The Sherlock Holmes she is always the women . I have seldom Heard him mention her under othe name. In his eyes she ecplices and predomonates the whole for sex . It was not that he felt any emotions akin love to Irene Adler. All emotions that once particularly were abhorent to cold precise but admirably balanced mind . He was I take it the most perfect reasoning and observing the world has seen but as a lover he would have placed the himself in a false position . He never spoke of the softer passion save the gibe and as a sneer. They were admirable think for the observer excellent for drawing the veil from men's motives and actions . But for the trained treasoner to admit such instrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was no introduce an destructing factor might now later the metal results. Grit in a sensitive instrument or a crack in one of own ohln one of his high power leases would not be more distrubing than a strong emotions in a natural such as is. And yet there are but one woman to him and that woman was the late Irene Adler of dubious and questionable memory.
I had seen little if homeless lately . My marriage had drifted as way from each other. My own complete happiness and the home centers interests which rase up around the man who first find himself master of his own establishment were sufficient to absorb ally attention homeless who lothed every form of society with his whole Bohemin soul, remained our longings in Baker Street buried among his old book and alternating from week to week between cocaine and ambitious the drawness of the drugs, and the fierce energy of his own knee nature. He was still ever as deeply attracted by the study of the crime and occupied his immense facilities and extraordinary powers of observation in following out of those clews and clearing up those mysterious must had been abandoned as hopeless by the official police. From time to time I heard some vague account of his doing. Of his summons to Odessa in the case of the trapeoff murder of his clearing up of the singular tragedy of the Atkinson brothers at Trimpcocale and finally of the mission which he had completion so directly and successfully for the reigning family of the Holland. Beyond these sings of his activity this however which merely shared all the readers of the daily press I knew the little of my former friend and companion.
One night it was in the twentieth of March 1888 I was returning from a journey to a patient ( for I had know returned to civil practice) when my way led me through Baker Street . As I passed the well remembered door which must always by associate by the mind with my wooing and with the dark incidents of the study in Scarlet and I was seized with a knee desired to see Homles again and to know how he was employing his extraordinary powers . His room were brilliantly lit and even as I looked up I saw his tall spare figures pass twice in a dark silhouette against the blind. He was pacing the room swiftly, eagerly with his head sung upon his chest and his hand clasped behind him. To me who knew his every mood and habit, his attitude and manners told their story. He was work at again . He had raisen out of his drug created dream and was hot upon the scent of some new problem. I rang the bell and was shown up to the chamber which had formally been party on my mind.
His manner was not effusive. It seldom wa s but he glad I think to see me. With hardly a word spoken but with a kindly eye, he waved me to an armchair through across his case threw case of cigars and indicated a spirit of case and a gasogene in the corner . Then he stood before the fire and looked me over in his singular introspective fashion.
Wedlock suits you he remarked I think Watson, that you have put seven and a half of pounds since I saw you
Seven I answered .
Indeed I should have thought a little more . Just a trifle more fancy, Watson. And in practice again I observe. You didn't tell me that you intended to go into harness.
Then how do you know?
I see it deduce it. How do I know that you have been getting your self every wet lately and that you have a most clumsy and careless servent girl.
My dear Holmes said I this is too much . You would certainly have been turned had you lived in a few centuries ago. It is true that I had a country walk on Thursday and cane home in a dreadful mess but as I have changed my clothes and I can't imagine how to deduce it. As to Mary Jane she is incorrigible and my wife has given her notice but there again I fail to see you work it out. He chuckled himself and rubbed his long nervous hands together. It is simplicity it self to said he my eyes tell me that on the in side of your left shoe just were the fire light strikes it the leather is score by six almost parallel cuts. Obviously they can caused by some who was careless scraped round the edge of
the sole in order to remove custered mud from it. Hence you see my double deduction by you had been out in vile weather and that you had particularly malignant boot slitting and specimen of the London slavery. As your practice if a gentleman walks in to my rooms smelling of idoform with a black mark of nitrate of Silver upon his right four fingers and a buldge on the right side of his hat to show wew he has secret his stescope I must be dell indeed, if do not pronounce him to been an active member of the medical profession.
I couldn't help laughing at the ease with which he explained his process of dictation. When I heard you give your reasons. I remarked the thing always apperance me to be redicusion simple that could you easily do it simply. Thought of it easily each successive instance of reasoning Iam buffled in the you explain your process . And yet I believe that my eyes are good as yours.
Quiet so he answered lightings a ciggerate and throwing himself down into an armchair . You see but you do not observe . The distinction is clear. For example you have frequently seen this steps which led up from to hall to this room.
Freaquently
Frequently
How often
Well some hundred of time
Then how many are there
How many I don't know
Quiet so ! You have not observed . And yet you have seen . That is just my point. No I point . Now iam know that there are seventeen steps because I have both seen and observed . Bye the way since you are interested in these little problem and since your good enjoy enough to chronicles one of the trifling experiences you may be interested in it he threw over a sheet of thick pinned note paper which had been lying open upon the table . It came by the last post, said he . Read it aloud.
The note was undated and without either signature or address. There will call on you on night upon at a quarter at eight o clock it said a gentleman who desire to consult you upon a matter of the very deepest moment . You recent services to one of the royal houses in Europe. Have shown that you are one of who have safety ve trusted with matters which are often importance which can hardly be exaggerated. This account of you we have foem all quaters received. Be in your chamber than at that hour and do not take it amiss of you visitors wear a mask. It indeed a mystery, I remarked what you imagine that you? I have not data yet . It is a capital mistake. To theorize before one has data. Insebily one begains to twist facts to siliits
instrad of theories of facts but he not it self. Not all all G. With the small t stands for Gesellschaft which is the German for company. It is customary contraction like our Co. Pnof course stand for papier . Now for the eg. Let us glance at our contitanel Gazetteer . He took down a heavy drawn volume from his shelves . Eglow , Eglonitz here were Egria. It is a German speaking country in Bohemia not far from Carlsbad . Remarkable as being this scene of the death of Wallestain and for its numerous glass factories and paper mills . Ha ha ha my boy what you make for it. His eyes sparkles and he send up a great blue triumphant cloud from the ciggerate.
The paper was made in Bohemia. I said .
Precisely. And the man who wrote the note is a German. Do you note the peculiar construction of the sentence. This account of you have from all quarters received. A french man or Russian could not have written that. It is the German who has written upon Bohemin paper and prefers wearing a nak to showing his face. And here he came if I'm not mistaken to resolve all our doubts.
As he spoke there was the sharp sound of horses hoofs of greating wheels again the grap followed by a sharp pull at the bell . Holmes whistled . A pair by the sound said he. Yes he continued glacing out of the window . A nice little brougham and pair off beauties . A hundred and fifty guiness a piece. There is money in this case , Watson if there is nothing else.
A man entered who could hardly have been less than six feet six inches in height with the chest and limbs of a Hercules. His dress was rich as a with richness which would in England been looked up on as akin to bad taste. Heavy bands of astrakhan werw slashed acrossed the sleeves and front of the double breasted coat while the deep blue clock which was thrown over his shoulder was lined with flame colored silks and secured at the neck with a brooch which consists of the single flame beryl. Boots which excited half way upon the impression of the barbaric opulence which was suggested byvthe whole appearance . He carried a boamed brimmed hat in his hand while he across the upper part of his face , exceeding down past the cheekbones and a black wizard musk which he had apparently adjusted that very moment for the face happened . It was close up on four before the door opened and drunk looking groom ill kenpt and side whiskered with an inflamed face and disrepute clothes walked in to the room. Accustomed as I was my friends amazing powers in the use of disguised I have to look three times before I was certain that it was indeed he. With a node he vanished in to the bedroom whence he merge in five minutes tweed suits and respectable of his old. Putting hands on to his pockets he stretched out his legs in front of the fire and laughted heartily for some minutes. Well really he cried and then he shocked and laughed against until he has obliged to lie back , limo and helpless in the chair. What's it? It is quite funny . Iam sure you could never guess how I employed my morning or what I went to end by going. I can't imagine . I suppose that you have been watched the habits and perhaps the house of mis Irene Adler .
Quiet so! But the sequel was rather unusually I will tell you how ever let the house of a little after eight o clock this morning in the character of a groom out
Of a work there is a wonderful sympathy and Freemasonry among horsey man . Be one of them and you will know all that there is to know. I soon found Brinoy lodge . It is a bijou villa, with a garden atbrhe back, but build out in front right up road two stories. Chub lock the door , large sitting room on the right side well furnished with long window almost to the floor and those preposterous English window fasterbess which a child could open. Behind there was nothing remarkable to say that the passage of the window could be reached from the top of the coach house. I walked round it examined it closely every point from view but without nothing anything else interested.
I then lounged down the street and find as I excepted that were was news in a line which runs down by one wall of the garden . I lent the ostlers an hand in rubbing down in their horse and receievd in exchange twopence a glass of half of half two fills of shags tobacco so much information as I could desire about niss Adler to say nothing of half a dozen of other people in the neighborhood in whom I was not in the least interested but whose biographies I was compelled to listen to
And what if Irene Adler ? I asked
Oh she was turned all the men's heads down in that part. She is the dainest thing under a bonnet in this planet. So way the serpentine news to amen . She lives quietly in sings at conceri drive out at five every day the returns at seven sharo for dinner . Seldom goes out at othe time except when she sing , has only one male visitor but a good deal of him . His dark handsome and dashing never calls less the once in a day and often twice. He is a Mr. Godfrey Norton,of the inner temple. See the advantages of a cabman as a confident. They had driven him home a dozen times from serpentine news and knew all about him . When I had listened to all they had to tell began to walk up and down near Brinoy lodge once more think over my plan of campaign.
This Godfrey Norton was evidently an important factor in the matter. He was a lawyer. That sounds was ominated. What was the relation between them and what the object of his related visitas? Was shehis client , his friend or his mistress ? If the former , she had probably transferred the photographs to the his keeping. If the later it was less likely on the issue of his question depended whether I should continue my work at Brinoy lodge, or turned to the attention of the gentleman chamber in the temple. It was a dedicated pint and it widened the field of my enquiry. I feared that I boread you with this details but I have to left you see my difficulties if your to under stand the situation.
Iam following you closely I answered it.
I was still balancing the matter in the my mind when a handsome cab drove up to Brinoy lodge and a gentleman sorand out . He was a remarkable by the hand some man and dark aquilen and moustache evidence the man who won I had heard. He apperance to be an great hurry shouted to the cabman to wait and brushed past the maid who opened the door with the air of Aman who was through at home.
Slowly and solemnly he was born in to Brinoy lodge and laid out in the principal room while I still observed the proceedings fro I by the window. The lamps had been lit but the blinds not the been drawn sat the I could see Homles as he lay up on the couch. I don't know whether he was seized with the compuctiion atbthe moment for the part he has playing but I know