”Perhapsnotwithyourtongue，mydearWatson，butcertainlywithyoureyebrows。SowhenIsawyouthrowdownyourpaperandenteruponatrainofthought，Iwasveryhappytohavetheopportunityofreadingitoff，andeventuallyofbreakingintoit，asaproofthatIhadbeeninrapportwithyou。”
ButIwasstillfarfromsatisfied。”Intheexamplewhichyoureadtome，”saidI，”thereasonerdrewhisconclusionsfromtheactionsofthemanwhomheobserved。IfIrememberright，hestumbledoveraheapofstones，lookedupatthestars，andsoon。
ButIhavebeenseatedquietlyinmychair，andwhatclewscanIhavegivenyou?””Youdoyourselfaninjustice。Thefeaturesaregiventomanasthemeansbywhichheshallexpresshisemotions，andyoursarefaithfulservants。””Doyoumeantosaythatyoureadmytrainofthoughtsfrommyfeatures?””Yourfeatures，andespeciallyyoureyes。Perhapsyoucannotyourselfrecallhowyourreveriecommenced?””No，Icannot。””ThenIwilltellyou。Afterthrowingdownyourpaper，whichwastheactionwhichdrewmyattentiontoyou，yousatforhalfaminutewithavacantexpression。Thenyoureyesfixedthemselvesuponyournewly-framedpictureofGeneralGordon，andIsawbythealterationinyourfacethatatrainofthoughthadbeenstarted。Butitdidnotleadveryfar。YoureyesturnedacrosstotheunframedportraitofHenryWardBeecherwhichstandsuponthetopofyourbooks。
Youthenglancedupatthewall，andofcourseyourmeaningwasobvious。YouwerethinkingthatiftheportraitwereframeditwouldjustcoverthatbarespaceandcorrespondwithGordon’spictureoverthere。””Youhavefollowedmewonderfully！”Iexclaimed。”SofarIcouldhardlyhavegoneastray。ButnowyourthoughtswentbacktoBeecher，andyoulookedhardacrossasifyouwerestudyingthecharacterinhisfeatures。Thenyoureyesceasedtopucker，butyoucontinuedtolookacross，andyourfacewasthoughtful。YouwererecallingtheincidentsofBeecher’scareer。IwaswellawarethatyoucouldnotdothiswithoutthinkingofthemissionwhichheundertookonbehalfoftheNorthatthetimeoftheCivilWar，forIrememberyouexpressingyourpassionateindignationatthewayinwhichhewasreceivedbythemoreturbulentofourpeople。YoufeltsostronglyaboutitthatIknewyoucouldnotthinkofBeecherwithoutthinkingofthatalso。WhenamomentlaterIsawyoureyeswanderawayfromthepicture，IsuspectedthatyourmindhadnowturnedtotheCivilWar，andwhenIobservedthatyourlipsset，youreyessparkled，andyourhandsclinched，Iwaspositivethatyouwereindeedthinkingofthegallantrywhichwasshownbybothsidesinthatdesperatestruggle。Butthen，again，yourfacegrewsadder；youshookyourhead。Youweredwellinguponthesadnessandhorroranduselesswasteoflife。
Yourhandstoletowardsyourownoldwound，andasmilequiveredonyourlips，whichshowedmethattheridiculoussideofthismethodofsettlinginternationalquestionshadforceditselfuponyourmind。AtthispointIagreedwithyouthatitwaspreposterous，andwasgladtofindthatallmydeductionshadbeencorrect。””Absolutely！”saidI。”Andnowthatyouhaveexplainedit，IconfessthatIamasamazedasbefore。””Itwasverysuperficial，mydearWatson，Iassureyou。Ishouldnothaveintrudedituponyourattentionhadyounotshownsomeincredulitytheotherday。Buttheeveninghasbroughtabreezewithit。
WhatdoyousaytoaramblethroughLondon?”
Iwaswearyofourlittlesitting-roomandgladlyacquiesced。Forthreehourswestrolledabouttogether，watchingtheever-changingkaleidoscopeoflifeasitebbsandflowsthroughFleetStreetandtheStrand。Hischaracteristictalk，withitskeenobservanceofdetailandsubtlepowerofinferenceheldmeamusedandenthralled。Itwasteno’clockbeforewereachedBakerStreetagain。Abroughamwaswaitingatourdoor。”Hum！Adoctor’s——generalpractitioner，Iperceive，”
saidHolmes。”Notbeenlonginpractice，buthashadagooddealtodo。Cometoconsultus，Ifancy！
Luckywecameback！”
IwassufficientlyconversantwithHolmes’smethodstobeabletofollowhisreasoning，andtoseethatthenatureandstateofthevariousmedicalinstrumentsinthewickerbasketwhichhunginthelamplightinsidethebroughamhadgivenhimthedataforhisswiftdeduction。Thelightinourwindowaboveshowedthatthislatevisitwasindeedintendedforus。Withsomecuriosityastowhatcouldhavesentabrothermedicotousatsuchanhour，IfollowedHolmesintooursanctum。
Apale，taper-facedmanwithsandywhiskersroseupfromachairbythefireasweentered。Hisagemaynothavebeenmorethanthreeorfourandthirty，buthishaggardexpressionandunhealthyhuetoldofalifewhichhassappedhisstrengthandrobbedhimofhisyouth。Hismannerwasnervousandshy，likethatofasensitivegentleman，andthethinwhitehandwhichhelaidonthemantelpieceasherosewasthatofanartistratherthanofasurgeon。Hisdresswasquietandsombre——ablackfrock-coat，darktrousers，andatouchofcolorabouthisnecktie。”Good-evening，doctor，”saidHolmes，cheerily。”Iamgladtoseethatyouhaveonlybeenwaitingaveryfewminutes。””Youspoketomycoachman，then?””No，itwasthecandleontheside-tablethattoldme。
PrayresumeyourseatandletmeknowhowIcanserveyou。””MynameisDoctorPercyTrevelyan，”saidourvisitor，”andIliveat403BrookStreet。””Areyounottheauthorofamonographuponobscurenervouslesions?”Iasked。
Hispalecheeksflushedwithpleasureathearingthathisworkwasknowntome。”IsoseldomhearoftheworkthatIthoughtitwasquitedead，”saidhe。”Mypublishersgavemeamostdiscouragingaccountofitssale。Youareyourself，I
presume，amedicalman?””Aretiredarmysurgeon。””Myownhobbyhasalwaysbeennervousdisease。I
shouldwishtomakeitanabsolutespecialty，but，ofcourse，amanmusttakewhathecangetatfirst。
This，however，isbesidethequestion，Mr。SherlockHolmes，andIquiteappreciatehowvaluableyourtimeis。ThefactisthataverysingulartrainofeventshasoccurredrecentlyatmyhouseinBrookStreet，andto-nighttheycametosuchaheadthatIfeltitwasquiteimpossibleformetowaitanotherhourbeforeaskingforyouradviceandassistance。”
SherlockHolmessatdownandlithispipe。”Youareverywelcometoboth，”saidhe。”Prayletmehaveadetailedaccountofwhatthecircumstancesarewhichhavedisturbedyou。””Oneortwoofthemaresotrivial，”saidDr。
Trevelyan，”thatreallyIamalmostashamedtomentionthem。Butthematterissoinexplicable，andtherecentturnwhichithastakenissoelaborate，thatI
shalllayitallbeforeyou，andyoushalljudgewhatisessentialandwhatisnot。”Iamcompelled，tobeginwith，tosaysomethingofmyowncollegecareer。IamaLondonUniversityman，youknow，andIamsurethatyourwillnotthinkthatIamundulysingingmyownpraisesifIsaythatmystudentcareerwasconsideredbymyprofessorstobeaverypromisingone。AfterIhadgraduatedIcontinuedtodevotemyselftoresearch，occupyingaminorpositioninKing’sCollegeHospital，andIwasfortunateenoughtoexciteconsiderableinterestbymyresearchintothepathologyofcatalepsy，andfinallytowintheBrucePinkertonprizeandmedalbythemonographonnervouslesionstowhichyourfriendhasjustalluded。
IshouldnotgotoofarifIweretosaythattherewasageneralimpressionatthattimethatadistinguishedcareerlaybeforeme。”Buttheonegreatstumbling-blocklayinmywantofcapital。Asyouwillreadilyunderstand，aspecialistwhoaimshighiscompelledtostartinoneofadozenstreetsintheCavendishSquarequarter，allofwhichentailenormousrentsandfurnishingexpenses。
Besidesthispreliminaryoutlay，hemustbepreparedtokeephimselfforsomeyears，andtohireapresentablecarriageandhorse。Todothiswasquitebeyondmypower，andIcouldonlyhopethatbyeconomyImightintenyears’timesaveenoughtoenablemetoputupmyplate。Suddenly，however，anunexpectedincidentopenedupquiteanewprospecttome。”ThiswasavisitfromagentlemanofthenameofBlessington，whowasacompletestrangertome。Hecameuptomyroomonemorning，andplungedintobusinessinaninstant。”’YouarethesamePercyTrevelyanwhohashadsodistinguishedacareerandownagreatprizelately?’
saidhe。”Ibowed。”’Answermyfrankly，’hecontinued，’foryouwillfindittoyourinteresttodoso。Youhavealltheclevernesswhichmakesasuccessfulman。Haveyouthetact?’”Icouldnothelpsmilingattheabruptnessofthequestion。”’ItrustthatIhavemyshare，’Isaid。”’Anybadhabits?Notdrawntowardsdrink，eh?’