evidentlyadocumentofimportance.Ithasbeenkeptcarefullyinapocket-bookfortheonesideisascleanastheother.”
“Itwasinhispocket-bookthatwefoundit.”
“Preserveitcarefully,then,MissMorstan,foritmayprovetobeofusetous.IbegintosuspectthatthismattermayturnouttobemuchdeeperandmoresubtlethanIatfirstsupposed.Imustreconsidermyideas.”Heleanedbackinthecab,andIcouldseebyhisdrawnbrowandhisvacanteyethathewasthinkingintently.MissMorstanandIchattedinanundertoneaboutourpresentexpeditionanditspossibleoutcome,butourcompanionmaintainedhisimpenetrablereserveuntiltheendofourjourney.
ItwasaSeptemberevening,andnotyetseveno’clock,butthedayhadbeenadrearyone,andadensedrizzlyfoglaylowuponthegreatcity.Mud-colouredcloudsdroopedsadlyoverthemuddystreets.DowntheStrandthelampswerebutmistysplotchesofdiffusedlightwhichthrewafeeblecircularglimmerupontheslimypavement.Theyellowglarefromtheshop-windowsstreamedoutintothesteamy,vaporousair,andthrewamurky,shiftingradianceacrossthecrowdedthoroughfare.Therewas,tomymind,somethingeerieandghost-likeintheendlessprocessionoffaceswhichflittedacrossthesenarrowbarsoflight,—sadfacesandglad,haggardandmerry.Likeallhumankind,theyflittedfromthegloomintothelight,andsobackintothegloomoncemore.Iamnotsubjecttoimpressions,butthedull,heavyevening,withthestrangebusinessuponwhichwewereengaged,combinedtomakemenervousanddepressed.IcouldseefromMissMorstan’smannerthatshewassufferingfromthesamefeeling.Holmesalonecouldrisesuperiortopettyinfluences.Heheldhisopennote-bookuponhisknee,andfromtimetotimehejotteddownfiguresandmemorandainthelightofhispocket-lantern.
AttheLyceumTheatrethecrowdswerealreadythickatt