“ThetopfloorbelongstoMilesMcLaren。Heisabrilliantfellow
whenhechoosestowork-oneofthebrightestintellectsofthe
university；butheiswayward，dissipated，andunprincipled。Hewas
nearlyexpelledoveracardscandalinhisfirstyear。Hehasbeen
idlingallthisterm，andhemustlookforwardwithdreadtothe
examination。”
“Thenitishewhomyoususpect？“
“Idarenotgosofarasthat。But，ofthethree，heisperhaps
theleastunlikely。”
“Exactly。Now，Mr。Soames，letushavealookatyourservant，
Bannister。”
Hewasalittle，white-faced，clean-shaven，grizzly-hairedfellowof
fifty。Hewasstillsufferingfromthissuddendisturbanceofthe
quietroutineofhislife。Hisplumpfacewastwitchingwithhis
nervousness，andhisfingerscouldnotkeepstill。
“Weareinvestigatingthisunhappybusiness，Bannister，“saidhis
master。
“Yes，sir。”
“Iunderstand，“saidHolmes，“thatyouleftyourkeyinthedoor？“
“Yes，sir。”
“Wasitnotveryextraordinarythatyoushoulddothisonthevery
daywhentherewerethesepapersinside？“
“Itwasmostunfortunate，sir。ButIhaveoccasionallydonethesame
thingatothertimes。”
“Whendidyouentertheroom？“
“Itwasabouthalf-pastfour。ThatisMr。Soames”teatime。”
“Howlongdidyoustay？“
“WhenIsawthathewasabsent，Iwithdrewatonce。”
“Didyoulookatthesepapersonthetable？“
“No，sir-certainlynot。”
“Howcameyoutoleavethekeyinthedoor？“
“Ihadthetea-trayinmyhand。IthoughtIwouldcomebackfor
thekey。ThenIforgot。”
“Hastheouterdooraspringlock？“
“No，sir。”
“Thenitwasopenallthetime？“
“Yes，sir。”
“Anyoneintheroomcouldgetout？“
“Yes，sir。”
“WhenMr。Soamesreturnedandcalledforyou，youwereverymuch
disturbed？“
“Yes，sir。Suchathinghasneverhappenedduringthemanyyears
thatIhavebeenhere。Inearlyfainted，sir。”
“SoIunderstand。Wherewereyouwhenyoubegantofeelbad？“
“WherewasI，sir？Why，here，nearthedoor。”
“Thatissingular，becauseyousatdowninthatchairoveryonder
nearthecorner。Whydidyoupasstheseotherchairs？“
“Idon”tknow，sir，itdidn”tmattertomewhereIsat。””Ireallydon”tthinkheknewmuchaboutit，Mr。Holmes。Hewas
lookingverybad-quiteghastly。”
“Youstayedherewhenyourmasterleft？“
“Onlyforaminuteorso。ThenIlockedthedoorandwenttomy
room。”
“Whomdoyoususpect？“”Oh，Iwouldnotventuretosay，sir。Idon”tbelievethereisany
gentlemaninthisuniversitywhoiscapableofprofitingbysuchan
action。No，sir，I”llnotbelieveit。”
“Thankyou，thatwilldo，“saidHolmes。“Oh，onemoreword。Youhave
notmentionedtoanyofthethreegentlemenwhomyouattendthat
anythingisamiss？“
“No，sir-notaword。”
“Youhaven”tseenanyofthem？“
“No，sir。”
“Verygood。Now，Mr。Soames，wewilltakeawalkinthe
quadrangle，ifyouplease。”
Threeyellowsquaresoflightshoneaboveusinthegatheringgloom。
“Yourthreebirdsareallintheirnests，“saidHolmes，looking
up。“Halloa！What”sthat？Oneofthemseemsrestlessenough。”
ItwastheIndian，whosedarksilhouetteappearedsuddenlyupon
hisblind。Hewaspacingswiftlyupanddownhisroom。
“Ishouldliketohaveapeepateachofthem，“saidHolmes。“Is
itpossible？“
“Nodifficultyintheworld，“Soamesanswered。“Thissetofroomsis
quitetheoldestinthecollege，anditisnotunusualforvisitorsto
gooverthem。Comealong，andIwillpersonallyconductyou。”
“Nonames，please！“saidHolmes，asweknockedatGilchrist”s
door。Atall，flaxen-haired，slimyoungfellowopenedit，andmade
uswelcomewhenheunderstoodourerrand。Thereweresomereally
curiouspiecesofmediaevaldomesticarchitecturewithin。Holmeswas
socharmedwithoneofthemthatheinsistedondrawingitinhis
notebook，brokehispencil，hadtoborrowonefromourhostand
finallyborrowedaknifetosharpenhisown。Thesamecuriousaccident
happenedtohimintheroomsoftheIndian-asilent，little，
book-nosedfellow，whoeyedusaskance，andwasobviouslygladwhen
Holmes”sarchitecturalstudieshadcometoanend。Icouldnotsee
thatineithercaseHolmeshadcomeupontheclueforwhichhewas
searching。Onlyatthethirddidourvisitproveabortive。Theouter
doorwouldnotopentoourknock，andnothingmoresubstantialthan
atorrentofbadlanguagecamefrombehindit。“Idon”tcarewhoyou
are。Youcangotoblazes！“roaredtheangryvoice。“Tomorrow”sthe
exam，andIwon”tbedrawnbyanyone。”
“Arudefellow，“saidourguide，flushingwithangeraswe
withdrewdownthestair。“Ofcourse，hedidnotrealizethatitwas
Iwhowasknocking，butnonethelesshisconductwasvery
uncourteous，and，indeed，underthecircumstancesrathersuspicious。”
Holmes”sresponsewasacuriousone。
“Canyoutellmehisexactheight？“heasked。
“Really，Mr。Holmes，Icannotundertaketosay。Heistallerthan
theIndian，notsotallasGilchrist。Isupposefivefootsixwouldbe
aboutit。”
“Thatisveryimportant，“saidHolmes。“Andnow，Mr。Soames，I
wishyougood-night。”
Ourguidecriedaloudinhisastonishmentanddismay。“Good
gracious，Mr。Holmes，youaresurelynotgoingtoleavemeinthis
abruptfashion！Youdon”tseemtorealizetheposition。To-morrowis
theexamination。Imusttakesomedefiniteactionto-night。Icannot
allowtheexaminationtobeheldifoneofthepapershasbeen
tamperedwith。Thesituationmustbefaced。”
“Youmustleaveitasitis。Ishalldroproundearlyto-morrow
morningandchatthematterover。ItispossiblethatImaybeina
positionthentoindicatesomecourseofaction。Meanwhile，youchange
nothing-nothingatall。”
“Verygood，Mr。Holmes。”
“Youcanbeperfectlyeasyinyourmind。Weshallcertainlyfind
somewayoutofyourdifficulties。Iwilltaketheblackclaywithme，
alsothepencilcuttings。Good-bye。”
Whenwewereoutinthedarknessofthequadrangle，weagain
lookedupatthewindows。TheIndianstillpacedhisroom。The
otherswereinvisible。
“Well，Watson，whatdoyouthinkofit？“Holmesasked，aswecame
outintothemainstreet。“Quitealittleparlourgame-sortof
three-cardtrick，isitnot？Thereareyourthreemen。Itmustbe
oneofthem。Youtakeyourchoice。Whichisyours？“
“Thefoul-mouthedfellowatthetop。Heistheonewiththeworst
record。AndyetthatIndianwasaslyfellowalso。Whyshouldhebe
pacinghisroomallthetime？“
“Thereisnothinginthat。Manymendoitwhentheyaretryingto
learnanythingbyheart。”
“Helookedatusinaqueerway。”
“Sowouldyou，ifaflockofstrangerscameinonyouwhenyou
werepreparingforanexaminationnextday，andeverymomentwasof
value。No，Iseenothinginthat。Pencils，too，andknives-allwas
satisfactory。Butthatfellowdoespuzzleme。”
“Who？“
“Why，Bannister，theservant。What”shisgameinthematter？“
“Heimpressedmeasbeingaperfectlyhonestman。”
“Sohedidme。That”sthepuzzlingpart。Whyshouldaperfectly
honestman-Well，well，here”salargestationer”s。Weshallbeginour
researcheshere。”
Therewereonlyfourstationersofanyconsequencesinthetown，and
ateachHolmesproducedhispencilchips，andbidhighfora
duplicate。Allwereagreedthatonecouldbeordered，butthatit
wasnotausualsizeofpencilandthatitwasseldomkeptinstock。
Myfrienddidnotappeartobedepressedbyhisfailure，but
shruggedhisshouldersinhalf-humorousresignation。
“Nogood，mydearWatson。This，thebestandonlyfinalclue，has
runtonothing。But，indeed，Ihavelittledoubtthatwecanbuild
upasufficientcasewithoutit。ByJove！mydearfellow，itisnearly
nine，andthelandladybabbledofgreenpeasatseven-thirty。What
withyoureternaltobacco，Watson，andyourirregularityatmeals，I
expectthatyouwillgetnoticetoquit，andthatIshallshareyour
downfall-not，however，beforewehavesolvedtheproblemofthe
nervoustutor，thecarelessservant，andthethreeenterprising
students。”
Holmesmadenofurtherallusiontothematterthatday，thoughhe
satlostinthoughtforalongtimeafterourbelateddinner。Ateight
inthemorning，hecameintomyroomjustasIfinishedmytoilet。
“Well，Watson，“saidhe，“itistimewewentdowntoSt。Luke”s。Can
youdowithoutbreakfast？“
“Certainly。”
“Soameswillbeinadreadfulfidgetuntilweareabletotellhim
somethingpositive。”
“Haveyouanythingpositivetotellhim？“
“Ithinkso。”
“Youhaveformedaconclusion？“
“Yes，mydearWatson，Ihavesolvedthemystery。”
“Butwhatfreshevidencecouldyouhavegot？“
“Aha！ItisnotfornothingthatIhaveturnedmyselfoutofbed
attheuntimelyhourofsix。Ihaveputintwohours”hardworkand
coveredatleastfivemiles，withsomethingtoshowforit。Lookat
that！“
Heheldouthishand。Onthepalmwerethreelittlepyramidsof
black，doughyclay。
“Why，Holmes，youhadonlytwoyesterday。”
“Andonemorethismorning。Itisafairargumentthatwherever
No。3camefromisalsothesourceofNos。1and2。Eh，Watson？
Well，comealongandputfriendSoamesoutofhispain。”
Theunfortunatetutorwascertainlyinastateofpitiableagitation
whenwefoundhiminhischambers。Inafewhourstheexamination
wouldcommence，andhewasstillinthedilemmabetweenmakingthe
factspublicandallowingtheculprittocompeteforthevaluable
scholarship。Hecouldhardlystandstillsogreatwashismental
agitation，andherantowardsHolmeswithtwoeagerhands
outstretched。
“Thankheaventhatyouhavecome！Ifearedthatyouhadgivenit
upindespair。WhatamItodo？Shalltheexaminationproceed？“
“Yes，letitproceed，byallmeans。”
“Butthisrascal？“
“Heshallnotcompete。”
“Youknowhim？“
“Ithinkso。Ifthismatterisnottobecomepublic，wemustgive
ourselvescertainpowersandresolveourselvesintoasmallprivate
court-martial。Youthere，ifyouplease，Soames！Watsonyouhere！I”ll
takethearmchairinthemiddle。Ithinkthatwearenow
sufficientlyimposingtostriketerrorintoaguiltybreast。Kindly
ringthebell！“
Bannisterentered，andshrankbackinevidentsurpriseandfearat
ourjudicialappearance。
“Youwillkindlyclosethedoor，“saidHolmes。“Now，Bannister，will
youpleasetellusthetruthaboutyesterday”sincident？“
Themanturnedwhitetotherootsofhishair。
“Ihavetoldyoueverything，sir。”
“Nothingtoadd？“
“Nothingatall，sir。”
“Well，then，Imustmakesomesuggestionstoyou。Whenyousat
downonthatchairyesterday，didyoudosoinordertoconcealsome
objectwhichwouldhaveshownwhohadbeenintheroom？“
Bannister”sfacewasghastly。
“No，sir，certainlynot。”
“Itisonlyasuggestion，“saidHolmes，suavely。“Ifranklyadmit
thatIamunabletoproveit。Butitseemsprobableenough，since
themomentthatMr。Soames”sbackwasturned，youreleasedthemanwho
washidinginthatbedroom。”
Bannisterlickedhisdrylips。
“Therewasnoman，sir。”
“Ah，that”sapity，Bannister。Uptonowyoumayhavespokenthe
truth，butnowIknowthatyouhavelied。”
Theman”sfacesetinsullendefiance。
“Therewasnoman，sir。”
“Come，come，Bannister！“
“No，sir，therewasnoone。”
“Inthatcase，youcangiveusnofurtherinformation。Wouldyou
pleaseremainintheroom？Standovertherenearthebedroomdoor。
Now，Soames，Iamgoingtoaskyoutohavethegreatkindnesstogoup
totheroomofyoungGilchrist，andtoaskhimtostepdowninto
yours。”
Aninstantlaterthetutorreturned，bringingwithhimthe
student。Hewasafinefigureofaman，tall，lithe，andagile，witha
springystepandapleasant，openface。Histroubledblueeyesglanced
ateachofus，andfinallyrestedwithanexpressionofblankdismay
uponBannisterinthefarthercorner。
“Justclosethedoor，“saidHolmes。“Now，Mr。Gilchrist，weare
allquitealonehere，andnooneneedeverknowonewordofwhat
passesbetweenus。Wecanbeperfectlyfrankwitheachother。We
wanttoknow，Mr。Gilchrist，howyou，anhonourableman，evercame
tocommitsuchanactionasthatofyesterday？“
Theunfortunateyoungmanstaggeredback，andcastalookfullof
horrorandreproachatBannister。
“No，no，Mr。Gilchrist，sir，Ineversaidaword-neveroneword！“
criedtheservant。
“No，butyouhavenow，“saidHolmes。“Now，sir，youmustseethat
afterBannister”swordsyourpositionishopeless，andthatyour
onlychanceliesinafrankconfession。”
ForamomentGilchrist，withupraisedhand，triedtocontrolhis
writhingfeatures。Thenexthehadthrownhimselfonhisknees
besidethetable，andburyinghisfaceinhishands，hehadburstinto
astormofpassionatesobbing。
“Come，come，“saidHolmes，kindly，“itishumantoerr，andatleast
noonecanaccuseyouofbeingacallouscriminal。Perhapsitwouldbe
easierforyouifIweretotellMr。Soameswhatoccurred，andyoucan
checkmewhereIamwrong。ShallIdoso？Well，well，don”ttroubleto
answer。Listen，andseethatIdoyounoinjustice。
“Fromthemoment，Mr。Soames，thatyousaidtomethatnoone，not
evenBannister，couldhavetoldthatthepaperswereinyourroom，the
casebegantotakeadefiniteshapeinmymind。Theprinteronecould，
ofcourse，dismiss。Hecouldexaminethepapersinhisownoffice。The
IndianIalsothoughtnothingof。Iftheproofswereinaroll，he
couldnotpossiblyknowwhattheywere。Ontheotherhand，itseemed
anunthinkablecoincidencethatamanshoulddaretoentertheroom，
andthatbychanceonthatverydaythepaperswereonthetable。I
dismissedthat。Themanwhoenteredknewthatthepaperswerethere。
Howdidheknow？
“WhenIapproachedyourroom，Iexaminedthewindow。Youamusedme
bysupposingthatIwascontemplatingthepossibilityofsomeone
havinginbroaddaylight，undertheeyesofalltheseopposite
rooms，forcedhimselfthroughit。Suchanideawasabsurd。Iwas
measuringhowtallamanwouldneedtobeinordertosee，ashe
passed，whatpaperswereonthecentraltable。Iamsixfeethigh，and
Icoulddoitwithaneffort。Noonelessthanthatwouldhavea
chance。AlreadyyouseeIhadreasontothinkthat，ifoneofyour
threestudentswasamanofunusualheight，hewasthemostworth
watchingofthethree。
“Ientered，andItookyouintomyconfidenceastothe
suggestionsofthesidetable。OfthecentretableIcouldmake
nothing，untilinyourdescriptionofGilchristyoumentionedthat
hewasalong-distancejumper。Thenthewholethingcametomeinan
instant，andIonlyneededcertaincorroborativeproofs，whichI
speedilyobtained。
“Whathappenedwasthis：Thisyoungfellowhademployedhis
afternoonattheathleticgrounds，wherehehadbeenpractisingthe
jump。Hereturnedcarryinghisjumpingshoes，whichareprovided，as
youareaware，withseveralsharpspikes。Ashepassedbyyour
windowhesaw，bymeansofhisgreatheight，theseproofsuponyour
table，andconjecturedwhattheywere。Noharmwouldhavebeendone
haditnotbeenthat，ashepassedyourdoor，heperceivedthekey
whichhadbeenleftbythecarelessnessofyourservant。Asudden
impulsecameoverhimtoenter，andseeiftheywereindeedthe
proofs。Itwasnotadangerousexploitforhecouldalwayspretend
thathehadsimplylookedintoaskaquestion。
“Well，whenhesawthattheywereindeedtheproofs，itwasthen
thatheyieldedtotemptation。Heputhisshoesonthetable。Whatwas
ityouputonthatchairnearthewindow？“
“Gloves，“saidtheyoungman。
HolmeslookedtriumphantlyatBannister。“Heputhisglovesonthe
chair，andhetooktheproofs，sheetbysheet，tocopythem。He
thoughtthetutormustreturnbythemaingateandthathewouldsee
him。Asweknow，hecamebackbythesidegate。Suddenlyheheard
himattheverydoor。Therewasnopossibleescape。Heforgothis
glovesbuthecaughtuphisshoesanddartedintothebedroom。You
observethatthescratchonthattableisslightatoneside，but
deepensinthedirectionofthebedroomdoor。Thatinitselfisenough
toshowusthattheshoehadbeendrawninthatdirection，andthat
theculprithadtakenrefugethere。Theearthroundthespikehadbeen
leftonthetable，andasecondsamplewasloosenedandfellinthe
bedroom。ImayaddthatIwalkedouttotheathleticgroundsthis
morning，sawthattenaciousblackclayisusedinthejumping-pit
andcarriedawayaspecimenofit，togetherwithsomeofthefine
tanorsawdustwhichisstrewnoverittopreventtheathletefrom
slipping。HaveItoldthetruth，Mr。Gilchrist？“
Thestudenthaddrawnhimselferect。
“Yes，sir，itistrue，“saidhe。
“Goodheavens！haveyounothingtoadd？“criedSoames。
“Yes，sir，Ihave，buttheshockofthisdisgracefulexposurehas
bewilderedme。Ihavealetterhere，Mr。Soames，whichIwroteto
youearlythismorninginthemiddleofarestlessnight。Itwas
beforeIknewthatmysinhadfoundmeout。Hereitis，sir。You
willseethatIhavesaid，”Ihavedeterminednottogoinforthe
examination。IhavebeenofferedacommissionintheRhodesianPolice，
andIamgoingouttoSouthAfricaatonce。”“
“Iamindeedpleasedtohearthatyoudidnotintendtoprofitby
yourunfairadvantage，“saidSoames。“Butwhydidyouchangeyour
purpose？“
GilchristpointedtoBannister。
“Thereisthemanwhosetmeintherightpath，“saidhe。
“Comenow，Bannister，“saidHolmes。“Itwillbecleartoyou，from
whatIhavesaid，thatonlyyoucouldhaveletthisyoungmanout，
sinceyouwereleftintheroom，andmusthavelockedthedoorwhen
youwentout。Astohisescapingbythatwindow，itwasincredible。
Canyounotclearupthelastpointinthismystery，andtellusthe
reasonsforyouraction？“
“Itwassimpleenough，sir，ifyouonlyhadknown，but，withall
yourcleverness，itwasimpossiblethatyoucouldknow。Timewas，sir，
whenIwasbutlertooldSirJabezGilchrist，thisyounggentleman”s
father。WhenhewasruinedIcametothecollegeasservant，butI
neverforgotmyoldemployerbecausehewasdownintheworld。I
watchedhissonallIcouldforthesakeoftheolddays。Well，sir，
whenIcameintothisroomyesterday，whenthealarmwasgiven，the
veryfirstthingIsawwasMr。Gilchrist”stangloveslyinginthat
chair。Iknewthosegloveswell，andIunderstoodtheirmessage。If
Mr。Soamessawthem，thegamewasup。Ifloppeddownintothat
chair，andnothingwouldbudgemeuntilMr。Soameswentforyou。
Thenoutcamemypooryoungmaster，whomIhaddandledonmyknee，and
confesseditalltome。Wasn”titnatural，sir，thatIshouldsave
him，andwasn”titnaturalalsothatIshouldtrytospeaktohimas
hisdeadfatherwouldhavedone，andmakehimunderstandthathecould
notprofitbysuchadeed？Couldyoublameme，sir？“
“No，indeed，“saidHolmes，heartily，springingtohisfeet。“Well，
Soames，Ithinkwehaveclearedyourlittleproblemup，andour
breakfastsawaitsusathome。Come，Watson！Astoyou，sir，Itrust
thatabrightfutureawaitsyouinRhodesia。Foronceyouhave
fallenlow。Letussee，inthefuture，howhighyoucanrise。”-
THEEND。
1927
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEVEILEDLODGER
bySirArthurConanDoyle
WhenoneconsidersthatMr。SherlockHolmeswasinactivepractice
fortwenty-threeyears，andthatduringseventeenoftheseIwas
allowedtocooperatewithhimandtokeepnotesofhisdoings，itwill
beclearthatIhaveamassofmaterialatmycommand。Theproblemhas
alwaysbeennottofindbuttochoose。Thereisthelongrowof
year-bookswhichfillashelf，andtherearethedispatch-casesfilled
withdocuments，aperfectquarryforthestudentnotonlyofcrimebut
ofthesocialandofficialscandalsofthelateVictorianera。
Concerningtheselatter，Imaysaythatthewritersofagonized
letters，whobegthatthehonouroftheirfamiliesorthereputation
offamousforebearsmaynotbetouched，havenothingtofear。The
discretionandhighsenseofprofessionalhonourwhichhavealways
distinguishedmyfriendarestillatworkinthechoiceofthese
memoirs，andnoconfidencewillbeabused。Ideprecate，however，in
thestrongestwaytheattemptswhichhavebeenmodelatelytogetat
andtodestroythesepapers。Thesourceoftheseoutragesisknown，
andiftheyarerepeatedIhaveMr。Holmes”sauthorityforsayingthat
thewholestoryconcerningthepolitician，thelighthouse，andthe
trainedcormorantwillbegiventothepublic。Thereisatleastone
readerwhowillunderstand。
Itisnotreasonabletosupposethateveryoneofthesecasesgave
Holmestheopportunityofshowingthosecuriousgiftsofinstinct
andobservationwhichIhaveendeavouredtosetfourthinthese
memoirs。Sometimeshehadwithmuchefforttopickthefruit，
sometimesitfelleasilyintohislap。Butthemostterriblehuman
tragedieswereofteninvolvedinthosecaseswhichbroughthimthe
fewestpersonalopportunities，anditisoneofthesewhichInow
desiretorecord。Intellingit，Ihavemadeaslightchangeofname
andplace，butotherwisethefactsareasstated。
Oneforenoon-itwaslatein1896-Ireceivedahurriednotefrom
Holmesaskingformyattendance。WhenIarrivedIfoundhimseated
inasmoke-ladenatmosphere，withallelderly，motherlywomanofthe
buxomlandladytypeinthecorrespondingchairinfrontofhim。
“ThisisMrs。Merrilow，ofSouthBrixton，“saidmyfriendwitha
waveofthehand。“Mrs。Merrilowdoesnotobjecttotobacco，Watson，
ifyouwishtoindulgeyourfilthyhabits。Mrs。Merrilowhasan
interestingstorytotellwhichmaywellleadtofurther
developmentsinwhichyourpresencemaybeuseful。”
“AnythingIcando-“
“Youwillunderstand，Mrs。Merrilow，thatifIcometoMrs。RonderI
shouldprefertohaveawitness。Youwillmakeherunderstandthat
beforewearrive。”
“Lordblessyou，Mr。Holmes，“saidourvisitor，“sheisthatanxious
toseeyouthatyoumightbringthewholeparishatyourheals！“
“Thenweshallcomeearlyintheafternoon。Letusseethatwe
haveourfactscorrectbeforewestart。Ifwegooverthemitwill
helpDr。Watsontounderstandthesituation。YousaythatMrs。
Ronderhasbeenyourlodgerforsevenyearsandthatyouhaveonly
onceseenherface。”
“AndIwishtoGodIhadnot！“saidMrs。Merrilow。
“Itwas，Iunderstand，terriblymutilated。”
“Well，Mr。Holmes，youwouldhardlysayitwasafaceatall。That”s
howitlooked。Ourmilkmangotaglimpseofheroncepeepingoutof
theupperwindow，andhedroppedhistinandthemilkalloverthe
frontgarden。thatisthekindoffaceitis。WhenIsawher-I
happenedonherunawares-shecoveredupquick，andthenshesaid，”Now，Mrs。Merrilow，youknowatlastwhyitisthatIneverraise
myveil。”“
“Doyouknowanythingaboutherhistory？“
“Nothingatall。”
“Didshegivereferenceswhenshecame？“
“No，sir，butshegavehardcash，andplentyofit。Aquarter”srent
rightdownonthetableinadvanceandnoarguingaboutterms。In
thesetimesapoorwomanlikemecan”taffordtoturndownachance
likethat。”
“Didshegiveanyreasonforchoosingyourhouse？“
“Minestandswellbackfromtheroadandismoreprivatethan
most。Then，again，Ionlytaketheone，andIhavenofamilyofmy
own。Ireckonshehadtriedothersandfoundthatminesuitedher
best。It”sprivacysheisafter，andsheisreadytopayforit。”
“Yousaythatshenevershowedherfacefromfirsttolastsaveon
theoneaccidentaloccasion。Well，itisaveryremarkablestory，most
remarkable，andIdon”twonderthatyouwantitexamined。”
“Idon”t，Mr。Holmes。IamquitesatisfiedsolongasIgetmyrent。
Youcouldnothaveaquieterlodger，oronewhogiveslesstrouble。”
“Thenwhathasbroughtmatterstoahead？“
“Herhealth，Mr。Holmes。Sheseemstobewastingaway。Andthere”s
somethingterribleonhermind。”Murder！”shecries。”Murder！”And
onceIheardher：”Youcruelbeast！Youmonster！”shecried。Itwasin
thenight，anditfairrangthroughthehouseandsenttheshivers
throughme。SoIwenttoherinthemorning。”Mrs。Ronder”Isays，”ifyouhaveanythingthatistroublingyoursoul，there”sthe
clergy”Isays，”andthere”sthepolice。Betweenthemyoushould
getsomehelp。””ForGod”ssake，notthepolice！”saysshe，”andthe
clergycan”tchangewhatispast。Andyet”shesays，”itwouldease
mymindifsomeoneknewthetruthbeforeIdied。””Well”saysI，”ifyouwon”thavetheregulars，thereisthisdetectivemanwhatwe
readabout”-beggin”yourpardon，Mr。Holmes。Andshe，shefairjumped
atit。”That”stheman”saysshe。”IwonderIneverthoughtofit
before。Bringhimhere，Mrs。Merrilow，andifhewon”tcome，tell
himIamthewifeofRonder”swildbeastshow。Saythat，andgive
himthenameAbbasParva。Hereitisasshewroteit，AbbasParva。”Thatwillbringhimifhe”sthemanIthinkheis。”“
“Anditwill，too，“remarkedHolmes。“Verygood，Mrs。Merrilow。I
shouldliketohavealittlechatwithDr。Watson。Thatwillcarry
ustilllunch-time。Aboutthreeo”clockyoumayexpecttoseeusat
yourhouseinBrixton。”
Ourvisitorhadnosoonerwaddledoutoftheroom-nootherverbcan
describeMrs。Merrilow”smethodofprogression-thanSherlockHolmes
threwhimselfwithfierceenergyuponthepileofcommonplacebooksin
thecorner。Forafewminutestherewasaconstantswishofthe
leaves，andthenwithagruntofsatisfactionhecameuponwhathe
sought。Soexcitedwashethathedidnotrise，butsatuponthefloor
likesomestrangeBuddha，withcrossedlegs，thehugebooksall
roundhim，andoneopenuponhisknees。
“Thecaseworriedmeatthetime，Watson。Herearemymarginalnotes
toproveit。IconfessthatIcouldmakenothingofit。AndyetI
wasconvincedthatthecoronerwaswrong。Haveyounorecollection
oftheAbbasParvatragedy？“
“None，Holmes。”
“Andyetyouwerewithmethen。Butcertainlymyownimpression
wasverysuperficial。Fortherewasnothingtogoby，andnoneof
thepartieshadengagedmyservices。Perhapsyouwouldcaretoread
thepapers？“
“Couldyounotgivemethepoints？“
“Thatisveryeasilydone。Itwillprobablycomebacktoyourmemory
asItalk。Ronder，ofcourse，wasahouseholdword。Hewastherival
ofWombwell，andofSanger，oneofthegreatestshowmenofhisday。
Thereisevidence，however，thathetooktodrink，andthatbothhe
andhisshowwereonthedowngradeatthetimeofthegreat
tragedy。ThecaravanhadhaltedforthenightatAbbasParva，whichis
asmallvillageinBerkshire，whenthishorroroccurred。Theywere
ontheirwaytoWimbledon，travellingbyroad，andtheyweresimply
campingandnotexhibiting，astheplaceissosmallaonethatit
wouldnothavepaidthemtoopen。
“TheyhadamongtheirexhibitsaveryfineNorthAfricanlion。
SaharaKingwasitsname，anditwasthehabit，bothofRonderandhis
wife，togiveexhibitionsinsideitscage。Here，yousee，isa
photographoftheperformancebywhichyouwillperceivethatRonder
wasahugeporcinepersonandthathiswifewasaverymagnificent
woman。Itwasdeposedattheinquestthattherehadbeensomesigns
thatthelionwasdangerous，but，asusual，familiaritybegat
contempt，andnonoticewastakenofthefact。
“ItwasusualforeitherRonderorhiswifetofeedthelionat
night。Sometimesonewent，sometimesboth，buttheyneverallowed
anyoneelsetodoit，fortheybelievedthatsolongastheywere
thefood-carriershewouldregardthemasbenefactorsandwould
nevermolestthem。Onthisparticularnight，sevenyearsago，they
bothwent，andaveryterriblehappeningfollowed，thedetailsof
whichhaveneverbeenmadeclear。
“Itseemsthatthewholecampwasrousednearmidnightbythe
roarsoftheanimalandthescreamsofthewoman。Thedifferentgrooms
andemployeesrushedfromtheirtents，carryinglanterns，andbytheir
lightanawfulsightwasrevealed。Ronderlay，withthebackofhis
headcrushedinanddeepclaw-marksacrosshisscalp，sometenyards
fromthecage，whichwasopen。Closetothedoorofthecagelay
Mrs。Ronderuponherback，withthecreaturesquattingandsnarling
aboveher。Ithadtornherfaceinsuchafashionthatitwasnever
thoughtthatshecouldlive。Severalofthecircusmen，headedby
Leonardo，thestrongman，andGriggs，theclown，drovethecreature
offwithpoles，uponwhichitsprangbackintothecageandwasat
oncelockedin。Howithadgotloosewasamystery。Itwasconjectured
thatthepairintendedtoenterthecage，butthatwhenthedoorwas
loosedthecreatureboundedoutuponthem。Therewasnootherpointof
interestintheevidencesavethatthewomaninadeliriumofagony
keptscreaming，”Coward！Coward！”asshewascarriedbacktothevan
inwhichtheylived。Itwassixmonthsbeforeshewasfittogive
evidence，buttheinquestwasdulyheld，withtheobviousverdictof
deathfrommisadventure。
“Whatalternativecouldbeconceived？“saidI。
“Youmaywellsayso。Andyettherewereoneortwopointswhich
worriedyoungEdmunds，oftheBerkshireConstabulary。Asmartlad
that！HewassentlatertoAllanabad。ThatwashowIcameintothe
matter，forhedroppedinandsmokedapipeortwooverit。”
“Athin，yellow-hairedman？“
“Exactly。Iwassureyouwouldpickupthetrailpresently。”
“Butwhatworriedhim？“
“Well，wewerebothworried。Itwassodeucedlydifficultto
reconstructtheaffair。Lookatitfromthelion”spointofview。He
isliberated。Whatdoeshedo？Hetakeshalfadozenboundsforward，
whichbringshimtoRonder。Ronderturnstofly-theclaw-markswere
onthebackofhishead-butthelionstrikeshimdown。Then，
insteadofboundingonandescaping，hereturnstothewoman，who
wasclosetothecage，andheknocksheroverandchewsherfaceup。
Then，again，thosecriesofherswouldseemtoimplythather
husbandhadinsomewayfailedher。Whatcouldthepoordevilhave
donetohelpher？Youseethedifficulty？“
“Quite。”
“Andthentherewasanotherthing。ItcomesbacktomenowasI
thinkitover。Therewassomeevidencethatjustatthetimethe
lionroaredandthewomanscreamed，amanbeganshoutinginterror。”
“ThismanRonder，nodoubt。”
“Well，ifhisskullwassmashedinyouwouldhardlyexpecttohear
fromhimagain。Therewereatleasttwowitnesseswhospokeofthe
criesofamanbeingmingledwiththoseofawoman。”
“Ishouldthinkthewholecampwascryingoutbythen。Astothe
otherpoints，IthinkIcouldsuggestasolution。”
“Ishouldbegladtoconsiderit。”
“Thetwoweretogether，tenyardsfromthecage，whentheliongot
loose。Themanturnedandwasstruckdown。Thewomanconceivedthe
ideaofgettingintothecageandshuttingthedoor。Itwasheronly
refuge。Shemadeforit，andjustasshereacheditthebeast
boundedafterherandknockedherover。Shewasangrywithherhusband
forhavingencouragedthebeast”sragebyturning。Iftheyhadfaced
ittheymighthavecowedit。Hencehercriesof”Coward！”“
“Brilliant，Watson！Onlyoneflawinyourdiamond。”
“Whatistheflaw，Holmes？“
“Iftheywerebothtenpacesfromthecage，howcamethebeastto
getloose？“
“Isitpossiblethattheyhadsomeenemywholoosedit？“
“Andwhyshoulditattackthemsavagelywhenitwasinthehabit
ofplayingwiththem，anddoingtrickswiththeminsidethecage？“
“Possiblythesameenemyhaddonesomethingtoenrageit。”
Holmeslookedthoughtfulandremainedinsilenceforsomemoments。
“Well，Watson，thereisthistobesaidforyourtheory。Ronder
wasamanofmanyenemies。Edmundstoldmethatinhiscupshewas
horrible。Ahugebullyofaman，hecursedandslashedateveryonewho
cameinhisway。Iexpectthosecriesaboutamonster，ofwhichour
visitorhasspoken，werenocturnalreminiscencesofthedeardeparted。
However，ourspeculationsarefutileuntilwehaveallthefacts。
Thereisacoldpartridgeonthesideboard，Watson，andabottleof
Montrachet。Letusrenewourenergiesbeforewemakeafreshcallupon
them。”
WhenourhansomdepositedusatthehouseofMrs。Merrilow，wefound
thatplumpladyblockinguptheopendoorofherhumblebutretired
abode。Itwasveryclearthatherchiefpreoccupationwaslestshe
shouldloseavaluablelodger，andsheimploredus，beforeshowing
usup，tosayanddonothingwhichcouldleadtosoundesirablean
end。Then，havingreassuredher，wefollowedherupthestraight，
badlycarpetedstaircaseandwereshownintotheroomofthe
mysteriouslodger。
Itwasaclose，musty，ill-ventilatedplace，asmightbeexpected，
sinceitsinmateseldomleftit。Fromkeepingbeastsinacage，the
womanseemed，bysomeretributionoffate，tohavebecomeherselfa
beastinacage。Shesatnowinabrokenarmchairintheshadowy
corneroftheroom。Longyearsofinactionhadcoarsenedthelines
ofherfigure，butatsomeperioditmusthavebeenbeautiful，andwas
stillfullandvoluptuous。Athickdarkveilcoveredherface，but
itwascutoffcloseatherupperlipanddisclosedaperfectlyshaped
mouthandadelicatelyroundedchin。Icouldwellconceivethatshe
hadindeedbeenaveryremarkablewoman。Hervoice，too，waswell
modulatedandpleasing。
“Mynameisnotunfamiliartoyou，Mr。Holmes，“saidshe。“Ithought
thatitwouldbringyou。”
“Thatisso，madam，thoughIdonotknowhowyouareawarethatI
wasinterestedinyourcase。”
“IlearneditwhenIhadrecoveredmyhealthandwasexaminedbyMr。
Edmunds，thecountydetective。IfearIliedtohim。Perhapsit
wouldhavebeenwiserhadItoldthetruth。”
“Itisusuallywisertotellthetruth。Butwhydidyoulietohim？“
“Becausethefateofsomeoneelsedependeduponit。Iknowthathe
wasaveryworthlessbeing，andyetIwouldnothavehisdestruction
uponmyconscience。Wehadbeensoclose-soclose！“
“Buthasthisimpedimentbeenremoved？“
“Yes，sir。thepersonthatIalludetoisdead。”
“Thenwhyshouldyounotnowtellthepoliceanythingyouknow？“
“Becausethereisanotherpersontobeconsidered。Thatotherperson
ismyself。Icouldnotstandthescandalandpublicitywhichwould
comefromapoliceexamination。Ihavenotlongtolive，butIwishto
dieundisturbed。AndyetIwantedtofindonemanofjudgmentto
whomIcouldtellmyterriblestory，sothatwhenIamgoneall
mightbeunderstood。”
“Youcomplimentme，madam。Atthesametime，Iamaresponsible
person。IdonotpromiseyouthatwhenyouhavespokenImaynot
myselfthinkitmydutytoreferthecasetothepolice。”
“Ithinknot，Mr。Holmes。Iknowyourcharacterandmethodstoo
well，forIhavefollowedyourworkforsomeyears。Readingisthe
onlypleasurewhichfatehasleftme，andImisslittlewhichpasses
intheworld。Butinanycase，Iwilltakemychanceoftheuse
whichyoumaymakeofmytragedy。Itwillcasemymindtotellit。”
“MyfriendandIwouldbegladtohearit。”
Thewomanroseandtookfromadrawerthephotographofaman。He
wasclearlyaprofessionalacrobat，amanofmagnificentphysique，
takenwithhishugearmsfoldedacrosshisswollenchestandasmile
breakingfromunderhisheavymoustache-theself-satisfiedsmileof
themanofmanyconquests。
“ThatisLeonardo，“shesaid。
“Leonardo，thestrongman，whogaveevidence？“
“Thesame。Andthis-thisismyhusband。”
Itwasadreadfulface-ahumanpig，orratherahumanwildboar，
foritwasformidableinitsbestiality。Onecouldimaginethatvile
mouthchampingandfoaminginitsrage，andonecouldconceivethose
small，viciouseyesdartingpuremalignancyastheylookedforth
upontheworld。Ruffian，bully，beast-itwasallwrittenonthat
heavy-jowledface。
“Thosetwopictureswillhelpyou，gentlemen，tounderstandthe
story。Iwasapoorcircusgirlbroughtuponthesawdust，anddoing
springsthroughthehoopbeforeIwasten。WhenIbecameawoman
thismanlovedme，ifsuchlustashiscanbecalledlove，andinan
evilmomentIbecamehiswife。FromthatdayIwasinhell，andhethe
devilwhotormentedme。Therewasnooneintheshowwhodidnot
knowofhistreatment。Hedesertedmeforothers。Hetiedmedown
andlashedmewithhisriding-whipwhenIcomplained。Theyall
pitiedmeandtheyallloathedhim，butwhatcouldtheydo？They
fearedhim，oneandall。Forhewasterribleatalltimes，and
murderouswhenhewasdrunk。Againandagainhewashadupfor
assault，andforcrueltytothebeasts，buthehadplentyofmoneyand
thefineswerenothingtohim。Thebestmenallleftus，andthe
showbegantogodownhill。ItwasonlyLeonardoandIwhokeptit
up-withlittleJimmyGriggs，theclown。Poordevil，hehadnotmuch
tobefunnyabout，buthedidwhathecouldtoboldthingstogether。
“ThenLeonardocamemoreandmoreintomylife。Youseewhathe
waslike。Iknownowthepoorspiritthatwashiddeninthat
splendidbody，butcomparedtomyhusbandheseemedliketheangel
Gabriel。Hepitiedmeandhelpedme，tillatlastourintimacy
turnedtolove-deep，deep，passionatelove，suchloveasIhad
dreamedofbutneverhopedtofeel。Myhusbandsuspectedit，butI
thinkthathewasacowardaswellasabully，andthatLeonardowas
theonemanthathewasafraidof。Hetookrevengeinhisownwayby
torturingmemorethanever。OnenightmycriesbroughtLeonardoto
thedoorofourvan。Wewereneartragedythatnight，andsoonmy
loverandIunderstoodthatitcouldnotbeavoided。Myhusbandwas
notfittolive。Weplannedthatheshoulddie。
“Leonardohadaclever，schemingbrain。Itwashewhoplannedit。
Idonotsaythattoblamehim，forIwasreadytogowithhimevery
inchoftheway。ButIshouldneverhavehadthewittothinkof
suchaplan。Wemadeaclub-Leonardomadeit-andintheleaden
headliefastenedfivelongsteelnails，thepointsoutward，withjust
suchaspreadasthelion”spaw。Thiswastogivemyhusbandhis
death-blow，andyettoleavetheevidencethatitwasthelionwhich
wewouldloosewhohaddonethedeed。
“Itwasapitch-darknightwhenmyhusbandandIwentdown，aswas
ourcustom，tofeedthebeast。Wecarriedwithustherawmeatina
zincpail。Leonardowaswaitingatthecornerofthebigvanwhich
weshouldhavetopassbeforewereachedthecage。Hewastooslow，
andwewalkedpasthimbeforehecouldstrike，buthefolloweduson
tiptoeandIheardthecrashastheclubsmashedmyhusband”sskull。
Myheartleapedwithjoyatthesound。Isprangforward，andIundid
thecatchwhichheldthedoorofthegreatlion”scage。
“Andthentheterriblethinghappened。Youmayhaveheardhow
quickthesecreaturesaretoscenthumanblood，andhowitexcites
them。Somestrangeinstincthadtoldthecreatureinoneinstant
thatahumanbeinghadbeenslain。AsIslippedthebarsitbounced
outandwasonmeinaninstant。Leonardocouldhavesavedme。Ifhe
hadrushedforwardandstruckthebeastwithhisclubhemighthave
cowedit。Butthemanlosthisnerve。Iheardhimshoutinhisterror，
andthenIsawhimturnandfly。Atthesameinstanttheteethof
thelionmetinmyface。Itshot，filthybreathhadalreadypoisoned
meandIwashardlyconsciousofpain。WiththepalmsofmyhandsI
triedtopushthegreatsteaming，blood-stainedjawsawayfromme，and
Iscreamedforhelp。Iwasconsciousthatthecampwasstirring，and
thendimlyIrememberedagroupofmen。Leonardo，Griggs，and
others，draggingmefromunderthecreature”spaws。Thatwasmylast
memory，Mr。Holmes，formanyawearymonth。WhenIcametomyself
andsawmyselfinthemirror，Icursedthatlion-oh，howIcursed
him！-notbecausehehadtornawaymybeautybutbecausehehadnot
tornawaymylife。Ihadbutonedesire，Mr。Holmes，andIhad
enoughmoneytogratifyit。ItwasthatIshouldcovermyselfso
thatmypoorfaceshouldbeseenbynone，andthatIshoulddwell
wherenonewhomIhadeverknownshouldfindme。Thatwasallthatwas
lefttometodo-andthatiswhatIhavedone。Apoorwoundedbeast
thathascrawledintoitsholetodie-thatistheendofEugenia
Ronder。”
Wesatinsilenceforsometimeaftertheunhappywomanhadtoldher
story。ThenHolmesstretchedouthislongarmandpattedherhandwith
suchashowofsympathyasIhadseldomknownhimtoexhibit。
“Poorgirl！“hesaid。“Poorgirl！Thewaysoffateareindeedhard
tounderstand。Ifthereisnotsomecompensationhereafter，thenthe
worldisacrueljest。ButwhatofthismanLeonardo？“
“Ineversawhimorheardfromhimagain。PerhapsIhavebeen
wrongtofeelsobitterlyagainsthim。Hemightassoonhavelovedone
ofthefreakswhomwecarriedroundthecountryasthethingwhichthe
lionhadleft。Butawoman”sloveisnotsoeasilysetaside。Hehad
leftmeunderthebeast”sclaws，hehaddesertedmeinmyneed，and
yetIcouldnotbringmyselftogivehimtothegallows。Formyself，I
carednothingwhatbecameofme。Whatcouldbemoredreadfulthanmy
actuallife？ButIstoodbetweenLeonardoandhisfate。”
“Andheisdead？“
“HewasdrownedlastmonthwhenbathingnearMargate。Isawhis
deathinthepaper。
“Andwhatdidhedowiththisfive-clawedclub，whichisthemost
singularandingeniouspartofallyourstory？“
“Icannottell，Mr。Holmes。Thereisachalk-pitbythecamp，witha
deepgreenpoolatthebaseofit。Perhapsinthedepthsofthat
pool-“
“Well，well，itisoflittleconsequencenow。Thecaseisclosed。”
“Yes，“saidthewoman，“thecaseisclosed。”
Wehadrisentogo，buttherewassomethinginthewoman”svoice
whicharrestedHolmes”sattention。Heturnedswiftlyuponher。
“Yourlifeisnotyourown，“hesaid。“Keepyourhandsoffit。”
“Whatuseisittoanyone？“
“Howcanyoutell？theexampleofpatientsufferingisinitselfthe
mostpreciousofalllessonstoanimpatientworld。”
Thewoman”sanswerwasaterribleone。Sheraisedherveiland
steppedforwardintothelight。
“Iwonderifyouwouldbearit，“shesaid。
Itwashorrible。Nowordscandescribetheframeworkofaface
whenthefaceitselfisgone。Twolivingandbeautifulbrowneyes
lookingsadlyoutfromthatgrislyruindidbutmaketheviewmore
awful。Holmeshelduphishandinagestureofpityandprotest，and
togetherwelefttheroom。
Twodayslater，whenIcalleduponmyfriend，hepointedwithsome
pridetoasmallbluebottleuponhismantelpiece。Ipickeditup。
Therewasaredpoisonlabel。ApleasantalmondyodourrosewhenI
openedit。
“Prussicacid？“saidI。
“Exactly。Itcamebypost。”Isendyoumytemptation。Iwill
followyouradvice。”Thatwasthemessage。Ithink，Watson，wecan
guessthenameofthebravewomanwhosentit。”-
THEEND。
1908
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFWISTERIALODGE
bySirArthurConanDoyle
1。TheSingularExperienceofMr。JohnScottEccles
Ifinditrecordedinmynotebookthatitwasableakandwindyday，
towardstheendofMarchintheyear1892。Holmeshadreceiveda
telegramwhilewesatatourlunch，andhehadscribbledareply。He
madenoremark，butthematterremainedinhisthoughts，forhe
stoodinfrontofthefireafterwardswithathoughtfulface，
smokinghispipe，andcastinganoccasionalglanceatthemessage。
Suddenlyheturneduponmewithamischievoustwinkleinhiseyes。
“Isuppose，Watson，Wemustlookuponyouasamanofletters，“said
he。“Howdoyoudefinetheword”grotesque”？“
“Strange-remarkable，“Isuggested。
Heshookhisheadatmydefinition。
“Thereissurelysomethingmorethanthat，“saidhe；“some
underlyingsuggestionofthetragicandtheterrible。Ifyoucastyour
mindbacktosomeofthosenarrativeswithwhichyouhaveafflicted
along-sufferingpublic，youwillrecognizehowoftenthegrotesque
hasdeepenedintothecriminal。Thinkofthatlittleaffairofthe
red-headedmen。Thatwasgrotesqueenoughintheoutsetandyetit
endedinadesperateattemptatrobbery。Or，again，therewasthat
mostgrotesqueaffairofthefiveorangepips，whichledstraighttoa
murderousconspiracy。Thewordputsmeonthealert。”
“Haveyouitthere？“Iasked。
Hereadthetelegramaloud。
“Havejusthadmostincredibleandgrotesqueexperience。MayI
consultyou？“
“SCOTTECCLES，
“Post-Office，CharingCross。”
“Manorwoman？“Iasked。
“Oh，man，ofcourse。Nowomanwouldeversendareply-paidtelegram。
Shewouldhavecome。”
“Willyouseehim？“
“MydearWatson，youknowhowboredIhavebeensincewelockedup
ColonelCarruthers。Mymindislikearacingengine，tearingitselfto
piecesbecauseitisnotconnectedupwiththeworkforwhichitwas
built。Lifeiscommonplace；thepapersaresterile；audacityand
romanceseemtohavepassedforeverfromthecriminalworld。Canyou
askme，then，whetherIamreadytolookintoanynewproblem，however
trivialitmayprove？Buthere，unlessIammistaken，isourclient。”
Ameasuredstepwashearduponthestairs，andamomentlatera
stout，tall，gray-whiskeredandsolemnlyrespectablepersonwas
usheredintotheroom。Hislifehistorywaswritteninhisheavy
featuresandpompousmanner。Fromhisspatstohisgold-rimmed
spectacleshewasaConservative，achurchman，agoodcitizen，
orthodoxandconventionaltothelastdegree。Butsomeamazing
experiencehaddisturbedhisnativecomposureandleftitstracesin
hisbristlinghair，hisflushed，angrycheeks，andhisflurried，
excitedmanner。Heplungedinstantlyintohisbusiness。
“Ihavehadamostsingularandunpleasantexperience，Mr。
Holmes，“saidhe。“NeverinmylifehaveIbeenplacedinsucha
situation。Itismostimproper-mostoutrageous。Imustinsistupon
someexplanation。”Heswelledandpuffedinhisanger。
“Praysitdown，Mr。ScottEccles，“saidHolmesinasoothing
voice。“MayIask，inthefirstplace，whyyoucametomeatall？“
“Well，sir，itdidnotappeartobeamatterwhichconcernedthe
police，andyet，whenyouhaveheardthefacts，youmustadmitthat
Icouldnotleaveitwhereitwas。Privatedetectivesareaclasswith
whomIhaveabsolutelynosympathy，butnonetheless，havingheard
yourname-“
“Quiteso。But，inthesecondplace，whydidyounotcomeatonce？“
“Whatdoyoumean？“
Holmesglancedathiswatch。
“Itisaquarter-pasttwo，“hesaid。“Yourtelegramwasdispatched
aboutone。Butnoonecanglanceatyourtoiletandattirewithout
seeingthatyourdisturbancedatesfromthemomentofyourwaking。”
Ourclientsmootheddownhisunbrushedhairandfelthisunshaven
chin。
“Youareright，Mr。Holmes。Inevergaveathoughttomytoilet。I
wasonlytoogladtogetoutofsuchahouse。ButIhavebeen
runningroundmakinginquiriesbeforeIcametoyou。Iwenttothe
houseagents，youknow，andtheysaidthatMr。Garcia”srentwas
paidupallrightandthateverythingwasinorderatWisteriaLodge。”
“Come，come，sir，“saidHolmes，laughing。“Youarelikemyfriend，
Dr。Watson，whohasabadhabitoftellinghisstorieswrongend
foremost。Pleasearrangeyourthoughtsandletmeknow，intheirdue
sequence，exactlywhatthoseeventsarewhichhavesentyouout
unbrushedandunkempt，withdressbootsandwaistcoatbuttonedawry，
insearchofadviceandassistance。”
Ourclientlookeddownwitharuefulfaceathisown
unconventionalappearance。
“I”msureitmustlookverybad，Mr。Holmes，andIamnotawarethat
inmywholelifesuchathinghaseverhappenedbefore。ButIwill
tellyouthewholequeerbusiness，andwhenIhavedonesoyouwill
admitIamsure，thattherehasbeenenoughtoexcuseme。”
Buthisnarrativewasnippedinthebud。Therewasabustle
outside，andMrs。Hudsonopenedthedoortousherintworobustand
official-lookingindividuals，oneofwhomwaswellknowntousas
InspectorGregsonofScotlandYard，anenergetic，gallantand，
withinhislimitations，acapableofficer。Heshookhandswith
HolmesandintroducedhiscomradeasInspectorBaynes，oftheSurrey
Constabulary。