1924
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEILLUSTRIOUSCLIENT
bySirArthurConanDoyle
“Itcan”thurtnow，“wasMr。SherlockHolmes”scommentwhen，forthe
tenthtimeinasmanyyears，Iaskedhisleavetorevealthefollowing
narrative。SoitwasthatatlastIobtainedpermissiontoputon
recordwhatwas，insomeways，thesuprememomentofmyfriend”s
career。
BothHolmesandIhadaweaknessfortheTurkishbath。Itwasovera
smokeinthepleasantlassitudeofthedrying-roomthatIhavefound
himlessreticentandmorehumanthananywhereelse。Ontheupper
flooroftheNorthumberlandAvenueestablishmentthereisan
isolatedcornerwheretwocouchesliesidebyside，anditwason
thesethatwelayuponSeptember3，1902，thedaywhenmynarrative
begins。Ihadaskedhimwhetheranythingwasstirring，andfor
answerhehadshothislong，thin，nervousarmoutofthesheetswhich
envelopedhimandhaddrawnanenvelopefromtheinsidepocketof
thecoatwhichhungbesidehim。
“Itmaybesomefussy，self-importantfool；itmaybeamatterof
lifeordeath，“saidheashehandedmethenote。“Iknownomorethan
thismessagetellsme。”
ItwasfromtheCarltonClubanddatedtheeveningbefore。Thisis
whatIread：
SirJamesDamerypresentshiscomplimentstoMr。SherlockHolmesand
willcalluponhimat4：30to-morrow。SirJamesbegstosaythatthe
matteruponwhichhedesirestoconsultMr。Holmesisverydelicate
andalsoveryimportant。Hetrusts，therefore，thatMr。Holmeswill
makeeveryefforttograntthisinterview，andthathewillconfirmit
overthetelephonetotheCarltonClub。
“IneednotsaythatIhaveconfirmedit，Watson，“saidHolmesas
Ireturnedthepaper。“DoyouknowanythingofthismanDamery？“
“Onlythatthisnameisahouseholdwordinsociety。”
“Well，Icantellyoualittlemorethanthat。Hehasrathera
reputationforarrangingdelicatematterswhicharetobekeptout
ofthepapers。YoumayrememberhisnegotiationswithSirGeorgeLewis
overtheHammerfordWillcase。Heisamanoftheworldwithanatural
turnfordiplomacy。Iambound，therefore，tohopethatitisnota
falsescentandthathehassomerealneedforourassistance。”
“Our？“
“Well，ifyouwillbesogood，Watson。”
“Ishallbehonoured。”
“Thenyouhavethehour-4：30。Untilthenwecanputthematter
outofourheads。”
IwaslivinginmyownroomsinQueenAnneStreetatthetime，butI
wasroundatBakerStreetbeforethetimenamed。Sharptothe
half-hour，ColonelSirJamesDamerywasannounced。Itishardly
necessarytodescribehim，formanywillrememberthatlarge，bluff，
honestpersonality，thatbroad，clean-shavenface，and，aboveall，
thatpleasant，mellowvoice。FranknessshonefromhisgrayIrisheyes，
andgoodhumourplayedroundhismobile，smilinglips。Hislucent
top-hat，hisdarkfrock-coat，indeed，everydetail，fromthepearlpin
intheblacksatincravattothelavenderspatsoverthevarnished
shoes，spokeofthemeticulouscareindressforwhichhewas
famous。Thebig，masterfularistocratdominatedthelittleroom。
“Ofcourse，IwaspreparedtofindDr。Watson，“heremarkedwitha
courteousbow。“Hiscollaborationmaybeverynecessary，forweare
dealingonthisoccasion，Mr。Holmes，withamantowhomviolenceis
familiarandwhowill，literally，stickatnothing。Ishouldsay
thatthereisnomoredangerousmaninEurope。”
“Ihavehadseveralopponentstowhomthatflatteringtermhas
beenapplied，“saidHolmeswithasmile。“Don”tyousmoke？Thenyou
willexcusemeifIlightmypipe。Ifyourmanismoredangerous
thanthelateProfessorMoriarty，orthanthelivingColonelSebastian
Moran，thenheisindeedworthmeeting。MayIaskhisname？“
“HaveyoueverheardofBaronGruner？“
“YoumeantheAustrianmurderer？“
ColonelDamerythrewuphiskid-glovedhandswithalaugh。“Thereis
nogettingpastyou，Mr。Holmes！Wonderful！Soyouhavealready
sizedhimupasamurderer？“
“ItismybusinesstofollowthedetailsofContinentalcrime。Who
couldpossiblyhavereadwhathappenedatPragueandhaveanydoubts
astotheman”sguilt！Itwasapurelytechnicallegalpointandthe
suspiciousdeathofawitnessthatsavedhim！Iamsurethathekilled
hiswifewhentheso-called”accident”happenedintheSplugenPassas
ifIhadseenhimdoit。Iknew，also，thathehadcometoEnglandand
hadapresentimentthatsoonerorlaterhewouldfindmesomework
todo。Well，whathasBaronGrunerbeenupto？Ipresumeitisnot
thisoldtragedywhichhascomeupagain？“
“No，itismoreseriousthanthat。Torevengecrimeisimportant，
buttopreventitismoreso。Itisaterriblething，Mr。Holmes，to
seeadreadfulevent，anatrocioussituation，preparingitself
beforeyoureyes，toclearlyunderstandwhitheritwillleadandyet
tobeutterlyunabletoavertit。Canahumanbeingbeplacedina
moretryingposition？“
“Perhapsnot。”
“ThenyouwillsympathizewiththeclientinwhoseinterestsIam
acting。”
“Ididnotunderstandthatyouweremerelyanintermediary。Whois
theprincipal？“
“Mr。Holmes，Imustbegyounottopressthatquestion。Itis
importantthatIshouldbeabletoassurehimthathishonouredname
hasbeeninnowaydraggedintothematter。Hismotivesare，tothe
lastdegree，honourableandchivalrous，buthepreferstoremain
unknown。Ineednotsaythatyourfeeswillbeassuredandthatyou
willbegivenaperfectlyfreehand。Surelytheactualnameofyour
clientisimmaterial？“
“Iamsorry，“saidHolmes。“Iamaccustomedtohavemysteryatone
endofmycases，buttohaveitatbothendsistooconfusing。Ifear，
SirJames，thatImustdeclinetoact。”
Ourvisitorwasgreatlydisturbed。Hislarge，sensitivefacewas
darkenedwithemotionanddisappointment。
“Youhardlyrealizetheeffectofyourownaction，Mr。Holmes，“said
he。“Youplacemeinamostseriousdilemma，forIamperfectly
certainthatyouwouldbeproudtotakeoverthecaseifIcould
giveyouthefacts，andyetapromiseforbidsmefromrevealingthem
all。MayI，atleast，layallthatIcanbeforeyou？“
“Byallmeans，solongasitisunderstoodthatIcommitmyselfto
nothing。”
“Thatisunderstood。Inthefirstplace，youhavenodoubtheard
ofGeneraldeMerville？“
“DeMervilleofKhyberfame？Yes，Ihaveheardofhim。”
“Hehasadaughter，VioletdeMerville，young，rich，beautiful，
accomplished，awonder-womanineveryway。Itisthisdaughter，this
lovely，innocentgirl，whomweareendeavouringtosavefromthe
clutchesofafiend。”
“BaronGrunerhassomeholdoverher，then？“
“Thestrongestofallholdswhereawomanisconcerned-thehold
oflove。Thefellowis，asyoumayhaveheard，extraordinarily
handsome，withamostfascinatingmanner，agentlevoice，andthatair
ofromanceandmysterywhichmeanssomuchtoawoman。Heissaidto
havethewholesexathismercyandtohavemadeampleuseofthe
fact。”
“ButhowcamesuchamantomeetaladyofthestandingofMiss
VioletdeMerville？“
“ItwasonaMediterraneanyachtingvoyage。Thecompany，though
select，paidtheirownpassages。Nodoubtthepromotershardly
realizedtheBaron”struecharacteruntilitwastoolate。Thevillain
attachedhimselftothelady，andwithsucheffectthathehas
completelyandabsolutelywonherheart。Tosaythatsheloveshim
hardlyexpressesit。Shedotesuponhim；sheisobsessedbyhim。
Outsideofhimthereisnothingonearth。Shewillnothearoneword
againsthim。Everythinghasbeendonetocureherofhermadness，
butinvain。Tosumup，sheproposestomarryhimnextmonth。Asshe
isofageandhasawillofiron，itishardtoknowhowtoprevent
her。”
“DoessheknowabouttheAustrianepisode？“
“Thecunningdevilhastoldhereveryunsavourypublicscandalof
hispastlife，butalwaysinsuchawayastomakehimselfouttobe
aninnocentmartyr。Sheabsolutelyacceptshisversionandwilllisten
tonoother。”
“Dearme！Butsurelyyouhaveinadvertentlyletoutthenameofyour
client？ItisnodoubtGeneraldeMerville。”
Ourvisitorfidgetedinhischair。
“Icoulddeceiveyoubysayingso，Mr。Holmes，butitwouldnotbe
true。DeMervilleisabrokenman。Thestrongsoldierhasbeenutterly
demoralizedbythisincident。Hehaslostthenervewhichneverfailed
himonthebattlefieldandhasbecomeaweak，dodderingoldman，
utterlyincapableofcontendingwithabrilliant，forcefulrascallike
thisAustrian。Myclient，however，isanoldfriend，onewhohasknown
theGeneralintimatelyformanyyearsandtakenapaternalinterestin
thisyounggirlsincesheworeshortfrocks。Hecannotseethis
tragedyconsummatedwithoutsomeattempttostopit。Thereis
nothinginwhichScotlandYardcanact。Itwashisownsuggestionthat
youshouldbecalledin，butitwas，asIhavesaid，ontheexpress
stipulationthatheshouldnotbepersonallyinvolvedinthematter。I
havenodoubt，Mr。Holmes，withyourgreatpowersyoucouldeasily
tracemyclientbackthroughme，butImustaskyou，asapointof
honour，torefrainfromdoingso，andnottobreakinuponhis
incognito。”
Holmesgaveawhimsicalsmile。
“IthinkImaysafelypromisethat，“saidhe。“Imayaddthatyour
probleminterestsme，andthatIshallbepreparedtolookintoit。
HowshallIkeepintouchwithyou？“
“TheCarltonClubwillfindme。Butincaseofemergency，thereisa
privatetelephonecall，”XX。31。”“
Holmesnoteditdownandsat，stillsmiling，withtheopen
memorandum-bookuponhisknee。
“TheBaron”spresentaddress，please？“
“VernonLodge，nearKingston。Itisalargehouse。Hehasbeen
fortunateinsomerathershadyspeculationsandisarichman，which
naturallymakeshimamoredangerousantagonist。”
“Isheathomeatpresent？“
“Yes。”
“Apartfromwhatyouhavetoldme，canyougivemeanyfurther
informationabouttheman？“
“Hehasexpensivetastes。Heisahorsefancier。Forashorttimehe
playedpoloatHurlingham，butthenthisPragueaffairgotnoised
aboutandhehadtoleave。Hecollectsbooksandpictures。Heisaman
withaconsiderableartisticsidetohisNature。Heis，Ibelieve，a
recognizedauthorityuponChinesepotteryandhaswrittenabook
uponthesubject。”
“Acomplexmind，“saidHolmes。“Allgreatcriminalshavethat。My
oldfriendCharliePeacewasaviolinvirtuoso。Wainwrightwasnomean
artist。Icouldquotemanymore。Well，SirJames，youwillinformyour
clientthatIamturningmyminduponBaronGruner。Icansaynomore。
Ihavesomesourcesofinformationofmyown，andIdaresaywemay
findsomemeansofopeningthematterup。”
WhenourvisitorhadleftusHolmessatsolongindeepthoughtthat
itseemedtomethathehadforgottenmypresence。Atlast，however，
hecamebrisklybacktoearth。
“Well，Watson，anyviews？“heasked。
“Ishouldthinkyouhadbetterseetheyoungladyherself。”
“MydearWatson，ifherpooroldbrokenfathercannotmoveher，
howshallI，astranger，prevail？Andyetthereissomethinginthe
suggestionifallelsefails。ButIthinkwemustbeginfroma
differentangle。IratherfancythatShinwellJohnsonmightbea
help。”
IhavenothadoccasiontomentionShinwellJohnsoninthesememoirs
becauseIhaveseldomdrawnmycasesfromthelatterphasesofmy
friend”scareer。Duringthefirstyearsofthecenturyhebecamea
valuableassistant。Johnson，Igrievetosay，madehisnamefirstasa
verydangerousvillainandservedtwotermsatParkhurst。Finallyhe
repentedandalliedhimselftoHolmes，actingashisagentinthehuge
criminalunder-worldofLondonandobtaininginformationwhichoften
provedtobeofvitalimportance。HadJohnsonbeena“nark“ofthe
policehewouldsoonhavebeenexposed，butashedealtwithcases
whichnevercamedirectlyintothecourts，hisactivitieswerenever
realizedbyhiscompanions。Withtheglamourofhistwoconvictions
uponhim，hehadtheentreeofeverynightclub，dosshouse，and
gambling-deninthetown，andhisquickobservationandactivebrain
madehimanidealagentforgaininginformation。Itwastohimthat
SherlockHolmesnowproposedtoturn。
Itwasnotpossibleformetofollowtheimmediatestepstakenbymy
friend，forIhadsomepressingprofessionalbusinessofmyown，butI
methimbyappointmentthateveningatSimpson”s，where，sittingat
asmalltableinthefrontwindowandlookingdownattherushing
streamoflifeintheStrand，hetoldmesomethingofwhathadpassed。
“Johnsonisontheprowl，“saidhe。“Hemaypickupsomegarbage
inthedarkerrecessesoftheunderworld，foritisdownthere，amid
theblackrootsofcrime，thatwemusthuntforthisman”ssecrets。”
“Butiftheladywillnotacceptwhatisalreadyknown，whyshould
anyfreshdiscoveryofyoursturnherfromherpurpose？“
“Whoknows，Watson？Woman”sheartandmindareinsolublepuzzles
tothemale。Murdermightbecondonedorexplained，andyetsome
smalleroffencemightrankle。BaronGrunerremarkedtome-“
“Heremarkedtoyou！“
“Oh，tobesure，Ihadnottoldyouofmyplans。Well，Watson，I
lovetocometoclosegripswithmyman。Iliketomeethimeyetoeye
andreadformyselfthestuffthatheismadeof。WhenIhadgiven
JohnsonhisinstructionsItookacabouttoKingstonandfoundthe
Baroninamostaffablemood。”
“Didherecognizeyou？“
“Therewasnodifficultyaboutthat，forIsimplysentinmycard。
Heisanexcellentantagonist，coolasice，silkyvoicedand
soothingasoneofyourfashionableconsultants，andpoisonousasa
cobra。Hehasbreedinginhim-arealaristocratofcrime，witha
superficialsuggestionofafternoonteaandallthecrueltyofthe
gravebehindit。Yes，Iamgladtohavehadmyattentioncalledto
BaronAdelbertGruner。”
“Yousayhewasaffable？“
“Apurringcatwhothinksheseesprospectivemice。Somepeople”s
affabilityismoredeadlythantheviolenceofcoarsersouls。His
greetingwascharacteristic。”IratherthoughtIshouldseeyousooner
orlater，Mr。Holmes”saidhe。”Youhavebeenengaged，nodoubtby
GeneraldeMerville，toendeavourtostopmymarriagewithhis
daughter，Violet。Thatisso，isitnot？”
“Iacquiesced。
“”Mydearman”saidhe，”youwillonlyruinyourown
well-deservedreputation。Itisnotacaseinwhichyoucanpossibly
succeed。Youwillhavebarrenwork，tosaynothingofincurringsome
danger。Letmeverystronglyadviseyoutodrawoffatonce。”
“”Itiscurious”Ianswered，”butthatwastheveryadvicewhich
Ihadintendedtogiveyou。Ihavearespectforyourbrains，Baron，
andthelittlewhichIhaveseenofyourpersonalityhasnot
lessenedit。Letmeputittoyouasmantoman。Noonewantsto
rakeupyourpastandmakeyouundulyuncomfortable。Itisover，and
youarenowinsmoothwaters，butifyoupersistinthismarriage
youwillraiseupaswarmofpowerfulenemieswhowillneverleaveyou
aloneuntiltheyhavemadeEnglandtoohottoholdyou。Isthegame
worthit？Surelyyouwouldbewiserifyoulefttheladyalone。It
wouldnotbepleasantforyouifthesefactsofyourpastwerebrought
tohernotice。”
“TheBaronhaslittlewaxedtipsofhairunderhisnose，likethe
shortantennaeofaninsect。Thesequiveredwithamusementashe
listened，andhefinallybrokeintoagentlechuckle。
“”Excusemyamusement，Mr。Holmes”saidhe，”butitisreallyfunny
toseeyoutryingtoplayahandwithnocardsinit。Idon”tthink
anyonecoulddoitbetter，butitisratherpathetic，allthesame。
Notacolourcardthere，Mr。Holmes，nothingbutthesmallestofthe
small。”
“”Soyouthink。”
“”SoIknow。Letmemakethethingcleartoyou，formyownhand
issostrongthatIcanaffordtoshowit。Ihavebeenfortunate
enoughtowintheentireaffectionofthislady。Thiswasgivento
meinspiteofthefactthatItoldherveryclearlyofallthe
unhappyincidentsinmypastlife。Ialsotoldherthatcertainwicked
anddesigningpersons-Ihopeyourecognizeyourself-wouldcometo
herandtellherthesethings，andIwarnedherhowtotreatthem。You
haveheardofpost-hypnoticsuggestion，Mr。Holmes？Well，youwillsee
howitworks，foramanofpersonalitycanusehypnotismwithoutany
vulgarpassesortomfoolery。Sosheisreadyforyouand，Ihaveno
doubt，wouldgiveyouanappointment，forsheisquiteamenabletoher
father”swill-saveonlyintheonelittlematter。”
“Well，Watson，thereseemedtobenomoretosay，soItookmyleave
withasmuchcolddignityasIcouldsummon，but，asIhadmyhand
onthedoor-handle，hestoppedme。
“”Bytheway，Mr。Holmes”saidhe，”didyouknowLeBrun，the
Frenchagent？”
“”Yes”saidI。
“”Doyouknowwhatbefellhim？”
“”IheardthathewasbeatenbysomeApachesintheMontmartre
districtandcrippledforlife。”
“”Quitetrue，Mr。Holmes。Byacuriouscoincidencehehadbeen
inquiringintomyaffairsonlyaweekbefore。Don”tdoit，Mr。Holmes；
it”snotaluckythingtodo。Severalhavefoundthatout。Mylast
wordtoyouis，goyourownwayandletmegomine。Good-bye！”
“Sothereyouare，Watson。Youareuptodatenow。”
“Thefellowseemsdangerous。”
“Mightydangerous。Idisregardtheblusterer，butthisisthesort
ofmanwhosaysratherlessthanhemeans。”
“Mustyouinterfere？Doesitreallymatterifhemarriesthegirl？“
“Consideringthatheundoubtedlymurderedhislastwife，Ishould
sayitmatteredverymuch。Besides，theclient！Well，weneednot
discussthat。Whenyouhavefinishedyourcoffeeyouhadbestcome
homewithme，fortheblitheShinwellwillbetherewithhisreport。”
Wefoundhimsureenough，ahuge，coarse，red-faced，scorbutic
man，withapairofvividblackeyeswhichweretheonlyexternalsign
oftheverycunningmindwithin。Itseemsthathehaddiveddown
intowhatwaspeculiarlyhiskingdom，andbesidehimonthesetteewas
abrandwhichhehadbroughtupintheshapeofaslim，flame-like
young，womanwithapale，intenseface，youthful，andyetsowornwith
sinandsorrowthatonereadtheterribleyearswhichhadlefttheir
leprousmarkuponher。
“ThisisMissKittyWinter，“saidShinwellJohnson，wavinghisfat
handasanintroduction。“Whatshedon”tknow-well，there，she”ll
speakforherself。Putmyhandrightonher，Mr。Holmes，withinan
hourofyourmessage。”
“I”measytofind，“saidtheyoungwoman。“Hell，London，getsme
everytime。SameaddressforPorkyShinwell。We”reoldmates，Porky，
youandI。But，bycripes！thereisanotherwhooughttobedownin
alowerhellthanweiftherewasanyjusticeintheworld！Thatis
themanyouareafter，Mr。Holmes。”
Holmessmiled。“Igatherwehaveyourgoodwishes，MissWinter。”
“IfIcanhelptoputhimwherehebelongs，I”myourstothe
rattle，“saidourvisitorwithfierceenergy。Therewasanintensity
ofhatredinherwhite，setfaceandherblazingeyessuchaswoman
seldomandmannevercanattain。“Youneedn”tgointomypast，Mr。
Holmes。That”sneitherherenorthere。ButwhatIamAdelbertGruner
mademe。IfIcouldpullhimdown！“Sheclutchedfranticallywith
herhandsintotheair。“Oh，ifIcouldonlypullhimintothepit
wherehehaspushedsomany！“
“Youknowhowthematterstands？“
“PorkyShinwellhasbeentellingme。He”saftersomeotherpoorfool
andwantstomarryherthistime。Youwanttostopit。Well，you
surelyknowenoughaboutthisdeviltopreventanydecentgirlin
hersenseswantingtobeinthesameparishwithhim。”
“Sheisnotinhersenses。Sheismadlyinlove。Shehasbeentold
allabouthim。Shecaresnothing。”
“Toldaboutthemurder？“
“Yes。”
“MyLord，shemusthaveanerve！“
“Sheputsthemalldownasslanders。”
“Couldn”tyoulayproofsbeforehersillyeyes？“
“Well，canyouhelpusdoso？“
“Ain”tIaproofmyself？IfIstoodbeforeherandtoldherhowhe
usedme-“
“Wouldyoudothis？“
“WouldI？WouldInot！“
“Well，itmightbeworthtrying。Buthehastoldhermostofhis
sinsandhadpardonfromher，andIunderstandshewillnotreopenthe
question。”
“I”lllayhedidn”ttellherall“saidMissWinter。“Icaughta
glimpseofoneortwomurdersbesidestheonethatmadesuchafuss。
Hewouldspeakofsomeoneinhisvelvetwayandthenlookatmewitha
steadyeyeandsay：”Hediedwithinamonth。”Itwasn”thotair，
either。ButItooklittlenotice-yousee，Ilovedhimmyselfat
thattime。Whateverhedidwentwithme，sameaswiththispoor
fool！Therewasjustonethingthatshookme。Yes，bycripes！ifit
hadnotbeenforhispoisonous，lying，tonguethatexplainsand
soothes，I”dhavelefthimthatverynight。It”sabookhehas-a
brownleatherbookwithalock，andhisarmsingoldontheoutside。I
thinkhewasabitdrunkthatnight，orhewouldnothaveshownit
tome。”
“Whatwasit，then？“
“Itellyou，Mr。Holmes，thismancollectswomen，andtakesa
prideinhiscollection，assomemencollectmothsorbutterflies。
Hehaditallinthatbook。Snapshotphotographs，names，details，
everythingaboutthem。Itwasabeastlybook-abooknoman，evenif
hehadcomefromthegutter，couldhaveputtogether。Butitwas
AdelbertGruner”sbookallthesame。”SoulsIhaveruined。”Hecould
haveputthatontheoutsideifhehadbeensominded。However，that”s
neitherherenorthere，forthebookwouldnotserveyou，and，ifit
would，youcan”tgetit。”
“Whereisit？“
“HowcanItellyouwhereitisnow？It”smorethanayearsinceI
lefthim。Iknowwherehekeptitthen。He”saprecise，tidycatof
amaninmanyofhisways，somaybeitisstillinthepigeon-hole
oftheoldbureauintheinnerstudy。Doyouknowhishouse？“
“I”vebeeninthestudy，“saidHolmes。
“Haveyou，though？Youhaven”tbeenslowonthejobifyouonly
startedthismorning。MaybedearAdelberthasmethismatchthistime。
TheouterstudyistheonewiththeChinesecrockeryinit-big
glasscupboardbetweenthewindows。Thenbehindhisdeskisthedoor
thatleadstotheinnerstudy-asmallroomwherehekeepspipers
andthings。”
“Ishenotafraidofburglars？“
“Adelbertisnocoward。Hisworstenemycouldn”tsaythatofhim。He
canlookafterhimself。There”saburglaralarmatnight。Besides，
whatisthereforaburglar-unlesstheygotawaywithallthis
fancycrockery？“
“Nogood，“saidShinwellJohnsonwiththedecidedvoiceofthe
expert。“Nofencewantsstuffofthatsortthatyoucanneithermelt
norsell。”
“Quiteso，“saidHolmes。“Well，now，MissWinter，ifyouwould
callhereto-morroweveningatfive，Iwouldconsiderinthemeanwhile
whetheryoursuggestionofseeingthisladypersonallymaynotbe
arranged。Iamexceedinglyobligedtoyouforyourcooperation。Ineed
notsaythatmyclientswillconsiderliberally-“
“Noneofthat，Mr。Holmes，“criedtheyoungwoman。“Iamnotoutfor
money。Letmeseethismaninthemud，andI”vegotallI”veworked
for-inthemudwithmyfootonhiscursedface。That”smyprice。
I”mwithyouto-morroworanyotherdaysolongasyouareonhis
track。Porkyherecantellyoualwayswheretofindme。”
IdidnotseeHolmesagainuntilthefollowingeveningwhenwedined
oncemoreatourStrandrestaurant。HeshruggedhisshoulderswhenI
askedhimwhatluckhehadhadinhisinterview。Thenhetoldthe
story，whichIwouldrepeatinthisway。Hishard，drystatementneeds
somelittleeditingtosoftenitintothetermsofreallife。
“Therewasnodifficultyatallabouttheappointment，“saidHolmes，
“forthegirlgloriesinshowingabjectfilialobedienceinall
secondarythingsinanattempttoatoneforherflagrantbreachof
itinherengagement。TheGeneral”phonedthatallwasready，and
thefieryMissW。turnedupaccordingtoschedule，sothatat
half-pastfiveacabdepositedusoutside104BerkeleySquare，where
theoldsoldierresides-oneofthoseawfulgrayLondoncastles
whichwouldmakeachurchseemfrivolous。Afootmanshowedusinto
agreatyellow-curtaineddrawing-room，andtherewastheladyawaiting
us，demure，pale，self-contained，asinflexibleandremoteasasnow
imageonamountain。
“Idon”tquiteknowhowtomakehercleartoyou，Watson。Perhaps
youmaymeetherbeforewearethrough，andyoucanuseyourown
giftofwords。Sheisbeautiful，butwiththeetherealother-world
beautyofsomefanaticwhosethoughtsaresetonhigh。Ihaveseen
suchfacesinthepicturesoftheoldmastersoftheMiddleAges。
Howabeastmancouldhavelaidhisvilepawsuponsuchabeingof
thebeyondIcannotimagine。Youmayhavenoticedhowextremescallto
eachother，thespiritualtotheanimal，thecave-mantotheangel。
Youneversawaworsecasethanthis。
“Sheknewwhatwehadcomefor，ofcourse-thatvillainhadlost
notimeinpoisoninghermindagainstus。MissWinter”sadvent
ratheramazedher，Ithink，butshewavedusintoourrespective
chairslikeareverendabbessreceivingtworatherleprousmendicants。
Ifyourheadisinclinedtoswell，mydearWatson，takeacourseof
MissVioletdeMerville。
“”Well，sir”saidsheinavoicelikethewindfromaniceberg，”yournameisfamiliartome。Youhavecalled，asIunderstand，to
malignmyfiance，BaronGruner。Itisonlybymyfather”srequestthat
Iseeyouatall，andIwarnyouinadvancethatanythingyoucan
saycouldnotpossiblyhavetheslightesteffectuponmymind。”
“Iwassorryforher，Watson。IthoughtofherforthemomentasI
wouldhavethoughtofadaughterofmyown。Iamnotofteneloquent。I
usemyhead，notmyheart。ButIreallydidpleadwithherwithall
thewarmthofwordsthatIcouldfindinmynature。Ipicturedto
hertheawfulpositionofthewomanwhoonlywakestoaman”s
characteraftersheishiswife-awomanwhohastosubmittobe
caressedbybloodyhandsandlecherouslips。Isparedhernothing-the
shame，thefear，theagony，thehopelessnessofitall。Allmyhot
wordscouldnotbringonetingeofcolourtothoseivorycheeksorone
gleamofemotiontothoseabstractedeyes。Ithoughtofwhatthe
rascalhadsaidaboutapost-hypnoticinfluence。Onecouldreally
believethatshewaslivingabovetheearthinsomeecstaticdream。
Yettherewasnothingindefiniteinherreplies。
“”Ihavelistenedtoyouwithpatience，Mr。Holmes”saidshe。”Theeffectuponmymindisexactlyaspredicted。Iamawarethat
Adelbert，thatmyfiance，hashadastormylifeinwhichhehas
incurredbitterhatredsandmostunjustaspersions。Youareonlythe
lastofaserieswhohavebroughttheirslandersbeforeme。Possibly
youmeanwell，thoughIlearnthatyouareapaidagentwhowouldhave
beenequallywillingtoactfortheBaronasagainsthim。Butinany
caseIwishyoutounderstandonceforallthatIlovehimandthathe
lovesme，andthattheopinionofalltheworldisnomoretome
thanthetwitterofthosebirdsoutsidethewindow。Ifhisnoble
naturehaseverforaninstantfallen，itmaybethatIhavebeen
speciallysenttoraiseittoitstrueandloftylevel。Iamnot
clear”-heresheturnedeyesuponmycompanion-”whothisyounglady
maybe。”
“Iwasabouttoanswerwhenthegirlbrokeinlikeawhirlwind。If
everyousawflameandicefacetoface，itwasthosetwowomen。
“”I”lltellyouwhoIam”shecried，springingoutofherchair，
hermouthalltwistedwithpassion-”Iamhislastmistress。Iam
oneofahundredthathehastemptedandusedandruinedandthrown
intotherefuseheap，ashewillyoualso。Yourrefuseheapismore
likelytobeagrave，andmaybethat”sthebest。Itellyou，you
foolishwoman，ifyoumarrythismanhe”llbethedeathofyou。Itmay
beabrokenheartoritmaybeabrokenneck，buthe”llhaveyouone
wayortheother。It”snotoutofloveforyouI”mspeaking。Idon”t
careatinker”scursewhetheryouliveordie。It”soutofhatefor
himandtospitehimandtogetbackonhimforwhathedidtome。But
it”sallthesame，andyouneedn”tlookatmelikethat，myfinelady，
foryoumaybelowerthanIambeforeyouarethroughwithit。”
“”Ishouldprefernottodiscusssuchmatters”saidMissde
Mervillecoldly。”LetmesayonceforallthatIamawareofthree
passagesinmyfiance”slifeinwhichhebecameentangledwith
designingwomen，andthatIamassuredofhisheartyrepentancefor
anyevilthathemayhavedone。”
“”Threepassages！”screamedmycompanion。”Youfool！Youunutterable
fool！”
“”Mr。Holmes，Ibegthatyouwillbringthisinterviewtoanend”
saidtheicyvoice。”Ihaveobeyedmyfather”swishinseeingyou，but
Iamnotcompelledtolistentotheravingsofthisperson。”
“WithanoathMissWinterdartedforward，andifIhadnotcaught
herwristshewouldhaveclutchedthismaddeningwomanbythehair。
Idraggedhertowardsthedoorandwasluckytogetherbackinto
thecabwithoutapublicscene，forshewasbesideherselfwith
rage。InacoldwayIfeltprettyfuriousmyself，Watson，forthere
wassomethingindescribablyannoyinginthecalmaloofnessandsupreme
self-complaisanceofthewomanwhomweweretryingtosave。Sonow
onceagainyouknowexactlyhowwestand，anditisclearthatI
mustplansomefreshopeningmove，forthisgambitwon”twork。I”ll
keepintouchwithyou，Watson，foritismorethanlikelythatyou
willhaveyourparttoplay，thoughitisjustpossiblethatthe
nextmovemayliewiththemratherthanwithus。”
Anditdid。Theirblowfell-orhisblowrather，fornevercouldI
believethattheladywasprivytoit。IthinkIcouldshowyouthe
verypaving-stoneuponwhichIstoodwhenmyeyesfelluponthe
placard，andapangofhorrorpassedthroughmyverysoul。Itwas
betweentheGrandHotelandCharingCrossStation，wherea
one-leggednews-venderdisplayedhiseveningpapers。Thedatewasjust
twodaysafterthelastconversation。There，blackuponyellow，was
theterriblenews-sheet：MURDEROUSATTACKUPONSHERLOCKHOLMES
IthinkIstoodstunnedforsomemoments。ThenIhaveaconfused
recollectionofsnatchingatapaper，oftheremonstranceofthe
man，whomIhadnotpaid，and，finally，ofstandinginthedoorway
ofachemist”sshopwhileIturnedupthefatefulparagraph。This
washowitran：
WelearnwithregretthatMr。SherlockHolmes，thewell-known
privatedetective，wasthevictimthismorningofamurderous
assaultwhichhaslefthiminaprecariousposition。Thereareno
exactdetailstohand，buttheeventseemstohaveoccurredabout
twelveo”clockinRegentStreet，outsidetheCafeRoyal。Theattack
wasmadebytwomenarmedwithsticks，andMr。Holmeswasbeatenabout
theheadandbody，receivinginjurieswhichthedoctorsdescribeas
mostserious。HewascarriedtoCharingCrossHospitaland
afterwardsinsisteduponbeingtakentohisroomsinBakerStreet。The
miscreantswhoattackedhimappeartohavebeenrespectablydressed
men，whoescapedfromthebystandersbypassingthroughtheCafeRoyal
andoutintoGlasshouseStreetbehindit。Nodoubttheybelongedto
thatcriminalfraternitywhichhassooftenhadoccasiontobewailthe
activityandingenuityoftheinjuredman。
Ineednotsaythatmyeyeshadhardlyglancedovertheparagraph
beforeIhadsprungintoahansomandwasonmywaytoBakerStreet。I
foundSirLeslieOakshott，thefamoussurgeon，inthehallandhis
broughamwaitingatthecurb。
“Noimmediatedanger，“washisreport。“Twolaceratedscalpwounds
andsomeconsiderablebruises。Severalstitcheshavebeennecessary。
Morphinehasbeeninjectedandquietisessential，butaninterviewof
afewminuteswouldnotbeabsolutelyforbidden。”
WiththispermissionIstoleintothedarkenedroom。Thesufferer
waswideawake，andIheardmynameinahoarsewhisper。Theblindwas
three-quartersdown，butonerayofsunlightslantedthroughand
struckthebandagedheadoftheinjuredman。Acrimsonpatchhad
soakedthroughthewhitelinencompress。Isatbesidehimandbent
myhead。
“AllrightWatson。Don”tlooksoscared，“hemutteredinaveryweak
voice。“It”snotasbadasitseems。”
“ThankGodforthat！“
“I”mabitofasingle-stickexpert，asyouknow。Itookmostof
themonmyguard。Itwasthesecondmanthatwastoomuchforme。”
“WhatcanIdo，Holmes？Ofcourse，itwasthatdamnedfellowwhoset
themon。I”llgoandthrashthehideoffhimifyougivetheword。”
“GoodoldWatson！No，wecandonothingthereunlessthepolice
laytheirhandsonthemen。Buttheirget-awayhadbeenwellprepared。
Wemaybesureofthat。Waitalittle。Ihavemyplans。Thefirst
thingistoexaggeratemyinjuries。They”llcometoyoufornews。
Putitonthick，Watson。LuckyifIlivetheweekout-concussion-
delirium-whatyoulike！Youcan”toverdoit。”
“ButSirLeslieOakshott？“
“Oh，he”sallright。Heshallseetheworstsideofme。I”lllook
afterthat。”
“Anythingelse？“
“Yes。TellShinwellJohnsontogetthatgirloutoftheway。Those
beautieswillbeafterhernow。Theyknow，ofcourse，thatshewas
withmeinthecase。Iftheydaredtodomeinitisnotlikelythey
willneglecther。Thatisurgent。Doitto-night。”
“I”llgonow。Anythingmore？“
“Putmypipeonthetable-andthetobacco-slipper。Right！Comein
eachmorningandwewillplanourcampaign。”
IarrangedwithJohnsonthateveningtotakeMissWintertoa
quietsuburbandseethatshelaylowuntilthedangerwaspast。
ForsixdaysthepublicwereundertheimpressionthatHolmeswasat
thedoorofdeath。Thebulletinswereverygraveandtherewere
sinisterparagraphsinthepapers。Mycontinualvisitsassuredmethat
itwasnotsobadasthat。Hiswiryconstitutionandhisdetermined
willwereworkingwonders。Hewasrecoveringfast，andIhad
suspicionsattimesthathewasreallyfindinghimselffasterthan
hepretendedeventome。Therewasacurioussecretivestreakinthe
manwhichledtomanydramaticeffects，butleftevenhisclosest
friendsguessingastowhathisexactplansmightbe。Hepushedto
anextremetheaxiomthattheonlysafeplotterwashewhoplotted
alone。Iwasnearerhimthananyoneelse，andyetIwasalways
consciousofthegapbetween。
Ontheseventhdaythestitchesweretakenout，inspiteofwhich
therewasareportoferysipelasintheeveningpapers。Thesame
eveningpapershadanannouncementwhichIwasbound，sickorwell，to
carrytomyfriend。Itwassimplythatamongthepassengersonthe
CunardboatRuritania，startingfromLiverpoolonFriday，wasthe
BaronAdelbertGruner，whohadsomeimportantfinancialbusinessto
settleintheStatesbeforehisimpendingweddingtoMissVioletde
Merville，onlydaughterof，etc。，etc。Holmeslistenedtothenews
withacold，concentratedlookuponhispaleface，whichtoldme
thatithithimhard。
“Friday！“hecried。“Onlythreecleardays。Ibelievetherascal
wantstoputhimselfoutofdanger”sway。Buthewon”t，Watson！Bythe
LordHarry，hewon”t！Now，Watson，Iwantyoutodosomethingforme。”
“Iamheretobeused，Holmes。”
“Well，then，spendthenexttwenty-fourhoursinanintensive
studyofChinesepottery。”
HegavenoexplanationsandIaskedfornone。BylongexperienceI
hadlearnedthewisdomofobedience。ButwhenIhadlefthisroomI
walkeddownBakerStreet，revolvinginmyheadhowonearthIwasto
carryoutsostrangeanorder。FinallyIdrovetotheLondonLibrary
inSt。James”sSquare，putthemattertomyfriendLomax，the
sublibrarian，anddepartedtomyroomswithagoodlyvolumeundermy
arm。
Itissaidthatthebarristerwhocramsupacasewithsuchcare
thathecanexamineanexpertwitnessupontheMondayhasforgotten
allhisforcedknowledgebeforetheSaturday。CertainlyIshouldnot
likenowtoposeasanauthorityuponceramics。Andyetallthat
evening，andallthatnightwithashortintervalforrest，andall
nextmorning，Iwassuckinginknowledgeandcommittingnamesto
memory。ThereIlearnedofthehall-marksofthegreat
artist-decorators，ofthemysteryofcyclicaldates，themarksof
theHung-wuandthebeautiesoftheYung-lo，thewritingsof
Tang-ying，andthegloriesoftheprimitiveperiodoftheSungandthe
Yuan。IwaschargedwithallthisinformationwhenIcalledupon
Holmesnextevening。Hewasoutofbednow，thoughyouwouldnot
haveguesseditfromthepublishedreports，andhesatwithhis
much-bandagedheadrestinguponhishandinthedepthofhisfavourite
armchair。
“Why，Holmes，“Isaid，“ifonebelievedthepapers，youaredying。”
“That，“saidhe，“istheveryimpressionwhichIintendedtoconvey。
Andnow，Watson，haveyoulearnedyourlessons？“
“AtleastIhavetriedto。”
“Good。Youcouldkeepupanintelligentconversationonthe
subject？“
“IbelieveIcould。”
“Thenhandmethatlittleboxfromthemantlepiece。”
Heopenedthelidandtookoutasmallobjectmostcarefullywrapped
insomefineEasternsilk。Thisheunfolded，anddiscloseda
delicatelittlesaucerofthemostbeautifuldeep-bluecolour。
“Itneedscarefulhandling，Watson。Thisistherealegg-shell
potteryoftheMingdynasty。Nofinerpieceeverpassedthrough
Christie”s。Acompletesetofthiswouldbeworthaking”sransom-
infact，itisdoubtfulifthereisacompletesetoutsidethe
imperialpalaceofPeking。Thesightofthiswoulddriveareal
connoisseurwild。”
“WhatamItodowithit？“
Holmeshandedmeacarduponwhichwasprinted：“Dr。HillBarton，
369HalfMoonStreet。”
“Thatisyournamefortheevening，Watson。YouwillcalluponBaron
Gruner。Iknowsomethingofhishabits，andathalf-pasteighthe
wouldprobablybedisengaged。Anotewilltellhiminadvancethatyou
areabouttocall，andyouwillsaythatyouarebringinghima
specimenofanabsolutelyuniquesetofMingchina。Youmayaswellbe
amedicalman，sincethatisapartwhichyoucanplaywithout
duplicity。Youareacollector，thissethascomeyourway，youhave
heardoftheBaron”sinterestinthesubject，andyouarenotaverse
tosellingataprice。”
“Whatprice？“
“Wellasked，Watson。Youwouldcertainlyfalldownbadlyifyou
didnotknowthevalueofyourownwares。Thissaucerwasgotforme
bySirJames，andcomes，Iunderstand，fromthecollectionofhis
client。Youwillnotexaggerateifyousaythatitcouldhardlybe
matchedintheworld。”
“Icouldperhapssuggestthatthesetshouldbevaluedbyan
expert。”
“Excellent，Watson！Youscintillateto-day。SuggestChristieor
Sotheby。Yourdelicacypreventsyourputtingapriceforyourself。”
“Butifhewon”tseeme？“
“Oh，yes，hewillseeyou。Hehasthecollectionmaniainitsmost
acuteform-andespeciallyonthissubject，onwhichheisan
acknowledgedauthority。Sitdown，Watson，andIwilldictatethe
letter。Noanswerneeded。Youwillmerelysaythatyouarecoming，and
why。”
Itwasanadmirabledocument，short，courteous，andstimulatingto
thecuriosityoftheconnoisseur。Adistrictmessengerwasduly
dispatchedwithit。Onthesameevening，withtheprecioussaucerin
myhandandthecardofDr。HillBartoninmypocket，Isetoffon
myownadventure。
ThebeautifulhouseandgroundsindicatedthatBaronGrunerwas，
asSirJameshadsaid，amanofconsiderablewealth。Alongwinding
drive，withbanksofrareshrubsoneitherside，openedoutintoa
greatgravelledsquareadornedwithstatues。Theplacehadbeen
builtbyaSouthAfricangoldkinginthedaysofthegreatboom，
andthelong，lowhousewiththeturretsatthecorners，thoughan
architecturalnightmare，wasimposinginitssizeandsolidity。A
butler，whowouldhaveadornedabenchofbishops，showedmeinand
handedmeovertoaplushcladfootman，whousheredmeintotheBaron”s
presence。
Hewasstandingattheopenfrontofagreatcasewhichstood
betweenthewindowsandwhichcontainedpartofhisChinese
collection。HeturnedasIenteredwithasmallbrownvaseinhis
hand。
“Praysitdown，Doctor，“saidhe。“Iwaslookingovermyown
treasuresandwonderingwhetherIcouldreallyaffordtoaddto
them。ThislittleTangspecimen，whichdatesfromtheseventhcentury，
wouldprobablyinterestyou。Iamsureyouneversawfinerworkmanship
oraricherglaze。HaveyoutheMingsaucerwithyouofwhichyou
spoke？“
Icarefullyunpackeditandhandedittohim。Heseatedhimselfat
hisdesk，pulledoverthelamp，foritwasgrowingdark，andset
himselftoexamineit。Ashedidsotheyellowlightbeatuponhisown
features，andIwasabletostudythematmyease。
Hewascertainlyaremarkablyhandsomeman。HisEuropean
reputationforbeautywasfullydeserved。Infigurehewasnotmore
thanofmiddlesize，butwasbuiltupongracefulandactivelines。His
facewasswarthy，almostOriental，withlarge，dark，languorouseyes
whichmighteasilyholdanirresistiblefascinationforwomen。His
hairandmoustachewereravenblack，thelattershort，pointed，and
carefullywaxed。Hisfeatureswereregularandpleasing，saveonlyhis
straight，thin-lippedmouth。IfeverIsawamurderer”smouthitwas
there-acruel，hardgashintheface，compressed，inexorable，and
terrible。Hewasill-advisedtotrainhismoustacheawayfromit，
foritwasNature”sdanger-signal，setasawarningtohisvictims。
Hisvoicewasengagingandhismannersperfect。InageIshouldhave
puthimatlittleoverthirty，thoughhisrecordafterwardsshowed
thathewasforty-two。
“Veryfine-veryfineindeed！“hesaidatlast。“Andyousayyou
haveasetofsixtocorrespond。WhatpuzzlesmeisthatIshould
nothaveheardofsuchmagnificentspecimens。Ionlyknowofonein
Englandtomatchthis，anditiscertainlynotlikelytobeinthe
market。WoulditbeindiscreetifIweretoaskyou，Dr。Hill
Barton，howyouobtainedthis？“
“Doesitreallymatter？“IaskedwithascarelessanairasI
couldmuster。“Youcanseethatthepieceisgenuine，and，astothe
value，Iamcontenttotakeanexpert”svaluation。”
“Verymysterious，“saidhewithaquick，suspiciousflashofhis
darkeyes。“Indealingwithobjectsofsuchvalue，onenaturally
wishestoknowallaboutthetransaction。Thatthepieceisgenuineis
certain。Ihavenodoubtsatallaboutthat。Butsuppose-Iambound
totakeeverypossibilityintoaccount-thatitshouldprove
afterwardsthatyouhadnorighttosell？“
“Iwouldguaranteeyouagainstanyclaimofthesort。”
“That，ofcourse，wouldopenupthequestionastowhatyour
guaranteewasworth。”
“Mybankerswouldanswerthat。”
“Quiteso。Andyetthewholetransactionstrikesmeasrather
unusual。”
“Youcandobusinessornot，“saidIwithindifference。“Ihave
givenyouthefirstofferasIunderstoodthatyouwereaconnoisseur，
butIshallhavenodifficultyinotherquarters。”
“WhotoldyouIwasaconnoisseur？“
“Iwasawarethatyouhadwrittenabookuponthesubject。”
“Haveyoureadthebook？“
“No。”
“Dearme，thisbecomesmoreandmoredifficultformetounderstand！
Youareaconnoisseurandcollectorwithaveryvaluablepieceinyour
collection，andyetyouhavenevertroubledtoconsulttheonebook
whichwouldhavetoldyouoftherealmeaningandvalueofwhatyou
held。Howdoyouexplainthat？“
“Iamaverybusyman。Iamadoctorinpractice。”
“Thatisnoanswer。Ifamanhasahobbyhefollowsitup，
whateverhisotherpursuitsmaybe。Yousaidinyournotethatyou
wereaconnoisseur。”
“SoIam。”
“MightIaskyouafewquestionstotestyou？Iamobligedtotell
you，Doctor-ifyouareindeedadoctor-thattheincidentbecomes
moreandmoresuspicious。Iwouldaskyouwhatdoyouknowofthe
EmperorShomuandhowdoyouassociatehimwiththeShoso-innear
Nara？Dearme，doesthatpuzzleyou？Tellmealittleaboutthe
NorthernWeidynastyanditsplaceinthehistoryofceramic！“
Isprangfrommychairinsimulatedanger。
“Thisisintolerable，sir，“saidI。“Icameheretodoyouafavour-
andnottobeexaminedasifIwereaschoolboy。Myknowledgeonthese
subjectsmaybesecondonlytoyourown，butIcertainlyshallnot
answerquestionswhichhavebeenputin，sooffensiveaway。”
Helookedatmesteadily。Thelanguorhadgonefromhiseyes。They
suddenlyglared。Therewasagleamofteethfrombetweenthosecruel
lips。
“Whatisthegame？Youarehereasaspy。Youareanemissaryof
Holmes。Thisisatrickthatyouareplayinguponme。Thefellowis
dyingIhear，sohesendshistoolstokeepwatchuponme。You”vemade
yourwayinherewithoutleave，and，byGod，youmayfinditharderto
getoutthantogetin。”
Hehadsprungtohisfeet，andIsteppedback，bracingmyselfforan
attack，forthemanwasbesidehimselfwithrage。Hemayhave
suspectedmefromthefirst；certainlythiscross-examinationhad
shownhimthetruth；butitwasclearthatIcouldnothopetodeceive
him。Hedivedhishandintoaside-drawerandrummagedfuriously。Then
somethingstruckuponhisear，forhestoodlisteningintently。
“Ah！“hecried。“Ah！“anddashedintotheroombehindhim。
Twostepstookmetotheopendoor，andmymindwillevercarrya
clearpictureofthescenewithin。Thewindowleadingouttothe
gardenwaswideopen。Besideit，lookinglikesometerribleghost，his
headgirtwithbloodybandages，hisfacedrawnandwhite，stood
SherlockHolmes。Thenextinstanthewasthroughthegap，andIheard
thecrashofhisbodyamongthelaurelbushesoutside。Withahowlof
ragethemasterofthehouserushedafterhimtotheopenwindow。
Andthen！Itwasdoneinaninstant，andyetIclearlysawit。An
arm-awoman”sarm-shotoutfromamongtheleaves。Atthesame
instanttheBaronutteredahorriblecry-ayellwhichwillalways
ringinmymemory。Heclappedhistwohandstohisfaceandrushed
roundtheroom，beatinghisheadhorriblyagainstthewalls。Thenhe
felluponthecarpet，rollingandwrithing，whilescreamafter
screamresoundedthroughthehouse。
“Water！ForGod”ssake，water！“washiscry。
Iseizedacarafefromaside-tableandrushedtohisaid。Atthe
samemomentthebutlerandseveralfootmenraninfromthehall。I
rememberthatoneofthemfaintedasIkneltbytheinjuredmanand
turnedthatawfulfacetothelightofthelamp。Thevitriolwas
eatingintoiteverywhereanddrippingfromtheearsandthechin。One
eyewasalreadywhiteandglazed。Theotherwasredandinflamed。
ThefeatureswhichIhadadmiredafewminutesbeforewerenowlike
somebeautifulpaintingoverwhichtheartisthaspassedawetand
foulsponge。Theywereblurred，discoloured，inhuman，terrible。
InafewwordsIexplainedexactlywhathadoccurred，sofaras
thevitriolattackwasconcerned。Somehadclimbedthroughthe
windowandothershadrushedoutontothelawn，butitwasdarkand
ithadbeguntorain。Betweenhisscreamsthevictimragedandraved
againsttheavenger。“Itwasthathell-cat，KittyWinter！“hecried。
“Oh，theshe-devil！Sheshallpayforit！Sheshallpay！Oh，Godin
heaven，thispainismorethanIcanbear！“
Ibathedhisfaceinoil，putcottonwaddingontherawsurfaces，
andadministeredahypodermicofmorphia。Allsuspicionofmehad
passedfromhismindinthepresenceofthisshock，andheclungtomy
handsasifImighthavethepowerevenyettoclearthosedead-fish
eyeswhichgazedupatme。IcouldhaveweptovertheruinhadInot
rememberedveryclearlythevilelifewhichhadleduptosohideousa
change。Itwasloathsometofeelthepawingofhisburninghands，
andIwasrelievedwhenhisfamilysurgeon，closelyfollowedbya
specialist，cametorelievemeofmycharge。Aninspectorofpolice
hadalsoarrived，andtohimIhandedmyrealcard。Itwouldhavebeen
uselessaswellasfoolishtodootherwise，forIwasnearlyaswell
knownbysightattheYardasHolmeshimself。ThenIleftthathouse
ofgloomandterror。WithinanhourIwasatBakerStreet。
Holmeswasseatedinhisfamiliarchair，lookingverypaleand
exhausted。Apartfromhisinjuries，evenhisironnerveshadbeen
shockedbytheeventsoftheevening，andhelistenedwithhorrorto
myaccountoftheBaron”stransformation。
“Thewagesofsin，Watson-thewagesofsin！“saidhe。“Sooneror
lateritwillalwayscome。Godknows，therewassinenough，“headded，
takingupabrownvolumefromthetable。“Hereisthebookthewoman
talkedof。Ifthiswillnotbreakoffthemarriage，nothingever
could。Butitwill，Watson。Itmust。Noself-respectingwomancould
standit。”
“Itishislovediary？“
“Orhislustdiary。Callitwhatyouwill。Themomentthewomantold
usofitIrealizedwhatatremendousweaponwasthereifwecouldbut
layourhandsonit。Isaidnothingatthetimetoindicatemy
thoughts，forthiswomanmighthavegivenitaway。ButIbrooded
overit。Thenthisassaultuponmegavemethechanceoflettingthe
Baronthinkthatnoprecautionsneedbetakenagainstme。Thatwasall
tothegood。Iwouldhavewaitedalittlelonger，buthisvisitto
Americaforcedmyhand。Hewouldneverhaveleftsocompromisinga
documentbehindhim。Thereforewehadtoactatonce。Burglaryat
nightisimpossible。Hetakesprecautions。Buttherewasachancein
theeveningifIcouldonlybesurethathisattentionwasengaged。
Thatwaswhereyouandyourbluesaucercamein。ButIhadtobe
sureofthepositionofthebook，andIknewIhadonlyafew
minutesinwhichtoact，formytimewaslimitedbyyourknowledge
ofChinesepottery。ThereforeIgatheredthegirlupatthelast
moment。HowcouldIguesswhatthelittlepacketwasthatshe
carriedsocarefullyunderhercloak？Ithoughtshehadcome
altogetheronmybusiness，butitseemsshehadsomeofherown。”
“HeguessedIcamefromyou。”
“Ifearedhewould。Butyouheldhiminplayjustlongenoughforme
togetthebookthoughnotlongenoughforanunobservedescape。Ah，
SirJames，Iamverygladyouhavecome！“
Ourcourtlyfriendhadappearedinanswertoaprevioussummons。He
listenedwiththedeepestattentiontoHolmes”saccountofwhathad
occurred。
“Youhavedonewonders-wonders！“hecriedwhenhehadheardthe
narrative。“ButiftheseinjuriesareasterribleasDr。Watson
describes，thensurelyourpurposeofthwartingthemarriageis
sufficientlygainedwithouttheuseofthishorriblebook。”
Holmesshookhishead。
“WomenoftheDeMervilletypedonotactlikethat。Shewould
lovehimthemoreasadisfiguredmartyr。No，no。Itishismoral
side，nothisphysical，whichwehavetodestroy。Thatbookwillbring
herbacktoearth-andIknownothingelsethatcould。Itisinhis
ownwriting。Shecannotgetpastit。”
SirJamescarriedawaybothitandtheprecioussaucer。AsIwas
myselfoverdue，Iwentdownwithhimintothestreet。Abroughamwas
waitingforhim。Hesprangin，gaveahurriedordertothecockaded
coachman，thendroveswiftlyaway。Heflunghisovercoathalfoutof
thewindowtocoverthearmorialbearingsuponthepanel，butIhad
seenthemintheglareofourfanlightnonetheless。Igaspedwith
surprise。ThenIturnedbackandascendedthestairtoHolmes”sroom。
“Ihavefoundoutwhoourclientis，“Icried，burstingwithmy
greatnews。“Why，Holmes，itis-“
“Itisaloyalfriendandachivalrousgentleman，“saidHolmes，
holdinguparestraininghand。“Letthatnowandforeverbeenoughfor
us。”
Idonotknowhowtheincriminatingbookwasused。SirJamesmay
havemanagedit。Oritismoreprobablethatsodelicateataskwas
entrustedtotheyounglady”sfather。Theeffect，atanyrate，wasall
thatcouldbedesired。Threedayslaterappearedaparagraphinthe
MorningPosttosaythatthemarriagebetweenBaronAdelbertGruner
andMissVioletdeMervillewouldnottakeplace。Thesamepaperhad
thefirstpolice-courthearingoftheproceedingsagainstMissKitty
Winteronthegravechargeofvitriol-throwing。Suchextenuating
circumstancescameoutinthetrialthatthesentence，aswillbe
remembered，wasthelowestthatwaspossibleforsuchanoffence。
SherlockHolmeswasthreatenedwithaprosecutionforburglary，but
whenanobjectisgoodandaclientissufficientlyillustrious，
eventherigidBritishlawbecomeshumanandelastic。Myfriendhas
notyetstoodinthedock-
THEEND-