”Idon’tknowthat。TomycertainknowledgehehasactedonbehalfofthreeofthereigninghousesofEuropeinveryvitalmatters。””Butyouknowhimwell，Watson。HeissuchaninscrutablefellowthatIneverquiteknowwhattomakeofhim。Doyouthinkheishopeful?Doyouthinkheexpectstomakeasuccessofit?””Hehassaidnothing。””Thatisabadsign。””Onthecontrary，Ihavenoticedthatwhenheisoffthetrailhegenerallysaysso。Itiswhenheisonascentandisnotquiteabsolutelysureyetthatitistherightonethatheismosttaciturn。Now，mydearfellow，wecan’thelpmatterbymakingourselvesnervousaboutthem，soletmeimploreyoutogotobedandsobefreshforwhatevermayawaitusto-morrow。”Iwasableatlasttopersuademycompaniontotakemyadvice，thoughIknewfromhisexcitedmannerthattherewasnotmuchhopeofsleepforhim。Indeed，hismoodwasinfectious，forIlaytossinghalfthenightmyself，broodingoverthisstrangeproblem，andinventingahundredtheories，eachofwhichwasmoreimpossiblethanthelast。WhyhadHolmesremainedatWoking?WhyhadheaskedMissHarrisontoremaininthesick-roomallday?WhyhadhebeensocarefulnottoinformthepeopleatBriarbraethatheintendedtoremainnearthem?IcudgelledmybrainsuntilIfellasleepintheendeavortofindsomeexplanationwhichwouldcoverallthesefacts。
Itwasseveno’clockwhenIawoke，andIsetoffatonceforPhelps’sroom，tofindhimhaggardandspentafterasleeplessnight。HisfirstquestionwaswhetherHolmeshadarrivedyet。”He’llbeherewhenhepromised，”saidI，”andnotaninstantsoonerorlater。”
Andmywordsweretrue，forshortlyaftereightahansomdasheduptothedoorandourfriendgotoutofit。Standinginthewindowwesawthathislefthandwasswathedinabandageandthathisfacewasverygrimandpale。Heenteredthehouse，butitwassomelittletimebeforehecameupstairs。”Helookslikeabeatenman，”criedPhelps。
Iwasforcedtoconfessthathewasright。”Afterall，”saidI，”theclueofthematterliesprobablyhereintown。”
Phelpsgaveagroan。”Idon’tknowhowitis，”saidhe，”butIhadhopedforsomuchfromhisreturn。Butsurelyhishandwasnottieduplikethatyesterday。Whatcanbethematter?””Youarenotwounded，Holmes?”Iasked，asmyfriendenteredtheroom。”Tut，itisonlyascratchthroughmyownclumsiness，”
heanswered，noddinghisgood-morningstous。”Thiscaseofyours，Mr。Phelps，iscertainlyoneofthedarkestwhichIhaveeverinvestigated。””Ifearedthatyouwouldfinditbeyondyou。””Ithasbeenamostremarkableexperience。””Thatbandagetellsofadventures，”saidI。”Won’tyoutelluswhathashappened?””Afterbreakfast，mydearWatson。RememberthatI
havebreathedthirtymileofSurreyairthismorning。
Isupposethattherehasbeennoanswerfrommycabmanadvertisement?Well，well，wecannotexpecttoscoreeverytime。”
Thetablewasalllaid，andjustasIwasabouttoringMrs。Hudsonenteredwittheteaandcoffee。A
fewminuteslatershebroughtinthreecovers，andwealldrewuptothetable，Holmesravenous，Icurious，andPhelpsinthegloomieststateofdepression。”Mrs。Hudsonhasrisentotheoccasion，”saidHolmes，uncoveringadishofcurriedchicken。”Hercuisineisalittlelimited，butshehasasgoodanideaofbreakfastasaScotch-woman。Whathaveyouhere，Watson?””Hamandeggs，”Ianswered。”Good！Whatareyougoingtotake，Mr。
Phelps——curriedfowloreggs，orwillyouhelpyourself?””Thankyou。Icaneatnothing，”saidPhelps。”Oh，come！Trythedishbeforeyou。””Thankyou，Iwouldreallyrathernot。””Well，then，”saidHolmes，withamischievoustwinkle，”Isupposethatyouhavenoobjectiontohelpingme?”
Phelpsraisedthecover，andashididsoheutteredascream，andsattherestaringwithafaceaswhiteastheplateuponwhichhelooked。Acrossthecentreofitwaslyingalittlecylinderofblue-graypaper。Hecaughtitup，devoureditwithhiseyes，andthendancedmadlyabouttheroom，passingittohisbosomandshriekingoutinhisdelight。Thenhefellbackintoanarm-chairsolimpandexhaustedwithhisownemotionsthatwehadtopourbrandydownhisthroattokeephimfromfainting。”There！there！”saidHolmes，soothing，pattinghimupontheshoulder。”Itwastoobadtospringitonyoulikethis，butWatsonherewilltellyouthatI
nevercanresistatouchofthedramatic。”
Phelpsseizedhishandandkissedit。”Godblessyou！”hecried。”Youhavesavedmyhonor。””Well，myownwasatstake，youknow，”saidHolmes。”Iassureyouitisjustashatefultometofailinacaseasitcanbetoyoutoblunderoveracommission。”
Phelpsthrustawaythepreciousdocumentintotheinnermostpocketofhiscoat。”Ihavenotthehearttointerruptyourbreakfastanyfurther，andyetIamdyingtoknowhowyougotitandwhereitwas。”
SherlockHolmesswallowedacupofcoffee，andturnedhisattentiontothehamandeggs。Thenherose，lithispipe，andsettledhimselfdownintohischair。”I’lltellyouwhatIdidfirst，andhowIcametodoitafterwards，”saidhe。”AfterleavingyouatthestationIwentforacharmingwalkthroughsomeadmirableSurreyscenerytoaprettylittlevillagecalledRipley，whereIhadmyteaataninn，andtooktheprecautionoffillingmyflaskandofputtingapaperofsandwichesinmypocket。ThereIremaineduntilevening，whenIsetoffforWokingagain，andfoundmyselfinthehigh-roadoutsideBriarbraejustaftersunset。”Well，Iwaiteduntiltheroadwasclear——itisneveraveryfrequentedoneatanytime，Ifancy——andthenI
clamberedoverthefenceintothegrounds。””Surelythegatewasopen！”ejaculatedPhelps。”Yes，butIhaveapeculiartasteinthesematters。I
chosetheplacewherethethreefir-treesstand，andbehindtheirscreenIgotoverwithouttheleastchanceofanyoneinthehousebeingabletoseeme。
Icroucheddownamongthebushesontheotherside，andcrawledfromonetotheother——witnessthedisreputablestateofmytrouserknees——untilIhadreachedtheclumpofrhododendronsjustoppositetoyourbedroomwindow。ThereIsquatteddownandawaiteddevelopments。”Theblindwasnotdowninyourroom，andIcouldseeMissHarrisonsittingtherereadingbythetable。Itwasquarter-pasttenwhensheclosedherbook，fastenedtheshutters，andretired。”Iheardhershutthedoor，andfeltquitesurethatshehadturnedthekeyinthelock。””Thekey！”ejaculatedPhelps。”Yes；IhadgivenMissHarrisoninstructionstolockthedoorontheoutsideandtakethekeywithherwhenshewenttobed。Shecarriedouteveryoneofmyinjunctionstotheletter，andcertainlywithouthercooperationyouwouldnothavethatpaperinyoucoat-pocket。Shedepartedthenandthelightswentout，andIwasleftsquattingintherhododendron-bush。”Thenightwasfine，butstillitwasaverywearyvigil。Ofcourseithasthesortofexcitementaboutitthatthesportsmanfeelswhenheliesbesidethewater-courseandwaitsforthebiggame。Itwasverylong，though——almostaslong，Watson，aswhenyouandIwaitedinthatdeadlyroomwhenwelookedintothelittleproblemoftheSpeckledBand。Therewasachurch-clockdownatWokingwhichstruckthequarters，andIthoughtmorethanoncethatithadstopped。Atlasthoweverabouttwointhemorning，Isuddenlyheardthegentlesoundofaboltbeingpushedbackandthecreakingofakey。Amomentlatertheservant’sdoorwasopened，andMr。JosephHarrisonsteppedoutintothemoonlight。””Joseph！”ejaculatedPhelps。”Hewasbare-headed，buthehadablackcoatthrownoverhisshouldersothathecouldconcealhisfaceinaninstantiftherewereanyalarm。Hewalkedontiptoeundertheshadowofthewall，andwhenhereachedthewindowheworkedalong-bladedknifethroughthesashandpushedbackthecatch。Thenheflungopenthewindow，andputtinghisknifethroughthecrackintheshutters，hethrustthebarupandswungthemopen。”FromwhereIlayIhadaperfectviewoftheinsideoftheroomandofeveryoneofhismovements。Helitthetwocandleswhichstooduponthemantelpiece，andthenheproceededtoturnbackthecornerofthecarpetintheneighborhoodofthedoor。Presentlyhestoppedandpickedoutasquarepieceofboard，suchasisusuallylefttoenableplumberstogetatthejointsofthegas-pipes。Thisonecovered，asamatteroffact，theTjointwhichgivesoffthepipewhichsuppliesthekitchenunderneath。Outofthishiding-placehedrewthatlittlecylinderofpaper，pusheddowntheboard，rearrangedthecarpet，blewoutthecandles，andwalkedstraightintomyarmsasI
stoodwaitingforhimoutsidethewindow。”Well，hehasrathermoreviciousnessthanIgavehimcreditfor，hasMasterJoseph。Heflewatmewithhisknife，andIhadtograsshimtwice，andgotacutovertheknuckles，beforeIhadtheupperhandofhim。
Helookedmurderoutoftheonlyeyehecouldseewithwhenwehadfinished，buthelistenedtoreasonandgaveupthepapers。HavinggotthemIletmymango，butIwiredfullparticularstoForbesthismorning。
Ifheisquickenoughtocatchisbird，wellandgood。
Butif，asIshrewdlysuspect，hefindsthenestemptybeforehegetsthere，why，allthebetterforthegovernment。IfancythatLordHoldhurstforone，andMr。PercyPhelpsforanother，wouldverymuchratherthattheaffairnevergotasfarasapolice-court。”MyGod！”gaspedourclient。”Doyoutellmethatduringtheselongtenweeksofagonythestolenpaperswerewithintheveryroomwithmeallthetime?””Soitwas。””AndJoseph！Josephavillainandathief！”