Ihadcalleduponmyfriend,Mr.SherlockHolmes,onedayintheautumnoflastyearandfoundhimindeepconversationwithaverystout,florid-faced,elderlygentlemanwithfieryredhair.Withanapologyformyintrusion,IwasabouttowithdrawwhenHolmespulledmeabruptlyintotheroomandclosedthedoorbehindme.
“Youcouldnotpossiblyhavecomeatabettertime,mydearWatson,”hesaidcordially.
“Iwasafraidthatyouwereengaged.”
“SoIam.Verymuchso.”
“ThenIcanwaitinthenextroom.”
“Notatall.Thisgentleman,Mr.Wilson,hasbeenmypartnerandhelperinmanyofmymostsuccessfulcases,andIhavenodoubtthathewillbeoftheutmostusetomeinyoursalso.”
Thestoutgentlemanhalfrosefromhischairandgaveabobofgreeting,withaquicklittlequestioningglancefromhissmallfat-encircledeyes.
“Trythesettee,”saidHolmes,relapsingintohisarmchairandputtinghisfingertipstogether,aswashiscustomwheninjudicialmoods.“Iknow,mydearWatson,thatyousharemyloveofallthatisbizarreandoutsidetheconventionsandhumdrumroutineofeverydaylife.Youhaveshownyourrelishforitbytheenthusiasmwhichhaspromptedyoutochronicle,and,ifyouwillexcusemysayingso,somewhattoembellishsomanyofmyownlittleadventures.”
“Yourcaseshaveindeedbeenofthegreatestinteresttome,”Iobserved.
“YouwillrememberthatIremarkedtheotherday,justbeforewewentintotheverysimpleproblempresentedbyMissMarySutherland,thatforstrangeeffectsandextraordinarycombinationswemustgotolifeitself,whichisalwaysfarmoredaringthananyeffortoftheimagination.”
“ApropositionwhichItookthelibertyofdoubting.”
“Youdid,Doctor,butnonethelessyoumustcomeroundtomyview,forotherwiseIshallkeeponpilingfactuponfactonyouuntilyourreasonbreaksdownunderthemandacknowledgesmetoberight.Now,Mr.JabezWilsonherehasbeengoodenoughtocalluponmethismorning,andtobeginanarrativewhichpromisestobeoneofthemostsingularwhichIhavelistenedtoforsometime.Youhaveheardmeremarkthatthestrangestandmostuniquethingsareveryoftenconnectednotwiththelargerbutwiththesmallercrimes,andoccasionally,indeed,wherethereisroomfordoubtwhetheranypositivecrimehasbeencommitted.AsfarasIhaveheard,itisimpossibleformetosaywhetherthepresentcaseisaninstanceofcrimeornot,butthecourseofeventsiscertainlyamongthemostsingularthatIhaveeverlistenedto.Perhaps,Mr.Wilson,youwouldhavethegreatkindnesstorecommenceyournarrative.IaskyounotmerelybecausemyfriendDr.Watsonhasnotheardtheopeningpartbutalsobecausethepeculiarnatureofthestorymakesmeanxioustohaveeverypossibledetailfromyourlips.Asarule,whenIhaveheardsomeslightindicationofthecourseofevents,Iamabletoguidemyselfbythethousandsofothersimilarcaseswhichoccurtomymemory.InthepresentinstanceIamforcedtoadmitthatthefactsare,tothebestofmybelief,unique.”
Theportlyclientpuffedouthischestwithanappearanceofsomelittleprideandpulledadirtyandwrinklednewspaperfromtheinsidepocketofhisgreatcoat.Asheglanceddowntheadvertisementcolumn,withhisheadthrustforwardandthepaperflattenedoutuponhisknee,Itookagoodlookatthemanandendeavoured,afterthefashionofmycompanion,toreadtheindicationswhichmightbepresentedbyhisdressorappearance.
Ididnotgainverymuch,however,bymyinspection.OurvisitorboreeverymarkofbeinganaveragecommonplaceBritishtradesman,obese,pompous,andslow.Heworeratherbaggygreyshepherd’schecktrousers,anotover-cleanblackfrock-coat,unbuttonedinthefront,andadrabwaistcoatwithaheavybrassyAlbertchain,andasquarepiercedbitofmetaldanglingdownasanornament.Afrayedtop-hatandafadedbrownovercoatwithawrinkledvelvetcollarlayuponachairbesidehim.Altogether,lookasIwould,therewasnothingremarkableaboutthemansavehisblazingredhead,andtheexpressionofextremechagrinanddiscontentuponhisfeatures.
SherlockHolmes’quickeyetookinmyoccupation,andheshookhisheadwithasmileashenoticedmyquestioningglances.“Beyondtheobviousfactsthathehasatsometimedonemanuallabour,thathetakessnuff,thatheisaFreemason,thathehasbeeninChina,andthathehasdoneaconsiderableamountofwritinglately,Icandeducenothingelse.”
Mr.JabezWilsonstartedupinhischair,withhisforefingeruponthepaper,buthiseyesuponmycompanion.
“How,inthenameofgood-fortune,didyouknowallthat,Mr.Holmes?”heasked.“Howdidyouknow,forexample,thatIdidmanuallabour.It’sastrueasgospel,forIbeganasaship’scarpenter.”
“Yourhands,mydearsir