“”Oneevening，aboutthethirdweekafterourstart，thedoctor
hadcomedowntoseeoneoftheprisonerswhowasill，and，putting
hishanddownonthebottomofhisbunk，hefelttheoutlineofthe
pistols。Ifhehadbeensilenthemighthaveblownthewholething，
buthewasanervouslittlechap，sohegaveacryofsurpriseand
turnedsopalethatthemanknewwhatwasupinaninstantand
seizedhim。Hewasgaggedbeforehecouldgivethealarmandtieddown
uponthebed。Hehadunlockedthedoorthatledtothedeck，andwe
werethroughitinarush。Thetwosentrieswereshotdown，andsowas
acorporalwhocamerunningtoseewhatwasthematter。Thereweretwo
moresoldiersatthedoorofthestateroom，andtheirmusketsseemed
nottobeloaded，fortheyneverfireduponus，andtheywereshot
whiletryingtofixtheirbayonets。Thenwerushedonintothe
captain”scabin，butaswepushedopenthedoortherewasanexplosion
fromwithin，andtherehelaywithhisbrainssmearedoverthechart
oftheAtlanticwhichwaspinneduponthetable，whilethechaplain
stoodwithasmokingpistolinhishandathiselbow。Thetwomates
hadbothbeenseizedbythecrew，andthewholebusinessseemedto
besettled。
“”Thestateroomwasnextthecabin，andweflockedinthereand
floppeddownonthesettees，allspeakingtogether，forwewerejust
madwiththefeelingthatwewerefreeoncemore。Therewerelockers
allround，andWilson，theshamchaplain，knockedoneofthemin，
andpulledoutadozenofbrownsherry。Wecrackedoffthenecksof
thebottles，pouredthestuffoutintotumblers，andwerejusttossing
themoffwheninaninstantwithoutwarningtherecametheroarof
musketsinourears，andthesaloonwassofullofsmokethatwecould
notseeacrossthetable。Whenitclearedagaintheplacewasa
shambles。Wilsonandeightotherswerewrigglingonthetopofeach
otheronthefloor，andthebloodandthebrownsherryonthattable
turnmesicknowwhenIthinkofit。Weweresocowedbythesight
thatIthinkweshouldhavegiventhejobupifithadnotbeenfor
Prendergast。Hebellowedlikeabullandrushedforthedoorwith
allthatwereleftaliveathisheels。Outweran，andthereonthe
poopwerethelieutenantandtenofhismen。Theswingskylightsabove
thesaloontablehadbeenabitopen，andtheyhadfiredonusthrough
theslit。Wegotonthembeforetheycouldload，andtheystoodto
itlikemen；butwehadtheupperhandofthem，andinfiveminutesit
wasallover。MyGod！wasthereeveraslaughter-houselikethatship！
Prendergastwaslikearagingdevil，andhepickedthesoldiersup
asiftheyhadbeenchildrenandthrewthemoverboardaliveordead。
Therewasonesergeantthatwashorriblywoundedandyetkepton
swimmingforasurprisingtimeuntilsomeoneinmercyblewouthis
brains。Whenthefightingwasovertherewasnooneleftofour
enemiesexceptjustthewarders，themates，and，thedoctor。
“”Itwasoverthemthatthegreatquarrelarose。Thereweremany
ofuswhoweregladenoughtowinbackourfreedom，andyetwhohadno
wishtohavemurderonoursouls。Itwasonethingtoknockthe
soldiersoverwiththeirmusketsintheirhands，anditwasanotherto
standbywhilemenwerebeingkilledincoldblood。Eightofus，
fiveconvictsandthreesailors，saidthatwewouldnotseeitdone。
ButtherewasnomovingPrendergastandthosewhowerewithhim。Our
onlychanceofsafetylayinmakingacleanjobofit，saidhe，andhe
wouldnotleaveatonguewithpowertowaginawitness-box。Itnearly
cametooursharingthefateoftheprisoners，butatlasthesaid
thatifwewishedwemighttakeaboatandgo。Wejumpedattheoffer，
forwewerealreadysickofthesebloodthirstydoings，andwesawthat
therewouldbeworsebeforeitwasdone。Weweregivenasuitof
sailortogseach，abarrelofwater，twocasks，oneofjunkandoneof
biscuits，andacompass。Prendergastthrewusoverachart，toldus
thatwewereshipwreckedmarinerswhoseshiphadfounderedinLat。15”
andLong。25”west，andthencutthepainterandletusgo。
“”AndnowIcometothemostsurprisingpartofmystory，mydear
son。Theseamenhadhauledthefore-yardabackduringtherising，
butnowasweleftthemtheybroughtitsquareagain，andastherewas
alightwindfromthenorthandeastthebarkbegantodrawslowly
awayfromus。Ourboatlay，risingandfalling，uponthelong，
smoothrollers，andEvansandI，whowerethemosteducatedofthe
party，weresittinginthesheetsworkingoutourpositionand
planningwhatcoastweshouldmakefor。Itwasanicequestion，for
theCapeVerdeswereaboutfivehundredmilestothenorthofus，
andtheAfricancoastaboutsevenhundredtotheeast。Onthewhole，
asthewindwascomingroundtothenorth，wethoughtthatSierra
Leonemightbebestandturnedourheadinthatdirection，thebark
beingatthattimenearlyhulldownonourstarboardquarter。Suddenly
aswelookedatherwesawadenseblackcloudofsmokeshootup
fromher，whichhunglikeamonstroustreeuponthesky-line。Afew
secondslateraroarlikethunderburstuponourears，andasthe
smokethinnedawaytherewasnosignleftoftheGloriaScott。Inan
instantweswepttheboat”sheadroundagainandpulledwithallour
strengthfortheplacewherethehazestilltrailingoverthewater
markedthesceneofthiscatastrophe。
“”Itwasalonghourbeforewereachedit，andatfirstwefeared
thatwehadcometoolatetosaveanyone。Asplinteredboatanda
numberofcratesandfragmentsofsparsrisingandfallingonthe
wavesshoweduswherethevesselhadfoundered；buttherewasno
signoflife，andwehadturnedawayindespair，whenweheardacry
forhelpandsawatsomedistanceapieceofwreckagewithamanlying
stretchedacrossit。Whenwepulledhimaboardtheboatheprovedto
beayoungseamanofthenameofHudson，whowassoburnedand
exhaustedthathecouldgiveusnoaccountofwhathadhappened
untilthefollowingmorning。
“Itseemedthatafterwehadleft，Prendergastandhisganghad
proceededtoputtodeaththefiveremainingprisoners。Thetwo
wardershadbeenshotandthrownoverboard，andsoalsohadthe
thirdmate。Prendergastthendescendedintothe”tween-decksand
withhisownhandscutthethroatoftheunfortunatesurgeon。There
onlyremainedthefirstmate，whowasaboldandactiveman。Whenhe
sawtheconvictapproachinghimwiththebloodyknifeinhishandhe
kickedoffhisbonds，whichhehadsomehowcontrivedtoloosen，and
rushingdownthedeckheplungedintotheafter-hold。Adozen
convicts，whodescendedwiththeirpistolsinsearchofhim，foundhim
withamatch-boxinhishandseatedbesideanopenpowder-barrel，
whichwasoneofthehundredcarriedonboard，andswearingthathe
wouldblowallhandsupifhewereinanywaymolested。Aninstant
latertheexplosionoccurred，thoughHudsonthoughtitwascausedby
themisdirectedbulletofoneoftheconvictsratherthanthemate”s
match。Bethecausewhatitmay，itwastheendoftheGloriaScott
andoftherabblewhoheldcommandofher。
“”Such，inafewwords，mydearboy，isthehistoryofthisterrible
businessinwhichIwasinvolved。Nextdaywewerepickedupbythe
brigHotspur，boundforAustralia，whosecaptainfoundnodifficulty
inbelievingthatwewerethesurvivorsofapassengershipwhich
hadfoundered。ThetransportshipGloriaScottwassetdownbythe
Admiraltyasbeinglostatsea，andnowordhaseverleakedoutas
tohertruefate。AfteranexcellentvoyagetheHotspurlandedusat
Sydney，whereEvansandIchangedournamesandmadeourwaytothe
diggings，where，amongthecrowdswhoweregatheredfromall
nations，wehadnodifficultyinlosingourformeridentities。The
restIneednotrelate。Weprospered，wetravelled，wecamebackas
richcolonialstoEngland，andweboughtcountryestates。Formore
thantwentyyearswehaveledpeacefulandusefullives，andwe
hopedthatourpastwasforeverburied。Imagine，then，myfeelings
whenintheseamanwhocametousIrecognizedinstantlythemanwho
hadbeenpickedoffthewreck。Hehadtrackedusdownsomehowand
hadsethimselftoliveuponourfears。Youwillunderstandnowhowit
wasthatIstrovetokeepthepeacewithhim，andyouwillinsome
measuresympathizewithmeinthefearswhichfillme，nowthathehas
gonefrommetohisothervictimwiththreatsuponhistongue。”
“Underneathiswritteninahandsoshakyastobehardlylegible，”BeddoeswritesinciphertosayH。hastoldall。SweetLord，have
mercyonoursouls！”
“ThatwasthenarrativewhichIreadthatnighttoyoungTrevor，and
Ithink，Watson，thatunderthecircumstancesitwasadramaticone。
Thegoodfellowwasheart-brokenatit，andwentouttotheTerai
teaPlanting，whereIhearthatheisdoingwell。Astothesailorand
Beddoes，neitherofthemwaseverheardofagainafterthatdayon
whichtheletterofwarningwaswritten。Theybothdisappearedutterly
andcompletely。Nocomplainthadbeenlodgedwiththepolice，so
thatBeddoeshadmistakenathreatforadeed。Hudsonhadbeenseen
lurkingabout，anditwasbelievedbythepolicethathehaddoneaway
withBeddoesandhadfled。FormyselfIbelievethatthetruthwas
exactlytheopposite。IthinkthatitismostprobablethatBeddoes，
pushedtodesperationandbelievinghimselftohavebeenalready
betrayed，hadrevengedhimselfuponHudson，andhadfledfromthe
countrywithasmuchmoneyashecouldlayhishandson。Thosearethe
factsofthecase，Doctor，andiftheyareofanyusetoyour
collection，Iamsurethattheyareveryheartilyatyourservice。”
THEEND。
1893
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEGREEKINTERPRETER
bySirArthurConanDoyle
DuringmylongandintimateacquaintancewithMr。SherlockHolmes
Ihadneverheardhimrefertohisrelations，andhardlyevertohis
ownearlylife。Thisreticenceuponhisparthadincreasedthe
somewhatinhumaneffectwhichheproduceduponme，untilsometimesI
foundmyselfregardinghimasanisolatedphenomenon，abrain
withoutaheart，asdeficientinhumansympathyashewaspreeminent
inintelligence。Hisaversiontowomenandhisdisinclinationto
formnewfriendshipswerebothtypicalofhisunemotionalcharacter，
butnotmoresothanhiscompletesuppressionofeveryreferenceto
hisownpeople。Ihadcometobelievethathewasanorphanwithno
relativesliving；butoneday，tomyverygreatsurprise，hebegan
totalktomeabouthisbrother。
Itwasafterteaonasummerevening，andtheconversation，which
hadroamedinadesultory，spasmodicfashionfromgolfclubstothe
causesofthechangeintheobliquityoftheecliptic，cameroundat
lasttothequestionofatavismandhereditaryaptitudes。Thepoint
underdiscussionwas，howfaranysingulargiftinanindividualwas
duetohisancestryandhowfartohisownearlytraining。
“Inyourowncase，“saidI，“fromallthatyouhavetoldme，it
seemsobviousthatyourfacultyofobservationandyourpeculiar
facilityfordeductionareduetoyourownsystematictraining。”
“Tosomeextent“heansweredthoughtfully。“Myancestorswere
countrysquires，whoappeartohaveledmuchthesamelifeasis
naturaltotheirclass。But，nonetheless，myturnthatwayisin
myveins，andmayhavecomewithmygrandmother，whowasthesisterof
Vernet，theFrenchartist。Artinthebloodisliabletotakethe
strangestforms。”
“Buthowdoyouknowthatitishereditary？“
“BecausemybrotherMycroftpossessesitinalargerdegreethanI
do。”
Thiswasnewstomeindeed。Iftherewereanothermanwithsuch
singularpowersinEngland，howwasitthatneitherpolicenor
publichadheardofhim？Iputthequestion，withahintthatitwas
mycompanion”smodestywhichmadehimacknowledgehisbrotherashis
superior。Holmeslaughedatmysuggestion。
“MydearWatson，“saidhe，“Icannotagreewiththosewhorank
modestyamongthevirtues。Tothelogicianallthingsshouldbeseen
exactlyastheyare，andtounderestimateone”sselfisasmucha
departurefromtruthastoexaggerateone”sownpowers。WhenIsay，
therefore，thatMycrofthasbetterpowersofobservationthanI，you
maytakeitthatIamspeakingtheexactandliteraltruth。”
“Isheyourjunior？“
“Sevenyearsmysenior。”
“Howcomesitthatheisunknown？“
“Oh，heisverywellknowninhisowncircle。”
“Where，then？“
Well，intheDiogenesClub，forexample。”
Ihadneverheardoftheinstitution，andmyfacemusthave
proclaimedasmuch，forSherlockHolmespulledouthiswatch。
“TheDiogenesClubisthequeerestclubinLondon，andMycroftone
ofthequeerestmen。He”salwaystherefromquartertofiveto
twentytoeight。It”ssixnow，soifyoucareforastrollthis
beautifuleveningIshallbeveryhappytointroduceyoutotwo
curiosities。”
FiveminuteslaterwewereinthestreetwalkingtowardsRegent”s
Circus。
“Youwonder，“saidmycompanion，“whyitisthatMycroftdoesnot
usehispowersfordetectivework。Heisincapableofit。”
“ButIthoughtyousaid-“
“Isaidthathewasmysuperiorinobservationanddeduction。Ifthe
artofthedetectivebeganandendedinreasoningfromanarmchair，my
brotherwouldbethegreatestcriminalagentthateverlived。Buthe
hasnoambitionandnoenergy。Hewillnotevengooutofhiswayto
verifyhisownsolutions，andwouldratherbeconsideredwrongthan
takethetroubletoprovehimselfright。AgainandagainIhave
takenaproblemtohim，andhavereceivedanexplanationwhichhas
afterwardsprovedtobethecorrectone。Andyethewasabsolutely
incapableofworkingoutthepracticalpointswhichmustbegone
intobeforeacasecouldbelaidbeforeajudgeorjury。”
“Itisnothisprofession，then？“
“Bynomeans。Whatistomeameansoflivelihoodistohimthe
meresthobbyofadilettante。Hehasanextraordinaryfacultyfor
figures，andauditsthebooksinsomeofthegovernmentdepartments。
MycroftlodgesinPallMall，andhewalksroundthecornerinto
Whitehalleverymorningandbackeveryevening。Fromyear”sendto
year”sendhetakesnootherexercise，andisseennowhereelse，
exceptonlyintheDiogenesClub，whichisjustoppositehisrooms。”
“Icannotrecallthename。”
“Verylikelynot。TherearemanymeninLondon，youknow，who，
somefromshyness，somefrommisanthropy，havenowishforthecompany
oftheirfellows。Yettheyarenotaversetocomfortablechairsand
thelatestperiodicals。Itisfortheconvenienceofthesethatthe
DiogenesClubwasstarted，anditnowcontainsthemostunsociableand
unclubablemenintown。Nomemberispermittedtotaketheleast
noticeofanyotherone。SaveintheStranger”sRoom，notalkingis，
underanycircumstances，allowed，andthreeoffences，ifbroughtto
thenoticeofthecommittee，renderthetalkerliabletoexpulsion。My
brotherwasoneofthefounders，andIhavemyselffounditavery
soothingatmosphere。”
WehadreachedPallMallaswetalked，andwerewalkingdownitfrom
theSt。James”send。SherlockHolmesstoppedatadoorsomelittle
distancefromtheCarlton，and，cautioningmenottospeak，heledthe
wayintothehall。ThroughtheglasspanellingIcaughtaglimpseofa
largeandluxuriousroom，inwhichaconsiderablenumberofmenwere
sittingaboutandreadingpapers，eachinhisownlittlenook。
HolmesshowedmeintoasmallchamberwhichlookedoutintoPallMall，
andthen，leavingmeforaminute，hecamebackwithacompanion
whomIknewcouldonlybehisbrother。
MycroftHolmeswasamuchlargerandstoutermanthanSherlock。
Hisbodywasabsolutelycorpulent，buthisface，thoughmassive，had
preservedsomethingofthesharpnessofexpressionwhichwasso
remarkableinthatofhisbrother。Hiseyes，whichwereofa
peculiarlylight，waterygray，seemedtoalwaysretainthat
far-away，introspectivelookwhichIhadonlyobservedinSherlock”s
whenhewasexertinghisfullpowers。
“Iamgladtomeetyou，sir，“saidhe，puttingoutabroad，fathand
liketheflipperofaseal。“IhearofSherlockeverywheresinceyou
becamehischronicler。Bytheway，Sherlock，Iexpectedtoseeyou
roundlastweektoconsultmeoverthatManorHousecase。Ithought
youmightbealittleoutofyourdepth。”
“No，Isolvedit，“saidmyfriend，smiling。
“ItwasAdams，ofcourse。”
“Yes，itwasAdams。”
“Iwassureofitfromthefirst。”Thetwosatdowntogetherin
thebow-windowoftheclub。Toanyonewhowishestostudymankindthis
isthespot，“saidMycroft。“Lookatthemagnificenttypes！Lookat
thesetwomenwhoarecomingtowardsus，forexample。”
“Thebilliard-markerandtheother？“
“Precisely。Whatdoyoumakeoftheother？“
Thetwomenhadstoppedoppositethewindow。Somechalkmarksover
thewaistcoatpocketweretheonlysignsofbilliardswhichIcould
seeinoneofthem。Theotherwasaverysmall，darkfellow，with
hishatpushedbackandseveralpackagesunderhisarm。
“Anoldsoldier，Iperceive，“saidSherlock。
“Andveryrecentlydischarged，“remarkedthebrother。
“ServedinIndia，Isee。”
“Andanon-commissionedofficer。”
“RoyalArtillery，Ifancy，“saidSherlock。
“Andawidower。”
“Butwithachild。”
“Children，mydearboy，children。”
“Come，“saidI，laughing，“thisisalittletoomuch。”
“Surely，“answeredHolmes，“itisnothardtosaythatamanwith
thatbearing，expressionofauthority，andsun-bakedskin，isa
soldier，ismorethanaprivate，andisnotlongfromIndia。”
“Thathehasnotlefttheservicelongisshownbyhisstillwearing
hisammunitionboots，astheyarecalled，“observedMycroft。
“Hehadnotthecavalrystride，yetheworehishatononeside，
asisshownbythelighterskinonthatsideofhisbrow。Hisweight
isagainsthisbeingasapper。Heisintheartillery。”
“Then，ofcourse，hiscompletemourningshowsthathehaslost
someoneverydear。Thefactthatheisdoinghisownshoppinglooksas
thoughitwerehiswife。Hehasbeenbuyingthingsforchildren，you
perceive。Thereisarattle，whichshowsthatoneofthemisvery
young。Thewifeprobablydiedinchildbed。Thefactthathehasa
picture-bookunderhisarmshowsthatthereisanotherchildtobe
thoughtof。”
Ibegantounderstandwhatmyfriendmeantwhenhesaidthathis
brotherpossessedevenkeenerfacultiesthanhedidhimself。He
glancedacrossatmeandsmiled。Mycrofttooksnufffroma
tortoise-shellboxandbrushedawaythewanderinggrainsfromhiscoat
frontwithalarge，redsilkhandkerchief。
“Bytheway，Sherlock，“saidhe，“Ihavehadsomethingquiteafter
yourownheart-amostsingularproblem-submittedtomyjudgment。I
reallyhadnottheenergytofollowitupsaveinaveryincomplete
fashion，butitgavemeabasisforsomepleasingspeculations。Ifyou
wouldcaretohearthefacts-“
“MydearMycroft，Ishouldbedelighted。”
Thebrotherscribbledanoteuponaleafofhispocket-book，and，
ringingthebell，hehandedittothewaiter。
“IhaveaskedMr。Melastostepacross，“saidhe。“Helodgeson
theflooraboveme，andIhavesomeslightacquaintancewithhim，
whichledhimtocometomeinhisperplexity。Mr。MelasisaGreekby
extraction，asIunderstand，andheisaremarkablelinguist。Heearns
hislivingpartlyasinterpreterinthelawcourtsandpartlyby
actingasguidetoanywealthyOrientalswhomayvisitthe
NorthumberlandAvenuehotels。IthinkIwillleavehimtotellhis
veryremarkableexperienceinhisownfashion。”
Afewminuteslaterwewerejoinedbyashort，stoutmanwhoseolive
faceandcoalblackhairproclaimedhisSouthernorigin，thoughhis
speechwasthatofaneducatedEnglishman。Heshookhandseagerlywith
SherlockHolmes，andhisdarkeyessparkledwithpleasurewhenhe
understoodthatthespecialistwasanxioustohearhisstory。
“Idonotbelievethatthepolicecreditme-onmyword，Idonot，“
saidheinawailingvoice。“Justbecausetheyhaveneverheardof
itbefore，theythinkthatsuchathingcannotbe。ButIknowthatI
shallneverbeeasyinmyminduntilIknowwhathasbecomeofmypoor
manwiththesticking-plasteruponhisface。”
“Iamallattention，“saidSherlockHolmes。
“ThisisWednesdayevening，“saidMr。Melas。“Well，then，itwas
Mondaynight-onlytwodaysago，youunderstand-thatallthishappened。
Iamaninterpreter，asperhapsmyneighbourtherehastoldyou。I
interpretalllanguages-ornearlyall-butasIamaGreekbybirthand
withaGrecianname，itiswiththatparticulartonguethatIam
principallyassociated。FormanyyearsIhavebeenthechiefGreek
interpreterinLondon，andmynameisverywellknowninthehotels。
“IthappensnotunfrequentlythatIamsentforatstrangehours
byforeignerswhogetintodifficulties，orbytravellerswhoarrive
lateandwishmyservices。Iwasnotsurprised，therefore，onMonday
nightwhenaMr。Latimer，averyfashionablydressedyoungman，came
uptomyroomsandaskedmetoaccompanyhiminacabwhichwas
waitingatthedoor。AGreekfriendhadcometoseehimuponbusiness，
hesaid，andashecouldspeaknothingbuthisowntongue，the
servicesofaninterpreterwereindispensable。Hegavemeto
understandthathishousewassomelittledistanceoff，inKensington，
andheseemedtobeinagreathurry，bustlingmerapidlyintothecab
whenwehaddescendedtothestreet。
“Isayintothecab，butIsoonbecamedoubtfulastowhetheritwas
notacarriageinwhichIfoundmyself。Itwascertainlymoreroomy
thantheordinaryfour-wheeleddisgracetoLondon，andthefittings，
thoughfrayed，wereofrichquality。Mr。Latimerseatedhimself
oppositetomeandwestartedoffthroughCharingCrossandupthe
ShaftesburyAvenue。WehadcomeoutuponOxfordStreetandIhad
venturedsomeremarkastothisbeingaroundaboutwayto
Kensington，whenmywordswerearrestedbytheextraordinaryconduct
ofmycompanion。
“Hebeganbydrawingamostformidable-lookingbludgeonloaded
withleadfromhispocket，andswitchingitbackwardandforward
severaltimes，asiftotestitsweightandstrength。Thenheplaced
itwithoutawordupontheseatbesidehim。Havingdonethis，he
drewupthewindowsoneachside，andIfoundtomyastonishment
thattheywerecoveredwithpapersoastopreventmyseeingthrough
them。
“”Iamsorrytocutoffyourview，Mr。Melas”saidhe。”Thefactis
thatIhavenointentionthatyoushouldseewhattheplaceisto
whichwearedriving。Itmightpossiblybeinconvenienttomeifyou
couldfindyourwaythereagain。”
“Asyoucanimagine，Iwasutterlytakenabackbysuchanaddress。
Mycompanionwasapowerful，broad-shoulderedyoungfellow，and，apart
fromtheweapon，Ishouldnothavehadtheslightestchanceina
strugglewithhim。
“”Thisisveryextraordinaryconduct，Mr。Latimer”Istammered。”Youmustbeawarethatwhatyouaredoingisquiteillegal。”
“”Itissomewhatofaliberty，nodoubt”saidhe，”butwe”llmake
ituptoyou。Imustwarnyou，however，Mr。Melas，thatifatanytime
to-nightyouattempttoraiseanalarmordoanythingwhichisagainst
myinterest，youwillfinditaveryseriousthing。Ibegyouto
rememberthatnooneknowswhereyouare，andthat，whetheryouarein
thiscarriageorinmyhouse，youareequallyinmypower。”
“Hiswordswerequietbuthehadaraspingwayofsayingthem，which
wasverymenacing。Isatinsilencewonderingwhatonearthcouldbe
hisreasonforkidnappingmeinthisextraordinaryfashion。Whatever
itmightbe，itwasperfectlyclearthattherewasnopossibleuse
inmyresisting，andthatIcouldonlywaittoseewhatmightbefall。
“Fornearlytwohourswedrovewithoutmyhavingtheleastclueas
towhereweweregoing。Sometimestherattleofthestonestoldofa
pavedcauseway，andatothersoursmooth，silentcoursesuggested
asphalt；but，savebythisvariationinsound，therewasnothingat
allwhichcouldintheremotestwayhelpmetoformaguessasto
wherewewere。Thepaperovereachwindowwasimpenetrabletolight，
andabluecurtainwasdrawnacrosstheglassworkinfront。Itwasa
quarterpastsevenwhenweleftPallMall，andmywatchshowedmethat
itwastenminutestoninewhenweatlastcametoastandstill。My
companionletdownthewindow，andIcaughtaglimpseofalow，arched
doorwaywithalampburningaboveit。AsIwashurriedfromthe
carriageitswungopen，andIfoundmyselfinsidethehouse，witha
vagueimpressionofalawnandtreesoneachsideofmeasI
entered。Whetherthesewereprivategrounds，however，orbona-fide
countrywasmorethanIcouldpossiblyventuretosay。
“Therewasacolouredgaslampinsidewhichwasturnedsolowthat
Icouldseelittlesavethatthehallwasofsomesizeandhungwith
pictures。InthedimlightIcouldmakeoutthatthepersonwhohad
openedthedoorwasasmall，mean-looking，middle-agedmanwith
roundedshoulders。Asheturnedtowardsustheglintofthelight
showedmethathewaswearingglasses。
“”IsthisMr。Melas，Harold？”saidhe。
“”Yes。”
“”Welldone，welldone！Noill-will，Mr。Melas，Ihope，butwecould
notgetonwithoutyou。Ifyoudealfairwithusyou”llnotregretit，
butifyoutryanytricks，Godhelpyou！”Hespokeinanervous，jerky
fashion，andwithlittlegigglinglaughsinbetween，butsomehowhe
impressedmewithfearmorethantheother。
“”Whatdoyouwantwithme？”Iasked。
“”OnlytoaskafewquestionsofaGreekgentlemanwhoisvisiting
us，andtoletushavetheanswers。Butsaynomorethanyouare
toldtosay，or-”herecamethenervousgiggleagain-”youhadbetter
neverhavebeenborn。”
“Ashespokeheopenedadoorandshowedthewayintoaroom
whichappearedtobeveryrichlyfurnished，butagaintheonlylight
wasaffordedbyasinglelamphalf-turneddown。Thechamberwas
certainlylarge，andthewayinwhichmyfeetsankintothecarpet
asIsteppedacrossittoldmeofitsrichness。Icaughtglimpsesof
velvetchairs，ahighwhitemarblemantelpiece，andwhatseemedto
beasuitofJapanesearmouratonesideofit。Therewasachairjust
underthelamp，andtheelderlymanmotionedthatIshouldsitin
it。Theyoungerhadleftus，buthesuddenlyreturnedthrough
anotherdoor，leadingwithhimagentlemancladinsomesortof
loosedressing-gownwhomovedslowlytowardsus。Ashecameintothe
circleofdimlightwhichenabledmetoseehimmoreclearlyIwas
thrilledwithhorrorathisappearance。Hewasdeadlypaleand
terriblyemaciated，withtheprotruding，brillianteyesofamanwhose
spiritwasgreaterthanhisstrength。Butwhatshockedmemorethan
anysignsofphysicalweaknesswasthathisfacewasgrotesquely
criss-crossedwithsticking-plasterandthatonelargepadofitwas
fastenedoverhismouth。
“”Haveyoutheslate，Harold？”criedtheolderman，asthis
strangebeingfellratherthansatdownintoachair。”Arehishands
loose？Now，then，givehimthepencil。Youaretoaskthequestions，
Mr。Melas，andhewillwritetheanswers。Askhimfirstofallwhether
heispreparedtosignthepapers？”
“Theman”seyesflashedfire。
“”Never！”hewroteinGreekupontheslate。
“”Onnoconditions？”Iaskedatthebiddingofourtyrant。
“”OnlyifIseehermarriedinmypresencebyaGreekpriestwhom
Iknow。”
“Themangiggledinhisvenomousway。
“”Youknowwhatawaitsyou，then？”
“”Icarenothingformyself。”
“Thesearesamplesofthequestionsandanswerswhichmadeupour
strangehalf-spoken，half-writtenconversation。AgainandagainI
hadtoaskhimwhetherhewouldgiveinandsignthedocuments。
AgainandagainIhadthesameindignantreply。Butsoonahappy
thoughtcametome。Itooktoaddingonlittlesentencesofmyown
toeachquestion，innocentonesatfirst，totestwhethereitherof
ourcompanionsknewanythingofthematter，andthen，asIfound
thattheyshowednosignIplayedamoredangerousgame。Our
conversationransomethinglikethis：
“”Youcandonogoodbythisobstinacy。Whoareyou？”
“”Icarenot。IamastrangerinLondon。”
“”Yourfatewillbeonyourownhead。Howlonghaveyoubeenhere？”
“”Letitbeso。Threeweeks。”
“”Thepropertycanneverbeyours。Whatailsyou？”
“”Itshallnotgotovillains。Theyare。”
“”Youshallgofreeifyousign。Whathouseisthis？”
“”Iwillneversign。Idonotknow。”
“”Youarenotdoingheranyservice。Whatisyourname？”
“”Letmehearhersayso。Kratides。”
“”Youshallseeherifyousign。Whereareyoufrom？”
“”ThenIshallneverseeher。Athens。”
“Anotherfiveminutes，Mr。Holmes，andIshouldhavewormedout
thewholestoryundertheirverynoses。Myverynextquestionmight
haveclearedthematterup，butatthatinstantthedooropenedand
awomansteppedintotheroom。Icouldnotseeherclearlyenoughto
knowmorethanthatshewastallandgracefulwithblackhair，and
cladinsomesortofloosewhitegown。
“”Harold”saidshe，speakingEnglishwithabrokenaccent。”Icould
notstayawaylonger。Itissolonelyuptherewithonly-Oh，myGod，
itisPaul！”
“TheselastwordswereinGreek，andatthesameinstanttheman
withaconvulsiveefforttoretheplasterfromhislips，andscreaming
out”Sophy！Sophy！”rushedintothewoman”sarms。Theirembracewas
butforaninstant，however，fortheyoungermanseizedthewoman
andpushedheroutoftheroom，whiletheeldereasilyoverpoweredhis
emaciatedvictimanddraggedhimawaythroughtheotherdoor。Fora
momentIwasleftaloneintheroom，andIsprangtomyfeetwithsome
vagueideathatImightinsomewaygetacluetowhatthishouse
wasinwhichIfoundmyself。Fortunately，however，Itooknosteps，
forlookingupIsawthattheoldermanwasstandinginthedoorway，
withhiseyesfixeduponme。
“”Thatwilldo，Mr。Melas”saidhe。”Youperceivethatwehave
takenyouintoourconfidenceoversomeveryprivatebusiness。We
shouldnothavetroubledyou，onlythatourfriendwhospeaksGreek
andwhobeganthesenegotiationshasbeenforcedtoreturntothe
East。Itwasquitenecessaryforustofindsomeonetotakehisplace，
andwewerefortunateinhearingofyourpowers。”
“Ibowed。
“”Therearefivesovereignshere”saidhe，walkinguptome，”which
will，Ihope，beasufficientfee。Butremember”headded，tappingme
lightlyonthechestandgiggling，”ifyouspeaktoahumansoulabout
this-onehumansoul，mind-well，mayGodhavemercyuponyoursoul！”
“Icannottellyoutheloathingandhorrorwithwhichthis
insignificant-lookingmaninspiredme。Icouldseehimbetternowas
thelamp-lightshoneuponhim。Hisfeatureswerepeakyandsallow，and
hislittlepointedbeardwasthreadyandill-nourished。Hepushed
hisfaceforwardashespokeandhislipsandeyelidswerecontinually
twitchinglikeamanwithSt。Vitus”sdance。Icouldnothelpthinking
thathisstrange，catchylittlelaughwasalsoasymptomofsome
nervousmalady。Theterrorofhisfacelayinhiseyes，however，steel
gray，andglisteningcoldlywithamalignantinexorablecrueltyin
theirdepths。
“”Weshallknowifyouspeakofthis”saidhe。”Wehaveourown
meansofinformation。Nowyouwillfindthecarriagewaiting，andmy
friendwillseeyouonyourway。”
“Iwashurriedthroughthehallandintothevehicle，again
obtainingthatmomentaryglimpseoftreesandagarden。Mr。Latimer
followedcloselyatmyheelsandtookhisplaceoppositetomewithout
aword。Insilenceweagaindroveforaninterminabledistancewith
thewindowsraised，untilatlast，justaftermidnight，thecarriage
pulledup。
“”Youwillgetdownhere，Mr。Melas”saidmycompanion。”Iamsorry
toleaveyousofarfromyourhouse，butthereisnoalternative。
Anyattemptuponyourparttofollowthecarriagecanonlyendin
injurytoyourself。”
“Heopenedthedoorashespoke，andIhadhardlytimetospringout
whenthecoachmanlashedthehorseandthecarriagerattledaway。I
lookedaroundmeinastonishment。Iwasonsomesortofaheathy
commonmottledoverwithdarkclumpsoffurze-bushes。Faraway
stretchedalineofhouses，withalighthereandthereintheupper
windows。OntheothersideIsawtheredsignal-lampsofarailway。
“Thecarriagewhichhadbroughtmewasalreadyoutofsight。Istood
gazingroundandwonderingwhereonearthImightbe，whenIsaw
someonecomingtowardsmeinthedarkness。AshecameuptomeI
madeoutthathewasarailwayporter。
“”Canyoutellmewhatplacethisis？”Iasked。
“”WandsworthCommon”saidhe。
“”CanIgetatrainintotown？”
“”IfyouwalkonamileorsotoClaphamJunction”saidhe，”you”ll
justbeintimeforthelasttoVictoria。”
“Sothatwastheendofmyadventure，Mr。Holmes。Idonotknow
whereIwas，norwhomIspokewith，noranythingsavewhatIhavetold
you。ButIknowthatthereisfoulplaygoingon，andIwanttohelp
thatunhappymanifIcan。ItoldthewholestorytoMr。Mycroft
Holmesnextmorning，andsubsequentlytothepolice。”
Weallsatinsilenceforsomelittletimeafterlisteningtothis
extraordinarynarrative。ThenSherlocklookedacrossathisbrother。
“Anysteps？“heasked。
MycroftpickeduptheDailyNews，whichwaslyingontheside-table。
“Anybodysupplyinganyinformationastothewhereaboutsofa
GreekgentlemannamedPaulKratides，fromAthens，whoisunableto
speakEnglish，willberewarded。Asimilarrewardpaidtoanyone
givinginformationaboutaGreekladywhosefirstnameisSophy。X
2473”
“Thatwasinallthedailies。Noanswer。”
“HowabouttheGreeklegation？“
“Ihaveinquired。Theyknownothing。”
“AwiretotheheadoftheAthenspolice，then？“
“Sherlockhasalltheenergyofthefamily，“saidMycroft，turningto
me。“Well，youtakethecaseupbyallmeansandletmeknowifyoudo
anygood。”
“Certainly，“answeredmyfriend，risingfromhischair。“I”lllet
youknow，andMr。Melasalso。Inthemeantime，Mr。Melas，Ishould
certainlybeonmyguardifIwereyou，forofcoursetheymustknow
throughtheseadvertisementsthatyouhavebetrayedthem。”
Aswewalkedhometogether，Holmesstoppedatatelegraphofficeand
sentofseveralwires。
“Yousee，Watson，“heremarked，“oureveninghasbeenbynomeans
wasted。Someofmymostinterestingcaseshavecometomeinthis
waythroughMycroft。Theproblemwhichwehavejustlistenedto，
althoughitcanadmitofbutoneexplanation，hasstillsome
distinguishingfeatures。”
“Youhavehopesofsolvingit？“
“Well，knowingasmuchaswedo，itwillbesingularindeedifwe
failtodiscovertherest。Youmustyourselfhaveformedsometheory
whichwillexplainthefactstowhichwehavelistened。”
“Inavagueway，yes。”
“Whatwasyouridea，then？“
“ItseemedtometobeobviousthatthisGreekgirlhadbeencarried
offbytheyoungEnglishmannamedHaroldLatimer。”
“Carriedofffromwhere？“
“Athens，perhaps。”
SherlockHolmesshookhishead。“Thisyoungmancouldnottalka
wordofGreek。TheladycouldtalkEnglishfairlywell。Inference-that
shehadbeeninEnglandsomelittletime，buthehadnotbeenin
Greece。”
“Well，then，wewillpresumethatshehadoncecomeonavisitto
England，andthatthisHaroldhadpersuadedhertoflywithhim。”
“Thatismoreprobable。”
“Thenthebrother-forthat，Ifancy，mustbethe
relationship-comesoverfromGreecetointerfere。Heimprudently
putshimselfintothepoweroftheyoungmanandhisolder
associate。Theyseizehimanduseviolencetowardshiminorderto
makehimsignsomepaperstomakeoverthegirl”sfortune-ofwhich
hemaybetrustee-tothem。Thisherefusestodo。Inorderto
negotiatewithhimtheyhavetogetaninterpreter，andtheypitch
uponthisMr。Melas，havingusedsomeotheronebefore。Thegirlis
nottoldofthearrivalofherbrotherandfindsitoutbythe
merestaccident。
“Excellent，Watson！“criedHolmes。“Ireallyfancythatyouare
notfarfromthetruth。Youseethatweholdallthecards，andwe
haveonlytofearsomesuddenactofviolenceontheirpart。Ifthey
giveustimewemusthavethem。”
“Buthowcanwefindwherethishouselies？“
“Well，ifourconjectureiscorrectandthegirl”snameisorwas
SophyKratides，weshouldhavenodifficultyintracingher。Thatmust
beourmainhope，forthebrotheris，ofcourse，acomplete
stranger。ItisclearthatsometimehaselapsedsincethisHarold
establishedtheserelationswiththegirl-someweeks，atany
rate-sincethebrotherinGreecehashadtimetohearofitandcome
across。Iftheyhavebeenlivinginthesameplaceduringthistime，
itisprobablethatweshallhavesomeanswertoMycroft”s
advertisement。”
WehadreachedourhouseinBakerStreetwhilewehadbeen
talking。Holmesascendedthestairfirst，andasheopenedthedoorof
ourroomhegaveastartofsurprise。Lookingoverhisshoulder，Iwas
equallyastonished。HisbrotherMycroftwassittingsmokinginthe
armchair。
“Comein，Sherlock！Comein，sir，“saidheblandly，smilingatour
surprisedfaces。“Youdon”texpectsuchenergyfromme，doyou，
Sherlock？Butsomehowthiscanattractsme。”
“Howdidyougethere？“
“Ipassedyouinahansom。”
“Therehasbeensomenewdevelopment？“
“Ihadananswertomyadvertisement。”
“Ah！“
“Yes，itcamewithinafewminutesofyourleaving。”
“Andtowhateffect？“
MycroftHolmestookoutasheetofpaper。
“Hereitis，“saidhe，“WrittenwithaJpenonroyalcreampaperby
amiddle-agedmanwithaweakconstitution。
“SIR[hesays]：
“Inanswertoyouradvertisementofto-day”sdate，Ibegtoinform
youthatIknowtheyoungladyinquestionverywell。Ifyoushould
caretocalluponmeIcouldgiveyousomeparticularsastoher
painfulhistory。SheislivingatpresentatTheMyrtles，Beckenham。
“Yoursfaithfully，
“J。DAVENPORT。
“HewritesfromLowerBrixton，“saidMycroftHolmes。“Doyounot
thinkthatwemightdrivetohimnow，Sherlock，andlearnthese
particulars？“
“MydearMycroft，thebrother”slifeismorevaluablethanthe
sister”sstory。IthinkweshouldcallatScotlandYardfor
InspectorGregsonandgostraightouttoBeckenham。Weknowthataman
isbeingdonetodeath，andeveryhourmaybevital。”
“BetterpickupMr。Melasonourway，“Isuggested。“Wemayneed
aninterpreter。”
“Excellent，“saidSherlockHolmes。“Sendtheboyforafour-wheeler，
andweshallbeoffatonce。”Heopenedthetable-drawerashe
spoke，andInoticedthatheslippedhisrevolverintohispocket。
“Yes，“saidheinanswertomyglance，“Ishouldsay，fromwhatwe
haveheard，thatwearedealingwithaparticularlydangerousgang。”
ItwasalmostdarkbeforewefoundourselvesinPallMall，atthe
roomsofMr。Melas。Agentlemanhadjustcalledforhim，andhewas
gone。
“Canyoutellmewhere？“askedMycroftHolmes。
“Idon”tknow，sir，“answeredthewomanwhohadopenedthedoor，
“Ionlyknowthathedroveawaywiththegentlemaninacarriage。”
“Didthegentlemangiveaname？“
“No，sir。”
“Hewasn”tatall，handsome。darkyoungman？“
“Oh，no，sir。Hewasalittlegentleman，withglasses，thininthe
face，butverypleasantinhisways，forhewaslaughingallthe
timethathewastalking。”
“Comealong！“criedSherlockHolmesabruptly。“Thisgrows
serious，“heobservedaswedrovetoScotlandYard。“Thesemenhave
gotholdofMelasagain。Heisamanofnophysicalcourage，asthey
arewellawarefromtheirexperiencetheothernight。Thisvillainwas
abletoterrorizehimtheinstantthathegotintohispresence。No
doubttheywanthisprofessionalservices，but，havingusedhim，
theymaybeinclinedtopunishhimforwhattheywillregardashis
treachery。”
Ourhopewasthat，bytakingtrain，wemightgettoBeckenhamas
soonasorsoonerthanthecarriage。OnreachingScotlandYard，
however，itwasmorethananhourbeforewecouldgetInspector
Gregsonandcomplywiththelegalformalitieswhichwouldenableusto
enterthehouse。ItwasaquartertotenbeforewereachedLondon
Bridge，andhalfpastbeforethefourofusalightedonthe
Beckenhamplatform。AdriveofhalfamilebroughtustoTheMyrtles-a
large，darkhousestandingbackfromtheroadinitsowngrounds。Here
wedismissedourcabandmadeourwayupthedrivetogether。
“Thewindowsarealldark，“remarkedtheinspector。“Thehouseseems
deserted。”
“Ourbirdsareflownandthenestempty，“saidHolmes。
“Whydoyousayso？“
“Acarriageheavilyloadedwithluggagehaspassedoutduringthe
lasthour。”
Theinspectorlaughed。“Isawthewheel-tracksinthelightofthe
gate-lamp，butwheredoestheluggagecomein？“
“Youmayhaveobservedthesamewheel-tracksgoingtheotherway。
Buttheoutward-boundoneswereverymuchdeeper-somuchsothatwe
cansayforacertaintythattherewasaveryconsiderableweighton
thecarriage。”
“Yougetatriflebeyondmethere，“saidtheinspector，shrugging
hisshoulders。“Itwillnotbeaneasydoortoforce，butwewill
tryifwecannotmakesomeonehearus。”
Hehammeredloudlyattheknockerandpulledatthebell，but
withoutanysuccess。Holmeshadslippedaway，buthecamebackina
fewminutes。
“Ihaveawindowopen，“saidhe。
“Itisamercythatyouareonthesideoftheforce，andnot
againstit，Mr。Holmes，“remarkedtheinspectorashenotedtheclever
wayinwhichmyfriendhadforcedbackthecatch。“Well，Ithink
thatunderthecircumstanceswemayenterwithoutaninvitation。”
Oneaftertheotherwemadeourwayintoalargeapartment，which
wasevidentlythatinwhichMr。Melashadfoundhimself。Theinspector
hadlithislantern，andbyitslightwecouldseethetwodoors，
thecurtain，thelamp，andthesuitofJapanesemailashehad
describedthem。Onthetablelaytwoglasses，anempty
brandy-bottle，andtheremainsofameal。
“Whatisthat？“askedHolmessuddenly。
Weallstoodstillandlistened。Alowmoaningsoundwascomingfrom
somewhereoverourheads。Holmesrushedtothedoorandoutintothe
hall。Thedismalnoisecamefromupstairs。Hedashedup，theinspector
andIathisheels，whilehisbrotherMycroftfollowedasquicklyas
hisgreatbulkwouldpermit。
Threedoorsfacedusuponthesecondfloor，anditwasfromthe
centralofthesethatthesinistersoundswereissuing，sinking
sometimesintoadullmumbleandrisingagainintoashrillwhine。
Itwaslocked，butthekeyhadbeenleftontheoutside。Holmes
flungopenthedoorandrushedin，buthewasoutagaininaninstant，
withhishandtohisthroat。
“It”scharcoal，“hecried。“Giveittime。Itwillclear。”
Peeringin，wecouldseethattheonlylightintheroomcamefroma
dullblueflamewhichflickeredfromasmallbrasstripodinthe
centre。Itthrewalivid，unnaturalcircleuponthefloor，whilein
theshadowsbeyondwesawthevagueloomoftwofigureswhichcrouched
againstthewall。Fromtheopendoortherereekedahorriblepoisonous
exhalationwhichsetusgaspingandcoughing。Holmesrushedtothetop
ofthestairstodrawinthefreshair，andthen，dashingintothe
room，hethrewupthewindowandhurledthebrazentripodoutintothe
garden。
“Wecanenterinaminute，“hegasped，dartingoutagain。“Where
isacandle？Idoubtifwecouldstrikeamatchinthatatmosphere。
Holdthelightatthedoorandweshallgetthemout，Mycroft，now！“
Witharushwegottothepoisonedmenanddraggedthemoutintothe
welllithall。Bothofthemwereblue-lippedandinsensible，with
swollen，congestedfacesandprotrudingeyes。Indeed，sodistorted
weretheirfeaturesthat，saveforhisblackbeardandstoutfigure，
wemighthavefailedtorecognizeinoneofthemtheGreekinterpreter
whohadpartedfromusonlyafewhoursbeforeattheDiogenesClub。
Hishandsandfeetweresecurelystrappedtogether，andheboreover
oneeyethemarksofaviolentblow。Theother，whowassecuredina
similarfashion，wasatallmaninthelaststageofemaciation，
withseveralstripsofstickingplasterarrangedinagrotesquepattern
overhisface。Hehadceasedtomoanaswelaidhimdown，andaglance
showedmethatforhimatleastouraidhadcometoolate。Mr。
Melas，however，stilllived，andinlessthananhour，withtheaidof
ammoniaandbrandy，Ihadthesatisfactionofseeinghimopenhis
eyes，andofknowingthatmyhandhaddrawnhimbackfromthatdark
valleyinwhichallpathsmeet。
Itwasasimplestorywhichhehadtotell，andonewhichdidbut
confirmourowndeductions。Hisvisitor，onenteringhisrooms，had
drawnalife-preserverfromhissleeve，andhadsoimpressedhim
withthefearofinstantandinevitabledeaththathehadkidnapped
himforthesecondtime。Indeed，itwasalmostmesmeric，theeffect
whichthisgigglingruffianhadproducedupontheunfortunate
linguist，forhecouldnotspeakofhimsavewithtremblinghands
andablanchedcheek。HehadbeentakenswiftlytoBeckenham，and
hadactedasinterpreterinasecondinterview，evenmoredramatic
thanthefirst，inwhichthetwoEnglishmenhadmenacedtheirprisoner
withinstantdeathifhedidnotcomplywiththeirdemands。Finally，
findinghimproofagainsteverythreat，theyhadhurledhimback
intohisprison，andafterreproachingMelaswithhistreachery，which
appearedfromthenewspaperadvertisement，theyhadstunnedhimwitha
blowfromastick，andherememberednothingmoreuntilhefoundus
bendingoverhim。
AndthiswasthesingularcaseoftheGrecianInterpreter，the
explanationofwhichisstillinvolvedinsomemystery。Wewereable
tofindout，bycommunicatingwiththegentlemanwhohadanswered
theadvertisement，thattheunfortunateyoungladycameofawealthy
Grecianfamily，andthatshehadbeenonavisittosomefriendsin
England。WhilethereshehadmetayoungmannamedHaroldLatimer，who
hadacquiredanascendencyoverherandhadeventuallypersuadedher
toflywithhim。Herfriends，shockedattheevent，hadcontented
themselveswithinformingherbrotheratAthens，andhadthenwashed
theirhandsofthematter。Thebrother，onhisarrivalinEngland，had
imprudentlyplacedhimselfinthepowerofLatimerandofhis
associate，whosenamewasWilsonKemp-amanofthefoulest
antecedents。Thesetwo，findingthatthroughhisignoranceofthe
languagehewashelplessintheirhands，hadkepthimaprisoner，
andhadendeavouredbycrueltyandstarvationtomakehimsignaway
hisownandhissister”sproperty。Theyhadkepthiminthehouse
withoutthegirl”sknowledge，andtheplasteroverthefacehadbeen
forthepurposeofmakingrecognitiondifficultincasesheshould
evercatchaglimpseofhim。Herfeminineperceptions，however，had
instantlyseenthroughthedisguisewhen，ontheoccasionofthe
interpreter”svisit，shehadseenhimforthefirsttime。Thepoor
girl，however，washerselfaprisoner，fortherewasnooneabout
thehouseexceptthemanwhoactedascoachman，andhiswife，both
ofwhomweretoolsoftheconspirators。Findingthattheirsecret
wasout，andthattheirprisonerwasnottobecoerced，thetwo
villainswiththegirlhadfledawayatafewhours”noticefromthe
furnishedhousewhichtheyhadhired，havingfirst，astheythought，
takenvengeancebothuponthemanwhohaddefiedandtheonewhohad
betrayedthem。
Monthsafterwardsacuriousnewspapercuttingreachedusfrom
Budapest。IttoldhowtwoEnglishmenwhohadbeentravellingwitha
womanhadmetwithatragicend。Theyhadeachbeenstabbed，itseems，
andtheHungarianpolicewereofopinionthattheyhadquarrelled
andhadinflictedmortalinjuriesuponeachother。Holmes，however，
is，Ifancy，ofadifferentwayofthinking，andheholdstothis
daythat，ifonecouldfindtheGreciangirl，onemightlearnhow
thewrongsofherselfandherbrothercametobeavenged。
THEEND。
1891
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEMANWITHTHETWISTEDLIP
bySirArthurConanDoyle
IsaWhitney，brotherofthelateEliasWhitney，D。D。，Principalof
theTheologicalCollegeofSt。George”s，wasmuchaddictedtoopium。
Hehabitgrewuponhim，asIunderstand，fromsomefoolishfreak
whenhewasatcollege；forhavingreadDeQuincey”sdescriptionof
hisdreamsandsensations，hehaddrenchedhistobaccowithlaudanum
inanattempttoproducethesameeffects。Hefound，assomanymore
havedone，thatthepracticeiseasiertoattainthantogetridof，
andformanyyearshecontinuedtobeaslavetothedrug，anobject
ofmingledhorrorandpitytohisfriendsandrelatives。Icanseehim
now，withyellow，pastyface，droopinglids，andpin-pointpupils，all
huddledinachair，thewreckandruinofanobleman。
Onenight-itwasinJune，”89-therecamearingtomybell，about
thehourwhenamangiveshisfirstyawnandglancesattheclock。I
satupinmychair，andmywifelaidherneedle-workdowninherlap
andmadealittlefaceofdisappointment。
“Apatient！“saidshe。“You”llhavetogoout。”
Igroaned，forIwasnewlycomebackfromawearyday。
Weheardthedooropen，afewhurriedwords，andthenquicksteps
uponthelinoleum。Ourowndoorflewopen，andalady，cladinsome
dark-colouredstuff，withablackveil，enteredtheroom。
“Youwillexcusemycallingsolate，“shebegan，andthen，
suddenlylosingherself-control，sheranforward，threwherarms
aboutmywife”sneck，andsobbeduponhershoulder。“Oh，I”minsuch
trouble！“shecried；“Idosowantalittlehelp。”
“Why，“saidmywife，pullingupherveil，“itisKateWhitney。How
youstartledme，Kate！Ihadnotanideawhoyouwerewhenyoucame
in。”
“Ididn”tknowwhattodo，soIcamestraighttoyou。”Thatwas
alwaystheway。Folkwhowereingriefcametomywifelikebirdstoa
light-house。