ours,itisnoteasytorestorelostpropertytoanyoneofthem.”
“What,then,didPetersondo?”
“HebroughtroundbothhatandgoosetomeonChristmasmorning,knowingthateventhesmallestproblemsareofinteresttome.Thegooseweretaineduntilthismorning,whenthereweresignsthat,inspiteoftheslightfrost,itwouldbewellthatitshouldbeeatenwithoutunnecessarydelay.Itsfinderhascarrieditoff,therefore,tofulfiltheultimatedestinyofagoose,whileIcontinuetoretainthehatoftheunknowngentlemanwholosthisChristmasdinner.”
“Didhenotadvertise?”
“No.”
“Then,whatcluecouldyouhaveastohisidentity?”
“Onlyasmuchaswecandeduce.”
“Fromhishat?”
“Precisely.”
“Butyouarejoking.Whatcanyougatherfromthisoldbatteredfelt?”
“Hereismylens.Youknowmymethods.Whatcanyougatheryourselfastotheindividualityofthemanwhohaswornthisarticle?”
Itookthetatteredobjectinmyhandsandturneditoverratherruefully.Itwasaveryordinaryblackhatoftheusualroundshape,hardandmuchtheworseforwear.Thelininghadbeenofredsilk,butwasagooddealdiscoloured.Therewasnomaker’snamebut,asHolmeshadremarked,theinitials“H.B.”werescrawledupononeside.Itwaspiercedinthebrimforahat-securer,buttheelasticwasmissing.Fortherest,itwascracked,exceedinglydusty,andspottedinseveralplaces,althoughthereseemedtohavebeensomeattempttohidethediscolouredpatchesbysmearingthemwithink.
“Icanseenothing,”saidI,handingitbacktomyfriend.
“Onthecontrary,Watson,youcanseeeverything.Youfail,however,toreasonfromwhatyousee.Youaretootimidindrawingyourinferences.”
“Then,praytellmewhatitisthatyoucaninferfromthishat?”
Hepickeditupandgazedatitinthepeculiarintrospectivefashionwhichwascharacteristicofhim.“Itisperhapslesssuggestivethanitmighthavebeen,”heremarked,“andyetthereareafewinferenceswhichareverydistinct,andafewotherswhichrepresentatleastastrongbalanceofprobability.Thatthemanwashighlyintellectualisofcourseobviousuponthefaceofit,andalsothathewasfairlywell-to-dowithinthelastthreeyears,althoughhehasnowfallenuponevildays.Hehadforesight,buthaslessnowthanformerly,pointingtoamoralretrogression,which,whentakenwiththedeclineofhisfortunes,seemstoindicatesomeevilinfluence,probablydrink,atworkuponhim.Thismayaccountalsofortheobviousfactthathiswifehasceasedtolovehim.”
“MydearHolmes!”
“Hehas,however,retainedsomedegreeofself-respect,”hecontinued,disregardingmyremonstrance.“Heisamanwholeadsasedentarylife,goesoutlittle,isoutoftrainingentirely,ismiddle-aged,hasgrizzledhairwhichhehashadcutwithinthelastfewdays,andwhichheanointswithlime-cream.Thesearethemorepatentfactswhicharetobededucedfromhishat.Also,bytheway,thatitisextremelyimprobablethathehasgaslaidoninhishouse.”
“Youarecertainlyjoking,Holmes.”
“Notintheleast.Isitpossiblethatevennow,whenIgiveyoutheseresults,youareunabletoseehowtheyareattained?”
“IhavenodoubtthatIamverystupid,butImustconfessthatIamunabletofollowyou.Forexample,howdidyoudeducethatthismanwasintellectual?”
ForanswerHolmesclappedthehatuponhishead.Itcamerightovertheforeheadandsettleduponthebridgeofhisnose.“Itisaquestionofcubiccapacity,”saidhe“amanwithsolargeabrainmusthavesomethinginit.”
“Thedeclineofhisfortunes,then?”
“Thishatisthreeyearsold.Theseflatbrimscurledattheedgecameinthen.Itisahatoftheverybestquality.Lookatthebandofribbedsilkandtheexcellentlining.Ifthismancouldaffordtobuysoexpensiveahatthreeyearsago,andhashadnohatsince,thenhehasassuredlygonedownintheworld.”
“Well,thatisclearenough,certainly.Buthowabouttheforesightandthemoralretrogression?”
SherlockHolmeslaughed.“Hereistheforesight,”saidheputtinghisfingeruponthelittledisc