“Wealsohaveourdiplomaticsecrets，“saidheand，pickinguphis
hat，heturnedtothedoor-
THEEND。
1904
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHESIXNAPOLEONS
bySirArthurConanDoyle
ItwasnoveryunusualthingforMr。Lestrade，ofScotlandYard，
tolookinuponusofanevening，andhisvisitswerewelcometo
SherlockHolmes，fortheyenabledhimtokeepintouchwithallthat
wasgoingonatthepoliceheadquarters。Inreturnforthenews
whichLestradewouldbring，Holmeswasalwaysreadytolistenwith
attentiontothedetailsofanycaseuponwhichthedetectivewas
engaged，andwasableoccasionally，withoutanyactiveinterference，
togivesomehintorsuggestiondrawnfromhisownvastknowledge
andexperience。
Onthisparticularevening，Lestradehadspokenoftheweatherand
thenewspapers。Thenhehadfallensilent，puffingthoughtfullyathis
cigar。Holmeslookedkeenlyathim。
“Anythingremarkableonhand？“heasked。
“Oh，no，Mr。Holmes-nothingveryparticular。”
“Thentellmeaboutit。”
Lestradelaughed。
“Well，Mr。Holmes，thereisnousedenyingthatthereissomething
onmymind。Andyetitissuchanabsurdbusiness，thatIhesitatedto
botheryouaboutit。Ontheotherhand，althoughitistrivial，it
isundoubtedlyqueer，andIknowthatyouhaveatasteforallthatis
outofthecommon。But，inmyopinion，itcomesmoreinDr。Watson”s
linethanours。”
“Disease？“saidI。
“Madness，anyhow。Andaqueermadness，too。Youwouldn”tthinkthere
wasanyonelivingatthistimeofdaywhohadsuchahatredof
NapoleontheFirstthathewouldbreakanyimageofhimthathe
couldsee。”
Holmessankbackinhischair。
“That”snobusinessofmine，“saidhe。
“Exactly。That”swhatIsaid。Butthen，whenthemancommits
burglaryinordertobreakimageswhicharenothisown，thatbrings
itawayfromthedoctorandontothepoliceman。”
Holmessatupagain。
“Burglary！Thisismoreinteresting。Letmehearthedetails。”
Lestradetookouthisofficialnotebookandrefreshedhismemory
fromitspages。
“Thefirstcasereportedwasfourdaysago，“saidhe。“Itwasatthe
shopofMorseHudson，whohasaplaceforthesaleofpicturesand
statuesintheKenningtonRoad。Theassistanthadleftthefront
shopforaninstant，whenheheardacrash，andhurryinginhefounda
plasterbustofNapoleon，whichstoodwithseveralotherworksof
artuponthecounter，lyingshiveredintofragments。Herushedout
intotheroad，but，althoughseveralpassers-bydeclaredthattheyhad
noticedamanrunoutoftheshop，hecouldneitherseeanyonenor
couldhefindanymeansofidentifyingtherascal。Itseemedtobeone
ofthosesenselessactsofHooliganismwhichoccurfromtimeto
time，anditwasreportedtotheconstableonthebeatassuch。The
plastercastwasnotworthmorethanafewshillings，andthewhole
affairappearedtobetoochildishforanyparticularinvestigation。
“Thesecondcase，however，wasmoreserious，andalsomoresingular。
Itoccurredonlylastnight。
“InKenningtonRoad，andwithinafewhundredyardsofMorse
Hudson”sshop，therelivesawell-knownmedicalpractitioner，named
Dr。Barnicot，whohasoneofthelargestpracticesuponthesouthside
oftheThames。Hisresidenceandprincipalconsulting-roomisat
KenningtonRoad，buthehasabranchsurgeryanddispensaryatLower
BrixtonRoad，twomilesaway。ThisDr。Barnicotisanenthusiastic
admirerofNapoleon，andhishouseisfullofbooks，pictures，and
relicsoftheFrenchEmperor。Somelittletimeagohepurchasedfrom
MorseHudsontwoduplicateplastercastsofthefamousheadof
NapoleonbytheFrenchsculptor，Devine。Oneoftheseheplacedinhis
hallinthehouseatKenningtonRoad，andtheotheronthemantelpiece
ofthesurgeryatLowerBrixton。Well，whenDr。Barnicotcamedown
thismorninghewasastonishedtofindthathishousehadbeenburgled
duringthenight，butthatnothinghadbeentakensavetheplaster
headfromthehall。Ithadbeencarriedoutandhadbeendashed
savagelyagainstthegardenwall，underwhichitssplinteredfragments
werediscovered。”
Holmesrubbedhishands。
“Thisiscertainlyverynovel，“saidhe。
“Ithoughtitwouldpleaseyou。ButIhavenotgottotheendyet。
Dr。Barnicotwasdueathissurgeryattwelveo”clock，andyoucan
imaginehisamazementwhen，onarrivingthere，hefoundthatthe
windowhadbeenopenedinthenightandthatthebrokenpiecesof
hissecondbustwerestrewnallovertheroom。Ithadbeensmashed
toatomswhereitstood。Inneithercasewerethereanysignswhich
couldgiveusaclueastothecriminalorlunaticwhohaddonethe
mischief。Now，Mr。Holmes，youhavegotthefacts。”
“Theyaresingular，nottosaygrotesque，“saidHolmes。“MayIask
whetherthetwobustssmashedinDr。Barnicot”sroomsweretheexact
duplicatesoftheonewhichwasdestroyedinMorseHudson”sshop？“
“Theyweretakenfromthesamemould。”
“Suchafactmusttellagainstthetheorythatthemanwhobreaks
themisinfluencedbyanygeneralhatredofNapoleon。Considering
howmanyhundredsofstatuesofthegreatEmperormustexistin
London，itistoomuchtosupposesuchacoincidenceasthata
promiscuousiconoclastshouldchancetobeginuponthreespecimens
ofthesamebust。”
“Well，Ithoughtasyoudo，“saidLestrade。“Ontheotherhand，this
MorseHudsonisthepurveyorofbustsinthatpartofLondon，and
thesethreeweretheonlyoneswhichhadbeeninhisshopforyears。
So，although，asyousay，therearemanyhundredsofstatuesin
London，itisveryprobablethatthesethreeweretheonlyonesin
thatdistrict。Therefore，alocalfanaticwouldbeginwiththem。
Whatdoyouthink，Dr。Watson？“
“Therearenolimitstothepossibilitiesofmonomania，“Ianswered。
“ThereistheconditionwhichthemodernFrenchpsychologistshave
calledthe”ideefixe”whichmaybetriflingincharacter，and
accompaniedbycompletesanityineveryotherway。Amanwhohad
readdeeplyaboutNapoleon，orwhohadpossiblyreceivedsome
hereditaryfamilyinjurythroughthegreatwar，mightconceivablyform
suchanideefixeandunderitsinfluencebecapableofany
fantasticoutrage。”
“Thatwon”tdo，mydearWatson，“saidHolmes，shakinghishead，“for
noamountofideefixewouldenableyourinterestingmonomaniacto
findoutwherethesebustsweresituated。”
“Well，howdoyouexplainit？“
“Idon”tattempttodoso。Iwouldonlyobservethatthereisa
certainmethodinthegentleman”seccentricproceedings。For
example，inDr。Barnicot”shall，whereasoundmightarousethe
family，thebustwastakenoutsidebeforebeingbroken，whereasinthe
surgery，wheretherewaslessdangerofanalarm，itwassmashedwhere
itstood。Theaffairseemsabsurdlytrifling，andyetIdarecall
nothingtrivialwhenIreflectthatsomeofmymostclassiccaseshave
hadtheleastpromisingcommencement。Youwillremember，Watson，how
thedreadfulbusinessoftheAbernettyfamilywasfirstbroughtto
mynoticebythedepthwhichtheparsleyhadsunkintothebutterupon
ahotday。Ican”tafford，therefore，tosmileatyourthreebroken
busts，Lestrade，andIshallbeverymuchobligedtoyouifyouwill
letmehearofanyfreshdevelopmentofsosingularachainof
events。”
Thedevelopmentforwhichmyfriendhadaskedcameinaquicker
andaninfinitelymoretragicformthanhecouldhaveimagined。I
wasstilldressinginmybedroomnextmorning，whentherewasatapat
thedoorandHolmesentered，atelegraminhishand。Hereaditaloud：
“Comeinstantly，131PittStreet，Kensington。
“LESTRADE。”
“Whatisit，then？“Iasked。
“Don”tknow-maybeanything。ButIsuspectitisthesequelof
thestoryofthestatues。Inthatcaseourfriendtheimage-breaker
hasbegunoperationsinanotherquarterofLondon。There”scoffeeon
thetable，Watson，andIhaveacabatthedoor。”
InhalfanhourwehadreachedPittStreet，aquietlittlebackwater
justbesideoneofthebriskestcurrentsofLondonlife。No。131was
oneofarow，allflat-chested，respectable，andmostunromantic
dwellings。Aswedroveup，wefoundtherailingsinfrontofthehouse
linedbyacuriouscrowd。Holmeswhistled。
“ByGeorge！It”sattemptedmurderattheleast。Nothinglesswill
boldtheLondonmessage-boy。There”sadeedofviolenceindicatedin
thatfellow”sroundshouldersandoutstretchedneck。What”sthis，
Watson？Thetopstepsswilleddownandtheotheronesdry。Footsteps
enough，anyhow！Well，well，there”sLestradeatthefrontwindow，
andweshallsoonknowallaboutit。”
Theofficialreceiveduswithaverygravefaceandshowedusintoa
sitting-room，whereanexceedinglyunkemptandagitatedelderlyman，
cladinaflanneldressing-gown，waspacingupanddown。Hewas
introducedtousastheownerofthehouse-Mr。HoraceHarker，of
theCentralPressSyndicate。
“It”stheNapoleonbustbusinessagain，“saidLestrade。“You
seemedinterestedlastnight，Mr。Holmes，soIthoughtperhapsyou
wouldbegladtobepresentnowthattheaffairhastakenavery
muchgraverturn。”
“Whathasitturnedto，then？“
“Tomurder。Mr。Harker，willyoutellthesegentlemenexactlywhat
hasoccurred？“
Themaninthedressing-gownturneduponuswithamostmelancholy
face。
“It”sanextraordinarything，“saidbe，“thatallmylifeIhave
beencollectingotherpeople”snews，andnowthatarealpieceofnews
hascomemyownwayIamsoconfusedandbotheredthatIcan”tputtwo
wordstogether。IfIhadcomeinhereasajournalist，Ishouldhave
interviewedmyselfandhadtwocolumnsineveryeveningpaper。Asit
is，Iamgivingawayvaluablecopybytellingmystoryoverandover
toastringofdifferentpeople，andIcanmakenouseofitmyself。
However，I”veheardyourname，Mr。SherlockHolmes，andifyou”llonly
explainthisqueerbusiness，Ishallbepaidformytroubleintelling
youthestory。”
Holmessatdownandlistened。
“ItallseemstocentreroundthatbustofNapoleonwhichIbought
forthisveryroomaboutfourmonthsago。Ipickeditupcheapfrom
HardingBrothers，twodoorsfromtheHighStreetStation。Agreatdeal
ofmyjournalisticworkisdoneatnight，andIoftenwriteuntil
theearlymorning。Soitwasto-day。Iwassittinginmyden，whichis
atthebackofthetopofthehouse，aboutthreeo”clock，whenIwas
convincedthatIheardsomesoundsdownstairs。Ilistened，butthey
werenotrepeated，andIconcludedthattheycamefromoutside。Then
suddenly，aboutfiveminuteslater，therecameamosthorribleyell-
themostdreadfulsound，Mr。Holmes，thateverIheard。Itwillring
inmyearsaslongasIlive。Isatfrozenwithhorrorforaminuteor
two。ThenIseizedthepokerandwentdownstairs。WhenIentered
thisroomIfoundthewindowwideopen，andIatonceobservedthat
thebustwasgonefromthemantelpiece。Whyanyburglarshouldtake
suchathingpassesmyunderstanding，foritwasonlyaplastercast
andofnorealvaluewhatever。
“Youcanseeforyourselfthatanyonegoingoutthroughthatopen
windowcouldreachthefrontdoorstepbytakingalongstride。This
wasclearlywhattheburglarhaddone，soIwentroundandopened
thedoor。Steppingoutintothedark，Inearlyfelloveradeadman，
whowaslyingthere。Iranbackforalightandtherewasthepoor
fellow，agreatgashinhisthroatandthewholeplaceswimmingin
blood。Helayonhisback，hiskneesdrawnup，andhismouth
horriblyopen。Ishallseehiminmydreams。Ihadjusttimetoblow
onmypolice-whistle，andthenImusthavefainted，forIknewnothing
moreuntilIfoundthepolicemanstandingovermeinthehall。”
“Well，whowasthemurderedman？“askedHolmes。
“There”snothingtoshowwhohewas，“saidLestrade。“Youshall
seethebodyatthemortuary，butwehavemadenothingofitupto
now。Heisatallman，sunburned，verypowerful，notmorethanthirty。
Heispoorlydressed，andyetdoesnotappeartobealabourer。A
horn-handledclaspknifewaslyinginapoolofbloodbesidehim。
Whetheritwastheweaponwhichdidthedeed，orwhetheritbelonged
tothedeadman，Idonotknow。Therewasnonameonhisclothing，and
nothinginhispocketssaveanapple，somestring，ashillingmapof
London，andaphotograph。Hereitis。”
Itwasevidentlytakenbyasnapshotfromasmallcamera。It
representedanalert，sharp-featuredsimianman，withthickeyebrows
andaverypeculiarprojectionofthelowerpartoftheface，likethe
muzzleofababoon。
“Andwhatbecameofthebust？“askedHolmes，afteracarefulstudy
ofthispicture。
“Wehadnewsofitjustbeforeyoucame。Ithasbeenfoundinthe
frontgardenofanemptyhouseinCampdenHouseRoad。Itwasbroken
intofragments。Iamgoingroundnowtoseeit。Willyoucome？“
“Certainly。Imustjusttakeonelookround。”Heexaminedthecarpet
andthewindow。“Thefellowhadeitherverylonglegsorwasamost
activeman，“saidhe。“Withanareabeneath，itwasnomeanfeatto
reachthatwindowledgeandopenthatwindow。Gettingbackwas
comparativelysimple。Areyoucomingwithustoseetheremainsof
yourbust，Mr。Harker？“
Thedisconsolatejournalisthadseatedhimselfatawriting-table。
“Imusttryandmakesomethingofit，“saidhe，“thoughIhaveno
doubtthatthefirsteditionsoftheeveningpapersareoutalready
withfulldetails。It”slikemyluck！Yourememberwhenthestandfell
atDoncaster？Well，Iwastheonlyjournalistinthestand，andmy
journaltheonlyonethathadnoaccountofit，forIwastooshaken
towriteit。AndnowI”llbetoolatewithamurderdoneonmyown
doorstep。”
Aswelefttheroom，weheardhispentravellingshrillyoverthe
foolscap。
Thespatwherethefragmentsofthebusthadbeenfoundwasonlya
fewhundredyardsaway。Forthefirsttimeoureyesresteduponthis
presentmentofthegreatemperor，whichseemedtoraisesuchfrantic
anddestructivehatredinthemindoftheunknown。Itlayscattered，
insplinteredshards，uponthegrass。Holmespickedupseveralofthem
andexaminedthemcarefully。Iwasconvinced，fromhisintentfaceand
hispurposefulmanner，thatatlasthewasuponaclue。
“Well？“askedLestrade。
Holmesshruggedhisshoulders。
“Wehavealongwaytogoyet，“saidhe。“Andyet-andyet-well，we
havesomesuggestivefactstoactupon。Thepossessionofthis
triflingbustwasworthmore，intheeyesofthisstrangecriminal，
thanahumanlife。Thatisonepoint。Thenthereisthesingular
factthathedidnotbreakitinthehouse，orimmediatelyoutsidethe
house，iftobreakitwashissoleobject。”
“Hewasrattledandbustledbymeetingthisotherfellow。He
hardlyknewwhathewasdoing。”
“Well，that”slikelyenough。ButIwishtocallyourattention
veryparticularlytothepositionofthishouse，inthegardenof
whichthebustwasdestroyed。”
Lestradelookedabouthim。
“Itwasanemptyhouse，andsoheknewthathewouldnotbe
disturbedinthegarden。”
“Yes，butthereisanotheremptyhousefartherupthestreetwhich
hemusthavepassedbeforehecametothisone。Whydidhenotbreak
itthere，sinceitisevidentthateveryyardthathecarriedit
increasedtheriskofsomeonemeetinghim？“
“Igiveitup，“saidLestrade。
Holmespointedtothestreetlampaboveourheads。
“Hecouldseewhathewasdoinghere，andhecouldnotthere。That
washisreason。”
“ByJove！that”strue，“saidthedetective。“NowthatIcometo
thinkofit，Dr。Barnicot”sbustwasbrokennotfarfromhisredlamp。
Well，Mr。Holmes，whatarewetodowiththatfact？“
“Torememberit-todocketit。Wemaycomeonsomethinglater
whichwillbearuponit。Whatstepsdoyouproposetotakenow，
Lestrade？“
“Themostpracticalwayofgettingatit，inmyopinion，isto
identifythedeadman。Thereshouldbenodifficultyaboutthat。
Whenwehavefoundwhoheisandwhohisassociatesare，weshould
haveagoodstartinlearningwhathewasdoinginPittStreetlast
night，andwhoitwaswhomethimandkilledhimonthedoorstepof
Mr。HoraceHarker。Don”tyouthinkso？“
“Nodoubt，andyetitisnotquitethewayinwhichIshould
approachthecase。”
“Whatwouldyoudothen？“
“Oh，youmustnotletmeinfluenceyouinanyway。Isuggestthat
yougoonyourlineandIonmine。Wecancomparenotesafterwards，
andeachwillsupplementtheother。”
“Verygood，“saidLestrade。
“IfyouaregoingbacktoPittStreet，youmightseeMr。Horace
Harker。TellhimformethatIhavequitemadeupmymind，andthatit
iscertainthatadangeroushomicidallunatic，withNapoleonic
delusions，wasinhishouselastnight。Itwillbeusefulforhis
article。”
Lestradestared。
“Youdon”tseriouslybelievethat？“
Holmessmiled。
“Don”tI？Well，perhapsIdon”t。ButIamsurethatitwillinterest
Mr。HoraceHarkerandthesubscribersoftheCentralPress
Syndicate。Now，Watson，Ithinkthatweshallfindthatwehavealong
andrathercomplexday”sworkbeforeus。Ishouldbeglad，Lestrade，
ifyoucouldmakeitconvenienttomeetusatBakerStreetatsix
o”clockthisevening。UntilthenIshouldliketokeepthis
photograph，foundinthedeadman”spocket。ItispossiblethatI
mayhavetoaskyourcompanyandassistanceuponasmallexpedition
whichwillhavebeundertakento-night，ifmychainofreasoning
shouldprovetobecorrect。Untilthengood-byeandgoodluck！“
SherlockHolmesandIwalkedtogethertotheHighStreet，wherewe
stoppedattheshopofHardingBrothers，whencethebusthadbeen
purchased。AyoungassistantinformedusthatMr。Hardingwouldbe
absentuntilafternoon，andthathewashimselfanewcomer，who
couldgiveusnoinformation。Holmes”sfaceshowedhis
disappointmentandannoyance。
“Well，well，wecan”texpecttohaveitallourownway，Watson，“he
said，atlast。“Wemustcomebackintheafternoon，ifMr。Harding
willnotbehereuntilthen。Iam，asyouhavenodoubtsurmised，
endeavouringtotracethesebuststotheirsource，inordertofindif
thereisnotsomethingpeculiarwhichmayaccountfortheirremarkable
fate。LetusmakeforMr。MorseHudson，oftheKenningtonRoad，and
seeifhecanthrowanylightupontheproblem。”
Adriveofanhourbroughtustothepicture-dealer”sestablishment。
Hewasasmall，stoutmanwitharedfaceandapepperymanner。
“Yes，sir。Onmyverycounter，sir，“saidhe。“Whatwepayratesand
taxesforIdon”tknow，whenanyruffiancancomeinandbreakone”s
goods。Yes，sir，itwasIwhosoldDr。Barnicothistwostatues。
Disgraceful，sir！ANihilistplot-that”swhatImakeit。Noonebut
ananarchistwouldgoaboutbreakingstatues。Redrepublicans-
that”swhatIcall”em。WhodidIgetthestatuesfrom？Idon”tsee
whatthathastodowithit。Well，ifyoureallywanttoknow，Igot
themfromGelder&Co。，inChurchStreet，Stepney。Theyarea
well-knownhouseinthetrade，andhavebeenthistwentyyears。How
manyhadI？Three-twoandonearethree-twoofDr。Barnicot”s，and
onesmashedinbroaddaylightonmyowncounter。DoIknowthat
photograph？No，Idon”t。Yes，Ido，though。Why，it”sBeppo。Hewas
akindofItalianpiece-workman，whomadehimselfusefulintheshop。
Hecouldcarveabit，andgildandframe，anddooddjobs。The
fellowleftmelastweek，andI”veheardnothingofhimsince。No，I
don”tknowwherehecamefromnorwherehewentto。Ihadnothing
againsthimwhilehewashere。Hewasgonetwodaysbeforethebust
wassmashed。”
“Well，that”sallwecouldreasonablyexpectfromMorseHudson，“
saidHolmes，asweemergedfromtheshop。WehavethisBeppoasa
commonfactor，bothinKenningtonandinKensington，sothatis
worthaten-miledrive。Now，Watson，letusmakeforGelder&Co。，
ofStepney，thesourceandoriginofthebusts。Ishallbesurprised
ifwedon”tgetsomehelpdownthere。”
Inrapidsuccessionwepassedthroughthefringeoffashionable
London，hotelLondon，theatricalLondon，literaryLondon，commercial
London，and，finally，maritimeLondon，tillwecametoariverside
cityofahundredthousandsouls，wherethetenementhousesswelter
andreekwiththeoutcastsofEurope。Here，inabroadthorough
fare，oncetheabodeofwealthyCitymerchants，wefoundthesculpture
worksforwhichwesearched。Outsidewasaconsiderableyardfullof
monumentalmasonry。Insidewasalargeroominwhichfiftyworkers
werecarvingormoulding。Themanager，abigblondGerman，receivedus
civillyandgaveaclearanswertoallHolmes”squestions。Areference
tohisbooksshowedthathundredsofcastshadbeentakenfroma
marblecopyofDevine”sheadofNapoleon，butthatthethreewhichhad
beensenttoMorseHudsonayearorsobeforehadbeenhalfofabatch
ofsix，theotherthreebeingsenttoHardingBrothers，ofKensington。
Therewasnoreasonwhythosesixshouldbedifferentfromanyof
theothercasts。Hecouldsuggestnopossiblecausewhyanyone
shouldwishtodestroythem-infact，helaughedattheidea。Their
wholesalepricewassixshillings，buttheretailerwouldgettwelve
ormore。Thecastwastakenintwomouldsfromeachsideofthe
face，andthenthesetwoprofilesofplasterofPariswerejoined
togethertomakethecompletebust。Theworkwasusuallydoneby
Italians，intheroomwewerein。Whenfinished，thebustswereputon
atableinthepassagetodry，andafterwardsstored。Thatwasall
hecouldtellus。
Buttheproductionofthephotographhadaremarkableeffectupon
themanager。Hisfaceflushedwithanger，andhisbrowsknottedover
hisblueTeutoniceyes。
“Ah，therascal！“hecried。“Yes，indeed，Iknowhimverywell。This
hasalwaysbeenarespectableestablishment，andtheonlytimethatwe
haveeverhadthepoliceinitwasoverthisveryfellow。Itwas
morethanayearagonow。HeknifedanotherItalianinthestreet，and
thenhecametotheworkswiththepoliceonhisheels，andhewas
takenhere。Beppowashisname-hissecondnameIneverknew。Serveme
rightforengagingamanwithsuchaface。Buthewasagood
workman-oneofthebest。”
“Whatdidheget？“
“Themanlivedandhegotoffwithayear。Ihavenodoubtheisout
now，buthehasnotdaredtoshowhisnosehere。Wehaveacousinof
hishere，andIdaresayhecouldtellyouwhereheis。”
“No，no，“criedHolmes，“notawordtothecousin-notaword，Ibeg
ofyou。Thematterisveryimportant，andthefartherIgowithit，
themoreimportantitseemstogrow。Whenyoureferredinyour
ledgertothesaleofthosecastsIobservedthatthedatewasJune
3rdoflastyear。CouldyougivemethedatewhenBeppowasarrested？“
“Icouldtellyouroughlybythepay-list，“themanageranswered。
“Yes，“hecontinued，aftersometurningoverofpages，“hewaspaid
lastonMay20th。”
“Thankyou，“saidHolmes。“Idon”tthinkthatIneedintrudeupon
yourtimeandpatienceanymore。”Withalastwordofcautionthat
heshouldsaynothingastoourresearches，weturnedourfaces
westwardoncemore。
Theafternoonwasfaradvancedbeforewewereabletosnatchahasty
luncheonatarestaurant。Anews-billattheentranceannounced
“KensingtonOutrage。MurderbyaMadman，“andthecontentsofthe
papershowedthatMr。HoraceHarkerhadgothisaccountintoprint
afterall。Twocolumnswereoccupiedwithahighlysensationaland
floweryrenderingofthewholeincident。Holmesproppeditagainstthe
cruet-standandreaditwhileheate。Onceortwicehechuckled。
“Thisisallright，Watson，“saidhe。“Listentothis：
“Itissatisfactorytoknowthattherecanbenodifferenceof
opinionuponthiscase，sinceMr。Lestrade，oneofthemost
experiencedmembersoftheofficialforce，andMr。SherlockHolmes，
thewell-knownconsultingexpert，haveeachcometotheconclusion
thatthegrotesqueseriesofincidents，whichhaveendedinso
tragicafashion，arisefromlunacyratherthanfromdeliberatecrime。
Noexplanationsavementalaberrationcancoverthefacts。
ThePress，Watson，isamostvaluableinstitution，ifyouonlyknow
howtouseit。Andnow，ifyouhavequitefinished，wewillhark
backtoKensingtonandseewhatthemanagerofHardingBrothershasto
sayonthematter。”
Thefounderofthatgreatemporiumprovedtobeabrisk，crisp
littleperson，verydapperandquick，withaclearheadandaready
tongue。
“Yes，sir，Ihavealreadyreadtheaccountintheeveningpapers。
Mr。HoraceHarkerisacustomerofours。Wesuppliedhimwiththebust
somemonthsago。WeorderedthreebustsofthatsortfromGelder&
Co。，ofStepney。Theyareallsoldnow。Towhom？Oh，Idaresayby
consultingoursalesbookwecouldveryeasilytellyou。Yes，we
havetheentrieshere。OnetoMr。Harkeryousee，andonetoMr。
JosiahBrown，ofLabumumLodge，LabumumVale，Chiswick，andonetoMr。
Sandeford，ofLowerGroveRoad，Reading。No，Ihaveneverseenthis
facewhichyoushowmeinthephotograph。Youwouldhardlyforget
it，wouldyou，sir，forI”veseldomseenanuglier。Haveweany
Italiansonthestaff？Yes，sir，wehaveseveralamongour
workpeopleandcleaners。Idaresaytheymightgetapeepatthatsales
bookiftheywantedto。Thereisnoparticularreasonforkeepinga
watchuponthatbook。Well，well，it”saverystrangebusiness，and
Ihopethatyouwillletmeknowifanythingcomesofyourinquiries。”
HolmeshadtakenseveralnotesduringMr。Harding”sevidence，and
Icouldseethathewasthoroughlysatisfiedbytheturnwhichaffairs
weretaking。Hemadenoremark，however，savethat，unlesswehurried，
weshouldbelateforourappointmentwithLestrade。Sureenough，when
wereachedBakerStreetthedetectivewasalreadythere，andwe
foundhimpacingupanddowninafeverofimpatience。Hislookof
importanceshowedthathisday”sworkhadnotbeeninvain。
“Well？“heasked。“Whatluck，Mr。Holmes？“
“Wehavehadaverybusyday，andnotentirelyawastedone，“my
friendexplained。“Wehaveseenboththeretailersandalsothe
wholesalemanufacturers。Icantraceeachofthebustsnowfromthe
beginning。”
“Thebusts“criedLestrade。“Well，well，youhaveyourown
methods，Mr。SherlockHolmes，anditisnotformetosayaword
againstthem，butIthinkIhavedoneabetterday”sworkthanyou。
Ihaveidentifiedthedeadman。”
“Youdon”tsayso？“
“Andfoundacauseforthecrime。”
“Splendid！“
“WehaveaninspectorwhomakesaspecialtyofSaffronHilland
theItalianQuarter。Well，thisdeadmanhadsomeCatholicemblem
roundhisneck，andthat，alongwithhiscolour，mademethinkhe
wasfromtheSouth。InspectorHillknewhimthemomenthecaughtsight
ofhim。HisnameisPietroVenucci，fromNaples，andheisoneof
thegreatestcut-throatsinLondon。HeisconnectedwiththeMafia，
which，asyouknow，isasecretpoliticalsociety，enforcingits
decreesbymurder。Now，youseehowtheaffairbeginstoclearup。The
otherfellowisprobablyanItalianalso，andamemberoftheMafia。
Hehasbrokentherulesinsomefashion。Pietroissetuponhistrack。
Probablythephotographwefoundinhispocketisthemanhimself，
sothathemaynotknifethewrongperson。Hedogsthefellow，hesees
himenterahouse，hewaitsoutsideforhim，andinthescufflehe
receiveshisowndeath-wound。Howisthat，Mr。SherlockHolmes？“
Holmesclappedhishandsapprovingly。
“Excellent，Lestrade，excellent！“hecried。“ButIdidn”tquite
followyourexplanationofthedestructionofthebusts。”
“Thebusts！Younevercangetthosebustsoutofyourhead。After
all，thatisnothing；pettylarceny，sixmonthsatthemost。Itisthe
murderthatwearereallyinvestigating，andItellyouthatIam
gatheringallthethreadsintomyhands。”
“Andthenextstage？“
“Isaverysimpleone。IshallgodownwithHilltotheItalian
Quarter，findthemanwhosephotographwehavegot，andarresthim
onthechargeofmurder。Willyoucomewithus？“
“Ithinknot。Ifancywecanattainourendinasimplerway。I
can”tsayforcertain，becauseitalldepends-well，italldepends
uponafactorwhichiscompletelyoutsideourcontrol。ButIhave
greathopes-infact，thebettingisexactlytwotoone-thatifyou
willcomewithusto-nightIshallbeabletohelpyoutolayhimby
theheels。”
“IntheItalianQuarter？“
“No，IfancyChiswickisanaddresswhichismorelikelytofind
him。IfyouwillcomewithmetoChiswickto-night，Lestrade，I”ll
promisetogototheItalianQuarterwithyouto-morrow，andnoharm
willbedonebythedelay。AndnowIthinkthatafewhours”sleep
woulddousallgood，forIdonotproposetoleavebeforeeleven
o”clock，anditisunlikelythatweshallbebackbeforemorning。
You”lldinewithus，Lestrade，andthenyouarewelcometothesofa
untilitistimeforustostart。Inthemeantime，Watson，Ishouldbe
gladifyouwouldringforanexpressmessenger，forIhavealetter
tosendanditisimportantthatitshouldgoatonce。”
Holmesspenttheeveninginrummagingamongthefilesoftheold
dailypaperswithwhichoneofourlumber-roomswaspacked。Whenat
lasthedescended，itwaswithtriumphinhiseyes，buthesaid
nothingtoeitherofusastotheresultofhisresearches。Formyown
part，Ihadfollowedstepbystepthemethodsbywhichhehadtraced
thevariouswindingsofthiscomplexcase，and，thoughIcouldnotyet
perceivethegoalwhichwewouldreach，Iunderstoodclearlythat
Holmesexpectedthisgrotesquecriminaltomakeanattemptuponthe
tworemainingbusts，oneofwhich，Iremembered，wasatChiswick。No
doubttheobjectofourjourneywastocatchhimintheveryact，
andIcouldnotbutadmirethecunningwithwhichmyfriendhad
insertedawrongclueintheeveningpaper，soastogivethefellow
theideathathecouldcontinuehisschemewithimpunity。Iwasnot
surprisedwhenHolmessuggestedthatIshouldtakemyrevolverwith
me。Hehadhimselfpickeduptheloadedhunting-crop，whichwashis
favouriteweapon。
Afour-wheelerwasatthedoorateleven，andinitwedrovetoa
spotattheothersideofHammersmithBridge。Herethecabmanwas
directedtowait。Ashortwalkbroughtustoasecludedroadfringed
withpleasanthouses，eachstandinginitsowngrounds。Inthelight
ofastreetlampweread“LaburnumVilla“uponthegate-postofoneof
them。Theoccupantshadevidentlyretiredtorest，forallwasdark
saveforafanlightoverthehalldoor，whichshedasingleblurred
circleontothegardenpath。Thewoodenfencewhichseparatedthe
groundsfromtheroadthrewadenseblackshadowupontheinner
side，andhereitwasthatwecrouched。
“Ifearthatyou”llhavealongwait，“Holmeswhispered。“Wemay
thankourstarsthatitisnotraining。Idon”tthinkwecaneven
venturetosmoketopassthetime。However，it”satwotoonechance
thatwegetsomethingtopayusforourtrouble。”
Itproved，however，thatourvigilwasnottobesolongasHolmes
hadledustofear，anditendedinaverysuddenandsingular
fashion。Inaninstant，withouttheleastsoundtowarnusofhis
coming，thegardengateswungopen，andalithe，darkfigure，asswift
andactiveasanape，rushedupthegardenpath。Wesawitwhisk
pastthelightthrownfromoverthedooranddisappearagainstthe
blackshadowofthehouse。Therewasalongpause，duringwhichwe
heldourbreath，andthenaverygentlecreakingsoundcametoour
ears。Thewindowwasbeingopened。Thenoiseceased，andagainthere
wasalongsilence。Thefellowwasmakinghiswayintothehouse。We
sawthesuddenflashofadarklanterninsidetheroom。Whathesought
wasevidentlynotthere，foragainwesawtheflashthroughanother
blind，andthenthroughanother。
“Letusgettotheopenwindow。Wewillnabhimasheclimbsout，“
Lestradewhispered。
Butbeforewecouldmove，themanhademergedagain。Ashecame
outintotheglimmeringpatchoflight，wesawthathecarried
somethingwhiteunderhisarm。Helookedstealthilyallroundhim。The
silenceofthedesertedstreetreassuredhim。Turninghisbackuponus
helaiddownhisburden，andthenextinstanttherewasthesoundofa
sharptap，followedbyaclatterandrattle。Themanwassointent
uponwhathewasdoingthatheneverheardourstepsaswestole
acrossthegrassplot。WiththeboundofatigerHolmeswasonhis
back，andaninstantlaterLestradeandIhadhimbyeitherwrist，and
thehandcuffshadbeenfastened。AsweturnedhimoverIsawa
hideous，sallowface，withwrithing，furiousfeatures，glaringupat
us，andIknewthatitwasindeedthemanofthephotographwhomwe
hadsecured。
ButitwasnotourprisonertowhomHolmeswasgivinghisattention。
Squattedonthedoorstep，hewasengagedinmostcarefullyexamining
thatwhichthemanhadbroughtfromthehouse。Itwasabustof
Napoleon，liketheonewhichwehadseenthatmorning，andithadbeen
brokenintosimilarfragments。CarefullyHolmesheldeachseparate
shardtothelight，butinnowaydiditdifferfromanyother
shatteredpieceofplaster。Hehadjustcompletedhisexaminationwhen
thehalllightsflewup，thedooropened，andtheownerofthe
house，ajovial，rotundfigureinshirtandtrousers，presented
himself。
“Mr。JosiahBrown，Isuppose？“saidHolmes。
“Yes，sir，andyou，nodoubt，areMr。SherlockHolmes？Ihadthe
notewhichyousentbytheexpressmessenger，andIdidexactlywhat
youtoldme。Welockedeverydoorontheinsideandawaited
developments。Well，I”mverygladtoseethatyouhavegottherascal。
Ihope，gentlemen，thatyouwillcomeinandhavesomerefreshment。”
However，Lestradewasanxioustogethismanintosafequarters，
sowithinafewminutesourcabhadbeensummonedandwewereallfour
uponourwaytoLondon。Notawordwouldourcaptivesay，buthe
glaredatusfromtheshadowofhismattedhair，andonce，whenmy
handseemedwithinhisreach，hesnappedatitlikeahungrywolf。
Westayedlongenoughatthepolice-stationtolearnthatasearch
ofhisclothingrevealednothingsaveafewshillingsandalong
sheathknife，thehandleofwhichborecopioustracesofrecentblood。
“That”sallright，“saidLestrade，asweparted。“Hillknowsall
thesegentry，andhewillgiveanametohim。You”llfindthatmy
theoryoftheMafiawillworkoutallright。ButI”msureIam
exceedinglyobligedtoyou，Mr。Holmes，fortheworkmanlikewayin
whichyoulaidhandsuponhim。Idon”tquiteunderstanditallyet。”
“Ifearitisrathertoolateanhourforexplanations，“said
Holmes。“Besides，thereareoneortwodetailswhicharenot
finishedoff，anditisoneofthosecaseswhichareworthworkingout
totheveryend。Ifyouwillcomeroundoncemoretomyroomsatsix
o”clockto-morrow，IthinkIshallbeabletoshowyouthatevennow
youhavenotgraspedtheentiremeaningofthisbusiness，which
presentssomefeatureswhichmakeitabsolutelyoriginalinthe
historyofcrime。IfeverIpermityoutochronicleanymoreofmy
littleproblems，Watson，Iforeseethatyouwillenlivenyourpagesby
anaccountofthesingularadventureoftheNapoleonicbusts。”
Whenwemetagainnextevening，Lestradewasfurnishedwithmuch
informationconcerningourprisoner。Hisname，itappeared，wasBeppo，
secondnameunknown。Hewasawell-knownne”er-do-wellamongthe
Italiancolony。Hehadoncebeenaskilfulsculptorandhadearned
anhonestliving，buthehadtakentoevilcoursesandhadtwice
alreadybeeninjail-onceforapettytheft，andonce，aswehad
alreadyheard，forstabbingafellow-countryman。HecouldtalkEnglish
perfectlywell。Hisreasonsfordestroyingthebustswerestill
unknown，andherefusedtoansweranyquestionsuponthesubject，
butthepolicehaddiscoveredthatthesesamebustsmightverywell
havebeenmadebyhisownhands，sincehewasengagedinthisclassof
workattheestablishmentofGelder&Co。Toallthisinformation，
muchofwhichwealreadyknew，Holmeslistenedwithpolite
attention，butI，whoknewhimsowell，couldclearlyseethathis
thoughtswereelsewhere，andIdetectedamixtureofmingled
uneasinessandexpectationbeneaththatmaskwhichhewaswontto
assume。Atlasthestartedinhischair，andhiseyesbrightened。
Therehadbeenaringatthebell。Aminutelaterweheardsteps
uponthestairs，andanelderlyred-facedmanwithgrizzled
side-whiskerswasusheredin。Inhisrighthandhecarriedan
old-fashionedcarpet-bag，whichheplaceduponthetable。
“IsMr。SherlockHolmeshere？“
Myfriendbowedandsmiled。“Mr。Sandeford，ofReading，I
suppose？“saidhe。
“Yes，sir，IfearthatIamalittlelate，butthetrainswere
awkward。Youwrotetomeaboutabustthatisinmypossession。”
“Exactly。”
“Ihaveyourletterhere。Yousaid，”Idesiretopossessacopyof
Devine”sNapoleon，andampreparedtopayyoutenpoundsfortheone
whichisinyourpossession。”Isthatright？“
“Certainly。”
“Iwasverymuchsurprisedatyourletter，forIcouldnotimagine
howyouknewthatIownedsuchathing。”
“Ofcourseyoumusthavebeensurprised，buttheexplanationisvery
simple。Mr。Harding，ofHardingBrothers，saidthattheyhadsold
youtheirlastcopy，andhegavemeyouraddress。”
“Oh，thatwasit，wasit？DidhetellyouwhatIpaidforit？“
“No，hedidnot。”
“Well，Iamanhonestman，thoughnotaveryrichone。Ionlygave
fifteenshillingsforthebust，andIthinkyououghttoknowthat
beforeItaketenpoundsfromyou。
“Iamsurethescrupledoesyouhonour，Mr。Sandeford。ButIhave
namedthatprice，soIintendtosticktoit。”
“Well，itisveryhandsomeofyou，Mr。Holmes。Ibroughtthebustup
withme，asyouaskedmetodo。Hereitis！“Heopenedhisbag，andat
lastwesawplaceduponourtableacompletespecimenofthatbust
whichwehadalreadyseenmorethanonceinfragments。
Holmestookapaperfromhispocketandlaidaten-poundnoteupon
thetable。
“Youwillkindlysignthatpaper，Mr。Sandeford，inthepresence
ofthesewitnesses。Itissimplytosaythatyoutransferevery
possiblerightthatyoueverhadinthebusttome。Iama
methodicalman，yousee，andyouneverknowwhatturneventsmight
takeafterwards。Thankyou，Mr。Sandeford；hereisyourmoney，andI
wishyouaverygoodevening。”
Whenourvisitorhaddisappeared，SherlockHolmes”smovementswere
suchastorivetourattention。Hebeganbytakingacleanwhitecloth
fromadrawerandlayingitoverthetable。Thenheplacedhisnewly
acquiredbustinthecentreofthecloth。Finally，hepickeduphis
hunting-cropandstruckNapoleonashardblowonthetopofthe
head。Thefigurebrokeintofragments，andHolmesbenteagerlyover
theshatteredremains。Nextinstant，withaloudshoutoftriumphhe
helduponesplinter，inwhicharound，darkobjectwasfixedlikea
pluminapudding。
“Gentlemen，“hecried，“letmeintroduceyoutothefamousblack
pearloftheBorgias。”
LestradeandIsatsilentforamoment，andthen，withaspontaneous
impulse，webothbrokeatthewell-wroughtcrisisofaplay。Aflush
ofcoloursprangtoHolmes”spalecheeks，andhebowedtouslike
themasterdramatistwhoreceivesthehomageofhisaudience。Itwas
atsuchmomentsthatforaninstantheceasedtobeareasoning
machine，andbetrayedhishumanloveforadmirationandapplause。
Thesamesingularlyproudandreservednaturewhichturnedawaywith
disdainfrompopularnotorietywascapableofbeingmovedtoits
depthsbyspontaneouswonderandpraisefromafriend。
“Yes，gentlemen，“saidhe，“itisthemostfamouspearlnowexisting
intheworld，andithasbeenmygoodfortune，byaconnectedchainof
inductivereasoning，totraceitfromthePrinceofColonna”s
bedroomattheDacreHotel，whereitwaslost，totheinteriorof
this，thelastofthesixbustsofNapoleonwhichweremanufacturedby
Gelder&Co。，ofStepney。Youwillremember，Lestrade，thesensation
causedbythedisappearanceofthisvaluablejewelandthevain
effortsoftheLondonpolicetorecoverit。Iwasmyselfconsulted
uponthecase，butIwasunabletothrowanylightuponit。
SuspicionfelluponthemaidofthePrincess，whowasanItalian，
anditwasprovedthatshehadabrotherinLondon，butwefailedto
traceanyconnectionbetweenthem。Themaid”snamewasLucretia
Venucci，andthereisnodoubtinmymindthatthisPietrowhowas
murderedtwonightsagowasthebrother。Ihavebeenlookingupthe
datesintheoldfilesofthepaper，andIfindthatthedisappearance
ofpearlwasexactlytwodaysbeforethearrestofBeppo，forsome
crimeofviolence-aneventwhichtookplaceinthefactoryof
Gelder&Co。，attheverymomentwhenthesebustswerebeingmade。Now
youclearlyseethesequenceofevents，thoughyouseethem，of
course，intheinverseordertothewayinwhichtheypresented
themselvestome。Beppohadthepearlinhispossession。Hemayhave
stolenitfromPietro，hemayhavebeenPietro”sconfederate，hemay
havebeenthego-betweenofPietroandhissister。Itisofno
consequencetouswhichisthecorrectsolution。
“Themainfactisthathehadthepearl，andatthatmoment，whenit
washisperson，hewaspursuedbythepolice。Hemadeforthe
factoryinwhichworked，andheknewthathehadonlyafewminutesin
whichtoconcealthisenormouslyvaluableprize，whichwouldotherwise
befoundonhimwhenhewassearched。SixplastercastsofNapoleon
weredryinginthepassage。Oneofthemwasstillsoft。Inan
instantBeppo，askilfulworkman，madeasmallholeinthewet
plaster，droppedinthepearl，andwithafewtouchescoveredoverthe
apertureoncemore。Itwasanadmirablehiding-place。Noonecould
possiblyfindit。ButBeppowascondemnedtoayear”simprisonment，
andinthemeanwhilehissixbustswerescatteredoverLondon。He
couldnottellwhichcontainedhistreasure。Onlybybreakingthem
couldhesee。Evenshakingwouldtellhimnothing，forasthe
plasterwaswetitwasprobablethatthepearlwouldadhereto
it-as，infact，ithasdone。Beppodidnotdespair，andheconducted
hissearchwithconsiderableingenuityandperseverance。Througha
cousinwhoworkswithGelder，hefoundouttheretailfirmswhohad
boughtthebusts。HemanagedtofindemploymentwithMorseHudson，and
inthatwaytrackeddownthreeofthem。Thepearlwasnotthere，Then，
withthehelpofsomeItalianemployee，hesucceededinfindingout
wheretheotherthreebustshadgone。ThefirstwasatHarker”s。There
hewasdoggedbyhisconfederate，whoheldBepporesponsibleforthe
lossofthepearl，andhestabbedhiminthescufflewhichfollowed。”
“Ifhewashisconfederate，whyshouldhecarryhisphotograph？“I
asked。
“Asameansoftracinghim，ifhewishedtoinquireabouthimfrom
anythirdperson。Thatwastheobviousreason。Well，afterthe
murderIcalculatedthatBeppowouldprobablyhurryratherthan
delayhismovements。Hewouldfearthatthepolicewouldreadhis
secret，andsohehastenedonbeforetheyshouldgetaheadofhim。
Ofcourse，IcouldnotsaythathehadnotfoundthepearlinHarker”s
bust。Ihadnotevenconcludedforcertainthatitwasthepearl，
butitwasevidenttomethathewaslookingforsomething，sincehe
carriedthebustpasttheotherhousesinordertobreakitinthe
gardenwhichhadalampoverlookingit。SinceHarker”sbustwasonein
three，thechanceswereexactlyasItoldyou-twotooneagainst
thepearlbeinginsideit。Thereremainedtwobusts，anditwas
obviousthathewouldgofortheLondononefirst。Iwarnedthe
inmatesofthehouse，soastoavoidasecondtragedy，andwewent
down，withthehappiestresults。Bythattime，ofcourse，Iknewfor
certainthatitwastheBorgiapearlthatwewereafter。Thenameof
themurderedmanlinkedtheoneeventwiththeother。Thereonly
remainedasinglebust-theReadingone-andthepearlmustbe
there。Iboughtitinyourpresencefromtheowner-andthereit
lies。”
Wesatinsilenceforamoment。
“Well，“saidLestrade，“I”veseenyouhandleagoodmanycases，
Mr。Holmes，butIdon”tknowthatIeverknewamoreworkmanlikeone
thanthat。We”renotjealousofyouatScotlandYard。No，sir，we
areveryproudofyou，andifyoucomedownto-morrow，there”snota
man，fromtheoldestinspectortotheyoungestconstable，whowouldn”t
begladtoshakeyoubythehand。”
“Thankyou！“saidHolmes。“Thankyou！“andasheturnedaway，it
seemedtomethathewasmorenearlymovedbythesofterhuman
emotionsthanIhadeverseenhim。Amomentlaterhewasthecold
andpracticalthinkeroncemore。“Putthepearlinthesafe，
Watson，“saidhe，“andgetoutthepapersoftheConk-Singleton
forgerycase。Good-bye，Lestrade。Ifanylittleproblemcomesyour
way，Ishallbehappy，ifIcan，togiveyouahintortwoastoits
solution。”-
THEEND。
1903
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHESOLITARYCYCLIST
bySirArthurConanDoyle
Fromtheyears1894to1901inclusive，Mr。SherlockHolmeswasa
verybusyman。Itissafetosaythattherewasnopubliccaseof
anydifficultyinwhichhewasnotconsultedduringthoseeightyears，
andtherewerehundredsofprivatecases，someofthemofthemost
intricateandextraordinarycharacter，inwhichheplayeda
prominentpart。Manystartlingsuccessesandafewunavoidable
failuresweretheoutcomeofthislongperiodofcontinuouswork。AsI
havepreservedveryfullnotesofallthesecases，andwasmyself
personallyengagedinmanyofthem，itmaybeimaginedthatitisno
easytasktoknowwhichIshouldselecttolaybeforethepublic。I
shall，however，preservemyformerrule，andgivethepreferenceto
thosecaseswhichderivetheirinterestnotsomuchfromthebrutality
ofthecrimeasfromtheingenuityanddramaticqualityofthe
solution。ForthisreasonIwillnowlaybeforethereaderthefacts
connectedwithMissVioletSmith，thesolitarycyclistofCharlington，
andthecurioussequelofourinvestigation，whichculminatedin
unexpectedtragedy。Itistruethatthecircumstancedidnotadmit
ofanystrikingillustrationofthosepowersforwhichmyfriendwas
famous，butthereweresomepointsaboutthecasewhichmadeit
standoutinthoselongrecordsofcrimefromwhichIgatherthe
materialfortheselittlenarratives。
Onreferringtomynotebookfortheyear1895，Ifindthatitwas
uponSaturday，the23rdofApril，thatwefirstheardofMissViolet
Smith。Hervisitwas，Iremember，extremelyunwelcometoHolmes，for
hewasimmersedatthemomentinaveryabstruseandcomplicated
problemconcerningthepeculiarpersecutiontowhichJohnVincent
Harden，thewellknowntobaccomillionaire，hadbeensubjected。My
friend，wholovedaboveallthingsprecisionandconcentrationof
thought，resentedanythingwhichdistractedhisattentionfromthe
matterinhand。Andyet，withoutaharshnesswhichwasforeignto
hisnature，itwasimpossibletorefusetolistentothestoryof
theyoungandbeautifulwoman，tall，graceful，andqueenly，who
presentedherselfatBakerStreetlateintheevening，andimplored
hisassistanceandadvice。Itwasvaintourgethathistimewas
alreadyfullyoccupied，fortheyoungladyhadcomewiththe
determinationtotellherstory，anditwasevidentthatnothingshort
offorcecouldgetheroutoftheroomuntilshehaddoneso。Witha
resignedairandasomewhatwearysmile，Holmesbeggedthebeautiful
intrudertotakeaseat，andtoinformuswhatitwasthatwas
troublingher。
“Atleastitcannotbeyourhealth，“saidhe，ashiskeeneyes
dartedoverher，“soardentabicyclistmustbefullofenergy。”
Sheglanceddowninsurpriseatherownfeet，andIobservedthe
slightrougheningofthesideofthesolecausedbythefrictionof
theedgeofthepedal。
“Yes，Ibicycleagooddeal，Mr。Holmes，andthathassomethingto
dowithmyvisittoyouto-day。”
Myfriendtookthelady”sunglovedhand，andexamineditwithas
closeanattentionandaslittlesentimentasascientistwouldshow
toaspecimen。
“Youwillexcuseme，Iamsure。Itismybusiness，“saidhe，ashe
droppedit。“Inearlyfellintotheerrorofsupposingthatyouwere
typewriting。Ofcourse，itisobviousthatitismusic。Youobserve
thespatulatefinger-ends，Watson，whichiscommontoboth
professions？Thereisaspiritualityabouttheface，however“-she
gentlyturnedittowardsthelight-“whichthetypewriterdoesnot
generate。Thisladyisamusician。”
“Yes，Mr。Holmes，Iteachmusic。”
“Inthecountry，Ipresume，fromyourcomplexion。”
“Yes，sir，nearFarnham，onthebordersofSurrey。”
“Abeautifulneighbourhood，andfullofthemostinteresting
associations。Youremember，Watson，thatitwasneartherethatwe
tookArchieStamford，theforger。Now，MissViolet，whathas
happenedtoyou，nearFarnham，onthebordersofSurrey？“
Theyounglady，withgreatclearnessandcomposure，madethe
followingcuriousstatement：
“Myfatherisdead，Mr。Holmes。HewasJamesSmith，whoconducted
theorchestraattheoldImperialTheatre。MymotherandIwereleft
withoutarelationintheworldexceptoneuncle，RalphSmith，who
wenttoAfricatwenty-fiveyearsago，andwehaveneverhadaword
fromhimsince。Whenfatherdied，wewereleftverypoor，butone
dayweweretoldthattherewasanadvertisementintheTimes，
inquiringforourwhereabouts。Youcanimaginehowexcitedwewere，
forwethoughtthatsomeonehadleftusafortune。Wewentatonce
tothelawyerwhosenamewasgiveninthepaper。Therewe，mettwo
gentlemen，Mr。CarruthersandMr。Woodley，whowerehomeonavisit
fromSouthAfrica。Theysaidthatmyunclewasafriendoftheirs，
thathehaddiedsomemonthsbeforeingreatpovertyin
Johannesburg，andthathehadaskedthemwithhislastbreathto
huntuphisrelations，andseethattheywereinnowant。Itseemed
strangetousthatUncleRalph，whotooknonoticeofuswhenhewas
alive，shouldbesocarefultolookafteruswhenhewasdead，butMr。
Carruthersexplainedthatthereasonwasthatmyunclehadjust
heardofthedeathofhisbrother，andsofeltresponsibleforour
fate。”