”Hum！IamafraidJoseph’scharacterisaratherdeeperandmoredangerousonethanonemightjudgefromhisappearance。FromwhatIhaveheardfromhimthismorning，Igatherthathehaslostheavilyindabblingwithstocks，andthatheisreadytodoanythingonearthtobetterhisfortunes。Beinganabsolutelyselfishman，whenachancepresenteditselfhedidnotalloweitherhissister’shappinessoryourreputationtoholdhishand。”PercyPhelpssankbackinhischair。”Myheadwhirls，”saidhe。”Yourwordshavedazedme。””Theprincipaldifficultyinyourcase，”remarkedHolmes，inhisdidacticfashion，”layinthefactoftherebeingtoomuchevidence。Whatwasvitalwasoverlaidandhiddenbywhatwasirrelevant。Ofallthefactswhichwerepresentedtouswehadtopickjustthosewhichwedeemedtobeessential，andthenpiecethemtogetherintheirorder，soastoreconstructthisveryremarkablechainofevents。I
hadalreadybeguntosuspectJoseph，fromthefactthatyouhadintendedtotravelhomewithhimthatnight，andthatthereforeitwasalikelyenoughthingthatheshouldcallforyou，knowingtheForeignOfficewell，uponhisway。WhenIheardthatsomeonehadbeensoanxioustogetintothebedroom，inwhichnoonebutJosephcouldhaveconcealedanything——youtoldusinyournarrativehowyouhadturnedJosephoutwhenyouarrivedwiththedoctor——mysuspicionsallchangedtocertainties，especiallyastheattemptwasmadeonthefirstnightuponwhichthenursewasabsent，showingthattheintruderwaswellacquaintedwiththewaysofthehouse。””HowblindIhavebeen！””Thefactsofthecase，asfarasIhaveworkedthemout，arethese：thisJosephHarrisonenteredtheofficethroughtheCharlesStreetdoor，andknowinghiswayhewalkedstraightintoyourroomtheinstantafteryouleftit。Findingnoonetherehepromptlyrangthebell，andattheinstantthathedidsohiseyescaughtthepaperuponthetable。AglanceshowedhimthatchancehadputinhiswayaStatedocumentofimmensevalue，andinaninstanthehadthrustitintohispocketandwasgone。Afewminuteselapsed，asyouremember，beforethesleepycommissionnairedrewyourattentiontothebell，andthosewerejustenoughtogivethethieftimetomakehisescape。”HemadehiswaytoWokingbythefirsttrain，andhavingexaminedhisbootyandassuredhimselfthatitreallywasofimmensevalue，hehadconcealeditinwhathethoughtwasaverysafeplace，withtheintentionoftakingitoutagaininadayortwo，andcarryingittotheFrenchembassy，orwhereverhethoughtthatalongpricewastobehad。Thencameyoursuddenreturn。He，withoutamoment’swarning，wasbundledoutofhisroom，andfromthattimeonwardtherewerealwaysatleasttwoofyoutheretopreventhimfromregaininghistreasure。Thesituationtohimmusthavebeenamaddeningone。Butatlasthethoughthesawhischance。Hetriedtostealin，butwasbaffledbyyourwakefulness。Yourememberthatyoudidnottakeyourusualdraughtthatnight。””Iremember。””Ifancythathehadtakenstepstomakethatdraughtefficacious，andthathequiterelieduponyourbeingunconscious。Ofcourse，Iunderstoodthathewouldrepeattheattemptwheneveritcouldbedonewithsafety。Yourleavingtheroomgavehimthechancehewanted。IkeptMissHarrisoninitalldaysothathemightnotanticipateus。Then，havinggivenhimtheideathatthecoastwasclear，IkeptguardasIhavedescribed。Ialreadyknewthatthepaperswereprobablyintheroom，butIhadnodesiretoripupalltheplankingandskirtinginsearchofthem。I
lethimtakethem，therefore，fromthehiding-place，andsosavedmyselfaninfinityoftrouble。IsthereanyotherpointwhichIcanmakeclear?””Whydidhetrythewindowonthefirstoccasion，”I
asked，”whenhemighthaveenteredbythedoor?””Inreachingthedoorhewouldhavetopasssevenbedrooms。Ontheotherhand，hecouldgetoutontothelawnwithease。Anythingelse?””Youdonotthink，”askedPhelps，”thathehadanymurderousintention?Theknifewasonlymeantasatool。””Itmaybeso，”answeredHolmes，shrugginghisshoulders。”IcanonlysayforcertainthatMr。
JosephHarrisonisagentlemantowhosemercyIshouldbeextremelyunwillingtotrust。”
AdventureXI
TheFinalProblemItiswithaheavyheartthatItakeupmypentowritethesethelastwordsinwhichIshalleverrecordthesingulargiftsbywhichmyfriendMr。
SherlockHolmeswasdistinguished。Inanincoherentand，asIdeeplyfeel，anentirelyinadequatefashion，Ihaveendeavoredtogivesomeaccountofmystrangeexperiencesinhiscompanyfromthechancewhichfirstbroughtustogetherattheperiodofthe”StudyinScarlet，”uptothetimeofhisinterferenceinthematterofthe”NavalTreaty”——andinterferencewhichhadtheunquestionableeffectofpreventingaseriousinternationalcomplication。Itwasmyintentiontohavestoppedthere，andtohavesaidnothingofthateventwhichhascreatedavoidinmylifewhichthelapseoftwoyearshasdonelittletofill。Myhandhasbeenforced，however，bytherecentlettersinwhichColonelJamesMoriartydefendsthememoryofhisbrother，andIhavenochoicebuttolaythefactsbeforethepublicexactlyastheyoccurred。Ialoneknowtheabsolutetruthofthematter，andIamsatisfiedthatthetimehascomewhenongoodpurposeistobeservedbyitssuppression。AsfarasIknow，therehavebeenonlythreeaccountsinthepublicpress：thatintheJournaldeGeneveonMay6th，1891，theReuter’sdespatchintheEnglishpapersonMay7th，andfinallytherecentlettertowhichIhavealluded。Ofthesethefirstandsecondwereextremelycondensed，whilethelastis，asIshallnowsow，anabsoluteperversionofthefacts。ItlieswithmetotellforthefirsttimewhatreallytookplacebetweenProfessorMoriartyandMr。SherlockHolmes。
Itmayberememberedthataftermymarriage，andmysubsequentstartinprivatepractice，theveryintimaterelationswhichhadexistedbetweenHolmesandmyselfbecametosomeextentmodified。Hestillcametomefromtimetotimewhenhedesiredacompanioninhisinvestigation，buttheseoccasionsgrewmoreandmoreseldom，untilIfindthatintheyear1890therewereonlythreecasesofwhichI
retainanyrecord。Duringthewinterofthatyearandtheearlyspringof1891，IsawinthepapersthathehadbeenengagedbytheFrenchgovernmentuponamatterofsupremeimportance，andIreceivedtwonotesfromHolmes，datedfromNarbonneandfromNimes，fromwhichIgatheredthathisstayinFrancewaslikelytobealongone。Itwaswithsomesurprise，therefore，thatIsawhimwalkintomyconsulting-roomupontheeveningofApril24th。Itstruckmethathewaslookingevenpalerandthinnerthanusual。”Yes，Ihavebeenusingmyselfuprathertoofreely，”
heremarked，inanswertomylookratherthantomywords；”Ihavebeenalittlepressedoflate。Haveyouanyobjectiontomyclosingyourshutters?”
TheonlylightintheroomcamefromthelampuponthetableatwhichIhadbeenreading。Holmesedgedhiswayroundthewallandflingingtheshutterstogether，heboltedthemsecurely。”Youareafraidofsomething?”Iasked。”Well，Iam。””Ofwhat?””Ofair-guns。””MydearHolmes，whatdoyoumean?””Ithinkthatyouknowmewellenough，Watson，tounderstandthatIambynomeansanervousman。Atthesametime，itisstupidityratherthancouragetorefusetorecognizedangerwhenitiscloseuponyou。
MightItroubleyouforamatch?”Hedrewinthesmokeofhiscigaretteasifthesoothinginfluencewasgratefultohim。”Imustapologizeforcallingsolate，”saidhe，”andImustfurtherbegyoutobesounconventionalastoallowmetoleaveyourhousepresentlybyscramblingoveryourbackgardenwall。””Butwhatdoesitallmean?”Iasked。
Heheldouthishand，andIsawinthelightofthelampthattwoofhisknuckleswereburstandbleeding。”Itisnotanairynothing，yousee，”saidhe，smiling。”Onthecontrary，itissolidenoughforamantobreakhishandover。IsMrs。Watsonin?””Sheisawayuponavisit。””Indeed！Youarealone?””Quite。””ThenitmakesittheeasierformetoproposethatyoushouldcomeawaywithmeforaweektotheContinent。””Where?””Oh，anywhere。It’sallthesametome。”
Therewassomethingverystrangeinallthis。ItwasnotHolmes’snaturetotakeanaimlessholiday，andsomethingabouthispale，wornfacetoldmethathisnerveswereattheirhighesttension。Hesawthequestioninmyeyes，and，puttinghisfinger-tipstogetherandhiselbowsuponhisknees，heexplainedthesituation。”YouhaveprobablyneverheardofProfessorMoriarty?”
saidhe。”Never。””Aye，there’sthegeniusandthewonderofthething！”