AndHolmes”sfearscametoberealized，forfromthatdaytothisno
wordhaseverbeenheardeitherofthebeautifulwoman，thesinister
German，orthemoroseEnglishman。Earlythatmorningapeasanthadmet
acartcontainingseveralpeopleandsomeverybulkyboxesdriving
rapidlyinthedirectionofReading，buttherealltracesofthe
fugitivesdisappeared，andevenHolmes”singenuityfailedeverto
discovertheleastclueastotheirwhereabouts。
Thefiremenhadbeenmuchperturbedatthestrangearrangements
whichtheyhadfoundwithin，andstillmoresobydiscoveringa
newlyseveredhumanthumbuponawindow-sillofthesecondfloor。
Aboutsunset，however，theireffortswereatlastsuccessful，andthey
subduedtheflames，butnotbeforetheroofhadfallenin，andthe
wholeplacebeenreducedtosuchabsoluteruinthat，savesometwisted
cylindersandironpiping，notatraceremainedofthemachinerywhich
hadcostourunfortunateacquaintancesodearly。Largemassesof
nickelandoftinwerediscoveredstoredinanout-house，butnocoins
weretobefound，whichmayhaveexplainedthepresenceofthosebulky
boxeswhichhavebeenalreadyreferredto。
Howourhydraulicengineerhadbeenconveyedfromthegardento
thespotwhereherecoveredhissensesmighthaveremainedforevera
mysterywereitnotforthesoftmould，whichtoldusaveryplain
tale。Hehadevidentlybeencarrieddownbytwopersons，oneofwhom
hadremarkablysmallfeetandtheotherunusuallylargeones。Onthe
whole，itwasmostprobablethatthesilentEnglishman，beingless
boldorlessmurderousthanhiscompanion，hadassistedthewomanto
beartheunconsciousmanoutofthewayofdanger。
“Well，“saidourengineerruefullyaswetookourseatstoreturn
oncemoretoLondon，“ithasbeenaprettybusinessforme！Ihave
lostmythumbandIhavelostafifty-guineafee，andwhathaveI
gained？“
“Experience，“saidHolmes，laughing。“Indirectlyitmaybeofvalue，
youknow；youhaveonlytoputitintowordstogainthereputationof
beingexcellentcompanyfortheremainderofyourexistence。”-
THEEND。
1904
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEGOLDENPINCE-NEZ
bySirArthurConanDoyle
WhenIlookatthethreemassivemanuscriptvolumeswhichcontain
ourworkfortheyear1894，Iconfessthatitisverydifficultfor
me，outofsuchawealthofmaterial，toselectthecaseswhichare
mostinterestinginthemselves，andatthesametimemostconduciveto
adisplayofthosepeculiarpowersforwhichmyfriendwasfamous。
AsIturnoverthepages，Iseemynotesupontherepulsivestoryof
theredleechandtheterribledeathofCrosby，thebanker。Here
alsoIfindanaccountoftheAddletontragedy，andthesingular
contentsoftheancientBritishbarrow。ThefamousSmith-Mortimer
successioncasecomesalsowithinthisperiod，andsodoesthe
trackingandarrestofHuret，theBoulevardassassin-anexploitwhich
wonforHolmesanautographletterofthanksfromtheFrenchPresident
andtheOrderoftheLegionofHonour。Eachofthesewouldfurnisha
narrative，butonthewholeIamofopinionthatnoneofthemunites
somanysingularpointsofinterestastheepisodeofYoxleyOld
Place，whichincludesnotonlythelamentabledeathofyoung
WilloughbySmith，butalsothosesubsequentdevelopmentswhichthrew
socuriousalightuponthecausesofthecrime。
Itwasawild，tempestuousnight，towardsthecloseofNovember。
HolmesandIsattogetherinsilencealltheevening，beengaged
withapowerfullensdecipheringtheremainsoftheoriginal
inscriptionuponapalimpsest，Ideepinarecenttreatiseupon
surgery。OutsidethewindhowleddownBakerStreet，whiletherain
beatfiercelyagainstthewindows。Itwasstrangethere，inthevery
depthsofthetown，withtenmilesofman”shandiworkoneverysideof
us，tofeeltheirongripofNature，andtobeconsciousthattothe
hugeelementalforcesallLondonwasnomorethanthemolehillsthat
dotthefields。Iwalkedtothewindow，andlookedoutonthedeserted
street。Theoccasionallampsgleamedontheexpanseofmuddyroad
andshiningpavement。Asinglecabwassplashingitswayfromthe
OxfordStreetend。
“Well，Watson，it”saswellwehavenottoturnoutto-night，“
saidHolmes，layingasidehislensandrollingupthepalimpsest。
“I”vedoneenoughforonesitting。Itistryingworkfortheeyes。
SofarasIcanmakeout，itisnothingmoreexcitingthanan
Abbey”saccountsdatingfromthesecondhalfofthefifteenthcentury。
Halloa！halloa！halloa！What”sthis？“
Amidthedroningofthewindtherehadcomethestampingofa
horse”shoofs，andthelonggrindofawheelasitraspedagainst
thecurb。ThecabwhichIhadseenhadpulledupatourdoor。
“Whatcanhewant？“Iejaculated，asamansteppedoutofit。
“Want？Hewantsus。Andwe，mypoorWatson，wantovercoatsand
cravatsandgoloshes，andeveryaidthatmaneverinventedtofight
theweather。Waitabit，though！There”sthecaboffagain！There”s
hopeyet。He”dhavekeptitifhehadwantedustocome。Rundown，
mydearfellow，andopenthedoor，forallvirtuousfolkhavebeen
longinbed。”
Whenthelightofthehalllampfelluponourmidnightvisitor，I
hadnodifficultyinrecognizinghim。ItwasyoungStanleyHopkins，
apromisingdetective，inwhosecareerHolmeshadseveraltimes
shownaverypracticalinterest。
“Ishein？“heasked，eagerly。
“Comeup，mydearsir，“saidHolmes”svoicefromabove。“Ihope
youhavenodesignsuponussuchanightasthis。”
Thedetectivemountedthestairs，andourlampgleameduponhis
shiningwaterproof。Ihelpedhimoutofit，whileHolmesknockeda
blazeoutofthelogsinthegrate。
“Now，mydearHopkins，drawupandwarmyourtoes，“saidhe。“Here”s
acigar，andthedoctorhasaprescriptioncontaininghotwaterand
alemon，whichisgoodmedicineonanightlikethis。Itmustbe
somethingimportantwhichhasbroughtyououtinsuchagale。”
“Itisindeed，Mr。Holmes。I”vehadabustlingafternoon，I
promiseyou。DidyouseeanythingoftheYoxleycaseinthelatest
editions？“
“I”veseennothinglaterthanthefifteenthcenturyto-day。”
“Well，itwasonlyaparagraph，andallwrongatthat，soyouhave
notmissedanything。Ihaven”tletthegrassgrowundermyfeet。
It”sdowninKent，sevenmilesfromChathamandthreefromtherailway
line。Iwaswiredforat3：15，reachedYoxleyOldPlaceat5，
conductedmyinvestigation，wasbackatCharingCrossbythelast
train，andstraighttoyoubycab。”
“Whichmeans，Isuppose，thatyouarenotquiteclearaboutyour
case？“
“ItmeansthatIcanmakeneitherheadnortailofit。SofarasI
cansee，itisjustastangledabusinessaseverIhandled，andyet
atfirstitseemedsosimplethatonecouldn”tgowrong。There”sno
motive，Mr。Holmes。That”swhatbothersme-Ican”tputmyhandona
motive。Here”samandead-there”snodenyingthat-but，sofarasI
cansee，noreasononearthwhyanyoneshouldwishhimharm。”
Holmeslithiscigarandleanedbackinhischair。
“Letushearaboutit，“saidhe。
“I”vegotmyfactsprettyclear，“saidStanleyHopkins。“AllI
wantnowistoknowwhattheyallmean。Thestory，sofarasIcan
makeitout，islikethis。Someyearsagothiscountryhouse，Yoxley
OldPlace，wastakenbyanelderlyman，whogavethenameofProfessor
Coram。Hewasaninvalid，keepinghisbedhalfthetime，andtheother
halfhobblingroundthehousewithastickorbeingpushedaboutthe
groundsbythegardenerinaBathchair。Hewaswelllikedbythe
fewneighbourswhocalleduponhim，andhehasthereputationdown
thereofbeingaverylearnedman。Hishouseholdusedtoconsistofan
elderlyhousekeeper，Mrs。Marker，andofamaid，SusanTarlton。
Thesehavebothbeenwithhimsincehisarrival，andtheyseemtobe
womenofexcellentcharacter。Theprofessoriswritingalearnedbook，
andhefounditnecessary，aboutayearago，toengageasecretary。
Thefirsttwothathetriedwerenotsuccesses，butthethird，Mr。
WilloughbySmith，averyyoungmanstraightfromtheuniversity，seems
tohavebeenjustwhathisemployerwanted。Hisworkconsistedin
writingallthemorningtotheprofessor”sdictation，andheusually
spenttheeveninginhuntingupreferencesandpassageswhichbore
uponthenextday”swork。ThisWilloughbySmithhasnothingagainst
him，eitherasaboyatUppinghamorasayoungmanatCambridge。I
haveseenhistestimonials，andfromthefirsthewasadecent，quiet，
hard-worldingfellow，withnoweakspotinhimatall。Andyetthisis
theladwhohasmethisdeaththismorningintheprofessor”sstudy
undercircumstanceswhichcanpointonlytomurder。”
Thewindhowledandscreamedatthewindows。HolmesandIdrew
closertothefire，whiletheyounginspectorslowlyandpointby
pointdevelopedhissingularnarrative。
“IfyouweretosearchallEngland，“saidhe，“Idon”tsupposeyou
couldfindahouseholdmoreself-containedorfreerfromoutside
influences。Wholeweekswouldpass，andnotoneofthemgopastthe
gardengate。Theprofessorwasburiedinhisworkandexistedfor
nothingelse。YoungSmithknewnobodyintheneighbourhood，and
livedverymuchashisemployerdid。Thetwowomenhadnothingtotake
themfromthehouse。Mortimer，thegardener，whowheelstheBath
chair，isanarmypensioner-anoldCrimeanmanofexcellent
character。Hedoesnotliveinthehouse，butinathree-roomed
cottageattheotherendofthegarden。Thosearetheonlypeoplethat
youwouldfindwithinthegroundsofYoxleyOldPlace。Atthesame
time，thegateofthegardenisahundredyardsfromthemainLondon
toChathamroad。Itopenswithalatch，andthereisnothingto
preventanyonefromwalkingin。
“NowIwillgiveyoutheevidenceofSusanTarlton，whoisthe
onlypersonwhocansayanythingpositiveaboutthematter。Itwas
intheforenoon，betweenelevenandtwelve。Shewasengagedatthe
momentinhangingsomecurtainsintheupstairsfrontbedroom。
ProfessorCoramwasstillinbed，forwhentheweatherisbadhe
seldomrisesbeforemidday。Thehousekeeperwasbusiedwithsome
workinthebackofthehouse。WilloughbySmithhadbeeninhis
bedroom，whichheusesasasitting-room，butthemaidheardhimat
thatmomentpassalongthepassageanddescendtothestudy
immediatelybelowher。Shedidnotseehim，butshesaysthatshe
couldnotbemistakeninhisquick，firmtread。Shedidnothearthe
studydoorclose，butaminuteorsolatertherewasadreadfulcryin
theroombelow。Itwasawild，hoarsescream，sostrangeandunnatural
thatitmighthavecomeeitherfromamanorawoman。Atthesame
instanttherewasaheavythud，whichshooktheoldhouse，andthen
allwassilence。Themaidstoodpetrifiedforamoment，andthen，
recoveringhercourage，sherandownstairs。Thestudydoorwasshut
andsheopenedit。Inside，youngMr。WilloughbySmithwasstretched
uponthefloor。Atfirstshecouldseenoinjury，butasshetried
toraisehimshesawthatbloodwaspouringfromtheundersideof
hisneck。Itwaspiercedbyaverysmallbutverydeepwound，which
haddividedthecarotidartery。Theinstrumentwithwhichtheinjury
hadbeeninflictedlayuponthecarpetbesidehim。Itwasoneofthose
smallsealing-waxknivestobefoundonold-fashionedwriting
tables，withanivoryhandleandastiffblade。Itwaspartofthe
fittingsoftheprofessor”sowndesk。
“AtfirstthemaidthoughtthatyoungSmithwasalreadydead，buton
pouringsomewaterfromthecarafeoverhisforeheadheopenedhis
eyesforaninstant。”Theprofessor”hemurmured-”itwasshe。”The
maidispreparedtoswearthatthoseweretheexactwords。Hetried
desperatelytosaysomethingelse，andheheldhisrighthandupin
theair。Thenhefellbackdead。
“Inthemeantimethehousekeeperhadalsoarriveduponthescene，
butshewasjusttoolatetocatchtheyoungman”sdyingwords。
LeavingSusanwiththebody，shehurriedtotheprofessorsroom。He
wassittingupinbed，horriblyagitated，forhehadheardenoughto
convincehimthatsomethingterriblehadoccurred。Mrs。Markeris
preparedtoswearthattheprofessorwasstillinhisnight-clothes，
andindeeditwasimpossibleforhimtodresswithoutthehelpof
Mortimer，whoseordersweretocomeattwelveo”clock。Theprofessor
declaresthatheheardthedistantcry，butthatheknowsnothing
more。Hecangivenoexplanationoftheyoungman”slastwords，”The
professor-itwasshe”butimaginesthattheyweretheoutcomeof
delirium。HebelievesthatWilloughbySmithhadnotanenemyinthe
world，andcangivenoreasonforthecrime。Hisfirstactionwasto
sendMortimer，thegardener，forthelocalpolice。Alittlelater
thechiefconstablesentforme。NothingwasmovedbeforeIgotthere，
andstrictordersweregiventhatnooneshouldwalkuponthepaths
leadingtothehouse。Itwasasplendidchanceofputtingyour
theoriesintopractice，Mr。SherlockHolmes。Therewasreally
nothingwanting。”
“ExceptMr。SherlockHolmes，“saidmycompanion，withasomewhat
bittersmile。“Well，letushearaboutit。Whatsortofajobdid
youmakeofit？“
“Imustaskyoufirst，Mr。Holmes，toglanceatthisroughplan，
whichwillgiveyouageneralideaofthepositionofthe
professor”sstudyandthevariouspointsofthecase。Itwillhelpyou
inmyinvestigation。”
Heunfoldedtheroughchart，whichIherereproduce，andhelaid
itacrossHolmes”sknee。Iroseand，standingbehindHolmes，studied
itoverhisshoulder。Seeillustration。
“Itisveryrough，ofcourse，anditonlydealswiththepoints
whichseemtometobeessential。Alltherestyouwillseelater
foryourself。Now，firstofall，presumingthattheassassinentered
thehouse，howdidheorshecomein？Undoubtedlybythegardenpath
andthebackdoor，fromwhichthereisdirectaccesstothestudy。Any
otherwaywouldhavebeenexceedinglycomplicated。Theescapemust
havealsobeenmadealongthatline，forofthetwootherexitsfrom
theroomonewasblockedbySusanassherandownstairsandthe
otherleadsstraighttotheprofessor”sbedroom。Itherefore
directedmyattentionatoncetothegardenpath，whichwas
saturatedwithrecentrain，andwouldcertainlyshowanyfootmarks。
“MyexaminationshowedmethatIwasdealingwithacautiousand
expertcriminal。Nofootmarksweretobefoundonthepath。There
couldbenoquestion，however，thatsomeonehadpassedalongthegrass
borderwhichlinesthepath，andthathehaddonesoinordertoavoid
leavingatrack。Icouldnotfindanythinginthenatureofadistinct
impression，butthegrasswastroddendown，andsomeonehad
undoubtedlypassed。Itcouldonlyhavebeenthemurderer，since
neitherthegardenernoranyoneelsehadbeentherethatmorning，
andtherainhadonlybegunduringthenight。”
“Onemoment，“saidHolmes。“Wheredoesthispathleadto？“
“Totheroad。”
“Howlongisit？“
“Ahundredyardsorso。”
“Atthepointwherethepathpassesthroughthegate，youcould
surelypickupthetracks？“
“Unfortunately，thepathwastiledatthatpoint。”
“Well，ontheroaditself？“
“No，itwasalltroddenintomire。”
“Tut-tut！Well，then，thesetracksuponthegrass，werethey
comingorgoing？“
“Itwasimpossibletosay。Therewasneveranyoutline。”
“Alargefootorasmall？“
“Youcouldnotdistinguish。”
Holmesgaveanejaculationofimpatience。
“Ithasbeenpouringrainandblowingahurricaneeversince，“
saidbe。“Itwillbehardertoreadnowthanthatpalimpsest。Well，
well，itcan”tbehelped。Whatdidyoudo，Hopkins，afteryouhadmade
certainthatyouhadmadecertainofnothing？“
“IthinkImadecertainofagooddeal，Mr。Holmes。Iknewthat
someonehadenteredthehousecautiouslyfromwithout。Inextexamined
thecorridor。Itislinedwithcocoanutmattingandhadtakenno
impressionofanykind。Thisbroughtmeintothestudyitself。Itisa
scantilyfurnishedroom。Themainarticleisalargewriting-table
withafixedbureau。Thisbureauconsistsofadoublecolumnof
drawers，withacentralsmallcupboardbetweenthem。Thedrawers
wereopen，thecupboardlocked。Thedrawers，itseems，werealways
open，andnothingofvaluewaskeptinthem。Thereweresomepapersof
importanceinthecupboard，buttherewerenosignsthatthishadbeen
tamperedwith，andtheprofessorassuresmethatnothingwas
missing。Itiscertainthatnorobberyhasbeencommitted。
“Icomenowtothebodyoftheyoungman。Itwasfoundnearthe
bureau，andjusttotheleftofit，asmarkeduponthatchart。The
stabwasontherightsideoftheneckandfrombehindforward，so
thatitisalmostimpossiblethatitcouldhavebeenself-inflicted。”
“Unlesshefellupontheknife，“saidHolmes。
“Exactly。Theideacrossedmymind。Butwefoundtheknifesomefeet
awayfromthebody，sothatseemsimpossible。Then，ofcourse，there
aretheman”sowndyingwords。And，finally，therewasthisvery
importantpieceofevidencewhichwasfoundclaspedinthedead
man”srighthand。”
FromhispocketStanleyHopkinsdrewasmallpaperpacket。He
unfoldeditanddisclosedagoldenpince-nez，withtwobrokenends
ofblacksilkcorddanglingfromtheendofit。“WilloughbySmith
hadexcellentsight，“headded。“Therecanbenoquestionthatthis
wassnatchedfromthefaceorthepersonoftheassassin。”
SherlockHolmestooktheglassesintohishand，andexaminedthem
withtheutmostattentionandinterest。Heheldthemonhisnose，
endeavouredtoreadthroughthem，wenttothewindowandstaredupthe
streetwiththem，lookedatthemmostminutelyinthefulllightof
thelamp，andfinally，withachuckle，seatedhimselfatthetableand
wroteafewlinesuponasheetofpaper，whichhetossedacrossto
StanleyHopkins。
“That”sthebestIcandoforyou，“saidhe。“Itmayprovetobe
ofsomeuse。”
Theastonisheddetectivereadthenotealoud。Itranasfollows：
“Wanted，awomanofgoodaddress，attiredlikealady。Shehasa
remarkablythicknose，witheyeswhicharesetcloseuponeither
sideofit。Shehasapuckeredforehead，apeeringexpression，and
probablyroundedshoulders。Thereareindicationsthatshehashad
recoursetoanopticianatleasttwiceduringthelastfewmonths。
Asherglassesareofremarkablestrength，andasopticiansarenot
verynumerous，thereshouldbenodifficultyintracingher。”
HolmessmiledattheastonishmentofHopkins，whichmusthavebeen
reflecteduponmyfeatures。
“Surelymydeductionsaresimplicityitself，“saidhe。“Itwouldbe
difficulttonameanyarticleswhichaffordafinerfieldfor
inferencethanapairofglasses，especiallysoremarkableapairas
these。ThattheybelongtoawomanIinferfromtheirdelicacy，and
also，ofcourse，fromthelastwordsofthedyingman。Astoherbeing
apersonofrefinementandwelldressed，theyare，asyouperceive，
handsomelymountedinsolidgold，anditisinconceivablethat
anyonewhoworesuchglassescouldbeslatternlyinotherrespects。
Youwillfindthattheclipsaretoowideforyournose，showing
thatthelady”snosewasverybroadatthebase。Thissortofnose
isusuallyashortandcoarseone，butthereisasufficientnumberof
exceptionstopreventmefrombeingdogmaticorfrominsistingupon
thispointinmydescription。Myownfaceisanarrowone，andyetI
findthatIcannotgetmyeyesintothecentre，nornearthecentre，
oftheseglasses。Therefore，thelady”seyesaresetverynearto
thesidesofthenose。Youwillperceive，Watson，thattheglassesare
concaveandofunusualstrength。Aladywhosevisionhasbeenso
extremelycontractedallherlifeissuretohavethephysical
characteristicsofsuchvision，whichareseenintheforehead，the
eyelids，andtheshoulders。”
“Yes，“Isaid，“Icanfolloweachofyourarguments。Iconfess，
however，thatIamunabletounderstandhowyouarriveatthedouble
visittotheoptician。”
Holmestooktheglassesinhishand。
“Youwillperceive，“hesaid，“thattheclipsarelinedwithtiny
bandsofcorktosoftenthepressureuponthenose。Oneoftheseis
discolouredandworntosomeslightextent，buttheotherisnew。
Evidentlyonehasfallenoffandbeenreplaced。Ishouldjudgethat
theolderofthemhasnotbeentheremorethanafewmonths。They
exactlycorrespond，soIgatherthattheladywentbacktothesame
establishmentforthesecond。”
“ByGeorge，it”smarvellous！“criedHopkins，inanecstasyof
admiration。“TothinkthatIhadallthatevidenceinmyhandand
neverknewit！Ihadintended，however，togotheroundofthe
Londonopticians。”
“Ofcourseyouwould。Meanwhile，haveyouanythingmoretotellus
aboutthecase？“
“Nothing，Mr。Holmes。IthinkthatyouknowasmuchasIdonow-
probablymore。Wehavehadinquiriesmadeastoanystrangerseenon
thecountryroadsorattherailwaystation。Wehaveheardofnone。
Whatbeatsmeistheutterwantofallobjectinthecrime。Nota
ghostofamotivecananyonesuggest。”
“Ah！thereIamnotinapositiontohelpyou。ButIsupposeyou
wantustocomeoutto-morrow？“
“Ifitisnotaskingtoomuch，Mr。Holmes。There”satrainfrom
CharingCrosstoChathamatsixinthemorning，andweshouldbeat
YoxleyOldPlacebetweeneightandnine。”
“Thenweshalltakeit。Yourcasehascertainlysomefeaturesof
greatinterest，andIshallbedelightedtolookintoit。Well，it”s
nearlyone，andwehadbestgetafewhours”sleep。Idaresayyou
canmanageallrightonthesofainfrontofthefire。I”lllightmy
spiritlamp，andgiveyouacupofcoffeebeforewestart。”
Thegalehadblownitselfoutnextday，butitwasabitter
morningwhenwestarteduponourjourney。Wesawthecoldwintersun
riseoverthedrearymarshesoftheThamesandthelong，sudden
reachesoftheriver，whichIshalleverassociatewithourpursuitof
theAndamanIslanderintheearlierdaysofourcareer。Afteralong
andwearyjourney，wealightedatasmallstationsomemilesfrom
Chatham。Whileahorsewasbeingputintoatrapatthelocalinn，
wesnatchedahurriedbreakfast，andsowewereallreadyforbusiness
whenweatlastarrivedatYoxleyOldPlace。Aconstablemetusatthe
gardengate。
“Well，Wilson，anynews？“
“No，sir-nothing。”
“Noreportsofanystrangerseen？“
“No，sir。Downatthestationtheyarecertainthatnostranger
eithercameorwentyesterday。”
“Haveyouhadinquiriesmadeatinnsandlodgings？“
“Yes，sir：thereisnoonethatwecannotaccountfor。”
“Well，it”sonlyareasonablewalktoChatham。Anyonemightstay
thereortakeatrainwithoutbeingobserved。Thisisthegarden
pathofwhichIspoke，Mr。Holmes。I”llpledgemywordtherewasno
markonityesterday。”
“Onwhichsidewerethemarksonthegrass？“
“Thisside，sir。Thisnarrowmarginofgrassbetweenthepathand
theflowerbed。Ican”tseethetracesnow，buttheywerecleartome
then。”
“Yes，yes：someonehaspassedalong，“saidHolmes，stoopingoverthe
grassborder。“Ourladymusthavepickedherstepscarefully，mustshe
not，sinceontheonesideshewouldleaveatrackonthepath，andon
theotheranevencleareroneonthesoftbed？“
“Yes，sir，shemusthavebeenacoolhand。”
IsawanintentlookpassoverHolmes”sface。
“Yousaythatshemusthavecomebackthisway？“
“Yes，sir，thereisnoother。”
“Onthisstripofgrass？“
“Certainly，Mr。Holmes。”
“Hum！Itwasaveryremarkableperformance-veryremarkable。Well，I
thinkwehaveexhaustedthepath。Letusgofarther。Thisgarden
doorisusuallykeptopen，Isuppose？Thenthisvisitorhadnothingto
dobuttowalkin。Theideaofmurderwasnotinhermind，orshe
wouldhaveprovidedherselfwithsomesortofweapon，insteadof
havingtopickthisknifeoffthewriting-table。Sheadvancedalong
thiscorridor，leavingnotracesuponthecocoanutmatting。Thenshe
foundherselfinthisstudy。Howlongwasshethere？Wehaveno
meansofjudging。”
“Notmorethanafewminutes，sir。IforgottotellyouthatMrs。
Marker，thehousekeeper，hadbeenintheretidyingnotvery，long
before-aboutaquarterofanhour，shesays。”
“Well，thatgivesusalimit。Ourladyentersthisroom，andwhat
doesshedo？Shegoesovertothewriting-table。Whatfor？Notfor
anythinginthedrawers。Iftherehadbeenanythingworthher
taking，itwouldsurelyhavebeenlockedup。No，itwasfor
somethinginthatwoodenbureau。Halloa！whatisthatscratchuponthe
faceofit？Justholdamatch，Watson。Whydidyounottellmeof
this，Hopkins？“
Themarkwhichhewasexaminingbeganuponthebrassworkonthe
righthandsideofthekeyhole，andextendedforaboutfourinches，
whereithadscratchedthevarnishfromthesurface。
“Inoticedit，Mr。Holmes，butyou”llalwaysfindscratchesround
akeyhole。”
“Thisisrecent，quiterecent。Seehowthebrassshineswhereit
iscut。Anoldscratchwouldbethesamecolourasthesurface。Look
atitthroughmylens。There”sthevarnish，too，likeearthoneach
sideofafurrow。IsMrs。Markerthere？“
Asad-faced，elderlywomancameintotheroom。
“Didyoudustthisbureauyesterdaymorning？“
“Yes，sir。”
“Didyounoticethisscratch？“
“No，sir，Ididnot。”
“Iamsureyoudidnot，foradusterwouldhavesweptawaythese
shredsofvarnish。Whohasthekeyofthisbureau？“
“TheProfessorkeepsitonhiswatch-chain。”
“Isitasimplekey？“
“No，sir，itisaChubb”skey。”
“Verygood。Mrs。Marker，youcango。Nowwearemakingalittle
progress。Ourladyenterstheroom，advancestothebureau，andeither
opensitortriestodoso。Whilesheisthusengaged，young
WilloughbySmithenterstheroom。Inherhurrytowithdrawthekey，
shemakesthisscratchuponthedoor。Heseizesher，andshe，
snatchingupthenearestobject，whichhappenstobethisknife，
strikesathiminordertomakehimletgohishold。Theblowisa
fatalone。Hefallsandsheescapes，eitherwithorwithouttheobject
forwhichshehascome。IsSusan，themaid，there？Couldanyonehave
gotawaythroughthatdoorafterthetimethatyouheardthecry，
Susan？“
“Nosir，itisimpossible。BeforeIgotdownthestair，I”dhave
seenanyoneinthepassage。Besides，thedoorneveropened，orIwould
haveheardit。”
“Thatsettlesthisexit。Thennodoubttheladywentoutthewayshe
came。Iunderstandthatthisotherpassageleadsonlytothe
professor”sroom。Thereisnoexitthatway？“
“No，sir。”
“Weshallgodownitandmaketheacquaintanceoftheprofessor。
Halloa，Hopkins！thisisveryimportant，veryimportantindeed。The
professor”scorridorisalsolinedwithcocoanutmatting。”
“Well，sir，whatofthat？“
“Don”tyouseeanybearinguponthecase？Well，well。Idon”tinsist
uponit。NodoubtIamwrong。Andyetitseemstometobesuggestive。
Comewithmeandintroduceme。”
Wepasseddownthepassage，whichwasofthesamelengthasthat
whichledtothegarden。Attheendwasashortflightofstepsending
inadoor。Ourguideknocked，andthenusheredusintotheprofessor”s
bedroom。
Itwasaverylargechamber，linedwithinnumerablevolumes，which
hadoverflowedfromtheshelvesandlayinpilesinthecorners，or
werestackedallroundatthebaseofthecases。Thebedwasinthe
centreoftheroom，andinit，proppedupwithpillows，wasthe
ownerofthehouse。Ihaveseldomseenamoreremarkablelooking
person。Itwasagaunt，aquilinefacewhichwasturnedtowardsus，
withpiercingdarkeyes，whichlurkedindeephollowsunderoverhung
andtuftedbrows。Hishairandbeardwerewhite，savethatthe
latterwascuriouslystainedwithyellowaroundhismouth。Acigarette
glowedamidthetangleofwhitehair，andtheairoftheroomwas
fetidwithstaletobaccosmoke。AsheheldouthishandtoHolmes，I
perceivedthatitwasalsostainedwithyellownicotine。
“Asmoker，Mr。Holmes？“saidhe，speakinginwell-chosenEnglish，
withacuriouslittlemincingaccent。“Praytakeacigarette。Andyou，
sir？Icanrecommendthem，forIhavethemespeciallypreparedby
Ionides，ofAlexandria。Hesendsmeathousandatatime，andIgrieve
tosaythatIhavetoarrangeforafreshsupplyeveryfortnight。Bad，
sir，verybad，butanoldmanhasfewpleasures。Tobaccoandmy
work-thatisallthatislefttome。”
Holmeshadlitacigaretteandwasshootinglittledartingglances
allovertheroom。
“Tobaccoandmywork，butnowonlytobacco，“theoldman
exclaimed。“Alas！whatafatalinterruption！Whocouldhaveforeseen
suchaterriblecatastrophe？Soestimableayoungman！Iassureyou
that，afterafewmonths”training，hewasanadmirableassistant。
Whatdoyouthinkofthematter，Mr。Holmes？“
“Ihavenotyetmadeupmymind。”
“Ishallindeedbeindebtedtoyouifyoucanthrowalightwhere
allissodarktous。Toapoorbookwormandinvalidlikemyself
suchablowisparalyzing。Iseemtohavelostthefacultyofthought。
Butyouareamanofaction-youareamanofaffairs。Itispartof
theeverydayroutineofyourlife。Youcanpreserveyourbalancein
everyemergency。Wearefortunate，indeed，inhavingyouatourside。”
Holmeswaspacingupanddownonesideoftheroomwhilsttheold
professorwastalking。Iobservedthathewassmokingwith
extraordinaryrapidity。Itwasevidentthathesharedourhost”s
likingforthefreshAlexandriancigarettes。
“Yes，sir，itisacrushingblow，“saidtheoldman。“Thatismy
magnumopus-thepileofpapersonthesidetableyonder。Itismy
analysisofthedocumentsfoundintheCopticmonasteriesofSyriaand
Egypt，aworkwhichwillcutdeepattheveryfoundationofrevealed
religion。WithmyenfeebledhealthIdonotknowwhetherIshall
everbeabletocompleteit，nowthatmyassistanthasbeentakenfrom
me。Dearme！Mr。Holmes，why，youareevenaquickersmokerthanI
ammyself。”
Holmessmiled。
“Iamaconnoisseur，“saidhe，takinganothercigarettefromthe
box-hisfourth-andlightingitfromthestubofthatwhichhehad
finished。“Iwillnottroubleyouwithanylengthy
cross-examination，ProfessorCoram，sinceIgatherthatyouwerein
bedatthetimeofthecrime，andcouldknownothingaboutit。Iwould
onlyaskthis：Whatdoyouimaginethatthispoorfellowmeantby
hislastwords：”Theprofessor-itwasshe”？“
Theprofessorshookhishead。
“Susanisacountrygirl，“saidhe，“andyouknowtheincredible
stupidityofthatclass。Ifancythatthepoorfellowmurmuredsome
incoherentdeliriouswords，andthatshetwistedthemintothis
meaninglessmessage。”
“Isee。Youhavenoexplanationyourselfofthetragedy？“
“Possiblyanaccident，possibly-Ionlybreatheitamong
ourselves-asuicide。Youngmenhavetheirhiddentroubles-some
affairoftheheart，perhaps，whichwehaveneverknown。Itisa
moreprobablesuppositionthanmurder。”
“Buttheeyeglasses？“
“Ah！Iamonlyastudent-amanofdreams。Icannotexplainthe
practicalthingsoflife。Butstill，weareaware，myfriend，that
love-gagesmaytakestrangeshapes。Byallmeanstakeanother
cigarette。Itisapleasuretoseeanyoneappreciatethemso。Afan，a
glove，glasses-whoknowswhatarticlemaybecarriedasatokenor
treasuredwhenamanputsanendtohislife？Thisgentlemanspeaksof
footstepsinthegrass，but，afterall，itiseasytobemistakenon
suchapoint。Astotheknife，itmightwellbethrownfarfromthe
unfortunatemanashefell。ItispossiblethatIspeakasachild，
buttomeitseemsthatWilloughbySmithhasmethisfatebyhisown
hand。”
Holmesseemedstruckbythetheorythusputforward，andhe
continuedtowalkupanddownforsometime，lostinthoughtand
consumingcigaretteaftercigarette。
“Tellme，ProfessorCoram，“hesaid，atlast，“whatisinthat
cupboardinthebureau？“
“Nothingthatwouldhelpathief。Familypapers，lettersfrommy
poorwife，diplomasofuniversitieswhichhavedonemehonour。Hereis
thekey。Youcanlookforyourself。”
Holmespickedupthekey，andlookedatitforaninstant，thenhe
handeditback。
“No，Ihardlythinkthatitwouldhelpme，“saidhe。“Ishould
prefertogoquietlydowntoyourgarden，andturnthewholematter
overinmyhead。Thereissomethingtobesaidforthetheoryof
suicidewhichyouhaveputforward。Wemustapologizeforhaving
intrudeduponyou，ProfessorCoram，andIpromisethatwewon”t
disturbyouuntilafterlunch。Attwoo”clockwewillcomeagain，
andreporttoyouanythingwhichmayhavehappenedintheinterval。”
Holmeswascuriouslydistrait，andwewalkedupanddownthe
gardenpathforsometimeinsilence。
“Haveyouaclue？“Iasked，atlast。
“ItdependsuponthosecigarettesthatIsmoked，“saidhe。“Itis
possiblethatIamutterlymistaken。Thecigaretteswillshowme。”
“MydearHolmes，“Iexclaimed，“howonearth-“
“Well，well，youmayseeforyourself。Ifnot，there”snoharmdone。
Ofcourse，wealwayshavetheopticiancluetofallbackupon，butI
takeashortcutwhenIcangetit。Ah，hereisthegoodMrs。
Marker！Letusenjoyfiveminutesofinstructiveconversationwith
her。”
ImayhaveremarkedbeforethatHolmeshad，whenheliked，a
peculiarlyingratiatingwaywithwomen，andthatheveryreadily
establishedtermsofconfidencewiththem。Inhalfthetimewhichhe
hadnamed，hehadcapturedthehousekeeper”sgoodwillandwaschatting
withherasifhehadknownherforyears。
“Yes，Mr。Holmes，itisasyousay，sir。Hedoessmokesomething
terrible。Alldayandsometimesallnight，sir。I”veseenthatroomof
amorning-well，sir，you”dhavethoughtitwasaLondonfog。Poor
youngMr。Smith，hewasasmokeralso，butnotasbadasthe
professor。Hishealth-well，Idon”tknowthatit”sbetternorworse
forthesmoking。”
“Ah！“saidHolmes，“butitkillstheappetite。”
“Well，Idon”tknowaboutthat，sir。”
“Isupposetheprofessoreatshardlyanything？“
“Well，heisvariable。I”llsaythatforhim。”
“I”llwagerhetooknobreakfastthismorning，andwon”tfacehis
lunchafterallthecigarettesIsawhimconsume。”
“Well，you”reoutthere，sir，asithappens，forheatearemarkable
bigbreakfastthismorning。Idon”tknowwhenI”veknownhimmakea
betterone，andhe”sorderedagooddishofcutletsforhislunch。I”m
surprisedmyself，forsinceIcameintothatroomyesterdayandsaw
youngMr。Smithlyingthereonthefloor，Icouldn”tbeartolookat
food。Well，ittakesallsortstomakeaworld，andtheprofessor
hasn”tletittakehisappetiteaway。”
Weloiteredthemorningawayinthegarden。StanleyHopkinshadgone
downtothevillagetolookintosomerumoursofastrangewomanwho
hadbeenseenbysomechildrenontheChathamRoadtheprevious
morning。Astomyfriend，allhisusualenergyseemedtohavedeserted
him。Ihadneverknownhimhandleacaseinsuchahalf-hearted
fashion。EventhenewsbroughtbackbyHopkinsthathehadfoundthe
children，andthattheyhadundoubtedlyseenawomanexactly
correspondingwithHolmes”sdescription，andwearingeitherspectacles
oreyeglasses，failedtorouseanysignofkeeninterest。Hewas
moreattentivewhenSusan，whowaiteduponusatlunch，volunteered
theinformationthatshebelievedMr。Smithhadbeenoutforawalk
yesterdaymorning，andthathehadonlyreturnedhalfanhourbefore
thetragedyoccurred。Icouldnotmyselfseethebearingofthis
incident，butIclearlyperceivedthatHolmeswasweavingitinto
thegeneralschemewhichhehadformedinhisbrain。Suddenlyhe
sprangfromhischairandglancedathiswatch。“Twoo”clock，
gentlemen，“saidhe。“Wemustgoupandhaveitoutwithourfriend，
theprofessor。”
Theoldmanhadjustfinishedhislunch，andcertainlyhisempty
dishboreevidencetothegoodappetitewithwhichhishousekeeperhad
creditedhim。Hewas，indeed，aweirdfigureasheturnedhiswhite
maneandhisglowingeyestowardsus。Theeternalcigarettesmouldered
inhismouth。Hehadbeendressedandwasseatedinanarmchairbythe
fire。
“Well，Mr。Holmes，haveyousolvedthismysteryyet？“Heshoved
thelargetinofcigaretteswhichstoodonatablebesidehim
towardsmycompanion。Holmesstretchedouthishandatthesame
moment，andbetweenthemtheytippedtheboxovertheedge。Fora
minuteortwowewereallonourkneesretrievingstraycigarettes
fromimpossibleplaces。Whenweroseagain，IobservedHolmes”seyes
wereshiningandhischeekstingedwithcolour。Onlyatacrisis
haveIseenthosebattle-signalsflying。
“Yes，“saidhe，“Ihavesolvedit。”
StanleyHopkinsandIstaredinamazement。Somethinglikeasneer
quiveredoverthegauntfeaturesoftheoldprofessor。
“Indeed！Inthegarden？“
“No，here。”
“Here！When？“
“Thisinstant。”
“Youaresurelyjoking，Mr。SherlockHolmes。Youcompelmetotell
youthatthisistooseriousamattertobetreatedinsucha
fashion。”
“Ihaveforgedandtestedeverylinkofmychain，ProfessorCoram，
andIamsurethatitissound。Whatyourmotivesare，orwhatexact
partyouplayinthisstrangebusiness，Iamnotyetabletosay。Ina
fewminutesIshallprobablyhearitfromyourownlips。MeanwhileI
willreconstructwhatispastforyourbenefit，sothatyoumayknow
theinformationwhichIstillrequire。
“Aladyyesterdayenteredyourstudy。Shecamewiththeintentionof
possessingherselfofcertaindocumentswhichwereinyourbureau。She
hadakeyofherown。Ihavehadanopportunityofexaminingyours，
andIdonotfindthatslightdiscolourationwhichthescratchmade
uponthevarnishwouldhaveproduced。Youwerenotanaccessory，
therefore，andshecame，sofarasIcanreadtheevidence，without
yourknowledgetorobyou。”
Theprofessorblewacloudfromhislips。“Thisismost
interestingandinstructive，“saidhe。“Haveyounomoretoadd？
Surely，havingtracedthisladysofar，youcanalsosaywhathas
becomeofher。”
“Iwillendeavourtodoso。Inthefirstplaceshewasseizedby
yoursecretary，andstabbedhiminordertoescape。ThiscatastropheI
aminclinedtoregardasanunhappyaccident，forIamconvinced
thattheladyhadnointentionofinflictingsogrievousaninjury。An
assassindoesnotcomeunarmed。Horrifiedbywhatshehaddone，she
rushedwildlyawayfromthesceneofthetragedy。Unfortunatelyfor
her，shehadlostherglassesinthescuffle，andasshewasextremely
shortsightedshewasreallyhelplesswithoutthem。Sherandowna
corridor，whichsheimaginedtobethatbywhichshehadcome-both
werelinedwithcocoanutmatting-anditwasonlywhenitwastoolate
thatsheunderstoodthatshehadtakenthewrongpassage，andthather
retreatwascutoffbehindher。Whatwasshetodo？Shecouldnotgo
back。Shecouldnotremainwhereshewas。Shemustgoon。Shewenton。
Shemountedastair，pushedopenadoor，andfoundherselfinyour
room。”
Theoldmansatwithhismouthopen，staringwildlyatHolmes。
Amazementandfearwerestampeduponhisexpressivefeatures。Now，
withaneffort，heshruggedhisshouldersandburstintoinsincere
laughter。
“Allveryfine，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe。“Butthereisonelittle
flawinyoursplendidtheory。Iwasmyselfinmyroom，andInever
leftitduringtheday。”
“Iamawareofthat，ProfessorCoram。”
“AndyoumeantosaythatIcouldlieuponthatbedandnotbeaware
thatawomanhadenteredmyroom？“
“Ineversaidso。Youwereawareofit。Youspokewithher。You
recognizedher。Youaidedhertoescape。”
Againtheprofessorburstintohigh-keyedlaughter。Hehadrisen
tohisfeet，andhiseyesglowedlikeembers。
“Youaremad！“hecried。“Youaretalkinginsanely。Ihelpedher
toescape？Whereisshenow？“
“Sheisthere，“saidHolmes，andhepointedtoahighbookcasein
thecorneroftheroom。
Isawtheoldmanthrowuphisarms，aterribleconvulsionpassed
overhisgrimface，andhefellbackinhischair。Atthesameinstant
thebookcaseatwhichHolmespointedswungrounduponahinge，anda
womanrushedoutintotheroom。“Youareright！“shecried，ina
strangeforeignvoice。“Youareright！Iamhere。”
Shewasbrownwiththedustanddrapedwiththecobwebswhichhad
comefromthewallsofherhiding-place。Herface，too，wasstreaked
withgrime，andatthebestshecouldneverhavebeenhandsome，for
shehadtheexactphysicalcharacteristicswhichHolmeshaddivined，
with，inaddition，alongandobstinatechin。Whatwithhernatural
blindness，andwhatwiththechangefromdarktolight，shestoodas
onedazed，blinkingabouthertoseewhereandwhowewere。Andyet，
inspiteofallthesedisadvantages，therewasacertainnobilityin
thewoman”sbearing-agallantryinthedefiantchinandinthe
upraisedhead，whichcompelledsomethingofrespectandadmiration。
StanleyHopkinshadlaidhishanduponherarmandclaimedheras
hisprisoner，butshewavedhimasidegently，andyetwithan
over-masteringdignitywhichcompelledobedience。Theoldmanlayback
inhischairwithatwitchingface，andstaredatherwithbrooding
eyes。
“Yes，sir，Iamyourprisoner，“shesaid。“FromwhereIstoodI
couldheareverything，andIknowthatyouhavelearnedthetruth。I
confessitall。ItwasIwhokilledtheyoungman。Butyouare
right-youwhosayitwasanaccident。Ididnotevenknowthatitwas
aknifewhichIheldinmyhand，forinmydespairIsnatchedanything
fromthetableandstruckathimtomakehimletmego。Itisthe
truththatItell。”
“Madam，“saidHolmes，“Iamsurethatitisthetruth。Ifearthat
youarefarfromwell。”
Shehadturnedadreadfulcolour，themoreghastlyunderthedark
dust-streaksuponherface。Sheseatedherselfonthesideofthebed；
thensheresumed。
“Ihaveonlyalittletimehere，“shesaid，“butIwouldhaveyouto
knowthewholetruth。Iamthisman”swife。HeisnotanEnglishman。
HeisaRussian。HisnameIwillnottell。”
Forthefirsttimetheoldmanstirred。“Godblessyou，Anna！“he
cried。“Godblessyou！“
Shecastalookofthedeepestdisdaininhisdirection。“Whyshould
youclingsohardtothatwretchedlifeofyours，Sergius？“said
she。“Ithasdoneharmtomanyandgoodtonone-noteventoyourself。
However，itisnotformetocausethefrailthreadtobesnapped
beforeGod”stime。IhaveenoughalreadyuponmysoulsinceI
crossedthethresholdofthiscursedhouse。ButImustspeakorI
shallbetoolate。
“Ihavesaid，gentlemen，thatIamthisman”swife。Hewasfiftyand
Iafoolishgirloftwentywhenwemarried。Itwasinacityof
Russia，auniversity-Iwillnotnametheplace。”
“Godblessyou，Anna！“murmuredtheoldmanagain。
“Wewerereformers-revolutionists-Nihilists，youunderstand。He
andIandmanymore。Thentherecameatimeoftrouble，apolice
officerwaskilled，manywerearrested，evidencewaswanted，andin
ordertosavehisownlifeandtoearnagreatreward，myhusband
betrayedhisownwifeandhiscompanions。Yes，wewereallarrested
uponhisconfession。Someofusfoundourwaytothegallows，andsome
toSiberia。Iwasamongtheselast，butmytermwasnotforlife。My
husbandcametoEnglandwithhisill-gottengainsandhaslivedin
quieteversince，knowingwellthatiftheBrotherhoodknewwherehe
wasnotaweekwouldpassbeforejusticewouldbedone。”
Theoldmanreachedoutatremblinghandandhelpedhimselftoa
cigarette。“Iaminyourhands，Anna，“saidhe。“Youwerealways
goodtome。”
“Ihavenotyettoldyoutheheightofhisvillainy，“saidshe。
“AmongourcomradesoftheOrder，therewasonewhowasthefriend
ofmyheart。Hewasnoble，unselfish，loving-allthatmyhusband
wasnot。Hehatedviolence。Wewereallguilty-ifthatisguilt-
buthewasnot。Hewroteforeverdissuadingusfromsuchacourse。
Theseletterswouldhavesavedhim。Sowouldmydiary，inwhich，
fromdaytoday，Ihadenteredbothmyfeelingstowardshimandthe
viewwhicheachofushadtaken。Myhusbandfoundandkeptboth
diaryandletters。Hehidthem，andhetriedhardtoswearawaythe
youngman”slife。Inthishefailed，butAlexiswassentaconvict
toSiberia，wherenow，atthismoment，heworksinasaltmine。
Thinkofthat，youvillain，youvillain！-now，now，atthisvery
moment，Alexis，amanwhosenameyouarenotworthytospeak，works
andliveslikeaslave，andyetIhaveyourlifeinmyhands，andI
letyougo。”
“Youwerealwaysanoblewoman，Anna，“saidtheoldman，puffing
athiscigarette。
Shehadrisen，butshefellbackagainwithalittlecryofpain。
“Imustfinish，“shesaid。“WhenmytermwasoverIsetmyselfto
getthediaryandletterswhich，ifsenttotheRussiangovernment，
wouldprocuremyfriend”srelease。Iknewthatmyhusbandhadcome
toEngland。AftermonthsofsearchingIdiscoveredwherehewas。I
knewthathestillhadthediary，forwhenIwasinSiberiaIhada
letterfromhimonce，reproachingmeandquotingsomepassagesfrom
itspages。YetIwassurethat，withhisrevengefulnature，hewould
nevergiveittomeofhisownfree-will。Imustgetitformyself。
WiththisobjectIengagedanagentfromaprivatedetectivefirm，who
enteredmyhusband”shouseasasecretary-itwasyoursecond
secretary，Sergius，theonewholeftyousohurriedly。Hefoundthat
paperswerekeptinthecupboard，andhegotanimpressionofthekey。
Hewouldnotgofarther。Hefurnishedmewithaplanofthehouse，and
hetoldmethatintheforenoonthestudywasalwaysempty，asthe
secretarywasemployeduphere。SoatlastItookmycourageinboth
hands，andIcamedowntogetthepapersformyself。Isucceeded；
butatwhatacost！
“Ihadjusttakenthepaper；andwaslockingthecupboard，when
theyoungmanseizedme。Ihadseenhimalreadythatmorning。Hehad
metmeontheroad，andIhadaskedhimtotellmewhereProfessor
Coramlived，notknowingthathewasinhisemploy。”
“Exactly！Exactly！“saidHolmes。“Thesecretarycameback，and
toldhisemployerofthewomanhehadmet。Then，inhislastbreath，
hetriedtosendamessagethatitwasshe-theshewhomhehadjust
discussedwithhim。”
“Youmustletmespeak，“saidthewoman，inanimperativevoice，and
herfacecontractedasifinpain。“WhenhehadfallenIrushedfrom
theroom，chosethewrongdoor，andfoundmyselfinmyhusband”sroom。
Hespokeofgivingmeup。Ishowedhimthatifhedidso，hislifewas
inmyhands。Ifhegavemetothelaw，Icouldgivehimtothe
Brotherhood。ItwasnotthatIwishedtoliveformyownsake，but
itwasthatIdesiredtoaccomplishmypurpose。HeknewthatIwould
dowhatIsaid-thathisownfatewasinvolvedinmine。Forthat
reason，andfornoother，heshieldedme。Hethrustmeintothat
darkhiding-place-arelicofolddays，knownonlytohimself。Hetook
hismealsinhisownroom，andsowasabletogivemepartofhis
food。ItwasagreedthatwhenthepoliceleftthehouseIshould
slipawaybynightandcomebacknomore。Butinsomewayyouhave
readourplans。”Shetorefromthebosomofherdressasmall
packet。“Thesearemylastwords，“saidshe；“hereisthepacketwhich
willsaveAlexis。Iconfideittoyourhonourandtoyourloveof
justice。Takeit！YouwilldeliveritattheRussianEmbassy。Now，I
havedonemyduty，and-“
“Stopher！“criedHolmes。Hehadboundedacrosstheroomandhad
wrenchedasmallphialfromherhand。
“Toolate！“shesaid，sinkingbackonthebed。“Toolate！Itookthe
poisonbeforeIleftmyhiding-place。Myheadswims！Iamgoing！I
chargeyou，sir，torememberthepacket。”
“Asimplecase，andyet，insomeways，aninstructiveone，“Holmes
remarked，aswetravelledbacktotown。“Ithingedfromtheoutset
uponthepince-nez。Butforthefortunatechanceofthedyingman
havingseizedthese，Iamnotsurethatwecouldeverhavereachedour
solution。Itwascleartome，fromthestrengthoftheglasses，that
thewearermusthavebeenveryblindandhelplesswhendeprivedof
them。Whenyouaskedmetobelievethatshewalkedalonganarrow
stripofgrasswithoutoncemakingafalsestep，Iremarked，asyou
mayremember，thatitwasanoteworthyperformance。InmymindIset
itdownasanimpossibleperformance，saveintheunlikelycasethat
shehadasecondpairofglasses。Iwasforced，therefore，toconsider
seriouslythehypothesisthatshehadremainedwithinthehouse。On
perceivingthesimilarityofthetwocorridors，itbecameclearthat
shemightveryeasilyhavemadesuchamistake，and，inthatcase，
itwasevidentthatshemusthaveenteredtheprofessor”sroom。I
waskeenlyonthealert，therefore，forwhateverwouldbearoutthis
supposition，andIexaminedtheroomnarrowlyforanythinginthe
shapeofahiding-place。Thecarpetseemedcontinuousandfirmly
nailed，soIdismissedtheideaofatrap-door。Theremightwellbe
arecessbehindthebooks。Asyouareaware，suchdevicesarecommon
inoldlibraries。Iobservedthatbookswerepiledontheflooratall
otherpoints，butthatonebookcasewasleftclear。This，then，
mightbethedoor。Icouldseenomarkstoguideme，butthecarpet
wasofaduncolour，whichlendsitselfverywelltoexamination。I
thereforesmokedagreatnumberofthoseexcellentcigarettes，andI
droppedtheashalloverthespaceinfrontofthesuspectedbookcase。
Itwasasimpletrick，butexceedinglyeffective。Ithenwent
downstairs，andIascertained，inyourpresence，Watson，without
yourperceivingthedriftofmyremarks，thatProfessorCoram”s
consumptionoffoodhadincreased-asonewouldexpectwhenheis
supplyingasecondperson。Wethenascendedtotheroomagain，when，
byupsettingthecigarette-box，Iobtainedaveryexcellentviewof
thefloor，andwasabletoseequiteclearly，fromthetracesuponthe
cigaretteash，thattheprisonerhadinourabsencecomeoutfrom
herretreat。Well，Hopkins，hereweareatCharingCross，andI
congratulateyouonhavingbroughtyourcasetoasuccessful
conclusion。Youaregoingtoheadquarters，nodoubt。Ithink，
Watson，youandIwilldrivetogethertotheRussianEmbassy。”-
THEEND-