“Well,myboy,whatdoyoumakeofthislot?”heasked,smilingatmyexpression.
“Itisacuriouscollection.”
“Verycurious,andthestorythathangsrounditwillstrikeyouasbeingmorecuriousstill.”
“Theserelicshaveahistorythen?”
“Somuchsothattheyarehistory.”
“Whatdoyoumeanbythat?”
SherlockHolmespickedthemuponebyone,andlaidthemalongtheedgeofthetable.Thenhereseatedhimselfinhischairandlookedthemoverwithagleamofsatisfactioninhiseyes.
“These,”saidhe,“areallthatIhavelefttoremindmeoftheadventureoftheMusgraveRitual.”
Ihadheardhimmentionthecasemorethanonce,thoughIhadneverbeenabletogatherthedetails.
“Ishouldbesoglad,”saidI,“ifyouwouldgivemeanaccountofit.”
“Andleavethelitterasitis?”hecried,mischievously.“Yourtidinesswon’tbearmuchstrainafterall,Watson.ButIshouldbegladthatyoushouldaddthiscasetoyourannals,fortherearepointsinitwhichmakeitquiteuniqueinthecriminalrecordsofthisor,Ibelieve,ofanyothercountry.Acollectionofmytriflingachievementswouldcertainlybeincompletewhichcontainednoaccountofthisverysingularbusiness.
“YoumayrememberhowtheaffairoftheGloriaScott,andmyconversationwiththeunhappymanwhosefateItoldyouof,firstturnedmyattentioninthedirectionoftheprofessionwhichhasbecomemylife’swork.Youseemenowwhenmynamehasbecomeknownfarandwide,andwhenIamgenerallyrecognisedbothbythepublicandbytheofficialforceasbeingafinalcourtofappealindoubtfulcases.Evenwhenyouknewmefirst,atthetimeoftheaffairwhichyouhavecommemoratedin‘AStudyinScarlet,’Ihadalreadyestablishedaconsiderable,thoughnotaverylucrative,connection.Youcanhardlyrealize,then,howdifficultIfounditatfirst,andhowlongIhadtowaitbeforeIsucceededinmakinganyheadway.
“WhenIfirstcameuptoLondonIhadroomsinMontagueStreet,justroundthecornerfromtheBritishMuseum,andthereIwaited,fillinginmytooabundantleisuretimebystudyingallthosebranchesofsciencewhichmightmakememoreefficient.Nowandagaincasescameinmyway,principallythroughtheintroductionofoldfellow-students,forduringmylastyearsattheUniversitytherewasagooddealoftalkthereaboutmyselfandmymethods.ThethirdofthesecaseswasthatoftheMusgraveRitual,anditistotheinterestwhichwasarousedbythatsingularchainofevents,andthelargeissueswhichprovedtobeatstake,thatItracemyfirststridetowardsthepositionwhichInowhold.
“ReginaldMusgravehadbeeninthesamecollegeasmyself,andIhadsomeslightacquaintancewithhim.Hewasnotgenerallypopularamongtheundergraduates,thoughitalwaysseemedtomethatwhatwassetdownaspridewasreallyanattempttocoverextremenaturaldiffidence.Inappearancehewasamanofexceedinglyaristocratictype,thin,high-nosed,andlarge-eyed,withlanguidandyetcourtlymanners.Hewasindeedascionofoneoftheveryoldestfamiliesinthekingdom,thoughhisbranchwasacadetonewhichhadseparatedfromthenorthernMusgravessometimeinthesixteenthcentury,andhadestablisheditselfinwesternSussex,wheretheManorHouseofHurlstoneisperhapstheoldestinhabitedbuildinginthecounty.Somethingofhisbirthplaceseemedtoclingtotheman,andIneverlookedathispale,keenfaceorthepoiseofhisheadwithoutassociatinghimwithgreyarchwaysandmullionedwindowsandallthevenerablewreckageofafeudalkeep.Onceortwicewedriftedintotalk,andIcanrememberthatmorethanonceheexpressedakeeninterestinmymethodsofobservationandinference.
“ForfouryearsIhadseennothingofhimuntilonemorninghewalkedintomyroominMontagueStreet.Hehadchangedlittle,wasdressedlikeayoungmanoffashion—hewasalwaysabitofadandy—andpreservedthesamequiet,suavemannerwhich