tipsstillpressedtogether,hislegsstretchedoutinfrontofhim,andhisgazedirectedupwardtotheceiling.Thenhetookdownfromtheracktheoldandoilyclaypipe,whichwastohimasacounsellor,and,havinglitit,heleanedbackinhischair,withthethickbluecloud-wreathsspinningupfromhim,andalookofinfinitelanguorinhisface.
“Quiteaninterestingstudy,thatmaiden,”heobserved.“Ifoundhermoreinterestingthanherlittleproblem,which,bytheway,isratheratriteone.Youwillfindparallelcases,ifyouconsultmyindex,inAndoverin’77,andtherewassomethingofthesortatTheHaguelastyear.Oldasistheidea,however,therewereoneortwodetailswhichwerenewtome.Butthemaidenherselfwasmostinstructive.”
“Youappearedtoreadagooddealuponherwhichwasquiteinvisibletome,”Iremarked.
“Notinvisiblebutunnoticed,Watson.Youdidnotknowwheretolook,andsoyoumissedallthatwasimportant.Icanneverbringyoutorealisetheimportanceofsleeves,thesuggestivenessofthumb-nails,orthegreatissuesthatmayhangfromaboot-lace.Now,whatdidyougatherfromthatwoman’sappearance?Describeit.”
“Well,shehadaslate-coloured,broad-brimmedstrawhat,withafeatherofabrickishred.Herjacketwasblack,withblackbeadssewnuponit,andafringeoflittleblackjetornaments.Herdresswasbrown,ratherdarkerthancoffeecolour,withalittlepurpleplushattheneckandsleeves.Herglovesweregreyishandwerewornthroughattherightforefinger.HerbootsIdidn’tobserve.Shehadsmallround,hanginggoldearrings,andageneralairofbeingfairlywell-to-doinavulgar,comfortable,easy-goingway.”
SherlockHolmesclappedhishandssoftlytogetherandchuckled.
“’Ponmyword,Watson,youarecomingalongwonderfully.Youhavereallydoneverywellindeed.Itistruethatyouhavemissedeverythingofimportance,butyouhavehituponthemethod,andyouhaveaquickeyeforcolour.Nevertrusttogeneralimpressions,myboy,butconcentrateyourselfupondetails.Myfirstglanceisalwaysatawoman’ssleeve.Inamanitisperhapsbetterfirsttotakethekneeofthetrouser.Asyouobserve,thiswomanhadplushuponhersleeves,whichisamostusefulmaterialforshowingtraces.Thedoublelinealittleabovethewrist,wherethetypewritistpressesagainstthetable,wasbeautifullydefined.Thesewing-machine,ofthehandtype,leavesasimilarmark,butonlyontheleftarm,andonthesideofitfarthestfromthethumb,insteadofbeingrightacrossthebroadestpart,asthiswas.Ithenglancedatherface,and,observingthedintofapince-nezateithersideofhernose,Iventuredaremarkuponshortsightandtypewriting,whichseemedtosurpriseher.”
“Itsurprisedme.”
“But,surely,itwasobvious.Iwasthenmuchsurprisedandinterestedonglancingdowntoobservethat,thoughthebootswhichshewaswearingwerenotunlikeeachother,theywerereallyoddonestheonehavingaslightlydecoratedtoe-cap,andtheotheraplainone.Onewasbuttonedonlyinthetwolowerbuttonsoutoffive,andtheotheratthefirst,third,andfifth.Now,whenyouseethatayounglady,otherwiseneatlydressed,hascomeawayfromhomewithoddboots,half-buttoned,itisnogreatdeductiontosaythatshecameawayinahurry.”
“Andwhatelse?”Iasked,keenlyinterested,asIalwayswas,bymyfriend’sincisivereasoning.
“Inoted,inpassing,thatshehadwrittenanotebeforeleavinghomebutafterbeingfullydressed.Youobservedthatherrightglovewastornattheforefinger,butyoudidnotapparentlyseethatbothgloveandfingerwerestainedwithvioletink.Shehadwritteninahurryanddippedherpen