ShortlyaftermymarriageIhadboughtaconnectioninthePaddingtondistrict.OldMr.Farquhar,fromwhomIpurchasedit,hadatonetimeanexcellentgeneralpracticebuthisage,andanafflictionofthenatureofSt.Vitus’sdancefromwhichhesuffered,hadverymuchthinnedit.Thepublicnotunnaturallygoesontheprinciplethathewhowouldhealothersmusthimselfbewhole,andlooksaskanceatthecurativepowersofthemanwhoseowncaseisbeyondthereachofhisdrugs.Thusasmypredecessorweakenedhispracticedeclined,untilwhenIpurchaseditfromhimithadsunkfromtwelvehundredtolittlemorethanthreehundredayear.Ihadconfidence,however,inmyownyouthandenergy,andwasconvincedthatinaveryfewyearstheconcernwouldbeasflourishingasever.
ForthreemonthsaftertakingoverthepracticeIwaskeptverycloselyatwork,andsawlittleofmyfriendSherlockHolmes,forIwastoobusytovisitBakerStreet,andheseldomwentanywherehimselfsaveuponprofessionalbusiness.Iwassurprised,therefore,when,onemorninginJune,asIsatreadingtheBritishMedicalJournalafterbreakfast,Iheardaringatthebell,followedbythehigh,somewhatstridenttonesofmyoldcompanion’svoice.
“Ah,mydearWatson,”saidhe,stridingintotheroom,“Iamverydelightedtoseeyou!ItrustthatMrs.WatsonhasentirelyrecoveredfromallthelittleexcitementsconnectedwithouradventureoftheSignofFour.”
“Thankyou,wearebothverywell,”saidI,shakinghimwarmlybythehand.
“AndIhope,also,”hecontinued,sittingdownintherocking-chair,“thatthecaresofmedicalpracticehavenotentirelyobliteratedtheinterestwhichyouusedtotakeinourlittledeductiveproblems.”
“Onthecontrary,”Ianswered,“itwasonlylastnightthatIwaslookingovermyoldnotes,andclassifyingsomeofourpastresults.”
“Itrustthatyoudon’tconsideryourcollectionclosed.”
“Notatall.Ishouldwishnothingbetterthantohavesomemoreofsuchexperiences.”
“To-day,forexample?”
“Yes,to-day,ifyoulike.”
“AndasfaroffasBirmingham?”
“Certainly,ifyouwishit.”
“Andthepractice?”
“Idomyneighbour’swhenhegoes.Heisalwaysreadytoworkoffthedebt.”
“Ha!Nothingcouldbebetter,”saidHolmes,leaningbackinhischairandlookingkeenlyatmefromunderhishalfclosedlids.“Iperceivethatyouhavebeenunwelllately.Summercoldsarealwaysalittletrying.”
“Iwasconfinedtothehousebyaseverechillforthreedayslastweek.Ithought,however,thatIhadcastoffeverytraceofit.”
“Soyouhave.Youlookremarkablyrobust.”
“How,then,didyouknowofit?”
“Mydearfellow,youknowmymethods.”
“Youdeducedit,then?”
“Certainly.”
“Andfromwhat?”
“Fromyourslippers.”
IglanceddownatthenewpatentleatherswhichIwaswearing.“Howonearth—”Ibegan,butHolmesansweredmyquestionbeforeitwasasked.
“Yourslippersarenew,”hesaid.“Youcouldnothavehadthemmorethanafewweeks.Thesoleswhichyouareatthismomentpresentingtomeareslightlyscorched.ForamomentIthoughttheymighthavegotwetandbeenburnedinthedrying.Butneartheinstepthereisasmallcircularwaferofpaperwiththeshopman’shieroglyphicsuponit.Dampwouldofcoursehaveremovedthis.Youhad,then,beensittingwithyourfeetoutstretchedtothefire,whichamanwouldhardlydoeveninsowetaJuneasthisifhewereinhisfullhealth.”
LikeallHolmes’sreasoningthethingseemedsimplicityitselfwhenitwasonceexplained.He