Inpublishingtheseshortsketchesbaseduponthenumerouscasesinwhichmycompanion’ssingulargiftshavemadeusthelistenersto,andeventuallytheactorsin,somestrangedrama,itisonlynaturalthatIshoulddwellratheruponhissuccessesthanuponhisfailures.Andthisnotsomuchforthesakeofhisreputation—for,indeed,itwaswhenhewasathiswits’endthathisenergyandhisversatilityweremostadmirable—butbecausewherehefailedithappenedtoooftenthatnooneelsesucceeded,andthatthetalewasleftforeverwithoutaconclusion.Nowandagain,however,itchancedthatevenwhenheerred,thetruthwasstilldiscovered.Ihavenotedofsomehalf-dozencasesofthekind,ofwhichtheAffairoftheSecondStainandthatwhichIamnowabouttorecountarethetwowhichpresentthestrongestfeaturesofinterest.
SherlockHolmeswasamanwhoseldomtookexerciseforexercise’ssake.Fewmenwerecapableofgreatermusculareffort,andhewasundoubtedlyoneofthefinestboxersofhisweightthatIhaveeverseenbuthelookeduponaimlessbodilyexertionasawasteofenergy,andheseldombestirredhimselfsavewhentherewassomeprofessionalobjecttobeserved.Thenhewasabsolutelyuntiringandindefatigable.Thatheshouldhavekepthimselfintrainingundersuchcircumstancesisremarkable,buthisdietwasusuallyofthesparest,andhishabitsweresimpletothevergeofausterity.Savefortheoccasionaluseofcocaine,hehadnovices,andheonlyturnedtothedrugasaprotestagainstthemonotonyofexistencewhencaseswerescantyandthepapersuninteresting.
OnedayinearlyspringhehadsofarrelaxedastogoforawalkwithmeinthePark,wherethefirstfaintshootsofgreenwerebreakingoutupontheelms,andthestickyspear-headsofthechestnutswerejustbeginningtoburstintotheirfive-foldleaves.Fortwohourswerambledabouttogether,insilenceforthemostpart,asbefitstwomenwhoknoweachotherintimately.ItwasnearlyfivebeforewewerebackinBakerStreetoncemore.
“Begpardon,sir,”saidourpage-boy,asheopenedthedoor.“There’sbeenagentlemanhereaskingforyou,sir.”
Holmesglancedreproachfullyatme.“Somuchforafternoonwalks!”saidhe.“Hasthisgentlemangone,then?”
“Yes,sir.”
“Didn’tyouaskhimin?”
“Yes,sirhecamein.”
“Howlongdidhewait?”
“Halfanhour,sir.Hewasaveryrestlessgentleman,sir,a-walkin’anda-stampin’allthetimehewashere.Iwaswaitin’outsidethedoor,sir,andIcouldhearhim.Atlastheoutsintothepassage,andhecries,‘Isthatmannevergoin’tocome?’Thosewerehisverywords,sir.‘You’llonlyneedtowaitalittlelonger,’saysI.‘ThenI’llwaitintheopenair,forIfeelhalfchoked,’sayshe.‘I’llbebackbeforelong.’Andwiththatheupsandheouts,andallIcouldsaywouldn’tholdhimback.”
“Well,well,youdidyourbest,”saidHolmes,aswewalkedintoourroom.“It’sveryannoying,though,Watson.Iwasbadlyinneedofacase,andthislooks,fromtheman’simpatience,asifitwereofimportance.Halloa!That’snotyourpipeonthetable.Hemusthavelefthisbehindhim.Aniceoldbriarwithagoodlongstemofwhatthetobacconistscallamber.IwonderhowmanyrealambermouthpiecesthereareinLondon.Somepeoplethinkthataflyinitisasign.Well,hemusthavebeendisturbedinhismindtoleaveapipebehindhimwhichheevidentlyvalueshighly.”
“Howdoyouknowthathevaluesithighly?”Iasked.
“Well,Ishouldputtheoriginalcostofthepipeatsevenandsixpence.Nowithas,yousee,beentwicemended,onceinthewoodenstemandonceintheamber.Eachofthesemends,done,asyouobserve,withsilverbands,musthavecostmorethanthepipedidoriginally.Themanmustvaluethepipehighlywhenhepreferstopatchitupra