“Aslongasshewasonthescenehecouldnottakeanyaction
withoutahorribleexposureofthewomanwhomheloved。Butthe
instantthatshewasgoneherealizedhowcrushingamisfortunethis
wouldbeforyou，andhowimportantitwastosetitright。He
rusheddown，justashewas，inhisbarefeet，openedthewindow，
sprangoutintothesnow，andrandownthelane，wherehecouldsee
adarkfigureinthemoonlight。SirGeorgeBurnwelltriedtogetaway，
butArthurcaughthim，andtherewasastrugglebetweenthem，yourlad
tuggingatonesideofthecoronetandhisopponentattheother。In
thescuffle，yoursonstruckSirGeorgeandcuthimovertheeye。Then
somethingsuddenlysnapped，andyourson，findingthathehadthe
coronetinhishands，rushedback，closedthewindow，ascendedtoyour
room，andhadjustobservedthatthecoronethadbeentwistedinthe
struggleandwasendeavouringtostraightenitwhenyouappeared
uponthescene。”
“Isitpossible？“gaspedthebanker。
“Youthenrousedhisangerbycallinghimnamesatamomentwhen
hefeltthathehaddeservedyourwarmestthanks。Hecouldnotexplain
thetruestateofaffairswithoutbetrayingonewhocertainlydeserved
littleenoughconsiderationathishands。Hetookthemore
chivalrousview，however，andpreservedhersecret。”
“Andthatwaswhysheshriekedandfaintedwhenshesawthe
coronet，“criedMr。Holder。“Oh，myGod！whatablindfoolIhave
been！Andhisaskingtobeallowedtogooutforfiveminutes！The
dearfellowwantedtoseeifthemissingpiecewereatthesceneof
thestruggle。HowcruellyIhavemisjudgedhim！“
“WhenIarrivedatthehouse，“continuedHolmes，“Iatoncewent
verycarefullyroundittoobserveiftherewereanytracesinthe
snowwhichmighthelpme。Iknewthatnonehadfallensincethe
eveningbefore，andalsothattherehadbeenastrongfrostto
preserveimpressions。Ipassedalongthetradesmen”spath，butfound
italltrampleddownandindistinguishable。justbeyondit，however，
atthefarsideofthekitchendoor，awomanhadstoodandtalkedwith
aman，whoseroundimpressionsononesideshowedthathehadawooden
leg。Icouldeventellthattheyhadbeendisturbed，forthewomanhad
runbackswiftlytothedoor，aswasshownbythedeeptoeandlight
heelmarks，whileWooden-leghadwaitedalittle，andthenhadgone
away。Ithoughtatthetimethatthismightbethemaidandher
sweetheart，ofwhomyouhadalreadyspokentome，andinquiryshowed
itwasso。Ipassedroundthegardenwithoutseeinganythingmorethan
randomtracks，whichItooktobethepolice；butwhenIgotinto
thestablelaneaverylongandcomplexstorywaswritteninthe
snowinfrontofme。
“Therewasadoublelineoftracksofabootedman，andasecond
doublelinewhichIsawwithdelightbelongedtoamanwithnaked
feet。Iwasatonceconvincedfromwhatyouhadtoldmethatthe
latterwasyourson。Thefirsthadwalkedbothways，buttheotherhad
runswiftly，andashistreadwasmarkedinplacesoverthedepression
oftheboot，itwasobviousthathehadpassedaftertheother。I
followedthemupandfoundtheyledtothehallwindow，whereBoots
hadwornallthesnowawaywhilewaiting。ThenIwalkedtotheother
end，whichwasahundredyardsormoredownthelane。Isawwhere
Bootshadfacedround，wherethesnowwascutupasthoughtherehad
beenastruggle，and，finally，whereafewdropsofbloodhad
fallen，toshowmethatIwasnotmistaken。Bootshadthenrundown
thelane，andanotherlittlesmudgeofbloodshowedthatitwashewho
hadbeenhurt。Whenhecametothehighroadattheotherend，I
foundthatthepavementhadbeencleared，sotherewasanendto
thatclue。
“Onenteringthehouse，however，Iexamined，asyouremember，the
sillandframeworkofthehallwindowwithmylens，andIcouldat
onceseethatsomeonehadpassedout。Icoulddistinguishthe
outlineofaninstepwherethewetfoothadbeenplacedincoming
in。Iwasthenbeginningtobeabletoformanopinionastowhat
hadoccurred。Amanhadwaitedoutsidethewindow；someonehadbrought
thegems；thedeedhadbeenoverseenbyyourson；hehadpursuedthe
thief，hadstruggledwithhim；theyhadeachtuggedatthecoronet，
theirunitedstrengthcausinginjurieswhichneitheralonecould
haveeffected。Hehadreturnedwiththeprize，buthadleftafragment
inthegraspofhisopponent。SofarIwasclear。Thequestionnow
was，whowasthemanandwhowasitbroughthimthecoronet？
“Itisanoldmaximofminethatwhenyouhaveexcludedthe
impossible，whateverremains，howeverimprobable，mustbethetruth。
Now，Iknewthatitwasnotyouwhohadbroughtitdown，sothereonly
remainedyournieceandthemaids。Butifitwerethemaids，why
shouldyoursonallowhimselftobeaccusedintheirplace？There
couldbenopossiblereason。Ashelovedhiscousin，however，there
wasanexcellentexplanationwhyheshouldretainhersecret-the
moresoasthesecretwasadisgracefulone。WhenIrememberedthat
youhadseenheratthatwindow，andhowshehadfaintedonseeingthe
coronetagain，myconjecturebecameacertainty。
“Andwhocoulditbewhowasherconfederate？Aloverevidently，for
whoelsecouldoutweightheloveandgratitudewhichshemustfeel
toyou？Iknewthatyouwentoutlittle，andthatyourcircleof
friendswasaverylimitedone。ButamongthemwasSirGeorge
Burnwell。Ihadheardofhimbeforeasbeingamanofevil
reputationamongwomen。Itmusthavebeenhewhoworethoseboots
andretainedthemissinggems。EventhoughheknewthatArthurhad
discoveredhim，hemightstillflatterhimselfthathewassafe，for
theladcouldnotsayawordwithoutcompromisinghisownfamily。
“Well，yourowngoodsensewillsuggestwhatmeasuresItooknext。I
wentintheshapeofaloafertoSirGeorge”shouse，managedtopick
upanacquaintancewithhisvalet，learnedthathismasterhadcuthis
headthenightbefore，and，finally，attheexpenseofsix
shillings，madeallsurebybuyingapairofhiscast-offshoes。
WiththeseIjourneyeddowntoStreathamandsawthattheyexactly
fittedthetracks。”
“Isawanill-dressedvagabondinthelaneyesterdayevening，“
saidMr。Holder。
“Precisely。ItwasI。IfoundthatIhadmyman，soIcamehome
andchangedmyclothes。ItwasadelicatepartwhichIhadtoplay
then，forIsawthataprosecutionmustbeavoidedtoavertscandal，
andIknewthatsoastuteavillainwouldseethatourhandsweretied
inthematter。Iwentandsawhim。Atfirst，ofcourse，hedenied
everything。ButwhenIgavehimeveryparticularthathadoccurred，he
triedtoblusterandtookdownalife-preserverfromthewall。I
knewmyman，however，andIclappedapistoltohisheadbeforehe
couldstrike。Thenhebecamealittlemorereasonable。Itoldhimthat
wewouldgivehimapriceforthestonesheheld-L1000apiece。That
broughtoutthefirstsignsofgriefthathehadshown。”Why，dash
itall！”saidhe，”I”veletthemgoatsixhundredforthethree！”I
soonmanagedtogettheaddressofthereceiverwhohadthem，on
promisinghimthattherewouldbenoprosecution。OffIsettohim，
andaftermuchchafferingIgotourstonesatL1000apiece。ThenI
lookedinuponyourson，toldhimthatallwasright，andeventually
gottomybedabouttwoo”clock，afterwhatImaycallareallyhard
day”swork。”
“AdaywhichhassavedEnglandfromagreatpublicscandal，“said
thebanker，rising。“Sir，Icannotfindthewordstothankyou，but
youshallnotfindmeungratefulforwhatyouhavedone。Yourskill
hasindeedexceededallthatIhaveheardofit。AndnowImustflyto
mydearboytoapologizetohimforthewrongwhichIdonehim。As
towhatyoutellmeofpoorMary，itgoestomyveryheart。Noteven
yourskillcaninformmewheresheisnow。”
“Ithinkthatwemaysafelysay，“returnedHolmes，“thatsheis
whereverSirGeorgeBurnwellis。Itisequallycertain，too，that
whateverhersinsare，theywillsoonreceiveamorethansufficient
punishment。”
THEEND。
1926
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEBLANCHEDSOLDIER
bySirArthurConanDoyle
TheideasofmyfriendWatson，thoughlimited，areexceedingly
pertinacious。Foralongtimehehasworriedmetowriteanexperience
ofmyown。PerhapsIhaveratherinvitedthispersecution，sinceI
haveoftenhadoccasiontopointouttohimhowsuperficialarehis
ownaccountsandtoaccusehimofpanderingtopopulartasteinstead
ofconfininghimselfrigidlytofactsandfigures。“Tryityourself，
Holmes！“hehasretorted，andIamcompelledtoadmitthat，having
takenmypeninmyhand，Idobegintorealizethatthemattermustbe
presentedinsuchawayasmayinterestthereader。Thefollowingcase
canhardlyfailtodoso，asitisamongthestrangesthappeningsin
mycollection，thoughitchancedthatWatsonhadnonoteofitin
hiscollection。Speakingofmyoldfriendandbiographer，Iwouldtake
thisopportunitytoremarkthatifIburdenmyselfwithacompanionin
myvariouslittleinquiriesitisnotdoneoutofsentimentor
caprice，butitisthatWatsonhassomeremarkablecharacteristics
ofhisowntowhichinhismodestyhehasgivensmallattentionamid
hisexaggeratedestimatesofmyownperformances。Aconfederatewho
foreseesyourconclusionsandcourseofactionisalwaysdangerous，
butonetowhomeachdevelopmentcomesasaperpetualsurprise，andto
whomthefutureisalwaysaclosedbook，isindeedanidealhelpmate。
IfindfrommynotebookthatitwasinJanuary，1903，justafterthe
conclusionoftheBoerWar，thatIhadmyvisitfromMr。JamesM。
Dodd，abig，fresh，sunburned，upstandingBriton。ThegoodWatson
hadatthattimedesertedmeforawife，theonlyselfishactionwhich
Icanrecallinourassociation。Iwasalone。
Itismyhabittositwithmybacktothewindowandtoplacemy
visitorsintheoppositechair，wherethelightfallsfullupon
them。Mr。JamesM。Doddseemedsomewhatatalosshowtobeginthe
interview。Ididnotattempttohelphim，forhissilencegavememore
timeforobservation。Ihavefounditwisetoimpressclientswitha
senseofpower，andsoIgavehimsomeofmyconclusions。
“FromSouthAfrica，sir，Iperceive。”
“Yes，sir，“heanswered，withsomesurprise。
“ImperialYeomanry，Ifancy。”
“Exactly。”
“MiddlesexCorps，nodoubt。”
“Thatisso。Mr。Holmes，youareawizard。”
Ismiledathisbewilderedexpression。
“Whenagentlemanofvirileappearanceentersmyroomwithsuch
tanuponhisfaceasanEnglishsuncouldnevergive，andwithhis
handkerchiefinhissleeveinsteadofinhispocket，itisnot
difficulttoplacehim。Youwearashortbeard，whichshowsthatyou
werenotaregular。Youhavethecutofariding-man。AstoMiddlesex，
yourcardhasalreadyshownmethatyouareastockbrokerfrom
ThrogmortonStreet。Whatotherregimentwouldyoujoin？“
“Youseeeverything。”
“Iseenomorethanyou，butIhavetrainedmyselftonoticewhat
Isee。However，Mr。Dodd，itwasnottodiscussthescienceof
observationthatyoucalleduponmethismorning。Whathasbeen
happeningatTuxburyOldPark？“
“Mr。Holmes-！“
“Mydearsir，thereisnomystery。Yourlettercamewiththat
heading，andasyoufixedthisappointmentinverypressingtermsit
wasclearthatsomethingsuddenandimportanthadoccurred。”
“Yes，indeed。Buttheletterwaswrittenintheafternoon，anda
gooddealhashappenedsince，then。IfColonelEmsworthhadnotkicked
meout-“
“Kickedyouout！“
“Wellthatwaswhatitamountedto。Heisahardnail，isColonel
Emsworth。ThegreatestmartinetintheArmyinhisday，anditwasa
dayofroughlanguage，too。Icouldn”thavestuckthecolonelifit
hadnotbeenforGodfrey”ssake。”
Ilitmypipeandleanedbackinmychair。
“Perhapsyouwillexplainwhatyouaretalkingabout。”
Myclientgrinnedmischievously。
“Ihadgotintothewayofsupposingthatyoukneweverything
withoutbeingtold，“saidhe。“ButIwillgiveyouthefacts，andI
hopetoGodthatyouwillbeabletotellmewhattheymean。I”vebeen
awakeallnightpuzzlingmybrain，andthemoreIthinkthemore
incredibledoesitbecome。
“WhenIjoinedupinJanuary，1901-justtwoyearsago-young
GodfreyEmsworthhadjoinedthesamesquadron。HewasColonel
Emsworth”sonlyson-Emsworth，theCrimeanV。C-andhehadthe
fightingbloodinhim，soitisnowonderhevolunteered。Therewas
notafinerladintheregiment。Weformedafriendship-thesortof
friendshipwhichcanonlybemadewhenonelivesthesamelifeand
sharesthesamejoysandsorrows。Hewasmymate-andthatmeansa
gooddealintheArmy。Wetooktheroughandthesmoothtogetherfora
yearofhardfighting。Thenhewashitwithabulletfroman
elephantgunintheactionnearDiamondHilloutsidePretoria。Igot
oneletterfromthehospitalatCapeTownandonefromSouth
Hampton。Sincethennotaword-notoneword，Mr。Holmes，forsix
monthsandmore，andhemyclosestpal。
“Well，whenthewarwasover，andweallgotback，Iwrotetohis
fatherandaskedwhereGodfreywas。Noanswer。Iwaitedabitandthen
Iwroteagain。ThistimeIhadareply，shortandgruff。Godfreyhad
goneonavoyageroundtheworld，anditwasnotlikelythathe
wouldbebackforayear。Thatwasall。
“Iwasn”tsatisfied，Mr。Holmes。Thewholethingseemedtomeso
damnedunnatural。Hewasagoodlad，andhewouldnotdropapal
likethat。Itwasnotlikehim。Then，again，Ihappenedtoknowthat
hewasheirtoalotofmoney，andalsothathisfatherandhedidnot
alwayshititofftoowell。Theoldmanwassometimesabully，and
youngGodfreyhadtoomuchspirittostandit。No，Iwasn”tsatisfied，
andIdeterminedthatIwouldgettotherootofthematter。It
happened，however，thatmyownaffairsneededalotofstraightening
out，aftertwoyears”absence，andsoitisonlythisweekthatIhave
beenabletotakeupGodfrey”scaseagain。ButsinceIhavetakenit
upImeantodropeverythinginordertoseeitthrough。”
Mr。JamesM。Doddappearedtobethesortofpersonwhomitwouldbe
bettertohaveasafriendthanasanenemy。Hisblueeyeswere
sternandhissquarejawhadsethardashespoke。
“Well，whathaveyoudone？“Iasked。
“Myfirstmovewastogetdowntohishome，TuxburyOldPark，near
Bedford，andtoseeformyselfhowthegroundlay。Iwrotetothe
mother，therefore-Ihadhadquiteenoughofthecurmudgeonofa
father-andImadeacleanfrontalattack：Godfreywasmychum，I
hadagreatdealofinterestwhichImighttellherofourcommon
experiences，Ishouldbeintheneighbourhood，wouldtherebeany
objection，etcetera？InreplyIhadquiteanamiableanswerfrom
herandanoffertoputmeupforthenight。Thatwaswhattookme
downonMonday。
“TuxburyOldHallisinaccessible-fivemilesfromanywhere。There
wasnotrapatthestation，soIhadtowalk，carryingmysuitcase，
anditwasnearlydarkbeforeIarrived。Itisagreatwandering
house，standinginaconsiderablepark。Ishouldjudgeitwasofall
sortsofagesandstyles，startingonahalf-timberedElizabethan
foundationandendinginaVictorianportico。Insideitwasall
panellingandtapestryandhalf-effacedoldpictures，ahouseof
shadowsandmystery。Therewasabutler，oldRalph，whoseemedabout
thesameageasthehouse，andtherewashiswife，whomighthavebeen
older。ShehadbeenGodfrey”snurse，andIhadheardhimspeakof
herassecondonlytohismotherinhisaffections，soIwasdrawn
toherinspiteofherqueerappearance。ThemotherIlikedalso-a
gentlelittlewhitemouseofawoman。Itwasonlythecolonel
himselfwhomIbarred。
“Wehadabitofbarneyrightaway，andIshouldhavewalkedbackto
thestationifIhadnotfeltthatitmightbeplayinghisgameforme
todoso。Iwasshownstraightintohisstudy，andthereIfound
him，ahuge，bow-backedmanwithasmokyskinandastragglinggray
beard，seatedbehindhislittereddesk。Ared-veinednosejuttedout
likeavulture”sbeak，andtwofiercegrayeyesglaredatmefrom
undertuftedbrows。IcouldunderstandnowwhyGodfreyseldomspokeof
hisfather。
“”Well，sir”saidheinaraspingvoice，”Ishouldbeinterestedto
knowtherealreasonsforthisvisit。”
“IansweredthatIhadexplainedtheminmylettertohiswife。
“”Yes，yes，yousaidthatyouhadknownGodfreyinAfrica。We
have，ofcourse，onlyyourwordforthat。”
“”Ihavehisletterstomeinmypocket。”
“”Kindlyletmeseethem。”
“HeglancedatthetwowhichIhandedhim，andthenhetossedthem
back。
“”Well，whatthen？”heasked。
“”IwasfondofyoursonGodfrey，sir。Manytiesandmemoriesunited
us。IsitnotnaturalthatIshouldwonderathissuddensilenceand
shouldwishtoknowwhathasbecomeofhim？”
“”Ihavesomerecollections，sir，thatIhadalreadycorresponded
withyouandhadtoldyouwhathadbecomeofhim。Hehasgoneupona
voyageroundtheworld。HishealthwasinapoorwayafterhisAfrican
experiences，andbothhismotherandIwereofopinionthatcomplete
restandchangewereneeded。Kindlypassthatexplanationontoany
otherfriendswhomaybeinterestedinthematter。”
“”Certainly”Ianswered。”Butperhapsyouwouldhavethegoodness
toletmehavethenameofthesteamerandofthelinebywhichhe
sailed，togetherwiththedate。IhavenodoubtthatIshouldbe
abletogetaletterthroughtohim。”
“Myrequestseemedbothtopuzzleandtoirritatemyhost。Hisgreat
eyebrowscamedownoverhiseyes，andhetappedhisfingers
impatientlyonthetable。Helookedupatlastwiththeexpression
ofonewhohasseenhisadversarymakeadangerousmoveatchess，
andhasdecidedhowtomeetit。
“”Manypeople，Mr。Dodd”saidhe，”wouldtakeoffenceatyour
infernalpertinacityandwouldthinkthatthisinsistencehad
reachedthepointofdamnedimpertinence。”
“”Youmustputitdown，sir，tomyrealloveforyourson。”
“”Exactly。Ihavealreadymadeeveryallowanceuponthatscore。I
mustaskyou，however，todroptheseinquiries。Everyfamilyhasits
owninnerknowledgeanditsownmotives，whichcannotalwaysbemade
cleartooutsiders，howeverwell-intentioned。Mywifeisanxiousto
hearsomethingofGodfrey”spastwhichyouareinapositiontotell
her，butIwouldaskyoutoletthepresentandthefuturealone，Such
inquiriesservenousefulpurpose，sir，andplaceusinadelicateand
difficultposition。”
“SoIcametoadeadend，Mr。Holmes。Therewasnogettingpast
it。Icouldonlypretendtoacceptthesituationandregisteravow
inwardlythatIwouldneverrestuntilmyfriend”sfatehadbeen
clearedup。Itwasadullevening。Wedinedquietly，thethreeof
us，inagloomyfadedoldroom。Theladyquestionedmeeagerlyabout
herson，buttheoldmanseemedmoroseanddepressed。Iwassobored
bythewholeproceedingthatImadeanexcuseassoonasIdecently
couldandretiredtomybedroom。Itwasalarge，bareroomonthe
groundfloor，asgloomyastherestofthehouse，butafterayear
ofsleepingupontheveldt，Mr。Holmes，oneisnottooparticular
aboutone”squarters。Iopenedthecurtainsandlookedoutintothe
garden，remarkingthatitwasafinenightwithabrighthalf-moon。
ThenIsatdownbytheroaringfirewiththelamponatablebeside
me，andendeavouredtodistractmymindwithanovel。Iwas
interrupted，however，byRalph，theoldbutler，whocameinwitha
freshsupplyofcoals。
“”Ithoughtyoumightrunshortinthenight-time，sir。Itisbitter
weatherandtheseroomsarecold。”
“Hehesitatedbeforeleavingtheroom，andwhenIlookedroundhe
wasstandingfacingmewithawistfullookuponhiswrinkledface。
“”Begyourpardon，sir，butIcouldnothelphearingwhatyousaid
ofyoungMasterGodfreyatdinner。Youknow，sir，thatmywife
nursedhim，andsoImaysayIamhisfoster-father。It”snaturalwe
shouldtakeaninterest。Andyousayhecarriedhimselfwell，sir？”
“”Therewasneverabravermanintheregiment。Hepulledmeout
oncefromundertheriflesoftheBoers，ormaybeIshouldnotbe
here。”
“Theoldbutlerrubbedhisskinnyhands。
“”Yes，sir，yes，thatisMasterGodfreyallover。Hewasalways
courageous。There”snotatreeinthepark，sir，thathehasnot
climbed。Nothingwouldstophim。Hewasafineboy-andoh，sir，he
wasafineman。”
“Isprangtomyfeet。
“”Lookhere！”Icried。”Yousayhewas。Youspeakasifhewere
dead。Whatisallthismystery？WhathasbecomeofGodfreyEmsworth？”
“Igrippedtheoldmanbytheshoulder，butheshrankaway。
“”Idon”tknowwhatyoumean，sir。AskthemasteraboutMaster
Godfrey。Heknows。Itisnotformetointerfere。”
“Hewasleavingtheroom，butIheldhisarm。
“”Listen”Isaid。”Youaregoingtoansweronequestionbefore
youleaveifIhavetoholdyouallnight。IsGodfreydead？”
“Hecouldnotfacemyeyes。Hewaslikeamanhypnotized。Theanswer
wasdraggedfromhislips。Itwasaterribleandunexpectedone。
“”IwishtoGodhewas！”hecried，and，tearinghimselffree，he
dashedfromtheroom。
“Youwillthink，Mr。Holmes，thatIreturnedtomychairinno
veryhappystateofmind。Theoldman”swordsseemedtometobear
onlyoneinterpretation。Clearlymypoorfriendhadbecomeinvolvedin
somecriminalor，attheleast，disreputabletransactionwhichtouched
thefamilyhonour。Thatsternoldmanhadsenthissonawayandhidden
himfromtheworldlestsomescandalshouldcometolight。Godfreywas
arecklessfellow。Hewaseasilyinfluencedbythosearoundhim。No
doubthehadfallenintobadhandsandbeenmisledtohisruin。Itwas
apiteousbusiness，ifitwasindeedso，butevennowitwasmyduty
tohunthimoutandseeifIcouldaidhim。Iwasanxiously
ponderingthematterwhenIlookedup，andtherewasGodfrey
Emsworthstandingbeforeme。”
Myclienthadpausedasoneindeepemotion。
“Praycontinue，“Isaid。“Yourproblempresentssomeveryunusual
features。”
“Hewasoutsidethewindow，Mr。Holmes，withhisfacepressed
againsttheglass。IhavetoldyouthatIlookedoutatthenight。
WhenIdidsoIleftthecurtainspartlyopen。Hisfigurewasframed
inthisgap。ThewindowcamedowntothegroundandIcouldseethe
wholelengthofit，butitwashisfacewhichheldmygaze。Hewas
deadlypale-neverhaveIseenamansowhite。Ireckonghostsmay
looklikethat；buthiseyesmetmine，andtheyweretheeyesofa
livingman。HesprangbackwhenhesawthatIwaslookingathim，
andhevanishedintothedarkness。
“Therewassomethingshockingabouttheman，Mr。Holmes。Itwasn”t
merelythatghastlyfaceglimmeringaswhiteascheeseinthe
darkness。Itwasmoresubtlethanthat-somethingslinking，
somethingfurtive，somethingguilty-somethingveryunlikethe
frank，manlyladthatIhadknown。Itleftafeelingofhorrorinmy
mind。
“Butwhenamanhasbeensoldieringforayearortwowithbrother
Boerasaplaymate，hekeepshisnerveandactsquickly。Godfreyhad
hardlyvanishedbeforeIwasatthewindow。Therewasanawkward
catch，andIwassomelittletimebeforeIcouldthrowitup。ThenI
nippedthroughandrandownthegardenpathinthedirectionthatI
thoughthemighthavetaken。
“Itwasalongpathandthelightwasnotverygood，butitseemed
tomesomethingwasmovingaheadofme。Iranonandcalledhis
name，butitwasnouse。WhenIgottotheendofthepaththere
wereseveralothersbranchingindifferentdirectionstovarious
outhouses。Istoodhesitating，andasIdidsoIhearddistinctly
thesoundofaclosingdoor。Itwasnotbehindmeinthehouse，but
aheadofme，somewhereinthedarkness。Thatwasenough，Mr。Holmes，
toassuremethatwhatIhadseenwasnotavision。Godfreyhadrun
awayfromme，andhehadshutadoorbehindhim。OfthatIwas
certain。
“TherewasnothingmoreIcoulddo，andIspentanuneasynight
turningthematteroverinmymindandtryingtofindsometheory
whichwouldcoverthefacts。NextdayIfoundthecolonelrather
moreconciliatory，andashiswiferemarkedthatthereweresome
placesofinterestintheneighbourhood，itgavemeanopeningto
askwhethermypresenceforonemorenightwouldincommodethem。A
somewhatgrudgingacquiescencefromtheoldmangavemeacleardayin
whichtomakemyobservations。Iwasalreadyperfectlyconvinced
thatGodfreywasinhidingsomewherenear，butwhereandwhy
remainedtobesolved。
“Thehousewassolargeandsoramblingthataregimentmightbehid
awayinitandnoonethewiser。Ifthesecretlaythereitwas
difficultformetopenetrateit。ButthedoorwhichIhadheardclose
wascertainlynotinthehouse。Imustexplorethegardenandseewhat
Icouldfind。Therewasnodifficultyintheway，fortheoldpeople
werebusyintheirownfashionandleftmetomyowndevices。
“Therewereseveralsmallouthouses，butattheendofthegarden
therewasadetachedbuildingofsomesize-largeenoughfora
gardener”soragamekeeper”sresidence。Couldthisbetheplacewhence
thesoundofthatshuttingdoorhadcome？Iapproacheditina
carelessfashionasthoughIwerestrollingaimlesslyroundthe
grounds。AsIdidso，asmall，brisk，beardedmaninablackcoat
andbowlerhat-notatallthegardenertype-cameoutofthedoor。To
mysurprise，helockeditafterhimandputthekeyinhispocket。
Thenhelookedatmewithsomesurpriseonhisface。
“”Areyouavisitorhere？”heasked。
“IexplainedthatIwasandthatIwasafriendofGodfrey”s。
“”Whatapitythatheshouldbeawayonhistravels，forhewould
havesolikedtoseeme”Icontinued。
“”Quiteso。Exactly”saidhewitharatherguiltyair。”Nodoubt
youwillrenewyourvisitatsomemorepropitioustime。”Hepassedon，
butwhenIturnedIobservedthathewasstandingwatchingme，
half-concealedbythelaurelsatthefarendofthegarden。
“IhadagoodlookatthatlittlehouseasIpassedit，butthe
windowswereheavilycurtained，and，sofarasonecouldsee，itwas
empty。Imightspoilmyowngameandevenbeorderedoffthe
premisesifIweretooaudacious，forIwasstillconsciousthatIwas
beingwatched。Therefore，Istrolledbacktothehouseandwaited
fornightbeforeIwentonwithmyinquiry。Whenallwasdarkand
quietIslippedoutofmywindowandmademywayassilentlyas
possibletothemysteriouslodge。
“Ihavesaidthatitwasheavilycurtained，butnowIfoundthatthe
windowswereshutteredaswell。Somelight，however，wasbreaking
throughoneofthem，soIconcentratedmyattentionuponthis。Iwas
inluck，forthecurtainhadnotbeenquiteclosed，andtherewasa
crackintheshutter，sothatIcouldseetheinsideoftheroom。It
wasacheeryplaceenough，abrightlampandablazingfire。
OppositetomewasseatedthelittlemanwhomIhadseeninthe
morning。Hewassmokingapipeandreadingapaper。”
“Whatpaper？“Iasked。
Myclientseemedannoyedattheinterruptionofhisnarrative。
“Canitmatter？“heasked。
“Itismostessential“
“Ireallytooknonotice。”
“Possiblyyouobservedwhetheritwasabroad-leafedpaperorof
thatsmallertypewhichoneassociateswithweeklies。”
“Nowthatyoumentionit，itwasnotlarge。Itmighthavebeenthe
Spectator。However，Ihadlittlethoughttospareuponsuchdetails，
forasecondmanwasseatedwithhisbacktothewindow，andIcould
swearthatthissecondmanwasGodfrey。Icouldnotseehisface，
butIknewthefamiliarslopeofhisshoulders。Hewasleaningupon
hiselbowinanattitudeofgreatmelancholy，hisbodyturned
towardsthefire。IwashesitatingastowhatIshoulddowhenthere
wasasharptaponmyshoulder，andtherewasColonelEmsworth
besideme。
“”Thisway，sir！”saidheinalowvoice。Hewalkedinsilenceto
thehouse，andIfollowedhimintomyownbedroom。Hehadpickedup
atime-tableinthehall。
“”ThereisatraintoLondonat8：30”saidhe。”Thetrapwillbeat
thedoorateight。”
“Hewaswhitewithrage，and，indeed，Ifeltmyselfinso
difficultapositionthatIcouldonlystammeroutafewincoherent
apologiesinwhichItriedtoexcusemyselfbyurgingmyanxietyfor
myfriend。
“”Thematterwillnotbeardiscussion”saidheabruptly。”You
havemadeamostdamnableintrusionintotheprivacyofourfamily。
Youwerehereasaguestandyouhavebecomeaspy。Ihavenothing
moretosay，sir，savethatIhavenowishevertoseeyouagain。”
“AtthisIlostmytemper，Mr。Holmes，andIspokewithsomewarmth。
“”Ihaveseenyourson，andIamconvincedthatforsomereasonof
yourownyouareconcealinghimfromtheworld。Ihavenoideawhat
yourmotivesareincuttinghimoffinthisfashion，butIamsure
thatheisnolongerafreeagent。Iwarnyou，ColonelEmsworth，
thatuntilIamassuredastothesafetyandwell-beingofmyfriendI
shallneverdesistinmyeffortstogettothebottomofthe
mystery，andIshallcertainlynotallowmyselftobeintimidatedby
anythingwhichyoumaysayordo。”
“Theoldfellowlookeddiabolical，andIreallythoughthewasabout
toattackme。Ihavesaidthathewasagaunt，fierceoldgiant，and
thoughIamnoweaklingImighthavebeenhardputtoittoholdmy
ownagainsthim。However，afteralongglareofrageheturnedupon
hisheelandwalkedoutoftheroom。Formypart，Itooktheappointed
traininthemorning，withthefullintentionofcomingstraightto
youandaskingforyouradviceandassistanceattheappointmentfor
whichIhadalreadywritten。”
Suchwastheproblemwhichmyvisitorlaidbeforeme。It
presented，astheastutereaderwillhavealreadyperceived，few
difficultiesinitssolution，foraverylimitedchoiceof
alternativesmustgettotherootofthematter。Still，elementary
asitwas，therewerepointsofinterestandnoveltyaboutitwhich
mayexcusemyplacingituponrecord。Inowproceeded，usingmy
familiarmethodoflogicalanalysis，tonarrowdownthepossible
solutions。
“Theservants，“Iasked；“howmanywereinthehouse？“
“Tothebestofmybelieftherewereonlytheoldbutlerandhis
wife。Theyseemedtoliveinthesimplestfashion。”
“Therewasnoservant，then，inthedetachedhouse？“
“None，unlessthelittlemanwiththebeardactedassuch。He
seemed，however，tobequiteasuperiorperson。”
“Thatseemsverysuggestive。Hadyouanyindicationthatfoodwas
conveyedfromtheonehousetotheother？“
“Nowthatyoumentionit，IdidseeoldRalphcarryingabasketdown
thegardenwalkandgoinginthedirectionofthishouse。Theidea
offooddidnotoccurtomeatthemoment。”
“Didyoumakeanylocalinquiries？“
“Yes，Idid。Ispoketothestation-masterandalsototheinnkeeper
inthevillage。Isimplyaskediftheyknewanythingofmyold
comrade，GodfreyEmsworth。Bothofthemassuredmethathehadgone
foravoyageroundtheworld。Hehadcomehomeandthenhadalmost
atoncestartedoffagain。Thestorywasevidentlyuniversally
accepted。”
“Yousaidnothingofyoursuspicions？“
“Nothing。”
“Thatwasverywise。Themattershouldcertainlybeinquiredinto。I
willgobackwithyoutoTuxburyOldPark。”
“To-day？“
IthappenedthatatthemomentIwasclearingupthecasewhichmy
friendWatsonhasdescribedasthatoftheAbbeySchool，inwhich
theDukeofGreyminsterwassodeeplyinvolved。Ihadalsoa
commissionfromtheSultanofTurkeywhichcalledforimmediate
action，aspoliticalconsequencesofthegravestkindmightarisefrom
itsneglect。Thereforeitwasnotuntilthebeginningofthenext
week，asmydiaryrecords，thatIwasabletostartforthonmy
missiontoBedfordshireincompanywithMr。JamesM。Dodd。Aswedrove
toEustonwepickedupagraveandtaciturngentlemanofiron-gray
aspect，withwhomIhadmadethenecessaryarrangements。
“Thisisanoldfriend，“saidItoDodd。“Itispossiblethathis
presencemaybeentirelyunnecessary，and，ontheotherhand，itmay
beessential。Itisnotnecessaryatthepresentstagetogofurther
intothematter。”
ThenarrativesofWatson，haveaccustomedthereader，nodoubt，to
thefactthatIdonotwastewordsordisclosemythoughtswhilea
caseisactuallyunderconsideration。Doddseemedsurprised，but
nothingmorewassaid，andthethreeofuscontinuedourjourney
together。inthetrainIaskedDoddonemorequestionwhichIwished
ourcompaniontohear。
“Yousaythatyousawyourfriend”sfacequiteclearlyatthe
window，soclearlythatyouaresureofhisidentity？“
“Ihavenodoubtaboutitwhatever。Hisnosewaspressedagainstthe
glass。Thelamplightshonefulluponhim。”
“Itcouldnothavebeensomeoneresemblinghim？“
“No，no，itwashe。”
“Butyousayhewaschanged？“
“Onlyincolour。Hisfacewas-howshallIdescribeit？-itwasofa
fish-bellywhiteness。Itwasbleached。”
“Wasitequallypaleallover？“
“Ithinknot。ItwashisbrowwhichIsawsoclearlyasitwas
pressedagainstthewindow。”
“Didyoucalltohim？“
“Iwastoostartledandhorrifiedforthemoment。ThenIpursued
him，asIhavetoldyou，butwithoutresult。”
Mycasewaspracticallycomplete，andtherewasonlyonesmall
incidentneededtorounditoff。When，afterconsiderabledrive，we
arrivedatthestrangeoldramblinghousewhichmyclienthad
described，itwasRalph，theelderlybutler，whoopenedthedoor。I
hadrequisitionedthecarriageforthedayandhadaskedmyelderly
friendtoremainwithinitunlessweshouldsummonhim。Ralph，a
littlewrinkledoldfellow，wasintheconventionalcostumeofblack
coatandpepper-and-salttrousers，withonlyonecuriousvariant。He
worebrownleathergloves，whichatsightofusheinstantly
shuffledoff，layingthemdownonthehall-tableaswepassedin。I
have，asmyfriendWatsonmayhaveremarked，anabnormallyacuteset
ofsenses，andafaintbutincisivescentwasapparent。Itseemedto
centreonthehall-table。Iturned，placedmyhatthere，knockedit
off，stoopedtopickitup，andcontrivedtobringmynosewithina
footofthegloves。Yes，itwasundoubtedlyfromthemthatthecurious
tarryodourwasoozing。Ipassedonintothestudywithmycase
complete。Alas，thatIshouldhavetoshowmyhandsowhenItellmy
ownstory！ItwasbyconcealingsuchlinksinthechainthatWatson
wasenabledtoproducehismeretriciousfinales。
ColonelEmsworthwasnotinhisroom，buthecamequicklyenough
onreceiptofRalph”smessage。Weheardhisquick，heavystepinthe
passage。Thedoorwasflungopenandherushedinwithbristlingbeard
andtwistedfeatures，asterribleanoldmanaseverIhaveseen。He
heldourcardsinhishand，andhetorethemupandstampedonthe
fragments。
“HaveInottoldyou，youinfernalbusybody，thatyouarewarnedoff
thepremises？Neverdaretoshowyourdamnedfacehereagain。Ifyou
enteragainwithoutmyleaveIshallbewithinmyrightsifIuse
violence。I”llshootyou，sir！ByGod，Iwill！Astoyou，sir，“
turninguponme，“Iextendthesamewarningtoyou。Iamfamiliarwith
yourignobleprofession，butyoumusttakeyourreputedtalentsto
someotherfield。Thereisnoopeningforthemhere。”
“Icannotleavehere，“saidmyclientfirmly，“untilIhearfrom
Godfrey”sownlipsthatheisundernorestraint。”
Ourinvoluntaryhostrangthebell。
“Ralph，“hesaid，“telephonedowntothecountypoliceandaskthe
inspectortosenduptwoconstables。Tellhimthereareburglarsin
thehouse。”
“Onemoment，“saidI。“Youmustbeaware，Mr。Dodd，thatColonel
Emsworthiswithinhisrightsandthatwehavenolegalstatus
withinhishouse。Ontheotherhand，heshouldrecognizethatyour
actionispromptedentirelybysolicitudeforhisson。Iventureto
hopethatifIwereallowedtohavefiveminutes”conversationwith
ColonelEmsworthIcouldcertainlyalterhisviewofthematter。”
“Iamnotsoeasilyaltered，“saidtheoldsoldier。“Ralph，do
whatIhavetoldyou。Whatthedevilareyouwaitingfor？Ringup
thepolice！“
“Nothingofthesort，“Isaid，puttingmybacktothedoor。“Any
policeinterferencewouldbringabouttheverycatastrophewhichyou
dread。”Itookoutmynotebookandscribbledoneworduponaloose
sheet。“That，“saidIasIhandedittoColonelEmsworth，“iswhathas
broughtushere。”
Hestaredatthewritingwithafacefromwhicheveryexpression
saveamazementhadvanished。
“Howdoyouknow？“hegasped，sittingdownheavilyinhischair。
“Itismybusinesstoknowthings。Thatismytrade。”
Hesatindeepthought，hisgaunthandtuggingathisstraggling
beard。Thenhemadeagestureofresignation。
“Well，ifyouwishtoseeGodfrey，youshall。Itisnodoingof
mine，butyouhaveforcedmyhand。Ralph，tellMr。GodfreyandMr。
Kentthatinfiveminutesweshallbewiththem。”
Attheendofthattimewepasseddownthegardenpathandfound
ourselvesinfrontofthemysteryhouseattheend。Asmallbearded
manstoodatthedoorwithalookofconsiderableastonishmentupon
hisface。
“Thisisverysudden，ColonelEmsworth，“saidhe。“Thiswill
disarrangeallourplans。”
“Ican”thelpit，Mr。Kent。Ourhandshavebeenforced。CanMr。
Godfreyseeus？“
“Yes，heiswaitinginside。”Heturnedandledusintoalarge，
plainlyfurnishedfrontroom。Amanwasstandingwithhisbackto
thefire，andatthesightofhimmyclientsprangforwardwith
outstretchedhand。
“Why，Godfrey，oldman，thisisfine！“
Buttheotherwavedhimback。
“Don”ttouchme，Jimmie。Keepyourdistance。Yes，youmaywell
stare！Idon”tquitelookthesmartLance-CorporalEmsworth，ofB
Squadron，doI？“
Hisappearancewascertainlyextraordinary。Onecouldseethathe
hadindeedbeenahandsomemanwithclear-cutfeaturessunburnedbyan
Africansun，butmottledinpatchesoverthisdarkersurfacewere
curiouswhitishpatcheswhichhadbleachedhisskin。
“That”swhyIdon”tcourtvisitors，“saidhe。“Idon”tmindyou，
Jimmie，butIcouldhavedonewithoutyourfriend。Isupposethere
issomegoodreasonforit，butyouhavemeatadisadvantage。”
“Iwantedtobesurethatallwaswellwithyou，Godfrey。Isaw
youthatnightwhenyoulookedintomywindow，andIcouldnotletthe
matterresttillIhadclearedthingsup。”
“OldRalphtoldmeyouwerethere，andIcouldn”thelptakingapeep
atyou。Ihopedyouwouldnothaveseenme，andIhadtoruntomy
burrowwhenIheardthewindowgoup。”
“Butwhatinheaven”snameisthematter？“
“Well，it”snotalongstorytotell，“saidhe，lightinga
cigarette。“YourememberthatmorningfightatBuffelsspruit，
outsidePretoria，ontheEasternrailwayline？YouheardIwashit？“
“Yes，Iheardthat，butInevergotparticulars。”
“Threeofusgotseparatedfromtheothers。Itwasverybroken
country，youmayremember。TherewasSimpson-thefellowwecalled
BaldySimpson-andAnderson，andI。WewereclearingbrotherBoer，but
helaylowandgotthethreeofus。Theothertwowerekilled。Igot
anelephantbulletthroughmyshoulder。Istuckontomyhorse，
however，andhegallopedseveralmilesbeforeIfaintedandrolledoff
thesaddle。
“WhenIcametomyselfitwasnightfall，andIraisedmyselfup，
feelingveryweakandill。Tomysurprisetherewasahouseclose
besideme，afairlylargehousewithabroadstoopandmanywindows。
Itwasdeadlycold。Yourememberthekindofnumbcoldwhichusedto
comeatevening，adeadly，sickeningsortofcold，verydifferentfrom
acrisphealthyfrost。WellIwaschilledtothebone，andmyonly
hopeseemedtolieinreachingthathouse。Istaggeredtomyfeet
anddraggedmyselfalong，hardlyconsciousofwhatIdid。Ihaveadim
memoryofslowlyascendingthesteps，enteringawide-openeddoor，
passingintoalargeroomwhichcontainedseveralbeds，andthrowing
myselfdownwithagaspofsatisfactionupononeofthem。Itwas
unmade，butthattroubledmenotatall。Idrewtheclothesovermy
shiveringbodyandinamomentIwasinadeepsleep。
“ItwasmorningwhenIwakened，anditseemedtomethatinstead
ofcomingoutintoaworldofsanityIhademergedintosome
extraordinarynightmare。TheoutAfricansunfloodedthroughthe
big，curtainlesswindows，andeverydetailofthegreat，bare，
whitewasheddormitorystoodouthardandclear。Infrontofmewas
standingasmall，dwarf-likemanwithahuge，bulboushead，whowas
jabberingexcitedlyinDutch，wavingtwohorriblehandswhichlooked
tomelikebrownsponges。Behindhimstoodagroupofpeoplewho
seemedtobeintenselyamusedbythesituation，butachillcame
overmeasIlookedatthem。Notoneofthemwasanormalhumanbeing。
Everyonewastwistedorswollenordisfiguredinsomestrangeway。
Thelaughterofthesestrangemonstrositieswasadreadfulthingto
hear。
“ItseemedthatnoneofthemcouldspeakEnglish，butthe
situationwantedclearingup，forthecreaturewiththebigheadwas
growingfuriouslyangry，and，utteringwild-beastcries，hehadlaid
hisdeformedhandsuponmeandwasdraggingmeoutofbed，
regardlessofthefreshflowofbloodfrommywound。Thelittle
monsterwasasstrongasabull，andIdon”tknowwhathemighthave
donetomehadnotanelderlymanwhowasclearlyinauthoritybeen
attractedtotheroombythehubbub。Hesaidafewsternwordsin
Dutch，andmypersecutorshrankaway。Thenheturneduponme，gazing
atmeintheutmostamazement。
“”Howintheworlddidyoucomehere？”heaskedinamazement。”Waitabit！Iseethatyouaretiredoutandthatwoundedshoulderof
yourswantslookingafter。Iamadoctor，andI”llsoonhaveyou
tiedup。But，manalive！youareinfargreaterdangerherethan
everyouwereonthebattlefield。YouareintheLeperHospital，and
youhavesleptinaleper”sbed。”
“NeedItellyoumore，Jimmie？Itseemsthatinviewofthe
approachingbattleallthesepoorcreatureshadbeenevacuatedtheday
before。Then，astheBritishadvanced，theyhadbeenbroughtbackby
this，theirmedicalsuperintendent，whoassuredmethat，thoughhe
believedhewasimmunetothedisease，hewouldnonethelessnever
havedaredtodowhatIhaddone。Heputmeinaprivateroom，treated
mekindly，andwithinaweekorsoIwasremovedtothegeneral
hospitalatPretoria。
“Sothereyouhavemytragedy。Ihopedagainsthope，butitwas
notuntilIhadreachedhomethattheterriblesignswhichyousee
uponmyfacetoldmethatIhadnotescaped。WhatwasItodo？Iwas
inthislonelyhouse。Wehadtwoservantswhomwecouldutterlytrust。
TherewasahousewhereIcouldlive。Underpledgeofsecrecy，Mr。
Kent，whoisasurgeon，waspreparedtostaywithme。Itseemedsimple
enoughonthoselines。Thealternativewasadreadfulone-segregation
forlifeamongstrangerswithneverahopeofrelease。Butabsolute
secrecywasnecessary，oreveninthisquietcountrysidetherewould
havebeenanoutcry，andIshouldhavebeendraggedtomyhorrible
doom。Evenyou，Jimmie-evenyouhadtobekeptinthedark。Whymy
fatherhasrelentedIcannotimagine。”
ColonelEmsworthpointedtome。
“Thisisthegentlemanwhoforcedmyhand。”Heunfoldedthescrapof
paperonwhichIhadwrittentheword“Leprosy。”“Itseemedtomethat
ifheknewsomuchasthatitwassaferthatheshouldknowall。”
“Andsoitwas，“saidI。“Whoknowsbutgoodmaycomeofit？I
understandthatonlyMr。Kenthasseenthepatient。MayIask，sir，if
youareanauthorityonsuchcomplaints，whichare，Iunderstand，
tropicalorsemi-tropicalintheirnature？“
“Ihavetheordinaryknowledgeoftheeducatedmedicalman，“he
observedwithsomestiffness。
“Ihavenodoubt，sir，thatyouarefullycompetent，butIamsure
thatyouwillagreethatinsuchacaseasecondopinionis
valuable。Youhaveavoidedthis，Iunderstand，forfearthat
pressureshouldbeputuponyoutosegregatethepatient。”
“Thatisso，“saidColonelEmsworth。
“Iforesawthissituation，“Iexplained，“andIhavebroughtwithme
afriendwhosediscretionmayabsolutelybetrusted。Iwasableonce
todohimaprofessionalservice，andheisreadytoadviseasa
friendratherthanasaspecialist。HisnameisSirJamesSaunders。”
TheprospectofaninterviewwithLordRobertswouldnothave
excitedgreaterwonderandpleasureinarawsubalternthanwasnow
reflecteduponthefaceofMr。Kent。
“Ishallindeedbeproud，“hemurmured。
“ThenIwillaskSirJamestostepthisway。Heisatpresentinthe
carriageoutsidethedoor。Meanwhile，ColonelEmsworth，wemayperhaps
assembleinyourstudy，whereIcouldgivethenecessary
explanations。”
AndhereitisthatImissmyWatson。Bycunningquestionsand
ejaculationsofwonderhecouldelevatemysimpleart，whichisbut
systematizedcommonsense，intoaprodigy。WhenItellmyownstory
Ihavenosuchaid。AndyetIwillgivemyprocessofthoughteven
asIgaveittomysmallaudience，whichincludedGodfrey”smother
inthestudyofColonelEmsworth。
“Thatprocess，“saidI，“startsuponthesuppositionthatwhenyou
haveeliminatedallwhichisimpossible，thenwhateverremains，
howeverimprobable，mustbethetruth。Itmaywellbethatseveral
explanationsremain，inwhichcaseonetriestestaftertestuntilone
orotherofthemhasaconvincingamountofsupport。Wewillnowapply
thisprincipletothecaseinpoint。Asitwasfirstpresentedto
me，therewerethreepossibleexplanationsoftheseclusionor
incarcerationofthisgentlemaninanouthouseofhisfather”s
mansion。Therewastheexplanation，thathewasinhidingforacrime，
orthathewasmadandthattheywishedtoavoidanasylum，orthathe
hadsomediseasewhichcausedhissegregation。Icouldthinkofno
otheradequatesolutions。These，then，hadtobesiftedandbalanced
againsteachother。
“Thecriminalsolutionwouldnotbearinspection。Nounsolved
crimehadbeenreportedfromthatdistrict。Iwassureofthat。If
itweresomecrimenotyetdiscovered，thenclearlyitwouldbetothe
interestofthefamilytogetridofthedelinquentandsendhim
abroadratherthankeephimconcealedathome。Icouldseeno
explanationforsuchalineofconduct。
“Insanitywasmoreplausible。Thepresenceofthesecondpersonin
theouthousesuggestedakeeper。Thefactthathelockedthedoorwhen
hecameoutstrengthenedthesuppositionandgavetheideaof
constraint。Ontheotherhand，thisconstraintcouldnotbesevere
ortheyoungmancouldnothavegotlooseandcomedowntohavealook
athisfriend。You，willremember，Mr。Dodd，thatIfeltroundfor
points，askingyou，forexample，aboutthepaperwhichMr。Kentwas
reading。HaditbeentheLancetortheBritishMedicalJournalit
wouldhavehelpedme。Itisnotillegal，however，tokeepalunatic
uponprivatepremisessolongasthereisaqualifiedpersonin
attendanceandthattheauthoritieshavebeendulynotified。Why，
then，allthisdesperatedesireforsecrecy？OnceagainIcouldnot
getthetheorytofitthefacts。
“Thereremainedthethirdpossibility，intowhich，rareandunlikely
asitwas，everythingseemedtofit。Leprosyisnotuncommonin
SouthAfrica。Bysomeextraordinarychancethisyouthmighthave
contractedit。Hispeoplewouldbeplacedinaverydreadfulposition，
sincetheywoulddesiretosavehimfromsegregation。Greatsecrecy
wouldbeneededtopreventrumoursfromgettingaboutandsubsequent
interferencebytheauthorities。Adevotedmedicalman，if
sufficientlypaid，wouldeasilybefoundtotakechanceofthe
sufferer。Therewouldbenoreasonwhythelattershouldnothe
allowedfreedomafterdark。Bleachingoftheskinisacommonresult
ofthedisease。Thecasewasastrongone-sostrongthatIdetermined
toactasifitwereactuallyproved。WhenonarrivinghereI
noticedthatRalph，whocarriesoutthemeals，hadgloveswhichare
impregnatedwithdisinfectants，mylastdoubtswereremoved。A
singlewordshowedyou，sir，thatyoursecretwasdiscovered，andifI
wroteratherthansaidit，itwastoprovetoyouthatmydiscretion
wastobetrusted。”
Iwasfinishingthislittleanalysisofthecasewhenthedoorwas
openedandtheausterefigureofthegreatdermatologistwasushered
in。Butforoncehissphinx-likefeatureshadrelaxedandtherewas
awarmhumanityinhiseyes。HestrodeuptoColonelEmsworthand
shookhimbythehand。
“Itisoftenmylottobringill-tidingsandseldomgood，“said
he。“Thisoccasionisthemorewelcome。Itisnotleprosy。”
“Awell-markedcaseofpseudo-leprosyorichthyosis，ascale-like
affectionoftheskin，unsightly，obstinate，butpossiblycurable，and
certainlynoninfective。Yes，Mr。Holmes，thecoincidenceisa
remarkableone。Butisitcoincidence？Aretherenotsubtleforces
atworkofwhichweknowlittle？Areweassuredthatthe
apprehensionfromwhichthisyoungmanhasnodoubtsuffered
terriblysincehisexposuretoitscontagionmaynotproducea
physicaleffectwhichsimulatesthatwhichitfears？Atanyrate，I
pledgemyprofessionalreputation-Buttheladyhasfainted！Ithink
thatMr。Kenthadbetterbewithheruntilsherecoversfromthis
joyousshock。”-
THEEND。
THEADVENTURESOFSHERLOCKHOLMES
TheAdventureoftheBlueCarbuncle
IhadcalleduponmyfriendSherlockHolmesuponthesecond
morningafterChristmas，withtheintentionofwishinghimthe
complimentsoftheseason。Hewaslounginguponthesofaina
purpledressing-gown，apipe-rackwithinhisreachupontheright，
andapileofcrumpledmorningpapers，evidentlynewlystudied，
nearathand。Besidethecouchwasawoodenchair，andonthe
angleofthebackhungaveryseedyanddisreputablehard-felt
hat，muchtheworseforwear，andcrackedinseveralplaces。A
lensandaforcepslyingupontheseatofthechairsuggestedthat
thehathadbeensuspendedinthismannerforthepurposeof
examination。“Youareengaged，“saidI；“perhapsIinterruptyou。”
“Notatall。IamgladtohaveafriendwithwhomIcan
discussmyresults。Thematterisaperfectlytrivialone“——he
jerkedhisthumbinthedirectionoftheoldhat”butthereare
pointsinconnectionwithitwhicharenotentirelydevoidof
interestandevenofinstruction。”
Iseatedmyselfinhisarmchairandwarmedmyhandsbeforehis
cracklingfire，forasharpfrosthadsetin，andthewindowswere
thickwiththeicecrystals。“Isuppose，“Iremarked，“that，
homelyasitlooks，thisthinghassomedeadlystorylinkedonto
it——thatitisthecluewhichwillguideyouinthesolutionof
somemysteryandthepunishmentofsomecrime。”
“No，no。Nocrime，“saidSherlockHolmes，laughing。“Only
oneofthosewhimsicallittleincidentswhichwillhappenwhenyou
havefourmillionhumanbeingsalljostlingeachotherwithinthe
spaceofafewsquaremiles。Amidtheactionandreactionofso
denseaswarmofhumanity，everypossiblecombinationofevents
maybeexpectedtotakeplace，andmanyalittleproblemwillbe
presentedwhichmaybestrikingandbizarrewithoutbeing
criminal。Wehavealreadyhadexperienceofsuch。”
“Somuchso，“Iremarked，“thatofthelastsixcaseswhichI
haveaddedtomynotes，threehavebeenentirelyfreeofanylegal
crime。”
“Precisely。YoualludetomyattempttorecovertheIrene
Adlerpapers，tothesingularcaseofMissMarySutherland，andto
theadventureofthemanwiththetwistedlip。Well，Ihaveno
doubtthatthissmallmatterwillfallintothesameinnocent
category。YouknowPeterson，thecommissionaire？““Yes。”“Itistohimthatthistrophybelongs。”“Itishishat。”
“No，no；hefoundit。Itsownerisunknown。Ibegthatyou
willlookuponitnotasabatteredbillycockbutasan
intellectualproblem。And，first，astohowitcamehere。It
arriveduponChristmasmorning，incompanywithagoodfatgoose，
whichis，Ihavenodoubt，roastingatthismomentinfrontof
Peterson”sfire。Thefactsarethese：aboutfouro”clockon
Christmasmorning，Peterson，who，asyouknow，isaveryhonest
fellow，wasreturningfromsomesmalljollificationandwasmaking
hiswayhomewarddownTottenhamCourtRoad。Infrontofhimhe
saw，inthegaslight，atallishman，walkingwithaslight
stagger，andcarryingawhitegooseslungoverhisshoulder。As
hereachedthecornerofGoodgeStreet，arowbrokeoutbetween
thisstrangerandalittleknotofroughs。Oneofthelatter
knockedofftheman”shat，onwhichheraisedhissticktodefend
himselfand，swingingitoverhishead，smashedtheshopwindow
behindhim。Petersonhadrushedforwardtoprotectthestranger
fromhisassailants；buttheman，shockedathavingbrokenthe
window，andseeinganofficial-lookingpersoninuniformrushing
towardshim，droppedhisgoose，tooktohisheels，andvanished
amidthelabyrinthofsmallsheetswhichlieatthebackof
TottenhamCourtRoad。Theroughshadalsofledattheappearance
ofPeterson，sothathewasleftinpossessionofthefieldof
battle，andalsoofthespoilsofvictoryintheshapeofthis
batteredhatandamostunimpeachableChristmasgoose。”