fromhiminthemorning.
“Seemstometheyareplayingmeforasuckerinthishotel,”hecried.“They’llfindthey’vestartedintomonkeywiththewrongmanunlesstheyarecareful.Bythunder,ifthatchapcan’tfindmymissingboottherewillbetrouble.Icantakeajokewiththebest,Mr.Holmes,butthey’vegotabitoverthemarkthistime.”
“Stilllookingforyourboot?”
“Yes,sir,andmeantofindit.”
“But,surely,yousaidthatitwasanewbrownboot?”
“Soitwas,sir.Andnowit’sanoldblackone.”
“What!youdon’tmeantosay—?”
“That’sjustwhatIdomeantosay.Ionlyhadthreepairsintheworld—thenewbrown,theoldblack,andthepatentleathers,whichIamwearing.Lastnighttheytookoneofmybrownones,andtodaytheyhavesneakedoneoftheblack.Well,haveyougotit?Speakout,man,anddon’tstandstaring!”
AnagitatedGermanwaiterhadappeareduponthescene.
“No,sirIhavemadeinquiryalloverthehotel,butIcanhearnowordofit.”
“Well,eitherthatbootcomesbackbeforesundownorI’llseethemanagerandtellhimthatIgorightstraightoutofthishotel.”
“Itshallbefound,sir—Ipromiseyouthatifyouwillhavealittlepatienceitwillbefound.”
“Minditis,forit’sthelastthingofminethatI’llloseinthisdenofthieves.Well,well,Mr.Holmes,you’llexcusemytroublingyouaboutsuchatrifle—”
“Ithinkit’swellworthtroublingabout.”
“Why,youlookveryseriousoverit.”
“Howdoyouexplainit?”
“Ijustdon’tattempttoexplainit.Itseemstheverymaddest,queerestthingthateverhappenedtome.”
“Thequeerestperhaps—”saidHolmesthoughtfully.
“Whatdoyoumakeofityourself?”
“Well,Idon’tprofesstounderstandityet.Thiscaseofyoursisverycomplex,SirHenry.Whentakeninconjunctionwithyouruncle’sdeathIamnotsurethatofallthefivehundredcasesofcapitalimportancewhichIhavehandledthereisonewhichcutssodeep.Butweholdseveralthreadsinourhands,andtheoddsarethatoneorotherofthemguidesustothetruth.Wemaywastetimeinfollowingthewrongone,butsoonerorlaterwemustcomeupontheright.”
Wehadapleasantluncheoninwhichlittlewassaidofthebusinesswhichhadbroughtustogether.Itwasintheprivatesitting-roomtowhichweafterward