”Well，there’snoneedformetodwellonthatpartofit。YouknownowwhatJamesBarclaywascapableof。BhurteewasrelievedbyNeillnextday，buttherebelstookmeawaywiththemintheirretreat，anditwasmanyalongyearbeforeeverIsawawhitefaceagain。
Iwastorturedandtriedtogetaway，andwascapturedandtorturedagain。YoucanseeforyourselvesthestateinwhichIwasleft。SomeofthemthatfledintoNepaultookmewiththem，andthenafterwardsI
wasuppastDarjeeling。Thehill-folkuptheremurderedtherebelswhohadme，andIbecametheirslaveforatimeuntilIescaped；butinsteadofgoingsouthIhadtogonorth，untilIfoundmyselfamongtheAfghans。ThereIwanderedaboutformanyayear，andatlastcamebacktothePunjaub，whereIlivedmostlyamongthenativesandpickedupalivingbytheconjuringtricksthatIhadlearned。Whatusewasitforme，awretchedcripple，togobacktoEnglandortomakemyselfknowntomyoldcomrades?Evenmywishforrevengewouldnotmakemedothat。IhadratherthatNancyandmyoldpalsshouldthinkofHarryWoodashavingdiedwithastraightback，thanseehimlivingandcrawlingwithasticklikeachimpanzee。
TheyneverdoubtedthatIwasdead，andImeantthattheynevershould。IheardthatBarclayhadmarriedNancy，andthathewasrisingrapidlyintheregiment，buteventhatdidnotmakemespeak。”Butwhenonegetsoldonehasalongingforhome。
ForyearsI’vebeendreamingofthebrightgreenfieldsandthehedgesofEngland。AtlastI
determinedtoseethembeforeIdied。Isavedenoughtobringmeacross，andthenIcameherewherethesoldiersare，forIknowtheirwaysandhowtoamusethemandsoearnenoughtokeepme。””Yournarrativeismostinteresting，”saidSherlockHolmes。”IhavealreadyheardofyourmeetingwithMrs。Barclay，andyourmutualrecognition。Youthen，asIunderstand，followedherhomeandsawthroughthewindowanaltercationbetweenherhusbandandher，inwhichshedoubtlesscasthisconducttoyouinhisteeth。Yourownfeelingsovercameyou，andyouranacrossthelawnandbrokeinuponthem。””Idid，sir，andatthesightofmehelookedasI
haveneverseenamanlookbefore，andoverhewentwithhisheadonthefender。Buthewasdeadbeforehefell。IreaddeathonhisfaceasplainasIcanreadthattextoverthefire。Thebaresightofmewaslikeabulletthroughhisguiltyheart。””Andthen?””ThenNancyfainted，andIcaughtupthekeyofthedoorfromherhand，intendingtounlockitandgethelp。ButasIwasdoingititseemedtomebettertoleaveitaloneandgetaway，forthethingmightlookblackagainstme，andanywaymysecretwouldbeoutifIweretaken。InmyhasteIthrustthekeyintomypocket，anddroppedmystickwhileIwaschasingTeddy，whohadrunupthecurtain。WhenIgothimintohisbox，fromwhichhehadslipped，IwasoffasfastasIcouldrun。””Who’sTeddy?”askedHolmes。
Themanleanedoverandpulledupthefrontofakindofhutchinthecorner。Inaninstantoutthereslippedabeautifulreddish-browncreature，thinandlithe，withthelegsofastoat，along，thinnose，andapairofthefinestredeyesthateverIsawinananimal’shead。”It’samongoose，”Icried。”Well，somecallthemthat，andsomecallthemichneumon，”saidtheman。”Snake-catcheriswhatI
callthem，andTeddyisamazingquickoncobras。I
haveoneherewithoutthefangs，andTeddycatchesiteverynighttopleasethefolkinthecanteen。”Anyotherpoint，sir?””Well，wemayhavetoapplytoyouagainifMrs。
Barclayshouldprovetobeinserioustrouble。””Inthatcase，ofcourse，I’dcomeforward。””Butifnot，thereisnoobjectinrakingupthisscandalagainstadeadman，foullyashehasacted。
Youhaveatleastthesatisfactionofknowingthatforthirtyyearsofhislifehisconsciencebitterlyreproachedhimforthiswickeddeed。Ah，theregoesMajorMurphyontheothersideofthestreet。
Good-by，Wood。Iwanttolearnifanythinghashappenedsinceyesterday。”
Wewereintimetoovertakethemajorbeforehereachedthecorner。”Ah，Holmes，”hesaid：”Isupposeyouhaveheardthatallthisfusshascometonothing?””Whatthen?””Theinquestisjustover。Themedicalevidenceshowedconclusivelythatdeathwasduetoapoplexy。
Youseeitwasquiteasimplecaseafterall。””Oh，remarkablysuperficial，”saidHolmes，smiling。”Come，Watson，Idon’tthinkweshallbewantedinAldershotanymore。””There’sonething，”saidI，aswewalkeddowntothestation。”Ifthehusband’snamewasJames，andtheotherwasHenry，whatwasthistalkaboutDavid?””Thatoneword，mydearWatson，shouldhavetoldmethewholestoryhadIbeentheidealreasonerwhichyouaresofondofdepicting。Itwasevidentlyatermofreproach。””Ofreproach?””Yes；Davidstrayedalittleoccasionally，youknow，andononeoccasioninthesamedirectionasSergeantJamesBarclay。YourememberthesmallaffairofUriahandBathsheba?Mybiblicalknowledgeisatriflerusty，Ifear，butyouwillfindthestoryinthefirstorsecondofSamuel。”
AdventureVIII
TheResidentPatientGlancingoverthesomewhatincoherentseriesofMemoirswithwhichIhaveendeavoredtoillustrateafewofthementalpeculiaritiesofmyfriendMr。
SherlockHolmes，IhavebeenstruckbythedifficultywhichIhaveexperiencedinpickingoutexampleswhichshallineverywayanswermypurpose。ForinthosecasesinwhichHolmeshasperformedsometourdeforceofanalyticalreasoning，andhasdemonstratedthevalueofhispeculiarmethodsofinvestigation，thefactsthemselveshaveoftenbeensoslightorsocommonplacethatIcouldnotfeeljustifiedinlayingthembeforethepublic。Ontheotherhand，ithasfrequentlyhappenedthathehasbeenconcernedinsomeresearchwherethefactshavebeenofthemostremarkableanddramaticcharacter，butwherethesharewhichhehashimselftakenindeterminingtheircauseshasbeenlesspronouncedthanI，ashisbiographer，couldwish。ThesmallmatterwhichIhavechronicledundertheheadingof”AStudyinScarlet，”andthatotherlateroneconnectedwiththelossoftheGloriaScott，mayserveasexamplesofthisScyllaandCharybdiswhichareforeverthreateningthehistorian。
ItmaybethatinthebusinessofwhichIamnowabouttowritethepartwhichmyfriendplayedisnotsufficientlyaccentuated；andyetthewholetrainofcircumstancesissoremarkablethatIcannotbringmyselftoomititentirelyfromthisseries。
Ithadbeenaclose，rainydayinOctober。Ourblindswerehalf-drawn，andHolmeslaycurleduponthesofa，readingandre-readingaletterwhichhehadreceivedbythemorningpost。Formyself，myternofserviceinIndiahadtrainedmetostandheatbetterthancold，andathermometerof90wasnohardship。Butthepaperwasuninteresting。Parliamenthadrisen。
Everybodywasoutoftown，andIyearnedforthegladesoftheNewForestortheshingleofSouthsea。
Adepletedbankaccounthadcausedmetopostponemyholiday，andastomycompanion，neitherthecountrynortheseapresentedtheslightestattractiontohim。
Helovedtolieintheverycentreoffivemillionsofpeople，withhisfilamentsstretchingoutandrunningthroughthem，responsivetoeverylittlerumororsuspicionofunsolvedcrime。AppreciationofNaturefoundnoplaceamonghismanygifts，andhisonlychangewaswhenheturnedhismindfromtheevil-doerofthetowntotrackdownhisbrotherofthecountry。
FindingthatHolmeswastooabsorbedforconversation，Ihadtossedasidethebarrenpaper，andleaningbackinmychair，Ifellintoabrownstudy。Suddenlymycompanion’svoicebrokeinuponmythoughts。”Youareright，Watson，”saidhe。”Itdoesseemaverypreposterouswayofsettlingadispute。””Mostpreposterous！”Iexclaimed，andthen，suddenlyrealizinghowhehadechoedtheinmostthoughtofmysoul，Isatupinmychairandstaredathiminblankamazement。”Whatisthis，Holmes?”Icried。”ThisisbeyondanythingwhichIcouldhaveimagined。”
Helaughedheartilyatmyperplexity。”Youremember，”saidhe，”thatsomelittletimeago，whenIreadyouthepassageinoneofPoe’ssketches，inwhichaclosereasonerfollowstheunspokenthoughtofhiscompanion，youwereinclinedtotreatthematterasameretourdeforceoftheauthor。OnmyremarkingthatIwasconstantlyinthehabitofdoingthesamethingyouexpressedincredulity。””Oh，no！”