”Theywerecertainlyverymuchlargerthananywhichhecouldhavemade，andwereevidentlyquitefresh。Itrainedhardthisafternoon，asyouknow，andmypatientsweretheonlypeoplewhocalled。Itmusthavebeenthecase，then，thatthemaninthewaiting-roomhad，forsomeunknownreason，whileIwasbusywiththeother，ascendedtotheroomofmyresidentpatient。Nothinghasbeentouchedortaken，buttherewerethefootprintstoprovethattheintrusionwasanundoubtedfact。”Mr。BlessingtonseemedmoreexcitedoverthematterthanIshouldhavethoughtpossible，thoughofcourseitwasenoughtodisturbanybody’speaceofmind。Heactuallysatcryinginanarm-chair，andIcouldhardlygethimtospeakcoherently。ItwashissuggestionthatIshouldcomeroundtoyou，andofcourseIatoncesawtheproprietyofit，forcertainlytheincidentisaverysingularone，thoughheappearstocompletelyovertakeitsimportance。Ifyouwouldonlycomebackwithmeinmybrougham，youwouldatleastbeabletosoothehim，thoughIcanhardlyhopethatyouwillbeabletoexplainthisremarkableoccurrence。”
SherlockHolmeshadlistenedtothislongnarrativewithanintentnesswhichshowedmethathisinterestwaskeenlyaroused。Hisfacewasasimpassiveasever，buthislidshaddroopedmoreheavilyoverhiseyes，andhissmokehadcurledupmorethicklyfromhispipetoemphasizeeachcuriousepisodeinthedoctor’stale。Asourvisitorconcluded，Holmessprangupwithoutaword，handedmemyhat，pickedhisownfromthetable，andfollowedDr。Trevelyantothedoor。Withinaquarterofanhourwehadbeendrippedatthedoorofthephysician’sresidenceinBrookStreet，oneofthosesombre，flat-facedhouseswhichoneassociateswithaWest-Endpractice。Asmallpageadmittedus，andwebeganatoncetoascendthebroad，well-carpetedstair。
Butasingularinterruptionbroughtustoastandstill。Thelightatthetopwassuddenlywhiskedout，andfromthedarknesscameareedy，quiveringvoice。”Ihaveapistol，”itcried。”IgiveyoumywordthatI’llfireifyoucomeanynearer。””Thisreallygrowsoutrageous，Mr。Blessington，”criedDr。Trevelyan。”Oh，thenitisyou，doctor，”saidthevoice，withagreatheaveofrelief。”Butthoseothergentlemen，aretheywhattheypretendtobe?”
Wewereconsciousofalongscrutinyoutofthedarkness。”Yes，yes，it’sallright，”saidthevoiceatlast。”Youcancomeup，andIamsorryifmyprecautionshaveannoyedyou。”
Herelitthestairgasashespoke，andwesawbeforeusasingular-lookingman，whoseappearance，aswellashisvoice，testifiedtohisjanglednerves。Hewasveryfat，buthadapparentlyatsometimebeenmuchfatter，sothattheskinhungabouthisfaceinloosepouches，likethecheeksofablood-hound。Hewasofasicklycolor，andhisthin，sandyhairseemedtobristleupwiththeintensityofhisemotion。Inhishandheheldapistol，buthethrustitintohispocketasweadvanced。”Good-evening，Mr。Holmes，”saidhe。”IamsureIamverymuchobligedtoyouforcominground。NooneeverneededyouradvicemorethanIdo。IsupposethatDr。Trevelyanhastoldyouofthismostunwarrantableintrusionintomyrooms。””Quiteso，”saidHolmes。”WhoarethesetowmenMr。
Blessington，andwhydotheywishtomolestyou?””Well，well，”saidtheresidentpatient，inanervousfashion，”ofcourseitishardtosaythat。Youcanhardlyexpectmetoanswerthat，Mr。Holmes。””Doyoumeanthatyoudon’tknow?””Comeinhere，ifyouplease。Justhavethekindnesstostepinhere。”
Heledthewayintohisbedroom，whichwaslargeandcomfortablyfurnished。”Youseethat，”saidhe，pointingtoabigblackboxattheendofhisbed。”Ihaveneverbeenaveryrichman，Mr。Holmes——nevermadebutoneinvestmentinmylife，asDr。Trevelyanwouldtellyou。ButIdon’tbelieveinbankers。Iwouldnevertrustabanker，Mr。
Holmes。Betweenourselves，whatlittleIhaveisinthatbox，soyoucanunderstandwhatitmeanstomewhenunknownpeopleforcethemselvesintomyrooms。”
HolmeslookedatBlessingtoninhisquestioningwayandshookhishead。”Icannotpossiblyadviseyouifyoutrytodeceiveme，”saidhe。”ButIhavetoldyoueverything。”
Holmesturnedonhisheelwithagestureofdisgust。”Good-night，Dr。Trevelyan，”saidhe。”Andnoadviceforme?”criedBlessington，inabreakingvoice。”Myadvicetoyour，sir，istospeakthetruth。”
Aminutelaterwewereinthestreetandwalkingforhome。WehadcrossedOxfordStreetandwerehalfwaydownHarleyStreetbeforeIcouldgetawordfrommycompanion。”Sorrytobringyououtonsuchafool’serrand，Watson，”hesaidatlast。”Itisaninterestingcase，too，atthebottomofit。””Icanmakelittleofit，”Iconfessed。”Well，itisquiteevidentthattherearetwomen——more，perhaps，butatleasttwo——whoaredeterminedforsomereasontogetatthisfellowBlessington。IhavenodoubtinmymindthatbothonthefirstandonthesecondoccasionthatyoungmanpenetratedtoBlessington’sroom，whilehisconfederate，byaningeniousdevice，keptthedoctorfrominterfering。””Andthecatalepsy?””Afraudulentimitation，Watson，thoughIshouldhardlydaretohintasmuchtoourspecialist。Itisaveryeasycomplainttoimitate。Ihavedoneitmyself。””Andthen?””BythepurestchanceBlessingtonwasoutoneachoccasion。Theirreasonforchoosingsounusualanhourforaconsultationwasobviouslytoinsurethatthereshouldbenootherpatientinthewaiting-room。
Itjusthappened，however，thatthishourcoincidedwithBlessington’sconstitutional，whichseemstoshowthattheywerenotverywellacquaintedwithhisdailyroutine。Ofcourse，iftheyhadbeenmerelyafterplundertheywouldatleasthavemadesomeattempttosearchforit。Besides，Icanreadinaman’seyewhenitishisownskinthatheisfrightenedfor。Itisinconceivablethatthisfellowcouldhavemadetwosuchvindictiveenemiesastheseappeartobewithoutknowingofit。Iholdit，therefore，tobecertainthathedoesknowwhothesemenare，andthatforreasonsofhisownhesuppressesit。Itisjustpossiblethatto-morrowmayfindhiminamorecommunicativemood。””Istherenotonealternative，”Isuggested，”grotesquelyimprobably，nodoubt，butstilljustconceivable?MightthewholestoryofthecatalepticRussianandhissonbeaconcoctionofDr。
Trevelyan’s，whohas，forhisownpurposes，beeninBlessington’srooms?”
IsawinthegaslightthatHolmesworeanamusedsmileatthisbrilliantdepartureofmine。”Mydearfellow，”saidhe，”itwasoneofthefirstsolutionswhichoccurredtome，butIwassoonabletocorroboratethedoctor’stale。Thisyoungmanhasleftprintsuponthestair-carpetwhichmadeitquitesuperfluousformetoasktoseethosewhichhehadmadeintheroom。WhenItellyouthathisshoesweresquare-toedinsteadofbeingpointedlikeBlessington’s，andwerequiteaninchandathirdlongerthanthedoctor’s，youwillacknowledgethattherecanbenodoubtastohisindividuality。Butwemaysleeponitnow，forIshallbesurprisedifwedonothearsomethingfurtherfromBrookStreetinthemorning。”
SherlockHolmes’sprophecywassoonfulfilled，andinadramaticfashion。Athalf-pastsevennextmorning，inthefirstglimmerofdaylight，Ifoundhimstandingbymybedsideinhisdressing-gown。”There’sabroughamwaitingforus，Watson，”saidhe。”What’sthematter，then?””TheBrookStreetbusiness。””Anyfreshnews?””Tragic，butambiguous，”saidhe，pullinguptheblind。”Lookatthis——asheetfromanote-book，with’ForGod’ssakecomeatonce——P。T。，’scrawleduponitinpencil。Ourfriend，thedoctor，washardputtoitwhenhewrotethis。Comealong，mydearfellow，forit’sanurgentcall。”
Inaquarterofanhourorsowewerebackatthephysician’shouse。Hecamerunningouttomeetuswithafaceofhorror。”Oh，suchabusiness！”hecried，withhishandstohistemples。”Whatthen?””Blessingtonhascommittedsuicide！”
Holmeswhistled。”Yes，hehangedhimselfduringthenight。”
Wehadentered，andthedoctorhadprecededusintowhatwasevidentlyhiswaiting-room。”IreallyhardlyknowwhatIamdoing，”hecried。”Thepolicearealreadyupstairs。Ithasshakenmemostdreadfully。””Whendidyoufinditout?””Hehasacupofteatakenintohimearlyeverymorning。Whenthemaidentered，aboutseven，theretheunfortunatefellowwashanginginthemiddleoftheroom。Hehadtiedhiscordtothehookonwhichtheheavylampusedtohang，andhehadjumpedofffromthetopoftheveryboxthatheshowedusyesterday。”