。
Yourhandstoletowardsyourownoldwound，andasmilequiveredonyourlips，whichshowedmethattheridiculoussideofthismethodofsettlinginternationalquestionshadforceditselfuponyourmind。AtthispointIagreedwithyouthatitwaspreposterous，andwasgladtofindthatallmydeductionshadbeencorrect。””Absolutely！”saidI。”Andnowthatyouhaveexplainedit，IconfessthatIamasamazedasbefore。””Itwasverysuperficial，mydearWatson，Iassureyou。Ishouldnothaveintrudedituponyourattentionhadyounotshownsomeincredulitytheotherday。Buttheeveninghasbroughtabreezewithit。