hecried。”ThemanpervadesLondon，andnoonehasheardofhim。That’swhatputshimonapinnacleintherecordsofcrime。Itellyou，Watson，inallseriousness，thatifIcouldbeatthatman，ifIcouldfreesocietyofhim，Ishouldfeelthatmyowncareerhadreacheditssummit，andIshouldbepreparedtoturntosomemoreplacidlineinlife。Betweenourselves，therecentcasesinwhichIhavebeenofassistancetotheroyalfamilyofScandinavia，andtotheFrenchrepublic，haveleftmeinsuchapositionthatIcouldcontinuetoliveinthequietfashionwhichismostcongenialtome，andtoconcentratemyattentionuponmychemicalresearches。ButIcouldnotrest，Watson，Icouldnotsitquietinmychair，ifIthoughtthatsuchamanasProfessorMoriartywerewalkingthestreetsofLondonunchallenged。””Whathashedone，then?””Hiscareerhasbeenanextraordinaryone。Heisamanofgoodbirthandexcellenteducation，endowedbynaturewithaphenomenalmathematicalfaculty。Attheageoftwenty-onehewroteatreatiseupontheBinomialTheorem，whichhashadaEuropeanvogue。OnthestrengthofithewontheMathematicalChairatoneofoursmalleruniversities，andhad，toallappearance，amostbrilliantcareerbeforehim。Butthemanhadhereditarytendenciesofthemostdiabolicalkind。Acriminalstrainraninhisblood，which，insteadofbeingmodified，wasincreasedandrenderedinfinitelymoredangerousbyhisextraordinarymentalpowers。Darkrumorsgatheredroundhimintheuniversitytown，andeventuallyhewascompelledtoresignhischairandtocomedowntoLondon，wherehesetupasanarmycoach。Somuchisknowntotheworld，butwhatIamtellingyounowiswhatIhavemyselfdiscovered。”Asyouareaware，Watson，thereisnoonewhoknowsthehighercriminalworldofLondonsowellasIdo。
ForyearspastIhavecontinuallybeenconsciousofsomepowerbehindthemalefactor，somedeeporganizingpowerwhichforeverstandsinthewayofthelaw，andthrowsitshieldoverthewrong-doer。Againandagainincasesofthemostvaryingsorts——forgerycases，robberies，murders——Ihavefeltthepresenceofthisforce，andIhavededuceditsactioninmanyofthoseundiscoveredcrimesinwhichIhavenotbeenpersonallyconsulted。ForyearsIhaveendeavoredtobreakthroughtheveilwhichshroudedit，andatlastthetimecamewhenIseizedmythreadandfollowedit，untilitledme，afterathousandcunningwindings，toex-ProfessorMoriartyofmathematicalcelebrity。
HeistheNapoleonofcrime，Watson。Heistheorganizerofhalfthatisevilandofnearlyallthatisundetectedinthisgreatcity。Heisagenius，aphilosopher，anabstractthinker。Hehasabrainofthefirstorder。Hesitsmotionless，likeaspiderinthecenterofitsweb，butthatwebhasathousandradiations，andheknowswelleveryquiverofeachofthem。Hedoeslittlehimself。Heonlyplans。Buthisagentsarenumerousandsplendidlyorganized。Isthereacrimetobedone，apapertobeabstracted，wewillsay，ahousetoberifled，amantoberemoved——thewordispassedtotheProfessor，thematterisorganizedandcarriedout。Theagentmaybecaught。Inthatcasemoneyisfoundforhisbailorhisdefence。Butthecentralpowerwhichusestheagentisnevercaught——neversomuchassuspected。
ThiswastheorganizationwhichIdeduced，Watson，andwhichIdevotedmywholeenergytoexposingandbreakingup。”ButtheProfessorwasfencedroundwithsafeguardssocunninglydevisedthat，dowhatIwould，itseemedimpossibletogetevidencewhichwouldconvictinacourtoflaw。Youknowmypowers，mydearWatson，andyetattheendofthreemonthsIwasforcedtoconfessthatIhadatlastmetanantagonistwhowasmyintellectualequal。Myhorrorathiscrimeswaslostinmyadmirationathisskill。Butatlasthemadeatrip——onlyalittle，littletrip——butitwasmorethanhecouldaffordwhenIwassocloseuponhim。Ihadmychance，and，startingfromthatpoint，Ihavewovenmynetroundhimuntilnowitisallreadytoclose。
Inthreedays——thatistosay，onMondaynext——matterswillberipe，andtheProfessor，withalltheprincipalmembersofhisgang，willbeinthehandsofthepolice。Thenwillcomethegreatestcriminaltrialofthecentury，theclearingupofoverfortymysteries，andtheropeforallofthem；butifwemoveatallprematurely，youunderstand，theymayslipoutofourhandsevenatthelastmoment。”Now，ifIcouldhavedonethiswithouttheknowledgeofProfessorMoriarty，allwouldhavebeenwell。Buthewastoowilyforthat。HesaweverystepwhichI
tooktodrawmytoilsroundhim。Againandagainhestrovetobreakaway，butIasoftenheadedhimoff。
Itellyou，myfriend，thatifadetailedaccountofthatsilentcontestcouldbewritten，itwouldtakeitsplaceasthemostbrilliantbitofthrust-and-parryworkinthehistoryofdetection。
NeverhaveIrisentosuchaheight，andneverhaveI
beensohardpressedbyanopponent。Hecutdeep，andyetIjustundercuthim。Thismorningthelaststepsweretaken，andthreedaysonlywerewantedtocompletethebusiness。Iwassittinginmyroomthinkingthematterover，whenthedooropenedandProfessorMoriartystoodbeforeme。”Mynervesarefairlyproof，Watson，butImustconfesstoastartwhenIsawtheverymanwhohadbeensomuchinmythoughtsstandingthereonmythresh-hold。Hisappearancewasquitefamiliartome。
Heisextremelytallandthin，hisforeheaddomesoutinawhitecurve，andhistwoeyesaredeeplysunkeninthishead。Heisclean-shaven，pale，andascetic-looking，retainingsomethingoftheprofessorinhisfeatures。Hisshouldersareroundedfrommuchstudy，andhisfaceprotrudesforward，andisforeverslowlyoscillatingfromsidetosideinacuriouslyreptilianfashion。Hepeeredatmewithgreatcuriosityinhispuckeredeyes。”’YouhavelessfrontaldevelopmentthatIshouldhaveexpected，’saidhe，atlast。’Itisadangeroushabittofingerloadedfirearmsinthepocketofone’sdressing-gown。’”ThefactisthatuponhisentranceIhadinstantlyrecognizedtheextremepersonaldangerinwhichIlay。
Theonlyconceivableescapeforhimlayinsilencingmytongue。InaninstantIhadslippedtherevolvedfromthedrawerintomypocket，andwascoveringhimthroughthecloth。AthisremarkIdrewtheweaponoutandlaiditcockeduponthetable。Hestillsmiledandblinked，buttherewassomethingabouthiseyeswhichmademefeelverygladthatIhaditthere。”’Youevidentlydon’tnowme，’saidhe。”’Onthecontrary，’Ianswered，’IthinkitisfairlyevidentthatIdo。Praytakeachair。Icanspareyoufiveminutesifyouhaveanythingtosay。’”’AllthatIhavetosayhasalreadycrossedyourmind，’saidhe。”’Thenpossiblymyanswerhascrossedyours，’I
replied。”’Youstandfast?’”’Absolutely。’”Heclappedhishandintohispocket，andIraisedthepistolfromthetable。Buthemerelydrewoutamemorandum-bookinwhichhehadscribbledsomedates。”’Youcrossedmypatchonthe4thofJanuary，’saidhe。’Onthe23dyouincommodedme；bythemiddleofFebruaryIwasseriouslyinconveniencedbyyou；attheendofMarchIwasabsolutelyhamperedinmyplans；
andnow，atthecloseofApril，IfindmyselfplacedinsuchapositionthroughyourcontinualpersecutionthatIaminpositivedangeroflosingmyliberty。
Thesituationisbecominganimpossibleone。’”’Haveyouanysuggestiontomake?’Iasked。”’Youmustdropit，Mr。Holmes，’saidhe，swayinghisfaceabout。’Youreallymust，youknow。’”’AfterMonday，’saidI。”’Tut，tut，’saidhe。’Iamquitesurethatamanofyourintelligencewillseethattherecanbebutoneoutcometothisaffair。Itisnecessarythatyoushouldwithdraw。Youhaveworkedthingsinsuchafashionthatwehaveonlyoneresource。Ithasbeenanintellectualtreattometoseethewayinwhichyouhavegrappledwiththisaffair，andIsay，unaffectedly，thatitwouldbeagrieftometobeforcedtotakeanyextrememeasure。Yousmile，sir，abutIassureyouthatitreallywould。’”’Dangerispartofmytrade，’Iremarked。”’Thatisnotdanger，’saidhe。’Itisinevitabledestruction。Youstandinthewaynotmerelyofanindividual，butofamightorganization，thefullextentofwhichyou，withallyourcleverness，havebeenunabletorealize。Youmuststandclear，Mr。
Holmes，orbetroddenunderfoot。’”’Iamafraid，’saidI，rising，’thatinthepleasureofthisconversationIamneglectingbusinessofimportancewhichawaitsmeelsewhere。’”Herosealsoandlookedatmeinsilence，shakinghisheadsadly。”’Well，well，’saidhe，atlast。’Itseemsapity，butIhavedonewhatIcould。Iknoweverymoveofyourgame。YoucandonothingbeforeMonday。Ithasbeenaduelbetweenyouandme，Mr。Holmes。Youhopetoplacemeinthedock。ItellyouthatIwillneverstandinthedock。Youhopetobeatme。Itellyouthatyouwillneverbeatme。Ifyouarecleverenoughtobringdestructionuponme，restassuredthatI
shalldoasmuchtoyou。’”’Youhavepaidmeseveralcompliments，Mr。Moriarty，’
saidI。’LetmepayyouoneinreturnwhenIsaythatifIwereassuredoftheformereventualityIwould，intheinterestsofthepublic，cheerfullyacceptthelatter。’”’Icanpromiseyoutheone，butnottheother，’hesnarled，andsoturnedhisroundedbackuponme，andwentpeeringandblinkingoutoftheroom。”ThatwasmysingularinterviewwithProfessorMoriarty。Iconfessthatitleftanunpleasanteffectuponmymind。Hissoft，precisefashionofspeechleavesaconvictionofsinceritywhichamerebullycouldnotproduce。Ofcourse，youwillsay：’Whynottakepoliceprecautionsagainsthim?’thereasonisthatIamwellconvincedthatitisfromhisagentstheblowwillfall。Ihavethebestproofsthatitwouldbeso。””Youhavealreadybeenassaulted?””MydearWatson，ProfessorMoriartyisnotamanwholetsthegrassgrowunderhisfeet。Iwentoutaboutmid-daytotransactsomebusinessinOxfordStreet。