chHolmeswouldtalkaboutnothingbutviolins,narratingwithgreatexultationhowhehadpurchasedhisownStradivarius,whichwasworthatleastfivehundredguineas,ataJewbroker’sinTottenhamCourtRoadforfifty-fiveshillings.ThisledhimtoPaganini,andwesatforanhouroverabottleofclaretwhilehetoldmeanecdoteafteranecdoteofthatextraordinaryman.Theafternoonwasfaradvancedandthehotglarehadsoftenedintoamellowglowbeforewefoundourselvesatthepolice-station.Lestradewaswaitingforusatthedoor.
“Atelegramforyou,Mr.Holmes,”saidhe.
“Ha!Itistheanswer!”Hetoreitopen,glancedhiseyesoverit,andcrumpleditintohispocket.“That’sallright,”saidhe.
“Haveyoufoundoutanything?”
“Ihavefoundouteverything!”
“What!”Lestradestaredathiminamazement.“Youarejoking.”
“Iwasnevermoreseriousinmylife.Ashockingcrimehasbeencommitted,andIthinkIhavenowlaidbareeverydetailofit.”
“Andthecriminal?”
HolmesscribbledafewwordsuponthebackofoneofhisvisitingcardsandthrewitovertoLestrade.
“Thatisthename,”hesaid.“Youcannoteffectanarrestuntilto-morrownightattheearliest.Ishouldpreferthatyoudonotmentionmynameatallinconnectionwiththecase,asIchoosetobeonlyassociatedwiththosecrimeswhichpresentsomedifficultyintheirsolution.Comeon,Watson.”Westrodeofftogethertothestation,leavingLestradestillstaringwithadelightedfaceatthecardwhichHolmeshadthrownhim.
“Thecase,”saidSherlockHolmesaswechattedoverourcigarsthatnightinourroomsatBakerStreet,“isonewhere,asintheinvestigationswhichyouhavechronicledunderthenamesof‘AStudyinScarlet’andof‘TheSignofFour,’wehavebeencompelledtoreasonbackwardfromeffectstocauses.IhavewrittentoLestradeaskinghimtosupplyuswiththedetailswhicharenowwanting,andwhichhewillonlygetafterhehassecuredhisman.Thathemaybesafelytrustedtodo,foralthoughheisabsolutelydevoidofreason,heisastenaciousasabulldogwhenheonceunderstandswhathehastodo,and,indeed,itisjustthistenacitywhichhasbroughthimtothetopatScotlandYard.”
“Yourcaseisnotcomplete,then?”Iasked.
“Itisfairlycompleteinessentials.Weknowwhotheauthoroftherevoltingbusinessis,althoughoneofthevictimsstillescapesus.Ofcourse,youhaveformedyourownconclusions.”
“IpresumethatthisJimBrowner,thestewardofaLiverpoolboat,isthemanwhomyoususpect?”
“Oh!itismorethanasuspicion.”
“AndyetIcannotseeanythingsaveveryvagueindications.”
“Onthecontrary,tomymindnothingcouldbemoreclear.Letmerunovertheprincipalsteps.Weapproachedthecase,youremember,withanabsolutelyblankmind,whichisalwaysanadvantage.Wehadformednotheories.Weweresimplytheretoobserveandtodrawinferencesfromourobservations.Whatdidweseefirst?Averyplacidandrespectablelady,whoseemedquiteinnocentofanysecret,andaportraitwhichshowedmethatshehadtwoyoungersisters.Itinstantlyflashedacrossmymindthattheboxmighthavebeenmeantforoneofthese.Isettheideaasideasonewhichcouldbedisprovedorconfirmedatourleisure.Thenwewenttothegarden,asyouremember,andwesawtheverysingularcontentsofthelittleyellowbox.
“Thestringwasofthequalitywhichisusedbysailmakersaboardship,andatonceawhiffoftheseawasperceptibleinourinvestigation.WhenIobservedthattheknotwasonewhichispopularwithsailors,thattheparcelhadbeenpostedataport,andthatthemaleearwaspiercedforanearringwhichissomuchmorecommonamongsailorsthanlandsmen,Iwasquitecertainthatalltheactorsinthetragedyweretobefoundamongourseafaringclasses.
“WhenIcametoexaminetheaddressofthepacketIobservedthatitwastoMissS.Cushing.Now,theoldestsisterwould,ofcourse,beMissCushing,andalthoughherinitialwas‘S’itmightbelongtooneoftheothersaswell.Inthatcaseweshouldhavetocommenceourinvestigationfromafreshbasisaltogether.Ithereforewentintothehousewiththeintentionofclearingupthispoint.IwasabouttoassureMissCushingthatIwasconvincedthatamistakehadbeenmadewhenyoumayrememberthatIcamesuddenlytoastop.ThefactwasthatIhadjustseensomethingwhichfilledmewithsurpriseandatthesametimenarrowedthefieldofourinquiryimmensely.
“Asame