“Nowcomesthepoint。Fromthattimeonwardacuriouschangecame
overtheprofessor。Hebecamefurtiveandsly。Thosearoundhimhad
alwaysthefeelingthathewasnotthemanthattheyhadknown，but
thathewasundersomeshadowwhichhaddarkenedhishigherqualities。
Hisintellectwasnotaffected。Hislectureswereasbrilliantas
ever。Butalwaystherewassomethingnew，somethingsinisterand
unexpected。Hisdaughter，whowasdevotedtohim，triedagainand
againtoresumetheoldrelationsandtopenetratethismaskwhichher
fatherseemedtohaveputon。You，sir，asIunderstand，didthesame-
butallwasinvain。Andnow，Mr。Bennett，tellinyourownwords
theincidentoftheletters。”
“Youmustunderstand，Dr。Watson，thattheprofessorhadno
secretsfromme。IfIwerehissonorhisyoungerbrotherIcould
nothavemorecompletelyenjoyedhisconfidence。AshissecretaryI
handledeverypaperwhichcametohim，andIopenedandsubdividedhis
letters。Shortlyafterhisreturnallthiswaschanged。Hetoldme
thatcertainlettersmightcometohimfromLondonwhichwouldbe
markedbyacrossunderthestamp。Theseweretobesetasidefor
hisowneyesonly。Imaysaythatseveralofthesedidpassthroughmy
hands，thattheyhadtheE。C。mark，andwereinanilliterate
handwriting。Ifheansweredthematalltheanswersdidnotpass
throughmyhandsnorintotheletter-basketinwhichour
correspondencewascollected。”
“Andthebox，“saidHolmes。
“Ah，yes，thebox。Theprofessorbroughtbackalittlewoodenbox
fromhistravels。ItwastheonethingwhichsuggestedaContinental
tour，foritwasoneofthosequaintcarvedthingswhichone
associateswithGermany。Thisheplacedinthisinstrumentcupboard。
Oneday，inlookingforacanula，Itookupthebox。Tomysurprisehe
wasveryangry，andreprovedmeinwordswhichwerequitesavagefor
mycuriosity。Itwasthefirsttimesuchathinghadhappened，andI
wasdeeplyhurt。Iendeavouredtoexplainthatitwasamere
accidentthatIhadtouchedthebox，ButalltheeveningIwas
consciousthathelookedatmeharshlyandthattheincidentwas
ranklinginhismind。”Mr。Bennettdrewalittlediarybookfromhis
pocket。“ThatwasonJuly2d，“saidhe。
“Youarecertainlyanadmirablewitness，“saidHolmes。“Imayneed
someofthesedateswhichyouhavenoted。”
“Ilearnedmethodamongotherthingsfrommygreatteacher。Fromthe
timethatIobservedabnormalityinhisbehaviourIfeltthatitwas
mydutytostudyhiscase。ThusIhaveitherethatitwasonthat
veryday，July2d，thatRoyattackedtheprofessorashecamefromhis
studyintothehall。Again，onJuly11ththerewasasceneofthesame
sort，andthenIhaveanoteofyetanotheruponJuly20th。Afterthat
webidtobanishRoytothestables。Hewasadear，affectionate
animal-butIfearIwearyyou。”
Mr。Bennettspokeinatoneofreproach，foritwasveryclear
thatHolmeswasnotlistening。Hisfacewasrigidandhiseyesgazed
abstractedlyattheceiling。Withaneffortherecoveredhimself。
“Singular！Mostsingular！“hemurmured。“Thesedetailswerenewto
me，Mr。Bennett。Ithinkwehavenowfairlygoneovertheold
ground，havewenot？Butyouspokeofsomefreshdevelopments。”
Thepleasant，openfaceofourvisitorcloudedover，shadowedby
somegrimremembrance。“WhatIspeakofoccurredthenightbefore
last，“saidhe。“Iwaslyingawakeabouttwointhemorning，whenI
wasawareofadullmuffledsoundcomingfromthepassage。Iopenedmy
doorandpeepedout。Ishouldexplainthattheprofessorsleepsatthe
endofthepassage-“
“Thedatebeing-？“askedHolmes。
Ourvisitorwasclearlyannoyeditsoirrelevantaninterruption。
“Ihavesaid，sir，thatitwasthenightbeforelast-thatis，
September4th。”
Holmesnoddedandsmiled。
“Praycontinue，“saidhe。
“Hesleepsattheendofthepassageandwouldhavetopassmy
doorinordertoreachthestaircase。Itwasareallyterrifying
experience，Mr。Holmes。IthinkthatIamasstrong-nervedasmy
neighbours，butIwasshakenbywhatIsaw。Thepassagewasdark
savethatonewindowhalfwayalongitthrewapatchoflight。I
couldseethatsomethingwascomingalongthepassage，something
darkandcrouching。Thensuddenlyitemergedintothelight，andIsaw
thatitwashe。Hewascrawling，Mr。Holmes-crawling！Hewasnot
quiteonhishandsandknees。Ishouldrathersayonhishandsand
feet，withhisfacesunkbetweenhishands。Yetheseemedtomovewith
case。Iwassoparalyzedbythesightthatitwasnotuntilhehad
reachedmydoorthatIwasabletostepforwardandaskifIcould
assisthim。Hisanswerwasextraordinary。Hesprangup，spatout
someatrociouswordatme，andhurriedonpastme，anddownthe
staircase。Iwaitedaboutforanhour，buthedidnotcomeback。It
musthavebeendaylightbeforeheregainedhisroom。”
“Well，Watson，whatmakeyouofthat？“askedHolmeswiththeair
ofthepathologistwhopresentsararespecimen。
“Lumbago，possibly。Ihaveknownasevereattackmakeamanwalk
injustsuchaway，andnothingwouldbemoretryingtothetemper。”
“Good，Watson！Youalwayskeepusflat-footedontheground。But
wecanhardlyacceptLumbago，sincehewasabletostanderectina
moment。”
“Hewasneverbetterinhealth，“saidBennett。“Infact，heis
strongerthanIhaveknownhimforyears。Buttherearethefacts，Mr。
Holmes。Itisnotacaseinwhichwecanconsultthepolice，andyet
weareutterlyatourwit”sendastowhattodo，andwefeelin
somestrangewaythatwearedriftingtowardsdisaster。Edith-Miss
Presbury-feelsasIdo，thatwecannotwaitpassivelyanylonger。”
“Itiscertainlyaverycuriousandsuggestivecase。Whatdoyou
thinkWatson？“
“Speakingasamedicalman，“saidI，“itappearstobeacaseforan
alienist。Theoldgentleman”scerebraloprocessesweredisturbedby
theloveaffair。Hemadeajourneyabroadinthehopeofbreaking
himselfofthepassion。Hislettersandtheboxmaybeconnected
withsomeotherprivatetransaction-aloan，perhaps，orshare
certificates，whichareinthebox。”
“Andthewolfhoundnodoubtdisapprovedofthefinancialbargain。
No，no，Watson，thereismoreinitthanthis。Now，Icanonly
suggest-“
WhatSherlockHolmeswasabouttosuggestwillneverbeknown，for
atthismomentthedooropenedandayoungladywasshownintothe
room。AssheappearedMr。Bennettsprangupwithacryandranforward
withhishandsouttomeetthosewhichshehadherselfoutstretched。
“Edith，dear！Nothingthematter，Ihope？“
“IfeltImustfollowyou。Oh，Jack，Ihavebeensodreadfully
frightened！Itisawfultobetherealone。”
“Mr。Holmes，thisistheyoungladyIspokeof。Thisismyfiancee。”
“Weweregraduallycomingtothatconclusion，werewenot，
Watson？“Holmesansweredwithasmile。“Itakeit，MissPresbury，that
thereissomefreshdevelopmentinthecase，andthatyouthoughtwe
shouldknow？“
Ournewvisitor，abright，handsomegirlofaconventionalEnglish
type，smiledbackatHolmesassheseatedherselfbesideMr。Bennett。
“WhenIfoundMr。BennetthadlefthishotelIthoughtIshould
probablyfindhimhere。Ofcourse，hehadtoldmethathewould
consultyou。But，oh，Mr。Holmes，canyoudonothingformypoor
father？“
“Ihavehopes，MissPresbury，butthecaseisstillobscure。Perhaps
whatyouhavetosaymaythrowsomefreshlightuponit。”
“Itwaslastnight，Mr。Holmes。Hehadbeenverystrangeallday。
Iamsurethattherearetimeswhenhehasnorecollectionofwhat
hedoes。Helivesasinastrangedream。Yesterdaywassuchaday。
ItwasnotmyfatherwithwhomIlived。Hisoutwardshellwasthere，
butitwasnotreallyhe。”
“Tellmewhathappened。”
“Iwasawakenedinthenightbythedogbarkingmostfuriously。Poor
Roy，heischainednownearthestable。ImaysaythatIalways
sleepwithmydoorlocked；for，asJack-asMr。Bennett-willtell
you，weallhaveafeelingofimpendingdanger。Myroomisonthe
secondfloor。Ithappenedthattheblindwasupinmywindow，and
therewasbrightmoonlightoutside。AsIlaywithmyeyesfixedupon
thesquareoflight，listeningtothefrenziedbarkingsofthedog，
Iwasamazedtoseemyfather”sfacelookinginatme。Mr。Holmes，I
nearlydiedofsurpriseandhorror。Thereitwaspressedagainstthe
window-pane，andonehandseemedtoberaisedasiftopushupthe
window。Ifthatwindowhadopened，IthinkIshouldhavegonemad。
Itwasnodelusion，Mr。Holmes。Don”tdeceiveyourselfbythinkingso。
IdaresayitwastwentysecondsorsothatIlayparalyzedand
watchedtheface。Thenitvanished，butIcouldnot-Icouldnot
springoutofbedandlookoutafterit。Ilaycoldandshiveringtill
morning。Atbreakfasthewassharpandfierceinmanner，andmadeno
allusiontotheadventureofthenight。NeitherdidI，butIgavean
excuseforcomingtotown-andhereIam。”
HolmeslookedthoroughlysurprisedatMissPresbury”snarrative。
“Mydearyounglady，yousaythatyourroomisonthesecond
floor。Istherealongladderinthegarden？“
“No，Mr。Holmes，thatistheamazingpartofit。Thereisno
possiblewayofreachingthewindow-andyethewasthere。”
“ThedatebeingSeptember5th，“saidHolmes。“Thatcertainly
complicatesmatters。”
Itwastheyounglady”sturntolooksurprised。“Thisisthe
secondtimethatyouhavealludedtothedate，Mr。Holmes，“said
Bennett。“Isitpossiblethatithasanybearinguponthecase？“
“Itispossible-verypossible-andyetIhavenotmyfull
materialatpresent。”
“Possiblyyouarethinkingoftheconnectionbetweeninsanityand
phasesofthemoon？“
“No，Iassureyou。Itwasquiteadifferentlineofthought。
Possiblyyoucanleaveyournotebookwithme，andIwillcheckthe
dates。NowIthink，Watson，thatourlineofactionisperfectly
clear。Thisyoungladyhasinformedus-andIhavethegreatest
confidenceinherintuition-thatherfatherrememberslittleor
nothingwhichoccursuponcertaindates。Wewillthereforecallupon
himasifhehadgivenusanappointmentuponsuchadate。Hewillput
itdowntohisownlackofmemory。Thuswewillopenourcampaignby
havingagoodcloseviewofhim。”
“Thatisexcellent，“saidMr。Bennett。“Iwarnyou，however，that
theprofessorisirascibleandviolentattimes。”
Holmessmiled。“Therearereasonswhyweshouldcomeatonce-very
cogentreasonsifmytheoriesholdgood。To-morrow，Mr。Bennett，
willcertainlyseeusinCamford。Thereis，ifIrememberright，an
inncalledtheChequerswheretheportusedtobeabovemediocrityand
thelinenwasabovereproached。Ithink，Watson，thatourlotfor
thenextfewdaysmightbeinlesspleasantplaces。”
Monday，morningfoundusonourwaytothefamousuniversitytown-
aneasyeffortonthepartofHolmes，whohadnorootstopullup，but
onewhichinvolvedfranticplanningandhurryingonmypart，asmy
practicewasbythistimenotinconsiderable。Holmesmadeno
allusiontothecaseuntilafterwehaddepositedoursuitcasesatthe
ancienthostelofwhichhehadspoken。
“Ithink，Watson，thatwecancatchtheprofessorjustbeforelunch。
Helecturesatelevenandshouldhaveanintervalathome。”
“Whatpossibleexcusehaveweforcalling？“
Holmesglancedathisnotebook。
“TherewasaperiodofexcitementuponAugust26th。Wewillassume
thatheisalittlehazyastowhathedoesatsuchtimes。Ifwe
insistthatwearetherebyappointmentIthinkhewillhardlyventure
tocontradictus。Haveyoutheeffronterynecessarytoputit
through？“
“Wecanbuttry。”
“Excellent，Watson！CompoundoftheBusyBeeandExcellsior。We
canbuttry-themottoofthefirm。Afriendlynativewillsurely
guideus。”
Suchaoneonthebackofasmarthansomsweptuspastarowof
ancientcollegesand，finallyturningintoatree-lineddrive，
pulledupatthedoorofacharminghouse，girtroundwithlawnsand
coveredwithpurplewistaria。ProfessorPresburywascertainly
surroundedwitheverysignnotonlyofcomfortbutofluxury。Even
aswepulledup，agrizzledheadappearedatthefrontwindow，and
wewereawareofapairofkeeneyesfromundershaggybrowswhich
surveyedusthroughlargehornglasses。Amomentlaterwewere
actuallyinhissanctum，andthemysteriousscientist，whose
vagarieshadbroughtusfromLondon，wasstandingbeforeus。Therewas
certainlynosignofeccentricityeitherinhismanneror
appearance，forhewasaportly，large-featuredman，grave，tall，
andfrock-coated，withthedignityofbearingwhichalecturer
needs。Hiseyeswerehismostremarkablefeature，keen，observant，and
clevertothevergeofcunning。
Helookedatourcards。“Praysitdown，gentlemen。WhatcanIdofor
you？“
Mr。Holmessmiledamiably。
“ItwasthequestionwhichIwasabouttoputtoyou，Professor。”
“Tome，sir！“
“Possiblythereissomemistake。Iheardthroughasecondperson
thatProfessorPresburyofCamfordhadneedofmyservices。”
“Oh，indeed！“Itseemedtomethattherewasamalicioussparkle
intheintensegrayeyes。“Youheardthat，didyou？MayIaskthename
ofyourinformant？“
“Iamsorry，Professor，butthematterwasratherconfidential。IfI
havemadeamistakethereisnoharmdone。Icanonlyexpressmy
regret。”
“Notatall。Ishouldwishtogofurtherintothismatter。It
interestsme。Haveyouanyscrapofwriting，anyletterortelegram，
tobearoutyourassertion？“
“No，Ihavenot。”
“IpresumethatyoudonotgosofarastoassertthatIsummoned
you？“
“Iwouldratheranswernoquestions，“saidHolmes。
“No，Idaresaynot，“saidtheprofessorwithasperity。“However，
thatparticularonecanbeansweredveryeasilywithoutyouraid。”
Hewalkedacrosstheroomtothebell。OurLondonfriend，Mr。
Bennett，answeredthecall。
“Comein，Mr。Bennett。ThesetwogentlemenhavecomefromLondon
undertheimpressionthattheyhavebeensummoned。Youhandleallmy
correspondence。Haveyouanoteofanythinggoingtoapersonnamed
Holmes？“
“No，sir，“Bennettansweredwithaflush。
“Thatisconclusive，“saidtheprofessor，glaringangrilyatmy
companion。“Now，sir“-heleanedforwardwithhistwohandsuponthe
table-“itseemstomethatyourpositionisaveryquestionableone。”
Holmesshruggedhisshoulders。
“IcanonlyrepeatthatIamsorrythatwehavemadeaneedless
intrusion。”
“Hardlyenough，Mr。Holmes！“theoldmancriedinahighscreaming
voice，withextraordinarymalignancyuponhisface。Hegotbetween
usandthedoorashespoke，andheshookhistwohandsatuswith
furiouspassion。“Youcanhardlygetoutofitsoeasilyasthat。”His
facewasconvulsed，andhegrinnedandgibberedatusinhissenseless
rage。Iamconvincedthatweshouldhavehadtofightourwayoutof
theroomifMr。Bennetthadnotintervened。
“MydearProfessor，“hecried，“consideryourposition！Considerthe
scandalattheuniversity！Mr。Holmesisawell-knownman。You
cannotpossiblytreathimwithsuchdiscourtesy。”
Sulkilyourhost-ifImaycallhimso-clearedthepathtothe
door。Weweregladtofindourselvesoutsidethehouseandinthe
quietofthetree-lineddrive。Holmesseemedgreatlyamusedbythe
episode。
“Ourlearnedfriend”snervesaresomewhatoutoforder，“saidhe。
“Perhapsourintrusionwasalittlecrude，andyetwehavegainedthat
personalcontactwhichIdesired。But，dearme，Watson，heissurely
atourheels。Thevillainstillpursuesus。”
Therewerethesoundsofrunningfeetbehind，butitwas，tomy
relief，nottheformidableprofessorbuthisassistantwhoappeared
roundthecurveofthedrive。Hecamepantinguptous。
“Iamsosorry，Mr。Holmes。Iwishedtoapologize。”
“Mydearsir，thereisnoneed。Itisallinthewayofprofessional
experience。”
“Ihaveneverseenhiminamoredangerousmood。Buthegrowsmore
sinister。YoucanunderstandnowwhyhisdaughterandIarealarmed。
Andyethismindisperfectlyclear。”
“Tooclear！“saidHolmes。“Thatwasmymiscalculation。Itisevident
thathismemoryismuchmorereliablethanIhadthought。Bythe
way，canwe，beforewego，seethewindowofMissPresbury”sroom？“
Mr。Bennettpushedhiswaythroughsomeshrubs，andwehadaviewof
thesideofthehouse。
“Itisthere。Thesecondontheleft。”
“Dearme，itseemshardlyaccessible。Andyetyouwillobserve
thatthereisacreeperbellowandawater-pipeabovewhichgive
somefoothold。”
“Icouldnotclimbitmyself，“saidMr。Bennett。
“Verylikely。Itwouldcertainlybeadangerousexploitforany
normalman。”
“TherewasoneotherthingIwishtotellyou，Mr。Holmes。Ihave
theaddressofthemaninLondontowhomtheprofessorwrites。He
seemstohavewrittenthismorning，andIgotitfromhis
blotting-paper。Itisanignoblepositionforatrustedsecretary，but
whatelsecanIdo？“
Holmesglancedatthepaperandputitintohispocket。
“Dorak-acuriousname。Slavonic，Iimagine。Well，itisan
importantlinkinthechain。WereturntoLondon，thisafternoon，
Mr。Bennett。Iseenogoodpurposetobeservedbyourremaining。We
cannotarresttheprofessorbecausehehasdonenocrime，norcanwe
placehimunderconstraint，forhecannotbeprovedtobemad。No
actionisisyetpossible。”
“Thenwhatoneartharewetodo？“
“Alittlepatience，Mr。Bennett。Thingswillsoondevelop。Unless
Iammistaken，nextTuesdaymaymarkacrisis。Certainlyweshallbe
inCamfordonthatday。meanwhile，thegeneralpositionis
undeniablyunpleasant，andifMissPresburycanprolonghervisit-“
Thatiseasy。”
“Thenletherstaytillwecanassureherthatalldangerispast。
Meanwhile，lethimhavehiswayanddonotcrosshim。Solongasheis
inagoodhumouralliswell。”
“Thereheis！“saidBennettinastartledwhisper。Lookingbetween
thebrancheswesawthetall，greatfigureemergefromthehalldoor
andlookaroundhim。Hestoodleaningforward，hishandsswinging
straightbeforehim，hisheadturningfromsidetoside。Thesecretary
withalastwaveslippedoffamongthetrees，andwesawhimpresently
rejoinhisemployer，thetwoenteringthehousetogetherinwhat
seemedtobeanimatedandevenexcitedconversation。
“Iexpecttheoldgentlemanhasbeenputtingtwoandtwo
together，“saidHolmesaswewalkedhotelward。“Hestruckmeashaving
aparticularlyclearandlogicalbrainfromthelittleIsawofhim。
Explosive，nodoubt，butthenfromhispointofviewhehas
somethingtoexplodeaboutifdetectivesareputonhistrackandhe
suspectshisownhouseholdofdoingit。Iratherfancythatfriend
Bennettisinforanuncomfortabletime。”
Holmesstoppedatapost-officeandsentoffatelegramonour
way。Theanswerreachedusintheevening，andhetosseditacross
tome。
HavevisitedtheCommercialRoadandseenDorak。Suaveperson，
Bohemian，elderly。Keepslargegeneralstore。
MERCER。
“Mercerissinceyourtime，“saidHolmes。“Heismygeneral
utilitymanwholooksuproutinebusiness。Itwasimportanttoknow
somethingofthemanwithwhomourprofessorwassosecretly
corresponding。HisnationalityconnectsupwiththePraguevisit。”
“Thankgoodnessthatsomethingconnectswithsomething，“saidI。“At
presentweseemtobefacedbyalongseriesofinexplicableincidents
withnobearinguponeachother。Forexample，whatpossibleconnection
cantherebebetweenanangrywolfhoundandavisittoBohemia，or
eitherofthemwithamancrawlingdownapassageatnight？Astoyour
dates，thatisthebiggestmystificationofall。”
Holmessmiledandrubbedhishands，Wewere，Imaysay，seatedin
theoldsitting-roomoftheancienthotel，withabottleofthefamous
vintageofwhichHolmeshadspokenonthetablebetweenus。
“Well，now，letustakethedatesfirst，“saidhe，hisfinger-tips
togetherandhismannerasifhewereaddressingaclass。“This
excellentyoungman”sdiaryshowsthattherewastroubleuponJuly2d，
andfromthenonwarditseemstohavebeenatnine-dayintervals，
with，sofarasIremember，onlyoneexception。Thusthelastoutbreak
uponFridaywasonSeptember3rd，whichalsofallsintotheseries，as
didAugust26th，whichprecededit。Thethingisbeyondcoincidence。”
Iwasforcedtoagree。
“Letus，then，formtheprovisionaltheorythateveryninedays
theprofessortakessomestrongdrugwhichhasapassingbuthighly
poisonouseffect。Hisnaturallyviolentnatureisintensifiedbyit。
HelearnedtotakethisdrugwhilehewasinPrague，andisnow
suppliedwithitbyaBohemianintermediaryinLondon。Thisall
hangstogether，Watson！“
“Butthedog，thefaceatthewindow，thecreepingmaninthe
passage？“
“Well，well，wehavemadeabeginning。Ishouldnotexpectanyfresh
developmentsuntilnextTuesday。Inthemeantimewecanonlykeepin
touchwithfriendBennettandenjoy，theamnenitiesofthischarming
town。”
InthemorningMr。Bennettslippedroundtobringusthelatest
report。AsHolmeshadimagined，timeshadnotbeeneasywithhim。
Withoutexactlyaccusinghimofbeingresponsibleforourpresence，
theprofessorhadbeenveryroughandrudeinhisspeech，and
evidentlyfeltsomestronggrievance。Thismorninghewasquite
himselfagain，However，andhaddeliveredhisusualbrilliant
lecturetoacrowdedclass。“Apartfromhisqueerfits，“saidBennett，
“hehasactuallymoreenergyandvitality，thanIcaneverremember，
norwashisbraineverclearer。Butit”snothe-it”snevertheman
whomwehaveknown。”
“Idon”tthinkyouhaveanythingtofearnowforaweekatleast，“
Holmesanswered。“Iamabusyman，andDr。Watsonhashispatients
toattendto。Letusagreethatwemeethereatthishournext
Tuesday，andIshallbesurprisedifbeforeweleaveyouagainwe
arenotabletoexplain，evenifwecannotperhapsputanendto，your
troubles。Meanwhile，keepuspostedinwhatoccurs。”
Isawnothingofmyfriendforthenextfewdays，butonthe
followingMondayeveningIhadashortnoteaskingmetomeethimnext
dayatthetrain。FromwhathetoldmeaswetravelleduptoCamford
allwaswell，thepeaceoftheprofessor”shousehadbeenunruffled，
andhisownconductperfectlynormal。Thisalsowasthereportwhich
wasgivenusbyMr。Bennetthimselfwhenhecalleduponusthat
eveningatouroldquartersintheChequers。“HeheardfromhisLondon
correspondentto-day。Therewasaletterandtherewasasmallpacket，
eachwiththecrossunderthestampwhichwarnedmenottotouchthem。
Therehasbeennothingelse。”
Thatmayprovequiteenough，“saidHolmesgrimly。“Now，Mr。Bennett，
weshall，Ithink，cometosomeconclusionto-night。Ifmy
deductionsarecorrectweshouldhaveanopportunityofbringing
matterstoahead。Inordertodosoitisnecessarytoholdthe
professorunderobservation。Iwouldsuggest，therefore，thatyou
remainawakeandonthelookout。Shouldyouhearhimpassyourdoor，
donotinterrupthim，butfollowhimasdiscreetlyasyoucan。Dr。
WatsonandIwillnotbefaroff。Bytheway，whereisthekeyofthat
littleboxofwhichyouspoke？“
“Uponhiswatch-chain。”
“Ifancyourresearchesmustlieinthatdirection。Attheworstthe
lockshouldnotbeveryformidable。Haveyouanyotherable-bodiedman
onthepremises？“
“Thereisthecoachman，Macphail。”
“Wheredoeshesleep？“
“Overthestables。”
“Wemightpossiblywanthim。Well，wecandonomoreuntilwesee
howthingsdevelop。Good-bye-butIexpectthatweshallseeyou
beforemorning。”
Itwasnearlymidnightbeforewetookourstationamongsome
bushesimmediatelyoppositethehalldooroftheprofessor。Itwasa
finenight，butchilly，andweweregladofourwarmovercoats。
Therewasabreeze，andcloudswerescuddingacrossthesky，obscuring
fromtimetotimethehalf-moon。Itwouldhavebeenadismalvigil
wereitnotfortheexpectationandexcitementwhichcarriedusalong，
andtheassuranceofmycomradethatwehadprobablyreachedtheend
ofthestrangesequenceofeventswhichhadengagedourattention。
“Ifthecircleofninedaysholdsgoodthenweshallhavethe
professorathisworstto-night，“saidHolmes。“Thefactthatthese
strangesymptomsbeganafterhisvisittoPrague，thatheisinsecret
correspondencewithaBohemiandealerinLondon，whopresumably
representssomeoneinPrague，andthathereceivedapacketfromhim
thisveryday，allpointinonedirection。Whathetakesandwhyhe
takesitarestillbeyondourken，butthatitemanatesinsomeway
fromPragueisclearenough。Hetakesitunderdefinitedirections
whichregulatethisninth-daysystem，whichwasthefirstpoint
whichattractedmyattention。Buthissymptomsaremostremarkable。
Didyouobservehisknuckles？“
IhadtoconfessthatIdidnot。
“Thickandhornyinawaywhichisquitenewinmyexperience。
Alwayslookatthehandsfirst，Watson。Thencuffs，trouser-knees，and
boots。Verycuriousknuckleswhichcanonlybeexplainedbythemode
ofprogressionobservedby-“Holmespausedandsuddenlyclappedhis
handtohisforehead。“Oh，Watson，Watson，whatafoolIhavebeen！It
seemsincredible，andyetitmustbetrue。Allpointsinone
direction。HowcouldImissseeingtheconnectionofideas？Those
knuckles-howcouldIhavepassedthoseknuckles？Andthedog！Andthe
ivy！It”ssurelytimethatIdisappearedintothatlittlefarmofmy
dreams。Lookout，Watson！Hereheis！Weshallhavethechanceof
seeingforourselves。”
Thehalldoorhadslowlyopened，andagainstthelamplit
backgroundwesawthetallfigureofProfessorPresbury。Hewasclad
inhisdressing-gown。Ashestoodoutlinedinthedoorwayhewasgreat
butleaningforwardwithdanglingarms，aswhenwesawhimlast。
Nowhesteppedforwardintothedrive，andanextraordinarychange
cameoverhim。Hesankdownintoacrouchingpositionandmoved
alonguponhishandsandfeet，skippingeverynowandthenasifhe
wereoverflowingwithenergyandvitality。Hemovedalongtheface
ofthehouseandthenroundthecorner。AshedisappearedBennett
slippedthroughthehalldoorandsoftlyfollowedhim。
“Come，Watson，come！“criedHolmes，andwestoleassoftlyaswe
couldthroughthebushesuntilwehadgainedaspotwhencewecould
seetheothersideofthehouse，whichwasbathedinthelightof
thehalf-moon。Theprofessorwasclearlyvisiblecrouchingatthefoot
oftheivy-coveredwall。Aswewatchedhimhesuddenlybeganwith
incredibleagilitytoascendit。Frombranchtobranchhesprang，sure
offootandfirmofgrasp，climbingapparentlyinmerejoyathis
ownpowers，withnodefiniteobjectinview。Withhisdressing-gown
flappingoneachsideofhim，helookedlikesomehugebatglued
againstthesideofhisownhouse，agreatsquaredarkpatchupon
themoonlitwall。Presentlyhetiredofthisamusement，and，
droppingfrombranchtobranch，hesquatteddownintotheoldattitude
andmovedtowardsthestables，creepingalonginthesamestrange
wayasbefore。Thewolfhoundwasoutnow，barkingfuriously，and
moreexcitedthaneverwhenitactuallycaughtsightofitsmaster。It
wasstrainingonitschainandquiveringwitheagernessandrage。
Theprofessorsquatteddownverydeliberatelyjustoutofreachofthe
boundandbegantoprovokeitineverypossibleway。Hetook
handfulsofpebblesfromthedriveandthrewtheminthedog”sface，
proddedhimwithastickwhichhehadpickedup，flickedhishands
aboutonlyafewinchesfromthegapingmouth，andendeavouredin
everywaytoincreasetheanimal”sfury，whichwasalreadybeyond
allcontrol。InallouradventuresIdonotknowthatIhaveeverseen
amorestrangesightthanthisimpassiveandstilldignifiedfigure
crouchingfrog-likeuponthegroundandgoadingtoawilderexhibition
ofpassionthemaddenedhound，whichrampedandragedinfrontofhim，
byallmannerofingeniousandcalculatedcruelty。
Andtheninamomentithappened！Itwasnotthechainthatbroke，
butitwasthecollarthatslipped，forithadbeenmadefora
thick-neckedNewfoundland。Weheardtherattleoffallingmetal，and
thenextinstantdogandmanwererollingonthegroundtogether，
theoneroaringinrage，theotherscreaminginastrangeshrill
falsettoofterror。Itwasaverynarrowthingfortheprofessor”s
life。Thesavagecreaturehadhimfairlybythethroat，itsfangs
hadbittendeep，andhewassenselessbeforewecouldreachthemand
dragthetwoapart。Itmighthavebeenadangeroustaskforus，but
Bennett”svoiceandpresencebroughtthegreatwolfhoundinstantly
toreason。Theuproarhadbroughtthesleepyandastonishedcoachman
fromhisroomabovethestables。“I”mnotsurprised，“saidhe，shaking
hisbead。“I”veseenhimatitbefore。Iknewthedogwouldgethim
soonerorlater。”
Thehoundwassecured，andtogetherwecarriedtheprofessorupto
hisroom，whereBennett，whohadamedicaldegree，helpedmeto
dresshistornthroat。Thesharpteethhadpasseddangerouslynearthe
carotidartery，andthehaemorrhagewasserious。Inhalfanhourthe
dangerwaspast，Ihadgiventhepatientaninjectionofmorphia，
andhehadsunkintodeepsleep。Then，andonlythen，wereweable
tolookateachotherandtotakestockofthesituation。
“Ithinkafirst-classsurgeonshouldseehim，“saidI。
“ForGod”ssake，no！“criedBennett。“Atpresentthescandalis
confinedtoourownhousehold。Itissafewithus。Ifitgetsbeyond
thesewallsitwillneverstop。Considerhispositionatthe
university，hisEuropeanreputation，thefeelingsofhisdaughter。”
“Quiteso，“saidHolmes。“Ithinkitmaybequitepossibletokeep
themattertoourselves，andalsotopreventitsrecurrencenowthat
wehaveafreehand。Thekeyfromthewatch-chain，Mr。Bennett。
Macphailwillguardthepatientandletusknowifthereisany
change。Letusseewhatwecanfindintheprofessor”smysterious
box。”
Therewasnotmuch，buttherewasenough-anemptyphial，another
nearlyfull，ahypodermicsyringe，severallettersinacrabbed，
foreignhand。Themarksontheenvelopesshowedthattheywerethose
whichhaddisturbedtheroutineofthesecretary，andeachwasdated
fromtheCommercialRoadandsigned“A。Dorak。”Theyweremere
invoicestosaythatafreshbottlewasbeingsenttoProfessor
Presbury，orreceipttoacknowledgemoney。Therewasoneother
envelope，however，inamoreeducatedbandandbearingtheAustrian
stampwiththepostmarkofPrague。“Herewehaveourmaterial！“
criedHolmesashetoreouttheenclosure。
HONOUREDCOLLEAGUE[itran]：
SinceyouresteemedvisitIhavethoughtmuchofyourcase，and
thoughinyourcircumstancestherearesomespecialreasonsforthe
treatment，Iwouldnonethelessenjoincaution，asmyresultshave
shownthatitisnotwithoutdangerofakind。
Itispossiblethattheserumofanthropoidwouldhavebeen
better。Ihave，asIexplainedtoyou，usedblack-facedlangurbecause
aspecimenwasaccessible。Languris，ofcourse，acrawlerand
climber，whileanthropoidwalkerectandisinallwaysnearer。
Ibegyoutotakeeverypossibleprecautionthattherebeno
prematurerevelationoftheprocess。Ihaveoneotherclientin
England，andDorakismyagentforboth。
Weeklyreportswilloblige。
Yourswithhighesteem，
H。LOWENSTEIN。
Lowenstein！Thenamebroughtbacktomethememoryofsomesnippet
fromanewspaperwhich，spokeofanobscurescientistwhowasstriving
insomeunknownwayforthesecretofrejuvenescenceandtheelixirof
life。LowensteinofPrague！Lowensteinwiththewondrous
strength-givingserum，tabooedbytheprofessionbecauseherefusedto
revealitssource。InafewwordsIsaidwhatIremembered。Bennett
hadtakenamanualofzoologyfromtheshelves。“”Langur”“heread，
“”thegreatblack-facedmonkeyoftheHimalayanslopes，biggestand
mosthumanofclimbingmonkeys。”Manydetailsareadded。Well，
thankstoyou，Mr。Holmes，itisveryclearthatwehavetracedthe
eviltoitssource。”
“Therealsource，“saidHolmes，“lies，ofcourse，inthatuntimely
loveaffairwhichgaveourimpetuousprofessortheideathathe
couldonlygainhiswishbyturninghimselfintoayoungerman。When
onetriestoriseabovenatureoneisliabletofallbelowit。The
highesttypeofmanmayreverttotheanimalifheleavestile
straightroadofdestiny。”Hesatmusingforalittlewiththephial
inhishand，lookingattheclearliquidwithin。“WhenIhave
writtentothismanandtoldhimthatIholdhimcriminally
responsibleforthepoisonswhichhecirculates，wewillhaveno
moretrouble。Butitmayrecur。Othersmayfindabetterway。Thereis
dangerthere-averyrealdangertohumanity。Consider，Watson，that
thematerial，thesensual，theworldlywouldallprolongtheir
worthlesslives。Thespiritualwouldnotavoidthecalltosomething
higher。Itwouldbethesurvivaloftheleastfit。Whatsortof
cesspoolmaynotourpoorworldbecome？“Suddenlythedreamer
disappeared，andHolmes，themanofaction，sprangfromhischair。
“Ithinkthereisnothingmoretobesaid，Mr。Bennett。Thevarious
incidentswillhowfitthemselveseasilyintothegeneralscheme。
Thedog，ofcourse，wasawareofthechangefarmorequicklythanyou。
Hissmellwouldinsurethat。Itwasthemonkey，nottheprofessor，
whomRoyattacked，justasitwasthemonkeywhoteasedRoy。
Climbingwasajoytothecreature，anditwasamerechance，Itake
it，thatthepastimebroughthimtotheyounglady”swindow。There
isanearlytraintotown，Watson，butIthinkweshalljusthavetime
foracupofteaattheChequersbeforewecatchit。”-
THEEND。
1903
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEDANCINGMEN
bySirArthurConanDoyle
THEADVENTUREOFTHEDANCINGMEN
Holmeshadbeenseatedforsomehoursinsilencewithhislong，thin
backcurvedoverachemicalvesselinwhichhewasbrewinga
particularlymalodorousproduct。Hisheadwassunkuponhisbreast，
andhelookedfrommypointofviewlikeastrange，lankbird，with
dullgrayplumageandablacktop-knot。
“So，Watson，“saidhe，suddenly，“youdonotproposetoinvestin
SouthAfricansecurities？“
Igaveastartofastonishment。AccustomedasIwastoHolmes”s
curiousfaculties，thissuddenintrusionintomymostintimate
thoughtswasutterlyinexplicable。
“Howonearthdoyouknowthat？“Iasked。
Hewheeledrounduponhisstool，withasteamingtest-tubeinhis
hand，andagleamofamusementinhisdeep-seteyes。
“Now，Watson，confessyourselfutterlytakenaback，“saidhe。
“Iam。”
“Ioughttomakeyousignapapertothateffect。”
“Why？“
“Becauseinfiveminutesyouwillsaythatitisallsoabsurdly
simple。”
“IamsurethatIshallsaynothingofthekind。”
“Yousee，mydearWatson“-heproppedhistest-tubeintherack，and
begantolecturewiththeairofaprofessoraddressinghisclass-“it
isnotreallydifficulttoconstructaseriesofinferences，each
dependentuponitspredecessorandeachsimpleinitself。If，after
doingso，onesimplyknocksoutallthecentralinferencesand
presentsone”saudiencewiththestarting-pointandtheconclusion，
onemayproduceastartling，thoughpossiblyameretricious，effect。
Now，itwasnotreallydifficult，byaninspectionofthegroove
betweenyourleftforefingerandthumb，tofeelsurethatyoudid
notproposetoinvestyoursmallcapitalinthegoldfields。”
“Iseenoconnection。”
“Verylikelynot；butIcanquicklyshowyouacloseconnection。
Herearethemissinglinksoftheverysimplechain：1。Youhad
chalkbetweenyourleftfingerandthumbwhenyoureturnedfromthe
clublastnight。2。Youputchalktherewhenyouplaybilliards，to
steadythecue。3。YouneverplaybilliardsexceptwithThurston。
4。Youtoldme，fourweeksago，thatThurstonhadanoptiononsome
SouthAfricanpropertywhichwouldexpireinamonth，andwhichhe
desiredyoutosharewithhim。5。Yourcheckbookislockedinmy
drawer，andyouhavenotaskedforthekey。6。Youdonotproposeto
investyourmoneyinthismanner。”
“Howabsurdlysimple！“Icried。
“Quiteso！“saidhe，alittlenettled。“Everyproblembecomesvery
childishwhenonceitisexplainedtoyou。Hereisanunexplainedone。
Seewhatyoucanmakeofthat，friendWatson。”Hetossedasheetof
paperuponthetable，andturnedoncemoretohischemicalanalysis。
Ilookedwithamazementattheabsurdhieroglyphicsuponthepaper。
“Why，Holmes，itisachild”sdrawing，“Icried。
“Oh，that”syouridea！“
“Whatelseshoulditbe？“
“ThatiswhatMr。HiltonCubitt，ofRidingThorpeManor，Norfolk，is
veryanxioustoknow。Thislittleconundrumcamebythefirstpost，
andhewastofollowbythenexttrain。There”saringatthebell，
Watson。Ishouldnotbeverymuchsurprisedifthiswerehe。”
Aheavystepwashearduponthestairs，andaninstantlaterthere
enteredatall，ruddy，clean-shavengentleman，whosecleareyesand
floridcheekstoldofalifeledfarfromthefogsofBakerStreet。He
seemedtobringawhiffofhisstrong，fresh，bracing，east-coast
airwithhimasheentered。Havingshakenhandswitheachofus，he
wasabouttositdown，whenhiseyeresteduponthepaperwiththe
curiousmarkings，whichIhadjustexaminedandleftuponthetable。
“Well，Mr。Holmes，whatdoyoumakeofthese？“hecried。“They
toldmethatyouwerefondofqueermysteries，andIdon”tthinkyou
canfindaqueereronethanthat。Isentthepaperonahead，sothat
youmighthavetimetostudyitbeforeIcame。”
“Itiscertainlyratheracuriousproduction，“saidHolmes。“At
firstsightitwouldappeartobesomechildishprank。Itconsists
ofanumberofabsurdlittlefiguresdancingacrossthepaperupon
whichtheyaredrawn。Whyshouldyouattributeanyimportancetoso
grotesqueanobject？“
“Inevershould，Mr。Holmes。Butmywifedoes。Itisfrighteningher
todeath。Shesaysnothing，butIcanseeterrorinhereyes。That”s
whyIwanttosiftthemattertothebottom。”
Holmesheldupthepapersothatthesunlightshonefulluponit。It
wasapagetornfromanotebook。Themarkingsweredoneinpencil，and
raninthisway：Seeillustration。
Holmesexamineditforsometime，andthen，foldingitcarefullyup，
heplaceditinhispocketbook。
“Thispromisestobeamostinterestingandunusualcase，“said
he。“Yougavemeafewparticularsinyourletter，Mr。Hilton
Cubitt，butIshouldbeverymuchobligedifyouwouldkindlygo
overitallagainforthebenefitofmyfriend，Dr。Watson。”
“I”mnotmuchofastory-teller，“saidourvisitor，nervously
claspingandunclaspinghisgreat，stronghands。“You”lljustaskme
anythingthatIdon”tmakeclear。I”llbeginatthetimeofmy
marriagelastyear，butIwanttosayfirstofallthat，thoughI”m
notarichman，mypeoplehavebeenatRidingThorpeforamatterof
fivecenturies，andthereisnobetterknownfamilyintheCountyof
Norfolk。LastyearIcameuptoLondonfortheJubilee，andI
stoppedataboardinghouseinRussellSquare，becauseParker，the
vicarofourparish，wasstayinginit。TherewasanAmericanyoung
ladythere-Patrickwasthename-ElsiePatrick。Insomewaywebecame
friends，untilbeforemymonthwasupIwasasmuchinloveasman
couldbe。Wewerequietlymarriedataregistryoffice，andwe
returnedtoNorfolkaweddedcouple。You”llthinkitverymad，Mr。
Holmes，thatamanofagoodoldfamilyshouldmarryawifeinthis
fashion，knawingnothingofherpastorofherpeople，butifyou
sawherandknewher，itwouldhelpyoutounderstand。
“Shewasverystraightaboutit，wasElsie。Ican”tsaythatshedid
notgivemeeverychanceofgettingoutofitifIwishedtodoso。`I
havehadsomeverydisagreeableassociationsinmylife”saidshe，`I
wishtoforgetallaboutthem。Iwouldratherneveralludetothe
past，foritisverypainfultome。Ifyoutakeme，Hilton，youwill
takeawomanwhohasnothingthatsheneedbepersonallyashamedof，
butyouwillhavetobecontentwithmywordforit，andtoallowme
tobesilentastoallthatpasseduptothetimewhenIbecameyours。
Iftheseconditionsaretoohard，thengobacktoNorfolk，andleave
metothelonelylifeinwhichyoufoundme。”Itwasonlytheday
beforeourweddingthatshesaidthoseverywordstome。Itoldher
thatIwascontenttotakeheronherownterms，andIhavebeenas
goodasmyword。
“Wellwehavebeenmarriednowforayear，andveryhappywehave
been。Butaboutamonthago，attheendofJune，Isawforthefirst
timesignsoftrouble。OnedaymywifereceivedaletterfromAmerica。
IsawtheAmericanstamp。Sheturneddeadlywhite，readtheletter，
andthrewitintothefire。Shemadenoallusiontoitafterwards，and
Imadenone，forapromiseisapromise，butshehasneverknownan
easyhourfromthatmoment。Thereisalwaysalookoffearuponher
face-alookasifshewerewaitingandexpecting。Shewoulddobetter
totrustme。ShewouldfindthatIwasherbestfriend。Butuntil
shespeaks，Icansaynothing。Mindyou，sheisatruthfulwoman，
Mr。Holmes，andwhatevertroubletheremayhavebeeninherpast
lifeithasbeennofaultofhers。IamonlyasimpleNorfolk
squire，butthereisnotamaninEnglandwhorankshisfamily
honourmorehighlythanIdo。Sheknowsitwell，andsheknewit
wellbeforeshemarriedme。Shewouldneverbringanystainuponit-
ofthatIamsure。
“Well，nowIcometothequeerpartofmystory。Aboutaweekago-
itwastheTuesdayoflastweek-Ifoundononeofthewindow-sills
anumberofabsurdlittledancingfiguresliketheseuponthepaper。
Theywerescrawledwithchalk。Ithoughtthatitwasthestable-boy
whohaddrawnthem，buttheladsworeheknewnothingaboutit。
Anyhow，theyhadcomethereduringthenight。Ihadthemwashedout，
andIonlymentionedthemattertomywifeafterwards。Tomysurprise，
shetookitveryseriously，andbeggedmeifanymorecametolet
herseethem。Nonedidcomeforaweek，andthenyesterdaymorningI
foundthispaperlyingonthesundialinthegarden。Ishoweditto
Elsie，anddownshedroppedinadeadfaint。Sincethenshehaslooked
likeawomaninadream，halfdazed，andwithterroralwayslurkingin
hereyes。ItwasthenthatIwroteandsentthepapertoyou，Mr。
Holmes。ItwasnotathingthatIcouldtaketothepolice，forthey
wouldhavelaughedatme，butyouwilltellmewhattodo。Iamnot
arichman，butifthereisanydangerthreateningmylittlewoman，
Iwouldspendmylastcoppertoshieldher。”
Hewasafinecreature，thismanoftheoldEnglishsoil-simple，
straight，andgentle，withhisgreat，earnestblueeyesandbroad，
comelyface。Hisloveforhiswifeandhistrustinhershoneinhis
features。Holmeshadlistenedtohisstorywiththeutmost
attention，andnowhesatforsometimeinsilentthought。
“Don”tyouthink，Mr。Cubitt，“saidhe，atlast，“thatyourbest
planwouldbetomakeadirectappealtoyourwife，andtoaskher
tosharehersecretwithyou？“
HiltonCubittshookhismassivehead。
“Apromiseisapromise，Mr。Holmes。IfElsiewishedtotellme
shewould。Ifnot，itisnotformetoforceherconfidence。ButI
amjustifiedintakingmyownline-andIwill。”
“ThenIwillhelpyouwithallmyheart。Inthefirstplace，have
youheardofanystrangersbeingseeninyourneighbourhood？“
“No。”
“Ipresumethatitisaveryquietplace。Anyfreshfacewouldcause
comment？“
“Intheimmediateneighbourhood，yes。Butwehaveseveralsmall
wateringplacesnotveryfaraway。Andthefarmerstakeinlodgers。”
“Thesehieroglyphicshaveevidentlyameaning。Ifitisapurely
arbitraryone，itmaybeimpossibleforustosolveit。If，onthe
otherhand，itissystematic，Ihavenodoubtthatweshallgettothe
bottomofit。ButthisparticularsampleissoshortthatIcando
nothing，andthefactswhichyouhavebroughtmearesoindefinite
thatwehavenobasisforaninvestigation。Iwouldsuggestthatyou
returntoNorfolk，thatyoukeepakeenlookout，andthatyoutake
anexactcopyofanyfreshdancingmenwhichmayappear。Itisa
thousandpitiesthatwehavenotareproductionofthosewhichwere
doneinchalkuponthewindow-sill。Makeadiscreetinquiryalsoasto
anystrangersintheneighbourhood。Whenyouhavecollectedsomefresh
evidence，cometomeagain。ThatisthebestadvicewhichIcangive
you，Mr。HiltonCubitt。Ifthereareanypressingfresh
developments，Ishallbealwaysreadytorundownandseeyouin
yourNorfolkhome。”
TheinterviewleftSherlockHolmesverythoughtful，andseveral
timesinthenextfewdaysIsawhimtakehisslipofpaperfromhis
notebookandlooklongandearnestlyatthecuriousfigures
inscribeduponit。Hemadenoallusiontotheaffair，however，until
oneafternoonafortnightorsolater。Iwasgoingoutwhenhe
calledmeback。
“Youhadbetterstayhere，Watson。”
“Why？“
“BecauseIhadawirefromHiltonCubittthismorning。You
rememberHiltonCubitt，ofthedancingmen？Hewastoreach
LiverpoolStreetatone-twenty。Hemaybehereatanymoment。Igather
fromhiswirethattherehavebeensomenewincidentsofimportance。”
Wehadnotlongtowait，forourNorfolksquirecamestraightfrom
thestationasfastasahansomcouldbringhim。Hewaslooking
worriedanddepressed，withtiredeyesandalinedforehead。
“It”sgettingonmynerves，thisbusiness，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe，
ashesank，likeaweariedman，intoanarmchair。“It”sbadenough
tofeelthatyouaresurroundedbyunseen，unknownfolk，whohavesome
kindofdesignuponyou，butwhen，inadditiontothat，youknow
thatitisjustkillingyourwifebyinches，thenitbecomesasmuch
asfleshandbloodcanendure。She”swearingawayunderit-just
wearingawaybeforemyeyes。”
“Hasshesaidanythingyet？“
“No，Mr。Holmes，shehasnot。Andyettherehavebeentimeswhenthe
poorgirlhaswantedtospeak，andyetcouldnotquitebringherself
totaketheplunge。Ihavetriedtohelpher，butIdaresayIdidit
clumsily，andscaredherfromit。Shehasspokenaboutmyold
family，andourreputationinthecounty，andourprideinour
unsulliedhonour，andIalwaysfeltitwasleadingtothepoint，but
somehowitturnedoffbeforewegotthere。”
“Butyouhavefoundoutsomethingforyourself？“
“Agooddeal，Mr。Holmes。Ihaveseveralfreshdancing-men
picturesforyoutoexamine，and，whatismoreimportant，Ihave
seenthefellow。”
“What，themanwhodrawsthem？“
“Yes，Isawhimathiswork。ButIwilltellyoueverythingin
order。WhenIgotbackaftermyvisittoyou，theveryfirstthingI
sawnextmorningwasafreshcropofdancingmen。Theyhadbeen
drawninchalkupontheblackwoodendoorofthetool-house，which
standsbesidethelawninfullviewofthefrontwindows。Itookan
exactcopy，andhereitis。”Heunfoldedapaperandlaiditupon
thetable。Hereisacopyofthehieroglyphics：Seeillustration。
“Excellent！“saidHolmes。“Excellent！Praycontinue。”
“WhenIhadtakenthecopy，Irubbedoutthemarks，but，two
morningslater，afreshinscriptionhadappeared。Ihaveacopyof
ithere“：Seeillustration。
Holmesrubbedhishandsandchuckledwithdelight。
“Ourmaterialisrapidlyaccumulating，“saidhe。
“Threedayslateramessagewasleftscrawleduponpaper，andplaced
underapebbleuponthesundial。Hereitis。Thecharactersare，as
yousee，exactlythesameasthelastone。AfterthatIdetermined
tolieinwait，soIgotoutmyrevolverandIsatupinmystudy，
whichoverlooksthelawnandgarden。AbouttwointhemorningIwas
seatedbythewindow，allbeingdarksaveforthemoonlightoutside，
whenIheardstepsbehindme，andtherewasmywifeinher
dressinggown。Sheimploredmetocometobed。Itoldherfrankly
thatIwishedtoseewhoitwaswhoplayedsuchabsurdtricksuponus。
Sheansweredthatitwassomesenselesspracticaljoke，andthatI
shouldnottakeanynoticeofit。
“`Ifitreallyannoysyou，Hilton，wemightgoandtravel，youand
I，andsoavoidthisnuisance。”
“`What，bedrivenoutofourownhousebyapracticaljoker？”said
I。`Why，weshouldhavethewholecountylaughingatus。”
“`Well，cometobed”saidshe，`andwecandiscussitinthe
morning。”
“Suddenly，asshespoke，Isawherwhitefacegrowwhiteryetinthe
moonlight，andherhandtighteneduponmyshoulder。Somethingwas
movingintheshadowofthetool-house。Isawadark，creeping
figurewhichcrawledroundthecornerandsquattedinfrontofthe
door。Seizingmypistol，Iwasrushingout，whenmywifethrewher
armsroundmeandheldmewithconvulsivestrength。Itriedtothrow
heroff，butsheclungtomemostdesperately。AtlastIgotclear，
butbythetimeIhadopenedthedoorandreachedthehousethe
creaturewasgone。Hehadleftatraceofhispresence，however，for
thereonthedoorwastheverysamearrangementofdancingmenwhich
hadalreadytwiceappeared，andwhichIhavecopiedonthatpaper。
Therewasnoothersignofthefellowanywhere，thoughIranall
overthegrounds。Andyettheamazingthingisthathemusthave
beenthereallthetime，forwhenIexaminedthedooragaininthe
morning，hehadscrawledsomemoreofhispicturesundertheline
whichIhadalreadyseen。”
“Haveyouthatfreshdrawing？“
“Yes，itisveryshort，butImadeacopyofit，andhereitis。”
Againheproducedapaper。Thenewdancewasinthisform：Seeillustration。
“Tellme，“saidHolmes-andIcouldseebyhiseyesthathewasmuch
excited-“wasthisamereadditiontothefirstordiditappeartobe
entirelyseparate？“
“Itwasonadifferentpanelofthedoor。”
“Excellent！Thisisfarthemostimportantofallforourpurpose。
Itfillsmewithhopes。Now，Mr。HiltonCubitt，pleasecontinueyour
mostinterestingstatement。”
“Ihavenothingmoretosay，Mr。Holmes，exceptthatIwasangry
withmywifethatnightforhavingheldmebackwhenImighthave
caughttheskulkingrascal。ShesaidthatshefearedthatImightcome
toharm。Foraninstantithadcrossedmymindthatperhapswhatshe
reallyfearedwasthathemightcometoharm，forIcouldnotdoubt
thatsheknewwhothismanwas，andwhathemeantbythesestrange
signals。Butthereisatoneinmywife”svoice，Mr。Holmes，anda
lookinhereyeswhichforbiddoubt，andIamsurethatitwas
indeedmyownsafetythatwasinhermind。There”sthewholecase，and
nowIwantyouradviceastowhatIoughttodo。Myowninclinationis
toputhalfadozenofmyfarmladsintheshrubbery，andwhenthis
fellowcomesagaintogivehimsuchahidingthathewillleaveus
inpeaceforthefuture。”
“Ifearitistoodeepacaseforsuchsimpleremedies，“said
Holmes。“HowlongcanyoustayinLondon？“
“Imustgobackto-day。Iwouldnotleavemywifealoneallnight
foranything。Sheisverynervous，andbeggedmetocomeback。”
“Idaresayyouareright。Butifyoucouldhavestopped，Imight
possiblyhavebeenabletoreturnwithyouinadayortwo。